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Lemon-Mint Cake with Whipped Cream & Berries

6/16/2018

Berries, lemon, and mint all scream summer to me. This cake is super easy to whip up and you don't have to be stuck in a hot kitchen for very long because decorating it is really quick. You can either go ahead and use a store bought cake mix if you're short on time and just add the juice from half a lemon and some finely chopped mint to the batter. You can also go ahead and make some white cake from scratch using my white cake recipe and then assemble the cake just before serving it.

Lemon Mint Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries

Ingredients:
1 white cake recipe, or one box of cake mix baked in 2 cake pans as per package directions
2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp of finely chopped mint
1 cup whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp sugar
fresh berries washed and sliced as per preference

Method:

While mixing together the cake ingredients, add 2 tbsp of lemon juice, and the fresh chopped mint to the batter. Prepare and cool the cake as per directions.
Using an electric mixer whip the whipping cream until it becomes fluffy and gets stiff peaks. Slowly add in the vanilla and sugar and whip some more to get it all mixed together properly.
To assemble the cake put the bottom layer of the cake in the serving plate/stand top with some whipped cream but leave a bit of a border on the edges (i.e. don't spread the cream to the very edge).
Add some berries and then top with the second layer of cake and repeat.

note: assemble the cake just before serving it

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Ricotta Gnocchi in a Burnt Butter Garlic & Sage Sauce

6/1/2018

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This recipe is a little bit of a life saver for me because I LOVE gnocchi and trying to make fresh gnocchi with potatoes has proven to be super difficult for me at times. I usually end up with a watery mixture to which I have to keep adding flour... as a result, I end up overworking the dough which makes it become rubbery. Enter a recipe for ricotta gnocchi and BAM! Perfectly fluffy, easy to make, super delicious pillows of goodness. Gnocchi works best with a light sauce, this version is made in a burnt butter sage sauce. I have also posted a pomodoro Sauce recipe in the past which can be found here.

Adding a few different herbs and spices to the ricotta cheese gnocchi makes it so much more flavorful than basic gnocchi. I usually work the dough on my counter top, make a well in it, crack the eggs into the well and then beat them with a fork while I start working the flour into the eggs.

Make soft balls of dough, do not overwork the dough because it will become rubbery, stop mixing it as soon as it comes together. I don't own a gnocchi board and other recipes suggested rolling each individual piece on the back of a fork to give it some grooves for the sauce to stick to, but a shortcut method is to use a zig-zagged cutting knife to chop the dough into little bits and voila you just saved yourself a tonne of work and effort.

To cook the gnocchi you have to boil it in some water. As soon as the little pillows float to the top they're ready. While the gnocchi is boiling, I prepare the butter sauce and then add the gnocchi to it and let it cook for a while without mixing it too much so that it crisps up and browns a little.

Once done, sprinkle the gnocchi with some Parmesan and enjoy.

Ricotta Gnocchi in a Burnt Butter Garlic & Sage Sauce

Ingredients:

for the gnocchi:
225 grams ricotta cheese
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp nutmeg (optional)
1 tsp dried mixed herbs (optional)

for the sage-butter sauce:
1 tbsp olive oil
3-4 tbsp butter
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed
8-10 sage leaves
parmesean cheese

Method:

Stir the salt, black pepper, nutmeg, and mixed herbs into the ricotta and Parmesan cheese, and set aside.
Pile the flour onto a clean counter-top and make a well in it. Crack the eggs into the well and start to beat them with a fork slowly working the flour into the eggs.
Add the cheese mixture into the flour and gently knead it until it just comes together (do not over-work the dough).
On a floured surface, divide the dough into 4 pieces and roll out each piece into 1 inch wide ropes. Cut each rope into 1 inch pieces with a zig-zag knife.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi, cook until they float to the surface and scoop them out.
In a heavy bottomed skillet, heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Mix continuously until the butter begins to lightly brown. Add the crushed garlic and the sage leaves, mix until the sage crisps and the garlic turns a light golden color.
Add the gnocchi, do not stir it for a couple minutes so that it begins to turn lightly golden brown. Stir it, pour it out into serving bowls and top with Parmesan cheese before serving.

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Lemon-Mint Cake with Whipped Cream & Berries

Lemon Mint Cake with Whipped Cream and Berries

Ricotta Gnocchi in a Burnt Butter Garlic & Sage Sauce

Ricotta Gnocchi in a Burnt Butter Garlic & Sage Sauce

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