Strawberries ricotta cakes

Here is a recipe for small strawberry cakes with a twist that I made a week or so ago. These are pretty unusual because they contain no flour (and are thus suitable for people on gluten-free diet), instead relying on milk curd or ricotta, ground almonds and strawberries to give the body, flavour and texture.

They're especially nice when still warm, and have 'the summer is almost here' written all over them. Baked in muffin tins, these are ideal for a spring buffet. If you want to serve them as a plated dessert, then you could drizzle some strawberry coulis on the plate and garnish with mint leaves.

Strawberry ricotta cakes
(Maasika-kohupiimakoogid)
Yields 12
Adapted from Sanitarium Health Food Company, Australia



400 grams ricotta or milk curd cheese
3 Tbsp caster sugar
3 medium eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp lemon zest
3 Tbsp ground almonds
~ 200 grams strawberries, coarsely chopped

To sprinkle:
superfine caster sugar
cinnamon

To serve:
strawberries and whipped cream

Mix milk curd, sugar, eggs, ground almonds, lemon zest and strawberries in a bowl.
Line 12 muffin tins with paper cups, divide the curd cheese mixture between the tins.
Sprinkle with fine sugar and cinnamon.
Bake at 180°C for about 40 minutes, until the cakes have risen and are lovely golden colour.
Serve warm or slightly cooled*, decorating the cakes with strawberries and whipped cream.

* It is not advisable to put these cakes in the fridge, as the curd cheese becomes somewhat grainy.

Nigella, again: fried halloumi with chilli drizzle

Halloumi cheese is something I had never tried until a year ago or so. This white cheese originates in Cyprus, is made from a mixture of goat's and cow's milk, and is seasoned with chopped mint during preparation (you can see a picture here). It has a very unique, slightly squidgy texture, and is one of few cheeses that keeps its shape during heating process, making it ideal for grilling and frying.

Firstly - and mistakenly - I tried it as a sliced cheese on my bread, but found it too squeeky and rubbery, with no proper taste. I then tried it as saganaki, and liked it a bit more. My current favourite way with halloumi is to simply dry-fry it on a frying pan. Heating halloumi slices turns them deliciously soft inside with just a bit of squidge going on. They are wonderful on slices of baguette, for instance. If I want something spicier, I make this simple cheese dish - again by Nigella, this time from the December 2003 issue of Waitrose Food Illustrated. Very slightly modified, as I didn't have any fresh chilli in the house.

Pan-fried Halloumi with Chilli
(Praetud halloumi-viilud)
Serves 4 as a nibble, or 2 as a light meal



250 grams halloumi cheese, sliced not too thinly
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried chilli flakes
half a lemon

Mix chilli flakes with oil.
Heat a non-stick frying pan on a medium heat (no oil!). Fry halloumi slices for 2 minutes on each side, until the cheese has golden brown speckles all over them.
To serve, put cheese onto small plates, drizzle with chilli oil and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Serve with some salad and bread.

The Birthday Cake

Photos updated in April 2010

I cannot remember whether I saw an idea for this cake somewhere, or whether it's something I made up myself in the spur of the moment. I'd like to think it's the latter. In any case, I've been making this for quite a few years now. It is one of those cakes that is so simple to throw together that it's almost ridiculous. Despite the effortlessness, it's tasty and rather elegant. Sometimes simple is simply the best.

I'm having it tonight:)

Mocca cake with toasted almonds
(Kohvitort)
Serves 12-16



The sponge base:
6 free-range medium eggs
300 ml golden caster sugar
300 ml plain flour, sifted
2.5 tsp baking powder

For moistening the base:
150-200 ml coffee, sweetened ja cooled (season with booze, if you wish)

The mocca cream:
500 ml whipped cream
2 Tbsp good quality instant coffee granules
2 Tbsp caster sugar or to taste

For decorating:
almond flakes, toasted

Whisk the eggs with sugar until thick and pale - about 10 minutes. Fold in sifted flour and baking powder and mix gently until combined.
Pour the batter into a lined and buttered swiss roll tin and bake at 200˚C until golden brown and well risen - about 20 minutes.
Let the sponge cool on a metal rack, then cut into two layers.
To make the mocca cream, dilute the coffee granules in a couple of spoonfuls of cream. Add the rest of the cream and sugar and whip until soft peaks form.
Moisten the bottom sponge layer with some coffee, then spread just slightly less than half of the cream onto the cake. [I sometimes mix some curd cheese or fromage fraiche into this mixture, just to make it firmer and more substantial]
Cover with the other sponge layer, moisten again with some coffee and spread the rest of the cream to the top and onto the sides of the cake.
Sprinkle with toasted and cooled almond flakes.