"Grace's Sweet Life" Review & A Berry Crumble

I received a cookbook for review from Ulysses Press of Grace's Sweet Life by Grace Massa Langlois. Come to find out, Grace is also a dessert blogger and blogs at La Mia Vita Dolce (My Sweet Life). I was initially intrigued by this book because it's filled with all kinds of authentic Italian desserts from Sicilian cannoli to soft amaretti cookies and panna cotta. I love a good tiramisu and gelato but this cookbook has so much more to offer.

I picked up my book, admired the cover then read the intro about how Grace got her start in blogging. She says, "I spent years coming to terms with an injury that prevented me from returning to my career in business. Then when my husband passed away suddenly, I directed all my energy to my children. I needed to help them deal with the tragedy of losing their father. I had to feel happy not only for my sake but also for theirs. So I turned to cooking, because making and sharing food provided me with so much comfort. The more I cooked, the happier I was." Her daughter encouraged her to do something with her love of food and that led to her blog. I love that something wonderful came from such a devastating loss. 

Click the picture to enlarge it to see recipe details

There are 60 recipes and coordinating color photos in this book. While Grace bakes all the desserts, it's her daughter, Liana, that takes the photos for her blog and her son, Matthew is the champion taste tester- it's a family effort :-). There are so many good looking sweets in this book that it was difficult to decide on what to make first. The recipes are divided up into chapters: Cakes and Cheesecakes, Mini Desserts, Cookies and Confections, Pies and Tarts, Pastries and Fried Desserts, Creams, Custards, Mousses and Souffles, and  lastly Frozen and Fruit Desserts. After reading page by page, I finally settled on a berry crumble. Did you know I don't have a single crumble or crisp recipe on this blog? It's about time I changed that!

One of the first things I noticed about this book is that it is very detailed. Several of the recipes are rather lengthy and go on for several pages which can seem intimidating, but Grace just wants you to succeed so the step-by-step instructions are quite thorough for your benefit. Some of the recipes that caught my eye were: Cannoli Cupcakes with Marsala-Chocolate Whipped Cream, Italian Cream-Filled Doughnuts, Vanilla Cream with Raspberry Coulis and Cheesecake with Brandy-Cherry Sauce. A nice feature of this book is that it has little tidbits of the Italian language in each recipe, so in a way I felt as if Grace was right there alongside me in my kitchen. My one complaint about this cookbook was the font choices, the multi-colored print and the use of italics in each recipe because it made it difficult to read at times. That's a minor issue though and obviously doesn't affect the overall taste of the dessert you're making. 

If you're looking for a cookbook with heart that is a little different than all the rest, then look no further than Grace's Sweet Life. And if  you're looking for a crumble recipe with a ton of flavor in the fruit as well as the nutty crumble, then here it is. It's also patriotic in color and would be a great dessert for any July 4th celebration. This recipe makes a lot of topping so I made a couple extra fruit crumbles. The fruit was perfectly softened and the topping was crunchy, sweet and delicious. Next time, I would decrease the amount of orange zest in the recipe since the orange flavor was more pronounced than I expected, otherwise they were prefect served warm or cold. 

Raspberry, Blueberry & Pistachio-Almond Crumble from Grace's Sweet Life

Printer Friendly Version 

Pistachio-Almond Crumble Topping: 

• 1 1/4 cups rolled oats
• 1/3 cup raw pistachios, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature, cut into small pieces

Raspberry and Blueberry Filling: 

• 2 cups raspberries
• 2 cups blueberries
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice (from about 2 oranges)
• grated zest of 1 orange
• pinch of salt
• 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon sugar

To Make the Pistachio-Almond Crumble Topping: In a small bowl, stir together the oats, pistachios, almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. 

Rub the butter into the oat mixture with your fingertips until the butter is in pea-sized pieces. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. 

To Make The Raspberry-Blueberry Filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Butter 4 (6.5 ounce) oven proof dishes (I used 6- 5 ounce ramekins). Transfer to a baking sheet and set aside. 

In a medium bowl, gently combine the raspberries,blueberries, sugar, and vanilla extract until combined. Be careful not to crush the berries. 

Add the orange juice and zest, and the salt. Sift the flour over the mixture and gently stir to just combine. 

Assembly: Divide the filling evenly among the prepared dishes. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar on top of the filling, then evenly divide the pistachio-almond topping among the dishes. 

Bake until the juices start to bubble and the topping is crisp and golden brown, 25-35 minutes. 

Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack and allow the crumbles to cool until warm. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream, if desired. 

Order your copy of Grace's Sweet Life today!

Autumn To The Rescue...All She Lacks Is A Cape!

This months selection for The Cake Slice Bakers was Pistachio Petit Four Cake. It's a 3 layer pistachio cake with super this layers of apricot jam, marzipan and ganache. It's then coated entirely in a bittersweet chocolate ganache (I used semisweet) and decorated with more marzipan, tinted and shaped into roses.

I made this cake for my step dad's 50th birthday. I assume he liked it, he didn't say much but I know my aunt and uncle loved it. They love anything with marzipan! I even heard from my grandmother who was not at the party how great the cake was from them. So if you love these flavors this cake is for you!

While making this cake the kitchen smelled wonderful! The toasting of the pistachios the baking of the cake, the sweetness of the ganache and the nutty aroma from the marzipan was quite the treat. My husband walked in and said it smelled like a bakery.

I loved the cake batter and all the individual components but for some reason, I didn't love the final product. I think the marzipan overwhelmed and the pistachio flavor of the cake didn't come through as I hoped. I think it would be great as an almond cake because that was the dominant flavor, but I would sub out a different jam if I were to make it again.

Pistachio Petit Four Cake from Sky High Cakes Printable Version

• 3/4 cup skinned pistachio nuts
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temp.
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 5 eggs, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup apricot preserves
• Marzipan (recipe below)
• Dark chocolate glaze (recipe below)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter three 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

Spread out the pistachios in a baking tray and toast in the oven for 7 to 10 minutes, until lightly coloured. Transfer to a dish and let cool completely. Finely chop the pistachios and set ¼ cup aside for decoration.

Put the remaining ½ cup pistachios in a food processor. Add the sugar and pulse just enough to grind them finely. Pour into a large mixing bowl and add the flour, baking powder and salt. Blend with the mixer on low for 30 seconds.

Add the butter, milk and vanilla and with the mixer on low, beat until completely incorporated. Raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the beaten eggs in 2 or 3 additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl well and mixing only long enough to blend after each addition. Divide the batter among the 3 prepared pans.

Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the layers to cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn out onto wire racks, carefully peel off the paper liners and let cool completely.

Marzipan

• 8 ounces almond paste
• 1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup light corn syrup

Crumble the almond paste into a large mixing bowl. Use an electric mixer on low speed to soften the almond paste. Add the confectioners sugar and corn syrup and beat until smooth. Wrap well in plastic so it doesn’t dry out and allow to rest at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours before rolling.

NOTE: I made my marzipan but it would be much easier (and less sticky!) if you were to purchase prepared marzipan. It's about the same price.

Dark Ganache Glaze

• 1 pound extra bittersweet chocolate
• 1 ¼ cups heavy cream

Chop the chocolate coarsely and put it in a heatproof bowl. Bring the cream to a bare simmer. Pour immediately over the chocolate and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth and use the glaze soon after making before it starts to set. Allow to cool and thicken slightly before use.

NOTE: I used semisweet chocolate.

Assembly:

• Roll out a third of the marzipan on a work surface dusted with a little confectioners sugar to about 1/8th inch thick. Set one of the cake pans upside down on the marzipan and trim around it with a small knife to make an 8 inch round. Repeat twice more with the remaining marzipan. Save your scraps to make roses for decoration if desired.
• Place one cake layer on a cake board, flat side up. Spread ¼ cup of the apricot preserves evenly over the top, leaving a ¼ inch margin all round to allow for spreading. Place one marzipan round on top of the preserves and spread 1/3 cup ganache glaze over the top of the marzipan so that it is completely covered. Repeat with the second cake layer, adding more preserves, marzipan and glaze.
• Add the final cake layer and top with preserves and marzipan as before. Place the whole cake on a wire rack set over a baking pan. Pour the remaining dark ganache glaze over the cake, spreading it as evenly as possible over the top and sides of the cake. Allow the ganache to set before transferring to a plate. It should be smooth and glossy.
• Garnish the top with the reserved chopped pistachios.
• Optional: Make some marzipan roses with any leftover marzipan scraps if desired.

* * * * * * *

I had one minor disaster while assembling my cake. I pulled it from the oven and it slipped out of my hand and fell on the floor! It was hot so I couldn't grab it, though it was an automatic reflex. Autumn came to check out what was going on (as usual). I managed to lift the cake off the floor and set it on a cooling rack without damaging the cake. I wasn't worried about it getting dirty though because the floor had just been mopped. Autumn took care of the crumbs for me- look at her licking her lips :-P

Happy 50th Birthday Rick!

Be sure to check out all the other Cake Slice Bakers!

Something A Little Different

ETA: The pistachios I used for this were not infected. I had a few emails and comments about the recall of pistachios, but mine were not on the list. Besides that, I bought them 6 months ago and had them in the freezer, so they weren't even "current" produce. Click here to see the Pistachio Recall List.

I saw this the other day on Confections Of A Foodie Bride and knew instantly that it would be a part of my weekly meal planning. I still had shelled pistachios in the pantry from when I made Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti during the holidays. Which, coincidentally, is also a recipe from Foodie Bride.

I love pistachios and most nuts for that matter and the idea of coating succulent chicken breast in them made me happy. I've coated chicken tenders in pecans before and that was good, but I was looking for something different. And different it was. I asked my husband if he enjoyed dinner and he said "Yeah, it was different." I think he preferred the pecans over the pistachios :-)

Pistachio-Crusted Chicken Breasts adapted from Foodie Bride

• 3/4 cup pistachios, shelled
• Salt (if pistachios are unsalted)*
• Ground black pepper
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Dash of garlic powder
• 2 Chicken breasts, pounded to even thickness

Preheat oven to 425 F. Rough chop the pistachios until coarsely ground into small and medium-sized pieces or use your Slap Chop to make your life easier and less boring :-) Pour nuts onto a plate and season your chicken with salt, peppers and garlic powder.

Evenly coat chicken breasts by pressing them into the chopped nuts.Turn the breasts over and repeat. Carefully place breasts on a rack set in a baking sheet and bake until the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees, about 16-20 minutes. Allow to rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into.

*NOTE: Even after salting the nuts, and the chicken, I felt they still needed a little more seasoning. I think next time I'll add a bit more salt to the breasts before coating them and even try them with pecans.

I'll be MIA over the weekend. I'm taking a mini vacation and meeting a longtime blogging buddy for the first time. I can't wait!

See ya next week!

Day 7- Holiday Biscotti

These little biscotti are so photogenic. They're so pretty and so tasty and they're chock full of creamy white chocolate, crunchy pistachios and jewel toned cranberries.

I've never made biscotti before, but I am a pro at eating them :-) My favorite biscotti flavor is French Lavender from Jake's Natural Foods. The lavender is subtle and the candied lemon peel inside the biscotti is chewy and it's just so good! But these biscotti are different. They're more like dessert than they are for breakfast. The cookie itself isn't too sweet, but the half dunked part is.

These are the perfect treat for the holidays. The red and green make them festive, but change out the fruit and nuts to your liking. Almonds, dried cherries and dark chocolate would be good, or dried apricots, pecans and milk chocolate! Mmm, I'm gonna have to experiment.

Holiday Biscotti from Shawnda

• 3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp. Amaretto or almond extract
• 1 cup shelled raw unsalted pistachios
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 3/4 cup high-quality white chocolate chips (for biscotti)
• 8 oz high-quality white chocolate (for dipping)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat sugar, eggs, oil, and almond extract or Amaretto liquor in large bowl until well blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Stir in pistachios, dried cranberries, and 3/4 cup chopped white chocolate by hand. Divide dough in half and form into two 12-inch-long strips on prepared baking sheet, spacing strips 3 inches apart. Using wet fingertips, shape each strip into 3-inch-wide log, pressing for even thickness. Logs may look slightly lumpy, but try to make the top as smooth as possible by pressing the cranberries and pistachios into the dough.

Bake logs until lightly browned, about 30 minutes. Cool logs on sheet for a minimum of 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Carefully transfer logs to cutting board and slice about 1/2-3/4-inch thick. Place them back on the same baking sheet with parchment paper (I used the same sheet) standing biscotti upright, spacing about 1/4 inch apart, in 3 rows. Bake until pale golden (biscotti may be soft but will firm as they cool), about 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely on baking sheet.

Line another large baking sheet with parchment paper. Place remaining chopped white chocolate in medium glass bowl. Microwave on a low temp for 30seconds at a time, until smooth. Dip one end or 1 side of each biscotti in chocolate; place on baking sheet. Chill until chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

**Makes 2-3 dozen**

NOTE: These can be made ahead of time. Arrange in single layer in airtight container and chill up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 weeks.

I cut mine at a slight angle to make them a bit longer. Also, I only got about 2 dozen biscotti from this recipe because I cut them about 3/4-1-inch wide. Any thinner and they would have crumbled. Allow the biscotti to cool COMPLETELY before cutting. This will help reduce the crumbs.

Also, with all my holiday baking, I ran out of vanilla. Gasp!!! And I lent my almond extract to my mom for her Thanksgiving pie baking, so I used Amaretto instead of almond extract. No wonder these biscotti were so good :-)

Merry Christmas Everyone! See you next year!