Summer shortcake

I found this cake in Martha Sterwart's Living magazin, July 2007. We celebrated yesterday with our relatives from Switzerland and I chose this cake also to celebrate 1 year of my arrival to the States as a wife... :)

I liked this type of cake and plan to make is sometime again using different cutting shapes and fruit.

For the biscuits:

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 stick cold unsalted butter cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 8 oz cold cream cheese cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup buttermilk, plus mor for brushing
• raw sugar for sprinkling

For the filling:

• 2 pints blueberries
• 2 pints strawberries, hulled
• 3 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Make the biscuits: in a food processor pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt until combined. Add butter and pulse until the largest pieces are the size of peas. Add cream cheese, pulse again until large pieces are the size of peas. Add buttermilk, pulse until dough comes together. Transfer to bowl, knead into ball. cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.

Divide dough into half. On a lightly floured work surface roll into a 10-inch round. Transfer to baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Brush biscuits lightly with buttermilk, sprinkle generously with sugar. Bake until dough has risen and golden brown, for 12-15 minutes in 400 degrees preheated oven. Bottoms will brown sooner, that's why I placed another empty baking pan underneath.

Repeat with other biscuit. Using a 2 1/2 inch cutter cut out, but do not remove shapes, while it's still warm. Let cool.

Make filling: combine strawberries and bluebberries and 2 Tbsp sugar, let macerate until juicy, for 10 minutes.

Just before serving beat cream to medium peaks with remaining sugar and vanilla. Assemble cake: spoon half the berries over uncut biscuit, spread the whipped cream, top with remaining berries, reserve a few for decoration. Place cutout biscuit on top, fill out stars with reserved berries. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 3 hours.

Christmas/ Hanukkah cake

I made this cake right before Christmas, as my Hubby asked me to bake his favorite cake. How could I not grant this wish of his on our First Christmas? So I called Katineni, my mother-in-law in Hungary for the recipe.

It is interesting, she heard about this cake many-many years ago listening to a radio-show. So, she quickly grabbed a pen and put down the ingredients. It's been one of the most preferred cakes of the family ever since.
Let me assure you, it was worth it! It has such a rich flavor, so moist and yummmmy!

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs, divided
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup ground walnuts/hazelnuts/pecans
• 5 tbsp butter/margarine
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground clove
• 1-2 tbsp honey
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp anise seeds
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• you can add raisins also 1/2 cup

Start by mixing the egg yolks with the sugar for 2-3 minutes, add the margarine, mix until creamy. Add honey and lemon zest, seasonings (anise, cinnamon, clover) and mix for another minute or so. Stir in nuts, chocolate, raisins and milk.

In another bowl mix the flour, baking soda and baking powder. Add to the batter.

Beat the egg whites and lightly fold into the batter. Pour into a greased and floured tube pan. Bake at 325 F for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan, and cool completely.

Makes 10-12 servings.

Can you imagine the smell of your house after baking all those cinnanisecloney?

Worth trying!