baked porridge or the ultimate comfort breakfast. { three baked porridge recipes }

A sweet comment from my friend Laura on my facebook page today got me to share these three baked porridge recipes with you!

By coincidence... it's her birthday!

drops of jupiter handpies. { apple caramel handpies }

do you still remember my pie baking frenzy for this party i threw over last december? i think i baked around six or seven different kinds of savoury and sweet handpies! after having tried at least a bite of each different sort of them, these were definitely my favourite ones - and mostly the favourites of everyone else who was lucky enough to choose them first over the rest of the desserts before they were all gone in less than three minutes.

if you make these, make sure you have some friends around, because you may be tempted to eat them all on your own. in a matter of hours. you were warned...

meet NOT your average bread { apple pie brioche }

I'm not superstitious when it comes to it, but this last Friday the 13th was exhausting. I don't know if it was because I woke up feeling suddenly ill, with a dull headache and a faint voice, or because I have slept an average of four hours a day, or even because my plans for the day got all mixed up, but by the time I got back home I was not feeling well at all. On top of all, and even though I undoubtedly urged for some sleep, I didn't feel like taking that mood to bed with me. Lucky me to know someone who knew how to fetch the sun for me in a rainy day. And even make me laugh. Out loud! :)

Feeling slightly better - and after being literally advised to go bake something - I ended up in the kitchen at midnight, preparing a dough starter (meaning no sleep till two). Oh, the magic power of leavening yeast... what a happy and relaxing scent it has. I knew exactly what I wanted to make. I had just finished all the homemade brioche I had sliced up and kept in the freezer, a french friend had just bragged about her own homemade ones the day before, and - oh, well - I had also been asked to make one. And I can't resist it when people like (and ask for!) my food. I ended up singing along and dancing to 90s songs, laughing in the kitchen, putting all my remaining strenght into blending those damn chunks of butter into a delicious dough.

And the next morning...

... oh well, you already know the story ;)

picture perfect american style brunch. { golden brioche french toast with diced apple, stewed on whiskey-orange infused maple syrup }

brace yourselves,

the weekend is coming...

the secret ingredient. { apple pie - guest post }

i'm so happy to bring this guest post to you today! ♥

Midnight Goddess { apple crumble cheesecake }

Tal como vem sendo costume quando faço bolos para alguém em particular, a ideia para este bolo surgiu porque o meu irmão mais velho está prestes a virar "adulto" (nem acredito!).

Como ele vai estar em Coimbra e eu no Porto, a juntar ao facto de que o meu irmão mais novo chegava ontem à noite da Alemanha, e ao facto de eu estar farta de estar agarrada ao computador a fazer cortes, tinha de se criar alguma coisa na cozinha.

Apetecia-me fazer um bolo combinado, como já vem sendo também costume, com diferentes camadas, texturas e sabores.

Decidi pegar no doce preferido dele, que vem sendo preferido de todos cá em casa: cheesecake; juntar um toque diferente: lembrei-me de que ele também gosta bastante de tarte de maçã; acrescentar uma cobertura estaladiça: crumble, de que gosto imenso, e assim foi surgindo a ideia de um cheesecake com cobertura de crumble de maçã!

Está uma delícia!!!

Once again, as it has been usual when I bake something for someone in particular, the idea for this cake occurred to me because my older brother is about to turn 18! (I can't believe that yet!)

Since he's going to be in Coimbra and I'm going to be in Oporto, adding the fact that my younger brother was arriving from Germany and the fact that I was tired of being in the computer architectizing, I had to sort something out of the kitchen.

I wanted to make another combined cake, as it has been usual too, with different layers, textures and flavors.

I decided to take his favorite cake, already a favorite for everyone here at home: cheesecake; add a different touch: he quite likes apple pie too; add something different for topping: crumble! that I love, and then everything came together as a cheesecake with apple crumble topping!
It is delicious!!!

Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Ingredientes:

Base de bolacha:

- 1 embalagem de bolachas de Aveia

- 100g de margarina

Recheio Cheesecake:

- 2 embalagens de philadelphia

- 200ml de natas frescas

- 75g de açúcar

- 2 a 3 ovos

- 2 colheres de sopa de Licor Beirão

Cobertura Crumble:

- 2 maçãs reineta grandes

- passas de uva preta grandes

- 2 colheres de sopa de Licor Beirão

- 100g de farinha

- 100g de açúcar amarelo

- 1 colher de chá de canela

- ½ chávena de amêndoas

- 100g de manteiga cortada em pequenos pedaços

Preparação:

1) Preparar a base, reduzindo as bolachas a pó e misturando com a margarina derretida,

2) Comprimir a base contra o fundo de uma forma de bolo com base amovível e levar ao frigorífico,

3) Cozinhar as maçãs descascadas, descaroçadas e cortadas em pedacinhos numa sertã, com um pouco de Licor Beirão, um pouco de açúcar amarelo e um pouco de canela, acrescentar as passas e reservar,

4) Misturar a farinha, o açúcar, a manteiga, a canela até obter uma textura de migalhas (pode ser num robot de cozinha),

5) Picar as amêndoas finamente num robot de cozinha e misturar com a mistura anterior, reservar,

6) Bater as natas,

7) Bater o queijo, incorporar o açúcar, as natas batidas e o Licor Beirão,

8) Bater os ovos à parte e incorporar um a um na mistura de queijo,

9) Verter sobre a base a mistura de queijo, cobrir cuidadosamente com a maçã (por exemplo à mão, pedaço a pedaço) e espalhar por fim o crumble,

10) Levar ao forno a 170ºC cerca de 45 min,

11) Deixar arrefecer na forma e só então desenformar.

Apple Crumble Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

- 1 package oat cookies

- 100g margarine

Filling:

- 2 packages philadelphia

- 200ml heavy cream

- 75g sugar

- 2 to 3 eggs

- 2 tbsp Licor Beirão (orangey-flavored liquor)

Crumble Topping:

- 2 big green apples

- raisins

- 2 tbsp Licor Beirão (orangey-flavored liquor)

- 100g flour

- 100g yellow sugar

- 1 tsp cinnamon

- ½ cup almonds

- 100g butter, chopped in small pieces

Preparation:

1) Make the crust, reducing the cookies to crumbles and mixing with melted margarine,

2) Press the crust batter onto the bottom of a cake pan with removable bottom, place in the refrigerator,

3) Cook the apples, peeled, cored and chopped in a pan with a little Licor Beirão, a little yellow sugar and cinnamon, add the raisins and let cool,

4) Mix flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon until it reaches a crumble texture (doable in a food processor),

5) Chop the almonds in a food processor and mix into the last mixture, put aside,

6) Beat the heavy cream

7) Beat cheese, incorporate heavy cream, sugar and liquor,

8) Beat eggs separately and add one at a time to the cheese mixture, beating

9) Pour the cheese mixture over the crust, cover carefully with the apple, and spread over the crumble mixture,

10) Place in the oven at 170ºC for around 45 min,

11) Let cool in the mould.

Braided Christmas { apple braid }

Há algumas coisas que me lembro muito vivamente de Natais passados. Algumas aconteciam todos os anos. Outras são meros pormenores, coisas que aconteceram, e que nem sei bem porque me lembro, mas que me deixam com um sorriso... Ir para a cama e não conseguir adormecer no dia 23. Os meus tios e primas visitarem-nos na tarde de dia 24. Ir dentro do carrinho de compras aos Mon Cherries (e não os provar!) e Ferreros Rocher para oferecer à família.  Ficar doente na noite de Natal no ano em que ia fazer de menina Natal, e ir à mesma. Brincar com playmobil a tarde inteira. Estar a escrever um romance na noite de consoada. Ver o "Sozinho em Casa". Ir para o quarto das visitas esperar pelo Pai Natal para alguém se poder escapulir e disfarçar. A minha prima sempre na casa de banho quando vinha o Pai Natal... e a lista podia continar....

Trança de Maçã
(deu para 3 tranças, pode-se congelar)
Ingredientes:

- 3 embalagens de massa folhada fresca

- 6 maçãs reineta e/ou golden

- 20g de manteiga + 20g de margarina

- 50 a 100 ml de Licor Beirão

- ½ a 1 chávena de açúcar

- 1 colher de sopa de farinha

- noz moscada q.b.

- canela q.b.

- passas q.b.

Preparação:

1) Descascar, descaroçar e fatiar as maçãs,

2) Levar a cozinhar em lume médio na manteiga com as passas até começarem a ficar tenras,

3) Adicionar o Licor Beirão e deixar cozinhar mais um pouco, tapado,

4) Preparar a mistura do açúcar, farinha e especiarias,

5) Acrescentar à maçã, mexer bem para não fazer grumos; deixar cozinhar, mexendo frequentemente,

6) Estender a massa fresca. Se a massa for circular, cortar uma aba em forma de D de cada lado, com cerca de 1/6 do diâmetro, cortar em dois e acrescentar às partes circulares sobrantes da forma inicial, de forma a compor um rectângulo,

7) Marcar a divisão do rectângulo em 3 colunas longitudinais,

8) Recortar franjas transversais, com cerca de 1 cm, de cada lado, até à marcação da coluna central,

9) Dispor recheio na coluna central, deixando uma camada uniforme com cerca de 1-1.5 cm de altura,

10) Entrançar a tarte (muito bem explicado aqui), cobrindo o recheio com uma tira ora de um lado ora do outro,

11) Levar ao forno a 180º-200º até que a massa folhada doure.


Apple Braid
(for 3 braids, can be frozen if you want)
Ingredients:
- 3 packages prepared pastry crust
- 6 green apples
- 20g butter + 20g margarine
- 50 to 100ml Licor Beirão liquor
- 1/2 to 1 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp flour
- nutmeg
- cinnamom
- raisins

Preparation:
1) Peel, uncore and slice the apples,
2) Cook the apple slices in medium heat with the butter and raisins, until tender,
3) Add the liquor and let cook a little longer, covered,
4) Mix sugar, flour and spices,
5) Mix into the apple carefully so it won't leave crumbs and let cook, stirring every once in a while,
6) Lay the pastry on a baking tray. If it is circular, cut a D-shaped slice on each side, with around 1/6 of the diameter, cut half and add to the remaining circular sides, composing a rectangle,
7) Mark the division of the triangle in 3 longitudinal columns,
8) Cut transversal fringes with 1 cm each side, until the mark of the middle column,
9) Lay the filling on the middle column, leaving an uniform layer, 1-1.5cm high,
10) Braid the pie (very good step-by-step here), covering the filling with a stripe from each side at tge time,
11) Place in the oven at 180º-200º until golden.

The perfect pie { appleberry pie }

The crust and filling doughs were adapted from Popina's cookbook. The best part about them is how they fuse together in terms of flavour, yet keep their own character: the crust is perfectly crispy and the filling is moist and tender. Pear and blueberry pair perfectly, but one can create infinite combinations of fruit to top this pie with.