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Apple Almond Tart

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This tart made mainly with almond flour and covered with apple is delicious, perfect at any time of the day…

This is a super, really super easy tart recipe, mix all the ingredients for the “batter” or “crust” whatever you want to call it…pour on the pan, layer the slices of apples on the batter and bake.

– Is this a tart even it does not have a crust?

Okay, let’s call it crustless tart…

– Why is this tart is so easy to bake?

Because it is crustless…no need to fuss with pie crust… it is made with almond flour with a layer of apple, the texture is between a cake and pie. Moist and buttery.

– What the difference between this almond tart and frangipane?

Both are made with almond flour…frangipane is more of a filling, as this is more like cake batter, egg and butter.

– How easy it to make this apple almond tart?

As a matter of fact, it so easy that I already made a three times. The tart stays super fresh and moist for a couple of days or you can store in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature when serving.

Should I use vanilla or almond extract?

It is really up to you, I tried both and both are delicious, but my husband prefers the one baked with almond extract…feel free to use whatever flavor you like.

– Are you ready to try this recipe?

Ingredients:

  • 100 g unsalted butter, melted
  • 110 g almond flour
  • 70 g cake flour
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 100 g sugar
  • 2 whole large/jumbo eggs
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond extract
  • Apples of your choice
  • Powdered sugar

Method:

Pre-heat oven to 325oF.

In a medium bowl sift together almond flour with the cake flour.

Add the salt, baking powder and sugar. Mix well.

In another small bowl, gently beat the two eggs and pour into the flour mix.

Mix until all the ingredients are well combined.

Add the melted butter into the mixture and combine gently until all the butter incorporates into it.

Pour the batter into a tart pan and smooth evenly.

Slice the apples (I left the skin) and layer on the batter.

Bake for approximately 35 to 40 minutes.

Remove the tart from the oven and let it cool on a wire rack.

Sprinkle powdered sugar before serving.

– If you enjoy this simple recipe, please check these out…

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Simple Almond Cream Muffin

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This almond cream muffins are super quick and easy with moist and tender crumb with a hint of the delicate almond flavor.

The combination of cake flour and almond flour make this muffin light and moist with a hint of almond…super delicious with a cup of coffee or tea.

– Looking for an easy and no mess muffin recipe?

This recipe uses one, only one bowl, and it is super, I repeat… super easy to make for breakfast or snack.

– Can I add fruit in it?

Absolutely, you can add berry, such as blueberries, strawberries, frozen or fresh and/or lemon zest…use your imagination.

– No oil muffin?

Yes, instead of oil or butter, this muffin uses the fat from the cream (crema Mexicana).

– Are you ready to try this recipe?

This recipe was slightly adapted from Brechel.

Ingredients:

  • 100 g of cream
  • 1 egg
  • 65 g cake flour
  • 20 g almond flour
  • 4 g baking powder
  • 1 pinch salt
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • Sliced almond for topping

Method:

Preheat oven to 350oF.

In a bowl whisk together the cream, egg, sugar and salt.  Mix until sugar is dissolved.

Sift the cake flour, almond flour and the baking powder into the egg mixture.

Add the almond extract and mix gently, do not over mix.

Scoop into pre-lined paper muffin cups, about 80% to the top.

Sprinkle sliced almonds on the top of each muffin.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a muffin comes out with crumbs.

Transfer the muffins to a cooling rack.

– Looking for more simple baked sweets? Check these out…

Did you know that almond flour is packed in protein? Almond flour also contains vitamins, minerals and it is a great source of fiber as compared to the white flour.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Blueberry Tart

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This blueberry tart is simple and loaded with lots and lots of blueberries…every bite is an explosion of a combination of tangy and sweet flavor.

– Why you should make this blueberry tart?

Because it is super easy and super delicious.  There is nothing like homemade tart/pie crust…light, flaky, buttery and slightly sweet…topped with lots and lots of blueberries.

– Can I make ahead?

Absolutely, you can make this tart a couple days ahead and keep in the refrigerator until serving time.

– Are you ready to try this recipe?

Here we go…

Ingredients:

Blueberry Filling

  • 550 g organic blueberries
  • 100 g sugar, more or less, according to your liking
  • ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon corn starch
  • 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Pie Crust

  • 50 g unsalted butter, cut into small square and cool in the freezer
  • 20 g sugar
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 120 g all-purpose flour
  • 20 g almond flour
  • 70 ml heavy cream, keep it cold until needed

Method:

Blueberry Filling

In a medium pan, add the sugar, water, and corn starch.  Mix well until all the corn starch is well combined in the water.

Add the blueberries and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat, making sure to stir constantly until thick.

Remove from the heat and let it cool.

Reserve until needed.

Pie Crust

In a medium bowl place the cold butter, sugar, salt, and the flours.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour mixture until resembles a coarse meal. There will be pieces small and large of butter.

Slowly add the heavy cream to the flour/butter mix and using a rubber spatula incorporate the liquid into the flour until the dough barely start to hold together.

Carefully remove the dough from the bowl and place on a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the plastic into a square and using a rolling pin roll the dough until the size of the square.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for 30 minutes or up to a day.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and lightly sprinkle some flour on top.  Gently roll the dough into a long rectangle. Fold into thirds twice and wrap back into the plastic wrap.

Place the dough in the refrigerator for another 30 minutes.

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and again, lightly sprinkle a little flour on the surface of the dough.

Roll the dough into the size of your baking pan. I used a tart pan of 35 x 11 cm (13 ½  x 4 ½ in) with loose bottom. Cover the tart pan with the dough and bake at pre-heated at 425oF for 8 minutes, then lower the temperature to 400oF and bake for another 5 minutes.

Remove from the oven and brush the entire crust with egg wash. Back at 350oF for 3 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let it cool completely on a wire rack.

To assemble, pour the blueberry filling on the tart crust, garnish with mint leaves and refrigerate before serving.

– Looking for more easy dessert?

Please check these out…

Did you know that blueberries are loaded, yes loaded of antioxidants? Anthocyanin, which gives the color of blueberries is a type of flavonoids (also found in grapes) is the responsible of its powerful antioxidant effect. Many studies associate the consumption of blueberries with decrease of heart disease, cancer, obesity, bone strength and lowering of blood pressure.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Flourless Chocolate Cake

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This cake is decadent…made mainly with almond meal and dark chocolate, super rich, moist almost like brownie.

I have made chocolate cake using almond flour with a little bit of flour, but this one is totally flourless, and the texture is just heaven…it melts away…The cake is super rich, moist, and kind of between fudge and brownie. Since it is super rich a small slice goes a long way…and so satisfying.

This recipe was adapted from Food 52 with minor adjustment.  As always, I like my dessert a bit less sweet than the original recipes, and as usual I try to make it practical. According to the site this cake is called Torta Caprese, from the Island of Capri.

– How the cake rises without flour?

Egg whites are whipped until soft peaks which are added to the cake batter to leaven it.

– What else can I add to the cake?

Oh…you can add all kind of flavors, orange zest, a shot of strong coffee, rum or Grand Marnier…many choices for you to pick.

– How can I serve this cake?

The cake really tastes better the next day…and you can serve with a dollop of whipped cream, chocolate ganache, fresh berries, crème anglaise…depends of your palate and what you have in the refrigerator.

– Can I freeze the cake?

Absolutely, once the cake is cooled, wrap in plastic unfrosted and freezer. Before serving let it defrost in the refrigerator overnight.I think it is time to look at the recipe…

– I think it is time to look at the recipe…

I used 2 small round pans for this recipe (4 ½ and 6 in), but feel free to use one 8 in round pan.

Ingredients:

  • 125 g almond flour
  • 125 g dark chocolate
  • 113.4 g (4 oz) butter, 1 stick
  • 100 g sugar
  • 3 large eggs separated
  • 1 tablespoon rum (optional)
  • Powdered sugar
  • Fresh raspberry for garnish

Method:

Preheat oven to 325ºF and set a rack on the middle level.

Line the bottom of the pans (4 ½ and 6 inch) or pan (8 inch) with a circle of parchment paper and around it.

In a glass bowl on the top of a double boiler or a pot of simmering water add the chocolate until melted. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Mix until all combined, if need place the bowl back to the double boiler to melt the remaining butter.

Add to the chocolate mixture the almond flour, sugar. Mix until all combined. Once the mixture cools down add the egg yolk and the rum or any other ingredients you might add. Stir well and set aside.

In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites they form soft peaks. In three additions, fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture.

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan(s) and smooth the top. and bake for 20 minutes (4 ½ inch cake pan) and for 30 minutes (6 inch cake pan) or 40 minutes (8 inch cake pan), depending on the size of your cake pan or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Do not overbake.

Let cool completely on the rack before removing the cake from the pan.

Serve as you wish, with confectioner’s sugar, fresh berries, a dollop of whipped cream and so on…

– If you enjoy this simple and easy chocolate cake you might want to try the following…

Did you know that dark chocolate is rich in flavanols? Observational studies linked the benefits of the cocoa flavanols with reduced blood pressure, consequently reducing the risk of heart disease. One must be cautious to not over consume dark chocolate as it contain high calories and sugar.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Almond Croissants

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Today I am sharing with you a very simple and yet delicious recipe for almond croissants using store bought croissants. The combination of flaky layers of croissant dough and smooth almond cream is just divine.  This is a perfect treat for a weekend brunch or afternoon tea.

As I mention many time throughout my blog, I love to shop at Costco and one of the many “problems” shopping at Costco is the large quantity…well, with this said once in a while we do not resist and get the croissants and sure enough they come in a package of 12…huge ones. I do freeze some for sandwiches and the other ones I turn into tasty and delicious almost fancy bakeries kind of almond croissants. The great thing is that after transforming the plain croissants to almond ones I still can store them in the freezers for later enjoyment. So why not have this delicious treat ready for when you feel like?

The recipe was created based on Natasha’s Kitchen with minor variations.

Ingredients:

  • 7 to 8 large store bought croissants
  • 200 g almond flour
  • 100 g granulated sugar
  • 100 g butter, unsalted at room temperature
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ teaspoon pure almond extract
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rum
  • ¼ cup water
  • ½ sliced almonds

Method:

In a small pan mix together 1 tablespoon sugar, rum and ¼ cup water. In a medium heat bring to a simmer until the sugar dissolves. Remover from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.

In a stand mixer, using a whisk attachment and combine all the ingredients except the eggs. Mix well until the almond mixture is well blended and smooth. Add the eggs, one at the time making sure that egg is incorporated into the almond mixture.  Mix until the almond cream is smooth and creamy.

Now that we have the syrup and the almond cream it is time to assemble.

Slice the croissants horizontally and brush each side of the croissant with the sugar/rum syrup.

Spread the bottom of the croissant with the almond cream, approximately 2 to 2 ½ tablespoons.  Place back the top of the croissant like a sandwich.

Spread a thin layer of the almond cream over the top and sprinkle with sliced almonds.  Repeat the procedure with all the croissants.

At this point you can either bake in a preheated oven at 350F for approximately 15 minutes or place the filled croissants in a tray and freeze. Once the croissants are frozen, store in an airtight container or freezer bags for later enjoyment.

To bake the frozen croissants, remove the number of croissants you want to serve and place in a preheated oven of 350F for approximately 20 minutes or until the sliced almonds are golden.

Dust with confectionary powdered sugar before serving.

I hope you enjoy this simple and easy way to give your plain croissant a twist. For more recipe using almond flour, please take a look at Frangipane Rolls or Frangipane Toast recipes.

Did you know that almond it not a true nut? Nevertheless, there are evidences that almonds can lower cholesterol, therefore improve your heart health. In spite of the fat in almond be considered a good fat, almonds should be consumed in moderation as fat is fat and too much can cause weight gain.

Thank you for visiting Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!



Almond Flour Chocolate Cake

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This is a very simple recipe for a rich, dense and almost gluten free chocolate cake. The cake is moist and melts in your mouth…so good!

This simple chocolate cake is made mainly with almond flour…it is very…very…very moist, almost like brownie, fudge texture. It is indeed denser than regular chocolate cake, but it is so good…a small slice goes a long way so satisfying this cake is.

The best part of it…this cake does not taste “old” even after a few days, actually it tastes better.

I hope you get to try this recipe, I can assure you that you will not regret. This recipe was adapted from Jean-Georges, Home Cooking cookbook.

Ingredients:

  • 55 g unsalted butter
  • 8 g all-purpose flour
  • 3 large eggs, separated
  • 65 g granulated sugar
  • 100 g bittersweet dark chocolate, cut into small pieces
  • 50 g almond flour
  • Confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder or fresh cream, optional

Method:

Preheat oven to 350F. Cover a 8 inch USA baking pan with parchment paper.

In the medium sauce pan with approximately 1 inch of water and bring to simmer. Combine the chocolate and butter in a heat proof bowl and set over the simmering water. Melt the chocolate with the butter, stirring occasionally. Once the chocolate has melted, remove from the heat.

Beat 1 egg yolk into the chocolate mixture to temper it. Beat in the remaining eff yolks, then add the almond flour and the all-purpose flour. Set aside.

Beat the egg white until foam forms, add slowly the granulated sugar and continue to beat until medium-stiff peaks form.

Add a third of the whopped whites to the chocolate mixture and mix well to loosen the chocolate mixture. Gently fold in another third of the white, and them the last third just until combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and tap gently the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake until puffed and a wood stick comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Let it cool in a wire rack for approximately 10 minutes, then invert onto the rack.

Carefully flip the cake right side up. Let cool completely. Dust with confectioner’s sugar or cocoa powder if desire, or top it with cream.

If you enjoy this simple chocolate cake recipe, you might want to check on Black Forest Cake.

Thank you for stopping by Color Your Recipes…have a colorful week!