 |
| Piemontese Almond Cake |
Though Piemonte is better known for hazelnuts, the region also makes
good use of almonds, and this is a fine almond cake.
Prep Time: 60 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 100 minutes
Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 1/4 cups almonds
2/3 cup finely ground corn meal
1/3 cup cf margarine or other cf solid fat (like palm oil or coconut oil)
1/3 cup all purpose gf flour blend
1/3 cup potato starch (not potato flour)
6 eggs
2/3 cup + a tablespoon raisins
Some maraschino liqueur
solid fat and gf flour for buttering the pan
Preparation:
Rinse the raisins and set them to soak in a little warm water. Blanch
and peel the almonds, and heat them through in the oven to dry them
(don't let them brown). Divide the almonds in half, and using about
1/4 cup of granulated sugar, grind the almonds to dust in a mortar
(you can also use a blender to do this, but take care not to overblend
lest the almonds give off their oil and form a paste).
Butter and flour a high-sided, 8-inch diameter cake pan. Melt the
margarine over a low flame and then let it cool to just above the
temperature at which it solidifies. Crack the eggs into an untinned
copper bowl with the remaining granulated sugar and whip the mixture;
heat it until it is tepid, whipping all the while (over a double
boiler will work), and transfer it to a larger bowl. Continue to beat
the mixture (an electric beater will be fine here) until it becomes
fluffy. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 400 F (210), and pat the
raisins dry.
Sift the flour, cornmeal, starch and almond powder into the egg
mixture, making sure each ingredient is completely incorporated before
adding the next. Add the raisins last, following them with the cool
melted butter, added a little at a time, and 3 teaspoons of
maraschino. Pour the batter into the cake pan and put it in the oven,
reducing the temperature to 375 F (190 C), and bake the cake for about
40 minutes.
While it's baking, mince the remaining almonds. When it's done, remove
it from the oven and let it cool on a grate. When it has cooled whip
the confectioner's sugar with about a tablespoon of water to make an
icing. Spread it over the cake, sprinkle the cake with the minced
almonds, and it's done.
--
I would rather be adorned by beauty of character than jewels. Jewels
are the gift of fortune, while character comes from within. ~ Titus
Maccius Plautus
No comments:
Post a Comment