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Posts Tagged ‘blueberries’

  1. Gluten free Red Velvet Cake

    April 4, 2013 by Giulietta

    Red-Velvet-Cake-blog-600x401 (1)

    I’ll start with a confession: I  (cordially) hate layered cakes. You know, the classic birthday cakes: sponge cake with layers of custard or chantilly cream and then covered with whipped cream. Well, I hate those cakes. Let’s be clear: they’re good, but it’s not my kind of cake. I’d never choose one of those for my birthday: I’d prefer a millefeuille (I know it’s a layered cake, but here layers are crunchy and, well, I know I’m a bit contradictory, but don’t judge me) or a cup dessert.

    But I learned to make these cakes in my pastry class, I know how to make them from scratch (and I’m also pretty good at it, apparently) and I enjoy it making them, but don’t ask me to enjoy them.

    For this reason, in front of the MTC challenge proposed by Stefania of Cardadomo & CO. I was startled: not only it was a layer cake, but typical US layer cake, a Red Velvet Cake, and a gluten free one. I obviously don’t anything against “gluten free” .. I think I should add to my blog more recipes for people allergic to gluten, but in this particular case it didn’t simplify the mission.

    So, with my usual aplomb, I thought, “shit!” and, secondly,”who is going to eat an entire layer cake? “

    So I opted for a convenient solution: I decided to make single-serving cakes (I knew those mini layer cake molds would be useful, sooner or later … they were still in their box, waiting for the right occasion), I chose to soak them with a blueberries liquor and garnish them with the least cloying topping I could think of, simple whipped cream (barely sweetened) enriched with freshly chopped blueberry. A purple garnishment (and filling), fresh and a bit sour, perfect for my taste.

    So after these necessary adjustments, I happily made this cake to celebrate a birthday, my blog’s birthday, which turned two years old on February 22nd.

    Happy (latecoming) birthday, Alterkitchen!

    And I was glad to be able to celebrate this milestone with all my readers, all the MTC friends and with a cake that could be enjoyed by celiac friends, too.

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    Category Cakes and pies, Contest, Dessert and Sweets, Fresh fruit, Fruits of the forest, Gluten Free, USA Cuisine | Tags: ,,,,,, | 8 Comments

  2. Breakfast, mon amour – Buttermilk pancakes with maple syrup and fresh blueberries

    June 19, 2012 by Giulietta

    It's no mystery: to me breakfast is sacred. I hardly skip it (because then I'd end up eating anything in sight, 'cause otherwise I'd have one of those fin de siècle fainting, from which one could recover only with salt and a fanning – with a handkerchief decorated with lace, of course) and, if I was forced to choose a meal in which I could go on and on eating until the bursting point, I'd choose breakfast (needless to tell you, how much I can eat in one of those beautiful hotels with rich breakfast buffet – and no, I'm not ashamed of that!).

    So, for me everything that has to do with breakfast food is surrounded by an aura of sacredness: in fact, I love preparing for the every day breakfast (even though I have it in 5 minutes, more or less ), mine or others, cookies, cakes and sweets that make you start the day in a sweeter way and, for me, without the desire to kill anyone who dares speak to me. But, even more, I love being able to have a breakfast worthy of its name, having it calmly, at the bar or, even better, at home, with something specifically prepared, maybe with a nice home-made cappuccino (I make it with a pot like this one, bought in a supermarket for a pittance) or a glass of cold milk (cold milk is one of those "small but great" pleasures in life) on the side. And so, for a nice Sunday breakfast, I was able to enjoy these wonderful buttermilk pancakes, topped with maple syrup and fresh blueberries: a real treat, a cuddle, which I strongly suggest you to start a relaxing day (or to brighten up a bad day … different points of view) .. 'cause breakfast is sacred, but the relaxing one it's even more sacred!

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    Category Breakfast, Dessert and Sweets, Fresh fruit, Fruits of the forest, Pancakes, USA Cuisine | Tags: ,,,,,,,,, | 19 Comments