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Crushed Citrus and Almond Cake

December 4, 2022 By
Crushed Citrus and Almond Cake
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini— I tasted my first almond and citrus cake in Sicily. 
I’ll never forget how my first forkful exploded in my mouth with the concentrated flavor of oranges and almonds. “Pan d’Arancio”, which literally translates from italian as orange bread, is baked by using only almond flour and the whole orange; juice, peel and pulp. This is the reason why this cake has a very moist and soft texture with a slight bitter taste and it is completely gluten free. The cake takes some time to prep but once you boil and crush the tangerines, or oranges in a food processor or a blender you are home-free. I have made this cake with oranges, lemons and even kumquats, but tangerines are by far the family favorites. When I make it with lemons I increase the sugar amount by about 2 teaspoons to balance the bitterness. I dust the top of the cake with powder sugar right before serving it or on special occasions, I drizzle it with a thick sugar and citrus glaze. Blood oranges give a gorgeous festive pink/red tint to the cake and to the glaze.
Servings Prep Time
8/10 2 hours for boiling the citrus, 20 minutes to prep
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
8/10 2 hours for boiling the citrus, 20 minutes to prep
Cook Time
1 hour
Crushed Citrus and Almond Cake
Yum
Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini— I tasted my first almond and citrus cake in Sicily. 
I’ll never forget how my first forkful exploded in my mouth with the concentrated flavor of oranges and almonds. “Pan d’Arancio”, which literally translates from italian as orange bread, is baked by using only almond flour and the whole orange; juice, peel and pulp. This is the reason why this cake has a very moist and soft texture with a slight bitter taste and it is completely gluten free. The cake takes some time to prep but once you boil and crush the tangerines, or oranges in a food processor or a blender you are home-free. I have made this cake with oranges, lemons and even kumquats, but tangerines are by far the family favorites. When I make it with lemons I increase the sugar amount by about 2 teaspoons to balance the bitterness. I dust the top of the cake with powder sugar right before serving it or on special occasions, I drizzle it with a thick sugar and citrus glaze. Blood oranges give a gorgeous festive pink/red tint to the cake and to the glaze.
Servings Prep Time
8/10 2 hours for boiling the citrus, 20 minutes to prep
Cook Time
1 hour
Servings Prep Time
8/10 2 hours for boiling the citrus, 20 minutes to prep
Cook Time
1 hour
Ingredients
  • 4-5 medium tangerines or 3 oranges, or 3 lemons, or 1 cup of kumquats
  • 6 large eggs
  • 1 ¼ cup superfine (caster) granulated sugar add 2 extra teaspoons of sugar if using lemons
  • 2 1/3 cups ground almonds
  • 1 full tespoon baking powder
Servings:
Instructions
  1. Put the tangerines in a pot with enough water to cover them, bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours. Drain and cool. Cut the tangerines in half and remove the seeds. Chop the skins, pulp, pith and fruit in a processor or by hand.
  2. Preheat the oven at 375F/190C Butter and line an 8-ich springform cake pan.
  3. Beat the eggs. Add the sugar, almonds and baking powder. Mix well and add the crushed tangerine, folding them in by hand.
  4. Pour the cake mixture in to the lined springform and bake for one hour, until a skewer comes out clean. Cover the cake with foil after about 40 minutes of baking to stop from burning.
  5. Cool cake in the spring-form on a rack. When cold take it out. You can glaze it, or cover with powder sugar.
Recipe Notes

To make a simple cake glaze mix 2 cups of powder sugar with a few drops of your favorite citrus juice. I put the sugar in a metal bowl and I add a few drops of juice at the time while whisking. I keep adding drops and whisking until the glaze is smooth but thick.

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Wild Ramps Pesto

May 13, 2019 By
Wild Ramps Pesto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Pungent, fresh with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts. This is the must do pesto in Spring when wild ramps are briefly abundant.
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Wild Ramps Pesto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini—Pungent, fresh with a hint of garlic and loads of walnuts. This is the must do pesto in Spring when wild ramps are briefly abundant.
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 servings 20 minutes
Cook Time
2 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 bunch wild ramps, about 4 ounces
  • coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted
  • 1/2 cup EVOO
  • 1/2 cup pecorino cheese, grated
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  • 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest
  • salt and freshly ground pepper
Servings: servings
Instructions
  1. Clean ramps. Separate greens from bulbs. Blanch ramp greens in a large pot of boiling salted water until wilted, about 10 seconds. Using a slotted spoon r, transfer greens to a bowl of ice water; drain and squeeze out liquid.
  2. Coarsely chop ramp bulbs and stalks and walnuts in a food processor. Add ramp greens, olive oil, pecorino, parmesan and lemon zest; process to a coarse paste. Season with salt and pepper.
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Herbs and Lemon Orzotto

April 30, 2019 By
Herbs and Lemon Orzotto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Herbs and Lemon Orzotto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 20 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 medium white onion chopped
  • 2 cups pearl barley
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1 cup herbs—parlsey, mint, rosemary, thyme chopped evenly
  • 1 cup washed baby spinach
  • 1/2 medium zest of lemon
  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • fine salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. In a heavy-bottomed large saucepan, heat the butter and olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until translucent. Add the barley and toast for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. The barley will be toasted when slightly translucent. Add the wine and cook until absorbed. Add chopped herbs, spinach, lemon zest and stir. Season with salt.
  2. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring frequently. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cover. Cook for 20/25 minutes, until the liquid is almost absorbed and barley is tender. Add the butter, the Parmesan, season with salt and pepper and stir. Remove from the heat. Rest the barley for 5/7 minutes before serving. Finish with the chopped parsley.
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Wild Mushroom Risotto

April 30, 2019 By
Wild Mushroom Risotto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini— The risotto rules are simple. Start by sweating the onions, toast the rice until translucent, add wine and reduce, then add the main ingredient and cook for about 20 minutes by adding stock a ladle at time letting the liquid absorbs, then finish with butter and Parmesan and let the risotto rest for at least 5/7 minutes before serving to allow the starches and the butter to solidify together and become smooth and creamy. This process is called "mantecare" in italian. This mushroom Risotto is a perfect family meal but also sufficiently elegant for company and large dinner parties. If you are lucky enough to find fresh porcini, by all means go for it, but dried ones will do just fine. One last word about risotto. Keep it simple, use one star ingredient with few enhancing aromas and herbs, don't crowd the pot.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Wild Mushroom Risotto
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini— The risotto rules are simple. Start by sweating the onions, toast the rice until translucent, add wine and reduce, then add the main ingredient and cook for about 20 minutes by adding stock a ladle at time letting the liquid absorbs, then finish with butter and Parmesan and let the risotto rest for at least 5/7 minutes before serving to allow the starches and the butter to solidify together and become smooth and creamy. This process is called "mantecare" in italian. This mushroom Risotto is a perfect family meal but also sufficiently elegant for company and large dinner parties. If you are lucky enough to find fresh porcini, by all means go for it, but dried ones will do just fine. One last word about risotto. Keep it simple, use one star ingredient with few enhancing aromas and herbs, don't crowd the pot.
Servings Prep Time
4 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4 people 25 minutes
Cook Time
35 minutes
Ingredients
  • 2 ounces dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons butter unsalted
  • 1 medium white or yellow onion diced
  • 2 cups arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 2 cups clean fresh wild mushrooms, sliced use only the tender part, reserve the stems for stock
  • 1 bunch tied herbs— rosemary, bayleaf, thyme, parsley
  • 8 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan
  • fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Soak dried porcini in 3 cups warm water until rehydrated, at least 20 minutes or until soft. Strain the mushrooms, reserving the broth for the risotto. (Discard the last 1/2 inch of the liquid; it will contain dirt from the porcini.) Heat the chicken stock and mushroom broth to a simmer.
  2. Heat the oil and the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat; add onion; cook until slightly translucent. Add rice and stir; season with salt and pepper and cook until slightly translucent and lightly toasted. Add wine and stir until almost all the liquid has cooked off. Add the drained porcini and wild mushrooms and the tied herbs. Add hot stock and broth mixture, a ladleful at a time, completely stirring in the liquid each time. Keep adding broth as needed so there is always a 1/4-inch liquid layer over the rice.
  3. After 15 to 20 minutes, the rice should be close to al dente. Taste and adjust seasoning, remove the herbs, stir in butter, then Parmesan cheese. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 to 7 minutes. Add the chopped parsley and serve with extra Parmesan cheese.
Recipe Notes

Risotto can be made in a pressure cooker or an Instapot. I suggest you follow all the steps from the original recipe but add the stock all at once then close and cook for 5/6 minutes. The timing might need to be adjusted depending from what kind of cooker you use, but with some practice the rice turns out perfectly, and you save a lot of time and effort.

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Cast-Iron Roasted Honey and Citrus Chicken with Crispy Potatoes

March 12, 2019 By
Cast-Iron Roasted Honey and Citrus Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
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Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is one is one of my favorite and deliciously nurturing recipe for roasted chicken. It’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; It’s cooked in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. This chicken is comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. Honey and tangerines not only donate a sweet and sour taste, they also infuse the meal with vitamins and winter goodness. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet and the potatoes come out crispy and flavorful. This roasted chicken is great for a family meal or be like Harry and Meg and make it for your engagement night.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Cast-Iron Roasted Honey and Citrus Chicken with Crispy Potatoes
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Print Recipe
Recipe by Silvia Baldini — This is one is one of my favorite and deliciously nurturing recipe for roasted chicken. It’s a bit different from the usually roasted chickens; It’s cooked in a cast iron pan or a Dutch oven. This chicken is comfort food with a twist. It calls for honey and tangerine juice. As the chicken roasts, the honey condenses and caramelizes, becoming thicker and stickier and turning the chicken’s skin crisp and brown, the tangerine adds an unusual citrusy taste to the otherwise bland meat. Honey and tangerines not only donate a sweet and sour taste, they also infuse the meal with vitamins and winter goodness. You have to remember to rotate the chicken and baste the bird because the skin burns in spots. Rest the chicken for 10 to 15 minutes before carving.  The juices are tangy and sweet and the potatoes come out crispy and flavorful. This roasted chicken is great for a family meal or be like Harry and Meg and make it for your engagement night.
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Servings Prep Time
4/6 people 30 minutes
Cook Time
50 minutes
Ingredients
  • 1 3 1/2 - 4 pounds whole chicken
  • 4 cloves of garlic
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1 medium white onion, halved
  • 4 leaves fresh sage
  • 3 medium tangerines
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Honey
  • 1 1/2 pounds russet potatoes, scrubbed, thinly sliced crosswise
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
  • 1 tablespoons olive oil
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • fine sea salt
Servings: people
Instructions
  1. Prep the chicken. Season with salt and pepper the cavities and the outside. Stuff the chicken with the garlic, the rosemary, sage and the 2 onions half. Slice one of the tangerines in thin slices and place the chicken and the tangerine slices aside.
  2. Place a rack in upper third of oven and set a 12" cast-iron skillet or 3-qt. enameled cast-iron baking dish on rack. Preheat oven to 425° F.
  3. Meanwhile, toss potatoes, butter, thyme, and 1 tablespoon oil in a large bowl to coat; season with salt and pepper.
  4. Once oven reaches temperature, drizzle the oil into hot skillet (this helps keep the chicken from sticking and tearing the skin). Place the tangerine slice at the bottom of the skillet and the chicken in the center of tangerine and arrange potatoes around.
  5. Juice the 2 remaining tangerines. In a tall jug combine the tangerine juice with the balsamic vinegar, the honey, the garlic cloves, the rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whiz with a hand held blender for a minute or two.
  6. Spoon all but 1/4 cup of liquid over all the chicken. Place chicken in oven and roast for 10 minutes. Spoon accumulated juices back over chicken, reverse pan back to front, and return to oven. Repeat a couple of times, basting every 10 minutes and switching pan position each time. If chicken browns too quickly, lower heat a bit. If juices dry up, use reserved liquid and 1 or 2 tablespoons of water.
  7. After 50 minutes of roasting, insert an instant-read thermometer into a thigh; when it reads 155 to 165 degrees, remove chicken from oven, and baste one final time. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.
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