sea salt and sugar

Sunday today.

27 degrees Celsius, feels like 27^o.

Clear and sunny.

0% chance of rain.

Current moon 45% of full.

Sunset 7:35pm.

I don’t know about you, but I'll take a swim and grab a sugar coated doughnut.

Simple treat for lazy summers by the sea. 

Wouldn't mind having filled one as well! 

Homemade Doughnuts - Brioche Doughnuts

(recipe adopted by Maja & Jernej)

50g sugar

190ml water, lukewarm

8g active dry yeast

3 eggs

about 500g all purpose flour + some for dusting and rolling

1/2 tsp vanilla + 1/2 tsp rose water

zest of one lemon

4g salt

100g butter, room temperature (cut the butter in small cubes)

vegetable oil for frying 

Dough preparation 

First day

In a large bowl mix water, yeast and sugar and let stand for 10 minutes, until bubbly foam starts to form.

Add flour, eggs, vanilla, rose water and lemon zest to the yeast mixture. Knead well. After few minutes add the salt.

Slowly incorporate the butter in a dough mixture with your hands (or in a stand mixer) and knead well.

The dough has to be smooth.

Cover the bowl with cling film and leave to proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in size.

Punch the dough and re-cover the bowl. Put in the fridge to chill for at least 12hours/overnight.

Second day

Take the dough out of the fridge and cut into equal pieces (about 60g each). Shape each piece (using extra flour) into a smooth ball and place on a baking tray lined with parchment paper and well dusted with flour. Leave plenty of space between doughnuts and let dough proof again. Cover lightly with cling film or kitchen cloth and leave for about 2 hours, or until about doubled in size.

Fill heavy-based saucepan with enough vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 180°C. Carefully remove the dough balls (buns) from the baking tray. Place them carefully in a hot oil. Fry for about 2-3 minutes on one side and 1-2 minutes to other side, until golden brown. Using a slotted spoon or spider strainer, transfer doughnuts to a wire rack covered with paper towels. While the donuts are still warm, toss donuts in a bowl of a sugar and generously coat them with it.

Or fill them with homemade jam/vanilla cream.Fill a piping bag with jam or cream and pipe a generous amount into each doughnut.

Let the sea dry on your skin and pair crystals of salt and sugar in just one bite. 

Some memories remain forever.  

semolina cheese cake with apple slices

It's an expiration day for ricotta cheese. Box of ricotta, hiding behind a jar of prunes and apricot jam in a fridge. Not so small box, still somehow was able to escape my sight. Sometimes unexpected things can be found and change a course of a daily routine. Ito is barking at me. She wants a whole box of cheese for herself. Cheese lover this dog. I grab my finger over the cheese and let her try before we make wobbling cheesecake. 

One lemon, one big red apple, two eggs, some sugar and good splash of vanilla, a bit of semolina cooked in milk and ricotta is all it takes to make a day more comforting and house pleasantly fragrant. Preparation takes minutes and the oven will take care for the rest. 

The recipe for this gluten free cake was given to me by my dad. There was a time when this cake was on a menu for almost every weekend and he would make it in a springform pan and arrange apple slices on top like a bouquet. I use regular pan, oven dish 32x20cm / 7cm deep, easy to wash :). 

This cake is ideal for 6-8 persons, reasonable humans that will satisfy their cravings for sweet with one generous piece, but we were never reasonable or 'normal' plus it's so light in texture and flavor that you can grab it with a spoon and eat while it's still slightly warm (recommended only for impatient once). 

Recipe

Semolina Cheese Cake With Apple Slices

500ml milk

90g semolina

2tbsp sugar

1tbsp honey

2 eggs

200g cheese (ricotta, or some other low in fat milk way cheese)

lemon, zest and juice

one big red apple

splash of vanilla

pinch of salt

Place milk and one table spoon of sugar in a saucepan and bring to boil. Cook semolina for about 3-5 minutes, stirring consistently. Set aside to cool. 

Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

In a bowl whisk egg yolks with other table spoon of sugar, honey, cheese and zest of lemon. 

When semolina is cool enough add cheese mixture to it, mix everything together. 

In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff and combine with the rest of the batter slowly, making sure all is well combined. 

Place the batter in a slightly oiled pan. 

Slice the apple and sprinkle with lemon juice. Place slices over the top of the batter. Sprinkle with demerera sugar (optional). 

Bake for about 30-35 minutes. 

Cake should be wobbling when gets out of the oven. Leave to cool completely, if you can resist. 

 no sugar

 sprinkled with demerera sugar

..while cake bakes we go for a walk.

 

Next to a parking lot just across garbage containers, some people use public 'green areas' as a garden to sit, relax and chitchat. 

While others think only one thing.

Is cake ready!?

Impatient to let it cool. 

Slice of cake, if you can call it that.

Still tastes heavenly and light.