French Semolina Cake With Pistachio Crème Anglaise Recipes

SEMOLINA CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13-inch baking pan. Sift together the flour, semolina flour, and baking powder. Set aside.
• Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition, until incorporated. Stir in the orange juice, orange zest, vanilla extract, and brandy.
• Beat the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until medium peaks form. Fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the butter-sugar-egg yolk mixture until combined. Gently stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture. Continue adding the remaining egg whites alternately with the flour, folding in until just combined.
• Stir in the coarsely chopped and finely chopped almonds. Pour batter into the prepared baking pan and sprinkle with sliced almonds.
• Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with the tablespoon of brandy, if desired. Allow to cool completely before serving.

ISABELLE'S SEMOLINA CAKE

Steps:

• 1. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 °C). Have ready a 6-cup (1 1/2 l) soufflé dish or charlotte mold.
• 2. Make the caramel: Place the 6 tablespoons sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium heat. It will gradually dissolve, and as it does so, swirl it around in the pan. When it is a pale caramel color, after 4 to 5 minutes, quickly pour it into the mold, swirling the mold so the caramel completely covers the bottom. Use the pastry brush to brush the sides of the mold with the melted butter.
• 3. Whisk the eggs in a small bowl until they are blended and set aside.
• 4. Place the milk, 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar, and vanilla bean in a medium-size heavy saucepan. Stir, and heat over medium heat until the milk is steaming and small bubbles have formed around the edges. Immediately remove from the heat, cover and let infuse for 10 minutes. Then remove the vanilla bean, rinse it well, and reserve it for another use.
• 5. Return the milk to medium heat, and when small bubbles have formed around the edges, add the salt and the semolina, lightly sprinkling the semolina over the milk and stirring constantly. Continue to stir constantly as the semolina cooks (it will thicken dramatically), until it has become like a paste, at least 10 minutes.
• 6. Remove the semolina from the heat and whisk in the eggs until they are thoroughly combined. Then whisk in the nutmeg and stir in the raisins.
• 7. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold and bake in the center of the oven until the cake is puffed and golden, 45 minutes.
• 8. Remove the mold from the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Then unmold the cake onto a serving platter.

SEMOLINA PISTACHIO LAYER CAKE (BOHSALINI)

Steps:

• Mix the melted butter and semolina in a medium bowl, and set aside at room temperature for at least 6 hours or as long as overnight.
• Pour the milk into a large pot and bring it to a boil over high heat, stirring occasionally. When the milk rises to the top of the pot, stir in the lemon juice and remove the pot from the heat. Set it aside to cool until the milk separates, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Pour the milk through a fine-mesh strainer into a bowl, stirring to release the whey. Discard the whey. Transfer the curds in the strainer to a large bowl. Stir in 2 tablespoons rose water and the orange-blossom water with a wooden spoon. The kashta should look like small-curd cottage cheese. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (Kashta will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.)
• Combine the sugar, pistachios, and remaining 1 tablespoon rose water in a food processor and pulse until the mixture has the consistency of coarse sand. Add the pistachio mixture to the flour mixture, and using your hands, mix them together, breaking up the lumps until the mixture feels like damp sand.
• Line a 9-inch springform cake pan with wax paper, using two pieces crossing at right angles and allowing lengths of paper to hang over the sides of the pan. Spoon half of the semolina mixture into the pan and smooth it out to the edges with the back of the spoon. Follow with all of the kashta, spreading it over the semolina in an even layer. Spoon the remaining semolina mixture on top and spread it out in an even layer. Fold the overhanging wax paper over the top, and press to smooth the semolina. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Pour the olive oil into a skillet that is large enough to accommodate the nuts in a single layer. Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the nuts, reduce the heat to low, and stir actively until they begin to darken slightly, about 1 minute (see Tips, below). Remove the pan from the heat, and use a slotted spoon to transfer the nuts to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. (Alternatively, dump the nuts into a medium-mesh sieve set over a container to catch the cooking oil.) Let them cool completely. (Fried nuts can be stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer for up to 3 months.)
• One hour before serving, remove the cake from the refrigerator, invert it onto a serving plate, and release it from the pan. Sprinkle the powdered sugar on top: Hold a fine-mesh sieve over the cake, pour the powdered sugar into it, and gently tap the rim to release the sugar. Garnish with the nuts, and serve in wedges.

CREME ANGLAISE FOR CARAMEL-TOPPED SEMOLINA CAKE

Steps:

• Prepare an ice-water bath and set aside. Bring milk and cream to a boil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat.
• Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk yolks and sugar together until well combined and slightly thickened. Slowly whisk in 1/3 of the hot milk mixture until egg mixture is slightly heated, then continue whisking remaining milk mixture into egg mixture. Return mixture to saucepan and place over medium heat; cook, stirring, until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon and reaches between 170 and 180 degrees on an instant-read thermometer.
• Remove from heat and strain into a bowl; stir in vanilla. Place bowl in ice-water bath and stir to cool, about 20 minutes. Remove bowl from ice-water bath and cover; transfer to refrigerator for at least 24 hours and up to 3 days before using.

FRENCH SEMOLINA CAKE WITH PISTACHIO CRèME ANGLAISE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter and flour a 9- or 10-inch springform pan, and wrap the outside of the pan with foil (this will ensure that no batter leaks out during the baking process).
• In a heavy-bottomed 2-quart saucepan, combine the milk with half the sugar and bring to a boil. Stir in the semolina and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until thickened (about 10 minutes). Stir in half the butter and the remaining sugar. Remove from the heat and cool, stirring now and then. Stir in the remaining butter, the whole eggs plus 6 yolks, and the vanilla. In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites until stiff but not dry, and fold by thirds into the semolina mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Place the pan in a larger baking dish and add warm water to reach about halfway up the cake pan. Bake for 1 hour. Test with a toothpick or skewer to see if the cake is set and the crumb is dry. Remove from the oven and water bath and cool completely before removing from the pan. Serve with the crème anglaise and fresh berries or cherries.
• Toast the nuts in a 350°F oven for a few minutes to dry them out and loosen the skins. Wrap the nuts in a dish towel and rub off the skins (as much as possible). When the nuts are cool, grind them very finely. Place the nuts, milk, and cream in a small saucepan and bring just to the boiling point. Remove from heat, cover, and let steep for about 30 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth and discard the nuts.
• Using a 2-quart saucepan set over medium heat, whisk together the sugar, salt, and egg yolks. In a separate small saucepan, heat the pistachio milk just until it begins to boil, then whisk a small amount into the yolk mixture. Gradually add the remaining milk, stirring constantly. Continue to heat the mixture slowly, to just below the boiling point (but do not let it boil), until it thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Remove the pan from the heat, stir in the almond extract, and continue to stir for a few minutes. Strain the custard into a bowl and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use. To serve, spoon a generous pool of the custard onto a small dessert plate and top with a slice of the cake.