“Got time for tea, I should think.” Felicity Spurway (prize goes to whoever knows the movie and to whom this line was delivered.)
I don’t know about you, but if you’re anything like me, your tired of the whole turkey dinner thing by now. I’m ready to move on and think about new and much lighter fare for awhile. If and when the real cold sets in, which it isn’t right now, I’ll readjust again. For today, I wanted something light and easy – something that didn’t reminisce of Thanksgiving, but was festive enough nonetheless.
Early this morning I got out Manuela Darling Gansser’s book, Winter in the Alps, as I do every year at this time. This book has the power to transport you, not only into the author’s life, but to her place, her home, in the Alps, Lugano and surrounding enchanting villages and venues. If you’re like me and love to curl up with a great cookbook when it’s freezing cold outside and snowing perhaps (it’s not today, but I enjoyed it anyway), pick up a used copy of this book on Amazon. I highly recommend all of her books, but I this one is my favorite.
Today, her Torta al Bianco d’Uovo caught my eye. She describes this cake as very light and fluffy and perfect for afternoon tea. That’s all I needed to see and hear.
Yesterday, I got a small supply of Meyer Lemons at Eataly. I love the scent of Meyer Lemons, the fresh scent of tangerine is so lovely. I decided to play with her recipe a little bit and see what happened.
TORTA AL BIANCO D’UOVO WITH MEYER LEMON -adapted from Manuela Darling Gannser
4 oz unsalted butter
8 organic egg whites
7 1/4 oz superfine sugar, 1 tablespoon reserved on the side
zest of one meyer lemon, plus more for topping
1 tsp almond extract
pinch of salt
4 0z self-rising flour
3 1/2 oz slivered almonds
3/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
Preheat oven to 350F. Butter a 10″ springform pan, line the bottom with parchment, butter the parchment and set aside.
Melt the butter and let it cool a bit. In the bowl of your electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg whites until they start to hold peaks. Then, while beating, slowly add the sugar, (minus the 1 tbsp) and beat until they become shiny. Take the bowl off the mixer.
Add the almond extract and the pinch of salt to the butter. Working with a rubber spatula, gently and lightly fold about 1/3 of the butter mixture into the egg whites. Then add 1/3 of the flour mixture. Repeat until the butter mixture and the flour mixture are totally incorporated into the egg whites. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and smooth with a small offset spatula. In a small bowl, mix together the remaining 1 tbsp sugar, the almonds and the nutmeg. Sprinkle over the top of the batter. Bake the cake for 40 minutes or until it springs back a little when touched in the center. Cool the cake on a rack before serving. Run a sharp knife around the outside edge of the springform pan. Gently loosen the collar and remove. Enjoy!
This was just what I wanted this afternoon with a cup of Earl Grey with my signature strip of orange peel. You can, of course, play with this in other ways. Ciao!
