In the afternoon the light softens, the sky is painted bright orange, and a light and pleasant breeze blows.
The swallows circle and dance over the solar water heaters and the old roofs of the housing buildings.
Autumn is always giving its signals in our old neighborhood.
This season I like to look out the window and have a hot drink and something sweet.
This is the season when the transition between sand and holiness is so clear to me, between the work day and the sanctity of the family.
And the clear sign of quality time with the kids is expressed in the few minutes during which I do not work, but devote time to afternoon coffee and a wonderful cookie I baked.
Now that the weather is so pleasant, those minutes are getting longer, and the cookie next to the strong coffee sweetens my favorite bitterness.
This is not always coffee.
Occasionally it could be a cup of infusion from the spice planter, accompanied by a citrus cake, and occasionally the drink is just the excuse for the pastry - but let it stay between us, yes?
Lemon cake and tea infusion, Photo: Liron Almog
Lemon cake and tea infusion
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 200 grams soft butter
• 1/4 cup sweet cream
• 1/2 1 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup ( 140 g) Rich yogurt (3% fat or more)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
For the syrup:
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/3 cup flavored tea that you like (for example: Earl Gray, fruit revelry, the magical garden, Louisa, ginger and honey)
To coat the powdered sugar:
• 1 bag (100 g) powdered sugar
• About 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice or water (depending on how much you like sour)
How to prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
In a bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
In a mixer with a guitar hook, mix butter, sweet cream and sugar for 3-2 minutes or until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time while stirring.
4. Add half the amount of the flour mixture and mix just until absorbed. Add yogurt, lemon juice and grated lemon peel, and mix briefly. Add the rest of the flour and mix just until a smooth mixture is obtained.
Transfer to a greased and floured Kugelhoff mold or to a silicone Kugelhoff mold.
Bake for about 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry, wrapped in moist crumbs.
7. Meanwhile: cook the sugar in the tea until boiling, add the lemon juice, bring to the boil and remove immediately from the heat.
8. Pour the hot syrup over the hot cake as it comes out of the oven and cool.
9. When the cake is completely cold, mix powdered sugar with a little liquid until an opaque and slightly liquid white dough is formed, and pour over the cake.
White chocolate slices, maple and coffee streusel, Photo: Liron Almog
White chocolate, maple and coffee streusel slices
Ingredients for about 24 cookies
For the dough:
• 100 grams of melted butter
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons maple
• 2 eggs
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup flour
• 100 grams chopped white chocolate
For the coffee streusel:
• 200 grams of cold butter cut into cubes
• 1 cup demerara sugar
• 1/2 1 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon deleted baking powder
• 1 cup almond powder
• 1 cup ground pecans
• 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder
How to prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Prepare the streusel: In a food processor, grind all the ingredients into the crispy dough crumbs.
Be careful not to process it too much.
3 In a large bowl, place melted butter, dark brown sugar and maple together and beat with a whisk, until the mixture is uniform.
It is also possible with the help of a mixer with a guitar hook.
4. Add eggs, salt and vanilla extract and continue to whisk vigorously until obtained overnight.
Add in the flour and mix until incorporated.
Add the chopped white chocolate and stir just until it is evenly dispersed in the mixture.
5. Transfer the mixture to a greased pan measuring 20 by 30 cm.
6. Sprinkle over a generous amount of streusel and bake for about 25-20 minutes, until the slices are golden on top but not too browned. Cool completely before cutting into squares.
Malbi cookies - cinnamon and rose water, Photo: Liron Almog
Malbi cookies - cinnamon and rose water
Ingredients for about 20 cookies
For the dough:
• 100 grams soft butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1/4 1 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 tablespoons rose water
For the coating:
• 50 grams of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
How to prepare:
1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees.
In a mixer bowl with a guitar hook, mix together soft butter, sugar, fine salt, vanilla extract and rose water until a uniform ceramic mixture is obtained.
Using a ladle, clean the sides, and add an egg.
Stir until the egg is absorbed into the mixture.
4. Add flour and baking powder and mix until a uniform dough is obtained.
In a small bowl, mix together sugar and cinnamon.
5. Form small balls out of the dough and roll in the sugar-cinnamon mixture.
Arrange at intervals on an oven tray lined with baking paper.
Slightly flatten the cookies very gently, using the bottom of a cup or your fingers.
Bake for 10-8 minutes or until cookies are set at the edges and puffed, but still slightly soft in the center.