how to make the perfect memory

** Note:  Quiet smiles or soft, contented sighs if you have them on hand make a pleasant garnish. Sprinkle artfully over and around your memory, and enjoy.

allez allez printemps

lately I've been waking up and wanting to stay in bed with the moon. the moon is my friend these days- I go to sleep with her watching through the window in my room, and I wake up while she is still in the sky. I hardly ever see the sun because he can't find much time to stay these days and when he's about I am locked up inside the school.

spring should get here as fast as possible, oh I do wish it would, because I miss the sun as much as I love the moon. Here comes the part where I struggle to get out of winter- happens every year. Time move faster, will you, won't you? So we'll pretend it's spring and I'll go make some cake I think. This cake in fact (thanks to Darjeeling Dreams)

For the cake:
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp. grated lemon zest (I use Meyer lemons, which are great for zesting)
1/2 cup canola oil
For the glaze:
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tbsp powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan.
In a bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, and eggs, stirring until well blended.
Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing to just combine.
Add the oil and stir to incorporate. Pour and scrape the batter into pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool cake for about 20 minutes. Then, remove the cake: place a plate over the pan;
hold the pan and the plate together, and flip quickly so that the cake is in the plate.
When the cake is thoroughly cooled, combine the lemon juice and powdered sugar in a small bowl
and brush it liberally onto the cake. The glaze should be thin
and should soak into the cake like a syrup

*eat it before it disappears into someone else!*

photo's from weheartit and flickr

*autumn* not fall

(the ancient amusement park my town- down by the sea)

Whoever invented the college application process must have had a deep, dark and dastardly vendetta against all young scholars. Perhaps he himself was rejected and decided to make it as tedious as possible for others to get in... or maybe (as I am inclined to believe at this point) colleges are just evil and like watching their prospective students writhe in agonizing anticipation... oh dear.

however, it was an absolutely beautiful day today, with those autumn clouds just the perfect shade of puffy and nearly silver in sound. As soon as class ended and I was able to reclaim my car keys from a mischevious friend I took my dog to the park and spent nearly an hour bathed in that thick yellow sort of light that one may only find on October afternoons.

Made this simple french pastry rather late last night, but it turns out to be the perfect thing to nibble on an autumn afternoon- especially with a good cup of hot coffee!

Instructions: must be eaten outside (weather permitting)

must NOT be consumed in a rush

enjoy!

(recipe from Darjeeling Dreams- thanks!)

Raspberry financier

5 tbsp of butter, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 c finely ground almonds

1/2 c all-purpose flour

1 cup of sugar (caster or confectioner's if you have it, I used caster)

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg whites

1/2 tbsp honey

12 tsp (1/4 c) raspberry jam

Preheat oven to 400 degrees f, and grease a madeleine/muffin pan.

Melt butter in a saucepan, until nut-brown.

As soon as it turned brown, transfer into a bowl. Add vanilla extract.

In a separate, larger bowl, combine ground almonds, flour, sugar, and salt.

Whisk eggs, then honey into flour mixture. Whisk until well incorporated.

Whisk the melted butter-vanilla mixture into the egg-flour mixture.

Pour two tablespoons of batter into each madeleine/muffin mold.

Spoon a teaspoon of raspberry jam on top of each financier.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, until just golden-brown on the edges.

Makes 12 financiers.