Orange Blossom Angel Food Cake with Fresh Peaches

From Kitten and the Bear Cookbook

YIELD one 10-inch tube cake, serves 8 to 12

Like pure sunshine wrapped in a fluffy cloud, this cake is a true joy to make and serve. Stunning in flavour and texture, it is light as air on account of the firmly whipped egg whites and omission of butter (not something we do often!). For this recipe, every effort is made to achieve the highest rise possible. Fold the ingredients together ever so delicately so as not to collapse any aeration in the batter. Also, allow your cake to cool upside down. This will help ensure it won’t fall when it is still hot from the oven.

Delicately scented with orange blossom water and frosted with a simple milk glaze, this treat is one we like to enjoy with floral white teas to perfectly balance its lightness of flavour and texture. Lovely for breakfast or as a teatime alternative to scones with Whipped Crème Fraîche (page 241) and jam.

INGREDIENTS

Scones

• 300 g (1 ½ cups) granulated sugar, divided
• 150 g (1 cup) all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 12 egg whites
• 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
• 1 ½ teaspoons cream of tartar
• ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt

Orange Blossom Glaze

• 110 g (1 cup) icing sugar
• 45 mL (3 tablespoons) heavy (35%) cream
• 1 tablespoon orange blossom water

For garnish

• 2 to 3 peaches, pitted and cut into 1-inch-thick wedges (2 cups/500 mL)
• Fresh florals (optional)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C).

2. Make the orange blossom angel food cake: Whisk together 100 g (½ cup) of the sugar, flour, and cornstarch in a medium bowl until well combined and free of lumps.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the egg whites, orange blossom water, cream of tartar, and salt, and whisk on medium speed until foamy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer running, gradually pour in the remaining 200 g (1 cup) sugar in a steady stream, and then increase the speed to high and continue to whisk until soft, floppy peaks form, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the bowl from the mixer. Gently fold in half of the dry ingredients using a rubber spatula until no dry patches remain, and then add the remaining dry ingredients and fold until all the ingredients are fully incorporated. Run the spatula across the bottom of the bowl to ensure no dry patches remain.

4. Scrape the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Run a butter knife through the batter in a circle to ensure there are no air bubbles. Place the pan on a baking sheet so that the pan is not resting directly on the oven rack. Bake until the top of the cake is no longer sticky to the touch, 40 to 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately invert the pan so the cake doesn’tcollapse and stays light and airy. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan. If your pan has feet, simply rest upside- down on the feet. If not, place upside down on a wire rack to cool completely.

5. Meanwhile, prepare the orange blossom glaze: Place the icing sugar in a small bowl. Add the cream and orange blossom water and mix until no lumps remain and the glaze streams in thick ribbons from a spoon.

6. Finish the cake: Once the cake is completely cool, gently run an offset spatula or butter knife around the sides of the pan to loosen the cake. Place a plate or cutting board on top of the pan and invert it. Gently lift the pan, and the cake will fall out onto the plate. Spoon the orange blossom glaze over the cake, spreading it over the top and pushing it gently over the sides for a pretty dripping effect. Top with a crown of fresh sliced peaches and florals (if using) and serve immediately. (You can store the cake, without the glaze and garnishes, tightly wrapped in plastic wrap in the fridge for up to 1 week. Glaze and garnish just before serving.)

TIPS: Angel food cake freezes beautifully! After removing from the pan, wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap and store in the freezer for up to 2 months or until ice crystals start to form. Defrost at room temperature for about an hour or until the cake feels soft and spongy. Glaze, garnish, and serve.

Save your egg yolks to make Classic Lemon Curd (page 242) or Peach Curd (page 261). Half of the cake can be used to make a Sunshine Peach Trifle (page 261).

VARIATION: This cake is also delicious without the glaze, sliced and toasted until the edges are a deep golden brown. Serve warm with jam and Whipped Crème Fraîche (page 241).

Triple Chocolate Scones

From Kitten and the Bear Cookbook

YIELD 16 scones

Somewhere between a scone and chocolate cake, chocolate scones are pure decadence—dark and rich, barely sweet with a delicate and fudgy crumb, studded with semisweet chocolate chips and a drizzle of chocolate icing for good measure. These untraditional scones have a reputation of converting even scone purists.

INGREDIENTS

Scones

• 74 g (3¾ cups + 1 tablespoon) all-purpose flour
• 50 g (½ cup) Dutch- processed cocoa powder
• 38 g (3 tablespoons) granulated sugar
• 4½ teaspoons baking powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 340 g (¾ pound) cold unsalted butter, cut into cube
• 60 to 90 g (½ to ¾ cup) semisweet chocolate chips
• 375 mL (1 ½ cups) buttermilk

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon water

Chocolate Drizzle

• 60 g (½ cup) semisweet or dark chocolate chips
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

METHOD

1. Make the scones: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Drop in the butter and rub into the flour mixture by rolling each cube of butter between your thumb and index finger until mostly incorporated, about 7 minutes. It will have a fine, fluffy texture but should hold together when squeezed. (Alternatively, you can use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed for 5 to 10 minutes. Scrape the flour mixture into a large bowl.) Add the chocolate chips and toss to distribute evenly.

2. Create a well in the centre of the flour mixture. Pour the buttermilk into the well and stir quickly with a fork until a shaggy dough forms, 30 to 60 seconds. The buttermilk should be fully incorporated, and there may still be some dry, crumbly bits in the bottom of the bowl.

3. Dust a work surface generously with flour. Stack the shaggy dough, a handful at a time, onto the work surface to form a layered mound. On the final handful, press the dough into any dry mix in the bottom of the bowl to push as much as possible into the dough. Press down on the dough with your hands to shape it into a rough 10-inch circle, about 1¼ inches thick. (The circle doesn’t have to be perfect.) Cut the dough in half, and then place one half top side down on the other half. Press down on the dough again to form it into an 11 to 12-inch circle, about ¾ inches thick. (The stacking and cutting process will create layers within the scones.)

4. Use a 2½-inch round cookie cutter to punch out rounds, cutting them as close together as possible to maximize the yield. Gather the scraps and press them together (don’t knead or reroll) and punch out more rounds. Transfer the scones to a container in a single layer and chill in the freezer for 4 hours. If you plan to bake the scones later, allow them to freeze, and store them in a resealable plastic bag or airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen.

5. Prepare the egg wash and bake the scones: Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

6. Remove the scones from the freezer and arrange on the lined baking sheet, 2 to 3 inches apart. In a small bowl, whisk together the egg and water. Using a pastry brush, brush the tops of the scones evenly with the egg wash. Bake for 35 minutes, or until firm to the touch, rotating the pan after 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the scones to a wire rack set over a baking sheet to cool completely.

7. Meanwhile, prepare the chocolate drizzle: In a small heat-resistant bowl, melt the chocolate chips and butter in the microwave on high in 10-second intervals, stirring well after each interval, until the chocolate is shiny but with a few unmelted chips remaining in the mixture, about 30 seconds total. Remove from the microwave and stir until completely melted.

8. Finish the scones: Using a spoon, drizzle the melted chocolate on top of the scones. Let sit to harden for 5 to 10 minutes. Store the scones in a vented plastic container at room temperature for up to 2 days.

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Strawberry and Rhubarb Pie Jam

From Kitten and the Bear Cookbook

YIELD six 250 mL (8-ounce) jars

Nostalgic as a warm summer’s day, strawberry and rhubarb is such a historic pairing that it is practically a flavour unto itself. The addition of warming pie spices and vanilla evokes images of red-and-white checkered picnic blankets, sundresses, and wicker baskets.

Easy as pie, the trick to a successful pectin-free strawberry and rhubarb preserve is to choose the reddest rhubarb you can find. Often these varieties will be less fibrous and yield a brighter colour and superior texture than their green, stalky counterparts. Additionally, macerate the rhubarb for an extra day, and then cook the jam until it is practically as thick as you will want the end product to be. A high-water content and low natural pectin in both fruits can yield a soupy, compote-like preserve, so cook diligently and stir often until it is thick enough that you get a clean gap on the bottom of the pan for a moment when you scrape with your spatula.

INGREDIENTS

• 750 g topped and tailed rhubarb
• 1 kg (5 cups) granulated sugar
• 750 g hulled strawberries
• 125 mL (½ cup) lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

METHOD

1. Prepare the rhubarb and macerate the fruit: Slice the rhubarb stalks crosswise into ½-inch chunks. Individual rhubarb fibres may not break down during cooking, so the length of each piece of fruit should not exceed the length of the bowl of a teaspoon to avoid an overly stringy preserve.

2. Combine the rhubarb and sugar in a large non-reactive container, and toss gently to evenly coat. Cover with a lid and macerate at room temperature for at least 12 hours but no more than 24.

3. After the first maceration period, add the strawberries and lemon juice to the fruit mixture and stir to combine. Re-cover and macerate in the fridge overnight for at least another 12 hours but no more than 24 (24 to 48 hours total maceration).

4. The next day, make the jam: Sterilize your jars and lids by following the instructions on page 23.

5. Remove the macerated fruit from the fridge. Scrape the fruit mixture and all the juices into your preserving pan. Add the cinnamon, cardamom, and vanilla and stir gently to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly, until the juices run from the berries and the sugar is dissolved. The rhubarb will look dense and stalky, but it will break down during the cooking process. Once it boils, the mixture will begin to foam. Adjust the heat as needed to keep it as hot as possible without allowing the mixture to overflow or sputter. Continue to cook, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom of the pan to distribute the heat evenly and melt the foam back down into the mixture, about 5 minutes.

6. Once the foam subsides, boil over high heat (adjust the heat if the jam sputters) for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring frequently. As the jam cooks, gradually reduce the heat to medium-low if needed to prevent scorching, and stir constantly until it becomes thicker and slightly syrupy and the bubbles are smaller and evenly distributed across the surface. Remove from the heat and skim any foam from the surface.

7. Gently stir to evenly distribute the fruit within the syrup, and then test for doneness. The jam should pass the wrinkle test or sheet test and reach at least 200°F (100°C) on a candy thermometer (see page 21). If the jam still seems too loose, boil for another 3 to 5 minutes and check the set again. Once set, remove from the heat.

8. Pour the jam into the sterilized jars, leaving ¼ inch of headspace, and process by following the instructions on page 23. Arrange the hot jars about 1 inch apart in a cool place, and let sit undisturbed for at least 12 hours.