Brazilian Cheese Rolls

My friend shared the recipe she uses for these, and I modified them so they would work with Jerome's diet. Obviously, I doubled the recipe, but I think half of this quantity would be plenty for a smaller family.

2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup safflower oil
2 cups tapioca starch
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup grated cheese (cheddar, jack, swiss, low-moisture mozzarella, or similar cheeses)
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
extra cheese to sprinkle on top (optional)
chopped herbs to sprinkle on top (optional)

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease 48 mini-muffin cups (our mini-muffin tins range from 12 to 24 cups, and we use about 42-45 of them) and set aside.

Place eggs, milk, oil, tapioca starch, and salt in blender and blend until the mixture is smooth. Add cheeses and pulse a couple times.

Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle with any toppings you like.

Bake 10 - 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Remove from oven and cool a few minutes in pan. Remove from pan and serve warm. They are also fine served room temperature, and can be stored in an airtight container.

Mascarpone Berry Cake

I made this cake for our Independence Day picnic potluck, and came up with a few ways I would change the method on the cake and the frosting. You can use any fresh berries you like, so you can customize it to whatever is in season or on sale where you are. Since the cake uses only egg whites, you can use the yolks to make a custard sauce or an ice cream, or save them for scrambled eggs.

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
8 ounces mascarpone cheese, softened for only 15 mins
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
zest from 2 large lemons
6 large egg whites
2 cups pastry flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup whole milk, lukewarm
1 cup fresh berries
1 tablespoon cornstarch

Frosting:

16 ounces mascarpone or cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
1/2 cup heavy cream, well chilled
2 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
zest from 1 large lemon

Filling:

3 cups fresh berries

Making the Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line three, 8-inch round cake pans with parchment and grease the parchment and sides of the pans.

Soften the mascarpone cheese for 10 to 15 minutes only. It can separate if left out too long.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together softened butter, softened mascarpone cheese, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest on medium-high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until creamy.

In a separate bowl, whisk the egg whites on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients into the batter, alternating with the milk, then whisk gently but thoroughly, mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Gently fold in the whipped egg whites.

In a small bowl, toss the mixed fruit with the cornstarch until the fruit is well coated. Add the fruit to the batter and fold in gently. Divide the cake batter evenly between the three pans.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the comes out clean. Remove the cake layers from the oven, cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then cool completely on a wire rack.

Mascarpone Frosting:

While the cake is baking, prepare the cream frosting. Place the mascarpone or cream cheese, and vanilla into a mixing bowl and whisk on high speed for a minute, until the cheese is smooth and creamy. Slowly mix the heavy cream into the cheese mixture, then raise the speed when it is fully incorporated.

Add the confectioner's sugar and the lemon zest and beat well to blend. Keep the frosting refrigerated until you're ready to assemble the cake.

Assembly:

To assemble the cake, first level the tops of the cake layers with a serrated knife, if needed. Spread a very generous amount of mascarpone frosting between each layer and add a mixture of berries between the layers.

Apply a crumb coat of frosting on the outside of the cake, then refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Smooth additional frosting over the top and sides, then garnish the cake with berries. The cake can be eaten right away, or refrigerated overnight.

Labels: Homemaking, Recipes, Special Diet, Tales from the Kitchen

// posted by Ranee @ Arabian Knits @ 9:00 AM