Jacques Pepin Almond Cake Recipes

ALMOND CAKE WITH FRESH BERRIES

Steps:

• CAKE:.
• Preheat the oven to 350°F
• Butter an 8-inch round cake pan that is 2 inches deep.
• Line the bottom with parchment paper and butter the paper.
• Put the almond paste, sugar, 1 stick of butter and the vanilla in a food processor and process for 10 seconds.
• Add the eggs, milk, and salt and process for 5 seconds.
• Add the flour and baking powder and process for 5 to 10 seconds, until smooth.
• Pour the cake batter into the pan and bake for 45 minutes.
• Let cool.
• THE SYRUP:.
• Combine the syrup ingredients in a small bowl.
• Stir to dissolve the sugar.
• ASSEBMLY:.
• Remove the cake from the pan and transfer to a serving platter.
• Using a spoon or pastry brush, moisten the cake with the syrup.
• Scatter the berries on top of the cake and around it.
• Spoon on the diluted apricot jam and garnish with the mint leaves.
• Serve with the sour cream or crème fraiche.
• *You can make this cake early in the day. Or make several cakes, wrap, well and freeze. Defrost, still in their wrappings, in the refrigerator.

SOUR CHERRY TART

Steps:

• For the pate brisee, place the flour, sugar, salt and butter pieces in owl and crush the butter into the dry ingredients with the tips of your fingers until combined somewhat but with pieces of butter still visible in the mixture. Add the ice water and stir with a fork just until the mixture holds together. Gather it up, pressing it between your hands to flatten it and make it round, and wrap it in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for one hour.
• Rub a small amount of flour into a pastry cloth and roll the dough into a very thin circle, about 12 1/2 inches in diameter. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin and gently fit it into the bottom and up the sides of an 11-inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press the dough against the sides of the pan to fill in any holes and make it adhere to the metal. Remove any excess overhanging dough by rolling the rolling pin across the top of the pan. Refrigerate the tart shell for one hour.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the cherries, tapioca, sugar and almond extract. Sprinkle the ground almond-sugar mixture in the pastry shell and arrange the cherry mixture on top. Place the tart pan on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400-degree oven for one to one-and-a-quarter hours, until the dough is nicely browned. Unmold and serve with strong coffee.