Einkorn Crepe Cake with Fall Stone Fruit

I was so excited to receive a bag of Einkorn all-purpose flour for a product review.  I had been researching the health benefits and nutrition of the ancient grain with possibilities of being more gentle on the tummy for those with gut issues.  Please go the the highlighted links for more fascinating history and nutrition of the Einkorn grain.

I loved the golden color of my crepes along with a nutty flavor, which I feel enhanced my basic crepe.  

I decided to top my crepe cake with a variety locally grown stone fruit.  I gathered a juicy variety of plums, nectarines and peaches from my local farmers market.  

To make enough crepes for the  Einkorn Crepe cake you will need:

9 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups water

3 1/2 cups Einkorn all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons butter

This recipe should make approximately 28-30 crepes depending on how thick you make them and the size of the pan used.  My crepe pan makes an 8-inch crepe.  

Follow the step-by-step instructions for my basic crepes

I place each hot crepe on a cooling rack.

Crepes can be layered with waxed paper or plastic wrap and kept in the freezer for 2-3 weeks.  I generally make my crepes a week in advance.  It makes the cake quicker to assemble.  Just thaw the crepes at room temperature before stacking.

Let's assemble this gorgeous cake.

Once crepes have cooled completely or completely thaw, if pre-made and frozen, we can begin stacking and filling the crepe cake.

For the Mascarpone filling you will need:

1 lb Mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup light flavored honey
3 cups heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla

Place 1 lb mascarpone in a large mixing bowl with a paddle attachment.

Add 1/3 cup honey

Cream together.  Take care not to over beat the mascarpone.  It doesn't like a good beating.

Set aside.

Whip 3 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form.

Add whipped to cream to the mascarpone mixture.

I changed to a whisk attachment to whip the mixtures together.

Add the zest from one lemon.

Add 2 teaspoons vanilla.

Let the layering process begin.

I like to use a small ice cream scoop.  This scoop holds about 2 tablespoons.  I like to have each layer with equal amount of filling.  Using a scoop helps make the measurement quick and quite precise.

Spread an even layer over each crepe.  Notice that the filling is a very thin layer.

Continue stacking a spreading until the mascarpone filling has all been used.

Helpful tip:

I like the cake to have a ruffled edge look.  I achieve this by alternating the crepes "top side" up and "bottom side" up.  If I layered them with all of the topsides up, the cake would droop downward and would not have a ruffled effect.  Does this make sense?

I believe I have approximately 28-30 crepes stacked.  This makes an impressive size cake that won't droop or lean.

To top our masterpiece you will need:

1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Add the honey and vanilla to the cream.

Whip until soft peaks form.

Spread over the top cream to make a perfect blanket for the fruit.

Give it a dusting of confectioners sugar, if desired.  I desire.

The golden crepes from the Einkorn flour look so beautiful with the stone fruit.

Lovely.

Happy Birthday to my dear neighbor, Nancy.  You are worth this and more.


Einkorn Crepe Cake with Fall Stone Fruit

Crepes:

9 eggs

2 cups milk

2 cups water

3 1/2 cups Einkorn all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon salt

9 tablespoons butter

Mascarpone filling:

1 lb Mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup light flavored honey
3 cups heavy cream
zest of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla

Cream topping:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla

Variety of plums, nectarines, and peaches

Add the the ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.  Batter can be mixed in a bowl with a whisk as well.

Heat a crepe pan or a 8 or 9-inch skillet.  Brush with butter and pour about 3 tablespoons of the batter into the center of the pan.  Tilt the pan in all directions to cover the bottom of the pan. Cook until the batter appears dry on top.  Carefully turn the crepe over and cook briefly. Repeat process until all the batter has been used.  Makes about 28-30 crepes.

Mascarpone filling:

In a large bowl beat mascarpone cheese and honey.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whip 3 cups cream until stiff peaks form.  Add whipped cream to mascarpone mixture.  Stir until smooth.  Mix in lemon zest and vanilla.  

Layer crepes alternately with mascarpone filling.  Using about 2 tablespoons of filling on top of each crepe.  Repeat until filling has been used.  Refrigerate cake until firm. about an hour.  Before serving whip heavy cream, honey and vanilla in a small bowl until soft peaks form.  Gently spread on top of crepe cake.  Top with sliced stone fruit variety.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serves...a lot!

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Note: This post was not sponsored  by the Einkorn company, but product was supplied for review. Please check out more Einkorn products and recipes at Einkorn.com

Brush up on your crepe making skills

It's time to brush up on your crepe making skills. I have a crepe cake in the works. I can't wait to post the tutorial.  In the mean time, click here:  simple, basic crepes  

Let the stacking begin.

Homemade Indian Spiced Ketchup

 

Wait until you dip your fries in this!

I have spent 2 years trying to perfect homemade ketchup.  I started by straining the tomatoes through a Victorio strainer, which removes the seeds and skins leaving a very thin tomato juice.  Various spices were added and then reduced slowly as not to burn the ketchup.  By slowly I mean 24+ hours in a crockpot.  I still didn't have the thick texture I wanted.  The color was a brownish and the texture was still too thin with an almost burnt taste

I played around with other options using my Spicy Tomato Jam recipe.  I pureed the jam as smooth as I could get it with a hand emulsion blender.  The flavors were great, but I was still having texture issues.  

I started to thumb through my grandmothers old recipe box.  I was searching for a recipe of her chili sauce, which was spiced with cloves and cinnamon.  I came across a recipe from her Aunt Lula.  This was the exact spice combination I was looking for.  

After all the the researching and testing I ended up making an Indian spiced tomato ketchup.  Made with Garam Masala.  How easy is that?

For the fabulous condiment you will need:

4 1/2 lbs tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped
6-8 jalapeno peppers (depending on size and desired heat)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-inch piece fresh ginger
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit of you aren't a spicy kind of person)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup cane sugar

Roughly chop tomatoes, chop jalapenos and remove seeds and veins, peel ginger.

In a large, heavy pot add 4 1/2 lbs. chopped tomatoes.

6-8 Jalapeno peppers

Grate for finely chop a 3-inch piece of ginger.

Add 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice.

Add spices:  1 tablespoons Garam Masala, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (of course I added a heaping 1/2 teaspoon because I'm a spicy kind of a person), 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt.

Go ahead and dump in that 3/4 cup cane sugar.  Raw turbinado sugar, or coconut sugar may be used as well.

Stir together and simmer over medium-low heat for about 1 hour.

Stir often. 

When the mixture has reduced to by about 1/3 or 1/2 of you want a thicker ketchup. Stir constantly.  Make sure you scrape the bottom of the pan.  If your scorch or burn the bottom, you may have to toss the batch.  It can happen quickly so don't walk away.  Pretend your making caramel.

Remove from the heat and blend mixture using a hand emulsion blender.  You may, also, use a blender or food processor.  Please be careful blending hot mixtures.

Transfer the blended mixture into a food strainer in batches.  This will remove the tomato seeds, peels and any strings from the ginger.

Thick and smooth with a sweet, spicy kick.

 This may be ladled into clean, sterile jars and processed in a water bath for 35 minutes.  The batch makes approximately 4 cups of ketchup.

I love browsing through my grandma's old recipe box for her "tried and true" recipes that have been passed down for many generations.  I'm pretty sure she wouldn't approve of the cayenne pepper.  I've always been a bit on the rebellious side.  

This isn't just ketchup.  It's a new family condiment that goes on everything.  

Homemade Indian Spiced Ketchup

4 1/2 lbs tomatoes, washed and roughly chopped
6-8 jalapeno peppers (depending on size and desired heat)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3-inch piece fresh ginger, grated
1 tablespoon Garam Masala
1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper (omit of you aren't a spicy kind of person)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
3/4 cup cane sugar

In a large heavy pot, add roughly chopped tomatoes, jalapeno peppers that have the seeds and veins removed and roughly chopped.  Add grated or chopped ginger, lemon juice, spices, salt and sugar. Mix together.  Cook over medium heat stirring often. Watch carefully toward the end of cooking time and start stirring constantly to prevent ketchup from burning. Cook until reduced to about 1/3 it's original amount. If you want a thicker ketchup reduce to 1/2.   Makes approx. 4 cups.  Ketchup may be ladled into clean, sterile jars and processed in a water bath for 35 minutes.


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Pitaya Pops

Go ahead and ask my family just how much Pitaya (dragon fruit) and Acai frozen packets I have purchased this summer.  I'm completely obsessed with the bright magenta color of pitaya.  It rivals with beets and I think that beets are the  most beautiful colored vegetables created for this earth.  I save beet drippings in a jar in my freezer to use in place of food color.  Enough about beets.

We have had too many days this summer with temperatures in the triple digits.  I decided to turn my pitaya smoothie bowls into pitaya pops so I can just grab one out of my freezer at the end of a long hot run (count down for marathon #28 in 4 weeks).  They are so refreshing.  I'm in love

Pitaya Pops are very simple to make.  I'm not lucky enough to find dragon fruit at my local market so I purchase frozen pitaya puree.  You will need:

1 pkt or 4 oz. pitaya (Dragon fruit) puree

1 cup mixed frozen fruit of your choice (berries, cherries, pineapple, bananas, etc)

1 cup coconut water

Put all of the ingredients into a blender.

Blend until thick and smooth.  That's it!

I like to layer my pops with pitaya blend and Greek Yogurt.  You can be creative and make the pops to your liking.  My liking is pitaya/yogurt/raspberries, cocoa nibs and a bit of bee pollen.

First add a layer of the pitaya blend.

Crop in some berries and a few cocoa nibs.

Add a spoonful of yogurt.  Let me confess that this isn't Greek yogurt.  It's Noosa coconut yogurt.  It's my new guilty pleasure when I feel deserving.

Repeat layers.  Add popsicle sticks and freeze for a few hours or overnight.

Just run a bit of warm water around the popsicle mold and they will slide out.  Sprinkle with more cocoa nibs and bee pollen.  

Have I mentioned my obsession with cocoa nibs.  I have a love affair with them.  I put them in and on EVERYTHING!  My husband recently informed me that he didn't have the same love affair for them as I do.  Really?  So I have gone through 3 lbs of cocoa nibs the past 6 months on my own? 

Side note:  Runners world listed cocoa nibs as something all runners should include in their diets. Boom!

If by chance you don't have a mold for popsicles or you just feel like eating it from a bowl, just layer, and top with a cherry and more cocoa nibs for one refreshing, healthy treat.

You're welcome.



Pitaya Pops
1 cup coconut water
1 packet of pitaya puree
1 cup frozen fruit of choice
1/4 - 1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1/2 cup fresh fruit
toppings:  cocoa nibs, bee pollen, nuts

Blend in a blender until smooth.  Layer into molds beginning and ending with pitaya/fruit blend. Layering with pitaya/berries/yogurt, repeat.  Freeze molds for 3 hours or overnight.  Makes about 10 popsicles.


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