Saffron Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Pour about one cup of boiling water over the saffron and let it cool and mix with the sugar, salt, and yeast.
• When yeast has dissolved and shortening has softened, mix in flour and fruit (currants and lemon).
• Let rise 1 1/2 hour in the bowl.
• Put in greased bread pan to rise for 1/2 hour before baking.
• Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 45 minutes.

Steps:

• In a small bowl combine yeast and granulated sugar and stir in 1 1/4 cups lukewarm water. Let mixture stand until foamy, about 10 minutes. In another small bowl combine boiling water and saffron.
• Into a bowl sift 1 1/2 cups flour and stir in yeast mixture and powdered milk, stirring to make a batter. Let batter rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place 30 minutes.
• In bowl of a standing electric mixer stir together remaining 4 cups flour, superfine sugar, and salt and blend in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add batter, saffron mixture, and remaining 3/4 cup lukewarm water and with paddle attachment beat on low speed until smooth, soft, and sticky. Let dough rise, covered with plastic wrap, in a warm place until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.
• Preheat oven to 375°F. and butter eighteen 1/2-cup muffin tins.
• Punch down dough and beat with paddle attachment on low speed 5 minutes. Add orange peel, raisins, and currants and beat until combined well. With a 1/4-cup measure scoop dough into muffin tins and let rise, covered with buttered wax paper and kitchen towels, in a warm place until dough is level with tops of tins, about 30 minutes.
• Bake cakes in middle of oven 20 minutes, or until golden, and cool on racks. Cakes may be made 1 day ahead and cooled before keeping in airtight containers.

Steps:

• For Rice:
• Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and pepper and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the rice and stir to completely coat all the rice with the oil. Stir in the chicken stock, saffron, salt, to taste and the peas. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool until slightly warm, about 30 minutes.
• For Rice cakes
• Using a small ice cream scoop or tablespoon, scoop out tablespoon-size balls of rice and form into cakes, about 1 1/2 inches diameter. Put the cakes in a baking dish and layer between sheets of waxed paper.
• In a small bowl, beat together 2 eggs with 1/4 cup of water. Put the bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Dredge each of the rice cakes into the egg mixture and then into the bread crumbs, making sure they are completely coated. Transfer the breaded cakes to a baking dish that has a layer of bread crumbs on the bottom. Layer the cakes between sheets of waxed paper and sprinkle the layers with bread crumbs.
• Heat the oil in large saute pan over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes in batches, 3 to 4 minutes per side or until golden brown. Place onto a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Blot the tops of the cakes with paper towel to remove excess oil.
• Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with a dollop of sour cream and bit of tapenade.

Steps:

• Serving Suggestion: Cinnamon ice cream
• Make the Pound Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan and line it with parchment or waxed paper.
• In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice and saffron to a boil then turn the heat off immediately and let steep 5 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter. Add 1 cup of the sugar and mix. With the mixer running at low speed, add the eggs one at a time. Working in alternating batches, and mixing after each addition, add the dry ingredients and 1/4 cup of the saffron spiked orange juice, trying to use all the threads in the orange juice. Mix just until smooth.
• Pour into the prepared pan and bake until raised in the center and a tester inserted into the center comes out dry and almost clean (a few crumbs are OK), 65 to 75 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the glaze: In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the remaining saffron spiked orange juice (about 1/3 cup), until the sugar is dissolved.
• When the cake is done, let cool in the pan 15 minutes (it will still be warm). Run a knife around the sides of the pan. Set a wire rack on a sheet pan with sides (to catch the glaze) and turn the cake out onto the rack. Peel off the waxed paper. Using a turkey baster or pastry brush, spread glaze all over the top and sides of the cake and let soak in.
• Repeat until all the glaze is used up, including any glaze that has dripped through onto the sheet pan. Let cool at room temperature or, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.
• The cake will last up to a week, well-wrapped with plastic wrap.
• Make the Lemon Caramel Sauce: Pour the sugar into the center of a deep saucepan. Carefully pour the water around the walls of the pan, trying not to splash any sugar onto the walls. Do not stir; gently draw your finger twice through the center of the sugar, making a cross, to moisten it. Over high heat, bring to a full boil and cook without stirring until amber-colored caramel, about 10 to 15 minutes, swirling the mixture occasionally to even out the color.
• Add the lemon juice and vanilla and wait for the caramel to bubble and subside. Let the caramel cool.
• To serve, cut the pound cake in thin slices and serve with scoops of cinnamon ice cream and a drizzling of lemon caramel sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and grease a square cake pan, lining the bottom with greaseproof paper.
• In a pestle and mortar, grind the saffron with some of the sugar (you get the best yellow colour that way), alternatively, soak in 2tbsp of boiling hot water.
• Bring the dried fruit to the boil in a pan of water, once boiling point is reached, turn off the heat and drain the fruit well using a sieve. Return to the pan and add the butter until it has melted perhaps over a low heat if necessary.
• Add the saffron (including water if soaking method used) sugar and eggs and mix thoroughly then sift in the flour, salt and baking powder.
• Mix well but do not over work the mixture then pour into the cake pan.
• Bake for 30mins or until browned on top, then reduce heat to 160C/300F, cover with foil and bake for a further 20 minutes.
• Allow to cool for 15 minutes before turning out to cool completely on a wire rack.
• Now thats special.