French Almond Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze

Lots of recipes out there for French almond cakes and I've made any number, but never found one as simple as this. All mixed in one bowl and done in 35 minutes or so. You can serve it almost immediately. When you read the ingredients you'll think there's a typo....a total of 3 TABLESPOONS almond extract in the recipe? Yep. That's right and a tablespoon of vanilla too. And it works beautifully. This is a fabulous, dense almond cake with a lovely apricot glaze. (Cooks note: You don't need to use a cream cheese glaze, use any glaze you and your family prefer....I saw a rose glaze recently on some cupcakes and was bowled over. I just thought this was more summery.)
Averie referred to this as a "cookie" cake, by which I assume she meant not light and fluffy. It's dense, but not crisp, so I definitely classify this a cake. Frankly, I think it's best served the same day, but because of the cream cheese in this particular glaze, you might want to refrigerate it if you're going to serve it again the next day. Or, alternately, use a glaze without cream cheese. Honestly, I doubt there'll be any left over.

French Almond Cake with Apricot Cream Cheese Glaze
Adapted from Averie Cooks

Ingredients for the cake:
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted (1 stick + half of 1 stick)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 tablespoons almond extract
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
about 1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Ingredients for the glaze:
3/4 cup apricot jam 
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tablespoon almond extract

Method for the cake:
Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9-inch cake round with floured cooking spray, or grease and flour the pan. (I used a springform and lined it with parchment paper. Suggest you also cover the bottom with foil in case it seeps from the bottom.)
In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter, about 75 seconds. Allow butter to cool momentarily.
Add all remaining cake ingredients (except flour) and whisk until smooth. Stir in the flour until combined. Pour batter into the pan and top with almonds. Turn batter out into prepared pan. Top with optional sliced almonds.
Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden and set, and edges will be firmer and pulling away slightly from sides of pan. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a rack and then turn the cake out to a plate and cool completely. 

Method for the glaze:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and beat with a mixer until combined. Spread glaze on top of cake (it can still be warm). 

Lemon Cheese Tart

This is an amazingly light dessert....lemony and delicious. Simple to make and not too sweet either. So refreshing for a summer dessert. I made the pastry from scratch, but really, if you're in a big hurry, use packaged. I'm all for shortcuts in the summer. Last thing we want to do is be stuck in the kitchen. You can make this ahead and refrigerate if you like, but it's awfully yummy warm.

Lemon Cheese Tart
From Pastry Studio

Ingredients for the pastry dough:
1 cup flour
2 teaspoon sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 ounces cold butter
1/4 cup cold water

Ingredients for the lemon cheese filling:
5 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
5 ounces ricotta
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2  teaspoons lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
pinch salt
1 egg, room temperature

1/2 tablespoon butter, melted
sugar for sprinkling

Method:
For the pastry:  place the flour, sugar and salt into the bowl of a food processor and blend.  Cut the cold butter into 1/2" pieces and add to the flour mixture.  Pulse until the butter is the size of small peas, about 5 seconds.  Add the cold water and pulse until the dough starts to clump, about 10 seconds.  The dough will look a bit like small curd cottage cheese.  Gather the dough and place on a sheet of plastic wrap.  Form a disc and wrap tightly.  Chill thoroughly.

For the filling: whisk together the cream cheese, ricotta, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Add a pinch of salt, to taste.  Whisk in the egg.  Chill the filling while you roll out the pastry dough.

Unwrap the dough and let it rest on a lightly floured piece of parchment or work surface for just a few minutes.  It needs to stay cool but warm up just enough to handle without a lot of resistance and cracking.

Roll the dough out to about an 11" square and 1/8" thickness, gently lifting and moving the dough after each roll and keeping it lightly floured as needed.  When you have the desired size, trim the edges and brush off any excess flour.  Fold it in half and then again in half.  Center the folded corner of the dough in a 9" square tart pan or baking pan.  Unfold it and work it into the corners, leaving an overhang on all four sides.  Pour the filling into the tart and spread it evenly.  Gently fold the pastry overhang onto the surface of the tart. 

Chill the tart while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Brush the border of the dough with melted butter and dust with a light sprinkle of sugar.  Bake for 25 minutes and then increase oven temperature to 400 degrees.  Bake an additional 10 minutes until the dough is crisp and browned.  Place on a wire rack to cool completely.

Chilled Fennel and Cucumber Soup

I've always loved cold soups in warm weather and have posted several in the past. The thing about this one is the fennel. Are you a fan? As far as I'm concerned, roasted, I love it. Raw, served in a salad, not so much. But this fennel is steamed and puréed along with some raw cucumbers so how cool is that? It's a lovely soup, with some texture (can't help but remind you of a vichyssoise) and quite mild in flavor. The tarragon is a nice touch; it's an herb we don't use nearly enough.

Chilled Fennel and Cucumber Soup
From Fine Cooking Magazine, June/July Issue

Ingredients:

3 pounds fennel bulbs (about 2 large or 3 medium)

1 1/4 pounds seedless cucumbers

1 Tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup heavy cream

Method:

Trim, quarter and core the fennel bulbs and cut into 1 inch pieces...about 6 cups. Save some of the frond for garnishing.

Steam the fennel until very tender, about 8 minutes.

Peel the cucumbers, quarter lengthwise and cut into 1 inch chunks.

In a blender, puree until smooth half the cooked fennel with half the cucumber along with salt, pepper and tarragon. Strain over a bowl, forcing the puree with a spatula. Repeat with the remaining fennel and cucumber.

Add the cream and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours and up to 2 days. Just before serving, correct the seasoning, add one teaspoon finely chopped tarragon, and garnish with a fennel frond.