While technically we still have a few days to go, the summer heat has already arrived and when I think of summertime flavors, citrus is one of the first that comes to mind. So when I was thinking about small bite ideas for the Cynthia Rowley Bridesmaids Dress Launch Party, I knew it had to be something with cake and citrus.

These bites may be petite, but their flavor is anything but.  The sweet nuttiness  of the almonds is perfectly balanced by the bitterness of the orange.  Cooking the whole orange provides a good bit of liquid, which makes for an incredibly moist cake.

These cakes are not only the perfect sweet bite for a party, but could also be packaged in small boxes and given as gifts.  Top with a cream cheese frosting, greek yogurt, or a simple powdered sugar glaze and garnish with blood orange segments or even edible flowers for a really stunning presentation. For our party, I arranged the cakes on cake stands that had been dusted in powdered sugar and decorated with beautiful yellow and red Rainier Cherries… The recipe is simple, but the end result is a really flavorful, moist cake that makes a beautiful presentation.

Orange-Scented Almond Cakes

makes 25 miniatures

2 whole oranges, unpeeled

3 eggs, beaten

1 1/4 cups organic cane sugar

2 cups ground almonds

1tsp. baking powder

1 cup greek yogurt

2 tbsp. butter

1 blood orange

powdered sugar

Pre-heat oven to 375 F.  Line a 14 x 10 inch baking pan with buttered parchment.  Cook oranges in boiling water until they are soft – just over an hour. Cool.

Cut oranges in half and remove any seeds.  Place orange halves in food processor and puree until smooth.  Add eggs, sugar, almonds and baking powder and pulse to combine.  Pour batter into baking dish and bake approximately 40 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch.  Brush with melted butter and cool.

Using a 1 1/2 inch pastry cutter, cut 25 miniature cakes from cake pan and line on parchment.  Top with small amount of greek yogurt and a segment of blood orange. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

I love simple, clean, seasonal food.  Food that is not overly complicated and really focuses on the beauty of the flavors of just a few key ingredients, one never outshining the other.  And while part of what makes my job so much fun is figuring out creative and unique ways to present a relatively simple bites – dressing up something uncomplicated, while providing a little visual inspiration… In the end, it is all about the flavors of the food.

This Pea Purée recipe from a recent party Canapé catered for Garden & Gun Magazine is the perfect backdrop for any spring garden soirée.

Simple Spring Pea Puree

3 cups fresh english peas

1/2 cup light extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp unsalted butter

sprig of thyme

kosher salt

pepper

dash of heavy cream (optional)

Heat olive oil, butter and thyme in saute pan over medium heat.  Remove thyme.  Add peas and cook until tender.  While warm, transfer peas to food processor and purée until smooth. Pass pea purée through sève, pressing with ladle to remove shells. Season with salt and pepper. Splash with heavy cream.

Phyllo Cups

Frozen Phyllo Dough

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 350 F. Thaw dough and unroll onto parchment paper.  On a separate piece of parchment, using two sheets of phyllo, cut rounds with a 3-inch cutter.  Place each round into a muffin tin brushed with olive oil and press the center down into the cup. Bake phyllo cups until golden brown.

Assembly

Spoon a tablespoon of purée into each phyllo cup.  Top with a piece of shaved parmesean, a drizzle of olive oil and lemon zest or top with ricotta salata.

photo by michell frizzell

I sometimes wonder if I am crazy for loving miniature foods. As beautiful as they are, the amount of labor that goes into making these tiny little packages of perfection is intense. Hundreds of little bites must be prepared as uniform and consistent as possible. Hours and hours of painstaking labor is made worth it when I see the reaction of the guests to the food. Witnessing a “sea” of minis on a table at an event excites and inspires me to keep coming back for more…

Last weekend, we catered a wedding brunch full of miniatures. One of my favorites, as well as a favorite of the guests was a play on crab cakes benedict-”McMuffin” style. Homemade mini english muffins layered with egg, jumbo lump crab cakes and a bearnaise butter.

This english muffin recipe is very simple and creates muffins with the perfect airy texture. Create your own “McMuffins” or enjoy them warm with butter and a sprinkling of fleur de sel. If you don’t want to make the mini version, use a larger cutter. Makes approximately 25 miniature muffins.

Mini English Muffins

4 cups organic bread flour

2 1/2 tsp. active yeast

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 1/4 cups warm water

2 egg whites

fine yellow cornmeal for dusting

canola oil

Combine 2 cups flour, baking soda, yeast and water in large bowl. Mix until smooth. In separate bowl, beat egg whites into moist peaks. Fold dough mixture into egg whites. Add salt. Add remaining flour, 1/4 cup at a time, until dough becomes difficult to stir. Remove dough from bowl and continue adding flour, working into dough until dough becomes silky smooth. Form a ball with dough and place in lightly oiled bowl, coating all sides of dough. Cover and allow to rise for 1hr.

Lightly pound air out of dough and roll out onto work surface. Using a 3-inch cutter, cut circles and place on baking sheet covered with parchment. Dust with cornmeal, cover and allow to rise for 5 minutes.

Heat canola oil in heavy-bottom fry pan over medium heat. Add muffins, several at a time and cook on each side for 3-4 minutes. Cool over wire rack. Makes approximately 25 miniature muffins.