This is the story of a Mona that wasn't convinced enough to become a Mona. And it's also the story of a woman (me) who was patient and stubborn enough to finally achieve good results!
My first try was kind of chewy and hard to swallow, the second improved a bit but it was not fully baked in the middle... and the third... oh boy... the third was impresionante!!!!! To my English readers: impresionante means impressive... tell my palate about it :D. I know, I shouldn't say that... but you can ask the rest of the family and they'll tell you I'm not lying!
La Mona is this traditional cake, which originally was made out of a kind of marzipan and it had boiled eggs to eat with... tradition has improved and evolved into these wonderful cakes and chocolate that are sold at bakery shops and are a sign of the end of the Lent period.
Approximately 600.000 Monas have left the bakers' shelves and ended up in our tummies this last Monday :D.As you can see in the pictures I made a Sara Pie (or cake... I always get mixed up!), added some little preserved cherries and decorated with Chocolate eggs. Now, it's a Mona.
Honestly, I wanted to post this 3 days ago, but when I'm on vacation... I take the word literally! But, don't hate me ;D, here is the recipe for the Sara Pie... the eggs, feathers and chicks are up to you.
Ingredients for 6 - 8 servings:
For the bread biscuit
3 egg yolks, 1 egg, 50 grs of sugar, 1 lemon zest.
80 grs of flour, 20 grs of cornstarch, 30 grs of ground almond.
3 egg whites and 80 grs of sugar.
* Take your electric mixer and beat the egg yolks, the egg, sugar and lemon zest (first 4 ingredients) They should achieve 3 times their volume and a whiter aspect. Reserve.
* Clean the electric mixer tools and in a clean space beat now the whites until they get high and spongy. Reserve.
* Now take the egg yolks mixture and add gradually and slowly into the egg whites. Use a tongue tool from underneath to the top.
* Preheat oven at 180ºC.
* Take the different flours (cornstarch, normal and ground almond) sift using a thick colander over the eggs mixture. Little by little and keep on using the tongue from underneath to the top.
* Pour into the mold and place in rack number two using both oven's up and down heat. Bake for 20 minutes aprox. Check with the wooden stick to see if it's done. Don't open the oven more than necessary! It's perfect to bake this in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. This way we let the base cool down :D
For the syrup: 100 grs of sugar, 100 ml of water, some drops of lemon juice and a dash of liquor (optional).
* Boil the water, sugar and lemon juice for aprox. 3 to 5 minutes.
* Once outside the heat, add the liquor if you wish. Reserve.
For the cream butter: 200 grs of sugar, 50 grs of water, 4 egg yolks, 250 grs of butter (at room temperature. Soft enough to work with it) Never use the microwave to get the texture! And a dash of liquor (also optional). If you added some to the syrup then it won't be necessary here.
* Start a syrup with the water and sugar. Boil at medium heat for 3 minutes aprox.
* Meanwhile get the yolks into the electric mixer and beat them. When they start to grow add the syrup little by little and keep on beating until the mixture gets 3 times its initial volume. Only when it's cold add the butter little by little with the mixer on until you get a thick mixture. Reserve.
To assemble the Sara pie: 1 bread biscuit, a syrup, cream butter, apricot jam, laminated almonds.
* Cut the bread biscuit in half (only when it's cold or at room temperature).
* Paint the inside layers with the syrup and the apricot jam. Reassemble.
* Spread the cream butter on top and sides of the pie.
* Toast the laminated almonds in the oven. 200ºC on top rack and keep an eye on them until they golden up.
* Carefully, place the almonds over the butter cream. The ones that fall, won't be used.
* Decorate and place in the fridge for 1 hour.
* Devour with the family!!!!
I'm sending over my homemade Mona to A Slice of Cherry Pie and her event: Easter Cake Bake 2009. There's still time to send your creations until the 20th of April :D
Am I becoming a baker? Will this baking fever pass? Let me tell you that I'm loving it!!! And, if on top, results are good... :D
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