tonka bean white chocolate and apricot cakes

this post is long overdue in coming. way back when this blog was still just a nice distractionn (before the obsession that it has now become. are you, too, obsessed with blogging? please tell me i'm not alone!!) i innocently asked some questions of the lovely helen from tartelette about her beautiful pineapple almond cheesecake. then out of the friendliness that is bloggo-land, she sent me some of my very own tonka beans! yes, she really is that lovely.

and that was two months ago!!! ack! every time i thought of using them, for one reason or another i didn't. they were sitting in the vacuum sealed box in the fridge, right next to the boxes of butter, just waiting to be picked up and tried out. but instead i just guiltily baked one thing after another without them.



well today is as good a day as any. and what better way to start my tonka bean adventure, then with tartelette's very own tonka bean white chocolate and apricot cakes. i admit, i was hesitant. white chocolate?? meh, too sweet. i considered myself lucky that i didn't have quite the full cup listed in the original recipe.

but oh my! this little cake surpassed all my expectations! first, the grated tonka bean was such a dreamy scent. and its flavor was that perfect mix of almond and vanilla. the cake was super moist. the white chocolate sweetened it, but not too much as i had feared. i used my easy cheat foil cups instead of the regular tin, so the cake sides didn't brown, but it kind of made this neat crunchy ridge on the top. but oops, i forgot to dust my apricots with a little flour and they sank. this seems to be my bad habit. uhh, let's think positively here ... maybe it's just my signature look. watch out martha, i've got a new trend!



thank you tartelette!! i'm already plotting my next tonka bean adventure! :)

tonka bean white chocolate and apricot cakes: makes 8 large muffin cakes
from tartelette (click here)

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled
1 cup white chocolate, melted
1/3 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
2 tonka beans
15 dried apricots, cut in small dices

1. preheat oven to 350F. whisk together sugar and eggs until pale and thick, about 3 minutes. add butter and chocolate. whisk well and add the flour.

2. finely grate the tonka bean and add to batter. add dried apricots and mix until incorporated.

3. divide evenly between muffin tins coated with cooking spray and cook for 15 minutes.

* yes, i know tonka beans have coumarin, a compound used in medical blood thinners. but everything in moderation folks!