Sticky Cranberry Gingerbread

November 6, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

“Sticky, spicy and full of cranberries, this gingerbread is perfect for the holidays. The recipe has been designed to make ahead, and will taste as good 2 days after baking as it does on the same day. (It will keep for 4 to 5 days.) To store it, wrap it well, stick it in the fridge and then bring to room temperature before serving. Whipped cream or crème fraîche, spiked with a little bourbon if you like, is nice on the side.”
Recipe by Melissa Clark for the New York Times

Serves 8-10

2 cups/8oz/266 grams fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup/200g granulated sugar
1 stick/4oz/113g unsalted butter
⅔ cup/133g dark brown sugar
½ cup/120 mls whole milk
½ cup/120 mls maple syrup
¼ cup/60 mls molasses
1 ½ cups/185g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp/5g ground ginger
½ tsp/1g ground cinnamon
½ tsp/3g baking powder
½ tsp/3g kosher salt
¼ tsp/1g baking soda
¼ tsp black pepper
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 tbsp/14g grated fresh ginger (from 1-inch piece)

Heat oven to 350 F and line a 9-inch square or round baking pan with parchment.

In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, stir together cranberries, granulated sugar and 1 tablespoon water. Stir the cranberries over medium heat until the sugar is completely dissolved and cranberries form a sauce that is syrupy and bubbling thickly, about 10 minutes. Aim to have about half the cranberries broken down, with the remainder more or less whole.

In a separate saucepan, stir together the butter, brown sugar, milk, maple syrup and molasses over medium heat. Bring it to just barely a simmer and then remove it from the heat. Do not let it come to a boil, or the mixture may curdle.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. Beat in the butter-maple syrup mixture and then beat in the eggs. Stir in the ginger.

Scrape the batter into the pan. Drop fat dollops of cranberry sauce onto the surface of the cake batter. Drag a long, slender knife through the batter in a swirly design, as if you are marbling a cake.
Transfer the cake to the oven and bake it until the top is firm and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes.
Transfer the pan to a wire baking rack and let the cake cool completely before eating it.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Stuffing biscuits (scones)

October 31, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

All the herby and aromatic flavors of a classic Thanksgiving stuffing—sage, rosemary, fennel seed, oniony scallion–are packed into this tender biscuit. Stacking pieces of dough before rolling out ensures plenty of tall, buttery layers. If you have any extra biscuits after The Big Meal, store them in an airtight container at room temperature overnight and prepare to have the most festive biscuits and gravy (featuring leftover Thanksgiving gravy, of course!) for breakfast the next morning.
Recipe from Bon Appetite

Makes 12
1 tbsp. Diamond Crystal kosher or 1¾ tsp. Morton kosher salt
1tbsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. sugar
1½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for surface
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 Tbsp. finely chopped rosemary
3 Tbsp. finely chopped sage
1 (heaping) Tbsp. fennel seeds
1½ cups chilled buttermilk, plus more for brushing

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 425F.
Whisk the salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, pepper, and 4 cups flour in a large bowl.
Add the butter and, using your fingers, work into dry ingredients, smashing and flattening and tossing to coat with flour, until you have some flat quarter-size pieces and some smaller pea-size pieces. Add scallions, rosemary, sage and fennel seeds and toss to evenly distribute. Add 1½ cups buttermilk and stir mixture with a fork just until a shaggy dough forms. Turn out dough onto a lightly floured surface and knead once or twice to incorporate any loose pieces.

Pat dough into a 10 x 8″ rectangle. Using a large knife, cut in half crosswise, then stack 1 piece on top of the other. Turn rectangle so a long side is closest to you and cut dough in half crosswise again. Stack 1 piece on top of the other. (This process will build layers into your biscuits.) Turn dough and pat again into a 10×8″ rectangle. Cut into 12 even pieces (you should have a grid of 4 on the long sides and 3 on the short sides). Place biscuits on a parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing evenly, and freeze 10 minutes.

Brush top of each biscuit lightly with buttermilk and bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown, 22–26 minutes.

Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food

Cheese croissant bread and butter pudding

October 31, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This indulgent cheesy croissant bread and butter pudding makes the ideal lazy breakfast to share with friends. Prep the dish the night before and chill in the fridge, to buy yourself more time in bed in the morning.

Serves 4-6
Knob of soft butter for greasing the dish
6-8 croissants, depending on the size, ideally a day or two old
8oz (200g) gruyère cheese, grated
5oz (150g) ham hock, finely shredded
8.5 fl oz (250ml) whole milk
15 fl oz (450ml) double cream
3 medium free-range eggs and
2 egg yolks, lightly beaten
5 tbsp finely chopped chives
2 tsp English mustard powder

Heat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Halve the croissants horizontally and lay them on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove them to cool – you can turn off the oven now as you won’t need it for a bit. This helps the croissants dry out so they’ll greedily soak up the custard.
Arrange half the halved croissants, cut-side up, in the baking dish. Scatter over half the cheese and all the ham, then arrange the rest of the halved croissants, cut-side down, on top.
Stir the milk and cream in a pan and warm until just steaming. Remove from the heat, whisk in the eggs, yolks, chives and mustard, then season with salt and pepper. Slowly pour the mixture evenly over the croissants, then cover and chill for an hour or overnight. If you can, tilt the dish from time to time and baste the croissants with the custard to make sure it’s absorbed.
Reheat the oven to 350F/160°C fan/gas 4.
Remove the dish from the fridge, scatter over the rest of the cheese, put the dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips, then bake until the custard is just set and the cheese is bubbling (30-35 minutes). Let it sit for 5-10 minutes before serving with whatever your heart desires (within reason).
delicious. tips

* It only takes 15 minutes to prep but it needs time in the fridge, so if you’re not the type to get up early, make it the night before to the point where it’s soaked in the custard, then cover it, put it in the fridge and cook it the next morning.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Icecream

Easy (eggless) passion fruit ice cream

October 9, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

You couldn’t get an ice cream recipe much easier or exotic than this one.
I serve it with my passion fruit posset and then dribble sweetened passion fruit pulp over it all and people LOVE it.
Obviously passionfruit have to be in season and I order mine through a fabulous website called https://www.rincontropics.com/
Their fruit is stunning and they are located in Carpenteria, Ventura County.

1 cup passionfruit puree
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
1 can (400gms) condensed milk
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup milk powder

Blend all the ingredients together in a blender till well combined.
Transfer to your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Asian flavors · Do-ahead · Icecream · Vegan

Vegan golden-spiced Ice Cream

October 8, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

A wonderful “Winter warmer” creamy, coconut-based ice cream.
Ground turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper, ginger, and cardamom bring plenty of rich, warm flavor to this insanely delicious ice cream.
Recipe from “Minimalist Baker” food blog

2 14-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk (2 cans yield ~3 1/2 cups or 840 ml // sub coconut cream for even creamier ice cream!)
4 quarter-size slices fresh ginger
1/4 cup maple syrup (sub up to half with organic cane sugar // plus more to taste)
1 pinch sea salt
2 tsp ground turmeric
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/8 tsp cardamom (optional)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp olive oil (optional)
1/4 cup chopped candied ginger (optional)

The day or night before, place your ice cream churning bowl in the freezer to properly chill.
Add coconut milk/cream, fresh ginger, maple syrup, sea salt, turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, and cardamom (optional) to a large saucepan and heat over medium heat.

Bring to a simmer (not a boil), whisking to thoroughly combine ingredients. Then, remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Whisk once more to combine.
Taste and adjust flavor as needed, adding in more turmeric for intense turmeric flavor, cinnamon for warmth, maple syrup for sweetness, or salt to balance the flavors.

Transfer mixture (including the whole ginger slices) to a mixing bowl and let cool to room temperature. Then cover and chill in refrigerator overnight, or for at least 4-6 hours.

The following day, use a spoon (or strainer) to remove the ginger. At this time, you can also add olive oil for extra creaminess by whisking in thoroughly to combine (optional).
Add to ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions – about 20-30 minutes. It should look like soft serve.
While it’s churning, chop up your candied ginger (optional). In the last few minutes of churning, add in the ginger to incorporate.
Once churned, transfer the ice cream to a large freezer-safe container (such as a parchment-lined loaf pan) and use a spoon to smooth the top.

Cover securely and freeze for at least 4-6 hours or until firm. Set out for 10 minutes before serving to soften, and use a hot ice cream scoop (warmed in hot water) to ease scooping.
Will keep in the freezer for up to 10 days or more, though best within the first 7 days.
Enjoy this as a lighter dessert with some serious health benefits!

Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit

Passion fruit possets

October 7, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This has got to be the world’s easiest and exotic dessert!
Your guests will think you’ve slaved away making it, so go along with them.
Do look up my lemon and lime posset too, it’s a killer. This one is the tropical version for the passion fruit season.

Serves 4 people

1/4 cup passion fruit juice. (Do this by pushing the passion fruit pulp through a sieve allowing the juice to come through, and discarding the seeds.)
16 oz heavy cream
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp fresh lime juice

Pour the cream and sugar into a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium-high heat, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.
Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for another 3-5 minutes, stirring and taking care not to let it boil over.
Remove from the heat and stir in the passion fruit and lime juices. let it sit for 10 minutes then divide the mixture between 4 glass dishes or ramekins.
Cover the dishes with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
Before serving you can garnish them with some passionfruit pulp sweetened with sugar or some passion fruit ice cream to really go over the top!

Asian flavors · Baking · Breakfast · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Triple ginger muffins

October 4, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

A baked good for the true ginger fanatic, these muffins pack some serious spice thanks to the addition of grated fresh ginger, ground ginger and minced crystallized ginger. Molasses, a key ingredient in traditional gingerbread, gives the muffins a beautiful golden hue and helps keep them moist for days — if they last that long. (Any variety of molasses will work here, but there may be some color variation depending on the brand used.) For larger, bakery-style muffins, use a jumbo muffin pan and bake the muffins for a few extra minutes.
Recipe by Lidey Heuck for the New York Times

1 cup/201 grams granulated sugar
½ cup/113 grams unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, at room temperature
¾ cup whole milk
¼ cup molasses
1 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger (from a 2-inch piece)
2 cups/256 grams all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
¾ cup/108 grams, plus 3 tablespoons/27 grams minced crystallized ginger

Heat the oven to 375 degrees and line a standard muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, butter, eggs, milk, molasses and grated ginger, and whisk until smooth.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. (Be careful not to over-mix! The batter will be slightly lumpy.) Stir in 3/4 cup crystallized ginger, reserving the remaining 3 tablespoons for the topping.

Using an ice cream scoop or a large spoon, divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle the reserved crystallized ginger onto the tops of the muffins, and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins spring back when lightly pressed.

Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer muffins to a cooling rack and cool completely.

Baking · Chocolate · Do-ahead

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

October 1, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

These taste distinctly homemade: much smaller than giant, thick bakery-style disks and more delicate, with just enough buttery dough to bind the chocolate and oats.
Mixing by hand turns out cookies that are crisp at the edges and tender in the centers. These can be mixed and baked in under an hour, but the dough balls also can be packed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days, or frozen for up to a month. You can bake them from ice-cold, though they’ll need a few more minutes to turn golden brown.

Recipe by Genevieve Ko for the New York Times
Makes between 2 and 3 dozen cookies

¾ cup/100 grams all-purpose flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp fine sea salt
8 tbsp/114 grams unsalted butter, softened
½ cup/94 grams packed brown sugar
¼ cup/59 grams granulated sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
2 tbsp heavy cream or milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups/134 grams old-fashioned rolled oats
1 cup/189 grams semi-sweet chocolate chips
½ cup/63 grams chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Mix the butter and both sugars in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until creamy. Beat in the egg until incorporated, then stir in the cream and vanilla.
Add the flour mixture and gently stir until no traces of flour remain. Add the oats, chocolate chips and nuts (if using), and fold until evenly distributed. Loosely scoop a rounded ball of dough using a measuring tablespoon or small cookie scoop and drop onto a prepared sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the balls 2 inches apart.
Bake, 1 sheet at a time, until golden brown, 12 to 14 minutes.
Cool on the sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute, then transfer the cookies to the rack to cool completely.
The cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months.

Do-ahead · Egg based · Holiday Food · Vegetable sides · Vegetable-related

Mushroom Bread Pudding

September 24, 2021September 7, 2022 Belinda

This is my first Fall post, and the beginning of my most favorite season for cooking.
Recipe by Susan Spungen for the New York Times

Wonderful served as a brunch centerpiece or as a holiday side, this rich meatless bake can be assembled in advance, refrigerated overnight, then baked just before serving. You could certainly prepare it day-of and let the bread soak for 15 minutes before baking, but allowing it to sit overnight will make it more tender.
Delicate brioche is the ideal bread for this pudding, and it is available in most supermarkets, often in the form of hamburger rolls, which are a good size and shape for this dish.
Challah is also a good option, but it’s a bit denser, so it may take more than 15 minutes for it to soak up the custard.

Serves 6-8

1 oz dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for greasing the pan
½ pound mixed fresh mushrooms, such as cremini or shiitake, trimmed and sliced 1/4-inch thick
8 fresh sage leaves, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish, if desired
2 small shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 tbsp cognac (optional)
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
Black pepper
3 large leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced and well washed
6 large eggs
1 ½ cups heavy cream
1 ½ cups whole milk
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
3 oz grated Gruyère (about 1 cup)
12 oz brioche (or 4 to 6 large brioche buns), cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 oz finely grated Parmesan (about 3/4 cup)

Boil 1 cup of water in a small saucepan. Add the dried porcini mushrooms and soak until softened, about 15 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the mushrooms to a cutting board and finely chop; set aside. Carefully pour remaining mushroom liquid into a large bowl, leaving any grit behind.

In a large (12-inch) skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter over high. Add fresh mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 8 minutes. Lower heat to medium. Add sage, shallots and chopped porcini, and cook, stirring, until shallot is translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cognac, if using, season to taste with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute more. Transfer to a plate.

In the same pan, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium heat. Add the leeks and a big pinch of salt and cook, stirring, until wilted, 5 to 7 minutes. Return the mushroom mixture to the pan and stir to combine with the leeks. Remove from heat.
Add eggs to the large bowl with the mushroom liquid, and whisk to blend. Add cream, milk, cayenne, 1½ teaspoons salt and plenty of black pepper. Whisk thoroughly to combine, then add the Gruyère.

Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with butter, then add about 1/4 of the fresh mushroom mixture and arrange in an even layer. Arrange the bread slices on top in an overlapping pattern. Sprinkle the remaining mushroom mixture over top, tucking it in between the bread slices. Ladle the custard mixture over top, evenly distributing the cheese. Refrigerate, covered, overnight (see Tip).

When ready to cook, remove the dish from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before baking. Heat the oven to 350 F. Top the pudding with Parmesan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes until set in the center (it may puff a bit). Run it under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes to brown the top, watching carefully.
Let sit 10 minutes, then serve warm, topped with additional sage if desired.

Tip
If you don’t have time to soak overnight, let sit for at least 15 minutes, pressing down on the bread from time to time to encourage absorption. Before baking, tear into a piece of bread to make sure the custard has fully permeated it — the bread shouldn’t look dry at the center — and let sit another 15 minutes, if needed, to allow the custard to fully soak in. Decrease the cooking time by 10 to 15 minutes.