Dark Rum Fruit Cake

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 Belinda

For the Cake
250 g (2 cups) mixed dried fruits (raisins, currants, chopped dates, dried apricots)
100 ml (½ cup) dark rum
150 g (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened
150 g (¾ cup) brown sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
200 g (1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground nutmeg
50 g (½ cup) chopped nuts (walnuts or pecans)

Optional Glaze
50 ml dark rum
2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F (160°C).
Grease and line a 9-inch loaf pan with parchment paper.
In a bowl, soak dried fruits in dark rum for at least 1 hour or overnight for best flavor.
In a large bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla extract.
In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Gradually fold into wet ingredients.
Stir in soaked fruits along with any remaining rum and chopped nuts. Mix gently until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Bake for 60–70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Optional glaze: warm dark rum and sugar together and brush over warm cake for extra shine and flavor. Cool completely before slicing.

Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Icecream

Caramel apple pie gelato cake

October 30, 2025October 30, 2025 Belinda

Talenti Gelato brings that smooth, rich flavor that makes this dessert a total holiday knockout.

3 pints of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie Gelato
½ cup caramel
16 oz ginger snaps, finely crushed
¾ cup unsalted butter, melted
8 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup old fashioned oats
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp apple pie spice
pinch salt

Make the oat crunchies. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine the flour, oats, brown sugar, melted butter, apple pie spice and salt. Use a fork to work everything together until it clumps. Spread into an even layer on the prepared sheet pan and bake until golden brown, about 15 min, let cool completely.

Line a 9-in springform pan with parchment paper on all sides.

Make the ginger snap crust. Combine finely crushed ginger snaps and butter until combined. Transfer the mixture into the prepared springform pan and press the crust into an even layer along the bottom of the pan. Then use a measuring cup (or something else with a flat bottom) to pack the crust in. Set aside.

Scoop and pack 1 ½ pints of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie Gelato into the prepared crust. Spread half the crunchies and ¼ cup of the caramel over the ice cream.

Scoop and pack the next 1 ½ pints of Talenti Caramel Apple Pie Gelato. Spread frozen whipped topping and top with the remaining crunchies and caramel.

Cover lightly with aluminum foil and freeze for at least 8 hours. When ready to serve, leave out on the counter for a few minutes, and then cut and serve.

Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Holiday Food · Meat

Apple cider braised pork

October 29, 2025October 29, 2025 Belinda

4-5 lb pork shoulder roast or boston butt roast*
2 tbsp neutral oil
2 cups fresh apple cider* (not apple cider vinegar)
2 cups chicken stock or broth
2 tbsp dijon mustard
1 large onion, chopped small
1 head of garlic, top sliced off opposite of the root end
3 rosemary sprigs
4 thyme sprigs
1 red onion, cut into thick slices
2 firm and slightly tart apples*, peeled and cut into wedges
kosher salt
freshly cracked black pepper

Preheat an oven to 325 F.
Start by trimming the pork of excess fat, if there are large fat caps. Cut the pork into 4 large pieces, or leave it whole if it’s bone-in.
Pat the pork pieces dry with a paper towel and season liberally all over with kosher salt and pepper.

Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, arrange the pork in a single layer. Sear for 4-5 minutes per side until the pork is deeply browned. Repeat on all sides. Depending on the size of your dutch oven, you may need to do this in batches.

While the pork is searing, whisk together the cider, stock or broth, dijon and chopped onion together and set aside. Use kitchen twine to tie the rosemary and thyme together in a small bundle.
Once the pork is browned all over, pour in the braising liquid. Arrange the herbs and garlic head in the pot with the pork, cover and place in the oven.

Braise for 3 hours or so (start checking at 2 and a half hours for boneless), flipping the pork halfway through. Once the pork is just shy of fork tender, remove the pork from the oven and arrange the red onion slices and apples around the pork. Cover and return to the oven for another 30-45 minutes. The pork should be very tender at this point.

Remove the pork from the oven and let it rest in the braising liquid for 30 minutes before serving. Squeeze the garlic cloves out of the husk into the broth or onto the pork. Season braising liquid to taste with salt and pepper. Serve the juices spooned over the pork, apples, and onions.

Notes
*If you notice that your pork is especially fatty, consider trimming some excess fat before searing.
* the best apples are firm, slightly-tart apples like Honeycrisp, Pink Lady, Gala, etc. I do not recommend using granny smith, red or golden delicious apples as they tend to fall apart.
Please know that apple cider is NOT the same as apple cider vinegar–do not use vinegar in place of apple cider for this recipe. Apple cider is unfiltered, unpasteurized pressed apple juice that is typically available in the fall and winter months.

Chocolate · Dessert · Do-ahead · Holiday Food

Mince Pie Truffles

September 21, 2025September 21, 2025 Belinda

This is a lovely Christmas alternative to mince pies.

200 g shortbread cookies
180 g ready-made mincemeat
250 g dark chocolate (70%)
mini cupcake liners, optional

Place the shortbread cookies into a food processor and blitz until you have fine crumbs
Add in the mincemeat until the mixture starts to come together
Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls and place on a lined baking tray or plate
Refrigerate the balls for 3-4 hours or until firm
Place the broken up chocolate into a glass bowl over a saucepan of about 1″ of simmering water making sure the water doesn’t touch the bottom of the bowl. Stir as it melts.
Remove from the heat and carefully dip each ball into the melted dark chocolate, ensuring it is completely coated (you can use a toothpick for this)
Place the balls on a lined tray and allow to set at room temperature.
Once the chocolate is set, you can place each truffle into a mini cupcake liner.

Baking · Dessert · Do-ahead · Fruit · Holiday Food

Sour cream apple pie

September 17, 2025September 17, 2025 Belinda

This sour cream apple pie is filled with layers of thinly sliced apples and a sour cream filling and then the whole shebang is smothered with a buttery streusel topping. What’s not to love?!

Servings: 10 to 12 servings

FOR THE PIE CRUST
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for the work surface
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, cold, cut into 1/2 -inch chunks
Ice water
FOR THE STREUSEL TOPPING
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
FOR THE SOUR CREAM APPLE PIE FILLING
1/3 cups sour cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 1/2 lemon, preferably organic
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
5 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and thinly sliced

MIX TOGETHER THE PIE CRUST
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, ginger, and salt.
Dump the butter in the bowl and, using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse meal. (Sure, you could instead blitz the ingredients in a food processor until crumbly. But why bother having to clean the blade for so little dough?)
Add 3 tablespoons ice water, toss the mixture with a fork until the water is incorporated, and continue mixing until the dough clumps. If the dough seems dry, continue adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it comes together. Flatten the dough into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Position a rack in the lowest part of the oven, slide a baking stone or a heavy baking sheet on top, and crank the temperature to 425°F (218°C). Let the oven heat for at least 30 minutes. You want that stone to be hot.

MAKE THE STREUSEL TOPPING
In a small bowl stir together the flour, nuts, butter, sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Cover and stash it in the fridge until you’re done rolling out the crust.

ROLL OUT THE CRUST
When the dough is fully chilled, roll it out to 1/8 inch (3 mm) thickness on a lightly floured surface. Draping the dough on the rolling pin, gently ease it into a deep-dish 9-inch (23-cm) pie plate, and then go wild crimping the edge. Back into the fridge it goes for at least 30 minutes.
TESTER TIP: Using a heatproof glass pie plate lets you check the bottom of the pie crust for doneness without having to cut into the pie.

MAKE THE SOUR CREAM-APPLE PIE FILLING
While the crust is chilling, in a medium bowl, whisk the sour cream, sugar, eggs, flour, vanilla, zest, cinnamon, salt, and nutmeg until smooth.

ASSEMBLE AND BAKE THE APPLE PIE
Carefully layer the apples in the pie plate, as you would a gratin, gently flattening them as you go. Slowly pour the sour-cream mixture over the apples. (Yes, it’s a lot of filling. Use it all.)
Bake the pie directly on the baking stone or baking sheet, without the streusel topping, for 20 minutes.
Remove the pie from the oven and carefully crumble the streusel on top. Slide the pie back onto the baking stone, lower the temperature to 375°F (190°C), and bake until the streusel is deeply golden brown and the middle looks dry, 40 to 60 minutes more. If the topping begins browning too much, loosely cover the pie with foil.

TESTER TIP: If the bottom of the pie looks a little underdone at the end of baking, set the plate directly on the hot oven floor for a few minutes to finish. (Yes, I do mean the floor of the oven.)
Transfer the pie to a wire rack to cool completely. (Completely! This baby will fall apart when warm.) Slice and serve only once it’s reached room temperature.
Ideally, let it rest overnight.

Baking · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Jalapeno cornbread with lime honey glaze

May 26, 2025May 26, 2025 Belinda

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 large eggs
1 cup fresh or canned corn kernels
2-3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
For the Lime Honey Glaze:
1/4 cup honey
Zest and juice of 1 lime

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Grease a 9-inch square baking dish or cast iron skillet with butter or cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, yellow cornmeal, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, melted unsalted butter, and eggs. Whisk until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Gently fold in the corn kernels, chopped jalapeno peppers, and shredded cheddar cheese until evenly distributed.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish or skillet, spreading it out into an even layer.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, or until the cornbread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

While the cornbread is baking, prepare the lime honey glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, lime zest, and lime juice until smooth.
Remove the cornbread from the oven and let it cool slightly in the pan for about 5 minutes.
Drizzle the lime honey glaze over the warm cornbread, allowing it to soak in.

Slice the cornbread into squares and serve warm. Enjoy!

Do-ahead · Gluten Free · Holiday Food · Meat

Slow-cooked lamb shoulder with fig and pistachio salsa

April 21, 2025April 21, 2025 Belinda

This is a sensational recipe from The OTK, Extra Good things (Ottolenghi Test Kitchen) series.
It is great for a special occasion and most of the work is at the beginning then you just leave it to slow-roast for 4.5 hours.
Marinate the lamb overnight and make the salsa an hour or so before serving.
Also, serve it with this wonderful Armenian yoghurt cucumber and dill salad. It’s the perfect accompaniment!

Jajukh (Armenian cucumber yoghurt salad)

Cook time – 6 hours
Serves 6 – 8

4 big onions, peeled, 1 roughly chopped and the other 3 each cut into 6 wedges
8 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1oz fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1½ tsp ground cinnamon
2 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground turmeric
3/4 cup dill, roughly chopped
3/4 cup parsley, roughly chopped
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
4.5-5lb lamb shoulder, bone in
5 cinnamon sticks
15 cardamom pods, roughly bashed open with a pestle and mortar
6oz soft dried figs, quartered
3 1/4 cups chicken or lamb stock
salt and black pepper
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges to serve

FIG AND PISTACHIO SALSA
4oz soft dried figs, chopped into 1/2″ dice
2/3 cup pistachios, very lightly toasted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup dill, leaves picked
1/2 cup parsley, leaves picked

Preheat the oven to 400F.
Put the chopped onions, garlic, ginger, spices and herbs into a food processor and blitz until finely minced. Add the oil, vinegar, 1¾ teaspoons of salt and a generous grind of pepper and blitz into a coarse paste.

Pat dry the lamb and pierce the flesh all over using a small, sharp knife (about 10–12 times). Coat the lamb well with all the paste. Leave it to marinate, refrigerated overnight.

Put the onion wedges, cinnamon sticks, cardamom and figs into a large, ovenproof cast-iron saucepan (28cm in diameter) for which you have a lid. Alternatively, use a large, high-sided roasting tin and some foil to cover.
Top with the lamb, fatty side up, then pour the chicken/lamb stock into the pan (but not over the lamb) and bake uncovered for 45 minutes.
Lower the heat to 325F, baste the lamb with the juices, then cover with the lid or foil and roast for 4½ hours, basting 3–4 times throughout.
The lamb should be quite tender at this point. Turn the heat back up to 400F.
Remove the lid (or foil) and cook for 30 minutes more, or until the lamb is well browned and the sauce has reduced slightly. Check it at the 20-minute mark.
Gently remove the lamb, leaving it to rest on a baking tray. Pour the contents of the saucepan into a large, shallow platter or dish that has a slight lip and top with the lamb.

Make the fig and pistachio salsa.
Combine the chopped figs with the pistachios, lemon juice and the herbs. Spoon this all over the lamb and serve with the lemon wedges alongside.

Accompaniments · Breakfast · Dairy-free · Do-ahead · Fruit · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Kumquat or Seville orange marmalade

February 18, 2025February 18, 2025 Belinda

This is a really delicious marmalade and I do leave it bubbling away for way beyond the time mentioned, as I love the amber color and richer flavor that happens as it continues to simmer. Be careful you stir it a lot, so it doesn’t stick on the base of the pot.
I love to use my large copper pots for this recipe and often will double it but not in the same pan.

This recipe makes about 7-8 16oz jars marmalade

2 very heaped cups kumquats or Seville oranges, first washed in hot water then thinly sliced across, seeds removed, but keep seeds to the side and save. Put the seeds into some muslin tied up, as you will add the muslin bag to the fruit mixture as the seeds provide a lot of pectin which is necessary for the gel process.
2 1/2 oranges, (not Sevilles) finely sliced peel only
2 cups chopped orange pulp (seeded, with the seeds going into the muslin bag with the kumquat seeds)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
8 cups water
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
1 star anise
About 5 1/2 cups white sugar (you can experiment and add less if you like your marmalade more tart)
1 cup dark Muscovado sugar (This gives it it’s richness and amber color. Available on Amazon)

* Before anything, put all your clean jars, lids and other utensils you will use, into a long hot wash in the dishwasher, not opening it until you’re ready to put the marmalade into the jars. This keeps them sterile.
** Then put 3 small plates into the freezer to chill as you will need these to test if the “gel-ness” is ready for the marmalade

After prepping all the fruit, put the fruit, sliced orange peel, star anise, cayenne pepper, chopped orange pulp, lemon juice, kumquat and orange seeds in muslin and the water into your large pot, cover and let stand in a cool place for 48 hours.

Stir, bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the peel is tender, stirring. This will take up to 1 hour.
Add the sugars and stir until dissolved. Remove the star anise as the flavor is strong and you don;;t want it to overtake the kumquat flavor.
Boil to jellying point, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours if you want the darker marmalade.
Stir occasionally to prevent sticking.

This shows the darker color marmalade comparedd with the “normal” color.

To test if is at the gel point, have a couple of small plates in the fridge chilling and when you’re ready to test, take 1/2 tsp of the marmalade out and put it onto the cold plate. Put the plate in the fridge for 3 minutes and if it looks’feels gelatinous then it’s ready.
When ready, turn off the heat and skim off any foam from the surface.

Use a wide neck funnel (sterilized in the dishwasher too) to put the marmalade into the sterilized jars, it’s much less messy.
Leave 1/2 inch of headspace between marmalade and the top of the jar.
Screw on the canning lids.
Once the jars are sealed, store the marmalade away from direct light or heat. You may hear some popping of lids over the next few hours. This is good!
Once a jar is open, it must be stored in the refrigerator.
Sometimes the marmalade can take a week of two to “set” and gel properly, so don’t worry if it’s a little runny when you put it into the jars.

Appetizer Vegetarian · Gluten Free · Holiday Food

Halloumi stuffed dates with honey and lime

June 14, 2024June 14, 2024 Belinda

Recipe from Lukas Volger.

You can cook these using the broil setting of your toaster oven if you have either.
Paneer or even feta would make a good substitute for the halloumi. Just steer clear of anything that won’t hold its shape as it heats up.
It’s simple to scale this recipe up or down however you need.

Yield 12 stuffed dates | Prep & cook time 10 minutes

12 dates
Half of an 8.8-oz package halloumi cheese
Honey or hot honey
Olive oil
Lime Zest
Smoky chili flakes, such as Aleppo flakes
Flaky salt

Preheat your broiler.
Using a paring knife, make a slice down the length of each of the dates and gently pry them open to expose and remove the pits. Cut the halloumi into 12 rectangles. Place a piece of halloumi in each date and gently wrap the date around the sides of the cheese. Arrange them on a small baking tray.
Transfer the tray to the oven and place it directly beneath the heat source. Broil the stuffed dates until the cheese is golden brown on top and the dates’ skins are slightly blistered, 3 to 5 minutes (this could vary quite a bit based on the strength of your broiler), watching carefully.
Arrange them on a plate and drizzle lightly with honey and olive oil. Use a microplane to shower them with lime zest, and finish with a few pinches of chili flakes and salt.
Serve warm.