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biscuit gifts September 1, 2010

Posted by molly in : desserts , 3comments

when you’re invited around to someone’s house for dinner for the first time, what do you bring?

flowers? a bottle of wine? or do you make something either to accompany the meal or as a thank you?

last night, phil and i had dinner with a family of 5, the middle child of which will be phil’s newest student this school year. at his school, it is an unspoken tradition to invite the new tutor around for dinner to get to know the parents as well as the child a bit better.

this is my second time being invited along as phil’s date :) and i wanted to make a good impression, so i decided to bake some cookies as a present. we don’t need to talk about how i ate 4 of them during the day because they were slightly burnt. no we don’t.

the cookies were based on a recipe i saw in the most recent issue of delicious magazine, although i put my “particular” spin on them, as usual. they are very crumbly, as they are essentially shortbread cookies with a hefty crunch. if you’d prefer yours to be perfect circles, simply cool the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes before rolling out and using a cookie cutter. however, i like things a bit rough around the edges, rustic-looking, so i hand-formed the cookies and pressed them down with the back of a fork. which gives them a nice little flourish… even if they are a little burnt.

hazelnut shortbread cookies

makes approx. 20 cookies

the particulars:

  • 1 cup shelled hazelnuts
  • 3/4 cup goat’s butter, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup caster sugar
  • 2 1/2 cups plain gluten-free flour
  • pinch of salt
  1. heat the oven to gas mark 5 / 375F. spread the hazelnuts on a baking tray and roast for 10 minutes until golden. remove and spread out on a tea towel – wrap up and roll around with the palms of your hands to remove any excess shell/skin. pulse in a food processor until finely chopped.
  2. beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until pale and fluffy. mix the flour and salt and sift into the butter and sugar. add the hazelnut pieces and stir.
  3. with your hands, bring the dough together. at this point, you can place the dough back in the fridge to cool and roll out. otherwise, start separating the dough into small pieces.
  4. on two cookie sheets lined with greaseproof paper, place the cookies, evenly spaced and pressed down with your palm. with the back of a fork, create an indentation in the center of each cookie (if you want!) – bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until lightly golden. do not leave for too long – they will harden as they cool, do not go by touch to determine their “done-ness”.
  5. cool on the trays, and sprinkle with icing sugar to serve.

seasonal dessert August 30, 2010

Posted by molly in : desserts , 4comments

it’s certainly been a while since i vowed to recreate my cookery school plum & orange crumble, but i finally got around to it this week. good thing, since plums are hugely in season right now – you can’t MOVE for plums, to borrow a phrase from my wise old dad. they are more of an oval shape than the plums you get in the states, and the flesh is much paler. when cooked in the oven in a crumble, they take on a baked apple-like consistency: delightfully mushy!

this past new years eve, i attempted to make this using nectarines instead of plums – not the same, i’m afraid. of course, this would work well with apples and pears (minus the orange zest). and maybe before the summer is officially over, i’ll try doing a berry version. raspberries are gorgeous right now.

this pudding is best served with something creamy: vegan ice cream? goat’s cream? i had mine with goat’s yogurt, which was slightly too bitter but did the trick in a pinch. and the topping can certainly be adapted to a vegan diet – just use a non-dairy shortening or margarine instead of the goat’s butter.

plum & orange crumble

recipe adapted from leiths cookery school – serves 4-5

the particulars:

  • 12 plums (approx), halved and stoned
  • zest of 1 orange
  • 1.5 cups gluten-free flour mix
  • 1/2 cup goat’s butter (or other butter/margarine), cut into small cubes
  • 1/3 cup soft dark brown sugar + 4 tbsp for plum filling
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  1. make the crumble topping. sift together the flour, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. add the butter and rub together in the flour mix with fingertips, until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. stir through the 1/3 cup of brown sugar.
  2. heat the oven to gas mark 6 / 400F.
  3. place the plum halves in a baking dish. sprinkle the orange zest and 4 tbsp brown sugar over the top. stir together – then sprinkle the crumble topping over the plums. put the dish in the center of the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, or until the plum mixture becomes syrupy and bubbly around the edges of the pan.
  4. serve warm with ice cream or something equivalent!

graham crackers July 3, 2010

Posted by molly in : desserts , 2comments

it’s early july, the sun is shining, and my mom is in london. all is right with the world! she’s visiting for a week and we’ve got a LOT of ground to cover. but the first big activity is a 4th of july bbq party we’re having tomorrow. now, it may seem a little bit weird to have a 4th of july party in ENGLAND, but… i know we’re not the only ones in town who celebrate. and really, it’s not like we’re burning the union jack in the back yard. we just needed another excuse for a bbq – and an excuse to have s’mores.

english readers may not know what a s’more is. allow me to explain. s’mores are a beloved american summertime treat. it requires 3 ingredients and a bbq or campfire, and some skewers (or clean, long twigs if you’re really roughing it).

buy yourself some large fluffy marshmallows. my mom brought over a bag of jet-puffed, classic and full of sugar and air. perfect for roasting. pierce your marshmallow with the skewer or stick, and hold it over the fire. here’s where the controversy begins – i prefer my marshmallow CHARRED to the point of blackness, because i like the contrast between a crispy exterior and a melty interior. others like to constantly rotate the skewer so that it’s a nice even golden color on the outside. take your pick.

next, prepare your little sandwich. two halves of a graham cracker – a uniquely american biscuit, when broken in half, form two perfect little squares. each half will represent the “bread” in this sandwich. place a bit of hershey’s chocolate on one cracker, and using the other half, squeeze the roasted marshmallow off the skewer and into your sweet sarnie. DEVOUR.

for anyone with food allergies/intolerances, this tasty treat isn’t best enjoyed – full of gluten, dairy, soy, etc etc. luckily, my amazing mother has come up with a fabulous gluten-free graham cracker recipe that she made and brought over (6,000 miles to be exact) on the plane just for our party on sunday! you’ll find her recipe below, as well as a photo of our ingredients. standard jet-puffed marshmallows, the special graham crackers, and of course only the best lindt dark chocolate!

particular momma’s gluten-free graham crackers

makes approx. 20 crackers

the particulars:

  • 2 1/4 cups gluten free flour (she used bob’s red mill all-purpose gluten free baking flour, in the uk you could use dove’s version)
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1 3/4 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp xanthan gum
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 7 tbsp margarine, cut into pieces (right out of the fridge)
  • 3 tbsp cold water
  • 3 tbsp honey
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • sugar
  1. in a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt.
  2. cut in margarine using a pastry cutter or two knives until it resembles cornmeal. stir in water, honey and vanilla. dough should form a ball. if not, add a bit more cold water.
  3. preheat oven to 325 F. cover 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper. (you can use it to roll out the dough)
  4. gather dough into ball and divide in half. roll each half into a rectangle between 2 sheets of parchment paper until thin (1/8″ thick or less). peel top piece of paper, and place on parchment on cookie sheet.
  5. score dough with a pizza cutter or knife, and prick all over with a fork. very lightly sprinkle with sugar.
  6. bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown and starting to harden. let cool 10 mins. if not fully crisp, put back in turned-off oven until crisp!
  7. now, go make some s’mores!!

brownie vs brownie June 25, 2010

Posted by molly in : desserts , 1 comment so far

forget england vs germany or federer vs nadal. the real championship lies in my kitchen: brownie vs brownie. can you think of a more delicious matchup? over the past two weeks, i’ve tried two new recipes for brownies, both completely different, but both completely friendly.

the first comes from all recipes uk and is quite peculiar. the “binding” agent in place of eggs is simply oil (they suggest vegetable, i used canola/rapeseed). this makes from some seriously gooey brownies, but they’re best eaten with a spoon rather than in a square – forget trying to create nice little slices.

the second comes from a book i haven’t used very much but somehow i ended up with two copies. i took that as a strong sign. the book is how to cook for food allergies by lucinda bruce-gardyne and is full of family- and child-friendly recipes. perhaps that’s why i haven’t used it before – most of the recipes seemed to be a bit safe and basic. that is fine, and very useful for someone who isn’t used to cooking for a restricted diet. in fact, i do recommend this book – it is highly user friendly with little tabs in the recipes to signify where the egg-free or gluten-free options come in. but overall, i wouldn’t say this is my favorite allergy cookbook. the brownie recipe, however, intrigued me, so i went with it: it’s also one of the first 100% gluten-free recipes i’ve made in a while, using gluten-free flour mix instead of spelt flour. it’s also free of dairy, soy, and eggs, naturally!

so take your pick – i can recommend both recipes if you’re an allergy or intolerance sufferer desperate for some chocolatey goodness.

please note my friend suzanne’s AWESOME and FANCY camera work above!

vegan brownies

recipe from allrecipes.co.uk – makes 12 brownies

the particulars:

  • 250g spelt flour
  • 350g demerara sugar
  • 65g plain cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 250ml water
  • 250ml canola oil
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  1. heat the oven to gas mark 4 and grease a 9×13 inch baking tin.
  2. in a large bowl, combine the flour (sifted), sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. pour in the water, vegetable oil, and vanilla. mix until well blended. spread evenly into the baking tin.
  3. bake for 30 to 45 minutes or until the top is no longer shiny. let cool for at least 10 minutes before cutting and serving. ice cream (dairy-free of course) is a perfect addition.

rich chocolate brownies

from how to cook for food allergies by lucinda bruce-gardyne – makes 12 brownies

the particulars:

  • 110g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into small pieces (i used lindt 85%)
  • 85g dairy-free margarine (i used pure spread)
  • 150ml agave nectar or rice syrup
  • 110g self-raising gluten-free flour mix (i used doves farm)
  • 1 heaped tsp baking powder
  • 50ml rice milk (or other non-dairy milk)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  1. heat oven to gas mark 4. line a 9×13 inch baking pan with parchment paper, making sure the paper stands up about 1 inch above the tin.
  2. melt the margarine, chocolate, and agave or rice syrup in a medium saucepan. stir continuously until melted.
  3. sift the flour, baking powder, and salt together into a mixing bowl.
  4. pour the melted chocolate mixture and the milk onto the dry ingredients and quickly mix until the batter is smooth. pour into the prepared baking pan.
  5. bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the mixture is just set in the middle. be careful not to overcook them as they won’t be as squidgy and fudgey. allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before cutting.

defining vanilla June 23, 2010

Posted by molly in : desserts , 2comments

one thing i’ve always disliked is the use of the word “vanilla” to describe boring things. i happen to love vanilla, thank you! so when i say that i made vanilla cookies today, i want you to imagine a treat that’s exotic and sweet, perfumed with vanilla. they take barely any time to make, which is precisely why i decided to give them a go today.

every so often, i visit my friends at distilled, the brilliant web expert agency where i used to work. they are a wonderful bunch, and i love testing out my dessert recipes on them (and i don’t think they mind either :) ). one of the guys at distilled, tom, has a few allergies as well, so i like to challenge myself and make things he can enjoy as well – he can’t have a lot of sugar, so these cookies are a-okay.

the recipe comes from eat drink & be vegan, a great little cookbook that i dip into sometimes. as dreena, the author, is a mom, there are plenty of cookie and cake recipes to be found, and so far they haven’t failed me yet. i adapted it slightly – the original calls for beet powder to make the cookies slightly pink, which i didn’t use, and also uses a bit of sugar, also omitted. if you have half an hour and want some delicious vanilla cookies, give these a go!

vanilla sprinkle cookies

makes 12 cookies

the particulars:

  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp spelt flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/4 cup canola oil
  • 1/4 cup agave nectar
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp colored sprinkles (or any decoration!)
  1. heat the oven to 350F / gas mark 4. line two baking trays with parchment paper.
  2. get two medium bowls. in one, sift in the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. in the other bowl, add the oil, agave nectar, maple syrup, and vanilla, and mix. pour the wet mixture into the dry and stir until just combined, but do not overmix.
  3. spoon the batter onto the baking sheets with a teaspoon, evenly spaced. top with the sprinkles. bake for 11 minutes or until golden.
  4. remove from the oven and let cool on the pan for 1 minute before transferring to a cooling rack.