Kugel

 

This is the famous kugel from Smitten Kitchen, where Deb Perelman jokes that her mother married her father to get his family recipe. The Engineer and I really liked it, but our kids did not (to be fair, I think they just don’t like kugel in general, and it was nothing against this kugel in particular).

1 pound wide egg noodles
8 eggs
1 ½ cups sugar
2 pounds full-fat lactose-free cottage cheese, creamed or large curd
1 ½ sticks sticks melted unsalted lactose-free butter or margarine
2 teaspoons vanilla
dash of salt
optional: 2 cups canned cherry pie filling (Comstock is specified)

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Parboil the noodles (five to seven minutes).

In a very large bowl, beat eggs until fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, then the cottage cheese, butter, and vanilla. Stir in the drained noodles.

Pour into a 9×13-inch pan. Bake for 1 ½ hours, or until kugel is set (my oven runs hot, and mine was done after 1 hour; Deb Perelman specifies that her oven runs cold and takes almost 2 hours). If using the cherry pie filling as a topping, pour it over at the one-hour mark, then bake it for an additional 30 minutes.

Thin-Crust Pizza

 

Here’s a quick pizza recipe, where the thin crust doesn’t need to rise. This makes two small pizzas, and you can top them as you wish! It was a very satisfying meal that was quick to prepare.

For the dough
¾ cup lukewarm water
1 tsp. active dry yeast
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for kneading
¾ tsp. salt
2 tsp. olive oil, divided

For the toppings
½ cup pizza sauce, such as classic red sauce or a white sauce
1 to 2 cups shredded lactose-free cheese: one or a combination of mozzarella, provolone, parmesan, fontina, romano, or asiago cheese
Topping options: sautéed onions or mushrooms, sliced red peppers, pepperoni, cooked sausage, cooked bacon, etc.

Arrange a rack in the bottom third of the oven, place a rimmed baking sheet on the rack, and heat the oven to 450 °F. Meanwhile, make the dough.

Pour ¾ cup lukewarm water into a medium bowl. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon active dry yeast over the water, and let stand until the yeast is dissolved and foamy, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add 2 cups all-purpose flour and ¾ teaspoon salt. Mix with a stiff spatula or wooden spoon until floury, shaggy dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a work surface and knead until it forms a smooth, slightly tacky ball that springs back when you poke it, 5 to 8 minutes. If the dough sticks to your hands like bubblegum, add a tablespoon of flour at a time until it’s easier to work with; avoid adding too much flour if possible.

Cover the dough with the upside-down bowl or a clean kitchen towel and let sit while you prepare the pizza toppings, about 10 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 equal pieces. Working with one piece of dough at a time, stretch or roll it into a thin, 10- to 12-inch round. Form from the middle of the dough outwards, using the heel of your hand to gently press and stretch the dough until it's about a ¼-inch thick or less. For an extra-thin crust, roll it with a rolling pin. If the dough starts to shrink back, let it rest for 5 minutes and then try rolling again.

Carefully remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and place it upside down on a wire rack. Transfer the dough directly onto the upside-down baking sheet. Brush the dough with 1 teaspoon of the oil. Spread ¼ cup sauce into a thin layer onto dough, leaving a ½-inch border. Sprinkle on the cheese and other toppings.

Bake until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is melted and browned in spots, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the pizza from the oven and cool for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. Repeat with the remaining dough and toppings.

Tarte aux œufs et à la muscade

 

Voici une tarte aux œufs et à la muscade très simple de Ricardo. J’ai beaucoup aimé ça! Mon seul commentaire serait de recouvrir la croûte de papier d’aluminium ou d’un cercle de silicone, pour qu’elle ne brunisse pas trop, alors je rajoute ça dans les instructions. Bien sûr, la tarte sera un peu gonflée en sortant du four et va s’aplatir par la suite – c’est normal!

Pour la croûte
170 g (1 tasse et 2 c. à soupe) de farine tout usage non blanchie
1 pincée de sel
85 g (6 c. à soupe) de beurre sans lactose, froid et coupé en dés
3 c. à soupe d'eau glacée, environ

Pour la garniture
4 œufs
½ tasse de sucre
1 tasse de lait sans lactose
noix de muscade râpée ou muscade moulue, au goût


Pour la croûte
Au robot culinaire, mélanger la farine et le sel. Ajouter le beurre et mélanger quelques secondes à la fois jusqu’à ce que le beurre ait la grosseur de petits pois. Ajouter l’eau et mélanger de nouveau jusqu’à ce que la pâte commence tout juste à se former. Ajouter de l’eau au besoin. Retirer la pâte du robot et former un disque avec les mains. Envelopper de pellicule plastique et réfrigérer 30 minutes.

Placer une grille au centre et une grille dans le bas du four. Préchauffer le four à 425 °F. Sur un plan de travail fariné, abaisser la pâte à environ 3 mm (1/8 po) d’épaisseur. Foncer un moule à tarte en verre de 23 cm (9 po) de diamètre. Retirer l’excédent de pâte et festonner la bordure.

Pour la garniture
Casser un œuf et séparer le blanc du jaune. Réserver le jaune d’œuf dans un grand bol. Placer le blanc d’œuf dans l’abaisse. À l’aide d’un pinceau, badigeonner du blanc d’œuf toute la surface de la croûte. Jeter l’excédent.

Dans le bol avec le jaune, ajouter les œufs et le sucre. À l’aide d’un fouet, mélanger vigoureusement jusqu’à ce que le mélange blanchisse. Incorporer le lait en remuant. Verser dans l’abaisse. Râper ou saupoudrer la muscade sur le mélange d’œufs. Placer du papier d’aluminium sur la bordure de la croûte, pour éviter qu’elle brunisse trop.

Cuire dans le bas du four 15 minutes. Déplacer la tarte au centre du four et poursuivre la cuisson 12 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le flan soit très peu tremblotant et que le dessus de la tarte soit légèrement doré. Laisser refroidir sur une grille, soit environ 2 heures. La tarte se conserve 3 jours au réfrigérateur. Laisser tempérer 1 heure avant de servir.

Spicy Tuna Avocado Wrap

 

Here’s a lunch idea that my kids actually liked: spicy tuna avocado wraps. For the vegetables in the wrap, I used grated carrots and lettuce because that’s pretty much the only ones the Fox would eat, but for myself, I would add strips of red bell pepper and cucumber too!

I am still looking for the perfect way to pack wraps and tacos in the lunchbox. This held together with toothpicks, though now I often use wax paper. I am open to suggestions!

2 (5-oz) cans albacore tuna, drained
1 avocado
2 Tbsp. sriracha
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 to 3 Tbsp. celery, finely chopped
2 Tbsp red onion, finely chopped
2 green onions, chopped
1 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
2 heaping cups leafy green lettuce
1 cup raw veggies thinly sliced into matchsticks (cucumber, red bell pepper and carrots)
4 (8-inch) whole wheat tortillas

In a small bowl, mash together the tuna and avocado, until combined. Stir in the sriracha, Dijon mustard, celery, red onion, green onions, cilantro and salt and pepper, mixing well.

To assemble the wraps, top each tortilla with leafy greens, sliced veggies and divide the spicy tuna mixture evenly among the wraps. Tightly roll up the tortillas. Slice and enjoy!

Super Seed Trifecta Granola

 

I made this super seed trifecta granola so that I could have something with more protein and fewer carbs than regular granola. I really liked it! I decided to grind the flaxseed so that my body could absorb those nutrients better, so I am modifying that below. I also added a pinch of salt, and I am writing down my baking times.

For the dry ingredients
3 cups crisp brown rice cereal (gluten-free if necessary)
3 cups rolled oats (gluten-free if necessary)
½ cup hemp hearts (shelled hemp seeds)
½ cup brown flax seeds. ground
¼ cup chia seeds
1 generous pinch of salt

For the wet ingredients
½ cup brown rice syrup
2 Tbsp. flax oil (or other oil)
1 Tbsp. molasses
½ Tbsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 275 °F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, combine the wet ingredients.

Heat the wet ingredients in the microwave for about 1-2 minutes. Alternatively, you can heat the wet ingredients in a saucepan, until it just begins to bubble around the edges.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and thoroughly combine. Divide the mixture between the two baking sheets and spread out evenly.

Bake the granola for 45 minutes, switching shelves for each sheet (i.e. placing the sheet from the top shelf on the lower shelf and vice versa). In my case, I baked it in a large roasting pan, stirring every 20 minutes, for a total of 1 hour. Once done, let cool completely before transferring to an air-tight container. Enjoy!

Poulet sucré à la confiture d'abricots

Voici une bonne recette de poulet sucré à la confiture d’abricots. Je pense que ce serait très bon avec du riz, mais puisque je surveillais les glucides, j’ai plutôt servi ça avec des légumes.

¾ de tasse de confiture d’abricots
½ tasse d’échalotes françaises hachées
1/3 de tasse de bouillon de poulet
¼ de tasse de sauce tamari (ou de sauce soya)
2 gousses d’ail, hachées
2 c. à soupe de vinaigre de vin blanc
1 c. à soupe de gingembre frais râpé finement
1 c. à soupe de feuilles de thym frais ou ½ c. à thé de thym séché
½ c. à thé de sel
¼ de c. à thé de flocons de piment fort ou plus, au goût
¼ de c. à thé de cumin moulu
poivre, au goût
12 hauts de cuisse de poulet désossés et sans la peau
½ tasse d’abricots séchés coupés en deux

Préchauffer le four à 375 °F et placer la grille au centre.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger tous les ingrédients, sauf les hauts de cuisse et les abricots. Ajouter les hauts de cuisse et bien les enrober de la sauce. Transvider dans un grand plat de cuisson et cuire au four 30 minutes.

Ajouter les abricots et arroser le poulet. Poursuivre la cuisson au four 30 minutes, puis servir.

Chickpea Nuggets

 

I found this recipe for chickpea nuggets on The Kitchn ages ago and finally got around to making it, then posting about it a year and a half later – please clap. It’s actually really good! I served the nuggets with Greek salad (I like it without olives) and a delicious Greek-inspired lemon rice. (The rice is from Minimalist Baker and I will not repost the recipe, because they are being weird about it. By law, a recipe cannot be copyrighted, so it can be shared, while pictures are copyrighted and cannot be shared without permission. But they insist on doing things the other way, allowing people to repost their photos while cracking down on recipe posting. So… just go see the original link, I guess. It’s really good rice!)

½ cup panko or gluten-free breadcrumbs
½ cup rolled oats
1 (15-oz) can garbanzo beans (do not drain)
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. onion powder

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 °F.

Place the panko on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until toasted and golden-brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool while preparing the nuggets. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper.

Place the oats in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment and process into a fine flour. Transfer to a large bowl and reserve the food processor.

Drain the chickpeas over a bowl or measuring cup, then save the chickpeas and ¼ cup of the liquid. Place the chickpeas into the food processor; add the salt, garlic, and onion powder; and pulse until crumbly. Keep mixture in the food processor.

Whisk ¼ cup of the chickpea liquid in a small mixing bowl until foamy. Add the foamy chickpea liquid and ½ cup of the oat flour to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture forms a ball. You may have a little oat flour leftover, which you can add to the chickpea mixture 1 tablespoon at a time if the mixture is loose.

Divide the chickpea mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each one into a nugget. Coat each nugget completely in the toasted panko and place on the parchment-lined baking sheet.

Bake until crispy, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite dipping sauce.

Bowls with Turmeric Potatoes, Eggs, and Lemon Dressing

 

I really like making myself bowls for lunch, so this bowl with turmeric sweet potatoes, an egg, and lemon dressing was right up my alley! The original recipe had a mix of red rice and quinoa, but I used up some leftover black rice I had frozen. I made a fried egg (over easy) instead of poached. This was delicious!

For the turmeric mashed sweet potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes, cut into chunks
a swish of olive oil
1–2 tsp. turmeric
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups vegetable broth

For the lemon herb dressing
¼ cup lemon juice
1/3 cup olive oil
1 small clove garlic
2 tsp. agave
¼ cup parsley leaves
¼ tsp. salt (or more to taste)

For the bowls
poached or scrambled eggs (mine were over easy)
brown rice or quinoa (I used black rice)
arugula or spinach or other greens
pistachios or other nuts for topping (optional)

Heat the sweet potatoes with olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the turmeric and toss to coat. Add the garlic and vegetable broth. Simmer until the potatoes are soft and the liquid is almost all absorbed. Transfer to a small bowl and mash. Season with salt and pepper and/or a touch of lactose-free cream if you want to be lush about it.

Pulse all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processor (I used a stick blender). Season to taste.

Toss the greens with a little dressing. You can also stir a little dressing into the sweet potatoes if you wish. Serve each bowl with the mashed sweet potatoes, brown rice, greens, and a scrambled or poached or fried egg. Top with more dressing and a handful of pistachios.

Coconut Turmeric Loaf

I liked this coconut turmeric loaf for breakfast! I used Bob Red Mill’s shredded coconut, which is much finer than standard, and I prefer that in a loaf cake; that being said, anything with shredded coconut goes on my kids’ blacklist (with the notable exception of Nanaimo bars).

For the dry ingredients
1 ½ cups flour (I used 1 cup unbleached all-purpose and ½ cup whole grain white wheat flour)
1 cup coconut flakes (I used ¾ cup, plus 1 Tbsp. for topping)
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
1/3 tsp. salt
1 tsp. turmeric
1/8 to ¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ tsp. cinnamon or nutmeg (optional)

For the wet ingredients
1 cup non-dairy or lactose-free milk, such as almond or lite coconut (I used ½ cup coconut milk + ½ cup lactose-free milk)
½ cup maple syrup
2 Tbsp. sugar, (for sweeter cake)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
juice of 1 lime (2 to 3 Tbsp. lime or lemon juice)

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a loaf pan with parchment or grease well.

Blend all ingredients under wet so that coconut flakes breaks down a bit. to very small flakes.

In a bowl mix all the dry ingredients really well,

Combine wet and dry and mix to form a batter. Transfer the thick batter to a loaf pan. Sprinkle a tbsp or so coconut on top and Bake for 45 mins or until a toothpick from the center comes out clean.

Cool for 10 mins then remove from loaf and cool completely. I usually cool the loaf, then refrigerate for an hour or so then slice.

Maple Mushroom Cupcakes

 

For Christmas 2024, the Engineer gave me a book called Vegetable Cakes, by Ysanne Spevack – at my request, don’t worry! My mother saw it and it was right up her alley too, so she picked a recipe that we made together: these maple mushroom cupcakes. I’ve simplified the instructions below, and the frosting recipe is mine (the original called for a tofu frosting, but since both my mother and I agree that those frostings are always failures IRL, we improvised). These cupcakes were surprisingly good!

For the cupcakes
2 cups (250 g) whole wheat flour
4 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. pink or sea salt
400 g (14 oz.) button mushrooms
½ cup (1 stick) lactose-free butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup (115 g.) coconut sugar (we used brown sugar)
2 eggs
½ cup almond milk or lactose-free milk
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
½ cup (75 g) black sesame seeds
a cluster of small edible mushrooms, for decorating

For the frosting
1 cup (2 sticks) lactose-free butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup (250 g) powdered sugar, sifted
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pinch of pink or sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (the original recipe says the yield is 9 cupcakes; we made 15).

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt in a medium bowl.

Wipe clean the mushrooms, then chop them roughly but quite finely (we did this in the food processor). Aim for the size of Puy lentils, though it doesn’t matter if this is accurate.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and coconut sugar. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing after each addition.

Turn the whisk up to medium and beat while you add half of the almond milk. Add half of the flour mixture, then the rest of the almond milk, the maple syrup, and finally the rest of the flour mixture and the sesame seeds, beating to combine after each addition. Fold in the chopped mushrooms.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the cupcake liners and bake for 23 to 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat together the butter and powdered sugar, then add the rest of the ingredients. Frost the cupcakes as desired, using mushrooms or sesame seeds to decorate if you wish.

Golden Soup

 

Here’s a nice soup recipe for fall: golden soup from Pinch of Yum. I used less liquid than called for, but now I think you should definitely use broth instead of water, so that’s what I’m writing below. I’m also adding to soak the cashews ahead of time – the boiling won’t cut it.

Note also that since turmeric can be used as dye, it might stain a food processor or blender (in which case, leaving it out in the sun would help), so I used my immersion blender so that only the metal part came in contact with it.

The original recipe had a topping of crisp, roasted chickpeas and herbs, which would be great if you have time to make them.

2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 head of cauliflower, chopped into about 5 cups of chunks or florets
1 cup cashews, soaked overnight
1 Tbsp. turmeric
7–8 cups vegetable broth (I used 4)
2 tsp. salt (less if your broth is seasoned)
a squeeze of lemon juice

Heat the oil in a deep soup pot. Add the onion, garlic, cauliflower, cashews, and turmeric. Sauté for 10 minutes or until very fragrant.

Add the broth (start with 4 cups and add more later as needed) and salt. Simmer until softened.

Transfer the soup to a blender and blend into a creamy consistency; it’s best to do this in batches. (This is where I recommend an immersion blender instead!)

Return to the soup pot and add any additional water or broth (remaining 2-3 cups) if you need to thin it out. Also a good time to season with more salt and a squeeze of lemon juice.

No-Bake Gingerbread Mousse Pie

 

I had some cookie butter to use up (after my kids basically decided they didn’t like it anymore – I don’t know what’s wrong with them, but that’s a different topic). When I saw this recipe for no-bake gingerbread mousse pie in Real Simple, I took that as a sign that I had to make it! Honestly, the kids weren’t super fond of it, so that made more for the Engineer and me.

2 ¼ cups packed finely crushed gingersnap cookie crumbs (about 45 cookies, from a 16-oz. box), plus whole and roughly crushed cookies for garnish
9 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, melted
1 ½ tsp. unflavored gelatin (from a ¼-oz. envelope)
3 cups lactose-free cream
¾ cup (85 g) confectioners’ sugar
1 8-oz. package lactose-free cream cheese, softened (it is important for it to be at room temperature)
1 cup creamy cookie butter
1 Tbsp. unsulfured molasses
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp. lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon

Coat an 8-inch springform pan with cooking spray. Line sides of pan with a ring of parchment paper.

Stir together cookie crumbs and butter in a medium bowl. Press gingersnap mixture into bottom and about 2 inches up sides of prepared pan. Freeze until firm, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, add 2 tablespoons cold water to a small microwave-safe bowl; sprinkle gelatin evenly over water. Let stand until gelatin is hydrated, about 5 minutes.

Beat heavy cream and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-low speed until starting to thicken, about 5 minutes.

Microwave gelatin mixture in 5-second intervals, stirring between each, until gelatin dissolves, 10 to 20 seconds total. Gradually stir 1 ½ teaspoons cream mixture into gelatin mixture.

With mixer on medium speed, gradually add gelatin mixture to cream mixture in a thin, steady stream, beating until combined and medium-stiff peaks form, 45 seconds to 1 minute.

Beat cream cheese in a separate large bowl on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add cookie butter, molasses, pumpkin pie spice, lemon zest, ginger, and cinnamon; beat on medium-low speed until well combined, 15 to 30 seconds.

Fold 3 cups whipped cream and gelatin mixture into cream cheese mixture, 1 cup at a time. Spread evenly over prepared crust. Refrigerate remaining whipped cream and gelatin mixture in an airtight container. Refrigerate pie, covered, until set, at least 8 hours and up to 24 hours.

When ready to serve, uncover pie and remove sides of pan. Discard parchment; transfer pie to a plate. Stir reserved whipped cream mixture until smooth and softened to soft-peak consistency; spoon over top of pie. Garnish with whole and roughly crushed cookies.

Plaque de légumes rôtis et de tofu

 

Voici une recette végétarienne simple (une « crisse et cook ») : une plaque de légumes rôtis et de tofu de Ricardo. C’était bon, mais ma sauce n’a vraiment pas l’air de celle sur la photo – je pense qu’il faudrait en effet quelque chose qui ressemble davantage à la sauce barbecue de chez St-Hubert!

Pour les légumes
675 g (1 ½ lb) de pommes de terre grelots, coupées en deux
340 g (¾ lb) de choux de Bruxelles, parés et coupés en deux
3 c. à soupe d’huile végétale
2 poivrons de couleurs variées, coupés en gros dés
1 oignon rouge, coupé en dés
2 gousses d’ail, hachées
1 c. à thé d’origan séché
3 c. à soupe de persil plat ciselé

Pour la sauce et le tofu
3 c. à soupe de mayonnaise
3 c. à soupe de ketchup
1 c. à soupe de moutarde de Dijon
1 c. à soupe de vinaigre de cidre
1 c. à soupe de cassonade
½ c. à thé de paprika fumé
1 c. à soupe de fécule de maïs
675 g (1 ½ lb) de tofu ferme, coupé en gros dés
1 c. à soupe d’huile végétale


Pour les légumes
Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 425 °F. Tapisser une plaque de cuisson de papier parchemin.

Sur la plaque, mélanger les pommes de terre et les choux de Bruxelles avec 2 c. à soupe de l’huile. Cuire au four 20 minutes.

Entre-temps, dans un bol, mélanger les poivrons, l’oignon, l’ail et l’origan avec le reste de l’huile.

Retirer la plaque du four. Ajouter le mélange de légumes sur la plaque. Saler, poivrer et mélanger. Poursuivre la cuisson au four 15 minutes.

Pour la sauce et le tofu
Entre-temps, dans un bol, mélanger au fouet la mayonnaise, le ketchup, la moutarde, le vinaigre, la cassonade et le paprika. Saler et poivrer. Réserver la moitié du mélange dans un petit bol pour le service. Incorporer la fécule au premier bol. Y ajouter le tofu et mélanger délicatement pour bien l’enrober.

Dans une grande poêle antiadhésive à feu moyen-élevé, chauffer l’huile. Dorer la moitié du tofu à la fois, sans remuer, 2 minutes. Remuer et poursuivre la cuisson de 2 à 3 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le tofu soit bien doré. Réserver sur une assiette. Ajouter de l’huile, au besoin.

Sur la plaque avec les légumes, répartir le tofu. Parsemer du persil et arroser de la sauce réservée.

Tahini Confetti Cake

I’m going through old files, which have become a mess not only because they piled up for too long, but also because I suffered a computer crash last year and some things got irrevocably messed up along the way.

This tahini confetti cake (by Soom) is something that I asked the Engineer to make for my birthday the year before last, and it did not disappoint! I don’t even have a good photo, but it was so good that I wanted to share the recipe. Both the cake and the frosting have some tahini, and the taste comes through in a discrete, yet pleasant, way. Plus, I don’t think I’ve met a rainbow confetti cake I didn’t like!

In this recipe, you’ll want to use the oblong jimmies-type sprinkles, not the small round non-pareil ones, as the latter would bleed more.

For the tahini confetti cake
3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. fine sea salt
1 cup lactose-free butter, room temperature
¼ cup tahini
1 ¾ cups sugar
½ cup avocado or vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
½ cup lactose-free sour cream, at room temperature
1 cup lactose-free buttermilk substitute, at room temperature
¾ cup rainbow sprinkles (see note above)

For the tahini buttercream
1 cup lactose-free butter, at room temperature
¼ cup tahini
5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2-3 Tbsp. lactose-free milk of choice
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
½ cup rainbow sprinkles, to decorate


For the tahini confetti cake
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease the bottom of three 9-inch cake rounds and line each with round parchment paper. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside.

Using a hand or stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add oil and mix on low to incorporate.

Mix in eggs one at a time on medium speed. Add vanilla and sour cream.

Begin adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to the batter, alternating between buttermilk and dry ingredients.

Add sprinkles and fold into batter with a spatula.

Pour cake batter evenly between three lined cake tins. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of cakes comes out clean.

Remove cake tins from oven and let cakes cool in tins for 30 minutes, before removing and placing on cooling rack to cool completely.

If frosting the cake that day, transfer cakes from cooling rack to the fridge to cool completely before assembling. If baking the day before, allow cakes to cool to room temperature before wrapping in plastic wrap and storing in the refrigerator overnight.

For the tahini buttercream
Cream together butter and tahini until smooth and creamy. Begin to add one cup of powdered sugar at a time, adding the milk and vanilla as it begins to thicken. If the buttercream becomes too thick, add in another tablespoon of milk.

To assemble the cake, place one layer of the cake on a cake stand or serving plate. Add a thin layer of buttercream and repeat with remaining cake layers. Spread buttercream over cake and decorate with sprinkles. Enjoy!

Lemon and Lavender Cake

And here’s one last recipe from The Currabinny Cookbook, by James Kavanagh and William Murray! I had to make a few adaptations based on what I had on hand, and I will write those down below. I omitted the icing as well, but I really loved this cake!

For the cake
1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
250 g sugar
175 g. all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 pinch sea salt
2 eggs
250 g lactose-free Greek yogurt (I used 195 g yogurt and 55 g lactose-free sour cream)
½ cup canola oil (I used ¼ cup avocado oil and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil)
1 lemon, finely zested and juiced
dried lavender sprigs, to decorate

For the icing
200 g icing sugar
1 lemon, juiced
1 egg white


For the cake
Preheat oven to 325 °F. Grease a 20cm/8in springform cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.

Crush the lavender in a pestle and mortar. Put the sugar into a large bowl and mix the lavender through. Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and stir to combine.

In another bowl, mix the eggs with the yogurt and oil and pour this into the dry ingredients, stirring well. Add the lemon zest and juice. And stir.

Pour the mixture into the cake pan and bake for about 50 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Leave to cool in the pan for a while, then turn out the cake to cool fully on a wire rack.

For the icing
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add the lemon juice, whisking until smooth. Add the egg white gradually to loosen the mixture until it is quite runny and pourable. The icing should be extremely sharp and lemony. Spoon this icing over the top of the cake until it covers the top and starts to drip down the sides.

 

Arrange some dried lavender sprigs on top as decoration.

Fresh Blueberry Pie with a Lemon Curd Cream

 

Here’s another recipe from The Currabinny Cookbook, by James Kavanagh and William Murray. The authors say that since blueberries burst and fall apart when cooked, most recipe add a lot of sugar to compensate; but in this recipe, only about a quarter of the blueberries are cooked, and the rest are folded in fresh, so the blueberry flavor remains the star of the show! The lemon curd is just extra, though I liked that it wasn’t overly sweet, either. This was a good dessert! (Note that I again modified the recipe a bit, for North American cooks and lactose-intolerant eaters.)

For the shortcrust pastry
240 g all-purpose flour
1 pinch sea salt
2 tsp. sugar
180 g (¾ cup) cold lactose-free butter
1 egg, separated
1-2 Tbsp. chilled water

For the fresh blueberry filling
600 g blueberries, divided
120 mL water, plus an extra 2 Tbsp.
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 Tbsp. lemon juice (zest it first and reserve the zest for the lemon curd cream)
1 pinch sea salt

For the lemon curd cream
50 g (3 Tbsp.) butter
100 g sugar
1 pinch sea salt
2 lemons, zested and juiced (I only had 1 big lemon)
2 eggs + 1 egg yolk, beaten
110 g (½ cup) lactose-free cream cheese (or mascarpone)
2 Tbsp. icing sugar


For the shortcrust pastry
Sift the flour for the pastry into a large bowl (I always do this in the food processor) and add the salt and sugar. Cut the cold butter into cubes and rub into the flour with your fingers until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the egg yolk (reserving the white) and just enough of the water to bring the mixture together into a ball. (The authors like it as short as possible, so don’t worry if it’s a little crumbly and hard to handle.) Shape into a thick disc, cover in plastic wrap, and put in the fridge for 30 to 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F and set the oven rack to a low position.

Roll out your chilled pastry on a lightly floured surface into a 5mm-thick round. Flip this on to a 25cm (9 or 10 inch) tart tin with a removable bottom, patching any pieces that have crumbled or torn. You want to make the walls of the pastry come slightly over the side of the tart tin.

Line the pastry crust with baking parchment, fill with baking beads, and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven, lift out the paper and beads, prick the base with a fork and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until golden. Let the pie crust cool in its tin for 3 minutes on a rack, then brush with the reserved egg white. Remove the pie crust from the tin and place on a plate.

For the fresh blueberry filling
Put 150 g of the blueberries in a saucepan with 120 mL of water, cover, and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together the corn starch and 2 tablespoons of water.

When the blueberries and water have come to a boil, lower the heat to a simmer, stirring constantly until the blueberries start to burst and the juices begin to thicken. Add the corn starch mixture, sugar, lemon juice, and salt. Simmer for 1 minute until the mixture becomes translucent. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining blueberries.

Spoon the mixture into the pie crust and allow to sit for 2 hours.

For the lemon curd cream
Melt the butter in a small saucepan over very low heat. Add the sugar, salt, lemon zest and juice, then add the beaten eggs. Stir carefully with s straight-ended wooden spatula until the mixture coats the back of it. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Put the cream cheese into a bowl, add the lemon curd, soft over the icing sugar, and gently mix together. You can spoon the mixture on top of the pie or serve it on the side.

Pecan and White Chocolate Banana Bread

 

This recipe is from The Currabinny Cookbook by James Kavanagh and William Murray (also posted here). I adapted it slightly for North American cooks (and for us lactose-intolerant folks!). Note that I used white chocolate chips instead of chopping a bar of chocolate. This was delicious!

175 g (scant 1 ½ cups) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
125 g (1 stick) lactose-free butter, melted
150 g (¾ cup) caster sugar
2 large, organic eggs
4 small, ripe bananas, mashed
100 g (3½ oz) good-quality white chocolate (ideally lactose-free), chopped into chunks
60 g (2½ oz) pecans, chopped
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease and flour a loaf pan; set aside.

Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

In a separate, large bowl, whisk the melted butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then whisk in the mashed bananas. Add the white chocolate, pecans, and vanilla.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in three stages, stirring after each addition. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 1-1¼ hours.

Slide a spatula around the edge of the loaf and leave in the pan to cool.

Chocolate Lava Cakes

One more recipe from Nutritious and Delicious, by Maria Emmerich, so that I can wrap up that chapter in my kitchen! I really enjoyed these cakes.

6 oz. bittersweet chocolate, divided
¼ cup vanilla almond milk
1 stick lactose-free butter
2 eggs
2 eggs yolks
1/3 cup erythritol
½ tsp. stevia glycerite
½ tsp. vanilla
¼ cup peanut flour

To make the centers, melt 2 ounces of chocolate and the vanilla almond milk in a double boiler. Whisk gently to blend. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until firm. Form into 6 balls; refrigerate until needed.

To make the cakes, preheat the oven to 400 °F. Spray six 4-ounce ramekins with cooking spray. Melt 4 ounces of chocolate and butter in a double boiler; whisk gently to blend. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs, yolks, sweeteners, and vanilla on high speed about 5 minutes or until thick and light. Fold melted chocolate mixture and peanut flour into egg mixture until just combined. Spoon cake batter into ramekins. Place a chocolate ball in the middle of each ramekin. Bake about 15 minutes or until cake is firm to the touch. Let sit out of the oven for about 5 minutes. Run a small, sharp knife around inside of each ramekin, place a plate on top, invert, and remove ramekin.