Vegan Chocolate Cake with Mousse Frosting

I had this recipe bookmarked for a while and finally got around to making it recently. The cake itself was good, but what really makes it special is the mousse frosting, made with silken tofu (such as Mori-Nu, which is shelf-stable). It is luscious without being overly sweet, and it would actually make a good chocolate pudding by itself, which I’ll have to keep in mind! Plus, this dish is super easy to make.

For the cake
1 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour
1 tsp. baking soda
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
2/3 cup sugar
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup coconut oil
2 tsp. white vinegar
¾ cup cold water

Preheat the oven to 375 °F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan or 8-inch square pan; line with parchment paper and grease again.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, soda, salt, and sugar directly in a medium bowl. In a 2-cup measuring cup or a small bowl, measure and mix together the oil, cold water or coffee, and vanilla.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix with a fork or a small whisk. When the batter is smooth, add the vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter as the baking soda and vinegar react. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter and put it in the oven right away. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes and set aside to cool.

For the chocolate mousse
1 package firm silken tofu
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. almond or soy milk
1 pinch salt
melted dark chocolate to drizzle on top
8 to 10 oz. chocolate chips (a little over 1 1/3 cup), white or dark

Purée tofu in a food processor, scraping down the sides as needed, until completely smooth.

Add the cocoa powder, vanilla, milk, and salt to the mixture, and process until smooth.

Melt the chocolate chips in 30-second intervals in the microwave on 50% power.

Add chocolate mixture to tofu in food processor. Pulse mixture until smooth and completely combined, scraping down the sides as needed.

Spread mousse mixture on top of the cooled cake.

Drizzle melted dark chocolate on top of the mousse and sprinkle it with chocolate chips.

Carrot Tahini Muffins

These muffins from Smitten Kitchen were fabulous! Not only were they beautifully domed, but they are absolutely delicious – almost addictive. Even the Little Prince liked them. Come to think of it, I should make another batch of these! Note that I recommend the glaze, because it was great, but it is optional.

For the muffins
2 cups (260 g.) flour (I used white whole wheat, but all-purpose is fine)
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. fine sea salt
½ cup (80 g.) light brown sugar
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup (30 g.) well-stirred tahini
2 large eggs
¾ cup buttermilk substitute (or almond milk or apple cider, even)
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups (packed) coarsely grated carrots (from about 9 oz. or 5 slim carrots)

For the glaze (optional, but recommended)
½ cup (60 g.) powdered sugar, sifted
3 Tbsp. (25 g.) tahini
2 Tbsp. (30 ml) water
toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Heat oven to 425 °F. (I confess that I forgot this and accidently baked the muffins at 350 °F – I just left them in the oven a few minutes longer and they came out perfect anyway.) Grease a 12-cup standard muffin pan.

Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt together in a small bowl. Set aside.

Whisk brown sugar, olive oil, and tahini together in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, then buttermilk and vanilla. Then, using a spoon or flexible spatula, mix in the dry ingredients and the carrots until just combined.

Put the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup ¾ full (you may have enough batter for a few more muffins, but I didn’t). Bake muffins for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of each comes out batter-free. Muffins should be domed and lightly golden on top. Let them cool in pan for 5 minutes on a rack before transferring them to the cooling rack to cool completely.

Whisk powdered sugar, tahini and water together in a medium dish. (I recommend adding the water 1 Tbsp. at a time, and leaving the glaze a bit thicker than you think you need, so that it doesn’t get absorbed by the muffin and actually forms a cap on it as it dries.) Either drizzle this over the cooled muffins or dunk them into the puddle. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

Thai Coconut Soup with Udon Noodles and Tofu

This soup was an unexpected hit! I made it for lunch on a cold day, and I thought it was delicious; what was unexpected is that the Little Prince asked for seconds, and then thirds! For him, I put mostly solids in his bowl (including cut-up noodles), with only a little broth. I’d definitely make this again! Just make sure to store leftovers separately (i.e. tofu, noodles, and broth in individual containers) and only assemble and garnish prior to serving.

For the tofu
1 14-oz. package of firm tofu (this needs to be drained, so note the extra time in the directions)
1 Tbsp. honey
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. sesame oil
vegetable oil

For the sofrito
2 stalks of lemongrass (peel off the outside layer and quickly chop the tender centers of the stalks)
2 Fresno red chilies, seeded and deveined (I omitted those)
2-3 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and quickly chopped
4 garlic cloves
1 large shallot, quickly chopped
¼ cup water
1-2 Tbsp. fish sauce

For the soup
1 ½ Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 14.5-oz. can coconut milk
2 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1 quart chicken broth
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
1/3 cup lime juice (about 1 ½ limes)
10 oz. udon noodles

For garnish
1 large shallot, thinly sliced
cilantro, trimmed
sesame oil

To drain the tofu, wrap it in paper towels and set it on a plate. Place another plate on top to help press out the water. Let the tofu drain for about an hour. Mix together your honey, soy sauce, and sesame oil to make a marinade for the tofu. After draining for one hour, cut the tofu into 1″ cubes, place in a bowl or dish and pour in the marinade. Gently toss and allow it to sit while you prep all the other ingredients for the soup.

Put all the sofrito ingredients in a food processor (lemongrass, chilies, ginger, garlic, water, fish sauce, and shallot) and purée them together. Set aside.

In a bowl, gently whisk together all of the soup base ingredients except for the oil (coconut milk, peanut butter, chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, and lime juice). Set aside.

Heat the vegetable oil in a large pot over medium heat. Put in the sofrito and cook, stirring constantly for a few minutes. Once it smells really fragrant and sweet, add in the coconut milk/broth mixture. Bring to a low simmer and cook the soup for 15-20 minutes.

In the meantime, bring another large pot of water to a boil. Cook the udon noodles until they are al dente, then drain them.

While you’re doing that, heat a large non-stick pan over high heat. Add a bit of vegetable oil to the pan and allow it to heat up. Carefully add your tofu cubes to the pan using a pair of tongs. Sauté the tofu until it’s nice and golden brown on all sides. Transfer the tofu to a plate and set aside.

Stir the soup well; ladle it into bowls and add in some noodles. Top with tofu, cilantro, and the thinly sliced shallot. Drizzle with a tiny bit of sesame oil and serve immediately.

Saffron Yogurt Cake

This saffron cake was delicious! I replaced some of the oil with applesauce and reordered the ingredients for you below, and I added precisions about the pan I used. Instead of caster sugar, you can put regular sugar in the food processor, or just use regular sugar directly. In order to make it a bit more Persian, I used rosewater in the glaze – you’re welcome. You could also top this with crushed pistachios, though we didn’t find it necessary. The saffron really dominates the tastes, as it should. Enjoy!

For the cake
2 cups plain flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup caster sugar (see note above)
4 eggs
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup vegetable oil
¾ cup lactose-free Greek yogurt
4 tsp. dissolved saffron (I used a generous pinch of saffron, ground it, and added 1 Tbsp. water)

For the glaze
½ cup icing sugar, sifted
1-3 Tbsp. rosewater
chopped pistachios, to garnish

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Grease a 9” springform pan; line the bottom with paper and grease again.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat caster sugar and eggs for 5 minutes or until the mixture has thickened and forms a ribbon when the beater is lifted. Add applesauce, oil, yogurt and saffron; beat for a few seconds to mix.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and slowly fold in with a spatula. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 45 min. or until it springs back to the touch. Let cool completely.

For the glaze, mix icing sugar with 1 Tbsp. rosewater at a time, until the mixture is the right consistency (i.e., thick and not too runny – I should have used a bit less rosewater, perhaps 1 ½ Tbsp. would have been perfect).

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and serve.

Pork Ragu over Creamy Polenta

This recipe is from Bon Appétit. I had seen it in the magazine, but had decided not to tear out the recipe for some reason. Then I saw it again online, and this time I had to bookmark it. It takes a while to make, but you get lots of leftovers out of it (we have some pork ragu in the freezer as we speak). Plus, it was a huge hit at our table! The Engineer gave it five stars, called it magnificent and said it would be okay to serve it if Anthony Bourdain were to drop by. Isn’t he wonderful? (The Engineer, I mean. I married well.)

For the pork
3 lbs. skinless, boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 3 pieces
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
½ cup full-bodied red wine
1 28-oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
4 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves

For the polenta and assembly
kosher salt
1½ cups coarse polenta (not quick-cooking)
¼ cup unsalted butter or margarine
½ cup grated parmesan (from about 2 oz.), plus more for serving
freshly ground black pepper
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
olive oil (for drizzling)

For the pork
Season pork with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large heavy pot over medium. Cook pork, turning often, until evenly browned, 10–12 minutes. Transfer to a platter and pour off pan drippings.

Wipe out any burned bits from pot, but leave the golden-brown pieces (doing this will keep the finished sauce from tasting bitter). Add onion and garlic to pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is starting to brown and caramelize, 12–15 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly darkened in color, 5–8 minutes.

Add wine and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until reduced by about half, 5–8 minutes.

Add tomatoes, crushing with your hands or the back of a wooden spoon as you go, then add thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves; stir in 2 cups water. Add pork with any juices accumulated on the platter; season with salt and pepper.

Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until pork is falling-apart tender, sauce is thickened (it will be thicker than a typical pasta sauce), and flavors have melded, 2½–3 hours.

Using 2 forks, break up pork into pieces or shred it (your choice!); taste and season with salt and pepper.
Pork can be cooked 5 days ahead. Let cool; cover and chill in sauce.

For the polenta and assembly
Bring 6 cups salted water to a boil in a large pot. Whisking constantly, gradually add polenta; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, whisking often, until polenta is tender and creamy, 20–25 minutes (if polenta becomes too thick too soon, loosen mixture by adding more water and continue cooking). Add butter and ½ cup Parmesan to polenta and whisk until melted; season with salt and pepper.

Spoon polenta into bowls or onto a platter and top with pork. Scatter parsley and more Parmesan over top and drizzle with oil.

Bûche de Noël

I am just now getting around to posting about Christmas… Hopefully I’ll be more on the ball next year! Our meal consisted of traditional meatball stew (63 meatballs this year), turkey with a pear and maple glaze, as well as mashed potatoes. But the recipe I want to share is the bûche de Noël, or Yule log. I went with the recipe published in Bon Appétit in 2015, because I’d been eying it enviously for a year. I won’t lie: it’s very involved, as there are many steps, and yes, there was swearing at one point, but everything actually went just fine, and it was a beautiful bûche. I had to make a few substitutions to reduce the amount of lactose, but I didn’t eliminate it completely. The ganache filling isn’t exactly a ganache, as the cream gets whipped; we don’t have lactose-free cream in the US, and the vegan substitutes I know wouldn’t have held up to the melted chocolate, so I used real cream. I think one could use coconut milk and forgo the whipping step. Also, I used lactose-free cream cheese instead of mascarpone.

There is one thing I’m flat-out changing in the recipe, though: the original recipe called for a 26”x18” rimmed baking sheet. I didn’t have anything nearly that size, so I bought the largest one I could find, a 21”x15” rimmed sheet. As it turns out, it was the absolute biggest size that could fit in my oven! Moreover, I felt like there wasn’t enough cake batter for it (ours didn’t quite reach the edge), so honestly, if your rimmed sheet is a bit smaller than that, it’ll be fine. Note too that because our sheet was smaller, the bûche was shorter and looked a bit too squat for my taste with two branches; next time I’d only make one branch, so that the bûche remains a bit longer.

I had a nasty cold that prevented me from actually tasting anything that night, but I stuck a piece in the freezer. I got to it a few weeks later, so I can attest that a) this bûche freezes well (without the meringue mushrooms), and b) it is delicious. It wasn’t too sweet, and the buttercream was glorious!

Again: this is a long process, so it helps to have a sous-chef. Some of these steps can be made ahead of time, which is what I recommend.


Step 1: Make meringue mushrooms and buttercream (This can be done 2 days ahead)
6 large egg whites (ideally pasteurized)
1¼ cups sugar
¼ tsp. cream of tartar
¼ tsp. kosher salt
unsweetened cocoa powder (for dusting)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (I used vanilla bean paste)

Make meringue
Preheat oven to 225 °F. Whisk egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl (I used the metal bowl of my stand mixer) set over a medium saucepan of simmering water (the bowl should not touch the water), until egg whites are very liquid (the mixture will be warm to the touch) and sugar is dissolved (rub between your fingers to check), about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from heat and beat with an electric mixer until stiff, glossy peaks form (the bowl will feel cool), about 5 minutes.

Create mushrooms
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and dust very lightly with cocoa powder. Scoop out 1 cup meringue. Dollop heaping teaspoonfuls of meringue onto prepared baking sheet, spacing at least 1 ½" apart.
Lightly dust meringue with more cocoa powder and place a sheet of parchment over top. Use an offset spatula or your hands to flatten meringue into irregularly shaped disks about ⅛" thick.
Bake until lightly browned and parchment peels away easily, 75–90 minutes (meringue will be soft when it first comes out of the oven, but will dry and crisp as it cools).

A word of warning: be very gentle when removing the paper from the meringues. Some will break, but don’t panic! You have enough spares that you can still make a beautiful bûche without all of them.

Mix buttercream
Meanwhile, with mixer on medium speed, beat butter into remaining meringue, adding a piece at a time and waiting until incorporated before adding more. Beat until mixture is very smooth. (If it looks very loose or curdled, just keep beating; buttercream will come back together.) Add vanilla extract and scrape in vanilla seeds; beat to combine.

At this point, I feel I have to interject and give you additional information. Yes, it is possible, and even totally normal, for the buttercream to look a bit curdled, and it will come together if you keep beating it. However, if your butter was still slightly too cold, it will separate (think lumpy and loose) and you won’t be able to beat it back together quickly. Again, don’t panic! It turns out there’s a very easy fix: scoop out some of the mixture (maybe ½ cup here) and microwave it until it is liquid. Then, drizzle it back in as you are mixing. I have tried this and can vouch for the method, it works like a charm. This buttercream is surprisingly resilient! You can also give it another whip right before using it.


Step 2: Make the fillings (This can be done 1 day ahead)
Cocoa syrup
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. almond extract

Cook sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat; add cocoa powder and almond extract and whisk until smooth.

Bittersweet Ganache
2 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. instant espresso powder (optional)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
¾ cup heavy cream (see note above)

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, espresso powder (if using), vanilla, and salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over low heat; pour over chocolate mixture. Let sit until chocolate is melted, about 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth; let cool. Using an electric mixer, beat ganache until light and fluffy (it should be the consistency of whipped cream).

Mascarpone Filling
1 cup mascarpone, room temperature (I used lactose-free cream cheese)
1 pinch of kosher salt
½ cup heavy cream (or coconut milk)
⅓ cup powdered sugar

Using an electric mixer on low speed, beat mascarpone and salt in a large bowl. With motor running, gradually pour in cream. Increase speed to medium and beat in powdered sugar. Continue beating until mixture forms medium peaks.


Step 3: Bake sponge cake (This can be done a day ahead provided you frost it)
¼ cup all-purpose flour
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
¼ cup lactose-free whole milk
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
3 large egg yolks, room temperature
¾ cup sugar

Increase oven to 400 °F. Coat a 21x15” or 13x18" rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on long sides. Spray parchment.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅓ cup cocoa powder in a small bowl.

Bring milk, butter, oil, vanilla, and salt to a simmer in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Keep warm over low heat.

Meanwhile, beat eggs and egg yolks with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Increase speed to high; beat until doubled in volume. With motor running, gradually add sugar; beat until very light and fluffy and mixture falls back on itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon (it should be at least quadrupled in volume), about 5 minutes.

Reduce speed to medium and gradually stream in milk mixture. Sift one-third of dry ingredients over top; gently fold in until only a few streaks remain. Working in 2 additions, repeat with remaining dry ingredients, scraping bottom of bowl and using as few strokes as possible to keep eggs from deflating (a few streaks are fine). Scrape batter into prepared baking sheet and gently spread to edges of pan. Tap sheet lightly on counter to pop any large air bubbles.

Bake cake until surface is puffed and springy to the touch, 10–12 minutes. Make sure you move right onto Step 4!

Step 4: Roll up and cool sponge cake
Let cake cool in pan 2 minutes, then run a knife along short edges to loosen. Invert onto a wire rack and carefully peel away parchment.

Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust cake with cocoa powder. Cover with a large kitchen towel (I now have one dedicated to the bûche, in addition to the one dedicated to latkes).Place another wire rack on top. Flip cake over so towel side is underneath. Remove top rack; dust exposed side with cocoa powder. Starting at one of the long sides, gently roll up warm cake inside towel.

Let cake cool, seam side down, 30–35 minutes (longer is fine).


Step 5: Fill and reroll sponge cake
Carefully unroll towel and cake on a flat surface (cake will curl at the ends and may have a few small cracks but should stay in 1 piece). Position cake so the end that was in innermost part of spiral is closest to you; brush off any excess cocoa.

Using a pastry brush, gently dab cocoa syrup over entire surface of cake; you may not use it all.

Dollop bittersweet ganache over top and smooth with an offset spatula to create an even layer.

Dollop mascarpone filling over ganache; carefully spread over surface, trying not to blend with ganache and avoiding last inch of cake along long side farthest from you.

Using towel to lift edge nearest you, reroll cake, keeping towel on exterior. Chill, seam side down, until filling is set, about 30 minutes.


Step 6: Create and decorate log
1 oz. marzipan (about 2 Tbsp.)
2 Tbsp. dark unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-process
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted

Transfer filled cake to a baking sheet. Set aside ½ cup buttercream for attaching branches. Evenly spread remaining buttercream over cake with an offset spatula.

Using a long serrated knife, trim ½" of cake from each end to create clean edges; discard (or eat!). If you want to make 2 branches, slice off a 4" piece of cake. Starting 1" from end, divide 4" piece in half, cutting at a 45° angle, leaving 1" at opposite end. If you used a smaller rimmed sheet, I’d recommend making only one branch, so you’d have to slice it off at a 45° angle and trim the end piece again (more taste testing!). Transfer log to a platter.

Place angled side of each small piece of cake against roll to create branches, positioning one on top and the other on the side, using a large dab of buttercream to secure. Cover any exposed cake on sides with more buttercream, but leave cut ends exposed.

Use a spatula to create textured lines in buttercream to look like birch bark.

Knead together marzipan and cocoa powder on a surface until smooth. Roll out on a sheet of parchment paper to less than ⅛" thick, then cut out wavy strips to look like tree knots; drape over buttercream and press gently to adhere.

Using either a pastry bag fitted with a very small round tip or a disposable plastic bag with one corner snipped off, drizzle melted chocolate over log to mimic birch bark striations.

Chill Bûche de Noël, uncovered, until ready to serve.

Just before serving, press mushrooms perpendicularly into log in groups of 2 or 3.

Tourtière pommes et oignons caramélisés

J’ai essayé une nouvelle recette de tourtière cette année. Deux, en fait. J’ai essayé une tourtière végétalienne de Ricardo. J’ai trouvé que la garniture avait beaucoup de potentiel, même si j’aurais remplacé les épices « sucrées » (cannelle et muscade) par de la levure alimentaire, par exemple. Puis bon, la pâte était infernale et m’a tellement enragée que je ne voulais plus rien savoir. Heureusement, il y avait aussi une tourtière de Fraîchement Pressé! J’ai fait la variation pommes et oignons caramélisés, et c’était délicieux! En fait, j’avoue que j’avais un rhume ce jour-là et je ne goûtais à rien, mais j’en ai mis quelques bouchées au congélateur. J’ai pu les tester cette semaine, et vraiment, j’adore! Les autres convives étaient d’accord. J’ai servi la tourtière avec la salade de chou frisé pomme et grenade de Chère Sœur.

1 lb. de viande (j’ai pris du porc, mais on peut mélanger aussi avec du bœuf et du veau)
2-3 gousses d’ail, émincées très finement
1 oignon coupé en deux, tranché et caramélisé
1 pomme, avec la pelure mais sans le cœur, râpée
½ tasse de chapelure (ou plus, au besoin)
½ c. à thé de thym séché
sel et poivre, au goût
2 abaisses de pâte brisée (maison ou du commerce)
1 jaune d’œuf + 1 c. à soupe de lait pour la dorure (facultatif)

Dans une grande casserole, faire chauffer 1 c. à soupe d’huile végétale à feu moyen, faire cuire la viande en remuant souvent, jusqu’à ce qu’il ne reste plus de rose du tout (15 à 20 minutes). Ajouter l’ail et continuer à mélanger pendant 2 minutes. Ajouter l’oignon caramélisé et la pomme râpée, bien mélanger puis éteindre le feu.

Ajouter la chapelure, qui permet d’absorber le gras; ¼ à ½ tasse à la fois, selon le caractère plus ou moins gras de la viande choisie. (Il faut une viande un peu luisante, mais sans aucun gras liquide dans la casserole.) Assaisonner avec le thym, le sel et le poivre, puis goûter et rectifier si nécessaire.

Préchauffer le four à 375 °F. Placer la grille à la position la plus basse.

Si nécessaire, abaisser la pâte dans un moule à tarte. Verser le mélange de viande sur la pâte. Couvrir de l’autre abaisse. Pincer le rebord en le façonnant si désiré et faire quelques incisions dans la pâte, au milieu, pour laisser la vapeur s’échapper. Badigeonner la pâte avec la dorure.

Cuire environ 50 minutes. (On peut aussi faire congeler la tourtière avant ou après la cuisson, puis la sortir du congélateur et la mettre directement au four à 425 °F environ 1 h ou 1 h 30, respectivement, selon la méthode choisie.)

Chocolate, Raspberry, and Almond Rugelach

I had always felt iffy about my rugelach because it seemed like the consistency was never right. Granted, I didn’t grow up with them and don’t actually have anything to compare them to, but the dough always seemed too thin, like it spread out too much (even when I was using butter instead of margarine), and the fruit filling would ooze out during baking. The ones I made with this Real Simple recipe, though, were much better than any I’d made before. I did use margarine instead of butter, because I still haven’t been able to get my hands on Green Valley Organics’ lactose-free butter. The dough *was* thin, but I’m now starting to think it’s supposed to be, because my rugelach looked pretty much like those in the picture. Plus, here the jam is cooked down a bit before becoming filling, which prevents it from oozing out when the rugelach are baking. And these cookies combine fruit, nuts and chocolate, so you don’t have to choose which filling you’ll make! This will be my go-to recipe from now on.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter or margarine, softened
6 oz. lactose-free cream cheese, softened
¼ tsp. salt
¼ cup granulated sugar, divided
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface
1 cup seedless raspberry jam (ideally not sugar-free)
⅓ cup roasted salted almonds
⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 large egg
1 tsp water

Beat the butter, cream cheese, salt, and 2 tablespoons of the sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium until smooth, about 2 minutes. Reduce speed to low and gradually add the flour. Beat until the dough is smooth, about 2 minutes. Divide the dough into 3 portions and shape each into a disk. Wrap each disk with plastic wrap and chill 1 hour.

Meanwhile, bring the jam to a gentle boil in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium, stirring often, until the mixture reduces by half, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper (I was able to fit everything onto 2 baking sheets, and I used silpats).

Pulse the almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar in a food processor until coarsely chopped, 5 or 6 times. Add the chocolate chips and process until the mixture is finely ground, about 30 seconds.

Roll 1 disk of the dough into a 13-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread ¼ cup of the jam over the dough, leaving a ½-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the almond mixture over the jam. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut the circle into 12 wedges, like a pizza. Starting at the wide end, roll up the triangles and transfer, seam-side down, to the baking sheets. Whisk together the egg and water in a small bowl. Lightly brush the cookies with the egg wash. Repeat with the remaining disks of dough.

Bake, rotating the sheets halfway through, until browned and crisp, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on baking sheets 5 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Herb-and-Garlic-Crusted Pork Roast

This pork roast is from the same promotional magazine as the chicken and sausage white bean pot.

I served it alongside broccoli Veggie Tots, which I was curious about – they’re okay, but not great. The pork though, was delicious – the Engineer called it exceptionally good.

I forgot I had to marinate the pork loin overnight, so I skipped that step, but it turns out that it isn’t necessary if you can’t find a “natural pork roast” (whatever that means), according to Better Homes and Gardens. Mine turned out fine. For the fresh breadcrumbs, I was lucky enough to have some left in the freezer from a previous recipe, but to make your own, just pulse the soft part of the bread in the food processor until it is reduced to crumbs, then let stale overnight (or bake for 10 minutes in a 300 °F-oven, stirring once or twice). If you’re not going to make your own, I would recommend panko over traditional bread crumbs.

Note that I used the leftover processed bacon in this recipe.

8 cups cold water
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
1 center cut, boneless pork loin, approximately 3 to 3½ lbs.
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
4 slices thick-sliced bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces (uncooked; see note below and above)
1 Tbsp. apricot preserves
2 tsp. finely chopped fresh garlic
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted

For brine, in a very large bowl dissolve salt and sugar in 8 cups cold water. Transfer pork to brine, making sure to submerge it fully. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or up to 2 days.

Remove loin from brine and blot dry with paper towels. In a nonstick skillet heat oil, then brown roast on all sides, about 10 minutes. Set aside for 5 to 30 minutes to cool slightly.

In a food processor, purée uncooked bacon to a smooth paste. (This amount of bacon is necessary for blades to process. Use the remaining puree to make appetizers: spread on baguette slices then broil until golden, for example.) Transfer half the bacon to a bowl. Stir in apricot preserves, chopped garlic, and 2 teaspoons of the chopped rosemary.

Position oven rack in lowest position. Preheat oven to 425 °F. Place cooled pork loin on waxed paper. Spread with bacon mixture. In a separate bowl combine the bread crumbs, parsley, remaining rosemary, ½ teaspoon kosher salt, a few grinds of black pepper, and the melted butter. Toss well to mix. Press an even layer of the crumb mixture on the roast (except the ends), applying enough pressure for the crumbs to adhere to the bacon layer.

Transfer roast to a wire rack in a foil lined baking pan or roasting pan. Roast for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 °F. Roast for 45 minutes more or until an instant read thermometer registers 145 °F. (If crust begins to brown too deeply, tent roast with foil.) Remove roast from oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes in a warm place (or not). Temperature of roast will rise approximately 10 °F as it stands.

Chicken and Sausage White Bean Pot

This is another recipe that I got in a promo magazine last fall, I forget which one. I found it online in Better Homes and Gardens, though, so they must be using the same source… In any event, this dish is easy to make, and most of the prep time is actually hands-off. I made this when picking up my parents from the airport – I prepped in advance, then just threw the pot in the oven when we got back, and we had an easy dinner plus leftovers. Note that I adapted the recipe a bit to use canned beans, but if you want to use dried beans, it’ll obviously take longer. Also, I removed the chicken from the pot before serving and cut it into bite-sized pieces; you could use boneless, skinless chicken, but then it should probably be stirred into the mixture instead of being left on top to brown. Everyone here liked it, even the Little Prince (as long as there are sausages, he’s happy). I recommend serving this with crusty bread, to soak up the sauce.

Note that for the bacon, 2 ounces were chopped in the food processor and were left over from making this recipe.

6 oz. thick-sliced bacon or pancetta, chopped
12 oz. Andouille sausage
2 lbs. bone-in chicken thighs and/or drumsticks (about 6)
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
2 large onions, coarsely chopped (2 cups)
3 medium carrots, peeled and coarsely chopped (1 ½ cups)
3 stalks celery, coarsely chopped (1 ½ cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth or chicken stock
3 Tbsp. tomato paste
8 sprigs fresh Italian parsley and/or thyme
2 bay leaves
4 15-oz. cans of white beans
¼ cup panko bread crumbs
1 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
Italian parsley. For garnish (optional)

Cook bacon or pancetta in an 8-quart Dutch oven over medium heat for 8 minutes or until crisp. Remove to a large bowl with a slotted spoon. Add whole sausage to Dutch oven; cook for 6 minutes or until browned, turning occasionally. Add to bowl with bacon. Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Add to Dutch oven; cook for 8 minutes over medium-high heat until well-browned, turning occasionally. Remove to bowl with bacon and sausage; set aside in refrigerator. Drain all but 1 tablespoon drippings from the Dutch oven.

Add onions, carrots, and celery to Dutch oven and cook for 8 minutes or until golden, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in broth, tomato paste, parsley sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to boiling; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, until the oven warms up in the next step.

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Cut cooked sausage into 1-inch pieces. Stir sausage, bacon, and beans into Dutch oven. Place chicken on top so the skin is exposed. Transfer to oven and bake, uncovered, for 1 hour.

In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs and butter. Scatter bread crumbs on top of bean mixture and bake for 20 minutes more or until crumbs are golden. Remove bay leaves and herb sprigs before serving. Garnish with parsley.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I had tried a gluten-free chocolate bundt cake made with quinoa a while back, but I hadn’t had much success with it. It called for the batter to be mixed in a blender, and while I did get an even consistency with the cooked quinoa, my batter never got “fluffy” and my cake turned out differently than the one in the original blog post. So I ended up not posting about it. Plus then there were coconut milk brownies that had textural issues and were way too sweet for my taste (which is saying a lot). And I tried another flourless chocolate cake, this one with whipped egg whites, but I don’t think it was any better than my good old free cake. So all this to say that even though I was obviously having chocolate cakes of some kind, I wasn’t really happy with those new recipes.

Then I decided to try Gluten-Free Girl’s bundt cake, which is adapted from Joy the Baker. Obviously, you can make this gluten-free by using a gluten-free flour mix (Shauna James Ahern suggests a mix of teff, sweet rice and potato starch), but since I didn’t want to buy the one more kind of flour I would have needed, I used the equivalent weight of white whole wheat flour. I also replaced some of the oil with applesauce. This cake was delicious, and what’s more, it unmolded beautifully!

350 g. all-purpose gluten-free flour (see note above)
2 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 ¼ tsp. salt
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups lactose-free sour cream (I used a 12-oz. container; you could try Greek yogurt)
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
½ cup safflower oil (or other neutral vegetable oil)
1 ¼ cups hot coffee (decaf is fine)
1 cup cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan and dust it evenly with cocoa.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs until well combined. Add the sour cream, applesauce and oil, stirring well. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the coffee and cocoa powder until no lumps remain.

Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients (I think I used a wooden spoon here) until they are truly incorporated, without any streaks of flour remaining. Add the coffee-cocoa mixture and stir until you have a smooth batter that is all one color. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean, about 45 to 60 minutes (it was 55 minutes for me, and my oven is usually on the hot side).

Remove the pan from the oven and let cool at least 20 minutes (I always wait more). Carefully invert the pan and tap the bottom – the cake should slide right out. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

Gâteau bundt à la banane et à la courge, glaçage érable et cardamome

Apparemment que c’est mon 1600e billet. Pas croyable, hein? Mais bon, pour fêter ça, ça prend un gâteau.

Ce n’est pas le premier gâteau à la courge que je fais, et ce ne sera sûrement pas le dernier. Cette recette-ci vient de Christelle is Flabbergasting, et en plus de la courge, il y a de la banane. Les saveurs se marient à la perfection avec l’érable et la cardamome! Le Petit Prince, qui boudait pourtant mes desserts depuis un certain temps, a adoré celui-ci – et nous aussi!

La recette d’origine recommande de faire bouillir des cubes de courge pour ensuite en faire de la purée, mais j’aurais peur de faire une purée trop liquide. Ma méthode consiste à couper la courge en deux puis à la faire rôtir environ 1 heure à 425 °F – non seulement la consistance est meilleure, mais le goût aussi! Quand j’ai trop de purée, je mets les restes à congeler dans un sac Ziploc déposé à plat.

Pour le gâteau
1 ¾ tasse (220 g.) de farine
2 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
1 c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
½ c. à thé de sel
1 c. à thé de cannelle moulue
½ c. à thé de clou de girofle moulu
½ c. à thé de muscade moulue
½ c. à thé de cardamome moulue
½ tasse d’huile de canola (j’ai pris de l’huile de carthame)
½ tasse de sirop d’érable
¾ tasse de purée de bananes (environ 2 bananes bien mûres)
1 tasse de purée de courge butternut
zeste d’une orange (facultatif)

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Bien huiler un moule bundt.

Dans un bol de taille moyenne, mélanger la farine, la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate de soude, le sel et les épices.

Dans un grand bol, fouetter l’huile avec le sirop d’érable. Ajouter la purée de bananes et fouetter à nouveau; répéter avec la purée de courge et le zeste d’orange. Ajouter ensuite le mélange sec et mélanger jusqu’à homogénéité.

Cuire au four pendant 40 à 45 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dents inséré dans la pâte en ressorte propre et sec. Laisser tiédir le gâteau avant de le démouler et de le glacer.

Pour le glaçage
4 oz. de fromage à la crème sans lactose (végétalien ou non), à température ambiante
2 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable
½ tasse de sucre à glacer, tamisé
½ c. à thé de cardamome moulue
2 c. à soupe de lait sans lactose (au besoin; je n’ai pas utilisé cet ingrédient)

Dans un bol, fouetter le fromage à la crème avec le sirop d’érable, le sucre à glacer et la cardamome. Au besoin, ajouter le lait, 1 c. à soupe à la fois, pour obtenir un glaçage épais mais coulant.

Verser le glaçage sur le gâteau refroidi. Le gâteau peut être conservé à température ambiante pendant une journée, puis au réfrigérateur par la suite.

Big Pumpkin Loaf

This recipe from Smitten Kitchen makes a really, really big loaf. This is a good thing, because why settle for filling only part of a loaf pan? Mine is 9.5” x 5.5” measured at the top; Deb Perelman says hers is 8”x4” at the bottom and 9”x5” at the top. If your pan is any smaller, though, consider scooping out some of the batter to make a few cupcakes in addition to the pumpkin bread – otherwise, go for it! I haven’t tested it, but apparently this could be made into 18 muffins instead of a loaf (the muffins should bake 25 to 30 minutes). One of the nice things about this pumpkin bread is that it uses up the whole can of pumpkin purée, so you’re not stuck with part of it to use up somehow or freeze. Of course, you can adjust the spices to your liking, and you could use sweet potato purée or squash purée to make this, but I’d suggest making the purée yourself by roasting the sweet potato or squash to make sure the consistency isn’t too liquid.

In addition to being delicious, the consistency of this loaf was also very pleasing, as the top was crisp while the crumb was nice and moist. We really enjoyed this!

For the bread
2 ¼ cup (295 g.) all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat, as always)
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. fine sea salt or table salt
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. (heaping) nutmeg
¼ tsp. (heaping) ground ginger
2 pinches ground cloves
1 15-oz. can (1 ¾ cups) pumpkin purée
½ cup vegetable oil (or melted margarine)
3 large eggs
1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

For the topping
1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon

Heat oven to 350 °F. Butter a 6-cup loaf pan or coat it with nonstick spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices.

In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, oil, eggs and sugar until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and stir with a spoon until just mixed. Scrape into prepared pan and smooth the top.

In a small dish, stir sugar and cinnamon together. Sprinkle over the top of the batter.

Bake bread for 65 to 75 minutes, until a tester poked into all parts of cake (both the top and center will want to hide pockets of uncooked batter) come out batter-free, turning the cake once during the baking time for even coloring.

You can cool it in the pan for 10 minutes and then remove it, or cool it completely in there. The latter provides the advantage of letting more of the loose cinnamon sugar on top adhere before being knocked off. (I took mine out of the pan once it was completely cool, and didn’t lose much of the sugar topping.)

Blondie à la lime et au gingembre

Les recettes de dessert tout droit sorties du blogue de Juliette et Chocolat, généralement, ça se prend bien, non? Ce blondie contient du chocolat blanc, mais ce sont les saveurs de lime (surtout) et de gingembre (plus modérément) que vous goûterez. Nous, on a trouvé ça succulent! Je l’ai adapté pour le faire sans lactose, en mettant les ingrédients dans l’ordre avec des mesures américaines, dans un moule carré de 8 pouces.

Pour le blondie
5 oz. (140 g.) de chocolat blanc
9 c. à soupe (140 g.) de margarine ou de beurre
1 ¼ tasse de sucre
4 œufs
2 c. à soupe de lait de coco (je l’ai oublié et ne m‘en suis pas plus mal portée)
le zeste et le jus (100 mL, un peu moins de ½ tasse) de 4 limes
1 c. à soupe (10 g.) de gingembre frais râpé.
1 ¼ tasse (150 g.) de farine
1 pincée de sel

Pour le glaçage
1 ¾ tasse (200 g.) de sucre à glacer
le zeste et le jus de 2 petits limes (ou 1 moyenne)

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Graisser et chemiser de papier parchemin un moule carré de 8 pouces.

Faire fondre ensemble au bain-marie (ou au micro-ondes) le chocolat et le beurre.

Dans un autre bol, battre ensemble le sucre et les œufs. Y ajouter le mélange de chocolat et bien mélanger.

Incorporer au mélange le lait de coco, le zeste de lime, le jus de lime et le gingembre.

Ajouter la farine et le sel, en mélangeant juste assez pour incorporer.

Verser le mélange dans le moule et enfourner. Cuire 30 à 35 minutes, jusqu’à ce que le dessus du brownie commence à dorer et soit légèrement craquelé (c’était plutôt de 40 à 45 minutes dans mon cas).

Fouetter ensemble les ingrédients du glaçage. Une fois le blondie refroidi, le glacer puis laisser le glaçage figer. Couper en morceaux et déguster.

Batch of links

- Why it’s time to give the “resting meat myth” a rest. I enjoyed this (admittedly long) article because it debunked a common myth, i.e. that one should rest a piece of meat before serving it. It also differentiated between a small piece of meat like a steak and a large piece like a roast, and explained the difference between resting meat and holding meat. While I was surprised by the findings at first, I have to say that after reading this, it made sense. I’ve always said that if there’s one thing I’d like to know more about, it’s cooking meat (and the school at which I wanted to take a class when I lived in Montreal actually only offered the meat class in Quebec City). I was raised in a household where only well-done meat was served, because we all lived in fear of bacteria, so admittedly juiciness was never an issue. I thought that people rested meat mostly to avoid a mess (especially because we tend to think that the juices spilling out are blood, which they are not), and I never actually poured those juices on top of the meat again anyway… So if my criteria were the same as they seem to be for *most* people, then resting the meat would be an obvious no-no.

- Can we all just admit that smoothie bowls are big fat lies? Well Amen, somebody else said it!

- There is now such a thing as banana milk? I wonder if that will make it to a store near me…

- I’m pretty sure I had posted this before, but it bears repeating: the difference between muesli and granola. Also, in the non-food world, I finally learned the difference between a fedora and a pork pie hat.

- The incorrect assumption most people have about healthy food. I’ve said this before, but we all need a reminder from time to time: healthy food is not necessarily expensive, and expensive food is not necessarily healthy.

- Vanity Fair published a review saying that Trump Grill could be the worst restaurant in America. Of course, Trump was quick to respond with negative tweets, but the joke was on him.

- Very worrisome: Reuter’s found lead levels higher than Flint’s in thousands of locales. It turns out that the data taken closest to our house suggest a higher-than-normal percentage of children diagnosed with lead poisoning…

- What it’s like to grocery shop below the poverty line. This is really interesting: you can enter you household income and you’ll get grocery prices equivalent to what you would pay if you were paying the same percentage of your income as families living below the poverty line.

- Is it possible to make a less allergenic peanut? It might be, eventually. Also, here’s a good resource called FARE: Food Allergy Research and Education.

- Because it’s the season: does cough syrup actually work? At this point, the Engineer and I might as well buy stock in Zarbee’s.

Lemon chicken salad full of good things

Dear Sister posted this recipe on Pinterest and it looked so good that I couldn’t help but add the ingredients to my next grocery list. I’m glad I did! It was absolutely delicious and felt very refreshing while still being in season. I would omit the shallot next time, as mine was pretty strong, and I added a bit of honey in the dressing. Note that while cara cara oranges would be excellent, you can also make this with regular oranges or maybe even blood oranges.

For the chicken marinade
⅓ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
juice of one half of a lemon
½ tsp. salt

For the salad
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cara cara oranges, peeled and cut into pieces (segments or rounds)
1 avocado, cut into slices
½ cup pomegranate arils
2 cups spinach, torn or cut into small pieces
1 15-oz. can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 shallot, thinly sliced (see note above)
a handful of chopped fresh herbs like parsley or mint (I used mint)

For the dressing
3 tablespoons mayonnaise or Greek yogurt
1-2 Tbsp. champagne vinegar (I used white wine vinegar)
2 tsp. Dijon mustard, or other grainy mustard
salt, pepper, and/or honey to taste (I recommend all three)

Whisk marinade ingredients together. Place in a bowl with the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes (while prepping other stuff) or as long as 2 hours.

Whisk the dressing ingredients together. (I like to put them all in a jar and shake the dressing together to emulsify it.)

Heat the oil in a pan or pre-heat a griddle. Discard extra marinade from chicken and grill the chicken pieces until cooked through. Let stand for a few minutes to cool before cutting.

Toss all other salad ingredients, including chicken, together with the dressing before serving.