Biscuits craquelés à la lime et à la noix de coco

Voici une recette de biscuits à la lime et à la noix de coco tirée de Coup de Pouce. Nous avons tous beaucoup aimé ces biscuits! Ils se gardent bien dans un contenant hermétique. J’ai obtenu environ 24 biscuits plutôt que les 40 annoncés.

2 ½ tasses de farine
1 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
½ c. à thé de sel
½ tasse de beurre sans lactose ou de margarine, à la température de la pièce
1 tasse de sucre
½ tasse de flocons de noix de coco râpée
2 œufs
1 c. à soupe de zeste de lime râpé
1 ½ c. à soupe de jus de lime
½ tasse de sucre glace, tamisé

Dans un bol, à l’aide d’un fouet, mélanger la farine, la poudre à pâte et le sel. Réserver.

Dans un grand bol, à l’aide d’un batteur électrique, battre le beurre avec le sucre et la noix de coco jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit homogène. Incorporer les œufs, un à la fois, en battant bien après chaque addition. Incorporer le zeste et le jus de lime. En battant à faible vitesse, ajouter petit à petit les ingrédients secs réservés jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit homogène. Réfrigérer 30 minutes.

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Tapisser deux plaques à biscuits de papier parchemin.

Étendre le sucre glace dans une grande assiette. À l’aide d’une petite cuillère à crème glacée, façonner la pâte en boules (environ 1 ½ c. à soupe), puis déposer les boules dans l’assiette. Rouler les boules dans le sucre glace pour bien les enrober. Déposer les boules de pâte sur les plaques à biscuits, en les espaçant de 2 po (5 cm) et en les aplatissant légèrement.

Cuire au four de 14 à 16 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les biscuits soient gonflés et fermes au toucher sur le pourtour. Mettre les plaques sur des grilles et laisser refroidir 5 minutes. Déposer les biscuits sur les grilles et laisser refroidir complètement.

Liens de la semaine

- Des trucs pour réussir vos brownies. Avec le bémol qu’on dirait que ce sont tous des trucs pour un brownie « fudgy », alors que moi je les préfère moelleux (« chewy » mais pas tout à fait comme du gâteau).

- Tout ce que vous avez toujours voulu savoir sur la pomme de terre!

- Excellents exemples de collections de livres de cuisine.

- J’ignore pourquoi je n’avais pas encore partagé cet article montréalais sur la nourriture juive.

- Voici un bon article pour contrer le gaspillage alimentaire. Et ça m’a amenée au blogue Chic Frigo Sans Fric, où il y a (entre autres) des conseils pour organiser son frigo de manière à minimiser le gaspillage.

- Des trucs sur la préparation alimentaire (« meal prep » en anglais), qui est le fait de préparer certains éléments d’un repas à l’avance, sans nécessairement planifier les repas.

- Je vous ai parlé de l’excellent documentaire The Biggest Little Farm. Quelques mois après la sortie du film, j’avais vu une série d’articles comme Agriculture : soigner les causes, pas les symptômes (et, pour les curieux, La confusion sexuelle des papillons comme exemple). Ça rejoint les valeurs prônées par l’agriculture régénératrice.

- Un court article écrit par un ancien ami d’université, sur la manière dont les Amish choisissent d’adopter, ou pas, les nouvelles technologies. En gros, ils se questionnent d’abord sur les conséquences de la technologie sur leur communauté : est-ce que ça va les éloigner les uns des autres ou pas? Si oui, ils ne l’adoptent pas. Ce n’est pas un modèle viable pour une grande société diverse, mais on peut très bien appliquer ce principe à l’échelle de notre propre famille, par exemple.

- J’ai beaucoup aimé cet épisode du podcast Bain Libre, où il est question de la perte d’autonomie des personnes âgées et de comment aborder la question avec ses parents. Il dure une quarantaine de minutes, mais il m’a fallu toute la journée pour finir de l’écouter parce que, comme dit Janette Bertrand, je devais attendre que ma journée commence.

- Un article du début de l’année : les prénoms uniques ne sont plus chose rare.

- Un article intéressant sur la conciliation travail-famille quand la mère est en tournée.

- Et enfin, une mise en garde sur les vidéos éducatives que regardent tant d’enfants aujourd’hui.

Perfect Blueberry Muffins

I found this recipe in a Smitten Kitchen cookbook, but it’s also on the blog. This is Deb Perelman’s perfect blueberry muffins, and she has tested a whole lot of variations to get there! The top is crunchy thanks to the turbinado sugar, and the blueberries don’t sink to the bottom (and there are LOTS of delicious blueberries). We absolutely loved them over here; the only downside is that the recipe makes 9 muffins, so they are gone pretty quickly. I’d consider making a double batch and freezing some.

5 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
½ cup sugar
finely grated zest from ½ lemon
¾ cup lactose-free plain yogurt or sour cream
1 large egg
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. fine sea or table salt
1 ½ cups (195 g) all-purpose flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups (215 to 255 g) blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 Tbsp. turbinado sugar

Heat oven to 375 °F. Line a muffin tin with 9 paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray.

Melt butter in the bottom of a large bowl and whisk in sugar, zest, yogurt, and egg until smooth. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda and salt until fully combined, then lightly fold in flour and berries. (I confess that I decided to start by whisking together the dry ingredients, then stirred them into the wet and folded in the blueberries) Batter will be very thick, like a cookie dough. Divide between prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (this seems like a lot, but trust me).

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then the rest of the way on a rack.

Hotdish

During the last democratic primaries, all 196 candidates were trying to stand out one way or another. I’m not going to say who I would have voted for (I wasn’t eligible to vote anyway), but I’ll admit it wasn’t Amy Klobuchar. That being said, it came to my attention on Twitter that she published her recipe for hotdish as part of her campaign, and I was like, “What’s hotdish? And why does it pass spell check?” According to Wikipedia, in the Midwest, hotdish is “a casserole that typically contains a starch, a meat, and a canned or frozen vegetable mixed with canned soup.” It doesn’t necessarily sound appetizing said like that, but I’m assuming that people might think the same about pâté chinois, so I decided to try it.

This version had ground beef and tater tots; I replaced the pepper jack cheese with sharp cheddar cheese and made my own cream of chicken and cream of mushroom to keep things lactose-free. I also increased the amount of beef a bit, so the ratio below may be off from… what God intended? Anyways, the boys LOVED it! And by “boys” I mean both my kids as well as my husband. Next time, though, I would consider just doubling the amount of cream of chicken and omitting the cream of mushroom, to greatly simplify prep for those of us who are lactose-intolerant.

A can of “cream of whatever soup” is typically 10.5 ounces, so roughly 1 ¼ cups in volume. In order to substitute for the can of cream of mushroom, I made this recipe. Of course, it makes a whole pot of soup, but it was thick enough that I decided it was a fine substitute. And then it felt like at least my hotdish had *some* kind of vegetable in it? I could have used 2 ½ cups and omitted the cream of chicken, I guess, but my cream of chicken substitute is simple to make (more so than I remembered, even), so you could just double THAT instead of making cream of mushroom. As you wish. It should go without saying that hotdish is not a naturally photogenic dish.


For the lactose-free cream of chicken (equivalent to 1 can)
3 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
3 Tbsp. all-purpose white flour
½ cup chicken broth
½ cup lactose-free milk
salt and pepper, to taste

Melt the butter in a small saucepan, then add the flour. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. (You’re making a roux.)

Add the chicken broth and whisk until the mixture is blended, then add milk. Simmer, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Turn off heat; add salt and pepper to taste.


For the hotdish
2 lbs. ground beef
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 can cream of mushroom (see note above)
1 can cream of chicken (see above)
salt and pepper, to taste
8 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 package tater tots (mine was 28 oz.)

Preheat oven at 450 °F.

Brown the ground beef, then set aside and drain off the fat. Sauté the onion and garlic in the same pan.

In a large bowl, mix together beef, onion, garlic, both cans of soup, salt, and pepper.

Spread evenly into a greased 9”x13” baking dish. Cover with half the shredded cheese, then place tater tots in one layer over the entire pan.

Bake for 30 minutes, or until the taters are crisp. Cover with remaining cheese and bake until cheese melts, about 5 minutes.

Cream of Mushroom Soup

I honestly didn’t think I’d be sharing this recipe. I made it as a means to an end, because I had another recipe that called for cream of mushroom soup as an ingredient (more on that later). This recipe looked like my best-tasting option and made a lot more than I needed, so I decided to serve it for lunch. And lo and behold, my kids REALLY LIKED it. They BOTH asked for seconds! So, here it is, a way to get your kids to enjoy mushrooms.

I made a lactose-free version. The onions, garlic and herbs give it flavor, but don’t be afraid to really cook down the mushrooms. They basically can’t be overcooked (unless they get burnt on heat that is too high, but they can’t cook too long is my point). This would be great served with garlic bread!

4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
1 Tbsp. oil
2 onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ½ lbs. (750 g) fresh brown or cremini mushrooms, sliced
4 tsp. chopped fresh thyme, divided
½ cup Marsala wine (any dry red or white wine, really)
6 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 or 2 tsp salt, to taste (I used less because my broth was salted)
½ to 1 tsp cracked black pepper, to taste
2 beef bouillon cubes, crumbled (I used beef bouillon paste)
1 cup lactose-free cream or half-and-half (I used evaporated soy milk)
chopped fresh thyme and parsley, to serve

Heat butter and oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté onion for 2 or 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1 minute.

Add mushrooms and 2 teaspoons thyme; cook for 5 minutes (or more; see note above). Pour in wine and allow to cook for 3 minutes.

Sprinkle mushrooms with flour, mix well and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock, mix again, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, season with salt and pepper, and add crumbled bouillon cubes.

Cover and allow to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thickened.

Reduce heat to low, stir in cream, and allow to gently simmer (do not boil, or the cream might curdle). Adjust salt and pepper to taste.

At this point, my soup was not looking as good as the original, and moreover, I felt like it wasn’t really a cream of mushroom soup. I could have added a cornstarch slurry, but I instead decided to use my stick blender to blitz everything together.

Mix in parsley and remaining thyme and serve.

Hawaiian Puff-Wheels

Shortly before the pandemic, I bought two more cookbooks about lunches for kids (but I’m waiting to cook more recipes out of them before actually recommending either). In one of them is a recipe for these Hawaiian puff-wheels that’s really easy to make and turned out to be a crowd pleaser all-around (though it should be said that my kids and husband are the kind of people who like pineapple on their pizza). I baked them longer than the recommended 10-12 minutes, and even then they weren’t quite golden-brown yet so I could have gone a bit longer. They were good warm from the oven, but would also be fine in a lunchbox, either cold or at room temperature by lunchtime. The recipe is also online. I got 15 rolls from this.

¾ cup sliced deli ham, finely chopped
13-oz package of puff pastry sheets, thawed
1 ¼ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
½ cup crushed pineapple, well drained

Preheat oven to 375 °F. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

On a lightly floured surface, unroll pastry dough sheets. Spread deli ham and crushed pineapple evenly over both sheets. Sprinkle with shredded cheddar.

Carefully roll the dough, starting with a long side, so that you end up with a long log.

Cut the filled dough into 1-inch thick pieces (mine were a bit narrower) and place on the baking sheet. Bake for about 20 minutes until they are golden and have risen.

Remove from oven and let cool a bit before serving.

Easter Cupcakes

This is another recipe I made for Easter: carrot cupcakes! But, like, the most adorable carrot cupcakes ever. I came across these while scrolling through Easter brunch menus and just couldn’t resist! Carrot cake cupcakes, with cream cheese frosting and chocolate crumb “dirt”. They did take a while to make, and honestly, I’m not sure I’d make them on the same day as hot cross buns every year… But hey, no regrets – they’re super cute! I got a total of 9 cupcakes instead of the 12 promised, which is a pretty important variation, so just be aware of that. And since I couldn’t find chocolate wafers anywhere, I got chocolate teddy grahams instead and crushed them in the food processor. I used gel food coloring, but even then I had to add a bit of cornstarch to thicken the orange frosting (I didn’t want to add any more powdered sugar). The reason it’s a cream cheese frosting is because that’s more traditional with carrot cake, but honestly, you could make a lactose-free buttercream instead. And if you don’t like carrot cake, make chocolate cupcakes instead. Also, if you run out of mint, or if it wilts before you serve the last cupcake, I can tell you that they also look good with parsley and, presumably, with cilantro, dill or small basil leaves.

For the cupcakes
1 ½ cups sifted cake flour, spooned and leveled
¾ cup granulated sugar
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
¾ tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 ½ cups grated carrots (from 2 medium carrots)

For the frosting and decorations
8 oz. lactose-free cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup (1 stick) lactose-free butter or margarine, at room temperature
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. orange gel paste food coloring
1/3 cup cocoa powder
¾ cup crushed chocolate wafer cookies (from 12 cookies)
12 small mint sprigs (see note above)


For the cupcakes
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line 12 standard muffin cups with liners.

Whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and nutmeg in a bowl.

Add oil and beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 30 to 45 seconds. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Stir in grated carrots.

Transfer batter to prepared pan, dividing evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted incenter comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer cupcakes to a wire rack and cool completely.

For the frosting
Beat cream cheese, butter, and salt with an electric mixer on medium speed until creamy, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar. Beat in vanilla. Beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.

Transfer ¾ cup frosting to a bowl; add food coloring and stir until combined. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a ¾-inch piping tip.

Sift cocoa over remaining frosting and beat on medium speed until combined, 1 to 2 minutes.

Using a melon baller or small measuring spoon (I used an apple corer, with which I don’t even core apples, FWIW), create a hole in center of each cupcake about ¾“-wide and ½“-deep. Spread chocolate frosting on cupcakes, leaving hole unfrosted. Roll in crushed cookies (you can also sprinkle the crushed cookies on top, but your coverage won’t be as good).

Pipe orange frosting into holes, extending ½ to 1 inch above tops of cupcakes. Insert mint sprigs in "carrots." Be delighted with yourself and serve.

Hot Cross Buns

These are the hot cross buns I made for Easter. I’m still looking for dishes to create what will eventually be my standard Easter menu, where I won’t have to rack my brain each year for something special, and these buns make the cut. I didn’t make deviled eggs this year, since eggs were so scarce, but this was a very worthwhile use of those I had! These buns are closer to the European version of hot cross buns, where a sort of custard dough is piped onto the buns before baking, instead of the American version, where the baked buns are glazed with icing once cooled. They appealed to me more, and everyone liked them! Even the Little Prince, who will always pick raisins and dried cranberries out of his baked good, ate the tiny currants without any trouble.

The recipe is from The Kitchn and my modifications are below. (For example, I used honey instead of golden syrup, because it was a last-minute menu and I just didn’t have time to source golden syrup.) I included photos of the process, because it’s so much clearer to me when I can see what I’m supposed to be doing, especially for the crossing part! The recipe yields 24 buns; they keep well for a few days in an airtight container, but you could also freeze some of them. Calculate about 3 hours start-to-finish to make them, and don’t be put off by the length of the recipe – they’re worth it!

For the buns
1 ¼ cups lactose-free milk
2 (¼-oz) packets of active dry yeast (4 ½ tsp.)
¾ cup plus 1 tsp. granulated sugar, divided
3 cups bread flour
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
2 tsp. finely grated fresh lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
2 tsp. finely grated fresh orange zest (from 1 orange)
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg, or 6 to 10 scrapes from a whole nutmeg
1 ½ sticks (6 oz or ¾ cup) lactose-free butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tsp. vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
1 cup dried currants or raisins

For the crossing mixture
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
¼ tsp. salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
5 Tbsp. lactose-free milk
¼ tsp. vanilla extract

For the egg wash
1 large egg
1 tsp. water

For the glaze
1/3 cup Lyle's Golden Syrup, or apple or apricot jelly (I used honey)
2 Tbsp. water


For the buns
Place the milk in a small saucepan over low heat until warm to the touch but not hot (between 105 °F and 115 °F on an instant-read thermometer), about 6 minutes. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

Add the yeast and 1 teaspoon of the sugar. Mix on low speed until just combined, about 20 seconds. Let stand in the bowl until the mixture is foamy, frothy, smells distinctly like yeast, and is beige in color, 5 or 6 minutes.

Meanwhile, place the bread flour, all-purpose flour, lemon and orange zest, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and remaining ¾ cup sugar in a large bowl and whisk until combined.

Add half of the flour mixture to the yeast mixture and mix on low speed until just combined, about 1 minute. Add the butter, whole eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla, and mix on low speed to combine, about 1 minute. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix on low speed to combine, about 1 minute.

Switch from the paddle attachment to the dough hook attachment. Mix on medium speed until the dough comes together, is smooth, and can be easily scraped down with a dough scraper, about 5 or 6 minutes; it won’t completely clear the side of the bowl and will remain just a little sticky. (I had to add a little flour here to help things along.)

Add the currants and mix on low speed until evenly distributed throughout the dough, about 1 minute.

Scrape the dough into a large, clean bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a kitchen towel; let rise in a warm, draft-free spot until the dough has almost doubled in size, 1 to 1 ½ hours (I like to do this in the microwave, with the door slightly ajar).


Meanwhile, line a 13”x18” rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (mine was 12”x17”); set aside. Lightly flour a work surface.

When the dough is ready, transfer it to the work surface and divide it into 24 pieces (about 2 ½ ounces or a heaping ¼ cup each). Roll 1 piece of dough into a ball (if the dough is too sticky, dust your hands very lightly with flour) and place on the prepared baking sheet, about ¾” from the edge. Repeat with the remaining dough, placing balls ¾” apart, making 4 rows across and 6 rows down the length of the sheet. Flatten the balls with lightly floured fingers so that they are each about 2” in diameter.

Spray 2 large sheets of plastic wrap with cooking spray and place them side by side over the buns, sprayed-side down. Set aside in a warm place to let the buns rise until they are just barely touching, 40 minutes to 1 hour (obviously, at this point they no longer fit in my microwave, but I left them on the stovetop with the plastic wrap on).

For the crossing mixture
Meanwhile, place the flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk to combine. Add the egg, milk and vanilla and stir into a smooth, thick paste. Transfer into a piping bag fitted with a plain small tip with a ¼” opening (you can also use a resealable plastic bag from which you snip a tiny corner). Pro tip: prop up your pastry bag in a tall glass in order to fill it without making a mess!


About 20 minutes before the end of the second rise, arrange a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 °F.

Uncover the buns. Using a ruler as a guide if necessary, run a sharp knife down the center of each row and column of buns, slashing the tops about 1/8” deep. When finished, each bun should have a cross from end to end.


Squeeze a line of the crossing mixture into the slashes on each bun, following the grooves from bun to bun and edge to edge, so that the top of each bun has a filled cross. You may have some leftover filling.


For the egg wash
Whisk the egg and water together in a small bowl. Gently but thoroughly brush the buns with the egg wash, avoiding brushing the filling.

Bake the buns until they are deep golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle registers between 195 °F and 200 °F, about 20 minutes.


For the glaze
Meanwhile, place the syrup and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the jelly is fully dissolved and the mixture is warm (this can also be done in a microwave-safe bowl heated about 30 seconds; stir the mixture until thoroughly combined). Set aside.

Place the baking sheet on a wire rack. Immediately use a clean pastry brush to coat the buns well with the glaze.


Let the buns sit in the pan and cool at least 30 minutes before serving.

Stromboli

Up to recently, if you had asked me about the word “Stromboli”, the only thing that would have come to mind would have been the bad guy in Disney’s Pinocchio (so scary that it’s one of the few things I remember about our family trip to Disneyland when I was six). But, of course, it’s also the name of a volcanic island, as well as a type of food: “a turnover in the pizza family” invented by Italian-Americans. I decided to try my hand at it when I saw this easy recipe on The Kitchn. The Engineer somewhat inadvertently got the kids excited about it days in advance, to the point where even though neither one had ever tasted it before, just because they knew it was basically pizza, they were convinced it was one of their favorite foods and couldn’t wait for dinner that night. And yes, we all loved it! It was worth the wait, and I’ll have to make it again.

I decided that the original recipe called for a baking temperature that was too high, so I reduced it a bit below. I used cheeses that were lactose-free (check that the nutrition label says 0 g sugar) and what meats I could find. The important thing here isn’t that you make sure everything is “authentic”, just that it’s good *to you*. If you only have two kinds of each, it’ll be delicious anyway! Keep in mind that cold cuts tend to be salty, so it would be fine to substitute something with less sodium. My stromboli was delicious, but a bit too salty for my taste! Perhaps that’s where dipping in marinara sauce comes in handy. I’d also serve it with a green salad next time.

The amounts below make 1 stromboli, which is enough for 4 servings. I doubled the recipe to make 2 strombolis. I used 1 pound of store-bought pizza dough for each one; I prepped both of them the same night, but wrapped the second one right on a parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerated it until the next day, at which point I unwrapped it and put it directly in the oven at 400 °F for 30 minutes. The photos below show the first one raw and the second one baked, because those are the nicest specimens of their kind.

about ¼ cup all-purpose flour, for rolling
1 ½ lb. pizza dough (see note above), at room temperature
4 oz thinly sliced prosciutto
4 oz thinly sliced provolone cheese
4 oz thinly sliced genoa salami
¼ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
4 oz pepperoni slices
4 oz shredded or torn fresh mozzarella cheese
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
¼ tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
marinara sauce, for serving

Preheat the oven to 400 °F and arrange a rack in the middle of the oven. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Sprinkle the counter with a little flour, then stretch out the dough to a rectangle roughly 12”x18”. You can use your hands to stretch out the dough, or a rolling pin, or both. The goal is a dough that is evenly thick, not a perfect rectangle.

Layer the meats and cheeses on the pizza dough, starting about a quarter of the way down from the top edge. Start with the prosciutto, then continue in the order in which they were presented (provolone, salami, parmesan, pepperoni, mozzarella). Try to keep things as flat as possible and keep some empty space near the edges. Layering the meats and cheeses helps prevent the meat slices from moving around.

Add the parsley and red pepper flakes.

Starting at the long edge closest to you, roll the Stromboli up, tucking in the fillings as tightly as possible as you roll. When you’re about halfway rolled up, fold the sides inward before you continue rolling. Brush the top edge of the pizza dough with some beaten egg before sealing tightly. Carefully, but decisively, lift it and place it on the parchment paper, seam-side down.

Use a sharp knife to make a few slits along the top of the stromboli. Brush the outside with more egg, and sprinkle with extra parmesan cheese if desired.

Bake for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown and the vent holes are bubbly with cheese. (You can also test for doneness with an instant-read thermometer – a finished Stromboli should hit 200 °F in the thickest part.)

Cool the stromboli for 10 minutes before slicing with a bread knife and serving with marinara sauce for dipping.

Product reviews

- Tarder Joe’s Rhubarb &Strawberry Soda: I love that this has natural ingredients, but even though it’s sweetened with cane sugar, I found it too dry for my taste, and a bit bland. Sadly, I won’t be buying this again.


- I tried Lavva plant-based yogurts. I really wanted to like this – it’s got probiotics, it’s vegan, there’s no added sugar, and it’s full of “superfoods”. But it was disgusting! I strongly disliked the strawberry flavor, and I threw away the raspberry flavor about halfway through because I couldn’t take it anymore. I’m not buying those again!

- But that’s not the case for all vegan yogurts, because I also had a raspberry So Delicious coconut yogurt and *that* was delicious!

- I tried Sorbabes sorbet in Pistachio & Caramel. I thought it would be creamy, because it’s made with nut butter, but the first ingredient is water, so the sorbet is too hard for my liking and a bit bland as well. The raspberry with chocolate looked good too, but I’m afraid it’ll have the same issues.

- I finally got to try some Nada Moo vegan ice cream! Nada Moo is a scoop shop in Austin, but their pints are making their way into local grocery stores. I tried the Marshmallow Stardust flavor and loved it! It has confetti sprinkles, a raspberry jam swirl, and marshmallow flavor, all in a coconut milk base. Plus, the purple is colored with ube powder! They have lots of interesting flavors and it’s a really nice treat.


- I tasted two of Trader Joe’s non-dairy mini-mochis, the chai tea flavor and the mango flavor. The chai really wasn’t for me, the flavors were too strong and there was something unpleasant about it. We ended up throwing most of it away. (I know that Trader Joe’s actually offers refunds on products you don’t like if you bring them back, but both the Engineer and I were uncomfortable doing that!) The mango flavor is great, though! It’s essentially a bite-size piece of mochi surrounding mango sorbet, and it’s a nice treat. I can’t find a link to them, but someone else reviewed them here.


- I’m always on the lookout for easy after-school snacks that don’t have too much sugar, so I tried Taos Bakes bars. While it’s true that they have natural ingredients and kept me full longer than regular snack bars, my kids didn’t like them, so I won’t buy them again (even though I personally liked them).

- I also really like The New Primal’s Snack Mates chicken and maple meat sticks (see here to buy 40 sticks at a good price; they are also sold at Whole Foods in packages of 5). It’s a great snack with protein and few calories. The only caveat is that the recipe has changed over time, as evidenced in the photos below – oldest to newest from left to right (I had open packages in the pantry, diaper bag, and carry-on travel bag, and cleaned up all at once). I like the softer, plumper ones, but all the ones I ate were good.


- Sometimes, I put chicken nuggets in my kid’s lunch for school (the most healthy-looking ones I can find, and it’s an occasional treat for him). That being said, we recently tried little vegetable nuggets by Dr. Praeger’s (the broccoli and the sweet potato varieties), and he liked them both! I also made them for an at-home lunch, and the Fox and I can confirm that they are delicious. They are available at Whole Foods.


- I have also come to love Old El Paso’s Mini Soft Tortilla Taco Bowls, because they are perfect for a lunchbox! Just the right size for the main compartment of a typical container, and most importantly, they stay upright, are easy to hold, and keep their fillings! Great for dinners at home, too.

- Finally, there’s a company called 88 acres that makes seed products (think: butters, granola, granola bars) that are not cross-contaminated with nuts. My friend Jen had mentioned that she liked them, but then I heard about one of their products in a magazine: watermelon seed butter. I mean, I was obviously intrigued, but it was all-the-more timely given that the Little Prince had decided that he was sick of sunflower seed butter, and I don’t want to send him to school with peanut or nut butter. I ended up ordering a variety pack of their seed butters to taste all seven kinds they make (including sunflower butter flavored with maple, cinnamon or chocolate as well as their pumpkin seed butter) without committing to a whole jar. It turns out we love this! Watermelon seed butter is pale in color, tastes nothing like watermelon (the same way that pumpkin seeds don’t taste like pumpkin), has the same consistency as other natural seed butters, and is really good. It’s actually more neutral than pumpkin seed or sunflower seed butter. If I’m going to eat it plain on toast, I like the one I linked to, but there’s also an unsweetened version, which actually might work better in a seed and jam sandwich.

Cakes à la pistache

Toujours dans mes recettes de pistaches… J’ai fait un moelleux à la pistache qui était assez bon. J’ai trouvé le gâteau spongieux, mais un peu sec et pas moelleux, donc. Je pensais réécrire la recette, juste parce que les ingrédients sont dans le désordre et c’était un fouillis total, mais en fait, il y a une autre recette que j’ai trouvée meilleure, alors c’est celle-là que je vais partager aujourd’hui.


Les cakes à la pistache, donc, je les ai trouvés sur le blogue Christelle is Flabbergasting; elle-même a adapté une recette du livre de cuisine des Touilleurs (dont la boutique est située sur l’avenue Laurier Ouest à Montréal), et elle était à l’origine écrite par Stéphanie Labelle de Pâtisserie Rhubarbe (ouf!). Bon, j’ai dû faire mes modifications moi aussi, alors on s’éloigne de la recette d’origine, mais je recommande fortement! (Même que je vais en faire d’autres cet après-midi pour les congeler, histoire de finir la pâte de pistache.)

Premièrement, je n’ai pas de moules de la taille demandée, parce que ce n’est pas une taille standard je crois (c’est même plus petit qu’un moule à cake). J’avais calculé que chacun des moules demandés contenait environ 1 tasse de pâte, mais en fin de compte, ça ne doit pas être ça, parce qu’il y en avait beaucoup plus! J’ai utilisé un moule à 6 cavités, chacune mesurant environ 4.5"x2.5"x1.75". Ça a fonctionné seulement parce que mon papier parchemin créait une structure un peu plus haute et que la consistance de la pâte était telle qu’elle tenait dedans. Donc tout a fonctionné et je peux recommander les mêmes moules, tant que votre papier est positionné comme le mien. Sinon, ça fonctionnerait sans doute dans un moule standard 9"x5"x3" (le genre pour faire un pain aux bananes), mais il faudrait ajuster le temps de cuisson en conséquence. Dites-le-moi si vous essayez!

De plus, je n’avais aucune envie de faire un genre de pralin aux pistaches pour ensuite le réduire en pâte dans le robot. J’ai plutôt acheté de la pâte de pistaches non sucrée (comme du beurre de pistaches en fait, comme celle-ci) à laquelle j’ai ajouté du sucre en poudre. Rapide, efficace, délicieux! Mes proportions étaient de ¼ tasse de pâte de pistache + 2 à 4 c. à soupe, selon votre goût et la consistance de votre pâte de pistaches. J’ai aussi réduit la quantité de sirop à la fleur d’oranger et je n’ai pas mis de pistaches dans la pâte, seulement sur le dessus des gâteaux. La version ci-dessous reflète mes changements.

Pour le sirop à la fleur d’oranger
½ tasse de sucre
3 c. à soupe d’eau
1 c. à soupe d’eau de fleur d’oranger

Pour la pâte de pistache (voir note)
½ tasse de sucre
150 g (1 tasse) de pistaches blanchies et pelées
huile de pistache
(je recommande quand même la pâte de pistache du commerce, additionnée de sucre en poudre – il m’a fallu ¼ tasse de chaque – c’est tellement plus rapide!)

Pour les cakes
1 tasse (2 bâtons) de beurre sans lactose ou de margarine, à la température de la pièce
1 ½ tasse (250 g) de sucre en poudre
2/3 tasse (100 g) de poudre d’amandes
5 œufs, jaunes et blancs séparés
¼ tasse (50 g) de pâte de pistache
¼ tasse (50 g) de sucre granulé
1 tasse (130 g) de farine tout-usage
3 c. à soupe de lait sans lactose
3 c. à soupe de pistaches blanchies, pelées et concassées (facultatif)

Pour la garniture
3 c. à soupe de pistaches moulues


Pour le sirop à la fleur d’oranger
Dans une casserole, porter le sucre, l’eau et l’eau de fleur d’oranger à pleine ébullition pendant 30 secondes. Réserver. (Le sirop se conserve dans un contenant hermétique au réfrigérateur.)

Pour la pâte de pistaches
Dans une casserole, cuire le sucre en remuant de temps en temps jusqu’à l’obtention d’un caramel de couleur ambrée. Ajouter rapidement les pistaches en une seule addition et remuer à l’aide d’une cuillère de bois.

Verser sur une toile de pâtisserie (silpat) et laisser durcir à température ambiante.

Déposer les morceaux de pralin dans la tasse du robot. Pulser par touches successives pour bien concasser sans surchauffer.

Faire tourner le mélange en continu et détendre avec l’huile de pistache jusqu’à l’obtention d’une pâte ayant la texture et la consistance de la pâte d’amandes. Selon la force de votre robot, vous obtiendrez une texture plus ou moins lisse. (La pâte de pistache se conserve au réfrigérateur. Vous en obtiendrez plus qu’il en faut pour la recette.)

Moi, j’ai fait la version facile : j’ai mélangé ¼ tasse de pâte de pistache du commerce (qui était plutôt du beurre de pistache) avec ¼ tasse de sucre en poudre, pour obtenir la bonne consistance. Et voili voilà.

Pour les cakes
Préchauffer le four à 300 °F. Préparer 6 moules rectangulaires de 4.5"x2.5"x1.75" en les graissant, puis en les chemisant avec du papier parchemin. Réserver.

Dans un bol, crémer le beurre à l’aide d’un malaxeur (ou d’un batteur sur socle) pendant 2 minutes. Ajouter le sucre et battre 2 minutes.

Ajouter la poudre d’amandes et battre 30 secondes. Ajouter les jaunes d’œufs un à un et battre 30 secondes entre chaque addition. Ajouter la pâte de pistache dans le mélange et mixer à l’aide d’une spatule en caoutchouc pour bien disperser la pâte dans le mélange (j’ai fait ça dans le batteur sur socle).

Ajouter la moitié de la farine et la moitié du lait et mélanger à l’aide d’une spatule en caoutchouc. Ajouter le reste de la farine, le reste du lait et les pistaches concassées. Mélanger de nouveau avec la spatule.

Dans un autre bol, monter les blancs d’œufs en neige en y additionnant le sucre granulé petit à petit, jusqu’à l’obtention de pics mous.

Plier délicatement le tiers de la meringue dans le mélange. Ajouter ensuite le reste de la meringue et plier. (Comme les cakes ne contiennent pas de levure, plier la meringue délicatement permettra de bien aérer la pâte et d’avoir un cake moelleux.)

Répartir le mélange dans chacun des moules. Cuire au centre du four pendant environ 45 minutes. Laisser tiédir à température ambiante.



Pour garnir
Badigeonner le dessus des cakes de sirop à la fleur d’oranger. Parsemer de pistaches moulues.

Sweet Potato Salad with Pepita Dressing

This sweet potato salad with pepita dressing was so good! Right up my alley, too, what with roasted sweet potatoes, pepitas and avocados! You could also add cheese such as cotija or feta (just make sure it’s lactose-free, and obviously the dish is no longer vegan at that point). I didn’t bother presenting the whole thing on a tray, I just plated it right away, and used a second avocado the next day. It was a great lunch – the Little Prince ate a few sweet potatoes, while the Fox gobbled up the avocado, but I liked all of it.

2 lbs (about 4 medium) sweet potatoes
6 Tbsp. olive oil
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds), raw or roasted
1 tsp. mild (Aleppo-style) or hot red pepper flakes, or less to taste
2 limes
1 15-oz can black beans
1 large avocado
1 big handful fresh cilantro
4 thin scallions
1 cup crumbled lactose-free cotija (optional)

Heat oven to 400 °F. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise, and then into ¼-inch half-moon slices. Coat a large baking sheet with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil (I personally prefer to line my baking sheet with tin foil and toss the potatoes with oil and seasonings before putting them on the sheet). Scatter sweet potatoes over and toss them with another 1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt, and many grinds of black pepper. Spread them evenly in pan; they won’t fit in one single layer at this point and that’s fine as they shrink as they roast. Roast for 20 minutes, until browned underneath, then flip potatoes and roast another 15 minutes, until all of the pieces are tender and have brown spots.

While potatoes roast, combine pepitas with 3 tablespoons olive oil (or a bit less) in a small skillet and warm over medium heat. Let pepitas sizzle in oil for 1 to 2 minutes but keep a close eye on them; raw ones may be able to handle more time, but already roasted ones will need less to get one shade darker. Remove from heat, season with salt to taste plus red pepper flakes. Set aside until potatoes are ready.

Drain and rinse your black beans. Halve avocado and remove the pit. Leave halves in their skin and cut avocado into thin slices, not cutting through the skin. Roughly chop cilantro, thinly slice scallions (white and green), and halve your limes, cutting one further into wedges. Squeeze one lime wedge over avocado to keep it from browning.

When potatoes are ready, immediately spoon pepitas and oil over potatoes, and squeeze the juice of your lime halves over. Scatter tray with black beans. Use a spoon to remove avocado slices in sections and fan them out over the tray. Sprinkle pan with cilantro and scallions, plus cotija if you’re using it. Season well with additional salt and pepper.

Scoop sections of potatoes and their toppings onto plates, serve with extra lime wedges, and eat right away. (For leftovers, I recommend taking the salad out of the fridge and letting it come close to room temperature before chopping up another avocado and assembling everything.)

Galettes à la mélasse

J’ai vu cette recette sur le site de Ricardo et je me suis dit que je voulais une recette traditionnelle comme ça! J’ai fait cuire les galettes moins longtemps, afin qu’elles restent moelleuses, et c’était délicieux! J’ai obtenu 17 galettes, et elles se conservent quelques jours dans un contenant hermétique.

2 ½ tasses (375 g.) de farine tout-usage
1 c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
1 c. à thé de poudre à pâte
½ c. à thé de cannelle moulue
½ c. à thé de gingembre moulu
1 pincée de clou de girofle moulu
1 pincée de sel
½ tasse (1 bâton) de beurre sans lactose ou de margarine, à la température de la pièce
¾ tasse de cassonade
½ tasse de mélasse
1 œuf
2 c. à soupe de lait sans lactose

Placer la grille au centre du four. Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Tapisser deux plaques à biscuits de papier parchemin.

Dans un bol, mélanger la farine, le bicarbonate, la poudre à pâte, les épices et le sel. Réserver.

Dans un autre bol, crémer le beurre avec la cassonade et la mélasse au batteur électrique. Ajouter l’œuf et bien mélanger. À basse vitesse ou à la cuillère de bois, incorporer les ingrédients secs en alternant avec le lait.

À l’aide d’une cuillère à crème glacée d’environ ¼ tasse, répartir 7 boules de pâte sur chaque plaque en les espaçant de 6,5 cm (2 ½ po).

Cuire au four, une plaque à la fois, environ 15 minutes. Laisser refroidir complètement sur une grille.

Chicken Vegetable Soup

I decided to try my luck with soups again, now that the Fox has more dexterity. I had bookmarked this one on Orangette ages ago and circled back to it because it was described as something that cooks down to almost a stew. Turns out that didn’t happen, but still, it was a much bigger success than I anticipated! I had peeled the zucchini to make it an easier sell with the kids, and it ended up practically melting in my mouth. The Little Prince actually said that he *liked* the green things (!) and had seconds. The Fox, who got a bowl with mostly bite-sized solid foods and just a little broth, ate ALL his vegetables (though not the chicken). So I’ll have to make it again!

For the chicken broth, I used organic Better Than Bouillon (which some chefs refer to as “meat paste”), but if you’ve got homemade stock on hand, go for it! The original recipe calls for a chayote, but we’re in a pandemic and I’m doing my best with what I’ve got, so I didn’t use it.

roughly 3 pounds (1.4 kg) chicken parts
2 quarts (roughly 8 cups) chicken broth, or enough to cover the chicken in the pot
4 whole garlic cloves, smashed under the side of a knife
4 carrots, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks
4 small or 2 medium zucchini, cut into 2-inch batons (I peeled mine)
1 chayote, peeled and cut into 2-inch chunks (optional; I didn’t use it)
½ bunch cilantro sprigs, bundled with twine if you want
leaves from a few mint sprigs
kosher salt, to taste

Put the chicken and broth in a Dutch oven or other 5-quart pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Skim away any foam that rises to the surface. Adjust heat to a very gentle simmer, and then add garlic, carrots, zucchini, chayote (if using), herbs, and a good pinch of salt. Cook for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and vegetables are meltingly tender. Remove the chicken pieces, allow to cool as needed, and then coarsely shred the meat. Return the meat to the pot, taste for salt, and serve.

Baked Oatmeal with Caramelized Pears and Vanilla Cream

Just like my earlier apple crisp, this breakfast is great for confinement because we still had pears and oatmeal flakes at the grocery store. I didn’t have lactose-free cream, however, so I used coconut milk instead, but lactose-free milk would work in a pinch. Also, I didn’t have any more vanilla beans, but I made it work with vanilla bean paste. I really enjoyed it, and so did the Engineer, but sadly my kids refused to even taste it – their loss! The recipe is from Smitten Kitchen Every Day.

For the vanilla sugar
½ cup + 2 Tbsp (125 g) sugar
½ vanilla bean

For the pears
2 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
3 pears (preferably d’Anjou, Forelle, or firm Bartletts)
1 lemon

For the oatmeal
1 cup lactose-free milk
1 cup water
2 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. coarse or kosher salt
2 tsp. baking powder
3 cups (240 g) rolled oats

To finish
lactose-free cream or coconut milk


For the vanilla sugar
Place the sugar in a small bowl. Split the vanilla bean, scrape the seeds into the sugar, and use your fingertips to distribute the seeds throughout; the abrasion helps release more flavor. Save the pod: there’s tons more flavor to be had, and we’re going to use it.

Heat the oven to 400 °F. While it’s heating, place butter in a 9-by-13-inch or equivalent-sized baking dish in the oven to let it melt.

For the pears
Finely grate the zest of half of your lemon and set it aside; you’ll use it later. Juice the whole lemon, you’ll use it now. Peel the pears, split them lengthwise, and remove cores and any thick-looking stems. Toss the pears with the lemon juice. Remove the baking dish with melted butter from the oven, and sprinkle ½ cup vanilla sugar into it. Arrange the pears, cut side down, over the sugar, and drizzle with any lemon juice left in bowl. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove foil and bake another 10 minutes.

For the oatmeal
Meanwhile, whisk the milk, water, butter, eggs, salt, and reserved zest together in a large bowl. Sprinkle the baking powder over these and stir to combine; add oats and stir again.

Use a thin spatula to turn the pears over carefully, spooning as much sauce from the pan over the pears as they will hold. Reduce heat to 350 °F. Dollop the oat mixture around the pears in the pan. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the pears are soft and the oatmeal edges are golden brown.

For the vanilla cream
Bring the cream, remaining vanilla sugar, and reserved empty vanilla bean pod to a simmer in a saucepan. Simmer 5 minutes, reducing to ¾ cup. Chill the mixture if you prefer cold cream on your hot oatmeal.

To serve, scoop one pear half and its surrounding oatmeal into a bowl, and drizzle with 1 to 2 tablespoons vanilla cream. Refrigerate leftovers until needed, up to one week, warming one portion at a time.

Batch of links

- Even though things are almost back to normal in grocery stores here, there are still occasional ingredient shortages… Did you see Smitten Kitchen’s list of meals you can make from pantry staples?

- There’s also an app to figure out what to make based on the ingredients you have on hand: SuperCook.

- An interview with Samin Nosrat about her new podcast, Home Cooking.

- Four foodies to follow on Instagram and the kitchen hacks they swear by, in Parents magazine.

- I *loved* Postcards – A Love Story (which also contains prompts for writing postcards as well as ideas for displaying the ones you receive).

- I also loved this photo series, of pictures the photographer took of her parents waving goodbye every time she left their house, over decades.

- Dr. Karen Daniels is a physicist who studies the mathematics and mechanics of knitting. As this article explains, “knitting is coding and yarn is programmable”. (This article was also good.) If you’re curious, here is her favorite pattern, the Dragon of Happiness shawl.

- Interestingly, knitting was once used by spies to encode messages.

- Knitting also has physical and emotional benefits. It can help one get over digital overload. Heck, here are 46 facts about knitting. Probably the most surprising to the general population is that knitting used to be a male activity.

- I also really enjoyed this article about Yasemin Esmek, the woman who knit the sweaters for the movie A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. It took her nine weeks to knit the six cardigans, and now I have a bunch of questions like, How many hours a day? And how much does that gig pay? (If you want to buy a machine-made one, I think these are your best bet.)

- There was also this article about Jenn Monahan, the woman who knit some pieces for 2019’s Little Women. (And while we’re at it, here’s An Oral History of the 1994 Adaptation, because I lost track of how many times I saw it.)

- This essay titled My Appetites certainly went places I didn’t expect.

- My neighbors started a Little Free Library on their driveway during confinement. My kids like to pick up or drop off a book when we walk by, and I picked up a few magazines last week. One had this article about a program in which female inmates record themselves reading a story, and the recording is then sent to their kids.

- Finally, I really enjoyed this interview with Adriene Mishler, she of Yoga with Adriene. I love her yoga practices because she is down-to-earth and mellow, and her videos are perfect for a beginner (unlike, say, this 21-day yoga challenge with which I just couldn’t keep up). She also has practices for more advanced people, but I’m still working on basics. I actually started working out on weekdays last year, and eventually moved to a steady schedule of 3 Beach Body workouts (email me if you want my coach’s coordinates) and 2 practices of Yoga with Adriene each week, during my son’s nap after lunch. The yoga was my favorite part. Sadly, since my oldest is out of school and my youngest stopped napping at the same time, I haven’t been able to work out since mid-March, but I want to make the time for Yoga with Adriene again.