Soft Chocolate Sugar Cookies

 

I made some peanut butter cup cookies with leftover Halloween candy a while back, and they happened to be vegan and gluten-free, but they didn’t impress me much. The ones that DID impress me were these soft chocolate sugar cookies. They are “drop” sugar cookies, no rolling pin or cookie cutters or icing required. As the name implies, they are soft and *intensely* chocolatey, and absolutely wonderful! The best part is that just one of these cookies really satisfied me (I don’t know about you, but I’m happier with that than with always grabbing another one off the baking sheet and still feeling like I want more). I really recommend these! 

Note that they call for both softened and melted butter, which keeps them very moist, as well as at least one hour of refrigeration. Now, I know some of you might be tempted to skip this step, but don’t! You’d end up with really flat cookies, which would be a shame. 

I got a total of 18 cookies, which I only baked a batch at a time – no more than 12 per baking sheet. 

½ cup lactose-free butter, melted 

½ cup lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

1 cup brown sugar (packed) 

½ cup granulated sugar 

2 large eggs 

1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract 

½ tsp. expresso powder (I used instant coffee) 

2 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup +2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted 

1 tsp. baking soda

 ¾ tsp. salt 

1/3 cup granulated sugar, for rolling 

In the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl with a hand mixer), beat the butters and sugars until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. 

Add in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and espresso powder, mix until combined. 

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, and salt. With mixing speed on low, gradually add the dry ingredients. Mix until a soft dough forms. 

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside. 

Using a standard size cookie scoop (I *think* mine is 3 tablespoons?), scoop dough and roll in the granulated sugar, if desired. Place on prepared sheet, then bake for 8-10 minutes (this took 10 minutes for me, with the dough straight from the fridge). The cookies should be soft in the center but set on the edges. 

Remove from the oven and allow the cookies to cool on the sheets for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Jessica Seinfeld's Turkey Chili

 

Time for another one of Jessica Seinfeld’s recipe with hidden vegetables! (See here and here for more of her recipes.) I decided to try her turkey chili. 

To me, this chili wasn’t as good as my two favorites (my mother’s beef chili and this vegan chili). I think I’m not crazy about chilis that use corn meal as a thickener, and I now question whether I even enjoy paprika. That being said, I still liked it, and the Engineer as well as the Little Prince were crazy about it. It also has some tips that could be translated to my other recipes: it’s easy to add some red bell pepper purée and some carrot purée to chili without those being detected (even by kids who don’t like bell peppers) – you could probably also get away with very finely chopping them in a food processor. I also puréed the beans into a cup of broth before adding them to the pot, and again, even though my oldest doesn’t like beans, he loved this dish! Here’s my slightly adapted version below. I also made soda bread to serve as a side. 

1 Tbsp. olive oil 

½ cup chopped red onion 

1 lb. ground lean turkey 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 pinch Korean pepper (no way am I putting 1 Tbsp. chili powder in anything!) 

1 tsp. salt 

¼ tsp. sweet paprika 

1/8 tsp. ground black pepper 

1 15-oz. can chopped tomatoes 

3 cups low-sodium chicken broth 

½ cup red bell pepper purée 

½ cup carrot purée 

¼ cup cornmeal (see note above) 

2 Tbsp. flaxseed meal 

1 15-oz. can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 

garnishes of your choosing (I used avocado, lactose-free sour cream and grated sharp cheddar) 

Coat the bottom of a large pot with cooking spray and set it over medium heat. When the pot is hot, add the oil. Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften, about 2 minutes. 

Meanwhile, sprinkle the turkey with the garlic, chili powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Add the turkey to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until the turkey is no longer pink, 5-6 minutes. 

Stir in the tomatoes. Add the broth (I held back 1 cup of broth here and puréed the beans in it with my immersion blender in the next step), red pepper purée, carrot purée, cornmeal, and flaxseed meal, and stir well. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, 15 to 20 minutes, or until the flavors have blended. Stir in the beans (puréed, if you wish) and cook a little longer, just to heat them through. 

Serve with your toppings of choice.

Une histoire de gaufres qui finit bien

Je vous dis tout de suite qu’il y a une recette à la fin, alors vous pouvez faire défiler vers le bas si vous êtes pressé d’y arriver. Sinon, il y a l’histoire de comment je me suis retrouvée avec deux gaufriers alors que je prône le minimalisme! 

J’ai fait des gaufres à l’érable, qui étaient bonnes, mais qui ne goûtaient pas l’érable. J’ai aussi fait des gaufres au blé entier et à l’avoine avec bleuets en sirop; les gaufres elles-mêmes étaient un peu molles, fades et pas sucrées, alors elles avaient vraiment besoin des bleuets en accompagnement, mais ça peut aussi être un avantage dans le sens où on aurait pu les faire salées à la place – davantage d’options. Et puis j’ai essayé les gaufres de Jackie Kennedy. Et là, ça a vraiment foiré. 

La première fois que je les ai faites, c’était un vendredi soir, et je les ai mises au frigo pour le lendemain (parce que ça ne me tente pas de fouetter des blancs d’œufs à 6h30 un samedi matin). C’était beau sur le coup, quand j’ai pris les photos, mais… Au frigo, tout a collé ensemble pour ne plus jamais se décoller! J’ai donc réessayé, en modifiant la recette pour ajouter un peu plus de farine (et un soupçon de vanille) et en lisant bien ces conseils pour obtenir des gaufres légères et croustillantes, mais c’était encore un gâchis. Les gaufres étaient vraiment molles. 

J’ai mis la faute sur le moule, qui ne m’avait jamais impressionnée et qui de toute évidence ne cuisait pas assez les gaufres. J’ai sondé mes contacts Facebook et j’ai acheté un moule à gaufres Hamilton Beach. Je l’ai testé avec des gaufres au levain, qui ont bien fonctionné. 

Mais ce moule est différent de ce à quoi je suis habituée, car on ne peut pas régler la chaleur du moule, et il n’y a pas d’avertissement quand les gaufres sont prêtes – il faut vraiment surveiller quand la vapeur arrête de sortir. (Et il y a de la condensation à l’intérieur même du gaufrier; j’ignore si c’est normal, mais le service à la clientèle ne m’a pas répondu.) En fait, c’est peut-être ça le problème de mon ancien moule : même si l’indicateur devient vert, ça ne veut pas dire que la gaufre est prête! Il faut surveiller la vapeur. Mais bon, il n’y a qu’un petit moment sans aucune émanation entre vapeur et fumée, alors je dois m’habituer. 

Et c’est là que j’ai réessayé la recette de Jackie Kennedy, dans le « bon » gaufrier. J’ai battu mes blancs d’œufs au petit matin et tout. Et j’ai dû me rendre à l’évidence que c’est juste une recette poche! L’Ingénieur les a aimées, mais je trouve qu’elles sont presque le croisement entre des gaufres et des omelettes, elles sont peu pratiques (vu les blancs d’œufs à battre tôt le matin), et bon, je m’en passerais bien. Désolée pour les Kennedy. 

J’ai donc passé un certain moment avec deux gaufriers dans ma cuisine, avant de me décider à les tester l’un contre l’autre avec cette recette de gaufres au ginger ale, en me fiant pour chacun à la vapeur plutôt qu’au voyant lumineux. Puisque le gaufrier « belge » fait quatre gaufres pendant le temps que l’autre en fait trois, et puisqu’il ne porte pas à confusion avec un voyant lumineux qui indique que c’est prêt quand ça ne l’est pas, c’est celui que j’ai décidé de garder. 

Alors là, il faut bien une nouvelle recette pour fêter ça, et j’ai fait ces gaufres à la courge et au cheddar avec bacon à l’érable de Coup de Pouce. On peut les servir nature ou avec du sirop d’érable, mais ce que je recommande le plus, c’est ce glaçage à l’érable – c’était à se rouler par terre! 

Pour les gaufres 

2 tasses de farine 

3 c. à soupe de sucre 

1 c. à soupe de poudre à pâte 

1 c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude 

½ c. à thé de sel 

¾ tasse de purée de courge musquée ou de citrouille 

¼ tasse de beurre sans lactose, fondu 

2 tasses de substitut de babeurre (2 c. à soupe de vinaigre + lait sans lactose pour faire 2 tasses) 

3 œufs 

4 oz. de fromage cheddar fort (sans lactose) râpé 

glaçage à l’érable (entièrement facultatif et tellement recommandé) ou sirop d’érable ou crème sure sans lactose 

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

Au mélangeur, bien battre la purée de courge et le beurre. Ajouter le babeurre et les œufs, et mélanger jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit lisse. Verser la préparation sur les ingrédients secs réservés, ajouter le fromage et mélanger jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit homogène, sans plus (elle sera épaisse et gonflée). 

Vaporiser d’enduit végétal un gaufrier antiadhésif préchauffé. Verser environ ½ tasse de la pâte pour chaque gaufre (ou selon la capacité de votre gaufrier). Fermer rapidement le gaufrier et cuire 5 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les gaufres soient dorées et croustillantes et qu’elles ne dégagent plus de vapeur. 

Réserver les gaufres sur une plaque de cuisson au four préchauffé à 250 °F. Cuire le reste de la pâte de la même manière. Servir les gaufres garnies du bacon à l’érable (voir ci-dessous), de crème sure, de glaçage à l’érable ou de sirop d’érable, si désiré. 

Pour le bacon à l’érable 

8 tranches de bacon 

3 c. à soupe de sirop d’érable 

Préchauffer le four à 375 °F. 

Sur une plaque de cuisson tapissée de papier aluminium, étaler les tranches de bacon et les badigeonner de sirop d’érable. Cuire dans le tiers supérieur du four de 13 à 15 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que le bacon grésille et soit doré (il a fallu un peu plus longtemps pour moi). 

Égoutter sur des essuie-tout. (Le bacon se conservera jusqu’à 5 jours au réfrigérateur ou jusqu’à 2 semaines au congélateur. Réchauffer de 30 à 60 secondes au micro-ondes, sur des essuie-tout.) C’est important de retirer le bacon de la plaque dès que possible, pour éviter qu’il y colle.

Salt-and-Pepper Pork with Crispy Rice Cakes

 

I tried a few recipes from Bon Appétit that ended up disappointing me mainly in that they were completely unremarkable. Picadillo turned out completely differently than I was expecting; the beef and ginger stir-fry was fine; the sesame-scallion chicken salad was fine; the golden fried rice that should have been bright yellow thanks to egg yolk was just as white as it normally is. 

But then I got around to making this salt-and-pepper pork with crispy rice cakes, and Bon Appétit knocked it out of the park this time! The soft Korean rice cakes, of which I had fond memories from my childhood, can be hard to find; I got mine online, but they can also be found in specialty grocery stores – fresh, shelf-stable, or frozen. I didn’t get a good sear on them, but they still lived up to my expectations! 

I’d recommend using all the scallions (instead of just the white and light green parts) and saving the dark green parts for topping the dish – it would be prettier, even though the recipe doesn’t call for it. 

The original recipe said it made 4 servings, so I doubled it to get leftovers (though I forgot the double the last 3 ingredients, which make a sauce), and it was great! Except that… what we got was 4 generous servings instead of the 8 I expected. So, the quantities that I’m giving you below serve 4, and don’t count on leftovers. I’ll have to make this again! 

16 oz. (1 lb.) Korean rice cakes 

4 Tbsp. (or more) vegetable oil 

16 oz. (1 lb.) ground pork, turkey, or chicken 

a 3-4” piece of ginger, peeled and finely chopped 

4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 

8 scallions, white and pale green parts only, thinly sliced (see note above) 

kosher salt, freshly ground pepper (I added a pinch of Korean pepper) 

4 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, cut into pieces 

2 Tbsp. soy sauce 

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 

Place rice cakes in a medium bowl and pour in cold water to cover. Let soak 10 minutes. Drain, rinse, and pat dry. 

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Add pork and cook, undisturbed, until browned underneath, about 2 minutes. Break up with a wooden spoon or a spatula and continue to cook, stirring and breaking into large pieces, until browned all over but still pink in places, about 2 minutes more. 

Add rice cakes, ginger, garlic, and half of scallions; season with salt and plenty of pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until pork is cooked through and rice cakes are browned in spots, about 4 minutes. If pan looks a bit dry at any point, pour in a little more oil. Remove pan from heat; add butter, soy sauce, and sesame oil and toss to coat. 

Transfer pork mixture to a platter and top with remaining scallions, if using.

Lussekatter

 

December 13th is Saint Lucy’s Day, so I figured this was the perfect time to share a recipe for lussekatter, which are Swedish buttermilk saffron buns typically served on that day. I’m told that the name is a combination of “lusse” for Lucy and “katter” meaning cat, because the buns apparently resemble the top of a cat’s face, with the raisins standing in for eyes. Honestly, you have to use your imagination here! (There’s also a legend that Saint Lucy tore out her eyes to give them to someone who admired them, but I don’t want to go down that path.) 

I first saw the recipe on Call Me Cupcake, where they looked absolutely delicious! I thought about making them with dried cranberries instead of raisins, but changed my mind (though currants would be good too). My kids would have preferred them without *any* dried fruit, as it turns out. I wonder what would happen with chocolate chunks instead? 

It seems that they dry out quickly, though, so any leftover buns should be promptly packed in an airtight container or frozen. Also, given that, I was afraid to bake them at the recommended 480 °F, so after consulting another recipe that baked them longer at 400 °F, I settled on the original amount of time at 450 °F. The directions below are mine and I was happy with the result, though the Engineer found them dry anyway. If this happens to you, you can always warm them up in the microwave wrapped in a moist paper towel. 

These buns are tasty and not too sweet, which makes them great for breakfast. Also, FYI, Call me Cupcake has a recipe that combines lussekatter with cinnamon buns, if you are so inclined. 

For the buns 

½ g saffron 

1 Tbsp. granulated sugar 

1 Tbsp. cognac or vodka 

25 g active dry yeast (which was about 2 Tbsp. + 1 tsp.) 

2/3 cup lactose-free buttermilk (lactose-free milk works too) 

1/3 cup + 1 ½ Tbsp. lactose-free cream or coconut milk 

1 large egg 

1/3 cup + 1 ½ Tbsp. (90 g) granulated sugar 

100 g (1 scant stick) lactose-free butter, at room temperature 

3 cups + 3 Tbsp. (450 g) all-purpose flour 

½ tsp. salt (I used Murray River salt) 

about 40 raisins 

enough glögg (mulled wine) or water to cover the raisins 

For the egg wash 

1 egg 

1 pinch of salt 

1 Tbsp. lactose-free cream or coconut milk 

Grind saffron and 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar in a pestle and mortar. Put in a small bowl and mix with cognac or vodka. This mixture can be prepared up to one month ahead for more flavor, but about 20 minutes before starting the dough works too. 

Put buttermilk and cream in a saucepan and heat until approximately 98.5 °F (37°C). In a large bowl (I used the bowl of my stand mixer), add a little of the liquid to the yeast and stir until it has dissolved, then add the rest of the liquid, the saffron mix, the egg and sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. 

Slowly add half of the flour while working the dough with the dough hook attachment. You can of course also work the dough by hand but it will take longer. Add the salt and the butter and work until incorporated into the dough. 

Add the rest of the flour (or as much as needed) and work into a very smooth dough, about 10-15 minutes on low by machine. The dough should be very elastic, smooth and sticky to the touch – if you pick up a piece and pull it apart it shouldn’t snap immediately. 

Leave the dough to rise, covered with a cloth, for 60-90 minutes or until doubled in size. (I do this in an oiled bowl that I place in the microwave with the door ajar.) 

Meanwhile, put the raisins in a bowl and cover them with glögg or water. This is done to not dry out the buns. 

Now it’s time to shape lussekatter! Divide the dough into equally large portions (I used 50 g of dough for each bun and got a total of 20 buns) and shape each bun like an “S”. The trick is to roll them out really long to make them extra swirly. Prepare two baking sheets with silpat or parchment paper. Transfer buns to baking sheets. Leave some space between them as they will rise even more. Put two raisins in each bun (as pictured). 

Cover the buns with clean kitchen towels and leave to rise for 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 450°F. 

Brush buns with egg wash. Bake for about 7-8 minutes or until golden brown, depending on the size of the buns. 

Let cool under a clean kitchen towel.

Macaronis au fromage de Ricardo

 

Je ne peux pas m’en empêcher d’essayer de nouvelles recettes pour des plats que je fais déjà. Au cours de la dernière année, j’ai essayé un macaroni au fromage aux patates douces, que j’ai trouvé moyen (l’Ingénieur a aimé ça, mais pas les enfants). Puis, il y a eu un macaroni au fromage à la courge musquée, avec oignons caramélisés, pommes et bacon, et même si ça a l’air fabuleux, je suis sortie de table en pensant que je ne voulais plus jamais en manger. Pareil pour le macaroni au fromage et au chou-fleur de Jamie Oliver, dans lequel le chou-fleur était censé disparaître mais est en fait resté aussi croquant que jamais. Puis j’ai essayé la recette de macaroni au fromage de Ricardo, en la modifiant un peu. Ça ne me convenait pas de faire cuire 12 onces de pâtes au lieu de tout le paquet de 16 onces, et les commentaires disaient que la sauce était trop liquide, alors j’ai mis tout le paquet en laissant les autres quantités telles quelles (ou enfin, j’ai rajouté 1 once de fromage cheddar). J’ai aussi remplacé le fromage mascarpone par du fromage à la crème sans lactose. Et c’était dé-li-cieux! L’Ingénieur, le Petit Prince et moi avons adoré et nous nous en sommes servi une deuxième fois; le Renard a… goûté au bacon, je pense. 

Les quantités ci-dessous sont les miennes. 

4 oz de pancetta, coupée en dés (j’ai pris du bacon) 

1 c. à thé de moutarde sèche 

1 c. à thé d’assaisonnement au chili (j’ai pris 1 pincée de piment coréen) 

3 tasses de bouillon de poulet 

2 tasses de lait sans lactose 

16 oz de macaronis (j’ai pris des trottole) 

¼ tasse (2 oz) de fromage à la crème sans lactose 

8 oz (2 tasses) de fromage cheddar orange fort râpé 

sel et poivre, au goût 

Dans une casserole ou une grande poêle profonde, à feu moyen-élevé, dorer la pancetta. Ajouter les épices et cuire 1 minute en remuant. Ajouter le bouillon et le lait. Porter à ébullition et ajouter les macaronis. Cuire à feu moyen de 15 à 18 minutes ou jusqu’à ce que les pâtes soient tendres, en remuant fréquemment. 

Hors du feu, incorporer les fromages. Poivrer. Voilà.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chocolate Sesame Frosting

 

I found this pumpkin cupcake recipe on the Soom website and it caught my eye. This was great for fall, and perhaps bridges the gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas especially well. They were a big hit with my family! The Little Prince even said that might be his favorite chocolate frosting ever. 

Based on this recipe, I’d say that if you don’t have Chocolate Soom, you can replace it with 1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp tahini plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa plus 2 Tbsp maple syrup, in addition to the other ingredients in the frosting. 

For the cupcakes 

1 2/3 cups flour 

½ cup sugar 

1 tsp. baking soda 

¾ tsp. salt 

½ tsp. cinnamon 

½ tsp. nutmeg 

¼ tsp. ground ginger 

½ cup neutral vegetable oil 

2 eggs 

1/3 cup lactose-free milk 

1 cup pumpkin purée 

For the frosting 

½ cup lactose-free butter or margarine, at room temperature 

½ cup Chocolate Soom (see note above) 

2 tsp. vanilla extract 

¼ cup cocoa powder, sifted 

2 Tbsp. lactose-free milk 

2-3 cups powdered sugar, sifted 

For the cupcakes 

Preheat the oven to 400 °F. Grease a muffin tin or use paper liners. 

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ground ginger. Set aside. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, milk, and pumpkin purée. Add to the dry ingredients and stir together until just combined. 

Fill each cavity of the pan ¾ full. Bake for 16-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool completely before frosting. 

For the frosting 

Beat together the butter and Chocolate Soom until smooth. 

Add the vanilla, cocoa powder, and milk and beat again. 

Slowly add in powdered sugar a little at a time until you get your desired consistency. 

Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.

Pain-gâteau aux deux chocolats et aux poires

 

Il s’agit de la recette en page couverture du Coup de Pouce du mois d’octobre 2020 (elle n’est pas en ligne, malheureusement). Le Petit Prince l’a vue et a déclaré qu’il voulait absolument que je la fasse, alors voilà, je l’ai faite. C’était bon, mais je le referais différemment la prochaine fois. Bien que les poires entières soient jolies, je pense que ce serait beaucoup plus pratique d’enlever le cœur avant de les mettre dans le gâteau – d’ailleurs, les parts qui n’avaient qu’un petit coin de poire étaient les plus prisés. De plus, mes poires dépassaient trop du gâteau à mon goût, alors je les choisirais plus petites la prochaine fois. Et il faut nettoyer les morceaux un peu pour qu’ils soient beaux comme sur la couverture du magazine! Notez aussi que pour faire cuire le gâteau, je l’ai d’abord laissé au four pendant 50 minutes recouvert d’un papier aluminium, puis 30 minutes à découvert; je n’osais pas le laisser au four plus longtemps, même si les poires faisaient en sorte qu’il était encore humide à certains endroits. La version ci-dessous est légèrement adaptée. 

Pour le gâteau 

2 tasses de farine 

2 c. à soupe de cacao, tamisé 

1 c. à thé de poudre à pâte 

½ c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude 

1 pincée de sel 

1 tasse de beurre sans lactose, à la température de la pièce et coupé en cubes 

¾ tasse de cassonade 

4 œufs 

3 oz. de chocolat mi-sucré fondu 

1/3 tasse de lait sans lactose 

3 petites poires Bosc, mûres mais encore fermes, parées (voir note plus haut) 

Pour la sauce crémeuse au chocolat 

1 1/3 tasse de lait de coco ou de crème sans lactose 

2 c. à soupe de beurre sans lactose 

6 oz. de chocolat mi-sucré 

 

Préchauffer le four à 350 °F. Tapisser de papier parchemin un moule à pain de 9"x5" beurré, en laissant dépasser un excédent sur deux côtés opposés. 

Dans un bol, mélanger la farine, le cacao, la poudre à pâte, le bicarbonate de soude et le sel. Réserver. 

Dans un grand bol, à l’aide d’un batteur électrique, battre le beurre et la cassonade jusqu’à ce que le mélange ait gonflé. Ajouter les œufs un à un, en battant après chaque addition. Incorporer le chocolat. En battant à faible vitesse, incorporer les ingrédients secs réservés, en alternant avec le lait, jusqu’à ce que la pâte soit homogène (la pâte sera épaisse). 

Verser la pâte dans le moule. Aligner les poires debout dans le moule, en les pressant dans la pâte. 

Cuire au four de 50 à 60 minutes (voir plus haut) ou jusqu’à ce qu’un cure-dents inséré au centre du pain en ressorte propre (au besoin, couvrir de papier aluminium pour éviter que les poires brûlent). Déposer le moule sur une grille et laisser refroidir 15 minutes. Démouler le pain sur la grille et laisser refroidir complètement. 

Pendant ce temps, faire la sauce. Faire chauffer le lait de coco avec le beurre à feu moyen, en remuant de temps à autre, jusqu’à ce que la préparation soi fumante. Retirer du feu, ajouter le chocolat et remuer jusqu’à ce qu’il ait fondu et que la sauce soit lisse. Servir tiède. (La sauce peut se conserver au réfrigérateur et se réchauffer au besoin.)

Stir-Fried Udon Noodles with Pork

 

I made these stir-fried udon noodles with pork, doubling the recipe to have leftovers, and I was surprised to realize that I had used up a whole head of cabbage that basically went unnoticed in this dish! Moreover, it was delicious, and I heartily recommend it. The original recipe says that you can make it vegetarian by using the same weight of shiitake or cremini mushrooms instead of the pork. 

The amounts below will yield about 4 servings, but as I said, feel free to double it (just be careful because your wok will be very full by the end). I’m definitely going to have to make this again!

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 

4 cups coarsely chopped green cabbage (from about ½ small head)

2 7-oz. packages instant udon noodles, flavor packets discarded 

2 tsp. toasted sesame oil 

8 oz. ground pork 

5 scallions, white and pale green parts coarsely chopped, dark green parts thinly sliced 

2 tsp. finely grated fresh ginger (from a 1-inch knob) 

1 pinch Korean pepper (or more, or red pepper flakes, to taste) 

1/3 cup mirin 

1/3 cup soy sauce 

1 Tbsp. toasted sesame seeds, plus more for serving 

Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet (I used a wok) over medium-high. Add cabbage and cook, tossing often, until edges are browned, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to low and continue to cook, tossing often, until thickest parts of cabbage leaves are tender, about 4 minutes longer. Remove from heat and set skillet aside. 

Place udon in a large heatproof bowl (or pot if you don’t have one) and cover with 6 cups boiling water. Let sit 1 minute, stirring to break up noodles, then drain in a colander. Transfer noodles back to bowl and toss with sesame oil. Transfer cabbage to bowl with noodles. Wipe out skillet. 

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in same skillet over medium-high and add pork, breaking up and spreading across surface of pan with a spatula or tongs. Cook pork, undisturbed, until underside is brown, about 3 minutes. (The pork will never brown if you’re fussing with it the whole time, so when they say “undisturbed,” that means keep your hands off it and let the heat of the pan and the pork do their thing!) When pork is browned, break up meat into small bits. Cook, tossing, just until there’s no more pink, about 1 minute. Add chopped scallions (the pale parts), ginger, and red pepper. Continue to cook, tossing often, until scallions are softened and bottom of skillet has started to brown, about 1 minute. 

Add udon mixture, mirin, and soy sauce and cook, tossing constantly, until noodles are coated in sauce (be sure to scrape bottom of skillet to dissolve any browned bits), about 45 seconds. Remove from heat and fold in 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and dark-green parts of scallions. Top with more sesame seeds before serving.

Pumpkin Donuts

 

This post is also about Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious. (I shared another recipe from it here and, while I don’t mean to turn this into a series, more are coming.) 

I made her chocolate pudding with avocado, but honestly, at this point, it’s no longer novel, nor did I find it better than other chocolate puddings I’ve made. Plus, the Fox actually eats avocado straight up, so hiding it doesn’t seem necessary. 

It’s easy to hide almost anything in chocolate, and I’ve become convinced that it’s also easy to hide orange vegetables in general. Like in these banana chocolate chip waffles from her second cookbook, Double Delicious (which I just got on a whim, at a steep discount). 

I also tried pumpkin donuts, which were great because my kids love any donut and because even though they’ve always liked orange vegetables, they seem to have conveniently forgotten that fact. (I know pumpkins are technically fruit, but you know what I mean.) Plus, these donuts felt perfect for fall.  

I find that Jessica Seinfeld puts a big emphasis on non-fat and low-fat foods in the book, and based on more recent science, I don’t make such a big deal out of it, so I’ve adapted the ingredients slightly. 

1 cup all-purpose flour, or whole-wheat pastry flour (I used white whole wheat flour) 

1 tsp. baking soda

½ tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice 

½ cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar 

½ cup canned pumpkin purée 

½ cup sweet potato purée 

½ cup lactose-free milk or buttermilk 

1 large egg white 

1 Tbsp. lactose-free butter or margarine, melted 

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract 

confectioners’ sugar, for dusting 

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Coat a doughnut mold with cooking spray. 

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

In a large bowl, beat together the brown sugar, pumpkin purée, sweet potato purée, milk, egg white, butter, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and mix until completely incorporated. 

Pour the batter into a gallon-sized plastic bag (or pastry bag if you have one!) and cut the bottom tip off of one side of the bag. Squeeze the batter through, into the doughnut mold. Bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted, 20 to 25 minutes. (The yield of this recipe is 12 donuts, and I baked all of them at the same time. If you have smaller molds or leftover batter, just bake another batch.) Turn the doughnuts out onto a rack to cool. 

When cool, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to 1 month.

Meatball Soup

 

The Fox is being a typical toddler and refusing to try many new foods (the Little Prince was less extreme than this at the same age, and he has now started at least tasting most of the food on his plate, so even if he doesn’t like dinner I’m not worried about him). I wanted to get more vegetables in the Fox’s diet, and I remembered I had Jessica Seinfeld’s Deceptively Delicious, which I hadn’t pulled out in a long, long time. 

I first want to address a common criticism of Jessica Seinfeld, one that I feel everyone makes, which is that you shouldn’t hide the vegetables from your kids because they need to actually learn to eat them. I want to make it clear the Jessica Seinfeld agrees! She has said, on multiple occasions, that hiding vegetables in food is a good short-term solution to make sure your kids eat some vegetables today, but you *must* continue to serve (visible) vegetables on the side. This will a) give your kids the opportunity to try them, again and again, and b) teach them what a balanced meal looks like. Also, many recipes have something like ½ cup or 1 cup of vegetable purée in the whole dish, so you might be getting at most 2 tablespoons of purée on your plate, which is not a whole serving of vegetables anyway. 

Now, as for this meatball soup recipe… It was originally supposed to yield 10 servings, according to the book. I don’t know in what universe half a pound of meat, 3 ounces of pasta and 3 cups of broth make 10 servings! What I did was double the recipe, though I only used 4 cups of broth (the amounts below are mine). We had enough for two family meals and we’ve even got some in the freezer (though had I planned ahead, I would only have added pasta to what I was serving right then and there, and not in the portion that was frozen). The Engineer and I really liked it; the Little Prince liked it so much that he complimented me on it; the Fox refused to taste it. 

6 oz short pasta like farfalle (I used rotini) 

1 chopped onion 

2 (28-oz.) cans whole peeled tomatoes 

½ cup carrot purée (I used jarred baby food) 

2 tsp. salt, divided 

4 cups chicken broth 

6 slices whole-wheat bread, in small cubes 

2 large eggs, lightly beaten 

½ cup lactose-free milk 

½ cup sweet potato purée 

¼ cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving 

¼ tsp. pepper 

¼ tsp. paprika 

1 lb. lean ground turkey 

 Cook pasta al dente; drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, coat pot with nonstick spray (I used oil) and cook onion until soft. 

Purée tomatoes and their juice with carrot purée; add to pot along with 1 teaspoon salt. Add broth, reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 10-15 min. 

Mix bread with egg, milk, sweet potato purée, parmesan, 1 teaspoon salt, pepper, and paprika. Let soak until soft, then add turkey and mix again. Form into mini meatballs ½ inch in diameter. 

Add the meatballs into the pot. Simmer 10-15 minutes. Stir in pasta. Serve sprinkled with parmesan.

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Chia Seed Puddings

 

I decided to make something fun but still healthy-ish for breakfast: these peanut butter chocolate chia puddings. I doubled the original recipe to have enough for a few days (quantities below are mine) and separated the ingredients for each part of the pudding because it was clearer for me, but keep in mind that the ingredients will be repeated. The Little Prince thought it was okay, the Fox refused to taste it despite the chocolate, and I liked it but thought there’s room for improvement. I felt like the peanut butter didn’t mix well with the pudding, so maybe I’d use a natural nut butter (or sun butter) instead of regular peanut butter next time, or I’d make the whole thing chocolate. I would also use less milk – you can always add more later if you want, but I’d prefer a thicker consistency, so I’d start with maybe 2 cups for the chocolate pudding and 1 cup for the peanut butter pudding. 

For the chocolate pudding 

11 Tbsp. chia seeds (= ½ cup + 3 Tbsp.) 

½ cup cocoa, sifted 

2 2/3 almond milk or lactose-free milk of choice (see note above) 

½ cup maple syrup 

2 tsp. vanilla 

½ tsp. salt 

For the peanut butter pudding 

5 Tbsp. chia seeds 

1 1/3 cup almond milk or lactose-free milk of choice (see note above) 

¼ cup peanut butter (see note above) 

2 Tbsp. maple syrup 

1 tsp. vanilla 

¼ tsp. salt 

¼ tsp. cinnamon (optional) 

To garnish (optional) 

vegan whipped cream (I liked both almond and coconut from a pressurized can) 

fruit, such as sliced bananas or raspberries 

chocolate shavings or sprinkles 

chocolate syrup 

In a medium bowl, mix the ingredients for the chocolate pudding until combined. 

In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for the peanut butter pudding until combined. 

Place both bowls in the fridge and let them sit overnight, or at least 3 hours. 

To arrange, scoop desired amount of chocolate pudding into a cup or bowl, top with a scoop of peanut butter pudding, then add another chocolate layer. Top with whatever you’d like!

Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

 

Here’s something that says “fall” to me: apple cider doughnut cake. It’s a typical loaf cake in that it’s easy to bake and keeps really well, but the apple cider reduction makes it particularly flavorful and moist. The original recipe says that you can use buttermilk instead of sour cream, and any neutral vegetable oil instead of the butter. I made this with white whole wheat flour, as always, and it was great. Note that, as evidenced by the photos, if you serve it right away, the sugar will fall off the slices a bit, but if you have the patience to wait a day, it’ll stay put. 

9 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, divided, plus more for pan 

1 ½ cups apple cider 

½ cup lactose-free sour cream 

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

1 ¼ cups plus 2 Tbsp. (172 g) all-purpose flour 

2 Tbsp. (15 g) cornstarch 

1 ¼ tsp. baking powder 

½ tsp. baking soda 

1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, plus more 

1 tsp. ground cinnamon, divided 

½ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg, divided 

2 large eggs, room temperature 

1 cup (200 g) sugar, divided 

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 325 °F. Lightly butter an 8½"x4½" or 9"x5" loaf pan. Line with parchment paper, leaving overhang on both long sides. 

Bring cider to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer until cider is reduced to ¾ cup, 8–10 minutes. Pour ¼ cup reduced cider into a small measuring glass or bowl and set aside. Transfer remaining reduced cider to a small bowl and let cool 5 minutes. Stir in sour cream and vanilla and set aside. 

Melt 8 Tbsp. butter in same saucepan (no need to clean) over low heat. Let cool slightly. 

Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, 1 tsp. Diamond Crystal or ½ tsp. Morton kosher salt, ½ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg in a medium bowl to combine. 

Vigorously whisk eggs and ¾ cup (150 g) sugar in a large bowl until pale, voluminous, and frothy, about 2 minutes. Whisking constantly, gradually add melted butter in a steady stream; continue to whisk until fully combined and emulsified (no spots of fat should remain). Reserve saucepan. 

Whisk dry ingredients into egg mixture in 3 additions, alternating with reserved sour cream mixture in 2 additions; whisk just until no lumps remain. Batter will be thin. 

Scrape into pan and set on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake cake, rotating halfway through, until deep golden brown and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 60–80 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack and poke top of cake all over with a toothpick. Spoon 3 Tbsp. reserved reduced cider over; let cool 10 minutes. 

Meanwhile, mix a big pinch of salt, remaining ¼ cup (50 g) sugar, ½ tsp. cinnamon, and ¼ tsp. nutmeg in a small bowl. Melt remaining 1 Tbsp. butter in reserved saucepan and mix into remaining 1 Tbsp. reduced cider. 

Using parchment paper, lift cake onto rack and set rack inside rimmed baking sheet. Peel away parchment from sides. Brush warm butter mixture over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle generously with sugar mixture to coat every surface (use parchment to help rotate cake and collect any excess sugar). Remove parchment and let cool completely before slicing.

Turkey Meatballs with Coconut and Lemongrass

 

Meatballs are usually a good bet with my kids. The Fox has a 50% chance of liking them, which is more than with most types of food right now, and the rest of us are typically big fans. So I made these turkey meatballs with coconut lemongrass sauce one night when I wanted something with Asian flavors that wasn’t quite an Asian dish. 

I reordered the ingredients below to match the order of the steps, because at times I wanted to pull out my hair when making this dish based on the original recipe! I increased the amount of turkey to 2 pounds to make more meatballs, and omitted the 1 ½ tablespoons of sambal olek in favor of a pinch of Korean pepper. That being said, from the way the ingredients were listed, it wasn’t obvious to me how much lemongrass and ginger were needed in total, and since the store sold lemongrass in a package of a single stalk and I figured the knob of ginger I had at home would be enough, well, I ended up not having enough. Be aware that there are similar ingredients in both the meatballs and the sauce, and make sure to write down a precise (total) amount on your grocery list! I put most of my aromatics in the meatballs and eyeballed the amounts. 

This dish was truly delicious! I served it with rice and carrot tzimmes. 

For the meatballs 

1 Tbsp. + 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided 

1/3 cup chopped shallots 

2 cloves garlic, minced 

1 stalk of lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped 

2 lbs. ground turkey 

1 ½ Tbsp. grated ginger 

1 Tbsp. soy sauce 

2 Tbsp. fish sauce (I use Red Boat) 

1 pinch Korean pepper (see note above) 

½ cup panko breadcrumbs 

3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro 

1 tsp. salt pepper, to taste 

For the coconut sauce 

2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and bruised 

3 cardamom pods, lightly cracked 

3” cinnamon stick 

1 tsp. turmeric 

1 ½” piece of ginger, peeled and cut into 3 pieces 

1 ½ tsp. coriander seeds 

1 star anise pod 

1 14.5-oz. can of coconut milk 

1 cup chicken stock 

juice of ½ lime 

salt and pepper, to taste 

lime zest and cilantro, to serve (optional) 

For the meatballs 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. 

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and lemongrass and cook for 1 minutes longer. Take the pan off the heat and set aside so that the shallot mixture can cool down a little. 

In a large bowl, put the ground turkey, ginger, soy sauce, fish sauce, Korean pepper, breadcrumbs, cilantro, salt, and pepper, along with the reserved shallot mixture. Mix with your hands or a fork or spoon until just combined. Dampen your hands and shape the mixture into meatballs. I made my meatballs roughly 1” in diameter and got a total of 48 meatballs. 

Place the meatballs on the prepared baking sheet and refrigerate for about 1 hour. This will give time for the flavors to meld and help the meatballs hold their shape as you cook them. 

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high in a large, deep skillet. When the pan is hot, add the meatballs and brown on all sides. (I did this in 2 batches and put in all the meatballs for the next step.) 

For the coconut sauce 

Add the lemongrass, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, turmeric, ginger pieces, coriander seeds, star anise, and coconut milk to the skillet; bring to a simmer. 

Slowly add the chicken stock and simmer the meatballs over medium heat for 10-12 minutes (I used a thermometer to check that they were cooked all the way through). Add the lime juice and salt and pepper, to taste. 

Garnish with lime zest and cilantro. Serve with rice or rice noodles.

Chocolate Tahini Challah Buns

 

I often like the idea of breakfast buns or rolls more than the actual execution. For example, I usually find cinnamon rolls too sweet, especially with the frosting. But I’m still trying new recipes because sometimes, it’s totally worth it. Not in the case of these raspberry rolls with maple frosting – they were too dry and dark and didn’t have enough filling, though the maple frosting was great. But then I saw these chocolate tahini challah buns on Smitten Kitchen and I was, well, smitten. 

I’m sure you could take a shortcut and use chocolate tahini instead of making a filling, but it was really delicious as is. Note also that you could make a glaze with 2 cups of powdered sugar and 3 or 4 tablespoons of orange juice, but I omitted it. There is an option to make these dairy-free, but I opted to use lactose-free dairy. They were delicious! 

For the dough 

2 large eggs 

1 large egg yolk 

¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar 

½ cup vegetable oil or melted lactose-free butter 

2/3 cup lactose-free milk or water, plus an additional tablespoon if needed 

3 ¾ cup (490 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for counter 

1 packet (7 g or 2 ¼ tsp.) instant yeast 

1 ¼ tsp. coarse or kosher salt 

For the filling and assembly 

4 oz (115 g) dark chocolate (or about ¾ cup chocolate chips) 

½ cup (1 stick) lactose-free butter or margarine 

scant ½ cup (50 g) powdered sugar, sifted 

¼ cup (20 g) cocoa powder, sifted 

¼ cup (30 g) tahini, well-stirred 

1 large egg, beaten sesame seeds (optional, I forgot them) 

For the dough 

Whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, oil and milk or water in the bottom of a stand mixer bowl. Add flour, yeast and salt and combine with dough hook until it comes together, then let machine knead it for 5 to 7 minutes. Oil a large bowl and let dough rise in it at room temperature for 2 to 2 ½ hours, until slightly shy of doubled. (If your milk and eggs were really cold, it might take 30 minutes longer.) 

Grease a 9”×13” or equivalent size baking dish, or coat it with nonstick spray. 

For the filling 

Melt butter and chocolate together until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar, cocoa and tahini; mixture should be a spreadable consistency. (This was not an issue for me, but if your filling is very thin, you can pop it in the fridge to let it thicken a bit.) 

For assembly 

On a well-floured counter, roll out dough into a rectangle about 18 inches wide (side facing you) and as far away from you (i.e. length) as it comfortably goes, usually 12 to 15 inches. Dollop chocolate mixture over and spread it smooth – this is more satisfying than you would think. Roll dough in a tight spiral. 

Cut the log very gently — it’s going to be a soft mess, so use a sharp serrated knife, or unflavored floss — into 1 ½-inch to 2-inch segments. Arrange cut side up in prepared pan. Beat egg in small bowl. Brush tops of buns and tops of sides with egg and cover with plastic wrap. You can either refrigerate overnight, along with leftover egg wash, or leave it at room temperature to proof for another 60 to 90 minutes, until puffed a bit. (If you refrigerate the buns, be sure to let them come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before baking.) 

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Brush the tops and sides with egg with egg wash again and sprinkle with sesame seeds, if using. Bake for 30 minutes, until bronzed all over and buns have an internal temperature of 190 °F. Let cool slightly before serving.

Cardigan

After I had set aside my Malabrigo Rios Yarn in Plomo while making the Adam’s Rib pattern, I decided to make another cardigan before getting back to it. I chose the Curtain Call Shrug, which is a free pattern by Lion Brand Yarn. I used Malabrigo Rios Yarn in Teal Feather and set to work. 

In the end, however, I wasn’t crazy about it. It’s knit in two identical parts sewn together vertically, so there are visible seams running down the back and on the sides, and the sleeve edges curl under because the body is in stockinette stitch. Plus, the folded-over ribbed edge doesn’t really stay in place, and yet you can’t just leave it unfolded because it wouldn’t stay in place either, so some of the sewing is visible either way. So even though I loved the color, I wasn’t sure I’d wear it. 

Then I got back to the Plomo yarn and used it for Suvi Simola’s Fold and Turn Cardigan. Here it is being transformed from rib into stockinette. 

This pattern was also very simple, but it didn’t have the problems the previous one had. It’s knit in one piece, from side to side, has some detailing down the back as well as ribbed edges that stay put, plus ribbed sleeves that fit snuggly and won’t roll over. Since I knew I might not have quite enough yarn, I decided to knit the smaller size, and I think that the fit is forgiving enough to get away with it. And still, still (woe is me!), I ran out of yarn before finishing the sleeves. The photos show it unfinished. 

So I did the only sensible thing: I frogged the teal Curtain Call cardigan that I didn’t like and used that yarn to make the Fold and Turn again, this time in the proper size. I love the result! The only downside is that I have a bit more than a skein left to feed my stash, instead of using it all up like I had hoped. (First world problems, eh?) 

At this point, I’m thinking that the only thing to do with the Plomo yarn is something sleeveless, like a vest, and I’m thinking specifically of something inspired by The Hunger Games. But that’s back at the end of the queue again while I make a few fun things.