When Ryan and I were in Edinburgh we bought a bottle of whisky. Because, you know, that’s one of the things you do (according to the guide books) when you go to Scotland. We picked out a cute shop along the Royal Mile and browsed around. I asked a woman who worked there what she recommended for people who wanted to have some whisky but aren’t regular whisky drinkers. After giving us some helpful advice she showed us a few bottles. We chose the one that she said was light, had a nice flavor, had no burn, and wasn’t too expensive. It was exactly what I wanted. 

Since then, we’ve had some – but not much because in general we aren’t big drinkers. At least, we’re not at the level of having Scotch on the rocks to unwind after a long day at the office (à la Mad Men). So we have this beautiful bottle and I wanted you use it. Mainly, I wanted to see if I could cook with it. I looked up some recipes, found some things, but everyone said don’t cook with single malt whisky because you’re just wasting it. Ugh, fine. 

Finally I stumbled onto a Scottish recipe called cranachan, which is a dessert that uses whisky but doesn’t cook it. Ideal, right? Even better, it’s so easy to make. It’s cream, oats, raspberries, whisky and just a few other ingredients. Blended all together the whisky flavor is smooth and harmonious alongside some honey and vanilla. It was so good that from now on the only way I want to have whisky is with whipped cream and sugar.

In the photos I assembled the cranachan in these cute glass espresso cups – but I also made some in regular disposable clear plastic cups. And if you did that, I think this dessert would be perfect for a barbecue. Simply assemble the cranachan ahead of time, pop them in the fridge, and then whip them out when it’s time have dessert. A sweet boozy treat for your guests, it’s simple and cooling for eating outside, and it looks cute and fun too.

This recipe is adapted from Harper’s Bazaar. The only adaptation is this: they said whip the cream until it comes to soft peaks and I didn’t do that. I totally intended to do that, but I walked away from the mixer for a minute and when I returned it was proper thick whipped cream. I didn’t have another pot of cream, so I went with it. And actually, I’m glad I did. Because after you beat the cream you’ll need to add liquid ingredients to it, which will soften the cream up a bit anyway. If the cream had been soft already, I think adding the liquid would have made everything too drippy. Making the cream thick also means that you can be a little less careful when folding in the other ingredients. All in all, I was pretty pleased that my inattention led to such great results.

Messy level: Pleasingly quick and mess free. Very few dishes are needed, nothing is sticky, and that’s just wonderful.

Cranachan

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

20 mins

 

Serves: about 6 depending on size of cup

Ingredients

• 60g/3/4 cup of oatmeal
• 200g/about 1½ cups of raspberries, divided (can be more than this amount)
• 1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
• ground black pepper, to taste
• 600ml/ 2½ cups of double cream
• 4 tablespoons of clear runny honey
• 3 tablespoons of malt whisky
• ½ vanilla pod

Instructions

1. Heat a medium sized skilled over medium heat. Toast the oats for about 5 minutes, or until they start to smell toasty and are a little bit brownish.
2. Measure out 2 tablespoons of oats to use for garnish. Set all the oats to the side to cool while you prepare everything else.
3. Put the raspberries, confectioner's sugar, and a little bit of pepper together in a small bowl. Using a fork, or a potato masher, mash up the fruit until you have a fairly smooth puree. Taste and add a little more sugar or pepper depending on your preferences. Once to your liking, set aside.
4. Put the cream in a large bowl and using a mixer (or your arm!) mix over medium speed until the cream is thick, set, and looks like whipped cream.
5. Cut open the vanilla pod. [Need help? See how to do it here} Using your knife scrape out the insides and dump them into the cream. Gently fold the vanilla into the cream.
6. Add the honey and whisky and gently fold them into the cream.
7. Add the oats to the cream and gently mix them throughout.
8. Finally, add the reserved raspberry puree. Mix it into the cream so you can a gorgeous pink ripple. Don't mix it all the way otherwise the whole thing will be pink.
9. Line the bottom of a clear cup or ramekin with the whole raspberries you set aside at the beginning. Top with your cream mixture. Alternate layers of cream and raspberries until you cup is full. Make sure the top layer has at least 1 or 2 raspberries.
10. Using the 2 tablespoons of oats you set aside at the beginning, sprinkle the oats on top of your cranachan for garnish.
11. Serve and be delighted.

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Back in March, before I went back to DC for my friend Mala’s wedding, I asked Mala if she would get me the largest jar of peanut butter she could find. I asked her in part because my friend Sarah had been impressed by the size of the peanut butter in my cupboard and I told her it was nothing compared to what I could get in the US. Also I asked because Ryan and I wanted some US peanut butter. You know, tastes like home and childhood. 

Mala went to Costco to get me the peanut butter, but in classic oversize American warehouse style she couldn’t just get one jar – she got a two pack. Look how big and gigantic those American jars are compared to what I bought at Tesco?! It’s astounding and overwhelming. I was worried they wouldn’t fit in my suitcase, although thankfully both made it back to London. Now it’s June and we’ve gone through one of those jars. Whether that’s impressive in a good way or a bad way I don’t know, but it’s the truth.

Since March, we’ve been generously eating peanut butter. We’ve had lots of pb&j sandwiches, we’ve put it on apples, and spread it on crepes with Nutella. Then the other day at work I had a craving for the flourless peanut butter cookies I wrote about when we first moved here. It was a controversial choice since it requires one cup of peanut butter – and since we’re on to the second jar it would put a significant dent in our inventory.

However, I kept day dreaming about those cookies. I had to make them. And then day dreaming turned to innovation. I thought, “you know what I love with peanut butter? Pretzels!” Pretzels with peanut butter. It’s probably my favorite snack to have after work. Sometimes right after work and before dinner gets started Ryan and I are famished and need a snack. Pretzels and peanut butter is perfect because it’s filling and the perfect combination of smooth and crunchy.

Then I my day dreaming got even better and I got extra snacky. What makes everything better? And what’s delicious with pretzels? Chocolate! There it was – the trifecta – peanut butter pretzel chocolate cookies. It might be my perfect sweet snack food. The pretzels had crunch and some salt, the dark chocolate is sweet and slightly bitter, and peanut butter is perfection. Most importantly, even with those addition this recipe is crazy easy because you need hardly any other ingredients. I just adapted the flourless cookie recipe to incorporate these add-ins.

I decide to use dark chocolate from a bar because I like the randomness in sizes and it melts really well. I’ve done it with chocolate chips and they work just fine. However, chocolate chips have more stabilizers in them, so even when baked the chips hold their shape. Chocolate cut roughly from the bar creates melty gooey-ness when the cookies come straight from the oven. Use whichever you like, either will be delicious.

Messy level: Everything is made in one bowl! It’s the cleanest recipe and so easy to make. Yes, peanut butter is sticky but it stays in the bowl. And flourless means that the flour doesn’t spill on the floor or fly in the air. So clean people! One tip though, grease your measuring cup with cooking spray before measuring the peanut butter. Do that, and the peanut butter will slide out easily.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Cookies

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

13 mins

Total time

18 mins

 

Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 1 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• ¼-1/3 cup crushed hard pretzels
• ¼ cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F/180°C.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl mix together the peanut butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla extract until smooth and combined.
4. Stir in the crushed pretzels and dark chocolate until mix throughout
5. Take about 1-2 tablespoons of dough and form into a ball. Put the ball on the prepared baking sheet. Then, flatten the ball slightly.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-13 minutes or until just slightly darker on the edge.
7. Let cool. Then serve, preferably with milk.

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Recently I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time thinking about eating outside. I’ve thought about having a birthday party picnic next month, I’ve reminisced about steak and pepper kabobs Ryan used to make on the grill, I’ve pined for chili cheese dogs at a Nats baseball game, and I’ve wished for a Leinenkugel summer shandy. The weather is nice, the sun has been out, and all I want to do is eat outside. Last week my friends and I sat outside at a pizzeria and in Greenwich we had a mini picnic, but still I want more summer flavor.

Maybe because it’s Memorial Day in the US, and a bank holiday here in the UK, and people everywhere are outside enjoying a good meal – all I want to do is immerse myself in summer. In short, it’s the perfect time to be thinking about summertime foods and drinks. One recipe that is perfect for the season is an Arnold Palmer. Sure, sometime soon Ryan and I are going to buy one of these disposable barbecues, head to the park, and cook up some burgers and hot dogs – but until then this drink is going to bring summer inside to my flat. Because look at it, this drink just looks like liquid sunshine.

Half lemonade and half iced tea, and named after the golfer Arnold Palmer, this is the perfect drink refreshing and delicious drink to cool down in the summer time. (You can see the fantastic Sports Center commercial with Arnold Palmer making one here) I always get excited when I see an Arnold Palmer on a menu or when I can buy a bottle of it in the store. It’s simply fantastic, perfect for summer, and I can’t believe it took me so long to make it.

Especially because, it’s so easy and inexpensive. You need four things: black tea, lemons, sugar, and water. I imagine in the US you’d use Lipton tea bags, but I used English breakfast. I think use whatever straightforward black tea you like best. The other you’ll need to do is make simple syrup. All that is, is sugar and water heated up so the sugar dissolves. This is an important step! Sugar doesn’t dissolve in cold liquids, so if you dump sugar straight in then your going to have some tart sips and some crunchy sugar sips. So peopple don’t wait! Get your pitcher, make a batch, and invite some friends over to sit outside, chat about nothing, and enjoy being outside. And if you’re having a barbecue, invite me over!

Adapted from Food Network.

Messy level: This is two spoons only because you’ll might need a few different vessels as you prepare you tea, lemons, and simple syrup. Overall though, so easy and not messy at all.

Arnold Palmer (Half Lemonade - Half Iced Tea)

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

7 mins

Total time

12 mins

 

Serves: 6 cups

Ingredients

• 2-3 black tea bags (use more tea bags if you like a stronger flavor)
• 1 cup lemon juice (4-6 lemons)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 cups water, divided
• lemon wedges, optional for garnish

Instructions

1. Put 2-3 tea bags in a heat-safe pitcher or bowl.
2. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Once boiling pour the water over the tea bags. Let the tea steep for 5 minutes.
3. Remove the tea bags and set the tea aside to cool.
4. If you haven't already, juice the lemons. Add the lemon juice to the cooling tea.
5. In a small saucepan combine the sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat gently until the sugar has dissolved, stir occasionally.
6. Once the sugar has dissolved, you now have simple syrup. Add it to the Arnold Palmer mixture. You can add less than the whole cup if you don't want it as sweet.
7. Add the final one cup of water to the Arnold Palmer. Taste. Add more water if you find it too sweet or too tart. Make more simple syrup if you'd like it sweeter.
8. Put in the refrigerator to cool completely.
9. Once cool, serve in a glass over ice. If you like, dd a wedge of lemon for garnish.

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Everyone, I’m so excited! My friend Charlotte is visiting!! She’s in London, ya’ll. She’s the first friend to visit us this year. I’ve taken two days off of work and am so excited to catch up and do some site seeing with her and her husband Craig. I’m going to visit places I haven’t seen before, revisit some old favorites, and hopefully have lots of new stories to share in future Tourist Tuesday posts. So, as you might be able to tell, I’m really excited to have a long weekend off here in London. To celebrate her arrival, I wanted to make something delicious – and I knew Malted Chocolate Nougat would be just the recipe to try. 

Once upon a time Charlotte lived in the UK, and before I moved here she gave me some advice and most importantly, recommendations about foods to try. She recommended Hula Hoops, which are a sort of crazy shaped potato snack. And she recommended Maltesers, which are spherical sweets with a malted honeycomb center and a chocolate cover (sort of like a Whopper, but these are better). Maltesers are the snack I sometimes buy for lunch, they are the treat I send to Charlotte, and they are overall flipping delicious.

And today’s recipe prominently features Maltesers and therefore is the perfect treat to welcome Charlotte to London. If you don’t have Maltesers, use Whoppers or whatever candy equivalent you have. I got this recipe from Sweets Made Simple, a cookbook that not only has interesting recipes for candy (like lime & chili kisses and maple bacon lolly pops) but also for things like fruit leather. The book also makes me believe I can do difficult/scary things like make my own caramel and pour hot sugar syrup without burning myself.

What I’ve learned from this book is that making sweets takes precision – so you are pretty much required to get a candy thermometer. If that puts you off, don’t let it because you can buy one from Amazon for less than a tenner. Also, making sweets can take attention. For a recipe like this you have to be nearby watching to make sure the sugar doesn’t burn and the eggs don’t become over beaten. Finally a stand mixer or a lovely assistant is going to make this recipe less stressful. The mixer needs to be running sometimes while you’re doing something else. Sure, you might be able to keep one eye on the stove and one eye on the mixer, but when you have to work fast that can lead to frustration, mess, and burnt food.

So, this is not a beginner recipe as it requires some kit and some comfort in the kitchen, but it is worth doing. The actual “work” part takes less than 30 minutes and in the end you will have delicious, fluffy, sticky nougat. It’s delicious and sweet, although it does feel like maybe you should visit the dentist afterward.  Partway through making it, this will smell like the most perfect fresh marshmallows, which is wonderful, but in the end it’s denser and chocolatey like nougat. In short, it tastes like malted chocolate but has the texture of the inside of the Three Musketeers bar. With a sprinkling of Maltesers on top, it’s got the perfect amount of crunch.  Sounds glorious, no?

Recipe from Sweets Made Simple cookbook.

Messy level: Technically you don’t use that many dishes so it’s not that messy. However, this is the most important tip I can give you – clean your sugar pan AS SOON AS YOU FINISH, literally while it is still hot. If you let that sugar cool it will be rock hard and stuck. I have one tiny dot of hardened sugar on my mixer and I cannot scrape it off. If you do wait to clean, just put a little water in your pans and then heat them really hot to melt the sugar again. Seriously though, save yourself the work and try to scrape out and clean your sugar pans quickly.

Malted Chocolate Nougat

 

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Prep time

8 hours

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

8 hours 30 mins

 

Serves: 16

Ingredients

• vegetable oil
• 400g/14oz/ 2 cups sugar
• 100ml/3½ fl oz/ ¼ cup clear honey
• 210 ml/7oz/ ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons liquid glucose
• 2 tablespoons cold water
• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 50g/2oz dark chocolate, melted and cooled
• 40g/1½ oz/3.5 tablespoons chocolate malt powder
• pinch salt
• 75g/3oz/a big handful of chocolate-coated honeycomb balls like Maltesers or Whoppers

Instructions

1. Prep notes: Before you get started, measure out the egg whites and let them come to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes before starting the rest). Also if you're using a chocolate bar and need to melt it, do this first. Cut the chocolate bar in little pieces. Put in a bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds, stir and continue this until you have completely melted chocolate. Set aside to cool down.
2. Line a 8x8" square tin with tin foil. Lightly brush the bottom with vegetable oil. Then line the bottom with a square of rice or parchment paper.
3. In a large heavy bottomed pan, stir together the sugar, honey, liquid glucose, and cold water. Heat on a medium-low heat to dissolve the sugar.
4. Once the sugar is dissolve put your candy thermometer in the pan. Bring the sugar mixture to boil and allow to bubble until the temperature reaches 125°C/257°F.
5. Meanwhile, while you're waiting for the sugar to come to temperature, put your egg whites in the bowl of a mixer. Turn the mixer on medium-high and whisk until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to over beat. If you don't know what stiff peaks looks like, check out these pictures.
6. When the sugar syrup comes to temperature you will have to work quickly. Make sure the mixer is now on low. Take the thermometer out of the pan. Pour half of the sugar syrup from the pan into the egg whites. (This is when it will smell nice)
7. Keep the mixer running and let the egg whites and sugar syrup continue to mix.
8. Return the pan with half the sugar syrup back to the stove. Heat the syrup until it reaches 157°C/315°F. The syrup will become a dark caramel color.
9. Once it come to temperature, slowly pour it into the stand mixer. It will foam up a bit. Turn the mixer up to medium and mix everything for a few minutes (about 3-4 minutes). The mixture will thin down a bit.
10. Now add in the melted chocolate, malt powder, and salt. Mix until incorporated and everything is a nice light brown.
11. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin. Scatter half of your honeycomb balls over the top. Cut the other half, into halves and press those in around the full honeycomb balls.
12. Cool and leave to set overnight. Have some for breakfast because you deserve it.

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Kim is actually someone I credit with helping me learn to cook. Five years ago when I moved to New York I was sad to leave my friends, but one of the ways we kept in touch was through a food blog that Kim ran. You can check it out here. Five of us were contributors and in the about section it says “we can’t cook, but we are gonna damn well try.” All of us had talked about wanting to cook and learn more, and the blog was a way for us to do it together. Kim would choose a theme and we’d all cook to the theme, share some stories, the recipe, and photos. It pushed us to try new things in the kitchen, help each other learn, and for me stay involved with them even though I was states away. When that blog stopped, it pushed me to start Cooking is Messy. 

I like that good food can be a way to connect with people. This recipe in particular is really nice, but the first time I made it Ryan said, “smells good, tastes good, doesn’t look good.” I asked him why and it was because I made it with white rice. It was white chicken, on white rice, on a white place. He was right, it looked bland and not very inviting. Which brings me to something I’ve thought about a lot – what’s more important taste or appearance? I always want to say taste because if food doesn’t taste good then what is the point? However, if it looks bad you won’t even want to eat it so you won’t want to taste it. For example, one of the best things I’ve ever tasted is Jacques Pepin’s French onion soup but the photos I took of it are hideous. How will people know it’s amazing if it looks bad? What do you think – taste or appearance? Feel free to weigh in in the comments.

So to improve, the next time I made this I used red camargue and wild rice, which I had never tried before. The rice is chewier and nuttier than regular white rice. It also of course adds nice color and helps the green basil pop.

Overall this recipe is pretty easy to make, which just a few elements that might be unfamiliar. First, it includes oyster and fish sauces, which are ingredients I’ve never used before. However, if you like cooking Asian dishes it’s probably a worthwhile investment and they aren’t so expensive to buy. Also I really liked the flavors. Something I did final unusual is that this recipe asks you to blitz the chicken in a food processor. This is nice because it decreases cooking time, but it’s just not something I thought about doing before. If you could find ground chicken then you could probably skip this step. What’s best about this recipe is that the final dish ends up with all the flavors – sweet, bitter, spicy, umami. It’s really lovely and complex. Basically, the flavors are doing a ton but it doesn’t require a lot of work from you to get all that deliciousness.

Messy level: So much of the prep is done in the food processor that this makes the cooking part really easy and mess free. However, I hate cleaning all the parts of the food processor and since you’re pulsing raw chicken, you really are going to have to do some serious scrubbing in the end.

Basil Thai Chicken

 

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Serves: 2

Ingredients

• 1 cup of rice (whatever kind you prefer)
• 2-3 cups water
• 1 cup fresh basil, divided
• 2 green or red Thai chiles, or 2 serrano chiles, or 1 jalapeno; stemmed and seeds removed
• 1 garlic clove, peeled
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1½ teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1½ teaspoon sugar
• ½ teaspoon white vinegar
• 8oz boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2 inches chunks
• 1 shallot, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. Read package instructions for rice and follow those guidelines. White rice usually needs twice as much water as rice. Red rice needs about three times as much water as rice. So, in a medium saucepan add rice and water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the water is absorbed.
2. In a food processor, pulse ½ cup basil with chiles and garlic. Pulse until finely chopped, about 10-12 pulses.
3. Transfer 1½ teaspoons of the basil mix into a small bowl. Scrape the rest of the basil into a large skillet. Set the skillet aside. (Don't put the food processor in the sink, you'll need it again!)
4. Return to the small bowl with the 1½ teaspoons of basil mixture. Add the fish sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and vinegar. Mix until well combined. Set the sauce aside.
5. Add the chicken pieces to the food processor. Pulse until meat is chopped into small pieces, about 6-10 pulses.
6. Take the food processor bowl with the chicken in it and put it in the fridge for 15 minutes.
7. Meanwhile, add the shallot and oil to the skillet with the basil mixture. Stir until everything is well mixed. Turn the heat to medium and stir occasionally. You want the mixture to be sizzling. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the shallots are browning and soft.
8. Add the chicken to the skillet. Increase the heat if needed. Stir and break up the chicken with a wooden spoon. After 4-6 minutes, when there are only traces of pink, add the basil-fish sauce mixture.
9. Stir until all the chicken is coated with the sauce. Cook until the chicken is no longer pink, about 2 more minutes
10. Turn off the heat, then add the last ½ cup of basil. Stir until the basil is wilted.
11. Serve chicken on top of the rice. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

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On Sunday it’s Easter. But later in the day Mad Men returns with the final episodes of the series. Woot woot! I’m excited to see where the show will go with these final episodes. I can easily see it ending simply with Don Draper sitting in a chair smoking (like in the opening credits) or I can see it going down totally dramatically with big reveals, deaths, and jail. Who knows! Anyway, today’s recipe celebrates the drama, the style, and the boozing of this wonderful show with a twist on Don Draper’s favorite cocktail, the Old Fashioned. 

I think Don Draper is an incredible character. He is charismatic, mysterious, and suave. He’s sexy, smart, and he does whatever the hell he wants. But at the same time, he is such a jerk. He’s sometimes selfish, a drunk, a cheater, and he’s tormented by his past. With all of those traits put together, I’m mesmerized by him. I like him, I hate him, I root for him, and I just can’t stop watching him. I need to know what happens next.

However, before getting to the recipe, I have to say Mad Men is not all about Don. The show is full of memorable moments and the cast has some incredible characters – and the women especially are the best. Betty, while not always likable, is one of my fashion favorites. I love her fit and flare dresses and pearl earrings. I aspire to her style. I especially love that she dressed like a sweet, ladylike housewife when in reality she can be cold and ruthless. Peggy’s transformation over the course of the show has been amazing. She starts off all bright eyed with her bouncy ponytail and now she owns a building, has clawed her way up the corporate ladder, and she doesn’t let anything stand in her way. But my favorite bad ass is Joan. She has curves for days, clear opinions on everything, and doesn’t stand for people’s nonsense. All of them smart and awesome in their own way. I want to be a little bit like all of them and I can’t wait to see what happens to them in the final episodes.

Photo from the Gloss

Anyway, you can’t talk about Mad Men without talking about cocktails. There has been all kinds of noteworthy drinks throughout Mad Men, but Don Draper’s favorite cocktail is an Old Fashioned. This is where liquor aficionados are going to disagree with me, but here’s what I know about an Old Fashioned: it has bourbon or whiskey, bitters, a bit of sugar, an orange slice, a maraschino cherry, and a lemon peel or slice. I decided to take those flavors and turn them into a boozy dark chocolate Old Fashioned Cocktail truffle. For me, this is the perfect way to channel my inner Don Draper while enjoying the show.

In preparing this recipe, I did some research about the differences between bourbon and whiskey – and then which one would most be used in an Old Fashioned, and then on top of that what brand would Don Draper drink. I came up with no conclusive results. I found out Don Draper’s favorite whiskey is Canadian Club – but that it’s not necessarily in an Old Fashioned. I found people saying to use Jim Beam, Jack Daniel’s, and Maker’s Mark – but then I also found people arguing against each of these liquors. So I asked myself, what would Don Draper do? The answer: whatever he wanted. So I like Jack Daniel’s (because Ryan and I once went to the distillery), so I bought Jack Daniel’s. I’m sorry if that makes you gasp with horror. When you make these, use the type of whiskey or bourbon that you like best.

Fair warning, these truffles are fruitier than an Old Fashioned would be. They taste largely of dark chocolate and orange, with just a hint of cherry flavor, and a finishing kick from the liquor. I used minimal lemon zest in the actual recipe. I just sprinkled a bit in the mix and then put some on my fingers before I rolled the chocolate into balls. This gave it a little bit of a lemony hint without being too much lemon. If you like more lemon then substitute it for some of the orange zest. Like regular cocktails, you can alter this a bit to suit your taste.

So, on Sunday, comb your hair back, put on your 1960’s best, and enjoy the final episodes of Mad Men with this chocolaty treat.

Messy level: Surprisingly messy recipe. Mostly this is easy and straightforward, but when you make the chocolate balls, the chocolate melts in your hand and you will be absolutely covered. There are worse problems than having chocolate covered hands, but it does make it hard to turn on the sink when you want to wash up.

Old Fashioned Cocktail Truffles

 

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Prep time

8 hours 30 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

8 hours 45 mins

 

A boozy dark chocolate truffle inspired by the Old Fashioned Cocktail

Serves: 24

Ingredients

• 4oz/100g dark chocolate, broken into small chunks
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• ¼ cup/50 g butter, cut into cubes
• 2 teaspoons cherry juice (I used juice from the maraschino cherry jar)
• ½ teaspoon orange zest
• sprinkle lemon zest
• 2-3 tablespoons bourbon or whiskey of your choice
• cocoa powder

Instructions

1. In a small saucepan bring about 2 inches of water to a simmer.
2. Place the chocolate and heavy cream into a heat proof bowl. Pop the bowl on top of the pan with simmering water. Make sure the water isn't touching the bottom of the bowl.
3. Heat the chocolate until melted. Mix until everything is smooth and melted.
4. Remove the bowl from the heat and add in the butter. Stir until it is smooth, shiny, and the butter is melted.
5. Now whisk in the orange zest, cherry juice, liquor and lemon zest. Don't worry about a ton of lemon zest, just grate the lemon a few times over the bowl. Whisk until everything is combined.
6. Transfer the chocolate mixture to a food storage container with a lid. Pop that into the fridge and chill overnight.
7. Once chilled, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
8. Remove the chocolate from the fridge. Using a teaspoon, scoop out bits of chocolate. Use your hands to roll the chocolate into balls. (If you want more lemon flavor, zest some more lemons and rub your hands in it before rolling the chocolate. The lemon oils will get on your hands then onto the chocolate)
9. Place the chocolate balls on the lined baking sheet. Put the baking sheet in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
10. Sift a bit of cocoa powder into a bowl. Sifting is important to remove big clumps. Roll the chocolate balls into the cocoa.
11. Serve on a plate with napkins in front of the television. Eat - but not too much or you'll be tipsy

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This past Saturday Ryan and I had my friend Sarah and her boyfriend Ben over for dinner. Since moving here, it was only the second time we’d had people over for dinner, so I was a little nervous. I cleaned the whole flat and planned a menu that I knew how to make. And this is an important tip: you’ll be a better dinner party host if you make dishes you’ve made before. Seriously, don’t make something for the first time when you’re having people over. If you know what you’re doing, you’ll be more confident, less stressed, and you’ll know your guests will like the food. I decided to serve a salad, steamed broccoli, and baked rigatoni. Not fancy, but tasty and allows for big portions.

Since such a big pasta bake can be really heavy, I decided I wanted dessert to be a fruit tart. I decided to try out passion fruit because it would be silky and light. I’ve also never made anything with passion fruit before, so I was curious about using it. And, I was good and did take my own advice. A few days before my dinner party I decided to do a dry run and make a practice passion fruit tart. 

I went to the store and bought a dozen passion fruits. They are such a gorgeous fruit! A beautiful deep purple on the outside, a slight hint of magenta on the outer edge, and vibrant marigold flesh. The problem though with passion fruits, is they are kind of small and have lots of seeds. If you were having a passion fruit straight you can eat the seeds, but for a tart I wanted a clean puree.

So I scooped out the flesh and did my best to strain, press, and pick out all of the seeds. It was exhausting work and took me close to an hour, and still a few seeds got into the tart. It was also really messy and my hands and counter were all sticky. This leads me to my my second piece of advice: buy passion fruit puree from the store. It has got to be less expensive and will be way easier. Save yourself the headache.

This tart is absolutely delicious. It’s tart and juicy, with just a whisper of creaminess. The texture is smooth and luscious. My favorite part though might have been the pastry crust. I’m not usually that into crust, but this pastry was sweet, crumbly, and buttery. Overall, it felt a little decadent without being heavy.

But, if I’m being honest, I have to tell you the rest of the story. It took so much work to create my own passion fruit puree that I was put off from making this recipe again. I didn’t have the time to go to the store to buy puree, so I decided on the day of the party to make a lemon tart instead. I made the same pastry for my lemon tart and that came out perfectly. But I curdled the lemon curd and for some reason I decided maybe baking it would help heal my ruined tart. It didn’t help at all. The tart came out looking really gross and unappetizing. I ended up sending Ryan, one hour before our friends arrived, to the store one hour to buy something for dessert. So you see? My advice is important. Don’t make something new the day of a dinner party. Practice is really important! It helps you know how much work is ahead of you and it will give you confidence. Most importantly, you won’t have to run to the shop.

Adapted from Butter Baking.

Messy level: If you make the passion fruit puree, this is a super messy recipe. But, if you buy the puree it’s not so bad. The pastry has a lot of butter, which means it will stick to your counter a bit as you roll it out and it can be a bit crumbly – but it’s nothing to really worry about. You might end up with crumbs and bits of sugar on your counter, but it’s truly an easy clean up.

Passion Fruit Tart

 

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Cook time

25 mins

Total time

25 mins

 

Original recipe was written in grams. I've done my best to convert the measurements to cups, but they might not be perfect translations.

Author: Butter Baking

Serves: 8

Ingredients

pastry

• 175g/12½ tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 100g/1 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted
• pinch salt
• 1 egg yolk
• 250g/ 2½ cups plain flour

Passion fruit filling:

• 150ml/ ½ cup heavy cream
• 105g/ ½ cup caster (superfine) sugar
• 5 eggs
• 165g/ slightly more than ¾ cup passion fruit puree

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, cream the butter, confectioner's sugar and salt with an electric mixer. Mix until light and free of lumps. It is imperative that you sift the confectioner's sugar. I know it's annoying, but this will help make sure everything is smooth.
2. Add the egg to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat until combined. Scrape down the sides as necessary.
3. Add in the flour and mix until just incorporated.
4. Once everything is mixed, use your hands to gather the dough together. When it's in the bowl, it might look a little crumbly, but it will press together. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate 2 - 3 hours.
5. Once the pastry has rested, remove it from the fridge and well grease a 10 inch tart tin with butter.
6. Put the pastry in between two sheets of parchment paper. Using a rolling pen, roll out the pastry until it is thin, or about 1/16" thick. (You can do this straight on the counter, but using the parchment means you help prevent sticking)
7. Remove one piece of parchment paper. Flip your rolled out dough over and place it dough-side down on the tart tin. Remove the other piece of parchment paper. Press the dough it into the sides and crevices of the case. It's ok if you leave some over hang at this stage.
8. Place the tart shell in the fridge for 20 minutes and preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C.
9. Once it has rested again, line your tart shell with baking paper and fill with pie weights, dry beans, or rice. This is done so when you pre-bake it, the tart won't puff up too much.
10. Place the tart tin on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Then remove the weights/beans/rice and cook for another 5 minutes.
11. As the pastry is baking, make your filling. In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, sugar, eggs and passion fruit puree.
12. Once the pastry is done blind baking, slide the tray out slightly, but not all the way, from the oven. While it's all still in the oven, pour the passion fruit mixture into the pastry, filling it right up to the top. You're doing this while it's in the oven so that you don't spill!
13. Bake for 20- 25 minutes, until just set in the center.
14. Allow to cool slightly. Cut off any excess pastry that might be hanging off the edges. This will give you a clean look. Then put the tart in the fridge to cool completely. It tastes best when it's cold!

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When people find out I like to cook and that I write a blog they always ask me what is my favorite thing to cook. And I’m super eloquent and say things like, “um..erm…well… I don’t really know.” Super helpful, right? But when I really think about it, my favorite thing to make is cookies. I love that it’s a bunch of ingredients, and many of them you wouldn’t eat as they are, like flour, eggs, and baking soda; but then all together those ingredients become something delicious. I like that there are fancy looking cookies and simple drop cookies. And don’t get me started on cookie cutters. I would amass an even larger collection if I had the space.

Today’s cookies I really like because they are simple to make and have a really cool crackle look. And the best part is you don’t have to do a lot of work to acheive it. Seriously. You let science and baking do the work for you. In the interest of full disclosure, these cookies were supposed to be red velvet, but as you can see from the pictures they are more brown than red. The cookies didn’t end up red because I followed the recipe too closely and ignored my better judgement. In general, recipes are helpful, but sometimes your eye can tell you something is wrong even if the paper is saying it should be fine. I think most of the time, listen to your eye. That’s a weird sentence, and I hope you know what I mean.

Here’s where I think I lost the red color: first, I bought fancy eggs and their yolks were the deepest, most golden orange I had ever seen. These are the eggs that Brooklyn hipsters, organic farmers, and pro-locavore movement books tell you about. I’m only sorry I didn’t take a picture of how gorgeous the eggs were. Anyway, the recipe called for mixing 1 1/2 teaspoons of food coloring into the egg mixture. I did, and it looked decidedly maroon. I thought the dark eggs may have led to a dark color. But, no matter, I was going to add the flour and lighten things up.

Only, that was a dumb thought because the white flour was mixed with brown cocoa powder, which only made the whole thing darker. Now I was panicked, because it was clear this wasn’t going to be brilliant red like the magazine picture. So I tried throwing on a little more food coloring, but by the time the flour is in the batter, the whole thing is getting thick, and it’s much harder to mix in a liquid. In the end, I think my cookies achieved the burgundy color that only seems to appear in a men’s dress shoe. Appetizing, I know, but I do think that color is nice and special in its own way.

Don’t let my color mistakes dissuade you, these cookies are worth it at any color. They are impossibly moist and cake-like in consistency. The were so delicious I ate three as I was taking pictures of them and then two I was done. If you can get them to be bright red, I think they would be an amazing Valentine’s Day treat.

Adapted, ever so slightly, from Food Network Magazine, December 2014.

Messy level: Two spoons. Like most cookies, you need two bowls, some mixing utensils, and cookie sheets. You will need a third bowl for confectioner’s sugar so you can roll ball of dough in it. That’s the messy part because no matter how careful you are, you’re likely to inhale a confectioner’s sugar cloud.

Crackle Cookies

 

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Prep time

1 hour 20 mins

Cook time

18 mins

Total time

1 hour 38 mins

 

Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 2 oz white chocolate chips
• 1¼ cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• red food coloring
• ¾ cup granulated sugar (in the UK I use caster sugar)
• 1 cup confectioner's sugar (you might not need this much)

Instructions

1. Put white chocolate in a small microwaveable bowl. Microwave for 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until smooth. This took me 60 seconds.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, vegetable oil, and food coloring. Start with 1½ teaspoons of food coloring and add more until you have the color you like.
4. Whisk the white chocolate and sugar into the egg mixture until smooth.
5. Stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until it is smooth.
6. Transfer the batter to a large square of plastic wrap. Wrap it all up and pat it into a rectangle. Make sure it is tightly wrapped, then put it in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or up until over night.
7. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 300°F/150°C.
8. Put the confectioner's sugar in a bowl. Start with ½ a cup, then add more as needed so you aren't wasting.
9. Roll tablespoon size pieces of dough into a ball. Dip them in the confectioners sugar and coat completely.
10. Flatten the balls slightly, then dip them in the confectioner's sugar again.
11. Arrange the cookies 2 inches apart on your prepared sheet. Note: If you're going to bake 2 sheets at a time, swap the cookie sheets between top an bottom halfway through baking.
12. Bake for 16-18 minutes, or until the cookies are puffed a bit and firm.
13. Let cool, then stuff your face.

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Since returning back to London from the holidays in Colorado and Connecticut, I’ve been on a bit of a healthy eating kick. I would say I’ve been doing a good job – in part because when my groceries were delivered, the guy said, “you ordered a lot of vegetables.” So if he’s impressed with the amount of veg I’ve been eating, I must be eating a lot. But even so, I just can’t resist desserts because they are my favorite thing to eat and make.

While I was in the US my DVR recorded all of season 4 of the Great British Bake Off. That means when I got home, I indulged in watching so many beautiful cakes, pies, cookies, being made. The show always inspires me to get in the kitchen and bake. One of the things I like best about Bake Off is the segment they do on historical and traditional British baked goods. I was particularly won over by the bit they did on Tottenham Cake. 

This cake was invented by Quakers who lived in Tottenham, in north London. One of the dorkiest things I might ever say, is that I’m in to Quakers. Growing up I went to a Friends School (a Quaker school) for 11 years. I’m not a Quaker, I’m not even religious, but the experience has stuck with me. As a kid, sitting in silence during Meeting (the Quaker religious ceremony) was really challenging, but as a teenager stressed about friends, boys, and college it was nice to have a place for quiet reflection. Quakers also value simplicity and equality. I find that simplicity has stuck with me somewhat when it comes to my wardrobe. In school the dress code meant to reflect simplicity, and didn’t allow us to wear a number of things, but what I remember most is that we couldn’t wear shirts with pictures on the front or crazy patterns. To this day, the majority of my shirts are solid colored. I have a Star Wars shirts and a few Washington Nationals shirts, but beyond that I always shop for solids.

Anyway, I have a soft spot for Quakerism. In some ways, Tottenham cake reflects Quaker values of simplicity and equality. The cake requires just five ingredients to make and the icing needs only two. It’s a really straightforward recipe with ingredients that everyone has. Also, it is meant to show equality. As a tray bake it is easy to cut up lots of pieces so everyone can have one. Originally, the bakers sold this cake for 1 penny and off-cuts for half that. The cake would have been available to pretty much anyone.

The pink icing is what makes Tottenham cake. Originally the pink was made from mulberries that were picked just outside the bakery. I’m not sure I’ve ever even seen a mulberry, or mulberry juice, so today people use pink food coloring or black currant juice. I found black currant juice easily here in the UK, but in the US I’m not sure that would be so easy. I bet you could use any similar dark red colored juice if you want that hint of berry flavor.

If you’re like me and thinking of breaking your health kick, then this cake might be right for you. It’s easy to make and will give your sugar fix. Then, it’s perfect to take around to friends or coworkers so you don’t eat it all yourself.

Adapted, just slightly, from Bake With Me Blog.

Messy level: Two spoons. I think most cakes are three spoon recipes at least because you ordinarily need two bowls and there’s so much flour that gets everywhere! For this, you’ll need two bowls, one for the cake and one of the icing, and your baking tray. Easy! Also the icing isn’t too messy because you’re only doing the top of the cake.

Tottenham Cake

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

45 mins

 

Author: Bake With Me Blog

Serves: 12

Ingredients

Cake

• 6 oz/150g/12 tablespoons of softened unsalted butter
• 6 oz/150g/ ¾ cup caster sugar (in the US just use granulated)
• 6 oz/150g/ 1½ cups self-rising flour
• 3 eggs
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Icing

• 5oz/125g/1 heaping cup confectioners sugar
• 30 ml/ 5 teaspoons, water/black currant juice
• pink food coloring (only needed if you use water instead of juice)

Instructions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350º/180ºC.
2. Line an 8"x8" square tin with parchment paper, then grease that with a bit of butter.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer on high, cream together the butter and sugar until it becomes a light and fluffy. This takes about 2 minutes, but you may need to clear your beaters intermittently to make sure everything gets mixed.
4. Add the vanilla extract to the butter mixture. Mix until combined.
5. Turn your mixer to low or medium-low and beat in the eggs, one at a time.
6. Once the eggs are mixed, turn the mixer to low and add in the flour all at once. Mix until just combined. It's ok if you have a few lumps!
7. Pour the batter into your prepared tin. Bake in the middle of the oven for 25-30 minutes. The cake is done with you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
8. Let the cake cool.
9. While the cake is cooling prepare the icing. In a medium bowl, add the confectioners sugar. One teaspoon at a time add the blackcurrant juice or water and just a bit of food coloring. Mix in between each teaspoon. Keep adding liquid until your icing looks like proper frosting and is thick enough to spread but not so thick it would rip up the cake when you spread it on. (Note: you may not need all the liquid or you may need more, just mix until it feels right to you. If it gets to drippy, then add more sugar)
10. Let the icing sit for a minute it will harden and get shiny.
11. Cut the cake into squares and serve.

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Do you know what a sugar plum is? And if you do know what it is, have you ever had one? My knowledge of sugar plums totals two things. First, from ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas, I know that children have “visions of sugar plums dance in their heads,” when they go to sleep. And second, in the Nutcracker ballet there is a dance called The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy. I know literally nothing else about sugar plums, but then last week Ryan and I received a jar of sugar plum jam as a Christmas present and I decided to do some research. I also decided to use that jam to make thumbprint cookies. 

First, I went to Wikipedia and the article was a little confusing.  Then I found this article from The Atlantic. And what I gathered is that traditionally sugar plums have no actual plums in them! Sugar plums where a type of candy – and possibly difficult to make, special, and expensive. The article speculates on reasons why it’s called a sugar “plum” but comes to no definitive conclusion. Alas. But, my jam does have real plums in it so obviously time changes things. The jam also has orange and lemon juices and “spices.” The ingredients list doesn’t specify the spices, but it tastes like your usual holiday suspects – cinnamon and nutmeg.

If you haven’t tried sugar plum jam, I recommend it. It’s sweet and just the slightest bit tart in a way that reminds me of cranberry sauce. It’s lovely. I wouldn’t put it on a pb&j, but I’d use the jam on toast or baked on top of a wheel of brie. It also goes really well on this very buttery thumbprint cookie. The heavier rich flavor of the jam is a good complement to the soft and flaky cookie. It’s so nice – but feel free to use whatever jam you have. We also used some raspberry jam and that was really good too.

I think these are good sharing cookies. They are easy to make, look nice even when a little bit messy, and they taste delightful. Plus it’s so easy, make the dough, make a ball, flatten with your thumb, plop some jam on, and bake.

The recipe for the cookies comes from FoodNetwork.com

Messy level: Two spoons. This is your basic drop cookies where you need just two bowls and a baking sheet to complete this recipe. If you get crazy with the jam you might get some drips and spills, but in this case I think it adds to the cookies’ charm and can’t be counted as a real mess.

Thumbprint Cookies

 

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Serves: 2.5 dozen

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups/ 224 grams all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup/ 171 grams unsalted butter, softened
• ⅔ cup/ 134 grams caster sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• sugar plum jam, or jam of your choice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350/180°.
2. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. Using a stand mixer, or a handheld mixer with a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. This takes about 5 minutes.
5. Add half the flour mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until mostly incorporated. Then add the second half of the flour mixture and mix until just incorporated.
6. Using your hands, or an ice cream scoop, make 1 inches balls of dough.
7. Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart on the baking sheet. These cookies spread A LOT!!
8. Use your thumb, or the back of a spoon, to make an indentation in the center of the cookies.
9. Spoon a dollop of jam into the indentation you just made. I didn't measure the amount of jam I used but think somewhere between ½-3/4 teaspoon.
10. Bake for 13-15 minutes, or until the edges are just golden. Turn the baking sheet halfway through baking to ensure the cookies come out baked evenly.
11. Let them cool then eat with a cup of tea.

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