Ginger Apricot Mini Cakes

One of my conundrums is that I often want to bake but I don't always know what to make. These refreshing little cakes were inspired by the need to bake using only the available ingredients in the house and were a rewarding experiment. 

Preheat oven to 400 F, line or butter a 12 cup pan.

1 stick butter, soft
1 c chopped dried apricots, soaked & drained
1/4 chopped fresh ginger + 2 tbsp chopped candied ginger
3/4 c vanilla sugar
3/4 c milk (I like coconut for it's thickness)
2 eggs
2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder

Sift flour and baking powder, coat ginger and apricots, then set aside.

Combine butter, sugar, eggs and milk.

Now, when you combine the wet and dry mixes, you want to make sure not to over mix. It should be a bit lumpy. Pour into lined, prepared cupcake tins. Sprinkle the tops with sugar so they will be crunchy! Bake for about 20 minutes.

Potato Scones ala Dot Williams

If there are two words I love, they would be potato and scone. So of course I firmly believe that they belong together. My first experience of having dough and potato together that didn't involve stew or the like, was on a trip to the Haight with family friend Steve. We had slices and he ordered potato pesto. This was so out there in my mind I simply didn't get it. One bite convinced me that he hadn't gone completely mad and lead to some new views on food.

Since that day I prefer to have pesto on my pizza and I love to make potato focaccia. The layers of pillowy goodness topped with potato and pesto is like a gift from heaven. But I digress....

While reading Dead Man's Chest (A Phryne Fisher Mystery) by one of my favorite authors, one who has inspired me to bake before (Cardamom Rosewater Cupcakes and Impossible Pie) also rarely shares recipes in the series I was reading and what is shared is usually of the cocktail variety.

Lo and behold not one, not two, but three recipes! I made the Impossible Pie and if you don't, you will be terribly sad about it. The second recipe, which I felt was an absolute must is Potato Scones. Bread and potatoes belong together, like champagne and foie gras, chocolate and strawberries or really good jam and fresh mascarpone.

Gather your ingredients and get busy!

1 cup self raising flour (1 cup flour + 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt)

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup mashed potatoes

1/2 cup milk

Rub flour and butter together. Add potato and mix with milk to soft dough. Cut in rounds and bake 7-10 minutes in a hot oven.

Yes, you read that right, there is no temperature given in the recipe and I have shared it exactly as it was in the book. Also, my dough was so soft I was not able to cut the scones, so I used a cookie scoop. I baked mine for 13 minutes at 325 degrees, when the bottom of the scones were golden brown.

Though the consistency is more biscuit like rather than sconey these are so easy fast and easy to make! They are soft and moist, perfect for a nice bowl of stew, a lovely roast or as my friend Laurie suggested some good freezer jam & a cuppa! Off now to have a few more with some crispy bacon......

Little Rags Soup for One

When I read it, I thoroughly enjoyed Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes by Amanda Hesser and from it now have one of my favorite quick, easy lunch or snack recipes. Stracciatelle or Little Rags soup, is called that because of the ragged looking appearance of the egg if you work it properly. The trick is to keep it moving and not let it overcook. To me it's a wonderfully satisfying dish and sates any number of hungers.

 

If you have never tried the Pecorino Riserva, it is one of my all time favorite cheeses. It has a sweet nuttiness that goes well with the saltiness of the chicken broth. I have adapted Ms. Hesser's recipe solely to reflect a serving for one and omitted the garlic because I didn't have any (really I have no clue where it goes off to!). I also happen to adore sheep's milk cheese, but you are certainly welcome to use Parmigiana as is called for in the book:

 

1 1/4 c chicken broth 

1 egg 

2 tbsp Pecorino Riserva, coarsely chopped or grated 

Make sure you have all your ingredients and utensils ready as this recipe tends to move pretty fast! 

 

Simmer the broth. Whisk egg and cheese together. Remove the broth from the heat and slowly add the egg mixture. Ms. Hesser swirls the pan, but my trick is to use one chopstick and swirl it gently through the mixture as I pour in the egg. 

I do hope that not only will you give this recipe a try, but that you will read the book as well. 

 

Word of warning though, it will make you hungry!And I never loan out my copy.

Luna's Chorizo Soup

I love soup. I mean, I really, really love soup. To me, there is nothing quite like a bowl of warm broth filled with goodness to make the world a better place. I love vegetable soup, potato, noodle, ramen, seafood, beef, you name it, I have had it or made it. Because soup is good for what ails you.

This is a really delicious and warming soup perfect for winter. I love this with crusty bread or crunchy rice chips.This serves four with salad or two really hungry people. Or two people and lunch the next day!

Luna's Chorizo Soup

2 c chicken stock

water to fill rest of pan

2 chorizo sausage, cooked, cut and drained

6 red potatoes, cleaned and quartered

1/3 c diced tomato

1/2-1 tsp sea salt (or to taste)

1/2 decent size red pepper, cut into small pieces

Snap Peas or green Beans, ends removed

1 loaf of crusty bread

Start water/stock to a simmer and add potatoes and your favorite seasonings along with the salt.

Once they are softened, add tomatoes.

Now is a good time to prep your bread, slice and drizzle with olive oil or make a quick garlic spread and pop in the oven.

Add your remaining ingredients so the flavors meld and serve when your bread is ready.

Walking in a Peary Wonderland

I read spirits books the same way I read cookbooks stretched out on my bed like a schoolgirl, legs in the air while devouring every word. I may not yet have the amount of experience that I would like but I feel that mentally at least I am still learning and growing. Earlier this year I joined a great group of women known as Ladies United for the Preservation of Endangered Cocktails, aka LUPEC. I love being around people I can learn more from and the amazing talents of this group of ladies is a pretty vast pool!

Buddha's Hand in a jar of neutral spirits

Last night we had the good fortune to party at the magical St. George Spirits a pretty fantastic place by day and even more fabulous by night!  And good fortune came not just from the good food and lovely company but the fact that we got to jump behind the bar to play with the top spirits made in the Bay Area.

My cocktail came out even better than I expected, so I am sharing it here for you!

A Winter's Pear

1 oz Hangar One Spiced Pear Vodka
1/2 oz Luxardo Maraschino
half a lime
two drops bitters

put into a shaker and stir over ice. Strain into a rocks glass with ice. Add two cherries plus some of the juice for color. As the drink sits in the ice it opens up beautifully!

Coffee Shortbread

Coffee Shortbread

8 oz butter, cold & cut in pieces

4 oz brown sugar

½ tsp sea salt

8 oz Whole Wheat pastry flour

2 tsp coffee (I used a dark roast from Peets, finely ground)

1 tsp vanilla

4 oz potato starch

Preheat oven to 350 F. Place all your ingredients in a bowl, then rub the butter in, as for pie crust. Once it starts to make a dough, shape into a large round for triangles or a rectangle if you want to cut squares. My oven tends to run hot, so I bake them for 20-30 minutes, so just know how your oven is.

Cut into wedges or squares while warm. Enjoy!