Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Sunday morning baking. One of the most therapeutic ways for me to begin this lazy weekend day. While my daughters were napping, my son and I leisurely baked these cupcakes away. Lately, my freezer has had a ton of ripe bananas, with my kids love for all things banana. Thank you Alice's TeaCup for sharing this recipe in your cookbook and rescuing those two very ripe bananas. 

The cupcakes turned out moist, deliciously sweet, with a perfect slightly crusty top. All in all, this recipe is a keeper for me, and one that I will surely re-make.

The book suggests that they are delicious unfrosted, and true enough, they were delicious with and without the frosting. 

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 very ripe bananas

¾ cup canola oil

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 stick (½ cup) butter, at room temperature

1½ cups cream cheese, at room temperature

3 cups confectioners’ sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Mash the bananas in a small bowl, and set it aside.
3. In a large bowl, use a mixer to combine the oil and sugar until fully mixed. 
4. Add the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla, and keep mixing until smooth. 
5. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. With the mixer set at the lowest speed, add the flour mixture a little at a time, mixing until all is combined and the batter is smooth. Use a spatula to fold in the bananas by hand.
6. Fill a nonstick muffin pan or 12 cupcake cups half-full with batter, and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick stuck into the middle comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely in the pan.
7. Make the frosting: use a mixer to cream the butter and cream cheese in a large bowl until fully combined and smooth. With the mixer set on the lowest speed, slowly add the confectioners’ sugar, mixing until it is completely incorporated and the frosting is smooth.
8. Use an offset spatula to frost the cupcakes with the cream cheese frosting. (For neater cupcakes, you can put the frosting in a pastry bag and pipe it onto the tops.)

Asparagus Mousse

Every time I am in Mumbai, I must order the Asparagus Mousse from my friend Yakuta Sarkari, of Cold Food Company. It is light and fluffy, packed with flavor, a beautiful perfect green, and simply to die for! But now that I am a few continents away from her, it looks like I have to make it myself. 

Which is what got me down to researching recipes online, and found one from BBC that looked good. The recipe includes a ham and red onion salad to be topped on the mousse, but I like it spread on a toast. An alternate to the salad would be to layer a slice of prosciutto or jamon serrano, top with some freshly cracked black pepper, and enjoy! 

Serves 4  |  Prep time: 30 minutes  |  Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

250 grams asparagus, finely sliced, chewy ends removed (about 8–10 stalks)

Salt, to taste

300 ml whipping (heavy) cream

200 ml whole milk (mousse is just not meant to be low or fat-free! do not substitute with low or fat-free milk)

1/2 garlic clove, sliced

Handful baby spinach (this helps with the color, and doesn't overpower the taste of the asparagus)

2 1/2 gelatine leaves, soaked in a little cold water

1 egg white

Method

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-based pan. Once it’s foaming, add the asparagus and cook for 4–5 minutes until soft, but not colored. Season with salt. 
2. Remove from the pan and drain well on a kitchen paper towel. 
3. Rinse out the pan and pour in the cream, milk, and garlic. Bring to a boil, simmer until reduced to 350 ml‚ check by pouring into a measuring jug— then add the asparagus and boil for a few seconds. Remove from heat.
4. Blend the mixture in a liquidizer along with the spinach leaves, then sieve into a clean bowl.
5. Add the soaked gelatin and stir until dissolved. Sieve again and allow to cool for a few minutes in the fridge, but do not let it set.
6. Beat the egg white with an electric mixer with the whisk attachment to soft peaks, then carefully fold into the asparagus mix and season.
7. Divide the mousse between 4 glasses of ramekins and leave them to set in the fridge, overnight.

The Best Ever Banana Bread

I have several other Banana Bread recipes— and they are all good. But this one hit the spot. So much that I now buy twice the amount of bananas, only to be sure that we have four ripe bananas available at any point of time! This recipe for the comfortable dessert is lighter, more balanced, and has the perfect caramelized thick crust.

TastingTable.com adapted this recipe from Dominique Ansel, Dominique Ansel Bakery, New York, NY, and said this about it: Anything Dominique Ansel touches morphed into a delectable treat— even something as classic and humble as banana bread. Here, Ansel rescues the fate of over-ripened bananas, turning them into an exceptionally moist cake.

They go on to say that at his bakery, his tinkering doesn't stop with the finished loaf. He soaks bits of it into sweetened condensed milk for tres leches and smears layers of mascarpone over the milky bread to make a decadent tiramisu.

Yield: 1 loaf  |  Cook time: 1 hour and 10 minutes  |  Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients
DRY INGREDIENTS
2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt

WET INGREDIENTS
3 eggs, at room temperature
4 ripe bananas, mashed

14 tablespoons / 200 grams unsalted butter, melted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 10" x 5" x 3 1/2" loaf pan.
2. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.
3. In a separate medium sized mixing bowl beat the eggs and combine with the mashed bananas.
4. Add wet ingredients (egg-banana mixture) to the dry ingredients and mix together until just combined.
5. Mix in the melted butter until fully incorporated.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake until golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Allow to cool for 20 minutes before slicing (if you can wait!)

Daniel Boulud's Madeleines

Every year, my husband and I must have our anniversary dinner at Daniel’s. In fact, we even have our table preference on their system. The food is divine, the service is fabulous and right at the end, they come to your table with these warm madeleines fresh out of the oven, dusted with powdered sugar, in a white cloth basket. It is truly the perfect end to the already perfect meal. So when I saw this recipe, I was thrilled. 

As if you need another reason to make these mini cakes for dessert: The batter can be prepped the day before. So you too, can serve these, fresh and warm out of the oven, after dinner.

Thank you Bon Appetit (February 2015) for sharing this recipe with us.

Special equipment: Three 20-cake mini madeleine pans or one 12-cake regular madeleine pan

Ingredients

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 large eggs

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon or orange zest

6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted, warm

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

Powdered sugar

Method

1. Whisk baking powder, salt, and flour in a small bowl.
2. Whisk eggs, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, honey, and lemon zest in a medium bowl until smooth. 
3. Whisk in dry ingredients until just incorporated, then which in melted butter until smooth.
4. Transfer batter to a pastry bag or resealable plastic bag and chill for at least one hour. Do Ahead.
5. Preheat oven to 400F. Light coat madeleine pans with nonstick vegetable oil spray and dust with flour, tapping out excess.
6. Snip end off pastry bag into each mold, filling two-thirds full (you may have batter left over).
7. Bake madeleines until edges are golden brown and centers are puffed and lightly spring back when gently pressed, about 5 minutes for mini and 8–10 minutes for regular cakes.
8. Tap pan against to release madeleines. Dust with powdered sugar and serve warm. 

Chicken Momos

Denise, my American mom, was one of the people I had dedicated this blog to. Not only did she teach me how to cook, she also broadened my horizon to different cuisines and different foods. My mother spent 19 years forcing me to eat fish, whereas within two years of knowing Denise, I was loving Salmon. Her grocery shopping tips, handling and organizing a kitchen points, still resonate with me.

Denise died on January 1st, and I miss her ever so dearly.

So here goes. Chicken momo's for you Denise! Wish we were together to enjoy them instead. In memory of the time you spent in Nepal, and loved.

Ingredients
1 pound free-range ground chicken
2 teaspoons ginger-garlic paste
4 spring onions, finely sliced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soya sauce
2 tablespoons Century Momo Masala
Salt, to taste
35–40 Dumpling wrappers
Water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Dipping sauce of your choice

Method

1. Marinate the chicken with the next six ingredients. Leave it aside for half an hour.
2. On a large, clean, and dry working surface, lay out 6–8 dumpling wrappers. Keep a small bowl of 3–4 tablespoons of water on the side, to dip to seal the edges of the wrapper.
3. Place half a teaspoon of the chicken filling in the center of each. 
4. Take one wrapper with the chicken filling and place it in the center of your palm. Dip your finger in the water and lightly wet the edges of half a wrapper with water. From left to right start sealing the wrapper, by adding pleats as you go along sealing the wrapper. 
5. Steam the momo's for 15 minutes. 
6. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan.
7. Carefully transfer the momo's from the steamer to the hot pan. Pan fry them for 2–3 minutes, to crisp the edges. Sprinkle 1/8 cup of water around the momos, cover and let it cook on low for 5 more minutes.
8. Serve hot, with chili-soy sauce.

Chicken Nuggets!

Over one year later, I can barely believe that the reason I am blogging again is chicken nuggets! One would expect that after this blogging-sabatical, I would come back with something more gourmet. But in this past year or so, most of our meals at home have been kid-friendly. Now that doesn't always mean pizza or chicken nuggets, but it's a meal that a kid would also eat, happily.

The reason— my three year old son.

There are some delicious nuggets out there in the market, all-natural, free range, organic. But nothing like anything that is homemade with ingredients that you can pronounce! So I set out to make a big batch and freeze them— easy and delicious and they look like but taste even better than the store-bought chicken nuggets. My son loves them and chows them down, and at least I know exactly what's going into his system.

This recipe is from Weelicious. Love her blog and book, a lot of her recipes are very good— healthy, simple, kid-friendly.

Ingredients
1 pound chicken breasts, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
1/2 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup breadcrumbs (regular / Panko)
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
Cooking spray

Method

1. Preheat oven to 375F
2. Place the chicken, mashed potato, parsley, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt in a food processor and pulse until smooth, and combined.
3. In a shallow bowl or plate, combine the bread crumbs and Parmesan.
4. With moistened hands, roll 1 tablespoon of the chicken mixture between your palms and flatten into "nuggets" shape.
5. Gently press the nugget into the bread crumb mixture to coat.
6. Transfer to a lightly sprayed ir greased cooling rack on a baking sheet lined with foil. 
7. Lightly spray the nuggets with cooking spray. 
8. Bake for 20 minutes, or until crisp outside and cooked throughout. Place under the broiler for 2 minutes for it to be golden brown.

To Freeze:

After step 5, place the nuggets on a sheet tray and freeze for 30 minutes. Transfer to a ziplock bag, label, and freeze for up to 4 months. To bake, do not defrost, just add 3 to 5 minutes to the baking time.

Sautéed Fish Fillets Meunière with Sauce Grenobloise

It's fish cooked in a light batter, with a sauce of lemon and capers, so simple to make, so delicious. So perfect. So quick. So impressive. 

Meuniére refers to both a sauce and a method of preparation, primarily for fish. The word itself means "millers wife". Thus to cook something a la meuniére means to cook it by first dredging it in flour. The sauce, or even known as Grenobloise is a simple preparation— brown butter, lemon wedges, chopped parsley, and capers.

This recipe calls for the fish to be soaked in milk for 30 minutes or more, and I wondered why. After doing some research and giving it some thought, these were the two reasons I thought made sense— 1. it reduces the 'fishy' odor. If you bought fresh fish, it shouldn't have a 'fishy' odor, but by the time it makes it way home from the market, in your car, to your fridge, it may develop a stronger smell. By soaking it in milk, the milk absorbs the chemical (trimethylamine oxide) and 2. it helps create a nice soft and light batter once it is dredged in the flour. Furthermore, some state that soaking the filet in milk, helps result in a softer and flakier fish.

Chef Sara Moulton, thank you for this recipe. It will surely be a repeat dinner in our home!

 Makes 4 servings

Hands-on time: 15 minutes
Total preparation time: 40 minutes

Ingredients

Four 6-ounce pieces, skinless, mild-flavored fish fillets, such as trout, tilapia, or catfish
2 cups milk 

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
Grenobloise Sauce (recipe below)

Directions
1. Cover the fish with the milk, cover, and chill for at least 30 minutes.
2. Drain the fish, discarding the milk. Season the pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Heat the oil in a large nonstick or stick resistant skillet over moderately high heat.
4. Dredge fish in a pie plate filled with flour, or dust flour on the fillets, using a small fine mesh sieve. (This is my cooks tip to avoid wasting the extra flour. Dust from at least 8-inches above, to create an even coating of flour).
3. Place the pieces in the skillet and sauté them, turning once, for 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden and almost cooked through. Transfer the fillets to dinner plates and cover them with foil to keep them warm. Make the Grenobloise Sauce in the same skillet you cooked the fish. Spoon some of the sauce over each portion and serve.

Sauce Grenobloise
Ingredients
1 lemon
2 – 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons drained brined capers
2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
Directions
1. Remove the peel and pith from the lemon with a serrated knife and cut the lemon into sections.
2. Add the butter to the same skillet that the fish was cooked; cook, stirring, until it turns a deep brown and smells nutty, about 3 minutes.
3. Remove from heat and stir in lemon pieces, capers, and parsley; swirl skillet to combine. Spoon sauce over fish. Serve immediately.

Spagetti in Parchment with Clams and Scallions

This dish me back to my honeymoon in Italy, spaghetti with clams, and several bottles of wine, by the Trevi Fountain. Nearly seven years later, I made this for my husband (I recently developed a allergy *sniff* to shellfish), so although I didn't get to eat it, I did thoroughly enjoy the wine! This is a great date night dinner to make, or even for a dinner party. Since you can make the spaghetti ahead as Sara Molten suggests, you just have to bake it in the parchment paper before serving it, which you sip wine and pick on some prosciutto and Italian cheeses of your choice.


Sara Molten says in her note to this recipe: The pasta in this dish cooks twice, so be sure to undercook it when you first boil it. Then when it bakes in the parchment, it will absorb all the briny, garlicky, wine-soaked, chile-flecked juices from the seafood. That's how you create flavor! It also helps to use fresh scallions from the farmers' market. Better yet, use ramps when they are in season. You can also replace the clams with cockles and serve this with grated Parmesan if you like. 

Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes

Adapted from Sara Molten's Weeknight Meals, Season 3
Ingredients
12 ounces boxed dried spaghetti
8 tablespoons olive oil
4 scallions, trimmed and top quarter removed, sliced crosswise
4 cloves garlic, smashed
50 to 60 small clams, scrubbed
¼ cup dry white wine
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
¼ cup water
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. 
2. Drop in the pasta, quickly return to a boil, and cook until slightly underdone and chewy, 7 to 8 minutes. Drain the pasta, reserving the pasta water.
3. Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the scallions and garlic and cook until soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the clams, wine, pepper flakes, and water. Cover and simmer until the liquid reduces in volume by about half, 5 minutes. When the clams have opened, discard the garlic and any empty clam shells.
4. Add the drained pasta to the pan along with the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil and the parsley. Cook over medium heat, tossing until the sauce gets a little creamy.
5. Tear 4 sheets of parchment paper, each about 2 feet long. Place one-fourth of the pasta mixture in the center of each sheet of parchment. Bring the long sides of the parchment up above the pasta so the edges meet. Fold the edges together and keep folding down until tight over the pasta. Flip over and pull each side of parchment over the center to make a tight packet. Flip back over so the folded seam side is up.
6. Transfer the packets to a baking sheet and bake until the paper browns lightly, 5 to 7 minutes. If you have convection, turn it on to help the paper brown. Transfer to plates and allow guests to slit open the packets lengthwise with a knife.

Cooks Tip: The spaghetti can be made ahead and refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Banana-Walnut Upside Down Cupcakes

Ripe bananas in our kitchen usually end up in a delicious banana bread or when I am trying to be 'healthier' low-fat banana bread. But this time round the three ripe bananas brought about  the making of these cupcakes. A recipe in Bon Appétit and my mothers fool-proof eggless sponge cake recipe, inspired these cupcakes.

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Makes 12-15 cupcakes

Ingredients
For the topping
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 large ripe bananas
3 tablespoons maple syrup 

For the cupcakes
1/2 cup unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
7-oz condensed milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
4-oz water

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350F / 180C.
2. Grease a muffin pan with butter.
3. Melt butter and sugar over low-heat. Chop walnuts. Slice bananas into 1/4-inch slices.
4. Mix together all the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
5. Pour 1 tablespoon of the butter-sugar mixture onto the base. Pour 1/4-inch tablespoon maple syrup over the sugar mixture. Top with an even sprinkle of nuts. Place 3 slices of banana, overlapping slightly and covering bottom.
6. Spoon cake batter over the bananas. 
7. Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let it cook for 10 minutes before removing cupcakes.

Bhatura (Puffed Yogurt Bread)

My friend Vicky Mahtani made these bhaturas for us a few years ago, and it was heavenly. She taught me her mothers recipe years ago. Through the years as I kept making these Bhaturas (or Vicky’s Bhatura’s as we call them at home) the recipe has changed. 


Bhaturas are usually made with potato (instead of the yogurt used below) and with baking powder and soda (instead of the yeast used in this recipe). However, these changes give it a fluffy and soft texture that is hard to resist! Serve with Chana Masala and you will be in heaven!


Prep time: 10 minutes (plus one hour for the dough to rise)
Cook time: 1–2 minutes per Bhatura
Makes 16 


 
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting


1 teaspoon salt


2 tablespoon vegetable oil


1 1/2 teaspoons active dry yeast


3 tablespoons warm water


1 cup plain yogurt
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method

1. In a large mixing bowl mix flour, salt and 1 tablespoon oil with your hands, until it resembles the texture bread crumbs.
2. In a small bowl stir yeast and water until completely dissolved.
3. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and add the yogurt and yeast mixture. Knead into the flour until the dough collects into a sticky mass. Add little water if needed to still combine the dough.
4. Coat your hands with a tablespoon of oil and knead the dough until shiny and not too sticky, for about 10 minutes.
5. Tightly cover the bowl with shrink wrap and let it rest for an hour or more in a cool dark place (I put it in an unheated oven).
6. When the dough has risen or doubled in volume, punch down the dough, knead gently and divide into 16 equal portions.
7. Preheat oil in a deep frying pan and roll each ball into 6-inch circles.
8. When the oil is hot, gently slip each disc into the oil. Press the Bhatura with a slotted spoon a few times to help it puff up. Turn in 10 seconds and let it cook for another 5 seconds. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on a paper towel.


Deep Frying Tips: Choose a deep, very heavy bottomed skillet to fry with. Add oil to the cold pan, leaving a headspace, or space at the top of the pan, of at least two inches. This allows a safety margin when the oil bubbles up as the food is added.
Make sure the food you are going to fry is dry. Letting it sit on paper towels, or coating it in flour or bread crumbs is a good way to ensure this.
The oil is ready when a piece of bread dropped into the oil rises to the top and browns in 60 seconds.
Do not over crowd the pan! This will drop the temperature of the oil.
Do not reuse the cooking oil. Let the oil cool completely and then discard.

Chicken and Snake Bean Stir-Fry

For several years, I have had an allergy to monosodium glutamate (MSG), which made eating out at Chinese restaurants difficult. Many restaurants today do not use MSG, many oblige and make you food without MSG, but I still found myself uncomfortable after a Chinese meal at any restaurant that obliged. Having grown up in India eating a lot of Chinese food (my mother grew up in Singapore and brought those flavors to our table), I didn't want to be deprived. Ching-He Huang's book, Ching's Chinese Food In Minutes, changed my (Asian) kitchen life! Incredible, easy, and quick recipes.

I had a few basic recipes down, such as Chicken and Broccoli, Simple Egg Fried Rice, Sweet Corn Chicken Soup. Her book helped me get more diverse with my Chinese cooking.

The other thing that I love about her recipes is that when she says a recipe will take 10 minutes to make, she means it! I managed to stir-fry this dish today while singing to keep my two-year-old son entertained. Served with brown rice, it is a healthy and balanced meal to have.

If you're buying chicken directly from your butcher you can ask him to cut in into thin strips to reduce your prep time even further. FreshDirect.com also sells chicken sliced into strips.

Ching says, "This is a stir-fry inspired by a lunch I had with 'Ah-e' (Aunty) in Beijing. She cooked a simple but delicious chicken and snake bean stir-fry, and this is my quick version."

Prep time: 5 minutes (plus 20 minutes soaking / marinating)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Serves 2

Ingredients
250 grams / 9 oz skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
1 teaspoon Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
2 tablespoons groundnut oil (peanut oil)
1 garlic clove, crushed and finely chopped
1 dried Chinese mushroom, pre-soaked in hot water for 20 minutes, then drained and sliced
100 grams snake beans (Snake beans can be found in the vegetable section of a good Chinese supermarket, or use some trimmed French beans as a substitute)
50 grams / 2 oz toasted cashew nuts (I used peanuts instead, as a personal preference)
25 ml / 1 fl oz hot chicken stock
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
a dash of toasted sesame oil
1 pinch of ground white pepper

Method

1. Marinate the chicken in the rice wine or sherry and the dark soy sauce for 10-15 minutes (while the mushroom soaks)
2. Just before cooking, dust the chicken lightly with cornflour. Heat a wok over a high heat and add the groundnut oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the garlic and mushroom and stir-fry for a few seconds, then add the chicken and stir-fry for a few minutes until slightly browned.
3. Add the beans and stir-fry for 2 minutes until tender, then add the nuts.
4. Add the hot stock and season wtih the light soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper.
   Serve immediately.

Cook's tip: This was delicious when served immediately. I tried the left overs at night, and it was a bit dry.
To revamp it, add a sauce to it.
In a medium mixing bowl, mix together 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon chili sauce, 1 teaspoon rice vinegar, 1/2 cup chicken broth, 1/2 cup water. Add 1/2 teaspoon cornflour, mix until smooth. In a hot wok bring the sauce to a boil, add left over chicken for a minute or two and remove.

Shaved-Radish Tea Sandwiches with Herb Butter

A cup of perfectly brewed tea (yes brewed, no tea bags), a slice of moist banana bread, a delicious tea sandwich, yummy scones, and you have yourself a great afternoon tea menu. The tea sandwiches I usually make are cucumber, smoked salmon, egg or chicken salad sandwiches. When BonAppetit.com shared this recipe with radishes, I had to try it! 

The recipe called for baguette bread but I used the wheat sandwich bread I had at home instead. I do think it would be better with the baguette bread instead. 

Since I was serving vegetarians, I avoided the anchovy fillets in the ingredient list below.

Makes 16 servings
Adapted from BonAppetit.com May 2012

Ingredients
1/2 cup (1 stick) room-temperature salted butter
5 mashed drained anchovy fillets
1 grated small garlic clove
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives
3 tablespoons fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

Sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

32 slices of baguette, diagonally cut 1/8-inch thick

12 very thinly sliced radishes
16 green radish leaves

1. In a small bowl, mix the butter with the next six ingredients. Season with coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.
2. Spread herb butter on one side of each of the 32 slices of the baguette.
3. Top half the slices with 16 green radish leaves and radish slices.
4. Top with remain bread slices, butter side down.

Cooks' Tip: Drape plastic wrap over the prepared sandwiches until serving. It will keep the bread from drying out. And you get to make the sandwiches ahead and enjoy your tea and party.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Ginger

Christmas baking season has come to an end, and this banana bread was the finale to baking for the holidays, for when we celebrated our sons second birthday. And who does not love banana bread? Have it with your tea in the evening, or a slice with a smear of butter for breakfast. 

This bread was delicious and moist. I read this recipe on PurpleFoodie.com (absolutely love her blog!) and the idea of crystallized ginger in the bread sounded fabulous to me. However, when I mentioned it to the people I was serving this bread to, they all were very skeptic. So below, find my variation of adding the ginger into the bread anyway! 

You can store the banana bread for a up to a week at room temperature or freeze it for 6 months. That is, if you even have any left to freeze! 

1 large loaf that serves 8

Dry ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder
2 teaspoons ginger powder
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt 

3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips 

Wet ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (approximately 3 large ripe bananas)
1/4 cup yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tablespoons / 3 oz. / 90 grams unsalted butter

1. Preheat oven to 350F / 170C
2. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with butter and flour or with baking spray. 
3. In a small bowl melt the butter in the microwave for 20–30 seconds. Set aside to cool. Set aside.
4. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the chocolate chips. Set aside.
5. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with a fork and add the remaining wet ingredients. Mix well. 
6. Pour the wet banana mixture into the dry ingredients and gently fold in the batter with a silicon spatula, incorporating all the dry ingredients until it looks like it has come together. Do not over mix the batter, it's okay if it looks lumpy. Over mixing the batter kills the air bubbles in the batter and makes it heavier.
7. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and bake for 50–60 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
8. Let the banana bread cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to the cooling rack. 

In baking, to "fold" is the term used for gently a light ingredient or mixture with a much heavier mixture, while retaining as much as air as possible, by not bursting the air bubbles.

Method: Carefully cut through the mixture with the edge of the spatula, working in a gentle figure of eight and mixing the bowl as you go.

Scrape around the sides and base of the bowl at intervals to incorporate all of the lighter ingredients into the mixture.

Gooey Butter Cookies

It's Christmas eve! After having spent the whole day in the kitchen, baking and cooking, it's time to rest up for tomorrow, to be able eat, drink, and be merry! 

These downy butter cookies from St. Louis chef Gerard Craft and his former pastry chef Mathew Rice live up to their name. A favorite of Craft’s daughters, these sweet cookies glean their soft texture from the addition of glucose and get an initial coating of confectioners’ sugar before baking. Keep them stored in the refrigerator and dust with another layer of confectioners’ sugar before serving for an especially snow-kissed appearance.

The cookies totally live up to its description above, quoted from Tasting Table's 12 Days of Cookies series. I preferred the cookies the next day, but some of the other 'eaters' preferred them the first day, fresh out of the oven. (Yes, we have been eating cookies since yesterday and hope to eat them through Christmas day!). The extra sprinkle of confectioners' sugar before serving makes these cookies even more divine. 

Recipe adapted from Gerard Craft and Mathew Rice, Pastaria, St. Louis, Missouri
Makes 3 dozen cookies
Cook time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 pound (450 gms) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 stick (8 tablespoons / 125 gms) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar (or 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar and 1/4 cup glucose syrup)
1/2 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise, seeds scraped away and reserved
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners' sugar, plus extra for serving


Method

1. Preheat oven to 325F (160C). 
2. Sieve over a large bowl the flour, baking powder, and salt.
3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the cream cheese, butter, sugar, and the vanilla seeds. Mix on medium speed until the batter is light and airy, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed, about 3 minutes.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat until well combined.
5. Add the flour mixture, then mix on medium-low speed until just combined.
6. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. To a medium bowl, add the confectioners' sugar and set aside. 
7. Scoop the dough into 2-inch balls around the size of a golf ball, then roll each ball into confectioners' sugar before placing them 2-inches apart on the baking sheet.
8. Bake the cookies until they spread and puff slightly, 12 to 15 minutes. They should be set around the edges and very soft in the center (don't let the cookies brown). 
9. Remove the cookies from the oven and cool 5 minutes before transferring the parchment paper with the cookies on top to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.
10. Once the cookies are completely cool, stack them in an airtight container and refrigerate. Serve chilled and dusted with more powdered sugar.

Make ahead: The dough can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days before baking.

Storing:The cookies can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Puffed Rice

I love brussels sprouts! Not sure if I have said this enough, but it is very high up on my favorite vegetables list. So when I read this recipe on my iPad on my Epicurious app, it had me wanting to make it immediately.

Deep-fried Brussels sprouts are a popular side dish at Ssām Bar. Cooked in a hot oven (easier for the home cook), they still get that nutty sweetness and nicely browned crisp exterior. Rice Krispries, standing in for Indian puffed rice (which is more difficult to find), add crunch, while sous-chef Tien Ho's Vietnamese-style dressing lends the sprouts an offbeat complexity.

This was an absolute hit at lunch today, and it will surely be a recipe that we will make again!

Below is my variation on the recipe. The minor tweaks were the use of soy sauce instead of fish sauce, as we were serving vegetarians for lunch today. As much as I believe the fish sauce would have done wonders to the recipe, the soy sauce worked very well too. Instead of shichimi togarashi powder I used some of my good old Indian red chili powder. I also increased the amount of puffed rice, as I loved the idea of more crunch to the dish. The amount of dressing felt like too much, which is why I a reduced the amount in the recipe below.

Makes 8 first or side-course services

Ingredients
For brussels sprouts
2 pounds Brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lenghtwise
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


For dressing
2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (or soy sauce for a vegetarian version)
2 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon finely chopped mint
1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro stems
1 garlic clove, minced
2 fresh red Thai chiles, thinly sliced crosswise, including seeds (be generous if you like the heat)


For puffed rice
1/2 cup Indian puffed rice (or Rice Krispies, if not available)
2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder




For garnish
Cilantro sprigs
Mint leaves
Scallions, chopped

Method

1. Roast brussels sprouts: Preheat oven to 400F. Toss brussels sprouts with oil, then arrange cut sides down, in a 17-by-12-inch baking pan. Roast, without turning, until outer leaves are tender and very dark brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Add butter and toss to coat.
2. Make dressing: Stir together all the dressing ingredients until sugar has dissolved.
3. Make puffed rice while sprouts roast: Cook cereal, oil, and red chili powder in a small skillet over medium heat, shaking skillet and stirring, until rice is coated and begins to turn golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cook, stirring occasionally.
4. Finish dish: Put Brussels sprouts in a serving bowl, then toss with just enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with puffed rice.

Cooks' notes:
Puffed rice can be made 3 days ahead and kept in an airtight container at room temperature.
Dressing, without mint and cilantro, can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Bring to room temperature and add herbs before using.