Monday, April 30, 2018

Biscoff Swirl Muffins with Biscoff Crumble #MuffinMonday

Never mind plain toast spread with Biscoff cookie butter. Take breakfast or break time to another delicious level with these Biscoff swirl muffins with Biscoff crumble.



I have no idea who first thought of taking the spicy Dutch speculoos cookies and turning them into a spread, but I applaud them. I wouldn’t actually put it on a piece of toast, although I understand many people do, but Biscoff is a great addition to (or topping for) muffins, cakes and cookies. Or fill some sweet dough cinnamon roll style and bake. There are so many uses.

I highly suggest you start with these muffins. Like all muffins made in the traditional muffin manner, they are super easy and they’ll disappear in no time.

This would probably be a good time to say that I am not being paid by the Lotus folks who make Biscoff spread and cookies. I even bought both products myself. Because I like them. I have added Amazon links in the ingredients list, in case you can't find them where you live.

Biscoff Swirl Muffins with Biscoff Crumble

The extra chopped cookies for topping are optional but we loved the crunch. You could also add some nuts or a sprinkle of coarse sugar before baking.

Ingredients
For the muffin batter:
1 3/4 cups or 218g all purpose flour
3/4 cup or 150g sugar
2 teaspoons baking power
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 large eggs
1/3 cup or 70ml vegetable oil
1/4 cup or 60ml milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup or 145g biscoff spread

For the (optional) crumble topping:
6 biscoff cookies

Method
Preheat your oven to 350°F or 180°C. Line your 12-cup muffin pan with muffin papers.

Roughly chop the six cookies and set them aside.



In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. In another smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, oil, milk and vanilla until completely combined.

Pour the wet ingredients in to the dry ingredient bowl and fold until just combined.



Give the Biscoff spread a good stir to loosen it up. If you’ve been keeping in the refrigerator, you can give it a quick zap of 15-20 seconds in a microwave to warm it slightly.

Use a tablespoon to drop dollops of the spread on your batter.

Cut through it all lightly with a knife to swirl the Biscoff spread through the batter. Do not over mix.



Use a spoon or cookie scoop to divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups then top each with the chopped Biscoff cookies and their crumbs.



Bake in your preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for a few minutes in the muffin pan, then remove the muffins to a wire rack to cool further.



Enjoy!



Check out the other lovely muffins my Muffin Monday bakers have for you today!

Muffin Monday
#MuffinMonday is a group of muffin loving bakers who get together once a month to bake muffins. You can see all our of lovely muffins by following our Pinterest board. Updated links for all of our past events and more information about Muffin Monday, can be found on our home page.

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Sunday, April 29, 2018

Lazy Homemade Shortbread

Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

We make most traditional shortbread recipes by cutting cold butter into the flour creating a sort of rough and sandy crumble. But years ago, I needed a quick recipe to make big pans of shortbread for a school function and I came across this one using melted butter instead. I have since made homemade shortbread the more traditional way but I must confess that when I’m in a hurry, I go back to this lazy shortbread time and time again.

Shortbread packages up nicely and would make a special gift for Mother's Day, don't you think?

Lazy Shortbread

If you want to change it up a bit, add some orange or lemon zest to the dough and sprinkle the top with orange or lemon sugar or a little more zest.

Ingredients
2 cups or 250g flour
1 cup or 130g cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
Slightly rounded ½ cup or 125g caster or fine grain sugar
1⅛ cup or 250g unsalted butter

To decorate the shortbread:
1 egg white, whisked with a teaspoon of water
2-3 tablespoons coarse grain sugar (I love using my lavender sugar here.)
Optional: edible glitter

Method
Line the bottom of a small 8x8in or 20x20cm pan with baking parchment and preheat your oven to 325°F or 163°C.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in to a large mixing bowl. Add in the sugar and stir to mix.

Gently melt the butter in a small pot over a low heat then pour it into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir until it is well combined and you have a soft, buttery dough.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Tip the dough into your prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Use a knife to score the top into 18 equal pieces. Use a fork or a skewer to poke decorative holes in each piece.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Bake in your preheated oven for about 30 minutes or until the shortbread is begins to brown slightly.
Remove from the oven and brush lightly with the beaten egg white.
Sprinkle the top generously with coarse sugar.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Bake for five more minutes.

Remove from the oven and lightly sprinkle with edible glitter, if using. This is purely for show but I love how it brings out the natural purple in the lavender sugar. Leave to cool for about 10 minutes.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Use a sharp knife to cut the shortbread into pieces where you scored. Leave to cool completely before removing from the pan.

Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.

Store in an airtight container once completely cooled. Or wrap some up and give it away!

Enjoy!

Pin it! 
Food Lust People Love: Buttery and sweet, with just the right amount of resistance before it crumbles in your mouth, this lazy shortbread shaves minutes off the more traditional method. If the word lazy offends you, just call it easy.
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Friday, April 20, 2018

Bolinhos de Bacalhau or Deep-fried Cod Fritters #FishFridayFoodies

These tasty little morsels are called bolinhos de bacalhau in Brazil, where they are a traditional dish and a favorite party food. In English, a literal translation is little cod balls, but deep-fried cod fritters gets the idea across much better.

Food Lust People Love: Bolinhos de bacalhau are crispy deep-fried cod fritters made with mashed potato. They are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the perfect appetizer or main dish.


My first memory of salt cod, that is, cod that has been liberally salted then dried to preserve it, was on a holiday in Portugal. The grocery stores had stacks of salt cod, in bins like we might find a pile of lemons or a display of corn on the cob. I had no idea what to do with such a salty dry ingredient.

It took moving to Brazil to learn several recipes. Since it doesn’t need refrigeration and maintains its nutrients and flavor for several years, salt cod is a staple in many countries. In Brazil, it is often rehydrated and cooked in rich stews or pan-fried with potatoes and served with hard-boiled eggs and olives.

But my favorite recipe is definitely bolinhos de bacalhau, crispy cod fritters made with mashed potato that are deep-fried till crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside.

Bolinhos de Bacalhau or Deep-fried Cod Fritters

Start the preparations for this recipe at least one day before you want to fry your fritters. The salt cod needs to be soaked for a minimum of 24 hours to get rid of the salt and rehydrate the fish.

Ingredients - makes 2 dozen
8 oz or 225g salt cod
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Small bunch parsley, thick stalks discarded, finely chopped
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
(1-2 tablespoons flour)

Canola or other light oil for deep-frying

Method
Put the salt cod in a bowl and cover with fresh cool water. If you live in a warm climate, you can put this bowl in the refrigerator. Very important: Change the water at least four times in the next 24 hours.



Meanwhile, you can prepare the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate them until the cod is ready or start the cooking process when the 24 hours is up.

Peel and quarter the potatoes.

Boil in unsalted water until just tender, then mash them with a potato masher or a fork, until there are no lumps. Set aside to cool.

Cut the bones and skin off of the cod and discard. Use the tines of a fork to shred the cod, making sure that you pick out any bones you missed the first time. Use a sharp knife to chop the shredded cod finely.



Sauté the minced onion and garlic until they have softened, in the olive oil over a medium fire. Remove the pan from the stove and mix in the chopped parsley.

Mix the mashed potato and shredded cod with the sautéed onion mixture, the ground peppers and the eggs.



This should be fairly stiff. If need be, add some flour to help it bind. I don’t usually need to add any, but many of the Brazilian recipes suggest that flour may be necessary.

Lay paper towels on top of a wire rack, nearby the stove.

Heat enough oil to cover a 2-tablespoon ball of the mixture (about 2 1/2 in or 6.3cm deep should do it) in a deep fryer or a deep pot on the stove, to about 375°F or 190°C.

Use a tablespoon or a cookie scoop to make small balls and drop them carefully into the hot oil, just a few at a time. Do not crowd the pot.  Traditionally, these should be oval or American-football shaped, but I have a cookie scoop and it’s so much easier!



Fry the bolinhos for several minutes or until they are a lovely golden brown and crunchy on the outside. Use a slotted spoon to carefully remove them from the hot oil and put them on the paper towels to drain. Continue until all of the fritters are cooked.

Food Lust People Love: Bolinhos de bacalhau are crispy deep-fried cod fritters made with mashed potato. They are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the perfect appetizer or main dish.


Serve hot and fresh with some spicy hot sauce or your favorite tartar sauce, if desired.

Food Lust People Love: Bolinhos de bacalhau are crispy deep-fried cod fritters made with mashed potato. They are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the perfect appetizer or main dish.


Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Bolinhos de bacalhau are crispy deep-fried cod fritters made with mashed potato. They are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the perfect appetizer or main dish.


This month my Fish Friday Foodies are sharing Latin American seafood dishes so make sure you check out the list below. Many thanks to our host, Karen of Karen’s Kitchen Stories.


Pin it! 

Food Lust People Love: Bolinhos de bacalhau are crispy deep-fried cod fritters made with mashed potato. They are crunchy on the outside and tender on the inside, the perfect appetizer or main dish.
 .

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Almond Lavender Plum Bundt #BundtBakers

This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.


If you’ve never been in the fields of a lavender farm, it will be hard for me to describe that sweet smell for you. It is so far removed from the often harsh, strong lavender of soaps and cleaning products, although I must confess that having smelled growing lavender, I am also a fan of those.

Every week when I do my laundry, I use not only lavender scented detergent, but also lavender scented clothes softener. It reminds me of summer and warm breezes and Jersey Lavender Farm, a working farm we pass regularly when on the island.

One summer, many years ago, we got to know some temporary neighbors who were staying in the house across from ours while their home was renovated. The couple was delightful, just a bit older than we were, and their eldest daughter was working as the cook in The Sprigs, the tearoom and shop attached to the lavender farm. Not every item on the menu included culinary lavender but a fair share surely did.



While we had visited the farm, we’d never been in The Sprigs. Hearing our neighbors talk about the creative ways their daughter was using lavender in baked goods, I was inspired to add it to mine. As long as one is careful not to put too much, lavender adds a delightfully delicate floral aroma and flavor.

This month my Bundt Bakers are baking up cakes with flowers, another opportunity to let lavender shine.

Almond Lavender Plum Bundt

The butter and ground almonds make this cake super rich. Serve small slices with a hot cup of tea for the perfect snack.

Ingredients
For the Bundt cake:
12 oz or 340g ripe but firm plums (about 5)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3/4 cup or 170g unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup or 200g sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup or 95g plain flour
2 1/3 cups or 250g ground almonds
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lavender flowers, fresh or dry
1/2 teaspoon salt

For the icing drizzle:
1/2 cup or 62g icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon milk

For decorating (optional):
2 teaspoons lavender sugar (It's so easy to make - instructions here.)
1 tablespoon toasted almond slivers



Method
Preheat the oven to 350ºF or 180°C. Butter and flour a 10-cup Bundt pan and set aside. Cut your plums in half and remove the stones.


Cut them in half again. I decided to lay some plum quarters at the bottom of Bundt pan so I set aside nine of them and chopped the rest. As you will see farther on, the batter crept under some of the plums so I didn’t achieve the effect I wanted when the cake was turned out of the pan. Next time, I might just chop all of the plums. Toss the plums in a small bowl with the lemon juice and set aside.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of a mixer, beating on a medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat until fully incorporated. By the third or fourth eggs, the batter looks a little curdy. Do not be alarmed.

Add in flour and beat briefly.

Fold in ground almonds, chopped plums, vanilla, lavender flowers and salt.



If you are trying my trick of lining the bottom of your prepared Bundt with plum quarters, fit them in now. While the look I wanted didn’t turn out, it was nice to have a slice of plum on the top of each piece of cake.

This is a Nordic Ware Blossom Bundt pan.*


Spoon the cake batter into the prepared pan and use a spatula to smooth the top.



Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean, covering the top with foil if it starts to get too brown.

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.


To make the drizzle icing, whisk together the powdered sugar with the milk and vanilla, until you make a smooth paste.

Remove the cake from the oven and leave to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Loosen the edges and middle with a blunt knife. Turn over on a wire cooling rack. Leave the Bundt to cool completely before drizzling the icing over the cooled cake.

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.


Immediately sprinkle with the toasted almonds and lavender sugar, if using.

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.
Each slice is topped with plum!


Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.


Many thanks to this month’s host, Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm for this fresh and fragrant theme, as well as her behind the scenes work. Check out all the flowery Bundts we are sharing this month.

BundtBakers

#BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on the BundtBakers home page.

Pin it!

Food Lust People Love: This Almond Plum Lavender Bundt is a rich, buttery pound cake, made with ground almonds and fresh plums, with the subtle floral note of summer lavender.

*affiliate link

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Lavender Sugar

Lavender sugar is so easy to make! Just three ingredients: sugar, lavender and time. Look no farther if you need pretty, beautiful (inexpensive!) favors for wedding or shower favors.

Food Lust People Love: Lavender sugar is so easy to make! Just three ingredients: sugar, lavender and time. Look no farther if you need pretty, beautiful (inexpensive!) favors for a wedding or shower favor. It makes a wonderful gift for your favorite bakers.

I know people do get married all year round, but as winter turns into spring and summer, the pace seems to speed up. And the warmer weather reminds me of fabulous fragrance of the lavender fields in Jersey, Channel Islands.

A while back I made some lavender sugar just so I could hold on to that memory all year long. With its delicate floral aroma and flavor, lavender sugar is perfect sprinkled on some buttery shortbread, fruit muffins or yogurt. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing an almond lavender Bundt cake decorated with lavender sugar so I thought this was a good time to show you just how easy it is to make.

My culinary grade lavender is from the Jersey Lavender Farm in the Channel Islands. They don’t export the lavender flowers  outside of Europe, but you can buy culinary lavender grown elsewhere on Amazon so I’ll include an affiliate link with the ingredients list.


Lavender Sugar

Lavender sugar makes a great gift for your favorite bakers. It keeps for several months in a sealed jar.

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups or 865g large grain sugar (also called coarse or decorating sugar)
1 rounded tablespoon lavender flowers <affiliate link
Time!

Method
Mix the lavender flowers with the sugar. Store for at least one week in a tightly sealed jar. The fragrance and flavor of the lavender will infuse the sugar beautifully.

Food Lust People Love: Lavender sugar is so easy to make! Just three ingredients: sugar, lavender and time. Look no farther if you need pretty, beautiful (inexpensive!) favors for a wedding or shower favor. It makes a wonderful gift for your favorite bakers.


If you are giving the lavender sugar as gifts, divide it between some pretty jars. Add fabric and ribbon to decorate.

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Lavender sugar is so easy to make! Just three ingredients: sugar, lavender and time. Look no farther if you need pretty, beautiful (inexpensive!) favors for a wedding or shower favor. It makes a wonderful gift for your favorite bakers.


Pin it!

Food Lust People Love: Lavender sugar is so easy to make! Just three ingredients: sugar, lavender and time. Look no farther if you need pretty, beautiful (inexpensive!) favors for a wedding or shower favor. It makes a wonderful gift for your favorite bakers.
 .

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Buckwheat Toffee Cookies #CreativeCookieExchange

Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.

Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.


This month my Creative Cookie Exchange friends are all baking with whole grains. I chose buckwheat because it makes a hearty flour that bakes up light, despite its darker color and I just happen to have some in my freezer.

Buckwheat, despite its name, is not related to wheat at all, but comes from the same family as rhubarb, sorrel and dock. It’s the main ingredient in Japanese soba noodles and the Brittany favorite galette des sarrasin, a large filled crepe, among other regional recipes. It can also be substituted for regular flour in most recipes.

Buckwheat Toffee Cookies   

If you can’t find toffee bits for making these buckwheat toffee cookies, take a small hammer to your favorite hard toffee, like Wether’s candies.

Ingredients
1 1/8 cup or 155g buckwheat flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup or 113g butter, softened
1/2 cup or 100g brown sugar
1/4 cup or 50g white sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup or 90g English toffee bits plus extra for sprinkling, if desired.

Tip: Unless you go through a bag quickly, do store any extra buckwheat flour in the freezer. This hearty grain can get stale when stored at room temperature.

Method
Measure your buckwheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.



In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula, then add the egg and vanilla.  Blend until fully incorporated.



Add the buckwheat flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix to thoroughly combine. Fold in the toffee bits.



Shape into a log about 1 1/2" in or 13.8cm diameter and roll up in cling film. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour, or overnight so that it firms up.



When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F or 180°C and line two baking pans with baking parchment or silicone liners.

Cut the dough log into 24 even slices.



Place them evenly spaced on the lined baking pans. Do not crowd them as, even after chilling, this dough spreads out a lot. Top the circles, if desired, with more toffee bits and gentle press them down.

Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.


Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the cookies puff up and look cooked, except perhaps for the very middle.

Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.
They will still be quite soft so let them cool for 10 minutes on the baking pan, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.


Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.


Like buckwheat? Try this great blackberry date muffin recipe also.


Check out the rest of the whole grain cookies we’ve baked up for you today. Many thanks to Holly from A Baker’s House for hosting this month.


Creative Cookie Exchange is hosted by Laura of The Spiced Life. We get together once a month to bake cookies with a common theme or ingredient so Creative Cookie Exchange is a great resource for cookie recipes. Be sure to check out our Pinterest Board. We post the first Tuesday after the 15th of each month!

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Food Lust People Love: Buckwheat toffee cookies are chewy, sweet and delicious. As an added bonus, if such a thing matters to you, they are naturally gluten free.
.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Bacon Leek Flamiche #BreadBakers

This bacon leek flamiche is my version of the traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.

Food Lust People Love: This bacon leek flamiche is my version of a traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.


When our Bread Bakers host for this month announced the theme a few months back – flatbreads with yeast – I duly made a note in my calendar but I didn’t really give it that much thought. After all, almost every country or culture in the world has a flatbread they call their own. I knew my options were going to be many and various, and the hardest thing was going to be to choose just one.

Then I picked up last month’s issue (March 2018) of one of my favorite recipe inspiration sources, delicious.magazine from the UK. (The Australian version is also fabulous and I always bought it when we lived in Malaysia since our imported seasonal produce often came from down under.) On page 121, there was a recipe for a leek flamiche, a French flatbread I’d never heard of.

Clearly a little research was necessary. Turns out that flamiche means different things to different people. For some, it’s made with puff pastry. Others prefer shortcrust as the base. Still more bakers use a brioche-like dough for the crust. Sometimes the crust is complete flat like pizza, and sometimes it has a raised edge.

They all seem to agree on a semi-soft cheese in the topping though, and many include leeks and crispy fried smoked bacon bits.

Bacon Leek Flamiche

This recipe is adapted from several I found on the internet, but I am grateful to delicious. magazine for introducing me to this wonderful dish. The dough for the crust is quite sticky so I recommend using a stand mixer with a dough hook for kneading, if you have one. Otherwise, get ready for a workout!

Ingredients
For the base:
1/2 cup or 120ml warm milk
1 teaspoon dry yeast
2 1/4 - 2 1/2 cups or 280-315g strong white bread flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup or 57g butter, melted and cooled
1 egg, at room temperature

For the topping:
5 slices thick cut smoked bacon, chopped (about 175g)
13 1/4 oz or 375g trimmed leeks
1 3/4 oz or 50g green onions, green and white part
salt and ground pepper
2 large eggs
1/2 cup or 120ml whipping cream
7 3/4 oz or 220g semi-soft ripe cheese, like Pavé d'Auge. (The orange rind is gorgeous!)

Tip: Semi-soft cheese is easier to slice if it is well chilled. I pop mine into the freezer about 20-30 minutes before slicing and recommend you do the same.

Method
Dissolve the yeast in warm milk and set aside for a few minutes to make sure your yeast is active. It should start to foam and bubble.

In the mixing bowl of your stand mixer, sprinkle the salt on to 2 1/4 cups or 280g flour, then pour in the milk/yeast mixture, the egg, and melted butter.



Mix thoroughly and then switch to the bread hook and knead until the dough loses its stickiness and is smooth and elastic, about 5-7 minutes. You can add a little more flour if you need to while kneading.

Shape the dough into a ball and put it back in the mixing bowl. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth or cling film and put it in a warm place till the dough has doubled in size, about 1 hour.



Meanwhile, rinse the leeks and onions and remove the roots. Cut them all into slices, discarding any hard pieces. Set aside a small handful of the tender green onion tops for garnish.



Brown the chopped bacon in a large skillet. Scoop the pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain them on paper towels.



Remove all but 2 tablespoons of bacon fat from the pan and tip in the bigger pile of the sliced leeks and onions. Fry them gently over a low heat for 15 minutes or until softened, stirring regularly. Season with salt and pepper and set aside to cool.



Once your dough is sufficiently risen, preheat your oven to 400°F or 200°C).

Line a tart pan (11 in or 28cm) with baking parchment and press out the dough evenly on the bottom and up the sides. Prick extravagantly with a fork.



Set aside a tiny handful of the bacon for garnish then spoon the leeks, onions and the bigger pile of bacon into the crust.



Beat the eggs and cream in a small bowl, using a whisk.  Season with a pinch of salt and some freshly ground black pepper. Pour about 3/4 of the egg mixture over the filling.

Cut your chilled cheese into about 12 slices. Lay them on top of the bacon and leeks, as you see fit. I put 8 radiating out from the middle, then cut the last four in half lengthwise and placed them between the other slices and in the middle of the circle.



Top with the rest of the egg mixture, then sprinkle on your reserved bacon bits and green onions.

Food Lust People Love: This bacon leek flamiche is my version of a traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.


Bake in the preheated oven for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the filling is puffy and the cheese is melted and the crust is golden brown.

Food Lust People Love: This bacon leek flamiche is my version of a traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.


Remove from the oven and allow to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing to serve.

Food Lust People Love: This bacon leek flamiche is my version of a traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.


Enjoy!

Many thanks to Sonia from Sonlicious for choosing such a great theme and for hosting Bread Bakers this month.

BreadBakers
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page.

We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.

Pin it! 

Food Lust People Love: This bacon leek flamiche is my version of a traditional French recipe, made with a springy yeast dough crust, topped with smoked bacon, leeks, green onions, cream and cheese.
 .

Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Alcachofas al Ajillo or Garlicky Artichokes #FoodieExtravaganza

Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to toss in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color.

Food Lust People Love: Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to toss in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color.


This is normally served with drinks as part of an appetizer course but it is so simple to make that you might finding yourself eating it as a quick weekday supper with plenty of crusty bread to sop up the lovely garlicky buttery sauce.

Alcachofas Al Ajillo or Garlicky Artichokes

This recipe serves 4 as part of a tapas course, 2 as an side dish. It is also easily doubled or trebled.

Ingredients
1 can or jar (drained weight 5.8 oz or 165g) small artichoke hearts
1/4 cup or 60ml extra virgin olive oil
1 rounded tablespoon butter
8 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
10 grape or cherry tomatoes, cut in halves
1 small red chili pepper
Fine sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Few sprigs fresh parsley, hard stems removed, roughly chopped

To serve: slices of crusty bread

Method
Drain the artichokes well and rest them open side down in a strainer or on some paper towels so they can dry even more.

Split the chili pepper down the middle but leave it in one piece. This is purely aesthetic because I like the look of a whole split chili pepper. Feel free to chop it if you prefer. The seeds can be removed to lessen the spiciness of the dish.

Heat half of the olive oil along with the butter in a large non-stick skillet over a medium high flame.  Tip in the well-drained artichoke hearts. Cook for about 6-7 minutes on one side, until they are turning golden in places. Turn them gently so the artichokes can color on both sides.



Add in the chopped garlic, tomatoes, the chili pepper and the rest of the olive oil.

Lower the flame to medium and cook the garlic until softened, making sure to stir often to keep it from burning.

When the garlic is starting to color slightly and the tomatoes have wrinkled, turn the heat off. Sprinkle the top with salt, a few good grinds of black pepper and the chopped parsley. Stir again.

Food Lust People Love: Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to toss in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color.


Serve with sliced crusty bread, and perhaps a cold beer, your favorite wine or a small glass of Spanish sherry.

Enjoy!

Food Lust People Love: Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to toss in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color.


Are you a fan of garlic? Make sure to check out all of the wonderful garlicky recipes my Foodie Extravaganza group has for you today, in celebration of National Garlic Day on April 19th. Many thanks to our host, Caroline of Caroline’s Cooking.
Foodie Extravaganza celebrates obscure food holidays, and we all post recipes using the same ingredient. Posting day is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you!

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Food Lust People Love: Alcachofas al Ajillo or garlicky artichokes are a traditional tapas dish from Spain made with fresh or canned artichokes, lots of garlic and chili pepper. I like to toss in some small tomatoes as well, for flavor and color.
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