Viking Sunday Dinner

Ginger-almond biscotti

I made these a few weeks ago for a VSD evening with Dave, Chrissy and Sean.  They are well suited to a glass or two of scotch.

• 3/4 cup whole raw almonds
• 1/2 cupcrystallized ginger
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 large egg
• 1 large egg white
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 300 degrees.

Toast almonds in a baking pan in the oven for about ten minutes, until they darken slightly, then chop them roughly.  Chop the crystallized ginger, too - but a little more finely. 

Sift together the flour, sugar, ground ginger, salt and baking soda and set aside.

Get out your mixer and beat together the egg, egg white and vanilla.  On low speed, stir in the flour mixture, then the almonds and crystallized ginger.  This is going to be VERY STICKY.

Smush the dough into a rough loaf shape on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper - you'll find this goes easiest if your hands are wet.  Bake for about 45 minutes until pale golden, then turn onto a wire rack.

After the loaf has cooled for ten minutes, slide it onto a cutting board,and using a serrated knife, cut into 1/4 inch slices.  Arrange these on the baking sheet, and then slap them back in the oven for another 20 minutes, or until crispy.  Let them cool on a rack and consume ferociously.  They will keep in an airtight container for up to two weeks - but I would be shocked if they lasted that long.

Lemon cupcakes

Meh.  I know cupcakes are a bit overly trendoid these days, but when you're going to a baby shower what the hell else are you supposed to make?  These are not-too-sweet, tender and luscious - makes 12. 

• Zest and juice of two lemons
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup plain yogurt
• 1 egg and 1 egg yolk
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup sugar

Prep your cupcake tins by greasing with canola oil spray and fitting with cupcake papers.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Zest and juice your lemons.  Depending on your grating device, you may need to mince the lemon zest; you want it to be about the consistency of sea salt.  Set the lemon zest to soak in the lemon juice, which will soften it; leave to sit for about 10 minutes while you get on with the rest of the batter.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

In a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar until it is pale and fluffy; this will take around 3 minutes on high-ish speed - just give it time - then reduce to medium and add the egg and yolk, one at a time, mixing until incorporated.  Scrape the sides of the bowl down and give it another quick whirl with the mixer - about 15 seconds.

In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and zest with the yogurt and vanilla.

Now, the delicate art of mixing cake batter.  You're going to add some of the flour mixture, then some of the lemon mixture, then some of the flour again, then the lemon - and end up with the flour - the important thing here is to keep the actual mixing to a minimum. 

At low speed, add about 1/3 of the flour mixture to the egg/butter/sugar mixture and mix until just incorporated - around 5 seconds.  Then add half the lemon mixture, and mix until just combined.  Repeat with the flour and the lemon again.  Then add the last bit of flour, scape down the sides of the bowl, and give the whole thing one last whirl to combine - about 15 seconds. 

Spoon the batter into your prepared cupcake pan - you may have a little left over to throw into a ramekin and bake for yourself, selfish thing.  Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted.  Allow to cool in the pan for about an hour, then (carefully) tip out onto a rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Frosting options?  A simple glaze of lemon juice and confectioner's sugar would be great - as would a proper cream cheese frosting (just cream cheese, beaten with confectioner's sugar until thick and fluffy). 

* This recipe comes courtesy of Cook's Illustrated, who doubles my quantities here to bake it as a bundt cake - and you could do that very happily too with additional cooking time - say 45 or 50 minutes total. 

Olive oil pound cake

This is an exceptionally strange pound cake made with olive oil and pepper, where the recipe makes it sound a lot weirder than it tastes. 

It's delicious on its own, but we loved it for a Fourth of July dinner last weekend with a few dollops of homemade lemon curd.  We had some toasted for breakfast the next day with a smear of strawberry jam.

You want a really delicious, fruity olive oil for this recipe - and don't be stingy with the pepper.

I modified it from Bittersweet, by Alice Medrich; she makes hers as a marble cake, but I like it better as a simple pound cake. 

• 3 cups white flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh fine-ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 eggs
• 1 cup milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and oil and flour a Bundt cake pan. 

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl and set aside.

In a large mixer bowl, beat together the sugar, the olive oil, the pepper and the vanilla extract until smooth and creamy.  Add the eggs, one at a time, then beat the mixture until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes.

Stop the mixer and toss in about a third of the flour mixture, then mix on low until just incorporated.  Add half the milk, and mix until just incorporated.  Add another third of the flour mixture, then repeat with the milk and final third of flour mixture.  You'll want to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula between additions.

Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake until a cake tester comes out clean - about an hour and ten minutes.

Let the cake cool in the pan for about 20 minutes, then invert and gently work it out of the pan.