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I’m continuing the coffee-shop theme from last week’s almond financiers to include this beautiful GF lemon drizzle cake.

This is my ideal lemon cake, with a soft plush crumb similar to pound cake, loads of lemon zest and juice in the batter, and a nice tart glaze over the whole. I skipped the lemon syrup that sometimes is poured over the cake when it’s hot because the cake is beautifully moist already with the olive oil, almond flour, yogurt, and lemon juice in the batter. Instead, the cake gets its bright finish from a thick, tart, lemon icing.

Note 1: I often see GF recipes for lemon tea cake call for xanthan gum, but I don’t find it necessary. If your GF flour has it already included, it’s ok to use.

Note 2: There seems to be a wide range of loaf pan dimensions, even within the standard 9-inch by 5-inch, and a wide variety of materials they are made from—cast iron, glass, metal, and ceramic. I used a Staub loaf pan, which is made from black-enameled cast iron, which will give the cake more of a crust than some of the other materials. Adjust bake time accordingly, and start checking the cake at 45 minutes.

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I have a recipe that I’ve been meaning to work on forever—GF financiers, the little French cakes made with almond flour, butter, and egg white, and are wonderfully sturdy and portable yet moist and keep beautifully. The cakes are always made in small form, usually a rectangle, and form a golden crust. They are slightly chewy and stay soft inside.

They are a staple in coffee shops due to all of those qualities—slices of tea cake always dry out, but these stay stable for many hours at room temperature, and it is for this reason that I love them for picnics. In fact, I think they are the ultimate picnic cake or sweet to take on a hike that can withstand a bit of jostling around and are made in perfect, serving-size portions.

Note: I used a standard muffin tin and weighed out 35g of batter in each, or about 2/3 full. You can also use a mini muffin pan, but adjust bake time accordingly.

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Whenever I have leftover flaky pastry or jam, they usually end up as a pop-tart or hand pie—this time I wanted to make a savory versions and made one with meat and one mushroom. To give them more flavor and keep them moist inside, I made a bechamel sauce that is slightly thicker than one would usually make it, and added a little dijon mustard for flavor and acidity. If you’re unfamiliar with making bechamel, it’s a very useful base for some things you’ve probably already made: it’s the base for most mac and cheese recipes, the foundation of many cream soups, and it’s used on the French open face sandwich Croque Monsieur, where it’s slathered on thick slices of bread before layering with ham and cheese.

The base for these pies is the Sour Cream and Butter Pie Dough. It’s a wonderfully versatile dough and quick to make, especially if you use a food processor. It also crimps well and holds its shape when baked—just be careful when handling it and make sure it’s had enough time at room temperature so that when you roll it, it doesn’t crack.

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I run across so many interesting ideas and recipes on the internet that I’ve tried and like or that I’ve bookmarked, that I thought it would be fun to occasionally share the more interesting ones here.

For example, there are lots of recipes using the rice wrappers that you’d normally use for a spring roll that are dipped in egg and rolled around a filling as a filo-type of stand in, and there’s a dinner roll made with soaked lentils that I’ve tried, but am still working on because they can be a bit stodgy. Last week I cooked with Yuba for the first time, the Japanese cooked and pressed soy cake that can be sliced thinly and boiled and dressed as one would a noodle.

Today’s recipe comes from Sarah Cabacho, who has the website Plantbaes, and is reprinted and shared with her permission. The bread is made from 100% buckwheat groats—important to find whole, un-toasted, raw groats. The bread is leavened entirely through fermentation—no added yeast, and it makes a satisfying loaf that leans a bit heavy, despite the holes from the natural yeast, but is delicious, especially if you like the flavor of buckwheat. Here’s the short version of the recipe, but you can go to her site and see it in more detail as well as instructions for warmer climates:

• soak 500g / 2 2/3 C rinsed, whole buckwheat groats in water to cover 6-7 hours

• drain and blend til smooth with 1/4 tsp sea salt and 210 ml (⅔ cup + 2 tbsp) water

• cover and let ferment for 12-24 hours at room temperature (see her site for temps/times).

• pour into prepared loaf pan and bake at 350f for 90 minutes

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The strawberry-orange preserves are a wonderful recipe to make this time of year when it’s the ‘shoulder’ season and strawberries are just coming to market. The first ones of the year aren’t usually very flavorful like the ones we get mid-summer. Combining them with orange—in this case some beautiful Cara Caras I found locally—you get the slight bitterness, pectin, and texture from the orange, and a beautiful garnet color and summery flavor from the strawberries; it eats more like a jam with ribbons of citrus in it than a proper marmalade. It’s a simple recipe, and if you make a small batch as I did, it can be made in less than 45 minutes.

Strawberry-orange preserves

Yields scant 3 cups / 700ml

• 500g / 17.5 oz strawberries, hulled, halved, sliced

• 450g / 16 oz sugar

• 250g / 9 oz orange, ends cut off, cut in quarters, and then sliced paper thin

• juice of 1 lemon

Combine the prepared strawberries with the sugar and toss to coat.

Put the prepared oranges in a pot with at least 3-inches of head space with 2 cups/475ml water. Bring to a boil, simmer for 10 minutes, drain. Add the same amount of water and simmer for another 10 minutes until the rind is tender. Drain.

Add the strawberries to the pot with the oranges, along with the lemon juice. Bring to a boil and simmer until it reaches 221f on a thermometer. Periodically skim the foam that collects on top with a ladle.

Immediately fill prepared sterilized jars, if using.

Process in sterilized jars with lids, or ladle into a container that will be stored in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Orange Preserves

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Before I get to the recipe, I wanted to let subscribers know that one room opened up for the October gluten-free workshop in Provence with Reverie—link here to see more information.

I’ve had this recipe on the back burner for some time, and it seems that there’s something in the air about coconut cake because I’m seeing it everywhere—the time is nigh!

This is made with a very easy chiffon cake recipe, and layered with classic cream cheese frosting. You’ll want to make sure to serve it at cool room temperature for the nicest texture.

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I recently had dinner at San Francisco’s Izakaya Rintaro, a beautiful restaurant opened in 2015 by chef/owner Sylvan Mishima Brackett serving traditional Japanese Izakaya by way of California, and was built by his father who apprenticed as a temple carpenter in Kyoto. The restaurant is warm and familial, from the traditional greeting to the sparkling plum wine served to all diners, to the hand-planed wood used to make the booths. Best of all for readers of this Substack, nearly everything is gluten-free, with many options for vegetarians and pescatarians.

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One of the dishes I had was karaage, deep fried marinated chicken wings, served with a sauce of sake, shoyu, mirin, and Japanese sugar that is cooked and reduced to syrup consistency—yakitori tare sauce. The wings are served with lemon wedges and the yakitori, and are crisp, salty, slightly sweet, sour from the lemon, and very, very juicy. Seek out the sansho pepper if you can find it—it adds a nice citrusy flavor.

And: these wings cook in 4 minutes, no exaggeration.

Sylvan has generously shared his recipe from his cookbook with Have Your Cake. You can find his book here at Omnivore Books, or at any book retailer.

A few notes:

• Invest in an instant-read thermometer! It really helps with deep frying,

• Resist the urge to thickly coat the chicken with potato starch; in fact, knock a good amount off once dredged and you’ll get the best coating.

• Try the same preparation with fish—I used cod and it was delicious. Reduce marination time to no more than 2 hours as it will absorb the marinade much more quickly than chicken. Cut the fish into wing-size pieces and reduce cooking time accordingly.

• You’ll only need a few tablespoons of yakitori sauce, but make the whole batch—you’ll want it on everything!

• These make great picnic food; let cool before packing or the coating will steam. Don’t forget the lemon wedges.

• I used coconut sugar in the yakitori sauce since I had neither Japanese sugar nor raw sugar. This will have a more pronounced flavor than raw sugar, but was delicious.

• I used avocado oil to fry one batch, and avocado plus olive oil to cook a subsequent batch. Both worked well.

Teba no Karaage (fried chicken wings), Rintaro

• 2 lb / 900g whole chicken wings

• 1 1/2 tsp sea salt

• 1 tsp sugar

Marinade

• 2 Tbs grated ginger

• 1 Tbs grated garlic

• 1 Tbs cooking sake

• 1 Tbs mirin

• 2 tsp sesame oil

• 6 Cups / 1.4 L vegetable oil or other neutral oil

• 2 Cups / 380g potato starch

• 3 Tbs yakitori tare (follows)

For serving

• ground sansho pepper

• lemon wedges

• arugula (optional)

To prepare the wings: Cut off the wing tips and reserve for stock. Cut the wings into two pieces: upper wing (or flat) and drumette. Cut a slit in each wing down to the bone, transfer to a large bowl, and toss with the salt and sugar. Let stand at room temperature for at least 10 minutes or up to 1 hour.

To make the marinade: In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, sake, mirin, and sesame oil. Pour the marinade over the chicken, toss to coat, then cover the bowl and marinate, refrigerated, for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

In a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat, heat the canola oil until it registers 330°F / 166°C on an instant-read thermometer. Set a wire rack over a rimmed sheet pan.

Put the potato starch in a large bowl. Toss the marinated wings with the potato starch, knocking the wings against the side of the bowl to shake off excess potato starch.

When the oil is hot, drop half of the chicken wings into the oil and increase the heat to high. Fry until the wings float, approximately 4 minutes. Using a spider or tongs, remove the wings from the oil and transfer to the wire rack. Allow the oil to return to temperature and repeat with the remaining wings. When all the wings have been fried, transfer them to a clean bowl and toss with the tare.

Place the wings on a serving platter, dust with the ground sansho, and serve hot with lemon wedges and arugula (if using) alongside.

Yakitori Tare

• 1 cup / 236ml cooking sake

• 1 cup / 236ml shoyu

• 1/2 cup / 118ml mirin

• 1/2 cup / 106g unrefined Japanese sugar (zarame) or raw sugar

In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine all the ingredients. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to a low boil. Let cook, stirring frequently and checking to ensure it’s not charring on the sides of the pan, until the sauce is reduced by 20 percent, about 30 minutes.

Teba No Karaage

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And happy Sunday to everyone.

Today’s recipe is for a beautiful, one-bowl cake that goes together quickly and has a gorgeous crumb reminiscent of wheat-flour cakes in its fine texture—and best of all, it’s also nut-free and dairy-free .

Cocoa is the only chocolate that is in it, so use the best.

You’ll want some ice cream or whipped cream to go along with it.

Enjoy!

PS: I’m having technical difficulties with attaching a PDF. Should be fixed by tomorrow and I’ll attach recipe asap.

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This week’s recipe is from the Alsace region on the border of France and Germany—a delicious, thin flatbread that is crisp and chewy, and is topped before baking with seasoned creme fraiche, thinly sliced onions, and bacon or lardons. Everywhere you go in the region you will find a version of this delicious savory bread, where it’s often served with a crisp white wine or beer. I’ve also seen paper thin slices fingerling or Bintje potatoes mixed with the onions, or a little Gruyere cheese. I think a little thyme would go nicely as well, but this is the original version, perfect as is.

I’ve adapted one of my flatbread recipes that uses Greek yogurt as the moisture in the dough; I tried several different versions of flatbread doughs for the base of this, but this one in particular gives you the perfect balance of crispness and chewiness and really nice flavor from the yogurt. The pinch of nutmeg is optional, but it’s a really nice flavor without screaming ‘spice’ and adds to the earthiness of the ingredients.

Because the dough has no yeast and the base is rolled thinly and baked at 500f, this goes together much more quickly than most flatbreads or pizzas and makes a very satisfying starter or light meal with a salad.

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First, a quick note to say that there’s still two spots left for the October 7-13 Reverie Gluten-Free Baking Workshop in Provence. June sold out very quickly! Information here to read about it and sign up.

I realized I didn’t have a chocolate tart yet, and wanted to make something that was easy to execute, didn’t involve baking, and incorporated another flavor element to create a flavor and texture similar to a classic chocolate-orange truffle filling. The addition of melted chocolate to the cookie crumbs serves two purposes: it boosts the flavor of the chocolate cookies, and it helps hold the crust together better than butter alone. I don’t add sugar; I like the slightly more savory flavor when combined with the sweeter filling.

Note: gluten-free chocolate sandwich, cookies, similar to Oreos and scraped the cream center out. You can use the whole cookie, but the final crust will be sweeter. I used a food processor to process the cookies into crumbs.

Note: This tart can be made in a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom or a 9-inch ceramic tart or quiche dish as I did in the photo. If using a ceramic dish, let the tart warm at room temperature before serving, or put in a 350°f oven for 2 minutes so the slices release more easily.

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Beer-battered fish was so popular last year, I thought it high time to write about another, even simpler fish-fry. I found these gorgeous sanddabs at Billingsgate fish market in San Francisco, but they are plentiful this time of year; if you can’t find sanddabs, use any flat fish fillet or whole flat fish, adjusting cooking time accordingly. If you’ve never had them, sanddabs are small flat fish, mild-flavored, and with a texture that stays tender under a light cornmeal crust.

I was thinking about various flours to dredge the fish in, but I like the toasty the flavor and crunchy texture of the cornmeal when fried, and I thought of this coating in the same way that some pasta shapes are made—to specifically to catch more sauce. You have the added benefit of the cornmeal making a stick-free coating, making cooking and flipping the fish very easy.

The sauce for these fish is made quickly and in the same pan; you simply wipe the pan out, melt some butter and add aromatics like capers, herbs, and anchovy (if you like). Adding coarsely chopped green or black olives would be delicious, as would the addition of a little chili flake. I used Meyer lemons which are so delicate and thin-skinned, they don’t need any cooking to eat them raw if sliced paper thin. If you don’t have Meyers, just use regular lemons and give them a moment in the fry pan with the rest of the sauce to soften up a bit.

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Cornmeal-crusted sanddabs with lemon–caper brown butter and herb and fennel salad

Serves 4—approximately 2 small fish per person

Herb and Shaved Fennel Salad

• 1 fennel bulb, very thinly shaved (you can use a vegetable peeler or mandolin)

• ½ bunch flat-leaf parsley leaves (about ½ bunch)

• large handful arugula

• 3 basil stems, leaves torn

• 2 stems tarragon leaves, optional

• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice or vinegar, or to taste

• 3 tbsp olive oil, or to taste

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fish

• 680 g / 1½ lb sand dabs, patted dry, about 8 each

• 8 Tbs fine cornmeal

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 3 tbsp butter

• extra lemon wedges for serving

Lemon–Caper Brown Butter

• 6 tbsp butter, unsalted

• 4 Tbs capers, drained and roughly chopped

• 1 Meyer lemon, sliced paper thin, or conventional lemons

• 8 g / 2 tbsp chopped parsley

• 2 anchovy fillets, finely chopped (or more to your taste) (optional)

• Juice of one lemon (a little less if using conventional lemons)

For the salad, combine the shaved fennel, parsley leaves, arugula, basil, and tarragon if using in a bowl. Dress lightly with the lemon juice or vinegar and the olive oil to taste, and season with salt and pepper; amount of dressing will depend on the amount of greens and herbs you use, so taste as you go. Toss gently so the fennel and herbs stay light and fresh. Chill until ready to serve.

Pat the sand dabs dry with paper towels. In a shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal, salt, and pepper. Lightly dredge the fish in the cornmeal mixture, turning to coat and tapping off any excess.

Warm a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and butter and let the butter melt and begin to foam. When the pan is hot and the butter has settled, add the fish in a single layer, working in batches if needed so the pan isn’t crowded.

Cook until the underside is golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn carefully and cook the second side for about 4 minutes more, until the fish is cooked through; adjust heat and cooking time accordingly to the size of your whole fish or fillets. Transfer the sand dabs to a warm plate while you cook the remaining fish.

Pour off the oil and butter from the skillet and carefully wipe the pan out with a paper towel. Return the pan to medium heat and add the butter for the sauce. Let it melt and begin to foam, cooking until it smells nutty and the edges begin to turn golden.

Add the chopped capers and let them sizzle gently in the butter for a minute or two. Stir in the parsley and the anchovies if using, letting them melt into the butter. Add half of the lemon juice and taste, adding more if desired. If using sliced conventional lemons, add them and let cook for a minute. Taste and adjust the seasoning—if using anchovy, additional salt is usually not needed.

Arrange the sand dabs on a platter or individual plates and spoon the warm lemon–caper brown butter over the top. Serve with the herb and fennel salad and lemon wedges alongside.

Cornmeal Crusted Sanddabs

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Last week’s poll showed that a vast majority of people wanted a savory recipe. I’ve been wanting to experiment with onion rings, and although they’re usually associated as a side to summertime foods, I like the idea of them better in this colder weather where you want to eat richer food—and deep frying is much more fun when you aren’t sweating in summer heat.

I tried many versions— cornmeal crusted, gluten-free Panko crusted, batter with egg/batter without egg. I showed two versions in the photo above to illustrate something interesting: both versions were first marinated in seasoned buttermilk for 30 minutes, however version one was tossed in seasoned flour, battered, then fried whereas version two skipped the flour dredge. Version one had a thicker, more even coating, but I wasn’t happy with how soft they were. Skipping the flour dredge and coating them directly in batter resulted in a coating that was a little thinner, however, they were far more crispy—and they stayed crispy for at least an hour after they came out of the hot oil.

I had to retry the experiment because I was convinced the extra flour dredge would be superior—a good lesson in how bias can lead you astray and to experiment before coming to a conclusion!

Note: I rarely have buttermilk on hand, but always have yogurt. You can substitute plain or Greek yogurt thinned with a little water to buttermilk consistency.

Note: I find it helpful to use an instant-read thermometer when heating the oil; it’s important to be accurate with this step.

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First, a quick poll:

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Join me and Reverie for a week of pastry making in Provence!

There are a few spots left for the gluten-free workshop event in Provence for October 7-13. The retreat in Toulouse sold out quickly so we added this date for the fall.

Click here to see the full description and to book- there will be so much to do and see. Reverie really goes above and beyond - but they also leave space for wandering and enjoying the gorgeous chateau, evenings by the pool, market strolls, and workshop guests. You’ll be staying at the stunning Chateau Martinay - more photos on the Reverie website.

Hope to see you there!

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It’s nice to be back! I took a much-needed six week break and I’m happy to return to Have Your Cake with this new recipe that uses the Meyer lemons that are so plentiful this time of year, especially in California.

Meyers have very thin, soft skins that make them ideal in recipes where you don’t want the bitter flavor of the pith, or in recipes that have a short bake time. If you don’t have them in your area, I include how to use Eureka lemons, the ones that are available year-round.

This cheesecake uses the whole lemon, skin and all, and is blended with the filling ingredients. It gives the batter a bright, aromatic sweetness and a hint of marmalade-like bitterness. Ricotta keeps the texture light, while the water bath ensures a silky, custardy center with no cracking. The entire batter is made in a blender and bakes in 35 minutes in a water bath.

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Sometimes you need a recipe that starts with “place all the ingredients in a blender”, uses a store-bought component, and only takes 35 minutes to bake.

Note: This is a low cheesecake, just 1-inch deep. If you want to make a deeper cake, double the batter and bake for 45-50 minutes or until done.

Note: If you don’t have Meyer lemons, see substitute in recipe.

Note: Use any GF cookie you like—I don’t care for the flavor of the Kinnikinnick brand grahams, but if you can find Schär brand Honeygrahams, they’re delicious. I used Goodie Girl Animal Crackers and they worked very well. If you use a very sweet cookie, omit the sugar in the crust.

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I sent out notification a few weeks ago, but for all of the new subscribers, a reminder: I’ll be pausing subscriptions until I’m back on February 14th (billing suspended until that date).

I love the community here and developing new recipes every week, but I’ve not taken any time off since starting Have Your Cake a year and a half ago, and I need a little reset.

Be back soon, and I wish everyone a happy and healthy new year.

Very best to you all,

— LIz

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Hello!

As we near the end of the year, I wanted to share something festive, fragrant, and a sweet keeps for weeks so you can nibble on it with coffee or tea or have as a quick dessert: a panforte made with candied quince, toasted nuts, chocolate, dried fruit, and warm spices.

Panforte is a nutty, rich confection served in thin wedges and is dense, chewy, and gets its sweetness mainly from honey and dried fruit. There are countless iterations of the Italian recipe that originated in Siena, but it is usually seen in two forms—a light version with spices, nuts and honey, and panforte nero, which is made with cocoa and chocolate and sometimes black or red chili pepper. Chocolate will normally overpower any other flavor in a recipe, but it marries perfectly with the spices and honey, with the flavor of candied orange and nuts coming through in equal measure. I use candied quince in this recipe, but you can substitute raisins, currants, dried apricots, or any other dried fruit you like—or add extra nuts.

Note: I’ll have one more recipe for you next week to close out the year, and then I’ll be taking the month of January off. After posting every week for the past year and a half, I’m giving myself a small winter pause to reset. All subscriptions will be paused during January, and I’ll be back in early February with renewed energy and new ideas to share.

Happy holidays, all!

Liz

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Torrone in Italian—nougat in France, torron in Spain, or mandorlato in Greece—is the delicious, chewy confection made with a boiled honey syrup beaten with egg whites and flavored with local ingredients, nuts, and honey and have a cross-section that looks like terrazzo when cut into bars.

There are some honey-forward versions such as torrone Sardo from Sardinia, or fruit-studded confections from Cremona featuring the region’s produce. This time of year they are all on beautiful display in pastry shop windows around the world, some flavored with or covered in chocolate, soft marshmallowy versions, and others that are brittle.

I like to make a ‘California’ version with a variety of fruit and nuts that grow here, but no matter what combination I use, I like a balance between sweet, nutty, and tart—the nougat itself is quite sweet, so I err on the side of a lot of added nuts for balance and a tart fruit like dried peach or apricot.

This is one of those recipes like fudge—you can add whatever you like, or make a single-variety with something plentiful in your area. Dried tart cherries would be outrageously good, as would an all-hazelnut version or a combination. Dried figs would add their distinctive crunch, and if I were leaning tropical, some Hawaiian macadamias and dried pineapple would be beautiful and delicious.

One of the best things I like about making a confection like this is you get so many pieces for very little work. A quarter sheet pan, 9-inches by 13-inches, yields 60-80 pieces, depending on how you cut them.

This is one of the rare recipes that is naturally gluten-free that I am adding to the collection because they are so quintessentially ‘holiday’ and too good not to include.

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Note 1: The accuracy of your thermometer is key in getting the right consistency. My first batch turned into a hard-to-cut jaw-breaker because my thermometer read 10 degrees lower than it should have, resulting in a syrup that actually cooked to 300f and not 290f—it also nearly burned out the motor on my mixer, it was so stiff.

Note 2: If you want a slightly soft nougat, cook the sugar syrup to 280f. A very firm, chewy nougat should be cooked to 290f.

Note 3: It’s important to keep your nut/fruit mixture warm while the nougat is mixing to prevent the nougat from hardening too quickly before spreading into the prepared pan.

Note 4: Corn syrup is used in this recipe to keep the candy from crystallizing, but you can replace it with honey if you prefer. The texture of the torrone will eventually become a bit grainy.

Special equipment and ingredients: you will need wafer paper and candy wrappers, which can be sourced from any good baking store or online.

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I’ve been wanting to share this wonderful confection, and the time is nigh with holiday cookies upon us. Friands are a longtime favorite at Tartine Bakery, as well as a favorite of home bakers and a recipe that people stop to tell me they make more than any other from both pastry books. I have one friend who made it for eight years at school functions to a point where she couldn’t not bring them after a while.

A friand is simply a small, dense and moist cake that is often made with nut flour (although this one is nut-free)—sort of a cross between a Madeleine and a financier. They make a nice addition to a cookie box or plate, and have good keeping quality due to being coated in chocolate ganache, and the batter is a quick one to assemble.

Note: You will need glassine cupcake or candy wrappers for these which are about 1 1/2-inches by 1/2-inch, or low cupcake wrappers. If you cannot find these, you can also bake them in a well-buttered and floured muffin tin.

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Chocolate friands, GF

Yields 24 mini cakes

Cake

• 170g / 6 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 225g / 2 sticks / 8 ounces butter, unsalted

• 4 eggs, large

• 310g / 1 1/2 C + 1 Tbs sugar

• 100g / 3/4 C GF flour

• 1/4 tsp salt

Ganache

• 115g / 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped

• 150ml / 2/3 C heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350f. Line up 24 mini muffin cup paper liners on a baking sheet, or butter and flour 24 mini muffin tin wells, knocking out the excess flour.

Make the batter: place the chopped chocolate in a small mixing bowl. Melt butter over medium heat until very hot. Pour the butter over the chocolate, let sit a minute, and whisk until smooth. Add the eggs one at a time to the chocolate mixture, whisking after each addition. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Add to the chocolate mixture and stir to combine.

Use a scoop to transfer batter to the prepared baking cups and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on fill level and whether or not you used paper or metal baking cups. Take care not to over bake since these are very small—they should feel just done in the center when touched, and will usually crack a little on top. Let cool for 10 minutes and unmold if you used metal tins.

Make the ganache: heat the heavy cream til very hot to the touch. Pour over chocolate in a small bowl. Let sit a minute, then stir to combine til smooth.

Coat the friends: holding the friand by the sides, dip the top into the ganache. Tilt so the excess drips off to the side, and place on a rack to set up. The ganache should be firm within an hour.

If you need to refrigerate them, put them in a sealed container first to chill and be brought to room temp for serving, otherwise they will form condensation on the ganache if it’s hot in your kitchen or it’s a muggy day.

Serve at room temperature. Friands will keep for up to 5 day in a sealed container in the refrigerator or a day at room temp.

Chocolate Friands

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This time of year I always have an eye out for cookies to add to a Christmas cookie tin, and these will be no. 1 on the list. They are all the flavors I like—toasty nuts, maple, buttery shortbread, a dash of salt—and couldn’t be faster to make. Cut them into fingers or small squares as I did in the photo, or diamonds or triangles to add contrasting shapes to a cookie plate. I kept the sugar-level on the low side, as well.

The topping is made by tossing raw pecans with a little maple syrup, sugar, and salt. You press the shortbread dough into the pan, cover with the pecan mixture, and a glaze forms on the nuts in the time the whole thing bakes.

This is also a very satisfying dough to make, as it’s best made by hand using a technique the French call fraisage, which is simply using the heel of your hand to work butter into the flour and sugar for tart and cookie doughs—if you like to work your dough by hand, you are probably doing this by instinct anyway.

Happy cookie-making season!

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Hellooo!

I’ve had holiday cookies on my mind, and extra cooked squash in my refrigerator from a large kabocha I cut up last week to make into curry and have in winter chicory and apple salad and thought it might make a nice addition to the usual soft spice cookie.

This recipe makes a light, slightly cake-y cookie with soft center and gets a lot of flavor out of minimal ingredients: browning the butter gives the dough a light nutty flavor, and you can use whatever spices you like in the spiced sugar coating—I’ve tried pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and a combo of cinnamon and cardamom in the sugar coating, all delicious. You could also go in a pfeffernusse direction and mix black pepper with cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.

Note: The touch of turmeric is to enhance the beautiful color the squash, but it’s optional. You can use pumpkin puree if you don’t have kabocha.

Tip for the best sugar-coating: Dampen the scoop of cookie dough before rolling in sugar for a thicker coating and more flavor.

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Hello!

For this week’s recipe I had the holidays in mind, but I wanted to make something with a bit of a different flavor profile than the usual and coffee was the perfect addition. It’s not a flavor we use in desserts much around this time of year—or any time? Which is too bad because it’s so delicious at the end of a meal. I’m having trouble thinking of any coffee desserts from decades ago other than mousse and Swiss roll, but I used to think of the flavor as very sophisticated—perhaps it was simply a flavor I associated with adults? It is my favorite ice-cream flavor, and the smell of this tart reminds me of the Dutch Hopjes hard coffee candies wrapped in white paper that I loved as a kid.

You’ll use the HYC sweet pastry crust, a very handy and versatile recipe for a tart like this, and it’s a good recipe to be made a day ahead of time when you want to get baking out of the way. Double the batch and keep half in the freezer for a quick tart.

The filling of this caramel-coffee tart isn’t as gooey as pecan pie, nor as sweet as it doesn’t have any corn syrup or added sugar (only caramelized sugar); it’s like a cross between pecan pie filling and custard, and a little heavier on the nuts. A small slice goes a long way.

Serve with unsweetened whipped cream or ice cream.

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