Mincemeat Crumble

From a recipe by Nigel Slater

This is a rich and comforting dessert which is chockerful of intense fruit flavour. A generous portion of Bird's custard is a must!

2-3 apples, peeled, cored, and sliced thinly 

1 1/4 cups good mincemeat (Robertsons)

a large banana, sliced

juice of an orange

3/4 cup flour

2/3 cup butter 

1/4 cup brown sugar 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Put the sliced apples in an ovenproof bowl, and stir in the mincemeat, the banana and the orange juice. 
3. Pulse the flour, butter and sugar in a food processor for a few seconds, or work them into a crumble texture with your fingers for a few minutes. 
4. Add a few drops of water and mix in with a fork, so that some of the crumbs stick together. 
5. Top the fruit mixture with the crumble, and bake till crisp on top, for about 25-30 minutes.

Coconut Madeleines

From a recipe by the Barefoot Contessa

These look absolutely adorable and are very easy to make. They're delicious and are a perfect morning treat. Proust just loved his madeleines and he especially liked to dunk them in to his lime-blossom tea!

1-2 tablespoons melted butter

1/4 lb unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 large eggs, at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut, or 1-2 teaspoons of lemon zest

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F, and carefully butter and flour the madeleine pans.
2. Beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed for 2-3 minutes in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, until the mixture is light yellow and fluffy. Add the melted butter and mix again.
3. Sift together the dry ingredients (flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and salt), and stir gently into the batter, then stir in the coconut or the lime zest.
4. Pour the batter into the madeleine pans (you will need two for this recipe), almost filling each shell. Bake them for 8 to 12 minutes, until they have risen and are light brown. Be careful not to overcook them as they can burn on the underside. Carefully nudge the madeleines out of the pans and allow them to cool on a baking rack. 

Yield: 24 madeleines
Watch Chef Philippe making madeleines! My mouth is watering!

Smoked Trout Salad

Adapted from a recipe by Joan Nathan and Mark Siegel

This is a fabulous interpretation of the classic whitefish salad which I can’t find anywhere near me in western Massachusetts!

1 lb smoked trout
4 stalks of celery, strings removed, finely chopped
1/4 cup sour cream (approximately)
1-2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-2 tablespoons of softened cream cheese
red onion rings

capers

1. Carefully peel away and discard the skin of the trout. Remove any small bones, and carefully break apart the fish with a fork and place it in a mixing bowl. 
2. Finely dice the celery and combine with the fish, along with 1/4 cup of the sour cream, mayonnaise, and cream cheese. Add more sour cream or mayonnaise as needed to give it a spreadable texture. 
3. Perfect on toasted bagels, topped with some red onion rings and capers. 

Pear Clafouti

Based on a recipe by the Barefoot Contessa

"This is delicious with its delicate custard, and looks beautiful when it comes out of the oven, all puffed up with pears popping out of the top!"

Ingredients

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

3 large eggs, at room temperature

6 tablespoons flour

1 1/2 cups light or heavy or cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

2 tablespoons Cointreau

4 ripe pears

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Butter the inside of a 10 inch round Pyrex baking dish, and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar.
3. Beat the eggs and the remaining sugar until light and fluffy. Then mix in the flour, cream, vanilla extract, lemon zest, salt, and Cointreau. Put the custard mixture aside for 10 minutes or so.
4. Meanwhile peel, halve, core, and slice the pears and arrange them in the baking dish. Pour the batter over the pears and bake until the top is golden brown, 35 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

No-Knead Bread

This bread is superb and always receives rave reviews!

Adapted from Jim Lahey, Sullivan Street Bakery

Time: About 1 1/2 hours plus 12 to 20 hours' rising
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
1 1/4 teaspoons salt

1 5/8 cups water

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let the dough rest for at least 12 hours, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle with a little more flour. Fold it over on itself once or twice, then cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes. Wash and dry the bowl in preparation for the next step.
3. Using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Line the bowl with a cotton tea towel, sprinkle it with flour, then add the dough and dust again with more flour. Cover with another tea towel and leave it rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, the dough will bulk up in size and not spring back when poked.
4. Half-hour before dough is ready, put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron) in the oven as it preheats to 450 degrees. When the dough is ready, carefully remove the hot pot from oven. Slide your hand under towel and turn the dough over into pot; it may look like a mess, but that is fine. Shake pan once or twice to even out the dough. Cover with lid and bake for 30 minutes, then remove the lid and bake for another 5 minutes or so, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Yield: One 1 1/2-pound loaf.

Blintzes

A wonderful recipe to start the weekend. Perfect comfort food!

Crepes from Fannie Farmer Cookbook

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup flour

2 T melted butter

Beat the eggs well, then beat in the milk, salt, flour and butter, or mix in a blender until smooth.
Cover and let stand for at least 30 minutes.

Filling from Curtis and Schwartz

1/4 lb cream cheese

1 1/2 cup ricotta

1 egg

3/4 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp sugar

pinch of salt

1/4 tsp grated lemon zest

Allow cream cheese to soften at room temperature, and then combine with all the other ingredients. Beat vigorously until well blended. This mixture freezes well.

Directions

1. Cook a small stack of crepes, one side only. Place approximately 2 T of the filling on the browned side of the crepe, and roll up gently to create a sealed package.
2. Return to the frying pan, adding a little olive oil as needed.
3. Lightly brown on both sides.
4. Keep warm in a preheated oven while you cook the next batch.
5. Serve hot with sour cream and apple sauce.