Pickled Mustard Seeds with Honey & White Peppercorns

Servings: 1 Cup
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 
Source: Food 52

These bright golden pickled seeds, which burst in your mouth, are a satisfying combination of both spicy and sweet, and serve as an unexpected substitution for traditional golden mustard. Around our home, we like referring to them as our “mustard caviar.” —Angela Brown

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup yellow mustard seed
3/4 cup white wine vinegar, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Directions: 

Thoroughly rinse the mustard seeds in a fine mesh sieve. Add the drained seeds, 3/4 cup of the white wine vinegar, and the salt to a bowl and set aside. Allow the seeds to soak at room temperature for one hour.

Add the honey, turmeric, peppercorns and red pepper flakes to the seed mixture, gently stir and pour into a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium high heat, being sure to stir the bottom and sides of the saucepan regularly, and continue to cook for about 20 minutes.

Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool (the mixture will continue to thicken). Once the seed mixture has returned to room temperature, stir in the remaining white wine vinegar. When stored in an airtight jar and kept refrigerated, the pickled mustard seeds will keep well for about 3 months. * Note: The seeds will continue to absorb liquid while they are refrigerated. In order to avoid a condiment that is too thick, you can periodically stir more white wine vinegar into the jar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, whenever necessary.

We did not add pepper flakes or add 1/4 cup of wine vinegar

Sweet and Salty Cream Cheese Tart

Servings: 8 to 10
Preheat: 325
Prep Time: 45 minutes, plus cooling and chilling
Source: Alison Roman

The nice thing about this cheesecake is that it doesn’t require a water bath or any sort of special baking pan: More shallow than a traditional version, it gets baked right in a pie plate (or tart pan, if you’ve got that). While there is juice inside the cream cheese filling, it’s the fresh sliced citrus on top that makes this cake Creamsicle-like, so don’t skip it. The ultimate do-ahead dessert, this cheesecake can be baked three or so days in advance, just make sure to wrap it tightly as cream cheese tends to easily pick up on that “fridge” scent.

Ingredients: 

FOR THE CRUST

8 ounces Ritz crackers or Nilla
wafers (see Note)
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
6 tablespoons unsalted
butter, melted
Pinch of kosher salt

FOR THE FILLING
1 pound (2 8-ounce packages) full-fat
cream cheese, preferably room
temperature, or 2 cups labne
1 cup sour cream or full-fat Greek
yogurt
½ cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons fresh grapefruit,
lemon, lime, or orange juice
Flaky sea salt
Fresh citrus, halved or sliced (optional)

Directions: 

1. Make the crust: Heat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Pulse cookies in a food processor until you’ve got a nice fine crumb (but not a powder). You can also do this by hand if you like, by placing the cookies in a resealable bag and crushing or smashing with a skillet or rolling pin, but you will need a food processor for the filling.
3. Transfer crumbs to a medium bowl and add brown sugar and butter, followed by a pinch of salt. Using your hands, mix until the crumbs are evenly coated and the mixture has a nice, wet-sand texture.
4. Press the crust onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate, tart pan or springform pan. (Alternatively, you could use a cake pan lined with parchment. You can even use an 8-by-8-inch baking dish here, although expect a slightly thicker outcome.) Use the bottom of a measuring cup or small bowl to make sure the crust is really pressed in there, otherwise the cake could be challenging to cut later on.
5. Bake the crust until it is lightly golden brown at the edges (it gets baked one more time, so best not to overdo it here), 10 to 12 minutes.

6. Make the filling: Combine cream cheese, sour cream and granulated sugar in the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture is extremely smooth and well blended, a minute or two, scraping down the sides as needed to incorporate any stubborn chunks of cream cheese. Add eggs, grapefruit juice, and a pinch of kosher salt and keep processing until it’s even smoother and creamier than before (a miracle!), another 30 seconds or so.
7. Pour filling into baked crust (you may have some leftover filling depending on your chosen vessel) and bake until mostly set (a little jiggle is fine), 20 to 30 minutes. The filling should not brown at all.
8. Turn oven off and open the door a crack. Let the tart sit in the oven for a few minutes before transferring it to a wire rack on the counter to cool completely. Then place the tart in the refrigerator to chill for at least 1 hour. (This is to prevent any unsightly cracks from appearing on the surface, which can happen when there is a sudden or drastic change in temperature.)
9. To serve, scatter fresh citrus slices on top and sprinkle with a little flaky salt.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Servings: 4 Mini Loaves, one 9X5-Inch loaf, or one 12-cup bundt cake
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 
Source: Fine Cooking – Nov/Dec 2020

Banana bread, delicious on its own, is made better (and even more kid-friendly) with the addition of chocolate chips.

Ingredients: 

4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened; more for the pans
10-1/2 oz. (2-1/3 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour; more for the pans
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup mashed very ripe banana (2 large or 3 medium bananas)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions: 

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly butter and flour four mini loaf pans, one 12-cup Bundt pan, or one 9×5-inch metal loaf pan.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Whisk the ingredients well to combine.

In the bowl of a stand mixer or in a medium mixing bowl, mix the butter on low speed with the stand mixer’s paddle attachment or on medium-low speed with a hand mixer until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and continue mixing on low speed until slightly fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing until smooth between each addition. Add the bananas, scrape down the sides of the bowl, and mix until blended.

Stop the mixer and add half the flour mixture. Mix on low speed (for either mixer) until the flour drifts are almost gone. Add half the buttermilk. Mix until blended, and then repeat with the remaining flour and buttermilk. Continue mixing until smooth, scraping the bowl to make sure the batter is even. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand.

If using mini loaf pans, divide the batter evenly among the four pans (the pans should be about two-thirds full). If using a Bundt or full-size loaf pan, spread the batter in the pan (again, filling the pan no more than two-thirds full.) Smooth the top of the batter. Bake until the loaves are golden and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes for mini loaves (60 minutes for a Bundt pan and 60 to 70 minutes for a full-size loaf pan).

Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for 10 to 15 minutes to give them time to set and then turn them out onto a rack and flip right side up to cool completely.

Chocolate Chip-Raspberry Muffins

Servings: 12
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 
Source: Fine Cooking Issue #77

These muffins, laced with tart raspberries and sweet chocolate chips, would make a romantic wake-up for a Valentine’s Day breakfast.

Ingredients: 

1 lb. (3-1/2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. table salt
1-1/3 cups granulated sugar
5 oz. (10 Tbs.) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 cup crème fraîche or sour cream, at room temperature
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (no need to thaw)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Directions: 

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil (or spray with cooking spray) the top of a standard 12-cup muffin tin (cups should be 2-3/4 inches across and about 1 inch deep) and line with paper or foil baking cups.

In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; mix well. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, crème fraîche or sour cream, eggs, and egg yolk until well combined.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and fold gently with a rubber spatula just until the dry ingredients are mostly moistened (the batter will be lumpy)–there should still be quite a few streaks of dry flour.

Sprinkle the raspberries, chocolate chips, and vanilla extract onto the batter, and fold them in until just combined. (The batter will be lumpy; don’t try to smooth it out.) Do not overmix.

Use an ice cream scoop if you have one with a “sweeper” in it; otherwise, use two spoons to spoon the batter into the muffin cups, distributing all of the batter evenly. The batter should mound higher than the rim of the cups by about 3/4 inch. Bake until the muffins are golden brown and spring back lightly when you press the middle, 30 to 35 minutes. (The muffin tops will probably meld together.) Let the tin cool on a rack for 15 to 20 minutes, then use a table knife to separate the tops, and then invert the pan and pop out the muffins.

Italian Ricotta Cookies

Servings: 6 dozen
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 1 hour, plus 2 hours’ chilling
Source: New York Times

Jessica Hulett’s tender, cakey ricotta cookies taste like the white part of the best black and white cookie you’ve ever had. The recipe comes from Ms. Hulett’s grandmother Dorie, who used to flavor the cookies with anise, if she used flavoring at all. Adding lemon zest gives the cookies a fragrant brightness. We approve. —Melissa Clark

Ingredients: 

2 sticks (1 cup) plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
425 grams sugar (about 2 cups)
1 ¾ cups ricotta cheese (15 ounces), preferably fresh
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
480 grams all-purpose flour (about 4 cups)
10 grams baking soda (2 teaspoons)
4 grams fine sea salt (about 3/4 teaspoon)
450 grams confectioners’ sugar (about 4 cups)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ cup to 1/2 cup milk, as needed

Directions: 

Using an electric mixer, cream 2 sticks butter with sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add ricotta, lemon zest and 2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and beat well. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl down with a rubber spatula, then beat in flour, baking soda and salt. Cover dough and chill for at least 2 hours and up to a week.

Heat oven to 350 degrees and line several cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick liners. Shape tablespoons of dough into balls. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake until pale golden on the bottom, about 15 minutes. Let cool on wire racks.

Melt remaining tablespoon butter. Whisk confectioners’ sugar to break up any large lumps, then whisk in melted butter, lemon juice, remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla and enough milk to make a spreadable icing. Spread icing on cooled cookies, then let set for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Brownie Cream Cheese Bites

Servings: 5 dozen cookies
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Source: Fine Cooking – Issue 61

These mini cupcakes add a delicious burst of fudgy flavor and a playful element to the usual holiday cookie assortment.

Ingredients: 

For the brownies:
4 oz. (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1/4 tsp. table salt
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
5-3/4 oz. (1-1/4 cups) all-purpose flour

For the cream cheese topping:
6 oz. cream cheese, softened at room temperature
3 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate chips

Directions: 

Heat the oven to 350°F and line three one-dozen capacity (five if you have them) mini muffin tins with foil or paper liners.
Make the brownie batter:

Combine the butter and chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over simmering water or in a microwave and heat, stirring frequently with a rubber spatula, until the butter and chocolate are melted and smooth. Set aside.

With a stand mixer (use the whisk attachment) or a hand mixer, beat the eggs and salt in a large bowl on medium speed until very foamy, about 2 minutes. Continue beating while gradually adding the sugar. Beat until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. With a large rubber spatula, scrape the chocolate mixture into the eggs, add the vanilla, and fold until the two mixtures are just barely incorporated. Add the flour and continue folding until just incorporated. Scrape the batter into a 1-gallon heavy-duty zip-top bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal.

Make the cream cheese topping:

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar with a wooden spoon until smooth and creamy. Add the egg yolk and mix until blended. Pour in the chips and mix until blended. Scrape into a 1-quart zip-top bag. Squeeze out as much air as possible and seal.

Assemble and bake:

Snip off 1/2 inch from one corner of each bag. Fill each lined muffin cup about two-thirds full with the brownie batter and then top with about 1 tsp. of the cream cheese mixture.
Bake the three trays in the center of the oven until the brownies are puffed and a pick inserted in the brownie comes out just barely clean, about 20 minutes. Let the brownies cool in trays on racks for 5 minutes before carefully lifting the liners out of the tins and transferring them to racks to cool completely. Be sure the tins are completely cool before lining and filling them with the remaining batters.
Store at room temperature or freeze in an airtight container, separating the layers with waxed paper.

Creamy Cod and Leek Chowder

Servings: 4+
Preheat:
Prep Time:
Source: https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/creamy-cod-leek-chowder

Fresh dill and cod take the place of parsley and clams, making this chowder taste deliciously different from the summer stalwart. For a soup so rich and satisfying, it comes together surprisingly quickly.

Ingredients: 

3 Tbs. unsalted butter, softened
2 Tbs. all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. vegetable oil
1 large carrot, coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
1 large russet potato, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 large leek, trimmed, white and light-green parts halved lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/4-inch slices (about 2 cups)
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine
1 quart good-quality seafood stock or clam juice
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 large bay leaf
1 large sprig fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lb. cod or snapper, cut into 2-inch pieces
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill, plus sprigs for garnish
Flaky sea salt, for garnish

Directions: 

In a small bowl, combine 2 Tbs. of the butter with the flour and set aside.

Heat the remaining 1 Tbs. butter and the oil in a 5- to 6-quart pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrot and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, then add the potato and leek and cook, stirring occasionally, until the leek begins to brown, another 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the wine and cook until absorbed and evaporated, 7 to 10 minutes.

Lower the heat to medium low. Add the stock, cream, bay leaf, thyme, 1/2 tsp. salt, and 1/4 tsp. pepper, and bring to a low simmer. Gradually add the flour-butter mixture, stirring after each addition, until slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Add the cod and chopped dill, and simmer lightly until the cod is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaf and thyme, season to taste with salt and pepper, and serve garnished with the dill sprigs and flaky sea salt.

Spicy Cashews

Servings: 
Preheat: 
Prep Time: 
Source: Kavita Verma

The one and only recipe! Works well for Costco cashews and mixed nuts.

Ingredients: 

2 ½ pounds roasted cashews
3 oz fresh lemon juice
3 tbs butter
2 tbs roasted cumin powder
2 tbs chaat masala
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp salt or to taste

Directions: 

Place a large non-stick pan on a low heat
Add roasted cashews to the pan and pour lemon juice
Stir with spatula till the lemon juice is evaporated
Add butter and cook for 4-5 minutes
Add all the other spices
When the cashews are crisp and well coated, turn the heat off and let it cool down before storing in a container.
Enjoy the cashews with your favorite cocktails.

Delfina’s Broccoli Rabe Pizza

Servings: 4
Preheat: 550
Prep Time: 2 hours + rising time
Source: https://www.sunset.com/recipe/delfinas-broccoli-rabe-pizza

This is the best home pizza dough we’ve ever tried—smooth, supple, and easy to work with. You can use regular flour, but for a truly awesome, springy-yet-crunchy crust, go for high-protein Italian “00” (finely milled) flour. Weigh the flour for best results.

Ingredients: 

Dough
1 teaspoon (slightly rounded) fresh yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
30 ounces flour (about 6 cups)
3 tablespoons kosher salt**

Broccoli Rabe Topping
10 ounce fresh mozzarella packed in liquid
1/3 cup liquid from mozzarella container
1/4 cup packed coarsely shredded caciocavallo or parmesan cheese
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, divided
1 pound broccoli rabe (about 1 large bunch)
2 garlic cloves, well smashed
4 tablespoons olive oil
About 1/4 tsp. red chile flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup black olives (oil-cured or Gaeta, soaked in water and drained if very salty), pitted and torn in half
Extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling

Directions: 

Make dough: Put yeast, oil, and 2 cups plus 1 tbsp. cold tap water in bowl of a stand mixer and mix, using dough hook, on lowest speed, 5 minutes or until yeast has completely dissolved. Add flour and mix another 8 minutes.

Cover bowl loosely with a dampened towel and let dough rise 20 minutes.

Add salt and mix on low speed until incorporated and dissolved, about 7 minutes.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured work surface and cut into 6 equal portions. Roll each portion with a circular pressing motion into a tight ball. Place on a lightly floured baking sheet.

Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise at least 4 hours at warm room temperature. Dough balls have risen properly when they are soft, pillowy, and full of air.

Heat a pizza stone or baking sheet on lowest rack of oven at 550° (or as high as oven will go), at least 30 minutes.

Make toppings: With flat side of a chef’s knife, mash a third of mozzarella until pulverized. Dice remaining mozzarella into 1/2-in. cubes. In a medium bowl, mix both mozzarellas with mozzarella liquid, caciocavallo, cream, and buttermilk. Season with 1/4 tsp. salt.

Cut broccoli rabe into 1-in. sections, discarding tough lower stems.

In a large frying pan over very low heat, cook garlic in oil, stirring often, until it starts to turn transparent, about 5 minutes. Add chile flakes and toast for a second, then add broccoli rabe. Stir in remaining 1/4 tsp. salt and several grinds of pepper.

Crank heat to medium-high and cook broccoli rabe, stirring, until liquid starts to evaporate and broccoli rabe is tender-crisp, 5 to 7 minutes (don’t cook it to mush). If liquid is gone and broccoli rabe is still too crunchy, add water in 1/4-cup increments and cook until tender-crisp.

Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep the rest tightly covered), set on a well-floured pizza peel or baking sheet. To stretch into an 11- to 12-in. circle, first tap down center of ball with your fingertips to gently deflate it. Next, push it outward from the center with your fingertips. Then pick up the dough circle and, holding it under the rim, turn it like a steering wheel, letting the gravity of the dough help it stretch. Drape the dough over the backs of your hands and gently stretch outward, rotating periodically. Flop the stretched dough down onto the pizza peel.

Spread about 2/3 cup cheese mixture evenly over dough. Top with 1/2 cup broccoli rabe, a generous pinch chile flakes, and 2 tbsp. olives. Give peel a good shake every few seconds to keep dough from sticking.

Plant tip of pizza peel (or long edge of baking sheet) on pizza stone and shove pizza quickly onto stone (or preheated sheet). Bake 5 to 6 minutes, or until puffy and browned. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Repeat with 2 dough balls and toppings (top remaining 3 differently or freeze).

Make ahead: Form dough into balls (through step 4) and chill overnight, tightly covered with plastic wrap, instead of letting rise on counter (it will rise slowly in the fridge). You can also freeze dough for up to 2 weeks; let chilled or frozen dough come to room temperature before stretching. Make cheese topping and broccoli rabe topping up to 1 day ahead and chill, covered.

*Find at well-stocked grocery stores and Italian markets.

**While Delfina uses 3 tbsp. of kosher salt, in our tests 1 1/2 tbsp. kosher salt also delivered a well-seasoned crust. If you’re concerned about sodium intake, you can successfully use the lower amount.

Chocolate Walnut Tweed Torte

Servings: 10 to 12
Preheat: 350
Prep Time: 
Source: Alice Medrich

Loads of ground bittersweet chocolate and walnuts held together with meringue produce a moist, deceptively light cake with a speckled (tweedy) appearance and intense chocolate flavor—without flour or even egg yolks. It’s perfect for Passover, and, of course, it’s gluten free. Whipped cream on top accentuates the flavor of the nuts and balances the jolt of bittersweet. Glorious, and simple as can be.

Ingredients: 

1 cup (3.5 oz.) walnut pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 Tbs. (4.375 oz.) sugar
9 oz. bittersweet chocolate (70% to 72% cacao), coarsely chopped
Finely grated zest of 1 medium orange (optional)
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup egg whites (from 7 to 8 large eggs)
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
Lightly sweetened whipped cream

Directions: 

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan.

Pulse the walnuts with 1 Tbs. of the sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Scrape the nuts into another bowl. Use a paper towel to wipe excess oil from the sides of the processor bowl, add the chocolate with 1 Tbs. sugar, and pulse until it forms crumbs ranging in size from coarse meal to 1/4-inch bits. Add the chocolate to the nuts, along with the orange zest, if using, and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a large clean, dry bowl at medium speed until the egg whites are creamy white and soft peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted. Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating at medium-high speed until the egg whites are glossy and stiff but not dry.

Pour half of the chocolate mixture over the egg whites and fold in with a large rubber spatula until nearly incorporated. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture, folding just until evenly incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the torte is puffed and golden brown on top and springs back when gently pressed with your fingers; a toothpick inserted in the center should come out moist and possibly stained with melted chocolate, but not coated with raw batter. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Slide a thin knife or a small metal spatula around the sides of the torte to release it from the pan. Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a serving platter.
Serve slices with a dollop of whipped cream.