Popular all over the former Soviet Union states, honey cake is traditionally layers of cake and sweetened sour cream filling. The cake layers are more cookie-like and after the cake is assembled, it must sit for at least 12 hours to let the cake layers absorb the syrup and soften to a cake-like consistency. This version is a spin on the traditional, using whipped cream and fresh ginger.
Ingredients
Cake
1 stick of unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
¼ cup light brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbsp heavy or whipping cream
3 ¼ cups All Purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
Ginger Syrup
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
2 oz ginger, peeled, cut in 1-inch chunks
Lemon Cream Filling
1 large lemon
1/8 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 cup powdered sugar
Directions
Cake Layers
Melt butter and honey in a large bowl over a simmering pot of water, stirring continuously until the butter melts. Take off heat and stir in sugars to cool down.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg and cream and add to cooled butter-honey mixture.
Sift flour and baking powder into liquid mixture and using your hands knead just enough to bring it together to a cohesive dough, cut it and roll into 9 even balls and wrap in cling film and chill in fridge for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll each piece of dough into a thin layer. Take a round 6” plate and cut each into a disk. Bake each disk for about 8-10 minutes on sheet pans lined with parchment. You may need to do it in 2-4 batches depending on how much oven space you have. Let them cool completely before assembling the cake. Bake any rolled dough offcuts along with your disks.
Ginger Syrup
While your dough is chilling, heat syrup ingredients until they come to a simmer and let sit. When ready to use, remove ginger. Let cool.
Lemon Cream
Zest and juice the lemon. Beat cream, adding powdered sugar, until medium peaks, then whisk in lemon zest and juice, continuing to whip until peaks are stiff.
Assembly
Pulverize 2 of the disks and the baked scraps with a food processor into crumbs.
Brush disks heavily with syrup. Let it absorb, then brush again to absorb. Place one disk on a plate. Spread 3 Tbsp of the cream on top – about 1/4”. Place the next disk on top and press down slightly, continuing with all seven disks. Drizzle the top with tea, then spread the cream. Repeat until you used seven biscuit discs. Spread the rest of the whipped cream on top and all around the sides of the cake.
Pat the cake crumbs all over the top and the sides of the cake so they stick. Most important! Refrigerate for at least 12 hours before cutting into the cake so the layers have time to soften.
Grilling fava beans in their pods is simple and delicious. They get a subtle, smoky flavor that goes great with a squeeze of juice from a grilled lemon half.
Ingredients
2 pounds fresh fava beans, in pods
2 ½ Tbsp olive oil
Salt
2 lemons, halved
Directions
Toss fava beans in a large bowl, with olive oil and a few generous pinches of salt. Place lemon halves and beans in a single layer on your grill over medium heat
Grill about 3-4 minutes until there are nice spots of char. Flip over and cook another 3-4 minutes. If pods start to burn, move them to a cooler spot on the grill to finish cooking.
Transfer charred lemon and favas to serving place. Sprinkle with chile flakes or togarashi. To eat, tear open a pod, take a fava bean and pinch the skin to slide out the bright green beans. Be careful of the stream from the hot pod.
We can’t get enough of this easy peasy treat that is healthy enough for breakfast and just sweet enough for dessert. When organic strawberries are in their prime, you’ll want to make this for loved ones and guests again and again. Shhh. Don’t tell mom how simple this is.
Ingredients
1 cup of Bellwether Farms Basket Ricotta to 1 Tbsp sugar, mixed
1-quart strawberries, cut in chunks
Aged balsamic vinegar, we like Calolea (local!)
Directions
Spread a thin layer of the ricotta mix on the bottom of your berry bowl. Drizzle a little of the balsamic. Add your strawberries and a nice spoonful of ricotta on top and drizzle with more balsamic. Makes enough for 4 – 6 people. Serve immediately.
Inspired by Chicago’s Fannie Mae’s Trinidads. Indulge your favorite mom or mom-figure with this easy recipe sure to please. She deserves it! Use the best quality chocolate you can find for these for the smoothest, more decadent results.
Ingredients
7 oz dark chocolate chips, or if a block, chopped in small chunks or flaked
6 oz heavy cream
1 ½ Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ½ lbs white chocolate
6 oz dried, sweetened coconut
Directions
Place the dark chocolate in a glass boil. Heat the cream until little bubbles form (on the stove vs. the microwave works best so you can watch.). Pour the cream over the chocolate and let sit for 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth. Add the butter and whisk until incorporated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate, 3-4 hours or until very firm.
While the ganache cools in the fridge, toast your coconut in the toaster or regular oven at 325 degrees, 5-7 minutes until light brown. Let cool.
Melt 2/3 of the white chocolate in a glass bowl over a double boiler until just melted (about 113 degrees). Remove from heat and stir in the remainder of the chips. You can also use a microwave, but be careful not to burn, heating at 30 second, then 15 second intervals as the chocolate melts. Add the remaining 1/3 of the chocolate and stir in until melted. Stir in the coconut and let cool, until room temperature and thick (about 80 degrees).
While the chocolate is coming to temperature, scoop your dark chocolate ganache using a 1 Tbsp cookie scoop onto a parchment lined sheet. Using a spoon, dip each scoop into your coconut white chocolate, tapping the bottom of the fork to get any extra chocolate off the truffle (this prevents “legs” on the truffle and keeps it round) and place it on a fresh parchment lined sheet pan. Repeat with remaining truffles. Refrigerate until firm. Keeps 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
These classic wheat-free treats are the perfect Passover treat. Chewy on the inside, a little crispy on the outside, with a hint of almond (or vanilla, if you prefer), they aren’t super sweet and are sure to satisfy any time of the year. This recipe works best when you weigh the ingredients rather than use volume measurements.
For more great Passover recipes like this, be sure to sign up for our virtual cooking class, “Peace, Love & Matzo” with Gracie Schatz (Heart of Williamette Cooking School) on April 14th!
Add all ingredients except for almond extract (or substitute vanilla if you prefer) into a medium sized pot on the stove. Stir constantly over medium heat so eggs and sugar don’t burn. You may notice that the mixture gets wetter as it gets hotter, depending on how moist the coconut is. Once it starts to steam and the excess liquid as dissipated, remove from heat. Stir in extract. Let cool. Transfer to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until chilled – this will make the dough easier to work with.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. On parchment lined baking sheets, make little pyramid shaped mounds (slightly smaller than a golf ball). The dough can be sticky, so dipping your fingers in a bowl of water can be helpful. Bake about 20 minutes, flipping the tray halfway, until the edges are golden. Let cool. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Just in time for St. Patrick’s Day, here’s something to go with all your favorite dippers! Make it with Guinness if you want a deep and slightly bitter flavor; sub in ale or IPA for a lighter, hoppier flavor. Non-alcoholic beer works great too.
Ingredients
3 Tbsp unsalted butter
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1-2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup beer
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Directions
Heat butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add minced garlic and let it sauté for half a minute. Whisk in flour until combined/cooked through, about 1 minute.
Slowly whisk in milk, beer, mustard, garlic powder, paprika, salt and pepper until everything is combined.
Cook until mixture has thickened slightly, stirring constantly, for about 3-5 minutes. Whisk in cheese until smooth.
Adjust texture by whisking in more milk (to thin) or more cheese (to thicken). Adjust seasonings and serve warm.
