1/4 cup unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
1/4 cup canola, vegetable oil, or melted coconut oil
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups packed shredded zucchini
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips, divided
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add the eggs, melted butter, oil, vanilla extract, and brown sugar. Stir until smooth. You might have a few small brown sugar clumps and that is fine.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, don’t overmix. Stir in the shredded zucchini until just combined. Stir in 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of chocolate chips over the top of the bread. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out mostly clean, you might have some melted chocolate chips on the toothpick and that is fine. You just don’t want a lot of gooey batter.
Remove the pan from the oven and set on a wire cooling rack. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the bread and carefully remove from the pan. Let the bread cool on the wire cooling rack until slightly warm. Cut into slices and serve.
Note-if you use coconut oil, make sure it is melted and slightly cooled. The bread will keep on the counter, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 4 days. This bread also freezes well. To freeze, cool the bread completely and wrap in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Defrost before slicing
6 tablespoons/85 grams cold salted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
4 medium strawberries, cut into small 1/4-inch or 1/2-inch pieces (about 2/3 cup/100 grams), or whole blueberries, raspberries or other diced stone fruit
6 tablespoons heavy cream, plus more if needed
¼ cup/30 grams unsifted confectioners’ sugar
Arrange an oven rack in the center of the oven. Heat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a sheet pan with parchment. Set aside.
Whisk the flour, granulated sugar and baking powder together in a large mixing bowl. Toss the pieces of butter into the flour mixture to coat. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour until the mixture is mealy and small pieces of pea-size butter remain.
Add the diced strawberries and toss with a fork to combine. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add 4 tablespoons of the heavy cream and 1/4 cup water. Continue tossing with the fork until the dough is just evenly damp and shaggy, being careful not to overwork the dough too much. Add 1 to 3 teaspoons more water, as needed, if the dough is still too dry to work with.
Drop 6 mounds of dough (each a generous 1/3 cup) onto the baking sheet, leaving at least 1 1/2 inches of space between each mound and gently padding any stray bits of dough back into place as you work. Lightly brush the tops with 1 tablespoon heavy cream and bake until deep golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer the biscuits to a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes.
Add the confectioners’ sugar to a small bowl, and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon heavy cream, adding more if needed to make a thick icing that is just thin enough to drizzle. Spoon over the warm biscuits; serve warm or at room temperature.
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted, plus more for greasing
5 ounces frozen and thawed or fresh, hulled strawberries (about 1 cup)
⅔ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup whole milk, at room temperature
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease an 8-inch (square or round) baking dish with butter. Set aside.
Using your hands or the back of a fork, mash the berries to release all their juices, and stir in 1/3 cup of the brown sugar. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, remaining 1/3 cup brown sugar, milk and salt, then add the flour and baking powder and continue whisking just until the batter is smooth. Transfer the batter (it’s not much) to the greased baking dish, and spread evenly into corners.
Spoon the strawberries and all their juices over the top of the cake batter. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or just when a toothpick comes out clean in the center. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 3 to 5 minutes before spooning into bowls. Serve warm with ice cream.
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the ramekin
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for the ramekin
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Confectioners’ sugar, to serve (optional)
Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter a 10-ounce ramekin. Dust the buttered ramekin with granulated sugar.
Combine the chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute.) Remove from the heat and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, foamy and pale, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
Using a spatula, add the chocolate to the egg mixture and stir gently until combined.
Pour the mixture into the ramekin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are set and puffed, but the center is still soft when lightly pressed. (You can also cover and refrigerate the batter up to a day in advance. Add an additional minute or 2 to baking time if you are baking the cake directly from the refrigerator.)
Use an offset spatula or small knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the ramekin. Place a plate over the ramekin and carefully invert the warm cake. Use an oven mitt or clean kitchen towel to remove the ramekin, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
In a saucepan, stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt. Place over medium heat, and stir in milk. Bring to a boil, and cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat, and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool briefly, and serve warm, or chill in refrigerator until serving.
In a large mixing bowl, use a hand mixer to cream together butter, egg, sugar, vanilla and milk. In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking powder. Spoon dry ingredients into wet and mix until dry ingredients are moistened.
Spray a cheesecake pan (a round pan with removable sides – a 13×9″ cake pan will work as well) lightly with baking spray. Spoon batter into pan and cover the top of the cake evenly with raspberries.
Bake for 35-45 minutes (somewhat dependent on pan), or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
While cake is baking, whisk together the glaze ingredients.
When cake is removed from oven, gently brush the warm cake with glaze (I removed the sides of my cheesecake pan to brush the sides of the cake as well). Allow to set for 10 minutes and serve!
dmv note: I baked in 9″ cheese cake pan and it really never got done (oven problem as well) next time use 9 x 13 pan.
You can also bake this cake in an 8×8-inch square (I cut this into 16 small squares) or 9-inch round cake (8 to 12 wedges) single cake layer — do so for 25 to 27 minutes, until until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out batter-free. I suspect you’re about to ask me why there is molasses and some white sugar in this cake when molasses + white sugar = brown sugar, but I feel that the white sugar keeps the cake from being too gummy and the molasses adds a slightly intense balance that brown sugar does not.
1/2 cup (4 ounces or 115 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt
1/2 cup (95 grams) packed dark brown sugar
6 tablespoons (75 grams) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon molasses or treacle
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2/3 cup (170 grams) mashed bananas (2 medium bananas, or about 12 ounces unpeeled)
1/2 cup (120 ml) buttermilk, well-shaken
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons (2 ounces or 55 grams) unsalted butter, cold is fine
1 cup (235 ml) heavy cream, divided (half for sauce, half for whipping)
1/2 cup (95 grams) dark brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon flaky sea salt plus more to finish
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
Make cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Coat 12 standard muffin cups in butter or with nonstick spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together butter, salt, brown sugar, granulated sugar, molasses, and vanilla until combined. Add mashed banana and whisk again. Add eggs and whisk until incorporated, then buttermilk. Sprinkle baking soda and baking powder on batter and whisk until combined and then (don’t skip this), 10 to 20 more times, ensuring that it very well dispersed in the bowl. Add flour and mix only until it disappears. Divide batter between 12 cups.
Bake 14 to 16 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the cakes comes out batter free.
While the cakes bake, make the toffee sauce: Combine butter, 1/2 cup of the heavy cream, sugar and vanilla in a larger saucepan than you think you’ll need over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer, whisking frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes — the mixture thickens slightly. Add a couple pinches of salt and vanilla.
… And whipped cream: In a medium-large clean bowl, beat remaining 1/2 cup heavy cream with an electric or you-powered whisk until it forms soft peaks. Don’t add sugar to this; I promise it does not need it.
To serve: Remove one warm cake from the muffin tin and either plate it dome side-up or you can cut the dome off the cake with a serrated knife and serve the cake upside-down, as shown. (You can use the cake tops to pacify hangry people in your kitchen.) Ladle the cake generously with the toffee sauce, finish with a big dollop of the cream and a few flakes of sea salt. Repeat with remaining cakes.
Do ahead: I find whipped cream keeps for many hours in the fridge without a problem, but if you’re worried, you can use this trick to keep it for several days. The sauce keeps for a week or two; it can be reheated in about 20 seconds in the microwave, just until it liquefies, or back on the stove in a small saucepan. The cake keeps for 3 to 4 days at room temperature in an airtight container before seeming stale to me. If you can gently rewarm it before serving, all the better.
Banoffee pie was created in 1970s at the Hungry Monk in East Sussex and instantly gained a following. What’s not to love? Shortcrust pastry, sliced bananas, dulce de leche and whipped cream make this dessert an irresistible crowd-pleaser. Shortcrust pastry, aside from taking the frustration out of rolling and fitting pastry into your tart or pie dish, is fun to grate, fun to press and results in an incredibly crispy, buttery crunch. It’s faster, easier and a lot less messy: You may never go back to rolling crusts.
2 cups (250 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (95 grams) plus 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks/170 grams) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces and chilled
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large egg yolks
4 large bananas
One (14-ounce) can dulce de leche or sweetened condensed milk with the labels removed (see NOTE)
2 cups (480 milliliters) heavy cream
Finely grated dark chocolate, for topping
Flaky sea salt, for topping (optional)
Place the flour into a food processor and pulse a few times to aerate. Add 3/4 cup (95 grams) confectioners’ sugar, the butter and salt and pulse until the mixture looks crumbly. Add the yolks and process until a crumbly dough forms. Scrape the dough out onto a work surface and gently knead just until smooth. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate it for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with the rack in the middle.
Cut the chilled dough in half and grate the halves on the large holes of a box grater. Using your fingers, press the dough onto the bottom and up the sides of the tart pan to create an even layer. Don’t worry about making it perfect — it looks better a little scraggly and uneven. The bottom should be about 1/4 inch thick and the sides about 1/2 inch thick. (Work swiftly, as you don’t want the dough to warm up too much.) Poke the bottom of the crust all over with a fork and freeze for 15 minutes.
Step 3
Place a large piece of foil on the chilled crust and weigh it down with pie weights (or pennies). Bake the tart shell for 15 to 20 minutes, until the rim is light golden brown. Remove the foil and baking weights or pennies, and bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes, until rich golden brown. If the bottom of the crust puffs up in the second part of baking, weigh it down with weights while it cools.
Step 4
Peel 2 bananas and slice them into 1/2-inch-thick pieces. (Don’t slice on the bias, as it makes it difficult to layer.) Starting from the outside and working your way to the center, arrange half of the bananas in concentric, overlapping circles in the tart shell.
Step 5
Transfer the dulce de leche to a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on HIGH for 45 seconds to 1 minute. It should be just warm, not hot, and soft enough to be spreadable. Spread the dulce de leche on top of the bananas as evenly as you can. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours. Place a large bowl in the refrigerator to chill.
Peel and slice the remaining 2 bananas and layer them on top of the dulce de leche. Return the pie to the refrigerator.
Step 6
Combine the heavy cream and the remaining 1 tablespoon confectioners’ sugar in the bowl that has been chilled. Using a handheld mixer or a whisk, whip the cream until soft peaks form.
Step 7
Remove the pie from the refrigerator and spread the whipped cream on top so that it covers the bananas. Sprinkle the grated chocolate and flaky sea salt, if using, over the top and serve right away.
NOTE: If using condensed milk, place the can in a large pot and cover it generously with water — the water should cover the can by at least 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for about 3 hours. Watch the water level carefully: Be sure the can is covered with at least 2 inches water the entire time (this is critical for safety). Add boiling water to the pot if the water level starts to get too low.
Remove the can from the pot and let cool completely; if not using the same day, refrigerate until ready to use.
Make ahead: The crust can be made, wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 3 months. The pie, minus the whipped cream, can be made, covered and refrigerated up to 12 hours ahead.
Now, preheat your oven to 180 degrees. Then all you need to do is whip up the meringue first until it is stiff and pulling up in peaks, then beat in the caster sugar one spoonful at a time.
Now add the cornflour, stir in lemon zest made from the skin of the lemon, add two teaspoons of lemon juice, and gently fold everything in together.
Spoon the meringue onto a lined baking tray and push it into the shape of a circular cake. Make sure the top is completely smooth, which you can do with a knife. Once shaped, put the meringue in the oven and immediately reduce the temperature to 150C. Cook it for an hour.
After it has cooked, allow it to cool down. Once completely cold, put it onto a plate with the bottom of the pavlova now the top part.
Whip the double cream, until it is completely stiff. Spread the lemon curd all over the top of the meringue, being careful not to press down too hard or the meringue will crack. Add the whipped cream on top and, if you like, finish off with a sprinkle of lemon zest and the almond flakes. Serve.
Watch Nigella make her Lemon Pavlova in the video below. Honestly, it couldn’t be easier.
