Rosewater Yogurt Panna Cotta with Blueberries

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
• 1 3/4 cups cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup whole-milk yogurt
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon rosewater
• 1 cup blueberries, divided
• Mint leaves, to garnish

Sprinkle the gelatin over the two tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Let sit to soften. Put the cream in a small saucepan with the sugar over medium heat and heat until bubbles form around the edges. Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved. Take off the heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture until completely dissolved. Whisk in the yogurt, salt, and rosewater.

Rinse the blueberries and pick out any stems or bad berries. Pat dry. Divide about half of the berries between 4 6-8 ounce cups or bowls. Fill each one partway with the berries. Pour the warm panna cotta mixture over the berries and refrigerate. Chill until set — about 2-4 hours, depending on the size and depth of the cups.

When ready to serve, divide the remainder of the berries between the cups, piling them on top of the set custard. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve with coffee, fresh mint tea, or dessert wine.

Makes 4 servings

From Apartment Therapy

Applejack Baked Apples with Ricotta Cream

For the Ricotta Cream:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon heavy cream
• 1 tablespoon orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier

For the Apples:

• 6 large apples, such as Gravenstein, Ida Red, or Northern Spy
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2/3 cup (5.5 ounces) cropped almonds
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon applejack or other apple brandy (can substitute sweet apple cider)

1. To make the Ricotta Cream, place the ricotta, sugar, cream, and liqueur in a small bowl and stir until well blended and smooth. Refrigerate until ready to use.

2. Preheat the oven to 350F. Wash the apples well and core, but do not peel. Scoop out enough of the center to leave a 1-inch space that does not extend through to the bottom of the apple.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the dried cranberries, almonds, brown sugar, and butter until well blended. Place 1 tablespoon of the cranberry mixture in the cavity of each apple. Place the apples in a 9-inch glass pie plate and pour 1/2 cup of the applejack around the apples. Add water so that the liquid comes about 1 inch up the sides of the apples. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of applejack evenly over the filling in the apples. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the apples are tender.

4. Serve warm or cold, topped with a generous dollop of Ricotta Cream.

Serves 6

From The New England Table

Butterscotch Pudding

• 3/4 cup heavy cream, not ultra-pasteurized
• 1 1/4 cup whole milk (or 2 cups half & half)
• 5 oz. dark brown sugar
• 1.5 oz. unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 large egg
• 1 pinch kosher salt
• 1 splash vanilla extract

In a heavy bottomed stainless steel sauce pan melt butter over low heat and add brown sugar. With a wooden spoon stir in well to incorporate. Cook for at least 10 minutes, stirring infrequently. Add salt.

Meanwhile combine dairy and warm up, but do not let boil.

Whisk egg and yolks together in mid sized bowl.

Sift cornstarch and sugar into another mid sized bowl. If it looks like you lost some cornstarch in the process, add a little more. Cornstarch absorbs moisture and loves to stick to everything! Whisk to combine these and make a "well" in the center.

When brown sugar/butter has been on the stove for a bit, add dairy and whisk to smooth out. When this mixture is hot to the touch, shut off heat.

OK. Now you are making a liaison. You need to get the eggs and cornstarch into the mixture, but evenly and delicately. The Instruction I am about to give is the best way to make any stove-top pudding, the most popular being pastry cream.

Using a ladle, lift a small amount (betw 2-4 oz) of the hot liquid and pour it directly in the middle of the cornstarch "well." Using a small whisk, whisk this mixture in tight concentric circles from the middle out. You want a smooth, loose paste. If you have not put in enough, or put in too much liquid you will get clumps. When you have your unlumpy mixture, ladle in a little more liquid and do the same again.

Now ladle, while whisking, some liquid into the beaten egg bowl. This step is not nearly as delicate a matter as the previous step. Again, you want to warm up the egg mixture, turning the bowl into warm-hot eggy liquid.

Whisk eggy liquid into cornstarchy liquid. Incorporate as much as possible. Pour this into the pot. Whisk to incorporate. If you notice a lot of any kind of lump, pass this mixture through a fine meshed sieve.

Put pot back on stove over medium heat. Whisk continuously and violently. Try to whisk at all sorts of angles so that the whisk bottom makes it into the "corners" of the pot. If you are not breaking a sweat or getting sore, you may not be whisking hard enough. Pain = Pleasure

Whisk until custard thickens and "comes to boil." I put this in quotes because once custard gets thick, these bubbles are hard to see. When it starts to get thick, stop to see if bubbles are rising to the surface. The sound they'll make is "Gloop."

Take off heat and add in vanilla extract. Taste. Does it taste like butterscotch? Does it need more vanilla extract? Salt? Not sure & don't want to ruin the whole batch finding out? Take a small amount out, put in a bowl and experiment on that.

Spoon into bowls. Chill, and unless you like custard skin, press plastic wrap right to the surface. Of course you can always eat it warm too. MMMmmmmmmmmm.

I like to garnish my butterscotch pudding with toasted pecans. But many things would be complementary. Coconut cream is nice, a la Claudia Fleming. Or praline. Whipped cream, for the added opulence, or straight out of the pot like you know you want to!

from eggbeater

Polish Easter Cheesecake

The traditional Polish Easter cheesecake is always baked in an oblong pan. It is not too sweet, very lemony, and, I think, absolutely delicious. This is my preferred version.

Yield: Makes 12 to 15 servings.

CRUST

• ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (packed) light brown sugar
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter, chilled, cut into small pieces
• ½ cup finely chopped walnuts

FILLING

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 pound farmer’s or skim ricotta cheese
• 1¼ cups granulated sugar
• 5 large eggs
• 2 lemons
• ¼ cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup light cream

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly butter a 13 × 9 inch glass baking dish.

2. Prepare the crust: Place the flour, baking powder, salt, both sugars, and the butter in a food processor and process just until the mixture begins to hold together. Add the walnuts and pulse to combine. Press the dough evenly over the bottom of the prepared dish. Bake until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

3. Prepare the filling: In a large mixing bowl beat together the cream cheese and farmer’s cheese until light and fluffy. Beat in the sugar, then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

4. Finely grate or chop the zest of the lemons. Squeeze the juice from the lemons and strain. Add the zest and juice to the cheese mixture. Add the flour, vanilla, and light cream and beat until smooth. Pour the filling over the baked crust.

5. Bake the cheesecake until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes. Cool, then cover and refrigerate at least 12 hours. Cut into squares to serve.

from Cold Weather Cooking

Apple-Cranberry Pie with Oatmeal Cookie Crust

CRUST

• 3 cups rolled (old fashioned) oats
• 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
• ½ tsp (rounded measure) salt
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup + 2 T. brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter (2 sticks), melted

FILLING

• 7 cups peeled, sliced Granny Smith apples
• 1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries
• 3 Tbs fresh lemon juice
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice (or ground cloves)
• ¼ tsp ground nutmeg (fresh is best!)
• ½ tsp grated lemon rind
• 3 Tbs unbleached all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup brown sugar (packed)
• ½ cup sour cream

1. Prepare crust: Combine all crust ingredients in a medium-sized bowl, and mix well. Press firmly and evenly into the bottom and sides of a 9 or 10-inch pie pan, forming a thick crust. Reserve about a cup of the crust mix for the topping.

2. Preheat oven to 375°F.

3. Place sliced apples and cranberries in a large bowl. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with spices; toss until well coated. Add rind. Sprinkle in flour and mix again. Gradually add brown sugar and sour cream as you mix. Don't worry if the apple slices break a little while being mixed and tossed.

4. Distribute the filling into the unbaked crust. Sprinkle the reserved crust crumbs over the top and pat neatly into place.

5. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until the apples are soft and the crust is nicely browned on the edges. Note: If the top appears to be browning too quickly during baking, cover loosely with foil (check after about 30 minutes).

6. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature. This is doubly good with a nice scoop of vanilla ice cream.

from Recipe Girl

Apple Crisp

• 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats
• 3/4 cups (packed) golden brown sugar
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 pounds large Granny Smith apples, peeled, halved, cored, each half cut into 6 slices
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• Vanilla ice cream

Mix oats, 1/2 cup sugar, and flour in bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until topping comes together in moist clumps. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch glass baking dish with nonstick spray. Mix apples, lemon juice, cinnamon, and 1/2 cup brown sugar in bowl. Transfer to dish. Sprinkle topping over.

Bake crumble until apples are tender and topping is brown and crisp, about 55 minutes. Cool slightly. Spoon warm crumble into bowls. Serve with ice cream.

adapted from Bon Appetit: Fast and Easy

Cranberry Apple Raisin Crisp

We like to serve this homey dessert warm with vanilla ice cream. If you prefer it straight, reduce the amount of ground cloves to one-eighth teaspoon, or the flavor may be overwhelming. Be sure your baking dish is at least two inches deep so the sweet juices don't bubble over the edge and burn onto your oven floor. If the crisp comes to the top of the dish, put a baking sheet under it.

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
• 5 1/2 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 12- ounces package cranberries (about 3 cups)
• 2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (or more, per user suggestion)
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• Grated zest of 1 orange
• 1/2 cup orange juice (from about 1 orange)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preparation

1. Heat the oven to 375°. In a medium bowl, combine the oats, the 1/2 cup flour, and the brown sugar. Add the butter and rub it into the flour mixture until small crumbs form.

2. In a large bowl, combine the cranberries, apples, raisins, granulated sugar, the 2 tablespoons flour, orange zest and juice, and the cloves. Transfer the fruit to an 8-inch square glass baking dish or a 2-quart soufflé dish.

3. Top the fruit with the crumb mixture. Bake until the fruit is tender and the crumb topping has browned, about 45 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

Quick From Scratch Herbs & Spices, Food & Wine, 1998

Vanilla Pudding Pops

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 cups whole milk
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1. Place a fine-mesh sieve over a medium bowl; set aside. In a medium saucepan, off heat, whisk together sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Gradually whisk in

2. Whisking constantly, cook over medium heat until the first large bubble sputters. Reduce heat to low; continue to whisk, and cook 1 minute. Remove from heat, and immediately pour through sieve into bowl; stir in vanilla.

3. Divide mixture among ten 3-ounce ice-pop molds. Chill in refrigerator until cool and thickened, about 1 hour. Insert pop sticks, and freeze until solid, at least 4 hours and up to 2 weeks. Run molds briefly under warm water to release pops.

Makes 10

from Everyday Food

Orange Pineapple Sherbet

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1 can (15 1/4 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 can (11 ounces) mandarin orange segments, drained

1. Heat sugar and water to boiling in a medium saucepan, stirring until sugar is dissolved; cool. Process sugar syrup, pineapple, buttermilk, and orange juice in a blender until smooth.

2. Freeze mixture in an ice cream maker, adding oranges just before mixture is frozen.

Makes 8 servings.

From 1001 Low-Fat Vegetarian Recipes

Rhubarb Compote

This unusual uncooked dessert was inspired by the compote served at Rendezvous in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• 1 lb. rhubarb, leaves trimmed
• 10 dried apricots, coarsely chopped
• ⅓ cup dried cranberries
• ⅓ cup honey
• 8 small rosemary sprigs (about 2 inches each)
• 2 tsp. orange liquor, such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau
• ~ Chopped mint for garnish

1. Slice the rhubarb crosswise into ½-inch pieces. (If the stalks are really thick, cut them in half lengthwise first.)

2. In a medium non-reactive bowl (glass or stainless steel), combine the rhubarb with the apricots, cranberries, honey, rosemary, and liquor. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate for 24 hours. Stir twice during this time frame.

3. Remove the rosemary sprigs before serving and garnish the compote with the mint.

This compote can be stored in the fridge for up to three days. I served my version three ways: atop panna cotta, over yogurt, and snarfed straight from the mixing bowl. Would also make a great topping for pork chops or duck breasts.

Caramelized Pineapple with Brown Sugar-Ginger Ice Cream

Broiled pineapple is teamed with an easy-to-make ice cream and topped with toasted coconut for a tropical treat. The pineapple would also be good with purchased mango or coconut sorbet or with vanilla ice cream.

• 1 pineapple, peeled, halved lengthwise, cored, each half cut lengthwise into 9 wedges
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• Brown Sugar-Ginger Ice Cream
• 6 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Preheat broiler. Line large baking sheet with foil. Arrange pineapple wedges side by side in single layer on prepared baking sheet. Pat pineapple wedges with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Using fingertips, press 1 cup brown sugar through coarse sifter over pineapple. Broil pineapple wedges until brown sugar caramelizes, watching closely to avoid burning and rotating baking sheet to broil evenly, about 3 minutes.

Arrange 3 wedges of warm caramelized pineapple in triangle on each of 6 plates. Place scoop of Brown Sugar-Ginger Ice Cream in center of pineapple triangle. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon coconut over each dessert and serve.

from Epicurious

Yield: 6 servings

Fresh Fruit Yogurt Pops

• 2 cups low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 T. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups fresh summer fruit, such as pitted cherries

1. Place yogurt, vanilla, lemon juice, corn syrup and 1 cup fruit in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Add remaining fruit and pulse 3 or 4 times, or until fruit is broken down into small pieces.

2. Pour mixture into 8 1/2-cup frozen pop molds. Place tops on molds; insert wooden sticks. Freeze at least 4 hours.

Serves 8

per serving: 100 cals; 3g protein; 1g total fat; 21g carb; 1g fiber; 19g sugars

from Wild Oats magazine

Red, White, and Blueberry Bonanza

Love the taste of fresh berries and whipped cream, but not all the calories? Fold strained vanilla yogurt into a little real whipped cream.

• 2 6-oz containers low-fat vanilla yogurt
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 1 pint strawberries, halved
• 1 pint blueberries
• 4 sprigs mint

1. Line colander with cheesecloth or coffee filters and set over bowl. Spread yogurt in colander and let drain in refrigerator 1 hour, or overnight.

2. Whip cream with electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold yogurt into whipped cream.

3. Spoon 1/4 cup whipped cream mixture into bottom of glasses. Sprinkle berries over whipped cream mixture and repeat layering. Garnish with mint sprigs and serve.

Serves 4

per serving: 399 cals; 7g protein; 7g total fat; 82g carbs; 7g fiber

from Wild Oats magazine

Caramel Banana Cake

This banana cake is probably the moistest cake we have ever made - short of outright flops. It walks the edge between a cake and an old-fashioned English pudding, absolutely silky with banana and gooey streaks of caramel that create strata of even moister cake layered with that burnt, brown sugary richness.

It's perfectly fine served on its own, with no topping other than a light dusting of confectioner's sugar. Or you can fold leftover caramel sauce into whipped cream for an even richer treat.

Makes 2 9-inch layers

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1 1/2 cups mashed bananas
• 1 1/2 cups caramel sauce

Heat oven to 325ºF. Grease two 9" cake pans.

Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy then add the eggs and beat until silky and lightened. Sift the flour with the baking soda and salt. Whisk the milk and mashed bananas in a separate measuring cup and add to the eggs and butter, alternating with the flour. Beat just until smooth.

Pour batter into the prepared pans. Pour half the caramel sauce into each pan, and swirl with a knife. The pans will be quite full. Put in the oven carefully and bake for about 60 minutes, or until the centers are set and a knife comes out clean.

Cool completely before serving.

from Apartment Therapy: The Kitchen

Lemon Polenta Cake with Rosemary Syrup and Fresh Berries

• 1 cup yellow cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg whites
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup plain yogurt
• 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon zest
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries, washed and picked over
• Rosemary Syrup
• Whipped cream (optional)
• Rosemary sprigs, for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan with parchment or waxed paper and lightly oil.

Sift the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt together in a bowl and set aside.

With an electric mixer, beat the sugar, eggs, and egg whites in a large bowl until smooth. Beat in the butter, oil, yogurt, lemon zest, and lemon juice until creamy. Fold in the dry ingredients until just combined; do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes on a wire rack. Invert, peel off the paper, and cool completely. (The cake can be made in advance up until this point and stored, wrapped in plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for 1 month.)

To serve, cut the cake into 8 wedges and place on plates. Scatter berries around the cake, drizzle a tablespoon or two of Rosemary Syrup over the berries, and place a dollop of whipped cream on the cake, if desired. Garnish with rosemary sprigs.

from Home Food

Yield: 8 servings

Chocolate Cinnamon Bread Pudding

• 5 slices whole-wheat or white bread, torn into small pieces
• 2 large eggs
• 12 ounces evaporated skim milk
• 3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 3 cups nonfat vanilla frozen yogurt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch square baking dish. Spread the bread in the dish in an even layer. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add the evaporated skim milk, brown sugar, cocoa, vanilla, and cinnamon. Whisk until the sugar and cocoa dissolve. Pour the cocoa mixture over the bread. With a fork, mix in any unsoaked bread pieces. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the top and let stand for 10 minutes. Bake for 35 minutes, or until puffed and set in the center. Serve warm, with a scoop of the frozen yogurt on top.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional information: Calories: 427.5; Fat: 5.4 g; Carbohydrates: 82.4 g; Protein: 14.9 g

from SparkPeople

Old-fashioned Rhubarb Trifle

Old-fashioned because when I was a child – a very long time ago – I used to love jelly trifles, and my mother would always make one for my birthday. This is a much more adult version, and the sharp, fragrant acidity of the rhubarb makes it a very light and refreshing dessert for spring and early summer.

• 1 lb 8 oz (700 g) fresh rhubarb
• 4 oz (110 g) golden caster sugar
• grated zest and juice 1 orange
• 2 oz (50 g) pecans
• 6 trifle sponges
• 3 level tablespoons marmalade
• 4 fl oz (120 ml) Sercial (dry) Madeira
• about 10 fl oz (275 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 x 11 g sachet gelatine powder
• 12 oz (350 g) fresh custard
• 7 oz (200 g) Greek yoghurt
• a little pouring cream (optional)

Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 4, 350°F (180°C).

You will also need an ovenproof baking dish measuring 7½ inches (19 cm) square and 2 inches (5 cm) deep, and 6 individual serving bowls or 1 large trifle bowl with a capacity of 3½ pints (2 litres).

To prepare the rhubarb, cut it into 1 inch (2.5 cm) chunks and add these to the baking dish. Then sprinkle in the caster sugar, together with the zest and juice of the orange. Now pop the whole lot in the oven without covering and let it cook for 30-40 minutes, until the rhubarb is tender but still retains its shape. At the same time, place the pecans in the oven and put a timer on for 7 minutes to toast them lightly, then you can either leave them whole or chop them roughly.

While the rhubarb is cooking, slice the trifle sponges in half lengthways, spread each half with the marmalade, then reform them and cut each one into 3 little sandwiches. Now arrange them either in the individual serving bowls or the large trifle bowl. Then make a few stabs in the sponges and sprinkle the Madeira carefully over them, then leave it all aside so it can soak in.

When the rhubarb is cooked and has become completely cold, taste it – if it is a bit sharp, add a little more sugar. Take a draining spoon and carefully remove the chunks of rhubarb, placing them amongst the sponges. Now pour all the juices from the dish into a measuring jug and make this up to 18 fl oz (510 ml) with the orange juice.

Next, pour 8 fl oz (225 ml) of this into a small saucepan, scatter the gelatine over, whisk it and leave it to soak for 5 minutes. Then place the pan over a gentle heat and whisk everything until all the gelatine has completely dissolved – about 2 minutes – then return this to the remaining juice in the jug and give it all another good whisk. Now pour it over the sponges and rhubarb. When it is completely cold, cover it with clingfilm and leave in the fridge till completely set. The last thing you need to do is whisk the custard and Greek yoghurt together in a mixing bowl, then spoon this mixture over the set jelly.

Now cover with clingfilm again and chill until you're ready to serve. Don't forget to sprinkle the toasted pecan nuts over just before serving, and, although it doesn't strictly need it, a little chilled pouring cream is a nice addition.

Serves 6.

This recipe is taken from How to Cook Book Two and Delia's Vegetarian Collection. via DeliaOnline

Old-Fashioned Gingerbread

• 2 1/4 cups sifted, unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground dried ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon Dutch-processed cocoa
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, then cooled to room temperature
• 3/4 cup light unsulphured molasses
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 large egg
• Orange Sauce for Gingerbread (optional)

1. Adjust oven rack to center position and heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice, and cocoa in medium bowl.

3. Beat butter, molasses, sugar, buttermilk, milk, and egg in large bowl of an electric mixer on low speed.

4. Add dry ingredients to liquid; beat on medium speed until batter is smooth and thick, about 1 minute, scraping down sides of bowl with rubber spatula as needed. Do not overmix. (If using the fresh ginger, batter will be lumpy.)

5. Working quickly, pour batter into nonstick 11-by-7-by-1 1/2-inch rectangular metal baking pan and smooth surface. (If you do not have a nonstick baking pan, then use no-stick cooking spray or solid vegetable shortening to grease pan sides and bottom, then dust with flour.)

6. Bake until top springs back when lightly touched, and edges have pulled away from the pan sides, about 35 to 45 minutes.

7. Set pan on wire cake rack and let cool 5 to 10 minutes. Serve hot, warm, or at room temperature. (Gingerbread can be wrapped in plastic wrap, then foil, and refrigerated up to 5 days.)

For stronger ginger flavor, replace the dried ginger with three tablespoons grated peeled fresh ginger root and three tablespoons minced crystallized ginger.

Yield: 8 servings

from Cooks Illustrated

Rhubarb Ice Cream

• 1 pound rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, about 3 1/2 cups
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2/3 cup whole milk
• 1 cup heavy cream

In a saucepan, combine rhubarb and 3/4 cup sugar. Cover and cook over low heat until rhubarb releases its juices, about 5 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until most of water evaporates and rhubarb has a soft jam like consistency, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Whisk egg yolks lightly. In a saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1/4 cup sugar. Bring to a boil. Gradually whisk milk mixture into yolks. Return to saucepan. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thick enough to coat back of a spoon, about 10 minutes. Using a fine-meshed sieve, strain into a bowl.

Add rhubarb mixture and cream. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or as long as overnight.

Freeze in an ice-cream maker to manufacturer's instructions.

Serves 8

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Taste

Chocolate Gingerbread

This is very rich, very strong: not for children, but perfect for the rest of us.

FOR THE CAKE

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons superfine sugar
• 3/4 cup golden syrup or light corn syrup
• 3/4 cup black treacle or molasses
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 6 oz package or 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

FOR THE FROSTING

• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 cup ginger ale

Preheat the oven to 325F and tear off a big piece of parchment paper to line the bottom and sides of a roasting pan of approximately 12 x 8 x 2 inches deep.

In a decent-sized saucepan, melt the butter along with the sugars, golden syrup, treacle or molasses, cloves, cinnamon and ground ginger. In a cup dissolve the baking soda in the water. Take the saucepan off the heat and beat in the eggs, milk and soda in its water. Stir in the flour and cocoa and beat with a wooden spoon to mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, pour into the lined pan and bake for about 45 minutes until risen and firm. It will be slightly damp underneath the set top and that's the way you want it.

Remove to a wire rack and let cool in the pan. Once cool, get on with the frosting.

Sift the confectioners' sugar. In a heavy-based saucepan heat the butter, cocoa and ginger ale. Once the butter's melted, whisk in the confectioners' sugar. Lift the chocolate gingerbread out of the pan and unwrap the paper. Pour over the frosting just to cover the top and cut into fat slabs when set.

Makes about 12 slabs.

See the stockists page for suppliers of golden syrup, liquid amber in glorious culinary form that once you've tried, you're hooked on.

from Nigella Lawson