The Food We Eat

Bread and Butter Pudding

 

This is a dish so easy, my six year old could put it together. Preparation time is all of 10 minutes (max) and you can eat it a mere 25 minutes later. Sounds pretty easy, huh? It is. Now mind you, this is not a fancy dessert by a long shot. It is extremely delicious, comforting, and soothing though. R, my little one took a bite and said "Mom, this tastes like French Toast!". Well, he is correct. Poor chap didn't get any Rum on his portion :-) I still wouldn't really have this as dessert. It was a perfect evening snack for us on this cold Sunday. We had a really light lunch, so this was a welcome 4pm treat.

A good hearty artisanal bread is a prerequisite here. Given the small number of ingredients, they must all be superior. We had some whole wheat apple-raisin bread from a local bakery that needed to be used up, and that worked beautifully. You can use any hearty bread though.

Bread and Butter Pudding

Based on Greg Atkinson's recipe

Serves 4 - 6

4 cups cubed day-old hearty bread (1-inch cubes)

4 tbsp unsalted butter

3 large eggs

1/2 cup brown sugar*

3/4 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:

1/8 cup brown sugar*

1/4 cup slivered almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Pour the melted butter in an 8-inch square baking dish. Pile in the bread cubes. Toss the bread to coat with butter.

2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs with the brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk and vanilla. Pour the mixture over the bread, pressing the bread with the back of a spoon to encourage the soaking of the egg mixture. The bread should be barely covered.

3. Stir the sugar, cinnamon, and almonds together and sprinkle over the pudding. Bake until the pudding is set, 25 to 30 minutes.

4. Serve warm or cold. I like mine right out of the oven with a bit of Myers rum on top.

* Since I used apple-raisin bread that was sweetened already, I used this amount of sugar. If you are starting off with a non-sweetened bread, you might want to increase the sugar buy 1/4 cup in the pudding and maybe 1/8 cup in the topping. It really depends on how sweet you like it.

Masoor Dal with Spinach

 

This type of dal is East Indian comfort food at its best. It is something like 'Chicken Soup for the Soul' the Indian way. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is inexpensive, nutritious, and filling.

If you don't have Masoor dal on hand, you could go ahead and substitute another type of Indian lentil, or you could also go ahead and use the regular supermarket variety brown lentils (these will take a bit longer to cook though). As go the greens, you could use other leafy greens instead, but if you ask me, there is something very special about the silkiness of spinach in this dal.

The last step of this recipe calls for tempering. This is called 'tadka/vaghaar/chounk' in Hindi, and basically involves heating ghee or oil with spices and then adding the intensely flaovored oil to the dal as a final touch. I cannot explain the magic of tempering. It is a must to elevate this simple dal to something spectacular.

Masoor Dal with Spinach

Serves 4 - 6

1 tbsp peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)

1/2 yellow onion, sliced

1 serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 tbsp minced ginger

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 large bunch fresh spinach, washed and chopped

1 cup masoor dal

4 cups water

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp salt (plus more to taste)

Tempering:

1 tbsp ghee or oil (ghee highly recommended)

1/2 tsp black mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

3 dried red chilis (broken in halves)

1 pinch asafoetida (or hing)

6 - 8 curry leaves (kadipatta)

Method:

1. Heat oil in a deep saucepan. Add onions, chili pepper, ginger, and garlic. Saute till fragrant. Add turmeric and saute 1 minute longer.

2. Add spinach and cook till wilted. Add washed dal and water. Add salt and sugar. Bring to a boil and cook till done, approx 20 minutes. Check seasonings. Add  more salt if needed.

3. For tempering, heat ghee/oil in a small saucepan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and red chilis. Heat till seeds splutter. Add asafoetida and curry leaves. Wait 10 seconds. Pour the seasoned oil on the dal, mix, and serve with rice and/or roti.  

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

 

   

I hope you are not sick of pumpkins already. Please don't be. It is only November, and if you, like our family, are trying to embrace the local, sustainable, seasonal movement (and I'd love to know that you are), then pumpkins and winter squash are your friends. And really, they are quite versatile. You can do a lot more with them than making pumpkin pie, pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, etc. But then again, why not pumpkin bread? Yes, I know you can buy canned pumpkin puree all year long at any megamart, but why not bake some using some fresh pumpkin puree?

Well, actually, you don't even really need pumpkin. I should rename this post "Kubocha squash" bread. What is Kubocha squash? It is a winter squash, originally from Japan, and is also called Japanese pumpkin. Texturally, it is very similar to butternut squash, but it has gorgeous deep orange flesh. And unlike some pumpkins, the puree is extremely silky. And, did you know that many so called 'canned pumpkin purees' are actually not pumpkin, but winter squash? Yup! This is true. So go ahead and use pumpkin puree, or squash puree. You can't really tell the difference when you bake with it.

 

My kids are funny about nuts in baked goods. Sometimes they like 'em, sometimes they don't. So today, I decided to bake the loaves without nuts in the batter, but with almonds sprinkled on top.

So go ahead, double the recipe, and pass some warm-spiced pumpkin bread on to your neighbors. Even the chilliest ones will warm up :-)

 

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Bread

Adapted from King Arthur Flour

Makes one 9 x 13 inch loaf

1 cup white whole wheat flour (you can use regular whole wheat too)

1/2 cup oat flour

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp fresh ground/grated nutmeg

1/4 cup (2 oz, 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/4 cup canola oil

1 cup dark brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup pureed pumpkin

1/4 cup buttermilk (or yogurt)

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.

2. Whisk or sift together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and spices in a medium bowl.

3. Cream together the sugar and butter. Add oil gradually. Beat in the eggs one at a time, stopping to scrape the bowl. Beat in the vanilla, pumpkin, and buttermilk.

4. Add in the dry ingredients, mixing just until evenly moistened. If using nuts, now is the time to add them in.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle nuts on top, if using. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, approx. 1 hour (if your loaf seems to be browning too fast, loosely tent with foil).

6. Remove the bread from the oven. Place it on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently run a knife along the edges of the pan to help release the bread.Turn it out of the pan, and place on a rack to finish cooling. Serve warm (yum!) or at room temperature. Also, note that this bread freezes extremely well.

Sunchoke (Jerusalem Artichoke) Soup

I am a newbie to the world of Sunchokes or Jerusalem Artichokes. I have tried them before at restaurants and I liked them, but I guess for some reason, I had never tried to make something with them in my kitchen. Well, until now. This year, I got a small sample of them from the farm, and that was enough to pique my curiosity. Oh! the possibilities.....

This is what I love most about cooking. Just trying out new gadgets, new ingredients, new methods -- this really makes me happy. J says I look like a mad scientist on happy drugs when I am in the kitchen.

In any case, I got my hands on a pound of these beautiful tubers and just had to try out this recipe for Sunchoke Soup from Thomas Keller. But I did tweak it a bit (mostly in the cream arena). You see, I had just returned from busting my A-- at the gym, and there was no way I was loading up this soup with 2 cups of cream! Not to mention, I just don't like that much cream in soup. It is way too cloying on the palate. I'd much rather save my cream quota for something else.

What resulted was a intensely earthy, absolutely luscious, velvety bowl of soup. Some crisped up Proscuitto on top and voila! Heaven in a bowl....

   

   

Sunchoke Soup

Loosely Adapted from Thomas Keller

Serves 4 generously

1  lb sunchokes

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp thinly sliced garlic

3/4 cup sliced shallots

3 cups chicken stock

1/2 cup half and half

Sea salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

4 slices proscuitto (for garnish)

Method:

1. Scrub the sunchokes well. Peel the rough knobby bits and thick skin. I left the tender parts unpeeled. Slice thinly and soak in cold water.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallots. Sweat until softened (but do not allow them to brown). Drain the sunchokes and add them to the pan. Cover with chicken stock and simmer until the sunchokes are soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

3. In the meantime, if you are using the proscuitto, heat a cast iron skillet. Lay the slices on the hot skillet and cook till nicely browned and crisp. Crumble and set aside.

4. Add the half and half to the soup, return to slight boil, and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper. Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and process until smooth and velvety. If you have a super-blender like I do (the Vitamix), then you should have a beautifully smooth soup on your hands. If not, enjoy as is, or if you want a very smooth texture, you can process through a sieve. Your choice.

5. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with more pepper and proscuitto.

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Seitan with Oyster Sauce

 

 

Dinner tonight - quick, easy, nutritious, family-pleaser, and delicious. Not too bad huh? I was in the mood for something vegetarian, but you could easily substitute tofu, beef, pork, or chicken for the seitan here. In fact, I usually make this stir fry with nice thin strips of top round beef.

I don't have that much more to say today. Actually, in the spirit of honesty, I am in a bit of a hurry. You see, I made up the recipe as I went along (however, I actually stopped to measure so I could post a decent recipe) and so I need to get this down before I forget what I actually did. This is a pretty standard master recipe for me, but I do tweak it a bit mostly depending on the spice tolerance of the eaters. Since it was family dinner for us, spice level = 0. J and I had to supplement with some Sriracha sauce on the side. Anyway, what's the big hurry, you ask? Well, you see, I Tivo'ed (is this a verb now, like 'Googled'?) Barack Obama's first press conference since becoming President-elect and I can't wait to go watch it with J. Ok in the spirit of complete honesty, I've already seen it, but I think I will watch it again....

So quickly, back to the recipe..

 

Stir-Fried Broccoli and Seitan with Oyster Sauce

Serves 4

Sauce:

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp chinese shao xing wine (or dry sherry will do)

3 tbsp water

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp brown sugar

1 tsp cornstarch

1/2 tsp red-chili flakes (optional)

Stir-Fry

1 lb seitan (or other protein), sliced thin

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 1/2 lbs broccoli (florets and stems separated and cut into bite size pieces)

2 celery stalks, cut into 1/2 inch pieces on the bias

1 small onion, sliced

1 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 tbsp minced fresh ginger

5 garlic cloves, minced fine

1/3 cup water

Method:

1. To make the sauce, whisk all the ingredients together.

2. For the stir fry, mix the seitan with the soy sauce and set aside.

3. Add 1 tsp peanut oil to the wok and swirl to coat. Add the seitan and stir fry for 1 - 2 minutes, till you see nice browning. Take the seitan out and set aside.

4. Add 1 tsp peanut oil to the wok. Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper, and stir fry on high heat for 1 minute or just until you see slight blistering on the vegetables. Scoop vegetables out and set aside.

5. Add last teaspoon of oil to the wok. Add the ginger and garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds till aromatic. Add the broccoli and stir fry on high heat for 1 minute. Now add the water, cover and steam for about 2 minutes, or just until broccoli turns bright green and crisp-tender. Please do not overcook.

6. Add the seitan and onion mixture back to the wok. Pour the sauce on top and toss to combine. Cook 30 seconds more, or just until sauce thickens. Serve immediately over steamed rice.

Sichuan Green Beans

The regular CSA share season at the farm is over :-(, but the good news is that the Winter share season is already in swing. Well, it 's not quite the same. The regular Summer CSA features vegetables grown 100% at the farm, so you can't beat the freshness. It is as local as it gets. The Winter share relies on produce locally and sometimes from California, but oh well. The revenues from this keep the farm going. In any case, my loot today consisted of Kale, Spinach, Celery, Broccoli, Potatoes, Carrots, and Green Beans. Green Beans! Hello friends, I have so missed you!

I was flipping through the September issue of Cooking light (while watching CNN), and came upon the Sichuan Green Beans. A-ha! That's what would become of my green jewels. BTW, I must admit - I am so glad Obama won, but I am suffering from Election withdrawal syndrome. For the past month especially, like many other fellow Americans, I too have been consumed by the election coverage, and as you can see, the blog postings have been a bit bleak. I promise to be more regular now.

Back to the food! These green beans are absolutely delicious and unlike the greasy oily restaurant stuff, these are actually a healthy way to eat those beans. Give these a try! I will add some XO sauce to mine next time. Also, I did not have Chinese black vinegar on hand (need to fix that asap), so I used good balsamic. If you have the real stuff, I would use that.

 

 

Sichuan Green Beans

From Cooking Light Magazine

1 lb green beans, trimmed

1 tbsp peanut oil

1/4 cup chopped onion

1 1/2 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger

1/2 tsp red chili flakes

1 tbsp chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Method:

1. Cook beans in boiling water for 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse under cold water. Drain and pat dry completely.

2. Heat a 14-inch wok over high heat. Add 1 1/2 tsp of oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add green beans; stir fry 3 - 5 minutes until beans are well browned and blistered. Spoon green beans into a bowl.

3. Add remaining oil to wok, swirling to coat. Add onion, ginger, garlic, and red pepper. Stir fry 1 minute or so, until onions brown. Return green beans to wok. Add vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Toss to combine. Serve immediately alongside rice and protein of your choice. 

Gulab Jamun

 

Gulab Jamun is one of the most popular sweets (dessert) in East India. I can honestly say this -- I have yet to meet a single person who does not like this dessert. Sometimes East Indian sweets can be cloyingly sweet, and I myself don't care for many of them. But this, dear friends, is a classic, timeless, and scrumptious dish.

For those of you unfamiliar with East Indian food, think of this as donut balls (except the dough here is mostly milk solids) soaked in a simple syrup flavored with saffron and rose water (gulab literally means 'Rose'). Hooked? Read on...

Gulab Jamuns are very commonly made as part of a celebratory event, be it a birthday, a festival, or a family get-together. However, you can always find a slight variation of gulab jamuns, called Kala (black) jamuns in sweet shops at all times. I personally like Gulab jamuns more. They are lighter and more pillowy in texture. Think of it as the difference between a traditional glazed donut vs. a cake donut. Hope that helps.

In any case, I made a batch of Gulab Jamun today in honor of Diwali. R, my little boy with a ridiculously sweet tooth was so excited when I told him Mommy was making Gulab jamun today. I think he practically lived on Indian sweets while we were in India this Summer. Well, I am happy to tell you these met his seal of approval. He took one humongous mouthful and exclaimed "Mom, I knew these would be just as good as I thought". That's high praise from this little man. A on the other hand told me that they were so yummy, he wouldn't mind having a tummy ache if he ate a whole bunch. But, we're taking them over to a friends' place for a Diwali party tomorrow, so all they scored was Uno each...

 

Gulab Jamun

Makes 20

8 tbsp full-cream milk powder (I used Organic Valley)

3 tbsp all purpose flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp ghee (or melted butter)

1/4 cup milk (plus a few more tablespoons as needed)

Vegetable oil for frying

Syrup:

2 cups granulated white sugar

2 cups water

A pinch of saffron threads

1 tbsp rose water

Method:

1. Whisk together the milk powder, flour, and baking soda. Rub in butter or ghee, then add enough milk to give a firm but pliable dough.

2. Pinch off small chunks of dough and roll into smooth balls, approx. 3/4 inch in diameter. Make sure to roll the balls well, you do not want cracks in the surface.

3. Heat oil until hot, but not smoking (I am guessing 350F, but I didn't measure). The goal here is to have the balls fry a bit slowly, otherwise the center remains doughy. Not good.

4. While the oil is heating, make the syrup. Add the sugar, water, and saffron, and heat till sugar is dissolved completely. Then simmer for 5 minutes longer. You want the syrup to be thin and runny. Turn off the heat.

5. Fry the dough balls in small batches (I do 6 at a time), turning often to make sure they brown evenly. Drain on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

6. Once all the balls are fried, gently lower them into the hot syrup. Let soak until they almost double in size, and turn soft and spongy. Add the rose water. Allow to cool completely and serve warm or chilled in a dessert bowl, with some syrup.

Mine are resting in the refrigerator right now, for an overnight stay. When we eat them tomorrow, I for sure will give mine a quick nuke in the microwave. I like them warm. YUM!

Roasted/Toasted Pumpkin Seeds

It's that time of the year again! We are surrounded by pumpkins and squashes. I love it! The stunning and vivid colors of the various members of the squash and gourd family, their incredibly luscious texture, the warmth of the food made using them, ahhhh! Just makes you feel all warm and snuggly.

But first, Halloween. I'm pretty sure I'm not entirely alone when I say that I dreaded Halloween before kids. I hate dressing up (makes me feel stupid) and we were always invited to these Halloween parties with the cruel 'costumes required' line on the invitations. Great! Oh how I detested the pressure tactic...but on a happy note, now that we have kids, I actually love Halloween. Kids are a whole another beast. No matter what you put them in, they look adorable. And the neighborhood we live in goes gangbusters at Halloween. It really is a lot of fun. So see, here is another perk to having kids :-) Oh! and for the record. I still hate wearing a costume....

So, anyway, we began the pumpkin carving process yesterday. The boys went and picked out a pumpkin each and went about hollowing them with great gusto! They must be growing up, because once I had the top off, they took care of it almost totally by themselves (and had a blast doing it!).

 

We ended up with just over 2 cups of pumpkin seeds. In the past years I have washed the seeds before roasting. I used to also boil them for 5 minutes to soften the shells, but honestly, I think that is a waste unless you used some humongous pumpkins (and thus the seeds are very tough). Ours were around 10 lbs and incredibly fresh, so I roasted them just as is, no washing, no boiling. And I think this is my best effort yet. The little bits of pumpkin-y goodness on the seeds adds such wonderful color and flavor to the seeds. And it saves you time.

So please, take 10 extra minutes after you hollow out your jack-o-lanterns and stick the seeds in the oven. In an hour, you'll be rewarded with a special treat.

Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

2 cups pumpkin seeds

2 tbsp butter

1tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder (optional)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 300F. Clean any large bits of pumpkin flesh that is sticking to the seeds. Some pumpkin will stick to the seeds and that is perfect.

2. Melt butter in a large bowl. Add oil, salt, and garlic powder. Toss in the seeds and stir well to coat.

3. Line  a rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Spread the seeds evenly across the pan. Roast for approx. 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring the seeds every 20 minutes or so. Keep a close watch once you reach the 1 hour mark, as the seeds can go from roasted to burnt pretty quick. Your nose should guide you when they are done -- the aroma is irresistible.

4. Cool to room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to a week (if they last that long).

Yeasted Waffles

Life has been very busy this Fall. Work, volunteering at A's school, soccer-mom duties, etc. It is all good and quite fun, but busy nonetheless. The good news is that it makes the weekends all that more special and worth looking forward to. Saturday mornings are usually tied up around various activities, so we have kinda made it a Sunday morning ritual to have a nice family breakfast/brunch together. Doesn't have to be someting extra fancy, just something different from the usual oatmeal, eggs, and pancake routine.

This Sunday we had breakfast with some dear friends, and A and R were super excited when I told them they'd have waffles. I mean, what's not to like? I decided to try out a yeasted waffle recipe from Cooks Illustrated. And let me tell you, they were spectacular. Amazingly fluffy, spongy, and so wonderfully yeasty. They are quite luxurious all by themselves, so all you need is some real maple syrup and a bit of powdered sugar on top for effect. We had some fruit salad with maple yogurt on the side, a good cup of coffee, and ah! A sunday morning worth waiting for.

What makes this recipe even more attractive is the fact that you make the batter the day before. In fact, you must. Batter needs to rest at least 12 hours, and up to 24 hours. So, just 5 minutes of advance planning, a waffle maker, and you're set to go. Enjoy!

Yeasted Waffles

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated

Makes 8 Belgian Waffles

1 3/4 cup milk (you can use any, I used skim milk)

2 cups unbleached all purpose flour

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces

2 tbsp canola oil

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp table salt

1 1/2 tsp instant yeast (I used SAF)

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

Method:

1. Heat 1 cup milk and butter in small saucepan over med-low heat until butter is melted, 3 - 5 minutes. Add cold milk to the saucepan and make sure the milk-butter mixture is just warm to touch.

2. Whisk flour, salt, sugar, and yeast in a large bowl to combine. Gradually whisk the warm milk-butter mixture into flour mixture. Continue to whisk just until batter is smooth.

3. In a small bowl, whisk eggs and vanilla until combined. Add egg mixture to batter and whisk just until incorporated. Scrape down sides of the bowl, cover with pastic wrap, and refrigerate at least 12 and up to 24 hours.

4. Following manufacturer's instructions, heat waffle iron. Remove batter from refrigerator. The batter will be foamy and doubled in size. Whisk batter to recombine (the batter will defate. Don't panic). Add batter to waffle iron and bake.

5. Serve waffles immediately if possible, but if you need to hold them, do so on a wire rack in a 200F oven.

Peach Hand Pies

 

 

This post is about a month overdue. Sorry, just somehow fell through the cracks (not really sure how, given what a stunner this recipe is). Oh well, better late than never. 

 

It all started when I bought a whole box of luscious, organic, local peaches from Tonnemakers Farm via my CSA. These peaches were at their peak - ooh! I'm salivating at the mere thought of them. Anyway, we gobbled up about a dozen of them right away, but still had plenty left. It was then that I was inspired to bake something with them. I searched my cookbooks obsessively but wasn't too excited about anything in particular. I mean c'mon, peach coffeecake, peach pie, peach upside-down cake, etc. Sure all these would taste absolutely divine, but I''ve made these before, and wanted something new. It was then that I came across a recipe for Bourbon peach hand pies from Smitten Kitchen. I mean, this is genius. Kinda like a pie version of an empanada. Awesome!

Of course, I am a bit obsessed with whole grains and whole grain flours, so I had to tweak the recipe a bit. It is also funny how your tastes change over time. I actually prefer breads and most baked goods with at least part whole grain flour. Sure, they might not be as fluffy as their white flour counterparts, but I personally like the complexity of taste and texture that whole grains impart. If you'd like the original recipe, please click the link above and see Deb's.

Also, I didn't have any Bourbon on hand (WHAT?), so I used peach schnapps instead. One booze for another. Fair Swap? My older kiddo 'A', who's only 6 by the way, smelled the peach schnapps and asked me if I could add some in his steamer next time :-) What a kid, huh? Shhhh. Don't tell.

 

Peach Hand Pies

From Smitten Kitchen

For the pastry:

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) unsalted butter, cut intopieces
1/2 cup sour cream
4 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup ice water

For the filling:
2 pounds of peaches
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon peach schnapps
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

One egg yolk beaten with 2 tablespoons water (for egg wash)
Turbinado sugar, for decoration

 

Follow the link above to see the method. Lest you curse me for not warning you, this recipe is quite tedious and fussy. If you don't like baking, and rolling out pastry doesn't quite do it for you, then stop right here. Maybe you should attempt a quick bread instead. Why? I am sure you *can* do it, but the question is, will you enjoy it? I love to mess around in the kitchen, so this is fun for me.

Fair warning aside, do give it a try! These are truly delicious. Added bonus? Your family and friends will love you even more :-)