Gingered Peach Shortbread Bars

I like peaches, I really do. Sweet and juicy, the fuzz is a bit much for me after a bit, but fragrant and so completely summer, none the less.

With the smell of my last basket of peaches wafting throughout the dining room, I knew that this last layer had ripened to perfection. With simplicity and inspiration… and a need for sweetness during 3 o’clock coffee, this peachy goodness found it’s way to our plates.

PEACH SHORTBREAD BARS

1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon Corn Starch
1/3 Cup Confectioners Sugar
3/4 Cup Vegetable Shortening, frozen or very cold, broken into pieces
Pinch Cinnamon

5 Peaches, about 2 cups chopped
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Freshly Grated Ginger

Crumb Topping
1/2 Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup Earth Balance (Butter)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Combine the flour, corn starch, confectioners sugar, shortening and cinnamon together in a food processor and pulse until the mixture resembles a coarse crumb which can be molded when pinched.
Press the dough into an 8″x8″ square baking dish and bake for 12-15 minutes or until just golden around the edges.
Remove and cool slightly.
Meanwhile, halve the peaches to remove the stone then quarter before adding to a sauce pan.
Cover the peaches with the sugar and cook over a medium heat to release their juices and loosen the skins.
Remove the skins and discard if able and desired.
Mash the peaches with a potato masher, fork or hand held blender to roughly purée.
Add the grated ginger and sprinkle over the additional 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, stirring well.
Return to a rolling simmer, continuing to cook until thickened.
Cool while you combine the crumb topping.
In a small bowl mix together the 1/2 cup flour, 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup Earth Balance with a fork until everything is evenly combined, moist and crumbly.
Pour the peaches over the prepared shortbread and sprinkle over topping.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes.

Maple Syrup Madeleines

Madeleines are one of my most favourite things.  I love these delightful tea cakes so much I named my first born after them. Really.
Almost second to Madeleines? Maple Syrup. Being Canadian, it runs through our veins and if you happen to be lucky to live near some maple trees, you might try making some syrup for your self!
Either way, you should make these! 
 

MAPLE MADELIENES

1/4 Cup Butter, such as Earth's Balance
1/2 banana, well mashed
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Maple Syrup
1/3 Cup Soy milk
3 Tablespoons Tangerine Juice
1 teaspoon Tangerine Zest
1 Cup All Purpose Flour, sifted
1/4 Cup cornstarch, sifted
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Sift dry ingredients together.
Add juice to the soy milk and let rest.
Cream the butter with the sugar, scraping down the sides occasionally, until fluffy.
Add the mashed banana to the sugar mixture and combine until very smooth.
Add the soy milk - juice mixture, maple syrup and zest to the wet mixture, incorporating well.
Mix in dry ingredients to the wet until absorbed.
Allow the batter to settle for about 15+ mins in the fridge while you
evenly grease and lightly flour your Madeleine pan and preheat the oven to 375ºF.
Fill each shell 3/4 full with batter, It'll be thick. With a clean, wet finger smooth the tops and pop any bubbles that may have risen to the surface.
Bake until centre has puffed and the edges are crisp and browned; about 20-25 minutes.
Cool completely before drizzling over the glaze and sprinkling with flaked maple sugar or crushed walnuts, if desired.
Makes 18

MAPLE GLAZE

1 Tablespoon Whisky
2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
3/4 Cup Confectioners Sugar, sifted

Measure and sift the confectioners sugar into a bowl and combine the maple syrup with the whisky to pour over.
Whisk until smooth and thickened enough to coat the back of a spoon. Dip, dunk or drizzle, over each of the Madeleines and allow to firm up and harden while it cools. 

CAST IRON BRUSSELS SPROUTS THAT EVEN HATERS WILL LOVE!

These are almost crazy how easy these are. You almost don't need a recipe. Just a nice hot pan!
I usually count on serving about 5-6 sprouts per person.
Trim and slice the brussels sprouts - either a knife is fine, but a mandoline makes it quick.
Heat your cast iron pan over medium high heat and add about 1 Tablespoon of olive oil. 
Add your sprouts and don't stir them right away. Take this time to grab a lemon and zest it over, as well as add about 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes, salt and pepper. Now stir. There will be some nice charred brown bits and steamed goodness in there. Add juice of 1/2 of the lemon and stir again. They should be about done now. Taste for seasoning and serve. Give them a try!

Ultra Quick Vegan Banana Bread

Even on vacation bananas go brown. Not like I didn’t think it wouldn’t happen, it’s warmer here plus we’ve been too busy playing to eat them right away. Needless to say, I couldn’t store them in the freezer for another time and I certainly didn’t want to throw them away. Thankfully I have a tried and true recipe for this super quick banana bread that’s the go-to with overripe bananas. With a few pantry items, I was back on the beach in no time.

…And yes, I even bake on vacation….

This recipe has been tops on the site for almost a decade - and for good reason! It's amazing and it really is super quick! This batter can come together faster than your oven can heat to 350º. So if you have a few minutes and some spotty bananas, give it a try!

BANANA QUICK BREAD

3 Bananas, mashed
1/4 Cup (vegan) Butter, softened
1/2 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar
1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 Cup Soft Whole Wheat Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt

Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Mash the bananas well and combine them with the butter and the sugars to cream. Add vanilla.
Add the salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon to combine.
Stir in each of the flours, mixing until just moistened.
Bake in a slightly greased and flour dusted loaf pan for 35-40 minutes of until a cake tester comes out clean.
Let rest for a few minutes before removing from the pan to cool on a wire rack.

For something a little fancier, drizzle over some cooled caramel and serve it for dessert!

Vegan Gingerbread

It's surprising to admit, but I was never a kid who was overly impressed with getting a gingerbread man during the Holidays or any days for that matter.

Maybe it's that those grocery store offerings were harder than sinking your teeth into a wooden plank? Or maybe it was the bitter, lip staining food colouring used to fill in Ginger-Santa's suit? Even as a kid, artifical wasn't my thing. So upon rediscovering the amazing, wafting aromas at my Grandparent's house when the spicy, ginger crackles were baked, I think I truly regained my love of molasses and the Gingerbread Man.

Packed with freshly grated ginger and that s l o w pouring dark goodness, these cookies are barely sweet, leaving room for plenty of adornment for the Holidays.

VEGAN GINGERBREAD COOKIES

1/2 cup Coconut Oil, room temperature
1/2 Cup Fancy Molasses
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
5 teaspoons Freshly Grated Ginger, include any juice
1 tsp Ground Cinnamon
pinch, Freshly Grated Nutmeg
3/4 tsp Baking Soda
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Cream the coconut oil and sugar until fluffy.
While this goes, and you'll need the time, use spray oil to coat the inside of your 1/2 cup measure.
Pour in your molasses, and don't forget that s l o w  saying... it does take it's time.
Add molasses into the fluffed sugar, along with the vanilla.
Using a spoon, peel your ginger, then grate with a microplane into a bowl to catch any extra juice.
Add grated ginger along with its juice, discarding any really stringy bits, until evenly blended.
Follow by adding the cinnamon and nutmeg.
Next, add the soda right to the dough and, on the lowest setting, follow with the flour, a half cup at a time.
Mixing just until dough comes together.
Shape dough into 2 discs and chill for at least 2 hours before rolling.
Preheat oven to 375 °F.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out 1 disc to just over 1/8-inch thick.
Cut your dough out into desired shapes and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake for 6 to 8 minutes until edges are firm to touch but centers are still soft.
Allow to cool completely before decorating.

For the icing, I've used this or I found that about 2 Cups of Icing Sugar (check your source), 1/4 Cup Corn Starch or Soy Flour, a drop of vanilla and a dribble of water mixed to a thick ribbon, will pipe really well.

Latke Love

I love latkes. It's almost bad, how much I like latkes. A holiday tradition usually brings sharing and that might be my biggest problem. To date the best solution I've had is to make them smaller so I have more. That way it takes me a little longer to eat them and gives others a chance to snag one.

Usually served on their own with a choice of apple sauce or sour cream on the side, I wanted to offer something with them to dress them up, especially when served as an appetizer. Slathered on a plate, I like the sour cream option, but there's something about the salty grease that goes so well with a little tartness.

For platter passing, otherwise known as sharing, I conjured up my own applish sauce, just a little fancier for the Hoildays. I added the jewel-y glimmer of pomegranate to quince to make this tart and spicy relish.

It was pretty good. I ate the whole plate.
... But after I was done, I thought I might just make another batch, maybe even double it - to share. Plus, the relish in a little jar tied with a red bow, might just make a pretty sweet hostess gift.

EGGLESS POTATO LATKES

4 - 5 Yukon Gold Potatoes, 2 -2 1/2 Cups grated
1 Small Onion, grated
1 teaspoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder
3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon Salt
2/3 Cup Oil for Frying (more or less)

Peel and grate the potatoes. Grate the onion and and squeeze as much moisture from them as you can. (You can either do this with your hands, or put the whole thing into a clean tea towel and wring it out... you don't want wet latkes!)
Add them to a large bowl and sift in the baking powder, arrowroot and flour and salt over the potatoes, stirring while you add to incorporate it evenly.
Heat half of the oil in a large sauté pan over a medium-high setting.
Either with your clean hands or spoons, shape the potato into a 2" diameter ball, again squeezing excessive liquid, if necessary. Lightly pat the finished ball to flatten once it's added to the heated oil.
Repeat to fill the pan and fry for about 5-6 minutes on each side or until crisp and golden.
Drain latkes of oil over brown bags and paper towels.

Serve with Pomegranate Quince Chutney, apple sauce, or "sour cream".

POMEGRANATE QUINCE CHUTNEY

1 Quince, peeled and roughly diced
1/2 Cup water (give or take)
1/8 teaspoon Freshly Grated Nutmeg
pinch Cinnamon
2 Cloves
2 Tablespoons Brown Sugar
1 Tablespoon Orange Balsamic Vinegar*
1/4 Cup Pomegranate Seeds, 1/2 Pomegranate

Peel and dice the quince into 1/2" cubes.
Add the quince to a small saucepan and cover with just enough water to submerge.
Simmer over a medium-high heat until just tender; about 8 - 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add the quince, along with the remaining water, to a sauté pan.
Continuing over a medium-high heat, sauté the quince, adding the cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Once the liquid has reduced, add the brown sugar and balsamic vinegar.
Lower the heat to medium and simmer to create a syrup; 1-2 minutes.
Add the pomegranate seeds and continue to simmer to release the juice.
Remove the chutney from the heat, find and take out the cloves, then gently mash with a fork. (Watch for pomegranate juice, it stains.)
Serve a top latkes or other savory dishes as a condiment.

*If you don't have orange balsamic vinegar, you may try substituting regular balsamic with the zest of one orange; about a teaspoon.

Marina Di Chioggia Gnocchi →

Upon returning from the weekend away, I couldn’t help but notice one of my pumpkins from my collection. The skin of my Marina Di Chioggia had turned much darker than its original green and although I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about pumpkins and their various shades green, I do know that my prized Marina Di Chioggia is one of the most delectable of all the gourd breeds.

From the coasts near Venice, love is in the air for the pumpkin aptly nicknamed “Deliziosa”. The hard, green shell of this heirloom pumpkin may be a pain to peel, or even get into for that matter, but it’s sweet, subtle flavour and silky flesh certainly make it worth it. To claim victory over the tough to surrender peel, just make one cut around to get in and clean out the seeds, then simply roast the pumpkin in a short depth of water for about 90 minutes at 350ºF.

Of all the heirlooms gathered from the patch this season, the glorious Marina Di Chioggia is perfect for just about any recipe. It’s sweet yet delicate and can hold it’s own beautifully in pies, pasta and of course, gnocchi.

Perpetually intimidated by making gnocchi, with or without eggs, I found that this pumpkin is a great addition to the delightful dumplings. Typically worried about them being gummy and dense or at worst, falling apart in the cooking water, I found nothing of the sort. The dough was quite soft, so depending on the extent of draining you do, climate you live in and any other moisture factors, you may have to adjust the amount of flour to create a workable dough.

…And with a terrific yield, everyone can look forward to a few great pumpkin recipes to add to autumn and holiday collection.

MARINA DI CHIOGGIA GNOCCHI

1 1/2 Cups Marina Di Chioggia Pumpkin, about 1/2 roasted
1 Russet Baking Potato, baked in it’s skin
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
Scant 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
Pinch of Black Pepper & Nutmeg
1 3/4 Cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour, plus extra for rolling

Prick with a fork and bake the potato in a 350ºF oven for about 1 hour or in a microwave for 10-12 minutes, turning it over after 6 minutes.
Once the potato is just cool enough to handle, break it open and scrape the inside and continue to mash with the fork or a potato ricer.
Remove the roasted pumpkin from the skin. Place it in a sieve and allow it to drain as much extra moisture as possible.
Purée or pass the drained pumpkin through a sieve.
In a large bowl, mix the potato and the pumpkin purée with the remaining ingredients, adding in the flour 1/4 cup at a time.
Once the mixture comes together as a smooth, workable dough, transfer it to a flat board and cut it into eight pieces.
One by one, roll each of the pieces into 3/4″ diameter cylinders then cut them into 1/2″ pieces.
Using the back of a floured fork, push and roll each of the cut pieces down towards the end of the fork to create the ribbed gnocchi shape.
Roll in additional flour, if necessary and set aside.

Put a large pot of slightly salted water on to boil.
Once the water is rapidly boiling, drop the gnocchi in.
Cook only until the gnocchi begins to float, about 2 minutes, watching carefully being sure not to over cook.
Drain all at once or with a slotted spoon.
Serve immediately with butter, pesto, classic tomato sauce or toss with spinach and thyme.

SPINACH THYME TOSS

Heat about 2 Tablespoons of lactose free margarine (or butter) and add 2 cloves of minced garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of fresh or dried thyme leaves.
Once the margarine has melted and the garlic begins to sizzle, add a full handful of baby spinach leaves, about two cups and sauté to wilt.
Toss the cooked gnocchi with the spinach to brown slightly.
Serve immediately.