Date Ma’amoul Like this recipe? You’ll love my online Lebanese cooking class! I love these Ramadan date cookies, also called qrass bil-tamr. They’re similar to shortbread with a date filling and are an essential part of Ramadan feasts in Lebanon. And I love how easy they are to make. The dough can be filled with […]
Manx Fruit Bonnag Like this recipe? You’ll love my online British cooking class! If the Isle of Man can lay claim to a ‘best known dish’, it would be bonnag. The name probably comes from the same root as Scots bannock and I believe it would originally have been a simple soda bread or griddle […]
Potato & Leek Soup with Prunes Like this recipe? You’ll love my online British cooking class inspired by Simon Sandall! Potato and leek is a classic combination. In France they’re cooked together, puréed, passed through a sieve and mixed with cream to make vichyssoises, a classic cold soup. This vegetarian cock-a-leekie is a more rustic […]
Pedro Ximénez Sherry & Date Puddings These simple Sherry and date puddings are inspired by part of a far more elaborate recipe by Cheong Liew in his book My Food. He adds ginger for an extra dimension, so stir 2 teaspoons of ginger juice into the batter if you like ginger’s pepperiness (made by squeezing […]
Date Scones Date scones are an Aussie classic, perfect as a sweet treat any time. Mine are inspired by Matt Moran’s date scone recipe in Australian Food, which is in turn inspired by the scones his Nan Valda used to make. The dates and mixed spice make them so tasty I don’t think they need […]
Spungata (Ligurian Apricot Tart) This delicious fruit tart, called spungata in Liguria and spongata in neighbouring Emilia-Romagna, is similar to what other Italian regions call crostata. In Liguria spungata are often given as a gift when visiting friends and family. Apricots are a common filling, but it’s also made with apples, pears and other fruits; […]
Fruit Leather Walnut Rolls Fruit leather – qamar al deen in Arabic, pestil or bastik in Turkish, lavashak in Farsi, pastel in Armenian and pastilos in Greek – is popular all over the wider Middle East and Eastern Europe. It’s fruit juice or pulp that’s been dried into chewy strips, originally to preserve excess summer […]
Date & Almond Ladies Fingers The inspiration for these delicious date & almond ladies fingers comes from my friend Janni Kyritsis, who uses the same technique to make simple savoury snacks filled with anchovy, feta or olives. I don’t have a very sweet tooth and I love the contrast of the salted butter and subtle […]
Date & Walnut Roll If I’m baking, it has to be super-easy, like this delicious date and walnut roll that I don’t even need to get the electric mixer out for. I remember my Aunty Dorothy making these when I was a child, her daughter Gail often had slices in her lunchbox and I thought […]
Sticky Date Pudding Also called sticky toffee pudding, this dessert is pure comfort food and, assuming you keep a packet of dates in the pantry, is quick and easy to whip up without any special shopping. The Grand Marnier in the sauce isn’t traditional, but I like the hint of orange that it adds, of […]
