Browsing Tag

fruits-and-berries

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Chocolate Walnut Banana Muffins

This is one of those recipes that likely started out as banana bread. Remember during the height of the b=pandemic, everyone seemed to be making banana bread — myself included. And then, somewhere along the line, my “breads” (quick breads” started turning to muffins because they were easier to store and distribute… And then I stopped making banana bread altogether. Funny how that is all very cyclical.

Nevertheless, I made these Chocolate Walnut Banana Muffins today and they are a yummy addition to my breakfasts this week!

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29. January 2024
Breakfast/Brunch

Small-batch Pomegranate Jelly

So as we start the new year, here is one more “symbolic food” that I thought that I would make something with. The Pomegranate. This one is a bit controversial, to be honest. The oldest known symbolism of pomegranate is of fertility and abundance (all those little seeds!). Some cultures see it as a symbol for immortality and eternal life. And then there is the other extreme — some cultures see the fruit as a symbol of death. A lot of these are tied to religion, and as I am not the religious sort, I am going to just leave it as a spherical symbol (full circle) and abundance (all those seeds)! And it makes a really delicious, really easy to make jelly (I cheated and just used POM juice). Breakfast is served on a freshly baked piece of anadama bread.

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14. January 2024
Desserts, Sweet Snacks

German-style Cheesecake with Currant Compote and Sugared Currants

There are many different types of cheese cake — New York style, British style, Basque Style, non bake, water bath, flavored, straight up. My favorite style, not surprisingly, is German-style, which is light and fluffy, made with a dairy product called quark (see note) and can be plain or flavored. I wanted to make one for annual cake day that was winter-inspired and originally had planned for this cake to have a cranberry compote, but even so soon after the holidays, there were no more fresh cranberries to be had. Surprisingly, there were currants, so I went with them as they are a similar sweet-and-tart flavor profile that balances the creaminess of the cheese cake. Definitely a winner.

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9. January 2024
Desserts

Twelve Grapes Cake

In Spain, there is a good luck tradition, that at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve, you eat twelve grapes, one each as the church bells chime. This is actually no small feat, and I’ve managed to nearly choke on a grape or two. This year, I decided to riff slightly on the Doce Uvas de la Suerte tradition, by making this Twelve Grapes Cake so instead of wolfing down the grapes, you can enjoy a piece of cake instead. Happy New Year!

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1. January 2024