David Lebovitz's Pain D'Épices

I'm really not joking when I say I'm counting down the days to release of Lebovitz's new book. And here's proof. The second recipe of his that I have made in one week, retrieved from other bloggers, from those lucky few who received a sneak preview and who I am so grateful to for sharing a glimpse of what lies inside with us common-folk. 

So it was that on a lonely night home alone, far too late in the day, I set about baking David's Pain d'Épices that the wonderful Lottie and Doof had published weeks before. My little flat was soon filled with the comforting smells of sugar and spice and all things nice. The golden honey mixture was too beautiful and smooth not to dip my finger into (a few times). 

The beautiful rise on the little loaf put a sleepy smile on my face.

Apparently it will last for a while, but I'm afraid we can't attest to that. This honey-spice bread is all too easy to eat for breakfast, with coffee, with tea, after dinner. We did all of them. It didn't last long.

Continue Reading...

Cranberry Crumb Bars

I'd been a totally useless baking girlfriend since Christmas. And it was only when I pointed it out that B admitted that his coffee at work had been a little sad during the last few weeks, without something to nibble on at the same time. Lucky for him, our favourite Bethnal fruit and veg shop had just replenished their stock of big boxes of fresh cranberries, so I could finally make the Cranberry Crumb bars Lottie and Doof posted on his blog many moons ago.

They were worth waiting for, and B made up for his lack of snacks by eating several of these a day. And I sneaked a mouthful whenever he wasn't looking (a little hypocritical, I know). If you happen to pass by any fresh cranberries in the next couple of weeks, knocking up a batch of these little treats wouldn't be a bad idea. Especially while the warming mulling spices still feel like the right thing to be eating.

Continue Reading...

Cranberry Torte

A few weeks ago my eyes feel upon a pile of small packets of fresh cranberries in our local Turkish grocery on Bethnal Green Road. I can't remember ever having seen fresh cranberries for sale before. Wanting to put them to good use, my mind was bubbling away with possibilities for a couple of weeks. As luck would have it, in my blog-reading routine, a smile spread across my face as I caught sight of this recipe for cranberry torte by Tim Mazurek of Lottie and Doof. Every recipe I've tried by Tim has been naughty but oh so nice. After a long, sunny Saturday morning run by Regent's Canal, we were in need of some cake. So I set to work.

The bitter cranberries and quantities of sugar make a torte worthy of your time and taste buds.

Continue Reading...