My poor waffle maker has been languishing in my pantry for months, unused since the last batch of chocolate waffles. (Otherwise known as waffle dessert. For waffle breakfast, see here and here.) Dan has been talking longingly of the days when waffles made a regular appearance at breakfast so this weekend we did the decent thing and busted out the maker for some waffles.

Not just any old waffles though. No. These waffles might just be the mightiest of them all. Forget sweet, we went savoury all the way with sharp cheddar, black pepper, chopped chives, parsley, and a decisive crunch of cornmeal. They are so good. You won’t need anything on top in my opinion so long as you have a couple of runny eggs and some bacon, but a dollop of sour cream wouldn’t go amiss.

The dough is pretty thick going into the waffle maker – fear not. The end result is fluffy and perfectly done.

Savoury Cheddar-Chive Waffles
adapted from Joy the Baker and Williams Sonoma

Ingredients

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
• 3 tablespoons chopped chives
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Directions

1. Preheat a waffle maker on medium-high heat according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, black pepper, and salt.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, butter and buttermilk. Stir in the grated cheese. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, then add the chives and parsley. Stir until just incorporated. Try not to over-mix the batter.
4. Cook according to your waffle machine instructions.
5. Garnish with extra chives and parsley and serve immediately with bacon and fried eggs. Add a dollop of sour cream if you wish. Serves two.

I’ve made my love for all things winter-citrus quite clear here.

Something that seems to have invaded (in the best way possible) the world of food blogs that I inhabit is a little infatuation with winter citrus cocktails. I fully approve of this. What could be better in the cold winter months than a drink that tastes like summer and gives you that warm bubbly feeling in your stomach at the same time?

I’ve dabbled a little myself, with blood orange buck’s fizz and I’ve dreamed of a red ruby greyhound but others are putting my dreams into motion.

Here are some of my favourites from around the web.

Blood Orange Gimlet

Tangerine Sidecar

Blood Orange French 75

Meyer Lemon Margarita

La Paloma

Pink Grapefruit Margarita

Salty Chihuahua

Blood Orange Gin Sparkler

Cheers!

What to do with some of that meyer lemon curd you made last week? Why put it in a cake of course!

I spent many a sneaky moment last week with my head buried in the fridge swiping spoonfuls of lemon curd straight from the jar. It’s that good, I needed no vehicle other than my trusty spoon.

But as delicious an activity as that was, I thought I might should find a more imaginative way to consume the second jar tucked away in my fridge. And so…cake!

This is a fun and delicious twist on the classic Victoria sponge cake (which is sandwiched with cream and jam). Instead of adding vanilla to the batter, I used a teaspoon of lemon zest although I don’t think the vanilla would go amiss now that I think of it. You could also use a teaspoon of lemon extract though honestly, the lemon curd provides all the tangy zing you need.

Victoria Sponge Cake with Lemon Curd

Ingredients

• knob of butter, melted
• 1 cup (8oz) butter, softened
• 1 cup (8oz) sugar
• 4 large free-range eggs
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup (8oz) all-purpose flour, sifted (you may need a bit extra)
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• Lemon curd, for the filling
• Powdered sugar, to dust

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Gently heat the knob of butter in a pan and brush two 8 inch cake tins with the melted butter. Line the bottom of the two cake tins with a circle of greaseproof paper.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until pale and creamy, using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon. Beat well to ensure you get lots of air into the mixture.
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time. You want to avoid the mixture curdling, so that it stays airy. If it does curdle, add a tbsp of flour. Add the lemon zest and stir gently to combine.
4. Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold the flour mixture into the wet ingredients using a large metal spoon (this will cut into the mixture better than a wooden spoon). Be careful not to over-mix it. Pour the mixture equally between the two cake tins and level.
5. Place in the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the cakes are well-risen, spring back when pressed gently with a finger and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Place onto a wire rack and let cool completely, about an hour.
6. Spread a thick layer of lemon curd on top of one of the cakes and sandwich the other on top. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.