The last time I posted a waffle recipe here, several of you commented that you were on the fence about purchasing a waffle iron. Well, hopefully this recipe will push you firmly off the fence and into the magical land of waffle love.

These are decidedly dessert-like waffles and yet I ate them for breakfast and strongly vote in favour of you doing the same. I used yoghurt instead of buttermilk and I found it gave them such a soft, rich texture so that it’s not unlike eating a lemon poppy seed muffin, in waffle form. The warmed blueberry sauce (my recipe is here) adds a wonderful decadent touch but if you’re looking for something more simple, spooning some blueberry jam on top would work too.

The lemon flavour is gentle and whilst the blueberry sauce is a bit of a dream, I actually really enjoyed the plain bites where I could feel the textural crunch of the poppy seeds and really taste the lemon zest. If you wanted to make them even more lemony, I’d recommend adding the juice of half a lemon to your wet ingredients. That would really make these zing. Happy waffling!

Lemon Poppy Seed Waffles
adapted from Bon Appetit, September 2000 via Epicurious

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups plain whole yoghurt
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick or 4 oz) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tbsp grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons)
• Warm blueberry sauce, to serve

On Saturday Dan and I ran a 5k race around Lake Harriet in Minneapolis. It was a breezy 1F (-20C) when we set off and most of the experience was spent trying to ignore the burning in my lungs and the numbing of my chin. Actually, it was really fun, as slightly extreme experiences like that tend to be, and we had a great time. But still – it was chuffing cold.

So I came home from the race and had a very long, very hot shower and a gorgeous fresh bagel and then set about making these cookies. Nothing soothes like a huge batch of chocolate-y, spiced cookies on a frigid day. Or any of the many days to follow…

The inspiration for these cookies came from David Lebovitz’s recipe for Mexican hot chocolate. I’ve started putting cinnamon in my hot chocolate and love it. Furthermore I’ve had a recipe for chipotle flour-less chocolate cake bookmarked for an ungodly amount of time. All of these ideas morphed in my mind until I decided that these cookies should come into existence.

I based the cookie recipe here on my chocolate cookies with sea salt (a perennial fave in the E4E household and one of the most popular posts on this blog) but added cinnamon and chile powder. I also omitted the sprinkling of sea and used half dark chocolate and half milk chocolate. I might use cayenne pepper next time in addition to or instead of chile powder. You can certainly taste the spice but it’s not overwhelming and the cinnamon is definitely the dominant flavour after chocolate, so adjust as you see fit.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon chile powder
• 4 oz dark chocolate (at least 70% cocoa), 2 ounces coarsely chopped and 2 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 4 oz milk chocolate, 2 ounces coarsely chopped and 2 ounces cut into 1/4-inch chunks
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325F. Combine 2 ounces coarsely chopped dark chocolate with 2 ounces coarsely chopped milk chocolate with the butter and melt the two together in a pan. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly while you move onto step two.
2. Sieve into a bowl and then whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and chile powder; set aside.
3. Put chocolate mixture, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a bowl and mix until combined. Gradually add in the flour mixture. Fold in the remaining dark and milk chocolate chunks.
4. Using a 1 1/2-inch ice cream scoop, drop dough onto parchment-lined (or Silpat-lined) baking sheets, spacing them 2 inches apart. Bake until cookies are flat and surfaces crack, about 15 minutes (cookies should be soft). Let them cool on parchment on wire racks. Cookies can be stored between layers of parchment in airtight containers at room temperature up to 3 days. Or, just invite some friends over and watch them disappear. Makes about 2 dozen large cookies.

Friends, this is it. The only hot chocolate recipe you’ll ever need for snuggly nights curled up in your pjs. You might remember that I linked to this article on The Guardian about how to make the perfect hot chocolate a couple of weeks ago. Well, I mulled it over for a while (meaning I ran to the store to stock up on cream and good chocolate immediately) and played around until I found perfection.

Perfection, in case you were wondering, involves 70% dark chocolate (Green & Blacks Organic is my favourite), really good milk chocolate, normal milk (we use skimmed at home) and a healthy slog of heavy cream. Add a pinch of cinnamon and a pinch of salt and you have yourself a cup of perfect hot chocolate.

Perfect Hot Chocolate
adapted from Felicity Cloake via The Guardian

Ingredients

• 225ml skimmed milk
• 35g 70% dark chocolate, finely chopped
• 15g good-quality milk chocolate, finely chopped
• 30ml heavy (double) cream
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Directions

1. Warm about a quarter of your milk in a pan over a medium heat and stir in the chocolate. Continue to stir until the chocolate has melted into the milk, then whisk in the remaining milk and the cream.
2. Continue to heat until the mixture is hot, but not boiling, then add the cinnamon and salt. Taste, adjust if necessary, and serve. For a frothier cup, whisk vigorously just before pouring. Serves 1.

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.

I haven’t been cooking, baking or photographing much over here recently. It’s been a bit of a tough time for us and my attention has been elsewhere, but I have still been reading.

In lieu of a new recipe, here are a few great posts from around the web…

These parsley root fries with roasted tomato ketchup look salty-addictive.

I love The Kitchn‘s new look!

How to make perfect hot chocolate (very necessary in below-zero Minnesota).

Nigella’s review of two cookbooks is a wonderful read.

Pumpkin spice doughnuts.

I can’t get over how imaginative these guys are.

If you follow me on facebook you know I’ve been reading lots of lovely Nigel.

A great idea for all that lemon curd.

You just know that this blood orange gin sparkler is right up my alley.

(Photo by Sarah Britton.)

Growing up my sister absolutely adored lemon curd. My mum would buy boxes of mini lemon curd tarts for her to take to school in her lunchbox every single day.

I wasn’t head over heels for straight up lemon curd as a child although I was always partial to a slice of lemon tart. However my grown up taste buds LOVE this stuff – as they love all things citrus – and really, what’s not to love?

If you’ve never experienced lemon curd (which I admit has a bit of a funny sounding name) you’re in for a real treat. And contrary to my expectations, it is incredibly easy to make.

What you’ll end up with is a thick, tangy-sweet, incredibly yellow, very lemony preserve perfect for spreading on toast or a good hunk of bread, or for pouring into a pie crust for a killer lemon curd tart.

I looked at a bunch of different recipes – David Lebovitz’s seems to be popular – but I really liked Nigel Slater‘s. Since Meyer lemons tend to be much sweeter than conventional lemons I reduced the amount of sugar here but it’s still wonderfully sweet – so much so that I can’t seem to stop taking giant finger-swipes from the jar. Addictive to say the least.

Meyer Lemon Curd
from Nigel Slater via The Guardian

Ingredients

• zest and juice of 4 unwaxed Meyer lemons (if using regular lemons, increase the sugar to 200g)
• 160g sugar
• 100g butter, cut into cubes
• 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk, mixed gently with a fork

Directions

1. Set a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering water, being careful that the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Place the lemon zest and juice, sugar and butter into the heatproof bowl. Stir with a whisk from time to time until the butter has melted.
2. Stir the eggs and egg yolk into the lemon mixture. Let the curd cook, stirring regularly, for about 10 minutes, until it is thick and custard-like. It should feel heavy on the whisk.
3. Remove from the heat and stir occasionally as it cools. Pour into very clean jam jars (mason jars) and seal. It will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator. Makes 2 small jam jars.

1. Made roasted winter vegetable salad umpteen times for dinner. Obsessed.

2. Got excited about beef. You heard me. There are two recipes I’m hoping to make and share soon that will have you swooning. If you’re a beefeater that is.

3. Posted a link on my homepage to my seasonal recipe guide. See it? Over there —————————–>

4. Met Senator Al Franken.

5. Found my bundt pan languishing in the pantry. Any ideas for a lovely recipe?

6. Remembered how much I love sharing my favourite blogs with you. If you haven’t checked out A Cozy Kitchen, London Bakes, or Hungry Girl Por Vida, you’ll want to get on that.

7. Dreamed of going to Coachella this year and then realised once again that it’s so out of my budget it’s hilarious.

8. Unsurprisingly ate a LOT of cheese at book club. So much that I had an actual cheese hangover the next day.

9. Got a great pep talk from Joy the Baker in this blog post to “always sign up for adventure. Always say yes.”

10. Posted some interesting topics for debate on my facebook page. Love you all for the chat.

What about you? This week you…?

[Read Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV, Part V, Part VI and Part VII]

I believe citrus to be the saviour of winter. Just when you’re starting to get depressed about the lack of all things fresh and bright (and a teeny bit bored of squash), along comes citrus season.

It starts with satsumas, which we’ve been eating constantly all December and January, a big, full bowl in our dining room ever since I spotted them in the grocery store.

If you can get your hands on a Texas Red Ruby grapefruit you’ll be incredibly happy you did. I always eat grapefruit with sugar sprinkled on top, to mellow out the sourness, but these need not a grain of sugar. They’re so sweet – still sour – but sweet! And bursting with juice. Just gorgeous.

Then there are blood oranges. Just read this blog post I wrote last year about this blood orange olive oil cake and you’ll see what all the fuss is about.

And…meyer lemons. So much more yellow than their conventional counterparts and rounder too. Pick one up and smell it, breathe it in, and remember that winter isn’t the barren season we sometimes think of it as. Thank goodness for citrus.

This cake is described in the original recipe as “the best damn meyer lemon cake” which… made me laugh. I haven’t made another meyer lemon cake to be able to compare but I’ll say this: it’s a damn good cake.

It’s a do-ahead job since you want the cake to sit for a whopping 24 hours before serving. I know. I blinked as well. But there’s a good reason and that is the super-addictive lemon-sugar glaze which spends a day seeping through the cake as it sits. Once you get to slicing it, it will be an entirely different cake than if you skipped this step.

The result is bright, zingy, moist, with with a sharp-sweet crust coating every slice.

The best damn meyer lemon cake – otherwise known as how to make friends in wintertime. Enjoy.

Meyer Lemon Cake
adapted from Maida Heatter via Saveur

Ingredients

• 1 tbsp butter, plus 8 tbsp melted
• 1/2 cup whole blanched almonds
• 1 1/2 cups flour, plus 2 tbsp to dust pan
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 1/3 cups plus 2 tbsp sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp lemon extract
• Zest and juice of 2 meyer lemons

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease a loaf pan with 1 tbsp. of the butter and dust it with 2 tbsp flour. Tap out the excess and set aside. In a food processor, grind the almonds until very fine then set aside.
2. In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
3. Put the melted butter into a large bowl and add 1 cup of the sugar and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating just long enough to incorporate each one.
4. Add the flour mixture and milk mixture in 3 batches, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until mixed after each addition, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Mix in the lemon extract. With the spatula, fold in the lemon zest and ground almonds. (The mixture will be thin.)
5. Turn batter into your prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean and dry, about 65 minutes. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack.
6. Prepare the glaze: Combine remaining sugar and lemon juice in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring, until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes, but do not let it boil. Brush the glaze over the hot cake. (The excess liquid may pool along the sides of the pan; it will absorb completely as it sits.) Once the cake has absorbed all the liquid, turn it out of the pan and allow it to cool upright on a rack.
7. Once it’s cool, wrap the cake with plastic wrap and let stand at room temperature for 24 hours before serving.