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B is for Bagel... A year ago for Christmas, my sister gave me bagel moulds (also known as witches` hats) and a recipe. Growing up in Switzerland with family in New York, bagels were always a treat, something we couldn't get here but would look forward to on trips to see family. Family coming over here would also bring us bagels in ziplock baggies, bringing a taste of New York to us for a few mornings after their arrival. And, aside from one woman who made homemade bagels that we bought occasionally, they were not available. Somehow, it never occurred to me to try making my own until my sister gave me those moulds last Christmas. Since, I have tried a few different recipes and methods, getting better and nearer the mark with each attempt. The real trick seems to be the slow proof of the dough overnight in the fridge, and the boiling before baking. Having come up with a recipe that works, I have now enjoyed playing around with flavours. Changing what goes in the water to boil the proto-bagels as well as what goes in the dough is a fun way of altering them. I haven't come across cranberry and almond ones before but wanted to try the flavours together. They also seem particularly appropriate to the season! Ingredients: 2 c whole meal flour 2 1/4 c white flour 1 1/4 c water, body temp. A pinch of sugar 1/2 cube yeast 1/2 tbsp salt 1 c dried cranberries 1/2 tsp almond extract Cornmeal Molasses 1 tbsp malt extract 1) In a small saucepan, heat the water to about body temperature - it should be warm, but still cool enough that a (clean) pinky finger dipped in it is comfortable for 10 seconds. Dissolve the yeast in the water with the sugar and leave for a few minutes. 2) Combine flours and salt in a mixing bowl and make a well in the centre. Add yeast and water and stir together, gradually incorporating flour from around the well. as the dough comes together, add the almond extract and knead on a clean, floured surface for about 10 minutes until the dough is homogenous and elastic. Towards the end, knead in the cranberries as you go. 3) Place in a clean bowl and leave to rise, covered, in a warm spot for an hour, or until doubled in size. 4) Knock back the dough and divide into 8 roughly even balls. Here you have two options. Either: roll into snakes, then join the ends of these to make rings or: Roll into balls, then poke a thumb through the balls. With your thumb in the hole, gradually widen it, working the dough around so as to have an even, uniform thickness to the dough with a round hole in the middle. 5) Place rings on a baking tray sprinkled liberally with cornmeal, cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours or overnight to proof. 6) Remove the rings from the fridge. Fill a heavy-bottomed pot with water. Stir in molasses and malt extract. There should be enough molasses for the water to look like moderately strong tea. Place a test ring in the water. If it floats, you are ready to go. If not, dry if off and allow the bagels to come to room temperature. 7) When the water comes to a boil, reduce the heat to bring the water to a simmer. A few at a time, poach the bagels for about half a minute on each side, then fish them out and drain on a wire rack. 8) Sprinkle the baking tray with fresh cornmeal, then place the drained bagels back on the tray and bake at 240°C for 15 - 20 minutes until golden. These turned out well, with the right chewy, bagely texture. The flavour was a little plainer than I had hoped though, so I might try increasing the almond extract next time, as well as maybe putting flaked almonds on top. I may also try fresh cranberries instead of dried, but that might involve trading stronger flavour for altered moistness, so we'll see how that works out. A good combo on the whole though, especially with cream cheese! (In B is for Bagel, Little Bit's alphabet book, X is for EXtra schmeer, never make it less!)

This is one of my favourite side dishes. I started making it years ago as an accompaniment for simple meat-and-starch meals that I wanted to round out the flavour and nutrition of a little, like sausage and spätzli, Rösti or pasta, meat and potatoes (like this Chicken and Waffles recipe) or even as a side to this Autumnal Macaroni and Cheese or Apple and Cheese Soufflé . I've added variations to this over the years, such as extra spring onions at the end or a little grated carrot, but for the most part, this dish is an onion dish. I like it alongside other sides like Rotkohl , or Broccoli Poppers . The flavours are very forgiving, and you can adjust the quantities of the various ingredients to tailor the flavour profile to your liking. The only caveat is to start it early enough before the meal to allow the onions to cook down low and slow. You want them to melt and caramelise rather than brown them. Any burnt bits will add bitterness to this that you probably want to avoid (but then, who am I to tell you what you want?) Recipe: Cook time: 1 hour -- Portions: 4-5 side-dish portions -- Difficulty: easy Ingredients: 2 tbsp olive oil 1 1/2c onions, sliced 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar 1 tbsp honey 1-2 tbsp sesame seeds 1) Pour oil into a frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent. Add the other ingredients and continue cooking until the onions are very soft and melting together (not literally. They are not going to turn liquid.) 2) Season to taste and serve up hot as a side dish. The end. They are that simple. I am always very satisfied with this dish. It lends itself well to a variety of dishes, and as it has some sweet and some savoury/acidic notes, it can balance out mains or other sides that are either on the sweeter or the more acidic side. It is soft enough that it doesn't steal the show, but has enough flavour to hold its own. How much honey or balsamic go in changes every time I make this, according to what else it is being served with and what mood I'm in. It works with red, white or pink onions, just adjusting the balsamic and honey accordingly to compensate for the onions' varying strength and sweetness. Swaps and Substitutions: Instead of regular white sesame seeds, try it with black sesame, toasted seeds or nigella seeds (or a combination of the three). Instead of honey, try substituting molasses, maple syrup or another form of thicker syrup/sweetening agent. The flavour and texture will change accordingly and you will need to tweak the balsamic quantities to compensate, but the different flavours can work very nicely depending on what you are pairing the onions with. Try changing the vinegar you use. I personally really like the depth of flavour from balsamic, but other vinegars do work as well. Particularly interesting is apple cider vinegar, especially when paired with an apple dish. Let me know what you try!

I was going to save this post until the autumn, but accidentally bought a bag of apples which turned out to not be very good eating apples (well, Little One thought they were, but he sometimes has questionable taste) so it seemed like a good time to make more and to post about it. It is also a good time because pectin is useful in jam making for any fruit which isn't high in pectin, helping with gelling. And it's jam season! It is entirely natural and easy to make and allows you to make something of what would otherwise be compost. In order to make pectin, all you have to do is to save apple peels and cores (when I made pectin in the autumn, I made apple sauce from the apples and pectin from the off-cuts, and this time around I dried the apple slices). You then simmer them in water over medium low heat until the liquid turns pinkish and thickens a little. Strain out the bits and save the pectin. Et voilà! I put mine away in the freezer for future use (like in my Watermelon Rind Jam).

I first encountered clotted cream on a trip to Cornwall with my dad when I was 8, and I loved it. Living in Switzerland, it is unavailable here, so it was always only an occasional treat on trips to the UK. And then I moved to Scotland and discovered that I could have it whenever I wanted. And I learned to make scones. Hey Diddle Diddle! It never occurred to me though - growing up with it as a treat, with it commonly available for 6 years in Scotland, or since it has again become an occasional treat - that clotted cream was something I could actually make at home. With minimal faff or effort involved. And then I read somewhere about how simple it actually is and I had to try it. I read a couple of recipes and other people's accounts of making it, and the difference between making clotted cream and cornish cream, and then decided to try it for myself. The biggest impediment was picking a time when I could have it in and out of the oven at low temperatures for several days. Other than that though, it is the simplest "recipe" I think I have ever tried. Here goes. Heat cream at very low temperature for several hours (10-12). Turn off the oven and leave in, cooling oven overnight. In the morning, move the cream to the fridge. Allow to cool completely for several more hours, then scoop off the solid cream. There will be a slight skin or crust over the top, which is completely normal. It came out beautifully! I can't believe how simple it actually was once the veil was lifted. There are a few foods like that that I've enjoyed de-mythifying over the last few years, but this has to be the simplest....I am tempted to start playing around with this a little, like flavouring the cream beforehand for example. I would also like to try it as an ingredient in other dishes and see how it compares to using butter or regular cream. And then, of course, I had to make scones to go with it...

Ramen is something my husband started throwing together as a quick, easy and healthy meal a while back and we have it semi-regularly. He usually makes it with miso and beef broth, but we were out of miso, and I had pumpkin I wanted to use, so I went for a different flavour profile. Not what you might term authentic, Japanese ramen in the least, but tasty! Be aware, this recipe makes rather a large batch. I sometimes have issues with batch cooking... It did reheat very nicely though, with fresh noodles or a little extra stock. Ingredients: 4 onions, chopped 1 head of garlic, minced 3-4" ginger, minced 2-3 tbsp peanut oil 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 1/2 leek, chopped 1 pack mange tout, halved 1 head of broccoli, floretted 3 l beef stock 1 tbsp oyster sauce 1 tbsp ras-el-hanout 2 tsp Mix spice 2 c roast pumpkin purée 1 small squash, chopped 1/3c soy sauce Noodles sesame seeds 1) Heat the oil in the bottom of a soup pot. Sauté onions until translucent, then add garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant and starting to char a little and add squash. Cook 5 minutes, then add other ingredients except for mangetouts, noodles and sesame for seeds. 2) Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until squash and broccoli have reached just shy of their desired consistency, then add noodles and mangetouts. Taste test. 3) Remove from heat and serve as soon as noodles are cooked. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top. I was unsure how this would come out but I am pleased with the end result. It would go very nicely with a little fresh coriander, but I didn't happen to have any on hand. It would also work well with veggie stock if need be. Flatteringly, even my dad, who was over for dinner and an evening with the grandbabies, enjoyed it and went for seconds. Until now, his ramen experience has always been the instant kind in teenage boys' dorm rooms, and he has always complained that it smells like feet. His enjoyment of it, I felt, was therefore quite high praise.

I received an air fryer for my birthday this year. Since, I have been playing around with it, trying out different recipes, my own and others', and getting to know my new kitchen toy. Here is one of the recipes I have tried a couple of times now. It is simple but very tasty and a very good side dish. A bit of faff, but easy, and we are very happy with the taste! The adobo seasoning isn't one I usually use, but I had some on hand from another recipe. Given that it is all spices and herbs I was going to use in the coating anyway, I thought it was a good substitute. NB the quantities of ingredients for the breading will vary a little depending on the size of your broccoli head and the size of florets you cut it into. Ingredients: 1 head of broccoli, floretted 1 1/2 c flour 1 - 1 1/2 c milk 2 eggs 2 tsp adobo seasoning 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder 1 tsp thyme 1 1/2 c breadcrumbs (Optional: 1/2 c millet 1/4 c sunflower seed oil) Black pepper 1) Place the eggs and about 3/4 c milk in a bowl and beat well. In another bowl, mix the flour and the adobo seasoning, Kashmiri chilli, and thyme. In a third, mix together the breadcrumbs, the pepper, and the millet (if using). Finally, put the oil, if using, in a bowl, and the remaining milk in another bowl (I know that it is a lot of bowls! I've tried it with fewer, but this is how I got the best results, so bear with me!) 2) Dip each floret in the milk, the flour, the eggy mix, the breadcrumbs and then briefly in the oil (or brush it on), making sure that it is well coated after each dip, and then place in the basket of the air fryer. When it is full, leaving plenty of room between the florets. Set the air fryer for 9 minutes at 180°C. We had these served with mayo, the Roasted Red Pepper dip, Sriracha sauce... anything you want really. The millet is optional. We've had it both with and without. I like the texture as it pops a little in the heat, adding a little crunch. Rolling the pieces in only millet and no breadcrumbs didn't work as well though. Instead of the first milk dip, I have alternatively used broth or the egg-milk mix. Both work well, so take your pick. With the oil, that too is optional. I find that the coating is very crispy but a little dry when done with no oil at all. Brushing it on knocks off some of the coating, so the best solution I have found is a very quick dip, without necessarily coating fully, just enough to make it less dry and nice and golden, but not enough for it to be anywhere near saturated. After 9 minutes, these were tender inside and crispy on the outside! Little Bit got very excited helping with these last time I made them. He loves the air fryer and is excited to "watch the air fryer work" (although there isn't much to see), and enjoys commenting on the (not very loud) noise it makes.

So, I'm a little late in sharing this one. It is from when my rhubarb compote was fresh in the spring, not a defrosted one from the freezer, but this year has been a bit busy, and I thought it worth sharing anyway. It was a flavour hunch and it worked out. Ingredients: 1 tart crust 1/2 - 3/4c custard 1/2 - 3/4 c rhubarb compote 4 apples, sliced 2 tbsp brown sugar 2 tbsp oats 1) Line a tart pan with the crust. Swirl the compote and custard together and spread on the bottom of the crust. Arrange apple slices on top, and sprinkle with the oats and sugar. 2) Bake at 180°C for 30-40 minutes. Enjoy warm. This came out very tasty, but a little on the wet side. Next time I would reduce the compote a little on the stove to thicken it and avoid the problem. Tasty enjoyed with whipped cream or ice cream. I especially liked the extra texture added by the oats sprinkled on top.

This recipe for a summery strawberry and citrus blondie treat was a joint effort with my sister. She messaged me one afternoon to say that she was making brownies but that instead of adding vanilla extract, she had added lemon. Could I help her think through a pivot? I suggested blondies, and we discussed options. I usually prefer caramel-based blondies rather than white chocolate ones, as these can be a bit cloying at times. She had already mixed the sugar with the other ingredients, so the die was cast and white chocolate blondies it was. She then created a version of them, sending me the changes she had ultimately made. When I came to make them myself, I tweaked them further, and this was the result. Recipe Cook time: about 15 minutes prep and 35 minutes in the oven -- Portions: about 24 -- Difficulty: easy Ingredients: 1 1/2 c sugar 2 tbsp oil 2 tbsp melted butter 4 eggs 1 tsp lemon extract 1/2 tsp raspberry extract 1/2 c (200g) white chocolate, melted and slightly browned. 1 1/2 c flour 1/4 c black tea 1/4 c milk 1/2 c dried strawberries zest of 1 orange 1) Cream together the sugar, oil and butter, then beat in the eggs. Gradually stir in the other ingredients, mixing until just combined. 2) Pour into a brownie pan and bake at 180°C for 30-35 minutes (or until the blondies have reached your preferred brownie consistency). 3) Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with a good cup of tea (or coffee if that's your thing). I was very happy with how these came out, and more than that, it was a delight to get to collaborate on a recipe with my sister, even while on different continents. My estimated cook time above is not what it took me, as Littler Bit needed to be involved and absolutely had to have control of the mixing spoon, so things took a bit longer than they should have for a healthy, somewhat competent adult... but then Littler Bit is neither competent nor an adult so I think we can be forgiven for the time lag. And hey! who needs sensory bins for a toddler when there are baking ingredients to shower the kitchen with instead? All joking aside, these did turn out rather well. Trying them how I was a bit disappointed as they were tasty but with a thoroughly unnuanced flavour. Only sweetness on blondie-ness came through. Once cooled, though, they remained on the squidgy side of cakes and had a delightfully citrussy-berry flavour to the white chocolate. They were still sweet (they are blondies after all) but not overly so. The grounding notes of the black tea and slight caramelisation of the white chocolate helped. The only downside was that the dried strawberries lost their colour on top, going a dull tan colour. Inside, they were still bright red, though! With their lighter flavour note than brownies, I preferred to pair these with a spiced black tea rather than a glass of milk. These would be perfect for a summer picnic! Swaps and substitutions: Instead of going a berry route with these, my sister went for lemon and coconut. Instead of the raspberry extract and dried strawberries, add a sprinkling of coconut flakes. Try adding slivered almonds, or skip the berries and add pecans or walnuts. Make them more citrusy by swapping out the tea for orange or lemon juice, skipping the lemon extract if you do so. This will brighten the flavour, doing away with the slightly deeper note from the tea, so some grounding through the addition of nuts might be beneficial. Shoot for a higher note altogether and skip the caramelising of the white chocolate. Try swapping out the strawberries for other berries (blueberries, blackberries, black currants could all work nicely) or other fruits. Slices of dried citrus, or other dried fruits, could work very well. Fresh fruits work nicely too, but be advised that they affect the moisture in the blondies and can make them too wet or prone to going off faster. Book pairing: While Littler Bit and I were making these blondies, Little Bit was listening to Hans Christian Andersen's Fairy Tales, starting with the Snow Queen, on his Yoto player. As he decided he was anti-headphones for the afternoon, we all got to listen along (it was the audiobook of the week, so we listened along quite a lot, if I'm honest). Writing up the recipe just now, even though it was a few weeks ago, I had images from the fairy tales pop unbidden to mind. I had forgotten how good they are, and I aim to get him into Oscar Wilde's stories next. One of the fairy tales kept making me think of the Nightingale and the Rose. Quite aside from that, the fairy tales seemed to fit with the blondies in a way, so I thought I'd share. I'm also delighted to have succeeded in getting Little Bit into Audiobooks, too, as they are something I live by.

Out playing in the snow in severely negative temperatures the other day at sunset, we needed something quick and easy to feed everyone before heading into bath and bed routines for the Littles. Initially, we had thought of omelettes, then somehow, via savoury crêpes, we settled on sweet crêpes. I had some dried raspberries in the cupboard (they had been destined for some more chocolate flavouring experiments that I haven't gotten to yet), so in the absence of fresh raspberries (it being winter and all), I used the dried ones for a bit of a twist on our regular crêpes. Ingredients: 1 c flour 1/4 c powdered sugar 2 eggs 1 1/2 c milk 1/2 c cream 1/4 c dried raspberries, crushed 2 tbsp lemon juice oil for cooking 1) Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl. Add the eggs and beat until smooth. Gradually add other liquids, mixing well until a loose batter is achieved. Stir in raspberries and lemon juice. 2) Heat a crêpe pan over medium-low heat (I have a dedicated cast iron one) and brush with vegetable oil. When it is hot, pour 1/2 ladle of batter in and rotate the pan to spread the batter in a thin round. DO NOT pour the oil in before the pan is hot as it will not spread properly or cook evenly. 3) Once the top side is matte and little bubbles have popped on the surface, flip the crêpe and briefly cook the other side. Serve hot. This hit the spot and was enjoyed by all. It's surprising what a difference a slight twist on a recipe can make sometimes. I personally prefer our regular ones, but Hubby and Little Bit insist that these are the best ever, so I'll let you make up your mind. Where do you sit on this question? Book Pairing: I was listening to Narcissus and Goldmund by Herman Hesse when we had these. It is a book I thoroughly enjoyed. It is the tale of two men, very different with different fates, and their effect on each other. Throughout though, I had a distinct sense of an echo of the Glass Bead Game, also by Hesse, which I listened to over a year and a half ago. I've not been able to put my finger on why. The plot and characters are different... Maybe it is just a stylistic echo, or maybe it was the same reader. I am not sure. It is amazing the difference that a reader can make to a book when you are listening to it instead of reading it off a page yourself...

It can easily be either vegetarian or meaty. This particular version is vegetarian, but the addition of either sausage or bacon (or bits of chicken