The thing that no one talks about when introducing solids to babies is how much work it is. We did baby led weaning which is definitely less work than starting with purees, namely because after a month or so the baby can eat whatever you eat so you don’t have to go out of your way to prepare anything special. But it’s still a lot.

Not only do you have to make sure that all food is cooked and prepared in a way such that baby is less likely to choke on it, but you also want to make sure that they are exposed to a good variety of fruits and vegetables, introduced to as many allergens as possible between 6 and 12 months of life, AND once said allergens are introduced they need to keep being exposed to them at least once a week for the first 4-5 years of life in order to get the maximal benefit out of this early exposure.

Worth it, considering that now Nico literally eats everything and is so excited about mealtime.

But, yes. It’s a lot.

In an attempt to make my life easier (and reduce the decision fatigue, if even just a little bit) I am always looking for recipes that check one or two or all of these boxes. Suffice it to say, I was SO intrigued when I saw this recipe for broccoli tahini pesto pasta in Gena Hamshaw’s latest cookbook, The Vegan Week. I am obsessed with her previous cookbook, Power Plates, which focuses on high protein, very filling (and super delicious) plant-based meals so I bought her most recent cookbook almost as soon as it was published. I really need to take the time to do a deeper dive into it, but so far I’m pretty excited by the recipes. They are all so packed full of nutrition and have great options for easy weekday breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.

Not only is this simple pasta recipe so gloriously green but it also includes tahini, making it an easy way to keep up sesame exposure. I adapted it slightly to include parmesan cheese in place of nutritional yeast in the pesto since we are not, in fact, vegan but if you are or if you are avoiding dairy for whatever reason then feel free to swap it back in.

Another change I made was to use tortellini in place of straight up pasta. This was a tactic aimed to get Remy more interested the meal, since I knew she would be skeptical of anything quite this green, but also because I just like tortellini. Win/win!

In full disclosure, she was still skeptical BUT after a bit of encouragement she did taste it and ended up eating everything on her plate. The joy I got from this was incalculable and I literally get butterflies every time I think about how much broccoli she unknowingly ingested (fellow mommas out there, you understand).

Yet another true benefit of this recipe is that it is just so darn simple and such a win to have in your back pocket for crazy weeknights. It requires the use of exactly one pot and one blender with very minimal hands on time.

To start, you will need to bring a pot of water to a boil. The broccoli is cooked in the boiling water first, just until tender. It gets scooped out and allowed to cool slightly. A portion of the cooked broccoli is reserved to be added to the final dish but most of it is transferred to the blender along with basil, tahini, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, water, and garlic to be incorporated into the pesto.

The pot of water is salted and heated again to a boil, at which point you will use it to cook your pasta of choice. While that’s happening, you can blend up the pesto at your leisure. Finally, everything is tossed together and seasoned to taste.

Dinner is served and everyone is happy – a rare win on a Monday, but we will take it.

Broccoli Tahini Pesto Pasta

 

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Creamy and gorgeously green broccoli tahini pesto pasta - easy to make and packs a great protein punch that will keep you full and energized throughout the day.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 head broccoli
• fine sea salt
• 16 oz tortellini
• 1 cup (20 g) packed fresh basil leaves
• ¼ cup (70 g) tahini
• ¼ cup parmesan cheese OR 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• red pepper flakes, to taste

Instructions

1. Trim the broccoli, removing the toughest parts of the stems. Chop the florets and the remaining stems into 1-inch pieces. There should be about 12 oz (340 g) of broccoli.
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the broccoli and boil until tender, about 5-6 minutes. Scoop out the broccoli with a spider strainer and place into a bowl to cool slightly.
3. Add more water to the pot, if necessary, and return to a boil. Season with salt and then add the tortellini, cooking according to package directions, reserving ½ cup of the cooking water.
4. Meanwhile, transfer 1.5 cups (115 g) of the cooked broccoli to a high-powered blender or food processor. Add the basil, tahini, parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast, lemon juice, water, garlic, and ½ tsp salt to the blender. Process until smooth. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
5. Drain the pasta and then return to the pot along with the pesto and remaining cooked broccoli. Toss to combine, adding pasta water if necessary to loosen the sauce. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or extra parmesan cheese as desired.

Notes

Recipe adapted slightly from The Vegan Week

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It’s kind of hysterical when you think about it, but the “me” before kids actually found the process of making risotto relaxing. All the casual stirring, glass of wine in one hand and wooden spoon in the other, mood music playing in the background. Who cared if we ate dinner at 9PM? There were no bedtimes, no rules – it was adulting at its finest.

Now it’s more like an extreme sport where I try to get in as many stirs as possible while running back and forth from the kitchen to the living room to make sure Nico hasn’t stuck his finger in an electrical socket under his sister’s “supervision”. With wine in one hand (non-negotiable) and Cocomelon playing in the background (hence the wine).

Needless to say…I don’t make risotto much anymore.

Then one fine Saturday morning I was paging through Ottolenghi’s Jerusalem cookbook when I spotted this recipe for barley risotto with marinated feta. It looked so rich and saucy that I knew I had to try it (on a weekend, obviously, I’m not totally unhinged).

Bracing myself for a multi-hour, dirty-every-pot-in-the-kitchen affair, you can imagine my surprise when I read through the recipe and discovered there was NO STIRRING involved. Okay, a tiny bit of stirring at the beginning just to saute the shallots but after that you just mix all of the remaining ingredients together and let them simmer until the barley becomes tender and releases its natural starches to thicken the cooking liquid.

AMAZING for risotto, but especially considering it’s an Ottolenghi recipe and those are not usually light on the hands on time.

Lest you think that flavor or texture are sacrificed in the name of simplicity, let me reassure you that this is not the case. After sauteeing the aromatics, barley is added to the pot along with fresh thyme, smoked paprika, a dried bay leaf, a few strips of lemon peel, aleppo pepper flakes, crushed tomatoes, tomato passata, and vegetable broth. Not the shortest list but all fairly basic ingredients. Tomato passata, in case you have not heard of it, is basically a tomato puree that is strained of seeds and skins. It is fairly readily available (I got it at Whole Foods) but if you cannot find it you can also blend and strain your own tomatoes. 

True to Ottolenghi form, this risotto ends up having layers on layers of flavor – there’s smoke, there’s heat, and there’s tang in this rich sauce that coats the chewy grains of barley in a velvety thick, luscious kind of way.

Although untraditional, I love the use of whole grains like barley and farro in risotto-like preparations. Their chew adds a lot of personality to the finished dish and, I think, makes for a more pleasant and enticing risotto experience. 

The risotto is topped with creamy feta crumbles that have been marinated in a mix of olive oil and toasted nigella seeds. The original recipe calls for caraway but it is not a favorite in our house, so I substituted with nigella, which I love with tomato-based sauces.

If you can’t find either of these, then toasted cumin or coriander seeds would be a reasonable substitute though they would have a different flavor profile than either of these spices. 

Saucy Tomato and Barley Risotto with Marinated Feta

 

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A rich and saucy tomato and barley risotto topped with marinated feta from Ottolenghi's Jerusalem cookbook.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup (200 g) pearl barley
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 2 small shallots, minced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 thyme sprigs
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• 4 strips lemon peel
• ¼ tsp aleppo pepper flakes
• 1 (14 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups vegetable broth
• 1¼ cups tomato passata
• 1 tbsp nigella seeds
• 10.5 oz feta, broken into 1-inch pieces
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano leaves
• salt and black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the barley with cold water and set in a fine mesh sieve in the sink to drain completely.
2. Meanwhile, in a large pan melt the butter with 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic to the pan. Saute for 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the drained barley, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, lemon peel, aleppo pepper flakes, tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, vegetable broth, and tomato passata. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, or until barley is tender.
3. Toast the nigella seeds in a small skillet until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add them to the feta along with the remaining 4 tbsp of olive oil. Toss gently to combine.
4. Once the risotto is ready, season it to taste with salt and black pepper. Divide among serving bowls. Top with the feta and oregano leaves. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe from Jerusalem

3.5.3208

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In today’s edition of The Winter That Never Ends, it is March 14th and we are getting our FIRST snow of the year.

As I say (literally) daily: I quit. (Usually screamed in a fit of rage after one or both of my children has done something so egregious that resigning as a parent feels like the only logical option.)

But then I’ll do what I always do, which is pick myself back up by my bootstraps and make dinner.

Curry is a favorite at any time of year but especially at that point of winter when I feel like I will go crazy if there is even one more second of one more day with a temperature below freezing. The spices lift my spirits in a way that is matched only by ice cream (ironically) and feel almost like eating a warm hug.

Since I’ve made it my life’s mission to try every version of anything butter masala-esque that’s out there I pretty much ran to the kitchen when I saw this recipe for creamy tomato chickpea masala in Smitten Kitchen Keepers, the latest cookbook triumph by Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen fame. Because I know someone will be mad about this – no, it’s not particularly authentic and ends up as kind of a mash-up between channa masala and makhani chole (butter chickpeas).

That being said: it gets the job done, in one pot, and with ingredients I almost always have on hand. AND it is really delicious with a well-balanced depth of flavors. Can’t argue with that.

While the original recipe calls only for chickpeas, Deb mentions in the headnote that her husband loves it best with a half chickpea/half cauliflower adjustment. Since I am always looking to include more vegetables in our day and happened to be one can of chickpeas short with a head of cauliflower languishing in my fridge when I went to make this, I made the alternative version. That being said, if you want to keep this as a wholly pantry-based meal you can omit the cauliflower and just add in an extra can of chickpeas.

The recipe is pretty standard as far as making curries goes. Onion, garlic, and ginger are sauteed in ghee or butter until tender and aromatic. A slew of spices are added to the pan and cooked until lightly toasted. Next come the tomatoes and tomato paste, which form the base of the sauce, and are simmered with the spices (and cauliflower, if using) to allow the flavors to meld together and sing in harmony. Chickpeas are added for the last ten minutes of cooking so that they absorb a bit of the sauce’s flavor and soften in the hot liquid. The pan is finished with a drizzle of heavy cream and this heady, lush dish is then served over rice or with naan (or both!) if you’re feeling so inclined.

Creamy Tomato Chickpea and Cauliflower Masala

 

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Better-than-takeout creamy tomato chickpea and cauliflower masala from Smitten Kitchen Keepers - a richly spiced curry that's easy to make at home even on busy nights.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 3 tbsp ghee or butter
• 1 large onion, minced
• 2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced or grated
• 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
• salt, to taste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• ½ tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp kashmiri chili powder
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• 3 cups cauliflower, chopped into bite sized pieces
• 1¾ cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2-4 tbsp heavy cream
• cooked rice or naan, for serving

Instructions

1. Heat ghee or butter in a large pan with a lid over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute for 5-7 minutes or until cooked through and starting to brown at the edges. Stir in the ginger and garlic. Saute for 1 minute, or until fragrant.
2. To the pan add 1 tsp salt, cumin, turmeric, garam masala, coriander, and kashmiri chili powder. Saute for 2 minutes. Add in the tomato paste and cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add in the tomatoes, scraping the bottom of the pan to release anything that is stuck to the bottom of the pan. Stir in another 1.5 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until saucy, about 8 minutes. Add 1 cup water and cauliflower. Bring to a simmer. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the chickpeas and cook for another 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.
4. Remove from the heat and stir in 2 tbsp heavy cream. Season to taste. Divide among serving bowls and drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp heavy cream over the top of each bowl. Serve with rice or naan, as desired.

Notes

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen Keepers

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It was my birthday last weekend so I did what any totally sane newly 36 year old with a 10.5 month and a 6-going-on-16 year old would do – took on a multi-day, four component layer cake baking project for my birthday cake!

Normal, right?

And even better than that, I chose the cake that *I* wanted, which – in case you couldn’t tell – was basically the lemoniest lemon cake that I could find. Never mind that Remy only likes chocolate, my brother claims to hate anything that’s not vanilla, and my husband has some sort of PTSD from a lemon cake his mother foisted upon him when he was little (he was expecting chocolate and it very much was not). I was getting my lemon cake, even if it meant I would have to eat the whole thing myself.

The good news is that this cake was universally loved by the lemon lovers (me), the lemon skeptics, and the lemon averse.

The bad news is that because everyone loved the cake so much I did not, in fact, get to eat the whole thing myself.

You win some, you lose some, and then you eat cake.

One of my biggest pet peeves with lemon cakes is that most of them don’t actually taste all that lemony. However, this lemon raspberry cake is absolutely bursting with lemon flavor from all angles.

The cake layers are infused with a bit of lemon zest and then brushed with a gloriously tart lemon sugar syrup that infuses bright flavor into every bite. Then, the layers are filled with a combination of lemon curd as well as lemon buttercream. It is a lemon EXPLOSION.

Raspberries are also included in-between each layer for added fruity sweet-tart glory.

Let’s dive into the specifics here. I’ll start off by stating the obvious (especially if you’ve skimmed down to the actual recipe and, on seeing how long it is, had a panic attack): THIS IS A PROJECT. A fun, delicious, totally worth it project, but a project nonetheless.

There are four components to this cake: the actual cake itself, lemon curd, buttercream, and lemon syrup. The cake is a cross between a typical butter cake and an angel food cake, with a whopping six egg whites being whipped and folded in just before baking. The resulting cake is really light and soft, with enough porosity to soak up the lemon syrup. One word of caution is to make sure that the mixing bowl being used to whip the egg whites is completely clean before whipping. If it has even a trace of fat on it, the eggs won’t whip properly, which will affect the structural integrity of your cake.

The lemon curd is fairly standard as far as lemon curds go. Lemon juice, butter, and heavy cream are heated in a skillet and then slowly mixed into an egg yolk and sugar mixture to temper the eggs. This mixture is then cooked on the stovetop until thickened. It needs to be stirred constantly to prevent overcooking of the eggs (no one wants scrambled egg curd) and it is best to strain it afterwards to ensure that you end up with a completely smooth curd. The curd will thicken and set up as it chills, so keep this in mind if it still seems a bit loose after cooking.

I recommend making the cake and the lemon curd the night before you intend to assemble and eat the cake. This ensures that both of these components cool completely, which is critical to the cake’s success. Trying to frost too-warm cake is a recipe for disaster (pun intended) and the lemon curd really needs to be quite cold in order to set adequately and be mixed into the frosting with no issues.

The frosting for the cake is a variation of French buttercream, which uses a technique similar to Swiss meringue buttercream but replaces egg whites with egg yolks. The yolks add a lovely richness to the frosting that can’t be achieved with egg whites alone. Lemon curd is added to about half of the buttercream for the filling, while the remaining half is left plain and used to frost the outside of the cake. The most common pitfall when making this kind of frosting is using butter that is either too warm or too cold. If you suspect the problem is that the frosting is too cold, then you can melt a bit of it in the microwave and then add it back into the frosting to raise the temperature of the entire batch. If it is too warm and soupy, then try re-whipping it after refrigerating it for 15-20 minutes.

The lemon syrup is probably the easiest part of this cake. It is literally just a mixture of sugar, lemon juice and water that has been heated on the stove until the sugar melts and completely dissolves in the liquid. It thickens into a syrup as it cools. This gets brushed onto the top of each of the cake layers to ensure that there is lemon flavor (literally) oozing out of every bite.

Once all of the components are made, the assembly is fairly standard and straightforward. So, yes, making the cake is a bit of a journey but you’ll get there. And at the end you’ll have cake.

Lemon Raspberry Layer Cake with Lemon Buttercream

 

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A luscious lemon raspberry layer cake - a light white cake brushed with tart lemon syrup and filled with layers of lemony buttercream and homemade lemon curd - a lemon lover's dream!

Yield: 10-12 servings

Ingredients

For the cake

• 6 tbsp (86 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 6 tbsp (75 g) neutral oil
• 1⅓ cups (270 g) sugar, divided
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• zest of 1 lemon
• 3 cups (360 g) cake flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• 1 cup (240 g) milk, room temperature
• 6 large egg whites

For the lemon curd

• 1 cup (240 g) fresh lemon juice
• ¼ cup (56 g) unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp heavy cream
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1 cup (200 g) sugar
• ½ tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp vanilla extract

For the buttercream

• 1½ cups (300 g) sugar
• ¾ cup (180 g) water
• 4 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 3 cups (681 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch chunks
• ¼ tsp kosher salt

For the lemon syrup

• ½ cup (120 g) fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup (120 g) water
• ¾ cup (150 g) sugar

For assembly

• 1 pint (260 g) raspberries

Instructions

For the cake

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, oil, and 1 cup of the sugar (200 g) for 2-3 minutes or until light and creamy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the vanilla and lemon zest. Beat again for 1-2 minutes, or until combined.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. With the mixer running on low, add about a third of the flour mixture to the bowl. Once combined, add half of the milk and mix until incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add half of the remaining flour mixture, followed by the rest of the milk. Scrape down the bowl again. Add the rest of the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Transfer the batter to a large bowl.
4. If you have a second mixer bowl, then use it here. If not, thoroughly clean the mixer bowl that you just used to mix the batter. No batter should remain on the bowl as the fat will inhibit the eggs from whipping.
5. Place the egg whites in the clean mixer bowl and mix with the whip attachment on medium speed for 3-4 minutes or until they form soft peaks. With the mixer running, slowly add in the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar. Whip again for 1-2 minutes or until the whites form glossy, stiff peaks.
6. Use a rubber spatula to fold a third of the egg whites into the batter. Add the remaining egg whites and gently but thoroughly fold them in. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared baking pans.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until each cake starts to pull away from the sides of the pan and it springs back in the center when poked. Allow to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Then turn the cakes out of the pans and allow to cool completely.

For the lemon curd

1. Combine the lemon juice, butter, and heavy cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to just under a boil.
2. Meanwhile, in a heatproof bowl whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar. Gradually whisk the hot lemon juice mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly.
3. Once all of the hot liquid has been added, pour the entire mixture back into the saucepan. Over medium heat cook, stirring constantly to scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon, for 5-8 minutes or until the mixture thickens significantly and coats the back of a spoon.
4. Remove from the heat and pour through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any cooked egg pieces. Whisk in the salt and vanilla. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until cold.

For the buttercream

1. Stir together the water and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, without stirring, until the syrup reaches 238F.
2. Meanwhile, fit the stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat the eggs and egg yolks for 3-4 minutes or until pale.
3. Once the syrup has come to temperature remove it from the heat and, with the mixer running on low, slowly add it to the eggs. Once it has all been added increase the mixer speed to medium and whip for 6-8 minutes or until the mixture has cooled to room temperature.
4. With the mixer running on low, add in the butter a few chunks at a time. Once it has all been added, increase the mixer speed to medium and whip until it comes together, about 3-4 minutes. It may look curdled at first, but keep whipping and it will come together.
5. Add the salt and whip until combined.

For the lemon syrup

1. In a small saucepan, combine the lemon juice, water and sugar. Bring to a boil, stir until the sugar dissolves, and then remove from the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature.

To assemble

1. Scoop 3 cups of the buttercream into a medium bowl. To this, add ½ cup of the lemon curd and whisk until combined. Set aside the remaining buttercream. Set aside ⅓ cup of lemon curd for decorating the top of the cake.
2. If your cakes have domed, trim the top to level them. Place a spoonful of buttercream in the center of a 9-inch cardboard cake round. Top with one of the cake layers. Brush with a third of the lemon syrup.
3. Top the cake with 1 cup of the curd-buttercream mixture and spread to the edges of the cake in an even layer using an offset spatula. Spoon ½ cup of the curd-buttercream mixture into a piping bag fitted with a ½-inch tip. Use this to pipe a layer of frosting around the perimeter of the cake to form a flood layer. Spread half of the lemon curd on top of the buttercream. Sprinkle half of the raspberries on top of the curd.
4. Top with a second cake layer and press down lightly. Brush with half of the remaining lemon syrup. Spoon on a cup of the curd-buttercream mixture and spread to the edges of the cake using an offset spatula. Repeat the flood layer and then spread the rest of the curd on top. Set aside about 5 raspberries for the top of the cake. Sprinkle the remaining raspberries over the lemon curd.
5. Place the third cake layer on top, top-side down. Brush with the remaining lemon syrup. Place in the refrigerator to firm up for at least 1 hour.
6. Spoon 1 cup of the plain buttercream over the cake. Spread it on top and down the sides of the cake in a thin layer. This will be the crumb coat. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Spread 1½ cups of the remaining buttercream on top of the cake and frost the top and sides as desired. Spread the reserved ⅓ cup of lemon curd on top of the cake in a thin layer. Use any remaining buttercream to decorate the top and/or sides of the cake. Garnish with the remaining reserved raspberries.

Notes

Recipe from Flour

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Just over here, waxing poetic about a plate of beans, AS ONE DOES. #thisisonedayuntil36

(I’m really fun to be around, I swear.)

In all seriousness, I really really love beans. During the early days of the pandemic when everyone was freaking out about food availability, I was like “we have like eight pounds of dried beans in the house, so we’re good for at least a month”. There is just so much you can do with a pound of beans!

My husband thought I was certifiable but I was right. We were good. (And we ate a LOT of beans.)

For almost a decade now I’ve been part of the Rancho Gordo Bean Club, which sounds super nerdy but is actually kind of amazing. Every three months, six pounds of beans are delivered to my door (along with a non-bean surprise item!) and I’d be lying if I said that bean delivery day is not the best. It’s such a fun surprise to see which beans they’ve selected for the shipment and even Remy gets a kick out of the unpacking (even though she basically refuses to eat any and all beans). I have my longstanding Rancho Gordo favorites but there is always at least a pound that is completely new to me. (Not sponsored, by the way, I am just obsessed with these beans.)

My bean “strategy” is to cook a pound of beans at least every other weekend and eat through it for the following one to two weeks. Sometimes I’ll plan my bean choice around a certain recipe I want to make and sometimes I’ll just do it Russian roulette-style and let the bean dictate the week’s menu! (See, I told you I was fun.)

The thing about Rancho Gordo beans is that most of them do not fall nicely into the common bean “categories” (loosely: chickpeas, black beans, pinto beans, cannellini beans, kidney beans, lentils) and so you need to improvise a bit when it comes to finding recipes that include them. I tend to group them by color rather than bean type and take a lot of liberty in substituting within those categories.

For example, cassoulet beans were on the docket this past weekend. If you’re not familiar, these are a classic French white bean traditionally used in – you guessed it – cassoulets. Since cassoulets tend to be pretty meat heavy, I’ve actually never used them in this dish instead opting for recipes that call for white beans including soups, stews, pastas, etc.

When I was scouring my cookbooks for inspiration, I stumbled upon this gem from Diana Henry’s Simple cookbook. I’m not sure what drew me to it since at first glance it seems pretty bare bones but I was so pleasantly surprised by how delicious it ended up being. Truly a case where the finished product is greater than the sum of its parts, and it was ultimately one of our favorite meals of the weekend (perhaps even of the past few months!).

This dish is comprised of a few separate components. First are the harissa-roasted carrots, which hit that perfect spot of sweet, spicy, and savory. Carrots are tossed in a mix of olive oil, harissa, cumin seeds, garlic, and maple syrup and then roasted alongside thinly sliced lemon rounds. If you can find them, carrots that are on the smaller side are ideal here because they will roast in a reasonable amount of time and caramelize enough to really concentrate their sweet flavor. Larger carrots can be used if they are all that you can find, but I would cut them down into either halves or quarters before roasting.

While the carrots are roasting, it’s time to prepare the beans. Aromatics are cooked down in a bit of olive oil and then the beans are added to the pan along with a bit of their cooking liquid and simmered to form a kind of brothy stew. A drizzle of olive oil along with a squirt of lemon juice and some fresh dill are added at the very end to finish them off. So simple, but especially if you start off with good quality beans, SO GOOD. Even if you can’t find these specific Rancho Gordo beans, pretty much any white bean will do. I favor beans that are cooked from scratch but canned beans will certainly work in a pinch.

The carrots and beans are plated together along with a dollop of a simple savory yogurt sauce to tie them together. We ate this with large hunks of homemade sourdough bread that were perfect for soaking up any leftover bean juice at the end.

Harissa Roasted Carrots with White Beans and Dill

 

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Sweet and spicy harissa roasted carrots served with stewy dill-infused white beans - a hearty and comforting meal.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the carrots

• 1.5 lb slim carrots
• 1 meyer lemon, thinly sliced
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 tbsp harissa
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 garlic cloves, grated
• 2 tsp maple syrup
• salt, to taste

For the beans

• 4-6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• ½ onion, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 3 cups home-cooked or canned white beans*
• ¼ cup bean broth or vegetable stock
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• squeeze of lemon juice
• ¼ cup dill, minced

For the yogurt sauce

• 1 cup greek yogurt
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• ¼ cup buttermilk
• salt, to taste

Instructions

For the carrots

1. Heat oven to 400F.
2. In a large bowl, toss the carrots with the lemon slices, harissa, olive oil, cumin seeds, maple syrup, and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

For the beans

1. Heat 2 tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic. Cook until golden, about 5-7 minutes. Stir in the beans, broth, and salt to taste. Simmer for 4-5 minutes, or until thickened. Stir in the olive oil and lemon juice, along with the dill.

For the yogurt sauce

1. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, olive oil, and buttermilk. Season to taste with salt.

To serve

1. Divide the beans among serving bowls. Top with the carrots and lemon slices along with a dollop of the yogurt sauce.

Notes

Adapted very slightly from Diana Henry's Simple.
*I used Rancho Gordo cassoulet beans that I soaked overnight, then pressure cooked with salt and two bay leaves for 5 minutes with natural pressure release.

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When life gives you a picky eater for your first child, you react totally appropriately and make curry every week to ensure your second child eats all the things (but especially the spicy, boldly flavored food that your first child rejects on sight).

That’s the saying, right?

In all seriousness, I know that so much of picky eating is a combination of normal development with influence from an individual child’s temperament and has absolutely nothing to do with how or what you feed them. Remy was exposed to plenty of different cuisines and flavors as a baby, yet subsists on cheese quesadillas, pizza, and PB&Js to this day. As a new parent I was probably overly concerned with whether or not she was eating and so I was quick to make her something I knew she would like when she rejected our meal, so that’s on me. But also she’s stubborn. 

Live and learn and show no mercy when serving food to your second child – you eat what mom makes or you can eat nothing.

I can be stubborn, too.

The flip side of it is that I LOVE Indian food and would make it every week anyway. We have some of our forever family favorites (like this paneer butter masala that even my picky eater loves), but you know me. I’m always looking to try something new. 

Chetna Makan, of The Great British Bake Off fame, has published a series of both sweet and savory cookbooks centered around Indian cuisine. I have purchased a few of them and am slowly but surely cooking my way through them. I was flipping through her Healthy Vegetarian cookbook recently when I came across these zucchini kofta and knew I wanted to give them a try. I have been wanting to dabble more in the world of savory fritters, especially for introducing new flavors and textures to Nico, so these seemed perfect!

Made from a combination of grated zucchini, chickpea flour (also called besan or gram flour), chili powder, and amchoor (dried mango powder) these are simple to put together and fry up into light and flavorful fritters. They have a hint of spice to them but are not overwhelmingly hot. I especially love that they include chickpea flour, which is a great source of protein and iron for grown-ups and babies alike.

The kofta are paired with a rich tomato-based curry that is flavored with Indian spices such as garam masala, turmeric, and dried fenugreek leaves. The two go so well together and the perfect bites are ones that include both the kofta and the sauce. We served these over a bed of basmati rice, but it would also be great with naan, chapatis, or on their own as an appetizer.

Zucchini Kofta Curry

 

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A zucchini kofta curry made with savory zucchini and chickpea flour dumplings that are served over rice with a richly spiced tomato and fenugreek sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the curry

• 1 tbsp neutral oil
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 green chili pepper, minced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ½-inch fresh ginger, minced
• 2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 250 ml water
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp sugar
• ½ tsp deggi mirch chili powder
• ½ tsp garam masala
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• 1 tbsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
• 1 tbsp heavy cream or full fat coconut milk

For the koftas

• 2 zucchinis (about 12 oz)
• 50 g chickpea flour
• 1/t tsp salt
• ½ tsp deggi mirch chili powder
• ½ tsp amchoor (dried mango powder)
• neutral oil, for frying

To serve

• cooked rice

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and cook for 15 minutes or until deeply golden and soft. Add in the chili pepper, garlic, and ginger. Saute for 1 minute or until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and tomato puree. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 minutes.
2. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then transfer to a blender and puree until smooth. Pour back into the pan and add the water, salt, sugar, chili powder, garam masala, turmeric, and kasuri methi. Cover and cook for 5 minutes over low heat.
3. For the koftas, coarsely grate the zucchini and using a clean towel or cheesecloth squeeze out as much of their liquid as possible. Place into a bowl and mix with the chickpea flour, salt, chili powder, and amchoor.
4. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Once the oil is shimmering, shape the kofta mixture into 8 balls, pressing them into patty shapes. Reduce the heat to medium, add to the pan and fry for 5 minutes on each side or until golden and cooked through.
5. Stir the cream into the curry. Divide the rice among serving bowls, then top with the curry and two koftas per bowl. Serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe from Chetna's Healthy Indian: Vegetarian

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I’m a simple gal.

I don’t need roses or chocolates or jewelry for Valentine’s Day, or really any presents at all for that matter. 

Though if anyone is offering, I’ll take a night of completely uninterrupted sleep with no one touching me, a day of unaccompanied trips to the bathroom (#momlife), and a lifetime supply of pistachios or at least enough to feed all of my current and future baking/dinner/snacking pursuits for the foreseeable future. 

Like I said. Simple.

Perhaps it’s the Sicilian in me, but I have loved pistachios for as long as I can remember – their gorgeous green hue, their slightly sweet earthy flavor – they are basically the perfect nut. 

One of the most celebrated (and expensive) pistachio species hails from the Bronte village in Sicily, which is located basically on the slopes of Mt. Etna. They are unique because they actually grow out of the volcanic rocks, and so need to be harvested entirely by hand under pretty dangerous conditions. I have yet to bring myself to splurge on these “green gold” gems, as they are called, but they are rumored to be the greenest, sweetest, most exquisitely flavored of all the pistachios. 

Quite aptly, one of the hallmark recipes from this tiny town is pasta alla brontese – a simple yet decadent dish that pairs fettuccine with a creamy pistachio-laden sauce. The New York Times cooking website featured the recipe in a recent column and I was shocked, as it was a dish that I’d never heard of before and certainly never seen on a restaurant menu. WHERE HAD IT BEEN ALL MY LIFE. 

So I did what any normal full-blooded Sicilian would do in this situation – dropped everything and made it immediately! The traditional recipe for pasta all brontese calls for cooking pancetta (ie Italian bacon) until crisp in a skillet and then using the rendered fat to flavor the simple pistachio and parmigiano-reggiano cream sauce. Since I don’t eat meat but still wanted to have hints of that smoky flavor to cut the richness of the sauce, I seasoned it with some smoked sea salt that I’ve had in the pantry for quite a while. Otherwise, I kept the recipe true to the traditional version. 

While this recipe undoubtedly has a feeling of fanciness to it, it is quite easy to make and comes together in the time it takes to boil water and cook the pasta. 

First, pistachios and parmigiano-reggiano cheese are ground together in a food processor until the pistachios are broken down to the consistency of flour. Be careful not to grind them too much or they will turn into a nut butter-like paste. 

In a skillet deep enough to hold the sauce and the cooked pasta, a minced shallot is sauteed until golden and then the pan is deglazed a a glug of white wine. Finally, the pistachio-cheese mixture is added to the pan along with a generous amount of heavy cream.

The cooked pasta is added to the sauce and allowed to cook in it for a few minutes, just until the sauce thickens enough to coat the pasta. Season the dish with smoked sea salt, as desired, and serve immediately.

This meal is absolutely lovely – it has the decadent feel of a restaurant meal yet was simple enough for a weeknight dinner. Not to mention that it was child-approved by both children, who devoured it gleefully.

I truly can’t imagine more of a dinner win (/Valentine’s present to myself) than that.

Fettuccine with Pistachio Cream Sauce

 

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Fettuccine with pistachio cream sauce is a rich and comforting meal that is dangerously easy to make - perfect for a weeknight or a special occasion.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 lb fettuccine
• ½ cup toasted pistachio
• ½ cup grated parmigiano reggiano cheese
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 large shallot, minced
• ½ cup white wine
• 1½ cups heavy cream
• smoked sea salt, to finish

Instructions

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Combine the pistachios and cheese in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until the pistachios are ground down to a flour consistency and the mixture resembles wet sand.
3. Heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan and saute golden, about 4 minutes. Add in the wine and cook until it is evaporated, about 5 minutes.
4. Set aside ¼ cup of the pistachio mixture to use as garnish. Add the remaining pistachio mixture to the pan along with the heavy cream. Stir to combine.
5. Transfer the pasta to the skillet and toss to combine. Season to taste with the smoked sea salt.
6. Divide among serving bowls and top with the reserved pistachio-cheese mixture before serving.

Notes

Recipe from NYT Cooking

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Welcome to this week’s edition of the infinite weeknight dinner saga. 

I KNOW, the audacity of these family members who keep needing to be fed every night. Even Nico is in on it now and to say that I feel betrayed is an understatement. 

Et tu, Brute?

Well, thank goodness for stir fries – the ultimate meal for those nights when cooking just feels unreasonable.

While they can feel like a lot of work when you’re in the trenches with the chopping and the mixing, once everything is ready to go dinner practically makes itself. The secret here is really and truly to prep ahead. 

I know, I know. But the reality is that ten minutes the night before when no one is nagging you or pulling on your sleeve or trying to get into his sister’s room to eat her legos (ahem) is completely worth it when it means that you can have dinner made in under fifteen minutes the following day.

I speak from many evenings of unprepped dinner stress experience. (Don’t be like me.)

Another total boon of the stir fry experience is its adaptability. 

Not a fan of tofu? Pick your protein, any protein!

Only have frozen veggies on hand? Sure, no problem, go for it.

Want to serve it with rice instead of noodles? Ok cool.

The only constant here is the sauce, which is completely simple and easily thrown together ahead of time. Just give it a good whisk before cooking, as the cornstarch has a tendency to clump and sink to the bottom of the storage vessel as it sits.

A few notes on some (maybe) more specialty ingredients (though worthwhile staples to invest in if you cook a moderate amount of Asian-inspired meals!):

Shaoxing Wine – this is a type of Chinese rice wine that is typically used more for cooking than for drinking (though you totally can drink it if desired!). The versions sold in the supermarket have a lower alcohol content and more salt, though, so you probably don’t want to be slurping them. It has a hint of sweetness to it, but with a more full, complex flavor than mirin, another Chinese rice wine often used in stir fry recipes. I got it at my favorite spice/specialty ingredient store in NYC, but it can also be found online and in many regular supermarkets, probably in the international section. If you really must substitute it, dry cooking sherry is a reasonable option.

Doubanjiang – otherwise known as spicy bean sauce, this is a paste made from fermented soybeans, broad beans, and chilies. I’ve also seen it referred to as broad bean chili sauce or spicy broad bean paste. It is used often in Sichuanese cuisine to add heat and umami to recipes. This is definitely an ingredient that I’ve never seen in my regular supermarket, but I’ve bought it online and in specialty grocery stores before. It keeps in the fridge pretty much indefinitely, so it’s a worthwhile investment in my book, and the flavor just can’t be beat when added to stir fries or soups.

Let’s do this.

Soy-Braised Tofu and Vegetable Udon Noodle Stir Fry

 

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Soy-braised tofu and vegetable udon noodle stir fry for a savory and simple weeknight meal.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

For the tofu

• 1 lb extra firm tofu, drained and patted dry
• neutral oil
• salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp doubanjiang
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 (!-inch) piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 4 scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
• 1 bell pepper, stemmed and seeded, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 4 baby bok choy, trimmed and halved
• 1 lb fresh udon noodles, cooked according to package directions

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp vegetarian stir fry sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• ½ tsp sugar

Instructions

1. Cut the tofu into 12 squares. Set aside.
2. Heat a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet on medium-high heat. Once hot, add a tablespoon of oil and swirl the pan to ensure it is completely coated. Add the tofu in a single layer, seasoning with a sprinkle of salt and black pepper. Fry for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden. Remove the tofu to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
3. To make the sauce, combine the soy sauce, stir fry sauce, cornstarch and sugar in a bowl with ⅓ cup of water, whisking until smooth. Set aside.
4. Heat the skillet again over medium heat. Add the doubanjiang and a splash of neutral oil. Stir for 15 seconds or until warmed through. Add in the garlic, ginger, and scallions. Saute for 1-2 minutes or until the scallions have softened and the aromatics are fragrant.
5. Add in the bell pepper and Shaoxing wine. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the pepper has softened slightly. Pour in the sauce and allow to cook for 30 seconds. Add in the bok choy and tofu. Toss gently to coat. Simmer for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens. Add in the cooked noodles and toss to combine. Serve warm.

Notes

Recipe from NYT Cooking

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Now that I have two very mobile children, neither of whom seems to have any sense of fear or danger or impending doom, meal prep has become a bit of a nightmare. Gone are the days when I could plop Nico down in the kitchen next to me or strapped into his little chair and trust that I could turn around and he would still be where I’d left him.

Oh, no. Now if I look away for five seconds he is already well on his way to another room, undoubtedly plotting his next attempt to remove the child guards from the electrical outlets and stick his fingers in them. 

Lest you think Remy (who is 6 and definitely should know better) is helping to protect her brother from the many deathtraps all over our apartment…uh, no. Typically she is either playing with her Legos right in the middle of the floor where he could easily reach them or playing The Floor is Lava using every possible surface in the house, but especially ones that require her to leap directly in his path.

It’s basically a circus, every night. SO FUN.

To say that all of this had made making dinner complicated is an understatement. I’m back to trying to do all of my cooking on the weekend when there is another adult around for child supervision (a tactic I relied on heavily during residency when Remy was younger and I had even less time), leaving only the quickest or most hands-off meals for during the week.

One of our family favorites (and by “our” I mean Remy’s) is bean and cheese quesadillas – they’re super easy, adored by both Remy and Nico, and are simple enough for me to keep the ingredients on hand at all times. I’ve even started baking them in the oven, which saves me even more time since by doing this I can cook a whole slew of them all at once.

The only downside is that they just don’t feel like a complete meal to me and so I’m constantly on a quest to find a simple side dish to accompany them.  

Ali Slagle, who I’ve declared as my personal Queen of weeknight dinners, recently posted this ingenious recipe for roasted sweet potatoes and spinach with pickled jalapeno dressing to the New York Times Cooking website and the second I saw it, I was hooked. Not only am I a sucker for anything that involves pickled jalapenos (swoon!), but I could also tell that these flavors would work so well alongside a quesadilla dinner.

Spoiler alert: I was right.

This side dish comes together easily on a sheet pan where the sweet potatoes are roasted first until tender and caramelized. They’re then topped with a drizzle of pickled jalapeno brine and a hefty pile of baby spinach, and returned to the oven briefly to cook just long enough for the spinach to wilt and the pickling liquid to really seep into the veggies. 

Once out of the oven the vegetables are poured into a large bowl or serving platter and then topped with pickled jalapenos, feta, and scallions. The resulting salad is at once sweet, salty, spicy, tangy, and filled with so much nutrition that you’ll feel completely vindicated in helping yourself to just a few more scoops. It also keeps well in the fridge (honestly, I think the flavors just get better) so feel free to make it ahead of time and then reheat just before serving. As mentioned, we ate it as a side to quesadillas but it would also be pretty great on it’s own with some beans added in or topped with a fried egg for a little bit of protein.

Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Spinach with Pickled Jalapeno Dressing

 

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A sheet pan side dish of roasted sweet potatoes and spinach tossed with a pickled jalapeno dressing and feta cheese.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• 2 lb sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 4 tbsp grapeseed oil
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 3 tbsp pickled jalapeno brine
• 10 oz baby spinach
• ¼ cup sliced pickled jalapenos
• 3 scallions, thinly sliced
• 4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Heat the oven to 450F.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes with 3 tbsp of the oil and salt to taste on a large baking pan. Spread in a single layer and roast for 15-20 minutes, or until fork-tender.
3. Drizzle the potatoes with the pickled jalapeno brine. Top with the baby spinach. Drizzle with the remaining 1 tbsp of olive oil. Season with salt and black pepper. Place back in the oven and roast, stirring halfway through, for 5-7 minutes or until the spinach is wilted.
4. Transfer to a serving bowl and toss with the pickled jalapenos, scallions, and feta cheese. Serve warm.

Notes

Recipe from New York Times Cooking

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Just before the holidays my husband, for reasons I can’t possibly fathom, decided to weigh himself for the first time since Nico was born. 

I don’t know exactly what he saw that day, but ever since then he looks at every plate I put in front of him with a whole lot of skepticism and asks “Does this fit with my diet?”.

I don’t even know that that means, so I just smile and nod regardless of what it is. 

Could be salad. A plate of pasta. Some sort of vegetable-laden curry.

A slice of funfetti layer cake piled high with cream cheese frosting.

Okay, to his credit that I couldn’t get past him but we love this cake so much that he ate it anyway. I’ve made it so many times in the past year and each one just reaffirms how in love with it I am. If you’re in the market for a cake that tastes like childhood, birthdays, and pure unadulterated happiness then this is it. 

The recipe for this funfetti layer cake comes from Sarah Kieffer’s Baking For The Holidays cookbook, which I’ve waxed poetic about more than a few times now. Despite what it’s title implies it is more than just a holiday recipe book, featuring treats that can and should be (and most certainly are in my kitchen) enjoyed year-round, this cake being one of them.

I’ve tried a lot of funfetti recipes during my tenure as a home baker, on a constant search to find the elusive One that mimics the boxed cake mix cakes of my childhood but without all of the chemicals and preservatives. As it turns out, all of that artificial flavor is actually pretty difficult to replicate using real ingredients. There were a lot of recipes that were good cakes in their own right, but this is the only one that captured the plush velvety texture of boxed cake mix coupled with the sweet pure white vanilla cake flavor.

How exactly is this cake nirvana achieved, you ask? Well, first of all the cake is made with the reverse creaming method, which is where you start with the mixer bowl filled with all of your dry ingredients and then slowly add in the butter piece by piece. This ensures that every grain of flour gets coated with butter, producing a tight, tender crumb. This is in contrast to the typical creaming method, where butter and sugar are first mixed together, with the liquid and dry ingredients added in alternating additions afterward.

The reverse creaming method, more than any other, is the ultimate for mimicking the texture of boxed cake mixes and, if we’re being honest, it’s also just easier. There’s less mess since you don’t have to dirty an extra bowl to mix the dry ingredients and no flour flying everywhere as you alternate adding the dry and then the wet ingredients to the batter. Additionally, it’s also more foolproof against overmixing, as the butter coating on the flour prevents excessive gluten from forming during the mixing process.

Another factor contributing to the textural perfection of this cake is that it uses only egg whites (and a whole lot of them!) in the batter. Whereas the reverse creaming makes for a denser cake, the reliance on egg whites alone for structure makes it lighter since there are no yolks to weight it down. The two strategies balance each other out making for a cake that is plush and light at the same time.

Rainbow sprinkles are mixed into the batter by hand, ensuring that all of the ingredients are well combined and that you are dazzled by vibrant rainbow colors in every bite. It should be noted that all sprinkles are not created equal when it comes to funfetti cake, as smaller sprinkles (like nonpareils) will bleed a lot and turn the cake a muddy blue/purple hue. Larger sprinkles (jimmies) are the way to go here, as they will resist dissolving into the batter during the mixing process leaving well-defined blocks of color in the finished product. I am partial to the Sweetapolita brand of sprinkles, but most of the available blends at the grocery store or online will work just fine.

The final component of this cake that truly sets it apart from all others is the FROSTING. Cream cheese frosting to be precise, which trumps all other frostings, at least in my book.

Its subtle tartness offsets the sweetness of the cake and makes for more interesting flavors all around. Where I’ve strayed slightly from the recipe in the book is that instead of using light corn syrup in the frosting, I use Lyle’s golden syrup. This is a trick I picked up from Zoe Francois’s Zoe Bakes Cake cookbook, and in all likelihood I will never go back to using regular corn syrup in frostings ever again.

Lyle’s golden syrup is a British product that is an amber-colored inverted sugar syrup. It has a bit of a caramel flavor to it, which I really like as an addition to what would otherwise be a plain vanilla frosting. It is usually found in the international section at the supermarket or can be ordered online if your local stores don’t carry it. Alternatively, light corn syrup can be used in its place.

And now after looking through all of these photos, I think I know what my weekend plans are going to be.

Funfetti layer cake, here I come!

Funfetti Layer Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

 

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A plush and luscious funfetti layer cake that is brimming with rainbow sprinkles and filled with a cream cheese frosting - nostalgia at its most delicious!

Yield: 12 servings

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup (210 g) large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup (240 g) whole milk, room temperature
• ½ cup (120 g) creme fraiche, room temperature
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2¾ cups (391) all purpose flour
• 2 cup (400 g) sugar
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¾ cup (115 g) rainbow sprinkles

For the cream cheese frosting

• 1 cup (227 g) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 oz (226 g) cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 tbsp Lyle's golden syrup or light corn syrup
• pinch of salt
• 4 cups (480 g) powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Instructions

For the cake

1. Heat oven to 350F. Grease two 8-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg whites, milk, creme fraiche, and vanilla. Set aside.
3. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a stand mixer bowl. With the paddle attachment, mix the flour on low speed. While the mixer is running, add in the butter one piece at a time, beating until the mixture looks like coarse sand.
4. With the mixer still running on low, slowly add in about half of the wet ingredient mixture. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds.
5. Return the mixer back to low speed and add the rest of the wet ingredient mixture. Increase to medium and beat for 20 seconds.
6. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the sprinkles, and fold in with a spatula, making sure to scrape the sides and mix to completely combine.
7. Divide the batter between the prepared baking pans and smooth the tops into an even layer.
8. Bake for 30-38 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through, or until the cakes are golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.
9. Allow to cool in the pans on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto the rack and allow to cool completely.

For the cream cheese frosting

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the butter and cream cheese on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add in the golden syrup and salt, then mix on medium until well combined. Decrease the speed to low and slowly add the powdered sugar. Once it's all mixed in, increase the speed to medium and mix for 3-4 minutes, or until smooth and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and mix on low until just combined.

To assemble

1. Place one of the cakes on a cake stand or serving platter. Top with 1 cup of the frosting and spread into an even layer. Place the second cake on top of the frosting and coat the cake top and sides with the remaining frosting.
2. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator until ready to serve, up to 24 hours. Bring the cake to room temperature before serving.

Notes

Recipe from Baking For The Holidays

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