Cardamom and Tea

madeleine cookies à la Persian love cake

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These cute little madeleine cookies are inspired by Persian love cake! I’ve flavored the batter with cardamom and almond, topped them with a rose glaze, and zhuzhed them up with rose and pistachio. Madeleines are notoriously wonderful right out of the oven (hi fellow lit majors!), so I’ve never gotten into topping them with chocolate. While they’re delightful that way, I just can never bring myself to wait for them to cool.

So be sure to decorate these madeleine cookies right out of the oven, and enjoy them while they’re still warm. You simply dip them in a light, lemony glaze, then immediately roll them in pistachios and rose petals. Persian love cake is brushed with syrup or glazed with icing, and this creates a similar effect. If you don’t serve them warm, leftovers keep really well too (see the note below the recipe for instructions on storing them long-term).

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madeleine cookies à la Persian love cake

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: about 20 madeleines

Ingredients

for the madeleines:

  • 115g unsalted butter (1 stick), plus more for greasing
  • 3 large eggs (165g), at room temperature
  • 125g sugar (1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 teaspoons rosewater (10g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon lemon zest
  • 100g flour (3/4 cup)
  • 40g almond meal (1/3 cup)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • Special equipment: 1 madeleine tray

for the glaze and decorations:

  • 50g powdered sugar (1/3 cup)
  • 15g lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
  • 5g rosewater (1 teaspoon)
  • Finely ground green pistachios
  • Edible rose petals

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in the microwave. While you work on the rest of the ingredients, set aside and let it cool so it’s just warm.
  2. Combine the eggs, sugar, rosewater, and lemon zest in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk at high speed for about 4-5 minutes, until it’s very thick and pale (the trail of the batter should fall off the beaters and disappear into itself after 1 full second).
  3. In a separate mixing bowl, combine the flour, almond meal, cardamom, baking powder, and salt, and place 1/2 in a sifter. Sift 1/2 of the dry ingredients over the egg mixture, and gently fold them in, followed by the other 1/2 (don’t over-mix).
  4. If the butter has cooled completely, slightly warm it in the microwave. Stir about 1/2 cup of the batter into the warm butter, then add the warm butter back into the batter and fold together (again, don’t overmix). Place it in the refrigerator and let it chill for at least 1 hour, up to overnight.
  5. Once you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) convection* and generously grease a madeleine tray with more butter.
  6. Scoop about 2-3 tablespoons of batter into each shell (it will vary, depending on their size). Smooth out their tops a bit with an offset spatula or knife
  7. Bake for about 12 minutes, until their centers puff up and their edges lightly brown.
  8. While they bake, make the glaze: combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and rosewater into a translucent glaze. Cover while you wait on the madeleines to bake.
  9. Once the madeleines come out of the oven, pop them out of the tray. Dip the tops in the glaze, immediately roll in/sprinkle with the pistachios and rose petals while they’re still wet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

* If you don’t have convection, no worries, they just might take a couple more minutes to bake through and brown.

To make ahead/store: If you want to make these ahead, I highly recommend making the batter ahead and baking them at the last minute. The batter will keep perfectly well in the fridge for 24 hours. The madeleines themselves should absolutely never, ever, ever go in the refrigerator. They should be enjoyed shortly after baking, and if you have any left over, freeze them and thaw as needed.

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lula meatball pizza

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This meatball pizza combines a few of my favorite things:

1) Lula kebab meatballs, full of fresh cilantro and green onion, made in the style of the kind of beloved Italian-American meatballs you might find atop comically large plates of spaghetti.
2) Banadurah harrah sauce, with lots of tomato, lemon, dried mint, and most importantly crushed red pepper.
3) Pizza dough, which can be either homemade or store-bought. You just need about a pound of it, and it doesn’t matter how you get there.
4) Stretchy mozzarella cheese. Save the fresh stuff for caprese, and use shredded here (or else you’ll end up with a soggy mess).
5) Fresh cilantro! Because I can never get enough of it.

The recipe itself is super easy, and pretty streamlined, considering you make the meatballs from scratch. The meatballs simmer in the tomato sauce, so you don’t have to dirty another pan. Then the tomato sauce is reduced down to the perfect consistency, so that the meatball pizza doesn’t end up soggy. The whole thing is baked in a sheet pan, so there’s no pizza stone required. Just make sure you roll out the crust thinly enough, or you’ll have a doughy center. If you have any issues getting the crust to cook through and crisp up enough, place the sheet pan on the floor of your oven for a few minutes until it’s done to your preference.

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lula meatball pizza

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  • Prep Time: 45 minutes*
  • Cook Time: 2 hours 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 26 minute
  • Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the pizza dough:
175g water (3/4 cup)
5g active dry yeast (1 1/2 teaspoons)
4g sugar (1 teaspoon)
290g all purpose flour (2 1/4 cups)
4.5g salt (3/4 teaspoon)
25g extra virgin olive oil (2 tablespoons)

For the meatballs and banadurah harrah sauce:
1/3 cup panko bread crumbs (25g)
1/4 cup milk (60g)
1 pound lean ground beef (455g)
1 cup chopped cilantro (40g)
2/3 cup chopped green onion (40g), divided in half
3 cloves minced garlic (15g), divided in half
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt, to taste
1 tablespoon olive oil (15g)
1 14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes (410g)
2 teaspoons dried mint (2g)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (0.5g)
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano (<0.5g)
1 tablespoon lemon juice (15g)

For the pizza:
Olive oil
225g shredded mozzarella (8 oz / 2 cups)
A handful of extra cilantro and/or mint leaves for garnish

Instructions

  1. Make the pizza dough: Heat the water to 115°F (46°C).
  2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, and sugar. Stir together and let it sit for about 10 minutes, until it’s a little foamy.
  3. Set your stand mixer up with the hook attachment. Add the flour, salt, and olive oil to the wet ingredients, and bring together at low speed. Once it comes together into a ball, knead for about 5 minutes at medium-high speed, until it smooths out significantly.
  4. Shape it roughly into a ball, and leave it in the stand mixer bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a plate, and let it proof for 1 1/2 hours, or until it’s doubled in size.
  5. For the meatballs and tomato sauce: Place the bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk over them, smash them down a little with a fork, and let them sit for about 5 minutes to absorb it.
  6. Combine the hydrated bread crumbs with the ground beef, cilantro, half of the green onion, half the garlic, and the black pepper. Mix everything together evenly, but careful not to over-mix it or compress it.
  7. Shape the meat mixture into about 20 small meatballs, each weighing about 25g. Do not squeeze the meatballs together too tightly—they should be cohesive but a little craggy.
  8. Sprinkle the meatballs evenly with about 1/2 teaspoon salt, and let them sit while you get the sauce going.
  9. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a 10-inch skillet for 1 minute. Add the other half of the green onions and the other half of the garlic, and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  10. Add the diced tomatoes and let it come up to a simmer. Once it’s simmering, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring every minute or so, until the tomatoes break down into a thin sauce. If you’re not using a wide frying pan (e.g., if you’re using a tall saucepan), this may take longer.
  11. Add the dried mint, crushed red pepper, oregano, and lemon juice, season to taste, and give it a stir. Add the meatballs so that they’re all nestled into the sauce. Keep the heat at medium-low, cover, and cook for about 8 minutes, until the meatballs are partly cooked. Remove them with a slotted spoon to a plate.
  12. The sauce will be a little on the thin side once the meatballs cook in it. Skim some of the fat from the surface if there is a lot of it, and then simmer it over medium heat (uncovered and meatball-less) for about 5 more minutes, until it’s nicely thickened (see above photos to see the before and after).
  13. For the pizza: Preheat your oven to 465°F (240°C) convection (if you don’t have convection, it may take a couple more minutes to bake). Oil an 18×13” sheet pan.
  14. On a lightly floured surface, roll the pizza dough out to the width and length of the sheet pan. If it keeps shrinking back, let it rest on the counter for about 5 minutes, and then roll it out some more. Pull the corners out as you roll to help it become a rectangle. Place the dough rectangle on the sheet pan, and work the edges out all the way to the sides of the pan by pressing the dough with the tips of your fingers.
  15. Spread the tomato sauce into 1 thin layer over the surface of the dough, leaving a crust border at the edges.
  16. Top with the mozzarella. Then top with the par-cooked meatballs. Brush the crust with a little bit of olive oil.
  17. Bake for about 15 minutes, until the meatballs are completely cooked through and browned, the crust is baked through (especially toward the center) and turning golden brown around the edges, and the cheese is melted and bubbly.
  18. Slice and serve immediately.

Notes

* buy pizza dough to shorten both active and total time

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white bean salad with za’atar labneh balls

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Let’s talk about labneh! Because I’ve got some opinions, and I haven’t posted about my favorite way to make labneh since way back when I first started blogging. Labneh is essentially just strained yogurt. It’s delicious spread on a plate and topped with za’atar and olive oil, and it’s a lovely addition to a number of recipes (check out the archives for some inspiration). You can buy it ready-made in Middle Eastern markets, and you can also make your own, with different strategies requiring varying degrees of industriousness.

Back when I first posted about it, I tried a few of the most popular labneh-making techniques, and then gave a little blind taste-test to my friends to see which one they enjoyed the most: the one made from homemade yogurt was far and away the winner of the bunch (why are so many of the best things in life labor-intensive??), but the one made from plain-old yogurt was a very close second, and the one made from Greek yogurt was the least favorite of the bunch.

It’s absolutely nothing against Greek yogurt as it is (a staple of my—and probably also your—fridge!), but commercially strained yogurts don’t generally want to be strained further. Most have been spun with a mechanical centrifuge, and if you try to continue to strain them in your kitchen, the whey that comes out will be super cloudy and white, when it’s supposed to be clear and yellowish. This results in a somewhat chalky labneh, and while it’s still delicious (I mean, I’ll just say that there was no labneh of any kind left over at the end of the taste test), it just doesn’t taste quite the same as the real deal. And at the end of the day, whether you use Greek vs. plain yogurt doesn’t make a different in time, cost, or convenience. So if you ask me, there’s no question which is your best bet.

So here’s my official labneh recommendation:

If you make your own yogurt or have always wanted to, that’s your best bet for the most wonderful labneh ever. But! If you don’t make your own yogurt (I meannnn—understandable!), you can still make an extremely delicious labneh by starting with plain old store-bought unstrained yogurt. Just make sure you stay away from already strained Greek yogurt.

I recommend using an Indian or Arabic brand of plain yogurt, if you can easily find one (they tend to have very few additives and stabilizers, which helps a ton), or starting with another plain unstrained yogurt whose taste you really love, because the actual flavor won’t change much after straining. Try to stay away from any brands that you would never use in a savory recipe… I’m thinking of one in particular, which has a really specific live culture flavor that really only works well with berries, even though it’s technically unsweetened and unflavored.

For specific labneh straining instructions, you can visit my original labneh post, and check out this post to learn how to make your own yogurt.

That pretty much sums up my labneh thoughts, so let’s dive into this delicious salad, which features everyone’s favorite—labneh balls! When you strain labneh for an extra-long time, it eventually becomes the texture of cream cheese, which you roll up into little balls and cover with all your favorite spices. Saima Khan has a lovely labneh ball recipe for Cook for Syria, if you’re looking for more ideas. I love serving labneh balls with crackers as an appetizer, but I also love throwing them into a salad. The key here is to make them a little smaller than you might think, so you don’t get too much labneh in one bite, and so they have enough surface area to get a lot of flavor out of the spices they’re rolled in.

Here, I’ve coated them in za’atar and tossed them with a white bean salad, adapted from the always classic Moosewood Cookbook’s “Just White Beans.” It’s been one of my favorites for literally decades, and I love the way it’s just perfect on its own, while inviting adaptation. Everyone’s favorite part is always the pickled pink red onions, but they’ve got some serious competition here with the addition of za’atar labneh balls.

If you don’t feel like straining labneh, you can totally feel free to use chèvre (fresh goat cheese) here. It’ll give it a completely different flavor, but it’s also delicious. I’ve also included instructions below the recipe if you don’t have time to make the red onions ahead, and need them to be ready, like, now.

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white bean salad with za’atar labneh balls

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adapted from the Moosewood Cookbook

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 day*
  • Yield: serves 4 as a main, 6 as a side

Ingredients

for the pickled red onions:

  • 1 red onion, sliced thinly (240g)
  • 1/2 cup water (115g)
  • 1/2 cup red wine vinegar (115g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt (9g)
  • 1 teaspoon sugar (5g)

for the salad:

  • 3 14-oz cans white beans (1200g total, any combination of black eyed peas, navy, cannellini, or butter beans)
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (40g)
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (30g)
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed through a press (5g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (1g)
  • 1/4 cup basil, chiffonade (10g)
  • 2 tablespoons dill, coarsely chopped (5g)
  • Salt to taste
  • 4.5oz (about 1/2 cup) extra-thick strained labneh (125g)**
  • 2 tablespoons za’atar (15g)
  • 1/4 cup strained pickled red onions (35g)

Instructions

  1. Pickle the onions:* Place the thinly sliced red onion in a clean jar. Combine the water, 1/2 cup vinegar, salt, and sugar in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer. Once the salt and sugar dissolve, remove from heat and pour over the onions. Tamp them down a bit with a fork, cover loosely with a lid, let them come to room temperature, screw the lid on, and stash in the refrigerator for at least a few hours (they’ll last for weeks, and are best after 24 hours).
  2. Make the salad: Strain and rinse the white beans, and place in a mixing bowl. Add the olive oil, 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar, garlic, black pepper, basil, dill, and salt to taste. Toss together and set aside.
  3. Roll the labneh into about 20-25 small balls, and roll each ball in za’atar to coat it completely. Chill them for a few minutes so they don’t fall apart. Add the labneh balls and pickled red onions (reserve some for garnish) to the white beans, and gently fold them in.
  4. Garnish with the red onions you set aside, and serve.

Notes

* If you don’t have time to let the onions pickle, make a quickle: simply top a heaping 1/4 cup of thinly sliced red onions with vinegar, salt them to taste, let them sit for 30 minutes, and then strain and use in the salad. They’ll be crunchier and a bit harsher, so use them sparingly. These will only last a couple days in the fridge.

** Feel free to use chèvre instead, for a different flavor. If you’re using store-bought labneh, you will probably need to strain it further for a couple hours. If you’re making homemade labneh, let it strain until it’s the consistency of cream cheese (at least 16 hours). And again, if you’re making it from scratch, make sure you start with plain unstrained yogurt (preferably an Indian or Arabic brand), and not Greek yogurt. Chèvre works great in this recipe, as it has a similar consistency to extra-thick labneh, but obviously a completely different flavor. Delicious either way!

To make this ahead and store it: The white beans can marinate with the dressing and herbs in the refrigerator for a day or two, but the pickled red onions should be added to the salad at the last minute before serving, or their color will start to fade. The onions are best pickled overnight, so I like to make both components the day before, store them separately, and then throw them both together when it’s serving time. But leftovers are super delicious and keep well in the fridge for a few days. You will have extra pickled red onions leftover after throwing some on the salad, but they last for a couple weeks in the refrigerator, and you’ll want to start putting them on absolutely everything.

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cardamom and tea french toast casserole

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This french toast casserole is the perfect thing to make for New Year’s Day brunch (or any special brunch, any time of the year). It’s a bit carby and a bit caffeinated, and gives everyone a little extra energy for morning conversation. After an eleven year hiatus from caffeine, I’ve recently started drinking one cup of coffee or strong black tea every morning (which means the tea in Cardamom and Tea was actually decaf all along!), which has given me new appreciation for caffeinated breakfasts. This one is infused not only with tea, but also ground green cardamom.

Judging from the name of my blog, it might not surprise you that these are two of my favorite flavors to pair. In fact, I originally chose the name Cardamom and Tea because it reminds me of the smell of my grandparents’ house growing up. My grandmother would keep tie-top bags of ground cardamom and big boxes of black tea in her pantry, and the scent diffused through the whole house and made everything smell like chai. This French toast brings back all those childhood memories for me, and also reminds me of the pastries we would buy from the Swedish bakery and serve at special family breakfasts.

Like most recipes for French toast casserole, this one is super easy. You just toast the bread cubes, place them in a casserole dish, pour the liquid on top, let it sit for a few, and then bake until perfect. This easy formula works every time, but after writing this recipe, I do have some lingering questions. No matter how many other recipes I skim through, I just can’t seem to figure out if French toast casserole is just another name for bread pudding. I think it might be that French toast casserole often uses slices of bread instead of cubes. But I grew up with my mom’s recipe, which is most definitely cubed, and many recipes out there seem to agree that sliced bread isn’t necessary to qualify. I guess at the end of the day, the key difference is left completely up to your appetite—French toast casserole is meant to be eaten for breakfast instead of dessert. So enjoy this one first thing in the morning, gathered around table with everyone who deserves a slice!

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cardamom and tea french toast casserole

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  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 lb challah, cut into 1-inch cubes (450g)
  • 1 3/4 cups whole milk (400g)*
  • 6 black tea bags
  • One 16-oz container ricotta (450g)
  • 1/2 cup sugar (100g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon cardamom (+ a tiny pinch more if you really love cardamom)**
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3g)
  • 3 large eggs (150g)
  • Butter, for greasing the pan
  • Cardamom-scented powdered sugar (½ cup powdered sugar + 1 pinch cardamom)
  • Maple syrup, for the table

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Spread the challah out in a single layer on a sheet pan, and bake for about 20 minutes, until they’ve dried out quite a bit, and have started to lightly brown (leave the oven on afterwards).
  2. While you’re waiting on the bread to toast: Bring the milk to a simmer on the stove or in the microwave. As soon as it starts rapidly simmering, remove from heat, add the tea bags, and let them steep for 7-10 minutes. Once they’ve steeped, remove the tea bags one by one, wringing each one out on the side of the bowl with the back of a spoon. Whisk in the ricotta, sugar, cardamom, and salt. Once combined, whisk in the eggs. Grease a 9×13” casserole dish.
  3. Once the challah is dried out, place it evenly in the casserole dish, and then slowly pour the wet ingredients over the bread, making sure some liquid hits every piece of bread. Let it rest for 15 minutes before baking. Bake the casserole for about 35 minutes, until it’s set and hot in the center (insert a knife to check), and golden brown in spots.
  4. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup at the table.

Notes

* You can use half-and-half in place of all or some of the whole milk if you’re feeling like something extra-decadent.

** Cardamom should always be used with restraint, but feel free to use a little more if you really love its flavor. Just be careful not to go overboard (you can always sprinkle a little more in with the powdered sugar at the end).

To make ahead and store: The best way to make this ahead of time is to prep the two components, and then bring them together at the last moment. Combine the wet ingredients and store in the fridge for a day or two. Toast the bread cubes, and keep at room temperature in a sealed container (or the casserole dish, covered) for a day or two. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven, spread the bread cubes in a greased casserole dish, top with the wet ingredients, let it sit for 15 minutes, and proceed with the recipe.

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sticky toffee gingerbread with rose ice cream

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Last December, so many friends and readers made my cardamom rose gingerbread cake, so this year I wanted to share a new dessert showstopper with a similar flavor profile. So here it is—sticky toffee gingerbread with no-churn rose ice cream! It’s got everything we all love about cardamom rose gingerbread cake, but it’s got that whole cold ice cream vs. hot toffee sauce thing going for it.

It’s funny, the hot-and-cold dessert phenomenon has always kind of stressed me out, because I’m a slow eater, and it seems to turn dessert into a race to finish eating before the ice cream melts. So if you feel similarly, feel free to serve the ice cream on the side instead. Or if you’re well-adjusted, you can just go ahead an embrace the meltiness, because (apparently!) that’s part of the beauty of the experience. Either way, I think you’re gonna enjoy this one.

No churn ice cream reminds me a lot of kulfi, especially here with the rosewater. But if you want it to be smoother and more like Philadelphia-style ice cream, with absolutely no discernible ice crystals, you can add a tablespoon or two of vodka to the mix (I’ve included instructions in the notes below the recipe). I’ve tried it both ways, but I ended up developing the final version of this recipe without the vodka, because I wanted to make sure that this recipe could be enjoyed by every ice cream partaker at the table—if you’re adding the vodka for a smoother texture, of course be sure to let your guests know there’s a bit of alcohol in the ice cream. I’ve also included instructions below the recipe if you want to skip the ice cream altogether—you can always make rosewater whipped cream instead, which is just as delicious.

Before I leave you with the recipe, I just wanted to wish you all happy holidays! I’ll be celebrating Christmas with my husband Simon and my sister Meghan, who’s visiting us in Melbourne next week, and we’ll also celebrate Hanukkah by frying up some latkes with Simon’s dad’s recipe (ICYWW, I’m team sour cream and applesauce swirled together). This month I’ve scrunched all of my holiday recipes together and posted a bit more than usual, so I’m gonna be taking the next week off, and will see you soon after Christmas with a lovely little bread pudding recipe. Happy holidays, and hope you enjoy some time to recharge and enjoy the season however your heart desires.

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sticky toffee gingerbread with rose ice cream

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loosely adapted from Mary Berry’s recipe for sticky toffee pudding

  • Prep Time: 35 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 days
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the rose ice cream*

  • 460g heavy whipping cream (2 cups)
  • One 395g can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz)
  • 2–3 teaspoons rosewater **
  • A few drops pink food coloring (optional)

for the toffee sauce:

  • 115g heavy cream (1/2 cup)
  • 45g butter (3 tablespoons)
  • 65g brown sugar (1/3 cup)
  • 20g molasses (1 tablespoon)
  • 1 teaspoon rosewater (5g)
  • A pinch of salt

for the cake:

  • 100g melted butter (7 tablespoons), plus extra for greasing the pan
  • 175g brown sugar (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 large eggs (110g)
  • 55g molasses (3 tablespoons)
  • 290g whole milk (1 1/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon rosewater (15g)
  • 225g flour (1 3/4 cup)
  • 1 tablespoon ginger powder (7g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (4g)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda (5g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (3.5g)
  • 3/4 teaspoon cardamom (2g)
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (1.5g)
  • Edible rose petals

Instructions

  1. For the rose ice cream: Whip the cream to stiff peaks.
  2. In a separate bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, rosewater, and food coloring.
  3. Fold 1/2 of the sweetened condensed milk mixture into the whipped cream, then carefully fold in the last 1/2.
  4. Pour the mixture in a loaf pan, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and freeze overnight.
  5. For the toffee sauce: Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan, and bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly. Once it comes to a simmer, drop the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for 3 minutes to thicken slightly.
  6. Store in the refrigerator overnight, and slightly warm it to warm room temperature on the stove or in the microwave when you’re ready to use it (toffee sauce can be made at the last minute, but it’s easier to just make the day before).
  7. For the cake: Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) convection (if you don’t have convection, it might just take a little longer to bake). Butter an 10-inch cast iron skillet***, line it with a parchment round, and then butter the parchment.
  8. In a large mixing bowl, combine the 7 tablespoons melted butter, brown sugar, and eggs, and whisk together for about 30 seconds. Add the molasses, whole milk, and rosewater, and whisk together until it’s completely incorporated.
  9. Place a large sieve over the mixing bowl, and sift the flour, ginger, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon directly onto the wet ingredients. Mix everything together until there are just a few small lumps (don’t overmix).
  10. Transfer the batter to the greased cast iron skillet and bake for about 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  11. Let it cool to warm room temperature in the pan.
  12. Top with some of the toffee sauce, then a few scoops of the ice cream, followed by the rose petals. Serve right away with extra sauce and ice cream on the side.

Notes

* Most no-churn ice creams are a bit less fine-textured than churned ice creams (think, Indian kulfi, e.g.). No-churn ice creams that have a finer texture almost always have a few tablespoons of hard liquor, which you are totally welcome to add here, in the form of 2 tablespoons of vodka mixed with the sweetened condensed milk. Be sure to let your guests know that there’s a little bit of booze in the ice cream (and obviously don’t serve it to children). It’ll be lovely either way! If you want to avoid the question all-together, you can just whip up some heavy cream with little bit of sugar and rosewater (and pink food coloring, if you’d like), stop at soft peaks, dollop it on top, and call it a day.

** Different brands of rosewater will have different strengths, so make sure you taste and adjust as needed (if you think yours might be super strong, add it gradually in all 3 components of this cake). The ice cream should have a medium rose flavor, but not too perfumey. The cake should only have a subtle rose flavor, which highlights the cardamom and other spices. The toffee sauce should have a medium rose flavor, but again, not too perfumey. If you want to go big with the rosewater, feel free to try a little more in the ice cream only, which you can always serve sparingly if it turns out too overwhelming to eat by the spoonful.

*** You don’t absolutely need a cast iron skillet here. If you use an aluminum cake pan instead, it might just take less time to bake. I like using a cast iron skillet for this because I love things that can go from oven to table in an aesthetically pleasing way. But it’s totally not a big deal to use something else.

To make ahead and store: The cake can be made up to 3 months ahead of time and stored tightly wrapped in the freezer. If you’re making it the day before serving, you can store it for about 16 hours tightly wrapped at room temperature. Don’t store the cake in the refrigerator, as it will stale more quickly (like all cakes and floury baked goods). The ice cream can also be made way ahead of time and kept tightly covered in the freezer. The caramel sauce can be kept in the refrigerator for a few days; slightly warm it to warm room temperature on the stove when you’re ready to use it. Bring everything together when you’re rea
dy to serve. Leftovers keep really well in the freezer (microwave individual slices for a few seconds, just to warm them through… heaven!).

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nazook (Assyrian/Armenian pastries)

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It’s impossible for anyone in my family to bake or eat nazook (AKA nazooki) without thinking about our auntie May. She was truly the queen of nazooki. She even typed up her recipe to be able to pass it along easily to everyone who asked… and believe me, they asked! I’d guess that her recipe made the rounds to hundreds of people, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some folks out there have a sheet of paper that’s been photocopied again and again, without even knowing May personally. It’s made the rounds, and for good reason.

I learned how to make May’s nazook last summer by studying her prolific recipe. By the end of the summer, I had come up with my own version of nazook, adapted from and inspired by hers (not because it needed to change, but because we all have our own way of doing things). My version is deeply indebted to hers, and her recipe is one of the most perfect things I’ve ever tried. But I’m keeping it with our big extended family, and sharing mine with you here, which is also darn good, and only because of all I learned from May’s example.

May passed away last July, and my family will always cherish our memories of her and her generous spirit. We wish May’s family peace and togetherness in the years to come. I also wanted to share some thoughts from my family, who loved May dearly:

memories of May

My sister, Meghan: “Mom’s an amazing cook, but she would never make nazooki, so it was always a treat when we’d go to the Assyrian picnics as kids. I always asked mom “how come you never make these?” and she would always say that auntie May is the only one who makes them. They had a bake sale [at the picnic], and there were a bunch of different kinds of nazooki to try. But auntie May’s were always the best. I told nana that the only ones I liked were auntie May’s, and then May baked a big tray for me when she heard.”

My mom, Evelyn: “When I think of the fruits of the Spirit, May had them all: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control. About fifteen years ago or more, she showed my mom and I how to make nazooki and gave us the recipe. She had the dough ready, and we had such a great time.”

My grandmother, Romy: “She was smiling all the time, bubbly, and I was amazed that even though she was born in the US, she could speak Assyrian so perfectly. If you went to her house, she’d bring everything on the table: jajik, different cheeses, nazooki, kadeh, fruit, everything. There wasn’t even a spot in the middle of the table. She has lovely daughters and grandchildren, and a wonderful husband, and she loved all of them so much.”

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nazook (Assyrian/Armenian pastries)

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★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

  • Prep Time: 1 hour
  • Total Time: 12-36 hours
  • Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

for the filling:

  • 100g flour (about 3/4 cup)
  • 150g sugar (about 3/4 cup)
  • 85g cold unsalted butter (6 tablespoons), cut into 1/2-tablespoons
  • 2g vanilla extract (½ teaspoon)
  • 1 pinch salt

for the dough:

  • 400g flour (about 3 cups)
  • 230g cold unsalted butter (2 sticks), cut into ½-tablespoon-sized pieces
  • 6g salt (1 teaspoon)
  • 225g full-fat sour cream (1 cup)
  • 5g instant yeast (1 1/2 teaspoons)
  • 30g sugar (2 tablespoons)
  • 2g vanilla extract (1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 beaten room temperature egg, for the egg wash*
  • Special equipment: a crinkle cutter**

Instructions

  1. For the filling: Mix the flour, sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt with a pastry blender or food processor fitted with the blade attachment, until it’s completely combined and there are no chunks of butter. Remove the filling to a container (don’t compress it), seal it shut, and store it in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
  2. Don’t bother washing the food processor, because you’ll use it in the next step.
  3. For the dough: Add the flour, butter, and salt to the food processor. Pulse several times, until there are no big pieces.
  4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the sour cream, yeast, sugar, and vanilla, and then add it to the food processor with the butter/flour mixture. Pulse several more times, until it comes together into a soft dough (don’t overmix, and stop as soon as it comes together).
  5. Shape the dough into 3 equal discs (about 300g each), and cover them with plastic wrap. Let them sit at cool room temperature for 30 minutes, and then rest them in the refrigerator overnight, up to 36 hours.
  6. Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C when you’re ready to bake.
  7. Lightly flour the counter, and roll one of the chilled dough discs out into a 10 x 14” rectangle (⅛-inch thick). A few tips on making a rectangle: first, gently tap the sides on the counter to square them off. As you roll it out, pat the sides in every once in a while to help nudge it into a rectangle instead of a circle, and then continue rolling.
  8. Crumble and spread the filling out to the edges of the rectangle, leaving about ¼-inch border on the 2 long sides. Use the heel of your hand to gently compress the filling into an even layer.
  9. Tightly roll up from one long side to the other. Once it’s almost totally rolled up, dab a tiny bit of water along the long side to help it seal shut.
  10. Place the log so the seam is tucked under the bottom, and very slightly flatten the log with your rolling pin so that it’s about 1 1/4” tall (and 1 3/4” wide). Use a crinkle cutter to slice the log into approximately 1”-wide pieces.
  11. Repeat with the other dough balls.
  12. Place the pieces on parchment-lined sheet pans. Let them sit for 10 minutes to bring them completely to room temperature.***
  13. Brush their tops with the room temperature beaten egg. Bake for 35 minutes until deeply golden brown and cooked through.

Notes

* To quickly bring the egg to room temperature, place it in a glass, cover with hot tap water, and let it sit for a few minutes.

** No worries if you don’t have a crinkle cutter. You can totally use a knife instead—they’ll just have a different look. This is the one that I use (not sponsored, just a really decent and inexpensive tool that I love).

*** If you bake them cold, they will burst open and crack dramatically as they bake (a few little cracks are totally fine, but cold nazooki split open very dramatically). Another way to prevent cracks is to cut them a little smaller. Sometimes the middle of the log bulges a little after rolling it up, but you can gently roll it back and forth like a rolling pin to make the center a bit thinner. Squish in the sides slightly to make sure they don’t get too spindly.

To store: Nazooki (like many floury, buttery baked goods) stale at room temperature after the first day or two, and stale even more quickly in the refrigerator. They will keep for up to 3 months tightly wrapped in the freezer. Do not store these in the refrigerator! If I’m not eating them 12-16 hours after baking, I like to store them in the freezer immediately after baking to make sure they stay super fresh, and let them thaw at room temperature for a couple hours before enjoying later on. You can also microwave them for just a few seconds to warm them through if they’re tasting a little on the stale side.

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potato fennel gratin with caraway

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Ina Garten’s potato fennel gratin was one of the first things I learned to cook for myself when I was twenty and living on my own for the first time. I mean, I cooked a lot as a kid. But it’s different when you’re out there, shopping and cooking for yourself, and reveling in the independence.

In this case, my friend Chelsie found this gem when we were searching for something to go with grilled pork chops and salad. It became an immediate favorite, and I’ve returned to it time and time again over the last ten-plus years. Back in those days, I’d often make this just to go with any old dinner. But these days it’s become more of a special occasion thing for me. And it would be a perfect addition to any holiday table.

Over the years, I’ve tried a few different cheeses and added ingredients here and there. This potato fennel gratin adaptation is one of my favorites, with plenty of cheddar and caraway.

If you have a little space for one more spice shaker, I highly recommend adding caraway to your stash. It’s the ingredient that gives seeded rye its distinctive flavor, and my family uses it to flavor traditional clay-pot-preserved buried cheese. Its flavor is lovely in fall and winter dishes, and it brings warmth and earthiness wherever it goes. Oh, and if you hadn’t guessed by now, caraway absolutely loves carbs and cheese (as do I, so we’re definitely kindred spirits). And with that little bit of sweetness from the fennel and onion, this dish is always a hit.

Feel free to use a food processor to prep all the ingredients in this recipe. You can use a slicing blade attachment for the potatoes, onions, and fennel, and the grater attachment if you’re working with a big block of cheese. Or, if you’ve got time, you can always take this as an opportunity to practice your slicing skills.

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caraway potato fennel gratin

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adapted from Ina Garten’s potato fennel gratin

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 8 side servings

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil (40g)
  • 1 large or 2 small fennel bulbs, sliced thinly (120g)
  • 1 small onion, sliced thinly (150g)
  • 3 cloves garlic, crushed through a press (15g)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 4 medium russet* potatoes (850g before peeling, 800g after)
  • 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons caraway** + more for sprinkling
  • 2 cups heavy cream (460g)
  • 2 1/2 cups grated cheddar, or another hard cheese*** (225g), divided into 2 cups and 1/2 cup

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) convection.
  2. Heat a 10- or 12-inch cast iron skillet**** over medium heat. Once it’s hot, add the olive oil, followed by the fennel, onion, and garlic. Salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
  3. Peel and thinly slice the potatoes (about 1/8-inch thick), and place in a medium mixing bowl.
  4. Add the cooked fennel/onion (but don’t wash the pan!), black pepper, caraway seeds, heavy cream, 2 cups of the cheese (180g), and salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon, depending on your cheese’s saltiness). Mix together.
  5. Move back to the skillet, smooth out the top, and press everything down a bit so it’s mostly submerged in the cream.
  6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the gratin, plus an extra pinch of caraway seeds.
  7. Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through in the center of the dish, and the whole thing is golden-brown and bubbly. If you’re not using convection, it may take a little longer to bake through.

Notes

* Feel free to use yukon gold instead.

** You can find caraway in most supermarket spice aisles. It’s the thing that gives seeded rye bread its distinctive flavor.

*** Good choices here are gruyère, cheddar (pictured), or jarlsberg. You can use some parmesan blended with another cheese (don’t use more than 1/3 parmesan, and don’t oversalt it). You want something melty, a bit salty, and sharp, but not way too stretchy or high moisture.

**** You don’t absolutely need a cast iron skillet to make this recipe. If you have another oven-proof deep-sided sauté pan, that’ll work instead. Or if you don’t have an oven-proof pan that’ll fit everything, you can cook the onions and fennel on the stove, and then move everything to a greased casserole dish to finish in the oven.

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lime rose coconut ghraybeh

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Not that anyone ever needed a reason to eat a cookie, but “it’s December!” is definitely one of my favorites. Last week, I shared my favorite cookie I’ve made so far this year, a sesame-coated chewy tahini take on peanut butter blossoms, and this week I’m sharing another good one, with a very different flavor profile. This one just happens to be vegan (or almost-vegan if you have trouble finding vegan white chocolate), and it’s perfect for adding a pop of color to a box of holiday cookies.

I’ve received a lot of requests over the years for a vegan coconut oil rosewater ghraybeh recipe, but it took me a while to come up with this particular flavor combination, which is my new favorite thing: coconut, rosewater, and lime. You’ll most often find the three together in cocktails, but it works great in desserts too. Be sure to use virgin/extra-virgin coconut oil here, because you want to include as much coconut flavor as possible (the subtlest of the three).

When I was deciding how to style these ghraybeh, I wanted to be able to sprinkle a little extra lime zest, coconut, and rose on top, but I didn’t want to take anything away from the really delicious cookie underneath. A drizzle of royal icing or a full dunk of white chocolate, while beautiful, felt a little too cloying for these. Then recently I stumbled upon these rose pistachio shortbread my friend Mai baked last Christmas, and I knew a little drizzle of vegan white chocolate would be the perfect thing to add some richness and sweetness, and to bring everything together.

It’s a little hard to get your hands on real vegan white chocolate (available online and in some health stores), but it’s easy enough to make if you can find cocoa butter, and I’ve included a couple options below the recipe. You can always feel free to use conventional white chocolate if all partakers are ok with some dairy.

Absolutely no need to use a piping bag for the white chocolate—a rustic drizzle from a spoon is so much easier and always looks chic—just keep the spoon snapping back and forth, and it’ll turn out great. You can keep it pretty minimalist, if you’d like, or you can always go totally overboard with the toppings, especially if you’re going for an extra-festive look this holiday season.

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lime rose coconut ghraybeh

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  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: about 2 1/2 dozen

Ingredients

  • 210g virgin coconut oil (1 cup), melted and cooled to warm room temperature
  • 100g powdered sugar (about ¾ cup)
  • 3g salt (½ teaspoon)
  • 6g rosewater (1 teaspoon)
  • 1.5g lime zest (1 teaspoon loosely packed, from about 1 whole lime)
  • 340g all purpose flour (about 2 3/4 cups)
  • 10g unsweetened grated coconut (3 tablespoons)
  • 100g vegan* white chocolate, for drizzling (1 heaping 1/2 cup)
  • Optional: rose petals, extra coconut, and extra lime zest for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C) convection.**
  2. Place in the bowl of a stand mixer (or a large mixing bowl): melted coconut oil, powdered sugar, salt, rosewater, lime zest, flour, and grated coconut. Mix together at low speed with the paddle attachment. Stop mixing once it comes together into a dough.
  3. Shape into about 2 1/2 dozen balls, and space out on a parchment-lined sheet pan.
  4. Bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, until the cookies are very light brown. Cool on the parchment.
  5. Temper the white chocolate (zap for 10 seconds at a time in the microwave, and stir between zaps. Stop microwaving once there are still small chunks of white chocolate, and let them melt with the residual warmth). Drizzle the cooled cookies with white chocolate, and immediately sprinkle with rose petals, coconut, and lime zest.

Notes

* Feel free to use regular old white chocolate if you don’t need these to be vegan. Vegan white chocolate is available at some health food stores and online. If you can’t find vegan white chocolate, vegan dark chocolate works great too and adds a lovely contrast in color and flavor (just careful not to use too much, or the other flavors will be lost).

** If you don’t have convection, they might take a couple minutes longer to bake.

Making ahead and storing: These cookies keep great for several days. Seal them tightly in a container, and store at cool room temperature.

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sesame blossom cookies

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Way before ugly Christmas sweater parties, and way before high-waisted jeans became ✨fashion✨, our moms would all dress up in unironic holiday sweaters, layered over apparently ahead-of-their-time chic mom jeans, and get together for a holiday cookie exchange. Or at least this was the tradition with the moms in my neighborhood growing up. My mom would always come home with a giant platter of every single holiday cookie imaginable—little frosted trees, Mexican wedding cookies, gingerbread men, apricot kolachkies, and of course the cookies that didn’t have a snowball’s chance in hell of making it to Christmas day: Pam’s peanut butter blossoms. If there had been a neighborhood-wide bakeoff, Pam would’ve won it every year.

So recently I decided to revisit this old childhood favorite, this time inspired by Syrian/Lebanese barazek (which you can learn more about in this lovely blog post by Maureen Abood). They’re those super crunchy sesame-covered biscuits, and the one thing they share in common with peanut butter blossoms is their nuttiness. So I decided to give my favorite childhood cookie a sesame makeover, with tahini in place of peanut butter, and the signature barazek crackly sesame coating. They’re chewy on the inside, crunchy on the outside, and (don’t worry!) still very chocolate-peanut-buttery, despite having no peanut butter in them at all. Perfect for peanut-free families, and all your holiday parties! If you’re making these for someone with a peanut allergy, just make sure you eliminate any potential cross-contamination in your kitchen, and make sure your ingredients don’t list peanuts as a potential cross-contaminant.

I developed this recipe last summer, and have thought about it every day since then, so I’m psyched to finally share it with you guys. But a few quick notes before I leave you to it: This one is loosely adapted from a NYT recipe for peanut butter blossoms (linked to below), but I spent some time researching before developing this one, and noticed one point of contention: exactly when do you add the chocolate kiss? Too early and it will melt everywhere, fall out of temper, and never solidify. Too late and it won’t really embed itself in the cookie, but will just sit on top and never get melty enough. Plus, everyone’s preferences about chocolate gooeyness are going to be a little different, so there’s no clear cut-and-dried answer.

Here are my preferences, reflected in the recipe below: The chocolate kiss should melt a bit in the oven and even fall a little out of temper, but it should not melt so much that it loses its shape. That way, it will solidify and hold its shape once cool, but it will remain somewhat soft and a little gooey, and never fully harden. I also think it’s important that the kiss embed itself in the cookie, and that the cookie stays chewy, so it’s important to add the chocolate kiss before they get too crunchy (but not too early or it’ll melt everywhere and/or the cookies will be underdone).

Follow the recipe below, and it should be super easy, but if you want to make any adjustments to the timing to suit your own preferences (or the idiosyncrasies of your own oven), please feel free! Maybe you’re sending these in the mail to a friend out of state? In that case, add the chocolate kiss closer to the end and don’t let it stay in the oven for too long, which will make it much easier to package them neatly. Maybe you’re serving these to your guests right from the oven and wouldn’t mind a super gooey chocolate center? Add the chocolate kiss a minute earlier and really let it get melty. Either way, you won’t be disappointed!

A little more cookie inspiration for you, before I leave you with the recipe! If you like these cookies, here are a few yummy related ones I’ve found out there:

  • Adrianna Adarme’s Tahini Concord Grape Thumbprints, which have the same tahini flavor, and that crackly coating of sesame seeds but with more of a PB&J thing going on.
  • Maureen Abood’s Lebanese Crunchy Sesame Cookies, the inspiration for these.
  • Jessie Sheehan’s Tahini Blossoms, a similar cookie, which (like this recipe) uses tahini in place of peanut butter, with a lovely sweet and salty coating instead of crunchy sesame seeds.
  • Flippin Delicious’s Sunflower Blossoms, with sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter, and gluten free flours, for those who are allergic to gluten, sesame, and peanut! You can also find recipes out there for almond blossoms and cashew blossoms, if you’re working with multiple allergies.
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sesame blossom cookies

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

loosely adapted from this NYT recipe

  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 3 dozen

Ingredients

  • 230g all purpose flour (1 3/4 cups)
  • 6g baking soda (1 teaspoon)
  • 115g unsalted butter (1 stick), softened to room temperature
  • 100g granulated sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 100g brown sugar (1/2 cup)
  • 3g salt (1/2 teaspoon)
  • 1 large egg (55g), at room temperature
  • 125g tahini (1/2 cup)
  • 15g milk (1 tablespoon)
  • 5g vanilla extract (1 teaspoon)
  • 70g sesame seeds (1/2 cup) – for coating
  • 3 dozen unwrapped chocolate kisses*

Instructions

  1. Sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.
  2. Place the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed for about 1 minute, just until it lightens slightly.
  3. Add the egg, tahini, milk, and vanilla, and beat at medium speed until smooth (just about 30 seconds). Scrape down the sides halfway through to make sure it fully incorporates.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and stir together at low speed until it comes together. Don’t overmix it, and stop as soon as there are no dry patches.
  5. Cover and chill the cookie dough in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, up to 24.
  6. Once the cookie dough is ready, preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C) convection**, and shape it into about 3 dozen small balls (about 20g each, with a #50 cookie scoop, or 1 slightly heaping tablespoon). Roll them generously in sesame seeds, and place a couple inches apart on parchment-lined cookie sheets.
  7. Bake for about 8 minutes, just until they’re puffy and light brown. Remove from the oven, place a kiss in the center of each (push them down slightly so they’re a little embedded in the dough), and return to the oven for 2 minutes, until the cookies are golden brown.
  8. Let them cool on the cookie sheet for 1 minute, then slide the parchment off the sheet pan to cool the rest of the way. The chocolate will harden slightly at room temperature, until it’s a little softer and gooier than before, but set. Feel free to chill them in the fridge to hurry the cooling along.

Notes

* If you don’t like chocolate, feel free to omit the chocolate altogether (my baker friend Lysa made these without the chocolate, and still called them “the absolute best cookie in the world”). On the other hand, if you want to include the chocolate but can’t easily find chocolate kisses where you live (they’re a bit of a US thing, and not always available worldwide), you can totally use chocolate buttons instead (even 2 stacked on top of each other if they’re wafer-thin). If all else fails, you can even use chunks of chocolate or a cluster of chocolate chips, for a more rustic look. (Thanks to everyone who has written in with these suggestions, after successfully trying them out. Glad to know these cookies can be enjoyed no matter what your chocolate situation!)

** No worries if you don’t have convection—they might just take a little longer to bake, and you might need to rotate the cookie sheets.

Make ahead and storage: These cookies keep super well at room temperature for several days. The cookie dough freezes wonderfully—just roll and coat balls in sesame seeds, freeze them on a sheet pan, and store them in a plastic bag. You can bake them right from frozen, but they might just take an extra minute or so to bake.

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