Cardamom and Tea

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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brussels sprout salad

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Thanksgiving is right around the corner! And today I’m sharing my final new Thanksgiving recipe before the holiday: my favorite autumnal Brussels sprout salad. (Sometimes spelled “brussel sprout salad”—tomato, tomahto!)

Most Brussels sprout salad recipes have you throw in either raw or roasted sprouts. But this salad has the best of both worlds. It’s got both bright green crunchy shavings that you set aside before roasting, as well as caramelized crispy bits. Plus it’s got everyone’s favorite fall produce, with sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds, and fennel. And it’s all drizzled in a wonderfully crisp honey mustard apple cider vinaigrette.

A few quick notes before I get to the recipe:

  • If you’re gluten free, feel free to substitute your favorite gluten free grain in place of the barley. If you choose quinoa, be careful not to overcook it, and only use about 3/4 cup.
  • If you’re okay with gluten, but don’t really like barley, farro would work wonderfully here. Or really any chewy whole grain you love will work great.
  • Oh and if you’re in a big hurry, remember that you can totally prep all of the thinly sliced/shaved ingredients in a food processor fitted with the slicer attachment. If you decide to slice by hand, don’t miss my tutorial to learn how to do it efficiently and safely. This is a perfect opportunity to practice your knife skills if you’ve been meaning to brush up.
  • And don’t forget the best thing about this recipe (I mean, next to its deliciousness!)… It can be prepped the day before Thanksgiving and completely forgotten right until you serve it! I’ve included instructions below the recipe with a few little adjustments to make sure it looks and tastes absolutely perfect the next day.
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brussels sprout salad

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  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 cup pearled barley (185g)
  • 1/2 of 1 onion, thinly sliced (80g)
  • 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and diced (300g)
  • 8 cups shaved brussels sprouts (450g), divided in half
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (55g), plus more for coating veggies
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (75g)
  • 1 tablespoon mustard (15g)
  • 2 tablespoons honey (45g)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon dried sage
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed through a press (10g)
  • 1 medium bulb fennel, thinly sliced (125g)
  • 1 cup pomegranate seeds (135g)

Instructions

  1. Simmer the barley for about 45 minutes in at least 3 cups of salted water, covered. Once it’s done, rinse with cool water for a few seconds to bring it to room temperature.
  2. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  3. Place the onion, sweet potatoes, and half of the brussels sprouts on a sheet pan, and evenly coat with about 1 tablespoon olive oil. Season to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon).
  4. Roast the veggies for about 20 minutes, until they’re caramelized and softened (mix them up halfway through). Once the veggies come out of the oven, let them cool down to room temperature for a few minutes while you make the rest of the salad.
  5. Whisk together the 1/4 cup olive oil, apple cider vinegar, mustard, honey, sage, black pepper, garlic, and salt to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon).
  6. Place the raw half of the brussels sprouts in a salad bowl, followed by the raw fennel, the cooled barley, the cooled roasted veggies, and most of the pomegranate arils. Drizzle with the dressing, toss together, and top with the rest of the pomegranate arils.

Notes

To make ahead: This can be made for company about a day ahead of time (it actually gets better after the first 12 hours). Just wait until the last minute to plate it and top it with the last handful of pomegranate arils. And enjoy the leftovers for days!

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cardamom apple walnut pie

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This cardamom apple walnut pie is the perfect thing to make this time of year! I hope it finds its way onto your holiday table in one form or another.

The flavors are inspired by my auntie Masy’s cardamom walnut kleicha, which are kind of like mini walnut hand pies. And the design is inspired by one of my favorite artists, Rabel Betshmuel, who has a stunning series of prints inspired by ancient Assyrian patterns (below, you can see a sample of the print that I loved so much, I baked and ate it).

If you bake this apple walnut pie, it works perfectly well with a regular old classic lattice instead. But if you want to go the extra mile, I’ve included instructions and a video below the recipe. The intricate lattice is definitely not for the faint of heart. You’ll only enjoy it if you’re the kind of person who loves flexing your fine motor skills with a task that requires precision, patience, and a steady hand. But luckily it’s totally optional!

This apple walnut pie is totally worth making with or without the extra special design. Even the most wabi-sabi lattice is always lovely!

A few quick notes about this recipe:

  • There are basically two ends of the apple pie spectrum. There’s super gooey, soft, compote-like filling. It’s sort of like the homemade version of apple pie filling in a can. I mean that in the best way possible, because I have a major soft spot for canned pie filling. And then there’s super set, almost al dente filling with just enough moisture and sweetness to hold it together. You know, the kind where you can see the distinct layers of apple in every cohesive bite.
  • I honestly love both kinds of pie so much, but lately I’ve been favoring the second kind, which feels a bit more restrained, and wonderfully showcases the fruit itself. So that’s pretty much what you can expect of this apple walnut pie. As you can see in the photos of it sliced, there are definite juices and a decent amount of moisture. But it’s not like a cascading gooey apple pie filling situation.
  • If, however, you find yourself more strongly in the compote camp, and prefer a softer filling, and maybe even a little runniness, feel free to omit 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch, and let the apples soften a little extra in the microwave before assembling. You won’t be sorry either way, as long as you know what you want and how to get it.

Thanks again to Rabel for the inspiration, and for allowing me to include his pattern in this post. Wishing my friends and readers in the US lots of fun Thanksgiving menu planning this and next week!

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Cardamom Apple Walnut Pie

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  • Prep Time: 45 minutes
  • Total Time: 6 hours
  • Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients

for the dough:

  • 400g all purpose flour (about 3 cups)
  • 7g salt (1 teaspoon)
  • 230g cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks (2 sticks)
  • 120g cold plain yogurt (1/2 cup)
  • 30g cold water (2 tablespoons)

for the filling:

  • 1180g granny smith apples (about 7 apples)
  • 30g lemon juice (2 tablespoons)
  • 20g cornstarch (2 tablespoons)
  • 130g brown sugar (2/3 cup)
  • 80g finely chopped walnuts (3/4 cup)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cardamom
  • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • Egg wash: 1 egg yolk beaten with 2 teaspoon cream or water

Instructions

  1. Place the flour, salt, and butter in a food processor fitted with the blade attachment. Pulse several times, until the butter blends into the flour, and there aren’t any lumps bigger than a tic-tac. Add the yogurt, and pulse 2 or 3 times to distribute. Evenly drizzle on the water. Pulse a few times until it can be squeezed together into a pliable and smooth dough (don’t over-process). If the dough won’t come together, add a few more drops of water. Shape the dough into 2 equal balls, flatten the balls into discs, cover each with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for just 30 minutes. Work on the filling while you wait.
  2. Peel the apples and slice them into 1/2 inch-thick wedges, discarding the cores and peels. Toss them in the lemon juice as you work to keep them from oxidizing (use a microwave safe bowl). You should end up with 905g (2 pounds) apple slices.
  3. Stir together the lemony apples, cornstarch, brown sugar, walnuts, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice. Let it sit for 15 minutes (or longer).
  4. Once it’s macerated for 15 minutes and has some juices pooling in the bottom, microwave* the filling for about 3-6 minutes, just until it heats through, softens slightly, and shrinks down a bit (pause to stir it once or twice). Let it cool to room temperature for a few minutes.
  5. Preheat the oven to 400°F (205°C) once you’re almost ready to roll the dough out (feel free to wait a bit longer to preheat if you are doing the complicated pattern below).
  6. On a lightly floured surface, roll a round of chilled dough out to between 1/8- to 1/4-inch thick; it should be quite a bit wider than the pie pan (about 13-13.5 inches across). Once it’s rolled out, gently wrap it around your rolling pin to transfer it to the pie pan. Unroll it onto a 9-inch pie pan and gently press the dough into place so it’s in contact with the entire pan.
  7. Roll out the other round of dough into a long oval that’s about 11×13 inches (1/8-inch thick). Optionally, chill the oval on a sheet pan for a few minutes to make it easier to work with.
  8. Fill the pie shell with the cooled filling once you’re ready to decorate. Gently tamp it down so it’s level.
  9. Decorate however you wish (e.g., cut the second round of dough into strips and make a lattice top, or follow the instructions below the recipe for this pictured styling).
  10. Trim the excess and crimp everything together.
  11. Brush with the egg wash, and bake for 15 minutes at 400°F (205°C).
  12. After 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350°F (175 °C) and bake for 60 more minutes. If the edges of the crust start to brown too quickly, use a crown of tin foil for the last 20 minutes of baking.
  13. Place the pie on a cooling rack for at least 3 hours, until it comes to room temperature.

Notes

* You can easily skip this step if you don’t have a microwave, or just use your stove. If you skip it, your apples might be a little al dente, and your pie won’t be quite as juicy, or you might have to cook it longer than this recipe suggests. Also, if you skip this step, it might have a bit of a hollow dome, or you’ll have to spend time carefully nesting them all together. I’ve made it both ways, and it’s delicious in either case.

To make this ahead: The finished pie can be stored at room temperature for about a day, but it will last longer in the refrigerator. If you’re having guests over, feel free to make it the day before serving and leave it at room temperature.

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Rabel Betshmuel-inspired lattice (optional)

Printable PDF of lattice instructions

This is a very difficult technique, so make sure you follow the directions carefully, and only attempt if you’re already super comfortable working with pie dough (a simple lattice or double-crust would look absolutely lovely, and would be way friendlier for beginners).

  1. Make a stencil for the squiggly lines. Find a piece of plastic that you can easily cut through with scissors, but that’s sturdy enough to hold up to tracing around with a paring knife (I used an inexpensive soft-shell binder cover). Draw (on the plastic) an 11-inch-long wavy s-curve line (the length of a sheet of printer paper) that’s about 2 1/4 inches from peak to valley and 3/4 inch thick—use Rabel’s above print as inspiration. Carefully cut it out, and then wash it.
  2. When you roll out the second sheet of pie dough, place it on a piece of parchment paper on a sheet pan, and make sure its top is still lightly floured (do not do this right on the counter).
  3. Place the squiggly stencil as close to the edge of the dough as possible, and trace it with a paring knife on both sides. Carefully lift the stencil away (try not to lift the dough up from underneath it), and remove any excess scrappy pieces from around it. Leave the cut-out squiggly line exactly where it is on the parchment—moving it at this point will misshape it.
  4. Place the stencil as close to the cutout squiggly line as possible (try to get it to nest together a little), and trace another squiggly line on both sides with a paring knife. Again, remove scrappy pieces, and carefully lift the stencil away, leaving the squiggle behind on the sheet pan. Repeat until you run out of space.
  5. Take the scraps and gently scrunch them together (try not to overwork them). Roll them out again, transfer the dough sheet to another piece of parchment on a sheet pan, and continue tracing out more squiggly lines, and leaving them on the parchment.
  6. You might need to repeat the whole process one more time (collecting the scraps, and rolling them out again), but you can stop tracing squiggles as soon as you have 8 good ones (4 of which are long enough to span the center of the pie, about 10 or 11 inches).
  7. Use the back of a pastry tip (or something similarly shaped) to punch out little circles from the leftover scraps, and roll the scraps out one more time if you don’t have enough nice scraps leftover from the final pass. You’ll need about 20-25 little circles, depending on the size of your s-curve. Save any leftover scraps for filling in gaps later on.
  8. Put the sheet pans of squiggly lines and dots in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Once they’re firm, but still slightly flexible, remove them from the refrigerator and get ready to weave. Do not skip this chilling step.
  9. Find 2 pieces of a similar length, and place them next to each other. They should line up so that one line’s valley is at the same level as the other line’s peak—flip over one of the squiggles like you’re turning the page of a book if it doesn’t line up right.
  10. Weave them together by interlocking the top two curves so they form a circle. Carefully twist it around itself all the way down, until they all line up to make circles. Adjust them slightly until they line up perfectly. Once they line up, optionally dab a little bit of water at the spots where they meet to help them stay in place.
  11. Once you’re done weaving all of them together, you’ll be left with 4 braids. Move them back to the refrigerator if they’re starting to become too flexible.
  12. Place the longest braids toward the center of the pie, and the shorter ones on the sides, all going in the same direction. Readjust them if necessary. Place the dots in the center of each of the circles (if any of the openings are way too gappy, place an extra dot or a little bit of scrap dough into the opening first, and then place a dot on top, covering the scrap dough entirely). Trim away any excess dough, and crimp everything together. Proceed with the above recipe at step 10.

vegetarian shepherd’s pie

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While I do eat meat these days, I’ve been the vegetarian at Thanksgiving a few times in my life. And honestly, it’s usually a total non-issue. As long as you’re not in a “bacon bits on everything!!!” kind of house, it’s usually pretty easy to cobble together a vegetarian-friendly plate just from all the delicious sides. So if you’re having a vegetarian friend or family member over this year, you probably won’t actually need to do much to accommodate. But it can be such a lovely gesture to have a vegetarian dish that feels like more of a main. Especially one that’s not tufurky… yeesh. This vegetarian shepherd’s pie is just the thing!

While you can totally use something like Quorn or Impossible as a substitute for ground beef or lamb, Assyrians have been veganizing classic meat-based dishes for a long, long time. We traditionally spend a large part of the year fasting from all animal products. My family typically uses a combination of walnuts and mushrooms in place of minced beef. I just love the flavor and richness they add in this vegetarian shepherd’s pie.

I also added a few other ingredients that often go with the mushroom/walnut “soma” (vegan) mix, like parsley, cilantro, and baharat. And I’ve gone ahead and added a whole bunch of cheese and butter to this one, so while it’s not actually vegan, it can be easily veganized with plant-based butter and cheese substitutes.

Looking forward to sharing more of my Thanksgiving favorites this month, including an apple pie with a design inspired by one of my favorite artists, and a brussels sprouts salad perfect for throwing together the day before and forgetting entirely until serving.

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Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

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  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 3 medium russet potatoes (700g), can substitute yukon gold
  • 1/2 cup sour cream or creme fraiche (115g)
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter (30g) (for the potatoes)
  • 2/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese (80g) (optional)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (55g) (for the filling), divided in half
  • 3/4 pound mushrooms, chopped (340g)
  • 1 medium onion, chopped (180g)
  • 4 medium carrots, 1/2-inch diced (300g)
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts (100g)
  • 3 tablespoons flour (25g)
  • 4 cloves garlic, crushed through a press or finely minced (20g)
  • 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon baharat blend (8g)*
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste (60g)
  • 2 cups vegetable broth (470g)
  • 1 cup frozen peas (125g)
  • 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (20g)
  • 1/2 cup chopped parsley (20g)

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop the potatoes into a large dice. Cook them in boiling water (about 9 minutes) or the microwave, until a butter knife can be easily inserted. Place in a mixing bowl, add the sour cream and 2 tablespoons butter, and mash together with a potato masher until they are light and fluffy.
  2. Once the mashed potatoes are fluffy and cooled slightly, fold in the cheese, and salt (about 1/2 teaspoon).
  3. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a 10 to 12 inch cast iron skillet** over medium-high heat. Once the butter melts, add the mushrooms, season to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon) and cook stirring occasionally, until they are lightly brown, their juices evaporate, and they reduce in size by about half (about 5 to 10 minutes). Remove to a bowl.
  4. Preheat the oven to broil.
  5. Add 2 more tablespoons butter to the empty skillet, followed by the onions, carrots, and walnuts, season to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon more), and lower the heat to medium. Cook stirring occasionally until the onions become translucent and the carrots soften slightly (about 10 minutes). If you like super soft carrots, cook them for an additional 5 to 10 minutes, until they soften completely.
  6. Sprinkle on the flour, garlic, and baharat, and stir for about 1 minute. Add the mushrooms back in and stir.
  7. Add the tomato paste, vegetable broth, and frozen peas, and scrape up any bits from the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon. Bring to a simmer. Once it comes to a simmer it will thicken significantly. Immediately add the cilantro and parsley. Stir everything together and remove from heat.
  8. Smooth out the filling so it’s completely level/tamped down, and top with the cheesy mashed potatoes, use a fork to make a pattern on the surface, and place under the broiler until the top is golden brown and toasty (about 5 minutes in my broiler, but it varies a lot from oven to oven—keep a close eye on it). If the skillet is super full, place on a sheet pan to catch any drips.

Notes

* If you don’t have a baharat blend handy, and don’t feel like making one, simply use 1 teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon coriander, 1 teaspoon paprika, and a pinch of cinnamon.

** If you don’t have a cast iron skillet, you can totally use another ovenproof skillet of a similar size. If you don’t have an ovenproof skillet, you can make the filling on the stove, and then transfer it to a casserole dish to broil with the potato topping.

To make ahead: The best way to make this ahead is to make the potato topping and the filling separately. Once the filling is thickened and bubbly, add a couple extra tablespoons of water to thin it out slightly, and stash in the refrigerator in a resealable container. Make the potato topping, and store it separately in the refrigerator in a resealable container. Once you’re ready to put it all together, place the filling in a cast iron skillet over medium heat, and bring it up to a simmer. Microwave the potatoes for a minute or so just to take the chill off. Once the filling is simmering and the potatoes are warm, spread them over the surface as in the recipe, and proceed as usual. Alternatively, if you’re really short on time the day you plan to serve, you can totally make the whole thing ahead the day before, and then reheat it before serving—it won’t be quite as wonderful, but it’ll still be delicious.

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frosted brownies with pistachio and orange blossom

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Well, I’m glad I finished kitchen-testing these frosted brownies a few weeks ago, because a recent disaster has rendered my kitchen ovenless for the next several weeks.

We moved into our new apartment a couple weeks ago, and our kitchen is finally coming together! All our stuff showed up from Hong Kong on Monday, and it’s so nice to have my stand mixer back. Then yesterday, just as we finally finished unpacking the very last box, just as I finished recipe developing for a deadline, and literally the second I idly thought “ooh, I should share some photos of our new kitchen!”… the glass door to our brand new oven exploded!

I was roasting squash, and standing on the other side of the room when it happened. Oh well! Luckily, I finished working on this brownie recipe long before all the drama, and I’m so excited to share it with you today! I’ll keep my fingers crossed that your oven door doesn’t explode in the pursuit of these frosted brownies.

I mean, thankfully squash was the only victim in my case. If it had been this particular brownie batter, I might’ve actually cried.

What makes these frosted brownies so special?

  • They are frosted with an easy orange blossom cocoa cream cheese frosting (two flavors I love pairing). You can absolutely leave out the orange blossom water for a bomb sheet of classic brownies. The recipe absolutely stands on its own.
  • The batter is also infused with orange blossom water, and laced with pistachios for a little crunch and color. (But again, feel free to leave out the orange blossom water. And feel free to use walnuts in place of pistachios)
  • I used my favorite brownie method—beat eggs together with sugar until light and a little fluffy, fold in the oils, then fold in the dry stuff, and bake until perfect.

I don’t love brownies that are either too light and cakey or too dense and fudgy. So these ones are somewhere in the middle. They’ve got a killer crust (grab a corner piece while you can!) and a chewy center, and the amount of frosting called for in this recipe is no laughing matter. I’ll just leave you with photo evidence and the recipe.

Enjoy!

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frosted brownies with pistachio and orange blossom

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 2 hours
  • Yield: 16 brownies

Ingredients

for the brownies:

  • butter for greasing the pan
  • 130g flour (1 cup)
  • 60g cocoa powder (2/3 cup), preferably dutch-process
  • 113g melted unsalted butter (1 4-oz stick/8 tablespoons)
  • 53g canola oil (1/4 cup)
  • 30g orange blossom water (2 tablespoons), optional
  • 3 large eggs (155g)
  • 350g sugar (1 3/4 cup)
  • 3g salt (1/2 teaspoon)
  • 80g coarsely chopped raw pistachios (1/2 cup), optional

for the frosting:

  • 40g cocoa (1/2 cup)
  • 175g powdered sugar (1 1/2 cups)
  • 56g unsalted butter (4 tablespoons), softened at room temperature
  • 227g cream cheese (1 8 oz stick), softened at room temperature
  • 23g orange blossom water (1 1/2 tablespoons), optional
  • 1 tablespoon finely ground pistachio for sprinkling, optional

Instructions

  1. For the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350° F convection (177° C).
  2. Butter an 8×8-inch pan (20×20 cm), and line with parchment (all the way around if you’d like, or just the bottom).
  3. Sift together the flour and cocoa powder. Set aside.
  4. Mix together the butter, canola oil, and orange blossom water. Set aside.
  5. Combine the eggs, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or stainless steel bowl with a hand mixer). Beat at medium speed for about 3 minutes, just until it’s paler and thickened.*
  6. Add the butter mixture to the egg/sugar mixture, and fold together to combine.
  7. Once combined, add the flour/cocoa mixture, and fold together until it’s about halfway mixed. Add the 1/2 cup chopped pistachios and continue to stir together until there are no large clumps of flour (don’t over-mix).
  8. Pour into the pan, smooth out the top, and bake for about 35 minutes, until a toothpick or paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
  9. Let it cool at room temperature for about 20 minutes, then freeze for about 1 hour in the pan, until the entire thing is completely chilled (but not yet frozen). This will help it slice more cleanly, but you can skip this and just let it cool to room temperature instead. Remove from the pan, remove the parchment, and place on a serving dish.
  10. While you wait for the brownies to cool, make the frosting: Combine the cocoa, powdered sugar, butter, cream cheese, and orange blossom water (in that order!) in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or a stainless steel bowl with a hand mixer). Mix at very low speed until the cocoa and powdered sugar incorporate, and then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for about 3 minutes, until there are no more lumps and it’s a little lighter and fluffier.***
  11. Dump all of the frosting into the center of the brownies. Use an offset spatula to work the frosting almost to the edges. Then make a few swoops in it with the spatula. Decorate with the final 1 tablespoon of finely ground pistachios and slice into 16 pieces.

Notes

* Don’t beat the eggs and sugar quite as much as you would if you were making a sponge cake.

** If you’d like, you can make this without the cream cheese frosting. Simply decorate the brownies with the 2 tablespoons ground pistachios before baking, and skip the frosting.

*** You can make everything ahead up to this point, and then frost it later, a little while before serving (see notes on storage below)

Storage: These brownies hold pretty well in the refrigerator for a few hours, but longer than 12 and they will start to stale a bit (like many baked goods), so you should avoid refrigerating them by frosting them closer to the last minute. If you’re making them ahead for guests, you can bake the brownies ahead and keep them at room temperature for about 24 hours before losing any quality, or freeze the whole sheet of unfrosted brownies for up to 3 months (wrapped tightly) if you want to store them longer. You can also make the frosting ahead and keep it in the refrigerator for a few days. Bring the frosting to room temperature so it’s spreadable, and let the brownies thaw at room temperature (if you froze them), and then frost them at the last minute (or frost them a few hours ahead and store in the refrigerator). If you have any frosted leftovers, they freeze beautifully.

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za’atar cauliflower

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This October has been all about za’atar, and today I’m finishing up the series with one of my favorite ways to cook cauliflower: roast it with some za’atar, garlic, olive oil, and a little cheese, and then top it with an herby tahini sauce, cilantro, and pomegranate seeds. Za’atar cauliflower is delicious on its own, and just a little more composed with all the fixins.

It’s so incredibly simple and delicious, and can be easily veganized by leaving out the little bit of cheese. But if you do include the cheese, don’t forget to scrape up those bits of frico stuck to the bottom of the pan. They’re culinary gold! Oh and if you want to make this keto, simply leave out the pomegranate arils. This dish is wonderful piping hot and right out of the oven. But it’s even better at room temperature, so it suits just about any occasion.

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za’atar cauliflower

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  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 2 pounds cauliflower, cut into florets (900g, from a 1100g head)
  • 6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced (30g)
  • 1/4 cup olive oil (60g)
  • 1/2 cup za’atar (50g)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup grated hard cheese, e.g. parmesan or cheddar (20g), optional
  • 1 tightly packed cup cilantro leaves (25g) (plus a few for garnish)
  • About 30 chives (10g)
  • 1/4 cup tahini (60g)
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice (45g)
  • 3 tablespoons water (45g)
  • 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (35g)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  2. Add the cauliflower and garlic to a large mixing bowl (or sheet pan), and toss together with the oil until it’s evenly coated. Sprinkle on the za’atar and salt to taste (about 3/4 teaspoon), and toss together again until evenly coated. Move to a sheet pan, spread into an even layer, and top with the cheese (if using).
  3. Roast for about 20 minutes, until the cauliflower is al dente and charred in a couple spots.
  4. While the cauliflower is roasting, add the the cilantro, chives, salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), tahini, lemon juice, and water, to a food processor and pulse a few times to blend. Scrape down the sides, and run until pureed.
  5. Scrape up the cauliflower, transfer to a mixing bowl, garnish with the sauce, extra cilantro, and pomegranate seeds, and serve. It’s wonderful warm or at room temperature.

Notes

Make ahead: The cauliflower and garlic can be coated in the za’atar, salt, and oil ahead of time, and then roasted with the cheese closer to the last minute. Or you can roast everything ahead of time, refrigerate it, and rewarm the cauliflower in the oven closer to the last minute. The sauce can be made a couple days ahead of time and refrigerated until serving.

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fennel salad with za’atar dressing

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I wrote a bit about za’atar last week. And to really celebrate this fabulous ingredient, I’m sharing three of my favorite za’atar recipes this month. Today I’ve got a fennel salad with za’atar dressing. And you don’t want to sleep on this one!

This dressing is inspired by my favorite flatbread, manakish za’atar, which is baked with a serious slurry of za’atar and olive oil. As it turns out, if you season everything like you’re making manakish, you can’t really go wrong. (I mean, how can you go wrong with a salad inspired by really good bread?)

The dressing that goes with this fennel salad is hard to beat. It’s a little tangy, herby, and savory, and has something for everyone. It goes wonderfully with fennel, grapefruit, and pomegranate (especially in the fall). But you can totally drizzle it over your favorite salad anytime of the year.

This one’s vegan, vegetarian, gluten free, in-season, super healthy, and delicious, so it’s the perfect thing to serve at a dinner party where everyone’s competing dietary restrictions add up to one big question mark.

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fennel salad with za’atar dressing

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  • Prep Time: 30 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
  • Oil for coating the sweet potato
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup za’atar
  • 1 teaspoon mustard
  • a small 5.5oz/150g bag arugula
  • 1 bulb thinly sliced fennel (save the fronds for garnish, if you’d like)
  • 1 grapefruit, supremed
  • 3/4 cup pomegranate arils, from 1 small pomegranate
  • 1/4 cup chopped pistachios

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 475°F/245°C. Lightly coat the sweet potato in a little bit of oil (about 1 teaspoon), and season with a pinch of salt. Spread evenly on a sheet pan or skillet, and roast for about 15-20 minutes, until crispy and slightly charred on the outside and soft on the inside.
  2. While you’re waiting on the sweet potatoes, prep the dressing and toppings. Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, za’atar, mustard, and salt to taste (about 1/4 teaspoon), and set aside. Place the arugula and half the fennel in a large salad bowl. Toss together with about 3/4 of the dressing until evenly coated.
  3. Top with the rest of the fennel, grapefruit, pomegranate arils, pistachios, roasted sweet potatoes, and the rest of the dressing (garnish with fronds if you have them). Toss together right before serving.

Notes

To make ahead: Roast the sweet potatoes, and prep all the salad components. Store things in a few separate containers in the fridge: 1) the arugula, 2) the dressing, 3) the raw fruits/veggies, 4) the roasted sweet potatoes. The pistachios can stay at room temperature. Assemble everything at the last minute, and serve.

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za’atar chicken

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Za’atar chicken is so simple, you probably don’t even really need a recipe to make it. But recipe or not, it should absolutely be in your repertoire. And while there are a million great recipes for it already out there, I think this particular method is really something else, and you should absolutely give it a try (especially if you’re za’atar obsessed, and can’t ever seem to get enough of it).

I like to make my za’atar chicken with the same slurry of za’atar and olive oil you spread on manakish. So rather than just a sprinkling for flavor, you end up with a thick za’atar crust, which sizzles away while the chicken cooks to perfection. You’ve just got to be sure to pack it on in a thick layer, rather than brushing it on. Don’t let any of it go to waste, and make sure every last bit sticks on there. As it cooks, the juices and some of the olive oil will run to the side, which you can later spoon over a simple salad to serve alongside your chicken.

I’ve also included instructions for a really simple dry-brine here, so that even if you overcook the chicken by a bit, it’ll stay nice and juicy. Don’t skip it, and really be sure to allow 20 minutes for them to sit before coating in za’atar and roasting. You’ll be glad you did!

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za’atar chicken

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  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 1 hour
  • Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

  • 4 large or 6 small whole chicken legs* (1300-1500g)
  • 2 teaspoons salt (12g) (or to taste)
  • 1/2 cup za’atar (60g)
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (50g)
  • 2 or 3 lemons, cut in half

Instructions

  1. Evenly salt the chicken thighs, and let them sit for 20-30 minutes to dry-brine (this will help them stay moist).
  2. Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C).
  3. Combine the za’atar and olive oil.
  4. Place the chicken on a parchment-lined rimmed sheet pan, and coat evenly with the za’atar mixture. Really cake the mixture on in a thick layer, rather than brushing it on. If some falls to the side while you’re coating the chicken, scoop it back up and pat it on.
  5. Roast for about 20-30 minutes (shorter for smaller ones, longer for larger ones). The chicken is done once it’s seared on the outside, and 170°F (77°C) at its center. Let it rest for just a couple minutes before serving, baste with the juices, and squeeze the lemons on top before serving.

Notes

* If you prefer white meat, feel free to use chicken cutlets (whole breasts are more likely to dry out than cutlets). They will probably take less time to roast, so keep an eye on them (and don’t expect them to get as golden brown and crispy as legs, but do expect them to be delicious!).

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ingredient highlight: za’atar

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I posted about za’atar right when I first started blogging, and that post has been long-overdue for an update. Then just last summer, my friend Mai brought me this beautiful bouquet of wild herbs from her garden, which inspired me to finally get my act together and write up a post about this beloved—and sometimes misunderstood—herb.

The thing is, I feel like I can confidently say that za’atar is misunderstood because I certainly misunderstood it for a long time, especially when I first started blogging. Ok, so here’s the thing I didn’t always understand: while it’s often described in English as “wild thyme,” and while many recipe writers insist that you can blend your own za’atar by using any old thyme or oregano… za’atar actually bears little in common with the kind of thyme you’ll most often find in a US supermarket in those little plastic containers or dry spice shakers. It doesn’t look very much like it, and most importantly, it doesn’t taste very much like it. I had never had access to fresh za’atar before last summer, and now thanks to Mai, I finally know the difference.

A quick caveat: while za’atar and French thyme are really quite different, I’m not exactly claiming that za’atar made from French thyme is “inauthentic”—it’s just important to acknowledge that it’s very different from what most people in the Middle East mean when they say “za’atar.” Lots of folks (my family included) have learned to make do with the ingredients available in their new home after immigrating, and za’atar made from French thyme out of necessity is no less authentic than za’atar grown in the hills of the Levant. Authenticity comes form a place of love, memory, and honor, and not from authority.

But while I believe there are many different versions of “authentic”… it’s also totally possible to approach things with a less than authentic spirit, and I guess what I’m trying to say is that if you’re going to stick to making za’atar out of something other than wild thyme, you might want to know a bit about its origins, and what za’atar means to the millions of people who forage for it in the Levant and surrounding area.

So I’ll just leave you with this quick synopsis. I’m calling this section “za’atar frequently asked questions,” but it might be more aptly titled “an imaginary conversation I had with myself about za’atar.”

za’atar frequently asked questions

what is za’atar?

It’s a wild herb, which grows in the eastern Mediterranean.

ok but Is za’atar thyme? Or what?

Sorta-kinda! Za’atar, in the strictest sense, is a particular family of wild herbs. There are a few different wild varieties, which are related to things like oregano and thyme, but are not the same as the thyme that’s sold in most US supermarkets. Wild za’atar is about as different from French thyme as Thai basil is from Italian basil—somewhere in the ballpark, and you can probably get away with a substitution, but it’s different in many significant ways.

E.g., The one Mai gifted me tasted way more like oregano than thyme, and if I were to try to approximate its flavor without access to fresh za’atar, I would rely way more strongly on Italian oregano than French thyme.

I thought za’atar was a blend of herbs and spices—true or false?

Za’atar is both the name of the herb, and the name of the herb/spice blend. It’s often mixed with sesame and sumac (among other things), and everyone’s blend is different. But for most people, the wild herb is the essential part.

how can I find the best za’atar?

There are lots of different kinds, and I wouldn’t be so bold as to say one is better than another.

Ok, ok, then how can I find za’atar that’s most like the kind you’d find in the levant? for making manakish za’atar and all that good stuff?

That’s easy! Buy a brand from your favorite Middle Eastern market labeled “za’atar,” and enjoy! You can also find it on Amazon and elsewhere online.

what if I want to blend my own?

I mean, herbs are delicious! If you use whatever thyme is available to you, I’m sure it’ll be tasty. I like to use 1 part sumac, 1 part thyme, and 1 part sesame. But the resulting blend will be very different from those found in Middle Eastern markets, and if you bake some manakish za’atar for someone who’s from there, and actually call it manakish za’atar, they’re probably going to be very surprised at how different it tastes. And they might be like “you sure you used za’atar in this?” So maybe we should call it something else, like a za’atar-inspired thyme blend? Ok that’s not great. I’ll keep working on it.

In the meantime, check out a few of my favorite za’atar recipes (or visit the archives for a full list), and enjoy!

za’atar recipes