Banana Wonder

IN THE RARE CASE YOU HAVE LEFTOVER CHAMPAGNE...
prepare to make this Champagne Tea Cake.

I originally wanted to make a cake with champagne, but I didn't want it to be one of those fancy pink ones with 10 gillion egg whites and butter fluff frosting. I wanted something sort of tea party-ish and substantial. And this was what I got - a lovely tea cake, with a delicate sparkling almond flavor and a moist crumb. The perfect cake to eat plain or for dunking into coffee, tea, or champagne. Although I just said it's good plain, I got jiggy in this photo op and topped the bejesus out of my slice with fresh whipped cream and pomegranate perils.

Happy New Year everyone! Wishing you all the best in 2024!

Champagne Tea Cake

1 cup of champagne
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups flour
3 eggs / flax eggs
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup of softened butter
1/3 cup cream / vegan

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease one loaf pan. Blend butter sugar, then eggs together. Mix flour, salt and baking powder together
Blend the wet with the dry ingredients, adding in champagne, cream and almond extract. Pour into loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden on top.

Fig, Whiskey, and Olive Oil Cake (vegan and gluten free!)

My favorite olive oil cake has cornmeal - something about the grittiness of the corn and the olive oil merry so well together. I made this cake when I was living in Philly and used semolina that was picked up in the Italian district -- as well as some dried figs. They were going straight into the cake. When I think of figs, I often think of one of the most delicious cocktails I've ever had containing both whiskey and figs (at the Sapphire Hotel in Portland) - so whiskey naturally went into the cake. This cake is made with a flax egg to make it vegan but an egg can be used instead.

Fig, Whiskey, and Olive Oil Cake (vegan and gluten free!)

1 cup semolina
1 cup almond flour
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 cup sugar
3 teaspoons ground flax seeds
9 teaspoons hot water
1 cup dried figs, chopped
1 1/2 cups hot water
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup whiskey
Powdered sugar for the top

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a small bowl, pour 1 1/2 cups hot water over figs. Let sit.
In cup, combine the rest of the hot water and flax seeds.
Combine semolina, almond flour, salt, and baking powder in a medium-sized bowl. Mix in olive oil, sugar, whiskey, and flax seed mixture. Stir until everything is smooth. Drain figs and add them in. Pour into a greased baking vessel of your choice and bake for about 30 minutes.
Cool and dust with powdered sugar, add extra figs for aesthetics!

Olive Oil Pretzels with Ouzo Mustard
Adapted from Food Network Alton Brown's recipe
Makes 8 pretzels

1 1/2 cups warm water
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
4 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds
Olive oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cups baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
pretzel salt

Ouzo Mustard
1/2 cup grain mustard
2 tbsp ouzo

For the ouzo mustard, stir ouzo into mustard until combined, refrigerate until pretzels are ready.

For pretzels:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast of top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and then oil it well with olive oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8 quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough onto a slightly oil work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with salt.

Let’s face it, this cultivar of squash should be celebrated all year long. But, really, we all love hype, and this season’s hype has turned into the pump type. I mean, have you been to Trader Joe’s lately? What can’t be made with pumpkin?

My squash submission is inspired by trips to Japan. They were work trips, but I did get a few grocery store shopping sessions in. In those visits I snagged some sesame seed oil and sesame seeds. I can’t think of anything I’d want more than combine pumpkin with this Japanese haul. These cookies are soft, fluffy and pair perfectly with a cup of coffee or tea.

Pumpkin Sesame Cookies
(makes 1 cookies tray of large cookies and 2 trays of smaller cookies)

2 tablespoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons coconut oil
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray cookie sheet with nonstick oil or prepare silpat.
Using a mixer or fork, beat oils until smooth. Beat in sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and pumpkin puree.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.
Slowly beat the flour mixture into the batter until combined.
Scoop the dough by spoonfuls (ice cream scoops if you want big ones) onto prepared cookie sheet.
Press down dough with back of fork and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for about 10-15 minutes or until cookies are browned around the edges. Let cookies rest on sheets for 2 minutes and cool on wire racks

Take your pumpkin to another level.

Banana Wonder: Pumpkin Soy Hummus