Feta & zucchini muffins

Makes 6

Bake in individual mini loaf tins or muffin molds

Certain things should not happen: marzipan should not be in your main course and fish shouldn’t feature in your pudding. We are not usually big on fusion, so if the term “zucchini muffin” makes you cringe and think of things that shouldn’t be, we are with you. Perhaps we need to work on the title. However, these bakes are so delicious that any qualms you may have about their name will very soon be forgotten.

300g zucchini

1 tsp table salt

200g self-rising flour (or 200g all-purpose flour plus an additional 2 tsp baking powder for a total of 3 teaspoons baking powder)

1 tsp baking powder

4 tsp za’atar

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper

50g black olives, chopped (Tassos or Kalamata work well)

100g feta cheese, crumbled

40g kashkaval or pecorino, grated

1 tbsp fresh thyme, picked (or 1 tsp dried thyme)

3 eggs

80g grapeseed oil (or you can use olive oil)

Preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection. Grease the tins or muffin molds with butter spray or brush with soft butter (or use paper muffin liners if you prefer).

Grate the zucchini and mix with half the salt. Set in a colander over a bowl to extract some of the liquid. In the meantime place the remaining salt, flour, baking powder, za’atar, black pepper, chopped olives, feta, kashkaval and thyme in a large bowl. Stir lightly together to combine.

Squeeze the zucchini to remove as much liquid as you can and add to the other ingredients in the bowl. Top with the eggs and oil and stir with a wide spoon or spatula until just combined. Don’t worry if there are a few lumps and don’t overwork it, as you don’t want the muffins to be dense. A light touch will help you achieve a light texture once baked.

Divide between the tins or molds; there should be about 120–130g in each. Bake in the center of the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the tray for an even bake. Leave for a further 10 minutes until the muffins feel springy to the touch. Remove from the tins to cool on a rack, or eat them hot with some yogurt or cream cheese.

Abadi biscuits (aka ka’ach bilmalch)

Makes 24 rings

Savory snacks similar to these feature in many Middle Eastern cultures. In Israel the best and most famous brand is Abadi. They are so good that no one even thinks of making them at home—you just can’t compete. We are not morning people, which is why the chef’s life suits us so well. When we lived in Israel, we would get out of bed very late in the morning and buy a bag of these on our way to the beach, plus some yogurt to dip and a bottle of water. We would spend the warm early afternoon on the sand, playing backgammon, getting crumbs on the board and sand in the yogurt, whiling away the time till our evening shift started. Now we have neither the beach nor the hours to sit and play, and we have to make our own Abadi biscuits. These stand up to the original with pride. They taste quite simple when you first try them, but leave such a lovely aftertaste that you soon reach out for the next, and the next… So you might want to think twice before making this recipe, as it can lead to a lifelong addiction.

I like to use a mix of white and black sesame seeds, but you could sprinkle on whole spices to add a little something special; caraway seeds, fennel seeds or even cumin seeds would all work really well.

250g bread flour

½ tsp table salt

120g vegetable shortening, lard or margarine, cubed

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp dried yeast

½ tsp granulated sugar

90g/ml water

1 tbsp vegetable oil

To sprinkle (if you like)

black and white sesame seeds

flaky sea salt

Place the flour, salt, cubed fat (shortening, lard or margarine) and baking powder in a bowl and rub together to a rough breadcrumb consistency. Put the yeast, sugar, water and oil in a smaller bowl and stir to dissolve the yeast. Combine the flour and yeast mixtures, either by hand or with a hook attachment in a mixer, and knead to a smooth, supple dough (about 5 minutes). Place in an oiled bowl, cover and allow to rest for 30–60 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400°F/375°F convection and line a couple of flat baking trays with baking parchment. If using, sprinkle some sesame seeds and sea salt onto a small flat plate. Cut the dough in 12 pieces of about 40g. Roll each piece into a snake of about 16 inches long. This can be quite a tricky dough to roll, but don’t worry about it too much—the rings may not look perfect, but they will still be delicious. Cut the dough snakes in half and form each piece into a ring, pinching the edges together to complete the circle. Dip each ring in the salted seeds to coat one surface, then place on the baking trays seeded-side uppermost, so that the sesame roasts nicely. Leave a little space between each one so that they don’t stick together and allow to rest on the trays for 15 minutes.

Place the trays in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, then turn the tray so that it bakes evenly. Reduce the oven heat to 350°F/325°F convection for another 15 minutes until they are dark golden. Allow to cool entirely before eating. These should be really crispy and are great for scooping up hummus or labaneh, but are also nice just as a snack on their own. Store in an airtight container.

Oat, hazelnut & currant biscuits

Makes about 40 biscuits

Sometimes cheese is just an excuse for a biscuit. These are great with or without, and are really good to nibble when you get a little hungry before lunch. They feel inexplicably healthy, and the combination of nuts, dried fruit and oats makes you full and happy.

350g all-purpose flour

80g light brown sugar

5g table salt

10g baking powder

50g rolled (old-fashioned) oats

150g cold unsalted butter, diced

100–120g/ml milk

80g dried currants

80g roasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

a sprinkling of flaky sea salt (if you like)

Place the flour, sugar, table salt, baking powder and oats in a mixer with a paddle attachment (or in a large bowl that you can get your hands in easily). Add the diced butter and either rub between fingertips or use a slow speed on the mixer until you have a rough breadcrumb consistency. Use just enough of the milk to form a lovely dough and then mix in the dried fruit and nuts.

Divide the dough in half and roll each piece into a log about 8 inches long. Wrap each in cling film and place in the fridge to set for at least an hour (or up to 48 hours, if you are making ahead).

When you are ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375°F/350°F convection and line a couple of flat baking sheets with baking parchment. Take the dough logs out of the fridge, remove the cling film and slice them into thin discs (about ⅓ inch thick). You should get 18–20 biscuits from each log. Lay them flat on the baking trays, allowing 1 inch between each (they won’t change too much in size) and sprinkle with the sea salt, if using.

Bake for 10 minutes, then turn the trays around for an even bake and leave for another 5–10 minutes until the biscuits are golden all over. Lift one up carefully (they will be hot—as you would be if you had just sat in a hot oven for 15–20 minutes) and check the underside to make sure it is golden too. Don’t worry if they seem a little soft now; they will crisp as they cool and the oats drink up any excess moisture.

Cool on a rack and, once cold, store in an airtight container. These last well for about a week, but I think you’ll find they disappear way before then.