Strawberry Scones
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup sugar, plus extra for dusting
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small cubes
½ cup chopped fresh strawberries
½ cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, ¼ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt until well combined. Add the cold cubed butter to the dry ingredients. Using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work the butter into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse crumbs. Gently fold in the chopped strawberries.
Whisk together the heavy cream, egg, and vanilla extract in a separate small bowl until smooth. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into it. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to gently mix until the dough just comes together. Place the dough on a floured surface and pat it into a circle (about 1 inch thick). Cut the circle into 8 wedges. Place the scones on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Lightly brush the tops of the scones with melted butter and sprinkle them with granulated sugar. Bake the scones for 15–18 minutes or until they are golden brown and cooked through. Serve warm.
Chocolate Tahini Cookies
Ingredients:
½ cup tahini
½ cup cocoa powder
½ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup ground flaxseeds
1 cup almond flour
¼ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup dark chocolate chips
Sesame seeds, for coating
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine the tahini, cocoa powder, maple syrup, and vanilla in a mixing bowl and whisk until smooth and creamy. Add the ground flaxseeds, almond flour, sea salt, and baking soda to the mixture and stir until a thick batter forms. Fold the chocolate chips in by hand. Form the batter into 1-inch balls and then roll them in sesame seeds. Place the cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet about 2 inches apart and flatten them with your hand. Bake for 10 minutes and allow cookies to cool slightly on a cooling rack before serving.
Huevos Rotos (Spanish Broken Eggs)
Ingredients:
Olive oil
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced into small cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs (Carlos uses thyme and rosemary)
Salt and pepper (to taste)
4 Spanish sausages
4 large eggs
Smoked paprika
Fresh herbs (Carlos uses chives and parsley)
Directions:
Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to a large skillet. Warm the pan over medium heat and add the diced potatoes. Let them cook until crisp on one side. Flip them over and cook until golden brown on all sides, about 2–3 minutes per side. Add the garlic, herbs, salt, and pepper and cook for another minute.
Use the same skillet to cook the sausages until they’re browned and cooked through, about 5–6 minutes. Remove them from the skillet and set aside. Using the same skillet again, add a little more olive oil and crack the eggs. Cook them on medium heat until they’re sunny-side up, about 2 minutes.
To serve, divide the crispy potatoes among serving plates. Slice sausages and place on each portion and then carefully place an egg over the top. To finish, sprinkle the eggs with smoked paprika and chopped fresh herbs.
Pineapple Cake with Coconut Buttercream
Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup fresh pineapple juice
1 cup fresh pineapple chunks
For the Coconut Buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 cups powdered sugar
2–3 teaspoons coconut extract
For the Pineapple Compote:
2 cups fresh pineapple, diced
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a mixer, cream the butter and sugar together at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time. Then mix in the vanilla and coconut extracts. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the fresh pineapple juice to the butter mixture. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in the diced pineapple chunks. Divide the batter evenly into two greased 9-inch round cake pans. Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a skewer intserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Allow the cakes to cool.
While the cakes are cooling, prepare the buttercream by beating the butter in a mixer until creamy. Gradually add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add the coconut extract and continue to beat until smooth and fluffy.
For the pineapple compote, combine the diced pineapple, sugar, and honey in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the mixture. Simmer over low heat, stirring until the mixture thickens into a sauce-like consistency. Remove the compote from the heat and let it cool.
Once the cakes are completely cooled, assemble them by spreading a layer of coconut buttercream and then compote between the two cake layers. Use the remaining buttercream to frost the top and sides of the cake.
Barbecue Chicken Cups
Ingredients:
1 package of puff pastry, thawed
Baking spray
2 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
½ cup chopped green onions
¼ cup chopped cilantro
½ cup barbecue sauce (store-bought or homemade)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease a muffin tray with baking spray. Roll out puff pastry on a floured surface and then cut it into 12 squares. Press the squares into the muffin tins, making sure the dough comes up the sides. Prick the bottom of each pastry with a fork. Place a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil over each pastry cup and fill them with pie weights or dried beans. Bake the pastry cups for 10–12 minutes, or until they are lightly golden and puffy but not baked through. Remove the pie weights and parchment and set the partially baked cups aside. Do not remove the pastries from the tin.
Combine the shredded rotisserie chicken, chopped green onions, chopped cilantro, and barbecue sauce in a large mixing bowl. Stir until everything is combined. Divide the chicken filling among the partially baked puff pastry cups. Bake for an additional 8–10 minutes until the filling is hot and the cups are dark golden brown. Remove from tin and serve warm.
Cherry Blossom Latte
Andy’s latest coffee creation blends bold espresso roast with floral notes of the cherry blossoms and a touch of sweetness. As Marty said, it just may have you dreaming about a trip to Tokyo.
Ingredients:
2 shots of freshly brewed espresso
1 tablespoon vanilla syrup
½ teaspoon cherry blossom water
1 teaspoon brown sugar
½ cup oat milk
Cocoa powder, for dusting
Cherry blossom, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a mug, combine the espresso shots with the vanilla syrup, cherry blossom water, and brown sugar. Stir well. Heat the oat milk in a small saucepan. Pour the hot milk over the espresso mixture and stir to combine. Top with a dusting of cocoa powder and, if it’s in season, a dainty cherry blossom.