I adore chestnuts and when they start to turn up in the shops around the holidays, I go a little nuts (pun intended!) and stock up. What I mean here are the ready peeled and cooked version, sold vacuum packed or in jars. They are so easy to use and so very wintery and festive. I use them in lots of savory recipes, like this lovely Roasted Chestnut Bisque or a hearty Pasta … [Read more...] about Chocolate and Chestnut Terrine
Sweets
Nutella Cake with Chocolate Ganache
I cut out a recipe from a magazine ages ago that has become a real emergency staple for me – Nutella Cookies. It is literally a jar of Nutella, a cup of flour and an egg beaten together, rolled into balls and rolled in granulated sugar. It’s the perfect last minute recipe because its easy to have those ingredients always on hand. I send them to my nieces at college in care … [Read more...] about Nutella Cake with Chocolate Ganache
Cane Syrup Pie
In the pantheon of Southern sweeteners, cane syrup ranks high for me. There is this earthy caramel note I adore. Cane syrup is made from a sugar cane breed, ribbon cane, that grows in the South. There are now farmers creating fantastic cane syrups using traditional methods that are well worth seeking out, and the more widely available Steen’s cane syrup is deep and … [Read more...] about Cane Syrup Pie
Glazed Double Almond Bars
I’m returning to a classic here. These are neither hip or new or with some special twist, they are just a recipe I have been making for years and return to when I need a little comfort. I love the old-fashioned taste of almond paste. I don’t now why exactly I say old fashioned, there is just something reminiscent about the rich, grainy, almond-y taste to me. I have no … [Read more...] about Glazed Double Almond Bars
Coca-Cola Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Icing
I love a Coca Cola Cake. The simple use of a bottle of Coke adds depth and complexity to a moist, deep cake for very little effort. I make many a Coca-Cola sheet cake (there’s a Jack and Coke version in The Southern Sympathy Cookbook), but this I developed for a friend’s birthday. This friend, who is not from around these parts, had once commented that she couldn’t understand … [Read more...] about Coca-Cola Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Icing
