Candied Fennel White Chocolate Madelines

Madelines are little french cookies made in a scalloped shaped Madeline pan. If you don’t have the pan i highly recommend you get one because I’m sure you’ll make them again!

Here’s the recipe

2/3 rd cup Granulated Sugar

3 Eggs

1.5 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Almond extract

3/4 tsp salt

zest of a lemon

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

10 Tbsp butter, Melted and cooled a bit

4 oz white chocolate, melted

3 Tbsp Candy coated fennel seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer whip sugar, eggs, vanilla, almond extract, and salt on high speed, using the whisk attachment. 7 to 8 minutes. Fold in 1/3 of the flour and then 1/3 of the melted butter, repeat the process two more times. Fold in the zest. Refrigerate the batter for 1 hour to overnight.

When ready to bake, pre-heat the oven to 350F. Brush Madeline pan with butter and the lightly coat with flour. Drop a tablespoon of batter into each cavity, sprinkle with about 1/2 tsp of candy coated fennel on each Madeline and bake for 13 to 16 minutes. Rotate the pan halfway.

Once baked let cool for a few minutes and then place on a cooling rack.

Once cooled all the way, dip in white chocolate or simple drizzle white chocolate on top. Sprinkle with candy coated fennel.

Store at room temperature in a lightly covered contained.

Madelines should dry out a bit, if placed in a tightly covered container they can get sticky and soggy.

Enjoy with tea (or coffee!)

Masala Black Eyed Peas

A new year is coming up and here in the South we like to ring it in with a bit of good luck, courtesy of black eyed peas. It’s one of those traditions that I absolutely love. Each year I try to make black eyed peas in a different manner.

This year’s beans are inspired by an unlikely pantry staple—pizza sauce. Rao’s Homemade Pizza Sauce specifically. I love the flavor and texture the sauce adds to this dish.

I was hesitant to call these Pizza Black Eyed Peas, mainly because I did not want to add any cheese, which makes this dish vegan and plant based, plus a healthy way to kick off 2022.

I don’t actually know if black eyed peas bring good luck, but what’s the harm?

Hope you’ll make these!

Masala Black Eyed Peas

Here’s how you can make them -

Masala Black Eyed Peas 

Overnight Soak 

1.5 cups Black Eyed Peas, dry 

3 cups water 

Combine in a bowl, cover lightly, soak overnight. 

Boiled Peas 

Soaked beans 

1 tsp salt 

3 cups water 

Masala Black eyed peas 

Fresh Ginger - 2” piece (1 oz) 

Garlic cloves - 6 to 7 

Red onion, medium chopped fine - 3/4 cup  (4oz) 

Olive Oil - 4 Tbsp

Cumin - 1 tsp 

Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp 

Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp 

Garam masala - 1 tsp 

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp 

Cinnamon - 1 small pinch 

Salt - 1/2 to 1 tsp 

Honey - small dash

Pizza sauce (or marinara) - 1 cup 

Cilantro, chopped - 1/4 cup (Plus more for garnish)

• Combine soaked peas with 3 cups water and 1 tsp salt and boil for 30 minutes. Once boiled, leave them in hot water while prepping the rest of the ingredients. We want to use the water the beans are boiling in, because there’s so much flavor in that “broth”. Bean broth, as I like to call it.

• In a pan, add oil. Once hot, add cumin, let sputter.

• Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

• Add onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just until the onions looks translucent and slightly caramelized.

• Add in all the spices (red chilii, corrainder, turmeric, garam masala, cinnamon, and salt) cook for another minute.

• Pour in sauce and cook for 4 to 5 minutes on medium heat, until oil starts to separate. Adjust salt and any spices at this stage.

• Add in beans along with the bean broth.

• Cook for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drizzle in a dash of honey, Stir + Serve.

• Garnish with more cilantro if you’d like.

• Masala beans are ready to serve with hot rice or chunks of hearty bread!

Store any leftovers in the fridge for 3 to 4 days! 

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Sadness Shortcake

A cake inspired by sadness, my need to celebrate mango season plus create a new genre of Shortcake!

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Sharing the recipe so that anyone can join in...Misery does indeed love company!

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A baked Mango + saffron shortcake

My vision for this was to create a shortcake like texture, but baked with the fruit. It has a biscuit -meets-cake kind of texture, with a bright saffron flavor. The mangoes get gooey on top and like any great shortbread it demands to be served with an ice cream or whipped cream.

Sadness Shortcake - A baked shortcake with Mangoes

350F - Makes a 9” or 10” sized cake

Ingredients

6 Tbsp Unsalted Butter

1 1/2 cups Unbleached all purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 cup (scant) granulated sugar

1 large egg

1/4 cup Whole Milk

1/4 cup Heavy Cream

1/2 tsp Saffron

1/2 tsp cardamom, ground

2 tsp Vanilla extract

1/2 tsp Almond Extract

1 to 2 Mangoes *

2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar for sprinkling on top

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 350F. Line a 9” or 10” cake pan with parchment and grease + flour.

• Slice mangoes into medium sized wedges, set aside.

• Heat milk gently on a stove or in a microwave for 30 seconds, add saffron and steep let milk cool to room temperature.

• Cream Butter and sugar (1 cup) together, 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add in egg, milk, and heavy cream, mix until combined.

• Add vanilla extract and almond extract, mix until combined.

• Add dry (flour, cardamom, baking powder, salt) ingredients, mix just until smooth.

• Pour in a 9” or 10” cake pan.

• Top with mango wedges, press them down gently into the batter. Sprinkle sugar on the parts where the cake batter is visible.

• Bake for 40 to 50 minutes.

• Serve warm or at room temperature.

  * You can use one mango or two, idea is to cover the top of the cake generously with mango wedges.

Highly recommend serving with Ice Cream or Whipped Cream.

Make it and let me know what you think!

Cheers!

Keya

P.S. I love seeing you use my recipes, it makes my day when you post photos of what you made and tag me on Instagram!