Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

 Easy, yummy, and gluten free. Can be made with non dairy butter to make it dairy free as well. Top with whipped cream or powdered sugar.

Ingredients:

• 6 Tbsp. salted butter, plus more for pan
• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (or chocolate chips)
• 6 large eggs, separated
• 1/2 cup sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 275°. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9" springform pan. Set aside.
2. Place butter and chocolate in a large, microwaveable bowl and microwave in 30-second increments, stirring after each 30 seconds, until completely melted. Let cool slightly. 
3. Whisk in egg yolks.
4. In medium or large bowl, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar, and continue beating until glossy stiff peaks form. Whisk 1/4 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture. 
5. Using a spatula, gently fold in remaining egg whites.
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan, and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. 
7. Bake at 275° until the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan and is set in the center, 45-50 minutes. 
8. Cool completely on a wire rack; remove sides of pan.

Yorkshire Pudding

 Adapted from Gordon Ramsay. This is a surprisingly simple method that produced surprisingly good results!

Ingredients:

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour 

4 Tablespoons vegetable oil 

Directions:

• In a blender, combine the eggs, milk, flour, and salt. Blend until well combined and place in the refrigerator until ready to use (allow to rest for at least 30 minutes).
• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Put 1 teaspoon of the oil (or beef drippings) into each section of a 12-hole Yorkshire pudding tray or muffin tray and put into the oven on the top shelf until very hot, almost smoking.
• As soon as you take the tray from the oven, pour in the batter to three-quarters fill the tins (it should sizzle) and immediately put back into the oven.
• Bake until the Yorkshire puddings are well risen, golden brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. Don't open the oven door until the end or they might collapse.

French Toast Casserole

 My new go-to for hosting brunch. Can prepare the day before then pull out of the fridge and bake. 

Ingredients

 * 1/2 loaf French bread, cubed (225 g)

* 1/2 cup butter (125 g)

* 1 cup packed brown sugar

* 6 eggs

* 2 cups milk

* 2 tsp vanilla

* 2 tsp cinnamon, divided

* 1 Tbsp brown sugar 

Method

Melt butter in  small saucepan. Add brown sugar and stir until all is dissolved. Once smooth, pour mixture into a greased 9x13 baking pan.

Spread bread cubes evenly over brown sugar mixture. 

In medium bowl, mix eggs, milk, vanilla, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Pour over bread cubes

Strawberry Pie

Adapted from here. 

Ingredients:

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, hulled

• 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked

• 1 cup white sugar

• 3 tablespoons cornstarch

• ¾ cup water

• ½ cup heavy whipping cream

  
  

  Method

  Arrange 1/2 of strawberries in baked pastry shell. Place remaining strawberries in a medium saucepan.

  Add sugar to the strawberries in the saucepan; place over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring frequently.
  
  
  Whisk cornstarch and water together in a small bowl. Gradually stir cornstarch mixture into boiling strawberry mixture. Reduce heat and simmer mixture until thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
  
  
  Pour cooked strawberry mixture over berries in pastry shell. Refrigerate until chilled and set, at least 3 hours.
  
  
  Before serving, whip cream in a medium bowl until soft peaks form. Serve with whipped cream
  
  

  
  

牛丼 (Gyu-don)

 An instant family favorite! Serves 4-5.

Ingredients:

• 2 onions, thinly sliced

• 500g beef, thinly sliced (ribeye or similar)

• 2 tsp sugar

• 2 Tbsp mirin

• 2 Tbsp soy sauce (or more - can add up to 4)

• 1 cup dashi (or beef/vegetable broth)

• 4 eggs

• 4 cups rice (cooked)

• Toasted sesame seeds 

• 3-4 stalks Green onion, sliced

Method: 

Sauté onions in vegetable oil until soft. Add beef and sugar, and cook until mostly browned. Add mirin, soy sauce, and dashing, and simmer 10 minutes.

In separate pan, fry 4 eggs, sunny side up. Remove from heat while still soft. 

Serve meat and sauce on bowls of rice. Add egg and green onions and sesame seeds as garnish. 

Coffee and Walnut Cake

 I haven’t made this yet but have really been wanting to try. Adapted from Nigella. She says to reduce the amount of coffee to 2 tsp in the sponge if making for the whole family.

Ingredients:

• 50g walnut pieces
• 225g fine sugar
• 225g butter, softened
• 200g flour
• 4 tsp instant espresso powder
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 4 large eggs
• 1 to 2 Tbsp milk

For buttercream:

• 350g powder sugar
• 175g butter, softened
• 2 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder
• 10 walnut halves for garnish

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 180°C
• Grease two 20cm round cake pans and line with parchment paper
• Blitz walnut pieces and sugar in in food processor until fine
• Add butter, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, and eggs and mix to make smooth batter
• Add milk and pulse
• Divide batter evenly between two cake pans. Bake 25 minutes. Cool and turn out.
• To make buttercream: Pulse powder sugar in food processor. Add butter and process until smooth.
• Dissolve 2 1/2 tsp espresso powder in 1 Tbsp boiling water. Add to food processor and pulse to blend.
• Spread half the icing on the bottom layer. Place second layer on top and ice the top. Nigella recommends a “ramshackle swirly pattern” for a rustic look. Press walnut halves in a circle around the edge.

Victoria Sponge cake

 A delicious new take on a classic. The recipe has been adapted from here.

Ingredients:

• 250g unsalted butter (room temp)
• 250g brown sugar
• 4 eggs (250g)
• 250g flour
• 1 Tbsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt

• 250ml (1 cup) heavy cream
• Jam for filling (strawberry)
• Powder sugar (for dusting)

Procedure:

• Preheat oven to 170°C
• Grease 2 20cm (8 inch) round cake pans and line with baking paper
• Cream butter and sugar with paddle attachment of Kitchen Aid until pale and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time
• Mix flour, baking powder and salt. Add slowly to Kitchen Aid bowl, stirring just until mixed.
• Divide batter evenly between two cake pans. Bake for 25–30 min, until toothpick comes out clean. Cool then turn out.
• Spread bottom layer with jam. Whip cream to soft peaks and spoon on top of jam. Place second layer on top and dust with powder sugar