Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

Nonnettes (pronounced no-net) are individual spiced cakes filled with a bit of marmalade, jam or curd. They originated in the Burgundy region of France during the Middle Ages. And to think, I've only just recently heard of them! So of course I had to make some. My starting point was the three versions posted by Phil of the delightful blog As Strong As Soup.

Les Nonnettes are moist and sticky and can be made with different combinations of spices, zests and fillings for variety. I've gone with the classic ginger and orange in this case, but plan to also make them with cardamom. There are no eggs in the recipe. But I might add one next time anyway.

I was going to use homemade marmalade in these, but I discovered the only marmalade left in my jam cupboard was a jar of kumquat marmalade I'd made in April 2014! It looked fine but tasted a bit off, so I used apricot jam instead. I don't think the marmalade would have killed us--at least I hope not, since I tasted it! 

I don't know what nonnettes were baked in back in the Middle Ages, but I used a 12-cup standard muffin tin because heaven knows I'm the last person who needs to be buying another specialty pan! 

As always, I've formulated my recipe to exactly fill that standard pan. If you use a different sort of pan, you will likely come up with a different number of cakes than my own precisely twelve.

Have you ever made, had, or even heard of, nonnettes? Please tell me I've not been alone in my ignorance!

Nonnettes - French Gingerbread Cakes

(Makes 12)

1/2 cup (3.5 ounces/99 grams) dark brown sugar
1/3 cup (4 ounces/113 grams) honey
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) milk
1/3 cup (2.67 fluid ounces/79 ml) water
6 tablespoons (3 ounces/85 grams) unsalted butter
1 3/4 dip-and-sweep cups (8.75 ounces/248 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons ginger
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cloves
Finely grated zest of a medium orange
6 teaspoons orange marmalade or a jam
5 tablespoons (1.25 ounces/35 grams) powdered sugar

About 4 teaspoons of juice of the zested orange

1 Butter well a 12-cup standard muffin tin. In a 3-quart saucepan, heat together the brown sugar, honey, water, milk and butter until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat.

Note: Why such a large saucepan for that small quantity, you might ask. Because then you can add the flour mixture to the pan, instead of the other way around, and just have one messy thing to clean up.

2 In 1.5-quart mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices, whisking well to "sift." 

Note: I rarely sift flour anymore. It really only needs aerating, which can be done quite easily with a half minute or so of vigorous whisking.

3 Add the flour mixture to the warm honey mixture and whisk together until combined. Stir in the orange zest. 

4 Using a 1/4-cup measuring cup, divide batter evenly among the 12 muffin cups. If the batter feels quite warm, cover* the muffin tin and refrigerate for 15 to 30 minutes. Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

* I love that my muffin tin comes with a cover!

5 With your oiled finger or similar sized object, make a hole in the center of each cup and put in 1/2 teaspoon of marmalade or jam. Bake for about 16 to 20 minutes, until they are golden brown and spring back when pressed gently in the center. Let the cakes cool in the tin for about 5 minutes so you can handle them. They have to be removed individually from the pan, rather than just turning them out, so that the jam doesn't run out. 

Note: I used the handle of a wooden spoon and rubbed olive oil on it about every three cakes. You need to put the jam in shortly after making the hole or it will simply close up. Next time, I'll make the hole about an inch deep and bring the batter back over the hole after it is filled.

6 While still warm, whisk together a simple glaze of sifted powdered sugar and orange juice. Apply the thin glaze to the warm cakes with a pastry brush. Cool completely before storing in an airtight tin. Good served right away, they are said to be even better after being stored in the airtight tin for a day or two and will keep for up to a week. 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Ground Beef Chili with Beans - Instant Pot (or Not)

I like all kinds of chili: all meat, all beans, ground turkey, chunks of beef, pork, chicken. But Mr Delightful was in the mood for my Ground Beef Chili with Beans, and I decided to adapt it to the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. And, if you're not using an Instant Pot, you can easily adapt it to slow cooker or stovetop.

If you have an 8-quart Instant Pot, definitely double this recipe. And I think--but can't guarantee--the 6-pot could handle a double batch. 

The first time I made it I used 3 tablespoons of ground dried New Mexico red chiles, and it was a bit hot. I liked it a lot, but Mr Delightful's comment was "It's not painful, but I think you could cut way back on the chile powder."

So next time I made it with just 1 tablespoon, and that was good, too. I think 2 tablespoons would be ideal for me, but the 1-tablespoon batch still had plenty of flavor. Of course, it all depends on how much heat you like and on the chiles. There is so much variation, it's safer to start low and add more later.

I'll make a double batch next time and freeze several meals. And I'll let you know if the 6-quart Instant Pot did indeed handle a double batch. How do you like your chili? Painful or mild?

Don't forget to Pin it and share it!

Ground Beef Chili with Beans

(Makes almost 2 quarts, about 6 servings )

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 medium (about 8 ounces/227 grams) yellow onion, chopped
1 medium (about 6 ounces/170 grams) green bell pepper, chopped
1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) 85% lean ground beef
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 to 3 tablespoons ground dried New Mexico red chiles
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1 14.5-ounce can organic fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 1/4 cups (8 ounces/227 grams) dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

3 1/2 cups (28 fluid ounces/828 ml) water

1 Plug in the Instant Pot. Select the Saute program. Leave the indicator on Normal temperature. When the word Hot appears on the display, add 1 tablespoon of oil to the stainless steel cooking pot of the Instant Pot. 

2 Add the oil and chopped onion to the pot, and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped green pepper and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the ground beef, salt and pepper, and cook for about 15 minutes, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks and browns. 

Note: I only cook the onion first like that when I'm chopping the onion and green pepper with a knife--the onion might as well be cooking while I'm chopping the green pepper, right? But when I do my chopping in the food processor, they both go into the pan at the same time and get cooked for 10 minutes.

3 In small bowl, measure out the ground chiles, cumin, paprika, coriander, oregano and thyme. Stir it into the meat mixture and cook for about 1 minute, until fragrant. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, deglazing the cooking pot. Stir in the dried beans and water. Press the Cancel key. 

4 Put the lid in place and turn the steam valve to Sealing. Plug in the Instant Pot. Press the Pressure Cook key. Leave the indicator on High Pressure and change the cooking time to 45 minutes. If "Keep Warm" indicator is on, press it to cancel.

5 When the beep sounds, the display will say "OFF." Set a kitchen timer for 25 minutes and allow the pressure to release naturally, then do a quick release by turning the steam valve to Venting. Carefully remove the lid. If the beans are not done to your liking, put the lid back on, turn the steam valve to Sealing, and cook on High Pressure for a few additional minutes.

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Olive Oil Apple Cake - Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

This Olive Oil Apple Cake pairs soooo beautifully with tea that I chose to include the recipe in this post along with my Rishi Tea & Botanicals review and giveaway. It is an easy cake, but special care must be taken when mixing in the olive oil. Be sure to add it in a slow, steady stream, fully incorporating it as you go. And do use a nice fruity extra virgin olive oil.

As you know, I drink a great deal of tea, so I think it's really important that it be organic. Though I still at times drink black teas that are not, I try to drink mostly organic. Very few places near me carry organic loose leaf black teas, so an online search a few years ago led me to Rishi Tea & Botanicals, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

If you prefer tea bags, you'll be glad to know they added tea bags to their line in 2013. Be sure to visit the Rishi Tea FAQ page to learn all about their tea bag materials. I found it fascinating, and I don't even use tea bags! But if I did, these would make the cut with me.

This little pot (13.5 fluid ounces/400 ml) with its stainless steel strainer lid is perfect for those tea drinkers who like to do multiple infusions of the tea leaves.

The tea I'm drinking today is Rishi Tea & Botanicals Organic Earl Grey Supreme, top grades of Yunnan Dian Hong black tea with real first-press bergamot oil from fruit grown in Calabria, Italy. After experimenting with different amounts, times and temperatures, I concluded that for a standard 12-ounce mug (which actually holds 10 ounces of liquid), or a little pot for two standard teacups, I'd go with:

Tea 2 teaspoons/4 grams, Water 10 fluid ounces/296 ml, Temperature 200F/93C, Time 5 minutes. That made a cup of tea with a good balance between the tea and the bergamot. A greater quantity of tea leaves, higher temperature or longer time resulted in a much stronger bergamot flavor, and that might be your preference. You always need to experiment with a new tea to get it exactly right for you, and then just make it that way every time.

I hope you'll try both the tea and the cake and enter the giveaway below. One very happy tea drinker (or tea gifter!) is going to win a $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop. What is your favorite type of tea: loose, bags, black, green, white, matcha, etc? Rishi calls their herbal tisanes "botanical."

If you win the drawing, what kind of teas will you order?

Olive Oil Apple Cake

(Makes one 8.5-inch/10-cup Bundt cake)

2 dip-and-sweep cups (10 ounces/283 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon non-GMO baking powder
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups (10.5 ounces/298 grams) sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
Finely grated zest of one medium orange
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
3/4 cup (6 fluid ounces/177 ml or 5.625 ounces/160 grams) extra virgin olive oil

1 pound (16 ounces/454 grams) apples (Pink Lady or Granny Smith are good), peeled and cut into 1/3-inch dice

1 Butter well and flour an 8.5-inch/10-cup Kugelhopf pan (the same one I use for my Babka recipe) or Bundt pan. Preheat oven to 350F/180C/Gas4.

Note: I also like to bake it in this 9x4x4-inch Pullman loaf pan, which also holds 10 cups. It is my very favorite bread and loaf cake pan--I have two!

2 In 1.5-quart bowl, combine flour, baking powder, cardamom, mace or nutmeg, and salt. With electric hand mixer on low speed, whisk the dry ingredients together for 1 minute to "sift."

3 In 2.5-quart bowl, combine sugar, eggs, orange zest and extracts. With electric mixer on medium speed, beat for 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

4 With mixer running on medium speed, gradually pour the olive oil in a thin stream into the egg mixture, so that it is completely incorporated. This should take 4 to 5 minutes; don't rush it.

5 Remove about 1/4 cup of the flour mixture and fold the remainder into the egg mixture. Toss the apples with the 1/4 cup of flour, then fold them and any loose flour into the batter.

6 Scrape batter into prepared pan, smooth the top, then drop the pan a few times from a height of just a few inches to settle the batter. Bake for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it passes "the toothpick test." Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn cake out of pan and continue cooling on wire rack for 2 hours. Before serving, you might give it a dusting of powdered sugar. And a little whipped cream is never a bad idea!

Tea Making Tips

The mistake many people make with tea is following the old "rule" of one teaspoon per cup plus one for the pot. All black teas are not alike. Higher grades of tea generally have larger leaves, so a teaspoon of them will weigh a lot less than a teaspoon of small leaves. Of course, not everyone weighs their tea. What to do?

When making a new tea, I will weigh out 3 grams of tea leaves (and see what that measures) or you can just measure 2 level teaspoons or a gently rounded 1/2 tablespoon per 8 ounces of boiling water (unless a lower temperature is recommended) and steep for 5 minutes. 

Then I taste it and decide whether I should adjust the amount of tea either up or down or adjust the steeping time up or down by a minute. After a time or two, you will have it fine-tuned for that particular tea and can make it just the way you like it every time (without getting the scales out -- I'm not that obsessive!).

It's also helpful to have an electric tea kettle that heats to a variety of temperatures.

Rishi Tea & Botanicals Giveaway

Rishi Tea will send winner: $100 gift certificate redeemable in the Rishi Tea online tea shop.

This giveaway is open to Canadian and US residents, including Alaska, Hawaii, AA, AP, APO, AS, FM, GU, MH, MP, PW, PR, VI (Sorry, international friends!) 18 years of age or older. Leave a comment below (one entry per person). Please include your email address in the body of your comment. Must enter by 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Wednesday May 29.

Winner will be chosen by random drawing and be announced here in the comments before noon Eastern time on Thursday May 30. If I don't hear back from the winner of the random drawing by noon Eastern time Sunday June 2, another drawing will be held and a new winner selected from the original entrants (those who commented before the giveaway deadline). 

Disclosure: Rishi Tea provided product for review purposes and for the giveaway. The views expressed here are entirely my own. I always tell my readers what I really think!

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean 

Travel Review - Paso Robles Wine Country

I'd been craving a wine country getaway since my first whiff of autumn in the air, but it took us until well into spring to make it happen. Wherever you are in the US, wine country isn't far away since all 50 states have vineyards now. But it had been nearly two years since our last California wine adventure, and we really wanted to head back to the Paso Robles American Viticultural Area (AVA).

Even if you're not into wine, it's a beautiful area to visit. Paso Robles (or Paso, as the locals call it) is midway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, about a 3 1/2- to 4-hour drive, depending on your chosen route, from both SFO (San Francisco International Airport) and LAX (Los Angeles International Airport). And you can fly into the nearby (40 minutes) San Luis Obispo airport from Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle and Denver. Don't like to fly? Amtrak stops in Paso Robles. 

There are good accommodations at every price point and of every type. Some vineyards even have a few guest rooms, I learned! We were fortunate enough to stay at the full-service resort we stayed at on our first trip, Allegretto Vineyard Resort, and enjoyed every minute. We needed what I like to call a "personalized self-guided wellness retreat" or "one-stop ultimate relaxation and rejuvenation." Or as Mr Delightful put it: We needed a vacation like nobody's business!

Of course, we went out and about, tasting wine, eating wonderful meals, seeing beautiful scenery, visiting charming downtowns; but if we had never left the property we could have been happy. The restaurant, Cello, is not your usual hotel restaurant. It is a serious--but unstuffy--restaurant where you'll run into as many locals as guests. Headed up by executive chef Justin Picard, it is about fresh, local ingredients and artisan cookery. 

Though I could have tea in my room any time (someone had thoughtfully replaced all the Keurig coffee with assorted teas; and I had brought along, as always, my tea travel kit), I was thrilled to be able to get a proper cup of tea in the restaurant, even at the bar. If you are a tea aficionado in the US, you know what a rarity that is!

Unfortunately, I didn't get a chance to experience the Spa at Allegretto, but it looked lovely. Here's a peek at their outdoor relaxing area.

This property is a labor of love for its owner-creator whose personal collection of art and artifacts spanning multiple centuries and cultures is seen throughout the resort, inside and out. One of my favorites is this one, and I bet you can guess why!

There's plenty to see and do, even if you have no interest in wine. We would have enjoyed the Pioneer Museum, but it's only open Thursday through Sunday. And there's horseback riding, zip line tours, a water park, craft breweries and distilleries (we prefer wine), all sorts of things we didn't manage to drag ourselves out for. The charming downtown is walkable and so fun!

There are lots of great places to eat in Paso Robles and the surrounding area, including Fish Gaucho, Thomas Hill Organics and Novo. Novo Restaurant & Lounge, in downtown San Luis Obispo, features locally sourced, globally inspired cuisine in a serene creekside setting.

I wanted to walk over this gorgeous little footbridge, but it didn't happen. Next time.

In inclement weather, it would have been a pleasure to dine in the historic building, but we never miss an opportunity to dine outdoors. The comfortably heated patio perched over the creek was idyllic. Mr Delightful was so dazzled by the setting I was afraid he'd not pay enough attention to the food! But the food stood up to the view. And the service was outstanding.

We enjoyed visiting the tasting room at Allegretto, sampling the excellent wines and watching Stephanie work the room. I have no idea how she kept track of what everyone was tasting. She was knowledgeable about the wines, and we also appreciated her restaurant recommendations.

Our visit to Eberle Winery, which cultivates 64 acres of vines over five vineyards with different soil-climate combinations to suit particular grapes, was the highlight of our stay. The time we spent getting acquainted with the Eberles was priceless. Both raconteurs, they kept us entertained! We even got to meet the winemaker, Chris Eberle (not related).

Following a tour of the 16,000 square feet of underground wine caves (photo below), we sat on the deck overlooking the vineyard and tasted lots of wine. Like any self-respecting blogger, I should have taken a picture of the view from the deck, I should have taken lots of pictures; but I was in the moment.   

Photo courtesy of Eberle Winery

As we sipped wine and nibbled cheeses, savories and dried fruits and drank in the view, we learned the history of this pioneer of Central Coast winemaking and a lot about the region and wine in general. 

Tasting each wine, I pictured what foods I would pair it with; for example, a pork roast and fruit sauce with the Syrah, a traditional roast beef dinner with the Cabernet. Can't wait to break open a bottle!  

Disclosure: Though parts of this trip were comped or discounted, I assure you that does not alter my opinions or influence my review. I always tell my readers exactly what I think.

Jean

Clotted Cream - A Tutorial

Clotted cream, which doesn't sound that appealing to the uninitiated, is the delectable accompaniment to scones that elevates that simple bake to an Occasion. In the US you'll sometimes see it called Devonshire cream just because it sounds better, but it's only Devonshire cream if it is clotted cream made in Devonshire; Cornish cream is clotted cream made in Cornwall. 

Here in the US, imported clotted cream is quite expensive and few tea rooms make their own. So it's usually only seen at the poshest of afternoon teas. Its unique taste and texture take a simple scone to new heights. In Devon, the tradition is to put cream on the scone first, then jam. In Cornwall, it's jam first, then cream.

There's nothing difficult about making clotted cream. Though it does take time, it's time you actually spend going about your business while the cream does its thing. So I don't know why there are so many "mock" versions out there. 

One popular American television personality and celebrity chef would have you strain cream through a coffee filter and call it clotted cream. Sorry, that's not even close. Others would have you add various things to whipped cream. Tasty perhaps, but again, not clotted cream. 

You will find sources telling you that it must be made with raw cream (not true), or with cream that has not been ultra-pasteurized (not true). I’ve made it with organic heavy whipping creams of all descriptions: minimally pasteurized, pasteurized and ultra-pasteurized. This method has worked well with all of them.

The clotted cream on the left was cooked covered with foil, and the cream on the right was cooked uncovered. I much prefer clotted cream cooked covered.

I’ve made it both covered and uncovered. The cream cooked uncovered developed a buttery yellow "crust" and after cooling and stirring had tiny bits of yellow butter throughout the finished cream. The cream that was cooked covered developed a softer top layer and had a smoother texture. So that is how I’ve made it ever since. 

I’ve found that clotted cream freezes beautifully, with no loss of quality, and so always make a double batch and divide it among four 4-ounce jars and pop them into the freezer. Then when I’m going to need it, I move a jar (or two) from freezer to refrigerator a day or two ahead. 

But if you're new to making clotted cream, just do a single batch at a time until you've discovered any quirks your oven might have.

Do let me know if you have any questions or comments about the recipe (or anything). And if you like this post, be sure to Pin it and share it on your social media! 

Clotted Cream

(Makes about 1 cup) 

1 pint (16 fluid ounces, 473 ml) pasteurized organic heavy whipping cream

Note: I like to put it in the oven at 6 a.m. and take it out at 6 p.m., refrigerate it until 6 a.m. the next morning, then scoop it into a container.

1 Preheat oven to 180F/82C. 

2 Pour cream into an 8-inch (20 cm) diameter baking dish (I use a Pyrex). It can be any shape, as long as the cream is about 1/2 to 1 inch (1.25 to 2.5 cm) deep. Cover with foil. 

3 Place foil-covered dish of cream in preheated oven and set timer for 12 hours.

Note: Some ovens automatically turn off after a certain number of hours. If yours turns off in something less than 12 hours, be prepared to restart it.

This is what the clotted cream looks like after 12 hours in the oven covered with foil. But it's not ready yet! Let it cool at room temperature, with the foil lifted a bit to vent, then cover tightly with foil and refrigerate for 12 hours undisturbed.

4 Remove from oven, lift foil a bit to vent, and let cool at room temperature for 30 minutes; cover and refrigerate for 12 hours. 

5 Lift up a "corner" of the chilled clotted cream and pour off the liquid* underneath into a 1-cup glass measure. Scoop up layer of clotted cream into jar or serving dish. Keeps for several days, covered and refrigerated. Use the leftover liquid in your next batch of scones, pancakes or whatever you happen to be making. I like to make Classic Cream Scones with the leftover cream. 

* When you pour off that liquid, you don't have to get every last drop out. Usually the underside of the clotted cream layer is quite wet and might actually drip as you spoon it into a container. The contents of the container can seem quite wet, but it all melds together in the refrigerator.

Note: These cute little 4-ounce freezer-safe canning/storage jars with plastic caps are perfect for clotted cream. One recipe makes two jars. 

Now put the kettle on and Make a Proper Cup of Tea! 

Disclosure: We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon .com and affiliated sites. We are a ThermoWorks affiliate, earning a small commission at no cost to you on purchases made through our links. This helps cover some of the costs of running the blog. Thank you for your support. 

Jean

Update 31 May 2021: I've taken up watercolour painting since posting this and just came across a tutorial on YouTube by English watercolour artist Paul Clark and gave it a go. This is one I'll be trying again, though it will never come up to his level!