Ginger Molasses Cake with Apple Cider Sauce

Ginger molasses cake was a classic winter dessert growing up. We often had it around the holidays - warming, aromatic, and so cozy. Most recipes make a 9 x 13 pan which is simply too much dessert for someone living alone. This version keeps all of the comfort of the original recipes but adjusts it to make 1 circle cake pan, or 8 servings, instead of what sometimes feels like 400 servings. I’m being dramatic, but small batch baking is needed in 2020! The sauce uses pressed apple cider (the kind that comes in jugs at the farmers market), but if apple cider is out of season I’ve included a modification below for a brown sugar sauce. Served best warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Ginger Molasses Cake w/ Apple Cider Sauce

8 servings, 35-45 mins total

Cake Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup hot water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan (circle) or 8x8 square pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg and continue to mix until well incorporated.

3. Mix in molasses - if using an electric mixer  beat for 2-3 mins until light and fluffy. Otherwise mix by hand for 5-6 mins until light and fluffy.

4. Add in dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Texture should be like cookie dough.

5. Pour in hot water and mix until batter becomes looser. Do not overmix, you just want the batter to look uniform.

6. Pour into a greased and lined cake pan and bake at 375F oven for 20-25 mins, until the cake tester comes out clean.

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup of apple cider 

¼ cup of brown sugar

2 tbsp of flour

2 tbsp of butter

Method:

1. In a small pot combine apple cider, brown sugar and flour over medium heat. Whisk until clumps of flour are gone and bring to a boil. 

2. Boil until sauce thickens (3-5 mins). Remove from heat. Add butter and whisk until combined. Serve warm over gingerbread.

** if you don’t have apple cider, you could do 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ cup water, and 1 tsp of lemon juice, plus the above flour and butter ratios for a tangy brown sugar sauce.

3 ways to make gifting cookbooks more personal

I used to hate cookbooks. I remember thinking, “why would I use a cookbook when I could just google a recipe, read reviews, and find the best one?!”. In today’s “digital world”, slowing down and reading a cookbook seems like a lot of effort, but once you dig into cookbooks, you’ll see how much beautiful storytelling is there to enjoy. You’ll also realize how much you can learn from the chefs describing their techniques, backgrounds, and modifications. Now I love gifting cookbooks to loved ones because it’s a special way of sharing something that’s really important to me. Here are a few ways I’ve made gifting cookbooks more personal over the years:

Choose a cookbook you love and add sticky notes to your favourite recipes.

Rather than giving someone a cookbook and generally saying, “I love it!”, add sticky notes to the pages of your favourite recipes and explain what you love about it. Examples:

• This is my favourite weekday meal. Super tasty and fast to cook.

• I make these pancakes anytime I feel like something a bit fancier for brunch.

• This salad dressing is amazing! I make it every Sunday so that I have it in the fridge for the week!

This will help your friend or family member navigate the cookbook easily, plus it allows you to share your favourite recipes.

Package up ingredients featured in the cookbook and stock their pantry!

Some cookbooks call for ingredients that you know your friend likely doesn’t have on hand -  especially if it’s a regional cuisine cookbook that may call for whole spices or pantry items like ghee, tahini, or a specific type of lentil. Depending on your budget, you could bundle some of these ingredients with the cookbook when you gift it so they’re ready to start cooking right away.

Choose a cookbook you’ve been eyeing as well, and schedule a virtual cooking hang with your friend!

Is there a cookbook you’ve been wanting to buy for yourself? Gifting the same cookbook to your friend can allow you to schedule time to explore the recipes together. Maybe you do a monthly cookbook club where you Zoom while trying out the same recipe. Or if you’re in the same city but still social distancing, you could each choose different recipes to cook and swap half the portions with each other. Exploring a new cookbook together can be a great way to connect!

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I hope you find this guide helpful! Leave a comment if you’d like to see more content like this!

Glazed Chicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are moist, flavourful and just.. so good! I’ve been making them weekly, often serving them with roasted veggies or a side salad. You can play around with the spice combo, but overall the ratios below are perfect. The key to these meatballs is mixing together the egg, panko and spices before adding in the meat. This allows for the spices to be evenly distributed and avoids overmixing the ground chicken. They are glazed versus super sauce-y, so they would also make a great appetizer at a gathering.

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Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4, 30 mins

 Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken

½ cup panko crumbs

1 egg

½ tsp of each: garlic powder, paprika OR curry powder, red pepper flakes (OR ¼ tsp if you don’t like spicy things), kosher salt

Pepper

¼ cup of jelly/jam (grape, fig or quince are best!)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method: 

1. Mix together the egg, panko and spices until well mixed. Add ground chicken and mix until the breadcrumb mixture is well distributed. Roll into meatballs the size of your choice – I like 1.5 tbsp ish!

2. Heat non-stick pan to medium heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil. Brown the meatballs, turning often to maintain their round shape. Continue to cook until cooked through (165F meat thermometer) - typically 12-15 minutes for the size above. While the meatballs are cooking, make the glaze!

3. Mix together the glaze (you can use boiled water if you need help breaking down the jelly).

4. Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the glaze into the pan and continue to cook until it thickens and coats all the meatballs. If you want it more sauce-y you can add water a tbsp at a time to the pan!

Honey Pepper Butter

It may look like mashed potatoes, but it is in fact a delicious, sweet butter! This condiment is super simple but really adds a special touch to any dinner. Perfect on freshly baked rolls or fresh bread from the bakery. The honey adds sweetness, the pepper adds heat, and the salt balances it out to make an additive spread for your next dinner party.

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Honey Pepper Butter

10 mins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp*
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper
1 tbsp honey

Method:

Mix together until well combined! Serve room temperature.

If you have salted butter, just skip the salt!

Red Lentil Tomato Soup

The ultimate comfort food for me is tomato soup. When I’m upset or stressed, there is nothing better than a nostalgic tomato soup. There is a restaurant near my apartment that used to have an amazing tomato soup on their menu, and they always topped it with fresh ricotta. I took a page out of their book with mine this week, but a delicious grilled cheese would also go perfectly on the side. Added in red lentils to keep it hearty and a bit more filling than the classic!

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Red Lentil Tomato Soup

Serves 4, 30-45 mins cook time

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped

2 carrots, diced

1/2 tsp smoked paprika

1 x 28 oz can of whole, peeled tomatoes (ideally San Marzano)

1.5 cups water

Parmesan rind (optional)

1/2 cup red lentils

1 cup milk

1 tsp dried basil (or handful of fresh!)

Salt n pepper to taste

Method:

1. In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion, garlic and carrots and sautee until onions are softened (5-7 mins).

2. Add smoked paprika and let it cook out for 1-2 mins.

3. Add canned tomato, water and stir. Cover and simmer until carrots are tender. If you have a Parmesan rind in your freezer, add it now!

4. Once carrots have softened, add red lentils, stir and cover for another 15 mins or until lentils are soft.

5. Remove parm rind and transfer to a blender (or use a hand blender!). Add milk and basil and blend until smooth.

6. Taste and adjust seasoning.

7. Serve with fresh ricotta, olive oil or other topping of choice (perhaps, grilled cheese?!)