Ingredients

Crumb Topping

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar 
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt 
• ½ cup cold butter, cubed 

Cake

• ½ cup chopped crystallized ginger
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt 
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon 
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda 
• 2 cups plus ½ Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided, plus more for skillet 
• ¾ cup butter, softened 
• ½ cup granulated sugar 
• ½ cup packed light brown sugar (all I had was dark and it was fine)
• 2 large eggs 
• 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½ cup sour cream
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (from 1 [6-oz.] container)
• Vegetable shortening, for greasing pan

Directions

1. Prepare the Crumb Topping: Stir together flour, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl; cut cold butter into flour mixture with a pastry blender or fork until crumbly. Cover; chill until ready to use. THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT… WILL MAKE IT MORE CRUMBY1
2. Prepare the Cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine crystallized ginger, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and 2 cups of the flour in a food processor; process until ginger is very finely chopped and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes. Set aside.
3. Beat butter with a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until creamy, 1 minute. Gradually add granulated and brown sugars; beat until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating until just combined after each addition. Beat in vanilla, 10 seconds. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternately with sour cream, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined after each addition.
4. Toss together blueberries and remaining ½ tablespoon flour in a bowl. Gently fold blueberry mixture into batter. Spoon into a greased (with shortening) and floured 10-inch cast-iron skillet or oven-proof skillet (at least 2 inches deep). Smooth batter into an even layer using an offset spatula. Sprinkle evenly with Crumb Topping.
5. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool 30 minutes to serve warm, or cool completely, about 1 hour.

PREP TIME5 mins

COOK TIME10 mins

TOTAL TIME15 mins

8 servings

Ingredients

For the dipping fondue chocolate:

• 1 cup (8 ounces) heavy cream
• Pinch salt
• 12 ounces milk or dark chocolate (chips or roughly chopped bar)

For dipping:

• Strawberries
• Banana pieces cut into 1-inch chunks
• Dried apricots
• Apple slices
• Candied ginger

Method

1. Heat the cream with a pinch of salt over medium heat in a small saucepan until tiny bubbles show and begins to lightly and slowly simmer.
2. Remove from heat, add the chocolate, and whisk until smooth and fully incorporated.
3. Transfer the chocolate mix to a fondue pot heated at low or with a low flame, or serve straight from the pot.
4. Arrange the dip-ables on a platter or plates around the chocolate pot.
5. Use a fondue fork, bamboo skewer, seafood fork, or salad fork to dip the fruit pieces and other dip-ables into the hot melted chocolate mixture. Eat immediately.
6. If the fondue begins to feel a little stiff, add a tablespoon of heavy cream and stir. It will help it go a little longer. Eventually, it will cook down though, and you may need to start a new pot.

The annual Passover abstention from flour need not be so abstemious, as François Payard demonstrates in this recipe for chewy, gooey chocolate-walnut cookies. Egg whites add a meringuey quality, but fudginess prevails in these jumbo-size beauties,

François Payard’s Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 1/2 cups walnut halves
2 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the walnut halves on a large-rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for about 9 minutes, until they are golden and fragrant. (1) Let cool slightly, then transfer the walnut halves to a work surface and coarsely chop them. Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower temperature to 325. Line two large-rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. (2) In a large bowl, whisk (or combine in an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioners’ sugar with the cocoa powder and salt followed by the chopped walnuts. While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened (do not overbeat or it will stiffen). (3) Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds, and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked; shift the pans from front to back and top to bottom halfway through to ensure even baking. Easiest just to do one pan at a time. Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks. Let cookies cool completely, and store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

passed down from my Grandma Sarah and Aunt Bella

For approximately 1 pound peeled raw horseradish, use approximately 2-3 small peeled fresh beets

1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, water to taste

Step 1

shred radish and beets in the food processor… Be very careful that you don’t inhale fumes. This can be very painful. Much worse than onions.

Step 2

put shredded stuff back in the food processor with steel blade… until it is finely chopped.

The rest is just guesswork. Not all horseradish is created equal. Some are riper than others and that affects how strong it is. There are ways to mitigate this problem. Leave uncovered for a couple of hours. Adding water, more sugar, more beets, even some lemon juice will help. The taste changes from day to day so it might taste better the longer it sits in the fridge. I would make this about three days before serving.

with revisions

Recipe from Strawbery Banke Museum

Adapted by Joan Nathan

Yield: 12 servings

• 1cup poppy seeds
• 1cup milk or soy milk
• 1cup (8 ounces) unsalted butter or pareve margarine, plus more for greasing pan
• 2cups all-purpose flour, plus additional for dusting pan
• 1 cup sugar(original recipe called for 2)
• 3large eggs, separated
• 2teaspoons vanilla extract
• ½teaspoon salt
• 2½teaspoons baking powder
• zest from 2 lemons and juice from 1
• Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting

PREPARATION

1. Step 1In a small saucepan, combine the poppy seeds and milk. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and allow to rest until cool, about 20 minutes.
2. Step 2Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a large loaf or tube pan by greasing it with margarine and lightly flouring the inside of the pan.
3. Step 3In bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, cream together butter or margarine and sugar. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and poppy seed-milk mixture, and beat until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups flour, salt and baking powder. Mix well; remove bowl from mixer and set aside.
4. Step 4Place a clean bowl in mixer, with a whisk attachment, and whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gently fold into batter. Scrape into pan, and bake until a knife inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour. Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes. When cool, dust cake with confectioners’ sugar.