Buttery cornbread by Emine Hassan

Buttery cornbread

I’ve wanted to share this recipe for cornbread since August. I’ve already been in talks with my sister about making it as a side for this year’s American inspired Christmas dinner (this cornbread is the sole reason why Christmas will be American this year). Also, sorry for mentioning Christmas.

Buuutttt, I am glad we’re finally in the season of comfort food. This thick and buttery cornbread can be served savoury or sweet. My first batch was served with spicy jerk chicken and citrusy avocado salsa. My second batch had less sugar, so I chose to drizzle the bread with acacia honey and dried corn flowers from this little spice shop in London’s Borough Market. Adding corn flowers to a cornbread is possibly the corniest thing I’ve ever done.

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Tahini buns (tahinli çörek) by Emine Hassan

Tahini buns (tahinli çörek)

While I agree there’s nothing better than dipping a big chunk of warm bread in a bowl of tahini, recipes with tahini are endless and just…good. Sophie told me that she uses it to make vegan chocolate fudge. Another genius use for tahini is to stir it through some buttercream before layering with cake or adding a teaspoon to Greek yoghurt and dipping cubes of fried aubergine in it. It’s clear that tahini is a sweet and savoury melting pot.  Continue reading

Slow cooker brioche bread pudding with salted butterscotch sauce

I always break out the slow cooker when the temperature drops at this time of year. It’s so comforting to get home from work and have a meal ready and waiting. I make all the slow cooker regulars, cottage pie; beef stew; pulled pork and even roast chicken but one thing I love to make is dessert. This bread pudding is sheer carby perfection smothered in salty vanilla butterscotch sauce. Plus it’s super easy! It’s a great idea if your oven is busy cooking a big meal like Sunday dinner and you haven’t got room anywhere else to cook a dessert because you can plug a slow cooker in anywhere. Continue reading

Cheddar beer bread

Aren’t they the three best words to see together? I mean, of course there’s “I love you” and “Dinner is ready!” but…cheddar beer bread.

It’s been a bit of a month for bread around here, as I spend my weekends scouting out local bakeries and other produce and, well, it’d be rude not to take some home for the week, right?

But I’ll leave the complicated styles to the pros. This bread – the type that doesn’t require rising time or kneading – takes about an hour from start to finish, so it’s a great easy accompaniment to a hearty autumn stew or chilli. (The ease is a relief when you’ve spent the first half of your evening chopping, stirring, and lifting absurdly heavy pans in an effort to batch-cook something excellent.)

I feel like the base recipe also has plenty of scope for adaptions – herbs? Heavier beers and cocoa? More cheeses?

But we’ll start with this. Cheddar beer bread, I love you (dinner is ready!).

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Easy pizza with caramelised onions, Serrano ham, and goats cheese

Bread is a bit of a weakness of mine, in two ways: I love eating it fresh…but I’m not great at making it. Enriched dough? Fine, no problem. Pizza dough? My nemesis.

I’ve tried, truly. I’ve spent hours looking at flavour combinations I’d like to try and dreamed of jammy balsamic toppings. I’ve put the hours in. Pizza doughs that take a whole day: failed. Pizza dough that’s quick: failed.

Cheaty pizza dough made from a supermarket ciabatta mix? Ding ding ding, we have a winner!

There’s something about making pizza at home that means you can overlook the mountain of cheese because, well, at least it’s not Dominos, right? It’s a pizza recipe you can make on a work night, without faffing about with yeast. That, my friends, is my kinda meal. Continue reading