Category: Tea

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Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes

Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Simple with historic ingenuity these are still a staple today-Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes the newest Little Jewel in the Membership Collection.

SCOTTISH OAT CAKES

These oat cakes have been a part of Scottish cuisine dating as far back as the 14th century. The story goes that nuns in Scotland were making “little pancakes rather like communion wafers”, and this is thought to describe the making of oatcakes.  Scottish soldiers would carry oats which they moistened then griddled.

Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

MODERN OAT CAKES

The texture of today’s oatcakes may vary from rough to fine depending on how the oats are ground They are a fantastically flexible cake, from breakfast to dinner and cocktail hour.

With just 5 ingredients these modern Scottish Oak Cakes are very easy to prepare, then keep on hand. Rolled oats, oat flour or finely ground oats, baking powder, salt, olive oil or butter along with hot water-that’s it. Really.

The dough is rolled out thin, cut into 2-3 inch rounds and popped in the oven to crisp. After 15-20 minutes golden brown and crisp cakes emerge ready for you to spread your favorite toppings.

Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes | Bijouxs Little Jewels

CHEESE & CRACKERS

My favorite take on these cakes is pictured here, sharp creamy French Roquefort with a drizzle of rich local avocado honey-perfect. These very simple crackers are a vessel for your favorite sweet or savory spread. Nice to accompany a cheese plate too.

No. 626 Scottish Vintage Oat Cakes one of hundreds of recipes that await you in the Collection Membership.

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Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies

Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies | Bijouxs Litle Jewels

Mushrooms in ginger cookies?? Yes, and they are strangely good, These cookie are the surprise hit of the holiday season. A tender-soft ginger cookie, spiced with molasses, turmeric and just a hint of mushroom-sounds crazy but crazy good-Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies new in the Membership Collection.

GINGER COOKIES

Nothing says the holidays like ginger cookies. My Christmas Molasses Cookies are a staple in the season, but a new favorite has just emerged. These Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies sound like an impossible combination, but I think they are heaven. I sampled them out to my friends and two-thumbs up! Baked with a topping of crunchy Demerara sugar, and yes, crushed dried mushtooms.

Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies | Bijouxs Little Jewels

COOKING WITH MUSHROOMS

These cookies are from one of my favorite creative cookbooks. The innovative recipes are from Andrea Gentl. You may remember her beautiful photos and recipes from the Hungry Ghost website, now shuddered.

But you can still enjoy her lovely recipes via here at Wild Larder Journal Substack.

EARTHY MUSHROOMS

These cookies were inspired from a cookie the author tasted in India-filled with spices of fresh ginger, turmeric, cloves and mushroom powder and made with rye flour-earthy soft cookie that is all at once familiar, yet at the same time very unique. Baking for the holidays.

Ginger Reishi Maitake Molasses Cookies | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Savory the season with Bijouxs. Wishing you all a happy holiday season.

No. 602Recipe Card Posted on by — Leave a comment

French Strawberry Preserves

French Strawberry Preserves | Bijouxs Little Jewels

More and more, we all wonder as we cruise the vast supermarket aisles, “Where did this food come from and what’s really in it?” Food labels are akin to reading hieroglyphics. Consider this simple, classic everyday beauty, French Strawberry Preserves – just a few ingredients with loads of fresh flavor.

FRENCH PRESERVES

This recipe is adapted from Mes Confitures: The Jams and Jellies of Christine Ferber, real French preserves. The difference I can see is the technique for making the preserves, it is a very easy 3-day procedure, and it produces the best jam I have made thus far.

French Strawberry Preserves | Bijouxs Little Jewels from the Kitchen

FRAISES DE BOIS STRAWBERRIES

This variety of smaller, more delicate strawberry is also referred to as Alpine Strawberry in English. I had grown them at my cherished Spanish Bungalow, now so close to the sea, berries are more difficult to grow without ample sun. Lucky they are grown in the drier inland commercial farms near me. I used them here in the French Preserves.

TOAST AND JAM

French Strawberry Preserves | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Always a comfort toast & jam and a cup of tea, savor French Strawberry Preserves No. 602 from the Collection.

 

 

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Italian Prune Plum Torte

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plums are in season, but savor them now in this classic Italian Prune Plum Torte, the newest Little Jewel from the Bijouxs Collection.

ELUSIVE ITALIAN PRUNE PLUMS

I wait every year for this time, scouring the markets for the elusive Italian prune plums. Then one day on a walk through the market, there they are. Usually they set off to the side in smaller crates alongside the other plums. I grab my shopping bag and purchase a generous amount enough for the torte and a small batch of jam.

Italian Prune Plum Tart | Bijouxs Little JewelsItalian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

TORTE VS TART

So, what is the difference between a torte and a tart? A torte, from the Italian word torta means “cake.” So, a torte has a batter base, more like a cake. A tart like this one is baked on a crust like this one on my classic Plum Tart. Once you look at them both the difference becomes apparent.

ITALIAN PLUM TORTE

This cake or torte is very easy to prepare. This recipe originated from Marion Burros. 40 years ago and The New York Times published Marian Burros’s recipe for this Plum Torte every September from 1983 until 1995. A very iconic recipe.

A simple batter is topped with the plum halves, sprinkled with sugar and baked until the plums are bursting.

Italian Prune Plum Torte | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Italian Prune Plum Torte \ Bijouxs Little Jewels

My grandmother had an extensive garden and grew this variety of plums, as well as a couple others. She mainly ‘put up’ jam and preserves with the stone fruits.

I have been baking this torte since 2012 since I first became aware of Prune Plums for my original Plum Tart post. So moved, I posted my favorite poem from Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle, “This is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams. This is just to say…

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Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

A cake to love-Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake, a simple cake for anytime snacking.

LEMONS & BLUEBERRIES

Two of my all-time favorites of the summer season join forces to create a cake that will always be appreciated. Living up in the Central Coast citrus and fruits abound. The lemons go rampent this time of year, so many on the trees it’s hard to use them all. My neighbors supply me with even more lemons that I can use so I freeze the juice in ice cubes tray to brighten up the not-so-sunny winter gloom of days to arrive soon.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake| Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

RICOTTA CHEESE

The magic of this cake is the whole milk ricotta cheese which adds a dense, creamy texture-the cake will keep for a few days making it a favorite mid-day grab with an espresso.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

BAKING THE CAKE

As I has previosuly reported, my move up the coast has placed me is a new home, with an old wall oven that always burns the edges of everything! I have tried many tactics, nothing left but to pray to replace the oven soon. Your cake will not have  the dark brown crust on the edges, but in case you are destined with an old oven, not to worry the crust does not distract from the tender texture of the cake.

Blueberry Lemon Ricotta Cake | Bijouxs Little Jewels

 

BEAUTIFUL FOOD BY DESIGN

I finally have completed my 4th cookbook Belle du Jour (beauty of the day). It has over 120 pages, lots of new recipes and has been a labor of love. I produce all parts of the book myself (call me crazy) from recipe preparation, photography, and book design, and publication. I offer the book, like my others, in digtial interactive format and print copy, both will be on my website shop just like my other cookbooks.

My next cookbook is already in my mind. That you for you support!

 

 

Still Hungry?