All posts filed under: Breakfast & Brunch

Poached Peaches & Apricots

Perfect dessert for last minute cravings or guests…comes together in 20-25 minutes. You can make it in advance and keep it in the fridge as well as it keeps well for 3-5 days! For me the most important and beautiful part of this recipe is that pale peachy color the simple syrup takes…ah so wonderfully satisfying! And the green pistachios on top for a bit of a crunch…dunno what more to add honestly. You could even place the cooked fruits in jars, top them with all the syrup and reserve these favorite summer fruits for a gloomy cold day when all you crave is sunshine πŸ™‚ Ingredients: 125 gr sugar 300 ml water 2 strips lemon rind, cut into thin strips 2 cardamom pods, crushed 1 tsp vanilla essence 5 peaches, halved and pitted 1 tbsp lemon juice 1 tbsp rosewater A handful of pistachios, preferably peeled, roughly chopped Vanilla ice cream or plain greek yogurt to serve Method: Start by placing a large bowl in the freezer to chill. In a wide saucepan add …

Italian Savory Pie

Perfect as appetizer or main dish with a side of crunch lemony salad and a chilled glass of wine this pie will steal your heart, that’s how good it is! I made a sweet onion jam and it elevated the flavors so much so don’t skip the step! It takes little time and you can make more and store in the fridge to use in sandwiches and burgers…yammm!!! Make the onions first so they have time to cool, then the pastry and finally the ricotta filling. The crust is so flaky and easy to make. A tip I want to give you regarding the pastry is, before placing it in the fridge to rest, shape it as a disk and not as a ball , this will make shaping much easier. Also, make sure the ingredients are all very very veryyy cold πŸ™‚ let me know if you try it!! For 2-4 people Ingredients: For the Pastry: 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/4 cup grated parmigiano, optional 1/2 teaspoon salt 100 gr butter, very …

Brioche

This brioche is so worth having on your counter waiting for you in the morning that it makes you forget all the waiting involved while making it. I honestly don’t mind the timing and when I see dough all puffed and doubled in size it makes me super happy! It’s perfect to eat as is, lightly toasted with butter and jam or used for french toast. It keeps for 6 days in an airtight container and also, it smells and tastes delicious πŸ™‚ You can definitely make it by hand without a stand mixer. if you try it, let me know! (find the recipe for my french toast here http://thepestogodmother.com/2019/04/08/french-toast/ ) INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup warm milk 1 tbsp instant yeast 3 large eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup sugar + 1 tablespoon 5 tbsp melted and cooled butter (around 70 gr) 1 tsp salt 4 1/2 cups bread flour or all purpose flour Poppy seeds, optional For the egg wash: 1 egg 1 tsp water Method: Place the warm milk in a medium sized bowl …

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

This cake is so soooo good and easy to make! Perfect for summer so tangy and sweet , yummy! If you do it let me know and don’t forget to subscribe to my newsletter…I won’t spam your inbox, I promise πŸ™‚ INGREDIENTS: For the cake:  2 cups all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon poppy seed 2 Β½ teaspoons baking powder Β½ cup sugar 110 gr butter, softened 2 tablespoons lemon zest, packed Β½ cup lemon juice 3 eggs, at room temperature 1/3 cup Milk For the glaze: 1 cup icing sugar, sifted 2 tablespoons lemon juice Method: Preheat the oven on 180. In a bowl add the flour, poppy seeds and baking powder. Whisk together and set aside. In the bowl of your stand mixer add butter and sugar and whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. (If the mixture starts to curdle add one tablespoon of the flour mixture and mix, that should fix it) Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and half of the flour …

Chocolate Tart

Smooth and velvety chocolate filling with a slightly salted flaky crust…this tart is to die for!!! Let me tell you that when I was pregnant with my youngest I ate a loooot of these. The recipe isn’t mine but one of my very best friends’. Trust me and try it, this dessert is just amazing! Ingredients: For the pastry: 225 gr flour 180 gr cold butter, cubed 1 1/2 tablespoon sugar 1/2 teaspoon of salt 4 tablespoons of ice cold water For the Chocolate filling: 4 strips unflavored gelatine 2/3 cup powder sugar 1/3 cup cocoa powder 1/4 cup cornstarch 4 cups milk 60 gr dark chocolate, chopped A pinch of salt Method: For the pastry: In a food processor add the flour, sugar and salt and pulse a couple of time to make sure everything is well mixed. Add the chilled butter and pulse till the mixture resembles lumpy sand. Add the ice cold water and pulse a couple of times. Tip the dough on a lightly floured surface and bring it together using …

Buttery Buns

Warm and buttery buns straight out of your oven…These will be the talk of the table. Simple and easy to make they take just a little time, but it’s hard to mess these up! These pillowy buns are so dreamy and hard to resist! Try them and let me know! Makes 12-14 buns Ingredients: 1 1/2 cup warm water 2 tablespoons instant yeast 1/3 cup sugar 2 1/2 teaspoons of salt 2 eggs, at room temperature 1/2 cup butter, unsalted & softened 5 to 7 cups of flour 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted for finishing Method: In a bowl add the flour, yeast, sugar, salt, eggs, the softened butter and warm water. Using your hands mix everything together till a dough is formed. Flour your working surface, tip the dough and have fun kneading it for 8-10 minutes. If dough is too sticky gradually add more flour till you end up with a smooth and soft non-sticky dough. Shape the dough into a ball and place in a bowl. Cover and let it rest till …

Bacon Wrapped Dates with Goat Cheese Filling

I start drooling every time I think about these easy to prepare appetizers that require just a few ingredients and are a combination of crispy, sweet, savory and creamy…need I say more? Recipe for 6-8 people Ingredients: 12 dates 125 gr plain goat cheese 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, finely chopped 6 strips of bacon, cut in half lengthwise Some honey to drizzle (optional) Method: Split the dates in half lengthwise being careful not to cut the date all the way through. Remove the pit. In a small bowl add the goat cheese, chopped walnuts and rosemary. Mix well. Fill the dates with the goat cheese mixture. Wrap each date with the bacon and place seam side down on a tray lined with baking paper. Bake in a preheated oven on 180 degrees until the bacon is nice and crispy. If using drizzle with some honey as soon as they come out of the oven. Serve warm or at room temperature. Buon Appetito!

Labneh Dip

Creamy lebanese tangy labneh dip is a must this holiday season and honestly any time this works perfectly! Super easy to make this dip is a beautiful starter, hope you give it a try!! Ingredients: 1/2 kg Labneh 1 big red bell pepper, charred, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cup sundried tomatoes in oil, strained very well and finely chopped (optional) 3 spring onions, finely chopped 1/2 cup black olives, pitted and chopped 1/2 cup green olives, pitted and chopped 3/4 cup fresh origano, finely chopped 1 tablespoon of Sumac Extra virgin olive oil Method: Cut the bell pepper in half, place on a baking tray skin side up, sprinkle some salt and drizzle some olive oil and place in the oven till skin in nice and charred. Take pepper out of the oven, place in a bowl and cover tightly with some plastic wrap and leave for about 15 minutes. This will make peeling the pepper much easier. In the meantime place in a bowl the Labneh, sundried tomatoes (if using), spring onions, olives …

My ‘home wrecker’ Caramel

My friends called this “the home wrecker” and I have to agree. One spoon leads to another and before you know it, its gone! Very easy to make and can be used in so many ways…I love my caramel salted so I added in the list of ingredients salt but you can totally omit it. Be very careful while doing this because it can burn badly so be confident and I would suggest not to have any kids around. Hope you will try it! Ingredients: 400 gr regular sugar 165 gr unsalted butter at room temperature, diced 250 ml heavy cream at room temperature 2 teaspoons Sea Salt (optional) Method: Add the sugar in a saucepan and place it over medium heat. Using a wooden spoon stir constantly. The sugar will form a bit of clumps but eventually it will melt into an amber-colored liquid. When the sugar melts lower the heat a bit and add the butter. Stir the butter into the caramel until it is completely incorporated, about 2 minutes. Once the butter …

Apple Pie

This is one of my favorite desserts ever…Am I saying this for every new recipe I post? Well, most probably that’s the case πŸ™‚ Thinly sliced apples flavored with cinnamon and a light caramel between two layers of flaky pastry…truly a treat. Don’t skip making the pastry at home as it is super easy, whether done by hand or in a mixer, its worth it. I used a 24 cm pie and it was perfect. Also, vanilla ice-cream? A must with this pie! Also, check out my YouTube ‘The Pesto Godmother’ channel for beautiful videos! Ingredients: For the Pastry: 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour 1/2 tablespoon salt 1/2 tablespoon sugar 225 gr cold butter, diced 6 tablespoons of ice cold water For the Caramel: 1/2 cup light brown sugar 25 gr unsalted butter 1/2 teaspoon of salt 1/4 cup milk 1/4 cup cooking cream 6 medium sized apples, peeled, cored and very finely sliced 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1 egg 2 tablespoons light brown sugar to sprinkle on top Method: For the Pastry: In a …