20th Century Cocktail

A cocktail created in 1939 connection with the introduction of the new streamlined Dreyfus Hudson Engine which began pulling the Twentieth Century Limited train between New York City and Chicago in 1938. The recipe was first published in 1939 in the Cafe Royal Bar Book. -from wikipedia

1 1/2 oz gin
1/2 oz white creme de cacao
1/2 oz Lillet Blanc
1/4 oz fresh lemon juice
Preparation:

Pour the ingredients into a cocktail shaker filled with ice.
Shake well.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.

Persimmon Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting

Persimmon Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting
Originally uploaded by kel h

Persimmon Cupcakes with Honey Cinnamon Frosting
(inspired by a trip to the new H Mart in Burlington)

Persimmon Puree
peel and finely dice 1 persimmon. In a saucepan add 1/3c sugar and 1tbsp water and cook persimmon for 10 min until soft. Force through sieve. It should create a jelly like substance

1 c flour
2/3 c sugar
2/3c unsalted butter (softened at room temp)
1 tsp baking powder
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
¾ cup persimmon puree from above
1 finely diced persimmon (skin on – the skin lets the fruit hold its shape and adds colour and texture)

Preheat oven to 350. Place flour, sugar and baking powder in mixing bowl. Beat on low speed for a few seconds to mix (I used an electric hand beater). Add butter and half the egg and beat on low speed until well combined. Increase speed to high and beat for about 30 seconds (I wanted the texture to be a little dense, so I didn’t beat it for too long). Add the rest of the egg and beat until incorporated (about 10-20 seconds). Gently fold in the puree, then the chopped persimmon. Don’t worry if the puree is not mixed in completely.

Spoon into cupcake cases and bake for about 12 minutes or until golden.

Cool, then ice

Makes 12 small cupcakes.

Honey-Cinnamon Frosting

1 1/4 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon milk (plus more if needed)

1. In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the confectioners' sugar, unsalted butter, honey, ground cinnamon, and milk until completely smooth. Taste and adjust amount of cinnamon and honey if needed, and add in more milk a teaspoon or two at a time if needed to thin it. If you plan to pipe the frosting onto the cupcakes, I highly recommend doubling the recipe.

Red Lentil and rice soup that is not terribly soupy

Red Lentil and rice soup that is not terribly soupy
Originally uploaded by kel h

its one of those "use everything in the pantry" kind of weeks, and i have a ton of red lentils, so I tried to make red lentil soup. Except i accidentally added waaaay too much rice and it became red lentil and rice....stuff. Still tasty, not so soupy

1 c. red lentils
1 med. onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1/4 c. rice (I accidentally added 1 c which is why it looks less like soup and more like rice with lentils and onions)
1/8 tsp. red pepper flakes
6 c. veggie broth
1 bay leaf
1 cup crushed tomatoes (or a small can if you want more tomatoey goodness)
2 tbsp. olive oil

heat olive oil in bottom of stock pot and cook chopped onion and garlic along with bay leaf until onions soften. Add veggie broth, lentils, rice, tomatoes and pepper flakes and bring to boil, then reduce heat to simmer. Simmer until rice and lentils become soft (start checking after half an hour or so).