Beet Hummus

It’s been a while since I’ve posted for Cook the Book Fridays, though I’ve been cooking along as often as I could and posting the results on Instagram. Today, I found myself on schedule and with a little time to put together a post, so here I am! First up is today’s recipe, but I thought I’d add in the rest of the things I’d make since I posted last.

This spread looks like an especially vibrant finger paint, but is actually a delicious take on hummus, with the sweetness of beet, the sharpness of pomegranate molasses, and the spiciness of cayenne amping up the traditional ingredients. I took the time to remove the skins from the chickpeas, so the end result is extra-smooth. This was good with crackers tonight, but I’m planning on trying it with roasted potato wedges and crudites tomorrow.

Carrot Cake

I spent Easter weekend with family and though we had Easter dinner at my brother’s restaurant (it wasn’t just Easter and April Fool’s Day, but also my aunt’s 75th Birthday), I managed to do quite a bit of cooking and baking, as well. My mother had far too many carrots in her refrigerator, so I used that as an excuse to finally make the Carrot Cake that the rest of the group baked in February. It’s a beautiful cake, moist and rich, not too sweet and perfectly spicy. The cream cheese and mascarpone icing is delicious and might eclipse my love for traditional cream cheese icing with carrot cake.

I baked the cake in two 9″ pans and four mini-loaf pans. The double-layer round cake was still quite substantial at that size and the mini-loaves were very popular at my mother’s board meeting, I hear.

Chocolate Chip, Hazelnut & Dried Cherry Fougasse

I brought this bread to a board meeting of my own and it disappeared completely (always my goal). I love this sweet fougasse almost as much as the savoury version and am tempted to make both the next time I go to a potluck.

Panisse Puffs

These chickpea popovers were easy to make in a muffin pan and didn’t last long. I ate them as they were, but some of my tasters added jam. They’re a perfect addition to a brunch buffet.

Naan au Fromage

These are more Naan-ish than Naan, but that won’t stop me from having them again. I especially loved using the herbed variety of Laughing Cow cheese in these, as it saves a step and has just as much flavour.

Buttermilk Ice Cream

Buttermilk ice cream is the perfect way to use up buttermilk that’s left over from baking projects (or am I the only one who has trouble using up a full litre before it goes off?). It’s creamy and delicious and has a tang from the buttermilk that’s just as more-ish as the tang of Snickerdoodles.

You can read through everyone’s posts here. And consider joining this community of wonderful cooks and lovely people, as we work our way through David Lebovitz‘ My Paris Kitchen.