Nut Cake (The Vegetarian Epicure)

I think these make a very nice gift for the holidays. It’s impressive when the slice reveals it is made mostly of nuts with a small amount of cake binding them together. And for your friends for whom fruitcake is unendurable: they will love this, or will at least be happy that it’s not fruitcake!… Continue reading Nut Cake (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Swedish Rye Bread…with a difference (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Because the wheat and rye are whole-grain, the bran in them degrades the gluten structure of the bread, which prevents the bread rising properly. To offset that tendency, the recipe adds gluten flour. This is the mysterious difference alluded to in the title. Caraway, anise, and orange rind give this bread its unique and wonderful… Continue reading Swedish Rye Bread…with a difference (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Challah Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

When I was a teenager I opened up my mother’s classic Amy Vanderbilt Cookbook (the one with illustrative line-drawings by Andy Warhol), and dared to make yeast-raised white bread. I say, “dared” because she had never made such bread and I would be flying blind, with only that cookbook serving as my flying instruments. By… Continue reading Challah Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

French Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Bread recipes are very long, but the list of ingredients is usually very short. This one has the shortest list of ingredients and one of the longest recipes to follow. But it’s amazing in its simplicity and flavor. Also, you can impress people because you baked not just bread, but French bread. 1 heaping tablespoon… Continue reading French Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

German Apple Pancake (The Vegetarian Epicure)

This is my favorite apple-pie sort of dessert. The batter for the pancake is very much like popovers, and come out of the oven, with a crispy, airy crunch. The filling is simplicity itself – apples, butter, sugar, and spices, cooked in the pan until the apples are tender. For the topping, we just like… Continue reading German Apple Pancake (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Potato White Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

I used to bake bread regularly, when it seemed I had endless amounts of time at my disposal, but that’s what it’s like in the early days – when we were young and sure to have our way. All the bread recipes I am blogging that are from The Vegetarian Epicure are some of my… Continue reading Potato White Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Monday Pumpernickel (The Vegetarian Epicure)

When I was 18 and a member of my college choir, I was invited to a dinner party, joining with a group of my fellow singers at one member’s house. We sat around the table, and when the basket of warm bread was passed around, I took a piece and ate it with butter. It… Continue reading Monday Pumpernickel (The Vegetarian Epicure)

Herb and Onion Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)

The author, Anna Thomas, writes that this is “the fastest yeast bread I know”. It is fast, and I can tell you it is fragrant with dill and rosemary, the kind of smell you want to greet you when you open the door. It is likely to make you feel hungry to have some even… Continue reading Herb and Onion Bread (The Vegetarian Epicure)