Christmas Food Gifts: Gurdeep Loyal’s Recipes For Mexican-spiced Brittle And Savoury Pinwheels

1 month ago

Edible Christmas gifts are a awesome excuse to get experimental pinch world flavours. For herb lovers, this moreish Mexican brittle, which is inspired by salsa macha (a delicious chilli-crunch), is sweet, salty, smoky, crunchy and has hints of anise. Then, for savoury lovers, immoderate cheesy pinwheel cookies enlivened pinch XO sauce. XO is simply a profoundly umami condiment from Hong Kong made from dried seafood, salty ham, chilli and spices. Paired pinch tangy manchego, it adds a funky footwear to these crumbly biscuits.

Mexican pumpkin seed and salted herb brittle

Prep 5 min
Cook 25 min, positive cooling
Serves 6-8

100g pumpkin seeds
125g salted peanuts
2 tbsp coriander seeds
2 tbsp fennel seeds
2 tsp caraway seeds
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tsp ancho chilli powder aliases smoked paprika
2 tsp smoked salt, crushed to powder
70g butter
300g caster sugar

In a large, barren frying cookware aliases skillet, toast nan pumpkin seeds, stirring nan full time, for 2 to 3 minutes, until they commencement to popular and tint brown. Tip into a ample vessel and time off to cool completely. Repeat pinch nan peanuts, until they conscionable tint brown, past extremity into nan bowl.

In nan aforesaid pan, barren toast nan coriander seeds, fennel seeds, caraway seeds and dried oregano for a infinitesimal aliases two, until they return connected conscionable a small colour and merchandise their aromas; return attraction not to pain them. Pour into nan seed bowl.

Finally, barren toast nan sesame seeds for 30-45 seconds, until they conscionable tint brown, past extremity into nan bowl. Add nan chilli powder and smoked salt, operation good and group aside.

Have fresh a ample rectangle of nonstick baking insubstantial aliases a ample silicon baking mat. Heat nan food successful a ample cookware until afloat melted, past adhd nan caster sweetener and 50ml acold water. Swirl nan cookware mildly complete a medium-high power (do not over-stir, because nan operation tin easy crystallise) for 5 aliases six minutes, until nan operation turns a heavy caramel colour and reaches 155C connected a sweetener thermometer – this is important, because it’s nan difficult ace constituent for nan sugar.

Quickly move successful nan nuts, seeds and spices, operation thoroughly, past move evenly connected to nan baking insubstantial – return care, because it will beryllium hot. Put a expanse of greaseproof insubstantial connected apical of nan operation and usage a rolling pin to flatten it retired into an moreover furniture astir ¾cm thick. Peel disconnected nan apical expanse of paper, time off to cool completely, past threat into shards and enjoy. They’ll support for a period successful an airtight container.

Manchego and XO-poppyseed pinwheels

Gurdeep Loyal’s poppy seed XO pinwheels look for illustration swiss rolls but beige. A small, reddish gift container tied pinch a aureate front sits among nan snacks.

Prep 15 min
Chill 45 min
Cook 50 min
Makes 25-30

3 tbsp XO sauce (I usage Lee Kum Kee) – if you can’t find any, operation 3 tbsp Chinese chilli crisp pinch ¾ tsp shrimp paste
50g achromatic poppy seeds
2 tbsp white-wine vinegar
Sugar
350g plain flour, plus other for dusting
½ tsp baking powder
1½ tsp achromatic pepper, coarsely crushed
1½ tsp English mustard powder
2 tbsp coarse semolina
Fine salt
200g butter, acold and cubed
150g manchego, finely grated
50g parmesan, finely grated
2 ample ovum yolks, whisked

In a mini blender, whizz nan XO sauce, achromatic poppy seeds, white-wine vinegar and a pinch of sweetener for 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down nan sides halfway, until you person a accordant coarse paste. Add a scatter of h2o to loosen, if request be, past scrape into a bowl, screen and chill.

Meanwhile, successful a ample bowl, whisk nan flour, baking powder, achromatic pepper, mustard powder, semolina and a half-teaspoon of good salt. Using your fingers, swipe successful nan food cubes until nan operation resembles even, small, damp breadcrumbs pinch nary lumps. Mix successful nan cheeses.

Add nan eggs yolks, past usage your hands conscionable to bring everything together into a dough, adding 2 teaspoons of ice-cold water. (Don’t over-knead; adhd an other 1 aliases 2 teaspoons of water, if needed.) Press into a very tight shot pinch nary cracks, past style into a flattened quadrate astir 20cm x 20cm x 2½cm. Wrap successful clingfilm and chill successful nan fridge for 15 minutes.

Put nan mixed connected a floured surface, trim it successful half vertically, past put 1 half connected apical of nan other. Roll into a ample rectangle astir 40cm x 30cm x ½cm, pressing together immoderate cracks.

Use a spatula to dispersed nan XO-poppy seed filling successful an moreover furniture complete nan dough. Carefully and tightly rotation from nan apical to nan bottom, a spot for illustration a Swiss rotation (don’t interest if it cracks). Slice nan log into 1cm-thick cookies, past put connected 2 oven sheets lined pinch baking paper. Rest successful nan fridge for 30 minutes.

Heat nan oven to 220C (200C fan)/425F/gas 7. Bake nan cookies for 16-18 minutes, rotating nan trays erstwhile halfway, until aureate brown. If you like, sprinkle pinch an other grating of manchego 3 minutes earlier nan cooking clip is up. Remove, time off to cool wholly connected a rack, past store. The cookies will support for a week successful an airtight container.

Flavour Heroes: 15 Modern Pantry Ingredients to Amplify Your Cooking, by Gurdeep Loyal, is published by Quadrille astatine £27. To bid a transcript for £24.30, spell to guardianbookshop.com