Honey and yogurt set cheesecake
No oven, no bain-marie, no cracks—this is the simplest of cheesecakes! You can make this up to 2 days ahead, topping with the honey and thyme just before serving if you like. It will keep in the fridge but the base will soften with time.
Serves eight
2 cups plus 2 tbsp/500g Greek-style yogurt
About 12 (7 oz/200g) Hobnobs (or other oat-flour cookie)
¼ cup/60g unsalted butter, melted
1½ tbsp thyme leaves
14 oz/400g cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp/40g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
1 lemon, finely zested to get 1 tsp
5¼ oz/150g white chocolate, broken into ½–¾-inch/1–2cm pieces
3 tbsp/60g honey
Line a 9-inch/23cm springform cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
Line a sieve with a clean kitchen towel and set above a bowl. Spoon in the yogurt, then draw up the sides of the kitchen towel. Squeeze the yogurt into a ball, pressing out as much liquid as you can. You want to end up with about 1⅔ cups/340g of thickened yogurt. Set aside until required. Discard the liquid.
Place the Hobnobs in a clean plastic bag and crush them finely with a rolling pin. Mix with the butter and 1 tbsp of the thyme and spoon into the cake pan, pressing it down to form an even layer. Set aside in the fridge.
Whisk together the cream cheese, strained yogurt, confectioners’ sugar, and lemon zest until smooth and combined; this can be done in a stand mixer or using a handheld mixer.
Next melt the chocolate. This needs to be done in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water (taking care that the base of the bowl is not touching the water). Stir the chocolate frequently for 2–3 minutes, taking care not to get any moisture into the chocolate as this will cause it to seize. Spoon the melted chocolate into the cream cheese mixture and whisk until combined.
Spread the cream cheese mixture over the cookie base evenly, then refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until set.
When ready to serve, warm the honey in a small saucepan with the remaining 1½ tsp of thyme leaves until thin and runny. Remove from the heat and drizzle over the cheesecake.
Release the cheesecake from the pan, divide into 8 slices, and serve.
Hazelnut, peach, and raspberry cake
I like to use blanched hazelnuts to keep the cake light in color, but unskinned work just as well, if that’s what you have—the color of the cake will just be darker. The cake tastes great when it is still slightly warm, but it’s also fine at room temperature. It will keep for 1 day in an airtight container, but (as with all cakes made with hazelnuts, which tend to dry out quickly) not much longer.
Serves ten
2 tsp sunflower oil
2 large peaches, pits removed, sliced into ½-inch/1½ cm wedges (2½ cups/340g)
2 cups/200g raspberries
1½ cups plus 2 tbsp/320g granulated sugar
1 cup/125g blanched hazelnuts
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp/200g unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 large eggs, beaten
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp/125g all-purpose flour
1½ tsp baking powder
⅛ tsp salt
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a 9-inch/24cm round springform cake pan with parchment paper and brush with the oil.
Place the peaches in a medium bowl with 1½ cups/150g of the raspberries and 1 tbsp of the sugar. Mix and set aside.
Put the hazelnuts into a food processor and blitz for under 1 minute, until roughly ground. Set aside.
Put the remaining 1½ cups plus 1 tbsp/310g sugar and the butter into the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat until smooth and well combined, then gradually add the eggs, mixing until incorporated. Add the ground hazelnuts, flour, baking powder, and salt and continue to mix until smooth. Spread the batter evenly in the cake pan and arrange the peach slices and raspberries randomly on top. Bake for 70–80 minutes, covering the cake with foil after 30 minutes so that it does not take on too much color.
Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly before releasing the cake from its pan. Place the remaining ½ cup/50g of raspberries on top of the cake, in the middle, and serve.
Spiced apple cake
This can either be eaten as it is, slightly warm or at room temperature, served with or without a scoop of vanilla ice cream. This cake should be eaten on the day it is baked, or the day after; store in an airtight container to keep it at its best.
Serves ten
½ cup plus 1½ tbsp/130g unsalted butter, at room temperature and cubed
¾ cup/150g granulated sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plus 2 tbsp/300g all-purpose flour
1 tbsp baking powder
rounded ¼ tsp salt
¾ cup/200g sour cream
Apple topping
3–4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into ½-inch/1½ cm wedges (3¾ cups/590g)
⅔ cup/130g demerara sugar
1 tbsp apple pie spice
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a high-sided 9-inch/23cm cake pan and line the base and sides with parchment paper.
Place the butter and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed, until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla, a little at a time, mixing until incorporated. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt and add this in a couple of batches to the batter, alternating with the sour cream. Turn the machine off as soon as everything is incorporated. Spoon the batter into the cake pan and set aside.
Place all the apple slices in a large bowl. Mix the demerara sugar and apple pie spice and sprinkle over the apples. Toss to coat, then spoon over the cake batter. Bake for 60–65 minutes, until the mixture has risen up around the apple and the top is crisp, firm, and golden brown. A knife inserted into the cake will not come out clean, as the apples are wet, but you can tell the cake is done when you give the pan a little shake and the top doesn’t wobble.
Remove from the oven and set aside for about 30 minutes before removing from the pan.
Serve either slightly warm or at room temperature. When slicing, use a serrated knife to prevent the apples from tearing.
Nutella, sesame, and hazelnut rolls
Two assumptions qualify these for Ottolenghi SIMPLE: one is that everyone has a jar of Nutella in their cupboard (hence “P” for pantry-led—a bit of a stretch we know!) and second, for the “E,” that making your own dough and rolling it up into all sorts of deliciousness is easier than it looks. The result is something between a cake and a cookie, best enjoyed as a treat with a cup of tea or coffee. The dough is delicate so it’s important that you soften the Nutella (until it’s nearly runny) before spreading it. Inspired by a similar pastry served at Landwer Cafe in Tel Aviv.
Makes ten rolls
1 cup plus 3 tbsp/150g bread flour, plus a little extra to dust the work surface
¾ tsp fast-acting instant dried yeast
1½ tsp granulated sugar
3 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for greasing
¼ tsp salt
brimming ¼ cup/65ml lukewarm water
mounded ¼ cup/40g blanched hazelnuts, toasted and roughly chopped
2 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
½ cup/150g Nutella, softened (in the microwave or gently on the stove, until easily spreadable)
1 small orange, finely zested to get 1 tsp
2 tsp confectioners’ sugar
Put the flour, yeast, sugar, 2 tbsp of the oil, and the salt into a large bowl and mix to combine.
Gently pour in the water, then, using a spatula, bring the mixture together until combined. Transfer to a lightly oiled surface and, with lightly oiled hands, knead the dough for 3 minutes until soft and elastic. You may need to add a little more oil if the dough starts to stick to the surface or your hands. Transfer to a lightly oiled bowl and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Let rise in a warm place for 40 minutes, until nearly doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Combine the hazelnuts and sesame seeds in a small bowl and set aside 1 tbsp.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out into a 12 x 16-inch/30 x 40cm rectangle, so that the longest side is toward you, parallel to the work surface. Using a spatula, spread the dough with Nutella, leaving a ¾-inch/2cm border on the top edge. Sprinkle the orange zest evenly over the Nutella, then scatter the sesame seed and hazelnut mix on top. With the longest side still toward you, roll the dough into a long log. Brush with the remaining 1 tbsp of oil, then sprinkle on the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame seed and hazelnut mix (press them into the dough gently, so they stick). Trim the ends and cut the roll into 10 segments, each 1¼ inches/3cm long, and transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet, seam side down.
Bake for about 10 minutes, until golden brown. Dust with the confectioners’ sugar and let cool slightly. Serve.
Mint and pistachio chocolate fridge cake
This is called a chocolate fridge cake but it should be seen as a bit of a larder cake as well, using what you have on hand—which is why this is a pantry recipe. All sorts of different-flavored chocolate (ginger chocolate, chile chocolate, and so forth), nuts, dried fruit, or alcohol can be used, instead of what’s listed here, depending on what you have and what you like. The cake can be stored in the fridge, in a sealed container, for up to 1 week.
Serves twelve
3½ oz/100g mint-flavored dark chocolate, roughly chopped into 1¼-inch/3cm pieces
7 oz/200g dark chocolate (70% cacao), roughly chopped into 1¼-inch/3cm pieces
8½ tbsp/120g unsalted butter, cut into ¾-inch/2cm cubes
2 tbsp light corn syrup
salt
¾ cup/100g golden raisins, soaked in s2 tbsp of rum for 30 minutes
6 oz/170g graham crackers, roughly broken into ¾-inch/2cm pieces
¾ cup plus 1 tbsp/100g shelled pistachios, chopped
Line a 8 x 10-inch/18 x 28cm baking pan or glass baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.
Put both chocolates, the butter, corn syrup, and ⅛ tsp salt in a large heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water (taking care that the base of the bowl is not touching the water). Heat for 2–3 minutes, stirring often, until completely melted and combined.
Add the raisins and rum, the graham crackers, and three-quarters of the pistachios (try adding the larger bits here, reserving the more powdery bits to finish) to the chocolate. Using a spatula, combine everything until the graham crackers and nuts are completely coated in chocolate. Transfer to the prepared pan, smoothing the top with the spatula so that it’s flat and even, then sprinkle the remaining pistachios on top. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool, then wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2–3 hours, until completely set.
Cut into 24 bars. If not serving straightaway, store them in an airtight container and serve fridge-cold.
Brunsli chocolate cookies
Anyone from Switzerland will tell you that these should only be made with cinnamon and cloves and only baked and eaten at Christmas. Having played around with the spice mix and baked and eaten them happily throughout the year, I would make the case for the rules for this chewy brownie-like (and gluten-free) cookie to be extended. Swiss-born Cornelia Staeubli, through whom nearly all decisions at Ottolenghi have to pass, would firmly disagree! It’s true, though, that they’re particularly at home when things are festive, so I’ve made them into stars to play the game.
Either way, these keep for 5 days in a sealed container. The dough can also be frozen (either when shaped into a ball or cut into cookie shapes) for up to 1 month. If you bake from frozen, just add another 1–2 minutes to the cooking time.
Makes eighteen cookies (if using a 2¾-inch/7cm cookie cutter)
2¾ cups/270g almond meal
1¼ cups/250g granulated sugar, plus 1 tbsp to sprinkle on top
¼ cup plus 1 tbsp/40g confectioners’ sugar, sifted
½ cup/40g Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
1 orange: finely zest to get 1 tsp
1½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
¼ tsp salt
2 large egg whites
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Place the almond meal, granulated sugar, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, orange zest, 5-spice powder, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook. Mix on medium speed, until combined. With the mixer running, add the egg whites and vanilla and continue to mix for 1–2 minutes, until the dough comes together into a ball. Tip the dough out on a clean surface, shape into a flat disk about 1¼ inches/3cm thick, and wrap in plastic wrap. Place in the fridge for about 1 hour, to rest.
Cut out two pieces of parchment paper, each 16 inches/40cm square. Unwrap the dough from its plastic wrap, place in the middle of the two sheets of parchment paper, and roll out to form a circle about 9 inches/22cm wide and ½ inch/1½ cm thick. Using a 2¾-inch/7cm star-shaped cookie cutter (or whichever cookie cutter you are using), cut out the stars and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Press together the scraps of dough and roll out again, cutting out more stars. Continue until all the dough has been used, then sprinkle the tops with the 1 tbsp of granulated sugar.
Bake for 12 minutes, until the bottoms are slightly crisp and the middles are soft and gooey. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
No-churn raspberry ice cream
This is the same recipe for ice cream used in the Knickerbocker Glory in my book SWEET. It’s a great stand-alone recipe, so here it gets its own page.
Make this throughout the year—fresh raspberries are great when they’re in season and there is a glut, but frozen also work really well. The liquid released by the frozen kind actually gives the puree a lovely, smooth consistency. Get ahead with making this; it needs to freeze for at least 12 hours and both the ice cream and puree can be kept for up to 1 month.
Serves six
5 cups/600g fresh raspberries (or frozen and defrosted)
2 tbsp confectioners’ sugar
¾ cup plus 2 tbsp/200ml heavy cream
1 egg, plus 2 egg yolks
1 tsp lemon juice
¾ cup plus 2½ tbsp/180g granulated sugar
⅛ tsp salt
Place the raspberries in a food processor and blitz to form a puree. Pass them through a fine-mesh sieve set over a bowl, using a large spoon to scrape the puree through the sieve to remove the seeds. Do this in batches if you need to. Measure out 1 cup plus 2 tbsp/260g of the puree and set aside. Sift the confectioners’ sugar into the remaining puree—about ½ cup/100g—and decant into a jug. Keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
Place the cream in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on high speed until soft peaks form, then scrape into a bowl. Keep in the fridge until ready to use.
Fill a medium saucepan that your stand mixer bowl fits snugly over with enough water so that it rises ¾ inch/2cm up the sides without touching the base of the bowl. Bring the water to a boil, then decrease to a low simmer.
In the meantime, whisk together the egg, yolks, lemon juice, granulated sugar, and salt in a second mixer bowl. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk the mixture continuously for about 5 minutes, until the granulated sugar has dissolved and the mixture is very warm. Trans
fer the bowl to the mixer, fit the mixer with the whisk attachment, and beat on medium-high speed, until the mixture is thick and cooled. It will thicken quite quickly but takes about 10 minutes or more to cool. Add the 1 cup plus 2 tbsp/260g of puree and whisk on a low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and continue to mix until combined. Remove the whipped cream from the fridge and fold through to incorporate. Scrape the mixture into a large freezer container, cover the top with plastic wrap, and freeze for at least 12 hours.
About 10 minutes before serving, remove the ice cream from the freezer (so that it is soft enough to scoop). Divide among bowls and serve at once, with a drizzle of the reserved sweetened raspberry juice spooned over each portion.
SIMPLE Meal Suggestions
from midweek to weekend suppers
The number of ways in which 140 recipes can be combined to make various meals is large. Here are just a few meal-planning ideas covering a range of occasions, from quick midweek to special event or weekend suppers. In some instances there are several ideas, depending on the season. Focusing on the food that’s in season and available is the best place to start in terms of keeping things simple in the kitchen and eating well. If a menu is vegetarian or vegan it will have a (V) or (VG) icon alongside.
Ottolenghi Simple Page 18