| Ending the Qatar blockade might be the price Saudi Arabia pays for Khashoggi's murder Posted: 03 Nov 2018 10:06 AM PDT  Just one month after Jamal Khashoggi's death, and with his body still missing, his murder looks set to transform regional politics.
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| In The 2018 Midterms, Democrats Have A Historic Opportunity. Do They Have The Votes? Posted: 03 Nov 2018 02:17 PM PDT  The Nov. 6 elections are first and foremost about Donald Trump. The president
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| Senate Report Concludes No Evidence Supports Kavanaugh Misconduct Accusations Posted: 03 Nov 2018 09:46 PM PDT  A report by the Republican-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee concluded
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| 2 Children Shot While Trick-Or-Treating In Philadelphia Posted: 03 Nov 2018 09:46 AM PDT  A Philadelphia teenager and her 5-year-old brother were trick-or-treating on
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| Pittsburgh bids farewell to 97-year-old synagogue victim Posted: 02 Nov 2018 01:49 PM PDT  Pittsburgh bid farewell Friday to 97-year-old Rose Mallinger, the oldest person killed in America's worst anti-Semitic attack in history and the last of the 11 victims to be laid to rest. Mallinger was shot dead by a gunman who reportedly yelled "All Jews must die" after bursting into the Tree of Life synagogue during Shabbat services on Saturday. Born in 1921, Mallinger may have been just three years shy of 100, but for the former school secretary, "age was truly just a number," her family said.
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| Indiana legislators push for school bus cameras after crash Posted: 02 Nov 2018 01:20 PM PDT  INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana legislators are pushing to add cameras on the outside of school buses after police say a driver ignored a stop arm and crashed into children crossing a road, killing three and critically injuring another.
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| Amazon Exec Rips ‘Leaking’ to Bezos’ Washington Post on Headquarters Posted: 03 Nov 2018 02:34 PM PDT  In a tweet Saturday morning, Amazon's Mike Grella addressed "the genius leaking info," saying: "You're not doing Crystal City, VA any favors. In earlier tweets, Grella criticized another story in the Post -- owned by Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos -- for speculating about the possible second headquarters location based on flight patterns of Bezos' jet.
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| Barack Obama Urges People In Georgia To Vote Despite Suppression Efforts Posted: 02 Nov 2018 06:30 PM PDT  Former President Barack Obama spoke at a campaign rally Friday for
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| Midterms 2018: Signs saying 'it's OK to be white' appear in Texas days before election Posted: 03 Nov 2018 07:35 AM PDT  As the nation prepares for the midterm elections, there is something of a sense of anxiety, following the mail bombing of pipe bombs, the shooting dead of two African Americans in a grocery store and the killing of 11 Jews at a synagogue in Pittsburgh. Critics of Donald Trump have accused the president of intentionally stoking division ahead of the election, with claims that a caravan of Central American migrants is a national security threat to the country. Asked about this on Friday as he left the White House, Mr Trump pointed at the reporter who asked the question and said: "You're creating violence by your question.
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| Israel raids office of Palestinian Jerusalem governor Posted: 04 Nov 2018 07:51 AM PST  Israeli forces raided the offices of the Palestinian governor of Jerusalem on Sunday, authorities said, after reports of an investigation related to a land sale. Israeli authorities confirmed the raid in Al-Ram, just on the other side of Israel's separation wall from Jerusalem in the occupied West Bank, but provided few details. It came after Israel's detention of the Palestinian governor, Adnan Gheith, on October 20.
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| The Briefing Room: US set to reimpose all Iran sanctions under nuclear deal Posted: 02 Nov 2018 02:03 PM PDT  Eight countries will get exemptions to keep buying Iran oil.
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| Trump's target audience for migrant caravan scare tactics: Women Posted: 02 Nov 2018 04:59 PM PDT  The president makes the case that the Central American migrant caravan is an issue that will lure female voters to the polls.
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| 10 Things I Learned Working In A Cannabis Dispensary Posted: 03 Nov 2018 06:00 AM PDT  It's just cannabis, right? How important can something affectionately referred
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| U.S. top court rejects Trump administration bid to halt climate trial Posted: 02 Nov 2018 04:05 PM PDT  The loss for the administration means it now faces a high-profile examination of U.S. climate change policy during the trial that was due to begin on Oct. 29 in Eugene, Oregon but has since been postponed by the judge. Chief Justice John Roberts on Oct. 19 had temporarily put the case on hold while the court as a whole decided how to proceed. The Supreme Court's three-page order noted that the administration may still have grounds to take its arguments to the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
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| Tension as New Caledonians in idyllic south Pacific poised to vote on independence from France Posted: 03 Nov 2018 11:12 AM PDT  Escalating tension in the French Pacific territory of New Caledonia ahead of an independence referendum on Sunday has prompted the authorities to ban the sale of alcohol and the carrying of firearms this weekend. The vote in the archipelago east of Australia has polarised its nearly 270,000 inhabitants along ethnic lines, pitting indigenous Kanaks who mostly favour independence against white and south-east Asian settlers. The vote was a condition of a 1988 agreement between separatists and the government that ended four years of violent unrest culminating in the killings of 25 people during a hostage crisis. Opinion polls indicate that a majority is likely to vote to remain French. About 40 per cent of the population are indigenous and 27 per cent are ethnic European. The rest is of mostly Polynesian and Indonesian origin. Kanak flags flew everywhere on the predominantly Kanak island of Ouvéa, where separatists killed four gendarmes and took 27 others hostage in 1988. Macky Wea, one of the hostage-takers, called for a boycott of the "fake" and "illegitimate" referendum, who argued that "only the colonised people, the Kanaks, should have the right to vote." A flag from the FLNKS, Front de liberation nationale kanak socialiste (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) flutters in a former settler's property of Poindimie Credit: Theo Rouby / AFP Nevertheless, some Kanaks will vote to stay in France. Simon Loueckhote, a former senator, has been touring Ouvéa, personally putting up posters bearing the slogan, "La France est une chance," which roughly translates as "France is our good fortune." Mr Loueckhote, 61, pointed out that the state pumps about £1.15 billion per year into New Caledonia. "The islanders are 100 per cent aided, supported and maintained by the public authorities. So when people talk to me about colonisation, I don't really understand. What would become of Kanak dignity if these funds stopped coming and we had to go begging?" The descendants of European settlers generally enjoy a higher quality of life than the Kanaks, who once suffered from strict segregation policies. More than 1,000 gendarmes have been deployed to maintain order over the weekend and shops are banned from selling liquor. Officially the government is neutral, offering no guidance on how to vote. Some 250 French officials and a dozen UN observers will monitor the poll. President Emmanuel Macron will address the nation on television Sunday after the result is announced. His refusal to join the campaign for New Caledonia to remain part of France was criticised by Laurent Wauquiez, leader of the conservative party, the Republicans, and Marine Le Pen of the far-Right National Rally.
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| N. Korea warns of returning to nuclear policy Posted: 04 Nov 2018 01:34 AM PDT  North Korea has warned the United States it will "seriously" consider returning to a state policy aimed at building nuclear weapons if Washington does not end tough economic sanctions against the impoverished regime. For years, the North had pursued a "byungjin" policy of simultaneously developing its nuclear capabilities alongside the economy. In April, citing a "fresh climate of detente and peace" on the peninsula, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un declared the nuclear quest complete and said his country would focus on "socialist economic construction".
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| Offensive teacher costumes prompt Idaho school investigation Posted: 02 Nov 2018 02:21 PM PDT ![Offensive teacher costumes prompt Idaho school investigation]( "Offensive teacher costumes prompt Idaho school investigation") MIDDLETON, Idaho (AP) — Idaho school district officials are apologizing after several teachers and staffers at an elementary school donned offensive Halloween costumes, one group in caricatured outfits depicting Mexican people and another group dressed as a border wall emblazoned with "Make America Great Again."
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| Why Banana And Peanut Butter Is The Best Pre-Run Snack Posted: 02 Nov 2018 11:43 AM PDT |
| Scared trick-or-treater clocks giant inflatable baby in the face Posted: 02 Nov 2018 10:56 AM PDT  A person dressed up in a giant inflatable baby costume attempted to scare some kids this Halloween, but things went sour when one scared trick-or-treater punched them. The moment was captured by the giant baby's uncle, who says that his nephew was socked after just a few scares, according to Viral Hog. "It was Halloween night when my nephew decided to scare kids," the uncle told Viral Hog. "After a few scares, I decided to record the next one when I saw the two kids walking towards us and that's when Indiana Jones socked my nephew." Fair. The giant baby is seriously horrifying. But, perhaps funnier than watching a big baby get punched is the uproarious and goofy laughter of the uncle who filmed the entire incident. And not to worry, the trick-or-treater and the person in the giant baby costume made up, giving each other a big hug before they both headed off in their separate directions.
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| Obama on the stump in Florida: 'They're coming after your health care' Posted: 02 Nov 2018 01:50 PM PDT  The former president calls out Republicans over what he sees as their hypocrisy on protecting people with preexisting conditions.
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| Supreme Court Rejects White House Move To Block Teens' Climate Change Lawsuit Posted: 02 Nov 2018 09:01 PM PDT  The Supreme Court has refused a Trump administration application to halt an
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| China hopes trade expo will highlight import clout as U.S. dispute rages Posted: 03 Nov 2018 06:18 PM PDT  The Nov. 5-10 China International Import Expo, or CIIE, is an attempt by Beijing to counter mounting criticism of its trade and business practices by bringing thousands of foreign companies together with Chinese buyers to demonstrate the importing potential of the world's no.2 economy. When Chinese President Xi Jinping opens the expo with a speech on Monday morning, few expect him to announce bold new policies of the kind that many foreign governments and businesses have been seeking. Instead, people involved in planning meetings have said they expect state-owned companies to arrive with orders to do deals, possibly even with quotas, so that the expo will end with China something to show the world.
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| Subaru and Toyota to Recall 165,000 Vehicles for Engine Issues Posted: 02 Nov 2018 11:33 AM PDT  Subaru and Toyota say they will recall 400,000 vehicles worldwide for potential engine issues that could lead to a car stalling or losing power. The problem is with four-cylinder engines found in...
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| US soldier killed in 'apparent insider attack' in Kabul: NATO Posted: 03 Nov 2018 08:48 PM PDT  One US soldier was killed and another wounded in an "apparent insider attack" in Kabul on Saturday, NATO said, in the latest such assault on international forces in Afghanistan. The Taliban claimed two similar attacks in the western province of Herat on October 22 and the southern province of Kandahar on October 18. General Scott Miller, the top NATO and US commander in Afghanistan, narrowly escaped the latter attack that killed a powerful police chief.
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| Iowa father takes stand, blames mother for baby's death Posted: 02 Nov 2018 01:55 PM PDT  MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa father on trial for the gruesome death of his infant son blamed the baby's mother from the stand Friday.
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| There Were Zero Things Better This Week Than That Absurdly Historic Klay Game Posted: 03 Nov 2018 09:19 AM PDT  Welcome to Good Stuff, HuffPost's weekly recommendation series devoted to the
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| Trump Presidency Faces High Stakes In Midterm Elections Posted: 03 Nov 2018 09:15 PM PDT  WASHINGTON (AP) -- President Donald Trump has been acting like a candidate on
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| Nine warming winter bakes to spice up your life, from plum crostata to saffron layer cake Posted: 03 Nov 2018 11:00 PM PDT  Star anise shortbread stars Credit: Laura Edwards If you are not a fan of the liquorice undertones in star anise, please feel free to substitute it with one and a half teaspoons of ground cinnamon, ginger or, a personal favourite, grated nutmeg. MAKES 25 to 30 biscuits INGREDIENTS 5-7 star anise (if they are large only use 5) 125g unsalted butter 100g light brown sugar 50g golden syrup 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda For the icing 200g icing sugar Milk METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a large baking sheet with baking paper. In a spice grinder, blitz the star anise to a very fine powder. If you don't have a spice grinder, bash them using a pestle and mortar, but make sure you sift the powder to remove any pieces that remain woody. To make the biscuits, melt the butter, sugar and syrup together in a large saucepan over a low heat – do not allow the mixture to boil. Stir in the flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground star anise. Beat the mixture with a wooden spoon until a dough forms. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a thickness of 5mm-7mm. Cut out small star shapes using a 5cm star-shaped cookie cutter. Transfer the shapes to the prepared baking sheet. Bake for nine to 12 minutes or until golden. Leave the biscuits to cool on the baking sheet for five minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. For the icing, mix the sugar together with a few drops of milk – you are looking for a fairly thick mixture. Transfer one third of the icing to a piping bag fitted with a fine round nozzle. Pipe a border around the edge of each star biscuit. Allow the icing to set for five minutes, then return any excess icing to the bowl. Now add a few more drops of milk to create a slightly runnier icing that will flood the centre of the biscuits – the border will contain the flood icing. Using a teaspoon, spread a little of the runny icing in the middle of a star biscuit. A cocktail stick is a handy tool at this stage to encourage the icing to run right up to the border in the corners. Once the entire star is covered, repeat with the remaining biscuits. (It is important that your outline is properly dried before you start using the flood icing, or you will have a messy finish.) Allow the icing to dry out completely. Store the shortbreads in an airtight container for up to one week. Recipe from Gatherings by Flora Shedden (Mitchell Beazley, £25) Pumpkin and ginger layer cake Credit: Laura Edwards If you like carrot cake then this is for you – damp, spiced and delicious. Yogurt and puréed pumpkin gives this sponge a velvety smooth yet light texture. SERVES 16 INGREDIENTS 4 large eggs 250ml olive oil 1 tsp vanilla extract 100g natural yogurt 250g caster sugar 150g soft light brown sugar 400g pumpkin 475g plain flour 2 heaped tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp mixed spice 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda A pinch of salt A little spiced rum, for brushing For the icing 40g pumpkin seeds 500g icing sugar 250g butter 200g cream cheese 3 balls of stem ginger METHOD To make the pumpkin purée, peel the pumpkin or squash and cut into chunks. Boil until cooked through. Drain and leave to cool, then blitz in a food processor with just enough water to make a purée. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Grease two 20cm springform cake tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper. In a large mixing bowl whisk together the eggs, olive oil, vanilla, yogurt, caster and soft light brown sugars and the pumpkin purée until you have a smooth mixture. Into another bowl, sift the flour, ground cinnamon, mixed spice, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt, then fold into the pumpkin batter. Divide evenly between the two tins and bake on the middle shelf of your oven for around 45 minutes, or until cooked through. Check with a skewer – it should come out clean. If the cakes are still raw, bake for five to 10 minutes more. Leave the sponges to cool in the tins for five minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely. While the oven is still on, caramelise the pumpkin seeds for the icing. Rinse them in a sieve, then toss them in one heaped tablespoon of the icing sugar until lightly coated. Spread out on a baking sheet and pop into the oven for 10 minutes, until caramelised and crunchy. Remove and leave to one side to cool completely. While the cakes are cooling, make your icing. Cut the butter into cubes and put them into a free-standing mixer with a paddle attachment (or just use a large mixing bowl and hand-held mixer if you don't have one). Beat for three to four minutes, until pale and light. Drain any excess liquid from the cream cheese and beat into the butter, only just enough to mix the two together – too much and it becomes runny. Sift half the remaining icing sugar into the mix, and when fully combined sift and beat in the remaining half. Keep beating for around four minutes, until pale and smooth. Finely chop the stem ginger and add it with a little of the syrup from the jar. Place the bowl of icing in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm up. When the sponges have cooled, carefully cut them in half horizontally and layer them up on your serving board or cake stand with the cream cheese frosting, brushing the layers with a little spiced rum as you go. You can leave the cake like that, or use the last bit of frosting to give your cake a scant frosting around the sides and top. Decorate with the caramelised seeds, and pop back into the fridge for at least 30 minutes before serving – just to give the icing time to firm up again. Recipe from Stirring Slowly by Georgina Hayden (Square Peg, £25) Prune and almond tart Credit: David Loftus A classic French tart, made with brandy-soaked agen prunes and frangipane. If you can't find agen prunes, tinned prunes will do. SERVES Eight INGREDIENTS 10 agen prunes, cut in half 2 tbsp brandy 165g unsalted butter, at room temperature, cubed 165g caster sugar 165g ground almonds 60g plain flour 3 eggs 30g flaked almonds For the pastry 215g plain flour, plus extra for dusting 60g caster sugar 130g chilled unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1 egg, lightly beaten METHOD First make the pastry. Put the flour, sugar and butter into a food processor and blitz until combined. add the egg and pulse until you have a dough; you might not need quite all the egg, so hold a little back at first. The pastry should not be sticky. Shape into a flat round, wrap in cling film and chill for 1 hour. Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured surface and use to line a 25cm loose-bottomed tart tin, trimming off the excess. Chill for 30 minutes, then line the pastry case with baking parchment and fill with baking beans or rice. Bake blind for 15 minutes in an oven heated to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Remove the paper and beans and bake for another five minutes, until the base is dry and the edges are lightly coloured. Put the prunes and brandy into a small pan and heat gently, then remove from the heat and let the prunes absorb the brandy. To make the filling, put the butter, sugar, ground almonds and flour into a food processor and blitz until smooth. add the eggs and blitz again. Spread this frangipane mixture in the pastry case and arrange the brandy-soaked prunes on top. Sprinkle with any remaining brandy and the flaked almonds then bake in an oven heated to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3 for about 30 minutes, until risen and golden; a skewer inserted in the centre should come out clean. remove from the oven and leave to cool. Serve with crème fraîche. Recipe from Fortnum & Mason: Christmas & Other Feasts by Tom Parker Bowles (4th Estate, £30) Clementine and cardamom upside-down cake Credit: Nassima Rothacker SERVES 10-12 INGREDIENTS For the topping 125g caster sugar 8 clementines For the cake 285g unsalted butter 285g light brown muscovado sugar 5 large eggs, beaten 285g self-raising flour 1 1⁄2 tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp fine sea salt For the glaze (optional) 4 tbsp apricot jam 1 tbsp water METHOD Preheat the oven to 170C/150C fan/Gas 3. Grease a 23cm round loose-bottomed cake tin and line with baking paper. For the topping, heat a medium saucepan over a medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the sugar and allow it to melt and slowly turn to an amber caramel – the sugar touching the base of the pan will turn first, and slowly but surely the sugar on top will soon become liquid, too. Give the pan a little swirl as the sugar starts to melt. Once you have a dark caramel, pour it into the base of the prepared cake tin. Keeping them whole, peel the clementines, then cut them in half horizontally to retain that little hole in the top and bottom. Arrange the clementine halves, hump-side down, on the caramel. For the cake, cream together the butter and sugar until really soft – the butter should become very pale and the sugar will more or less dissolve into it. Add the eggs, a little at a time, beating well after each addition, then add the flour, cardamom and salt and beat in just until incorporated to a smooth batter. I do all of this in my KitchenAid fitted with the paddle attachment, but an electric hand-held mixer will do. Pour the batter over the clementines and gently level it out, being careful not to displace the fruits. Bake for one hour and up to one hour 10 minutes, until a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, apart from the odd crumb of cake made soggy by the oranges beneath. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the tin for five minutes, then invert onto a plate. For the glaze, simply combine the jam and water in a small pan and bring to the boil. Paint the glaze onto the cake with a pastry brush. The cake will keep for a few days in an airtight tin; it'll actually be that bit better on day two. Recipe from Comfort by John Whaite (Kyle Books, £19.99) Plum, almond and orange blossom crostata with sugared thyme Credit: Kirsten Jenkins SERVES 12 INGREDIENTS 435g homemade or shop-bought sweet shortcrtust pastry, rolled to a thickness of 3mm 180g unsalted butter, at room temperature 240g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 2 oranges, plus pared zest of 1 orange 1 tbsp orange blossom water 2 tsp vanilla bean paste 3 eggs, plus 1 egg white 300g ground almonds 2 tbsp cornflour 1kg ripe plums, halved and stones removed 1 tbsp demerara sugar 6 thyme sprigs Icing sugar, to dust METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Line a baking tray with baking parchment and lay the pastry on top. Chill until needed. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and caster sugar until pale, reserving 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Beat in the orange zest, orange blossom water and vanilla, then the whole eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Finally, beat in the ground almonds and cornflour to combine. Spread the frangipane mixture over the pastry, leaving a 1cm border all the way around. Fold in the edges to partially enclose. Top with the plums, and scatter with the demerara sugar and the pared orange zest. Lightly whisk the egg white and dip the thyme sprigs into it, then coat them in the reserves tablespoon of caster sugar. Scatter over the crostata and bake for 35 minutes or until the pastry is golden and the plums are soft. Once cool, dust with icing sugar, if desired. Recipe from The Pie Project by Phoebe Wood and Kirsten Jenkins (Hardie Grant, £20) Chocolate, hazelnut and cinnamon krantz loaf Credit: Patricia Niven MAKES One cake (1kg loaf tin) INGREDIENTS For the yeast dough 20g fresh yeast (or 2 tsp dry) 330g strong white bread flour 40g caster sugar 1 whole egg 85ml milk 90g unsalted butter, at room temperature For the filling 100g unsalted butter 190g caster sugar 80g dark cocoa powder (70%) 1 tsp ground cinnamon 60g roaster hazelnuts For the base sugar syrup (makes 200ml of syrup – this will keep in a jar or bottle in the fridge for up to two weeks) 100ml water 100g caster sugar 1 tbsp glucose or honey METHOD First, make the yeast dough. Crumble the yeast into the flour, sugar and a pinch of salt in a mixer bowl with a hook attachment and mix together (if you are using dried yeast, dissolve it in the milk before adding to the flour). Add the egg, milk and butter and combine to form a dough that comes together in a ball. This will take about five to six minutes on a medium speed. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least six hours or overnight. To make the filling, melt the butter in a small saucepan over a medium-low heat. Remove from the heat, tip the sugar in and stir to dissolve. Add the chocolate, cocoa and cinnamon and mix to combine. Set aside to cool a little at room temperature (don't place it in the fridge, as it will set solid). Place the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface and roll into a rectangle of about 50cm x 30cm. Spread the filling over the dough, reaching right to the corners, then sprinkle with the hazelnuts. Roll up tightly from one of the longer sides, so you end up with a 50cm log. If the dough has softened too much for you to handle it, place on a tray and chill in the fridge for 10 minutes. Butter the loaf tin and line the base and long sides with baking parchment. Making sure that there is an overhang so that you will be able to lift the baked loaf out easily. Use a pastry cutter or sharp knife to cut the log in half along its length to expose the layers. Place the halves with the cut sides facing upwards. Lift one halved log over the other so that they form a cross at their midpoints, with the filling layers still pointing upwards. Continue to twist the strands over each other until the dough looks like a lovely twisted plait. Place in the lined baking tin and leave to prove in a warm place until the dough is fluffy, soft and doubled in size. This will take about one and a half hours in a warm kitchen, or up to two hours if it is chilly. While the dough is proving, make the sugar syrup. Place all the ingredients in a small pan and stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to the boil, skim off any foam and remove from the heat. Preheat the oven to 220C/200C fan/Gas 7. If you are using egg wash, brush it over the surface. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then turn the tin around for an even bake and leave for another 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5 and bake for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and immediately pour the sugar syrup all over the hot cake. Let the cake cool in the tin or it will fall apart. Recipe from Honey & Co: The Baking Book by Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich (Saltyard Books, £27) Saffron Layer cake Credit: Peter cassidy Grind your own saffron in a pestle and mortar if you cannot get hold of ground saffron. If you are not a fan of marzipan, you can omit it from the buttercream filling and simply add some apple or pear compote between the layers for extra flavour. SERVES Six to eight INGREDIENTS 50g butter 100ml milk 0.5g/a small pinch of ground saffron 4 eggs 325g caster sugar 300g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp vanilla sugar or extract 1⁄2 tsp salt 50g Greek yogurt or similar Frosted redcurrants, to decorate (optional) For the marzipan buttercream 75g marzipan (at least 50% almonds), grated 300g plus 2 tbsp icing sugar 150g butter, softened A few tbsp of milk (optional) Freshly squeezed lemon juice (optional|) METHOD Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4. Grease and line three 18-cm diameter round cake pans. You can use larger cake pans, but your cake will be wider and not as tall. Melt the butter in a saucepan, then add the milk and saffron and set aside to infuse. Whisk the eggs and sugar together until thick and fluffy. Mix the dry ingredients together, then sift into the sugar mixture and fold in. Add the yogurt and the saffron milk to the mixture and fold again until incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and bake in the preheated oven for around 12–14 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Saffron is quite drying, so take care not to over-bake. Every oven varies, so keep an eye on the cakes. Leave the layers to cool in the pans while you make the buttercream. Add a few tablespoons of boiling water to the marzipan and mix it with a fork to melt it slightly (this avoids lumps of marzipan in the buttercream). Using an electric beater, in a bowl mix the sugar and butter on high speed and add the marzipan. You may need to add a bit of milk, too. Beat and allow to fluff up for several minutes on high speed. If you feel it is too sweet, you can add a few drops of lemon juice or similar. Remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the paper. Place the first layer of cake on the serving plate, then add a layer of the buttercream. Repeat until you have used all three layers. You can leave the cake naked and just decorate the top with the remaining buttercream or you can use the buttercream to give a light coating all around the sides, as shown here, for a very frosty-looking cake. I like to decorate it with frosted redcurrants. Recipe from ScandiKitchen Christmas by Bronte Aurell (Ryland Peters & Small, £16) Quince and almond tart Credit: Tara Fisher SERVES Eight INGREDIENTS Juice of 1 lemon 100g caster sugar 4 small quinces 50g unsalted butter 125g clear honey 2 tbsp marsala 1 small cinnamon stick 2 bay leaves 2 strips of orange peel 2 strips of peel from an unwaxed lemon Juice of 1⁄2 orange For the shortbread base 125g plain flour 100g unsalted butter, chilled and diced 40g icing sugar, plus extra for dusting For the cake mixture 4 large eggs, separated 175g caster sugar Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed lemon 1⁄2 tsp ground cinnamon 1 tsp orange flower water 225g ground almonds You will need a 21cm springform cake tin METHOD Pour 600ml of cold water into a medium saucepan and add the lemon juice and sugar. Peel and quarter the quinces one at a time and immediately drop into the pan – don't worry about removing the cores at this stage. Place over a medium heat and bring slowly to the boil to dissolve the sugar. Cover the fruit with a disc of baking parchment and simmer gently for about 25 minutes until tender. Prepare the shortbread base. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4 and line the base of the tin with baking parchment. Tip the flour, butter, icing sugar and a pinch of salt into a food processor and pulse until the butter has been rubbed into the flour and the mixture starts to clump together. Tip the crumbly dough into the prepared tin and, using your hands, press into an even layer covering the base. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 12 to 15 minutes until pale golden. Line a 21cm springform cake tin with baking parchment. Remove the quince quarters from the pan and arrange eight in the prepared tin, core side uppermost. Dot with the butter, spoon over the honey and marsala and tuck in the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and orange and lemon peels. Add the orange juice and two tablespoons of the quince poaching liquid. Cover loosely with another sheet of parchment and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 40 minutes or until very soft when tested with the point of a knife. Leave to cool in the tin. Core and slice the remaining poached quinces and scatter over the shortbread base. To make the cake mixture, whisk the egg yolks and sugar until thick, pale and doubled in volume. Whisk in the lemon zest, cinnamon and orange flower water. Fold in the ground almonds. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold stiff peaks, then carefully fold into the almond mixture until there are no streaks of egg white remaining. Spoon the mixture on top of the quince, spread level and bake on the middle shelf for 40 minutes until golden brown, well risen and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool in the tin. Serve the cake in slices, dusted with icing sugar, with the baked quinces. Recipe from Summer Berries & Autumn Fruits by Annie Rigg (Kyle Books, £16.99) Parsnip cake with blood orange buttercream Credit: James Ransom Parsnips make the cake moist and sweet, just like carrots would, and as a bonus they give it a spicy kick. MAKES 12 to 16 squares INGREDIENTS For the cake 3 large eggs 200g sugar 110g neutral oil (such as grapeseed) 125g milk 1 tsp salt 1⁄2 tsp pure vanilla extract 190g plain flour 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp ground cinnamon 1⁄4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1⁄4 tsp ground allspice 1⁄4 tsp ground cloves 450g parsnips, peeled and grated 1 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger or 1⁄2 tsp ground ginger For the buttercream 120g freshly squeezed blood orange juice (from 5 small blood oranges) 225g unsalted butter, softened 375 to 500g icing sugar METHOD To make the cake, heat the oven to 175C/155C fan/Gas 4. Lightly butter or oil a 23cm x 33cm cake tin and line the bottom with parchment paper. Whisk together the eggs, sugar, oil, milk, salt, and vanilla until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and cloves and whisk together until smooth, about two minutes. Fold the parsnips and ginger into the batter. Pour the batter into the tin – the batter won't rise much, so you can fill the tin to within 1.3cm of the top. Bake until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out with just crumbs clinging, about 24 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking. Let cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out on to a rack and cool completely. To make the buttercream, pour the blood orange juice into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over a high heat. Reduce the heat and continue to simmer until the juice is reduced to a syrup, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about two minutes. Add the blood orange syrup and beat until incorporated (the buttercream won't come together at first, so start on a low speed, and then turn the speed way up by the end). Drape a kitchen towel over the top of the mixer to contain any flying sugar, then add the icing sugar to the mixture 125g at a time, blending well on low speed, until it's a spreadable consistency (and sweetness level) you like. If your buttercream starts to look broken and separated, counter-intuitively, it probably just needs a bit of heat. Keep beating it on high speed while warming the bowl with a hair dryer, or scoop out about a third of the frosting, warm it in the microwave or on the hob, then slowly blend it back in to restore the glossy emulsion. (On the flip side, if the frosting is looking smooth but runny, it probably needs to cool off – whisk the frosting in a bowl set over an ice bath to firm it up.) Slather the frosting on the cake and serve. Store any leftovers airtight at room temperature. Recipe from Food52 Genius Desserts: 100 Recipes That Will Change the Way You Bake by Kristen Miglore (Ten Speed Press, an imprint of Penguin Random House £25)
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