In the midst of all my recent Christmas baking, it suddenly hit me that concrete plans for our family’s Christmas dessert had yet to be made or discussed. Being the only regular baker in a family of diabetics, non-dessert eaters and the very health conscious, I have a feeling my contribution will end up being.. salad.

Well, I kid, but only just. I’m tempted to throw them for a loop and serve a piece of dessert pie disguised as a savoury dish.

This kale and ricotta pie was baked recently when I found myself in possession of too much kale. A dessert based around kale may seem a little strange but in fact this recipe stems from a traditional French pastry called Tourte de Blettes. Make it when you feel like having something a little different or when you think you aren’t getting your recommended daily dose of greens.

And now, back to more regular baking. What are you serving for Christmas this year?

Kale and ricotta pie :
(based on a recipe from Heart of the artichoke and other kitchen journeys by David Tanis)

For the dough:
2 cups plain flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1 stick (113g) cold butter, cut into small pieces
1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon milk
grated zest of 1/2 lemon

To make the dough, in the bowl of an electric mixer, using the flat beater, mix the dry ingredients on low speed. Add the butter and mix for about 2 minutes more, until crumbly. Add the egg mixture and the lemon zest and mix another minute, until the dough almost comes together. Divide the dough into two, one portion twice as big as the other. Flatten each into a disc and chill, tightly wrapped, for at least an hour.

For the filling :
1 large bunch chard, trimmed, ribs discarded, and cut into 1/2-inch wide strips (about 4 cups) – or 4 cups of chopped kale (both the leaves and young stems)
1 cup whole-milk ricotta
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
grated zest of 1/2 lemon
1/4 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 cup raisins, soaked in warm water until plumped
1/4 cup pine nuts

To make the filling, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the chard for 1 minute; drain well. Let cool, and squeeze out any liquid.

Preheat the oven to 175’C. In a small bowl, whisk together the ricotta, egg, sugar, lemon zest and spices.

Dust a pastry cloth with flour and roll out the larger portion of dough into a circle 2 inches larger than the diameter of your 9- or 10-inch springform pan. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it over the pan and gently press it into place, so that it comes about 2 inches up the sides of the pan. The dough is fairly soft but don’t worry if it tears. Just patch it up with scraps of dough and it’s barely noticeable once baked.

Drain the raisins, mix them with the greens, pine nuts and ricotta mixture and spread over the dough in the pan.

Roll the second piece of dough into a 1/8-inch thick circle. Place it on top of the filling, trimming and crimping the edges. Bake the pie for 40 to 50 minutes, until the crust is golden. aligncenter size-full wp-image-5936/a

Latest figures reveal increased population density in Gingertown!
Dec 12th – 12:33pm

Every year around December, the spotlight is cast on Gingertown as it becomes the centre of an unprecedented population explosion. Experts are at a loss to explain this phenomenon but scientists believe it is due largely in part to a greater influx of imports from nearby Spicetown and immigration via the Sea of Molasses. Last week a press conference was held by the Mayor of Gingertown. In response to the question of whether the town would be able to cope with the recent boom in demand for real estate and public icing facilities, he was been quoted as saying, “Well, that’s the way the cookie crumbles”. A festival celebrating this annual event is slated for the 25th of this month. Stay tuned for details.

Gingerbread Men :
(from Rose’s Christmas Cookies by Rose Levy Beranbaum)

425g (15 oz) plain flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
180g (6.25 oz) dark brown sugar
170g (6 oz) unsalted butter
160g (5.5 oz) unsulfured molasses
1 large egg

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, and spices, then whisk together to mix evenly.

In a food processor with the metal blade, process the brown sugar until fine. Cut the butter into a few pieces and add it with the motor running. Process until smooth and creamy. Add the molasses and egg and process until incorporated, scraping the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and pulse in just until the dough begins to clump together. Wrap the dough well and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 175’C (350 F).

Roll the dough to about 1/8-inch thickness. Use gingerbread cutters to cut out the dough. If desired, make holes for hanging, either at the tops or hands, using the blunt edge of a wooden skewer. Bake the cookies on greaseproof lined trays for 10-12 minutes or until firm to the touch and just beginning to colour around the edges. Cool the cookies completely before icing.

You heard it here first. I’ve actually completed my Christmas shopping ahead of time. It’s the first ever documented occurance of its kind, in all the many odd years that I’ve been enduring December gift buying through gritted teeth. The Christmas cards were even mailed out two weeks ago. Someone actually sent a reply exclaiming surprise at how organised I was.

Next year, I’ll probably revert back to spending the dying shopping hours of Christmas Eve frantically looking for necessary presents. But for now, I get to sit back and bask (and bake) in the glory of readiness.

Because most of my shopping was done online this year, I came across some lovely things during my travels, which I’m bookmarking for future reference. Call it a head start for Christmas 2012 if you like.

-this takoyaki grill pan

-the Lebkuchen spice blend from Gewurzhaus

-this journal to accompany the Keepsake Box I sent my niece

-vintage treasures from emerald + ella and Cake Vintage

-a subscription to Gastronomica

-Tasmanian apple brandy

-or maybe next year I’ll just settle for sending some very special cards

In the meantime, if you happened to make the gingerbread cake from a previous post, and still find yourself in possession of a bit of leftover apple sauce, you may want to make these chocolate cookies as well. Use a suitable alternative to the recommended flours below if you want to want them to also be gluten free.

[Note : 12/09/2016 I have deleted the recipe as it needs a few tweaks and I haven’t yet had time to test it out! The recipe will be republished in the future!]