weddings

In a large bowl, toss the arugula with 1 1/2 tablespoons vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Transfer to a platter.  In the same

Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Salad

baby arugula

red wine vinegar

olive oil

Salt and pepper

tomatoes,

mozzarella cheese,

red onion, thinly sliced

basil

mint

Sparkly Strawberry Shortbread Cookies are pretty in pink with an explosive berry flavor. Sparkling sugar adds a sweet crunch to this fab strawberry cookie!

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

unsalted butter,

sugar

tsp vanilla extract (optional)

Tbsp freeze dried strawberry powder

all purpose flour

egg white, beaten. I use a pasteruized egg.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Put the butter, sugar, and extract, if using, in the bowl of a food processor or stand mixer.  Sift in the strawberry powder to avoid lumps.  Cream well.  Make sure your strawberry powder is well incorporated and the mixture is streak free.

Add the flour and pulse about 10 times, then run the machine briefly, just until the dough comes together into a lump or lumps.  If using a stand mixer, add the flour on low and mix until the dough comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and finish bringing it together, if necessary, with your hands. When it is smooth with no crumbly spots remaining, form it into a disk.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350F

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to a 1/4 inch thickness and cut out with a cookie cutter. I used a 2 inch cookie cutter for about 20 cookies.  I like to refrigerate the cut cookies for 15-20 minutes before baking.

Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of your cookies.  I like my shortbread on the softer side, but if you prefer it crunchy, bake a little longer.  Don&#039;t let them get browned.

Cool on the pan for about 15 minutes, until the cookies are firm enough to handle, and then lightly brush the edges with egg white, and roll in sparkling sugar.  Let dry before eating.  Note: you can also brush the edges and roll in sugar before baking, if you prefer.

These decorative cupcakes make the perfect centrepiece for a wedding or christening, or a lovely gift

Romantic rose cupcakes

yogurt

eggs

tsp vanilla extract

golden caster sugar

self-raising flour

tsp baking powder

ground almond

unsalted butter

white chocolate

icing sugar

Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases and heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. In a jug, mix the yogurt, eggs and vanilla extract. Put the dry ingredients, plus a pinch of salt, into a large bowl and make a well in the middle.

Add the yogurty mix and melted butter, and quickly fold in with a spatula or metal spoon – don’t overwork it. Spoon into the cases (they will be quite full) and bake for 18-20 mins or until golden, risen and springy to the touch. Cool for a few mins, then lift the cakes onto a wire rack to cool completely. Keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days or freeze as soon as possible.

White chocolate frosting: Melt the chocolate in the microwave on High for 1½ mins, stirring halfway. Leave to cool. Beat the butter and icing sugar in a large bowl until creamy. Beat in the chocolate. Cover and chill for up to one month.

Up to 48 hrs before serving (or the day before if it’s really hot), bring the frosting back to room temperature, then spread over the cakes. Put the ribbon around the cakes now if you like, tying or glueing in place. Keep cool, out of direct sunlight.

These crispy Filipino spring rolls are filled with an aromatic pork filling, and served with your choice of dipping sauce. 

Lumpia Shanghai

yellow onion, finely chopped (about 3/4 cup)

scallions, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)

carrot,

garlic,

salt

black pepper

pork

canola oil, plus more, for shallow frying

Dipping options: banana ketchup, sweet chili sauce,

The Kitchn

Amelia Rampe

Step 1

If needed, thaw 1 package frozen lumpia or spring roll wrappers in the refrigerator until you can separate the sheets, about 3 hours.

Step 2

Place 3/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion, 1/4 cup finely chopped scallions, 3/4 cup grated carrot, and 3 grated garlic cloves in a large bowl.

Step 3

Separate 1 large egg and add the yolk to the bowl of vegetables and the white to a small bowl. Add 3 to 4 teaspoons kosher salt (use 3 teaspoons for coarse kosher salt) and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and stir to combine. Add 1 1/2 pounds ground pork and mix with your hands until very well combined.

Step 4

Remove the wrappers from the package and place on a work surface or plate. Cover with a damp paper towel to keep from drying out. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Step 5

Place one wrapper on the work surface in a diamond shape (keep the remaining wrappers covered with the towel). Place 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling 3 inches from the bottom corner and form into a 5-inch long log. Fold the bottom corner up and over the filling, pulling the wrapper taut over the filling. Fold the left and right sides over the filling so the points meet at the center and crease the sides so it now looks like an envelope. Roll from the bottom up into a tight log, stopping when you get close to the top and you have a small triangle left. Dip a finger into the egg white and use it to dampen the triangle, then finish rolling all the way up (the egg white will help “glue” the wrapper together).

Step 6

Transfer the lumpia to the baking sheet seam-side down. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling (they can be touching on the baking sheet). If making ahead, you can freeze the filled lumpia at this point.

Step 7

Heat 2 cups canola oil in a large skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat until 330 to 350ºF. (If you don’t have a thermometer, gently dip one end of a lumpia in the oil: If it sizzles up right away, the oil is ready.) Meanwhile, line a second baking sheet with a rack and top the rack with a paper towel.

Step 8

Frying in batches of 7, add the lumpia to the hot oil and fry until the bottoms are deep golden brown, 2 1/2 to 3 minutes. Flip the lumpia and cook until the second side is deep golden brown and the filling is cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer the lumpia to the paper towels.

Step 9

Repeat frying the remaining lumpia, adding more oil to the pan as needed between batches. Let the lumpia cool for about 5 minutes before serving. You can serve them whole or cut them in half to serve a crowd. Enjoy with banana ketchup, vinegar and soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, or your favorite dipping sauce.

Make ahead: The filling can be made up to 1 day ahead, covered, and refrigerated. The lumpia can be also be assembled up to 1 day ahead and refrigerated wrapped tightly in plastic wrap, or frozen solid and then stored in a ziptop bag for up to 2 months. Fry frozen lumpia directly from frozen for about the same amount of time.

Recipe Notes

These two-bite appetizers are filled with garlicky greens, dill, feta, and just a bit of rice to hold all the good stuff together.

Freeze-Ahead Horta Phyllo Pockets

Athens phyllo dough

greens,

onion

garlic

baby spinach

dill, dill

feta cheese

nutmeg

kosher salt,

black pepper, plus more as needed

Ivy Manning

Twenty four hours before you plan to make the triangles, thaw 8 ounces or 1 pound phyllo dough (depending on the brand) in the refrigerator, wrapped in the plastic it came in. Cook the rice or grain if needed and refrigerate.

The next day, take the phyllo out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature in its wrapping while you make the filling. 

Arrange a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Strip the leaves from 2 bunches sturdy greens (reserve the stems) and coarsely chop until you have 7 packed cups. Finely chop the stems until you have 2 cups. Finely chop 1 small yellow onion (about 1 cup).

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the stems and onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the leaves and cook, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until wilted and tender, 5 minutes. Meanwhile, finely chop 2 garlic cloves.

When the greens are tender, add the garlic and 5 ounces baby spinach or other tender greens (about 5 cups) to the pan a few handfuls at a time, stirring constantly, until the spinach is wilted, 2 to 3 minutes. 

Transfer the mixture to a colander set in the sink. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, press the greens mixture against the sides of the colander to extract as much liquid as possible, stirring occasionally to make sure you get most of the moisture out. Transfer the mixture to a large bowl.

Finely chop fresh dill until you have 1/4 cup (or use 2 tablespoons dried dill) and crumble 6 ounces feta cheese (about 1 cup).  Add the dill, feta, 1 cup cold cooked rice or other grain, 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper to the greens and mix until combined. Taste and season with more kosher salt and black pepper as needed. Add 2 large eggs and stir until combined.  

Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in the microwave or on the stovetop. Carefully unroll the phyllo dough. Pick up 1 sheet of dough and lay it out on a large cutting board with a long side closer to you. Cover the remaining stack of dough with a clean dish towel to keep it from drying out. Drizzle the phyllo sparingly with melted butter and brush it evenly over the phyllo.

Step 10

Place a second sheet of phyllo directly on top of the buttered sheet and press gently to glue the sheets together. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough vertically into 4 strips, each about 3 1/2 inches wide.

Step 11

Place about 2 tablespoons of the greens mixture on the bottom left corner of one of the phyllo strips. Bring the lower left-hand corner of the strip up and to the right diagonally so the bottom edge of the strip lines up with the right side of the strip, creating a triangle. Fold the pocket upwards and then to the left and so on, as you would fold a flag.

Step 12

Before making the last fold, brush the dough with butter, then fold over the triangle. Brush the triangle lightly with butter and place on the baking sheet. Working quickly so the dough doesn’t dry out, fill and fold the remaining 3 layered phyllo strips to make 4 triangles.

Step 13

Repeat with the remaining dough and filling to make 24 to 32 pockets. If you run out of butter (you’ll end up with a few tablespoons of milky liquid at the bottom of the cup), add just enough melted butter or olive oil to finish the job.

Step 14

Bake the pockets until golden brown, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving. (Alternatively, freeze the unbaked pockets on the baking sheet until solid and then transfer them to a zip-top bag. The triangles can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen triangles for 25 to 30 minutes.)

Make ahead: The filling can be made up to 1 day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated in an airtight container.Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat in a low oven until warmed through.

Top 5 weddings recipes from across the web

The most viewed weddings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Sala...

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Romantic rose cupcakes

Lumpia Shanghai

Freeze-Ahead Horta Phyllo Pockets

Top 5 weddings recipes from across the web

The most viewed weddings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Tomato, Mozzarella and Arugula Sala...

Strawberry Shortbread Cookies

Romantic rose cupcakes

Lumpia Shanghai

Freeze-Ahead Horta Phyllo Pockets

The most viewed weddings recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 20,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine