Tasty treats: Gráinne Mullins' peanut butter financiers — plus authentic porridge bread

The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home, has compiled great recipes in one place 

The Gathered Table

Ireland is home to lots of amazing bakers, butchers, farmers, chefs and food champions who have a host of brilliant recipes they are just waiting to share.

Now, The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home, has compiled those great recipes into a beautiful, 160-page cookbook. 

Each contributor has supplied their favourite recipe to cook at home, the one that takes them back to happy times. Contributors inlcude Anna Haugh, Aishling Moore, Gaz Smith, Kwanghi Chan, Darina Allen, Neven Maguire, Domini Kemp, JP McMahon, Danni Barry, Aoife Noonan and more. 

Among the many recipes is this simple but tasty porridge bread from Aisling and Michael Flanagan, Velvet Cloud and delicate, buttery peanut butter financiers from Gráinne Mullins.

Porridge bread

Porridge bread is one of the most popular recipes on our website. It can be added to and adapted according to your taste – it’s hard to get it wrong.

Servings

6

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 60 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 15 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• Butter or oil, for greasing 

• 450g Velvet Cloud sheep’s yogurt 

• 1 egg, beaten 

• 300g porridge oats, plus extra for sprinkling 

• 2 tsp baking soda 

• 2 tbsp mixed seeds (optional) 

• ½ tsp salt (optional) 

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan). Grease a 900g (2lb) loaf tin or line with non-stick baking paper. 

2. Put the yogurt and beaten egg in a large bowl and stir well. 

3. Mix the oats and baking soda with the seeds and salt (if using) in a separate bowl, then add this to the yogurt mixture and stir thoroughly. Scrape into the greased or lined loaf tin and sprinkle a little extra oats on top. 

4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 150°C (130°C fan) and cook for a further 30 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. 

Peanut butter financiers

Financiers are a classic bite-sized browned butter almond tea cake that you often find in French patisseries, but they are made with just a few simple ingredients.

Servings

24

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 18 mins

Total Time

 38 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 190g ground almonds

• 300g butter

• 375g caster sugar

• 150g plain flour

• 250g egg whites (approx. 7 eggs)

• 250g peanut butter

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan) for 20 minutes.

2. Spread the ground almonds evenly on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated for about 7 minutes, until pale golden brown. Allow to cool completely.

3. To make your brown butter (beurre noisette), melt the butter in a small saucepan over a low heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching carefully to prevent burning, until the milk solids turn deep brown. Immediately pour the butter into a heatproof bowl. Set aside to cool slightly or reheat the beurre noisette when you’re ready to add it to the batter.

4. Sift the flour into a large bowl, then stir in the sugar and toasted ground almonds.

5.  Beat the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment just until foamy. Add the sugar and flour mixture and beat on a low speed until incorporated. Drizzle in the warm beurre noisette on a medium-low speed for 5 minutes, until it becomes a smooth, golden cream. Add the peanut butter and mix for a few seconds, just until evenly incorporated.

6.  Fill individual silicone moulds about two-thirds full of the batter (if you don’t have silicone financier moulds, you can use a silicone or a greased regular bun tin instead). Bake in the preheated oven for 15–18 minutes, until the edges are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

• The Gathered Table: A Taste of Home, €30, is available from March 30 in bookshops and independent retailers across the country and online at ninebeanrowsbooks.com