Blank-Canvas Carrot Cake

As applicable for casual occasions as it is for ones of a more celebratory nature, carrot cake seems closest to being generally welcomed as a safe bet for satisfying the palate of many. I have yet to meet anyone strictly opposed to carrot cake, whereas I know many who grimace at the mere mention of red velvet. I guess the only other seasonally-impartial classic could be coconut. All that aside, I don’t think anyone would bat an eyelash when handed a petit-four-sized slice of carrot cake alongside a flowing flute of champagne. It's all in the presentation, right? 

On the topic of ingredients and seasonal versatility, I’ve decided to leave out the more traditional, commonly contested fruits, nuts, or spices. I’d like to think of this recipe as your blank canvas carrot cake, one each party can customize to their preferences. And honestly, the pineapple debate has become passé, no longer culturally relevant as I feel (or hope) we’ve all grown tired of yucking another person’s yums. That being said, we all know I tend to take creative liberty on every recipe I attempt to follow, which is why I hope whoever makes this cake does as well. Brighten with ginger, candied or fresh, citrus zest of any sort, freshly grated apples, fennel, or pear for springtime, or add warmth for holidays and colder months with dried fruits, toasted nuts, seeds, and heavy spices like nutmeg, cardamom, white pepper, maybe even rosemary?

I wouldn’t consider this particular bake beautiful but I was surprised how much I ended up liking the blushing “brushstrokes” if you will that certainly weren’t to hide any miscalibrated drips… a cranberry + pink pearl apple compote with some of spicewalla ‘s mulling spice blend fostered my attempt at imparting a festive flavor. It wouldn’t be a holiday cake without some sparkle, and candied cranberries were in order to carry out the cheer (and distract from the “rustic” application of too small a batch of vanilla + ginger swiss meringue buttercream).

I hope everyone has a wonderful evening, whether you're going big or hanging at home– I’m thinking optimistically and openly, attempting to put aside the fears and replacing them with excitement for the lack of certainty or knowing in what’s to come. Cheers friends.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 2 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp nutmeg*

• ¼ tsp cardamom*

• 2 ½ cups finely shredded carrots

• ¾ cup of vegetable oil

• ¾ cup yogurt, plain

• 1 tsp citrus zest*

• 1tsp fresh grated ginger*

• 3 large eggs 

• 2 tsp vanilla 

• ⅔ cup sugar

• ⅓ cup brown sugar

• ½ cup toasted, roughly chopped nuts*

*optional, take creative liberty as I mentioned prior with your nuts, fruits, and spices

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease two 9" cake pans and then line each base with a circle of parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the sugar, brown sugar, and oil until combined. 

4. On medium speed, beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing till fully incorporated before adding the next. 

5. Beat in the vanilla, yogurt, and zest, till fully combined. 

6. Reduce the speed to low and add half of the flour mix to the wet batter. Mix till smooth, then add in the rest, and repeat.

7. With a spatula, gently fold in the carrot and any nuts or fruits you wish to add, being sure it’s evenly dispersed. 

8. Evenly divide the batter between the cake pans (I like to use a kitchen scale to compare weights for an even cook time), smooth the tops, and bake for 35-40 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean and the tops have turned slightly golden. Let the cakes cool completely in their pans.

Frost with your favorite cream cheese buttercream, or a batch of swiss meringue. A simple powdered sugar glaze is also lovely for more relaxed installments.

Here are my go-tos:

• Cream cheese buttercream (an Ottolenghi variation lightened with whipping cream from one of my favorite cookbooks, Sweet)

• Swiss meringue buttercream (the first and only recipe I’ve used for SMBC– Thanks Sally!)

Spiced Caramel Pink Apple Galettes

It’s December. It’s cold. But today’s glowing Sunday sunset just made enjoying these warm Lucy Glo apple galettes a little bit sweeter after a long overcast day. There’s a lather of chai caramel underneath to hold it all together and a bit of rosemary as, so I could justify the green garnish at serving.

I was reading up on an old apple grower conference web forum about the first arrival of red-fleshed apple trees intended to be grown to mass-market scale for the US, which was written around 2013. How did those crazy farmers know that we’d be dying over pink pearls and taking 4-hour train rides to the green market just to snag a lucky few of them by 2020? Agricultural trend prediction consulting- my part-time retirement dream job?

My rambling is short-lived for today, but I’ve linked the throwback web articles I found talking about the first planting of rosy-inside apples destined to become supermarket megastars for today's consumers. I got these Lucy Glo beauties at TJ’s. No shame kids. I’m embracing the gift that our hard-working pomologists and farmers have provided us!!!!❤️🌸🍎

Red-fleshed apples From a January 15, 2013 article

“These apples are poised to be Next Big Thing’s next big thing.”

Red-Fleshed Apple Commercialization Program Announced a June 11, 2013 article

COMPANIES PURSUE RED-FLESHED APPLES

INGREDIENTS:
Galette Pastry Dough: 

• 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

•  Pinch salt

• 3 tablespoons sugar

• 8 tablespoons cold butter, cut into 1/2” cubes

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 tsp of Zero Waste Spice Dust, Masala Chai (optional)

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar, spices if using, and salt. Add the cubes of butter and pulse until the mixture resembles sand with some pea-sized pieces.  

2. Add the egg yolk to the flour mixture. Process until butter and flour are blended, about 10 seconds. 

3. Turn the mixture into a bowl and add cold water, a tablespoon at a time, stirring after each addition. After adding 3 or 4 tablespoons you should be able to gather the mixture into a ball.

4. Lightly knead the dough and pack it into a disc. Wrap the disc in a piece of plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using or up to 3 days. 

Spiced Caramel Sauce:

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 Tbsp Dona Masala Chai Concentrate

• 1/2 cup heavy cream

• 2 Tbsp butter

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/4 tsp Ground Cinnamon

• 1/4 tsp Ground Green Cardamom Powder 

Instructions:

1. Place all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Stir briefly to combine.

2. Place the pan over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally until the sugar dissolves. 

3. Once the sugar dissolves, stop stirring and swirl the pan by the handle instead of stirring to prevent crystals from forming.

4. Continue to cook over medium heat without stirring until the mixture reaches 230°F when measured with a digital or candy thermometer. Carefully watch the mixture while the caramel is simmering. 

5. Remove the pan from the heat. Let the sauce cool for a few minutes in the pan. Once cool, stir with a spatula and pour into a sealed glass jar. 

**(Refrigerate extra caramel for up to 3 weeks.)

Assembly: 

the lucy glo apple fresh!!

• 4-5 pink flesh apples

• Spiced caramel sauce

• Galette pastry dough

• Turbinado or sanding sugar to top (optional) 

• Olive oil to brush

Instructions:

1. Heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place a rack in the center of the oven. 

2. Remove the dough from the fridge and cut the disc into 6 wedges. Roll each wedge into a ball. You’ll want to keep them cool while you're rolling each individual galette, so keep 5 wrapped and in the fridge while you begin working on the first disc. 

3. On a lightly floured piece of parchment, roll the dough out into a 6” circle. Repeat with the other 5 pieces, and once they are all rolled, return them to the fridge for 10 minutes to chill.

4. While the dough chills, thinly slice your apples using a mandoline or a very sharp knife. 

5. Remove the rolled pastry from the fridge and using a pastry brush or a knife, spread about 2 tbsp of caramel on each round, leaving a 1.5” border of dough around the perimeter. 

6. Top the dough with the prepared apple slices, in an overlapping circular pattern, or any way you wish! Be sure to leave the 1.5” border of dough uncovered. 

7. Lift and press the edges up over the fruit, folding as necessary. Using the parchment paper, transfer the galette to a rimmed baking sheet. Chill for 10 minutes.

8. Brush or spray the tops of the apples and crust with a very light amount of olive oil, and sprinkle a generous dusting of sugar over top. This is optional but adds a lovely sparkle. 

9. Bake until the fruit is tender and the crust is deep golden brown, and the sugar has caramelized but not burnt. For me, this took around 25-30 minutes. I also rotated the pan halfway through as the back of my oven is hotter than the front. (this may be common sense but it seems like all ovens have their own set of idiosyncrasies).

Spiced Rye and Almond Shortbread Cookies

Butter, rye flour, almond flour, sugar, and Spicewalla. Name a more indulgently rich group of ingredients-- I’ll wait. Not only are these cookies delectable, they’re the perfect quick and easy cookie that’s unique enough to bring to the holiday swap or your favorite judgemental Mother-in-laws’ Thanksgiving dinner. Rye flour lends a distinctly nutty and wholesome flavor to these shortbread.

I baked mine in a rectangular tart pan to make them a bit more fancy with the scalloped edge, but feel free to use whatever simple round or square pan you have on hand. The beauty in shortbread is the ease and versatility, so I implore you to enjoy them with a scoop of ice cream, your afternoon tea (coffee in my case), or crumbled over roasted apples. I can attest to their delicious adaptability as they stepped in exceedingly well when I needed a crumb crust for a quick cheesecake. Graham cracker who?

I hope everyone is having a lovely Fall, and finding time to rest and restore during the transition into crisp, colder months. I hope this is only the start of cookie recipes to come! Don’t mind me cringing while I try to contemplate how it’s already time to think about the holiday season.

When you’re feeling down as I tend to during short, frigid days, reach for your favorite sweaters, forage pine branches and dried stems to make a bountiful winter arrangement, and indulge in the ample amount of baking opportunities that abound. I’ve been deep diving into the world of European Holiday traditions and recipes, and I’m absolutely obsessed with Anja Dunk’s new book “Advent: Festive German Bakes to Celebrate the Coming of Christmas” which will certainly be in use far beyond the end of the year.

lastly, I’d like to thank Spicewalla for inspiring these warmly spiced cookies, and for feeding my creativity when it comes to playing with flavors and color in the kitchen. You’ve must get your hands on some of their beautiful spices, and if you need a last minute gift for the baker in your life (or yourself), I couldn’t recommend anything better than the Southern Ground Pastry Collection, that includes the baking trifecta: Cardamom, Cinnamon, and Nutmeg. 

If you’re baking with Spicewalla this season, be sure to share your creations with #spicewallabakeoff for a chance to win a whole suite of glorious spices.

Yield and Time:

• Prep Time: 10 minutes, Cook Time: 45 minutes

• 8” round tart pan, 7” square pan, or a 14”x 4.5” rectangular tart pan with removable bottom 

INGREDIENTS:

• butter, for greasing pan, or parchment

• 1/2 cup of unsalted butter (1 stick), cut into small cubes 

• 1/3 cup of granulated sugar

• 1 cup of wholemeal rye flour

• 1 cup of almond flour

• 1/2 tsp Spicewalla Ground Cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp Spicewalla Ground Green Cardamom Powder 

• Coarse brown sugar or extra granulated sugar, for topping

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F degrees. Grease your pan with butter or line with parchment. 

2. Using your mixer, beat together the cubed butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

3. Add the rye flour, almond flour, cardamom, and cinnamon to the mixture. Beat together till dough forms.

4. Using your hands, gather the dough together and press into a smooth ball.

5. Press the dough evenly into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

6. Using a fork, prick holes evenly over the surface, pressing right through the dough.

7. Score the dough with a knife to create light indentations to form individual triangles (if using a round pan) or rectangles (if using a square pan). 

8. Bake the shortbread for 40–45 minutes, until the edges begin to look golden brown and the center has puffed slightly..

9. Remove cookies from the oven and cut all the way through the scored slices again.

10. Leave in the pan until cold.

Concord Grapes + A Simple Jam-stuffed Sour Cream Pound Cake

Summer’s sendoff, Fall’s prelude, and the successful results of my first-time grape foraging (is it considered foraging if I only had to walk about 50 feet behind my house?).

This recipe involved many firsts for me actually—including my first attempt at canning. Canning is an art I’ve long admired as many years have passed by in which I’ve only watched from the kitchen table, or tasted from a care package, the fruits of my Aunts’ preservation prowess. From apple butter to bread and butter pickles, mustard, and tomato sauce, they’ve mastered the methods of putting up an entire Summer’s worth of harvests for us all to enjoy. I can’t forget to mention Linda’s raspberry jam, made from her legendary grove of Sharpless family bushes. Some families pass down photos, china, or jewelry—the Sharpless’ on the other hand prefer to pass down plants.

Last Spring Betty walked me through the process of water-bath canning for the first time via grape jelly in addition to her pink applesauce (which takes on a blush-hue if you leave on the skin!). And while the scent of boiling concord juice and masses of sugar was certainly intoxicating, I myself prefer a jam over jelly and one that happens to taste more like fruit than snow cone syrup. So for my own batch, I decided to use a recipe that enlists the help of low sugar pectin, which allows for the use of a significantly lower level of sugar for the jam to set. Some low or no sugar pectins include dextrose (a highly potent sweetener ) to allow the home canner to reduce the total sugar necessary. However, my preferred brand is Pomona’s, which uses calcium to bind together the pectin molecules (traditional methoxyl pectin jams are bound together by sugar and acid).

The recipe is actually one of theirs and can be adjusted for however much fruit you're able to get a hold of (I barely made it to 4 cups of pulp and skins post-harvesting once the peeling and mashing were all said and done). I highly recommend finding your Mom’s old foley mill for this one— you’ll be glad you have it when it comes time to sieve out all the pesky seeds in the concords.

If you can, definitely try to make some Concord Grape Jam this season. If you can’t get your hands on any and aren’t lucky enough to find a rouge vine running through your suburban neighborhood’s walking trails, go for your favorite summer jam. Plum would be lovely in this cake, or apricot. A marmalade would work beautifully rippled through it too. Oh, and I can’t imagine how wonderful a wild blueberry may be tucked inside the batter.

This cake is a blank canvas, and if you're a purist and prefer to make the cake sans jam swirls, it will still be equally as enjoyable. Next, I’m going to try adding an olive oil crumble on top to make a chichi coffee cake situation. Let your mind (and whatever fruits are hanging out in the back of your fridge or in the bottom of your freezer) guide you to your very own state of simple, carefree, cake bliss.

Jam-Stuffed Sour Cream and Olive Oil Pound Cake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of sour cream

• 1/3 cup olive oil (my favorite is Kyoord)

• 1 cup of sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder

• 1/4 tsp baking soda

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 1/2 cup of your favorite jam

• optional spices:

  • cinnamon, ginger, white pepper, cardamom— any of your favorites that pair best with your jam! Or none!

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Butter/ line either a standard loaf, 8” round springform, or bundt pan.

2. In your mixing bowl, whisk together the sour cream, olive oil, and sugar. Once thoroughly mixed, add the eggs one at a time.

3. With a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt directly over the wet ingredients. Using a spatula fold in the dry ingredients until just combined.

4. Pour 2/3 of the batter into the prepared pan then dollop tablespoons of jam over the top of the batter. Swirl slightly with a toothpick, then pour the remaining batter evenly over top.

5. Bake for 30 minutes, until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, the top is golden, and a toothpick comes out clean.

6. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Berry Cherry Tahini Frangipane Tart

For a Festive Fourth, Serve a Jumble of Summer’s Bounty

I can’t say I trust those who can rightfully bypass the last minute, totally unnecessary purchase of the most perfectly golden raspberries while waiting in line at the market to get to the scales.

They must be stronger than myself. It’s a restraint I can’t bare to apply, especially when I get to the tents early enough for a full gingham-spread covered in filled pints. And then of course I go through my mental gymnastics of all listing the reasons I should not pick up a box like “what will you do with them” and “how long will they last?” The answer in short is not long, since half of them were gone by then time I parked at home. Moral: if you have a spontaneous vision of beautiful, berry based recipes whilst in line at the market, be sure the key inspiration does not ride home in the passenger seat. Otherwise, they may not make it.

A jumble of cherries and berries, atop a tahini frangipane filled tart was the outcome of the trip, and since I had a batch of Claire Saffitz’s pâté sucrée on deck waiting for it’s time to shine, it only made sense. It’s made in the processor and her  press-in method is a godsend. Do yourself a favor a take full advantage!!

But my favorite part is that the frangipane, an obvious result of seed + mill’s magical tahini imparting a lush and fluffy pillow for the fruits to rest, or, “jumble”

I based this mix off a bunch of random recipes I love, so go find them

If you’d like- on the blog!!! Then go to town with whatever you got at this mornings haul🍑🍒🍉🍓🍑🍑🍅happy summer

Berry Cherry Tahini Frangipane Tart

Makes 1, 8 or 9-inch tart

Sweet Tart Dough (pâte sucrée)

This dough recipe is by Claire Saffitz, from her book Desert Person. Her press-in method with this easy processor dough may look long, but trust me it’s actually quite simple and a real-quick cleanup. It’s my current favorite sweet tart dough, and it stays well wrapped in the freezer for a month and great to have on hand. 

Tools:

• food processor

• 8-9” tart pan, ring, or spring form pan 

• aluminum foil

• stand or hand mixer (for filling)

Ingredients: 

• ⅓ cup almond flour

• 1 cup of all-purpose flour

• ¼ powdered sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 stick of cold butter, cut into ½ inch pieces

• 1 large egg yolk

• ½ tsp vanilla extract

To prepare the Sweet Tart Dough, 

Make Dough:

1. Add the almond flour, all-purpose flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the processor, and pulse several times to combine.

2. Add the cold butter and with long pulses, process several times till the pieces of butter are no larger than the size of peas, and the texture of the mic is sandy and crumbly. 

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the yolk, vanilla, and 4 teaspoons of cold water until mixed, then drizzle evenly over the flour mixture, being sure to get all of the mix (every last drop!) with a spatula from the bowl. 

4. Process the dough in long pulses until a ball forms around the blade and no floury spots remain. Remove dough from the processor and pat into a ½ inch-thick disk and wrap in plastic. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or as long as 3 days. 

Press dough into the pan:

Claire walks through the cutting, arranging and pressing process through a very handy photo set in her book if you have a copy- I will try and link a tart video from her too if I can find one where she’s using this method

1. When ready to bake the tart case, unwrap the chilled dough and cut the disk in half. Then, using a knife, slice one of the halves into 6 even strips of dough, which you’ll use to form the perimeter of the tart. 

2. Roll each strip into ropes that are ½ inch thick, then arrange them inside the edges of the tart pan, ring, or springform, only overlapping each slightly. Press into place, and use a straight-sided, dry measuring cup to evenly press the dough into the sides of the pan or ring all the way around, until the dough extends slightly above the pan’s edge. 

3. with the other half of the dough, cover the bottom of the oan in an even layer by pressing it into and across it. when you reach the sides, smooth and press the edges and bottom dough pieces together to seal. You can smooth and flatten the bottom with a floured measuring cup. 

4. Place the lined pan into the freezer till the dough is completely hard, 15-20 minutes. While the dough is freezing, preheat the oven to 350℉.

Bake the tart crust:  

1. Remove the frozen pan, and if you use a tart pan or ring, smooth the top edge of the dough by using a paring knife held parallel to the surface and slice horizontally along the rim of the pan, removing excess, so that the dough’s edge is flush to the top of the pan. Place the pan on a baking sheet and prick the bottom all over with a fork. 

2. press a layer of foil onto the surface of the dough and up the sides, especially working into the space between the bottom and sides to prevent the crust from slumping in the oven. 

3. Bake the tart until the edges are golden brown (by lifting foil to sneak a peek), start checking at around 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and peel off foil once done. Set aside to cool. 

Tahini Frangipane and Berry or Cherry filling

The filing is based on this recipe from Food52

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of Seed + Mill tahini (or your favorite, high quality, runny tahini- but I can’t recommend any better than S+M!)

• 1/4 + 2 tbsp granulated sugar

• 4 tbsp unsalted butter, softened

• 1 egg

• 1 pinch salt

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup of blackberries, raspberries, pitted sweet cherries, strawberries… or a mix of whatever you’d like!

if you are assembling and baking later, be sure to preheat the oven to 350℉ before starting the filling again. *

1. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the tahini on high speed for 5 minutes, until slightly thickened (If you are assembling and baking later, be sure to preheat the oven to 350℉ before starting the filling again). 

2. Gradually add the sugar and beat to combine. 

3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and whisk again—all of the sugar should be dissolved (and no longer visible). 

4. Add the butter, piece by piece, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until fully incorporated. 

5. Add the egg and salt and beat until well combined.

6. With an offset spatula, evenly spread out the tahini frangipane in the partially baked tart crust. 

7. Scatter the berries or chosen fruit over the frangipane, then return the tart to the preheated oven and bake for 30-40 minutes till the crust is a deep golden. Turn the pan halfway through and check for color often. Remove baked tart and set aside to cool before assembling. 

Assemble your showstopping tart: 

Ingredients:

• Your favorite mix or choice of fruits--  rainier and/ or dark sweet cherries, red raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, strawberries, apricots, peaches, plums,  whatever is ripe…

Add your jumble of festive fruits (optional, but why not enjoy summer’s bounty in its prime?!) atop the baked frangipane layer, in any fashion you fancy. Here’s what I did:

• If you can snag some while at the market, pit some rainier and dark sweet cherries and slice in half or leave whole with their whimsical stems attached (if leaving some whole for a real dramatic entry, be sure to clue your guests into the possible lingering pits!). 

• I added and layered a few slices of an apricot, blackberries, red raspberries, and some golden raspberries and the mixed cherries in a very abstract and intuitive manner, however you can pull inspiration for your topping from any style you like! Maybe design a firework-like display of multi-colored swirls, or take a minimalist route and opt for one or two types of berries for more of an understated elegance. 
  

Rose and Honey Coconut Macaroons

In my opinion, this unfussy, all too often overshadowed and mistakenly dubbed ugly stepsister of the macron has been snubbed for far too long, and the sentiment that it reigns inferior to the sandwich cookie it’s usually compared to is tired and is in serious need of some progressive appreciation- can we all try to give the coconut macaroon a chance? Particularly this one, which is inspired by one of my favorite bakers, Claire Ptak, from her gorgeous book.

I like to think the rustic, caramelized crisps and wisps of the coconut make for the most whimsical of bites, and as I do with everything, flowers were added only to accentuate the innate golden beauty. Considering most sad representations available in the packaged, gluten-free dead zones of the grocery are literally pale in comparison, I initially feared they were over-baked—but trust me, living on the edge between 18-20 minutes in the oven till adequate gilding is achieved is worth the stress of possibly scorched bottoms.

If you like to embellish any good basic recipe as do I, I’m sure you could toss in some dried fruits (I’m trying grapefruit zest, hibiscus or cherries next), and some other nuts and seeds, maybe chocolate for some flair. But they need none of the above, since Claire’s recipe is a pure joy without. 

I adjusted to add some rose water, petal infused honey, and slightly more whites to fluff up this batch. Wishing everyone a sweet week, hope to catch up here more often xx

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites

• 250g/ 1 1/4 cups of sugar

• 1/4 tsp fine sea salt

• 1 tbsp honey

• 200g/ 2 1/4 cups unsweetened, shredded coconut

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1/2 tsp rose water

• 2 tsp crushed dried rose petals

(see below for flavor variation ideas!!)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F or 180 C. 

1. Line a baking tray with parchment paper. Measure out all the ingredients into a medium-sized, sauce pan and place over a medium-low heat. Stir constantly.

2. The mixture becomes easier to stir as it warms. Reduce the heat to low and stir continuously until all the sugar has melted and the mixture starts to look like “rice pudding” as Claire mentions.

3. Keep stirring until the mixture thickens and begins to dry out, but keep watch and don’t allow the bottom to scorch.

4. I used a 1 tbsp cookie scoop, but you can use any spoon to scoop individual round portions of the mixture on to the lined baking tray.

   • You could get fancy here and create “coconut pyramids” which also look quite dashing compared to the round puff, but whichever- leave enough space between each one so they have room to expand.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the macaroons are puffed and golden. I found just under 20 was ideal, and It depends on how crisp or crunchy you want them.

   • A softer macaroon will require less time, but in my humble opinion the golden crisp is the goal.

   • Allow them to cool completely before serving or storing. These will keep well for up to 1 week in an airtight container.

Ideas for variations:

• Use pomegranate molasses, date syrup, barley syrup, any of your favorites in place of honey

• Dip them in chocolate

• Add crushed nuts or seeds, dried fruits- here are some flavors I’d love to try:

  Orange blossom pistachio

  Grapefruit zest and white chocolate

  Apricots and hibiscus

  Dark chocolate, cherries, berries

  Strawberries and clementine zest

  Pomegranate, tahini, white choc

  Macadamia and lime zest, white chocolate

  Candied ginger and apricot

  Candied sesame and dates

  Fennel, cherries ….

Pick a aromatic, a dried fruit and or nut, maybe some choc… we could drag on for ever here through the seasons! 

• Sandwich between jam or chocolate, maybe some tahini chocolate ganache!

Fennel + Rose Sponge with Matcha Swiss Meringue Buttercream

The year is flying by, time constantly feels scarce, and cakes that were planned to be extravagant celebrations for seasonal holidays just become extravagant celebrations of just another Friday. Holidays, whether they hold abundant meaning or are geared more towards consumerism (say what you will about Valentine’s Day being a commercial ploy— there’s no denying how fun a festive day full of flowers, hearts, frills, sweets, and beautiful colors can be), they serve as benchmarks in my mind, and often spark loads of creativity for me, especially in the kitchen. This recipe, which I intended to share on the 14th, is undoubtedly inspired by the joy fresh flowers can bring to space, especially when you get to surprise a friend with a bouquet of their very own.

Winter has a tendency to make curmudgeons of us all, with desolate, gray, overcast skies. And while it may not be the most financially-savvy way to use an extra $10 every few weeks, I’ve found within the past month or so that a vase or two of colorful stems blooming in the background of my zoom classes has lightened my mood significantly. This is no secret, it’s a tip that keeps stems stocked in supermarkets across the country year-round. But we forget, thus let this be a humble reminder to you dear reader, that a few tulips on the table or a petite vase of carnations on your nightstand may be just the thing you’ve needed to break up the monotony of colorless, cold days.

I’ve taken this just a step further, by placing a garden atop the matcha buttercream that covering this sponge cake. It makes sense right? Matcha has the wonderful quality of coming off a bit “grassy” at times, however, when used sparingly (we're talking a few teaspoons— I only wish I could give up my morning coffee for a cup of this super green stuff), it creates a delightfully springy, faint chartreuse-colored cake. Fresh rose petals aren’t necessary to share this lightly fragrant, fennel and rose sponge with your favorite people, but it does tend to make just another Friday feel a bit more special.

---

Fennel rose sponge:

Ingredients:

• 6 large eggs

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 cup (200 g) white granulated sugar

• 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp crushed fennel seeds*

• 2 tsp crushed rose petals*

• 1 tsp lemon zest

*all the spices are optional, adjust accordingly to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Also, prepare the baking pans. Line the bottom of two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper. Don’t grease the pans as it will inhibit the rise.

2. Add your eggs, sugar, and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer and whisk on high speed for 7 to 9 minutes, until the eggs are thick, fluffy, and pale in color.

3. While the eggs are whipping, combine the flour and baking powder, in a separate bowl. Once the eggs are ready, sift 1/3 of the dry ingredients into the eggs. Using a spatula, very gently fold the flour into the eggs. Repeat with the rest of the dry ingredients. Add your crushed fennel, zest, and rose petals, and continue folding from the bottom of the mixing bowl till the batter is fully combined, doing your best to keep the eggs as light and fluffy as possible. A light hand and patience are key.

4. Divide the cake batter evenly between the pans. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes, or until the top of the cakes turn golden-brown. Immediately after removing the cake from the oven, run a knife along the edge of the pan to release the cake. Let cool completely.

For the Buttercream, I follow this recipe wonderful recipe by Sally’s Baking Addiction and added 2-3 teaspoons of matcha powder in the last few seconds of beating the frosting at the end.

I also suggest throwing some berries or jam in between the layers for some added texture, but the sponge is flavorful enough on its own, even without the buttercream. Although, a quick whipped cream with some rose water would be equally as lovely and less time-intensive than the swiss meringue… just an option

Citrus, Almond & Olive Oil Cake

Sometimes baking can feel like a task, while other times it feels more like an escape. I often associate getting the mixer out with serious, structured recipes, laborious processes, and high expectations. Those were the last things I wanted in my Christmas day bake. In amongst chaotically wrapping gifts, cleaning the entire house and shoving as much clutter away in any places available, washing up countless bowls and perfecting a classic holiday showstopper was just not in the cards (sorry yule log and ice-cream bombe fans— time and sanity was of the essence this year).

But this—this cake was. The perfect middle ground between simple and impressive, baking and decorating this cranberry covered bundt fit beautifully into my frantic scrambling. In all honesty, the toppings and added fruit decor may involve having freshly candied peels on hand from days before if you prefer a more crystalized look, however, a quick sugar reduction makes candying a small bowl of kumquats and cranberries glisten in just about 15 minutes. Trust me- it’s worth the extra effort as those jewels on top provide all the entertainment needed in the holiday looks department.

Don’t have cranberries? Aren’t going for that kitsch, retro, jelly mold-looking vibe that somehow ended up on my dining table? Totally get it—omit the cranberry juice and glaze and sub with a plain-jane powdered sugar situation, or forgo altogether. The abundant zest and rich, fruity olive oil mingle so well with the fine texture of the almond flour that the gaudy Fuschia glaze can take a back seat this time around. But maybe you’ll make the glaze for Valentine's day, or your best friend’s birthday, as it’s truly such a joy to see the inherent vibrancy of cranberries come to life.

Happiest of Holidays, and here’s to a bright new year ahead— it can’t possibly be any worse than 2020 (it’s like we’re automatically starting off on a high note!)

Citrus, Almond & Olive Oil Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

1/2 cup fruity olive oil
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup almond flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup of cane sugar
3 large eggs
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
1.5 tbsp citrus zest (lemons, grapefruit, clementines- all worthy contenders)
1 tsp vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously brush an 8-inch Bundt pan with olive oil.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together flours, baking powder, and salt.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and eggs until combined. Add oil, yogurt, zest, and vanilla.

4. Add dry ingredients into wet ones and mix until just barely incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pan.

5. Bake until golden brown and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Let cake cool completely in the pan before unmolding.

Cranberry Glaze

1/2 cup (50 grams) fresh or frozen cranberries

Pinch kosher salt 

1 cup powdered sugar, plus more if necessary

1. Combine the cranberries with 1 tablespoon water in a small saucepan over low heat. Cook until the cranberries start to break down and release their juices ~5 to 10 minutes (you can speed this up by smushing them a bit with a spatula)

2. Pour the cranberries and their juices into a fine-mesh sieve placed over a bowl. Press the mixture through the sieve with a spatula, making sure to scrape off the bottom of the sieve so all the liquid gets added to the bowl. Try to avoid getting any pulp or seeds in the bowl.

3. Stir the powdered sugar and salt into the juices and mix until it comes together into a spreadable glaze. It may take a few minutes for the powdered sugar to mix in, but it will eventually. Add a few extra teaspoons of water if too thick, or a few tablespoons of powdered sugar if too thin.

4. Coat the cooled cake with glaze, or dust with powdered sugar if not using.

Top with candied kumquats, cranberries, zest, peels, pomegranate seeds, fresh raspberries, sprinkles of sumac, sliced almonds— whatever suits your fancy!

Here are the quick and easy candying methods I used:

• kumquats

• Cranberries

• Candied Grapefruit Peels

October biscotti : rye, carrot-kabocha, maple

I can’t even blink without a month going by anymore... which is why this biscotti, originally intended to be the recipe for September never quite made it, so it has officially become

October’s biscotti

However this cookie and month pairing honestly makes more sense, as the produce involved does lean more towards mid-to-late fall than end of summer: Kabocha and carrot

The idea of squash and carrot sprinkles was my main inspiration, and so carrot kabocha crunchies had to be made, which entails a quick pre-bake of super thin peels coated in sugar!! That roast is what makes the flavors tbh!!

Rye, walnut, kabocha and carrot biscotti, studded with toasted buckwheat and scented with some sustainable chai spice.🍂🍂🍂

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Ingredients:

• 100 grams rye flour 

• 185 all purpose flour

• 2 tsp baking powder 

• pinch of salt 

• 90 ml olive oil

• 175 grams sugar

• 2 eggs

• 1/2 tsp vanilla 

• 1/2 tsp chai spices

• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

• 1/4 cup toasted buckwheat 

Carrot kabocha crunchies:

• 2 carrots

• 3 inch knob of kabocha squash ( or honeynut, acorn, butternut, buttercup)

• 1/4 cup sugar 

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make the crunchies:

Preheat oven to 325 F.

Wash and Peel 2 carrots into long, thin strips. Hollow out a kabocha, and cut off a 3 inch piece. Peel from the side long strips. 

Lay peels on a clean dish towel, gently pat excess moisture from them.

Line a big baking sheet with parchment. Throw peels onto the sheet. Sprinkle the sugar evenly over top of your peels, then toss them so they are thoroughly coated.

Bake for 20ish minutes, then shake tray, and bake for another 10-15ish minutes till they are perfectly crunchy and dry. Some may be burnt, but we have to sacrifice for perfection sometimes. 

Make the biscotti

1. In a stand mixer, beat your oil and sugar on medium speed for ~3 minutes. 

2. While it’s mixing combine your flours, salt and baking powder. Set aside. 

3. After 3 min., add each egg one at a time, waiting till the  first one is fully incorporated before adding the second. 

4. Beat in vanilla and spices. Then add in 1/2 of your dry ingredients. Mix on low till incorporated, and add the second half. Mix till just right ( no loose flour left), and then using a spatula, fold in the toasted buckwheat and about 1.5 cups of crushed carrot kabocha crunchies. 

5. Split batter into 2 equal parts. Dump one half on a lined baking sheet. With lightly floured hands, form a long flattened log (maybe ~10 inches long, 4 inches wide, and 1.5 inches high— or whatever feels right ya know, baking is intuitive!) 

6. Repeat with the other portion of dough, making sure the two logs are sufficiently far apart on the sheet (atleast 4 inches of space— if that isn’t possible use two sheets). 

7. Sprinkle logs with some sugar just because, or not, and bake 35 minutes until the edges and top of logs are firm. 

8. Remove them from the oven, and lower the temperature to 325 F. Let the logs cool for 10 minutes, and on a cutting board, slice logs diagonally into 1/2 inch thick slices (or however thick/ thin you’d like the final cookie to be), and place the slices back on the baking sheet, cut side down. 

9. Return sheets to oven and bake for an additional 10-20 minutes (this is largely dependent on how thin you slices them) till golden, and only slightly soft— they will crisp up and dry out once cooled  substantially so don’t let them become rocks in the oven. 
   

Note:

You could go the extra mile and dip each log into melted (or burnt!) white chocolate (I’d add a bit of lemon zest too so the sweetness isn’t the only thing you taste)— that sounds extra delightful.

But if you’re on a spiritual health journey or plan to eat these with the morning coffee or as a nutritious snack (they are full of veg!?), omit and enjoy as is. 

hibiscus, rose, + citrus olive oil shortbread

Some days are prime for elaborate, painstakingly time-consuming bakes, however, the majority ( speaking for myself here) are not. Ironically, the days in which I have the least energy, drive, and most of the time minimal sunshine are the ones in which extra pretty, fancy sweets would be the most helpful. I’ve realized over the past few months of experimenting that flowers and bright flavors make me happy, and as a bonus, they elevate everything, so even these quick cookies can express my love for the finer things in life.

Now I must also mention that ingredients truly do count when it comes to the simplest recipes (only ground-breaking insights offered here). I never understood the value of a quality olive oil until I was gifted with a beautiful bottle of the golden elixir. I have much research to do on the history, geographic origin, varietals (even the level of ripeness at which olives are picked impart flavor nuances!) of the never-ending world of olive oil. What I do know for now is that there are a lot of really cool makers, particularly young, culinary-cool women, producing beautiful varieties, all packaged in only the most stunning bottles, fit for kitchen shelfies. I must admit, design-oriented food packaging will always have a hold over me and my wallet, but my stomach has yet to be let down by this trait.

I used the lovey Governor Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the makers over at Kyrood, which imparted a lovely peppery punch on these sweet sablés. Use any extra virgin version you have on hand, or go out on a limb and treat yourself to a luxury batch with a fun, dare-I-say fancy, premium variety- there are many brands out there making some pretty intricate flavor profiles, and there is sure to be one that matches your current kitchen aesthetic.

As always, feel free to play with the flavors. I encourage the creative coupling of citrus and spice. My next iteration may marry grapefruit and ginger, or possibly pink peppercorn and lime. Lavender, rose, hibiscus, chamomile, borage, calendula… so many florals, so little time, so have fun picking one of those lovelies.

Ingredients:

• 2½ cups flour (ap or whole-wheat is fine)

• ½ cup of sugar

• ½ tsp salt

• ¾ cups extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp of rosewater

• 2 tbsp of finely grated orange zest

• 1 tbsp dried hibiscus flowers

• 1 tbsp dried rose petals

• 1 eggwhite for was

• coarse sugar to sprinkle

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

2. iI a large bowl whisk the flour, sugar, and salt.

3. Stir in the oil, rosewater, and zest till dough begins to form. sprinkle in some of the dried flowers and petals (leave a tbsp for sprinkling on top).

4. Turn the dough a few times on the counter, form a disc, and wrap it in a sheet of plastic wrap. Chill in the fridge for 15 minutes.

5. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment to about 1/4 inch thickness. Using your favorite, basic cutter (or the classic round) cut the cookies and place 1 inch apart on the baking sheet.

6. If desired, brush with the eggwhite for a golden bake and sprinkle with coarse sugar and a few rouge petals. Bake for 20-25 minutes on the middle rack until edges are golden brown.

Bakers against racism bake sale

the only Chocolate Cake you'll ever need

These are unprecedented times. The first aisle of the grocery to fall victim to the virus was the paper goods, ransacked by the panic-shoppers. The FORO, or the fear of running out is now crossing over into baking supplies, where you're lucky to even find a sad few bags of overpriced banana flour (what do you even do with this?). Regardless, we're all coping through the kitchen, and as the peer pressure mounts, I’ve found myself tangled in a mess of wasted flour, stale water, and knee-deep in failed sourdough starters. I sneer at the perfectly baked loaves of fermented goodness everyone and their mother (does that count as a sourdough joke?) are sharing all over socials. For some reason, I just can’t get this thing to work. So for now, I’ll cut my losses and with the little AP I have left I’ll return to tried-and-true recipes that will never let me down.

Besides, what we really need during these toilful times are sweet, simple, and satisfying recipes that promise a dopamine-releasing bake- it’s truly the little wins that will keep us going right now, guys. So given the little resources we have, let’s make the best of this and embrace cake. Chocolate cake to be exact. Go on, pick yourself up again, put on your apron, and head to the cupboard. Pull out the flour reserves (I promise your last 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose won’t go to waste), and dig through the deep dark voids of the corner cabinet and pull out that archaic canister of Hershey’s cocoa you forgot you had (there’s a solid 50% chance it’s hiding back there). Even better? You’ll only be using 1 of your precious eggs since if you're anything like me you're most likely down to the last 4, and have great hopes of naturally dying a couple for Easter on Sunday. A 1/2 a cup of sugar (that dated bag of Domino has probably been hanging out with Mr. Hershey’s the past few years), a splash of vinegar, some oil, milk, baking powder, soda, and salt complete the team roster. But you’ll be the real MVP, as each evening for the next 8 days of quarantine (or 4 if you love a slice with your morning coffee) you’ll relish in the deliciousness that is this chocolate cake, the only one you’ll ever need.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose flour

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 1/2 cup of suagr

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tsp baking soda

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon, if you’ve got it

• 1 egg

• 1/4 cup oil (olive, coconut, canola, melted butter perhaps)

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

• 1 tsp vinegar (white or ACV- we both know those daily wellness shots that never stuck left you with a big ole’ bottle of Braggs)

• 1 cup of milk (nut, cow, oat, seed, water…)

• 1 tbsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and oil an 8x8 inch pan or small bundt.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, powder, salt, cinnamon, and cocoa till combined and there are no more dry lumps.

3. In a medium bowl, crack the egg and whisk it till it’s nice and frothy. Then add the vinegar, milk, vanilla, and maple syrup. Mix till emulsified and smooth.

4. pour the wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, and stir with a spatula till smooth and no pockets of flour remain.

5. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake 30-40 minutes till the edges begin to pull away from the pan and the cake passes the toothpick test with maybe some minor crumbs.
   

I topped mine with my grandma’s favorite seven-minute frosting, inspired by the bakers at this cafe, which I randomly stumbled upon during a deep Instagram stalk. Some festive dried flowers also made an appearance atop (roses, calendula, hibiscus- shoutout to amazon and Mom’s bulk section).

Tahini Chai Latte

Seed + Mill Tahini and Dona Chai tea come together beautifully with their greatest hit yet: a spicy, subtlety sweet and creamy oat latte. Your neighborhood coffee joint didn’t see this one coming.

New York based, women-owned, these are two companies I love! I hope you love this recipe as much as we do.

for a hot latte, follow directions and then transfer latte mix to a stove over med-heat. Cook till desired temperature.

for an iced latte, blend chilled ingredients and serve ice

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oat milk (or you favorite non-dairy variety)

• 1/2 cup Dona Chai tea concentrate

• 2 tbsp Seed + Mill tahini

• 1 tbsp date syrup (or maple, honey…)

• pinch of sea salt

• sprinkle of cinnamon

Directions:

In a high speed blender, combine all the ingredients till smooth and frothy. Taste for sweetness and spice. Adjust accordingly. Serve over ice for a chilled delight. Heat on the stove for a warming cup.

Spooky chai pumpkin pie

Activated charcoal takes your typical pumpkin pie up a few notches- your neighbors will probably be scared to eat it, but rest assured- only a small amount is needed to hone in on the Halloween festivity. Use cocoa powder instead if you don’t happen to have any (or nothing at all, it’s a darn good chai pumpkin pie without the gimmicks). I ordered my food-safe activated charcoal here.

happy Halloween !!!

Gluten-free Crunchy Almond flour Crust:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups Almond flour

• 1/2 cup arrowroot starch

• 3 tablespoons melted coconut oil

• 1 egg

• 1 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• ¼ cup crushed sunflower seeds and ¼ raw buckwheat groats (optional)
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F.

1. Whisk egg till yolk and egg are combined in a large bowl.
   

2. the remaining ingredients, and using a wooden spoon, mix till the dough comes together- it will take a few minutes to go from crumbs to a combined dough. Use your hands to form a ball. Place in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
   

3. Place the dough between two sheets of parchment paper and roll out to 1/8 in thick.
   

4. Gently press the dough into a 9-inch pan, pinch together and flatten any cracks.
   

5. Pat down the raised edge and smooth any cracks. Prick the bottom with a fork.
   

6. Par-bake the crust in the oven for 6-8 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let cool on the stovetop before filling.
   

Spooky Pumpkin Pie Filling

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 15 oz can pumpkin
  

• ¼ cup almond milk
  

• ¼ cup Dona Chai concentrate
  

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
  

• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
  

• 2 tbsp arrowroot starch (or cornstarch)
  

• 1 tbsp food-safe activated charcoal powder
  

• 2 eggs
  

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger
  

• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
  

• 1/8 teaspoon cloves
  

• 1 teaspoon vanilla
  

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. 

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs till fluffy.
   

2. Add pumpkin, concentrate, maple, coconut sugar, almond milk, and pumpkin. Mix till smooth.
   

3. Add dry ingredients: charcoal, arrowroot, spices, and salt, stir till combined.
   

4. Pour the mixture into your cooled, par-baked pie crust and tap on the counter to release any air bubbles.
   

5. Wrap foil around the crust for the first 30 minutes of baking. Bake on the bottom rack of the oven for 50-60 minutes until it’s set and the middle just jiggles slightly.
   

6. Let the pie cool on the stove where it is slightly warm or in the oven (turned off) with the door open to cool slowly. Let cool completely before serving; about 4 hours. You can also place in the fridge after it cools a bit to speed up the process.
   

Tahini Apple Galette

Late September, early October to-dos:

Apple picking is something we all look forward to, and this year the season seemed to have snuck up out of nowhere. September breezed by so quickly, and now that it’s October I want to celebrate as much of the gorgeous bounty that is fall produce that I can! Apples are a staple in my diet all-year, but there’s something about a handpicked apple that makes the whole act of eating and cooking with this versatile fruit all the better.

Water’s Orchard, a local grove very close to where I grew up is one I go to yearly. The pastoral farm is vast, with rows of espaliered trees that stretch farther than the eye can see. The sheer amount of variety grown at Water’s is amazing. Most importantly, they have my all time favorite, the crimson crisp, which has a bight red skin and crunchy interior. I’m also a fan of cameo and of-course the cult favorite honey-crisp, which happen to be grown at Water’s too.

fallen crimson crisps at Water’s Orchard.

I hope you can squeeze in an afternoon of picking yourself, but if not, your’e sure to find some unique and delicious varieties at the farmer’s market. I used every variety I picked, totaling up to 6 types of apples on my galette. Now this isn’t necessary, but it is fun. The array of colors created by the gradations in the skins makes for a show-stopping display. Get creative with how you arrange your slices too. I fanned mine out into shingle-like patches, but you can also delicately layer individual slices into a pretty spiral.

This simple galette is made with slightly different crust- one of my favorite variations on the classic pie dough- which calls for farmers cheese, which mist know as Neufchatel. If you can’t find this type of cheese, go for low-fat cream cheese, or just replace with butter. I find the cheese to be much easier to work into the flour rather than using all butter, and the crust ends up lighter and less dense.

And while the apples are the star, I can’t forget to mention the sweetest part of this galette, which comes from the lush, caramel-like paste made from my favorite tahini and date syrup. The two make a great grounding base for the apples, by providing nutty and warm flavors to contrast the tartness from the apples. And on-top of all that, pistachios and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) cover the crust adding some crunch and color.

The Ingredients:

CRUST:

• 9 oz (250 grams) spelt flour -I use this lovely Sifted Spelt Flour

• 2 tbsp caster sugar

• pinch of salt

• dash of cinnamon- or whatever spice you fancy for your galette

• 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp cold water

• 1/2 cup Neufchatel cheese, cubed small (or regular cream cheese)

• 2 tbsp cold butter, cubed small

FILLING:

• 6 apples, sliced super thinly and fanned

• 1/4 cup of tahini

• 3 tbsp date syrup

TO TOP:

• a beaten egg (for the egg wash, or just some milk)

• 1/4 cup roughly chopped pistachios

• 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds

• coarse sugar and cinnamon to sprinkle

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, salt, and sugar.

2. Using your fingertips, rub the cold butter and cheese into the dry mix till dime size, coarse crumbs form.

3. pour in the cold water, and quickly mix to form a rough ball. Excessive kneading is unnecessary, but all the dry ingredients should be incorporated. Cover in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. while dough is cooling, mix together tahini and date syrup into a paste.

5. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the ball of dough into a round, till it’s about a 1/8 inch thick.

7. Transfer round to a parchment lined baking tray. Use a pastry brush or knife to spread the tahini date paste (its basically caramel… yum) over the base, leaving a 3/4 inch border for the crust.

8. Now have fun with your apples- spread them out overtop of the tahini date paste in whatever fashion you’d like. I used a shingle-like pattern of overlapping bunches of fanned slices, but feel free to be as fancy or “rustic” with your decorating as you wish.

9. fold the border up over the edges of the outer apples, and brush your new-formed crust with some egg was, or milk. Sprinkle on cinnamon and sugar (I love this vanilla bean sugar for all things baking).

10. Bake 35-45 minutes, rotating half-way, till the crust is golden brown. Let cool (or not- that’s what the ice-cream is for), and enjoy!

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Tahini Carrot Cake Muffins

This fare-well bake to the end of summer and welcomed treat to the beginning of Fall was created in collaboration with my wonderful friends over at Kossie.

I love this community and the content they share has been oh so helpful in navigating and creating plans for upcoming post-grad career life…(please don’t come any sooner haha).

If ya want, check out the interview I did with them on everything from what I’ve learned the past year, my goals, future plans, to my skincare regimen! (Find my updated favorite products here).

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I hope you enjoy this wholesome, warming, slightly sweet, but not too-sweet that you couldn’t enjoy a muffin or two with your morning coffee. Have fun with the spices- cardamom, nutmeg, sesame, thyme, oh- some crystalized ginger would be wonderful! Completely up to you!

Cheers, to a new semester of school, crisp air, sunny skies (who doesn’t love that seemingly sepia-toned charm of crunchy autumnal leaves and trees?), and fall produce.

Feel free to bake this recipe in a loaf pan, to make a great breakfast carrot bread. See notes for time adjustments. *

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Ingredients:

• 2 cups of all-purpose flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• ½ tsp salt

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ⅓ cup unsweetened almond milk

• 1 cup of plain greek yogurt (feel free to use a plant-based yogurt option if dairy-free)

• ⅓ cup of runny Tahini (I recommend Seed + Mill tahini/ olive oil can be used as well)

• ½ cup of coconut sugar (regular sugar can also be used)

• 2 large eggs

• 1 ½ cups of grated carrots (about 5 long carrots)

  • ⅓ cup shredded coconut *

  • ⅓ cup of chopped dates*

  • ⅓ cup chopped pecans*

  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds*

  • 1 tbsp sunflower seeds*

* all optional ingredients 

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Directions: 

1. Move the rack in the oven to the upper ⅓ slot. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F or 200 degrees C. Line 14 muffin tins with parchment or spray with oil. 

2. In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

3. In a separate bowl, mix together the eggs, sugar, yogurt, almond milk, and tahini till fully combined and smooth. 

4. Fold the liquid ingredients mix into the dry ingredients until just fully combined. Try not to over-mix, which can cause a dense cake. 

5. Shred the carrots. Then fold them into the batter. Mix in any nuts, seeds, or dried fruit that you’d like to add if using any. 

6. Add the batter to the muffin tins, filling till ¾ of the way up. Sprinkle with some extra coconut sugar or seeds if you’d like. 

7. Bake for 25-30 minutes, checking half-way through to turn the pan. Doneness can be determined by golden brown tops, and when you stick a toothpick in the muffins it comes out clean. 

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Notes:

To make a loaf of bread rather than individual muffins, line a typical loaf pan and bake 35-45 minutes.

Matcha Lime Cake

BY HALLIE | SPINACHDADDY

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MATCHA CAKE

serves: 8-10 | prep: 12 minutes | bake: 35 minutes

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Ingredients:

DRY:

• 1 1/2 cups of Whole Wheat Cake flour

• 1 tbsp Matcha powder

• pinch of salt

• 2 tsp baking soda

WET:

• 1 ripe avocado, pitted and peeled

• 2 cup maple syrup

• 1 tablespoon key lime juice

• 1 large egg

• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk

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Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, coconut flour, matcha, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

3. Combine avocado, maple syrup and lime juice in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until fairly smooth.

4. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Stir in flour mixture and almond milk. Fold in half of the pistachios.

5. Spoon batter into the muffin pan, dividing the mixture evenly among the cups. Sprinkle the tops of muffins with the remaining pistachios.

6. Bake until the tops are lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool.