Red + Black

Woah, it’s been a minute!

I was SO buried at work for all of January & February up till now – I’ve made a few batches of cookies, but that’s pretty much it. This is the first dessert I’ve really made since my last post! Sheesh. Time flies when you have HELLA deadlines…. insert eyeroll here.

I love all things black sesame, as we already know…. AND all things red bean. So I did what most Chinese bakeries already do so well, and combined them! I walk through Chinatown on my way to work everyday and it is soooo tempting to stop at the bakeries all the time, omg they smell so good.

I decided to make my own red bean paste to keep this dessert in the same refined sugar free ethos as everything else I make – this version is sweetened with maple. Red bean plans really nicely with panna cotta; coconut milk + red bean + black sesame is a winning combination. As per usual, we ate it for breakfast and dessert! Highly recommended either way, though we might be a little biased since both of us are nuts for red bean anything.

In other news, I’ve been doing tons of walking lately – I walk to and from work, and now that the dawn and dusk hours are shifting, I’m getting some beautiful golden hour walks on my way home.

C and I also took a casual 9mi hike today from the end of Ulloa to the Lands End Eagle Point and back. That was a solid hike. Windy but beautiful!

I hope February is treating you right!

Red Bean Panna Cotta Tart with a Black Sesame Crust

Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free! Lightly sweet with a fun, slightly savory twist from a little miso, and the black sesame. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1/4 c black sesame seeds
1.5 c almond flour
1/3c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3c cornmeal
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted

In a small sauté pan over medium-low heat, toast black sesame seeds, shaking the pan occasionally, until you hear the first one pop. Remove from heat. Using a mortar & pestle, grind up the seeds until they’re a gritty, flour-like consistency. You’ll probably have a few larger pieces in there, which is totally fine.

In a large bowl, stir together sesame seeds, almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, maple, and melted coconut oil, and stir until completely combined. The dough will look crumbly, but you’ll be able to press it together with your fingers.
Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease a 9″ tart pan (w/ removable bottom) with coconut oil. Press the crust into the plate and up the sides with a spoon or your fingers, creating a smooth edge (or not, your call!). Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.

For the red bean paste:

1 c dried adzuki beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
1/4 c maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp miso (I used brown rice – medium)
1 tsp vanilla

Bring the soaked adzuki beans and 3 cups of water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, until you can easily mash beans with a fork – about 1 hour. Once the beans are cooked, drain off any residual water, and stir in maple, salt, miso, and vanilla. Let cool completely. Once cool, take it for a spin in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth (you can leave some chunky too if you like – it’s good either way!). You won’t use all of it for this recipe, so either refrigerate the rest and use within 3-4 days, or freeze it; it keeps for about 3 months in the freezer.

For the panna cotta:

1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1/4 c water, cold
1.75 c full-fat coconut milk
3/4 c red bean paste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of the cold water. Let stand without stirring until the gelatin is moistened, about 10 minutes.

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add red bean paste, maple, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Top with sesame seeds and coconut. Keeps well in the fridge overnight – serve with ice cream or more red bean paste or both!