Breakfast – Wait…are those…cookies?!

January 9, 2022

Happy 2022!

Hi hello!

Wow it’s been an AGE. I didn’t mean to go this long without posting, but I actually didn’t bake as much as usual over the holidays and I also enjoyed some well deserved time off, so that meant I was outing-and-abouting more than I was thinking about new things to bake. C’est la vie!

I spent a week up in PDX with my parents – such a great week. Workout, eat, make more food, snuggle cat, read, puzzle, rinse, repeat. It snowed while I was up there too, which made for an extra magical holiday.

those tiny paws are wrapped FIRMLY around my heartstrings all the way from pdx

We did do some baking – mom and I made apple/blueberry/date rolls (adapted from this recipe; filling is basically just a compote of those three things cooked down with a bit of cinnamon and butter) plus of course cookies and a really delicious galette with pears and marionberry (rule number one: when in Oregon, eat ALL THE MARIONBERRIES)

Came back, unpacked and repacked and headed up the next day to ski with the fave human for three days over New Years! Hands down best new years and best skiing I’ve had in several years. The conditions were literally amazing; we skied nearly three full days and the snow was incredible for all of it. 10/10 recommend for best way to spend new years!

Then I came back, and a day later officially started a new job! See, told you there was a lot going on. I moved to LEDDY MAYTUM STACY Architects (LMSa) as their marketing manager and I am verrryyy excited to be working for a firm that is mission-driven and so focused on sustainability. Wheee!

So now I’m a week into my job and settling back into a (new) routine after a few weeks off, which means it’s time to get back on the regular baking schedule! This weekend’s crisp was a product of the eternal “what do I have on hand that I can use in order to avoid a trip to the market” game – and I’m not sorry with how it turned out! I love these crisps for how adaptable they are. This one is gluten free, vegan, and only has a few tablespoons of maple in the entire thing, making it very breakfast/snack friendly. I’ve made endless variations of this previously – this one is cranberry and apple with a cinnamon crisp topping, perfect for winter.

I hope you had a wonderful holiday season – happy 2022 from my kitchen to yours!

Apple, Cranberry & Cinnamon Crisp

Gluten free, dairy free, vegan & refined sugar free. Yield: 1 8-9″ crisp; serves several! A Wait are those Cookies original. Lightly sweet, perfect for wintery breakfast, dessert and anything in between.

For the filling:

4 granny smith apples, peeled and chopped into cubes
1 c fresh cranberries (or frozen)
1 tbsp tapioca starch
zest and juice of one lemon
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water

For the crisp:

1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
½ cup firmly packed almond flour
½ cup chopped walnuts
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c flaked unsweetened coconut (optional, good if you have it!)
2 tbsp maple syrup
heaping ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
1.5 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c coconut oil, melted

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss apples and cranberries into your baking dish of choice (my dish is 8×8, 2 qt capacity; 9″ square or 9″ deep pie dish would also be fine). In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tapioca starch, maple, water until combined. Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the filling is baking, make the crisp. In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, chopped walnuts, coconut, salt and cinnamon. Mix in the maple, vanilla, and coconut oil, stirring until everything is mixed thoroughly.

Once the filling has baked for 20 minutes, stir it and and redistribute evenly in the dish. Plop spoonfuls of the crisp topping evenly over the filling – no need to pack it down. Return the dish to the oven and bake for 25 to 30 more minutes, until the filling is bubbling around the edges and the top is golden.

Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Serve with vanilla ice cream, obviously! Keep leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days (yeah right – would take some major feat to make it last more than overnight..)

August 29, 2021

Crumb cake and more pluots

Hi friends, happy weekend! I wish it was the beginning of it and not the end, but at least there’s a long weekend upcoming.

I have a cake for you today! Cakes feel few and far between around here, but I stumbled on this recipe and had to try it. I had stashed some ricotta in the freezer awhile back (not the best for its texture if you’re going to eat it plain, but if you’re baking with it, it’s fair game!) and wanted to pair it with the stone fruit that is all I want these days.

This cake is a pleasantly dense, nutty little thing – I think of it as a breakfast or brunch cake; something that is perfect alongside coffee. It does well served warm out of the oven, or chilled for a couple of hours in the fridge (my favorite, since the chilled cake texture is amazing).

The whole thing is very lightly sweet – there are only two tablespoons of maple in the entire thing, so the almondy dough and fruit flavors can really shine. It’s whole grain and infinitely adaptable – don’t have pluots? No problem – sub in figs, peaches, nectarines, plums, or any other fruit that catches your fancy. I think any berries would be excellent here, and I’m dying to try it with fresh figs – we’re almost into peak fig season here on the west coast!

We had it for brunch this morning – post workout and pre hiking (me) and cycling (him). Exercise nerds? Yeah, we are.

I got a new wetsuit and I’m SO excited about it – I was swimming without one the last week or so but I really love having one for my morning swims – it’s just so much more pleasant in the bay with one on, ha! This one is sleeveless, which is clutch. Not having anything over my shoulders is amazing.

my favorite swimming conditions – calm and foggy

Not a whole ton going on in other news – just cruising along into September (birthday month!) and crossing my fingers for no excessively hot weather in SF because we just know how much I looooove that, ha NOT.

I hope everyone out there had a good weekend! Sending good thoughts from my kitchen for good weeks all around.

Tuscan Ricotta Crumb Cake with Pluots and Blackberries

A pleasantly dense, lightly sweet breakfast cake – or dessert – but really excellent with coffee. Yield: one 7″ cake, serves several with small wedges. Refined sugar free and whole grain; easily gluten free with a cup for cup flour blend. Recipe gratefully adapted from Jules’ Kitchen, here!

For the dough:
1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 c shredded coconut
2 oz almond flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
1/4 tsp sea salt
2.5 tbsp unsalted butter, cold & diced into small cubes
1 tbsp pure maple syrup
1/2 tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 egg, beaten

For the filling:
1 c whole milk ricotta (drained if especially runny)
zest of one lemon
1 tbsp maple
1 tsp vanilla extract
heaping handful of fresh blackberries
4 small pluots

Preheat the oven to 350, and grease a 7” cake pan with butter (alternatively, a 6 or 8” would also work – just adjust the bake time up or down accordingly) Line the greased pan with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together pastry flour, coconut, almond flour, baking powder, and sea salt. Work the diced butter into the dry ingredients with your fingers or a pastry cutter until it resembles coarse sand. Add maple, vanilla, and almond, followed by the beaten egg. Use your fingers or a fork to work the egg into the dough – it doesn’t need to come together into a ball, it just needs to stick together when you press it with your fingers. Press half the dough into the cake pan to form the bottom layer.

In a large bowl, whisk together ricotta, lemon zest, vanilla, and maple. Spread the filling over the bottom crust, and top with blackberries and sliced pluots. Sprinkle the rest of the crumble topping over the fruit and ricotta.

Bake for 35-40 minutes – the topping should be lightly browned. Remove and let cool in the pan for at least ten minutes, then lift it out onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Slice and serve warm, or chill in the fridge for a few hours before serving. Store leftovers in the fridge for 1-2 days.

August 22, 2021

Stone Fruit Season

I’ve decided that it’s very hard to not enjoy peak stone fruit season.

It’s literally all we want to eat (okay not true, I’m never NOT in the mood for thai food, ha) but for everything else right now… bring on the stone fruit!

This weekend was full of pluots, courtesy of my imperfect produce box – these were slightly scarred but so perfect, taste-wise. I wanted a crumble since I hadn’t done one in awhile; I love that they keep the focus on the fruit. It’s basically fruit and nuts, at least the way I make them! They end up making great breakfast the next day – not shocking to anyone who’s read this blog for awhile :)

The color of these lil beauties is amazing! Just look at it:

This is riff number approximately 10000 of fruit crumbles… I’ve probably made this exact version at some point in the past and just didn’t write it down. Regardless, it’s a much-loved favorite with the two of us! Super simple, very adaptable and quickly made.

Let’s see, what else! Had a little al fresco drawing adventure with a friend today, super fun as I haven’t drawn from life in a loooong time. I was still drawing buildings but hey, usually it’s from a photo! The wind proved challenging but it wouldn’t be the SF that I love without excessive wind, so we just made it work.

Lots of swimming for me lately of course – without a wetsuit! It’s the “warm” bay water season so I’ve been taking advantage of it. It’s maybe a strange choice of things to get you out of bed in the morning but I love my 6am swims, wetsuited or not! I find them extremely satisfying.

I suggest seizing the stone fruit moment while it’s still peak season! The closer we get to autumn, the less perfect they are. Get on it!

Pluot, Blueberry & Ginger Crumble

A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ crumble, serves 4-6. Refined sugar free, dairy free, gluten free and vegan with a grain free option. Lightly sweet, nutty and fruit-forward.

For the crumble

1 c almond flour, packed
1/4 tsp sea salt, heaping
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c oats* (Omit for grain free)
1/4 c unsweetened coconut
1/4 c crystalized ginger
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c melted coconut oil

~6-7 pluots (they’re usually on the small side)*, chopped into slices or chunks
~1.5 c wild blueberries (mine were frozen)
1 tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 c water
1 tbsp maple
zest and juice of one lemon

*since pluots are usually on the small side, I recommend using 6-7 of them; the flavor balance is perfect when it’s about half pluot, half blueberry

Preheat the oven to 350 and grab some kind of 8″ or 9” baking dish – this is the least fussy recipe ever, so square, round, etc – whatever you have is fine! I used a deep 9″ pie plate. In your baking dish of choice, toss together pluots, blueberries, lemon juice and zest. In a smaller bowl, whisk together tapioca starch & water, add maple, then pour over the prepared fruit. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the fruit is baking, make the crumble. In a large bowl, stir everything together: almond flour, salt, cinnamon, oats (if using), chopped walnuts and coconut, maple, vanilla, and coconut oil together, then stir in crystallized ginger.

Remove the fruit from the oven, and toss a bit to redistribute. Drop the topping over the fruit, and bake for another 25 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Excellent with ice cream! It’s also fabulous cold after being refrigerated overnight and served straight out of the fridge – highly recommended. Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for a day or two but I dare you to have any ;)

February 28, 2021

Cake for breakfast

Cake!

It feels like I hardly ever make cake anymore, but boy am I glad I broke that streak.

I was intrigued by the idea of an upside-down cake, but I’ve never liked them that much since they are always SO full of sugar and way overly sweet. I liked the idea in theory but I was curious to see if I could pull it off with just a bit of fruit-only jam & coconut sugar. Turns out, it works marvelously! This guy is gluten & dairy free + refined sugar free; could probably be pretty easily vegan too with an egg replacement.

It’s citrusy and sunny with a satisfying crunch from the poppyseeds; the texture is great with a combination of almond flour & cornmeal. It’s not really dense exactly, but more like a cake/quick bread hybrid.

We both love poppyseed anything, so it was an easy sell. Both of us really enjoyed the cake aspect of it too, so I might put cake back in the rotation more frequently. This one is arguably best for breakfast; we ate it both for dessert and for breakfast per usual, but it reminds me quite a bit of a muffin (in a good way.)

Took a nice long walk on the beach at Fort Funston today; it’s been dry out here and my autoimmune stuff HATES low humidity so I’ve been in the bay or next to the ocean literally every day – and sometimes both.

March already, almost! That’s hard to believe. Definitely wishing I had another day of weekend. Hopefully yours were full of outside time and good food! :)

Grapefruit Poppyseed Upside-down Cake

Free of gluten, dairy and refined sugar. MUCH less sweet than a standard upside-down cake, which always contain scary amounts of sugar. This one makes an amazing breakfast cake, so highly recommend saving a bit for the next morning. Yield: 1 8″ cake, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

1.5 c almond flour
1/3 c cornmeal
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp poppy seeds
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c maple syrup
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
zest of 2 grapefruits
juice of 1 lemon
Two grapefruits, peeled & sliced
1 tbsp apricot jam (mine is fruit sweetened only)
2 tsp coconut sugar

Preheat oven to 325. Lightly grease an 8″ cake pan with coconut oil and line the bottom with parchment paper – I flip it over, trace the outline & then cut, to get a perfectly sized circle. Spread the apricot jam evenly over the parchment, then drop the grapefruit slices into the bottom of the prepared pan. Sprinkle with coconut sugar.

In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt & poppy seeds. Add in eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla & almond extract extract, grapefruit zest and lemon juice, and stir until all ingredients are just incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan – it’s thick batter! That’s normal – just even out the top with a spatula. Bake for 35-38 minutes, until the top of the cake is lightly browned, firm, and a tester in the center comes out clean. You can cover the cake with foil during the last 10 minutes of baking if the cake is browning too fast – though mine was done at 37 minutes, and I didn’t need the foil trick. Remove and let cool for a few minutes in the pan before flipping it out onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before slicing and serving. Stores well overnight in the fridge, and is arguably even better for breakfast.

February 13, 2021

I’m just in a crisp-y kind of mood

Hey look, made another crisp!

Slight nod to the weekend’s Hallmark holiday down there in the lower right… couldn’t help it, but also had no inclination to make something overly themed. I had apples, wanted crisp. Easy!

Ever since I made that last one two weeks ago, all I can think about is the way coconut oil is SO GOOD in the crisp topping. I love how solid it gets when refrigerated… but maybe I’m just weird that way; it would seem that like love cold things (bay water, anyone?)

Regardless, this is another variation on a pretty stellar crisp. Excellent for using up a glut of tiny, rather blemished apples – they don’t have to be pretty to be tasty! This version has a bit of dark chocolate – the Manperson requested that I do something with chocolate this weekend, so here it is! Chocolate and ginger are a fave, and pecans just make things that much better.

It’s excellent for breakfast; since there is hardly any added sweetener, it’s basically just fruit / nuts / oats – C and I have compared it to muesli in the past. Not quite, but close! Or granola, either way. Of course it’s also great for dessert with a scoop of ice cream too – no complaints if someone plunks a bowl down in front of me.

Let’s see… in life news, I swam in the bay a bunch more last week because I seemingly can’t get enough, hiked on the beach, saw some pretty blooming trees (the cherry blossoms are out in my neighborhood!) and enjoyed the rain.

It was bath day for the plants today – thinking maybe Kuzco needs a bit of a haircut. It would help him fill out a bit up top so I really should but I love how trailing his vines have gotten and I’m really loath to trim them. Ah well, sometime soon.

I hope your weekend is full of outside time! Happy Saturday :)

Razapple Crisp with Ginger, Dark Chocolate & Pecan

Gluten free, refined sugar free, vegan, dairy free & whole grain. Yay! Fruity, nutty & not too sweet – perfect for breakfast. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ crisp, serves several.

4-5 small granny smith apples, chopped into cubes
1 c fresh raspberries (mine were frozen)
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water
juice of 1 lemon

1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
½ cup firmly packed almond flour
½ cup chopped pecans
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp maple syrup
heaping ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1/3 c dried ginger, chopped (mine isn’t crystalized; if yours is, thats fine!)
1/4 c dark chocolate, roughly chopped

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss apples and raspberries into your baking dish of choice (my dish is 8×8, 2 qt capacity; 9″ square or 9″ deep pie dish would also be fine). In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tapioca starch, maple, water and lemon juice until combined. Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the filling is baking, make the crisp. In a mixing bowl, stir together the oats, almond flour, chopped pecans, shredded coconut, and salt. Mix in the maple, vanilla, and coconut oil, followed by the chopped ginger. Stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir in chocolate.

January 31, 2021

Apple crisp for the soul

Full disclosure: it was a rough autoimmune week over here – mentally and physically. So while I was very, VERY glad for the weekend, I’m haven’t been feeling quite as upbeat as usual. That being said, I spent a very nice Saturday evening & Sunday with C – worked out like a crazy today which helps, at least mentally.

I’m keeping this relatively short, but I wanted to share this crisp with you – it’s gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free & vegan! I had half a bag of cranberries hanging out in my freezer that I wanted to use before they felt too out of season – plus, crisps are easy and delicious. I think this might actually be one of the best crisps I’ve ever made – at least, it’s probably my favorite that I’ve ever made, and that’s saying a lot!

I really couldn’t stop eating it today; very nearly all of it is gone (to be fair, we both worked out hard today so it was a great post workout snack.)

I hope everyone enjoyed their weekends! I’m bummed it’s finished already – can we get on this 4-day workweek train already? Sheesh. Looking forward to the next one! Something grapefruity is on the menu I think; I have some coming in my imperfect produce box this week. Stay tuned :)

Apple, Cranberry, Date & Ginger Crisp

Refined sugar free, gluten free, dairy free & vegan. Yield: 1 9″ crisp; serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

5 small granny smith apples, chopped into cubes
1/2 c fresh cranberries (or frozen)
5 large medjool dates, chopped
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss apples, cranberries and dates into your baking dish of choice (my dish is 8×8, 2 qt capacity; 9″ square or 9″ deep pie dish would also be fine). In a liquid measuring cup, whisk together the tapioca starch, maple, water until combined. Pour the mixture over the fruit and toss to combine. Bake for 20 minutes.

Let the crisp rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Keep leftovers, covered, in the fridge for 2-3 days (yeah right – would take some major feat to make it last more than overnight..)

January 16, 2021

On a roll

Hi friends!

It’s beautiful in the City today – I took a hike out to the bluffs overlooking the golden gate above Marshall beach and played hide and seek with Goldie and Karl. It was a supremely lovely way to spend a few solo hours.

Karl seems to have followed me home too, he’s lurking just over the Lone Mountain ridge where it drops down into the inner Richmond. I LOVE fog. Just in case there was the slightest bit of doubt that I don’t love the crap out of this city… fear not.

Also today I made these apple, date & walnut cinnarolls! Highly recommend if you’re like me and love a good cinnamon roll but not the usual gut bomb nature of them. Not to say that these are health food pe se, but they have a much lighter profile than standard cinnamon rolls – without sacrificing any of the things we love about them.

These are whole grain & refined sugar free (could easily be vegan/dairy free; see recipe notes) – they’re cute and fluffy and “frosted” (let’s use that term loosely) with straight coconut butter.

I love them for breakfast or dessert and all the snacks in between – arguably they make a great snack since they’ve got all the things: protein, whole grain carbs, healthy fats etc etc…. but I leave that up to you.

Happy weekend, friends! I hope it’s treating you well.

Apple, Walnut & Date Cinnarolls

Whole grain & refined sugar free; easily dairy/vegan – see notes below. Yield: ~10 rolls. Adapted from this recipe.

For the dough:
1.5 c + 1.5-2.5c whole wheat pastry flour, divided
1/2 c + 1/4c almond flour, divided
2 1/4 teaspoon (.25oz packet) rapid rise or instant yeast
1 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup warm oat/almond/milk of choice (approximately 110º F – I used whole milk)
1/2 cup warm water (approximately 110º F)
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

For the filling:
3 small apples, peeled & diced
6-7 medjool dates, diced
1/4 c chopped walnuts
1 tsp cinnamon, divided
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 c butter (use coconut oil or plant-based butter for vegan/dairy free), melted
3 tbsp coconut sugar

For the frosting:
1/4 c coconut butter, melted

In a small saucepan over medium heat, saute apples and dates in butter or coconut oil for 1-2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover, simmering until the apples are just soft. Stir in 1/2 tsp cinnamon, walnuts, and vanilla, and remove from heat. Set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together 1.5 c whole wheat flour and 1/2 c almond flour, plus yeast and salt. Add in warm milk, water, olive oil, and extracts, and stir until smooth. Knead in the remaining whole wheat & almond flours a little at a time (you may not use all the whole wheat listed; I usually don’t) – I add it about 1/2 c at a time; you want to be careful not to add too much, or the dough will be tough. It will gradually get less sticky and form a soft dough; a photo of mine is below. You’ll be able to pick it up without much stickiness but it should still feel soft. You might use more or less of the additional flour – go with your gut! Cover and set aside for 5 minutes.

Once the dough has rested, grease a dish of choice – I use a 9″ pie dish but I’ve also done this in a 9×9 square pan – basically, you just want these guys to sit snuggly up against one another. Roll out the dough into a rectangle and brush with melted butter. Sprinkle evenly with the coconut sugar, followed by the remaining cinnamon. Spread the sauteed apples/dates/walnuts evenly over the dough, right up to the edges. Starting at the long edge, roll the dough up tightly into a log. I like to cut it with dental floss – it cuts SUPER cleanly and doesn’t squash the rolls, but you can use a knife or a bench scraper if you like those instead. If you’re using floss, scootch the floss underneath the roll, cross the ends and pull tight to cut through the roll. Set the cut rolls into the prepared pan, cover and let rise somewhere warm for 30 min.

Once they’ve sat for 30 min, preheat the oven to 350, and bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly browned. Remove and let cool a bit before frosting – which is literally as easy as drizzling melted coconut butter on them. Slice and serve!

Leftovers keep well covered on the counter or in the fridge overnight; reheat before serving.

July 26, 2020

fuss-free summer crumble

Hello! Happy weekend!

This might be the easiest, least fussy dessert ever. It’s incredibly adaptable to whatever is in your pantry, and it can accommodate any fruit. C and I decided (post-hike, of course) that this is basically like a really fruit-heavy museli. It feels more indulgent though, even though it really isn’t…. it’s just nuts & seeds, oats and fruit! Perfectly balanced weekend breakfast, if you ask me. Or brunch, as the case may be.

It’s also excellent alongside coffee, I might add. Turns out I actually prefer it cold – straight out of the fridge, the topping is nice chewy, as opposed to softer when you leave it out. That’s coconut oil working its magic for you!

I had some nectarines and cherries that I’d frozen about a month ago at peak perfection – really easy to bake straight from frozen for this, but be warned it will be super juicy.

Nothing too crazy to report around here – lots of hiking, mask-wearing, and nerdy jokes. My plants are going gangbusters though, which is always fun to see.

Hard to believe it’s almost August. Since I didn’t go up to camp for a full session this year, my normal summer-touchstone isn’t there, which is making the months do weird things. Happily, stone fruit season goes for awhile, so there is lots of fruit dessert still waiting in the wings. I have a feeling it might be another galette upcoming – I have rye flour and I’m dying to use it in the crust.

I hope you had a relaxing/productive/enjoyable weekend! Sending love from my corner of the internet.

Nectarine & Cherry Crumble

Lightly sweet – more like a really fruit-forward muesli than anything else. Basically just nuts + seeds, oats & fruit! Makes a great summer breakfast straight out of the fridge, with coffee. Gluten free, easily grain free. Dairy free, refined sugar free & vegan. Yield: 1 crumble, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crumble:

1 c almond flour, packed
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt, heaping
1 tbsp maple
5 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c oats* (Omit for grain free)
1/4 c unsweetened coconut
3 tbsp black sesame
1/4 c crystalized ginger

For the filing:

5 nectarines, sliced (I leave the skin on, but you do you)
~1 c bing cherries, pitted
2 tsp tapioca starch + 1/4 c water
1 tbsp maple
zest and juice of two limes

Preheat the oven to 350 and grab some kind of 8″ or 9” baking dish – this is the least fussy recipe ever, so square, round, etc – whatever you have is fine! I used an 8×8” deep baking dish that has a 2 quart capacity. In your baking dish of choice, toss together nectarines, cherries, lime juice and zest. In a smaller bowl, whisk together tapioca starch & water, add maple, then pour over the prepared fruit. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the fruit is baking, make the crumble. In a large bowl, stir everything together: almond flour, vanilla, salt, maple, oats, chopped walnuts and coconut, black sesame, and coconut oil together, then stir in crystallized ginger.

Remove the fruit from the oven, and toss a bit to redistribute. Drop the topping over the fruit, and bake for another 20 minutes until the top is lightly golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Excellent with ice cream! It’s also fabulous cold after being refrigerated overnight and served straight out of the fridge – highly recommended. Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for a day or two but I dare you to have any ;)

July 11, 2020September 28, 2020

Summer fruit galette for breakfast

Mid July already! Someone pinch me.

I was up at camp last weekend to help give my mountain home a wee bit of a facelift – she’s 80+ years old so it’s time! Nothing like fresh mountain air and manual labor to get a nice reset on life. I’ll be going up one more weekend in July, and for four days in August, and I already can’t wait. My home away from home is the best place.

This weekend was for galette! Happy to report that between C and I we ate all but one slice of this thing in two sittings. Ha! Stone fruit is the BEST. Baking this time of year is almost stupidly easy – as long as you have good fruit, the world is your oyster! Is that too weird of a mixed metaphor? Whatever.

Arguably, this might be one of the best galettes I’ve ever made. I’ve been messing around with the crust, and I think I’ve landed on my favorite iteration – C and I are both legit obsessed with cornmeal so obviously this is a huge win for both of us.

I was given some amaaazing homemade apricot jam from a camp friend (camp friends are the best friends! Thanks Sun :) – so that went in here, as well as fresh apricots, and that is a match made in heaven. Helps to have some less than perfect bloobs hanging around too – that’s my solution for fruit that isn’t quite the best eaten out of hand: bake it!

I hope your July is going as well as it can be in these crazy times. Sending good thoughts & baked goods inspiration your way!

Apricot, Blueberry & Rosemary Galette

Refined sugar free, whole grain & perfect for summer. It’s amazing on its own or with a blob of ice cream or whipped cream. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 galette, serves several.

for the crust:
3/4 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/4 c almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tbsp finely chopped rosemary
4oz/1 stick of unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp almond extract
2-3 tbsp ice water

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, almond flour, sea salt & rosemary. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla & almond extract, then the ice water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough starts to come together. Turn it out onto a board and knead it into a ball. Flatten slightly and stick it into the fridge while you cut up the fruit (can be refrigerated up to several days if you want to make it in advance).

For the fruit:

Apricots, sliced (I used probably 8 really tiny ones)
heaping 1c blueberries
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple

1/4 c apricot jam (preferably homemade by a friend ;)

In a large bowl, toss together sliced apricots, blueberries, tapioca and maple.

Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Spread the jam in a thin layer over the middle of the dough. Pile the fruit in the center, leaving a border of about 3″. Fold up the sides of the dough over the fruit. Brush the dough with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar. Dot fruit with butter if you like, though it’s not strictly necessary. Pop in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in the fridge overnight – it’s great for breakfast :)

June 28, 2020

fave human + birthday! + crumble

Hi friends!

Happy ever-so-slightly early birthday to my favorite human! We had some low key celebrations this weekend and so, there was crumble. Which at one point had candles in it and everything!

This crumble was a big hit all around – I’m a huge fan, since it’s pretty much available for everyone (gluten/grain free, dairy free/vegan, refined sugar free/paleo) and it really lets the summer fruit shine. It’s also infinitely adaptable for whatever looks most amazing at the market – I don’t discriminate when it comes to summer fruit, that is for SURE. Usually I can’t help myself and end up with too much! Luckily you can always bake with extra fruit, so none of it ever goes to waste. I’m a big fan of desserts that are fruit-forward (obviously, for anyone who has followed me for any short length of time can attest) – plus C and I really don’t do sweet, so this is perfect. He loved! As did I, so everyone wins.

We also did a fairly monster hike today, somewhere around 7.8 miles, including Mt. Davidson & Twin Peaks. Yay! Also, I’m pooped now because it’s late and it was SUPER windy – we were extremely buffeted about at the top of the peaks. Definitely entertaining, but also exhausting. Despite the fact that I had a coffee at 230, I am for sure fading.

Let’s see, what else.

Oh! I made some really boss carrot top-walnut-basil pesto this week, since my Imperfect produce box came with a gorgeous bunch of carrots. I absolutely love feeling like I’m using ALL of the food I buy!

A few fun shots from my walks lately… such pretty architecture, among other things.

I am headed up to camp to do some maintenance work this coming weekend, so expect a hiatus in posts :) Happy weekend! I hope it was well spent and enjoyed by all <3

Peach and Cherry Crumble with Walnuts and Ginger

Crumble for everyone! Gluten/grain free, dairy free/vegan, refined sugar free & paleo. Yay! Serves about 6, or fewer + leftovers. Highly recommended with ice cream or as is for breakfast. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crumble

1 c almond flour, packed
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt, heaping
1 tbsp maple
5 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/4 c unsweetened coconut
3 tbsp black sesame
1/4 c crystalized ginger

5 peaches, sliced (I leave the skin on, but you do you)
~1 c bing cherries, pitted
2 tsp tapioca starch + 1/4 c water
1 tbsp maple
zest and juice of two limes

Preheat the oven to 350 and grab some kind of 8″ or 9” baking dish – this is the least fussy recipe ever, so square, round, etc – whatever you have is fine! I used an 8×8” deep baking dish that has a 2 quart capacity. In your baking dish of choice, toss together peaches, cherries, lime juice and zest. In a smaller bowl, whisk together tapioca starch & water, add maple, then pour over the prepared fruit. Bake for 20 minutes.

While the fruit is baking, make the crumble. In a large bowl, stir everything together: almond flour, vanilla, salt, maple, chopped walnuts and coconut, black sesame, and coconut oil together, then stir in crystallized ginger.