Pies and Tarts – Page 4 – Wait…are those…cookies?!

September 13, 2020September 28, 2020

Galette: A bright spot in the smoke haze

Wow. What a week. It felt positively apocalyptic / end of times here in SF, and that was only because of the smoke.

It honestly feels weird to be writing something as pithy as a blog post about baking when the entire west coast is on fire / newly homeless / hazardous air quality / struggling… it doesn’t seem right, this much hardship.

And yet, I guess in some ways normalcy is a good thing too; this blog is a routine for me and the routine of baking-photographing-saying hi to all of you virtually is comforting, in its own way.

In that vein, I’m sharing this galette today – it was made and eaten to celebrate a going-off-to-college for one of C’s nieces in the quaranpod. Such a great evening of family, amidst the crap air and even crappier times we’re currently living in – a bright spot in the haze.

I’m keeping this short today; mostly because of my own weird mood. I’m sending ALL the love to my PNW fam & friends; I hope hope hope you are all safe and doing okay, despite the circumstances.

When you get a chance, bake. I find it rests my overactive mind for a minute, and allows me to enjoy sharing something tangible with others. Sending love and thoughts of RAIN.

Nectarine, Blackberry and Apricot Galette

Whole grain, refined sugar free. An endless riff on my usual galette; if you need a gluten & grain free crust, here you go! A Wait are Those Cookies original. Yield: 1 galette; serves several (in this case, it served our quaranpod of 8; with a small piece leftover for brunch).

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

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, almond flour & sea salt. 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. I like to roll it immediately since it’s most pliable (see below for tips) – typically I haven’t had trouble with this dough sticking. I roll it between two sheets of parchment paper and use the bottom one to bake the galette on; makes an easy transferral method between cookie sheet & cooling rack. If you’re not rolling immediately, stuck it in the fridge on a plate. Can be made ahead the night before if need be.

For the fruit:

Nectarines, sliced (I used roughly 4 large ones)
heaping 1c blackberries
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
zest & juice of one lemon

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

In a large bowl, toss together sliced nectarines, blackberries, tapioca, lemon juice/zest 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 :)

August 29, 2020

Camp + Pie

Hi friends :)

More pie! Told ya I’d be on the pie train for awhile…. this is a little camp love in pie form. The place that holds a not insignificant piece of my heart in its high Sierra beauty and the faces of my camp family.

Spent a great weekend up at camp with C awhile back but I don’t think I ever shared pictures – here are a few faves. Replacing the siding on one of our original buildings (they date to 1936 when the camp was built) plus some of Mother Nature’s most gorgeous looks.

I decided last night it was high time to make a camp-themed pie, and it turns out intricate pie crusts are the perfect activity for a smoky Saturday morning. Unlike some of my other fancy pie crusts, I did this one without drawing a template first – proof positive that pie dough is more forgiving than you think!

But back to pie. This one is full of late summer peaches and wild blueberries, plus a hefty dose of fresh ginger for a spicy kick. I added dark rye flour to the crust for a twist on my standard whole wheat crust – I love rye, and so does C, so this is a nice spin on the usual. Not overwhelming, but a subtle little somethin’ somethin’.

I do find that the straight whole wheat pastry flour crust is slightly easier to handle, so if you’re new to pie crust or maybe just not feeling it, using all whole wheat is awesome too.

As per usual, I’m 100% sure this is going to be eaten tonight with ice cream – I’m an a la mode girl, for SURE – and tomorrow morning for breakfast, because is it even worth making pie if you don’t eat it for breakfast?! Nope, I think is the answer you’re looking for.

I hope everyone is staying safe, what with everything going on in the world right now. Sending pielove from my corner of the internet straight into your kitchens :)

Gingery Peach and Wild Blueberry Pie on a Rye Crust

Nothing like late summer pie. Wild blueberries, peaches, and fresh ginger in a dark rye and whole wheat crust. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ pie; serves several.

for the crust

1.5 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 c dark rye flour
1 scant tsp fine sea salt
8oz unsalted butter (2 sticks), cubed & cold
2 tsp vanilla extract
4-6 tbsp ice water

for the filling

4-5 peaches, sliced
2 c wild blueberries
2 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
2 tbsp maple
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp tapioca starch
zest & juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp vanilla

In a large bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients. Let sit while you make the dough.

In a food processor (or by hand, but I actually love using the food processor for this dough; it comes together in a snap and keeps it from getting overworked), pulse together flours and salt. Add in cubed butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add in ice water – I start usually with four tbsp, then add a tbsp at a time until the dough comes together in a ball.

Turn it out onto a floured surface, divide it in half and and roll it out – I prefer to roll and then chill, since the dough is easier to work with that way. You’ll roll out a circle that’s slightly larger than the top of your pie plate, to make for crimping excess. Lay the dough into the dish, tucking the edge underneath and crimping it as desired. Do whatever you want with the top crust! Shapes, traditional top crust, lattice, whatever. Once the bottom crust is in, stick the whole dish into the freezer for 5-10 minutes while you roll out the top (helps prevent shrinking). No need to cover since it’s not in there very long.

Preheat the oven to 425, and bring out the chilled bottom crust. Pile in the fruit, lay on the top crust, and dot the fruit with butter. Brush the top crust with an egg wash and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar if you like (I like the color). Bake for 10 minute at 425, then lower the temp to 350 and bake another 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the fruit is bubbly. Remove from the oven and let cool before slicing and serving.

August 22, 2020

pie therapy

You know, pie is a pretty good stand-in for therapy.

I forget how much I really enjoy making it – for whatever reason, it’s not in my standard rotation of desserts, so I don’t make it often. Maybe because I do the fancy ones for auction and that is my pie for the year?! Ha.

Also I think because I have some weird holdover of thinking I can’t make pie dough… which isn’t true, but apparently is hard to shake. Sort of how I still think I’m bad at math, since I struggled with it so hard in elementary and middle school? Weird how that stuff sticks in your brain.

This pie actually looks quite a bit like the very first (I think?!) pie that I ever made. I used a star cookie cutter for that one too! I was in college, the crust was tough, I’d just started this blog and that was approximately a million years ago.

Anyway. I resolve to bring pie back into a more regular rotation. This is the all-butter crust I’ve come to love, made with whole wheat flour of course. I went the lazy (for me, anyway) route and used a cookie cutter for the top crust; normally I’d do something fancy and cut my own crust template but I needed a break. The whole state is on fire, the air quality is abysmally bad, and I’m mentally & physically tired; I’m working this weekend and I needed a lower maintenance dessert.

Plus, there’s something about pie that’s inherently comforting – anyone else feel that? I don’t really know why; there are other desserts I associate way more with family & growing up, but pie is just sort of its own category of homey. It’s also deceptively simple… all you really need is flour, butter and fruit.

My thoughts are with everyone who is affected by the horrible fires…. there really aren’t words to express it, but I love California and my heart is hurting for my state. Feels weird to be putting up something as normal as a blog post right now, but I guess a little enforced normalcy is good? Hopefully – I enjoy sharing food with you, virtually as always :)

I hope your weekend is treating you well, wherever you are! Sending love.

Peach & Blackberry Pie with Whole Wheat Crust

Summer pie at its finest. Barely sweetened, whole grain, refined sugar free. Perfect for dessert or breakfast or both. Yield: 1 9″ pie; double crust.

for the crust

2.5 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 scant tsp fine sea salt
8oz unsalted butter (2 sticks), cubed & cold
4-6 tbsp ice water

for the filling

5-6 peaches, sliced
1 c blackberries
1 c blueberries (or more blackberries)
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c whole wheat flour
1 tbsp tapioca starch
zest & juice of 1 lemon

In a large bowl, stir together all the filling ingredients. Let sit while you make the dough.

In a food processor (or by hand, but I actually love using the food processor for this dough; it comes together in a snap and keeps it from getting overworked), pulse together flour and salt. Add in cubed butter, and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add in ice water – I start usually with four tbsp, then add a tbsp at a time until the dough comes together in a ball.

August 2, 2020September 28, 2020

Happy Fogust!

Hi Friends!

I love fogust. Hiking through Glen Canyon this time of year with the trailing little fog tendrils is the BEST. Not to mention – we did Twin Peaks this morning and it felt like hiking into the cloud layer, it was so foggy. Nice and humid – good for the skin, and to wake up – we literally rolled out of bed and into this hike. Not mad. Today’s included 10 pushups every mile for just under 6 mi – highly recommend.

Especially when there is galette waiting at home for breakfast! I love eating this with coffee. It’s literally the best of all possible worlds. I add barely any sweetener to it – only a sprinkle of coconut sugar at the end. It’s PERFECT for stone fruit season, which is peaking just about now it seems like – we’ll have great fruit for awhile yet, but it’s quite literally unbeatable at the current moment.

I was also lucky enough to get a shipment of a friend’s homemade apricot jam, yaaass!!!! I love having friends with fruit. I now have several jars of jam waiting in the wings – some of it went in here, to great effect – some of it will go on toast, I’m 1000% sure, and the rest, well…. we’ll just see ;)

As per usual, this did double duty last night for dessert and for breakfast with eggs+salad this morning – I am currently obsessed with trying rye in everything, just in case you hadn’t noticed. German rye bread is a fave of ours, and I find that rye works really well in a bunch of different dessert applications, especially when paired with fruit. It’s pretty subtle – more so than say, eating rye bread – the flavor is noticeable, but doesn’t smack you over the head with it.

Let’s see, what else.

Ooooh! The dahlias are INSANE right now, look! Just look at them! How incredible are these?! The mind boggles. I’m so lucky I live within walking distance to the Dahlia Garden in Golden Gate Park – I go over frequently to check on them.

On that note, happy Fogust! I hope you and yours had a relaxing weekend, hopefully involving dessert and summer fruit bounty.

Peach, Apricot & Blueberry Galette with a Rye Crust

Refined sugar free and whole grain. Peeerrrfect for late summer stone fruit bounty – use whatever looks good! Proportions will pretty much stay the same. There is barely any sweetener added – just a finishing sprinkle of coconut sugar – so make sure you fruit is nice and ripe. Yield: 1 galette, serves several.

for the crust:
3/4 c dark rye flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/4 c almond flour
1/2 tsp sea salt
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 rye flour, cornmeal, almond flour, and sea salt. 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:

peaches, sliced (I used probably ~5)
heaping 1c blueberries
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp tapioca starch

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

In a large bowl, toss together sliced peaches, blueberries, lemon zest/juice, and tapioca.

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.

June 22, 2020

never enough stone fruit

Summer stone fruit!! Is totally the best!! I loooove the market bounty right now: basically anything you pick up is going to be delicious, and shine in whatever context you put it in.

Galettes are one of my favorite blank canvases for fresh produce: they are fruit forward; the crust can be whatever you want it to be (grain free? sure! gluten free? absolutely. whole wheat & cornmeal? done. herbs? why not!) and nearly any fruit works. They also make an amazing breakfast as well as dessert. Not to mention, they’re supremely unfussy and relaxed.

This one highlights some great peaches I picked up at the market, plus some blueberries that were slightly less than stellar (baking them totally takes care of that), plus rosemary that had been hanging out in my fridge and needed to be used – I love love love rosemary in my desserts, so that was an easy sell for me; also I hate wasting food in any way so odds & ends tend to find their way into dessert.

It’s pretty indicative of my week/weekend/week that I started this post 48 hours ago and am just now finishing it…. HELLOOOO DEADLINES nice to see you. I definitely worked pretty much all weekend so dessert had to be fast, which this one was. It was a great mental break to bake while it was foggy out, early Saturday morning. That is my preferred baking time (though obviously I love to bake so any baking time is good baking time).

reality. baking + monitor with work on the other side

Very short today because I just finished 11+ marathon hours of interview prep for the project we’re shortlisted for, and I’m dead. But I couldn’t leave this undone, plus dinner is in the oven so I have some downtime for a minute before I go back to work.

I hope your week from here on out is smooth sailing! Do yourself a favor and make galette, you’ll seriously thank yourself later.

Peach & Blueberry Galette with a Rosemary Cornmeal Crust

Whole grain and refined sugar free. A rustic galette with a crunchy cornmeal crust – great for all that summer fruit bounty! Yield: 1 galette; serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

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

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sea salt & rosemary. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and 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:

4 peaches, sliced
1/2 c blueberries
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple

In a large bowl, toss together sliced peaches, 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. 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 :)

May 17, 2020

Citrus Sunshine

Hello, I am a healthified creamsicle! Anyone else eat those when you were small? I looooved a good 50/50 bar – my gram used to buy them for me, so I always associate the orange-vanilla flavor combo with her (along with apricot jam, chunky chocolate chip oat walnut cookies, tapioca, cream soda, toast crusts + coffee & all the good things in life.)

This tart is everything sunny and springy and delicious, without compromising on the good-for-you stuff. It’s dairy free, gluten free & refined sugar free – can easily be grain free too. C and I love all things citrus, and poppyseed, so this is a winning combo in our book. There’s a little layer of dark chocolate in there too, since orange and chocolate are best friends – and who am I to split them up?

I love olive oil in desserts too – that slightly earthy, savory note really sets things apart. The crust is a little crumbly but nothing you can’t handle – highly recommend a bit of ice cream on the top to melt over the crumbs so you can scoop them up.

I needed a little baking therapy this weekend – Two Sentinels (the high sierra camp that I am a director for & attended since I was small) was told this weekend that we can’t operate this summer. Not unexpected, but so heartbreaking regardless. We’ll be using the summer to do some much-needed site maintenance upgrades & capital projects, but there will be a bit of a camp-shaped hole in my heart until the campers are there again. Not to mention having to relay that news to all of our campers, parents and staff this weekend… I very much needed baking and some long solitary walks. Luckily, I had both – I took a long walk yday by myself, and C and I did one of our usual loops today. Of course, there was tart to greet us at the end.

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Not to mention – zesting an orange is one way of immediately lifting my spirits – try it; I guarantee it will make you feel better.

Here’s hoping you and yours are well, and safe. I highly recommend bringing a little orangy sunshine into your kitchen this week! Happy baking, from my kitchen to yours :)

Orange & Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with an Olive Oil Poppyseed Crust

Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free! Citrusy and sunny, kind of like a good-for-you creamsicle thing. Savory notes from the olive oil and a little bit of chocolate because orange and chocolate are best friends. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. A Wait are Those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1.5 c almond flour
1/3c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2c cornmeal*
3 tbsp poppyseeds
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 c dark chocolate chips

*swap for more almond flour if you’d like to keep it grain free

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, poppyseeds, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, almond extract, maple, olive oil & 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.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Spread the melted chocolate over the interior of the crust, and let cool until set. You can also pop the whole thing in the fridge to help it set faster, if needed.

For the Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
zest one large orange*
1/4c freshly juiced orange juice, cold
2 tbsp maple
pinch of sea salt
orange slices, for garnish

*I used cara cara and navel oranges; but really anything is good here

Zest and juice an orange, and reserve 1/4 c of the juice. Strain it to remove any pulp, then stick it in the fridge.

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and add the orange zest, maple and sea salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

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

Strain the coconut milk to remove the orange zest. Whisk in vanilla, and bring the milk back up to a simmer. 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 whatever pretty things your heart desires! I used thinly sliced cara cara oranges. Serve cold out of the fridge. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge as well.

May 10, 2020

More jammy goodness

The first of the rhubarb has made its appearance! I loooove the tartness of rhubarb, especially when paired with berries. I think I’ve said this before on here but I don’t love strawberry rhubarb – I find it’s often too cloyingly sweet. I guess it doesn’t have to be, but somehow I’m always disappointed. Raspberries are another story entirely!

This pandowdy is one of the ultimate low fuss desserts – it’s messy, jammy and unpretentious by nature – no one really cares what it looks like coming out of the oven. It’s kind of a study in artful disarray, no? Besides, I love where the filling bubbles up next to the sliced dough – it almost caramelizes when it cools and it’s DELICIOUS.

This one is totally suitable for the pandemic kitchen – use whatever you have on hand! No whole wheat? No problem, use all purpose or spelt or a gluten free blend or whatever is in your pantry. No raspberries but you have frozen blueberries? Sure!

I’m into the second week of being off dairy and eggs (if you know me even a little bit, you know the dairy sitch is DIFFICULT, ugh I’m so attached) but I had to do a little experiment to see if I felt better. Nothing really so far which is actually kind of a relief given the aforementioned statement about dairy but, eh we’ll see. That being said, I’m largely baking vegan these days out of necessity. I’m not usually a huge fan of vegan butter subs, since they’re usually made of soy or oils I don’t want to ingest a ton of, but this one I found is coconut based! It handles just like real butter in pie dough, so I’m a fan.

I will say that as written, this dough is pretty sturdy. We both found it to be less of a favorite than some of the other crusts, but still good! (I wouldn’t post it if it didn’t pass the test ;) I’m working with whole wheat flour – as opposed to whole wheat pastry flour – because pandemic. It’s been impossible to source any near me and I’m reluctant to order on amazon for just that one thing. But I did find a giant bag of whole wheat flour locally, so I’m working my way through that. Maybe I’ll join the masses & make bread! Ha.

^ha, couldn’t resist.

C and I ate this pandowdy with paleo vegan gelato (omg yum) and then this morning after a massive 7.5mi hike up Mt. Sutro & surrounding environs with a metric ton of hills. My legs are DEAD.

I hope you had a lovely Sunday and Mother’s Day!

Jammy Rhubarb & Raspberry Pandowdy with an Almond Poppyseed Crust

Rhubarb = spring! Tart, earthy & zingy pandowdy with a whole wheat crust. Great with ice cream, if you have it! Whole wheat, dairy free, refined sugar free & vegan – though as written, you can use butter or whatever you have on hand. I’m egg free/dairy free for two weeks so I used vegan butter, but there’s a pandemic so use whatever you have on hand! A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ pie, serves several.

For the filling:

~5-6 largeish stalks of rhubarb, chopped into small slices
2 c raspberries (I used one bag of frozen because, cheaper)
zest + juice of one lemon
2 tbsp tapioca starch
3 tbsp maple
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp vanilla

Combine everything in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Drop the filling into a deep pie plate (mine is 9″) and set aside while you make the crust.

for the crust:

1/2 cup unsalted butter diced and chilled*
1.25 cup whole wheat pastry flour**
1/2 teaspoon salt
2-4 tablespoons ice water
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
1/4 c poppy seeds

*I used dairy free butter for this one – either works fine. I used Miyoko’s European Cultured Dairy Free stuff here and I have to say it performed just as well if you’re looking for a dairy free alternative
**sadly, because PANDEMIC, whole wheat pastry is nowhere to be found for me, so I am using straight whole wheat. You can do either, but whole wheat will yield a much more SOLID crust. Still good tho.

Combine flour, salt, and poppyseeds in a food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add butter; process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add vanilla & almond extracts, then ice water a tbsp at a time until the dough forms a ball – you’ll be able to tell when it’s ready! If it still looks dry, add water 1 tsp at a time. Turn the dough out a floured surface (ie marble slab, or countertop, etc) OR use two pieces of parchment paper like I do for less mess – no need to flour. Roll out the dough to be roughly circular (no need to be perfect here – pandowdies are pie’s unfussy cousin), and lift the dough onto the fruit. Tuck in the edges, leaving a rim of dough between the edge of the pie dish and the fruit – I crimped mine because I’m an overachiever and I also had extra dough, but no need to do that. Chill the assembled pandowdy for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400.
Make a few slits for steam to vent in the top of the crust, then brush the top with egg white and dust with coconut sugar (or just coconut sugar if vegan/egg free). Pop the whole beautiful thing into the oven for 40 minutes; best if you line the rack beneath with foil or a large baking sheet – the juices runneth over!

Once you hit the 40 minute mark, take the pandowdy out, and use a sharp knife to break up the crust, thus ‘dowdy-ing’ its looks. Stick the pandowdy back in the oven, and bake for another 10 minutes. Let cool completely before serving; it will be gloriously juicy and delicious so might I suggest serving it in bowls? Ice cream is… optional, sort of. You do you!

Store any leftovers (who are you) covered in the fridge, but make sure to save some for breakfast. You’ll thank me later!

May 3, 2020

This is my jam.

Hi Friends!

I bring you the latest edition of baking your pantry! I haven’t actually shopped for baking specific things since the lockdown began in March, which is super fun – it’s giving me a nice excuse to use up the bits of things in my cabinets & also to get creative.

For instance! I was gifted a jar of the most delicious apricot jam from a camp friend (hi, Doc!) and though I could have eaten it on toast, I wanted to use it in a dessert instead for fun. I’ve been saving it, and am so glad I had it around to use this weekend!

These bars were actually supposed to be a galette. Funny how that happens… The dough wasn’t going to play nice to roll out – fine by me, since it made an excellent press-in crust for this instead, which is way less fussy. Jam tarts are maaaaybe the easiest thing on this planet, and infinitely adaptable. Out of the flours I suggested, or gluten free? No sweat, just swap in whatever blend of flours you like (highly recommend the cornmeal though, if you can do grains – the texture is phenomenal). Got a bunch of chia seeds and frozen fruit but no jam on hand? Make chia jam! Cook down the fruit for a bit with a bunch of chia seeds, let cool and boom – you’re on the way to jam bars.

Look at this flaky maldon sea salt goodness… it’s next level:

Not quite sure if this is to be considered a tart, or bars. I’m kind of leaning toward bars since they slice up beautifully and would work well to serve at a – party? Ugh. Social distancing. Okay fine, they’d work well sliced to serve to those who you’re quarantining with! Highly recommend vanilla ice cream alongside, just saying – but they’re equally amazing as breakfast wedges, especially when you’ve just hiked 7 miles.

C and I did our usual weekend hike today – 7 miles from his place, through the interior greenbelt and up Mount Sutro -> Twin Peaks -> home. It was fantastic, and such a beautiful day. My racerback tan is already aggressive and it’s only May…. I also have a fitbit tan, and a shorts tan, for those of you keeping score at home.

Want to see what this really looks like?

Sorry for the feet, hope that doesn’t gross you out. Ha! I promise they’re clean.

I hope you and yours are well! The outdoors is amazing for mental health – fully recommend getting out there (masked when necessary, of course, and observing social distancing rules!) to brighten up your quarantined days. And when you come back in, make jam bars. From my kitchen to yours! <3

Apricot, Rosemary & Cornmeal Jam Bars

Whole grain (three different kinds!), dairy free and vegan with a refined sugar free option (depends on what kind of jam you use). Super easy to adapt, and comes together extremely quickly when you’re in need of a quick dessert or fun breakfast. Kind of like eating cornbread with jam, a personal fave. Yield: 1 9″ pan of bars, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:
2 cups of flour [I used 1c whole wheat pastry flour, 1/2 c oat flour, 1/2 c cornmeal]
⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
⅓ cup cold water
pinch salt

For the crumble and filling:
1/4 c almond flour
3 tbsp oat flour
~1tbsp rosemary, finely chopped (a few sprigs)
pinch of sea salt
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
~1/2 c apricot jam (I used the entirety of a smallish jar) – hopefully homemade but use what you got! Chia jam would be great here too.

maldon sea salt, for sprinkles after

Mix the flours and salt until well combined. Add olive oil and water. Mix and knead into a smooth dough – I used the food processor primarily for this, but easy to do by hand as well. Lightly grease a dish of choice – you could literally do this in anything. I used a 9″ stoneware pie dish, but feel free to use a tart pan w/ a removable bottom, springform, square pan, pyrex dish, you name it. Press the dough evenly across the bottom to form a crust, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 375F. In a small bowl, stir together 1/4 c almond flour, 3 tbsp oat flour, a few springs of rosemary very finely chopped, and a pinch of sea salt. Add in a tsp each of maple syrup and vanilla extract, plus 1/2 tsp of almond extract. Stir until combined and crumbly.

Spread the apricot jam evenly over the prepared crust, followed by the oaty-almond rosemary crumble. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until jam is bubbly and crumble is lightly browned. Remove and let cool completely before serving. Sprinkle a little maldon sea salt over the whole thing to bring it up to the next level. Excellent with vanilla ice cream or in wedges on its own for breakfast. Store any leftovers (who are you?!) in the fridge, covered with foil.

April 26, 2020

But first, coffee.

Hihi friends!

I hope you had a restful and/or productive weekend at home! C and I did a bit of both, camp stuff for me and programming for him, and managed to fit in a beautiful foggy hike this morning. I took a walk yesterday too, as I do pretty much every day – it’s so fun finding new vantage points of old favorites.

I also made this coffee tart this weekend! HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Yes, all caps is necessary. This is GOOD. C rated it high up on the list of personal faves, and I’d have to agree. I mean, okay – we both lovelovelove coffee so I guess we’re kind of pushovers when it comes down to all things coffee, but seriously – I think I impressed even myself with this one. It’s got an almond cornmeal crust layer, then a solid dark chocolate layer, then coffee panna cotta. See?

^ In the process of being demolished.

Not to mention it’s super easy, and doesn’t require a lot of specialty stuff (alright, I fully acknowledge that I keep a pretty thoroughly stocked baking supply, but hey – at least there’s no yeast or flour in here!)

Keeping it short today because I’m about to fall asleep, but definitely make this if quarantine has you feeling antsy for something to occupy you. It’s delicious and is guaranteed to lift your spirits, promise! Plus, you can do what we did and have it for dessert with ice cream and then for breakfast with more coffee. Coffee two ways? Sign me up.

Have a good week! Sending love from my corner of the internet.

Salted Coffee and Chocolate Panna Cotta Tart with an Almond Crust

Gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: one 9″ tart, serves several. For those who love coffee! Coffee and chocolate are a match made in heaven. Not overly sweet or rich, thanks to the light nature of panna cotta itself.

For the crust:

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
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 c dark chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, almond extract, 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.

For the Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 heaping tbsp dark roast coffee, ground
2 tbsp maple
pinch of sea salt
1/4 c brewed coffee, cold
maldon sea salt flakes & grated chocolate, for garnish

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and add the ground coffee and maple. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

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.

Strain the coconut milk to remove the coffee grounds. Whisk in vanilla and sea salt, and bring the milk back up to a simmer. 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 whatever pretty things your heart desires! I used maldon salt & grated chocolate. Serve cold out of the fridge. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge as well.