Tag: cornmeal

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Moving shenanigans

hello hello!

I’ve been a little off my regular posting schedule lately because of big life things… I’m moving! In a week. Gah.

Long story short, I love my cute little apartment but it is definitely LITTLE and I found a place that is basically this one leveled up – double the size, closer to work, closer to C! Win win. The light will be different (east/north exposure instead of west/south) but the windows are enormous, the ceilings are 10 footers, I’ll have a turret (!) and I’m excited for the change, even though I’ll miss my little jewelbox of a place in japantown.

That being said, this is probably the last baked thing to come out of my current kitchen! This kitchen gets the award for being the best-designed and best laid-out kitchen of any apartment I’ve ever lived in, including the one I’m moving to. Will DEFINITELY miss it. Ah well – kissed it goodbye with this buttermilk lemon tart, which features some amazing-smelling meyer lemons and a slightly crunchy cornmeal-almond crust.

This tart is gluten free and refined sugar free, but does contain dairy – recommend using a dairy free buttermilk alternative if desired; I think that would be a pretty straightforward swap here.

This little guy is excellent for dessert of course, and as always, alongside brunch.

Eugene the haworthia says hello

In other news, took a super fun trip up the coast to Bodega/Occidental/Jenner with a bestie last weekend, ate a ton of crab, hiked and talked for HOURS. Wouldn’t change a thing <3

On that note… fun is over and I should really start packing. Time to play studio packing tetris where I have to pack and live in the same square footage…

Watch this space for further developments! Next time you hear from me, it’ll be from a new kitchen. Cross fingers the move goes smoothly… happy weekending!

current reality.

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Tart

A Wait are those Cookies original. Gluten free and refined sugar free. Grain free and diary free options noted. Lightly sweet and tangy; perfect for a winter citrus dessert or fun brunch. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several.

Note. You’ll be pouring the prepared filling straight into the hot crust so plan accordingly – not one where you want to bake the crust in advance.

For the crust:
1.5 c almond flour
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/4 c cornmeal*
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted

*omit for grain free; use another 1/4 c packed almond flour

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

You’ll want to pour the filling straight into the hot crust, so plan accordingly! Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease your tart pan or pie dish of choice 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.

For the filling:
1 tbsp flour (gluten free blend or whole wheat)*
2/3 c buttermilk**
1/4 c maple syrup
1/4 c meyer lemon juice (about four lemons for me)
zest of four meyer lemons (or however many you ended up juicing)
1/8 tsp sea salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted**

*for grain free, a tbsp of tapioca starch would probably work here but I haven’t tried it yet

**I used half plain whole milk yogurt, half whole milk whisked until smooth – you can do straight buttermilk, or make your own with lemon or vinegar added to milk of choice (dairy free if desired for both buttermilk and butter)

Whisk all filling ingredients together until smooth. Pour into the hot crust and bake for 40-45 minutes, until the filling is set and no longer jiggles when you shake the pan a bit. Cover the tart loosely with foil if the edges of the crust start to brown more than preferred (I did this around 30 min). Remove and let cool completely on a wire rack before unmolding it from the tart pan (if you use a pan without a removable bottom, just let cool completely before serving). Serve at room temp or refrigerate before serving – I like it chilled. Leftovers will keep well in the fridge overnight.

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Cobbler Two Ways

Hi hello!

Happy end of weekend but almost holiday week! I can’t believe it’s Thanksgiving already, that completely snuck up on me.

I thiiiink I know what I’m baking, maybe? Probably. At least I have a very good idea…

As for normal baking tendencies, I’ve now made us this cobbler two weeks in a row with different fruit and slightly different biscuits – it’s a winner! I’ll include notes for both versions in the recipe itself. Very forgiving, very delicious.

This weekend’s was cranberry + blueberry, plus I added dark chocolate to the biscuit topping… highly recommend. I love anything cranberry so was very excited to find them on sale at the market the other day; I may or may not have bought a couple extra bags to stash in the freezer. To be fair, I’m on cranberry sauce duty for turkey day so at least two will be used for that, ha.

As always, per usual, this was excellent with ice cream and also excellent for breakfast. I dropped a shower of pomegranate seeds over the top which not only was colorful and pretty, but also added a nice crunchy contrast.

We’ve had some beautiful sunsets lately in the city! Inevitably they look better to the naked eye than through a camera lens but… I try. Besides, I’m blessed with a very unobstructed western view, so I try to take advantage and admire them as much as I can.

Somehow the day got away from me today and I’m HUNGRY… time for dinner! I think it’s going to be veggie nachos… that’s a very Sunday dinner for me. I have perfect little 1/4 sheet pans that make a single serving of nachos exceptionally – I only have these ridiculous little pans because my oven in grad school was basically the size of an Easy Bake oven, and I’ve hung onto them ever since. Good thing too, since they’ve gotten a second life as nacho pans – what better afterlife could you ask for?

In other news, finally finished this guy! 16×20 on stretched canvas; so pleased with how it came out. A little bit of my home-away is on my walls now!

Happy Thanksgiving week!

Cranberry & Blueberry (or apple!) Cobbler with Cornmeal & Dark Chocolate Biscuits

Two variations are shown here: one is cran-apple and with plain biscuits (no chocolate; added cinnamon on top) and the other is cran-blueberry with dark chocolate biscuits. Both are delicious! Whole grain, refined sugar free. Adapted from Food52, here. Yield: 9″ or 10″ cobbler; serves 5-6.

for the cobbler:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup fine or medium cornmeal
2 tbsp coconut sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch pieces
1/2 c buttermilk*
2 tsp vanilla extract
Optional: 1/4 c dark chocolate, finely chopped

*I was out of buttermilk both times I made this (it’s not something I usually have on hand) – so I subbed in 1/4 c plain whole-milk yogurt whisked with 1/4c milk, adding milk until it reached the consistency of buttermilk. Any of the standard buttermilk subs will work well here, if you don’t have it

for the fruit:
2-3 c fresh (or frozen) cranberries
4 (about 1½ pounds) sweet-crisp apples, such as Fuji or Gala, cut into ¾-inch chunks OR 1c blueberries (fresh or frozen)**
zest and juice from one lemon
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp coconut sugar + extra for sprinkling
Pinch kosher salt
Cinnamon, for topping (optional)

**I’ve made both the cran/blueberry and cran/apple version; they’re both delicious

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, coconut sugar, baking powder, and salt. Use your fingers to rub the butter into the flour mix until it resembles a coarse meal with butter pieces no larger than peas.
Stir in the buttermilk/buttermilk sub and vanilla until just combined, followed by chocolate (if using). Place in the refrigerator while you make the filling.

In a baking dish of choice (deep 9″ pie dish, 2qt baking dish, 9 or 10″ cast iron skillet, etc) , toss together the cranberries, apples or blueberries, lemon zest and juice, tapioca starch, coconut sugar, and salt. Drop ~6 large dollops of batter over the fruit, leaving some areas of fruit exposed. Sprinkle with a bit more coconut sugar and cinnamon, if desired. Place the pan on a sheet pan to catch any drips. Bake the cobbler until the fruit is bubbly and the biscuits are golden brown, 45-50 min (tent with foil after 35 minutes to prevent the biscuits from getting too brown.) Let cool slightly (or completely) before serving. Keeps well overnight in the fridge; leftovers make great breakfast, either cold or reheated.

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Monochromatic & delicious galette

Hi blog friends!

I’ll freely admit I haven’t felt very blog-y lately, probably because I have been moping about having two metatarsal stress fractures in my left foot. Ew, ugh. I’m in a boot for minimum 3 weeks but probably more like four…. I go for a checkup with the podiatrist on Wednesday so we’ll see. Crossing fingers and trying to be so good about staying off it but OY I just wanna run around! At least I can still swim, thankfully. That is fully keeping me sane (plus I have mastered chair cardio with I’m sure looks ridiculous but is actually decently effective.)

sad reality. yes, I was very careful when I got up on the chair

Alright though, enough whining. I got to spend time with my bestie Ashley who came down to visit me from Idaho (hi Ashley!!) and we made up for the four year hiatus by talking pretty much non-stop.

hooray, a drive-able vista point! we drove out here so I could look at something other than my walls for a minute

I also made this monochromatic, toasty fall galette to share with C this weekend; we ate it over a few board games and nearly finished it in under 24 hours. Actually, as I write this, it’s probably completely gone, ha.

I love anything fig, but there’s something about the combo of apples + figs with rye + hazelnut that’s a real winner. I kept going back to trim off slivers. I know it’s not the most colorful thing I’ve ever made, not by a long shot – but it’s delicious, and simple.

I hope all of us have weeks that are like this galette…. full of delicious things, and simple.

Apple & Fig Galette with a Rye & Hazelnut Crust

Whole grain & refined sugar free (the fig jam I use is fruit sweetened, but there’s also so little per serving that I wouldn’t sweat it if it wasn’t) – full of late fall flavor and so simple to throw together. Excellent by itself or with ice cream! A Wait are those Cookies original, riffed on approx 1000 times. Yield: 1 galette, serves 4-6 (or just two, ha)

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

*the rye and hazelnut make this dough a little softer and stickier than straight whole wheat – make sure you roll it between parchment. I found it to be fine to work with immediately after making (ie no need to chill it in a disc before rolling) but if it’s giving you problems, stick it in the fridge for a bit to relax.

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, rye, cornmeal, hazelnut meal, and sea salt. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and almond extracts, 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 – 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 – let it sit on the counter for a bit before rolling it out if it’s been refrigerated.

for the fruit:

apples, peeled & thinly sliced (I used three of them – 2 granny smith & one lady alice)
3 tbsp fig jam (I have some fruit sweetened preserves that I like; but anything will work)
1 tbsp half and half or cream, for brushing on the dough
coconut sugar for sprinkling

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 half and half or cream, 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 :)

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Endless galettes

Hi friends!

I actually made this last weekend but then never got around to posting… I’ve been working on a new painting in my off hours, and that is happily taking up most of my (creative) free time. I’ll share it here when I’m finished!

This weekend is VERY chill – no baking actually, so obviously I treated myself to a favorite croissant instead. This galette was too good not to share though, so here it is. I love the rosemary addition for something slightly savory and pleasantly herb-y – it goes extremely well with vanilla ice cream, but is just as good on its own. Since we’re just starting to work our way out of the stone fruit season out here on the west coast (yayyy time for FIGS), I’m trying to make the most of them.

This was made with peaches from a local farm, actually – I got lucky and found some perfectly ripe ones in the market. I say lucky since I hadn’t been planning ahead, and was shopping the day before I made this… usually that’s no dice unless I can get to the farmer’s market.

Let’s see, what else is new..

Heading up the coast this week to spend some quality time with C for my birthday! He tells me there is an oven where we’re staying, so we’ll see what kind of baking shenanigans I’ll get up to. I’m looking forward to lots of hiking and quiet time on the coast.

from a swim earlier this week – the light was just so pretty

I hope it is equally gorgeous outside where you are – it’s just the right combination of sunny/foggy/cool/warm here in SF so I’ve spent most of the day outside. Happy weekend!

Blackberry, Peach and Rosemary Almond Galette

Whole grain, refined sugar free – yet another endless riff on late summer galettes. I love the rosemary here for a slightly herb-y addition; it’s excellent with ice cream or on its own. 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
2 tsp fresh rosemary, very finely chopped
4oz/1 stick of unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2-3 tbsp ice water
slivered almonds, for decorating

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sea salt and rosemary. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and almond extracts, 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 – 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 – let it sit on the counter for a bit before rolling it out if it’s been refrigerated.

for the fruit:

peaches, sliced (I used roughly 2 large ones)
2 c blackberries (fresh or frozen)
2 tbsp apricot jam (I like St. Dalfour’s as it’s sweetened only with fruit juice)
1 tbsp half and half or cream, for brushing on the dough

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 half and half or cream, pat the slivered almonds onto the sides 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 :)

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Gratitude & summer cobbler

Hello from the long weekend!

Summer cobbler for you today – I found a glut of blackberries on sale at the market so of course had to get them… plus more pluots! I’ve been lucky to find those also continually on sale, and since those aren’t something I’d ever be able to find frozen (like blueberries or something) I almost always will get them. Plus, their season is so short!

I’m breathing a large sigh of relief this weekend – the Caldor fire came extremely close to camp, and it’s really only through the insanely hard work of the firefighters and some natural advantages (lots of granite) that we came through relatively unscathed. Not fully out of danger yet as there are plenty of spot fires nearby still and the fire is in no way majority contained, but I’m still feeling mostly just a huge weight off. It feels at this point as if we’ve come through the worst of it. Regardless, it was a super stressful week and I’m looking forward to some chill time this weekend.

A few photos of the best place, just because.

and a throwback to the very first time tiny me went to Two Sentinels!

This weekend is off to a great start with an early run, coffee and baking! I love my quiet Saturday mornings. Plus, this morning is foggy in the city and we know how much I love that ;) aaaand my quiet morning rolled right into a pizza lunch with a bestie so this weekend day keeps getting better.

This cobbler is one of those easy summer desserts that is heavy on fruit (as I firmly believe ALL summer desserts should be) – it comes together really quickly either by hand or with a food processor. I actually prefer cutting in the butter by hand as I find it relaxing, and it also means I don’t have to wash out my food processor!

I hope your long weekend is full of relaxing and fun, whatever that looks like for you! Mine has friends, fave human, lots of exercise and reading (ha – not shocking)! Sending happy long weekend vibes from my kitchen to yours.

Pluot and Summer Berry Cobbler with Poppyseed Biscuits

A perfect use of those late summer berries! Whole grain, refined sugar free and full of fruit – this uses blackberries, blueberries and pluots for an easy cobbler that comes together in a flash. Yield: 1 8-9″ cobbler; serves several! A Wait are those Cookies original.

for the biscuits:
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 oat flour
1/4 c rolled oats + more for sprinkling
â…” cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1.5 tsp poppyseeds
1 ½ tbsp baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
4 tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tbsp whole milk yogurt
â…” cup half and half (or heavy cream) + more for brushing
1 tsp coconut sugar for sprinkling over the tops

for the fruit:
4 large pluots, cut into ~1″ pieces
2 c blackberries
1 c blueberries
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp maple
1/4 water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For filling, in a large bowl, toss together pluots, berries, lemon zest, and juice. In a small bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, extracts, maple, and water, then pour over the fruit. Allow mixture to stand while making the biscuits.

For the biscuits: in a large bowl, stir together whole wheat flour, oat flour, cornmeal, 1/4 c oats, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in the butter and either using a pastry cutter or your fingers, work it into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly and resembles coarse sand (basically, you want little butter pieces evenly distributed throughout the dry ingredients). Add in yogurt and half and half, stirring until the dough just starts to come together. This dough is a little on the slightly sticky side, so you’ll make drop biscuits out of it – no need to roll it out.

Scrape filling into a 2 1/2-quart baking dish or very deep pie plate (whatever fits!) You should be able to get about 8-9 biscuits out of the dough – scoop up large spoonfuls of dough, roughly shape into rounds, and arrange them on top of the filling. Brush with extra half and half, and sprinkle with oats and coconut sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden. Serve warm or at room temp; store leftovers in the fridge overnight.

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Galette and Vacation

Hello!

It’s been a minute… I was in Connecticut for two weeks for an actual VACATION, which was amazing: full of swimming, sand and shellfish. I actually didn’t do a whole ton of baking while I was gone – just a few batches of cookies. I actually really enjoyed having time off to do literally nothing other than be active and read my books.

We did all kinds of fun things like a lobster bake (I’d never eaten a whole lobster, so that was a fun adventure); swam in the sound every day and made friends with jellyfish (HA. NOT. Why do they always seem to find me?!) and ate the once-yearly obligatory lobster roll.

Photos are better anyway so I’ll just leave it at that!

In other news, now that I’m back… I made galette! Since stone fruit season is in full swing, I want to take advantage of it. This is an endless riff on the usual galettes that I make, only this one has a mostly-dark rye crust , which is a little different than usual.

I have endless recipe variations posted here so I’m not going to add another today – today’s galette is essentially a variation on this one – the only thing I changed was to use 3/4c dark rye, 1/4c whole wheat, and 1/2c cornmeal in the crust.

If you want one that is grain and gluten free, I suggest this crust; if you want to do peaches, that’s an easy sub of course.

Happy Fogust! Keeping this short today since I want to go run around outside before all the fog goes away (I know, I’m weird that way.) Have a great weekend!

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the first of the stone fruit!

hello hello!

It’s been a minute, though that doesn’t mean I haven’t been baking.

Last weekend was actually pretty productive on the baking front – two batches of cookies, a galette (blueberry-rhubarb with a walnut crumble) and some blueberry walnut bars.

All of which were riffs on things I’ve made and posted here and here, so I didn’t want duplicate posts. Also was enjoying a lazy, tech-free weekend so I thought I’d skip the blog posts.

This weekend though, I’m busting out the first of the stone fruit!! Apricots and cherries are always the first to make an appearance, and I love them together, so that’s a win-win. I considered making a galette but since I’ve been making so many lately, I wanted to do something different.

This is a new drop biscuit recipe – these come together in about five seconds, either in a food processor or by hand. Very easy, very delicious, and would be amazing on top of any seasonal fruit, be it stone fruit or otherwise.

So delicious with ice cream (personal fave) or by itself.

The city is is bloom! I pass these on one of my normal walk route and I can’t help but always stop and admire them. So pretty!

We’ve also had some really spectacular sunrises and sunsets lately – this one is from a morning bay swim around 6a and then a sunset from my place.

Happy weekend! I hope yours is relaxing and full of delicious baked things.

Cherry & Apricot Cobbler with Cornmeal Poppyseed Biscuits

Refined sugar free and whole grain. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 cobbler (~9″ or so, depending on pan of choice), serves several.

for the biscuits:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour + more as necessary
â…” cup medium-grind cornmeal
1 tbsp coconut sugar
1.5 tsp poppyseeds
1 ½ tablespoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon sea salt
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
â…” cup half and half (or heavy cream) + more for brushing
1 tsp coconut sugar for sprinkling over the tops

for the fruit:
1 pound of cherries, pitted and halved
2 c fresh apricots, sliced
juice and zest of one lemon
1 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp maple
1/4 water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For filling, in a large bowl, toss together cherries, apricots, lemon zest, and juice. In a small bowl, whisk together tapioca starch, extracts, maple, and water, then pour over the fruit. Allow mixture to stand while making the biscuits.

For the biscuits: add flour, cornmeal, coconut sugar, baking powder and salt in a food processor and pulse to combine (or whisk everything together in a bowl). Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal (or cut in the butter by hand). Pour in cream and continue pulsing (or stir) until dough starts to come together, scraping down sides of bowl if necessary.

Turn dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently pat it together. Divide it equally into 8 balls, then flatten them slightly into thick rounds. Scrape filling into a 2 1/2-quart baking dish or very deep pie plate (whatever fits!) Arrange biscuits on top of filling, brush with cream and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until filling is bubbling and biscuits are golden.

the unbaked version!
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A perfectly imperfect pandowdy

Hi friends, happy holiday weekend!

Boy am I glad for an extra day off. Between busy work (so what else is new) and extremely busy camp as we gear up for the sessions starting in just over a month (!!!) it’s feeling like there is very little downtime in my weekdays lately.

I’m relishing not having any major plans this weekend – juning around my apartment with no agenda this morning felt so good. Especially because it’s foggy out (love) and my coffee is snuggly and warm (double love).

This will be a double-baking weekend – pandowdy for C and I tonight/tomorrow, and then something (galette? maybe) for a bbq on Monday, which feels very pre-pandemic in a very nice way.

I think today I’ll go out for a loooonggg walk and catch up on all the podcasts I’ve fallen behind on, and then come back and do the crossword. So low-key, so perfect.

Pandowdies are great if you’re less than comfortable with pie crust – they are purposefully imperfect and intentionally messy! I love them for being sort of a pie/cobbler hybrid since you don’t have a bottom crust but still get all that top-crust goodness. Also eliminates the need to muck around with making sure the bottom crust is perfectly baked, which can be nice on the occasion that you just want a low-fuss dessert.

This one is whole grain (whole wheat AND dark rye AND cornmeal!) and vegan, as well as refined sugar free, naturally. Rhubarb is in season right now out here in California so get it while you can! I love this with ice cream (obviously) but it’s also great on its own for breakfast – I mean really, it’s just whole grain and fruit so… breakfast!

I hope you have a lovely holiday! Happy weekending from my kitchen to yours.

Rhubarb, Raspberry & Rye Pandowdy

Springy, rhubarb-season goodness. A much less fussy cousin of pie that is purposefully messy and imperfect. Dairy free, vegan and refined sugar free. Yield: 1 9″ pandowdy, serves several. Best made the day of, though it’s still excellent the next day for breakfast. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the filling:

2 ch chopped rhubarb, fresh or frozen
2 c raspberries (mine were frozen)
juice of two small lemons
6-7 medjool dates, chopped
2 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 water

Combine rhubarb, raspberries, and dates in a large bowl, and add in lemon juice. In a small bowl, stir together tapioca starch, maple and water. Pour it over the fruit, toss all of it into a deep 9″ pie plate and set aside while you make the crust.

for the crust:

1/2 cup unsalted butter diced and chilled*
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 c dark rye flour
1/4 c cornmeal
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt (less if your plant butter is salty!)
2-4 tablespoons ice water
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp c rolled oats

*mine was vegan butter (Miyoko Creamery); vegan or regular butter both work equally well here

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine both flours, cornmeal, cinnamon, and salt in food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add butter; process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add vanilla and almond extract, then the 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.

Make a few slits for steam to vent in the top of the crust, then brush the top with non-dairy milk or half and half, and sprinkle with coconut sugar. 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 sometimes 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. Sprinkle it with oats. 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 (ha) covered in the fridge, but make sure to save some for breakfast. You’ll thank me later!

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Spring = Rhubarb

The first of the rhubarb!

I had to work a little to track some down – my usual market didn’t have any, but luckily I found some when I was out and about in a different neighborhood. Which also meant that I was that person walking down the street with a bunch of rhubarb clutched in my fist – but I am definitely okay being that person.

This cake is another variation on the grapefruit one I posted a few weeks ago – it’s a perfect snack or breakfast cake, as it isn’t all that sweet. It’s lightly spicy from the five spice, and the top gets jammy from the softened rhubarb + the actual jam involved. I use a jam that is fruit-sweetened only, which keeps this guy refined sugar free, but use whatever you have!

Almost wishing this had come out with the rhubarb slightly less soft – I may play around with it a little and see if I can make that happen.

Another insanely busy week here – I would like to stop working on the weekends please (insert eyeroll)…. this week should be less crazy though so I’m hoping for some downtime. At least I was able to swim most days this week; it is definitely preserving my sanity. Took today off since I know the humidity is supposed to drop next week which will trigger some autoimmune stuff – which means I’ll also be spending most days in the water, if at all possible.

Today was also a day of a food-photography mishap… I definitely broke the cake when I moved it from cooling rack to plate. Whatever, nothing some well-placed coconut won’t hide, and we’re going to eat it anyway so who cares. Not everything needs to be perfect.

I hope it is springy and nice where you are! I’m still hoping for some spring rains (CA needs it, but also I just love it.) Happy weekend :)

Rhubarb & Five Spice Upside Down Cake

Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free. Lightly sweet, slightly spicy, and perfect for spring. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 8″ cake, serves several.

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
1 tsp five spice
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 c maple syrup
1/3 c coconut oil, melted
1.5 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
2 stalks of rhubarb, thinly sliced
2 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 rhubarb 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 & five spice. Add in eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla & almond extract, and stir until all ingredients are just incorporated. Drop the batter into the prepared pan – it’s thick! 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 35 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.

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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.