Tag: dessert

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galette obsessed.

Hello, have you met me? I’m galette obsessed.

To be fair, this one was requested by C so how could I say no to that? Also, I had approximately one bazillion pears sitting at home that needed to be used – two weeks’ worth of imperfect produce deliveries that I hadn’t gotten around to using. Luckily, they were rock hard when I got them, so this batch was finally perfect for baking.

I swear at some point soon I will make something other than a galette – I have two ideas floating around, one involving more cranberries, the other featuring chai – that I’m sure will make an appearance on here soon; both are fun and seasonal.

Let’s see what is new! It’s been a week since things finally felt like they went the right way – we’ve had some beautiful cloud effects for sunrise and sunset in the city, and I’ve been enjoying the crap out of them. I usually go out for a brisk walk/hill run at 615a – I motivate myself by listening to Marketplace on NPR (I know I know I’m a dork) and usually get a pretty good view of the sunrise. My apartment faces southwest so evenings are gorgeous from home. Here are a few of the recent ones!

I’ve been trying to get back into drawing more. I love it and it’s relaxing, but I’ve just fallen away from it as a habit. Attempting to get back to my daily drawing meditation, even if it’s just a little doodle.

snack tiiiime

Then there’s this galette! Amaaazing with vanilla ice cream (what isn’t) and for breakfast with coffee (what isn’t better with coffee? seriously. life is better with coffee).

Perfectly seasonal with the pear and cranberry combo; plus I love pretty much anything rye. Ironically, I actually prefer rye alone and not with caraway – maybe that’s my german roots speaking? Anyway. If you think you’re not a rye fan, I recommend giving this crust a shot anyway – the rye isn’t in your face, just gives it a nice nutty undertone.

Happy baking, happy weekend!

Pear, Cranberry & Rye Galette

Refined sugar free and whole grain. Actually – there is NO added sweetener in here – the sprinkle of coconut sugar to finish could easily be omitted. The jam I use is fruit-sweetened (look for St. Dalfour’s, LOVE) so this galette is really just whole grain + fruit + butter. Can’t argue with that. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 galette; serves several.

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

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

pears, sliced (I used 3 d’anjou – pretty much any variety will work here except maybe Comice, which is so soft)
heaping 1/2 c frozen cranberries

1/4 c apricot jam (I use St. Dalfour, as it’s sweetened with fruit – no added sugar)
dabs of butter + egg wash + coconut sugar for finishing

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 pears and the cranberries 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 :)

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RELIEF! and galettes. but mostly relief.

Such unbelievable RELIEF.

This galette was fresh out of the oven yesterday when I heard shouting outside – I refreshed the front page of the NYT for what felt like the umpteenth time that day even though it was only 830am and saw the incredible news on the front page. SO GLAD it was eaten in celebration. Major, major healing and work to be done, but for now just…. relief. An exhale that felt like it went on for an uncountable length of time, making up for four years of metaphorically held breath. Finally.

Now that I’ve cried some tears of joy at finally seeing one of the last major glass ceilings shattered into tiny little shards, I can get back to doing what I do here: talking about food!

I actually made two galettes: one was for an auction donation from the Lamplighter’s gala, that was dropped off post-Biden/Harris speech and happy tears; the other was eaten at what turned into an elated celebration of relief with C and our fam pod.

The two are essentially the same galette but with one big difference – one is made with apricot jam (a fave of mine, and a common galette ingredient around here); the other is filled with an apple blueberry compote that I made earlier this week. I’m including recipes for both. The compote was the happy outcome of getting suckered into a pint of subpar, out of season blueberries at whole foods…. I KNOW they aren’t that good right now, but they were on sale so I bought them anyway and then discovered they were basically crap to eat out of hand. However…. they were perfect for making into jammy compote, along with a couple apples just past their prime. I ate this on toast or in yogurt for a few days, and then added the rest of it to the galette – superb use of it, highly recommend. If you’re going to go this route, just plan accordingly and make the compote a few hours or the day before so it has time to thicken and cool.

that dark purple jammy goodness is the compote, and I swear there’s actually toast under there somewhere

In other news, it’s gotten COLD in the city the last few days. Lost my game of chicken with myself earlier this year – I finally turned the radiator on tonight (much earlier than in previous years where I’ve made it to December, ha) – it’s happily clanking and hissing away in the corner. Relatedly, it’s excellent at keeping food warm!

On that note, I’m going to go relax next to the radiator with my book, a significantly reduced load of existential angst about the fate of the country, and a HUGELY increased level of excitement for the first ever Madame Vice President. Happy Sunday!

Apple, Blueberry and Ginger Galette

Whole wheat, refined sugar free. A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 galette, serves several (in this case, 6 slices + 2 for breakfast leftovers)

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

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, cornmeal, and sea salt. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and almond extract, followed by the fice 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:

apples, sliced (I used roughly 4 small ones – a mix of lady alice & granny smith)
1/4 c apple blueberry compote* OR 2 tbsp apricot jam
1 egg, beaten, for egg wash
sprinkle of coconut sugar
dabs of butter for finishing

*if using the compote – make it ahead & let cool before using; recipe below

Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Spread the compote or 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 :)

Apple & Blueberry Compote

1-2 c blueberries (no need to be exact)
2 small apples, diced
1″ piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced)
2 tsp tapioca starch

Simmer blueberries, apples and fresh ginger together until bubbling – the apples will soften, and the berries will pop. Stir in tapioca and cook at a low boil for a minute or two more, then remove from heat and let cool completely before using. Leftovers keep well in the fridge, and are excellent on toast or in yogurt.

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Dessert pretending to be… quiche?!

OOOOOKAAAY so let’s just start with getting all the stuff out there right away: 1. election day is the DAY AFTER TOMORROW and ugh anyone else have the heebie jeebies? Yeah, thought so. Did you vote?! Go vote! 2. as of today the time has changed so now I have no idea what time it is, or what day it is because, well, 2020. Did we really need another hour of 2020? No. We did not. and 3. this is dessert but it seems to be pretending it’s quiche for some unfathomable reason.

Believe me, this tart is DELICIOUS. I just wish it looked more like dessert and less like an eggy brunch dish. Oh well, chalk it up to 2020 and let’s just call it good.

Side note. Am going to start using 2020 as a swear word. Like – ‘ugh this week was so full of 2020’ or ‘what the 2020?!’

C and I loooved this weird tart. It’s excellent with ice cream for dessert, but equally good for brunch. Besides, hahahhaha since it looks like quiche maybe it just really wants to BE brunch. But whatever. Clearly I’m just hung up on appearances here. But really, it’s excellent – it almost reminds me of cheesecake, but not nearly as dense. This is much lighter, and the apples in it give it a nice subtle texture difference.

hello, have we met? I’m extremely domestic, it turns out. Who knew.
check out this boss fog layer. photo is from a few weeks ago but omg I love it.

Arguably my favorite part is the crust though – same crust that I use for most of my tarts; this one can be easily grain free and gluten free or just gluten free; and of course the whole tart is refined sugar free. Obviously it’s not dairy free, so apologies to my dairy free friends out there – but I’m willing to be there’s a good non-dairy ricotta that would sub in pretty nicely.

Man, the first week or so of the time change always throws me for a loop. I get hungry at different times and I always think I should be going to be at 5p because suddenly it’s dark…. what I DO like is that I can get up and immediately run outside, since it’s pretty much light at 6a.

Anyway. Here’s to election week, and may the odds be ever in our favor. Please go vote. After you’ve voted, make tart! Tart makes most things better, even 2020.

Ricotta and Apple Tart with a Rosemary Crust

Refined sugar free, gluten free + a grain free option. A Wait are Those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. Promise it’s not actually a quiche: it’s just a cheesecake-like tart pretending to be a brunch dish.

For the crust:

1.5 c almond flour
1/3 c cornmeal*
1/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp rosemary, very finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted

*Omit and increase coconut to 1/2c for a grain free crust

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, sea salt, baking soda and rosemary. Add in vanilla, maple, and melted coconut oil, and stir until completely combined. The dough will look crumbly, but you’ll be able to press it together with your fingers.

Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease 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 10 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.

For the ricotta filling:

1 2/3 cups ricotta cheese
3 tbsp maple
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
zest & juice of 2 small lemons
1 small granny smith apple, diced

Preheat oven to 400°F

Make the filling:

Combine the ricotta with the eggs and maple, followed by the lemon zest and juice. Add apples into the bottom of the tart shell, and pour the filling over them. Bake for about 50-55 minutes or until the ricotta filling is set and caramelized.

Allow the tart to cool in the pan for about 30 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely before refrigerating. Serve cool or at room temperature.

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Fall galette time!

Whoops, I’m almost a week behind on this post – this week got away from me.

Oh well, such is life. And 2020 apparently, I’ve just given up on anything being remotely even kind of normal this year. Except for baking! That’s still normal. I try to bake about once a week since it keeps me on some kind of ‘creative’ schedule, where I work within the parameters of the food I have on hand + my weekend schedule to make something. It always feels like a fun challenge to make something slightly new, even if it’s just a riff on an old recipe I’ve made ten thousand times.

Clearly I’m all about galettes this year. I love how infinitely adaptable they are – gluten free or grain free crust is so easy; they’ll take just about any fruit (or veggie!) you have on hand or that’s in season, and they are straight up DELICIOUS.

Also, pomegranate makes everything better.

This is me using up two weeks’ worth of pears from my imperfect produce shipment (LOVE the concept of this by the way – helps use cosmetically damaged or surplus foods – such a great idea) and loving every minute of it. I think we ate this in nearly two sittings – stretched it to three but it was a close call. Whatever, we did a walk and a hike that day so it was deserved :)

Breakfast, as always of course. I LOVE “desserts” that do double duty.

Let’s see, what else. Saw some skywriting during our afternoon hike! That was fun, I haven’t seen any of that in ages.

I hope everybody has a smooth rest of the week and a great weekend! We’ll see if I can get back on my normal posting schedule this weekend… it finally cooled off here so we’re back to roasting/baking business as usual since it’s not too hot to live in my apartment anymore, hooray! Yay for fall weather. Happy baking!

Pear Galette with a Rosemary Cornmeal Crust

Refined sugar free and whole grain. A Wait are those Cookies original! If you need or want a gluten and grain free crust, I suggest this one! It comes together also very easily in a food processor. Yield: 1 galette; serves several or 2 over a couple sittings.

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
2-3 tbsp ice water

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 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:

pears, sliced (I used roughly 5 small ones – I think they may have been red bartlett)
2 tbsp apricot jam (preferably homemade by a friend ;)

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 :)

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Fall things

It’s fall! Hooray! I love fall, and fall produce. It’s finally been cooler and not smoky here in SF so I’m trying to seize the moment and roast/bake all the things before it gets warm again. Allegedly it’s supposed to next week and I’m not super thrilled… I’m ready for solid fall weather.

In the meantime, I’m just over here with all the fall produce. Today’s crisp is all things apple, cranberry, ginger and pomegranate – plus chocolate, since why had I never thought about doing a chocolate crisp before now?! It’s not in-your-face chocolatey but definitely enough to satisfy.

it’s been drizzly and foggy in SF and I LOOOOVE it

In other news, thought I lost my drivers license this week, but a kind soul contacted me on linked in later that day saying she’d found it! Proof that common decency hasn’t gone the way of the dodo quite yet.

I’ve also taken to eating extremely extra toast for a lunchsnack (see exhibit A, below). Seems to be an experiment in “how many things can I cram on here and still legitimately call it toast?”

Highly recommend this crisp for a weekend dessert – or weeknight, it’s super fast so no worries there. Delicious as is for a snack or breakfast, or with ice cream for dessert. Not too sweet, with plenty of textural fun. It’s also refined sugar free, gluten free, and whole grain! Is also easily dairy free/vegan; swap coconut oil for the butter and dairy free yogurt for the whole milk variety; or omit yogurt entirely and go all coconut oil. The whole thing is super adaptable.

C calls it granola, hahhaa… it essentially is, when it comes down to it – fruit / oats / nuts. Balanced breakfast, in my book ;)

Happy weekending! Hopefully yours was enjoyable and full of good food.

Apple, Cranberry & Ginger Chocolate Crisp

A Wait are those Cookies original – an endless riff on the crisp that I make ALL the time. Gluten free, refined sugar free, whole grain. Yield: 1 9″ crisp, serves several.

3 apples, chopped into cubes
1.5 c fresh cranberries (or frozen)
1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water
Juice of two limes

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
1.5 tbsp cacao powder
2 tbsp maple syrup
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tbsp plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 c chopped dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss apples, cranberries and ginger 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 maple, water and lime juice until combined. Add the tapioca starch, and whisk to combine. 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, cacao powder and salt. Mix in the maple, vanilla, melted butter and yogurt. Stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir in chocolate.

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..)

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All galettes, all the time

Hi blog friends!

Wow, a crazy ton has happened since I posted last… I had a birthday (wooo the big 3-0! time for a new decade), spent it in Connecticut having a fabulous time with the fave human & his fam on the beach (giant YAY), and a lot of other crap in the news happened but let’s not talk about that.

Here are a few fun pictures from the CT+30 trip! It was beautiful, I ate a real lobster roll for the first time, and spent a gazillion hours on the water.

Then I came home, the air got smoky and hot again, and everything felt icky. But it’s also October officially, which is a YAY for fall produce! This galette was born of the California shoulder season, where the apples are starting to be excellent but the berries aren’t done yet. Besides, apples + berries are a great match.

Not to mention, I made two galettes and many cookies while on vacation, so I’m just sort of continually in galette mode. Side note: when lacking a rolling pin, a wine bottle will do nicely.

It was SUPER fun using fresh east coasty apples for baking, plus some fresh ginger (not like the stuff you can get in the markets here – this was much softer and pink on the outside!)

Let’s see, what else. Anxiously awaiting cooler weather so I can get on with even more fall baking, but it’s still pretty warm in SF so that may have to wait a bit, we shall see.

Happy baking! I hope all is mostly as right as can be in your world.

Apple, Blackberry & Ginger Galette

Whole wheat & refined sugar free. A Wait are those Cookies original. Perfect for the California shoulder season where apples are starting to come in, but blackberries still look good in the market. Yield: 1 galette, serves several.

for the crust:
1 c whole wheat flour
1/2 c cornmeal
1/2 tsp sea salt
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. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add 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:

Apples, sliced (I used roughly 4 small ones)
heaping 1c blackberries
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
zest & juice of one lemon
1″ piece of ginger, finely diced

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

In a large bowl, toss together sliced apples, blackberries, tapioca, lemon juice/zest, maple and ginger.

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 :)

before.
after!
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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 :)

it had a hull breach
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Heat waves, crisp & a melted brainbox

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Oof. I meant to post this days ago but we’ve had 100 degree heat in SF for the last three days with no marine layer, so no nighttime cooling…. and of course none of us have AC here so basically we’re all cooked. Oh yeah and unhealthy air quality means windows shut against whatever little breeze there might be. It’s been a gnarly last couple days – full disclosure, I read an entire book and laid in front of a fan at c’s pretty much all day the last two days. Which I hate, not being able to be active. 

Anyway! I made this Saturday morning early before it got too nasty outside. Highly recommend mint in everything, especially when it’s hot out! Excellent with ice cream also, obviously. My only outing yesterday was a walk for ice cream at 8p and it was unbelievably hot, but ice cream is a NECESSITY in this weather. It was worth it in the end.

Not sure I have too much interesting pith to write today… my brains feel cooked.

Kind of amazing how exhausting the last few days have been, between the air quality & the heat. I’ve been hiding out in c’s basement since basically Saturday evening… hopefully my plants aren’t too pissed when I go home. Southwest exposure in a fourth floor apartment is amazing till it isn’t. Anyway. Crisp! From my unbelievably hot kitchen to yours, which is hopefully less gnarly.

Blackberry, Peach and Mint Crisp with Dark Chocolate

A Wait are those Cookies original. Yields a 9×9 or 8×8 crisp, serves several with leftovers. Refined sugar free, gluten free.

3 c blackberries (fresh or frozen)
2 peaches, sliced
1 bunch of fresh mint, finely chopped
2 tsp tapioca starch
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c water
2 tsp vanilla

1 cup old-fashioned oats (use certified gluten-free oats for a gluten-free crisp)
½ cup firmly packed almond meal
½ cup chopped walnuts
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
2 tbsp maple syrup
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 tbsp plain whole milk yogurt
1/4 c chopped dark chocolate

Preheat the oven to 350.
Toss blackberries, peaches and sliced mint 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 maple and water until combined. Add the tapioca starch, and whisk to combine. 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 meal, chopped walnuts, shredded coconut, maple, and salt. Mix in the vanilla, melted butter and the yogurt. Stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir in chocolate.

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..)

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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.

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.

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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.

the only condiment that truly matters

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.

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 :)