fall – Wait…are those…cookies?!

October 9, 2022

French apple cake & fall happenings

Hello and happy fall! It feels like fall in the city, it’s finally been actually somewhat chilly in the evenings. I’ve also hit the point where all I want to make is apple-based desserts…

I had a birthday and such since I posted last – C and I went up to Jenner and Sea Ranch for a few days to enjoy some quiet coast time. Took a great 9.5mi hike in Salt Point state park and ate a bunch of crab… absolutely zero complaints, it was a lovely few days away.

Also had a few fun adventures baking in airbnb kitchens – always an interesting puzzle. Maybe I should write a cookbook about how to bake when you have minimal supplies? Ha. Latest airbnb cooking lesson takeaways: a mesh strainer used as a drying rack does great double duty as a cooling rack for cookies, and you can make peach crisp on a stove/hot plate.

Let’s see, what else. I spent yesterday afternoon repotting some of my more enormous plants, which was overdue and very needed for them (root bound) and basically a workout for me, so everybody wins. Hopefully they’ll be much happier in their new digs! Probably explains why one of them had been acting up. I’d been putting it off because repotting him involves corralling all his tendrils into a pillowcase for easier maneuvering and I get soil all over my kitchen… it’s too bad no one caught this round on camera. I was literally hugging my snake plant, trying to hold the pot down with my knees while I tugged it out. Comical. Oh and I talk to them while I do it, obviously.

Have been getting some really fun fog effects lately; I never ever get tired of watching fog.

But back to cake.

This one is so simple – really, the most time consuming part is just chopping up the apples – but so delicious. It’s more apple than cake, which I love – mine is a 7″ cake and there are three large apples in it. Amazing! I only lightly adapted it from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe since I did really want to make something sorta traditional, but I think next time I do it, I might add ginger or cardamom (both of which I was out of). She has rum in her recipe too, which I 1000% would have added if I had any.

It’s delicious without though, so I’m posting my modifications here as an alternative – I used whole grain flour, and dropped the sugar content from the original. In this version, I used raw cane sugar, which is a more refined sugar than the sweetener choices I typically use, but I had some leftover from a previous project and didn’t want to waste it :)

Happy baking, and happy October!

French Apple Cake

So delicious! Only lightly adapted from Dorie Greenspan’s recipe, here. Yield: 7-8″ cake (I used a 7″ springform; it’s a flexible cake), serves 4-6ish, or two with leftovers for breakfast :) Lightly sweet, more apple than cake. Perfect for a tea time snack or after dinner dessert. Whole grain, naturally sweetened.

3/4 c whole wheat pastry flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
large pinch of salt
3 large apples (if you can, choose 3 different kinds – I used fuji & granny smith)
2 large eggs
1/3 c cane sugar*
1.5 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
~1tbsp turbinado sugar, for sprinkling

*a more refined sugar than I would typically use. It works well here, but I’d like to try subbing in maple/maple sugar/possibly coconut sugar to see about a less refined alternative

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 7 or 8″ springform pan and put it on a baking sheet lined parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together in small bowl. Peel the apples, slice them finely, and then dice the slices into 1/2″-ish pieces. Just make sure they’re small! They don’t need to be even.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re foamy. Add the sugar and whisk for a minute to blend, followed by the vanilla. Whisk in half the flour and when it is incorporated, add half the melted butter, followed by the rest of the flour and the remaining butter, mixing after each so that you have a smooth, thick batter. With a rubber spatula, fold in the apples, turning the fruit so that it’s coated with batter. Scrape the mix into the pan and pat it down a little with the spatula so that it’s evenish. Sprinkle the top with turbinado sugar.

Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the top of the cake is golden brown and a tester inserted deep into the center comes out clean; the cake may pull away from the sides of the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack and let rest for 5 minutes.

Run a blunt knife around the edges of the cake and remove the sides of the springform pan. If you want to remove it from the bottom of the springform, let it cool a bit longer before doing so. Otherwise, the cake can be served warm, room temperature or chilled (can confirm it’s delicious all three ways); with a dollop of whipped cream, ice cream, or a splash of rum over the top. All excellent. It’s a very moist cake – more apple than cake, actually – so it’s best fresh but will keep for about 2 days, either on the counter or in the fridge. Press waxed paper against the cut surfaces for optimal storage.

November 14, 2020November 23, 2020

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.

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 :)

November 8, 2020

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.

November 1, 2020

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.

October 22, 2020October 22, 2020

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 :)

October 11, 2020

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..)

October 3, 2020

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.

November 30, 2019

Penultimate Purple

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Happy belated Thanksgiving, internet friends!

Mine was great; full of several groups of awesome fam/peeps. It’s not even over – I have a Friendsgiving in a few hours with another group of awesome peeps! I love my peeps.

For Turkalurk Day proper, I did this sweet potato tart and my usual cookies (of course) – there might have been some minor rioting if there hadn’t been cookies, at least from the fave human who loves them! That being said, he loved the tart as well so everyone is happy.

I LOVE the color of the sweet potatoes – no photo enhancement necessary! Mother Nature has such a way with color.

C made some delicious beets and parsnips for Thanksgiving, so bfast the next morning was especially colorful – and filling, thankfully, as we’d just come back from a very hilly hike to Mt Davidson, and I was ravenous.

This tart is really, really easy to throw together – the filling comes together in the food processor, and the crust is a press in, no need to muck around with rolling. It’s also gluten free, refined sugar free and dairy free! Perfect when you’re baking for a crowd and in need a dessert that suits all comers. It can easily be grain free as well – swap out the cornmeal in the crust for more almond flour, and use almond flour in the pie instead of oat flour. It’s lightly spicy from the cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice – fallish without being in your face FALL. The purple color is obviously eye catching too, and the black sesame gives it a fun, nutty twist.

I hope you’re having a great holiday weekend! There’s still weekend left, if the urge to bake is still hanging around ;)

Purple Sweet Potato Tart with a Black Sesame Almond Crust

A Wait are those Cookies original. Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several.

For the crust:

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

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

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

For the filling:

2.5 cups (approx. 2 large) mashed purple sweet potatoes
1/3 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp oat flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a food processor, add the mashed sweet potatoes, eggs, maple, melted coconut oil, vanilla, oat flour, coconut milk, spices, and sea salt. Pulse until evenly mixed.

Pour the filling into the prepared crust and smooth out with a spoon. Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until the center is set – it should hardly jiggle at all when shaken. Once set, remove the pie from the oven and cool completely on a rack before serving. Store in the fridge If not serving immediately (and even if you are; I feel like it benefits from some chill time); any leftovers should keep well covered in the fridge, but you may not have any!

November 24, 2019

Apples, squared

Hi Friends, happy almost Thanksgiving!

Boy, November went fast. It seems like I blinked and it’s nearly December, what?! I enjoy this time of year and wish it didn’t whizz by quite so quickly. Oh well, nothing to do but live in the moment! I love the transition to winter produce – I have yet to buy pomegranates (waiting for the dumb things to go on sale) but everything else is fully on my radar, especially apples.

Did a great hike up to Twin Peaks today – it’s been awhile since I’ve done that one, and it was great to get back up there… even though I discovered about halfway through that my legs were/are extremely fried from a few really good lifting days this week. I think I’ll be taking tomorrow off… though knowing me, I’m sure I’ll walk to work because heaven forbid I sit still all day, ugh.

C and I had a great time last night with a board game that matched the aesthetics of this galette – we had a good laugh when we realized how coordinated things were (Between Two Cities is the game – super fun, just in case any of my board gaming peeps out there are looking for a new-to-you game).

Of course we ate it for breakfast too – I know, I know, try to contain your astonishment. Suuuuper good alongside a giant breakfast salad with eggs & caponata.

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I’ve been wanting to use miso in a dessert for quite awhile at this point, so I’m super glad this ended up working out. I can feel a galette kick coming on – they are so infinitely adaptable to seasonality of produce and various flavors. Miso adds just a little hint of savory oomf to the almond filling of this one – you don’t taste it and automatically think miso soup hahaa; in fact, I don’t really notice it, but I LOVE the filling taste. C was right there with me so I’d say it’s a winner. There was only a small piece left for a snack later when I left, ha! Success.

Hit me up if you have desserty Thanksgiving questions! I’m happy to weigh in, if you’re feeling indecisive or otherwise uninspired. I’m baking for at least two dinners this year – one for my actual Thanksgiving with C’s fam, and a Friendsgiving two days later. I’m not planning on making pumpkin pie for either one – stay tuned ;)

I’m loving tulips right now, as you can see – this picture below reminds me of 17th century Dutch Golden Age vertias still life paintings! Where the flowers are past their prime but still beautiful in their own way:

Happy early Thanksgiving! I’m sure I’ll be posting what I make but more likely than not it’ll be after the fact. Have a great short week!

Apple and Black Sesame Galette with Almond Miso Frangipane

A perfect fall galette – easy dessert or brunch! The miso is very subtle if you’re at all worried about tasting it – you really don’t; it just gives the filling a slight savory oompf. Grain and gluten free, refined sugar free; lactose free option. Yield: 1 galette, serves several.

For the galette dough:

1.5 c almond flour (not meal; you want the finer flour variety)
1/2 c tapioca flour
1/4 tsp fine sea salt
1/4 c black sesame seeds
6 tbsp salted butter, chopped (or ghee)
1 egg**
1 tbsp vanilla extract

*alternately you can use a flax egg with very similar results (3tbsp water + 1 tbsp ground flaxseed)

In a food processor or high-power blender (I used a food processor), pulse almond flour, tapioca starch, salt, sesame seeds and butter to combine until it looks like coarse meal. Add in egg and vanilla extract and pulse just until combined. Turn out onto a piece of plastic wrap, shape into a disk and chill in the fridge for at least an hour, or up to overnight.

For the filling:
4 apples, sliced thinly (I used Granny Smith and Lady Alice for fun color contrast)
1/3 almond butter
1 tbsp brown rice miso
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 egg

In a small bowl, whisk together almond butter, sea salt, miso, vanilla, maple and egg until smooth. Set aside.

Once the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 375. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper, keeping the circle to about 1/4″ thickness. Peel off the top piece of parchment, and slide the rolled out dough on its parchment onto a baking sheet. Top with almond butter-miso filling in the center, leaving a border of dough around the edges, and add the apples. Begin folding up the sides, creasing them together as you go – if the dough rips, that’s okay (you can crimp the cracks back together; remember: galettes are forgiving and rustic!); you can use the bottom piece of parchment to help fold up the sides.

Dot the apples with butter and sprinkle dough with a little coconut sugar. Bake for 35-40 minutes until edges are golden brown — mine came out just fine at 35 minutes, so check accordingly.

Let cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, then carefully slide the whole galette onto a cooling rack to let it cool completely. Serve with your fave ice cream or whatever of choice! Keeps well covered in foil on the counter or in the fridge.

November 2, 2017November 19, 2018

Appropriately autumnal baking

There is something so soothing about early morning baking. I don’t necessarily choose to bake at 6:30a, but when a workout and work have to happen before I can deliver & eat dessert, baking by necessity becomes an early morning activity. That being said, though, it’s a very meditative way to spend a morning, especially when it’s still dark outside.

Of course, then of course there’s that moment when you go to put socks on and somehow find some crystallized ginger stuck to your foot… um… no comment.

It also gives me a great sense of productivity to know I’ve created something before I even leave the house that day – and then add a workout and a highly productive work day and by 6p I feel extraordinary accomplished.

And THEN I get to eat cake! Ha. Win win, all around. Besides, coming back into my apartment after work, I’m greeted with a waft of OMG THIS CAKE SMELLS AMAZING – always a good sign.

This cake was well loved by both of us – it is definitely going on the to-make-again list – and I have high standards for that list! The cornmeal/polenta give it great texture – it’s a cross somewhere between cake and cornbread, in the best way possible. It’s amazing with ice cream for dessert, and equally so alongside eggs and kale for breakfast – see exhibit A below.

Besides that, just in case you needed proof as to how loved this cake was, see exhibit B:

No crumbs. One (large) slice left – that is after a stint of very productive yard work & leaf raking – that cake had NO chance.

I can’t believe it’s already November. What happened to October?! Happy autumn!

Apple Ginger Polenta Cake

Gluten free, refined sugar free, and dairy free. Lightly sweet, sort of like a cross between cake and cornbread – perfect for dessert (served with ice cream!) and breakfast alongside eggs and leafy green things. Yield: 1 8″ cake, serves… um… 2! Ha.

1 c almond meal
2/3 c yellow corn meal (I used medium grind)
1/3 c rice flour
2 tsp baking powder
Heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c extra virgin olive oil
2 eggs
1/6 c maple sugar
1/6 maple syrup
2 tsp vanilla
2 Granny Smith apples
1/3 c crystallized ginger chunks, chopped*

*I have also made this with fresh ginger and it’s equally amazing; finely mince peeled, fresh ginger root and add to the batter. The quantity is up to you – I love ginger, so I used a knob probably about 1.5″ long

Preheat the oven to 350, and line an 8″ cake pan with parchment paper, or do like I did and use strips of parchment paper for easy removal. Be sure to grease the pan first though to prevent any stickage.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the maple sugar and maple syrup until soft and fluffy. Add in olive oil and vanilla. In a smaller bowl, whisk together almond flour, polenta, rice flour, and baking powder. Stir dry into wet. Cut one and a half apples into cubes and thinly slice remaining half. Add the apple cubes and chopped ginger and stir until just combined. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan, and smooth it out a bit.

Arrange a few apple slices on top of the cake, sprinkle with a bit of maple (or coconut) sugar. Bake at 350F for 40 minutes. Check the cake after 35 minutes; mine was perfect at 40. If the top of the cake is browning too quickly during baking, you can always tent it with a sheet of tinfoil.

I stuck mine in the fridge for a few hours of storage, which didn’t hurt it at all. It keeps well on the counter overnight (covered with foil), and makes a ridiculously amazing addition to breakfast the next day!

Early morning mis en place…