maple – Wait…are those…cookies?!

May 1, 2021May 1, 2021

Fog & Fennel

It’s a foggy, mellow weekend in the city today – I LOVE days like this, where I wake up to the fog curling up against my windows, and then by noon it starts to clear but only kind of, so if you look up, you see it moving fast overhead, and obscuring bits and pieces of the city.

Then by midafternoon it starts coming in again, and by evening things are covered again. Arguably, I think one of my favorite things about living in the city is the fog – I find it magical and beautiful.

It’s also insanely windy today – I took a long, rambly walk down to Fort Mason & along the water, and the bay is verrrryyy whitecappy today.

for reference, this is where I swim! it’s protected by a pier but even so, there were some major swells in there today

In other news, made a crumble! I had some fresh fennel in my produce drawer that I’d been ignoring, and I really couldn’t figure out how I was going to get around to slotting it into meals. Instead, I used it here!

Fennel + apple + walnut is a match made in heaven, and I love the addition of ginger to anything. This crumble is also very dietary-choice friendly; it’s gluten, dairy & refined sugar free with an easy grain-free alternative. Yay! It also comes together in a snap and requires minimal effort, a yay for those lazy weekends.

I felt like I spent most of today doing house tasks… I kind of love days like this though, since they make me feel accomplished. Spent a ton of time troubleshooting & descaling my moka pot today too… I love good coffee and it’s so sad that my bialetti has suddenly decided to not work properly. I THINK it needed a good descaling, so ran it through two cycles of that… let’s see how this goes. Fingers crossed it starts behaving. It’s been giving me trouble for at least a week, and I’m over it.

Happy weekend! I hope yours is equal parts fun and relaxing.

Fennel, Apple & Blueberry Crumble

Gluten, dairy & refined sugar free + vegan. Easily grain free if needed/wanted – just omit the oats (it’s just as good that way, promise!). Earthy fennel, fresh apples + blueberries & a nutty crumble topping. Yield: 1 8 or 9″ crumble, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crumble

1 c almond flour, packed
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt, heaping
1 tbsp maple
1/4 c melted coconut oil
1/2 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c oats* (Omit for grain free)
1/4 c unsweetened coconut
1/4 c crystalized ginger
2 tsp fennel seeds, very finely chopped (or ground in a mortar)

1 bulb of fresh fennel, finely diced
2 granny smith apples, peeled & chopped into small cubes
~1 c wild blueberries (mine were frozen)
1 tbsp tapioca starch + 1/4 c water
1 tbsp maple
zest and juice of two lemons

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

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

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

March 6, 2021

Citrus Saturday

More citrus!

Couldn’t resist; I haven’t made a citrus curd in a bit, and I love using blood oranges while I can get them in season. Plus, C’s meyer lemon tree has been producing again so I figured I’d take advantage.

This is one of those desserts that looks and sounds fancy and intimidating, but it’s not! Break it down into its component parts and it’s pretty straightforward. It’s also grain & gluten free, plus of course refined sugar free – and actually, there is only 1/4c of maple in the whole thing! It’s perfect for those of us who like our desserts on the tart side of sweet, ha. The crust is actually naturally sweet from the almond flour though anyway, so it really balances out the citrus curd.

I took a field trip out to visit Goldie today – Karl wouldn’t come out to play but Goldie and I played hide and seek for awhile while I hiked the bluffs to batteries trail. All told, it was 7mi from the Lincoln steps > coastal trail > Baker Beach > bluffs to batteries > bay area ridge trail (presidio) > home, about two hours and a beautiful day.

Swam most days than not this week (see photo evidence), found some really pretty blooming things & watched a few gorgeous sunsets (yay western exposure from my apartment! amazing at all times except when it’s hot)

YES I wear a wetsuit, the water is currently 52 degrees so, yes.

Also, of course – I made a tart! Citrusy and nutty and delicious. Highly recommend, while we’re still in blood orange season (at least out here on the West coast/best coast.)

Happy weekending! Go get outside :)

Blood Orange & Meyer Lemon Tart on a Hazelnut Almond Crust

Gluten & grain free; refined sugar free. I included a couple of options for the order of making this, so read through the whole thing before you get started :) A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 9″ tart; serves several.

I stabilized the curd for this tart with gelatin, as I was after the texture of a panna cotta more than a softer curd tart for slicing and serving. I’m including an option for a baked tart, if you’d prefer to avoid gelatin or are out.

For tart assembly:

~1c of blood orange & meyer lemon curd, recipe below (I use all of what the recipe makes for a 9″ tart)
1 tart shell, recipe below
1/4 c cold meyer lemon juice (I used two lemons)
1 packet powdered gelatin
1 blood orange, sliced

I suggest making the crust first and letting it cool. Once it’s cooling, start the curd – then just adding the softened gelatin into the already warm curd once the curd is finished cooking.

In a small bowl, sprinkle 1 packet of gelatin over 1/4c cold meyer lemon juice. Stir until incorporated and let sit for a minute. Once softened, stir into the warm curd, whisking until the gelatin is dissolved completely (give it 1-2 minutes of continuous whisking). Strain the curd through a fine metal strainer into a bowl to cool a bit, before pouring the curd into the baked crust shell and transferring to the fridge to cool completely – preferably overnight but at least 4 hours. Top with sliced blood oranges, etc. Store the tart in the fridge until serving. Leftovers keep well overnight, refrigerated.

If you prefer not to use gelatin, you can also set the curd by pouring it into the pre-baked tart shell, and baking the whole thing at 350 for 8-10 minutes, then letting cool completely and refrigerating for at least 4 hours before serving. I prefer the gelatin method with this curd since it will set completely – the baked version might have more wobble / lose some structural integrity when sliced, but it’s a pretty solid second option & is definitely still delicious.

Blood Orange & Meyer Lemon Curd:

3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 c blood orange + meyer lemon juice (I used 2 blood oranges + 1 large lemon)
zest of 2 blood oranges
zest of 1 meyer lemon
pinch of sea salt
2 tbsp maple syrup
4 tbsp butter, unsalted
1 tsp vanilla

I use a double boiler for this lemon curd, which I highly recommend! You don’t have to, but in my experience it makes for a better cooking process. Heat water in the bottom of the double boiler until it’s at a high simmer. In the top of the double boiler, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, citrus zest and juice, sea salt, and maple syrup. Add in the butter one tbsp at a time, whisking continuously, not adding the next tbsp until the first is completely melted. Whisk in vanilla. Cook, stirring constantly, until the curd thickens and will coat the back of a spoon (or your whisk leaves tracks) – usually around 5 to 8 minutes. It’s a noticeable change when it happens, so just watch the cooking magic! Remove from heat, and whisk in gelatin (see notes above); strain through a metal strainer to remove zest and any bits of cooked egg and let cool until room temp before pouring into the tart shell.

For the crust:

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

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

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.

December 12, 2020

Rainy days and a cranberry tart

Rain!

I love baking when it’s rainy, or really just doing anything when it’s rainy. I even like walking in it! Maybe because I lived in the pacific northwest for awhile, who knows.

We finally got some here in SF – and oddly enough, my autoimmune temperature disregulation stuff calms way down when it’s actively raining, or when the humidity is super high (bizarre, I know. If anyone has ANY insight into this…. please let me know!!) – so I definitely welcomed the day of respite. Plus, I love rain anyway, so no complaints there.

In other news, it’s mid-December already, what?! Insanity. It feels like it was just my birthday in September, and now we’re almost to the end of the year. To that end, I wanted to make something ridiculously “festive” and wintery – enter this cranberry curd tart! I’m in LOVE with the color. None of the photos are edited! This is just the unreal color that it naturally is.

It sounds complicated but really isn’t – basically just a riff on lemon curd, with the extra step of cooking the cranberries (which is fun anyway, I love listening to them pop). The tart itself comes together very quickly once the curd is made – all told, it’s in the oven for less than 30 min. The curd can be made in advance too, since it keeps really well in the fridge – and actually, the color deepens a little if you let it rest overnight. Fun!

See! Curd straight out of the fridge, after resting overnight.

We’ve had more gorgeous sunsets lately – a few that were worth climbing out my window onto the roof for photos. I happen to have the only apartment in my building that has direct roof access, so I try to take advantage…. I took the screen out of the window for that reason!

C and I also took a midweek mental health break walk over at Fort Funston – hands down our favorite beach out here. It was a beautiful, salty and humid 6 miles – perfect.

I hope all is well as can be in your worlds. I’m here to bring a little color to my corner of the internet and wish you a festive season, in spite what is happening in the world. Regardless of my own personal health stuff, I can always find joy in baking, and I hope that is true for you too! At the very least, you can come over here and look at pretty pictures, that’s good too :) Happy December baking!

Cranberry Curd Tart with a Cinnamon Cornmeal Crust

Refined sugar free & gluten free. Crust is easily grain free – just swap out the cornmeal for an equal volume of almond flour (or more shredded coconut). The curd can be made well in advance if desired – it keeps well in the fridge for several days. A Wait are those Cookies original, inspired by a New York Times tart that keeps cropping up in my feeds. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several.

For the crust

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

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, sea salt, baking soda, and cinnamon. 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; or alternatively a pie plate) with coconut oil. Press the crust into the plate and up the sides with a spoon or your fingers, creating a smooth edge. Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes. Increase oven temp to 375.

Cranberry Curd

1 bag of cranberries, about 2 cups
1/2 c freshly squeeze orange + lemon juice (I used 4 small mandarins + 2 lemons)
1/4 c water
zest of 1 lemon
4 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c maple syrup
1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla

In a saucepan over medium high, heat cranberries, citrus juice, water and lemon zest until cranberries pop, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Once the berries are very saucy, remove from heat and puree with an immersion blender (or a food processor). Strain the puree through a fine mesh sieve, pressing on the solids to extract all the good liquid. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the sieve too! Add liquid back into the saucepan (wipe it out first, if needed); discard solids.

Add maple, salt, and butter into the cranberry mixture, heating over medium-low and stirring continuously until butter is fully melted, about five minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolks. Temper the eggs by slowly whisking in a bit of the hot cranberries; then continue to whisk in the rest. Add the whole thing back into the saucepan (no need to wipe it out here), and continue to cook over low heat, stirring continuously, until the curd thickens and coats the back of a spoon – about 8-10 minutes more. Whisk in vanilla, then remove from heat and let cool completely (I usually let it cool in a pyrex snapware container, not the saucepan). You can strain it again if need be – I found mine was smooth enough to do without.

The curd can be made ahead – it keeps well for several days in the fridge. No need to bring it room temp before using in the tart.

Pour the curd into the crust and smooth the top. Bake at 375 for 8-12 minutes, until the curd is barely set. Cool completely before slicing and serving – even better, cool it in the fridge for a few hours before slicing. Leftovers keep well, covered, in the fridge at least overnight.

naked tart, with a small divot where I dropped a crumb and tried to get rid of it. oh well, perfection is overrated anyway.

June 7, 2020

summer is for stone fruit

Hi internet friends.

It’s been such a week… I don’t even know where to start with everything. I am doing my damndest to show up, learn, educate myself, listen, and give back – though somehow it doesn’t ever quite feel like enough. But I feel that the least I can do is continue to offer a place to inspire baked goods made with love, to send a little peace out into the world from my corner of the internet.

Today’s baked thing is a cobbler I made for the weekend, with perfect summer fruit and easy drop biscuit topping. It’s whole grain, refined sugar free, and very nearly lactose free – not to mention pretty infinitely adaptable: the flours are very flexible, if you only have one or the other OR decide you don’t want to use either (no judgement here, obviously); the fruit can be swapped around depending on what you have and what looks good in the market.

I’ve never really baked with white nectarines before but I can definitely recommend them – I left the skin on since I felt they might have a tendency to disintegrate. C looooved them – I caught him searching around in the dish a little to find more of them, ha! To be fair, I was on the lookout for extra ginger so it all worked out. This was great for dessert with ice cream and a Marvel movie, and def excellent for bfast this morning as well. No complaints.

Keeping it short today – there is a lot out there to absorb. I hope everyone is doing well – enjoying whatever weather you have and the gorgeous summer produce season!

Nectarine & Berry Cobbler with Whole Wheat, Oat and Ginger Biscuits

A Wait are those Cookies original. Yield: 1 8″ or 9″ cobbler, definitely serves several but also makes excellent breakfast leftovers (and/or just make it for breakfast instead). Fruity, summery & easy.

For the biscuits:

1c whole wheat pastry
1/2c oat flour
1 tbsp maple
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla
3 tbsp unsalted butter, chilled & cut into chunks
3 tbsp ghee (or three more tbsp butter)
3/4 c whole milk plain Kefir (or buttermilk, or thinned out yogurt)
handful of crystallized ginger

For the filling:

~5 smallish white nectarines, sliced (I leave the skin on)
2 pints blackberries
1 pint blueberries
2 tsp tapioca starch
1/4 c water
1/2 tsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

Preheat the oven to 350.

Combine sliced nectarines and berries in a deep 8×8″ pan (mine holds quarts) or a 9×9 dish, or a small casserole dish, OR a pie plate… basically whatever, as long as it’s deep 2 Mix together tapioca starch, water, vanilla and sea salt and pour everything over the fruit. Let sit while you prep the biscuit dough.

In a large bowl, whisk together both flours, baking powder & soda, salt, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with your fingers until everything resembles coarse sand and there aren’t any big chunks left. Stir in the maple, kefir vanilla, and ginger pieces until just combined – be careful not to overmix, since nobody likes tough biscuits!

Drop evenly sized biscuit dough blobs onto the fruit, sprinkle with a little coconut sugar, and bake for 35-40 min, until the biscuits are lightly browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Serve with ice cream! Duh. Or eat it for breakfast. Keeps well overnight in the fridge, in its dish covered with foil.

view from above. note the empty coffee cup…

February 16, 2020

Red + Black

Woah, it’s been a minute!

I was SO buried at work for all of January & February up till now – I’ve made a few batches of cookies, but that’s pretty much it. This is the first dessert I’ve really made since my last post! Sheesh. Time flies when you have HELLA deadlines…. insert eyeroll here.

I love all things black sesame, as we already know…. AND all things red bean. So I did what most Chinese bakeries already do so well, and combined them! I walk through Chinatown on my way to work everyday and it is soooo tempting to stop at the bakeries all the time, omg they smell so good.

I decided to make my own red bean paste to keep this dessert in the same refined sugar free ethos as everything else I make – this version is sweetened with maple. Red bean plans really nicely with panna cotta; coconut milk + red bean + black sesame is a winning combination. As per usual, we ate it for breakfast and dessert! Highly recommended either way, though we might be a little biased since both of us are nuts for red bean anything.

In other news, I’ve been doing tons of walking lately – I walk to and from work, and now that the dawn and dusk hours are shifting, I’m getting some beautiful golden hour walks on my way home.

C and I also took a casual 9mi hike today from the end of Ulloa to the Lands End Eagle Point and back. That was a solid hike. Windy but beautiful!

I hope February is treating you right!

Red Bean Panna Cotta Tart with a Black Sesame Crust

Gluten free, dairy free, and refined sugar free! Lightly sweet with a fun, slightly savory twist from a little miso, and the black sesame. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1/4 c black sesame seeds
1.5 c almond flour
1/3c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3c cornmeal
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla extract
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 red bean paste:

1 c dried adzuki beans, soaked overnight, then drained and rinsed
1/4 c maple syrup
pinch of sea salt
1 tbsp miso (I used brown rice – medium)
1 tsp vanilla

Bring the soaked adzuki beans and 3 cups of water to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered, until you can easily mash beans with a fork – about 1 hour. Once the beans are cooked, drain off any residual water, and stir in maple, salt, miso, and vanilla. Let cool completely. Once cool, take it for a spin in a food processor or high powered blender until smooth (you can leave some chunky too if you like – it’s good either way!). You won’t use all of it for this recipe, so either refrigerate the rest and use within 3-4 days, or freeze it; it keeps for about 3 months in the freezer.

For the panna cotta:

1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1/4 c water, cold
1.75 c full-fat coconut milk
3/4 c red bean paste
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla
pinch of sea salt

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

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add red bean paste, maple, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Stir in vanilla. Remove from heat, strain through a fine mesh sieve, and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Top with sesame seeds and coconut. Keeps well in the fridge overnight – serve with ice cream or more red bean paste or both!

November 4, 2019November 4, 2019

All Things Autumnal

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Hi friends, happy Monday!

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I have a rustic, easy galette for you today – sometimes even I need a break from tarts ;) Besides, I LOVE galettes to highlight seasonal fruit. They’re unfussy, quick to throw together, and can accommodate a variety of random pantry ingredients and dietary needs/preferences. Basically, they’re just a win all around. Not to mention they make a superb breakfast the next day! Or snack, or basically whatever.

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This one features the oh-so-autumnal pears (d’Anjou and Bosc, two favorites of mine) coupled with all things sesame. I’m having a moment with black sesame lately and I’ve been itching to do more things with it, so here it is making an appearance in galette dough. I love the warm grey color the dough ends up being – much of it bakes out, but you’ll see a little of it in the photos still.

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Tahini, almond and pears are made for each other anyway, so this is an easy sell. As usual, C and I ate it with ice cream for dessert and then again the following morning with coffee as a post-climbing snack (tried NOT to finish the remaining half in one sitting – accomplished this only to some degree).

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The time change has happened! I do kind of like cuddling up in the evenings this time of year – it makes me feel like it’s holiday time. Then again, I really like walking home from work in the daylight so that’s a mild bummer – just means I have to walk to work instead.

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I had a succulent potting party with the fam yesterday! Check out these cute little guys planted in my gram’s best friend’s china. More plant friends!

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I hope your week goes smoothly – I’m just about ready for another weekend, not sure about you guys but that one went by way too fast.

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Pear, Tahini and Black Sesame Galette

Nutty, lightly sweet and perfect for fall. Gluten and grain free, refined sugar free, paleoish. Could be lactose free if you use ghee instead of butter! Yield: 1 galette, serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

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, lightly toasted and crushed*
6 tbsp salted butter, chopped (or ghee)
1 egg**
1 tbsp vanilla extract

*lightly toast the sesame seeds over medium heat for a few minutes, shaking the pan frequently. crush the warm seeds in a mortar before adding them to the food processor
**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, ground 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:
2 pears, sliced thinly (I used d’Anjou and Bosc)
1/4 c tahini
pinch of sea salt
1/4 c unsalted almond butter
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp vanilla
2 tbsp maple syrup

In a small bowl, whisk together tahini, sea salt, almond butter, extracts and maple. 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 the tahini and almond butter filling in the center, leaving a border of dough around the edges, and add the pears. 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 pears 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.

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October 28, 2019October 28, 2019

Yuzu & black sesame = made for each other

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Hi friends,

It’s so hard to be upbeat about dessert and life when my beautiful state is on fire, out of power, and struggling so hard. I’m going to try my best to keep it positive in my little corner of the internet, if only to give us something pretty to look at in the midst of all this.

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Today, I have a yuzu and black sesame panna cotta tart for you – I made it over the weekend and it was much loved by all! I’m pretty obsessed with everything black sesame at the moment so rest assured you’ll be seeing more of it here in future posts.

Also, I needed to use (yuz-u… ha see what I did there) up the last of my yuzu juice so this was a great way to do so.

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This was (emphasis on was – it’s long gone, and not only because I’m late in posting, ha!) a great combination of tart, nutty, and creamy all at the same time. The citrusy tartness of the yuzu pairs so well with black sesame – they’re made for each other.

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As per usual – great for breakfast, dessert, snacks: all of the above.

A couple shots of Fort Funston since I headed out that way this weekend and it was as beautiful as always.

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Short and sweet today: love your peeps. Make them tart!

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Yuzu and Black Sesame Panna Cotta

Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free! A nice balance of tartness and creaminess and nuttiness. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. A Wait are Those Cookies original.

For the crust:

Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1.75 cup full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla
Scant 1/4 cup maple
1/4 c yuzu juice
Scant 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c water, cold

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

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add maple and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Stir in yuzu juice and vanilla. Remove from heat, and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Top with sliced citrus, figs, etc.

Store in the fridge – keeps well overnight for breakfast or snacks the next day.

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October 14, 2019

Berry bars for errryybody

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Internet friends!

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How goes it? Things here are pretty bueno – it feels like fall, with the snappy air and all the squash in the markets! I have yet to make any squash this season, but I’m sure it’ll happen SOON; we can just chalk it up to being super busy at work and opting for quick dinners (hello eggs & black beans, you’re the bomb) or meal prep that can turn into a quick dinner.

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Weekends have been productive and lovely, with lots of urban hiking and pretty views of my beautiful city. The sunsets have been off the HOOK – this is the time of year for cotton candy skies in this part of the Bay, and I’m loving every minute.

Looking back down the hill; I never ever get tired of the views on my walk home from work:

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I love that I can get these amazing sunset panos from my roof!

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And of course, there was dessert! A low-key one for this last weekend; C and I may or may not have eaten this all in two sittings. To be fair, there was a hike in there also that was nearly 6 miles and a lot of stairs, sooo…. ahem.

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This is rapidly becoming one of my staple desserts, along with my go-to cookies. It’s SO easy and flexible, and super delicious. It reminds me a bit of a grown up pb&j – only with almond butter and a lack of cloying jammy sweetness. Not to mention that it’s great for so many dietary preferences or allergies! Gluten & grain free, refined sugar free (it’s nearly sweetener free; only 2 tbsp of maple in the whole thing), dairy free, vegan, paleo! Woooohoo for inclusive desserts!

I find that I love it best straight out of the fridge for maximum chewy coldness, but it’s still great at room temp. Of course for science research C and I had to eat it with ice cream – highly recommend. Its nutty base dough/crumble tastes very reminiscent of an almond cookie, and is complemented perfectly by the sweet-tart chia jam in the middle. Suffice it to say, we’re big fans over here, and I hope it brings you as much joy :)

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I can feel myself starting to gravitate towards more involved baking projects as the nights come earlier and the days get shorter… it makes me turn inward and seek out cozy things like blankets, tea, and the oven. Not that I don’t usually seek out the oven, but you get the idea.

Happy October!

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Berry & Almond Butter Crumble Bars

Gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, grain free / paleo, vegan! A direct riff off of the blueberry bars that I posted a few weeks ago, here, where were in turn inspired by the Roasted Root, here! Yield: 1 8″ pan of bars, round or square, your choice. Super simple; these come together in about five seconds and bake up in just over 30 min, so they make a perfect last minute snack, dessert, or breakfast ;)

For the berry filling:

1 raspberries (I used frozen)*
1 c blackberries (I used frozen)
splash of yuzu or lemon juice
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp tapioca flour
1/4 c chia seeds
1 tbsp vanilla

*can be made with all raspberry (or all blackberry!) – I was just trying to use up what I had

In a small saucepan, heat berries, sea salt, and tapioca until just barely boiling, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in chia seeds & vanilla; let cool.

For the crust & crumble:

2 c almond flour
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp maple
3 tbsp melted coconut oil
1/4 c almond butter
1/3 c chopped almonds
Black sesame seeds
Coconut flakes

Preheat the oven to 350 and line some kind of 8” pan with parchment – this is the least fussy recipe ever, so square, round, tart pan, etc – whatever you have is fine! I used an 8” round cake pan. In a large bowl, stir almond flour, vanilla, salt, maple, almond butter and coconut oil together. Reserve half a cup and stir in the almonds, sesame seeds & coconut (this will be the top bit) – set aside. Press the rest of the dough into the base of the pan, and bake for 12-15 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and top evenly with berry mixture. Crumble the rest of the reserved topping on the berries, and bake for another 23-25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown and the berries are bubbly. Remove and let cool completely before serving. It’s also fabulous cold – I made mine the night before serving, refrigerated overnight and served straight out of the fridge – highly recommended. Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for a day or two but I dare you to have any ;)

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August 31, 2019

Late summer desserts should by all means be messy & delicious

Hello friends!

It feels like it’s been ages – such a busy summer. Tomorrow is September already!! I can hardly believe it.

I took advantage of a crop of slightly below-par blueberries (as in, I was finding they were a bit too squishy to want to eat out of hand but were perfect for jammy goodness) to make these super simple blueberry crumb bars. Essentially they’re made of two very basic essentials: blueberry chia jam and almond flour dough. They take only about 30 min to throw together and bake, and they are GREAT with ice cream, just saying. The general consensus was that they were like pie, only not pie, and very easy pie at that.

Also, they can feed all your friends! Free of the glutens, the grains, the lactoses, and the refined sugars – everyone will love you. Just don’t feed them to your friends who are allergic to nuts, that would be no bueno.

Perfect late summer eats, when it’s hot and you want something to use up the absurd amount of fruit you’ve just bought at the market. No? Just me? I know you do it too…. summer fruit is too good to resist.

(those are spoon marks, btw, not bite marks.. just in case you were wondering, we ate it straight out of the pan with spoons because, why not?)

I’ve been enjoying a ton of nice walks – mostly home from work – but I still get some great views and it’s great to move around after sitting all day. There have been some beautiful sunsets visible from my apartment too!

A few photos of life lately…

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I hope you’re kicking back and relaxing this holiday weekend! I may have more baking on tap, we’ll see we’ll see ;)

Happy Saturday!

Blueberry Hazelnut Crumb Bars

Gluten & grain free, refined sugar free, and lactose free! Paleo, basically. Perfect use of a crop of late summer bloobs… yield: 1 8″ pan, serves several. A Wait are Those Cookies original.

For the blueberry filling

2 c blueberries (I used a combo of fresh & frozen)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tsp tapioca flour
1/4 c chia seeds

In a small saucepan, heat blueberries, cinnamon, sea salt, and tapioca until just barely boiling, 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the chia seeds; let cool.

For the crust & crumble

2 c almond flour
1 tbsp vanilla
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp maple
3 tbsp melted ghee
1/3 c chopped hazelnuts

Preheat the oven to 350 and line some kind of 8” pan with parchment – this is the least fussy recipe ever, so square, round, tart pan, etc – whatever you have is fine! I used an 8” round cake pan. In a large bowl, stir almond flour, vanilla, salt, maple and ghee together. Reserve half a cup and stir in the hazelnuts (this will be the top bit) – set aside. Press the rest of the dough into the base of the pan, and bake for 12-15 minutes until set. Remove from the oven and top evenly with blueberry mixture. Crumble the rest of the reserved hazelnut crumble on the top of the blueberries, and bake for another 23-25 minutes, until the top is lightly golden brown and the blueberries are bubbly. Remove and let cool completely before serving. It’s also fabulous cold – I made mine the night before serving, refrigerated overnight and served straight out of the fridge – highly recommended. Leftovers keep well covered in the fridge for a day or two but I dare you to have any ;)

August 18, 2019August 19, 2019

Foods for Fogust

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Hi blog friends! (autcorrect somehow tried to change that to bog friends – no, not quite what I was going for…)

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I have another panna cotta for you today – I know, I know, you’re shocked.

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But this one has black sesame in it! Otherwise known as my new favorite ingredient. It’s a fascinating flavor; I actually like it so much more than tahini, which is rather odd given that they’re essentially the same thing. Anyway, I bought this giant thing of black sesame a while back and then my summer exploded with moving, job change, etc, and I just never got around to using them till now. C and I both loved this – I brought this (and the fave cookies, ofc) to a family event of his, and it was a big hit.

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The nuttiness of the toasted sesame plays really well against vanilla and coconut (okay, what DOESN’T play well with vanilla and coconut?!). You can bet you’ll be seeing at least one other black sesame thing on here in a few weeks – I have an idea that I’m dying to try; I wonder if I can make it come out like it currently looks in my head? We shall see.

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I can’t believe it’s getting close to the end of August. My summer FLEW by… between getting a new job, moving and camp, it’s hard to believe it’s nearly Labor Day. I love fall though, so I’m not upset about it. Despite a heat wave last week, we’ve also been graced with some typical Fogust weather, which I adore – I love how ephemeral and Tolkienesque the fog looks, especially on the beach. This was taken down at Fort Funston on a foggy Saturday morning, probably around 10:30a or so. Foggy beach walks are one of my absolute favorite things.

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I keep buying myself these absurdly large gladiolus bouquets at the market because they’re only $5 and they last for a week… and bring me such joy! I am a huge advocate of buying flowers for yourself. I’m sure it’s quite comical watching me walk home with these bobbing way over my head, while I shlep a giant bag of groceries… but you know what? I’m worth it :)

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Happy Sunday! I hope your week ahead is smooth sailing.

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Vanilla Bean & Coconut Panna Cotta Tart on a Black Sesame Crust

Gluten free, refined sugar free, and dairy free! A Wait are those Cookies original. Black sesame and vanilla pair very well together. This tart is lightly sweet, just like everything I make. I fed it to a crowd tonight & everyone went back for more, so it seems to be a hit across varied palettes! Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several.

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For the crust:

Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1.75 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
Scant 1/4 cup maple
Scant 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c water, cold

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

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add maple, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Remove from heat, and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Top with strawberries, etc.

Store in the fridge – keeps well overnight for breakfast the next morning :)

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