Tag: rye

Posted on

Monochromatic & delicious galette

Hi blog friends!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Apple & Fig Galette with a Rye & Hazelnut Crust

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

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

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

In a food processor, pulse together whole wheat flour, rye, cornmeal, hazelnut meal, and sea salt. Add in cubed butter and pulse until it resembled coarse sand. Add vanilla and almond extracts, then the ice water 1 tbsp at a time until the dough starts to come together. Turn it out onto a board and knead it into a ball. I like to roll it immediately since it’s most pliable – typically I haven’t had trouble with this dough sticking. I roll it between two sheets of parchment paper and use the bottom one to bake the galette on; makes an easy transferral method between cookie sheet & cooling rack. If you’re not rolling immediately, stuck it in the fridge on a plate. Can be made ahead the night before if need be – let it sit on the counter for a bit before rolling it out if it’s been refrigerated.

for the fruit:

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

Preheat the oven to 425. Roll out the dough between two pieces of parchment paper until it’s about 1/4″ thick. Spread the jam in a thin layer over the middle of the dough. Pile the fruit in the center, leaving a border of about 3″. Fold up the sides of the dough over the fruit. Brush the dough with an half and half or cream, and sprinkle with a little coconut sugar. Dot fruit with butter if you like, though it’s not strictly necessary. Pop in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is lightly browned. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely before slicing and serving. Store leftovers in the fridge overnight – it’s great for breakfast :)

Posted on

A perfectly imperfect pandowdy

Hi friends, happy holiday weekend!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rhubarb, Raspberry & Rye Pandowdy

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

For the filling:

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

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

for the crust:

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

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

Preheat the oven to 400. Combine both flours, cornmeal, cinnamon, and salt in food processor and pulse briefly to mix. Add butter; process until it resembles coarse crumbs. Add vanilla and almond extract, then the ice water a tbsp at a time until the dough forms a ball – you’ll be able to tell when it’s ready! If it still looks dry, add water 1 tsp at a time. Turn the dough out a floured surface (ie marble slab, or countertop, etc) OR use two pieces of parchment paper like I do for less mess – no need to flour. Roll out the dough to be roughly circular (no need to be perfect here – pandowdies are pie’s unfussy cousin), and lift the dough onto the fruit. Tuck in the edges, leaving a rim of dough between the edge of the pie dish and the fruit – I crimped mine because I’m an overachiever and I also had extra dough, but no need to do that.

Make a few slits for steam to vent in the top of the crust, then brush the top with non-dairy milk or half and half, and sprinkle with coconut sugar. Pop the whole beautiful thing into the oven for 40 minutes; best if you line the rack beneath with foil or a large baking sheet – the juices sometimes runneth over!

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

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

Posted on

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 :)

Posted on

Camp + Pie

Hi friends :)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Gingery Peach and Wild Blueberry Pie on a Rye Crust

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

for the crust

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

for the filling

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

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

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

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

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

Posted on

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 :)