tart – Wait…are those…cookies?!

March 20, 2022

Minimum two types of citrus at all times, please

Blog friends!

Much has happened since I posted last – busy busy but also NEW OVEN! and NEW FRIDGE! Thank you to my building owners who might actually be best landlords on the planet. I now have an oven that tells me when it’s preheated (hooray!) and a fridge that a) is significantly larger than the previous tiny one and b) has a freezer on the bottom so I don’t have to stand on my head to see my vegetables.

Also, it fits things like this when they need to chill (the old one didn’t, without basically removing everything else from it… slightly problematic as you can imagine). My new place is definitely feeling more like home these days – I have been here exactly a month! Hard to believe. New furniture comes next week too, so I have a bit of rearranging to do this weekend.

Realized I hadn’t made a panna cotta in ages and I miss them – I got to make one for our camp director working weekend a week ago, but one just wasn’t enough. Besides, C requested citrus and it works so well in them.

sun photobomb from a run a few weeks ago

I decided to put it both in the crust and the panna cotta itself – definitely will be doing this again, it’s delicious! Not sure why I’ve never really put citrus zest into this crust but I’m glad I fixed that. Meyer lemons are still easily found around here too, so I’m trying to take advantage when I can.

This tart is gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free – lightly sweet and definitely citrusy. There is chocolate too, but just a little – I didn’t want it to overpower the lemon in the panna cotta or the lime in the crust. The crust reminds me of a shortbread in its flavor; the whole thing goes well with vanilla ice cream or flies solo and shines when sliced into pretty wedges.

Happy weekending!

Meyer Lemon Panna Cotta Tart on an Almond, Lime and Chocolate Crust

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

For the crust:

1.5 c almond flour
1/3c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3c cornmeal
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
zest & juice of two small limes
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
6 tbsp coconut oil, melted
2 tbsp dark chocolate

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in lime zest and juice, vanilla 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 from the oven and set aside. Once the crust is out, melt the dark chocolate in a double boiler or the microwave until smooth, stirring frequently. Spread a thin layer over the bottom of the crust. Let the whole thing cool to room temperature – once it’s cool, chill it in the fridge until needed.

For the Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1 can (14oz) full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
zest of 2 meyer lemons
2 tbsp maple syrup
Scant 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 c lemon juice, divided and chilled

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

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add remaining 1/4 c lemon juice, lemon zest, maple, vanilla, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat, strain to remove lemon zest pieces (if they’re large; I use a microplane so often I will just leave them in), and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Whisk until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm – it should not be starting to set yet. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours or preferably overnight.

Top with whatever pretty things your heart desires! Serve cold out of the fridge. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge as well.

February 5, 2022

Moving shenanigans

hello hello!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meyer Lemon Buttermilk Tart

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

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

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

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

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

You’ll want to pour the filling straight into the hot crust, so plan accordingly! Preheat the oven to 350, and lightly grease your tart pan or pie dish of choice with coconut oil. Press the crust into the plate and up the sides with a spoon or your fingers, creating a smooth edge (or not, your call!). Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes.

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

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

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

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

October 9, 2021

Apple tarts & north coast fun

Hi friends!

It’s been a little while – C and I took a great trip up to the north coast for my birthday – we stayed in the cutest airbnb and explored the area. Lots of coast hikes, fresh produce and relaxation time. Here are a few favorite photos!

rail bikes on the Noyo Skunk train line!

monster zucchini from the airbnb garden (yes, we ate it)

Turns out you can actually make a galette in a cast iron on the stove, in a pinch!

I’d make this again actually, even though it was initially just a punt because of an oven issue. I made my normal galette dough, piled the fruit in there (I’d saute it first next time), let the sides crisp up a little before folding them over the fruit and putting a lid on it. It cooked in about 15 minutes on a high burner – and it was amazingly delicious. Ha! Success.

Since I’m working today for a deadline early next week (taking a minute while I wait on content to write this…), I got up early to make time for this guy… I had some ricotta in my fridge that I really wanted to us, and it’s officially apple season! This looks fancy and intimidating but it isn’t, at all – basically just whisk everything together and call it good. Perfect for a lazy weekend baking project.

It’s gluten / grain free, lightly sweet and light on the stomach – it’s really just all ricotta, but it doesn’t feel like a heavy dessert. Pears would probably be good here too, if you didn’t have apples (I’ve made a variation of it before, with peaches – also excellent. Find it here)

Otherwise, busy as usual. I hope your weekends are going well! Happy October :)

Ricotta, Apple & Rosemary Tart

Gluten and grain free, refined sugar free. Lightly sweet and light on the palette – this is a fairly delicate dessert! Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. Leftovers will keep overnight in the fridge, but it’s best the day it’s made. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:

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

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, sea salt, baking soda and rosemary. Add in vanilla and almond extract, maple, and melted coconut oil, and stir until completely combined. The dough will look crumbly, but you’ll be able to press it together with your fingers.
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
Scant 1/4 cup maple
2 tsp vanilla
2 large eggs
zest of 2 lemons
2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and cut into thin slices

Preheat oven to 400°F

Make the filling:

Combine the ricotta with the eggs and maple. Add the zest and chocolate. Pour the filling into the prepared tart shell. Top with sliced peaches. Bake for about 45-50 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 chilled or at room temperature. Store any leftovers covered with foil in the fridge overnight.

April 24, 2021

Pink panna cottas

Hi friends!

Took a week off last week but I’m back with this tart that is big on the visual impact, light on the actual work you have to do. I definitely love involved baking projects, but there is a time and a place for them – sometimes you just want something that is very pretty and very simple to put together.

I think panna cottas can sound intimidating, but they’re really not! Basically, you’re just heating coconut milk and a few flavoring things until they simmer, stirring in gelatin, and then waiting for it to set. Added bonus is that this guy can be (and arguably should be) made the night before, which frees up the next morning for things like swimming in the bay at 8a when it’s still below 50 degrees out, like the crazy that you are.

I didn’t even have coffee before I swam this morning – who am I?! It was cloudy but the water was perfectly still (or as still as the bay ever really gets) which is my favorite combination of swimming conditions. No sea lion friends in the cove today though.

I created some inadvertent latte art with my residually cold hand after I got home – or maybe it’s a coffee Rorschach?

Anyway, back to the tart: this one was the result of me really not wanting to go to the market for more food. I do enjoy grocery shopping but I was NOT in the mood this week, so just wanted to keep it simple with what I had. I’m low on fruit but I did have half a bag of raspberries in the freezer, which work perfectly for this since you end up straining out the solids anyway (so the berries don’t have to be pretty!)

I love poppy seed-anything, so of course the crust is a major win. Plus add something fruity and dark chocolately but still on the lighter side (yay panna cotta) and you have a perfect spring dessert with a maximum visual impact but minimal work.

Happy weekending!

Raspberry, Poppy Seed & Dark Chocolate Panna Cotta

Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free. Perfect for that random half bag of raspberries lurking in your freezer – maximum visual impact, minimal work. Yield: 1 9″ tart; serves several. A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1.5 c almond flour
1/3 c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/3 c cornmeal
2 tbsp poppy seeds
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
1/3 c dark chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, poppy seeds, 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.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler. Spread the melted chocolate over the interior of the crust, and let cool until set. You can also pop the whole thing in the fridge to help it set faster, if needed.

For the panna cotta:

1 c frozen raspberries
1 can full fat coconut milk
1 tbsp maple
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 c cold water
1 packet of powdered gelatin

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and add the raspberries. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring & mashing the berries occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

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.

Strain the berry solids out of the coconut milk. Whisk in maple and vanilla, and bring the milk back up to a simmer. Remove from heat and whisk in the gelatin mixture. Whisk 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 whatever pretty things your heart desires! I used shredded coconut and strawberries. Store in the fridge until serving. Leftovers keep well up to two days in the fridge, covered.

March 20, 2021

Grapefruit, black sesame & paints

Hiya everybody – full disclosure but I am TIRED today, mentally and physically. Too much work, too much body stuff, some degree of burnout will do that. Doing my best to just be nice to myself.

I did get to bake though, of course, which always makes me happy. It’s fun to create something pretty that’s also delicious.

Back on the panna cotta train after a bit of a hiatus. I really do enjoy them – they set up easily the night before in the fridge, making them a great make-ahead dessert idea. Not that I necessarily NEED anything make ahead these days, but I did have to work this weekend so this lets me free up my Saturday morning to go for a swim – which I did. Felt extra cold this morning but maybe that was just me? There was quite a tidal/wave swell happening today so maybe I was just working extra hard.

I really love sesame anything – especially black sesame. It’s nutty and savory and delicious and I love putting it in desserts, but I don’t think I’d ever paired it with grapefruit before. I definitely consider this a win, if a bit of an unexpected dark-horse combination. The dark chocolate is just a thin layer between the panna cotta and the crust – it adds both a nice textural and flavor contrast. Citrus and chocolate are always a win.

I’m going to keep this short today – I wanted to share this but I’m also in need of some downtime with my novel, and/or maybe my paints. I finally picked up my brushes again after YEARS of neglect, and I didn’t realize how much I missed it till I was painting again. Am definitely adding it back into my regular rotation. I took some inspiration from my last pie for this one, as I’m sure most of you will recognize:

Have a good weekend, everybody – be nice to yourselves and take a break if it’s called for. I’m trying to be better about that too, so I’m right there with you :)

Grapefruit, Dark Chocolate & Black Sesame Panna Cotta Tart

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

For the crust:

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

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, sea salt, black sesame, 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. Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool. Once the shell has cooled for a few minutes, brush the melted chocolate over the bottom evenly with a spatula. Let cool completely and then set for at least 10 minutes in the fridge before pouring in the panna cotta.

For the panna cotta:

1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1.25 c full-fat coconut milk
1/3c + 1/4 c grapefruit juice, divided & cold
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp vanilla extract

For garnish: sliced meyer lemons & grapefruit + strawberries

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

Pour the 1.25 cups of coconut milk into a small saucepan. Add 1/3 c grapefruit juice, maple, vanilla into it. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Remove from the heat. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm, about
20 minutes. Remove the tart shell from the fridge. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the chilled tart shell, and place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours (though I typically set mine overnight). Top with sliced citrus, strawberries, etc.

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

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.

December 31, 2020

2021!

Hello, blog friends in my corner of the internet!

What a year. Not sure I need to say much else on that subject, other than happy new year, and here’s to 2021! Needless to say, let’s hope 2021 is a smoother ride than this absurdity.

Keeping it short with the text today… I’m finishing my ritual new year’s eve cleaning and tidying; freshening up my space to welcome a fresh year. I’m looking forward to getting in one last 2020 workout, and spending a low key evening with C.

Looking over the last few weeks – here are a few snaps of things that brought me joy:

the first yeasted rolls I’ve made in AGES. so delicious. expect more like this.

this one has her paw wrapped firmly around my heartstrings.

Sending all the love out your way – happy new year! Thanks for hanging out with me over here in blogland :)

Vanilla & Mint Panna Cotta Tart with a Dark Chocolate Rosemary Crust

Minty, chocolatey and slightly herby. This tart is best made the night before and left to set overnight in the fridge, so it’s perfect for a make-ahead holiday dessert. Gluten & grain free, dairy free, refined sugar free & paleo. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several! A Wait are those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1.75 c almond flour
1/3 c unsweetened cacao powder
1/4 c unsweetened shredded coconut
heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp fresh rosemary, finely chopped
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
4 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/4 c dark chocolate, melted

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, cacao powder, 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 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 (or not, your call!). Poke the bottom with a fork a few times, and bake for 15 minutes.

Let cool for a few, then pour the melted chocolate into the bottom of the tart shell and use a spoon or a brush to smooth it out. Let cool completely to set the chocolate.

For the panna cotta:

1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1.75 cup full-fat coconut milk
2 tbsp vanilla bean paste
2 tsp peppermint extract
scant 1/4 cup maple
scant 1/4 tsp sea salt

In a small bowl, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/4 cup of 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 paste, mint extract and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring consistently. Add the gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved, about 3 minutes. Cool until lukewarm, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the yogurt until well blended. Pour the panna cotta mixture into the cooled tart shell. Place in the refrigerator until set, approximately 4 hours.

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

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.

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.

May 17, 2020

Citrus Sunshine

Hello, I am a healthified creamsicle! Anyone else eat those when you were small? I looooved a good 50/50 bar – my gram used to buy them for me, so I always associate the orange-vanilla flavor combo with her (along with apricot jam, chunky chocolate chip oat walnut cookies, tapioca, cream soda, toast crusts + coffee & all the good things in life.)

This tart is everything sunny and springy and delicious, without compromising on the good-for-you stuff. It’s dairy free, gluten free & refined sugar free – can easily be grain free too. C and I love all things citrus, and poppyseed, so this is a winning combo in our book. There’s a little layer of dark chocolate in there too, since orange and chocolate are best friends – and who am I to split them up?

I love olive oil in desserts too – that slightly earthy, savory note really sets things apart. The crust is a little crumbly but nothing you can’t handle – highly recommend a bit of ice cream on the top to melt over the crumbs so you can scoop them up.

I needed a little baking therapy this weekend – Two Sentinels (the high sierra camp that I am a director for & attended since I was small) was told this weekend that we can’t operate this summer. Not unexpected, but so heartbreaking regardless. We’ll be using the summer to do some much-needed site maintenance upgrades & capital projects, but there will be a bit of a camp-shaped hole in my heart until the campers are there again. Not to mention having to relay that news to all of our campers, parents and staff this weekend… I very much needed baking and some long solitary walks. Luckily, I had both – I took a long walk yday by myself, and C and I did one of our usual loops today. Of course, there was tart to greet us at the end.

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Not to mention – zesting an orange is one way of immediately lifting my spirits – try it; I guarantee it will make you feel better.

Here’s hoping you and yours are well, and safe. I highly recommend bringing a little orangy sunshine into your kitchen this week! Happy baking, from my kitchen to yours :)

Orange & Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with an Olive Oil Poppyseed Crust

Gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free! Citrusy and sunny, kind of like a good-for-you creamsicle thing. Savory notes from the olive oil and a little bit of chocolate because orange and chocolate are best friends. Yield: 1 9″ tart, serves several. A Wait are Those Cookies original.

For the crust:

1.5 c almond flour
1/3c unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2c cornmeal*
3 tbsp poppyseeds
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
1 tbsp olive oil
5 tbsp coconut oil, melted
1/3 c dark chocolate chips

*swap for more almond flour if you’d like to keep it grain free

In a large bowl, stir together almond flour, shredded coconut, cornmeal, poppyseeds, sea salt, and baking soda. Add in vanilla, almond extract, maple, olive oil & 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.

Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler or in the microwave. Spread the melted chocolate over the interior of the crust, and let cool until set. You can also pop the whole thing in the fridge to help it set faster, if needed.

For the Panna Cotta:
1 package unflavored powdered gelatin
1 can full-fat coconut milk
1 tbsp vanilla bean paste
zest one large orange*
1/4c freshly juiced orange juice, cold
2 tbsp maple
pinch of sea salt
orange slices, for garnish

*I used cara cara and navel oranges; but really anything is good here

Zest and juice an orange, and reserve 1/4 c of the juice. Strain it to remove any pulp, then stick it in the fridge.

Pour the coconut milk into a small saucepan and add the orange zest, maple and sea salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.

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

Strain the coconut milk to remove the orange zest. Whisk in vanilla, and bring the milk back up to a simmer. 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 whatever pretty things your heart desires! I used thinly sliced cara cara oranges. Serve cold out of the fridge. Store any leftovers covered in the fridge as well.