Lilac Simple Syrup

Where I live, lilacs are blooming everywhere, which reminds me of living in Oregon -- the first place I lived with a noticeable number of lilacs. There are a variety of lilacs available -- and the area around me has a lot of them. Lilacs (Syringa spp.) are part of the olive family, and are native to the Balkan peninsula. Lilacs came to the American colonies in the 1700s, and when white Americans and immigrants moved west, in the 1800s, they brought lilacs with them -- and I can't say I blame them. These plants have showy flowers, which grow in panicles, and give off a light floral scent. The shrub itself will eventually grow a clonal thicket, if left to grow without human intervention.

Lilac flowers are edible, and taste pretty much like they smell (with a light bitter end, that'll probably seem familiar if you've tried other edible flowers), at least if you make them into a simple syrup. The flavor of each plant can vary, so you may want to try a flowers from a few different plants, if you have that option.

Lilac syrup actual turns out a lovely light pink, if you don't do anything to modify it. When I was looking into making lilac syrup, I saw a number of people suggesting that you make the syrup with a couple of blueberries to enhance the color -- and since blueberries are also delicious, and I happened to have some on hand, I figured why not?

The process is straight forward, and fairly fast, at least for active cooking time. I let my flowers steep in the warm sugar water for a while, which heightened the color of the syrup. The most time consuming part is removing the flowers from the stem. Ideally, you'll remove all the green parts, because those impart some bitter flavor to your finished product.

Generally simple syrup is a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water, but I opted to increase the water a bit for a thinner syrup -- and because I knew that I was going to let the flowers infuse for a while, and I live in dry climate.

Lilac Simple Syrup
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups water
3-5 blueberries (optional)
2 cups lilac blossoms (I used a variety of color blossoms)
1/4 teaspoon citric acid OR juice from 1/2 a lemon

Remove the lilac blossoms from the stem, doing your best to remove all of the green parts.

In a saucepan, over high heat, combine the water and sugar, and bring to a boil. When all of the sugar is dissolved, reduce the heat and add the blueberries (if using) and lilac blossoms. Let simmer for 8 minutes, then remove from heat, stir in citric acid or lemon juice (to help preserve your syrup), cover and let cool for 12 hours.

Use a sieve to strain the blossoms from the syrup, and store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. 

French Silk Pie

A few days ago, More than a year ago, I posted about really wanting to make a  vegan French Silk Pie. I based mine on this recipe, and it was a bit of a rough (though delicious) experience. The recipe I used for inspiration suggested you could use silken or firm tofu -- which maybe is true if you have a fancy VitaMix blender (which I now have access to). I actually use a pretty strong blender and it was upset by the tofu I used (labeled as "soft" though where I live, the "soft" tofu is just as firm as extra firm a lot of times). Therefore, I had to add more liquid than what I'm going to list here to make it so the blender could blend the tofu until very smooth. I used a combination of water and soymilk. If you find yourself in a similar situation, add liquid about 2 tablespoons at a time until your blender can work with the tofu (and later, the tofu and chocolate mixture). You don't want it soupy -- it should be about the consistency of well-mixed natural peanut butter when you're done.

This picture was taken on my phone, and
unfortunately I messed up putting on the raspberries!

The fun part about this recipe is that you can eat a pudding-like version of it pretty much right away, or you can let it sit in the refrigerator and firm up. I think the flavors are actually best if it's had about 24 hours to rest, so if you can make this in advance, please do.

French Silk Pie (vegan, gluten-free)
1 gf vegan pie crust, pressed into a pie pan or 8x11 baking dish

For filling:
12 oz mori-nu Silken Extra Firm or water-packed soft tofu
2 tablespoons cocoa powder (Do not omit, it REALLY makes the difference, so chocolatey.)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons not-milk of choice*
scant 1/8 tsp salt
8 oz dairy-free chocolate chips (I used about 1 cup)
2-3 tablespoons agave or other sweetener

*You may need more not-milk or water, depending on how soft (or firm) your tofu really is.

Blend the tofu in a food processor or blender until it is very smooth (you may need to add liquid at this point, depending on the consistency of your tofu). Set aside. Melt the chocolate on the stove top over low heat, until the chips are just melted (careful not to scorch). All all remaining ingredients to the blender, and blend until very smooth (again, depending on the consistency of your mixture you should add more liquid a little bit at a time), about the consistency of unrefrigerated, natural peanut butter.

For whipped topping:
1 can full fat coconut milk, refrigerated overnight
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Raspberries, optional


Remove the can from the fridge. Turn it upside down and open it. Spoon out the solids and place in a chilled bowl. Add the vanilla and powdered sugar (and cinnamon, if using) and using a hand or electric beater, beat until it begins to resemble whipped cream. Spread over the top of the pie and refrigerate the whole thing until ready to serve.

Product Review: Barney Butter Almond Butter Cocoa & Coconut

I bought Barney Butter Almond Butter Cocoa + Coconut recently, because it was on sale at a local grocery store. I also wanted to treat myself because I'd just accepted (and signed the papers for) a new job. Barney Butter comes in a variety of almond-y goodness, including vanilla bean + espresso, honey + flax, and raw + chia.

I selected the cocoa + coconut variety because, frankly, I wanted chocolate in my nut butter. I've been on a quest for a chocolate-y nut butter that could remind me of Nutella, but which wasn't, in fact, Nutella. The Barney Butter Almond Butter Cocoa + Coconut is the closest I've come, and while it's admittedly been years since I've eaten Nutella (for a number of reasons I won't go into here), I think
it's safe to say that I prefer the taste of the Cocoa + Coconut combination Barney Butter makes.

I like that it has a distinct chocolate flavor (from Enjoy Life Chocolate chips, which I've previously reviewed here), but that this doesn't overwhelm my mouth with omgchocolate the way some other chocolate nut butters do -- nor does it leave me wanting to eat more simply to avoid that icky after-taste of some cheaper chocolates (ugh)! It is distinctly coconut-y, which I don't mind, but I know some tasters probably don't care for, and at the room temperature of my house (pretty cool this winter), it's quite thick. It's also incredibly smooth.

This nut butter separates -- or at least my jar had -- despite what the website says. I stirring it a bit more difficult than with most natural (pea)nut butters, but worth it. Once I stirred it, there wasn't a problem with it separating again.

For me, this will stay a special occasion nut butter -- even the plain varieties are pretty expensive, but it's one I'd consider gifting to foodie friends or to people who don't want more things in their life. I imagine it's also a product I'd splurge on for myself once in a while.

Vegan Peanut Butter Blondies (grain-free too!)

It's been nearly a year since I last updated this blog. It's not that I haven't been cooking and baking a lot -- I have. And, it's not for lack of inspiration about vegan and gluten-free things to make. It's that I've been deciding the personality overhaul of this blog. I'm not "flexitarian" anymore, but it's not wholly accurate to call myself vegan.

A lava flow?! That has nothing to do with this post!
Taken at Craters of the Moon National Park, ID
Summer 2013

I eat vegan, most of the time. But, if a non-meat or cheese (cause I really dislike the taste of meat and most cheeses) happens to have egg in it and it's gluten-free and it's chewy (because omg, chewy not-like-bricks gluten-free items are quite the find), I'll probably make it/eat it (shhh, don't tell), if it's free and going to go to waste otherwise -- so, for instance, if it's free at the soup kitchen or another place my roommates and I can glean from. I recently learned that vitamin D3 comes from an animal source most of the time (industrially, it's apparently produced by exposing lanolin to sun) and that it's in a lot of my cereal and I'm okay with that too, cause cereal is easy when I feel like I'm already out of the house a lot / not cooking much.

I'm still not sure what this will mean for the blog. I won't be removing recipes and I'm not set (yet) on changing the name of the blog. If I do, I'll try to create a fair amount of advance notice.

This recipe is something I recently made, a veganized version of a recipe I posted a few years ago. It uses lentils (?!?) which gives the bars a consistency a little like they have chunky PB in them, and they're super-moist. I didn't get pictures before my housemates inhaled them, but if you make them and want to send me pics, that would be great (and I'm happy to give you photo credit of course!). Otherwise, next time I make these, I'll try to get pictures as soon as I pull them from the oven.

The lentils used in this recipe are brown lentils. They'll hold up better when cooked and are definitely still evident when you eat the blondies.

Peanut Butter Blondies (vegan, grain-free)

1 cup cooked brown lentils (salted)

¾ cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup smooth, natural peanut butter

3 tablespoons garbanzo (or oat*) flour

¼ cup ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup warm water

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

Puree lentils and granulated sugar in a food processor, until moderately smooth. Transfer to a large bowl and mix in remaining ingredients. Stir well and allow to rest for at least half an hour to give the flaxseed and garbanzo flour time to hydrate.

About ten minutes before you want to put the blondies in the oven, begin preheating the oven to 350 degrees. Pour the batter into a greased 11x7 pan. Bake for 35-45 minutes (I'm now baking at high altitude and still learning how to convert back down for baking times!), or until the center feels moderately firm to the touch.

Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

*If you use oats, this is no longer grain free. You could also use coconut flour if you had it on hand. Resist the urge to add any extra water with coconut flour. It's very absorbent. 

Product Review: Enjoy Life Mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

[Disclosure] Here's the thing about the product reviews I post on this blog: I always become incredibly self-conscious. I'm telling you this because I don't post as many reviews as I sometimes think I should (based on the frequency with which "review product x" comes up in how people linked to my blog via search engines), and simultaneously because I sometimes feel like I'm posting far too many reviews. For these reasons, I try to focus on products that don't seem to be reviewed on the interwebs quite as often. I've mentioned this with past product reviews, but if there's a product you want reviewed (that's gluten-free), let me know. I'll be happy to try and review it -- depending on availability in my area.

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Bag of Enjoy Life Mini Chips (semi-sweet)

Enjoy Life brand chocolate chips are vegan, gluten-free, nut-free, and soy-free, which makes them a prime candidate for review on this blog -- where a lot of my recipes try to take into account food sensitivities and preferences.

On a purely taste level, these simple chocolate chips have a lovely chocolate flavor with none of that weird aftertaste that say, Hershey's (or any number of other brands of chocolate) have that make me either want to eat more (but not actually enjoy it -- so typically American of me, at least if I'm to believe Jim Gaffigan's analysis of the American palate) to get the taste out of my mouth (because that makes sense) or leaves me feeling incredibly thirsty. I personally prefer a deeper chocolate flavor (the darker the chocolate, the better if you ask me!), but these work well for the things I use them for.

They're smooth and melt easily (sometimes too easily if you don't have air-conditioning) and because they're mini chocolate chips, they don't overwhelm delicate desserts if you're inclined to make things that need small bursts of chocolate (I don't have occasion to make these very often).

On another note the Enjoy Life website isn't the most appealing site in the world (mostly just the images of food). If I'd first encountered these chips via their website, I'd probably never have purchased them. However, that wasn't the case and at my local store, the mini chocolate chips are the only option -- though I'm interested in their chocolate chunks.

That being said, I've been trying very consciously to reduce the amount of exploitation that I enable through my purchasing decisions. These chocolates are not certified fair trade or organic. I contacted Enjoy Life about this, to find out if they're working with their supplies to ensure an enjoyable life for the chocolate workers and for the environment. Here's what they said:

Our chocolate is not fair-trade certified.  However, our supplier focuses on improving conditions for the cocoa farmers and is committed to operating in an ethical, responsible, and safe manner.  Unfortunately, at this time we are not able to source fair trade ingredients that meet our strict allergen free requirements. 

Okay, fair enough. But I still can't help but read it with a bit of skepticism. I admittedly don't know much at all about the production of chocolate and the facilities in which they produce their chocolate, but it seems like there shouldn't be much cross-contamination on the farms and plantations where at least some of the people in the cacao-to-chocolate production line work.

That being said, I'll probably continue to indulge in these chocolates from time to time.

Toffee!

Now that we've all had a little time to recover from the sugar-shock of the winter holidays, let's talk about candy. Specifically, toffee. I first had a variation of this toffee when a co-worker brought it in to a staff meeting. Hooray for buttery, sugary goodness during the holidays -- or something like that.

Toffees are made by boiling sugar (or molasses, apparently) with butter. The version presented here is akin to English toffee -- which according to my research pretty much just means that it uses almonds. The sugar-mixture needs to reach "hard crack" stage for hard toffees, which is what this recipe creates. This means getting the heat up to about 300-310 degrees Fahrenheit, so please be careful when you make this recipe. It needs attention, a lot of stirring (or more effectively, whisking), and precision. However, I label it "easy" because it doesn't take long and it's pretty forgiving if you err on the side of not getting it hot enough. If you scorch your sugar, I can't help you as much.

My version actually doesn't use almonds because almonds aren't very much in my budget -- and because I'd rather just eat the almonds I happen up (my current bag of almonds was a generous gift) than toss them into toffee. That being said, I've made this now with cashews "bits and pieces" as the store calls the cheaper cashews (cashew brittle style) and peanuts (very much like peanut butter), as well as chocolate covered. I also add vanilla, which the original recipe doesn't call for, mostly because I love the smell of butter cooking with vanilla and it adds just a hint of flavor at the end.

Let me tell you about my toffee "oops!" that happened with the last batch I made, specifically to send to a friend. I haven't been able to find my candy thermometer, even though I'm pretty sure it moved with me. And I don't have a different type of food thermometer. That means I have to eye-ball the confection getting to the right temperature. Fortunately, I've made candies before  and successfully made this toffee twice without thermometer. Unfortunately, I felt rushed and impatient. I didn't let enough of the water boil off or allow the temperature to climb quite high enough. The result? Even after the toffee sat in the freezer for several hours while I played frisbee with a friend, it didn't get hard. I felt grumpy.

I broke the toffee into bits and threw it back in my pan with just a sprinkle of water to encourage it to dissolve, then heated it slowly (medium heat) until it melted entirely before turning the heat back up to medium-high and stirring often as it bubbled furiously at me. The toffee bits had already been coated in chocolate, but this didn't seem have a negative effect. The next time I spread it on my cookie sheet and stuck it in the freezer, voila! I had hard toffee, just like I wanted--even if it did look a bit dark from the chocolate that also got stirred in.

So, the moral of that story: if it's under-cooked after you freeze it, just melt it and cook it again. The toffee would have been fine if I wanted soft, slightly-grainy pralines you so often find in certain parts of the southwest -- but wouldn't ship as well.

Since I don't keep corn syrup around, I used agave nectar. You could also use Lyle's Golden Syrup or honey.

Toffee Brittle

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 tablespoon agave nectar

1/2 pound butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional

5 ounces slivered almonds, OR

3/4 cup peanuts, cashews, or other nut/seed

Chocolate (about 2 ounces)

In a heavy-bottomed, medium-sized saucepan, over medium-high heat, combine sugar, butter, vanilla, water, and salt. Stir frequently until everything has melted and the sugar has dissolved. As the mixture begins to bubble and rise within the confines of the pan, switch to a whisk if you have one (this will pop more of the bubbles) and whisk rapidly until the mixture begins to thicken, darken, and pull away from the sides of the pan*. Stir in the nuts, if using, and leave on heat, continuing to stir for another 1-3 minutes. You want the mixture moderately thick.

Pour onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and smooth with the back of a spoon or spatula. Break up bits of chocolate and drop them on top, if using. They should melt pretty quickly**. Place baking sheet in freezer and allow to freeze until hard, about one hour. Remove from freezer, and (carefully) break toffee into bits using your hands. Store in an air-tight container.

*If you have a candy thermometer, stick it in as you're just starting to melt everything together and adjust it so that it does not touch the bottom of the pan. When the thermometer reaches just below 300 degrees, add the nuts.

**Hershey's candy bar melts really well, but -- it's Hershey's. I used Hershey's kisses twice because E had so many around the house from Christmas, but the last time I made it, I topped it with an organic FT dark chocolate. It didn't melt as well, but worked fine.

Toffee with Chocolate & Peanuts

Coconut Ice Cream in a Bag + Regular Ice Cream in a Bag

At work, later this month, we'll run a quick Make-Your-Own-Ice Cream activity. We'll do some "make ice cream in a bag," and some with liquid nitrogen. It should be pretty fantastic. Today though, I'm only going to talk about making ice cream in a bag.

The process is pretty simple -- add milk/cream, sugar, vanilla/cocoa together in a zip-close sandwich bag & seal it, put that bag in another sandwich bag & seal it, and then put those in a freezer bag (I use quart, but most website seem to suggest gallon-sized) and add ice (you'll need a fair amount) and rock salt. Seal the freezer bag and shake until you get ice cream the consistency of soft serve. It takes 7-10 minutes and gloves come in handy because your hands get cold.

Coconut Ice Cream

You'll notice the double-sandwich bagging. If you buy cheap baggies (and even if you don't) there's a good chance one of them will break. Who wants salty ice cream? Probably not many people. The double-bagging helps prevent that, though it's not fool-proof either. When I made my batch of coconut-milk ice cream, the bag definitely split (but I also added more than I'm telling you to add, which was probably part of it, since as you'll remember from science classes, things that are water-based expand when they freeze.

The difference between these, aside from the taste and lactose? The coconut milk ice cream turned out a lot...grainier...than the ice cream made from regular milk, especially after I let it get really cold in the freezer overnight. However, if you're looking for a lactose-free option, it works pretty well and tastes a lot like the commercially-made coconut-based ice creams.

This is a fun recipe to make with kids and is something that you can do on your own (at least it's a little workout before you eat your ice cream? At least you know what goes into the ice cream?) if you're just having one of those days when something cold and creamy really appeals. 

Coconut Ice Cream in a Bag

1/2 cup coconut milk (because this is what I usually buy -- vanilla would work fine too)

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon sugar

Rock Salt

Ice cubes (I used about 1/2 pound, maybe a pound of ice)

1 quart-sized freezer bag

2 zip-top sandwich bags

Pour coconut milk, vanilla, and sugar into one zip-top sandwich bag, squeeze out most (but not all) of the air, seal. Place this bag in the second zip-top sandwich bag, again squeezing out most (but not all) of the air. Place both of these bags into the freezer bag, add ice to pretty much fill the bag (you may need to add more ice after some of it melts if your coconut milk hasn't turned into ice cream) and add 2 tablespoons rock salt. Seal the freezer bag and shake the bag vigorously until the milk turns the consistency of soft serve (about 7-10 minutes; add more ice and rock salt if necessary). Remove the bag with the ice cream in it from the other two bags, cut off one corner, and squeeze into a bowl to serve.

***


Ice Cream in a Bag
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon sugar

Rock Salt

Ice cubes (I used about 1/2 pound, maybe a pound of ice)

1 quart-sized freezer bag

2 zip-top sandwich bags

Pour milk, vanilla, and sugar into one zip-top sandwich bag, squeeze out most (but not all) of the air, seal. Place this bag in the second zip-top sandwich bag, again squeezing out most (but not all) of the air. Place both of these bags into the freezer bag, add ice to pretty much fill the bag (you may need to add more ice after some of it melts if your milk hasn't turned into ice cream) and add 2 tablespoons rock salt. Seal the freezer bag and shake the bag vigorously until the milk turns the consistency of soft serve (about 7-10 minutes; add more ice and rock salt if necessary). Remove the bag with the ice cream in it from the other two bags, cut off one corner, and squeeze into a bowl to serve.

Chocolate Roasted Potato Cake

E and I recently hosted a double-birthday/holiday potluck. My friend whose birthday was approaching said she wanted something "chocolate," when I asked her what I could bake her -- not terribly helpful, but she's also super laid back, so I wasn't too concerned either.

I, however, don't like chocolate cake and even though I wasn't planning to eat any of it (even if I'd made it gluten-free, using my standby chocolate gluten-free cake recipe), I wanted to at least try to make something that wouldn't, well, be dry and tasteless. And, I told myself, I'm not on a budget that really lets me try multiple variations of things. So, whatever I did with a chocolate cake, I needed to make sure that it was something that I wouldn't mess up--or that I'd have alternate ingredients for if I did mess it up.

E suggested the brownies I posted in November. Doable, definitely. Even if I messed up the cake. But, this was an opportunity to try making something new and how could I pass that up? In recent weeks, I've felt barely able to write--or even think about writing--much less do anything more than put rather routine (for me) food in my mouth. I haven't wanted to be creative. My friend's birthday though, seemed like a good opportunity to spark some of that kitchen-creativity again. So, I thought: chocolate. And I thought: birthday. To me, this surely equals some sort of cake.

I remembered my friend Kim, a talented writer and generally wonderful person, had a potato party while I lived in the Midwest. She'd bid on a bushel of potatoes during an auction and won--and wanted help eating them all. One of the things she made: chocolate potato cake. And, I remembered seeing recipes for potato cakes (and sauerkraut cakes) in my parents' German cookbook.

I remember trying Kim's chocolate potato cake--before I went GF--and thinking that it was surprisingly good--and delightfully moist. And this, I decided, was what I wanted to make. But, most of the recipes I looked at called for unseasoned mashed potatoes. I understood that, to some extent. The process of creating mashed potatoes necessarily creates a little additional moistness. But I know how to make things more moist. I wanted to subtly up the flavor a little. I'm in favor of roasting things--especially in the winter, when I can also use it to warm up the house (though I pan roasted the potato for this, so not applicable). And because I didn't have enough potato for any of the recipes I looked at, I added a couple of carrots to the roasting process. I always have carrots on hand.

I also thought about making this cake into a Mexican chocolate cake, with cayenne and cinnamon. But I couldn't bring myself to do that either--at least not to the whole cake. It can surprise come as a surprise if you're not expecting all those extra flavors in your cake.

Chocolate Roasted Potato Cake

1 cup unseasoned mashed potato/carrot mixture (for me, this was one medium potato and two large carrots all finely diced which I pan-roasted for about 45 minutes before processing in my food processor until nearly smooth)

1 cup buttermilk

1 ¾ cups sifted all purpose flour

1 cup unsweeted dutch cocoa powder

2 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup salted butter (softened)

1 ¾ cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

Confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans and set aside.

Place mashed potatoes/carrots into medium bowl. With a small whisk, gradually beat in buttermilk to form smooth mixture.

Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to combine the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract until well blended. .

Add eggs and blend well. Add mayonnaise and beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.

At lowest speed, alternate adding both the dry ingredients (from step 3) and smashed veggies (a little dry ingredients, a little smashed veggies, a little dry, a little smashed veggies etc.) until all are incorporated.

Turn equal amounts of batter into prepared baking pans. Bake in preheated oven 27 to 32 minutes (for a 10” cake pan; 15-18 minutes for cupcakes), rotating once about halfway during the baking process.

Cake is cooked when a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. When done remove to a cooling rack. Cool completely before removing from pans and cutting. If desired, frost or sift confectioners’ sugar over top of cake after the cake has cooled completely.

Note: The pictures you see of the iced cupcakes use just a basic buttercream.

Tomorrow's Just an Excuse -- plus Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

One recent morning, as I sat down to write, Smashing Pumpkins' "Thirty-Three" played on one of my Spotify playlists. I didn't come to Smashing Pumpkins until I was an adult, or at least not really, even after listening to my friend Sanna talk about them pretty often when we were in 7th grade, and even after trying to listen to them around that same time.

I guess you could say I wasn't ready for that type of music then.

In fact, it took until a curly-haired friend with a big smile and always-a-twinkle-his-eye expressed amazement at  a bar in Iowa that I hadn't heard (or, as it turned out, didn't realize I had actually heard) "Tonight, tonight." He went up to the DJ and requested it, then as it came on, started rocking out at our table. This friend caused me to relax a lot around myself, and around him, because he seemed so comfortable in the man he was--and because of that, could act with kindness toward pretty much everyone he met. I admired this about him, and wanted to emulate it until it became part of the way I saw myself, and the world, as well.

Travels -- literally and figuratively -- made me ready for The Smashing Pumpkins, and for sitting down at the table, at the bar ($2.50 your call!) with that friend. That same night, he handed me a copy of the book Shantaram, a gift, the first time someone who didn't know me all that well had given a book that, when I read it (pretty much starting immediately), I liked. Or loved. I'm still not sure. It's a book I will need to revisit -- a book about travels, finding a place, learning about oneself, about, to some extent, the things I've been doing for the past four years (only on a more extreme level).

Listening to "Thirty-Three" also seems particularly appropriate for the season, because of the line "Deep in thought I forgive everyone," --what we should be doing this season, and every day.

Although I like to listen to music when I write, I also like to have music playing while I'm baking. Making these cookies, I listened to my Spotify mix that I titled simply The Stranger, after the Lord Huron song -- but it includes music from The Beatles and The National to Jonathan Coulton (re: Your Brains), Iron & Wine, and Chain of Lakes, among many others. The songs on the playlist are about distance, about the people we thought we knew (but discover we don't), about strangers, lost love, and missed connections, about becoming (or being) a stranger in the place you live. The songs explore the distances between us. Maybe I listen to this mix while I bake because I like to imagine that baking brings us together--even with people who have left us, even with people we never met--if nothing else, through the sharing of recipes.

This recipe is adapted from one by Deb from Smitten Kitchen so that it's gluten-free. Pretty much though, if I wasn't avoiding gluten, I would make these cookies as she describes. Oatmeal-raisin are among my favorite cookies (something like tied--depends on my mood--with spice cookies and/or gingersnaps). If you haven't checked out Deb's recipes, please do yourself the favor of exploring Smitten Kitchen. The photography is beautiful, the recipes tasty (and often quite innovative), and the writing wry, tight, and honest.

Remember, some people who are gluten-intolerant also react negatively to GF rolled oats (oats contain a different type of gluten than wheat--so many people are okay), so if you're making these for someone else please ask first.

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies (Gluten-Free)

1/2 cup (1 stick or 4 ounces) butter, softened

2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup GF oat flour

1/4 cup corn starch or tapioca flour

3/4 teaspoon guar gum

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1 1/2 cups GF rolled oats soaked in 1/3 cup warm water

3/4 cup raisins

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk the flours, guar gum, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt together. Stir this into the butter/sugar mixture. Stir in the oats, raisins and walnuts, if using them.

At this point you can either chill the dough for a bit in the fridge and then scoop it, or scoop the cookies onto a sheet and then chill the whole tray before baking them. You could also bake them right away, if you’re impatient, but I do find that they end up slighly less thick.

The cookies should be two inches apart on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake them for 10 to 12 minutes (your baking time will vary, depending on your oven and how cold the cookies were going in), taking them out when golden at the edges but still a little undercooked-looking on top. Let them sit on the hot baking sheet for five minutes before transferring them to a rack to cool.

Nilla Wafer BonBons & a Book Plug

In the middle of my holiday cookie making frenzy, E asked what bonbons made with Nilla Wafers would taste like. I wasn't sure, but agreed to make some (they look deceptively like the chocolate-peanut butter buckeyes I used to always make at Christmas, in part because I coated them in dark chocolate). What?? A new type of cookie? One where I get to be inventive? Yes please.

The process is basically the same as making tuxedoed oreos -- but (to me) less satisfying. There's something about blending the chocolate wafer cookie with the cream filling that I love. I had to add a little extra liquid to account for the lack of cream filling and the filling didn't initially hold up as easily. I also managed to give myself a first degree burn on my index finger pulling a bowl from the microwave that was oven safe, but apparently (no note on it one way or the other) not microwave safe. Alas, the hazards of the kitchen.

E didn't care for them as much as the tuxedoed oreos (I imagine the nilla wafer version is moderately flavorless moderately flavorless) but was curious what they would have been like with white chocolate. It's an interesting question and a good suggestion. If someone tries them, please let me know what you think. I also think they could be interesting made into smaller balls and served atop frozen bananas (maybe with a dab of chocolate to hold them in place). But then, I think vanilla wafer cookies should really only be used for banana pudding, if they must be used at all. Or spread with PB and stuck together to make little sandwiches.

However, these would be incredibly kid friendly, both to make and eat, much like the tuxedoed oreos. Speaking of kids, Erica, over at Kinds of Honey, just published her juvenile fiction eBook, Riding the Neighbors' Horses. I haven't read it yet, but I hope to soon, because Erica's a talented writer (and crafter, and many other things). I wanted to make sure to pass this information along though, in case you were looking for the right gift-of-words for some young person in your life.

Nilla Wafer BonBons


1 12-ounce box nilla wafers
6 ounces cream cheese, softened
1-3 tablespoons milk
Chocolate for coating (I used a little less than a cup)

Pulverize the nilla wafers using a food processor, or by placing them in a durable zip-top bag and pounding them with a rolling pin.

Combine cream cheese and wafer crumbs in a medium bowl, until well mixed. Add enough milk (if necessary) to help wafters and cheese form a very thick dough that isn't sticky and holds together when rolled in a ball between your hands.

Form balls (mine were a little smaller than ping pong balls) with the dough and place on plate covered with foil or waxed paper and then stick in the the freezer for 30 minutes-1 hour.

Melt the chocolate using a method of your choice either in a shallow bowl (or transfer to a shallow bowl once it is melted). Rolls the balls through the chocolate, using clean fingers or a spoon to guide the ball. Shake off any excess chocolate and then place back on the foil or waxed paper to set (this won't take long since the bonbons are cold). Store in the refrigerator until about 20 minutes before you are ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Blondies (gluten-free)

 

You'll have to trust me on this one. I've been eyeballing black bean brownie recipes for a while (I was reminded of them after reading about garbanzo bean brownies by my friend Victoria over at Easy Gluten Free). And for longer than that, I've been meaning to make a pot of beans (either black or pinto) and haven't gotten around to it--I want to start a crockpot of beans one morning and come home to it in the evening. Why haven't I? Good question. You'll know when I make them, I'm sure.

This recipe came about because I intentionally bought black beans so I could make black bean brownies. But when I got home, I discovered I hadn't bought black beans after all, but pinto beans. Sigh.

Look at the chocolate and peanuts!

Okay, I'm sure pintos would've worked just fine in brownies. They're pretty mild, after all. But black beans definitely wouldn't work in blondies and since I had a set of beans that would work, I decided to go with it. The pinto beans replace the flour in this recipe and add protein, without leaving a bean-y taste (at least if you've rinsed them well.). You'll notice in the picture, I have a carton of coconut milk--but I decided once everything was mixed together that it didn't need the couple of tablespoons of milk called for in the recipe I based this on. 

These blondies are also pretty low fat (for peanut butter blondies). I used up the last tablespoon of butter E and I made recently, mostly to get it out of my fridge, and because I wanted to up the peanut butter flavor by increasing the peanut butter from the 1/3 cup called for in the original recipe to 1/2 cup.

These blondies, when warm, practically melt in your mouth. They're super-moist, and nicely peanut buttery. The peanuts and chocolate on top add a nice bit of spunk (both presentation and flavor-wise), but if that's not your thing, then by all means leave the topping off.

Peanut Butter Blondies

1 can pinto beans, well rinsed

¾ cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled slightly

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tablespoons ground flax

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks, chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted peanuts, chopped

Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.

Place the pinto beans and sugar in a food processor and process until smooth.

Blended Pinto Beans & Sugar

Transfer into a medium-sized bowl and add the baking powder, salt, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, eggs, and flax and combine well.

Combining well

Pour into a lightly greased 9” pie pan (or 8 x 8 baking dish).

Sprinkle the chopped peanuts and chocolate chips on top of the batter.

Adding Chocolate and Peanuts

Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs clinging. Cool in pan on a wire rack.

Yum!

Decorating Sugar Cookies

The other morning, as I walked the dog, I was able to witness the better part of the lunar eclipse, which as the moon sunk beneath the earth's shadow, caused me to think about chocolate dipped sugar cookies. Again, these are neither vegan or gluten-free, but I had the opportunity to make sugar cookies with E and our friends Caitlin and I*--and how could I pass that up? Especially if it meant the opportunity to take photos?

I remember, as a kid, that one of my favorite parts of going to the grocery store (specifically Winn-Dixie) was the opportunity for a free sugar cookie. It was a lovely once-a-week-ish treat (they didn't always have them) and those sugar cookies--probably Pillsbury or something similar in retrospect, and knowing what I know now about many grocery store bakeries)--were far superior to the ones from the recipe my mom had. The grocery store cookies were large and sweet and chewy, with absolutely no odd taste. I couldn't say the same for my mom's, which made approximately a zillioin--far too many for me to stay interested in decorating them--and were never as chewy, sweet, or just...sugar cookie flavored.

The cookies featured below are a perfect addition to a cookie exchange, or in the case of what I was creating for taking into work, a cookie platter at a party. You can dip them in chocolate, paint them with a basic milk-and-powdered sugar glaze, or add sugar before baking. I haven't tried them, but the recipe is a Julia child recipe so it's probably pretty yummy! E, Caitlin, and I* seem to like them.

We cut out "Christmas salmon," and "Christmas rhinos," moose and candy canes and gingerbread men, among other things. As the evening grew later and we all got punchier (sugar from cookies for E, Caitlin, and I* plus hot mulled cider for all of us), we started laughing about the idea of Christmas rhinos and the "guiding light" of the "Christmas lighthouse"steering us toward Jesus. We were, we decided, probably going to hell for that blasphemy.

In the write-up that follows, I made a couple of modifications to describe the roll-out and baking process we used. We also did not use a combination of cake and all-purpose flours, because we didn't have them and that change is also reflected in the recipe that follows.

I'm not sure which cookbook this originally came from--but we all thought since it was Julia Child, it was sure to be good. Caitlin, who brought the recipe, brought it on an index card. We actually tripled the recipe--and therefore, worked on this for a good three hours.

Julia Child's Sugar Cookies

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 ounces (1 stick) chilled butter, cut into 16 pieces

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon cold water, plus droplets

more water, if needed

  

Measure the flour, salt and butter into the container of a food processor and process about a minute, until the butter is thoroughly blended (you can also use two knives, or a pastry cutter, if you have those on hand and don't have a large enough food processor--we definitely don't). Add and process in the sugar, then the egg yolk, vanilla and water. Continue processing for several seconds, until the dough masses. Turn it out onto your work surface, form into a rough ball, then push out 2-tablespoon bits with the heel of your hand in 6-inch smears. Gather together into two or three small balls and refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. Roll out on a lightly floured surface and cut out the cookies, placing them on a lightly greased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 4-7 minutes (depending on the size of the cookie), or until cookies are golden around the edges. Decorate when cooled, if desired.

Tuxedoed Oreos (repost)

I originally published this recipe -- by no means original -- a year or so ago, but since it's so appropriate for the holidays, I wanted to post it again. I just made these during a cookie-making party E and I held, and here are pictures of the little beauties.

They're best if they've had a day to marinate -- the filling becomes creamier, more like a bon-bon. You can keep them in the refrigerator, or leave them on the counter (but only for a couple days). I recommend keeping them in the refrigerator, if possible. I'll be making more for a holiday party soon.

From the first snow of the season

It's not absolutely necessary that you use oreos -- a chocolate-vanilla wafer cookie generally (and generically) works well, as long as you like the flavor of the initial cookie. Oreos, however, are vegan, and you can use vegan cream cheese if you want to make these vegan (though if you choose this measure, make sure you choose a vegan white chocolate -- they do exist, but some types contain milk products). These are definitely not gluten-free.


They are easy though, and pretty much no-bake (okay, they are no bake, but a microwave or stove top is useful for melting the white chocolate), which makes these an activity kids can help with easily!

Oreo Bon-Bons

1 pound reduced-fat oreos

1 8-ounce block neufschatel (reduced fat cream cheese)

Powdered sugar for coating OR

White Bark coating (about 1/2 pound) (recommended)

Smash the oreos so no huge chunks remain. This can be done with a gallon bag and a rolling pin--just be sure to get all the air out of the bag before you start hammering it. Or, you can toss them in your food processor and pulse it to break up the cookies. In a large bowl, using a fork, mix together the cream cheese and oreos until the color is even and it starts to come together to form a ball.

Roll small, equally sized balls of the cookie-cream cheese mixture. These can be any size you want, but it's easier to coat these if they're evenly sized--especially if you're using the white bark coating. Chill the small balls for an hour or two (stick 'em in the freezer), until firm.

Spread the powdered sugar in a shallow dish, if using, or melt the white bark coating (follow instructions on the package, but generally you can do this in a double-boiler or by microwaving it on HIGH for 1 minute and then stirring. Microwave on HIGH for additional 15-second intervals until it is completely melted).

Dip or roll the balls through the powdered sugar or melted white bark. Let set and then store in refrigerator.

Deep Chocolate Brownies

Let's face it. Sometimes we crave chocolate. According to some people, chocolate cravings--especially cravings for dark chocolate are indicative of a magnesium deficiency. I've been craving dark chocolate, but unadulterated by anything else. 

Brownies, up close and personal

A word of warning: These brownies aren't vegan. Or gluten-free. If you're looking for something healthy--also not it. This is death-by-chocolate, rich dessert. After all, they're deep chocolate brownies. And this type of indulgence is just the type of pick-me-up that you might want for a rainy (literally or figuratively) day, or for a fun baking project for a day with frost on the windows and snow falling outside.  

So, these aren't brownies that I can eat (or should eat, perhaps, since I know if I did they'd make me feel icky). Why'd I make them? E asked me to make brownies and so that's what I did. I made "normal people" brownies, because I have yet to find a GF brownie recipe that I particularly like. Part of this, I think, has to do with the grittiness of many GF flours. And part of it, in all honesty, has to do with my lack of love of most brownies.

I spent some time trying to figure out a good recipe for chewy, fudgy brownies because that's what E wanted. Thank goodness. I have no patience for chocolate cake or cakey brownies--just make cake, if that's what you want. And maybe, possibly, don't make it chocolate. But you read about my chocolate cake biases in the pumpkin cake post. Long story short, I found two recipes I thought looked pretty good and which provided lovely explanations for how the authors got to the recipes they did. One had more chocolate -- and three types. One had brown sugar (entirely, instead of white sugar) and a lot less butter. I combined these two recipes, pulling out what I considered the best aspects and created this recipe. E and our friend Caitlin swore this was a good recipe, so you'll have to take their word for it--plus a few co-workers, who also had the opportunity to try them. One described these brownies as "not too cakey, not too flat, not too fudgy. You could put frosting on it and call it cake." They smelled absolutely lovely as it baked (and all night).

With whipped cream

I served these with fresh whipped cream after making/serving a lovely butternut squash stew (more on this in another post) and a variation on Mark Bittman's no-knead bread, as the conclusion to an autumn dinner party. If I'd had it (and if E liked it), I might have put small curls of candied ginger. If I were to make more whipped cream and had a lemon on hand, I might put lemon zest on the whipped cream, because lemon and chocolate are a lovely combination.

I love baking new projects and E's a willing subject, especially if it involves chocolate (thanks E!). If you have suggestions for things you'd like to see, let me know! 

Deep Chocolate Brownies

6 oz. semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into quarters
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup (5 oz.) all-purpose flour

Place an oven rack in lower-middle position and preheat the oven to 350° F.  Grease a 9" pie pan.

In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, melt the chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally until smooth.  Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth.  Set aside to cool.

In a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt; whisk until combined, about 15 seconds.  Whisk in the warm chocolate mixture until incorporated.  Then stir in the flour with a wooden spoon until just combined.  (It took me a while to get the flour evenly incorporated and I was worried it would affect the texture of the brownies, but they turned out fabulously – no need to worry.)  Pour the mixture into the prepared pan and spread with a spatula to make an even layer.  Bake until slightly puffed and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a small amount of sticky crumbs clinging to it, 35-40 minutes.  Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature, about 2 hours.  

Slice as you would a pie, creating about 24 slices.  Store in an air-tight container.