Teff Flour Gingerbread

Yes, the Christmas season is technically “over,” and everyone seems to be preparing for either New Year's Eve, their New Year's resolutions, or both. However, I've been away for the holidays, and unable to post any of the wonderful Christmas recipes that I've been trying. And I didn't think it would be right to completely bypass this Teff Gingerbread, which was a new and delicious addition to my Christmas baking repertoire.

I've certainly baked lots of gingerbread before, and only recently made gingerbread cookies, but I wanted something new, festive, and slightly good for you to bring to my fiancées office party. You don't need the red and green sprinkles that I added, but I plan on making this recipe during other parts of the year, and so wanted to differentiate it for Christmas.

Teff flour is heavier than your whole wheat or white flour, and so it does not work well as a substitute to other flours in just any recipe. But here, it is mixed in with unbleached white flour, giving the gingerbread a bit of weight, but not making it so dense that it inedible. The spices are really what make the gingerbread what it is, and this combination worked fantastically. Not too sweet, not too spicy, this gingerbread was just right.

Teff Gingerbread

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Teff flour
¾ cup unbleached white flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. allspice (ground)
½ tsp. sea salt
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1 egg
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1 cup milk

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425° F. Butter a 9-inch square baking pan.

2. Sift together the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. In another bowl, whisk the egg, melted butter, and milk together. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and blend well.

4. Scrape into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

The Holiday Spirit with Gingerbread Cookies

I do not follow a specific cycle of baking or cookie-decorating, but I do appreciate when December 1st rolls around, and suddenly everywhere I look (that is, baking blogs and cooking magazines and the Food Network), I'm surrounded by Christmas Cookies. There are recipes and decoration how-to's and lists of the best and tastiest and most unique and most festive holiday desserts...and I read through each and every one, my Christmas giddiness swelling along with the Christmas carols playing non-stop on my computer. So even though baking for me is not a seasonal affair, I do adore this particular yearly celebration of sugar.

I have three favorite December cookies, and this year, I plan on baking them all with a wholesome twist. The first up were gingerbread cookies, and although I had a short stack of gingerbread recipes to try, many that I had been saving for months in order to break out during this month, I chose a recipe that was fairly new to me. I went again to the cookbook Baking with Agave Nectar and baked these gluten-free treats for a group of friends which included a couple of gluten-sensitive people.

I, and my friends, thought the cookies turned out well, though I'm not sure I can say that this is my all-time favorite gingerbread recipe. They are soft and chewy cookies with just the right amount of spice to them, but they are very fragile. I learned the difficult way that it is best to wait until they are fully cooled to try and remove them from the pan; otherwise, you will find yourself with a jumble of misshapen gingerbread pieces. And as for decorating, they are a wonderful template for icings and sprinkles and other various methods of design. That is the part I enjoyed most of all, although I'm thinking that I should jot down “Martha Stewart-worthy cookie decorating skills” on my Christmas list this year.

Gluten -Free Gingerbread Cookies
From Baking with Agave Nectar

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups brown rice flour
1 ½ cups amaranth flour
1 ½ cups tapioca flour
2 Tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 Tbsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. salt
1 cup agave nectar
¼ cup molasses
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1/3 cup canola oil
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
1. In a large bow, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together the agave nectar, molasses, applesauce, canola oil, and vanilla extract. Pour over the dry ingredients and stir until the two mixtures are thoroughly combined.
Cover and chill the dough for 2 hours or more.
3. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Sprinkle a work surface with flour. Divide the chilled dough into 4 portions. Take one portion and roll out on the work surface until the dough is ¼ inch thick. Cut out gingerbread with cookie cutters and place them on baking sheets. Bake for 6-8 minutes and cool for 5-10 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely.

Agave Oatmeal Cookies

A new favorite cookbook of mine is one that I found quite by accident, while casually perusing the cooking section of a large bookstore that I stopped in for only a few moments. I hardly had the time to jot down the title before I had to leave, and even though I wasn't able to look more closely through the book, it was obvious to me that it was a book that I would want to track down. Later, I did not even look at my note to see what the book was called; I had ingrained it in my memory over the course of the interceding hours. Baking with Agave Nectar is a book that I'm entirely unsurprised has been published, and thrilled that has been published now, as I'm not sure I would have bothered with it a couple of years ago.

Finally, when I borrowed the book from my local library, and I studied each recipe between the covers, I knew that I had found a real treasure. Not only do all of the sweet and savory treats in the book include the relatively healthful and natural sweetener agave nectar, the baked goods represent a more transcendent theme of wholesome baking, as evidenced by the continual use of ingredients such as whole wheat flour, flaxseed meal, and applesauce. It is no coincidence that these agave oatmeal cookies contain all of these things. The milk chocolate chips were, however, my own addition.

I made these cookies for my friends to enjoy after a long day of work in the garden, and they loved how they were not too sweet nor too heavy, and the applesauce paired with the agave nectar heightened the fruity notes under the oats.

Agave Oatmeal Cookies

From Baking with Agave Nectar

Yield: 30 cookies

Ingredients:
¼ cup applesauce
¾ cup light agave nectar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ½ cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 ¾ cups rolled oats
¼ cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. sea salt
¾ cup raisins
½ cup milk chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325° F and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the applesauce and the agave nectar. Add the eggs 1 at a time and stir in vanilla extract.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, oats, flaxseed meal, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt.
4. Add to the agave nectar mixture and stir until combined. Fold in raisins and chocolate chips.
Drop the batter by tablespoonful onto the prepared baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes.

Orcas Island Date Bars

After a long day of hiking in Moran State Park on Orcas Island, I presented my friends with a treat that I had gotten earlier in the day: bar cookies from the local Rose's Bakery, made with oats, walnuts, and dates. The bar was quite close to perfection, with a light buttery taste in the crust and the gentle sweetness of the date filling. The first thing one of my hiking buddies said, after finishing a few sizable mouthfuls, was, “can you make this?” I smiled and assured him that it would be no problem to do so. After looking through a few resources, I decided that I would rather try a drop cookie than a bar; though each have their advantages, I'm a big fan of the simplicity of drop cookies. I found a great starter recipe that included dried cranberries instead of dates, and I made a few adjustments until I came up with my own variation.

The dates in these bars were intense, and next time I think I would reduce the amount of sour cream slightly; the filling was quite creamy. The crust was just perfect, though, and in the future I may experiment with variations of fruit fillings to go along with the crumbly, sandy crust.

Orcas Island Date Bars

Ingredients:
Crust:
½ cup whole wheat flour
½ cup kamut flour
1 cup quick-cooking oats
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
6 Tbsp. butter, melted
3 Tbsp. milk
Cooking spray
Filling:
1 1/3 cups chopped dates
¾ cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. To prepare crust, weigh or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 5 ingredients (through cinnamon) in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Drizzle butter and juice over flour mixture, stirring until moistened (mixture will be crumbly). Reserve 1/2 cup oat mixture. Press remaining oat mixture into the bottom of an 11 x 7–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.
3. To prepare filling, combine cranberries, sour cream, granulated sugar, and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well. Spread cranberry mixture over prepared crust; sprinkle reserved oat mixture evenly over filling. Bake at 325° for 40 minutes or until edges are golden. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack.

Please Vote for Me and My Cookies!

Hi all,

I've entered the recipe that you see posted below, for Coconut Crisp Cookies, in this year's Bon Appetit's Bake Off competition. If you have the time to go to their website at

bonappetit.com/go/bakeoff

you will see a plethora of beautiful recipes for desserts of all kinds - make sure that you find the bars and cookies page (the first page to come up features cakes). If you do stop by Bon Appetit, please vote for me and my cookies! And please try to do so by December 13. If you're feeling motivated to try out the recipe also, I highly encourage it; these cookies are fan-tastic!

Thanks so much, and have a happy start to the holiday season, and the holiday baking that to ensue!

~Christie

Perfectly Peerless Coconut Crisp Cookies

I love to try out a new cookie recipe, and I found this one in The Good Cookie cookbook by Tish Boyle. Although I made a few alterations on the recipe, when I first came across it I was struck by how delicious the combination on ingredients sounded, and how I could not entirely picture what the cookie would look like or taste – in my mind – the flavor it would have. Happily, after an adventurous go at the recipe, with few expectations in place, I found that it is indeed a good cookie. Once I sampled these, though, I found it difficult to come up with an apt comparison so as to accurately describe its taste; on the one hand, there is the delightful combination of chocolate and coconut, which leads me to think of coconut cream chocolates, or Samoa girl scout cookies, minus the caramel. But the texture is almost that of shortbread: dense and a bit sandy, and with a noticeable hint of butter flavor. So, there really is nothing that I can completely compare these cookies to, which is a bit frustrating in terms of exposition, but absolutely wonderful in terms of cookie creation.

Because they are a heartier cookie, I envision them as the perfect companion to a holiday dessert buffet, and because they are quite different from the garden variety drop cookie, as a unique gift for the dessert lover who has tasted it all. I intend on making several batches to bring to a few of the upcoming Christmas dinners and parties, and hopefully I will come back with some appropriate adjectives to describe this coconut cookie.

Coconut Crisp Cookies

Yield: About 4 dozen

Ingredients:
1 ¾ cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
2/3 cup date sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups unsweetened flaked coconut
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, blend together the butter and sugars until light. Beat in the egg, then the vanilla extract. Gently mix in the coconut and the chocolate. Add in the flour mixture until well-blended. Divide the dough into two pieces and shape each half into a disk. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 hour.
3. After 1 hour, shape each disk into a 12-inch log, re-wrap, and refrigerate for at least two hours.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
5. Unwrap one log of dough. Using a large knife, cut the dough into ½-inch thick slices and place on the baking sheets. Repeat with the other log.
6. Bake for 15-17 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet halfway through cooking time. Remove when the bottoms are lightly browned but the tops are still soft. Cool on wire racks.

Better Brownies with Agave Nectar

Whenever I walk into a bakery and I look at the sprawling selection of desserts in front of me behind a protective glass case, my eyes seem to find the most chocolately item in the bunch, almost immediately. It's a sort of radar I've discovered I have, but it really does no one much good. Except, of course, for the bakery which inevitably becomes several dollars richer once I finally leave. I definitely have a thing for chocolate brownies, chocolate cookies, chocolate mounds of chocolate drizzled with more chocolate. It's to the point where I transcend the stereotypical woman who craves chocolate, and my love of chocolate is a running joke amongst those who know me best. And given my propensity to purchase the most decadent and rich dessert laid before me, I have been on the search for a better chocolate baked good, and one that I will create myself. Enter, the “better brownies” below. The original recipe was a “low-fat” brownie that still asked for 1 ½ cups of white sugar, and so I decided to do quite a bit of tweaking. And the brownie that emerged is better, in so many ways. These brownies are not for the casual brownie sampler – since these use actual chocolate, and not cocoa powder, the intense chocolate fudgey-ness was almost enough to even overwhelm me. However, they are not very sweet, and so the better the chocolate that you use, the more its distinctive flavor will stand out.


Better Brownies

Ingredients:
¼ cup unsalted butter
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup date sugar
¼ cup agave nectar
2 egg whites
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¾ cup whole wheat flour
½ tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Coat an 8-inch square pan with cooking spray.
2. Place butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water to form a double boiler. Stir frequently until the butter and chocolate are melted together and smooth. Remove the bowl from heat and cool to room temperature.
3. Stir in applesauce, date sugar, and agave nectar, blending well. Whisk in the egg whites and the eggs, one at a time. Whisk in vanilla extract. Stir in flour and salt.
4. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and bake about 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

New England Maple Cookies

This recipe was unearthed from my cookie archives: a recipe hand-written on an index card with flourishing letters that are not my own. Unfortunately, I'm not exactly sure where this recipe came from, but I'm glad that it found its way into my collection, somehow, and that I tried them out. I find maple syrup to be a brilliant source of wholesome sweetness in cookies (or any dessert, of course). Since maple syrup contains more complex sugars, it is absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream and therefore does not cause the sugar spike and drop that other sweeteners do. Date sugar, agave, molasses, and brown rice syrup have similar properties as maple syrup in this sense.

So although these cookies are quite sweet in taste, I found that they did not affect my body in the way that other simpler sugars do. And that is good news for these cookies, as a serving should include at least two or three. The one thing that I would want to tweak is the maple flavor: it actually did not come out strong enough for my liking; there's a very delicate maple taste, and if that is all you want, then the recipe is swell as is. But if you want something a bit stronger, as I do, then double the amount of maple extract, and that ought to do it.

New England Maple Cookies
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ cup butter, softened
2/3 cup date sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
¼ tsp. maple extract
1 egg
2 Tbsp. maple sugar

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
2. Cream together the butter and evaporated cane juice in a separate bowl. Mix in the maple syrup and maple extract. Add the egg and continue to mix until well-combined. Slowly add the flour mixture.
3. Transfer the dough to a sheet of wax paper and work into a cylinder. Roll up in the wax paper and refrigerate about 3 hours.
4. Preheat oven to 375º F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly floured work surface, roll the dough out to the thickness to 1/8 inch, one half of the dough portion at a time. Cut out 2-inch circles with a cookie cutter and transfer to the cookie sheets. Sprinkle with maple sugar.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on wire racks.

Halloween Devil's Food Drops

Happy Halloween! I hope you're all enjoying lots and lots of good candy today.

I found a version of these devil's food cookies in a cookbook of mine, and based on the name, I thought they would be a wonderful recipe to try for Halloween. Like Christmas, Valentine's Day, Easter, and many other holidays, I love the imaginative recipes that so many people create. This is one reason why I bake in general: it's a great creative outlet, and the seasonal treats that everyone, from my friends to the neighborhood bakery, create put me in a festive mood. And although I did not make any chocolate witch's hats or ghost cupcakes (to be honest, I didn't even wear a costume!), I wanted to celebrate somehow.
I took this recipe and made several modifications to make them a bit healthier, and not so “wicked” (if you prefer to place moral judgment on your baked goods). Nevertheless, these cookies are unbelievably rich, dense, and utterly chocolate-y. The white chocolate topping adds some needed sweetness, but it can be omitted if you're in the mood for something darker.

Devil's Food Drops

Yield: About 48 cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup date sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ tsp. vanilla extract
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels
4 oz. good quality white chocolate

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350° F and coat two cookie sheets with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a large bowl, blend the applesauce and the date sugar with a hand mixer for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one a time, blending well after each addition. Add vanilla extract and blend together.
4. At a low speed, alternatively add the flour mixture with the sour cream, mixing until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.
5. Drop by the teaspoonful onto the prepared cookie sheets and bake for 12-14 minutes, watching carefully at the end. The cookies are done when they are set and there is a slight browning on the bottoms. Cool completely on wire racks.
6. In a double boiler, melt the white chocolate. Using a wooden spoon, drizzle or drop dots of white chocolate on top of the cookies. Let the white chocolate harden.

Autumn Butternut Squash Pie

Although I've never been a huge fan of pumpkin pie, over the past couple of years I've tried a slice here and there that I really enjoy. And recently when I was having a discussion about pies, the butternut squash pie came up in conversation. It makes sense to use butternut squash as a stand-in for pumpkin when making the traditional pie. Butternut squash is baked in a similar way, and pureed the same; I used a food mill to get the fine squash for the pie, but blending in a food processor will do it just as well.

And also like pumpkin, butternut squash is quite nutritious: this pie is full of vitamin C, magnesium, and potassium.

I'm now adding this recipe to the list of pies that I like and would make again. The filling was spicy, but also sweet and creamy. The gluten-free crust was also impressive, and although it is not flaky like the crusts made with shortening, it is crumbly and substantial, without taking away from the delicious impression that the butternut squash leaves behind.

Butternut Squash Pie with Gluten-Free Crust

Yield: one 9'' pie

Ingredients:

Gluten-Free Crust –
1 ½ cup oat flour
1 ½ cup brown rice flour
¾ cup butter
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
2-4 Tbsp. ice water
Filling –
1 ½ cups pureed squash
1 cup light brown sugar, firmly packed
3 large eggs
3/4 cup low-fat evaporated milk
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. salt
2 Tbsp. brown rice flour
1 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

Crust –
Combine flours in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in butter and then gradually add oil, working the dough together with your hands. Add ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and knead together.
Lightly flour a 9” pie plate. Press the dough on the bottom and the sides of the plates.
Filling –
1. To get 1 ½ cups pureed butternut squash, cut the tops off of 2 butternut squash. Halve them length-wise, and place in a glass baking dish with 1 inch or so water at the bottom. Place the squash face-down and bake at 400º F for 70-80 minutes. Scoop the squash out of its skin, and pass through a food mill or a food processor.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the squash with the brown sugar. Add eggs, evaporated milk, spices salt, flour, butter, and vanilla. Beat until well blended.
3. Pour the filling into the pie crust and place on the center oven rack. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350º F, or until set, checking after about 30 minutes. When the filling is set, transfer the pie to a rack to cool.

GF Pumpkin Cookies

These are pumpkin cookies that I thought would be perfect for this time of year. They're gluten-free, and have a chewy texture and are not overly sweet, but are quite spicy.

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cookies

Yield: about 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
2 cups millet flour
½ cup amaranth flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. sea salt
½ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1 cup chopped pecan halves
1 cup raisins
½ cup vegetable oil
1 cup honey
¾ cup date sugar
2 large eggs, beaten
1 Tbsp. molasses
½ tsp. vanilla extract
1-½ cups canned pumpkin puree

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, ginger, raisins, and pecans.
3. In another large bowl, combine the oil, honey, date sugar, eggs, molasses, and vanilla extract. Then mix in the pumpkin puree.
4. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix well.
5. Spoon the cookie batter onto cookie sheets and bake about 12-14 minutes.

Rolled-Out Oat Cutouts

Every year, around Christmas-time, I wonder whether or not I should bake rolled-out sugar cookies. On one hand, I love the countless styles of cookie cutters and the possibility of frosting and decoration artistry. On the other hand, I don't very much like the taste of sugar cookies. Given that, it should not be a question whether or not I ought to make these cookies, but also given that one of my favorite stores in Seattle is basically a boutique of cookie cutters, I usually find myself in a very difficult position. Until now! I found this recipe for roll-out, cut-out cookies, which feeds into my love of cookie cutters, and they do not fall into the typical sugar cookie category. Their texture is much heartier, thanks to the whole wheat flour and the rolled oats, but for those who truly love sugar cookies, the buttery taste is still there. However, these are not overly sweet, and they don't really lend themselves to sugary frostings, either. I decorated mine with a simple brushing of beaten egg and a sprinkling of raw sugar, for a hint of sparkle. I do think, though, that some sort of icing would be in order for these cookies, and I'll have to experiment with that next time, especially as I begin to make these for friends for the holidays.

Rolled-Out Oat Cutouts

Ingredients:
¾ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup evaporated cane juice
1 Tbsp. low-fat milk
1 egg
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
2 ½ cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
1 cup rolled oats

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350º F. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
2. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and evaporated cane juice together until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour, baking powder, salt, and oats to the bowl and stir until well-combined.
4. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface and roll to a 1/8-inch thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut into shapes. Transfer the cookies to the baking sheets.
5. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

Yurt Apple Bread Pudding

Before I moved out west, I had never heard of yurts. And when I was introduced to the concept, my initial reaction was that yurts seem to be glorified tents. However, as I've been inside more yurts and discovered their versatility, I now only jokingly refer to these structures as “nice circus tents.” Actually, yurts are amazing dwellings, and while they originated in Central Asia as temporary and portable living structures, they also are beautiful semi-permanent homes in this area.

A friend on the island lives in a yurt, and the reason I'm mentioning it is because of what a warm, cozy, and comfortable place it is. When I went there for dinner recently, the evening was chilly, but inside the yurt the temperature was lovely, and the subdued lights along with the circular skylight that is central to yurts made me, and the other guests, feel as though we were wrapped in blankets atop piles of fluffy pillows. The atmosphere of the place exuded a hospitable snugness, and I was pleased to have made a bread pudding that meshed in perfectly with my surroundings.

This recipe for Apple Bread Pudding comes, with a couple of modifications, from one of my new favorite cookbooks: The New Laurel's Kitchen. A vegetarian cookbook, it not only offers recipes for yummy healthful food, but it's a fantastic resource for all kinds of matters, from in-season vegetables to the the best foods for a growing child. And this bread pudding, though it was moist and slightly creamy, is not heavy. It is best right out of the oven, after cooling for ten or fifteen minutes, and I would recommend that the entire portion gets eaten that way; it does not reheat so well the next day. The grating of the apples took some time, but it was worth it, given the fragrance of the spectacular mixture of ingredients: apples along with cinnamon along with brown sugar. In addition to the intoxicating aroma, I was happy with the amount of calcium and fiber that the bread pudding has, thanks to the whole grain bread and the cottage cheese and milk. I'm not sure how the texture might change if whole milk cottage cheese and regular milk were used, but I found the low-fat versions worked very well with the dish.

Apple Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
2 cups grated apples
Juice of 1 lemon
4 cups whole grain bread, cubed small
½ cup low-fat cottage cheese
1/3 cup raisins
¼ tsp. cinnamon
2 cups skim milk
1 egg
¼ cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. butter

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Coat an 8” x 8” pan with canola oil spray.
2. Grate the apples and toss with lemon juice.
3. Put 1/3 of the bread in the bottom of the pan. Cover with half the apple, half the cottage cheese, half the raisins, and a sprinkle of cinnamon.
4. Blend the milk, egg, and sugar together and pour half over the ingredients in the pan. Repeat the layers of bread, apples, and liquid, ending with more bread. Pour the last of the milk mixture over the top, sprinkle with cinnamon, and dot with butter.
5. Let the pudding sit for 20 minutes. Bake, covered, for 45 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes, then serve.

Homemade Apple Butter

There are a plethora of autumn foods that get my nostalgia going, and many of them are related to the apple orchard close to my home in Connecticut. Not only was it a You-Pick piece of land, of course, but it had the orchard shop, which always seemed to me to be a massive converted barn with high ceilings, rustic wood beams, and soft light that was never harsh. The shop carried many wonders, and the majority of them were apple-themed: caramel apple kits, apple pies, apple bread, a variety of ciders, and apple butter. I always knew that it was possible to make an apple pie or apple bread at home, and helped out with these projects many times. And apple cider was something we were able to find almost anywhere, when the season was right. But apple butter was different: we never made it, it was never given to us as a gift, and it never materialized from anywhere except for this particular orchard, and only for a few months out of the year.

As I grew, I came to realize that apple butter was not such an exotic thing, but I still thought that making it from scratch would be a laborious process that would surely end in disaster. Until this year, I had never considered making it on my own, but then I started to see recipes for apple butter pop up in various locations, and I decided it would be worth a try. For me, it was worth two tries. The night before I made this apple butter, from The New Laurel's Kitchen, I used another recipe, and as if to confirm my former preconceptions, the result was a disaster. Nothing even resembling apple butter materialized. But by that point, I was determined to make this, and so I searched through my cookbooks for a recipe. To my utter excitement, I found what I was looking for, and I resolved to try the apple butter again, with a new recipe and only a bit of a bruised baking ego.

And I'm grateful I did...the apple butter that is now sitting in jars in my refrigerator is precisely what my hometown apple orchard gave to me so many years ago, and which I thought might have been lost to me, a coast away. But this apple butter is spicy, not terribly sweet, and deliciously apple-y. I used Red Delicious apples and 2 heaping tablespoons of honey; unfortunately, I did not have apple juice on hand, so I settled for water, but I can't tell that anything is lost in the flavor.

It took quite some time for the apples to soften at first, so be patient and keep checking. I ended up splitting many of the apple quarters into smaller chunks. And as for simmering the mixture and reducing it, this also took a little while. I made sure to stay by the stove and stir it consistently, and I had no problems.

Since I did not technically preserve the apple butter through traditional canning methods, it is perishable and should be refrigerated. However, I'm more concerned with running out too quickly and making another batch before next weekend than I am about having it spoil on me.

Apple Butter

From The New Laurel's Kitchen
Yield: 2-3 cups

Ingredients:
2 lbs. apples
½ cup apple juice or water
½ cup cider vinegar
2-3 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. allspice
Dash cloves

Directions:
1. Core and quarter the apples and place in a saucepan with apple juice and cider vinegar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover, and simmer until apples are soft.
2. Press apples through a food mill or strainer, discard skins, and return to saucepan. Mix in honey, cinnamon, allspice, and cloves. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to a brisk simmer, stirring frequently, to reduce mixture. It is done when it “sheets” as you drop it from a spoon.
3. Cool, transfer to seal-able jars, and store in the refrigerator.

Peace Love Agave

Welcome to Peace Love Agave!

This blog blossomed out of my previous baking blog, The Sweet Beat (which, fortunately, I was able to import into this blog, so all of the old recipes are available here as well), where I explored the vast landscape of baking through experimenting in the kitchen, tasting my way around a couple of different cities, and researching all I could find from cookbooks, websites, blogs, and even culinary school textbooks. The one thing I lacked, however, was a focus. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but since the start, I had been hoping to find one avenue of baking to which I was particularly attracted, one that called out to me like no other. I should have known that all I needed to do was to be patient, keep an open mind, and try absolutely everything.

As my previous post states, the variety of baking that has taken over my life and my kitchen is wholesome baking: this includes the use of alternative grains like Amaranth flour and Teff flour, reductions in butter and oils, and alternative sweeteners like brown rice syrup and agave nectar. Agave nectar has become such an important facet to my baking, and to alternative sweetening in general, that I thought it merited a place in my blog title. That, along with peace and love: baking brings me peace, and I put so much love into my baking.

I'm thrilled to be starting a new culinary chapter in such an amazing place: Friday Harbor in San Juan Island. Many people here are attracted to local and healthful food, so when I bring out my gluten-free or high-fiber cookies, I know that the audience for that kind of baking is definitely present. But the point of me writing them down and talking a little about the recipes is to get them out of my own little kitchen, off of the island, and into everyone else's homes as well.

End of the Sweet Beat era

I cannot fully remember the first time I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies, or the first mixing bowl I ever used in the kitchen, but I do know that I've been baking for at least half of my life. I've felt that every step of the way has been a learning experience, which was the impetus for creating this record of recipes and stories, and over the two years, I've made massive leaps as a baker. After exploring countless cookbooks, patronizing a dizzyingly delicious array of bakeries, and roaming the baking aisles of grocery and specialty stores, I feel that I've found a tradition of baking with which I thoroughly identify and which I support with every beat of batter.

I've found that I can no longer handle mass quantities of butter, shortening, refined sugar, and corn syrup, and I say this without the sometimes-present air of the Pacific Northwest's “only organic, local, fair trade” foodie snobbery, but as a basic fact. The baking that I enjoy to do and to share now revolves around nourishment as well as enjoyment. Therefore, I've decided to re-direct myself and my blog and focus on the baking that matters most to me, hoping that others will be, at the very least, interested in the alternatively sweetened, alternatively grained, alternatively created concoctions I plan on making.

Of course, like any healthy eater, my diet would be incomplete without the occasional foray into more classically or commercially baked goods, and so there will be recipes from time to time that follow the Paula Dean school of cooking. I may love my veggie burgers on whole wheat buns, but every now and then, I like a juicy beef burger with a pile of melty cheese on top. The same goes for dessert; I may normally enjoy my applesauce chocolate chip cookies, but that doesn't mean I will never eat a slice of restaurant chocolate blackout cake again. Dessert is all about celebration, fun, and warmth, and my passion for it continues onward.

The Sweet Beat, as it is in its present form, will be going on a break and possibly ending altogether with this posting. The next months are slightly hectic for me, as next week I'm relocating (yes, again!) to the beautiful and peaceful San Juan Island, not too far from the city of Seattle. I also want to spend time working through my ideas on baking, and the blog which will most likely have a new name and, of course, a new direction (but will hopefully still include Sweet Beat archives).

Thank you for reading The Sweet Beat, and I ask that you join me as I explore this new niche of the baking world. Wholesome baking excites me, it brings me joy, and it leaves me feeling harmonious and well. As you all know, my desire in baking is to share those feelings, along with some scrumptious food, with you all.

We all eat Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cookies

A friend of mine is gluten-sensitive, and although she has been able to eat certain forms of gluten with minimal side effects, on a trial-and-error basis, she explains that she feels her best when she goes off gluten altogether. Though to do so requires a larger amount of diligence on her part, and despite the fact that some wheat-based foods don't sit too badly with her system, she explains that it's a worthwhile endeavor. And I agree! If there's a way to make your body run more smoothly, and make you feel a bit healthier, why not go for it? My lactose-intolerant friends tend to use the same thought process, but occasionally indulge in a bowl of superb ice cream, though they know their stomach will be upset later.

When we discuss our various food intricacies, I've found myself grateful that I need not be on the lookout for entire food categories from which to abstain, for fear of running myself through the wringer. Of course, as my diet has changed over the past year, if I now choose to eat a rich, buttery slice of cake with thick butter cream icing, I know that my system will not be able to handle it as well and my body will not be happy after consuming it. And that's just because I've so drastically reduced the amount of butter and shortening I eat that when I do have some, it turns into an epic event for my digestive system. In that way, I don't feel all that different from my lactose-intolerant or gluten-sensitive.

We create our diets and fall (for better or for worse) into habits that our bodies adapt to, and when something unfamiliar comes along, problems can occur. That reminds me of the “Simpsons” episode when Lisa prepares a green, leafy, vegetarian feast for her normally bacon-and-sausage based family, and everyone but Lisa is sick for days afterwards.

I wanted to make something special for my gluten-sensitive friend, and I found a gluten-free recipe for mint chocolate cookies, which contain a favorite of mine: Teff flour. These substantial cookies are chewy and a bit on the heavier side, and the mint-chocolate combination are delightfully reminiscent of the Girl Scouts' Thin Mints.

Gluten-Free Mint Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
½ cup honey
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. mint extract
1 cup Teff flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
Pinch salt
Turbinado (raw) sugar

Directions:
1. Cream together butter and honey. Add vanilla and mint extract. 2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Blend in butter mixture. Place in plastic bag, and shape into a log about 1-1/2" in diameter. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Preheat oven to 350°F. 3. Slice refrigerated dough into 18 cookies. Place on buttered baking sheet and top with a sprinkling of Turbinado sugar. Bake for 14-17 minutes, watching carefully to prevent burning.

Autumn's Apple and Raisin Crisp

I know that I will miss the warm summer days and the sweet fruits that were in such abundance over the course of the past few months, but autumn has begun here in the Pacific Northwest, and I could not be happier. This Labor Day weekend was chilly, blustery, overcast, and slightly damp, but I, along with many others I asked, could not be happier with the change of season. The days here have been more dramatic than anything I've seen, with shifts in the clouds and the wind and pockets of sunshine and blue sky. It's an astounding weather pattern to witness, and it makes me feel cozy and humbled. It also brings out my cravings for hot cinnamon cider, warm apple pie, and most basically, apples from the orchard.

It's been ages since I've been to an orchard for apple picking, but I've been delighted to find that I'm close to several apple trees where the apples are simply falling off the branches, and the owners have implored people to come take the fruit and enjoy their deliciousness. And that's precisely what I did. With the help of a fancy apple corer, I made a double batch of Apple and Raisin Crisp for a crowd. They were pleased with the crumbly and cinnamon-scented topping, I was pleased with the combination of raisins (both golden and brown) and apples (I used Granny Smith), and we were all overwhelmed by the homey taste of warm apple crisp on a cool September day.

Apple and Raisin Crisp
Adapted from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
Topping
1 ¼ cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
¾ cup whole wheat flour flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. salt
¾ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
Filling
3 pounds apples, peeled, cored, sliced
1 ½ cups golden or brown raisins
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 Tbsp. whole wheat flour
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Butter 9 x 13 1/2-inch glass baking dish.
For Topping:Mix old-fashioned oats, brown sugar, all purpose flour, ground cinnamon and salt in large bowl. Add unsalted butter and blend mixture until coarse crumbs form.
For Filling:Combine sliced apples, raisins, sugar, fresh lemon juice, flour and ground cinnamon in large bowl. Mix well to blend. Transfer apple-raisin filling to prepared dish. Spread topping over. Bake until topping is golden brown, about 55 minutes.

Free Cookies at the Islands Village Faire

As I've mentioned many times, a major goal of my baking endeavors is to share what I make with as many people as possible. This weekend, I was given the perfect venue for such promotion of my personal baking brand, and it was amazing.

Not far from Seattle is a set of secluded islands called the San Juans. I've been fortunate enough to spend a good deal of my Pacific Northwest time exploring San Juan Island, and this weekend I participated in their Islands Village Faire. Growing up in Connecticut, then living in New York City, I had never seen such an assortment of people (retirees hand in hand, young families with babies in brightly colored sarongs, fuzzy bearded men, girls in long flowy skirts who looked remarkably just like me) matched with such a sense of community; throughout the Faire, I experienced a heady mixture of peace, serenity, and overall goodwill to my fellow Islander. It was a beautiful thing. And since a major tenant of this Faire, in going along with the theme of community, was bartering, I was able to give away or trade off all of the cookies I had made, spreading the joy that I pompously believe comes with each bite of the cookies I make. I spent a better part of the week mixing batter for my favorite chocolate chip cookies and my Teff peanut butter cookies (the gluten-free kind), and after that hard yet gratifying work, sharing the fruits of my labor with friends and strangers alike was as different to me as it was fulfilling.

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I'm looking forward to more opportunities to get my cookies out there, so to speak. The San Juan Islands Village Faire was a remarkable step in that endeavor.

Figs and Honey

Not long ago my boyfriend and I were invited to dinner at a friend's house, and as was expected, the feast that we enjoyed was full of fresh, local, flavorful ingredients. Our hosts are remarkable gourmets, and so I was not surprised when, as we were chatting before the meal, the dessert was casually explained as “a grilled fig dish with thyme and Gorgonzola that we've been dying to try.” I needed little more description before I, myself, was salivating toward dessert, and wondering how inappropriate it would be to suggest that I make the fig toasts before the main course, so that I could taste them to make sure they were “okay.” Instead, I held my tongue and patiently waited through the delicious main course. As soon as I brought the dinner dishes to the sink, though, my hostess beat me to the punch, exclaiming that it was time to start on the figs.

The recipe, from the Herbfarm Cookbook, is one that she marked and starred afterward; the dish was amazingly light and summery, but bold in taste (from the cheese and the honey). The sweetness of the figs and honey was offset by the Gorgonzola, but I ate a few honey-drizzled figs on their own, and I found them to be more than appetizing. This is a dessert I believe I would see at a fine restaurant, the toasts artfully arranged on fancy china with swizzles of thyme-soaked honey in decorative patterns on the plate. And to be able to make it with my gracious foodie hosts, and to enjoy it on their porch as the sun set on a beautiful August evening, was too sweet for words.

Grilled Figs With Thyme, Honey and Gorgonzola Toasts
From The Herbfarm Cookbook

Ingredients:
¼ cup mild or medium-strength honey, such as clover or blackberry
6 sprigs fresh thyme
12 large ripe figs
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1 baguette
6 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, at room temperature

Directions:
Simmer honey in small saucepan, and add thyme sprigs. Let cool for 15 minutes or more while grilling the figs and bread. Start a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill or preheat a gas grill. Cut figs in half, and toss them in a small bowl with 2 teaspoons olive oil and thyme leaves. Set grill rack 4 inches from fire. When the charcoal is ashed over and glowing, or the gas grill is medium-hot, grill figs quickly until they are heated through but not collapsed, 1 to 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to a platter. Cut 24 1/2-inch-thick slices from the bread, and brush both sides lightly with olive oil. Toast bread on both sides on the grill away from direct heat. Spread Gorgonzola cheese on toast, and top with figs. Remove thyme sprigs from honey with a fork and discard, then drizzle honey over figs and toast slices. Serve at once.

Cinnamon Sugar Plum Cake

There are time when I see a recipe that, for some reason, grabs my attention and will not let go until I finally just make it. This is only troublesome when I do not have any occasion to make something like a pie or a cake, since I'm not sure what I would do with a whole dessert sitting on my counter top (other than eat the whole thing myself, of course). So I decided that my co-workers would get to try this Cinnamon Sugar Plum cake this week, and I'm happy for them to try it.

I think perhaps I'm very susceptible to language and the power of suggestion that words can impart, because once I read “sugar plum” in the title of this particular recipe, I was hooked. After brief reflection, I realize that I'm drawn to the warm, Christmas-y connotations of sugar plums, and despite the fact that it is August, and plums are in season now, I simply could not let go of the term “sugar plum.”

And I'm glad that I did not. The cake is fairly simple to make, yes, but the flavors of cinnamon paired with sweet plum are absolutely heavenly, and certainly not season-specific. It is not too heavy for summer, nor is it too lemony for winter. I tried my slice with lemonade, on a warm evening on my balcony, but it would also be lovely with hot cider, sitting in front of the fireplace. The color that the cinnamon lends to the browned cake is also positively gorgeous, and an image that comes to mind when the term "rustic" is used: I could envision this cake on a heavy wooden farm house kitchen table, waiting to be devoured after a large lunch.

The cake also deepened my appreciation for the plum, a fruit I would never think to pick up at the farmer's market. Before buying a few, I did a bit of research on the plum; the plum is high in vitamin C and antioxidants, and there are over 2,000 varieties of plums, with over 100 available in the United States. When buying plums, look for ones that yield to slight pressure and are soft at the tips.

Cinnamon Sugar Plum Cake

From Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
¾ cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. grated lemon peel
4 large plums (about 1 1/4 pounds), pitted, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
½ tsp. ground cinnamon

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter spring form pan. Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in ¾ cup sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, then lemon juice and lemon peel, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan.
Press plum wedges halfway into batter in circles, spacing slightly apart. Mix remaining 1 ½ tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over cake. Bake until cake is browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cut around cake; release pan sides. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Chocolate and Cherries, Sans Gluten

There are many mix-ins that one can add to a drop cookie recipe: chocolate chips are the first to come to mind, in a variety of cacao levels, then there are raisins and coconut and peanut butter chips and small candies and toffee bits and dried cranberry. Yet, I had not come across any recipes (that come to mind, at least) that called for dried cherries. Then I found this one, and I was initially intrigued by the addition of cherries to a chocolate cookie base, and further excited by the fact that the cookie is gluten-free. I am not, actually, gluten-free, but I know many people who are, and anyway, it's a great way to experiment with the slew of alternative flours that have taken up a permanent residence in my pantry.
I fiddled around with the original recipe a bit, and I came up with a cookie that I think is absolutely decadent. By allowing the cookies to bake a tad longer, the outside gets nice and crisp (of course, be careful not to burn the poor things) and the inside stays slightly fudgey and chewy, with a distinctly brownie-esque texture.

Gluten-Free Cherry Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup Garbanzo Bean flour
¼ cup potato starch
2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1 tsp Xanthan Gum
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch)
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp sea salt
½ cup butter
½ cup sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
¼ cup dried cherries (Tart)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Grease a large cookie sheet or line with parchment paper (see our website to order); set aside. In a medium bowl, combine the first 7 ingredients (garbanzo bean flour through salt); set aside.With an electric mixer cream butter (room temperature, not melted) with sugars, egg and vanilla until well-combined. Add dry ingredients gradually; mix only until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips and cherries. Roll dough into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 12-13 minutes until puffed and cracked. Cool on baking sheet 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool.

Baking To-Dos

I have a bit of a problem with to-do lists. The issue is not that I am forgetting important tasks or appointments, or that I never know what needs to be done around the apartment or picked up from the store. It is hardly that my life is not managed; the problem lies on the opposite spectrum, in that I feel, at times, that my life is micro-managed. I have task lists for absolutely everything, sprinkled everywhere that I would possibly be on any given day. There are scribbled Post-its on my desk, in my calender, and in my bag, hanging from the bulletin board, and next to my bed. I have a computerized to-do list, a list of books I must read, vacations I must take, and another list of long-term to-dos in a special notebook of mine. Everything is written down, even the things I know I will never forget: “Tuesday, cereal for breakfast.”

It goes without saying, then, that I also have a list of baking to-dos: “Desserts To Bake.” Like many of my lists, it seems to grow faster than I can cross items off, and it doesn't help when I pick up a new cookbook, and then go wild marking pages with even more Post-its.

Since I've been spending most of my baking time lately putting together older favorite recipes, I thought I would expunge myself of a portion of my baking to-do list, and let someone else have fun with some of the recipes that I may, or may not, try at some point in the future.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cake
from Bob's Red Mill Baking Book

Ingredients:
1 cup white rice flour
1 ¼ cups white bean flour
2 tsp. Xanthan Gum
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
¾ cup soft butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. grated orange peel
2 cups shredded zucchini
½ cup milk
1 cup walnuts

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a tube pan or loaf pan.In a mixing bowl combine the first 8 ingredients (rice flour through cinnamon), set aside.In another bowl cream together the butter and sugar; add eggs one at a time and vanilla extract, orange peel and zucchini. Stir in, alternately, the flour mixture and milk (or water); add nuts and stir. Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake for approximately 1-1/2 hours; cool with oven door open for 30 minutes. Turn out and cool completely on a wire rack. May be served with or without frosting.

Hazelnut Butter Cookies
from Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup creamy unsalted hazelnut butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce package semisweet mini chocolate chips (2 cups)

Directions:
Sift first 4 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter, hazelnut butter, and both sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated. Soften dough slightly at room temperature before shaping.)
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using 1 level tablespoon for each cookie, roll dough between palms of hands into 1-inch balls. Arrange 1 inch apart on prepared sheets. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are golden brown, about 12 minutes. Let cool on sheets on racks 5 minutes. Transfer cookies to racks and cool. (Can be made 5 days ahead. Store airtight between sheets of waxed paper at room temperature.)

Peach Cobbler
from The Food Network

Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
Pinch salt
1 cup milk
4 cups peeled, pitted and thinly sliced fresh peaches (5 to 6 medium peaches)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Several dashes ground cinnamon or ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Pour the melted butter into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish.
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, 1 cup sugar, the baking powder, and the salt and mix well. Stir in the milk, mixing until just combined. Pour this batter over the butter but do not stir them together.
In a small saucepan, combine the peaches, lemon juice, and remaining cup of sugar and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Pour the peaches over the batter but do not stir them together. Sprinkle with cinnamon or nutmeg if desired.
Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden-brown. Serve warm or cold.

Spicy Blueberry Streusel Bars

On a warm summer night, at a backyard party or barbeque, sometimes the least appealing thing on which to end the evening is a dessert that is dripping with chocolate or butter, heavy enough to capsize a rowboat. For these occasions, I find fruit desserts much more appealing; although I can never get enough of cobblers and crisps, I wanted to try something a bit different (and slightly more portable) for a recent potluck.

The original recipe for these blueberry streusel bars called for an even larger amount of cardamom than is suggested here, and these 2 tablespoons really, in my opinion, max it out. These bars are unique for sure, and the cardamom spice is what gives this cookie variant a hint of the exotic. And using fresh blueberries, there was little need, really, for any other flavoring. This is yet another dessert where the fruit takes the zesty reins, but this time shares the center stage with the spice found in the streusel topping.

Blueberry Streusel Bars

Ingredients:
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
¾ tsp. baking powder
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
½ Tbsp. grated lemon zest
¼ cup buttermilk
2 cups blueberries

Topping
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
2 Tbsp. ground cardamom
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter at room temperature

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly coat a 9x9 inch baking pan with cooking spray.
2. Whisk the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, combine the butter and sugar. Cream with an electric mixer at medium speed. Reduce speed to low and beat in the eggs, then lemon zest, and lastly the buttermilk.
4. Add the flour mixture and stir with a spoon until fully incorporated. Turn the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it to cover the bottom evenly. Arrange the blueberries on top in a single layer.
5. For the topping, combine the flour, sugar, and spices in a bowl. Mix well with a fork. Cut in the butter to form crumbs and scatter over the blueberries.
6. Bake about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Fresh-from-the-Oven Millet Blueberry Muffins

Despite the rising heat here in Seattle, my baking has also been on the upswing; with a few new cookbooks on my shelf – The New Laurel's Kitchen, Bob's Red Mill Baking Book – and some new ideas about my baking philosophy (don't laugh – like anything else, baking can have a philosophy. And I've been working on mine), I've found it impossible not to be in the kitchen, trying something new out. I'm also at the point where I would much rather share my food, and I'm hoping to find a more business-like way to do so soon. In the meantime, though, I see nothing wrong with a big ceramic bowl with a cloth towel liner, brimming with fresh-baked treats, like these Millet Blueberry Muffins: just what I plan on bringing with me to work today.

The millet gives them a fine and substantial crunch, and the honey leaves them tasting a bit cleaner, and not so sugary. And the blueberries, in my opinion, crown them perfectly. The great thing about these muffins is their versatility: almost anything can be stirred in, instead of blueberries: raisins, walnuts, blackberries or strawberries are the first few that come to mind.

Millet Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
2 ¼ cups whole wheat flour
1/3 cup millet flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg, lightly beaten
¼ c. applesauce
¼ cup honey
1 cup blueberries

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease or line 16 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, mix the whole wheat flour, millet flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 3. In a separate bowl, mix the buttermilk, egg, applesauce, and honey. Stir buttermilk mixture into the flour mixture just until evenly moist. Fold in the blueberries. Transfer batter to the prepared muffin cups.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Fresh Raspberry Quick Bread

After the explosion of fresh, fragrant, utterly perfect strawberries last month, I had nearly (but not quite, of course) exhausted myself of eating them. But now that raspberries are the crop du jour, I find myself replacing the strawberries in my diet with these berries, and the result is just as lovely and yummy.

At the market, I'm able to buy raspberries by the half-flat, and I've been busy adding them to my salads and yogurt, freezing them, and naturally, nibbling upon them throughout the day. The next step is to bake with them, and although I've found lots of pies and parfaits that use raspberries, I wanted to try something a little different; a little like the strawberry muffins I made last month. So, not to divert too much, I put together this recipe for Raspberry Quick Bread. I had seen similar recipes that call for bananas as well, but I wanted only the sweet taste of raspberries. That's precisely what I got with this recipe. The honey complements the raspberries well, but if that seems too sweet still, then the honey can be reduced by a couple of tablespoons. Additionally, the bread is quite moist, which I like but others may not prefer. This can be altered by omitting the milk, and keeping a close eye on the bread through the end of its baking time. And the spelt and garbanzo bean flours can, of course, be replaced with whole wheat or other flours, but I find this combination to be perfect in making this a hearty and fiber-filled quick bread that left me satisfied for hours after eating.

Fresh Raspberry Quick Bread

Ingredients:
1 c. spelt flour
¾ c. garbanzo bean flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
½ c. applesauce
2 eggs, beaten
1 c. honey
1/3 c. milk
2 c. raspberries

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the applesauce with the eggs and honey.

3. Blend in the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients alternately with the milk. Fold in the raspberries.

4. Bake for 50-60 minutes, careful not to let it burn. Cool on a wire rack.

Chewy Honey Cookies

When I saw this recipe for Honey Cookies in my Complete Cookie cookbook, I knew I would want to try it. Under the description, it was stated that these cookies are ideal for making ice cream sandwiches, and although that is not what I personally did, after tasting these, I agree that these would make for one super swell ice cream sandwich. I could see these pairing well with a creamy French Vanilla or strawberry ice cream: a fun treat for a BBQ or pool party.
What I did do, though, was to experiment with the honey flavor. After all, there are an exorbitant amount of flavored honeys that one can try. There is the most well-known clover variety, then there is blackberry, raspberry, lavender, huckleberry, alfalfa, dandelion, fireweed, and many more. Part of the fun in this recipe is that the honey is such a strong player, that whatever type you choose will give your cookies a hint of that particular flavor. And the best thing about flavored honey is that there are no additives to twist the honey one way or another; it's all dependent upon where the bees buzz, and where they are collecting pollen.
The one thing that I would do differently next time, though, would be to lessen the amount of brown sugar. As is, they are very sweet, and I would want the taste of the honey to shine through a bit more. Even still, they are a absolutely delightful.

Chewy Honey Cookies

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups garbanzo bean flour
1 ½ cups brown rice flour
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cardamom
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup honey
1 large egg yolk

Directions:
1. Whisk together the flours, salt, cardamom, and cinnamon.
2. Cream the butter and the sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the honey and egg yolk and beat for 1 minute. Fold in the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, to combine. Form the dough into a long log, roll in wax paper, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment.
4. Cut the log in half and return half to the refrigerator until ready to use. Roll out the dough to a thickness of 1/8 inch. Cut out into 3-inch circles and transfer to the prepared cookie sheets. Repeat with all the dough.
5. Bake for 5 minutes then rotate the cookie sheet and bake for about 5 minutes more, until the edges are golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.

Dessert Night Oatmeal Cake

Whenever I'm given an invitation to a party, my mind quickly wanders to the possibilities of the type of food I can bring; if it is a dinner party, then what dessert can I make? If it is a brunch, then what dessert can I make? If I'm going to a child's birthday party, then what dessert can I make?

Although, like anyone else, I love a nourishing, filling, and delicious meal, I generally am more concerned with what will follow the main course and appetizers. So this past weekend, when I was invited to a “dinner for dessert” party, I was overcome with two emotions: the first was of excitement. Finally, an event that that celebrated the very thing I take the most pleasure in! But as my eyes widened and I unconsciously began salivating, I also began to worry; what could I bring that would stand out, that would not get lost in the delectable crowd of other desserts? My first instinct was to make a rustic berry cobbler or crisp; after all, it's what's in season. But then I backpedaled, thinking that everyone would naturally be taking advantage of the spectacular berries the Pacific Northwest has been savoring. Then, I considered chocolate: anything at all that was chocolate. But again, I had my reservations: I had just recently made a very chocolatey, very rich dessert, and I had hoped for a bit more variety in my baking practice.

So after a bit of consultation and research, I found the perfect dessert: a hearty oatmeal cake with a brown sugar glaze. And it did turn out to be along just the right track; though the only cobbler to be found at the table was a mango cobbler, chocolate was the key ingredient of the night. While I took part in tasting a bit of everything there, I also enjoyed a piece of my cake, which offered a great balance to the other desserts.

The brown sugar along with the honey (or agave nectar) make for a sweet cake, but the whole wheat flour and the oats give it a substance that a purely sugary treat would not possess. The coconut in the glaze added a pleasant texture, and the glaze is best poured on the cake while both are still warm, so that the cake can soak up the moisture of the mixture – without becoming soggy itself. My friends were just as happy with the oatmeal cake as I was; it's just right for grabbing a piece and eating with your fingers, if your plate happens to already by weighed down by a selection of other desserts.


Oatmeal Cake

Ingredients:

1 ½ cups boiling water
1 cup oats
1 cup Raisins
½ cup applesauce
1 cup brown sugar, packed
½ cup honey or agave nectar
2 large eggs, well beaten
1 ½ cups sifted whole wheat flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. sea salt
Topping:
1 stick butter
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 ½ tbsp. canned evaporated milk
½ cup coconut flakes
½ cup chopped pecan halves

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 13" x 9" x 2" baking pan, set aside.
Directions:In a mixing bowl combine boiling water, quick rolled oats and raisins, set aside to cool.In a separate mixing bowl cream together the applesauce, brown sugar, honey and eggs.In another mixing bowl sift together whole wheat flour, cinnamon, baking soda and sea salt, add to sugar mixture, add oatmeal-raisin mixture, blend well.Bake at 350° for 40-50 minutes or until done. Spread with topping while cake is hot.

Sage Biscuits with Ancient Grain

I've become quite a fan of Amaranth flour. Amaranth is an ancient Aztec grain that comes from an annual related to spinach and swiss chard, high starch content, and rich in protein, iron, and calcium. It works best when combined with other flours, as it can have an overly grainy texture on its own; I discovered this while experimenting with Amaranth pancakes.

I thought that this would be the perfect type of flour to use for a savory, satisfying breakfast pastry. Although I'm not much for the overly buttery and flaky variety of biscuits, I wanted to see if I could create something a tad more wholesome. I did some research, and I found two biscuit recipes that were intriguing, but not precisely what I was hoping for. So, I picked and chose a few key pieces from each and put them together into this variation. And these sage biscuits, while certainly not the buttermilk biscuits of the South, are soft, aromatic, and absolutely perfect served warm. I brought a dozen of them to a brunch, where they accompanied fresh fruit and yogurt, and I couldn't have been more pleased with how well they went with a lighter spread of food; they did not overwhelm, but also left no one wanting for a more filling alternative.

Sage Biscuits

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1 cup Amaranth flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. sugar
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. finely chopped sage
8 tbsp. (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
¾ cup buttermilk

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and set oven rack to middle position.
2. Whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and sage.
3. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the mixture until it becomes a course meal.
4. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture forms a sticky ball.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and form into a ball. Divide the dough into quarters, then cut the quarters into thirds. Shape each piece into a rough ball and place on an ungreased cookie sheet.
5. Bake 10-12 minutes, until tops of the biscuits are browned.

Alternative Baking with Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp

I don't think I would have necessarily sought out a variety of gluten-free recipes on my own; after all, my body and my diet are both very gluten-friendly. But when I was given a gift of flours for my birthday, I realized what a wide world of baking there is beyond the “unbleached white” or even “whole-wheat pastry flour.” Using alternative grains is an absolute art in baking, and a very nourishing one, too. Many alternative grains, such as Kamut or Teff flour, are filled with protein and a host of vitamins.

Generally, gluten-free or alternative grain desserts are not necessarily “healthy,” due to the butter or sugar. But, this can be remedied with alternative sweeteners and butter replacements. From my experience with alternative and healthful baked goods I've bought, and the ones I've made myself, I much prefer the wholesome ones to the full-fat kind (yes, even my birthday cake was a bit too much butter and sugar for me to handle).

I would never look down upon any baked good, regardless of its nutritional content; however, if I'm going to be baking as often as I do, for all of the people I care so deeply about, why not make something that is actually good and satisfying for the body, as well as the soul?

This Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp definitely qualifies for these condition: sweet and tangy, and with a topping that does not overwhelm the natural flavors of the blueberry and rhubarb. And of course, if you do not want to make it with the alternative grains, then it's just fine to use whatever you have in your kitchen.

Blueberry Rhubarb Crisp
From Bob's Red Mill Baking Book

Ingredients:

Topping:
¼ cup Amaranth flour
¼ cup Teff, soy or barley flour
½ cup brown sugar, packed
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced

Filling:
¼ cup honey
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons Teff flour
2 cups (about 3/4 pound) rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 cups blueberries

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees and grease a 2-quart shallow baking dish.
2. For the topping, combine the flours, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a small bowl. Add the butter and work it into the flour mixture with your fingers until crumbly. Refrigerate while making the filling.
3. In a small bowl, stir together the honey, cinnamon, and flour. Add the rhubarb and blueberries, tossing well. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish. Sprinkle topping over the fruit and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the topping is brown and the fruit is bubbling. Serve warm.

More Muffins: Carrot Raisin

I recently mentioned how my muffin baking is sparse and slightly erratic, but after my fantastic strawberry muffin success, I'm falling more in love with muffins. What I especially like about homemade muffins is the amount of control I have over the ingredients, and therefore, the taste and health quotient. I'm not a fan of the jumbo bakery muffins, loaded with butter or oil, and I've never understood the allure of chocolate muffins (just make cupcakes if you want to use cocoa powder!). But the muffin recipes I have my sight set on call for alternative sweeteners, like the honey used here, and hearty flours, and flavorful add-ins. These carrot raisin muffins are adapted by me from a basic rice muffin recipe I found; at first, regular sugar was called for, but I found that honey works better with sweetening, without being overbearing and heavy. The cinnamon and nutmeg work well with the raisins, and the carrots add a freshness that could be acquired with zucchini, or shredded apple perhaps. No matter what is stirred into this muffin base, I'm certain that they will turn out as light and tasty as these ones did.

Carrot Raisin Muffins

Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:
2 tbsp. canola oil
2 eggs
½ cup milk
½ tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup honey
1 ½ cup rice flour
½ tsp. salt
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. fresh nutmeg
½ cup raisins
1 cup shredded carrots

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line or grease muffin tins.
2. Mix butter and honey. Beat in eggs.
3. Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, cream of tartar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add flour mixture to egg mixture alternately with milk. Add vanilla. Stir in raisins and carrots. Pour into muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes

Happy Chocolate Cake-with-Vanilla-Buttercream-and-Strawberries Birthday to Me!

This past Sunday was my birthday, and I celebrated in one of the most joyful ways I know how: I baked, and then shared my dessert with good friends.

Most people want to enjoy their favorite cake on their birthday, whether it be a basic vanilla with vanilla icing, a complex Italian specialty, a festive ice cream cake, and any other cake one can imagine. No matter what kind of bakery you frequent, you can find a birthday cake, or similar stand-in (for example: birthday tortes, birthday muffins, birthday pies). I also know a good number of individuals who prefer to bake their own favorite creation, whether it be a birthday dessert or a very special main meal, for their birthdays; I obviously find this to be the better option for me. In fact, cookbooks featuring only recipes for birthday cakes have been written (to be honest, my roommate owns one, and it sits proudly on our cookbook shelf), and while I did not pull my birthday cake recipe from this volume, it is filled with imaginative concoctions, all of which are incomplete without candles on top. The recipe, from Epicurious, is not terribly complex, but like any layer cake, it is time consuming, and special attention is required if it is to turn out well.


My dream birthday cake was chocolate with vanilla buttercream, and to my joy, it has became a delicious reality. I made it over the course of two days, making the cake a day before the birthday celebration, and letting it cool, then wrapping it in plastic wrap. The frosting, I made the morning of, and then I assembled the entire thing a few hours before we cut it. The cake was everything I wanted it to be: lusciously chocolatey, achingly sugary, and blissfully tasty: the perfect treat to look forward to once a year.

Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

From Epicurious.com

Ingredients:
1 cup boiling-hot water
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed dark brown sugar
4 large eggs at room temperature for 30 minutes
4 cups vanilla buttercream

The Cake:
1. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 2 (9- by 2-inch) round cake pans and line bottom of each with a round of wax paper. Butter paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess. Whisk together hot water and cocoa powder in a bowl until smooth, then whisk in milk and vanilla.
2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in another bowl.
3. Beat together butter and brown sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low and add flour and cocoa mixtures alternately in batches, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
4. Divide batter between cake pans, smoothing tops. Bake until a wooden pick or skewer comes out clean and edges of cake begin to pull away from sides of pans, 30 to 35 minutes total. Cool layers in pans on racks 10 minutes, then invert onto racks, removing wax paper, and cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream

Ingredients:
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:
With a hand mixer or stand, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.
Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

To assemble cake:
Put 1 cake layer, rounded side up, on a cake stand or platter and, using offset spatula, spread top with about 1 cup buttercream. Top with remaining cake layer, rounded side down, and frost side and top of cake with 2 cups buttercream.

June's Sweet Bounty: Strawberry Muffins

I have one particular go-to muffin recipe that I discovered about a year ago and have subsequently enjoyed through all months of the year. They're blueberry muffins, calling for frozen blueberries, which are available at the store whenever the mood to purchase them strikes my fancy. Because I don't bake muffins very often, I've never been inspired to find a recipe that takes advantage of fresh seasonal produce. Then, I recently found this recipe for strawberry muffins. The ingredient list specifies fresh strawberries are needed, and given how glorious these Pacific Northwest berries have been tasting the past couple of weeks, it was impossible not to make these immediately.

It turns out that I was right to do so. These muffins, found in the magazine Body and Soul are a divine breakfast wake-up call. Not laden with a host of various flavors and textures, the berries have the opportunity to be center stage; and as with any dish, when the key player is fresh, local, and of high quality, then there is no possibility for failure (or great failure, anyway). The buttermilk adds a down-home quality to the muffins without making them heavy, and the whole wheat flour makes them slightly more fiber-filled. And they are a light and sweet morning treat with a vibrant strawberry essence.

Although I know I will pull out the recipe book for my blueberry muffins come autumn, while the season allows, I believe I've found a new go-to muffin recipe.

Strawberry Muffins
Yield: 1 dozen

Ingredients:
1 ½ cups sliced strawberries
1/3 cup plus 1tbsp. sugar
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners. Toss together strawberries and 1/3 cup sugar. Using a potato masher, lightly mash berries; set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In a medium bowl, combine buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.
Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and berry mixture (with juice). Fold until just combined. Divide the batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with remaining sugar.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Summer Solstice Rhubarb Bread Pudding

It will take an exorbitant, inhuman amount of rhubarb this summer for me to tire of the wondrous desserts that utilize this tart, delicious seasonal vegetable. Already, I've sampled several crumbles and crisps and cobblers whose defining ingredient is the rhubarb, and with each taste, I only grow hungrier for it. However, I knew that there must be something out there for rhubarb besides the generic pie; once I started searching, I found that I was correct. I discovered recipes for rhubarb sorbets, crepes, trifles and compotes. The one that I was most eager to try was the Rhubarb Bread Pudding I found in my Great Harvest Bread Company cookbook.

What better time to try out this summery recipe than the Summer Solstice: the longest day of the year, a day of celebration in Seattle, revolving around the Summer Solstice Parade and Fremont Fair in the Fremont neighborhood. It is a jubilant time of year, and so it deserves an accordingly festive dessert, which is where the rhubarb comes in. Rhubarb is quite simply a cheery and refreshing food, and it can be used in such a wide range of desserts, from the favorite stand-bys to the unique experiments, that it will be a very dark time when the rhubarb season comes to an end.

As for the bread pudding, it was as much of a crowd-pleaser as I expected anything with rhubarb to be: tangy, with just enough sweetness to balance it out. Even still, I think that the sugar could be reduced slightly to give the dish an even stronger rhubarb flavor.

Rhubarb Bread Pudding

Ingredients:
8 slices white bread (½ inch thick each)
1 lb. fresh rhubarb, diced (about 4 cups)
1 ½ c. milk
5 eggs
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ c. chopped walnuts
¼ c. butter
1 ¼ c. sugar
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:
1. Toast bread and remove crusts. Cut toasted bread into ½ inch cubes and places in a buttered casserole dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine milk and butter. Bring just to a boil. Pour over toast cubes and let stand 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in rhubarb. Stir into bread mixture and sprinkle with nuts.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 50 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.