Gingerbread Granola

Oh, what I would give to be snuggled up on the couch with Casper right now.

Instead, I'm camped out in the Augsburg library, attempting to get some work done while waiting for 5:30 to come around so I can go to my abroad orientation.

I hadn't even sensed the end of the semester approaching, but after the past few days I'm ready for it to arrive! I apologize that I haven't been as consistent with postings. To be honest, I haven't even had time to grocery shop since I came back from Omaha. Last night I stayed up later than I had planned just so I could catch up on doing my dishes.

Thank goodness for family and friends. One of my few energy sources has been the wonderful turkey and rice soup that my mom sent home with me. Without it I would probably be running on handfuls of dry cereal, due to the fact that I'm out of milk.

A nice skype session with Lilly last night gave me a chance to take a breath and just laugh. She's by far the most supportive, nonjudgmental person that I've ever had the pleasure of calling my friend. I'd like to personally thank the person or computer who assigned the two of us to 11J2 last year.

Thanks to an extended due date on my lit paper, I think I'll be able to stop by Trader Joe's after this abroad meeting. Hopefully Casper won't be too upset with me when I finally return.

Gingerbread Granola
makes approximately 5 cups
original recipe!

3 cups certified gluten-free rolled oats
3 tablespoons ground flax seeds
1 teaspoon ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Dash of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup coconut or grapeseed oil
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup dried fruit (raisins, cranberries)
1/2 cup chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, spices, flax, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine oil, molasses, and sugar.

Fold wet ingredients into dry.

Spread over a large parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes, remove and stir in dried fruit and nut, then continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes. Keep a close eye on it because granola burns quickly and easily!

Scone Recipe #430853

I'm going to hit the sheets early, so heres a three sentence rundown of my day:

I worked. I went to classes. I met with my abroad group (or the Augsburg baseball team) and lost all hope of possibly having another girl on the Mexico trip.

Sigh.


Cranberry Scones
adapted from this recipe

Something is off about these. Maybe I didn't put enough love into them. I used teff flour for the first time, which is one of the finest flours I've ever worked with. The dough was a lot more dry than most of my other scone recipes. 

I don't think I'll provide the recipe adaptation for this one. I'll still eat them for breakfast because I'm out of cereal, but I only want to provide you guys with my best stuff!

Have a great week, everyone!

French Macarons!

I'm back in Saint Paul, sitting at my blue table once again. My trip to Omaha was much needed, but it was pretty nice to curl up with some tea on my own couch tonight. With Louie and Violet constantly chasing after one another, my parent's house was not at it's most peaceful state.

This trip to Omaha differed from previous ones. Outside of my family, it felt as if Omaha doesn't have much to offer me anymore. It appears that my time is finally up there. With that attachment severed, I suppose I'm free to establish myself wherever I desire to. I do love living in Saint Paul, but it is still missing certain elements. My friend, Lilly, and I have dreamed up a plan of moving to northern California after graduation and getting two cats; Cardamom and Coriander. Since my philosophy degree won't point me in any specific direction, I could take the minimal knowledge of the french language I possess and go to pastry school in Europe.

For the first time in a long time there isn't a single person or thing that is steering me in any particular direction.

I think I like it.

I may have no absolute direction in life, but I can make a french macaron, damnit. 

I did it!

I'm not going to provide exact ingredients or instructions yet because this was my first success. I will say that I believe I baked the shells for a bit too long, because my unsuspecting father bit into one and the shell cracked and exploded all over the place. 

Sorry, Dad. 

I will provide some details about what I did/didn't do.

1. I aged my egg whites at room temp for approximately 48 hours.

2. I added 5 grams of egg white powder to the egg whites.

3. I used a hand mixer to produce the meringue. 

4. I allowed the piped shells to sit at room temp for 45 minutes before placing them in the oven.

Next time I would like to buy/make a better almond flour. I sifted some Trader Joe's almond meal until it was very fine, but I didn't like the little flecks of brown almond skin. 

Even though these macaron's shells are only flavored with vanilla bean with a buttercream filling, I experimented with food coloring. I didn't intend for them to be a sea foam green. Next time I'll probably add more coloring. 

I also had a lot of assistance from Cannelle et Vanille and this tutorial. Also from my wonderful mother!

This little cutie didn't get much of an introduction this week.

This is Violet, Louie's sister. Though you wouldn't know it by looking at them because she's about ten pounds lighter than Louie. She doesn't live with us anymore, but was visiting while her family was out of town. I love her brother, but Violet is definitely a superior snuggler. 

Banana Pumpkin Bread

Man, I'm not used to so much social interaction. I have been wiped out the entire time I've been home!

Today I slept in and stayed in my pajamas well into the afternoon, and it was lovely. I did a few loads of laundry that I've been neglecting for some time now, ran some errands, then got some sushi with my parents. I must say, eating out has been an anxiety-inducing experience for me these days. Now that my gluten sensitivity is at it's peak, I always feel very nervous about everything I eat in restaurants. However, after working in restaurants and customer service for over five years, I really dislike it when people make a big fuss when eating out. 

Blergh.

After dinner we went over to my aunt and uncle's house, where my cousins are staying while they're in town. When it comes to playing and interacting with kids, I'm usually at a loss. Tonight, my little three-year-old cousin, Sarah, asked for an apple and my aunt said, "Well, I should cut that up for you, shouldn't I?" I would never think about that. I also have to make a conscious effort to not scratch their heads like I would with Casper or Louie. But, I think I did alright tonight. Managed to play a very short game of hide and seek, built a kick-ass lego house, and put together a Little Mermaid puzzle. 

The rest of the night was filled with lots of laughter, brought on by looking through old pictures. I should have grabbed some of the embarrassing ones of my brothers to show their future girlfriends. Eh, I'm sure my parents will do a thorough job of humiliating them.

Here's a recipe for all of those leftover cans of pumpkin in your pantry!

Banana Pumpkin Bread

original recipe

makes one loaf

1 cup sorghum flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/2 cup tapioca or potato starch

1 teaspoon xanthan gum 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 medium ripened banana, mashed

1 cup pumpkin purée

1/4 cup grapeseed oil

1 large egg

2 large egg whites

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices.

In a separate bowl, combine banana mash, pumpkin, grapeseed oil, eggs, sugars, and vanilla. Whisk or beat until smooth.

Fold wet ingredients into dry using a rubber spatula. Mix until just combined.

Pour into a greased loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes. 

Healthier than that pecan pie that's been tempting you!

Why can't the house smell like sage all year round?

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Anyone else super stuffed and super sleepy?

I'm just sitting in the living room of my parents house in Omaha, snuggling with the puppies and watching Food Network. And let me tell you, it is glorious.

I arrived at my parents house around 8:30 last night. Casper meowing for the entire duration of the trip added to my relief of finally being home. Each time I come back to Nebraska it feels less and less like home, and this trip is no exception. But, home is where my family is, and it's so great to be with them.

Other than some frustrations with my gluten-free pie crust and difficulty with the oil temperature for frying the turkey, everything was smooth sailing! We had an interesting but wonderful mix of family at our house, and plenty of helping hands in the kitchen. 

Just keepin' an eye on the turkey.

Someone's tired of waiting for dinner.

Gluten Free Buttermilk Biscuits with Sage and Gruyere 

adapted from Celiac Teen

1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, ice cold
1 1/4 cup buttermilk 

1/3 cup sharp cheese (cheddar, gruyere)

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until chunks are no bigger than pea-sized. Add dairy and fold until the dough just comes together. Fold in cheese and sage.

I chilled my dough for half an hour so it was easier to form the biscuits. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into squares and place on a parchment covered baking sheet or silpat.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

These were a hit with the family!

Cranberry Pear Crumble

inspired by Williams-Sonoma

makes one 9x13 pan

This was originally going to be a pie, but I experienced some difficulties with my crust. Good thing though, because I think this was destined to be a crumble! 

This is going to make an awesome breakfast tomorrow.

3 lbs ripe pears, peeled and sliced thinly

10 oz fresh cranberries

1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1 tablespoon cornstarch 

1/2 tablespoon lemon juice

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/4 cup millet flour

2 teaspoons brown rice flour

1 tablespoon white rice flour

1 tablespoon sorghum flour

1 tablespoon tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

7 tablespoons butter, cold

3/4 cup gluten-free rolled oats

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or more)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Toss pears and cranberries in brown sugar, sugar, spices, cornstarch, lemon juice, and vanilla. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish.

In a mixing bowl, combine flours, starch, sugar, nuts, and oats. Cut in butter using a pastry cutter or your hands. Once the chunks are no bigger than pea-sized, sprinkle over the pears and cranberries.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, or until bubbly and browned on top.

Thank you to my family who were here, who follow my blog, and to all of you! I love you all very much.

Coconut Macaroons

Back in Omaha! After an early and busy morning at work, then a long drive, I'm beat. No time to rest though, it's time for the 2011 Thanksgiving Extravaganza to begin! 

Can't wait to make this little guy some gluten-free dog treats this week!

Made these last night! So simple and delicious.

Coconut Macaroons

adapted from this adorable blog

1 cup of sugar, divided

1 tablespoon millet flour

1 tablespoon tapioca starch

3 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

6 large egg whites

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 oz melted chocolate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine flour, starch, and 1/3 cup sugar. Whisk and set aside.

Combine the remaining 2/3 cup sugar, coconut, and egg whites over a double boiler. Heat over simmering water, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens and holds form. Remove from heat.

Fold in the flour/sugar mix and vanilla.

Drop tablespoonfuls onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until macaroons are golden brown. Allow to cool completely before dipping in chocolate. 

The deepest of green.

The following poem is a part of an anthology I arranged for my literary study course.

The Beautiful Changes
by Richard Wilbur

One wading a Fall meadow finds on all sides
The Queen Anne's Lace lying like lilies
On water; it glides
So from the walker, it turns
Dry Grass to a lake, as the slightest shade of you
Valleys my mind in fabulous blue Lucernes.

The beautiful changes as a forest is changed
By a chameleon's tuning his skin to it;
As a mantis, arranged
On a green leaf, grows
Into it, makes the leaf leafier, and proves
Any greenness is deeper than anyone knows.

Your hands hold roses always in a way that says
They are not only yours; the beautiful changes
In such kind ways,
Wishing ever to sunder
Things and things' selves for a second finding, to lose
For a moment all that it touches back to wonder.



Fancy Grilled Cheese

Gluten-free sandwich bread, spread with fig butter, with a layer of white cheddar gruyere and fresh goat cheese, and a light sprinkling of chopped sage.

Not bad for a Monday.

Fools.

Oh hey, winter.

Considering how often people discuss time and how it's constantly slipping through our fingers, you'd think we would eventually come to terms with its pace. Yet, each time I look at the calendar I always catch myself thinking "Seriously? It feels like I just moved here last week." But this isn't an original topic. Everyone gets freaked out by time. It's hard not to when you catch yourself dating a paper "9/12/2011" when it's actually November. Even worse, writing the wrong year. 

If I close my eyes I can remember all of the details of my high school graduation. I wore an outfit that caused an ongoing argument with my mother, with heels that were all wrong for the season. I remember the drink I got from Starbucks on my way downtown, then regretting ordering a grande as I squirmed in my folding chair. I had my iPod in my pocket under my gown, with the earbuds covered by my hair so it wasn't detectable (there were 800 names to be called, cut me some slack). I titled the playlist "I'm graduating, fools." The two guys I was sandwiched between were high as kites and flicked my tassel and proceeded to giggle several times throughout the ceremony. I remember squinting in the sun while posing for pictures outside and hugging people just because we had a class together in 7th grade. 

That was a year and a half ago. Since then I've altered the course of my life entirely. 

I'm not sure where I'll be in another year and a half, but I do know that I have a cardamom cranberry loaf in the oven and another paper to write. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and I hope that you're lucky enough to spend it with family and loved ones. 

Snow, Studying, Starbucks, and Sandwich Bread

All of the rooftops outside of my windows are covered in a 3-inch blanket of fluffy snow. I knew it was coming. But, that doesn't make it any easier once it does.

I'm going to need to toughen up, because this is only the beginning.

I spent the day with my best friend from Omaha, Hillary. Even though we're entirely different people from when we met in 6th grade, I love getting to see her. It doesn't seem like it's been that long since we were driving in my car for the first time, going to the Cheesecake Factory for our 16th birthday dinner. She's known me throughout all of my horrible nicknames, unfortunate outfits (let's not forget the peacoat incident of 2007), and my ever-changing hobbies and interests. Despite it all, she's stuck around.

We spent the day over here in Saint Paul doing homework (alright, I was browsing through recipes for a good deal of it). When it comes to school she is by far the hardest working student I've ever known and I have a lot of respect for her. But it also makes me feel relieved that I'm not majoring in anything science related!

The falling sleet and snow has made the sidewalks and streets pretty icy, which made driving and walking anywhere relatively treacherous. If this is a preview of what driving in the Twin Cities in the winter is like, I may need to invest in a bus pass.

Gluten-Free Vegan Sandwich Bread
recipe by Ali at the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen
makes one loaf

2 cups warm water (110 degrees F)
2 teaspoons sugar
2 packets active dry yeast (4 1/2 teaspoons)
1/3 cup honey, agave nectar, or maple syrup
1/3 cup grapeseed oil
1 cup millet flour
1 1/2 cups sorghum flour
1/2 cup sweet white rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch
2 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 teaspoons kosher salt

In a small bowl, combine water, sugar, and yeast. Whisk together well. Let stand for 10 minutes to allow the yeast to proof.

In a large bowl combine flours, starches, xanthan gum, and salt. Gradually pour the yeast mixture into the dry ingredients. Whish well to keep lumps from forming. Mix for a minute or so until the batter thickens.

Pour batter into a greased loaf pan and spread until even. Place the pan in a warm space for forty minutes to an hour to allow the dough to rise. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Once the dough has doubled in size, place in the oven for 50-55 minutes. After removing from the oven, allow to cool for 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

So perfect toasted with a layer of the jam Lilly gave me last summer!

Vive la France!

Right when I feel like I'm off my game, it comes back around.

Voila! Une tarte aux pommes.

This better get me an A+ in french.

Tarte aux Pommes
adapted from the one and only Julia Child
Makes one 10-inch tart

Crust from Gluten Free Canteen

125 grams brown rice flour
75 grams gluten-free oat flour
50 grams white rice flour
50 grams tapioca starch
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
114 grams ice cold unsalted butter
86 grams ice cold shortening
100 grams of ice water, more or less

Due to the fact that I have a wimpy food processor, I make my pie crusts the old fashioned way.

Whisk together flours, starch, sugar, and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry cutter. Once the mix looks like little peas, gradually add water a couple tablespoons at a time. It's best to mix the dough with your hands. Once it holds form and isn't too crumbly, pat into a disk and chill for half an hour or so.

Preheat the oven to 350 while the dough chills.

Roll out the dough until it's roughly an 1/8 of an inch. Press into a 10-inch tart pan and prick the bottom crust with a fork. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Filling

4 pounds of baking apples (I used gala)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup brandy, rum, or cognac (1 teaspoon vanilla extract if you're a twenty-year-old)
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 teaspoons lemon zest

apricot glaze (see below)

Peel and core the apples. Slice into 1/8 inch thickness. Toss three cups worth with lemon juice and sugar in a bowl and set aside.

Place the rest of the apples in a large sauce pan. Cover and cook over low heat for about 20 minutes. Add apricot preserves, alcohol (or vanilla), sugar, butter, and cinnamon. Mash together until it has an applesauce-like texture. Bring to a mild boil and remove from heat.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Pour the applesauce mixture into the half baked tart shell. Arrange the sliced apples over the surface. Bake for half an hour, or until apples edge are golden brown.

Apricot Glaze

1/2 cup apricot preserves
2 tablespoons sugar

Combine sugar and preserves in a small sauce pan. Simmer for five minutes until heated through. Brush over tart when its fresh from the oven.

Hate to toot my own horn, but je suis la merde.

The contents of my cupboard, in a pot.

Look at this sad, sad bowl of soup. If anything says "Hey, I'm a college student," it's this.

Even a mountain of cheese couldn't disguise its pitifulness.

I could easily make this entire post one big whine session about sleepiness, too many papers, and the dropping temperature. But that would be silly. I have an awesome new job that is worth the early hours, a challenging but interesting major, and plenty of sweaters. So I'm going to put a sock in it.

However, this awesomeness was not enough to motivate me to put on pants without a drawstring and walk over to Kowalski's. Yikes, this soup isn't the only sad thing about my night. 

I'll call this I've Put Off Grocery Shopping For One Day Too Many Soup. It consists of: 1 14oz can of crushed tomatoes, half an onion, one clove of garlic, one stalk of celery, vegetable stock, gluten-free pasta, fresh spinach, and fresh thyme. Oh, and a generous amount of parmesan cheese (which was really the only thing I could taste).

Tomorrow I'll get my act together and put on pants that aren't lined with fleece. I'll be making a tarte aux pommes for french class! 

Glazed Gingerbread Scones

On Tuesdays and Thursdays I sit in on a cinema class as a notetaker. It's a pretty good deal, seeing that I get paid to watch movies. Today we watched an Akira Kurosawa film, which was interesting, but I struggled to keep up because I had two classes before and was feelin' a little drowsy.

I experience a strange phenomenon during movies. Only under certain circumstances, though. It typically occurs when I'm in a theatre-like setting. From time to time, I experience a moment of pure clarity. It's as if I'm transported out of my body and suddenly I see everything and how it all connects. I think it has to do with the act of sitting down and doing nothing but watching the screen. This makes particular sense because of how over-stimulated we are these days (is your blackberry/iPhone/smartphone next to you right this moment?). I believe that when my mind is taken away from it's constant analyses, it finally takes a deep breath. The consequence of this is that I frequently blank out on good-sized chunks of movies, but I can deal with that.

Today during the screening I came to a realization that I'd been both consciously and subconsciously fighting off for the past few months. It's been building deep inside me for some time now... it was bound to come to the surface eventually. As hard as it is to come to terms with, I hope that it sticks with me for my own sake.

Enough of this psychological babble. I made scones! Again!

Glazed Gingerbread Scones
inspired by this recipe
makes 10-12 little scones

1 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup milk
1/3 cup molasses
5 tablespoons butter, ice cold

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices in a large mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat together brown sugar and egg. Add milk and molasses. Combine until smooth and uniform in color. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

Cut butter into dry ingredients using a pastry blender. Once chunks are no bigger than pea-sized, fold in wet ingredients. Fold until dough just comes together. Chill for about 15 minutes.

On surface dusted with millet flour, pat dough into a disk a little more than half an inch thick. Cut dough into desired scone shapes (I did circles using the lip of a jar). Place on a parchment covered baking sheets and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

This, and family, is what makes the holidays awesome. I could do without the cold.

[Insert profound quote about failure here]

I've read more tutorials on how to make macarons than any other confectionary. Everyone has something different to say. Age you eggs whites for two days... don't age them at all but microwave them for twenty seconds. Dry your almond meal out for a week. Let the macarons form a shell before baking. On, and on, and on...

Then you get in to all the technicalities of what makes a "good" macaron. Jeesh. 

I'll admit I was a little intimidated when I decided to take on this finicky treat, but it's hard to resist the challenge. The fact that macarons are naturally gluten-free is an added bonus! 

I had kind of prepared myself for failure with this first batch. Not only because it was my first try, but also because I made a few missteps in the process; I only aged my egg whites for about twelve hours, my sifter kept getting clogged with almond meal, and I'm not experienced in making meringue. 

Didn't leave enough space between the shells when I piped the first batch and the surfaces cracked and fell as soon as I took them out of the oven.

Sigh.

Second batch wasn't as tragic, but the shells fell and crackled in the oven and the feet spread out too far. 

I'm all about learning from my mistakes, but I just realized that 

I wasted half of a fresh vanilla bean. Bummer.

I don't feel too defeated, I assumed that my first run wouldn't be a success. Even though I feel as if I've read every macaron blogpost out there, if anyone has one they swear by I would be more than appreciative if you pass it on! 

Spinach Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese!

So many papers to write, so little time!



Spinach Artichoke Macaroni and Cheese
adapted from this recipe
serves 6-8

1 pound gluten-free pasta (I used Tinkyada shells)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 tablespoons brown rice flour
1 tablespoon potato starch
1/2 cup white wine (if you're not a minor like I am)
2 cups milk
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup quartered artichoke hearts, canned or jarred
1 1/2 cups fresh spinach, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 cups cheese blend (I used Trader Joe's Quatro Formaggio)
1/4 cup bread crumbs (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Cook pasta to package instructions until al dente. Be aware of when you cook your pasta, since gluten-free can become gummy. I started mine once my onions and garlic was cooked through.

Add olive oil to a large pan over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Sauté until very soft, approximately ten minutes or so. Stir in flours and cook for 2-3 minutes. Whisk in milk. Once bubbling, add nutmeg, spinach, and artichokes. Allow to simmer until spinach is bright green, about five minutes. Stir in cheese and cook until just melted. Add sauce and pasta to a baking dish. Season to taste. Sprinkle with cheese and bread crumbs if desired.

Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese has browned on top.

Bound to please all of your friends and family!

Cardamom Cranberry Tea Bread

Seems like fall is attempting to fight winter's cold, and fall is winning today. Casper and I are hanging out in the kitchen with the windows open; I'm doing some reading for my ethics course and he's chasing my iPod plug-in around the floor. I feel like Minnesota is toying with me a bit, trying to act as if I'm not about to get an icy cold slap in the face within a week or so.

No one likes a tease, Minnesota. 

The day has been filled with typical weekend activities: sleeping in, grocery shopping, cleaning, baking. My cashier at Trader Joe's told me she once had a dog named "Galena." Wasn't sure how to feel about that one.

I currently have a tea bread loaf in the oven, and I'm anxious to see how it turns out. I'm trying out a previous failed recipe that I posted a couple weeks ago. I'm determined to make it work! Especially now that I can measure my flours, thanks to the awesome food scale my family gave me for my birthday! 

Cranberry Cardamom Tea Loaf

Makes one loaf

adapted from kumquat

Success!

I love quick breads. They make breakfast awesome.

5 ounces of this AP flour mix

4 ounces gluten-free oat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup nonfat plain yogurt

2 large eggs

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, cardamom, and salt.

In a separate bowl combine butter, brown sugar, eggs, yogurt, and vanilla. 

Fold wet ingredients into dry. Don't over mix. Fold cranberries and ginger in.

Pour batter into a greased 8-inch loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick comes out of the center clean.

Perfect for the holidays!

Autumn Rice Pudding

I sincerely apologize if posts have been a little weak the past few days. I've been pretty drained.

But, the weekend is upon us and I only have to work tomorrow morning, which will allow me to catch up on some much needed snoozing!

After waking up to little snow flurries this morning, I decided today would be a day of comfort food. When I got home from classes I made a big pot of pumpkin chili and whipped up a new rice pudding recipe for dessert. 

I kind of wish this poetry paper would write itself so I can curl up under a blanket with some tea and watch a period film, because this dreary weather is only acceptable when it occurs in the moors of the english countryside. 

Autumn Rice Pudding

Serves 3-4

1 cup dry short grain brown rice

1/2 tablespoon coconut oil (or your own preference)

1/2 cup apples, chopped into bite-size chunks

1/2 cup pecan pieces

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 cup milk

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/3 cup sugar

Cook rice to package instructions. 

Add oil to a small pot and place over medium/low heat. Add apples, pecans, and spices. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until pecans are fragrant. 

Whisk together milk and cornstarch. 

Combine rice and milk mixture. Fold in apples and pecans. 

Easy as that!

I'll also take this weekend to produce some quality photos... yikes.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

I feel like I'm in a bit of a food rut. 

I can't promise that I'll stop trying new scone recipes, but I think over the next couple weeks I'm going to push the pastry recipes to the back of my mental recipe box and try to branch out. 

Now that I'm happily employed, things are going to get pretty busy up here in St. Paul. So, tonight I attempted to be a little proactive and make something that I can eat on the go. 

But, apparently my gluten-free cereal bars were not meant to be. The ingredients were promising: gluten-free cereal, flax seed, unsweetened coconut, almond meal, gluten-free oats, dried cherries, pecans. However, I miscalculated the dry ingredients to wet ingredients ratio. 

I never was good at math. 

This is still delicious though! I'm taking it as a sign that I'm just not meant to live a fast-paced life. To show my acceptance of this, I'm going to put this aside for breakfast to sprinkle over yogurt and spend the rest of my evening brainstorming new recipe ideas.

I'll call it "I'm Not A Granola, Not Yet A Cereal Bar" 

Raspberry Pecan Scones

Today felt very long. Blergh.

But my spirits are high because tomorrow I start my new job! I'm not going to reveal where yet because I'm afraid of jinxing it, but I'm really excited. Waiting for the right opportunity to come along definitely paid off!

Have to get cracking on my homework because my day starts at 6:00 am tomorrow. But first I'm going to treat myself to one of these scones and the latest episode of How I Met Your Mother.

Hope you all have a lovely evening!

Raspberry Pecan Scones 
Original recipe!
Makes approximately 10 scones

3/4 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup maple syrup
2/3 cup milk
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 cup butter, ice cold
1 cup fresh raspberries, quartered
3/4 cup raw pecans, chopped


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.


In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. 


In a separate bowl combine maple syrup, milk, egg, vanilla, and zest. Set in the fridge until ready to incorporate with dry ingredients

Cut in nearly frozen butter into the dry ingredients using a pastry blender. Once chunks are no bigger than pea-sized fold in wet ingredients. Once everything is just combined, gently fold in raspberries and pecans.

Spread dough onto a baking sheet covered in parchment paper or a silpat. I formed mine into a rectangle, chilled it for 15 minutes in the freezer, then cut the dough into triangles and arranged then an inch apart from each other.

Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges.

This isn't a good photo, but the scone reminded me of an alligator's head.

Casper's favorite part of birthdays = wrapping paper

Birthday Smörgåsbord!

One year from today I'll finally be able to cook with wine!

Until then, I get to enjoy being a twenty-year-old.

I had such an awesome weekend! My mom came up from Omaha on Saturday afternoon and stayed until this morning. I had a great birthday last year with friends up in New York, but it felt so nice to spend this one with my mom. Call me a cornball, but that was the best present! I only wish that I could have been with the rest of my family. I'll be seeing them in less than three weeks though!

A majority of our day yesterday was spent in my kitchen. Otis the oven had his work cut out for him with gluten-free biscuits for breakfast, cheesecake, and butternut squash lasagna. Lemon cranberry muffins, too!

One of yesterday's comical events was my mom discovering that I've unknowingly used french vanilla half and half in my recipes for some time now. Organic Valley, you need to work on how you label your dairy. French vanilla half and half should not go in cream of mushroom soup, or in the millet biscuits posted below.

Gluten-Free Biscuits
adapted from the inspirational Celiac Teen
Makes 10 biscuits

1 cup millet flour
1 cup tapioca starch
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 teaspoons xanthan gum
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, ice cold
1 1/4 cup buttermilk (I used half and half)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together all dry ingredients. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until chunks are no bigger than pea-sized. Add dairy and fold until the dough just comes together.

I chilled my dough for half an hour so it was easier to form the biscuits. Form dough into a 1-inch-thick rectangle. Cut into squares and place on a parchment covered baking sheet or silpat.

Bake for 10-15 minutes.

Check out that crumbly goodness.

Last night Hillary, one of my oldest friends from Omaha, came over and I cooked a little birthday dinner for all of us. Her birthday is two days before mine, which resulted in some pretty awesome parties when we were growing up. Last night didn't involve a hayrack ride, or a limo full of all our friends, but it felt great to spend another birthday with her up here in Minnesota. We stuck to tradition by having cheesecake for dessert!

Cheesecake with an Oat Almond Crust
inspired by this recipe
Makes one 9 inch cheesecake

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food pro
1 cup blanched almond, coarsely ground
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted

2 8oz packages cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/3 cup half and half
1 tablespoon brown rice flour
1/2 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Process oats and almonds until they're coarse in texture. Combine with 1/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup butter. If the mixture seems too dry, add more butter.

Press crust mix into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Press a little over an inch up the sides of the pan as well. Bake for 5-10 minutes.

Using a stand mixer, cream sugar and cream cheese until smooth (about 1 minute). Add one egg at a time, allowing each egg to fully incorporate into the mixture before adding the next. Add flour, half and half, lemon zest, and vanilla. Beat for 1 minute.

Prepare a water bath for the oven (fill a oven-safe pan or dish with steaming hot water. This prevents cracks in the cheesecake).

Pour cream cheese mixture into the prepared crust. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45-50 minutes. Once done the cheesecake should be firm on the sides but have a slight jiggle in the center. Remove from oven and allow to cool for half an hour.

Lower the oven temp to 250 degrees F.

In a medium bowl mix together sour cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Spread over the top of the warm cheesecake. Bake for 15 minutes at 250. Remove and allow the cheesecake to sit for at least 4 hours at room temp, then chill for 4-12 hours.

I always associate cheesecake with my birthday, and this one was heavenly.

Thanks to my wonderful family, I am now a proud owner of a food scale and an amazing set of knives! Things are about to get real legit in the kitchen.

I'm also as prepared as I can be for the upcoming winter thanks to a new coat, warm sweaters, and a snow shovel (thanks, Dad!).

Bring it, Minnesota.

Lemon Cranberry Muffins
specially adapted for my mom from this recipe
Makes 12 muffins

1/2 cup millet flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, starch, xanthan gum, and baking powder.

In a separate bowl combine sugar and yogurt until smooth. Add eggs and whisk together. Add oil, lemon zest, and vanilla.

Fold wet ingredients into the dry. Batter will be wet. Fold in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared muffin tins (with muffin liners, parchment paper, or greased cups). Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffins are golden-brown on top.

Thanks to everyone for all the birthday wishes! You're all wonderful!

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go be a twenty-year-old.

Pumpkin Spice Cookies

The other day a guy in my english class asked me if I make much stuff with pumpkin in it. I said "Well, I made pumpkin risotto for my friends last weekend... and I made some pumpkin scones a while back." When I came home that day I checked my recipe page.

As of today, I've made 12 recipes involving pumpkin. Who knew?

My mom got here today! She's spending the weekend up here with me for my birthday. We had a little afternoon tea with maple oat scones, then headed over to Edina for a some shopping. It's difficult for me to pass up on a chance to add to my collection of cardigans. Afterwards we had a delicious dinner at the French Meadow Café in uptown Minneapolis. I tried tempeh for the first time and my mom ordered pork tenderloin with brussel sprouts and sour cherries.

We ended our lovely evening with a movie. We saw Like Crazy, and I'm not going to lie, it was a bit of a bummer for me. After getting lost on our way back to my apartment, I'm pretty worn out and ready for bed.

Tomorrow I'll be making dinner for my mom, Hillary, and I. Check in to see the menu!

Pumpkin Spice Cookies
adapted from this recipe
makes roughly one dozen

1 cup sorghum flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin purée
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, spice, and salt.

In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add pumpkin, egg, and vanilla and mix until smooth.

Add wet ingredients to dry and fold until the dough just comes together. Dough will be wet and sticky. Chill for half an hour in the fridge before forming cookies. With wet hands, form dough into little disks, about two inches across and half an inch thick. Place on a parchment covered baking sheet two inches apart. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until cookies are lightly browned around the edges.

These cookies are pretty cakey. My mom arrived before I was able to make an icing for them. Any suggestions?

It's tough to see, but these guys are perched on the adorable plate that one of my best friends sent me for my birthday. Thanks, Lilly!

Maple Nut Oat Scones

In case anyone hasn't noticed, I've developed a thing for scones.

When I have a rough day I get through it by remembering days like today. As soon as I pull the strings of my apron tight feelings of calmness and relief wash over me. Tonight I danced around my kitchen with a mixing bowl in one hand and a whisk in another, listening to Florence's latest album. Flo really stepped it up this time around! My macbook speakers can hardly handle her vocal prowess.

Now it's time to iron my Power Slacks because I have myself an interview in the morning!

Maple Oat Nut Scones
adapted from kumquat
makes 8 scones

Yes, I've made a lot of scones in the past couple months. I can't help it! I love what they've got going on. I'm tempted to say that this is the best scone recipe I've made, with it's nuttiness and subtle hint of maple. All the scone recipes on this blog are winners, but these ones are mighty tasty.

I converted the recipe from grams, so the measurements are a little funky.

4 teaspoons ground flax meal
4 teaspoons hot water
1 heaping cup gluten-free rolled oats, coarsely ground in a food pro or blender
3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/3 cup sorghum flour
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1 teaspoon xanthan gum (this may not be necessary)
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons ice cold butter
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup half and half
3 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small bowl mix together hot water and flax. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl combine flours, starch, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Whisk until uniform in color.

In a smaller mixing bowl whisk together eggs and brown sugar until smooth. Add half and half, maple syrup, and vanilla. Whisk until combined and place in the fridge until ready to incorporate into the flours.

Add the butter to the dry ingredients by cutting it in with a pastry blender or your hands. Make sure no butter chunks are bigger than pea-sized.

Pour wet ingredients and flax into the dry ingredients. Fold in nuts. Mix until it just comes together. On a parchment lined baking sheet, form the dough into an 8 inch round by wetting your hands, or lightly dusting the dough with flour. Chill for half an hour (or 10 minutes in the freezer if you're impatient like I am).

Cut the round into 8 wedges. Separate on the baking sheet so they are an inch or two apart. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden. Allow to cool then drizzle with glaze (optional).

Maple Glaze

1 cup confectioners sugar
2 tablespoons milk (more or less)
1 tablespoon maple syrup

Combine all ingredients and mix until you reach a desired consistency (not too runny, not too thick).