Mississippi Mud Cookies

You know, Ireland's got plenty of mud too... and, incidentally, oats. But somehow these close cousins of the English "flapjack" still have a nostalgic taste of our original home. DH gets a hankering for these every once in a while-- usually late at night when we have nothing sweet in the house and neither of us wants to undertake a lengthy baking project. They were more a part of his childhood than mine, but I am not one to argue when any recipe begins with chocolate. After some hunting around online I found a recipe that does not rely on peanut butter, because my dear daughter is allergic. That said, once the cookies were cooled and ready to eat I mashed a walnut half into the top of mine and it was delightful.

I reduced the white sugar from 2 cups in the original recipe to 1 1/2 cups but it still tasted like slightly too much. Next time I will cut it to 1 cup and perhaps use dark brown sugar instead of white. Also one COULD replace the butter with coconut oil. That is something to try next time around as well, though there is absolutely nothing wrong with the butter version!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup milk

3 cups rolled oats

6 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flaked coconut

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Bring sugar, milk and butter to boil. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat.
2. Stir in cocoa and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients to coat well.
3. Drop onto waxed paper by the tablespoonfuls. Cool and enjoy!

Apple Crumble

It's apple season, and for the first time ever I live somewhere where it seems every friend and neighbor is burdened with an overabundance of apples from the trees that grow on their land. We have been generously gifted with baskets and baskets of apples. When I ask what variety they are, even from our familiar farmer at the farmer's market, I get a puzzled look and the response, "I don't know, regular old Irish cooking apples." But one Irish cooking apple will taste more tart than the next, and they aren't all bad for eating either. Most are green and speckled with the kind of imperfections unknown to the American supermarket. But I have come to love these homely, nameless apples. And while I've made a few American apple pies out of them already and have gotten that craving under control for now, it seemed a good time to combine these local flavors with the other staple of Irish cookery, the oat.

Ingredients:

1 c. brown sugar (I used maple sugar, a Trader Joe's import)
1 c. rolled oats
1 c. flour (I used spelt flour for a heartier taste)
1/2 c. butter, melted
3 c. apples, peeled, cored and chopped
1/2 c. white sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan.
2. In a large bowl, combine brown sugar, oats, flour and butter. Mix until crumbly. Place half of crumb mixture in pan. Spread the apples evenly over crumb mixture. Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and top with remaining crumb mixture.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes, or until golden brown.

Vegan Chocolate Cake

Earlier this year I was in a low-residency teacher training course where a group of us would drive form all corners of this isle and converge on a farm/intentional community for the weekend and have a bunch of intensive talks/workshops. I loved this group of people and miss them dearly now that the course has concluded. Part of my warm memories from these course weekends are the foods that people brought to share. My friend Liz soon become known for this vegan chocolate cake she brought each time. "Vegan" might imply that it is healthy, but it really it is still full of sugar and chocolate, just minus the eggs. It is kind of decadent in a way that sneaks up on you. After the second or third slice, one realizes the light, airy vegan cake is actually quite an indulgence but by then the sugar is doing its magical work. Also it is incredibly quick and easy to make, so a late night sugar jones can be quelled within a half an hour.

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups plain flour
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup warm water
1 teaspoon salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence 

Mix all together electric mixer great to get rid of all the lumps. Bake at 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes (approximately).  Check with a knife. If mixture is still wet leave in the oven a few more minutes.

Punkin Muffins

 My last trip to the States in April I came within one kilo of overweight charges on my baggage returning to Ireland due, in part, to the stockpile of canned pumpkin I was carrying. Even still, the supply is limited, so I wouldn't go making pumpkin pie/pancakes/muffins every day. Pressed to come up with a special occasion to crack open one of the coveted cans, I will say it is Sid Vicious' birthday. Happy Birthday, Sid.

 1 cup (240 ml) canned pumpkin puree
 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup (120 ml) plain yogurt
1/2 cup (120 ml) sunflower oil
1 1/2 cups spelt flour
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C). Place rack in the middle of the oven. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners. In a medium sized bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, eggs, yogurt, and oil. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, bran, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Add the milk and egg mixture to the flour mixture. Stir until just combined. Fold in the raisins. Do not over mix the batter or the muffins will be tough when baked. Fill the muffin cups with the batter using two spoons or an ice cream scoop. Place in the oven and bake for about 18 - 20 minutes , or until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. Makes 12 regular-sized muffins.

Banana Bread

1 cup (115 grams) walnuts or pecans, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated white sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

3 ripe large bananas (approximately 1 pound or 454 grams), mashed well (about 1-1/2 cups)

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place oven rack to middle position. Butter and flour (or spray with a non stick vegetable/flour spray) the bottom and sides of a 9 x 5 x 3 inch (23 x 13 x 8 cm) loaf pan. Set aside.

Place the nuts on a baking sheet and bake for about 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly toasted. Let cool and then chop coarsely.

In a large bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nuts. Set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl combine the mashed bananas, eggs, melted butter, and vanilla. With a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, lightly fold the wet ingredients (banana mixture) into the dry ingredients just until combined and the batter is thick and chunky. (The important thing is not to over mix the batter. You do not want it smooth. Over mixing the batter will yield tough, rubbery bread.) Scrape batter into prepared pan. Bake until bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 55 to 60 minutes. Place on a wire rack to cool and then remove the bread from the pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. This bread can be frozen.

Makes 1 - 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf.

Gingerbread Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp (freshly) ground nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking soda, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper, if using.
In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses, water and vanilla, then gradually add in flour mixture until a smooth dough forms. Divide dough into two or three pieces (dough will be quite soft), cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, until firm.
Preheat oven to 375F.

For softer cookies:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to just under 1/4 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters of your choice (2-3″ gingerbread men are ideal!) to cut dough. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie cutter. Cookies should be slightly firm to the touch at the edges. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For crispier cookies:
On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to just under 1/8 inch thickness. Use cookie cutters of your choice (2-3″ gingerbread men are ideal!) to cut dough. Place cookies on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 9-12 minutes, depending on size of cookie cutter. Cookies should be slightly firm to the touch at the edges and will be lightly browned. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
When cool, decorate with lemon icing (recipe below).
Makes about 30-40 gingerbread men, depending on size of cookie cutters used and whether you make them thick or thin.

Lemon Icing
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
2-3 tbsp tsp lemon juice

In a small bowl combine powdered sugar and lemon juice. Substitute milk or cream plus 1 tsp lemon extract, if no fresh lemon juice is available. Add enough lemon juice to make the icing thick and pourable, but not runny (start with 1-2 tbsp and add more if necessary. You can always add a bit of extra sugar to thicken it if you add too much) and stir until very smooth. Scrape into piping bag with a fine tip or a ziploc bag with a corner cut off and pipe onto cooled cookies. Allow to set for at least 30 minutes, until firm, before storing cookies in an airtight container.

Carrot Muffins

2 cups (270 grams) grated raw carrot (about 2-3 peeled carrots)
1 large apple, peeled and grated
2 cups (260 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon (3.5 grams) salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup coconut (sweetened or unsweetened) (optional)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup (180 ml) sunflower oil
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Place paper liners in 12 muffin cups.

Peel and finely grate the carrots and apple. Set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Stir in the coconut if using. Set aside.

In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Fold the wet ingredients, along with the grated carrot and apple, into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. Evenly divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups and bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool on a wire rack. After about 10 minutes remove the muffins from the pans and cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

Makes 12 standard-sized muffins.

Cornbread Muffins

1 c flour
1 1/2 c yellow cornmeal
2 T sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I used 1 1/4 c of milk soured with 3 T vinegar)
1 large egg
2 T melted butter, cooled

Grease or line a 12-cup muffin pan. heat oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, and butter. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 13-15 minutes. until muffins begin to brown on top.


Makes 12 cornbread muffins

Apple Pie

Entering month 9 of living in Ireland there are two tastes of home I miss on an almost daily basis: corn (mostly in the form of an authentic corn tortilla), and apple pie. The apple pie I've tried here doesn't compare in the least so I just avoid it. But unlike the tortilla problem, I can get all the ingredients I need to make my own apple pie right here. And Rose Levy B is the source, so while this is considerably laborious, it is worth it. Having made this as my first apple pie attempt I feel my confidence bolstered. More pies to come! Oh yes, pumpkin would be next on the list. Though no canned pumpkin in Ireland, either. I'll have to wait until a few show up in the farmer's market next autumn. Until then, Ireland makes some fine butter (a baker's dream) and grows some tasty Bramley apples as well. So here, it is. Pie to make an expat swoon.

Pie Crust:

2 1/2 cups (350 grams) all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon (30 grams) granulated white sugar
1 cup (226 grams) unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1 inch (2.5 cm) pieces
1/4 to 1/2 cup (60 - 120 ml) ice water

Apple Filling:

2 1/2 pounds (1.1 kg) apples (about 6 large), peeled, cored, and sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 8 cups (2 L))
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons (28 grams) unsalted butter
1 1/2 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

Pie Crust: In a large bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and sugar. Add the butter and work through it with a pastry cutter until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

Working the dough with your hands, add 1/4 cup (60 ml) water until the dough just holds together. If necessary, add more water.

Turn the dough onto your work surface and gather into a ball. Divide the dough in half, flattening each half into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for about one hour before using. This will chill the butter and relax the gluten in the flour.

After the dough has chilled sufficiently, remove one portion of the dough from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll the pastry into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. (To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll (always roll from the center of the pastry outwards).) Fold the dough in half and gently transfer to a 9 inch (23 cm) pie pan. Brush off any excess flour and trim the edges of the pastry to fit the pie pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator.

Then remove the second round of pastry and roll it into a 12 inch (30 cm) circle. Transfer to a parchment lined baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and place in the refrigerator.

Make the Apple Filling: In a large bowl combine the sliced apples with the sugars, lemon juice, ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or up to three hours. Then, place the apples and their juices in a strainer that is placed over a large bowl (to capture the juices). Let the apples drain for about 15-30 minutes or until you have about 1/2 cup (120 ml) of juice. Spray a 4 cup (960 ml) heatproof measuring cup with a nonstick vegetable spray, and then pour in the collected juices and the 2 tablespoons (28 grams) of unsalted butter. Place in the microwave and boil the liquid, on high, about 5 to 7 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to about 1/3 cup (80 ml) and is syrupy and lightly caramelized. (Alternatively, you could place the juices and butter in a small saucepan and boil over medium high heat on the stove.)

Meanwhile, remove the top pastry crust from the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 10 minutes so it has time to soften. Transfer the drained apples slices to a large bowl and mix them with the cornstarch (corn flour). Then pour the reduced syrup over the apples and toss to combine. Pour the apples and their syrup into the chilled pie crust. Moisten the edges of the pie shell with a little water and then place the top crust over the apples. Tuck any excess pastry under the bottom crust and then crimp the edges using your fingers or a fork. Using a sharp knife, make five- 2-inch (5 cm) slits from the center of the pie out towards the edge of the pie to allow the steam to escape. Cover the pie with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill the pastry while you preheat the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Place the oven rack at the lowest level and place a baking stone or baking sheet on the rack before preheating the oven. Place a piece of aluminum foil on the stone (or pan) to catch any apple juices. Set the pie on the stone or pan and bake for about 45 to 55 minutes or until the juices start to bubble through the slits and the apples feel tender (not mushy) when a toothpick or sharp knife is inserted through one of the slits. Make sure to cover the edges of the pie with a foil ring to prevent over browning after about 30 minutes. Remove the pie from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 3-4 hours before cutting. Serve warm or at room temperature with vanilla ice cream or softly whipped cream. Store at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.

Makes one 9 inch (23 cm) pie.

Vivi's birthday cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

2/3 cup (130 grams) granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Zest of 1 large lemon (outer yellow skin)

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (60 ml) milk

Buttercream Frosting

2 cups (230 grams) confectioners sugar (icing or powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk or light cream


Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract and lemon zest.

In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Evenly fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 17 - 20 minutes or just until set and a toothpick inserted into a cupcake comes out clean. (Do not over bake or the cupcakes will be dry.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once the cupcakes have completely cooled, frost with icing. If you want flat topped cupcakes then slice off the dome of each cupcake, with a sharp knife, before frosting. If you want to pipe the frosting, I like to use a large Wilton 1M star decorating tip. Cupcakes are best eaten the same day they are made, but they can be covered and stored for a few days.

Buttercream Frosting: In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, (I did it by hand with no bother) cream the butter until smooth and well blended. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color (I use the paste food coloring that is available at cake decorating stores and party stores). (I used less sugar and less milk than suggested here.)

Makes about 12 cupcakes

Fluffy Pancakes

Original Recipe Yield 8 pancakes

Ingredients

* 3/4 cup milk
* 2 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 cup wholegrain spelt or white spelt flour
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 egg
* 2 tablespoons sunflower oil

Directions

1. Combine milk with vinegar in a medium bowl and set aside for 5 minutes to "sour".
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk egg and butter into "soured" milk. Pour the flour mixture into the wet ingredients and whisk until lumps are gone.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and coat with cooking spray. Pour 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto the skillet, and cook until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip with a spatula, and cook until browned on the other side.

Carrot Cake

I made this as a 2-layer birthday cake, and while I didn't feel as though it was the paragon of carrot cakes, it was pretty good and small enough to serve 3 people who went back for so many seconds that it was gone within a day.

Ingredients

* Unsalted butter, for the pan
* 12 ounces, approximately 2 1/2 cups, all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan
* 12 ounces grated carrots, medium grate, approximately 6 medium
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 3/4 c sugar
* 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
* 3 large eggs
* 6 ounces plain yogurt
* 6 ounces sunflower oil
* Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Butter 2 small, round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper. Set aside.

Put the carrots into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt in a large bowl. Add this mixture to the carrots and toss until they are well-coated with the flour.

In another bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and yogurt.

While stirring, drizzle in the vegetable oil. Pour this mixture into the carrot mixture and stir until just combined. Pour into the prepared cake pans and bake on the middle rack of the oven for 45 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees F and bake for another 20 minutes or until the cake reaches 205 to 210 degrees F in the center.

Remove the pan from the oven and allow cake to cool 15 minutes in the pan. After 15 minutes, turn the cake out onto a rack and allow cake to cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting after cake has cooled completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting:

2 8 ounce packages cream cheese

4 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup powdered sugar, sifted

In the bowl of a stand mixer with paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese and butter on medium just until blended. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. With the speed on low, add the powdered sugar in 4 batches and beat until smooth between each addition.

Place the frosting in the refrigerator for 5 to 10 minutes before using.

Zucchini Bread 2.0 (with Chocolate Chips!)

Adapted form a Paula Deen recipe that, amazingly, contains no butter. Not that I have anything against butter, but keeping it dairyfree is sometimes desirable for our eating parameters. I did not do the whipped cream topping, but sounds lovely topped with the zucchini ribbons.

Ingredients

* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 3 eggs
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 cup sunflower oil
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups grated zucchini
* 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
((* 1 tablespoon orange zest
* Whipped cream, for serving
* Zucchini ribbons, for serving))

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 degrees F. Grease 3 small loaf pans.

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

In a large bowl, beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, chocolate chips, and orange zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and ribbons of zucchini.

Orange Marmalade Cake

Original Recipe Yield 1 - 10 inch Bundt cake

Ingredients

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/4 teaspoon salt-- I used Himalayan pink salt
* 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
* 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 2/3 cup butter, melted-- I used 2/3 c sunflower oil instead
* >2/3 cup white sugar
* 3 eggs
* 1/3 cup milk
* 1 tablespoon lemon juice
* 1/2 cup orange marmalade

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9 inch Bundt pan. (I made 2 small loaves)
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves, set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, melted butter, eggs, milk and lemon juice. Add dry ingredients to the egg mixture, mix until well blended. Finally, stir in the marmalade. (I stirred it in very imperfect/minimally and it created nice outposts of sticky orange bits.) Pour batter into the prepared Bundt cake pan.
3. Bake for 45 to 60 minutes, until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Zucchini Bread

Yield: 2 loaves or approximately 24 muffins

3 eggs
1/2 cup olive or vegetable oil
1/2 cup applesauce
1 cup sugar
2 cups grated zucchini
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter two 8×4 inch loaf pans, liberally.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a whisk. Mix in oil, applesauce and sugar, then zucchini, lemon zest and vanilla.

Combine flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder and salt, as well as nuts, chocolate chips and/or dried fruit, if using.

Stir this into the egg mixture. Divide the batter into prepared pans.

Bake loaves for 60 minutes, plus or minus ten, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Acorn Squash Quickbread

Earlier in the week I roasted an acorn squash. Then we ordered Thai food. Days later, the little squash sat forgotten in the fridge with nothing to go with in any sort of meaningful future meal kind of way. So I mashed it up-- leaving some big chunks though- and readied my mixin arm for a quickbread... something a little sweet but also not altogether unhealthy. The result was a moist, sweet-enough-for-me, bread that could be breakfast or dessert (in my case it was both, plus midnight snack). Walnuts would be a nice addition to this one too when I'm done being a nut-phobe where our nina is concerned. A keeper. Definitely make this one again.

2 c. white sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. ginger
1 c. sunflower oil
1 c. water
2 c. unbleached white flour
1 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 c. wheat germ
2 c.+ acorn squash, cooked, cooled & mashed
4 eggs


Combine dry ingredients. Add water, oil and squash. Pour 1/2 full into 3 greased and floured 9"x5" loaf pans.

Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour and 15 minutes or when toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean.

Teff Brownies

The first time I tasted teff (a few weeks ago, in peanut butter teff cookies), I thought "this is meant to go with chocolate" (but really, what isn't meant to go with chocolate?). Its hearty, dense, nuttiness was a shoe-in with loads if cocoa. Unlike the gluten free cookies we've tried lately (Bob's Mill mix, our own PB teff cookies), and don't get me started on GF breads, the sandy texture of most things baked sans gluten is less discernible here. Brownies fundamentally don't rely on flour as much as, say, muffins, so the transition is a smoother one for a gluten free sweet.

1/2 cup sunflower oil
1/3 cup teff flour
1/3 cup rice flour
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons agave nectar
5 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla

chocolate chips to top (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare an 8x8 glass pan. Combine all ingredients into a bowl. Mix until completely combined. Pour into bowl, spreading to the edges. If you want, you can add more chocolate by sprinkling chocolate chips across the top. I didn't and they were still plenty chocolatey.

Bake 25 minutes, or until the edges are brown. Don't overbake them, or they will be dry.

Apple Tart with Teff-Walnut Crust

I love teff. What I discovered about the teff peanut butter cookies we made earlier in the week is that teff is so loaded with protein and iron and other mighty vitamins that it is impossible to have a sweet binge on things made with it. This is coming from a person who can easily sit down with a plate of cookies, mind you. Two teff cookies, three tops, and one is totally satisfied, thinking, maybe I'll read some difficult poetry instead of lying on the couch to stare at the ceiling fan in a carb and sugar coma.

So this crust is similarly exhilarating, and crumbly... holds together a little bit better after the whole pie has been baked and has had some time to cool in the refrigerator, but tastes deep and rich-- without overwhelming the fruit.

Filling:

5-6 apples, peeled and sliced (I used honeycrisp)

2-3 T Earth Balance

1 T cinnamon

Crust:
1 c chopped walnuts
1/3 c brown sugar
1/3 c sunflower oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 cup teff flour

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°.

Crust:
Mix ingredients in Vita Mix blender (dry attachment) on lowest setting until consistency resembled coarse meal. Press mixture into bottom of lightly oiled 9-inch tart pan.
Bake 12 minutes, or until crust becomes a smidge darker.

Filling:
In a large bowl, toss apple slices with cinnamon. Heap the apple mixture into the tart pan. It creates quite a mound, but they cook down considerably. Dot the pie with Earth Balance. Bake for 30 minutes. Allow to cool.

**Even better with almonds instead of walnuts and pears instead of apples!

Teff Peanut Butter Cookies

Having never baked with teff before, I made these cookies strictly by the book, or, by the package, as it were. The Bob's Red Mill bag of whole grain teff flour featured this recipe for cookies, and, since dairy and gluten free J was itching for something sweet today, and since I am always itching for something sweet, I thought wed give em a try. I was skeptical to say the least. No egg and no sugar? Also, I expected a somewhat sour taste like the teff-infused injera bread I've had at Ethiopian restaurants. Well, the sourness is no doubt the yeast or starter for the injera, because teff by itself, while hearty and dense, is delicious. I almost added some chocolate chips to this-- for insurance purposes-- but J refused. I'm glad he did because they baked up yummily without it. Though I am tempted to experiment now... teff brownies, anyone? The one thing is that they are crumbly, so once one starts to handle a teff cookie, one better devour it quickly!

1 1/2 c teff flour
1/2 t sea salt
1/ c maple syrup
1/2/ c sunflower oil
1 t vanilla
1 c peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350. Set aside an ungreased cookie sheet. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Set aside. In a food processor blend syrup, oil , vanilla, and peanut butter. Add the wet ingredients tot he dry ingredients. Blend well. Shape dough into walnut sized balls. Place on cookie sheet and flatten gently with the tines of a fork. Bake about 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Yields 24 cookies.

Libby+2 Pie

I really do cook things besides pies and sweets. It's just that currently the sweet side is more ripe for experimentation. With the weather turning cool, fall being my favorite season, and having an eager helper in the kitchen if it means something to stir in a bowl with flour, the baking of pies and such is in full tilt.

This one began as the classic old Libby's pumpkin pie recipe. Once the oven was preheated, however, I discovered I only had less than a can of pumpkin leftover in the fridge. So it became a fridge cleaning affair, using up other bits of roasted squash from earlier in the week. I also reduced the sugar by 2/3s and used TJ's organic condensed milk. I'm not sure if it is less sweet than carnation, or what the difference between evaporated cane juice and sugar is exactly, but it makes me feel less guilty.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

2 large eggs

slightly less than 1 can (15 oz.) TJ's organic pumpkin puree

1/4 roasted acorn squash

1 baked sweet potato

1 can (14 fl. oz.) TJ's organic evaporated milk

1 unbaked 9-inch (4-cup volume) deep-dish pie shell, whole wheat, Whole Foods brand

MIX sugar, cinnamon, salt, ginger and cloves in small bowl. Beat eggs in large bowl. Stir in pumpkin-squash-potato and sugar-spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.

POUR into pie shell.

BAKE in preheated 425° F oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350° F; bake for 40 to 50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack for 2 hours. Serve immediately or refrigerate.