Category: Baked Goods

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

Published on by Alissa1 Comment

Now, I looooove banana bread, but sometimes you need a bit of a change. Peanut butter meet banana. I dig these in the morning, in the afternoon, a snack before a run, a night snack…. Yes, make these puppies. If you like sweet muffins, feel free to increase the honey or sugar.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins (serves 12)

These muffins are adapted from Mark Bittman’s recipe for muffins in “How To Cook Everything” and the “Food Matters Cookbook“. And inspired by Joy the Baker’s recipe for Peanut Butter Banana Bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 3 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 cup honey (or brown sugar)
  • 2 to 3 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)
  • 1/3 cup milk
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 1/4 cup organic all natural peanut butter
  • 1/4 cup chopped peanuts (optional)
  • 1/4 turbinado sugar (optional)

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375 F. Line 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  2. Combine dry ingredients in large bowl. Whisk till combined. Set aside.
  3. Combine wet ingredients (honey through egg) in medium bowl. Add butter and peanut butter. Stir until all ingredients are incorporated.
  4. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Mix with wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Stir in peanuts, if using. Sprinkle the tops of each muffin with turbinado sugar.
  5. Fill muffins 3/4 full. Bake for 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle of muffin comes out clean. Tops should be lightly browned. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes. Cool on wire rack. Eat warm!!!!

The INfamous Crack Pie

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This dessert isn’t just famous, it is IN-famous. This dessert is also FAR from healthy, but it is divine. And once you have had one bite, you can easily become addicted…hence the name. SO be careful and don’t say I didn’t warn you! And with a name like Crack Pie, I totally was intrigued and wanted to make this as a birthday surprise for my dear sweet-toothed friend, Marlee.

It has an oatmeal cookie crust and oooooooey gooooooey buttery custardy sweet middle. You will either pass out from sugar overload or come crawling back for more. Personally, I do not have a major sweet tooth and was only able to handle half of a slice, but my husband gladly ate his slice and finished off mine as well. I think I might have to enroll him in a 12-step group to stop his cravings.

This pie is the brain child of the pastry chef Christini Tosi at Momofuku Milk Bar in New York. It makes two 10-inch pies (I used 9-inch pies and adjusted the cook time to take into account the thicker filling). It can be kept refrigerated covered for up to 5 days or even frozen for up to a month.

Can you tell which two eggs in the above picture are farm fresh from cage free chickens? I only had two left and had to supplement with store-bought eggs.

Be careful if you make this recipe….it’ll make people fall in deep smit for you.

Crack Pie (slightly adapted from this recipe), serves 16

Ingredients

Oat Cookie for the Crust:

  • 8 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  • Pinch of baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • Cooking spray
Pie Crust:
  • Crumbled oat cookie from above
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoons butter, melted
Pie Filling:
  • 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup light brown sugar, packed tightly
  • 1/4 cup milk powder
  • 1 tablespoon ground cornmeal
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 16 tablespoons butter, melted
  • 3/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 8 egg yolks*

Insructions:

(Make sure that the egg whites are completely removed from the egg yolks. According to Christina Tosi, any amount of egg white in the mixture will ruin the consistency of the dense, custardy pie filling. The easiest, and best way to separate an egg is to use your hands, as shown in the picture below. Doing this by hand allows you to feel whether all of the egg white has been separated and removed from the yolk.)

To make the oat cookie for the crust:

  1. Preaheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Combine the butter and sugars in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and cream together on medium-high for 2-3 minutes, until fluffy and pale yellow in color. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula. On low speed, add the egg yolk and increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1-2 minutes, until the sugar granules fully dissolve and the mixture is a pale white.
  3. Mix flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Add the flour mixture to the butter and sugar mixture and mix on low speed. Mix for 1 minute or until the dough comes together and all dry ingredients have been incorporated. The dough will be a slightly fluffy, fatty mixture in comparison to your average cookie dough. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
  4. Spray a cookie sheet with cooking spray. Place the cookie dough in the center of the pan, spreading it out with a spatula until it is ¼-inch thick. It will not cover the entire pan.
  5. Bake for 15 minutes, until it resembles an oatmeal cookie. The cookie will be buffed with a slightly caramelized top. Cool the oat cookie completely before using. To make this ahead of time, wrap well in plastic and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

To make the filling:

  1. Combine the sugar, brown sugar, milk powder, ground corn meal, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed until evenly blended. According to Christina Tosi, a stand mixer IS A MUST. Hand whisking supposedly will not provide you with the same consistency as a stand mixer. Add the melted butter and paddle for 2-3 minutes until all the dry ingredients are moist.
  2. Add the heavy cream and vanilla and continue mixing on low for 2-3 minutes until any white streaks from the cream have completely disappeared into the mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.
  3. Add the egg yolks, paddling them into the mixture just to combine; be careful not to aerate the mixture, but be certain the mixture is glossy and homogenous. Mix on low speed until it is. The filling should be used immediately. But it can also be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

To construct the pie:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Put the oat cookie from above in a food processor with the melted butter and salt. Pulse the food processor until the cookie is broken down into a wet sand. The ground cookie mixture should be moist enough to form into a ball. If it is not moist enough to do so, melt an additional 1-1 ½ tablespoons butter and knead it in.
  3. Divide the oat cookie crust evenly between two 10-inch pie tins. Using your fingers and the palms of your hands, press the oat cookie crust firmly into each pie tin, making sure the bottom and sides of the tin are evenly covered. Use the pie shells immediately, or wrap well in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 5 days or in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
  4. Put both pie shells on a sheet pan. Divide the crack pie filling evenly between the crust, filling the pies to ¾ of the way full. I recommend baking them separately. Bake for 15 minutes only. The pies should be golden brown on top but will still be very jiggly.
  5. Open the oven door and reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees, keeping the pie in the oven during this cool down process. When the oven reaches 325 degrees, close the door and bake the pies for 5 to 10 minutes longer. The pies should still be jiggly in the bull’s-eye center but not around the outer edges.
  6. Gently take the pan with the pie on it out of the oven. Transfer the pie to a cooling rack. Once slightly cooled, transfer the pies to the refrigerator. Then freeze your pies for at least 3 hours, or overnight, to condense the filling for a dense final product. According to the recipe, freezing is the signature technique and result of a perfectly executed crack pie.
  7. If not serving the pies right away, wrap well in plastic wrap. In the fridge, these pies will keep fresh for up to 5 days; in the freezer, they will keep for 1 month. Transfer the pies from the freezer to the refrigerator to defrost a minimum of 1 hour before you’re ready to get in there.
  8. Serve cold, decorated with confectioners’ sugar, either passing it through a fine sieve or dispatching pinches with your fingers.

Swedish Limpa (Rye) Bread

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A few months ago, I received a wonderful surprise in the mail. It was a handwritten letter from my youngest sister who is thirteen. The letter was a recipe that she had made up….it was called SWIRLTASTIC. Yes. This was everything you ever wished you had in a brownie (and more)….1) brownie mix, 2) oatmeal, 3) coffee grounds, 4) jello powder, and 5) sprinkles. She swears that these brownies were amazing. I love how inventive she is at just thirteen.

Since this first recipe, we have been exchanging multiple recipes that include favorites that we have found online. The latest recipe that I received was for this bread, Swedish Limpa Bread. I had never heard of it. It is basically a classic rye bread that is aromatic, flavored with molasses, orange zest, fennel seeds, and caraway seeds. She even adapted the recipe to be whole wheat! She chose this recipe to share because she knows that I aspire to be a bread baker. The idea of a fabulous yeasty bread rising in my kitchen and baking in a warm oven is the epitome of comfort to me. But alas, typically my bread always ends up doughy, flat, and a complete crap shoot.

But thanks to my sister, I can now say that I AM A BREAD BAKER! Take that bread machine! Bam. I did it…this bread rose like a champ and was soft and was moist. It was BREAD. Great crust. FABULOUS BREAD. And it was whole wheat. Also, this bread served as great vehicle for my fresh sweet cream butter. Mmmmmm. It’s a great rye bread. It’s a great breakfast bread with eggs. It’s a great sandwich bread. But, it’s no swirltastic…but hey, what is?

This bread is aromatic and is tinted with molasses. I love molasses. Not only is it a wonderfully warm-smelling sweetener, but it is the only sweetener that has vitamins and minerals. When choosing a molasses, use good blackstrap unsulphured molasses.

This is a no fail bread. Seriously. But I should note that this bread does take some time. You have to allow it to rise for an hour, punch down, then re-rise for another hour, and then bake for a little under an hour. But hey, it’s winter…and if you find yourself stuck in the house in your pjs and need to feel a bit productive, dump this bread together and sit back and let your house smell like a dream.

(Note: If you are making this in the winter and have a cold kitchen, turn your oven on low and place the bowl with the dough in it on the oven and allow it to rise in this warmer environment.)

Swedish Limpa Bread (from Olivia)

Ingredients

  • 5 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (divided)
  • 2 (0.25 oz) packages of active dry yeast
  • 2 cups water
  • 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
  • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons caraway seeds
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds
  • 2 eggs, room temperature
  • 2 cups rye flour

Instructions

  1. Place water, sugar, oil, salt, orange zest, caraway seeds, and fennel seeds in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool until it is warm.
  2. In a large bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together 3 cups of whole wheat flour and the yeast. Slowly pour the cooled orange zest liquid into the wheat mixture. Use the hook appliance on your electric mixer, and beat for approximately 2 minutes on medium speed.
  3. Blend in two eggs to the flour mixture.
  4. Add an additional cup of whole wheat flour and beat for 1 minute on medium speed.
  5. Add rye flour, one cup at a time, and enough additional wheat flour until the mixture becomes a stiff dough, turning the mixer on low to bring the dough together.
  6. Now it’s time to have fun and get those hands dirty. Place about 1/2 cup of flour on a clean surface. Dump the stiff dough onto the floured surface. Knead dough for 8 to 10 minutes. Use both hands and put some elbow grease into this. The dough will have a smooth and satiny appearance. Shape into a ball. Place into a lightly oiled bowl, turning to grease the surface. Cover with a damp cloth and place in a warm (not drafty) spot. Allow to rise for 1 1/2 hours.
  7. Punch down dough. Divide in half and shape into 2 balls. Let rest for 10 minutes.
  8. Shape into 2 loaves and place into ungreased 9×5 inch loaf pans. Brush with oil. Cut diagonal slashes in top. Allow to rise for 1 hour or until doubled in size. At this time, preheat oven to 400 F.
  9. Place loaves in preheated oven. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven. Remove loaves from pans and place loaves on cooling wire racks. Allow to cool ( i know it’s hard).

Stuffed Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole

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I’m generally not a french toast fan, but cinnamon raisin bread is a weakness of mine. So I figured that of all french toast recipes, one with cinnamon raisin bread and cream cheese-stuffed goodness would likely win me over.

This is a great make-ahead dish and it serves a group. The original recipe serves 10 to 12, which I have brought to work.  But the recipe I provide below has been reduced by half since I don’t normally feed a football team. But feel free to double or triple the recipe. It would be perfect for a brunch or even on Christmas morning. The warm smell of cinnamon makes me wobbly at the knees….ya, it doesn’t take much.

I adapted this recipe from Cooking Light, cutting down the sugar because the cinnamon bread provided plenty of sweetness. I also added apples, which provided a good tartness and brought this breakfast up to an 11…well, maybe an 8. I think it makes this dish a winner! Oh ya, and it’s stuffed with cream cheese…so duh…it’s good.

Stuffed Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Casserole (serves 6)

Note: A variety of fruits and nuts could be added to the filling. Think cranberries, apples, blueberries, toasted almonds, walnuts, or pecans.

Ingredients

  • 12 slices of good cinnamon raisin bread
  • 1.5 cups 1% milk
  • 4 eggs, divided
  • 1/2 cup of half and half
  • 1/4 cup of maple syrup (or sugar)
  • 1 apple, diced (granny smith works well)
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh nutmeg
  • 1 (8 oz) block of 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

Instructions

  1. Trim crusts from bread. Spray a 11 x 8-inch baking dish nonstick cooking spray. Arrange half of the cinnamon raisin bread the bottom of the baking dish.
  2. Combine milk, 3 eggs, half-and-half, and 1/4 cup maple syrup in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk. Pour half of milk mixture over bread in dish.
  3. Combine 1 egg, diced apple, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream cheese in a mixer until smooth. Pour this cream cheese mixture over moist bread in dish. Place the remaining cinnamon bread over the cream cheese mixture. Pour remaining milk mixture over cinnamon bread. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours or overnight.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°.
  5. Uncover and bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Maple Buttermilk Pie Bars

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Buttermilk pie?  Have you had it? I hadn’t. It is supposedly originates in the south. With reports of creme brûlée-like creaminess and a slight tang from the buttermilk and sweetened with maple syrup, I said…SIGN ME UP.  Buttermilk makes biscuits better, pancakes better, and bread better….so why not pie!

Now, like everthything else, I can’t leave good enough alone. This recipe for maple buttermilk bars originated from a buttermilk pie recipe in a 2002 Gourmet article.  Instead of a pie, I decided to make this in bar form for easier transportability. With Thanksgiving and parties coming up, I thought bars would be easier to take than a pie. And, more than anything, I LOVE ME SOME FINGER FOOD.

For the crust, instead of a pie crust or shortbread or graham cracker crust, I went for a nutty pecan crust.  I have to say, that my favorite thing about this dessert, is the crust. This crust would be great beneath a cheesecake or fruit tart too.

The maple buttermilk filling is so easy to throw together. Make sure when baking these bars that you allow it to bake completely, or else you will have a runny goo. The filling is a bit flan-like. I find myself wishing it was creamier, but for you flan and custard lovers out there, this is a great dessert. And a great way to use that pesky extra buttermilk that is in the fridge. I like these best chilled.

Maple Buttermilk Pie Bars (serves 12) adapted from Gourmet

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 1 cup pecans
  • 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1/4 cup dark brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grained sea salt
  • 4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
Filling
  • Zest of 1/2 lemon
  • 2 Tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 2/3 cup of maple syrup (preferably Grade B…but if you don’t have maple syrup, you can swap for brown sugar)
  • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups of well shaken buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon of vanilla
  • 1/4 teaspoon of fine grained sea salt
  • dash of nutmeg
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Spray a 9X13 pan with nonstick spray.
  2. For crust, place all ingredients except butter in food processor. Process until a fine meal. Add melted butter and pulse until the ingredients come together to resemble a dough.
  3. Press pecan crust in the bottom of the 9X13 pan. Bake crust for 17 to 20 minutes, until golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.
  4. Mix up filling while baking crust. In a large mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar, flour, and lemon zest. Whisk in the eggs, 1at a time. Make sure there are no lumps.
  5. Stir in the maple syrup, buttermilk, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the  pre baked cuts. Bake until the top is lightly browned and the center sets, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar for an extra crunch.  Serve either at room temperature or chilled.

Apple Crisp

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Now, the debate continues between desserts falling in the crisp, crumble or cobbler category. In my mind, a crisp has an oat based topping over a lot of fruit, a crumble has more flour based topping over fruit, and a cobbler is more biscuit-like or pastry topping that is mixed within the fruit.   Whatever you call it…I call it divine and “yes, I’ll have another”. I tend to like the crunchy oat-type topping desserts. But I will NEVER turn down a cobbler either.

Now, you should know that crisps and cobblers are s a weakness of mine and are a dessert that I will never share….again. I learned a valuable lesson when many moons ago, I decided to share an amazing peach cobbler with homemade ice cream with my husband. It turned into an ugly war of spoons in the middle of a restaraunt between my husband and I, ending in: (1) this amazing dessert being devoured in 0.2 seconds, (2) neither of us really knowing what the dessert actually tasted like because we were too concerned that the other person was getting MORE TOPPING!!! and the LAST BITE OF ICE CREAM EVEN THOUGH IT WAS SEGREGATED ONTO MY SIDE OF THE BOWL (I’m not bitter…well, maybe a little), and (3) Kiley teaching me a valuable lesson that you should NEVER SHARE THY COBBLER WITH A TOPPING AND ICE CREAM STEALER (eh hem…him, not me).

Anyways, since one of my best friends is getting married at the end of October, several of my oldest college girl friends got together this weekend for a bachelorette party – old school slumber party-style. To top the night off (along with plenty of candy, pizza, wine, and margaritas), I made an apple crisp, which we all dove head first into with a massive tub of vanilla ice cream. And no…i did not share my piece.

Note: This is an easy to put together dessert and you can use just about any fruit (berries, peaches, cherries, plums, rhubarb…I can go on…don’t tempt me).

Apple Crisp (serves 6)

Filling

  • 6 to 8 medium crisp tart apples, sliced (no need to remove peel)
  • 3 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • dash of nutmeg
  • 3 Tbsp of brown sugar

Topping

  • 1 1/4 cup of rolled oats (not quick cooking)
  • 1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour (or all purpose)
  • 1/3 cup of brown sugar
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375F and place rack in the center of the oven. Spray with a cooking spray, an 8 x 8 inch baking dish.
  2. Prepare topping by placing all of the topping ingredients (flour, spices, butter, oats) in a bowl or food processor. Mix until the mixture is crumbly (looks like coarse meal) and there are no large pieces of butter visible.  If you are not using a food processor, you can use two knives or your fingertips.  Set aside until you finish making the filling.
  3. For the filling, place the apple chunks in a large bowl. Toss with the lemon juice, cinnamon, and sugar. Transfer to the baking dish.  Spread the topping evenly over the apples.
  4. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes until the topping is brown and the filling is bubbly. mmmmm.
  5. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes.
  6. Keep guard for any cobbler thieves. Get the ice cream out and DIG IN!

Upside Down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

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Someone at work brought nearly 20 bananas to give away. Because my biggest pet peeve is wasted food, I had to take them and make it my mission to come up with something to use them in besides banana bread (although I looove me some good nana bread). After the big bike ride, Kiley and I deserved a cake. Also, it was our 6th wedding anniversary…so another great reason to make a cake. And it was a rainy sunday…and hey, I wanted cake. SO there.

In this adaptation of a Dave Lebovitz cake, I used more natural foods instead of processed items. I made a few easy swaps, such as honey instead of white sugar, whole wheat pastry flour instead of all purpose (AP), and greek yogurt instead of sour cream.  I have really tried to remove white flour and white sugar from my cooking, using minimally processed natural sugars, such as honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar. Next time, I will likely use maple syrup in the caramelized topping instead of the brown sugar that is in the original recipe.  Whole wheat pastry flour is less dense than regular whole wheat flour and is perfect for baking. This cake was still very moist despite the whole wheat flour. If you don’t have access to whole wheat pastry flour, then you could use half AP and half whole wheat.

Seriously, this tastes like a banana foster cake with amazing warm bits of chocolate. I would definitely recommend eating this the day you bake it….warm….with vanilla ice cream. Be ready to get your mind blown. And for you banana haters out there….I totally feel sorry for you. This is fab.

Upside Down Banana Chocolate Chip Cake (adapted from Dave Lebovitz):

Makes 1 8×8 cake, serves 9 to 12

Topping

  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 3 bananas
Cake
  • 1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1 cup banana puree (about 2 ripe bananas)
  • 1/2 cup greek yogurt (or plain yogurt strained in cheese cloth)
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chopped bittersweet/semisweet chocolate
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
  2. Topping – Spray 8X8 pan with pam. Mix brown sugar and water in pan. Place in preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove and let cool to room temperature. Peel and slice the bananas in 1/4 inch slices. Arrange the slices over the melted brown sugar topping in tight rows. Drizzle with a few drops of lemon juice to keep the banana from browning.
  3. Whisk together the whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  4. In a small bowl, mix together the honey, melted butter (cooled…don’t want to cook the egg), egg, egg white, banana puree, yogurt, and vanilla.
  5. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until almost combined. Gently fold in the chocolate pieces. Do not over mix or the cake will be tough.
  6. Using a spatula, scrape the banana cake mixture on top of the bananas and carefully spread over the sliced bananas.
  7. Bake for 40 minutes in an oven preheated to 350F.
  8. Cool the cake for 20 minutes (if you dare). Use a knife to separate the cake from the edge of the cake pan. Flip over and place on a platter.

Fig Gilette

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Get Figgy With It…..

I think the fig is the most beautiful fruit…hands down. When it comes to food porn, the fig takes the cake. Cut open a fresh fig and I dare you to not be smitten. I am perfectly satisfied to eat fresh figs until my stomach churns….similar issues that I have when confronted with A) pecan pie and B) ketchup…yes, ketchup is a downfall of mine. I swear I have no idea what a tater tot actually tastes like….but I digress.

Back to the star of this dessert….the fig! So, figs are here and I bought a metric boat load. Before they went bad, I decided to use them in a rustic tart….also known as a gilette. I’m in deep smit with gilettes. They are easy and fabulous to make for gatherings. I made my own crust (preferable), but I have also used frozen pie crust in a pinch. The figs are quartered and placed over an almond paste also known as frangipane. I used salted and roasted almonds and simply rinsed the salt off of them. You can use raw almonds and roast them in an oven at 350F for 10 minutes, stirring frequently so that they don’t burn. I also recommend eating this with a fresh cream or my favorite…good vanilla ice cream.

Note: This dessert can be made with other fruit besides fig. Recently, I made a galette with thinly sliced apples tossed in cinnamon, nutmeg, and brown sugar…mmmm. You could also substitute the figs for plums or peaches, or whatever is in season.

Fig and Almond Gilette (adapted from www.simplyrecipes.com)
  • 1 1/4 Cup all purpose flour, plus more for rolling
  • 1/2 Cup butter (1 stick), cut into 1/2 inch small cubes and placed in the freezer for 15 minutes
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 Cup of ice water
  • 1 1/2 pounds of fresh figs, tips removed, quatered
  • 1/4 Cup roasted almonds
  • 1 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 Tbsp flour
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 egg white

CRUST: If you are daring enough to make your own (and I recommend it), use either a food processor or a mixing bowl and combine flour and sugar. Add butter and process until mixture resembles a coarse meal, approximately 10 seconds. If not using a food processor, You can use two knives or a pastry blender to cut butter into small pieces until they are the size of small peans. With food processor running, gradually add water and egg yolk through the feed tube. OR if you are like me and doing it by hand, just pour this stuff in. Stir with a wooden spoon until dough is not wet and sticky and holds together. Do not over mix (mix for less than 30 seconds). Wrap dough in plastic and chill for at least an hour.

ALMOND PASTE (FRANGIPANE): Grind almonds in a food processor with flour and sugar. Add egg. If not using right away, store this in the fridge for up to three days or freezer for a month.

ASSEMBLE GALETTE: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove pastry dough from fridge 30 minutes prior to using. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface. Press out to 10″ to 12″ diameter. Leave a 2 to 3″ border. Ttransfer crust to the baking sheet (something I keep forgetting to do and end up transferring the pie after it has been assembled elsewhere). Spread almond paste on the dough leaving a 2″ border. Quarter the figs and place them over the almond paste. Sprinkle lemon zest over figs.  For the crust, brush the endue of the crust with an egg white. Sprinkle the whole thing with raw sugar and bake for about 45-50 minutes, or until the pastry edges are golden brown.

Lemon-Ginger Zucchini Bread

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It is the end of summer and the markets and gardens are overflowing with zucchini. Unfortunately, squash bugs took over my garden. So, I am relegated to enjoying the fruitful harvest of other local gardeners. I had so much extra zucchini from my community supported agriculture (CSA) pickup that I decided to shred it and freeze it, waiting for the perfect time to unleash the oven again. As the cool air has FINALLY came in, I decided to use my extra zucchini in a warm spiced zucchini bread this morning.

Now, this ain’t your normal zucchini bread….get ready. It is bursting with amazing flavors and aromas that come from ginger, lemon zest, cinnamon, and…wait for it….curry powder. Ya, sounds weird…and I too balked at it when I first read the original recipe on Heidi Swanson’s blog 101 cookbooks.com. But seriously folks, I am a convert. The warm golden color from the curry with flecks of zucchini are a sure fire winner in this quick bread. DO IT!

Lemon-Ginger Zucchini Bread (adapted from 101cookbook.com), makes 1 awesome loaf.

  • Zest of one lemon
  • 1 inch portion of fresh ginger (grated)
  • 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/4 Cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 1/4 Cup packed fine grain natural cane sugar or brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 1/2 Cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 to 1/2 Cups grated zucchini, with skins, squeeze some of the moisture out and then fluff it up again before using (if defrosting…drain for 30 minutes in colander)
  • 1 1/2 Cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
  • 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1/2 tablespoon curry powder 

PREP: Preheat your oven to 350°F. Spray one 5×9 inch loaf pan with nonstick spray and set aside. In a small bowl combine lemon zest and grated ginger. Set aside.

WET INGREDIENTS: In a mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the sugars and beat until smooth. Add the egg and scrape down the sides of the bowl to all that goodness stirred in. With a wooden spoon, stir in the vanilla and then the zucchini.

DRY INGREDIENTS: In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and curry powder.

COMBINE: Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients in two batches, stirring with wooden spoon between each addition. Fold in the lemon zest and ginger mixture. DO NOT OVERMIX!

BAKE: Add the batter to the greased loaf pan. Top with nuts if you want. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes on the middle rack of the oven.

COOL: Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the bread pan for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack (or eat immediately, like me).

EAT: Pour a big honkin’ glass o’ milk and ENJOY!