Award Winning Peach Blue Berry Pie

So I won a baking contest...

My award winning pie awaits judgement. 

I've always wanted to enter a baking contest. I'm just a wee bit competitive. Not because I need to be the best at everything (though that would be nice), but because I want to know how I rank against other people and what I can do to improve. I'm the nice kind of competitive. But there just hasn't been a good time for me to enter any kind of cooking contest until this summer, when the Roswell Farmers and Artisans Market decided to host a pie baking contest. Perfect.

I wouldn't consider pie to be a specialty of mine, because I don't get a chance to make them very often. (I also don't own a rolling pie, so I used an empty wine bottle to roll this out....) But I have a tried and true recipe for crust and no filling is simpler than fresh fruit. I knew I could enter this contest. I didn't think I would win, but I knew I wouldn't embarrass myself either.

So now I had to think about what kind of pie to make. The rules of the contest said that your pie had to feature at least one local ingredient. It didn't have to be in season, so if you had put up some peaches or pumpkin or something, you could use that. But it had to be local. Well, the peaches are especially fine this year, so I knew I wanted to feature those. But I had to assume mine wouldn't be the only peach pie on the table. I needed a hook.

My first thought was a peach jalapeño pie with oatmeal crumble topping. I love the combo of sweet and spicy and jalapeño and peaches are both good right now. I wanted to be sure of it though, so I made a "practice pie" with peaches from the grocery store. Big mistake. Those peaches were flavorless and watery. They drowned out my jalapeño.  It wasn't tasty at all. So I went back to the drawing board.

This tasted of failure. 

I was pretty turned off on the idea of a peach jalapeño pie after that. I also didn't quite have enough peaches on my counter for a pie. But I did have some blueberries left from the market, and I always think things that grow in the same season are meant to be together. My other change was to toss my fruit with a little cornstarch before it went in the pie shell as insurance against wateriness.

The only thing I kept was the oatmeal crumble topping. I am not good at making things pretty, so I didn't want to mess around with fancy lattice tops or cute shapes cut from pie dough. I just wanted an attractive, tasty top that still allowed you to see the pretty fruit inside the pie. It also meant my pie might still standout against any other potential peach or blueberry pies. (Also, oatmeal crumble anything automatically means butter and lots of it. Nothing is tastier than an entire stick of melted butter, and this pie has one in the crust and one in the topping. You're welcome.)

Spectators had a chance to sample all the pies. 

When the Market Manager started announcing the winners, I still didn't think I'd win. My pie looked pretty good next to all the others, but there was a tomato goat cheese pie that was just mind blowing. I was sure that was the winner. The manager announce third and second and my heart sank a bit, because I didn't think I'd placed at all. Then she said my pie! I was very excited.

My award winning pie earned me $20 in vouchers for the farmers market and an invitation to compete in the Tri-County Farmers Market Championship next month. I'll have to check my calendar to see if I can do that.

But anyways, enough jibba jabba. Here is the recipe to Award Winning Peach Blueberry Pie.

Peach Blueberry Pie

Crust

6 ounces all purpose flour

4 ounces unsalted butter

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 pinch salt

2 ounces ice water

Filling

4 peaches, peeled and sliced

2 cups blueberries

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Oat topping

1 cup rolled oats

2 tablespoons brown sugar

4 ounces unsalted butter

1/2 teaspoon Penzey’s Cake Spice

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

Preheat oven to 425.

Freeze butter and flour over night. Pulse flour, sugar and salt in food processor until blended. Add butter and pulse until butter is incorporated. Drizzle in ice water until it becomes dough.  Remove from processor, shape into a wide disk and place in freezer bag. Place freezer bag in fridge for at least an hour or until ready to roll out.

Score four peaches lightly across the bottoms to form an X. Place in boiling water for about a minute to loosen skins. Quickly drain and add crushed ice and cold water to stop the cooking process. Once peaches are cool, you can easily remove the skins. Thinly slice peaches. Add two cups blueberries. Mix gently with 1 tablespoon cornstarch.

Combine oats, melted butter, brown sugar and spices.

Roll out pie crust. Add pie filling. Top with oat mixture. Bake at 425 for 45 minutes. Allow to cool for at least an hour before slicing.

My Thanksgiving Menu

Oh man. I've been so bad about posting here lately. I'm the Google Apps for Education coordinator at work this year. If you don't know what that means, just know this. Google is my kung fu. And it is strong. But yeah, doing computer stuff all day means I'm pretty sick of looking at one when I get home. So I haven't been around here as much as I'd like. But I'd be remiss if I didn't make at least one post about the Foodie High Holiday of Thanksgiving.

No knead rolls

Typically, I don't have much to say about cooking for Thanksgiving. I do have some recipes you are welcome to try, but usually I'm enjoying my in laws cooking in far off and distant Texas this time of year. But this year we aren't able to make the trip, so instead I'm cooking at home with my parents and siblings coming over.

It's an interesting mix to cook for. The big potential pitfalls are that my dad and husband are both Type II diabetics. And my youngest sister is a vegetarian. So in a large, argumentative family of picky eaters, those are really the only ones I'm going to attempt to please. So I put together a menu that's... well, not healthy. It is a holiday, after all. But it's heavy on vegetables and low on processed carbs and sugars. No sodium hangovers this year.

I've provided links to recipes when I have it. I'm digging out some of my old stand by, as well as introducing some new favorites.

Appetizers (Because I need you to get out from under my feet)

• Hot Crab Dip and crackers
• Hummus and raw veggies
• Cheese tray from Roswell Provisions

Main Event

• Smoked turkey (Ordering a smoked turkey from Greenberg's is a Liang family tradition that's grown on me. Picture this: A perfectly cooked, flavorful turkey that isn't taking up half your oven for five hours. It being delicious seems almost secondary.)
• Small roasted turkey breast, with butter and herbs tucked under the skin.
• Curry Roasted Acorn Squash (recipe here)

• 

  Curry roasted acorn squash

• Roasted brussel sprouts (done simply with oil, salt and pepper)
• Cauliflower cheese (recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)
• Slow cooker green beans with bell pepper and tomato (Oddly enough, I've never blogged this staple recipe. I'll have to fix that.)
• Chili Lime sweet potato wedges (Recipe here)
• No Knead rolls (recipe here)
• Salad (I had three heads of lettuce in my CSA this weekend. We are eating salad. Everyone is eating salad. Forever.)

Dessert

• Sour cream pumpkin pudding (recipe courtesy of Smitten Kitchen)
• Apple crisp (The recipe I posted here several years ago is seriously out of date. I promise you a better one someday.)

The big appeal of many of these recipes is that I can do much of the prep work ahead of time. The sweet potatoes, brussel sprouts and acorn squash can be prepped ahead of time and kept in the fridge. The rolls are better if mixed a day or two ahead of time. The desserts can be made the morning of, with the apple crisp just needing to be popped into a warm oven to reheat while we eat dinner. The green beans will cook happily in my giant crockpot and not take up a burner or space in my oven at all. 

Anyways, thats my Thanksgiving plan. What's yours?

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Sugar Shack in the Back (from the owners of the Fickle Pickle)

Bagel bombs and mini-quiche 

I want to be good. I want to eat only healthy, organic vegetables. I want to be a vegan until 6PM every day. I want to run marathons, do yoga and eat only locally farmed, sustainably raised eggs. I want to be good.

Then Andy Badgett has to go and open another goddamned restaurant.

Badgett's been kicking around historic Roswell, owning and operating several great restaurants including Asher, Relish and Pico Autentico. However, he's best known for Fickle Pickle Cafe, a Canton street mainstay as long as I've lived in Roswell. I don't go as often as I used to. There's more choices in the neighborhood than there used to be. But you still can't beat a basket of fried pickles fresh from the kitchen served up alongside the Oooey Gooey sandwich (grilled pimento cheese and pepper jelly, on whole grain sourdough.) Yum.

The Sugar Shack in the Back takes the barn behind the Fickle Pickle, which was previously their events facility, and transforms it into a cozy little bakery. We know from the dessert selection at the Pickle, that Badgett and his staff can put together a mean carrot cake cookie and red velvet cupcake. This bakery concept takes that and cranks it up to 11, adding breakfast pastries, made to order biscuit sandwiches and coffee. Vanilla glazed beignet share a case with jalapeño cheese bagel bombs and an assortment of flakey turnovers, both sweet and savory. You can watch the guy behind the counter rolling cookie dough in a bowl of M&Ms and laying it on a cookie sheet.

Frosted cinnamon rolls 

Tuesday was the "Friends & Family" preview. It was advertised on Facebook, so we decided to try them out for breakfast. (Disclosure: Since this was a special event, our meals were complimentary.) Years ago, Fickle Pickle experimented with a breakfast menu and my husband spied the return of his favorite and most lamented chicken biscuit ever at The Sugar Shack. I, of course, had to try the Ooey Gooey biscuit. The chicken biscuit was as good as remembered. It's a flakey, buttery biscuit, stuffed with a fried chicken breast, cheese and an egg cooked to order. My biscuit was filled with pimento cheese, bacon and sweet red pepper jelly. Both were very good, though my sandwich could have benefited from warming up the pimento cheese before serving. The cold wad of cheese was a little off-putting. I told my server when she asked for feedback and she promised to follow up.

The reason elastic waistbands were invented

The glass case wrapping around the room was only partly filled, but the ice cream freezer was fully stocked. An enthusiastic member of the staff explained that made to order ice cream sandwiches are part of the offerings. Choose a cookie and then your ice cream and someone will assemble it right in front of you. They'll even do it with one of their cupcakes, which sounds like a good enough reason to wear stretchy pants for the rest of my life.

They only serve coffee and lattes as drinks right now. Orange juice is reportedly on it's way. These are nothing fancy, just something to wash your pastry down with. I enjoyed my chai latte.

Time will tell if this bakery will stick around. The location, tucked away behind Fickle Pickle doesn't do it any favors. Parking is notoriously tricky there, but during the week, there is overflow at Founders Hall across the street. Or you can do what I'm likely to do and park at City Hall. It's only a half mile walk. It's not hard. But the food is well worth the trip and the owner has a great track record. If you are looking for a casual breakfast option, this is a great place.

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Review: Le Bistro by Roswell Provisions

Seriously, this sandwich is huge. 

We were dismayed to hear last month that Party Chic would be closing. I'd been a fan for years of their affordable menu, geared towards the ladies who lunch crowd in Roswell. It took awhile to get my husband on board, but he eventually caved to the lure of fancy cupcakes and five dollar martini specials. So it was a sad thing to hear the owners were closing it in favor of a new concept, more closely tied with the Roswell Provisions store downstairs that they also own. Our friends at Provisions assured us that we'd love the new place, that the recipes were being updated and that everything we loved would still be there, just better. Their enthusiasm was well placed, because the new Le Bistro is everything good about Party Chic, but better.

Spinach salad

In France, a "bistro" is a small, casual, moderately priced restaurant. Le Bistro is precisely that. The menu is traditional french cooking, made well and not nearly as pricey as some of the other offerings in the Historic District. It's a welcome break from the trend towards destination dining on Canton street. Which shouldn't be taken as a knock on Le Bistro, Canton street needs a mix of styles and prices ranges to stay vibrant and growing. I like having a super fancy steak house on the same street as a boisterous Irish pub. Tucking a casual French bistro upstairs over a wine and cheese shop is precisely what's needed.

My natterings about the proper mix of restaurants aside, how is the food? Good? Great? Terrifying? It's pretty good. This isn't fine dining, but you could take a first date here and no be embarrassed or break the bank. The menu is standard French classics, such as the French Dip, savory crepes and various other sandwiches and salads. The aforementioned French Dip is an improvement on the previous version, featuring a big pile of tender, slow roasted beef, tangy horseradish and a savory au ju that I'm told starts with roasted bone marrow and red wine. The pan bagnat is a big, sloppy pile of tuna salad spiked with potatoes, green beans, olives and more and served on what seems like half a loaf of bread. Seriously, it's like two meals worth of sandwich.

Chicken & mushroom crepe.

The spinach salad entree comes with almost too much bacon, but the warm vinaigrette  comes in a cute container and is the perfect balance of fat and vinegar. Most entrees come with house made kettle chips, but you can add a side salad with dijion mustard vinaigrette.

The wine list is small, it's a couple of varietals served in either a large carafe suitable for sharing, or a small one that equals about a glass and a half. You can also purchase a bottle from the shop downstairs and drink it at dinner for a $20 corking fee. They also have a full bar, featuring the fancy cocktails that made Party Chic so attractive, as well as the menu of cupcakes and other desserts by Kelly's Kakes.

The space itself has been lightly remade to fit the retro chic look of the Provisions store. Think lots of burlap and destressed wood and things made out of old wine barrels. They found a video of Roswell during the 1940's and it plays on continuous loop on a back wall, giving everything a nostalgic air. The front porch overlooking Canton street is still the best seat in the city for people watching on a pleasant, early spring day and the back patio is still lively and cozy with live music on the weekends.

All in all, I say the move from Party Chic to Le Bistro was a worthwhile one. They've kept the charm and added better food and a more appealing aesthetic.




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Basic Banana Bread (With Three Easy Variations)

I love banana bread. Not only is it a fun way of using up those black bananas sitting on your counter, but there are endless variations on it. This simple recipe from my vintage Joy of Cooking book is easy to adapt and personalize. Want something more tropical? Add a handful of shredded coconut. Want nuts? Chop up some pecans or walnuts and throw 'em in the batter. Feeling like Elvis today? Stir in some peanut butter and reap the health benefits of those healthy fats. Add chocolate chips to EVERYTHING.  Swap a half cup of whole wheat flour for the white. You take this banana bread recipe and you own it. Make it yours. A nice, simple banana bread recipe is the foundation of so many fancier sounding treats. Be creative and you'll soon have a recipe everyone will be begging for.

I've included my favorite variations here, but feel free to experiment on your own. 

Basic Banana Bread (Adapted from The Joy of Cooking, sixth edition)

1 3/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg
3-4 very ripe bananas

Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Cream butter and sugar together. Add egg and banana, then gradually mix in the flour. Pour into greased loaf pan and bake for about an hour at 350 degrees or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

As black as a middle school
teacher's heart

For Peanut Butter Banana Bread: Add 1/3 cup peanut butter to butter sugar mix. Continue recipe as directed. 

For Banana Pecan/Walnut Bread: Add 1/2 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts before pouring. Or add both. I won't tell.

For Coconut Banana Bread: Add 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg while sifting dry ingredients. Before pouring, add 1/2 cup shredded, sweetened coconut flakes and 1/3 cup dark chocolate chips. 

I cannot stress enough how much abuse this recipe can take. I've already changed it from the original by using butter instead of shortening (What was Erma Rombauer's obsession with flavorless transfats anyways? Half her baked goods have it.) and swapping brown sugar in for white. Just keep the proportions of ingredients the same and enjoy eating your glorious missteps. 

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Best Thanksgiving Recipes

I don't have many Thanksgiving recipes. I usually spend this holiday in east Texas with my in laws and they do all the cooking. That suits me just fine. Thanksgiving cooking is less about meal prep and more performance art, so it's nice to not have the pressure. But here are some recipes you might consider adding to your own table this year.  Several of them were already featured in my Fall Recipe feature last month, so feel free to peruse that for even more seasonal inspiration.

Pie is usually how most of us enjoy our pumpkin during the fall. But for those who can't get enough pumpkin flavored baked goods, here's a recipe for pumpkin muffins featuring rye flour.  Pumpkin Curry Soup would make a delicious, yet slightly untraditional starter course for the big meal.
Sweet potatoes are an important part of Thanksgiving. Here's a casserole combining sweet potatoes and orange juice for a treat that's delicious, but not as a heavy and gooey as the traditional one with the marshmallows.

Apple crisp is an easy, but still seasonal alternative to pumpkin pie for dessert. And it tastes good with ice cream.
That doesn't seem like very many recipes, does it? Looks like I have some work to do this month.

UPDATE: True to my word, I've written up more of my Thanksgiving appropriate recipes for your eating enjoyment.  It's still not a huge amount, but I'm feeling more respectable now.

If you are looking for a non-traditional take on sweet potatoes, try these Chili Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes. I guarantee you won't miss the butter and marshmallows.  For a bread course, check out these No Knead Dinner rolls. They are so easy, I make them for weeknight dinners. And if you need an easy to prepare, but super fancy looking appetizer, you definitely want to use my Holiday Baked Brie. It uses spicy pepper jelly for a surprising twist on a traditional appetizer.

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Easy Pumpkin Rye Muffins

I made these delicious muffins for the tailgating party I went to on Saturday. There's something about fall that makes us crave pumpkin. It's sweet, but not cloying and tastes wonderful in baked goods. I actually think pie is the least of the possible applications for pumpkin in your kitchen. Muffins, quick breads and soups are far superior to plain old pie as a pumpkin treat. Most recipes add so much sugar that it drowns the natural, nuanced sweetness of the pumpkin. It's unnecessary.

I adapted this recipe from my old reliable baking cookbook: The Joy of Cooking, sixth edition (1975). This cookbook was passed to me from my mother after I was married and I started getting interested in cooking again. She had the newer edition and didn't need this one cluttering up her kitchen anymore. It's a really solid cookbook, the best I've ever owned and I turn to it almost every time I bake.

There's a couple things I find superior about it. First, the recipes have less sugar than modern recipes. Seriously, it's amazing how much our palates have changed. But before you think these are "healthier" recipes, the second big difference is the amount of butter. There's considerably more.

But the final big change is the serving sizes. "Joy's" chocolate chip cookie recipe is supposed to make 2 dozen cookies. I feel lucky if I squeeze more than a dozen out of that bowl. Why? Because my idea of what the proper size for a cookie is is vastly different than Irma Rombauer's. I make them too big.

Anyways, this recipe came from that book, with a couple changes. The first was substituting a portion of the white flour for rye. Since my husband was diagnosed as a Type II diabetic, I've both cut down on the amount of baking I do and started experimenting with lower glycemic flours. I've been having good results with rye slipped into cookies and hearty quick breads recently, so hopefully there will be posts with more rye flour recipes. The rye is unnoticeable, except as an extra layer of heartiness to the muffin. The second big change was that I didn't think there was quite enough pumpkin in the recipe as is. So I simply replaced the liquids in this with more pumpkin, bringing it up to a full 15 ounces, or one can's worth. It makes the recipe really burst with pumpkin flavor and simplifies the directions by giving one less thing to measure. I further tweaked things by cutting the sugar back, because it was just too sweet and swapped half the white sugar for brown. The flavorless shortening is replaced by an equal amount of butter.

The result is a complex, hearty pumpkin muffin for grownups. Not too sweet and lightly spiced, it cries out for a pat of butter when it's warm from then oven, but stands on it's own as a dessert or breakfast treat. It's a pumpkin muffin that actually tastes like pumpkin. Next time I make this, I'll probably add some mix ins like dark chocolate chips or chopped pecans. Someone who is less picky about cooked fruit might like raisins.

Easy Pumpkin Rye Bread

1 1/4 cups white flour
1/2 cup rye flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 brown sugar (I prefer the dark kind, but light brown is okay, I guess)
1/2 (one stick) cup of butter, softened
2 eggs
15 oz. (1 can) of plain pumpkin puree

Sift together flours, spices and reactants. Beat until light and fluffy the butter and sugar (this is when my stand mixer gets a work out).  Add the eggs one at a time, pausing the scrape down and ensure they are mixed in well. Add the can of pumpkin, scrape down and ensure everything is beaten together. Remove bowl from mixer and add 1/3 of flour mixture. Fold in gently, then repeat until flour is just barely mixed in. Over mixing will result in tunneling, which still tastes good, but looks silly. Portion out with an ice cream scoop into lined muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees until an inserted toothpick comes out clean, or about 12-15 minutes. Or, if you want pumpkin bread, pour into greased loaf pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes.

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Fall Recipes Round Up

I noticed my old recipes featuring fall ingredients have been getting lots of hits off Google recently. It's that time of year, I suppose. So to make it easier for you to find my best fall recipes, I've gone ahead and rounded them up into one post for you.

Greens are definitely a fall/winter vegetable in my head. Here's my recipe for easy sautéed turnip greens  with poached eggs. This is a really easy week night dinner. Poached eggs would also go well with this recipe for perfect collard greens.

I haven't made this baked applesauce oatmeal in a long time. I should really dust this one off and make it again soon. But it's a great make ahead breakfast for any day of the week. I used to pack in small glass containers to eat at my desk at work. I've also got a great recipe for gluten free applesauce oatmeal muffins that's worth trying even if you don't an issue with gluten.

If your tomato plants are still producing, you can try your hand at a traditional southern favorite: fried green tomatoes.

We're going apple picking in north Georgia tomorrow, so I'll definitely be using this recipe for apple crisp soon. Fruit crisps are always an easy dessert.

It's pumpkin season! You should totally make this delicious pumpkin curry soup. It also goes well with butternut squash... If you're really adventurous, you can make your own pumpkin puree! Or you can buy a can and just make the pumpkin bread recipe in that link. I won't mind.

I hope these fall recipes inspire you to cook more with fresh, seasonal produce right now. Fall is probably my favorite time of year and the delicious fall treats certainly help with the love. Enjoy!

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Party Chic

Picture this: You're nestled at a cozy table on a balcony overlooking Canton street on a busy Friday night. Lots of Roswell ladies wearing their official uniform of white jeans and a coral top are around you. Everything looks warm and inviting with golden street lamps lighting up old brick buildings. Maybe one of the chairs at your table is a porch swing. Maybe the live band on the back patio is covering a Cranberries song that you loved in high school. But you've got your friends with you and a nice cocktail and it's time for a leisurely dinner. Got it? Then you understand why Party Chic is such a popular spot on the weekends.

Prosciutto wrapped melon 

But it's not just weekends when Party Chic is the place to be. I'm frequently here for lunch during my summer vacations, meeting other teacher friends. It's a popular spot for the ladies who lunch, so much so, that it took me a couple years to convince my husband to come with me. But once there, the food sold him and I hear nary a peep from him when I want to go now.

So yes, Party Chic is a little girly. It's owned by the same ladies who own Kelly's Kakes, and is connected with Roswell Provisions downstairs. There are fancy cupcakes and themed martinis and lightly dressed salads. But the food is good and won't break your wallet. If you can convince your guy to go, he'll be hooked.

French dip with spinach salad

It's unfortunate that the night I planned to review it, the kitchen was a little off. My French dip sandwich with spinach salad was served with cold au jus, instead of piping hot like I've come to expect. But my salad is an ample portion of greens, dressed with balsamic vinaigrette and dotted with crumbled goat cheese, and segments of orange and strawberry. Our appetizer of prosciutto wrapped melon arrives on the heels of our entrees, with breathless apologies from our server. I only mention this, because this is such an unusual situation. Normally, this place has the kind of spotless, effortless efficiency that you never notice. Our table smiles and laughs it off.

A big part of the attraction is the cocktail menu. I've got a chocolate martini so good, I'm licking the syrup off the glass. If the food isn't pricey, the drinks more than make up for that. My friend is sipping something with Kahlua while she tells me about her class. My husband drinks a Blue Moon and talks to the other guys. A cocktail costs as much as an entree, and so does a fancy cupcake. But the drinks are also pretty strong and well crafted. The cupcakes are huge and big enough to share with a date.

So on a warm fall night, you can find much worse places to meet with friends, but I doubt you'll find better.



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You can't call it a "Cronut", because that's copyrighted

Have you heard about the "Cronut"? I thought I was the only person in Roswell who'd heard of these silly things before I wandered into Roswell Provisions on Friday night. But then, there on the countertop, was a Cronut. Oh, sorry. "Croignet." Still confused? Let me back up.

The Cronut with-a-capital-C is the invention of Dominique Ansel in New York City. It's basically croissant dough, fried like a doughnut or beignet and then glazed. It's a bit more complicated than just frying a sheet of croissant dough, which is why Ansel has been able to trademark the name, but that's the gist of it. Apparently, the original version is good enough that folks line up around the block for one.  It's also popular enough to have it's own Wikipedia article. The "croignet" is the knock off version that those of us who don't live in New York get to satisfy ourselves with.

So anyways, I was at Provisions looking for something sweet to snack on. I was eyeing the fried apple pies, because fall has arrived and I'm pretty sure this is my favorite season and a fried pie seemed the way to celebrate, when I saw the last croignet of the day sitting pretty on the countertop. Obviously, if I didn't purchase it my entire hipster foodie blogger credentials would be called into question. I make sacrifices for you all.

And then I ate it. I'm not going to get too into whether or not it was good. It was the last one after having been out in the pastry case all day, so it was a little stale. But it was still nicely sweet and flakey, with just a little chewy denseness from sitting out too long. I'd eat it again. In fact, looking at that picture, I kinda want one right now.

So I guess if you are looking for something a little different and kinda trendy, head to Provisions and eat a croignet. It's pretty tasty.

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Gluten Free Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins

For me, "gluten free" always conjures up visions on neurotic suburban housewives knocking cupcakes out their kids' hands in a panic. "Not gluten!" they gasp. Which is unfair of me, because I know that many people have a real sensitivity to gluten. I just think there are many people who don't actually understand food and just hop on the latest nutritional fad.

 The other things I think of when I think of "gluten free" is "taste free" and "weird, complicated ingredients". Fortunately, these muffins feature neither. The weirdest thing is oat flour, which is obtained by simply pulsing a few cups of oatmeal in the food processor until fine. Oatmeal is easy! And the flavor on these is amazing. they have a nutty texture, a rich mouthfeel from the yogurt and big apple flavor. You can substitute a cup of any fruit puree for the applesauce and still have a delicious muffin. The original recipe from Cheap Healthy Good that I've tweaked used mashed bananas and I've done it with pumpkin as well. Just make sure it's a full cup, otherwise your muffin will be bland.

The only downside of these muffins is that they are not very pretty. The lack of gluten means they don't rise very well, so you end up with something about the size and shape of a hockey puck, but made of oats and delicious. Never you mind that! Just enjoy your tasty muffin and share it happily with gluten sensitive friends.

1 1/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup yogurt
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups oat flour (This can be made by putting two cups of rolled oats in your food processor and pulsing it until fine)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup applesauce (or other pureed fruit)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grind oats to make flour. Combine with rolled oats, yogurt and milk. Allow to hydrate for a few minutes. (This step is important! If the oats don't hydrate, they won't cook and it'll be gross. This is usually when I find and measure my other ingredients. ) Combine spices, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, oil and applesauce with the oats. Measure into well greased muffin cups. Bake for about twenty minutes or until a knife point inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean. Serve and enjoy.

Low Fat Vegan Chocolate Beet Cake

I will spare you, dear reader, any of the dozens of beet related puns that spring to mind when I think of this recipe. Forget what you know about beets and chocolate cake. Leave those preconceptions at your oven door. This is an amazing cake that's going straight into my regular circulation.

When I first heard the words "chocolate beet cake", I was intrigued. I like chocolate. I like beets. Who knew they could go together? But they do! The result is a deeply chocolately cake, rich in antioxidants and fiber. Eating vegetables has never been so fun. I adapted this recipe from Fat Free Vegan, just for maximum weirdness.

I made a few changes to the recipe. First, I diced my beets small and roasted them. A boiled vegetable just seems like a wasted opportunity. Roast those beets and give the natural sugars a chance to caramelize. It's worth the extra step. Second, I was short by about a quarter cup of applesauce and I wasn't in the mood to grab another jar from the pantry, so I did end up using an egg. (If you didn't know, pureed fruit will substitute for eggs in most cakes) So this was not an entirely vegan cake. It should work just fine without the egg though. I also used half a cup of brown sugar, where the original calls for only white. I like the flavor of brown sugar.  The cinnamon is a fantastic addition to the cake. I think the next time I make this, I will also add a spoonful of chili powder. That, combined with the dark chocolate cocoa powder I used, makes an almost Mexican hot chocolate tasting cake. (Which makes me wonder how a slice would taste with dulce de leche drizzled over the top. I may have to try this. )

2 large beets (diced and roasted until fork tender and the edges are brown)
unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 cups unbleached white flour
1/2 cup dark cocoa powder
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Puree roasted beets in your food processor. Add applesauce to make two cups total puree. Add vanilla extract, apple cider vinegar and sugars. Pulse to combine. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine wet and dry together. Pour into greased, parchment lined cake pan. Give it a few good drops on the counter top to knock all the air bubbles out of the batter. Bake on center rack for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

And I'm back

Apologies for the long delay between posts. I didn't mean to go on hiatus that long. As some of you know, I'm really, really into the late Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time series. Probably more than is healthy for me. Anyways, as I'm wont to do with anything I enjoy, I went completely overboard and founded a genre literature convention for Robert Jordan fans. We had about 250 people here in Alpharetta for the event, including the new author of series, the publisher, and Jordan's wife/ editor. It was a pretty fun weekend all in all.

Anyways, you aren't here to watch me nerd out everywhere. You're here for the food. I got too busy to really cook much for awhile, and I managed to put on 15 pounds (Just in time for bathing suit season!), so I need to ease myself back into my usual diet and cooking habits.

To that end, I made cake today.

Yes, I know that seems counter intuitive. Most people do not consider cake to be an essential part of a healthy diet. But we're both dedicated snackers here, and I'd rather us eating a little sliver of something I made from scratch, from good ingredients, than something full of nasty preservatives and chemicals. So today I made Orangette's "Every Day Cake", which turned out beautifully.

I had to adapt it slightly, owing to not having any white whole wheat flour on hand, or nutmeg. So I doubled the amount of all purpose and I used a sprinkling of cinnamon instead. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Perfect for afternoon snacks, as advertised. But I think it would also be an excellent addition to Sunday brunch, topped with whipped cream and fresh berries. The yogurt makes it tangy and rich, and the edges are crispy and brown.

This is a good start.

I made fudge

I had today off, and the heat wasn't working for the better part of the day. What could I cook to stave off the inevitable frostbite? Fudge. Not just any fudge though. Delicious fudge.

Adapted from the recipe on the back of a can of Eagle sweetened condensed milk.

1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 package chocolate chips
1 cup broken dark chocolate pieces
1 tsp vanilla
dash salt
1/2 cup dried cherries and cranberries

In double boiler, combine chocolate, vanilla, salt and sweetened condensed milk. Stir over low heat until smooth. Add dried fruit. Spread in a container lined with waxed paper or parchment. Cool for several hours until firm.

I cut mine into tiny pieces. And the combination of dried cranberries and cherries with the dark chocolate means this treat packs quite an antioxidant wallop. Why, it's practically health food! Sadly, neither my husband or I will enjoy this fudge. I plan to mail it to a friend in Florida that I owe a box of Christmas cookies to.

To make up for it, I made Darling Clementine Cake for our dessert this week. Oh Clementines, is there anything you CAN'T make tasty?

Gah!

Tomorrow is my last day of work for the calender year. I had meant to sneak a batch of cookies into my boss's mailbox this morning as a treat. It was meant to be delicious brown butter sugar shorties from a post Smitten Kitchen made a few weeks ago. Click on the link to see how gorgeous these babies are supposed to be. However, instead of slicing cleanly, my chilled dough crumbled into that decidedly unlovely mess you see above. And while I'm sure they will taste fine, they certainly aren't suitable as a gift for my foodie boss. Oh well. I'm sure he has MORE than enough holiday cookies at his house right now. I'll hit him with something a little more tested after the break.

Apple Crisp

I have a gaming group that meets on Saturdays. Usually it's straight up Dungeons and Dragons, but lately its been Werewolf. Though someone bought a 4th ed handbook, so as of this weekend we're back to DnD. Anyways, the hosts usually do the cooking or we order take out for dinner. I've started making a habit to bring a dessert or side dish along. The big hits this year have been peach salsa and peach cobbler. Since I am currently swimming in apples from the Apple Festival, I thought I'd do a little apple crisp.

From blog

We start with apples. These are Black Arkansas varieties. They are very firm and sweet, perfect for baking.

From blog

I bought a new Oxo grip peeler for this. I've been using the same peeler since before we were married, it was quite dull. I usually hate peeling things, but I actually liked it with this one. Except for the part where I nicked my finger because I didn't get resistance when I expected it.

From blog

Apples, sliced and mixed with orange juice. Yes, I know it's supposed to be lemon juice. I'm out. Deal with it.

From blog

The finished Apple Crisp, fresh from the oven. Not as pretty as I would like, but I can work on that.

Ingredients

2 cups-ish of sliced apples
1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup quick oats
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup butter
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Peel and slice apples and toss with lemon (or orange) juice. In a mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and cut in the butter. You can use a fancy pastry cutter for this, or you can just squish it up with your hands like I do. Mix about a quarter of the topping with the apples, then spread in a baking dish. Spread the rest around on top and bake for 50 minutes at 375 degrees.

Oh no!

I'm making chocolate chip-banana-black walnut cookies tonight. Both as a snack for me and the husband this week, and also as a treat to slip onto my boss's desk this week. I thought the batter seemed a little thin, but when I went to check on them just now I found this:



Poor things have all run together. I've added more flour to the second batch, so hopefully they'll hold together.

They ought to taste good at least.

Poverty Food

One of my food fascinations is the concept of "poverty food". These are dishes designed to use up leftovers, or use only a few, very common ingredients. (Common being a relative term, of course. Traditional French casoulet calls for duck thighs, which aren't terribly common in my part of the world.) Very often, this seems to be an iconic dish for that particular cuisine, like red beans and rice for Cajun style food.

I was stuck this week with a large supply of stale bread. I didn't want to throw it out, because I made it. And I was afraid to keep it to the weekend to make French toast with (another type of poverty food) or it would go moldy. But then I had inspiration... Bread pudding.

I made mine with stale white bread, cut into cubes. I left them out all day on the counter to dry even more. Then I let the pieces soak in enough milk to make them good and soggy. Then I made a mixture of sugar, beaten eggs and cinnamon and added that. I smushed it all around, then sprinkled some leftover dried black currants and cashews over it. It baked in the oven until the top was golden brown and the middle was set. Instead of making a glaze, or sauce for it, I drizzled it with local honey from the Riverside Farmers Market.

So, so good.

I am crushed

Last week, the AJC ran a big spread on homemade frozen yogurt. It made me want to try it myself. So I bought blueberries at the farmers market and greek style yogurt at the grocery store yesterday. I dug out my old ice cream maker, which hasn't been touched since before we got married. After our evening stroll through the neighborhood (cut short by the ungodly heat and humidity this week), I came in and started prepping for what I thought would be a tasty treat.

No dice.

My ice cream machine? Missing a paddle. There will be no frozen yogurt for me tonight.

My husband consoled himself with a bowl of chilled watermelon. I threw my blueberries on top of a few scoops of the yogurt.

This was my first experience with greek yogurt. It was much like eating a bowl of sour cream. Very tangy and creamy. There was a little sugar on the blueberries which cut the tang. I understand now why so many recommend eating this type of yogurt with honey drizzled over it.

I know what I'm eating for breakfast this week.