It%u2019s not too late to get in a little end of the year baking. It is actually the perfect time to bake. All the holiday hub bub is still going on so there is usually still people all around still willing and able to eat your offerings (if you were so inclined to share), the days just feel more slow and of need of warmth and lovely smells. Plus we need something to do while while waiting for New Years, because we are just all sitting around waiting for that ball to drop, right? HAHAHA. No.
Anyway, I have been wanting to make some version of a boiled clementine cake for a while now. I love that fact the the whole clementine goes into the cake, that there is no peeling or zesting or juicing. It is just boil the clems for a little while to get the bitterness out and you are good to go. And it doesn%u2019t hurt that right now is citrus season so I have a humngo bowl of clementines, plus a shit load of other oranges and other citrus to go through so the thought of tossing a good few clementines into a cake, well it was just what needed to be done.
And the family is coming over to eat and trash my house so I needed another dessert besides the half eaten ice cream cake left in the freezer from Camereon%u2019s birthday/Christmas. So I baked that they will eat. And there we go. Win win.
Now to the clementine cake.
The stuff. Flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, oil, cinnamon, vinegar, clementines, and powdered sugar.
First you need to boil the clementines. Big pot, fill with water, place clems inside, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Seems like a long time but just do it while you are making and drinking coffee or doing laundry or whatever. You don%u2019t need to keep an eye on them, other then to check that the water hasn%u2019t evaporated, and it smells so nice.
After the 2 hours are up, remove clementines from water and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half. If there are giant seeds, remove them.
Place the clementines into blender and blend until silky smooth.
Now the other stuff. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon. All into big bowl.
Whisk together until incorporated then add in the clementine puree, the oil, and the vinegar. Whisk together until it becomes a uniform batter.
Scoop batter into a very well greased bundt cake pan and bake, 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
The big revel%u2026. And it went perfect! Now time to let this sucker cool a bit on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, make a simple glaze. Just powdered sugar and fresh (not boiled) clementine juice. Mixed unit glaze consistency.
Once the cake is pretty much cooled, pour on the glaze.
And now it is cake time.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
2 1/4 cups all pupose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup any neutral oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 clementines (you need 2 cups pureed)
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 clementine
To start, place 6 clementines into large pot and fill with water. Place on stove and bring water to a rapid boil then reduce heat and continue to simmer clementines for about 2 hours.
Once clementines are cooked, cut in half and check and discard any large seeds. Place the clementines into a blended and blend until smooth. Should have about 2 cups puree. If you are short on volume, add water to make up the difference.
Preheat oven to 350
Grab a large bowl. Dump the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar and whisk together until completely incorporated. Now add in the clementine puree along with the oil and the vinegar. Mix until completely incorporated. Scoop batter into a well greased burnt pan (at least 10 cup capacity) then place into oven on middle rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until a tester (or a fork) stuck in to the deepest part of the cake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in pan, then flip the cake out of pan, gently of course, and hope you greased it well enough for it to just pop out. Once removed from pan, allow to cool on a wire rack.
While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Powered sugar into a bowl along with the juice of a clementine. Mix together. If the glaze is to thick, add more juice (or water), to thin, a little more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (pourable but not runny is good) and once cake is cooled, pour glaze all over.
And then eat cake.
When I was a kid, every once in a while my mom would buy those Entenmann%u2019s marbled loaf cakes, (she still might) and I loved them. Chocolate and vanilla swirled into every slice. Super moist and rich with the soft, fluffy top. I would cut a big slice, toast it, then smother it in peanut butter.
Now when I see these cakes, well honesty, I think they kind of look sad. A cake such as a marbled cake, should not be squashed into a box, stacked away on some display case. No cake should have to deal with that. Cakes should be made then oohed and awed at from the comforts of home, only boxed if 100% necessary like in the case of bringing to a friend or giving as a present. Basically, what I am saying is don%u2019t buy pre-made cakes friends, make the cake at home yourself. The cake will like you better for it.
Anyway, I just was thinking about those cakes and my childhood in general and it made me want to make a quick cake all marbled because of the nostalgia and also, I mean, marbled cakes are pretty pretty and why the heck not. And because it is pumpkin season I had to go with pumpkin and chocolate instead of vanilla and chocolate because we all know it was the right thing to do.
Pumpkin spices, rich chocolate. Two flavors in one bite. Who could complain? I don%u2019t think my 10 year old self would have. I think she would have eaten the whole damn loaf (toasted with peanut butter of course).
Nw to the chocolate and pumpkin loaf cake..
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, almond milk, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spices, coffee, and apple cider vinegar.
Quick and easy. Oil and sugars get a good mix in a big bowl then in goes the pumpkin puree. Mix that in with the milk and apple cider vinegar. Ina separate bowl, mix the flour baking soda and powder and salt. Mix the dry into the wet.
Split the mix in half (eye ball it) and add the spice mix to one bowl and the cocoa and coffee to the other. Mix them until the new ingredients are incorporated. You will then have a chocolate batter and pumpkin spice batter.
Grease a loaf pan then layer dollops of each of the batters into the pan until both batters are gone.
Before the oven and after of the oven.
Place cooked loaf on a wire rack to cool. Really. It needs it. Just wait a least 15 minutes, you can do it.
And then you cut into the load, marvel at the marble, and then eat it.
Two flavors, one mouth.
-C
makes 1 loaf
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup neutral flavored oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plant milk
2 tablespoon coffee (or water if you don%u2019t have coffee)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, mix together the white and brown sugar with the oil until combined and there are no chunks of sugar. Add in the pumpkin puree and the milk and vinegar and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and gently mix until just combined. Scoop half of the batter (eye ball it) into other bowl. Add the pumpkin pie spices to one bowl and fold it into batter until incorporated. Add the cocoa and coffee to the other batter and fold it in until incorporated.
Interchange scooping the batters into greased loaf pan. One, then the other, to create the marbled effect, until both batters are gone. Place pan into oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and pop bread out and place on a wire rack to cool.
Cut a slices, eat, be happy.
Store bread in airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or just slice it up and freeze pieces.
As of right now, these are by far the best cookies I have ever made. Look at them. They are SO CUTE!. Worth all the effort, seeing that I do not own a ghost cookie cutter (although I think my version of ghosts are pretty fantastic) and had to hand cut out each cookie with a knife and a ghost cutout I made a few weeks back. They make me happy just looking at them. That right there is saying something. And I don%u2019t know about you and where you are, but it is getting pretty freaking cold out and I refuse to turn the heat on for a few more weeks so I do what I need to do to stay warm. If that means turning on the oven to bake cookies, then so be it. I have a feeling I am going to be making a few more batches of cookies before the months over. HA! (For reals though.)
These cookies are more or less a traditional sugar cookie with a chocolate ganache type filling, both with a hint of coconut flavor from the use of coconut oil. Something about the whole combination; the cookie, the coconutieness, and the chocolate that really had everyone (I gave them out a Barbs birthday party) praise my amazingness. I guess they are pretty freaking delicious.
Cute and delicious. Best kind of cookie!
And quick note. Yes these are ghosts but think of all the fun shaped sandwich cookies you could make. I am thinking moose shaped cookies next or maybe Christmas trees%u2026 Oh the possibilities!
Now, to the cookies!
The stuff. White sugar, coconut oil, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, almond milk, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. For cookies and filling.
To make cookie dough. Beat toghetet the coconut oil with sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add in all the dry ingredients and the almond milk and mix until a dough forms.
Wrap dough in plastic and squish tight. Place in fridge for an hour or up to a day.
After dough has had time in the fridge, grab it and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out cookie shapes. If you want to cut out eyes or a few different shapes, remember each cookie needs a top and bottom so even numbers folks.
Place cut out cookies on a baking sheet then into the oven they go.
Bakes and ghostly! Place them on a wire rack to cool and keep baking the rest of the cookies.
While cookies are cooling, make chocolate filling. Super soft, almost melted coconut oil goes in a bowl with vanilla and gets beaten together. Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and pinch of salt and kept beating slowly anding in a bit of milk until the whole shebang comes together into chocolate filling awesomeness.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, fill them. The filling might have tightened up a bit so if it is not spreadable, pop into microwave for like 8 seconds to get it to move. Scoop or smear equal amounts of filling onto the bottoms of the cookies and top them off with their tops.
Done, and ready to eat.
Ghosts cookies for all your ghost fueled festivities.
-C
makes at least 16 sandwich cookies
For the cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extact
2/3 cup soft coconut oil
5 tablespoons plant milk (I used almond)
For the filling
1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons plant milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl beat together the white sugar with the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and start to mix with a spoon or fork, adding in the milk as you go. Keep mixing until completely incorporated and turns to a ball of dough. Gather together into a ball and wrap in plastic. Pat flat and place into fridge for an hour or up to a day.
To cut out cookies. Roll fridgerated dough out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes, making sure to have a top and bottom for each cookie. Gather left over dough into a ball and repeat until all the dough is used.
Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are just starting to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cook.
For chocolate filling. Beat together the melted coconut oil with vanilla. Add in the lesser amount of powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat on low, adding in 2 tablespoons plant milk. Beat until mixture comes together into a thick but spreadable consistency. If it seems too thick, add more milk, too thin, a little more powdered sugar.
Cookie assembly. 2 cookies at a time. A top and bottom. Spread about a tablespoon of chocolate filling to bottom cookies and pop the top on.
Eat cookies. Store what is not eaten in a airtight container for up to a week, but these ghosts will definitely not last that long.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
What is any good holiday season without some sort of gingerbread? Am I right, or am I right? I am right. The smell alone smacks a smile on my face. Spicy and sweet and all sorts of comforting. If smells could be objects, the smell of gingerbread would be a warm soft blanket that you can curl up next to a fire, with hot beverages and a good book. Yup, that is exactly what gingerbread smells like.
Gingerbread cookies were an option for all the gingerbread goodness but right now there is a heavy influx of people making cookies of the gingerbread variety so I figured I should do something a little different and honestly, a heck of a lot easier and faster. Plus scones are a way more expectable breakfast food then cookies (who am I kidding, cookies are a completely expectable for breakfast) and I was looking for a good breakfast treat to feed the mr this week because its his birthday week and I wanted a little something special for him for breakfast. I know, I am just so great.
Anyway, these scones fit the holiday gingerbread bill. I mixed them up, added the chocolate chips for a little extra something, then tossed them into the oven and bathed in the smell as they were baking. Pulled them from the oven, poured some coffee, and set out a delightful afternoon snack for the mr, right after he was finished laying on the freezing ground trying to fix the tire on the truck. I think he really appreciated the smell of a warm blanket. And he really enjoyed the scones too. All birthday week long.
So what are you doing this weekend? I think probably making scones. Yeah, do that.
Here we go.
The stuff. In the bowl there is flour, old fashion oats, baking soda and baking powder, and salt. Also need the spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper. Molasses, brown sugar, vegan butter, soy milk, and chocolate chips finish of the list.
In the bowl add in all the spices and the brownl sugar. Mix until completely combined and there are no brown sugar lumps. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in with a fork. You don%u2019t want it blended, you want the butter in little bits.
You want it to look like this. Crumbly.
Toss in the chocolate chip.
Dump the molasses into the milk and mix until combined. Doing this helps minimize the amount of mixing you do which will help make sure your scones are not tuff. So don%u2019t not do this.
Pour the molasses milk into the mixture
With a fork, lightly fold and mix batter until it just starts to come together.
Dump dough out onto a lightly flour surface and gather together with your hands.
Flatten into a big disk and cut into 8 equal wedges. Or as equal as you want to make them%u2026 you could even make a few more wedges if you want more. You do you.
Place the scones onto a baking sheet. Brush a little milk on each then sprinkle the tops with a little brown sugar and some oats.
Pop them into preheated oven and let bake.
Gold brown and ready for the world.
After letting them cool for a bit on a wire rack, stack onto a plate and feed them to your people. And yourself of course.
Chocolate chip oatmeal gingerbread scone and a cup of coffee. A perfection in all the ways.
Enjoy the weekend. It will be great, especially if you make some of these scones.
-C
Makes 8 scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashion oats plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons more to sprinkle on top
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup cold vegan butter
2/3 cup soy or your favorite plant milk
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder and soda, salt, all the spices, and the brown sugar. Make sure there are no big lumps of brown sugar in the mixture. Once dry mixture is all mixed up, cut in (do not blend in) the cold vegan butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Toss in the chocolate chips.
Grab your measure out milk and mix in the molasses until completely mixed together. Dump the mixture into the bowl of dry and lightly mix with a fork until a dough forms. Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it all together with your hands .Flatten dough out into a circle about and inch thick them with a knife or dough scraper, cut into 8 even sized wedges. Place scones onto a baking sheet and lightly brush a little milk onto the tops.. Mix together the extra oats and brown sugar and sprinkle on the tops. Place into preheated oven and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Once baked, remove and place on a wire rack to cool.
Eat. Store left over scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Individual scones freeze well.
I really am just trying to find new ways to use up as much corn as I can. The mr won’t really eat it (he says he hates it, but doesn’t really, but is now really not eating it) and the littles can only eat so much. I have some in the fridge pickled, some in the freezer, and yet every time I come home from farm share I end up brining like 15 more pieces home with me. So I had to get a little crafty with this last batch. I milked it and made biscuits. And it was exactly the right thing to do. Making corn milk was genius (which makes me a genius?) and I am now going to be baking everything with it until I use up all the corn.%u00a0
These biscuits are very versatile, like all good biscuits should be.%u00a0I served them to Barb and the mr with chili and of course they loved them but also I smothered raspberry jam all over a few and the mr was into that. Butter or almond butter too, or just plain. They can be eaten in all sorts of yummy ways.%u00a0%u00a0And if you really are into the corn milk part but not the jalape%u00f1o or lime-ness of the biscuit, just don’t add that stuff in. A simple corn milk biscuit would be just fine too. %u00a0Aaannd if you have a corn hater in the house, they still will probably like theses, or so this goes my experience, although I still don’t think he hate corn. But what do I know?%u00a0
To the biscuits.
The stuff. Corn, soy milk, a lime, a few jalape%u00f1os, and earth balance. In the bowl we have some %u00a0flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Cook tha corn. A quick few minutes in boil water will do the trick.%u00a0
Get all that corn off those cobs. Sure you can nibble, it’s hard not to.%u00a0
Fresh corn and soy milk go into the blender and blended until all smooth and creamy. Taste it.. it is pretty creamy dreamy. %u00a0
That is the corn milk. You could drink it just like this and it would not be weird. It is delicious.%u00a0
Get you jalape%u00f1os, remove seeds, and give them a good small dice and toss them into the bowl with the flours and stuff.%u00a0Also zest the lime into the bowl with the flour.
Cold plant butter goes in first and cut in (I used fork, but you could use a pastry blender) until the dough looks crumbly. Add in the corn milk and the juice from the lime %u00a0and gently stir to just combined.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and gather it all together then lightly press it down until %u00a0it’s about an inch thick.%u00a0
This is the best part,%u00a0(%u00a0Because I love the look of the cut out dough.. It apeals to me in some great way that I don’t yet understand)%u00a0cut the biscuits. I went and grabbed a biscuit cutter which I barely ever use, so that was a win.
Once you cut out the first biscuits, you can gather the dough and gently press it back together and cut out %u00a0more until you use all the dough.
Place the cut out biscuits on a baking sheet and brush the tops brushed with a little corn milk then into the hot oven they go.
Out they come looking all biscuity and such.. And don’t mind the red reflection. That be my shirt. Note to self and to all.%u00a0Don’t wear red while taking pictures with reflective materials.%u00a0
Letting the biscuits be cool, just for a few minutes.
Still slightly warm all cozied together.%u00a0
Nothing like a basket of biscuits to make people happy.
-C
makes about 15 smaller biscuits%u00a0
2 1/2 cups flour
2 ears of corn
1 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon salt%u00a0
1 teaspoon baking podwer
1/2 teaspoon basking soda%u00a0
1/4 cup %u00a0cold vegan butter
2 jalape%u00f1os%u00a0
I lime%u00a0
Cook corn by removing husks and %u00a0dropping into a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. When corn is cooked, remove from water and allow to cool.%u00a0%u00a0Once cooled enough to handle, cut all the corn off the cob and place into the blender with the soy milk. Blend until smooth. It should measure out to be a little more then 2 cups. If you have less, add in more soy milk until is measures 2 cups. %u00a0Place corn milk in fridge for at least 1/2 hour to cool.%u00a0
Preheat oven to 450.
Place flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl.%u00a0Zest the lime in as well and mix it all together.%u00a0Grab jalape%u00f1os, cut in half, remove seeds, then dice into very small pieces. Mix those into mixture. %u00a0Now cut in the butter with either a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Add in juice of the lime and 2 cups of %u00a0the cooled corn milk and mix until just barley incorporated.
Dump the mixture onto a flour surface. Gather it al together and then press it flat until its about an inch thick. With a biscuit cutter, or a knife if you want square biscuits, cut out biscuits. If you use a cutter, place cut biscuits onto a baking sheet then gather the remaining dough and gently press back together and cut out more biscuits until dough is used up. %u00a0Once all the biscuits are on the baking sheet, brush the tops with corn milk %u00a0if you have a little left over or just plain soy milk then place them into the hot oven.
Bake for 17-22 minutes or until the biscuits are a nice golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool, or toss into basket with a tea towel and serve warm.
Then eat them.
I probabaly have already told you, but August is for sure my favorite month of the year (well,one of my favorites)
There is bounties of bounties of fresh, sweet and colorful, oh so juicy, crispy crisp, just so f ing %u00a0amazing, produce exploding all over the place. I have probably gained like 75 thousand pounds in the past month due to all of the fruits and veggies that I have been consuming. I am starting to consider it a full time job just to keep up with the eating.
%u00a0Another reason why I love August so much is becauuse the days are still nice and warm, but the nights are starting to cool which means I get to make so much soup!!!!!.%u00a0
This soup is the freshest freshy soup yet. Everything is from the farm and or the garden (except the salt pepper, vinegar and oil), some picked within hours of me making this.
. I am a lucky/spolied veggie brat.
Anyways. This soup. The fresh tomato base gives it a sweet, slightly acidic kick.%u00a0So super creamy due to the lovely earthy stocks of the chard. Slightly spicy and earthy from the arugula* and chard green green. This soup…%u00a0it just tastes so fresh and clean, yet hearty and satisfying. A perfect soup for a mid August night, eating outside, watching the sun slide behind the mountains and the temperature dropping just enough that you might want a light sweater. Or you can just eat it from the pot in the kitchen while watching TV. It’s good eating anyway you want.%u00a0
*Here in America, it’s called arugula.%u00a0%u00a0Else where , it’s %u00a0called rocket. I wish we all called it rocket, although I do like the name arugula, but for like my first born child or maybe a pet goldfish. Anyway, rocket is arugula,%u00a0%u00a0or vice versa.
Soup time!.
The stuff. Some big %u00a0fresh tomatoes, a few stalks of chard, and a few handfuls of arugaula (aka rocket). A couple carrots, an onion, some garlic, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.. Oh, and I added some balsamic vinegar, which for some reason didn’t make it into the picture (sorry vinegar)
Start by removing the chard leaves from the stalks. Set aside leave with the arugula. Chop up the carrot, chard stems, onion and garlic and toss into a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of water,%u00a0and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir around and stick o nthe stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften up.
Now chop up the tomatoes into chunks and toss those right into the pot with the other stuff. Add in a few cups water and a few glugs of balazmic vinegar. Bring everything to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and place a lid on pot and let cook at medium heat for another 20 ish minutes, or until the tomatoes are falling apart.
Now that everything is all cooked up, blend it up.
And now take the chard leaves and the aruglula and chop into little pieces%u2026.into the pot they go.
Mix it all up.. and take the blender to the soup again%u2026.if you want a smaller sized bite.
To start, remove stalks of chard from leaves and chop stalks, onion, carrot and garlic into chunks and place int a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash or water,%u00a0and spinkle of salt and pepper. Place on stove on medium low heat sand cooke the veggies down until starting to soften and garlic is becoming fragrant. While that cooking, remove core from tomatoes and dice them up. Toss into pot with the cooked down veggies with the vinegar and water. Place a lid on the pot and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are falling apart.%u00a0
When cooked, using with a hand blender or a normal blender, blend the soup until smooth. (if using blender, pour back into pot)
Now take the arugula and chard leaves and chop them into wee little picese and mix into soup. If you want to, blend the greens into the soup.. but not until smooth, unless thats what you want.%u00a0%u00a0Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowl and serve with lots of fresh cracked pepper, maybe a little balsamic drizzle or even some mustard (I at left overs with mustard and it rocked my world)
THE LOVELY CRAZY
January 5, 2020 by maximios • Blog
It%u2019s not too late to get in a little end of the year baking. It is actually the perfect time to bake. All the holiday hub bub is still going on so there is usually still people all around still willing and able to eat your offerings (if you were so inclined to share), the days just feel more slow and of need of warmth and lovely smells. Plus we need something to do while while waiting for New Years, because we are just all sitting around waiting for that ball to drop, right? HAHAHA. No.
Anyway, I have been wanting to make some version of a boiled clementine cake for a while now. I love that fact the the whole clementine goes into the cake, that there is no peeling or zesting or juicing. It is just boil the clems for a little while to get the bitterness out and you are good to go. And it doesn%u2019t hurt that right now is citrus season so I have a humngo bowl of clementines, plus a shit load of other oranges and other citrus to go through so the thought of tossing a good few clementines into a cake, well it was just what needed to be done.
And the family is coming over to eat and trash my house so I needed another dessert besides the half eaten ice cream cake left in the freezer from Camereon%u2019s birthday/Christmas. So I baked that they will eat. And there we go. Win win.
Now to the clementine cake.
The stuff. Flour, baking powder and soda, salt, sugar, oil, cinnamon, vinegar, clementines, and powdered sugar.
First you need to boil the clementines. Big pot, fill with water, place clems inside, bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 hours. Seems like a long time but just do it while you are making and drinking coffee or doing laundry or whatever. You don%u2019t need to keep an eye on them, other then to check that the water hasn%u2019t evaporated, and it smells so nice.
After the 2 hours are up, remove clementines from water and let cool enough to handle. Cut in half. If there are giant seeds, remove them.
Place the clementines into blender and blend until silky smooth.
Now the other stuff. Flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon. All into big bowl.
Whisk together until incorporated then add in the clementine puree, the oil, and the vinegar. Whisk together until it becomes a uniform batter.
Scoop batter into a very well greased bundt cake pan and bake, 50-60 minutes, until tester comes out clean.
The big revel%u2026. And it went perfect! Now time to let this sucker cool a bit on a wire rack.
While the cake is cooling, make a simple glaze. Just powdered sugar and fresh (not boiled) clementine juice. Mixed unit glaze consistency.
Once the cake is pretty much cooled, pour on the glaze.
And now it is cake time.
-C
Makes one bundt cake
2 1/4 cups all pupose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon vinegar
1/2 cup any neutral oil
1 teaspoon cinnamon
6 clementines (you need 2 cups pureed)
For the glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
1 clementine
To start, place 6 clementines into large pot and fill with water. Place on stove and bring water to a rapid boil then reduce heat and continue to simmer clementines for about 2 hours.
Once clementines are cooked, cut in half and check and discard any large seeds. Place the clementines into a blended and blend until smooth. Should have about 2 cups puree. If you are short on volume, add water to make up the difference.
Preheat oven to 350
Grab a large bowl. Dump the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, and sugar and whisk together until completely incorporated. Now add in the clementine puree along with the oil and the vinegar. Mix until completely incorporated. Scoop batter into a well greased burnt pan (at least 10 cup capacity) then place into oven on middle rack and bake for 50-60 minutes until a tester (or a fork) stuck in to the deepest part of the cake comes out clean.
Once baked, remove cake from oven and allow to cool for a few minutes in pan, then flip the cake out of pan, gently of course, and hope you greased it well enough for it to just pop out. Once removed from pan, allow to cool on a wire rack.
While cake is cooling, make the glaze. Powered sugar into a bowl along with the juice of a clementine. Mix together. If the glaze is to thick, add more juice (or water), to thin, a little more powdered sugar until you reach your desired consistency (pourable but not runny is good) and once cake is cooled, pour glaze all over.
And then eat cake.
When I was a kid, every once in a while my mom would buy those Entenmann%u2019s marbled loaf cakes, (she still might) and I loved them. Chocolate and vanilla swirled into every slice. Super moist and rich with the soft, fluffy top. I would cut a big slice, toast it, then smother it in peanut butter.
Now when I see these cakes, well honesty, I think they kind of look sad. A cake such as a marbled cake, should not be squashed into a box, stacked away on some display case. No cake should have to deal with that. Cakes should be made then oohed and awed at from the comforts of home, only boxed if 100% necessary like in the case of bringing to a friend or giving as a present. Basically, what I am saying is don%u2019t buy pre-made cakes friends, make the cake at home yourself. The cake will like you better for it.
Anyway, I just was thinking about those cakes and my childhood in general and it made me want to make a quick cake all marbled because of the nostalgia and also, I mean, marbled cakes are pretty pretty and why the heck not. And because it is pumpkin season I had to go with pumpkin and chocolate instead of vanilla and chocolate because we all know it was the right thing to do.
Pumpkin spices, rich chocolate. Two flavors in one bite. Who could complain? I don%u2019t think my 10 year old self would have. I think she would have eaten the whole damn loaf (toasted with peanut butter of course).
Nw to the chocolate and pumpkin loaf cake..
The stuff. Flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, white sugar, oil, almond milk, cocoa powder, pumpkin pie spices, coffee, and apple cider vinegar.
Quick and easy. Oil and sugars get a good mix in a big bowl then in goes the pumpkin puree. Mix that in with the milk and apple cider vinegar. Ina separate bowl, mix the flour baking soda and powder and salt. Mix the dry into the wet.
Split the mix in half (eye ball it) and add the spice mix to one bowl and the cocoa and coffee to the other. Mix them until the new ingredients are incorporated. You will then have a chocolate batter and pumpkin spice batter.
Grease a loaf pan then layer dollops of each of the batters into the pan until both batters are gone.
Before the oven and after of the oven.
Place cooked loaf on a wire rack to cool. Really. It needs it. Just wait a least 15 minutes, you can do it.
And then you cut into the load, marvel at the marble, and then eat it.
Two flavors, one mouth.
-C
makes 1 loaf
2 cups all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup neutral flavored oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup plant milk
2 tablespoon coffee (or water if you don%u2019t have coffee)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 heaping tablespoon pumpkin pie spice or 2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon each ginger, nutmeg, allspice, and clove
Preheat oven to 350
In a large bowl, mix together the white and brown sugar with the oil until combined and there are no chunks of sugar. Add in the pumpkin puree and the milk and vinegar and mix until incorporated. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the dry mixture to the wet and gently mix until just combined. Scoop half of the batter (eye ball it) into other bowl. Add the pumpkin pie spices to one bowl and fold it into batter until incorporated. Add the cocoa and coffee to the other batter and fold it in until incorporated.
Interchange scooping the batters into greased loaf pan. One, then the other, to create the marbled effect, until both batters are gone. Place pan into oven and bake for 55-60 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Remove pan from oven and pop bread out and place on a wire rack to cool.
Cut a slices, eat, be happy.
Store bread in airtight container for 3-4 days at room temperature or just slice it up and freeze pieces.
As of right now, these are by far the best cookies I have ever made. Look at them. They are SO CUTE!. Worth all the effort, seeing that I do not own a ghost cookie cutter (although I think my version of ghosts are pretty fantastic) and had to hand cut out each cookie with a knife and a ghost cutout I made a few weeks back. They make me happy just looking at them. That right there is saying something. And I don%u2019t know about you and where you are, but it is getting pretty freaking cold out and I refuse to turn the heat on for a few more weeks so I do what I need to do to stay warm. If that means turning on the oven to bake cookies, then so be it. I have a feeling I am going to be making a few more batches of cookies before the months over. HA! (For reals though.)
These cookies are more or less a traditional sugar cookie with a chocolate ganache type filling, both with a hint of coconut flavor from the use of coconut oil. Something about the whole combination; the cookie, the coconutieness, and the chocolate that really had everyone (I gave them out a Barbs birthday party) praise my amazingness. I guess they are pretty freaking delicious.
Cute and delicious. Best kind of cookie!
And quick note. Yes these are ghosts but think of all the fun shaped sandwich cookies you could make. I am thinking moose shaped cookies next or maybe Christmas trees%u2026 Oh the possibilities!
Now, to the cookies!
The stuff. White sugar, coconut oil, flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla, almond milk, cocoa powder, and powdered sugar. For cookies and filling.
To make cookie dough. Beat toghetet the coconut oil with sugar and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. Add in all the dry ingredients and the almond milk and mix until a dough forms.
Wrap dough in plastic and squish tight. Place in fridge for an hour or up to a day.
After dough has had time in the fridge, grab it and roll it out on a lightly floured surface to about 1/4 inch thick.
Cut out cookie shapes. If you want to cut out eyes or a few different shapes, remember each cookie needs a top and bottom so even numbers folks.
Place cut out cookies on a baking sheet then into the oven they go.
Bakes and ghostly! Place them on a wire rack to cool and keep baking the rest of the cookies.
While cookies are cooling, make chocolate filling. Super soft, almost melted coconut oil goes in a bowl with vanilla and gets beaten together. Add in the cocoa powder, powdered sugar and pinch of salt and kept beating slowly anding in a bit of milk until the whole shebang comes together into chocolate filling awesomeness.
Once the cookies are completely cooled, fill them. The filling might have tightened up a bit so if it is not spreadable, pop into microwave for like 8 seconds to get it to move. Scoop or smear equal amounts of filling onto the bottoms of the cookies and top them off with their tops.
Done, and ready to eat.
Ghosts cookies for all your ghost fueled festivities.
-C
makes at least 16 sandwich cookies
For the cookies
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extact
2/3 cup soft coconut oil
5 tablespoons plant milk (I used almond)
For the filling
1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons plant milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
Preheat oven to 350
In a bowl beat together the white sugar with the coconut oil and vanilla extract. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and start to mix with a spoon or fork, adding in the milk as you go. Keep mixing until completely incorporated and turns to a ball of dough. Gather together into a ball and wrap in plastic. Pat flat and place into fridge for an hour or up to a day.
To cut out cookies. Roll fridgerated dough out on a floured surface to about 1/2 inch thick. Cut out shapes, making sure to have a top and bottom for each cookie. Gather left over dough into a ball and repeat until all the dough is used.
Place cookies on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes or until they are just starting to lightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cook.
For chocolate filling. Beat together the melted coconut oil with vanilla. Add in the lesser amount of powdered sugar, salt, and cocoa powder. Beat on low, adding in 2 tablespoons plant milk. Beat until mixture comes together into a thick but spreadable consistency. If it seems too thick, add more milk, too thin, a little more powdered sugar.
Cookie assembly. 2 cookies at a time. A top and bottom. Spread about a tablespoon of chocolate filling to bottom cookies and pop the top on.
Eat cookies. Store what is not eaten in a airtight container for up to a week, but these ghosts will definitely not last that long.
Roasted veggies of any kind can get this girl in trouble. Place a sheet pan meant for many full of roasted veggies and watch out, I will probably eat them all. I can%u2019t stop, won%u2019t stop and you know what, I am not sorry, especially if its roasted brussel sprouts and squash.l I am grabbing at every last bit, especially all the really crispy, almost burnt pieces. Burnt food is one of my favorite flavors.
This dish is pretty basic, but also not. A slightly overlooked grain, spelt, makes for a hearty backdrop to the magic of roasted sprouts and squash, covered with a sunflower butter sauce which is a nice spin on a traditional peanut sauce. It%u2019s pretty easy to make and pretty to look at as well. A nice hearty and warming meal for all of those cold winter nights. And it%u2019s not going to make you feel heavy or gross, like if you sat and ate an entire lasagna. No, you will feel full and fantastic and ready for a cookie (it is the holidays after all).
The ingredients in this dish are mainly inspired by the half eaten jar of sunflower butter a friend of mine gave me at the gym, plus the fact that I have been getting a few stocks of brussel sprouts each week at farm share so we are eating them at ever meal, (plus I LOVE brussel sprouts) and me trying to use up all of the grains and such in the pantry before restocking anything more or new. A dish of convenience sure, but also a damn delicious one at that. With this being said, if you had a different grain you wanted to use, or an abundance of some other veggies that you have or prefer, well go ahead and use them. You do you my friend.
And really, I was thinking of you when I made this dish. Sometimes at this time of year people tend to forget to eat, or tend to eat on the not so healthy side. This grain bowl situation is just what your body is in need of. Simple delicious nourishment.
The stuff. Spelt that has been soaking in water for a while, half a butternut squash, brussel sprouts, a red onion. Also sunflower butter, a few cloves garlic, a lime, soy sauce, a touch of maple, salt and pepper, and olive oil.
The spelt will probably take the longest so get it on the stove. Strain away the soaking water and place into with fresh water. Bring to boil then reduce heat to a simmer. Place a lid on pot ans let it go.
Next, get to the veggies. Halve the big sprouts (small ones can stay whole) chop onion into chunks and cube the squash.
A drizzle of oil, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and a good toss around and it ready for the oven.
Meanwhile, make the sunflower butter sauce. Its pretty basic. The sunflower butter, minced garlic, soy, maple, and juice of the lime all into a vessel that can hold it. Add a couple tablespoons of warm water to thin it out and done. Sunflower butter sauce. Easy Peasy.
After about an hour, your slept should be cooked (that sounds aggressive to me) Tender and chewy and just right.
The veggies should be roasted and done too. Crisp as you like ( I actually like mine even darker, but the mr does not so I went a light roast this time)
And it%u2019s all ready for you to eat.
Roasted butternut squash and brussel sprouts on a warm bed of spelt covered in sunflower butter sauce. Living the good life here.
Take care of yourself this week, and always for that matter. Eat some good food. Your body will be happy for it.
Bye.
-C
Serves 2-3
1 cup spelt berries (soaked in water overnight if you remember)
3 cups water
about 1/2 of a butternut squash
about a pound of Brussel sprouts
a medium red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seed butter (unsalted and unsweetened)
2 tablespoons liquid amionos or soy
1 teaspoon maple or honey
1 lime
2 cloves garlic
salt and pepper
olive oil
Preheat oven to 425
Place soaked spelt berries in a pot with water and a pinch of salt. Bring a boil then reduce heat, place a lid on pot and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour or until spelt berries are tender and all the water has been absorbed.
While spelt is cooking, cut sprouts in half (unless they are very small), cube the butternut into pieces about an inch big, and chop the onion up into chunks. Place all that you just chopped onto a baking sheet, drizzle with a teaspoon or two of olive oil and toss around. Sprinkle the veggies with a pinch or so of salt and pepper and pop into the hot oven. Roast for 40-45 minutes or until roasted to your desired doneness. (I like things a lot darker then the mr so I would leave my veggies in for closer to an hour)
For the sunflower butter sauce. Mince garlic and place into bowl or cup with the sunflower butter. Add in the maple, soy, and the juice of the lime. Mix together and add in a 2 tablespoons of warm water to thin out. Add more water if needed to get to a thick but pourable consistency.
Once the spelt is cooked, the veggies are roasted and the sauce is made, well you can assemble and eat. Spelt in a bowl, toss on some roasted veggies, and cover in the sauce. And then you eat it.
What is any good holiday season without some sort of gingerbread? Am I right, or am I right? I am right. The smell alone smacks a smile on my face. Spicy and sweet and all sorts of comforting. If smells could be objects, the smell of gingerbread would be a warm soft blanket that you can curl up next to a fire, with hot beverages and a good book. Yup, that is exactly what gingerbread smells like.
Gingerbread cookies were an option for all the gingerbread goodness but right now there is a heavy influx of people making cookies of the gingerbread variety so I figured I should do something a little different and honestly, a heck of a lot easier and faster. Plus scones are a way more expectable breakfast food then cookies (who am I kidding, cookies are a completely expectable for breakfast) and I was looking for a good breakfast treat to feed the mr this week because its his birthday week and I wanted a little something special for him for breakfast. I know, I am just so great.
Anyway, these scones fit the holiday gingerbread bill. I mixed them up, added the chocolate chips for a little extra something, then tossed them into the oven and bathed in the smell as they were baking. Pulled them from the oven, poured some coffee, and set out a delightful afternoon snack for the mr, right after he was finished laying on the freezing ground trying to fix the tire on the truck. I think he really appreciated the smell of a warm blanket. And he really enjoyed the scones too. All birthday week long.
So what are you doing this weekend? I think probably making scones. Yeah, do that.
Here we go.
The stuff. In the bowl there is flour, old fashion oats, baking soda and baking powder, and salt. Also need the spices of ginger, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper. Molasses, brown sugar, vegan butter, soy milk, and chocolate chips finish of the list.
In the bowl add in all the spices and the brownl sugar. Mix until completely combined and there are no brown sugar lumps. Drop in the cold butter and cut it in with a fork. You don%u2019t want it blended, you want the butter in little bits.
You want it to look like this. Crumbly.
Toss in the chocolate chip.
Dump the molasses into the milk and mix until combined. Doing this helps minimize the amount of mixing you do which will help make sure your scones are not tuff. So don%u2019t not do this.
Pour the molasses milk into the mixture
With a fork, lightly fold and mix batter until it just starts to come together.
Dump dough out onto a lightly flour surface and gather together with your hands.
Flatten into a big disk and cut into 8 equal wedges. Or as equal as you want to make them%u2026 you could even make a few more wedges if you want more. You do you.
Place the scones onto a baking sheet. Brush a little milk on each then sprinkle the tops with a little brown sugar and some oats.
Pop them into preheated oven and let bake.
Gold brown and ready for the world.
After letting them cool for a bit on a wire rack, stack onto a plate and feed them to your people. And yourself of course.
Chocolate chip oatmeal gingerbread scone and a cup of coffee. A perfection in all the ways.
Enjoy the weekend. It will be great, especially if you make some of these scones.
-C
Makes 8 scones
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup old fashion oats plus 1/4 cup to sprinkle on top
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar plus 2 tablespoons more to sprinkle on top
2 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup cold vegan butter
2/3 cup soy or your favorite plant milk
2/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 375
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder and soda, salt, all the spices, and the brown sugar. Make sure there are no big lumps of brown sugar in the mixture. Once dry mixture is all mixed up, cut in (do not blend in) the cold vegan butter until the mixture looks crumbly. Toss in the chocolate chips.
Grab your measure out milk and mix in the molasses until completely mixed together. Dump the mixture into the bowl of dry and lightly mix with a fork until a dough forms. Dump out the dough onto a lightly floured surface and bring it all together with your hands .Flatten dough out into a circle about and inch thick them with a knife or dough scraper, cut into 8 even sized wedges. Place scones onto a baking sheet and lightly brush a little milk onto the tops.. Mix together the extra oats and brown sugar and sprinkle on the tops. Place into preheated oven and bake for 25-28 minutes, or until nice and golden brown. Once baked, remove and place on a wire rack to cool.
Eat. Store left over scones in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days. Individual scones freeze well.
I really am just trying to find new ways to use up as much corn as I can. The mr won’t really eat it (he says he hates it, but doesn’t really, but is now really not eating it) and the littles can only eat so much. I have some in the fridge pickled, some in the freezer, and yet every time I come home from farm share I end up brining like 15 more pieces home with me. So I had to get a little crafty with this last batch. I milked it and made biscuits. And it was exactly the right thing to do. Making corn milk was genius (which makes me a genius?) and I am now going to be baking everything with it until I use up all the corn.%u00a0
These biscuits are very versatile, like all good biscuits should be.%u00a0I served them to Barb and the mr with chili and of course they loved them but also I smothered raspberry jam all over a few and the mr was into that. Butter or almond butter too, or just plain. They can be eaten in all sorts of yummy ways.%u00a0%u00a0And if you really are into the corn milk part but not the jalape%u00f1o or lime-ness of the biscuit, just don’t add that stuff in. A simple corn milk biscuit would be just fine too. %u00a0Aaannd if you have a corn hater in the house, they still will probably like theses, or so this goes my experience, although I still don’t think he hate corn. But what do I know?%u00a0
To the biscuits.
The stuff. Corn, soy milk, a lime, a few jalape%u00f1os, and earth balance. In the bowl we have some %u00a0flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Cook tha corn. A quick few minutes in boil water will do the trick.%u00a0
Get all that corn off those cobs. Sure you can nibble, it’s hard not to.%u00a0
Fresh corn and soy milk go into the blender and blended until all smooth and creamy. Taste it.. it is pretty creamy dreamy. %u00a0
That is the corn milk. You could drink it just like this and it would not be weird. It is delicious.%u00a0
Get you jalape%u00f1os, remove seeds, and give them a good small dice and toss them into the bowl with the flours and stuff.%u00a0Also zest the lime into the bowl with the flour.
Cold plant butter goes in first and cut in (I used fork, but you could use a pastry blender) until the dough looks crumbly. Add in the corn milk and the juice from the lime %u00a0and gently stir to just combined.
Dump the dough onto a floured surface and gather it all together then lightly press it down until %u00a0it’s about an inch thick.%u00a0
This is the best part,%u00a0(%u00a0Because I love the look of the cut out dough.. It apeals to me in some great way that I don’t yet understand)%u00a0cut the biscuits. I went and grabbed a biscuit cutter which I barely ever use, so that was a win.
Once you cut out the first biscuits, you can gather the dough and gently press it back together and cut out %u00a0more until you use all the dough.
Place the cut out biscuits on a baking sheet and brush the tops brushed with a little corn milk then into the hot oven they go.
Out they come looking all biscuity and such.. And don’t mind the red reflection. That be my shirt. Note to self and to all.%u00a0Don’t wear red while taking pictures with reflective materials.%u00a0
Letting the biscuits be cool, just for a few minutes.
Still slightly warm all cozied together.%u00a0
Nothing like a basket of biscuits to make people happy.
-C
makes about 15 smaller biscuits%u00a0
Cook corn by removing husks and %u00a0dropping into a pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. When corn is cooked, remove from water and allow to cool.%u00a0%u00a0Once cooled enough to handle, cut all the corn off the cob and place into the blender with the soy milk. Blend until smooth. It should measure out to be a little more then 2 cups. If you have less, add in more soy milk until is measures 2 cups. %u00a0Place corn milk in fridge for at least 1/2 hour to cool.%u00a0
Preheat oven to 450.
Place flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder into a large bowl.%u00a0Zest the lime in as well and mix it all together.%u00a0Grab jalape%u00f1os, cut in half, remove seeds, then dice into very small pieces. Mix those into mixture. %u00a0Now cut in the butter with either a fork or pastry blender until the mixture is crumbly. Add in juice of the lime and 2 cups of %u00a0the cooled corn milk and mix until just barley incorporated.
Dump the mixture onto a flour surface. Gather it al together and then press it flat until its about an inch thick. With a biscuit cutter, or a knife if you want square biscuits, cut out biscuits. If you use a cutter, place cut biscuits onto a baking sheet then gather the remaining dough and gently press back together and cut out more biscuits until dough is used up. %u00a0Once all the biscuits are on the baking sheet, brush the tops with corn milk %u00a0if you have a little left over or just plain soy milk then place them into the hot oven.
Bake for 17-22 minutes or until the biscuits are a nice golden brown. Once baked, remove from oven and place on a cooling rack to cool, or toss into basket with a tea towel and serve warm.
Then eat them.
I probabaly have already told you, but August is for sure my favorite month of the year (well,one of my favorites)
There is bounties of bounties of fresh, sweet and colorful, oh so juicy, crispy crisp, just so f ing %u00a0amazing, produce exploding all over the place. I have probably gained like 75 thousand pounds in the past month due to all of the fruits and veggies that I have been consuming. I am starting to consider it a full time job just to keep up with the eating.
%u00a0Another reason why I love August so much is becauuse the days are still nice and warm, but the nights are starting to cool which means I get to make so much soup!!!!!.%u00a0
This soup is the freshest freshy soup yet. Everything is from the farm and or the garden (except the salt pepper, vinegar and oil), some picked within hours of me making this.
. I am a lucky/spolied veggie brat.
Anyways. This soup. The fresh tomato base gives it a sweet, slightly acidic kick.%u00a0So super creamy due to the lovely earthy stocks of the chard. Slightly spicy and earthy from the arugula* and chard green green. This soup…%u00a0it just tastes so fresh and clean, yet hearty and satisfying. A perfect soup for a mid August night, eating outside, watching the sun slide behind the mountains and the temperature dropping just enough that you might want a light sweater. Or you can just eat it from the pot in the kitchen while watching TV. It’s good eating anyway you want.%u00a0
*Here in America, it’s called arugula.%u00a0%u00a0Else where , it’s %u00a0called rocket. I wish we all called it rocket, although I do like the name arugula, but for like my first born child or maybe a pet goldfish. Anyway, rocket is arugula,%u00a0%u00a0or vice versa.
Soup time!.
The stuff. Some big %u00a0fresh tomatoes, a few stalks of chard, and a few handfuls of arugaula (aka rocket). A couple carrots, an onion, some garlic, salt and pepper and a bit of olive oil.. Oh, and I added some balsamic vinegar, which for some reason didn’t make it into the picture (sorry vinegar)
Start by removing the chard leaves from the stalks. Set aside leave with the arugula. Chop up the carrot, chard stems, onion and garlic and toss into a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash of water,%u00a0and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Stir around and stick o nthe stove on medium heat for about 10 minutes until the veggies start to soften up.
Now chop up the tomatoes into chunks and toss those right into the pot with the other stuff. Add in a few cups water and a few glugs of balazmic vinegar. Bring everything to a boil and then turn heat to medium low and place a lid on pot and let cook at medium heat for another 20 ish minutes, or until the tomatoes are falling apart.
Now that everything is all cooked up, blend it up.
And now take the chard leaves and the aruglula and chop into little pieces%u2026.into the pot they go.
Mix it all up.. and take the blender to the soup again%u2026.if you want a smaller sized bite.
Soup Into bowls..Then into mouth.
Happy August!!
And hey hey hey.. Have the best weekend!
-C
To start, remove stalks of chard from leaves and chop stalks, onion, carrot and garlic into chunks and place int a big pot with a drizzle of olive oil, a splash or water,%u00a0and spinkle of salt and pepper. Place on stove on medium low heat sand cooke the veggies down until starting to soften and garlic is becoming fragrant. While that cooking, remove core from tomatoes and dice them up. Toss into pot with the cooked down veggies with the vinegar and water. Place a lid on the pot and let cook for about 20-25 minutes or until the tomatoes are falling apart.%u00a0
When cooked, using with a hand blender or a normal blender, blend the soup until smooth. (if using blender, pour back into pot)
Now take the arugula and chard leaves and chop them into wee little picese and mix into soup. If you want to, blend the greens into the soup.. but not until smooth, unless thats what you want.%u00a0%u00a0Cook for another 5 minutes. Taste and season with more salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowl and serve with lots of fresh cracked pepper, maybe a little balsamic drizzle or even some mustard (I at left overs with mustard and it rocked my world)
spoons work eel las eating utencils.