Jonas me a Crumble!
This weekend we were under blizzard warning. We got several feet of snow yes, but this was possibly the gentlest blizzard I have ever seen. The snow was not swirling and flurrying in anger; it was windy but not, I am going to blow you right off the road strong. It was an day's worth of elegant build up in fresh powdery white fluff. The stuff of fairy tales really.
Back home, I made savory waffles with more vegetables in them than flour. They turned out awesome, so you will be seeing them here soon! And, this berry crumble. It is a recipe inspired by of my work colleagues at the last project and I have made it a few times already and love it! It is so simple and so satisfying, and, can be made in any size. Plus, when it is cold out, it is the best feeling to switch on the oven, have sweet aromas wafting through the house, hold a warm plate and bite into the melting cool of ice cream. Isn't it?!
Happy, Merry, Jolly Christmas with An Orange Nigella Cake
Here we are at the brink of yet another year in passing. Christmas to me marks a special time, beyond the festival itself. Sure, it is a celebration with friends and family and a time to relax and enjoy the good things in your life. For me, it is also the time I am in a forced unwind. I choose to spend this time of the year in the countryside of Ireland where I get a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday business in New York. The schedule of these few days could not be more removed from the routine of regular life.
o, here we go. I wish you a fabulous time of joy, laughter, merriment as well as courage to reflect and make good choices on the important things in your life, be it love, family or work!
Merry Christmas!
And, to celebrate the happy things in life, there must always be cake! This year, I baked you a Gluten Free Orange and Nigella Seed Loaf drenched in Ginger Syrup... I hope you make it soon and enjoy it as much as I did.
Apple and Pear Loaf {Gluten Free}
This wonderfully light and moist Fall/Winter fruit loaf is one of those delights I have been making with simple alternate baking flours. Here I use my everyday staple mix of oat and almond flours for a nutty, robust and flavorful finish. Mixing cooked and grated fresh fruit makes for a moist cake that holds its flavor and suppleness for more days despite the use of naturally drier (compared to wheat) flours. The good thing about this recipe is that it does not need any binding agent other than egg and butter. So, no added gums or starches, which, for me is one of its elegant highlights.
Chestnut Fudge Brownie
Since my first encounter with the Tuscan specialty castagnaccio, I have fallen in love with chestnut flour. Finer than almonds, sweet and nutty in flavor, the flour of chestnuts is as elegant as a lady in an evening dress, gliding on a carpet of Fall's golden leaves! Now, is the season for roasted chestnuts. The aroma of these freshly roasted mingles as spiced air, before the onslaught of mulled cider and cinnamon. It harkens Fall/Autumn in a natural sense.
Personally, I have been baking with chestnut flour for a while to very happy results!
Apple Pie Brandy Pudding
So! I am betting that this Apple Pie Pudding will go down in the anals of food history as an accident that was simply waiting to happen! And, when it did, brought greater joy than either pie or pudding could have in of themselves.
Here is what happened. I have been experimenting with different flours. Recently, I decided to test what wheat I am intolerant to. And, I have reading about how heritage strains of grain may not trigger the same issues as the mass produced, yield enhancing GMO versions. Einkorn has been one of those much talked about ancient wheat varietals that supposedly is less trigger happy than regular all purpose flour. The only problem is that it is more dense and less glutenous. Therefore, it because markedly unlike regular flour. Think, low rise and less flaky.
So, when I decided to make apple pie, using the regular pie recipe....