pumpkin pancakes

Recipes. They are wonderful things which allow for repeat results and controlled fiddling. And, every once in a while, I think about tacking this recipe down on paper. But each time I come to actually making them, I can't help but revel in the rhythm of making them by dash and handful.

So much of life feels dictated by rules, clocks, and calendars and it is a comfort, a little stick-it-to-the-man, to make pancakes without careful measurement -- or often, any measurement at all. Each time it's a toss-up as to whether they will turn out as I want... a good reminder that perfection is not a key element to joy or pleasure.

So I gather the ingredients, crack the eggs, beat in some pumpkin and honey, add a dash of baking soda, salt, and pie spice, then in goes the almond flour. It becomes about the silky texture of the eggs and pumpkin together, the subtle sweetness of the honey and clapping your hands to get the last little bit of cinnamon off your palms.

december

last month
> make an SCD yellow cake with chocolate frosting Dad wanted a trifle for his birthday so I made Comfy Belly's yellow cake, "frosted" it with lemon curd, and then layered it up in a trifle bowl. Still needs some fiddling, but I was delighted by the results.
> read A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis (nope.)
> Gerard Manley! A collection of his work is finally sitting on my bedside table! Here's to future reading and quotes most likely showing up here.
> successfully photograph a wedding Here are my favorites.
> photograph more of Seattle Because it's so beautiful!

on the docket
> Start reading Gerard Manley Hopkins (but really)
> Write more letters
> Finish preparations for moving into an apartment in Seattle
> Experiment with apple cake

buckeyes

In search of a candy of some sort that I could easily pack in lunches, and in a phase where everything I want to try making involves chocolate, I started experimenting with this recipe.

Buckeyes are a classic -- benefits of the nutrition of peanuts and the delight of chocolate. While I think it could probably use some more fiddling, I also think that nearly every recipe could use more fiddling. So here it is, most likely as finished as it will ever be though it may change in the coming months and years.

BUCKEYES 

recipe by Katie Ross 

makes about 12 candies

1/2 c natural, creamy peanut butter 

1/2 c honey 

1/2 c blanched almond flour 

1/4 t salt 

1/2 t almond extract 

1/2 t vanilla extract  

Beat or stir together until completely mixed and smooth. 

Place in freezer for 30 minutes to harden. 

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.  

Roll dough into 1 T balls and place on sheet.  

Place in freezer 30 minutes to harden. 

2oz. Unsweetened baker's chocolate 

Melt in double boiler or microwave.  

Completely cover peanut butter balls with chocolate. 

Return to sheet. Store in freezer. 

They will maintain their shape on a serving plate for an hour or so if the coating of chocolate completely covers the peanut butter.

chocolate pumpkin pie

A furtherance of my chocolate experiments and renewed love of Chocolate Covered Katie: this chocolate pumpkin pie. The first thing my mother said when she tasted it was "we need to put this on our Thanksgiving list." And let me tell you -- that list is guarded carefully. 

This pie in a word? Decadent. Smooth, rich, and sweet and yet without the heavy-tongue feeling of a chocolate chess pie or sugary pudding. It would also make a delightful pudding all on its own without the crust.

I only made a couple changes to the original recipe, the biggest being switching out the one cup of chocolate chips with 4 oz. of baker's chocolate and adding honey for a touch of sweet. I am also interested in trying it in a traditional crust. I made it in this chocolate pie crust this time, though I would like to try it in a traditional crust as well.

NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE PUMPKIN PIE 

recipe modified from Chocolate Covered Katie 

makes one 8-in pie 

4 oz baker's chocolate 
OR (for a slightly sweeter, silkier pie)
12 T cocoa powder
4 T coconut oil

Melt. 

15 oz (1 can) pureed pumpkin 

1 t vanilla 

1-2 t cocoa powder 

1/4 t salt 

1/2 c honey 

Combine all ingredients and blend in a food processor until silky. 

Pour into pie crust and fridge until chilled.

chocolate pie crust

I have recently started trying chocolate. Yes, shocking perhaps, but I did some research. 

While the specific carbohydrate diet does not allow for chocolate or cocoa powder, even in its unsweetened forms (though more recent research seems to agree that unprocessed cocoa butter is legal), many people have found that they have been able to add chocolate to their diet once in remission without any ill effects.

So I tried it. 

And it's been wonderful.

This pie crust is completely traditional SCD legal except for the two tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and is a good place to start. It would go wonderfully with a traditional pumpkin pie filling. And just wait for the other filling I used in this crust!

RIDICULOUSLY EASY CHOCOLATE PIE CRUST

recipe by Chocolate Covered Katie

makes one 8-in pie

2 T cocoa powder 

1/2 c raw cashews (or almonds, walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts) 

1/2 c shredded coconut  

1/8 t salt 

scant 1/2 c pitted dates

Combine all in food processor and blend. 

Transfer to 8-in pie dish 

smush into pan and pour desired filling on top or refrigerate until ready to use 

herb crackers

A long-standing vacation tradition that my mother started is setting out cheese, crackers, and fruit as dinner is settling towards being ready. As soup simmers, grills warm up, or the meat grows tender, we sit quiet and listen to our surroundings or to each other's quiet talking. 

These crackers from Elana Amsterdam have proven to be wonderful for these occasions -- the delight of cutting and stripping fresh rosemary and feeling the dough form in my hands to their crisp texture and a flavor that's complimentary with cheese. They are simple to mix up, easy to bake, and they also store wonderfully in the pantry for lunches, snacks, or, of course, cheese plates.

HERB CRACKERS 

Adapted from "The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook" by Elana Amsterdam 

Makes about 60 crackers 

Preheat oven to 350 F 

Set aside a large baking sheet. 

Cut 2 pieces of parchment to the size of the baking sheets. 

1 3/4 c blanched almond flour 

1/2 t sea salt 

1 T finely chopped fresh rosemary 

1 T finely chopped fresh thyme 

Combine in a large bowl. 

1 T olive oil 

1 large egg 

Whisk together in a small bowl. 

Add wet to dry and stir until thoroughly combined. 

Place dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper and roll to 1/16 inch thickness.  

Remove the top piece of parchment paper. 

Transfer the bottom piece with the dough on it to a baking sheet. 

Cut the dough into 2 inch squares. 

Bake 12-15 minutes, until lightly golden. 

Let cool on the baking sheet for 30 minutes, then serve. 

breakfast cookies

While in the San Juan Islands on the Yankee Clipper as co-galley cook with my friend and future apartment-mate KatieJay, we wanted to avoid excess sugar on our menu. One way in which we dodged both was by making breakfast cookies instead of buying individually packaged oatmeal bars.  They stuck to the kids' ribs better which is oh-so-important on long, cold days of sailing, and were also also significantly cheaper. Not to mention tastier.

When we returned to land, I set my mind to making an SCD version. While I started by looking up Danielle Walker's breakfast cookies from Against All Grain, I proceeded to ignore the recipe and dump in whatever I felt like. It has proved to be a wonderfully flexible recipe. 

Substituting one dried fruit or nut variety for another works beautifully. The peanut butter provides a wonderful texture, the dried fruit proves to be delightfully chewy, and adds a sweetness that doesn't overpower the other flavors. The use of thickly flaked coconut gives these cookies the crispy, hearty, oatmeal texture I have so missed. 

They have proven to be perfect early-morning bus breakfast, lunch filler, or filling snack.

Katie's BREAKFAST COOKIES

Recipe significantly modified from Danielle Walker's Against All Grain

Makes 10-12 generous cookies

Preheat oven to 350 F.

2 c dried fruit (up to 3 dates, apricots, plums, currants, raisins)

3/4 c nuts (walnuts, peanuts, almonds)

Finely chop.

1/2 c peanut butter

1/3 c applesauce [or water for a dryer, cakier cookie]

Mix with dried fruit

1/4 c coconut flour

Sift into mixture and combine

1 c shredded coconut (and/or coconut chips)

2 medium eggs

1/2 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

1/2 t baking soda

1/4 t salt

Add and mix until all are combined.

Place in large mounds on a parchment-lined cookie sheet.

The cookies do not spread so place as close as desired.

Bake 17 minutes or until golden brown at the edges.

Remove to a rack and let cool completely.

lemon bars, sweet

I remember waiting, smelling the hot butter smell coming from the oven and the discipline of waiting for them to cool in the fridge. I remember the sun and the light breezes and the comfort of familiarity. I remember laughing at powdered-sugar mustaches, of breathing in with deep anticipation only to cough on the light sweet dust. I remember always forgetting to hold my breath on the first bite.

Now I can't have the powdered sugar, but as soon as I tasted this recipe, I didn't want to ever go back. Not only do they have the same balance of sweet and tart, butter and custard, but they also showcase a clarity of citrus flavor that many other lemon bars lack.

LEMON BARS 

Adapted from "Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry" by Elana Amsterdam 

Makes 12 bars 

Preheat oven to 350 F. 

Grease an 8x8 dish with coconut oil and dust with almond flour. 

CRUST 

1 1/2 c blanched almond flour (optional: half almond meal) 

1/4 t sea salt 

Combine in a large bowl. 

4 T coconut oil, melted (optional: half or all butter) 

Whisk into dry until thoroughly combined. 

Press into the prepared dish. 

Bake until lightly golden, 5-8 minutes while mixing filling. 

FILLING 

Zest of one lemon 

1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice 

1/4 c coconut oil, room temp 

1/4 c honey 

3 large eggs 

Put in a blender. 

Process until smooth. 

Remove crust from oven and immediately pour in the topping. 

Bake 10-12 minutes until the topping is golden. 

Let cool in the baking dish for 30 minutes, then put in fridge for 2 hours to set. 

Cut into bars and serve. 

strawberry jam



Many of my childhood memories of my grandparents center around breakfast; sitting in a high-backed wooden chair with my feet dangling above the ground,my grandfather puttering around the kitchen cutting fresh fruit and toasting sourdough to perfection, my grandmother sitting and eating with us. Fresh jam and real butter and all wrapped up in family. Not to mention the promised excitement of the tide pools later.

Since switching to the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, I have missed jam. I am well aware that it is very easy to make jam SCD compliant and that it is my own fault that I haven't ever gotten around to doing it. At various times I have used the excuse of not having enough fruit, at others it's because I don't have the time.

Well, neither of those are true right now and my grandmother took advantage of that and made us some glorious strawberry jam. The lemon juice in it gives it the perfect zing and keeps the berries from being too sweet.

We first ate some with the toasted no-fall bread. As soon as we tasted it, we were over the moon. Neither of us have gotten to eat jam or toast for over a year now and the joy of both at once was delightful.

HONEY-SWEETENED STRAWBERRY JAM

Grandma's

Makes 1-2 cups

2 lbs (6 1/2 c smashed) rinsed, dried, and hulled sweet strawberries

3 T honey

1/2 t butter

3 t lime/lemon zest

1/4 c freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice

Place in a 2 1/2-3 quart ceramic/glass dish.

Allow to stand until juices form, about 30 minutes.

MICROWAVE

Cook uncovered on high power until it starts to boil (about 6-8 minutes).

Stir and continue cooking, stirring every 2-3 minutes until it has cooked a total of about 15 minutes.

Spoon out 1 T into a cup and cool in the freezer 5-7 minutes or in the fridge 15 minutes.

Test consistency.

If you would like it thicker, reheat jam to boiling, boil 2 minutes, then test consistency again.

STOVE TOP

Place in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Stir it as it boils until it has been cooking 15 minutes altogether.

Spoon out 1 T into a cup and cool in the freezer 5-7 minutes or in the fridge 15 minutes.

Test consistency.

If you would like it thicker, reheat jam to boiling, boil 2 minutes, then test consistency again.

bread

My grandmother and I are both extremely excited about this bread. Not only is the recipe easy to follow and consistent from one batch to the next, but it's delicious. Yes, it tastes like most other almond flour breads and that can get a little old, but the crust (almost yeasty) and texture (like a British crumpets) of this one are far better than any others I have tried.  

Also, and most exciting, anyone who has been around me on a grumpy morning can get excited. My days of wishing hopelessly for a good piece of jam toast are over.

The hardier consistency of this bread is wonderful for toasting. While the original recipe suggests pan or oven toasting each slice, we found that they held up just fine in a regular toaster.

Now I just have to get that jam recipe from Grandma...

NO-FALL ALMOND FLOUR BREAD

Recipe from Living la Vida Mama Blog

Makes one loaf

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Completely line a loaf pan with parchment paper.

3 eggs

Whisk by hand or in a blender until smooth.

1 c SCD yogurt

Stir until eggs are distributed.

2 1/2 c almond flour

1 t baking soda

1/2 t salt

Stir together in a separate bowl.

1 t apple cider vinegar

Stir into egg mixture.

Add the dry to the wet and stir gently until the batter is evenly moistened.

Bubbles will start to form.

Do not over mix.

Pour into the lined pan.

Cook 45-55 minutes until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Turn off the heat and prop open the oven door, allowing the bread to cool slowly over 15-20 minutes.

This keeps the bread from falling in at the center.

Be sure to watch that it doesn't burn.

Let the bread cool completely before removing it from the pan.

coconut flour butter cookies

I've had this recipe on my list of things to try for quite awhile. Now that I'm settled here next to the ocean with my grandparents for the next month, I have time to experiment and try out a few more adventurous creations. Both my grandmother and I are on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and we've been so excited for these coming weeks when we can play around with ingredients, tastes, and methods.

The dough turned out quite lovely to work with and easy to cut into shapes, even when I reshaped the dough after a first round of cut-outs.

The cookies themselves were a little dry if you took too big of a bite, but that is somewhat the nature of coconut flour. I'm thinking about trying the same recipe with less flour next time and I'd also like to try an almond flour version.

COCONUT FLOUR BUTTER COOKIES

recipe modified from Small Wonders Blog

Preheat oven to 350 F

3/4 c coconut flour

Lemon zest from one lemon

1 t baking soda

Combine in a small bowl.

Set aside.

1 stick butter, softened

1/4 c honey

Blend together with a beater or mix hard by hand.

1 egg

Add and continue beating until smooth.

Slowly add flour mixture until dough is soft and pliable.

Roll out on parchment paper with quick, back and forth movements of a rolling pin.

Cut out desired shapes with a knife or cookie cutters.

Move the shapes onto a parchment lined pan using a spatula.

TIP: make your shapes smaller than your spatula.

Bake 6-8 minutes or until edges are nicely browned.

If you are using two pans, switch them halfway through baking.

Transfer carefully onto a wire rack to cool.