Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies…mmmmmmmmm

I’ve had a pretty busy month and haven’t been able to get a recipe together to sample for a few weeks now, but I’m back!

All month I’ve wanted to try to recreate something I used to eat often before I was diagnosed as gluten-intolerant…Erin Baker’s Breakfast Cookies. They are made within a few blocks of our Cordata neighborhood store, and they were easy to grab on the way to a morning meeting.  I looked at various recipes, and decided on one that I found on food.com that I felt had a good base.

Last weekend I drove to Hood River, OR for a preliminary meeting for this year’s Provender Alliance Conference at the beautiful Hood River Inn.  You may remember that last year I served as the conference kitchen food liaison and I’ve signed up again this year.  Susan (Provender’s Executive Director) and I met with the hotel catering/banquet managers and their head chef to plan another amazing conference buffet.  I decided a test batch of cookies for my trip was in order.

I found these cookies to be quite a bit different from a Baker’s cookie, but they were delicious nonetheless.  This oatmeal cookie is light and chewy, and extremely easy to put together.  After I decided on a few tweaks to the recipe (and a new name – they are reminiscent of apple pie), I knew I had a winner to share with everyone!

I would urge you to think about the ingredients you choose to use in this recipe, as they can make a difference in how it turns out.  Make sure you use a thick applesauce to get the correct consistency of batter.  I used Nana Mae’s Organics Mid-Season Heirloom apple sauce because it is made with 100% organic apples – no added sugar (and because it’s delicious).  One other key ingredient are the dried apple slices that I used.  We are now carrying some cinnamon apple slices in our bulk department made by GloryBee Foods, a family owned, natural foods ingredient wholesaler out of Eugene, OR.  While these slices do contain sugar, they are the most tasty dried apples I have ever tasted (besides homemade!) and work amazing in these cookies.  If you can’t find these slices at your local co-op or natural foods store, than regular dried apples will work but I would suggest re-hydrating them a little.

Enjoy!

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies © Sassy Sampler 2013

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies

makes 36 cookies

INGREDIENTS

• 1 2/3 c flour—you can use a gluten-free blend or wheat flour
• 1 t baking soda
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 3/4 c butter or margarine, softened (1 1/2 sticks)
• 1/3 c sugar (can substitute coconut sugar, stevia sugar replacement, etc.)
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/2 c applesauce (thick works best)
• 1 c chopped dried apples
• 3 c quick cooking oats (Bob’s gluten-free for GF version of cookie)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.
3. Mix the flour, salt, cinnamon, and baking soda in a medium bowl.
4. Cream the butter and sugars together in a stand mixer or with a handheld mixer (in a large bowl).  Scrape bowl as needed.
5. With the mixer on, add the eggs one at a time and mix until combined.  Scrape down sides of bowl as needed.
6. Add the applesauce on low-speed and mix until combined.  Scrape down the bowl.
7. Add the flour mixture to the batter and mix until combined, scraping bowl as needed.
8. Add the oats and apples to the now empty flour bowl and mix to combine.  Make sure to break up apple bits so they don’t stick together.
9. Remove (cookie dough) bowl from mixer (if using) and stir in the oats/apples with a spoon.
10. At this point, your dough should be moist and very light but very workable; if it seems too wet then add up to 3 T of flour, 1 T at a time, mixing between each addition.
11. Using a small scoop or tablespoon, drop batter onto prepared cookie sheets.  Flatten cookie slightly, as they will not spread while cooking.
12. Bake for 12-16 minutes, or until lightly browned along the sides and bottom.  Turn baking sheet halfway during cooking time to get an even bake.
13. Cool on wire rack for about 5 minutes, then remove cookies from sheet to cool completely.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.

You can also use coconut butter in place of the butter/margarine, but it will slightly effect the taste of the cookie, and you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies PDF

Homemade Candy Corn

I am a big candy corn fan, but don’t tend to eat it because of the ingredients.  While looking for a fun candy recipe to demo this week, I ran across one for homemade candy corn on Serious Eats and couldn’t resist contacting the author to see if I could use her recipe, mostly because the photo of the candy was so darn cute!  It was created by Jessie Oleson Moore, of Cake Spy fame – she is based in Seattle and her blog is awesome if you are into the sweeter side of cooking (like I am!).

I only made one small change to her fabulous recipe – instead of using corn syrup I used organic light agave syrup (I’ll note that we do sell organic corn syrup at our Co-op if you’d prefer to use that).  We also sell some really cool natural food dyes by India Tree – they are made from turmeric, beet and vegetable juice in a glycerin base.

These little candies were super easy to make (you just need a little elbow grease to get the food coloring worked in) and taste so much better than the commercial candy corn on the market…and they are organic (excluding the food coloring).  You don’t even need a candy thermometer!  Customers (and staff) who tried them thought they were very tasty and had a nice caramel-like aftertaste.  I will be making these again for sure!

Homemade Candy Corn © 2013 Sassy Sampler

recipe adapted from Serious Eats/Cake Spy

INGREDIENTS

• 2 1/2 c organic powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/3 c organic powdered milk
• 1 c organic granulated sugar
• 2/3 c organic light agave syrup
• 1/3 c organic salted butter
• 1 t organic vanilla extract
• Food coloring

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and powdered milk together.  Set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine the granulated sugar, agave syrup, and butter over high heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium, add the vanilla and continue stirring frequently for five minutes—the mixture will begin to reduce and thicken.
4. Remove pan from the heat.  Stir in the powdered sugar/milk mixture a little at a time, stirring after each addition until all the dry mixture has been mixed into the wet mixture.
5. You can either leave the dough in the saucepan or turn it out into a bowl sprinkled with powdered sugar until it is cool enough to be handled.
6. Divide the dough into as many sections as you’d like to create colored segments for your finished candy, and place them in small separate bowls.  Mix each mound of dough with food coloring until you reach your desired color.  Hint—you may want to wear gloves so your hands don’t get stained, and the longer you wait the harder the dough will be to work with.
7. On top of a sheet of waxed or parchment paper, roll out each color of dough into a long thin rope.  The thinner the rope, the smaller that segment of color will be in your finished candy.  I divided my dough into three colors and made four 17” ropes of each color (they were about 3/8” thick).
8. Press together your ropes of dough in whatever color combination you’d like.  To make sure that each segment sticks together, press a second sheet of waxed or parchment paper on top and press with a rolling-pin or your hands.
9. Using a very sharp knife, cut the dough into triangle segments.  Keep a damp, clean cloth on hand to wipe off the knife if it gets sticky.
10. Let the finished kernels set for an hour or two before serving.

Note from the original recipe author — up the cute quotient by placing a dab of green frosting in the inside of a lid of an empty baby food container and place 2-3 kernels on top, then screw the lid into the jar bottom-side up to create a magical forest of an Easter Corn terrarium.

Homemade Candy Corn PDF

Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls

Recently a co-worker of mine asked me to let her know if I ran across any tasty gluten-free brioche recipes. Not a week later, I picked up a copy of the January/February copy of Delight Gluten-free magazine and lo and behold there was a brioche recipe!

I hadn’t actually made the recipe, but I usually get pretty good results from the recipes published in the magazine. I whipped up a batch of rolls, and was a little disappointed – while they tasted just fine, they were pretty boring. I asked Michael M, another gluten-free foodie that works with me, for his opinion – we decided that the recipe was sound, it was just the application that needed fine tuning…enter yeasted cinnamon rolls!

I followed the same recipe, I just added some extra steps (and ingredients). The dough itself comes together in about 10 minutes, so it is very quick to put together. I thought that since the dough was so sticky that it would be a problem rolling it into a log like you would with any other cinnamon roll recipe, but I used a ton of flour on my work surface and didn’t end up having any problems at all (a bowl scraper comes in handy, though). I let the rolls proof for an hour in a warm spot, and then baked them at 350° for about 20 minutes. I whipped up a simple glaze and we were in business – hot, gluten-free, and delicious cinnamon rolls!

Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls © 2013 Sassy Sampler

Makes 8 rolls

INGREDIENTS

For the dough:

• 1 1/2 c gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (with xanthan or guar gum)
• 3 T granulated sugar
• 2 1/2 t (1 packet) active dry yeast
• generous 1/4 t sea salt
• 1/2 c milk, warmed, divided in two portions
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
• 6 T butter, softened and divided into T portions

For the filling:

• 1/2 c melted butter
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 t cinnamon

For the glaze:

• 1 1/2 c powdered sugar
• 3 T milk
• 1 t vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Grease the bottom and sides of a cake pan with butter or oil and set aside.
2. In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine flour, sugar, yeast, and salt.  Mix with paddle attachment until combined.
3. Add 1/4 c of the warmed milk, eggs, and apple cider vinegar to the flour mix and mix on med-low speed until incorporated.  Scrape bowl with rubber spatula.
4. Add remaining milk and mix until incorporated.  Scrape bowl with rubber spatula.
5. Add butter 1 T at a time, making sure that each piece is fully incorporated before adding the next.  You may need to stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl periodically.  The dough will be soft and sticky.
6. Make filling—melt butter and combine with sugar and cinnamon.
7. GENEROUSLY flour your work surface.  Flour your hands really well and gently work the dough into a rectangle, about 12”x18” and just under a 1/2” thick, sprinkling flour over dough as needed.
8. Gently spread filling in an even layer on the dough.  Carefully start rolling the dough from the long side—using a bowl scraper along the edge makes this easier—it will be a slow process, so don’t rush it or you will tear the dough.  Brush off excess flour as you roll.
9. Once dough is rolled into a log shape, cut into 8 even pieces with a sharp (and floured) knife.  Move rolls to prepared pan, cut side down.
10. Cover pan with oiled plastic wrap and allow to rise in a warm place for about an hour, until the rolls are slightly puffed.  (this is called proofing the dough)
11. Preheat oven to 350°F towards the end of the proofing stage.
12. Remove plastic wrap.  Bake (see note) for 20 minutes at 350° or until golden brown on top and the rolls bounce back when touched.
13. Prepare the glaze by whisking all ingredients together.  Drizzle over cinnamon rolls.  Serve warm for ideal yummy-ness.  Store in an air-tight container for up to three days.  Best when eaten the same day as you make them.

Sassy Sampler note — Oven temperatures vary, so you may need to adjust the cooking time.

Gluten-free Cinnamon Rolls PDF

Homemade Peppermint Patties

Keeping with my annual tradition of finding a fun and easy recipe for Valentine’s Day, this week I decided to make one of my husband’s favorite treats – peppermint patties.  I must say, they were a BIG hit when customers sampled them yesterday and I gave out a record number of recipes! 

I found a great recipe on Taste of Home that only used five ingredients – sweetened condensed milk, powdered sugar, peppermint flavor, chocolate chips, and some shortening (all of which you can buy organic and trans-fat free at the Co-op).  This recipe is fun because you can shape the peppermint dough however you like, something I realized after I had made all my patties for my recipe demo – I’ll pat the dough flat and use a small cookie cutter to shape them as little hearts for the holiday!  It also comes together relatively quickly – it took me about 20 minutes to make the dough and shape the patties, plus chill time, and then it took me about 10-15 minutes to coat them with chocolate, plus chill time.

© Sassy Sampler 2013

One thing I learned from this recipe is that I will always put a little oil in my chocolate from now on if I am using it to cover candies – I’ve always had difficulty with getting a nice even coating of chocolate when I make things like this, and the shortening added to the chocolate in this recipe really makes a difference.  If you are averse to vegetable shortening (we carry an organic 100% palm oil version), or just don’t have any on hand, I think that coconut oil would be an acceptable substitute.

If you are vegan and are craving some of these homemade candies, I suggest making this coconut version of sweetened condensed milk created by Sunny B on her gluten/dairy-free recipe blog – I think it would work great in this recipe.

…I’ll also mention that our Bakery has developed a vegan peppermint patty that will be available soon – I got to sample one and they are yummy!

Mmmmm…organic peppermint patties! © Sassy Sampler 2013

adapted from Taste of Home

INGREDIENTS

• 3/4 c organic sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 t organic peppermint flavor (use less if you use real extract)
• 3—4 c organic powdered sugar (up to 1#)
• 3 c (18 oz) organic fair-trade dark chocolate chips
• 2 t organic vegetable shortening (or organic coconut oil)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a bowl, combine milk and peppermint flavor.
2. Stir in 3 c powdered sugar, to form a stiff dough. Once you have initially incorporated the sugar into the milk mixture, it is easiest to finish mixing with your hands.
3. Knead enough remaining sugar to form a dough that is very stiff and no longer sticky.
4. Working quickly, shape into 1” balls (really compact the dough) and place on a waxed paper or parchment lined baking sheet.
5. Flatten balls into 1 1/2” disks.Place cookie sheet in the freezer for half an hour, flipping them after 15 minutes (don’t freeze them for longer than that).
6. Melt the chocolate chips and shortening in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl over about 1” of boiling water, stirring frequently. The chocolate is easiest to work with when it remains hot, so once the water is boiling and the chocolate has melted, turn off the heat but keep the bowl on the pot to keep the chocolate warm.
7. Place a fork under a patty and dip in the chocolate mixture; tap fork against the side of the bowl gently and scrape excess chocolate off the bottom of the patty using the side of the bowl.
8. Place patty on waxed or parchment paper to harden—you can either do that at room temperature or in the fridge.

These have a great shelf life—keep them in an airtight container (separate layers with parchment paper) in the fridge for up to a month.

Chocolate Peppermint PattiesPDF

Super Yummy Gluten-free Bagels

Baking bread has always been my weak point…until I made these awesome bagels this morning. I haven’t been able to find an acceptable pre-made gluten-free bagel and was about ready to give up – you could hardly call what is available a real “bagel” and it’s one of the few bread items I still crave from time to time since starting a gluten-free diet. I decided that today was the day I would try my hand at making some from scratch, and I am so glad I did!

My bagels before I boiled them. © 2013 Sassy Sampler

I looked at a number of recipes before I chose one to try, and most were basic bagel recipes that simply had gluten-free flour substituted in for the wheat flour. I didn’t feel that would produce a bagel that was any better than the packaged ones, so I kept looking. I found what I was looking for on Food.com – this recipe contained eggs and milk, which I felt would help with the dryness factor that is so common in GF breads. I was a little nervous since this recipe was so different from the others, but after preparing it (it took about an hour total) I found my nervousness was unfounded – the bagels looked like they could have come from the Bagelry (a local favorite) and they smelled great. I have to say that this is officially one of my favorite recipes now!

Bagels have been boiled, sesame seeds sprinkled, and egg washed. © 2013 Sassy Sampler

They came out of the oven a beautiful golden brown and I couldn’t wait for them to cool before I cut into one…pause for a moment of bliss please! Once they had cooled, I cut into another and ate it un-toasted and with no accoutrements – delicious! I imagine that after the first day you’ll have to toast them like any other gluten-free bread, but that doesn’t bother me one bit. They were so good that my wheat-eating husband asked if I was going to make a batch at home so we could have “eggels on bagels” this weekend (what we call a scrambled egg and bagel sandwich – we used to love to make these on the weekends with Bagelry bagels, pre-gluten intolerance). My enthusiastic answer was YES!!!

Gluten-free Bagels © 2013 Sassy Sampler

Gluten-free Bagels

Makes 6 bagels

INGREDIENTS

• 2/3 c lukewarm milk (plus 2 T)
• 2 T active dry yeast
• 3 T sugar (three 1 T portions)
• 1 c gluten-free potato starch *
• 1 c gluten-free cornstarch *
• 1/2 c tapioca flour *
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 2 t baking powder
• 2 t xanthan gum
• 1 t sea salt, plus more for topping
• 2 eggs + 1 egg
• 1/2 t apple cider vinegar
• Sesame seeds or other topping
• Cooking oil for baking sheet/Cornmeal (optional) – to put on the cookie sheet under the bagels

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small bowl, combine the (lukewarm) milk and 1 T sugar. Stir briefly to help dissolve the sugar. Add the yeast (stir to disperse granules) and let sit for about 10 minutes until it is foamy on top.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F. Put on a pot on to boil, with about an 1 1/2 – 2 inches of salted water in it.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together potato starch, cornstarch, tapioca flour, baking soda, baking powder, xanthan gum, 1 T sugar, and 1 t sea salt. Create a “well” in the middle of the flour.
4. Scramble 2 eggs in a bowl and add the vinegar; mix to combine.
5. Add the egg and yeast mixtures to the flour “well” and mix well with a rubber spatula to combine and remove all the lumps.
6. Flour your hands and divide dough* into 6 evenly sized dough balls. Press a hole into the center of each ball with your thumbs and shape it into a bagel—they will rise, so make sure your hole isn’t too small, it should be about the size of a quarter. You can place them on a sheet of parchment paper.
7. Add 1 T sugar to the boiling water.
8. One at a time, gently place a bagel into the boiling water. Boil for about 1 minute, gently flipping the bagel after about 30 seconds—the crust will be thicker and chewier the longer you boil them and the interior will be denser.
9. Remove the bagel from the water (use a large slotted spoon if you have one or a spatula) and place it on a greased baking sheet (you can also skip the oil and instead sprinkle cornmeal on the sheet).
10. Sprinkle sesame seeds and sea salt over the bagel immediately once it comes out of the water (or whatever topping you have chosen, or none at all) and brush gently with an egg wash (see below). Repeat steps 9 and 10 for the rest of the bagels.
11. Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
12. Allow to cool on a wire rack.

Bagels can be frozen.

To make egg wash:

1. Beat one egg in a small bowl.
2. Add 2 T milk or water and beat the mixture until combined.
3. Spread egg wash over the top of the uncooked bagels with a pastry brush.

* Be careful when measuring your flours – if you use even a little more than what is listed then your bagels will turn out dry. If your dough seems a bit dry when you are done mixing, add more milk (start with 1 T) – your dough should be (slightly) sticky and feel kind of delicate when shaping the bagels.

Using an egg wash will give you a shiny and crunchier crust.

Gluten-Free Bagels PDF

I haven’t made these, but here is a link to a vegan gluten-free bagel recipe that I thought sounded promising – I wouldn’t recommend adapting the recipe above to be vegan.

Kevin Gillespie’s Root Vegetable Soup

Last summer Top Chef Kevin Gillespie came to our co-op because he was hosting a video series sponsored by Stronger Together, being filmed for the International Year of Cooperatives.  Our co-op was chosen to take part in the series because of our involvement with our community.  He attended our summer party and visited Heritage Lane Farm, Misty Meadows Farm and Bellingham Urban Garden Syndicate (BUGS) to talk about their relationship with our co-op and our community.

Before he left town, I got to go out to dinner with him and the film crew and we talked a lot about food (of course!) as well as his upcoming (and now published) cookbook Fire in my Belly.  It’s a great read – lots of photos, a fun layout, and anecdotes from the author.  He told me I could demo any of his recipes any time and with the icy fog abounding in our region, I thought his Root Vegetable Soup recipe would be just about perfect for my recipe demo this week.

© 2013 Community Food Co-op

This is a recipe he created based on a dish his grandma used to make.  It is very simple to make, although it does require some knife skills as all the veggies need to be cut into the same size pieces to cook correctly.  I must admit that it was my first time preparing some of the root vegetables in this dish, and it was also a great excuse to use some of the delicious local produce we still have in stock (organic Jerusalem Artichokes, aka sunchokes, from Rabbit Fields Farm in Everson).  The recipe calls for turnip greens, which we do carry occasionally but are out of currently, so I substituted collard greens.  Other than that I was pretty true to the original recipe, except for cutting it down to 4 servings (you can find the original recipe for 8 servings in Kevin’s book).

One of my favorite cutting techniques is chiffonade – you roll your leafy greens into a roll and cut thin little ribbons.  They are so pretty and you can cut through a pile of greens in no time.  As for cutting the various root vegetables into a small dice, you will have to expect some waste as you first have to square off the edges of the veggies so you are left with flat edges to cut your dice from.  If you need a little guidance for safe and effective cutting techniques, you can check out the video and photos at Stella Culinary.

Root Vegetable Soup © 2013 Community Food Co-op

Root Vegetable Soup

adapted from Fire in my Belly by Kevin Gillespie with David Joachim, used with permission

INGREDIENTS

4 oz Pancetta or unsmoked bacon, diced into 1/4” pieces (vegetarian option below)

1 1/4 c onion, diced 1/4”

2/3 c rutabaga, peeled and diced 1/4”

1/2 c celery, diced 1/4”

1/3 c carrots, peeled and diced 1/4”

3/4 c sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichoke), peeled and diced 1/4”

3/4 c turnips, peeled and diced 1/4”

1/2 c parsnip, peeled and diced 1/4”

2 large cloves of garlic, thinly sliced (a mandolin works great for this task)

3 c chicken stock

1/2 pepper

1 t sea salt

~ 2 c Turnip or Collard greens, sliced into chiffonade (thin strips)

Juice from one lemon

GARNISH

~1/8 c Italian parsley, minced

~1/8 c chives, very thinly sliced

~1/8 c celery leaves, minced

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Heat a large enameled cast-iron pot or other soup pot over medium heat.

2. Add the pancetta, stir, and cook until the pancetta is golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes.

3. Add the onions, rutabaga, celery, and carrots and cook until the vegetables start to soften and the onions become translucent, about 6 minutes, stirring now and then.

4. Add the sunchokes, turnips, and parsnips and cook for an additional 8 minutes, stirring a few times.

5. Stir in the garlic and cook just until fragrant, about 1 minute.

6. Stir in the chicken stock, pepper, and salt.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then cut the heat down to low, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes.  The vegetables should be just tender.

7. Remove the pot from the heat, and stir in the turnip greens and about 1 T lemon juice.  Taste and season as needed with additional salt and lemon juice.

8. Ladle into bowls and garnish with the parsley, chives, and celery leaves.

Tips from the Top Chef:

Don’t be tempted to mince the garlic here.  It should be sliced. If you mince it, the small pieces will cook faster and develop a bitter taste.  The slices also contribute to the texture of the soup.

If you want to make the soup ahead, prepare it up to the point of simmering the vegetables in the seasoned stock.  Cool it down, and refrigerate it for up to 2 days.  Then reheat the soup and add the greens and lemon juice just before serving and garnishing.

If you don’t have the root vegetables listed, then you can substitute with what you do have.  The most important thing is to dice all the vegetables the same size so they cook quickly and evenly before the liquid is added.  The vegetables retain better shape and flavor this way.

Root Vegetable Soup PDF

For a vegetarian version, use vegetable stock in place of chicken stock; sauté 4-5 shiitake mushrooms (cut into thin slices about a 1/4″ wide) over medium heat in 1-2 T butter or a fatty oil until they are soft, about 7 minutes, and proceed with the rest of the recipe.  Alternately you can use vegetarian bacon, prepared and cooked just like the pancetta in the recipe.  Neither will give you the same rich flavor of the pork, but either should add some umami to the dish.

Hazelnut and Cranberry Brittle

Winter Solstice is always exciting in our beautiful corner of the Northwest because it means the days will start getting a little longer again.  Leaving for work in the dark and then coming home in the dark (especially when it’s only 4pm!) always leaves me a little unsettled, so I get excited when I know that we are moving in the direction of more daylight!

When I first started thinking about what recipe I would like to demo today all I could think of was darkness – dark chocolate pudding, dark chocolate brownies, a delicious chocolate truffle Bûche de Noël (one of my FAVORITE recipes, and naturally gluten-free).  After talking with my coworker Marc, I decided I was being too gloomy, and he suggested making a non-peanut brittle.  We pow-wowed for a few minutes, and decided that a local hazelnut and cranberry brittle would be a delicious experiment to try.

I have never made brittle before, and it is very easy as long and you prepare all of your ingredients ahead of time (or mise en place for those of you into cooking terminology).  I looked at a few recipes for guidance and got started.  The brittle came together pretty quickly – I was done and ready for it to start cooling in about 20 minutes.  You will need a candy thermometer, but that is the only special equipment you will need to make this yummy candy.

There are a couple of things I would like to stress about this recipe – make sure you have all your ingredients measured out and have a sink full of HOT water ready for your cooking implements when you are done making the candy – both of these things will make this brittle recipe easy and quick!

Hazelnut and Cranberry Brittle © Sassy Sampler 2012

Recipe is a collaboration between the Sassy Sampler and Marc Westenberger (a cashier at our Cordata store and all-around great guy)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 c organic granulated sugar

1/2 c packed organic dark brown sugar

1/2 c organic light corn syrup

1/4 t sea salt

1/4 c water

1 c raw hazelnuts (I recommend the local hazelnuts from Holmquist Orchard)

1/2 c dried organic cranberries

2 T unsalted organic butter, softened

1 t baking soda

Special Equipment:

Candy thermometer

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Mise en place (“everything in place”)—roughly chop the hazelnuts and measure out all ingredients.  Gather them around your stove for an easy reach, as the end of the recipe comes together very quickly and you won’t have time to measure or chop anything.

2. Line a large baking sheet with foil and grease it with butter.  Place baking sheet in a warm oven (170°-200°F).

3. In a 4 quart saucepan over medium heat, combine sugars, corn syrup, sea salt, and water.

4. While stirring with a rubber spatula, bring to a boil and continue to stir until sugar is dissolved (it will suddenly start to foam up).  Immediately add the hazelnuts and stir continuously until the temperature reaches 300°F.

5. Remove from heat and immediately stir in the butter, baking soda, and cranberries.  Grab your cookie sheet out of the oven (it’s hot, wear gloves).

6. Pour immediately onto the baking sheet as evenly as possible (depending on how thick your mixture is—try to pour it in a circle starting at the center) – ideally, it is best if you don’t have to mess with it too much—you can use a couple forks to gently spread it into an even layer on your cookie sheet.

7. Cool completely, and snap into pieces.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

I recommend having a big pot of boiling water or a sink full of really hot soapy water ready to put all your cooking instruments into after you are done making the brittle—if you don’t wash your dishes RIGHT AWAY then anything left in the saucepan will harden in the blink of an eye and become next to impossible to clean.

Hazelnut and Cranberry Brittle PDF

Homemade Almond Milk

Almonds are one of the healthiest “nuts” you can eat (they are related to the peach, and are technically considered a seed). They are high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, as well as protein, and they also contain amino acids, manganese, and Vitamin E.   The US is the world’s leading almond grower, and essentially 100% of those almonds are grown in California.

Commercial versions of almond milk contain preservatives (which I feel affect the flavor), although they also tend to be fortified with calcium and Vitamin D which is a plus.  The biggest downside, however, is the sugar that is added to them.  Keeping this in mind, I set out to create a simple almond milk recipe that didn’t require any special equipment and didn’t have any added refined sugar.  After looking at dozen different recipes/methods, I decided to get into the kitchen and get working!

I started by soaking the almonds overnight in the fridge, covered.  This is an important part of the process because the soaking really brings out the milky-ness quality of the almonds and also makes them more digestible, resulting in better absorption of nutrients.  Another great benefit of soaking almonds (or any nut) is that it removes the tannin from the skin, which gives nuts their bitter flavor.

The next morning, I halved and pitted some Medjool dates to use as a sugar alternative, and also set them to soaking (so your blender is able to process them).  Once those had soaked for about 45 minutes, I got out the blender and started processing – first a heaping cup of soaked almonds went in, then 2 cups of water.  It only took a minute or two for the almonds to grind down, and then I added the dates (tasting the concoction after every two dates to see how the sweetness was progressing).  I decided that five was the perfect sweetness – not so sweet that it was overpowering but sweet enough to compliment the amazing almond flavor.  You can choose to omit the dates entirely, or add up to seven if you really like the sweetness of commercial almond milk.  The nice thing about using dates as the sweetener is that they are also high in fiber and are easily digested.  I added the last two cups of water, plus a pinch of Himalayan pink sea salt (my favorite) and I was ready to strain my milk.

You can strain the milk in a number of different ways, or if you are going to use the almond milk strictly in smoothies, then you can choose to omit this step (leaving the almond pulp in the milk gives you the full benefits of the almonds and is protein rich).  I chose to use a jelly straining bag, as it fit perfectly over the opening of my pitcher and has a super fine weave so I knew that my milk would be very smooth.  You can also strain the milk using a nut milk bag or a fine mesh metal strainer (I would suggest putting a few layers of cheesecloth in the strainer – that way as you finish you can gather up the corners and squeeze the last of the milk out of the pulp that is left over.  The almond/date pulp that you are left with can be used in many ways, including adding a bit to your morning oatmeal, adding it to smoothies, or dehydrating it and using it as a flour alternative.

Success – for about $1.33 a serving I had four cups of the most delicious organic and fresh non-dairy milk I have ever tasted!

Homemade Almond Milk © Sassy Sampler 2012

Recipe by Sassy Sampler

INGREDIENTS

• 1 c raw, organic almonds
• 4 c filtered or spring water (cold)
• Pinch of sea salt
• 3-7 fresh Medjool dates  (optional, for sweetness), split in half and pit removed, soaked for at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours
• Vanilla bean, cut in half and one side scraped and reserved (optional) OR 1/2 t pure vanilla extract

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Soak almonds in fresh water for at least six hours or overnight (if you choose to soak overnight, then cover and refrigerate the almonds).
2. Drain and rinse soaked almonds.
3. Using a blender or Vitamix, add almonds to blender with 2 cups of water.  Blend until it is relatively smooth (all the noticeable chunks are gone).  Add the sea salt.
4. Add dates and blend to fully combine—3 dates will be slightly sweet and 7 dates will be similar to store-bought almond milk sweetness.
5. Add remaining 2 cups of water and blend to combine (depending on the size of your blender, you may need to hand mix in the remainder of the water).
6. Add vanilla bean seeds or extract if using and blend to combine.
7. Strain mixture into a large bowl or pitcher, either using a metal fine-gauge strainer set over the bowl or a nut milk bag/jelly strainer bag.  If using a strainer, I recommend adding a square of folded cheesecloth and straining through that—you can gather up the corners and squeeze out all the milk much more quickly than using just a strainer.
8. If using a strainer and no cheesecloth, use the back of a spoon or rubber spatula to gently push the milk through the strainer (don’t push down too hard or you will get some of the pulp in the milk).
9. Refrigerate for up to 4 days in a covered container.  Because this is a raw drink, there may be separation after it sits—just mix and enjoy!

Almond Milk PDF

You can use the leftover pulp in many ways:

• Put it in a dehydrator and you will get almond flour
• Mix a tablespoon or two into your oatmeal/hot cereal.
• Mix with a little honey or agave and spread it thin on a baking sheet—bake at 350°F until crunchy.
• Add to smoothies
• Check out Pinterest for more almond pulp ideas!

Almond milk is a tasty way to add heart-healthy fats to your diet!

Your leftover dates can be used for future batches of almond milk, or can be made into a yummy “caramel” dip…or you can just eat them!  I recommend pitting them and then putting a walnut in the center (great suggestion for an appetizer from a customer).

Flourless Chocolate Cookies, and a Bellingham Gluten-free Restaurant Guide

Chantel holding a plate of yummy chocolate cookies made with Dagoba organic and fairly traded cocoa powder.

We’ve been busy over the last year redesigning our website, and one of the new things we are doing is picking a staff favorite item to feature on the site as well as in our print ads – for December, long-time staff member Chantel was selected (who is our Membership Coordinator and also works on the Front End at our Downtown store).  She loves to cook and bake, and one of her favorite recipes features her staff pick of the month – Dagoba Fair Trade Organic Cocoa Powder.  We thought it would be fun to tie that into the Sassy Sampler blog this month, so the recipe was an easy pick since Chantel had already chosen it!

These flourless chocolate cookies are scrumptious – they come together very quickly and contain no added fats (although plenty of sugar, so don’t get too excited about the basically fat-free status!).  They taste like a meringue brownie – they are a delicate cookie that is packed with chocolate flavor and only contain a few ingredients.  They are similar to the Triple Chocolate Cookies that I have blogged about before, but these are much easier to make and don’t contain any flour at all.  Customers loved their flavor, and also loved their simplicity…and the fact that while they contain egg whites, you don’t have to whip them for this recipe!

One other new addition (to my blog) is that I have created a list of restaurants in town that offer gluten-free selections/substitutions.  I urge anyone to comment on them and to offer suggestions to add to the list – you can either email me (address is located on the bottom of the About page) or use the form – most of the restaurants listed are ones that myself or my coworkers have personally eaten at so it is by no means a comprehensive list.  You can find the PDF document (and places to comment) here.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies © Sassy Sampler 2012

Flourless Chocolate Cookies

adapted from www.kumquatblog.com

INGREDIENTS

3 c organic powdered sugar

2/3 c organic cocoa powder

1/4 t sea salt

4 large organic egg whites, room temperature

2 t organic vanilla extract

1 1/4—1 1/2  c organic semi-sweet chocolate chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper (and sprayed lightly with oil) or Silpat mats.

3. In a large bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, chocolate chips, and sea salt.

4. Stir in the egg whites and vanilla until the batter is well combined (if the batter seems too thin you can add more powdered sugar until it reaches school glue consistency).

5. Spoon thick fudgy batter onto cookie sheets in 12 small, evenly spaced mounds (about 1 T).  Chill for 5 minutes or so to keep them from spreading when they bake.  Refrigerate remaining batter.

6. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the tops are glossy and lightly cracked.

7. Slide the parchment onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely before removing from the sheet.

8. Repeat steps 5-7 with remaining batter.

Cookies can be kept in an airtight container for up to three days and taste just like brownies!

There are many variations of this recipe on the web—you can use anywhere from 2-4 eggs (depending on how thick you want the batter—I definitely think the thicker the better) and some recipes use as much as 2 cups of chocolate chips.  Nuts can be added to these cookies as well—hazelnuts, walnuts, or pecans would be a great choice.

Flourless Chocolate Cookies PDF

1/3/13 – Since posting this recipe I’ve made a batch using Dutch processed cocoa powder.  They turn out much darker (in color) and have a slightly richer chocolate flavor – give it a try if that is your preference!

I just have to mention that when I made the cookies, three of my four eggs had double yolks!!! Just thought that was weird…

Apple Coffee Cake (with gluten-free option)

Autumn is in full force now, and that only means one thing to me – the crispy and juicy farmer-direct honeycrisp apples that we get every fall from the Okanagan Tree Fruit Co-op.  As I do every fall, I had to pick a recipe that showcased these delicious apples.

I looked around for an apple bar recipe that I thought sounded good*, but couldn’t find anything that struck my fancy.  I was feeling kind of daring, so I decided to just wing it and create a recipe of my own.  I love coffee cake, and haven’t had much opportunity to eat it since becoming gluten intolerant, so I thought that would be fun to try.  I wanted my cake to be moist and have a very distinct apple flavor without being too sweet, and I feel that I achieved that with this recipe.

With great trepidation I removed the cake from the oven and could hardly wait to taste it because it smelled so good!  I let it sit for about 20 minutes and then just couldn’t wait any longer…the cake turned out moist and had that bold apple flavor I was looking for.  Success!  Customers and staff that tried it loved it, and I handed out many more recipes to shoppers than I usually do (which is one of the ways I measure the success of a recipe demo).

This is a very easy recipe, especially if you have an apple parer/corer/slicer (which if you don’t and you love apples, you should get one – they are usually pretty easy to find at garage sales, although you can buy them new as well!).  I didn’t add any nuts to the one I made for sampling in the Co-op, but I bet some of the Holmquist Orchards locally grown roasted hazelnuts would be excellent in this recipe, either in the batter or in the streusel topping.

Apple Coffee Cake © 2012 Sassy Sampler

Sassy Sampler Apple Coffee Cake

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 c butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 3/4 c granulated sugar
• 3/4 c packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 t vanilla
• 1/2 c applesauce
• 2 large honeycrisp apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced (about 3 cups)
• 1 c chopped nuts (optional)
• 2 c flour (all-purpose wheat or gluten-free blend)
• 1/2 t sea salt
• 1 t baking powder
• 1 t baking soda
• 1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1 t tapioca granules

Streusel topping

• 1 c flour (gluten-free blend or all-purpose)
• 1/2 c packed brown sugar
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c finely chopped nuts (optional)
• 1/2 c cold butter, cut into 1/4” squares

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9”x13” baking pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the melted butter, sugars, vanilla, and the eggs until fluffy. Stir in applesauce.
3. In a separate bowl, combine flour, sea salt, baking powder and soda, and cinnamon.
4. Stir the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just blended. Fold in the apples and nuts (if using).
5. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking dish.
6. Sprinkle the streusel mixture over the top.
7. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Let cool on a wire rack, and then slice into 24 slices. Cover tightly once they are completely cooled.

They will keep at room temperature in an air-tight container for several days, or you can refrigerate them for up to a week.

Streusel Topping Instructions:

1. Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a medium bowl.
2. Sprinkle butter chunks over mixture and use either a fork or a pastry knife to “cut” butter into flour mixture until it is completely worked in. Mix in nuts, if using.

Apple Coffee Cake PDF

* I’m going to try making the Peach Almond Bars with the honeycrisp apples too, because I think they will be super yummy!