apple-honey-pecan muffins.

Last night, after shutting down my laptop for the night, I threw on a Spotify playlist and had a one woman dance party while Tyler and Jackson looked on with bemused looks on their face.  To be fair, Tyler nodded his head a couple of times.  Jackson on the other hand barely looked up even while i was serenading him with Queens "Somebody to Love".  This is how we end the work-day.  

This social-isolation thing does weird things to people.  I feel like my emotions ping pong every which way a thousand times a day.  Sometimes I want to scream into the abyss, other times I feel like I could do this for weeks and be OK.  Am I slowly going insane or am I slowly adjusting to a new normal?  One where pants are optional, make-up is non existent, and homemade lunches are how you find ways to break-up the day?  How does your relationship change when the only person you can really interact with is the person you're married to and is sitting 20 feet from you at all times?   

Honestly, outside of Tyler's need to snack when I know he isn't really hungry, it's kind of like he isn't really here.  I realized the other day that both of us are similar with regards to our work style.  When we are in something we are really in something and whatever is happening around us is like the noise coming out of a sound machine - there but we don't really notice it.   I find that I can more easily disengage myself when the day is over, he on the other hand needs someone to say close the computer.  It's interesting when you realize you know a person so well, but aspects of them you don't know because you've really never been privy to them before.   

I think the thing I've learned from all of this is that you have to figure out a way to make some kind of joy each day.  For me that joy comes from food and eating and I've been using this time to try all of the recipes I never would have time to try.  Things I've had bookmarked for a year are now finally being made.  Sunday morning breakfasts that used to be simple meals are now (slightly) over the top -  homemade muffins.  Fresh granola.  Things like that.  It's fun to try new things.   

I made these muffins this past Sunday.  They were a real delight.  I especially liked the fact that you could make the batter and apples up to 2 days earlier.  On Sunday morning I simply assembled them as instructed and baked them up.  We both eat 2 while watching a couple of episodes of Shitt's Creek.  It made for a fantastic distraction.   

Apple-Honey-Pecan Muffins
Recipe from Ochre Bakery via Bon Appetit 

Feel free to sub the pecans for hazlenuts or another favorite nut! 

2 medium Pink Lady or Jonagold apples
⅔ cup (75 g) pecans
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. honey
Flaky sea salt
¾ cup (100 g) all-purpose flour
½ cup (60 g) spelt flour or all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. kosher salt
2 large eggs, room temperature
¾ cup (150 g) granulated sugar
¾ cup plus 2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup buttermilk
Raw sugar or granulated sugar (for sprinkling)

Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 350°. Lightly coat flat top of a standard 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray (this will prevent muffins from gluing themselves to the pan). Line cups with double layers of muffin liners. Cut apples into quarters; remove cores. Cut each quarter into 4 wedges; set aside.

Pulse pecans in a food processor until you have a fine meal with a bit of texture, like coarse sand. Heat a large skillet over medium-high, then add pecans and toast, stirring, until darkened and very fragrant (it’s okay if they’re even a tiny bit burnt in spots), about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool slightly.

Wipe out skillet and return to medium-high heat. Melt butter, swirling pan so that it’s evenly coated, until foaming, then add reserved apples. Drizzle with honey and generously sprinkle with sea salt. Cook, tossing often, until apples are tender and deep golden brown and glazed with honey, about 5 minutes. Scrape into a medium bowl and let cool.

Add all-purpose flour, spelt flour, baking powder, baking soda, and kosher salt to nuts; whisk to combine. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until mixture is thick, pale, and tripled in volume, 8–10 minutes.

Combine oil and buttermilk in a measuring glass. With motor running, gradually pour into egg mixture, stopping as soon as incorporated to prevent eggs from deflating. Scrape into bowl with dry ingredients and fold until just combined (be careful not to overmix). Scoop about 2 Tbsp. batter into each muffin cup and place an apple slice on top. Divide remaining batter among muffin cups, filling until just below the top (you may have a spoonful or two of batter left over). Place 1 apple slice on top of each, then spoon any glaze left in the bowl on top. (You’ll have a few leftover apple slices; eat them.) Sprinkle each muffin with some raw sugar and a pinch of sea salt.

Bake muffins until golden brown all over, rotating pan halfway through, 22–28 minutes. Let cool in pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Do Ahead: Batter can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and chill.

sweet potato streusel loaf.

I did not intend on buying another pie book.  As much as I love pie, I have a love hate relationship with baking them.  Mostly because I suck at crimping pie edges.   One can't be good at everything.   

But alas, I did, because it's the Sister Pie Cookbook and when Tyler and I went to Detroit I fell in love with their shop.   It was cute and quirky and all of their baked goods were awesome.  It's an ode to the classic American bakery but with a twist - pies with local and seasonal fruit, peanut butter cookies with paprika, and savory scones.  It's everything I love nestled in corner shop on a street with really beautiful old homes.  

This book is great.  Especially now that we have gone from 80 degree and bare leg weather to me reaching for sweaters and a coat every-time I leave the apartment.  I'm not complaining.  It's baking, nesting, reading on the couch with a cup of tea and piece of this loaf weather.       

The technique used in the recipe for this loaf is awesome.  Throw all the loaf ingredients in a bowl and let rest over night.  This breaks down the oats and gives the whole thing a bit of tangy-fermented taste.  I love the juxtaposition of savory-ish cake with the sweet streusel topping.   The nuggets of cream cheese and sweet potato just make it fall.  And that's kind of all I want right now.   

Sweet Potato Streusel Loaf
Recipe from Sister Pie Cookbook

This freezes very well.  Slice before you freeze so you can have a piece whenever you want.

For the Sweet Potatoes

12 ounces of sweet potatoes (skin-on) scrubbed and chopped into 1/2 inch cubes
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

For the Cake

1 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup full-fat yogurt
1 large egg
1/3 cup oil (canola, grapeseed, etc.)
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

For the Streusel 

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons butter straight from the fridge cut into 1/2 inch cubes 

To Finish

4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Turbinado sugar for sprinkling.

Roast your sweet potatoes.  Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Place the sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet and toss evenly with the olive oil, brown sugar, and salt.  Place in the oven and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes or fork tender.  Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.   You can prepare the sweet potatoes up to 2 days in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.  

Mix the batter: In a medium bowl whisk the buttermilk, yogurt, egg, oil, sugar, and vanilla until well mixed and smooth.   In a large mixing bowl combine the oats, whole wheat, and spelt flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, allspice, cinnamon, and ginger.  Add the buttermilk mixture to the dry ingredients, using a silicone spatula to gently fold them together until no dry spots remain.   Cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a lid and place in the refrigerator overnight.   

White the batter hydrates, make the streusel.  Combine the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt in a bowl.   Place the butter in the bowl and coat on all sides with the flour mixture.  Work to break up the cubes with your fingers and continue to cut the butter into the flour under the streusel resembles wet sand.   You can make the streusel up to 2 days in advance.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge.  

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line a 9x5 inch load pan with parchment.   Butter your parchment.  Spoon 1/3 of the batter into your parchment lined pan.  Top with 1/3 of your sweet potato cubes and 1/2 the cream cheese cubes - press the cubes down into the batter.  Sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Pour in another 1/3 of the batter and top with another 1/3 of your sweet potato cubes and the remaining cream cheese cubes.  Again, press the cubes gently into the batter and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.  Top with the remaining 1/3 of the batter and the rest of your sweet potato cubes.  Gently press the remaining sweet potato cubes into the batter.  Distribute the streusel evenly over the loaf making sure to press down to adhere.   

Place the loaf in the oven and bake for 35 - 45 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.  Let cool on a wire rack.  Dust with powdered sugar.  Slice into 1 inch thick slices.  Remaining cake can be stored in the fridge for up 2 days or in the freezer for a month.   

blueberry, spelt, and oat scones.

If you are fortunate enough to find yourself invited to someone's house for the weekend, I strongly suggest you bring these.   

These are not cinnamon rolls or doughnuts or the kind of thing small children beg for.  They are not coated in sugar or filled with white flour.   They are instead the kind of scone I've always wanted.  Nutty, dense, and packed full of ingreadients that leave you full but not heavy.   They still taste good on day 3 (especially if you wrap them in tin foil and reheat for about 10 minutes in a 300 degree oven).   They have seasonal fruit and almond butter and can be baked directly from the freezer which is a good thing if you find yourself getting invited to the Hamptons, Jersey Shore, or somewhere else at the very last minute.   



Blueberry, Spelt, and Oat Scones
Recipe from the Violet Bakery Cookbook

2 cups whole grain spelt flour, plus more for rolling
1 1/2 cups oat flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice or lemon juice
1 tablespoon orange zest or lemon zest
4 heaped tablespoons (about 3.5 oz.) almond butter
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. To make the scones, whisk together the spelt flour, oat flour, sea salt, baking powder and baking soda in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the agave and maple syrup, the orange juice and zest and the almond butter. Pour in the melted coconut oil and whisk together. Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients along with the blueberries. Mix until the wet and dry ingredients are just combined.

Allow the dough to rest for five minutes. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and roll it into a rectangle about 1 1/2-inch thick. Cut the rectangle into 12 triangles (I usually cut into 6 "squares" and then cut each square in half on the diagonal).  Chill in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Bake the scones for 15 to 20 minutes until slightly golden. Serve immediately or let cool and freeze.  They are good from the freezer and reheated. 

buckwheat poppy seed jam biscuits.

I didn’t think it was possible to make a biscuit better but apparently it is.

You do it by subbing some of the traditional all-white flour for buckwheat or spelt.  This provides some nuttiness and a toothsome quality to the biscuits that I find addicting.  

And then you add a dollop of jam to the crater you create with your thumb in the middle of the biscuit.  This crater of jam ensures that that the biscuit is a singular dish, a portable handheld treat that can be eaten for breakfast as you are walking to work.  

This is my dream breakfast biscuit. 

Buckwheat Poppy Seed Jam Biscuits

Recipe from Apt. 2B Baking

Yield 10-12 biscuits

12 ounces all-purpose flour

8 ounces buckwheat or spelt flour

4 tablespoons sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1teaspoon baking soda

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

8 ounces cold butter, cut into cubes

1 ¼ -1 ½ cups buttermilk

About 6 ounces jam

Preheat oven to 350º and line a baking sheet with parchment paper

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and poppy seeds.

Add the butter and cut it in with a pastry cutter or your fingers. Keep mixing until the mixture looks mealy with a few pea and lima bean sized hunks of butter remaining.

Make a well in the center of the mixture and add in 1 1/4c of the buttermilk. Gently mix the dough together, making sure that all of the flour mixture gets moistened. If the dough is dry or crumbly continue to add the additional buttermilk 1T at a time until the mixture mostly comes together.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface, it's okay if the dough comes out of the bowl in a few pieces, and pat it out into a circle 1 1/2''-2'' tall. Cut the biscuits with a floured 2 1/2'' biscuit cutter or drinking glass. Gently pat the scraps together and cut one more round of biscuits. Place the cut biscuits on a lined baking sheet.

Use your thumb to gently make a tablespoon sized indent in the middle of each biscuit, then very gently, while supporting the sides of the biscuit, use your thumb to push down and make the hole deeper. Aim to make the hole a little wider at the bottom than the top and push down almost to the bottom of the biscuit. Fill each indentation with a tablespoon of jam.

Bake for 35-40min or until the biscuits are golden and crisp on the outside.

rhubarb "big crumb" coffeecake.

I’ve been thinking about this coffee cake for maybe 3 years now.  Every year I promise myself I’m going to make it and every year I forget.  

It’s a vicious cycle.  

This year, this year was different (throwing more brunches and dinners for friends ensures I get to try more recipes which is a win-win for everyone).  And now that I’ve made it, I can’t imagine how I ever lived without.  

This is quite possibly the best coffee cake I’ve ever had.  

Crumbs (SO MANY CRUMBS) sit atop a cake layer that is studded with rhubarb.  The tartness of the rhubarb pairs balances out the sweet (but not too sweet) crumb and spiced cake layer.  I’ve declared it the ideal breakfast pastry and if you were to show-up with it at the next group brunch, no one would be mad.

Rhubarb "Big Crumb" Coffee Cake
Recipe tweaked from the NYTimes

When rhubarb season ends, I plan on trying this with blueberries and sour cherries.  I think diced peaches would also be awesome.   This cake also freezes incredibly well.  I suggest wrapping individual pieces in plastic and foil and saving them for when you want to make your Sunday morning (or really any morning) feel more celebratory.      

For the Rhubarb Filling

1/2 - 3/4 pound rhubarb, trimmed
¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
½ teaspoon ground ginger

For the Crumbs

⅓ cup dark brown sugar
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ cup melted butter
1 ¾ all-purpose flour or some combination of your favorite flours (I did 3/4 cup AP, 1/2 cup sprouted whole wheat, and 1/2 cup spelt)

For the Cake

⅓ cup sour cream or thick yogurt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons softened butter, cut into 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease an 8-inch-square baking pan. For filling, slice rhubarb 1/2 inch thick and toss with sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Set aside.

To make crumbs, in a large bowl, whisk together sugars, spices, salt and butter until smooth. Stir in flour with a spatula. It will look like a solid dough.

To prepare cake, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream, egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of sour cream mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened. Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds. Add remaining sour cream mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Scoop out about 1/2 cup batter and set aside.

Scrape remaining batter into prepared pan. Spoon rhubarb over batter. Dollop set-aside batter over rhubarb; it does not have to be even.

Using your fingers, break topping mixture into big crumbs, about 1/2 inch to 3/4 inch in size. They do not have to be uniform, but make sure most are around that size. Sprinkle over cake. Bake cake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean of batter (it might be moist from rhubarb), 45 to 55 minutes. Cool completely before serving.

carrot tahini muffins.

Tahini, much like all things Middle-Eastern is having a bit of moment and quite frankly I couldn't be happier about that.   

I love peanut butter (only chunky) so it should come as no surprise that I love tahini since it has a similar nuttiness and consistency to it.   It works exceptionally well in savory dishes (and makes for one killer salad dressing/sauce) but I've begun testing it out in more sweet applications.   Its roasted, earthy flavor works well in baked goods as it provides a nice juxtaposition to the sugar.   

These carrot tahini muffins had been on my list of "must try soon" for a couple of months now and I finally got around to them this past weekend.   This is my dream weekday morning muffin.  Filled with good for your grains, a slew of carrots, and subtly spiced with just enough glaze to make you feel as if you're indulging which makes Monday all the more bearable.   

Carrot Tahini Muffins
Recipe adapted slightly from Smitten Kitchen

Makes 12 Muffins 

For the muffins

1/4 cup (60 ml) olive oil
1/4 cup (30 grams) well-stirred tahini
1/2 cup (80 grams) firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (175 ml) buttermilk, almond milk or (nonalcoholic) apple cider
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (130 grams) whole-wheat flour 
1 cup (130 grams) spelt flour
2 cup packed coarsely grated carrots (from about 9 ounces or 5 slim carrots)

For the Glaze

1/2 cup (60 grams) powdered sugar
3 tablespoons (25 grams) tahini
2 tablespoons (30 ml) water
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Heat oven to 425 degrees F. Whisk olive oil, tahini and brown sugar together in the bottom of a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, then buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda and salt, then switch to a spoon or flexible spatula and stir in flours, then carrots, mixing just until combined.

Either line a 12-cup standard muffin pan with paper liners or coat them with a nonstick spray and then fill with batter.  Bake muffins for 14 to 16 minutes, or until a tester inserted into the center of each comes out batter-free. Muffins should be domed and lightly golden on top. Let them cool in pan for 5 minutes on a rack before transferring them to the cooling rack to cool completely.

If you’d like to glaze your muffins, whisk powdered sugar, tahini and water together in a medium dish. Either drizzle this over the cooled muffins or dunk them into the puddle. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

yeasted apple coffee cake.

Ever since Tyler and I went apple picking last month, I've had visions of an apple coffee cake in my head.  

Not pie (because only normal people look to make pie) but apple coffee cake.

The strange thing about this vision is that I had yet to find a recipe for apple coffee cake.  I had seen pear and rhubarb but never apple and I couldn't understand why.  Please explain to me what is more fall then apples nestled between cake and streusel and drizzled with icing (best eaten while wearing plaid.)   

And then the October issue of Bon Appetit arrived and there was the recipe for apple coffee cake.  It was dreamy looking and exactly what I had in mind.   

This cake is now a favorite in our apartment as it is everything you want to eat right now.  A yeasted cake/bread hybrid with the perfect amount of tang serves as the base for freshly picked apples.  And on top?  Streusel!  Not an overwhelming amount but just enough.   And then there is the dizzle of icing which takes the whole thing over the edge in the best possible way.   

Yeasted Apple Coffee Cake
Recipe adapted slightly from Bon Appetit 

I made some changes because I felt the recipe could be more fall.   So I swapped the orange juice for apple cider, added in some additional spices, and used a little more then 2 pounds of apples because you can never have too many apples this time of year.  Also - this cake freezes brilliantly.   

For the Cake

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled, plus more
1 ¼-ounce envelope active dry yeast (about 2¼ teaspoons)
⅔ cup (packed) light brown sugar, divided
1 large egg, room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour, divided
½ cup sour cream, room temperature
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
⅓ cup fresh apple cider 
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Streusel and Assembly

½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup old-fashioned oats
⅓ cup (packed) light brown sugar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
Kosher salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, slightly cooled
2 pounds firm baking apples (about 4 large), halved, cored, very thinly sliced
1½ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon (or more) apple cider
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Make the Cake: Butter a 13x9" shallow baking dish. Mix yeast, 2 Tbsp. brown sugar, and ¼ cup warm water in the bowl of a stand mixer; let sit until it foams, about 5 minutes. Whisk in egg and remaining brown sugar, then stir in 1 cup flour and mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate. Sprinkle remaining 2 cups flour over top but do not mix in. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until mixture is visibly puffed and flour has cracks in places, 60–90 minutes.

Add sour cream, lemon zest, apple cider, baking powder, and salt to mixture and mix on medium speed with dough hook until smooth, elastic, and just sticking to the sides of bowl, about 4 minutes. Add 6 Tbsp. butter in 2 additions, beating well between additions; beat until a soft, slightly glossy, sticky dough-batter hybrid forms, about 4 minutes.


Using buttered fingers, pat dough into prepared pan in an even layer, spreading to edges. Cover and let sit in a warm, draft-free spot until puffed and nearly doubled in size, 60–70 minutes.

Make Streusel and Assemble: Just before dough is finished rising, preheat oven to 350°. Pulse flour, oats, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and a pinch of salt in a food processor a few times to combine. Add butter and process in long pulses until streusel is the consistency of moist crumbs.

Working with several slices at a time, fan out apples slightly and arrange over dough, shingling rows in different directions; sprinkle streusel over top. Bake until apples are tender and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 35–45 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. 


Whisk powdered sugar, apple cider, lemon juice, and a pinch of salt in a medium bowl, adding more apple cider by the teaspoonful as needed, until icing is very thick and smooth and falls back onto itself in a slowly dissolving ribbon. Drizzle over coffee cake.  Serve immediately.  Can also be wrapped and frozen for up to 1 month.   

apple and cheddar scones.

I know, it's been a while.

The last few weeks have been incredibly trying.  Home renovations don't agree with my personality.  I want things done when I want things done and home renovations don't end when you want them to.  Instead the problem you thought you were fixing snowballs into a new problem.  With each step forward you move one step back.

Most days I feel as if we are no where near having a home.  I worry I'm going to continue to live in a construction site.  A place where our old bathroom sink permanently lives in our living room.  A place where Jackson is constantly jumping over paint cans in order to find his favorite ball.  A place the stresses me out.  

But this weekend, it finally feels like we are in a better place.  We are in no means done (is your home ever done?) but we have shelves in the kitchen and most boxes unpacked and I can finally (kind of) see the fruits of our labor.

These past few weeks I haven't wanted to cook much.  Making dinner and baking cookies felt like a chore.  But over the past two days I've found myself feeling at home once again in the kitchen (pictures coming soon!).  I'm making lists of dishes I want to make.  I'm researching recipes online.  I'm returning to my happy place.

These scones came about in a recent search for apple recipes.  After picking up a mirror this week, Tyler and I stopped at our favorite apple orchard for Macs (his favorite) and Ginger Golds (mine).  We came home with 26 pounds of apples and I set out to find recipes for incorporating them.  These scones are reminiscent of the ones they serve at Tandem Bakery and I utterly love them.  Filled with pockets of sweet apple and salty cheese, they make for a perfect fall breakfast.  Best eaten on your new balcony with good coffee.

Apple and Cheddar Scones
Recipe from Leite's Culinaria and Smitten Kitchen

As is typical of me, I added a little more apple and cheddar to the scones (about 500 grams apple and 90 grams cheddar).  I like ensuring there are a lot of pockets of deliciousness.   I also swapped 1/2 cup of the all-purpose flour for whole wheat since I like the added nuttiness in a pastry like this.   

Makes 6 generous scones

2 firm tart apples (1 pound or 2 454 grams)
1 1/2 cups (6.75 ounces or 195 grams) all-purpose flour  - Feel free to swap up to a 1/3 of the flour for whole wheat
1/4 cup sugar plus 1 1/2 tablespoons for sprinkling (total of 2.2 ounces or 63 grams)
1/2 tablespoon (7 grams) baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (3 grams) plus additional for egg wash
6 tablespoons (3 ounces or 85 grams)unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes plus additional for baking sheet if not lining it with parchment
1/2 cup (2.25 ounces or 65 grams) sharp cheddar, shredded (white is recommended, I assume for aesthetics)
1/4 cup (2 ounces) heavy cream
2 large eggs

Position a rack at the center of oven and preheat oven to 375 °F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and core apples, then cut them into one-sixteenths. (I assumed this meant chunks, not slivers.) Placed them in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake them until they take on a little color and feel dry to the touch, about 20 minutes. They will be about half-baked. Let them cool completely. (You can speed this up in the fridge, as I did.) Leave oven on.

Sift or whisk flour, sugar, baking powder and salt together. Set aside. Place butter in the bowl of an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, along with cooled apple chunks, cheese, cream and one egg. Sprinkle flour mixture over the top and mix on low speed until the dough just comes together. Do not overmix.

[Don’t have a stand or hand mixer? I’d rub the cold butter into the flour mixture with my fingertips or with a pastry blender, hand-chop the apples coarsely and mix the rest together with a wooden spoon until combined. It might feel awkward, but it should all come together. Again, don’t overmix it though it will be harder to do this by hand.]

Generously flour your counter top and place the scone dough on top of it. Sprinkle with flour. Use a rolling pin to gently roll (or use your hands to pat) the dough into a 1 1/4-inch thick, 6-inch circle. Cut circle into 6 wedges. Transfer them to a baking sheet that has either been buttered or lined with a fresh sheet of parchment paper. Leave at least 2 inches between each scone.

Beat remaining egg in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. Brush the scones with egg wash and sprinkle them with remaining tablespoon of sugar. Bake until firm and golden, about 30 minutes. With a spatula, lift them to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Before you eat one, make sure you realize how addictive they might be. Once you’ve got that down, go for it anyway.


Do ahead: Scones are best the day they are baked. However, they can be made ahead of time and stored unbaked in the freezer until you need them. Simply brush them with the egg wash and sprinkle them with sugar, and bake them still frozen for just a couple extra minutes. This way they are always freshly baked when you want them. 

oatmeal pancakes.

I am for the most part, a savory breakfast fan.  Give me cheesy scrambled eggs and toast over waffles any day. But once every couple of weeks, I get a hankering for pancakes

I love pancakes for their crisp edges and impossibly fluffy interiors, but I generally feel as if I can eat a stack 3 feet tall and never feel full.   While absolutely delicious, they lack sustenance, the stuff that I need to actually stop eating. Which is why, when I stumbled across this recipe for oatmeal pancakes, I felt as if I finally found my ideal pancake.

These are the slightly more indulgent version of your daily bowl of oatmeal.  Oats two ways get combined with your standard pancake ingredients to produce (in my humble opinion) the perfect pancake (a big statement I know).  Served with whatever fruit is at its peak (currently strawberries and raspberries) and an excessive amount of pure maple syrup, you have a pretty awesome breakfast that manages to straddle the line between healthy and extravagant.   

Oatmeal Pancakes
Recipe tweaked from Good to the Grain

Makes about 18 pancakes

3/4 cup oat flour (you can make this by pulsing rolled oats into a food processor or spice grinder until finely ground; 1 cup of oats yielded 3/4 cup oat flour for me)
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon Kosher or coarse salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (plus extra for the pan)
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 cup cooked oatmeal*
1 tablespoon unsulphured (not blackstrap) molasses, honey, maple syrup
2 large eggs

Whisk the dry ingredients (oat flour, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt) together in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, whisk the butter, milk, cooked oatmeal, honey and eggs together until thoroughly combined. Gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Using a light hand is important for tender pancakes; the batter should be slightly thick with a holey surface.

Heat a 10-inch cast-iron pan or griddle over medium heat until water sizzles when splashed onto the pan. Lower to medium-low. Rub the pan generously with butter; the key to crisp, buttery edges. Working quickly, dollop 1/4-cup mounds of batter onto the pan, 2 or 3 at a time. Once bubbles have begun to form on the top side of the pancake, flip the pancake and cook until the bottom is dark golden-brown, about 5 minutes total. Wipe the pan with a cloth before griddling the next pancake. Continue with the rest of the batter.

Serve the pancakes hot, straight from the skillet or keep them warm in a low oven. We also found these to reheat surprisingly well the next morning, again in a low oven.

Do ahead: Although the batter is best if using immediately, it can sit for up to 1 hour on the counter or overnight in the refrigerator. When you return to the batter, it will be very thick and should be thinned, one tablespoon at a time, with milk. Take care not to overmix.

* Make oatmeal, if you don’t have any leftover: Bring 1 cup water and a slightly heaped 1/2 cup of rolled oats (old-fashioned or quick-cooking) and a pinch of salt to a boil and simmer on low for 1 (quick-cooking) to 5 minutes (old-fashioned), until thick. Let cool. This can also be cooked in a microwave.

almond and oat jam bars.

Deb over at Smitten Kitchen turned me on to Liz Prueitt's Instagram.   She works at Tartine out in San Francisco and takes lovely pictures of food that I want to eat (lots of grains, beans, and desserts filled with all sorts of interesting flours).   The real kicker is that she includes recipes for some of these items - it's kind of like an Instagram cooking magazine and I love it.

These jam bars caught my attention a couple of weeks back because they felt like a healthy, good for you breakfast/cookie/afternoon snack item.  In essence, they are an updated Linzer cookie - one filled with oats and almonds and chia seeds (those all the rage ingredients).   I like them because they taste really, really good.   A little bit like a cookie and a little bit like a granola bar.  They are kind of the best of both world and most everyone I handed one to couldn't get enough of them.   

Almond and Oat Jam Bars 

Recipe from the Instagram of Liz Prueitt (lizprueitt_tartine)

For the Crust

4 oz. softned butter

3 oz. almond butter

1 ounce maple syrup

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanila

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup almond flour

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 cup oat flour

6 tablespooons sugar

For the Filling

2 tablespoons ground chia seeds

1/4 cup water

12 ounces of jam (I used homemade rhubarb)

Pinch of salt

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.   

Mix all of the crust ingredients with hands or wooden spoon.   Divide into thirds, patting two-thirds into the bottom of 9x13 pan lined with parchment.

Combine all the filling ingredients in a bowl and spread over the crust.   Crumble the remaining one-third crust ingredients on top.  

Bake for 30 - 35 minutes.  Let cook.  Cut and eat! 

     

apricot, oat, and spelt scones.

Scones don't get a lot of love in the US.   America is the land of the muffin and while muffins are great, they just don't exude elegance quite the way a scone does.  A scone begs for tea, china plates, hushed voices and soft music.     

I like scones a lot but it was only recently that I became re-enamored with them.  Tandem Bakery up in Portland, Maine (do you think I talk about this place enough?) does a lot of really terrific varieties - most recently I had an Apple and Feta scone that just killed me.  I like the fact that a scone can be savory and sweet - it opens up the doors of possibilities.   

But while a lot of scones are good, many of them lack substance - the stuff that keeps you full to lunch time.  Which is why this scone recipe caught my attention.  Chock-full of that healthy and trendy grain spelt, a boat load of oats, and just enough sugar to make if feel as if you aren't eating "health food" these are everything I want at breakfast.   And sure there is a decent amount of butter but with all of these articles coming out praising full-fat everything, I like to think a little butter in my morning meal isn't a bad thing  I haven't been this enamored with a breakfast item in a long time and I can't begin to stress enough that you should go and make these immediately.    

Apricot, Oat, and Spelt Scones 

Adapted slightly from Lootie and Doof

Can be halved (though having done that, I realize it was a foolish mistake).   

1/4 cup hot water

10 ounces (300g) dried apricots, diced into 1/2 inch cubes

2 cups (200g) rolled oats, plus more for topping

3 cups plus 2 tablespoons (375 g) whole grain spelt flour

1/2 cup (80g) light brown sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 1/3 cups (300g) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 egg yolks

2 eggs

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup (250g) plain yogurt 

1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons milk, for egg wash

Butter a 1/4 sheet pan and line with parchment paper.

Put the apricots in a small bowl and pour the hot water over them. Toss to coat, and then set aside.

In a bowl, combine the oats, spelt flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and whisk together. Use a pastry cutter to cut the cubes of butter into the dry ingredients. continue until it resembles coarse meal.

In another bowl, whisk together the yolks, eggs, maple syrup, and yogurt. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix just until combined. Spoon the mixture into the prepared pan and spread it out. 

Take the soaked prunes and dot on top. Push the apricots into the dough.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

When ready to cook, preheat your oven to 390°F. Line a couple of baking sheets with parchment paper.

Pop the chilled scone mixture out of the pan and cut into 12 triangles. Do this buy cutting the block in half lengthwise. Cut each half into three squares and then cut each square into two triangles. (This is when you can freeze any scones you do not want to bake right now. They can be baked from frozen.) Place the scones you want to bake on the lined baking sheet(s) about 2 inches apart. Brush the tops with egg wash, sprinkle with the remaining oats, and bake for 30-40 minutes until golden.