Unbaked Nut Cookies

Two days ago I was fortunate enough to spend Thanksgiving with my New England family, and amongst the wonderful people, fun games, good talks, and bouts of laughs was, of course, tons of food. I, being one of the bakers of the family, offered to bring homemade snowflake rolls with freshly whipped honey butter. But, along with these I decided to bring a new raw dessert that I experimented with that morning so that my foodie family could be taste testers. I chose to make a raw cookie that really could have been eaten as an appetizer or dessert, or on normal days, as a snack. The cookie came out delicious, very cute, and was approved by the family with a rating of "two thumbs up." So, I would like to share this recipe with you all so that you can put it in your next batch of holiday gift Christmas cookies. Friends and family will be surprised at how yummy and healthy these unique cookies are. Just don't tell them at first that they are raw, because a raw cookie doesn't sound so appetizing...then again don't we all just love raw chocolate chip cookie dough!

Unbaked Nut Cookies - 12 tiny cookies

1/2 cup almonds

1/4 cup walnuts

salt to taste

cinnamon and nutmeg to taste

1/2 cup pitted medjool dates

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1 Tablespoon agave nectar - can omit or add more to taste

1/4 cup raisins, dried cherries or chocolate chips

1/4 cup ground almonds, walnuts or toasted coconut (to roll cookies in)

In a food processor fitted with an S blade process nuts, salt and spices until coarsely chopped. Add dates, extract, and nectar and process just until the mix sticks together. Add dried fruit or chocolate chips and pulse briefly just to mix.

Next, scoop out about 1 Tablespoon of the mix into your hands, squeeze firmly, roll into little balls, and flatten to make a tiny thick cookie shape. Roll cookie in ground nuts or toasted coconut and place in Tupperware. Refrigerate cookies for a couple of hours before serving so that flavors can combine and cookie is firm. These cookies will keep for awhile if you don't devour them immediately!

Happy Holidays!

"We can always find something to be thankful for, and there may be reasons why we ought to be thankful for those dispensations which appear dark and frowning." Albert Barnes

The Poetry of Food

I wrote this piece over the summer after being inspired by the bounty of New England berries and the beauty of that season there...

It is a beautiful and perfect summer day. The blazing sun shines down upon my body warming me like a mother tightly holding her child. A gentle breeze passes by, tousling my hair and whispering into my ears a lovely song. In front of my eyes is a gnarly patch of berries seducing me with their wild yet grounded demeanor. I give in and fall under their spell. The plump and juicy berries stain my fingers as I zealously pluck them from the comforts of their home. Their tart taste dances upon my lips making me feel alive. My senses are overwhelmed and my soul is filled with joy. Ahhh, the simple pleasures of life.

Food is life. Food is nurturing. Food is peace. Food is joy. Food is love. Food is forgiving. Food is excitement. Food is family. Food is fuel. Food is comfort. Food is enjoyment. Food is soul.

Revive your relationship with food. It is all of the above and more. Remember balance is the key, but indulging once in awhile is ok. Enjoy!

Gluten Free Baking

This summer while I was working in the kitchen at Three Mile Island, I was exposed to quite a few people who had allergies or intolerance's to wheat. Since I did not have much experience with gluten free baking, nor availability of the required ingredients, I did the best I could and made a lot of fruit dishes. Yummy examples included warmed pineapple, coconut, and toasted pecans; sliced apples, cranberries and a dollop of spiced whipped cream; locally picked blueberries heated with lemon juice, sugar and cornstarch, and of course more whipped cream (who can't get enough homemade whipped cream!); and peach cobbler with a gluten free topping that I made by crushing gluten free cereal and adding sugar, spices, and nuts. I also resorted to the classic, naturally gluten free dessert that is tantalizing to many... the coconut macaroon.



But, as yummy and appetizing as fresh fruits are for dessert (especially summer time berries), I just wasn't satisfied. So upon returning home I did some research, went out and bought the necessary ingredients to make gluten free baked goods, and started baking. Key items to have in your pantry include rice flour (sweet, white or brown), potato starch, tapioca flour, and xanthan gum. All are reasonably priced except for the xanthan gum, which you only need small amounts of. Bob's Red Mill carries a plethora of good quality products, many of which have recipes on the bag, so check out their website or go visit your local grocery store to see what they have in stock.



So once I had the ingredients, I needed some basic recipes to try out and I found two great websites to work with...Karina's Kitchen and Land O'Lakes. My first try was with a chocolate chip cookie recipe found on Land O'Lakes website that I kind of tweaked by mistake. My final recipe came out like this:

Gluten Free Mexican Chocolate Chip Cookies - 3 dozen average sized

2 cups white rice flour

2/3 cup potato starch

1/3 cup tapioca flour

1.5 teaspoons xantham gum

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1.5 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/4 cup soft butter

3 eggs

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 - 3 cups chopped milk chocolate chunks



Cream butter and sugars until fluffy, add eggs and vanilla, combine dry ingredients and add, throw in chocolate chunks, and mix just until incorporated. Use a small ice cream scoop to scoop dough onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for about 12 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden. Let cool on sheets for about 5 minutes then take off of pan and let cool on racks. Eat warm with a glass of milk for a gluten free nirvana!



My next delicious gluten free baking experiment was to make a savory muffin. Now with this recipe I put a little of this and a little of that, so I am not sure of my exact measurements on some things, so here goes:

Sundried Tomato, Basil, and Parmesan Muffins - makes 6 smaller muffins

1 egg

1/2 cup milk

2 Tablespoons white sugar

2 Tablespoons olive oil

3/4 cup white rice flour

1 3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/3 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 Tablespoons freshly chopped basil

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

4 chopped sundried tomatoes that have been packed in olive oil



Combine egg, milk, and olive oil. Add sugar, flour, baking powder and salt. Add cheese and spices. Fold in sundried tomatoes and scoop into greased muffin tins. Bake at 425 degrees for about 15 - 20 minutes or until tops lightly spring back when touched. These little creations were sinfully good and would be a wonderful accompaniment to many savory meals.



In sum, gluten free baking is easy to do once you get the basic ingredients and find some good recipes. No need to spend lots of money on the ready made gluten free mixes when you can just make your own. On a rainy day, warm up the oven and do some bulk baking so you can freeze some of your goodies for later. Leaving out the gluten doesn't mean leaving out the flavor, so try out some gluten free goodies just for the sake of experimenting with something new... or to make your gluten free friends very happy!

Cheers!

Island Living

For those of you who do not know, this summer I have been working for the Appalachian Mountain Club at its amazing camp facility located on Three Mile Island in beautiful Lake Winnepasaukee, NH. What a blessing it has been to work here and be living in communion with nature. My job on the island is head baker and dessert chef, and I have to serve 120 people homemade breads and desserts three times a day. What fun! I get to be creative, make people happy, and work within a sustainable kitchen system. On the island we only have running water and electricity in the kitchen and main house. Therefore, campers have to use composting toilet systems, solar showers, and kerosene lanterns for light. The island abounds with flora, fauna, and wildlife, and sits perfectly in the lake with surrounding views of other islands and peaceful rolling mountains. It is a place of serenity and sustainability. The way we all should live.



In our kitchen we have a full recycling system set up, as well as many composting buckets that are placed daily into the outdoor composting bins. Recently dedicated staff, crew and volunteers started a garden to eventually be able to supply the campers island grown produce. The island also has a ton of blueberry bushes that the campers like to pick and bring into the kitchen. One day I received 12 cups of fresh blueberries to use, so I decided to make a blueberry compote to serve with homemade vanilla pound cake and whip cream. It was a delicious success! Yesterday we received more blueberries from the campers which went into whole-grain pancakes to feed the entire camp. The chef on the island visits a local farm on the mainland weekly to get fresh, seasonal, and locally grown produce. And, we purchase local, cage free eggs and Stonyfield yogurt (made nearby in Derry, NH).



To live in an environment that strives for sustainability and environmental stewardship, fosters community, and encourages relaxation and fun has been such a rewarding experience. Living and working at Three Mile Island has allowed me to cultivate my passions for nature, sustainability, and food, and has only fostered my desire to continue along this path. I hope to start entering more blog entries once my time ends on the island and I will have internet access again. So until September...enjoy the beauty and vitality of summer, eat tons of fresh seasonal fruits and veggies, and have fun!

The Joy of Bread Baking

The gratification one gets from creating a fresh, warm, comforting loaf of bread from scratch is one of indescribable measure. Amazingly hard working yeasts, fluffy flour, warm milk, rich butter, sweet honey, soothing oats, and a little salt of the earth are the basic ingredients in one of the culinary delights of man. Combine these with the raw element of hand mixing, kneading, and rolling the dough and one feels like a true creator. Slicing into the bread yields a gentle puff of steam and a whiff of that insanely delicious fresh bread smell. One taste makes your mind stop for a moment to enjoy this simple pleasure of life. Ahhh, and this is the end result of your love, patience, and hard work.

Today I baked my second ever loaf of yeast bread and it turned out fabulous. The first loaf I baked tasted wonderful but needed some tweaking, so I tried my hand again at an oatmeal bread which was a total success. Although I love baking and desserts, I have always been apprehensive about baking bread. I guess it was the fear of the unknown. Feeding the yeast, rising, falling, punching the dough, kneading, and waiting.... yikes! All these things that I really didn't know about are surprisingly fun, easy and a great stress relief. Bread is easy to make, but it just takes a little love and patience.

For this loaf of bread I simply followed the recipe written on the back of the King Arthur bread flour bag, or you can check out their website at http://www.kingarthurflour.com/. The first loaf I made had a wonderful sweet bread flavor which my taste testers really liked. This recipe was found on Allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Simple-Whole-Wheat-Bread/Detail.aspx?strb=5 and received excellent reviews as well. Baking bread from scratch, and I mean no bread makers or Kitchen Aids, is something that everyone should try at least once. The main issues are to make sure your yeast is alive and fresh, that the water you use to dissolve the yeast in is the proper temperature, and that you have patience. After you mix the ingredients you have to knead the dough by hand for about 10 minutes, or until it becomes as smooth as a baby's bum. Then you let it rest and rise. Next you may have to punch it down and knead it again or simply shape it into a loaf and put it in your bread pan. Then you let it rest and rise. Once it has risen about two inches over your loaf pan it is ready to bake. Don't be scared of the dough. Just follow the directions, experiment, release some stress, and most of all have fun!