for the love of cookies

There's nothing like a good fresh baked cookie. I absolutely love cookies- but I'm never satisfied with a pre-packed chips ahoy cookie. If I'm going to have a cookie, it has to be big, fresh, and soft, otherwise I just don't want it. I've made a bunch of cookies in the past (a ton of them featured on this blog), and every time I bake them, I fall in love all over again. There is something so special about a cookie. I mean, brownies and cakes are amazing- don't get me wrong. But when cookies are good, they are their own individual little package of heaven. No other sweet gives so many people the joy that a cookie does when you have one in your hand (or hands, depending on how big they are).

Before we get to the cookie, a little back story. The other night, I was invited over to a new friend's apartment for dinner. As per usual, I volunteered myself for dessert duty. This is pretty typical for me. First off, I'm a bit of a controlling person (trust me, my boyfriend will back me up on this one), so I like doing things my way. Second off, I like knowing that there will be a dessert that is gluten free at the table (and I'm not just talking fruit or some meringues). Third, I hate to brag, but my desserts are delicious! Plus, I get to spread the love when I bring them somewhere. I enjoy nothing more than sharing my desserts with people and watching them smile in delight as they take in the amazing scents and tastes of my baking. Especially to make something gluten free that tastes truly great- that really amazes people, and I have to say, I like that amazement.

When invited to a dinner, I usually bring two desserts. It's just hard for me not to- I like everyone to have options. It's nice to go with something chocolately and something not so chocolately. I decided to stick with my old reliable favorite, pumpkin bread, for the non-chocolate dessert. If you haven't tried it out- seriously, you must. I'm not trying to brag (after all this is my mom's recipe turned gf) but this stuff is seriously amazing. Ask my friends, ask anyone whose tried it (even if they're not my friend!), it is beyond delicious. Click here for the recipe: Pumpkin Bread

And now, what you've really been waiting for- the cookie recipe. For the chocolate dessert I tried to go with something a little different. I like to peruse many an online source for recipe ideas. I love reading the food sections in New York Magazine and the New York Times- it makes me feel like I'm keeping up with the foodie scene (as much as possible) in my favorite city. I came across this cookie recipe awhile back and knew one day I'd have to try it. This comes from the kitchen of Francois Payard, a pastry chef so talented, I can only dream of one day even coming close to his level. Here's my twist on his cookies, which I have to say- came out deliciously. I had one straight from the oven, and one the next day- both were amazing. A bit crispy on the outside, soft and fudgey on the inside, a wonderful homemade cookie (sorry Chips Ahoy)!

nutty, chocolate perfection.

Flourless Chocolate Pecan Walnut Cookies

2 cups pecans
1 cup walnuts
3 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup + 3 tbsp cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt I threw a little extra in there for good measure)
4 large egg whites at room temperature
1 tbsp vanilla extract

toasty nuts

the before- ready for the oven

Preheat your oven to 320 degrees
In in a pan on your stove (you could also do this in the oven), toast up your nuts
Once they start to brown and have a nice fragrant nutty smell, take them off the heat and let them cool before chopping them coarsely
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together (you can use your electric mixer here too: use the whisk attachment here low) the powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt
Add in the nuts and whisk to combine
Turn up the speed to medium and add in the egg whites and vanilla
Mix ingredients together until JUST combined- The batter should get moist, but once it is, do not over mix, we're not looking to make meringues here!
Spoon the batter onto two baking sheets lined with parchment paper (an ice cream scoop works as a good portion size), and spread them out evenly- the cookies will expand
Bake in the oven for 14 minutes or until the tops of the cookies look glossy and start to crack
This recipe should make about 12-13 good sized cookies (and by good, I mean great sized cookies)
enjoy!!

the after- ready for my mouth

a different kind of pasta

When I cut gluten out of my life, I was definitely worried (or at least my mom was) that I would be starving and having nothing to eat on a daily basis. I've since learned that this is far from the truth. As you saw in the post below, there are definitely so many foods and ingredients that people who are gluten free can still cook with and enjoy. Thankfully, for someone who is a self-proclaimed foodie (however nerdy that may be), this is definitely a reassurance. Perusing my local Trader Joe's and Whole Foods is one of my favorite past-times, and I absolutely love discovering new gluten free products.

I don't consider pasta as one of my favorite foods, however when I'm in the mood for it, I'm in the mood for it. Especially after a long run, there's nothing I love more than a big bowl of pasta smothered in herbs and veggies. I've learned that there are a good number of pasta substitutes out there that are gluten free, and pretty delicious too. While some of them definitely have a weird consistency or a strange texture, by trial and error I've found some good ones. There is potato starch pasta, corn pasta, even quinoa pasta. But I've found that my favorite is brown rice pasta. This delicious wheat-free pasta is made from brown rice flour, and is truly delicious. It has the nice nutty-ness of brown rice --similar to the taste and texture you'd find in a whole wheat pasta, which I happen to love. Cooking it the exact right amount of time is definitely key, but once you've done it a couple of times, you'll get it down pat. You can find brown rice pasta at most natural foods markets, but I've started buying it at Trader Joe's (my supermarket heaven) and Whole Foods as well.

The other night, I was inspired to go beyond my usual pasta primavera. A year or two ago my old roommate (who also happens to be one of my best most wonderful friends) found a recipe for pasta with avocado sauce. I couldn't for the life of me find the recipe that we had used that day(and I know she had sent me), likely due to the fact that I have so many folders on my gmail that it's often hard to find where I filed things. Since I couldn't find the recipe, I decided to make one up myself, and let me tell you, it was outstanding!! I seriously recommend this recipe, it is simple to put together and packs a seriously delicious flavor punch. It is an easy and tasty alternative to your everyday pasta sauce, and would be great with other veggies added in. My friend who was over for dinner and I paired it with a yummy salad for a perfect week-night dinner.

it's green, its delicious --you've just got to try it.

Spaghetti with Avocado Sauce

2 large handfuls of brown rice spaghetti (or whole wheat if you're making this for those who can eat gluten)
1 avocado, halved and pitted
1 large lemon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 cup of spinach
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 tsp dried basil (a nice big bunch of fresh basil would be great here as well)

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat on your stove, before adding in your spaghetti and cooking for about 8-10 minutes (check the back of the box or bag for the exact cooking time)
For the sauce, you'll need either an immersion blender, or food processor (I used an immersion blender, which we all know is my best friend in the kitchen)
In a tall bowl, combine the avocado, garlic, and olive oil. Squeeze the whole lemon into the bowl as well, being careful not to drop any seeds in
Blend the ingredients in the bowl well before adding in the salt, pepper, basil, and spinach
Blend again until the sauce is smooth and creamy and there are no lumps. If you find the sauce to be a little to thick you can add a little more lemon juice and oil
Once the pasta is done, drain it before returning it to the pot and topping with the sauce
Toss to coat the pasta and enjoy!

green!

a crunchy kind of morning

Sometimes, you just really need a good handful of granola. I mean, honestly, it's hard to find someone who doesn't like granola. Its sweet, salty, crunchy and simply delicious. It is one of my favorite breakfasts or mid-morning snacks on the go, and one of the things I really miss now that I am gluten free. One of the things that drives me totally bonkers, is when something unnecessarily contains gluten. It totally kills me when something could be gluten free, but for a silly reason it is not. For example, gluten free oats are just as great as regular oats. Actually, they're not only just as great- they're the SAME! I know, it's hard to believe, but it's true. Good old regular oats contain gluten because of cross-contamination, not because the oats themselves contain gluten (some people with Celiac are also intolerant to gluten free oats). So basically, what I'm saying, is that I could be enjoying delicious Quaker oats and instant oatmeal for my breakfasts, but silly cross-contamination is keeping me back.

All of that being said, it is definitely important to be able to get creative with breakfast when eating gluten free. I used to bring packets of instant oatmeal to work and enjoy them while checking my morning emails, but felt stuck after I recognized I had a gluten intolerance. Gone was the easy convenience of grabbing two packs of instant oatmeal to go in the morning --what's a girl to do?! I soon learned that there were other ways to go about satisfying my morning cravings. I bake muffins, eat gf toast with almond butter, and even have found gluten free oats (thank goodness, I missed my morning oatmeal).

Upon finding gf oats, and realizing that I could use them in gf baking, I had a genius idea. I could make granola!! Over joyed, I began to wrack my brain (and the Internet) for ideas and inspiration for making my granola. I remembered a delicious homemade granola that my boyfriend's mom had made awhile back and asked her for the recipe. With a few tweeks, I was able to make the recipe gluten free, and delicious. This stuff is seriously addicting, not to mention a wonderfully healthy breakfast, or snack any time of the day. My boyfriend eats it by the handful, and I promise, he's a harsh critic. I definitely recommend you make some- it is so easy and so delicious. In an air-tight container, this granola will last at least a week and a half to two weeks. If you like more chunks in your granola, add more of the liquid topping (butter, honey, sugar) when you bake. Definitely get creative with this- different nuts, dried fruit, and even chocolate would be delicious in this recipe!

good morning, granola

Good Morning Granola

2 1/2 cups oats (not quick cooking)
1 cup coconut (raw shredded)
1/3 cup toasted sunflower seeds
1/4 cup toasted sesame seeds
1/3 cup toasted slivered almonds
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla

pre-baking

getting toasty

golden, crunchy, delicious.

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees
Spread the oats, coconut, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, and almonds evenly onto a baking dish
Bake the dry ingredients for 20 minutes
In the meantime, over medium-how heat, melt together the butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and honey, adding the vanilla when the other ingredients have melted together
After 20 minutes of baking the dry ingredients, pull out out the baking dish and turn the oven up to 350 degrees
Pour the wet, melted ingredients over the top of the dry ingredients and stir to combine
Return the granola to the oven and bake for 5 minutes, removing to mix, and returning to the oven
Cook for another 5 minutes, remove to mix, and return to the oven
After a last 5 minutes, remove the granola from the oven and allow to cool fully on the baking sheet before removing and storing in an air tight container
enjoy!!

rainy day food

There is nothing like a rainy day to make you want to stay inside and cook something warm and delicious. After a jump start into summer weather this month, we've been hit recently with some cold and rainy days. Now, I'm definitely a fan of the summer sunshine, but there is something nice about a rainy weekend day that just makes me want to cuddle up with a good book, and a cup of something hot. This past Sunday, I had the pleasure of doing just that. My weeks (and most weekends too) are very busy, so I definitely cherish a day to do nothing more than read, cuddle, blog, and cook.

One of my favorite kitchen tools is my immersion blender. This bad boy is seriously amazing. It is useful for so many things, but one of my favorite things to use it for is making soup. Who ever invented this thing deserves a big thank you. The immersion blender takes the hassle out of blending- it is a stick blender that you can stick right into a pot. It truly takes the mess out of making soup. There is no need to pour the soup into the blender, and back out again- the immersion blender comes to you. Essentially, you can use it to make anything you would use a blender for, but my soup repertoire has definitely been elevated thanks to my blender. I encourage you to get one of these- they're pretty cheap, and wonderfully useful. Any kind of soup you might want to make- butternut squash, carrot ginger, roasted red pepper, cauliflower...the options are endless.

Thanks to a beautiful produce supply provided to me by my parents this weekend (could a girl ask for a better birthday present?), I had some delicious looking broccoli that was calling my name on Sunday. Combined with some every day ingredients I had in my kitchen (and the wonderful skills of my sous chef, my boyfriend), the soup came together deliciously. I paired it with a delicious avocado and tomato quinoa salad. The quinoa provided the perfect base for the creaminess of the avocado and the sweetness of the tomatoes. It was a perfect match with this delicious soup. This meal was the perfect cuddle up meal on a rainy day. I definitely encourage you to check out one of my favorite kitchen tools, and make some delicious soup of your own!



Broccoli Garlic Soup and Avocado Tomato Quinoa Salad

1 tsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, diced
1/2 medium-large onion, diced
2 medium heads of broccoli, given a rough chop (stems and florets!)
3 cups vegetable stock
1 cup water (more if needed)
1 tbsp dill
1 tsp bay leaf
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
A sprinkle of freshly grated Parmesan cheese

broccoli cooking...

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat before adding the garlic and onions
Allow the garlic and onions to sweat out, and as they start to become translucent, add the broccoli
Cook the broccoli for 3 minutes before adding 2 cups of stock and 1 cup of water to the pot
Turn the heat down to low, and add the bay, dill, salt, and pepper
Cover  the pot, and cook for about 20 minutes
After 20 minutes, remove the lid and test to see if the broccoli is soft with a fork (make sure both the florets and stems are soft)
Use your immersion blender to blend the large chunks out of the soup, in the pot itself (turn the heat off for this step so it does not bubble up and burn you)
I like my soup thick, but depending on your desired thickness, add in the last cup of stock and cook on medium heat until the soup has reached your desired texture
Spoon into bowls and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese
enjoy!

the delicious end result.

1 avocado
1 1/2 cups grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 lime
1/2 cup quinoa
1 cup water
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper to taste

a delicious and classic combo.

Bring water and quinoa to boil over high heat, before covering and turning down to a simmer
Cook your quinoa for 15 minutes or until fluffy
Meanwhile, cut open 1 avocado and dice it into small cubes
Combine the avocado and tomatoes in a bowl
Dress them with the juice of 1/2 a lime and season generously with salt and pepper; toss well
Once your quinoa is fluffy, season it with cumin, garlic powder, basil, salt and pepper
Allow the quinoa to cool. Once it has reached room temperature, combine with the tomato and avocado
enjoy!!

the perfect forkful.

birthday season

April is full of birthdays. Both my sister and I are born in April, as are a smattering of cousins and friends. For whatever reason, spring time rolls around, and the birthdays just keep coming. Last weekend, I was able to go to Boston, where my sister goes to college, to celebrate her 19th birthday. I had a wonderful weekend, and though I'm usually against buying birthday cakes, I ordered her a delicious cake from Rosies, a local bakery --rather than carrying a cake all the way up to Boston.

This weekend, Friday was my good camp friend's birthday, and Saturday was my college friend's birthday- oh and mine! Saturday my parents came in for the day, and a few of my best friends from home and camp were in to celebrate. I was so lucky to have not one, but two delicious home-made birthday cakes for the day. An orange-almond vanilla cake from my mom, and a chocolate marshmallow cake from my boyfriend. Both were seriously amazing. My entire day was filled with amazing food, lots of sunshine, and a lot of  time spent with my wonderful friends who made the day perfect. Thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate!

Jumping back in time, Friday night I had a delicious birthday dinner at my camp friend's apartment. Her roommate and I made some delicious food- it was a wonderful birthday celebration. We were going with an Italian theme, so I decided it would be a great excuse to try out a new recipe. It was a definite winner. This eggplant dish is easy, but definitely an impressive dish. Just a little (seriously, very little) work goes into this dish, but your friends will love it. You can prep it in advance, and finish cooking it off when you're ready to serve it. It is the perfect pot-luck dish! Happy birthday to all of my spring chickens!!

yum.

Eggplant Rollitini

One large eggplant
1 bag of frozen spinach, thawed and patted try with a towel
1 1/2 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil
salt and pepper to taste
1 egg
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup part-skim mozzarella

baking

filling

rolling

 

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Line a baking sheet with tin foil, and spray it with non-stick cooking spray
Cut the eggplant in half, long ways, and then slice it into 1/8th inch thick slices (should be about 8-10 slices)
Lay the eggplant on the prepared sheet and sprinkle with salt
Bake the eggplant for about 10 minutes, flipping the eggplant over half way through (you will know it is done when the eggplant is soft and just starts to turn translucent)
Meanwhile, in a bowl mix the spinach, ricotta, garlic, basil, salt, pepper, and egg
When the eggplant is done, place it in front of you on a cutting board and line the entire slice with a thin layer of the spinach mixture
Once the spinach has been spread out evenly, roll the eggplant around the mixture and place each roll seam-side down a baking dish, sprayed with non-stick cooking stay
Repeat this for each of the eggplant slices, packing the rolls in tightly next to each other in the dish
Cover the rolls with the tomato sauce, and cover the dish with tin foil
Bake the rolls for 20 minutes before removing, sprinkling the top with the mozzarella cheese, and placing it back in the oven, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Finish the dish off by broiling for about 3-5 minutes until the cheese starts to brown
Remove from the oven and enjoy!

a twist on a classic

I eat a lot of quinoa. I think its a delicious and versatile ingredient to keep around your kitchen. You can dress it up or dress it down, pair it with cheese, herbs, veggies- you name it. While quinoa acts very similarly to a grain, it is actually a seed and it is filled with protein. Plus, it's gluten free. It often makes its way into my weeknight dinners, and tonight was no exception. This is a recipe that I came up with a while ago, and have since reused and revamped it.

Stuffed peppers are a classic dish- but this definitely puts a spin on the old classic. By stuffing the peppers with quinoa rather than meat and rice, the flavor levels are really elevated. I'm a huge fan of Greek food, and this is dish was inspired by my favorite Greek flavors. I definitely encourage you to make this dish for a yummy weeknight meal or to impress your friends. Play around with the ingredients- I promise, it will be delicious. I've added in basil, spinach, pine nuts, almonds, even chick peas into the mix- all work deliciously!

Greek Stuffed Peppers

1/2 cup quinoa
1/2 cup vegetable broth
1/2 cup water
two large bell peppers (yellow, red, or orange)
1/2 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup mini heirloom tomatoes, quartered
2 tbsp feta cheese
handful fresh chive, chopped
large handful fresh dill, chopped
1/4 tsp cumin
salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp olive oil

pre-stuffing

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees
Bring quinoa, broth, and water to boil in a small pot. Cover the pot and bring down the heat to low, letting the quinoa simmer for about 15 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed and the quinoa is fluffy
Once the quinoa is done, season with salt, pepper, cumin, dill, and chive
Mix in the broccoli, tomatoes, and feta cheese
Cut the tops off of the two peppers, and remove the seeds from the inside
Scoop the quinoa mixture into the peppers, packing it in tightly and filling to just above the top of the pepper
Drizzle the tops of the peppers with olive oil, and place them in a baking dish
Fill the dish with about an inch of water and place into the oven
Bake uncovered for 25 minutes, until the tops begin to crisp, and then cover with tin foil and finish baking for another 10 minutes
The peppers will be done when they are soft to the touch (test with a fork)
enjoy!!

beauty.

passover bliss

Okay, I know. I'm the crazy girl who actually looks forward to Passover every year. When my sister and I were younger, there was Matzah in our house all year round, because we loved to snack on it (matzah and butter- really what is better than that?). Though our taste buds have grown a bit since then, I still look forward to the holiday every year. The combination of the wonderful Jewish traditions, spending two days with my family and friends, and cooking up a storm with my mom all come together in perfection. Between my mom's amazing cooking, and my dad's witty retelling of the story of Passover, they really know how to throw a Seder (the traditional Jewish meal held on the first two nights of Passover, which is eight days long). My mom's chicken soup with matzah balls just can't be beat, and she's very into making non-traditional passover food as well (this year it was tuna tartar instead of gefilte fish- if you don't know what it is, trust me, you don't want to know). Seder this year was no exception, and everything was truly delicious.

If you hadn't guessed by now, my mom put me in charge of desserts for passover this year. She and I had many a conference call finalizing our menu, and settled on a mere 7 desserts to serve at seder. Fortunately, I had a wonderfully large kitchen to spread my baking wings out in. Going home to cook is one of my absolute favorite things to do. Not only do I have an amazing cooking partner in my mom, but I have an incredibly large, newly renovated, perfectly stocked at all times kitchen to bake in. This is even more important when there are 7 desserts on the menu. To top it off, I was convinced to make my desserts gluten free. You may not know this, but matzah is actually made with wheat, as are all matzah products. Therefore, not all things that are kosher for passover (permitted to eat during the week of passover) are gluten free. Being put on dessert duty when I couldn't use the typical passover flour substitute, matzah cake meal, was somewhat challenging. However, because I was forced to think a little bit outside of the box, I think that my desserts came out amazingly. Getting creative definitely paid off here. Enjoy all of the recipes, which are naturally kosher for passover, but delicious to make all year round. I definitely will not be retiring these until next year.

You'll notice 5 recipes below, and I know, I said 7! The first dessert was a fruit salad (blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, and pineapple) with fresh grated lime zest topping it. I know it sounds crazy and so simple, but the lime zest really made the difference in this salad. I promise to post pictures in the future with the recipe its self, but go and try it. Its delicious. The second recipe was my mom's delicious mandel bread. Its an amazingly delicious mix between a biscotti and a thick chocolate chip cookie, with all of the best parts of both. It's a secret family recipe, but maybe one day soon I'll share it with you. For now, enjoy the five below!!


Pistachio Cookies

seriously easy, with seriously delicious flavor.

3 cups ground pistachios (use a food processor to chop the pistachios into large "crumbs")
3 egg whites
1 cup of granulated sugar

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees
Mix together the three ingredients until they reach a nice thick, sticky consistency
Refrigerate the batter for 20 minutes, to allow it to come together
Use a spoon to drop the batter into rounded balls onto a lightly greased baking sheet
Cook for about 15 minutes until the tops of the cookies start to turn golden
Move the cookies onto a cooling rack and allow to cool before eating
This recipe will make about two dozen cookies
enjoy!


Passover Brownies

so fudgey, you won't even know its KFP

4 eggs
1 cup canola oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup potato starch
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 bag of semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Combine the eggs, oil, and vanilla in a bowl
Once the wet ingredients are combined, add in the sugar, potato starch, and cocoa powder
Finally, mix in the the chocolate chips
Pour batter into a lightly greased 9x9 inch pan
Bake for about 45 minutes or until you test the center with a knife and it comes out clean (you'll want to let them under cook just a little!)
Let cool in the pan and enjoy!


Flourless Chocolate Cake

the picture barely does it justice- this is simply divine.

10 oz bittersweet (or semisweet would work here too) chocolate
7 oz unsalted butter
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup of granulated sugar
1 tsp cocoa powder

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Chop the chocolate and cube the butter
Place the chocolate and the butter into a double boiler (a glass or metal bowl over a pot with an inch or two of simmering water) and allow to melt, stirring occasionally, until the chocolate mixture is smooth
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs and sugar. Once combined, mix in the chocolate mixture until the batter is smooth
Butter a springform pan and dust it lightly with cocoa powder. A good trick here is to sprinkle the cocoa into the dish and then turn it around tapping the sides lightly so that the cocoa powder spreads out evenly
Pour the batter into the pan, and cover the top of the pan tightly with a sheet of tin foil

Bake the cake for 75 minutes before removing from the large pan with water, taking off the tin foil, and allowing to cool completely on a rack
enjoy with a fresh dollop of whipped cream, or some berries!


Almond Pound Cake

golden, nutty, beautiful.

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill brand here)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sliced almonds, toasted

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the butter, cream cheese, granulated sugar, and brown sugar in a large bowl until well mixed and smooth
Add the 4 eggs, one at a time, beating after each additional egg
Add in the vanilla extract and mix well
In a separate bowl, mix together the almond flour, salt, baking powder, ginger, cardamom, and cinnamon
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet while continuing to mix as you add
Once combined, pour the batter into a 9x5 inch loaf pan that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray
Sprinkle the top of the cake with the sliced almonds
Bake the cake for 50 minutes, checking to be sure that the center is done before taking it out of the oven
Allow to cool and enjoy!!


Apple Crisp

8 granny smith apples (any tart apple would work here)
3/4 cup almond flour (I used Bob's Red Mill here)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
8 tsp butter, cold

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees
Peel and core your apples. Cut the apples in half and then into 1 inch slices
Place the apples in the bottom of a baking dish (9x9 is what I used)
In a separate bowl, combine the almond flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg
Cube the butter into small 1/2 inch cubes and add the butter to the dry ingredients. Mix until the butter has broken up and mixed with the dry ingredients forming small little balls
Pour the topping evenly over the batter
Cover the pan and bake for 1 hour. The top of the crisp should begin to brown, and the apples should be tender
enjoy fresh out of the oven!!
*This one came out of the oven and was gone so quickly, that pictures were not taken- I promise to make it again in the future, i know recipes without pictures are no fun!

the wonderful place where I spend my days, and the wonderful people I spend them with...oh, and a delicious recipe

After having graduated from NYU last May, I was very fortunate to have started working almost immediately after graduation. Though perhaps slightly insane for taking a week off between school and the real world, I am so lucky to have ended up working where I do. I work for this awesome place called the Child Mind Institute (check us out online: http://www.childmind.org/). CMI is a non-profit organization, as well as a clinical psychology practice. I work on the clinical side, helping to support our wonderful doctors who work very hard. While things can get kind of crazy sometimes around the office, the plethora of adorable kids that continue to come day after day helps make it better. We seriously have some of the cutest munchkins ever. Anyways, CMI does all sorts of things for all sorts of amazing kids. We promote mental health awareness, as well as help so many children with many varying disorders on a daily basis. Come by some time, I'll give you a tour!

In addition to the wonderful place that I work in, I work with truly wonderful people. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky to work with such nice and caring people. They make going into work that much better, and know how to put a smile on my face. And I, know how to put one on theirs as well (at least through my cooking). As I've mentioned before, my work friends are some of my original taste testers. They are always happy to try any sweet thing that I bring into the office to share (thank goodness or I'd eat it all myself). Last weekend, we all got together to celebrate a few birthdays, and my friend moving on to go to medical school (we miss you!). Everyone brought delicious food, and I of course had to bake something special. I have to say, these blondies are simple and amazingly delicious. You can throw them together in a matter of minutes, and they'll definitely impress your guests. Upon request, mine had dark chocolate chips and peanut butter chips in them, but they seriously take on any chips, nuts, or chunks that you mix in. Make sure you under bake them just a little, and get one fresh out of the oven.

YUM.

Blondies

1 stick of butter, melted
1 cup of brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup gluten free flour mix (with xanthum gum)
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the melted butter with the brown sugar on medium until smooth
Beat in the egg and vanilla
Once combined, add in the salt, cinnamon, and flour
Mix in your chips (or whatever else you decide to include)
Pour the batter into an 8x8 inch pan that has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray, or butter
Bake the blondies for 20 minutes, or until the middle has set
enjoy!

gooey deliciousness.

the before, there was not much of an after...