Roasted Pineapple Ricotta Toast

Posted on February 1, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Roasted Pineapple Ricotta Toast
In the winter, I like to do two things: Eat food that’s the equivalent of sitting in front of a warm fire with a blanket wrapped around me, OR eat food that makes me believe that I’m on a beach. This toast accomplishes both those goals.

I toasted a couple pieces of multigrain bread from Companion Bakery, spread on some whipped ricotta, and topped the toast with roasted pineapple and some mint leaves. The sweet, juicy pineapple paired well with the ricotta, which is basically the cheese equivalent of a cloud. The mint added some flavor and complemented the pineapple.

You could probably just spread ricotta on this toast, but I’d advocate for whipping it in a food processor. You scoop some into the processor and pulse it a few times until it starts looking more like icing than cheese. Then you can spread it on your slices of toast. It’s even lighter this way.

As for roasting pineapple…it’s actually much easier than you’d think. You take pineapple chunks and drizzle honey on top, and then let them sit in the oven for a few minutes. Right before they’re done, you can turn on the broiler to try to get them even more caramelized on the outside. But if you do this be careful because broiling is an art. You need to watch the pineapple constantly so it doesn’t catch on fire.

ANYWAY. I’d highly recommend making this toast as soon as possible. For anyone who is sick of winter weather and wishes they were on a beach in Hawaii, this toast is practically mandatory.

Here’s a song to play while you’re waiting for the pineapple to roast, or, you know, whenever.

Roasted Pineapple Ricotta Toast

Ingredients

2 slices of bread, toasted
1 cup chopped pineapple
2 Tbsp honey (or maple syrup or agave)
1/4 cup part-skim ricotta
pinch of sea salt
handful of fresh mint leaves

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread the pineapple on the baking sheet and drizzle with honey. Place in the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, or until the pineapple is starting to get brown on the outsides. If you’d like, you can turn the broiler on high and roast the pineapple for a minute more, but make sure to keep an eye on things so it doesn’t burn.

In the meantime, make the whipped ricotta. Place the ricotta in a food processor with the sea salt and pulse a few times until the ricotta is whipped and light, like icing.

Spread the ricotta on your slices of toast and top with pineapple and fresh mint leaves. Enjoy!

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Baked Tofu with Coconut Kale

Posted on January 31, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Baked Tofu and Coconut Kale
I made this baked tofu and coconut kale a couple weeks ago but I forgot to tell you about it. All that changes now.

I usually shy away from making tofu because it requires more effort, sometimes to no avail. Tofu recipes that I’ve used in the past call for placing a block of tofu between paper towel-lined plates and letting the extra moisture soak out. Even after doing that, the tofu can be soggy and not crisp on the outsides like I want it to be. It’s disappointing.

Then I saw this recipe for baked tofu with coconut kale. I’ve never baked tofu, only fried it, so I was interested to see what would happen. I also liked the idea of baking kale. I’ve done that before to make kale chips, and this recipe sounded similar. It also called for toasting coconut flakes in the oven, which I’m a big fan of. It’s the closest thing I can get to a Hawaiian vacation in St. Louis.

This recipe is gold. Once you make it, you’ll want to repeat it every week or so. I haven’t yet because I’ve been distracted by Bosnian food (more on that later), but I’m going to soon.

The tofu is crisp on the outside and soft and pillow-y on the inside, with lots of flavor from the soy sauce. It pairs well with the crispy tofu and the crunchy coconut. The dish is easy enough to make on a weeknight and it keeps well the next day, so it’s delicious for lunch. Those are two of my highest standards for a recipe.

I served the tofu over brown rice but serving it over white rice or quinoa would also be delicious. You could even get creative and make tacos with it.

In lieu of reposting the recipe, here’s a link to the one on Food52. I followed it pretty much to the letter, except I subbed sunflower oil for grapeseed oil because that’s what I had in my pantry.

Here’s a song to get you started on your baked tofu journey. I can’t believe that I’m just now realizing how good The Weeknd’s last album is. Where was I in 2016? Technically I can answer that question, but in the context of this album, it feels like I was on another planet.

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Making My Own Pizza

Posted on January 30, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Fontina Pizza
I’ve wanted to make my own pizza for a long time but I never took the plunge. Part of the reason was because I didn’t own a pizza stone, but it was also because I was intimidated by the process.

In the past, I used to buy pre-made pizza dough from Whole Foods, shape it myself, and put on toppings. I did this a lot when I had people over for dinner, or if I wanted to eat a whole pesto mushroom pizza by myself (that’s one of my favorite combos).

I’m still a fan of this process, especially if you’re short on time. But as it turns out, making pizza from scratch it pretty easy. Yeah, it’s not as easy as making one on a pre-made crust or ordering one already made. But it’s simple enough, and the results are delicious enough, that I’d advocate for trying it at least once.

If you decide to make your own pizza, you’ll need some tools. You’ll need to invest in a pizza stone. You can find cheap-ish ones on Amazon. You put the stone on the bottom rack of your oven while it’s heating up, and then you slide the pizza dough on top and let it cook. The stones are kind of heavy and cumbersome, but they’re DEFINITELY worth having. They’ll take your pizza crust from amateur hour to “whoa.”

I would also recommend investing in a pizza peel. That’s the wooden or metal paddle you see chefs using at restaurants to slide the pizza in and out of the oven. I didn’t buy one of these and I sorely regretted it. I had to enlist the help of my mom to slide the second pizza into the oven. This was after I ruined the first one by making the crust too thin and trying to carry it over to the oven unassisted.

Still, overall the process was easy and I was very happy with the results. I made a fontina, arugula, green apple pizza with prosciutto and it was AMAZING. The crust was the perfect consistency, not too thin and not too thick, and the ends were soft and chewy. The cheese and apple paired well together and the spicy arugula added a little kick. The prosciutto was my favorite topping. It got crunchy in the oven and gave the pizza a smoky flavor.

Another word to the wise about making pizza from scratch: Making the dough is waaay easier than you’d think. If you’ve ever made bread, it’s easier than that. If you haven’t, it’s still pretty straightforward. You mix together some flour, water, instant yeast, salt, and a bit of sugar in a stand mixer with a dough hook, wait until the mixture forms a ball, and then knead it a few times on a lightly floured countertop.

Once you’ve kneaded the dough, you set it in a greased bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. You let it rise for about an hour, or until the dough has doubled in size. Then you split it into two parts (for two pizzas), let it sit for about 10 minutes, and then you can start shaping it.

So yeah…I realize that this process sounds more involved than I let on at the top of this post. But trust me when I say that it’s easier than it seems. The hardest part is getting the dough from the counter to the oven, but if you invest in a pizza peel, this will be less complicated.

I’m going to put a recipe for dough below. I’ll also give you some guidance on how to make the arugula, fontina, apple pizza that I made Saturday night.

Here’s a song to get you started. It’s good for times when you spend 20 minutes shaping a margherita pizza and topping it, and then it collapses into a heap on your oven door.

Fontina, Apple, Arugula and Prosciutto Pizza

Ingredients

for the dough:
3 1/2 cups bread flour, plus more for rolling
1 tsp sugar
1 envelope instant dry yeast
2 tsp kosher salt
1 1/2 cups room temperature water
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 3 teaspoons

for the toppings:
1 cup shredded fontina cheese
1/2 green apple, sliced thin
1/2 cup arugula
2-3 pieces thinly-sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces

Directions

First, make the pizza dough. Mix flour, sugar, yeast and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook. While the mixer is running, add the water and 2 tablespoons of the oil and beat until the dough forms into a ball. If the dough is sticky, add additional flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough comes together. If the dough is too dry, add 1 tablespoon of water at a time so it looks more shiny and elastic. Use a spatula to turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead into a smooth, firm ball.

Grease a large bowl with 2 teaspoons olive oil, add the dough, and cover the bowl with plastic wrap. Put the bowl in a warm space and let the dough double in size. This will take about an hour.

Place a pizza stone on the bottom rack of your oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Make sure you leave enough room above the rack so you can slide in the pizza later.

When you’re ready to use the dough, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and divide it into two equal pieces. Cover each piece with plastic wrap and let them rest for 10 minutes before you start shaping them. I like to shape my dough by working from the middle out, and then using my fingers to pat down the edges in a circle to form a crust.

Brush the crust with olive oil and lightly brush the center of the dough with olive oil to form a base for your toppings. Start with the fontina cheese and layer the apple, arugula, and prosciutto on top, sprinkling on extra cheese at the end.

Place the pizza on the stone and bake for about 12-15 minutes, or until the cheese is browned, melted, and bubbly on top. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly on a rack. Cut and serve. Leftovers are great for breakfast, lunch, or dinner the next day as long as they’re kept in a sealed container in the fridge. Enjoy!

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Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Posted on January 29, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Brussels Sprouts Gratin copy
A week ago after I brought carrot cake muffins to work, one of my colleagues emailed me. “I wish your baking spree didn’t coincide with my diet,” she said, and I was sad. I wished she could try the muffins. I hate when people aren’t able to enjoy delicious things.

Then she asked me if I ever make savory recipes, which is a fair question because my blog and Instagram mostly consists of doughnuts, cookies, cake, and toast. I said yes and she sent me a recipe for brussels sprouts gratin.

I love brussels sprouts, but I didn’t know this until a few years ago when I was living in D.C. Growing up, I didn’t eat them because my mom had PTSD from when her parents forced her to eat the frozen kind warmed up every night for dinner. I didn’t avoid brussels sprouts, but I never sought them out.

Then I saw them at the farmers’ market in D.C. I was intrigued. There were huge piles of them and they looked little, cute, and green. I decided to buy some and roasted them in the oven. I figured anything oven-roasted couldn’t be that bad.

I was right. The sprouts were smoky, caramelized, and delicious. Some of the leaves fell off and got charred on the baking sheet. I popped them into my mouth and ate them like potato chips. They melted on my tongue. I started a love affair with brussels sprouts that continues to this day.

Which brings me back to this brussels sprouts gratin. I was going to follow the recipe my colleague gave me, but then, I decided to get creative. I had some leftover prosciutto from making pizza, so I subbed that in for bacon. I added panko breadcrumbs on top and used fontina cheese instead of Gruyère.

The resulting gratin was heaven. The sprouts were slightly tender and caramelized, the cheese was salty, melty, and gooey, and the top added some crunch. I can’t wait to eat the leftovers today for lunch.

The best part about this recipe is that it keeps getting better and better as you go along. You start with some sprouts in a pan, wait until they’re bright green and tender, and then you layer cream and cheese on top. THEN you wait until it gets melty and gooey and you add the breadcrumbs. Your house will smell like Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorite smells (and also my favorite holiday).

Anyway. I’d recommend making this recipe as soon as possible. It can feed one person for a couple meals, or you can double it and it can feed a couple people for a few days. It’s more filling than you’d think.

Here’s a song to get you started on your brussels sprouts-making journey. I heard it the other day when I was having lunch at a Mediterranean restaurant.

Brussels Sprouts Gratin

Ingredients
1 pound brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and halved lengthwise
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced thinly lengthwise
1 clove garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 pieces of thinly-sliced prosciutto, torn into bite-size pieces
3 Tbsp olive oil
kosher salt and black pepper
3/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated fontina cheese

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Toss the brussels sprouts, shallot, garlic, prosciutto, a pinch of salt and pepper, and 2 Tbsp of olive oil in an 8×8 baking dish. Place in the oven and cook for 12-15 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the sprouts are bright green and slightly tender.

While the sprouts are cooking, toss the bread crumbs with a little salt, pepper, and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a small bowl. Set aside.

Remove from the oven and place the sprouts in a ceramic baking dish (if desired…I did it for presentation). Pour in the cream and fontina cheese and toss to coat. Cook for another 10-12 minutes, or until the cream has reduced by half and the sprouts are beginning to brown.

Scatter the breadcrumbs on top of the sprouts and return the dish to the oven to bake for 5-8 more minutes, or until the crumbs are golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly before serving. Enjoy!

 

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Dimanche (That Means Sunday)

Posted on January 28, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Screen Shot 2018-01-28 at 12.33.00 PM
Welcome to this edition of Dimanche (That Means Sunday), a roundup of things that caught my eye this past week.

January is my least favorite month. It’s cold, the weather is unpredictable (at least in St. Louis), and so there are fewer opportunities to be outside and do most of the things I love doing.

Still, I’ve cooked up some ways to tolerate it. I’ve accepted that 50 degrees F is the new 70. I went on a baking spree last week/weekend, which distracted me for a while. Also, I’ve been doing A LOT of reading. You might not be able to tell this from my Instagram, where I post pictures of what I’m doing almost every second of every day. But behind the scenes, there’s a lot of literature happening.

I’ve also been writing more, which is always good. I’m trying to compose lyrics now that I can play the guitar.

I can’t believe January is almost over. This year already feels like it’s moving faster than last year. My goal for February (other than not losing my mind during the winter) is to stay more in the moment. It’s easy to get caught up in what we *should* be doing, or the next step. But sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves is looking at the present and seeing what changes we can make to get the most out of every day. For me, it might involve getting up a few minutes earlier everyday to meditate. We’ll see how that goes.

Without further ado, here is Dimanche:

There were Nutella riots recently in France. I watched a video of the riots and I, like many people, thought it was funny. I mean, when have you ever seen a bunch of French people swarming a supermarket to stock up on forty containers of Nutella? The answer for most of us is, never. Still, I missed the sociopolitical implications of the riot. Pauline Bock, a journalist for the British publication NewStatesman, dug into what the riots say about French society at the moment.

I’ve been doing more freelancing for St. Louis Magazine and an article I contributed to about cheap eats came out this month. I wrote about John Chen and Caya Aufiero, a married couple who is operating a fast-casual restaurant concept in an underserved community in town, and Steve Cori, a local business owner who grew up eating Chicago hot dogs and decided to bring them to St. Louis. Read the feature here.

On the spectrum of popular kitchen gadgets, Instant Pots would take first place. I was about to jump on the bandwagon and buy one and then I read this helpful guide from The Washington Post. The writer delves into the pros and cons of Instant Pots and Dutch Ovens, rivals in the kitchen appliance world. She seemed to settle on Dutch Ovens as the superior appliance, which seems fair. I think Dutch Ovens are prettier, anyway. I’ve had my eye on this one for a while.

I just finished reading The Perfect Nanny and I’m OBSESSED. The book has gotten a lot of press lately in the U.S. after winning France’s top literary prize. It’s translated from French to English. The story is so compelling, you won’t be able to put it down. I read the last 30 pages in a butcher shop (which seems really creepy and awful in retrospect), and I literally forgot where I was while I was reading.

Screen Shot 2018-01-28 at 12.32.33 PM

This might seem like small beans to some people, but Meryl Streep is starring in the second season of “Big Little Lies.” When I saw the news earlier this week, I almost passed out. Streep will play PERRY’S MOTHER (Spoiler Alert: Perry, Nicole Kidman’s abusive husband, gets killed off in Season 1 of the show), which took me by surprise. I didn’t know they were going to continue his story past his death. I’m sure Streep will bring her usual gravity and talent to the role.

Jhumpa Lahiri is one of my favorite writers. She’s kind of flown under the radar recently in the U.S. because she spent some time living in Italy and writing in Italian. A story of hers was just published in The New Yorker. It was originally written in Italian and Lahiri translated it into English herself. It feels similar to and very different from Lahiri’s other work. Check out the story here and a piece about how Lahiri writes in Italian here.

So…a billionaire is trying to impeach Trump. Maybe you’ve read about Tom Steyer, a wealthy man in California who wants Trump out of office. Maybe you haven’t. Either way, this story in The New York Times sheds some light on what Steyer is trying to do. I want Trump impeached as much as the next sane person, but I don’t know if it will happen. I think Democrats, especially wealthy Democrats, should focus their effort on fighting the Republican majority (read: Trump apologists) and mobilizing young people and minorities to vote.

Last but certainly not least, I made pizza from scratch. I’m going to write a whole post about it later this week, but I had to share the news here first. Pizza dough is surprisingly easy to make, but trying to get it from the counter to the pizza stone in the oven is a different story. I’ll give you some tips when I write my blog post.

Screen Shot 2018-01-28 at 1.19.20 PM

Enjoy your week! Here’s a song to get you started. I love Natalia Lafourcade.

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The Best Green Smoothie EVER

Posted on January 26, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Green Smoothie
I’d like to interrupt this baking spree with the best green smoothie I’ve ever made. I am not exaggerating.

In the winter, I drink fewer green smoothies. Maybe it’s because it’s cold outside and the idea of adding anything semi-frozen and green to my body feels like torture. Maybe it’s because I sleep later in the morning so I don’t have time to make smoothies. Whatever the reason, it doesn’t happen as often in January and February.

Still, after the baking spree I went on this past week, my body was calling out for greens. I had some extra spinach in my fridge that I wanted to use up, and some maca powder that I bought the other day at the grocery store. I invented a green smoothie on the spot. It turned out to be one of my most inspired creations.

I judge green smoothies by how easy they are to drink. The harder it is, the worse the recipe. This green smoothie is so easy to drink, it’s almost like dessert. Maybe in California, it would be considered dessert. It’s slightly sweet, tangy, and smooth, kind of like a milkshake. The best part is, it’s good for you.

I used frozen pineapple in the recipe but you could sub in frozen mango. I think it would have a similar vibe. I’d keep the other ingredients the same, though. Whatever you do, DO NOT leave out the avocado. The avocado is the unifying element in this smoothie. It holds everything together and makes the texture rich and smooth.

I topped my smoothie with a sprinkle of hemp hearts and chia seeds, and I drizzled on some orange blossom honey. I’d recommend drizzling on any kind of honey on top. Once you drink the smoothie, the honey will sink to the bottom and you’ll have a sweet last sip.

Here’s a song to get you started on your green smoothie-making journey. It came on this morning while I was driving to work and it reminded me how much I love it. It’s fun to sing along to.

The Best Green Smoothie EVER 

Ingredients

1 cup baby spinach
2 cups unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup frozen pineapple
1 ripe banana
1 tsp maca powder
1 avocado, pitted
1/4 tsp orange blossom honey, plus more for drizzling
hemp hearts and chia seeds for topping

Directions

Blend the spinach, almond milk, pineapple, banana, maca powder, avocado, and honey in a blender on high until smooth. Pour into a tall glass and top with a sprinkle of hemp hearts and chia seeds and a drizzle of honey. Enjoy!

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Tahini Orange Cacao Nib Granola from The First Mess

Posted on January 25, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Tahini Granola
Tahini is quickly becoming one of my favorite ingredients. It’s so versatile. You can use it to make hummus, but you can also use it on toast, in salad dressings, in sauces, in stir-fries…the possibilities are endless.

So when I saw this recipe for tahini orange granola the other day on The First Mess, I knew I had to try it. I’ve been following the blog for a few years now. I started reading it when I moved to D.C. and I was looking to incorporate more plant-based meals into my diet.

The First Mess generally posts vegan recipes and all of them look DELICIOUS. I usually try her savory recipes but this time, I decided to make something sweet. I miss having homemade granola around to snack on or eat for breakfast. Plus I had almost exactly the amount of tahini the recipe called for in my fridge. It was fate.

This granola is so good, you’ll want to eat it throughout the day. Yeah, it’s great for breakfast in the morning with some Greek yogurt or almond milk and orange slices. But it’s also good eaten straight out of the container. It might get to the point where it becomes your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That’s okay. Let it happen.

My favorite thing about this recipe besides the orange tahini flavor is the texture. Sometimes granola can turn out too soggy or flaky. That’s not the case with this granola. It’s crunchy and clumpy, exactly the way good granola should be. It has crunchy sesame seeds and cacao nibs, crisp coconut flakes, and chewy mulberries. You don’t get bored eating the granola because there’s so much going on in every bite.

ANYWAY. Before I get too carried away, here is a link to the recipe. I’d highly recommend making a batch of this granola soon. It’s the perfect thing to motivate you to get out of bed on a cold winter morning when all you want to do is huddle under the covers in a ball and hide away from the world.

In other news, Drake dropped a new single recently and I’m obsessed. At one point in the song, he talks about when a woman asked him if he loves her and he says only partly, because the only things he really loves are his mom and his bed. It’s a bold proclamation. I think it takes a real man to speak the truth. There are so many man-boys who wouldn’t admit that (although one might also argue that only a man-boy would choose to love only his mom and his bed).

 

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Carrot Cake Muffins

Posted on January 24, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Carrot Cake Muffins
I’ve been craving carrot cake for MONTHS. I satisfied my craving a little at my office holiday party in December, when someone brought a cake for dessert. But when the craving didn’t go away, I took matters into my own hands.

Carrot cake is a polarizing figure in the baked goods world. A lot of people hate it. Why eat a cake with carrots when you could eat a cake with, say, chocolate?, is most people’s logic.

I’d argue that carrot cake can be even better than chocolate cake. There’s the textural element of carrots, which give the cake a little bite. There are the warming spices such as cardamom, cinnamon, and allspice. There are plump, golden raisins paired with sweet brown sugar. There’s a lot going on in carrot cake, but it works in the dessert’s favor.

Which brings me to these carrot cake muffins. I made them to satisfy my craving but I also wanted to share something with my office this week. I’m baking for one these days so there’s something satisfying about sharing what I’ve made with other people.

The muffins were a hit. People said that they were sweet but not too sweet, and that they tasted healthy. I don’t know about you, but I could use a little health in my life at this point. I’m all for eating buckets of sugar but once in a while, it feels good to eat something that’s light and delicious.

I got this recipe from Wood and Spoon, a really good baking blog that I’d recommend checking out. In lieu of repasting it here, I’ll link out to her recipe. It will give you a chance to look at her brown sugar danishes (!!!), which I might be making soon.

Here’s a song to get you started on your carrot cake-making journey. It doesn’t really have anything to do with the carrot cake, but I’m learning how to play it on the guitar. Few people sing it as well as a young Stevie Nicks.

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Alison Roman’s Salted Chocolate Chip Shortbread Cookies

Posted on January 23, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Salted Shortbread Cookies
Whenever something starts becoming “trendy,” I get a sick feeling in my stomach. Call me a contrarian, or just someone who doesn’t like trends, but a bunch of people doing the same thing makes me very uncomfortable.

A few weeks ago, I started seeing EVERYONE on Instagram make these salted chocolate chip shortbread cookies. The recipe is from Alison Roman, a chef and cookbook author who has written for a bunch of food publications including Bon Appétit. I’m a fan of her Instagram page, and all her recipes look delicious. But the cult forming around these cookies scared me.

People raved about them and said they’d never tasted a better cookie. Famous food bloggers who aren’t prone to exaggeration said that the cookies were the best they’d ever made. “Yeah, yeah, okay,” I thought to myself. I held out for a couple weeks.

Then, on Sunday, I saw a picture on Instagram and I couldn’t take it any longer. I bought a pack of salted butter and a bar of bittersweet chocolate and got down to business. I’m going to put this cookie to the test, I thought. Let’s see how it stacks up with everyone’s reviews.

Verdict: These are the best cookies I’ve ever made. I’m not exaggerating. I’m usually a fan of gooey chocolate chip cookies, the kind that practically melt in your fingers. These are not that. They’re crumbly and firm like a shortbread cookie, BUT they still manage to melt in your mouth. The flecks of chocolate are gooey inside and the edges are slightly crunchy with sugar. They’re not cookies to like; they’re cookies to love.

The best part is, the cookies get BETTER as the days go on. I know this sounds unbelievable, but it’s true. The cookies fresh out of the oven were great, but on day two they had a chance to firm up a little. The balance of salt, sugar, and chocolate really sang. They were buttery and light. I’m tearing up a little just thinking about it.

I brought the cookies into work and people lost their shit. Colleagues started coming by my office and asked me for the recipe. I pointed them in the direction of Roman’s recipe on Bon Appétit‘s website.

So I guess the moral of the story is, jump on the bandwagon in the name of good cookies. Sometimes something becomes trendy for a reason. These cookies deserve their time in the limelight. They’re everything you’d want in a dessert and more.

 

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Banana Chai Orange Blossom Pancakes

Posted on January 22, 2018 by Emily Wasserman

Banana Chai Panckes
I’m not a fan of calling things what they’re not. For example, a gluten-free, no sugar, vegan brownie is not a brownie. It could be very good. It might even be amazing. But it’s not a brownie.

So when I saw a recipe for these pancakes the other day, I was skeptical. The recipe called for no flour, an egg  and an egg white, rolled oats, and no sugar. I don’t know about you, but to me that’s a scary prospect. All the pancakes I’ve loved over the years have been full of flour and sugar.

Still, I decided to take a risk. The worst that could happen was the pancakes would be inedible, and I’d throw them away and have a big bowl of granola. The best thing that could happen would be that they’re delicious.

Well, these pancakes exceeded my expectations because not only were they delicious, they were maybe the best pancakes I’ve ever made. Yes, they’re not technically pancakes, but for lack of a better word, that’s what I’ll calling them.

I’m going to make these pancakes every weekend, or at least a couple weekends every month. They’re light, fluffy, flavorful, and delicious, and combine a bunch of my favorite things. They include banana, chai spices, and a dash of orange blossom water.

You could leave the orange blossom water out if you don’t have it, but I’d highly recommend getting some. Orange blossom water is used in a lot of Middle Eastern desserts and it’s citrus-y, bright, and fragrant. It pairs well with spices such as cardamom and cinnamon, both of which are in these pancakes.

I topped the pancakes with some banana slices, pomegranate arils, and a generous pour of maple syrup. I halved the recipe but after tasting one pancake, I wished I hadn’t. I could have eaten two stacks by myself.

Here’s a song that reminds me of these pancakes. I heard it in the car on the way to work this morning and it took me back to three and a half years ago, when I heard it for the first time in D.C. It’s good when you need a little extra motivation on Monday morning.

Banana Chai Orange Blossom Pancakes

Ingredients

2 whole eggs plus 2 egg whites
1 medium/large ripe banana
1 cup old fashioned oats
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp orange blossom water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cardamon
1/4 tsp all-spice
1/4 tsp salt
maple syrup, banana slices, and pomegranate arils for serving

Directions

Blend the eggs and the egg whites, banana, oats, vanilla extra, orange blossom water, baking powder, spices, and salt in a large blender on high until smooth. This should take about 30 seconds to a minute.

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter at a time into the hot skillet. Wait until bubbles appear on one side of the pancake and then flip it over and cook the side for about a minute more, or until golden brown. Continue this process until you use up all the batter.

Serve the pancakes with maple syrup, banana slices, and pomegranate arils. Enjoy!

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