pancake party.

Short and sweet. 

Pancakes. Easy. Delicious. No frills. No sugar. 

let's get ready to crumble!

so, I often crave something sweet, but my cravings are never worthy of a full on baking session. However, today I embarked on a journey that should have and could have happened sooner in my baking career. For the first time ever, I made a crumble for one - a crumble cup, if you will. Super easy.  Super delicious. and super 'why didn't I do this before?'

you'll need: 

an apple (granny smith today)

almond slivers

a dash of brown sugar 

two spoonfuls of honey

cinnamon

oats

a ramekin dish 

you'll do:

1. no need to peel the apple, we're all adults here, just dice it up and fill the ramekin to the top 

2. mix almonds, sugar, honey, cinnamon and oats and sprinkle on top of apples 

3. pop into oven at 350f, bake for 20 min

4. eat the entire thing because it's literally just for you

5. be happy

oats, totes.

simple, delicious, healthy

1 cup oats

1 cup unsalted sunflower seeds

1/2 cup unsalted pumpkin seeds

1 cup raw almond slivers 

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

cinnamon 

1/2 cup honey (mine was imported from a farm in Lithuania, whaaat?) 

1 tsp canola oil 

mix it all together, add more honey if necessary. 

pour onto lined baking sheet - bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. 

check at the 10 minute mark and shuffle granola around with a wooden spoon, ensuring even baking - - equality for all granola. 

remove  .  cool  .   serve with plain greek yogurt and fresh fruit and smile. 

rolling scones

1 1/2 cups flour

3 tbsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp orange zest

5 tbsp butter 

juice of one orange

2/3 cup pomegranate kefir 

1/2 cup pine nuts 

1. Blend together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and zest. 

2. Add the butter, in cubes. 

3. Add pine nuts. 

4. Add orange juice and kefir. 

5. Mix. 

6. You can either - roll onto a floured surface, form a circle and slice like a pizza, or make glorious blobs like I did.

Bake at 400 degrees for 15-18 minutes until beautifully golden. 

cupookies

I often revisit my favorite sugar cookie recipe. This time, I made cupcake cookies, or as I like to call them - cupookies. I made them for my 3rd graders . . . they were a hit ! 

Frosting . . . for detailed cookies I use royal icing, for simple cookies, I use a powder sugar/splash of water glaze.

Royal icing can be made two ways . . . 

way one: egg whites, powder sugar and cream of tartar 

or what I use: meringue powder, powder sugar and water 

( you can find meringue powder at Williams Sonoma or other specialty baking shops ) 

Happy baking ! 

matching my cupookie. 

better-than-an-oreo

For the longest time, I have intended to go to the Buchon Bakery in Beverly Hills. Coincidentally (or not. . .) I received a Buchon Bakery cookbook this past Christmas. The recipes are absolutely divine.  Only the finest ingredients, detailed descriptions, stunning photographs and the most decadent collection of crispy, flakey, buttery pastries, cookies and other baked treats. Needless to say, I made a point to visit the bakery, ASAP.

I ordered a TKO, which the lady behind the mystical counter of treats, said is "a million times better than an oreo". I'm not a big oreo fan, but I was so intrigued. 

. . . it . was . amazing . Two rich dark chocolate shortbread cookies filled with a white chocolate ganache. The cookie had fluted edges and the filling was piped to mirror the cookie. Adorable. 

As I followed the recipe in my cookbook, I learned that TKO stands for Thomas Keller Oreo.  T. K. is the founder of Buchon. Genius. 

The recipe suggests to use some classy, expensive, fancy chocolates and ingredients for the cookies . . . . . . but . . . Ralphs for some reason didn't carry the specific ingredients so I opted for Hershey's cocoa powder (oh, don't hiss at me - they still tasted amazing! ) and ghirardelli's white chocolate for the ganache.  

E n j o y ! 

Date drops.

These little guys are the best. 

What you'll need . . .

pitted dates (about 2 cups)

1/2 cup almond flour (ground almonds in a blender) 

cinnamon 

a ripe banana

unsweetened shredded coconut 

unsweetened cocoa powder 

What you'll do . . . 

1. place dates in blender with a splash of water, blend until it becomes a paste

2. add 1/2 of the ripe banana, sprinkle cinnamon, blend again

3. place almond flour, shredded coconut and cocoa powder in separate shallow dishes

4. take a spoonful of the date/banana paste and roll into the almond flour, then roll into shredded coconut and or cocoa powder, forming balls

5. place in freezer for 1-2 hours 

E n j o y ! 

I'm pavlova'n it

Pavlova is a beautiful dessert from New Zealand. And Australia. Actually, that's a controversial topic. You can read about the drama here. 

It's easy to make (so easy, in fact) and certainly a crowd pleaser! Basically it's egg whites, sugar and a few extra ingredients. How hard is that? 

I use this recipe. (you may notice, it's also lowfat - I mean, come on!)

I top it off with homemade whipped cream and fresh, beautiful, colorful berries. 

It's beautiful. delicious. light. fresh. You're welcome. 

left over pavlova batter makes cute meringue kisses 

and it sconed me to my soul...

Scones. I love em. They're the perfect middle man. Add dried fruit, apples, nuts - make them sweet. Add cheese, scallions, herbs - make them savory. Helllooooo? How versatile is that? 

Tonight I craved sweet scones. Something with apples. Mainly because we have an overflowing apple bowl on our counter and I like to use whatever we have too much of. 

I found this recipe as I did a quick google search, and decided to try it out. Naturally, I 'sigi-fied' the ingredients, amounts and execution. 

The end result: amazing.  

sig-gestions: Use less sugar in the batter, add more apples, plus cinnamon and 1 tsp of vanilla. 

Also, if you don't have greek yogurt as the recipe calls for, use buttermilk, regular yogurt, sour cream ! 

I tweaked the glaze recipe - added less butter and sugar, more vanilla and a pinch of salt. 

sigi(pan)cakes

Mama makes the best pancakes

which is why I recently asked her for her "recipe". 

Thing is, she doesn't even use a recipe, she simply... mixes ingredients. 

Our convo went like this. . .  

Me: Mam, how do you make your pancakes?

Mama: mix some flour. . . let's say. . . oh, I don't know. . . half a cup, with one egg. . . add some milk. . . not too much, but not too little. . . and then some sugar. Just a little bit of sugar. Mix until. . . you know. . . it gets to the right consistency. 

. . . ok. 

So I did. 

But this time, I added mashed bananas, a sprinkle of cinnamon and cooked the pancakes in coconut oil. (the benefits of coconut oil are endless!) 

I made these little sigi(pan)cakes for my Danish family. The kids literally swallowed them whole. 

Good thing I know child CPR. 

peppermint pattycakes

. . .these are a variation of this recipe by, drum roll please, Martha Stewart. The original recipe calls for raspberry jam and cream-filled chocolate sandwich cookies. . . instead, these cupcakes are with peppermint patties and a mint marshmallow fluff frosting!  

The cupcakes were moist, rich chocolate with a gooey peppermint patty surprise inside. . . The frosting was tasty and sweet, yet tricky. . .  It permeated through the tops of the cupcakes and disappeared by the morning!  Oh well, your taste buds and stomach don't know the difference :)

Enjoy! 

these were created last summer with Darija 

what scones around, comes around

Cranberry Clementine Scones

Best scones I've ever made.

The recipe is, of course, from Martha Stewart. She usually has complex ingredients and procedures for her recipes, but this is simple, quick and so delicious!

The beauty of baking is that once you have the flour-baking-soda-baking-powder ratio set, you can pretty much add anything you fancy! Per usual, I sigi-fied the recipe. Rather than orange zest, I used the zest of one clementine plus the juice. Also, as a replacement for the plain buttermilk, I used low fat pomegranate kefir. This sly substitution helped create these beautifully moist, tangy, delectable, soft on the inside with a perfect exterior crisp - scones!

Sigi says: try various combinations... chocolate/clementine, blueberry/lemon, coconut/lemon, fresh cranberries, blueberries, apples/oats/cinnamon....

cupcake hour!

Bloody Mary Cupcakes

So here's the story. . . for Christmas last year I received a lovely gift from one of my best gals Darija. The gift was seemingly common - a book of cupcake recipes. . . yet with a twist (of lime!) - this book was full of "Intoxicated Cupcake" recipes.

  

The list of colorful, inventive, boozy recipes includes cupcakes mimicking flavors of our favorite happy hour delights... margarita, strawberry daiquiri, bellini, cosmo (just to name a few) ..... and of course, possibly the most enticing recipe - 

Blood Mary Cupcakes.

With every ingredient we added- tobasco sauce, celery salt, tomato soup. . . our curiosity grew. . . 

the cupcakes turned out super moist, sweet and spicy, almost a gingerbread meets pumpkin spice... definitely a unique cupcake! 

The only modifications we made: for the glaze, we ran out of vodka and used limoncello and added lime zest to the glaze AND as a colorful garnish. 

Enjoy! 

lime zest and sea salt as a garnish

fresh ground black pepper added a nice kick! 

orange you thirsty?

A hydrating treat: Watermelon-banana-orange-grape-flax seed smoothy 

No sugar. No fat. No more left. 

Blend all ingredients (cubed watermelon, one banana, one orange, a handful of grapes, a handful of flax seeds) with ice and a dash of orange juice and/or water!

Enjoy! 

gone bananas!

A quick, delicious mid-day treat! 

Banana Honey Cinnamon Shake

2 bananas

1 biiiig spoonful of honey

sprinkle, sprinkle, sprinkle of cinnamon

1 glug, glug, glug (or 3 glugs) of milk

2 handfuls of ice

Blend. Enjoy! 

oat.flax.fruit.carrot.coconut.

The story of how these cookies came to be is short and well...not so sweet. 

For Lent, I gave up eating sweets and baking with sugar. For a split millisecond I pondered giving up baking all together. hah! What a funny funny thought. 

The muse for these cookies was a successful job interview. I wanted a treat to celebrate, so I began my sugarless adventure.

The cookies consist of a fine range of pantry leftovers. Dried fruit, random nuts (pecans, almonds), flax seeds, sesame seeds, dried coconut. To add texture, moisture, flavor and some color, I added carrots and fresh coconut. 

Recipe

handful of dried fruit

handful of nuts

1/2 cup oats

1 cup flax seeds

1/4 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup dried coconut shreds 

1 egg (beaten with a splash of water)

1/3 cup olive oil

1/2 cup honey 

1 cup flour

5 carrots - shaved and pureed 

4 tablespoons fresh coconut chopped and pureed with carrots 

Mix all ingredients together. If too dry, add more liquid (water or oil). The honey will make the cookies rather sticky and moist -- do not be afraid, this is exactly how it should be! 

Bake at 350 F for 8-10 min.

Devour! 

I added more honey to this batch -- yummmm! 

oh, crumble!

You can never go wrong with a fruit crumble, especially if made together with lovely, beautiful friends! 

Now, let me clear a thing or two up... for Lent, I've committed myself to baking without sugar and am refraining from indulging in desserts, candy and other treats.... however, since I was not in my own kitchen, the no-sugar rule did not apply. (there's a fine print for everything!) 

Presenting... apple, strawberry, raspberry crumble with extra crumble, of course! 

Slice apples and strawberries, keeps raspberries whole! Place in bowl, sprinkle with cinnamon and lemon juice. 

In separate bowl combine 1 cup flour, 3/4 cup brown sugar 1 stick softened butter, cinnamon and in this batch (thank to Meg!) a dash of vanilla (amazing!)

In a buttered pan, spread out the fruit...crumble the crumble on top. Bake at 350 F for 40-60 min. 

Enjoy alone, with ice cream, whipped cream or lightly whipped sour cream! 

This batch was enjoyed with soy vanilla ice cream - delish! 

Enjoy! 

baking with my girls 

generous crumble layer...amazing

soy vanilla ice cream from Trader Joes:) 

hindbaersnitter

Hindbaersnitter - a Danish delight! From my many years of exposure to Danish culture and lifestyle, I quickly learned that hindbaersnitter was commonly used for birthday treats! Just as we bring cupcakes to school to celebrate birthdays (or, just as we USED to bring cupcakes, before all schools became sugar, nut and fun-free), Danes bring these! Easy to make and ooohhhh so delicious! I dare you not to eat the whole batch on your own! 

For the dough: 

1 3/4 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 stick butter 

1/3 cup sugar 

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup water 

For the filling: 

1/3 cup raspberry jam/preserves (or any other flavor you prefer)

For the topping:

2 cups powdered sugar

a few splashes of water

Procedure: 

1. Mix flour and baking powder. Add room temperature butter. Mix in sugar, vanilla and water. 

2. Divide dough into 2 equal parts. 

3. Roll out both balls of dough to form two long rectangles, placing one rectangle into a buttered shallow baking pan/sheet. 

4. Distribute the raspberry jam thoroughly all over the dough, leaving a 1 inch border (or else your jam will squirt out while baking!) 

5. Carefully place the second dough rectangle on top of the jam layer. Voila! 

6. Bake in a 400 F preheated oven for 18-20 minutes. 

Set aside to cool! Add topping, sprinkles, decor and cut into squares for serving! 

E N J O Y ! 

I translated the recipe into English, from a whimsical Danish book called Krudtugler og Kanelsnegle  - -  "Rascals and Cinnamon Buns: recipes, tips and ideas for families with children" The beautiful book is full of colorful pictures, recipes, decorating and entertaining ideas organized according to season. Danes pay attention to detail and focus on delivering quality and cozy entertainment, whether it be a child's birthday, a dinner party or a picnic on the beach.   

 . . . and that's what I love about those great Danes! 

*the direct translation of the Danish word "krudtugler" is literally "live wires", indicating energetic/mischievous children... I figured rascal was most fitting :) 

happy apple

Dad's birthday...one heck of a healthy and delicious dessert! Baked apples stuffed with dried fruit, sliced almonds, cinnamon and a tad of low fat margarine to bind the ingredients. 

Scrape out a well in your apples, squeeze in a little lemon juice. Mix all 'stuffing' ingredients in a bowl.

Stuff apples with mixture- place them in shallow baking dish.

In a 350 F preheated oven, bake apples for 15-20 min. 

Enjoy with ice cream or alone. Candle optional.

Sigi says: try adding a variety of ingredients into the mixture! Walnuts, pecans, even pine nuts! Dried cranberries, coconut, or even a tad of chocolate! Be creative! It's only an apple! 

chocolate.chip.oatmeal.

girls just wanna have fun(fetti) sprinkles 

The. Best. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Ever.

Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature [110 g]

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups old fashioned oats

1 (4-ounce) 60 percent cacao bittersweet chocolate (I HIGHLY recommend Ghirardelli)

Directions

1. Put an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 F.  Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. Beat the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the egg and vanilla and beat until smooth.

4. With the machine running, gradually add the flour mixture. Add the oats and chocolate chunks. Mix until just incorporated (dough will be stiff).

5.Arrange 6 balls of dough, spaced evenly apart, on each baking sheet. Using the back of a spoon, flatten the tops slightly and bake until the cookies are slightly golden on the edges, about 13 to 15 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 20 minutes before serving.