Monday, January 21, 2019

Jam Crumble Wedges

I was poking around Instagram the other day and came across Almond Flour Strawberry Crumble Bars from Joy the Baker. It seemed like the perfect pantry clearing baked good, and I had everything on hand with a few adaptations (which I will indicate with asterisks.) Recipe and instructions are all Joy, and this recipe appeared to be in process even for her, so follow the link above for her marvelous photography and extra instructions.
 

Almond Flour Strawberry Crumble Bars (which I renamed to Jam Crumble Wedges!)
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Yield: 12 wedges

Ingredients
  • 1 large egg egg
  • 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
  • 1/2 cup old-fashioned oats (gluten free if that's a concern for you)
  • 2 cups almond flour*
  • 2 tablespoons coconut flour
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • ¼ cup melted unsalted butter (or melted coconut oil if dairy is a concern for you)
  • 1/2 cup good quality strawberry jam*
  • powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch round pan* with parchment paper and generously grease. Set aside.
  2. To make the base and crumble topping, in a medium bowl whisk together egg and maple syrup until well combined.
  3. Stir in almond flour, oats, coconut flour, cinnamon and salt until well combined.
  4. Pour melted butter into the crumble and use a fork to evenly distribute and stir together until clumps begin to form.
  5. Place 2/3 of the mixture into prepared pan (the remaining mixture will be used for the topping).
  6. Use your fingers to evenly press dough to the bottom. Set the remaining dough aside for just a bit.
  7. Spread jam in an even layer across the bottom crust.
  8. Crumble the remaining oat mixture evenly over the strawberry jam. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until filling is bubbly and topping is lightly golden. Allow crumble to cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to the refrigerator to chill for 20 minutes.* Once chilled, carefully invert the crumble, remove the paper, and slice into wedges.*
  9. Slices are delicious at room temperature, lightly dusted with powdered sugar. 
*Notes from JennyBakes:
-I could have used 2 cups almond flour, but I also have some aging spelt flour so I went half and half.
-I had a half jar of lingonberry jam and used this instead of strawberry.
-I used a tart pan, which saved me having to chill or invert as described in step 8.

Monday, January 07, 2019

The Spicy Cowgirl

January can be rough for baked goods, a combination of an attempt to leave behind the indulgent holiday eating ways, and just burnout from all the baking of the holidays. So while I had a few ideas for weekend baking (a cake for book club, scones for work, a savory tart from a cookbook I need to review), I just could not make it happen.

However I did make this iced coffee concoction happen, after finally purchasing chile syrup online. I included Ree's formula for cold brew coffee but I make mine much stronger (8 quarts cold water to 1 pound ground coffee? I use 4 quarts to a pound) using the New York Times iced coffee formula. This kind of recipe is great because I regularly have cold brew on hand, so it's nice to have a few ways to dress it up.


The Spicy Cowgirl

(recipe from Ree Drummond via The Food Network)

Ingredients


1/4 cup heavy cream
1 ounce vanilla syrup 
6 ounces store-bought or homemade cold brew coffee, recipe follows
4 ounces whole milk 
1 ounce chile syrup (or simple syrup with hot chiles infused for 24 hours) 
1 ounce chocolate sauce 
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

Cold Brew Coffee:


1 pound ground coffee (a good, rich roast)
8 quarts cold water 

Directions

  1. Lightly whip the cream with the vanilla syrup in a bowl and have on standby.
  2. In a cocktail shaker, combine the cold brew coffee, milk, chile syrup, chocolate sauce and ice, then shake until frothed and combined. Pour into an ice-filled glass, top with vanilla whipped cream to cover and dust with the cinnamon and cayenne pepper.

Cold Brew Coffee:

  1. Mix the ground coffee with the water in a large container. Cover and allow to sit at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
  2. Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth and set over a pitcher or other container. Pour the coffee/water mixture through the strainer, allowing all the liquid to run through. Discard the grounds. Refrigerate and use as needed.