Torcetti

Today I’m sharing with you a family secret. A recipe for a cookie that has been passed down in my family from one generation to the next. The kind that is given to you on a worn and oil splattered recipe card with barely readable cursive handwriting and hardly any instruction to go with the list of ingredients. To be completely honest with you, I’m not really sure I’m even allowed to share it, but I don’t really believe in keeping recipes secret and I’d like to think that sharing the recipe with you is my way of sitting down with you to enjoy one.

I’ve been making torcetti with my grandpa since my eyes reached counter level. My grandma had to pull up a chair so I could help mix and roll the dough out. I remember my small hands rolling the ends too thinly, while the centers bulged, so that when they were baked the tips would burn and the center would remain soft. These are the cookies that to this very day, if you stop in to visit with my grandpa he will no doubt have a giant tin full of torcetti along with these biscotti. It’s the first thing I go to after hugs hello have gone around and I’m often leaving with a small ziplock bag full to enjoy later… or during the car ride home.

My grandpa was raised by his Italian mother and aunt, and his Swedish aunt, who married into the family, (and celebrated her 101 year of life this past summer!) since he was a very young boy. If there ever was a kitchen that rested only when those who lived there did, it was their’s. The tales of these ladies cooking all day is a proven fact when I drive over snoqualmie pass to visit my great great aunt and her daughter (I think my 3rd cousin; who’s in her late 70′s) who still get up in the morning to make homemade ravioli, bread sticks, cookies, and so on. Getting it all in before their daily nap and soaps.

This is not one of my usual “healthy” style recipes. I’ve not taken an old favorite and used coconut oil or spelt flour to replace the butter and all purpose flour. It just wouldn’t work here. Besides, what would life be if we all didn’t indulge every now and then. The only change I made was using natural cane sugar instead of white, but feel free to use either. It’s really hard to describe these cookies. I’d say they’re something like a shortbread and not very sweet. They’re crunchy and perfect paired with coffee or tea. And don’t skip the process of rolling the rings of dough in sugar before baking, it’s what gives the cookies a special crunchy, sweet coating.

I’m sending out all kinds of love to those who lost their precious little ones, family members, and friends last Friday. After hearing about the tragedy in Newtown, I was overcome with emotion and thoughts. I read over the clips of each victims life, attached with pictures of wide eyed young faces that will never be able to remember and share stories like the one I’ve told here. My eyes were teary and red before getting to the end, but it was worth spending a little time to see these young, spirited lives through the eyes of those who lost them. As someone who is always searching for the good in people, it’s hard to acknowledge that dark things like this exist in the world today. I’ve decided to take the rest of the year off to spend some quality time with my family and friends. I wish all a you happy holiday season, hopefully surrounded by all you love as well.

Torcetti / makes 64 cookies

1/3 cup warm water
2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons almond or vanilla extract
5 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup natural cane sugar, plus more for rolling
2 cups (1 pound) unsalted butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375F. Line baking sheets with parchment.

In a small dish combine the water, yeast, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Let sit 10 minutes, then add in the almond (or vanilla) extract.

In a large bowl combine the flour, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter using hands or mixer. Pour in the yeast mixture and stir to combine well.

Divide the dough into 4 equal parts. Roll each into a log about 14-16 inches long and cut into 16 equal pieces. The best way to do this is to start by dividing the log in half, then keep halving the sections until you have 16 pieces (see image). Roll each piece into a pencil sized log, wrap one edge over the other, making a ring, dip in sugar and place on a baking sheet. They don’t spread too much so you should be able to get 12-14 on one sheet.

Bake for 12 minutes or until lightly golden. Cool on wire rack and store tightly covered. They seem to keep for awhile, but I’d say up to a week.

Desserts + Sweets

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing

It was June when I started the brussels sprout seeds inside. I carefully filled little pots with seedling mix and made sure to keep them moist. Soon enough there was a push up from the soil and a little green leaf waving it’s head at me. I coddled these things, taking them outside to get a feeling of the breeze and bright sky they were soon going to be under, then bringing them back in before evening. Soon they were stalky little guys starting to outgrow their pots, but I didn’t have a single place to put them because by that time it was July and the whole garden was filled with plants already given there allotted space. I remember during that week I was either giving lettuces away or eating salad almost 3 times a day just so nothing was wasted and the brussels sprouts would soon have a place to occupy.

Once they were in their new home, I could tell they were happy. Large, dark leaves formed and they seemed to grow taller overnight. I was getting worried that I timed everything all wrong that on top of all the tomatoes, green beans, kale, lettuce, carrots, and parsnips, I was going to have a ton of brussels sprouts to eat too. Not that big of a problem I guess, but I really wanted these to make it at least to October. It wasn’t until September though that I started noticing the little sprouts begin to form right up on top of each leaf. As the days got shorter and colder everything began to grow at a much slower pace, and here I am now, with 8 stalks of big green brussles sprout plants. Granted, the aphid infestation I tried so hard to fend off still took over a few of the sprouts, with a good and thorough cleaning, they were perfectly edible.

I offer you up this gem of a salad days before Thanksgiving, not because I want you to change you traditional Thanksgiving meal, but because I think it offers up a nice balance to the days leading up to and after the big meal. But if you do happen to be looking for that one last salad idea, I think this one would be refreshingly welcome next to your mashed potatoes, green beans, and turkey. Enjoy friends and have a lovely holiday weekend!

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing / serves 4-6

1/2 lb. brussels sprouts, washed, dried and leaves separated
4-5 kale leaves (I used lacinato kale)
1 celery stalk
seeds from half a pomegranate *how to remove tip below
large handful of hazelnuts (about 1/3 cup), roasted
juice and zest from one small lemon, about 2-3 tablespoons juice
1 avocado
pinch of sea salt

Remove the kale leaves from the center stalk and cut into bite sized pieces. Roughly chop the brussels sprout leaves the same size, place in a large bowl.

Scoop out 1/2 the avocado and place in a small bowl with the lemon juice, zest, and a pinch of salt. Mash with the back of a fork then pour dressing over the greens. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the leaves and let everything sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Cube the rest of the avocado, thinly slice the celery and roughly chop the roasted hazelnuts. To serve top the salad with all the last ingredients, plus the pomegranate seeds and give a good toss at the table.

* My favorite way to remove pomegranate seeds without making a mess is to first remove the top where the skin folds up. Then, using a sharp knife, carefully score from one end to the other, making an X through the skin. Just be careful to not go all the way inside where the seeds are. Then grasping each side, give the pomegranate a good twist over a bowl of clean water. The sides should remove without too much trouble, then keeping the pomegranate submerged, use your hands to pull out the seeds and loosen as you go. The white parts will float to the top and the seeds to the bottom, making it easy to separate everything and bonus, nothing gets stained!

Fall, Fruits, Gluten-Free, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables, Winter

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing

Made this cake for my birthday yesterday. It’s made from roasted and pureed buttercup squash and shredded apples. The crumb is moist, full of spice and topped with toasted walnuts and maple syrup icing. After a very full and extended weekend spent with friends and family, it was a real treat.

I feel so truly thankful for everything in my life right now, there’s not much more I feel I could ask for. But I think this next year may top it, we’ll see.

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing / serves 10-12
I used buttercup squash, but I think any pumpkin or squash puree will work.

2 1/2 cups light spelt flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
3/4 cup muscovado or brown sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 cup milk (almond, cow, etc.)
1 1/2 cups buttercup squash puree *see how to prepare below
1 1/2 cups shredded apple, about 1 large apple (I used Gala)

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 12-cup Bundt pan.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and ginger and set aside.

In a large bowl or stand mixer, beat the coconut oil and sugar together until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Scrape down the bowl if needed.

In a small bowl combine the squash puree with the milk.

Gradually add the flour mixture to the egg mixture in three additions, alternating between the dry mixture and two additions of the squash mixture, scraping down the sides as needed. Fold in the shredded apple.

Spread the batter into the pan. The batter will be thick, so smooth the top and give a few taps on the counter to remove any air bubbles.

Bake for about 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes in pan on wire rack before removing from Bundt pan and letting cool completely before glazing.

maple walnut glaze
1 cup powdered sugar
2-3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
1/3 cup toasted walnuts or pecans

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring well after each addition. If mixture is too stiff or dry keep adding the maple syrup 1 tablespoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency. Pour about 1/2 the glaze over the cake, top with toasted walnuts, they drizzle on the rest.

* To make your own buttercup squash puree, preheat oven to 375F. Cut squash in half, scrape out the seeds and lay flesh side down on a lined baking sheet. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until a fork easily pierces through. Time will vary depending on size of squash. Let cool until you can comfortably hold it and scoop the flesh out. Run in a food processor until really smooth. Store tightly covered in the fridge for several days or place in the freezer to use later.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Vegetables

Smashed Potatoes with Olive Tapanade

Last Sunday we found ourselves in a not to far, large wooded park. It’s a treasure to have parks like this when you live in an urban area and we find ourselves there pretty often. This one is lined with lots of trails, through tall cedar trees and cliffs that overlook the puget sound. This day however, we were there for more than just the scenic beauty and fresh air, we were on a mushroom hunt.

Have you ever gone mushroom hunting? This was my first. I lived in five acres of densely wooded land when I was growing up, and always admired the mushrooms I found for their silent beauty and fairy tale-like mesmerization, but never had I dared to pluck one from the ground, stow it in my pocket, and bring it home to eat. I had heard the stories of mushroom poisonings or hallucinogens that can happen if you have no idea what you’re looking for, so I treaded on the safe side and instead felt humbled in their presence.

Following the foragers number one rule “never eat something unless you are 100% sure what it is,” we joined a friend who knows what he is looking for. We followed the trails until we came to a few spots where he picked chanterelles in the years before. Then it was into the bushes and over fallen logs, each step sunk into pine needle and mossy ground. We were out there for hours, but it only felt like we had just begun. We came out with only two mushrooms; one for him and one for us.

We were expecting so much more, but it was thrilling and so natural to just be out there that I didn’t even care once we got home. I held the chanterelle close to my nose and took in the earthy forest smell, then sliced into it, sauteed it in a little butter, garlic and herb mixture and served it on a slice of toast. It was delicious and enough. At least until we forage for more.

There are so many things that are seeming to come back into our lives these days. Foraging, a forgotten hunt and gather, that our ancestors relied on for food and livelihood is one, but also print. The one tool that has been around for centuries and is used to tell stories, send letters, document, enjoy over a cup of coffee or tea, and line itself up on bookshelves. None of these things are going away per se, but less and less are becoming tangible things. I like when I can touch something and write my own notes in it, or the thrill of finding my own grandmas handwriting on a scratch of paper.

There has been a decline of print magazines because everything is going online these days, but there are still a few who have claimed it is not yet gone and are paving the way. Wilder Quarterly is one of those magazines. Here’s a little of what they’re about from their website:

“Wilder Quarterly is a publication for people enthralled by the natural world. In our pages you’ll find green thumbs, rooftop gardeners, foodies and chefs, seed savers, architects, hobby farmers, horticulturalists, innovators, amateurs, and experts. Just your everyday mix of growing enthusiasts. Wilder is ‘life through the lens of the growing world’— indoors and out, culture, travel, food and design. Published seasonally for this generation of growers and the next.”

The first thing I noticed, besides the beautiful cover shot, was the paper choice. This may not be something many people think about, but coming from a design background, it kinda means a lot to the whole experience. Inside, every single image or drawing is absolutely beautiful and pulled from talent all over. I found myself curled up with each story and took away knowledge of subjects I never new I was interested in. There’s a handful of recipes mixed in throughout and I pulled out this one to share with you here. A lovely recipe for smashed potatoes that get a golden crunchy crust and are topped with a briny salty olive tapanade. I served mine over a bed of arugula for a light salad meal, but they would be the perfect starter to any meal if you have a few people around to share with.

Smashed Potatoes with Olive Tapanade
Recipe by Francis Mallmann’s Seven Fires of Argentina via Wilder Quarterly: Fall 2012 Issue

for the tapanade
1 cup kalamata olives, minced
2 tablespoons capers, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
fresh ground black pepper

Mix everything together in a bowl and allow to stand for a while to blend. You can whiz everything in a food processor to make it easier. Don’t skip the lemon zest and juice. They are delightful in this.

for the potatoes
about 1 1/2 lbs. of waxy small red or white potatoes
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
6 black peppercorns
salt

Wash potatoes. If not uniform in size, cut to size and boil, with all added seasonings, until tender. Drain and discard seasonings. Allow the potatoes to cool slightly, then gently crush them with your palm so they break open, but don’t bust them apart too much.

Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Cast iron works beautifully for this. Add a small amount of butter and oil and swirl to coat the pan. When hot, place potatoes in a single layer in the pan. Cook 10 minutes or so, until a good crust forms on the bottom. Dot the top with about 1/4 cup of the tapanade, and carefully turn the potatoes over. Allow to cook on the other side for an additional 5 to 10 minutes. Serve with tapanade on the side.

*Full disclosure: Recipe re-printed with permission from Wilder Quarterly. I was not paid to endorse Wilder Quarterly, but all photo’s, text, and opinions are my own.

Gluten-Free, Salads, Sides, Vegan, Vegetables

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top

It’s true. I have a very hungry appetite for all things pumpkin-y and spice scented during the Fall. But my motivation for this recipe comes from my realization that I can count the number of decorations I own for one of my favorite holidays of the year, Halloween, on one hand. Actually, one finger.

It’s a small plastic jack-o-lantern (a name I, and probably many other Jacquelyn’s remember well. Totally not bitter about that one) that’s been spray painted gold. I received it as a prize at a friends Halloween party last year, after entering in the pie contest. Not pie eating, mind you, although I maybe would have entered had there been one : ) My only excuse for the lack of decor is that after moving from one apartment to the next, year after year, for a totally of 8 moves in 8 years, is that you really learn to downsize.

Now I’m in a place where moving is just not as easy an option the way it used to be, but I’m still holding onto the phrase in my head that says “does this object have more than one use, is it small, or do I really love/have to have it?” I’m sure many small space dwellers or non-clutter lovers can agree with me that sometimes decorations for certain holidays fall by the way side when this thought crosses your mind. Real pumpkins, the ones you pick out in a field, where you come home with mud on your shoes, those “decorations” are the ones we had every year, luckily. They’re the ones that will always fit into my requisite rules for what comes into the house.

When I told this to my mom, she insisted I take home a few of her pumpkin, ghost, and witch decorations. Which I did, but things were still feeling pretty sparse, so I baked a treat instead. Filled it with pumpkin, over an oaty cookie-like crust and topped with coconut, almonds, and chocolate. This one didn’t even make it through the weekend before being devoured.

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top / makes 8
It seems like a lot of steps because I’ve broken everything down, but really they’re simple to make and you probably have all the ingredients already.

crust
3 cups rolled oats
1/3 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1-3 teaspoons cold water

filling
2 cups pumpkin puree or 1 14oz. can
1/2 cup muscovado or brown sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon clove
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup coconut milk

topping
1/2 cup roughly chopped almonds, lightly toasted
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and line an 8″x8″ baking pan with parchment.

Place the rolled oats in a food processor and whirl until the oats become oat flour. Add in the salt and sugar, give another pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse until fully combined, mixture will be crumbly. Add the water 1 teaspoon at a time until the mixture comes together.

Press the dough into the bottom of the pan and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly while preparing the filling.

In a large bowl combine the pumpkin puree, sugar, spices, and cornstarch, stir well to combine. Pour in the coconut milk, stirring well to incorporate. In a small bowl mix together the almonds, chocolate chips, and shredded coconut.

Pour the pumpkin mixture over the oat crust, smooth out to evenly cover. Sprinkle the topping mixture over the top. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until set. Allow to cool completely then chill for at least 30 minutes in the fridge before cutting into.

Desserts + Sweets, Fall, Gluten-Free

Good Things Grow

healthy recipes & photography

Torcetti

Brussels Sprout Kale Salad with Pomegranate, Hazelnuts & Creamy Avocado Dressing

Buttercup Apple Cake with Maple Walnut Icing

Smashed Potatoes with Olive Tapanade

Pumpkin Pie Bars with Coconut, Chocolate & Almonds On Top