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blueberries

Spelt Scones & Berry Chia Seed Jam

March 28, 2014
spelt-scones-and-berry-chia-seed-jam

I just returned from a relaxing trip in Ireland visiting my man. Being engaged to an Irishman makes for some interesting debates on what food should or shouldn’t be (and how it should or shouldn’t be pronounced). Irish scones are more like American style biscuits. They aren’t sweet, but they’re generally eaten with dollops of cream and jam.

The Irish use the word biscuit to describe…well, everything. Cookies are biscuits. Crackers are biscuits. I’m pretty sure everything is a biscuit.  Except for cake.  Everything else is cake. Brownies are cake. Cake is cake. Pudding is cake. Although sometimes pudding is bread. Pudding is also meat. Confused? You and I both.

There is one thing I can agree on with my man though – scones are best served freshly baked, warm from the oven with some homemade preserves or honey. Scones for breakfast or teatime; they are good all the time.

If you’re not thinking of the classic Irish scones, you’re probably thinking of the scones that are crumbly triangles drenched in glaze served in coffeehouses and bakeries galore. That’s not what’s happening here. We’re using simple, natural ingredients. Although slightly more compact than a classic scone, they still have a light texture and wonderful flavor. They are especially delectable with this berry chia seed jam. If there is one thing worth debating, it is who is making tea?

spelt-scones-berry-chia-seed-jam

Simple Spelt Scones

Lightly adapted from Babycakes NYC Cookbook

Serves 6

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups whole spelt flour
  • pinch of sea salt
  • 1 Tbsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup melted coconut oil
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
  • 1/3 cup hot water

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sea salt and baking powder. Stir to combine. Add to the mixture melted coconut oil, maple syrup and vanilla extract. Stir until a very crumbly/dry batter forms. Add the hot water and stir until just combined.
  3. Grease a 1/3 cup measuring cup and fill it with portions of the dough. Drop the portions onto the baking sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes, keeping an eye on these little gems. Allow scones to cool slightly before serving with jam.

Berry Chia Seed Jam 

Vegan & Gluten-free

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup berries (I used blackberries & blueberries)​
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 Tbsp chia seed

Directions:

  1. In a blender or food processor, blend the berries up with maple syrup and vanilla until smooth. Put the mixture in a saucepan and place over low to medium heat for about 3-4 minutes while stirring occasionally. Add chia seeds and turn down the heat to super low/simmer. Keep mixing while chia seeds start to gel up and jam starts to thicken. About 5 minutes. Turn off heat and keep. ​
  2. Pour mixture into a glass jar with a lid. When it’s cool, seal up the container and store in fridge for about 5-7 days. ​
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Birthday Celebration Tarts

June 3, 2013
katie-birthday

Today is my birthday! I turn 26.

The day brought much reprieve and rest, along with ample sunshine. My fiancé and I packed a picnic lunch and spent the afternoon enjoying some lovely eats and the warm weather along the harbor. We even have some new freckles to prove it.

I don’t usually aim for anything too fancy on the big day. I like keeping things simple. I’m totally content with enjoying a nice meal with friends and sharing some dessert. There’s always some dancing involved too. Over the weekend I did just that. I set off gallivanting the streets of Cork with my dear friend Emma. You can be sure there was plenty of banter and laughter shared, the best kind of celebrating.

Upon arriving at Emma’s house on Saturday, she remarked, “You look like a tart.” This was funny for multiple reasons. First off, Irish insults are interesting terms of endearment which are abundant in the friendship between Emma and me. Secondly, as coincidence would have it, I just so happened to be experimenting with these raw tarts for my birthday. I went on to explain the intricacies of making raw tarts with nothing but nuts and dates. It turns out we both have bold minds. We collapsed in a huge fit of giggles. Who knew Veganism could be so risqué?

These tarts are pretty amazing. Let’s forget for a moment that they are vegan, gluten-free and raw, and just focus on the delectable elements that combine to create perfection. Raw desserts really are my fave (especially during the summer months.) I can enjoy an incredibly delicious, nutrient-dense dessert without post-dessert remorse. I can feel really good about what I am putting into my body, and what I am feeding the people I love. That is truly something to celebrate.

birthday-celebration-raw-tarts

Raw Berry Tarts

Serves 6

Ingredients:

Crust:

  • 1 cup of almonds
  • 1/4 teaspoon allspice
  • 1 cup of medjool dates

Filling:

  • 1/4 cup raw cashews (soaked for 3 hours)
  • 1 Tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp lemon zest
  • 3 Tbsp filtered water
  • 1 Tbsp maple syrup

Toppings:

  • fresh blackberries, strawberries, raspberries or blueberries
  • mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Crust:

  1. In a high powered blender or food processor, blend the almonds and allspice until it becomes a fine consistency. Then add in the dates one by one until they have all been added and you have a sticky dough.
  2. Divide the mixture into 6 muffin or tart tins.  Then press the mixture into the tin forming the crust.
  3. Place them in the fridge until you are ready to fill them.

Filling:

  1. Drain the cashews after they have been soaking for at least three hours and place them in a blender or food processor along with the lemon juice, zest, water and maple syrup. Blend until smooth and creamy, adding additional water as needed.

Assembly:

  1. Place the filling in each tart, heaping it up in the center, using up all the filling. Top each tart with berries and a garnish of mint leaves. Enjoy!

Tarts are best eaten same day but will keep in the fridge for up to two days. 

 Now it’s time to pop some bubbly and toast to another amazing year.

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Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

January 7, 2013
whole-wheat-berry-muffins

It’s Monday morning and I’m packing my suitcase. I’m heading off to America tomorrow to spend time with my family in Iowa. You can be sure I have my warmest sweaters, scarves and mittens thrown in the mix somewhere. The entire mid-west is under a blanket of snow – a concept I’m come to forget living in Ireland. I’m eager to spend some time outdoors going sledding and chasing our dogs around in the backyard.

If you remember my post from last summer, you know I am always well prepared for long hours of traveling. I never leave home without copious amounts of food and snacks. I think these muffins will make a nice addition to the other homemade in-flight munchies I have packed.

Ever since I started making homemade almond milk, I’ve found myself with an overload of almond pulp. With a bunch of almond pulp and frozen berries in hand, it seemed like the perfect excuse to make muffins. The brilliant thing about this recipe is it works well even without the almond pulp – just replace it with one cup of any flour of your choosing.

These muffins are not monster big or heavy like the American version. They are quite small, very light and filled with a wonderful berry flavor. They totally melt in your mouth! I like that they are not overly sweet, so you could have them for breakfast as well as a snack.

whole-wheat-berry-muffins-vegan

Whole Wheat Berry Muffins

Vegan

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup wheat flour
  • 1 cup almond pulp*
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/3 cup maple syrup
  • 3 Tbsp. flax seed + ¼ cup water
  • ½ cup almond milk
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • zest of 1/2 an orange
  • 1 cup frozen berries

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°c). Grease a muffin tin thoroughly or if you prefer, line with muffin cups.
  2. In a large bowl mix the flour, almond pulp, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
  3. Whisk together the maple syrup, flax mixture, almond milk, olive oil and zest until they are combined well. Add them to the dry ingredients. Use a rubber spatula to fold the ingredients until the batter is almost fully combined. Add the frozen berries, careful to not break up the berries too much.
  4. Fill the muffin tins 3/4 full and bake until the muffins are browned and a knife goes through cleanly, about 25 to 35 minutes.

*if not using almond pulp, replace with 1 cup of chosen flour

wholewheat-berry-muffins

I will continue to post on the blog while I’m away. In the meantime, connect with me through twitter, facebook, pinterest, instagram and my newsletter! Hope you all have a lovely week!

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