I have been lactose intolerant since before it was a 'thing'. The older I get, the more sensitive I am to even the smallest amounts of dairy. That being said, I don't even want to eat ice cream anymore because it makes me feel so terrible. One of my goals for the summer was to perfect a recipe for vegan ice cream. After many trials and tribulations, I realized there were four major problems. SPOILER ALERT. I SOLVED THEM ALL and Roasted Banana Salted Date Caramel Swirl was born! I think this is one of the best recipes I've ever developed!
Healthier Dark Chocolate Oatmeal Bars
These bars are already healthier than your average cookie or dessert bar, but I wanted to see if I could make them even healthier by using a mix of different flours, some wheat bran, flax seed eggs, and cutting down on the sugar and coconut oil by adding dates. My thought was that I could use them on my long runs, since I had run out of Picky Bars. The second version was packed with fiber….and therefore not a good choice for before or during a workout…. Know what I’m sayin?
I finally found the perfect mix! It just happens to be gluten free, and includes the option to make them vegan/egg free.
Brûléed Maple Pumpkin Pie with Gingersnap Crust
The memory of this pie tugs at me during the hottest months of the summer. It is that good.
I love pumpkin pie, and always have since I was little. Growing up in Minnesota, the weather was usually pretty cold by the time Thanksgiving rolled around, so we could just store pies in the garage. I used to sneak out to the garage with a fork and just help myself from time to time. I consider myself a pumpkin pie enthusiast. It's possible I gave myself away by leaving pits of crust behind. Friends, I believe I have solved the problem of boring crust.
Strawberry Rhubarb Tart with Cracklin' Oat Bran Crust (<--- I KNOW!!!)
Our car broke down again, for the second time in the past couple weeks, so Chris takes our working car and I work from home. Unless I have to run an errand, then I literally run them. So there I was, running an errand. It was a drizzling and I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, Selected Shorts. Wham. Bam. Alakazam. Cracklin' Oat Bran. I wanted some. And wouldn't that make such a yummy tasting tart crust perfectly matched with fresh hand picked strawberries and rhubarb??
No Bake Mocha S'mores Pie
I made two pies to celebrate PI day!
One was a Peanut Butter Banana pie. The recipe comes from Collards & Carbonara - Southern Cooking, Italian Roots, written by the chefs of Hog & Hominy; Michael Hudman and Andy Ticer. IT WAS SO GOOD!! (And so bad, health wise.)
The second one I made, was a Coffee S'mores Pie. DELICIOUS CITY. It should probably be named Mocha S'mores Pie because the blend of coffee and chocolate is more mocha-ey than coffee-ey (pretty sure neither of those are actual words). DELICIOUS CITY. The recipe is very approachable, no baking required. Plus, I got to use my kitchen torch. Win win.