(gluten + dairy free) moon pies w/ maple marshmallow crème /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

since i started this blog, my dad has always told me that i should make moon pies, mostly because i think he wanted eat them all.  i told him, yeah, yeah i'll get to it, thinking that one day i would get the recipe just how i wanted it.  moon pies were basically an anomaly to me when i was growing up.  yes, we had little debbie cakes, and the ubiquitous drakes' cakes; but moon pies were a whole other deal because us kids growing up in the north couldn't readily find them (apparently moon pies are a staple of the south).  my dad grew up in nyc, but spent a year living with his aunt, uncle, and cousins on the shores of virginia when he was young. years later, he would tell me and my brother tall tales of these marshmallowy, graham crakcer-y sandwiches that were covered in a chocolate shell.  by the time he finished describing them, i was wiping drool from my mouth, and ready to make my way down to the closest southern state to find one of these delights.  i can't remember exactly how old i was when i first bit into a moon pie, but i clearly remember how delicious they were: the graham crackers used to sandwich the pie weren't crunchy, but soft, the thin layer of marshmallow creme was just enough to separate the two cookies, and then the chocolate encasement!  

in my endeavor to recreate moon pies into a homemade version, i thought i would go ahead and make them a bit more wholesome (if that's even possible).  the cookies i made here are gluten free and dairy free, the maple marshmallow crème is devoid of corn syrup, and uses maple syrup in its place; and the chocolate shell is made from dairy free chocolate melted down with some coconut oil.  there was many a trial and error, some costly, some not; but in the end i am super duper happy with the outcome of this extremely tasty treat!  

and today i'm sharing the recipe over on Food 52!  so head on over there and check it out!  click here for the link.  xo

revelatory oat pancakes w/ pomegranate yogurt (gluten + dairy free) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it's been a good 4 years since i've been able to confidently (and easily) whip a batch of fluffy pancakes. since changing my diet then i had sworn off making pancakes (the gluten-free variety), because each venture to do so, wound up in a gooey, messy, disappointing disaster.  i tried the gluten-free pancake method of binding the flour with banana or applesauce, i tried whipping egg whites into stiff peaks and gently folding them into the batter.  there were times where i just said 'eff it and threw the runny batter into the waffle maker (because, let's face it, waffle makers can save just about anything), but then there was a magical morning where i read this Food 52 article, where Alice Mendrich explained that replacing wheat flour with equal amounts of brown rice, buckwheat, oat, chestnut, corn, or sorghum flour would work in just about any pancake situation - pancake-life saved!  as i can be a bit pessimistic, i wasn't totally sure that this substitute would work in my favor - given my tumultuous past with GF pancakes - but to my surprise they were just as good as their non gluten-free counterparts, if not better!  

oat flour is one of my favorite flours to utilize in baking, given its sweet, nutty flavor, and its light texture.  so to use it here was a no brainer.  i paired them with my favorite yogurt (Anita's coconut yogurt, this is seriously the most on-point plant based yogurt i've ever had!), along with some tart, juicy pom seeds.  all-in-all, a lightly sweet, but definitely wholesome breakfast meal.  

i'm looking forward to experimenting more with the list of flours above in pancake recipes, but in the mean time, i would love to hear what kinds of gluten free flours work best for you!? i feel like this revelation has opened my eyes to a whole new world of pancake possibility!  thanks, friends! xo

oat pancakes w/ pomegranate yogurt (gluten + dairy free)

the recipe below uses coconut yogurt to replace half of the almond milk, feel free to use any other plant-based yogurt here, or substitute it with 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk.  this recipe can also be doubled easily for a total of about 20 pancakes.

| makes 10 pancakes |

ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups gluten-free oat flour 
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon natural cane sugar
  • 1 large free range egg
  • 2 tablespoons almond oil (or oil of choice)
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
  • 1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt (or plant-based yogurt of choice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
  • coconut oil for cooking

pomegranate yogurt

  • 1 cup plain coconut yogurt (or plant-based yogurt of choice)
  • 1/2 pomegranate, seeds removed
  • 2 teaspoons grade B maple syrup
  • 1/4 cup chopped toasted hazelnuts

instructions

  • in a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients with a whisk.  in medium sized mixing bowl, whisk the wet ingredients thoroughly.  add the wet to the dry and mix until no lumps remain.  let batter rest
  • preheat oven to warm and place a baking sheet fitted with parchment paper inside.  heat a 10 inch skillet over medium heat.  test pan with a splash of water before adding the oil; if the water sizzles and evaporates, it's ready. brush the skillet with some coconut oil and pour about 1 1/2-2 tablespoons worth of batter (i fit about 3 pancakes each batch); wait until you see bubbles appear on surface and edges of pancakes - about 1-2 minutes - then flip and cook the other side for another minute or so, until pancakes are golden brown.  place cooked pancakes in preheated oven.  re-oil pan before each batch of pancakes until no batter remains
  • while last batch of pancakes are cooking, mix the yogurt, pomegranates, and maple syrup in a small serving bowl.  set aside
  • serve pancakes with a side of pomegranate yogurt and chopped hazelnuts 

enjoy!

kabocha squash, fennel + ginger soup w/ spicy coconut cream (v + gf) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

hot soup season is here yet again; another summer has passed, and a new season full of possibility is to come.  i'm a big fan of the "in-between" seasons of spring and autumn, as they are a beautiful tip-toe into the more intense hots and colds of summer and winter.   even as we're getting less direct light here in our tiny brooklyn apartment, there's an increased sense of ease - mornings are a bit more slow as i'm not ripping the covers back to cool off, but rather peeling them slowly, as to not have a rush of cold air come at me at once.  we've taken the ac unit out of the window (yay for more light! but eww for the spider's nest chilling just outside our window that was hidden by the unit - luckily frank took care of that!), and i've already put summer clothes away, and replaced them with sweaters, scarves, hats - all the cozies!   our pup, quint - who hails from LA - is seeing fall for the first time, crunching the fallen leaves playfully as he trots on his walks.  and there are plans in the works to sew him a little dog sweater to keep him from his morning and evening shivers when the temps are at their lowest.  

we're still looking at high's in the mid-70s this week, and a few hot peppers are clinging to dear life on our fire escape garden, but as soon as a pot of soup is made, the line between summer and fall seems a bit more clear.  and i'm curious, what marks autumn for you?  because for quite some time i've marked the fall season with same old pot of honeycrisp butternut squash soup; so, this year i've broadened my squashy soup repertoire to include this one here.  i've made it a few times so far, tweaking it each time until the consistency and flavors were just how i envisioned.  i've used different varieties of winter squash, as well different alliums, various herbs, fennel seeds, fresh fennel, ground ginger,  etc., so the recipe below highlights what i thought tasted best.  all-in-all, soup is a lovely, and forgiving dish, and adding a little of this, and a little of that, turned into a hearty autumnal flavor bomb of a soup!

wishing you all a good one! xo

kabocha squash, fennel + ginger soup w/ spicy coconut cream (v + gf)

inspired by this recipe

just about any variety of squash works well here, just be mindful that if it's smaller than a kabocha squash you will need to adjust the amount of liquid, seasoning, etc.  if you do not have fresh fennel or fresh ginger on hand, fennel seeds and ground ginger can be used in their place. also, if you prefer to use vegetable stock, reduce the amount of salt added in the recipe.  

| makes roughly 6 cups |

ingredients

  • 1 kabocha squash, halved and seeds removed 
  • 1 large leek (or 2 small), white and light green parts sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, chopped
  • 1 small fennel bulb, cored and sliced (reserve some fronds for garnish)
  • 1 knob of fresh ginger (about 3/4 of an inch big), peeled and roughly chopped
  • 2 teaspoons fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon dry)
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • 5 cups filtered water (alternatively you could use low sodium vegetable broth - see notes above)
  • 1 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • freshly ground pepper 
  • 1 cup spicy coconut cream
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

spicy coconut cream

  • 1 can organic coconut milk
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • a couple pinches of salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 

garnish

  • leftover spicy coconut cream
  • poppy seeds
  • fennel fronds

instructions

  • preheat oven to 375° and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment.  rub a good amount of olive oil over cut side of squash; place cut side down on baking sheet and place in oven.  cook squash until fork tender - about 50-65 minutes.  let the squash cool until it's ready to handle.  scoop squash out into a bowl and set aside
  • in a large soup pot, heat olive oil and coconut oil over medium heat.  add sliced leeks and oregano, and sauté until leeks are soft; add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  add the fennel and ginger, and cook for about 5 minutes - until fennel is soft and ginger is fragrant.  add the kabocha, bay leaf, water, salt, and pepper - stir
  • turn the heat up and bring soup to a simmer, cook for roughly 30 minutes, stirring every so often. remove from heat and stir in 1 cup spicy coconut cream (instructions below)
  • in batches, puree soup in a blender, or food processor, until smooth.  transfer soup back to the pot and bring to a low simmer, stir in lemon juice and taste for seasoning (adjust if necessary)
  • serve soup with a dollop of leftover spicy coconut cream, poppy seeds, and chopped fennel fronds

enjoy!

spicy coconut cream

  • whisk the coconut milk a bit if separated; then stir in the lemon juice, cayenne, salt, and pepper.  taste and adjust accordingly