party

an easy-peasy weeknight holiday party! /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

while i'm not really one for throwing parties, i'm usually my friends' helper when they have shindigs of their own.  the pressure, the lack of time, and the not-knowing-where-to-start all make me too apprehensive to dip my toe in the party-planning world.  but now, as a married lady, i feel the desire to have friends over to our home, share food and drink, laughs and hugs, and be in the company of people we love.  

however, i have yet to invite enough people over for it to count as a real party (our apartment is a bit snug), but random get-togethers have occurred, and when they do i basically freak out about every little detail (which totally ends up not mattering at all!).  so when i decided to take on the role as a planner for a weeknight holiday party, i thought i was totally in over my head.  how does one realistically get off of work and then have time to put a party together!?  

as i dissected this idea, i came up with a solution: weeknight parties are for appetizers and booze, and that's about it!  taking on the challenge of making a meal was not going to happen, so i bought some pre-cut and pre-made items, paired them with goods in my pantry, strung up some twinkling lights, struck a match to some tea lights, and threw some pretty stems in vase!  basically a holiday party in a pinch.

each friday for the month of december, i'll be over on Gardenista sharing various holiday goods. for today, i'm sharing this weeknight holiday party menu, with some tips and step-by-step instructions on how to prepare each appetizer, along with a super fizzy (and boozy) festive punch!

 'tis the season, friends! xo

hazelnut layer cake w/ fig compote + (vegan) cream cheese frosting /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

today i turn a year older, an occasion mostly met with celebratory cake, birthday cards, and random birthday wishes from high school acquaintances on facebook; but it's also a day i like to take in, see where i've come, and concoct some notion of where i'm going, or where i'd like to be.  and i'm super-duper lucky because i get to share it all with my insanely awesome husband who's birthday was just a few days before mine.  so, mid-september has become somewhat of a birthday blowout with multiple cakes, family, and birthday songs, candles, mini weekend trips and love...always tons and tons of love.   

last year was all about my husband's favorite combination of sweets, but this year i'm going fruity with it! end of summer fruit is just simply beautiful, with all those purple-y, violet, almost red wine hues going on.  so, i wanted to celebrate those colors here, and add some figgy flavor to an otherwise creamy, toasted hazelnut cake.   i wasn't wanting an overly sweet cake either, so the addition of cream cheese in the frosting set a perfect balance to keep it from creeping over to an overly sugary dark side - i guess it's more of a grown-up cake :) 

wishing you all the loveliest of weeks! xo

hazelnut layer cake w/ fig compote + (vegan) cream cheese frosting (gluten + dairy free)

| makes a 2 layer, 6 inch round cake |

ingredients

hazelnut cake

  • 3/4 cup brown rice flour
  • 1/4 cup hazelnut meal (ground from toasted and shelled hazelnuts)
  • 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 3/4 cup all natural cane sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil (soft, not melted)
  • 2 free range eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk

fig compote

  • 1 cup ripe black mission figs (roughly 12 ounces), cut into quarters
  • 1 tablespoon grade b maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • pinch of cardamom (optional)

(vegan) cream cheese frosting

  • 12 ounces vegan cream cheese (i like Tofutti or Follow Your Heart)
  • 1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons organic palm shortening
  • 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons organic powdered sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

garnish

  • leftover figs, cut or whole
  • elderberries, champagne grapes or whatever you have on hand

instructions

hazelnut cake

  • preheat oven to 350° and line the bottoms of each cake pan with parchment paper.  then grease and flour pans, set aside
  • in a large bowl, whisk together the first 5 ingredients, set aside.  in another large bowl, combine the sugar and coconut oil with an electric mixer, beat on medium until light and fluffy.  add the eggs one at a time until incorporated; then add the vanilla and milk; mix again for about 30 seconds.  turn down the mixer to medium-low; a little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet
  • divide batter evenly between the 2 cake pans (this technique of using a scale has always helped me get 2 totally even layers!) and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean
  • transfer to a cooling rack and allow to cool for 20 minutes; then remove layers and rest on rack until completely cool.  wrap each layer in a separate piece of plastic wrap and place in refrigerator; allow to rest for at least 1 hour or up to a day

fig compote

  • place cut figs in a medium saucepan; add the syrup, lemon juice and cardamom (if using).  place over a medium flame and stir frequently until figs soften and juices release.  allow the figs to fall apart, stirring every so often, use the back of spoon to break them up a bit.  once the compote has thickened a bit - about 15-20 minutes, remove from heat and let cool.  store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to use

cream cheese frosting

  • in a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and shortening until fluffy.  add the vanilla and powdered sugar a little a time and mix until combined (if not using right away, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator)

assemble

  • remove cake layers from fridge and place on a cake stand or large plate.  using an offset spatula, put about 2-3 tablespoons worth of frosting on one cake layer, spread evenly.  spread roughly 2-3 tablespoons of fig compote over the frosting, leaving about 1/2 inch of space from the edge.  place the other cake layer on top and frost the rest of the cake.  garnish with extra figs - cut or whole - elderberries, or whatever other fruits you may have on hand 

enjoy!

a quick almond, oat + strawberry-rhubarb crumble /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

yesterday we celebrated mother's day, like we have been each year, at my parents' house, gardening, eating and talking, followed by more eating.  in the spirit of dessert, i had grand ideas of making more rhubarb meringue tarts, but instead i came prepared with some ingredients from home to put my mom's monstrous rhubarb bush to use in a different way than curd.

i've always been a fan of the humble, crumble dessert; of its many different flavors and fruit combinations.  i know we're all accustomed to the strawberry and rhubarb combo, but it's one of my favorites!  and it's only so many times each year that i get to enjoy their company together.  so for me, the rest of the crumble pairings were a no-brainer: rolled oats for nutty flavor and some added texture, slivered almonds for their toasty-ness and crunch, and ground ginger for some added spice.  and my favorite thing about crumbles? they can totally be prepared and baked waaaay ahead of time and then simply reheated when dessert-time rolls around!  dare i say it is the perfect dessert to whip up when all you want to do is spend time with loved ones without slaving in the kitchen for hours..?  

and thanks to my husband for taking the first and last shot in this post, and hand-credit goes to my mom in the rhubarb shot below ;)

a quick almond, oat + strawberry-rhubarb crumble (gluten-free + vegan)

| serves 4 |

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups rhubarb (about 2 large rhubarb stalks), sliced into 1/2" pieces
  • 1 1/2 cups strawberries, cut into quarters
  • 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar
  • 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free oat flour
  • 1/4 cup almond flour 
  • 1/4 gluten-free rolled oats
  • 1/4 cup slivered almonds
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil, softened or melted, plus more for oiling pan
  • pinch of fine grain sea salt

instructions

  • preheat oven to 350° and set aside an oiled 9" baking dish
  • in a large bowl, combine strawberries, rhubarb, 1 tablespoon of sugar, arrowroot powder and lemon juice.  set aside
  • in another large bowl, combine the oat flour, almond flour, rolled oats, slivered almonds, ginger, the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar, and salt.  once combined add the coconut oil a little bit at a time until you get a crumbly consistency
  • transfer fruit mixture to your baking dish; using your fingers, crumble the oat and almond mixture over the fruit.  cover with foil and bake in the center of your oven for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes - until fruit is bubbling and the topping is lightly browned and toasted

enjoy!