apple cider + honeycrisp puffed pancake / October 9, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

apple cider and honeycrisp dutch baby - dolly and oatmeal

i never realized that so much of what i do each day and night relies on my ability to smell and taste. i was forced to come to this realization last week when i down and out with a wicked cold. perhaps i was (and still am) a big baby about it, but i haven't been sick in quite some time. i suppose not being able to breath, the coughing, congestion, sneezing, and sleepless nights will do that to you, yeah? it's been super frustrating to cook and want to get all experimental in the kitchen only to have an end product that is only distinguishable by the contents of it's sugar, salt, or acid (i.e. the only things halfway distinguishable). i guess my point is that until one of these senses is temporarily not working, it's not entirely clear how important a purpose they serve. because of my limited ability to smell and taste, i have commissioned my unofficial taste-tester: my husband. he has been happily testing my puffy pancakes in my attempt to get them just right. he doubted his palette and his ability to distinguish flavors, but i found his feedback quite helpful these past few days. i have come to rely on him in yet another way i never imagined i would have to. so, here's to my husband, who brings you these fun, puffy pancakes.

i was gifted a bottle of boiled cider by my mother. when i asked her what to do with it, she said something along the lines of "i don't know, play with it." the teacher in me decided to go with an apple theme with this recipe and i took to replacing some of the pancake's liquid with cider. the cider is not sweetened and therefore lends a tanginess to the pancake much similar to baked goods with sour cream or buttermilk - yes! frank and i love honeycrisp apples, and they're at their absolute finest this time of year, so in they went. (i hear honeycrisps are not so easy to come by outside new york state, i would say that gala apples or pink lady apples would make great substitutes.) dutch baby pancakes or puffed pancakes seem to really be making the rounds on the interwebs since autumn has come to. so, i wanted to make a version that i could enjoy and eat, and of course also share with you all. i had had my eye on a beautiful recipe from a publication i received last year, and it took me awhile, but i managed to swap most of the flour and dairy products with ingredients that i normally bake with to make a light and puffy pancake that's crisp in all the right places!

apple cider and honeycrisp dutch baby - dolly and oatmea

apple cider + honeycrisp puffed pancake | GF + V

the flour and arrowroot powder can be substituted with any other flour with the same amount. i use coconut palm sugar because of its low glycemic index, but it can similarly be replaced by any other sugar - i'm not sure how liquid sweetener would be since the batter is essentially liquid to begin with

adapted from Fig & Fauna for Pure Green Magazine, Volume 4

| serves 2-3 |

ingredients

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons almond flour (i prefer Honeyville brand)
2 tablespoons arrowroot powder/flour
1 1/2 tablespoons + 1/2 teaspoon coconut palm sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (plus a pinch for the apples)
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon (plus a pinch for the apples)
3 large organic eggs
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
2 tablespoons boiled cider or unsweetened apple cider
1/2 cup honeycrisp apples, sliced about an 1/8" thick
2 teaspoons coconut oil
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

directions

preheat the oven to 425°
heat your cast iron pan to medium-low on the stovetop. when hot, add the coconut oil. using a silicone pastry brush, brush up the sides and all around the pan to coat evenly with the oil (if you don't have a pastry brush, using a paper towel will work as well). add the apples, stir in a 1/2 teaspoon of the coconut palm sugar and sprinkle with nutmeg and cinnamon to taste - stir. cook the apples about 2-3 minutes on each side until they're lightly browned and soft. arrange them to cover the bottom of the pan. turn off the heat and set aside
in a blender or food processor, add the almond flour, arrowroot, salt, sugar and spices; pulse to combine. then add the eggs, coconut milk, and cider. blend for approximately 1 minute
pour the batter (it will be quite thin) into the pan to cover the apples. very carefully, place the pan into the middle of the oven - bake for 15-20 minutes until pancake puffs up and lightly browned on top and around the edges

dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately - enjoy!

(biscuit) cinnamon rolls / February 21, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

i've had my eye on biscuit cinnamon rolls since discovering them on, Joy the Baker's blog a while back. the thought of a flaky, lightly sweetened biscuit, filled with cinnamon and sugar sounded super awesome to me. however, the ingredients called for butter (lots of it!), unbleached flour, a lot of sugar, and buttermilk. so, i thought one day i would muster up the guts to try and substitute some of those things for ingredients i can eat. unfortunately, that day never came. i did however, come across biscuit (style) cinnamon rolls on, The Urban Poser a couple weeks ago that awoke my cinnamon roll interests once again. this time the recipe called for (among other things) almond flour, coconut oil, and honey. all of which on are my "okay" checklist in terms of ingredients. so i gave it a shot. okay, i'm not going to pretend that these rolls came out perfect for me. they didn't. they were mostly a failure. however, a wise woman told me to make this post anyway. she reminded me that everyone makes mistakes, that we learn from them, and so do others. that said, the fact that my cinnamon rolls came out disfigured and raw is in no way a poor refection on the original recipe. i made a series of silly choices like: using hot honey when it should have been cool or room temp, i also should have made sure the temperature of my oven was correct (as it's often not). and lastly, i should have cut the recipe in half (something i always do when i first try a recipe) so as to not waste my (relatively pricey) baking ingredients. i wish you all much success, and i'm sure your rolls will be much more successful than mine!

the cinnamon roll recipe i provide here is grain-free, butter and milk-free, and uses raw honey as a sweetener. i understand that most people without dietary restrictions do not have almond flour or coconut oil lying around the kitchen. therefore, if you are not wanting to purchase special ingredients, i urge you to use Joy the Baker's recipe for biscuit cinnamon rolls. those of you with restrictions, here is an awesome recipe that is good for any breakfast or brunch.

from The Urban Poser

makes about 8 rolls

:: for the dough ::

3 cups almond flour

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 large eggs (room temperature)

:: for the filling ::

1/4-1/2 cup raw honey (depending on how sweet you want it)

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup currants

1-2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

:: directions ::

preheat the oven to 340°

line a baking sheet with parchment paper

in a large bowl, combine the almond flour, salt, and baking soda ( when measuring the almond flour make sure not to pack it, it should be loose)

in a separate bowl, gently beat the coconut oil, honey, and eggs together

add the egg mixture to the almond flour mixture using a spatula. mix until dough is formed. refrigerate the dough for 15 minutes

roll the dough between 2 sheets of parchment paper (sprinkle a little almond flour on the bottom piece) into a 9x13" rectangle

drizzle the 1/4-1/2 cup of honey evenly over the dough - this is where i made the mistake of warming my raw honey, if your honey is

hard, like mine was, then wait for it to cool before you spread it across the dough

once the honey is spread, sprinkle the raisins, grounds pecans, and cinnamon

time for the rolling. roll the edge of the dough away from you. start a tight roll from the beginning. continue to roll until you have a nice uniform log. use the parchment paper to help you roll if needed. be careful when rolling up the dough, as it is very soft

roll the whole log of dough, gently lengthening it out just a bit (like making a snake out of play-dough). it should be smooth and about a 4 inch thick roll

with a sharp knife, cut the roll into about thick slices (about 1 1/2" thick)

lay the rolls cut side down on to a parchment line cookie sheet

bake 10-15 min rotating midway through

i drizzled warm honey over the four rolls that made it

:: enjoy ::

two minute chocolate cake / February 9, 2013 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

so i was wanting to make a dessert for tonight but i wasn't wanting to do much work or cleanup. i'm sure many of you can relate to having days like this. i was trying to think of something simple, that would still be yummy, but not make me hate the idea making it. i remembered this easy little cake recipe that i surprised frank with one weeknight after he came home from work. it's a fun dessert you can get away with making anytime because you don't need any fancy ingredients or baking pans, you just need a coffee mug. one of frank's favorite drinks is a cafe mocha, so this was perfect for him because it delivers chocolate in a mug. if you can believe it, you just mix the cake mix in a mug, microwave it, and you can pop it right out and onto a plate or eat it out of the mug. this is a great single serving and fast cooking dessert if you're ever in a mood or a pinch that won't leave you with any hassle of leftovers (and by "hassle of leftovers," i mean no temptation to eat more than a healthy portion) or a bunch of bowls to clean.

i ended up adding some unsweetened coconut and walnuts. but you can add whatever you like, whether it's various nuts, espresso grounds, chocolate chips, or cinnamon. this cake will taste awesome with whatever you choose, even if you choose to keep it plain.