Whoopie! This month’s challenge was not only delicious and fun to bake, but fit the holiday baking criteria of being relatively adaptable for limited time and flexible on ingredients. With a seemingly endless parade of baking ingredients that contain corn, not to mention practically everything else in the world, it’s lovely to be able to bake up a festive holiday dessert that won’t require an Epi-pen on standby.

A whoopie pie is basically just a hand held cake with frosting on the inside instead of the outside. These pumpkin whoopie pies are that perfect cake-like cookie consistency, and the subtle cinnamon buttercream adds the perfect extra oomph of flavor and sweetness. I used a cooked buttercream frosting that calls for granulated sugar instead of “corn”fectioners sugar. It came out fluffy and divine.

The December Daring Bakers’ challenge had us all cheering – the lovely and talented Bourbonnatrix of Bourbonnatrix Bakes was our hostess and challenged us to make fun, delicious and creative whoopie pies! Delicious little cake-like cookies sandwiching luscious filling in any flavors we chose… What else is there to say but “Whoopie!”

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
Adapted from Whoopie Pies : Dozens of Mix ‘em, Match ‘em, Eat ‘em Up Recipes
Yield: about 20 cakes (for 10 whoopie pies)

2 1/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups pumpkin
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a medium-sized bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, and salt.

With an electric mixer in a separate bowl, beat the butter and sugar until combined. Add the pumpkin, then the egg, beating well after each. Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed just until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.

Using a 2-tablespoon scoop or a large spoon, drop the batter onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches in between each cake.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cakes feel firm when lightly pressed on top. They should be just starting to crack on the surface. Allow the cakes to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Cooked Buttercream Frosting
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen
Yield: enough frosting to fill 10 whoopie pies

5 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup half & half (you could also use milk, I used half & half because it’s the only corn-free milk that I have access to)
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar

In a small saucepan, whisk the flour and milk. Heat over medium heat until thick, about the consistency of a very thick brownie mix. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before continuing. Place the saucepan in a bowl of ice if you’re in a hurry.

With an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar for a very long time – 10 minutes or so, until the sugar granules have dissolved. Add the flour mixture and beat on high speed until it is light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

To assemble the whoopie pies, spread the buttercream on the flat side of one of the cakes. Top with a second cake. Eat, enjoy, repeat. Happy Holidays!

I’ve been a pescatarian for years now, but these days I’m resigned to letting my corn allergy dictate what I can eat. Many of my favorite veggie burgers and most “fake” meat contains corn, and all commercially-processed meats are also corn-laden – so what’s a corn allergic girl to eat? Luckily, The Husband and I live in the northwest US, where we are fortunate to have a huge variety of local food – including 100% grass fed organic beef. It’s been years since I’ve eaten beef, but this month’s challenge offered the perfect opportunity to sample the local beef.

I stick to Michael Pollan’s eating advice – Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. The corn allergy helps me along because it’s impossible to eat too much food when it’s extremely difficult to find even one corn-free snack in this country! I have become that lady who jumps for joy in the aisles of the market when I discover a product that is corn-free. So, imagine my excitement when I saw Skagit River Ranch 100% grass fed beef in the freezer at my food co-op! It was a happy day.

With temperatures dropping fast, and our island shrouded in fog for the past week, a pot pie was just the thing to take the chill away.

Hannah of Rise and Shine was our October 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and she challenged us to bake our own double crusted savory pot pies. Using any from-scratch crust and filling we choose, we were allowed to get completely creative with our recipe, showing off the savory flavors and fillings from our own home or region. Check out this elephant garlic from one of our local farms. Just one clove will do!

I selected this recipe to showcase our local beef, potatoes, and veggies. I am proud to say that the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, beef, flour, and potatoes all came from our local area. The original recipe used twice as much beef and no potatoes, but I much prefer the less beef/more potato option. Especially since I’ve got access to some incredible local potatoes. I have reflected these changes in the recipe below. The only additional change I would recommend is to decrease the blue cheese a bit. It was slightly overpowering in the recipe as written.

Beef, Beer, and Blue Cheese Pot Pie
Adapted from Edible Ireland
Yield: One 9″ pot pie

Olive Oil for skillet
2 carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves (or 1 large elephant garlic clove), minced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound stewing beef
2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
2 cups ale
1 pound potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup (approximately 5 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
pie crust, made ahead or while the filling is cooking

Preheat the oven to 350°.

In a large Dutch oven or other ovenproof pot, heat a generous splash of olive oil over medium heat. Add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, and a pinch of sea salt. Saute for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are soft. Add the thyme, sea salt, and pepper, and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Add the beef, then the flour, and stir so that the beef and vegetables are covered in flour. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the flour starts to brown. Add the ale, stir well, and bring to a boil.

Cover the pot with a lid and place it in the oven. Bake for 2 hours and 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and bake for an additional 15 minutes. The meat should be tender and the liquid will have reduced. If it still looks too liquidy, place the pot on the stovetop and simmer it until it is the desired consistency. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the blue cheese.

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and place it on a lightly floured surface. Roll 2/3 of it out until it is large enough to cover the bottom of a 9″ pie plate and drape around the edges. Carefully transfer the crust into the pie plate. Spoon the filling into the pie. Roll out the remaining 1/3 of the crust until it is just large enough to cover the pie. Transfer the crust to the top of the pie, fold the extra bottom crust over the top crust, and crimp to close.

Place the pie pan on a baking sheet, in case the filling overflows, and place the entire thing in the oven. Bake for 40 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Over the last few months, I have learned way more than anybody would ever want to know about our industrialized food system. This is the kind of information that you wish you didn’t know, but it’s good for you nonetheless. I’m constantly being taught a (very itchy and potentially anaphylactic) lesson about just how ubiquitous corn is, and how hidden it can be. It seems like every time I turn my back or let my guard down and eat something seemingly “safe”, those dreaded hives appear on my neck.

Take this cake, for example. It’s made from scratch with a very small, simple ingredient list. But the milk – the three milks – in this cake, now that’s where it gets tricky. I had been in the habit of using mostly vegan milk before my corn allergy surfaced, but I haven’t yet found a vegan milk that is corn free. Cow’s milk is a gamble if you have a corn allergy. Besides the obvious fact that cows in the US eat tons of corn, the vitamins that are added to milk are also derived from corn. And that’s not always on the label.

Having never tried a slice of Tres Leches cake, I wanted to give this challenge a go. So I diligently started completely from scratch by making my own sweetened condensed milk. I used a jug of organic milk produced regionally. More of the same organic milk went into the final cake.

And what a cake it was! Just a bit too sweet but not startlingly so. The semi-sweet whipped cream offset the cake perfectly. I enjoyed it right up until the hives broke out. Then I ran to the fridge and searched the milk bottle for evidence of corn-tamination. There it was on the label – Vitamin D milk. I don’t know how I missed it at the store, but I won’t make the same mistake again. The search continues for a corn-free source of dairy.

I highly recommend this cake to those of you who can eat it safely, and I do hope to try it again when I locate a reliable source of corn free milk!

Inma of la Galletika was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet airy, super moist but not soggy.

Tres Leches Cake
Source: slightly adapted from an interview given by one of Mexico’s best Pastry Chefs, Paulina Abascal to the magazine Revista Secretos de la Pastelería Caserais.
Yield: One 9″ cake

For the vanilla sponge cake:
5 eggs (separated)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup whole wheat flour

For the three milks syrup:
14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
2 cups half and half
1 cinnamon stick

For the whipped cream:
2 cups heavy cream
1/3 cup granulated sugar

To make the Sponge Cake:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9″ square baking pan and set aside.

Separate the eggs and add the egg whites to the bowl of your mixer. Beat the egg whites on medium speed for about 5 minutes, or until soft peaks form. Add the sugar in small batches, continuing to beat on medium speed. When stiff peaks form, stop the mixer and carefully transfer the egg whites to a clean bowl.

In the bowl of your mixer, beat the egg yolks at medium-high speed for about 5 to 6 minutes, or until the egg yolks become pale colored, creamy and puffy. Stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the egg yolks over the egg whites and gently fold until just combined trying not to lose any volume from the mixture. Sprinkle the flour over the mixture, a little at a time, gently folding it in. Fold until just combined (over-beating will result in a denser, flatter cake).

Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan on a cooling rack.

Once the cake has cooled, poke holes in it with a fork so that it absorbs the milk mixture better.

To make the three milk syrup:

Add the sweetened condensed milk, half and half, and cinnamon stick to a saucepan. Heat over medium-low heat until the mixture starts to steam. Stir frequently to prevent the milk from burning. Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and allow it to simmer for 5 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

Pour the milk mixture over the cake (it seems like a lot, but most of it will soak in). For best results, allow the cake to rest overnight in the fridge (loosely covered).

To make the whipped cream:

Whip the cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Add the sugar slowly, beating on low speed in between additions. Once all the sugar is incorporated, continue to beat until stiff peaks form.

Dollop the whipped cream onto slices of the cake. Serve and enjoy.

Happy Birthday to The Husband! A bit belated here on the blog, but the cake was baked and served on time! And what a cake it was. An over-the-top chocolate concoction with layers of chocolate cake, chocolate buttercream, and chocolate ganache (with some espresso thrown in). The only twist was that The Husband requested a cake that I could enjoy right along with him, corn allergy and all.

I’m on a long journey to build a list of “safe” foods for me, chocolate and dairy being two of the more difficult genres to research and pinpoint a corn-free brand. As those of you familiar with allergies (or the scientific method) know, it’s impossible to find the trigger food when you have more than one variable in the item being tested. And this cake has plenty of variables. I tolerated it well, with only mild symptoms, possibly from the espresso powder (I have not tolerated coffee very well so far).

My experiments are still ongoing, but The Husband has been incredibly supportive. It’s not easy to live with someone who is required to eat corn-free and can’t go out to eat. I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in life.

Bonus cute dog photo: We just adopted a new family member, Paige – she’s six years old and a retired racer. Doesn’t she smile pretty for the camera?

Chocolate Espresso Fudge Cake
Adapted from Use Real Butter

I changed the cake slightly from the original to meet my allergy requirements, and these changes are reflected below.

For the chocolate cake:
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup unbleached, unenriched all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup water
1 cup plain yogurt

For the espresso ganache:
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder

For the chocolate espresso buttercream:
1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
1 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
5 egg whites
1 cup granulated sugar

To make the cake:
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Grease and flour two 9″ cake pans and set aside.

In a small saucepan or the bottom of a double boiler, heat 1 inch of water. Add the unsweetened chocolate to a heatproof bowl or to the top of a double boiler and place it over the simmering water. Heat for 5 or 6 minutes, then remove from heat and stir until smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, all purpose flour, baking soda, and salt.

In yet another bowl, or the bowl of your mixer, beat the butter and sugar on low speed for 3 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat on high speed for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the bowl and beat the mixture on high speed for another 2 minutes. Add the melted chocolate and vanilla extract. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then scrape the sides of the bowl.

On the stove or in an electric kettle, heat 1 cup of water to a boil. While the water is heating, add 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/2 cup of yogurt to the batter and beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture and the rest of the yogurt, and beat for another 30 seconds. Add the rest of the flour and the boiling water, and mix for 30 more seconds.

Use a rubber spatula to gently mix in any remaining flour or water, until thoroughly combined. Divide the cake batter between the 2 prepared pans and spread it evenly. Bake the cakes for 25 minutes, then rotate the pans. Bake for another 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans on a cooling rack for 15 minutes. Remove the cakes from the pans and allow them to cool completely before assembling.

For the ganache:
Combine the chocolate chips and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cream, butter, and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring to ensure that the sugar dissolves. Heat the mixture to boiling. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate chips and espresso powder. Let it sit for 10 minutes, then stir until smooth. Leave at room temperature until ready to use.

For the buttercream:
Heat 1 inch of water in the bottom half of a double boiler or a saucepan over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips, unsweetened chocolate, and espresso powder in a heatproof bowl or the top half of double boiler, and place it over the simmering water. Allow to heat for 8 to 10 minutes, then remove from heat and stir until smooth. Set aside until needed.

Place the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof mixing bowl (if you have a stand mixer, use the bowl of your mixer). Set the bowl over 1 inch of water in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk the mixture gently while heating until it reaches 140°F. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat with the whisk attachment on speed 4 until stiff. Turn the mixer down to speed 3 and whip until cool to the touch (cooler than your hand). Change to the paddle attachment and gradually add the soft butter by tablespoon-sized pieces. Mix to emulsify. Once desired consistency has been reached, fold in the cooled chocolate mixture until well incorporated.

To assemble the cake:
Trim off the tops of the cakes to create a flat surface.

Slice each cake in half horizontally to create a total of 4 equal layers. Place the top half of one of the cakes into the bottom of a springform pan. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of buttercream on top of the cake in the pan. Place another layer of cake over the buttercream, gently pressing into place. Pour about 1 1/4 cups of ganache over the cake layer, spreading it to ensure even coverage. Place the top half of the second cake over the ganache. Spread about 1 1/2 cups of buttercream over this layer. Place the remaining cake layer, cut side down, onto the buttercream and press it gently into place. Cover the entire pan with plastic wrap and store it in the freezer for 1 hour.

I placed the remaining buttercream in the fridge while the cake was in the freezer, to keep it at the optimal piping consistency.

Remove the cake from the freezer and run a knife around the edge to separate it from the sides of the pan. Release the cake from the springform pan and place it on your serving plate. Frost and decorate the cake as desired!

Refrigerate the cake for about an hour before slicing, if you can wait that long.

The opportunity for a “do-over” in life is rare, and this month the Daring Bakers got just such an opportunity. We were given the gigantic list of past challenges to choose from! Since I’ve missed a couple of challenges in the last year, I had a few ideas right off the bat. Some of them I’m not ready to tackle yet in light of my new allergy situation, but I felt like it was time to take on the croissant!

I am lucky enough to have the luxury of locally grown and milled flour! As soon as I opened this bag of flour I could smell the earthy aroma of fresh wheat. With fresh flour and cultured organic butter, these croissants baked up to be a rich treat!

The most fun part of this recipe is smashing the cold butter with a rolling pin. This dough is pretty much equal parts butter and wheat. Perfection.

Math is involved (when is it ever NOT involved?). All that croissant dough must be folded, rolled out, folded, rolled out, cut into squares, then triangles. What kind of triangle do you get when you cut a square diagonally? Right! A right triangle. But we’re looking for more of an isosceles triangle, as shown above.

That isosceles triangle gets rolled up into a croissant shape and baked to perfection.

In a “celebration” of past Daring Baker and Daring Cook challenges, Lisa challenged all of us to search through the Daring Kitchen archives and pick any one we’d like! The REAL challenge was picking which delicious recipe(s) to try!

This croissant recipe was the Daring Bakers challenge for September 2011, sourced from Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Vol 2.

Croissants
Yield: 12 croissants

1/2 cup plain yogurt (original recipe called for milk, I used plain yogurt)
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoon instant yeast
3 tablespoons warm water (less than 100°F)
2 tablespoons grapeseed or other tasteless oil
1/2 cup chilled, unsalted butter
1 egg, for egg wash

Heat the yogurt in a small saucepan until it is tepid. Add the granulated sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve.

Measure the flour and instant yeast into a large bowl. Add the oil, water, and yogurt mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon just until the ingredients are incorporated. Knead the dough eight to ten times in the bowl, or on a lightly floured surface. Julia Child recommends smacking the dough on the counter, which can be fun as well.

Place the dough back in the bowl and cover the bowl with plastic wrap or place it inside a large bag. Allow the dough to rest for about three hours, or until it has tripled in size.

Remove the dough gently from the bowl and place it on a lightly floured work surface. Use your hands to press it out into a rectangle approximately 8 by 12 inches. Fold the dough like a letter, top third down and then bottom third up.

Place the dough back into the bowl just like this, and cover it again. Allow the dough to rise again until it has doubled, about 1 1/2 hours. This rise can also be done overnight in the fridge.

Now it’s time to incorporate the butter. If you want to make the process a little less messy, lay out a piece of parchment paper on your work surface. Place the block of cold butter on the paper. Using a rolling pin, beat the butter down until it is flat. Use the heel of your hand to spread it out a bit more so that it is smooth. The goal is to keep the butter cold, but still able to be spread.

Remove the dough from the bowl and place it an a lightly floured work surface. Let it rest for a couple of minutes. Use your hands to spread the dough into a rectangle approximately 8 inches wide by 14 inches tall.

Place the butter on the top half of the rectangle and spread it so that it covers the top 2/3 of the dough. See what’s going to happen here?

Fold the bottom third of the dough up and the top third down. Butter and flour sandwich!

Turn the dough package 90 degrees, so that the top flap is to your right, like a book. Roll out the dough package until it is 8 by 14 inches again. Be careful not to let the butter escape out the sides!

Fold the dough into thirds again, wrap it in plastic wrap, and place it in the fridge for two hours.

Unwrap the dough and place it again on your lightly floured work surface. Tap it gently to deflate it somewhat. Let the dough rest for 8-10 minutes.

Roll the dough out until it is an 8 by 14 inch rectangle. Fold it like a letter. Turn the dough package 90 degrees. Roll it out again (8 by 14 inches) and fold it in three for the last time. Wrap the dough in plastic and place it in the fridge for 2 more hours. You can also leave the dough overnight in the fridge at this point (I did). Just make sure to place something heavy on top to prevent it from rising.

Now, it’s triangle time! Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly butter it.

Remove the dough from the fridge and let it rest for 10 minutes. Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll it out into a 5 by 20 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half (two 5 by 10 rectangles). Place one of the rectangles on a plate, cover it, and place it in the fridge so that it stays cold.

Roll the other rectangle out until it is 5 by 15 inches. Cut the rectangle into three 5-inch squares. Place two of these squares in the fridge with the other dough rectangle.

Make sure that the remaining square is 5 by 5 inches. Roll it out a bit more if it has shrunk. Cut the square diagonally into two triangles. Stretch the triangles a bit so that they look more like isosceles triangles than right triangles. Starting at the wide end, roll the triangle up and curve it slightly so that it has a crescent shape.

Place the prepared croissant on the baking sheet. Repeat the process with the other squares of dough, making 12 croissants total. Cover the baking sheet of croissants and let it rise for 1 hour.

During the rise, preheat the oven to 475°.

Lightly beat the egg and mix in 1 teaspoon of water. Spread the egg wash over the tops and sides of the croissants.

Bake the croissants for 12-15 minutes or until they are nicely browned. Allow them to rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.

If you can’t eat all the croissants in one sitting, they do freeze well. Wrap each croissant individually in plastic, then foil. From the freezer, place the croissants in a 325° oven for 5 minutes to defrost and warm.

It seems like every time I visit our food co-op, I discover a new locally-grown treasure. We are lucky to have an impressive network of local farms here in NW Washington. I’m addicted to shopping at the food co-op like some people are addicted to shopping at the mall! I go in a couple of times a week to see what’s new and inevitably end up purchasing this season’s hottest new trend: this week, it was strawberries and rhubarb.

These strawberries were so sweet that I reduced the amount of sugar called for in the recipe. I used a bit more rhubarb than called for (how the heck am I supposed to know how many stalks of rhubarb will make 4 cups?), but the sweetness of the strawberries still shined through. The strawberries colored the filling, as well as my hands and the cutting board, a vibrant red. See the huge pile of rhubarb and strawberries here? It cooked down to a sweet yet tart filling that complemented the buttery whole wheat crust perfectly.

The pie crust recipe given for this challenge asked us to freeze the butter and then grate it over the flour. This technique was easy and less messy than slicing the butter and cutting it in with a pastry cutter or by hand. Plus, the grater makes fun little butter curlicues!

Rachael from pizzarossa was our lovely June 2013 Daring Bakers’ host and she had us whipping up delicious pies in our kitchens! Cream pies, fruit pies, chocolate pies, even crack pies. There’s nothing like pie!

Now, let me get on my soapbox. You wouldn’t think there would be corn in a strawberry rhubarb pie, would you? If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past few months, the answer to “there’s no way there’s corn in that, is there?” is usually “yes, there is corn in there”. I made a couple of changes to this recipe to make it corn allergy friendly. I used whole wheat pastry flour for the crust and to thicken the filling. For more information on the specific brands I have discovered to be corn-free, check out my Living Corn-Free page.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pi
Crust adapted from Baking Bible
Filling adapted from King Arthur Flour
Yield: One 9″ pie

For the crust:
2/3 cup unsalted butter
1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3-8 tablespoons cold water

Measure out the correct amount of butter, wrap it in aluminum foil, and place it in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt, and sugar. Using the large holes on a box grater, grate the frozen butter into the bowl. Use the foil to hold onto the butter to prevent it from warming up too quickly. Toss the butter and flour mixture with a fork until the butter is well coated.

Sprinkle 3 tablespoons of cold water over the mixture. Stir gently with a fork. Add more water as needed, one tablespoon at a time, until the dough just starts to come together. It should be moist but not wet. You should still be able to see some dry flour around the outside when you form the dough into a ball. Gently and quickly make a ball with the dough. Flatten the dough ball into a disk, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

For the pie:
1 cup granulated sugar
7 1/2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups rhubarb, diced (about 1 pound)
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
splash of milk and granulated sugar for garnish, if desired

Preheat the oven to 425°.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, and salt. Toss the rhubarb and strawberries with the flour mixture until coated evenly.

Remove the pie crust from the fridge and roll out 2/3 of it on a lightly floured surface, until it is large enough to cover the bottom of a 9″ pie plate. Reserve the remaining 1/3 of the dough to make the top crust. Carefully transfer the bottom crust to the pie plate.

Add the filling to the pie plate. Don’t worry if it seems like you have too much filling, it will cook down. Place dabs of butter on top of the filling.

Roll out the remaining pie crust so that it is large enough to cover the pie. Place it over the top of the filling and crimp the bottom and top crusts together around the edges. Cut a few vent holes in the top crust. Brush the top with milk and sprinkle with sugar, if desired.

Bake the pie at 425° for 30 minutes, then reduce the heat to 375° and continue to bake for another 30-40 minutes. The pie is done when the top is nicely browned and the filling is bubbling. It may even have bubbled out of the pie and onto whatever is underneath it in the oven.

Allow the pie to cool for at least one hour before slicing.

I’ve been without a kitchen for over a week now, and it will be another week before I get the kitchen at our new place up and running. Last week, The Husband and I loaded up our cars with supplies and our 2 cats. We drove 1,287 miles from southern California to Anacortes, Washington. Then we drove onto the ferry that took us to our new home on San Juan Island.

We’re still awaiting the moving truck with most of our household items and clothing. My new kitchen is beautiful, and the oven can do regular or convection baking! Does anyone out there know how to use convection and when/why I might use it instead of the normal oven setting?

As soon as my kitchen gets unpacked and organized, I look forward to sharing my island kitchen adventures with you. I’ve discovered some new food items here (locally milled flour, for one!) and I’m already missing some of my favorites from California. It will be an exciting new adventure in the kitchen!

I’ve spent lots of time over the last few weeks wondering what’s left for me to eat. A corn allergy really eliminates most packaged food items, and even most of the items in our natural foods store. But I have been making lots of progress in eliminating corn and corn derivatives from my diet. It’s a tough task, but it’s definitely rewarding when I have days that are symptom-free! Some foods surprise me. For example, white vinegar is made from corn, which means that most condiments (including the ketchup that I love so much) are off-limits. I used to always keep a jar of pickles in the fridge, but it’s not an easy task to find store-bought pickles without white vinegar. So I made my own.

I used organic apple cider vinegar, an ingredient that is fast becoming one of the most important staples in my kitchen. It’s great for cleaning and washing my hair, in addition to pickling. It adds a subtle fruity flavor to the pickles. I’m happy to have found a quick and easy pickle recipe that tastes even better than store-bought! These pickles don’t require any canning and the recipe makes a small batch that’s perfect for storing in the fridge.

I just finished off the last jar and I’m sad to say that I won’t be able to make more for a few weeks. The Husband and I are moving in just a couple of weeks. We’re leaving southern California and heading to San Juan Island, Washington. I just may have to change my name to Island Baker! It’s a logistically frightening move (you’ve got to take a ferry or plane to get to the island) but we’re really excited! I’ll be absent on the internet for a few weeks again, but I promise to get back in the kitchen as soon as the dust settles! In the meantime, make a batch or two of refrigerator pickles. But be careful – they’re addictive!

Refrigerator Pickles
Adapted from Food In Jars
Yield: 4 pints of pickles

Note: These pickles are NOT shelf stable and must be kept in the fridge! For best results, let them sit in the fridge for at least 2 days before digging in.

4 pint-size canning jars with lids
3 pounds pickling cucumbers
1 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups filtered water
4 grape leaves (optional – recommended for crunchier pickles)
4 teaspoons sea salt
4 teaspoons dill
1 teaspoon mustard seed
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 medium onion, chopped (optional – the batch pictured above does not include onion)

Rinse the cucumbers. Chop off the ends and slice them into spears. Set aside.

Combine the apple cider vinegar and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. While the brine is heating, place a grape leaf (if using) into the bottom of each jar. Divide the sea salt, dill, mustard seed, and garlic cloves between the jars. Pack the cucumber spears tightly into the jars, without crushing them.

Pour the hot brine into the jars, leaving 1/4 inch head space at the top. Put the lids on the jars and let them cool on the counter. Some of the jars may seal themselves, but they are still not shelf stable. Once the jars have cooled completely, store them in the refrigerator. For best results, let them sit for 2 days before eating. The longer you wait, the better they taste!

I’m taking a little detour today from my usual edible fare on these pages. It’s only a slight detour, though, because I do make deodorant in my kitchen and technically it is edible. I’ve been making it for years out of frugality and a desire to avoid chemical deodorant, but now it’s a necessity.

I just discovered that I am allergic to corn. It took me months to figure this out. Why, you ask? On first thought, it sounds pretty simple to eliminate corn from your diet. The usual suspects are popcorn, corn on the cob, tortilla chips, and corn meal. But in practice it’s more of a years-long project. Part of my struggle in discovering my allergy stemmed from the fact that corn has become so prevalent in our food supply that it is even found in organic, whole ingredients. Since corn is not considered a major allergen by the FDA, there’s no requirement to label foods that contain “hidden” corn. Those of us with a corn allergy just have to avoid anything that COULD contain corn – check out this list! It turns out that corn can be found in certain brands of milk, yogurt, and flour, in addition to thousands of other products. We’re talking food, toothpaste, shampoo, lotion, and many more. I bake most of our food from scratch and eat almost exclusively organic and local foods, but I’m still going to have to make some huge changes in my diet.

It just goes to show that there’s always room for improvement in our diet. Why consider the elimination of corn and corn derivatives an improvement? While whole corn can be part of a healthy diet, I feel that the extent to which processed corn infiltrates our food system is unhealthy. These strains of corn may be genetically-modified or bred to resist herbicides and pesticides. Just as it’s unsustainable to grow a monoculture on our land for years, it must be unsustainable for our bodies to ingest so much of one thing. If you’re interested in learning more about the corn industry, I highly recommend the documentary King Corn.

I’ve been making this deodorant for years now, and it works excellent for The Husband and I. It is free of corn, chemicals, and aluminum. As a bonus, it’s incredibly cheap to make from ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. Even if you’re not allergic to any of the ingredients in store-bought deodorant, this is a healthy and cheap option. At first, it took a bit of getting used to since it’s not an anti-perspirant. But I can assure you that it works better than some of the commercial “natural” deodorants – none of which worked well for me. Of course, everyone’s body is different so you may need to adjust the recipe a bit for your own personal chemistry. Be patient, and experiment!

This recipe can be scaled. I usually double this recipe and get approximately a 3 month supply for The Husband and I.

Coconut Oil Deodorant
From Passionate Homemaking

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder (if you’re not living corn-free, you can also use corn starch)
1 tablespoon baking soda
1-2 tablespoons coconut oil

If your coconut oil is solid, scoop a small amount into a bowl and soften it in the microwave. Skip this step if it’s warm enough and your coconut oil is already in liquid form.

Combine the arrowroot powder and baking soda in a small container that has a lid for storage. Start adding the coconut oil, stirring with a spoon to combine, until the desired consistency is reached. 1 1/2 tablespoons is usually just the right consistency for me. Remember that if you’ve had to melt your coconut oil it will solidify more as it cools. Experiment from batch to batch to figure out the amount that works best for you.

Once the ingredients are thoroughly combined, I like to cover the container and place it in the fridge until it is solid (1-2 hours). Once it has solidified I move it to the bathroom cabinet and store it there until it’s gone. It softens back up to just the right consistency that way. When you’re ready to use it, just scoop out a small bit with your finger and rub it on!

Hi!

It’s been a while. Planning our handmade wedding and dealing with some potential food allergies have kept me out of the kitchen for a few months. The Fiancé and I had a lovely wedding at Pfeiffer Beach in Big Sur. The weather was gorgeous and our small group of family and friends really made our day special. The Fiancé shall henceforth be referred to as The Husband.

But enough about me. Let’s celebrate with cake!

Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!

I guess I gave it away with the title of this post, so I’ll go ahead and admit that I used cannellini beans in this cake. And it’s amazingly moist, dense, and tasty. The batter is thick, so I had no trouble baking it in a two-piece tube pan.

This cake baked to golden brown perfection. A perfect canvas for a coating of fluffy meringue frosting. The cake is sweet but not overly so, and the frosting adds an extra touch of sweetness. The beans are so subtle that nobody would guess they’re a major ingredient. And I’m pretty sure that they make this a healthy cake (wink).

White Bean Cake With Meringue Frosting
Adapted slightly from Joy The Baker
Yield: One bundt cake

For the cake:
1 can (15 ounces) or approx. 3/4 cup dry cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 egg whites
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

If you are using dried cannellini beans, cook them according to the package directions.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a bundt pan or a tube pan and set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Puree the beans using a food processor. They don’t have to be completely smooth – they’ll be pureed even more when they’re added to the mixing bowl.

In a large bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, combine the butter, sugar, and beans. Beat on medium speed for 3-5 minutes, or until everything is well combined. The beans will break down and the mixture will be slightly soupy. Add the eggs and egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Add half of the dry ingredient mixture and beat on low speed until nearly combined. Add all of the buttermilk and beat until incorporated. Add the rest of the dry ingredient mixture and beat on low speed just until combined. Use a rubber spatula to fold the batter a few times, making sure that the ingredients are well combined.

Scoop the batter into the pan and bake for 40-50 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Keep an eye on the cake while it’s baking – it has a tendency to get dry if over-baked.

Cool the cake in the pan for 20 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Frosting:
2 egg whites
3/4 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt
pinch of cream of tartar

In a medium saucepan, bring 2 inches of water to a boil. In a heat-proof bowl (use the bowl of your mixer if possible), whisk all the ingredients together. Place the bowl over simmering water and whisk until the sugar has dissolved, about 4 minutes. The mixture should be foamy and starting to thicken.

Beat with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer on medium-high speed until the egg whites are thick, white, and glossy, about 5 minutes. The frosting should hold its shape. Spread the frosting onto the cooled cake and enjoy!

Store the cake covered in the refrigerator, if there’s any left over.