I don't like to exit my bed any earlier than I deem absolutely necessary. The other morning though, I thought about cooking a lavish breakfast -- no milky oatmeal, no buttered toast -- but a real, honest-to-goodness meal of pillowy waffles, or plump blueberry-strewn pancakes. And let me just say, that got me out of bed right quick.
Read morePARMESAN-PINE NUT BISCUITS
"Nine times out of ten, you probably aren't having a full-on nervous breakdown -- you just need a cup of tea and a biscuit." [Caitlin Moran]
Read moreSWISS CHARD, SWEET POTATO AND FETA TART
Tonight's agenda: gluten-free tart for dinner tonight. The crust is made with teff flour, which I had ever eaten. Another friend had given it to me when he left the country, so I had it on hand. I can now tell you that teff flour is made from a tiny grain native to Ethiopia. It is high in protein, iron, and fiber and has an earthy flavor.
Read moreCHOCOLATE MINT LAYER CAKE
I have a serious love-hate relationship with chocolate cake. I love it, because it is chocolate cake and because it makes for beautiful, impressive and dramatic desserts. I hate it, because all the recipes that claim to be the best ever seem to be the same one, which has failed me many times!
Read moreCHOCOLATE OLIVE OIL COOKIES WITH SEA SALT
If you run out of eggs, and have no butter, but do find yourself with a serious chocolate craving, you can still make cookies, how's that for good news? These would also be perfect if you needed to bake a dairy-free dessert. The olive oil makes a brownie-like batter. Scoop the dough with a spoon into rounds and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. The result? Fudgy, salty-sweet, soft chocolate cookies.
Chocolate Olive Oil Cookies with Sea Salt
Adapted from Take a Megabite
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup cocoa (use Valrhona dark if you want to get serious)
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup hot water, plus 2 tablespoons
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and sugar in a medium bowl. Add oil, water and vanilla. Beat until the batter is stiff (it will have a brownie batter-like consistency).
Drop heaping spoonfuls of the batter on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse or flaked sea salt. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Let cool.