Apple Honey Upside-Down Cake

Dairy free, paleo apple honey upside-down cake is perfect for cool fall days.

Subtly spiced and not too sweet, it's great for breakfast or dessert!

The tradition of dipping apples in honey to celebrate Rosh Hashanah inspired me to bake this apple honey upside-down cake. Apples and honey represent the double dose of sweetness that's hoped for in the year ahead. I didn't get this post ready in time to share before the holiday, but this cake is an ideal dessert for anytime in the fall. Whether or not you celebrate Rosh Hashanah, everyone can use a little extra hint of sweetness as the air turns crisp and the nights begin to fall sooner.

I based this recipe on my lemon olive oil cake, which is a dessert I've made again and again for all sorts of occasions. This apple honey upside-down cake is the perfect fall twist on my go-to cake.

To make this cake, I poured copious amounts of honey into the bottom of a parchment-lined pan, and then arranged apple slices on top. Since the apples and honey are so sweet, I only used a tiny bit of sweetener in the cake batter itself, and included a few hints of savory flavors to balance things out. Using extra virgin olive oil instead of butter makes the cake dairy free and provides a complexity that keeps the cake from being pure, unadulterated sweetness. And ginger and cardamom, spices that play on both the sweet and savory teams, are a welcome change from the usual cinnamon.

Cashew Chia Cacao Nib Pudding

This cashew chia cacao nib pudding is paleo, gluten-free, and easily made vegan. It's also a snap to make and surprisingly satisfying!

Happy fourth of July weekend! I made you a healthy dessert packed with superfoods: chia seeds, cacao nibs, honey, and cashews. Well, I am not totally sure that honey and cashews are superfoods, but they're not bad, right? I think this pudding would be a welcome change on a weekend when desserts are often pumped full of artificial colors and flavors. (Although, if you do need something naturally red, white, and blue, may I suggest my pico de gallo de frutas? Just use blueberries instead of kiwis.)

Since this pudding is a make-ahead dessert, it's perfect for having guests over. While you're out grilling lamb burgers and mixing drinks (agua fresca, perhaps?) these perfectly-sized treats will just be gelling in the fridge.

This was my first time using chia seeds and cacao nibs, and I loved them both. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about the cacao nibs since they're unsweetened chocolate, but while I wouldn't necessarily eat a handful plain, they were perfect in this pudding. Some of the cacao nibs are blended with the cashew and chia base to deepen the chocolate flavors of the entire pudding, and some are sprinkled whole on top. This gives each bite of cashew chia pudding this craveworthy chocolatey crunch. It's so good!

Tahini-Glazed Chicken Wings

My only appreciation for winter comes from the fact that it's pretty much a prerequisite for spring, at least in this part of the world. And, in my optimistic opinion, we're on the road to spring beginning on December 22nd, when we start getting an additional minute or two of light each day. Spotting a vestige of light in the sky after 5 pm gives me hope.

Even when a blizzard comes through, dumping two feet of snow on my city and leaving my street virtually impassable for days afterward, I know that we are on the up and up, the unstoppable vector leading to spring.

In the meantime, let's eat some chicken wings!

Fried Banana Brownie Cake with Honey Whipped Cream

It was my birthday on Saturday, and I had an amazing day.  I started the morning by opening the present Ben got for me, which was a Kitchen Aid stand mixer!  I've wanted one for years, and finally feel like I count as a real food blogger now that I own one.  I haven't used it yet because I have need to clear a special spot for it in the kitchen, but I've been peering into the box every few hours and just kind of smiling at it.  After opening my mixer, I met up with a friend to go for a run, and then went home and moved a bunch of furniture and hung pictures with Ben.  (Our landlords have been renovating our apartment, so we have a lot of rearranging to do.  One secret about me is that I love organizing things around the house, even though I put it off like crazy and almost never do it.  I am not at all sure why I dread it so much, because once I get started I really enjoy it.  So, oddly enough, moving furniture and hanging pictures was one of my favorite parts of the day.)

My mom, Ben, and I went to dbar for dinner, which is within walking distance of our apartment and is one of my favorite restaurants ever.  Pro tip: it starts gradually turning into a nightclub around 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.  I've never been able to convince anyone to stay with me for that phase, but we got to witness the beginning of the transformation last night: one of the waiters walked by, casually pushed a button on his bracelet, and made a screen drop from the ceiling.  No big deal.

Blackberry Smash

Blackberries are my favorite fruit, and they are so delicious this time of year.  In addition to eating blackberries & dark chocolate for breakfast, I've been using them to make this amazing mocktail/cocktail, the blackberry smash.  I was going to call it a blackberry fauxjito, but blackberry smash is just so much more fun to say.  In addition to being fun to say, it's really fun to make and drink.

When I have a party, I like to offer one special, seasonally-inspired cocktail that I can make for my friends all night long.  I'm not a very proficient bartender, so I don't want to offer a bunch of different things, but I've found that having one unique drink makes a gathering way more glamorous and fun.  At Thanksgiving this past year, I had ten people over, and was prepared with several different kinds of wine and beer, as well as the ingredients for cranberry margaritas.  The margaritas were such a hit that I don't think we opened a single bottle of wine--no one could say no to a creative libation based on fall's quintessential berry.

Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cake Pops (Gluten-free)

These pops were a huge hit at the Halloween party we went to last night--they were all gone about ten minutes after we arrived.  One of my classmates said the pop was so good that she had to sit down!  So, these might knock you right off your feet.

Cake pops take a little while to make, but they're worth it!  And, since there are no eggs involved, you can taste away all throughout the process.  Wrapped in little bags, these pops would make great birthday party or wedding favors.  There are endless possibilities for decorating them--you can dye sugar any color appropriate to the occasion, or extend the peanut butter theme by using crushed Reese's Pieces or peanut butter cups.

Pumpkin Cake with Molasses Cream (Paleo, Gluten-free)

It is only September 21st, and I may already be tired of pumpkin.

I mean, "tired" is a little extreme--I probably just need one week off, and then I'll be ready to get back on the pumpkin train.

The reason is that I had to make this pumpkin cake four or five times.  The first time, I tried to make a vegan version using flax eggs.  I baked the cake for a long, long time, but it still did not set completely.  It had a fabulous flavor, but it was like a pudding-cake.  After cutting off a few slices, the rest of the loaf couldn't even hold itself together, and slumped into the delicious pumpkin version of an old, dilapidated house.

The next time I made it, it ended up staying in the oven for over three hours (not on purpose).  You can see it here (and I'd be thrilled if you followed me on Instagram!).  The third time, I substituted molasses for the honey, and the cake was so dark that it looked burnt even though it wasn't.  I wanted a nice orange color, at least on the inside of the cake, so I tried a fourth time.  I loved the molasses flavor, so I used it in the glaze, along with some creme fraiche (my new favorite thing).  Finally, I got a cake I loved!  It's still very moist, but it hasn't fallen apart yet.  The molasses cream and pecans really take it over the top.  If you're not a nut person, you could try adding a similar amount of chocolate chunks.  I added them to the first batch and it was fabulous.

So, hopefully you're not tired of pumpkin!  I promise to feature a different main ingredient in my next recipe.

Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream (Vegan, Paleo, Gluten-free)

Did you know there was once a molasses flood in Boston?  A five-story high molasses tank exploded on an unusually hot day in 1919 and surged through the North End, destroying a fire station and leaving a path of sticky destruction in its wake.  Some say that when the weather is really warm, you can still smell the molasses on the city streets almost 100 years later.

I was fascinated by the molasses flood as a kid and did a report on it in elementary school.  I think that was the last time I thought about molasses, though, because I almost never cook with it.  But, while making a failed batch of pumpkin bread over the weekend, I ran out of honey and needed another sweetener.  The molasses in the back of my cupboard seemed like just the thing, and it was (the pumpkin bread only failed because I asked Ben to watch it for me, and it ended up baking for almost three hours).  Molasses has a spicy flavor that goes really well with pumpkin, and contributes to this ice cream's rich orange color.  I did a little research and there seems to be some debate as to whether molasses is truly paleo, but I'm sure that this ice cream would still be delicious if you added more honey instead, or even tried maple syrup.

Spiced Honey & Corn Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream (Gluten free, Paleo)

I wanted to make a fabulous end-of-summer, beginning-of-fall cupcake, and here it is!  These have corn kernels baked right in, and a batter laced with fall spices.  The frosting is my favorite part: butter and coconut cream are delicious together, with a little honey and maple sugar for sweetness.  I tested the frosting with and without butter, and it's great both ways.

Some people don't include corn in their paleo diet, so feel free to leave it out.  If you wanted to substitute something else, I bet these would also be delicious with little chunks of apple instead.  Let me know if you try it!

Oh, and do you love these parchment cupcake cups as much as I do?  I got the idea from this post on Alexandra's Kitchen.  They take a few minutes to make, but I love their rustic look.  The BEST part is that NONE of the cake crumbs stick to the paper!  And, the cup unfolds into a nice little placemat to put your cupcake on between bites.  You can also use parchment to line a loaf pan if you are making banana bread or something like that, and you don't even need to grease it.

Caramel-Stuffed Snickerdoodles (Paleo, Gluten free)

Some people go crazy for snickerdoodles, but I'm not usually one of them.  Snickerdoodles have a lot of cinnamon, which is nice, but they don't have chocolate, caramel, or fruit.  Usually I require one of those three things in order to truly fall in love with a dessert.  Several weeks ago it occurred to me that snickerdoodles could be stuffed with caramel, and ever since I've been eager to try it.  I'm not the first one to try stuffing caramel inside a snickerdoodle, but I think I'm the first to try a paleo and gluten free version.

I made this honey caramel yesterday to drizzle on top of an apple honey cake that I'm working on for Rosh Hashanah.  The cake was delicious, but it still needs a little work.  I had half of the honey caramel left (it wouldn't all fit on top of the apple cake!) so I decided I needed to make the snickerdoodles.

These are easy to make (no creaming!) and fun to eat.  Before the photo shoot, I tried two cookies, one straight from the oven and one after they'd cooled.  (As a food blogger, I have to do these things.  You know, for science.)  Then, after I took my pictures, I had to eat all the cookies that had suffered casualties (been broken open) during the shoot.  I had to drink all the milk, too, because it would have been really hard to pour it back in the carton without a funnel.  The things I do for this blog!  Anyway, it was a fabulous snack and I think you should make some today.

Garlic Honey Grilled Shrimp

Yesterday I really wanted to fire up the grill and make some shrimp.  That is, I wanted my boyfriend to fire up the grill and make me some shrimp.  To be totally honest, I don't know how to grill.  Coals and lighter fluid and all that--it's a mystery to me.  Give me a hot grill, though, and I'll totally stand there and flip.  I've got that part under control.

Anyway, Ben wasn't excited about grilling.  I, however, was super excited about the yummy garlic honey marinade I'd dreamed up, and decided I could just broil them.  I've made skewers of shrimp in the broiler before and they always come out great.  But, at the last minute, Ben changed his mind and fired up the grill.  I guess he didn't like the thought of what a 500 degree oven would do the temperature in our apartment on this 90-degree day.  So, I got to grill in the end and we had a great time lounging on the patio, flipping shrimp skewers.

We ate these on top of this salad and it was a very satisfying combination.

    

Ingredients (serves 2-3): 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on 4 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon garlic paste 2 1/2 tablespoons honey Salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 teaspoon cumin Pinch of cayenne

Soaked wooden skewers (soak in hot water for 30 minutes or more to keep them from catching fire)

Mix the olive oil, garlic, honey, and spices, and pour over the shrimp.  Toss to coat.  Marinate for up to 30 minutes at room temperature or 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Prepare the grill, or preheat your broiler.

Skewer the shrimp--I like to thread the skewers through each shrimp twice so they are easy to flip on the grill.  I used six skewers for this recipe, with 5-6 shrimp on each skewer.

Grill or broil for about 3 minutes per side, or longer as necessary, until charred in spots and opaque throughout.  Serve hot.

Honey Vanilla Cookies to Kickstart Jesi's Art

Have you heard of colony collapse disorder?  My friend Jesi, an artist based in Vermont, is working on a participatory project with a large installation about colony collapse disorder and the plight of the honeybee.  The coolest part is that she's creating a canvas for each person who sponsors her project, in different sizes depending on the amount you donate, and sending them out to her supporters after the show!  Her art is amazing and I can't wait to see what she creates for this show.

Jesi asked me to post a honey cookie recipe that she could bake to show her thanks to supporters who pledge $25 or more.  Her project only has one more day left on Kickstarter!  You can read about the project and donate here.  You should consider giving!  Even if you don't have $25 to give, give any amount and then make yourself these cookies!  Jesi and the honeybees will thank you.

Note: I hadn't used my honey in a while and it was totally crystallized!  Don't worry if that happens to you.  Just spoon out your honey into a glass jar and heat it in a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally, until it's clear and liquefied.  If you do this, let the honey cool down a little before you add it to the dough.



Ingredients (makes one dozen; adapted from this recipe on Lulu the Baker):

1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cold salted butter, cubed (or use unsalted and add 1/2 teaspoon salt)
1/2 vanilla bean
2 tablespoons honey, plus extra for brushing
Flaky sea salt (I use Maldon), optional

In a food processor, blend the flour, sugar, and butter until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.

Add the honey and vanilla bean seeds and pulse just until combined.  Use your hands to pat the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for half an hour or so.  Try not to eat all the dough at this point.  It's delicious!

Preheat the oven to 325.

On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to about 1/4 inch thick.  Using a cookie cutter or round jar, cut out cookies about 2 inches across.  Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes, until the cookies are starting to brown around the edges.

Brush the cookies with honey while they're still warm, and sprinkle with a little flaky sea salt if desired. I love the salty and sweet combo, so I highly recommend it!