Sometimes, you just have to shut up and bake. Well, I do, anyway. I find solace in the methodical art of measuring flour (well, methodically chaotic when I am doing my experiments). I like playing the part of a mad scientist as I add a bit of this, a dash of that. I find calm in mixing it all together and dolloping it onto a sheet of crisp parchment paper. I find satisfaction in converting a shapeless blob of dough into a shapely scone or muffin or tea cake.
Baking is something I do for myself. It rejuvenates me. It brings me back to myself. It quiets my mind. It is also unlike the other activities that might provide this kind of retreat in one very very favorable way: you end up with treats to share with others. So it doesn't appear to be as self-serving as just chucking it all and going for a bike ride while dinner remains uncooked, blogs remain unwritten, and the house stays dirty.
So, the same person who might roll their eyes at your yoga habit (a solitary endeavor) or wonder why you have to go out with those same friends all the time (without them) will gladly encourage your baking habit. There's something in it for them, you see. And that's the beauty of it. You get to do your thing, they get to enjoy the end result. So everyone is happy. Like, actually happy. Not smiling-but-secretly-gritting-your-teeth in annoyance "happy." Not sure-I'd-love-to-come-along-and-listen-to-girl-talk-while-I-gauge-my-eye-out "happy." Not no-of-course-I-didn't-want-you-to-spend-any-time-with-me-when-I-haven't-seen-you-all-day "happy."
Try it. Schedule a date with yourself and your kitchen. Even if you don't fancy yourself a baker or a cook or any of that. In fact, especially in that case - just look at it as trying something new. A new activity, approached one ingredient at a time. Even if the end result tastes terrible, you have something to giggle about with your husband or girlfriend. Something funny to talk about, something to analyze, to figure out what went wrong. Or, you have something delicious and fulfilling to share, in more ways than one.
Here are a few recipes to try. Let me know how it goes. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients, and several steps. But that's the point to today's post - take some time to yourself. And take your time. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy the process.
Almond Flour Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
2 1/2 c. almond flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (in liquid state) or nut oil (something more neutral tasting than olive oil)
2 eggs
1/4 TSP middle eastern 7 spice, or cinnamon (optional)
dash of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 and situate a rack in the center of the oven.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together all the dry ingredients thoroughly, including the spices if you are using them.
Add the eggs and incorporate fully, then add the oil and lemon juice.
Mix the dough for about a minute with a wooden spoon until everything is fully mixed together.
If you are using coconut oil, and you had your almond flour in the freezer, you might notice the oil hardening slightly as it cools. If this happens, just knead the dough a bit with your hands to emulsify everything. The dough will be very sticky, so kneading is messy, but it's the best way to make sure all the ingredients are distributed.
Using two spoons or one spoon and your finger, scoop balls of dough about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide onto your prepared baking sheet.
You should end up with 7 or 8.
Flatten them slightly, if you wish.
Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the spring back when pressed lightly in the center, AND the edges are getting a little bit golden brown.
Enjoy fresh out of the oven with some butter slathered on, or have them as a snack the next morning, or both!
=====================================================================
Lemon Coconut Tea Bread
(adapted from bake! by Nick Malgieri)
Ingredients
1/2 c. almond flour
1 c. sorghum flour
1/4 c. potato starch
1/4 c. arrowroot
1/2 c. sugar, heaping
2 1/2 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP guar gum (I forgot to add this and mine came out fine. A bit crumbly, but tasty for sure.)
1 2/3 c. sweetened coconut - If you get shredded coconut, you'll need to make it into more of a powder. I used a 3 c. food processor and pulsed the "chop" button until the pieces were more like small squares as opposed to long strings. If you absolutely don't feel like doing this, use about 1/3 c. LESS coconut, and the recipe will work just fine.
2 large eggs
1/2 c. heavy cream
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted + 3 TBSP coconut oil OR 6 TBSP unsalted butter melted
2 TBSP lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 and set a rack in the middle.
Grease a 9x5x3 or other size loaf pan. My grease of choice is shortening.
Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the coconut.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the cream, butter/oil mixture, and lemon juice.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry, incorporating fully using a spatula and a folding motion.
Scrape your batter into your loaf pan and shimmy the pan on the counter to level out the batter.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
The bread will puff up then deflate slightly as it cooks through.
Your masterpiece is done when the center springs back when touched AND it appears to be golden brown around the edges AND a paring knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
~S
Baking is something I do for myself. It rejuvenates me. It brings me back to myself. It quiets my mind. It is also unlike the other activities that might provide this kind of retreat in one very very favorable way: you end up with treats to share with others. So it doesn't appear to be as self-serving as just chucking it all and going for a bike ride while dinner remains uncooked, blogs remain unwritten, and the house stays dirty.
So, the same person who might roll their eyes at your yoga habit (a solitary endeavor) or wonder why you have to go out with those same friends all the time (without them) will gladly encourage your baking habit. There's something in it for them, you see. And that's the beauty of it. You get to do your thing, they get to enjoy the end result. So everyone is happy. Like, actually happy. Not smiling-but-secretly-gritting-your-teeth in annoyance "happy." Not sure-I'd-love-to-come-along-and-listen-to-girl-talk-while-I-gauge-my-eye-out "happy." Not no-of-course-I-didn't-want-you-to-spend-any-time-with-me-when-I-haven't-seen-you-all-day "happy."
Try it. Schedule a date with yourself and your kitchen. Even if you don't fancy yourself a baker or a cook or any of that. In fact, especially in that case - just look at it as trying something new. A new activity, approached one ingredient at a time. Even if the end result tastes terrible, you have something to giggle about with your husband or girlfriend. Something funny to talk about, something to analyze, to figure out what went wrong. Or, you have something delicious and fulfilling to share, in more ways than one.
Here are a few recipes to try. Let me know how it goes. Yes, there are quite a few ingredients, and several steps. But that's the point to today's post - take some time to yourself. And take your time. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy the process.
Almond Flour Drop Biscuits
Ingredients
2 1/2 c. almond flour
1 TBSP sugar
1 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1/4 cup coconut oil (in liquid state) or nut oil (something more neutral tasting than olive oil)
2 eggs
1/4 TSP middle eastern 7 spice, or cinnamon (optional)
dash of lemon juice (optional)
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 and situate a rack in the center of the oven.
Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Mix together all the dry ingredients thoroughly, including the spices if you are using them.
Add the eggs and incorporate fully, then add the oil and lemon juice.
Mix the dough for about a minute with a wooden spoon until everything is fully mixed together.
If you are using coconut oil, and you had your almond flour in the freezer, you might notice the oil hardening slightly as it cools. If this happens, just knead the dough a bit with your hands to emulsify everything. The dough will be very sticky, so kneading is messy, but it's the best way to make sure all the ingredients are distributed.
Using two spoons or one spoon and your finger, scoop balls of dough about 1 1/2 to 2 inches wide onto your prepared baking sheet.
You should end up with 7 or 8.
Flatten them slightly, if you wish.
Bake for 7 minutes, then rotate the pan and bake for another 7-10 minutes, or until the spring back when pressed lightly in the center, AND the edges are getting a little bit golden brown.
Enjoy fresh out of the oven with some butter slathered on, or have them as a snack the next morning, or both!
=====================================================================
Lemon Coconut Tea Bread
(adapted from bake! by Nick Malgieri)
Ingredients
1/2 c. almond flour
1 c. sorghum flour
1/4 c. potato starch
1/4 c. arrowroot
1/2 c. sugar, heaping
2 1/2 TSP baking powder
1/2 TSP salt
1 TSP guar gum (I forgot to add this and mine came out fine. A bit crumbly, but tasty for sure.)
1 2/3 c. sweetened coconut - If you get shredded coconut, you'll need to make it into more of a powder. I used a 3 c. food processor and pulsed the "chop" button until the pieces were more like small squares as opposed to long strings. If you absolutely don't feel like doing this, use about 1/3 c. LESS coconut, and the recipe will work just fine.
2 large eggs
1/2 c. heavy cream
3 TBSP unsalted butter, melted + 3 TBSP coconut oil OR 6 TBSP unsalted butter melted
2 TBSP lemon juice
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350 and set a rack in the middle.
Grease a 9x5x3 or other size loaf pan. My grease of choice is shortening.
Stir together all the dry ingredients, including the coconut.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then add the cream, butter/oil mixture, and lemon juice.
Pour the wet mixture into the dry, incorporating fully using a spatula and a folding motion.
Scrape your batter into your loaf pan and shimmy the pan on the counter to level out the batter.
Bake for about 50-60 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
The bread will puff up then deflate slightly as it cooks through.
Your masterpiece is done when the center springs back when touched AND it appears to be golden brown around the edges AND a paring knife or toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Enjoy!
~S
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