Almond pulp (gluten free) apple and peach cobbler

I saw Christmas decoration in store last week. Seriously? At least wait until I've had my turkey and pumpkin pie guys!!!! I haven't even thought of a Halloween costume yet!!!

We are having Indian summer this week and it's beautiful outside. I love that there are red leaves everywhere but it's hot and sweaty which definitely makes it easier for me to stop denying that fall is here. Soon, everything will be about stews and roasts, pumpkins and sweet potatoes, apples and cobblers.

HMMM.... Cobblers.....I. LOVE. COBBLERS!!!!

As I have been eating sans gluten, cobblers would have been hard not to have anymore. It's like a poem, you know? A beautiful fragrant to start, a bite of the soft sweet apple chunks to lure you into the story and then the buttery crunch. Without that buttery crunch, the poem doesn't finish well. It's still good, don't get me wrong but that crunch... oh that crunch..

Ehem... sorry.. I got a little distracted there... But I'm back! So as I am on a roll with this almond pulp thing, I thought why not use almond pulp instead of flour? I went to ask my close friend Google and I found one that sounds really really good, and I went on from there.

This recipe is really easy and fast I can assure you that. It was inspired from Cinnamon Eats and I substituted a couple of things and made it the lazy way.

Gluten free almond pulp cobbler
-5 apples
-3 peaches (optional. I had peaches left over so I just threw them in there)
-juice of 1 lemon
-2-3 cups of almond pulp (yield from 1 cup of whole almonds when I made the milk)
-1 Tbsp ground cinnamon (use less if you prefer. I like mine cinnamon-y)
-a few shakes of ground cloves
-a few shakes of grated nutmeg
-1/2 cup butter
-1/4 cup honey (I used raw because that's what I had)
-a handful of raw pumpkin seeds

Turn oven to 350F
Slice the apples and peaches and toss them with the lemon juice in a glass baking dish (I used a 9x11 because I couldn't find the 8x8)
Mix almond pulp and spices.
Melt butter and honey and add into dry mixture. Spoon on top of fruit slices and spread.
Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds. Bake for 50 minutes then turn the oven off and leave it in there to keep warm

A giveaway and a yummy Apple Pie Bar recipe

Happy Halloween to all you zombies, monsters and ghosts out there gathering around your witch's brew. I hope your Saturday night parties were great fun and that you are spending more time treating than tricking.

I, did just that for the passed few days. Lots and lots of treats... Oof!!!! If it wasn't for the love of making treats, I think sugar and I would have to go on a break for a while...

Gluten-free chocolate cake pops, with added kicks of Nutella, Frangelico and Amaretto liqueur

 

 This guy here, is my favorite!!!!!

On another fun note, a week and a half ago, I was interviewed online along with the East Coast Canadians featured in the Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook. A few days later I received my copy and my excitement went through the roof. It really only hit me then, how proud I am to be featured amongst all the amazing food bloggers from all over the world and their delicious recipes. I mean, I have been estatic ever since I found out, but until I was actually flipping through the pages, it all just felt unreal. Thanks so much to the people at Andrews McMeel Publishing and Foodista for the chance to be in this first ever social media cookbook.

As that wasn't cool enough, there is a sale promotion for the book on November 3rd, between 10 and 11 am PDT / 1-2 pm Eastern Time, and Foodista is holding a giveaway with really cool prizes. Go ahead and enter to win!!! I can't wait to see how this turns out :)

Now, onto yummy things.... Apple Pie Bar!!!! This is of course, from THE book, and the author is The Runaway Spoon in Memphis.

• 1 cup vegetable oil (I used 3/4 cup)
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups sugar (I used 1/2 cup, and 1.5 cup apple syrup that I saved from this apple pie)
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 3 large baking apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped ( I didn't have any! So no apples in mine...)
• 6 ounces butterscotch chips (I used a handful)

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 inch baking dish with cooking spray (I used an 8x8 because I figured without the apples, it wouldn't take up a 9x13)
In the bowl of an electric mixer, thoroughly combine the oil, eggs and sugar.  Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, soda and spices together in a bowl, then add to the oil mixture in the mixer, beating until thoroughly mixed.  The batter will be thick.
Use a sturdy spoon to stir in the apple pieces.  Scrape the mixture into the prepared pan, spreading it out evenly.  Sprinkle the butterscotch chips over the top, pressing them into the batter lightly.
Bake for 45 minutes to one hour, until the golden and pulling away from the sides of the pan slightly.
Cool thoroughly and cut into squares.

As I am blogging this, pieces have already started to disappear from the baking pan. Yes, it's REALLY yummy! Enjoy and I hope you enter to win! (P.S: I don't have any financial gain from sales of the book. This stems purely from passion and support)

Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians!

Long weekends are like eating something sinfully delicious, then finding out that it's low-fat, low-cal and actually good for you, and so you get to grab another serving to indulge in. Right, it doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's SO good! Happy Thanksgiving to all Canadians!!! I hope you all spent great times with your families and had all kind of delicious comfort food.

Now, this apple pie is definitely not like a long weekend, but you WILL have more than one slice, because it is THAT good. I doubled the recipe and tweaked it a bit by adding more spices and using things that I had on hand. The whole process takes a bit longer than your typical slice, toss and bake, but the result is an apple pie that doesn't sink.

The Unsinkable apple pie, originally by Bill Brady

• 2 pie shells
• 3 Golden Delicious apples
• 3 McIntosh apples
• 3 Granny Smith apples
• ¾ cup sugar
• juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 4 pieces candied ginger, cut into a small dice
• 3 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
• 2 Tbsp instant tapioca
• 2 Tbsp butter
• egg wash of 1 beaten egg yolk
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar

While pie shells are thawing (I know, I know... I keep putting off making pie dough, but the pie shells were on sale!!!!) peel and core apples. Quarter them, and then slice each quarter into 4 slices. While doing so, gradually add sugar and lemon juice and toss the apples. Once done all the apples, add candied ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix well to coat.

Heat oven to 450F

Put apple mix in a pot over medium low heat, stirring once in a while until everything has reduced but not cooked. Mix in tapioca. Remove from heat and let cool.
Strain apples and do it thoroughly (Save the syrup, it will be so good on ice cream!) Spoon filling into bottom pie shell, mounding in the middle. Dot with butter and cover top with the other pie shell. Make a few slits for steam to escape. Then lightly brush top with egg-wash and sprinkle brown sugar on top.

Bake in oven for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350F and continue baking for another 45 minutes or until crust is golden.

Being thankful shouldn't take just a dinner or two over a long weekend in the fall. Many of us are more lucky than we know it, and it's so easy to take everything for granted. We forget about the humble things that really matter. We postpone telling our loved ones how we feel about them until it's too late. We are quick to complain and don't realize that there are places in the world, where people have nothing, yet are still thankful just to be alive and well.

So share a slice, tell your loved ones how much you appreciate them. Tell them that every chance you get, not just this weekend.

Enjoy! :)

pI love you!

I'm not really a "pie person", but I adore the smell of baking pies in the house. There is something so loving and cozy about the fragrant spices and the steamy bubbly filling that makes me want to hug someone special.

And on cold rainy days like these, we can all use some love, hugs and a couple of slices of warm pies. So go call someone you love, tell them that you're coming over in an hour and get in that kitchen!  

Quick apple ginger pie

(makes 1 pie)

• 2 pie shells (1 if you want an open-faced pie)
• 4 medium apples, peel, cored, quartered and sliced
• a small knob of fresh ginger, a little less than an inch or so, minced
• 1 lemon, juiced
• about 1/2 cup sugar (I used half brown and half white)
• about 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon
• about 1/2 to 1 tsp ground nutmeg (depending on how much you like the spice) 
• about 1 Tbsp flour
• egg wash, optional (1 egg white and a tsp of water)
• a few pinches of sugar for sprinkles

Heat oven to 375*F

If you are using frozen pie shells (yes... I cheated... LOL) thaw them out on the counter for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix the prepared apple slices, ginger, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and flour together. Put everything into the first pie shell.

Take the second pie shell and drape over the pie. Make a cross in the middle for the steam to escape while the pie bakes. Brush egg wash on top, and sprinkle some sugar on top, liberally.

Bake for 30-40 minutes or so, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbling.

Now, bring it to that someone and spread the love, one slice at a time.