pomelo citrus bars

Posted on April 13, 2012 by allison

Never heard of a pomelo? Here is a fun fact: the common grapefruit (one of my favorite varieties of citrus) is actually the product of a happy union between the orange and this lesser known citrus called pomelo, or pummelo, jabong, Chinese grapefruit (to name a few of its monikers). If you’ve ever eaten a tangelo, you’ve also eaten an offshoot of the pomelo – this time the product of a union with the tangerine. Who knew, right?! I certainly did not. In fact I thought it was more the other way around – that the enigmatic pomelo was the result of some crazy exotic agri-experiment. Continue reading →

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peanut butter pretzel brownie thumbprint cookies

Posted on April 4, 2012 by allison

Everyone has their weaknesses. Challenges, faults, defects, regrets, secrets. We’ve all got at least a handful or more at any given time. Anyone who doesn’t probably can’t (and shouldn’t) be trusted. So operating under the hope that we can all learn to live and let live judgement-free, I feel inclined to share a weakness of my own. Cookies. Specifically, the baking of cookies.  It wasn’t until I was working on this delightful recipe and finding myself unreasonably stressed in a way that doesn’t normally occur when I’m in the kitchen that I remembered this small but disturbing fact. Cookies tend to overwhelm me. I made my first noble attempt at them when I was 13 or so, before I considered myself a baker of any kind, thinking I surely couldn’t fail at such a beloved, simple, time-tested American favorite. To my immense adolescent disappointment, however, I tasted failure in the form of tooth-chipping tasteless chocolate chip cookies. Continue reading →

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last-minute muffins: coconut apple carrot

Posted on March 30, 2012 by allison

This morning I woke up in a panic because I had not baked anything yet this week and today, as we all know, is FRIDAY. That wonderful day that heralds the passing of another work week (for those of us who mostly or entirely work the M-F beat) and promises two whole days of lazy morning bliss ahead. However, for me, it also marked the final day of a week in which I had not fulfilled my promise to myself to post on the ol’ weblog at least once a week. The way I saw it, I had two options: Continue reading →

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oatmeal crispies – baking with gram

Posted on March 23, 2012 by allison

Oatmeal crispies cookies on a glass dishSomething that I don’t think we do enough in our current day and age is take a moment to reflect on where we’ve come from. I mean really think about it. Stretch the memory so far back that you are conjuring times gone by in which you were not alive, or even close to it. So far back that the flesh and blood that would eventually become you is divided among so many, many people that you start to realize your ancestry is limitless. It’s not a crisp lineage of great-great-great-great-greats; it’s more of a nebulous conglomeration. Thousands of people have lived and died and passed down genes that would eventually get to you. Sort of blows your mind doesn’t it? Continue reading →

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coconut sweet potato pie

Posted on March 14, 2012 by allison

Happy π day! This is a day typically celebrated by science geeks, math whizzes, and number lovers, but has also been amicably co-opted by lovers of pie. It wasn’t until late last night that I realized Pi Day was practically upon me, and whereas last year I failed to post anything on this celebratory day, this year my subconscious saved the day. I have had a hankering to bake a pie for several days now, and yesterday I decided at 6:37 pm that I simply had to bake this pie, for no real reason other than my inexplicably strong urge. I’ll take this as a sign that I am not only deeply connected to pie in ways even I don’t understand, but that I am also a huge nerd. So that’s an okay revelation for a Wednesday I guess. Continue reading →

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grapefruit oat & honey scones

Posted on March 8, 2012 by allison

In honor of today being International Women’s Day and March being Women’s History Month, this post is dedicated to women. It’s dedicated to celebrating any and all of the inspirational women in our lives: our mothers, neighbors, grandmothers, mentors, teachers, sisters, cousins, aunts, and colleagues who bring laughter and wit and wisdom into our day and make the world a better place. Give them a call or a hug today. Continue reading →

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chai spiced apple oat bread

Posted on February 29, 2012 by allison

When I baked this bread the weather had been blissfully sunny for a couple of days. After filling the apartment with its delectable aromas, the bread was still warm as I strapped it in the basket of my bike and made off for the park for a picnic and a lazy afternoon. Now as I write this post, I am trying hard to conjure those glorious rays of welcome February sun, since the weather has since turned soggy and cold. If you also are experiencing a case of the in-between-winter-and-spring blues, or if you live in a place with predictably unpredictable weather like I do, I recommend this recipe as a cure for any gloomy day. The apples and oats will warm your heart. The spices will wake up your senses and remind you that you are alive, even if you feel like a bear awoken prematurely from hibernation. Most of all, though, I recommend slicing a hefty chunk and consuming it with an over-sized mug of tea in hand. Now that is what I call a snack. Continue reading →

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chocolate chip carrot muffins

Posted on February 22, 2012 by allison

This story begins with carrots. More specifically, with a large bunch of carrots purchased from the farmers’ market a couple weeks ago that had slowly begun wilting and looking worse for the wear in the produce drawer of my fridge. I knew they were there. I was well aware of their ongoing dilapidation. And I was determined not to let them waste away before they got their day of glory. When I purchased them I would not have thought they’d end up in a dozen muffins. I doubt they thought that either. Carrots, although naturally pretty sweet (at least, when they’re good), are severely under appreciated as an ingredient in baked goods. There is so much potential in these beta carotene-filled roots!  Continue reading →

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peanut butter cups

Posted on February 14, 2012 by allison

This post is dedicated to a chocolate-loving sous chef (and taste tester) who is fun to cook with and easy to love.

Whether you make Valentine’s plans months in advance or prefer to dedicate February 14th to singles’ appreciation or even generosity, or whether you find nothing particularly exceptional about the 14th day of the 2nd month, something every one of us is likely to agree on is that peanut butter cups are undeniably delicious every day of the year. Well, unless you have a peanut allergy – in which case I heartily encourage you to experiment with almond butter cups – and tell me how it goes! Continue reading →

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blood orange & olive oil loaf (cake)

Posted on February 9, 2012 by allison

I went back and forth on whether to call this a loaf or a cake. Quite frankly, it’s both. The two recipes I found that inspired me to bake it called it a “cake” and a “loaf cake” so I’ve decided to be unique and call it a loaf. But if it’s cake you’re after, you have also come to the right place. Enough about cake. The real star of this show is the regal blood orange. Blushing, daring, bold citrus that it is. If you like the look of stained red fingers — the kind you get from picking berries right off the bush — then you will enjoy a delicious satisfaction in preparing this recipe. There is something very alluring about the blood orange and its propensity to stain. It’s like a game trying to cut one open and not let it squirt everywhere. Personally, I think I’m drawn to this messy characteristic of the blood orange because it reminds me of those glorious berry-filled days of summer. Or it might have more to do with my appreciation of morbidity (Halloween being my favorite holiday). I think we can all agree that, any way you look at it, the blood orange is a bit of a marvel. Continue reading →

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