Avocado and Blueberry Pancakes

I am a sucker for pancakes, but I don't get to make them very often.  They take a little longer than porridge, and are a little bit fussier, so pancakes tend to get relegated to relaxed weekend breakfasts.

I recently found a recipe for Avocado and Blueberry Pancakes on Well Nourished.  You can find the recipe here.

These pancakes did not take any longer than other pancakes to make and have lots of ingredients that are nutritionally good for you.  The avocado flavour is quite prevalent, so if avocado is not your thing, these pancakes are not for you.  However, if you like avocado and you like blueberries, a serve of these pancakes with maple syrup drizzled on top is just the ticket for a delicious, nutritious breakfast.

TWD - Crash-O-Cookies

This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe is Crash-O-Cookies.  These cookies are named after Dorie's family friend, Crash, who paints guitars.  They are basically oatmeal cookies with raisins chocolate added.  The recipe is online here. 

I used sultanas (golden raisins) and instead of chopped milk chocolate, I used a mixture of white and dark chocolate chips, because that is what I had in the house.  I am pretty sure you could mix these up with your favourite dried fruit and chocolate.

The verdict? These cookies are delicious - chewy and comforting.  I understand why Crash likes them.

To see what everyone else thought of these cookies, visit the LYL section of the TWD website.

Emily Dickinson's Coconut Cake

With the advent of the movie A Quiet Passion, Emily Dickinson has come to the fore of public consciousness.  I had never previously heard of Emily and her poetry (it wasn't part of our English curriculum), so I am grateful for the movie making me aware of Emily and her work.

I was really excited to discover that Emily was a passionate baker.  Hooray!  A kindred spirit.  There are a number of her baking recipes floating around online.  The recipe for black cake contains 19 eggs and feeds 60!

I decided to make Emily's more modest coconut cake.  You can find the recipe online here.

What a lovely cake this is, and so easy to make.  The outside bakes up to be crunchy and firm, while the inside is fluffy and soft.  You could dress the cake up with a glaze if you have a sweet tooth, but I thought the cake was lovely just as it was.

TWD - Profiteroles, Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate Sauce

This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe is Profiteroles, Ice Cream and Hot Chocolate Sauce.  I didn't make the icecream from scratch, but I did make the pastry cream, profiteroles and hot chocolate sauce.

I have long been a fan of profiteroles, so making these was a no-brainer.  In this weather, icecream and hot chocolate sauce were not what the doctor ordered, but I went ahead and made the hot chocolate sauce to pour over the profiteroles and some store bought icecream,

I was pleased that my profiteroles did not deflate after being removed from the oven, as that has happened to me so many times it is not funny.  I tried all the tricks I have learned, and this time, everything came together for some puffy profiteroles that stayed puffy.

The combination of the profiteroles, the icecream and the chocolate sauce was rich but delicious.

To see what everyone else made this week and what they thought of it, visit the LYL section of the TWD website. 

Date and Ginger Scones

When I saw Lorraine's Incredibly Soft Date and Ginger Scones, I knew I had to make them.  I love dates and I love ginger, so what could be better than both of them together.

I didn't use the maple glaze, as I thought the scones were lovely without it.  Mine aren't as golden as Lorraine's because I have a very strange oven that has the heat emanating from the bottom only, so you are likely to burn the bottom of things before they'd get golden on top.

These scones were delicious, nonetheless. I especially enjoyed the one I ate warm with melting butter on top.

If you like scones and are a fan of dates and ginger, I highly recommend these lovely scones. 

TWD - Anytime Tarragon-Apricot Cookies

This week's Tuesday with Dorie recipe is Anytime Tarragon-Apricot Cookies - except in my case, they are Anytime Rosemary-Apricot Cookies.  Fresh tarragon is not that easy to find, and when Mardi said she'd used rosemary, I decided to do the same.  I too grow rosemary and can get it for free, and save money and boot leather on searching for fresh tarragon.

These cookies are not particularly sweet, with most of the sweetness coming from the dried apricots in the cookies.  The rosemary gave the cookies a wonderful aroma. 

I enjoyed these cookies - not my favourite, but good all the same.

To see what everyone else thought of this week's cookies, visit the LYL section of the TWD website.

Strawberry and Pistachio Galette

When I went to the supermarket this week, I found some beautiful plump, red strawberries on sale.  It immediately reminded me of a recipe for a strawberry and pistachio galette that I had seen in The New York Times earlier in the week.

Fortuitously, I already had pistachios in my stash, so making this galette was a no brainer once I saw the strawberries.

And isn't the finished product a beauty:

The outside was crunchy even absent the extra pistachios, and the inside was a dream mix of contrasting textures and flavours. I skipped the extra strawberries and icing sugar on top as I was taking it to work. Although some people were unsure what it was (I heard "breakfast pizza" mentioned), it was snapped up at morning tea time - a good sign.

If you have some nice strawberries about, I can highly recommend making this galette.