A Successful Marin Overnight

When Tristan left in the morning with his big duffle filled with sleeping bag, toiletries, and layering pieces--for which I had specific instructions lest he go out everyday in a t-shirt--I was in pieces.  There was never a doubt in my mind that we would make it happen, and figure out a way for him to be included in his class' first overnight stay.  I just hadn't anticipated how nerve-wracking it would be.  And little did I know how much of a learning and growing experience it would be, for the both of us.

Eighty third graders stayed two nights at the Point Bonita YMCA.  It is a clean facility, with separate boys' and girls' dorms.  Bunks are divided into several smaller rooms and one meeting room, and large bathrooms.  Their spacious dining hall includes a buffet and plenty of long cafeteria-style tables.  All the children were given an orientation about how the dining hall works, with an emphasis on composting and taking only what you can eat.  The food is mostly organically grown and healthful, with basic ingredients, which simplified things for us.  On top of it all, the meals were delicious.

So how does a multiple and severely allergic child eat in a dining hall in a camp-style setting?  With a lot of planning, foresight, and a bunch of faith thrown in for good measure.  Richard Holden at Point Bonita YMCA was a pleasure to work with.  We communicated via email, with a follow-up discussion with his chef when we got there.  Here are a few things that worked for us:

1.  I emailed Food Service Director Rich Holden well in advance of the trip.  We emailed back and forth until I came up with a modified menu for Tristan.  It would have been nice for these menus to have been posted in the kitchen upon our arrival, but Tristan brought two copies of the menu with him, both of which he ended up giving to the chefs for reference.  I made sure to introduce Tristan to the chef before the first meal.

Here is the dinner menu for day 1.  Rich was willing to do a modified menu, or a combination of a modified menu and supplements, depending on the food allergies. We needed to do minimal supplementation (just soy milk boxes and Oreos), as there was lots of variety.

Point Bonita Sample Dinner Menu

Pasta and Meat Sauce
or Vegetarian Pasta
Sauteed Vegetables
Dinner Roll, Salad Bar
Fresh Baked Cookies

Tristan ate a hearty meal of pasta with meat sauce and vegetables on day 1.  His food was either separately plated by the chef, or he was allowed to plate his food first to avoid cross contamination at the buffet.  We brought a stash of Oreos for dessert, and he ate those instead of their cookies.  Although I was very impressed by the kitchen's attempt to accomodate Tristan with allergy-friendly cookies, I decided against them after reading a "traces of dairy" warning on the package.

2.  Before the trip, I gave Tristan's third grade team a refresher on food allergies and Epi-Pens.  I used some of the materials from our Food Allergy Summit in NY (and later improved the presentation with a food allergy quiz).  Each teacher tried out a trainer pen, and I answered everyone's questions as best as I could.  We agreed that Tristan would carry his Epi-pen in his pack.  It was really valuable to reconnect with the teachers about the severity of Tristan's allergies.  During his stay, Tristan was grouped with the male teacher in the group for hiking and bunking.  Big thanks to Mr. H and the third grade team!

3.  On the advice of his allergist, Tristan brought Claritin to take nightly.  In an unfamiliar place with allergens all around, it was smart to have some antihistamine in his system.

4.  The naturalists were alerted of kids who had special needs or medications, so they were made aware of Tristan's allergies and medications in his pack.

5.  I tried to prep Tristan about managing his food allergies with a balance of trust and caution.  I needed him to trust that I had prearranged a safe menu for him, but I also warned him that adults could make mistakes, and that he needed to make sure he was getting what was on his menu.  I asked him to look at his copy before each meal, and make sure he knew what he was supposed to be eating.  I think that helped empower him and give him a sense of confidence.

6.  I packed safe granola bars in his pack, in case he wasn't comfortable with a meal, snack, or just got hungry.

When I went to pick Tristan up from school on day 3, he looked relieved to see me. In the car, he told me that he "just missed us so much."  I was so proud of him for having such courage and stamina to collect his worries and gain such a valuable experience.  Three days without him at home gave me a glimpse into the future, with a bit of worry, but a lot of optimism, too.

The day I was there, we hiked around and down to the beach, then back to the Y. The kids would approach the trail as a group, each with different responses and ways of coping.  Some would charge straight down the hill, without looking back.  A few would sidestep down, cautiously taking each step.  Others would look straight down, as not to brush against poison oak, or step into a hole.

My hope for Tristan is that he is cautious, but confident through life, and that he take the time to explore and take in his surroundings.  I hope that when he needs to, he will grab my hand for some extra support, and that he will let go when he's ready.  I may never be ready, but knowing that he will be is an awesome feeling.

Mushroom Kale Strata - dairy-free, egg-free

I love food but I am far from being a foodie.  There is just so much I don't know out there.  Take a strata, for example.  My friend Vivian was preparing this for a camping trip last year.  (Talk about your foodies!!)  My only other reference to a strata was from Caffe Strada (not even the same word, I know) from my college days at Cal and I was absolutely sure Viv wasn't planning on serving one of these for breakfast.

The strata that Viv made was a savory bready casserole filled with sausage, beaten eggs and milk, and cheese.  I normally avoid all meat, dairy, and try my best to limit my eggs but I just had to try this dish because I was curious about what a strata is, it smelled terrific, and Viv is a fantastic cook.   The custardy bread was delicious and rich (I picked around the meat).  This definitely got me wondering if something like this existed in a dairy-free, egg-free form.

And, of course, it did!

Vegan strata recipes are all over the internet.  Internet, how I love thee!

My latest strata was drier on top but the bread below was more pudding-like.
I like the contrast!

I chose a few different recipes and tinkered with liquid proportions and add-ins.  In the end, the way I preferred my strata called for way more liquid in the custard than almost all other vegan strata recipes I saw.  Below is my recipe adapted from the great Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz, trailblazers in the modern vegan cooking world.  Seriously, if you have not checked out any of Isa's recipe books, you are missing out on true genius.  Whether you are vegan or not, everyone benefits from adding more plants in your life, and Isa's recipes can do this in a creative and surprisingly not-too-complicated way.

My first strata attempt was tasty but I didn't feel like the moisture
from the custard penetrated the bread cubes enough.  Back to the kitchen!

There are endless ways to make a strata.  Try this but definitely feel free to play with the veggies, spices, and other add-ins to your own liking.  The most important part for me was to make sure the custard consistency was not too thick or else the bread cubes wouldn't be soft and pudding-like after baking.

Mushroom Kale Strata - dairy-free; can be made wheat-free, nut-free, animal-free, but it will definitely contain soy.
Adapted from Terry Hope Romero and Isa Chandra Moskowitz's recipe in their cookbook Veganomicon.

1 Tbsp oil
1 cup red onion, sliced and further cut into thirds
5 cloves garlic, minced
8 ounces of mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
Leaves of 5 stems of kale, torn into bite-sized pieces
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried sage
3 Tbsps sundried tomatoes, chopped
8 cups of crusty safe bread (some sort of baguette is ideal) cut into 1-inch cubes

For the custard:
14 oz package of firm tofu
1 1/2 cup of safe milk substitute (such as plain-flavored soy, almond, flax, or rice milks or full-fat canned coconut milk)
1Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 Tbsps nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in wok or large pan.  Saute onions until they begin to turn translucent.  Then add garlic and cook an additional few minutes.
2. Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
3. Then add kale, salt, thyme, oregano, and sage.  Cook for an additional 2 minutes.  Then turn off stove.
4. Add bread cubes and sundried tomatoes to the pan and toss with the sautéed vegetables so that ingredients are evenly dispersed.  Scoop this mixture into a 13"x9" rectangular plan or 11"x7" oblong Corningware dish.
5. For the custard, combine all ingredients into a large bowl.  Use a hand mixer or immersion blender to blend thoroughly.
6. Pour custard mixture over the bread cubes.  Gently mix to coat.
7. Bake in preheated 350 degree over for about 50-60 minutes until strata appears dry and golden.

This is a good recipe for making ahead of time.  You could cube the bread ahead of time and prepare and refrigerate the custard for a day before you need to assemble it.  You might even try to leave the sliced mushrooms or kale raw before baking.  The next time I try this I may double the custard recipe to increase the pudding-like consistency.  I love me some pudding, savory or not!

Happy Girl Makes a Boy Happy

We sort of accidentally stumbled upon Pacific Grove, California as our summertime home away from home.  We love the slow-paced lifestyle of a kid-friendly small town with our big market chains just a mile and a half away for convenience.  The weather is perfect for the kids--similar to San Francisco summers and not too hot for eczema prone skin.  We get foggy mornings, sometimes clearing in the afternoons, making treks to the beach a popular choice for otherwise lazy days.  The local library, natural history museum, plenty of friendly shops, and playground all within walking distance means I don't need to deal with the headache associated with piling kids in and out of the car on a daily basis.  We've been very content playing tourists for almost a month now:

We flew a kite at Asilomar Beach

Riding the glass-bottom boat, we saw otters, sea lions, and jelly fish!

We rode a surrey from Lover's Point Beach to Fisherman's Wharf

A rare sunny morning got us to the beach at low tide.

Biking and scooting along the trail.

There's always something new to see and learn at the Monterey Bay Aquarium.  Their new Jellies Experience is especially fantastic!

But as this is our second summer here, we've had to start doing as the locals do.  Participating in the local activities leading up to the festival at the beach for the Feast of Lanterns, religiously hitting the Monday afternoon farmer's market in downtown PG (four short blocks away), getting a Pacific Grove library card, and a must on every local's weekly list of to do's--frequenting our favorite cafe--Happy Girl Kitchen Co.--for Blue Bottle Coffee and allergy-friendly treats.

Last year, I connected with Stephanie Stein, creative baker and sweetest person from Happy Girl Kitchen Co.  She generously shared her scone recipe and words of wisdom about baking without egg with our readers.  I adapted her recipe to make it dairy-free, and armed with Stephanie's baking advice, experimented with my own scone variation, Coconut Chocolate Chocolate Chip Scones.

So you know I was thrilled when I last visited Happy Girl and noticed a new pre-order form for Stephanie's baked goods.  I promptly placed my order for a dozen berry scones and a chocolate ganache birthday cake for Tristan, all egg, nut, and dairy free.

Stephanie was happy to take a break from her busy morning baking duties to discuss Tristan's food allergies and my specifications, even adjusting the cake to make it less sweet.  The result: a wonderful scone breakfast shared with friends and an even more fabulous birthday celebration for a delighted 8-year-old boy!  As he opted out of a full-blown birthday party with friends this year, having his first store-bought cake more than compensated.  His verdict: "Yummy and chocolately!"  His siblings were equally overjoyed about the allergy-safe cake, both announcing they wanted the same cake for their birthdays!

Eight candles...plus one for good luck!  

Stephanie Stein's chocolate ganache cake was the star of the show!

A dozen berry scones, hot out of the oven--no egg, nuts, or dairy!

Couldn't resist picking up some carrot muffins--all allergy-safe for the kids!

Happy Girl Kitchen Co. at 173 Central Ave, Pacific Grove, CA--stop by before your  Aquarium visit!

As a chocoholic and self-proclaimed sweets critic, the cake was delicious--moist, with a rich dark chocolate taste.  And unlike my egg and dairy free creations, this one held up well and wasn't crumbly.

See you soon Stephanie, and thanks SO much!

Oven baked pancakes

Pancakes are a favorite of mine.  I think I love them because of their contrasts: sweet but a little salty, soft on the inside but slightly crispy on the outside.  I also love the smell they leave in the kitchen after I've made a batch.  Awwww.....breakfast heaven in the air!

I love pan-fried pancakes but the daily chaos of our house makes the making of pancakes less attractive.  In the mornings, I am often trying to do way too many things already... enjoy my own breakfast in peace, exercise, put away dishes, make the kids lunch, finish a blog post (heh heh, totally true).  Anyway, the last thing I can afford to do is stay in front of the stove long enough to prevent burnt cakes!  And on the weekends, if we want to do a full fruit, eggs, bacon, pancakes extravaganza, it can be tricky to multitask. 

Last year I experimented and started to use the oven for pancakes instead of the stove.  Truth be told, they aren't as crispy or salty as pan-fried pancakes (no burn marks at all).  Baked pancakes do have their advantages, though.  Baking churns out evenly cooked pancakes and reduces clean-up.  Baking is probably less fattening because I don't have to grease up a skillet for each new cake.  And I can make square pancakes!

Below are directions for dairy-free, egg-free oven-baked pancakes.  If you are avoiding nuts or soy, feel free to use a milk alternative that suits you.  I have used Soy Dream Original and Trader Joe's Almond Milk with success.

Dairy-free, Egg-free Pancakes
Adapted from DeborahAM's 5 Minute Vegan Pancakes recipe on Food.com
Ingredients:
2 cups white whole wheat flour
4 Tbsp baking powder
3 Tbsp sugar (I use organic sugar but turbinado or granulated sugar should work just as well)
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of cinnamon
2 cups safe milk substitute (I like Soy Dream Original.  We sometimes use almond milk, the one nut that my kids aren't allergic to!)
1/4 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla

*Optional add-ins: frozen blueberries, sliced bananas, semisweet chocolate chips (Enjoy Life and Trader Joe's both sell milk-free semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Earth Balance vegan margarine 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.  Line a 15"x10"x1" jelly pan with aluminum foil making sure the pan is also lined up the edges.  Grease foil.
2. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, mix together milk substitute, oil, and vanilla.
4. Add half of wet mixture to dry mixture and try to break down lumps.  Gently mix in the rest of the wet mixture. Some lumps are okay but try to break down all big lumps in the batter.  It's important not to overmix so that the batter doesn't get tough.
5. After most large lumps are gone, pour batter into foiled, greased pan.  Spread batter evenly.
6. You can gently top pancake batter with berries, sliced bananas, and/or chocolate chips.  Sometimes I offer a variety so I make a section of each!
7. Cook in preheated oven for about 18-20 minutes or until the pancake is lightly browned and springy.  A toothpick poked in the center should come out clean.
8. Take out pan and cool.  While the pan is cooling on the stovetop, you can take out a tablespoon of vegan Earth Balance and evenly spread it on the whole pancake to give it a richer color and flavor.
9. The pancakes can be easily cut into attractive squares.  Or get creative and use cookie cutters!  Serve with syrup, fresh fruit, and all of your usual fixings.

Blueberry Scones - no wheat, no dairy, no eggs, no soy, no nuts

Eat them warm with safe butter and jam.  Don't forget your cup of tea!

It's getting warmer in our part of the country.  It's perfect weather for relaxing in the sunlight with a cup of something soothing and a warm scone. 

I wanted to try a gluten-free scone recipe and found a raspberry scones recipe by BabycakesNYC founder Erin McKenna.  While the original recipe calls for spelt flour and advice straight from the Babycakes website itself cautions against substituting another gluten-free flour blend, I subbed in a gluten-free flour blend anyway.  I was pleased with the results but I do wonder how much yummier the scones would be with spelt flour.  (Adding this to my obsessive scone-making list!)

Remember to double check all labels to ensure that your brand of ingredients are in fact allergy-free (gluten-free and soy-free can be especially tricky).

Blueberry Scones - wheat-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, egg-free, soy-free, nut-free

2 cups gluten-free flour plus 1 tsp of xanthan gum
1 Tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar (I use raw or organic) (*UPDATE: I have been reducing the sugar to 1/3 cup -- still delicious!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup plus up to 1 Tbsp hot water
1/2 cup frozen wild blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Combine dry ingredients in medium mixing bowl.  Create a well in the middle of the flour for your wet ingredients.
3. Add melted coconut oil and quickly mix it by hand with the flour mixture.
4. Add vanilla and 1/4 cup of hot water.  Mix until halfway combined. 
5. Add in half the blueberries.  Gently stir or cut blueberries into dough until just combined.  I switch from a spoon to my hands to gently knead in the blueberries a couple times.
6. Add in the remaining blueberries and knead a couple more times.  You may need to add another tablespoon of hot water if your dough is too crumbly.  Don't overmix or the scones will have a tough texture.
7. Shape dough into a flattened circle with a 1.5-inch thickness.  Cut the circle into 6-9 equal wedges.  Pull the wedges apart and space them out on a greased cookie sheet.
8. Bake at 350 degrees for 14-17 minutes.  (If baking a double batch, bake for about 20 minutes.)

 

The trickiest part for me is to not overmix my dough.  I'll be truthful.  In one batch, everything was perfect, but in a subsequent batch, the texture was a little tougher, sure signs that I had mixed a little too much.  I think I kneaded the dough several times to get the blueberries to stick to the dough and, in doing so, toughened the dough.  In the instructions above, I suggested to add the blueberries in a little earlier when the dough is halfway combined.  I also think working with dried fruit such as cranberries would make it easier to avoid overmixing.

I found an informational piece about scones published by the Baking Industry Research Trust.  It's worth the read.  Not only does it go through the history of scones and details its common ingredients, it offers baking tips to ensure that you make a perfect batch.

Apple Cranberry Crisp

Are you as shocked as I am that Thanksgiving is right around the corner?  Usually I attribute this shocking feeling to the fact that stores get their shelves and displays ready for the big holidays a couple months in advance.  But this time it's different.  Seriously.  Thanksgiving.  Next week.  Yikes!

We usually have Thanksgiving with either my husband's family locally or mine in Southern California.  I love to experiment with new recipes before the big feast so that I can make sure that (1) what our big family eats is delicious and (2) I do not have any one dish that will take up all of my time and energy.  There's nothing worse than a bottleneck at the oven or kitchen sink when you're trying to have 8 dishes ready, all at the same time!

Here is the first of several recipes to consider for your Thanksgiving feast.  Apple cranberry crisp is tart, sweet, and beautiful.  It's a perfect choice for dessert or even an autumn brunch treat.  And you could even make it a day in advance and reheat it although I'm not sure if you will want to do this since you might have a 20-pound turkey that demands a lot of fridge space.  Keep this recipe in your back pocket for the day after Thanksgiving if you have a lot of cranberry sauce left over.

Trader Joe's cranberries are $2 for 12 ounces.

The flavor and texture of Granny Smith apples hold up well in baking.

Trader Joe's certified gluten free rolled oats, 32 oz bag for $4

Apple Cranberry Crisp
Adapted from Diana Rattray's recipe which appears at About.com
Ingredients:

Filling:
Cranberry sauce
12 oz. bag of cranberries
1 cup orange juice
1 cup granulated sugar

5 Granny Smith apples, peeled and sliced into 1/4 to 1/2-thick pieces

Topping:
3/4 cup rolled oats (buy certified gluten-free oats if you are allergic to wheat or gluten)
1/2 cup flour or gluten-free flour blend*
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 Tbsp vegan margarine, softened and cut into small chunks (Earth Balance makes milk-free, soy-free varieties)

It was looking quite lovely before I baked it.

1. Combine cranberries, orange juice, and granulated sugar in saucepan.  Cook over medium heat partially covered.  Stir occasionally.
2. Cook until most berries have burst and a thick sauce has developed.
3. Remove sauce from heat.  Mix in apple slices until they are fully coated with sauce.
4. Pour apple cranberry mixture into a greased 13"x9" pan or equivalent. (I used a pretty round dish that was less than 2 inches deep and sauce bubbled out onto the oven.  Yikes!
5. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  
6. In a separate bowl, mix together all of the dry topping ingredients.
7. Add chunks of softened vegan margarine into dry mixture until coarse chunks form.
8. Drizzle topping over fruit mixture completely covering the fruit. 
9. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-35 minutes until topping is golden brown.

A delicious but macabre mess from my too shallow dish.

How to make Gluten-free Flour Blend 
3 cups brown rice flour
1 cup potato starch
1/2 cup tapioca starch

1. Thoroughly mix flour and starches together.   Store in an airtight container.
2. You may want to double the recipe so that you have a good-sized stash of GF flour blend for your future baking needs.
3. Although I think it's not necessary for the above crisp recipe, usually you need to add xanthan gum or guar gum when you use a gluten-free four blend.  Xanthan gum (which contains corn derivatives) and guar gum work as binders for baked goods.  

  Use the following rule of thumb for adding xanthan gum or guar gum:

• 1 tsp per cup of flour mix = sandwich bread/pizza crust
• 1/2 tsp per cup of flour mix = cakes/muffins/quick breads
• 1/4 tsp per cup of flour mix = cookies

Trader Joe's Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix: Egg, Dairy, Nut-Free

TJ's has some seasonal products, and their Pumpkin Bread and Muffin Mix is one of them.  When it starts to appear on shelves, I admittedly stock up to ensure our family has pumpkin muffins any time of year.  As pumpkin muffin consumption almost entirely falls in my hands, it's crucial I take advantage of the autumn season and get them while they last.  So the next time you're at our local Trader Joe's, and see a lady frantically filling up her cart with this muffin mix, come up and say "hello."  :)

I love baking mixes that I can actually easily modify to make safe for my kids.  Sometimes, you find an allergy-safe mix that just doesn't turn out right when you add the Ener-g and other substitutions.  It's really hit or miss. 

Which is why I love this mix.  It still turns out deliciously moist and pumpkiny with the egg replacer, without too much of the overbearing spices that pumpkin recipes sometimes serve up to scare away little kids.  And obviously, adding chocolate chips (we use dairy-free Trader Joe's Semisweet Chocolate Chips) to any recipe adds instant appeal in our household.

Just add water, oil, and egg replacer like Ener-g Egg Replacer according to the box, bake, and enjoy! 

By the way, I'm thinking for my next batch I'll top my muffins with a dairy-free cream cheese frosting.  Use a dairy-free margarine like Earth Balance and Tofutti Better Than Cream Cheese in place of traditional dairy products. 

Stephanie Stein From Happy Girl Kitchen: Secrets to Baking Without Eggs & Her Amazing Scone Recipe

Stephanie Stein is the baker extraordinaire at Happy Girl Kitchen Company in Pacific Grove, and if you're ever lucky enough to stop by and try one of her baked delights, you'll understand why I'm in awe of her.  She was sweet enough to share some of her wisdom and her insanely good scone recipe for our egg-allergic families, and I'm so excited to pass it along to you.  You are in for such a treat!

From Stephanie:

"I would love to give you some info on egg free baking and such. The scone recipe is not vegan, but I have tried adapting it with coconut oil, getting fair results. I have attached a version of it for you.

My first attempts at adapting recipes for an egg free bakery case were a bit difficult at first; mostly just because I was used to baking with eggs. But! There are so many textures and flavors that I have discovered pushing myself beyond classic baking. Now I just think its boring. So, some tips:

I like to look for ideas at vegan blogs to inspire me. One day I came across garbanzo bean brownies and ended up making some fudge with them. They were so amazing! Blogs are a great way to see what other people are doing and to share with them your creative pursuits as well. Some of my favorite blogs:

o she glows

my little celebration

roost

All have many recipes that are either gluten free, vegan, or vegetarian. 

Get excited about all the alternatives that are available out there. If you are allergic to dairy there are endless non dairy milks to be found. Hem, nut, soy, and rice milks are available at most grocery stores where I live, so I would think they would be readily accessible for you too! Check natural food stores for different flours such as brown rice, spelt, and oat flours... which are also among my favorites. 

Experiment! When I am teaching my classes I always emphasize to practice, practice, practice. We must not be afraid of failing because what we end up with will ultimately be good enough. Use good ingredients, pay attention, and your end product WILL be good enough. And if it wasn't what you were expecting? Be creative! The other day I made vegan, gluten free snickerdoodles that tasted amazing, but fell oh so flat. What did I do? I mashed them into a loaf pan and ended up making snickerdoodle cookie bars. They were a hit!"

Sun-dried tomato, herb, and manchego cheese scones

Here is the basic scone recipe:

Sweet Scone Base Recipe

with adaptions

3 cups flour*

½ cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups rolled oats

2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled

1 cup buttermilk

1.5 teaspoons flavor extract (vanilla, almond, etc)

*I generally blend 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour, and 1 cup is the wild card. It could be spelt flour, oat flour, almond meal.... whatever you choose. Just a note: When using gluten free flours such as almond flour, quinoa flour, oat flour, etc. I generally only use ½ cup and then a ½ cup of whatever flour I feel with compliment the flavors of the recipe.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In a medium sized bowl, combine all of your dry ingredients, except the oats. This would also be a good time to add any spices or dry additional ingredients, if you are choosing to. (see carrot cake scone recipe) Once all the dry ingredients are combined, take your two sticks of chilled butter and work them in with your hands or a pastry cutter. The main goal is to not overwork the dough (less is more here!) and get the pieces of butter to resemble oats or small pebbles. Lack of uniformity is ok; you want there to be chunks of butter so they create butter spores in your soon to be beautiful scones.

Next, stir in the oats to combine. Now is the time to add any additional whole ingredients that you may want. (i.e. currants, chocolate, nuts, etc) Lastly, pour the buttermilk and gently combine with your hands. I like to bring the dough together in the center of the bowl, almost as if Im centering clay on a potters wheel. By pressing the dough together in the center after you have combined it for a bit, you will have a better idea if the dough needs a bit more milk or not.

Cut your dough into two even pieces and flatten both pieces so they resemble about 2 inch high round disks. Dab the tops of the disks with milk and sprinkle with sugar of choice. Cut each disk into 6 even triangles, first by cutting the disk in half and then laying your knife at 1 o'clock and 7 o'clock and then again at 11 and 5. Place on a prepared baking tray that is buttered or slayed with parchment paper.

Depending on your oven and the flours you have chosen to work with, the scones generally vary from taking 18 to 25 minutes. They are done when they are golden brown and are fairly sturdy on the outside but seem as though there is still a bit of moisture in the middle.

Let cool and enjoy!



Before Stephanie, I had never before even attempted scones.  I've since made 4 batches--now I can't imagine not having freshly baked scones around at all times! 

For my egg-allergic children, this recipe is fabulous!  Because Tristan is also dairy-allergic, I essentially make a vegan version by substituting Earth Balance for the butter, and 1 cup of soy milk plus 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar for the buttermilk (curdle the milk at the very beginning).  I tend to add a little more liquid to the recipe to make sure everything's nice and moist (like 1-1/8 c. soy milk).  Turns out perfectly.  Once you have a few batches under your belt, you'll positively be a scone expert! 

Here is my little sugar sprinkler.  I was experimenting with round shaped scones here.

Conveniently, she always comes round as I'm prepping them for the oven.

Into the oven...

and out!

I know I shouldn't be eating scones at 9pm, but this post is making me hungry!

Thanks again, Stephanie!  You're a pastry goddess!

Happy Girl Kitchen Company in Pacific Grove: Egg-Free Baked Goods & More

Yet another Pacific Grove post.  Can you tell how much I loved living there over the summer?

I actually discovered Happy Girl Kitchen Company after finding out that they sell Blue Bottle Coffee, and well, I needed my coffee fix.  I found out that they are SO much more than coffee--this place is amazing!  They have a food preservation community complete with classes, newsletters, and a Food Preservationists' Bulk Purchase Program with pick-up locations all around the Bay Area and Central Coast.  At their PG location, they also offer baking workshops and a fantastic selection of delicious jams and other preserved foods.

Most notably for us, all of their baked goods are always egg-free and freshly baked on site by an incredible baker named Stephanie Stein.  Scones, muffins--oh my!  The berry scones are seriously the best scones I've  ever had.  The kids were all over the muffins.  Sometimes she uses almond meal in her baked goods, so if you have any tree nut allergies in your family, you'll want to check with the cashiers, or if you're lucky enough, Stephanie herself.  Be sure to also order toast with your choice of a long list of house-made jams, and then take some home with you! 

 

Sorry, this photo is not doing this delicious berry scone justice.





The perfect way to start your day in PG.  Just a few blocks away from the Monterey Bay Aquarium,  wake up a little early and have yourself a proper breakfast before venturing out with the kids!

For all you Bay Area residents, find them at the Ferry Building (minus the baked goods) to restock your favorite jams, juices, and pickled beets.  Mmmm...