Pizza for Tea Time, Wild Mushroom and Tea Smoked Cheese Pizza from Artisan Pizza, To Make Perfectly at Home (Kyle Books, November 2015) by Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo.

Giuseppe Mascoli is the man who started Franco Manca in Brixton in 2008...

Wild Mushroom & Tea-Smoked Cheese Pizza

Smoked cheese makes an interesting alternative to mozzarella on pizzas, and you can purchase great smoked cheeses from

many producers. If you want to try smoking cheese yourself, and you do not have a wood smoker, try tea-smoking in an

ordinary domestic oven. We have suggested a way to do this, on page 23.

INGREDIENTS, PER PIZZA

1 dough ball (see page 16),

left to rise for

11⁄2 to 2 hours OR

dough 2 for sheet pizzas

flour, for dusting

For the Wild Mushrooms (Makes enough for 4 baked pizzas)

6 ounces wild mushrooms

1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

pinch of sea salt

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 ounce tea-smoked cheese (see page 23)

2 ounces mozzarella fior di latte, torn into 5 chunks

4 basil leaves, torn

Prepare the wild mushrooms: Rub the mushrooms with a damp towel to remove any dirt. Do not soak them in water or they

become slimy.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a frying pan over low heat and sear the mushrooms for about 3 minutes, seasoning with a pinch

of salt.

Place a rack on the highest shelf of the oven and turn the broiler to its highest setting. When hot, place a greased 10-inch cast-

iron pan on the stove, set to medium heat.

Sprinkle a little flour over your hands and on the work surface and open the dough ball by flattening and stretching the dough

with your fingers, or by rolling the dough with a rolling pin.

Pick the pizza base up and gently stretch it a little more over your fists without tearing it. Drop this onto the hot pan, and allow

it to start rising.

As soon as the dough firms up, drizzle the olive oil over the base.

Add a quarter of the mushrooms, then scatter the smoked cheese, mozzarella, and basil on top.

Cook the pizza on top of the stove for about 3 minutes, then transfer the pan to the broiler for another 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve whole or in slice.

For the Sheet Method

Follow the recipe instructions on page 19. The whole process will take about 90 minutes. Heat the oven to 500°F and stretch

the dough to the edges of the sheet. Be sure to spread your sauce right to the edges before adding toppings. The sheet pizza

dough serves 4, so quadruple the ingredient quantities. Bake for no less than 10 minutes.

(* Recipe excerpted with permission from Artisan Pizza, To Make Perfectly at Home -Kyle Books, November 2015- by Giuseppe Mascoli and Bridget Hugo,  Photography by Philip Webb)

Waffle that Panini for breakfast with this recipe from The Dairy Good Cookbook (Andrews McMeel, June 2015) edited by Lisa Kingsley

Waffle Panini with Maple Butter, Bacon, and Cheddar

PREP: 15 minutes COOK: 2 minutes MAKES: 2 servings

This simple breakfast sandwich hits a whole host of tastes—sweet syrup, salty and smoky bacon, and tangy white Cheddar. Pure maple syrup makes a big difference in the intensity of the flavor in the maple butter. Use leftover maple butter on toast, pancakes, or warm biscuits.

½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened

3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

4 frozen waffles, thawed

4 slices white Cheddar cheese

1 apple or pear

4 slices peppered bacon, cooked

1. For the maple butter, combine the butter and maple syrup in a medium mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Transfer to a 6‑ounce ramekin. If not using immediately, cover and chill until ready to use. (Any leftover butter can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks; allow to come to room temperature before using.)

2. Spread one side of each waffle with some of the maple butter. Top the buttered side of two of the waffles with one slice of cheese each. If desired, peel the apple or pear. Slice the apple or pear into thin slices. Divide the fruit slices between the two waffles on top of the cheese. Top each with two slices of cooked bacon. Top with another slice of cheese. Place a second waffle, buttered side down, on each stacked waffle.

3. Melt about 1 tablespoon of the maple butter in a skillet over medium heat. Place the panini in the pan. Weight with a heavy skillet. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes or until the waffles are toasted. Turn panini over, weight, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes more or until the waffles are toasted and the cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from  The 'Dairy Good Cookbook' Everyday Comfort Food from America’s Dairy Farm Families' -Andrews McMeel, June 2015- edited by Lisa Kingsley)

Galettes and Ble Noir Calling

When in Brittany!

Books were part of book collection at Tykoumad, my Gite (bed and breakfast) in Locmariaquer (Morbihan)

Find Cote d'Azur on your Plate for July 4th, Pissaladiere by Valerie Aikman-Smith from Flavors of Summer (Ryland Peters & Small, April 2015).

Pissaladière with Provençal olive relish

You will fall in love with Pissaladière the first time you bite into a slice. The saltiness of the anchovies and sweetness of the caramelized onions with olive relish is sensational.

Ingredients:

375 g/3 cups all-purpose/plain flour
7 g/1⁄4 oz. active dry/fast action yeast
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
300 ml/11⁄4 cups warm water
125 ml/1⁄2 cup olive oil, plus extra to serve
8 red onions, peeled and thinly sliced

Provençal Olive Relish (see below)

12–14 anchovy fillets
15 pitted black olives
fresh thyme sprigs, to garnish
a baking sheet, greased with olive oil

SERVES 6

Begin by making the dough. Place the flour, yeast, thyme and salt in a ceramic bowl, and mix together. Stir in the water and 60 ml/ 1/4 cup of the oil until combined. Cover with a paper towel or clingfilm/plastic wrap and set aside to rise for 2 1/2–3 hours until it doubles in size.

To caramelize the onions, place a large skillet/frying pan over medium–low heat and add the remaining olive oil and the onions. Cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are golden brown and soft. Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 260ºC (500ºF) Gas 10 or as high as it will go.

Turn the risen dough out onto the prepared baking sheet. Gently press the dough with the palms of your hands, stretching it to the edges of the pan. Spread the onions over the dough and randomly dollop the Provençal Olive Relish on top. Arrange the anchovies and olives evenly on top.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 15–20 minutes, until the dough is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and slice into portions.

Serve, garnished with sprigs of thyme and a drizzle of olive oil.

Provençal olive relish

This is Provence in a jar! The olives are drenched in oil and spiced with capers and salty anchovies. It works perfectly atop bruschetta, pizzas, crudités, and pickled eggs, or lightly spread on chicken before roasting in the oven.

200 g/2 cups pitted Kalamata olives, drained
12 anchovy fillets
40 g/1⁄4 cup capers, drained
grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
60 ml/1⁄4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to cover
cracked black pepper
sterilized glass jars with airtight lids

MAKES 700 ML/3 CUPS

Place all the ingredients in a food processor and blend until the mixture is almost smooth but still has some texture. Season with pepper.
Pack the relish into a sterilized glass jar and drizzle with a little olive oil to cover the surface. Store in the refrigerator for up to 6 months.

(* Recipe by Valerie Aikman-Smith, Photography by Erin Kunkel, Reproduced with permission from 'Flavors of Summer'- Ryland Peters & Small, April 2015)

Vegan Gluten Free Apple Cider Donuts  from Sweet Avenue in Rutherford (New Jersey)

Or edgy offering, Savory Chorizo Donuts, courtesy of Olympic Provisions from The Mighty Gastropolis Portland (Chronicle Books. 2012) by Karen Brooks with Gideon Bosker and Teri Gelber.

Make your pick for #NationalDonutDay

We are deep in the molasses with this second recipe from Real Sweet, More Than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars (William Morrow, March 2015 ) by Shauna Sever.

Dark, Fudgy Muscovado Brownies

Makes Twenty-Five 1½-Inch Squares

Dark muscovado sugar pulls double duty in this insanely rich, fudgy brownie—the sugar’s deep molasses flavor marries fabulously with bittersweet chocolate, and its moist quality (along with a gooey hit of brown rice syrup) contributes a chocolate truffle-esque chew. If there ever was a mysterious “bad boy” version of a brownie, this would be it.

6 tablespoons (3 ounces/84 grams) unsalted butter

6 ounces (168 grams) bittersweet chocolate (60% to 70% cacao), chopped

3 tablespoons (⅝ ounce/18 grams) unsweetened natural cocoa powder

¾ cup (6 ounces/168 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

3tablespoons (2¼ ounces/63 grams) brown rice syrup

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

2 large eggs, cold

½ cup (2⅛ ounces/60 grams) whole wheat pastry flour, spooned and leveled

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line an 8 × 8-inch metal baking pan with an 8-inch- wide strip of aluminum foil or parchment paper, leaving a few inches of overhang on 2 sides. Lightly grease the pan with nonstick cooking spray or butter.

2. In a large heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together in the microwave with 60-second bursts of high power, stirring well after each interval until smooth. Whisk in the cocoa powder. Whisk in the sugar, brown rice syrup, vanilla extract, and salt until well blended (a few small lumps of sugar may remain—the rough charm of dark muscovado!). Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Switch from a whisk to a spatula and add the flour, stirring gently just until no traces of flour remain. Set the batter aside to rest for 10 minutes. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.

3. Bake until a toothpick comes out mostly clean, with a smudge of chocolate at the end, and the brownie slab has just begun to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. Cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Remove the brownies using the foil or parchment “handles” and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into squares. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

TIP: Using a plastic knife—the humble, disposable kind used for picnics—makes for the cleanest-edged brownies you’ve ever seen.

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Real Sweet' by Shauna Sever, published by William Morrow, March 2015, Photographs by Leigh Beisch)

Dynamite with Scoop of Ice Cream, Rummy Roasted Pineapple Pudding Cake, this cake recipe comes from pages of Real Sweet, More Than 80 Crave-Worthy Treats Made with Natural Sugars (William Morrow, March 2015 ) by Shauna Sever.

Rummy Roasted Pineapple Pudding Cake

Makes one 8 × 8-inch cake

From the outset, this appears to be any streusel-topped, brown-sugary crumb cake. But tucked within is a gold mine of caramelized, roasted pineapple chunks. And below that? Well, would you believe me when I tell you that this cake actually makes its own sauce? True story. Now, to be fair, this cake requires a few steps, but I promise you the effort is worth it. And even though you will reach a point where you think to yourself, Am I really pouring hot liquid over a cake batter? Is this cooking the batter on contact? This broad’s lost it! I hope you’ll trust me. This cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream is dessert dynamite. Boom.

Roasted Pineapple

1½ cups (10½ ounces/296 grams) pineapple, fresh or canned and drained (juice reserved), cut into

1-inch chunks*

1 tablespoon (½ ounce/14 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

Streusel

¼ cup (11/8 ounces/32 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

3 tablespoons (1 ½ ounces/42 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (optional)**

Pinch of fine sea salt

Cake

1 cup (4½ ounces/128 grams) unbleached all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon fine sea salt

¾ cup (6 ounces/170 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

1/3 cup (2⅔ ounces/76 grams) whole milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) canola or grapeseed oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

SAUCE

1 cup (8 ounces/227 grams) pineapple juice

¼ cup (2 ounces/57 grams) firmly packed dark muscovado sugar

2 tablespoons (1 ounce/28 grams) dark rum (such as Myers’s)

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

* You can cut up fresh fruit and buy the juice separately if you’re the ambitious type. Or you can get yourself a 20-ounce can of good-quality pineapple chunks packed in 100% fruit juice—they’re exactly the right size for this recipe, and when you drain off the juice, you should end up with 1 cup of pineapple juice for the sauce.

** This simply adds sparkle and crunch to the topping. If you have turbinado on hand, add it. If not, the streusel will be perfectly fine without.

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 450˚F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Prepare the pineapple: Toss the pineapple chunks on the baking sheet with the muscovado sugar until the fruit bits are evenly coated with an amber glaze. Roast, rotating the pan once, until the pineapple chunks are tender and caramelized at the edges, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let the pineapple cool on the sheet pan as you move on to the rest of the recipe.

3. Lower the oven temperature to 350˚F. Grease an 8 × 8-inch square glass baking dish with butter or nonstick spray.

4. Make the streusel: In a small bowl, work together the flour, muscovado sugar, butter, turbinado sugar (if using), and salt until crumbly. Refrigerate.

5. Make the cake: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, and salt.

6. In a medium bowl, whisk together the muscovado sugar, milk, egg, oil, and vanilla extract. Pour the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and whisk until the batter is smooth. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Scatter the roasted pineapple chunks evenly over the batter.

7. Make the sauce: Into a medium saucepan, pour the pineapple juice, muscovado sugar, rum, and cinnamon. Place the pan over high heat and whisk to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, and lower the heat to medium. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully pour the hot liquid over the cake batter. Ask no questions—it will look crazy. Carefully transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake is puffed and the top is mostly set but still appears a bit wobbly and underdone.

8. Holding your fingertips just an inch or two over the pan, gently sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top of the cake—too much streusel dropped from too great a height will deflate the cake. Return the pan to the oven. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs, about 10 minutes more. Let the cake cool on a wire rack. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream. 

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from 'Real Sweet' by Shauna Sever, published by William Morrow, March 2015, Photographs by Leigh Beisch)

Serve your guests an American tradition with this recipe from Made in America: A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes ( Andrews McMeel. April 2015)  by the chef-owners of  Bluestem (Kansas City, MO) and Rye (Leawood, KS), Colby and Megan Garrelts...

Banana Cream Pie

Makes one 9-inch pie

On chilly winter nights, my mom would sometimes whip up a batch of warm vanilla or butterscotch pudding and top it with Nilla Wafers and sliced ripe bananas. She would often serve these perfect puddings in little glass ramekins, which made dinner seem very fancy. Now at home with my little ones, I always make sure we have a box of Nilla Wafers in the pantry, as you never know when pudding, bananas, and Nillas will be needed as a treat! My recipe for banana cream pie is an ode to the creamy banana memories of my childhood. I coat the pie shell with a thin layer of dark chocolate to help the crust stay crispy under the pastry cream. If you prefer, a graham cracker crust can be substituted for the traditional piecrust here. ★M.G.

1 blind-baked Classic Piecrust (page 112)

½ cup bittersweet chocolate chips, melted

2 cups whole milk

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ cup sugar

¼ cup cornstarch, sifted

4 large egg yolks

½ teaspoon kosher salt

4 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

3 very ripe bananas, sliced about ⅛ inch thick

1½ cups heavy cream

½ cup ground Salted Toffee

Using a pastry brush, evenly coat the bottom and sides of the blind-baked piecrust with the melted chocolate, and set the crust in the refrigerator to set the chocolate.

In a medium sauce pan, heat the milk, vanilla bean and seeds, and vanilla extract over medium heat for about 3 minutes to bring the mixture to just below boiling. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch, egg yolks, and salt. Slowly whisk the hot milk into the cornstarch mixture in thirds so as not to curdle the egg yolks. Return the entire mixture to the sauce pan and whisk constantly until the pastry cream is thick, about 4 minutes. Whisk in the softened butter. Remove the pastry cream from the stovetop and discard the vanilla bean pod. Fold in the sliced bananas. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap, pressing the wrap directly onto the pastry cream surface. Chill the pastry cream for about 30 minutes so that it is cool enough not to melt the chocolate when it is added to the crust.

Once the pastry cream is cool, fill the prepared piecrust and cover the top with plastic wrap, pressing it directly onto the pastry cream surface. Chill for at least 1 hour or overnight.

To serve, whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Slice the pie into even slices, dollop each slice with whipped cream, and sprinkle the pie slices with ground salted toffee. Alternatively, if taking the pie to an event or for a dramatic presentation, top the entire pie with the whipped cream and ground salted toffee. The pie will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Classic Piecrust

Makes one 9-inch double crust or two 9-inch single crusts

The piecrust: It scares some, but it was my favorite pastry to master. In my early days in the bakeshop, I always had so much fun mixing, kneading, and rolling out the dough—even if the crust did not turn out right! This recipe was developed over time and through many attempts to find the right balance between good butter flavor and the delicate texture that lard creates, plus the perfect mix of sugar and salt. With very few ingredients in a crust, it’s important to use the highest quality ingredients possible. I recommend using a good-quality butter that’s high in butterfat, such as Plugra, to ensure that the crust will form properly, and a delicate salt like kosher or sea salt. Remember: Making pie is not easy, and there is no bakeshop secret to becoming a great pie maker. Patience and practice are the keys.

2⅓ cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon sugar

¾ teaspoon kosher salt

8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted

butter, cubed

½ cup cold lard, cubed

½ cup ice water

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Combine the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and set in the freezer for 30 minutes; you want all the components to be very cold in order to get the flakiest crust possible. Place the cubed butter and lard on a baking sheet and set in the freezer to chill until hard.

Attach the bowl with the dry ingredients to the food processor. Add the cold butter and lard to the dry ingredients in two additions, pulsing to combine after each addition. Slowly add the ice water to the mixture, pulsing to combine until a dough forms. As soon as the dough holds together in the food processor, quickly transfer the dough to a cold work surface. Knead the dough just until smooth, working the fat into streaks and being careful not to overwork the pie dough. Divide the dough in half and flatten each piece into a disk. Wrap the disks in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.

To form the crust, dust a work surface and the rolling pin with flour. Place one dough disk on the floured work surface and press the dough down in the center with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly. Then pound the dough flat with the rolling pin. Roll the dough in one full pass, then rotate the dough a few inches and roll again. Continue rotating the dough and rolling, dusting slightly with flour only if needed, until the dough is large enough to fit the pie dish and is about ©ˆ∕8 inch thick. Gently cut the dough to the desired pan size using a pot lid or bowl as a guide. Gently slide both hands under the dough and hold the dough with the bottom side of your hands and forearms. Quickly slide the dough into the pie pan and gently press the dough into the pan.

Crimp the pie dough around the edge and set in the freezer for at least 30 minutes before proceeding. The pie crusts can be kept frozen in the pie pans (or in a disk for the top crust), each double-wrapped in plastic, for up to 1 month.

To blind-bake (bake the crust before adding the pie filling), preheat the oven to 375°F. Line the frozen shell with a coffee filter and fill the liner with pie weights or uncooked pinto beans. Press the beans lightly into the shell to ensure that the edges are weighed down. Bake for 20 minutes, rotating 180 degrees halfway through the cooking time, until the outer edge of the crimp looks dry and golden brown. Remove the shell from the oven and carefully remove the coffee liner and beans. If the liner sticks to the shell, return the shell to the oven to dry out for about 3 minutes and then try to remove the liner. Decrease the oven temperature to 350°F. Brush the crimped edge and the bottom of the shell with the beaten egg and then prick the bottom of the shell. Return the shell to the oven and continue to bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes longer. Set the baked shell aside until needed for final pie preparation. 

(* Recipe reproduced with permission from Made in America: A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes by Colby and Megan Garrelts, published by Andrews McMeel Publishing, April 2015...Photo by Bonjwing Lee) 

Could not bake for Mom on May 10, make it up this week-end with this recipe from Back in the Day Bakery: Made with Love (Artisan Books, 2015) by Back in the Day Bakery Cheryl Day and Griffith Day... 

Jam Muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Jelly-filled muffins, our take on the doughnut-shop favorite, make our customers almost giddy when they come in for their morning coffee. The muffins are baked, not fried, but just like doughnuts, they are finished with a vanilla-flavored glaze.

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, preferably aluminum-free
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream, at room temperature
About 1/3 cup jam (any kind)
For the Glaze
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
3 to 4 tablespoons whole milk
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 12 standard muffin cups with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cardamom. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or in a large mixing bowl, using a handheld mixer), cream the butter and sugar together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the mixer speed down to low and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add the vanilla and mix until blended.

4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in thirds, mixing until just combined and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Add the sour cream and mix until combined, about 1 minute.

5. Scoop 2 tablespoons of batter into each muffin cup and spread it over the bottom of the cup. Spoon 1 heaping teaspoon of jam into the center of each. Top each one off with another 2 tablespoons of batter, making sure to cover the jam.

6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the muffins are golden brown. The tops should be firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 15 minutes.

(* Recipe excerpted from Back in the Day Bakery Made with Love by Cheryl Day and Griffith Day -Artisan Books- Copyright ©2015. Photographs by Angie Mosier.)

Indulging for Paleos courtesy of Paleo Cooking from Elana's Pantry Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Dairy-Free Recipes (Ten Speed Press, 2013) by Elana Amsterdam 

Upside-Down Apple Tartlets

Serves 8  Sweetness: Medium  

Crust

2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon vanilla crème stevia

Filling

6 large apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4-inch slices

1 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons arrowroot powder

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place eight 1-cup wide-mouth Mason jars on a large baking sheet.

To make the crust, pulse together the almond flour and salt in a food processor. Add the coconut oil and stevia and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a piece of parchment paper and place in the freezer for 20 minutes.

To make the filling, place the apples, apple juice, lemon juice, arrowroot powder, and cinnamon in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Transfer the apples to the Mason jars so that each one is overfull. Divide the remaining juice from the bottom of the bowl between the jars.

Remove the dough from the freezer, place between 2 pieces of parchment paper generously dusted with almond flour, and roll out the dough 1/4 inch thick. Remove the top sheet of parchment. Using the top 
of a wide-mouth Mason jar, cut out 
8 circles of dough and place one on
 top of each apple-filled Mason jar.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until the juices are bubbling and the crust is golden brown. Serve the tartlets hot out of the oven.

Coconut Whipped Cream

Makes 1 Cup  Sweetness: Low

This dairy-free whipped cream recipe calls for full-fat canned coconut milk. The fat is what makes the recipe creamy and luscious; light coconut milk won’t work and results in a watery mess. Serve over Upside-Down Apple Tartlets (page 101) or Peach Cherry Crisp (page 98). See photo on page 100.

1 (13-ounce) can Thai Kitchen coconut milk

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

5 drops vanilla crème stevia

Pinch of sea salt

Place the can of coconut milk in the refrigerator at least 24 hours before making the whipped cream, so it is well chilled. Chill a metal bowl in the freezer for 15 minutes.

Take the coconut milk out of the refrigerator and remove the lid. Gently scoop out the coconut fat, placing it in the chilled bowl. Pour the remaining liquid into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator, saving it for another use.

Using a handheld blender, whip the coconut milk fat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Whip in the honey, vanilla extract, stevia, and salt.

Use right away or store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

 (* Recipe reproduced with permission from Paleo Cooking from Elana’s Pantry, by Elana Amsterdam -Ten Speed Press, 2013- Photo by Leigh Beisch)