Autumn is almost here! I can feel it in my bones, and unfortunately in my eyes and sinuses (darn allergies!). The air is crisp, the sunlight at dawn and dusk are soothing, and nature seems to be perking up a bit. Autumn to me, means Starbucks pumpkin lattés, pumpkin patches, pumpkin-everything, apple orchards, and APPLE SEASON! I make this filling to top ice cream, yogurt, to be eaten alone, or added to pillowy empanadas. It’s a huge hit in my family! Enjoy. 🙂
Ingredients
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons light brown sugar, packede
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 of a large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
In a large pot, thoroughly coat the apples with lemon juice. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple mixture and coat with melted butter.
Cover lid, allow to simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the mix doesn’t stick to the pot.
Remove from heat and transfer to heatproof bowl.
Set aside as you make the empanada dough.
Be sure the apple filling has cooled to room temperature when it’s time to start making the empanadas.
It must be blueberry season right now because I’ve been seeing them in the grocery stores lately. The packages from Peru have been my favorite so far. I’ve never seen blueberries SO BIG! They’re also very sweet and incredibly crunchy, which is a rare quality. Most blueberries I’ve had seem to be on the mushy side for some reason.
What I really love about this cake, aside it being so easy, is how moist it is. I also like that it’s not too sweet, so you can really taste the blueberries and cinnamon chips. Plus, if you love cake and ice cream, try this with vanilla!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup Irish unsalted butter ~ room temperature
1 1/2 cups organic evaporated cane sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
2 heaping cups blueberries (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1/4 cinnamon chips
organic avocado oil spray
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add in eggs, vanilla, sour cream, salt, and baking powder, and mix for an additional minute until smooth, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Turn mixer to low and mix until the flour until just combined.
Fold in the blueberries.
Lightly spray a 9-10 inch bundt pan with avocado oil. Spread half the cake batter into the pan. Even out batter with spatula.
Sprinkle the cinnamon chips evenly on the batter. Add remaining batter. Smooth and even out batter with spatula.
Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 15 minutes and then invert the pan onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Serve warm with a cup of hot tea, or with some vanilla ice cream. Store in air-tight container for up to one week, or freeze.
I hope everyone had a wonderful FROZEN Valentines weekend! And a Happy Presidents Day to you, on yet ANOTHER frozen day. I don’t know about anyone else, but COVID, coupled with arctic weather conditions is enough to make anyone go stir crazy. I find that all I’ve been doing is BAKING, EATING, more BAKING and EATING, well, OK, truth be told, I do also try to paint here and there (if you get bored enough during these dire living conditions, you can check out some of them on my Instagram page.). If you’ve scrolled through my site, you may have noticed lots and lots of baking posts. HA. Yes, that is how bad it has been.
All thing considered, it truly is not all that bad. I appreciate all this time I get to spend at home, with no social obligations, traffic, or crowds, and getting to focus on all my hobbies. I’ve never had this much time to paint, garden, bake, cook, walk my two precious puppies, read, binge-watch shows…and share all the recipes I’ve been testing out since March 2020!
I am a huge fan of old-fashioned apple pies. No bells and whistles, just the delish dichotomy of sweet-salty with a touch of tart, wrapped in flakey dough. What’s even better is making them into little pockets that are freezer-friendly and great for when we can all finally get together again and have friends and family over! The photos you see here are empanadas made with whole wheat flour. I try to be healthy. 😉 I’ll post again when I make a more keto-friendly empanada. I found some recipes that use almond flour, which sounds promising to me! I also made savory empanada with a black-bean and veggie sauté (black beans, kale, arugula, yellow onion, celery, garlic, purple cabbage).
Apple Pie Filling
3 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/2″ pieces
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoons light brown sugar, packede
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1/2 of a large lemon)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 teaspoon cornstarch
Instructions
In a large pot, thoroughly coat the apples with lemon juice. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and salt.
In a medium pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add apple mixture and coat with melted butter.
Cover lid, allow to simmer about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, so that the mix doesn’t stick to the pot.
Remove from heat and transfer to heatproof bowl.
Set aside as you make the empanada dough.
Be sure the apple filling has cooled to room temperature when it’s time to start making the empanadas.
Dough Ingredients
Makes about 8 large empanadas
2 1/4 cups organic unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) very cold butter, cut into 1/2″ cubes ~ I LOVE Kerry Gold unsalted butter. Add another stick of butter if you want this extra flaky.
1 large organic egg
2 tablespoons organic milk
1 tablespoon distilled vinegar
1 glass of ice water ~ you will only use 1/3 cup
Instructions
Sift flour and salt into a large mixing bowl.
Add butter and blend with your fingertips or a pastry blender until mixture resembles coarse meal with some (roughly pea-size) butter lumps.
Beat together egg, water, and vinegar in a small bowl with a fork.
Add to flour mixture, stirring with fork until just incorporated. Your dough will look shaggy.
Turn out mixture onto a lightly floured surface and gather together, then knead gently with heel of your hand once or twice, just enough to bring dough together. Do not overmix and over knead.
Form dough into a flat rectangle and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, at least 1 hour.
Form Empanadas
Preheat oven to 400°F. Position an oven rack at the top.
Line large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Gently roll out the dough into a log. Divide dough into 8 equal pieces and form each into a ball. I find that it’s easier to roll the dough ball on a hard surface, using the center of my palm. They do not have to be perfect.
>Roll out 1 piece on a lightly floured surface with a lightly floured rolling pin into a 8″ circle. Keep remaining pieces covered with a cheesecloth, chilled if possible.
Spoon about 2 heaping tablespoons filling to the center and fold dough in half, enclosing filling.
Press edges together with your finger tips, press a fork around edges to seal.
Transfer empanada to a large freezer-proof plate. Repeat to make the remaining 7 empanadas.
Freeze until just firm, about 15-20 minutes.
Lightly brush empanadas with some of egg wash and bake until golden, about 25 minutes.
Transfer empanadas to a rack to cool at least 5 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature with some hot tea. YUM!
I don’t even recall how many failed attempts I’ve had in all my years of baking and searching for the “Ultimate Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie.” I eventually—I am ashamed to admit this—bought store-bought baked cookies (always a great disappointment) or the Pillsbury or Tollhouse packages that you just pop in the oven. Folks, I am happy to say my search is over and this recipe is JUST.SO.DARN.DELISH. to not share it with the world…and *SHHH*, this stays between us “health nuts” and adults…I am using organic whole wheat flour! YES. Mwahahahahaha -insert purple smiley devil face emoji-.
INGREDIENTS
1 cup brown sugar
1 TSP sea salt
1/2 cup (one 4oz stick) unsalted butter ~ soft, room temperature (iIMPORTANT: NOT hot or melted)
1 large free range organic egg
1 TSP vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups organic whole wheat flour
1/2 TSP baking soda
1 1/2 cup (12oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
INSTRUCTIONS
Leave the wrapped butter in a dish, at room temperature, for a few hours.
In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, salt, and soft butter, until you get a smooth light yellow paste.
Whisk in the egg and vanilla.
Sift in the flour and baking soda, then very gently fold the mixture with a spatula. Do not overmix the dough, as this will result in cakey cookies.
Fold in the chips and gently distribute evenly with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Scoop out 12 cookie dough balls and place them on parchment, allowing about 4″ between each cookie and 2″ from the edges.
Bake for about 12 minutes or until the edges start to turn light golden brown.
Allow to cool at least 10 minutes before serving with a nice tall glass of cold milk OR a cup of hot tea. ENJOY!
Cassava is a starchy root vegetable or tuber native to South America. It’s a flowering plant that belongs in the spurge family called Euphorbiaceae (or Euphorbia for short) and can grow to 10 feet tall. It’s a staple consumed by many in developing countries.
Cassava is also called
yuca (pronounced yoo-cah): it is not the same as yucca (note: two C’s / pronounced yuh-kah). Yucca is the spiky ornamental plant you see in arid landscapes and deserts.
manioc
macaxeira
mandioca
aipim
andagbeli
Brazilian arrowroot
tapioca plant
and sweet potato tree
Nigeria is the world’s largest produce of cassava.
West African Garri: A light snack made from cassava flour and is fermented and then fried in oil.
It used to make tapioca flour and pearls
Filipino Dessert
All those FUN, educational facts aside, cassava, when grated, makes a gluten-free flour that can then be turned into delicious cake! This is a traditional Filipino recipe with a little added protein (by way of peeled split mung beans). I made cassava cake about 10+ years ago but cannot remember where I put the recipe, so off on an interwebs-expedition I went. I found three that I liked and blended the ingredients and quantities, because like Goldilocks, I need the texture, sweetness, etc. to be JUUUST RIGHT. 😉
—— ♥ ——
INGREDIENTS
Two 1 lb bags frozen grated cassava ~ thawed, strained of all liquid
One 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
One 14 oz can coconut cream
6 oz dry peeled, split mung beans
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Pinch sea salt
INSTRUCTIONS
Thaw the cassava packets. Place contents in a mesh strainer and lightly rinse under running water. Strain cassava of all liquid and set aside.
Wash and clean the mung beans until the water becomes clear. Strain. Soak in hot filtered water for about 30 minutes. Add beans and water to a pot and bring to rolling boil for about 3 minutes. Reduce heat and allow to simmer on medium-low for about 10 minutes or until beans are soft. Purée to smooth yellow paste.
Preheat oven 350°F.
Grease 9×13 glass baking dish with butter.
Whisk ingredients together in a bowl ~ your batter should be runny. Pour batter into baking dish.
Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes on the center rack until the edges and top are a light golden brown. An inserted fork should come out clean.
Allow to cool completely. Cut into squares and serve chilled or room temp, drizzled with condensed milk.
One of my absolute favorite desserts ever since I discovered its existence in college (YES, can you believe my mom never baked cheesecake for us?!) is NEW YORK STYLE CHEESECAKE. Yum, yum, and YUM. I remember my first few cheesecake flops years ago. The process seemed so daunting and foreign to me. Fast forward many moons and seasons…I now know why my cheesecake endeavors all tasted like “quichecakes” rather than cheesecake. Meh, live and learn. 🙂
I found a recipe on the side of a bulk cheesecake box purchased from Costco and thought I’d give it a try. I thought it was perfectly creamy and easy. The following recipe is the one I modified ~ making a crustless cheesecake, with a hint of lemon. If you’d like to try the original recipe found on the box, scroll all the way to the bottom.
INGREDIENTS
3 (8 ounce) packages full fat cream cheese ~ room temperature
3/4 cups sugar
1/2 cup Greek yogurt
4 eggs
1/4 TSP salt
2 TBSP+ orange zest ~ adding more is better!
1 TBSP lemon zest
Instructions
Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil to make it waterproof.
In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Add sugar and mix.
Scrape down the bowl; add Greek yogurt, mixing thoroughly.
Add eggs to mixer one at a time, mixing thoroughly on low speed.
Scrape down the bowl add salt and lemon zest.
Mix on low until well combined.
Pour cheesecake batter into pan.
Bake in a water bath at 325°F for 60-90 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Original “New York Style Cheesecake” Recipe
CRUST
1 cup graham crackers crumbs
2 1/2 TBSP unsalted butter. ~ melted
1 1/2 TBSP sugar
FILLING
6 (8 ounces) packages full fat cream cheese ~ room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream
7 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/2 TSP salt
2 TBSP lemon zest
INSTRUCTIONS
Wrap outside of 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil to make it waterproof.
Butter the bottom of pan.
In mixing bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar and mix well. Press into bottom of pan.
In a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese. Add sugar and mix.
Scrape down the bowl; add sour cream, mixing thoroughly.
Add eggs to mixer one at a time, mixing thoroughly on low speed.
Scrape down the bowl add rest of ingredients.
Mix on low until well combined.
Pour cheesecake batter into pan.
Bake in a water bath at 325°F for 60-90 minutes until the cake sets.
Remove from oven and chill completely before serving.
Recently when I was formulating my own recipe for cornbread, it dawned on me that all these years, I have heard that you can simply replace oil for butter, on an equal 1:1 ratio. I did some more digging and was convinced by Bob Mills that is not actually the case at all! In fact, a 1:1 ratio in some case may end up with greasy and oil results. Of course, you are the Chef in your own kitchen, so you be the judge of what works best for your recipe!
I am extremely excited to share a NEW PROJECT I’ve been working on: Luluesque Recipe DigiCards! You can save them right to your phone; no need to bookmark my recipe blog page or wait for glitchy internet to pull up this recipe post. One of the finished products is on this post — scroll all the way to the bottom for the recipe digicard. Simply save the recipe to your device in the “Luluesque” Folder…wait, what do you mean you don’t have a folder saved just for me??? 😉
PREP
Preheat oven to 375°F
Lightly grease 9×13 baking dish with avocado oil
INGREDIENTS
2 cups organic cornmeal (HEART HEALTH: supplement some with ground flaxseed)
In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, oats, sugar, baking soda, and salt. Gently fold in sour cream, oil, and eggs with a spatula until the batter is evenly mixed (do not overmix). Our goal is to get out the clumps of ingredients.
Pour batter into the prepared baking dish. Gently slide the dish from side to side on the counter, to even out the batter. Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted fork comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.
If you LOVE blueberries, blueberry muffins, blueberry pancakes, etc., then you’re in for a treat! This dense-but-moist bread is packed with mouthfuls of bursting blueberries! I tested out a few recipes and modified through trial and error, omitting, replacing, and adding as I went. This final recipe has the perfect balance of density, moisture, and sweetness. The grated zucchini provides moisture and you wouldn’t even know that someone had the nerve to sneak in…*gasp* zucchini! 🙂
So—why on earth would someone want to put zucchini in a sweet bread? It’s a vegetable. I’m not a food expert so I will share the information I learned from research. It’s because once upon a time successful farmers and home gardeners would have pounds upon pounds of zucchini and did not know what to do with them all…so they added them to baked goods. Zucchini is very prolific once it starts to thrive (assuming your zucchini crop was spared by the sesiid moths, Melittia Satyriniformis, that lay their eggs on the base of young zucchini plants, thus producing vine-boring larvae that destroy the entire plant, living and growing inside the tubular vines). Zucchini has a mild flavor and is high in water content, providing moisture to baked goods. That’s the longer than necessary short answer. 🙂
NOTES
Always try to use organic ingredients when possible. The grocery bill can add up quickly and not all produce are covered in harmful pesticides. As a general rule, I follow the Dirty Dozen, Clean 15 list. I have been a loyal fan since 2004, when they first started. FYI, blueberries are listed as #15 and zucchini squash is #27. The lower the number, the higher the level of pesticides.
INGREDIENTS
3 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups light brown sugar ~ can substitute with granulated white sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups finely grated or shredded zucchini ~ about 3 medium zucchini; I like to use an old-fashioned mandolin
2 pints fresh blueberries
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350° degrees. Lightly grease 2 large loaf pans.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together eggs, oil, yogurt, vanilla, and sugar. Whisk in flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Do not overmix the batter.
Gently fold in zucchini and blueberries with a spatula. Pour into the prepared loaf pans.
Bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool about 20 minutes on cooling racks. Serve warm with butter and a hot cup of tea. ENJOY! 🙂
Luluesque 
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