Bread & Butter Page 7
¼ cup (52 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
1 tablespoon (22 GRAMS) agave nectar
⅓ cup (75 GRAMS) cold water
2½ cups (282 GRAMS) grated vegan gluten-free cheese, or cheese of your choice
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flours, potato starch, cornmeal, sugar, xanthan gum, and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, and cold water and, using a rubber spatula, stir until a thick dough forms. Add the cheese and work it into the dough with your hands until it is evenly distributed. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Remove the parchment paper, trim the rough edges of the dough, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Using a knife, cut the dough into 1-inch squares, circles, or desired shape, and spread them apart on the baking sheet. Brush each cracker with coconut oil and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 12 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until crisp, 6 minutes. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
butter crackers
This is the rarest of all BabyCakes recipes: Whereas all my other recipes are meant to be eaten almost immediately, these crackers actually hold up as the days go by. I happily ate them for three days after preparing a batch. Texturally they remind me of a Ritz cracker, and they’re great crumbled into a salad or dipped into peanut butter and jelly, which is nowhere near as weird as you are making it out to be right now.
makes 55 crackers
½ cup (70 GRAMS) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
¾ cup (105 GRAMS) brown rice flour
1 tablespoon (14 GRAMS) vegan sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon xanthan gum
2 teaspoons paprika
½ teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
½ cup (112 GRAMS) Butter
¼ cup (56 GRAMS) cold water
In a food processor, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder, xanthan gum, paprika, and salt and process for 15 seconds. Add the butter and pulse until the dough separates into small pebbles. Slowly pulse in the cold water just until a thick dough forms. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator, unwrap it, and place between 2 pieces of parchment paper. Roll out the dough into a large rectangle about ⅛ inch thick. Remove the parchment paper and cut out the crackers from the dough with a 1-inch round cookie cutter. Put them on the prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 10 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until lightly golden, 5 minutes. Let the crackers cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before serving.
crispy banana and almond butter roll-up
Do not fret: Caramelizing bananas is one of the most gratifying experiences in the kitchen, mostly because it requires approximately no skill but makes it seem to the unversed outsider like you are some sort of culinary Rembrandt.
serves 4
4 teaspoons (18 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
3 bananas, sliced
¼ cup (104 GRAMS) almond butter
1 recipe (4 portions) Wrap Bread
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Heat the oil in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Add the bananas and cook until they are browned on the bottom, 2 minutes. Flip the bananas and cook until the second side is browned, about 1 more minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
Spread the almond butter on each piece of wrap bread, top with the crispy bananas, and sprinkle with cinnamon. Fold ½ inch of one end over the filling, rotate 90 degrees, and roll it up into a cylinder. Serve these warm, please.
quesadillas
These are so easy you may come to rely on them a tad too often (“Quesadilla Wednesday!” becomes “Quesadilla October!” before you know it, trust me). The keys here are to find a vegan cheese your family prefers and to roll the tortillas out a bit thinner than you would for, say, a taco, so the quesadillas will crisp up nicely throughout.
serves 4
2 teaspoons Butter or melted unscented coconut oil
4 Corn Tortillas
2 cups (170 GRAMS) grated or shredded vegan gluten-free cheese (I prefer Daiya or Teese)
Heat ½ teaspoon of the butter in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Place a tortilla on the skillet and spread ½ cup of the cheese onto one half. Add 1 tablespoon water to the pan to create steam and cover the pan. Cook until the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Fold the tortilla over to create a half-moon shape. Transfer the quesadilla to a cutting board. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.
Let the quesadillas cool for 2 minutes before cutting into quarters and serving.
butter and jelly bread
When I was young and grade school had let out, we were released into the kitchen to make snacks without supervision. Some days I took a stack of Oreos, other times a bowl of cereal. But when the ingredients permitted, my absolute go- to was a piece of Wonder Bread with soft butter and a modest helping of seedless strawberry jam (no lumps!). I would cut off the crusts and roll the thing into a sweet, buttery paradise. Now that I’m older and allowed to turn on the oven, I’ve created this, my favorite recipe in the entire book. (Well, it’s in the top five, at least.)
serves 10
1 recipe dough for Wrap Bread
½ cup (112 GRAMS) Butter, softened, or the nut spread of your choice
¾ cup (247 GRAMS) your favorite jam
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Between 2 sheets of parchment paper, roll out the wrap bread dough into a 12 by 9-inch rectangle about ½ inch thick. Remove the top layer of parchment paper and place the long side of the dough toward you. Spread the butter over the entire surface of the dough, followed by a layer of jam on top. Starting at either of the two shorter sides, roll the dough up into a cylinder. Using the parchment to lift the roll, transfer it into a 9 by 4-inch loaf pan, parchment on the bottom. Trim the excess parchment paper.
Bake for 20 minutes, and then rotate the pan 180 degrees. Bake until the crust is golden and firm to the touch, 15 minutes. Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting.
potato and cauliflower tots
My daughter put herself on a strict carb-only diet on her first birthday, and to this day I need to hide spinach under pieces of potato and squish kale between tightly sealed pieces of bread to get her to eat it. For this recipe, I used cauliflower because it’s white, and to be perfectly honest, that helps me stand a better chance of success. You should try this with broccoli if green still exists in your baby’s color palette.
makes 24 tots
1 medium Idaho potato
1 head cauliflower, chopped
1½ tablespoons (15 GRAMS) chopped onion
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil or olive oil, plus more for brushing
½ cup (56 GRAMS) grated or shredded vegan gluten-free cheese (I prefer Daiya or Teese)
2 tablespoons (24 GRAMS) potato starch
Leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Wrap the potato tightly in aluminum foil, poke thoroughly with a fork, and bake until a toothpick can be inserted easily, 1 hour.
In a medium bowl, combine the cauliflower, onions, and oil, and toss well. Spread the mixture out on one of the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 30 minutes, and set aside.
Leaving the skin on, chop the potato into medium pieces and transfer to a food processor. Add the cauliflower mixture, vegan cheese, potato starch, rosemary, and sa
lt, and pulse until the mixture looks like very lumpy mashed potatoes.
Brush the second prepared baking sheet lightly with oil. Using a tablespoon, scoop out some of the potato mixture, roll it into a cylinder shape, and put it on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture. Brush each tot lightly with oil.
Bake for 8 minutes, and then rotate the baking sheet 180 degrees. Bake until golden and crisp, 8 minutes. Let the tots cool on the sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
raging party mix
It is baffling to me that I only recently thought to create a BabyCakes recipe for a party mix. Hopefully by the time you read this I will have coordinated the BabyCakes branches to be serving this at each of the registers. Because in the history of party mix, has there ever been a person who has successfully walked by a bowl without grabbing a handful or wanting to grab a handful? Exactly. (The answer is no.)
serves 12
9 cups (243 GRAMS) gluten-free rice cereal
2 cups (200 GRAMS) Oat Crackies
1 cup (128 GRAMS) chopped walnuts or any other nuts (optional)
6 tablespoons (85 GRAMS) Butter or melted unscented coconut oil
3 tablespoons (45 GRAMS) gluten-free Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons (10 GRAMS) salt
1 teaspoon gluten-free garlic powder
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together the cereal, Oat Crackies, and the nuts, if using.
Heat the butter in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, garlic powder, and the cayenne pepper, if using. Stir well, and then pour the mixture over the cereal mixture. Toss until well coated. Pour the mixture onto the prepared baking sheet.
Bake, stirring halfway through, until well toasted, 40 minutes. Let the mix cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes before serving.
vegetables disguised
Stealthily adding steamed and/or pureed vegetables to kids’ meals is nothing new, but by now you are aware that sometimes my recipes are delicate. What follows are a few helpful tips.
Green Bread: Steam and then puree one bunch of either spinach or Swiss chard (remove the stems first!). Press all of the excess water out of the vegetables as best as you’re able, preferably using a sieve. Using a rubber spatula, fold the puree into the bread dough gently and bake as instructed. Do not exceed 2 cups vegetables per bread recipe. This works best with Sandwich Bread.
Kale Tortillas: After you prepare your dough for Corn Tortillas, place it in a food processor and pulse in 1 cup steamed kale. If the dough gets too loose, sprinkle in some corn flour to bind it up again. Proceed with the recipe as instructed.
Creamy White Sauce: Puree some steamed cauliflower, swirl it into the Béchamel Sauce, and use with your favorite pasta or pizza.
foreign affairs
By now our global supermarket has become an accessible, beautiful, but sometimes confusing place where just about everything is within finger’s reach—if not at the local specialty store, then through thousands of online purveyors. For the bold and committed, the only limitation seems to be pantry space. Fortunately for this book and my eating tendencies, I have lots of storage space at BabyCakes NYC.
I was born in San Diego, California, about a millimeter from the Mexican border. That fine country’s cuisine courses through my veins. Like sunburns, it is my birthright, and this chapter will reveal its many influences on how I approach cooking. But I now live in New York City, still and forever the greatest city in all the world. Here I’ve learned that there is more to life than cookies and guacamole (but not much more).
Like bread from Ethiopia! And scallion pancakes from China(town)! I’ve also included a flatbread that doubles as a naan, so when you’re not in the mood for flour or corn tortillas (both in this chapter!), you will have some alternatives to keep you occupied. Ciao!
baked samosas with potato and green chile SWEET CORN AND CILANTRO EMPANADAS scallion pancakes
ZUCCHINI LATKES flour tortillas CORN TORTILLAS
flatbread ETHIOPIAN BREAD
baked samosas with potato and green chile
From my Irish forebearers I inherited a delicate constitution. Maybe you and I share this weakness, owing to one food sensitivity or another. Fried food, more often than not, wreaks havoc on my stomach. So I bake my samosas, though these are also good fried.
makes 14
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 green chiles (canned will do), chopped
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ cup (75 GRAMS) green peas (frozen will do)
3 large Yukon Gold potatoes, boiled and cubed
¼ teaspoon garam masala
1 recipe All-Purpose Puff Pastry Dough
Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 seconds. Add the green chiles, salt, coriander, and cumin and stir. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the peas, and cook for 3 minutes. Gently add the potatoes, stir, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Stir in the garam masala and cook for 4 more minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the filling cool for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Divide the pastry dough into golf ball–size portions. Roll each ball into a 6-inch-diameter circle, cut each circle in half, and brush water around the edges. In your hand, roll one piece of the dough into a cone shape and seal all the edges except the top. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the samosa filling into the cone, pinch the top into a triangle shape to seal the edges, and put it on a prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Brush the samosas with the remaining tablespoon of oil.
Bake for 12 minutes, and then rotate the sheets 180 degrees. Bake until golden, 6 minutes. Let the samosas cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before serving.
sweet corn and cilantro empanadas
One of the biggest joys I found in developing a puff pastry was that it allowed me to explore new and mildly exotic (for me, anyway) uses for the dough. If you are one of those anti-cilantro folks, you can swap in any similar leafy herb and be just fine.
makes 16
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) melted unscented coconut oil, plus more for brushing
⅓ cup (50 GRAMS) chopped red onion
1¼ cups (170 GRAMS) frozen corn, thawed
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup (56 GRAMS) coconut or rice milk
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for sprinkling
2 tablespoons (1 GRAM) chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 recipe All-Purpose Puff Pastry Dough
Heat the oil in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes. Add the corn, garlic, coconut milk, and vinegar and cook until the corn begins to brown slightly, 4 minutes. Add the cayenne pepper and salt, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.
Put three fourths of the corn mixture into a food processer and pulse until finely chopped. Return to the pan and fold in the cilantro.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
Between 2 pieces of parchment paper, roll out the pastry dough until it is about ¼ inch thick. Cut out the dough using a 4-inch round biscuit cutter, or a large rimmed glass about the same size. Place the pastry rounds on the prepared baking sheets. Scoop 1 tablespoon of filling in the center of each round, fold the pastry over to create a half-moon, and seal the edges with a fork. Brush the tops of the empanadas with oil and sprinkle with salt.
Bake for 12 minutes, and then rotate the sheets 180 degrees. Bake until they are golden, 6 mi
nutes. Let the empanadas cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes before serving.
scallion pancakes
If you are fortunate enough to live in an area with a bona fide Chinatown, you’ll know these small pancakes as The Most Delicious Way to Live with Practically No Money. In the right cook’s hands they are slight, with a bite of scallion and salt cutting through the sweet oil. I’ll just assume you have Sriracha somewhere in the house. If not, take a minute to run and grab some now, before you begin this recipe.
makes 8
¾ cup (105 GRAMS) Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
¼ cup (25 GRAMS) gluten-free oat flour or brown rice flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon xanthan gum
½ cup (113 GRAMS) rice milk
½ cup (113 GRAMS) hot water
2 tablespoons (28 GRAMS) coconut oil, plus more for the skillet
3 scallions, chopped into ½-inch lengths
1 garlic clove, minced
In a large bowl, whisk together the flours, salt, and xanthan gum. Pour in the rice milk, hot water, and the 2 tablespoons oil and whisk until a pancake-like batter forms. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the scallions and garlic gently.
Heat about 2 tablespoons oil in a wide skillet set over medium heat. Scoop ⅓ cup of the batter into the pan and tilt the pan to spread the batter evenly. Cook until the top of the batter begins to bubble and dry slightly, 2 minutes. Flip the pancake and cook the second side until the bottom is browned, about 2 more minutes. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter until all the pancakes are cooked. Serve immediately.