Cravings: Multi-Grain Bagels

My coworkers all seem to think that I'm a bit of a masochist. They don't really understand how I manage to bake as much as I do without ever giving in to the temptation to gobble it all up. Ever since I launched my virtual bakery, I've had to up my weekly baking to about 4 or 5 times a week, depending on how many orders I have. My apartment has taken on a perpetual aroma of almonds and vanilla that has seeped into just about everything I own. Walking home from dinner with a friend the other night, I laughed when he leaned in to sniff my shoulder.

"You know," he said completely matter-of-factly, "you always seem to smell like marzipan."

I admit that it can be a bit difficult sometimes. The rainbow cookies are, after all, my favorite. This is why I first started making them, and why I still enjoy baking batch after batch, but it can also make it very hard to resist sneaking a bite every now and then. Fortunately I've gotten my measurements exactly to the point where I can't afford to sneak a cookie when preparing my orders. No extras equals no nibbling, which works just fine for me.

I do, however, occasionally crave a bite of something chewy and just a little bit sweet. I'm not really satisfied with the "low-carb" treats found in the grocery store and so I make my own. Pannacotta is my favorite no-guilt treat, but I've also developed quite a few flourless recipes too. One thing that I've really been missing is bagels. I'm a Jersey girl, which means every Sunday we would stop at the bagel store on the way home from church and pick up a giant paper bag full of them (plus assorted schmears and fillings--lox & cream cheese being my favorite.) My dad and brother ate them as a side along with eggs and bacon, but I was happy with just a bagel loaded up with creamy spread, red onions, lettuce, and salty pieces of lox. It's my favorite breakfast and I've been missing it big-time, so I decided to do something about it. I set out to create my own healthy (and hearty) bagel recipe using whole grains. I admit that it's not exactly a low carb bagel recipe (ok, it's not low carb at all), but the high fiber and slowly digesting whole grains make it a much healthier option than the the regular refined flour bagels that spike my blood sugar and send me dizzy and sleepy to bed.

I brought some of these in to work not long ago and my coworkers remarked that they were good and "tasted healthy." "It's like I'm doing something good," one of the editors noted as she chomped away.

If you don't plan on eating all of these at once, I suggest slicing in half and freezing in individual sealed freezer bags. You can then defrost them in the toaster or the oven. Whatever you do, DON'T microwave them. That is NO way to treat a bagel... ;)

Not Quite Low-Carb Multi-Grain Bagels

3 cups of warm water
3 tbsps of honey
2 packages of yeast
1 teaspoon of salt
5.5 cups of whole wheat bread flour
1.5 cup regular bread flour (I used King Arthur European-Style Artisan)
.5 cups grain blend (such as King Arthur's Harvest Grain Blend)

For optional toppings:
1 egg
1/4 cup unprocessed bran (also known as "miller's bran")
kosher salt


1.) Mix the warm water, honey, and yeast in the bowl of your mixer. Let sit for about 10 minutes until the yeast is frothy.

2.) In a separate bowl, mix the flours and grain blend (not the bran). Add the salt.

3.) Slowly add the flour to the yeast mixture and process with the dough hook attachment. Let knead for about 10 minutes.

4.) Remove from mixer and turn over onto a floured surface. Knead by hand for an additional minute or two until well combined.

5.) Place in a greased bowl (I used olive oil), turning to make sure the entire ball of dough is covered in oil. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and a clean damp towel. Set aside for one hour to rise.

6.) Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the water. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees

7.) Punch down the dough and divide into about 18 equal-sized pieces. Shape into a bagel shape by either rolling into a snake and connecting at ends OR (my preferred method) rolling into a ball and then using your fingers to poke through a hole.

8.) Lay the shaped bagels out on a greased cookie sheet and let rise again for about 20 minutes until the bagels are plump.

9.) GENTLY lift each bagel and drop into the water two or three at a time

10.) Boil for no more than two minutes each and then remove with a slotted spoon to a new greased cookie sheet

11.) Once all the bagels have been boiled, you have the option to top if desired. I brushed them with an egg wash made of the egg and a few tablespoons of warm water, then sprinkled with kosher salt and unprocessed bran.

12.) Bake in pre-heated oven for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Coconut Flour Pancakes w/ Lemon Curd and Blackberries

There really isn't a story for this one. More like a craving--an intense morning craving for something sweet and carb-y. I've been relying heavily on eggs and sausage, which as incredible as they are, can really do a girl in after so long. But I was good, and though there are bags and bags of flour in my freezer, I resisted and decided to whip up a little something delicious and still low-carb friendly.

The coconut flour makes a reappearance here. I realize that I've been using it in just about everything lately, but I hope you don't mind. It really is the most incredible, versatile (and delicious!) ingredient I've discovered this year. My friend Lindsay was visiting the weekend I made these pancakes and I spent all weekend expounding on the marvels of it. The morning before her flight, I enthusiastically pressed an unopened bag of coconut flour into her hands as a parting gift of sorts.

This recipe is incredibly quick and easy to make, but be warned that these are not the pretty perfect pancakes you might be used to. They're slightly odd shaped and no matter how neatly you pore the batter in, the coconut has a tendency to spread and crinkle at the edges. It toasts quickly, too, so keep your eye on it. Feel free to experiment with extracts for flavoring. When I made these for myself I sweetened the batter with Splenda, but skipped it for Lindsay's benefit as she's quite sensitive to the aftertaste (I don't taste it, but I'm sure that's because I've been using it for so many years now).

I topped mine with homemade lemon curd (another recent obsession) and a few fresh blackberries, but they're also lovely with syrup or even just a bit of butter.

The lemon curd recipe I used is a modification of Alton Brown's but made with Meyer lemons plus the addition of a bit of cream at the end for a slightly paler and thicker curd. Pairs perfectly with blackberries!

Flourless Coconut Pancakes

2 Large Eggs
3/4 cup coconut flour (ground dessicated unsweetened coconut)
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon sugar or Splenda (optional)
2 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
A pinch of baking powder
A pinch of salt


1.) Combine the eggs, cream, butter, sugar, and salt in a medium sized bowl.

2.) In a separate bowl, mix the baking powder and coconut flour.

3.) Add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix gently until completely incorporated.

4.) Heat a heavy bottom skillet over medium heat and melt butter.

5.) Spoon batter into skillet one or two at a time. Take care to not let pancakes run into each other. let cook until edges start to frill and brown, then flip gently once and let cook for another minute on other side.

6.) Remove to serving dish and enjoy immediately as you would traditional pancakes.
Note: Leftover pancakes will keep in the fridge if covered with plastic wrap but will lose quite a bit of their "fluffiness." Definitely better if consumed right away.

Makes approximately 8 medium-sized pancakes.

Coconut Lime Torte, Three Ways

The five-pound bags of almond and coconut flour that I purchased recently have been taunting me mercilessly since their arrival. The giant blue and white striped bags have spent the past two weeks sitting in the middle of the coffee table waiting for me to turn them into something lovely. It's been a tough several days, though, and I admit that I've spent most of my evenings battling a case of Holly Golightly's "Mean Reds" that left me kind of teary-eyed and unmotivated to do little else but read recipes and watch movies. And so the bag has sat; frangipane tarts and financier officially on hold.

Until Wednesday. A evening dash to the grocery store to pick up a few staples proved to be just the thing to push me out of the slump. I arrived home, arms loaded down with the weight of my reusable grocery bags when I heard the phone ring. I dove into my purse to find my phone, knocking over a bag of produce in the process. Out rolled a calvacade of artichokes and asparagus followed by a few frisky limes. The limes rolled out across the table in the direction of the flour, where they stopped right at the bag; kelly green rind kissing the bulging bag of almonds. I looked it while I talked, my brain already racing ahead. Within minutes I was in the kitchen grating and mixing and humming the lime in da coconut song that my friend Lindsay used to drive me crazy with in college.

The end result was lovely: a moist, green-flecked cake with subtle hints of lime and coconut. Putting the lime and the coconut together did, in fact, make me feel better! The first night I ate the cake straight, a warm slice right out of the oven. The next day I had a slice for breakfast that tasted even better as the flavors had been given a chance to meld together.

That evening, I stopped by the bodega to pick up some some paper towels when I saw a whole bag of star anise on sale for a dollar. I snatched this up and decided to get creative. In a small saucepot, I mixed half a cup each of coconut milk and cream, and simmered with a few anise stars. I sweetened the cream and poured it over a generous slice of cake. Incredible! The anise brought out the warm, tropical flavors of the cake making for a delicious dessert.

This morning I decided to try the now slightly-stale cake (stale because I was lazy and didn't wrap it properly last night) as French toast! I beat one whole egg with a bit of cream and some cold star anise tea, and soaked the slices before frying in butter. I topped with a drizzle of anise-simmered syrup. Wow! It smelled so good that I didn't have the patience to photograph it properly, so I just dug in.

Coconut Lime Torte

Ingredients:
2 cups almond meal
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut flour
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (about two limes)
Rind of 1 whole (unwaxed) lime
1 cup sugar or equivalent substitute
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 pinch of salt
6 medium eggs
1/2 cup olive oil

For the glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons water



1.Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9" round or springform pan.

2. Combine the nuts, rind, sugar (or substitute), salt, and baking powder in an electric mixer or food processor and pulse a few times until any lumps are broken up.

3. Add the eggs one at a time, followed by the oil and lime juice. Continue to mix at high speed for a couple minutes to work some air into the batter--it should grow in size a bit.

4. Pour into a greased springform pan and place in the oven. The baking time will vary depending on your oven and the humidity in the environment. Start checking it about 30 minutes into baking. It will be ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

5. When ready to glaze, mix the powdered sugar, water, and lime juice together until smooth. Drizzle all over the cake and allow to set. Serve immediately after glazing.

Additional Serving Suggestions:

**Serve day-old cake in "cream" puddle of 1/2 cup coconut milk and 1/2 cup heavy cream simmered for a couple minutes with 4 star anise and 2 teaspoons of sugar.

**Serve slightly stale cake as French toast using a batter of 1 whole egg, 3 tablespoons of heavy cream, and 3 tablespoons of cold-brewed tea (I used leftover black leaf & star anise tea, but feel free to get creative!). Soak a slice in the batter on each side and fry in 1 tablespoon of butter. Serve with warm syrup (simmer with star anise, if desired).