roasted sweet potato + turmeric hummus

 

happy new year!!!

i am slowly (ok, very slowly) getting back into the swing of things after a wonderful holiday season. i just never want the holidays to end, but hello 2020! as always, i like to start the year off with an extra healthy recipe. it seems i have created a new hummus spread in january over the last few years. homemade hummus is one of my favourite storebought items to make at home & it is such a great way to consume a number of additional vitamins & minerals. you can incorporate literally any flavour into the spread that you can think of! this years version features sweet potato & tumeric, inspired by the flavours of angelic bakehouse's garden wraps. the sweet potato & tumeric give the hummus a beautiful yellow colour, as well as an additional boost of nutrients. i brought this to a family dinner to serve as an appetizer & it was devoured within minutes.

there are so many ways you can enjoy this hummus too! you can serve the hummus with fresh vegetables, spread it onto a wrap or pair it with my homemade garlic crisps made with angelic bakehouse's garden wraps! the wraps come in a variety of flavours (sweet potato + tumeric, kale + spinach & beet), all made with sprouted whole grains. they toast up so nicely in the oven, making for a healthy alternative to tortilla chips.

find the full recipe below! it is vegan friendly too. cheers to a wonderful year ahead :)

for the hummus

  • 1 medium sweet potato, peeled & diced
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • salt & pepper, to taste
  • 1 can of chickpeas (15 ounces), rinsed & drained
  • 2 heaping tablespoons quality tahini
  • 3 cloves of garlic, smashed
  • 1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 tablespoons cold water
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice, freshly squeezed
  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for serving
  • pepitas, for garnish
  • cilantro or parsely, for garnish

for the garlic crisps

directions

for the hummus

  • preheat oven to 400 degrees. toss the sweet potato in olive oil, salt & pepper. transfer to a lined baking sheet & roast until fork tender, about 25 minutes. let cool completely.
  • in a food processor combine the sweet potato, chickpeas, tahini, garlic, ginger, tumeric, cayenne pepper, water & lemon juice. blend for 60 seconds.
  • add the salt, pepper & olive oil. blend on high speed until mixture is creamy & smooth. if mixture is thick, add additional water until desired consistency is reached. taste for salt & adjust as needed.
  • transfer hummus to a large serving bowl & drizzle with additional olive oil. top with pepitas & fresh herbs.
  • serve fresh with garlic crisps for dipping!

this post was created in partnership with angelic bakehouse!

orange + hazelnut linzer cookies

 

8 sleeps until christmas!!!

have you decided which holiday cookie you are going to leave out for santa? if not, i think i just decided for you. is everyone ready for christmas? we host our annual modest christmas party this weekend & i am so excited. our friends gathering kicks off one of many holiday parties until new years eve. my fridge is stocked with mulled cider & eggnog, so i think it is safe to say i am ready to take a break, watch all the christmas movies & relax until 2020. this will be my last blog post of 2019 (what a year), so let's talk about these cookies!

these orange + hazelnut linzer cookies are a hazelnut twist on the traditional almond based linzer cookie. i used bob's red mill's hazelnut flour, which gives these cookies an extra nutty flavour. i found this adorable squirrel cookie cutter when i was on vacation last year & finally found the perfect cookie recipe to use it for. linzer cookies are two cookies sandwiched together with jam (i love any cookie where eating two is disguised as eating one), so feel free to use your favourite flavour of jam! i used a fig + honey jam, as well as a ginger + orange marmalade because i loved the two colour tones when plated. happy cookie baking!

hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season & the happiest of new years! xo

ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 1/2 cups bob's red mill all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 3/4 cups bob's red mill hazelnut flour (substitute equal parts bob's red mill almond flour)
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 2 teaspoons orange zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup jam (i used a mix of fig jam & apple ginger jam)
  • powdered sugar, to garnish

directions

  • in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter & sugar until fluffy.
  • add the egg & vanilla extract. beat until well incorporated.
  • sift in the flours, baking powder, salt, orange zest & nutmeg. beat until just combined.
  • divide dough into two rounds, wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate until firm (minimum 2 hours, but can be made up to 48 hours in advance).
  • once dough has chilled, preheat oven to 350 degrees. line two baking sheets with parchment paper & set aside.
  • on a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick.
  • using a desired cookie cutter, cut out dough & place 1/2 inch apart on the baking tray. using an extra small cookie cutter, cut out a hole in half of the cookies.

green tea sticky toffee pudding

 

because is it really the holiday season without sticky toffee pudding? this is not a dessert i grew up eating. italian's are certainly not known for serving sticky toffee pudding at christmas. it is a dessert i discovered when i was a teenager & immediately became obsessed with it! a sweet cake drowned in toffee sauce.. who can resist? once this cake was on my radar, i began making it every year for christmas (to serve along side my annual holiday cheesecake). the sticky pudding can be made in individual portions or as one big sheet cake. neither option is superior to the other, it is more just based on what baking pan you have available & how you intend to serve the cake. to make mine into cute little bundt cakes, i used this mini fluted cake mold by silpat. a muffin tin works too!

i love incorporating matcha in unexpected ways & this year seemed like the perfect opportunity to add it to my traditional sticky toffee pudding. i actually can't believe i couldn't find a single recipe online where matcha has been incorporated into sticky pudding & toffee sauce. seriously, it is so good why has no one else tried this before?! aiya matcha's culinary grade matcha does not over power the dish, as the overall flavour is very caramely thanks to the dates. it simply brings an unexpected flavour that you didn't know you were missing. i topped it with pomegranates because pomegranate seeds are so wintery & pretty. however, a dusting of sugar works too!

p.s. 13 sleeps until christmas!!!! is everyone ready for the best day of the year?

xo

for the pudding

  • 1 cup pitted medjool dates
  • 3/4 cup boiling water
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 3/4 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons aiya's culinary grade matcha powder, sifted
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • toffee sauce, see recipe below
  • whipped cream, for serving

for the toffee sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar, lightly packed
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 teaspoon aiya's culinary grade matcha powder, sifted
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
  • pomegranate seeds, for topping

directions

  • preheat oven to 325 degrees. in a medium mixing bowl pour boiling water over the medjool dates. let sit for 10 minutes, until the dates have rehydrated. using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the mixture until it is a smooth paste. set aside until ready to use.
  • in a separate large mixing bowl cream the butter & brown sugar. add the eggs one at a time, followed by the vanilla & pureed dates.
  • sift in the flour, matcha, baking powder, baking soda & salt. beat until combined.
  • in a greased 12 tin muffin pan or a 9 by 12 baking dish evenly distribute the batter. bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes if using a muffin pan or 20-25 minutes if using a 9 by 12 baking dish.
  • while the pudding is in the oven, prepare the toffee sauce. in a saucepan over medium heat add the butter, sugar, cream, matcha & salt.
  • constantly whisking, bring mixture to a boil & cook for 60 seconds to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved. remove from heat & stir in the vanilla.
  • as soon as the pudding is ready, pour the toffee sauce generously over each one. if using a 9 by 12 baking dish, poke a few holes in the cake before adding the sauce. the toffee sauce will soaks into the pudding best when warm!
  • serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream. garnish with pomegranate seeds.