A Little Bit More

And the Grinch, with his Grinch-feet ice cold in the snow,
stood puzzling and puzzling, how could it be so?
It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes or bags.
And he puzzled and puzzled ’till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before.
What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store.
What if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.

—Dr. Seuss

Merry Christmas to all.

Continue reading “A Little Bit More”

Where There Is No Death

What does the sentence “If you eat this fruit you will die” mean for Eve who is in a place where there is no death?

—Hélène Cixous, Readings: The Poetics of Blanchot, Joyce, Kakfa, Kleist, Lispector, and Tsvetayeva

Happy Halloween, I guess.

Continue reading “Where There Is No Death”

Spice and Scent

Like this alabaster box whose art
Is frail as a cassia-flower, is my heart,
Carven with delicate dreams and wrought
With many a subtle and exquisite thought.

Therein I treasure the spice and scent
Of rich and passionate memories blent
Like odours of cinnamon, sandal, and clove,
Of song and sorrow and life and love.

—Sarojini Naidu

Continue reading “Spice and Scent”

The Great Pumpkin

“Each year, the Great Pumpkin rises out of the pumpkin patch that he thinks is the most sincere. He’s gotta pick this one. He’s got to.
I don’t see how a pumpkin patch can be more sincere than this one. You can look around and there’s not a sign of hypocrisy.
Nothing but sincerity as far as the eye can see.”

—Linus, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown

Continue reading “The Great Pumpkin”

Fogueira

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

“There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. There’s .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I’m likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I’m grateful.”

—John Green, The Fault in Our Stars

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

Cosine, secant, tangent, sine,
Three point one four one five nine,
Square root, cube root, BTU,
Sequence, series, limits too. Rah.

Themistocles, Thucydides, The Peloponnesian War,
X squared, Y squared, H2SO4.
Who for? What for? Who we gonna yell for?
Go, Maroons.

Logarithm, biorhythm, entropy, kinetics,
MPC, GNP, bioenergetics!
Maximize and integrate, titrate and equilibrate—
Go, Maroons.

—Very Unofficial UChicago football cheer

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

Happy Pi day!
And yes, I am going to share that chant every year on 3/14.
I love my ridiculous and nerdy school, lol.

Today was my last day of finals for the quarter, omg. Brutal! I have been so busy all weekend preparing. Luckily for me, this means I’m one step closer to spring break—I’m going to Brazil to visit my best friend and stay with her family! I am so excited. I’ll be sure to keep you all updated, even if it goes dark around here for a little while.

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

There were so many gorgeous pies shared by food bloggers all over the world today—I really want to get into making pie crust art like everyone else! Count me in on that bandwagon.

But today, I’m sharing a very unique pie—a vegan one!

This vegan campfire pie is made with a shatteringly flaky, 1-bowl, no rolling olive oil pie crust with a healthy dose of salt. It would be a brilliant base for a number of sweet OR savory pies. It was so easy to whip together, and since I used good olive oil, it had a ton of flavor as well. The subtle savoriness and grassiness of the olive oil is a really nice contrast to the marshmallows.
As soon as it comes out of the oven, it is spread with dark chocolate to ensure that it doesn’t get soggy whatsoever; the pie crust will stay crispy when stored.
The filling is a chocolate pudding, made with almond milk and a spoonful of molasses for depth; it’s not too sweet while being quite rich.
The whole thing is topped off with halved marshmallows that are toasted—sweet, sticky, and the perfect, not-too-sophisticated touch that makes this campfire pie special.
(You can find vegan marshmallows at Whole Foods!)

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

Pie, previously:

Pumpkin meringue tart.

Brûléed citrus and lime pie.

Apple, pear, butterscotch and cheddar pie.

Pumpkin pie spice brown butter chocolate pecan pie.

Fig, rosemary, and lemon tart.

Coconut buttermilk chess pie.

Vegan Campfire Pie | La Pêche Fraîche

Vegan Campfire Pie
makes 1 8- or 9-inch pie

ingredients:
for the olive oil pie crust:
240 grams (2 cups) AP flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
15 grams (1 tablespoon) sugar
3/8 teaspoon baking powder
85 grams (7 tablespoons) olive oil
60 grams (1/4 cup) cold water

for the chocolate molasses filling:
30 grams (1/4 cup) corn or tapioca starch
66 grams (1/3 cup) sugar
25 grams (3 tablespoons) cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
600 grams (2 1/2 cups) almond milk
2 teaspoons molasses
112 grams (4 ounces) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

to assemble:
28 grams (1 ounce) dark chocolate, chopped
vegan marshmallows

directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and ready an 8- or 9-inch tart or pie pan.
Make the crust: whisk flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, and olive oil together, then slowly pour in the cold water and knead until dough comes together.
Press into prepared pan and line with parchment paper and pie weights.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until toasted and golden brown.
As soon as the crust comes out of the oven, remove the pie weights and scatter 1 ounce of chopped chocolate or chocolate chips over the bottom.
Allow to sit for 2 minutes, then spread the melted chocolate all over and set the crust aside to cool.
Meanwhile, make the filling: whisk starch, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt together, then slowly pour in the almond milk while whisking.
Place over medium heat and whisk constantly until thickened and bubbly, about 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat and add molasses and chopped chocolate; whisk until fully combined.
Pour into cooled shell and allow to set overnight in the fridge, or at least for 2 hours.
To serve, place halved marshmallows all over the top, then toast with a kitchen torch.

Mud and Molasses

Brown Butter and Molasses Cupcakes | La Pêche Fraîche

The air was so sweet in New Orleans it seemed to come in soft bandannas;
and you could smell the river and really smell the people, and mud, and molasses, and every kind of tropical exhalation,
with your nose suddenly removed from the dry ices of a Northern winter.

—Jack Kerouac

Brown Butter and Molasses Cupcakes | La Pêche Fraîche

Well, I buried my head in my MCAT studies and found myself at the cusp of a Northern winter, with a chill in the air and the leaves all dead and Thanksgiving fast approaching.

Between school and the current sorry state of our nation’s mud-slinging politics, I could do with some serious relaxing tropical exhalations right about now.

I’m sending hugs and brown butter and cake to everyone who has been shaken up by the last week+.
I’m here for anyone who reads this and want to reach out.  It’s a confusing and scary time that has left many feeling adrift.
Hold tight—so tight—the things and people you love, and never let yourself lose sight of how important that love is.

Brown Butter and Molasses Cupcakes | La Pêche Fraîche

Enter: brown butter and molasses cupcakes, which are basically a hug in cake form.
Or like the best salty-sweet brown sugar and buttery goodness of a chocolate chip cookie, but in cake form.

These will blow. you. away.  One bowl/pot, just a few minutes of prep, and you’re in for some comfort.

I made these mini, so they’re only two teeny bites of moist brown butter cake topped with a smidgen of salty-sweet molasses buttercream, but as I always say, that just means you can eat more of them.
Mini treats just have a way of being extra addictive and extra adorable, I think.

These would be a cute and low-fuss addition to a holiday spread, Thanksgiving or otherwise. They can be made and frosted up to a day ahead, so that can relieve some day-of stress for all my cooks out there.
They’re also small but pack a lot of flavor for their size, so after a heavy dinner, these could be just the ticket.

Brown Butter and Molasses Cupcakes | La Pêche Fraîche

Brown Butter and Molasses Cupcakes
makes 12 mini cupcakes, easily doubled

ingredients:
for the cakes:
90 grams (6 tablespoons) butter, browned and cooled
1/4 teaspoon salt
175 grams (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
120 grams (1/2 cup milk) (I used cashew)
135 grams (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

for the frosting:
90 grams (6 tablespoons) butter, softened
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon molasses
250-375 grams (2-3 cups) powdered sugar, as needed
1-2 tablespoons milk or cream, as needed

directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line a mini muffin tin with cupcake liners.
Whisk the cooled brown butter, salt, sugar, and vanilla together until fully incorporated.
Whisk in the egg and beat for 3 minutes, until lightened in color.
Add in the milk, then the flour on top, then the baking powder on top of the flour.
Whisk vigorously to combine all ingredients.
Portion batter into your mini cupcake tin and bake for 7-8 minutes, or until a tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: beat butter on high speed for 3 minutes.
Add in the salt and molasses and beat until incorporated.
Add in the first 2 cups of powdered sugar, then beat until combined and taste: if it needs to be sweeter or thicker, add the next cup of powdered sugar in two batches.
If the sweetness is just right to your taste but it needs to be thinner to be pipeable, add in 1 tablespoon of milk (or 2, if necessary).
Decorate the cupcakes as desired!

Pumpkin Head

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

“Most dazzling human achievements are, in fact, the aggregate of countless individual elements,
each of which is, in a sense, ordinary.”
― Angela Duckworth, Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

It’s the 2016 Virtual Pumpkin Party!! Woohoo!!
This party is hosted by the amazing Sara of Cake over Steak and Aimee of Twigg Studios.

There is a whole lot of pumpkin purée that’s about to inundate the internet, your instagram feed, and Pinterest.

There are some amazing, drool-worthy recipes, both savory and sweet, included in the link list below, and I absolutely encourage you to click through to whatever piques your interest!

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

When my siblings and I were babies, our parents gave us (ridiculous) nicknames, each with their own backstory.

My older brother Michael was pumpkin head, because he had a giant, bald, blocky head as a newborn. LOL.
Unfortunately, this nickname didn’t stick around enough for us to tease him with it much.

My nickname was punky beef, and I have no good answer for why.  It is a nickname of inexplicable origins and uncanny endurance—my dad still calls me punky beef to this day.
I’m sure my parents could explain it… but I’ll leave that for another day.

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

These hexagonal pumpkin cakes are cute, a little unexpected, and a little blocky, if you will.
They’re more elegant (and geometric) than typical cupcakes. They definitely lean closer to a petit four or a tea cake.

Dense, spicy, and with a good measure of dark molasses, they are delightfully and unmistakably pumpkin-hued. They’re finished with a sticky condensed milk glaze and a puff of whipped cream.  You can eat them in two bites and demolish multiple without even realizing it.

Pairing a light frosting like whipped cream with a dense pumpkin cake actually works incredibly well, in spite of the fact that you usually see pumpkin cake with thick cream cheese icing.

The milkiness of the glaze and whipped cream is a delicate, sweet match for the moist pumpkin cake below.
Those with whom I shared these cakes thought they were absolutely delicious, so I consider this recipe to be a real winner!

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

Cake Over Steak • Quick Pumpkin and Kale Risotto + Arancini
Twigg Studios • Sausage Stuffing Baked in a Pumpkin
Donuts, Dresses and Dirt • Pumpkin Spice Latte Popsicles
Cloudy Kitchen • Pumpkin Cake with Vanilla German Buttercream
Vegetarian Ventures • Smoky Pumpkin & Black Sesame Hummus
Eat Boutique • Pumpkin Scallion Dumplings
A Little Saffron • Pumpkin Stuffed Shells
Two Red Bowls • Pumpkin & Maple Caramel Baked French Toast
Wallflower Kitchen • Mini Pumpkin & Cinnamon Sugar Donuts
Wit & Vinegar • Pumpkin Butterscotch Banana Split
Style Sweet CA • Pumpkin Creme Brulee Cake
Nommable • Pumpkin Biscuits with Mushroom Thyme Gravy
With Food + Love • Cinnamon Raisin Pumpkin Seed Bread
Hortus • Creamy Roasted Squash Soup + Pumpkin Risotto
Sevengrams • Vegan Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Jojotastic • 1 Pumpkin, 2 Ways: Pumpkin Trail Mix & Dog Treats
Grain Changer • Pumpkin Spice Baked Oatmeal
Girl Versus Dough • Pumpkin Cranberry Flax Crisps
Earthy Feast • Pumpkin Grits + Pumpkin Home Fries + a Fried Egg
Harvest and Honey • Truffled Pumpkin Papardelle Alfredo With Frizzled Sage
Tasty Seasons • Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cake
Broma Bakery • Pumpkin Butter Pop Tarts
Tending the Table • Roasted Pumpkin and Barley Salad
The Sugar Hit • Super Soft Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls
Delicious Not Gorgeous • Waffles with Spiced Pumpkin Butter and Brown Sugar Walnut Crumble
Taste Love and Nourish • Pumpkin Bread Pudding
The Green Life • Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chunk & Hazelnut Skillet Cookie (Vegan)
Foolproof Living • Pumpkin Creme Fraiche Pasta with Sage
The Monday Box • Pumpkin Mini Bundt Cakes
Design Crush • Pumpkin Bourbon Hot Toddy
The Road to Honey • Pumpkin Pie & Chocolate Layer Cake
My Name is Yeh • Roasted Pumpkin with Yogurt and Hazelnut Dukkah
Give Recipe • Orange Chocolate Pumpkin Bread
Heartbeet Kitchen • Magic Vegan Pumpkin Pie Fudge
Beard and Bonnet • Marbled Pumpkin Muffins
Eat Within Your Means • Vegan Pumpkin Blender Muffins
Snixy Kitchen • Pumpkin Tapioca Pudding with Candied Pumpkin Seeds
Ruby Josephine • Moroccan Sweet Pumpkin + Beef Tagine
Lab Noon • Pasta Bake with Roasted Pumpkin and Saffron Sauce, Pistachio and Goat Cheese
An Edible Mosaic • Pumpkin Spice Chia Seed Pudding
Hey Modest Marce • Mascarpone Pumpkin Pie
Inspired By the Seasons • Pumpkin Applesauce Smoothie
CaliGirl Cooking • Pumpkin Praline Cinnamon Rolls with Spiked Cream Cheese Glaze
Sally’s Baking Addiction • Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bundt Cake
Well and Full • Spicy Chipotle Pumpkin Hummus
Appeasing a Food Geek • Cheese Fondue Stuffed Roasted Pumpkin
SweetPhi • Pumpkin Chili Biscuit Bake
Warm Vanilla Sugar • Buttermilk Pumpkin Doughnuts
Mademoiselle Poirot • Cinnamon-Pumpkin Mousse on Honey Panna Cotta topped with Hazelnut Brittle
Heart of a Baker • Pumpkin Sticky Buns with Vanilla Bean Frosting
Flourishing Foodie • Massaman Curry with Pumpkin and Chickpeas
Ginger & Toasted Sesame • Pumpkin Jeon
Lindsay Jang • Best Ever DIY Pumpkin Spiced Latte
Fix Feast Flair • Hokkaido Pumpkin + Sage Mac and Gouda
Will Frolic for Food • Pumpkin Kale Patties with Coconut Cilantro Rice
A Couple Cooks • Pumpkin Pecan Baked Steel Cut Oats
Vermilion Red • Pumpkin Pie Souffle
B. Britnell • Vegan Pumpkin Pie
Displaced Housewife • Brown Butter Pumpkin Donuts
Sweet Gula • Pumpkin Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
La Pêche Fraîche • Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
Kitchen Konfidence • Pumpkin Ricotta Gnocchi with Rosemary Brown Butter Sauce
Loves Food, Loves to Eat • Savory Pumpkin Bread Pudding
Kale & Caramel • Goat Cheese & Sage-Stuffed Pumpkin Challah
Okie Dokie Artichokie • Pumpkin Chorizo Chili with Sweet Potatoes + Pinto Beans
Salted Plains • Easy Pumpkin Bread
Liliahna • Chicken Legs with Pumpkin and Tortellini
TermiNatetor Kitchen • Whole Wheat, Pumpkin & Brown Sugar Brioche
Vermilion Roots • Sweet Rice Dumplings with Pumpkin
Celebrate Creativity • Pumpkin Mini Cheesecake Tarts
Serendipity Bakes • Pumpkin Chocolate Cheesecake
So Much Yum • Vegan Maple-Glazed Pumpkin Spice Doughnuts
The Brick Kitchen • Pumpkin, Pecan & White Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
Lisli • Pumpkin Pie Cake
Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt • Pumpkin Pie Dip
Fig+Bleu • Pumpkin Granola
The Speckled Palate • Pumpkin Caramel Cream Cheese Swirl Blondies
Cook Til Delicious • Fall Cliche Cake (Pumpkin Spice Cake / Maple Cream Cheese Frosting / Apple Cider Caramel Sauce)
Floating Kitchen • Chicken and Pumpkin Chili
The Wood and Spoon • Pumpkin Pecan Cake with Burnt Sugar Frosting
Fork Vs Spoon • Pumpkin Streusel Muffins
Lemon & Vanilla • Pumpkin and Coconut Caramel Flan
Dunk & Crumble • Pumpkin Chocolate Icebox Cake
Chicano Eats • Pumpkin Butter Pan de Muerto
On the Plate • Pumpkin Pancakes, Salted Caramel & Pecans
Rough Measures • Cosy Pumpkin Spice Latte (Caffeine and Dairy Free)
Brewing Happiness • Pumpkin Ginger Breakfast Cookies
A Butterful Mind • Pumpkin Cheesecake with Vanilla Whipped Cream
The Little Loaf • Pumpkin Oatmeal Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Fork to Belly • Pumpkin Gnocchi
The Little Epicurean • Chocolate Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie
Bourbon and Honey • Spicy Roasted Pumpkin with Honey and Feta
What to Cook Today • Spicy Pumpkin Noodle Soup
Food by Mars • Pumpkin Pie (Grain-Free, Diary-Free)
The Bojon Gourmet • Pumpkin Butterscotch Pudding
Oh Honey Bakes • Pumpkin Cake with Gingersnap Toffee
Long Distance Baking • Layered Pumpkin Cheesecake
The Jam Lab • Pumpkin Madeleines Dipped in White Chocolate
The Lemon Apron • Pumpkin Gingerbread Loaf with an Olive Oil Glaze
Sun Diego Eats • Thai Pumpkin & Sticky Rice Cakes
A Cozy Kitchen • Pumpkin Chai Scones with Black Tea Glaze
A Cookie Named Desire • Pumpkin Shrubs
Eating Clean Recipes • Vegan Pumpkin Chia Pudding
Kingfield Kitchen • Vegan Fresh Pumpkin Soup
Drink and Cocktail Recipes • Pumpkin Dirty Chai
The Pig & Quill • Pumpkin Sage Cannelloni (Dairy-Free)
My Lavender Blues • Pumpkin, Banana & Olive Oil Bundt Cake
Betty Liu • Pumpkin + Pear Butter Baked Melty Cheese
Happy Hearted Kitchen • Cinnamon Roasted Pumpkin with Tahini Yogurt + Hazelnut Dukkah
InHappenstance • Pumpkin Scones with Maple Butter
Live Eat Learn • Pumpkin Gingerbread Hot Cocoa
Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes | La Pêche Fraîche

Pumpkin and Condensed Milk Cakes
makes 9 small cakes or 1 9×9 inch cake

ingredients:
for the cakes:
55 grams (4 tablespoons) butter, melted
56 grams (4 tablespoons, 60 mL) oil
267 grams (1 1/3 cups) granulated sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
244 grams (1 cup) pumpkin purée
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
200 grams (1 2/3 cup) AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

for the glaze:
100 grams (5 tablespoons) condensed milk
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

to decorate:
240 grams (1 cup) heavy cream
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease and flour a 9x9inch baking pan.
Place oil, melted butter, sugar, molasses, pumpkin, spices, and salt in a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add in the eggs one by one and whisk vigorously to combine.
Add in the flour and baking powder and stir until combined.
Pour batter into the prepared pan.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a tester comes out with only a few moist crumbs.
Allow to cool completely.
Cut and level cake into the shape you desire, or leave whole (you may want to level the top if leaving it whole, just so the glaze can soak in).
Whisk condensed milk and powdered sugar together to make the glaze; pour all over the cake(s).
Whip cream; whisk in powdered sugar.
Spread or pipe whipped cream on top of cake, then decorate with crumbs left over from leveling the cake.