quick

PUMPKIN SPICE TAHINI (MUMMY) BALLS /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Bare with me. we’re getting a teeny bit crafty today, all in the name of Halloween. Truth be told, I kind of like kids crafts, I think it’s the former preschool teacher in me. But now that ames is 4, and super into all things Halloween, I wanted to surprise him with the little mummy monster balls.

These are a riff on my chocolate chip cookie dough balls from a while ago.  And while they’re just as delicious, we made a few swaps to make these a bit more festive for fall.  I love tahini with cozy, autumn spices; so pairing it with pumpkin pie spice seemed almost necessary here - it’s so good, guys!  We add a few layers of dark and white chocolate, then mummy eyeballs for good measure!  I wanted to make these a little more wholesome in anticipation of all the sugar bombs in the near future, so these balls are full of healthy fats, free of dairy, gluten, grains, and refined sugar (minus the candy eyeballs, of course!).   We’re using almond flour for the base.  From there, we use a mixture of tahini, coconut oil, and maple syrup for texture, sweetness, and binding purposes.  A few dashes of pumpkin spice and a couple pinches of salt.  A quick chocolate shell, and some white chocolate mummy drizzles, and we’re good to go.  

They’re a super quick and fun little project that requires zero baking! I got you ;)

pumpkin spice tahini (mummy) balls | gf & v

print the recipe!

notes:

  • if you don’t like/have tahini swap it for another nut butter - almond or cashew butter for a more neutral flavor, peanut or hazelnut butter for more of a distinct flavor.

  • don’t like/want pumpkin spice ball, swap for a different spice, or leave it out all together.

  • not in the festive mood, drop the eyeballs and cover your balls in your preference of dark or white chocolate. maybe garnish them with some toasted pumpkin seeds and a pinch flaky salt?

| makes 10 balls |

ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

  • 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

  • 3 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled

  • 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup

  • 2 tablespoons tahini

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

dark chocolate shell

  • 1 bar (3.2 ounces) dairy-free dark chocolate (preferably 70% cacao)

  • 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil

white chocolate shell

  • 1/2 cup dairy-free white chocolate chips

  • 1-2 teaspoons coconut oil

  • 20 edible candy eyes

method

  1. line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.

  2. in a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, pumpkin spice, and salt. using a rubber spatula, mix in the oil, maple syrup, tahini, and vanilla. fold together until a dough forms.

  3. scoop roughly 1.5 tablespoons worth of cookie dough, roll the dough between your palms to form a smooth, uniform ball; place on your prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough.

  4. freeze dough for at least 30 minutes.

  5. while the dough balls are chilling in the freezer, make the dark chocolate and white chocolate shell. in a double boiler, melt the chocolate separately. remove from heat and stir in the coconut oil to thin it out a bit (if chocolate is too thick add more coconut oil 1/4 teaspoon at a time until it’s thick, but runs off the back of a spoon). let cool completely.

  6. once the balls are solid, use two forks and gently dip the balls one at a time in the dark chocolate. place back on the parchment and repeat with remaining balls. freeze again for another 20-30 minutes, until chocolate is solid.

  7. remove the balls, use a fork and drizzle the white chocolate over the the tops of the balls, making (rustic) horizontal lines. (you could also pour the melted white chocolate in a small ziploc bag, and snip the corner to make a piping bag.). plop 2 eyes on top, and gently press them down. go over the balls once again with the white chocolate drizzle, making the lines more visible.

  8. pop the balls back in the freezer for another hour to freeze through. remove and store the mummy balls in an airtight container in the fridge. balls can stay for up to 1 week.

HONEY APPLE CRUMB CAKE (GLUTEN-AND-DAIRY-FREE) /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

it’s been a while! i guess that seems to be a theme around here recently. since covid the dynamics have shifted and mutated, turned upside down, then right side up, and then back again. and with ames starting zoom pre-k a few weeks ago, our roles have shifted once more. so i’ve hit the pause button on all things work for the time being. but! i’m popping in here quick to share this spiced honey and apple cake that’s super cozy, and perfect for celebrating rosh hashanah this weekend.

this cake in an iteration of this cake from quite a few years ago.. since then, i’ve tweaked the recipe a bit replacing some of the sugar for honey, and replacing the crumble topping altogether with a very large crumble dome (reminiscent of a crumb cake top - so good!). there’s a good bit of cozy spice, too. cinnamon, and nutmeg were my choice here, but you could use whatever you like, really. i call for tart, crisp apples; anything too sweet and soft won’t hold up very well here, and could quickly make the cake overly sweet. it’s a really easy cake that utilizes a lot of pantry staples, and a few basic ingredients from your fridge. i hope this one makes it into your autumn baking rotation! it’s so good. guys 🥰

honey apple crumb cake | gluten & dairy-free

print the recipe here

| makes one 8-inch round cake |

notes:

  • i call for crisp, tart apples below, some of my favorites include: honeycrisp, gala, braeburn, and pink lady.

  • i also call for plant-based yogurt. this can be a little tricky since a lot of plant-based yogurt consistency’s vary. i used this yogurt, but if you can’t find it i would suggest these: culina or anita’s

INGREDIENTS

crumb topping

  • 1 cup oat flour

  • 1/2 cup monkfruit sweetener (or sweetener of choice)

  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

  • big pinch of fine sea salt

  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

cake

  • 1 cup brown rice flour

  • 1/2 cup oat flour

  • 1 teaspoon baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature

  • 1/4 cup melted coconut oil

  • 1/3 cup coconut sugar

  • 1/3 cup raw honey

  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

  • 1/2 cup unsweetened plant-based cultured yogurt

  • 1 1/2 crisp tart apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4-inch pieces

  • confectioner’s sugar, for topping

METHOD

  1. preheat the oven to 350°F, oil an 8-inch springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper; set aside.

  2. make the crumb topping. with a fork, whisk together the flour, sweetener, cinnamon and salt; drizzle in the coconut oil and mix until combined, pop in the refrigerator while you make the cake.

  3. make the cake. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; set aside. in another large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to beat together the eggs and oil together; then add the sugar, honey, and vanilla; mix on low until combined. lastly, fold in the yogurt.

  4. 1/3 at a time, add the flour mixture until completely combined.

  5. push apple slices vertically into the cake as far down as they will go. remove the crumb topping from the fridge and use your fingers to break it up a bit into clumps; evenly distribute crumbs over top of the cake.

  6. bake for 50-60 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. remove from oven and place on a rack; let cool completely before removing the sides of the pan and serving. dust with confectioner’s sugar before serving.

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A SIMPLE PLUM & HAZELNUT TORTE

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HARISSA HUMMUS /  by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

closing out august with one of my very favorite things: hummus. this time around we’re adding a healthy dose of fiery harissa paste. harissa varies widely, but it’s a spicy-smoky aromatic chile paste. typically harissa is made from a blend of fresh or dried chiles, olive oil, garlic, and lemon juice; and spices such as: caraway, cumin, and coriander. it’s bright and a bit fiery, and just a little adds so much to such an array of meals.

this harissa hummus was inspired by one of mine and frank’s favorite spots we would frequent often in brooklyn: sahadi’s. we would go there almost every weekend to pick up their spicy hummus, mujedara, and some grocery items. but that hummus, guys. it was the highlight to the weekend. we would bring it to our local park, louis valentino on a breezy summer night and watch the sun set behind the statue of liberty. so while i can’t replicate that park or the view we once had, but i can make a hummus that comes pretty close to sahadi’s spicy hummus.

we essentially start by making a batch of my sunflower seed hummus (you can use a typical chickpea-based hummus recipe if that’s what you prefer). from there, we simply add a few teaspoons of harissa paste (this is my favorite), and blend it all up. it gives the hummus a beautiful muted orange color that i like to jazz up with toppings. i usually go with chopped herbs, toasted sesame seeds, harissa oil, and a good couple pinches of flaky salt. serve it up with some gluten-free pita bread and you’ll be one happy camper. ❤️

big end-of-summer hugs!

harissa hummus | gf & v

print the recipe

| makes roughly 1 1/2 cups |

  • this hummus recipe uses sunflower seeds. however, if you can tolerate beans/legumes you can use this classic recipe, or this mung bean recipe and add the amount of harissa pasta indicated below.

  • i like serving this with warm gluten-free pita bread, but cool crisp veggies are just as good, too :)

  • as for harissa paste, you can certainly make your own. but if you want to purchase it, i highly suggest ny shuk, it’s the best. you can also find a good one on the east side of LA at cookbook in echo park.

ingredients

  • 1 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked for at least 3 hours, rinsed and drained

  • 1/2 cup tahini

  • 2-3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  • 2-3 teaspoons harissa paste

  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt

  • freshly cracked pepper

  • 1/3 -1/2 cup water, to thin

toppings (optional):

  • chopped dill

  • toasted sesame seeds

  • harissa oil*

  • flaky sea salt

method

  1. add the sunflower seeds, tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons harissa, garlic, salt, a few cracks of pepper, and 1/3 cup water to the container of a high-speed blender (preferably a vitamix). whiz everything together on high, scraping down the sides of the blender as you go.  add more water as needed to get everything blended and smooth, making sure the hummus is uniform in color.

  2. once it's blended to your desired consistency (i tend to like it a bit on the fluffy, silkier side), taste and adjust the lemon juice, harissa, and salt if needed.

  3. spoon the hummus into a bowl. top with a few sprigs of dill, toasted sesame seeds, harissa oil, and flaky salt, if you’re not eating it right away, scrape the hummus into an air-tight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. take out of the refrigerator 1 hour before serving so it’s not too cold.

*harissa oil:

  • whisk together 1/2 - 1 teaspoon harissa paste with 2 tablespoons olive oil. taste and adjust, adding more oil or harissa paste as needed.

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SALTY SMASHED POTATOES W/ HARISSA YOGURT

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