December 21, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Molly's Chocolate Tahini Cake w/ Tahini Frosting | dolly and oatmeal

in an effort to make new traditions, i thought making holiday cookies was only fitting. obviously amesy is too young to partake, but the idea of him being in the kitchen with me while i bake seems like the beginning of a tradition we'll hopefully continue as he grows older. but as i was thinking through what cookies to make, it dawned to me that i didn't know frank's favorite christmas cookie/s! after having a quick cookie convo i was informed that his go-to's are a pecan cookie (very much like a mexican wedding cookie) his mom would always make, and jammy thumbprints that i make each year with my mom. so the plan is to have a cookie-making day this week (if the babe permits!) where i'm going to bake up these and these cookies for frank, these almond-based cookies for a naturally gluten-and-dairy-free cookie for my mom and i, and something chocolatey for my dad. we also like to enjoy a light little cake while we open presents and sip on hot coffee, so this cranberry-lemon cake from last year is on the agenda for a christmas morning treat.

and speaking of starting new traditions, i think molly's tahini cake will have to join the ranks! it's a no brainer that if you know molly and her blog, then you know that she knows cake! in her new book, molly on the range she highlights quite a few of them, one of them being this tahini chocolate cake with tahini frosting. i love tahini, in any and all applications, but adding it to sweets is something i reserved for another, more brave, day. so when i saw the recipe in her book, i knew i needed to try it. the tahini mixed into the chocolate cake adds just the right amount of nutty flavor that you can taste in each bite! and while i would normally think the tahini added to the frosting would be overpowering, it's actually quite balanced and lovely. and to make the cake a little more festive, i substituted the ground cinnamon in the frosting with gingerbread spice, as well as added some sugared cranberries and winter trees for a decorative topping.

i'm pretty sure you all know, but molly's book is genius! not only are there awesome recipes, but her writing is so beautiful and whimsical. when i had first received it, i sat there with amesy (all of a few days old) and read through parts of it with him. i'm not sure if he was staring at the beautiful photography, or the colorful illustrations, but he was entranced just like the rest of us, i'm sure. so if you're looking for a gift this holiday season, there's no better book than this one!

wishing you all the brightest of days, and the happiest of holidays! xo

Molly's Chocolate Tahini Cake w/ Tahini Frosting

recipe from Molly On The Range by Molly Yeh. reprinted with permission.

i made some substitutions to make this cake gluten and dairy-free, which came out really delicious. you can follow the notes below :) i also substituted 1/2 teaspoon gingerbread spice for the cinnamon for a more festive, holiday flavor.

| makes one 8-inch layer cake, one 13-inch by 9-inch sheet cake, or 24 mini cakes |

cake

1 3/4 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup flavorless oil
1/2 cup tahini
3/4 cup boiling water

frosting

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup tahini
2 cups powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

toppings

notes:

to make the cake gluten-free, i substituted the flour 1:1 with an all-purpose gluten-free flour mix, i used arrowhead mills heritage gluten-free flour mix (which i found at my local whole foods). i also replaced the sugar 1:1 with coconut sugar. to lessen the amount of refined sugar. to make the cake dairy free, i substituted the whole milk 1:1 with califia's unsweetened almond creamer. and i opted for melted coconut oil instead of flavorless oil for a more wholesome substitute.
to make the frosting dairy-free, you can replace the butter 1:1 with non-hydrogenated palm oil.

method

to make the cake: preheat oven to 350°F. grease and line the bottom of two 8-inch cake pans or one 13x9-inch baking dish.
in a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. in a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, vanilla, oil, and tahini. add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir to combine. whisk in the boiling water.
pour the batter into the cake pans or baking dish until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. begin checking for doneness at 28 minutes for round cakes and 32 minutes for a sheet cake.
let cool in the pans or dish for 10 minutes and then remove to a rack to cool completely.
to make the frosting: in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and tahini until creamy. gradually ass the powdered sugar and mix to combine. mix in the salt, cinnamon, and vanilla.
for a layer cake, level the round cakes and stack them with a layer of frosting between them. frost the top and sides of cake.
for a sheet cake, spread the frosting on top and cut into squares, or chill in the refrigerator until the frosting is firm and use a biscuit cutter to cut into mini cakes.

similar recipes:

cranberry, lemon & poppy seed breakfast slice

chocolate layer cake with macadamia mousse

Gingerbread-Spiced Vegan French Toast / December 14, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Gingerbread-Spiced Vegan French Toast | dolly and oatmeal

i've written about how special breakfast is to me countless times probably. so, i won't bore you with describing my adoration for morning time meals again. but french toast has recently become one of my favorite AM nibbles once again! when i was a kid my dad was in charge of breakfast on the weekends, and he was awesome at them! his specialties included cheesy scrambled eggs, pancakes from the box, and challah french toast.

most times french toast was reserved for the days following rosh hashanah, the jewish new year where we always had extra pieces of the pillowy bread. he never measured the eggy batter, usually just adding a bit of milk here, and a cap-full of vanilla extract there. the toast always came out just right, and always, always tasted like perfection! my standards were pretty high, so when i went gluten-free years later, i never thought french toast would be an option since i couldn't get bread that came anywhere close to challah. but when i was developing recipes for my cookbook, i really wanted to make a vegan french toast with a slightly sweetened chickpea flour batter. i tried a couple different gluten-free breads, but finally settled on this one. while it's not challah by any means, it holds together with a wet batter, and has that doughy center that i love.

so when i was pregnant and wanted a "fancy" breakfast frank would whip up a slice for me. and now, post-pregnancy, i still crave it all the time, and i wanted to come up with a french toast that gave a nod to the holiday season. something that incorporates all the flavors we love to eat, and all the fragrances we love to smell wafting through the kitchen. so what better than a gingerbread-spiced toast. i got together with my favorite, go-to spice brand, Simply Organic - who truly have the most vibrant, robust spices that make up this homemade gingerbread spice mix. the spice recipe is enough to have extra gingerbread spice on-hand for the holiday season for whenever you want some - maybe in your coffee or tea latte, maybe in your cookies or quick bread. but hopefully for this jazzed up french toast, because honestly, it's a really good one :)

this recipe was created in partnership with Simply Organic. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that help to keep dolly and oatmeal going!

gingerbread-spiced vegan french toast

in my opinion, the chickpea flour-based batter is the best alternative to eggs. it's fluid, but holds together, and offers a great texture when cooked. however, if you don't have chickpea flour and don't need to be vegan, you can certainly use eggs here.

| serves 2-3 |

gingerbread spice mix

3 tablespoons Simply Organic ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon Simply Organic ground allspice
1 tablespoon Simply Organic ground ginger
1 tablespoon Simply Organic ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Simply Organic ground cloves

french toast

1 cup chickpea flour
1/4 cup arrowroot flour
3 1/2 teaspoons gingerbread spice
pinch of salt
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 tablespoon maple syrup (preferably grade b), plus more for serving
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
hearty gluten free bread or your go-to vegan bread (about 6 slices)
extra virgin unrefined coconut oil, for cooking
1 cup unsweetened coconut yogurt, for serving
2-3 tablespoons chopped pistachios, for serving

method

in a small bowl, whisk together the ground spices thoroughly. then transfer to a lidded jar and store in your pantry.
in large shallow bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, arrowroot powder, 3 teaspoons gingerbread spice, and a pinch of salt. in a separate bowl, whisk together the almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla. whisk the wet ingredients into the dry until fully incorporated. if the batter is too thick add more milk by the teaspoon until the batter is more fluid.
heat a skillet over medium heat. once the pan is hot, add a nub of coconut oil (enough to coat the bottom of the pan), dip 1 bread slice at a time into the batter, then transfer to the pan. cook a few minutes on each side, until golden brown.
serve the french toast with yogurt, maple syrup, chopped pistachios, and a dusting of gingerbread spice.

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Crusty Baked Vegan Alfredo w/ Caramelized Shallots & Kale / December 8, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Crusty Baked Vegan Alfredo w/ Caramelized Shallots & Kale | dolly and oatmeal

when i was little my mom attended college full time. she went back to school after having my brother and i to change careers and fulfill her desire of becoming a psychologist. i know it couldn't have been easy with two little ones at home, especially during the week when my dad was at work. dinners were generally comprised of a prepared meal my mom had picked up, or some concoction of food my dad was going to make. but the few nights my mom had time to cook, she would occasionally make us her grandmother's macaroni and cheese recipe. like all good mac n cheeses, it started with a roux. from there, plenty of good-quality cheddar cheese was melted into the pot to make the creamiest, dreamiest mac n cheese which she finished with a dash of nutmeg. if there's a flavor i specifically remember from childhood meals, it's this one. it reminds me of warmth, love, and most importantly - ultimate coziness.

so when i was testing recipes for my book, my goal was to make a plant-based version of my mom's mac n cheese for an alfredo dish i wanted to include. after a bunch of recipe bummers i made finally nailed the right ratio of chickpea flour to water to soaked cashews for the velvety and silky texture, and cheesy flavor i had always cherished. frank and i love the recipe so much that it's become a dinner staple, especially as the weather has gotten colder. we usually dig in to one big bowl of it, with a fork for each of us, all cozied up on the couch with blanket. (that's how we get down winter-style.) but for the past few weeks i had been seeing a bunch of baked mac n cheeses on pinterest that were literally making me drool every time i saw them. initially i was scared to try a plant-based version, as i thought the sauce would get too dry, but i bit the bullet and gave it a shot.

i ended up doubled my original alfredo recipe, caramelizing some onions, sautéed some kale, threw some breadcrumbs on top, and baked it until it was slightly crisp and browned. and, guys, it was crazy good! hence, the recipe you see here today :) there are a few steps in making it, but ultimately it's a super easy recipe. and i've saved you a step by sautéing the shallots and kale in the same pot that the pasta bakes in. i used KitchenAid®'s oven-safe saucepan to sauté and bake, and it was a dream! it has an inductive bottom that makes for even cooking, which, for somebody who's lived in apartments with funky stoves/ovens for a while now, these are the only pots and pans that have provided even cooking and i couldn't recommend them more! all in all, this is a really snuggly dish, a hug in the form of food, essentially :)

wishing you cozy times! xo

this post was created in partnership with KitchenAid® Cookware. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

crusty baked vegan alfredo w/ caramelized shallots & kale | gf

| makes 6 servings |

sea salt
freshly ground pepper
12 ounces brown rice pasta (i like tinkyada fussili)
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
5-6 medium sized shallots
1 bunch kale, chopped (about 5 cups)
1/2 cup gluten-free panko breadcrumbs (i like aleia's)
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
fresh parsley, for garnish (optional)

alfredo sauce

1/2 cup raw cashews soaked for at least 4 hours, drained and rinsed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup chickpea flour
2 cups filtered water

method

preheat oven to 350°F.
cook the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente (see notes). drain and rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from cooking. set aside.
while the pasta is cooking, make the shallots, kale, and breadcrumb topping. in an large oven-safe saucepan with 2-inch sides (alternatively, you can use a casserole pan or any large oven-friendly dish with sides), heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium. once the oil is hot, add the shallots and cook, stirring every now and then until the shallots are soft and caramelized, about 8 minutes. add the kale and saute until soft and wilted, about 4 minutes. remove from the heat and set aside. combine the breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, a few pinches of salt, a couple grinds of pepper, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. set aside.
make the alfredo sauce. place the cashews, oil, nutrtional yeast, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in the container of a high-speed blender and set aside.
in a small pot, whisk together the water and chickpea flour until completely combined. place the pot over medium-low heat and continue to whisk every now and then until the mixture is thick and shiny , about 6-8 minutes. remove the mixture from the heat and carefully pour it into your blender. blend on high for 1 minute, until completely smooth and creamy. taste and adjust any seasonings, if needed.
run the pasta under water to loosen it. add the pasta and hot alfredo sauce to the saucepan with the shallots and kale, gently toss until everything is mixed and covered in sauce. evenly sprinkle the surface with the breadcrumb mixture and bake for 18-20 minutes, until the browned and crusty on top. serve hot and garnish with parsley (optional).

notes: because the pasta is cooking in the oven for an additional 18-20 minutes, you want to undercook it. i would say to cook it about 2-3 minutes under what you normally do to prevent the pasta from being mushy.