I probably drive the BF crazy [Ed. note: like no one else, and for some reason I can't help myself], but I start asking him to choose his birthday cake-dessert about a month before his birthday. Usually give a choice of some great found recipe that includes either apples, caramel, butterscotch or lemon. Love hunting for the perfect recipe, with the goal of getting his eyes to bug out.

These apple pie bars are a client favorite, and whenever I make them the BF ends up in the kitchen, plaintively staring and asking if there are "extras." [Ed. note: "Oh those were for the clients?"] Needless to say the dessert has become one of his favorites, so I decided to make it for his birthday in lieu of a traditional cake. This was a very special birthday, by the way. [Ed. note: #LOLOLD]

One of the great things about this dessert is the shortbread dough is used for both the bottom crust and crumble on top. (Meaning there's no pie crust to roll out.) As the brilliant Ina Garten likes to say, "How easy is that?"

To really send it over the top, drizzle the bars with gooey caramel (optional, but recommended). Perfectly okay to eat with your hands, or dish/bowl them up with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

In addition to offering an alternative to your everyday pedestrian cookie, these bars have another perk: they travel well. Simply wrap up the baking pan and cut the bars when you get to your destination. As for optimal portion size, Garten advises, "I cut the bars in fairly large 3 x 3-inch squares if I'm serving them on a plate with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. If I'm serving them on a platter of small petits fours to pick up with your fingers, I'll cut them in smaller bite-size pieces."

NOTES:

• You can cut this recipe in half  by preparing it in an 8 x 8-inch pan.
• After baking, cool completely, wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to two days.  Great for birthdays, every day, and is a perfect make-ahead dessert for Thanksgiving.​

PS: Speaking of Thanksgiving, a year ago we were thinking ahead with this whipped cranberry butter (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/whipped-cranberry-butter). Also, Adam Sandler sings!

PPS: Another client-approved holiday-time dessert, your friends and family won't know this yummy mini pumpkin cheesecake is sugar-free and low-carb. That is, unless you tell them. So don't. (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-pumpkin-cheesecake-sugar-free-and-low-carb)

Adapted from: Ina Garten, Cooking For Jeffrey
Number of Servings: Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE]
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
• ½ cup chopped walnuts
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Apple Filling

• 3 pounds Granny Smith apples, peeled, quartered, cored, and sliced ⅛-inch thick (6 large)
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• ¼ cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 tablespoons (½ stick) unsalted butter

To Serve

• Vanilla ice cream
• Caramel sauce

Directions
Crust

1. Place a rack in the center of oven and preheat to 375 ºF. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with parchment paper so that paper hangs over two edges of the pan by about two inches. This will make the pie bars easier to remove after it’s baked.
2. Place the butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes, until light and creamy. Sift the flour and salt together and, with the mixer on low, slowly add to the butter-sugar mixture, beating until combined.
3. Scatter ⅔ of the dough, in clumps, into your baking pan, and press it lightly with floured hands on the bottom and ½ inch up the sides. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
4. Bake for 18-20 minutes, until crust is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
5. Put mixing bowl with the remaining dough back in the mixer, add walnuts and cinnamon, and mix on low speed to combine. Set aside.
6. Reduce the oven to 350 ºF.

Apple Filling

1. Combine the Granny Smith apples and lemon juice into a very large bowl. Add granulated sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and mix well.
2. Melt the butter in a large (10-inch-diameter) pot, add the apples, and simmer over medium to medium-low heat, stirring often, for 12-15 minutes, until apples are tender and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
3. Spread the apples evenly over the crust, leaving a ½-inch border.
4. Pinch medium pieces of the remaining dough with your fingers and drop them evenly on top of the apples (they will not be covered). Bake for 25-30 minutes, until the topping is browned. NOTE: I sometimes place the pan under the broiler to get the topping a little more browned.  Watch carefully so it doesn't burn.

To Serve

1. Cool completely and cut into bars.
2. Drizzle with caramel and serve with ice cream, or just pick 'em up with your hands.
   

[Ed. note: Once again, since it's Halloween, our four-pawed special-guest blogger returns.]

Okay. Hello. Marlowe here. Mom and Dad say it okay to write because I has a did last Halloween (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mini-butterscotch-apples) and then also as well again repeated here (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/sauteed-white-beans-with-kale). Dad better give me raise of more treats or I bite him. [Ed. note: We'll talk.]

Mom say Halloween one of her favorites times of year, which I no understand because weird little people ring doorbell all night and everybody tell me to stop barking. But I guess okay since little people very nice to me and give me lots of pets and scritches. Howevers nobody let me have any of small packages that they put in their bags, maybe I need to talk to union repersentartive.

Since it Halloween, Mom and Dad dress me up. You may remember I was UPS driver last year. This year I something called Little Red Riding Hood, and also a lumberjack. Mom like Riding Hood since good story, Dad like lumberjack because he keeps singing some silly song and I no know what a Monty Python is. Also not want speculate what Dad do in spare time. [Ed. note: More treats, yes! I think we can work something out.]

Mom says to tell you this cake like "little bite of autumn on your plate," which strange since though I a dog even I know you no can put a season on dinnerware. Duh. Oh, she also say this no need frosting and what the fresh hell who are you Mom?

Besides weird little people ringing doorbell, Mom and Dad like to put on even weirder movies like Hocus Pocus, The Blair Witch Project, Shaun Of The Dead, and The Shining. Me no like when that guy puts face through the door.

Mom and Dad say wish you all Happy Halloween, and Dad say please click ads on right-hand side because that give me more minty treats that good for teeth.

Thank you for reading and hope you like bundt cake!

PS: Last year Mom also went crazy with pumpkin motif and this quote-unquote epic pumpkin bread (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/epic-pumpkin-bread).

PPS: We no just stuffing ourselves with pumpkin stuff and candy, also try be healthy with this butternut squash chickpea stew, which Dad should have more of because he taking shape of school bus I always afraid of (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/butternut-squash-chickpea-moroccan-stew).

Me also not know what up with "Amok Amok Amok."

I wish I were a kitteh, just like my dear Papa!

Adapted from: Cozy Cakes Cottage
Number of servings: 10-12

Ingredients

• 2 ¼ cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground allspice
• ¾ teaspoon nutmeg
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ⅓ cups canned pumpkin
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature [Ed. note: God yes it's back ROOM TEMPERATURE]
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup brown sugar
• 3 eggs (large)​
• Powdered sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Spray bundt pan (10-11 cup capacity) with Baker's Joy (or butter and flour). Set aside.
3. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Mix pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla in another bowl. Set aside.
5. In the bowl of a stand-alone mixer (I used a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugars until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Add eggs and beat until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour and pumpkin mixtures, alternating (beginning and ending with flour mixture).
6. Pour batter into prepared bundt pan. Bake for about 45 minutes (check at 40 minutes) or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (crumbs on the toothpick are okay since it should be moist).
7. Cool about 10 minutes and remove from pan. Let cool completely. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

So this week marked the official return to school and, sniff, a signal that summer is coughing up its last gasp.

Time for dessert!

This sweet-tart, vibrantly colored crumble was a last-minute request for a recent dinner party. Pressed to come up with something quickly, I tried to steer away from more complicated desserts (i.e., no pie crusts to roll out, chill, crimp, blind bake, etc.), or even complicated fruits to steam, peel, or pit (cherries would have made this arduous). The nectarine, plum and raspberry triumvirate immensely simplified the process. No food processor or pastry cutter required. Prior to baking, it literally took ten minutes to prepare. [Ed. note: Damn, woman.]

I decided on a crumble as opposed to a streusel topping [Ed. note: Am so triggered by this I do not know what I should be triggered by], because I felt this particular fruit combo would have been overpowered by a spicy oatmeal and nut topping. Love streusel for apples, pears, blackberries and even blueberries, but this fruit combo needed something simpler, more delicate.

What is the difference between a crumble, crisp and cobbler? A crumble has a shortbread cookie-like topping. A crisp's topping is streusel based, typically made with spiced oatmeal and nuts, and a cobbler has biscuit dough dolloped on top.

​Don't get me started on the Betty, pandowdy, or buckles, grunts and slumps!

PS: A year ago we broke out the Spiralizer for some healthy chicken parmesan with veggie noodles (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/healthy-chicken-parmesan-with-veggie-noodles).

PPS: Channeling the late Anthony Bourdain, things got a little NSFW with this sinful mac and cheese (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/anthony-bourdains-macaroni-and-cheese).

Crumble topping inspired by Smitten Kitchen
Number of servings: 6-8

Ingredients
​Fruit Filling

• 1 pound nectarines, halved, pitted, cut into ¾-inch-thick slices 
• 1 pound red or purple plums
• 6 ounces fresh raspberries
• ¼ cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• Pinch of salt
• Vanilla ice cream 

Crumble Topping

• ½ cup unsalted butter, melted
• 6 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 ⅓​ cups all-purpose flour
• Two pinches of salt

Directions
Crumble Topping

1. In a medium size bowl, stir sugar, baking powder, flour, salt and melted butter  together with a fork until crumbs form. Set aside.

Fruit Filling

1. Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 ºF.
2. Combine nectarines, plums, raspberries, sugar, and tapioca in large bowl; toss to blend.
3. Transfer mixture to a 11 x 7 x 2-inch baking dish. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit.
4. Bake until fruit mixture is bubbling and topping is golden brown, about 40-50 minutes.
5. NOTE: the crumble topping will brown before the fruit is finished baking. Once it reaches the brown color that you want (this might take 25-30 minutes), take a piece of foil and lay it very loosely over the crumble.
6. Cool 30 minutes.
7. Serve at room temperature [Ed. note: Oh boy the return of ROOM TEMPERATURE] with vanilla ice cream.

If you've been reading this blog for any length of time, you know the BF lusts for all things lemon. [Ed. note: LEMONS] Turns out this is genetic, as his Mom was a huge fan of the sour cream lemon pie from Marie Callender's. [Ed. note: Can confirm.] And my Mom loved lemon meringue pie, dare I say almost to the point of being on equal footing with chocolate.

Well this pie isn't just lemony, tart and creamy, it's low carb, as well as sugar, gluten, nut and grain FREE. A perennial favorite, and #GuiltFree.

Broke this out for a client's Fourth-of-July BBQ, along with several other desserts like s'mores bars, ice cream sandwiches, blueberry hand pies, a flag cake and raspberry-nectarine plum cobbler. The pie was swiftly, voraciously decimated down to the last crumb, and most guests were unaware of the ingredients. Tasted like the real deal.

Try it out! Fool your friends! And hope you are all enjoying a wonderful summer.

NOTES: 

• Each serving has 3.92g NET CARBS. Including the pie crust.
• When made for just the BF and me, I cut the recipe in half and make a 6-inch pie with about 4-6 servings. Perfect.
• Please see alldayidreamaboutfood.com/ if you have questions on sugar substitutes and the hows and whys of using sugar substitutes in baking. Wonderful blog. The author is diabetic, with a sweet tooth. She knows her stuff!

In other news, a Marlowe update: our beautiful chocolate lab mix is recuperating from a recent surgery to remove a malignant mast cell tumor. So it's a bit like a slumber party in our living room, as we don't want her popping a stitch trying to hop on our rather tall bed. She's doing well and we're counting the days until those stitches are removed, then she can resume chasing squirrels, barking at the UPS guy, jumping on her favorite people, and going on her favorite long walks.

[Ed. note: We thank our family and friends for the kind words and well wishes. Please feel free to click an ad link so we can pay this vet bill!  ᕕ( ᐛ )ᕗ  ]

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 10

​Ingredients
Low Carb Almond Flour Crust

• 1 ½ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill SUPER-Fine Almond Flour was used here)
  
• ¼ cup Swerve Sweetener, either granular or powdered is fine
  
• ¼ tsp salt
  
• ¼​ cup butter, melted
  

Filling

• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 4 large egg yolks
  
• ⅓ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  
• 1 tbsp lemon zest
  
• ¼ cup butter chilled and cut into pieces
  
• 1 tsp lemon extract
  
• ¼ tsp xanthan gum (do not use more than this)
  
• ½ to ¾ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener (I like my lemon pie tart-used a little less than ½ cup)
  
• 1 cup full fat sour cream
  

Directions
Low Carb Almond Flour Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F.
   
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, sweetener, and salt. Stir in melted butter until dough comes together and resembles coarse crumbs.
   
3. Turn out into a glass or ceramic pie plate. Press firmly with fingers into bottom and up sides. Use a flat-bottomed glass or measuring cup to even out the bottom. Prick all over with a fork before baking.
   
4. Bake until edges are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
   

Filling

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine cream, egg yolks, lemon juice, and lemon zest.
   
2. Cook, whisking frequently, until mixture thickens, about 5-8 minutes (watch carefully, you do not want it to curdle).
   
3. Remove from heat and add butter and lemon extract. Sprinkle with xanthan gum and whisk quickly to combine. Stir in sweetener to taste (I like mine rather tart).
   
4. Whisk in sour cream until no lumps remain. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate for at least 4 hours to set (the longer, the better, so overnight is best if you can wait that long). It's also awesome if you pop it in the freezer for an hour after being refrigerated.
   
5. Top with lightly sweetened whipped cream.
   

Set out to make a cake made with olive oil to see what it would taste like. One bowl. No eggs. No dairy. Vegan. [Ed. note: Vegan? Chocolate cake? Is this allowed?] Why yes! Yes it is. In fact, because of the olive oil it's so incredibly moist, with a deep dark-chocolate flavor, it made me swoon. [Ed. note: Taking notes.]

This has been called a Wacky cake or Depression Cake (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Depression_cake), as during those years milk, sugar, butter and eggs were either expensive or scarce. Now my love of cake-making with oil instead of butter runs deep. I have baked many a cake with grapeseed or canola oils (both flavorless), but this was my first foray into using olive oil. The result is a far more moist dessert that keeps exceptionally well. Deb of Smitten Kitchen says, "On day four in the fridge, ours was as moist as day one, basically a miracle."

Using olive oil, for some strange reason, just never seemed right. I think of olive oil as being savory, but I was wrong. It truly works here.

NOTES:

• The cake base is vegan. The glaze is vegan if you use dairy-free chocolate chips. I made it with regular chocolate chips as that is what I had on hand.
• I doubled the amount of glaze as I wanted the whole cake to be covered not just the top.
• Cake keeps in the fridge for up to one week!
• When measuring your unsweetened cocoa, highly recommend weighing it on a scale or fill your measuring cup by using a spoon. Do not use your measuring cup to scoop with or you'll use far too much cocoa powder and that will result in a very dry, chalky cake.

Adapted from: Smitten Kitchen
Number of Servings; 8-12

Ingredients
Cake

• 1 ½ cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour
• ¾ cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa, any variety, sifted if lumpy (NOTE: Do not scoop with your measuring cup. First aerate with a spoon and then fill measuring cup with a spoon and level off with a knife.)-Can use natural or Dutched cocoa. I used Dutched. Try to use something dark.
• 1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
• ¾ cup (145 grams) dark brown sugar
• ½ cup (120 ml) olive oil
• 1 ½ cups (355 ml) water or coffee (coffee was used here)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cider vinegar or white vinegar

Glaze (this amount will make a nice glaze for the top of your cake. If you want the whole cake covered-double this amount.)

• ¾ cup (135 grams) semisweet chocolate chips 
• 2 tablespoons (10 grams) cocoa powder
• 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (20 grams) light corn syrup (for shine)
• A pinch or two of flaky sea salt

Directions
Cake

1. Heat oven to 350 °F. Line bottom of 9-inch round cake pan with a fitted round of parchment paper and coat the bottoms and sides with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt and granulated sugar in the bottom of a large mixing bowl. Add brown sugar and olive oil, and whisk to combine. Add water and vinegar, whisk until smooth.
3. Pour into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes (don't overbake!), or until top is springy and a tester inserted in the center comes out with just a few sticky crumbs (but not wet or loose batter). Cool the cake in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then cut around it with a knife to ensure it is loosened, and flip it out onto a cooling rack to cool the rest of the way.

Glaze

1. Combine chocolate, cocoa powder, olive oil, corn syrup, and salt in a medium bowl and microwave to melt, in 15-30 second increments, stirring between each until just melted.
2. Whisk until smooth. Pour over completely cooled cake and use spatula to gently nudge it down the sides.
3. Cake keeps at room temperature [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE] for 2-3 days and up to a week in the fridge. 

So, Valentine's Day is this week, and at some point I usually make a dinner the BF really loves. [Ed. note: Hey we're going out too! Cripes, now we'll get letters.] The main course is a no-brainer: prime ribeye. [Ed. note: Changing reservation to a more expensive place.] For dessert, want to make a treat that we both swoon over. Well aware that chocolate and Valentine's Day are synonymous, it's just not always the case in our house. Now, the BF likes chocolate but, unlike me, he really has to be in the mood for something super-rich chocolatey. He actually can say no to chocolate—I know, gasp! [Ed. note: Watches hate mail pile up.]

This pot de crème is like a turbo-charged version of butterscotch pudding. A decadent custard that's silky, butterscotchy, caramelly, salty-sweet, with deep notes of brown sugar. Squarely in the BF's wheelhouse, and I definitely don't feel like we have to have chocolate every night. Got to spice things up sometimes, right?

Truthfully, this is a solid go-to dessert for guests as it takes no time at all to prep (talking about ten minutes) and looks-tastes pedantically fancy. As easy and straightforward as the directions are, the only vexing part is dirtying two pots and two mixing bowls. It's worth it.

An added bonus, can halve the recipe so it just makes two small ramekins.  

This recipe is adapted from Molly of Orangette, who describes these pots de crème as "Cold and rich and almost hyperbolically creamy, the custard yields under the spoon the way a good down pillow does under your head: with a welcoming, slippery whoosh. The gates to heaven have never opened so easily."

She is not lying.

NOTES:

• ​This custard gets its deep flavor from the presence of two special sugars: muscovado and demerara. It may sound fussy to call for fancy sugars, but it's truly worth it if you have them on hand. If you don't, you can substitute dark brown sugar for the muscovado and light brown sugar or granulated sugar for the demerara.
• For the water-and-demerara step, be sure to use a light-colored saucepan. If your pan is made of something dark, it will be almost impossible to see the color of the mixture as it caramelizes.
• Prep everything before you start cooking.
• Don't over bake.

Adapted from: Orangette
Number of servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups heavy cream
• 6 tablespoons dark muscovado sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons water
• 2 tablespoons demerara sugar
• 4 large egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Fleur de sel (optional)

​
Directions

1. Set an oven rack in the middle position, and preheat the oven to 300 °F.
2. In a small heavy saucepan, combine cream, muscovado sugar and salt. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Meanwhile, combine water and demerara sugar in a medium heavy (2-quart) saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until browned and bubbly, about 5 minutes. (To gauge the color of the mixture, it may help to tilt the pan a little, so that the liquid pools on one side.) Remove from heat and carefully add the cream mixture, whisking until combined.
4. In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks and vanilla. Add hot cream mixture in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Set a fine-mesh sieve over a 1-quart glass measuring cup, and pour the custard through the sieve. Skim off any foam with a spoon.
5. Divide the custard among four 4-ounce ramekins or other oven-safe vessels. Select a baking dish, one large enough to hold the ramekins without any of them touching. (I used a 9” x 13.”) Fold a dish towel to line the bottom of the baking dish; this will protect the delicate custards from touching the hot bottom of the pan. Arrange the ramekins in the pan. Seal the top of each ramekin with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent a skin from forming as they bake.
6. Slide the pan into the oven, and immediately pour hot tap water into the pan to reach halfway up the side of the ramekins. Bake until custards are set around the edges but still jiggle lightly in the centers when shaken, like firm gelatin, about 40 minutes. (You will have to move the foil to see this.) Using tongs, transfer the ramekins to a rack. Discard foil tops and cool to room temperature. [Ed. note: ROOM TEMPERATURE] The custards will continue to set as they cool. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, or until you’re ready to serve them.
7. Serve plain or topped with a dollop of unsweetened whipped cream. (I opted to sprinkle with Fleur de sel.)

NOTE: These are best on the first day, but they’ll keep for up to two days, covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated. The texture slowly declines and they develop a thin skin on top.

PS: A year ago I broke out the Paderno Brand 3-Blade Spiralizer for some kohlrabi "noodles" with bacon, carmelized onion and shaved parmesan (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/kohlrabi-noodles-bacon-caramelized-onion-shaved-parmesan).

PPS: For those of you muttering to yourselves through clenched teeth, "Fake vegetable noodles? Forget that and this butterscotch deal, I want chocolate," let's revisit this chocolate oblivion truffle torte (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/chocolate-oblivion-truffle-torte).

This cookie went viral in autumn of 2017. [Ed. note: At our current pace, that is roughly 27,538 news cycles, since then. Give or take.] At the time, it didn't really look like much of a cookie to me, but I probably should have believed the hype. Have lost count how many times I've made these.

The recipe comes from Alison Roman's cookbook Dining In. In New York magazine’s Grub Street Diet blog, Roman mentioned that she has but one cookie recipe in her book, and it’s for these cookies. She said that it is, “in [her] opinion, way better than a chocolate-chip cookie.” Not sure about that, but I'll tell you that when I make them the BF and I can't stop eating them. [Ed. note: Sweet.]

A few notes that will perfect your cookies:

• Use a lower protein all-purpose flour such as Gold Medal, not King Arthur.
  
• Use a good salted butter (Kerrygold was used here).
• Do not overbake, even if they look underdone.
  
• Chop chocolate in chunks, not shards.
• Let rest overnight or longer.

PS: A year ago we summoned our Whole30 aspirations with this roasted potatoes and coconut turmeric sauce (www.moveablefeast.me/blog/roasted-potatoes-coconut-turmeric-sauce), then uh well yeah like threw that into the proverbial circular file with some Super Bowl-food Mississippi roast mini cheesesteaks ( www.moveablefeast.me/blog/mississippi-roast-mini-cheesesteaks). [Ed. note: It should be noted that because the game-time food was cheesesteaks that this had everything to do with the Philadelphia Eagles winning said Super Bowl.]

Adapted from: Alison Roman, Dining In and Smitten Kitchen
Number of Servings: 24 cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (9 ounces or 255 grams) salted butter, cold, cut into small pieces (Kerrygold butter was used here)
  
• ½ cup (100 grams) granulated sugar
  
• ¼ cup (50 grams) light brown sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
  
• 2 ¼ cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour 
  
• 6 ounces (170 grams) semi- or bittersweet dark chocolate, chopped (you want chunks, not thin shards of chocolate)
  
• 1 large egg
  
• Demerara, turbinado, raw, or sanding sugar, for rolling
• Flaky sea salt for sprinkling
  

Directions

1. Beat the butter, granulated and brown sugars, and vanilla with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, scraping down bowl as needed. Add flour, and mix until just combined. Add chocolate chunks, mix until just incorporated. Mixture will look crumbly.
   
2. Divide between two sheets of parchment paper, waxed paper, or plastic wrap and use your hands to form the dough halves into log shapes about 2-2 ¼ inches in diameter. Chill until firm, at least 4 hours, but ideally overnight.
   
3. When you’re ready to bake the cookies, heat your oven to 350 °F. Line one or two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Lightly beat the egg and open up your chilled cookie logs, and brush egg over the sides. Sprinkle the coarse sugar on the open paper or plastic wrap and roll the logs into it, coating them.
   
4. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut logs into ½-inch thick rounds. You’re probably going to hit a few chocolate chunks, so saw gently, squeezing the cookie to keep it from breaking, if needed.
   
5. Arrange cookie slices on prepared sheets one inch apart (they don’t spread much) and sprinkle each with a few flakes of salt. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are just beginning to get golden brown. They might look soft. Take them out of the oven and let cool slightly before transferring to wire racks to cool.
   
6. Plan ahead: the dough can made ahead and stored, tightly wrapped in plastic,  up to one week in the fridge, or one month in the freezer. Baked cookies keep in an airtight container for five days, 
   

'Tis the season for good food and great company. My wonderful cousin and younger sister, traveling from Oregon, paid the BF and I a visit, and we showed them a few of our favorite local spots. Even though I had to work for clients while they were here, we managed to squeeze in much fun.

One day, we visited the Cantor Museum and Rodin Exhibit on the Stanford University campus. On another, we walked up and down Palo Alto's University Avenue and had dinner at a delicious Menlo Park Turkish restaurant.

The last day, we took our choco-lab Marlowe and walked around Bol Park, aka "Donkey Park" (Perry was the model for "Donkey," voiced by Eddie Murphy, in the film Shrek), and ate lunch at Thai Bistro on California Avenue. In the evening we made gingerbread cake topped with eggnog whipped cream along with spiralized celeriac latkes [Ed. note: I don't think we ate it in that order?], and watched a superb documentary called Shanghai Ghetto.

When they left, while cousin and sister went up the long escalator at a local Bart station, Marlowe let out the most woeful cries as they slowly disappeared from view. [Ed. note: We'll forward the therapy bills.]

My cousin is an expert beekeeper and gifted us with the most amazing raw honey, which we can't stop dipping into. She also gave us homemade lemongrass soap and lip balm, as well as some sinfully good Burnside Distillery small-batch bourbon, which kept everybody warm! [Ed. note: Can confirm.]

My sister is very knowledgeable and talented with rocks, stones and gems. She gave us beautiful hand-engraved stones that say "Shalom" and "DZ," which now rest proudly on the kitchen window sill that I work in front of every day. More significantly, she also gave me custody of our mom's engagement ring (we trade off every year), which was was so brilliantly polished and shiny it practically glittered. She is also adept in the landscaping arts, and got to work in the backyard well before unpacking. (She makes up for my black thumb.)

Marlowe is always a happier camper when she has a "pack," and as usual the did the nighttime "rounds," visiting the visitors as they slept.

Life is good when these girls are with us. ​

And it wouldn't be a family gathering without dessert, so for December: peppermint! It just says winter to me.​

This cheesecake is almost too easy. No baking, no sugar, low carb and comes together in about 15 minutes. With a crust that tastes like Oreo cookies, it was the most popular dessert of the visit, even though we had plenty of other desserts with real sugar. There's only a slight change to the original recipe (upped the whipping cream from 2 tablespoons to 4), as I like a fluffier mousse-like cheesecake. Also added a pinch of salt to the crust. Should also note that I used my favorite brand of sugar substitute called Swerve, but you can use whatever you like.

Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food
Number of servings: 16

Ingredients
Crust

• 1 ¼ cups almond flour (Bob's Red Mill Super Fine was used here)
• ¼ cup cocoa powder
• Sweetener equivalent to ¼ cup sugar (Swerve brand was used here)
• 4 ½ tablespoons butter, melted
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Peppermint Cheesecake

• Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
• Sweetener equivalent to ¾  to 1 cup sugar (I used ¾ cup)
• ½  cup sour cream, room temperature
• 4 tablespoons whipping cream, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• Red food coloring to taste (use natural food coloring if possible)

Topping

• 1 cup whipping cream
• Sweetener equivalent to 2 tablespoons sugar (powdered or liquid sweetener works best)
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 1 ounce dark chocolate, melted (optional)
• 4 sugar-free peppermints, crushed (optional)

Directions
Crust

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together almond flour, cocoa powder, sweetener, melted butter and salt until well combined. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9×9-(or 8×8)-inch square pan.

Peppermint Cheesecake

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until smooth. Beat in sour cream, whipping cream, and extracts until combined.
2. Add red food coloring and beat until desired color is achieved.
3. Carefully spread filling over crust.

Topping

1. In a medium bowl, beat whipping cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over filling.
2. Chill cheesecake for at least 3 hours, until set.
3. Drizzle with melted chocolate and crushed candies, if desired.
4. Cut into 16 bars. Or cut into smaller bites for a holiday dessert tray.

NOTE: I found it worked best if you placed individual squares of cheesecake on plates and then drizzle with chocolate right before serving. This cheesecake keeps well for three days in the fridge.

The Holiday season is here, with Hanukkah coming up next week and Christmas soon following. Here we're breaking out a theme most revelers get behind: gingerbread. This looks like a gigantic Hostess Ho Ho [Ed. note: DID SOMEONE SAY HOSTESS HO HO], and may initially appear imposing, but it's actually very light and fluffy, with a beautiful hint of gingerbread spice.

Now it has come to my attention from certain people [Ed. note: umm <whistling>] that some of you might want to make this more of an "adult" dessert and put a dash of bourbon or rum into the eggnog filling. Honestly, I would advise against putting more liquid into the filling; the main reason I added mascarpone cheese was to make the filling more stable. Adding more liquid could make this a bit of a messier proposition. Of course, if you want to have a drink (like a bourbon or hot toddy) with the cake, by all means do. 

[Ed. note: Don't call this a "log" for cheap comedic effect don't call this a "log" for cheap comedic effect don't call this a "log"...]

Happy Holidays! More confections to come!

Adapted from: Crazy for Crust
Number of servings: 8-10

Ingredients
Cake

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup no sugar added applesauce
• ½ cup molasses
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  
• ½ teaspoon salt

Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 4 oz mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
• 5 tablespoons eggnog

Directions

1. Line a 10 x 15 inch jelly roll pan with parchment (for easy removal). Brush it with melted butter.
2. Beat eggs at high speed for 5 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar, applesauce, and molasses.
3. Stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, allspice, ginger, and salt. Add to other mixture. Spread into pan.
4. Bake at 350 °F for 10-12 minutes. To make sure the cake is done, a toothpick should come out completely clean. For cake rolls, better to err on the side of overdone, which makes them roll easier.
5. Turn out immediately onto a kitchen towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar. Starting at the narrow end, roll towel and cake together. Cool completely. The cake is sticky, soft, and spongey, and it might come off a little on your fingers, but that’s okay. Cooling will take at least 2 hours. You can make it a day ahead, just wrap the cooled cake with plastic wrap overnight.
6. In a stand mixer or with hand-held beaters, beat mascarpone until light and smooth. Add cold heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar, and vanilla. Add eggnog 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue beating until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip.
7. Once cake is cool, carefully unroll it. It might leave a little mess on the towel, but that’s okay, as long as you can peel it off. Spread about half the whipped cream over the top of the cake, leaving an edge at the end. Starting at the narrow end, re-roll the cake. As you roll it the filling will shift a little and you may need to remove some if you’ve put too much on the cake. That’s okay, just have a knife handy to scrape off any excess.
8. Wrap cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Place cake on serving plate and top with some of the remaining whipped cream and dust with cinnamon.

The BF and I recently had a wonderful dinner at a neighbor's house. Husband and wife (turns out she and the BF went to the same university and graduated a year apart) and their two adorable children. The wife made a special request for something sugar-free and low carb, something I always try to pull out of the proverbial hat over the holidays.

So besides the normal sugar-full monstrosity that sent the kids (and BF) spinning [Ed. note: GERPH SNORG FLEEGLE NOP], I presented a version of this pumpkin cheesecake to the wife.

"Honey, you have to try this," she gasped at her husband. Soon, everybody was taking a small forkful.

The husband and my BF, bless them, went from sumptuous satisfied grins to quizzical bewilderment. The husband cocked his head, "This is...sugar...free?" No wonder, it really did taste like a decadent cheesecake.

The BF likes to say these are "weapons." [Ed. note: As in, people, including or especially kids, will not question whether or not the dish has a particular ingredient until you tell them.] When time allows, I experiment and make us sugar-free-grain-free-low-carb desserts (or similarly constructed main dishes) and the BF will say, "It's okay, but it tastes healthy." Kiss of death. So when something gets the "weapon" seal of approval, it must be shared. The pumpkin cheesecake will definitely make an appearance on this year's Thanksgiving dessert table.

Many have even asked me to post more sugar-free, low carb desserts, so rest assured, there will be more to come.

A big reason why this cheesecake and other such desserts can now be made: sugar substitutes have come a long way in the last 30 years. Had never found one that I liked for baking, until stumbling on a product called Swerve (swervesweet.com/products), which comes in granulated, powdered-confectioners, or brown form. This is not a sponsored post, simply have made countless desserts with it and the performance screams "real thing." Will bet you can't tell the difference.

You can purchase Swerve online, or I have been lucky enough to find in my local grocery store. Am sure you could try a different brand, but I highly recommend this one and can't vouch for other brands in the final outcome of this particular dessert.

The original recipe for this mini cheesecake says it serves two, but for the aforementioned dinner it was cut into four small pieces and was a perfect ending to the meal. Made a few tweaks to the original recipe from the blog All Day I Dream About Food: upped the cream cheese filling just a bit and doubled the whipped cream topping.

For people who count their Net Carbs, half of this cheesecake is only 3 Net Carbs.

Number of servings: 2 large or 4 small
Adapted from: All Day I Dream About Food for Swerve, The Ultimate Sugar Replacement
(swervesweet.com/products)

Ingredients
Crust

• 3 tablespoons almond flour (Bob's Red Mill super fine was used here)
• 1 tablespoon Swerve (granular)
• 2 pinches salt
• 2 teaspoons melted butter

Filling

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2 ½ tablespoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• 2 ½ tablespoons pumpkin puree 
• 1 ½ tablespoons beaten egg (reserve remaining egg for another use, like an omelet!) 
• ½-¾ teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping

• 4 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
• 4 teaspoons Swerve (confectioners) 
• Dash vanilla extract

Directions
Crust

1. Preheat oven to 325 °F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 4-inch springform pan. 
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the almond flour, Swerve, and salt. Add melted butter and stir until it begins to clump together. Press into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes. Remove and let cool while preparing the filling.

Filling

1. Reduce oven temperature to 300 °F. 
2. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Beat in the pumpkin puree, egg, pie spice, and vanilla extract until well combined. 
3. Spoon the batter over the crust and smooth the top. Bake 20-30 minutes, until edges are set and the center just jiggles slightly when shaken. Remove and let cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate at least one hour. Run a sharp knife around sides of the pan before releasing the spring.

Topping

1. Whip the cream with sweetener and vanilla until it holds stiff peaks. Spread over the chilled cheesecake.