The Cutest class party snack

My oldest is finishing Kindergarten and is having a class party today. Since I’m about to start very vigorous studies, this would possibly be my last chance for a few years to spend any time making a cute snack for him to bring in.

 

Snickerdoodle cupcakes

At Whole Foods today I saw snickerdoodle cookies. They were by Udi’s, so I had a secret hope they would be dairy free like their breads, but no such luck. I was terribly disappointed as I LOVE snickerdoodle cookies. I also love cupcakes, so when I got home, I decided to combine the two. As usual, I went on Pinterest for inspiration and put several recipes together in addition to customizing more to make mine.

The easy thing to dedairyfy was replacing milk with soy milk, but I wanted more out of the cupcakes. I replaced all purpose flour with cake flour, which meant I had to increase the amount. I also replaced regular sugar with caster sugar, so I decreased the amount of sugar since caster is more finely grained. Using cake flour and caster sugar resulted in a light-as-air crumb.

Rosewater nougat

Rosewater nougat has the most alluring floral taste and scent. It’s a chewy confection with a delicious crunch from two types of nuts. The main nougat color is white, and, when cut, the beautiful green of pistachios and contrasting tan of macadamia nuts make them a feast for the eyes.

Lilikoi bars (passion fruit bars)

My husband and I went hiking today at a new trail. This trail is a very well kept secret we can’t even find information on online, and we thought we could find everything online! It’s wonderful to have a trail mostly to ourselves with fantastic views, but the trail also offers a tasty surprise: lilikoi!

Let’s-pretend-it’s-healthy-because-it’s-pineapple dessert

Living in Hawaii comes with perks, such as fresh pineapple year round. But don’t get caught stealing one from the fields: the fine is $5000!

Dedairyfied “cream sauce”

I have been craving pasta with a thick cream sauce, loaded with cheese. My poor tummy, however, has, quite determinedly, said no every time the thought of eating it has crossed my mind. I really hate it when my tummy and my brain disagree!

So today, I decided to try to dedairyfy a cream sauce to make both my tummy and my brain happy. And, I’m glad to inform you all that I succeeded.

Döner Kebap

Ever since leaving Germany for the States I’ve been craving the typical German street fare of Döner Kebaps. And ever since moving from Norway I’ve been craving the typical Norwegian street fare of kebabs. The two countries’ versions are quite different from one another, but they are, at least, more similar than the British version. 

Norwegian version

Cubes of marinated meat (possibly beef) is precooked and tossed in a hot pan to crispen up the edges. It’s served inside a pita bread with cabbage, corn, onions, and a mayonnaise, kefir, and ketchup based sauce with the optional spicy sauce. 

German version

Huge spears of meat (venison, lamb, or a combination of the two, and some places you might find chicken) are cooked rotisserie style, and the cooked edges are shaved off as tiny pieces. The pita breads they’re served in are usually freshly baked. The meat is served with cabbage, cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, and a yogurt based sauce, as well as optional spicy sauce and a big slice of feta cheese. 

British version

It has been a LOT of years (I think about 1996) since I had one in England, so please excuse me if I remember correctly (and please comment with your corrections), but the meat and veggies are served on top of a pita bread (instead of inside), and the meat is LONG slices of thinly cut lamb, so you have to fold the pita in half in order to eat it. 

I used my regular fail proof pita recipe and scoured the internet and Pinterest in search of a good recipe for Döner Kebaps and the Norwegian style. 

Here’s what I came up with, which is a bit of a combination between the two styles and based on, perhaps, five different online recipes. 

Ingredients for pitas (makes 6-10, depending on the size of each)

1 1/4 C warm water

1 tbsp dry yeast

1/4 tsp salt

3-3 1/2 C flour

Method for pitas

Sprinkle the yeast over the water; let sit five minutes. Add salt and flour and knead eight minutes. Make 6-10 balls (depending on desired size) and flatten with a rolling pin. Let rest, covered, 30-40 minutes. Make sure you sprinkle flour under the dough to ensure it won’t stick. Preheat a pizza stone or baking sheet in the oven at 425 degrees F. Using a spatula, flip each pita over onto the hot stone. Try not to handle the dough much or it might not puff. Bake 10-15 minutes until puffed and slightly golden. Cool on rack. 

Ingredients for meat

1 pork loin or desired type of meat, partially frozen

1 tsp garam masala 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp lemon juice

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp oregano

Method for meat

Slice the partially frozen meat as thinly as possible. Mix marinade ingredients, then toss in the meat. Marinade at least 1 hour. Place meat in SINGLE layer on a rack over a baking sheet with edges to catch drippings. Place under broiler. Broil 3 minutes, flip the meat, then broil 3 more minutes or until the meat is crispy at the edges. 

Ingredients for dedairyfied Norwegian style sauce

1/2 C mayonnaise

Almond milk

Ketchup

2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

1/4 tsp garlic powder

Method for dedairyfied Norwegian style sauce

Whisk mayo with almond milk until it’s on the funny side. Add ketchup until the sauce is pink. Add parsley and garlic powder. 

Ingredients for German style sauce (with dairy)

1/2 C Greek yogurt 

1 tsp oregano

1/4 C olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice 

Salt and pepper to taste

Method for German style sauce

Whisk all ingredients together. 

  
Serve the meat in a pita bread with lettuce or cabbage, cucumber, tomato, and corn (if desired). Spread sauce over the filling. 

Enjoy!

Fyrstekake (prince cake)

One of my favorite food memories from my childhood is fyrstekake: a tart, of sorts, filled with heavenly marzipan.

Apple cinnamon roll roses

I hosted a brunch this weekend and wanted to make something that was aesthetically pleasing and very yummy. I found the idea for these apple roses on Pinterest, though I did a bit of changing to dedairyfy them and because I forgot to actually pin the recipe.