A little breakfast treat for you this morning, friends. I made this seeded granola from Good to the Grain, Kim Boyce’s excellent book about baking with whole grains, as part of a mass Sunday afternoon prep-for-the-week cooking extravaganza last weekend.

I’m trying to get good at walking the walk, and actually making big batches of stuff to get me through five lunches at work and frantic I’m-so-hungry moments. I’ve been making simple quinoa salads on Sundays like it’s my job, and it really does make a difference to have a healthy lunch ready everyday.

This granola doesn’t really fall into the “healthy” category but it is easy to grab and super delicious. It’s less clumpy than normal granola (boo), probably because it’s made from seeds and oats and lacks bigger flakes, but it’s super tasty and full of brown sugar, butter, and a kick of cayenne powder that pretty much makes me want to marry it.

Seeded Maple Granola
adapted from Good to the Grain by Kim Boyce

Ingredients

Dry mix:

• 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
• 2 cups whole rolled oats
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• 1/8 cup flax seeds
• 1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder

Syrup:

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1.5 oz unsalted butter
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325F/165C. Toast the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes then remove and set aside.
2. Combine all the dry ingredients in a large bowl, including the pumpkin seeds, mixing thoroughly with your hands.
3. Make the syrup: combine the butter, maple syrup, brown sugar, and salt in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Place on the stove top over medium heat until the mixture comes to a boil, bubbling all over.
4. Remove from the heat and immediately stir into the dry ingredients, using a rubber spatula to completely cover and coat. Spread the mixture onto a Silpat-lined (or buttered) baking sheet in one uneven layer and bake for 30 minutes, removing to stir and turn every ten minutes.
5. Remove from the oven and let rest for a decent amount of time on the baking sheets so that those glorious clumps of granola form. Stores in an airtight container for about a week.

Downton Abbey marathons | Chilly-sunny walks | New desk chair | Red leaves | Yellow leaves | Really dark chocolate | Amazing books | Spiced ginger cake.

All good things which have been happening in these parts recently. (Pretty wild, aren’t I?)

This cake was my first foray into baking with almond flour and I have to say, I might be smitten.

The result is a more dense cake which means a little slice goes a long way. It’s super filling and when you think about the natural fat and caloric values of almonds compared to flour that makes sense but don’t be put off by that – it’s good, cholesterol-reducing fat, as opposed to the empty calories of white flour.

The hint of almond flavour goes wonderfully with all the warm spices in this cake: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, and of course ginger. I can think of no better way to spend a blustery weekend afternoon than baking {and eating} it. Enjoy!

Spiced Ginger Cake
adapted from Roost

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups almond flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp ground allspice
• 4 tsp ground ginger
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Combine dry ingredients in a bowl and lightly whisk together. Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Using a rubber spatula mix wet and dry ingredients until combined.
2. Pour into a greased 9×5″ loaf pan and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. If the top begins to get too brown lay a sheet of foil on top to prevent burning (I did this at about 30 mins in). Allow to cool for a whole hour before removing from the pan.

Well, it happened. Autumn came and with it some beautiful sunny, warm days full of orange, yellow, and bright red leaves. And then all of a sudden it was too cold for my thin trench and a scarf was appreciated. The radiators came on at home and I started wearing thick socks around the house (not long til this).

And just like that, I was ready to get back in the kitchen, ready to feel the heat from the oven and to pad around in those thick socks waiting for something sweet to have with a cup of tea.

The texture of these cookies is light as a feather – almost papery – but the flavour is all cookie. Deep almond, richly dark sugar, a hint of vanilla, and chunks of intense cocoa-y chocolate.

Certainly you shouldn’t really think of them as cookies, at least not if you’re used to the floury kind. They’re incredibly delicate – beware of heavy, grabby hands – and yes, crumbly, but their rich, deep taste pays off in spades. They’re quite addictive, in fact.

Almond Butter Cookies
adapted from Nicole Spiridakis and inspired by London Bakes

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond butter
• 1/4 cup organic dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 small egg
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tbsp maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• Small pinch of salt
• 1/4 cup whole almonds, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips or chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350F/150C.
2. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat (or grease) and set aside.
3. In a large bowl, stir the almond butter, dark brown sugar, and white sugar together until well combined.
4. Add egg, baking soda, maple syrup, vanilla and salt and mix well. Stir in the chopped almonds and chocolate chips/chunks.
5. Using a teaspoon, scoop out small, walnut-sized amounts of dough and roll them in your hands to form a ball. Place on the cookie sheet about an inch apart. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, until lightly browned. Cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about a dozen cookies.