Cacao Nib - Oat Sables and Dairy Success

My friend Julie dropped by with a bag of oat flour this week. Such a good friend! She and I share a love of oats, especially in chocolate chip oatmeal cookie form, and I promised I’d bake a treat for her using the oat flour.

While musing over the oat flour (delightful moments indeed), I thought of Abby Dodge’s Bake Together Challenge. This month’s recipe is a savory sable. I am always fond of a buttery, flaky cracker and Abby shared her recipe to get started.

With the oat and chocolate theme foremost on my mind, I decided to create a savory version for the sables. By swapping out some of the all-purpose flour for oat flour and including cacao nibs I could get the oat and chocolate flavors without the sweetness of a cookie. A little goat cheese added creamy indulgence, too.

The dough for the sables came together perfectly and was easy to work with. The resulting sable is delicate and crispy, rather like an afternoon tea biscuit. They are quite dainty and pair well with a soft topping, such as clotted cream or cultured butter.

Speaking of which, I am happy to report I had great success with making cultured butter and clotted cream this week! Small jars of each sit in my fridge now and make me very happy every time I open the door. I must admit, I’ve been in dairy heaven with all the tasting I’ve been doing. Clotted cream is a new family favorite, and I can’t wait to start dipping this spring’s fresh radishes in the butter. So much to look forward to!

Cacao Nib - Oat Sables
Adapted from Abby Dodge’s Spicy Parmesan Sables
Makes 29

Ingredients I used:
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup oat flour
2 ounces soft goat cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) chilled, unsalted butter, cut into slices
2 tablespoons + 1 1/2 teaspoons cold water
1/4 cup cacao nibs
Fleur de sel for sprinkling

I followed Abby’s directions exactly, adding the cacao nibs after the cold water and pulsing a few times.

Roasted Tomato Fritters with Aioli

Who doesn't love a fritter? Memorial Day weekend is approaching and I'm thinking of a yummy appetizer that can be served at your barbecue. I don't know if we'll have barbecue weather in Seattle... lots of rain forecasted. But we can still celebrate and eat some tasty bites. Aioli is wonderful to dip in and tomatoes always go well with it.

Roasting tomatoes gives them a whole new depth and sweetness. Roast some extra to keep in your refrigerator to add to salads or grain dishes. I am playing around with different flours these days, so decided to try barley flour which gives a nutty sort of flavor. You could also use spelt, whole wheat pastry, white flour or a mix of these.


Roasted Tomato Fritters
Makes 24 small fritters

2 pints cherry tomatoes
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided, plus more for frying
1 cup barley flour
1/4 cup chives, minced
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the cherry tomatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil and spread on baking sheet. Roast the tomatoes for about 45 mintues, until they are split and starting to shrivel.

In a mixing bowl, scrape the tomatoes in with their juices. Add the flour and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Mix well and mash the tomates into the mixture. Stir in the chives, salt and pepper.

Set a medium sized fry pan over medium high heat to warm. Add a drizzle of olive oil, then drop teaspoon sized dollops of the fritter dough onto the pan. Flatten slightly and fry until golden brown. Turn the heat down to medium if they are getting dark too soon. Flip and fry the other side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate to absorb excess oil. Serve with the aioli for dipping (recipe follows).

Aioli (adapted from food52.com):

1 egg yolk, room temperature
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 garlic clove, mashed
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cups grapeseed oil
1/4 cup olive oil

Whisk the egg yolk, lemon juice, garlic and salt together. Add the grapeseed oil slowly and whisk quickly to incorporate. Next whisk in the olive oil, slowly adding and incorporating. Makes 1 cup