Peach, Cardamom & Pistachio Financiers

Hello, friend.

Peaches are in season, which means, of course, I just had to make some peach financers. These aren’t your Momma’s financers, though. These are made with pistachio meal, brown butter, and spiced with ground cardamom to make for the perfect late summer afternoon snack. I was inspired by both Chef John’s and Eva’s recipes, so I knew I needed to make some for myself. Financers are just a fancy name for an spongecake/muffin hybrid. A few years back, I tried this recipe for Peach & Pistachio Lassis and I fell in love with the combination of the cardamom, pistachios, and peaches working so well together. I decided to marry those three flavors into these financiers. For this recipe, I wanted to experiment and bit and work with different types of nut flours. I, for one, had no idea of the vast array and types of nut flours (and frankly, the different types of flours in general). There are so freaking many! Who knew!? Here I am in the landlocked Midwest, where all I’ve ever grown up knowing was all-purpose flour, learning and exposing myself to new types of flours, meals, and grains. It’s really cool! Oh no, you better watch out. My inner food nerd is coming out.

Gluten-Free Quinoa & Dried Blueberry Granola + senior year!

Hello, friend.

A bowl of Greek yogurt, fresh fruit, a drizzle of honey, and a handful of granola is what a perfect morning looks like to me. Add in a cup of coffee and any song by Branches playing in the background and I can’t think of a better way to start the day. Recently, I’ve been getting into the vegan & gluten free food movements. I’m neither vegan nor gluten intolerant, but I am still intrigued by the art and science that goes into constructing and reconstructing recipes that are vegan and/or gluten-free. There is something powerful about the art of repurposing and substituting one ingredient for another that I just love about developing any recipe. It’s the thrill of discovery. It’s trying new recipes and daring to relearn old ones. It’s the constant search of that ‘eureka’ moment. It’s the process of starting from nothing to ending with something beautiful and memorable.

Deep Dish Lemon Meringue Cream Pie + Thoughts from Nashville

Hello, friend.

This recipe for deep dish lemon meringue cream pie is everything. The crust is warm, buttery, and flaky while the filling is chilled with the perfect balance of creaminess and lemony flavor. With a lightly toasted Italian meringue on top, it makes for a delectable summertime dessert. Truth be told, I made this pie a while back (ie. around the end of June) and have finally gotten around to posting it. Lemon meringue pie is one of my Grandma Cooley’s favorite desserts ever. Her lemon meringue pies are to die for. When she made hers, the crust is warm and flaky while the curd filling is silky smooth and finished off with a dollop of meringue that seems to float on top of the pie like little edible clouds. I knew I wanted to develop a version of my own. I had aspirations of making mine deep dish because…why not? 

Salted Caramel & Whiskey Apple Pie

Hello, friend. 

Is it too early in the season to share a recipe for apple pie? I don’t think so! When you taste this spiced-buttery goodness that is this pie you’ll understand why I’m sharing it now. My version puts a boozy twist on the classic recipe by using whiskey in the filling. A flaky, buttery crust creates the perfect contaminant for the sweet and tart cinnamon apple filling. The filling is made the night before allowing time for the apples to release their juices. These juices are then reduced in a pan over medium heat before being added back to the filling. Then it is lattice topped before being brushed over with an egg wash and sprinkling with sugar and baked until golden brown perfection. A warm salted caramel sauce is drizzled over the top for one of the BEST pies ever.