Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate

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Olive Oil Cake with Dark Chocolate

Olive oil cakes are, at their best, incredibly fragrant, moist, flavorful creations. They lend themselves to all manner of tweak and topping: you can load them with citrus elements, or stud them with chocolate (as Boyce does here); you can let them be and top with macerated cherries and any other fruit compote. They are a lovely combination of sweet and savory which makes them as good for breakfast as they are for dessert. And this one incorporates some spelt flour which pairs marvelously with the chocolate.

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Blackberry and Peach Crisp with Sage-infused Brown Butter Topping

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Blackberry and Peach Crisp with Sage-infused Brown Butter Topping

Since I was very young, I've adored a good crisp and still take great pleasure in all manner of crisps, crumbles and cobblers today. They remind me of home; they're simple yet, when well done, extraordinarily good; they're flexible; and they're a terrific way to highlight fresh fruit. I love blackberries and peaches and enjoy adding herbal elements into sweet things; it provides terrific contrast to the sugar aspect as well as a complexity you might not otherwise have. This is a perfect crisp in my opinion. I hope you enjoy it too!

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Aunt Da’s Tea Cakes, reimagined

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Aunt Da’s Tea Cakes, reimagined

My maternal great aunt, Aunt Da, made wonderfully simple tea cakes that seemed simultaneously substantial and light. She always made huge batches and stored them in a silver canister that seemed bottomless. Here, I've reimagined them to be even lighter (using a combo of cake and whole wheat pastry flour) and slightly spiced with Irish Breakfast tea, Meyer lemon zest and a nice dose of marzipan (rather than the originally called for vanilla). These are absolutely delightful, subtly flavored pillows of comfort. 

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Fennel and Sultana Bread

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Fennel and Sultana Bread

I've always loved a whole grain bread that manages to be unabashedly healthy and light. This bread combines some of my favorite flavors -- the sweet, anisey zing of toasted fennel seeds; fennel itself; sultanas; and some supporting actors like lemon zest and honey. Toasted slices drizzled with honey make for a fabulous breakfast or an afternoon snack with tea.

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Vegan Walnut-Date Scones

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Vegan Walnut-Date Scones

Having long loved the vegan scones from Whole Foods, I looked around to find an approximation (WF won't share the recipe). I found this on Eating Consciously and have adapted it slightly, most notably to include oats. You can sub pecans for the walnuts if they're more your speed. If you want to use all maple syrup or all agave, that's cool too.

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