almonds Archives - East of Eden Cooking

2018/05/01

Strawberry Almond Cake with Strawberry Crumble

The wonder of early spring is captured in Strawberry Almond Cake with Strawberry Crumble. Freeze dried strawberries bring intensity of color and flavor to the decadent crumble topping. Almonds add depth and contrast to the voluptuous berry flavor.

“There’s a capacity for appetite, Samuel said, that a whole heaven and earth of cake can’t satisfy.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Like a greedy flower starved for water I can say that spring has arrived after devouring the first basket of locally grown strawberries. When that first basket disappears I’m looking for a cake that screams spring with a big bang of intense strawberry flavor. This spring I found that recipe with Strawberry Almond Cake with Strawberry Crumble. READ MORE . . .

2017/08/222018/01/25

Plum Almond Cake

Simple, Seasonal, Scrumptious

“There were three kinds, yellow, red, and green. Oh, yes, I remember.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Not all summer fruit has the best flavor. The most beautiful peaches can be dull and mushy. I’ve had cherries that didn’t taste like much of anything at all. Plums and pluots can taste like they don’t understand that without the tang they aren’t worth the bother. Such a disappointment. The first time I made the Plum Almond Cake I had stellar plums. The plum tang was nuanced and came in a cascading rainbow of bright, bold flavors. The second time I made the recipe the plums were lackluster, boring. I’d let them get a little soft, hoping for a sweet ending since I couldn’t find that pop of flavor I crave. What a surprise, both times the cake was excellent. Baking the plums in the Plum Almond Cake changed everything. As the cake bakes the plums sink into the batter, melting into sweet, jammy pockets of summer delight. A hint of almond and lemon intrigue lingers, making for nuanced layers of taste and textures. This is definitely the cake to make with any kind of plums and pluots, yellow, red or green all will be simple, seasonal and scrumptious. READ MORE . . .

2017/02/212018/02/09

Hippie Oatmeal Cookies with Hemp Seed Hearts

A Healthish Cookie

“February in Salinas is likely to be damp and cold and full of miseries. The heaviest rains fall then, and if the river is going to rise, it rises then.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Of course cookies aren’t very healthy, nutrition wise. Unless we add mental health, comfort and satiety. And a need for really good snacks. And hemp seed hearts. Hemp Seed Hearts are loaded with vegan protein and amino acids which is why they are typically added to smoothies or smoothie bowls. I’m not adverse to smoothies, they just aren’t a favorite. Making cookies is more interesting. Something I would do any day. READ MORE . . .

2016/07/252018/01/03

Cherry Almond Scones

A Favorite Recipe

“For the world was changing, and sweetness was gone, and virtue too. Worry had crept on a corroding world, and what was lost—good manners, ease and beauty? Ladies were not ladies any more, and you couldn’t trust a gentleman’s word.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

Oh wow! What an election year! Every day brings more information and mis-information. It’s a dizzy time in America. The one-two punches hit in the gut. Emotional responses explode throughout the media. Discussing the election is for the brave. I am already weary of the politics. Let’s bake our way to November to keep our sanity. READ MORE . . .

2016/04/142018/01/03

Individual Rhubarb Crumbles

Signs of Spring

“At three o’clock in the afternoon Lee was sitting at his desk, turning over the pages of a seed catalog.The pictures of sweet peas were in color. Now these would look nice on the back fence. They’d screen off the slough. I wonder if there is enough sun.”

East of Eden, John Steinbeck

Inspiration

I am a hap-hazard gardener. Happy to try new plants and ideas every spring and falling into the trap of over-planting and failing to give the plants everything they need. It’s a hazard. Last spring we bought a rhubarb plant. I was optimistic, but wondered if the plant would survive the winter. We planted it next to garage near the lemon verbena and sage. To my amazement, it flourished, and last fall I was ready to harvest. Thankfully I investigated how to harvest rhubarb before I tore into the plant. Rhubarb needs a year to get established before the first harvest. It’s healthier for the plant if the stalks are gently tugged from the outside edges of the plant, rather than cutting them. The rhubarb was beginning to outgrow its spot (the leaves are huge) and when the outer stalks began to lay on the ground and pull away from the center of the plant I began dreaming about fresh rhubarb. It was a sure sign of spring on the central coast. READ MORE . . .