thanksgiving

Double Coffee Pumpkin Cake (& A Giveaway) / November 22, 2016 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

Double Coffee Pumpkin Cake | dolly and oatmeal

we just took our first road trip the other week for a long weekend up on martha's vineyard. it was amesy's first long car ride and for the most part it went really well. he loves his carseat as long as the car is moving, so aside from hitting traffic on our way back he was quite happy! but travel by airplane is a whole different story. frank and i typically fly down to my in-laws in north carolina for thanksgiving, but we haven't built up the courage to fly with amesy yet since he's just 2 months old; plus, i can't imagine his little immune system ready to hold up on a plane ride yet. after a few years of traveling for the holiday i haven't really given a thanksgiving menu much thought! so thinking about what kinds of food we'll prepare this time has been a little overwhelming. and on top of that, i've put added stress on myself with the thought that i want amesy to have the best first thanksgiving ever - even though he won't remember a thing, nor will be be able to eat any of the food! (oh how i love you, self-induced pressure!) but the one thing i can always settle on is dessert. aside from the carby side dishes, i regularly look forward to a good pumpkin cake - something substantial and sweet, but light enough that it doesn't send you over the edge.

i haven't been back on my regular coffee intake since before i was pregnant, and now that i'm breastfeeding i haven't been drinking that much caffeine. but for the holidays i wanted a way to have my pumpkin cake and coffee too! a coffee cake naturally came to mind, but when i started researching recipes i couldn't find one with actual coffee. (i suppose traditional coffee cake is just meant to be eaten with coffee..?) so this coffee cake here has a decent amount of caffeine that also lends the pumpkin cake some really awesome flavor! most cakes with coffee generally instruct you to use strongly brewed coffee, but i lly just came out with this extra dark roast that i love baking with, it offers a good dose of caramel notes and a hint of dark chocolate flavor. since it's an extra dark roast, i don't have to worry about how i'm brewing the coffee, or granules to water ratio. and like any traditional coffee cake, this one comes with a good crumbly topping with a few walnuts in there for crunch and nuttiness, and some cinnamon spice ;) i hope you enjoy it as much as i do!

for the *giveaway* to say thank you to all of you here that come to this space and make it what it is, illy and i are giving one reader a holiday set of extra dark roast coffee, coffee mugs, and a french press! to enter: leave a comment below about what you're thankful for. the winner will chosen at random on tuesday, november 28th at 5pm. (open to US residents only, sorry international friends!) good luck & happy thanksgiving! xo

this post was created in collaboration with Illy. all thoughts and opinions, as always, are my own. thank you so much for supporting the sponsors that keep dolly and oatmeal going!

double coffee pumpkin cake | gf & df

| makes 1 9x5-inch loaf |

crumble topping

1/4 cup fine brown rice flour
1/4 cup coconut sugar
1/4 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons melted extra virgin coconut oil

cake

1 cup fine brown rice flour
1/2 cup oat flour
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup coconut sugar
1/2 cup brewed i lly extra dark roast coffee
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
2 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

method

preheat oven to 350°F. grease a 9x5-inch rectangular loaf pan and line it with parchment paper, allowing wings to hangover the edges on the long sides, set aside.
make the crumble topping. in a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, oats, walnuts, cinnamon, and salt. a tablespoon at a time, drizzle in the oil mixing with a fork until the mixture is wet and sandy looking. cover with cling wrap and transfer to the refrigerator.
make the cake. in a large bowl, whisk together the flours, arrowroot, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt; set aside. in another large bowl, whisk the coffee, sugar, and pumpkin puree until combined. then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until combined.
add half of the dry mix to the wet and whisk until combined. add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk once more until mixed. then fold in the walnuts with a rubber spatula.
remove the crumble topping from the fridge and break it up with a sturdy spoon or knife.
pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan and sprinkle the crumble over the top.
bake for 40-45 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through for even baking, until a cake tester comes out clean and the topping is lightly browned. (check cake at 30 minutes, if topping is getting too brown, make a tent with a piece of tin foil and cover for the remaining bake time.)
let cake cool on a rack for 20 minutes. using the parchment wings, remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely before slicing.

similar recipes:

olive oil & dark chocolate chunk w/ pears

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf) / November 17, 2015 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf) | dolly and oatmeal

kabocha biscuits (v + gf) | dolly and oatmeal

this chili is a variation of a recipe that i've been making for years - plentiful, warming/soothing, and super substantial. i guess there's some nostalgic here, as it was one of the first meals i made when i moved out of my parents house and into my own apartment. it was a meal i could be proud that i was able put together, and something that would feed and nourish me all week long. and when me and frank moved in together we would prepare it together too - summer squash chili in the warmer months, and a sweet potato or winter squash variety in the cold winter months. it's the kind of a mildly labored preparation that encourages cuddling up to a hot stove, as wind gusts find their way through the crevices in our windows. i generally serve a chili like this over a healthy mound of starchy rice, but there's this biscuit recipe that i've been working on for quite some time that i was super excited to pair with this chili pot, but also to share with you all!

the biscuits are a slight modification on a recipe from my cookbook (!!!, more on that later!), and they're kind of my favorite thing to make these days. first of all, they're all the "free's": gluten-free, vegan, soy free, etc., etc., and they check off two of my requisite biscuit boxes: tender and flaky. so, if i lived in a world where everyday-eats and thanksgiving collided, this would be my go-to. but if you're not into chili for a thanksgiving alternate, scrap it and just make the biscuits! they can be served alongside basically anything or on their own (i'm pretty sure me and frank ate an entire serving for dinner one night with a side of broccoli). excuse me while i sneak away and go make another batch ;) also, i've updated the sidebar of the blog for you all (--->), with some of my favorite thanksgiving-ish dishes!

wishing you all a cozy, peaceful holiday. i'll catch you in a couple of weeks! xo's!

sweet potato, black lentil + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits | dolly and oatmeal

black lentil, sweet potato + kale chili w/ kabocha biscuits (v + gf)

if you don't have kabocha squash on hand any other winter squash or sweet potato puree will work as an alternative. and both canned or homemade puree can be used for the biscuits. for the chili, feel free to sub in a diced winter squash variety or a root vegetable like parsnips/carrots, etc., or use collards for the kale, or quinoa instead of lentils.

biscuits

| makes 6 two-inch round biscuits |

1 cup chickpea flour
1/2 cup sorghum flour
1/2 cup arrowroot
1 tablespoon mixed herbs (i used freshly chopped thyme + oregano)
2 teaspoons organic cane sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup kabocha puree*
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
extra almond milk, for brushing (or, if dairy-free, you can also use an egg wash)

chili

| serves 4-6 |

3 shallots, diced
1 large sweet potato (or 2-3 small sweet potatoes), diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 28-ounce can fire roasted crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-sodium vegetable broth (or water)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon smoked papprika
4 large kale leaves, roughly chopped (about 3 cups)
1/4 cup chopped parsley, extra for serving
1 cup cooked black beluga lentils

*to make the kabocha puree, preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment. slice the squash in half and rub the cut side with a bit of olive oil. place the squash half facedown on the baking sheet and roast for 35-40 minutes, until the flesh is tender. let cool completely before using.

method

biscuits

preheat the oven to 425°F and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside. whisk together the flours, arrowroot, herbs, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pepper to taste. in a separate bowl, whisk together the kabocha puree, milk, oil, and vinegar. using a rubber spatula to mix the wet ingredients into the dry until dough begins to come together, then turn it out onto a floured surface and use your hands to bring the dough together to form a rectangle with a 1-inch thickness. use a 2-inch round biscuit cutter and punch out 6 biscuits, re-rolling as needed. brush the tops and sides of the biscuits with almond milk (or an egg wash) and bake, rotating halfway through, until the tops and edges of the biscuits are golden brown, about 13-15 minutes. serve the biscuits warm.

chili

heat oil in a large soup pot over medium heat, once the pot is hot, add the shallots and saute until soft and translucent, about 3 minutes. add the sweet potato and garlic and stir, saute until garlic is fragrant, about 1 minute. add the crushed tomatoes, water, and spices and bring it all to a simmer; cover the pot and turn the heat down to a low simmer, cook until the potatoes are tender and the liquid has reduced to half and the chili has thickened considerably, about 30 minutes. then add the kale and parsley and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. lastly, turn off the heat and add the lentils, stir until combined.
plate the biscuits and cut them in half, spoon a helping of chili between the biscuit halves and serve with a few extra pinches of chopped parsley.

enjoy!

similar recipes:

mung bean-leek burgers w/ shiso + chili mayo

butternut squash squares w/ chocolate drizzle + sea salt, a virtual friendsgiving + a giveaway! / November 24, 2014 by Lindsey | Dolly and Oatmeal

butternut squash squares w/ chocolate drizzle + sea salt | dolly and oatmeal

it's one last hurrah, before we hang up the thanksgiving hat and move on. but before we do, there's a few things we need to take care of. first! this week we're celebrating a virtual friendsgiving, hosted by renee, from will frolic for food and j.q. dickinson salt company! some of my favorite blogger friends will be sharing really rad thanksgiving dishes, menus, tips, the list goes on (you can follow on instagram by using the hashtag: #jqdfriendsgiving or follow along here)! plus, i'm giving away a bottle of j.q. dickinson company's beautiful salt. rarely do i call salt beautiful, but after watching this video on how they develop their salt, and watching the care and attention that goes into it, i've found an such an appreciation for their process. i've been enjoying this salt on just about everything, from roasted veggies, to topping weekend eggie breakfasts, to sprinkling it on my sweets! i can't find enough ways to use it!

if you've hung around this space enough, you're probably aware that i love sprinkling flecks of salt on anything made in combination with chocolate. which brings me to these butternut squash bars! there are so many recipes out there that i've been meaning to make, then months (and sometime years) go by, and then i'm reminded of them and kicking myself for how much time has gone by. case in point, laura's banana bread granola bars with chocolate drizzles! well, the baking stars aligned last week and i finally made them with a few seasonal changes. i thought friendsgiving called for more of a pumpkin bread granola bar situation, and from there i loaded these babes up with some warm spices and added a few festive pumpkin seeds. these butternut bars came together so delightfully, they're sweet enough to count for dessert, but hearty enough to enjoy in the morning as a sturdy breakfast. they are totally a new favorite non-treat, treat!

***for the giveaway! one lucky winner will receive a jar of j.q. dickinson salt company salt, wrapped in its personal little burlap bag! just leave a comment below, and i will pick a winner at random. contest ends friday, november 28th at 6pm!

happy almost thanksgiving friends! xo

butternut squash squares w/ chocolate drizzle + sea salt (v + gf)

barely adapted from The First Mess

| makes 32 bars |

bars

1 cup butternut squash puree
3 tablespoons unsalted almond butter (or nut butter of choice)
1/4 cup brown rice syrup
3 tablespoons maple syrup (preferably grade b)
1 tablespoon unrefined extra virgin coconut oil, more for greasing pan
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup puffed quinoa (or puffed brown rice, puffed millet, etc.)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped pumpkin seeds
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1/4 cup cacao nibs (or dairy-free chocolate chips)
large grain sea salt for sprinkling

chocolate drizzle

1/4 cup dairy-free chocolate
1 teaspoon coconut oil

instructions

preheat oven to 350° and line a 8x11-inch pan with parchment paper (make sure it's a big enough piece to allow overhang). set aside.
in a large bowl, combine the first 9 ingredients, until mixed and creamy. in another large bowl, combine the oats, puffed quinoa, nuts, seeds, and cacao nibs. add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix for a couple minutes, until everything coated and mixed thoroughly. transfer mixture to the prepared baking pan, and bake in the center of your oven for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown.
remove from oven and place on a cooling rack; allow bars to cool completely before cutting. with a sharp knife cut the bars into even squares
in a heat-proof bowl over simmering water, add the chocolate and coconut oil; stir with a spatula until melted. using a fork, drizzle the chocolate over the bars; transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes (you want the chocolate half set). remove from fridge and sprinkle with as much or as little sea salt as desired. place back in the fridge until chocolate has completely set
bars can be stored in an airtight container at room temp for roughly 4-5 days

enjoy!