These are a spin on my vanilla macaroon melts— with extra almond flavor and dark chocolate.  Because unless you’re my sister-in-law who genuinely dislikes chocolate (yes really), I’m pretty sure we could all use a nice and tasty, feel good serotonin boost right now.  I myself have been fairly consumed with apartment hunting, ever since we received notice that our landlord is moving in and that we need to be out by the end of May.  Despite my being something of an anxious wacko lately who checks Street Easy and Trulia every half hour, I am of course aware of just how incredibly lucky we are; I know that no matter what we will have a place to live.  Even if it’s crappy.  Even if it’s with our parents.

Still, it’s hard not to feel a bit sad.  We’ve been here for over nine years.  And even though Phil and I were technically adults when we moved in together, it was over the course of living here that we actually grew up.  We experienced the amazing and the truly horrible and everywhere in between here.  We grew as a couple, adopted our cat Mica, got married.  I started One Window Kitchen in our one window kitchen with peeling yellow wallpaper, cracked walls and floor, and the beautiful painted tin ceiling that you see here as the background.

It’s a big change. I am actually really excited to live some place new, though.  Maybe our new apartment will even be nicer.  (As much as I love our place, “well-maintained” is not a term I have or ever would associate with it.)  We probably won’t stay in the neighborhood and may very well move to another borough altogether (WHAT UP QUEENS).  New York City is vast and it will be interesting to experience a completely different part of it.  And if we hate it, we can always hop on the subway and escape.

*Tip: If you have any leftover melted chocolate (and don’t feel like spooning it straight into your mouth), save it by pouring it onto some parchment paper and freezing.

½ cup blanched sliced almonds
20-30 more blanched sliced almonds (for subtle crunch) OR 10 whole roasted almonds (for more crunch)
½ cup + ½ tbsp unsweetened shredded/desiccated coconut
¼ cup + ¼ tsp virgin coconut oil
1/16 tsp fine sea salt
1 tsp almond extract
¼ tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 3 oz bar dark (56-71%) chocolate, chopped

• Line a small baking sheet or tray with 10 mini muffin liners.
• In a food processor, process the ½ cup sliced almonds and ½ cup of shredded coconut for about 1 minute, forming a coarse flour/meal.
• Melt the ¼ cup of coconut oil, and add to the food processor along with the salt, vanilla, and maple syrup.  Process for another 30 seconds or so, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl if needed, until well combined.
• Spoon the mixture into the mini muffin liners.  Top each one with 2-3 sliced almonds (or 1 whole roasted almond), pressing down gently, and sprinkle on the remaining ½ tbsp coconut.  Freeze for at least 30 minutes.
• Gently melt chocolate and remaining ¼ tsp coconut oil together, either in a double boiler over low heat or in a bowl in the microwave for short increments (20 seconds or so), stirring frequently either way.  Once melted, remove chocolate from heat.
• Remove frozen almond coconut patties from liners and set in a separate dish.  One at a time, drop each patty into the chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, then gently lift and let excess chocolate drip back down through the fork tines.  Place back on liner.  Work quickly for best results.  Freeze for 10 minutes, then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator (or in the freezer if you want them to last longer).

Yield: 10 chocolate almond delights

Recently I went out west.  It had been a really (reallllly) long time since I had been on a real trip anywhere, and I relished every moment.  First Philip and I went back to 95 degree summer weather in Austin, TX.  We wandered through an enchanted park, explored a cavern full of stalactites and stalagmites and tiny sleeping bats, ate delicious breakfast tacos from a food trailer (check!), visited the flagship Whole Foods (I know… but it is actually really cool), hung out on a rooftop with a friend from home, visited the capitol building, marveled at grackles, drank delicious coffee and juice, and interacted with friendly locals who would not seem at all out of place in a Linklater movie.  Then it was on to Los Angeles, a city which had long been on my list of places to visit.  Ever since I was Weetzie Bat books loving kid, I dreamed of LA’s hills and canyons, its punks and starlets, its purple jacaranda trees and old Shangri-LA magic.  Now that my friend Charles was getting married at the Malibu West Beach Club, I had an excuse to go.  And while I wasn’t crazy about all the driving and big box/chain stores everywhere, I was indeed enamored with pretty much everything else: the dessert hills juxtaposed with the blue Pacific, the coyote we saw one night casually trotting across the street, colorful flowers and equally colorful homes, teetering palm trees, winding roads, charming plant-enveloped alleys, the incredible architecture and landscaping of the Getty Center, dreamy Mulholland Drive, the PCH… I want to go back!  Best of all I got to spend time with dear friends at a truly lovely celebration.  The day after the wedding, we checked out of our hotel, got some iced coffees, and went back to Malibu Beach.  After soaking the bottoms of our jeans (despite our best cuffing efforts), we decided it was warm enough to go all the way in the water and besides, when was the next time we’d get to go swimming in the Pacific?  We changed into our bathing suits in the car and took turns holding the car keys while the other went in the water.  Then it was fries from In-N-Out, a quick drive through Echo Park, and finally LAX, where we returned the car and waited around for our after midnight flight home.  Naturally it took us some time to get back into the groove of things.  (I literally did not know where I was when I woke up in my own bed the next day.)  And the erratic weather– 80 something degrees and sunny followed by total blustery cold dreariness and full on fall– certainly didn’t help.  Still, home is where the cat is.  And the seasons, too.

These vanilla maple tahini truffles are perfectly autumnal and so tasty.  They’re easy to make, too, unless you count the waiting parts.  I’m pretty crazy for tahini and maple syrup (see my recipe for vanilla maple tahini spread)– so much so that sometimes I’ll skip the mixing and simply heap the two ingredients precariously onto a spoon and then shovel it directly into my mouth while standing over the sink.  Because you know, dishes.  Anyway, it was only a matter of time until chocolate entered the mix.  These truffles are sweet and salty and feel just indulgent enough, the kind of treat I think we could all use right about now, wherever we are.

½ cup tahini
heaped 1½ tbsp maple syrup
½ tsp vanilla extract
1½ tbsp refined coconut oil, melted, plus another scant 1/8 tsp
1/16 tsp fine sea salt
one 3.2 oz bar of dark chocolate, chopped
bit of flaky sea salt

• Use a food processor to mix tahini, maple syrup, vanilla, and fine sea salt until well combined, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the machine running, slowly pour in the melted 1½ tbsp coconut oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a dish and freeze, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes, or until firm but not totally frozen.
• Line a plate with parchment paper. Use your hands to roll tahini mixture into balls, approximately 1” in diameter, and set on the lined plate. Freeze for 25 minutes.
• Melt chocolate with scant 1/8 tsp coconut oil in a double boiler over low heat, stirring frequently. Alternatively, melt in the microwave in short increments. Once melted, remove chocolate from heat. One at a time, drop each tahini ball into the chocolate and use a fork to roll it around, then gently lift and let excess chocolate drip back down through the fork tines. Place back on parchment lined plate and sprinkle with a little flaky salt. Freeze for 10 minutes, then transfer to a container and store in the refrigerator.

Yield: About 15 truffles

Maybe it’s because I indulged in an exquisite green tea macaron from Confectionery last week.  Or maybe it’s because right after that Phil and I got sucked into a documentary on the Japan channel (and now I want to go live in the Japanese countryside and farm heirloom rice and drink from natural spring waters and make my own miso with adorable, healthy food loving children).  Or maybe it’s because it’s summer and hot AF and I’m craving fresh, clean flavors.  Whatever the reason, I’ve had whipped matcha coconut cream on the brain.  I had originally intended to serve it with raspberries, but the blueberries at the market just looked so much better (and yes, they were cheaper). I still think this would be good with raspberries, and probably peaches as well, but I urge you to try it with blueberries.  The flavor combination is sublime.

1 13.5oz can (full fat) coconut milk
1 tsp matcha powder (I used this kind)
1 tbsp sugar
blueberries (or fruit of choice)

• Turn can of coconut milk upside down and refrigerate for at least 24 hours.
• Remove can from refrigerator, turn right side up, and open. Slowly pour out the watery liquid, and set aside for another use. Scoop out the thickened cream and place in a medium bowl along with the matcha and sugar. Use a hand mixer (or stand mixer with a whisk attachment) on speed 2 to whip the mixture until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Serve as a topping for berries, or refrigerate until ready to use.  The whipped cream will firm up significantly in the fridge, so you may wish to re-fluff it with the mixer just before serving.

Yield: About 1 cup whipped cream