Concentric circles of fruit nestled in a sugar-studded pâte sucrée. It's the stuff of French pâtiserrie windows, so naturally, you'd think that galettes are time consuming and difficult to make. Quite the contrary: even novice bakers can successfully create this pan-free – and pain-free– tart in under 30 minutes. Galettes give you a huge "wow" factor for a minimal amount of effort, since you make the crust in the food processor. The most time-consuming step is peeling the apples [or pears, if you prefer]. I veganized and pimped this recipe which I originally found on Epicurious.

1. Blend flour and salt in processor. Add Earth Balance and process until dough resembles coarse meal. Add ice water and blend until dough begins to clump together, adding more ice water by tsps if needed. Wrap dough in plastic and chill 1 hour. 
2. Roll out dough between sheets of parchment or wax paper to 1/8-inch-thick round, 14 inches in diameter. Remove top sheet of parchment. Use bottom sheet as aid & place dough on parchment to large baking sheet or pizza pan. Chill 15 minutes.
3. Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss apple slices, 4 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon and zest in medium bowl. Spread jam over crust, leaving 1 1/2-inch border. Arrange fruit slices in concentric circles [Preserves are the "glue"], overlapping slightly. Fold crust border up over apples, pinching any cracks. Brush crust with milk. Sprinkle crust edges and apples with remaining  sugar.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F and continue baking until crust is golden, about 30 more minutes. Cool at least 10 minutes before serving.

I'm not into cute. But can I help it if these tiny raw cookies scream cute? Many raw desserts are quite complicated to make, but these wee treats are mercifully easy to put together [easy, that is, after you crack open a Thai young coconut]. They remind me of reverse Oreos, with the sinful "coconut creme" filling gracing the outside and sticky-n-sticky "smooshed" dates tucked inside. I think these would make a great lunchbox surprise.

The milk is simply almond milk. You can use store-bought or go all-raw and make your own. I like to serve the nut milk in a shot glass, sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon. Shot glasses make everything seem taboo and therefore decadent.

I used mini-pie cookie cutters to make the stars but you can use any small cookie cutters. Depending on the dryness of your coconut meat, you may need toothpicks to hold the cookies together.




Raw Sandwich Cookies

• Coconut nut meat from one Thai young coconut [To learn how to open Thai young coconuts, watch this video].
• About 6-8 Medjool dates
• Optional: about 1/4-1/2 tsp cinnamon

I think Frida would approve of raw chia pudding

While attending the VidaVegan Conference, non-raw vegans like me were intrigued by – and came to love – the raw chia pudding that graced our daily breakfast buffet. Its subtle sweetness and gooey consistency imparted the same satisfying comfort as the tapioca pudding my Babci [grandma] made for me as a kid. So of course, I had to recreate it at home. Amber of Almost Vegan kindly tweeted me some inspiration – the base recipe for raw chia pudding: 2 T chia seeds and 1 cup of almond milk.
When I gave my food writing makeover seminar at the conference, I had challenged bloggers to infuse their writing with their own distinct personality and style and to invent new words if they can't find the right ones. The same is true of recipes, mine or anyone else's; recipes are not rules – they are merely starting blocks. Food, like language, is fluid, continually evolving and changing.

What is my personality? Curious, loud and opinionated. Drawn to colorful people, places, clothes and flavors. That said, although the quiet flavor of basic chia pudding pleased me, my personality itched to impart the base with "louder" flavors, like chocolate and cinnamon. And so, another recipe was born. Take it where you will...

Mexican-Chocolate Raw Chia Pudding

• 1 T agave nectar, or to taste
• 1 T raw cacao powder [or cocoa,  if you're not aiming for 100% raw]
• 1 cup raw almond milk [any nut milk will do]
• Seeds from 1 vanilla bean [or 1 tsp vanilla extract, if you're not aiming for 100% raw]
• 2 T chia seeds, white or black
• Pinch salt
• Coconut meat slice, cacao powder or fresh fruit [eg, raspberries or thin orange slices] for garnish

Serves 2 

Whisk agave nectar and cocoa powder together in a medium bowl.

Whisk in almond milk and vanilla, then add the chia seeds. Whisk until blended and the seeds are separated.

Taste. Adjust seasonings and sweetness. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight. Spoon into bowls and top with your garnish of choice