salted caramel peach funnel cakes

happy AUGUST!? summer is flying by fast as always. i hope everyone is enjoying their long weekend, even if you were hit with a big thunderstorm like we were. i enjoyed staying inside & baking loads of zucchini bread + zucchini fritters [check out NOM for that recipe] until the sun was ready to come out! last weekend justin's work had a "christmas in july" party that was full of food trucks & deep fried food galore. fresh donuts, deep fried oreo's, pizza rolls & you guessed it.. funnel cakes! instead of coming home that night thinking i ate wayyyy too much fried food, i woke up craving another funnel cake. however, because it is hard to compete with fair funnel cakes & food truck versions i thought topping it with salted caramel would make this at home version a hit. to make it "healthy" i served it with freshly sliced peaches, instead of that pre-made pie topping it is usually served with. plus, when you make them at home you can serve them up in fancy mauviel copper pans & porcelain paper plates;)

ingredients

for the funnel cakes

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 3/4 cups milk
• 2 peaches, thinly sliced
• 1 batch salted caramel sauce, recipe below or store bought
• 1 cup of sweet whipped cream
• 1/2 cup of powdered sugar, for dusting
• canola oil, for frying

for the salted caramel sauce

• 1 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sea salt

directions

for the funnel cakes

• in a large skillet heat two inches of oil over medium heat.
• in a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt & sugar.
• in a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vanilla & milk. pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
• mix until the batter is smooth & lump free. transfer batter to a piping bag.
• once the oil is hot, pipe batter into the skillet in a messy circular motion creating the classic funnel cake shape.
• cook on each side for about 30 seconds.
• transfer onto a paper towel lined plate to allow any of the excess oil to drain.
• top with powdered sugar, freshly sliced peaches, salted caramel & whipped cream.

for the salted caramel sauce

• in a saucepot add the sugar and water. bring the pan to a boil while wiping down the crystals that form on the sides of the pan using a pastry brush (do not stir, i repeat, do NOT stir).
• continue to boil until the mixture turns to a deep amber colour, approximately 5 minutes. be sure not to burn the caramel! it will go from a deep amber to burnt sugar VERY quickly.
• remove from heat and immediately whisk in the butter, cream & salt. cool to room temperature before serving.

like what you see? get it here. copper pan | pinch bowl | flatware | linen | porcelain paper plates

banana + coconut cream pie jars

i feel like i have gone through a bit of a baking lull these past couple weeks. the weather has been so insanely hot that i don't even wanna step outside, let alone think about turning on the oven to bake! but then i thought hey! why not make a dessert that doesn't involve the oven (popsicles, i'll get back to you next week)!? cue: banana coconut cream pie jars.

i couldn't decide between a no bake coconut cream pie or a banana cream pie, so i did both! a coconut + banana mash up layered in cute mason jars. these mason jar desserts are perfect for summer entertaining. whip them up in advance, store them in the fridge & serve them when ready. not even a plate is required! plus you get to see all the delicious layers of graham cracker crust, coconut custard, sliced bananas, sweet whipped cream & toasted coconut.

p.s. for the toasted coconut, i simply put a scoop of coconut in a dry frying pan over medium heat & occasionally tossed it around until it was brown & toasty. be sure to watch the coconut constantly when toasting it, as it will burn quickly. oh the amount of times i have gotten distracted & torched my sweet coconut.

ingredients (makes 6 jars)

for the graham cracker crust

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4 cup white sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

for the coconut banana cream filling

• 2 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 cup flaked sweetened coconut
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup whipped cream (see recipe below)
• 2 ripe bananas, sliced

for the whipped cream

• 1 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• toasted coconut, for sprinkling

directions

for the graham cracker crust

• in a mixing bowl add the graham cracker crumbs, melted butter, sugar, salt & vanilla extract. mix until the butter is evenly distributed.
• place a generous spoonful of the mixture in each mason jar. press it down to shape the curves of the glass & form a crust.
• set aside until ready to layer.

for the coconut banana cream filling

• in a saucepan over medium heat add the milk & coconut. stir while bringing to a gentle simmer.
• in a separate bowl whisk the sugar, cornstarch & eggs.
• once the milk is heated, temper some into the egg mixture & pour it back into the saucepan.
• whisk constantly until the custard has thickened, about 5 minutes.
• pull from heat & stir in vanilla extract. let mixture come to room temperature.
• once the mixture has cooled fold in the reserved whipped cream.
• start layering the jar with a scoop of the coconut cream filling, followed by a layer of freshly sliced bananas & finished off with another layer of coconut cream filling.

for the whipped cream

• in a mixing bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks are formed.
• add in the sugar & vanilla extract. whisk until stiff peaks are formed.
• set one cup aside for the filling & place the remainder of the whipped cream into a piping bag.
• finish off the jar layers by piping a layer of whipped cream & sprinkeling it with the toasted coconut.

like what you see? get it here. wood dessert spoons | sweet gum wood scoop | copper saucepan | linen 

dry pea pesto spaghetti

between all the summer barbecues, campfire s'mores & one too many trips to the ice cream shop, it is important to whip up some healthy, fresh meals in the kitchen too! this pasta dish is both healthy & hearty thanks to the homemade dry pea pesto sauce. dry peas are part of the pulse family & 2016 has been named the year of the pulses! woo!

what are "pulses"?!?! pulses are protein packed, sustainable foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas & of course dry peas! basically, you have probably been eating pulses all along & did not even know it. did you see the garlic hummus & warm pita bread i made over on NOM last week? that counts as pulses too! this pesto is also the perfect meal to make if you have basil growing wild in your garden too. my mom planted like five different basil plants around the backyard this summer (okay, well four now thanks to buddy holly's latest attempt at catching a squirrel & destroying the plant in the process.. r.i.p basil plant #5).

if you want to add some additional protein serve it with grilled chicken breast or if you want to make it even healthier use whole wheat spaghetti instead! if you'd like to join me & take the pulse pledge to eat pulses once a week for ten weeks (fresh hummus & pesto once a week sounds pretty easy to me) head on over to the pulsepledge.com.

p.s. i roasted the peppers on the grill at high heat until the outsides were charred. cover & let cool before peeling.. voila! roasted peppers.

ingredients

for the dry pea pesto

• 1 cup shelled walnuts or pine nuts, roughly chopped
• 1.5 cups fresh basil, packed
• 3/4 cup dry green peas, soaked over night
• 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
• 2 cloves of garlic
• salt & pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

for the dry pea pesto spaghetti

• 1 cup prepared dry pea pesto (see recipe above)
• 1 pound spaghetti, cooked & strained
• 1 roasted yellow pepper, thinly sliced
• 1 roasted red pepper, thinly sliced
• shaved parmesan cheese, for serving

directions

for the dry pea pesto

• in a food processor add the walnuts, basil, peas, parmesan, garlic, salt & pepper. pulse ten times to mix all the ingredients up.
• turn the food processor on to low speed & slowly drizzle in olive oil. blend until a smooth paste is formed.
• store in a lidded glass jar for up to two weeks.

for the dry pea pesto spaghetti

• in a skillet over medium-low heat add the pesto sauce & stir to coat the pan.
• add in the spaghetti & toss until the pesto is fully coated around the noodles.
• add the freshly squeezed lemon juice, fold in the roasted red + yellow peppers.
• top with shaved parmesan & serve warm.

this post was created in partnership with @USApulses & @pulseCANADA.  read all about pulses at www.pulsepledge.com & take the pulse pledge with me!