pistachio lime and matcha snowballs | apt 2b baking co

It's cookie season, guys! I have a lot of cookie classics that I turn to every year, but I also love branching out and finding new ones to add to the mix. These little snowballs may have made their way into the permanent rotation :) and they are gluten free which is a major bonus considering the number of friends and family I have eating gluten free these days. Also, they improve with age, and are great after a couple of days in an airtight container at room temp, which is not always the case with cookies.

The recipe comes from Alanna Taylor Tobin's amazing book, Alternative Baker. They are a riff on the classic Polvorones/Mexican Wedding Cookies/Russian Tea Cake formula, with a very, very tasty update. Instead of pecans, Alanna's recipe uses a trio of gluten free flours paired with rich pistachios, bright lime zest, and slightly bitter and minerally matcha. So addictive!

They come together quickly and easily, and who can resist a dusting of powdered sugar around the holidays? Also, I made these on a whim and didn't have the lime zest called for in the original recipe, but I just subbed in lemon and they were great.

What are your holiday cookie faves? Check out this post for more of mine.

Pistachio Lime and Matcha Snowballs

from Alternative Baker by Alanna Taylor Tobin

1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar

zest from 3 large limes (or lemons!)

1 cup (125g) blanched almond flour

1/2 cup (55g) oat flour

1/4 cup (30g) tapioca flour/starch

1T culinary grade matcha plus more for sprinkling

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 cup (125g) raw pistachios, chopped semi-fine

8 Tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, diced

3/4 cup (90g) powdered sugar

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.

Add the sugar and lime zest to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low until the sugar is moistened and the zest is evenly distributed. Add the almond, oat, and tapioca flours, matcha powder, salt and chopped pistachios and mix on low until well combined.

Add the butter and mix on medium-low speed until the butter is completely incorporated and the dough comes together in large clumps.

Sift the powdered sugar into a shallow bowl. Form the dough into 1-inch balls and roll them in powdered sugar knocking off any excess as you go. Place the balls on the prepared baking sheet at least 1-inch apart. Bake the cookies until puffed cracked and slightly golden, 15-20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool completely on the baking sheets then roll each one in the powdered sugar. Dust with the matcha powder just before serving. They will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to one week.

hidden rose apple tart | apt 2b baking co

Guys, it has been a rough and confusing couple of weeks over here and I know a lot of you are feeling it too. Instead of a rosy story about this tart and how excited I am for Thanksgiving, I thought I would share some resources for simple actionable things you can do today to help protect people (and yourself!) who are going to need protecting for at least the next two years.

Support pro-women, pro-LGBTQ, pro-Earth, pro-Immigrant, and anti-Bigotry organizations. Here is a list complied by Jezebel. There is also a direct link to Planned Parenthood in the sidebar.

No Kid Hungry - Help ensure every kid in America has healthy food to eat, all year round.

Subscribe to the NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, and/or the New Yorker. Support good journalism and keep it alive - we need it now more than ever.

Call your Congressperson.

Ok, Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Have the hard conversations. Don't sit idle! And eat some good food too.

Hidden Rose Apple Tart

makes one 9-inch tart

1/2 recipe all butter pie crust or your favorite pie crust

Hazelnut Frangipane (recipe follows)

4 medium apples

3 tablespoons sugar

pinch salt

1 egg

1 tablespoon turbinado sugar

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Peel and slice the apples into thin slices.

Roll out the pie crust to a 12-inch circle and transfer it to the parchment lined baking sheet. Spread the frangipane on the crust, leaving a 2-inch border around the edges. Lay the apple slices over the frangipane in a slightly overlapping layer in a decorative pattern, leaving a 2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle the sugar along with a pinch of salt evenly over the fruit.

Fold the excess dough over the fruit and press gently to seal the folds. Put the baking sheet in the freezer and freeze the tart until the dough is very firm, about 15 minutes. While the tart is chilling, preheat the oven to 400ºF and whisk the egg in a small bowl.

After the tart has chilled, brush the dough with the beaten egg and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake the tart until deep golden brown, 35-45 minutes.