"you could put trash in your pie crust and it would be good"
- my husband, the saint
(Okay but please don’t try the trash thing.)
So, I’m not huge on resolutions. But lately I’ve been talking to basically everyone I know about how I’m entering a *new era*. In this era, I’m a jewelry person. I’m into cool tones for the first time in years. I ended my ongoing battle with tangly hair/brushes by just cutting it short. I’m nurturing contentment and skating by self doubt. In this era, I have to google things like “rizz”.
The point (I think?): I’ve (mostly) convinced myself that I don’t have to adhere to some immovable sense of “self” so rigidly to still be me. It’s comfy! There’s so much more room.
Anyway - happy new year, y’all! Here’s a very limited retrospective of some things I loved in 2022 (that are not necessarily *from* 2022):
songs (I’m a song person not an album person, I’m sorry) Julia Jacklin’s Lydia Wears A Cross, Why Bonnie’s Galveston, Mark Ronson’s True Blue (feat. Angel Olsen), Andrew Bird’s Make a Picture, David Byrne’s Strange Overtones, Doris Troy’s Just One Look, Girlhouse’s Concussion, Michelle Branch’s Breathe, Miranda Lambert’s Bluebird, Florence + The Machine’s King, Lucinda Williams’ Fruits Of My Labor, Barbara Lewis’ Baby, I’m Yours, Voxtrot’s Fifteen Minutes
pastries The almond croissant at Saku Saku Flakerie in DC, and:
shows Severance (side note: why am I suddenly extremely attracted to Adam Scott??), Below Deck Sailing Yacht (Season 2), White Lotus (Season 2), Abbott Elementary, Bad Sisters
accomplishments That time a recent college grad working at Turning Point USA emailed me requesting that I fly out to Arizona to debate anti-abortion person Abby Johnson (I, of course, didn’t respond. Take a shot for me.)
or:
a recipe:
Carmelitas
These are bake sale style bars with a top and bottom layer of buttery oat crumble + homemade caramel, chocolate, coconut, and toasted pecans sandwiched in between!
for the oat crumb crust + topping
2 cups (260g) all-purpose flour
1-½ cups (150g) rolled oats (old fashioned, not instant)
1 cup (200g) light brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks, 227g) cold unsalted butter, cut into ½” chunks
for the caramel
2 cups (400g) granulated sugar
½ cup water
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon flaky sea salt (Maldon) - if you don’t have this kind on hand, skip the salt!
for the filling
1-½ cups (180g) toasted and coarsely chopped pecans
6 oz coarsely chopped bittersweet chocolate (or 1 cup/175g chocolate chips)
½ cup toasted flaked coconut (it’ll be in the baking aisle and is a toasty golden brown color)
the how-to: crust
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9x13” pan.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, dark brown sugar, baking soda, kosher salt, and allspice. Add the chunks of softened butter and stir with a rubber spatula until combined.
Transfer half of the crumb mixture to your prepared pan and press it down in an even layer. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until set. Set it aside on a wire rack to cool slightly while you make your caramel.
the how-to: caramel
Add the granulated sugar and water to a medium heavy bottomed pot and stir to combine. Cook the mixture over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Just hang tight and don’t stir - if you do, it will get clumpy. Keep boiling - be patient, it will take awhile. When the mixture turns a deep golden color you can start stirring. Stir until smooth. Remove it from the heat and whisk in the heavy cream, unsalted butter, and vanilla. Pour it evenly over your prepared crust - make sure it spreads all the way to the edges. Set the pan aside to cool until the caramel sets - about 25 minutes.
the how-to: filling
Scatter the walnuts and chocolate chips evenly over the set caramel. Top with the rest of the oat crumb mixture.
Return the pan to the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes, until the caramel is bubbling up and the top looks golden. Sprinkle the top with some more flaky salt (optional). Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack before slicing.
Store at room temp, covered, for up to 3 days.
notes:
To toast your pecans: Preheat the oven to 350ºF and spread them in a single layer on your baking sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, tossing the nuts around every couple of minutes to make sure everything toasts evenly.
speaking of eras! here are some y’all told me you’re entering:
- Embroidering every gift for every friend era
- 9 hours of sleep per night era
- Romance novel era
- Nature girl era
- Being okay with not knowing exactly what comes next era
- Comfy clothes only era
- New-mom-crying-of-anxiety-one-moment-bursting-with-happiness-next-era
- Netflix fireplace on 24/7 era
- Stressed, depressed, and a perpetual hot mess era
- Stoner grad student and repro worker era
weekly abortion affirmation
My proposal to replace the phrase “if you don’t like abortion don’t have one”, brought to you by this random note I don’t remember writing!
To sum it up: I care about people who have abortions! I’m focused on us! I’m not wasting my time entertaining “not liking” abortion as a legitimate viewpoint. And here’s a link with great resources about self managed abortion, just because.
baking tip of the week
If you’re par-baking your crust, put your pie dish (with the crust in it!) in the freezer for half an hour before putting it in the oven. It’ll help your crust hold its shape.
my current fave pic of Otie
some notable (and less notable) things
This candle-rating baby brings me so much joy
I tried a Lucy Glo apple (yellow on the outside/red on the inside, crunchy yet juicy/tart yet sweet) for the first time. Recommend!
Remember when I said I’m a jewelry person now? I asked for this giant/gorgeous topaz ring for Christmas and am happy to report that, as I suspected, it gives me big Lucille Bluth energy
This poem by Joy Sullivan, found via my friend Maya <3
We adopted Otie one year ago tomorrow!! Here is the pic of him provided by the shelter:
xoxo,
your favorite becca
OK, I'm glad that none of you know what "rizz" is either