Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Cream

I know, I know. I've been trying to post mostly anti-oven cooking recipes lately, but really, who could pass up this delicacy? When I first saw this recipe on Joy the Baker's page, I just knew it was go-time. You know how there's some recipes that you see & you're like, "Ahh that looks nice. I should maybe make that some time. Maybe." & then there are others like, "I'm going to the store to get the ingredients for this recipe right now & I might get a speeding ticket on the way & it will so be worth it." Yep, this was one of those urgent desserts that I just haaaad to make.

I've always had a rocky relationship with pudding. I'll never forget the time that my family was eating at a buffet for dinner & my younger brother pounded a mouthful of whipped butter, thinking it was pudding. We still talk about that. That was actually kind of funny. But my aversions to pudding are a bit more serious.  First of all, has anyone ever had pudding from a tin can? Am I the only one? For some reason, when I think of chocolate pudding, I am brought back to those huge tin cans full of pudding (think school cafeteria or daycare). I shudder to think of it, to this day.

I also had a horrific chocolate pudding incident while I was babysitting one of my cousins. I won't go into details because then you will for sure never make this pudding (& you sooo should!), but let's just say pudding should always, always, always be cold & definitely not room temperature, or heaven forbid body temperature (if you want the full story, by all means let me know). So between my tin can experiences & this one vague babysitting experience, chocolate pudding hasn't really been on my "to eat" list. Not to mention all the crazy ingredients in most already made pudding or instant pudding mixes. Yuck.

This pudding was celebration pudding at its best! I figured that since it was on Joy's page, it had to be delish & I was feeling especially adventurous. We were relaxing after a busy, busy weekend & while John was prepping our steak tacos with homemade pico, I was whipping us a batch of this bad boy. Have you ever made pudding from scratch before? It's really quite simple & super satisfying. I don't know, I just get a kick out of making things myself, knowing what all the ingredients are & altering them to my liking.

The pudding is a cinch to make, only requires just a smattering of ingredients & ohmygoodness, the flavor! I kind of want to kiss whoever decided that peanut butter & chocolate should be paired together. The real whipping cream on the top is kind of a deal sealer, too. Please don't offend me (or anyone you're serving it to) by using cool whip. Please, just don't. Again, whipping your own is hardly work at all (thank you Kitchen Aid) & it is so, so, soooooooo much better.

If I ever have to gain a whole bunch of weight, this is how I will do it. If I ever want to impress someone, this is how I will do it. And if I ever ever celebrate anything with food again (it's bound to happen), this is how I will do it.

Eat your hearts out, people. And you're welcome for introducing you to your new love.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pudding with Whipped Cream

Ingredients (for the peanut butter pudding)

1/3 cup demerara sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup creamy all-natural peanut butter
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ingredients (for the chocolate pudding)
1/3 cup demerara sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 ounces dark chocolate chips
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Ingredients (for the whipped cream)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon agave
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions
First focus on making the peanut butter pudding. In a large saucepan whisk together the demerara, cornstarch, & salt (just to combine). If it's lumpy, that's totally OK. Add the milk & heavy cream & whisk. Turn the stove on to medium heat & bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Be sure to whisk in the rounded corners of the pan so that pudding doesn’t burn.

When the pudding comes to a simmer, whisk constantly for 1 minute. The mixture should thicken but still remain a bit loose. Remove from the heat & add the peanut butter & vanilla extract, & quickly whisk. The pudding will thicken substantially. Divide the warm pudding between six glasses & store uncovered in the fridge while you make the chocolate pudding.

To make the chocolate pudding, in a new large (or completely clean & dry the one you just used) saucepan, whisk together the demerara, cornstarch, cocoa powder, & salt (just to combine). If it's lumpy, that's totally OK. Add the milk & heavy cream & whisk. Turn the stove on to medium heat & bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Be sure to whisk in the rounded corners of the pan so that pudding doesn’t burn.

When the pudding comes to a simmer, whisk constantly for 1 minute. The mixture should thicken but still remain a bit loose. Remove from the heat & add the chocolate chips & vanilla extract. Stir until the chocolate is melted & pudding is thickened.

Spoon the pudding atop the peanut butter pudding. Cover each pudding cup with plastic wrap & chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

When ready to serve, whip heavy cream, agave, & vanilla extract into soft peaks. Top each pudding with whipped cream

Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

And now for a few "reaction pictures"...

I think they liked it!

Nutty Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Summer is a time for lengthy afternoon swimming & lazy BBQ-ing & ice cold sun tea-ing & long after-dinner walking. It's a time for late nights out on the patio because it's still light outside. It's a time to play in your yard with your kid(s) & enjoy all of the mysteries of childhood ("mama! a bee!!!") Summer is hardly a time to be slaving away in the kitchen.

I'm not a big heat person. I know you're surprised since I grew up in northern Minnesota, but I'm more comfortable with cold. I know how to dress in layers & I guess I'm just used to packing with extra jackets "just in case." My mom always baked something (or at the very least, would turn on the oven to warm the house) on exceptionally chilly mornings, so I think I've just followed that routine. I know how to tolerate long, cold winters because it's in my blood.

What I don't know how to live through is the heat. In fact, since moving to La Crosse almost 4 years ago, this was the first house that I've lived in that has air conditioning & it's not even central air... it's one window unit in our bedroom. 

So in the summer, when things get incredibly hot/humid/moist (yep, I said it), I want to be anywhere but in the kitchen. I'm actually compiling a list of my favorite non-cooking dinners to rotate through in the summer so that this summer can be spent where we belong-- outside! 

(Please comment below with any of your favorite summer meals!)

Although these granola bars may not exactly be dinner worthy, they most definitely are snack worthy. We are big snackers & I'm fine with that as long as we are filling our tummies with healthy, wholesome foods. For some time I've been making our own granola bars because I am picky, cheap, & don't like the majority of ingredients in the majority of granola bars we can afford. Plus, I hate individually wrapped things (what a waste!)

All that said, this is the recipe that I've been using for the past couple of years. It's incredible, BUT it was still way too sweet. I mean it's delicious, don't get me wrong, but the line between snack & dessert was being breached a little too much for me. Plus, I still wasn't a fan of all the ingredients even after I swapped the brown sugar for demerara & the karo syrup for honey (rice krispies have high fructose corn syrup in them... whaaaat?!)

So when my friend Lindsay over at The Live-In Kitchen posted this recipe, I knew I had found a winner. I love that there are only 7 ingredients in the recipe, that it is so simple & quick to make & that it is entirely satisfying. All of the nuts make for some serious satisfaction & the small amount of chocolate chips helps me ride the wave of chocolate bliss without coming down crashing into a crabby mess. 

And am I the last person on earth to make things with dates & like them?! I feel like I've avoided all things with dates in them because I thought I hated them. I guess I may have to revisit some other recipes I've poo-pooed in the past, but don't think I'll be trying those nasty date-filled cookies anytime soon. That's just a little too fast too soon.

Nutty Chocolate Chip Granola Bars
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1/2 cup raw almonds
1/2 cup raw cashews
1 cup packed dates, pitted
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup crunchy natural peanut butter
1/4 cup  chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spread the oats evenly on a baking sheet & toast in the oven for about 15 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. When they are golden, transfer them to a medium bowl.

Place the almonds & cashews in a food processor & pulse a few times until roughly chopped. Add nuts to the bowl with the oats.

Place the dates in the food processor & process until well-chopped & dough-like (about 1 minute). Add the dates to the bowl with the nuts & oats.

In a small saucepan over low heat, warm the maple syrup & peanut butter. Once it's well combined & warm, pour it over the oat mixture. Mix thoroughly, breaking up the dates until thoroughly combined. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes before you add the chocolate chips (unless you like them to be melty). Line an 8x8 baking dish (or 9x13 if you don't want them to be so massively thick) with parchment paper & transfer the mix to the dish. Sprinkle a few more chocolate chips on top & press down with another piece of parchment until flattened. Transfer to the freezer for 10 minute to harden. Use the parchment to lift the bars out of the pan, then cut into 10 (more like 16 if using a 9x13) even bars.

Recipe taken from The Live-In Kitchen

(Triple) Guinness Dark Chocolate Brownies

For the first 2 or 3 years of knowing John, I was set on the idea that carrot cake was his favorite dessert. I'm not sure how this idea got planted into my head, but it definitely swam around in there for a few good years. Because of this, I think I made him 3 years of birthday carrot cake. Each year, he would get mildly excited (I mean, who doesn't love carrot cake, especially when there aren't any raisins!) but I never saw the response I was looking for.

Now if you know John, you know that he's not exactly the most emotional man ever. Even when he totally loves the taste of something, all you really get in response is a good head nod & maybe an extra drawn out "mmm." If something is out-of-this-world scrumptious, he might even slap his knee or yell, "yes!" but I've only ever seen that on a few rare occasions.

In 2011, I actually asked him if carrot cake was his favorite & I was boarder-line horrified to discover that it was not. What the what!? Was it my favorite? What was happening? He then proceeded to list all of his other most favorite desserts. Among them were boston cream pie, anything with dark chocolate, boston cream pie, & anything with dark chocolate (I'm sure there were more things, but I immediately ruled out anything that started with "Little Debbie's"...)

So for his 2011 birthday, I slaved over a boston cream pie & it was awesome. In 2012, I baked him a chocolate pecan pie & it was fantastic. This year, I decided (on his request) to embark on these Guinness dark chocolate brownies.

I don't think I even need to tell you how these tasted, but I will. They were simply the most rich, decadent, deep, dark, fudgy brownies I have ever tasted. They require 3 times the amount of Guinness as other brownie recipes, but that's what makes them so incredible. You cook down the Guinness until it's all syrupy & even more stouty (is that a word?) They actually reminded us a bit of a flourless chocolate cake (another one of John's favorites it seems).

I dare you to not eat these with a large glass of milk, or at the very least, some black coffee.

And just in case you are in need of a carrot cake recipe, check out this post on one with no sugar that I made for my step mom for her birthday in 2012. I think carrot cake is her favorite, but then again, maybe I made that up too.

(Triple) Guinness Dark Chocolate Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup unsweetened dark cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes
8 ounces dark bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup demerara sugar
2 bottles Guinness Extra stout beer
3/4 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with nonstick foil, or regular foil, lightly greased (I was a little freaked out by this, but after texting my baker friend Lindsay, she assured me that this would help the brownies come out of the pan easily, so that I could make perfect squares. Genius!)

Pour both bottles of beer into a medium saucepan, & simmer on medium heat until it's reduced down to 1 1/4 cups. If you keep a glass measuring cup nearby, you can check the progress when you think you're close. It should take about 45 minutes. When it's been reduced, pop it in the fridge to cool down while you prepare the rest of the batter.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, & salt until evenly combined. Melt the butter, bittersweet chocolate & dark chocolate chips in a double-boiler over very low heat, stirring constantly until melted (or in the microwave in a glass bowl). Remove from the heat. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat the eggs & sugar on high speed until light & fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture, beating until combined. Beat the reserved flour mixture into the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in the reduced beer mixture & the vanilla (it might seem a bit thin, but it will turn out). Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan & drop the semisweet chocolate chips evenly on top of batter.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes on center rack in the oven, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out almost clean. Let brownies cool, uncovered, to room temperature. Dust with confectioners' sugar if you want before serving.

Recipe adapted from Blondie's Cakes & Things

Coconut Bread

Right after we got back from our trip to Florida, I was sluggishly doing laundry. I was having a hard time transitioning back to our Siberia-like weather conditions & the thought of getting back to every day domestic life was really depressing. Who wants to do laundry, cook, & clean when you can just lay around at the beach, watching your kid squeal around in utter bliss? 

While I was taking our clothes out of the luggage, I caught a whiff of one of the dresses I frequently wore to the beach (don't worry, this story ends well). I actually grabbed it out of the pile & breathed it in. It smelled of the sun. Instantly I was back in the warmth, the giddiness, & the joy that we felt by being in Florida. I'm not sure why the sun does that to us, but it is so gosh darn life-giving.

I love how our sense of smell is tied to so many memories. There are times when I literally am stopped in my tracks because I catch a scent of something that reminds me of a childhood experience I had or a far off land I once visited. And for me, the aroma of coconut will always remind me of the sun. That might be attributed to all the tanning lotion I poured over my body growing up, or maybe from sipping coconut rum in my summer collage days. Who knows. 

I absolutely love baking with coconut. Since we have cut a lot of the processed sugar in our diets, I have used a lot of unsweetened coconut & I think I actually like it better than the sugary stuff. I feel like you actually get the full flavor of the coconut & you aren't left with a gut bomb afterwards. Coconut oil is also lovely to bake & cook with & besides the incredible flavor, your house will end up smelling like something out of a Jamaican resort. For the record, I've never been to Jamaica, but this is how I picture it- everything smelling like coconut.

If you are like me & all of a sudden semi-obsessed with coconut, you will absolutely love this coconut bread. And if that's just not enough, here are a few other recipes to tempt you:

• Coconut chicken nuggets
• Coconut chocolate pie
• Whole wheat coconut chocolate chip cookies
• Oat drops

Coconut Bread
Ingredients
2 large eggs
1 1/4 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup demerara
5 ounces unsweetened flaked coconut (about 1 1/2 cups)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted & browned

Directions
Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, milk & vanilla.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt, baking powder & cinnamon. Add the sugar & coconut, & stir to mix. Make a well in the center, & pour in egg mixture, then stir wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Add butter, & stir until just smooth (don't overmix).

Spread batter in a silicone bread pan (you could use a different pan, but just make sure to spray it & lightly coat with flour first) & bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool in pan five minutes, before turning out onto a cooling rack. Wait until the bread is completely cooled before cutting.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen

Pesto Rolls

I keep saying this to everyone I know- these rolls are so going to get me in trouble (like the "there's more of me to love" kind of trouble). I made them for a community lunch that we had at our church this past weekend & now after eating a few, I'm really excited about the possibilities that they hold. For starters, they are super easy to make & although they took about two hours, most of that time was spent anxiously pacing around my kitchen, waiting for them to rise (yeah right, I was washing dishes). So they're pretty simple = win for me.

But then there's the whole slew of combinations that you can throw in the center. This dough will work wonderfully for cinnamon rolls (just sub the pesto & cheese for cinnamon, brown sugar, & butter). But then what about cheesy rolls (a lovely variety of cheeses) or artichoke dip rolls or roasted red pepper & feta rolls? Oooh or spinach & feta rolls. Pepperoni pizza rolls? Butter & garlic rolls? Really, the possibilities are endless.

I'm thinking that I might make a big ol' batch of rolls & then try freezing them after they are cut. What would be better than taking some already-made rolls out of the freezer to bake on a lazy Saturday morning?

These rolls might be the end of me, but it will be a very happy ending.

(like our new magnetic strip for our knives??)

Pesto Rolls
Ingredients
1/2 cup warm water (115 degrees F)
1/2 cup warm milk (115 degrees F)
1 egg (room temperature), slightly beaten
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons demerara
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups bread flour
1 (.25 ounce) package (2 1/4 tsp) instant dry yeast
1/2 cup pesto
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Directions
Place water, milk, egg, melted butter, sugar, & salt in a Kitchen Aid mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of flour on top of all the liquid mixture, sprinkling yeast on top. Using the dough hook, knead bread mixture on speed 3 until dough is smooth & elastic adding additional flour as needed (approx. 5-7 min.). Place dough in a greased bowl & cover with a wet towel. Allow the dough to rise until doubled in size, approximately 1 hour in a warm area.

(I've found that if I preheat oven to 200 while the dough is kneading, then turn the oven off when kneading is complete & stick my covered bowl into the oven & leave the oven door cracked open a bit, the dough will rise quicker).

Turn dough onto lightly floured surface & roll into a rectangle slightly larger than a 9×13 pan. Spread surface evenly with pesto & sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Beginning with the long side, roll dough pinching the seam to seal. Cut into equal slices & place them in a greased muffin tin. Cover with a damp towel & allow to rise for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from muffin cups & serve warm.

Recipe adapted from Savory Sweet Life

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Devil's Food Chocolate Bunt Cake with Chocolate Espresso Ganache

I am honored & thrilled to have been featured on Yummly for the devil's food chocolate bunt cake (complete with chocolate espresso ganache) that I made for valentines day this year. Yummly is this cheeky genius child for foodies all over the world. Basically, people submit recipes & then they have the potential to get put into this massive collection of culinary delights. They are all about creating a digital kitchen, which is quite clever. Make sure that you head over to my post & the recipe at Yummly. You will absolutely adore this cake (unless you don't like chocolate, cake, or happiness).

Like I said in the blog post, I wanted to find a cake that was both decadent, yet simple enough to put together during a (potential) 2-hour nap time. Long gone are the days where I can slowly & thoughtfully put together something really complex.

I also wanted to use the new bundt pan I found at Goodwill. Until this cake, I had never made a bundt before. I have this deep-rooted fear of baked goods sticking to pans, & for some reason, bundt pans just seemed intimidating to me. After giving this one a good christening, I'm not sure what my problem was-- it was a cinch! And I chuckled silently to myself many times as I thought about this clip from one of my more favorite movies, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding." Oh, so funny those bundt cakes are.

In other exciting (to me & hopefully you) news, I'm working on a 4-5 blog post series on green cleaning & organizing because it's coming up on spring time, where a lot of people think about (& maybe even do) give their homes a good scrubbin'. I find it essential to live in an environment that is clean & organized so that I can create & I've learned that you really can do that very greenly, cheaply, & without devoting your whole life to cleaning (who wants to do that?) So come April, make sure you check out my posts on "creating clean."

Until then, make this cake.
http://www.yummly.com/blog/2013/03/devils-food-cake-with-espresso-chocolate-ganache/

Simple Mini Cinnamon Rolls

I've never made cinnamon rolls before (at least not from scratch). They've always seemed so time-consuming & intimidating. Lately I've been trying to get over my fear (more like laziness) & just give things a whirl that I've put off for years. Today it was me verses the cinnamon roll.

I planned to make breakfast for dinner & thought that they would be a lovely addition to the meal. Plus, that would give me lots of time to work on them without actually being hungry. How on earth people wake up & make cinnamon rolls for breakfast is beyond me-- I can't think of a more deadly combination in the kitchen than the morning & a hungry tummy.

Let's just say that I was pleasantly surprised by the ease of these rolls & may even attempt to make them for a morning meal at some point (for real, they took me like 20 minutes).

Although I do enjoy a good fluffy cinnamon roll, these were still quite delish. Most people like to slather their cinny rolls with a super sweet frosting, but I really liked them in their naked state. If you'd like, you could whip up a batch of glaze by adding some powdered sugar to milk & vanilla (or almond!) extract. Just make sure you don't have a dentist appointment for a week.

Simple Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cup heavy cream
⅔ cup dmerara (or brown sugar)
1¼ teaspoon cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease an 8″ or 9″ baking dish. In a bowl, stir together demerara & cinnamon & set aside. Whisk flour, baking powder, & salt in a large bowl. Stir the cream in to the flour mixture & mix just until combined. The dough will be soft & moist.

Roll out the dough between 2 pieces of parchment paper into about a 20″ x 5″ rectangle. Spread softened butter over dough. Sprinkle demerara/cinnamon mixture over the butter. Roll the dough up lengthwise so that you have a long log. Cut dough log in to 20 or so pieces & place the pieces in to the prepared baking dish. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until light brown.

Recipe adapted from Growing Up Gabel

Coconut Chocolate Pie

It was my birthday last week. Yep, the big 3-0 & although I really don't have much of a problem with being 30, it still makes me giggle a little bit when I think of saying that I'm actually 30 (surely I am supposed to be way more mature than I am...) Plus, John's only 29 & it is somehow amusing to me that we're a "year" apart (actually 3 months).

Anyway, birthdays to me are always special. Mostly because that means there's a fancy dinner & scrumptious dessert around the corner. Growing up, my mom always let us pick what we were to have for dinner & what flavor cake she would bake for us. I usually always picked something chicken-oriented for dinner & always, always, always picked chocolate cake with chocolate frosting & chocolate ice cream. To me, a dessert just isn't quite dessert unless there's chocolate.

I've also kind of been obsessed with coconut lately, especially coconut oil (did you bake these yet?!) so when I found a recipe for coconut chocolate pie, I was sold. I was also pretty thrilled that the recipe calls for 5 ingredients. How simple is that? 

 All the ingredients needed for this pie: heavy cream, butter, unsweetened coconut, sugar (I used demerara) & chocolate

 Coconut chocolate pie
Ingredients
1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp unsalted butter
11 ounces unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup sugar
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces bittersweet dark chocolate, finely chopped

Directions
Make the crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a food processor, process butter & one-third of coconut & sugar until mixture forms a ball or starts to stick together, 1 to 2 minutes (next time I would pulse the coconut by itself first to make it into more of a powder). Transfer to a medium bowl. Combine this mixture with the remaining two-thirds coconut using your hands to bring together.

Press coconut mixture into bottom & up sides of pan to form crust, leaving top edges loose & fluffy. Cover the crust lightly with tin foil over the edges, & cut a hole in the center. Keeping the edges covered to prevent burning. Bake until center begins to brown, 10 to 15 minutes; remove foil & bake until edges are browned, 4 to 5 minutes more. Transfer crust to a wire rack to cool completely.

Make the filling: In a small sauce pan bring cream just to a boil. While cream is heating up, place chopped chocolate into a medium heatproof bowl. Pour the cream over the chocolate & let sit for 10 minutes to allow chocolate to melt. Stir to combine & melt remaining chocolate. The mixture should be smooth & completely melted. Pour into coconut crust. Refrigerate until filling is set, 1 hour or up to 1 day.

*I'm not sure if I did something wrong, but I ended up having maybe 2 cups more crust mixture than I could fit into my pie pan, so I happily used it in some trail mix that I made. Next time I make this pie (oh, there's gonna be a next time!) I plan to pulse the coconut a bit more before I add the butter & sugar so it's more powder-like & I plan to maybe add more butter because when we cut into the pie, the coconut was a bit too crumbly (yummy, but not as neat as my Type A personality would like).

Recipe adapted from Sweet Twist of Blogging

Whole Wheat Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was going to write about some recent successful dresser updates I've done lately, but then I realized that I haven't taken any pictures of them & I'm way too lazy to get up out of bed to take them (still feeling a bit drizzly), so you'll have to read about cookies instead. Although, just thinking about these precious little jewels, might lure me to the kitchen to bake some more.

I am borderline obsessed with coconut oil, especially in baking & I think that's what really makes these cookies. It's a running joke (truth) in my home that I am not the preferred cookie maker. For whatever reason (perhaps keeping my eyes on a curious toddler, doing laundry, cooking, baking, cleaning, & not burning the house down at the same time) I hardly ever make cookies well. Plus, I have been known to throw in a few healthier substitutes, whereas John instead piles on the butter, chocolate chips, etc. But I think I may have found a game-changer with these cookies. Behold, my new favorites... so soft, so fluffy, so perfectly sweet & faintly coconutty.

Whole Wheat Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup demerara (or any kind of sugar)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate chips!

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Beat the coconut oil, eggs, sugar, vanilla, & salt together for about 1 minute. Add in the baking powder, baking soda, & flour & blend until just mixed. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop out 1 tablespoon-sized cookies onto a baking sheet that has been covered in a silpat mat (I used parchment paper & also rolled them out so they would be more round). Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until golden brown around the edges. Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes (good luck).

Recipe taken from chocolateandcarrots.com 

Oat Drops

I made these last week & was pleasantly surprised. They tasted a bit like banana bread, as they have mashed bananas in them in lieu of sugar. I also put chocolate chips in them, which isn't sugar free, but as you remember, I said chocolate is not off limits :) Plus, neither one of us like dried fruit.

Oat Drops
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups regular rolled oats

1 cup coconut flakes (I used unsweetened)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/4 cup of almond meal (I used whole wheat flour)
1/2 cup mixed nuts, finely chopped (I used walnuts)
1 cup dried fruit (I used chocolate chips...)
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup canola oil (I used apple sauce)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, almond meal, mixed nuts & coconut flakes. Stir in allspice & cinnamon. Add dried fruit & stir until well & evenly mixed. Make sure the dried fruit do not stick together in big batches. In another bowl, combine canola oil, mashed banana & vanilla extract. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients & stir until well combined. Roll into balls. Bake for about 20 minutes or until edges are golden brown.

Recipe taken from blueberrygirlinoz.blogspot.com

Black Bean Brownies

Yes folks, I was feeling a bit experimental the other day. See, we're going through this sugar detox & I've been finding all kinds of crazy recipes & that reminded me that my past boss once made these brownies that had black beans in them. Yep, black beans. So I thought I would give them a whirl & I know you're not going to believe me, but they were incredible! There is no flour in these brownies, just scrumptious black beans, so there's also added protein. Use dark chocolate instead of milk & they're almost GOOD for you :) John even mostly approved.

I also found that, contrary to "normal" brownies, these are best after they have cooled & sat in the refrigerator over night. They become so moist & dense & fudgey- like. Mmm. Eat your heart out. (Oh, & even though I said we're going through a sugar detox, we did use white sugar in this recipe... we're just using up what we have & then it's history!)

Black Bean Brownies

1 (15.5 oz.) can reduced sodium black beans, thoroughly rinsed and drained

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 pinch salt

3 eggs

2 Tablespoons canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon instant coffee (optional)

1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)

1/3 cup semisweet chocolate chips (optional)

.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8×8″ baking dish with baking or cooking spray. Place black beans through vanilla/instant coffee in food processor or blender. Pulse thoroughly until smooth & well combined. Pour batter in baking dish. Top with nuts & chocolate chips if desired. Bake for 30 minutes or until the top is dry & edges begin to pull away from the baking dish. Cool completely before cutting. I actually didn't add coffee or walnuts, but next time I'll definitely try it!

Recipe taken from amybites.com

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bites

Would you agree that chocolate + peanut butter + something crunchy = the absolutely perfect treat? If so, then I have found heaven for your little taste buds. Sink your teeth into a few of these gems & you'll be one happy camper! You could even add some sprinkles to add a bit of holidazzle. Just watch out because they are mighty addicting...

Peanut Butter Chocolate Pretzel Bites

Ingredients

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tbsp softened butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

Pretzels

1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions

Combine peanut butter & softened butter in a large bowl with a fork or whisk, or in a stand mixer. Add the sugars & mix to combine. At this point if the filling will roll easily into balls without sticking to your hands you’re ready to go. If not, add a little more of each sugar until you reach a consistency that is easy to roll.

Use a teaspoon measure to scoop the filling. Roll each portion into a small ball, then sandwich them between two whole pretzels. When all the balls are rolled & successfully sandwiched, stick the whole tray in the freezer for about half an hour.

Pour the chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl & heat at 30-second intervals, stirring occasionally until completely melted. Remove the pretzel sandwiches from the freezer & quickly dip each half-way into the melted chocolate. Return to the tray & repeat with remaining sandwiches. When all are dipped, return the tray to the freezer to set up completely. Store the sandwiches in the refrigerator until serving time. Oh MY! Soooo amazing!

Recipe taken from twotinykitchens.com

Maple Ginger Pumpkin Pie

Oh heavens, do I love pumpkin pie! This recipe was definitely a crowd pleaser this past Thanksgiving & it makes me wonder why I only make it once a year...

Maple Ginger Pumpkin Pie
Ingredients
1 piecrust (you should make your own!)
2 large local cage free eggs
1 15-ounce can pure pumpkin puree
1 cup heavy cream (don't skimp!)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Directions
Set oven rack in the lowest position & set the heat to 350. In a large bowl, whisk all ingredients together. Pour mixture into crust & bake 60-70 minutes until center is set. Let cool to room temperature before serving. You can make this pie up to 2 days ahead if you stick it in the fridge loosely covered in plastic wrap.

Recipe taken from Real Simple Magazine

Pie Crust

This piecrust is my go-to crust for the majority of the pies I make. Why? Because it's easy, quick, & oh-so scrumptious! It takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time & a total of 1 hour, 40 minutes of time. 

Here's all you need to make 1 9-inch piecrust
Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, spooned & leveled, plus more for rolling

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3-4 tablespoons ice water

Directions

In a food processor, pulse the floor, butter, sugar, & salt until the mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size clumps of butter. Add 2 tablespoons of the water. Pulse until the mixture holds together when squeezed but is still crumbly (add more water, a little at a time if necessary). Avoid over processing, which will make the dough tough). Place the still crumbly mixture on a sheet of plastic wrap. Shape into a 1-inch thick disk, using the plastic wrap to help. Wrap tightly & refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour & up to 3 days.

Place the disk of dough on a floured piece of parchment/wax paper. With a floured rolling pin, roll the dough into an 11-inch circle. Loosen the dough from the paper & carefully transfer to a pie plate. Fit the dough to the pan with 1-inch hanging over (avoid stretching). 

Voila! It's so simple, I think I will never buy piecrust again!

Recipe taken from Real Simple magazine

Avocado Cheesecake with Walnut Graham Cracker Crust

Oh me, oh my! This avocado cheesecake sure caught my attention when I saw it & believe me, it does not disappoint! I was a little hesitant because of well, the avocados, but they just add an incredible creaminess. Also the graham cracker crust does not contain butter, so that also peeked my curiosity. I usually don't alter recipes the first time I try them, but I did not use anise seeds (ew) & I used 1% milk instead of skim. I also made them in a cupcake pan for individual servings & thus only baked the crust for 10 minutes instead of 20. So delish!

Avocado Cheesecake with Walnut Crust
Ingredients
3/4 cup shelled walnuts

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided

1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seeds (I omitted)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 envelope unflavored gelatin

1 lemon

1 1/2 cups skim milk (I used 1%)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 fully ripened Avocados from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and diced

8 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened and cut in pieces (I used low-fat)

Directions

Heat oven to 350°F. In food processor, pulse walnuts until finely ground. Add graham cracker crumbs, 1 tablespoon sugar, anise seeds & salt; pulse just until combined. Add 2 tablespoons water; pulse until ingredients are thoroughly combined & resemble wet sand. Press into bottom of an 8 1/2-inch springform pan. Bake 20 minutes; cool completely.

In measuring cup or small bowl, combine gelatin with 2 tablespoons water; let stand for 5 minutes. With vegetable peeler, remove strips of lemon zest (yellow portion only). In saucepan, combine milk, 1/2 cup sugar, vanilla & lemon zest; bring to boil. Add gelatin; simmer until gelatin has completely dissolved, about 1 minute; strain & discard lemon zest. In food processor, combine avocados & cream cheese. Pour hot milk mixture into processor; process until very smooth. Pour into baked crust; cover & refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Remove side of pan; cut cheesecake into 10 slices. Serve with raspberry sauce, if desired. I topped with walnuts instead.

Cheesecake is best when served the same day; any leftover cheesecake should be securely covered with clear plastic wrap and refrigerated.

Recipe taken from www.theamazingavocado.com.

Double Chocolate Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

I made these for a community lunch that we have from time to time at our church & man, oh man... they turned out fabulously! Of course, I had to try one last night to make sure they were "good" & it took me a lot of strength to actually bring them to church today because DANG! I ended up putting them in the fridge over night because of the frosting & I think they were even better today... more moist & delicious & perfect for this time of year. Enjoy!

Double chocolate pumpkin cupcakes

Ingredients
1 1/2 C. cake flour

2/3 C. cocoa powder

2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

1/2 t. salt

1 C. plain lowfat yogurt

1 3/4 C. canned pumpkin (15 oz. can)

1 t. white vinegar

2 t. vanilla extract

1/2 C. unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 C. lightly-packed light brown sugar

3 large eggs

1 cup mini chocolate chips (I used regular-sized ones)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda & salt together; set aside. In a separate bowl, stir together the yogurt, pumpkin, vinegar, & vanilla extract, set aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter & brown sugar until light & fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Alternately beat in the flour & pumpkin mixtures in thirds. Fold in the mini chocolate chips. Spoon batter into cupcake cups, filling each about 3/4 full. Place cupcake pans in the center of the preheated 350 degree oven & bake approximately 25 minutes. 

While cupcakes are cooling, prepare cream cheese frosting (recipe follows). When cupcakes are completely cool, spread with frosting.

Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients
8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 C. unsalted butter, softened

2 C. powdered sugar

1/4. t. vanilla extract

1/8 t. ground cinnamon

1/8 t. fresh ground nutmeg

Directions
In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, & nutmeg.

If frosting is too soft, chill in fridge for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe taken from pinchmysalt.com

Strawberry Chocolate Pie

A perfect summer pie for a perfect summer guy (& myself!) This pie didn't require much baking (only 10 minutes for the crust), which is nice since it's been sooo hot lately. It's quite simple & oh-so-delicious!

Chocolate Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

2 cups crushed graham crackers

1/2 cup melted butter
1/3 cup sugar

1 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1 pie crust (I used the graham cracker crust, but you can use whatever you'd like)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

2 cups strawberries, halved

2 tablespoons honey

2 semi-sweet chocolate baking squares, melted and cooled

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions

Combine all ingredients for the crust (the first 3) & press into the bottom & sides of a pie pan & bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat together chocolate chips, cream cheese, honey & vanilla until fluffy. Spread mixture in crumb crust. Cover & refrigerate until firm, about 1 to 2 hours. Lightly press halved strawberries, into top of cream cheese mixture after refrigeration. Melt semi-sweet chocolate squares & drizzle before serving.

Recipe taken from food.com

Cinnamon Chocolate Chip Scones

I think I may have fallen in love with this new scone recipe I found on the Food Network website! Every month at work, all of the case managers get together for a 3-hour meeting & tomorrow it's my turn to lead the meeting. Since it's a morning meeting, I thought, why not first fill the ladies' (I work with all women) bellies with something yummy to get the meeting started in the right direction? Plus, it gave me a reason to be barefoot & pregnant in the kitchen :)

Scones really aren't that hard to make in general, but my old (now possibly retired) recipe called for a lot more ingredients (like buttermilk) that I don't always have on hand. Plus, it's nice to simplify when it comes to baking, so I can make them in a pinch. The thing I love best about scones is that they are incredibly versatile-- you can change what "kind" of scone you make with some minor adjustments. Say one day you're wanting something nutty or chocolatey or berry-y.... you can mix & match to your heart's content!

This particular recipe (the dry ingredients anyway) can be make ahead of time & given as gifts in pretty little jars. The recipient then only would need to add a stick of butter & 1 1/4 cups of milk, plus whatever filling they desire. Such a great idea!

Cinnamon Chocolate Scones

Ingredients

3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (I also added a handful of cinnamon chips)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chunks

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cups milk (I used whole!)

Directions

Start by preheating the oven to 375 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients. Grab a stick of butter, cut it into pieces, & with the mixer running, add the butter & mix until coarse & sandy. You should still be able to see small lumps of butter. (I actually find that it works best to just use my hands to mix it all together-- that way you can break up the butter more easily & it doesn't all clump together in a mixer). Add the milk until almost combined.

Add the chocolate chunks & mix just to distribute them evenly through the dough. Do not overmix; there may still be some flour not mixed in. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface & shape into a large, even circle.

Using a the biscuit cutter, cut out circles (I cut them like a pie because I think they look prettier that way) & place on a cookie sheet. Bake until light golden brown, about 15 minutes. Mmm!

Recipe taken from the Food Network