Macaroons! YUM YUM!

I love coconut.
So I made coconut macaroons today.  The ones I made are inspired by
http://joyofbaking.com/CoconutMacaroons.html
But with my own twist, and I think it's a twist for the better.   It's kind of an easter-ish dessert for some reason, but honestly I've been looking for an excuse for weeks to make these.  They're super easy too.  Hope you enjoy!

COCONUT MACAROONS!

INGREDIENTS:

baked!  check out the nice golden colour

2 egg whites (about 60g, if you have pasteurized ones in a container, those are good)
Scant 1/2 cup of white sugar (about 90g)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup on unsweetened shredded or flaked coconut1 cup of sweetened shredded or flaked coconut
1/4 cup (approx 1 oz) of almond meal
1/4 tsp of almond extract
1/4 tsp of vanilla extract

Chocolate Almond (Insert Dessert Name Here)

So I haven't been blogging lately. I've been cooking and baking up a storm, seriously.  I've done some great stuff in my kitchen.

The finished product! jiggly on top

One thing I've figured out is that I'm definitely lactose intolerant, so no milk in great quantity (or a bunch of lactaid pills, but the first option works the best!!!) and I'm not necessarily gluten intolerant, but I feel and it works better for me if I don't go crazy on gluten based foods (not to say I don't enjoy them at times!!)

I'm coming back in here with DECADENCE.  You will find recipes for two of the most delicious things I've baked in a looooooong time!!!

CHOCOLATE ALMOND (LAVA CAKES)
This recipe below is very similar to the Peanut butter chocolate cakes I've made before, except this time with almond butter.  Oh, and no flour either!  These were OUTSTANDING.  I talked about them for days after I made them, and honestly, I still think about them.  The appeal besides the flourless aspect is the honey used as sweetener! Brilliant!!  (I made half of this recipe)

cocoa'd ramekins

TOOLS:
4 6-8 oz ramekin dishes
2 tbsp cocoa powder
Butter for greasing

Ingredients:
6 TBSP unsalted butter
3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 TBSP almond meal
1/3 C liquid honey
2 eggs
1/4 tsp almond extract
2 TBSP natural almond butter mixed with 1 TBSP icing sugar and a bit of water (to help it combine)

Avocado Coconut Chocolate Mousse

Yes, the base of this dessert is AVOCADOS.  You won't even know they are there.  I served this to Adam's parents and I told them AFTER they ate it that they just ate a dairy free dessert with fibre and a low glycemic index.   They were suprised.  And they really enjoyed the dessert.

My inspriations (or, basically exactly what I did) come from these recipes:
http://www.hgtv.com/holidays-and-entertaining/chocolate-of-the-gods-mousse-with-raspberries-and-mint/index.html
http://www.notquitenigella.com/2011/06/17/in-my-kitchen-masterchefs-skye-craigs-chocolate-avocado-mousse/

AVOCADO COCONUT CHOCOLATE MOUSSE (serves 6)


Looks great!!!

 INGREDIENTS:

3 medium ripe haas avocados, peeled and wedged.
2/3 C Agave Syrup (or use pure maple syrup, add a bit more if it needs it as agave is sweeter)
3/4 C FULL FAT coconut milk (or about half of a 400 mL can)
6 packed TBSP of cocoa powder (I like the original, dutch process for a milder cocoa taste)
1/2 tsp of tamari (soy sauce is OK too)
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
itty bitty pinch of kosher salt

Raspberries, dried coconut, and mint leaves to serve

Pantry Pumpkin Pie!

Okay, so happy belated thanksgiving.  This will be handy next year :)

With a bit of whip cream, perfect
(actually, after I took the photo i covered
it in the stuff...)



I'm sick, I've had a terrible cold but also a terribly busy weekend, which may have exacerbated my symptoms...but dammit I was on dessert duty, and what is tradition without a little pumpkin pie?  I was going to buy the pie but doing an audit of my pantry, I had all of the ingredients here already, so why not?

So, I'll confess, this is about as shortcut-homemade as you can do it.  It's not from scratch (really).  I've done it before.  I've roasted, peeled, pitted, pureed, strained the pumpkin, ground my spices, got the homemade pastry going (which I kind of suck at btw) and whipped some heavy cream (no cans here!) but you know what?  It's great, but I would be inclined to argue not really worth the work.

PANTRY PUMPKIN PIE (makes 2 pies)



Inspired by the recipe from the ED Smith pumpkin can with a few tips from the joyofbaking.com website.  I call it that because most of the stuff came from my pantry. :)

Peanut Butter. Chocolate. Ice cream. Do I have your attention yet?



Scooping it up! YUM!

The other day I set out to make a favourite of mine: Peanut butter chocolate ice cream.  Dave Lebovitz is full of wonderful ice cream recipes, but when I did a quick google search for what I thought was the easiest ice cream recipe ever, I found another recipe, that's even easier, and I dare say better.

Inspired by and mostly copied this recipe right here:  http://dinneranddessert.wordpress.com/2009/05/31/peanut-butter-ice-cream/

PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM
with chocolate sauce and chocolate covered peanuts



INGREDIENTS:

Base:
3/4 C whipping cream
1 3/4C 1% milk

2/3 C granulated sugar

2/3 C smooth peanut butter
pinch of salt


1/4 t vanilla

1 capfull of vanilla vodka

2 BITES OF CANADA!

Happy Canada Day!

OK, well the only thing that really makes them Canadian is that a Canadian made them and ummmm, there are Canada sprinkles on them and I'm sure the eggs and much of the ingredients originated in Canada.  It's just like the radio, I've got me some "Can-Con" in there to keep me in business! HA HA.

It was Canada day, and I didn't want to make cookies, I was going to, but I didn't want to.  I've never made good brownies as far as I can tell, so I thought instead of changing the 'what' change the 'how' so instead of a pan that gets overcooked on the edges and soupy in the middle, how about mini versions of that?  Perfect. 

They worked out.  Good recipe, would make again.  Was inspired by the celebratory theme on this site http://www.kitchenparade.com/2009/06/two-bite-brownies.php (which is also where I got the recipe, save for some minor mods I made)

TWO BITE BROWNIES

Makes 24 (or a few more!)

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3/4C of Sugar
1/4C of light brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon instant coffee dissolved in 1 teaspoon water
1 cup flour, whisked with:
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not dutch processed, but I mean, you CAN use dutch processed)
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon table salt

Add-ins:  Go for some nuts but if you like DOUBLE CHOCOLATE and I know you do, 1/3 C of mini semi-sweet chips is a nice touch!

Sarah's SCRUMPTIOUS scoop!!

On Friday I was running errands on my lunch break and stopped into Baskin Robbins for a scoop, I could not decide what to get but then I saw 'RUM RAISIN' and I thought of the last time I ate that (many many years) and you know, it was good and I said to myself  'I'm making this kind this weekend'  SO I DID!

Glorious cone!

My inspiration for this recipe belongs to these two recipes, what I've done is a hybrid of the 2, with less sugar.  I also used  less raisins because I had some blondie bits to put in too (otherwise I may have used closer to a half cup).  The method is very similar (exactly) like the joy of baking website.
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Rum-Raisin-Ice-Cream-4529

http://joyofbaking.com/VanillaIceCream.html

When making homemade ice cream with this kind of mixture bigger is not better.  Small batches are best because the mixer is not that big and you want as much of the mix to contact the sides as possible.   There are quicker and very tasty ice creams and frozen yogurts out there.  But this is custard style, the best in my books.  This post is a text and photo chronicle, which employs some of the experience I have gained in the last (almost) year I've had the ice cream maker.  There is still much to learn, and much to churn HA HA HA HA!


RUM RAISIN ICE CREAM


Some ingredients..cream, sugar,
egg yolk

INGREDIENTS:
1/2C packed brown sugar

5 egg yolks
2 1/2C half and half cream
1t vanilla
1/3C dark rum
1/3C raisins
2/3C blondies (I had some leftover, see recipe here:  http://www.joyofbaking.com/barsandsquares/Blondies.html)

The process - PART 1
- Combine the rum and raisins in a small pot on medium heat, gently warm mixture for about 5 minutes until warm to the  touch.  Place mixture in glass bowl or measuring cup and cover.  (Do this in advance if you can, 2 hours steeping time is a good minimum).   We're soaking the raisins for a few reasons, mostly so they don't end up hardening in the ice cream mix,  and of course for the amazing flavour.

Crispy crumbly

I bought a 2lb thing of blueberries, guess I'm short on antioxidants?  Well I needed to bring dessert to Adam's parents cottage thing this past weekend, so I thought - good, I love dessert and I can use these berries.  Adam's idea to make a crisp, actually.



finished product - yum

Probably the first dessert I ever made by myself is apple crisp.  Now, it's come a long way, and it's kind of one of those things that's a bit different every time I make it.  The thing is, it's such a basic dessert and you can do so many different things with it - sugars and their proportions, butter melted or softened, how many oats? What about using coconut, or almonds, or walnuts...or no nuts at all?  Maple syrup? yes please.   Don't even get my STARTED on the fruit.

A good rule though, is if you're using berries in any proportion, flour or some starch in with the fruit is an absolute non-negotiable must. (you can't negotiate, seriously)

Inspired by pretty much any crisp and crumble recipe out there.   Noteworthy is joyofbaking.com and canadianliving.com (for the apple/blueberry combo idea)

APPLE BLUBERRY CRISP 

INGREDIENTS

Filling:

4C of cooking apples, peeled and chopped or thinly sliced (about 4 large)

2C of fresh blueberries, picked over and rinsed

1/4t of cinnamon

2T sugar

2T flour

juice of half a lemon

Ice Cream, Sherbet, I scream for both!

I'll write more on the easter roast later, but I have to tell you about 2 of the most successful frozen desserts I have made with my ice cream machine which I served at Easter Dinner! 

Strawberry sauce caps a delicious
frozen treat!

Last year for my birthday my wonderful boyfriend bought me an attachment for my kitchenaid mixer, an ice cream machine!  WOW I thought, I was so pumped on endorphins that day (from running a half marathon a couple hours earlier) and I just thought it was the best gift ever, I still think that!  Frozen desserts are my favourite desserts, I just LOVE ice cream, frozen yogurt, sherbet, soft serve, you name it - and I'm not a snob about them either.  I just have to like it, that's my only criteria (I don't like all of it, I don't think bubblegum has any place in ice cream)

I made Lemon Sherbet and Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream served in Tuile bowls.  All three recipes are contained here.  In hindsight I wish I took photos of the ice cream churning, but I'll save that for next time I post an ice cream recipe (peanut butter chocolate anyone??!?!?!?)

choco-coco macaroons, yum yum!

You know, and don't chastise me for saying this:  I do not love chocolate

That's right, on it's own I don't love it.  I do like it.  But I don't love it.  What i DO love is chocolate combined with other things to create something special.  Chocolate and peanut butter for instance...or chocolate and caramel (how do they get that in that bar?) or even chocolate and.......COCONUT.

So I made *drum roll please*

Delicious looking - and tasting!!

CHOCOLATE COCONUT MACAROONS.

People love these cookies, i LOVE these cookies. They're easy, they're good, and I have been asked for this recipe on numerous occasions.  People will ask you for it too.

My favourite website is to blame for this one.   http://joyofbaking.com/ChocolateCoconutMacaroons.html

Mods and tips are few:  I make mine smaller.  When you chill the batter for about an hour it's easier to make, and they come out chunkier.  Otherwise, you'll have a flatter smoother cookie (like mine today).  I use half semi and half bitter choc (but either/or work very well).  I also find having a carton of liquid egg whites handy, I mean if you eat them (don't buy just for this purpose), I find it easier to pour and weigh egg white than deal with separation (but if you do, make some custard with those yolks!) :)

Enjoy!

Weekend baking! Gimme S'more banana muffins :)

I baked two things this weekend.  Banana muffins and S'more bars.  Let's get right down to business.

The Banana Muffins I made are based infact on a banana bread recipe I am fond of on the joyofbaking.com website - don't let the word "low fat" fool you - I put in lots of extra fat in the way of pecans and chocolate chips :)

Find the recipe here:  http://www.joyofbaking.com/healthydesserts/LowFatBananaBread.html

Recipe was followed exactly with the following mods....At the end I added 1/2C semi-sweet chocolate chips (I would reccomend mini chips, I didn't have any on hand, but they disperse the batter nicer) and 1/4C chopped pecans.  Instead of a quick bread I divided into 12 large paper lined muffin cups.  I baked at 350 degrees for 22 minutes.

Don't these look nice? They tasted great....Goes well with tea

peanuuuuut peanut butter......chocolate.

Valentines day with A and I is kind of a non-starter - at least relative to several of our cohorts.  Sure, when we were newbies at the game we did cards and gifts and all that, and I still get a bouquet of over-priced roses (which are lovely, A, truly lovely) but our tradition has simplified into staying in and making a nice supper for ourselves, co-operatively.

So to cap off our bacon wrapped beef tenderloin with sauteed mushrooms, garden greens, grilled asparagus and sweet potato mash what could be finer than a MOLTEN PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE.