Meyer Lemon Madeleines

Happy New Year!  I hope everyone is enjoying the start of the new year.  I am excited about my first post of the new year: Meyer Lemon Madeleines.

Before I tried them, I used to think that madeleines were seashell-shaped crunchy French butter cookies.  Since I tend to prefer cookies with chocolate, I don't ever really remember eating them.  That changed a few years ago after I received a madeleine pan from one of my sisters, who enjoyed getting them as a treat at Starbucks.  It was not until making them that I discovered that these are not cookies but rather unique little cakes that are golden and slightly crispy on the outside but spongy and soft on the inside.  When I previously made madeleines, they were good but usually quite dry by the next day, so I was never eager to bake them often---until recently.

Over Thanksgiving, my family met up in Las Vegas.  While in Vegas, my parents and I dined at the Robuchon Restaurant at the MGM Grand.  Joël Robuchon is a French chef who was named the "Chef of the Century" from Gault Millau and was awarded Meilleur Ouvrier de France (France's Best Craftsman).  He has written several cookbooks and owns restaurants around the world, with a total of 25 Michelin stars (the most of any chef in the world!).  

Suffice to say, dinner there was a true gastronomical adventure.  Every course was a work of art and meticulously plated.  The food was refined with a unique and amazing profile.  As classy as it sounds, the bread cart contained the best carbs that I've ever put into my mouth.  Additionally, there was a separate cart for the butter that contained a tower of rich, creamy butter from Brittany, France, and the butter was carved and plated with a touch of salt.  ;-)

Dining at Robuchon was a very special evening with my parents, and this dinner was the best meal that I have ever had.  As a parting gift, we received a lemon blueberry cake.  Even after bringing it back to Denver, it stayed perfectly moist and flavorful.  I was so impressed by Robuchon's cuisine, techniques, and style that I immediately ordered his cookbook the Complete Robuchon.  What better place to start, right?

There are many different ways to bake madeleines.  Some recipes call for whole eggs, and some only use a mix of egg whites and yolks.  I've made madeleines with clarified butter to bring out the nuttiness of the butter.  Most called for granulated sugar and a drizzle of honey.

When I stumbled across Robuchon's madeleine recipe, I was surprised to see that it was completely different from other recipes that I've tried, as it uses confectioners' sugar, egg whites, and almond flour.  Robuchon's recipe resulted in madeleines that were simply exquisite and the best that I have ever tried (or made!).  It is amazing how almond flour and whipped egg whites transformed this into something so special.  Since I had Meyer lemons on hand, I also added in zest from the lemons along with some juice.  Meyer lemons are a cross between lemons and oranges, but they are not tart as normal lemons and not overly sweet.

These little cakes are a divine treat to enjoy with a cup of afternoon tea.  They are definitely something to make for a special occasion or when you want to do something sweet for someone.  These madeleines also reminded me of the lemon blueberry cake from the Robuchon Restaurant, so making these madeleines will help me remember that special culinary experience.  C'est bon!

Meyer Lemon Madeleines
Yields 1 dozen

Ingredients:
1 stick (110 grams) butter, plus extra butter for greasing the madeleine pan
1/3 cup (45 grams) all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting the greased madeline pan
1/4 cup (40 grams) finely ground almond flour
3/4 cup (110 grams) confectioners' sugar
3 large egg whites
1/2 tbsp. honey
3 tablespoons Meter lemon juice
Grated zest of one Meyer lemon

Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Once melted, remove from heat and set aside to cool.

While the melted butter cools, coat the madeline mold with the extra (unmelted) butter, and sprinkle with flour.  Tap the pan and shake the flour around to spread evenly, and pat out any excess. (I would suggest doing this over your kitchen sink so you don't have an extra mess with flour on your counter.)

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to mix together the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and confectioners' sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the egg whites until they become fluid.  Then, add in the flour mixture and mix until full combined.  Slowly stir in the melted butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, and continue to whisk until the batter is smooth.

Spoon the batter into the madeleine molds so that they are almost filled to the top.  Refrigerate for at least one hour.

While the madeleines firm in the fridge, preheat the oven to 400ºF.  After an hour, bake the madeleines for 12 to 15 minutes, until the lightly golden and firm to the touch but still tender.  Remove from pan from the oven and lightly tap the pan on the counter to loosen the cakes from the mold.  Tip them onto a cooling rack.  If needed, use a small spoon or knife to loosen any madeleines stuck on the pan.

Serve warm or at room temperature.  When the madeleines have cooled, you can keep them in a sealed container.


Source: The Complete Robuchon

Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies

So, for the rest of the year, you can pretty much expect all sorts of sweet and decadent treats.

This year, I again participated in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.  In this cookie exchange, you send three different bloggers a dozen of cookies and receive three dozen in return.  I received chocolate mocha oreos from Melanie Makes, cranberry oatmeal bliss cookies from the Lady Behind the Curtain, and milk chocolate toffee brown butter cookies from the Little Kitchen.  Um, yum, yum, and yum!  For the last few months, I had been trying to decide what type of cookies to make.  I wanted to do something with gingerbread, but I wanted to do something different from the regular gingerbread cookie.  Say "hello" to Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies!

"Hello, Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies!"

These cookies combine gingerbread and chocolate.  Can you get any better than that during this time of the year?  I'm always a sucker for any cookie with chocolate, and gingerbread and Christmas just go together so well.  These cookies are soft and chewy from the molasses and have a mild spice with gingerbread and chocolate flavors.  Plus, they are topped with a button of chocolate.  You can never have enough chocolate, right?

I made chocolate and white chocolate ganaches for these cookies. The original recipe called for just chocolate.  I've combined gingerbread and white chocolate before, so I couldn't resist making a white chocolate ganache.  Every year, a group of friends and I go to Christmas tea, and there are usually butterscotch gingerbread scones--butterscotch and gingerbread make for a divine combination, in case you have not tried it.  With that in mind, I tried making a few different types of butterscotch ganaches using butterscotch chips, but none turned out very well.  All turned out a little clumpy and watery, unfortunately.   Until I perfect the butterscotch ganache, I'll stick to chocolate ganaches. :)

I am hosting my annual Christmas cookie exchange party this week end, and I can't wait to share pictures with you!  The cookie exchange party is one of my favorite parts about Christmas. I love it for so many reasons -  baking and eating, sharing good food with good people, and the spirit of giving!  Having so many of my incredible friends and their cookies (baked with love) in my house just bring such a happy, good feeling that I wish I could bottle up to share.  There is something so special and fun about cookie exchanges.  I think there should end up being over 600 cookies... bring on the sugar coma!

Gingerbread Thumbprint Cookies
Yields 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
180 grams (1 1/2 cups) and 2 tbsp. all purpose flour
6 tbsp. cocoa powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. allspice
1/8 tsp. nutmeg
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
10 tbsp. butter, room temperature
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 large egg
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 cup turbinado sugar, for coating the cookies

For the ganache:
3/4 cup semi-sweet, bittersweet, or white chocolate
5 tbsp. butter
1 1/4 tsp. molasses

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, nutmeg, salt, and ginger into a bowl, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the butter, dark brown sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until light and fluffy.  Then, add the egg until completely mixed, and then the molasses.

Add in the dry mixtures, and reduce to low speed to mix until the ingredients are combined.  Once combined, remove the dough and wrap in wax paper or plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350ºF.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

Pour the turbinado sugar into a shallow bowl.  Roll tablespoons of the dough into the turbinado sugar, coating completely.  Place on the baking sheets.

Bake for about 10 minutes, or until the cookies set on the edges but still are soft.  Remove from the oven and make a deep indentation in the center of each cookie using your thumb or a small spoon.  Return to the oven to finish baking, for about 5 minutes.  Then, remove from oven and allow the cookies to cool.

While the cookies cool, making the ganache filling.  Place the chocolate, butter, and molasses in a heatproof bowl.  Melt in the microwave for 30 second bursts, and stir until well after each interval.

Then, transfer the ganache to a piping bag or a small ziplock bag (snip off a tiny part of the corner).  Fill each cookie with ganache, and sit at room temperature until the ganache firms.

Source: Adapted from King Arthur Flour's Sift magazine

Grammy's Christmas Fudge

It wouldn't be Christmas without my Grammy's fudge!  This fudge is a classic one from my childhood and always makes an appearance around Christmas time.  For as long as I can remember, it's always been one of my favorite things that Grammy makes.  I am so happy to share this with all of you today!

This fudge is everything that a good fudge should be: chocolatey, decadent, and thick.  It's just lovely. :)

A few years ago, I made a cookbook of family recipes, and it's always fun to go through it during the Christmas season.  My family has some good cooks and bakers!  There are so many different ways to make fudge, many of which often call for a candy thermometer.  This recipe pretty much involves melting lots of simple things together.

First, you'll bring sugar, evaporated milk, and butter to a boil.  By bringing it to a boil, this ensures that the sugar melts, and this will help you get that nice shiny sheen for the fudge.  Then, after the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter reach a boil, you'll then add the remaining ingredients one by one.  There are a few different types of chocolate to use here.  I used a bag of Guittard semi-sweet chocolate chips, a large Lindt bar, and then some Ghirardelli unsweetened chocolate.  You'll also add some marshmallows along with vanilla extract.  Chocolate and nuts go well together, and if possible, toasting the nuts before adding them to the fudge mixture will help bring out their flavor more.  I used a combination of pecans, walnuts, and almonds.   If you don't like nuts, just omit them.

After the fudge finished cooking, you'll need to pour it into a large sheet pan.  I sprinkled some fleur de sel over the fudge, just because. ;)  Make sure to either butter the pan or line it with parchment paper to allow easy removal of the fudge.  The fudge will need a few hours to cool and harden at room temperature.  You could speed it up by sticking the cookie sheet in the refrigerator.  After the fudge cools, slice away.  I find that using a metal bench scraper makes cutting the fudge easy.  If fudge starts sticking to the bench scraper or your knife, I would suggest dipping it in hot water, wiping it with a dish towel, and then slicing it again.

This makes a lot of fudge - 5 pounds of it!  Fudge freezes very well, so you can keep some of the leftover fudge for you, too.

Make up a batch of this, add it to some cute Christmas tins or candy boxes, and spread the sweetness this season!

Grammy's Christmas Fudge
Yields 5 lbs. of fudge

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk
1/2 cup butter
12 oz. chocolate chips
13 oz. chocolate bar of your choice
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate
8 oz. small marshmallows
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups nuts, chopped (optional but recommended)

Directions:
Line a large sheet pan (at least a 3/4 sheet pan) with parchment paper and set aside.

In at least a 5 quart pot, cook the sugar, evaporated milk, and butter.  Boil covered for 5 minutes.  Then, add the remaining ingredients, one at a time, beating each well into the mixture.  After all ingredients have been added, remove from heat, and spread into the cookie sheet.

Source: Grammy :)

Carrot-Apple Muffins

In the middle of all of the Christmas decadence (which I am certainly enjoying my fair share), I thought that I would share a healthy sweet treat.

These are carrot-apple muffins made with a combination of all-purpose flour and almond flour, so they have a nuttier taste.  In lieu of butter, these cupcakes use a combination of applesauce and grapeseed oil.  The Greek yogurt keeps these cupcakes very moist.  These cupcakes do not have any additional sweetener added, so they are not overly sweet.  If you wanted to sweeten them up, I would suggest adding a tablespoon of honey, coconut sugar, or a sweetener of your choice.

You could make these into cupcakes by adding a healthy frosting, like a dollop of almond butter or even flavored Greek yogurt.

If you are looking for a healthier treat to bring to a Christmas party, these just may be the ticket.  Or, you can just file this away for a recipe to try in January. :)

Happy Baking!

Carrot-Apple Cupcakes
Yields 12 mini muffins

Ingredients:
60 grams (1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
3 tbsp. almond flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
2 tbsp. applesauce
2 tbsp. nonfat plain Greek yogurt
2 tbsp. grapeseed oil
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup shredded carrot

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line a mini cupcake pan with 12 muffin cups.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt, and whisk together.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg, applesauce, yogurt, grapeseed oil, and vanilla.  Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until combined.

Drop 1 tablespoon of the batter into each paper liner.  Bake for about 12 minutes until the muffins are golden.  Cool the muffins for 5 minutes before removing the liners from the pan.

Source: Adapted with modifications from Giada De Laurentiis' Feel Good Food

Avalanche Cookies

Not all cookies need baking.  These no-bake avalanche cookies are a mega crowd pleaser, are easy to make, and only need 4 ingredients.  Put these on your holiday treat list!

These cookies remind me of a little of a Nestle crunch bar but in more of a chewy cookie form, with peanut butter and white chocolate flavors. T o make these cookies, you melt white chocolate with peanut butter, and then you mix it with crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies) and marshmallows.  Dollop it out on a baking sheet, refrigerate, and voila - you have some pretty darn delicious cookies.

When it comes to picking a peanut butter, use any type of peanut butter except the natural peanut butters.  I love the natural peanut butters (those made with just peanuts and salt), but they do not work as well in desserts.  For these cookies, I used a special peanut butter from Peanut Butter & Co.  They make a white chocolate flavored peanut butter that is just wonderful, hence it is called "White Chocolate Wonderful."  It's a creamy peanut butter sweetened with white chocolate.  A spoonful is such sweet treat!  Besides, adding more white chocolate to these cookies sounded good to me.

Also, just sayin', but I think Nutella or cookie butter would be a great substitute in lieu of peanut butter.

When it comes to melting chocolate, the traditional method is using a double boiler.  I don't have a double boiler, mainly because I try to avoid pots and pans that are "unitaskers."  Instead, I prefer to place a heat proof glass bowl over a pot of simmering hot water.  The steam from the simmering water heats the bowl evenly and steadily.  This method has always worked great for me.  Additionally, it saves me from having to transfer the melted chocolate from a pot to a bowl.

Melting chocolate in the microwave is also an option, but you need to be careful because it is very easy to overheat chocolate in the microwave.  The cocoa butter of the chocolate affects how quickly the chocolate will cook, and I often end up burning white chocolate if I melt it in the microwave, despite how careful I try to be.  If you do  melt the chocolate in the microwave, I would suggest doing 30 second bursts and stir the chocolate in between the bursts.

Avalanche Cookies
Yields 2 dozen

Ingredients:
2 cups crispy rice cereal (Rice Krispies)
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 12 oz. bag white chocolate chips
1 cup of mini marshmallows

Directions:
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners, and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the cereal and marshmallows, and also set aside.

Melt white chocolate and peanut butter using preferred method, and stir to combine.  Once the white chocolate and peanut butter are melted, pour it over the cereal and marshmallows, and stir until everything is coated.

Using a tablespoon, drop the batter onto the lined baking sheets.  Place in refrigerator until the cookies harden.

Source: Modified from Averie Cooks

Cranberry Lemon Cookies

I have been posting some decadent treats lately and thought it was time to share a healthier treat.  These cranberry lemon cookies make for a light, yet sweet, treat to enjoy.

These cookies are made with brown rice flour and coconut flour.  Instead of containing butter, the cookies have grapeseed oil and applesauce instead.  They are sweetened by honey, and the lemon adds some tartness (along with the cranberries).  I had a harder time finding unsweetened dried cranberries, but I finally found them in the organic bulk foods section at Sprouts.  (For some reason, the non-organic section only had cranberries sweetened in sugar, and I found the same at Trader Joe's.)

The batter is more liquid like, so you will want to use a tablespoon to dollop it out on the cookie sheets.  The cookies do not spread too much when baking.  After baking, my kitchen smelled like lemons and cranberries.

The cookies had a more cake-like texture after being cooled for about an hour.  I refrigerated the cookies, and refrigerating them seemed to help make them taste a little more chewy and less cake-like in texture.  One of these cookies is perfect with a cup of tea for an afternoon break.

Cranberry Lemon Cookies
Yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup brown rice flour (135 grams / 4.75 oz.)
1/4 cup coconut flour (32 grams / 1.13 oz.)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup honey
Zest of 1 large lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup unsweetened dried cranberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375ºF, and line two baking sheets with silicone liners or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, combine the brown rice flour, coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, and whisk together.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix the grapeseed oil, applesauce, honey, lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs, and vanilla until combined.  Then, add the flour mixture and mix until blended.  Add in the cranberries and mix until combined.

Using a tablespoon, spoon the batter onto the cookie sheets.  Using your fingers, pat each cookie dough ball into a disc.  Bake until lightly golden, about 15-20 minutes.  Cool for an hour before serving (this helps the cookies firm up).

Source: Giada Di Laurentiis' Feel Good Food

Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Can you ever really have enough chocolate chip cookie recipes?

The answer to that question is, "No."  (Obviously.) :)

Cookies with some form (or forms) of chocolate are my favorite kind of cookie, so I'm always game to try a new chocolate chip cookie recipe.  After all, one can argue that chocolate is from the cocoa bean, which is a vegetable; so, I'm really just trying to share another way to enjoy vegetables with my fellow readers.  Ha!

When Deb of Smitten Kitchen posted these salted chocolate chunk cookies and described them as "unseemly-sized puddles of melted chocolate," I was immediately sold on them.  I like a chocolate chip cookie that has no shortage of chocolate.  This cookie delivers on the chocolate front with big chunks of chocolate that are truly held in place by the dough.  (As a funny side note, when I was re-reading this post before publishing, I realized I forget to add the flour measurements - without that, this would be a buttery chocolate puddle!)

I'm not sure what else to really say about these cookies - unseemly-sized puddles of melted chocolate seems to sum it up.  If you live near a Trader Joe's (or an Aldi's), I would echo Deb's recommendation of using one of their huge chocolate bricks to make these cookies.   It's good quality chocolate, and I used both semi and bittersweet chocolate in these cookies.

In closing, remember to save planet Earth,  as it is the only planet with chocolate!


Salted Chocolate Chunk Cookies
Yields 18 cookies

Ingredients:
8 tbsp. butter (1 stick), at room temperature
2 tbsp. granulated sugar
2 tbsp. turbinado sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 lbs. semi or bittersweet chocolate, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 3/4 cup flour (7.75 oz. or 220 grams)
Sea salt flakes, to finish

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF and line two baking sheets with silicon liners or parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.  Then, add the egg and vanilla, and beat until incorporated.  Add in the salt and baking soda, followed by the flour on low speed until combined.  Using a spatula, fold in the chocolate chunks.

Scoop the cookies into 1 1/2 tbsp. molds, and sprinkle each with a few flakes of sea salt.  Bake for about 10 to 14 minutes, until golden on the outside but still soft and gooey.  Allow them to rest on the baking sheet for about ten minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Source: Smitten Kitchen

Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes

Almost a year ago, my friend Jenn and I saw Ina Garten during her Make it Ahead cookbook tour's stop in Denver.  It was so much fun to see Ina live!  Ina brought up her acclaimed coconut cupcakes during her visit and joked about the large amounts of butter in those cupcakes.  Jenn and I talked about how we needed to try those coconut cupcakes.  Ever since then, I had Ina Garten's coconut cupcakes on my must bake list.  As a chocolate lover, I give desserts with chocolate preference on the baking list, and so the coconut cupcakes just lingered at the bottom of the list.

When I was flipping through my Ina Garten cookbooks on a Saturday afternoon (one of my favorite afternoon activities is going through cookbooks with a cup of tea), I was reminded that I really needed to make those coconut cupcakes.  Since I hadn't made cupcakes for far too long, it was time to bump these cupcakes up on the baking list.

Now, if you're going to make cupcakes, go big, or go home, right?

I say "go big, or go home" because these cupcakes have 1 1/2 pounds of butter in them.  That's 48 tablespoons of butter.  It's also equivalent to 6 sticks of butter.  I'm not sure which sounds better: pounds, tablespoons, or sticks.  Bottom line, these cupcakes have a whole lot of better, but they are so worth it.

While we're referring to ingredients in pounds, I suppose it's a good time to bring up that these cupcakes also have a pound of cream cheese.

As you might expect, these cupcakes are pure dessert nirvana.  They are fluffy, buttery cupcakes with a nutty vanilla flavor with coconut baked into the cupcake.  The cream cheese frosting makes these cupcakes absolutely delectable and incorporates the same vanilla and almond flavors with shredded coconut.  

Ina's recipe called for filling the cupcakes up to nearly the top of the liner.  Most cupcake recipes call for filling them 3/4 of the way.  However, I wasn't going to question Ina Garten, so I filled them to nearly the brim.  The cupcakes did not rise very much, so don't be concerned about filling them so high.

I made the cupcakes and froze them (after they finished cooling) overnight and frosted them the next day.  I find that it is easier to frost cakes (and cupcakes!) when they are frozen.  Freezing cake also helps keep the moisture in the cake.  By doing it the next day, it also gives the dishwasher time to clean the bowl of the stand mixer. ;-)

There is a lot of frosting in these cupcakes, and truth be told, you could probably even half the frosting.  In my humble opinion, frosting is the best part of a cake, so I made the full frosting recipe so that I could generously frost the cupcakes.

Calling these cupcakes "divine" seems almost to be an understatement.   All I can say is go make them.    For Thanksgiving, break up all the pumpkin desserts and throw in something different with these coconut cupcakes.  

Ina Garten's Coconut Cupcakes
Yields 18 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:
24 tbsp. / 3 sticks / 3/4 lb. butter, at room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
12 3/4 oz. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk
7 oz. shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

For the frosting:
24 tbsp. / 3 sticks / 3/4 lb. butter, at room temperature
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1 1/2 lbs. confectioner's sugar
7 oz. shredded coconut, sweetened or unsweetened

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF.  Line two cupcake pans with paper liners, and set aside.

In a large bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt, and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed for about 5 to 7 minutes, until light and fluffy.  Then, with the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, one at a time.  Then, add the vanilla and almond extracts, and mix well.

In three parts, alternatively add the flour mixture and the buttermilk to the batter.  Mix until just combined, and then fold in 7 ounces of the shredded coconut.  

Fill each cupcake liner to the top with the batter.  Bake for about 25-35 minutes, until the cupcake tops are golden brown.  After baking, allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for about 15 minutes before moving to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes cool, make the frosting.  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla and almond extracts.  Then, add the confectioner's sugar and mix until smooth.

Frost the cupcakes and sprinkle with the remaining coconut.

Source: Ina Garten

Butterscotch Budino

A budino is a very sweet, rich, and creamy Italian pudding.  My friends, this butterscotch budino is the richest and most decadent butterscotch pudding that I have ever tried.  It is thick (almost velvety in texture) with very deep butterscotch and caramel flavors.  Warning: it may induce a food coma.

This was fairly simple to make.  Making caramel can be intimidating when a thermometer is involved, but there is no thermometer needed here.

The first step involves combining the brown sugar, salt, and water in a saucepan and cooking it until it is really dark and nearly smoking.  Then, you add in heavy cream and milk, which stops the cooking.  As the mixture heats up, the cream and milk will combine with the caramel.  While it cooks, you whisk together the eggs and cornstarch, which you add to the caramel mixture to temper it.  This forms a custard.  After the custard thickens, you add in some butter and rum, and you're done!  Pour the custard into serving dishes and refrigerate, and right before serving, you can add caramel sauce and whipped cream.

The whipped cream is not sweetened, so it helps balance the rich sweetness of the budino.  Additionally, it has creme fraiche in it, which adds a bit of a tang to help offset the sweetness.

To make this a little easier, I used a caramel sauce from Trader Joe's.  I sprinkled a few flakes of fleur de sel (sea salt flakes) on top of the caramel before adding a dollop of the whipped cream.  I think the salt helps to round out the flavor.  Besides, in my opinion, salt usually makes anything taste better! :)

This was the ultimate dessert for a very successful pizza night!  I added some small pistachio cookies with the budino, too.  Enjoy!

Butterscotch Budino
Yields 10 servings

Ingredients:
For the budino:
1 cup plus 2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
3 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 1.5%)
1 egg
3 egg yolks
5 tbsp. cornstarch
5 tbsp. butter
1 1/2 tbsp. dark rum or pure vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:
1/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup creme fraiche

Fleur de sel, for garnish
10 oz. jar of caramel sauce, optional

Directions:
For the budino:

In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the water, brown sugar, and salt.  Stir often until the mixture become a smoking, dark caramel (about 10 to 12 minutes).  The sugar will smell caramelized and nutty and turn into a deep brown.  Once the mixture reaches the caramel state, immediately whisk the cream and milk into the caramel to stop the cooking.  The mixture will steam and the caramel will bubble, but as you continue whisking, the mixture will "calm."  Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce the heat to medium.

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolks, and cornstarch.  Add a cup of caramel at a time into the egg mixture, and whisk constantly.  When half of the caramel is incorporated, pour the egg mixture back into the caramel pot, and boil and whisk constantly until the custard thickens.  Remove the custard from the heat and stir in the butter and rum.  Divide the custard among ten 6-oz serving dishes.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least four hours or up to 3 days.

When ready to serve, if you are using the caramel sauce, heat the caramel sauce slightly and spoon a tablespoon of the caramel sauce onto each budino, and sprinkle a dash of flour de sel.
Then, whip the cream until it begins to thicken, and then add the creme fraiche.  Spoon a dollop of whipped cream on top of the budino.

Source: Nancy Silverton of Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza, Los Angeles via the James Beard Foundation

Strawberries with Whipped Mascarpone Cream

Mascarpone is a soft Italian cream cheese.  I always like finding new ways to use it.  Most often, I use  it in savory Italian dishes, like a risotto or a chicken marsala.  I tried it a few times in Italian cheesecakes, but I have never used it to make a whipped cream. With so many strawberries right now,  I wanted to play with some different ways to enjoy them!

So, say "hello" to this sinfully rich and creamy whipped mascarpone cream.

I'm not sure how much there is to say about the delectable combination of strawberries and cream.  This is a quick simple dessert with an Italian twist of mascarpone cream.  But, I suppose there is an art as to how you prepare the cream to enhance the flavor of the strawberries.

Toss some blueberries in, and you've got yourself a Fourth of July dessert.  :)  I'll be making this again in a month or so when Colorado's Palisade peaches arrive.

Strawberries with Whipped Mascarpone Cream
Yields 2 servings

Ingredients:
4 tbsp. mascarpone cream
2 tbsp. whole milk or heavy cream
1 tbsp. confectioner's sugar (I used 2 packets of stevia instead)
Splash of pure vanilla extract
10-12 strawberries, sliced in halves  (about 5 or 6 strawberries per serving)

Directions:
In a medium sized bowl with a hand mixer or in a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, blend the mascarpone cream, milk/cream, confectioner's sugar, and the vanilla extract on medium speed until light and fluffy.

Divide the sliced strawberries among two serving dishes and top with whipped mascarpone cream.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

"Cannoli-Style" Ricotta Ice Cream

Last month, I visited New York to run a half marathon.
I showed up at the Today Show (with this sign) and ended up
getting on the show's segment about the run
and meeting the anchors!

I workout everyday because it's good for me--and because I like to eat and get good recipe ideas during workouts.  :) I come up with dinner party menus during long runs and am not ashamed to admit that I run for cupcakes.  I was flipping tires during an intense strength workout (yeah, I know, CRAZY!) when the vision of cannoli ice cream came to mind.

This ice cream was a little lighter than regular ice cream, and you could tell that there was ricotta in it--so it did taste like cannoli filling.  I added in some honey, pistachios, and chocolate chips and then filled cannoli shells with the ice cream.  

Sometimes, ricotta cheese can be a little grainy, but if you blend it in a high powered blender, that will help make it less grainy.  Ricotta cheese is really easy to make, too.  It was a hit!

Cannolis are one of my all-time favorite desserts, and this is a fun summer twist on the traditional cannoli.

"Cannoli-Style" Ricotta Ice Cream
Yields 1/2 quart or enough to fill 6 cannoli shells (one package)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup heavy cream
3 egg yolks
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tbsp. honey
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup pistachios
1/4 cup chocolate chips
Cannoli shells, for serving (optional)

Directions:
In a medium size bowl, whisk the egg yolks and set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the heavy cream and the sugar over medium heat.  Stir gently so that the cream does not scald, and cook until warm and the sugar is dissolved.  Then, gradually add the cream mixture to the egg yolks, and stir.

Transfer the combined cream-egg yolk mixture back to the saucepan over medium-low heat and stir constantly.  Stir until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 7 to 10 minutes.  Remove the saucepan from heat and leave at room temperature for about 20 minutes so it can cool slightly.

After it cools, pour the mixture into a blender, and add a pinch of salt, honey, and the ricotta cheese.  Blend until smooth.  Transfer the mixture to a medium size bowl and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, add chocolate chips and pistachios to the mixture, and then pour it into the bowl of your ice cream maker and churn.  When done, transfer it to a container and freeze.  If desired, serve the ice cream in cannoli shells.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

Carrot Graham Layer Cake

Happy Monday!

I can't remember the last time that I made carrot cake, but making carrot cake instantly jumped higher on the "must bake list" when I saw Deb of Smitten Kitchen post a carrot graham layer cake.  I previously made Deb's s'more layer cake which had graham crackers in the cake, and it was one heckuva cake.  So, I obviously had great expectations for Deb's carrot graham layer cake.

This cake has a lot of carrots - 3 cups of peeled and shredded carrots.  When I first saw that, I read through the comments to make sure that wasn't a mistake.  Deb made a very good point: this cake has more carrots than a salad.  Therefore, one might take the position that this cake really counts as a vegetable serving. (Okay, that's my position.)

There isn't a lot of flour in the cake, but that's because of the contribution from the graham crackers.  This cake isn't overly "cake-y" or dense due to the lower content of flour.  The spices are classic carrot cake spices, which go well with the honey graham crackers.  After baking the cake, I froze the layers.  This makes frosting so much easier!  Freezing the cake layers actually helps retain the moisture in the cake, and you are less likely to break the cake (or make a "crummy mess") when frosting it if the cake is frozen.

The cake layers are very soft, so be extra delicate when you remove them from the pan.  Two of the layers came out in separate pieces, but the layers are so soft that I was able to push them back together.  This is another reason to freeze the layers: freezing will allow the broken layers to "stick together."

The next day, I made the cream cheese frosting and frosted the cake.  I liked Deb's idea of using a cookie cutter as a stencil to decorate.  I added some graham cracker crumbs into a butterfly cookie cutter that my mom got me.  Butterflies and carrots seemed to make a nice spring motif!

For all of those who do not like carrot cakes with raisins, this is your cake!

Carrot Graham Layer Cake
Yields 1 cake

Ingredients:
For the cake:
1 cup (125 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (96 grams) finely crushed graham cracker crumbs, plus extra for any decoration
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 nutmeg, grated (or 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg)
3/4 tsp. ground ginger
3/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated sugar
3/4 cup (145 grams) dark brown sugar
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
3 large eggs
3 cups (360 grams) of peeled and shredded carrots

For the frosting:
2 8oz. package cream cheese
1 cup butter (2 sticks)
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 cups (240 grams) confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line three 8-inch or 9-inch cake pans with a circle of parchment paper and grease pans with butter or cooking spray.  If you don't have three cake pans, you can bake the third layer after you finish baking the first two layers. (Just unfold the first cake layer, wipe out the pan, put down a new parchment paper circle, and grease.)  Alternatively, you  can just bake two layers because the layers are very twin.

In a medium size bowl, add the flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and other spices.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, use the paddle attachment to blend the sugars and butter.  After blended, add eggs one at a time.  Then, add in the carrots.  Finally, add the remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Pour the batter between the pans and bake for about 18-20 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  The cake will be very soft and will feel sticky.  Allow the cake to rest in the pans for 10 minutes, and then run a knife around the cake to ensure no parts are still sticking.  Flip the cake onto the cooling rack, and allow to cool.  Repeat with the other layers.  After the cake layers have cooled, wrap them in plastic wrap and place them in the freezer overnight.

When you are ready to make the frosting, add the cream cheese and butter to the bowl of your stand mixer, and beat, using the paddle attachment, until smooth.  Then, add the confectioner's sugar and vanilla extract.

When you are ready to frost the cake, place the first layer on a cake plate and spread with frosting.  Repeat with remaining layers.  You can sprinkle any extra graham cracker crumbs as desired on the cake.  Refrigerate the  cake before serving.

Source: Adapted with a few small modification from Smitten Kitchen

Orange Almond and Olive Oil Muffins

Happy Spring! Today, I have a recipe for orange almond and olive oil muffins to share with you.  The citrus flavor and lightness of the muffins just makes it seem like a good spring recipe!

If given a choice between muffins or cupcakes, I'll go with the cupcake.  I mean, muffins are kind of like cupcakes without frosting, right?  That said, these muffins are a good treat (and I added a dollop of almond butter on top for fake frosting).  Does that make them cupcakes then? ;)

These muffins are lighter because of the almond flour, and the orange juice and orange zest add sweetness.  Instead of using butter, you use extra virgin olive oil.  Next time I make these, I will try swapping out the granulated sugar with coconut sugar for a twist on the flavor.

These muffins freeze well, so you can freeze the extras and then just pull it out the night before to defrost.  They would be great for a breakfast on the go or for an afternoon treat with a cup of coffee or tea!

Orange Almond and Olive Oil Muffins
Yields 18 muffins

Ingredients:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
Grated zest of 1 large orange
1/3 cup fresh orange juice, at room temperature
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 tbsp. Greek yogurt, at room temperature
3/4 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. pure almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup almost flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/3 tsp. sea salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line two muffin pans with 18 liners.

Using a hand mixer with a medium bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the eggs an sugar together until pale an thick, about two to three minutes.  Then, add in the orange zest, orange juice, Greek yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt.

Gradually stir the flour mixture into the egg mixture until just blended.  Pour 1/3 cup of the batter into the muffin cups and bake until golden, about 20 minutes.

Source: Giada De Laurentiis' Feel Good Food

Cashew Cake

And, just like that, I go from posting "detox broth" to cashew cake.  Everything in moderation, friends.

Truth be told, I intended for this to be an almond cake.  After making my last almond cake, I was eager to try making it again but wanted to play around with the recipe.  As a baker, I usually have so many different flours on hand.  I think my record of flours "in da house" is ten different flours (all-purpose, whole wheat, bread flour, cake flour, pastry flour, rye flour, 00 flour, oat flour, almond flour, coconut flour).  However, when I decided that I wanted to make an almond cake, it turned out that I was out of almond flour, but I had cashew flour.  Go figure.

This cake was nutty and buttery.  Is there any better combo?  I had picked up a jar of a fleur de sel caramel sauce from Trader Joe's and used that as a frosting.  It added just the right amount of sweetness and flavor without being too rich.  Caramel and nuts always pair well together.  

Of course, you could always substitute a jar of hot fudge sauce in lieu of the caramel.

Or, butterscotch sauce.

Really, the possibilities are endless.

Cashew Cake
Yields 1 8" double layer cake

Ingredients:
16 tbsp. butter (2 sticks)
4 eggs
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. almond extract
2 cups cashew flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 10 oz. jar of caramel sauce

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.  Grease two 8" cake pans and line with parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla and almond extracts.  Add in the nut and all-purpose flours.  Transfer batter to prepared pans.

Bake for about 50 minutes,  and rotate the pans halfway through.  Allow the cake to cool in the pans for about 20 minutes, and then a run a paring knife around the sides of the pan.  Invert the  cake onto a serving plate and discard the parchment.  Allow the cake to cool for about an hour before spreading the caramel sauce between the cake layers.

Source: A Simply Sweet Justice Original

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

It's Christmas week--the busiest baking week of the year!  What's baking and cooking this week in your kitchen?

Today's recipe is Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes.  These are really classic cupcakes dressed up by adding crushed candy canes. The combination of chocolate and peppermint is always a crowd pleaser around Christmas.  I think Williams-Sonoma's peppermint bark may have had something to do with that. ;)  

Recently, my friend Eddie was on the hunt for some chocolate peppermint cupcakes for a co-worker's birthday.  He tried a few places around town but had no luck and asked me if I could help him make the cupcakes.  Yes, please!  :)  

We had a lot of fun making these.  Eddie was ready to grab the hammer to crush the candy canes, but I enlisted one of my favorite kitchen toys (the food processor) for that task.  You could also substitute peppermint bark for the candy canes, too.

These cupcakes have a brownie base, and the brownie cupcakes were very fudgy.  We probably could have baked them a few minutes more (which I have factored into the directions).  Besides adding peppermint flavor, the candy canes also added a small crunch to the texture of the brownies.  The peppermint flavor wasn't too overpowering--it was just right.  

For the frosting, we made a white chocolate cream cheese frosting.  Since peppermint bark has chocolate on the bottom and white chocolate on top, a white chocolate frosting seemed to go perfectly!  I also think that the white chocolate cream cheese frosting balanced off the intense chocolate flavor of the brownies.  After frosting the cupcakes, we sprinkled extra crushed candy canes on top.  

The cupcakes were a hit, and don't they look cute in their little cupcake village?

I still have a few more Christmas recipes to share with you this week, along with a recap of my annual Christmas cookie exchange.  Merry Christmas Week! 

Chocolate Peppermint Cupcakes

Yields 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

For the cupcakes:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 tbsp. pure vanilla extract

8 regular sized candy canes, crushed 

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese

4 tbsp. butter

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1 bag (11 oz.) white chocolate chips

6 regular sized candy canes, crushed finely

Directions:

For the brownies:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.  Line a muffin tin with paper liners.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.  

Heat the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally until melted.  After melted, remove from heat, add sugar, and whisk until smooth using an electric mixer.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until each is incorporated.  Add vanilla, and beat for about a minute longer.  Gradually add the flour, beating until combined, and then add the crushed candy canes.

Divide the batter evenly among the lined cups, filling about two-thirds full.  Bake, rotating halfway through, for about 20 minutes.  Transfer pan to wire rack and allow to cool completely before removing cupcakes and frosting.

For the frosting:

Place the white chocolate chips into a heatproof bowl and place it over a pot of barely simmering water.  Stir occasionally until melted.  After melted, remove from heat, set aside, and allow to cool for 15 minutes or until bowl no longer feels warm to the touch.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or in a medium bowl using an electric mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter on medium speed until combined and creamy.  Add the vanilla extract, salt, and confectioner's sugar, and beat until creamy.  Gradually add in the cooled white chocolate.  Beat until combined and smooth.  Frost cupcakes, and sprinkle crushed candy canes over the frosted cupcakes.

Source: Cupcakes adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes, Frosting was a Simply Sweet Justice Original

Russian Tea Cakes

This year, I was excited to again participate in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap, which brings food bloggers around the world together to celebrate the sweetness of the season.  Food bloggers send three other food bloggers one dozen of homemade cookies.  After everyone receives the cookies, the recipes are posted on the same day for a big virtual cookie fest.  I'm excited that the big reveal day is finally here!

This year, I decided to share a family tradition cookie with three bloggers: Russian Tea Cakes.  This cookie is always on Christmas platters at my family's home at Christmas.  I shared these cookies with Renee at Tortillas and Honey, Jessica at My Baking Heart, and Stacie at the Divine Lifestyle.  I received Hot Chocolate Cookie Cups with Homemade Vanilla Bean Marshmallows from Ashley at Memoirs from my Kitchen, Ginger Shortbread Rounds from Maurita at Go Get the Good Stuff, and Apple Pie Snickerdoodles from Angela at Shake, Bake, and Party.

These cookies go by many names, but I usually call them Russian Tea Cakes (gotta embrace my 1/8 Russian heritage) or pecan balls.  They are also known as Mexican Wedding Cakes, Southern Pecan Balls, Snowdrops, Snowballs, Italian Butternuts, and the list goes on.  While they have many names, they're good.  They all seem to share commonalities: finely chopped nuts and confectioner's sugar.  These cookies have just the right amount of sweet and salty.

Generally, cookies have more sugar than butter, but not these cookies.  Russian Tea Cakes have more butter than sugar.  While they are are buttery, they are not too rich.  There is no egg in these cookies, but they don't flatten because there is flour to bind them along with nuts.  After the cookies finish baking, you roll them in confectioner's sugar while they are still warm.  This makes the confectioner's sugar melt a little, but it then sticks to the cookie.  After the cookies finish cooling, you roll them in more confectioner's sugar.  Then, go grab a glass of milk or a mug of hot chocolate or tea, and enjoy.

For a change of pace, you could even shape the dough into little crescent shapes.  You could also substitute other nuts, like macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, or walnuts.  These cookies keep well, and their flavor is always better the next day.  This recipe is simple to make and is always a crowd pleaser--any time of the year.

What have you been baking lately?

Russian Tea Cakes
Yields 3 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups finely chopped pecans
5 tbsp. confectioner's sugar, plus addition confectioner's sugar for rolling the cookies at the end
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp. water
1 tsp. salt
Extra confectioner's sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 325ºF.

In a stand mixer (or in a large bowl), cream the butter with 5 tbsp. confectioner's sugar.  Then, add the flour, chopped pecans, vanilla extract, water, and salt, and mix until combined.  Shape dough into 1 inch balls and place about 1 inch apart on a baking sheet.  Bake for about 20 minutes until set but not brown.

Remove from oven, and cool slightly for about three to five minutes.  Then, roll the cookies in confectioner's sugar.  After the cookies have cooled completely, you can roll the cookies again in the confectioner's sugar.

Source: My mom and Grammy

Oreo Truffles

It's been a few years since I made Oreo truffles for Christmas.  Last time I made them, people raved about them:

"These are the best truffles...did you use Godiva chocolate?"  

"How long did these take to make?  It must have taken you hours to master this chocolate flavor!"  

"The truffles taste like something from a fancy chocolatier!"

"These were probably so tough to make, which is good, because if they were easy, I'd be making and eating them all time."

Au contraire.

These are made with Oreos (or your favorite brand of sandwich cookie), cream cheese, and a bag of chocolate chips.  These three ingredients will bring you to holiday truffle bliss.

If you haven't tried or made these before, give it a try!  These truffles are simple to make.  I empty all of the cookies into the food processor, and the food processor does all the work and crushes them.  After the cookies are crushed, I add in a block of cream cheese and pulse until combined and smooth. I line a baking pan with wax paper, and then I use a melon baller (see, it has more uses than just scooping melon!) to make the truffle balls.  After that, I freeze the cookie balls for a few hours.  Freezing the cookie balls makes it much easier to dip them in melted chocolate.  Once the cookies are dipped in melted chocolate, I freeze them again so that the chocolate will set faster.

There are so many different flavors of Oreos/sandwich cookies these days, so you can have even more different flavors of truffles.  Trader Joe's Peppermint Joe Joe cookies work wonderfully for making peppermint bark truffles, just sayin'.

When you need a crowd pleaser, make these, but be warned that there will not be any leftovers.

Oreo Truffles
Yields about 30 truffles

Ingredients:
16 oz. package of Oreo or other sandwich cookies
8 oz. cream cheese
16 oz. chocolate chips (usually this amounts to one bag)

Directions:
Line a large baking pan with wax paper and set aside.  Empty cookies into food processor and crush until fine.  Add cream cheese and process until smooth.   Roll cookie mixture into 1" balls and place on the wax paper lined baking pan.  (A melon baller may help.)  Freeze or refrigerate for a few hours.    After the cookie malls are firm, melt the chocolate and dip the balls into chocolate, returning them onto the wax paper.  Freeze or refrigerate until firm.  Enjoy!

Source: The Oreo Elf