Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake

This is one of those great in-between treats that isn't quite desserty enough to rule it out for breakfast.  It's a bit more cakey than banana bread, but not as sweet as your typical cake.  You can have a slice with a cup of coffee and feel good that you're starting your day right.

There is no refined sugar or flour in this cake.  There is, however, chocolate.  And banana.  And honey.  It's like a big healthy muffin in the form of a cake.

As you might be able to tell, I'm having a hard time classifying this cake.  Hence the term "snack cake."  I think snack cake is a nebulous category of food, not quite pigeonholing itself in the realm of dessert, breakfast, or after-school snack, so that it can work for any of these three.  The bottom line is, you'll like it.  Your kids will like it.  And the world will be a better place if you make it.

(Okay, I made that last one up.)

Chocolate Chip Banana Snack Cake

makes one 8 x 8 cake

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

2 cups white whole wheat flour

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup)

1/2 cup nonfat milk

1/4 cup honey

1 egg
3 tablespoons canola oil

3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Lightly spray an 8 x 8 cake pan with cooking spray.

2.  Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl.

3.  In a separate bowl, mix the banana, milk, honey,  egg, and oil together.

4.  Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet.  Stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until just combined.  The mixture should be thick but wet - if it's too dry, add a splash more milk.

5.  Stir in chocolate chips and then transfer batter to the prepared pan.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until browned on top and a toothpick comes out clean.  Let cool 5 minutes, then serve warm.

Enjoy!

Mocha Cake with Mocha Nutella Frosting

For mother's day, I wanted to make a dessert that felt mother-ish.  Particularly, one that my mother would like.  We also were going to have a group of 18 people, so it had to be something that could stretch for a large group.  First, I thought to do a sheet cake.  Second, I thought chocolate.  Third, coffee.  Voila - Ellie Krieger's mocha cake!

I changed the frosting to a different one I found on Tasty Kitchen because the original recipe called for a cream cheese frosting, and my mother is not a fan.  Instead, I made a Mocha Nutella frosting that was out of this world.  The combination of the moist mocha cake and the sweet nutty frosting was absolutely fantastic.

This one is a crowd pleaser, for sure.  It's tasty, it's pretty, and it's different than your typical chocolate cake.  Make it for your next family gathering!

Mocha Cake with Mocha Nutella Frosting

adapted from The Food You Crave and Tasty Kitchen

makes one 9 x 13 cake

INGREDIENTS:

for the cake:

Cooking spray

1 1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 tablespoons canola oil

2 large eggs

2 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups plain lowfat yogurt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon instant coffee, dissolved in 1 tablespoon hot water

2 ounces good quality dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa)

for the frosting:

1 tablespoon nonfat milk, plus more for texture

1 teaspoon instant coffee

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 tablespoons Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

pinch of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Spray a 9 x 13 baking pan with cooking spray.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a medium bowl.  Set aside.

3.  Whisk together melted butter, canola oil, eggs, and egg whites until well combined.  Fold in the yogurt, vanilla, granulataed sugar, and dissolved instant coffee.  Mel the chocolate in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microve for 90 seconds on high (careful not to burn it!)  and stir it into the batter.

4.  Gradually add dry ingredients to the wet, and stir until just incorporated - do not overbeat.  Pour into prepared pan.  Bake until cake has risen nicely and a toothpick comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes.  Let cool completely on a rack.

5.  Make the frosting:  dissolve the instant coffee in a tablespoon of milk and set aside.  Beat the butter, Nutella, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla in a bowl with a handheld electric mixer on high.  Add the dissolved coffee and milk and beat well.  Add additional milk as needed to achieve a smooth frosting consistency.  Frost the cake when it has cooled completely.

6.  As a nice added touch, grate a little chocolate on the top for decoration.  Cut into squares and serve.

Enjoy!

Raspberry Scones

Berry season is well underway.  When I saw that this month's issue of Everyday Food had a whole feature on raspberries, I had to get in on the action. 

These scones are easy.  These scones are flaky and buttery.  These scones are studded with fresh raspberries.  I think that should get you up out of your seat and high-tailing it to the nearest market for fresh berries. 

As with any scone, these make an excellent breakfast pastry, or a nice accompaniment to an afternoon cup of tea.  Or you could just have them for dessert.  Or lunch.  Or a midnight snack.  No one has to know.

And a note:  any time you see buttermilk in a recipe and don't feel like buying it, you can substitute the same amount of milk, and add a squirt of lemon juice or a teaspoon of vinegar, let it sit for about five minutes, and then use it.

Raspberry Scones

adapted from Everyday Food

makes 16

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour, plus more for work surface

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

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

3/4 cup buttermilk

1 large egg yolk

6 oz. fresh raspberries, washed and gently dried

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 400.  Line a baking sheet with parchment.

2.  In a food processor, pulse the flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt to combine.  Add butter and pulse until pea-size pieces form.  

3.  In a small bowl, whisk together buttermilk and egg yolk.  Slowly stream in through the feed tube of the food processor and pulse until the dough just comes together.  Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface.

4.  Form the dough into a cohesive piece and flatten into a 1 inch thick square.  Sprinkle the raspberries over the top.  Knead gently, just a few times, to get the raspberries into the dough.  Warning: it will be squishy and messy, and that is okay.

5.  Cut the dough into relatively even pieces - you should easily get 16 fairly small scones.  Place on the prepared baking sheet 2 inches apart and bake for 15-18 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through, until golden brown.  Let cool a few minutes.

Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Mmm, yum.

Okay I guess I should say more than just that.  Sweet potatoes are a delightful blend of sweet and savory, starch and veggie, angelic and naughty.  Mash them up and bake them into a biscuit, and suddenly you open up all kinds of possibilities.  Have them with a little butter and jam, or some honey, and you've got a sweet treat.  Have them with some prosciutto or ham, and you have a savory snack.

These came out fairly small, more like a soft little cookie than a biscuit, so if you want a heartier biscuit that you can do a bit more with, you might want to double the size (thereby cutting the number of biscuits in half - yes, I can do basic math!)

As with most baked goods, if not all, these biscuits are best straight out of the oven.  But you can eat them cool, too.  They're versatile like that.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

adapted from Screen Doors and Sweet Tea

makes 12-16, depending on size

INGREDIENTS:

2 medium sized sweet potatoes

2/3 cup milk (I used skim)

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/4 cups white whole wheat flour

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat toaster oven (or oven) to 375.  Place the sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and bake for 40 minutes, or until easily pierced with a knife.  Let cool, then peel and coarsely chop.  Mash the sweet potatoes.  You will have a little over a cup of mashed sweet potato.

2.  After the sweet potatoes are cooled and mashed, preheat the oven to 450.  Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.

3.  In a medium bowl, mix sweet potato, milk, and butter.  In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet and stir gently to combine to a soft dough.

4.  Drop heaping tablespoons of the dough onto the prepared baking sheet (or make them bigger if you like).  You don't need to space them out too much because they won't really spread.  Bake 12-15 minutes, or until golden.

Enjoy!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Gorgeousness, thy name is carrot cake. 

Today is Easter (in case you didn't know), and while my family is not religious in the slightest, we will take any excuse to get together and eat a lot of food any time.  Easter is no exception.  My contribution to the meal today is this fun and delicious (and reminiscent of bunny images, therefore holiday appropriate, in my opinion) carrot cake.  I found a yummy sounding recipe on the Pioneer Woman's recipe sharing site, Tasty Kitchen,  and tweaked it to be slightly more nutritious.

Next time I will tweak it even further, I think, cutting the oil in half and substituting applesauce for the remainder.  Still, you'd never know this was a whole wheat cake with (relatively) low fat frosting!  It has the delicious spices you expect from a carrot cake, the moisture and extra sweetness thanks to the carrots, and a load of personality. 

I chose to make this cake as an 8" square layer cake just for something a bit different, but you can also make it a round one, or bake it in a 13 x 9 rectangular baker.   And a note:  I found that the cake sagged a bit in the middle, which is something I'll work on correcting in the future - it was easily fixed with extra frosting in the middle!

Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

adapted from ginabe's Tasty Kitchen recipe

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

2 cups sugar

1 1/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups white whole wheat flour (or whole wheat pastry flour)

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 cups grated carrot (about four carrots)

8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese (neufchatel), room temp

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

handful chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Lightly spray two round or square cake pans, or a 13 x 9 pan with cooking spray.

2.  In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or by hand in a large bowl) combine sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla.  

3.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and baking powder.  Add dry ingredients to wet and mix until just combined.  Stir in the carrot. 

4.  Pour the batter into the baking pan(s).  The pans should only be about half full (the cake will rise significantly).  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  Cool in the pan for about half an hour, then turn out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

5.  Make the frosting:  beat together the cream cheese, butter, vanilla,  and powdered sugar.  Frost the cake (if doing two layers, there will be enough for the middle and the top).  Sprinkle with pecans.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Orange Coffee Cake

The words "coffee cake" are generally all I need to hear before I'll grab a fork.  I'm sorry I didn't take a picture of the inside of the cake so you could see the luscious blueberry filling - but take my word for it, it's there and it's delicious.  This is a tender and moist cake that works just as well for breakfast as it would for dessert.   And while I can't claim that it's healthy, it's certainly less sinful than your average coffee cake.

This coffee cake has the cinnamon crumbly topping that makes a coffee cake what it is.  It has a thick ribbon of fresh ready-to-burst blueberries, walnuts and orange zest traveling through its middle.  It's delicious straight out of the oven.  What more can you ask for?

Blueberry Orange Coffee Cake

adapted from Stonewall Kitchen Harvest

serves 4-6

INGREDIENTS:

the filling:

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

the topping:

1/4 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

the cake:

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 large egg

1/2 cup plain lowfat yogurt

2 teaspoons grated orange zest

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Spray a 9-inch cake pan with cooking spray and flour it lightly.  Set aside.

2.  Make the filling:  mix blueberries, walnuts, sugar, orange zest, and cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside.

3.  Make the topping:  mix walnuts, sugar, and cinnamon in another small bowl and set aside.

4.  Make the cake:  Sift together flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium bowl and set aside.  In a stand mixer or a bowl with an electric hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale yellow, fluffy and soft, about 5 minutes, at medium speed.  Add egg and beat well.  

5.  Reduce speed to low and add half the flour mixture.  Mix until combined, then add half the yogurt and all the orange zest and beat well.  Add remaining flour and then remaining yogurt, using spatula to scrape down the sides and make sure the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.

6.  Pour half the batter into the cake pan and smooth it out with a spoon or spatula to make an even layer.  Sprinkle with all the blueberry filling.  Top with remaining cake batter, using spatula or spoon to smooth slightly.  Don't worry if the batter is thick and difficult to spread; it's supposed to be that way!  Sprinkle with walnut topping.

7.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Remove cake and let cool 30 minutes before cutting.  Serve.

Enjoy!

Dark Chocolate Mousse (CEiMB)

This week was an extra special Craving Ellie in My Belly week for me, since it was my turn to pick the recipe!  What an honor.  Since we started the week with Valentine's Day, it seemed fitting to choose something chocolate.  (Oh who am I kidding, I would probably have chosen something chocolate anyway).

This is Ellie's take on chocolate mousse.  It's a very smooth, almost pudding-ish mousse.  But it is completely delicious.  I know many are skeptical of desserts containing tofu, but have no fear, if you use good quality chocolate and you top it with a little home-made whipped cream, you seriously cannot taste the tofu in this dessert.

I tend to tweak the recipes a bit, but this week I stayed true to the recipe, since I felt it was my duty as the hostess.  The only change I made was to use whiskey instead of brandy, since it was what I had on hand.  Some ideas I saw online were to use orange liqueur or mint extract, which I think would be delicious too, but would make this mousse taste less purely chocolatey.

Chocolate mousse is pretty much a crowd-pleaser, and this version is no exception.  Whether you make it for your special someone or for a group of guests, you will not be disappointed.

Thanks, CEiMBers, for cooking along with me this week!

Dark Chocolate Mousse

from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

1 (12.3 ounce) package silken tofu, drained

3 ounces high quality bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup water

1 tablespoon brandy (or whiskey)

1/2 cup plus 1/2 teaspoon confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

chocolate shavings for topping

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Puree the silken tofu in a food processor until completely smooth.

2.  In a heat-proof bowl over a pot of barely simmering water (or in a double-boiler),  combine the bittersweet chocolate, cocoa powder, water, and brandy.  Stir frequently until melted and smooth.  Remove from heat.  Stir in 1/2 cup of confectioner's sugar, a little at a time, until smooth.

3.  Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu in the food processor and puree until well-combined and smooth.  You may have to stop it a few times to scrape down the sides.

4.  Pour the mousse into individual serving dishes, cover tightly, and refrigerator for at least one hour, up to three days, to set properly.  

5.  When you're going to serve,  beat the 1/4 cup heavy cream with an electric mixer until just starting to form soft peaks.  Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon sugar, continue to beat until it is the texture of whipped cream.  Top the servings of mousse with a dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings (use a vegetable peeler on your chocolate bar to create shavings).  Serve.

Enjoy!

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Chocolate lovers, look no further for your fix.

It's chilly today, and I wanted to bake something delicious yet not overly gluttonous.  I turned to the queen of delicious-yet-not-overly-gluttonous, Ellie Krieger, and found her recipe for triple chocolate cookies.  The search was abruptly over.

Ellie's recipe calls for cocoa powder, dark chocolate, and milk chocolate, but I upped the ante even further and subbed in semi-sweet chocolate for the milk chocolate.  These are some damn chocolatey cookies, just screaming out for a glass of cold milk.  I am a happy bunny.

There is not a lot of butter or sugar in this recipe - it's all about the chocolate.  And when you bake the way I do, with all whole wheat flour, you can actually feel pretty good about eating these.  Just make them small, or else you  might overwhelm anyone else that eats them with the intense chocolatey goodness.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

adapted from Ellie Krieger's The Food You Crave

makes 24-32, depending on the size

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup canola oil

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1/4 cup unsweetened natural cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 ounces good-quality dark chocolate (60-70% cocoa), coarsely chopped

2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.

2.  In the bowl of a standing mixer (or in a large bowl with an electric beater), beat the butter and sugar together until well combined.  Add oil and egg and beat until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt.  Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and mix well.  Stir in both chocolates and mix well.  Using a cookie scoop or a tablespoon, scoop batter onto ungreased cookie sheets.  Ellie says you'll get 24 cookies, but I got 32.

4.  Bake until cookies are just set, 10-12 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool.  

Enjoy!

Almond Flour Classic Drop Biscuits

These biscuits are fantastic.  I realize almond flour is not in everyone's refrigerator, but it is worth seeking out just so you can try these.  They are just the right proportion of salty and sweet - they are crunchy on top but incredibly tender inside.  They are, in short, the perfect biscuit.  Only they are much better for you than the average biscuit.

Yes, this recipe involves a couple of ingredients that are not exactly everyday.   But I find it fun to experiment with healthier variations on the norm - not for using all the time, but for occasions like this, when you just feel like a warm, flaky, drop-dead delicious biscuit.  If you don't want to invest in agave nectar, you can use honey or maple syrup, though of course they have less neutral flavors than agave does.  The almond flour is worth the price of admission, though.  It's a superfood, like I'm sure you keep hearing, so this is yet another yummy way to get almonds in your diet.

These biscuits are sitting on the fence between sweet and savory, so you could use them as part of a dessert (strawberry shortcake, perhaps) or alongside a warm and hearty dinner (maybe some rotisserie chicken and veggies - mmm, now I'm hungry.)

Almond Flour Classic Drop Biscuits

from The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook

makes 9

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup grapeseed oil (I used canola)

1/4 cup agave nectar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon lemon juice

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line a cookie sheet with parchment or a silpat liner.

2.  Mix almond flour, salt, and baking soda in a large bowl.  In a medium bowl, whisk together oil, agave, eggs, and lemon.  Stir the wet ingredients into the dry until well combined.

3.  Drop biscuits on prepared baking sheet in scant 1/4 cups, 2 inches apart.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of one.  Let cool a few minutes - serve warm.

Enjoy!

Orange and Black Currant Scones

My mother and I started a tradition on the first anniversary of my grandmother's passing.  We decided that everyone in our family, wherever we may be, should have a cup of tea on behalf of Nanny (that's what we call her) every year on January 5.   She loved her nice cups of tea, often to the tune of about four cups a day.  Some of us take the tradition a little farther and go for afternoon tea, which she also loved - my husband and I have been known to race to a local English tea room after we got off work on a January 5, when they were due to close in about 10 minutes.

This year I decided to make scones to have with some tea at home.  I took a recipe for scones and made it even more English, if that's possible, by adding black currants.  Black currants are a severely underrated fruit in the United States.  I don't know why little kids in the U.S. aren't plied with them from an early age.  In England they flavor all sorts of candies, jams, drinks, desserts, and other baked goods.  Black currant has been one of my favorite flavors for as long as I can remember.  And as an added bonus, they are loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants.

In these scones I used dried black currant berries.  These are not to be confused with plain old Zante currants, which are small hard little black things, more like mini raisins.  These are juicy little berries with a rich sweet-tart flavor.  If you have a hard time finding them, you could substitute raisins, dried or fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, or whatever you like.  If you can find them, though, I highly recommend the black currants.  They set these scones over the edge, and even the orange zest alone gets these scones pretty close to that edge.  I'm pretty sure Nanny would have loved them.

Orange and Black Currant Scones

adapted from Gourmet Today

makes 8

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (all-purpose is okay)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick (8 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

1 cup dried black currant berries

1/2 cup skim milk

1/4 cup heavy cream

1 large egg, separated

1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Put a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 375.

2.  In food processor, pulse together flour, 2 tablespoons sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse pebbly sand.  Transfer to a large bowl and stir in currants.

3.  Stir together milk, cream, yolk, zest, and vanilla in a small bowl.  Add to flour mixture, stirring just until a cohesive dough starts to form.  Do not overmix.

4.  Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and gently knead until it just comes together.  It will be sticky, so prepare to get your hands dirty.  Transfer to an ungreased baking sheet and pat gently into a 7 inch round.

5.  Lightly beat egg white and brush onto the top of the scones.  Sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of sugar.  Cut into eighths, but do not separate.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown all over.  Let cool 15 minutes before separating.  Serve warm.

Enjoy.  Love, Sparkle

Cherry Trifle

We all have fond memories that we associate with the holidays.  And I would venture a guess that I'm not the only one whose fond memories are packed with food.  (Anyone? Anyone?)   One of those desserts that I associate with home, family, and holidays, namely Christmas, is trifle. 

My mother has her own way of making trifle that is a little bit different from the traditional recipes I've seen, but it means that to me, this is traditional.  If I go with the lady fingers and the custard then suddenly it's not really trifle for me anymore.  British food scholars, if such a thing exists, will disagree with me.  But when they try this easy and delicious version that my mother concocted, I think they might change their ways. 

There are three major elements to this trifle that will determine how easy or hard this recipe will be - the cake, the cream, and the pudding.  If you choose to buy all three, this is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.  In my case, I chose to make just one - the whipped cream (by whipping together 1 cup heavy cream, 2 teaspoons sugar, and half a teaspoon of vanilla until thick) - because I couldn't face the hydrogenated oils and whatnot that are in pre-made whipped cream.  If you want to make the pound cake from scratch, there are a lot of easy recipes out there.  Same for the pudding.  But I'll be honest with you - if you use an Entenmann's pound cake and Jell-O pudding mix, no one will judge you.

So this is how the Williams family makes trifle (with varying fruit selections - I chose to go with all cherries).  See what you think.

Cherry Trifle

serves 6-8

INGREDIENTS:

3 cups frozen cherries (not thawed)

1 loaf of pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch slices

1 cup cherry preserves (the good stuff)

1 ounce dry sherry

1 1/2 cups whipped cream (more or less is fine)

1 1/2 cups vanilla pudding, not quite set yet

DIRECTIONS:

1.  In a large glass bowl (preferably a trifle bowl as picture above, but any glass bowl will do), assemble the trifle in layers.  First, put in about a third of the cherries in the bottom.  Top with a single layer of pound cake slices, each slice spread with jam.  Drizzle half the sherry over the pound cake.

2.  Repeat with another third of the cherries, another layer of cake spread with jam, and drizzle with the sherry.  (You may have some pound cake left over - don't force it in there, you just want two single layers - though a bit of overlap is okay.)  Top with the last of the cherries.

3.  Spread a layer of whipped cream (homemade is best - see headnotes) over the top layer of cherries.  When vanilla pudding is starting to set, but not completely set yet, carefully pour it over the whipped cream to create a top layer. 

4.  Note:  if you made the pudding on the stove top try to let it cool most of the way before doing this, or the whipped cream will get melty and peek up through the pudding.  This is what happened to me - oops.  But it still tasted fantastic.

5.  Refrigerate until ready to serve, at least an hour.   Serve cold.

Enjoy a Williams family tradition!

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

Every year my office has a holiday party.  There are many avid bakers in our office, so each year we have a potluck dessert situation.  The past couple of years, it has been declared a "bake-off celebration"  (read:  competitive and intimidating).  Still, I have participated each time, without trying too hard to knock anyone's socks off.  I make simple and yummy things that I think people will eat but not necessarily vote for.

Well this year, I might have broken that tradition.  Yes, they're cookies, and not a big fancy cake or cheesecake or giant cupcake.  But they are special. You see, they feature nutella.  They also feature quality cocoa and chopped hazelnuts.  They are decadent and delicious and beautiful.

Still, I won't hold my breath for a win.  There are some veteran bakers in our office and I wouldn't presume that I'm even in their league.  Either way, these are wonderful little holiday treats and they made our house smell terrific.

Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprint Cookies

adapted from Cooking Light Magazine

makes 28 cookies

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup (lightly spooned into cup) whole wheat pastry flour

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon instant coffee

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup finely chopped hazelnuts

1/3 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Preheat oven to 350.  Line two cookie sheets with parchment or silpat liners.

2. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk.

3.  Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes).  Whisk egg yolks with instant coffee and add to the butter along with vanilla.  Beat well.   Add flour mixture to butter mixture and beat at low speed until just combined.  The batter will have a thick, fudgy texture.

4.  Turn dough out onto a sheet of wax paper.  Knead a few times until smooth and shiny.  Shape dough into 28 1-inch balls.  Roll sides of balls in the chopped hazelnuts, pressing gently.  (Not a lot of nuts will stick - don't stress over it).

5.  Arrange balls 1 inch apart on baking sheets.  Press thumb into center of each cookie, leaving an indentation.  (The indentations will be less intense after baking - you might need to recreate them with the back of a spoon while cookies are still hot).  Bake at 350 for 10 minutes.  Remove cookies from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

6.  Spoon a scant 1/2 teaspoon of Nutella into the center of each cookie.  Use a toothpick to swirl the Nutella into a pretty pattern (see picture above). 

Enjoy!

Double Chocolate Brownies

There are brownies, and then there are brownies.   I can't even count the number of brownie recipes I have tried in my lifetime, one of which I posted on this blog before.  But sometimes a brownie recipe comes along that makes you want to share with all your friends.  For brownie purposes, it is The One.

And best of all, it's fairly low fat.  It comes from Ellie Krieger, after all (with my tweaks).  It was published in the Food Network magazine a few months ago and I finally got around to trying it today.  It is cakey and fudgy at the same time - super chocolatey and rich without giving you the sensation of instant artery clogging.  Definitely one to add to the holiday repertoire!

Double Chocolate Brownies

adapted from Food Network magazine

makes 24 small brownies

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray

6 ounces dark chocolate (60% to 70% preferred), coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup white whole wheat four

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

4 large eggs

1 cup packed dark brown sugar

1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 cup canola oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350, and coat a 9 x 13 baking dish with cooking spray.

2.  Melt chocolate and butter together in a double boiler (or a makeshift double boiler - heat-proof bowl over a pot of simmering water).  Stir occasionally until melted.  Turn off the heat and let cool slightly.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda.

4.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs and brown sugar until smooth, then add yogurt, oil and vanilla and whisk to combine.  Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture until blended.  Add dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.

4.  Spread batter in prepared pan and bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs.  Cool in the pan before slicing.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter Blossoms

It's not a holiday season without cookies.  It just isn't.  Peanut butter blossoms don't have anything particularly holiday-ish about them, but somehow I associate them with this time of year.  They feature the greatest flavor combination of all, chocolate and peanut butter.  I tweaked them slightly to add a hint of nutrition, but some things just can't be taken too far.  These are decadent little fellows, and that's why we make them small.

Pillowy peanut butter cookies providing support to a full-sized, slightly melted Hershey's kiss - it's just that simple.  I experimented with doing half dark chocolate and half milk - they'd also be great with Hugs, or with any of Hershey's other odd kiss formations (so long as it's something that goes with peanut butter - I'd stay away from the mint flavored ones).

Hershey's may not be the best chocolate there is, but this is one way to make it taste absolutely fantastic.

Peanut Butter Blossoms

adapted from the Hershey's kiss package

makes about 4 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

3/4 cup creamy all natural peanut butter

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons skim milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

48 Hershey's kisses, unwrapped (milk, dark, or combination of both)

DIRECTIONS:

1.  Heat oven to 375.

2.  Beat butter and peanut butter in a large bowl or stand mixer.  Add both sugars, and beat until fluffy.  Add egg, milk and vanilla; beat well.

3.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Gradually beat into the mixture from step 2.

4.  Form 1 inch balls of dough and place on two baking sheets.  You should get about 48 cookies.  (I got 45).  Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and immediately press a kiss into each cookie.  The cookies will crack a bit; don't worry!  Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Upside Down Apple Cobbler

On a cool fall day, there is nothing better than the smell of something baking. Particularly something that contains apples and cinnamon. This dessert seemed like the perfect thing to make on a holiday Monday, when we are under semi-house arrest due to illness. We had a few apples left from our trek out to orchard country last weekend, and I decided that I was going to make something homey and delicious with them.

Enter the ever-wise Beatrice Ojakangas. Her book, The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever, is just filled with treasures waiting to be discovered. This one is nothing short of fabulous. It takes an easy, traditional apple cobbler and literally turns it on its head. I have to say, I've always liked, but not loved, cobbler. On the plate the fruit juices run everywhere while the biscuit sits on top, minding its own business. Making an upside down cobbler just makes sense - the biscuity topping becomes a cakey base to absorb the fruit juices, and everyone is happy.

I would recommend using a variety of apple that is both sweet and tart, such as Jonagold, Braeburn, or McIntosh, so that your dessert is not too sweet. The biscuit/cake part is very sweet in its own right.

Upside Down Apple Cobbler
adapted from The Best Casserole Cookbook Ever
serves 6

INGREDIENTS:

cooking spray
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup white whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup skim milk
2 cups sliced peeled apples
cinnamon sugar, for sprinkling

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400. Spray a shallow 1 1/2 qt. baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In a medium bowl, mix butter, flour, baking powder, sugar, vanilla, and milk to make a batter. Pour into the prepared baking dish.

3. Arrange apple slices over the top of the batter. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until nicely browned and no longer jiggly. Serve warm, preferably with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Now that school is starting up again, it seems like a good idea to have after-school snacks around the house. Or after-work snacks, as the case may be. I know the best after school snack of all when I was a kid was home made cookies with a glass of cold milk. Some things never change. And here is a low fat version to make it seem slightly less cheeky.

Most avid bakers are well aware that you can substitute applesauce for about half of the fat in many recipes, but they don't do it for fear of having cookies that taste like applesauce. Here is the proof that this fear is unfounded. These cookies are chewy and cakey and sweet and chocolatey...everything a chocolate chip cookie should be. No undertones of apple are detectable.

I used to make these cookies all the time, and after the first couple of batches I just stopped telling people they were low fat, because that automatically builds a prejudice against them. I don't want a "wow, these are pretty good for low fat cookies" as a compliment. I just want a "Mmm, yum" or "Are there any more?" And I've found when you leave out "low fat" from the description, that's exactly what you get.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies
adapted from Sunset's Quick, Light, and Healthy
makes 2 dozen

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or all-purpose flour)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1 large egg
1/2 cup smooth unsweetened applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups regular rolled oats
6 oz. semisweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350, and line two cookie sheets with silpat liners or parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a stand mixer, or in a large bowl with an electric mixer, beat butter, oil, and brown sugar until smooth. Add egg, applesauce, and vanilla; beat until blended. Add flour mixture and beat until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl; stir in oats and chocolate chips.

4. Working quickly so the dough doesn't dry out, spoon 2 tablespoon portions of dough onto prepared cookie sheets, spacing cookies evenly. Dip fingertips in granulated sugar and then pat cookies into rounds about 1/3 inch thick.

5. Bake 10 to 12 minutes, switching positions of the baking sheets about halfway through, until just golden. Let cool a few minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

My husband's birthday was a couple of days ago, and today we will be celebrating with family. There will be children present, and there will be my husband and I present, which I decided meant we had to have cupcakes. Cupcakes that showcase the most glorious dessert combination known to man: chocolate and peanut butter.

These cupcakes are unusual, since there is no real frosting, but with the rich, sweet peanut butter filling, frosting would just be too much. These cupcakes are decadent with a capital D. Made with quality chocolate, all natural peanut butter, and a not-quite indecent (but almost) amount of butter, these are cupcakes fit for a birthday party. And the filling is so full of itself that it not only resides in the middle, but bursts forth from the top of the cupcake as well.

If you are better at food artistry than I am, you might be able to make these look prettier with a swirly pattern on top. Mine are more like little peanut butter volcanoes. But hey, they taste just as good!

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart's Cupcakes
makes 12

INGREDIENTS:

the chocolate
2/3 cup white whole wheat (or all-purpose) flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
2 ounces quality unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

the peanut butter filling
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside. Combine butter and chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.

2. While the melted chocolate cools, make the peanut butter filling. Combine all the filling ingredients and stir together until smooth. Set aside.

3. Whisk granulated sugar into the cooled chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

4. Preheat oven to 325. Line a muffin tin with paper or silicone liners. Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate batter into each lined cup, followed by 1 tablespoon peanut butter filling. Repeat with another tablespoon of chocolate, and top with 1 teaspoon peanut butter filling. Swirl top of cupcake batter and filling with a wooden skewer or toothpick.

4. Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 35 minutes. Cool completely in muffin tin before removing cupcakes.

Enjoy, whether it's your birthday or not!

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble

I had a few nectarines that were looking a bit bruised and sad, so I set out on a quest to find a yummy nectarine cobbler or crumble recipe. Surprisingly, I couldn't find one! I'm sure there are plenty on the internet, but in my cookbooks nectarines were woefully absent from the dessert sections. I figured nectarines and peaches are similar enough in texture that a mere substitution would be acceptable.

So here we have a nectarine and blueberry crumble sweetened with nothing other than the fruits themselves. It's not a super sweet dessert, just tasty in its own right. If you feel like adding a little brown sugar to the topping, it would make this feel more like a dessert than a bordering-on-savory fruit dish. But if you're feeling adventurous, try it as is and see what you think.

This is another almond flour recipe, and the almond flavor truly adds a lovely nutty dimension to the dish. If you don't feel like forking over the cash for almond flour, you could try using wheat flour but I won't make any promises as to how it will turn out. (And you might want to add that brown sugar if you go the wheat flour route, as without the nuttiness of the almonds this will be rather bland).

The bottom line is, this is a dessert that is truly, honestly healthy. Full of healthy fats, protein and unadulterated fruit, you can serve this up with no guilt whatsoever.

Nectarine and Blueberry Crumble
adapted from Elana Amsterdam's Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

4 fresh nectarines, sliced
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed
2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 cup canola (or other neutral) oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350.

2. In an 8 x 8 baking dish, lay out the fruit in a relatively even layer.

3. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. In a medium bowl, whisk together oil and vanilla. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry, until you have a coarse crumbly mixture. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit in the baking dish and cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for another 20-25 minutes, or until topping is browned and the juices are bubbling. Let cool for 30 minutes, then serve warm.

Ice cream or whipped cream would make this a little bit more sinful and desserty. Either way, enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Scones with Almond Flour

One thing that makes cooking infinitely enjoyable is simple experimentation. When I hear about a new ingredient or method that I haven't tried before, I do a little research, often buy a cookbook (any excuse, am I right?), and then I try it out. And you people get to benefit by reaping the results without any of the hard work. Sounds fair, right?

Well this one can hardly be called hard work, other than having to seek out a relatively expensive and hard-to-find ingredient. That ingredient is almond flour. Most people don't bother with almond flour unless they are gluten intolerant or diabetic, but the bottom line is, it is tasty and good for you. And any ingredient that I can put into a baked good and call healthy, well, I'm a fan.

So yes, almond flour is a bit pricey. But if you're lucky enough to be able to use it as an extra curricular ingredient, as I am doing here, rather than a dietary requirement, then you can splurge once in a while, right? Almond flour is loaded with protein and nutrition without all the carbohydrates of wheat flour. You can make it yourself by grinding up blanched almonds, but realistically it's not going to save you much money, if any. Sadly, almonds are not cheap. But they are a superfood, and they are delicious. So we are slaves to them just the same.

Another rather pricey ingredient featured in this recipe is agave nectar, which has a much lower glycemic index than regular sugar, honey, or maple syrup. So again, it's good for diabetics. But if you don't feel like splurging twice in this recipe, you can substitute honey or maple syrup. Just know that your scones are slightly more sinful than mine!

These scones taste fantastic. Gluten-free (not to mention dairy-free and without any refined sugar) can be a beautiful thing, people. I am all about healthier recipes that don't use anything artificial or chemical. And this recipe rewards you with flavors reminiscent of macaroons and toasted almond goodies, with melty chocolate chips and a hint of cinnamon. Fantastic.

Chocolate Chip Scones with Almond Flour
adapted from Elana Amsterdam's The Gluten-Free Almond Flour Cookbook
makes 16 scones

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup canola oil
1/4 cup agave nectar
2 large eggs
3/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350. Line two baking sheets with silpat liners or parchment.

2. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients (almond flour through cinnamon). In a small bowl, whisk wet ingredients (oil, agave, and eggs). Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients until well combined.

3. Fold in the chocolate chips. Scoop scant 1/4 cup blobs of batter onto the cookie sheets, leaving about 2 inches between blobs. Bake for 12 to 17 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 30 minutes on the baking sheets.

Enjoy!

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles

As soon as the weather took a turn for the unbearably hot, I started craving popsicles. And I knew the popsicles would be infinitely better if theye were home made. One trip to Bed, Bath & Beyond and about $3 later, I had my very own popsicle molds.

That was about a month ago. I didn't get around to actually using them until tonight. I found the perfect guinea pig recipe in a cookbook I recently picked up, brought to you by the folks at Eating Well Magazine, Eating Well in Season. It's summer, cantaloupes are in season, and I happened to have one in the fridge thanks to my CSA bag. (And yes, I will probably mention my CSA in almost every entry, so brace yourselves).

The result is a sweet, but not syrupy, popsicle that is infinitely refreshing and delicious. It's like a frozen cocktail on a stick, sans alcohol. Run out and buy some $3 popsicle molds and make this right away. It will make you feel like a grown-up version of a kid again. Whatever that means.

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles
adapted from Eating Well in Season
makes 4 popsicles

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 small cantaloupe, seeds removed
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
juice of 1 small lemon

DIRECTIONS:

1. Scoop out flesh from the cantaloupe and puree in a food processor. Measure out just shy of 1 cup of puree and set aside in a bowl. (If you have extra, just drink it. Trust me.)

2. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and heat over high heat. When it comes to a boil, stir in mint and immediately remove from heat. Let sit for 1 minute.

3. Stir the mint syrup into the cantaloupe puree, and stir in lemon juice. Pour into four popsicle molds, insert sticks*, and freeze until completely solid, at least a few hours. Dip the molds into hot water briefly before removing the popsicles.

*depending on your type of molds - if the sticks are free-standing, let the popsicles freeze for about an hour before you insert the sticks.

Enjoy!