Sweet and Salty Cake

This recipe from Confessions of a Cookbook Queen is also something that's been bookmarked for several years that I finally made for a work gathering. Unfortunately, I wasn't there for the cutting of the cake, so I have no idea how this actually tastes or the feedback from anyone who ate it. Perhaps when I pick up the containers tomorrow, I'll get a hint. The cakes seemed moist, and all the components seemed like they'd be a winner.

Sweet and Salty Cake
Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup oil
2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup boiling water
Frosting
2 cups salted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup finely ground pretzels
Peanut Butter Sauce
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup corn syrup
1/3 cup heavy cream
Garnish
Peanut butter cups
Reeses Pieces
Pretzel rods
Rolos

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 8- or 9-inch pans.

In the bowl of a mixer, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Whisk until fully combined. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes. Scrape the sides of the bowl, and then slowly stir in the the boiling water. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until cakes are set.

Remove cakes from oven, and let cool 10 minutes before turning out. Remove from pans, and cool completely.

For the frosting, beat butter until fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar and cocoa until combined. Add cream and vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Remove 2/3 of the frosting, and set aside. Add pretzel crumbs to the remaining 1/3. Beat until combined.

To assemble cake, place one cake layer down. Spread pretzel frosting on top of that layer, and top with the second cake layer. Frost with the remaining chocolate frosting that did not have pretzel added. Chill at least one hour.

While cake is chilling, make the peanut butter sauce. Combine all ingredients over medium-low heat, and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly. Pour over chilled cake, letting it drip down the sides.

Garnish as desired with pretzels and candy. Serves about 20.

Lofthouse-Style Cookies

Know those brightly frosted plump sugar cookies they sell in every grocery store? The ones that are decorated for every season and taste like nothing but delicious frosting really? I found a copycat recipe on Sprinkle Bakes that has been bookmarked for probably a couple years. I finally made them this week to take in for a meeting at work where I volunteered to bring dessert.

They turned out quite festive and are close in texture and overall flavor. I liked the recommended technique of piping on the buttercream and then smoothing it with a knife to keep it piled high and most reminiscent of the Lofthouse cookies. If you like Lofthouse cookies, chances are you'll enjoy these.

Lofthouse-Style Cookies
1 cup sugar
12 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3 1/4 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
Red gel food color
Green gel food color
Frosting
12 Tbs. butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. milk or heavy cream
Garnish
Sprinkles

Cream the butter and sugar together. Add eggs, sour cream and vanilla. In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, and mix well. Dough will be soft and sticky.

Divide the dough in half. Color half with green and half with red. (Mixing with the mixer is the easiest way to do this because the dough is so sticky.) Place each color dough onto a piece of plastic wrap, wrap, and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Remove one color dough from the refrigerator. Lightly dust your hands with flour, and divide dough into 12 pieces using a knife. Shape each into a ball, and place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Gently flatten the dough with your palms. Continue using just enough flour to keep the dough from sticking without coating the dough.

Repeat with the remaining dough. Bake cookies 10 to 12 minutes or until they are puffed and fragrant. Cookies should be soft but set. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the butter well. Add in the powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time. Beat in the vanilla, and add milk or cream as needed to get a smooth, fluffy frosting.

Pipe the frosting equally onto the cookies, and smooth with a knife or spread frosting onto cookies with a knife. Sprinkle with sprinkles, and gently press into the frosting if needed. Makes 24 cookies.

Chocolate Bundt Cake

I don't often bake bundt cakes, but I did get a nice pan finally in the past couple years, which was perfect for making this cake from I am Baker. I had forgotten about this blog and was pleasantly surprised to find it again. This chocolate bundt cake captured my attention, particularly with the Russian piping tips.

So, not that I really needed them, but I tossed a pack of Russian piping tips into my Amazon cart and baked the cake. Here's the recipe, as I tweaked it.

Chocolate Bundt Cake
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 eggs, room temperature
1 cup hot water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. chocolate extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.

Pour batter into a greased and floured bundt pan. Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost as desired. pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chai Cupcakes

This recipe from Sprinkle Bakes caught my eye and was reproduced rather quickly in my kitchen, using a bake sale at my son's school as an excuse. These are full of chai flavor, which if you're not familiar, is a really nice combination of what you'd think of with fall spices. Both the cupcakes and the buttercream carry the flavors for a simple, flavorful cupcake.

Here is the recipe with my slight adaptation of subbing milk for buttermilk. Note: I doubled the recipe for cupcakes and had enough frosting without doubling the frosting recipe.

Chai Cupcakes
Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. cadamom
1/2 tsp. cloves
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp. vanilla
2/3 cup milk
Vanilla Chai Buttercream
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, room temperature
6 cups powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. vailla
Milk or cream
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. cloves
Pinch of pepper

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a cupcake pan with 12 to 14 liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and black pepper. Whisk together until the spices are well dispersed.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream sugar and butter on medium speed. Add the egg, and mix until incorporated. Mix in vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk, alternating, to the creamed mixture, starting and ending with the flour.

Divide mixture evenly among cupcake liners. Bake 20 to 24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely.

For the frosting, beat together butter and powdered sugar until combined. Add the extract and milk until the desired texture is achieved. Add the spices, and mix on high until fluffy. Frost, ideally with a piping bag. Makes 12 to 14 cupcakes.

Miso Kale Chips

I know I've posted a lot of recipes with kale. I waited until way too late in the season and then attempted to eat all my kale from my garden before it froze. The last of the kale I could salvage was made into my second batch of these kale chips from Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. because I find them strangely addictive.

Miso Kale Chips
1 large bunch kale, stems removed
1/4 cup raw cashews
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. miso paste
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. smoked paprika

Preheat oven to 300°F. Line 2 baking sheets with silipats or parchment. Wash and dry the kale, and rip into pieces.

In a food processor or blender, combine the remaining ingredients. Pulse until the mixture forms a thick paste. In a large bowl, work the paste into the kale pieces, using your hands to work it evenly onto the kale.

Spread the kale pieces on baking sheets, but do not overlap. Bake 10 minutes, rotate the pan, and then bake another 7 to 10 minutes or until crispy. I usually pull off the ones that are crispy and keep popping the rest back in the oven for another few minutes until the crispy. Cool completely, and enjoy! These don't hold up well for long, but they also don't last long!

Mimosa Cupcakes

Last week at work, one of my co-workers joked about needing a mimosa. Another co-worker extrapolated that idea by saying that I should make mimosa cupcakes. I just laughed but thought, "Challenge accepted."

I found this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction and liked the frosting recipe. I was actually going to mimic the whole recipe but was lacking a few of the cupcake ingredients. In hindsight, given how her cupcakes looked compared to mine, I wish I would have tried her recipe. The flavor is solid in my cupcakes but just lacks the nice dome. They are a slightly more dense, flat cupcake, but no one complained. I had tweaked my tequila sunrise orange cake for my cupcakes.

Mimosa Cupcakes
Cupcakes
Substitute champagne for tequila in this cake recipe
Frosting
1 1/2 cups champagne
4 sticks butter, room temperature
8 cups powdered sugar
2-4 drops orange essential oil

Prepare cupcakes, and let them cool completely before frosting. While baking the cupcakes, simmer champagne in a small pan until reduced to about 1/3 cup. Let cool completely before proceeding to make frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the butter 5 minutes on medium speed until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Add the champagne slowly, beating until desired consistency. Add orange oil, and beat to combine. Makes 24 cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins

The neat thing about these muffins from I am Baker is that they contain no processed sugar aside from the chocolate chips I added. They are sweetened with honey and banana, yet they were a huge hit with my son. In fact, he requested we make them for Christmas because they are the best muffins ever. (Wrong, child. I think these are probably my favorite muffins. But these blackberry cobbler biscuits are probably what I'll make around Christmas. So delicious.)

I'll be repeating these, though, as they're healthy enough for me to feel good about my child eating more than one throughout the day. Here's the recipe with the tweak I made for the top of the muffins instead of the glaze.

Peanut Butter Banana Muffins
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 pinch of salt
2 medium bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream
1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, optional
1 Hershey's candy bar, optional

Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas. Then add the peanut butter, honey, yogurt, almond milk, egg and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and mix until well combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Divide mixture among 12 muffin tins, either greased or lined. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until done. (The top should spring back if you gently touch it.) Makes 12 muffins.

Everything Spiced Nuts

There was a section in my most recent Food Network magazine about everything bagel seasoning, which I've almost snagged when I saw it on a rare trip to Trader Joe's. Instead I threw together my own seasoning with minced onion, minced garlic, sesame seeds, poppy seeds and salt.

Then I proceeded to make these nuts, which are completely addictive. These are perfect for a heart-healthy holiday snack or as a gift around the holidays. Or for shoving into your mouth every time you walk by your kitchen. (And, they fit into Whole 30, which makes them a perfect snack that feels like a special treat. Yes, after 30 days of no chips, nuts like these feel like a special treat. Don't judge.)

Everything Spiced Nuts

4 cups unsalted, raw nuts (ideally use a mix)

1 egg white, beaten until foamy

2 Tbsp. everything bagel seasoning

Everything Bagel Seasoning

1 Tbsp. poppy seeds

1 Tbsp. sesame seeds

1 Tbsp. dried minced garlic

1 Tbsp. dried minced onion

1 1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a large baking sheet with a silicone liner. Toss the mixed nuts with the egg white. Add 2 Tbsp. of the everything bagel seasoning, and stir to mix well. Spread the nuts in an even layer on the baking sheet. Bake 25 minutes, stirring once, until toasted. Cool, and break apart if needed. Store in an airtight container. Makes 4 cups.

Miso Fast Greens

Never did I ever think I'd cook a batch of kale as a side dish. I've embraced kale in soups and even a few salads, but to cook it on its own? This recipe, though, from Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. really does make a pretty tasty side dish in a matter of minutes. Now, they're not like the bacon-drenched delicious greens from that South Carolinian restaurant Twelve Bones that are insane, but they're also much healthier.

Miso Fast Greens
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large bunch of kale, stems removed and chopped
2 Tbsp. miso butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
Miso Butter
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 Tbsp. white miso paste

First, make the miso butter by mixing the butter and miso until combined. This can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the kale, and cook until wilted. This should take just a few minutes with frequent stirring. Add the miso butter and garlic. Saute for one minute, and then serve warm. Makes 3 servings.

Sunday Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes were served about once a year when I was a child, at Thanksgiving topped with melted marshmallows. The only part of the sweet potatoes that I really liked was the marshmallows.

Times have changed. I've turned to sweet potatoes the last several years as I've worked at incorporating more vegetables into my life and cleaner energy sources for my runs. And I've discovered that I really enjoy them. I think this is still my favorite variation, but this recipe from Run Fast. Cook Fast. Eat Slow. is also a good one to throw in the mix.

Sunday Sweet Potatoes
2 large sweet potatoes
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut the sweet potatoes into small 1-inch cubes, with the skin left on.

Place the sweet potatoes on the baking sheet, and toss with olive oil, garlic powder and salt. Spread out, so they aren't touching.

Bake 15 minutes, stir and return to the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until the edges begin to brown. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. Makes 5 servings.

Zuppa Toscana (Whole 30)

One of the first ways I discovered that I enjoyed kale was in this Zuppa Toscana, which is a relatively healthy recipe that's quite delicious. With doing a recent round of Whole 30, I found this version from 40 Aprons that I tried. When I made it, the coconut milk threw me for a loop, and I wasn't sure I liked it that well. But the leftovers were amazing, so I think it was a mental thing for me at first. I didn't mention to my husband that it was made with coconut milk, and he didn't say a word about any sort of coconut flavor.

I'm already contemplating making another batch this weekend for easy lunches this week.

Zuppa Toscana (Whole 30)
1 lb. Italian sausage (see below for recipe)
4 slices bacon, diced (make sure it's compliant if you're aiming for Whole 30)
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1 lb. 3 oz. potatoes, sliced into thick slides
1 medium onion, diced
2 Tbsp. garlic, minced
4 cups chicken stock
1 can coconut milk
4 cups chopped kale
Italian Sausage
1 lb. ground pork
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 tsp. dried parsley
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. onion powder
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
Pinch dried oregano
Pinch dried thyme

If making the Italian sausage, combine all the sausage ingredients together in a large pot. Cook over medium heat, stirring to incorporate all the seasonings, until the pork is cooked through. Remove from the pot, set aside and drain any extra grease.

In the same pot, cook the bacon pieces over medium heat until browned. Remove the bacon, but leave the bacon grease to cook the onions and the garlic. Simmer those 5 minutes, and then add the chicken stock and potatoes. Bring to a boil, and simmer 20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.

Add back the sausage and bacon, along with the coconut milk and kale. Cook just until the kale is wilted but still bright green. Serves 6.

Note: I added as much kale as I could get to wilt in the liquid. I much prefer really thick soups with more stuff than broth, so this worked out perfectly.

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef

I'm on Day 30 of another round of Whole 30. This recipe from Real Food Dietitians was dinner last week, as tacos for the rest of the family and served on cauliflower rice for me. It's flavorful, not spicy for the kids, easy and delicious. I ate the leftovers on sweet potatoes, but they'd be great on salads, rice bowls, buns for sandwiches or tacos or even scrambled eggs.

These slow cooker meals make dinner so easy on busy work days. This will definitely be repeated in our house.

Slow Cooker BBQ Beef
2.5-3 lb. boneless beef chuck roast
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
6 oz. tomato paste
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
2  tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

For maximum flavor, cut roast into 3 pieces, and brown each piece in a skillet, cooking for several minutes on each side until browned. Put meat in the slow cooker, along with the onion. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl to form a paste, and coat the meat with the paste. Cook on low 6 to 8 hours or until meat is tender. Shred using two forks, and stir together with the sauce.

Chai Cashew Butter

I'm doing Whole 30 again to reset my body. It's one of those things that makes me feel better and feel better about myself. This recipe from Amy's Healthy Baking caught my eye as I was about to make cashew butter.

This cashew butter is sweet, despite no sugar of any kind, and perfectly spiced. The only tricky part is to avoid eating it from the jar with a spoon.

Chai Cashew Butter
2 cups roasted, unsalted cashews
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cardamom
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves

Process room temperature cashews in a heavy-duty blender or food processor until smooth. Add in the seasonings and spices, and blend until incorporated. Makes about 2 cups.

Sweet Cherry-Plum Jam

My parents brought over wild plums from their farm, so I pulled out my Food in Jars cookbook and found the perfect recipe for them. I used sweet cherries canned in pear juice rather than fresh cherries, but I really like how this jam turned out. It's sweet, yet tart, and full of flavor.

Sweet Cherry-Plum Jam
3 cups pitted and chopped plums
4 cups pitted and chopped sweet cherries
3 1/2 cups sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 (3 oz.) packets liquid pectin

Prepare a boiling water bath and 4 regular pint jars for canning, along with the lids.

Combine the plums, cherries and sugar in a large pot. Bring to a biol over high heat, and cook 15 to 20 minutes or until the jam looks molten and syrupy. (I used an immersion blender along the way to have a smoother jam.) Add the lemon zest, lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a rolling boil, and boil 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, and ladle into prepared jars, leaving a 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe the rims, apply the lids and rings, and process 10 minutes in a hot water bath. Makes 4 pints.

S'mores Icebox Cake

This summery cake from the Food Network Magazine made an appearance in our house this month. I used our anniversary as an excuse to make it, but I really just wanted to try it. Since it's an icebox cake, it's simple and quick to put together with no baking (only broiling marshmallows).

Flavor-wise, it's good. It's not my favorite cake by any stretch, but I prefer ice cream to icebox cakes. The toasted marshmallow whipped cream definitely has potential for other projects. That was my favorite part.

S'mores Icebox Cake
4 oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided
24 marshmallows, divided
3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp. powdered sugar
16 whole graham crackers

Preheat the broiler while you make the ganache. To make the ganache, heat 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a simmer, and pour over chocolate. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir until smooth, and set aside to cool to room temperature.

Butter a baking sheet (or use a silipat). Place 15 marshmallows on the sheet, and broil until toasted and bubbling. (I actually flipped mine halfway to brown the other side for more toasted flavor. Be careful not to ignite them on fire because they toast in less than a minute.) Set aside to cool.

Combine 1 cup heavy cream, cocoa powder and powdered sugar. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form. Set aside while you make the marshmallow whipped cream. Combine the toasted marshmallows and remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

Line a 9 x 5 loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving a 4-inch overhang on the long sides. Line the bottom of the pan with a layer of graham crackers, breaking to fit as needed. Spread with half the marshmallow whipped cream. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of ganache, and then top with a layer of graham crackers. Spread with half the chocolate whipped cream. Drizzle with 2 Tbsp. of ganache, and then top with a layer of graham crackers. Repeat the layers, ending with a final layer of graham crackers.

Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. (I actually froze mine, which kept the graham crackers a bit more crunchy.) Refrigerate your extra ganache as well.

To serve, warm the ganache until pourable. Set aside. Butter a baking sheet, and place the remaining marshmallows, cut in half, on the baking sheet in a tight 3 x 6 rectangle. Marshmallows should be touching. Broil until toasted and bubbling. (The alternative to this is to skip this marshmallow step if you have a kitchen torch. You can just put the marshmallows on the top of the cake and toast them at the end.)

Invert the cake onto a platter, and discard the plastic wrap. Pour the ganache on top of the cake, and carefully slide the toasted marshmallows in one piece from the baking sheet onto the cake. (See how just sticking them on and toasting with a kitchen torch is easier?) You can freeze this cake for longer storage or a more frozen dessert. Serves 6-12, depending on serving size.

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

It only takes a couple days for us to eat a batch of popsicles, so today I made these Strawberry Cheesecake Posicles from Cooking Light, which are not poisonous by my husband's standard. (He did tell me that if I sneaked mayonnaise into these, he would be filing for divorce. Can you tell how much he likes mayo?)

These are fantastic. I skipped the graham cracker crumbs from the original recipe because they require effort right before serving, which just didn't happen tonight. Everyone in our family liked these. The cheesecake portion of the popsicle tastes like ice cream and whipped cream, according to AJ. It's so delicious, I'm tempted just to make cheesecake popsicles. Ooo, then I could dip them in chocolate. 

So far Dave's ranking, and I'd agree, for the popsicles is:

1. Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

2. Key Lime Popsicles

Both are definitely worth repeating. And if you don't have popsicle molds, don't worry. Our molds are smaller, so I put the leftover in a plastic cup and shove in a plastic spoon for the stick. Easy as can be.

Strawberry Cheesecake Popsicles

5 oz. evaporated low-fat milk

1/4 cup sugar

3 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 tsp. vanilla

3 Tbsp. corn syrup

1 tsp. lemon juice

10 oz. strawberries

Combine milk and sugar in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 3 minutes, until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and add cream cheese. Whisk until smooth. Stir in yogurt and vanilla. Set aside to cool.

Place remaining ingredients in a blender, and puree until smooth. Divide half the cream cheese mixture into 6 (4 oz.) popsicle molds. Top evenly with strawberry mixture, and then fill with remaining cream cheese mixture. Stir slightly to swirl. Freeze 4 hours or until solid. Makes 6-8 popsicles. 

Key Lime Popsicles

My kids and husband happily ate these popsicles the first night, although my younger son was a bit slower due to the tartness. My older son proclaimed them to be one of the best things he's eaten and certainly the best popsicles ever. My husband said that I could make these again. The second night I mentioned the secret ingredient that gives these popsicles their green hue, and my husband realized there was avocado in these popsicles. He set his popsicle on the table and refused to touch it.

So maybe popsicles with secret ingredients that my husband deems to be poison isn't the best way to kick off my plan of making a whole bunch of different popsicles this summer, but my son picked these to be the first ones made. He thought the avocado would ruin the popsicles when we were making them, but it really just provides the coloring and helps to provide a creamier texture.

Here's the version from Cooking Light with my slight modification. These will be repeated in my house if my son has any say in it.

Key Lime Popsicles

3/4 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

4 large lime peel strips

1 large avocado, chopped

1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup key lime juice (bottled is fine)

Lime zest remaining from lime

1 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup coarse graham cracker crumbs

Combine water, sugar and lime peel strips over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat, and cool completely. Discard lime peels.

Process lime simple syrup with remaining ingredients, except graham cracker crumbs, until smooth. Poor mixture evenly into popsicle molds. (It filled 6 Lego figure popsicles with extra left to fill 3 medium plastic cups.) Sprinkle evenly with graham cracker crumbs, pushing slightly down into the lime mixture. Freeze at least 3 hours before serving. (If necessary, insert the stick after 30 minutes in the freezer. Lego figure molds have the sticks built into the popsicles.) Makes 7-10 popsicles. 

Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts

Homemade donuts are not a thing in this household. It's not that we don't like donuts. We do. It's not that we don't like homemade donuts. We do. (Dave has fond memories of his grandma's homemade donuts, and I loved my mom's homemade donuts with chocolate sauce.)

But since I lit myself on fire, literally, while attempting to fry donuts the first year we were married, homemade donuts haven't been something I've attempted. I know you can bake cake donuts, which I've done once or twice, but that's not the same thing in my mind. If you have a recipe that will convince me otherwise, by all means, please share.

So it was a big deal when I made these homemade donuts from Hungry Girl Por Vida. I was so proud of myself, although Dave preferred them as plain sugar donuts. I'm not sure whether I'd recreate these because the amount of jam I piped was too heavy-handed, and they are definitely best eaten fresh. If you make these, I'd suggest donut holes, which give a much better ratio of jam.

Still, super exciting.

Peanut Butter and Jelly Donuts
Dough
2 Tbsp. flour
1/3 cup water
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. dry yeast
2 large eggs
4 Tbsp. melted butter
2 1/2 cups flour
Oil for frying-deep fryer only!
Filling
Strawberry jam
Peanut Butter Sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter powder (like PB2)
1/4 cup powdered sugar

Prepare the dough one day in advance to eat donuts for breakfast rather than brunch. Start by making a roux by whisking the 2 Tbsp. of flour into 1/3 cup of water in a small saucepan. Whisk to remove all the lumps. Place the saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens into a paste. Remove from the heat, and set aside.

In a measuring glass, heat the milk until just warm to the touch, about 30 seconds. Whisk in the sugar and yeast. Set aside for 5 minutes. Whisk in the eggs and melted butter.

Add the flour and salt to the bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the dough hook. Add the roux and yeast mixtures to the flour, and mix on medium speed. Once the dough comes together and there are no longer dry bits, mix for 10 minutes to knead the dough until you have a tacky, stretchy dough. Turn the dough onto a clean, flour-dusted surface, and knead a few times until you have a smooth ball of dough. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap. Rest the dough overnight in the refrigerator.

Dough should be doubled in the morning. Pat dough to a 1/2-inch thickness on a floured surface. Use a round cutter to punch out the donuts. (Use a 3-inch for large donuts or a 1-inch for donut holes.) Gather the scraps, and knead into a disk. Cover, and rest 15-30 minutes before patting and cutting out remaining donuts. Place the donuts on a parchment-lined baking sheet that has been dusted with flour. Lightly dust the tops of the donuts with more flour, and cover. (I should have used more flour, particularly on the bottom.)

Let donuts rest at room temperature until doubled in size. This should take 1-2 hours if the dough was chilled overnight.

Use a deep fryer (see above story where I lit myself on fire when I didn't use one) to heat oil to 325°F or 350°F. Fry the donuts in batches, about 2 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Set fried donuts on baking sheet fitted with a wire rack. Let the donuts cool a few minutes before filling with jam. To fill with jam, use a chopstick to create an opening, and then fill with a pastry tip and decorator bag.

Mix the powdered peanut butter and powdered sugar together. Dip both sides of the donuts into the sugar mixture and enjoy! Makes about 10 large donuts.

Chocolate Streusel Muffins

My default setting is a very sweet tooth, so recipes like these muffins from Bake at 350 are much more appealing than healthy breakfasts. I made these for a special occasion two weeks ago. I believe it was a Tuesday. That was the special occasion. (I kid. I couldn't eat all day Thursday and most of the day Friday for a medical procedure, so these were like my last meal.)

These were quite tasty, although my streusel was too dry that it crumbled off the top. I'd suggest adding a bit more butter for that reason. I also slightly over-baked the muffins themselves, so watch your baking time. It's always a touch more challenging to catch double chocolate baked goods before they're overdone, especially if you're distracted with children.

Chocolate Streusel Muffins
Streusel
1/2 cup flour
3 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp. cocoa
1 Tbsp. butter, cold and cubed
1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
Muffins
1 3/4 cup flour
2/3 cup dutch-process cocoa
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup chocolate milk
2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract
4 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line 12 regular muffin cups with jumbo liners. (I find this prevents the batter from overfilling.)

Make the streusel by combining the dry ingredients. Add in the butter, and distribute through the mixture using your fingers or a fork to mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

To make the muffins, whisk together dry ingredients. In a large measuring cup, whisk eggs lightly. Add sugar and chocolate milk, whisking until combined. Stir in extracts and vinegar.

Pour wet ingredients, melted butter and oil into the dry ingredients. Stir until combined, and fold in chocolate chips.

Spoon batter into prepared tin. Sprinkle evenly with streusel. (You may have extra streusel to use in future creations.) Bake 18 minutes or until the muffins bounce back when pressed in the center. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, and then remove to a cooling rack.

These are delicious served warm with a glass of milk. Makes 12 muffins.

Chocolate Cannoli

So I've had this recipe from Bakers Royale bookmarked for, oh, several years. It's the reason why I bought cannoli forms that were still unopened in my drawer. I wanted to make them, but I needed to be able to get past the deep frying part. (I lit myself on fire years ago with a grease fire, so I took a break for many years from deep frying.) Then I needed to remember I wanted to make them and prioritize them, which I finally did to take to work this year as my birthday treat.

These are a little putzy, but they still come together in about 2 hours, including frying time. And now that I have oil already dirty from frying cannoli, well, I guess I don't have any excuse not to tackle one of those doughnut recipes I've had bookmarked for years either.

I'm glad I made these because they were good. Now, I've never had cannoli outside of these to have any comparison for you. The outside reminds me of an Oreo. The inside is chocolate with a hint of orange. I love the outside more than the inside, so I have a few leftover cannoli shells that will be filled with cookie butter whipped cream. Yum.

Chocolate Cannoli
Filling
15 oz. ricotta cheese
1/4 cup sugar
4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. orange zest
1/4 cup finely chopped dark chocolate
Cannoli Shells
2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shortening
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbsp. honey
1 egg white
Oil for deep frying
Garnish (Optional)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
Pistachio nuts, finely chopped

For the filling, combine all ingredients until smooth in a small bowl, mixing by hand. Cover, and chill until needed.

Prepare cannoli shells by heating oil to 350°F (in a deep fryer). Stir together flour, sugar, cocoa and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in shortening until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.

In a separate small bowl, stir together eggs, milk and honey. Add egg mixture to flour. Stir just until mixture forms a ball, although I had to finish mixing mine with my hands on the counter. Divide dough in half.

On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough portion into a 16-inch square. Cut each square into 16 4-inch squares. (Mine ended up slightly larger and not all even.)

Beat remaining egg white to use as a glue to hold the cannoli together around the mold.

Wrap one square lightly around one end of greased metal cannoli cylinder. Use the egg wash to moisten overlapping dough, and press gently to seal.

Fry cannoli shells, a few at a time, about 1 minute. Use tongs to carefully and gently lift shells from the oil, drain any oil from cylinders back into the deep fryer, and drain shells on paper towels. Cool, and repeat with remaining squares.

To assemble cannoli, melt the chocolate for garnish, and dip each cannoli shell into chocolate to coat both ends. Then dip in nuts. Set on a lined cookie sheet to allow the chocolate to harden.

Use a pastry bag to fill the cannoli shells, filling from both sides to ensure filling is throughout the cannoli. There's enough filling to make about 16 cannoli with a few extra shells left over.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

I found this recipe for copycat Levian Bakery double chocolate chip cookies on Kirbie's Craving. Apparently Levian Bakery is a famous bakery in New York City that I must visit when I go to New York City. I've made copycat cookies from there before, which were also delicious that I need to make again.

These are giant cookies. If eaten within hours of baking, the edges are slightly crisp with an almost brownie-like interior. If eaten the next day, the crispness disappears, but they're still so delicious.

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 cup cold butter, cut into cubes
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. cornstarch
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup chocolate chunks or roughly chopped chocolate
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 410°F.

In a mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugars on high speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Add in dry ingredients while mixer is on lowest speed until dough is just combined. Stir in chocolate chunks, but not the chocolate chips. Chill the dough at least 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare two baking sheets with parchment paper or silicone baking mats. Measure 4.3 ounces of dough, and roll into a ball. Add chocolate chips to the top of the ball until the dough weighs 4.5 ounces. Place 4 cookies on each baking sheet, leaving at least 2 inches between cookies. You should end up with at least 8 cookies, 9 if the cookie gods give you an extra one like they did for me.

Bake the cookies 8-10 minutes until the edges are set and the surface looks dry. Let cool 15 minutes on the baking sheet, and then devour. (Or move to a cooling rack to cool completely.) Makes 8-9 cookies the size of a child's head.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie

This pie and Pi day (March 14) is what derailed my healthy eating. I swear tomorrow I'm back to soup and salad to cleanse my body of all the sugar I have consumed that tastes so delicious but makes me not feel my best.

This pie that I adapted from How Sweet Eats has been bookmarked for years, and it only required me grabbing heavy whipping cream to throw together a pie for my family for pie day. This pie is absolutely fantastic and worth repeating.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Pie
Crust
1 1/2 cups peanut butter cookie crumbs
6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
Truffle Layer
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
Peanut Butter Cream
4 oz. chocolate, chopped
6 oz. creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 tsp. vanilla
Garnish
1/4 cup peanut butter
Whipped Cream

To prepare crust, combine cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press mixture into a 9-inch pie pan. Chill in the freezer while making the truffle layer.

To make the truffle layer, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat heavy cream until tiny bubbles appear on the edges, and pour hot cream over chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes. Stir gently until chocolate mixture is smooth. Pour into pie plate, and spread up the sides of the crust. Chill at least 30 minutes in the freezer while making the peanut butter cream.

For the peanut butter layer, combine chopped chocolate, peanut butter and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. Melt the mixture together, and stir until smooth. Cool completely to room temperature before proceeding. Whip the remaining heavy cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in the peanut butter mixture. Spoon into pie.

For garnish, melt the peanut butter, and drizzle it over the pie. Top with whipped cream, if desired, for serving.

Skillet Biscuits

These skillet biscuits from Cookies & Cups are as delicious as the amount of butter they contain. I think there's often a direct correlation between butter and deliciousness.

These were tasty warm with butter and jam or honey, and the leftovers were devoured as biscuits and gravy. This is a simple enough recipe that requires minimal time for plenty of flavor.

Skillet Biscuits
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3/4 cup cold, salted butter
1 1/4 cups buttermilk, cold
1/4 cup butter, melted

Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease a 10-inch cast iron skillet, and set aside.

Combine all dry ingredients together. Using a pastry cutter, mix in butter until butter is in small crumbles. Stir in the buttermilk gently with a spatula, being careful not to over mix.

Drop spoonfuls of dough, about 1/2 cup at a time, into the pan. It is OK for them to be touching. Use half the melted butter to brush the biscuits before baking.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes until golden. Remove from oven, and brush with remaining butter. Makes 8 to 10 biscuits.

One-Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Cake

My older son was disappointed a few weeks ago when I made a cake for a friend, so he didn't get a piece of cake. I promised him I'd make him a cake sometime, and I made true to my promise with this cake from the The Kitchen McCabe. I actually found this recipe by checking out her banana cake, which sounded intriguing, as does her pumpkin zucchini cake.

Yes, this cake has zucchini. It's apparently not noticeable aside from producing a nice, moist cake. (As tempting as this cake looks, I haven't tried it because it doesn't quite fit with my Lenten choices.) That means that Teddy is eating even more vegetables, which is my goal.The boys have been thoroughly enjoying this cake, and it got positive reviews when I took it to work.

One-Bowl Chocolate Zucchini Cake
Cake
1 cup flour (I used white whole wheat)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 egg
1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup milk
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. chocolate extract
1/2 cup boiling water
1 cup finely grated zucchini
Frosting
2 sticks butter, softened
2 tsp. vanilla
4 Tbsp. cocoa powder
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 9 baking pan. Combine flour, sugar, cocoa, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl, and whisk to combine.

Add the egg, oil, milk, vanilla, chocolate extract and water. Whisk just until smooth. Stir in zucchini until combined.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes until a tester inserted in the center comes out mostly clean with a few crumbs. Cool completely before frosting.

For frosting, beat butter until smooth. Add in vanilla and cocoa powder, and beat until combined. On low speed, gradually add powdered sugar. Once it is all incorporated, beat another 30 seconds. Spread on top of cooled cake. Makes a 9 x 9 cake.

Lemon Chicken Soup

With friends coming over for supper tonight, I text them to ask whether lemon chicken soup sounded good or gross. It's one of those things that sounds weird but like it might work. They decided it sounded good, so I made this recipe from How Sweet Eats, modified since I couldn't find the bone broth she used.

Verdict? It was good. My soup simmered a bit longer, so the lemons were tender and actually tasty enough to eat with the soup. It was a bit weird but in an enjoyable way. I also topped mine diced preserved lemon, which adds another element of lemon flavor. (Beware, though. After tasting a preserved lemon, my one friend said with a wrinkled nose, "This tastes exactly like Pinesol smells." Preserved lemons are not intended to be eaten straight up unless you really like Pinesol.)

Lemon Chicken Soup
2 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, diced
1 cup chopped carrots
1 cup chopped celery
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp. freshly grated ginger
1/2 tsp. freshly grated tumeric
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
Zest of one lemon
3 cups shredded chicken
1 lemon, thinly sliced
4 cups chicken stock
2 cups chicken bone broth
Garnish
Chopped fresh herbs, like parsley, basil or cilantro
Grated cheese like Parmesan
Preserved lemon, diced

In a large pot, saute onion, carrots, celery and garlic in butter 5 to 10 minutes until softened. Add in ginger, tumeric, salt, pepper and lemon zest. Stir to combine. Add in remaining ingredients, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer 20 to 40 minutes.

Garnish each bowl with fresh herbs, cheese and preserved lemon if desired. Serves 6.

Note: I used a Spanish manchego for topping the soup and also tossed the rind into the soup while it was cooking for extra flavor.

Vegan Almond Tahini Cookies

It's rare that I make a recipe within a week of bookmarking it. It's rare that I make anything vegan. It's rare that I find a cookie I can eat when I'm doing a modified Whole 30 approach. But these cookies from Cook Republic fit within what I'm eating because they are sweetened with only maple syrup.

I was unsure about how these would turn out because I find tahini bitter on its own. But they smelled delicious and looked quite tasty. From a texture standpoint, it's not the same as a traditional cookie. The edges have a slight bite to them, and the inside is soft and chewy. I'd say they're coarser than a flour-based cookie. The flavor is nutty and sweet enough to taste like a cookie but not overly sweet.

Everyone in my family tried these and liked them well enough to not wrinkle their noses. I think AJ expected a more traditional cookie and would probably like them better had I put chocolate chips on them instead of nuts. Teddy ate the one he snuck off the counter without complaints (or spitting it out, which is what he does when he doesn't like the flavor or texture). And Dave said he liked them more than he thought he would and could eat a half dozen, which I didn't let him.

I kept just a couple out for tomorrow and froze the rest to help with portion control. These are worth repeating.

Vegan Almond Tahini Cookies
3/4 cup tahini
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp. sea salt
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups almond flour
Garnish
Crushed cocoa nibs
Chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a large saucepan, combine the tahini, maple syrup, sea salt and vanilla. Melt together, while stirring often, over medium heat until ingredients are fully combined. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool 10 minutes.

Stir almond flour into the melted mixture, which will have thickened as it cooled. Shape cookies using 1-2 Tablespoons of dough by rolling into a rough ball and pressing gently to flatten. Sprinkle with garnish if desired, and press gently into the dough to help it stick.

Bake 10 minutes. Turn off oven, and leave the cookies inside for another 5 minutes until the cookies are lightly browned. Remove from the oven, and let stand on the cookie sheet for another 5-10 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely if desired. Makes about 14 cookies.

Lemon Miso Dressing

Let me preface this post by saying it took me a really long time to find miso at the grocery store. I looked at several stores each time I was there and remembered I was interested in trying it. I could never figure out where it was kept until I finally found it in the refrigerated produce section at one store.

I haven't tasted miso on its own, but I've been adding bits to soups and stir fries. This recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow caught my eye because it uses miso, of which I now have a rather large container. (Who knows when I'd find it again? It seems to have a long shelf life.) This dressing is fantastic. It made my simple salad pop. It's bright yet satisfying. This is one to repeat as long as I have or can find miso. This will probably be my go-to dressing for now.

Lemon Miso Dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. miso paste, preferably white
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a glass jar. Use a fork to stir in the miso, and then shake vigorously to emulsify. Use immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. If it solidifies, microwave briefly until melted. Makes about 1 cup.

Pumpkin Pancakes

These pumpkin pancakes from Genius Kitchen were a hit with my children this morning, and the bite I snuck was delicious. These are the latest in my quest to get more nutrients into Teddy by sneaking them into his favorite foods. AJ loved the cinnamon flavors of these pancakes, and the texture was perfect for pancakes. Topped with butter and maple syrup, these are delicious enough for AJ to devour 3. These will be repeated with the tweaks shown below.

Pumpkin Pancakes
1 1/4 cup white whole wheat flour
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. pumpkin puree
2 Tbsp. melted butter
1 egg

Combine all dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, combine together all wet ingredients. Whisk the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Heat a griddle, and cook using about 1/4 cup for each pancake. The amount of pancakes varies by the size. I made a double batch and have a good stash in the freezer for Teddy to sneak as snacks.

Zucchini Waffles

Since Teddy likes to self-serve frozen waffles and pancakes from the freezer, it seemed logical that I should attempt to sneak some veggies into waffles and pancakes. I haven't attempted pancakes yet, although I'm thinking I might make pumpkin pancakes tomorrow morning.

These zucchini waffles from Gimme Some Oven smell delicious, and Teddy seemed to eat them the same as my other waffle recipe. As in, he ate a couple squares and then proceeded to take them from the freezer. They aren't a crisp waffle, so I'm thinking they'll be perfect warmed in the toaster.

Zucchini Waffles
2 cups shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
1 1/2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Shred zucchini, and wring it dry using a dish towel. In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, and mix well. Fold in zucchini.

Use a preheated waffle maker to cook the waffles, using about 1/2 cup batter per waffle. Makes 8 waffles. 

Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies

As I strive to incorporate vegetables into my son's diet in ways that he won't refuse, I turned to these cookies from Run Fast, Eat Slow. If you're expecting a warm, melty chocolate chip cookie, then this will disappoint. But if you're thinking more along a breakfast bar, this hits the spot.

These cookies are dense and hold the flavors of pumpkin pie. Don't get me wrong. They don't taste like pumpkin pie, but the flavors are along those lines. My favorite part was the crunchy outside edges that tasted like granola.

And not only did both my children eat these (Teddy enjoying them more than AJ), but Dave even ate one despite them containing sweet potato, which he believes is poisonous.

Sweet Potato Breakfast Cookies
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup almond meal
1 tsp. ground ginger
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 cup sweet potato puree
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup raisins (I omitted these because I wanted my family to eat them)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silipat.

In a food processor, pulse the oats until roughly chopped. Combine with almond flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, whisk together puree, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla (and raisins if your family eats raisins). Fold in the oat mixture, and stir until blended. The dough will be very thick.

Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to drop the matter onto the baking sheet. Space the cookies one inch apart. Lightly press down each cookie to flatten.

Bake until bottoms are a deep golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Makes about 14 cookies.

Whole 30 Cereal Granola

This recipe from Wholesome Yum intrigued me because it fits within Whole 30. I'm not a huge cereal person, so cereal isn't a sacrifice for me. But granola is something I enjoy, and I am curious how this would be with vanilla almond milk. Right now, I'm picturing it over the chocolate smoothie bowl. Yum.

As it is, it's delicious to snack on its own. I adapted the recipe slightly to remove the sweetener. And I forgot the butter or coconut oil by accident, which I'm sure would make it even more delicious.

Whole 30 Cereal Granola
1 cup almonds
1 cup macadamia nuts
1 cup pecans
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup golden flaxseed, ground
1 large egg white
1/4 cup butter (ghee or coconut oil can be substituted)
1 tsp. vanilla 

Preheat the oven to 325°F. In a blender or food processor, pulse the almonds until partially chopped, then add macadamia nuts and pecans. Pulse once or twice. Then add the remaining dry ingredients. Pulse once more.

Add the remaining ingredients, and pulse until blended. Stir together by hand if needed to maintain some larger pieces of nuts. Spread mixture evenly on a large cookie sheet. Bake 15 to 18 minutes, until lightly golden brown. It may seem soft but should crisp as it cools.

Let cool completely, and break into clumps. Makes about 3 cups.

Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins

When I got a mini muffin pan for Christmas, AJ was more excited than I was because he had his heart set on mini chocolate chip muffins. It took me nearly two months, but we finally made what will be the first of many batches of mini chocolate chip muffins using this recipe from How Sweet Eats.

AJ is in love with these, and Dave said they're good. I'm avoiding a few of the ingredients for Lent, which is good because I'd probably eat a half dozen while taking them out of the pan otherwise.

Mini Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Muffins
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
1 large egg
1/3 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/4 cup coconut oil, measured in solid form then melted
2/3 cup + 3 Tbsp. milk
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
 2/3 cup mini chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a mini muffin tin with liners.

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt, mixing well to combine. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together egg and sugar until smooth. Add in melted coconut oil along with vanilla extract, mixing well. Add in milk , and whisk until combined. Stir in the dry ingredients mixing until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.

Place about 1 1/2 tablespoons batter in each muffin liner, filling them 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 7 to 8 minutes, or until tops are set. Remove, and let cool for a few minutes. Serve immediately, eat within a few days or freeze for the future. Makes about 3 dozen mini muffins.

Vegetable Broth

I've never made vegetable broth before I tried this recipe from Cook Republic. I'm focusing on healthy eating (yet again ... those darn cakes and cookies and cupcakes make this a repeat cycle) and trying to add nourishment to my body to help it heal from a stress fracture.

I simmered mine longer than the original recipe with the intention of pulling more nutrients from the vegetables. I'm happy to have this in the freezer for future recipes.

Vegetable Broth
2 leeks, washed and sliced (white only)
3 carrots, washed and chopped
2 red onions, quartered
3 celery sticks, washed and chopped
4 parsley sprigs, washed and chopped
6 thyme sprigs
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
1 inch ginger piece, chopped
1 inch fresh turmeric root, chopped
8 oz. button mushrooms
10 peppercorns
4 bay leaves
salt to taste (usually 2-3 teaspoons
6 liters filtered water

Combine all ingredients in a large pot. Simmer at least 90 minutes but preferably several hours. Strain and discard all vegetables. Refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Chicken Bone Broth

This recipe from Run Fast, Eat Slow is one that will become my standard, I think, instead of tossing whatever is on hand to make chicken stock. This recipe calls for a long, slow cook to draw out more of the nutrients, and this was so much richer in color than any other stock I've made.

Chicken Bone Broth
Chicken bones from roasted chicken
6-8 quarts cold, unfiltered water
2 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
2 yellow onions, unpeeled and quartered
3 carrots, unpeeled and cut into thirds
1 bunch celery, including the heart and leaves, cut into thirds
6 black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1 tsp. salt
1 bunch fresh parsley

Place bones in large stock pot. Add water and vinegar, and let stand 30 minutes.

Add remaining ingredients except parsley, making sure the bones are completely covered with water. Simmer for 8 to 24 hours on low, adding more water if needed to ensure the bones stay covered. Add parsley for the last 10 minutes of simmering.

Strain the broth through a large sieve. Discard the vegetables and bones. Transfer the broth to the refrigerator to cool. Skim off any fat that rises to the top. Use within 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

Note: This can be made in a slow cooker on low for 24 hours.

One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

This recipe from Damn Delicious was one where Dave wrinkled his nose up and asked, "What is that?" I replied, "Dinner."

I asked if he only wanted one scoop to start, and he seemed mighty skeptical. He agreed to try a half-scoop, which he enjoyed. He said it was much better than he expected and proceeded to eat a normal serving size.

This is a quick, easy, healthy meal that has the added bonus of being vegetarian. That works for us during Fridays in Lent.

One-Pan Mexican Quinoa

1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 can diced chiles
1 cup quinoa, rinsed and drained
1 cup vegetable broth
1 (15 oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.5 oz.) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1 can corn

1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled and diced
Juice of 1 lime
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro 

Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. 

Stir in avocado, lime juice and cilantro. Serve immediately. (If you have picky eaters who won't touch avocado or cilantro, garnish with those afterward.) Serves 4.

Chocolate Smoothie Bowl

This recipe from Bakerita inspired this smoothie bowl, which feels like a enough of an indulgence to help me survive when I make my family French toast and eat this instead. I'm on a smoothie bowl kick right now, and this will be repeated many times.

Chocolate Smoothie Bowl
1/2 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1 frozen banana
2 Tbsp. almond butter
1 Tbsp. cocoa powder
Garnish
Hemp seeds
Unsweetened coconut

Combine almond milk and chia seeds. Let stand 30 minutes. Blend all ingredients until smooth. Pour into a bowl, and top as desired. Devour. (This is an individual serving size, at least for me.)

Green Smoothie That Isn't Gross

My focus for Lent this year is avoiding alcohol, added sugars, processed foods, dairy and soy. It's pretty much a really loose Whole 30 with beans, whole grains and very small amounts of natural sugars. It's partially something that's a sacrifice to give up and partially because, not surprisingly, I feel like crap when I eat crap.

So this smoothie was something that works for what I'm eating and is also an attempt at sneaking some more veggies into Teddy. He ate part of this smoothie, so we'll try it again this week and see how it works for us.

Green Smoothie That Isn't Gross
1 cup almond milk
1 Tbsp. chia seeds
1/2 Tbsp. flax seeds, ground
2 kiwi, peeled and cubed
3/4 cup pineapple
1/2 banana, frozen
1/2 avocado, diced
1/3 cup frozen spinach
Garnish
Hemp seeds
Unsweetened coconut

Combine almond milk and chia seeds. Let stand 30 minutes to thicken slightly. Add remaining ingredients, and blend until smooth. Garnish if desired, and enjoy. (Note: This smoothie is thick enough to serve as a smoothie bowl, which feels more substantial than just drinking a smoothie.)

This makes enough for probably two servings or one adult and two child portions.

Flourless Almond Torte

This cake from Run Fast. Eat Slow.  was the sweet part of our breakfast for Christmas. My mom loved it, and I enjoyed it. The rest of the family went the savory route instead. My preference for eating this was with warmed blackberry sauce and a mound of whipped cream ... not quite so healthy.

The cake itself was a bit dense, so I think I'd sift my almond flour next time prior to measuring. I also found the almond extract a bit much on its own (hence the berries and whipped cream), so I might lessen that next time. I do think it is a recipe worth repeating, though.

Flourless Almond Torte
6 eggs
1 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tsp. almond extract
1 Tbsp. lemon zest
1/2 tsp. salt
5 cups almond flour
1 cup raw sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 9-inch springform pan with butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, oil, extract, zest and salt. Add the almond flour, and stir until thoroughly combined. Pour the batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes.

Cool the cake in a pan on a wire rack. Carefully slide a thin knife around the edges of the cake, and remove the pan's sides. Cut into 12 slices. Can be served warmed or at room temperature.