Currant Tart

The first time I had currants was working at Garden Dreams. We had a couple bushes at the farm. I had no idea the berries were edible or better yet, delicious. They're really tart but paired with creamy coconut and sweet almonds they are perfect. The recipe for the almond tart came from this shortbread recipe. 

I made this on a weekend when my sister and I stayed at home alone. We ate lots of ice cream and watched the Lizzie McGuire movie. Ya!

Red Currant Tart

Crust:

2 cups almond flour
1/2 cup softened butter

1/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Toppings:

1 bunch red currants

1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

Cream:

1 can full fat coconut milk, chilled overnight in fridge

1 vanilla bean, scraped

1/3 cup powdered sugar

To make crust:

Place dried ingredients in a food processor and blend. Add wet ingredients and blend again. Mixture will be soft. Also you can do this all by hand.

In a 10 inch pie pan, spread out the cookie mixture on the bottoms and sides just like a pie crust. It's very sticky so you can use a greased spatula or just your hands to help you along. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Remove plastic wrap and prick dough with a fork all over. Bake for 15-20 minutes until crust is a nice golden brown color. 

Let cool on a rack for 5 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the crust and let melt for 5 more minutes. Carefully spread chocolate with a spatula over the bottom of the crust. Let crust cool completely, then chill in refrigerator until ready to serve.

To make coconut whipped cream:

Chill ceramic bowl and beaters in freezer for 10 minutes. Remove can of coconut milk from fridge. Scoop out the cream on top and place into chilled bowl. Beat on low increasing speed until medium. Add in vanilla bean caviar and powdered sugar gradually. Increase speed up to high until the mixture looks like whipped cream! 

Pour into chilled tart.

Top with currants. I kept the fruit on the vine- people can pick them off as they eat. It's prettier that way.

Tart keeps in the fridge for 1-2 days.

Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Sunflower Seed Brittle

Rarely do I try a restaurant without a recommendation or a quick glance at Yelp or TripAdvisor. I just hate paying for food that I can easily make myself. I am literally turning into my mom, ha. We can't take her anywhere because she makes the best food. 

Nick and I were in Easton for our anniversary and all of the restaurants had a long, long wait. So we walked and came across an Italian restaurant and took a chance. It was incredible. We had whole artichokes stuffed with breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and butter. For the meal, rhubarb and strawberry white pizza. I love when chefs totally try something I would never think to make. For dessert we had panna cotta with fresh strawberries and amaretti cookie crumbs with espresso. I was up until 3 after that but it was worth it. So I've been wanting to make panna cotta for awhile. Now I want to make it all the time. You don't even have to turn on the oven for this dessert. It's so light and fresh. Need I say more?

The sesame seed brittle is from the My New Roots cookbook which I cannot rave about enough. It is amazing. I'm cooking through almost every recipe in the book since it starts with spring and follows the seasons. The recipe for this brittle was featured over at Sprouted Kitchen. You can also use any store bought or homemade brittle. I've even used homemade granola. Anything with crunch. 

The rhubarb butter is from this recipe.

The panna cotta is from Martha Stewart who seems to have every recipe ever on her site. 

Instead of dessert, maybe try this in a large tart pan for super fancy brunch?? 

Makes 6 servings 

2 cups buttermilk (whatever fat content you choose- I always go for full fat)

1 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin

2/3 cup heavy cream

Scant 1/2 cup sugar 

1 vanilla bean, split

Set 6 ramekins out on the counter.

In a heavy pot, pour in 1 cup buttermilk. Sprinkle gelatin evenly over this buttermilk. Then give it a quick stir and let sit for at least 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the cream, vanilla bean, and sugar just to  a boil. Then pour into the buttermilk/gelatin mixture. Turn the burner to low heat and whisk until gelatin dissolves and no lumps remain. Just a couple minutes.

Stir in the rest of the buttermilk. Take out vanilla bean. 

Pour gelatin mixture into the ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap. Leave in the refrigerator for 4 hours until set. Does this remind you of making jello? Because it really is that easy

To make:

Top with a dollop of rhubarb butter. Crush some brittle and sprinkle on top.

I didn't bother to unmold the panna cotta for even more ease.

Chocolate Hazelnut Tart

OMG this chocolate hazelnut tart! This is going to become a staple in my life. Lately I've just been trying to blog things I know I'll be making again and again. Maybe some special occasion recipes once in awhile. I usually have all the ingredients to make this dessert on hand minus the hazelnuts. Laura had me listen to a podcast on chocolate in Ecuador and it just reinforced my chocolate hoarding tendencies. I prefer to buy the chocolove brand. I love the pretzel milk chocolate and the hazelnut. Really I'll take any flavor. After Ecuador, I'll try to seek out Kallari chocolate too. Organic and so so delicious!! We went to the kallari store twice and had hot chocolate (we drank this daily), brownies, and chocolate mouse. Also just chocolate bars whole. Guh. In fact, I'm having severe chocolate withdrawal as I type this. (Don't worry, I have Justin's peanut butter cups stashed in my purse.)

This recipe is from Green Kitchen Stories. This family cooks amazing food and travels all around the world! My goals in life!

Also sorry no pic for now- will update later. For now here's pic of a similar tart.

Crust!

1 cup hazelnuts, toasted

10 Medjool date's pitted

3 tbsp cacao powder

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 pinch sea salt

Filling

1 3/4 cups / 200 g cooked black beans 

5 Medjool dates, pitted

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup strong coffee

1/2 cup almond milk 

5-6 ounces dark chocolate (70%)

Note: I used a 10 inch tart pan, so I increased the filling recipe.

Start by making the crust. In a food processor or blender, blend the hazelnuts until they are chopped finely. Not so much that it turns into hazelnut flour. I liked having some bigger chunks in the crust. Add the dates, coconut oil, cacao, and salt. Pulse until everything is mixed thoroughly. If the dates are hard, soak them in some water for 15 minutes and drain before making crust.

Press crust mixture into bottom of the tart pan. I greased my fingers with a little coconut oil to facilitate the process. Cover with plastic wrap and place in freezer while making filling.

Melt the chocolate with the almond milk. I did this quickly in the microwave. Stir to combine. Add the beans, dates, coconut oil, vanilla extract, and coffee to the blender and blend until completely smooth.  Like really really smooth. Add the chocolate mixture into the blender and blend once more. Pour the filling on top of the crust and place it into the freezer overnight to a couple days. 

My favorite part of this dessert is that I can make it in advance. Also I can trick people into eating beans!

Oh ya and let it thaw for 30 minutes on the counter to soften up a bit.

Mint Chocolate Chip Smoothies

These mint chocolate chip smoothies have been my life for the last month or so. I'm not even kidding. I've been making them for dessert every single day and they still haven't gotten old. Each batch I make is different presumably because the ripeness of the bananas is not consistent and the strength of the fresh mint varies. I recommend adding ingredients a little at a time, tasting, and adding more. You cannot detract mint extract from a recipe. I would know since I drank a fair share of smoothies that taste exactly like toothpaste. On the plus side, they make my breath really fresh! The smoothies are based off of the Oh She Glows recipe.

Just last weekend I was in town for the Pittsburgh half marathon. I wasn't planning on actually doing it but I did. It was seriously painful and I promised myself I would not sign up for another race without training again. It was so much fun since I saw so many friends that weekend and during the race. I do love marathon weekend. There's nothing better than 10,000 runners gathered for 1 event. I was in Pittsburgh when the marathon started up again. Brittany and I handed out water and we were inspired to sign up the next year! When we finished she wouldn't even speak to anyone. That gives you a small idea of how difficult running a half or full marathon is (but still totally fun and worth it). Every year the race keeps getting bigger and more awesome. Yay Pittsburgh!

Makes 2 smoothies

2 frozen ripe bananas (but not too ripe)

1 3/4 cups light coconut milk (1 can)

1/4 cup almond milk

2 handfuls baby spinach

1 small handful fresh mint leaves

1/4- 1/2 tsp peppermint extract

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp maca powder (optional)

1 tbsp coconut oil (optional)

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Add spinach and mint to blender first. Then add milks, bananas, and vanilla. Blend. Taste then add the peppermint extract. Add the optional ingredients if desired. Blend until smooth. Then add chocolate chips and blend just until suspended. You could also just use mini chocolate chips and skip blending them. Try cacao nibs stirred in for a healthier option!

Coconut Cherry Cobbler

Cooking gluten free and vegan recipes generally directs me to a lot of paleo sites. Surprisingly I really like all of the recipes! They are really creative and use ingredient in ways I never thought of. For example, this cobbler from Predominantly Paleo. The recipe was fantastic and I'll definitely be making it again. 

2 cups cherries, pitted (I used frozen)

1/4 cup cane sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup coconut shreds (unsweetened)

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 tablespoon arrowroot powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Pinch sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add the cherries to the bottom of a small dish. I think mine was 5x7?? I have no idea really. Do what you want. I am the worst blogger. Anyways sprinkle cherries with 1/4 cup sugar.

Combine the rest of the ingredients minus the coconut oil. Then add the coconut oil and use your hands or a fork to cut into dry ingredients.

Bake for 25 minutes until lightly golden brown on top. Serve warm or cold. If the cobbler is served cold, it's extra crunchy! Yum!

Flourless Extra-Fudgy Brownies

For my sister's birthday a couple weeks ago I got her a cookbook called Flourless: Recipes for Naturally Gluten-free Desserts. This afternoon I made the first recipe from it, and so far I am very impressed - the Double Chocolate Brownies are probably my favorite brownies I've ever had, much less baked myself. For me, a perfect brownie = crisp on the outside + moist on the inside + lots of chocolate flavor. These ones fit the bill.

Double Chocolate Brownies
From Flourless: Recipes for Naturally Gluten-free Desserts by Nicole Spiridakis

5 oz semisweet chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cornflake Marshmallow Cookies

I could write a post complaining about the winter, but instead I will brighten your day with this cookie. It is amazing. Like OMG good. For vday, we spent the day in NYC for the day eating and vintage shopping of course. I got this cookie and looking back I should have gotten the cereal milk ice cream. Next time! My homemade version is not as perfect as the one from the bakery, but it comes close especially since we get to eat it right out of the oven. For all you Pittsburghers, there's a Milk bar in Toronto! So like a 4.5 hour drive instead of 7 hours! There's also a Milk cookbook (which this recipe is from) if you want to never leave your house which I fully support. This past snow storm, we played in the snow. Rex could drag Kelly in a sled because the snow was so frozen. Now that is ridiculous. 

There's 2 separate parts- the cornflake crunch and the actual cookie dough. There will be extra cornflake crunch to snack on as you bake the cookies.

Momofuku Milk Bar Cornflake Cookies

Cornflake Crunch:

5 cups cornflakes

• 1/2 cup milk powder (I used nonfat- found in any grocery store, full fat can be found at Mexican or Asian food stores)
• 3 tablespoons sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt 
• 9 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt butter. Crush the cornflakes with your hands in a large freezer bag (or just in a bowl) to 1/4 of the cereal's original size. Toss the cornflakes with salt, sugar, and dry milk in a medium mixing bowl. Then add the butter and mix to incorporate. Spread an even layer on the parchment paper and bake for 20 minutes. The cornflakes should be lightly golden brown and smell amazing. You only need 3/4 of this recipe for the cookies!

Let cornflakes cool completely. While they're cooling, make the cookie dough. 

French Yogurt Cake

Yesterday my sister and I went to Ikea planning on just looking around... and we left with a big new kitchen island and a heart-shaped silicon cake pan. I am equally satisfied with both purchases and made use of both while making this cake.

Gâteau au yaourt/Yogurt Cake

From Chocolate & Zucchini

2 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt (I used Greek)

3/4 cup + 1 tsp sugar

1/3 cup oil (original recipe calls for veg. oil but I used olive oil)

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp dark rum

Vegan Brownies

These are my favorite brownies. They take some more work than my other brownie recipe but if you have the time it's so worth it. I love the texture from the ground flax and the subtle taste of coconut throughout the brownie. The first time I made this was on rotation in Oregon. I didn't have a full kitchen so to grind the flax, my friend Chris and I had to pound the flax seeds with a wine bottle. That's improvisation! It was a lot of work, but this time I just bought them preground. You can also use a food processor. This recipe is from Guilty Kitchen. I actually tried a different recipe for vegan brownies and they were such a fail that I had to throw them out. Tragedy. On a happier note, baby monster feet!

1 cup coconut oil

4 oz. semisweet chocolate chips 

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsp instant coffee powder

1/2 cup hot water

1 cup white sugar

1 cup dark brown sugar

2 cups white whole wheat flour

3/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp sea salt

2 Tbsp ground flax seeds

6 Tbsp hot water

Preheat oven to 350°F and grease an 8 x 8 pan.

In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, stir together the ground flax and 6 tablespoons of hot water. Set aside to get goopy.

In a small pot, melt the coconut oil and chocolate chips together over low heat.

Mix the coffee powder with the 1/2 cup of hot water in a large mixing bowl. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture. Whisk in sugars and vanilla. Stir in the flax mixture.

Then stir in the dry ingredients.

Pour the batter into the greased baking pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. The brownies are done just when a toothpick comes out clean or just before.

Let cool completely before serving. When I make these, they puff up a lot so there are some parts that are crunchy and some that are raw. Otherwise they will completely fall apart. Once the brownies are set, they'll be a little coconut oil greasy. That's totally normal. If you store them in the fridge, they'll get a little coat of solidified coconut oil on the bottom.

Russian Walnut Apricot Bars

Here's another belatedly posted holiday recipe. My mom wanted to serve these on our dessert table - she always talks about how she wants to keep things simple this year and not go crazy and then we make several main dishes, a ton of sides and a packed table of desserts. 

I tried to convince her we didn't need to make the Russian Torte since we had more than enough already, but I ended up making it. I'd never baked anything like these bars before, and they were really good - sweet but not too sweet, nutty and tangy.

Nutella Hot Chocolate Plus Maple Sweetened Marshmallows

I think we can all agree that snow is what makes winter so magical. I love being at my family's home and playing in the snow with my sisters (Yes, we still do that!). On snow days, we would go sledding with my parents at the best hills in our area. My dad would pack a thermos of hot chocolate and always have treats for us in his pockets. This past Saturday, there was about a foot or so of snow when we woke up! Magic! We spent the day shoveling (aka snowball fights while my dad actually shoveled) and sledding. We tested out a new hill at a nearby park and brought Rex. He pulled Kelly around in a sled and chased us as we sped down the hill. It was perfect. Puppies + snow = happiness. After sledding, we played cranium and drank this hot chocolate.

At a local coffee shop near my apartment, you can find Nutella lattes and hot chocolate. So so dreamy but easy to make! My favorite milk to do this with is almond milk. I've tried coconut, cashew, and whole. 

Chocolate Chip Almond Cookies

Seeing as how there is a blizzard outside, baking cookies is definitely necessary. These are nice and crunchy. It's safe to say they're actually healthy. They balance out the decadent hot chocolate I'm about to blog next! The recipe is from Bob's Red Mill's site. 

3 cups Almond Meal (I used Bob's Red Mill)

1 tsp Baking Soda

1/2 tsp Sea Salt

1 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1/4 cup Maple Syrup

2 eggs

1 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper (best invention ever) or silpat liner (which I gifted to myself). 

Mix dry ingredients in small mixing bowl with wire whisk.

Whisk together coconut oil and maple syrup in a medium sized mixing bowl. Then add the eggs and mix. Finally add the vanilla extract. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet and whisk until incorporated. Add the chocolate chips. 

Place rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Press the cookie down with palm of your hand if you want them a little flatter. If not, they'll retain their shape. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown. 

These are best eaten right away (like all cookies) but will still be good for 2 days.

Green Tea Cake

The first time I made this cake was in high school. Surprisingly, a lot of my staples come from my high school baking days. I suppose running 5+ miles a day all year round made me want to bake year round too. Anyways, when my friends and I made this cake, one of the girls accidentally baked the teaspoon into the cake. While it was baking, we looked for it to no avail. Then while slicing our dessert, my knife hit something solid. Kind of like king cake, right? Anyways, it was pretty hilarious as we all figured out where the teaspoon ended up. The cake tasted, just fine by the way! It still continues to be my mom's favorite. I made this green tea cake to celebrate her birthday right after Christmas. We also got her a spa day, chocolates, and cleaned the house since she is one amazing momma. The recipe is from All Recipes.

Cake:

1 cup all-purpose flour 

1 cup cake flour

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup matcha powder latte mix (I use trader joe's)

1 cup white sugar 

1 cup vegetable oil 

3 eggs 

1 cup plain yogurt 

1 vanilla bean

Brown Butter Chai Spiced Snickerdoodles

At this point, I've made a couple batches of chai snickerdoodles that just didn't have enough chai spice in them. This recipe will change that! It has spices in the dough and also in the sugar coating. That makes all the difference. The recipe is from Will Cook for Friends from the great cookie exchange for bloggers. I vote we do this next year among ourselves through the mail. Also browned butter makes the cookie even better. I've made a gluten free version with gf all purpose flour mix that turned out well.

I've also been making my own chai concentrate lately! I'll be posting that soon. As you can tell, I love chai as much as I love pumpkin flavored baked goods.

When baking these you want to bake them just until they are barely set! The inside of the crackles will look bubbly and but not too gooey. Use the first tray of cookies to gauge how long you want to bake the rest of the cookies for. Remember they will continue to bake and set after taking them out of the oven. If you take these steps, your cookies will be chewy yet crispy and awesome.

By the way, happy New Year's Eve! We're on the turnpike towards Pittsburgh! I do not miss this drive but at least this year we're not all afflicted with food poisoning :)

1 cup + 4 tbsp unsalted butter 

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or gf mix

2 tsp. cream of tartar

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. kosher salt 

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. ground cardamom

1/4 tsp. finely ground black pepper

1/4 tsp. cloves

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cookies

I know that Christmas was a couple days ago but what is awesome is that there are actually 12 days of Christmas! This means more cookies and for our readers, more cookie recipes.  What really happened was that I ran out of time to blog before Christmas! Whoops.

I made these cookies for 3 different families who we spent Christmas with. I have to say this was the best Christmas so far. There were babies (human and fur babies) all around!

Also, don't skip the frosting. It really makes the cookies. What's cool is that the frosting is baked along with the cookies. I followed the recipe exactly and doubled it because the more cookies the merrier.

Recipe from The Floating Kitchen.

For the Cookie Dough:

2 dozen+ maraschino cherries

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup white sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 heaping tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. baking soda

For the Chocolate Frosting:

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/4 tsp. salt

1-2 tsp. reserved cherry juice

Chickpea Blondies

Not all of the holiday desserts have to be unhealthy! These blondies taste fantastic. You can even eat the whole pan while feeling good about yourself. At least that's what I did. Then my cousins and sister proceeded to do the same. I made these before I went to Bethlehem, which is also known as Christmas city. They set up little shops all over town like in Europe with local crafts, etc. It was freezing but there was plenty of hot cider and mulled wine. Best of all, it was Rex friendly. Below is a picture of the Bethlehem steel stacks.

 I've made this recipe 3 times in 2 weeks so far. That's how delicious these blondies are. The recipe is from Chocolate Covered Katie, a healthy dessert blog. She's very vegan friendly, so check out the site!

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups (250 g) cooked and drained chickpeas

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp baking soda

l/4 tsp salt

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 cup dark brown sugar 

1 tbsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup ground flax seed or quick oats (both are great, though flax has more nutrients by far)

1/4 cup sunflower seed butter

1 tbsp coconut oil

3/4 cup chocolate chips 

Gooey Butter Cookies

My sister's boyfriend's family makes a ton of cookies for Christmas. This year she got to take part in the tradition and brought back a tin of cookies. I ate pretty much all of them and these ones stood out to me the most. I knew just from the taste that cream cheese was in the recipe, but otherwise I had never had any cookie like it. After pestering my sister (and her bf) for days, we finally tracked down the recipe. It originated from Lottie + Doof. If you've ever had gooey butter cake before, you'll know what to expect but in cookie form. Nevertheless, these are amazing and should definitely be a staple from now on at my family's table!

Gooey Butter Cookies

4 1/2 cups all purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 pound cream cheese

2 sticks unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, scraped 

3 cups sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Confectioner’s sugar for rolling and dusting

First make sure everything is at room temperature. Stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.  In a large bowl, cream together the cream cheese, butter, and sugar with a wooden spoon. Then add the eggs, vanilla seeds, and extract until combined. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. The dough will be pretty light. Then cover bowl tightly and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Since it's cold outside, I just set the dough on our picnic table for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Fill a shallow bowl with about 1 cup powdered sugar. Form slightly heaping tablespoon size balls, roll between your hands, and roll in a bowl of powdered sugar. Place on prepared baking trays 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes and take out before any browning occurs. I let them bake until at least one of the cookies was very very lightly golden on the edges. 

Let cool on the baking sheets until the cookies reach room temperature. They will be very soft even when cooled. Store and serve cold since they are delicate. Another blog suggested adding an extra egg yolk for more stability in the dough. 

The site says the cookies will last for a week in the fridge. I stored them in a cake dome layered with extra powdered sugar.