Chocolate Coconut Almond Macaroons

Chocolate Coconut Almond Macaroons

1 (14 oz. ) can sweetened condensed milk

2 oz. unsweetened chocolate

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

4 cups sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup chopped roasted salted almonds

3 oz. bittersweet or 70% cacao chocolate, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Line sheet pans with parchment paper.

In a double boiler or heat-proof bowl placed over pan of simmering water, place the unsweetened chocolate, salt and sweetened condensed milk in bowl and stir until chocolate is melted and combined with sweetened condensed milk.

Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and coconut. Stir until well combined.

Using a small ice cream scoop or disher about the size of a heaping teaspoon, scoop out macaroons out onto parchment lined baking sheets one inch apart.

Bake for about 10-12 minutes. Watch that they do not brown on bottom.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on baking sheets.

Once cooled, drizzle heavily with the melted chocolate. Sprinkle with the chopped roasted-salted almonds.

Set aside and allow the chocolate to set up.

 

Killer Berry Brownies

Killer Berry Brownies

Brownie Batter:

3 oz. unsweetened chocolate

3 oz. semisweet chocolate

1/2 cup butter

3 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

3/4 cup. flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup, chopped toasted pecans

1 cup white chocolate chips

Filling:

1 – 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1/3 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup mixed berry pie filling or any berry filling

Ganache:

16 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

Garnish:

1/4 cup white chocolate, melted

fresh berries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9×13 pan with parchment and grease entire pan.

Batter:

Melt the chocolates with the butter; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, sugars and vanilla; mix well. Stir in the chocolate mixture . In a separate bowl , whisk the flour, baking powder and salt; stir into chocolate mixture. Stir in the nuts and white chocolate chips. Set aside.

Filling:

Cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and sugar and blend well. Add the eggs and mix well.

Assembly:

In the prepared pan pour half the brownie batter and smooth out evenly. Top with the fillinf batter and smooth out evenly. Drop by spoonful the berry pie filling all over the top in the filling. Dollop the remaining brownie batter over the top and smooth over top the best you can but don’t over work it. You will see all the layers. It’s just more important that it’s level.

Using a knife swirl it through the batter creating a marbling effect. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Once the brownies are cool, make the ganache. In a small saucepan heat the heavy creamm and sugar to boil. Pour the hot cream mixture over the finely chopped chocolate and stir until smooth. Pour over the top of the cooled brownies and spread out evenly quickly. Quickly place berries in position over the brownies according to the number of brownies you will be cutting. The recipe can make 12 -24, so for example 12-24 berries placed accordingly. Place the melted white chocolate into a piping bag and drizzle over the top of the top. Refrigerate until set . Cut and serve.

 

Little Smokey Crinkle Cookies

Little Smokey Crinkle Cookies

These little beauties came about because I’m currently at my one butt cabin kitchen and too far from a grocery to simply run down and get supplies. I used what was hanging around the cabin. They are light, chewy chocolateness (I’m saying that’s a word).

12 oz. chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled

6 egg whites, room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 cup chopped toasted pecans

2 cups broken shortbread style cookies, the ones that I used were chocolate covered shortbread but any shortbread/vanilla wafer sort of cookie would work

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside. Beat the egg whites, vanilla and salt until frothy. Slowly add the sugar while beating the egg whites until they hold firm peaks. Fold in the slightly cooled melted chocolate until smooth. Stir in nuts and broken cookies. Using a ice cream scoop of about 1/4 cup capacity, drop cookie mounds onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart. These do spread. Set the scooped out cookies on baking sheets out to set before baking for at least 30 minutes to dry out a bit. Bake for  15 minutes and allow to cool completely before carefully removing from parchment paper. These cookies would be awesome used for ice cream sandwiches. Makes about 3 dozen.

 

Lemon Blueberry Bars

Crust:

4 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 lb. plus 4 tablespoons chilled butter , cubed

Filling:

3 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

7 eggs, lightly beaten

grated zest and juice from 4 lemons

6 oz. blueberries

powdered sugar for dusting finished cookies

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 17×12 inch x 1 inch jelly roll pan; set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine the dry ingredients for the crust and pulse 2-3 times until combined. Add the chilled butter cubes and process until the mixture comes together into a dough ball. Press the dough evenly into the pan and 1/4 inch up the edges of the prepared pan. Bake for about 12 minutes or until beginning to turn golden brown and just slightly under done. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Meanwhile prepare the filling in a separate bowl. In a bowl whisk the eggs and sugar together until combined. Add the juice and zest and combine. Sift in the remaining filling ingredients except the berries and stir to combine. Pour the filling over the cooled crust . Sprinkle evenly over the filling the blueberries. Bake at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool. Carefully cut into squares and dust them with powdered sugar.

For thicker bars these can also be made in a 9x13x2 inch pan . Complete as the recipe states except pat the dough half way up the sides and bake a little longer. The crust may puff up during baking; if this happens, remove from oven and gently press back down and continue to bake crust as directed. Once crust is filled with lemon/blueberry mixture bake as directed but as long as needed to become firm. Cool several hours before cutting.

Maggie’s Louise Slice Finger Cookies

Maggie’s Louise Slice Finger Cookies

Base Layer:

125 grams butter, room temperature

3/4 cup super fine sugar

2 eggs, separated and at room temperature

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

8 oz. almond paste

Coconut Topping:

2 reserved egg whites

1/4 cup super fine sugar

1 1/4 cups shredded coconut

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

powdered sugar for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 9X13 inch pan with nonstick spray. Line the sprayed pan with parchment paper on bottom and sides with parchment  extending a little over the edge to use as handles, spray lightly again with nonstick spray; set aside.

In the bowl of stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time until well combined. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, salt, and baking powder. With the mixer set on low, mix in the dry ingredients until just combined.

Press the dough evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Roll out the almond paste into a rectangle that fits the inside of the pan., place on top of dough. Evenly spread the jam over the almond paste layer.

In a clean bowl beat the egg whites until stiff, gradually adding the sugar and vanilla extract. Fold in the shredded coconut. Spread the coconut meringue evenly over the top .

Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until top is just light golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into finger sizes. Sprinkle lightly with powdered sugar.

Key Lime Brownies

Key Lime Brownies

Brownie Layer:

6 oz. butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 oz. cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour

Graham Layer:

10 oz. graham crackers

pinch of salt

6 tablespoons packed brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter, melted

 

Key Lime Layer:

I used regular limes for this because of the accessibility.

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

zest from 10 limes

2(14oz.) cans sweetened condensed milk

2 egg yolks

1 cup lime juice

 

Chocolate Layer:

1 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 lb. chopped chocolate

Brownie Layer:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil; leaving overage on ends to use as handle later. Spray lined pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

In a saucepan melt the butter. Remove from heat and whisk into the butter the cocoa, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and combine well. Mix in the flour. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. The brownie base will not be fully cooked but slightly set. While brownies are baking prepare the graham layer. Evenly sprinkle the graham crumbs over the par cooked brownie layer. Press down slightly. Bake for another 15 minutes.

Graham Layer:

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the crackers and sugar until crumbly. Stir in the melted butter.

Key Lime Layer:

Make lime layer while graham brownie layers bake together.

Place all the ingredients in thew bowl of a food processor and blend until combined. Pour evenly over the graham layer and return to oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes or just until sides begin to pull away from edge of pan. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Chocolate Layer:

Heat the cream and sugar until sugar has dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chopped chocolate and stir until combined. Evenly spread over the lime layer and refrigerate until firm before cutting .

 

 

Coconut Macadamia Nut Brownies

Coconut Macadamia Nut Brownies

Brownie Layer:

6 oz. butter

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 1/4 oz. cocoa powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour

Coconut Macadamia Layer:

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 oz. all-purpose flour

2/3 cup light corn syrup

1 1/2 oz. butter

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups chopped salted macadamia nuts

1/3 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil; leaving overage on ends to use as handle later. Spray lined pan with nonstick spray; set aside.

Brownie Layer:

In a saucepan melt the butter. Remove from heat and whisk into the butter the cocoa, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and combine well. Mix in the flour. Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 20  minutes. The brownie base will not be fully cooked but slightly set. While brownie base is baking make the coconut macadamia nut topping.

Coconut Macadamia Nut Layer:

In a mixing bowl combine the brown sugar and flour. Whisk until there are no more lumps. Add the corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla. Whisk until blended. Add the eggs and whisk until combined. Stir in the nuts and coconut. Spread mixture carefully over the top of the par-baked brownie layer. Place the brownies back in the oven and continue to bake for about 20-30 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to completely cool in the pan before cutting.

Pastry Cream AKA Creme Patissiere

Oh the love of pastry cream. This beautiful almost sinful delight has so many uses such as fillings for tarts,cakes,cream puffs and last but not least eclairs. Yum!!!

Pastry Cream

1 vanilla bean

1 2/3 cup whole milk

4 egg yolks

1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

2 tablespoons butter

With a sharp knife split the vanilla bean lengthwise. Using the back of the knife carefully scrape the seeds from the bean and place into a saucepan. Toss the scraped bean into the saucepan as well. Add the milk to the sauce pan, over medium heat bring the milk and vanilla to a simmer. Turn off heat and cover tightly for 15 minutes to steep. Covering the milk and vanilla mixture is of great importance to the outcome of the pastry cream. If not covered, the finished pastry cream can be dry and not the wonderful supple cream it should be.

In a large bowl whisk the egg yolks and sugar until pale yellow. Add the cornstarch to the whisked egg yolks and whisk until well combined. Once the milk has steeped the 15 minutes. Uncover and remove the vanilla bean. Pour about a third of the milk into the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined. This is called tempering the eggs. Tempering warms the egg mixture to that of the milk , not shocking it. Without tempering you would end up with scrambled egg instead of a smooth pastry cream. Pour the tempered mixture into the saucepan of remaining milk. Whisking constantly over medium heat, cook until mixture just begins to boil and has thickened. Remove from heat and allow to sit for about 10 minutes and stir in butter until combined.

Place the pastry cream in a bowl and cover top with plastic wrap. Allow to cool. Refrigerate if not using right away,once cooled.

Don’t trow away the spent vanilla bean. It has much more life in it. Rinse it off and allow to dry. When the vanilla bean is dry , add to a jar of sugar and just sit back a wait for the magic to happen. In a few days you will have vanilla sugar. Yum!

Raisin Filled Cookies

Mmmm… Nothing says comfort like a warm cookie straight from the oven.

Raisin Filled Cookies

1 cup shortening

2 cups granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup whole milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

7 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

Cream the shortening with the sugar. Blend the eggs with the milk in a separate bowl and add t0o the creamed mixture; mix until combined. Add vanilla.

In a separate bowl whisk together the dry ingredients. Add to wet ingredients and combine well. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and chill overnight.

Filling

2 cups raisins, chopped

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup water

2 tablespoons flour

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat until mixture is thickened. Set aside to cool completely.

Assemby

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.

 

Roll chilled dough out to no more than 1/4-inch thick. Using a round or square cutter, cut dough out and place on parchment lined baking sheets.

Place 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of the cookie.

Using a small thimble size cutter cut out a hole into the center of another cut out cookie. This prevent the filling from coming out of the sides of the cookies while balking. Place over  cookie with the filling on top. Do not press dough together. Continue until all dough is used.

Bake for 20 minutes until just lightly golden. Remove to cool.

Glaze

Fresh lemon juice

powdered sugar

Combine lemon juice and powdered sugar, stirring until it’s the correct glazing consistency. Drizzle over cooled cookies.

 

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies

2 1/2 Cups quick cooking oats

2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

2 Tablespoons baking powder

1 Tablespoon baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten

1 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

2 1/2 cups macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Cream the butter and sugars together until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk to combine. Add to the butter mixture and combine until blended. Stir in the chocolate and nuts until combined.

Using a small ice cream/ disher, scoop the dough onto the lined baking sheets. Bake for about 13 minutes until just set and edges are just barely beginning to turn brown. Remove the oven and allow to cool on baking sheets.