These flourless cookies are decadently rich with pockets of melted chocolate tucked beneath their crinkly tops. They are light, with crisp edges and chewy, chocolatey centers. They are pure delight for anyone who enjoys a chocolate treat occasionally (or frequently).
With just 7 ingredients these cookies are easily made in 30 minutes. Two types of chocolate and toasted pecans pair up beautifully.
Egg whites and powdered sugar are what brings the batter together, giving these cookies a wonderful texture. Stash some in the freezer for an anytime chocolate fix.
Sift together powdered sugar, cocoa, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk egg whites until frothy (hand mixer works great). Stir egg whites and vanilla into powdered sugar mixture. The batter will be very thick. Stir in chopped chocolate and pecans until well combined.
Drop cookies 3-inches apart using a 1½-inch cookie scoop (about 2 tablespoons) on a parchment-lined baking sheet lightly greased (otherwise they will stick) with cooking spray.
Bake until tops are shiny and cracked, about 8 - 10 minutes. Cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
Not long ago, my sister gave me an excellent bag of locally made granola. I wondered what would be the best way to make it shine. At first, I thought about just sprinkling it over yogurt for breakfast but then decided that granola muffins would be much more exciting. This simple recipe turns out some mighty tasty muffins.
I love the name of Deb’s baked in Hawaii granola. Besides the more common ingredients such as oats and almonds that you might find in many granolas, this one includes rich and buttery macadamia nuts and coconut chips that get nice and toasty when sprinkled over the top of the muffins.
Besides the granola in the batter, you’ll want to sprinkle more granola over the top of each muffin before baking. This lends a very tasty and crispy texture to each bite.
1 cup (99g) granola + ¾ cup (74g) for muffin topping
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅓ cup (67g) canola oil
1½ cups (340g) lactose free buttermilk
(To make lactose free buttermilk add 1½ tablespoons of white vinegar to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Pour lactose free whole or 2% milk over the vinegar to measure 1½ cups. Allow the milk to sit for 5-10 minutes to thicken a bit).
Preparation
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly grease the cups of a standard muffin pan.
Whisk together all of the dry ingredients including 1 cup of granola.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the vanilla, canola oil and lactose free buttermilk. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling nearly full. Sprinkle the remaining ¾ cup of granola over the tops of the muffins.
Bake the muffins for 16-18 minutes. Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the middle of one of the muffins. The toothpick should come out clean.
Remove the muffins from the oven and set pan on a cooling rack for at least 5-10 minutes. When they are cool enough to handle, remove muffins from pan and cool on a rack. Muffins freeze well for a few months.
These fudge brownies are ultra moist with tons of chocolatey flavor thanks to both the Dutch-process cocoa and chocolate chips. This combination makes for a divine brownie that will surely satisfy any chocolate craving.
Dutch-process cocoa powder is treated with an alkali that neutralizes its acidity that makes it darker in color with a milder flavor than natural cocoa powder. When baking, Dutch-process cocoa powder is usually combined with another neutralized ingredient such as baking powder. When a recipe calls for Dutch-process cocoa powder, it is not always interchangeable with natural cocoa powder especially when baking. Many brownie recipes that call for natural cocoa such as Hershey’s, do not use any leavening, or very little (baking soda). So for this recipe, it is essential to stay with Dutch-process cocoa. Safeway stores carry the excellent Guittard brand in their baking aisle.
¾ cup (89g) King Arthur unbleached all-purpose flour
1 cup (170g) semisweet chocolate chips
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8" x 8" pan.
Beat eggs with a hand mixer on medium speed with cocoa, salt, baking powder, espresso powder (if using), and vanilla for about 1 minute until smooth.
Melt butter over low heat in a medium saucepan, then add the sugar. Stir to combine. Continue to stir until mixture is hot, but not bubbling (about 110-120 degrees). Add the hot butter/sugar mixture to the egg/cocoa mixture, stirring until smooth. Add the flour and chips, stir until smooth.
Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top to make an even layer. Bake the brownies for about 32 minutes (check after baking for 28 minutes as oven temperatures vary). A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs clinging to it. Remove pan from the oven and cool on a rack before cutting and serving, about 45-60 minutes.
Lilikoi fruit has the most amazing fragrance. The flowers on the vines are spectacular with delicate tendrils that stand out with their vivid purple centers. The plants seem to do well in our warm, dry climate here in Kihei. We grow both the yellow and purple varieties. If we are not using the puree right away, it goes in our freezer to be used at a later date for lilikoi jelly, tarts, and pound cake.
The gorgeous flowers of the lilikoi plant open up in the sunlight. The bumble bees do their thing flying from flower to flower pollinating as they go. You may notice the purple lilikoi tucked in the back of the vine.
The rind of the fruits are unassuming, however, once you cut the fruit in half, you’re in for a wonderful surprise. The aromatic juicy pulp is a delight. Don’t let the seeds deter you from tasting one. They can be eaten if you don’t mind a bit of “texture” but for jelly, glazes, sauces and such, I leave them out.
The easiest method for separating the pulp from the seeds is to use a blender on low speed. I then use a food mill and discard the seeds. You may use a sieve if you do not have a food mill.
The lilikoi glaze is what takes this pound cake to another level. It has become my favorite cake to bake these days.
Miyoko’s cultured vegan butter is a perfect alternative to real butter if you are lactose intolerant.
Our neighbors Judy and John spoil us with their fresh eggs. Not only are they superior to store-bought eggs (so much fresher) but they are lovely to look at with their various colors. A real treat.
Though not particularly attractive at this point, poking holes is the best way to get the lilikoi glaze to seep down into the cake. Spoon the glaze over the cake, wait for a few seconds for it to be absorbed and then continue with the remainder of the glaze.
This cake is tender, moist and not too sweet. Just how a pound cake should be. Once the glaze sets, it develops into a crisp and light sugar coating over the top of the cake.
Recipe adapted from King Arthur's Lemon Glazed Pound Cake
Author: Kiyo Miller
Serves: 2 cakes
Ingredients
Cake:
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (14 tablespoons, 198g) Miyoko's vegan butter (substitute with Earth Balance Buttery Sticks or unsalted butter) at room temperature
⅜ cup (85g) Green Valley lactose free cream cheese (or regular cream cheese), at room temperature
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups (298g) granulated sugar
1¾ cups (206g) unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lilikoi puree
5 large eggs, at room temperature
Glaze:
⅓ cup lilikoi puree
¾ cups granulated sugar
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans with parchment paper and grease each pan.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese with a hand-held mixer until soft and fluffy. Add the salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder. Beat for 4-5 minutes; the batter will be stiff (use a firm spatula).
Add the vanilla, 1 tablespoon lilikoi puree, and 1 egg. Beat well. Continue to add the eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. When done, the batter will be very fluffy. Spoon the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Remove the cakes from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, make the glaze by mixing the lilikoi puree and sugar together in a small bowl. Mix until well combined. The sugar will not have dissolved, but this is what gives the cake a light and crisp topping.
Turn cakes out onto a wire rack (gently turn right side up) with a piece of aluminum foil underneath the rack. Poke holes with a wooden skewer all over the tops of each cake. Slowly spoon glaze over the cakes. Allow time for the cakes to absorb the glaze before adding more glaze. Slice and serve cake once it has cooled for several hours. You may freeze the pound cake for a few months. Wrap cooled cake in foil, place in plastic freezer bag.
This sweet and moist cake recipe comes from King Arthur Baking Company. The topping seeps down into the cake which makes it extra moist, and the rich, buttery pecans are truly delightful. I wanted a smaller cake so I cut the recipe in half and used an 8×8-inch baking pan.
A guest who visited my workplace last Christmas brought me a container of pecans from his hometown. I’ve kept them in my refrigerator so they stay nice and fresh. I was able to put these excellent pecans to good use with this recipe.
The cake itself is pretty straight forward. Butter, brown sugar, eggs and buttermilk all play a part in making this moist cake. It may look like any other cake, that is, until you add the topping to it. The cake then goes back in the oven for another 10 minutes and the topping warms up becoming a gorgeous glaze.
The thick topping has now become a beautiful glaze. You can serve it right away at this point, but I like to let the cake cool for an hour or two until the glaze has set.
¼ cup (57g) Earth Balance Buttery Sticks (or unsalted butter) at room temperature
1 cup (213g) light brown sugar, firmly packed
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 cup (227g) lactose free buttermilk at room temperature (add 1 tablespoon white vinegar to a 1-cup measuring cup, add lactose free milk to measure 1 cup total, let sit 10 minutes to thicken)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1½ cups (180g) unbleached all-purpose flour (King Arthur recommended)
*add ⅛ teaspoon fine sea salt if using unsalted butter
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottom of an 8x8-inch cake pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the pan.
Beat the butter and brown sugar until smooth. Add the egg and beat until smooth. Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Add baking soda, salt, and flour to the wet ingredients, beating until thoroughly combined. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake the cake for 30 minutes.
Towards the end of the baking time, prepare the topping by stirring the butter and sugar together. Add the milk and pecans. The glaze will be thick but pourable.
Pour the topping over the baked cake making sure to spread it evenly (corners too). Return the cake to the oven for another 10 minutes.
Remove the cake from the oven. The topping will look very runny. Letting the cake sit at room temperature for a few hours will allow the glaze to set. The cake can be frozen for a couple of months.
I received a gorgeous, ripe pineapple recently. I thought about making more mango-pineapple jam but our mangos were not quite ready. I found this recipe from Southern Living and thought it would be the perfect way to use up the entire pineapple. The recipe turned out to be a real delight. The pineapple really shines with its fresh sweet and tart flavor.
A crisp crust is layered with fresh chopped pineapple and crumb topping that includes sliced almonds.
A gorgeous pineapple perfectly ripe and ready to eat.
The crust is baked and cooled before the pineapple and crumb topping are added. I used almost the entire pineapple as the recipe calls for 4 cups of chopped fruit.
The pineapple mixture is spooned over the baked crust and the crumb topping sprinkled over it.
Once in the oven, the pineapple crumble will bake for 45-55 minutes. The scent of fresh pineapple fills the air as it bakes.
4 cups (20 ounces or 570g) chopped fresh pineapple
¼ cup (30g) corn starch
1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
¼ heaping cup (30g) slivered almonds
Preparation
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line bottom of a 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper. Lightly spray pan with cooking spray.
Beat flour, butter, vanilla, 1 cup of sugar, and a pinch of kosher salt in a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on medium speed until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 1 minute. Reserve 1 cup of the crumb mixture in a small bowl for the topping. Press the remaining crumb mixture evenly into bottom of prepared pan.
Bake crust until golden brown, about 18 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack, and cool completely, about 45 minutes (preheat oven again to 375 degrees after 30 minutes cooling time)
Meanwhile, gently stir together chopped pineapple, cornstarch, lemon juice, remaining ⅓ cup sugar, and ¼ teaspoon salt in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Spread pineapple mixture over cooled crust.
Stir together the almonds and reserved crumb mixture in a small bowl. Sprinkle mixture evenly over pineapple mixture on crust. Bake at 375 degrees until the topping is lightly browned, about 45-55 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 16 squares. Leftovers may be frozen. Separate layers with waxed paper.
