Archive | Bakery RSS feed for this section

RAW 23: Macaroons

30 Jul

Macaroons

Fitnessista finally shared her recipe for her famous macaroons! Once I saw that post, I couldn’t wait to attempt them. These aren’t the typical French Macaroons that I normally salivate over, they are a raw take on the coconut Macaroon – a delicious treat nonetheless!

I decided to go halvesies on the recipe because I wasn’t sure how they would turn out since I do not have a dehydrator. [boy would I love one, but would have NO WHERE to put it].

But then, I forgot about the halvesies when I went to add the coco, so I tried to scoop some of the excess out, but decided this batch would be extra chocolatey.

I also didn’t have almond meal [Food for Health was all out and TJ's didn't have it], so I improvised with Oat Flour instead. Still gluten free!

Verdict: Tasty! Even Dan thought so! Perfect crisp on the outside with a moist coco-coconut inside. A simple w and all natural treat to enjoy.

Level: Easy-peasy

Make Again: Sure! These were just chocolate flavored. There are a bunch of other flavors to whip up; peanutbutter, lemon, blueberry…


Ingredients:

2 2/3 C shredded unsweetened coconut

1/3 C cocoa powder

1 1/3 C almond meal [I substituted oat flour]

1/4 t cinnamon

1 t vanilla

hefty pinch of sea salt

1/3 C coconut oil

C maple syrup (or a little more depending of the texture of the dough)

Directions

Mix all the dry ingredients

Add all the wet ingredients

Using a melon ball scooper, scoop onto dehydrator trays or onto a greased cookie sheet. Dehydrate for 36 hours or so, until crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Or bake on lowest oven setting [I did 200] for roughly 20 minutes.

RAW 20: Homemade Energy Bars

26 May

Homemade Energy Bars

If you haven’t heard, I’m heading to Napa tomorrow for a long 5 day weekend. Meaning, I’m going to be devouring some amazing eats and savoring the fruits of the valley – not cooking any new recipes this weekend. In order to keep my RAW new year’s challenge, I decided I would make something before the weekend, something I can grab and take with me as breakfast/snack during the 6 hour plane ride to SFO. Hmm…Well, I am a big fan of bars…Larabars, Luna bars, Clif bars…pretty much any type of bar [wine bars included, hehe J]. Sooo, why not make my own to take on the trip!

There are about a million and five different recipes for granola/energy bars out there, but this one tickled my fancy.

Mashed banana, PB and honey. I could have stopped right here and eaten the whole bowl.

Topple on the dry ingredients [you can pretty much pick whatever you’d like to thrown in]

Mix and spread.

Freeze and cut.

Boom! Done and Delicious

Verdict: Amazing! They should probably be called homemade CANDY bars, because these babies are sweet!

Level: Super simple

Make Again: Absolutely! I would probably half the amount of honey this recipe calls for, because I feel guilty about how sweet they are. Maybe add a second banana instead to help stick the ingredients together. Add-in options are endless!


Ingredients:

1.5 cup McCain’s quick cooking oats

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/2 cup chopped unsweetened cherries and a handful of raisin mix (any dried fruit will work)

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1/2 cup maple syrup (or agave, honey)

1/2 cup peanut butter (or any nut butter)

2 tbsp ground flax seed

2 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Mash banana in bowl.

Add sweetener of choice and nut butter. Mix well.

Add in remainder of “dry” ingredients. Mix well.

Spread in small backing pan and stick in freezer for a few hours.

Cut in rectangles or squares and Enjoy!

 


Tags: , ,

RAW 17: Coconut Flour Banana Muffins

8 May

Coconut Flour Banana Muffins

I’m still trying to stay away from chocolate, candy and sweets; however, I wanted try something new that I could use as a grab and go breakfast or snack. Muffins popped into my mind, as long as they weren’t loaded with sugar. So I set out to find a gluten free low sugar muffin. Luckily I already had coconut flour in my cabinet [not sure why…] so this recipe seemed perfect! [bonus that it already was gluten free!]

I went all out coconut and finally bought coconut oil! This stuff is raved about all over the blogosphere. It feels like butter, and tastes like coconut. It’s in a more solid state, so melting it down was key when it came to combining it with the other wet ingredients.

This is me sifting the dry ingredients…no sifter, no problem!

The recipe said the batter would be thick, which I didn’t believe could happens since the wet ingredients were super runny, but it did thicken up once the wisking was complete.

I decided to sprinkle a little shredded coconut on top for a some extra flair

Verdict: Pretty good! They have the texture of banana bread with the flavor of a dense and moist coconut pancake.

Level: Easy. The hardest part was making sure the coconut oil was properly incorporated into everything.

Make Again: Yes! I may even try them with different fruits. Blueberry would probably be awesome!

Also great with a smear of almond butter!


Ingredients:

1 cup organic coconut flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon aluminum free baking powder

1/8 teaspoon Himalayan salt

6 eggs

2 tablespoons melted butter

2 tablespoons virgin coconut oil

3/4 cup milk

3 tablespoons honey

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ripe bananas (mashed)

 

Directions

Preheat oven at 350 F degrees.

Sift the coconut flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt together into a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl beat eggs together. And add butter, coconut oil, milk, honey, sugar and vanilla. Whisk together to blend.

Whisk in coconut flour mixture and bananas until well blended. Batter will be thick. Divide batter among the muffin tins lined with paper liners.

Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Tags: , , , ,

RAW 14: Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Blondies

10 Apr

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cake Batter Blondies

Since my hiatus from sweets is finally over, I figured some sort of baked good was in order. I had seen this recipe on Girl Meets Life a few weeks back and was itching to try it. Anything with the title “Cake Batter” must be delicious, right?

In an attempt to stay as Gluten Free as possible – I opted for GF cake mix instead of the standard Betty Crocker [yes Betty also has GF mixes; however, they were more $ than Bob's)

Make sure the PB is melted - it makes it easier to whisk

The mixture is pretty crumbly [note - I didn't use the entire bag of cake mix because it was slightly more than Betty's]

After adding the milk – it got super gooey. [note - I used almond milk and added a bout a tablespoon of butter]

Make sure to not over cook, otherwise you won’t get the cake batter effect!

Verdict: Decent. I think my adaption with the GF cake mix and natural PB decreased the sweetness factor, but they still had good flavor and a chewy-gooey texture

Level: Easy. Whisk, mix, spread, bake. EAT

Make Again: Possibly – I actually want to try the Nutella version!


Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter, melted

1 egg

1 tablespoon canola oil

1/2 cup milk

1 cup chocolate chips

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place cake mix in a large bowl, set aside. In a small bowl whisk together the egg, oil, and peanut butter. Add wet mixture to the cake mix and combine as much as possible, then add the milk. Mix in the chocolate chips. Place batter in a greased 8×8 pan or 8-inch cake pan,  and bake for 27-29 minutes or just until the edges turn golden. Let cool for 60 minutes before cutting because the gooey center needs to set. The result will be a decadent, cake-batter texture.

Tags: ,

Give It Up

31 Mar
  • High: Spring Break! Well, not really, Dan and I just took the day off on Friday to enjoy a little R&R in the city.
  • Low: I didn’t win. As you’ve probably found out already, I didn’t win the Mega Millions. [shocker, right?] I thought I had it for sure with the 1 ticked I bought. I thought beginners luck was on my side. I’ll get it next time.

For the past 7 years, I give up chocolate, cookies, cadies, sweets and desserts durring Lent [minus last year, I only made it halfway through because I couldn’t contain myself once we moved to NYC, temptation was too high] I don’t do so for religious reason; I just like personal challenges. Trust me, doing this I a HUGE challenge for me. Typically I probably eat one of the above-mentioned “contraband” items everyday. Grabbing a handful of chocolate chips after dinner is a common practice.  I’ve been doing well with no slip ups. Staying strong – which is not easy to do in baked good paradise.

I only have a week left, and I think it’s starting to get to me. The other night I dreamt about fudge. How pathetic, right? I barely ever eat fudge. I can’t even remember the last time I had any. Obviously my subconscious has a craving…

So I plan on dedicating about a day to only eat the forbidden fruits once the grueling 40days is over. The proper term would be a binge. Yes, I am planning on binge eating chocolate, cookies, candy, sweets and desserts. Terribly unhealthy of me, I know, however, I don’t care. Also, in reality, I probably won’t make it through more than three indulgences before tiring out of the whole concept. It’s just fun to plan out my options…it’s like planning what you’d do if you win the lottery, except with food. [wow, I’m sounding more pathetic with each sentence].

Here’s how the day could go:

Breakfast – Chocolate and salted caramel oatmeal from Little Brown

Midmorning snack – Peanut butter M&Ms. How many, who knows!

Lunch – Magnolia’s banana pudding and a Levain cookie

Afternoon snack – Buchon Bakery pistachio macaroon

Dinner – Two Little Red Hens red velvet cupcake and GROM pistachio gelato

Dessert – [everyday deserves dessert] ShakeShack Concrete

My blood sugar just rose typing that all out. If this day were to take place, I’m pretty sure I’d go into a diabetic coma. But, ohh how tasty would that all be?!

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Lent. Did you give anything up that you’re dying to get back in just a week? Any suggestions for my binge menu?

Tags: , , , , ,

Falling Into the New Year

2 Jan
  • High: Enjoying a fun weekend up in Buffalo
  • Low: The Holidays are officially over, womp-womp

After going back and forth on what we should do for NYE and still not having a plan, last Thursday Dan and I decided to rent a car and drive 384 miles to Buffalo, NY, where Dan’s brother [Matt], sister-in-law [Kate] and adorable little niece [Willa] live. At about 5:45pm Friday night, we embarked on our first NY road trip.

Believe it or not, with a little energy boots, I was able to drive the entire 6hours and 45mins it took to get there. Boom!

As no surprise, our weekend included some pretty great food.

While touring the towns around Buffalo, Matt took us to Elm Street Bakery in East Aurora- one of his and Kate’s favorite places for bakery.

This former lumber mill has a quaint feel to it and was filled with pastries and breads and had a simple little lunch menu. I chose the coconut-curry chickpea bisque, which was excellent.

I’m thinking I could recreate this at home, which would be great for lunches as this cold weather continues on. [is it summer yet?]

Matt and Kate are much more advanced home chefs than Dan and I, so it was a treat to share the kitchen with them. For NYE dinner we enjoyed Roasted Chicken with potatoes and a kale and brussels sprout salad. It was phenomenal!

Sunday morning was extra special with the completion of the 72 hour croissants. Matt and Kate use to live in San Francisco, where they frequented Tartine, a famous bakery. They have since bought Tartine’s cookbook, which features the bakery’s highly sought after croissants. Luckily for us, Matt had been working on these over the past three days.

Rolling the dough to the perfect size

spreading the [massive amount of] butter

and finally baking them to perfection.

We didn’t just stuff our faces all weekend; we also took advantage of our proximity and went to see Niagara Falls.

Absolutely breathtaking! I was a little bummed at how rainy it was, but we toughed it out and enjoyed the view.

I couldn’t believe how close to the rushing water we could get. We only went to the Canadian side [first time in Canada!], so I’m not sure what the US side is like, but geeze, I could have jumped the tiny railing and gone for a swim!

Before we knew it, it was time to head back to NYC. Luckily, the drive between Buffalo and NYC isn’t as painfully boring as the stretch of I-94 between Minneapolis and Milwaukee – that drive was terribly annoying.

Now that the holidays are over and reality is back for sure, I guess I should start thinking about a new year’s resolution.

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Resolutions. Do you have any? Thoughts, ideas, suggestions?

Tags: , , , ,

Balls and Walls

19 Dec
  • High: Checking things off the list
  • Low: The first Green Bay L of the season…boo.

Of course I signed up to bake for the company family holiday party. [this was not a real holiday party, it was more of a Christmas carnival for people’s kids during the last hours of the day on Friday. I don’t have kids, so I didn’t really attend] And what festive treat did I opt to share…none other than Cake Balls!

I first made these last year for a coworkers birthday after seeing them on my friend Katie’s blog. They are heavenly. I am not lying.

This chocolate cake recipe that Katie uses is phenomenal. It rivals my favorite chocolate cake that my grandma used to make. It’s the star of the balls for sure.

Food processors have so many uses!!

Mixing cake with buttercream frosting will always lead to deliciousness.

So good!! They were a hit amongst the coworkers as well. I’m thinking about red velvet cake balls for Christmas.

This weekend was dedicated to completing tasks on the To Do list. Christmas shopping, finishing Christmas cards and FINALLY hanging the wine maps I got Dan for his birthday.

Home improvement type projects are not mine and Dan’s forte. Remember our struggle with the dresser? Well, that is probably why it has taken us 6 weeks to hang two pictures. It was time to face our fear. Dan went to the hardware store and got a stud finder and picture frame hanger-thingys. Luckily I had my handy dandy pick hammer and measuring tape. This seemed like it should be an easy task. Wrong. Finding studs the correct width apart and then nailing the hangers into the wall so they are level with each other took more energy than planned. It also caused a little frustration/tension. After struggling for about and hour and half with the first map-our second hanging [that sounds bad] went much smoother.

Now our walls are spruced up a bit! Finding more art/decorations are in our future, especially since we’ve become semi-pros at hanging things [again, that did not sound right].

More Christmas shopping and Christmas movie watching to take part it!

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Home Improvement. Do your home improvement projects turn out like Bob Villa’s or Tim Taylor’s? Do you guys know who Bob Villa and Tim Taylor are…?

Tags:

No Excuses

30 Nov

I have no excuses. I haven’t blogged for pretty much all of November because I have been too lazy. That’s it.

But I’m making it a priority right now, so lets review, shall we…

It was my first autumn in New York [this is also a movie, which I haven’t seen…should I?]

I got teary-eyed watching the NYC Marathon [I will be running sometime in the next 3ish years]

Welcomed another friend to Manhattan [bottoms up Christy!]

Dined at one of New York’s finer tables, Gotham Bar and Grill [yummm….duck fat]

SEARED HUDSON VALLEY FOIE GRAS black mission figs, tamarind and pistachio balsamic vinegar

ROASTED MUSCOVY DUCK  braised baby turnips, turnip greens, poached seckel pears and foie gras red wine vinegar reduction

Ate the biggest and best cookie ever, seriously! [Thank you Levain Bakery]

Kicked of Crock Pot Season with a juicy roast [plus some roasted Brussels sprouts, I really enjoy Brussels sprouts, who knew?]

Waited in a 45 minute line to experience The Best Pizza in New York [thank goodness I did, cuz Grimaldi’s might not ever taste as good?]

Indulged in some of the world’s best macaroons from La Maison du Chocolat [flown in from Paris daily!]

Witnessed the makings of Christmas in New York [The Holidays are here, and yes I’m listening to Christmas music as I write this, duh]

Cheered on my undefeated boys! [11-0 boom!]

And then there was Thanksgiving….[next post]

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…November. What was your favorite part of the month?

Tags: , , ,

Festive Fail

2 Nov
  • High: Baking up a storm
  • Low: Icey slush falling from the sky

I hope everyone enjoyed their Halloween celebrations! I must admit, my Halloween celebrations this year were extremely weak. No pumpkin carving, no sugar cookie decorating and no costume. Pretty lame, huh?

Saturday’s weather also contributed to my lack of celebrations…eewww slushy snow stuff.

Well, to regain some festive-ness I did bake a stellar batch of Pumpkin Squares…Gluten Free Pumpkin Squares! AND Gluten free Banana Bread! Boom-I killed it in the kitchen this weekend.

To make my tasty treats GF, I simply substituted regular flour for GF Oat Flour and added a teaspoon of Guar Gum(a thicken agent) for each cup of Oat Flour.

Success! Both the banana bread and the pumpkin squares turned out perfectly. Moist, the right amount of denseness and great fall flavors. I shared the pumpkin squares with my office, but as you can see, I’ve been making some pretty good damage on the banana bread myself. [this is why I work out, right?]

I even took my first shot at spaghetti squash…and it turned out! Even Dan ate some!

Dan and I had grand plans to make it to the famous New York Village Halloween Parade, but those silly jobs of ours got in the way. Good news, there is always next year! I did see some kiddos dressed up around my neighborhood, but nothing like the good ‘ol days of trick –or-treating in the subdivisions.

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Trick-or-Treat. What was your favorite candy when trick-or-treating? It was pretty much WWIII between my brother and I for the Reese’s Peanut Butter cups. Every year he would steal some of mine, and I knew it because I always sorted my candy and counted how my PB cups I had and then somehow a few of them would always go missing…

Tags: , ,

Booty

19 Aug

It has been way too long since I’ve had a cupcake date, so all day Thursday I was looking forward to meeting up with Kaitlin for some sweets. Where to…Big Booty Bread Co!

Side bar: Booty. Such a diverse word; a nautical treasure, the body park we tend to shake when bust’n a move on the dance floor, or the small slipper/shoes that babies wear. Also a favorite slang term used in pop-culture. One can have a big booty, be bootylicious, discover some booty, loose their bootees, or call for some booty (aka booty call). Evolution of words and how they are used fascinates me.

This small rugged little bakery is down the street from Madison Square Park and seemed to have a decent following of ‘regulars’.

My red velvet cupcake was fairly delicious, however, I wanted more after enjoying this smaller sized sweet. The frosting was smooth and there was plenty of it to enjoy with each bite. The cake was a tad different; I tasted a hint of coconut flavoring and not as much cocoa, but I didn’t mind it. I just wanted more!

Besides tasty cupcakes, Big Booty also offers breads, cookies and large brownies. Being the amazing girlfriend of the year, I picked up a chocolate chip brownie for Dan (and then ate half of it on my way home, it was also delicious).

Friday rolled around and it was pay day! Always excited about that. While receiving a lump sum into my checking account always brightens my day, so does Buchon and its perfect macaroons.

I find comfort in routines and traditions, so I’ve made it my Pay Day tradition to stop at Bouchon and pick up a macaroon. This has also curbed my habit of stopping multiple times a week to give in to my weakness. Now, I’ve got myself thinking about traditions, which leads me right to the holiday season…it’s too early though! No Christmas until after Thanksgiving, it’s the RULE!

Talk amongst yourselves, I’ll give you a topic…Traditions/routines. Do you have any traditions/routines that you’ve created for yourself?

Tags: , ,

← Older Entries

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 30 other followers