Blackberry and coconut macaroon tart? Yes, Please!

Image via Smitten Kitchen

I've recently found the amazing food/baking site SmittenKitchen and oh, my! This week, there is a recipe that sounds nothing less than amazing; blackberry & coconut macaroon tart. When I was a kid, my ma would make two things that were my favorite in the whole world (as far as treats that don't involve chocolate go): Macaroons and raspberry bars. The recipe uses blackberries, I know, and maybe I'll tweak the recipe a bit one day to use raspberries, but I think I'll make these and every other thing on SK. Seriously.

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How to Make Low-Fat Chocolate Chip Cookies with Applesauce

Ok, so since having Levi 4 months ago, losing weight has been one of those things that have been at the back of my mind yet still important. Lucky (I guess) for me when i got tendinitis I lost ten pounds due to my loss of appetite - the pain just pushed eating out of my daily routine, I suppose. Once the ol' appetite returned I thought of baking lots of yummy desserts - but that's not the smartest thing to do when wanting to shed pounds so I've been searching the interwebs for a good low fat cookie... to no avail. Every time - EVERY TIME it called for shortening...which is worse than butter in my book. I always heard of the applesauce urban legend and looked up recipes for that but they all wanted me to do more work than I wanted. I'm lazy like that. So I figured I'll just make my chocochip cookies with just a little switch-a-roo. I only made 1/4 order just in case they turned out disgusting...I didn't want to waste good ingredients.

Let me first say this; they turned out much better than i thought they would. The texture was a bit between cake and brownie...fluffy like cake and firmer like a brownie. This makes me think of maybe omitting egg next time to see how the texture is without it. I recommend dollops of dough on the cooking sheet - rolling won't be possible due to the consistency of the dough... its a bit tacky. So here is how its done:

In a large bowl mix
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup sugar

- 1/4 applesauce
Then throw in and mix
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 and egg (yes, I know this sounds weird, but do it!)
Now add and mix
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Then add
- (another) 1/2 cup flour (you can add more in the consistency seems a bit to runny)
- 1/4 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
and mix

Preheat oven at 350 degrees and DO grease the baking sheet - they have no butter to help them off the pan so easily. Cook for about 8-11 minutes or until they start to brown. Cool and enjoy.

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Make a Better Cup of Coffee

I got a bunch of Great Lakes Coffee from a friend who works for the company and it is the best coffee I've had in my life. Starbucks and any other corporate cafe cannot even compare! I used to enjoy simple coffee, say, from Dunkin Donuts - but now I can't stand the stuff. Now everything from everywhere tastes too burnt, watered down, and all around quite lackluster. Anyways, Great Lakes has great coffee - I made that point.

So while I was in the hospital for a week - some of my coffee was beginning to dry out...the beans were not as oily and aromatic once I got back...and that happens. So I decided to make some of it anyway - it was the Organic Costa Rica stuff. I really hate the taste that not-so-fresh coffee has so I thought of ways to make it taste better:

1. Use the french press! I love the rich taste, body and frothiness you get from using it. Machines are good too - but I think some taste is lost - plus you don't have as much control over it as you do with the press.
2. Before I added the boiling water to the press (its a 32oz press and I fill it with the max amount of coffee, btw) I added about 1/8 tsp each of ground cinnamon and cardamom to the dry grounds plus about 1/2 tsp of vanilla. Its best to add to the grounds and not to your cup afterward - since such powdery spices just sit on the surface and are hard to completely mix in.
   
3. I then added the water and stirred it and pressed it.
4. I poured a cup, added cream and sugar...I ran out of regular sugar so I had to use brown sugar, which I think gave it additional flavor.
5. OMG - it was so tasty and I couldn't even tell the beans were 'getting on'!

It could may well have been that the coffee is just great old or fresh but I highly HIGHLY recommend Great Lakes Coffee - I especially enjoyed the Organic Triple Threat, its awesome!

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Coffee Break

I was really stressed watching 3 kids today...2 being mine and the other my nephew. They're fine until all are screaming and crying at the same time. I was like "serenity NOW!" So once I got them down for naps and pacified, I decided to indulge myself in my favorite coffee drink. Its like a mocha frappaccino- but home made, not one of those rediculous $4 sucker traps.

SO Here's what I use:

1. Drink Mixer - the kind to make hard drinks, martinis and such
2. Brewed Coffee - I use the whole foods 360 French Roast and grind that up. We only have a 4 cup pot, so i grind 6 tbs of beans
3. 2 tbs. Creamer - not skim or even 2%, it has to be half and half!
4. Ice - about 6 large cubes
5. 1 tbs. Chocolate Syrup - I love Trader Joe's Midnight Moo
6. 2 tbs of Sugar (or agave nectar)

Now I take the drink mixer and add the ice, creamer, sugar, and chocolate. Then I add about 2 cups worth of coffee, close the shaker tightly, shake for a good 20 -30 seconds, or at least till the shaker feels really cold in your hands. Open, taste it so its to your liking, if not, add what you think it needs more of. Pour into a glass (with or without ice in it) and Enjoy!

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Who likes buttons? And cookies?

Buttons are great for many things; closing items, embellishments, and so on. Who knew you could eat them too! I found the recipe posted by Minzimiu on Flickr and they seem like lots of fun to make and eat. Just to save time, here's the recipe:

RECIPE
2cups sifted all - purpose flour,plus more for work surface
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup(1 stick)unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Gel - paste food coloring in pink and green
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Whisk together flour , salt, and baking powder in a large bowl; set aside.Put butter and granulated sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy.Mix in egg and vanilla.Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture; mix until combined. Divide dough into thirds. Knead pink food coloring into 1 piece and green into another. Shape all 3 pieces into disks. Wrap disks in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 325 . Remove 1 disk from refrigerator; let stand at room temperature until slightly soft, 5 to 10 minutes. Roll out dough on a piece of lightly floured parchment to a 1/8 - inch thickness, dusting with flour as needed. Cut out circles with a 1 3/4 inch round cutter, then lightly press with a 1 1/2 inch round cutter. Make button holes with a skewer. Reroll scraps, and cut.(If dough becomes too soft,refrigerate 10 minutes) Repeat with remaining dough. Space 1 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with sanding sugar.
3. Bake, rotating halfway through, until edges are golden, 16 to 18 minutes. Transfer to wire racks; let cool completely. Cookies can be stored in airtight containers at room temperature up to 1 week.
4. When you are done do not forget to invite me some! hehe...ok guys...that is it. Hope you enjoy it ..now i need to get some OJ(orange juice) hugs:)

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Mmmmmm...Granola Bars

I conquered a recipe of the best granola bars ever...they're not dry or hard - which I hate. Also, they're not so sweet like the store bought kinds that give you a sugar crash and a head-ache afterwards. This is a basic recipe which you can of course make even healthier. You will need a large bowl, a lightly greased 9 x 13 pan, measuring cups/spoons, a rubber spatula, and you will bake this at 325 degrees for 18 - 20 mins.

*3 1/2 cups rolled oats

*1 cup organic flour

*1 cup crisp rice cereal

*1 tsp baking soda

*1 tsp vanilla extract

*1 cup butter, melted

*1 cup honey

* 1/3 cup packed brown sugar

*2 cups of assorted additives (mini chips, nuts, seeds, raisins, dried fruit, etc)

First, Put all these dry ingredients (flour, oats,cereal, brown sugar, baking soda) together and mix well. Heat the butter so its half melted with solids - wisk the butter so its creamy looking. Add vanilla to the butter. Stir. Add butter and honey to dry ingredients, mix well. Make sure the heat from the butter didnt heat up the mixture because if you try to add chocolate chips or anything like that, they'll melt. I used 2 cups TOTAL of a mix of mini semi-sweet chips, salted sunflower seeds, crushed peanuts, and raisins. You can add whatever you want, just make sure the amount totals 2 cups - not 2 cups of each. Mix well. Now, put granola mixture in the 9 x 13 pan, smooth over with rubber spatula and press HARD. I took a peice of wax paper, placed it over the granola in the pan and packed it down very firmly. Now refridgerate for about an hour - this will keep it from being too crumbly. When ready, preheat oven to 325, then place bars in for 18-20 minutes. Take out and let cool for 15 mins before cutting. They're heavenly! Store in an air-tight container in the fridge so they hold their shape, or just leave them out if you dont mind a little mess.

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