Chewy Brown Sugar Coconut Cookies

Summertime is all about desserts and treats that show off the beautiful bounty of produce we have available to us! Beautiful, juicy strawberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, etc. But as the weather cools down and fall arrives, I crave something a little heavier and comforting. Enter freshly baked cookies! The oven warms your house a bit as you bake them and that homey, delicious smell is so comforting and satisfying. Today I have an awesome cookie recipe for you! Its a twist on the classic chewy gingersnap cookie - it is a brown sugar-molasses cookie made with coconut oil. I doubled the batch and it didn't even last the afternoon in our house. They're soooo yummy!

My sister found this recipe on Averie Cooks. She has a great website full of amazingly delicious sounding recipes. This is the first one I've tried, but it sure won't be the last. Pop over and check out her blog - I'll still be here when you get back!

Chewy Brown Sugar Coconut Cookies
Recipe minimally adapted from Averie Cooks

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 tbsp vanilla
• 1 tbsp unsulphered mild molasses
• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt

Method:

1. Place coconut oil and brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium high til combined. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy - about 4-5 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, add vanilla and molasses. Beat to incorporate - 1-2 minutes. Add flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined.
2. Using a medium cookie scoop, form mounds that are approximately 2 heaping tbsp. Place dough mounds on a large plate and chill in fridge for 20 minutes - 2 hrs (the longer you chill, the less the cookies will spread. I chilled mine for 20 minutes).
3. Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Place dough on prepared cookie sheet leaving 2 inches in between. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until tops have just set. Even if the cookies are slightly undercooked, pale and glossy in the center - they will firm up as they cool.
4. Allow cookies to cool on baking tray for 5-10 minutes before moving.

Yep, thats it! I love the short ingredient list for this cookie recipe! Majority of the items are pantry basics! Gotta love a recipe like that hey?!

Check out Averie's blog for many more versions of this recipe as well (note some involve nut butter, cookie butter, white chocolate etc). Be creative and mix it up! I love the coconut oil and heavy dose of vanilla in this recipe though!

Happy Baking my Friends!

Black Bean and Brown Rice Casserole

Monday always seems to roll around far too quickly, but this week I'm happy to see it arrive - it means I'm that much closer to leaving on vacation on Friday! Woohoo! I seriously can't wait for a break from work and real-life responsibilities. Despite the anticipation I have for this week to begin and pass by, Monday still comes with the reality of needing a quick, nourishing meal to whip up for hubby and I after work. This Black Bean and Brown Rice Casserole is just thing! Comes together in under half an hour, its super healthy and oh so flavourful.

Black Bean and Brown Rice Casserole
Minimally adapted from Thrifty Veggie Mama

Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked brown rice (about 1 cup uncooked)
• 2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1 can stewed tomatoes with basil (you may want to squish the tomatoes to break them up a bit)
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 cup applewood smoked cheddar, shredded
• hot sauce to serve

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients except the cheese and hot sauce and place in an 8x8 inch pan. Top with cheese.
2. Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Drizzle with hot sauce to serve if desired. Sour cream would also be delish!

A super simple recipe that comes together so quick on a rushed weeknight. Hope you enjoy this as much as we did... leftovers disappeared quickly in our house!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Nutella Banana Smoothie

Yesterday was such a beautiful and sunny day here in Southern British Columbia! We have been so blessed to have such a beautiful July and I hope this amazing weather continues through August as well! When the weather is this warm, we usually wait until later in the evening to walk the dog so he doesn't get overheated (and maybe so we don't get overheated too!!). After we went for our dog walk, I was craving something cold and creamy... something that was refreshing but could also substitute as dessert. After a quick check of what I had on hand, I came up with the idea for a Nutella Banana Smoothie! It is mostly dairy-free except for the small amount of dairy in the Nutella. You could substitute one of the dairy free nut butters or spreads for a truly dairy free beverage though (note I haven't tested this option though, so I'm not sure how it will taste).

Nutella Banana Smoothie
Recipe by A Tale of One Foodies Culinary Adventures

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 2 tbsp. Nutella
• 6-8 ice cubes (add more if your smoothie isn't thick enough)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1/4 cup almond milk (or more if your smoothie is too thick)

Method:

1. Combine banana, Nutella, coconut milk and almond milk in blender. Blend until smooth. Add ice cubes to blender a few cubes at a time blending until smoothie reaches desired thickness. Top with dairy free whipped topping if desired & enjoy!

I love how quickly this smoothie came together and it literally tasted like a decadent milkshake! I can tell this is going to become a regular beverage in our house. What is your favorite kind of smoothie to make? Feel free to share your favorite recipe or flavour in the comments below!

Cheers!

Pineapple Fried Quinoa

                           

 

Okay, so maybe the above pictured dish doesn't look all that appetizing... I believe one of my FB friends exact words were "this looks like something my cat would throw up". Thanks for that my darling friend! But in all seriousness, this isn't a pretty, stunning dish to make for your dinner party guests, but its a quick delicious and healthy weeknight dinner that will leave you with leftovers to eat for lunch the next day.

 

This dish is like fried rice, but with quinoa! I've also lightened it up, so its miles healthier for you than your typical fried rice.

 

Pineapple Fried Quinoa

Recipe adapted from  Allrecipes.com

 

Ingredients:

 

• 1 cup uncooked quinoa
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 eggs, beaten lightly
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1/3 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (adjust depending on heat preferences)

Method

1. Place quinoa, chicken broth and water in a medium sized saucepan and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-25 minutes or until quinoa is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, add eggs and scramble til cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add sesame oil to skillet then add minced garlic and cook til fragrant - this will only take about 30 seconds. Add pineapple and stir for a few minutes. Next stir in cooked quinoa, eggs, cilantro, soy sauce and red pepper flakes. Garnish with more cilantro and a drizzle of hot sauce if desired.

 

Quick and easy - you can have a week night dinner on the table in 30 minutes! A bonus is that is tastes delish and is super healthy for you too. For you meat lovers, add some cooked chicken or shrimp to this dish.

 

To make this dish vegan - omit the eggs and use tamari instead of soy sauce.

 

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Tiger Butter Fudge

If you stop by regularly, you may have noticed I haven't been blogging a whole lot. Well, thats because I haven't been baking or cooking much the last little while. I try to make a couple things on the weekend and make sure they hit the blog, but I'm definitely not posting as often as I would like to. But that being said, I'm trying to make sure the things I actually do post are special and extra delicious. This recipe, is extra special and extra delicious. Trust me. You've just gotta make it!

 I found inspiration for this recipe on Pinterest (surprise, surprise!!)!! Come follow me! I LOVE new followers. The original recipe came from Bakers' Royale who I've heard a lot about in the blogosphere, but never really stopped by to check out the recipes... well, that was a mistake! I will most definitely be frequenting Naomi's blog in the near future for other inspiration and recipes to try. Check it out if you get a chance - I guarantee you'll be drooling after only a couple minutes.

Tiger Butter Fudge
Recipe adapted from Bakers' Royale

Ingredients:

• 1 can sweetened condensed milk, portioned in half
• 10 peanut butter sandwich cookies (I used Pirate brand)
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup peanut butter chips

Method:

1. Prepare a rectangle loaf pan by lining with tin foil. Divide the sweetened condensed milk between two microwave safe bowls. Set aside. Roughly chop up the peanut butter sandwich cookies and set aside.
2. Add white chocolate to one of the bowls of sweetened condensed milk. Add butter. Melt in microwave at medium power stirring often until completely melted. Fold in the chopped cookies and stir gently to combine. Pour into prepared pan and smooth into an even layer.
3. Add the peanut butter chips to the remaining bowl of sweetened condensed milk. Microwave at medium power stirring often until completely melted. Pour onto white chocolate layer in prepared pan. Refrigerate at least one hour or until set.

Then taste this delicious fudge!! I guarantee you won't be able to stop til the whole pan is gone. It is so delicious. I recommend sharing so you don't consume the whole pan (while it may sound like a good idea, you may regret it when a) you feel like you're in a sugar coma and/ or b) your favorite skinny jeans no longer zip up... just sayin!! Feel free to share with me! ;)

Happy Baking my Friends! Hope you're looking forward to a lovely long weekend coming up in just a few days. I know I am.

Mr. Big Brownies

My hubby was just in Winnipeg visiting his lovely Grandparents. They're the sweetest people and like his mom, they just love to give you little "gifties". Little gifts that don't really cost much and don't seem like much, but they're a little something to brighten your day, often for trivial occasions, or no occasion at all. This time Scott's Grandpa gave him a box of Mr. Big Snack Cakes that he had picked up last time he went to town. I laughed so hard when he brought them back home and thought, oh geez, what are we going to do with these? Well, inspiration struck! Might as well put them in a brownie. So that's what I did.

For this recipe, I adapted one of Anna Olson's recipes from her newest cookbook Back to Baking. Which is a pretty spectacular book (if you haven't already heard my praises for this cookbook, check out my post about me attending a cooking class hosted by Anna that demonstrated recipes from her book here)!!

Mr. Big Brownies
Recipe adapted from Anna Olson's Back to Baking

Ingredients

Brownies:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 oz semisweet chocolate chips
• 3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped
• 1 tbsp instant coffee granules
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 4 Mr. Big Snack Cakes

Frosting:

• 3 oz milk chocolate chips
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp instant coffee granules
• 1/2 package cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup icing sugar

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line an 8 inch square pan with parchment paper so it hangs over the edges slightly.
2. Melt the butter, chocolates, and instant coffee in a medium saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until melted. Remove the pot from the heat.
3. Stir in the sugars, then add the eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
4. Stir the flour, baking soda, and salt into the chocolate mixture, mixing just until blended.
5. Pour half the batter into the pan (just until the bottom of the pan is covered). Top with the Mr. Big Snack Cakes. Pour remaining batter to cover the snack cakes. Smooth top.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 35 minutes, until the top of the brownies take on a dull finish. Cool completely in the pan before frosting.
7. To make the frosting, melt the chocolate, butter, and instant coffee in the microwave, being careful not to burn the chocolate. Beat the cream cheese to soften in the bowl of a stand mixer. Pour in the melted chocolate mixture and beat until blended. Add icing sugar and blend. Remove the brownies from the pan and ice the top of the entire brownie. Let set for an hour before slicing.

These are some seriously delicious brownies! You've got to try them. :) Would probably work well with Wagon Wheels too!! Yah, I'm a little weird, but it works. :D Hope you've got lots to look forward to this weekend. I know I do! Its my Birthday and Mothers' Day on Sunday. So its going to be a good weekend. Wish I lived closer to my Momma though.

Happy Baking my Friends! Enjoy the weekend.

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps {Healthy, Low Fat}

Okay, I promise, I do have better pictures coming for you this weekend!! But, I really have to share these with you. Head over here to see good pictures of these darling little zucchini parmesan crisps. They are so easy and quick and pack a real punch of flavour.

I made these little guys as a vegetable side dish for our Easter dinner and they were a total hit. We definitely didn't have any leftovers. You could make these for a great snack or picky food at a party too if you're looking for a healthier dish to put out for health conscious guests.

We're going to keep this post nice and short because its Friday night and I want to relax and unwind from my week at work! So here's the recipe for you to try out this weekend. Pin this one for this summer when you've got an overabundance of zucchini growing in your garden that you don't know what to do with!

Zucchini Parmesan Crisps
Recipe from Blackjack Bake House

Ingredients:

• 1 lb zucchini (about 2 medium or 3 small)
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Slice zucchini into 1/4 inch thick rounds. Toss rounds with oil to coat them well.
3. In a shallow bowl, combine the parmesan, panko, salt and black pepper.
4. Place rounds into parmesan breadcrumb mixture and press each side into the mixture to coat well. The mixture won't completely cover the zucchini, but don't worry, it will taste great!
5. Place rounds on prepared baking trays in a single layer. Sprinkle remaining breadcrumb mixture onto rounds.
6. Bake in preheated oven for about 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

Pretty easy right? And as long as you take it easy on the oil and the cheese, these are actually a really healthy dish to serve up. I don't really ever feed kids, but since my hubby eagerly devoured these and he really hates veggies (especially zucchini), I think kids would like them too!

Happy Cooking my Friends!

Maple & Ham Scones

If you ever make ham for your family, I'm sure you are well aware that you always have leftovers. And while leftovers are fun in their original form the next day or so, they quickly become monotonous and may even go to waste. Not with this recipe though!! Ohhhh are these ever good. I was inspired by the maple scalloped potatoes I made for easter and thought if they went well with ham, so would maple syrup, in scones! Oh yah, I did that!

I LOVE Anna Olson's scone recipes! They always turn out so light and delicious. So I flipped to my favorite recipe of hers for Apple Cheddar Walnut Scones and heavily adapted it to serve my purpose. Here's my rendition of the recipe made with Ham & Maple.

Ham & Maple Scones
Recipe adapted from Anna Olson's Back to Baking

Ingredients:

• 1 2/3 cups all purpose flour
• 2 tbsp pure maple syrup, plus extra for brushing
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 5-6 tbsp butter, cut into small pieces and chilled
• 1/3 cup finely grated asiago cheese
• 9 oz leftover ham
• 1/2 cup heavy cream, plus extra for brushing

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
2. Pulse the flour and baking powder together in the bowl of a food processor until combined. Cut in the butter until the mixture is crumbly, but pieces of butter are still visible. Remove from the food processor into a medium bowl and stir in the cheese and 1/2 of the ham until coated. Add the heavy cream and the maple syrup and stir until dough starts to come together. Turn out on work surface. Knead lightly until dough comes together fully, being careful not to overwork. Lightly pat dough out into 1/2 inch thick square. Sprinkle with remaining ham pieces and press lightly into the dough. Fold the dough in half, pressing the ham in at the same time. Repeat process until you've worked in about 4 folds.
3. Shape dough into a square, about 8 inches by 8 inches. Cut the dough into 16 pieces and place on prepared baking tray.
4. Stir together about 2 tbsp heavy cream and 2 tbsp maple syrup. Brush tops of scones with mixture and bake in preheated oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until they are a rich golden brown.

I baked these for hubby to take to his guys weekend last week and they were a hit!! I have been asked to kindly make these again next time I make a ham. Hope you enjoy these - they're a little different than your usual scone combination, but they work. :)

Happy Baking my Friends!

Soft, Chewy Black & White Chip Cookies

Howdy peeps! Hows your weekend going so far? I worked this morning then ran around like a chicken with my head cut off trying to get everything done before my two week trip for work... I leave tomorrow. Right now I've got the hockey game on in the background, watching my Canucks get their butts kicked (common theme this year I know) and on one of the commercial breaks, I watched a beer commercial that said "There's an art to everything..." and thats so true isn't it? As with other things, making perfect chocolate chip cookies is also an art. Its hard to find that "perfect" recipe and works out every time, but I think this recipe is one of the best I've ever tried. They've got a secret ingredient - cornstarch!! The cornstarch keeps them soft and fluffy and gives them a really silky texture in your mouth. Give them a try, you won't be disappointed.

Soft, Chewy Black & White Chip Cookies
Recipe minimally adapted from Anna Olson's Back to Baking

Ingredients:

• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 4 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
• 1 cup white chocolate chips
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter with the sugars together until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.
3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking soda and salt together with a whisk until evenly blended.
4. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and stir until evenly blended. Stir in white and dark chocolate chips.
5. Using a medium cookie scoop, drop scoops of cookie dough onto the prepared trays, leaving about 1 1/2 inches between the cookies.
6. Bake for 12 minutes, until the cookies are just golden around the edges and don't look quite done in the middle. Let cookies cool on tray for 5 minutes then remove to a rack to transfer completely.

So easy and delicious! Hope you enjoy these.

Note that I won't be around much the next couple of weeks, but I will try to get a couple posts up while I'm gone... maybe a couple restaurant reviews?!

Happy Baking my Friends!