Whoopie Pies (Whoopie!)

Whoopie pies, just in time for Valentine's Day.

If you are one of those people who insist on calling Valentine's Day "Singles Awareness," you might want to stop reading about now. You see, I am not one of those people. Honestly, I've only had a significant other for one V-Day in my life and he was out of town for it, so it's not that I am one of those lucky-in-love girls who likes the day because she gets gifts.

I just like Valentine's Day. I am single. And I like Valentine's Day. I mean. Of course, the day really should be called "National Chocolate and All Things Decadent Day." And anyone can take part in enjoying a good piece of chocolate some buttery lobster or whatever your fancy is. 

Also, a specific day to take the time to show your loved one how you feel isn't all that bad anyway. Yes, I know, you should do that every day, but it's kind of nice to have a holiday for it. I mean, we should celebrate Christ's birth 365 days a year too, but Christmas is a good time to slow down and really take the moment in. Same goes for V-day, whether you have met your significant other already or are still waiting.

As for me, my Valentine's Day evening is being spent at church with a 20 or so wonderful people for whom I am cooking dinner (honey curry chicken, brûléed sweet potatoes, broccoli, and chocolate covered strawberries for dessert). Fun, food, and fellowship with people I love, who could ask for more?

While you are appreciating the people who have been placed in your life, take some time to make and enjoy some whoopie pies, k?

I love minis, I can fit over 30 on one sheet.

Mmmm, all baked and ready to sandwich with frosting.

Whoopie pie filling is so addictive.

Testing my first whoopie while taking pictres, yum.

Cakes

• ½ cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• ½ cup Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 ⅓ cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup milk

Filling

• ½ cup milk
• 2 ½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
• ½ cup shortening
• ½ cup white sugar
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

To make the cakes: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla till smooth. Add the egg, again beating till smooth.

Add the cocoa, stirring to combine.

Add the flour to the batter alternately with the milk, beating till smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again briefly to soften and combine any chunky scrapings.

Drop the dough by ½ a tablespoon onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between the cakes; they'll spread.

Bake the cakes for 9-11 minutes, till they're set and firm to the touch. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pans. While still lukewarm, use a spatula to separate them from the pan or parchment; then allow to cool completely.

To make the filling: In a medium saucepan, whisk together the ½ cup of milk and 2 ½ tablespoons flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until thick. Remove from heat set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, Beat together the shortening, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vanilla. Stir in the cooked milk mixture and beat for an additional 20 minutes, until really fluffy. Sandwich filling between two cookies. 

A mixture of recipes from King Arthur (cakes) and allrecipes (filling)

Makes about 40-45 mini pies.

Good-For-You Banana Bread

I came home from the grocery store with 5 pounds of bananas today... I know, what on earth was I thinking? Well, I'll tell you. "Oh look at those beautiful bruised bananas! There are so many of them! They are all by themselves bagged up and only a third of the cost of regular bananas. -Ha! Those crazy grocery guys, they are doing me a favor. Now I get to buy bananas at a fraction of the cost and I don't even have to wait for them to go black. Think of all the smoothies, banana breads, and brownies I can make with these babies!" From there, you can guess what happened.

I was also trying to use up that massive jar of apple sauce in my fridge still, so I knew I needed to find a recipe that used a massive amount of both apple sauce and bananas. And of course, I wanted as little oil or butter as possible and I needed it to be mostly whole wheat. Oh, and it needed to taste good too. I swear I'm not picky... 0=). Anyway, if you are wondering if I found a moist, not-too-sweet recipe that still bakes tall enough to come over the edges of the pan (banana bread is not banana bread unless it rises above the top of the pan), the answer can be found below. Happy baking!

Low-Fat Banana Bread
Adapted from this recipe

Yield: 1 8x4 loaf (easy to double though for 2 loaves)

2 tablespoons butter

⅓ cup white sugar * if using sweetened applesauce, omit the white sugar

⅓ cup brown sugar

4 overly ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

¼ cup yogurt plain

¼ cup unsweetened applesauce * if sweetened, omit white sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

¾ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

¼ cup wheat germ

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

½ cup cacao nibs * optional

½ cup roughly chopped walnuts * optional

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Grease an 8x4 loaf pan (or muffin pan, if you want muffins).

Cream the butter and sugars until light and fluffy.

Add the bananas, yogurt, applesauce, egg, and vanilla and mix well.

In a separate bowl mix, together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well, then fold in desired mix-ins (such as 1 small apple (peeled, cored and diced), ½ cup chopped walnuts, or ½ cup chocolate chips).

Pour into the pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean (if baking muffins, bake for 20-30 minutes).

Cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before removing from the pan and cooling completely on a wire rack.

The Best Fudgy Banana Caramel Brownies (easily Veganized!)

Do you really want chocolate? Do you need so badly in your life that you might gnaw your pointer finger off despite its infinite usefulness is in daily life if that's what it took to get some of that bittersweet cocoa? If you answered yes, we totally think alike. Which is why I am supplying you with this recipe. I love your pointer finger that much. 

The best part is, you can almost tell yourself that these brownies are good for you! I mean, they have whole wheat flour in them and there is no butter or oil in sight. In fact, they even have fruit (apples and bananas, so classic) in them! The sugar content can totally be ignored for these purposes. Enjoy your almost-good-for-you brownie and sit back on the couch instead of going to the gym.

Also, these are fantastic if you have vegan are dairy-free friends. If you don't want to mess with finding dairy-free caramel (though you will need to mess with finding vegan chocolate chips), simply skip that that step and, instead, heat up some regular JIF or Peter Pan peanut butter and drizzle over top as soon as they come out of the oven. Mmmm, chocolate+PB+banana. Yum. In my case though, I think I prefer the pools of gooey caramel that form on the top of these beauties. Caramel+chocolate+banana, delicious.

Applesauce Brownies (with option to make vegan)Adapted from The Messie Kitchen
Yield: 8x8 pan (8-12 servings, depending on how big or small you like your brownies) 

1 cup unsweetened applesauce* omit sugar if using sweetened

1/3 cup sugar* omit if using sweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup unbleached white flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup chocolate chips *use dairy free chips if veganizing

1 large banana (yellow, not brown or super squishy)

¼ cup caramel sauce of your choice *use a dairy free brand if veganizing

1.Preheat oven to 350 and lightly spray or oil an 8 x 8 baking pan.

2. Mix applesauce, sugar (if using unsweetened applesauce), and vanilla in a medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the applesauce mixture. Mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips

4. Spread half of batter the prepared pan (will be fairly thin). 

5. Slice the large banana into coins and place evenly on top of batter in pan (it should look like polka dots or a connect four game almost). 

6. Spread the remaining half of the batter over top of the bananas.

7. Drizzle caramel sauce over top (I made rows going across up and down so that it pooled where the rows met). 

8. Bake 25-30 min, until center is firm and not sticky. Cool completely before slicing and try not to eat it all before your roommate/family comes home.

Applesauce Muffins

A few weeks or so ago, I came home from one of my favorite activities*, grocery shopping, and discovered that a huge jar of apple sauce that I did not purchase had somehow found its way into my shopping bag. I meant to take it back to the store and explain that apparently someone else did not receive the applesauce they had intended to purchase, but December is busy and I went home for almost 3 weeks. So now that February is here, it just seems silly to go an try to return it... Right? I am not stealing, right?

Anyway, so for now, this large jar of sweetened applesauce that I would have never purchased of my own volition is in my fridge, begging to be used before it begins to grow mold (hence, why I don't purchase even my preferred unsweetened appelsauce). Here is one of my attempts to use it up before it goes bad/is forgotten about.

P.S. Notice how little oil/fat is in these muffins?

*It is only one of my favorite activities when it does NOT include large bulk stores' harsh aesthetics and unhelpful employees who do not speak the same language as me and so cannot help me find anything in the hundreds of rows of primarily processed/manufactured foods. 

^please excuse my health-freak self, it gets a little stressed in certain stores^

Applesauce Muffins
Adapted from Rose Shulman

Yield: 12-15 muffins

170 grams (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat flour

70 grams (1/2 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 large eggs

45 grams (about 1/4 cup) packed light brown sugar

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sweetened applesauce

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped (feel free to add in whatever mix-ins you like: craisins, chocolate chips, etc)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle. Prepare 12-15 muffin tins/cups with paper liners.

2. Sift together the flours, baking soda, spices and salt.

3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick. Beat in the oil, yogurt, and applesauce. Whisk in the flour mixture without overbeating, and fold in the pecans.

4. Evenly divide among 12-15 muffin cups that you prepared with paper liners. Bake 20-25 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then enjoy.

Sweet Potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes and drizzled with honey

Ok, so I know I overcooked my steak, but it was so good that I don't even care. Especially 'cus these potatoes are awesome! I kept thinking, "omgosh, this is soooo good" while I was eating these sweet potatoes.

On an uneventful Thursday evening, this definitely made my night a whole lot better. I think it even gave me the motivation to finish my International Trade Policy reading. Anything to get through all of that reading is totally worth it in my book, and if it tastes amazing, all the better.

Please please please make these sweet potatoes. They will beat the pants off your momma's old southern recipe of pecans and brown sugar and marshmallows. Yes. I said it. And I mean it.



Sweet potatoes with goat cheese, roasted grapes, and honey
From How Sweet It Is

4 sweet potatoes

2 cups red, seedless grapes

1 teaspoon grapeseed oil (or another high heat oil)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

4 ounces goat cheese, divided

2 tablespoons honey + additional for drizzling

pinch of cinnamon and nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Poke holes in sweet potato with a fork, then wrap each tightly in aluminum foil. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until potatoes and tender to the touch. Unwrap foil and cut a slit down the middle of each sweet potato. Let sit until cool enough to handle. *However, if you are crunched for time, pierce potatoes with a fork in several places, wrap in moist paper towels, and place in the microwave for 10 minutes on high instead of baking in the oven.*

Increase oven temperature to 450 degrees F. Toss grapes with a little oil (high-heat oil) and a pinch each of salt and pepper, then place on nonstick baking sheet. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until grapes begin to burst. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Once sweet potatoes are somewhat cool, gently remove the flesh with a spoon, trying to keep the potato intact. Add the sweet potato to a large bowl, then mash with 3 ounces of goat cheese, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, pepper and honey. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired, then scoop flash back into the potato skins. At this point you can re-warm the potatoes (if you let them cool completely) in the oven, then top with remaining goat cheese. Add grapes on top and serve with additional drizzled honey.

Red Wine Chocolate Cake. Eat this!

Oh. My. Gosh. I will never waste a drop of red wine again. I swear. This cake is so good, please stop what you are doing and make it. Now. You will not regret it. The only reason someone would be mad at your for leaving work early is that you ate all of this without sharing.

This cake is moist and the flavor of the wine is pronounced, but blends perfectly with the cocoa. Although it has sugar, it is not overly sweet and you can sense the bitter taste of the cocoa. I tried two recipes for red wine chocolate cakes and this one is the definite winner. I will be making this as soon as I have another bottle of red wine to use up -that shouldn't take long, as I am a light weight and can only drink 1/2 or 1 glass of wine in an evening.

Seriously, the combination of red wine+chocolate almost rivals my love for peanut butter+chocolate+banana. This is dangerous.

Red Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake

Unashamedly taken from Food and Wine

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened (1 cup)

1 3/4 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups red wine

Confectioner's sugar, for dusting

Whipped cream, for serving

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 12-cup bundt pan (10 inch round). In a bowl, whisk the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy (4 minutes). Add eggs one at a time, beating until incorporated after each one. Add the vanilla and beat 2 more minutes. Alternately fold in the dry ingredients and the wine in turns, until just incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 45-55 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn it out on a rack; let cool completely. Dust the cake with confectioner's sugar and serve with whipped cream.

No Butter, No Oil, Ginger [Breakfast] Cake

Yes, I know that Christmas is gone and I should probably let go of gingerbread, but I love ginger so much. I just can't do it. Ginger is fantastic for you. I knew it was good for settling upset stomachs from my mom and for seasickness from my friend who was in the Navy, but my roommate (through a cooking magazine) just informed me that it is also good as preventive for muscle-soreness after a workout. And with it's kick, it has to be good for your spunk and livelihood, right?

In other words, ginger is awesome and you should totally make these little cakes for tomorrow's breakfast. You can top them with some vanilla yogurt and banana slices for a balanced meal that will have you ready to tackle in the dreariest of January mornings. Also, for those of you who are still going strong in your New Year/New You resolutions, these cakes are just under 200 calories and have over 4 grams of fiber and 5 grams of protein. Woot!


Ginger [Breakfast] Cake
Adapted from Healthful Pursuit

2 eggs
1/2 cup raw lemon pudding*
1/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 tablespoons ground flax seed
2 teaspoons gingerbread spice**
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375F and grease or line [6-muffin] muffin tin (or a bigger one with only 6 lined).
Then, in a separate bowl, whisk the first 4 ingredients. Once mixed, stir in dry ingredients until thoroughly mixed throughout. Fold in pecans.
Pour mixture, evenly divided, into the 6 prepared muffin tins.
Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 5-10 minutes, then enjoy. You can store in the fridge for 4-5 days.

*Lemon pudding (also from Healthful Pursuit): combine 6 pitted medjool dates, 1 pitted avocado, the flesh (the segments) of 2 lemons without pith or skin or seeds, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice in the bowl of a food processor and process until well-blended and looks similar to guacamole.

**Gingerbread spice: Mix together 2 tablespoons cinnamon, 2 tablespoons ginger, 1 tablespoon allspice, 1 tablespoon allspice, and 1 tablespoon cloves. Use as needed.

Boston Cream Pie

So this is the dessert I chose to serve for Christmas dinner this past year. Well, my mom asked for it and so I decided to go for it. Although the 3 components (cake, filling, glaze) took a bit more time than I usually put into a recipe, it was definitely worth it. Also, I made the custard 2 days ahead, the cake the day before, and then did the glaze and assembly the morning of. Choosing to do the work over the course of a few days made it seem much less time-consuming.

Sitting here in 18F degree weather under my big feather blanket, wearing a hoodie and sweats and a hat, really makes me wish I was back in 86F degree Florida (where I was on Christmas when I ate this delicious dessert.) This is a great way to end a special dinner and is generally impressive, especially when you tell your guests that it was made entirely from scratch.

Boston Cream Pie

Custard

• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ⅓ cup white sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a heavy saucepan, stir together the milk and ¼ cup of sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and egg. Stir together the remaining sugar and cornstarch; then stir them into the egg until smooth. When the milk comes to a boil, drizzle it into the bowl in a thin stream while mixing so that you do not cook the eggs. Return the mixture to the saucepan, and slowly bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the eggs don' t curdle or scorch on the bottom.

When the mixture comes to a boil and thickens, remove from the heat. Stir in the butter and vanilla, mixing until the butter is completely blended in. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using.

Cake (from Bakerella)

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
• 2 cups of sugar
• 4 eggs (room temperature)
• 3 cups of sifted self-rising flour (or make some yourself)
• 1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 
• ½ teaspoon butter flavoring (in the extract section)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease and flour (2) 8 inch cake pans, then prepare about 10 cupcake tins with paper or foil liners because there will be extra batter, or just prepare a 3rd 8 inch cake pan for the extra batter. Have fun with the cupcakes, feel free to make mini boston cream pies like I did.
Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.

Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour.
Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed. Divide batter equally into two, filling about 1/2 full cake pans, then fill whatever you want (extra cake pan, cupcake tins) with the extra batter. Bake and do with the extra batter however/whatever you desire.

Hold each cake pan about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
Cool in pans for 5 – 10 minutes. Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks. I place my cake layers in the freezer to make for easier cutting/leveling.

Glaze *Do not make until custard has chilled and cake layers are cooled/frozen and ready to be assembled, because the pie must be assembled immediately upon making the glaze.

• 1 1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chip
• 6 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a double boiler over hot, but not boiling water, combine chocolate chips, butter, and corn syrup. Stir until chips are melted and mixture is smooth, then add vanilla.

Assembly

Unwrap plastic wrap from your two cake layers. Place cake layers on a smooth service (I put them on a piece of parchment or wax paper on my counter) with the rounded side up. With the tool of your choice (I use a large serrated bread knife), slice the rounded portion off so that both sides are now completely level. Do this to both cake layers.

Place one of the layers on a cake stand that has a piece of parchment or wax paper cut to the size of the stand, then take custard and heap a generous portion onto the middle of what is now the bottom cake layer. Spread custard out to the sides, making sure to keep the amount of custard equal across the cake -mine was about 1/2 inch thick; you will not use all of the custard, so save the rest for a later use or for mini cream pies if you made cupcakes . Gently place second cake layer on top of custard layer.

*Now you can make the glaze*

Spread warm glaze over top of cake, letting it drizzle down the sides, being sure to cover the entire cake. This is why you cut a piece of paper to go underneath the cake, so that it catches the drips. There will be a little leftover, so feel free to use for the mini cream pies, or for dipping fresh fruit, pretzels, marshmallows or whatever else you on hand.

Chill in the fridge until glaze hardens (an hour or so?). I left mine in the fridge for a few hours while we prepared Christmas dinner.

Enjoy!

My ugly, but oh-so-yummy and personal-size mini Boston Cream Pies
made from the leftover batter that I put in cupcake tins. 

Resolutions (and a bit about croissants)

So the week leading up to the new year was filled with joy and craziness for me. I made all of Christmas Eve and Christmas dinners by myself and had a wonderful time trying new recipes. Also, two of my dearest friends were married in one of the most meaningful wedding ceremonies I've seen; the ceremony truly represented the couple's commitment to serving God and others through their relationship with each other.

Of course, like any wedding, there was definitely some frantic scrambling (um, try running out to radio shack during the reception so that we could have a sound system for the first dance...). In honor the of the craziness, but totally worth it and completely beautiful, wedding, I am posting a recipe for one of the most talk-about and revered foods, croissants. Most people think you have to be crazy to attempt these (yes, these are the beauties I spoke of the other day when mentioning that I was making something at 3am). You don't have to be crazy though, you just need a bit of patience. This is definitely a 2-3 day process, but it is not terribly hands-on or labor-intensive. Definitely try it. It will be worth saying that you've done it.

It was actually my 2011 New Year's resolution to make croissants from scratch. It only took me until late December to get around to.... it still counts though! I completed my resolution =).

Now, I am too lazy to re-invent the wheel, so I will be pointing you to several online tutorials for croissants and you can choose your favorite. I personally used Peter Reinhart's croissant recipe in Artisan Breads Every Day and highly recommend purchasing it (every recipe I have made from it has turned out extremely well, though make sure to use the weight measurements, not volume.

Alas, if you choose to skip checking Reinhart's book out from your local library or actually purchasing it, these recipes from some blogs will also work:

How Sweet It Is

La Tartine Gourmande

Delicious Days


P.S.
In case you are wondering what my resolution is this year, I believe it will be to make either a leg of lamb or a 7 layer Italian cream cake. I give myself some leeway by saying I will do either one or the other... is that cheating? Also, I intend to go to at least one yoga class a week this year. I went to a bikram yoga class for the first time this morning and didn't pass out, hyperventilate, or die. I'd say this is going to be a good a year. Btw, by the end of 2012, I will have my Master's degree, hopefully!

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies... How Christmas Tastes

Girls in white dresses with blue satin sashes, snowflakes that stay on my nose and eyelashes, beautiful morning runs in Kentucky these are a few of my favorite things.

Honestly, I am a little slap happy while writing this (can't you tell from the above attempt at a song?). It's 3am and I am up because something woke me at exactly the 4 hour mark in my sleep cycle, that small window in which, if I am woken up, I cannot get back to sleep.

Just a fair warning, I can be a jerk 4 hours into my sleep cycle. Deal with it. (note: I love you, J!)

Actually, instead of dealing with it, you should make these cookies, because they could even make a very-grumpy-me content enough to stop complaining about lack of sleep...maybe. Oh well. I am off to go try something ridiculous in my kitchen (I will tell you about it later) at 3am and then to spin class at 5:30am in an attempt to not waste this early morning. Wish me luck.

Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
1 ¼ c butter, softened

2 c sugar

2 eggs

10 oz bag Andes Peppermint Crunch baking chips*, divided
(*I had a hard time finding these, so I used the candy cane Hershey's Kisses and chopped them up instead, but the baking chips are less work, if you can find them)

¾ c unsweetened cocoa

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

2 c flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and blend well. Combine cocoa, baking soda, salt and flour; then blend into creamed mixture. Add peppermint baking chips, reserving ⅓ c. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto greased cookie sheet. This is a wet, sticky dough. Top with a few reserved baking chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-9 minutes. Do not over-bake. Cookies will be soft. They will puff during baking, but flatten a little upon cooling. Cool on cookie sheet until set, about 3 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely. Makes 4-5 dozen.

Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares

In case you are sick of super-sweet desserts and all of the over Thanksgiving fare, these bars are a great, fairly-healthy snack to keep you satisfied through the Holidays. Though they do take a little more time than a typical bar because of the whole wheat crust baking before the sesame-coconut topping, They are well-worth the effort.


Sesame-Coconut Snack Squares
Yield: 18-20 squares. From Rose Shulman

For the cookie base:

4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup) raw brown sugar or organic sugar

6 ounces (1 1/2 cups) whole-wheat pastry flour, sifted

For the sesame-coconut layer:

1 ounce (1/4 cup) whole-wheat pastry flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

1/2 cup mild honey, like clover

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/2 ounces (1/2 cup, firmly packed) unsweetened shredded coconut

1 to 2 ounces (1/4 to 1/2 cup) sesame seeds, coarsely ground

1. Make the cookie base. Butter a 9-by-13-inch pan and line with parchment. Butter the parchment.

2. Cream the butter with the salt and sugar. Add the sifted flour and blend together. Using your hands, press out the dough over the bottom of the parchment-lined pan in an even layer. Using a fork, make holes all over the surface of the dough (this is called docking).  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

3. Bake the cookie base for 20 minutes, until it is just beginning to brown. Remove from the heat and cool for at least 5 minutes before topping.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder. Beat the eggs with an electric mixer or whisk until light and thick. Add the honey and vanilla and beat until well blended. Add the flour and baking powder and beat to blend. Add the coconut and sesame seeds and stir together. Spread in an even layer over the cookie base, scraping out every last bit with a rubber spatula. Place in the oven and bake 20 minutes, until the surface is just beginning to color. Remove from the heat and allow to cool before cutting into squares.

Walnut Sunflower Wheat Bread

One of the best things in the world is fresh-baked, homemade bread. It took me a little while to appreciate the different texture of my homemade breads compared to the bland, snow-white wonder-bread stuff (I only got to eat that classic white bread when I was at summer camp), but I love it now. The walnuts and sunflowers add a great texture to this bread.

This bread only takes about 10 minutes of hands-on time, so it would be perfect to make while decorating the house on the Friday after Thanksgiving, when you will be at home for a 4-5 hour stretch doing various holiday activities.

Wheat Nut and Seed Bread
Yield: 1 loaf. From King Arthur Flour

1 1/3 cups (10 5/8 ounces) lukewarm water
3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) olive oil
5 tablespoons (3 3/4 ounces) honey, molasses or maple syrup
4 cups (16 ounces) King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour or 100% White Whole Wheat flour
1 tablespoon King Arthur Whole-Grain Bread Improver, optional
1/4 cup (1 1/4 ounces) sunflower seeds (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1/4 cup (1 ounce) walnuts, chopped (feel free to use a bit more if desired)
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoons instant yeast

Combine all of the ingredients, and mix them till you have a shaggy dough. Let the dough rest, covered, for 20 minutes, then knead till fairly smooth. Allow the dough to rise, covered, for about 2 hours, or until it's puffy and nearly doubled in bulk. 

Gently deflate the dough, shape it into a log, and place it in a lightly greased 8 1/2" x 4 1/2" bread pan. Cover the pan with lightly greased plastic wrap (or a clear shower cap), and allow it to rise for about 2 hours, till it's crowned about 1" to 2" over the rim of the pan.

Bake the bread in a preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 45 minutes, tenting it lightly with aluminum foil for the final 20 minutes of baking. Yield: 1 loaf.

Pumpkin Pasta

I just spent 4 days in Washington, DC gorging myself on all of the yummy food the city had to offer (um, Teaism's salty oat cookies are ah-mazing, and I was very happy with their muesli for breakfast after a 5 mile run!). I thought I would throw this recipe up in time for Thanksgiving as a fun twist on the traditional baked mac n cheese. I love this recipe. It's everything good about thanksgiving: pumpkin and sage and carbs and cheese! Honestly, I will cut up some turkey and mix it into pumpkin sauce if I have some leftover from Thanksgiving so that it really is the perfect Thanksgiving mac n cheese.


Pumpkin Baked Penne

serves about 4. Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup onion, chopped

1 tablespoons flour

1/4 cup cream cheese

2/3 cup milk

1/2 pound whole wheat penne

1/4 cup freshly grated mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh sage leaves, chopped, plust more for garnish

crumbed bacon, if desired

Prepare water for pasta and cook according to directions.

While pasta is cooking, heat a medium saucepan over medium heat and add butter and onion. Whisk continuously until the butter browns and small brown bits appear in the pan. Immediately whisk in flour and chopped sage leaves and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add milk, cream cheese, and pumpkin, then mix until until combined. I chose to keep my “sauce” in a thicker state, but if you’d like it thinned out a bit more, add additional milk. At this point, taste and see if you’d like any additional salt or spices – this will most likely depend on how seasoned your squash was. I added another small pinch of salt.

Add pasta to an 8 or 9-inch baking dish. Pour sauce over top, then use a spoon to fold the sauce into the penne, coating it completely. Top with shredded cheeses. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until cheese is golden and bubbly. Garnish with crumbled bacon and sage leaves if desired.

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies

It's a chilly, rainy day here and I just had to put in a chick-flick (When Harry Met Sally) and bake cookies. The day demanded it and I am a tad sickly, so it fit my mood perfectly. Of course, I was not in the mood for something overly sweet (though traditional chocolate chippers were tempting), so I made these breakfast cookies. Cookies, for breakfast! What a wonderful idea =). 

Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Enlightened Cooking

Preheat oven to 350°F

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or silpats, or lightly coat with cooking spray.

Makes about 16 cookies at about 140 calories each

¾ cup canned unsweetened pumpkin puree

¾ cup granulated sugar 

⅓ cup vanilla low-fat yogurt

1 large egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup whole wheat flour

½ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup ground flax seeds (flaxseed meal)

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 cup raisins or dried cranberries

1.  In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, yogurt, egg, oil and vanilla in a until smooth. Stir in raisins. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt.

2. Stir the dry ingredients and raisins into the wet with a wooden spoon, mixing just until just blended.

3. Drop the batter by 2 tablespoonfuls for each cookie onto prepared cookie sheet, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart.  

4. Bake 14-15 minutes until lightly browned. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. Repeat with remaining batter.

Black Bean and Spinach Lasagna

 

Lately, I have been looking for meatless entrees, especially ones that use beans because beans are so cheap when you buy them dry in bags. When I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it, even it sounded pretty weird. Don't let the combination of black beans and spinach/pasta scare you away. This was really good, to the point that I actually was sad I had to eat out the other day instead of being able to eat these left overs.


Spinach and Black Bean Lasagna
from Southern Living


2 large eggs, lightly beaten

• 1 (15-ounce) container ricotta cheese
• 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 4 cups (16 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with peppers, divided
• 2 (16-ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained (or cook your own)
• 1 (2-pound, 13-ounce) jar pasta sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 9 precooked lasagna noodles
• Garnish: chopped fresh cilantro

• Stir together first 5 ingredients and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; set aside.
• Mash beans with a potato masher or fork in a large bowl; stir in pasta sauce and cumin. Spread one-third of bean mixture on bottom of a lightly greased 13- x 9-inch baking dish.
• Layer with 3 noodles, half of spinach mixture, and 1 cup Monterey Jack cheese; repeat layers. Spread with one-third bean mixture; top with remaining 3 noodles and remaining bean mixture.
• Bake, covered, at 350° for 1 hour; uncover and top with remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 5 more minutes or until cheese melts. Garnish, if desired.
  
  *You can halve this, using 5-6 lasagna noodles and in a 8x8 pan.