Christmas

I spent another Christmas with a bad cold. This year was the worst the bf and I had plans and everything with the exception of taking the hell hound to the park was canceled. I was so sick that the bf slept on the roll away cot in the living room so he would not catch my cold... Next year things will be better.

I did manage to make some delicious goodies for home and for the bf to take to work to share. I made some coconut flour brownies and toffee with nuts and chocolate. Both recipes are super simple and easy to do...perfect actually when you are sick as a dog.

Coconut Flour Brownies

Lay out your ingredients into individual bowls.

Mix all the melted butter, honey and vanilla together.

Then mix the egg, cocoa and coconut flour in with the butter, honey and vanilla.

spread into a greased 8 x 8 pan and bake at 300 for about 30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares. I did make a change to the original recipe I added 1/2 tsp of salt. I honestly feel chocolate does better when you add just a little salt to set it off.

4 Ingredient Toffee

Making toffee is easy if you make sure and have all your ingredients together and at hand, and having a thermometer is essential. Timing and heat are the two most important factors when making this easy candy.

Having room temp butter will make things go a little faster. Since I don't have a third arm and hand sprouting from the center of my body to operate the camera I was unable to take more photos of each of the steps. Use your imagination...lol.

This recipe is easily adaptable to your personal tastes. I did use semi sweet chocolate and pecan bits, but you could easily use white chocolate and macadamia nuts or pistachios and dark chocolate.

Lastly I made a traditional family favorite... Russian Teacakes I don't think there has ever been a Christmas celebration in my family that didn't involve mounds of these deliciously addicting cookies. They were my favorite as a child and they are my children's favorite today. I don't deviate from this tried and true recipe. Just remember one thing they are always better with butter.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Holiday, and are looking forward to the coming year. I did manage to pack away Christmas yesterday and go through things and toss some relics out and organize things to make ready for next year. I think it is always helpful to have a handle on all that before the month of December and the holiday madness begins again.

Happy New Year!

Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookies with Espresso Powder

I love the combination of chocolate and salt and have for years, but the addition of Instant Espresso powder to this recipe really takes them over the top. The fact that they mix up quick and easy and you honestly can have them baked and ready to eat in under an hour makes them even better. The recipe makes the perfect amount for exactly two dozen normal sized cookies which is the perfect amount to have around if your counting calories (like me) or want to bake and take a small treat to the office like I have been known to do on occasion.

Into a mixing bowl add 1/2 cup very soft butter, 2/3 cup dark brown sugar and 1/3 cup white sugar.

Cream together until fluffy.

To the butter and sugar add 1 egg, 1 Tlb. vanilla extract.

Blend together until smooth and creamy.

In a separate bowl combine 1 cup flour, 2/3 cup whole wheat flour, 1/4 tsp salt, 1 tsp. baking soda and 1 1/2 tsp instant espresso powder.

Add the flour mixture in batches incorporating it into the butter and sugar mixture between each addition.

Then add 4 oz. of bittersweet chocolate chips (60% Cacao)and mix in by hand.

Line up the cookies on a parchment lined cookie sheet and sprinkle with a little sea salt then slip into a preheated 350 degree oven for about 11 min. or until lightly brown on the edges.

Sprinkle the still warm cookies with a little sea salt...scrumptious.

I think I may need a bigger glass of milk. It was a crazy week at the office with absolutely nothing falling into place. These cookies were just what I needed. Warm, salty and buttery with the right amount of gooey chocolate.

Have a great weekend everyone!

St. Patrick's Day

So yesterday we had a family dinner at the bf's Aunt and Uncle's house in honor of St. Patrick's Day. The house was bursting with good food, family and friends and thankfully all I had to do was show up with a loaf of Irish Soda Bread.

Irish Soda Bread is one of the easiest breads there is to make, it takes very little time, and barley and kneading is involved. My Irish Soda Bread recipe comes from an old Better Homes and Gardens cook book that I have had on hand for many wonderful recipes for many wonderful years. I make a very standard recipe I don't add raisins or currents and I do not use whole wheat flour. The recipe is as follows: 2 cups of flour, 1 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda, 3 Tlb. butter, 1 beaten egg, 3/4 to 1 cup of fresh buttermilk, and 1 more egg beaten in separate dish to brush on the top of the bread before baking. Directions cut the butter into the dry ingredients with a pastry blender in a large bowl until you have what resembles crumbs. then add the butter milk and one beaten egg and mix together until you have a slightly sticky dough (if you need to add a touch more buttermilk now is the time)The dough should be like biscuit dough. Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead about 12 strokes. Form a 6 inch round loaf that is slightly higher in the center than on the edges (like a scone)then cut a 4 inch cross into the top and center of the dough. Brush the top of the dough with the some of the second beaten egg and bake on a lightly greased cookie sheet in a preheated 375 degree oven for about 25 to 35 minutes (depending on your oven). Let it cool before you cut into slices or it will fall apart completely.

The second thing that I brought to the family gathering was a Ricotta & Dark Chocolate Cake. I made this cake because I wanted to try something new and different than the standard chocolate cake or desserts that I usually bake and take to these family parties. This recipe comes from a food blogger that I stumbled upon and this recipe is one I just had to try. It is simple and tasty and perfect for taking to a party. I also have confirmation that it is delicious if a two year old boy eating three slices is any sort of proof.

The ingredient conversion is as follows: 10 1/2 oz. of whole milk ricotta cheese, 3 eggs, 5 1/4 oz of raw sugar, 7 oz. of spelt flour, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt and 8 3/4 oz of dark chocolate (72% cacao). If you can't find a 72% cacao dark chocolate do what I do use a lesser percentage (mine was 64% cacao)but add like a 1/4 tsp of dry instant coffee. Now that the ingredients are converted follow the rest of the directions and you will be just fine. This batter is very thick.

Combining the cheese, eggs and sugar.

Getting ready to melt the chocolate in the microwave.

Prepared pan dusted with cocoa powder.

Adding the dry ingredients.

Melted chocolate.

Abandoned the mixer and started using a large spoon.

You can see that the batter is very thick.

Looking good baby.

Perfection!

Now to serve that amazing chocolate cake I simply sliced off both ends and discarded them (which means I ate them) and then sliced the rest of the cake like a loaf of bread overlapping each slice on top of each other and gave it a good dusting of confectioners sugar. The presentation was simple yet classy.

May your blessings outnumber the shamrocks that grow. Happy St. Patrick's Day to you and yours.