Honey Brownies- SUCCESS!!! Finally!

I don't like cakey brownies. As a result I have gone through several different recipes for brownies made with honey with out any success. Oh, if I wasn't so picky! I found one and tried to once. Failure- I accidentally added baking soda AND baking powder when I was supposed to just add powder. Second try- increased flour and did not use baking soda. Almost but not quite what I was looking for. Third try- now this says something because I NEVER try a recipe three times. This time I changed the amounts of honey and maple syrup and PERFECTION! Even my husband who has not truly embraced the no sugar lifestyle I have introduced said they were really good and he ate several. Hooray! I will count that as success. I frosted them with this chocolate frosting- HERE.

Chewy Honey Brownies
Cream together:
1/2 C butter
1/2 C honey
1/2 C maple syrup- the REAL kind!
Add in:
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
Stir in:
1/2 C flour
1/3 C cocoa
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease an 8x8 in pan. Pour the batter mix into it. Bake for 20-25 minutes. The top will be glossy.
Frost when cool and enjoy healthy, yummy, chocolatey goodness.

Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

There has been a lot of experimenting and failing in my kitchen lately in trying to find a recipe that uses honey instead of 1 1/2 cups of sugar for chocolate chip cookies. The first two attempts were not even noteworthy. There was a lot of runny, flatness mixed with melted chocolate. It was painful to see.
Today I tried these and I think we have a keeper. I was actually surprised that they weren't cakey and didn't flatten everywhere. Hooray!

Honey Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 C butter, softened
2/3 C honey
1/2 C dry powdered milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 C 100% whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 C chocolate chips- I used 65% cacao chips

Cream the butter, honey and dry milk. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. It will look a little curdled. Add the flour, soda and salt and mix again. Stir in the chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoons on a cookie sheet and bake in a preheated 350* oven for 8-10 minutes.

Frosted Chocolate Cake Heaven

I am currently on day 27 of no refined sugars. It has been challenging at times. My husband has been asking for me to make his favorite chocolate cake and I have hesitated for days. How could I make a version that would work for me and him and all our kids. I told him I would do it today but that I was going to experiment. What resulted was seriously heaven in cake form. I don't know if it's because I haven't had treats like this in so long or because this seriously tasted so amazing but it was the best chocolate cake I think I have ever had. With a maple syrup and honey mixture for the sugar and whole wheat flour the combination filled my unresistable desire for something that was so good but that would not derail my efforts. I will probably dream about this one for a little while.

Frosted Chocolate Cake Heaven
1 C 100% maple syrup
1 C honey
1 3/4 C whole wheat flour
3/4 C cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 C milk
1/2 C olive oil
2 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Grease and flour two 9 in round cake pans.
Combine the dry ingredients and mix. Add the wet ingredients and make sure they are mixed well. This mixture will be VERY runny. 
Pour in to the prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes
Take the cake from the oven and cool completely before frosting. 

To prepare the frosting.

Chocolate Frosting
2/3 c butter, softened
2/3 C coconut oil
1/2 C honey
6 T cocoa
2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a mixer until light and fluffy and then put in the fridge to chill until the cake is done and chilled.

Banana Ice cream

We are trying to eat healthy in this neck of the woods lately. Avoiding refined sugar and all that jazz. The other day I just needed something sweet and decided to whip up some banana ice cream. I have made this two different ways but the possibilities are endless.

I also mix it in my Kitchenaid. The banana is frozen so it has to be mixed for a while before it gets all creamy but it is so worth the few minutes of wait time at the end.

Strawberry Banana Ice cream
1 frozen banana
1 C frozen strawberries(slightly thawed)
a dash of vanilla or actual scrapings from a vanilla bean(which is divine!)
1 tsp agave nectar or honey

Put ingredients in the mixer and mix until creamy. It is thick and delicious.

Chocolate Peanut butter Banana Ice Cream
1 frozen banana
1 T cocoa pwd
1 T peanut butter
1 tsp agave

Put in mixer and mix until smooth. You may need to scrap the sides a few times. If it is too bitter from the cocoa reduce the amount of cocoa.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups!

What is it with combining chocolate and peanut butter that makes magic ensue? Last night was girl's night and we were all supposed to bring desserts. I decided on these. They take a little time, are easy to put together and are so incredibly rich that they don't disappear too quickly.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate cups:
9 oz semi sweet chocolate, melted (We decided that milk chocolate might be even better!)

Peanut Butter mousse:
One 8 oz pkg of cream cheese
1 C creamy peanut butter
1/4 c sugar
2/3 C heavy cream
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/2 C semi sweet mini chocolate chips

For the cups- I just put the melted chocolate into a piping bag and using a mini muffin tin squirt the chocolate into the cups and then spread thin with a spoon. Although last night as I was thinking about it I thought it might be more effective to turn the muffin baking pan upside down and make chocolate lattice patterns on the cups and then freeze. I use the plastic muffin baking pan for this so they come off really easy after frozen.

For the Mousse- Blend together the cream cheese, peanut butter and sugar until smooth. In another bowl whip the whipping cream with the vanilla until stiff peaks form. Then fold the whipping cream into the peanut butter mixture. After that fold in the mini chocolate chips.

You can either put the mousse in a piping bag to squeeze into the cups or you can spoon it in to the chocolate cups. Chill for 30 minutes before serving. This makes about 24 mini peanut butter cups.

Peanut butter chocolate chip chewy granola bars

The other day, while picking up my high school daughter and some of her friends one of those friends gave her a chewy granola bar. She took a bite and declared that it tasted 'chemical' but she was hungry and ate it anyway. When she said that I remembered that I had copied off several chewy granola bar recipes from a website and there determined I would make her some. I made them last night and I am pretty sure I dreamed about them. :) She found them this morning and has eaten three already. I can honestly declare that these granola bars are rub-all-over-your-face good! I am going to have to double the recipe next time.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Chewy Granola Bars

4 T butter
1/4 C packed brown sugar
1/4 C honey
1/4 C peanut butter
2 C old fashioned oats
1 C crisp rice cereal
1/4 C semisweet mini chocolate chips

Line an 8x8 pan with foil.
Combine honey and butter in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir in the brown sugar when the butter starts to melt and bring mixture to a boil. Boil and then lower the hear and simmer for about 2 minutes.
Add the peanut butter and mix in until smooth. Remove from the heat.
Add the oats and crisp rice cereal and fold them in until evenly coated.
Quickly fold in the chocolate chips and then press into the pan.
Let sit for 15-20 minutes to set and then cut. If you need it to hurry along put them in the fridge for about 5-10 minutes to cool down.

PERFECT Basic Yellow cake

 Matt made the perfect yellow cake today after church. He made it into two desserts- yellow cake with chocolate icing and Peach Rhubarb upside down cake. That was dinner! Yum!!! It was perfect on a chilly, Alaskan summer day.

Basic Yellow Cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (do not sift the flour)
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk
Vegetable oil
1 stick butter (not margarine), softened
1-tablespoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°
Cut wax paper to fit the bottom of (3) 9 x 1 1/2-inch round pans. Spray the pans with cooking spray, place the wax paper in the pans and spray the paper.
In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt, mixing well.
Measure the 1-1/4 cups of milk in a 2 cup measuring cup….then add enough vegetable oil to bring the liquid up to 1-1/3 cups.
Add the milk/vegetable oil mixture, butter and vanilla to the flour mixture and beat with an electric mixer on medium to medium-high speed for 2 minutes, scraping sides of bowl as needed.
Add the eggs and continue beating an additional 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pans.
Bake at 350° for 20 to 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted near center of cake comes out clean, or until cake springs back when touched lightly in the center.Cool cakes on wire racks for 15 minutes; remove from pans and cool completely.Frost as desired.

And if you want here is the chocolate icing recipe:

Cooked Chocolate Frosting

Mix together in a large microwave save bowl:
1-1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons cornstarch; packed
7 tablespoons cocoa
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 teaspoon salt

Stir in with a wire wisk :
1-1/2 cups boiling water

Cook in microwave on high at 1 minute intervals stirring well after each with the wire whisk. As mixture begins to thicken cook at 30 second interval until the mixture is very thick.

Then stir in 6 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of vanilla; stirring until the butter is melted; cool to frosting consistency and frost cake.

If you prefer to cook it on the stove just stir the boiling water into the dry ingredients and cook over medium heat stirring constantly until thick and bubbly; remove from heat and add the butter and vanilla.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/15071/easy-scratch-basic-yellow-cake

Magic shell ice cream topping

Tonight I wanted a special treat for FHE. So I made up some brownies with our powdered eggs, made 'ice cream' with our milk, and then wanted to top it with some chocolatey goodness. At one time I had a copy cat recipe for Hersheys chocolate syrup. It was perfect and so good. But somehow it got lost and I can not seem to find it anywhere. I mourned the loss of the recipe a moment and then remembered a recipe I had tried in 2008 for magic shell ice cream topping. I started searching for it and found it with a little note at the bottom of the page that said, "5/31/08 Ooh la la! Perfect!!!" And perfect it was!

Magic Shell Ice Cream Topping

6 oz semi sweet chocolate chips
4 T butter
1/4 C canola oil (you can use vegetable or corn too)

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter. Remove from heat and stir in the oil really well. Serve over really cold ice cream and you will have magic shell that sets up hard just like the store bought stuff!

Magic Chocolate Crumb Bars

This no grocery shopping experiment is ruining my diet. Today I made these MAGIC bars. The reason they are magic is because the sweetened condensed milk was made from nonfat powdered milk. I made it yesterday and the kids were all over it. Eating the condensed milk by the spoon. They continued that through out today. I think it was a success. I had some too and it was so good. Better than the real thing.SERIOUSLY!!! Condensed milk is over $3 a can here in AK. I just made it for pennies. Three times!!! Yay!!!


Magic Chocolate Crumb Bars
1 C butter, softened
1 3/4 C flour (I used fresh ground whole wheat)
1/2 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C chocolate chips
1 can(14 oz) or recipe (below) of sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 C chopped pecans (or your favorite nut)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 in pan.
Cut the flour, sugar, and salt into the softened butter until it resembles crumbs
Press 2 C of the crumbs in the pan and bake for 10 min or until edges are brown.
Combine 1 C chocolate whips with sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over low heat until it is smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Pour over hot crust.
Stir the nuts into the remaining crumb mixture and crumble over the chocolate layer.
Bake for an additional 25 minutes or until center is set.
Chill and enjoy!


Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 T butter
1 C sugar
1/2 C boiling water
1 C powdered milk
In your combine the butter, sugar and water and blend just until the sugar is mostly dissolved. Add the powdered milk and blend until smooth. Use immediately in recipe or store in the refrigerator until use. Or you could just spoon it into your mouth! :)

Chocolate Brownie Heaven

When I realized that I had never posted our favorite brownie recipe I. could. not. believe. it!!! WE LOVE THESE!!! Our family is a gooey brownie family. We love them super chocolatey and gooey- that is chocolate perfection. This recipe comes from a master mix- which is even better, because that means more brownies whenever needed.

Brownie Master Mix:

4 C Flour- I have actually used whole wheat for this!
6 C sugar (I didn't say it was healthy!)
2 1/2 C cocoa
3 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 C shortening
Mix in all ingredients except shortening and then cut in the shortening until it is completed combined. Store in a container in your pantry until needed.
To make the brownies in an 8x8 pan:
2 C brownie mix
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
Mix well. Put in prepared pan and bake at 350 for 20 minutes- or until desired doneness!

The best chocolate frosting EVER!!!

1/2 C butter, softened
2/3 C cocoa
3 C powdered sugar
1/3 C milk
1 tsp vanilla

Put all ingredients in a mixer and mix well until it is smooth and creamy. Top the brownies and ENJOY!!!

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups 2!

Back in March I was experimenting with raw foods and made my first attempt at raw chocolate peanut butter cups. They were all right but I wasn't completely satisfied with the chocolate part. It didn't set up as well as I wanted it to and well, I thought I should try again.

Yesterday I was experimenting some more and made a chocolate syrup that I really liked and when I put it in the fridge it set up completely. Hooray! So today I made these and they are pretty dang good.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

Chocolate syrup-
1 C melted cacao butter
1/4 C cocoa powder
1/8 tsp salt
3 T agave nectar

Combine all ingredients well with a whisk.
To make cups- put a little of the syrup in a the bottom of 8-10 mini muffin cups. Put in fridge or freezer to set, but not completely. Add a small scoop of all natural peanut butter on the chocolate and then pour more syrup on to cover the peanut butter. Let set in fridge or freezer again and enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

If you need a chocolate fix this will do. It is VERY rich and has a dark chocolate taste. Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups

1/2 C cacao powder
1/8 C coconut oil, melted
1/8 C cacao butter, melted
1/4 C agave nectar
Adam's all-natural peanut butter

In a bowl mix the coconut oil, cacao butter, and agave until smooth. Add the cacao powder and whisk until smooth. Spoon into mini muffin cups about 1/2 way full. Put about a 1/2 tsp of peanut butter in the middle and then cover with more chocolate. Freeze until firm and then eat immediately or store in the fridge. Makes 8 peanut butter cups

'Raw'tella- my version

Last year we discovered the joys of Nutella- a chocolately hazelnut dream that we love to spread on crepes, toast and dip fruit in. I recently saw a recipe online for rawtella- a healthier version of the one we love. Well, I tried it last night and it was no good. So this morning I did some tweaking and came up with this version. Bri and I even pulled the real deal out of the cupboard and taste tested both. They taste almost identical, except my recipe is not nearly as smooth. I think if you could grind the hazelnuts into a meal or very finely than it would go together much smoother. Makes sure you refrigerate too. It tastes great cold with a banana!

Rawtella-

1 C hazelnuts (meal or just full)
abt 1 C water
4 T cocoa
1/2 C agave
1 tsp vanilla
1 T coconut oil
pinch of salt

In your high powered blender mix the hazelnuts and water until you get a smooth consistency. Add the remaining ingredients and process until completely combined. Chill and then serve.

Sugar Day- Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies

 

I have been feeling stressed with the stuff that every day is made of and some stuff that everyday is not made of. Anyway, today was a breaking point and I decided to take a sugar day. I was amazed at the yum of these cookies. Not healthy, but healthier than not. 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip cookies

1 C shortening

3/4 C organic sugar

3/4 C brown sugar

2 eggs

2 T milk

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

3 C whole wheat flour

2 C chocolate chips

Mix the shortening and sugars until creamy. Add the egg, milk, and vanilla. Dry ingredients finally and then chocolate chips until mixed. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. Don't overcook because they will get hard. 

Makes 3 dozen.

Chocolate Macadamia Mousse Cake

Where to begin? Yesterday was National Chocolate cake day. I knew I wanted to celebrate! So I took a few recipes from a few raw cookbooks and tweaked them. What resulted was chocolate heaven. Seriously! The chocolate mousse part of this cake is so amazing I think I was dreaming about eating more of it today last night.

I think I changed the recipes enough to include it here. I don't have cacao powder or butter and can't seem to find them anywhere in Alaska. I think the final product turned out VERY good.


Chocolate Macadamia Mousse Cake

Base and crumble:
3 C walnuts
2/3 c cocoa powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 C pitted dates- you may want to add more for more sweetness

Mousse:
1 C macadamia nuts
3/4 c water
1/2 c shredded raw coconut
1/3 c agave
1 tsp vanilla
1/8 tsp salt- we use kosher
1/4 c cocoa powder
2 T melted 70% cacao bar
2 tsp psyllium husks

In a food processor process the nuts, cocoa and salt until it is a fine mixture. Add the dates until it begins to stick together and then press 3/4 of it in a small spring form pan. Set aside.

In a blender blend the nuts, water, coconut, agave, vanilla and salt until completely smooth. Add the cocoa and cacao bar and blend more. Next add the psyllium and pour the misture over the cake in the pan. Top with the remaining cake mixture and chill completely. It will set up really nicely if it is chilled over night, but I couldn't wait that long yesterday. ;)

Raw Desserts

I ordered Ani's Raw Food Desserts by Ani Phyo some time ago and have just started making some raw desserts out of it. So far so good. This first one I made on Sunday for a treat. It was good but I think I will add more agave next time. Ani's was made with pineapple so that may be why mine, with peaches, was not as sweet as hers probably is. I tweaked both these raw desserts so I think I am able to post them with no problem as I didn't stick to the exact recipe.

Peach Icebox Cake

Crust:
2 c cashews
seeds from one vanilla bean
3 T agave nectar
Filling:
1 1/2 C cashews
1/3 c agave
1/4 c coconut oil
water as needed
3 cups sliced peaches

To make the crust combine the nuts and vanilla in a food processor and process until it is crumbly then add the agave until combined. Press into a medium sized tart pan.
To make the filling put all ingredients, except peaches, in a blender and blend until smooth. Spoon mixture with peaches until combined and put over crust. Freeze for about 2 hours.
You can keep this in the freezer or fridge.


Then today, the stress of finances and living got to me and I desperately wanted chocolate but did not want to use one of my 52 days for it. So I leafed through the book again and found Lavender Chocolate Bars. These I changed A LOT, but they were just what I needed to soothe my stressed out craziness. How does that work anyway?


Almond Chocolate Bars

1 C coconut oil
4 heaping T agave nectar
1/2 C cocoa powder
1/4 C Adam's peanut butter
1 C sliced almonds
1 C raisins
abt 1/4 c more sliced almonds

Blend oil and agave until smooth. Add cocoa powder and peanut butter and blend again. In a mixing bowl put the 1 C almonds and raisins and pour the chocolate mixture over it. Stir to mix. In a 8X8 pan lined with foil spread the mixture. Top with 1/4 c sliced almonds and freeze just until set.
Cut into bars and let the stress melt away!

Chocolate Ice Cream- the healthier way

This is so incredibly good. I just made it up because I wanted something sweet but not with refined sugars. The kids inhaled it!


Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream

1 C cashews
2 C almond milk
abt 1/2 C agave nectar
3 T cocoa powder
2 T Adam's all natural peanut butter
1 tsp vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean

In a blender combine the cashews and only 1 c up the milk until smooth. Add the remaining milk, agave, cocoa, peanut butter and vanilla and blend well. Process in an ice cream maker and then enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!

Fudge Babies Baby!

I survived the holidays! I didn't post anything new because we had all our usual fare. Today I decided to try another raw recipe that has been sitting in my stack of recipes to try. I wish I could remember where this one came from because I would love to kiss the person who posted it. These seriously taste like little brownie bites. So good and good for you! Unless you eat the entire batch and than that is probably not good for you.

Fudge Babies

(Serves… depends on how good bad non-existent your self-control is)

I rolled these into balls, but if you want true brownies, simply shape the dough into bars instead.

Ingredients:

• 1 c walnuts (120 grams)
• 1 and 1/3 cups pitted dates (230 grams)I use medjool dates.
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3-4 tablespoons cocoa powder, depending on how chocolatey you want the balls to be (I used 4T extra dark)

Directions:

1. Chop/blend all the ingredients, using a food processor, Magic Bullet, etc.

2. Roll into cutey-pie little balls. (Use plastic wrap if you need to.)

Raw Chocolate Torte Heaven

I think I am on to something here. Something really, really yummy!!! Tonight I passed up all the Halloween candy for a piece of this divine dessert. Seriously so incredibly yummy. It's strange to me how filling whole foods are. I only ate one piece and didn't even think I needed another. I hope you make this one. It is wonderful!!!

Easy Raw Chocolate Torte

Crust:
2 cups pecans
½-1 1 cup pitted medjool dates (or enough so that when you squeeze the crust it holds together)
1 teaspoon coconut oil
Pinch of sea salt

Pulse nuts in food processor until slightly crumbled. Add dates and pulse a few more times. Add coconut oil and sea salt. Pulse until uniform and crust holds together when you squeeze it between your fingers. Press into bottom of classic 10 inch tart pan.

Filling:
2 cups cashews (not soaked)
¾-1 cup cacao powder
1 ½ cups water
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave (or to taste if you like it sweeter, less for more bitter)
½ vanilla bean seeded
Pinch of sea salt

Combine all ingredients in blender and blend until smooth. Pour over crust and refrigerate until firm (1 hour in refrigerator, ½ hour in freezer)

Waffle Cookies

My friend, Sharla made these for an event and I was in love. She shared the recipe with me and now I share it with all of you! If you are looking for a chocolate attack this is your answer!

Waffle Cookies

1 cup melted butter

1 cup powder cocoa

1-1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

4 eggs

2-1/2 cups flour

Pinch of baking soda

Mix all ingredients together. Pre-heat waffle iron. Drop by tsp onto hot waffle iron, Close for 1 minute ONLY.Cool – add frosting

Chocolate Frosting:

6 oz. chocolate chips

1/3 cup canned milk

¼ cup butter

Melt together – stir in 2-1/4 cups powdered sugar.