Blueberry Muffins- Dessert or Breakfast?

I claim that these goodies can swing either way, depending on what you happen to be in the mood for. And guess what? They happen to be vegan, again, and from The Happy Herbevoire cookbook. I sway towards recipes in this book because they are not just vegan-friendly and tasty, but also happen to be low-calorie.

 Blueberry Maple Muffins
What's Inside:
-1 1/2 cups whole-wheat flour
-1/2 cup rolled oats
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp baking soda
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground ginger
-1 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup maple syrup
-3/4 cup frozen blueberries

How to Make Them:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tray with paper liners and spray them lightly.
2) In a large bowl, whisk flour, oats, baking bowder, baking soda and spices together until well-combined
3) Add applesauce, sugar and maple syrup and stir until almost combined
4) Add blueberries, stirring until just combined
5) Spoon into paper liners until about 3/4 full
6) Sprinkle additional oats on top
7) Bake for 18 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean




Vegan Baking Part Two- Brownies!

This recipe provides futher concrete evidence that vegan cooking can be delicious. These brownies, once again having a shockingly low calorie count, are tasty and chewy! I did not have vegan chocolate chips nor walnuts when I made these, so I used chopped pecans instead. Make whatever modifications your heart could possibly desire!

What's Inside:
-1 cup unsweetened applesauce
-1/2 cup raw sugar
-1 tsp vanilla
-3/4 cup flour
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-2 tsp baking powder
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips
-1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
-A dash of cinnamon

How to Make Them:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray an 8x8 cooking pan
2) Mix applesauce, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl. In another bowl, whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and soda and cinnamon together.
3) Mix wet ingredients and dry ingredients until just combined and fold in chocolate chips and nuts
4) Bake for around 25-30 minutes

Chocolate Chip Cookies- Quick, Easy and Vegan!

Yes, you read correctly. These tasty and chewy little cookies taste amazing, especially right out of the oven when the chocolate chips are warm and melted. One of the best things about vegan baking is that it makes things much healthier. These cookies have only around 62 calories each! I obtained this recipe from a wonderful book called The Happy Herbivore, which I highly recommend.

What's Inside:
-1/3 cup applesauce
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-2 tsp vanilla
-1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)
-1 cup whole-wheat flour
-1 tsp baking powder
-1 tbsp cornstarch
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips (believe it or not, they sell them at Target)

 Note: to make these extra chocolatey, replace 2 tbsp flour with unsweetened cocoa, or carob powder (which is what I did).

How to Make Them:1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2) Grease cookie sheet or line with parchment paper
3) In a large bowl, combine applesauce, sugar, vanilla, and nin-dairy milk
4) In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, cornstarch and cinnamon
5) Transfer dry mixture into the wet mixture in three batches and stir until just combined
6) Fold in chips
7) Drop 16 spoonfuls on cookie sheet and bake 7-10 minutes for a soft and chewy cookie, or a few minutes longer for a more crispy cookie.

Back From Hiatus!

As they often do in TV shows to their viewers' disappointment, I have been on hiatus as I had given up dessert for Lent. I still did cook a couple of things for other people, for example a gluten free cake and a low-calorie German Chocolate Cake and Spanish Flan for my mother's birthday. Therefore, I have a slight traffic jam of recipes which have built up, and will therefore be busy getting my blog, which I am sure many of you have stopped reading, up to date.

My mother's favorite cake is the German Chocolate variety. However, she has been trying to stay healthy, and that happens to be one of the least healthy desserts that is out there, so I searched for a highly-rated, low-calorie recipe which would not compromise all of the flavor. It turned out pretty good, of course the flavor was slightly less rich than it's calorie-packed counterpart, but I regard this as a winner. The recipe and a picture follow!

Cake:
What's Inside:
-3 oz milk chocolate chips
-3 tbsp Dutch-processed cocoa powder
-1/3 cup boiling water
-1 1/3 cups flour
-1/2 tsp baking powder
-3 tbsp butter, softened
-1/2 cup packed brown sugar
-1/3 cup granulated sugar
-3 room temperature eggs
-1 tsp vanilla extract
-1/2 cup low fat (NOT FAT FREE!) sour crem

How to Make It:
1) Move oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees
2) Grease and flour two round 9-inch cake pans
3) Whisk chocolate, cocoa and boiling water in a bowl and set aside to cool
4) In a separate bowl, combine flour and baking soda.
5) In yet another separate bowl, beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until mixture is light and sticks to sides of bowl
6) Add eggs one at a time until just combined
7) With mixer speed on low, add chocolate mixture and vanilla until just incorporated, then add the flour and sour cream, alternating an addition from each
8) Divide batter into pans and bake 10-15 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes, then allow to cool on wire racks for at least an hour.

Frosting:
What's Inside:
-1 cup fat free evaporated milk
-3 tbsp cornstarch
-2 tbsp butter
-2/3 cup packed brown sugar
-1 tbsp vanilla or coconut extract
-1/3 cup chopped pecans
-1/2 cup sweetened coconut, toasted (toast coconut on cookie sheet in a 325 degree oven, shaking the sheet often until golden color)

How to Make It:
1) Whisk evaporated milk, cornstarch, butter, and brown sugar in saucepan until bubbling (about 3 min) and then continue to heat until thickened
2) Remove from heat and stir in vanilla/coconut, and all but 1 tbsp each of pecans and shredded coconut. Cool to room temperature before frosting cake, which should also be at room temperature.
3) Top the first layer with half of the frosting, and then top with the other layer and remaining frosting, pecans and coconut.

Almonds and Coffee... in a Cupcake!

And they are easy, too! But that is thanks to using the baking short cut of using a cake mix for the cupcakes. Using a boxed cake mix and adding a flavor makes this as easy as giving candy to a baby (such a kinder analogy than taking it away...). The almost frosting atop these mocha cupcakes made for a tasty flavor combination and an almond atop each one added a nice fancy touch!

Mocha Cupcakes

What's Inside:

-1 box of white cake mix

-All of the ingredients that the cake mix calls for

-2 tbsp strongly-brewed coffee

How to Make Them:

1) Follow the directions on the cake box adding the coffee

Almond Buttercream Frosting

What's Inside:

-1 cup butter, softened

-3-4 cups powdered sugar

-About 3 tbsps milk

-2 tsp to 1 tbsp almond extract (depending on how strong you want it!)

How to Make It:

1) Using an electric mixer, beat all ingredients until well combined. Wait until cupcakes are cool and then frost each one, placing an almond atop each cake!

Olive Oil in Cupcakes??

I must be a madwoman! But, I'm not, I promise you they are good, and a bit healthier for you as well. I am trying to move closer in that direction. The first time I made cupcakes with olive oil in them was when I went to visit my cousin in Minnesota, and they were so good that I just had to try it myself. The recipe that I found I do not believe called for enough liquid. The cupcakes were alright, but a bit dry. Therefore, I would say to add just a bit more olive oil- an alteration that I made in the recipe that follows. The frosting I made, however, had porportions that could not have been any more spot on. Please enjoy the following recipe for Mocha Olive Oil Cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting.

Mocha Olive Oil Cupcakes
What's Inside
-1 1/2 cups flour
-3 tbsp cocoa
-2 tsp baking powder
-2 large, room temperature eggs
-1/2 cup sugar
-1/2 cup olive oil
-1 tbsp strongly brewed instant coffee
-1/3 cup fat-free milk

How to Make Them:
1) Preheat oven to 350. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners
2) Whisk flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl
3) In a seperate bow, whist together eggs, sugar and olive oil until thick, then whisk in coffee
4) Add flour and pour in milk. Stir until well combine.
5) Fill each liner about halfway full and bake for about 18-20 minutes
6) Cool completely before frosting unless you want it to melt and run down the sides of your cupcakes

Coconut Buttercream Frosting
What's Inside
-3 cups powdered sugar
-1/3 cup softened butter or margarine
-3 tbsp milk
-1 tsp coconut extract
-Coconut flakes for topping

How to Make It:
1) Blend all ingredients until well combine. Once cupcakes are cooled, top them with frosting and sprinkle coconut on top. Yum!

Dessert in a jiffy!

Wow, that made me sound like I am in the '50s. Jiffy? Seriously? Well, the description seemed to fit the bill. I could also say "dessert in a snap!" "super-fast dessert!". Whichever you prefer, they are all true- this was one of the easiest things I have made as far as prep time goes. Yes, you will have to utilize that oh-so-crazy virtue of patience while it bakes, but it was so effortless to make that it is worth it. I made this for the first time because it was requested that I make a dessert, and I had absolutely nothing planned. So this recipe happened to be on the back of the package of coconut flakes, and I decided to whip it up! The other nice thing about it is that most of the ingredients are things that you likely already have lying around.

Coconut Pie in a Jiffy!
What's Inside:
-1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
-3/4 cup sugar
-1/2 cup all-purpose baking mix
-1/4 cup softened butter/butter substitute/margarine/you get the picture- that's enough slashes
-2 cups skim milk
-1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
-4 eggs

How to Make It:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees and spray 9 inch pie plate with cooking spray
2) Im medium bowl, blend all ingredients together until well-combined. You could probably also use a blender for this part.
3) Pour mixture into pie plate. Bake 50-55 minutes or until knife in center comes out clean. Refrigerate leftovers if you have any!

When you know what this pie is made of...

You may not want to eat it. But, when have I ever led you astray? Never, I hope, and if I have I truly apologize. But trust me, despite the fact that tofu is one of the main ingredients of this pie, it really is scrumptious. And it is easy to boot! I wonder where the whole anti-tofu thing came from anyhow. What did it ever do to anyone? Plus, this recipe is good for all of those times that you are entertaining vegans, which I'm sure is ALL the time ;). Vegan or not, however, I can guarantee that it will disappear instantly once served.

My photo once again does not do it justice:

What's Inside:
-1 package chocolate chips
-1/4 cup hazelnut liqueur
-2 tbsp strong brewed coffee
-1 tbsp honey
-1 premade chocolate or Oreo pie crust
-1 pound silken tofu, drained
-1 tsp vanilla extract

How to Make It:
-Boil water in a saucepan and melt chocolate chips, liqueur, coffee and vanilla extract in a sauceplan placed on top of boiling water.
-Combine this chocolate mixture, the tofu, and honey in a blender or food processor until well-combined
-Pour into crust and set in refrigerator for a couple of hours or until firm
-Serve with whipped cream or alone, it is great either way!

The Secret Ingredient for French Toast!

Just happens to be coconut extract! Using this tasty alternative to vanilla along with topping the French toast with homemade mixed berry syrup did wonders to give a twist to this classic breakfast. I cut the recipe in half and it was perfect for serving 4, but use the recipe as posted if you plan on feeding some sort of crowd (whether it be family or friends, or some angry mob you need to calm down). I want to someday try this recipe with almond extract- could be just as successful! I woke up early while visiting my grandparents to surprise them with this morning treat and they gobbled it right up.

Coconut French Toast with Mixed Berry Syrup

Coconut French Toast
What's Inside:
-8 slices white or wheat bread
-6 eggs, lightly beaten
-2 cups fat free half and half
-1 tbsp. coconut extract
-1 tsp ground cinnamon
-1/2 tsp nutmeg
-2 tbsp brown sugar

How to Make It:
-In a bowl, combine eggs, half-and-half, coconut extract, nutmeg and brown sugar until well-mixed
-Soak each slice of bread for at least a couple of minutes in the mixture, making sure both sides are well-coated
-Preheat a griddle. When hot, cook bread in batches until golden brown on each side. Transfer to plate and serve with homemade syrup (recipe below)

Mixed Berry Syrup
What's Inside:
-1 cup black/blue/raspberries
-1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar, depending on your preference
-1/2 cup water

How to Make It:
-Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to boil
-Crush the berries with a spoon and allow to simmer for about 3-4 minutes before serving. Allow to simmer longer for thicker syrup

Grasshopper: A Disgusting Insect, but a Tasty Pie!

Minty, chocolatey, marshmallow-ey, Oreo-y goodness! What more could one want from a pie? Oh, right, alcohol! Well, if you are craving any or all of the delicious ingredients above, I recommend whipping up (literally) one of these Grashopper Pies topped with mint Oreo pieces. It is a hit for any occasion and realatively easy to make! With that uneventful introduction, I present the recipe for Grasshopper Pie!

What's Inside:
-1/2 package of mint Oreos (if you want it to be marginally better for you, omit these)
-Pre-made Oreo pie crust
-2 cups marshmallow creme
-1/4 cup creme de menthe liqueur
-2 cups whipping cream

How to Make It:
-Mix together creme de menthe and marshmallow creme- you will likely need to use a hand mixer to beat it until smooth
-Follow the directions on the whipping cream carton to make the whipping cream
-Fold the whipping cream into the creme de menthe mixture
-Pour into the prepared pie crust and top with crushed cookies if desired
-Freeze for at least 2 hours and serve right out of the freezer- the alcohol in the pie makes it easy to cut and serve!

By Far the Second Most Disastrous Thing I have Made

I figured I might as well stick with this theme. It is amusing, if nothing else, and lets my readers (if I have any) have a nice little chuckle at my expense. I am a huge fan of using recipes on the back of things- backs of chocolate chip bags, backs of sugar bags, backs of shirts (just kidding about that last one. Unless there is a shirt back with a good recipe in which case I would like to hear about it!). In this case, it was a recipe that I got from the back of Heath Toffee Bits O' Brickle (there would be a little "registered" or "trade-marked" symbol next to that name if I new how to make one). Now, the only issue was that I had already used about half the bag, and the recipe called for the whole thing. I somehow did not think that this would present itself to be a major problem and almost ruin my entire dessert endeavor.

The issues were numerous. First off, I did not have nearly enough toffee, and second, I did not "stir constantly" when I was trying to make the "chewy toffee" part of these bars. Therefore, I not only ended up burning it completely, but did not make enough, so it only covered about 1/4 of the shortbread which makes up the bottom of the bars. The only part which ended up being salvagable was the part without the toffee. So mine ended up as a sort of shortbread, coconut chocolate bar. They were still really good, but I figure I will provide the authentic recipe from the back of the bag- hopefully you can learn from my mistakes and make it as the people at Heath intended!

What's Inside:
-1 cup butter, softened
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-2 cups flour
-1 1/3 cups (8-ounce package) HEATH BITS 'O BRICKLE Toffee Bits (THE WHOLE BAG!)
-3/4 cup light corn syrup
-1 cup sliced almonds
-3/4 cup sweetened coconut flakes

How to Make Them:
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees
2) Beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Gradually add flour, beating until well blended. Press dough evenly into prepared pan.
3) Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned
4) Combine toffee bits and corn syrup in medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until toffee is melted (about 10 to 12 minutes).
5) Stir in 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup coconut. Spread toffee mixture to within 1/4-inch of edges of crust.
6) Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup almonds and remaining 1/4 cup coconut over top.
7) Bake an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars.

By Far the Most Disastrous Outcome Thus Far

I bet that got your attention! So, my experience with this recipe was far from ideal, but I think I have figured out all of the issues that I had with it and altered it accordingly so that no one else needs to experience what I went through. For the Super bowl last weekend, I decided to make a dessert (shocking) for the people I was watching it with. They requested a peanut butter dessert, and in retrospect, I probably should have just gone with those tasty peanut butter bars I made a couple of weeks ago, but I wanted to try something new so I could post it on this blog. I was a bit crunched for time, otherwise I would have tried something fancy like a peanut butter pie. However, that was not the case, so I chose a recipe for peanut butter brownies, as it sounded simple enough. Oh dear was I wrong! The recipe did not call for nearly enough flour or cooking time, and it was really difficult to decipher when they were done. I ended up taking them out of the oven and putting them back into the oven about 3 times, and then by that point I decided to try and raise the oven temperature, which ended up burning them except for a couple of the ones cut from the center which were just right. Needless to say, I showed up to the Super bowl gathering empty handed.

Peanut Butter Brownies

What’s Inside:

-2 ½ cups flour
-1 cup peanut butter
-2/3 cup butter
-1 package chocolate chips
-4 eggs
-2 tsp baking powder
-1 tsp vanilla

How to make them:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees
-Butter a 9 x 13 inch pan
-Mix all ingredients and spread evenly in pan
-Bake for 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean

Better than Bailey's??

Well, I suppose that is a matter of opinion, but in mine, which is the one everyone should listen to, this homemade Irish cream is as good as it gets! Perhaps it is one of those things where you don't really want to know what makes it taste so creamy and delicious, but I have to say that this drink is sure to please you and all of your friends. I found a lot of recipes that called for eggs, but aside from the fact that I find the idea of drinking raw egg to be rather disgusting, it also happened to be unnecesessary. This recipe is rather flexible- you can use coconut extract, almond extract, vanilla extract, or mix-and-match them as desired. I used vanilla and almond because I could not find coconut extract. Without further ado, I present a recipe for Irish cream that will provide your palate with a new flavor sensation of sweet goodness that you will likely never experince again. Modify it as you please- this recipe calls for a LOT of whiskey, I put a little less and it was still VERY strong! So, alter the whiskey addition accordingly.

What's Inside:
-1 cup heavy cream
-1 can sweetened condensed milk
-1 to 1 and 2/3 cups Irish whiskey (I used Jameson, the best!)
-1 tsp instant coffee granules
-2 tbsp chocolate syrup
-1 tsp of one or more of the following: almond extract, coconut extract, vanilla extract

How to make it:
1) In a blender, combine all ingredients. Blend until well combined and refrigerate! Serve straight up or on the rocks, in coffee or over ice cream. The possibilities are endless- feel the luck o' the Irish as you enjoy!

Is there a way to overdose on peanuts?

I guess if you have a severe peanut allergy, the answer would definitely be yes. But even if you do not have such an allergy, I still think that this dessert might cause at least a peanut-induced shock. Not that it is a bad thing, mind you, just something to keep in mind when you decide to make this dessert. Aside from the yummy peanuts, I also love that this is a no-bake recipe. It takes about 15 minutes to prepare, and 10 seconds to down these No-Bake Peanut Bars. So, without further ado, here is the recipe so you can enjoy them yourselves!

What's Inside:
-1 cup butter/margarine/butter substitute
-2 cups of graham cracker crumbs
-2 cups powdered sugar
-1 cup & 4 tbsp peanut butter
-1 1/2 cups chocolate chips
-About 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

How to make them:
-Mix butter or whatever you use as a butter replacement, graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar and 1 cup peanut butter in a medium-large sized bowl
-Press combined ingredients into bottom of ungreased 9 x 13 inch pan
-In a microwaveable bowl, melt chocolate chips and remaining 4 tbsp peanut butter in the microwave for about 2 minutes, stirring at 30 second intervals
-Spread mixture over peanut butter crust. Top with chopped peanuts and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cutting into bars and serving.
-Enjoy, and try not to fall into a peanut-induced coma!

When life gives you about 5 green apples that you will never possibly eat before they go bad...

You turn them into apple strudel, obviously! Apple strudel is not even all that bad for you- it has fruit, walnuts if you care to add them, and not a terrible amount of sugar. This recipe does make a lot of strudel- you can cut in in half if you have less apples and just put it in an 8 or 9  inch square pan instead of a 9 by 13 like I used. Also, make sure you properly defrost the phyllo dough- I did not wait long enough so the sheets split because they were frozen. Therefore, I had to awkwardly use strips of phyllo sheets whereas it would have been much easier to use the whole sheet after it thawed properly.

What's Inside:
-1/2 cup sugar
-1 cup raisins
-1/2 cup walnuts (optional)
-About 5 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
-2 tsp cinnamon
-6 sheets phyllo dough,THAWED
-4 tsp melted butter
-Powdered sugar to sprinkle over top after baked

How to make it:
1) Mix all filling ingredients together (apples, raisins, walnuts, cinnamon) and bake in a pan in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for about 15 minutes
2)  In the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch pan, lay one sheet of phyllo dough. Brush with butter and top with 2nd sheet. Repeat with one more sheet
3) Pour apple mixture on top of three sheets and layer with another layer of phyllo dough. Brush with butter and repeat with two more sheets of phyllo
4) Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Top with powdered sugar and serve warm.

Let them eat coffee flavored angel food cake!

When you have a dad that is like mine and very calorie-concious, you need to take that into consideration when throwing him a party and making him a cake. I searched low-calorie cakes online, but nothing seemed like the right combination of simple and tasty until I found the following one. It was easy to make and extremely delicious! I served homemade warm raspberry sauce alongside for even more scrumptiousness and it was a big hit for everyone!

What's Inside:
-12 egg whites (yes, you have to use a whole carton!)
-1 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
-1 1/2 cup sugar
-2 to 3 tsp hot water
-1 tablespoon instant coffee
-1 1/8 cup sifted cake flour
-1 tsp vanilla extract

How to make it:
1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2) Using a handmixer, beat egg whites until foamy
3) Add cream of tartar and beat until it forms peaks
4) With the mixer running, gradually add 1 cup of the sugar and continue whipping until stiff and the sugar has dissolved, about 30 seconds
5) In a small bowl, stir together the hot water and instant coffee to make coffee extract
6) Using a seive over a large bowl, sift the remaining 1/2 cup sugar with the pre-sifted cake flour 3 times7) Fold the flour mixture into the egg whites in batches, then fold in the vanilla and dissolved coffee.

8) Spoon the batter into an ungreased 9 or 10-inch tube pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until light golden brown, about 30 to 35 minutes.

9) Cool by turning the cake (in the pan) upside down, propped on top of a bottle until it cools to room temperature. Run a long, sharp knife blade around the cake to loosen, then knock the cake out onto a plate or work it out with your fingers. The outside crumb of the cake will remain in the pan; exposing the white cake underneath
10) To make the raspberry topping, simply heat 2 little cartons of raspberries and 1/4-1/2 cup sugar over medium heat for about 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally

When you eat 10 low-calorie chocolate-chip cookies in one sitting...

...I think it hardly makes a difference anymore that they are low-calorie. I guess it is better than eating 10 chocolate-chip cookies with average caloric amounts. Anyways, one day my inner health freak came out and I decided to try something better for me. Now, I want to clarify that just because I like desserts does not mean that I endorse eating them to extremes or not making them a part of a healthy diet. That is why it is important to make healthy changes to your cooking, like swapping out a recipe for normal chocolate chip cookies for one like these. Now, mine did not turn out fantastic and I blame the fact that I made them way too big and accidentally added a bit of egg yolk where it only calls for the whites. But they still tasted really good! Hence why I had a bit of a problem with the portion control...though, they are only about 60 calories a cookie!

What's Inside:
-1/2 cup granulated sugar
-1/2 cup brown sugar
-1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
-1 egg white
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1 cup flour
-1/2 teaspoon baking soda
-1/2 cup chocolate chips

How to make them:

1) In a large bowl, combine the flour, and baking soda and stir to blend.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk the sugars, butter, egg white, and vanilla together until light and fluffy.
3) Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients in two additions until the batter is very well blended.
4) Drop by level spoonfuls about 1 inch apart onto baking sheets coated lightly with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 8 -10 minutes.
5) Remove from the oven, and let stand 5 minutes before removing the cookies from the pans to cool on wire racks.

Lessons Learned:
-Make sure that ONLY the egg white gets into these

-Ensure that you make them small- it should make about 24 whereas mine were way too big and I only got about 15

When you offer a man who lived through WWII some old bananas which will otherwise be thrown away...

...my grandfather will take them (so they do not go to waste), bring them home, and have no idea what to do with them. So, with this philosophy in mind (waste not, that is!) his visiting granddaughter will make some delicious and simple banana bread and share it with the rest of her family in Chicago. If you didn't catch on by now, I am talking about myself and when I was out in Chicago and staying with my grandparents for Christmas. My grandfather's neighbor called him up and said she had a bunch of brown bananas which she was going to throw away, and asked if he wanted them. They looked almost unable to salvage, but I decided to give it a shot.
Here is the easy recipe for banana bread which does not fail to please!

What's Inside:

• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana 
• 1 egg
• 1 cut nuts (optional- but make sure you use walnuts, pecans, etc... not the "nuts" in your family! Ha, lame joke...)

How to make it:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2) Combine all ingredients

3) Bake 65-70 minutes or until knife or other metal or wooden cooking device inserted into center comes out clean as a whistle

Lessons Learned:

The baking powder that my grandmother had in her pantry was probably not used since the last time they baked, which was probably... well, she can't even remember when it was so that must say something. Anyways, it was pretty clumpy and did not mix well, so on a rare bite of this bread you would get a lovely taste of baking soda... not pleasant. So make sure it is new and WELL MIXED!

When life doesn't let you find a gingerbread man cookie cutter...

You make gingerbread bones. At least, that was the case for me. After a fruitless search which endured far too long, I finally gave up my attempt to find a cookie cutter for making gingerbread men. Now, as you have all learned by now I'm sure, I have run into various glitches during my cooking experiences. So, I just thought of this as another little hurdle in the path, and decided to see what else I could find in the drawer of cooking utensils. The only cookie cutters I could find were not one, but TWO shaped like bones of different sizes. So, I used those. Despite my cookies turning out shaped like dog treats which may have been a deterrant for some, they were incredible! I personally skipped putting any icing on these because I did not think it was necessary and I was feeling a bit lazy. If you have more motivation and time, look up a recipe for royal icing to decorate your cookies.

What's Inside:3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable shortening, at room temperature

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2/3 cup molasses

1 large egg

How to make them:

1) Position the racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.

2) Sift the flour, baking soda,, cinnamon, ginger, allspice, and cloves through a wire sienve into a medium bowl. Set aside.

3) In a large bowl, using a hand-held electric mixer at high speed, beat the butter and shortening until well-combined, about 1 minute.
4) Add the brown sugar and beat until the mixture is light in texture and color, about 2 minutes. Beat in the molasses and egg. Using a wooden spoon, gradually mix in the flour mixture to make a stiff dough. Divide the dough into two thick disks and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until chilled, about 3 hours.

5) To roll out the cookies, work with one disk at a time, keeping the other disk refrigerated. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature until just warm enough to roll out without cracking, about 10 minutes.
6) Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and sprinkle the top of the dough with flour. Roll out the dough 1/8 inch thick, being sure that the dough isn't sticking to the work surface
7) For softer cookies, roll out slightly thicker. Using cookie cutters, cut out the cookies and transfer to nonstick cookie sheets, placing the cookies 1 inch apart.

8) Bake, switching the positions of the cookies from top to bottom and back to front halfway through baking, until the edges of the cookies are set and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Cool on the sheets for 2 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Brandy: the liquor which seemingly works for any recipe

Well, maybe not, but at least for me for the past two recipes I used which called for any kind of liquor. One called for bourbon and the other called for rum, but my innner-rebel came out and decided to just use brandy. And guess what? They both turned out not just "fine", but splendidly scrumptious. These cookies are called "Coconut Sarah Bernhardts" and I have no idea why, but I made so many alterations that I do not think you could even call them that anymore. The original recipe is from http://www.christmas-cookies.com/, which I was surprised existed, but I guess it makes sense.

What's inside:

1-1/4 cups flaked coconut
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 egg white
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1/4 cup whipping cream
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon rum (or... you guessed it, brandy!)
2 teaspoons solid vegetable shortening

How to make them:

1) Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2) In a large mixing bowl, sitr together coconut, sugar, egg white and vanilla until combined
3) Drop by teaspoonfulls onto prepared pans.
4) Bake around 8 minutes or until bottoms are lightly golden. Allow to cool on baking sheets.
5) Place 8 ounces of the chocolate in a mixing bowl and chop so that the mixture forms small chunks. In a small saucepan, heat cream with the butter just until the butter melts and bubbles form around the edge of the pan. Pour hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until smooth. Stir in rum or brandy.
6) Cover and refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Place 1 teaspoon of chocolate mixture on top of each cookie. Smooth to form a dome shape. Refrigerate about 1 hour or until firm. Line cooled baking sheets with waxed paper. In the top of a double boiler over hot water, melt the remaining 4 ounces of chocolate with the shortening. Allow to cool for 3 minutes. Set cookie on a fork and spoon the melted chocolate over the cookie until completely coated. Place on waxed paper. Refrigerate until chocolate sets, about 2 hours.

Brandy instead of Bourbon? Close enough...

Once again, I make the classic mistake of misreading a recipe. I always think I read things so carefully, but apparently not. Good thing is that my mistakes in the kitchen have yet to drastically affect the outcome of the recipe. This last time I made a mistake was when I used unsweetened chocolate instead of bitterweet, this time I used brandy instead of bourbon. These chocolate chip sandwhich cookies with bourbon ganache, despite my little mistake, were amazing. The ones I made (sadly I do not have a photo) ended up GIGANTIC, however, as the recipe did not specify the size to make the dough drops on the cookie sheet. So, you basically had to cut them in half to avoid a sugar overdose, or be REALLY in the mood for dessert. If you would like to give them a shot yourself, I recommend making the cookies smaller, but it is up to you.

What's inside of the cookies:

3/4 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

What's inside of the ganache:

1 (12-oz.) package semisweet chocolate morsels

1/2 cup whipping cream

3 tablespoons bourbon (or brandy, like I used. In all honesty, I bet you could use any type of liquor)

3 tablespoons softened butter

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

How to make the cookies:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Beat butter and sugars at medium speed with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer until creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition. Add vanilla, beating until blended.
2. Combine flour and next 2 ingredients in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in morsels just until combined. Drop dough by level spoonfuls (I think mine were about the size of a rounded tbsp, I recommend doing a rounded teaspoon) onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350° for 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks, and cool completely (about 30 minutes).
4. Spread Bourbon Ganache on flat side of half of cookies (about 1 Tbsp. per cookie); top with remaining cookies. Cover and chill cookies 2 hours or until ganache is firm.

   
   

   How to make the ganache:

   1. Microwave semisweet chocolate morsels and whipping cream in a 2-qt. microwave-safe bowl at 2 1/2 minutes or until chocolate begins to melt, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in bourbon, softened butter, and vanilla. Cover and chill, stirring occasionally, 1 hour and 30 minutes or until thickened to a spreadable consistency.