Cherry Chocolate and Espresso Cookies

I pondered and pondered how one could somehow utilize the decadence of dark and white chocolate, dried tart cherries, and espresso simultaneously. The answer? Put it all in a cookie- the answer to many of life's great dilemmas. These are easy to make and a harmonious union of tart from cherries, slightly bitter from the instant coffee, and sweet from the two variations of chocolate chips! I discovered this recipe at allrecipes.com, where they call it "Lots of Chocolate Cherry Cookies" (I like my invented name better). 

What's Inside: 

-1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

-1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa

-1 tsp baking powder

-1/2 cup softened butter

-1 cup white sugar

-1 egg

-2 tsp instant coffee granules (doubled from the original recipe- add more or less depending on your love or lack thereof of coffee)

-1 tsp vanilla extract (if you are like me in your baking style, you'll just guess this amount)

-1/4 cup each of dark chocolate and white chocolate chips

-1 cup dried cherries

How to Make Them:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2) Mix flour, cocoa and baking powder in a bowl

3) Beat butter and sugar in a separate bowl with a mixer

4) Add egg, coffee granules and vanilla to the butter/sugar mixture

5) Once combined, add the flour mixture

6) Stir in chocolate chips and cherries

7) Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto cookie sheet

8) Bake around 10-12 minutes depending on the hastiness and power of your oven

9) Cool on cookie sheet and enjoy!

Hogwarts Peanut Butter Cookies

First, a legal disclaimer: I did not ask J.K. Rowling if I could use the name of her famous school of witchcraft and wizardry. Shockingly, I think she has more pertinent issues to concern herself with than a rarely-visited blog using the name of her imaginary school. Just a wild guess. The reason I titled this recipe as such is because I cannot come up with anything other than witchcraft and wizardry to explain how these peanut butter cookies do not fall apart, considering there is no flour in them. I contest that some Hogwarts professor or kitchen employee created this recipe that I just happened to come across. Please enjoy this easy recipe for gluten and dairy-free peanut butter cookies!

Hogwarts Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
-2 cups peanut butter
-1 cup packed brown sugar (can anyone think of a single recipe that calls for brown sugar that isn't packed?)
-1 cup white sugar
-2 eggs
-2 tsp. baking soda

Instructions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (if it were celcius I would be concerned)
2) Mix everything together and beat until well-combined
3) Drop little spoons of dough onto cookie sheet and create a crisscross pattern with a fork
4) Bake for about 8-10 minutes
5) Enjoy!

Sinless Vanilla Cherry Apple Oatmeal

Just because it tastes good doesn't automatically earn a meal the oh-so-overused "sinful" moniker. Oh contraire, this hearty, healthy oatmeal may taste reminiscent of a mortal sin (I didn't know those came in flavors?) but your body will actually jump for joy at the fresh ingredients (unless you are cynical and feel like using expired  oatmeal and rotting fruit) intermingling in your belly. 

Here's what you need:

-1/2 cup quick oats (I used Quaker)

-1 cup hemp milk (for think, creamy oatmeal! Though you can use any kind o milk. Unsweetened vanilla hemp creates a sensational flavor) 

-1 apple, cored and cubed (red delicious was my go-to)

-Approximately 10-12 Rainer cherries (or whatever kind you prefer) 

-Cinnamon to taste (our buds are all different!) 

How to make it:

1) Core and cube the apple. Depending on how hippie you are feeling (you are about to use hemp milk, after all) throw away or compost the core 

2) This step is somewhat unpleasant, but unless you want to be spitting out seeds the whole time you are enjoying your breakfast, cut the cherries in half and remove the pits

3) Cook oatmeal according to package directions, unless you are feeling rebellious

4) Add a hearty or whimpy dose of ground cinnamon

5) Dive in- and try to look as ladylike as I do whole scarfing oatmeal (good luck)

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.