Apple & Caramel Cake

Living in the Midwest, we love our Falls. It's cold enough to put on our favorite sweaters, scarves, and pull out the cute boots, but not so cold we hate the outdoors all together. We know winter is coming soon, so we all head outside to enjoy the last bit of warmth for 5 months. I love going to the apple orchard in the Fall and finding the best apples I've had all year (since my last trip to the apple orchard), indulging in an apple donut and some warm apple cider. Pair apples with caramel, and you've hit one of the best fall food combinations around.

This cake is just that, a perfect combination of apples and caramel. The caramel is swirled into the cake, which makes every bite from top to bottom sweet and delicious. Drizzle a little more warm caramel on top, and it's perfect.

I originally made this cake last New Years Eve actually. (It just shows how bad I am at posting...) Every year for New Years, I have my close friends from high school over and make them dinner. It's my love language- food and acts of service- so I love doing it. I love cooking for them because they are always open to trying whatever I put in front of them (unlike my family who asks what I did to it to make it healthy). This cake was a hit; I'm pretty sure we finished the whole thing.

As always, the recipe is dairy-free. This time it's even vegan! So enjoy some great fall baking!

Adapted from Oh, Ladycakes
Makes one 9″ spring form cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

2 cups whole spelt flour
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ground cinnamon
3/4 cup raw turbinado sugar (I used Sugar in the Raw)
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup almond milk
2 flax eggs*
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup caramel sauce, divided
3 tart apples, peeled and chopped

*to make 2 flax eggs: combine 2 Tbsp flax meal and 6 Tbsp water, let sit for 5 minutes.

Caramel Sauce:

1 1/2 cups coconut milk fat
3/4 cup raw turbinado sugar (Sugar in the Raw)

Directions:

Cake:

1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of a 9″ spring form pan with parchment paper and spray with oil; set aside.
2. Stir the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl.
3. Create a well in the center and pour in the butter, vanilla extract, almond milk, and flax eggs; beat with a hand mixer on high speed for 30 seconds.
4. Fold in the pecans then pour half of the mixture into the prepared baking pan.
5. Drizzle with 3 tablespoons of caramel, then top with the remaining batter. Run a knife through batter in a figure-8 motion several times.
6. In a small bowl, toss the chopped apples and remaining caramel. Place apples over batter and press to even.
7. Bake at 350˚F for 50-55 minutes. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve with warm caramel sauce drizzled on top. Keeps in an air tight container for 3 days, but is best the day of.

Caramel Sauce:

Yields 1 cup

1. Refrigerate two cans of coconut milk overnight, or at least 12 hours.

2. The next day, scoop the fat off of the top of each can and measure out 1 1/2 cups.

3. Place the coconut milk fat into a small sauce pan and heat over medium heat until liquid. Add the sugar and whisk until the mixture turns a dark caramel color.

4. Allow mixture to boil for 15-20 minutes, whisking briskly every 3-4 minutes. The longer it cooks, the thicker it will become; cook a minimum of 15 minutes.

5. Refrigerate extras in an air tight container. Reheat to soften.

Raw Peach Cashew Cheesecake

 Warm weather is almost gone and fall is on the horizon. As one last hurrah to the sun (and the amazing Michigan peaches I finished off last week), this raw peach cheesecake deserves a spot on the table.

This two-layered cheesecake has the perfect lemon tartness from the bottom layer, contrasted with the sweetness of peaches from the top layer. The crust is, well, amazing as well. The dates hold it all together while the almond give it just that little bit of crunch. Since it's a raw cheesecake, that means it's diary free! (and gluten free for those who were wondering).

Enjoy this summer-filled peach cheesecake with the last rays of sun before winter!

Adapted from My New Roots
Makes a 9-inch cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup soft medjool Dates
1/2 tsp sea salt

Filling:

2 1/4 cups raw cashews, soaked for at least 5 hours
juice of 2 lemons
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup honey
3 peaches

Directions:

1. Place nuts and dates in a food processor with sea salt and pulse to chop until they are to your desired fineness (process a finer crust longer than a chunky one). Test the crust by spooning out a small amount of mixture and rolling it in your hands. If the ingredients hold together, your crust is perfect. Scoop out crust mixture in a 9” spring-form pan and press firmly, making sure that the edges are well packed and that the base is relatively even throughout. Rinse food processor well.
2. Warm coconut oil and honey in a small saucepan on low heat until liquid. Whisk to combine.
3. In the most powerful food processor / blender you own (you decide which one has the most torque) place all filling ingredients (except raspberries) and blend on high until very smooth (this make take a couple minutes so be patient). If you have a Vita-Mix, absolutely use it.
4. Pour about 2/3 (just eyeball it, you can’t make a mistake!) of the mixture out onto the crust and smooth with a spatula. Add the peaches to the remaining filling and blend on high until smooth. Pour onto the first layer of filling. Place in freezer until solid, about 5 hours. Its best to make this the day before.
5. To serve, remove from freezer 20 minutes prior to eating. Run a smooth, sharp knife under hot water and cut into slices. Serve on its own, or with fresh fruit. Store leftovers in the freezer.

Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The month of February was not a good month for my stomach. Almost everyday ended with me eating crystallized ginger, drinking peppermint tea, and then lying face-down on my bed with a heating pad under my stomach. I eat mostly whole foods, and for the most part my diet hasn't changed. I just couldn't figure out what was causing this much pain and bloating! After tracking the pain and the foods I ate and talking with our schools dietician, we decided it could be either gluten, broccoli, or spinach. The only way to find out was to take each of these out of my diet for a few weeks and see if the symptoms resided. Long story short, I am now gluten free.

I really did not want to have to take gluten out of my diet. Granted, I don't eat much bread or things of the like anyways, but I just didn't want to be that person: the person who is dairy-free and gluten-free. But here I am, g-free for a month or so, and no stomach pain, bloating, or gas! In order to confirm this sensitivity, gluten needs to be out of a person's system for about two months, so the intestines can heal completely, then it needs to be eaten again to see if a reaction occurs. That will be my job next month.

That being said, mom, there will now be a lot more gluten-free items made in Your Daughter's Kitchen. Which is probably better for all of us since mom is allergic to wheat (not necessarily gluten), and my little sister is supposed to be without gluten for her hyperextension joint problems.


On to these amazing cookies. They are dense, and almost biscuit-like, but sweet like a cookie. I love the banana in this as it makes them sweeter and acts as a vegan egg-replacement. As with most of my recipes, they're great with a cup of coffee. If you're into milk, they would be delicious with that as well. 

If the mixture is a little dry, add a little more almond milk or mashed banana. If you would like them a little sweeter, add some more chocolate chips.

Happy gluten-free, dairy-free living to us all!

Makes 24-28 cookies; about 150 calories per cookie
Adapted from The Simple Veganista

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1 1/4 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour (I used Bob's Red Mill)
3/4 cup coconut sugar
1 heaping tsp cinnamon
1 heaping tsp baking soda
2/3 cup refined coconut oil (softened or melted)
1/2 large banana, mashed
1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (at room temp)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a small bowl, mash banana as smooth as possible, set aside.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine coconut oil and sugar, mix well. Add in mashed banana, vanilla and room temperature almond milk.
4. Add the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda to the liquid mixture, mixing well to combine and scraping the bottom to make sure there are no flour clumps. Add in oats, then chocolate chips, mixing in between.
5. Scoop out rounded tablespoons of mixture and place on sheet about 1 inch apart, flattening slightly. Cookies stay about the same size while baking. Bake for 9-11 minutes. Remove from oven, let cool, and enjoy.

Apple and Blackberry Cobbler

As Easter nears, I am reminded of the many delicious spring and summer recipes that are about to explode on every blog, magazine, and instagram account that I browse. Recipes filled with berries, leafy greens, baby carrots, and other color-filled fruits and vegetables. This dessert is one I made a couple years ago and had in a combined-post with another dessert (Blueberry and Lemon-Poppyseed Cake), but I felt it was time for each to get it's own post, since they are equally as delicious, yet completely different.

As I mentioned in the original post, I am often put in charge of desserts for family get togethers. In order to make everyone happy, I usually make a "healthy" and a "not-so'healthy" dessert. This cobbler was a perfect pick for the normal people in the family (whatever normal means).

My family could not stop raving about this cobbler; they ate the entire thing. The tartness of 
the berries worked so well with the sweet, yet plain, cornmeal biscuits. The biscuits have a great texture from the cornmeal as well. This cobbler is definitely best hot, and pairs perfectly with vanilla bean ice cream.

Serves 8-10
Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Ingredients:

Filling

3 pounds (8-ish cups) baking apples, peeled, cored, cut into 1/4-inch wedges

2 cups frozen blackberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soft (not melted) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Biscuit Topping

1/2 cup medium-grind cornmeal (not quick-cooking)
2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour plus more for work surface
1/4 cup sugar plus more for sprinkling
6 tablespoons soft (not melted) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup heavy whipping cream 

Directions:

Filling

1. Preheat oven to 375°. 
2. Combine apples, blackberries, sugar, cornstarch, honey, butter, and lemon juice in a large bowl and stir. 
3. Transfer mixture to a shallow 3-quart baking dish (about 10x12) and set aside.

Biscuit Topping and Assembly

1. Combine cornmeal, baking powder, salt, flour, and sugar in a bowl with a pastry blender or pulse in a food processor. Add butter and mix/pulse until pea-size lumps form. Transfer flour mixture to a large bowl and add 1 cup cream and stir until a dough forms.

2. Transfer mixture to a lightly floured work surface and knead just until dough comes together, about 3 times. Pat or roll out dough into a 14x4-inch rectangle about 1/2 inches thick. Cut dough rectangle in half lengthwise, then cut each strip crosswise into 4 equal pieces to make 8 biscuits.

3. Arrange biscuits over fruit mixture, spacing about 1/2 inch apart. Brush biscuits lightly with cream and sprinkle evenly with sugar.

4. Bake cobbler until filling is bubbling around edges and biscuits are golden brown, 35-45 minutes.

5. Transfer to a wire rack and let cobbler cool for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

**I made the dough and filling the day before Easter then refrigerated them overnight. I assembled it and baked it the day of so it was hot for serving. This worked great. To do this wrap the dough in cling wrap with a little flour around it to keep from sticking. Keep the filling in the bake tray and cover in cling wrap then place both in fridge.

Dark Chocolate Coconut Oil Brownies

The minute I saw this recipe, I knew I had to make it. They're brownies- with coconut oil in the title. Therefore, they are automatically winners in my book. 

Coconut oil is a food item / product I use every single day. I say product purposefully because I use it as a beauty product as well. I use it as face lotion, body lotion, and mix it with vitamin E capsules and put it in my hair. It can be mixed with baking soda and peppermint to make toothpaste or swished around in your mouth to whiten your teeth. Since I can't consume dairy, I also use coconut oil in almost all my baking endeavors. Lucky for all of us, it has become a very popular product and can be bought almost anywhere!

These brownies are not for the faint at heart. Since they use unsweetened chocolate, they definitely live up to their name of dark chocolate brownies. They are very rich and almost fudge-like, which means pairing them with some milk, coffee, or ice cream is UH-mazing. If you prefer more of a milk chocolate brownie, use 60-80% dark chocolate instead. 

These brownies also have a distinct coconut flavor due to the fact they they use unrefined coconut oil, which is again, UH-mazing. Since I love coconut (as previously mentioned ranted about), I loved this. Don't be scared if you don't though! Simply switch it out for refined coconut oil, and you will never know it's there.

I decreased the amount of coconut oil from the original recipe, and also replaced part of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat. In the future, I may try to mess with the sugar, but for now I like these brownies just the way they are: full of dark chocolate, coconut goodness. 

P.S- I may have eaten the majority of this pan by myself (don't tell)


Adapted from Pinch of Yum
Makes 12 brownies, 267 calories each

Ingredients:

4.5 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp unrefined coconut oil*
1 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F, and line 9x9 or 7x11 glass baking tray with parchment paper
2. Combine chocolate and coconut oil in microwave save bowl. Melt in microwave, stirring every so often to prevent burning.
3. Pour chocolate mixture into bowl with brown sugar, stirring with whisk to combine. Add eggs and stir until mixture is thick.
4. Whisk in salt and flour. Batter with be thick and heavy.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for 22-25 minutes until edges are set. The less you bake them, the more fudge-like they will be.
6. Let cool in pan. Cut and enjoy! Pairs great with a cold glass of milk, ice cream, or coffee (place a sliced banana on top and you could even call it breakfast)


*for a less coconut-flavored option, use refined coconut oil

Ginger Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

Christmas is coming, Christmas is coming! Finals are done. I finished all my Christmas shopping. My sister's boyfriend graduated from college. Last weekend, I saw the Broadway show Newsies in Chicago with my sisters and mom. Now, my entire family is together (for the first time ever with all 9 of us) in Arizona. It's a busy time of year for me and basically every other person. Despite all the busyness, I love Christmas season: the snow, the beautiful lights and, of course, the baking!

My problem is always that I can't eat any normal Christmas cookies. Stupid dairy. So what do I do? Remake my favorites without the dairy! These cookies are a great combination of the classic gingerbread taste, with gooey dark chocolate. They are definitely different than your classic gingerbread Christmas cookie, but I like it. My mom has dubbed these one of her new favorite Christmas cookies, and I would place them on that list as well.

These cookies, definitely bring out the zingy ginger-taste. As of this summer, ginger has become one of my favorite flavors, especially ginger candy. The bonus of ginger is that it is great for stomach aches and indigestions too! Starting during my freshman year of college, I have had stomach problems more than a normal 20-something year-old should ( I blame the food at my school). This year, ginger has become my natural remedy for my upset stomach.

On that note, if you are not a huge fan of ginger, I would cut it back a little in this recipe. The dark chocolate helps to soften the flavor and cut the ginger-taste, but they are still very gingery!

Enjoy these cookies, the Christmas season, and all the family, friends, and delicious food that come with it!

Adapted from 101 Cookbooks
Makes about 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

2/3 cup coconut sugar
150 grams bitter sweet dairy free chocolate, chopped (I used 88% cacao)
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
4 1/2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup coconut oil
1/4 cup applesauce
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 Tbsp fresh grated ginger, peeled
1 egg, beaten

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F and line baking sheets with parchments paper.
2. Finely chop the chocolate bar into 1/8 inch pieces, or smaller
3. In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, ground ginger, and salt together
4. Grate ginger. Heat coconut oil until just melted (I used the microwave). Stir in applesauce, molasses, sugar, and fresh grated ginger. Add the egg to the mixture, making sure the mixture is only warm, not hot. Finish mixing then add wet mixture to flour mixture and stir until combined. Stir in the chocolate.
5. Roll dough between palms into 1-inch balls then place a few inches apart on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes until cookies puff up and tops darken and begin to crack.

Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate Chips

As previously, mentioned: I love fall. If you care to know the reasons why, look at my recipe for Apple Bread. If you care to eat amazing pumpkin muffins, keep reading here. This muffin is yet another great fall recipe. Technically, I should be posting Christmas recipes right now. It is the second week of December after all, and Christmas is coming oh-so-soon. Here in Indiana though, it's still feeling rather fall-ish. There's no snow on the ground, rather it has been 40 degrees and rainy this past week. Only one more week here though, then I am on my way to the motherland(!!!) AKA Minnesota....minus a stop to Chicago and Arizona on the way (or not so on the way). 

Anyways, back to the muffins. These muffins are sweet enough to eat as dessert, yet light enough to eat for breakfast. The recipe pairs the favorite fall pumpkin flavor with every women's year-round favorite: chocolate. When warm, the chocolate chips melt in your mouth for some great chocolatey goodness. These muffins are gluten-free and dairy-free as well as refined-sugar-free and oil-free. They are not flavor-free though, so no worries there. OH! They also pair great with coffee, which is important since we know I love foods that pair well with coffee.

Enjoy these muffins next time you want a great breakfast, snack, or dessert- because they're that good and that versatile. 

Adapted from Running with Spoons
Makes 8 muffins

Ingredients:

¼ cup almond butter
¾ cup canned pumpkin
1 egg
6 Tbsp. honey
½ cup rolled oats
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ cup mini dairy-free chocolate chips, plus more for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a muffin pan by lining 8 cavities with muffin liners
2. Add all ingredients except chocolate chips to a blender and blend on high until batter is smooth and creamy.
3. Pour batter into bowl and stir in chocolate chips by hand
3. Scoop batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about ¾ full
4. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the tops of muffins are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Check muffins at 10 minutes and sprinkle with extra chocolate chips. When done, allow muffins to cool in pan for about 10 minutes before inverting onto cooling rack. 
5. Muffins can be stored in an air-tight container for up to a week

No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Oat Bars

My willingness to write long descriptions of my food endeavors is close to nonexistent right now. I currently have 6 recipes written up and photographed simply waiting to get a description, therefore this is going to be brief. But who wants a long intro anyways? I'd rather just get to making some yummy food!

Anyways, last week my good friend Lauren (owner of Not Your Ordinary Kitchen) came over and we whipped up these babies, along with Fig Zucchini Pasta and 2 others things (to be posted soon). Basically, these bars are good- real good. They take about 5 minutes to make and an hour in the freezer. They are very rich, so the mini bar size is perfect. Eating these is almost like eating Muddy Buddies, but in a bar- so like heaven. There we go, brief intro! Now eat up!!

Adapted from Hungry Happens
Makes 24 mini bars; 200 calories per bar

Ingredients:

1 cup natural creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 cups rolled oats
1 cup dairy free chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Line and 8x8 inch baking dish with parchment paper
2. In a medium bowl melt peanut butter, maple syrups, and coconut oil in microwave; takes about 1 minute. Stir occasionally to keep mixture from burning.
3. Remove from microwave and mix in the rest of the ingredients.
4. Pour mixture into prepared baking dish, smoothing top with spatula. Freeze for 1-2 hours or until set.
5. Pull entire dessert out of baking dish then cut into 24 bars. Do this quickly as bars soften fast! Enjoy! Store leftover bars in airtight container in fridge.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

Chocolate has been calling my name lately, which is odd because I am normally not a chocolate-craving person. On the other hand, black beans in cookies always scare me a little. I am always scared the cookie will be too 'beany.' These cookies do not fall into that trap. The chocolate shines right on through and really hits the chocolate-craving spot. They are so easy to make and use household staple ingredients (or at least Hawkins household staples).

A bonus of these cookies? They are dairy free, refined sugar free, and vegan. The could also be made gluten free by using gluten free rolled oats. Another bonus? The family liked them. Emma even asked for a second one. This is always the biggest test, and the cookies passed!

So enjoy some chocolatey goodness!

Makes 10-12 large cookies or 20-24 small cookies
Adapted from Deliciously Ella

Ingredients:

2 cups black beans (1 1/3 16-ounce cans)
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 heaped Tbsp cacao powder
2 Tbsp coconut oil
1 1/2 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup cacao nibs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Drain and rinse black beans. Add black beans, maple syrup, cacao, and coconut oil to blender and blend until smooth.
3. Transfer chocolate mixture to bowl. Add oats and nibs to bowl, and stir until combined.
4. Scoop large spoonfuls of cookie dough, roll into balls, and place on cookie sheet. Flatten cookies slightly using your fingers or the back of a spoon; cookies will not expand while baking.
5. Bake for 17-20 minutes, until firm. Let cool then enjoy!

Chocolate Valentine's Cupcakes

Better to post late than never, right? I made these cupcakes as part of my gift to my boyfriend for Valentine's Day. The boy is a picky one when it comes to food, especially desserts. The basic rule of thumb is chocolate. No caramel, no mint, no fruit, no coconut- just chocolate (and sometimes peanut butter). I wanted to make him something that he would like, but something that I would eat too. The line between these two things is a thin one, but I was up for the challenge.

The original recipe calls them muffins and omits the frosting. In order to please my boy, I added frosting. So the muffins became cupcakes and soon the cupcakes bore little hearts on top to theme the day.

Overall, these were so easy to make and turned out great! They were rich and chocolatey with a touch of peanut butter taste. The cupcakes are gluten free, dairy free, and their only sugar is honey. The added frosting is a normal frosting recipe (I had to leave something normal for him), so it contains sugar, butter, and milk. I simply left some unfrosted for myself to eat. Best part of the story? He liked them! No complaints and no suspicions. It's the little victories in life that matter.

Makes 8 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Cupcakes:
1/2 cup peanut butter (almond butter, or any other nut butter would work too)
1 ripe medium banana
1 egg
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 Tbsp. ground flaxseed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 cup Enjoy Life dairy free chocolate chips


Frosting:
2 Tbsp butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp Milk 
Splash of vanilla 
(<1/4 tsp)Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and prepare a muffin pan by putting 8 muffin tins in pan. Set aside
2. Add all ingredients except for chocolate chips to a blender and blend on high until batter is smooth and creamy. I used a Magic Bullet since I don't own a blender at school. This worked great as well, just be sure to put the liquid near the blade. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
3. Pour batter into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity until it is about 3/4 full.
4. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops of cupcakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool in pan for ~10 minutes before removing.
5. While cupcakes bake and cool make the frosting by adding all ingredients to a small bowl and mixing thoroughly with an electric hand mixer.

 If adding frosting and heart:
1. Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Using 1-inch heart shaped cookie cutter, punch out a heart from the center of two of your cupcakes. The heart will be extremely thick.
2. Cut the heart in half so you are left with two thinner hearts.
3. Frost the remaining cupcakes using a knife and place heart on top.

Cacao Cookies

These cookies are quickly becoming my go-to cookie while I'm at college. They are great because I always have the ingredients I need for them, so I can whip them up whenever and then enjoy! They are usually more of a cookie dough though, since they don't quite make it to the baking sheet. Partially because, as I've stated before, I don't want to make that trek to the kitchen. 

For those who do not know, cacao is the bean that chocolate and cocoa are made out of. It is more bitter than chocolate since it's just the bean and no sugar or milk. The cacao is really what makes the cookies. It gives them a nice crunch, and when baked, the cacao caramelizes slightly and adds a nutty flavor. These cookies would also be amazing with coconut in them, which makes it insanely similar to this recipe from last March. 

One thing I have learned at college is that I can replace almost anything in a recipe with something else. Sometimes this works, other times it doesn't. When you're on a limited budget in the middle of a cornfield though, you make do with what you have. In this case, I made the recipe with a chia "egg" because I didn't have a real egg. It ended up working and also makes eating the raw dough less dangerous*. Ideally, I would make this recipe with coconut sugar as well, but I didn't have that so regular sugar it was! This made them taste way too sweet for me, so I cut it down to a mere 2 tablespoons and added some honey to help the dough stick.

I currently do not have a picture of this cookie; I simple couldn't wait any longer to post this recipe. I will have a picture soon though.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp almond flour
1/3 cup cacao nibs
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 Tbsp sugar (preferably coconut)
2 Tbsp honey
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water (to make chia egg)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. Make chia "egg" by adding 3 tbsp water to the chia seeds and letting sit for 10-15 minutes, until most water has been absorbed and the egg is a thick consistency. 
2. While egg is setting, stir flours, cacao, baking powder, salt, and sugar together in a medium-sized bowl using a spoon or fork. 
3. Once the "egg" is ready, add egg plus wet ingredients to the bowl and stir thoroughly.
4. Scoop dough, roll into 3/4-inch balls, and place on parchment-lined baking sheet. Press down cookies using a spoon, thumb, or cup to flatten slightly; these cookies will not expand at all during baking
5. Bake for 7-10 minutes or until golden brown then enjoy immediately (and next week, when you decide to make them again)



*The likelihood of a person being affected with salmonella from a raw egg is 1 in 20,000. That's equivalent to eating 1 raw egg every day for the next 54 years. This essentially means that you're safe either way.

Chocolate, Peanut Butter Custard Cups

For how much I love making my own food, I rarely do it while at school. Something about sharing one kitchen with 300 other girls just isn't all that appealing to me. This was one of the three times I made it down there this semester, and man was it worth it.

I made these custard cups way back in October when my boyfriend and I celebrated 6 months. 2 months later, I am finally posting the recipe (yay for Christmas break). These cups are extremely rich, so it's hard to eat a lot. Yet at the same time they are so good, so it's hard to stop. They are nice because you can make them one day and eat them later, or save them for a week in the fridge. Either way, they taste delicious! 

The original recipe, comes from Green Kitchen Stories. They made the cups with almond butter, but in order to make them more boyfriend-friendly I substituted it with peanut butter. He still didn't fully buy into them, but I liked it so much I finished his off. I keep telling myself that one day I'll get him to enjoy food that doesn't come from a package.

The key to successfully making these is keeping the egg from coagulating. Coagulating. Don't worry, I had to look this word up too. Basically, keep the eggs from turning into a clumped solid. There are a couple of steps that are necessary in order to do this. 1. Don't use the egg whites! They turn solid easier than the yolks when heated. If you have ever made any type of custard, you know this. 2. Pour the hot milk mixture over the eggs slowly, while continuously stirring. 3. Bake the cups in a pan filled with hot water, this helps them heat more slowly, allowing everything to heat equally. 

When baking these, I used mason jars. I'm a poor college student after all, so that was al I could find in my dorm room. They worked perfectly fine and were super cute. Any small glass dish will work!

Makes 3-4 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp all-natural peanut butter
2 organic egg yolks, room temperature
2 tbsp honey
1 pinch sea salt
3 1/2 oz /100 g dairy-free dark chocolate (minimum 70%), coarsely chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 300°F. Whisk together egg yolks, honey and sea salt in a medium sized mixing bowl. 
2. Heat coconut milk, vanilla extract, and peanut butter to a low simmer, stirring to make sure the peanut butter completely dissolves. This can be done on the stove (but I cheat and use the microwave).
3. Remove the milk from the heat and add dark chocolate and stir to make sure it melts into the milk. Slowly pour the melted chocolate mixture over the eggs while constantly whisking. This is important to prevent the eggs from coagulating. 
4. Place 3-4 oven-proof small ramekins, glasses or cups inside a deep baking pan and fill the pan up with hot water. Pour the custard into the cups and carefully place the baking pan on a rack inside the oven. 
5. Bake until the center is almost set, about 30 minutes (custards will firm as they cool). Let cool completely and then refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Easy Oat & Ginger Cookies

The thing I love about these cookies is that they are true to name; they really are easy to make. They take 10 minutes to whip up and 15 to bake, using only a handful of ingredients. They are addicting too. I have, on more than one occasion, eaten an entire batch by myself (oops). These are quickly becoming my favorite cookie for the sole reason of how easy they are to make.

Another wonderful thing about these cookies is that many of the ingredients can be replaced. Use honey instead of maple syrup, or almond flour instead of buckwheat. I made these couple of times this summer with the original recipe (posted below). Recently, since it's fall, I switched it up a little and made these with pumpkin spice instead of ginger and clove (replace with the same amount). Both versions were equally as yummy and addicting.

adapted from Green Kitchen Stories

Ingredients:

4 tbsp coconut oil, room temperature
3 tbsp maple syrup
2 tbsp buckwheat flour
2/3 cup (plus some) rolled oats
2 tbsp coconut milk (or milk of your choice)
1 tsp ground ginger (scant)
a pinch ground clove (about 1/6 tsp)
a pinch vanilla extract (about 1/6 tsp)
a pinch salt (about 1/6 tsp)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Stir together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. 
3. Spoon up 10-12 pieces of dough onto a parchment paper covered baking sheet. Use the backside of a spoon (or your thumb) to flatten it out as thin as you can. They should be slightly larger than 2 inch wide. 
4. Bake for about 15-18 minutes. Until they get a  bit dark around the edges. 
5. Wait to cool before eating. This is hard, but SO worth it as they become crisp once they cool.

No-Bake Peanut Butter Cookies

Peanut Butter is another one of those staple foods in my diet. The problem I have with it though, is that once I start eating it, I can't stop. These cookies are full of peanut butter and also hard to stop eating once I start. These cookies are so easy to make (they are no-bake after all) and are a perfect bite-size treat. I found this recipe on Oh, Ladycakes. She has become one of my favorites lately, as all of her stuff is dairy-free and she has lots of desserts. I haven't made very many of her recipes yet, but I love looking at all of them and have added quite a few to my never-ending list of things to make.

The recipe calls for rolled oats, which you will process in a food processor. Don't use oat flour because you will want to keep the oats more coarse than a flour. Medjool dates can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store; if yours aren't fresh anymore, soak them for 15 minutes beforehand to soften them up.

Ingredients:

2 cups rolled oats
Pinch of fine sea salt
10 medjool dates
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
6 tbsp coconut milk (any nut milk works)

Directions:

1. In a food processor, blend the oats and sea salt into a fine meal.
2. Add the dates and peanut butter; blend for 30-45 seconds. 
3. Add the nut milk and pulse until just combined. 
4. Roll dough into small balls and place on a flat surface lined with wax paper. Press a fork into the tops like you would any peanut butter cookie, then freeze for 15 minutes to set. 

*Refrigerate cookies in an air tight container for up to two weeks. Cookies will keep in freezer for months.

Creamy Chocolate Shake

Sometimes I get this crazy chocolate shake craving. It's rare, but when it happens this is the perfect fix. Smooth, creamy, and chocolatey; this shake hits the spot every time.

The avocado is great in here because it makes it super creamy, but you can't taste it at all. If you don't have hemp protein powder, don't worry about it. I like to add it in for a little extra protein, but it's not necessary.

makes 1 large shake

Ingredients:

1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 avocado
1 frozen banana OR 1 banana and 4 ice cubes
2 Tbsp hemp protein powder
1 Tbsp honey
1.5 Tbsp raw cacao powder

Directions:

1. Put all items in blender and blend until smooth.
2. Enjoy!