Flourless Chocolate Cake (my new favorite chocolate cake recipe!)

We don't actually have anyone in our immediate family who is allergic to gluten, but no matter--this   chocolate cake recipe (from my friend Mirien at Mirien's Kitchen) is simply the best I've ever made.  I've been asked for the recipe time and time again and no one can believe that it contains absolutely no flour and instead is made with 2 cans of garbanzo beans.  It's got the perfect texture and just the right amount of moisture (my big beef with most other cakes) and we thought it was even better than the gourmet chocolate cupcakes we bought from a bakery.  We've made this into cupcakes, single layer cakes, and my sister-in-law even used it to make a 17-layer cake (check out the picture at the bottom of the post)!   You simply need to try this totally gluten free recipe to believe it! 

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:


CAKE: 
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet or dark chocolate chips
2 cans (15-oz. each) garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
6 eggs
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 Tbs. cocoa powder
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla

CHOCOLATE FROSTING:
1/4 cup butter
4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup milk
1-1/2 tsp. vanilla

WHITE CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE: 
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 tsp. shortening

Directions:  FOR CAKE:  In a small bowl, melt the chocolate in the microwave for about 2 minutes on 50% power, stirring frequently until smooth.  In a blender, blend the beans and eggs until creamy.

 

Add remaining ingredients, including the melted chocolate and blend well.  If your blender is not big enough, pour into a bowl to mix.  Put batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 40-45 minutes, until a toothpick in center comes out with moist crumbs--DO NOT OVERBAKE.  For cupcakes, bake for 20-25 minutes.  When cool, frost with chocolate frosting. 

FOR FROSTING:  Beat all ingredients until creamy and spreadable. 

FOR DRIZZLE:  In a small microwaveable bowl, melt white chocolate chips and shortening together on 50% heat for 2 minutes or until melted and smooth.  Take care to stir frequently.  Immediately after melting, drizzle over frosted cake or cupcakes and allow to set.

Check out this 17-layer version my sister-in-law made for her sister's 17th birthday!  

Enjoy!

Quick Cinnamon Rolls and Cream Cheese Frosting

There's nothing quite like the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls wafting through the house to get my mouth watering.   I love this recipe from my sister  because the rolls are soft and delicious and quicker to make than most recipes.  I like to make them for a special weekend brunch for my family along with some fresh fruit and scrambled eggs.  

You'll have to look at the unique way we cut and rolled these cinnamon rolls.  I never was much good at rolling the entire sheet of dough at a time and my 12-year-old niece introduced me to a much easier way--no dental floss needed and they keep their shape better! 

 Click here for printable recipe.

The ingredients:
CINNAMON ROLLS (from AnnaLisa):

1-3/4 cups warm water (110°-115°F)
6 Tbs. sugar
1/2 cup oil
3 Tbs. instant yeast
1-1/2 tsp. salt
2 eggs
5-1/2 cups flour
melted butter (we used a 1/4 cup)
sugar and cinnamon mixture (1/2 cup sugar + 1 Tbs. cinnamon)

Mix the following: water, sugar, oil, and yeast. Let stand 15 minutes. Then add salt, eggs and flour. Roll 1/2 inch thick (10x20 inches) on lightly floured surface.

Spread with melted butter

and then sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Cut into slices with pizza cutter.

Starting with long edge begin rolling fairly tightly.

(We prefer this way of cutting and rolling over the traditional way of rolling the entire sheet of dough and then cutting with dental floss.  We find our rolls hold their shape much better this way.)

Arrange cut side down, on a greased cookie sheet.

Let rise 15-30 minutes in warm place, covered with a dishcloth. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 12-15 minutes.

 While warm, spread with cream cheese frosting and serve immediately!  Enjoy!

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING:
2 Tbs. butter, softened
3 oz. cream cheese
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. powdered sugar

Beat butter, cream cheese and vanilla. Gradually add powdered sugar to the mixture. Beat until fluffy.  Spread over warm cinnamon rolls.  Enjoy!

Garlic Chicken Pasta with Spinach

I found the recipe for this garlicky dish over at Kara's Kitchen Creations, which is one of my favorite places to find new recipes.   The garlic and Parmesan cheese gave it its amazing flavor and the pasta and chicken made it instantly likable to the kids, despite the presence of the green spinach.  This is an easy-to-make main dish that is definitely staying in our keeper files!  

  Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

6 Tbs. olive oil
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (1-lb) penne pasta
5-oz. fresh spinach, chopped
1 Tbs. dried basil (or 1/2 cup fresh)
6 Tbs. lemon juice
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Directions: 
Heat olive oil, garlic, and red pepper flakes in  a small glass bowl in the microwave for about 1 minute to blend flavors.

Pour about 1 tablespoon of the flavored oil in a skillet.  Salt and pepper chicken and cook in the oil over medium high heat until chicken is browned and juices run clear.

Add the chopped and spinach and saute with the cooked chicken for 1 minute (or until just barely wilted) and remove from heat.

 

Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed on package; drain well.  Add cooked chicken/spinach to pasta, along with basil, lemon juice, and Parmesan cheese.  Then stir in the remainder of the flavored olive oil.

 

Toss lightly until all ingredients are well-combined.  Serve immediately.

Makes about 6 servings.  Enjoy!

Macaroon Brownies

About six weeks ago, my husband and I decided to swear off sugar six days a week.  I won't lie and say it's been easy and I won't lie and say that I don't look forward to my "sugar day" all week long. (Click here if you want to find out more about our sugar quest).  But on the upside, since we're only eating sweets once a week the quality of our desserts has improved.  I'd been eying the recipe for these macaroon brownies for ages, but always put it off thinking it would take too long to make.  Well, this past Sunday was the day to try it out!  They weren't near as time consuming as I thought they'd be (only about 30 minutes in actual labor plus the baking time) and the end product was well worth the effort.  The brownies were thick and fudgy, the macaroon filling made it taste a little like a Mounds bar, and the fudgy frosting was just to-die-for!  Yum-o-licious!!!!

Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients: 

BROWNIES:
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar (I didn't have any, and they still turned out great)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

MACAROON FILLING:
1 package (14-oz.) flaked coconut
1 can (14-oz.) sweetened condensed milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

FROSTING:

3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 Tbs. butter
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:  In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla; mix well. Combine the flour, cocoa, and cream of tartar; gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in nuts (if desired). Spread half the batter into a greased 13x9" baking pan.

For filling, combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla;

carefully spread over batter in pan. Top with the remaining batter.

Bake at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

For frosting, combine the sugar, milk and butter in a saucepan; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the marshmallows and chocolate chips; cook and stir until sugar is dissolved. Remove from the heat; stir in vanilla.

Cool until frosting reaches spreading consistency. Spread over the cooled brownies. Cut into 24 bars.

Enjoy!

Tomato and Brie Focaccia

I'm always on the hunt for fun, new recipes for our Friday pizza night tradition.  I found this one in a Taste of Home magazine and we loved its fresh, simple goodness.  The chunks of slightly sweet brie cheese balanced out the fresh tomatoes perfectly.  The kids still preferred their plain sauce and cheese pizza, but for the more adventurous sort (those of us over the age of 10) we loved this fun new recipe!   

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients: 

2-1/2 to 3 cups all-purpose flour

2 Tbs. yeast

1 tsp. sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup water

1/4 cup plus 1 Tbs. olive oil, divided

1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes, drained

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

6-oz. Brie cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

Directions:  In a large bowl, combine 2 cups flour, yeast, sugar, and salt.   In a small saucepan, heat the water and 1/4 cup oil to 120-130 degrees.  Add to dry ingredients; beat just until moistened.  Stir in enouch remaining flour to form a soft dough. 

Turn onto floured surface; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes.  Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top.  Cover and let rise for 20 minutes. 

Punch dough down.  Press into a greased 9x13-inch baking pan.  Cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, and oil.  Spread over dough; top with cheese cubes.

Bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and cheese is melted.  Place pan on wire rack to cool.  Enjoy! 

Cornmeal Lime Glazed Cookies

I found this recipe in an old family cookbook when I was really hungry and couldn't stop thinking about the interesting combination of ingredients in these.  Cornmeal, limes, oranges---it just made my mouth water just thinking about it.  When I actually got around to making them though I wasn't quite so starved and I was pretty nervous making them wondering if we would end up liking them. 

The further into the process I got, the more nervous I got.  Thankfully, though the experiment was a success.  They were a stand-out cookie with its delicious citrus flavor and slight shortbready texture.  I really enjoyed the texture that the cornmeal gave to these and I am definitely adding this into my holiday cookie repertoire! 

This picture may not make them look glamorous, but they tasted like a million bucks!  Next time I may blend the citrus zest with the other glaze ingredients  in a food  processor to get a smoother looking topping.


Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

COOKIES: 
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
4 tsp. freshly grated lime zest
2 Tbs. freshly squeezed lime juice (about 6-8 medium sized limes total, including the glaze)
2 tsp. freshly grated orange zest (2 medium oranges)
1/2 tsp. pure almond extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal, plus more for coating glass

LIME GLAZE:
3-1/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2-1/2 tsp. freshly grated lime zest

For cookies:  In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes.  Add eggs; beat until just blended. Mix in lime & orange zests, lime juice, and almond extract until well-blended.  Add flour and corn meal and beat until just blended. 

Transfer dough to a piece of plastic wrap.  Shape the dough into a dish; wrap and chill until firm, about 1 hour. 

Preheat oven to 350°.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Fill a small bowl with cornmeal.  Using a 1-1/4-inch ice cream scoop, form balls from chilled dough.  Place balls on prepared sheets, space about 3-inches apart.

Dip bottom of a medium drinking glass first into a bowl of water then into a bowl of cornmeal.


Flatten balls with the bottom of glass until dough is about 1/4-inch thick.


Bake cookies until crisp and light-golden brown around the edges, 14-16 minutes. 

Transfer baking sheets to a wire rack on top of a piece of parchment paper.  Pour the lime glaze over the cooled cookies, allowing the excess to drip off the edges.  Let glaze set.  Store cookies in an airtight container for up to 1 week.  Makes 24 cookies. 

For glaze:  Sift powdered sugar into a medium bowl.  Add lime juice; stir until smooth.  Stir in lime zest.  (Next time I make these I will blend the glaze ingredients together in a food processor to get a smoother texture.)  Use glaze immediately. 

Enjoy!

Crazy Craisin Cookies

I am always on the hunt for fun new cookie recipes to try, especially for the holidays. This recipe from my friend caught my eye immediately with the fun combination of white chocolate, Craisins, and toffee bits.   They were simple and easy to whip together and I loved the way it all came together.  It is the toffee that really gave it the unique crunch and flavor.   I found my Heath toffee bits in a bag with chocolate chips (see ingredient picture below), but if they're not available in your area you can just buy a 3-4 Heath candy bars and crunch them up for the same effect. 

Click here for printable recipe.  

The ingredients:

1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup Craisins
1 cup white chocolate chips
1-1/2 cups toffee bits (I found mine already chopped in a bag with the chocolate chips)

Cream butter and sugars together. Add egg and vanilla and mix well. Then add the flour, baking soda, and oats and mix until just combined.

Stir in the Craisins, white chocolate chips, and toffee bits until just combined. Roll into balls and place on ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes.

Enjoy!

Christmas Cookies: Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

I love this time of year when it's perfectly acceptable to bake goodies every day of the week and no one even thinks twice about it.  Goodies to eat, goodies to share with friends, goodies for parties, and goodies as gifts--it's all good!  I made these delightful cookies for a luncheon last Christmas and was asked several times for the recipe.  Covered in chocolate and with all that good  coconut flavor this recipe from Epicurious is the perfect creative cookie to share!

Click here for printable recipe. 

The ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
3 large eggs
24 ounces sweetened flaked coconut (about 6 cups firmly packed)
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted


Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Line 3 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add sugar and salt; beat until blended. Beat in orange peel, then eggs, 1 at a time. Mix in coconut. Drop batter onto sheets by tablespoonfuls, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake macaroons, 1 sheet at a time, until golden on bottom and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes. Do not overbake. Cool completely on sheets.

Using fork, drizzle chocolate over macaroons. ( I also dipped the bottoms into the chocolate, which seemed to be a big hit at the luncheon). Chill on sheets until chocolate is firm, about 30 minutes.

Enjoy!