Coconut Nutella Bird's Nests

I've tried several times to write this post and nothing seems to work. Anything that's come across the screen seems superficial or just too simple to capture what I want to say. It's hard to handle huge waves emotion and most people deal with them differently. I don't know how to handle, talk about or even think about grief and it seems that the only thing I could do was hurt someone else.

But as soon I walked away, all the emotions I'd tried so hard to lock away overflowed. And for the first time in four years, my heart hurt. This immeasurable weight was pressing on my chest and it felt like I was sinking. It's funny, in that way, how sadness can be forced and self-inflicted. It turns out the stories are true, I really didn't know what I had until it was gone.

Basically, emotions are hard to handle but if the rest of the stories are true, time can heal most hurts. Let's have some cookies and throw some cares away. And hey! Happy Valentine's Day! I hope that didn't sound sarcastic, it was supposed to be sincere. Promise.

Coconut Nutella Bird's Nests
These pups are so easy to make you should make them right now. The cookies are three ingredients. Three. Plus, they are a tasty shortbread that can be rolled in and filled with just about anything. Except cilantro.

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 egg whites, beaten until frothy 
3/4 cup sweetened, shredded coconut
1/2 cup nutella

Preheat the oven to 350º. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or butter 'em up. In a bowl, beat together the butter and brown sugar until nice and fluffy. Beat in the flour just until combined. It won't be the smoothest of doughs, it is more like a shortbread dough. Scoop up heaping tablespoons and roll into balls and flatten slightly between your palms. Roll the flattened ball in the egg whites then roll through the coconut. Place on the prepared baking sheet and press a dent into the center. Hold the sides of the dough with one hand and press the dent with a finger from the other hand. Repeat. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes, until the coconut is golden. Remove from the oven and press on the dents again. Allow to cool. Once cool, plop in a teaspoon of nutella in the dent. Voila! You have yourself some birds nests.. minus the evil birds. Makes 24, on the dot, cookies. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Rice Krispie Squares

"Hello? Is it me you're looking for?" That's me, Lionel Richie beeteedubz, saying sorry. I brought squares to make it up to you! But let me tell you a little story about how these bars came to be. It all started back when this shining ray of light was brought to banana bread for the first time back in the late twentieth century. I'm totally not being dramatic at all.

Banana bread has always been my favourite thing to eat. I can down a loaf and the remaining batter, that was purposely left in the bowl, in less than twenty four hours. It's been done and it is never pretty. It involves a lot of rolling on the ground, staring at a treadmill and then falling asleep. Regardless, we always find our way back to each other. But I'm still always searching for new ways to bake bananas. 

 In my long list of banana recipes to bake, there was this. It contains everything that is right in the world: chocolate, peanut butter and bananas. It's like a rice krispie square on 'roids. In the best possible way.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Rice Krispie Squares
From Bakers Royale (check this site out, it will blow your mind.. and stomach) 

rice krispie square
6 cups Rice Krispies
5 cups marshmallows
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 banana (2.5 oz, approximately ½ of 1 large size one)
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

topping
1 ½ cup mini marshmallows
1 tablespoon butter
½ banana (2.5 oz, approximately ½ of 1 large size one)
2 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips

To make the squares: Place marshmallows, butter, banana, peanut butter and chocolate chips in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat. Stir to combine. Quickly add marshmallows and Rice Krispies and stir to combine. Press mixture into an 11 x 13 pan. Set aside.
To make topping: Place marshmallows, butter, banana and peanut butter in a non-stick pan and melt over low heat. Stir to combine. Pour topping over Rice Krispie mixture. Melt chocolate and pour small dots of it throughout the topping. (Or be a dork like me and mix the chocolate into the topping.) Using a knife gently pull it through the chocolate dots to create a swirl pattern. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours fo the topping to set. Makes 24 bars.

 

Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate banana bread has been on my mind. Not because it is currently being ingested right now but because it has been driving me crazy. This was the first recipe I tried and it is so simple. Cake mix, bananas, milk and some cinnamon if you want. And it was ridic yet it was shameful that it wasn't completely from scratch.

First there was a poor attempt at a recipe made on a whim. It was too fudgy and it couldn't complete cook through no matter how hard I tried. Next up, I went for the infamous coco-nana bread by one Dorie Greenspan. This was way better but still not as good as the first. I then broke down into a weeping heap on the kitchen floor. 

That was a lie. The sensible being that I am excepted that cake mix is awesome and this bread is my best banana friend. And that is tough competish.

Chocolate Banana Bread

1 Devil's Food Cake Mix
1 1/4 cup very ripe banana, mashed
1/4 cup milk (skim or whole works)
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup milk chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan. Mix together all the ingredients until just combined. A few bumps are alright, they will work themselves out. Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover with tin foil. Bake for 40 minutes and remove the foil. Continue baking for another 30 to 40 until a toothpick inserted comes out with a bit of batter. Allow to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Move to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes about 12 slices.

* This bread is amazing when it is sliced with a serrated knife, each piece wrapped in plastic wrap, thrown in a freezer bag and allow it to freeze. They don't freeze completely because the bread is so fudgy. It tastes great frozen or reheated in the toaster. Enjoy! 

S'more Rice Krispie Squares

You know quite a bit about me. After all, this blog is a written outlet of my life and the things that get baked up along the way. But what about you? If you are anything like me, you scour the internet for new recipes from your favourite blogs. You love baking at any hour of the day. You jump from blog to blog reading and watching until you force yourself to do something slightly more productive but think "screw that." But these are just assumptions.

Tell me about you. Let's start with something easy. Do you have a movie that you know like the back of your hand?

S'more Rice Krispie Squares

These are so easy and the perfect way to hit up some s'mores.. all day.

3 cups large marshmallows

1 heaping tablespoon butter

2 tsp vanilla

3 cups rice krispies

1 cup graham crackers, broken into coarse pieces

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Butter a 8 x 8 inch square pan. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, place the marshmallows, butter and vanilla in the microwave until the marshmallows begin to soften, about a minute. Mix with a spatula and microwave for another minute until the marshmallows are fully melted. Add the rice krispies until just mixed together. Add the graham cracker chunks and chocolate chips to combine. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Allow to cool and devour. Makes 16 smaller squares.

P.S. My brother thinks these are ridiculous.

Double Chocolate Tiramisu

At the moment I am: hopped up on caffeine through coffee and diet coke, dizzy with information regarding Thatcherism and French words related to traffic, pumped for Europe and freedom from exams and Easter, cold because my sweater is upstairs. These past few days have been pretty wild. Not rave wild but wild as in sleep deprived and nerve racking.

Oh well! Let bygones be bygones, water under the bridge, etc. No matter how much school is kicking me in the knees, it does not matter because there is too much to be excited for baby. I listed said things above but I must include that once exams are over it will give me more time to watch Young Victoria. Again. Hoops. Other plans include vodka and some cranberry raspberry juice if you know what I am talking about. If you don't, I mean drinking alcohol.

Speaking of booze, it is meant to be in drinks not baked goods for me. Most of my experiences of tiramisu are booze or coffee soaked nastiness. Sure it is the proper way to make it but the cream cheese and chocolate packed version is tastier. Cream cheese does that. My Mum made this once a few years ago and it was ridiculous. I was so excited that I liked it that I nearly ran off with it into the sunset. 

Double Chocolate Tiramisu

Adapted from Everyday Food 

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for garnish

1 1/2 cups hot and fresh coffee
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1 bar (8 ounces) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
24 ladyfinger cookies (from a 7-ounce package)

powdered sugar for garnish

In a medium bowl, mix cocoa powder with coffee until dissolved; set cocoa mixture aside. In a small microwave-safe bowl, place 1/4 cup cream and chocolate; microwave in 1-minute increments, and stir until melted. Cool to room temperature. Beat the cream cheese and sugar until fluffy. Add the cooled chocolate and cream mix. Add remaining cream; beat chocolate filling until fluffy. Spread 1/4 cup chocolate filling in the bottom of a 2-quart serving dish. One at a time, dip 6 ladyfingers in cocoa mixture, then arrange in a single layer in dish; spread with 1 cup chocolate filling. Repeat with three more layers, ending with filling. Cover tiramisu, and refrigerate at least 2 hours (or up to 2 days). Dust with cocoa powder and powdered sugar before serving. Serves 10.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

Once upon a time, there was a girl who said that if she ever melted butter again she would brown it instead. That girl was me and that I have. It really does add an almost caramelized taste to baked goods. This recipe comes from a magazine I bought way back in the fall specifically because Bakerella was on the cover. She is awesome. This recipe popped in my mind because there was buttermilk nagging at me in the fridge. I have the most noble intentions when I buy buttermilk and then find myself scrambling to use it all up. Granted it pushes me to bake new things but seriously screw off.

Since it is exam season and I'm supposedly on the South Beach Diet, I should not be baking. But since the last batch of cookies I made threw off the diet, how could muffins hurt? They are fricken cute to. I may in fact use this recipe for the Mum's Day brunch I'm planning. God that is a lot of extra links.

Mini Chocolate Chip Pancake Muffins

Adapted from Bakerella
 

2/3 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 tablespoons butter

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips or mini chocolate chips + extra for sprinkling*

1/2 cup maple syrup

In a small saucepan, over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to cook said butter until brown bits form on the bottom. Set aside to cool  slightly, about ten minutes. Preheat the oven to 350º. Spray 24 mini muffin tins with non-stick spray or butter them. In bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, egg, maple syrup and browned butter until combined. With a spatula, stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar. Mix until just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Evenly distribute the batter. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips. Bake, alternating halfway through, for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow them to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove to a rack. While they are cooling, warm up the maple syrup for dipping the muffins. Enjoy! Makes 24 mini muffins.

 

* I used milk chocolate chips in the batter and then mini chocolate chips for sprinkling. 

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispy Squares

My brothers do not like coconut. They like it in certain cookies were it is subtle but when it is straight coconut, it is a no go. But since my friends love coconut, they are a great outlet for my coconut lovin'. The PLL (Pretty Little Liars) finale was not to long ago and I brought these babies along. That finale was awful. Every story line was not concluded and everything was a straight mess. I mean come on. Normally the show concludes one issue and begins another (See vampire diaries, daws, etc.). Sweet heavens, kill me now.

Apologies. It was late, they weren't going to last until the morning and the camera was in Mexico (long story).

I clearly have a poor choice in TV shows but why fight it when one can embrace it. The worst of it was is when we ran to the computer to see when the series would start again we freaked out that weren't going to be home. Because we would be in Europe. We took a step back at that point and realized we were morons and then our minds shifted to how excited we were for Europe. Oh, if I only had a life. (Imagine that being sung Wizard of Oz style.)

Toasted Coconut Rice Krispy Squares

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

3 tbsp butter

5 cups marshmallows

1 tsp vanilla

4 cups rice krispies

Preheat the oven to 350º. Butter a 8 x 8 pan. On a baking sheet, spread out the coconut. Bake the coconut for 3 to 4 minutes, tossing halfway through. Do not leave it unattended as it can burn in a heartbeat. While the oven is heating up, place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until brown bits begin to form on the bottom. Remove from heat. Place the marshmallows in a bowl big enough to fit in the microwave. Microwave the marshmallows for about 30 seconds, until they start to melt. Add the butter. Stir around and microwave for another 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are completely melted. Stir in the vanilla. Stir in the rice krispies until fully combined. Press into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the coconut on top and press into the bars. Allow to set, if you can, and dig in. Makes 16 bars.  

(Vegan) Peanut Butter Bread

A few months ago my Dad was offered a promotion at his place of work but there was sort of a hitch, he would have to travel. When he first started working at said company he had to travel a lot and even though I was a wee lass at the time I remember missing him. Now is no different. Since he loves his job I will let it slide. Apparently people have to support their family even if they hate it, dumb rules.

But now when he is home I make sure there is something for him. His favourites are christmas cake (barf), rugelach and burnt cookies. Everyone else in the family hates christmas cake so he goes nuts. It is often referred to his crack and my Dad isn't one to make a drug related joke. It is serious. For some reason peanut butter bread seemed right up his alley (and my life source). The ingredients list is so simple! And it isn't the least bit dry and yet has a crispy crust. Heaven amigos, heaven.

Vegan Peanut Butter Bread

Adapted from Girl Versus Dough who got it from The Food Network

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cup soymilk

1/2 cup chunky peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 375º. Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Whisk together the dry ingredients. Place the peanut butter in a small bowl and melt it in the microwave which was approximately 30 seconds. Add the soymilk and melted peanut butter. Mix just until combined. Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow the loaf to cool for 5 minutes, remove to a cooling rack. It is easier to slice once cooled but dig in right away if necessary. Makes 1 loaf.

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

Spring is nearly upon us but it is pretty bipolar here. It snowed last week yet it was on the weekend so no snow days. Yay. The other day the winds were so extreme that Whistler shut down early and my Dad almost didn't make it home. But today it is sunny enough for a walk in a t-shirt. Too bad I was wearing the shirt that said "Between the cheek 8 bucks." I have no idea where the shirt came from but it is the best sleep/walk shirt. For once I dam the sun for making me take my sweater off.

Little story time. Near my house, on the lake, there used to be a prison. It was taken down the year I was born. While this always seemed awesome to me, my parents informed me it was dangerous in the years leading up to the closure. Thirteen high risk prisoners managed to escape in one day. How is that possible?! Even Shawshank style would be difficult with thirteen. Needless to say, three years later it was gone. How does this relate to hot chocolate? It doesn't. How have I gone so long without this? My brain automatically thinks of ways to add peanut butter to everything and it seems hot chocolate is the natural next step and it was brilliant.  

Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate

1 1/2 tbsp smooth peanut butter

4 tsp sugar

1 tbsp cocoa

huge pinch of cinnamon

1 cup milk

In a small saucepan, combine the peanut butter, sugar, cocoa and cinnamon. Mix until combined. Add the milk. Place over medium heat. Whisk until the mixture is combined and nice and hot. Top with marshmallows. Serves 1.

Watermelon Salad

This is to make up for that crazy good popcorn. It's nice to have balance in life so for every cupcake, eat an apple. Let that be the lesson of the day. This recipe is something that was supposed to be posted in the summer. Nearly everyday during the summer I eat watermelon. There are trends in my appetite clearly. 

The problem was it would be eaten before I took photos. Woops-a-daisy. When mini watermelons were on sale last week, five may or may not have been put in my cart. And that was being restrained. It seemed like the perfect time for me to exercise a bit of control and get some photos and share my love. 

Watermelon Salad

3 cups watermelon, cubed

1 lime

1/4 tsp pepper

Place the watermelon in a bowl. Squeeze the lime juice on top of the lemon. Add the pepper. Toss and inhale.

Note: This is also great with lemon. And the pepper can be more or less depending on your taste.

Applesauce

I come baring.. applesauce? Pathetic. But due to recent events, it is sort of a life source. My food intake consists of: mashed bananas, pudding, yogurt, puréed soups, etc. Yeah my wisdom teeth were removed on Friday. But I have successfully managed to learn how to 1. swallow pills without liquids 2. swallow foods whole and 3. watched nearly a full season of How I Met Your Mother in one day. 

My Paps the other day said he missed "porridge." That is elderly talk for oatmeal. Only joking, my Paps is young and chipper in a Ray Ramano/Tom Hanks kind of way. I made some baked oatmeal, which I will post a recipe soon because it is amazing even when puréed or swallowed whole, and used this applesauce. Applesauce is normally placed in recipes to substitute oil and such but why not take advantage of that and add some more flavour? I highly recommend it.

Applesauce

Adapted from How Sweet It Is (Looove her!)

2 gala apples, sliced 1/4 inch thick

2 tbsp water

2 tbsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp brown sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch of ginger

pinch of allspice

1/4 tsp lemon zest

In a small sauce pan, add all of the ingredients. Place over medium-high heat until it starts to bubble then reduce the temperature to low and cover. Cook for about ten minutes or until the apples are soft enough to mash. Makes about 1 cup of applesauce.

Honey Flortentines

Did you know that Vancouver is supposed to be expecting its coldest winter in fifty years? No, you didn't? Well let me tell you that this is not good news. A. I hate cold. Wind, snow, rain, clouds, you name it. Unless it is warm rain, a nice breeze in the summer or pink clouds in the morning. Okay that is a lot of exceptions, moving on. B. I have to take the bus to school and therefore have to wait for said buses in said cold. C. I nearly become transparent I become so pale. So let's make some cookies and cheer up.

These cookies took about twenty minutes to make from start to finish. No lie. Simply heat up the ingredients, mix till smooth and bake for a few minutes. Bingo, bango, cookies! They are actually more like a really thin salted caramel. But none the less, they are delicious.

Honey Florentines
From Martha Stewart's Cookie Cookbook (my favourite)

2 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
2 tbsp flour 
fleur de sel*
filling
peanut butter and confectioner's sugar

Preheat the oven to 375º and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. In a microwave safe bowl, cereal bowl was my choice, melt the butter, honey and brown sugar together for about 30 seconds. Remove and stir then heat up again for approximately another 30 seconds until it is fully combined. Immediately stir in the flour and salt and mix until smooth. Once smooth, immediately pour 1/2 teaspoon amounts of the mixture onto the baking sheets, at least 3 inches apart. They really spread. Bake for about 6 minutes until light brown and bubbled and spread out. Remove from oven and allow to cool on sheets on a wire rack. Once they have cooled they can be stored between sheets of parchment paper in an airtight container for two days. If you wish, you can mix together a couple tablespoons of peanut butter and sift in as much confectioner's sugar as you like, about 2 tablespoons for me, and beat until fluffy. Spread this between two florentines.

*As soon as I removed them from the oven I sprinkled them with a tiny bit of fleur de sel. Strictly because I just bought some and wanted to try it out. This step can be skipped if you do not have any fleur de sel on hand.

Week 4 Twelve Weeks of Christmas:

My Favourite Chocolate Cupcakes

Choosing a favourite anything is quite difficult because there are so many possibilities. But these cupcakes, after several trials, are my favourite chocolate cupcakes! Cupcakes and cake in general should be moist in my mind. I really hate the word moist by the way but I have to use it. Granted other chocolate cupcakes are good but none seem to compare in flavour or texture to these. Also the whole one bowl type deal really appeals to me as I have a tendency to send ingredients and utensils flying. There for the less materials used, the better.

My Favourite Chocolate Cupcakes

From Marth's Cupcake Cookbook

1 1/2 cups flour

3/4 cups unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

2 large* eggs

3/4 cup buttermilk

3 tbsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup warm water

Preheat oven to 350º. Line regular muffin tins with muffin paper liners. In a larger bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, buttermilk, canola oil, vanilla and water. Beat until smooth and combined by scraping the sides and bottom thoroughly. Divide batter evenly into 18 lined cups, about two thirds full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Put tins on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cupcakes from tins and let cool completely on wire rack. They can be stored overnight at room temperature** or frozen up to two months, in airtight containers.

* Large eggs are the standard usually for baking unless otherwise stated.

** I once had them for three days and they were fine but they weren't frosted yet.

Cream Cheese Frosting 

From Marth's Cupcake Cookbook

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

6 ounces (3/4 cup) cream cheese at room temperature

2 cups confectioner's sugar sifted

1/4 + 1/8 tsp vanilla extract

Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy. Add sugar 1/2 cup at a time then vanilla. Beat until smooth and combined, scrape bottom and sides to ensure all is mixed in. Colour as desired and frost away. It can be refrigerated for up to three days in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before using and beat till smooth.

Assembling

Take a cooled cupcake and spread on frosting with a butter knife. I usually swirl it. Then place a 1 inch heart shaped sugar cookie on top.