Coconut Butter Candy Bark

                                              A delicious and Healthy version of bark candy!

 Recipe from Tropical Traditions  http://www.tropicaltraditions.com

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 10 minutes

• 1 cup coconut cream concentrate (coconut butter), softened
• 2 tablespoons raw honey
• 3 tablespoons coconut oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 pinches sea salt
• 1/3 cup walnuts or pecans
• 1/3 cup mini-soy-free chocolate chips

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. It helps to have everything room temperature.

Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper and press dough into pan.  

Tip: if you want to cut into bars do it now before you stick these in the freezer. Freeze for about 30 minutes. Then you can break this into serving sized pieces. Store in refrigerator. Enjoy! 

To purchase follow the link below

Gold Label Virgin Coconut Oil

https://secure.ttpurchase.com/2384C7E7-EEB4-E752-9DCAE64BF98FE6B2

ORANGE - STRAWBERRY TIRAMISU

Ingredients
24 lady fingers (enough for 2 layers)  see notes below*
½  cup orange juice freshly squeezed from 2 oranges
2 1/2 cups strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup orange zest
1 orange cut in half and sliced ( 12 slices)
6 large strawberries in cut  half (total 12 for top of Tiramisu)
       

Directions:

Make the strawberry sauce, by heating 2 1/2 cup sliced strawberries over medium heat with 1/4 cup of water.
When mixture begins to boil, add 1/4 cup sugar and let simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Take off heat and use a food processor to blend to a liquid. Set strawberry sauce aside.
Whip the cream together with the sugar till you have soft peaks.
Mix the cream together with the mascarpone until you have a smooth mixture.
Mix the orange juice with the strawberry sauce and dip the ladyfingers in the mixture.
Make a layer of the ladyfingers in the bottom of a 12 x 9 baking dish and add a layer of the mascarpone/cream and sprinkle the Orange zest  over this
mixture, repeat ladyfingers and mascrpone mixture.
Leave to stand in the fridge for  2-4 hours before putting on the last layer of strawberries and orange slices and serve
Makes 12 servings, place  strawberry half  and a orange slice  each serving.

* notes... The best lady fingers are found in the international sections at the grocery section or at a International market. The ones in the bread isle of the grocery are too soft and kind  of dissolve or get real mushy.

Authentic Italian Tiramisu

This is a modified Tiramisu recipe from my friend Michela Concetti from Susa Italy

Ingredients:

17 ounces mascarpone cheese

4 egg yolks

2 pkgs. of lady fingers

½ cup of sugar plus a little extra to sweeten coffee

Unsweetened cocoa powder

6 cups of mocha coffee

First prepare the coffee, which is essential to wet the lady fingers * See note below

Put in a bowl and add sugar to your taste, then let it cool.

Whip the egg yolks with the sugar until the mixture is puffy and creamy.

Add the mascarpone cheese until creamy, smooth and fluffy.

You got the cream of tiramisu!

Lightly dip the lady fingers in coffee for longer than a couple seconds or they will get soggy. Put a single layer of into the bottom of your baking dish

Cover the lady fingers with a layer of mascarpone cream.

Arrange now the second layer of lady fingers.

Cover them with the remaining cream and level.

Sprinkle with cocoa powder the surface of the Tiramisu and store in refrigerator until it is to be eaten.  I added chocolate shavings for a garnish

• NOTES*   If you are unable to find lady fingers in your local grocery you can substitute Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies.

Key Lime White Chocolate Pistachio Cookies

Makes 2 dozen
Ingredients:
1 - stick unsalted butter, softened
¾- cup packed light brown sugar
2 - tablespoons granulated sugar
1 1/2 - tsp vanilla
2 - eggs
2-  cups Self Rising flour
1-12oz  pkg. white chocolate chips
2 - tablespoon lime zest
1- tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice
1/3 - cup coarsely chopped  pistachios

Directions:
Preheat to 350ºF. Beat butter, sugars vanilla and egg with electric mixer until well mixed. Stir in flour. Stir in lime juice, white chocolate chunks and lime zest and pistachios.
Roll  cookies into 1 in balls and place onto parchment lined cookie sheet.
Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown. Let sit  1 minute on the baking sheet before removing to a platter to cool.

Double Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

-

Servings: 48 cookies
Ingredients:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil
3/4 cup organic sugar
3/4 cup Turbinado or whole sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
12oz semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups self rising flour
1 1/2 cups shredded coconut
Directiions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Melt the butter and coconut oil and put in a large mixing bowl. Whisk the sugars, eggs and vanilla with the butter and coconut oil until combined. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon just until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut.

Wet your hands and roll the dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet, make sure they have room to spread.

Bake cookies until just light golden brown on the bottom for a nice soft cookie, or a little longer if you like a more crispy cookie. Transfer cookies to a plate for cooling.

Sour Cherry Cake

2 cups flour
1 tbls. Baking powder
1 teas. Salt
½ cup softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
¾ cup coconut milk
1 tsp. Almond extract
1 - 9 oz. jar of Sour  Cherry spread 

Directions:
  Mix flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
Using a  mixer  mix sugar, butter, eggs and almond extract  and beat until smooth and add the flour mixture slowly and the coconut milk and mix until smooth.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees, grease and flour 2 -  9 in. round cake pans. Fill the pans and bake for 35 min. until done.


When cakes are cool, place one on a serving plate smooth side up and spread the Sour cherry spread all over the top of the one cake using all the contents of the jar.   Remove the 2nd cake and place on top  and sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish.

Lemon Basil Tea Cookies

Makes about 36 cookies
Ingredients


2 - Tbs. dry basil 

3/4 - cup sugar

2 - sticks softened butter

1/3 - cup fresh lemon juice  

1 - large egg

3 - cups all purpose flour 

zest of 1 lemon  

Glaze
1/3 cup of powdered sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
¼ cup milk
Preparation
In a small bowl add dry  basil, lemon juice and zest and let sit  for 30 min.
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy; gradually add  sugar, beating well. Add lemon juice, zest and basil and egg, beating until blended. Gradually add flour and beat until blended.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and place 2 inches apart on lightly greased baking sheets. Flatten slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in sugar.
Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool on wire racks.

To make the  glaze add the powdered  sugar , lemon juice and milk and whisk, glaze should  be thin, if it is too thick add a little more milk.  Drizzle over  cooled  cookies and let sit  for about 30 min. to set

Cranberry Poppy Seed Muffins

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter
8 oz. sour cream
1 egg
1 tsp. almond extract
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 cup  sugar
4 tsp. poppy seeds
1 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
Mix flour, baking powder,  baking soda, sugar, almond extract, salt and the poppy seeds.
Melt the butter and mix with the sour cream and the egg. Fold in the flour mixture, being careful not to overmix, then add the cranberries.
Fill the dough in the muffin cups and bake for about 30-35 minutes.

Planters Peanut Butter Cookies

  I was  selected to receive  a sample of Planters Peanut Butter from the National Peanut Butter Board.
To create a nutritious healthy snack using Planters Peanut Butter. This post is part of the Foodbuzz Tastesmaker program  with  National Peanut Butter brand.
      

Planters Peanut Butter Cookies
 1 ½   cups of self rising flour

1 stick of softened  unsalted butter

½ cup of peanut  Planters Peanut Butter

1 cup of brown sugar

1 egg

½ cup of melted chocolate( such as chocolate chips or chocolate bark)

Cream butter, sugar and egg together until combine add peanut butter and mix, then add in your flour, roll into 1 inch balls and lightly roll in sugar. Place on a baking sheet and slightly flatten  with your fingers.  Bake for about 10 minutes until just lightly golden brown on the bottom.  Let cool

Melt the choc. Chips on the stove top  on med. heat  or microwave for 30 sec. at a time  till melted and drizzle the  melted chocolate on the cookies.

Bauduccco Panettone with Chocolate sauce

I was  selected to receive  a sample of Bauducco Panettone  with Choc. chips to try as part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker  program with  Bauducco Panetone.

   I love Panettone, with its  rich buttery flavor and the fruit. I was excited to try the Panettone with choc. chips.
I decided to make a simple dessert.  I cut the Panettone into 4 sections. Took  one of the sections and cut  slices 1 inch thick.
In a med. skillet  I  melted coconut oil to add to the sweetness and lightly toasted the Panettone slices till golden brown on each side. Place on a plate to cool.
To make the  Chocolate Sauce..
Ingredients

2 squares of Semi sweet dk chocolate
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¾ cup sugar
½ cup evaporated milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

In a med. saucepan melt the butter  on med. Heat then add the chocolate , stirring constantly, while stirring add the sugar, milk and vanilla, stir till creamy and remove  from heat.
  On a dessert plate place 2 slices of toasted Panettone  and drizzle with chocolate sauce and serve.

Double Coconut Chocolate Chip cookies

 

½ stick melted unsalted  butter

½ cup of Tropical Traditions  virgin coconut oil

¾ cup of  Organic  sugar

¾  cup of lt. brown sugar  sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 12oz bag of semisweet chocolate chips

2  cups of self rising flour

1 ½ cups of shredded coconut

   

       Preheat oven to 350, melt the butter and coconut oil
  And put in a large mixing bowl, whisk the sugars, eggs and vanilla with the butter and coconut oil until combined, stir in the flour with  a wooden spoon just until combine. Stir in the chocolate chips and coconut. Wet your hands and roll the dough into balls and place on a greased baking sheet, make sure they have room to spread. Bake cookies until just light golden brown on the bottom for a nice soft cookie, or a little longer if you like a more crispy cookie. Transfer cookies to a plate for cooling .   Makes about 48 cookies

Sunshine Thumbprint cookies

Ingredients 
½ cup of  Virgin Coconut oil
½ cup of unsalted butter room temperature
1/2 cup of  sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 
21/4 cups of  self rising flour
½ cup of shredded coconut
3/4 cup Orange fruit spread or Orange Marmalade
Parchment paper   


Method
 Cream the butter, coconut oil and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes.  Add the eggs and vanilla extract to the butter/ coconut oil  mixture.  Add the flour. Mix until just combined. Place the dough in the fridge for 30 minutes and preheat the oven to 350F. Roll the dough into balls about 1 inch in diameter Place the balls on parchment lined cookie sheets.  Press down with your thumb to make a small well in the center of the cookie. Do not press too hard or the cookie will fall apart. Fill with 1/2 teaspoon of jam. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until slightly firm. Allow to cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet to firm up before moving them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Makes 2 dozen cookies.

Healthy Breakfast cookies

1 cup of whole wheat flour

½ cup of self rising flour

½ cup of grape nut flakes

¼ cup of wheat germ

½ cup walnuts

½ cup pumpkin seeds

½ cup dry cranberries
1/2 cup dry blueberries

1 tablespoon of cinnamon

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1 egg

¼ cup of melted coconut oil

¼ cup of apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Makes about 14 large cookies

Directions…

Mix together egg, vanilla, coconut oil, applesauce and cinnamon.
Then add in the fruit and the nuts and mix and then add the flours, wheat germ and the grape nut flakes and mix together thoroughly

Use a  tablespoon  heaped to drop the cookies on a  baking sheet, moisten your hands to shape and slightly flatten the cookie dough.

About 6-7 cookies per pan.  Bake for about  10 min. or until the cookies are golden on the edges. Remove from the oven and cool for about  5 min. before transferring a plate.


* notes… fruit and  nuts of your choice can  be substituted in the recipe.  Ex.  apricots, dates, golden raisins, choc. chips, almonds, pecans.

Meyer Lemon shortbread mini`s

       Cookie                                                                

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch                                                                                              
1 tablespoon  fresh Meyer lemon juice
2  teaspoons grated Meyer lemon zest
    2  sticks softened  butter, (not margarine)
Glaze 

1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon zest
2 o 3 tablespoons fresh Meyer lemon juice

Directions
Combine flour, powdered sugar and cornstarch in medium bowl. Set aside.
Beat butter in large bowl at medium speed until creamy. Reduce speed to low; add flour mixture and all remaining cookie ingredients. Beat until dough forms.
Shape dough into two (10-inch) logs on lightly floured surface. Wrap each in plastic food wrap; refrigerate until firm (2 hours).
Heat oven to 350°F. Reshape logs, if necessary. Very important to cut the same size.

   Cut into 1/4-inch slices with sharp knife. Place 1 inch apart onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until edges are lightly browned.   Leave cookies on the cookie sheets to  cool completely.

Meanwhile, place powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon Meyer lemon zest in small bowl. Gradually stir in enough Meyer lemon juice for desired glazing consistency. Spoon or brush glaze on top of cookies. Let stand until glaze is hardened (15 minutes). Or place  in the refrigerator to set.  These cookies are delicate till they harden, the glaze helps to firm them.

Meyer Lemons

Meyer lemons combine the best attributes of lemons and oranges in a tart citrus fruit that doesn't make your face pucker. Peak season for these lemons begins in November and runs through March. Meyer lemons are thought to be a cross between a conventional lemon and a mandarin orange.
They are sweeter than regular lemons, and have a thin rind that's edible. Meyer lemons yield more juice.

Cardamom Apple mini cakes

Ingredients

2 ¼ flour
1 tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cardamom
2 eggs
1 ½ cup sugar
1 cup natural  applesauce
1 ½ tsp. vanilla
½ cup melted butter
½ cup buttermilk
3 peeled  and chopped golden delicious apples

Glaze

1 ½ cups confectioners sugar
1 tblsp. melted butter
3 tblsp. Apple juice
¼ tsp. cinnamon
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter and flour  mini bundt cake pan ( makes 6 cakes at a time) Using this pan it make 12 mini cakes, you could use 2   12- cupcake pan and it would make 24 cupcakes.


Sift the flour, baking soda, salt and cardamom together and set aside.

Beat the eggs and sugar together, using a mixer on med. high speed, until the mixture forms a thick ribbon when the beaters are lifted from the bowl.  Reduce the speed to low and mix in the vanilla and applesauce. Add ½ cup melted butter, ½ buttermilk and beat until combined. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix until smooth.
 Fold in the apples and put about a 1/2 cup  of batter in each mold. Bake for about 20- 25  minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool for about 5 minutes and unmold the cakes and cool completely.

Glaze

Stir the remaining melted butter, confectioner sugar , cinnamon and the  apple juice together in a med. Bowl until smooth and drizzle  over the cooled cakes, let the glaze set before serving.

Pumpkin Cake

Ingredients:

 3 cups of sugar

1 cup of melted coconut oil or corn oil if you prefer

4 eggs

2 cups of pumpkin

3 ½ cups of all purpose unbleached flour

2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2/3 cup of water

½ cup walnuts

½ cups raisins

 Mix together ingredients and bake in a greased and floured bundt cake pan at 350 for about 1 hour until a knife comes out clean.

For the icing

1 stick of melted butter ( not margarine )

6 tsp of milk

1 box of confectioners sugar

 Melt butter  in a sauce pan on stove and add milk, then stir in the sugar a little at a time  until smooth then drizzle on the cake before it cools.

Butternut Squash Muffins

Butternut Squash muffins


Ingredients
1 banana, mashed
1 package of frozen squash
4 eggs
1/3 cup applesauce
1/3 cup sugar in the raw
6 Tablespoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup white flour
Optional Topping:
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup brown sugar
Directions
1. In stand mixer or mixing bowl, mix banana, butternut squash, eggs, applesauce, sugar, and oil, until well blended.
2. In separate mixing bowl, combine salt, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, wheat flour and white flour.
3. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix until batter forms.
4. Pour into greased baking cups or muffin tins, and sprinkle with brown sugar-cinnamon topping. Makes 24 regular size muffins, 48 mini muffins, or 12 regular muffins and 24 mini muffins .
5. Bake at 350. Regular size muffins for 16-18 minutes. Mini muffins for 13-15 minutes.