Coconut Macaroons

Yesterday I decided I wanted to make cookies, but I had no idea what kind. This morning I was flipping through my Martha Stewart's Cookies cook book and I realized I wanted to make soft and chewy cookies, so I perused that section of the cookie book and I came up with 3 different cookies I wanted to bake. I asked my sister which one she would actually eat and she picked these: coconut macaroons. I’ve never had a coconut macaroon and I’m still not sure if I even like coconut all that much, but these cookies weren’t that bad and they took 5 minutes (10 tops) to make and they were über simple! I think next time I'll try it with an almond extract or maybe with some chocolate.

They probably could have been baked just a minute longer to get a crispier

exterior, but they were good nonetheless.

Coconut Macaroons

slightly adapted from Martha Stewart

makes 1 1/2 dozen (I got about 2 dozen)

Ingredients

3/4 cup sugar (1 tbsp)
2 1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut (used sweetened)
2 large egg whites
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of salt (forgot to add, whoops)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, coconut, egg whites, vanilla, and salt. Using your hands, mix well, completely combining ingredients.
3. Dampen hands with cold water. Use 1 1/2 tablespoons to form mounds; place on prepared baking sheet, spacing about 1 inch apart.
4. Bake until golden brown, 16 to 17 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool on a wire rack. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts
serving size: 1 macaroon
Calories 67.8 Total Fat 5.5 g Saturated Fat 0.0 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.0 g Cholesterol 0.0 mg Sodium 12.1 mg Potassium 5.2 mg Total Carbohydrate 6.0 g Dietary Fiber 0.9 g Sugars 5.1 g Protein 1.4 g

Cake slice Bakers - January 2011: Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Snaking Cake

You know what’s really delicious? S’mores, that’s what’s really delicious. I love roasting the marshmallows over a flame and then making it all crisp….mmmm That (and the fact that school is out) is the only reason I miss summer. Well with this month’s Cake Slice Bakers cake choice I got to relive summer, kinda.January’s cake for Cake Slice Bakers was the Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake found on page 22 in Cake Keeper Cakes. I was really excited to make this cake because I ended up missing December’s cake, which looked really good and everyone else said they loved it. Well this cake was just ok, not great. But, I didn't like it enough to try for a second peice and my dad (who likes everything I make, so he says) didn't like it much either. When I was making the batter I was super excited because it smelled sooooo good and when it was in the oven it looked soooo delicious. I think what killed this cake was the frosting. I was expecting a more marshmallowy type frosting, but instead it tasted just like butter. The amount of sugar could have be raised maybe a tablespoon or two but the butter definitely needed to be cut down some, like maybe 6 tablespoons instead of a whole stick and increase the marshmallow fluff by maybe 1/4 of a cup.

Also I made a mistake. Once the cake cooled I spread the frosting on top and cut myself a slice to taste. Well I’m one of those people that like cake to be a little warm when I eat it and I nuked my slice in the microwave for about 8 seconds and t wasn’t warm. So I put it in again for another 8 seconds and when it came out the frosting was gone! Well it wasn’t gone I just couldn’t see into the microwave that far. When I look my plate out the frosting has pooled into the bottom of the plate. When I tasted it, it tasted like straight butter and I had to trash that piece cause I couldn’t get past the butter taste. When I cut myself a new piece I tasted the cake with the frosting and I’m like this is really gross and then I tried scraping off the frosting and it was waaaaay better.

First slice is never all that pretty.

Graham Cracker Chocolate Chip Snacking Cake

serves 9

Ingredients

For the Cake

8 whole graham crackers, finely ground (about 1 cup)

1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 tbsp butter, softened
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

For the Frosting
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Directions 

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease an 8inch square baking pan and dust it with flour, knocking out any extra. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, flour, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
2. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and then beat until smooth.
3. With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture, then half of the milk, stirring until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour and milk, ending with the flour. Stir in the chocolate chips.
4. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack, and then turn it right side up to cool completely.

Frosting

1. Place the butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat until creamy. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the sugar, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Stir in the vanilla and the marshmallow fluff and beat until smooth. Use immediately or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.
2. Cut the cake into squares and serve each one with a dollop of frosting on top. (Bring the frosting back to room temperature first if it has been stored in the fridge). Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Facts
serving size: 1/9 cake
Calories 363.8 Total Fat 23.0 g Saturated Fat 2.9 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.7 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 93.6 mg Sodium 284.9 mg Potassium 29.9 mg Total Carbohydrate 37.3 g Dietary Fiber 0.5 g Sugars 26.5 g Protein 4.3 g

I´m not just a Cinnamon enthusiast, I´m also a Psychic

Just kidding about the Psychic part...but today while I was driving I randomly got the song F*** You by Cee Lo Green (by the way Gwyneth Platrow did a better job on Glee) in my head. And when I got home I started humming it and my sister was like, “I was singing that in my head while you were driving”. So, I guess we had some sister telepathy going on. Cool, eh?

Well let’s get onto the subject of pie. But before I do, did anyone recodnize the quote I used for the title? No? Yes? Well it’s from Psych, a.k.a. the best TV show EVER! I’m totally in love with James Roday (Shawn Spencer). Well in the episode Dual Spires, Shawn and Gus go to a cinnamon festival and basically everything in the town has cinnamon in it and Shawn and Gus try a cinnamon pie and the way they went on and on about it I knew I had to make it too, but I just didn’t have time. However, the idea for a cinnamon pie has been in my head since that episode aired and I could get it out. Well today I finally did it! I made a cinnamon pie! Granted it’s not the prettiest thing in the world and this is only my second pie and I think, even though it is unfortunate looking, it is one dang good tasting pie! I don’t want to say it was fudgey because it isn’t chocolate, but that’s the consistency it had and mmm I had to stop myself from eating more of it by eating ice cream instead haha. But it is now my goal to perfect this pie because I think it could turn out to be something great. Maybe that could be my new years resolution.

The crust was a tad bit burnt on the top, but that didn't harm

the taste factor of this pie.

 Mmmm cinnamon pie.

Cinnamon Pie
recipe from DVO Recipes 
makes one 9-in pie
serves 8

Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1 heaping Tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 egg, beaten slightly
2 tablespoons oleo, melted (Had no clue what this was, so I used butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups milk (used 2%)

Directions

1. Mix the dry ingredients together (sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt). Add the egg, oleo, and vanilla. Mix well and add the milk. While stirring, pour into the unbaked pie crust. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees. Bake for 45 minutes more. Top will seem loose, but will set up.

Crust
adapted from Nabisco World

Ingredients
8 whole HONEY MAID Honey Grahams, finely crushed (about 1-1/4 cups crumbs)

1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted
1/3 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1. Combine ingredients until well mixed.
2. Place crumbs into prepared pie shell (maybe greese it with some PAM beforehand?) and press firmly.
3. Cool in the fridge for about 1 hour.

Nutrition Facts
serving size: 1/8 pie

Calories 301.9 Total Fat 12.7 g Saturated Fat 0.8 g Polyunsaturated Fat 0.1 g Monounsaturated Fat 0.5 g Cholesterol 56.5 mg Sodium 196.3 mg Potassium 30.3 mg Total Carbohydrate 45.1 g Dietary Fiber 0.7 g Sugars 36.2 g Protein 3.4 g