Posts Tagged ‘coconut oil’

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cashew Coconut Cream

Over the weekend we celebrated my birthday. Celebrating a birthday during the month of November in the North West is sometimes a challenge. I really enjoy doing things outdoors, but I’ve come to realize that the weather will always be icy cold and most likely rainy, so I should just do whatever I really want because there are just some things you can’t predict or change. So when a friend mentioned a trip up to Lopez Island a few weeks ago, I made no hesitation and we started planning.

We woke before the sun rise on Friday and made our way North on I-5 for a 2-3 hour drive. The sunrise that morning was beautiful. A magnificent crack of deep orange sitting just below very dark blue-gray clouds outlining Mt.Rainier. Our first stop before getting on the ferry to Lopez was at Deception Pass. The water was crystal clear blue and looked icy cold. Just as we stepped out from the car we felt the first droplets of rain and bundled up into our coats and boots for a walk down the trail to the beach. We combed the shoreline, watched the diving birds and seals, and chased the tides while running around the rocky shores. It was beautiful.

Soon we found ourselves on the ferry where we slowly rocked across the Puget Sound through all the islands before finally reaching our destination. The first thing you see when getting off the ferry is all the tall evergreen trees lining the cliff edges, soon you find yourself in yellow wheat fields where fluffy sheep are grazing and old farm houses are in the distance. My first thought was “how am I going to leave here?” It’s so beautiful, even in all its gray and rain. There are no fast food restaurants or ugly billboard ads, only the locals who wave every time you pass them, we waved back.

We stayed with family that one of our friends had on the island. It was nice to cozy up each evening after a full day of wandering around the grassy cliff side shores of Otis Perkins Park, Shark Reef Park, Iceberg Point, and Lopez Hill. It pretty much poured rain the entire time we were there, but I still had such a great time and now we’re trying to figure out how soon we can go back.

The day before we left I wanted to make a little birthday treat to pack along with us. Since we were going to be doing a lot of driving I figured cupcakes would be easier than a full layer cake. I debated about the frosting. I was originally going to make a light coconut whipped cream type, but wasn’t sure how it would travel. Instead I settled on making cashew coconut cream and frosting them after arriving so they wouldn’t get messy if tossed around.

The cakes themselves are practically sugar-free, using only a little honey. They have a nice chocolate flavor and the cake is a little denser than regular chocolate cake, almost bordering a cake-like brownie.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cashew Coconut Cream / makes 12 cupcakes
cake loosely adapted from My New Roots

The cake and frosting can easily be made vegan by substituting the honey for agave of maple syrup. I think the only change I would make in the future would be the frosting, maybe using coconut butter in place if the coconut milk for a stiffer version. This cake is also great for using up an last bits of pumpkin puree you may have around. It doesn’t taste anything like pumpkin and since I used a yellow banana (instead of a super ripe speckled one) it barely tasted of banana at all.

for the cake
1 1/4 cups light spelt flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons flax meal mixed with 6 tablespoons water
3/4 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1 small banana, mashed well
2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

for the frosting
1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour
1/4 cup coconut milk
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350?F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners

I a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl combine the flax mixture, pumpkin puree, honey, vanilla, mashed banana, and apple cider vinegar, mix very well. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and slowly fold in just until the dry ingredients are fully wet, do not over mix. 

Pour batter into the paper cups, filling about 3/4 of the way full. Place in the oven and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the frosting.
Drain the soaked cashews and place in a food processor. Add the coconut milk, honey, and lemon juice. Puree until very smooth, stopping to scrap down the sides if necessary. Store in refrigerator until ready to use. Stores for about 1 week.

Desserts + Sweets

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

These cookies first came to be because of one of our surf trips earlier last month. We brought along a couple of our friends who had never been surfing before and I wanted to make sure we had some snacks packed for when the inevitable hunger strikes after getting out of the water.

It was already pretty late and we’d be getting up early for the drive out to the coast. A quick search through my pantry and fridge revealed that I had no butter, eggs, or coconut oil, which left me to getting creative. Luckily I had some chocolate chips, flour, and a bag of shredded unsweetened coconut flakes for a little inspiration.

I remembered seeing somewhere once that you could place shredded bits of coconut into a food processor and after 10-15 minutes end up with something very much like coconut butter. I decided to give it a try.

Surprisingly it worked really well. It’s not quite a smooth as what you can buy, but I decided in that moment that it had to be good enough, since it was the only chance I had to get cookies made before morning the next day. I had a leftover cup of almond meal and decide to throw that in; giving the cookies a little more protein and a nice crumbly texture. The cookies turned out better than I thought they would. They have a very distinct coconut flavor, but without the coconut texture and the dough is slightly crumbly, but when pressed together, holds its shape nicely. I made these into little one or two bite size which I would recommend. Not only because they are cute this way, but because I’m not sure how large cookies would hold up when baked.

I made these again this week at the request of my husband. He had a gallery opening last night in Seattle at the Assemble Gallery and Studio and wanted me to provide some of his favorite cookies for the night. I made flourless peanut butter, molasses ginger cookiesand of course these coconut chocolate chip. The attendance was amazing last night and I’m so incredibly proud of all the work he put into the show; it was the least I could do to make cookies. If you happen to be in the area, the show will be up until October 11th; although the cookies will be gone, heehee.

Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies / makes about 3 1/2 dozen small cookies

I’m sure you can use store purchased coconut oil in these as well, just melt it down a little so it’s not completely solid. I’m going to put these in the vegan category because the dough is vegan but because I only had regular chocolate chips they weren’t, but that’s an easy fix for those of you who prefer non-dairy chocolate chips.

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup almond meal
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup coconut oil (or 2 cups dried unsweetened, processed)
3/4 cups cane sugar
1/3 cup +2 tablespoons water, divided
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips or 8oz roughly chopped chocolate

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease or line baking sheet.

In a large bowl combine the flour, almond meal, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl beat together the coconut oil and sugar. Add in the 1/3 cup and vanilla, mixing until everything is smooth and creamy. Add the wet mixture to the dry. The batter will be pretty crumbly, add in the 2 tablespoons of water if needed. The dough should have a sandy texture, but when pressed in between your hands come together and hold nicely.

Mix in the chocolate chips. Form the dough into small, walnut sized balls, and place on the cookie sheet, slightly pressing the cookies down to make a flat top.

Bake 12-14 minutes or until the bottoms ares lightly browned (the dough itself doesn’t seem to darken much, so it’s easier to see it the underside has browned). Cool on a wire rack completely before storing tightly covered at room temperature.

Desserts + Sweets, Grains, Vegan

Lemon Thyme Strawberry Shortcakes

I can feel Summer coming, it’s really close. The days are long and every morning I gently wake to the sound of birds chirping. In the NW, many say Summer is never truly here until after the 4th of July. After that, it’s one of the most pleasant and beautiful places to be.

In the mean time I’ve been eating strawberries by the fist full to compensate for the lack of sun. After picking up my first little blue basket a couple weeks ago, I went back and bought an entire flat. I couldn’t help myself. And I wouldn’t mind going back to get more from a farm nearby to pick my own. They were perfectly ripe red jewels. I set aside a few baskets to eat as is, baked with them, placed them in salads, pureed some and put them into pancakes and the rest were cleaned up and placed into the freezer for a little December strawberry delight.

But I couldn’t think of a better way to start July than with strawberry shortcakes. I don’t think there was ever a childhood Summer where I didn’t enjoy one of these tasty cakes. I always preferred mine loaded with fresh strawberries and not as much whipped cream, the same is true today.

These aren’t your traditional shortcakes though. And definitely not the spongy little cakes that come wrapped in plastic, that for some reason I remember were always slightly sticky. What was that?

The inspiration for these shortcakes actually comes from a favorite cornbread recipe that I’ve been making for years (although I’ve yet to share it here, I’d better get on that). A subtle taste of lemon and a grassy earthiness from the thyme makes these something different. The cakes themselves are actually vegan, but you wouldn’t know it.

They bake with a perfectly thin and crisp crust on the outside and a soft, delicate crumb interior. I could eat them on their own, like a scone with a cup of tea, but when topped with strawberries and a dollop of fresh whipped cream well, lets just say I went in for seconds.

I also wanted to share something sweet with you as a sort of bribe for info from all of you. In about a week we’ll be headed down to San Francisco for the Renegade Craft Show. We’ve only spent a brief amount of time in this incredible city, and even though this trip is more work related, I’d love to get inside tips on places to go, see, and of course good places to eat.

Budget friendly places are always most helpful, but really anything you’ve got I’d love for you to share. And if you happen to be in the bay area on July 9th and 10th you should come and stop by.

Lemon Thyme Strawberry Shortcakes / makes 6

This recipe make 6 single serving shortcakes, but can easily be doubled if you’d like more. If you’re unsure about the lemon or thyme, leave them out, you’ll still have a perfectly delicious vegan shortcake, sans the whipped cream of coarse. I used white whole wheat flour to keep them from straying too far from their original light color, but feel free to use whole wheat pastry flour or all purpose flour if that’s what you have.

shortcake
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons cane sugar
zest of one lemon
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme or 3/4 tablespoon fresh
6 tablespoons coconut oil, not melted
3/4 cup almond milk
juice of half a small lemon

whipped cream
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoons cane sugar

a pint of strawberries, sliced for serving

Preheat oven to 425F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silpat baking mat.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, lemon zest, and thyme. Using your fingers, rub in the coconut oil until little pebbly pieces begin to form and mixture is crumbly.

Pour the almond milk and lemon juice into the bowl. Gently stir until a soft dough starts to form. It will be a pretty wet and sticky dough, but make sure that you incorporate all the flour at the bottom of the bowl. You just don’t want to over work it.

Divide the batter into 6 equal portions, about a half cup each. I like a more rustic look and just plop the onto the baking sheet, but you can try patting them into a more uniform shape.

Place them in the oven and bake for 12-15 minutes. They should be puffed up, slightly golden, and have a slight give with lightly pushed with your finger. Transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

To make the whipped cream, pour the cream into a mixing bowl along with the sugar. Whip at a high speed until soft peaks begin to form, do not over-beat. Keep covered and chilled until ready to serve.

When ready to assemble, carefully slice the cakes in half with a serrated knife. Place strawberries and whipped cream on the bottom half, then cover with the top half and serve.

I think the cakes are best eaten on the first day, but stored in a tightly covered container they will keep for a couple days.

Bread, Desserts + Sweets, Fruits

Rhubarb Rosemary Crisp : For Two

I’m a firm believer that desserts, especially in the form of cakes, pies, and crumbles, should be served for a crowd. It feels celebratory and it’s a great way to end a meal with the ones you love. But then there are times when the middle of the week rolls around, with no place to go or people to see, and a craving strikes for something sweet with an oaty brown sugar topping smothering warm fresh fruit.

I happened to have everything to make a rhubarb crumble and wanting to avoid the inevitable, dessert for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the days after, I settled on making it for two. Shortening up the recipe quite a bit to make only two servings took some thinking and tweaking. At first I was worried I would end up with to much crumble topping, but after thinking about it more I thought, who ever complains about having to much crumble? I ended up with the perfect amount anyways and a tasty treat I looked forward to digging into.

Have you ever had rosemary with your rhubarb? It’s amazing. They were meant to be together. It transforms a tart, sweet dessert into something sophisticated and interesting. I love my rhubarb desserts on the more tart side, then sweet. Adding sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche adds a little extra creamy sweet touch at the end as well, but you can choose to use more sugar in the filling if you’d like. Crisps and cobblers are one of my favorite things to make in the Spring and Summer time. They’re always a comfort and easy to prepare and serve.

Rhubarb Rosemary Crisp / serves 2

I used spelt flour for the crumble, but feel free to substitute whole wheat or all-purpose flour if you’d like. I really liked the coconut oil in the crumble, it added another slight flavor change to the traditional butter topping, but either will be fine. Although the butter will most likely brown a little more. The ramekins will seem really full, as the rhubarb cooks it will break down and sink a bit, so don’t worry if you think it will overflow.

crumble topping
3 tablespoons spelt flour
3 tablespoons rolled oats
2 tablespoons brown sugar
pinch of salt
2 tablespoons coconut oil or cold butter

rhubarb filling
1 stalk rhubarb, chopped or about 1 full cup
1/2 teaspoon chopped rosemary
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoon cane sugar

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease 2 ramekins and set aside.

For the crumble, stir together the flour, oats, brown sugar, and salt in a small bowl. Add in the coconut oil and using your fingers, mix in until crumbles start to form. Use your hand to squeeze the mixture together into one or two large clumps and place in the freezer while preparing the filling.

In a separate bowl, place the rhubarb, rosemary, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar. Stir to combine.

Spoon the rhubarb mixture evenly into the prepared ramekins. Pull the crumble out of the freezer and spoon evenly on top of the rhubarb.

I like to place the ramekins onto a baking sheet just in case there may be any spill-over then place in the oven. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is golden and the fruit is cooked and bubbly. Serve warm with a dollop of sweetened whipped cream or creme fraiche.

Desserts + Sweets, Fruits, Vegan, Vegetables

No-Bake Pistachio & Cherry Granola Bites

I wasn’t sure weather or not I’d be sharing these little cookie balls with you today. I experiment a lot in the kitchen and many times I’m lucky in that things come out just as I imagined in my head, but there are times things don’t always work out as planned too.

Everything was working out perfectly until I started to roll the sticky dough between my hands. The dough was much looser than I had imagined it would be, but I kept going thinking to myself at least they will taste good even if they don’t look as pretty. But towards the end, as I was gathering the last few bits of dough together, they started staying together better. It was still a bit of a sticky mess, but they were holding together by themselves into little balls and it made me realize I just needed to let the dough sit for a bit before shaping them right away. In the instructions below I’ve allowed for a five minute rest before shaping the dough. If you live somewhere where it’s super warm right now, you may even want to let the dough chill in the fridge a few minutes before shaping.

This little experiment came about because Scott and I will each be at two separate craft shows this Saturday. I usually like to make little treats for us to enjoy during the long show hours but thought it was especially important this time because we’ll be split up making lunch and snacks much harder to pick up when there’s only one of you.

I wanted something granola bar like with oats, dried fruit and nuts to keep our energy up and I liked the idea of making them bite sized for a quick bite in between talking with customers. Right now they’re packed up and ready to go in the freezer. I’d normally keep them in the refrigerator, but I’m hoping they’ll keep their structure when we head out the door early tomorrow morning.

If your interested, I will be in Seattle at the Intiman Theatre from 11-5pm for the Etsy Rain Show and Scott will be down in Portland, OR for the Crafty WonderlandSpring show. Stop by and say hello if you’re in the area we’d love to see you there! And to all the mother’s out there here’s wishing you a lovely Mother’s Day weekend!

Also a quick note on the coconut oil I used in these. I love cooking with coconut oil whenever I can, not only because it tastes delicious but because it’s really good for you too. A couple weeks ago a package was sent to me with a jar of Kelapo coconut oil. I’m always a little hesitant to review products here, but after reading more about the company I couldn’t resist. Not only is it a 100% organic product, but they are also a fair trade company and it’s tasty to boot. If you haven’t added coconut oil to your diet yet I urge you to give it a go. It’s really versatile and can be added in place of butter in many baked goods as easily as it can be added to sautes and savory meals. I’m curious if you’ve used coconut oil before and what you’ve used in in?

No-Bake Pistachio and Cherry Granola Bites / makes about 20 small balls

I’d imagine these little granola balls could work with any nut or dried fruit you’d like. You could even replace the maple syrup with honey for another option as well. Make sure to source gluten free rolled oats if you are thinking about making these for a gluten free friend.

6 tablespoons maple syrup
1/4 cup almond butter
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons almond milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1/4 cup shelled pistachios, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cherries

Stir together the maple syrup, almond butter, coconut oil and almond milk in a small saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until the mixture comes to a gentle boil. Stirring constantly allow to boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat and stir in the vanilla.

In a separate bowl, combine the oats, pistachios and dried cherries. Pour the almond butter mixture over the oats and stir until everything is well coated. Let this mixture sit for about 5 minutes to cool slightly. This will make it easier to make into balls.

Have ready a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet. Taking rounded tablespoons full of dough, roll and press together between your palms and place on the baking sheet. Once finished place in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes until the balls have hardened. Then enjoy!

Keep the balls stored tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Breakfast, Desserts + Sweets, Gluten-Free, Grains, Proteins, Vegan