Salted Caramel Brownie Bites with Salted Caramel Buttercream

For the brownies you’ll need:

3/4 cup unsalted butter
4 oz. unsweetened chocolate
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup flour
about 36 of your favorite bite-sized salted caramels

 For the buttercream you’ll need:

1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
15-20 caramels
2 Tbsp whipping cream
2 cups powdered sugar
kosher salt


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

To make the brownies, melt together the butter and unsweetened chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl on high heat for 90 seconds. Remove it from the microwave and stir until all the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Add in the sugar, and stir until it is well combined. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla and salt. Finally, stir in the flour.

Put a teaspoon of brownie batter into paper-lined mini cupcake tins. They should be about half full. Put one caramel in each tin, then cover with another teaspoon of batter so the tins are about 3/4 of the way full.

Bake for about 25 minutes, until the brownies have set. They will give a little when you gently press your finger into the top of them, but they should not be too soft. Allow to cool, then make the buttercream.

First, melt the caramel with the heavy cream. You can pop it in the microwave for 30 second increments, until the caramel is smooth. Allow it to cool in the fridge for a few minutes.

Whip the butter for about 30 seconds on med-high speed, so it gets fluffy. Add in about one cup of powdered sugar, and mix until it’s all combined. Once the caramel is cool to the touch, turn the mixer on medium speed and then drizzle the caramel into the frosting. If it’s too hot, it’ll melt the buttercream, so be patient. Beat until fluffy. Then add in the other cup of powdered sugar and the salt, a 1/4 to a 1/2 tsp at a time, mixing and then tasting after each addition to make sure you don’t add too much. A little goes a long way with the salt. Once it tastes the way you want it to taste, frost the cupcakes and garnish as desired.

Lemonade Layer Cake

Ingredients

Cake:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
3 tablespoons thawed lemonade concentrate
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Frosting:
2 tablespoons butter, softened
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
2 teaspoons thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pkg (8-ounces) cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar


Directions

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To prepare cake, place sugar, butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate and vanilla extract in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; beat well after each addition.

Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles.

Bake at for 20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate, vanilla extract and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.


NOTE: I also like to add a layer of raspberries (fresh, frozen, jam, whatever you have) in between the 2 layers before I put the frosting and the 2nd layer on. Mmmmm...

Raspberry Tiramisu

Ingredients

1 8-ounce package mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
40 or so store bought lady fingers
1 8-ounce jar seedless raspberry jam
juice of 2 lemons
raspberries, a lot, as many as you can get


Directions

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together mascarpone and sugar. Add a bit of cream and mix until combined. Add a little more cream and mix again until the mixture is well incorporated and very liquid. Pour in the rest of the cream and the vanilla. Change to the whisk attachment and beat on high until stiff peaks form.

Line the bottom of a 9 inch glass baking dish with half of the lady fingers, or however many will fit. Heat the jam and transfer to a small bowl and stir in lemon juice. Spread half of the jam mixture evenly over the lady fingers. Evenly spread half of the mascarpone and cream mixture over that, and top with half of the raspberries. Repeat the first layer with the rest of the ingredients. Refrigerate over night, or as long as you can before you can’t wait anymore.

Coconut-Pineapple Loaf

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 can (20 ounces) crushed pineapple in juice, drained well


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread coconut on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until lightly toasted, tossing occasionally, 6 to 10 minutes; set aside.

Grease and flour a 9-by-5-inch (8-cup) loaf pan; set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

Using an electric mixer on high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce speed to low, and alternately add flour mixture in three parts and sour cream in two, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix just until combined (do not over mix).

Using a rubber spatula, fold pineapple and 1 cup coconut into batter. Spoon into prepared pan, and smooth top; sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup coconut.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 65 to 70 minutes (cover pan with foil halfway through). Let cake cool in pan 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


NOTE: I've also added some rum extract into the batter and then it's a Piña Colada Loaf.

Almond Joy Bars

INGREDIENTS

10 Tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. fine sea salt
28 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
28 ounces shredded coconut
1 tsp. vanilla extract
5 cups Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Chunks


DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil and coat with canola or vegetable spray.

In a small bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until combined. Add the flour and salt. Carefully mix to combine until it resembles chunky bread crumbs. Transfer into the prepared pan and evenly press the batter into an even layer. Bake for 8 minutes. Cool on a wire baking rack while preparing the coconut topping.

In a large bowl, combine the condensed milk, coconut, and vanilla. Spread over the crust and bake for another 20-25 minutes, until it begins to brown.

Melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Stir until melted and smooth. Pour over cooked coconut bars and spread into an even layer. Allow to cool then refrigerate until hardened, about 1 hour. Cut into squares.

No-Bake Nutella Icebox Cake

Ingredients

2/3 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 tbsp cornstarch
6 1/2 oz Nutella (by weight)
2 tbsp Frangelico
a box of graham crackers

Method

Line a 9" square cake pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.

Scald the milk, cream, and 1/4 cup of sugar in a small saucepan.

In the mean time, whisk together egg yolks, 1/4 cup of sugar, and cornstarch in a large mixing bowl until smooth. Temper the eggs by pouring in a bit of the hot milk into the egg mixture while whisking. Keep adding milk to eggs and continue whisking until incorporated. Pour mixture back to saucepan.

Cook over medium high heat and stir constantly with a silicone spatula or wooden spoon. When it starts to boil, the custard will thicken considerably. Keep stirring vigorously for another 15 seconds. Remove from heat.

Empty the cooked custard into a large mixing bowl. Whisk in Nutella and Frangelico until smooth

To assemble icebox cake, line cake pan with a layer of graham cracker and top with 1/2 cup of pudding. Smooth pudding evenly using an offset spatula. Repeat with another layer of graham cracker and pudding three more times until you have 8 layers in total. The top layer should be Nutella pudding. Level with offset spatula.

Wrap the pan with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for 24 hours. During this time, the moisture from the pudding will soften the graham crackers until they take on a cakey texture. Don’t rush it! If you want very clean neat cuts, I would put it in the freezer for 3 hours until solid.

To serve the cake, lift it out of the cake pan with the help of plastic wrap. Peel off the plastic wrap and transfer cake to serving plate. Cut with a knife dipped in hot water and divide into 9-12 pieces. If the cake had been frozen, let it stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving.

Mocha Coconut Fudge

Ingredients

12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
12 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
1 can (15oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 tablespoons espresso powder (or instant coffee)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons coconut extract
1 tablespoon coconut oil
1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted


Directions

Spray an 8×8 pan with non-stick spray.

Add semisweet chocolate to a double boiler, and melt completely. Once melted, add in half of the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, the coffee powder and 1/2 tablespoon of coconut oil. Stir with a spatula until combined and fairly smooth, then spread evenly in the bottom of the pan. Mixture will be thick. Place in the freezer for 30 minutes.

Add white chocolate to a double boiler and melt completely. Once melted, add in remaining condensed milk, coconut oil and coconut extract, stirring until combined. Remove fudge from freezer and add white chocolate on top, spreading evenly to coat. Top with toasted coconut, then chill in the refrigerator for 60-90 minutes.

When ready to cut, fill a large cup with hot water. Dip a sharp knife into the water, then blot on a towel. Use knife to cut fudge into your desired size of squares.

 Note: the melting can also be done in the microwave. I suggest melting the chocolate first on medium power in 30 second increments, stirring after each time. Once melted, add in remaining ingredients and stir until smooth. You can also use this Lindt Coconut White Chocolate for the coconut layer.

Apple Cake

Ingredients

1 19-ounce can of chickpeas
4 eggs, beaten
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 medium apple grated through a fine grater
1 tsp grated lemon rind


Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Drain and rinse chickpeas and process them until smooth in a blender or food processor.

Spoon the puree into a bowl and add the remaining ingredients stirring until fully combined. The mixture will be runny, this is normal.

Grease an 8x8 cake pan. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 50 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough

3 cups blanched almond flour
1/2 cup flax meal
1 3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 agave nectar (or honey)
3 Large Eggs

Filling

1-2 Tbsp butter (dairy or non-dairy), softened
1/2 Cup brown sugar (see note above)
1-2 Tbsp cinnamon


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line pans with cupcake liners.

In a bowl combine the almond flour, flax meal, baking soda and salt. 

Add the agave nectar and eggs to the dough. Mix it well. The dough will be like a thick, sticky cookie dough.

Place on the counter a sheet of parchment paper. Oil it and then heavily oil your hands. Place 1/2 of the dough onto the oiled parchment. Top with another sheet of parchment (or plastic wrap) and use a rolling pin to roll dough into a rectangle (approximately 1/2" thick).

On the dough spread the softened butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Sprinkling it on evenly. Roll the dough up (the long way) using the parchment paper. Using a sharp knife or a string of dental floss. Slice the rolls. The thickness of the rolls is up to you. Place the rolls into the cupcake liners. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place into the oven and bake 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool 30 minutes. (When they come out of the oven they are a little on the soft side, as they cool they gain the perfect texture). Frost (if desired) and serve.

NOTE: I like to do this in my mini-cupcake tins, so I roll the dough fairly thin. Such a sweet, yummy treat.

Honey-Dipped Coconut Donuts

Ingredients (makes 6-8 donuts)

1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon of sea salt
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
6 eggs
1/2 cup of honey (or other sweetener)
1 tablespoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of unsalted butter, melted (coconut oil, or regular oil will work as well)


Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Blend all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Using a whisk, or mixer on a low setting, blend in all the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix until well-blended.

Fill donut pan circles about 2/3 of the way full with batter.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Honey-dipped, toasted coconut topping: Warm a few tablespoons of honey in a saucer. Toast some coconut flakes for about 5 minutes at 300 degrees F. Dip each donut in the honey and then in the toasted coconut.