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.