Mar
Peppermint Tea Dark Chocolate Brownies
Hmmm…tea or brownies? Tea and brownies? How about tea in brownies! If you love tea and you LOVE brownies (who doesn’t love brownies? ) this recipe is for you. Dense fudgy,dark chocolate laden brownies spiked with an earthy mint flavor reminiscent of your favorite cup of tea. It’s a chocolate and mint lovers dream. This special brownie was inspired by a recipe that I pulled out of a magazine years ago, filed away for future use and promptly forgot about. For ten years. Yup, the date at the bottom of the page says August/September 2002. Wow, I guess I should go through my recipe file more often. The funny part is that when I saved the recipe I didn’t know it had tea in it. I thought it was just your normal mint brownie made with peppermint extract. The main reason I saved it all these years was because of the pretty marbled white chocolate glaze that covered the brownie.
It wasn’t until I read through the ingredients and spotted the tea that I realized what a special recipe this was. Despite my initial excitement, in the end I used the tea portion of the recipe and a modified version of the glaze, but not much else. The reason? It called for 2 1/2 sticks of butter and 2 cups of sugar!!! Granted, the recipe made a 9 x 13-inch pan of brownies which is pretty big, but even cut in half this recipe has more butter and sugar than any brownie would ever need. I have a brownie recipe from Cooking Light that I often use as a base for any brownie that I create. It’s thick and fudge-like with lots of chocolate flavor but only 5 tablespoons of butter and a mere 3/4 cup of sugar. Lots of indulgent flavor but no so many indulgent ingredients.
The tea I used was Yogi Purely Peppermint, but any herbal peppermint tea will do. I like the Yogi brand because they have a whole line of teas for specific aliments like Bedtime tea, Calming tea and my favorite Throat Comfort. I swear this is the best remedy for a sore throat out there. Beside their awesome teas, the other thing I love about the Yogi brand is that each tea bag comes with an inspirational message. And who couldn’t use a little inspiration with their tea…or their brownies?
The recipe instructions said to grind the sugar and tea leaves together in a food processor. Honestly, I’m not totally convinced that this step is necessary. My tea leaves were pretty well ground to begin with and I’m pretty sure that simply stirring the sugar and tea together would have produced the same result. But I did it anyway. I did it because when trying something new I‘m often struck with a debilitating fear that if I don’t follow the directions exactly I will be doomed to imminent failure. Let’s just say that in this case I took one for the team. I ground that sugar and tea so that you wouldn’t have to. Or go ahead and grind…who am I to tell you to break the rules? 
Grinding or no grinding, the end result is a thick, fudge-like batter laced with a refreshing minty aroma. 
I had mine with what else… a mug of hot steaming tea.
Peppermint Tea Dark Chocolate Brownies
inspired by Cooking Light and Fine Cooking
Makes 16 small or 12 medium brownies
1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 cup white flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon peppermint tea (from 1 teabag)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 ounces dark chocolate
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3/4 cup milk
1 egg
2 egg yolks
2 ounces dark chocolate
1 tablespoon butter
1 ounce white chocolate
~1 tablespoon milk
green food coloring (optional)
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line an 8-inch square baking dish with parchment paper. Cut the paper long so it overhangs the edge of the dish on two sides. This will make it easy to remove the brownies before frosting.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flours, cocoa and salt. In a food processor grind together the sugar and tea, add to the flour mixture. (This step can be skipped if you don’t have a food processor, just add the sugar and tea to the flour mixture and combine).
3. Place 2 ounces of dark chocolate and 5 tablespoons of butter cut into pieces in a small bowl. Microwave on high for about one minute in 20 second intervals. Stir between each interval. When the chocolate and butter are melted stir in the peppermint extract. Set aside to cool slightly.
4. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, egg and egg yolks. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until completely incorporated. Fold in the chocolate mixture until just combined. The batter will be thick.
5. Pour into the prepared pan and tap on the counter to level. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden skewer inserted comes out clean. Place on a wire rack to cool. After about ten minutes pull the parchment edges and lift the brownies out of the pan. Let cool completely before frosting (about 1 hour).
6. When the brownies are cool melt the remaining 2 ounces of dark chocolate with 1 tablespoon of butter using the same method of 20 second intervals for about 1 minute total. Set aside and melt the white chocolate with a scant tablespoon of milk. Add more milk if needed until the white chocolate is the right consistency to drizzle over the brownies in a thin line. Add the food coloring one drop at a time until the desired green color is achieved. When both chocolates are melted pour the dark chocolate over the brownies and spread smooth. Drizzle the white chocolate over top in straight lines and drag a toothpick through the chocolate in alternating directions. Put the brownies in the fridge to cool for at least 2o minutes. Remove and cut into 12 or 16 pieces.
Feb
Carrot Muffins with Meyer Lemon Glaze
Sometimes I’m late to the party. No, not fashionably late. You know, the kind of late where you show up two hours after the party begins just so you can make a grand entrance. That’s not me. First off I’m not at all fashionable, and second I find the idea of making a grand entrance kind of terrifying. I’m also not the party started 30 minutes ago and I’m still in the shower kind of late. In fact, I’m a bit of stickler for timeliness and become riddled with anxiety anytime I’m running behind. I’m still late for the party though. I’m late for the party because I just discovered my love for kale this winter. Because I waited so long to make a recipe using blood oranges that now they’re out of season, and because this week I used Meyer lemons for the first time EVER. Yup that’s right, the party I’m late for is the food trend party and I’m pretty sure the party van just left without me. 
I’ve been seeing these sunny yellow lemons all over the Internet for the past month. Meyer lemon cake, Meyer lemon donuts, Meyer lemon ice cream, Meyer lemon martinis…I could go on and on. I began to wonder what was so special about these smooth skinned, egg yolk colored lemons. According to a fascinating story on NPR. Meyer lemons have a sweeter, less acidic flavor then regular lemons (which makes them perfect for desserts but not so perfect for when you want acidity like in sauces and soups). They also are known for their soft, thin skin and high volume of juice. The season for Meyer lemons begins in November and extends into March. Since their thin skin makes them difficult to ship they can be hard to find if you live far from areas where they are grown. Here in northern New England we’re about as far away from a citrus growing climate as you can get. Luckily though, my local grocery store pretty much rocks when it comes to stocking hard to find items and earlier this week I spotted these beauties in the citrus section. It was sign for sure. I was like my personal invitation to attend the exclusive food trend party. This time I would not be late.
The only thing left to decide- what to make for this fabulous party. I wanted something that would compliment the sweetness of the lemon without over whelming it. I also wanted something healthy that I wouldn’t feel bad about eating after the pig out I had on Valentine’s Day treats. So I chose…carrots. I warned you I wasn’t very fashionable. While everyone else is making the equivalent of an evening gown with their Meyer Lemons I went with my old reliable overalls. But they’re soo comfy. Seriously though- carrot muffins made with wheat germ and brown rice syrup may not sound very sexy, but when you bite down into that moist muffin studded with bits of carrots and dripping with sweet lemon syrup you will thank me for choosing comfort over style. 
I incorporated Meyer lemon in this muffin two ways. First I added some of the fragrant zest to the muffin batter.
Second, I made a simple glaze to drizzle over the top of the muffins. It includes just two ingredients- lemon juice and honey.
This is a fairly thin glaze that you pour over the still warm muffins. The glaze soaks down into the muffin and gives it an extra kick of lemony sweetness. 
Looks like I made it to the party just in time. 
Carrot Muffins with Meyer Lemon Glaze
Makes 12 muffins
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup white flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup brown rice syrup
1/2 cup virgin coconut oil, melted *
2 eggs
3/4 cup milk (regular, skim, soy, rice)
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of 1 Meyer lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2 cups carrots, grated (from ~4 carrots)
Juice of 1 Meyer lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
2 tablespoon honey
* I did not find that the coconut oil gave these muffins a coconut flavor, but if you have a strong aversion to coconut and don’t wish to risk it you may want to substitute canola oil
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with paper or foil liners.
2. In a large bowl whisk together the dry ingredients- whole wheat flour through cinnamon. In a medium bowl mix together the eggs, brown sugar and brown rice syrup. Add the melted coconut oil, vanilla and lemon zest and mix until well combined. Slowly add the milk and mix until just incorporated. Fold in the grated carrots.
3. Divide the batter among the muffin tins and bake for 25 to 28 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean.
4. Make the glaze: Combine the lemon juice and honey in a small bowl and stir to combine.
5. Drizzle the glaze over the still warm muffins. This glaze is very thin and will run down the sides of the muffin. Slowly pour just a scant teaspoon of the glaze over each muffin and it will soak into the top.
Jan
Pineapple Coconut Layer Cake
I’m a hug fan of birthdays. I’m also a huge fan of cake. Which means that when it comes to birthday cake I’m practically in love. It’s my mom’s birthday this week and while I’m not sure if I’m allowed to tell you exactly how old she is, let’s just say that it’s kind of significant birthday this year. The kind of birthday that demands a really special, over-the- top cake. A cake with thick gooey pineapple curd that oozes between the layers. A cake with coconut rum both in the batter and the frosting. A cake that is topped with a mountain of fresh pineapple and scattered with toasted coconut. This is the kind of cake that a special birthday demands – a cake that says “it’s your birthday…now indulge!”
Growing up we always had homemade birthday cake. About a week before your birthday my mom would ask what kind of cake you wanted and then she would make it. There was no store bought cardboard tasting sheet cake with sickly sweet frosting, or even cake made from a box mix. It was your birthday and you got a homemade cake made from scratch. She would make whatever kind you wanted, but her most famous (and most requested) was ice cream cake. It had all the good stuff layered into one mouth watering cake- cookie crust, fudgy chocolate syrup, creamy ice cream, and a layer of frozen whipped cream to top it all off- yumm! My brother and I have both gone through the pie phase where we request pie instead of cake for our birthdays. No problem- she’ll make you pie if that’s what you want. We’re both huge fans of her lemon meringue pie, but if you want apple she’ll make you apple, if you want blueberry, or strawberry rhubarb, or pecan that’s fine because she can make those too. This year on my birthday I will turn 35 (gulp) and I can guarantee that about a week before my mom will ask what kind of cake I want. Probably when I turn 50 she’ll still be making me a cake on my birthday.
This is why I make birthday cake. Because I learned from my mom how much sweeter a birthday can be with home made cake. My cakes are never perfect. Inevitably one layer is bigger than the other, they may lean a bit to one side and the frosting is always lumpy and uneven. It doesn’t matter though because homemade cakes are not about perfection. They’re not about smooth even sides or fancy swirled frosting. They are about celebration and joy and family gatherings. So I made this cake for my mom because that’s what she taught me to do. Here’s to you mom and I wish you a very, very happy birthday ♥
Pineapple Coconut Layer Cake
slightly adapted from Eating Well
Makes 16 servings
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup canola oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup turbinado sugar
1/2 cup brown rice syrup
3/4 cup milk
2 tablespoons coconut rum
2 teaspoons coconut extract
3 egg whites
6 ounces pineapple juice
2 egg yolks
1/4 cup turbinado sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
12 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 tablespoon coconut rum
1 teaspoon coconut extract
2 tablespoons toasted coconut*
1 1/2 cup pineapple, diced small
1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl sift together the flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.In a large bowl combine the sugar, brown rice syrup, oil and butter. Beat on medium high for 3-4 minutes. In a small bowl whisk together the milk, coconut rum and coconut extract.
4. With the mixer on low, add the flour and milk mixture in four alternating additions, starting and ending with the flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
5. Using a clean dry bowl and beaters, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth out towards the edges.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pans and cool completely for about an hour before assembling and frosting.
7. Make the pineapple curd: In a small saucepan heat the egg yolks, pineapple juice, 1/4 cup turbinado sugar and cornstarch over medium-low heat. Cook for 3-5 minutes, whisking constantly until the thick. Remove from heat and let cool.
8. Make the frosting: In a medium bowl beat together the cream cheese, powdered sugar, coconut rum and coconut extract until fluffy.
9: Assemble the cake: Place one layer of the cake top side down on a plate or cake stand. Spread the pineapple curd evenly over the top leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edge. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the fresh pineapple over the top of the curd. Place the second cake layer top side up on the curd- pineapple layer. Coat the top and sides of the cake with frosting. Pile the remaining 1 cup of fresh pineapple on the top of the cake and sprinkle with toasted coconut.
* Toast the coconut in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until it begins to turn brown.
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