Image by Joël Penkman
The weather has been glorious, and the first day of summer isn’t until another 6 weeks. Well, here’s to warm sunny days, cool breezes, running through sprinklers, and popsicles…a bit early. Have a wonderful weekend!
I spent the morning with my dear friend, Tina, baking Cinnamon Roll Almond Flour Donuts for Mother’s Day. Last year for Mother’s Day, we spent the day at Dragonfly Cakes making petits fours so it seemed appropriate to collaborate on another culinary project.
For the recipe, Tina got cute mini donut molds that made these treats even more irresistible. The donuts came out light and tasty without an overwhelming sugar flavor that you can get from regular donuts. Simply naked, the donuts would be quite nice paired with tea, coffee, a digestif, or just on their own. That said, their subtle sweetness could work with almost any kind of topping. Try a dollop of yogurt, a schmear of chocolate, or even a sprinkling of confectioner’s sugar after first trying the cinnamon-date-coconut spread. For the topping, you really need to leave the dates in the food processor for a while to get the right consistency. And, instead of hazelnuts, we used sliced almonds. Finally, the under-baked batch was definitely the most delicious.
My husband and daughter loved the mini donuts, but my son took one bite and gave it back to me (oh well). I had to leave for school pick up before we could package everything. At home, I used cello bags with a simple tie and tag. I’ll have to wait and get pictures of Tina’s packaging. I’m sure it’s simple and elegant. Enjoy!
Update 05.09.12
Such a clever and thoughtful way to bundle homemade donuts, I love Tina’s packaging for Teacher Appreciation Week. I hope they like the treats!
Having recently visited Legoland for the very first time, I was amazed by all the miniland models as well as life size models of villainous characters. Our family favorites, of course, were all from Star Wars. Hope these images bring back good memories. And, may the force always be with you.
As a mom, I’m always looking for healthy alternatives to old favorites. While not a dramatically long list, I’ve tried chickpea cookies, almond flour cake, golden flaxseed meal pancakes, and now coconut flour brownies. Why coconut flour? It’s gluten-free, high in fiber, and high in protein. And, I found a recipe on the back of the Let’s Do…Organic bag (why not try it, right?). The original was too dry for my family so I changed a few things for more moisture. If you want more good stuff, add 2 tablespoons of chia seeds for a nice dose of Omega-3. It will have bits of crunch but still hold a good chocolate flavor. Finally, as you’ll notice, there’s only a few ingredients so be selective when chooosing cocoa powder and chocolate chunks.
Adapted Recipe of Alison’s Wheat Free Brownies
1/2 C. butter
1/2 C. cocoa powder
6 eggs
1 C. sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. + 1 Tbsp. Let’s Do…Organic coconut flour, sifted
1/2 C. dark chocolate mini chunks
Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan over low heat, blend butter and cocoa powder. Remove from heat and let cool. In a separate bowl, mix the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Blend this into the cocoa mixture. Stir in the coconut flour until the batter is no longer lumpy. Add the chocolate chunks. Bake in pre-greased 8×8 baking pan for about 30-35 minutes (slightly undercook to desired gooeyness).
Hooray! Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen cookbook is complete and available for pre-order. Rich and savory, sweet and light, and her beautiful images await. I (and probably Vicki) can’t wait!
{ Image by Deb Perelman. }
Whether celebrating Year of the Dragon or closely following Daenerys Targaryen‘s travails as Mother of Dragons, these cord bracelets are a stylish way to show support or let people know that you’re a fan. With its sterling silver detail, satiny cotton cord, and array of rich colors, the bracelet is certainly Quarth-worthy.
{ Images by Neiman Marcus. }
With my favorite cruciferous vegetable still in season, I’ll be making this tasty recipe, that is chock-full of antioxidant nutrients, a few more times. The mixture is great with pasta, like Barilla’s Multigrain Angel Hair, and also delicious as a crostini topped with Parmigiano-Reggiano. If your kids already eat pesto, they will probably eat this healthier version. The recipe uses Lacinato and White Peacock Kale but Dino (remove leaves from stem) is good as well. Enjoy!
Double Trouble Pesto
From County Line Harvest
2 bulbs garlic, chopped (I use 1 bulb, so the green flavors aren’t overwhelmed.)
1 packed C. Genovese Basil leaves
1 packed C. Fino Verde Basil leaves
1/2 C. olive oil
Salt & Pepper
1 bunch Lacinato Kale
1 bunch White Peacock Kale
2 Tbsps. butter
Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
Combine first 5 ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Roll kale leaves lengthwise and finely chop across. Heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low. Add chopped kales and stir to coat with melted butter. Cover for about 3 minutes, then remove lid and turn up the heat to medium. Cook briefly until kales are bright green and tender. Stir in prepared pesto and cook until heated through. Top with Parmigiano-Reggiano.
