Tag: vanilla extract
Hazelnut and Cherry Italian Cookies
These are absolutely yum!
- 1 cup soft unsalted butter (2 sticks)
- ½ cup evaporated cane sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups white whole-wheat flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup dried cherries, chopped
- 1 cup hazelnuts, chopped fine
- ½ cup hazelnut liquor
- ½ cup confectionery sugar in a small bowl
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy in a mixer. Add the salt, vanilla extract, flour and liquor. Mix well and add the nuts and cherries.
Mix with both hands until well incorporated. Form a ball and cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for half an hour.
Shape dough into 1-inch balls and place on the cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes. Let cool and roll in confectionery sugar.
Pumpkin Banana Bread
This is a yummy combination of banana and pumpkin bread. Make this for the holidays- really good!
- 3 small or 2 large bananas, mashed
- 2 eggs
- 1 stick unsalted butter, melted
- 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup honey
- ½ cup turbinado sugar
- 2 ½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ cup dark chocolate, chopped
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9X5 loaf pan.
In an electric mixer, add the butter, honey and sugar. Beat for 2 to 3 minutes and add the eggs one at a time, beating in between. Add the mashed eggs, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Beat for a minute. On the side, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice and cinnamon to a medium bowl. Whisk well and gradually add to the egg mixture while beating slowly. Beat for a minute or two. Add the dark chocolate and mix with a spatula and transfer to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or till a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Let cool and serve.
Almond Cake with Citrus- Gluten Free!
Dessert number 2!….I have been experimenting with gluten free desserts. This is a really good one. I bought some meyer lemons from Trader Joes (go ahead and substitute regular ones as meyer lemons are not in season any more) and wanted to use them in a delicious dessert. I looked up a bunch of recipes and really liked on one site. I tweaked the recipe and came up with this one. It is really yummy and easy to make…
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup raw cane sugar
- Zest of one meyer lemon and one clementine
- Juice of 2 meyer lemons and 2 clementines
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1½ cups almond meal
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
Syrup
- Juice of 2 meyer lemons and 2 clementines
- 2 tablespoons honey
- Confectioner sugar to dust on top
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8-inch spring form pan with parchment paper and grease it as well. Combine the salt, almond meal, baking powder and baking soda. Keep aside.
Add the eggs and sugar to an electric mixture with a whisk attachment. Beat the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, for a good 5 to 10 minutes. Add the citrus zest, citrus juice, olive oil and vanilla extract. Beat for another minute. Add the almond meal mixture and mix well. Transfer to the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes.
While the cake is baking transfer the citrus juice and honey to a small bowl. Microwave for 30 to 40 seconds and mix well making sure the honey has melted through. Once the cake comes out, drizzle the liquid covering the surface evenly. Cool and cake completely and sprinkle powdered sugar and serve!
Spiced Chocolate Banana Bread
I thought I would do a week of different desserts….
- 1¼ cups unbleached white whole-wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- ¼ teaspoon clove powder
- ½ teaspoon cardamom powder
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg powder
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for preparing the pan
- 1 cup turbinado sugar
- 3 very ripe bananas, peeled, and mashed with a fork (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup milk or dark chocolate, chips or grated
Sift the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and nutmeg into a medium bowl, set aside. Whisk the eggs and vanilla together in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, set aside. Lightly brush a 9X5X3 inches loaf pan with butter. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Gradually pour the egg mixture into the butter while mixing until incorporated. Add the bananas (the mixture will appear to be curdled), and remove the bowl from the mixer.
With a rubber spatula, mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate pieces and transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the bread comes out clean. Cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes before taking it out. Cool completely before serving.
Homemade Chocolate Granola- Perfect Holiday Gift
- 3 cups old fashioned oats
- ½ cup flaxseed meal
- ½ cup wheat germ
- ½ cup oat bran
- ¾ cup sweetened shredded coconut
- ½ cup sliced raw almonds
- 1 cup chopped walnuts
- 1½ cups mixed dried blueberries, cranberries, cherries, etc
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup honey
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl add the oats, flaxseed meal, wheat germ, oat bran, coconut, almonds, walnuts and the dried fruit.
In a large measuring cup, add the olive oil, honey, maple syrup, salt, cinnamon and vanilla extract. Heat in the microwave for a minute to liquefy the mixture and mix well.
Add the liquid into the dry ingredients and mix well with a wooden spoon.
On a large lined cookie sheet or two small cookie sheets, spread the granola mixture, smoothing the surface evenly.
Bake for 20 minutes. Take out of the oven and separate with a fork while the mixture is still warm. Once the mixture cools off, add the chocolate chips. If you want the chocolate to melt all into the granola, add the chips while the mixture is still warm.
Eat with milk, coffee or on its own.
Cider Duffins
- ¾ cup raw sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1½ cups white whole-wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ cup extra light olive oil
- 1 cup apple cider
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ cup fine raw sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly grease a 12 muffin tin with a bit of oil in each cup.
In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg till light and fluffy. Pour in vegetable oil, cider and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.
In a small bowl, sift the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Pour into the egg mixture and stir well.
Divide batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling about ½ full.
Bake for 15 minutes, until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
While muffins are baking, melt butter in a small bowl. Pour ½ cup sugar and cinnamon into another small bowl and mix well.
Once the muffins are done, lightly brush the top with melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in the cinnamon sugar, coating all parts of the duffin.
Orange Cardamom Panna Cotta
I have decided to do all desserts this week in honor of Valentines day. I may disappoint all the chocolate lovers out there.. most of the desserts are fruit based- something different for V-Day!
I love any custardy dessert…I find them very comforting. This panna cotta is comforting and healthy at the same time. I have used cream, which can be substituted with all milk. Either way, this dessert is delicious, especially topped with fresh chopped oranges.
- ¼ cup 2% milk
- 1 envelope unflavored gelatin
Add the milk to a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin and let sit and absorb.
- ½ cup 2% milk
- ½ cup cream
- 3 to 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1/3 cup agave (add more according to taste)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups plain non-fat Greek yogurt
Add the milk, cream, cardamom and agave to a medium saucepan and simmer without boiling for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn heat off and add the gelatin mixture. Whisk well to make sure the gelatin dissolves. Add the vanilla extract and yogurt. Taste and add more agave if needed.
Pour into small bowls and refrigerate overnight. Make sure to cover with plastic wrap.
Orange Topping
- 2 navel oranges, peeled, segmented, chopped
- 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
Add the chopped orange segments to a small bowl. Add the vanilla sugar and let sit for an hour. Top the panna cottas with the topping before serving.