baking Archives - Page 2 of 5

Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies (Vegan)

December 15, 2015 by Jenna

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies would be a great addition to your holiday cookie tray.

Why?

Because…

They are easy to make.

They are actually not too bad for you (as far as cookies go).

They are DELICIOUS.

I don’t see any reason to continue this list.

Last year I mentioned that my mom and I enter the Star Tribune Cookie Contest each year. Since I live in Denver now, we weren’t able to have our little baking day this year to create a new cookie recipe. (Maybe next year we’ll have to do it via Skype. Mom – thoughts??)

Two years ago we submitted the recipe for these Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies. Although it didn’t make it as a finalist, the recipe did receive an Honorable Mention, which was a huge win in our book. HUGE.

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies even made it into The Duesterhoeft Café cookbook. So you know they’re good.

So yeah.

They are easy to make – All you need is a bowl, some measuring equipment, and a wooden spoon. The wet ingredients are added into the dry ingredients to form some thick dough, which is then rolled into balls and baked into cookies.

They are healthy-ish – These cookies are vegan and filled with great things like coconut oil, applesauce, and white whole wheat flour. Not to mention the added health benefits from chocolate, cranberry, and ginger. Feel free to grab more than one.

They are delicious – Chocolate cookies are always amazing, but the ginger and cranberry give them an extra dose of delicious and a nice holiday flavor.

Gobble up two and then savor one. You don’t even need to feel guilty about it.

Don’t forget to add these cookies to your tray too: Molasses Cremes with Ginger Cream Cheese Frosting and Christmas Treasure Drop Cookies.

Happy baking!!

Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies (Vegan)

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

14 mins

Total time

24 mins

These Chocolate Cranberry Ginger Cookies are the perfect addition to your holiday cookies tray. They are easy, healthy, vegan, and very delicious!

Serves: 24 cookies

Ingredients

1 ½ cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
¼ cup coconut oil, melted
⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
¼ cup crystallized ginger
⅓ cup dried cranberries

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients (flour -> ground ginger).
In a medium bowl, stir together the coconut oil, applesauce, and vanilla extract.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until incorporated. Stir in the crystallized ginger and dried cranberries. The dough will be thick.
Roll dough into small balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 12-14 minutes, being careful not to over-bake. Let cool for 10 minutes before transferring cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

You can find crystallized ginger in a couple of different places. The first few times I made these I used crystallized candied ginger chunks from Trader Joes and chopped them into small pieces. This year I used Archer Farms crystallized ginger from the spice aisle in Target.
The corn starch can be omitted, but it gives the cookies a softer and chewier texture.
Drizzling (vegan) chocolate on top of these cookies is also a good idea and dresses them up a bit.
You can make the dough ahead of time, shape them into balls, and place in a Ziploc bag in the freezer until you’re ready to bake them. Just let them thaw a little bit before placing them in the oven.
Baked cookies last up to 5 days in an airtight container.

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caramel apple snack cake

November 17, 2015 by Jenna

I love caramel, apples, snacks, and cake, so a caramel apple snack cake just makes sense.

The cinnamon/caramel/apple flavor combination is essentially the epitome of fall. The smell of this snack cake baking in the oven will make you want to grab some friends, go on pretty fall walk, and jump in piles of crisp leaves.

Maybe those crisp leaves are now buried under a pile of snow?? A walk is still a good idea.

So go do that as these are cooling. Then when you come in you can enjoy a slice with mugs of steamy coffee and your favorite people.

To make these I took a basic blondie recipe (1 stick butter, 1 cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 cup flour) and added in some cinnamon, a shredded Zestar apple, and some caramel bits (these things). The moisture from the apple made these light and cakey rather than gooey and dense like blondies typically are.

Which is why I am calling it a snack cake.

Side note: Make sure to squeeze the excess moisture out of the shredded apple!

On a semi-related note, Katie and I had friends visiting this weekend from California (hi Ellie & Oliver!), so we drove towards the mountains for short, yet scenic hike at St. Mary’s Glacier. It was so, so beautiful. We took lots of pictures and stopped for lunch near the glacier. Naturally, I packed pieces of this caramel apple snack cake for dessert.

It was such a fun afternoon. I don’t think the beauty of the mountains will ever stop surprising me. Never, ever.

caramel apple snack bars

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

A snack cake full of all the best fall flavors: cinnamon, apple, and caramel!

Serves: 16 pieces

Ingredients

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 ¼ cup flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 medium apple, shredded (I used a Zestar)
½ cup caramel bits

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8x8” baking pan with foil and spray with non-stick spray.
Mix the melted butter, brown sugar, and egg together until everything is combined.
Stir in the flour and cinnamon until incorporated.
Fold in the shredded apple and caramel bits (saving a bit to put on top).
Place batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle on the remaining caramel bits and a little bit of sea salt.
Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the center is set.
Cool completely in the pan, then cut and serve!

caramel apple snack cake caramel apple snack cake

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mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

October 27, 2015 by Jenna

Let’s talk cookies, specifically mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies.

I know this flavor combination may seem a bit odd, but I’m kind of in love with it.

Last week at Trader Joe’s I bought some dried mango slices as an impulse purchase. I was daydreaming about them my entire 10-minute drive home and then decided that they needed to be in some cookies. I don’t recall what thoughts led me down that path, but I’m glad they happened.

Because now I have these in my life.

From the dried mangos to the chocolate chips to the roasted almonds to the oats, these cookies have a lot going on in the texture and flavor departments.

The dried mangos for their chewiness and touch of fruitiness.

The chocolate chips for their sweetness and the fact that chocolate chips just belong in cookies.

The toasted almonds for their crunch and delicious toasted nutty flavor.

And the oats for, well, their oatinesss.

Dreamy, right?

But wait, there’s more! These cookies are spiced with some ground ginger. Typically oatmeal cookies call for cinnamon, but I love the way that ginger pairs with mangos, so I made a little swap.

I didn’t call the ginger out in the title, because it seemed long enough already, so instead it’s just a little surprise.

You’re welcome.

I hope you bake these up and fall in love with them like I did!

mango almond oatmeal chocolate chip cookies

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

23 mins

These cookies are full of delicious flavor and texture. From the dried mangos to the toasted almonds to the oatmeal to the chocolate chips, you won't be disappointed!

Serves: 30 cookies

Ingredients

¾ cup unsalted butter (1 ½ sticks)
2 cups quick rolled oats
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon ground ginger
⅛ teaspoon salt
1 ½ cup brown sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 ¼ cup white whole wheat flour
⅓ cup dried mangos, cut into small pieces
⅓ cup toasted almonds, chopped
⅓ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a Silpat mat.
Melt the butter in a saucepan or in the microwave (stirring at 20-30 second intervals until it is melted).
In a medium bowl combine the oats, baking soda, ginger, and salt then stir in the melted butter. Let this sit for a few minutes, allowing the oats to soak up the moisture of the butter.
Stir in the brown sugar until no clumps remain, then add the egg and vanilla. Stir vigorously until thoroughly combined.
Mix in the flour, then add the mangos, almonds, and chocolate chips and stir until combined.
Roll 2 tablespoons of dough into a ball and place them on the prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Cool on the baking sheet for 3 minutes before moving to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

You can use regular all purpose flour instead of white whole wheat.
To toast the almonds, put them on a pan in the oven while it’s preheating for about 10 minutes.

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chocolate pistachio meringues

October 20, 2015 by Jenna

So I made meringues for the first time.

I never really had the urge to make them before. I like meringue when it comes on top of pie (because, pie), but otherwise it is just kind of meh for me. I’ve never been super impressed, you know?

These chocolate pistachio meringues, though. I’m converted. I’d make them again and again and again.

I’ve been following along with The Kitchn’s Baking School series. The first week was all about eggs and after reading a little more about meringues I decided to give them a shot. I had the afternoon free and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to experiment in the kitchen. Because that’s what I do when I have free afternoons.

Bake and drink a lot of coffee.

At first glance meringues seem a little intimidating. I think it’s all the whipping and the watching for the peaks to progress.

Is it to the ‘stiff peak stage’ yet?!

However, they are actually quite simple. Don’t be scared. Remain calm. Be patient.

You probably already have all the ingredients on hand, which is essentially just egg whites and sugar. We do add some cream of tartar for structure and some vanilla and salt for taste. If you don’t already have cream of tartar in your pantry, get some so that you can make dozens upon dozens of snickerdoodles to go with your meringues. I added chopped pistachios and chocolate to these, because I had both in my cupboard and this flavor combination makes my heart glad.

To make meringues you basically just combine all the ingredients in a bowl and whisk them until the mixture gets super smooth and glossy with stiff peaks.

That’s the very simplified way to put it. I would recommend reading this first.

I wasn’t really expecting much from these and made them just for the sake of trying something new. However, I was totally blown away by how much I liked them!

And by how cute they looked.

They aren’t like the dry store-bought meringues that I’ve tasted before. These are crisp on the outside and soft on the inside with just the right amount of sweetness.

I brought them into work and received high praise. I even got an “I don’t normally like meringues, but someone told me I had to try one. I did and then I ended up eating 4.”

This was a feeling of which I was well aware.

This recipe was inspired by The Kitchn. Try them out and let me know what you think!

chocolate pistachio meringues

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

90 mins

Total time

1 hour 45 mins

These chocolate pistachio meringues are less intimidating to bake than you would think, making for a very simple, impressive, and delicious dessert!

Author: Recipe inspired by The Kitchn

Serves: 20 cookies

Ingredients

3 large eggs whites, room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup unsalted pistachios, chopped
⅓ cup dark chocolate chips, chopped

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 215 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.
Add the eggs whites to a medium bowl (or the bowl of an electric mixer). Using the whisk attachment, whisk eggs on low speed. They should start to foam.
Add the cream of tartar, salt, and vanilla.
Increase speed to medium. Begin to add the sugar, a little bit at a time whisking well between each addition. The mixture will start to form soft peaks. Gradually increase the speed to medium-high and continue to slowly add the sugar. Be patient. The mixture will continue to stiffen.
Once the mixture has formed stiff peaks (where you dip a spoon in an the peak is able to stay sticking straight up), gently fold in the chopped pistachios and chocolate, saving a little bit of each to sprinkle on the top.
Dollop spoonfuls of the mixture onto the prepared pan. The larger they are, the longer they will need to bake. Sprinkle the remaining pistachios and chocolate on top of the meringues.
Bake for 60-90 minutes depending on the size of the meringues. I was able to get about 20 meringues out of the batter and baked them for 85 minutes. When fully baked, you should be able to lift the meringue off of the baking pan without it breaking.
Turn off the oven, crack open the door, and let the meringues cool in the oven completely.
Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

And if you love baking (as I do) you should follow along with The Kitchn’s Baking School. Last week was all about butter and this week is about yeast. Yay learning!

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Pumpkin Oreo Bars

October 6, 2015 by Jenna

I know for a fact that I am not the only one indulging in all the pumpkin spice things right now. It’s October. ‘Tis the season.

Soon we’ll be obsessed with cranberries and peppermint and gingerbread, so let’s soak up all the pumpkin while it’s seasonably appropriate.

Let’s be real basic.

Let’s make Pumpkin Oreo Bars.

Let’s can’t even.

And let’s not feel bad about.

These Pumpkin Oreo Bars are worth all the cliché’s. They are full of pumpkin and spices and are studded with black and orange Halloween Oreos.

What’s not to love?!

I’m dying.

The bars come together quickly with a couple of bowls and a spoon. Combine the dry (flour + spices), combine the wet (butter + pumpkin + sugar), then stir it all together with some festive Oreo chunks. It’s truly that simple.

The result is a pan full of pumpkin-y, spicy, moist, delicious bars that will make you want to tie your hair up in a high bun, put on your best flannel, throw on your Ugg’s, and go do any (or all) of the following activities: watch football, drink lattes, pick apples, see a scary movie, shop for a Halloween costume.

Go do it. I know you want to……………

Pumpkin Oreo Bars

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

35 mins

These delicious bars are full of pumpkin, spices, and festive Oreos that will make you love fall more than you already do!

Serves: 16 bars

Ingredients

1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
¼ teaspoon cloves
¼ teaspoon all spice
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 ¼ cup all purpose flour
½ cup butter, melted
¾ cup pumpkin puree
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 ¼ cup Halloween Oreos, chopped

Instructions

Pre-heat the oven to 350° F. Take two pieces of parchment paper and place them perpendicularly in an 8x8” baking pan. Leave some overhang so that the brownies can easily be lifted out of the pan.
In a large bowl, stir together the spices, baking powder, and flour. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the melted butter, pumpkin puree, brown sugar, and vanilla until no sugar lumps remains.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated.
Stir in the chopped Oreos.
Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes. Let bars cool completely before cutting.

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Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

September 15, 2015 by Jenna

My roommate and I have found ourselves in a little situation: we have a stockpile of ripe bananas in our freezer.

Do bananas ripen much quicker in a kitchen that is approximately 7 degrees too warm? Or do they ripen much quicker in Denver than in Minneapolis? Or are we just buying bananas that are already too close to ripening?

I guess it doesn’t matter. A stockpile of ripe bananas = An abundance of banana bread.

It’s actually a pretty good situation to be in and neither of us were complaining about eating this brown butter chocolate chip banana bread.

Last week I came home from a particularly promising interview and didn’t want the good vibes to go to waste, so I dug into the ripe banana stockpile and whipped up some banana bread <— good decisions.

And decided to use brown butter and chocolate chips <— the best decisions.

I turned on some tunes, browned butter, mashed bananas, mixed the wet with the dry, threw in a handful of chocolate chips, and just kept the good vibes going. Soon the delicious aroma of banana bread was filling the house.

This is the beauty of banana bread. It is so easy to make and smells like a dream.

Plus, can we just all agree that fresh banana bread is one of the greatest things to eat ever?

I ate some, saved some for Katie, and brought the rest into Blackbird for my co-workers. That’s how I make friends… along with my charmingly awkward personality.

60% of the time it works every time.

If you don’t have a stockpile of ripe bananas in your freezer, start building! Then bake this up, make some friends, and spread the good vibes.

PS – Basic Banana Bread, Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Bread, Brown Butter Bourbon Blondies, and Brown Butter Pumpkin Bars

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

60 mins

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Few things are better than freshly baked banana bread, but add some brown butter and chocolate chips in the mix and you know you're going to have a great day.

Serves: 12 slices

Ingredients

9 tablespoons butter, unsalted
2 large ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup brown sugar, packed
1 egg
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk
1 ½ cup flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
Melt butter in a medium saucepan. Continue to whisk until brown specks appear at the bottom, it will froth and foam a bit. Watch closely and be careful not to burn. It should be a light brown color and have a nutty aroma. Pour butter into a medium bowl, whisk in an ice cube, and let cool for a few minutes.
Add the mashed bananas, brown sugar, egg, vanilla, and milk. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
Add the flour and baking soda and stir a few times until just combined. Lumps are ok!
Fold in the chocolate chips, saving some for the top of the loaf.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips.
Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.
Let the bread cool in the pan for 10-15 minutes before removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
Slice and serve the bread warm with your favorite spread. It will keep well for a few days wrapped in plastic wrap or in the freezer for a few months.

Notes

You can use any type of milk (dairy, almond, soy, etc) and yogurt works too.

If you are baking this in altitude, make the following adjustments: add an additional tablespoon of milk and flour and take just a little bit out of the teaspoon of baking soda and ½ cup of brown sugar. Also, increase the oven temperature to 365 degrees and reduce baking time to 45-50 minutes.

I said good vibes a lot in this post. No, I’m not high, but maybe it is the altitude?

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