Chocolate Bao

Nod if you like to eat anything that's stuffed... stuffed pizza (a.k.a calzone), stuffed croissants (a.k.a chocolate croissants), and fruity hand pie like my apple hand pie. See, all stuffed foods are fun to eat.

I posted steamed bao recipe about two years ago, and let me tell you. I've been having a lot of fun stuffed the bao with savory and sweet you-name-it-I'll-stuff-it items.

After teaching Grandpa how to make the bao dough, he decided to stuff the bao with something sweeter like chocolate and sweet taro root butter (that he magically cooked up one day).

I've steamed and baked the chocolate bao too many times, and my kids always ask for more. To no surprise, Camden asked Grandpa to stream some more chocolate bao. And he did... for lunch. For this Chinese New Year or Valentine's day, how about steaming these chocolate bao for someone special.

Chocolate Bao
makes 15 (2 to 2.5 oz. each)

1 my bao dough recipe
15 teaspoons semi-sweet or dark chocolate

1. Make the bao dough according to my recipe's instruction.
2. Cut out fifteen 1-inch square parchment papers.
3. Place a steamer One the dough is ready, divide them into 15 equal parts.
4. For each dough ball, roll it out into a small round.
5. Place a teaspoon of semi-sweet chocolates.
6. Gather up the edges of the dough and pitch to seal. TIP: When making more than one flavor, add a chocolate chunk on the top of the bun to label the filling.
7. Place the dough seam side down on a prepared parchment paper and place it in the steamer.
8. Steam the dough for 12 minutes. NOTE: Start the clock when the steam is visible.  
9. Serve the bao warm. Keep them in the steamer to keep warm. 

STORING: Keep these chocolate bao in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat by microwaving it for 15 seconds or steam it until warm.

Allergy Info: This chocolate bao recipe is free from or can be made without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy and peanuts), nuts, and fish. 

Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sankaya)

Since my parents arrived last month, we have been doing a lot of eating and discussing recipes. I mentioned to them that I would luv to learn how to make Thai desserts.

We came across the Thai pumpkin custard. I remember how much I luv the custard on top the coconut sticky rice. Since I bought a pumpkin, I decided to try steaming it with a custard filling. But the pumpkin itself tasted too plain. 

Grandpa told me that I used the wrong pumpkin. The pumpkin for the Thai pumpkin custard has to be Japanese pumpkin called kabocha squash. It has sweeter taste which compliments the coconut egg custard well. After grandpa bought the kabocha squash, I tested my Thai pumpkin custard recipe again. It was perfect... naturally sweet from kabocha squash and creamy custard with a hint of coconut aromatic (from the coconut sugar). Grandpa likes to eat the skin because, he told me, it has the most nutrients. I just want the custard!!!

I tested my Thai pumpkin custard recipe three times and all of the pumpkins broke after they were cooked. I'm still not sure why but maybe the pumpkin itself was too soft during the steaming process. Still tasty though. With that said, my instruction includes that the pumpkin sits on a plate while steaming. You got it. Just in case the pumpkin breaks, the custard will stay in the plate.

This is a great Thanksgiving alternative dessert to pumpkin pie. It is also a make-ahead dessert. I'm planning to make just the custard filling and spoon it on top coconut sticky rice. Heaven!!!

Thai Pumpkin Custard (Sankaya)
serve 6-8

1 small (2 lbs.) Japanese pumpkin (kabocha squash)
5 extra large eggs or 6 large eggs
1 cup (7 oz.) palm or coconut sugar
1 cup (8 oz.) coconut milk

1. Hollow out the pumpkin and scoop out the seeds. Place it on a baking plate with rim. Set aside.
2. In a large (4 cup) measuring cup, whisk the eggs.
3. Add the palm sugar and whisk until creamy.
4. Whisk in the coconut milk.
5. Pour the custard filling inside the pumpkin. NOTE: If there is any leftover custard filling, pour it in a baking cups. Steam as directed for about 15-30 minutes, depending on the amount of the filling.
6. Place the filled pumpkin in a steamer. NOTE: I use this stacked steamer.
7. Steam until the tooth pick inserted in the custard comes out clean, about an hour.
8. Let the Thai pumpkin custard cool at a room temperature.
9. Place it in the fridge to set, about 4 hours to overnight. NOTE: The custard needs to set so leaving it in the fridge overnight is highly recommended. If cutting into the pumpkin while it is still warm, the custard will fall apart.
10. To serve, slice the pumpkin into wedges. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Place the Thai pumpkin custard in a container in the fridge for up to a week.

Allergy Info: This Thai pumpkin custard is free from or can be make without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut), or fish.

Apple Hand Pies (dairy and egg free)

It's Autumn, and it is the time of year when I find myself in the kitchen... baking. The one thing I'd stay away from if I wanna bake is pie. They are time consuming to make. But a few weeks ago, I decided to bake apple hand pies. Hmm... didn't I just wrote that I don't like to bake pies?

Well, as it happens, my parents are visiting from Thailand. They've been craving a lot of desserts that can only be found here in the USA. My dad likes to have something sweet with his coffee in the morning. So I've been baking cookies, bars, bread, and scones. They are luving everything I bake. I was thinking what else they haven't tried. Pies.

I also baked apple hand pies to test the recipe. After moving into our new home, I have to retest all of my recipes as I am now using the gas oven. I know!!! Dilemma!!! After spending a lot of time rolling, cutting, filling, shaping the dough, I came to a conclusion that I do not like to bake pie. Hmm... that sounded like it came from Dr. Sues's book.

Well, even though the apple hand pies are time consuming to make, I have to say that they are hands down cute and delish. They are great make-ahead desserts. Freeze them up and when you're ready to bake them, just follow the baking instruction. During that busy Thanksgiving dinner, make some of these hand pies... add your own spin on the filling too. My apple hand pie recipe is the same as 4th of July hand pies.

Apple Hand Pies
make 5-6 hand pies

Puff Pastry Dough:
1 cup (4 oz.) unbleached all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz.) organic palm shortening
1/4 cup (2 oz.) ice water

Apple pie filling:
1/4 cup diced apples
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
3 teaspoons unbleached all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Baking Soda Wash:
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon baking soda

1. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper or a nonstick mat. Set aside.
2. Making the dough by combining the flour, salt, and shortening, using a fork.
3. Add half tablespoon of ice water at the time.
4. Knead the dough until it comes together. Set aside to relax the dough a bit.
5. For apple pie filling, mix all the ingredients together. Set aside to cool.
6. Roll the dough out to a half inch thick.
7. Using a round cookie cutter, stamp out the dough. TIP: This is where you can get pretty creative. I decided to go with a 3-inch round cookie cutter. The shape of the hand pies is up to you
8. Place about 1/2 Tablespoon full of apple pie filling.
9. Please it in the middle of a dough.
10. Brush the dough around the filling with the cold water.
11. Place the other dough on top, be careful to keep the filling in a dome shape.
12. Using a fork, crimp the edges of the dough to seal the filling.
13. Using a spatula, move the hand pies on to the baking sheet. NOTE: If the pie dough is too soft, especially on a summer day, refrigerate the hand pies for about 5 minutes. Then move the hand pies to the prepared baking sheet.
14. Make three small slits on each hand pie.
15. Freeze the hand pies for at least 30 minutes. TIP: These hand pies can be made ahead. Keep them frozen until ready to bake.
16. When ready to bake the hand pies, preheat the oven to 400F degrees.
17. Take the unbaked apple hand pies out of the freezer.
18. In a small bowl, microwave about 1/4 cup of water until warm, about 30 seconds.
19. Stir in 1 teaspoon of baking soda.
20. Brush the baking soda water on each pie.
21. Sprinkle the raw sugar all over the top of the pie. NOTE: This step is optional but the raw sugar will add shines and crunch to the hand pies.
22. Bake in the preheated oven until gold brown, about 15 minutes.
23. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wiring rack to cool completely.

STORING: Keep them in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to a day or in the fridge for up to a week.

Allergy Info: These apple hand pies are free from dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nut (not palm), and fish.

Molded Chocolate

All I can say is... the endless possibilities of candy making if there is a bag of chocolate in my pantry. Seriously!!! All I need is variety of candy molds.

So two weeks ago, I posted an easy no baked snacks using melted chocolate. This post is even easier. I figure why not make my own chocolate candy. And it doesn't get easier than pouring the melted chocolate into different molds. They  are also perfect for lunchbox treats.

After making many molded chocolate, I prefer using silicon to plastic molds. For one thing, they are easier to release the chocolate treats. But these silicon molds are hard to find and much more expensive than the plastic ones. There are so many options out there, so choose any mold that is within your budget.

Molded Chocolate 

1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (semi sweet, dark, or white)
Varieties of candy molds

1. Set the molds in a baking tray and set them aside.
2. Place the chocolate chips in a microwavable bowl.
3. Microwave the chocolate chips for 30 seconds.
4. Stir then microwave it in 10 seconds interval until the chocolate is melted.
5. Spoon the melted chocolate into the molds.
6. Tap the molds a few times to get rid of the bubbles.
7. Place the chocolate molds in the fridge until the chocolate sets.
8. Once ready, turn the mold upside down and tape it a few times until the chocolate falls off. Enjoy the chocolate as is or use it to decorate your something sweeter, like a Halloween cupcake.

STORING: Keep the molded chocolate in an air tight container for up to 3 weeks.

Allergy Info: Use the chocolates according to your food allergy diet. I continue to use Enjoy Life chocolate as my kids' current diet is to avoid dairy and legumes. Currently, I cannot find a dairy free white chocolate.

Streamed Rice Hearts (dairy and gluten free)

When I was young, I luv eating a Thai dessert called bua-loy song-krueng. It's a sweet dessert made with cooked glutinous rice flour dough that is served in a sweet coconut sauce. The original dessert has a lot of food coloring to make it beautiful. Since I haven't make anything with artificial food coloring for years, I tested this dessert using beet juice.

From the original recipe, the little rice dough balls are cooked in a boiling water. Since I've worked with rice flour dough before, I knew that steaming rice flour dough could be done. I wanted to make a Valentine's day dessert, so I steamed a few heart shape rice dough. They turned out really good. A perfect dairy free and gluten free Valentine's day dessert.

My steamed rice hearts recipe is super easy and fast to make. Here's the catch. As you work on the dough, you decide how sweet or how red you want your steamed rice hearts to be. If you notice in all of the pictures I posted here, each rice heart or rice ball has different shade of red. If you don't want to use beet juice, that's fine too. The dough would just be white. The beet juice just adds that vibrant red color. Remember, my kids eat with their eyes first.

Brek said the steamed rice hearts tasted like gummy snacks. In another word, he luvs them... and asked me to make some more. I "heart" my kids.

Steamed Rice Heart
inspired by Health & Easy Thai Cooking's Bua-Loy Song-Krueng
makes about 15, depending on the size

1/3 cup (1.5 oz.) rice flour
3-4 Tablespoons palm sugar
2-3 Tablespoons coconut milk
3-5 teaspoons beet juice
Tapioca flour for dusting

1. Heat the water in a bottom pot that includes a top-tier steamer. NOTE: I use the stainless steel 2-tier steamer. Any steamer would work as well.
2. While the water is coming to a boil, cut a parchment paper with little holes, like a paper snowflake, to fit the top of the double boiler. Set aside.
3. Place the rice flour and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
4. Pour the coconut juice into the flour mixture.
5. Mix then knead the dough.
6. Add beet juice until the color red is in your liking. NOTE: If the dough is too wet, add extra rice flour. If the dough is too dry, add coconut milk. Remember to add either the flour or milk a little bit at a time. Add more beet juice to the dough until you achieve the desired color red.
7. Dust the nonstick mat with tapioca flour.
8. Pat the dough until it is bout 1/4 inch thick. NOTE: If the dough is thicker than 1/4 inch, be sure to add extra steaming time.
9. Dust the top of the dough with tapioca flour.
10. Using a heart cookie cutter, cut the dough and place the heart shape dough in a top-tier pot lined with parchment paper.
11. Steam for 12 minutes.
12. Take the steamed rice hearts out of the double boiler and place them on a wiring rack to prevent them from getting soaky. Serve warm or at a room temperature with sweet coconut sauce.

Sweet Coconut Sauce
makes 1/4 cup

1/4 cup (2 oz.) coconut milk
2-3 Tablespoons palm sugar

1. Place coconut milk and sugar in the sauce pan.
2. Heat the milk over a medium-low heat until the sugar melted, about 2 minutes.
3. Serve warm or at a room temperature with steamed rice hearts.

STORING: The steamed rice hearts are best eating the day that are made but can be kept in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to 1 day. The sweet coconut sauce can be kept in the fridge for up to 5 days. Warm both in a microwave for about 10 seconds before serving.

TIP: If you want to make the original bua-loy song-krueng, make little dough balls and coat them with tapioca starch to prevent the dough from sticking together. Then add them in a boiling water. Once the little rice balls float to the top, they are done. Scoop them out and place them in a cold water to prevent them for sticky together. Place the cooked rice balls in a serving bowl with diced and cooked Japanese potatoes, warm sweet coconut sauce. For a cold dessert, add shaved ice. 

Allergy Info: These steamed rice hearts are free from dairy, egg, corn, legume (soy), wheat, nuts (not coconut or palm), and fish. If you are sensitive to nuts, such as coconut or palm, substitute palm sugar with granulated or light brown sugar. For the dough, substitute coconut milk with nut-free milk or water. I can't think of a replacement for coconut milk in the sweet coconut sauce. If you can have dairy, try substitute a coconut milk with a heavy cream.

2015 New Year's Resolution

making snow-people cake toppers

Why is it that I'm always running out of time when I try to get things done around the house. So when do I have time to blog? Well, with so many things going on in my life, food blogging is the only way I can keep track of what yumminess I've made and my kids approve of. It is actually a good way for me to organize all of my recipes.

With that said, you can check out a list of All Recipes here. I'll keep this page up to date as I add more recipes in the future.

You know that phrase "where's all the time go?" For me, I'd said it nearly every day. So last year, I promised myself to eat more veggies. That I did!!!

I've been thinking in November... just a few weeks before Thanksgiving, regarding my 2015 new year resolution. I've continued to homeschool my kids, cooking and baking from scratch, plus doing the everyday chores. What on earth do I have time to do through out this year? Then it darn on me.

I miss having my kids in the kitchen with me. Last year, I always sent them upstairs to play while I worked on our breakfast, brunch, lunch, afternoon snack, or dinner. But this year, I want them in the kitchen, cooking, baking, and testing recipes with me.

So for my 2015 New Year's resolution, I'd like to teach a cooking class... to my kids.

Brek is already 12 years old. Since he luvs to cook and bake, I want to teach him this life skill, cooking for himself. I want him to become the independent man who can whip up a dinner or a dessert. Camden also luvs to be in the kitchen so getting him involve in baking is a good start.  Plus, he offers to do dishes for me. Better take advantage of that offer now, right?

So come back and visit my blog in the future to see what my kids and I will be cooking up. I see a lot of potentials from my kids... three mad scientists in the kitchen. Watch out, world!!!

Gingerbread Cookies (dairy-free)

While browsing through the aisle at Home Goods, I came across the Holiday cookie plunger cutter set that was... ready for this???... 70% off!!! So I had to have it. Then I had to find a way to use these cute cookie cutters. Since Camden's been asking for fresh baked cookies lately, I found the opportunity to put these cookie cutters to good use.

Last year, my modified gingerbread cookie recipe was loaded with butter. I never knew how to make shaped cookies without butter. But with months of baking without butter and with a little tweak, I came up with the dairy free version of the same gingerbread cookie recipe. Solution? Just replace butter with palm shortening. Yup that easy. While I was testing this recipe, I couldn't find ground clove in my pantry. Probably ran out and never replaced it. So I omitted it. Honestly, I couldn't tell that it was missing.

Since I use the cookie plunger cutters, each cookie has pattern imprinted on it. So there is no need for frosting. Cute and edible.

This recipe makes a lot of cookies, so be prepared to enjoy them, give them as gifts, or just freeze them up for future cravings. I actually baked fresh gingerbread cookies for my kids' breakfast several mornings. They had it with hot cocoa and homemade vanilla marshmallows. Cookies and hot cocoa with marshmallows for breakfast. I know. I spoil my kids rotten. (devilish smile)

Gingerbread Cookies (dairy-free)
makes a lot of cookies, depending on the size

1 egg, cold
1/4 cup (3 oz.) molasses
3/4 cup (5.3 oz.) sugar
1/2 cup (4 oz.) palm shortening
1 teaspoon ginger
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 1/2 (10 oz.) all-purpose flour, extra for dusting
Holiday cookie (plunger) cutters

1. Place the egg, molasses, sugar, and shortening in a large bowl.
2. Using a hand mixer, beat all of the ingredients until creamy.
3. In another bowl, whisk together the ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and flour.
4. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture.
5. Whisk again with a hand mixer until the flour is no longer visible.
6. Place the batter onto the nonstick matt.
7. Knead until the dough ball is formed.
8. Roll the dough out to a half inch thick. TIP: Dust the dough with extra flour so it is not sticky and easy to rotate. 
9. Place a nonstick matt or parchment on the baking pan. Set aside.
10. Place the all-purpose flour in a bowl. Dip the cookie cutters into the flour to ensure the dough won't stick onto the cookie cutters.
11. Cut the cookie dough using different cookie cutters.
12. Place the shaped cookie dough on to the prepared baking pan.
13. Repeat the steps with the remaining dough. TIP: Cut out all of the cookie dough and keep them frozen for up to 3 months. Bake as directed.
14. Freeze the dough for at least 30 minutes.
15. When ready to bake, preheat the oven at 325°F degree.
16. Line the baking pan with nonstick matt or a parchment paper.
17. Place the shaped cookie dough on the prepared baking pan, making sure that they are an inch apart.
18. Bake the cookies 10 minutes for small shaped cookie dough and 12 minutes for larger ones. NOTE: Keep in mind that if the cookies don't hold the shape well when baked, freeze the next batch longer before baking.
19. Take the cookies out of the oven and let them rest on the baking pan for 10 minutes. Then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool complete. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep these gingerbread cookies in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days.

Allergy Info: This gingerbread cookie recipe is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not palm), and fish.

Chocolate Truffles (dairy-free)

Two years ago, I made chocolate truffles that had heavy cream and butter. They were easy to make and were very tasty. A few days ago, Brek wanted to eat chocolate truffles. Hmm... never really thought about making dairy free chocolate truffles, but okay... putting on a mad scientist's hat.

I used the same dairy chocolate truffles recipe but substitute the dairy with non dairy ingredients: coconut cream and shortening. You know what, I can't remember what the dairy ones tasted like. But these non dairy truffles were pretty darn creamy. Luv it!!!

I made these truffles just enough for my kids. Feel free to double or triple the recipe. Brek luvs his chocolate truffles plain. Camden likes a little crunch from the sprinkles. Feel free to roll them into cocoa powder, sprinkle them with chopped nuts or colorful sprinkles, or drizzle them with melted chocolate. Feeling adventurous... insert the chocolate truffles with wooden party forks and have yourself some chocolate truffle pops. How fun is that!!!

Chocolate Truffles (dairy-free)
adapted from William Sonoma’s Chocolate Truffles
makes 7

1/4 cup (2 oz.) coconut cream
2.5 oz. chocolate chips (dairy-free)
1 Tablespoon (0.5 oz.) palm shortening

1. Add the coconut cream into a pot.
2. Bring the cream to a soft boil (bubbles on the side).
3. Turn off the heat.
4. Stir in the chocolate and shortening.
5. Whisk until the mixture develops a smooth texture.
6. Transfer the ganache mixture to a bowl, cover, and place in a refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.
7. Line a baking sheet with non-stick baking mat or parchment paper.
8. Scoop generous tablespoonful of the chilled ganache.
9. Roll it into a ball and place it on a prepared baking sheet. TIP: At this time, roll them into cocoa powder, sprinkle them with chopped nuts or colorful sprinkles, or drizzle them with melted chocolate.
10. Refrigerate them for 10 minutes.
11. Place the chocolate truffles into the mini cupcake liners or insert them with the wooden party forks. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the chocolate truffles in the air tight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Allergy Info: These dairy-free chocolate truffles are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts (not palm), or fish.

Snowflake and Snowman... cookies and marshmallows

As I started writing this blog post about wintery sweets, there was a blizzard in the east coast. Snow, snow, and more snow. Everywhere. People were snowbound.

At first I felt a little envy. Living in south of Texas for so long, I kinda miss snow.

Every winter, I tried but failed to convince my husband to embark on a family winter trip. You know, just drive or fly into a city where there'd be lotsa snow.

I don't want to ski. I just want to sit indoor, looking out the window and enjoying the sight of white snow while sipping my hot coffee. I mean, if my family is outside building snowman, then I'd watch them do that... indoor. Well, I might put on a winter coat and join them. Seriously, I just want to see wintery white snow.

So the blizzard in the east coast was during the second week of November. The cold blasted its way south of Texas too. No snow... just very cold... well, 30's degree is a blizzard in Texas. My family and I luv the cold. My poor aunts came for a visit that week, and we ended up having a colder temperature here than in New York. (I convinced them that the weather here was warm and didn't get cold until after Thanksgiving. But I forgot to mention that I never trusted Texas weather.)

With snow in the news and with the cold breeze in the air, I was inspired to bake something sweeter. I baked my aunts all kinds of cookies, pastries, pies, cake, and bread. Brek told my aunts, "Mommy's baking is hard to resist." They agreed, and I could tell that they enjoyed the sweets.

After my aunts went back to New York, I felt a little bit lazy but still wanted to bake something wintery. So I tested the William Sonoma's Russian tea cake recipe. I kept this recipe in mind for a long while now and never got to test it until now. I made them into snowflakes. Very easy and very tasty.

About a few weeks later, I received the William Sonoma's Holiday catalogue. In it was a bag of snowflake marshmallows. If I can make a living making things out of marshmallow, I'd be rich. Got inspired and made my own, using my vanilla marshmallow recipe. My kids luv my homemade marshmallows so much that Brek even told Camden, "It's homemade so you can eat as much as you want." Well... not really... but ok.

Snowflakes Marshmallows
makes about 12, depending on the size

1 vanilla marshmallow recipe
a lot of powdered sugar
variety of snowflake cookie cutters

1. Make the vanilla marshmallow as directed in the recipe.
2. Spread the freshly whipped marshmallow on 6 by 8 pan for thick marshmallows or 8 square pan for thinner marshmallows.
3. Once ready, cut the marshmallow using variety of snowflake cookie cutters. TIP: Cut the marshmallow into a small circle then dot it with melted chocolate to make snowman.
4. Sprinkle the snowflake marshmallows with powdered sugar to prevent sticky. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the snowflake or snowman marshmallows in an air tight container for up to a week.

Snow Flakes Cookies
adapted from William Sonoma's Russian Tea Cakes
makes 12-14

1/2 cup (2.5 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 cup (2 oz.) palm shortening
1/4 cup (1.5 oz.) granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 (1.4 oz.) ground blanched almonds
1/4 cup (1 oz.) powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
snowflake plunger cookie cutter

1. Line a baking sheet with a nonstick mat or parchment paper. Set aside.
2. Place all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix it with your fingers until combine. NOTE: The cookie dough will be sticky. Use a fork if needed.
3. Knead the dough in the bowl. Set aside.
4. Sprinkle some flour onto the snowflake plunger cookie cutter. TIP: Use other Holidays plunger cookie cutters such as gingerbread boy or Christmas tree.
5. Press the dough into the cookie cutter.
6. Place the cookie cutter onto a prepared baking sheet and press out the snowflake cookie dough.
7. Using a soft bristle pastry brush, dust off the flour on top of the snowflake dough.
8. Repeat until all of the snowflakes cookie dough are formed. TIP: Remember to dust the cookie cutter with flour. If the dough is stuck onto the pattern of the plunger cutter, use a toothpick to clean it.
9. Place the cookie dough in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 325F degree.
11. Bake the snowflake cookies in a preheated oven until golden brown, about 18 to 20 minutes.
12. Let cool in a baking sheet until the cookies are a room temperature.
13. Sprinkle generously with powdered sugar and enjoy.

STORING: Keep these snowflake cookies in an air tight container for up to 3 days. The snowflake cookie dough freeze well for up to 3 months. Bake as directed without defrosting.

Allergy Info: The snowflake and snowman marshmallows are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish. If you are allergic to eggs, use the maple syrup marshmallow recipe.

The snowflake cookies are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), or fish.

Cream Filled Chocolate Cookies

After Camden outgrew his food intolerance two years ago, I decided that I wanted to continue the clean eating. But I did allow prepackaged sweets in my pantry because I just didn't know how make some of them.

When I found Newman's Own cream filled chocolate cookies, I was super happy. They were dairy free, perfect for Brek's school lunch. But these cookies do have soy lecithin and corn starch. I had to put them away during Camden's recent food elimination diet.

Of course, Camden had to ask for these cookies. Just like everything else, I accepted the challenge and told him that I'd bake him some cream filled cookies.

At first, I found King Arthur Flour's Faux-Reos recipe in their cookbook. Then I found William Sonoma's chocolate star cookies on their website. Since I could use my dairy free chocolate frosting as the filling, I just needed a cookie dough recipe. I had good luck with William Sonoma's recipes, so I went ahead and tested their chocolate star cookie recipe.

As it turned out, my kids preferred the cookies without the fillings. The dough was super easy to make. Freeze well too. Well, I need to freeze the shaped cookie dough before baking them anyway. Because the palm shortening or coconut oil is in the dough, the frozen cookie dough keeps their shapes well when baked.

This cookie dough recipe makes a lot of cookies. I divided the dough in half. Use half of the dough and freeze the rest of the dough. I highly recommend that the cookie dough are precut into fun shapes before freezing them. When ready, just bake the cookies as directed, without thawing the dough. Always good to have a make-ahead something sweeter.

My kids luv helping me with the cookie shapes. Let's face it. Cookie cutters are F-U-N.

Cream Filled Cookies
adapted from William Sonoma's chocolate star cookies
makes a lot of cookies, depending on the size... freeze some precut unbaked cookies for future baking

1 large egg
8 Tablespoons (4 oz) palm shortening
1 cup (7.4 oz)  light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup (7.3 oz) all purpose flour
1/2 cup (1.5 oz) cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

chocolate frosting for creamy filling

1. Place a parchment paper or nonstick mat on a baking sheet. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, palm shortening, sugar, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, shift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and cream of tartar.
4. Using the hand mixer, mix the flour mixture into the egg mixture.
5. Place the dough onto the nonstick mat and knead until the dough is shiny. NOTE: Sprinkle flour a little bit at the time to prevent sticking, but don't add too much flour that the dough becomes dry.
6. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thick.
7. Cut the dough into desired shapes. TIP: To decorate the cookies, use a toothpick to draw a pattern or press a small cookie cutter half way into the shaped dough. Try sprinkle raw sugar on top of the cookies before freezing them.
8. Using a thin spatula to transfer the dough onto the prepared baking sheet.
9. Freeze the cookie dough for 30 minutes. NOTE: The longer the freezing time, the better.
10. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350F degrees.
11. Bake the cookies until crisp, about 8 minutes.
12. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for at least 5 minutes. Then transfer the cookies onto the wiring rack to cool completely.
13. If using, place the chocolate frosting on one cookie then sandwich it with another cookie. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the cookies in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days or in the fridge for up to a week. Precut unbaked cookies freeze well for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: These chocolate cream filled cookies are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legume (soy), nuts, and fish.

Hand Pies ~ Happy 4th of July

A few weeks ago, I borrowed a lot of cookbooks from the library. After flipping through Better Homes and Garden's Baking cookbook, I came across their pie pop recipe. The photograph of the pie pops was really cute. I was super inspired to try making my own pie pops.

Instead of pie dough, I went with a puff pastry dough for flakier result. The fillings were apples, strawberries, and blueberries, keeping the 4th of July in mind. Since I used a ravioli star stamp, I couldn't get the stamp to press and close the dough because of the stick. I luv how easy it was to use the stamp, so I decided to make hand pie instead.

My ravioli star stamp is pretty small, less than three inches in diameter. If you don't have a ravioli star stamp, you can use star cookie cutter in any size. Then use a fork to crimp the edges. Alternatively, the hand pie can pretty much be in any shape, such as round or square. How about a heart shape hand pie for Valentine's day. See, the possibilities of having fun hand pie shapes are endless. Think of Halloween, Thanksgiving, Xmas....

*UPDATE: Because the ingredients have gotten really expensive, I revised my puff pastry dough by using 1/2 cup instead of 1/3 cup of palm shortening. I stopped using coconut oil.

Hand Pies
inspired by Better Home and Garden's pie pops
makes 6 mini hand pies

Puff Pastry Dough:
1 cup (4 oz.) all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup (2 oz.) palm shortening*
1/4 cup (2 oz.) ice water

Egg Wash:
1 large egg yolk with 1 teaspoon of water

Pie Fillings:
1/8 cup each apple, strawberries, and wild blueberries
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar, divided
3 teaspoon all-purpose flour, divided
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch ground nutmeg
1/2 Tablespoon raw sugar (optional)

1. Line a baking sheet with a parchment paper or a nonstick mat. Set aside.
2. Making the dough, by combining the flour, salt, and palm shortening, using your hand.
3. Add half tablespoon of ice water at the time.
4. Knead the dough until it comes together. Set aside.
5. For the egg wash, whisk the egg yolk with water. Set aside.
6. For each filling, dice each fruit, except the wild blueberries.
7. Add 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of flour to each diced fruits.
8. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg to the apple filling. 
9. Mix all the filling then set aside.
10. Roll the dough into a rectangular shape and half inch thick.
11. Cut the dough in half.
12. Place 1/2 teaspoon of filling on one of the dough.
13. Brush the dough around the filling with the egg wash.
14. Place the other dough on top, be careful to keep the filling in a dome shape.
15. Using a ravioli star stamp or a cookie cutter, press it over the filling. If using the cookie cutter, be sure to crimp the edges with a fork.
16. Using a spatula, move the hand pies on to the baking sheet. NOTE: If the pie dough is too soft, especially on a summer day, refrigerate the hand pies for about 5 minutes. Then move the hand pies to the prepared baking sheet.
17. Make three small slits on each hand pie.
18. Freeze the hand pies for at least 30 minutes. TIP: These hand pies can be made ahead. Keep them frozen until ready to bake.
19. When ready to bake the hand pies, preheat the oven to 375F degree.
20. Bruch the hand pies with the egg wash.
21. Sprinkle the raw sugar on top of each pie.
22. Bake in the preheated oven until gold brown, about 20 minutes.
23. Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes then transfer them to a wiring rack to cool completely. Keep them in an air tight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days.

TIP: Organic fresh blueberries will work with this recipe. Be sure to select the firm and small size blueberries.

These hand pies are made for July 4th celebration. I bet you can come up with your own pie fillings. The savory filling is possible too. How about cooked sausage with cheese or veggies hand pies. So many pie fillings options!!!

Allergy Info: These hand pies are free from or can be made without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut or palm), and fish. To make them egg free, use milk or water as a wash instead.

Colorful Meringue Flowers

I've been testing natural food coloring using juices from beets, spinach, and carrots, for a few weeks now. Basically, baking colorful macaroons. And let me tell you. Macaroons are sold for $2 each at my local bakery. Now I know why. They are really difficult to make. Well, that's another blog post. Right now, I want to tell you how much I luv these natural food coloring.

Since the beet juice turned macaroons dark pink, my brains were working overtime. What if I baked meringue using beet juice and piped them into flower shapes. Oh... hello!!! Why didn't I think of this before. Meringue is less fuss than macaroons too. And having pinkish flower meringue on top of a chocolate cake is just (sigh) too pretty.

Baking these colorful meringue flowers are pretty much the same as baking regular meringues. The only step that is added to the recipe is to mix in the natural food coloring. Because I add the liquid (food coloring) into the whipped egg white, I decide that it is best to use cream of tartar for the firm peak support.

To make the food coloring, I peel raw beets and juiced them, using a juicer. The beet juice did make my hands pink for awhile. I keep my natural food coloring in the mason jars and try to use them within a week. I also freeze the beet juice in a small ice cube tray. Remember a little bit of beet juice goes a long away.

For the Earth Day 2014 inspiration, I baked chocolate cupcakes using my dairy free chocolate cake recipe. The cupcakes were topped with my dairy free chocolate frosting. The pretty colorful meringue flowers on top really added the touch of happiness.

Feel free to double or triple my recipe and make a garden full of flower meringues.

Colorful Flower Meringues
makes 10, depending on the sizes of the flowers

1 large egg white
pinch of cream tartar
1 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon natural food coloring from beet juice

1. Preheat the oven to 250°F. Line the baking pan with the parchment paper.
2. Separate the egg whites into a clean, dry, and large bowl. TIP: Make the pastry cream using the leftover egg yolk.
3. Add the cream of tartar to the egg white.
4. Using a hand mixer, whip the egg whites until frothy, about one minute.
5. Sprinkle the sugar then whip the egg whites until firm peaks form.
6. Add one of the food coloring of choice.
7. Whip the egg white until the food coloring is mixed in. NOTE: Egg white should not be visible.
8. Transfer the whipped meringue into the piping bag then snip the end of the bag.
9. Pip the whipped egg meringue on to the prepared baking tray, making sure they look like flowers. TIP: I dot the whipped egg meringue. Then I add more dots around the center dot to form a flower. I also tried different piping tips to form different flowers.
10. Bake the meringues in a preheated oven for 30 minutes.
11. Lower the oven temperature to 225°F degree.
12. Bake 30 minutes more. NOTE: If you would like to have the flower meringues ready on the day of baking, continue baking at 225°F degree until the meringues are crisp. Check for the crispiness every 15 minutes. The timing is really depending on the size of the flower meringues.
13. Turn off the oven and leave the meringues in the oven over night with the door closed. In the morning, the meringues should be crisp. If not, turn the oven on at 225°F. Once the oven is preheated, turn it off. Leave the meringues in the oven and check for crispiness after an hour.
14. Store the meringues in an air tight container. NOTE: If the air hits a meringue, it will be sticky and lose its crispiness. Enjoy them within a week.

Allergy Info: These colorful flower meringues are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish.

Chocolate Strawberry-Marshmallow Whoopie Pie

I get so inspired every time I watch Unique Sweets on the Cooking Channel. And let me tell you, I watch it at least one episode a week... well, more like every other day. I watch it again and again, and all the episodes never get old.

The sweets that stood out the most were the ones with the natural ingredients. No food coloring. Raw foods. One of the bakers made red velvet cupcakes using beet juice as food coloring. How cool is that. After thinking about baking without artificial food coloring and flavoring, I wondered what my maple syrup marshmallows would taste like if I added the freeze dried strawberries right after I made a new batch.

I heart freeze dried strawberry!!! The marshmallows had that strawberry aromatic. So much fragrant that if I didn't make them myself, I'd think a strawberry extract or some sort of artificial strawberry flavor was added to the recipe. Now I'm so addicting to freeze dried strawberry. I want to bake more things with them as a highlighted ingredient.

The other day, I was flipping through a baking book, reading out the recipes' names. Brek stopped me when a recipe caught his attention and told me, "You haven't made whoopie pie in awhile." He was right. Last time I made them was for Halloween treats. The very next day, I came up with chocolate strawberry-marshmallow whoopie pie recipe.

Luv, luv, luv!!! Brek really liked the strawberry aromatic in the marshmallows. Camden wanted only strawberry-marshmallows because... well, he just loved marshmallows. I think he was on to something because strawberry-marshmallows did taste good by itself.

I highly recommend using a whoopie pie pan for this recipe as each cake will bake perfectly round with a good dome. It also comes in handy for not just baking whoopie pies. I've baked cookies with this pan to achieve that perfectly rounded cookies. (Check out my perfectly rounded chocolate chip cookies).

Chocolate Strawberry-Marshmallow Whoopie Pie
makes 6

Chocolate Cake
3 Tablespoons (0.7 oz) cocoa powder
3 teaspoons instant coffee granulate (optional)
3/4 cup (3 oz) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 large egg
1/2 cup (3.5 oz) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (2 oz) coconut milk
3 Tablespoons safflower oil

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees. Spray the whoopie pie pan with the cooking oil. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder, coffee granulate, flour, and baking powder. Set aside
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg and sugar.
4. Add the milk and oil then whisk until creamy.
5. Mix in the flour mixture just until just combine.
6. Using the medium scoop, place the batter onto the prepared whoopie pie pan.
7. Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick inserted in the middle of any cake comes out clean, about 10 minutes.
8. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Then transfer the cakes into the rack to cool completely. NOTE: While the cakes are cooling, make the strawberry-marshmallows (recipe follows).
9. Turn over 6 of the cakes.
10. Scoop about 3 tablespoons of strawberry-marshmallows onto the cakes.
11. Place the other cakes on top of the strawberry-marshmallows to make whoopie pies.
12. Roll the side of the marshmallows onto the crushed freeze dried strawberry.
13. Serve right away or keep them in an airtight container at a room temperature for up to 3 days.

Strawberry-Marshmallows
2 cups freshly whipped maple syrup marshmallows
2-3 Tablespoons freeze dried strawberry, divided

NOTE: Look for the freeze dried strawberry that only have strawberries as an ingredient. Just Strawberries is what I used in this recipe. One bag is pretty expensive, so I use them wisely in my baking.

Wait until the chocolate cakes are made and in the cooling stage before making the marshmallows. The freshly whipped marshmallows make it easier to place between the cakes. Only 2 cups are needed for this recipe. What to do with the leftover marshmallows? Make regular marshmallows or add more crushed freeze dried strawberry to make more strawberry-marshmallows for future treats. (Notice the chocolate covered strawberry-marshmallows photographs. See, the possibilities of strawberry-marshmallows are endless.)

1. While the marshmallows are whipping in the stand alone mixture, roughly break the freeze dried strawberries into small pieces.
2. Once the maple syrup marshmallows are freshly whipped, scoop about 2 cups into a bowl. (Just estimate the amount that'd be enough for 6 whoopie pies.)
3. Stir in 2 tablespoons of the crushed freeze dried strawberries.
4. Use the strawberry-marshmallows right away, as stated in the instruction above. Save about a tablespoon of crushed freeze dried strawberries as garnish.

Allergy Info: The chocolate strawberry-marshmallow whoopie pie is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut), and fish.

Candied Heart Beets

Yes, candied heart beets. What a fun name!!! Since I promised myself to eat more veggies and fruits for my 2014 new year's resolution, I've been looking out for new veggies and fruits that I have yet tried. One of them was beets. But I seriously didn't know what to do with the beets. I didn't know how to cook them or to eat them.

With the Valentine's day approaching, I decided to give the beets a try. I bought a bunch home, but I kept passing them, sitting in my veggie basket. Contemplating!!! Then it occurred to me. "Hey, maybe I can dried them into chips like I did with the old apples." Oh boy!!! Did I find something sweeter AND healthy for my kids and me!!!

I made just enough to fill up one tray. Feel free to double or triple the recipe. The baking time really depends on how thick the beet slices are.

Candied Heart Beets
serve 2

2-3 raw beets
1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 225°F degrees.
2. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside
3. Wash and peel the beets.
4. Thinly slice the beets with a vegetable peeler or a knife, making sure they are the same thickness. A mandolin slicer would work too.
5. Using a heart shape cookie cutter, cut the beet slices into heart shapes.
6. Coat each beet slice with the sugar on both sides.
7. Arrange the slices onto the prepared baking sheet, a few centimeter apart. NOTE: I also baked the scrapes of the beets without sugar. I grinded them to make beet powder for future baking when red food coloring is called for.
8. Bake the beet slices in a preheated oven for an hour.
9. Turn off the oven but leave the beet slices into the oven until crispy, about 2 hours or overnight. NOTE: The baking time for making candied heart beets really depends on the thickness of the beet slices. Be sure to check each beet slice for the crispiness to the touch before baking them longer. If the beet slices are still soft to touch, turn the oven on to 225°F degrees then turn it off as soon as the oven is preheated. Leave the beet slices in the oven for another hour.
10. Enjoy or store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

Allergy Info: These candied heart beets are free from or can be make without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish. Told ya these beets are healthy snack!!!

Chocolate or Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls

Happy Chinese New Year! This year, it falls on Friday, January 31st. And it's the year of a horse, when it is "time for all people to go forward confidently in the direction of their goals and dreams". What a great advice!

When I was living in the Bronx, my parents would go to Chinatown on a weekend before or after the Chinese New Year. They always came back with bags full of food: roasted ducks, lots of fruits, especially oranges, and some sweets that came in the red box. The candied lotus seeds were my favorite sweet, which I already add to my (future) candy making adventure.

My parents would honored my late grandparents (my dad's parents) with these food. They would light the incense, wishing my grandparents a happy new year. After the incense burnt out, it was time for everyone to share the foods that were offered to my grandparents. I also received a red envelop with lucky money from my parents. The amount usually depended on my age. As I got older, I would get more cash. Lucky me!

 

I told my friend this story, and she said that it reminded her of Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead). I found it very interesting that even though we are from different cultures, the traditions of honoring our love ones are very similar.

I started to celebrate the Chinese New Year a little earlier this year. I baked egg custard yesterday for my kids afternoon snack. Turned out to be overly sweet for me, but my kids devoured the little tarts. Today, I decided to venture into something deep fried, sesame seed rice balls.

I made these sesame rice balls many moons ago as part of my learning to cook dim sum. They didn't turn out well. I wasn't sure why, but it might have something to do with not fully understanding the recipe's instruction. This year, I researched different recipes and decided to come up with my own version.

With that said, the sesame seed rice balls turned out much better this time. They tasted lighter and crunchier, though they weren't golden brown. The techniques and ingredients are pretty simple. Plus, no eggs, no gluten, and no dairy. It's pretty friendly allergy free sweets.

These rice balls are usually filled with red bean paste. Since Camden cannot have legumes, I made the filling using chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Afterward, he told me that he would like it plain. So I made another batch without the fillings, which was a done in a lightning speed. Taking it to the next level, I made palm sugar caramel and drizzled on top of the rice balls. Camden was right! Yummilicious!

Glutinous rice flour or sticky rice flour can be found at any Asian markets. Feel free to double or triple this recipe. I made enough just for my kids and me because (you know) fried food taste better when eaten right away. 

Chocolate Sesame Seed Rice Balls
makes 8 rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon chocolate chips
1 teaspoon black sesame seeds
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
Vegetable oil for deep frying

1. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar.
2. Add the cold water.
3. Knead the dough inside the bowl. NOTE: If the dough is too dry, add half of tablespoon of cold water. If the dough is too wet, add half tablespoon of flour.
4. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
5. Roll the dough into a log and cut them into 8 equal parts. Set aside.
6. In another bowl, mix together the chocolate chips and black sesame seeds. Set aside.
7. Place white sesame seeds on a plate.
8. Place a cooling rack over a sheet tray. Set aside.
9. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
10. While the oil is heating up, take a dough ball and flat it with your fingers into a disk.
11. Add the filling in the middle of the dough disk. Remember, a little bit of the filling goes a long way with this bite size dessert.
12. Pinch the sides to seal. NOTE: If the filling pops out, add slightly less filling next time. You may need to reshape the dough. 
13. Squeeze the dough then roll it inside your palm to form a ball.
14. Continue with this method until all 8 rice balls are formed.
15. Roll the rice balls in the white sesame seeds. Press the seeds into the dough, so they will stick to the rice balls.
16. Drop the rice balls into the hot oil.
17. Deep fried them for 3 minutes. Stand back as the rice balls may puff up causing the oil to splatter.
18. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
19. Allow the sesame seed rice balls to cool a bit, about five minute, before serving. Remember the chocolate filling may be piping hot.

Plain Sesame Seed Rice Balls
make 10 small bit rice balls

1/2 cup (2 oz) glutinous rice flour
3 teaspoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of ground nutmeg
3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) cold water
1 Tablespoon white sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons palm sugar
1/2 to 1 Tablespoon water

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a small pot. Bring the oil temperature to 350°F degrees.
2. Place a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and spices.
4. Add the cold water.
5. Knead the dough inside the bowl.
6. Once the dough comes together, knead it on the non stick mat.
7. Roll the dough into a log, about an inch in diameter and five inches in length.
8. Sprinkle the white sesame seeds on to a non stick mat.
9. Roll the dough log on to the sesame seeds, making sure that the log stays the same size.
10. Cut the log into ten equal pieces. There is no need to shape them into balls. These are bite size shapes.
11. Drop the dough into a hot oil and deep fry them for 3 minutes.
12. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sesame seed rice balls on to a prepared cooling rack, allowing the oil to drain.
13. In another pot, heat the palm sugar and water until the mixture is bubbling.
14. Drizzle the palm sugar caramel onto the sesame rice balls. Enjoy!!!

Allergy Info: These sesame seed rice balls are free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, wheat, and fish. If you don't have legume allergy, you can fill the rice balls with red bean paste, which are sold at any Asian markets. You can also make your own by grinding cooked red beans with sugar into paste.

Brek's Better Brownies (2014 New Year's Resolution)

I never liked New Year's resolutions. It was like setting up for a failure for me. Then I realized that if I really wanted to accomplish something and took a whole year to do... then why not.

For this year, I decided to focus on eating healthier. I need to eat more veggies and fruits. Last year, I was always achy, and it had nothing to do with old age. Well, maybe just a little bit. My mom and my husband kept telling me that I needed to exercise. Seriously, my workout is still doing chores and walking up and down stairs.

Anyway, this year, my blog will be full of recipes that include veggies and fruits. I want to go vegan but that would set me up as a failure. I will stick with a (semi) vegetarian diet. Veggies will be my main dish and some sort of meat on the side. I hope for great success and lose a few pounds too.

While I searched and played with the healthier version of something sweeter recipes, I gave Brek's Better Brownies a try. I helped Brek with making a healthier version of a regular brownies for his school project. He told me that his friends loved them and couldn't understand why it was called Better Brownies. They were surprised when Brek told them the secret ingredients were banana and spinach.

Take it the next level and make Mississippi mud brownies by topping the brownies with my homemade marshmallow fluff and melted chocolate. Now ask yourself this, does anybody care that there is banana, spinach, flax seeds, or cranberries in the brownies? Nah!!!

Brek's Better Brownies
modified from William Sonoma's Brownies
make 8 inch square pan

3 oz. (1/2 cup) non-dairy chocolate chips

3 Tablespoons (1.5 oz) coconut oil, divided

1/3 cup (3 oz.) granulated sugar

2 large eggs

half of 1 large banana (1.5 - 2 oz), mashed

3 - 4 Tablespoons (0.6 oz) raw baby spinach leaves, minced

3/4 cup (3 oz) all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon (0.3 oz) grounded flax seeds

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 cup (1.5 oz) non-dairy chocolate chunks

1/8 cup (1 oz) dried cranberries, finely chopped

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F degrees.
2. Spray the 8-inch square pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
3. Place chocolate chips in a large microwavable bowl with 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. 
4. Microwave for 30 seconds.
5. Stir and microwave in 9 seconds interval until chocolate chips are melted.
6. Add the rest of coconut oil, sugar and eggs.
7. Whisk until the batter is fluffy, about 30 seconds.
8. Add the mashed banana and minced spinach into the batter.
9. Whisk until just combine.
10. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, flax seeds, baking powder, and baking soda.
11. Add the flour mixture into the batter.
12. Whisk until just combine. Do not over mix.
13. Fold in chocolate chips and cranberries.
14. Bake in the preheated oven until the toothpick inserted comes out clean, about 15-20 minutes.
15. Cool the brownies in the pan. Then cut into desired slices. Enjoy! 

Allergy Info: Brek's Better Brownies are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut), and fish. To make the brownies gluten free, substitute all-purpose flour with gluten free flour.