A double whammy to combat those Sunday blues…

Yes, you read that right.  I’ve got a double whammy for you good readers!  (It’s not what you think, though, Donna.)  Two goodies, one post!  You see, when Lorelei (of Mermaid Sweets) first started Sweet Melissa Sundays, she very intentionally chose Sunday as our posting day.  Why, you might ask.  Well, to combat the Sunday blues, silly!  She’s a genius, I tell you (I heart you, Lorelei).  I can’t think of a better way to combat the blues than with some homemade goodies.  Just in case one goodie couldn’t cut it, I’ve got two treats to chase away the blues.

First up, Jessica of Singleton in the Kitchen picked the SMS treat of the week: granola breakfast cookies.  (Sidebar: Jessica is awesome!  Her blog is always filled with great food as well as a great sense of humor.  Jessica’s exuberant personality totally shines through in her posts, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of reading her blog yet, you simply must click over to check it out.)  These cookies were a double-whammy in and of themselves.  First, we had to make the granola, and then, we had to use that granola to make the breakfast cookies!

I have to admit that these cookies weren’t my favorite.  BUT, I’m convinced that this was not Melissa’s fault.  Her book has been wonderful thus far.  You see, the granola recipe called for rye flakes, which I could not find.  So, in my endeavor to be creative, I subbed in three cups of golden flax.  Well, folks, flax doesn’t taste great when it’s the predominant flavor.  (Okay, feel free to disagree with that statement.)  Needless to say, if the flax didn’t dominate, these cookies would be great.  They’re soft and chewy and full of crunchy, wonderful granola-y texture.  Quite reminiscent of gingerbread, actually (because of the molasses).  If you’re a fan of natural sugars, you would love these cookies: honey, molasses, pure maple syrup.  Not a bit of refined sugar in sight!  Be sure to check out the SMS blogroll and Jessica’s blog for the recipe!

Oh, I have to give a shout out to Danielle!  She runs the fabulous blog Gramatically Delicious as well as a wonderful ETSY shop.  Danielle provided me with the honey for these cookies!  She also sent me the most gorgeous pair of her earrings.  Check out her blog and shop!

Now, onto the piece de resistance!  I have a new and fabulous friend.  Can you guess who?  Risa!!  Risa has an amazingly delicious blog, Baked Perfection.  She and I have been chatting up a storm!  Recently, we were paying homage to Bakerella’s amazingness (and her genius cake pops), and we began to ponder what might be the next dessert fad.

Risa mentioned cookie dough pops.  Well, I have never been one to turn down a spoonful of cookie dough (and that’s putting it mildly), and putting it on a stick seemed like a great idea!  Have I mentioned how awesome Risa is?   Anyway, we decided to make two doughs: chocolate chip cookie dough and s’mores cookie dough!

  

Of course, the doughs are eggless, so they’re perfectly safe to eat—and perfectly yummy.  I’ve had to stop myself from eating all of these cookie dough pops.  You’ve got to make them!  The recipes for both doughs are below.  You must go check out Risa’s cookie dough lollis ; hers are just gorgeous!!

 

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Pops

1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened (it is even okay if it is melting a little)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cups mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Melted chocolate for dipping

In a medium bowl combine the flour, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (should make approximately 18-20) and insert a lolli pop stick. Chill for several hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Melt chocolates of your choosing and gently dip the cookie dough ball into the chocolate coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered (if your lolli pop stick falls out, just dip the end in the melted chocolate and put it back in the ball). Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Place in a styrofoam block to dry. 

S'mores Cookie Dough Pops
pictured below

1/2 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, divided
1/4 tsp salt
dash of cinnamon
1 stick butter, softened (it is even okay if it is melting a little)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
3/4 cup mini-marshmallows, halved

Melted chocolate of your choosing

In a medium bowl combine the flour, 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs, salt, and dash of cinnamon. In a second larger bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Slowly beat in the flour mixture until smooth. Stir in the chocolate and marshmallows. Roll the mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet lined with wax paper (Should make approximately 20) and insert a lolli pop stick. Chill for several hours or freeze for 15-20 minutes until firm.

Melt chocolate of your choice and gently dip the cookie dough ball into the chocolate coating by holding the lollipop stick and rotating until covered (if your lolli pop stick falls out, just dip the end in the melted chocolate and put it back in the ball). Once covered remove and softly tap and rotate until the excess chocolate falls off. Sprinkle with remaining graham cracker crumbs. Place in a styrofoam block to dry.

Eureka! And other synonymous exclamations…

Let’s not be bashful.  Let’s get right to it.  This, my friends, is a post about chocolate chip cookies.  You see, Risa and I have been chatting quite a bit as of late.  (I could totally go into a gushing session about Risa and her awesome blog, but alas, I’ll save that for another post.  Suffice it to say, she’s totally awesome.)  The other day, Risa asked me about my baking plans for the week.  Chocolate chip cookies, I told her; I was really craving a chocolate chip cookie (or five).

And, thus, my plan was set in motion.  I’m very rarely satisfied to make the same chocolate chip cookie recipe twice.  There’s always room for improvements, new ideas, experiments, etc.  That was, until today.  Yes, folks, I’m not ashamed to announce that I am beyond smitten with these cookies.  I’ve fallen for them.

I should probably give a shout out to my junior high and high school math teachers.  See, this cookie is a product not only of super yummy ingredients (and my endless love) but also of some reliable ole math.  After figuring out my ideal flour to "other ingredient” ratio for each ingredient, I then calculated ingredient measurements based upon my decision to use four cups of flour(s).

So, what’s the “secret” in these cookies?  What sets them apart from all other cookies?  A couples of things, namely coconut flour and white wine vinegar.  Allow me to explain.  Coconut flour (I used Red Mills brand; they have a ton of awesome flours) packs a protein punch!  Yep, that good ole coconut flour absorbs lots of liquid and makes the cookies ultra chewy (not to mention, it keeps these treats thick;  no spreading here!).  According to Red Mill, you can sub coconut flour for up to 20% of your flour so long as you add an equivalent amount of liquid to your batter.  (Yes, there was another mathematical calculation for the amount of liquid called for in the recipe multiplied by approximately 20%, which was then converted to ounces and cups. :) )  By the way, even though you can’t taste coconut in the cookies, the coconut flour smells divine!

So, what liquid to add?  Well, there’s vanilla and heavy cream, along with some eggs, but the vinegar steals the show. Vinegar adds a nice tenderness to these cookies, not to mention it has a fabulous reaction with the baking soda in the recipe!  And reaction means RISE!

These cookies are chewy and oh-so chocolatey (we’re talking three types of chocolate!).  They’ve got a wonderful thickness without being cakey (not that cakey cookies don’t have a time and place).  They brown up nicely due to the addition of 1 TBS of light corn syrup.  Plus, an added bonus: the dough really only needs to be refrigerated for about 30 minutes before baking  (because the baking soda and vinegar will start to react immediately…you don’t want to wait too long to bake).

Now what’s left to say?  Make these!!  They’re delicious.  I’ve been sneaking bites all night long.  Todd came home tonight and found bite marks in about five different cookies (got to test each batch, you know). 

*If you’re in the Bay Area, I found my coconut flour in the Ferry Building at one of the little groceries.

 

Elyse’s Chocolate Chip Cookies

 

3/4 cup coconut flour, spooned and swept

2 1/4 cups cake flour, spooned and swept

1 cup bread flour, spooned and swept

2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 sticks (1 cup) butter, at room temperature

2 eggs

2 tsp white wine vinegar (or apple cider)

1 TBS vanilla

1 TBS light corn syrup

1/8 cup heavy cream

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk chocolate chips

 

Method:

(1) Whisk together flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Make sure to whisk well.  Set aside.

(2) Cream together sugars and butter until light and fluffy, approximately 6 minutes.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, vinegar, vanilla, corn syrup, and heavy cream together until just combined.

(4) On medium speed, incorporate egg mixture into sugar-butter mixture in three parts, making sure to fully incorporate the egg mixture into the batter.

(5) Beat in the flour mixture in three parts, taking care to beat only until just combined.  Stir in the chocolates.  Refrigerate dough for about 30 minutes.

(6) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Scoop six cookies to a cookie sheet.  Bake for approximately 14-16 minutes, or until golden brown and cracked on top.  Allow cookies to cook for 3-5 minutes on baking sheet.  Remove cookies to cooling rack.

EAT!!

Makes approximately 33 large(ish) cookies.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Apple (Pear) Turnovers

I’m happy to report that it was another fabulous baking week for the SMS’ers, as we bake our way through Melissa Murphy’s Sweet Melissa Baking Book.  Tracey from Tracey’s Culinary Adventures selected Apple Turnovers for this week’s bake-along treat.  If you haven’t checked out Tracey’s blog, well, what are you waiting for?  Get to it!  Tracey is always posting yummy treats that make my mouth water.  Speaking of her yummy treats, you can find the recipe for these turnovers over at her blog!

In order to have a bit of my own culinary adventure, I decided to use pears in place of apples for this recipe.  I also switched up the caramel recipe.  The recipe calls for boiling 1/4 cup sugar with 2 TBS water.  I added 1/2 TBS of light corn syrup to this mixture.  Once it turned amber, I immediately added 2 TBS of heavy cream and whisked the mixture together.  I threw in my chopped pears and heated, as Melissa directed.  (I left out the remaining 2 TBS for which the recipe called.)

All I have to say is THANK YOU, TRACEY!  This recipe proved absolutely fabulous, and that was quite a pleasant surprise for me.  You see, I’m not a big fruit turnover fan—or, I wasn’t.  Tracey, you’ve made me realize that all these years, I’d just been tasting the wrong turnovers.  These turnovers are heavenl y: crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside, with a creamy ricotta and pear filling.  Divine!

If you’re a turnover skeptic, or if you’re a turnover lover, you need to try this recipe.  Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers turnovers at the Sweet Melissa Sundays blogroll.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Brooklyn Brownout Cake

Allow me to preface this post by warning you that my intention is to ply you with pictures until you sit and think to yourself, “Gee, I have a real craving for Brooklyn Brownout Cake.  I guess I should get myself into the kitchen so I can make it.”  If you feel the need to scurry away from your computer in the midst of reading, I understand.  In fact, I encourage it.  Go, go make this cake right now.

I had the honor of selecting this week’s Sweet Melissa Sundays recipe.  For those of you who haven’t caught on to this group yet, we SMS’ers are baking our way through Melissa Murphy’s the Sweet Melissa Baking Book.  What did I choose?  Well, obviously the most chocolatey sounding recipe in the book!  The Brooklyn Brownout Cake.  Be sure to check out all of the SMS’ers’ treats!!

Melissa describes this cake as “a chocolate lover’s fantasy.”  Essentially, you make some super fudgy brownies, which get combined with chocolate ganache to form a thick and fudgy filling.  This filling gets sandwiched between two layers of dense, mocha-flavored chocolate cake.  Then, the entire cake is doused with the remaining ganache.  Chocolate overload!!

The cake calls for Dutch processed cocoa powder, which none of my local grocery stores seem to carry.  I had to sub-in regular cocoa.  I’m pretty sure the acidity of the cocoa, combined with the acidity of the coffee (an entire 3/4 cup), messed up the pH of my cake.  Don’t think the miniscule amount of baking soda could effectively neutralize the acid.  Oh well, so my cakes ended up denser and fudgier.  It’s a tough life.

Melissa’s recipe calls for combining brownie chunks with the ganache, but I actually mushed my brownies into the ganache to make a filling with a smoother, thicker consistency.  Also, rather than coating the cake in the remaining filling, I topped each layer with the filling, and then iced my cake with the remaining ganache.  Just to break up the brown monotony, I added a drizzle of white chocolate ganache over the top.

This cake is delicious.  Moist, chocolatey, heavenly, fabulous.  The coffee flavor is strong—if you’re not a coffee person, this cake isn’t for you.  The filling definitely makes the cake—I mean, a brownie-and-ganache filling?  What’s not to love?

This recipe has a lot of steps, but all of them are easy.  Plus, the end product is totally worth it!  I’m providing the brownie recipe below (with the alterations I made), but you could use your favorite brownie recipe for sure.

Brooklyn Brownout Cake

 

For the cake:

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil

2 cups sugar

1 cup plus 2 TBS AP flour

3 TBS plus 1 tsp unsweetened Dutch processed cocoa powder (I used regular cocoa powder) 

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup sour cream

2 large eggs

3/4 cup hot strong brewed coffee

 

For the chocolate ganache frosting:

12 oz semisweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 TBS light corn syrup

 

For the brownie crumble:

4 chocolate brownies, see recipe below

1/4 cup walnut pieces, optional (I left these out)

 

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour two 7 x 2-inch round cake pans. (I used 9-inch).  Line each pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake:

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the chocolate, stirring occasionally.  When the chocolate is completely melted, whisk in the vegetable oil until smooth.  Remove from the heat but keep warm over the hot water.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt, and mix well.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream and eggs until smooth.

(4) Add the egg mixture to the flour mixture, and mix until combined.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Add the melted chocolate mixture and mix until combined.  Add the hot coffee in a stream, and mix until combined.  (Again, scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl.)  The batter will be loose.

(5) Divide batter evenly between the prepared cake pans.  Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean (mine took 30 minutes in 9-inch pans).  Remove to a wire rack to cool in the pans for 25 minutes before turning out the layers onto the rack.  Cool completely before finishing.

To make the ganache:

(1) Chop the chocolate into small pieces and place in medium bowl.

(2) In a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the cream to scalding, or until the cream is steaming and tiny bubbles have formed along the edges.

(3) Immediately pour the hot cream over the chocolate to cover completely.  Do not stir.  Wait 5 minutes, then whisk together until smooth.  Stir in corn syrup.

(4) Lay a sheet of plastic wrap flush against the surface of the frosting.  Let cool to slightly warm before using.

 

To make the crumble and complete the cake:

(1) Trim the tops of the cake layers so that they are even and no longer domed. (I didn’t have to do this because the acidity of my cake prevented any domes from forming.)  Break the cake trimmings up into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks and place in a medium bowl.  Place one of the cake layers cut side up on a wire rack set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing.

(2) Break up the brownies into 3/4- to 1-inch chunks.  Combine the broken-up cake scraps with the brownie pieces.  Pour half of the ganache over the brownies and cake scraps and stir gently with your fingers to coat.  This is your brownie crumble. (I mushed my brownies into the ganache to create more of a smooth-consistency filling; it was much easier when it come to spreading.)

(3) Place one of the cake layers (cut side up) on a wire rack and set over a cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper for glazing.  Layer about 1/3 of the brownie crumble evenly over the top of the cake layer.

(4) Place the remaining cake layer upside down on the other cake and press down gently.

(5) (At this point, I put the remaining brownie crumble/filling on top of the cake and spread it evenly.) Pour the remaining chocolate ganache over the assembled cake.  Let it drip down over the sides of the cake. (Melissa does not say what to do with the rest of the brownie crumble, if you haven’t already put it on top of your cake.  The SMS’ers assumed that Melissa meant us to push the mixture up on the sides of the cake.)

Chocolate Walnut Brownies

1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter

4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp kosher salt

2/3 cup walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional) (I didn’t use them.)

Before you start:

Position a rack in the center of your oven.  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Butter and flour a 9x9x2-inch square cake pan.  (I used an 8x8 pan.)

(1) In the top of a double boiler set over simmering, not boiling, water, melt the butter and chocolate.  Remove from the heat but keep warm.

(2) In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whip attachment, beat together the eggs, sugar, and vanilla on medium speed until pale yellow in color, about 2 minutes.  (If you do not want a “crust” on your brownies, only mix eggs to combine with other ingredients.)  Add the melted chocolate and mix to combine.

(3) In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.

(4) Add the flour mixture to the chocolate mixture in 3 batches, mixing on low speed until just combined.  Do not overmix.  Scrape down the sides of the bowl.  Stir in the nuts by hand.

(5) Pour the batter into the prepared pan.  Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until sides begin to pull away from the pan and center is moist but not running, and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.  (In an 8x8 pan, my brownies took 40 minutes—they were fudgy but not underdone.  The SMS’ers came to a consensus that these brownies need no more than 40 minutes.)  Remove to a  wire rack to cool.

(6) When cool, loosen the edges of the pan with a knife and invert the brownies onto a cutting board.  Cut into 12 brownies.

*Brownies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.  For longer storage, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze well-wrapped in plastic wrap and then aluminum foil for up to 3 weeks.  Do not unwrap before defrosting.

Many a phone call later…

This is Girl Scout season, people.  You know what that means.  The hoarders and the indulgers have come out to play.  Yes, there are two types of people when it comes to Girl Scout cookies.  There are those who buy 50 boxes, cram them into the nooks of their freezers, and then proceed to ration the cookies so as to preserve a precious few boxes for rainy days.  These people are the hoarders.  Then, there are those who buy 50 boxes and promptly begin, well, indulging.  Conjure a picture of a squirrel piling nuts in its mouth, cramming and cramming even though there’s no space left, and then, you’ll understand the indulgers.  Now, my problem remains that I like to hoard and indulge simultaneously.  Yes, I literally like to have my Girl Scout cookies and eat them, too.

So, when one of my best friends Lindsay asked me to make a Samoa-inspired dessert, I couldn’t refuse.  This challenge provided me with a perfect way of having my Girl Scout cookies and eating them, too—you see, you can make this dessert anytime you like (no need to hoard)!  Lindsay and I have discussed ideas for this dessert at length.  We wanted to move beyond a bar cookie because, well, Risa already covered the bar cookie  so well!  (Check out her fabulous blog.  So much yummy stuff!)  I talked to Lindsay and to Risa about a potential cake, but at the end of the day, we all agreed that the cake couldn’t evoke the quintessential Samoa flavors and textures.  Yes, fluffy cake doesn’t have the proper texture!

So, I got on the phone with my wonderful sister Jessie.  (Sidebar: I need a whole post dedicated to Jessie.  Talk about an amazing person.  Everyone say congrats to Jessie; she’s a high school senior who just decided she’s going to UGA for undergrad!)  The understatement of the year would be to say that Jess is artistic.  This girl has real talent, and it’s not just limited to oil paints and canvases.  She conjures the most creative and beautiful ideas—especially when it comes to food.  So, Jessie and I created an idea for a Samoa cheesecake!

We’re talking coconut macadamia shortbread crust.  Tender, crispy, flaky shortbread.  Then, a thin, creamy layer of sea salt caramel.  Top that off with a mascarpone caramel coconut cheesecake layer.  And the figurative cherry on top?  A chocolate coconut ganache.  Words cannot do this dessert justice.  It is pure heaven.  Heaven, I tell you!  (Hence the excessive pictures…that’s my attempt to show you how amazing this dessert is.)

 

Now, don’t be scared.  This recipe contains many a-step.  First of all, I made 12 mini-cheesecakes and 1 large cheesecake.  You could, of course, just make one large cheesecake (my cheesecake was rather short because of the batter that went toward the minis).  Or, if you’re really patient, you could make multiple rounds of mini-cheesecakes (I’m not that patient).  The shortbread recipe makes more crusts/cookies than you’ll need for the crusts.  That’s okay: bake up the rest.  They’re great alone!

Make these!  That’s all I can say.  You’ll never have to hoard a Samoa again (okay, that’s a lie, but you will have a great Girl Scout fix whenever you need it).  Please, please, I beg you.  Try the amazingness that is this treat!

Samoa Mascarpone Cheesecake

 

1 recipe Coconut Macadamia Shortbread (below)

1 8oz package cream cheese, room temperature

1 8oz container of mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 recipe Salted Caramel (below), divided use

2 large eggs

1 tsp coconut extract

1 tsp vanilla extracts

1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut, ground in the food processor (you could use sweetened if you wanted; I used sweetened in the other parts of this dessert)

1 recipe Coconut Chocolate Ganache (below)

 

Method:

(1) Preheat oven to 350.  Grease mini-cheesecake pans and/or 9-inch spring form pan, if using.  Fit short bread crusts into bottom of mini-cheesecake pan and/or 9-in spring form pan.  Bake mini-crusts for 10 minutes.  (If making a larger cheesecake, bake larger crust for 15 minutes.)

*After crusts have baked, turn oven down to 300.

(2) Prepare cheesecake filling.  Beat cream cheese and mascarpone until creamy, about 2-3 minutes.  Beat in 3/4 cup of the salted caramel.  Beat in eggs and vanilla and coconut extracts until combined.  Stir in the food-processed coconut.

(3) Place 1/2 tsp of the remaining caramel mixture on each of the mini-crusts.  Spread caramel to the edge, so that it completely covers the shortbread crust.  (Use remaining caramel to cover your larger crust, if you’re making another cheesecake in spring form pan.)

(4) Place cheesecakes into a water bath and bake in 300 degree oven.  The mini cheesecakes will take approximately 10-15 minutes (do not worry if they are firm when they are removed; mine took 15 minutes).  (If you’ve placed your remaining batter in a spring form pan, this will need to bake in a water bath for approximately 20-25 minutes.)

(5) Let cheesecakes cool to room temperature, and then refrigerate overnight.

(6) Top each mini-cheesecake with 1 TBS of the coconut chocolate ganache.  (Use remaining ganache to top your “leftover” spring form cheesecake.)

Coconut Macadamia Shortbread

From Martha Stewart’s Cookies

 

1 cup macadamia nuts, toasted

3/4 cup plus 2 TBS sugar

1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks), plus 1 TBS unslated butter, room temperature

4 TBS cream of coconut OR unsalted butter

2 tsp pure coconut extract

2 cups AP flour, plus more for work surface

1/2 tsp coarse salt

 

Method:

(1) Process nuts and 2 TBS sugar in food processor until finely ground.  Set aside.  Process 1 cup coconut until coarsely ground.  Set aside.

(2) Put butter, cream of coconut (if using), and remaining 3/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with paddle attachment.  Beat on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes.  Mix in coconut extract.  Reduce speed to low.  Add flour, salt, nut mixture, and ground coconut.  Mix until combined.

(3) Halve dough.  Shape halves into disks, and wrap well in plastic.  Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

(4) Let dough soften before rolling.  Roll out each disk on lightly floured parchment to 1/4 inch thick.  Cover with plastic; refrigerate until firm, about 30 minutes.

(5) Cut dough into shapes to fit your mini-cheesecake pan.  If using a 9-in spring form pan, as well (or in place of the mini-pans), roll dough out and cut to fit the cheesecake pan.  Set aside this portion of the dough.

(6) Cut any leftover dough into 2 1/4-inch square cookies.  Bake at at 325 F for 20-25 minutes (mine took 15 minutes).

 

Salted Caramel Recipe, from previous post

Coconut Chocolate Ganache

1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups bittersweet chocolate pieces

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp coconut extract

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut

 

Method:

(1) Bring cream to a simmer and remove from heat.

(2) Pour chocolate into the cream.  Let the mixture sit for 1 minute.

(3) Whisk chocolate and cream together until smooth, adding extracts.

(4) Mix in the coconut.  Let mixture cool until room temperature.

Sweet Melissa Sundays: Honey Beescotti

I raved about Lorelei of Mermaid Sweets in my last post. In case you don't recall, she recently kick-started a baking group called Sweet Melissa Sundays, aptly named after and inspired by Melissa Murphy's The Sweet Melissa Baking Book. Not only is Lorelei responsible for creating this marvelous group, but she also happens to reside in my neck of the woods. Do you know what that means? Yes, that's right: I have met Sweet Melissa Sundays's fearless leader, and man, is she cool! I knew Lorelei would be super awesome because, well, her blog is super awesome (and I'm currently operating under the philosophy that you can tell a lot about a person by her blog). But, what I did not know is that Lorelei would be a total kindred spirit! I'm already anticipating our next get-together! So, it is with so much pleasure that I get to share with you Sweet Melissa Sundays's first baking adventure, chosen by Lorelei: honey beescotti!

I'm a fan of a good biscotti. I like them dunked in my tea or coffee. But, aside from these dunk-in-drink uses, I'm not necessarily going to select a biscotti for snacking--or for dessert. However, I thought these biscotti were excellent! I've been snacking on them AND eating them after dinner (yes, after dinner would mean for dessert). I was so impressed with the orange and almond flavors. (The honey flavor was quite subtle.)

The biscotti get their orange flavor from chopped candied orange peel (which I made for the first time). It plays a delicious role in this recipe; the texture totally complements the cookie. The biscotti get their almond flavor from almond extract and almonds. Now, if you're like me, you sometimes get nervous about using almond extract. Have no fear! Put it in, put it in!! It smells delicious when the cookies begin to bake and adds great depth!

The only issue these biscotti presented was the dough. It was stickier than I anticipated and thus required a good bit of flour in order to roll it into the required logs for baking. Aside from that, this recipe came together like a dream! I would absolutely make these again--and that's saying something! Thanks, Lorelei, for starting this wonderful group and for choosing such a great christening recipe! Be sure to check out the other fabulous bakers in our blogroll! (And for the recipe, check out Lorelei's blog, Mermaid Sweets.)