I am absolutely thrilled to be sharing this recipe with you today. Not only because these cookies are delicious and sure to impress whoever you share them with but also because for me, they hold a deeper, much more special meaning: I learned how to make them from my Syrian mother-in-law Sahar in her tiny kitchen in Damascus.

Although small, Sahar’s kitchen is efficient and she moves around it with all the grace and ease that a ballerina would dance onstage. Being in Sahar’s kitchen is an experience in itself: there are bright stacks of apricot leather waiting to be made into creamy puddings or refreshing drinks; jars of homemade pickled vegetables (like cucumber, olives, radish, and cauliflower); huge containers of homemade vinegar; a rainbow of homemade jams; tins of cookies just begging for a neighbor to stop by for an impromptu visit so they can be brought out; and all manner of dried herbs and spices. The scent of fresh ground Turkish coffee picked up at the market and baharat (spice) lingers in the air and mingles with the aroma of jasmine that wafts in through the open, but curtained window.

Sahar is an artist; her kitchen is her studio and food is her medium. These cookies remind me of the time I spent learning from her, watching intently and scrawling detailed notes as she lovingly taught me the secrets of Syrian cooking, which is more about the sensory experience it induces than about following an exact recipe or measurement. It’s about making something you can be proud to serve your loved ones. This recipe for Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies (Ma’amoul) is one of the many that I had the honor of collecting from Sahar, and it can be found in my cookbook An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair (Tuttle; 2012).

Ma’amoul means “stuffed” in Arabic, and these cookies can be stuffed with a number of different fillings. Date filling is traditional for celebrating Eid, but walnuts (flavored either with orange blossom syrup or cinnamon) and pistachios (flavored with rose water and orange blossom water) are also common. These cookies are easiest to make using a ma’amoul mold (which can be purchased online or at Middle Eastern grocery stores), but below I also show how to make them without one.

While these cookies are a bit time-consuming, if you have a free afternoon they really are worth every effort. As a bonus, they will keep nicely for up to a month stored in an airtight container at room temperature. Another nice thing is that it’s an easy recipe to double, which I often do because the cookies keep so well.

Ready to start? I wish we could take a step into my mother-in-law’s kitchen together, but for now mine will have to do.

The first thing to do is mix up the cake spice mix, which is a combination of ground cinnamon, allspice, mahlab (which is ground seed kernels from St. Lucie cherries), nutmeg, ginger, fennel seed, anise, and cloves. I usually make a double or triple batch because I use it pretty frequently, but even a single batch is more spice mix than what you’ll need for this recipe. Store the extra mix in an airtight jar in the pantry or spice cupboard.

Mahlab is a lovely spice—it smells like a cross between almonds and cherries, and can be found at specialty spice shops or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t find it, although it won’t be quite the same, for a similar flavor you can add a couple drops of pure almond extract instead.

Then once you mix up the cake spice mix, get out everything else you’ll need.

Here we have ghee or clarified butter (in the green tub with the cow on it), granulated sugar, flour, canola oil, water, powdered sugar, yeast, date paste, and the cake spice mix.

I’m going to let you in on a little secret about the dates for the filling in this recipe: if you use a really high-quality date paste, it might not need to be processed using the grinder attachment on a stand mixer or using a heavy-duty food processor (just use the same amount of date paste as you would use of pitted, chopped dates). The brand of date paste I show pictured above (Onaizah Dates Factory) is great; it’s very smooth and well-pureed. I ran it through the grinder attachment on my stand mixer once just to show how it looks when it comes out but it really was smooth enough that it didn’t need it. If you’re using pitted, chopped dates or date paste that isn’t completely smooth, you’ll need to grind it yourself.

Speaking of grinding dates yourself, I have to warn you, this next set of pictures isn’t pretty on any level.

Here’s the ground date paste (left), the date paste with spice (center), and the date paste after kneading the spice in. (That might look like a lot of date filling, but it is enough for 2 ½ batches of cookies.)

If you need to grind the date paste yourself, a stand mixer fitted with a food grinding attachment (fine grind) really is the best way to go, but a super heavy-duty food processor will also work—just be sure to use canola oil to oil the blade well first.

The dough is sweetened with simple sugar syrup, so add the sugar and water to a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil (swirling the pan, but not stirring), boil for 1 minute, and then turn the heat off and cool slightly.

Melt the ghee and oil together in a small saucepan.

Put the flour into a large bowl and whisk in the yeast.

Gradually stir the oil mixture into the flour …

And then gradually stir in the sugar syrup.

Knead the dough a bit so it comes together into dough that’s somewhat soft and shaggy (it will be oily). (Just an FYI, my mother-in-law doesn’t knead this dough the way you’d knead normal bread dough; instead of using the heels of her palms, she uses her fingers to run them through the dough, moving one hand in one direction and the other hand in the other direction at the same time, which gives the dough its shaggy look. Practice a bit and you’ll easily get the hang of it.)

At some point while incorporating the oil and the sugar syrup, you will probably think that there is absolutely no way the dough will take any more liquid. But it will. The key is to add everything gradually and fully stir it in between each addition. You can add up to 4 tablespoons more flour if your dough seems too wet, but you probably won’t need it—and no matter what you do, don’t add more flour than that!

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to cool and stiffen slightly, about 10 minutes, then take it out and knead it for a couple minutes more.

Here’s the dough after a brief chill in the freezer.

If you have a ma’amoul mold, get it out now. (If not, I’ll show you how to shape the cookies by hand in a second.)

Measure out the dough and the dates for shaping. For the dough, you’ll need to measure out an equal amount of 2 sizes: 1 slightly scant tablespoon of dough (those are the larger balls on the left in the picture below), and 1 slightly scant teaspoon of dough (those are the smaller balls on the right in the picture below); roll each piece into a ball. For the dates, measure 1 teaspoon of the date mixture and roll it into a ball. (You will need the same amount of date balls as you have of large dough balls and small dough balls, so a 1:1:1 ratio of each.) Once you have everything measured out, using the mold is quick, methodical work like shelling peas. Grab a cup of coffee (iced for me, please!) and put on some good music (or grab a friend) and you’ll be done before you realize it.

Take 1 piece of the larger balls of dough, slightly flatten it, and then press it into the bottom and up the sides of the mold.

Take 1 of the measured date balls, slightly flatten it, and then gently press it into the dough in the mold.

Take 1 piece of the smaller dough balls, slightly flatten it, and put it on top of the date mixture in the mold. Use your fingers to press the dough on top into the dough on the sides.

To remove the cookie from the mold, hold the mold by the handle and tap the flat rim on a secure surface a couple times; the cookie will drop right out. Continue this way until you run out of dough and/or date filling.

To shape the cookies by hand, take a larger dough ball, flatten it slightly, and lay in it the palm of one hand. Take a date ball, flatten it slightly, and lay it on top of the dough in your hand. Finally, take a smaller dough ball, flatten it slightly, and place it on top of the date filling. (Basically, the palm of your hand becomes the mold.) Gently press the dough on top into the dough on the bottom so the date filling is completely covered. Shape the cookie into a slightly flattened circle.

Use a fork to make a decorative cross-hatch pattern on the top. (This method isn’t quite as pretty as using a mold, but it’s still functional!)

Arrange the cookies about ½ to 1 inch apart on Silpat or parchment paper-lined large baking sheets. Gosh, they’re pretty, aren’t they?

Bake them (at 350ºF) until they look like this (about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the trays once)—gorgeously golden on the bottom.

Let them cool completely, and then rain a little powdered sugar on top.

You can store these beauties for up to a month in an airtight container at room temperature (their flavor actually improves as the spices in the filling have the chance to mingle). But at this point I highly recommend brewing up a pot of Turkish coffee and sampling the fruit of your labor. Or a couple of the fruits of your labor.

It’s the perfect way to spend a perfectly sweet afternoon (pun intended).

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It truly is like being transported to an exotic place. And feel free to share (if you want).

Recipe

Middle Eastern Date-Filled Cookies (Ma’amoul)

by Faith (An Edible Mosaic) on May 31, 2013 in Cookies, Desserts May 31, 2013

CookiesDesserts

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time 1 Hour30 Minutes

Cook Time 35 Minutes

Difficulty Intermediate

Servings 24

24

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Recipe Description

These beautiful cookies are perfect for any special occasion. While they are a bit time-consuming to make, if you have an afternoon free they’re definitely worth the effort. Ma’amoul means “stuffed” and these cookies can be stuffed with a number of different fillings; date filling is traditional for holidays, but walnut and pistachio are common too. My Syrian mother-in-law taught me this recipe and it’s found in my cookbook.

Preparation Instructions

1. Mix together the spices for the cake spice mix. You will only need 1 ½ teaspoons of the spice mix for recipe; store the remaining spice mix in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 6 months.
2. To make the date filling, grind the dates and oil in a stand mixer fitted with a food grinding attachment (fine grind) or in a heavy-duty food processor. If using a stand mixer, alternate between adding the dates and oil. If you’re using a food processor, before you add any dates, rub oil on the blade and inside of the bowl. Once processed, oil your hands and knead the cake spice mix into the dates.
3. To make the dough, combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a full, rolling boil (occasionally giving the pan a swirl); boil 1 minute and then turn off the heat. Cool 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Combine the oil and clarified butter in a separate small saucepan and cook over medium heat until the butter is just melted, about 2 minutes; cool slightly.
5. Put the flour in a large bowl and whisk in the yeast. Use a wooden spoon to gradually incorporate the oil mixture, then gradually incorporate the sugar syrup. Knead the dough until it comes together nicely into a shaggy dough, adding up to 4 tablespoons more flour as needed (when done, the dough will be soft and should look smooth, shiny, and slightly oily). Cover the dough, put it in the freezer to stiffen slightly, about 5 to 10 minutes, and then knead it again for a couple minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C); line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.
7. To shape the cookies with a ma’amoul mold (see note below), measure 1 slightly scant tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball; slightly flatten it with your hands, then press it into the bottom and up the sides of the mold. Measure 1 teaspoon of the date mixture and roll it into a ball; slightly flatten it and gently press it into the dough in the mold. Measure 1 slightly scant teaspoon of dough, roll it into a ball, slightly flatten it, then put it on top of the date mixture in the mold; use your fingers to press the dough on the top into the dough on the sides. To remove the cookie from the mold, hold the mold by the handle and tap the flat rim on a secure surface; the cookie will drop right out.
8. Arrange the cookies on the baking sheets about ½ to 1 inch (1 ¼ to 2 ½ cm) apart (if you use 2 half-sheet pans, the cookies should all fit on 2 pans; if you use smaller pans you will need to cook them in 2 batches). Bake until light golden brown on the bottom, about 20 to 25 minutes, rotating the trays once.
9. Cool completely, and then dust with the powdered sugar. To store the cookies, package them layered between parchment paper in an airtight container.

Notes:
Ma’amoul mold: In this recipe I give directions for how to shape these cookies with a ma’amoul mold, which can be purchased at Middle Eastern grocery stores or online. However, these cookies can also be shaped by hand. To do so, measure 1 slightly scant tablespoon of dough and roll it into a ball; slightly flatten it with your hands, then hold it in the palm of 1 hand. Measure 1 teaspoon of the date mixture and roll it into a ball; slightly flatten it and gently press it into the dough in your hand. Measure 1 slightly scant teaspoon of dough, roll it into a ball, slightly flatten it, then put it on top of the date mixture; use your fingers to press the dough on the top into the dough on the sides. Use your hands to gently shape it into a circle, and then use a fork to make a decorative cross-hatch pattern on the top.

Mahlab: This spice is the seed kernel that comes from the center of St. Lucie Cherry pits; it has a lovely aroma and tastes like a cross between almonds and cherries. You can usually find mahlab at specialty spice stores or Middle Eastern grocery stores. If you can’t find it, although the flavor won’t be quite the same, for a similar flavor you could add a couple drops of pure almond extract.

Extra date filling: If you have extra date filling, wrap it well and freeze for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to use it, let it thaw in the fridge overnight, then knead a little bit of canola oil into it until smooth.

Clarified butter (ghee): I don’t recommend replacing the ghee in this recipe with regular butter because of the different water content. Clarified butter can commonly be found at regular grocery stores or easily made at home.

Recipe reprinted with permission from An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair by Faith Gorsky; Tuttle Publishing (2012).

Ingredients

• FOR THE CAKE SPICE MIX:
• ½ Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
• 1-¼ teaspoon Ground Allspice
• ½ teaspoons Ground Mahlab (ground Seed Kernel From St Lucie Cherries)
• ½ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Ginger
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Anise
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Fennel Seed
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Cloves
• FOR THE DATE FILLING:
• ¾ pounds Pitted Dates, Coarsely Chopped (or Date Paste)
• 2 Tablespoons Canola Oil
• 1-½ teaspoon Cake Spice Mix (recipe Above)
• FOR THE DOUGH:
• 1 cup Sugar
• ¾ cups Water
• ¼ cups Canola Oil
• ¾ cups Clarified Butter (Ghee)
• 4 cups All-purpose flour, Plus Up To 4 Tablespoons More For Kneading
• ½ teaspoons Instant Yeast
• FOR DUSTING ON TOP (OPTIONAL):
• ¼ cups Powdered Sugar

 
 
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Faith Gorsky is the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind the blog An Edible Mosaic. She lives in Upstate New York and loves to travel, especially to places steeped in rich culture and history. She also enjoys reading, vintage shopping, watching movies, and is enamored with ancient cultures. She just released her first cookbook, “An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair” (Tuttle Publishing), a collection of authentic Middle Eastern recipes handed down to her from her husband’s family.

 
When I first made these Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cookies from TK member Katie, I posted a pic on Instagram and someone commented saying, “HOLY UNIVERSE” and I really haven’t been able to come up with a better way to introduce these bites of heaven to you since. They will rock your world, your universe and your life all at the same time.

Are you ready to get into these? Let’s get moving! We’ve got cookies to make!

First we’ve got to melt some butter and dark chocolate together. You can do this over a double boiler if you’re awesome, but if you’re lazy like me, a microwave works too.

Then let’s start combining the dry ingredients. Let’s start with flour.

We’ll add in a few tablespoons of cocoa powder …

Followed by some baking soda, baking powder and salt.

Give it all a whisk to evenly combine and then set it aside.

Now, let’s combine our eggs, white sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a mixer. Mix it up until it’s evenly incorporated.

Add in the chocolate and give it another good mix or two until the chocolate is incorporated.

And then fold in the flour and chocolate chips. Your cookie dough will look delicious, just like this. Try to do everything in your power to not grab a spoon and go to town like I did. If you wait about 15 more minutes, I promise it’s going to be worth it.

First, we need to whisk together some creamy peanut butter and powdered sugar in a bowl. Once that’s whisked together we’re ready to assemble!

Okay, let’s scoop some cookie dough balls onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and press them into little discs. Add a touch of the PB mixture on top of each disc

Add a little more dough on top of each cookie to seal the PB mixture into the middle! I placed the whole sheet pan with the stuffed cookies into the fridge for a bit while I did the next two steps.

Place a handful of pretzels into a food processor or blender.

Blend them up until they are of sand-like consistency. Then take your cookie dough balls out of the fridge, roll them in the pretzel mixture and pop them into the oven at 350ºF for about 11 minutes.

And then you’re going to have these! Be still my heart and get in my belly!

Big thanks to Katie for creating these decadent and sinfully delicious treats! She has more treats in her blog, Veggie and The Beast, so go pay her a visit there!

Recipe

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Pretzel Cookies

by Katie | Veggie and the Beast on May 29, 2013 in Cookies, Desserts
See this recipe post on Katie | Veggie and the Beast’s site! May 29, 2013

CookiesDesserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time 30 Minutes

Cook Time 10 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 24

24

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Recipe Description

Super dark chocolate cookies stuffed with peanut butter and rolled in pretzel crumbs. It’s the cookie you always wished existed, and now it does!

Preparation Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. Melt the chopped baking chocolate and the unsalted butter in a double boiler (or a makeshift double broiler: simmer water in a pan and set a glass bowl over the top). Stir frequently, and remove from heat as soon as it melts.
3. Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a separate bowl.
4. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, sugars and vanilla until fluffy. Slowly mix in the melted chocolate. Gradually add the flour, scraping the bowl after each addition, until just combined. Fold in chocolate chips.
5. In a separate bowl, beat together the peanut butter and powdered sugar until fluffy. Set aside.
6. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough, roll into a ball, and set on the parchment paper, then flatten with your hand. Drop about 1 teaspoon of the peanut butter filling in the center of the dough, then fold the dough around the peanut butter. If the peanut butter comes out of the top, just grab some extra dough to fill in the gap.
7. Once you have a ball of dough with the peanut butter in the center, flatten the ball slightly and then drop into the pretzel crumbs. You can coat one side or all over (I did a bit of both). Repeat with remaining dough.
8. Bake for about 11 minutes. Watch carefully after 10 minutes, because you want these just a bit underdone.

Chocolate cookie recipe adapted from Martha Stewart. Recipe inspired by Sweet Pea’s Kitchen.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces, weight Baking Chocolate, Roughly Chopped
• 4 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter
• ⅔ cups All-purpose Flour
• 3 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 2 whole Eggs
• ¾ cups Dark Brown Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• ½ cups Creamy Peanut Butter
• ¼ cups Powdered Sugar
• 1 cup Pretzel Crumbs
• ⅔ cups Semisweet Chocolate Chips

 
 
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Gaby Dalkin is the young lady behind What’s Gaby Cooking, a food blog that’s bursting at the seams with incredible recipes and food photography. She’s a personal chef and professional recipe developer, and if you follow her on Twitter, you’ll soon discover her two-fold obsession: guacamole and cheese. She has small feet, a large heart, and a smile that can light up the whole building. We’re pretty stoked to have her here.

 
Pull-apart breads have been blowing up Pinterest for a few years now, and all I’ve gotta say is that I love it. Which truly is saying a lot because, if I’m being honest, Pinterest kinda stresses me out these days. There are just so many things! I browse Pinterest for all of seven minutes and instantly want to plan another wedding, buy a new wardrobe, put jewels on my nails, paint my TV stand robin’s egg blue, travel to Mykonos and design a killer party for a 3-year old kiddo that I don’t even have. And I’d like to do it all next week. It’s like complete sensory overload.

In the world of pull-apart breads, this cinnamon sugar version from TK member Fanny is a classic. A few years ago I made one filled with cheese (which was ah-mazing), but knowing the value in a good gooey, sugar-coated cinnamon bread is the key to all life’s problems. Right?

Here’s what you need: some flour and sugar, vegetable oil, whole milk, baking soda and powder, active dry yeast (don’t be scared!), salt, cinnamon, and of course, butter.

First, heat the milk, oil and sugar together, stirring until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid is slightly warm, but not hot. Remove it from the heat.

Stir in the flour and the yeast. At this point I was afraid that my pot was a bit too hot, so I transferred the mixture to a different pot and it worked perfectly. All in the name of saving cinnamon bread.

Cover the dough with a towel and let it rise for about an hour.

After an hour, stir in the remaining flour, baking soda, powder and salt. If the dough is super sticky, you can add a little extra flour if needed. I probably added in a tablespoon or two.

Roll the dough into a large rectangle on a floured surface and cover the entire thing in melted butter…

Then cover it in sugar and cinnamon. This is getting good.

Using a pizza cutter or a large knife, slice the rectangle into six equal strips. Or, uh, five strips. I’m not very skilled at equally cutting dough into perfect strips, so I accidentally ended up with five. Still worked, so if you have that issue, don’t fear.

After slicing the strips lengthwise, pile them on top of each other (carefully!) and cut the dough again in six places, creating six stacks. Cute little dough stacks!

Stuff the cute dough stacks in a buttered 9×5 loaf pan, then cover with the towel and let it rise for another hour or so.

It should look puffy and pretty!

Stick it in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. If the top gets too brown while baking, tent it with aluminum foil. A few minutes before the bread is finished, whisk together the powdered sugar and milk to create the glaze.

Remove the bread from the oven and let cool for just a few minutes, then gently remove the loaf from the pan and immediately cover in icing.

The sugary goodness sinks in to all the cracks and crevices since the bread it still warm.

I’d tell you to wait a few minutes before serving so you don’t burn your mouth, but that’s basically impossible. Just look at it! You’ll want to dig in instantly and I don’t blame you.

Thanks to Fanny for sharing this! Go check out her blog Oh Sweet Day! for more sweetness.

Recipe

Pull-Apart Bread

by Oh Sweet Day! on June 6, 2013 in Breads
See this recipe post on Oh Sweet Day!’s site! June 6, 2013

Breads

3.50 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time 1 Hour

Cook Time 30 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 4

4

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Recipe Description

Pull-Apart Bread

Preparation Instructions

To prepare the dough, combine milk, oil and 1/4 cup sugar in a saucepan. Heat it until warm to touch and sugar dissolves. Remove pan from heat. Sprinkle in the yeast and add 2 cups of flour. Stir to combine, then cover with tea towel and allow to rise for an hour.

Stir in the remaining 1/4 cup flour, along with baking powder, baking soda and salt. If dough is too sticky to handle, stir in another tablespoon of flour.

Roll out dough onto a floured surface, into a 6×6 inch square. Brush melted butter all over the dough. Mix together the remaining 3/4 cup sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, and sprinkle the cinnamon sugar all over the dough.

Use a pizza cutter to cut the dough into 6 strips, then stack all the strips into one long stack. Cut the stack of strips into 6 slices.

Place the stacks sideways into a greased standard size loaf pan. Be sure not to cram them into the loaf pan, and leave space for the bread to expand. Cover the loaf pan with a tea towel and allow to rise for another hour.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake the bread for 30 minutes. Keep an eye on it and cover the top of the bread with a loose sheet of aluminum foil about halfway through if it is browning too quickly.

Remove pan from the oven. Allow to cool for about 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife along the edges to release the bread from the pan and invert it onto your serving platter.

Mix together the icing ingredients and drizzle over the top when the bread is still warm. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Ingredients

• FOR THE BREAD:
• 1 cup Milk
• ¼ cups Canola Oil
• 1 cup Sugar, Divided
• 1-⅛ teaspoon Active Yeast
• 2-¼ cups All-purpose Flour
• ½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• ½ sticks Unsalted Butter, Melted And Cooled
• 2 Tablespoons Ground Cinnamon
• FOR THE ICING:
• 2 cups Powdered Sugar
• ¼ cups Milk

 
 
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Jessica Merchant is a personal trainer turned food writer and blogger. Her blog, How Sweet Eats, is where she proclaims her love for all things sweet, all things bacon, and everything else in between. She works her magic in her Pittsburgh kitchen, which she shares with her husband of 2 years.

 
I tend to go for savory foods over sweet ones, but these Gluten Free Coconut Muffins from Tasty Kitchen member Julia really had me going back for more. They’re not too sweet, and filled with healthy coconut and rich olive oil. Eat them for breakfast or on the go, they’re very satisfying.

To make them you will need: shredded coconut, olive oil, baking soda, baking powder, eggs, vanilla extract, gluten free all purpose flour, salt, sugar, coconut milk and coconut flour.

Note: My first attempt at this recipe did not turn out quite as expected and the muffins collapsed. (I must have been missing my gluten-free baking mojo that day!) But they tasted good, so I was determined to make it work. I made some changes to the recipe, which did the trick for me. I’ll list those changes at the end of the post.

In a bowl combine the two flours.

Add the baking soda …

And baking powder.

Sprinkle in the sugar (I used 3/4 cup) …

Followed by part of the coconut.

Give it all a nice stir and set aside.

In a separate bowl combine the wet ingredients, first the egg …

Then the olive oil (I used 1/4 cup) …

Then coconut milk (I used 1 cup) …

And finally the anilla extract. Mix it all together very, very well.

Pour the liquid ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients.

Combine them together with a spatula…

Until you have a uniform consistency.

Pour the batter into some greased tins.

And sprinkle the tops with shredded coconut.

In about 20 minutes you will have fluffy, soft and healthy coconut muffins. They are great for any time of day, even a midnight snack. Thanks to Julia for this recipe! Visit her website The Roasted Root for other delicious treats.

As promised, here are the changes I made. I used:

1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup coconut milk
3/4 cup sugar

Fill the tins 3/4 full and you will yield 9 muffins.

Recipe

Gluten Free Coconut Muffins

by Julia {The Roasted Root} on April 22, 2013 in Breads, Muffins
See this recipe post on Julia {The Roasted Root}’s site! April 22, 2013

BreadsMuffins

0.00 Mitt(s) 0 Rating(s)

Prep Time 5 Minutes

Cook Time 22 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

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Recipe Description

Delicious and nutritious coconut muffins made with all sorts of coconut-y greatness!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly oil a 12-muffin pan. Set pan aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt and one cup of the shredded coconut.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining (wet) ingredients.

Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the flour mixture and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared muffin pan.

Sprinkle the remaining half cup of shredded coconut over the batter and bake in the oven for 22 to 25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Gluten-free All-purpose Flour
• ½ cups Coconut Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• 1-½ cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, Separated
• 2 whole Eggs
• ⅓ cups Olive Oil
• 2 cups Full-fat Coconut Milk
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

 
 
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There’s so much to say about Georgia, we don’t know where to start. Leaving Wall Street for the French Culinary Institute, followed by a stint at the Gramercy Tavern and La Chassagnette in France, her passion for food and food traditions are evident and inspiring. Visit her site at Georgia Pellegrini, where you’ll find more recipes, photos, learn all about her wonderful books Girl Hunter and Food Heroes, and enjoy her latest adventures.

  
So what if I told you this was my first go at blondies? It’s true! Not a day in my thirty-something years on earth have I ever had a blondie until the other day. Truly it was only a matter of time, and when my eyes locked on Sharon’s recipe for Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies I knew that it was time for me to take the plunge.

If you’re like me and new to the blondie scene, then there’s no better way to start your journey off right then with a decadent and amazing recipe such as this. Sharon adapted this recipe from Clementine, a bakery/cafe in LA, and shared it with us back in 2011—and I’m so glad she did. You guys have to make these. You’ll know what I mean once you take your first bite, as they’re simply amazing!

For these bars you’ll need just some basic pantry ingredients: flour, brown sugar, vanilla, baking powder, eggs, butter, salt, and of course… what blondie is complete without chocolate chips and nuts? Sharon’s recipe called for walnuts, but since I didn’t have any I substituted almonds and they worked out perfectly! And never mind the second stick of butter you see. I was getting it out for something entirely different and somehow it ended up in this shot.

Start by buttering a 9×13 baking dish, making sure to get every nook and cranny.

Then in a medium bowl measure 1-3/4 cups of all purpose flour …

And I also added in 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder.

Measure and add in 2 teaspoons of salt (I used kosher).

And gently whisk those together and set the bowl off to the side for a moment.

In a small skillet add the 10 tablespoons of butter.

Slowly melt over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once it reaches a dark amber, color pull it off the heat to cool slightly.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add in the 2-1/4 cups of brown sugar, the browned butter and a teaspoon of real vanilla extract.

Blend those together until combined.

Slowly add in one egg at a time, mixing well after each one.

Now it’s time to add in the dry ingredients.

Gradually add in the flour mixture, mixing after each spoonful.

Stop once all of the flour has been incorporated.

I gave a half cup of almonds a rough chop. They added a deliciously crunchy texture to these bars, which is never a bad thing. However if you have a nut allergy, simply omit this step.

Add the chopped almonds along with 1-1/4 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips to the blondie batter.

Then give it a good stir by hand until combined. 

Pour and spread evenly into the prepared baking dish and bake at 325ºF for 20-25 minutes.

Let these bars cool completely before cutting into squares and serving.

Grab yourself a fork and a tall glass of milk. (The fork is of course optional.)

These blondie bars are quite easy to whip up and yield a chewy, buttery bar. What I love the most is that they have this rich taste of butterscotch about them, without there being an ounce of it in the recipe! They’re incredible and I just know you all are going to love them.

Thank you Sharon for sharing these fantastic bars with us on Tasty Kitchen! 

You guys, Sharon has many more creative and delicious recipes right here in her TK recipe box, like Boozy Bacon Brown Butter Oatmeal Raisin Bars or Cara Cara Orange Sorbet! Be sure to also check out her lovely blog Cheesy Pennies for even more amazing recipes.

Recipe

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Blondies

by cheesypennies on August 11, 2011 in Brownies and Bars, Desserts
See this recipe post on cheesypennies’s site! August 11, 2011

Brownies and BarsDesserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 3 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 25 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

These are exactly what a great blondie should be: sweet, chewy, buttery and full of caramel flavor, with the perfect hit of salt to balance everything out.

Preparation Instructions

The best blondies I’ve ever eaten. As they bake, this smooth little crust forms on top that just melts in your mouth. Awesome! This is an adaptation of a recipe from Clementine, a bakery/restaurant here in LA.

Butter a 13×9 pan and preheat oven to 325ºF.

In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder and salt together, and set aside.

Place butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. After the butter melts, continue cooking for 5-8 minutes, stirring frequently. It may foam up, which is fine. Watch carefully, as your goal is to see the milk solids and salt in the butter begin to turn brown, but you don’t want to have them burn. If they do, the butter will have a very bitter taste. When the butter is a light tan/golden color and begins to smell toasty, immediately remove from heat.

Place brown sugar into a large mixing bowl, then pour in the browned butter and vanilla. Mix on medium speed with an electric mixer until combined. Blend in the eggs. Add the dry ingredients, mixing on low speed until dough is smooth and a little bit shiny. Fold in the nuts/chocolate chips by hand.

Spread dough evenly into the prepared pan. Bake for 25 minutes, or until top is puffed, smooth, and light brown. When you remove the pan from the oven, the top may collapse. This is perfectly fine; it means your blondies will be dense and chewy, just as they should be.

Cool for at least 20 minutes, then serve.

Ingredients

• 1-¾ cup Flour
• 2-½ teaspoons Baking Powder
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 10 Tablespoons Butter
• 2-¼ cups Brown Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla
• 2 whole Eggs
• 1-¼ cup Chopped, Toasted Walnuts, Optional
• 1-¼ cup Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips (optional)

 
 
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Laurie is the force behind Simply Scratch, a blog that documents her efforts to find and create recipes that are made simply from scratch. (We think it’s sweet that her mother-in-law helped her set up her blog and get started.) We love her recipes; they’re not just tried and true, but they look gorgeous as well. Check out her blog and you’ll become a fan too.

 
I get asked all of the time what my favorite cookie is. I can never give a completely honest answer because I have more than one favorite. It just depends on my mood. I love all kinds of cookies—chocolate chip, snickerdoodles, peanut butter, oatmeal, lemon, chocolate, coconut … and the list goes on. There are too many good cookies out there so it’s really hard for me to narrow it down to one cookie. 

When I saw Monique’s recipe for Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies, I knew had to try them. Peanut butter, oatmeal, and chocolate chips all in one cookie! Yay! I love that this recipe combines three of my many favorite cookies. 

To make the cookies, you need the following ingredients: oats, baking soda, peanut butter, dark brown sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and chocolate chips. I love that the ingredient list is so simple! 

First, mix together the oats and the baking soda in a small bowl. Note-you can use gluten-free oats to make gluten-free cookies. 

In the bowl of a stand mixer, add the creamy peanut butter. 

Add the brown sugar. 

Next, crack in the eggs. Make sure you omit the shell:) 

Add the vanilla extract. 

Turn on the mixer and beat until smooth, about 3 minutes. 

Add the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon. 

Stir in the chocolate chips. Try not to eat the dough at this step. It is hard, so if you cave in, I wont’ tell.

Use a cookie scoop to form your cookie dough balls. You can roll the dough with your hands, but it is pretty sticky, so I opted for the scoop. 

Place the cookie dough balls onto a baking sheet and lightly flatten with your hands. Bake for 9-11 minutes in a 350ºF oven. Remove cookies from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet for 2 minutes … if you can wait that long! 

Grab a stack of cookies and start eating! 

These cookies are super soft and chewy. And I love that there is no butter or flour involved. No butter means I can eat more cookies, right? Please say yes. 

Thanks Monique for an awesome cookie recipe! This recipe is going on my favorite cookie list! 

Make sure you check out Monique’s amazing blog, Ambitious Kitchen, for more delicious recipes. 

Recipe

Flourless Peanut Butter Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

by Monique of Ambitious Kitchen on March 21, 2013 in Cookies, Desserts
See this recipe post on Monique of Ambitious Kitchen’s site! March 21, 2013

CookiesDesserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 11 Rating(s)

Prep Time 5 Minutes

Cook Time 10 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 20

20

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

Thick, chewy peanut butter oatmeal chocolate chip cookies made without butter or flour. Delicious!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In small bowl, mix together the oats and baking soda; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat peanut butter, brown sugar, eggs and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, about 3 minutes. Mix in dry ingredients with a wooden spoon, then gently fold in chocolate chips.

Roll cookies into 2-inch dough balls and place onto cookie sheet 2 inches apart, then barely flatten the top of the cookie with your hand. The dough should be pretty sticky so if you find this method annoying, simply use a cookie scoop to drop the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet. The cookies may not be as round in shape and perhaps a bit thicker, but that’s okay, they will still be delicious.

Bake cookies for 9-11 minutes and remove when edges barely begin to turn a golden brown. The cookies may look a little underdone, but they will continue to cook once you remove them from the oven. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

Makes 16-20 cookies.

Notes:
1. You can use less sugar or less chocolate chips to save calories—I have tried using 1/2 cup of sugar and 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips and they turned out great!
2. Feel free to substitute almond butter or another nut butter in replace of peanut butter.
3. These cookies disappear quickly so I recommend doubling the recipe!

Ingredients

• ⅔ cups Rolled Oats (gluten-free If Desired)
• 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 cup Old-fashioned Peanut Butter (I Used Skippy Creamy)
• ⅔ cups Dark Brown Sugar
• 2  Large Eggs
• 1-½ teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• ⅔ cups Chocolate Chips

 
 
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Maria and her husband Josh (who she affectionately refers to as her “dough boy”) blog at Two Peas and Their Pod. They’ve been featured on Saveur, Eatocracy, Gourmet Live, Glamour, and the Los Angeles Times, to name just a few. They’d also just recently added a little pea to their pod. We’re so glad to have them here!

 
Some days a girl just needs a little something chocolaty. And most days a girl needs coffee. Put the two together into one sweet treat like this and now you’re really talking. The fact that this treat is pretty healthy just sweetens the deal (pun intended).

When I saw Tasty Kitchen member Michelle’s recipe for Espresso Mini Muffins with Chocolate Ganache, I was intrigued. And if I’m being honest, by intrigued I mean practically drooling and dying to make them first chance I got, which, incidentally, happened to be for breakfast. I don’t feel guilty though; these are legitimate muffins, not cupcakes masquerading as muffins (they are grain-free and refined-sugar-free, to name a couple of their perks!). The biggest perk of all is that I get to eat chocolate for breakfast and not feel bad about it.

But if you decide to make them for dessert I won’t tell—they’re good like that too. Ok, and while I’m at it, they’d make a happy snacker out of just about anyone.

To get started, get out your ingredients.

You’ll need: coconut milk, baking soda, dark chocolate, an egg, vanilla extract, coconut oil, maple syrup, espresso powder, almond meal, nutmeg, and salt.

You are just 11 ingredients away from chocolate-coffee bliss.

Generously grease a muffin tray with coconut oil. Love the paper towel method, but a pastry brush works well too. And if I’m feeling really crazy, sometimes I’ll just use my fingers. Whatever works, right?

Depending on the temperature of your kitchen, your coconut oil might already be softened. Mine wasn’t, so I softened it briefly in the microwave, trying not to melt it fully (literally just a couple seconds and then a good stir).

Part of what I love about this recipe (in addition to the fact that it’s incredibly delicious) is the fact that it whips up in just a couple minutes right in the food processor.

First pulse together the dry ingredients to combine: almond meal, espresso powder, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Don’t over-process it; the mixture should look like wet sand. Next add the egg, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla and process until smooth.

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tray. It’ll be thick, almost like brownie batter. You should get around 12 mini muffins; I think I actually could have gotten a couple more. But I might have licked the bowl.

Cook ‘em up! Be careful not to overcook them so they don’t dry out. Mine took ever-so-slightly longer than the recommended time, about 9 to 10 minutes instead of 8 to 9. Use the toothpick test to see if they’re done!

They should come right out of the tray, but if they don’t, let them cool a couple minutes in the tray and then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Now it’s time to whip up a quick little ganache. It’s just 2 ingredients.

Dark chocolate and coconut milk! I used 62% cacao, but by all means go darker if you like. I’m a big fan of the 70% too.

You can either melt it in the microwave or on a double boiler.

And here it is melted together.

The recipe didn’t say what kind of coconut milk to use, so I used full-fat canned coconut milk because that’s what I keep in my pantry. My ganache was super thick and looked quite a bit different from Michelle’s ganache, so she might have used light coconut milk or even the coconut milk from the carton. I’m not sure, but either way, it was delicious this way—and hers looks delicious too!

Spoon the ganache on top of the muffins. I had enough for a thick layer on each.

And that’s it! You can dive into them now (recommended drink: an espresso, of course), or enjoy them later. I like to refrigerate them if I’m saving them for later because the ganache sets nicely into a truffle-like consistency. And the muffins themselves are incredible—they’re not too heavy and they have a nice moist crumb, almost like a brownie but not as dense. Are you convinced yet?

Thanks to Michelle for a fantastic recipe! Be sure to check out The Lucky Penny Blog for more of her delicious creations.

Recipe

Espresso Mini Muffins with Chocolate Ganache

by The Lucky Penny Blog on March 1, 2013 in Breads, Muffins
See this recipe post on The Lucky Penny Blog’s site! March 1, 2013

BreadsMuffins

4.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 10 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

Delicious gluten and grain-free espresso mini muffins topped with chocolate ganache.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease a mini muffin tin well with coconut oil or greasing method of your choice.

In a food processor, combine all the dry ingredients for the muffins: almond meal, ground espresso beans, baking soda, nutmeg, and salt. Pulse to combine.

Add in the wet ingredients for the muffins: egg, coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla. Mix on high until everything is nice and smooth.

Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. You should have just enough to make 12, if you really scrape the bowl clean.

Bake for 8-9 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake!

Allow muffins to cool.

Make the ganache. In a microwave safe bowl, combine the coconut milk and chocolate, microwave for 30 seconds, stir, microwave for 15 more seconds if it is not melted. Be careful not to burn it.

Top muffins with desired amount of ganache. Enjoy!

Ingredients

• FOR THE MUFFINS:
• ¾ cups Almond Meal Or Almond Flour
• 1 Tablespoon Ground Espresso Beans
• ¼ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• 1 pinch Salt
• 1 whole Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Maple Syrup
• ½ teaspoons Vanilla
• FOR THE GANACHE:
• 2 ounces, fluid Dark Chocolate
• 2 Tablespoons Coconut Milk

 
 
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Faith Gorsky is the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind the blog An Edible Mosaic. She lives in Upstate New York and loves to travel, especially to places steeped in rich culture and history. She also enjoys reading, vintage shopping, watching movies, and is enamored with ancient cultures. She just released her first cookbook, “An Edible Mosaic: Middle Eastern Fare with Extraordinary Flair” (Tuttle Publishing), a collection of authentic Middle Eastern recipes handed down to her from her husband’s family.

 
Combinations of chocolate and coconut hardly go unnoticed around here, so when I saw this recipe for Dark Chocolate Banana Bread (with Coconut) from Tasty Kitchen members Chrissy and Lauren, I just had to try it. I had to. The line between “need” and “want” gets kind of blurred when chocolate is involved. And dark chocolate in moderation can be a healthy thing, don’t cha know?

Overall this bread may look sinful, but considering the list of ingredients, it’s on the healthier side: dark chocolate, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, eggs, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, coconut oil, overripe bananas, shredded coconut, and a little turbinado sugar.

(Just so you know, I made a couple of substitutions using what I had on hand: all-purpose white flour instead of whole wheat, and sweetened shredded coconut for the unsweetened coconut.)

Begin by preheating your oven to 350°F and preparing a 9x5x3″ (or thereabouts) baking pan.

Chop the dark chocolate. Don’t eat any! The cake needs it.

In a double boiler or in the microwave, melt the dark chocolate and set aside.

Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Set aside. (Shhh … don’t tell anyone, but I just whisked mine altogether. My sifter is wonky and leaks all over the place. Whisking worked just lovely for me.)

Add the eggs and brown sugar to a large mixing bowl, and beat them together on medium speed.

Look, an action shot! Beat for about 30 seconds.

The Greek yogurt, coconut oil, and mashed bananas go in next for a little mixing.

More action! Mix until well combined.

On a low setting, gradually add in the flour mixture.

Mix until just incorporated. Nice.

Fold in the shredded coconut.

(Again, I used sweetened shredded coconut instead of the unsweetened called for in the recipe. I liked it with the added sweetness and didn’t feel it was overly sweet.)

Evenly spread the batter in the prepared baking pan.

Now for the healthy melted dark chocolate. Pour the melted chocolate over the batter.

To swirl in the melted chocolate, drag a knife back and forth several times through the batter. Can you say “yum?”

Sprinkle the top with more shredded coconut and the turbinado sugar.

Bake until done (see recipe below for bake times). Notice the toasted coconut? Toasted coconut is one of the most delectable things ever. I could eat it as a snack. It’s lovely on this bread, but be careful to avoid burning the coconut while baking. If needed, loosely cover the top with foil the slow the toasting.

This bread turned out wonderfully. It was so gorgeous I hated to cut it. But I did anyway.

I’ll be making this one again soon. Maybe in muffin form next time.

Thank you so much to the Chrissy and Lauren for sharing this new favorite with me and my family. Check out other wonderfulness over at their site: From the Little Yellow Kitchen.

Recipe

Dark Chocolate Banana Bread (with Coconut)

by LittleYellowKitchen on February 27, 2013 in Breads, Quick Breads
See this recipe post on LittleYellowKitchen’s site! February 27, 2013

BreadsQuick Breads

5.00 Mitt(s) 2 Rating(s)

Prep Time 10 Minutes

Cook Time 1 Hour

Difficulty Easy

Servings 12

12

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

The best version of banana bread out there! The dark chocolate swirls and yummy coconut flavor make for the perfect complements to a classic.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x5x3 pan.

Finely chop the chocolate and melt it in the top of a double-boiler or in the microwave in 30 second increments, stirring in between each increment and continuing until melted. Set the melted chocolate aside.

In a medium bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; set aside.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 30 seconds. Add the yogurt, coconut oil and mashed bananas and mix until well combined. While mixing on low, slowly add the flour mixture until it’s just incorporated. Fold in the coconut.

Pour the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly. Pour the melted dark chocolate over the top, dragging a knife back and forth several times, until the chocolate is swirled throughout the entire loaf. Sprinkle the top with some shredded coconut and turbinado sugar.

Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean. If the coconut on top looks like it is browning quickly, loosely place a piece a foil over the top to slow the toasting.

Remove pan from oven when done, and set it on a cooling rack. Let bread cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then carefully remove it from pan and transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling before cutting into the loaf.

Ingredients

• 3 ounces, weight Dark Chocolate
• 1-¾ cup White Whole Wheat Flour
• ½ cups Cocoa Powder, Unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
• ¾ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ½ teaspoons Cinnamon
• 2 whole Large Eggs
• ½ cups Packed Brown Sugar
• ⅓ cups Greek Yogurt
• ⅓ cups Coconut Oil, Melted/liquid
• 3 whole Medium Overripe Bananas, Peeled And Mashed (3 Should Yield About 1 1/2 Cups)
• ¾ cups Shredded Coconut, Unsweetened, Plus 3 Tablespoons More For The Top
• 1 Tablespoon Turbinado Sugar, For The Top

 
 
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Amy Johnson is a blogger who writes about food, travel, the home (both inside and out), and various observations and random musings about anything and everything. Visit her blog She Wears Many Hats for a dose of deliciousness, practicality, hilarity, or just plain fun. She lives in South Carolina with her husband and two children.

 
Okay, I just spotted this on TK and felt compelled to share it with you. Compelled, I say. As in, I was powerless to resist it.

These Salted Caramel Cashew Blondies from TK member Sommer have it all. Plus they have yogurt, which cancels out the caramel and sugar calories, yes?

Go make some this weekend! And if you put the pan of blondes out on the counter for everyone to enjoy, you’re a better person than I am. Because I plan to wrap them up in foil and hide them in my desk drawer so I can secretly nibble on them all day for 2 1/2 days. After which I will have to make more.

Thanks, Sommer, for posting this recipe! Go visit her blog, A Spicy Perspective, for more tempting treats like this.

Happy weekend, everyone!

 
I bought some blueberries at the store the other day, with the purpose of making something tasty with them. I love eating them fresh and have trouble stopping at just one, but I enjoy them even more when baked into a delicious, stick-to-your-hips kind of treat. This German coffee cake from Deborah of Country At Heart Recipes is the perfect kind of recipe to showcase a pint of sweet, juicy blueberries.  

This cake is filled with them, and then topped with a crunchy, buttery, crumb topping of brown sugar, pecans, and oats. To put it over the top, it’s also drizzled with a gorgeous glaze. I don’t think you’ll need much persuading to try this yummy treat! Cut a generous slice, make yourself a good cup of coffee (or tea) and enjoy the moment.

You’ll need: sugar, brown sugar, oats, pecans, flour, salt, cinnamon, butter, eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, nutmeg, buttermilk, blueberries, powdered sugar, and hot water.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a small bowl, combine the sugar, brown sugar, oats, and pecans.

Add the flour, salt, and cinnamon.

Add the butter and cut in the butter until crumbly. Set aside.

In large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well.

Add the vanilla, mix well and set aside.

In a small bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. Mix this into the creamed mixture, alternately with the buttermilk.

Rinse blueberries and drain them. Then place them into a small bowl and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of flour. Shake off the excess flour.

Fold blueberries into the batter. Spread batter into a greased 9-inch square pan. Top with crumb topping.

Bake for 45-55 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Start checking the cake a few minutes early so it doesn’t over bake and turn out dry. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1-2 teaspoons hot water as needed. 

Mix until smooth and creamy. 

Drizzle glaze over the warm cake. 

So it looks all pretty.

I have to say this really is a great coffee cake. It’s hearty, crunchy, and sweet, perfect in all the right places. It is best eaten the same day. Your morning will get just a little bit better when you can start it off with a slice of this. 

Thanks Deborah for sharing your yummy recipe with us! Make sure you visit Deborah’s blog, Country At Heart Recipes, for a whole list of delicious looking treats.

Recipe

Blueberry Kuchen

by Deborah Vogts on December 5, 2012 in Cakes, Desserts
See this recipe post on Deborah Vogts’s site! December 5, 2012

CakesDesserts

5.00 Mitt(s) 1 Rating(s)

Prep Time 15 Minutes

Cook Time 55 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 9

9

• + Print Recipe

Recipe Description

Here’s a yummy German coffee cake to serve to your family!

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

To make crumb topping, in small bowl combine sugar, brown sugar, oats, pecans, flour, salt and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Set aside.

For the cake: In large mixing bowl, beat sugar and butter until creamy. Add eggs one at a time, along with vanilla. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add this into the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk.

Rinse blueberries and drain them. Put them into a small bowl and sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons of flour. Fold blueberries into the batter. Spread batter into a greased 9-inch square pan. Top with crumb topping. Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove it from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

To make the glaze: In a small bowl combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and 1-2 teaspoons hot water as needed. Mix until smooth and creamy. Drizzle over warm cake. Serves 9.

Ingredients

• FOR THE CRUMB TOPPING:
• ¼ cups Sugar
• ⅓ cups Brown Sugar
• ½ cups Old Fashioned Oats
• ½ cups Chopped Pecans
• ¼ cups Flour
• ¼ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
• 5 Tablespoons Butter
• FOR THE COFFEE CAKE:
• ⅔ cups Sugar
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 2 whole Eggs
• 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• 2 cups Flour
• 2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
• ½ teaspoons Salt
• ¼ teaspoons Cinnamon
• ⅛ teaspoons Ground Nutmeg
• ½ cups Buttermilk
• 2 cups Blueberries
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• FOR THE GLAZE:
• ½ cups Powdered Sugar
• ¼ teaspoons Vanilla
• 2 teaspoons Hot Water, Or As Needed

 
 
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Amber is a stay at home mom who lives in the heart of the Missouri Ozarks. It’s a long way from where she grew up, in Wales (yes, way over in the U.K.). The recipes in her blog Sprinkled with Flour include her original creations as well as her family recipes. Go check them out!