Cute & Funny Valentines

thanks charles

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Cranberry Almond Bars

We made these today and they were great! The recipe is from the Dec. 2012 issue of Whole Living magazine. They made a wonderful tea time treat. They're made with ground almonds, which makes them satisfying without being heavy, and the cranberry layer adds a lovely sweet and tart element. We baked them in our mini square cake pan so they were adorable little 3"x3" cakes. They are surprisingly easy to make and they are perfect for tea parties! 

Cranberry Almond Upside-Down Bars

Ingredients

• 4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened, plus more for brushing
• 2 1/2 cups fresh cranberries (10.5 oz)
• 1/2 cup plus 2 Tbsp granulated cane sugar (we used demerara sugar)
• 2 cups raw almonds, toasted and ground in a food processor
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp coarse salt
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush four 3-by-6-inch loaf pans with butter; set aside. In a small saucepan, cook cranberries and 2 Tbsp sugar over medium heat, stirring, until cranberries begin to pop, about 6 minutes. Pour among pans, evenly covering bottoms with cranberries.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together almonds, baking soda, and salt. In a medium bowl, beat butter and remaining sugar until pale and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each, and vanilla. Add almond mixture and stir until combined.
3. Pour batter over cranberries into pans and gently smooth tops with an offset spatula. Place pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until loaves are golden brown and a tester inserted into centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool slightly, then run an offset spatula around the edges of the pans and invert cakes onto a wire rack, cranberry side up.
   
   Shared at: Slightly Indulgent Tuesday
   

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          Fat Tuesday 

   
   

White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies!

Tis the season of everything peppermint and gingerbread! I made theses lovely brownies on a festive whim and they are delicious! I simply made my favorite brownie recipe, and topped them with a mixture of melted white chocolate and crushed candy canes.

Here's the recipe!

White Chocolate Peppermint Brownies

1 batch Fudge Brownies made in a 9x9" pan.

Topping:

1 cup white chocolate chips
2 drops peppermint extract
4 candy canes, crushed

Melt the white chocolate chips and stir in the peppermint extract. Stir in most of the candy canes, reserving a tablespoon or two for garnish. Spread the chocolate mixture over the brownies and sprinkle with the reserved candy canes. Serve after sledding with hot chocolate!

Fun Cake Ideas!

Since Savannah's birthday is coming up at the end of the month, I have been searching for the best cake  ideas, on Pinterest of course! I already know she wants a chocolate cake, but I couldn't resist sharing these sweet ideas.  

Crumbled chocolate cookies for the dirt, bunting, rabbit and a cute mushroom.

 Gum paste letters on white icing.

A gold glase on pink icing, and bright sparklers for candles. 

Hearts made out of gum paste on white icing.  

Our favorite pie

Ever since Savannah discovered this pecan pie recipe, we've had it at every holiday dinner. Full of toasty pecans, rich maple bourbon custard, and touch of sea salt, this pie strikes the perfect balance of flavors. You can easily replace the brown sugar with palm sugar, and since we are gluten free we make it without a crust, which saves lots of time and energy. You must make it this Christmas! 

Birthday Party!

I made an ice cream cake for a birthday party. It was mint chip ice cream covered in chocolate ganache with flowers made from slivered almonds and chocolate chips. The cake was delicious, like a creamy frozen peppermint patty. 

I used card stock, string, and wooden skewers to make the birthday bunting. I'm happy with the way it turned out and it was much easier than trying to write in icing. 

Anybody Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe is based off my original chocolate chip cookie recipe, but with some modifications that make make them okay for anybody to eat, no matter what allergies they have. 

The original recipe contains both eggs and nuts, but it wasn't hard to find allergy-friendly substitutes. Instead of ground almonds, I used ground sunflower seeds, and instead of eggs, I used flaxseed meal and water (the flax creates an emulsifying gel that's just like an egg yolk).

I was a little unsure about these, but they turned out fabulously (I ate four as soon as I made them)  and made a wonderful hostess gift. Fresh out of the oven, they have crisp edges, chewy middles, and a satisfying texture. The taste of sunflower seeds is not strong, but adds a slightly nutty and hearty flavor. The texture of these cookies was so good that I think I might start making all of my cookies without eggs (it was also nice to lick the batter out  of the bowl with no worries). 

Important note: You absolutely have to blend the flaxseed meal and water with the palm sugar, or you will get ultra-thin cookies with a grainy texture. 

Anybody Chocolate Chip Cookies

Dry ingredients:

1.25 cups of toasted sunflower seeds, ground finely in a food processor

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Wet ingredients: 

1.5 tablespoons flaxseed meal

1/4 cup of boiling water

1/2 cup of palm sugar

2 tablespoons of light oil (I used grapeseed oil) 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

2/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325. 

Blend the boiling water and flaxseed meal in a blender or magic bullet, let stand for 5 minutes to gel. 

Whisk the ground sunflower seeds, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. 

Add the palm sugar to flaxseed mixture, blend until the palm sugar is totally disolved and the mixture is smooth. Add the oil and vanilla to the mixture and blend to incorporate. 

Mix the dry and wet ingredients and fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls on to a foil-lined baking sheet and bake until the edges are golden, about 12 minutes. Makes 18-24 cookies. 

All packaged up! I used a craft paper window bag and some stamps