Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free!

Thanks to Kentucky bourbon country, I'm still finding ways to enjoy memories of the trip we made last year. The Woodford Reserve cooking and baking items I picked up at Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville are still finding new uses in my kitchen. 

Blame it on the Strip District and Enrico's, but since wandering into that incredible bakery a couple of weeks ago, I haven't been able to stop thinking about my favorite, fondly remembered, blondies. Why on earth would I tempt myself when all that gluten taunted me? I simply felt the urge to peruse beautiful pastries, biscotti, breads, cakes and cookies...and to inhale deeply. And I did.

Duplicate Enrico's blondies at home? And make them gluten free? Why try to recreate perfection? Why not? I used my basic gluten free blondie recipe, added toasted almonds, coconut shreds, mega chocolate chips, then sanded everything with Bourbon Vanilla Sugar and a sprinkle of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt - both from Bourbon Barrel Foods in Louisville. Also from BBF, I incorporated Bourbon - Madagascar Vanilla Extract. The secret ingredient, of course, is a bit of Woodford Reserve Bourbon! 

Kentucky tastes SO GOOD!

Coconut Almond Bourbon Blondies - Gluten Free

• 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
• 4 T coconut oil
• 1 C light brown sugar, packed
• 1 large egg
• 2 t Woodford Reserve bourbon - or whatever you have on hand (bet dark rum would be pretty amazing, too)
• 1 t vanilla extract (see above for the brand I used and a link to order your own)
• 1 C Jule's gluten free all purpose flour
• 1/4 t baking soda - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t baking powder - be sure it's gluten free
• 1/2 t fine kosher salt
• 3/4 C chocolate chips - I used Guittard mega chocolate chips
• 1 T Jule's gluten free all purpose flour (for tossing with the chocolate chips to keep them from sinking in the batter)
• 1/2 C toasted almond slices - toast them in a dry skillet until lightly browned and fragrant
• 1/2 C Trader Joe's Roasted Coconut Chips
• 1 T Bourbon Vanilla Sugar
• a large pinch of Bourbon Smoked Sea Salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8" X 8" square baking pan. Set aside. Toss chocolate chips with the 1 T flour in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a medium mixer bowl, add the butter and coconut oil and blend well, then add brown sugar and beat at medium speed until thoroughly blended. Add egg, vanilla and bourbon to the mixture and beat until smooth.

In a small separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and kosher salt. Add this dry mixture to the mixer bowl with the wet ingredients and mix at slow speed until just incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips by hand.

Pour the batter into the buttered pan, working it into the corners and smoothing the top with an offset spatula. Scatter the almonds and coconut over the top, sprinkle with bourbon vanilla sugar, and finally with a big pinch of bourbon smoked sea salt.

Bake for 45 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool the pan on a rack and cut into squares or bars to serve. 

Why not make a good cup of coffee (and maybe add just a splash of bourbon?) for quite the enjoyable break...kind of like a mental visit to the Bourbon Trail!

Superbowl Sweet, Nutty & Crunchy Turtle Corn

Thinking about what "snacky" things to make for Sunday's Superbowl had me reminiscing a bit. As I considered making a big batch of Turtle Corn (among the regular wings and guac and such), it harkened me back to the days when the girls were in college. 

Care packages with tins of this crisp, crunchy and chewy, caramel, chocolate and toasted pecan confection would be either mailed to one of the girls as a surprise or sometimes tucked into the backseat for an extra special bonus during a visit from mom and dad as a sweet reminder of home. It's been a long time since I made it for the girls (it's been a long time since they were in college!), but I did pull the old recipe out again recently.

Just a couple of weekends ago, I held a special brunch for a special bunch of friends. You guessed it, Turtle Corn made the cut for the menu and held a special spot on the dessert buffet. 

Turtle Corn in a treasured Fisher's Popcorn tin from Ocean City last year. (Also pictured, Hot Curried Cashews, Gingerbread Figgy Pudding Dark Rum Trifle, Blacktop Marble Cheesecake)

Even though I did just make it for a crowd, it's the perfect casual Superbowl snack...and any leftovers are always appreciated at work! Thinking of what to serve your guests for your own big Superbowl party? Turtle Corn might be just what you're looking for!

Turtle Corn

• 4 quarts popped popcorn, checked well for unpopped or partially popped kernels and toss those away...you only want those big, beautiful, fully popped and fluffy pieces! (I use mushroom popcorn these days because they're bigger and fuller like the premium popcorn places use. Amazon, of course, carries it.)

• 3 C sugar
• 1 C water
• 1 C light unsulphered molasses
• 6 T butter
• 4 T apple cider vinegar
• 1 t salt
• 1 t baking soda

• 1 pound pecan halves, toasted in the oven at 300 degrees until warmed and fragrant - watch carefully so they don't burn
• 6 oz chocolate chips, melted

Prepare to put this together quickly as the caramel mixture will harden in a hurry. Put the popcorn and toasted pecans into a very large container - I use a canning kettle or a crab pot - before you start the caramel. Also prepare 2 large rimmed cookie sheets by buttering them lightly. 

In a large, deep, heavy bottomed pot, combine water, molasses, butter, vinegar and salt. Cook over medium high heat until your candy thermometer reaches 260 degrees (hard ball stage). 

Remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Mixture will bubble up and then turn "creamy." (This is why you use such a large pot, you don't want to risk having this boil over on your stove or on YOU!) Once the bubbling subsides and the mixture well combined, immediately pour it over the waiting popcorn and pecans. Using a long wooden or metal spoon - not plastic, stir and mix until the popcorn is completely covered. Be careful not to touch the caramel, it will be one nasty burn, I assure you.

Remember those buttered, rimmed cookie sheets? Immediately turn the caramel corn onto the two cookie sheets, dividing equally. Use your spoon to spread the mixture on the cookie sheets. Let the caramel corn cool completely. 

Once cooled, break into pieces and drizzle with half the melted chocolate. Let the chocolate set, turn the pieces over and drizzle with the remaining chocolate. Let set and dry completely before storing in an airtight container or large ziptop bags.

This is the "mushroom" popcorn I used from Amazon. "Mushroom" refers to the shape of the popcorn.

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

Remember my last post about the "classy" Steel City Roller Derby tailgate with 101 Achievements bloggers, Jenn and Michael? Jenn asked for the recipe for the dessert I brought along - Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars With Drunken Cherries. Glad to oblige, Jenn! 

Besides being an easy riff on cannolis, what I love about this super simple recipe is that it travels beautifully for picnics and tailgates. Screw the lid on the jar and go...unscrew the lid and enjoy! The other thing I love is that I get the taste and spirit of a cannoli without the gluten or bother of making cannoli shells!

There are lots of Steelers, college and high school football games coming up...maybe a new dessert for your very own tailgate this fall? Here ya go, Jenn!

Chocolate Candied Orange Cannoli Jars

with Drunken Cherries - Gluten Free Version

• 7 Pamela's Chocolate Chocolate Chip cookies for the gluten free version (or another similar gluten FULL cookie, if gluten isn't an issue) - crumble 1 into dust and reserve to garnish the tops - you may need a few extra to accommodate for snacking
• 8 oz ricotta cheese 
• 8 oz mascarpone
• 1/2 C powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla extract - the REAL stuff, not that imitation crap
• 1/2 t cinnamon - I use Vietnamese cinnamon from Penzey's...love this kind
• 1/3 C mini chocolate chips
• 3 - 3" X 1" strips of candied orange peel, finely diced (see method below)
• 24 Luxardo or Amarena cherries or homemade boozy cherries, drain well & patted dry - leave 6 whole and cut the rest in half (I use Fabbri Amarena cherries that I order from Amazon - keep these on hand for Manhattans, etc....or midnight snacking!)
• 6 1/2 pint jelly jars

In a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer, beat the ricotta, mascarpone, powdered sugar, vanilla and cinnamon until smooth. Gently fold in the mini chocolate chips and candied orange peel.

Assembly: In the bottom of each jelly jar crumble 1/2 a cookie, then a heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, 3 cherry halves, then crumble the other 1/2 of the cookie, another heaping tablespoon of cannoli filling, then sprinkle lightly with cookie dust and press the whole cherry into the top firmly, but perkily standing out. Screw on the tops and pop into the fridge overnight. Serve the next day straight out of the jar!

Candied orange peel: First use your harp style veggie peeler to make 4 strips (3" x 1" approx - or the equivalent) from an orange - the orange part only, no white. Set aside. Then make a simple syrup of 1/2 C sugar and 1/2 C water. Bring to boil, stir to dissolve the sugar and reduce heat to a simmer. Add the orange peel and simmer several minutes. Turn off heat and let cool. Use the peel for the above recipe and use the orange simple syrup that's left for a cocktail!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

Much like mushrooms springing from front yard mulch after the rain, brewpubs are popping up all over Pittsburgh. Among them, is a fledgling spot down the Ohio River that stands out from the (6?) pack. It's not because it's the biggest or has the most taps or even that it has the catchiest name, Aurochs Brewing Company is the only exclusively gluten-free brewery in the 'Burgh.

Ryan Bove, one of the owners of Aurochs, recently led me through the the brewery on Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth and it didn't take long. The space is cavernous, while currently the brewing capacity is quite modest....BUT...their plans for the future are BIG.

Aurochs current brewing set up.

We stood in the well lit, mostly empty, cement floored warehouse/brewing area while I learned of all that is planned to fill Aurochs to capacity - future big mash tuns, brewing kettles, settling tanks and such. I like an organization with an eye to the future!

Just imagine the gluten-free beer glory to come!

While we talked about plans yet to be realized for Aurochs, one that Ryan told me about was their hopes for a tasting room at Soergel's Farm Market in Wexford. Why Soergel's? Ryan's partner, Doug Foster, is married to Amy Soergel. An Aurochs tasting room at Soergel's is particularly appropos since Soergel's grows some of the hops for Aurochs' brews. 

When the Soergel's tasting room becomes reality, I'm looking forward to some great Soergel's BBQ on a soft gluten-free bun accompanied by a cold, crisp gluten-free Aurochs beer. (If you haven't had the pleasure of BBQ pork, chicken and beef from the huge smoker at Soergel's, get you some NOW!)

What was the best part of the tour? The part when Mark and I got to taste and enjoy two of the brews produced on the premises. We each tried both the White Ale and the Amber Ale. My favorite for a hot and steamy Pittsburgh summer day was definitely the cold, crisp and refreshing White Ale. 

White Ale on the left, Amber Ale on the right.

The slightly smoky and caramel-y, fuller bodied Amber Ale was what we bought by the growler...I had plans myself for this lovely brew in an old favorite cookie I hadn't had in many years. 

Natchez cookies. An easy to make crisp, caramel and chocolate cookie - sort of like a Heath Bar on a crunchy crust - was smack dab on my radar with a few small adjustments to make them gluten-free. The crust, normally a simple layer of graham crackers, would now consist of Glutino gluten free table crackers original premium squares. The caramel? Beer caramel now....with the Aurochs Amber Ale.

Here's Ryan!

The assembly went like this. I placed the crackers edge to edge in a rimmed baking sheet, then (carefully) poured hot, bubbling caramel over the tops, popped the sheet (again, carefully) into the oven until the caramel became a beautiful shade of deep, dark brown, then took the pan out of the oven. Once the caramel had cooled a bit, I sprinkled chocolate chips over the top, let them melt and spread the chocolate evenly over all, then finally scattered sliced honeyed almonds over everything. Once the pan cooled, it was time to break them into cookie-sized pieces and enjoy!

Like Aurochs, I have plans for the future, too...using their product! Already I'm planning on making gluten-free beer battered onion rings - something we gluten-free folk NEVER get. For Thanksgiving I'm already thinking how a chocolate pecan pie with a good dark stout would really make for a festive finish to our family feast!

Speaking of plans, I just got word of Aurochs' new regular schedule at 8321 Ohio River Boulevard in Emsworth. Starting August 7th, they'll be open Thursdays & Fridays 4:00-8:00 p.m. and Saturdays noon-6:00 p.m. Maybe I'll see you all there sometime soon!

Beer Caramel Chocolate Almond Bar Cookies

• 16 Glutino Gluten Free Table Crackers - Original Premium Squares (7 oz. package) to make these GF (or equivalent of graham crackers if gluten isn't an issue)
• 2 T gluten-free beer syrup (boil down 1 cup to 2 T - watch carefully at the end as it seems to go quickly then!)
• 2 sticks butter
• 1 C dark brown sugar
• 1 t pure vanilla extract
•  12 oz bag Ghirardelli Semi-Sweet chocolate chips - my favorite brand - real chocolate without that waxy component
• 1 1/2 C Trader Joe's (or like brand) Honey Roasted Almonds - these are sliced, not whole
• parchment paper to line the 11" X 17" rimmed baking sheet plus Pam spray to spray the parchment paper with (just for good measure)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut parchment paper to just fit the inside of the rimmed pan and spray with Pam, letting the spray hit the inside rim, too. Again...for good measure. 

Arrange the crackers edge to edge as in the photo below. You may have to overlap ever so slightly. No big deal.



In a small, deep pot, boil 1 C beer down to 2 T. Watch carefully towards the end as it goes quickly then. 

To the 2 T beer syrup in the pot, add the butter and dark brown sugar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved. Continue to boil until the contents become slightly syrupy. Remove the pot from the heat and carefully add vanilla...it will boil up slightly!

Again, carefully pour he caramel over the crackers in the baking sheet. Use an offset spatula to even the caramel out to cover all crackers all the way to the edges. Carefully put the pan into the oven and bake approximately 20 minutes - more or less. Watch for the caramel to stop being liquid-y and start looking "set." Remove from oven.

Wait just a minute before evenly scattering the chocolate chips over the caramel. Wait another minute. Using an offset spatula, spread the melting chocolate evenly over the top until the caramel is completely covered. 

Wait another minute and scatter the almonds over the top - evenly, of course. Put your hand into a plastic sandwich bag and gently press the almonds into the chocolate.

Let the pan of bar cookies cool and set completely on a cooling rack. Once the chocolate is set, slide a knife under an edge of the cookies, lift up the edge and start breaking the cookies into large "cookie size" pieces. I guess that measurement depends on how big you like your cookies....bite size or giant size...go for it!

Elvis Protein Bars

A really healthy, high protein recipe on Dinner Plan-it? Here's Kimber!









Well, look who is back again. Me! I know, I know...another long hiatus, but I am back for a post...and you'll be seeing a bit more from me too here and there.

Life is ever changing, to say the least. No longer am I a Clevelander. Once again, Pittsburgh is my home. Yep, you got that right, I've moved back after many years to help with my Dad.

One thing he needs the most (besides a new heart) is good food packed with protein, so along with homecooked meals loaded with chicken, beef, beans and lean pork (he won't eat most of the hospital "food"), I've been experimenting with protein bars, protein breads and all sorts of stuff to pump up his protein level. Somme attempts have been epic fails, some turned out okay, but the one I will share with you today is top notch. I can attest to this because my dad really liked these protein bars, I liked them, but most surprising of all, my mom LOVED them!

So here is what I have for you. It's a nod to Elvis' favorite peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. The result is a little bit of rock n roll made up of a bit of smooth and crunchy peanuttiness, a little maple-y, banana-y sweetness, a punch of protein and the salty smokiness of bacon. Yes. Bacon. It's what I like to call Elvis Protein Bars!

For the protein, I used Muscle Pharm Combat Protein. It has an excellent nutrition profile and the taste is awesome. I purchase it through Bodybuilding.com or Musclepharm.com. You can certainly use other proteins, but of the ones I've tried I just found this to be the best tasting product for this particular recipe.

If you work out - like I do - or just need a pick-me-up during the day, this might be the rockin' recipe for you.

Elvis Protein Bars

• 1 1/4 C dry-roasted unsalted peanuts
• 1/4 t salt
• 1 2/3 C Muscle Pharm Combat Protein, Banana flavor (4 scoops)
• 2 C oats - I used certified gluten-free oats to make these GF (for my mom)
• 1 very ripe banana
• 1 heaping t cinnamon 
• 1/3 C plus a smidge more of REAL maple syrup
• 8 slices bacon, cooked very crisp (but not burned!), crumbled
• 1/3 C dark chocolate chips - again, use gluten-free chips if you're making these GF

Put 1 cup of the peanuts and the salt into a food processor and process until it becomes peanut butter (this takes a few minutes - be patient...it will happen). 

Add protein powder, oats, banana, cinnamon and maple syrup to food processor and mix with short pulses until it comes together into a dough-like consistency. If it's too crumbly, add a bit more maple syrup, if it's too sticky, add a bit more oats (the size of the banana can be a factor in this part). Fold half of the bacon into the mixture until mixed in evenly.

Take an 8" X 8" baking pan and line with parchment paper. Press the protein bar mixture into the pan evenly.

Chop the 1/4 cup of remaining peanuts coarsely and sprinkle over top of the protein bars, then sprinkle remaining bacon on top of that. Gently press the peanuts and bacon into the top of the protein bars.

Melt chocolate chips in the microwave and drizzle over the protein bars. Place the pan in the fridge for 20 minutes to set. Once they are set, cut into 10 bars.

Nutrition Per Bar: 277 calories, 28 carbs, 12 g fat, 18 grams protein, 182 mg sodium, 11 g sugar

Peanut & Pretzeled Gluten-Free Texas Sheet Cake

 


The excitement is building! Already recipes are thoughtfully being created! The next Annapolis Food With Friends event is only a month away and there is MUCH to do. The theme? Barbecue. Barbeque? BBQ? Whatever you call it, just be sure to call ME when it's ready, okay?  

BBQ experts are heading down from the far north of Canada and up from the deep south of Georgia to smoke up some of the best 'Cue out there. The experts? Two of our very own members: Adrienne, a BBQ competition judge who also heads up a BBQ competition team that has won awards across the U. S. A. She's the Canadian member, eh. 

Greg is our Southern barbecuer who is a caterer, barbecue judge and is part of a amazing group of barbecue humanitarians working under the auspices of Operation BBQ Relief. What's that? What do they do? 

Operation BBQ Relief (http://www.operationbbqrelief.org/) sends teams of BBQ competitors, along with their BBQ rigs, from at least nine states into disaster areas. They first organized to feed victims of the F5 tornado that devastated Joplin, Missouri in 2011.  Since that time, they've set up operations in Alabama, New Jersey, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois and Kansas...just to name a few.

The rigs are self-sufficient fuel-wise, which allows the mobile cooking teams to serve up good food with or without power. Along with food, they serve up much needed hugs and friendship to victims and workers alike. (Check out the link above to find out more about the work this group does...make a donation if you wish!)

Back to Food With Friends, folks. The theme (BBQ) being established and the proteins being decided by Adrienne and Greg, the rest of us teamed up to create the rest of the menu. Marti, Brian and Carol are on appetizers. Donna and Maria are working on side dishes and Sherron and I are doing dessert(s). Other members head up other items and still others will lend a hand...not everything has been decided yet! 

Sherron, food blogger AND food photographer  (http://www.simply-gourmet.com/) AND one amazing individual and I quickly got our heads together behind the scenes to decide on a few BBQ-friendly desserts. I can't tell you what the big dessert items will be right now (I don't want to spoil the surprise), but I can tell you gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake is part of it. 

In researching gluten-free recipes out there, I found most used a different method of preparation and much different proportions of traditional cocoa, butter, water, flour, sugar, etc. Hmmm...does gluten-free flour react differently to heat? Is that why they use a mixer instead of whisking up the ingredients in a pot on the stove?

I trusted the "experts" on the internet and changed my regular recipe. The result? Not so wonderful. Instead of being fudgy, the cake was dense and heavy. The normally thick batter was runny. Instead of baking up into a beautiful cake, it ran over the sides and onto the bottom of the oven. And instead of taking the very precise 22 minutes to bake, it took over an hour before it set. Back to the drawing board. 

So I reverted to my old recipe and simply substituted a commercial gluten-free flour blend (Jules' All Purpose Gluten-free flour blend to be specific) instead of all the changes that clearly didn't (no pun intended) pan out. And it worked. Beautifully. So well that my taste testers at work couldn't tell it was even gluten-free. Success! The old and trusted recipe was a winner!

In addition to making the old recipe gluten-free, I turned it into a salty/sweet treat by crowning the fudgy frosting with crushed pretzels and salted peanuts. Nice. And I won't make you wait until next month for the recipe.  Here it is.

Peanut & Pretzeled Gluten-free Texas Sheet Cake  

(Not gluten-free? Just use regular all purpose flour!)

• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup water
• 4 tablespoons cocoa, heaping (REALLY heaping!)
• 2 cups Jules' gluten-free flour blend (or regular all purpose flour if gluten isn't an issue!)
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon baking soda (dissolve this in sour cream above)
• 2 eggs

• 1/2 cup butter
• 4 tablespoons cocoa, level
• 6 tablespoons skim milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 pound box powdered sugar

• 2 cups gluten-free pretzels (or regular if gluten isn't an issue), measured before gently crushing
• 1 cup salted peanuts

Put butter, water and cocoa into pot; bring to full boil.  Remove from heat and add flour, sugar and salt; beat until smooth and add sour cream (with soda in it) and eggs.  Mix well and pour into greased 17" X 9" X 1" high cookie sheet with rim.  Bake for 22 minutes at 375.

In same pot the cake was made in (and you don't even wash the pot!) add 1/2 cup butter, 4 level T. cocoa and milk and bring to a full boil.  Remove and add rest of ingredients.  Beat well.

Spread the frosting over cake as SOON as it comes out of the oven.  Evenly sprinkle the peanuts and crushed pretzels over the top of the frosting, pressing gently into the frosting to set them in place.

Refrigerate cake, cut into squares and serve.  Best when cold.   

Before cutting into squares - I just liked this pic!

 

White Hot and Chocolate...In A Mug

Whoever decided Valentine’s Day should be placed in the cold and snowy month of February, sure knew it was ultimately going to be a good idea. Frigid temps do not promote canoodling. Really. Just sayin’.  All those heavy layers of flannel and wool shirts, socks, mittens and coats?  It’s a time consuming challenge to young and old alike.

What better way to stay warm when the snow is blowing than to snuggle with your sweetie! Turn up the heat and turn down the lights, kindle the logs in the fireplace and light the candles, a little soft music in the background and a nice warm beverage to sip while sharing long moments together. Isn't that just what this holiday should be?

Just in case you’re wondering what warm beverage would pair with such an evening, I do have a suggestion. White Hot and Chocolate…In A Mug. Milk, cream and white chocolate chips simmered until smooth, silky and sensuous. Finish it off with a lush lacing of Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur and just a kiss of Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps to fan the flames of your evening. Canoodle away, friends!

One more thing...if you have the kiddies for the night? Just make theirs without the kick. To get the pink color, stir in a few cinnamon red hots while the milk is simmering. It might be a PG-rated, but it will still be a warm and wonderful evening.  Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

White Hot and Chocolate...In A Mug

Serves 2 (it's Valentine's Day after all)

• 4 ounces white chocolate chips, Nestles for easy meltability
• 2 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream, or half & half
• pinch salt

• 3 ounces Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
• 2 ounces Fire Water Cinnamon Schnapps, more or less to your liking

In a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the chips in half of the milk.  Whisk until smooth and gradually add the rest of the milk and the cream. Add just a pinch of salt.
 

Once the hot chocolate is simmering - do NOT boil - remove from heat.
 

Stir in the Godiva and Fire Water well.  Pour into mugs and top with marshmallows, shaved white chocolate or whipped cream.  What the heck, it's Valentine's Day. Do them ALL!

Black Bottom Macaroon Cupcakes

Looking for a casual, showstopping dessert for a special occasion? Isn't everyone? Look no further, friends. These fancy cupcakes are so easy you won't have to save them for a celebration. No kidding!

The brownie bottom is a mix and the macaroon topping is a from-scratch recipe that's a snap to make.  Two simple parts that together make a really special dessert.  Let's get to it...here's the recipe!

Black Bottom Macaroon Cupcakes

• 1 brownie mix, prepared as directed - For gluten-free prep, I like Gluten-Free Pantry brand the best or use your favorite regular brand if you don't have to worry about gluten

• 14 ounce bag of coconut flakes
• 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
 

Place cupcake liners in cupcake tins - I usually get about 14 or so out of a batch.  Be flexible...it depends on how high you fill the cups.
 

Divide the brownie batter evenly among the liners.
 

Prepare the macaroon batter:  In a mixing bowl and using an electric mixer, beat the eggs and salt on high until they come to a medium peak. Set aside. 

In a separate large bowl, mix coconut, condensed milk and vanilla until well combined.  Fold the egg white mixture into the coconut mixture combining lightly, but completely.
 

Spoon the macaroon batter evenly on top of the brownie batter in the cupcake liners.
 

Bake 25 - 30 minutes until the macaroon topping is browned and gorgeous!  Cool completely on a racks.
 

NOTE:  These can be done in small tassie-size liners in a tassie pan to make little bites for cookie trays.  Very nice for a wedding or party. YES!  You CAN make these for a special occasion, too!

Dinner Plan-it 1st Birthday Capuccino Buttercream

 




Wow...it's been a whole year since the very first post of Dinner Plan-it appeared out there in the wild world of the blogosphere...happy birthday, Dinner Plan-it!


Even at a mere 1 year old, a birthday can be a time for reflection, for studying where you've been (literally and figuratively) in the last year and where you'd like to go in the next.  We've come a long way in one year.  We've grown, we've changed...and over the year, we've learned a lot.

Kimber and I started together with an idea for a mom and daughter cooking blog...and that's one of the things that changed in the first year.  The time commitment to put out a food and dining (and drink!) blog is enormous and it's hard to find the massive amounts of time needed every week. Kimber's job AND social life, at this point in her life, are too full for this amount of time commitment.  

I say, good for her!  Kimber has her priorities straight!  Don't worry, though, she'll still pop in occasionally with new ideas...and a new boozy cupcake or two.  And you can be sure we'll still be collaborating on "researching" some fun, new brunch spots, lunch spots and nightspots!

Time commitment?  You mean what appears on Dinner Plan-it takes time?!  What shows up on each page is the result of many, many hours of work.  From meal planning, to recipe research, to testing, to cooking, baking, grilling or smoking the subject dish, to the photos, choosing just the right sexy food pic, uploading and editing it, to the hours of writing and editing each post, then uploading the post and...well, you get the idea.  It's a LOT of work, work that you have to be passionate about, work you have to love.  And I do.

Even with all that food-blogging love, sometimes there's some major headbanging involved, folks…it isn’t all smooth and simple all the time.  Those technical issues can be frustrating as hell!  AARRRRRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!  

Did you know food bloggers rarely have a hot meal?!  By the time I'm happy with the photo, the food is stone cold.  Thank God for the microwave...and a patient family.  If it sounds like I'm whining, I'm not - I wouldn't have it any other way. 

And then there's the weight gain.  Ugh.  Nothing further need be said on that subject.  Really.  

The best thing of all is being able to share the places and events that mean the most to me - Baltimore and Bad Decisions (that's the bar in Fells Point, not my life choices) and our lovely stay at The Admiral Fell Inn, family visits to Michigan and Ohio and West Virginia to visit and cook with all three daughters and sharing our stories.

Telling you about the always fun and food-filled adventures at the Food With Friends events in Annapolis - especially the Bounty of the Chesapeake and those gorgeous crabs (and some pretty gorgeous foodie friends, too!) is always a kick.  Coincidentally, Food With Friends is celebrating it's very own 1st anniversary in three weeks.  Stay tuned for that report!

Other highlights of the year included judging both the Culinary Competition and THE Great Happy Hour Competition at Savor Pittsburgh.  What an opportunity to meet and work with local chefs, restaurant owners, mixologists, fellow bloggers and food writers.  We all had (and have) our love of good food and fine spirits in common.   Such a fun and very down-to-earth group!

Judging the mixology competition of Shakin' It Up to Stop Lung Cancer for the LUNGevity Foundation just 2 weeks later was another incredible experience.  Sitting alongside Bill Toland of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and Michael Green of Gourmet Magazine was an honor.

Those were milestones in the life of Dinner Plan-it and my own.  I can hardly wait to see what new adventures and challenges are waiting to fill these pages next year.

Speaking of next year, where does Dinner Plan-it go from here? Again, I'm speaking both literally and figuratively.  There are lots of new restaurants just waiting to be discovered in Pittsburgh and beyond, lots of new dishes and drinks waiting to be recreated and shared.  There are so many chefs, bartenders and business owners that have great stories to tell.  I can't wait for you to hear them!

What else is new out there?  Bar programs in this city have exploded with amazing new mixologists, quality ingredients, housemade infusions, syrups and shrubs…there’s a story!  Pittsburgh definitely plays with the big boys in the bar program department now.

Bar Marco even has an ICE PROGRAM to produce and prepare just the right type of ice to highlight the top-shelf liquors behind their bar...and in your drink.  Wigle Whiskey is now making Ginever - and, rumor has it (reliably), they'll be producing their very own bitters!  New breweries are opening, including Aurochs Brewing Company, which produces Pittsburgh's first gluten-free beer, and The Brew Gentlemen  in Braddock!

There are new restaurants opening…Tender in Lawrenceville, Notions in East Liberty, an as yet unnamed replacement in the Strip District where the short-lived, yet lamented, Emilia Romagno used to be.  There are thriving restaurants I need to get to yet…Yinz-burgh BBQ, Spoon, Avenue B, Point Park AND Point Brugges, Echo, Bella Notte, The Savoy…I couldn’t begin to name them all. 

Okay, that’s Pittsburgh, but how about the “beyond” part?  The south is beckoning…explorations of Memphis or Nashville or New Orleans are definitely overdue.  Time will tell.  Stay tuned for that developing story.   

I’d like to improve the technical side of Dinner Plan-it, too.  Again, stay tuned….I foresee future, further forehead slapping when old and new technical issues and I once again collide.  Fist shaking at the computer does not help.  I know.  I’ve tried.  Please be patient as I work out the kinks?  

So there we are.  DPI's first year is under our belt and new adventures await.  There are new recipes to create and test and photograph and share.  With you.  That’s the entire reason Dinner Plan-it exists.  So Happy birthday, Dinner Plan-it!  Happy birthday and here’s to many more!  Let's toast with a cupcake!

Dinner Plan-it 1st Birthday Capuccino Buttercream

• 6 cups powdered sugar, sifted and divided
• 1 1/2 cups butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•  4 tablespoons milk+ extra in case you need it
• 3 teaspoons espresso coffee, instant variety
• 6 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

Combine 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, butter, 4 T. milk and vanilla in large bowl.  Beat with electric mixer until smooth.  

Add espresso powder, cocoa powder and cinnamon; mix until thoroughly combined.  Add remaining powdered sugar; beat until light and fluffy, adding more milk 1 T. at a time as needed until it's a good spreading consistency.

Fit a pastry bag with a good wide tip.  Fill it 2/3 of the way up the bag with frosting and twist the top shut.  Squeeze dollops onto the top of the cooled cupcakes.  Make it pretty!  

Store in a cool place or in the fridge until ready to serve.

The recipe makes enough to generously frost 14 cupcakes.  For a cake, double the recipe.

NOTE:  Cupcakes like these were part of the cupcake display I made for Mieke & Tall Matt's wedding a few years ago.  Matthew (my grandson) is highly allergic to peanuts and tree nuts, you know my gluten issues.  So instead of bought cupcakes and a wedding cake, I was happy to make the desserts peanut, tree nut and gluten-free.  Nobody knew they were anything but delicious!  Not only that, the chef of the restaurant asked for the recipe.  He didn't get it, but you just did!

Oh...the cupcake itself?  Betty Crocker Gluten-free chocolate cake mix.  It's BETTER than regular!  Moist and rich.  Of course, I do doctor it a little.  The recipe on the box calls for 1 c. water.  I use 1/4 c. Kahlua and 3/4 c. water.  And I add 1 T. or so of espresso powder.