the power of persuasion (and some dark chocolate)

 

Is it just me or do women love sweets more than men?  I don't even need a full hand to count the number of guys in my life who will devour a dessert like I (or my sister or my best friend or my grandmothers, etc.) do: my father (genetic sweet tooth of aforementioned grandmother) and my beloved new uncle-in-law.  The latter will literally float down from his third story perch in the multi-family we own together and inquire "got any of those yummy cookies for me?"  The cookie fairy has been known to leave sweets outside his door to which he hilariously exclaimed to his girlfriend "when I think about them, they just appear...like magic."

This lack of sweet tooth boggles my mind and makes it difficult for me to pawn off my goods due to the fact that I am usually surrounded by dudes.  My husband Torren is one of those people who will try something new but in the end will ask for the same thing (Reese's Pieces cookies).  Our friends would prefer something alcoholic (I have managed to incorporate that into baking, stay tuned).  Lastly, my brother-in-law Rylan is also a willing taster but would ultimately prefer to eat a can of almonds with a side of unsweetened baking chocolate and dried fruit.  Blech.  So I decided that Rylan was my challenge of the month and I wanted to persuade him to the sweet side with a combo of his loves when he came over for Torren's Superbowl chili the night of the big game. 

Hooray!  I could finally make something "Almond Joy" associated!  Plus, I had spent the previous weekend roasting all of my leftover nuts from Christmas cookies and had plenty of almonds to go around.

These were easy and fun to make and in the end, I managed to make a sweet treat convert out of Ry by appealing to his dark (chocolate) side.  Score one for diabetes!

Almond Joy Brownies

Yield: 24-36 brownies (depending on your appetite)

INGREDIENTS
Your favorite brownies (scratch, mix, smix, whatever). 
My go-to brownie recipe is always Baker's One Bowl Brownie recipe because as much as I love my KitchenAid, I don't always like to clean the damn thing and a bowl and spoon are EASY.  If I am making them for the dieting bunch, I will buy the No Pudge mix (remarkably non-mix tasting, not a fan of fakey) or make it from scratch.
14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk (I use Fat Free, doesn't taste any different)
1 1/2 C shredded coconut
1 C slivered almonds (toasted is extra yum)
1 C (8oz.) dark chocolate (around 60% cacao is ideal but everyone has a different palette, hence the baking chocolate lover above)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat over to 350 degrees.  Line 9"x13" pan with that lovely nonstick foil.  Prepare your choice brownies accordingly and spread in pan.  Sprinkle coconut, almonds and chocolate over batter.  Pour condensed milk over top.  Bake for 35 min. and lure that dessert ditcher to the land of sugar.

Nutrition (based on 24 servings): 350 cal, 19 g fat, 78mg sodium, 42g carb, 36g sugar, 8g protein

how do you like your marshmallows?

I am forever on a marshmallow kick and love them in all states: roasted, fluffernuttered, s'mored; you will be seeing several marshmallow recipes down the line as I have baked some form of the above into a cookie, bar or cake at one point or another.  My all-time favorite marshmallow delight has to be the Mallo Cup.  These things have probably been around longer than my parents.  I hope these chocolate candy cups that cower in the Reese's shadow never leave the face of the Earth but in case they do, I made a little bar cookie of them to satiate me while I weep marshmallow tears. 

This recipe still has a couple of things I want to work out but the world can wait no longer for a Mallo Cup cookie!

Mallo Cup Bar Cookies

from the kitchen of my crazy head:
Yield: 32 bars
INGREDIENTS
shortbread layer
1 3/4 sticks of unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 C sugar
2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C egg product or 2 eggs, beaten
1/2 C Flaked Coconut
6 oz. Milk Chocolate morsels or chopped chocolate

marshmallow cream layer
1 1/2 egg whites (I use powdered and follow package instructions accordingly)
1 C light corn syrup
1/4 tsp. salt
1 C confectioner's sugar
1/2 T vanilla
1/4 tsp coconut extract
1/2C- 3/4C flaked coconut


DIRECTIONS
shortbread
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil and grease with cooking spray or use the awesome non-stick foil, love the stuff. Mix butter, sugar and flour until crumbly. Mix in egg and milk until a dough forms (It is always a little sticky for me). Toss in coconut. Press dough mixture into baking dish and bake for 20 min. I will make a note to say that this is not traditional buttery shortbread that you find on the bottom of lemon bars and the like. This is more substantial and chewy so it will not fall apart from the marshmallow. When the shortbread is done baking, toss milk chocolate on top while warm and spread evenly with a spatula. Let the chocolate fully cool and harden.

marshmallow
In the meantime, combine egg whites, salt and corn syrup in a large bowl and beat on high for 10 minutes until thick. Add confectioner's sugar and beat on low until fully incorporated. Beat in the extracts. Carefully add in the coconut. Spread marshmallow over the top of the fully cooled chocolate. More or less coconut can be added to taste. The marshmallow cream can be made with different extracts (almond, raspberry, etc.) for experimentation. Don't be scared!

Nutrition: 172 cal., 8.5g fat, 96mg sodium, 22g carb, 13g sugar, 2g protein