tropical weather yields tropical treats

Fruit = healthy, right? Yeah, well, I know dried fruit, let alone sweetened dried fruit, is not ideal but who can resist the pineapple/coconut combo? Summer weather is beginning to blossom up here in New England and I have been wanting to make this recipe since I received this book a couple of years ago. I found it very apropos for the season and I really do try to bake seasonally. I just find it weird to eat this combo in the dead of winter. Of course, if you want to conjure up some far off island while you're trapped under three feet of snow, I can sympathize.

Now, after waxing poetic about the perfect pairing of pineapple and coconut, I will say that the original version of this recipe did not call for coconut at all. Hmmm, why the heck not? Maybe they felt that three recipes with coconut were enough for one book. Elinor, after you wrote a cupcake cookbook where every third recipe had lemon something in it, this is really not overkill. Just in case you wanted my opinion. So I made some adjustments to the recipe which are italicized below. Also, I just couldn't pass up some chocolate-covered macadamia nuts that were on sale but it wasn't until I brought the bag home and discovered that there were only fifteen of the suckers in there that I realized it wasn't the best idea. Maybe macadamia nuts and chocolate chunks will do, I'll let you decide. For now, the cookies look like they have giant eyeballs. Maybe no one would have noticed if I hadn't said that. I just broke a major rule of critique: don't list your major shortcomings. Well, to make up for that, I will say that these are incredibly moist and I plan on making them again with some tweaks. Grab one of these and go swing on a hammock in the shade.

Pineapple and Macadamia Islands

adapted from Big Fat Cookies by Elinor Klivans
Yield: 15 cookies

INGREDIENTS
1 1/4C all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (this was originally 1 tsp of baking soda which I felt was not necessary for the chemical reaction needed.  My adaptations yielded a soft, chewy cookie.  If you try the other way, let me know!)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C unsalted butter, melted
1 C sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tsp dark rum I used 1 1/2 T kick the flavor up a bit
3/4 C macadamia nuts, salted or unsalted, coarsely chopped this is where I added the chocolate covered ones
1 C sweetened dried pineapple cut into 1/4-1/2 inch pieces
1/2 C sweetened or unsweetened shredded coconut
1/2 C milk or white chocolate chunks (if not doing the chocolate covered nuts)

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or be lazy like me and do one sheet, two rounds of baking).
1. Combine flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir the melted butter and sugar to blend.
3. Stir egg, vanilla and rum into the mixture until it appears smooth and shiny.
4. Stir in flour mixture until fully incorporated.
5. Add nuts, coconut, pineapple and chocolate if necessary.
6. Scoop 1/4 C mounds of the dough ont baking sheets, spacing the cookies 3 inches apart.
7. Bake cookies until the edges are slightly golden, about 14 minutes.   Cool slightly before removing from sheet to cool on wire rack completely.

Nutrition: 221cal, 8g fat, 90mg sod, 32g carb, 22g sugar, 1g fiber, 2g protein

a little help from my friends

L to R: Cookie Dough Filled Cupcakes with chocolate ganache frosting, Samoa Cupcakes, more Cookie Doughs, Fluffernutter Cupcakes, Samoas
First, I have a question, or rather, a request.  I need help and I'm asking you for it!  My sister's graduation is coming up and I offered to make her something with her favorite ingredients in mind.  She loves cookie dough, brownies, s'mores, peanut butter, oreos and ICE CREAM.  That's easy!  I know!  I have made her so many things in the past involving all of those that I'm at a loss.  Cookie and brownie dough filled cupcakes?  Been there.  S'mores bars.  Done that.  Cookie based, cookie dough ice cream cake?  Last year's b-day.  Those Oreo cupcakes?  For HER.  So now, I beg of you, be creative and help me out a little!

T: Cookie Dough Frosting Cupcakes B: Fluffernutter Cupcakes

Moving on...Summer, my favorite season, is looming and the schedule is getting packed.  I haven't had too much time to bake (and I have to admit, my thighs weren't thanking me for it earlier) and honestly, as the weather gets warmer, I don't really want to.  I hope to debut some cooking recipes and fresher, lighter yums as the warm months begin.  Honestly, I had been on a huge healthy food makeover until I started this lovely writing!  I love my sweets but truthfully, I am often trying to "healthify" one of my favorite dishes so I can eat it more regularly.  Sometimes it's a hit and sometimes it's a miss.  I know for every low fat, lower cal person there is another screaming "Blasphemy!  Authentic foods should be left to their buttery, sweet perfection!  Cheese should be indulgent and gooey!  Don't you dare put applesauce in those cupcakes!"  Well, I am a friend to both sides of the coin, just as I love my MacBook but would also take a PC considering my Dell lasted six years through college and beyond, dust-filled and all.  Some days Ben & Jerry's is all you can dream of and that Skinny Cow cup just won't cut it.  Other days, you just need a little something to tide you over for being really well-behaved.  You wouldn't believe how hooked I am on Yoplait's dessert-flavored yogurts.  Come on, you know what I mean!  There are days where you are OK with the lighter, albeit processed, alternatives and there are others where you just want a slice of your grandmother's homegrown berry pie– organic but caloric!  "Eat a salad and shut up" you say!  Please.  Congrats if you can eat one green thing after another but my mouth craves a variety of crunchy, chewy, salty, sweet, leafy, cheesy, fresh and gooey.

Sorry for the diatribe but if you do see a lighter version of something crop up (trust me, I have experimented with the chocolate chip cookie and they cannot be healthy and be GOOD at the same time, may as well eat a chocolate chip pancake because that's what happens to them), don't freak.  Know that I have their calorie-filled friend in my back pocket and am happy to share that version, too.  I think it just depends what you are in the mood for.  Can you have that richly frosted mini cupcake or would you rather have the fruit puree-based humongo cupcake with light cream cheese frosting?  There are days when my tummy wants to be full and days when my taste buds are yearning for the good ol' times.

With that being said, here's an easy recipe for stuff that you had in your pantry that can be lightened and I'll tell you how and with what:

Candy Oat Bars

Adapted from Southern Living® Incredible Cookies
Yield: 32 bars

INGREDIENTS
2 C quick cooking oats
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour try subbing half with whole wheat
1 C firmly packed brown sugar
1 C chopped pecans I often omit these because many people do not like nuts but if you do, feel free to try different varieties, subbing in another candy is also funful if not the lighter version, haha
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 sticks (1 C) butter, melted I've tried the light butter sticks by Land O'Lakes and was just as successful as when I used butter
1 1/2 C M&M's, Reese's Pieces, morsels, chopped candy bar, whatever your heart desires
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk I use fat free sweetened condensed whenever it is called for

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a 9"x13" baking dish with foil, grease if not using the fab non-stick kind!
1. In a large bowl, whisk together the oats, flour, brown sugar, chopped pecans, baking soda, and salt
2. Add melted butter, stir together until mixture is crumbly.
3. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of mixture; press remaining mixture into the prepared baking dish
4. Bake for 10 minutes, remove from oven and cool. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.
5. Stir 1 C candy pieces with sweetened condensed milk and spread over baked crust.
6. Combine remaining 1 1/2 C crumb mixture with the 1/2 C remaining candy pieces and sprinkle over condensed milk mixture, pressing lightly.
7. Bake for 18-20 min, or until golden. Cool completely before cutting.

Nutrition: 219 cal, 10g fat, 72mg sod, 25g carb, 17g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g protein
(Lighter version, with pecans) 179 cal, 8g fat, 112mg sodium, 25g carb, 17g sugar, 1g fiber, 3g protein

chubby up the hubbies

 I had mentioned a while back that I had a few recipes using the same batter and here is the final installment. I had such a hankering for baking with pretzels to achieve the always coveted sweet 'n salty taste. I kept wracking my brain for a good thing to pair pretzels with and I remembered one of my favorite snacks: peanut butter filled pretzels. From there my brain triggered the great combo of peanut butter, pretzels and chocolate, a la some ice cream place in Vermont.  Hooray, Chubby Hubby Brownies were born!  I am pretty sure my own dude is glad that they're not around right now to give him a bit extra around the middle.

Chubby Hubby Brownies

Yield: 32

INGREDIENTS
1 C unsalted butter
4 oz unsweetened chocolate
18 oz bitter sweet or semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs (or 1 C liquid egg sub)
1 1/2 C granulated sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/2 C finely crushed pretzels
1 C lightly broken pretzels
1 C crushed Peanut Butter M&Ms®

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9" x 13" baking dish with foil, and lightly grease.
1. Melt 1/2 C of butter and stir with pretzel crumbs.
2. Press crumb mixture into pan, bake for 15 minutes.
3. While pretzel layer is baking, melt the other 1/2 C of butter, unsweetened chocolate and 9 oz. bitter sweet chocolate in the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds) or over the stove until contents are completely mixed.
3. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
4. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, sugar and vanilla at medium speed while gradually adding dry ingredients to mixture until fully combined.
5. Add in chocolate mixture and beat well, it will be thicker than traditional brownie batter.
6. Stir in the rest of the chocolate chips and the 1 C of broken pretzel pieces. Press brownie mixture over baked pretzel layer. Sprinkle crushed Peanut Butter M&Ms over brownie batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

Nutrition: 284 cal, 16g fat, 62mg sod, 35g carb, 19g sugar, 2g fiber, 5g protein