Oh Nuts Blog

There are breakfast foods, and then there are breakfast! foods. Breakfast foods are quick, easy, and uninspired. They can be thrown together and eaten in a few minutes before rushing off to work or a full day of errands. They satisfy hunger, but are rarely satisfying.

Breakfast! foods, on the other hand, are lots of fun. They're for special occasions, and weekend brunches, and birthday mornings. They're what you order when you go out to eat. They make ordinary days seem a little special.

Care to guess which category of breakfast foods these lemon poppy seed scones fall into?

These scones are my ideal breakfast! food. They're indulgent but not too heavy. They're sweet but not cloying, so I can eat several of them and not regret it. They take a little time but aren't too complicated or fussy. And the lemon and poppy seed flavors pair perfectly with a dollop of jam, a side of fresh fruit, and your morning beverage of choice.

Lemon Poppy Seed Scones Recipe
yield: 8 large or 12 medium scones

• 3 1/3 cups flour
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp + 1 tsp poppy
  seeds
• Zest of 2 large lemons
• 5 ounces cold butter, cubed
• 1 cup cold heavy cream

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 2-3 tsp milk

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Start by zesting the large lemons. Use a microplane if you have it, otherwise, use a grater with the smallest holes you can find, and chop the zest up finely with a sharp knife.

In the bowl of a large stand mixer, combine the flour, powdered sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Turn the mixer on low speed and run it for 20-30 seconds, until the dry ingredients are well-mixed.

Add the lemon zest and poppy seeds and mix everything again on low speed for about 10 seconds, until the zest and seeds disappear into the flour.

Add the cold butter cubes to the dry ingredients, and mix on low speed. Stay by the mixer and watch it carefully, as you don't want to over-mix at this stage.

Mix everything together until the mixture is crumbly, and you have butter pieces ranging from the size of oatmeal flakes to the size of peas. Stop mixing when you still have chunks of butter--this will make your scones flaky and tender.

Now, with the mixer running on low, stream in the cold heavy cream and mix just until it's almost incorporated. Stop the mixer when you still have some streaks of flour, and stir the last of the flour in by hand with a spatula, making sure to scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl.

Turn the scone dough out onto a floured work surface, and knead it together gently. Don't work it too much, or the scones will be tough. Press the dough into a circle about 3/4-inch thick.

If you have the time, chill the dough for 30 minutes. This step can be omitted, but it improves the taste and texture of the scones if you can manage to plan far enough in advance! Use a large sharp knife to cut the scones into wedges. This recipe will yield eight (very!) large scones, or twelve medium-sized scones.

Brush the tops of the scones with a little cream or milk, then sprinkle them with a generous dusting of granulated sugar. Bake the scones in the preheated 375 F oven for 22-25 minutes, until they are puffed, with a crackly top and golden brown edges.

Let the scones cool completely, then make the glaze. Sift the powdered sugar into a medium bowl, and squeeze the juice from one lemon over the sugar. Stir the sugar and juice together. The mixture will be very difficult to stir at first, but as you continue to stir it should turn into a thick liquid. Add 2 teaspoons of milk, and check the texture: it should drip in a thick ribbon from a spoon and hold its shape for a few seconds before running together. If it's too thick, add another spoonful of milk, but resist the temptation to add lots of extra liquid: if it's too thin, the glaze will run everywhere once you drizzle it on the scones.

Dip a spoon in the glaze, and drizzle the glaze over the scones in a criss-cross pattern. Let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes to set the glaze before serving the scones.

Enjoy these lemon poppy seed scones with a pat of butter, a little whipped cream, or your favorite jam or jelly. They're best the day they're made, but if you wrap them well, they can be stored for several days at room temperature.

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Passover is coming, and if you're looking for a Passover-appropriate dessert recipe, allow me to introduce you to your new best friend:

This is a flourless chocolate cake made with almond flour instead of flour. It's moist, rich, fudgy, and the perfect end to a Passover celebration. Even if you don't celebrate Passover, chances are you celebrate chocolate desserts in general, so this recipe has something for everyone.

Flourless Chocolate Cake for Passover
yield: one 9-inch cake

• 8 ounces chopped bittersweet chocolate
• 4 ounces (1 stick) butter, cubed
• 1 cup almond flour
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided use
• 5 eggs at room temperature
• Zest from one orange or lemon (optional--I'm using several clementines instead)

Some flourless chocolate cake recipes don't call for any flour substitutes at all, which produces a cake with a really dense, rich texture--almost like a truffle! Those can be delicious, but they're also really heavy, so as an alternative, some recipes call for a flour substitute to make the cake a bit lighter. This recipe uses almond flour instead of regular flour to keep it Passover-approved, while still giving it a moist, cakey texture.

You can make your own almond flour by grinding toasted almonds in a food processor, but they won't be quite as finely chopped as if you buy the flour pre-made.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You'll need a 9-inch springform (cheesecake) pan or a cake pan with a removable bottom for this recipe, because the cake is too delicate to remove otherwise. Spray the pan with nonstick cooking spray and cover the bottom with parchment paper.

Start by combining the chopped chocolate and the cubed butter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave it in 30-second increments, stirring after every 30 seconds so the chocolate doesn't overheat.

Once the chocolate and butter are completely melted together, set it aside to cool to room temperature while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Separate the room temperature eggs, putting the yolks in one large bowl and the whites in a large mixing bowl.

Add 1/3 cup of the granulated sugar to the bowl of yolks, and vigorously whisk them together until the yolks are thickened and pale yellow. If you have a hand mixer, you can mix them on medium speed instead, but there's nothing wrong with burning a few extra calories and doing this step by hand.

Carefully fold the cooled, melted chocolate into the yolks.The idea is to keep the light texture of the yolks, so stir gently!

Add the almond flour and the citrus zest, if you're using it, t to the chocolate bowl, and stir those in as well.

When you're finished, you'll have a tasty chocolate mixture with a slightly grainy texture from the almonds.

Remember our egg whites? Those are now ready to be mixed. Start beating them in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment on medium-high speeds. Once they have started to hold soft peaks, gradually stream in the remaining 1/3 cup of granulated sugar and continue beating them until they hold firm peaks.

What you DON'T want to do is overbeat them until they're stiff and crumbly. My favorite way to describe perfectly beaten egg whites is to look for the texture of shaving cream. The whites will have a lot of volume and hold their peaks well, but still have a soft, supple texture.

Gently fold 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into the bowl of chocolate. This is called "the sacrifice" and it helps lighten the chocolate mixture so that the rest of the whites blend in easily and keep their airy texture in the finished cake. Once the whites are folded in, add the rest of the whites in two batches, again stirring gently.

Scrape the cake into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer.

Bake the cake at 350 degrees F for 35-40 minutes, just until it's dry on top and has juuuust started to show a crack or two. (I prefer 35 minutes for a fudgier cake.) Let the cake cool completely at room temperature before unmolding it.

As it cools it will probably develop more cracks on top. This is fine. This is normal. If they bother you, you can add a cosmetic sprinkling of cocoa powder on top of the cake. I promise absolutely no one will be noticing the cracked top when you serve them this deliciously moist, tender, bursting-with-chocolate cake!

This flourless chocolate cake does provide a pretty intense chocolate dose, so I like to serve it with whipped cream and a fruit topping, to cut the richness and provide some different textures and flavors. You could also add chopped nuts on top, or coconut, or caramel sauce.

Because it is so moist and fudgy, this Passover cake keeps really well. Wrap it and store it at room temperature in an airtight container, and you can enjoy chocolate cake for up to a week...if it lasts that long.

Don't miss these other Passover dessert recipes:

• Passover Coconut Macaroons
• Passover Chocolate Toffee Matzah

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

You might be familiar with Seven Layer Bars. They're sometimes called Hello Dolly Bars, or Magic Bars, or maybe "those awesome things that are totally unhealthy but completely addicting and really delicious." The basic concept is a bar cookie made from a graham cracker crust, topped with various goodies like chocolate or butterscotch chips, toffee, nuts, and/or coconut, and covered with a gooey layer of sweetened condensed milk.

Because they have so many different flavors, they're really tasty, but sometimes achingly sweet and too cloying. Solution: Coconut-Ginger Seven Layer Bars.

This variation adds some much-needed tropical flavor, and some healthier additions, to the standard seven layer bar recipe. The base is made from gingersnaps, and then the layers include fruits like candied ginger, tangy dried cranberries,and coconut, nuts like pecans, and best of all, a soaking in coconut milk instead of super-sweet condensed milk. Put on your grass skirt and start practicing the hula, because you may never want to go back to regular seven layer bars again.

Coconut-Ginger Seven Layer Bars
yield: one 9x13 pan

• 1 14-ounce can coconut milk
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 ounces (8 tablespoons, or 1 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 cups (9 ounces) crushed ginger cookies like gingersnaps
• 1/4 cup candied ginger
• 2 cups toasted pecans
• 1 cup dried cranberries
• 1.5 cups chocolate chips
• 1.5 cups white chocolate chips
• 1.5 cups shredded coconut

One of the fundamental differences in this recipe is that it uses sweetened coconut milk instead of regular sweetened condensed milk. If you're running low on time, you can substitute 1 can of sweetened condensed milk, but if possible I urge you to give the coconut milk a try! Combine the can of coconut milk with the brown sugar in a medium saucepan.

Whisk the coconut milk and the brown sugar together, and place the pan over medium heat. Bring the milk to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer it for about 10 minutes, until it becomes thick and syrupy--just like condensed milk! Stir it occasionally, but you can mostly let it bubble away while you prepare the rest of the recipe. If it's done before the rest of the bars are assembled, remove it from the heat and let it cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Melt the butter in the microwave, then pour it over the ginger cookie crumbs. Work the butter into the cookies with your hands (or a spoon, if you're more hygienic than I am) until it has the texture of wet sand.

Line a 9x13 pan with foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. Spread the crumbs on the bottom of the pan and press them into a thin, even layer with your hands.

Finely chop the candied ginger. It's pretty potent, so you want it to be in small bits, evenly scattered throughout the bars, so that it doesn't overwhelm the rest of the flavors.

Next, coarsely chop the toasted pecans. If you don't like pecans, you can use walnuts or almonds. Macadamia nuts would also be a good choice and would fit in with the tropical theme!

Now for the fun part: creating our seven layers! Layer 1, the crust, is already done. Scatter the following over the crust in an even layer:

Layer 2: chocolate chips
Layer 3: white chocolate chips

Layer 4: chopped candied ginger

Layer 5: chopped toasted pecans

Layer 6: dried cranberries

Layer 7: shredded coconut

Once the coconut milk is syrupy and the bars are assembled, pour the sweetened condensed coconut milk all over the top of the bars. Try to get it in an even layer, but don't worry about covering every square inch-it will spread out as the bars bake. Some purists might say that this should constitute an eighth layer, but I don't buy that theory since it seeps into the other layers and sort of disappears in the final product. But you can call them eight layer bars if you must.

Bake the bars in the 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the coconut is mostly golden brown on top and they're set and bubbling around the edges. They will smell fantastic, and you will be tempted to cut into them right away. Resist! They need time to chill and set, otherwise they will completely fall apart. Cool the bars at room temperature, then let them set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes until firm enough to lift out and cut.

Cut the bars into small squares. Even with all of the fruit and nuts, they're very rich and chocolatey, so a little goes a long way.

These bars keep very well. Store your Coconut-Ginger Seven Layer Bars in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two weeks, or in the freezer for several months. Happy eating, and much aloha!

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Stuck for a last minute Valentine's Day gift for your nearest and dearest? Look no further than these Cherry-Chocolate Heart Truffles! This modern twist on traditional chocolate-covered cherries incorporates dried cherries, flavorful cherry jam, and rich chocolate in a luscious tart-and-tangy truffle filling.

Oh, and did I mention they look like a million bucks? (Because they do!) Since it's Valentine's Day, we have to get a little fancy, don't you think? To make sweets for your sweet, here's what you'll need...

Cherry-Chocolate Heart Truffles
yield: about 20 1.5-inch heart truffles, or 30 round truffles

• 1/2 cup dried sour cherries*
• 1/4 cup cherry jam
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 9 ounces dark chocolate, finely chopped (about 1-1/2 cups)
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 12 ounces chocolate candy coating
• Small heart-shaped cutter
• Sprinkles, gold dust, or other decorations (optional)

*This recipe also works well with dried strawberries or dried raspberries instead of cherries!

Start by chopping the dried sour cherries into small pieces. If they are too large, it will be difficult to cut clean heart shapes out of the truffle mixture, so the smaller they are, the better.

Combine the cherry jam and the heavy cream in a small saucepan. If your jam is chunky with whole cherries, blend it briefly in a blender so that it is closer to the consistency of the cream.

Bring the cream mixture to a boil over medium heat. Take it off the heat as soon as it starts to boil.

Pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate in a heat-safe bowl, and let it sit and soften the chocolate for one minute.

After one minute, begin gently whisking the chocolate and cream together until the chocolate melts completely. Due to the cherry jam, it will most likely look a little lumpy and not completely shiny and smooth--this is normal!

Add the room temperature butter to the chocolate, and whisk it in until it melts.

Finally, add the chopped dried cherries and stir them in. If you want to make regular round truffles, at this point you can cover the bowl and refrigerate it until firm, then roll the chocolate mixture into small balls. But it is Valentine's Day. We are in pursuit of looooove. We must form chocolate hearts! So....

Line an 8x8 pan with plastic wrap, pressing it all the way into the corners and trying to smooth out any wrinkles. Pour the chocolate mixture into the pan and spread it into an even layer.

Refrigerate the truffles until the chocolate mixture is firm, for about 2 hours.

Once the truffles are firm, melt the chocolate candy coating in the microwave.

Take the truffles out of the pan using the plastic wrap as handles. Pour a little of the melted coating on top, and smooth it into a very thin, even layer. You don't want a thick shell of chocolate, you're just trying to create a small ledge or "foot" that will make dipping the truffles easier.

Let the chocolate set. This won't take long, since the cold truffle will cause it to start getting firm immediately.

One the chocolate is set, flip the truffle block over so the chocolate layer is on the bottom. Use your heart cutter to cut out small truffle hearts. If at any point the truffle gets too soft to cut cleanly, refrigerate it until it is firm again. Depending on the size of your cutter and how crafty you are at maximizing space, you should get about 20 hearts from this recipe.

You will also have scraps that you cannot use. What you do with these scraps is between you and your conscience, but my personal belief is that the cook always deserves a little reward for all of their hard work!

Once all of the truffles are cut out, dip them into the melted candy coating. (Warm it up again in the microwave if it has started to get too thick.) If you want to decorate them with sprinkles, chopped nuts, or dried fruit, sprinkle the toppings on while the chocolate is still wet. Let the chocolate-cherry heart truffles set completely at room temperature.

Now for the best part: the decorations! I gave these candies vibrant metallic colors using an edible powder called luster dust. This is a common cake decorator's tool that really makes your candies pop. It is often carried by cake decorating stores and candy supply stores, so if you have a local shop call around and see if they stock it. Michael's craft stores carries a similar product, called pearl dust, made by Wilton.

Using luster dust is as simple as brushing the dry dust onto the finished candies with a small paintbrush. Luster dust and water don't mix, so be sure that your paintbrush is clean and dry. After they're painted be careful when you handle them, since the dust can rub off or become scuffed.

Store Cherry-Chocolate Heart Truffles in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week, or in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. For the best taste and texture, bring them to room temperature before serving them.

Give these truffles as a gift to your friends, family, loved ones, boss, mailman, probation officer, or anyone else you might want to impress this Valentine's Day! They are sure to love the cherry-chocolate truffles, and by extension, love you too.

Happy Valentine's Day!

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Football season's in full swing, and the Super Bowl is just a week away! Even if you're not a huge football fan, the Super Bowl still has a lot to offer: a spectacular halftime show, the world's most expensive commercials, and a built-in excuse to eat all the junk food you can handle.

Chips, dip, and other salty foods usually rule Super Bowl menus, but what if you're also craving something sweet? These Sweet and Salty Superbars have an addicting blend of game-day favorites like salty peanuts and pretzels, mixed with a sweet, chewy caramel on top of a buttery crust. They're about three different snacks in one, and they are the perfect accompaniment to your game day festivities.

Sweet and Salty Superbars
yield: 24 generous bar cookies

For the base

• 1.5 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces (1.5 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 20 ounces soft caramels, unwrapped
• 2 cups roasted, salted peanuts
• 2 cups salted mini pretzel twists, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup chopped chocolate or chocolate chips
• Coarse sea salt for topping, optional

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil and spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, until everything is well-blended and there aren't any lumps of flour.

One of the best things about these bars is the base layer, which is a moist blondie with a flavor reminiscent of butterscotch. The flavor comes from using browned butter instead of regular butter in the batter. Browning the butter adds an extra step, but it's so worth it! So start by melting your butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat...

And continue to heat it, stirring constantly, until it turns a light amber color and you have dark bits on the bottom of the pan, about 7-8 minutes. Looks disgusting, tastes delicious! I promise.

Combine the browned butter and the brown sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer, and mix them together on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until the sugar clumps together like wet sand.

Add the eggs and the vanilla, and beat again for 2 minutes more. At the end you should have a velvety smooth mixture.

Now add your dry ingredients and mix on low speed just until the flour streaks disappear. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and give it a few more good stirs to mix everything together.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth it into an even layer using a spatula.

Bake the crust at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes, until it's puffed around the edges, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the crust cool completely before finishing the bars. If you want to speed up the process, you can cool it in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes.

To make the topping, first melt the caramels. The texture of the caramels before you melt them will be the same texture after they have melted and cooled, so if your caramels are stiff or hard to chew, add a spoonful or two of cream to the bowl of caramel them to make the end result a little chewier and smoother. Microwave the caramels in 30-second intervals, stirring after every 30 seconds, until they are completely melted and smooth.

Add the peanuts and the chopped pretzels to the caramel, and stir until they're well-mixed and coated with caramel.

Scrape the caramel onto the cooled crust and spread it into an even layer. If it feels too thick to spread easily with a spatula, wet your hands and gently press it evenly over the crust.

Melt the chocolate and drizzle it all over the top of the crust.

If you want to add a little more salt, sprinkle a generous pinch or two of flaked sea salt on top of the chocolate. Refrigerate the bars until the caramel and chocolate are set, about 45 minutes.

Once the top layers are firm, remove the bars from the pan using the foil as handles and cut them into small squares or rectangles. It's easiest to get neat cuts when the bars are cold, but they taste so much better at room temperature--so let them sit and warm up at room temperature before you serve them!

Maybe you don't even like football. Maybe your team isn't in the big game, or maybe they make it and end up losing. No matter what happens, at least you'll have these Sweet and Salty Superbars to enjoy--and they're always a winner!

All tttext and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

I know what you're thinking. Thanksgiving is over, the gluttony has ended, and now it's time for healthy salads and smoothies and eating broccoli at every meal. To which I say: nonsense!

Thanksgiving should be just the start of indulgence this season ,and I have the perfect recipe to keep the ball rolling. These Cranberry Pecan Pinwheels are made with dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and cranberry sauce, so they're perfect for using up any leftover cranberry sauce you have hanging around your refrigerator.

Even if you're completely burned out on the idea of Thanksgiving food, consider this: with their seasonal taste and beautiful design, these cookies would make a stellar addition to a holiday gift platter. Don't you owe it to your nearest and dearest to give them a try and see for yourself? Perfect! They'll thank you later.

Cranberry Pecan Pinwheel Cookies Recipe
yield: 4 dozen cookies
For the cookie dough:

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 1 TBSP butter, softened
• 1 egg, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 4 cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature

• 1 cup whole cranberry sauce (homemade if possible)
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries (orange-flavored cranberries would be good too!)
• 1/3 cup toasted pecans
  
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 TBSP flour

First things first: the cookie dough. In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar and the softened butter. Don't have a stand mixer? Never fear, a hand mixer also works for this dough. Mix the butter and sugar together on medium speed until they're light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add the vanilla extract and the egg, and continue mixing until the egg disappears into the batter.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.

With the mixer running on low, add about a third of the flour mixture, and let it run until the flour streaks disappear and are incorporated.

Let the mixer continue to run, and slowly stream in half of the milk.

Once the milk is mixed in, add half of the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk. Finally, add the remaining flour. (If you're thinking this method seems familiar, it's because it's one of the most common ways to make cake batter. This is a good sign the cookie dough is going to be soft and cakey!)

Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there are no stray patches of flour or butter that haven't been mixed in. Your dough should be soft and maybe just a bit sticky.

Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate the dough packets until they're firm enough to roll out, about 1 hour.

While you're waiting for the dough to chill, prepare the filling components. Finely chop the pecans with a chef's knife or food processor and set them aside for now.

In a small saucepan, combine the cranberry sauce, dried cranberries, sugar, and flour. If your cranberry sauce is very thick and gelatinous, add 1/4 cup water to loosen it up a bit.

Stir everything together, and heat it over medium heat until it's thick, bubbling, and the cranberries have softened. Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool completely.

When the cranberry filling is cool and the dough is firm, it's time to REALLY get the party started. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.

Lay a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper on your work surface, and generously dust it with flour. Take one of the packets of cookie dough, and dust that with lots of flour too. Roll the cookie dough out until it's a thin rectangle about 1/8-inch thick.

Spread half of the cranberry filling over the cookie dough until it's in a thin, even layer.

Sprinkle half of the chopped pecans all over the top of the cookie dough.

Now for the fun part! Starting at the long edge of the dough, use the parchment or waxed paper to help you start rolling the dough up over itself like a cinnamon roll. Continue rolling until you have a long, thin tube of rolled dough.

Repeat this process with the second packet of dough until you have two long tubes. You can technically use them right away, but I think the cookies look nicest if they're chilled before you cut and bake them. This doesn't have to be a long process-you can just wrap the cookie tubes in cling wrap and put them in the freezer for about 20 minutes, until they're firm enough to cut neatly.

If you're the make-ahead type, at this point you can refrigerate the well-wrapped assembled cookies for up to a week, or freeze them for several months.

When they're firm, slice the cookies using a sharp serrated knife into 1/2-inch rounds. Rotate the cookies as you slice them so that they maintain their somewhat round shape. They'll spread a little while baking, so don't worry if they're not perfectly round. Place them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicon mat.

Bake the cookies at 350 for about 16 minutes, until they're puffed and just lightly golden around the edges. They shouldn't take on much color on top, and won't spread much beyond becoming rounder and puffy. Let them cool on the tray for 5 minutes, then gently remove them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Even if you swore off sweets after a pumpkin and pecan pie Thanksgiving extravaganza, I guarantee you'll find a little extra room for these soft, cakey cookies with a tangy, nutty filling. You might even find yourself making or buying a little more cranberry sauce so you can enjoy them over and over again!

All images and text (c) Elizabeth LaBau

These homemade candy bars, filled with a soft and chewy coconut filling and crunchy toasted almonds, are a delight. You might even say they are a joy. An almond-coconut joy. Catch my drift?

Now we're not in the business of infringing on any candy copyrights, so I won't pretend that these are the exact same joyful candy bars you might be familiar with from store shelves. I will say, though, that the resemblance is uncanny.

Two whole almonds sit atop a sweetly tropical coconut filling, just like...well, you know. The only difference is that I like to use dark chocolate, to counteract the sweetness of the coconut. But if you're a milk chocolate loyalist, you can certainly substitute a lighter chocolate instead. Ready to rock?

Almond-Coconut Candy Bars
yield: 30-40 candy bars, depending on how you cut them

• 7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (half a standard 14-oz can)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 14 ounces (about 2-1/2 cups) shredded coconut
• 3/4 cup whole roasted almonds (I prefer roasted salted almonds)
• 1 lb chopped dark chocolate, or chocolate candy coating

First things first: prepare your fancy candy bar receptacle by lining a 9x13-inch pan with aluminum foil and spraying the foil with nonstick cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, and the salt. Stir them together until they're well-mixed. If your room is fairly cold and the condensed milk is thick and hard to stir, microwave it for 10-15 seconds, just so that it loosens up and is easier to work with.

Next add the powdered sugar to the bowl with condensed milk, and stir it in.

It may be difficult to incorporate it all at first, but keep stirring and you should soon have a thick, smooth mixture like this.

Now for the star ingredient: the coconut! Add it all at once and mix it with the condensed milk until there are no dry patches remaining. This can be done with a mixer, but I like using a wooden spoon--stirring burns calories that can later be eaten in the form of candy bars!

Your final coconut mixture should be sticky but fairly stiff. If it's runny add a bit more coconut, and if it's very dry, add a bit more condensed milk. Coconut can have different moisture levels depending on its age and how it was stored, so there's some trial and error involved in getting a texture you love.

Scrape the coconut into the prepared pan. Wet your palms and press the coconut into a thin, even layer. You can control how thick you want the coconut layer to be. I prefer my coconut to be about 1/2-inch thick, so I don't cover the entire pan--I use about 3/4 of it and leave the rest of the pan empty.

Use a knife or a pizza wheel to lightly mark the top of the coconut into bars. This is optional, but it keeps your candy bars the same size and helps immensely in almond placement.

Hey, speaking of almonds, let's get those on the candy bars, stat! Take your roasted almonds and press them into the sticky coconut top. I use 2 per bar, to stay traditional, but you can use more or less, to taste. Once all the almonds are placed, refrigerate your pan to firm up the coconut, for about an hour.

Once the coconut is firm enough to cut, take it out of the refrigerator. Lift the candy from the pan using the foil as handles. Use a large sharp knife to cut your bars along the lines you marked earlier. Almost done...we just need to add some chocolate!

Place your chopped chocolate or candy coating in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it in 30-second increments. Stir it after every 30 seconds so that it doesn't overheat.

When it's melted and smooth, use forks or dipping tools to dunk each candy bar in the chocolate, then tap it against the lip of the bowl to remove any excess chocolate. Place the bars on a foil-lined baking sheet to set while you dip the rest. Refrigerate the tray to set the chocolate, for about 10 minutes.

Congratulations, you've made your own candy bars! The small size and easy assembly-line nature of these candy bars means they're the perfect homemade gift. They look beautiful all packaged together, and they're simple and fast enough to make in large quantities. Coconut candy Christmas, anyone?

Of course, the problem with that idea is that you have to share these with other people. I won't tell if you hide them away and sneak a few a day as an afternoon pick-me-up. After all, these almond-coconut candy bars are meant to bring you joy!

All text and photos (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, is almost upon us, so it's time for another knockout dessert to ring in the new year. Last year we featured an ultra-moist Honey Bundt Cake, which is often served during the holiday to symbolize the wish for a sweet and happy year.

This year we'll be focusing on another traditional Rosh Hoshanah favorite: apples. I have a delicious Apple Crumb Cake recipe to share with you that is perfect as part of an indulgent brunch or as a lighter dessert option. Sliced apples and a walnut-cinnamon crumble are baked into the middle of a spice cake, and it is topped with a nutty, flavorful crumb topping.

I won't sugarcoat it: this cake takes a little bit of time, and not one but two kitchen appliances: a blender and a food processor. But I think the extra effort, the time and love and attention required, makes this a dessert worthy of a special occasion like Rosh Hashanah.

Apple Crumb Cake

For the crumb topping:

• 1.5 cups walnuts, toasted
• 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 TBSP granulated sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup plus 1 TBSP flour
• 2 oz (4 TBSP) butter, melted
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

• 1 medium apple
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 3 tbsp sour cream, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup apple sauce, at room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 6 oz (12 TBSP) unsalted butter at room temperature

• Food processor
• Mixer
• 9" springform pan

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F (176 C). The first thing to do is make the walnut-cinnamon crumble. In the bowl of a food processor, combine the walnuts, the brown sugar, the granulated sugar, and the cinnamon. Pulse the mixture in several long bursts until the walnuts are finely chopped and it looks like coarse sand.

Remove 3/4 cup of the crumb mixture, and set it aside in a small bowl for now. This is the crumble that's going to go in the middle of the cake.

To the remaining crumbs in the food processor, add the flour, the melted butter, and the vanilla extract. Pulse until all the ingredients are blended and moistened.

Stop blending when you see the crumbs start to hold together. We don't want big thick clumps, we want smaller clumps and a looser crumb. Transfer the crumble to a medium bowl and refrigerate it while you prepare the rest of the cake.

Peel and core the apple, then slice it into thin wedges less than 1/4-inch thick. Place the wedges in a bowl, and toss them with the lemon juice so they don't get discolored.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, sour cream, and vanilla extract, until everything is well-blended.

Finally, in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Turn the mixer to low and mix all the dry ingredients together until they are well-blended. This helps to distribute the ingredients and also to sift the flour so that there are no lumps in the cake.

Add the softened butter and the applesauce to the bowl of the stand mixer. Beat everything together on low until the dry ingredients are moistened.

Then turn the speed up to medium and beat for another 1-1/2 minutes, to really aerate the cake and develop the structure. When you're done, the mixture should look like the picture above. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl very well, making sure everything is mixed.

Turn the mixer to medium-low speed. Add the egg mixture in two parts, beating for at least 30 seconds after each addition, waiting until the eggs are completely incorporated before adding another batch. Mix for a final 30 seconds, until the cake batter is silky-smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl once more, to make sure there are no dry patches or lumpy spots.

Spray a 9" springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Pour about 2/3 of the cake batter into the pan, and spread it into an even layer with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Remember that bowl of crumbs you reserved from the first step, before you added the butter and flour to the food processor? That's the bowl you want to use now. Sprinkle the dry crumbs all over the top of the cake in the pan, making sure to get them in an even layer.

Take your apple slices and layer them over the top of the crumbs, overlapping them slightly so that they're in one thin layer covering the entire surface of the cake.

Now pour the rest of the cake batter on top, and smooth it into an even layer over the apple slices. It will be thin in spots, but don't worry, the cake will puff up as it bakes. Once you're done spreading the batter, place the cake in the preheated oven and bake it for 35 minutes. This is a "partial bake" that will give the cake time to develop its structure without being weighed down by the final layer of crumbs we're going to add on top.

After 35 minutes, take the partially baked cake out of the oven. Take your final bowl of crumbs, the one with the butter and flour added, from the refrigerator and sprinkle them all over the top of the cake. If you have some large crumbs, you can leave them for variety, or you can crumble them in your hands, depending on your preference.

Continue to bake the cake for another 20-30 minutes. I recommend checking it after 20 minutes, and if it is not yet done, checking it every 5 minutes until it is. When it's finished, a toothpick inserted in the center will emerge with only a few moist crumbs attached.

Let the cake cool completely at room temperature. Once cool, run a knife along the sides of the pan, then unlatch the sides of the springform and remove the sides.

Remember how I said up above that this would be a great brunch treat? Well, that is true. It has the lightness and flavor of a great coffee cake, and it goes perfectly with a morning cup of tea or coffee. However, I admit that my favorite way to eat it is with a big spoonful of whipped cream on top, which I think pushes it into the "evening dessert" category.

However you choose to enjoy it, I'm sure this Apple Crumb Cake, with its layer of moist apples and generous bounty of cinnamon-walnut crumble, will be the perfect way to welcome in the new year. Have a sweet and happy Rosh Hashanah!

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Labor Day has come and gone, but the calendar says we still have a few more weeks of summer before the official start of fall. Let's celebrate with one more summery recipe featuring fresh, light flavors!

Chicken salad may not be the first thing you think of when you hear "summer recipe," but I promise this isn't your usual sad deli-counter salad. Fresh basil, lemon zest, and lemon juice give this Summer Chicken Salad a light and tangy flavor. Most importantly, fresh grapes and toasted slivered almonds are tossed in with the chicken, to add unexpected bursts of juiciness and crunch.

Summer Chicken Salad Recipe
yield: about 4 cups

• 2 cups chopped cooked chicken
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1 medium lemon
• Handful fresh basil leaves
• 2 green onions
• 1 cup green or purple grapes
• 1/3 cup slivered almonds
• salt and pepper to taste

I've said it before and I'll say it again: you always want to toast your nuts. Toasting brings out a much richer flavor, in addition to giving the nuts a nice crunch. So put your slivered almonds in a dry skillet over medium heat and toast them for a few minutes, until they're golden brown and fragrant. Set them aside to cool while you prepare the rest of the chicken salad recipe.

Next, you need to chop up the rest of your ingredients if you haven't already. Here's a quick tip for cutting basil: to get thin and even cuts, place all the basil leaves on top of each other and roll them up lengthwise in a cylinder, then cut the cylinder into thin pieces. You'll end up with perfectly sized strips of basil every time.

Fortunately the green onions already come rolled into cylinders, so just cut those up as well...

And finish by chopping up the grapes. Halves should be fine, unless you have monster grapes, in which case you'll want to cut them in quarters.

The brilliant thing about making chicken salad, as opposed to, say, nuclear reactors, is that you can play it by ear and be casual with your measurements. By all means measure if you'd like, but I prefer to throw things together in the bowl, and then make adjustments to taste at the end, all the while patting myself on the back for my carefree culinary attitude.

Zest the lemon into the mayonnaise mixture until you have about 2 teaspoons of zest...

Then cut the lemon in half and squeeze in 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice.

Add a few shakes of the salt and a few grinds of the pepper mill, then stir everything together.

Now at this point you may have noticed that our "chicken salad" has been missing a key ingredient. Fret no more, because it's chicken time! Add your chopped cooked chicken...

And the rest of your ingredients: the basil, green onions, grapes, and toasted slivered almonds.

Ironically, this is one of those recipes that looks better during assembly than it does when it's finished. Right now, you have beautiful ingredients, artfully layered, and everything looks really delicious. But, you know, it's not chicken salad until it's mixed together, so start stirring...

...and soon you will be rewarded with a gloppy mess of chunky stuff in white goo. Sure, it's not the most stunning recipe, visually, but looks are overrated--what's important is that it tastes amazing.

Speaking of taste, give it a try and see if it needs more salt, or pepper, or lemon juice, or maybe a few more almonds.

Now show your homely chicken salad you still love it by enjoying it right away. You can put it on top of a green salad, eat it on crackers, or stay traditional by making yourself a big sandwich with crisp lettuce, slices of juicy tomato, and some high-quality bread. Viva la summer!

All text and images (c) Elizabeth LaBau

Homemade ice cream is one of summer's biggest pleasures, but that pleasure comes at a cost. It takes time to mix up the custard base, temper the eggs in, chill the custard, then churn it into ice cream. And what if you don't own an ice cream maker? You're stuck eating store-bought stuff like a sucker!

Have I got a solution for you: ice cream without an ice cream maker. The recipe I'm going to show today is for rocky road ice cream, but you can take the same base ingredients and make your own custom flavors just as easily. It takes just a handful of ingredients, 10 minutes of active work in the kitchen, and a mixer or hand mixer. Here's what you need:

Rocky Road Ice Cream (Without An Ice Cream Maker!)
yield: about 6 cups of ice cream

• 2 cups of heavy cream
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup miniature marshmallows
• 3/4 cup roasted salted almonds (you could also use walnuts, pecans, or even hazelnuts)

Begin by coarsely chopping the almonds. They don't need to be in small pieces, but giant whole almonds are a little tough to eat in ice cream, so chop them roughly to make them more manageable. I should also add that you can use roasted unsalted almonds instead of the salted kind--you just don't want raw almonds, because they don't have enough flavor or crunch.

Place the condensed milk in a bowl, and add the unsweetened cocoa powder. Whisk them together until the cocoa has dissolved into the condensed milk. At first it will be chalky and powdery...

...but as you continue whisking, the cocoa will eventually combine with the milk, and you'll be left with a shiny, smooth, darkly chocolatey mixture.

Add the miniature marshmallows and the chopped almonds to the cocoa mixture, and stir them together.

Stir until the marshmallows and almonds are well-distributed in the condensed milk, and are covered with chocolate. You might be tempted to forget about ice cream and just eat this chocolate slurry with a spoon, and although I can tell you from experience that it IS delicious, I promise that the ice cream will be worth the self-control.

Pour the cream into the bowl of a stand mixer or just any large bowl, if you're using a hand mixer.

Using the whisk attachment, whip the cream on medium-high speed until it forms gentle peaks. It should have a lot of body and hold peaks when you drag the whisk through it, but it should still be soft and not firmly whipped or, even worse, curdled and buttery.

Add the cocoa mixture to the bowl of whipped cream...

...and begin gently folding them together. This ice cream gets its texture from the softly whipped cream, so you don't want to stir it too vigorously and deflate the cream. Just gently, gently stir them together.

When you're finished your mixture should be without any streaks of chocolate or whipped cream. Now...don't be mad...but I might have neglected to mention a teensy, tiny detail. You can't eat it just yet. It has to chill for a few hours. I'm sorry! Don't throw things! Patience is a virtue!

Scrape your ice cream mixture into a large plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. You could also just freeze it in the bowl you mixed it in, covered very well with plastic wrap. (That's not a good long-term storage solution, though, because it doesn't prevent freezer burn or bad odors from creeping in. So just transfer any leftovers to a sturdier container.) Freeze the rocky road ice cream until it's firm enough to scoop, which should be about 4-6 hours, depending on the temperature of your freezer.

And that's it! Five ingredients, ten minutes of work, a few hours of impatient finger tapping, and you have a luscious, rich, chocolatey ice cream packed with soft marshmallows and crunchy almonds. If you want to experiment with this recipe, you can leave out the cocoa and mix in any other fruit, nuts, or other add-ins you can think of. Go crazy!

All images and text (c) Elizabeth LaBau