(Updated 12/29/2015: After baking these red velvet crinkle cookies this week I made a few changes to the recipe to make things quicker (no more rolling balls) and better like adjusting food coloring for less of a muted color, along with recipe changes (see recipe and notes below) such as flour blend and omitting coconut yogurt. I love the “new and improved” results and not having to roll 4 dozen balls is very improved and very much loved!)
Pumpkin Pecan Streusel Cake
While flipping through that vast picture catalog, Pinterest, I stumbled upon a Williams Sonoma recipe that caught my eye. No, it wasn’t gluten free, nor dairy free, and certainly not vegan, but it looked so tempting. Of course, I had to give it a try, for my family’s sake. No, not for me (wink, wink).
Devil’s Food Cupcakes w/ Marshmallow Frosting for Halloween
I will confess, Halloween is not a “holiday” I care to celebrate. I bake some cupcakes or cookies with my younger boys every year and decorate them with whatever I can find that is dye free, high fructose corn syrup free, in addition to being gf,df,sf. It’s not easy, gosh the amount of junk out there, wow. The reason I don’t care for the holiday is not because of the lack of allergen free candy, no, it’s about the idea that there is a holiday celebrating evil spirits, and then we give away candy for it. As if we need more crap to add to life. But that’s just me. Pardon my venting moment, and please don’t tell my children I told you that.
Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
With the fall season here you know what that means … anything, and everything, pumpkin. I saw a whoopie pie recipe by Martha Stewart on Pinterest that looked so good that I had to give it a try. Hers were not gluten free, nor dairy free so I came up with my version of pumpkin whoopie pies, with nutella style spread.
Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes
I have a weakness for pumpkin. It may be stronger than chocolate. When pumpkin season comes around I roast as much pumpkin as I can and freeze it for something pumpkin throughout the year.
Yes, it’s August, but if you love pumpkin as much as I do you will love this recipe.
These pancakes were, however, created from a mere frustration of standing over the oven on a fine Saturday morning. A frustration worth having because this is how I am making pancakes the rest of my life. Period. The Pumpkin Spice Chocolate Chip Pancakes were sooo good.
Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons
These little bite size coconut macaroons hit just the right spot when you want something sweet without a load of calories. And they are so simple to make, and up to 3 days in advance before serving. A simple, flexible macaroon recipe that will please everyone. I dip the bottom in dark chocolate because I love the flavor combination of coconut and chocolate, but that is completely optional, the lighter version is certainly without. These refrigerate and freeze well. Enjoy!
Chocolate Cupcakes with Creepy Crawlers
More Halloween treats!
After helping out with the Halloween cookies, the kids and me also made these Chocolate Cupcakes with Creepy Crawlers for our Halloween party on Saturday. It seems like this holiday goes on for a couple of weeks, week before with all the baking (and eating), and then the week after with consuming those candy stashes. I feel like I need to run extra long and far from October through January!
Rainbow Cookies
Adapted recipe from Mario Carbone and Rich Torrisi of New York City’s Torrisi Italian Specialties
I made these rainbow cookies pink in honor of breast cancer awareness month. My girlfriend hosted the cutest all-pink luncheon on Friday to celebrate our mutual friends who have survived breast cancer. So, on a celebratory note I decided to make these adorable, and quite amazing, if I do say so myself, rainbow cookies. My girlfriends loves Italian cookies so I thought let’s make them special. Let’s make them pink.
Baked Pumpkin Chocolate Chip French Toast
When those beautiful sugar pumpkins come to market I can hardly contain myself. I must get a few. Pumpkin is one of those ingredients that just makes everything better, as if they are smiling at you, ready to make your food shine. Along with chocolate chips, I am now weak at the knees. If you haven’t tried this combination you must. You will quickly say to yourself, What have I been missing!