Almond Joy Chocolate Bark - Elana's Pantry

I truly love all of the recipes I have tried from Elana's Pantry.  This woman is amazing!!  Her recipes are simple yet filled with flavor.  She posted this recipe not that long ago and today was the second time I made it.  Actually today I made a double batch of it!!  Everyone that has tried it loves it.  Best part...its only 3 ingredients!!  Who does that not appeal to??

Almond Joy Chocolate Bark - Elana's Pantry

1 ½ cups dark chocolate 73%
½ cup almonds, toasted
¼ cup shredded coconut, unsweetened (toasted at 350° for 6-8 minutes)

1. Melt chocolate over very low heat


2. Pour chocolate into a parchment lined 8x8 inch baking dish


3. Scatter almonds and 3 tablespoons of coconut over chocolate


4. Using a spatula spread the mixture evenly back and forth to  ½ inch thickness


5. Sprinkle remaining tablespoon of coconut on top of mixture


6. Place bark in fridge for 2 hours to set


7. Break into square bars


8. Serve

Coconut Macaroons by Elana's Pantry

I truly love the recipes on Elana's Pantry. They are tasty and easy to do. Today I made Elana's Pantry's Coconut Macaroons and they are awesome. The only alteration I made to the recipe was I topped it with some melted chocolate. I'll be honest, it's really hard not to eat these all tonight. I've had about three little ones already and could continue to eat them. You should all give these a try.

Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons
6 egg whites
¼ teaspoon celtic sea salt
½ cup agave nectar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups shredded coconut

1. In a mixing bowl whisk egg whites and salt until stiff


2. Fold in agave, vanilla and coconut


3. Drop batter onto a parchment lined baking sheet, one rounded tablespoonful at a time


4. Pinch each macaroon at the top (like a kiss)


5. Bake at 350° for 10-15 minutes, until lightly browned


6. Serve

Coconut Cream-Cheese Squares

I found this on Tropical Traditions website when I first ordered their Coconut Flour.  I was a little skeptical about making them because the Coconut flour is very dense and I'm not used to baking/cooking with it yet.  But these turned out great.  I didn't have coconut oil so I just used canola oil. I added a chocolate topping to them too.

Coconut Cream Cheese Squares:

• 1 box (8 oz.) organic cream cheese (soften)


• 1 stick butter


• 1 cup organic coconut flour


• ½ cup organic whole sugar


• 4 large eggs


• 2½ tsp. organic vanilla extract


• 1 Tbsp. Virgin Coconut Oil

Pre-heat oven at 350 degrees F. Brush pan with coconut oil.

Beat butter and cream cheese in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer. Mix until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well. Add sugar gradually, continue mixing. Add coconut flour and vanilla; beat until well blended.

Pour batter into a 11x7 inches rectangular pan (pre-greased, see above.)

Bake at 350 degrees F for 30 minutes.

Cool the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Chocolate Topping:

1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chips

1 tablespoon of Butter cut in fours

1 table spoon of water

Add all ingredients to a microwave safe bowl.  Melt together in 30 second intervals, until completely melted.  Spread evenly over the top of the lightly cooled squares.  Once chocolate and squares have cooled completely, cut and enjoy.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Vanilla Frosting

The cupcake recipe is from Bob's Red Mill.  I was on the hunt for a new cupcake recipe and didn't find too much right away.   I went on Bob's Red Mill site and looked to see if he had any and found this chocolate cake recipe instead.  I figured why not just make cupcakes out of this cake recipe.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Cinnamon-Vanilla Frosting

1-1/2 cup Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour

1 cup Brown Sugar

1/2 cup Cocoa powder, unsweetened

1 tsp. Baking Soda

1 tsp. Xanthan Gum

3/4 tsp. Salt

1/2 cup Milk (cow, soy or rice)

1/3 cup Butter, Margarine or Shortening

1 large Egg

1 tsp. Vanilla

3/4 cup warm brewed Coffee

Preheat oven to 350degrees. Line a cupcake pan with paper lingers. Set aside. Place all ingredients, except coffee, in large bowl and blend with electric mixer. Add coffee and mix until thoroughly blended. Pour into prepared cupcake pan and bake for 20 minutes minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Serves 16.

Cinnamon-Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

4oz butter softened

4oz cream cheese softened

2 cups powder sugar divided

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~In large bowl beat the butter and cream cheese with electric mixer
~Switch the mixer to low speed and add the powder sugar one cup at a time ~Mix until smooth and creamy, add cinnamon
~Beat in the vanilla extract

(I really do heart cupcakes!)

Happy Birthday Lisa

Last night we went out to celebrate Lisa's 30th birthday at the Swiss Bistro in Carmel.  After dinner we headed back to my place for some cake and ice cream.I used the Bob's Red Mill Chocolate Cake Mix (which by the way is wicked good!!) with a little home made cream cheese frosting colored purple, just for her.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4oz butter softened
4oz cream cheese softened
2 cups powder sugar divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

~In large bowl beat the butter and cream cheese with electric mixer
~Switch the mixer to low speed and add the powder sugar one cup at a time until smooth and creamy
~Beat in the vanilla extract

Flour-less Cake

Saturday night was girls night (well Victoria, Martha and myself). Victoria made a great meal (Turmeric Chicken which will be posted up here at some point) with some strawberry-lemonade Martini's and for desert was flour-less chocolate cake with home made whipped cream.

Flour-Less Chocolate Cake

4oz Chocolate
1 stick butter
3/4 cup sugar
3 eggs
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

~ Butter a 9inch cake pan and set aside
~ Set oven to 375°
~ Melt chocolate with butter either over a pan of simmering hot water or in the microwave (I vote for the second option)
~ Beat in sugar and add eggs
~ Whisk well
~ When mixture is well mixed, sift in cocoa powder
~ Whisk well
~ Pour mixture into buttered cake pan and bake for 25 minutes (check at 20)
~ Let cool and enjoy!

Thanks Victoria!!!

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yay! Chocolate Chip Cookies...Gluten Free
I had a sweet tooth really badly the other day, and thought I would try some gluten free baking. Well the cookies didn't turn out very well, they were pretty much like hockey pucks. So last night I was determined to make them better, and they were. It was a success, to the point I did a happy dance in my kitchen.

Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup (stick) margarine or butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 large egg
1 1/4 cup almond flour
1 cup gluten free all purpose flour (Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 teaspoon Xanthan Gum
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped nuts
2 cups chocolate chips

~ Heat oven to 375°
~ Mix sugars, butter, egg and vanilla in bowl. Stir in flours, Xanthan Gum, baking soda, and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in nuts and chocolate chips.
~ Place rounded spoonfuls of dough about two inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
~ Bake cookies 8-10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).
~ Cool and transfer from cookie sheet to wire rack.