I've always loved coconut, especially in desserts...coconut macaroons are chewy coconut cookies, which are said to have originated in Scotland. Dipping them in chocolate is purely optional, but as a lover of chocolate, there is no way I would leave that out. This recipe was surprisingly fast and simple to make; has to be the easiest cookie recipe I have ever tried...I'll definitely be making these more often!
Ingredients:
2 2/3 cups of shredded coconut
3/4 cup of white sugar
4 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
pinch of salt
4 egg whites
1 teaspoon almond essence
Preheat the oven to 325F. In a medium mixing bowl, mix together the coconut, sugar, flour, and salt. Add the egg whites and almond extract and mix until well combined. Grease a cookie sheet with a little bit of butter, and drop heaping tablespoonfuls of the coconut mixture onto the sheet. (This recipe makes about 1 dozen.) Don't worry about spacing them too much, they should not spread much in the oven. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the tops are lightly golden brown. Remove and place on a wire cooling rack to cool.
If you wish to dip them in chocolate, melt some semisweet chocolate chips in a small bowl in the microwave (you may use a double-boiler instead, if you wish). Remember to stop the microwave every 30 seconds to stir the chocolate until it is melted, being careful not to let it burn. Dip the bottom of each macaroon in the chocolate and place on a wax paper-lined plate. You may also drizzle some melted chocolate over the top if you'd like. Cool in the refrigerator for about 10-15 minutes, or until the chocolate has hardened. Enjoy!
I am so excited to share this recipe. The first time I made it, I ran around the house making everyone try it and they could not believe I made it from scratch. This is by far the BEST cake I have ever made...and I have made a good number of cakes, both from the box and from scratch. If you have ever had Entenmann's Banana Crunch Cake, this is pretty much a copycat recipe of that. The cake is soft, moist, and has the perfect balance of sweetness and banana flavor. Unlike banana bread, it is not dense; instead, it is very light and fluffy. It is easy to make, but it is important to keep the proportions of all the ingredients as close to the recipe as possible. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup of very ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/3 cup of white sugar
1 cup of sour cream
4 tablespoons of butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon of almond essence (or vanilla extract)
1 tablespoon of honey
2 cups of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Preheat the oven to 375F. Grease a 9x13 pan and set it aside. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to cream together the sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs. Use the mixer and beat it for at least 3 minutes to help make the batter a little fluffier. Add in the mashed bananas, honey, and almond essence (or vanilla extract). In a separate container, sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add it little by little to the batter and beat until combined. Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool, and then cover it with plastic wrap or store it in a container to keep it from drying out.
Note: I used to be tempted to add more banana than a recipe calls for to make it have a stronger banana flavor. However, doing this can mess with the texture of the cake, and can prevent it from rising fully and becoming fluffy.
I was bored one day and decided to make a chocolate cake. Found a loaf pan and some chocolate chips in the pantry, and thought, "why not?" I like to add coffee or espresso to my chocolate cakes and brownies, as it helps to bring out the flavor of the chocolate while at the same time suppressing some of its sweetness. This cake is perfect with a glass of milk!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 cup of milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup of black coffee
1 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups of white sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup of boiling water
1 1/2 cups of milk chocolate chips
Preheat the oven to 350F and grease two loaf pans. Mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cocoa, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Whisk in the eggs, melted butter, milk, vanilla, and coffee. Beat for at least a minute and then stir in the cup of boiling water. Finally, add the chocolate chips and pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely, then slice and serve.
