Coconut Chip Coffee Cake

▪ 1/2 cup butter, softened
▪ 1 cup sugar
▪ 2 eggs
▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
▪ 2 cups all-purpose flour
▪ 1 teaspoon baking powder
▪ 1 teaspoon baking soda
▪ 1/4 teaspoon salt
▪ 1 cup (8 ounces) sour cream
FILLING/TOPPING:
▪ 1/4 cup sugar
▪ 1/2 cup flaked coconut
▪ 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
▪ 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder baking soda and salt; gradually add to the creamed mixture alternately with sour cream. Spoon half of the batter into a greased 10-in. tube pan (or whatever pan you have that is roughly the size) . Combine the filling ingredients; sprinkle half over the batter. Repeat layers. Bake at 350° for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 12-16 servings.

Yogurt Biscuits

I gave up on baking powder biscuit-making a while ago. They always turned out so dry that we had to put gravy or something on them to make them edible. Until, voilá! I found this recipe. They're easy to make, and they are very moist. The photo above is 2X the original recipe. (You may note in the corner where my husband snuck one of the biscuits before I could get a picture...).

*1 cup plus 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
*1 1/2 tsp baking powder
*1/2 tsp salt
*1/4 tsp baking soda
*2 Tbsp cold margarine
*1/2 cup plain yogurt
*1 tsp sugar
*1/2 tsp milk

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; cut in margarine until crumbly. Combine yogurt and sugar; stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened. Turn onto a floured surface; knead 4-5 times. Place on a baking sheet that has been coated with nonstick cooking spray; pat into a 6x4" rectangle. Cut into square biscuits (do not separate biscuits). Brush tops with milk. Bake at 450 for 12-15 minutes or until golden. Serve warm. Yield: 6 biscuits.

Cranberry Eggnog Bread

CRANBERRY EGGNOG BREAD

(picture it in your head - Mmmm, looks good.)

Here's a recipe you can make next Christmas! (Since I'm so slow in getting this recipe on here, and it's tough finding Cranberries or Eggnog when it's not December.) But it is yummy! Something to look forward to. . .

(Note: I usually double this recipe since we give away little loaves. You can also do muffins, whatever - just watch it so it doesn't overcook and dry out. Also, I think I'll use even more cranberries next time.)

2 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup light eggnog
1/4 cup canola oil (or 1/2 cup melted butter)
2 tsp rum extract
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup fresh cranberries, washed, sorted and well-drained

coarse sprinkling sugar, optional (makes it pretty!)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Farenheit. Prepare pan(s) with cooking spray, or oil and dust with sugar.

Beat eggs in large bowl. Blend in sugar, eggnog, oil, rum and vanilla extract; beat until smooth.

Stir together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Mix dry ingredients into eggnog mixture; Stir just to moisten dry ingredients. Gently stir in cranberries.

Pour batter into prepared pan or pans. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, if desired. Bake until fork or tester inserted in center comes out clean, about 50 to 60 minutes for 1 large loaf, 40 to 50 minutes for 2 medium loaves or 35 to 40 minutes for 3 small loaves. Let cool completely. Wrap tightly; refrigerate or freeze.

Yield: 1 (9 x 5-inch) loaf or 2 (8 x 3 3/4 -inch) loaves or 3 (5 3/4 x 3 1/4-inch) loaves.


(Borrowed and altered a bit from a recipe found online.)

Chocolate Sheet Cake

So I just made the chocolate sheet cake from the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog. Wow. It's definitely worth it! There are several different processes going on to make it, but nothing in and of itself is very complicated. (To me it may have seemed like a lot, but I am used to dumping a cake mix in a bowl and a few other things and calling it good.)

Now, the reason it's so good is because it has gobs of butter in it. Almost a whole box. But, it's like the Julia/Julia movie says: anytime you taste something that's really good- it has butter in it! I borrowed her photo to tempt you into trying it. There are great instructions and more photos, so go take a look! I'm giving it five stars.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

So this is a recipe from Heather that she posted in the comments when Liz requested some cookie recipes without brown sugar. (Incidentally, this recipe looks like it's gluten-free as well, so I am excited to make it for my mom!) Thank you and welcome Heather! 

I now have an official email address for the recipe blog so you can write to me if you would like to be added as a contributor:

myreciperoom at gmail dot com.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

2 1/2 cups walnut halves, chopped
3 cups confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon vanilla

Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place walnuts on a work surface and finely chop. Transfer to a separate large baking sheet and toast until fragrant, about 9 minutes. 

Mix sugar, cocoa, and salt in a bowl. Stir in walnuts. Add egg whites and vanilla; beat until batter is just moistened (overbeating will stiffen). Drop batter by the teaspoonful onto backing sheets in evenly spaced mounds. Bake cookies until tops are lightly cracked and glossy, about 10 minutes. Repeat with remaining batter. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to one week.

Chocolat L'Africain

This recipe comes from a French recipe blog and claims to duplicate the hot chocolate from a Paris tea room. It is SO RICH. Be ready for a chocolate high. As the Web site says, "It tastes like a melted chocolate bar, an extremely rich concoction."

*3/4 cup whole milk (I just used what I had)
*1/4 cup heavy cream
*1 tsp confectioner's sugar
*4 oz/125g bittersweet chocolate, 72% (you can use any brand), chopped
*whipped cream

1. Combine whole milk, heavy cream and confectioners'sugar and heat over medium to high heat until bubbles appear around edges.
2. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate
3. Stir until melted (you may need to return it to low heat).
4. Serve with whipped cream. Perfect for dipping crusty bread or croissants.

White Hot Chocolate

Feeling chilly? This hot chocolate is so creamy and yummy. It's a different twist on your everyday hot chocolate.

▪ 3 cups half-and-half cream, divided

▪ 2/3 cup vanilla baking chips

▪ 1 cinnamon stick (3 inches)

▪ 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

▪ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

▪ 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

▪ Ground cinnamon, optional

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cream, vanilla chips, cinnamon stick and nutmeg. Stir over low heat until chips are melted; discard cinnamon. Add remaining cream; stir until heated through. Remove from the heat; add extracts. Sprinkle each serving with ground cinnamon if desired. Yield: 4 servings.