Maple Pumpkin Pie

 

We’re getting some rain today, and a nice reprieve form the heat, so here’s a fall recipe. I decided to try another pumpkin pie recipe after seeing this maple pumpkin pie in Real Simple. There’s no sweetener beyond the ½ cup maple syrup, and it was really good!

The top of my pie cracked. The funny thing is that in the very same issue of the magazine, they said to bake pumpkin pies at 325 °F, and adjust the cooking time accordingly, to avoid this very problem. But their own recipe says to bake it at 350 °F! If I had been serving it, I could have covered it with whipped topping and no one would have known.

1 homemade or store-bought pie crust, fitted into a 9-inch pie plate
2 large eggs
1 15-oz. can pure pumpkin purée
1 cup lactose-free cream (mine was vegan)
½ cup pure maple syrup
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. kosher salt
1 pinch ground cloves
lactose-free whipped cream, for serving (optional)

Set an oven rack in the lowest position and heat oven to 350 °F (see note above). Place pie plate on a foil-lined baking sheet.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, pumpkin, cream, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.

Pour the pumpkin mixture into the crust. Bake until center jiggles slightly, 1 hour to 1 hour 10 minutes; a toothpick should come out clean, and if you are using a thermometer, the temperature should be 180 °F. (Cover edges with foil if crust browns too quickly; I used a silicone ring.) Let cool to room temperature, about 1 hour.

Serve topped with whipped cream, chopped pecans, and/or maple syrup, if desired.

Secret Ingredient Chocolate Pudding

 

This recipe is from Angela Liddon’s Oh She Glows Every Day cookbook, and it’s also online here. I’ve made chocolate pudding with vegetal ingredients before (like avocado, black beans, or tofu), but I think it’s the first time I made one with sweet potato? It was really good! The amounts below are slightly adapted.

For the pudding
1 ¼ cups (6 oz/170 g) diced peeled sweet potato
1/3 cup pure maple syrup
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (I used lactose-free milk)
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 Tbsp. raw or roasted smooth almond butter or raw cashew butter
1 Tbsp. virgin coconut oil, softened
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
¼ tsp. fine sea salt

Topping suggestions
coconut whipped cream (I used vegan ReddiWhip)
fresh berries or pomegranate arils
sliced almonds, toasted
granola

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil and set a steamer basket on top. Steam the sweet potato in the basket, covered, for 10 to 15 minutes, until fork-tender. You may also use a steamer appliance. Turn off the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Transfer the sweet potato (you should have 1 lightly packed cup) to a food processor and add the maple syrup. Process until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and process until smooth, stopping to scrape down the bowl as necessary. Taste and adjust the sweetness, if desired. I find this pudding tastes a bit sweeter after chilling, so keep that in mind. You can always adjust the sweetness after it chills.

Transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for at least a few hours or up to overnight to thicken. If the pudding is too thick for your liking, you can thin it out with a splash of almond milk.

Serve the pudding with coconut whipped cream, fresh berries, and toasted sliced almonds, if desired. You can also enjoy it on its own, or with homemade granola sprinkled on top. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days.

Poudings au chocolat et petits fruits

 

Et une dernière recette de Ricardo aujourd’hui, ces délicieux poudings au chocolat et petits fruits! La recette annonçait « du bonheur en pot », et c’est exactement ça!

Pour les poudings
225 g (8 oz) de chocolat au lait, haché (j’ai pris du chocolat noir)
40 g (3 c. à soupe) de sucre
2 œufs
1 tasse de crème 35 % sans lactose à fouetter (végétalienne pour moi)

Pour le crumble
95 g (¾ tasse) de chapelure de biscuits au chocolat
55 g (2 oz) de chocolat au lait, fondu et tempéré (j’ai pris du chocolat noir)
¼ c. à thé de fleur de sel

Pour la garniture
½ tasse de crème 35 % sans lactose à fouetter (végétalienne pour moi)
1 c. à soupe de sucre
130 g (¾ tasse) de fraises fraîches coupées en quartiers 70 g (½ tasse) de framboises fraîches



Pour les poudings
Dans un bol, déposer le chocolat. Réserver.

Dans une petite casserole, hors du feu, mélanger au fouet le sucre avec les œufs jusqu’à ce que le mélange soit homogène. Ajouter la crème en remuant.

Cuire à feu moyen-doux, en remuant constamment à la cuillère de bois et en raclant le fond et la paroi de la casserole, jusqu’à ce que la préparation ait un premier bouillon, épaississe et nappe le dos de la cuillère, soit environ 10 minutes. Verser sur le chocolat et laisser reposer 2 minutes sans remuer. Mélanger au fouet jusqu’à ce que la préparation soit homogène.

Répartir le pouding au chocolat dans 6 pots en verre d’une contenance de 250 ml (1 tasse) chacun, soit environ 75 ml (1/3 tasse) par pot. Couvrir et réfrigérer 3 heures ou toute une nuit.

Pour le crumble
Entre-temps, dans un bol, mélanger la chapelure avec le chocolat et la fleur de sel. Répartir le mélange sur une petite plaque de cuisson ou une assiette tapissée de papier parchemin. Réfrigérer 1 heure ou jusqu’à ce que le crumble soit ferme. Concasser en morceaux. Le crumble se conserve 5 jours dans un contenant hermétique au réfrigérateur.

Pour la garniture
Dans un bol, fouetter la crème avec le sucre au batteur électrique jusqu’à l’obtention de pics fermes mais encore souples. Répartir la crème sur les poudings. Garnir des fruits et du crumble. Les poudings garnis se conservent 1 jour au réfrigérateur.

Biscuits avoine et pois chiches au chocolat noir et aux flocons de sel

 

J’ai essayé les biscuits avoine et pois chiches au chocolat noir et aux flocons de sel de Loounie Cuisine. Je pense que je n’en ai jamais parlé ici, parce que c’est arrivé bien avant la création de ce blogue, mais j’avais déjà essayé les biscuits pois chiches et pépites de chocolat de Jessica Seinfeld, où il fallait mettre des pois chiches entiers et elle disait qu’on n’y voyait que du feu – FAUX! On les sentait en titi, les pois chiches entiers! Ici, dans la recette de Loounie, c’est beaucoup mieux, parce que les pois chiches sont réduits en purée, et c’était très bon.

J’ai dû adapter un peu pour des mesures américaines (on a seulement des boîtes de conserve de 15 onces, pas 19, ici). On a beaucoup aimé! J’ai obtenu 11 biscuits; j’imagine qu’on en obtient davantage avec les mesures d’origine.

2/3 tasse de flocons d’avoine à l’ancienne ou à cuisson rapide
1 boîte de 15 oz (environ 1 ½ tasse) de pois chiches (ou c’était 19 oz/2 tasses à l’origine)
½ tasse de sucre
2 c. à soupe de tahini (ou du beurre d’amandes ou d’arachides)
1 c. à thé de vanille
1 c. à thé de vinaigre de cidre
½ c. à thé de bicarbonate de soude
½ c. à thé de sel
½ tasse (3 oz. pour moi) de morceaux de chocolat noir, hachés au couteau
flocons de sel de type Maldon ou de fleur de sel, au goût

Préchauffez le four à 350 °F. Préparez une plaque couverte de papier parchemin ou d’un tapis de cuisson antiadhésif.

Mettez les flocons d’avoine dans un robot culinaire. Broyez-les jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture de farine grossière. Ajoutez les pois chiches, le sucre, le tahini, l’essence de vanille, le vinaigre de cidre, le bicarbonate de soude et le sel. Broyez les ingrédients jusqu’à l’obtention d’une texture de houmous lisse. Transférez la préparation dans un bol, ajoutez les morceaux de chocolat noir, puis mélangez bien.

À l’aide d’une cuillère, formez des boules d'environ 1 ½ c. à soupe de préparation pour faire de 18 à 20 biscuits (j’ai pris ma cuillère à biscuits et j’ai obtenu 11 biscuits). Placez-les sur la plaque et saupoudrez un peu de flocons de sel sur chacun d'eux.

Faites cuire les biscuits de 18 à 22 minutes (15 minutes dans mon cas) ou jusqu’à ce qu'ils soient légèrement dorés. Laissez-les refroidir au moins 10 minutes avant de les manipuler. Les biscuits prendront une texture plus solide en refroidissant.

Dark Chocolate Orange Cake

I made this dark chocolate and orange cake and adapted the instructions for a North American audience. The recipe calls for chocolate chips; I made it as requested, but I really feel like miniature chocolate chips would be better here, especially since they all sank to the bottom. But when I voiced my opinion, both the Engineer and the Little Prince said that they love the texture of those chips in the cake and would not change it. So I guess it’s your choice how you make it!

For the cake
1 ½ cups plain flour
½ cup cocoa powder (I used 50 g)
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup oil
1/3 cup water
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
zest of 1 orange
1 cup dark chocolate chips (see note above)

For the icing
1 cup icing sugar, sifted
zest of 1 orange
juice of ½ an orange

To decorate (optional)
sliced orange, physalis, sliced kumquats, chocolate curls

Preheat your oven to 350 °F, grease a large cake tin (I used a 9” springform pan) and line the bottom with greaseproof paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients with a whisk. Make a well in the center and add your wet ingredients and the orange zest. Whisk together until a thick but pourable batter forms. Fold in the chocolate chips and pour into the cake tin. Bake for an hour, until the cake no longer jiggles when shaken and a skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out mostly clean (because of the chocolate chips it won’t come out completely clean.)

Set aside to cool completely in the tin; once cooled, refrigerate for an hour or overnight top make sure that the chocolate is really set.

Remove your cake from the fridge and carefully take it out of the tin. Make the icing by combining all the ingredients and mixing thoroughly until you get a thick, spreadable mixture. Pour all the icing onto the middle of the cake and, using a spoon, spread the icing carefully to the edges of the cake, allowing some to drip down the sides (but not too much.)

Top with physalis, or whatever you fancy using to decorate it! This cake is delicious as it is, but is also really fudgy and comforting when eaten warm (if you want to eat it warm, just pop your slice in the microwave for 20 seconds and enjoy!).

Pistachio Cake with Pudding Mix

 

I tried this recipe for strawberry rhubarb muffin squares, but ended up being disappointed. And the best way to get over disappointment is comfort food. (I mean, don’t quote me on that; I’m not a therapist or anything!) So I made this pistachio cake with pudding mix, which is stupid-easy because it’s all made from mixes. It’s really hard to say no to something that is both easy and delicious!

For the cake 1 package white cake mix
1 package (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 cup lemon-lime soda (like Sprite or 7-Up)
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
½ cup chopped pistachios (I omitted them)

For the frosting
1½ cups cold lactose-free milk
1 package (3.4 oz) instant pistachio pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) lactose-free whipped topping, thawed (I used CocoWhip)
¼ cup chopped pistachios

Preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease a 13×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine the white cake mix, 1 package of pudding mix, soda, vegetable oil, and eggs. Beat with a hand mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in ½ cup chopped pistachios.

Pour into the prepared baking dish. Bake for 30–35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Allow the cake to cool completely.

Once the cake is cool, place the milk and the remaining package of pudding mix in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Let sit for 5 minutes (the pudding will firm up a bit). Then, fold in the whipped topping.

Spread the frosting on top of the cake. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the frosting to firm up slightly.

Cut into slices and serve. Store any remaining cake in the refrigerator.

Chinese Almond Cookies

I saw this recipe for Chinese almond cookies and just had to make them. And… everything looked so good before going into the oven, but it ended in disaster. (I baked them a few minutes less than required. Honestly, even if I hadn’t put that many on the baking sheet, it still would have failed, so the problem lies more with the recipe than with the instructions.)

This left me wanting to get it right, obviously. So I searched and found this other recipe, which was much better! You’ll get a total of 21 or 22 cookies. If I make them again, I’ll try adding a tad more flour than I did (maybe 1 ½ cups?) and maybe I’ll set the oven to 350 °F.

1 1/3 cups almond flour, lightly packed
1 cup (2 sticks) lactose-free butter, chilled and cut into cubes
1 pinch kosher salt
2 large eggs, divided
1 tsp. almond extract
1 ¾ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. sugar
½ tsp. baking soda
thinly sliced almonds, for decoration

Place the almond flour, salt, and butter into an electric mixer with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. The mixture will become coarse and chunky looking.

Add one of the eggs and the almond extract; mix them in on low speed until just incorporated.

Sift the flour, sugar, and baking soda and add to the mixture. Mix on low speed until just combined.

Take the dough and flatten it into a disc and wrap in plastic wrap. Place it in the refrigerator for two hours to chill.

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small bowl, beat the remaining egg.

Take pieces of dough and roll them into balls about ¾ -inch wide. Place them on the sheet about an inch apart and then press them down slightly with your palm to make a coin shape.

Press one silvered almond into the center of each cookie. Then, using a pastry brush or your finger, paint each cookie with the egg. (This will give the cookie a lacquered appearance once it bakes).

Bake at 325 °F for 13 to 15 minutes, until the edges just begin to tan. Cool on the sheet on a wire rack.

Coconut Peanut Butter Bars

 

I feel like a large proportion of desserts marketed as low-sugar or PCOS-friendly end up being bars. I made chocolate coconut cream bars and was quite disappointed. I was expecting something along the lines of haupia pie squares or Nanaimo bars, but the result has an unappealing texture and was quite bland.

But then these coconut peanut butter bars were more up my alley. They are also gluten-free and vegan (assuming you use maple syrup instead of honey).

For the bars
2 cups rolled oats
2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
½ cup almond flour
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
¼ cup maple syrup or honey
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

For the topping
½ cup dark chocolate chips
1 Tbsp. coconut oil

In a large bowl, mix all of the bar ingredients. The consistency should be damp and sticking together. Press the mixture into an 8” square dish. Try to make an even layer.

Melt the chocolate and coconut oil on the stove top (a double-boiler is my favorite method) or in the microwave.

Spread over bars. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Cut into 12 bars. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Biscuits aux guimauves et aux carottes

 

J’ai trouvé cette recette dans La Presse. Mes enfants ont A-DO-RÉ ces biscuits dans leur boîte à lunch! Ça se congèle bien, mais on n’en a plus, alors il va vraiment falloir que j’en refasse. J’ai utilisé des céréales Croque Cannelle (Cinnamon Toast Crunch). J’ai obtenu 12 biscuits en tout.

1 boîte de préparation de gâteau blanc ou à la vanille
1 c. à thé de cannelle
½ c. à thé de sel
1 tasse de carottes râpées
¼ de tasse de beurre non salé fondu (il m’en a fallu 6 c. à soupe)
1/3 de tasse de tartinade de guimauve (Fluff)
½ tasse de Rice Krispies, de Croque Cannelle ou d’autres céréales

Préchauffer le four à 350°F. Graisser deux plaques à pâtisserie (j’ai utilisé un silpat).

Dans un bol, mélanger la préparation à gâteau, la cannelle et le sel.

Ajouter les carottes râpées et le beurre fondu. Mélanger jusqu’à l’obtention d’une pâte poussiéreuse. Cette pâte est moins humide que la plupart des pâtes à biscuit, car les carottes ajouteront de l’humidité pendant la cuisson. (Mais quand même, j’ai dû rajouter 2 c. à soupe de beurre.)

Façonner des boules. Les déposer sur l’une des deux plaques en les espaçant de 5 cm.

À l’aide d’une fourchette, déposer environ 1 c. à thé de tartinade à la guimauve sur le dessus de chaque boule (c’était un peu difficile, mais ça valait la peine).

Saupoudrer ou enrober entièrement des céréales choisies.

Cuire au four de 8 à 12 minutes, selon la taille des biscuits (c’était 10 minutes pour les miens). Les côtés devraient être dorés et la guimauve devrait avoir gonflé et être légèrement caramélisée.

Les biscuits se conservent une semaine au réfrigérateur.

Matcha Lava Cakes

 

I’ve made three recipes with matcha recently. I’ll post the muffin one soon, and there was a coconut matcha panna cotta that never gelled and was way too sweet, but here’s a dessert you will love! It’s matcha lava cakes. The original recipe makes 2 cakes, and I decided that it really wasn’t enough, so I doubled it and got 5 ramekins of about 4 ounces each; the amounts below are mine. Note also that I adjusted the cooking time (15 minutes instead of 9), as I was going for a gooey consistency more than a river-flow of filling. These were amazing! It’s worth spending some money on great matcha so that you get vibrant green cakes.

120 g white chocolate (lactose-free if possible)
6 Tbsp. lactose-free butter, softened
80 g sugar
1 pinch salt
2 eggs
16 g matcha powder
50 g flour

Butter 4 (or 5) ramekins and dust with some flour (especially the bottom part of the ramekin).

In a double-boiler, melt the white chocolate and mix well.

Add softened butter into melted white chocolate and mix well to incorporate.

Mix in the sugar, then beat in the eggs.

Sift in the matcha powder and flour. Mix well until no visible lumps remain.

Pour into prepared ramekins, cling-wrap surface of ramekin and put into the freezer for at least 30 minutes (so that the outside gets cooked faster than the insides).

Preheat oven to 450 °F.

Remove the cling-wrap, place ramekins on a baking sheet, and bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes (see note above). It is done when the cake does not look too wobbly when you gently prod it and the surface is evenly colored (not darker in the middle).

Leave cake in the ramekin for 10 minutes to cool. Use a spatula/knife to run the sides of the cake so that it no longer sticks to the bowl. Gently flip the ramekin onto another plate so that the cake falls off nicely. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Oatmeal Cookies

 

I tried these chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies. To be honest, these do not beat the best of each category of cookies I like to make (chocolate chip, peanut butter, and oatmeal chocolate chip), but it was nice to taste something new that combined all of them!

½ cup lactose-free butter, softened to room temperature
1 ¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1/3 cup peanut butter (I used Skippy Natural)
1 egg + 1 yolk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned whole oats
½ tsp. baking soda
1 pinch of salt
1 cup chocolate chips (I used bittersweet)

Preheat the oven to 325 °F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment paper and set aside.

Cream together the butter with the sugars, then mix in the peanut butter.

Add the egg and egg yolk and vanilla extract, and stir.

In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones and stir. (You should have achieved cookie dough consistency, and if you haven’t, either add a touch more flour if it’s too wet or a touch more peanut butter if it’s too dry.)

Finally, add the chocolate chips and stir in.

Scoop a dozen golf ball-sized portions of dough onto the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart. They spread but not much (a tip to reduce spreading is to refrigerate and chill the dough prior to baking).

Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes. (I like soft cookies, so I baked mine for 10 minutes.) Let cool before eating.

Golden Tehina Shakes

 

I got this recipe from Soom, though it is originally from Israeli Soul by Michael Solomonov and Stephen Cook and it is served at Goldie’s in Pennsylvania. Honestly, I was just interested in a vegan shake with tahini, and I knew the Little Prince would like it because he likes coffee flavors in desserts!

You do need a bit of planning to make this, since you have to make coffee syrup and also freeze the shake mixture ahead of time. Note that this makes too much coffee syrup for a single recipe, so I froze the rest in an ice cube tray and plan to use it to make more shakes when the weather gets warmer.

For the Turkish coffee syrup
2 cups water
6 Tbsp. Turkish coffee
6 Tbsp. regular ground coffee
6 Tbsp. sugar
¾ tsp. ground cardamom
¼ tsp. kosher salt

For the Goldie Tehina shakes
½ cup Soom Premium Tahini (or your favorite brand)
½ cup sugar
½ tsp. kosher salt
3 cups plain unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup of Turkish coffee syrup (or your favorite flavored syrup)
optional: chopped chocolate or other toppings


For the Turkish coffee syrup
Combine the water, Turkish coffee, regular ground coffee, sugar, ground cardamom, and kosher salt in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.

Bring to a boil, remove the pan from the heat, and let steep for 30 minutes.

Place a coffee filter inside a fine-mesh sleeve and set it over a jar. Strain the syrup into the jar.

The syrup will keep, refrigerated, for up to 1 month.

For the Goldie Tehina shakes
Combine the Soom tahini, sugar, kosher salt, and plain unsweetened almond milk in a blender. Process until smooth. Pour the mixture into ice cube trays (you’ll need three standard-size trays) and freeze overnight.

The next day, pop the tahini ice cubes out of the trays into the blender. Pour in a little more almond milk to get the blender started and blend just until the ice cubes are completely broken down and the mixture thickens.

Add the Turkish coffee syrup and blend for a few more seconds. Taste and add a bit more syrup if you like.

Pour the milkshake into glasses and serve immediately, with optional toppings like chopped chocolate.

Beignes au four glacés à l'érable

 

J’aime bien les beignes au four, parce que les enfants les adorent même si c’est vraiment santé comparé à des beignes traditionnels. C’est ici une recette de Coup de Pouce. Je l’ai aimée, mais le glaçage était un peu trop liquide, alors je vous recommanderais d’être prudents avec le lait et le sirop d’érable.

Pour les beignes
1 1/3 tasse de farine
1/3 tasse de cassonade, tassée
1 cuillère à thé de poudre à pâte
½ cuillère à thé de cannelle moulue
¼ cuillère à thé de bicarbonate de soude
1 pincée de sel
1/3 tasse de beurre sans lactose, fondu, puis tempéré légèrement
1/3 tasse de sirop d'érable
1 œuf
1/3 tasse de crème sure sans lactose
1/3 tasse de lait sans lactose
1 cuillère à thé d'extrait de vanille

Pour le glaçage
1 tasse de sucre glace
2 cuillères à table de sirop d'érable (voir note plus haut)
½ à 1 cuillère à table de lait (voir note plus haut)
1 cuillère à thé d’extrait de vanille
sucre d'érable, pour garnir (facultatif)

Pour les beignes
Préchauffer le four à 400 °F. Huiler un moule à beignes au four de 12 cavités (ou 2 moules de 6 cavités chacun). Réserver.

Dans un grand bol, mélanger les ingrédients secs au fouet. Réserver. Dans un deuxième bol, bien mélanger le reste des ingrédients. Ajouter, en deux fois, les ingrédients humides aux ingrédients secs. Mélanger jusqu’à consistance homogène, sans plus. Un peu à la fois, si nécessaire, transvider le mélange dans une poche à pâtisserie ou un grand sac à glissière percé dans un coin et remplir les cavités du moule aux deux tiers.

Cuire les beignes au centre du four de 8 à 10 minutes ou jusqu’à ce qu’ils soient bien gonflés et dorés. Placer le moule sur une grille et laisser refroidir 10 minutes. Démouler délicatement les beignes et les laisser refroidir complètement sur la grille (environ 30 minutes.)

Pour le glaçage et l’assemblage
Dans un bol, fouetter tous les ingrédients (je recommande d’y aller doucement avec les liquides).

Tremper chaque beigne dans le bol de glaçage, jusqu’à la moitié environ. Retourner délicatement et secouer pour retirer l’excès de glaçage. Déposer les beignes sur la grille et saupoudrer d’un peu de sucre d’érable, si désiré. Laisser le glaçage prendre avant de déguster, soit environ 30 minutes. (Les beignes se conserveront 3 jours dans un contenant hermétique, au réfrigérateur, ou 3 mois au congélateur.)

Lemon-Pistachio Bars

 

I found this recipe in Real Simple, and thought it was a nice variation on classic lemon bars! (The same article also had a chocolate-hazelnut swirl cake that was fine, but this dessert was better.)

9 oz. unsalted shelled pistachios, plus ¼ cup chopped pistachios for topping
½ cup granulated sugar
4 Tbsp. cornstarch
¾ tsp. kosher salt
1 stick lactose-free butter
6 lemons, divided
8 large eggs
28 oz sweetened condensed lactose-free milk
¼ tsp. sea salt

Preheat oven to 350 °F with rack in center position. Coat a 13-by-9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Line with parchment paper, leaving 2 inches of overhang on long sides.

Process shelled pistachios, sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a food processor until finely ground. Add butter; pulse until mixture comes together.

Transfer pistachio mixture to prepared baking dish. Using damp fingers or an offset spatula, spread mixture in an even layer on bottom and about ¼ inch up sides of dish. Bake until lightly golden, 12 to 14 minutes. Let cool in baking dish on a wire rack for 20 minutes.

Zest and juice 5 lemons to yield 2 tablespoons zest and 1 cup juice. Place zest and juice in a large bowl. Whisk in eggs, condensed milk, and remaining 2 tablespoons cornstarch and ½ teaspoon kosher salt.

Pour lemon juice mixture over crust. Bake until filling is just set, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool completely in baking dish on a wire rack, about 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate until firm, about 3 hours.

Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and flaky sea salt. Zest remaining lemon over top before slicing.

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

 

These chocolate crinkle cookies would be great for a holiday cookie swap or for Valentine’s Day, but I feel like they are good year-round. They were easy to make and really delicious! I got 24 cookies from this recipe.

½ cup cocoa powder
1 cup granulated sugar
¼ cup vegetable oil (like canola, or light olive oil)
2 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

In a mixing bowl, combine granulated sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla extract and eggs. Whisk until the mixture is smooth.

In a separate bowl, combine flour together, baking powder and salt.

Add the flour mixture to the cocoa mixture and stir to combine.

Cover the dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Scoop dough with a mini ice cream scoop for even portioning (mine holds about 1 tablespoon of dough), then roll cookie dough into even-sized balls (it's easier to roll with wet hands). Roll each ball into powdered sugar.

Place cookies on a baking sheet lined with a silpat, being sure to leave space between each of the cookies. Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Cookies will come out soft but will harden as they cool down. (I baked mine for 9 minutes because that gave them a nice chew and that’s how I like them.) Allow cookies to cool slightly, then move them to a wire rack to fully cool down.