Healthy Bonbons

I found this recipe online and changed it a little bit to my taste.  The best thing, it takes only 5 minutes to make it. You can add sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, or dates. The sweetness of butternut squash is perfectly sufficient for me.

Here is my version:

2 tbsp rolled oats

2 tbsp coconut flakes ( I use unsweetened )

2 tbsp peanut butter

2 tbsp cooked butternut squash ( could be canned)

1/2 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp vanilla

Process the ingredients in a food processor to make a paste. Roll 6 balls and cover them with cocoa powder, coconut, or grated walnuts, if you wish.

Cooking Together: The Best Eclairs Ever

We had a very exciting and productive in terms of cooking weekend. Slaninka and MM came over on Saturday. After a brief discussion and a quick consult with The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book, the decision was made, we were about to give a shot at the Eclairs :). It was Slaninka who was craving the most this exquisite and decadent dessert. Marulka joined us later for the final touches, photo-shoot, and tasting.

Here is the team, Chef ( the capo di tutti Capi ) Slaninka, Sous Chef Lokuma, and Sous-Commis MM.

First we started off with making the filling. 

Ingredients for the pastry cream:

• 2 cups half-half-half
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 5 large egg yolks
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 4 tbsp unsalted butter
• pinch salt

Bring the half-and-half, all sugar except 2 tbsp, vanilla and salt to simmer over medium heat.

In a separate bowl whisk the egg yolks, 2 tbsp sugar and cornstarch until smooth.

Carefully combine the hot mixture with the yolks, by first adding 1 cup from the hot mixture to the yolks. Whisking constantly simmer until few bubbles appear, about 30 seconds.

Off the heat add, the butter, cut into small pieces and whisk till it melts. Transfer the pastry cream to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Keep in the fridge.

Ingredients for the shells ( Pate A Choux )

• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg white
• 6 tbsp water
• 5 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Beat the eggs and the egg white in a bowl.

 Bring water, butter, milk, sugar, and salt to a boil. Remove the sauce pan from the heat and stir the flour. Return the pan to the heat and cook for 3 minutes.

Transfer the hot mixture to a food processor . With the machine running pour the eggs to the dough. Process for about 30 seconds until incorporated.

Fill a pastry bag with the dough and pipe the shells.

Bake the pastries for about 15 minutes at 400F, then prop the oven door and reduce the heat to 350F. Bake for about 10 more minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and cut small slits into each pastry to release the steam. Let the pastries completely cool off.

Fill the pastries with the filling. Bon Apetit!

Sugar Rush: Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookies With Dried Cherries

Oh well, I know, these cookies are extremely unhealthy and we should never ever eat them. For me it is one of those days when the craving for something chocolaty, sweet, and chewy wins. Fighting my weakness, guilt and shame, I present you the cookies, I baked today

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
• 1 cup pecans, toasted
• 1 cup dried sour cherries or cranberries
• 4 oz semi-sweet or bitter sweet chocolate
• 12 tbsp softened butter
• 1 1/2 cups dark brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

 Step 1. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and the salt together in a medium bowl. Combine the oats, pecans, cherries, and the chocolate in a second bowl.

Step2. In a large bowl, whisk together with electric mixer the butter and the sugar, until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla until incorporated.

Step 3. Slowly add the flour and the oat-chocolate mixes.

 

Step 4: Using an 1/4 cup spoon, roll the dough into balls and lay them on the baking sheets, lined with parchment paper. Flatten the cookies to 1-inch thickness.

Step 5: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Place the cookie sheets on the upper-middle and low-middle racks. Bake the cookies  for 20- 25 minutes, switching and rotating the baking sheets halfway through baking. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes.

The recipe is from "The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book".
 And it is getting even better :)

 and better ...

My Mother's Sweet Walnut Bread ...

The recipe for this delicious sweet bread I got from my mom. She's been making it for us for years, at first for me and my brother, then for our children. It goes well with tea, coffee, or yogurt. You can have it at breakfast or for desert.
Ingredients:

• 5 eggs
• 2 cups of sugar
• 3 cups of flower
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 lemon - juice and zest
• 1 cup walnuts
• Optional - dry fruits, chocolate chips

STEP 1. Using the whip attachment beat the eggs and the sugar, till the sugar resolves.

STEP 2. Add 1 cup of flower and mix it well.Change the whip with the paddle attachment, if you use stand mixer. From this point till the end, my mom was mixing the rest of the ingredients into the batter using a fork.

STEP 3. Add the oil, and the 2 cups flower with the baking powder and soda in them, the lemon zest and juice, and the water.

STEP 4. Lightly oil and flower a baking pan. Mix the dry fruits ( I had plums and apricots), the walnuts, and the chocolate chips into the batter. The options here are quite a lot. You can add cocoa to the batter, or another type of nuts. You can put the walnuts on the top.

STEP 5. Preheat the oven to 380F and bake for 40-45 minutes.

STEP 6. Check if the bread is baked using a tooth pick. You should not see any moistured batter on the tooth pick. Cool off the cake on wire rack for an hour.

STEP 7. Slice and eat :). The fruits and the nuts are heavy and they form a delicious crust on the bottom.