WHITE CHOCOLATE ORANGE SQUARES...WITH AGAVE & WHOLE GRAIN FLOURS

WHITE CHOCOLATE ORANGE SQUARES

2 cups wonder flour

1  cup agave, divided

2 TBSP orange zest, divided

3/4 cup butter

2 (8 oz.)  packages cream cheese, softened

4 oz. white chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Preheat oven to 350.  Line a 9x13 pan with aluminum foil.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, 1/3 cup agave, and 1 TBSP orange zest.  Cut in butter using a pastry blender, until mixture is crumbly.  Press evenly into bottom of prepared pan.  Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until lightly browned.

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and remaining 2/3 cup agave at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Stir in remaining 1 TBSP orange zest and melted wite chocolate.  Pour over hot baked crust, and bake for 35-38 minutes, or until center is set.  Cool completely.  Using foil as handles, remove from pan.  Cut into squares to serve.  Garnish with whipped cream, orange zest, and white chocolate shavings, if desired.  

*Wonder flour  equal parts:  spelt, pearled barley, brown rice.  Grind in mill for a wonderful, nutty flour that is good in almost anything!!! 

COSMIC BROWNIES...GLUTEN FREE

We had a wonderful gluten free shower for a cousin this weekend, my cousin Melissa created a beautiful menu of wraps, coleslaw, chips and salsa, fruit skewars and a dip. Brownies and lemon bars for dessert. I wish I had all the recipes, but here is the one I made.  They are as good as the real thing...I promise, no after taste! 
COSMIC BROWNIES

2 sticks unsalted butter, diced and more for pan and parchment

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate

4 eggs

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 cup dark brown sugar

1 cup sugar

2 tsp mexican vanilla

1 cup rice flour

Melt butter and chocolate in a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring every 30 seconds.  Mix eggs and sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer.  Add cooled chocolate while mixing until incorporated.  Mix in flour and salt until combined.  

Bake at 350 in a greased sheet pan for 25 minutes.  Cut into shapes if desired.  

Today is Sunday, a perfect day to enjoy a lovely carrot cake from my new Dorie Greenspan Baking book.  I was really craving this carrot cake, so I started making it, I got about halfway thru when I realized, I was making the wrong cake.  The trouble was I really wanted that carrot cake, so I improvised and ended up with a very tasty cake... 

CARROT CAKE

2 1/4 cups flour

1 TBSP baking powder

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

3 cups grated carrots

1 cup shredded coconut

2 cups sugar

zest of one orange

1 stick butter

1/2 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

Whsk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.  In another bowl, stir together the carrots and coconut.  In another bowl, mix the sugar and orange zest

with your fingers until moist and 

fragrant.

Beat the sugar mixture and butter 

and oil together on medium speed until 

smooth.  Add the eggs one by one, and

continue to beat until the batter is even

smoother.  Reduce the speed to low and 

add the flour mixture, mixing only until 

the dry ingredients disappear.  Gently

 mix in the chunky ingredients. Divide 

the batter among the baking pans.  Bake 

for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pans 

from top to bottom and front to back at 

the midway point, until a thin knife 

inserted into the centers comes out clean;

the cakes will have just started to come 

away from the sides of the pans. I baked

it in one 9 x 13 pan for 45 minutes at 325. Transfer 

the cakes to cooling racks and cool for

about 5 minutes, then run a knife around 

the sids of the cakes and unmold them. 

Invert and cool to room to room temp-

erature right side up. (The cakes can be 

wrapped airtight and kept at room temp-

erature overnight for up to 2 months.)

Frosting

8 oz. cream cheese, at room temp.

1 stick butter

3 3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

2-3 TBSP orange juice

Beat all ingredients together until 

smooth spread over cooled cake.       

A Wonderfull New Year's Breakfast

December has always been a time of reflection for me, a time to ponder about the year.  A time to give myself credit for things done well.  A time to rethink things done not so well.  And during this past week I have really reflected on the changes I am ready to make for this wonderful fresh start called 2009.  So, in addition to excercising more and eating less, having more patience and showing more love; I have decided to join the Daring Bakers, and I am so excited to get started!

And now for my first recipes of the year...

Oven-Baked French Toast

1/2 c. butter

4 TBSP honey

Melt on cookie sheet in oven, then sprinkle 1 teaspoon cinnamon over the top.

Beat:

3 eggs 

1/2 c. orange juice

1/4 tsp salt

vanilla

Dip thick slices of bread in this.  Arrange slices close together on top of honey mixture.  Bake at 400 for 20 minutes.  Invert toast to serve.

Christmas Eggs

Butter a muffin tin.  Break one egg into each muffin cup then pour a few TBSP cream onto each egg, filling almost to top.  Add a dash of kosher salt.  Bake 350 for 12- 15 min.  To serve scoop out egg and spoon cream on top!  Super Yummy!

Egg recipe courtesy of Sisters Cafe.

Need I say more?

My Grandma told me about this divine little cake and I had to have some. So today, the kids and I made a day of it; since it's about an hour away. We each chose a different flavor of cake, I bought this lovely cake stand, and we went to visit Sarah, Ruthy and Coda!

A few of us got together for a girls night (with the kiddos) while the hubby's were away. We had this yummy appetizer and some super good chicken in filo dough and a cobb salad. We had a stayed up late enough to get delirious and thought we were just hilarious. (Sorry about the nonsensical letters Nick and April, but know it was all for love ...all with love...oh I don't know!)

Baked Brie and Coconut Graham Crackers

1 sheet puff pastry

1 medium round of Brie

1/4 cup any jam (I used blackberry)

1/4-1/2 cup coconut

1/4 cup roasted almonds

Thaw puff pastry. In middle of puff pastry, place roasted almonds, jam, and coconut. Place cheese on top of that. Fold in sides of pastry, seal with wet fingers. Bake 400 degrees for 40-45 minuted, or until pastry is browned.

Coconut Graham Crackers

6 cups whole grain flour

1 1/2 cups rolled oats

1 cup packed brown sugar

2 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp baking soda

3 Tbsp cround cinnamon

3/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups oil. part coconut oil or butter

1 cup cold water

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center of flour mixture.

2. In bosch with cookie whips, combine honey, oil, and water. Mix well, then add to dry ingredients and stir until mixture forms a thick, crumbly/stiff dough. May need to adjust liquid/flour.

3. Grease 2 jelly roll pans. Put half of the dough on each sheet and press flat, using your fingers or a spatula. Using a pizza cutter or butter knife, slice each sheet into 24 squares.

4. Bake sheets at 400 degrees for 13 to 18 min., or until lightly browned, switching racks half-way through baking. Or convection 375 degrees and don't switch racks.

5. Remove pans from oven to wire racks, and allow the cookies to cool on the pans. Re-slice, remove from pans, and store in an air-tight container or bag.

We had the Paras family over for Thanksgiving this year. We fed 50 people. Well, actually everyone brought food. My family all brings food and everyone is a great cook! We had the best food ever! Thanks so much everyone for coming and bringing your love. I think our motto should be Food is Love! Check out the pies, there were 19 total to choose from. And yes, it does get a little competitive. Some people are so nervous that they actually try every dish and then secretly tell each person that theirs was the yummiest ever. That's right your busted, and you know who you are! Being a "food snob" always tastes sooo good! We had such a lovely time, some shared their musical talents on the piano, the harp and through song. But mostly we just enjoyed each others company and had such a wonderful time.