Ricotta Maple Oat Muffin Tops

Do you know those maple oat glazed scones at Starbucks? Now imagine them in muffin form. Mmm.

I originally intended to make scones, but I wasn’t heavy handed enough with the butter, and was a bit too generous with the ricotta and ended up with muffin tops instead.

At first I was disappointed, and packed them in a tupperware to share with friends, but I decided to try a bite and…I immediately unpacked them from the tupperware. They weren’t going anywhere.

These are truly little unassuming packages of joy. They’re not the prettiest (maybe some sliced almonds or a glaze could fix that), but they taste like autumn, and autumn tastes so, so good.

Ricotta Maple Oat Muffin Tops

Makes 8 muffin tops (size of regular muffins).

In a medium bowl, stir together:

• ½ cup white whole wheat or spelt flour
• ¼ cup oat flour + ¼ cup instant oats
• ¼ cup + 1 tbs coconut palm sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt

Stir into the dry ingredients:

• 2 tbs melted butter

Finally, stir in:

• ¾ cup fat free ricotta (or regular ricotta)
• ½ tsp maple extract

Spoon the batter into a greased whoopie pie pan (what I used), or regular muffin tins. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Serve warm, with butter, almond butter, or just plain.

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Melt-in-your-mouth Sweet Potato Brownies (gf. vegan. refined sugar-free)

7/28/16 edit: I wasn’t kidding when I said I’d make this recipe again. Go read about my sweet potato brownie adventures. It might (will definitely) make you question my sanity, but you can at least have confidence that this recipe is tried and tested.

If you prefer cakey or brownies with a lot of chew, these are not for you. They are so soft, fudgy, and just melt-in-your-mouth, even straight out of the fridge. If you love chocolate and want a damn good brownie that is healthy enough to eat for breakfast, these brownies are your calling.

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Today I texted my friend “sweet potato oatmeal cookies, sweet potato brownies, or sweet potato crumble cake?”. Without missing a beat, she replied “sweet potato brownies”. Two hours later, I can confidently say she made the right choice.

When it comes to brownies, I am a firm believer that brownies should be fudgy, soft, and very chocolatey. Little is more disappointing than a dry or cakey brownie. These brownies are equally delicious warm from the oven (soft and melty) and straight out of the fridge (rich and fudgy).

Maple syrup provides caramel undertones that pair perfectly with the chocolate. The sweet potato adds natural sweetness, though its earthy flavor is completely masked by the chocolate.

I was wary while baking these brownies because over the summer I tried to make avocado brownies that were unbearably avocado-y (I keep seeing avocado chocolate cake recipes and even though the pictures look gorgeous, I am so damn skeptical), but I am happy to say that this is definitely a recipe that I will make again.

 

Sweet Potato Brownies (vegan. gluten-free. refined sugar free)

Ingredients:

• 6 oz raw sweet potato, sliced in 1/2 inch thick slices*
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbs vegetable or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup dutch processed cocoa powder**
• 1/4 cup carrot puree***
• 40g oat flour (1/2 cup quick oats blended until powdery)
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Prep process:

To prepare the sweet potato, place in a microwave-safe bowl:

• 6 oz raw sweet potato, sliced in 1/2 inch thick slices

Fill the bowl with water until the slices are fully submerged. Microwave for 6-8 minutes or until the slices are soft and can be pierced with a fork easily.

Drain the water, add a small drizzle of oil (only 1/4 to 1/2 tsp necessary; I gave them quick spray of cooking oil), and mash with the fork until no chunks remain. Be careful not to overwork the sweet potato while mashing, or the brownies will be gummy. Let the sweet potato cool to room temperature.

In a clean bowl stir together:

• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 2 tbs vegetable or coconut oil
• 1/4 cup + 2 tbs dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup carrot puree*

Add:

• 40g oat flour (1/2 cup quick oats blended until powdery)
• 1/2 tsp espresso powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips

Stir until smooth and glossy. Fold in in the cooled sweet potato.

Spread the batter into a greased 8×8 inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool before cutting into squares and serving. Serve warm with ice cream (soft and melty brownies) or chilled (soft and super fudgy brownies).

One last tip: These brownies are best treated like fudge. They can be kept at room temperature, but for clean cuts I recommend freezing the brownies for several hours and using a well greased knife.

Notes:

*I’ve tried this recipe with 3 oz to 7 oz of raw sweet potato. 3 oz produced super super fudge-y brownies that barely held their shape, which I loved, and 7 oz made brownies with a bit more bite, which was my mom’s preference. I felt the brownies with 6 oz of raw sweet potato was the perfect compromise, but feel free to vary the amount of sweet potato based on how much you available.

**I usually add an addition 2 tbs because I love the taste of dark chocolate.

**To make carrot puree, cover 4 ounces of 1 inch thick sliced carrots with water and microwave for 5 minutes, or until soft. To save time, microwave the carrots in the same bowl as the sweet potatoes and separate after. Strain the carrots, transfer to a blender or food processor with 1/2 cup of water or non-dairy milk, and blend until smooth. Measure out 1/4 cup for this recipe. I suspect pear sauce (the baby food kind) will also work well.

3 Ingredient Fudge Sauce (Sugar-free & Fat-Free)

I’m a firm believer in drowning all ice cream in hot fudge sauce.

In fact, I believe that most things should be drowned in hot fudge.

Bananas, strawberries, oreos, chocolate chip cookies…I think all of them could use a generous dousing of fudge sauce to be honest.

The problem is that most hot fudge is probably not something you want to use as a dip for any and everything, for health and sanity reasons.

This hot fudge is different. It’s sugar and fat free, yet practically indistinguishable from regular fudge. Really, really. (I’ve even had others confirm so I know it’s not just me.)

I honestly feel weird referring to it as sugar and fat free, because really it’s just damn good fudge.

Sugar-free, Fat Free Hot Fudge 

• ¼ cup fat free evaporated milk
• 2 tbs sugar free vanilla syrup*
• 1 tbs cocoa powder (2 tsps if you use Hershey’s dark cocoa)

Optional add ins (I can vouch for all!):

• dash salt
• ¼ tsp extract (I’ve used butter extract and vanilla extract)
• 1/8 tsp molasses (adds caramel notes)
• ½ tsp coffee concentrate (intensifies chocolate flavor; add more to make mocha flavored sauce)
• 1 tbs chocolate chips – yum

1. In a microwave safe bowl, whisk together the evaporated milk, sugar free vanilla syrup, and cocoa powder.
2. Microwave at high for 2-3 minutes, stirring every 5 seconds, or whenever the fudge bubbles up and threatens to spill over the sides of the bowl. The hot fudge should thicken to a nice pourable consistency. It’ll thicken even more as it cools.
3. Remove the hot fudge from the microwave, stir in any of the optional add-ins, and whisk for one minute as it cools.
4. Serve immediately, or reheat as desired!**

*I recommend Monin since I haven’t tried the recipe with any other brands, but I think any sugar free vanilla syrup should work. Note that if the sugar-free syrup has a strong artificial aftertaste, it will likely be present in the final product, so use a brand with minimal aftertaste.

** If you plan to store any remaining fudge sauce (although it’s a small batch so there probably won’t be much left over), I’d recommend adding ½ tsp corn syrup.

Looking for a more traditional recipe? I can personally vouch for this hot fudge.

Chocolate Oatmeal Pancakes (GF)

A while ago I posted a recipe for gluten free pancakes promising a recipe for gluten free chocolate pancakes in the future. Well, today’s that day! These pancakes are super simple to make (provided you have a blender) and they taste amazing! Chocolate lovers (aka me), these are for you!

Chocolate Oatmeal Pancakes (GF)

• 1 egg
• 1 tablespoon dutch-processed cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar
• ¼ cup milk
• ¼ teaspoon vanilla
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder
• 1 tiny pinch salt
• ¼ cup oats

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Fry on a nonstick surface! (very very important that the pan is nonstick. My other pans couldn’t handle this batter)
3. Serve with a healthy drizzle (dousing) of chocolate ganache (1 tbs of chocolate chips melted in 2 tbs heavy whipping cream)!

On a side note, my camera is still broken 😦 Luckily I have this picture from before it broke.

Lemon & Almond Ricotta Cake with Berries

Originally, my family’s Christmas eve plans included lasagna. My mom commissioned me to make it, and per my request went grocery shopping, buying noodles, tomatoes, and tubs of ricotta cheese among other ingredients.

The problem was, no one really wanted lasagna, and I didn’t especially want to make it either. I made a sample batch, and with homemade tomato sauce, it took me nearly three hours. I couldn’t really imagine repeating that process, especially in the midst of our Christmas dinner chaos.

So, instead we had fish tacos, shrimp, beans, rice, turkey, and mashed potatoes…a strange (but delicious) combination. Seeing this left me with two and a half tubs of ricotta cheese, I decided to make ricotta cake for dessert. I’m not a fan of cheese in dessert (though I’m learning to appreciate cream cheese frosting – cheesecake is still a nope), but the ricotta simply made this cake deliciously tender and moist.

Everyone loved it, so much so that I’ve made two batches to use up all the ricotta. I brought it to a gathering with friends, and every last crumb was devoured. My friends and family all loved it, so hopefully you’ll try it and love it just as much.

Lemon & Almond Ricotta Cake with Berries

NOTE: The first time I made the recipe, I used a loaf pan. The second time (pictured) I doubled the recipe and baked it in a 13×18 in jelly roll pan.

• 1 ½ cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2/3 cups oil
• 1 ½ cups whole-milk ricotta
• 1 ½ cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp almond extract
• lemon zest from 1 lemon (save the juice for a glaze – recipe below)
• 1 carton (~1 ½ cups) blackberries/raspberries
• ~½ cup sliced almonds (i used the extra crushed almonds from a batch a macarons i made)

1. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
2. Whisk together the oil, ricotta, and sugar in large bowl for several minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time. Stir in the extracts and lemon zest.
3. Add the dry ingredients, and stir until most of the flour is incorporated.
4. Fold in the berries, continuing to stir until no streaks of flour remain.
5. Pour in a 9 inch loaf pan, sprinkle with almonds, and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean.
6. Allow the cake to cool for 15 minutes, then remove from pan and allow to cool on rack completely.

Lemon Glaze

• Juice from 1 lemon
• ½ – 2 cups powdered sugar (depending on how much lemon juice))

1. There are two ways to use the lemon: for a glaze or for an ‘infuser’.
2. To make a lemon glaze topping, combine the juice from the lemon and enough powdered sugar to form a thin glaze. Pour or spread over cooled cake.
3. To make a lemon ‘infuser,’ add enough powdered sugar to temper the sourness of the lemon juice. Poke the cake with a fork when still warm, then pour the sweetened lemon juice over it. The sauce will add additional moistness and flavor.
4. I can vouch that both work well for this cake! It’s a great way to use up the part of the lemon the cake doesn’t use.

Black Bean Chocolate Cupcakes (Gluten free)

These cupcakes are like eating a cloud of fluffy chocolate brownie cake frosted with the inside of Lindor truffles.

My dad has been sneaking into the kitchen and taking two at a time, and he usually only nibbles at the desserts I make. I can’t blame him though; I’ve lost count of how many I’ve eaten.

These cupcakes are super chocolatey, and not too sweet (though a extra quarter cup of sugar or a few drops of stevia can fix that if sweeter desserts float your boat) and the frosting tastes like the inside of lindor truffles. Really, it does!

The cake is more creamy and dense than traditional chocolate cake and it reminds me somewhat of brownies, but that’s the only distinction I can make. There’s no bean taste whatsoever.

If you’re feeling particularly healthy, you could replace the eggs with egg whites and sugar with erythritol, but these aren’t bad as is. So relax, and eat a couple (or ten).

Black Bean Chocolate Cupcakes

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup cooked black beans
• ¼ cup oil
• ¾ cup cocoa
• ½ cup sugar (increase to ¾ cup if you like sweeter desserts)
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt

1. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor, blender, or with a hand emersion blender until smooth. The batter should be very creamy and thick – like chocolate pudding.
2. Divide into 30 mini cupcake liners.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-13 minutes.
4. Frost, or eat plain!

Inside of Lindor Chocolate Truffles Frosting

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• ¼ cup coconut oil

1. Combine and microwave until melted.
2. Let sit at room temperature until spreadable, or speed up the process using an ice bath.
3. Frost the cupcakes!

Costa Rican Banana Cake

I’ve been to Costa Rica twice.

The first time was in 2009, when a past Spanish teacher invited some of his other former students to join a group of his current students on a trip there. Most of former students (the people I knew) couldn’t go, which left just my friend Sonia and me.

By that point, even though I had taken Spanish for three years, I would still fumble during simple conversations. My parents allowed me to go on the conditions that I would speak solely in Spanish, but considering I was there with 20 other teens and a close friend, none of whom could speak much better than I, that didn’t happen.

Instead I spent close to a week making new friends (in English) and having fun, not a total waste I think! (Though, if you ask my mom and dad, they grumble and say, “Yeah, yeah.”)

Me and Sonia in Costa Rica!

This summer, I lived with a Costa Rican family for three weeks. My days were divided between community service and Spanish lessons, with the occasional excursion on the weekends.

Since I visited with my friend and her sister, I wasn’t completely immersed and did speak some English, but with twenty hours of Spanish classes a week, I definitely improved my conversational skills and learned a lot.

When I’m at home, I tend to cook most of my meals myself, mostly because I’m impatient and can’t bear the lag between asking for food and actually receiving it.

In Costa Rica, my host mother generously set out plates of food for me three times a day, and for three weeks I happily ate black beans, flavored rice, cabbage salad, and vegetables, with the occasional caramel candy or slice of cake.

During one of the excursions, I bought a Costa Rican cookbook from a giftshop, already dreading a life without homemade rice and beans at every meal. It’s filled with recipes for savory and sweet dishes, and all the recipes I’ve tried so far have been successes.

I’ll post recipes for rice and beans soon, but they were both devoured before I could take pictures. Luckily, I snapped some shots of this banana cake in time.

This cake is denser than most banana cakes I’ve had, and the recipe called for cloves and nutmeg rather than cinnamon, but it was still delicious.

Costa Rican Banana Cake [Queque de banano]

EDIT: Looking back at this recipe, I’m realizing how crazy its ratio for liquid vs dry ingredients is. I’m not sure how it baked up properly when I made it, but I’ve edited it to reflect this highly regarded recipe, and kept the spices so that it still has that traditional Costa-Rican™

taste.

• 2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 1/3 cup mashed ripe bananas
• ½ cup butter, melted & cooled
• ¾ cups sugar (the recipe called for twice as much. I think ¾ cup should be fine)
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and spices.
2. In another bowl mash the bananas.
3. Add the butter, sugar, eggs milk, and vanilla.
4. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
5. Bake in a greased 9×13 pan for about 40-50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Three Ingredient Banana Cookies

These are quite possibly the easiest cookies to make, ever.

They are vegan, gluten free, and sugar free, yet still taste great and are fun to eat. I added some cinnamon and chocolate to make them even more fun.

When it comes to baking on school nights, I’m super lazy, so these were an easy way to use up ripe bananas. Plus, my dad was able to try them, something he isn’t usually able to do because he’s still on his raw food + fish (+ chocolate ice cream, but he’d deny it if you asked) diet.

If you have bananas and want an easy recipe to try, make these cookies. They’re not thick and buttery like most cookies, but they’re still delicious! I ate them with ice cream and melted chocolate – just because.

Three Ingredient Banana Cookies

• ½ cup mashed bananas
• ¾ cup old fashion oats
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Optional Ingredients (I added all):

• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/8 cup chocolate chips

1. Mash the bananas.
2. Add ½ cup oats.
3. Grind the remaining ¼ cup oats in a blender or food processor to create a fine powder, then add. OR, simply add the remaining ¼ cups whole.
4. *OPTIONAL* Add in the vanilla extract and chocolate chips.
5. Let the batter sit for 30 minutes.
6. Scoop into round balls onto a baking sheet, flatten with your fingers, and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Buttermilk Pancakes with Berry Syrup

Pancakes and I have a shaky history.

I remember my brother Jonathan took me to an iHop when I was younger, around the time my dad switched to a raw food diet and cut my access to all “junk food” off, and being completely astounded by the sheer number of syrup flavors, let alone pancake combinations, served. Of course, at that time, all food not raw or completely natural had a negative stigma attached to it, so my experience was only slightly tainted by the guilt of eating white flour and sugar (the horror!). Still though, they were delicious and definitely fueled the love for pancakes I have today.

Pancakes and I are on good terms now. I haven’t been to an iHop since (turns out, they’re really not that delicious compared to homemade ones), rather I prefer to make my own pancakes. My favorite part of homemade pancakes is making syrups to go along with them, a process which is actually super, super easy. Berry syrup, caramel syrup, pudding (?), the toppings for pancakes are endless.

I’m definitely going to be making pumpkin pancakes sometime soon, but for now, these super simple, but delicious, buttermilk pancakes ought to suffice.

Buttermilk Pancakes

• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 1/8 cup buttermilk
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Stir together the flour, baking soda, sugar,and salt.
2. In another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, egg, and butter.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the flour mixture, and GENTLY fold together. Do not overmix.
4. Cook on medium heat until golden brown.

Berry Syrup

• ¼ cup pancake syrup (I used this sugar-free syrup, and I highly recommend it. It’s delicious!)
• ¼ cup diced/crushed berries (I used about 3 strawberries and 2 blackberries)

1. Combine the syrup and berries together in a pan. Boil until the syrup is thick and the berries are cooked.
2. Serve with buttermilk pancakes! (Or basically anything)

Classic Banana Bread

Last week I came home to six overripe bananas. They were sitting on the counter: mushy, with outsides spotted brown, and no one wanted to eat them.

So I did what anyone would do; I made banana bread. I used a really simple recipe (normally I use one that calls for creme fraiche among other specialty ingredients), and surprisingly, the results were really good!

I topped slices with strawberries and chocolate ganache, and wow, it was delicious!

Classic Banana Bread

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• ¾ cup brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 2 ½ cups mashed bananas
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.
2. In another bowl, beat together the oil, sugar, and vanilla.
3. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time.
4. Stir in the mashed bananas.
5. Add fold the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients, stirring until barely mixed.
6. Fold in the chocolate chips.
7. Bake in a greased loaf pan at 350 degrees, for about 45 minutes to an hour.