Whole Grain - no Refined Sugar Cookie I

I made a half batch of chocolate chip cookies from a recipe in Simple Treats by Ellen Abraham.

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake from Great Desserts Naturally by Fran Costigan. My sister got me this book for my birthday this past January. How fitting that I found a new chocolate cake recipe that I wanted to try. The cake was moist, dense, not too sweet with a tender crumb & the chocolate was definitely the star. I halved the recipe & I added 1/4 cup of dark chocolate chips, 1/4 tsp of instant espresso powder & reduced the amount of dry sugar by 2 tablespoons. The cake wasn't quite sweet enough, so maybe the original 4 tablespoons is best. Next time, I think I will try the addition of orange zest or extract. I didn't have time, but a nice thick ganache or frosting between layers would have been a welcomed addition for a more decadent dessert/snack. Definitely hit the spot for the craving of a traditional vegan chocolate cake.

Pineapple Yogurt Cake

Pineapple Yogurt Cake from Eat, Drink & Be Vegan.

Streusel Loaves

Mini Cherry Pecan Streusel Loaves.

White Chocolate + Green Tea

White Chocolate & Matcha Green Tea marbled cake. My cakes came out a little on the denser side. Next time - spoon & level flour/sift before measuring, undermix before adding white chocolate & green tea.

**Chocolate & Matcha Green Tea Cakes

*04/03/08 - I baked another mini-loaf today - I tried not to overmix & also used cake flour instead of all-purpose, I'm not sure why my cake still came out a little dry. It may be the decorative mold/loaf container I used, too high heat? Or does the batter need some milk, buttermilk or sour cream? I need to try this flavor combo with another recipe.

Tapenade

The best ever tapenade recipe! Although I've never tried another, Yummy!

Peanut Buttery Goodness

These are peanut butter chocolate chip oatmeal cookies from Marthastewart.com. The fat to flour/oat ratio seems a little off - but after some refrigeration, the soft dough dough was manageable when shaped by a small/medium ice cream scooper. The baked cookies look very similar to the picture on her website. The cookies are a little crisp, very peanut buttery & remind me more of a granola bar. As my boyfriend asked - are you making granola?...well, lets just call them peanut-buttery granola cookies. :)

Secret Chocolate Chip Cookies?

Jacques Torres's Secret Chocolate Chip cookie recipe on MarthaStewart.com.