Carrot Cake

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce or oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon

2 cups grated carrots
1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup chopped nuts optional
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup Dole crushed pineapple in juice not syrup

Frosting
1/2 cup butter softened
8 oz cream cheese softened
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
top with toasted pecans or coconut if desired

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all ingredients except frosting. Pour into 2 round parchment lined 8 or 9-inch baking pans. Bake for about 30 minutes. Check if done. Let cakes cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then remove to a cooling rack and let cool completely.

Frosting
Beat the butter and cream cheese until nice and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and powdered sugar and beat until nice and smooth. Invert the cake onto a cake plate or stand. Apply a generous dollop of frosting and spread. Gently place the second cake on top and continue frosting. Refrigerate for an hour before serving for best results.

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Instant pot Beans

1-pound dried Navy beans
6-8 slices thick bacon or ham roughly chopped
1 medium onion roughly chopped
3 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup blackstrap molasses
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce or Maggi seasoning
1 1/4 teaspoons ground mustard
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Rinse and sort beans, removing any debris. Soak for about 3 hours.

Select the sauté onions and ham in pressure cooker.

Add beans, water, maple syrup, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt, pepper to the cooking pot and stir to combine.

Lock on lid and close pressure valve.  Cook at high pressure for 60 minutes and allow a 15-minute natural pressure release.

Select the sauté or browning function and cook until desired consistency.

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Sea Salt Honey Caramels

1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup honey
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt

Line a 9 x 13 or 9 x 9 baking dish with parchment paper.

In a large saucepan, combine sugar and honey. Heat over medium heat until smooth and melted. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until sugar has darkened to a deep caramel color about 5 minutes. Watch carefully, sugar burns fast!

Whisk in butter then cream.

Bring the pot to a boil over medium heat and continue to boil until the mixture reaches the hard ball stage (about 244° on a thermometer or when you drop some of the caramel in cold water, it forms into a ball). Remove from heat and pour caramel into prepared pan.

Sprinkle top of caramels with sea salt. Let caramels set up at room temperature for about an hour or until totally cooled.

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Gooey Butter Cookies

2¼ cups bread flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
8-ounce package cream cheese
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
½ teaspoon sea salt
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted, for rolling & dusting cookies

Whisk together flour and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream together cream cheese and butter until well blended, creamy and smooth. Add in sugar, vanilla and salt; mix until well combined and light and fluffy. Add egg and egg yolk and beat in well until creamy and light, about 1 to 2 minutes on medium speed.

Gradually add flour mixture and mix until just fully incorporated. Dough will be very sticky. Cover work bowl and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325ºF.

Roll 1-inch dough ball in confectioners’ sugar to lightly coat. Place dough balls on prepared baking sheets lined with parchment paper at least 2 inches apart.

Bake in preheated oven until cookies have spread into round cookie shapes and are puffed and crackly, about 14 minutes. Do not overbake. The cookies will still be soft in the centers. If they start to brown around the edges, they have baked too long. The underside of the cookies should be only very lightly browned.

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Chocolate Pistachio Buns

Dough
6 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
2 tablespoons instant yeast
2 cups milk
1 stick butter, softened
2 eggsFilling
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup chopped pistachios
1 cup chocolate chipsGlaze
1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon waterPreheat oven at 350.Mix all ingredients for the dough. Proof until double in size.Roll out dough to a rectangular size. Spread butter, sprinkle sugar, pistachios and chips.Roll up dough, cut 1-inch slices and arrange in baking pan. Proof for another 30 minutes. Brush with egg wash.Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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Tapioca Pudding

1 tablespoon coconut oil
1 14oz coconut cream
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup small tapioca
1 cup of fresh fruit (like mango, jackfruit or pineapple)

Set cooker to high. Coat crock with coconut oil.

Pour in coconut cream, water, sugar, tapioca and stir to combine. Cook for an hour or until tapioca is transparent. Stir in fruit. Cook for additional 30 minutes.

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Banana Bread #2

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar, not packed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup butter, softened or room temperature
chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift flour, brown sugar, salt and baking soda in a bowl. Add egg, bananas and butter then mix well. Bake in a loaf pan for about an hour or 30 minutes in mini loaf pans.

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Coconut Curry Lentil Soup

1 tbsp coconut oil (or olive oil)
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp tomato paste (or ketchup)
2 tbsp curry powder
½ tsp hot red pepper flakes
4 cups vegetable broth
1 400ml can coconut cream
1 400g can diced tomatoes
1½ cups dry red chief lentils
2 tbsp maggi seasoning

In a stockpot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat and stir-fry the onion, garlic and ginger until the onion is translucent, a couple minutes.
Add the tomato paste (or ketchup), curry powder, and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute.
Add the vegetable broth, coconut cream, diced tomatoes and lentils. Cover and bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat for 20-30 minutes, until the lentils are very tender. Season with salt and pepper or maggi seasoning.

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