Less sugar and four kinds of almond flavoring make for a deliciously chewy, gluten-free, yolk-free almond cookie that is bursting with flavor.

Recently, I went on a girls-only getaway to Detroit Lake, and you know where there is a weekend gathering of women, there is likely to be a whole lot of food. Our friend Beth brought these amazing almond cookies, and after the first bite, I was begging for the recipe. As best as I can figure out, Beth’s recipe is based on King Arthur Flour’s Almond Cloud Cookies recipe; however, her version cuts the sugar in half, resulting in a subtly sweet cookie with a strong almond punch.

These cookies aren’t flashy – they don’t need to be, because they are Amazingly Delicious.  In fact, after sampling my first batch, Mr. B told me they were the best cookies I’ve ever made (which is saying something, because I’ve made some pretty good cookies in the past). Enjoy!

(Half the sugar means you can eat twice as many, right?)

Amaretti {Italian Macaron Cookies}

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Bethany S.

Recipe type: Cookies

Serves: 2 dozen

Ingredients

• 10 ounces almond paste*
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 large egg whites, lightly beaten
• ¼ teaspoon almond extract
• ⅛ teaspoon extra-strong bitter almond oil

Topping:

• Confectioners' sugar
• Sliced almonds

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Line baking pan with parchment paper.
2. In a stand mixer or food processor, blend the almond paste, sugar, and salt until crumbly.
3. In a separate bowl, beat egg whites until very frothy. (Don’t beat long enough to form peaks.)
4. Gradually add almond extract, bitter almond oil, and beaten egg whites to the almond paste mixture.
6. Using a small scoop, form cookies and place on prepared baking sheet.
8. Sprinkle cookies lightly with confectioners' sugar and sliced almonds.
9. Using three fingers, press indentations into the center of each cookie. (This keeps them from puffing up too much during baking.)
10. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, until the very edges are just turning golden. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

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*Almond paste can be found in most grocery stores; usually in the baking section near the pie fillings. You can also purchase it online at Amazon. [← affilitate link] You can also make it at home, but I haven’t done that yet. (I’m hoping to run a post this holiday season after I perfect the process.)

The post Amaretti ~ Italian Macaron Cookies {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

In this Strawberry Soufflé Omelet with Caramelized Almonds, fresh strawberries and caramelized almonds combine with a delicate, open-faced omelet to create a spectacular springtime presentation.

This is one of my favorite recipes from Janice Cole’s cookbook, Chicken and Egg. A cross between an omelet and a souffle, this brunch-friendly dish is far easier to make than its name suggests. (If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my cookbook review and interview with Janice.)

Strawberry Soufflé Omelet with Caramelized Almonds {Recipe}

 

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A delicate, airy, opened-faced omelet topped with fresh strawberries and caramelized almonds.

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Brunch, Breakfast

Ingredients

Maple-caramelized Almonds

• ½ tablespoon butter (or coconut oil)
• ½ cup sliced almonds
• 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (honey works equally well)

Omelet

• 6 eggs, separated
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter (or coconut oil)

Topping

• Powdered sugar
• 1 pound fresh strawberries, slices (about 3 cups)

Instructions

To caramelize almonds:

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Melt butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. (A non-stick skillet is helpful but not necessary for this step.)
3. Add the almonds and cook for about a minute - until they just barely begin turning golden.
4. Add the maple syrup (or honey) and cook, stirring constantly for about a minute - until he mixture thickens and the almonds are glazed.
5. Spread over parchment and break into bite-sized pieces.

Omelet:

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Add sugar and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Do not overbeat. Transfer to another large bowl.
3. Add egg yolks to the same mixing bowl the egg whites were beaten in and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Beat at medium speed until pale yellow and very thinck.
4. Mix half the prepared egg whites into the egg yolks.
5. Pour the egg yolk mixture over the remaining egg whites and gently fold in. Fold until completely blended.
6. Melt butter in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Swirl the butter to coat bottom. Pour the egg mixture into the pan and gently smooth the top with a spatula. Cook for 1 minute (do not stir). Put the pan in preheated oven and bake 10 minutes or until golden brown, puffed, and set.
7. If necessary, run a knife around the side of the pan to release the omelet. Slide it onto a large platter if desired. (I skipped this step because I think the cast iron makes a nice presentation.)
8. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, and top with sliced strawberries and caramelized almonds.

NOTES:
The original recipe suggest using unsalted butter, but I prefer the slightly seasoned taste that salted butter lends to the edges.
I use my 10-inch cast-iron skillet for this dish and it turns out perfectly.

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The post Strawberry Soufflé Omelet with Caramelized Almonds {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

A few weeks ago, we hosted a little celebratory gathering for our graduating senior.  Usually when I host a get-together, I get totally carried away making all kinds of party food, but life has been throwing us a few curves lately, and so I decided to keep things simple this time. And what could be simpler than a chocolate fountain, right?

We did a lot of things right. I’ll share those in a minute, but this is the most important thing I can tell you about using a chocolate fountain, so if you don’t read anything else, read this:

(Yes, that is Mr B sticking his tongue out at me in the background.)

When you are hosting a party and plan to use a chocolate fountain, the wind is not your friend. Ever. Say it with me… “The Wind is NOT my Friend.” Even when you think it is only a little wind, and no one will notice. Because guess what? You’re wrong! The chocolate will notice. And so will the laws of physics.

Location, Location, Location
Besides the actual chocolate itself, location is the single most important factor in the success or failure of your chocolate fountain. Consider heating and air conditioning ducts, traffic flow, pet access, wind, rain, bugs and small children when choosing where to set up your fountain. Also, be careful about where you lay the electrical cord: if someone were to trip on it, it could have dire consequences for your entire party.

Once we moved everything inside, the chocolate flowed like Multnomah Falls in Candyland.

On the Level
Before you ever pour a drop of chocolate into your fountain, make sure it is level. As in, plumb bubble-up level. Once again, melted chocolate is all about the laws of physics.

Prepping the Chocolate
Although I was tempted to buy more expensive chocolate, I decided to go with good old Tollhouse Semi-sweet Morsels, for a couple of reasons: they are low in milk solids, they are available at Costco in huge bags for a decent price, and they taste delicious when you melt them.

In order to get the chocolate to flow properly, you need to mix it with oil. (I know – you just squinched up your nose and said Eww.) But I stumbled onto the perfect solution: unrefined coconut oil.

A ratio of one tablespoon of coconut oil per cup of semi-sweet morsels works perfectly and tastes delicious.

Even if your fountain has an internal heating element (most do), do not attempt to melt your chocolate in the fountain. Heat your chocolate together with your coconut oil for 40 seconds at a time in the microwave, stirring after each interval and repeatin guntil completely smooth. Only then is it ready to pour into your fountain. Follow the directions that come with your chocolate fountain to determine how much you will need to start out. (We used a small fountain, and it took about two pounds of chocolate to start off)

Preheat, Prime & Prep
Preheat your fountain before adding the chocolate. When you have the fountain filled and running, let it run for a minute or two and then turn it off. Wait a minute or two and then turn it back on. This will help get any air bubbles out of the tube and auger system. Also, be sure to take the time to set up a second batch of chocolate for when you need to refill the fountain later.

Dippity-Do’s
We had lots of delicious choices for dipping: Bananas, Pretzels, Pineapple, Cream Puffs, Marshmallows, Pound Cake, and lots of Strawberries.

After the Party’s Over
No matter how tired you are, clean the fountain right away. If you wait until the next day, the chocolate will harden up and it will take you ten times as long to clean.

The post Chocolate Fountain Tips & Tricks… {Some Learned the Hard Way} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

We first experienced Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (or Chè Chuối; pronounced “chair chewy”) while dining at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu. (You’ll be reading more about Duc and his bistro soon.) The delicate tapioca combined with banana and coconut cream created a delightfully sweet finish to a delicious and thoroughly enjoyable meal.

Mr. B and I paid careful attention to every dish we enjoyed in Hawaii, and when we returned home from our 10-day trip, we had a long list of recipes we wanted to recreate. Duc’s Banana Tapioca Pudding, topped with velvety coconut cream, was second on our list. (To answer your question – those Shrimp!)

After a little research (and some trial and error), I’ve come up with a good reproduction of the original, albeit with a few significant alterations:

• The version we enjoyed in Honolulu included Hawaiian Apple Bananas, which are difficult to find here in the PNW. This recipe calls for regular bananas, but if you have access to Apple Bananas, by all means use them instead. (Baby bananas can also be used.)
• I believe that Duc’s dessert had a thin layer of sweet rice between the tapioca and the coconut cream, but I chose to leave this out to simplify the process; however, it does add an additional, very pleasing textural element, so if you want to include the extra step, it might be worth the effort to you.
• I’ve also added a little toasted coconut, because it adds a lovely sweet crunch, and …. oh, who am I trying to fool? I just love toasted coconut!

Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối}

 

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Inspired by a dessert served at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Serves: 8 servings

Ingredients

• 3 cups water
• ⅓ cup small tapioca pearls
• 4 medium bananas
• 1 – 13.5 oz can coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1-2 Tablespoons sugar

Garnish:

• Finely chopped peanuts (or cashews)
• Toasted coconut (See below)
• Mint leaves

Instructions

Preparing Coconut Cream & Milk: (This sounds WAY more complicated than it really is.)

1. You will need 3 small bowls for this. In the end, you will have one bowl of coconut milk with a little coconut cream in it for adding directly to the pudding, one bowl of coconut cream with a little coconut milk in it for topping the finished tapioca mixture, and one empty bowl. Proceed as follows:
2. Open the can of coconut milk. (DO NOT shake the can before opening.)
3. Bowl #1 - Pour out the thin coconut milk/liquid from the can into this bowl.
4. Bowl #2 - Scrape the coconut cream from the can into this bowl.
5. Bowl #3 - Measure out ½ cup coconut milk from Bowl #1 and put it in this empty bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the coconut cream from Bowl # 2 and set aside.
6. Add the remaining coconut milk from Bowl #1 to the remaining coconut cream in Bowl #2. Stir until smooth. Stir in 2 tablespoons of sugar and set aside. (Bowl #1 should now be empty.)

Prepare Pudding:

1. Cut bananas into ¾-1 inch pieces. Set aside.
2. In a medium pot, bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add tapioca and reduce heat. Simmer for 12 to 14 minutes, until the tapioca nearly cooked, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Do not overcook: at this point, the tapioca should be thick, and individual pearls should be clear on the outside, and have a very small dot of white in the middle.
3. Add the salt and the coconut milk mixture from Bowl #3 and to the tapioca stir to combine.
4. Increase heat to medium. When the tapioca mixture begins to simmer, add the banana pieces and stir. Reduce heat and simmer for until the bananas are tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in vanilla. Add sugar one or two teaspoons at a time, tasting between additions, until it is sweetened to your tastes.

Toasted Coconut:

2. To toast coconut, place ½ cup sweetened flaked coconut in a small ungreased non-stick pan. Stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until coconut is lightly browned. Immediately remove from pan and cool on paper towels.

To Serve:

2. Distribute individual servings of banana-tapioca mixture into small bowls. Pour a thin layer of prepared coconut cream (from Bowl #2) over the top of each serving. Garnish with finely chopped nuts, toasted coconut, and mint leaves. Serve warm.

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The post Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding {Chè Chuối} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Light as air, these delicious little Meringue Kisses can hold a multitude of sweet surprises.

These little meringue kisses are incredibly simple and easy to make, and will satisfy any sweet tooth. Here, I’ve topped them with pineapple and chocolate, but you can let your imagination guide you. Other ideas include coconut, ground nuts, chopped dried fruit, a dusting of cinnamon and sugar, or candied ginger. Or sprinkle them with jimmies for the holidays – red, white and blue for the 4th of July, green for St Patrick’s Day, or yellow and orange for the fall holidays.

Meringue Kisses

 

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Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Cookies & Sweets

Ingredients

• 3 egg whites
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¾ cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Top with your choice of:

• Fresh pineapple, chopped
• Mini chocolate chips
• Coconut
• Ground nuts
• Chopped dried fruit
• Cinnamon sugar
• Candied Ginger

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300° F.
2. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicon sheet.
3. Beat eggs until foamy. Add salt and cream of tartar. Add sugar a tablespoon at a time, beating eggs until stiff.
4. Fold in vanilla.
5. Fill a a pastry bag or resealable bag with the whipped egg mixture. Cut the tip (or corner) and pipe the whipped egg mixture onto the prepared cookie sheet. (Alternative method: Use teaspoons to drop mixture onto cookie sheet.)
6. Sprinkle topping of your choice onto each cookie.
7. Bake for 30 minutes and then turn off the oven. Leave the cookies in the oven for 30-45 minutes to allow them to dry.

How to prepare fresh or canned pineapple:

2. Press pineapple between sheets of paper towel to remove as much juice as you can, and then chop fine and press again. Or, avoid the whole chopping step by using crushed pineapple.

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The post Chocolate-Pineapple Meringue Kisses {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Easy, breezy, clean and crisp, this Fresh Peach Tart with Vanilla-Cardamom Cream is the cotton dress of desserts – a pretty summer treat that always leaves them wanting more.

Many moons ago, I lived just around the bend from a peach farm that was owned by my friend Candy and her husband Dave. During the harvest season, Candy and I used to can peaches together, and I will always be grateful to her for sharing her secret for amazing peaches with me. (Shhhh. This is strictly between you and me now…) It’s Cardamom. (Yep!) Just a little sprinkle of this uniquely aromatic spice makes a fresh peach pop with enough flavor to make Cinnamon and Ginger both jealous.

Fresh Peach Tart

 

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Prep time

30 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 1- 10" Tart

Ingredients

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• 1 large pie crust, homemade or store-bought
• 3 large peaches
• 2 tablespoons raw sugar
• 1 batch vanilla-cardamom cream (recipe follows)
• ¼ cup peach jam, preserves, or jelly

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375° F.
2. Roll out pie crust and lay in a shallow pie dish or tart pan. Crimp or trim edges.
4. Bake empty pie crust for 10 minutes and remove from oven. This is a prebaking step, so crust should be bubbly but not yet browned. Set aside.
5. Prepare Vanilla-cardamom cream. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes.
7. Pour into prepared pie crust. Allow cream to cool completely.**
9. Fill a medium bowl with cold water and add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice. (Orange juice works too!)
10. Peel peaches. (I prefer to use a quick boiling water bath to remove the skins.) Slice into thin slices.
11. Submerge peach slices in prepared lemon-water for a few minutes, and then remove and pat dry with paper towels.
12. Arrange peach slices on top of the tart. Sprinkle with two tablespoons of raw sugar.
14. Return tart to oven and bake 35-45 minutes, until the edges of the peaches are just barely turning light brown.
15. Remove tart from oven and allow to cool for about 30 minutes.
16. Using a mixer, blender, food processor or hand blender, puree peach preserves.
18. Brush pureed peach preserves over the top of the tart.
19. Serve warm or cold.

**Typically when you prepare a cooked pudding or cream pie filling, you cover it with plastic wrap for the entire time that it is cooling to avoid a skin from forming on the top. However, for this tart, the skin is helpful for keeping the peaches from sinking into the tart, so do not cover it once you pour it into the crust in the tart pan.

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Vanilla-Cardamom Cream

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

• 2 cups milk
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cardamom
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together egg yolks and egg. Set aside
2. In a small bowl, stir together cornstarch, sugar, and cardamom.
3. In a heavy saucepan, add cornstarch mixture to milk and whisk to combine. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring constantly, just until the mixture begins to thicken.
5. To avoid cooking the eggs, temper them by adding ¼ cup of the hot milk mixture to the eggs in the small bowl, one tablespoon at a time. When the entire ¼ cup of hot milk mixture has been added to the eggs, slowly pour the egg mixture to the milk mixture in the saucepan, whisking constantly. Continue stirring until the mixture boils and thickens. Remove from heat.
6. Whisk in butter and vanilla.
7. Pour into a heat-proof container and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate until chilled before using. **

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The post Fresh Peach Tart {with Vanilla-Cardamom Cream} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make.

We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes were saying, “we are definitely going to learn how to make these!”

The hardest part about making banana lumpia is buying the lumpia wrappers.  You can find them in the refrigerated section of just about any Asian market, and in many supermarkets as well.

OK, the hardest part isn’t really buying the lumpia (or spring roll) wrappers so much as it is pulling them apart.  They are rice-paper thin, and take a delicate touch. The brand of wrappers I’m using here are, by far, the most resilient and easiest to separate of those I have tried over the years, plus they are square, which makes the rolling that much easier. There is a downside to this brand though: the outcome is a little heavier, and less crisp than some of the more delicate brands. The best method I have found for separating sticky wrappers is to peel them back slowly, the same way you might pull a label off a jar when you are trying to get it off in one piece. (Some people suggest steaming them to soften them before using, but I haven’t tried that method yet.)

Lumpia, banana and otherwise, is traditionally deep-fried, but I’m not big into deep-frying. If you want to deep fry them, go for it; you will get that golden brown color all the way around. However, after making this a number of times, I find that pan-frying works very well, and I don’t have all that deep frying mess to clean up afterwards.

You can serve them as is, but a dip or two in some Caramel Sauce will take them to a whole ‘nother level. Enjoy!

Banana Lumpia

 

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Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

10 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Lumpia (Spring Roll) Wrappers
• Raw sugar (or brown sugar)
• Peanut oil for frying (see note)

Optional:

• Caramel Sauce

Instructions

1. Cut a banana down the middle lengthwise.
3. Roll the banana half in raw sugar. (If you are using the super-sweet baby bananas, you can probably skip this step.)
4. Wrap prepared banana half in a lumpia wrapper. You can do this "burrito-style,' or leave the ends open.
6. Pour a scant ¼ inch oil into a medium skillet and heat over medium heat until it reaches about 350°F. (A drop of water should sizzle when dropped in the pan.)
7. Carefully lay wrapped banana halves seam down in the pan. Do not crowd.
8. Fry on one side until golden, and then flip and repeat on the other side.
9. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately, alone or with caramel for dipping. (They are also good hours later - they just aren't as crispy.)

BANANAS: Use sweet baby bananas if you can find them, but regular bananas will work just fine.
OIL: I sometimes use unrefined coconut oil instead of peanut oil because I like the flavor it imparts to the lumpia; however, if you use it, use extreme caution due to its low smoke point, and definitely do not use unrefined coconut oil for deep frying.

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The post Banana Lumpia {Filipino Turon} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Caramel sauce (and its first cousin Butterscotch) can take a simple scoop of ice cream or a slice of pie to a whole new level of awesome.

Butterscotch and caramel remind me a little of Patty and Cathy Lane. (Showing my age again. Oh well.) Patty and Cathy were identical first cousins, both played by Patty Duke in The Patty Duke Show, which aired on television back in the early 60’s. (I only remember seeing it in reruns, if that makes you feel any better.)  While both girls were identical in physical appearance, their style, tastes, and attitudes were very different, as the show’s theme song illustrates: “…where Cathy adores the minuet, the Ballet Russe and crêpes Suzette, our Patty loves to rock ‘n’ roll, a hot dog makes her lose control...”

Butterscotch and caramel are like that.  Except maybe the hot dog part. And like Patty and Cathy, people get butterscotch and caramel mixed up.  If you see them from across a crowded room, chances are you won’t be able to tell them apart. But up close, there are some distinct differences.

What’s the difference between butterscotch and caramel? 

The primary flavors of caramel are the sugar and cream (or milk), and ingredients usually include granulated [white] sugar, milk and/or cream, butter, and vanilla.

The dominant flavors in traditional butterscotch, on the other hand, are brown sugar and butter, and it does not contain dairy except for that in the butter. Historically, butterscotch was made with treacle (a by-product of sugar refining) or molasses, but today it is generally made from brown sugar.

Butterscotch has an interesting history. While there are many theories about its origins, food historians (yes, that’s a thing!) agree that the first record of the word “butterscotch” appeared in 1817, when Samuel Parkinson began making the candy in Doncaster, Yorkshire, England.  The candy soon won royal approval, and became an attraction in Doncaster until production was ceased in 1977.  Then in 2003, a Doncaster couple discovered the recipe inside an old Parkinson’s St Leger tin found in their cellar. They went on to form Parkinson’s Doncaster Butterscotch Ltd, and now produce butterscotch made from the original recipe for sale all over the world.

While making either one in candy form can be tricky (or at least require a candy thermometer), both caramel and butterscotch sauces are very easy to make, and store well for weeks.  Mr. B and I keep some in our fridge at all times, for pouring over ice cream, drizzling on desserts, and mixing in coffee and other delicious beverages. Here are a few of my favorite recipes from around the web:

• Ridiculously Easy Caramel Sauce [The Cafe Sucra Farine]
• Divine Caramel Sauce [Mel’s Kitchen]
• Buttermilk Bourbon Caramel Sauce [Mom On Time Out]
• Coconut Milk Caramel Sauce [Simple Roots Wellness]
• Whiskey Caramel Sauce [Mountain Mama Cooks]
• Dulce le Leche (Oven & Slow Cooker Methods) [The Yummy Life]
• Homemade Butterscotch Sauce [The Brown-eyed Baker]
• Maple Butterscotch Sauce [Maple Syrup World] ← wouldn’t that be an amazing theme park?

Note: You may notice that there are no recipes on this list for “salted” anything. I don’t have anything against salted caramel per say, and even enjoy it on occasion, but I find that lately you can’t even throw of glance around the room without hitting a “salted caramel” something, and I’m tired of it. This is my soapbox and I’m standing on it – with my spoon in a bowl of ice cream and unsalted butterscotch sauce.

For an easy, impressive dessert presentation, serve vanilla ice cream and a sidecar of banana lumpia.

The post Butterscotch & Caramel: First Cousins of Sweet {Recipe Round-up} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

A sweetly spiced addition to your autumn holiday recipe file, this Pumpkin Gingerbread will fill your home with the scent of the season and your tummy with delicious goodness. 

By the time Thanksgiving rolled around last year, I swore I’d never read, make, post, or eat another “Pumkin+anything” recipe as long as I lived. And yet, here we are. Why? Because a year has past, and like bad breakups and childbirth, time has a way of softening the sharp edges of our memories. Plus, I had a brand new beautiful Pumpkin Loaf Pan (thank you Sur La Table!) and a serious hankering for some pumpkin gingerbread (my favorite of the spiced-breads-made-with-vegetables).

I’m one of those bakers who is always fiddling and tweaking my recipes, so of course I made a few changes to my old standard recipe this time too – most notably the substitution of coconut oil for butter. Wow, what a difference that made! All those sweet spices danced across my tongue with whole new level of rich, gingerbready goodness! Just to make sure it wasn’t just my imagination, I made two more batches (all for you, my friends), with equally delicious results. In fact, when I shared it with the family, my mother-in-law Carol even told me I was (and I am quoting her word-for-word here), “A damn good cook.” That’s high praise indeed!

Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

1 hour 15 mins

Total time

1 hour 30 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Quick Bread

Serves: 1 loaf

Ingredients

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• 1½ cups flour
• ¼ cup powdered milk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon baking powder
• 2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• ½ teaspoon ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground allspice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 ounces unrefined coconut oil (or butter) [1/2 cup melted]
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup canned pumpkin
• ¾ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup warm water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, powdered milk, baking soda, baking powder, ground spices, and salt. Set aside.
3. In a small, microwave-safe bowl, heat coconut oil in microwave for 30 seconds to melt. Set aside.
4. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs until the are lemon colored. Add pumpkin, brown sugar, molasses, warm water and vanilla. Mix on low to combine. Add coconut oil and mix thoroughly.
5. Stir in dry ingredients until well combine. (You can also mix this by hand.)
6. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Tap pan on counter a few times to get out the air bubbles, and then bake in preheated oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Loaf is done when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
7. Allow loaf to cool in the pan on a wire rack until he pan is cool enough to touch; at least 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
8. Dust loaf with powdered sugar if desired.

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I love it when things look as good as they taste! To create this lovely harvest-themed loaf, I used the beautiful NordicWare Pumpkin Loaf Pan that I received when I visited Sur La Table’s Seattle headquarters during the International Food Bloggers Conference earlier this month. Perfect for pumpkin bread, fall-themed cakes and more, this attractive loaf pan is made from durable cast aluminum for superior baking performance.

Disclosure: I received the NordicWare Pumpkin Loaf Pan used in this post as a gift from Sur La Table – no strings attached. I am using it here because it’s beautiful and I love it. 

The post Nana’s Old-fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Snickerdoodles! Just saying the name brings a smile!

When I think of snickerdoodles, I always think of my dad, snapping up a cookie still warm off the rack as he passed through the kitchen on his way outside. Snickerdoodles, I have found, are cookies that brings up memories, and memories are one of the best things I can make for my family.

I think I’ve done a reasonably decent job of giving my girls a few good kitchen memories over the years. For example, I am sure that even long after I am gone, if someone were to ask any of my kids, “What’s your mom’s secret ingredient?” they will most likely answer, “Brown sugar.” (I know that they are supposed to answer “Love,” but it seems that I have raised a flock of pragmatic bakers.) Moreover, it’s the truth: if there is any rhyme or reason to use brown sugar in a recipe, I probably already do it. I put at least a dash or two in everything from spaghetti sauce to pumpkin curry, and snickerdoodles are no exception. I like the subtle caramelly flavor it adds to snickerdoodles, and I personally think it improves the texture of the cookies over an all-white sugar recipe as well.

Snickerdoodles

 

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Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

10 mins

Total time

30 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Serves: 36 cookies

Ingredients

• Scant 3 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup butter, room temperature
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• ¾ cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Topping:

• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 325°
2. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper and set aside.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt and cinnamon into a medium bowl and set aside.
4. In a small bowl, combine topping ingredients: ¼ cup granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
5. In a medium mixing bowl, cream together butter, sugar and brown sugar, by hand or with an electric mixer.
6. Beat in eggs and vanilla, mixing until completely incorporated.
7. Slowly add sifted flour mixture, mixing just until combined. Do not over-mix.
8. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. (I use a 1" cookie scoop for this.)
9. Roll dough-balls in the prepared cinnamon-sugar mixture.
11. Place cookie balls on prepared baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
12. Bake for 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on wire rack.

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A few notes about ingredients:

• “Scant” cup – A scant cup is just a little bit less than a standard cup measurement; traditionally by about 1 to 2 tablespoons. (I tend to be a little freewheeling when it comes to measuring ingredients, so I use “scant” in this recipe to remind myself not to heap the cup.)
• Kosher salt – I use kosher salt because I like the tiny pops of saltiness in the cookie. If you use table salt or sea salt, reduce the amount to 1/2 teaspoon.
• Vanilla – My family knows that “1 teaspoon of vanilla” really means at least 2 teaspoons. Just saying.
• Cream of Tartar – Did you know that Cream of Tartar is a byproduct of wine production? Check this great little non-Wiki explanation on CakeSpy to learn more.
• Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon has a shelf-life of 6-12 months.  How old is yours?

You can bake these Snickerdoodles immediately after you mix them up, or put the dough in the fridge and chill it for a few hours. (Of course, then you may discover that you have significantly less dough when you pull the bowl out of the fridge than you had when you put it in. That happens a lot at our house.)

Baking the dough immediately yields a slightly wider, flatter cookie, and the texture is a bit more dense. It does not, however, affect the flavor at all.

If you make a batch, please be sure to come back and let me know what you think! 

The post Best Ever Snickerdoodles {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

The Richest, Creamiest Dairy-free VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM Ever ~ Made with Coconut Milk!

Mr. B loves ice cream, and last year I splurged and bought him a new ice cream maker for his birthday.  (Well, to be perfectly honest, it was more for “our” birthdays – he’s only three days older than me.) It was definitely a great purchase!

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

Our oldest is on a dairy-free diet right now, so when she came over for dinner the other night, I whipped up this delicious coconut milk-based ice cream. It never made it from the ice cream maker into the freezer – it was gone too fast! And it was scrumptious with the fresh berry compote I made last week!

Dairy-free Vanilla Bean Ice Cream

 

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Prep time

15 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 4 egg yolks
• ⅔ cups cane sugar
• 2 (13.5-ounce) cans full-fat coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 whole vanilla bean
• 2 tablespoons vodka

Instructions

1. Combine egg yolks, coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a blender and process until smooth.
2. Pour mixture into a medium sauce pan, and heat over medium low just until steamy. DO NOT BOIL.
3. Slice vanilla bean down the middle, and scrape the inside into the hot coconut milk mixture. Whisk to combine. (I also put the vanilla bean pod in and fish them out before I put the ice cream mixture into the ice cream maker.)
4. Continue to cook until the mixture has thickened to the consistency of a thin custard.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in the vodka. (This keeps the ice cream from getting too hard in the freezer. For alternative preparation, see note below.)
6. Refrigerate mixture about 2 hours, or until completely cold.
7. Pour mixture into ice cream freezer and prepare according to manufacturer’s directions.

Alternate "vodka-free" Preparation: 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract can be substituted in place of the vanilla bean and vodka.

Note that, if you are concerned about alcohol in your ice cream, vanilla extract contains as much alcohol as vodka. Either way, the vanilla extract or vodka MUST be added AFTER the mixture is taken off the stove. The alcohol helps to keep the ice cream from getting too hard.

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The heat is on and the strawberries are ripe, so find a cool spot to lounge and tilt back with a big bowl of the best fresh strawberry ice cream you’ll ever have. 

This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite.

This fresh strawberry ice cream is – no exaggeration – the best strawberry ice cream I’ve ever had. I’ll admit though, this recipe took Mr B and me some serious trial and error to put together. We wanted to get it just right, and so a lot of strawberry ice cream had to be made – and eaten – during the “research & development” phase. (Really – a LOT.)

Strawberry ice cream is trickier than it looks. You’d think, just throw some strawberries, cream, and sugar together and you’re golden, right? Wrong.

The biggest problem with fresh strawberry ice cream is the strawberries themselves. Strawberries have a very high water content, and what does water do when it get very, very cold? That’s right, class – it freezes! Into little ice crystals. Which are fine for winter windows and root beer mugs, but no so great for ice cream.

To avoid having hard, crunchy strawberry ice cream, you have to do something to counteract water crystallization; hence the vodka and the corn syrup in this recipe. (Note: Any 70/80 proof liquor will work: we use whipped cream vodka.) With a higher freezing temp than water, the alcohol in the vodka keeps discourages water crystallization, which in turn keeps your little strawberry chunks from turning into little strawberry ice cubes, while the corn syrup adds body, and keeps the texture smooth and supple.

NOTE: If you prefer to avoid liquor completely, just leave it out. Your chopped strawberry chunks will be a bit crunchy, and the ice cream may get a little harder than optimal after a day or two in the freezer, but chances are it won’t last that long anyway.

The day I took these pictures, the PNW was experiencing a heat wave. Luckily, this stuff is amazing even when it’s partially melted.

If you’ve made strawberry ice cream before, you may find a few other things are different about this recipe as well:

• No Eggs – While eggs usually make for a richer ice cream, in the case of strawberry ice cream, they do so at the expense of that amazing fresh strawberry flavor – the exact thing that you want to preserve. Another bonus for leaving the eggs out – no cooking necessary. (I’m not afraid of raw eggs, but you may be, and that’s ok. Our eggs are produced in my backyard.) Anyway, that leads me to…
• No Cooking – Why? First off, you don’t have eggs, so there’s no reason to make a “custard base.” Cooking also changes the flavor of the strawberries, and all I want to taste is sweet cream and fresh strawberries.
• Less Sweeteners (i.e., sugar, etc.) – Almost all of the recipes I consulted as I was developing this recipe used a heavier hand with the sweeteners than my final recipe. I prefer to enhance the natural sweetness of the strawberries rather than overwhelm it. It’s a delicate balance, based in part on how sweet your strawberries are.
• Corn Syrup – I use corn syrup in a number of my ice cream recipes, particularly the ones that are heavy on fruit. It adds texture and body, while discouraging ice crystal formation.
• Half & Half – Yes, you can use heavy cream if you want. You can also use 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of heavy cream (but that’s basically what half & half is, so why?). I’ve made this recipe using each of these three options, all with fine results; however, I think the lighter, cleaner flavor of the half & half lets the fresh strawberry flavors shine through most brightly.

We hope you enjoy this fresh strawberry ice cream as much as we do!

Best Homemade Fresh Strawberry Ice Cream Ever!

 

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An easy-to-make strawberry ice cream that preserves the fresh taste of summer strawberries with a smooth, creamy texture.

Author: Renée B. ♥ The Good Hearted Woman

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

• 1 quart fresh strawberries, divided
• 1 cup sugar, divided (or more, to taste)
• 2 tablespoons whipped cream vodka** [Optional, sort of]
• 2 cups half & half
• ⅓ cup corn syrup
• ½ tsp kosher salt, to taste

Instructions

1. Hull all the strawberries. Chop enough strawberries to make one cup of chopped berries. (You probably want the chunks to be pretty small, but I'll leave that to you.) Put chopped strawberries in a small bowl with ¼ cup sugar and the vodka. Refrigerate while you make the rest of the ice cream base.
2. Put remaining strawberries in a blender and puree. Measure out about 1½ cups of puree. (If you have extra, put it in the fridge - you can use it for ice cream topping later!)
3. Blend the 1½ cups of strawberry puree with the remaining ingredients. Taste the mixture and adjust the sweetness to your personal tastes by adding a little additional sugar if desired.
4. Chill the ice cream base in the blender jar in refrigerator for at least one hour.
5. Take the blender jar out of the fridge and add the chopped strawberry mixture. Pulse very briefly to combine. (You want to keep those little chunks of strawberries, so don't get crazy here.)
6. Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer directions.
7. Serve immediately for soft serve ice cream, or, if you prefer your ice cream hard-set, put it in the freezer for 2-4 hours before serving.

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Just so you know, I didn’t reinvent the wheel here – I consulted a vast number of other strawberry recipes, and incorporated some of their ideas as I developed this recipe. I think it’s important to give credit where it’s due, so here are the resources that I leaned on the heaviest:

• Easy Eggless Strawberry Ice Cream [All Recipes]
• Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream [Life Made Simple]
• The Best Strawberry Ice Cream [Serious Eats] – I totally borrowed the idea of macerating the strawberry chucks from this one.

I’ll be posting more ice cream recipes throughout the summer. What are some of your favorite flavors? Let me know in the comments below!

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we have recommended. (Rest assured though, we will NEVER recommend anything we don’t believe in just to make a buck. We like to sleep at night.) Anywho, while clicking these links won’t cost you any extra money, they will help us keep this site up and running – and (relatively) ad-free!! Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!

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We first experienced Vietnamese Banana Tapioca Pudding (or Chè Chuối; pronounced “chair chewy”) while dining at Duc’s Bistro in Honolulu. (You’ll be reading more about Duc and his bistro soon.) The delicate tapioca combined with banana and coconut cream created a delightfully sweet finish to a delicious and thoroughly enjoyable meal. Mr. B and I […]

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Light as air, these delicious little Meringue Kisses can hold a multitude of sweet surprises. These little meringue kisses are incredibly simple and easy to make, and will satisfy any sweet tooth. Here, I’ve topped them with pineapple and chocolate, but you can let your imagination guide you. Other ideas include coconut, ground nuts, chopped […]

The post Chocolate-Pineapple Meringue Kisses {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

This easy, breezy Fresh Peach Tart with Vanilla-Cardamom Cream is the cotton dress of desserts – a pretty summer treat that always leaves them wanting more. Many moons ago, I lived just around the bend from a peach farm that was owned by my friend Candy. During the harvest season, Candy and I used to can peaches together, and I will always […]

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Delightfully sweet with a delicate crisp bite, Banana Lumpia [Filipino Turon] is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. We were first introduced to this traditional Filipino dessert at this fruit stand in Kahuku, Oahu. Mr. B and I took each took a bite, and even as our mouths were still chewing, our eyes […]

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Caramel sauce (and its first cousin Butterscotch) can take a simple scoop of ice cream or a slice of pie to a whole new level of awesome. Butterscotch and caramel remind me a little of Patty and Cathy Lane. (Showing my age again. Oh well.) Patty and Cathy were identical first cousins, both played by […]

The post Butterscotch & Caramel: First Cousins of Sweet {Recipe Round-up} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

Perfect for the autumn holidays, this Old-Fashioned Pumpkin Gingerbread will fill your home with the scent of the season and your tummy with delicious goodness.  This post may contain affiliate links, but don’t worry – they won’t bite. By the time Thanksgiving rolled around last year, I swore I’d never read, make, post, or eat another […]

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Snickerdoodles! Just saying the name brings a smile! When I think of snickerdoodles, I always think of my dad, snapping up a cookie still warm off the rack as he passed through the kitchen on his way outside. Snickerdoodles, I have found, are cookies that brings up memories, and memories are one of the best things I […]

The post Best Ever Snickerdoodles {Recipe} appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.

The Richest, Creamiest Dairy-free VANILLA BEAN ICE CREAM Ever ~ Made with Coconut Milk! Mr. B loves ice cream, and last year I splurged and bought him a new ice cream maker for his birthday.  (Well, to be perfectly honest, it was more for “our” birthdays – he’s only three days older than me.) It was definitely […]

The post Homemade {Dairy-free} Vanilla Bean Ice Cream appeared first on The Good Hearted Woman.