WWDH: Macaroons

B needed something sweet this week. These were easy, quick, and nice and sweet. Just what The Man ordered.

chocolate macaroon sandwiches.

Not to be confused with Macarons which are NOT easy and quick but are nice and sweet.

A nicely browned cookie made of egg whites, sugar and coconut. Filled with a simple chocolate ganache.

You can find the macaroon recipe here. Just don’t use the ice cream. The whole recipe is from Donna’s flavours. (page 112)

What did Kayte and Gaye make for Wednesdays with Donna Hay? Check out their posts.

 

WWDH: Pound Cake

Tonight is the night of the monthly church supper. It is a perfect night to bake and share Donna Hay’s Pound Cake. And it is the most basic pound cake recipe ever.

All the typical ingredients. 12 oz butter, 1.5 cups of sugar, 1 tsp vanilla, 6 eggs, 3 cups AP flour and 1 Tbl baking powder.

Simply whip the butter and the sugar. Add the vanilla. Add the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and baking powder and then FOLD the dry into the wet. Does it get any easier than that? I didn’t think so.

I added a cup of coconut with the flour mix and topped the cake with a simple coconut and powdered sugar glaze. The glaze added a bunch of coconut flavor.

My only regret is baking it in a square pan, as Donna listed, instead of a bundt pan. Ah, well. Next time.

You can also make it plain, with poppyseeds, with orange zest or lemon zest for different flavors. Each one is a simple cake to make.

The recipe is on page 158 of Donna’s The New Cook. Lots of great recipes in this one.

Want more Donna Hay?

Check with Kayte, or Gaye.

 

GFGF: Fruit

This week the choice for Good Food Good Friends is FRUIT. My choice. Because the Farmers Markets are full of fresh fruits and veggies. I used some fresh and some canned. Not ALL fruits are available fresh. This fruit salad is based on an Ambrosia my grandmother used to make. For Thanksgiving. For Christmas. For Easter. It was one of my favorite sides.

I’ve taken her Ambrosia and kicked it up a notch. (BAM!) There are not measurements just add in the fruit you really like. Anything, really. I used mangoes, bananas, cherries, satsumas, and strawberries. I added coconut and then mixed it well into some Hibiscus Passionfruit whipped cream. PERFECT!!

See, no recipe. I found the Hibiscus Passionfruit flavoring and thought it would add a little extra to the whole mix. 1 cup whipped cream + 2 TBL flavoring.

More Fruit?

Kayte

Ellen

Donna

Peggy

Ulrike

Our next fresh ingredient for salad is Spinach. Peggy’s choice.

 

{EwE} PIE DAY!

PIE!!  A crispy crust filled with just about anything you like.  Fruit.  Creamy pudding. Nuts and such.  The world is open when it comes to pie.  Which is maybe why Gaye chose SweetyPie as this week’s theme for Eating with Ellie.

I love pie.  But I like healthy.  Hard to put those two together unless you use a recipe from Ellie Krieger, like…

this Banana Cream Pie

While many cream pies are high in calories a slice of this is only 218.  No meringue here.  Just luscious cream with lots of bananas and a crisp graham cracker crust.  

The cream is made with egg yolks, low-fat milk, unflavored gelatin and just a teeny weeny bit of sugar.  The sweetness comes more from the bananas than from the sugar itself.  {1/8 x 1/3 cup sugar per slice.}

 I game the whole pie away {knew we didn’t need it} and made a couple of mini pies for us.  Three bites each – just right!

The recipe is from Ellie’s The Food You Crave page 276.  Also, it is HERE.

For more crusty deliciousness visit with us over at Eating with Ellie.

We don’t post the recipes. We’d rather you purchase Ellie’s books.  AND if you want to cook/bake along with us the the weekly themes are on the right of the page.  Just blog and add your link.  Love to have you with us.

 

{EwE} Celebrate the New Year.

Every January I am probably one of millions who resolve to lose weight and eat healthier.  Right?  This year I am simply NOT going to do it.  Not make the resolution that is.  I am simply going to do it.  Period.

And what better way to do it than cooking with Ellie Krieger?  Her recipes are tasty, filling, and healthy.  Like this version of AMBROSIA!!

My grandmother would make ambrosia every Christmas.  Then my mother would make it.  Me – not so much.  Not that I didn’t love it.  I just forgot about it.  And then thumbing through Ellie’s  Comfort Food Fix one day I ran across this healthier version made with yogurt and just a tad of whipping cream. Only about 240 calories a serving rather than 400+. Ellie, you are my hero!

There is also coconut, fresh cherries, pineapple, mini marshmallows, and mandarin oranges.  {I used some fresh satsumas from our tree.} It was the perfect side to the ribs, black eyed peas, cornbread, and cabbage.

The recipe is on page 290 of Comfort Food Fix. You can also find the recipe HERE.

For more Celebrations -> Eating with Ellie.

 

{IHCC} Hello, Heidi!

This month we said good-bye to Curtis Stone and Hello to Heidi Swanson.  Heidi is a vegetarian chef with several cookbooks with  lots of tasty recipes  as well as her blog with even more.  This will be a fun 6 month!

Besides saying Hello to Heidi I am also saying good morning as the first recipe of hers I used was for …

Coconut Macaroon Pancakes

This is probably the first time I have every made pancakes with so little flour (1/4 cup) and so much coconut (3 cups!) along with 14 oz of coconut milk.  They were nicely sweet without having to use sugar {altho’ Heidi does sprinkle a little brown sugar on the top of the pancakes while cooking}.

These came out a little browner than I would have liked.  I blame it entirely on they griddle having a bad morning.  No matter how much I sprayed the pan they stuck.  And browned!  Lord KNOWS I would never  burn over brown anything!  Brown or not they were tasty.  I drizzled with a little honey and didn’t, and this is unusual for me, use ANY butter on my pancakes.  But then why ruin a good vegan pancake!  These were like eating coconut macaroon cookies.  Who says you cannot eat cookies for Breakfast??

I found the recipe at Heidi’s blog 101 Cookbooks.

For more welcoming recipes from Heidi Swanson visit I Heart Cooking Clubs!

It’s going to be a fun 6 months – especially for someone who is NOT a big veggie fan!

 

{IHCC} Curtis’ Coconut Rice

This weeks theme for I Heart Cooking Clubs was “Finishing Touches” which really left what we could chose wide open. Anything that was drizzled, powdered, sprinkled, or topped with something to add just that right touch to a dish. I wanted something simple and this recipe caught my eye because the last instruction in the recipe was,

 “GARNISH WITH THE TOASTED COCONUT!” 

Just the words I wanted to see.

• 1 cup Basmati rice
  1 1/4 cups chicken stock
  1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
  ½ tsp salt
  lightly toasted coconut for garnish

Combine the stock, coconut milk, and salt in a large heavy saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Add the rice and stir constantly for 1 minute. Cover the pan and simmer over low heat, without stirring, for 15 minutes or until the rice is almost tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat and stand covered for 10 minutes, or until the rice is tender and all of the liquid has been absorbed. Lightly fluff up the rice with a fork. Transfer the rice to bowls and garnish with the toasted coconut and serve.

This, as Curtis says, is a perfect side for any Asian dish.  Since it is mild in flavor it would only enhance whatever it is served with.  The rice is creamy with a touch of sweetness from the coconut and coconut milk.

The recipe is from  Relaxed Cooking with Curtis Stone  on page 220.

For more garnishing;, sprinkling, powdering check with I Heart Cooking Clubs – Finishing Touches.

 

{WWDH} Asian Flair: Coconut Chicken Curry

Wednesdays with Donna Hay is BACK!!  At least with two of us.  We just couldn’t go any longer with out cooking with Donna Hay!  Since I had already planned to make one of Donna’s Asian style dishes we decided to start with that!  A good way to get back into the swing of things.

Unlike many of Donna’s dishes this one is not very colorful.  It is her Coconut Chicken Curry and while quite tasty it is not a repeat.

Chicken breasts are simmered in a sauce of coconut milk, green curry paste, Kaffier lime leaves, onions, lemon grass, and shredded ginger. Fresh basil and coriander are added in at the end.

The sauce is really good.  The chicken…not so much.  I think it would have been much tastier if the chicken had been seasoned and browned before it went into the sauce.  So, if I make it again, that is what i will do.

The recipe is from Donna’s the new cook (page 120)

What else is coming from the WWDH kitchens this week?  Check out the WWDH blog.

The new themes will be up soon if you want to join us.  We post every Wednesday.

 

{WWDH} chicken poached in coconut curry

If he recipe has the word CURRY in it you can bet I am going to make it. The word just conjures up far away places and exotic flavors. Kayte’s pick for this weeks Wednesdays with Donna Hay did just that. I opned up new food fast to read the recipe and found I had already made it for IHCC last December and it wasn’t one of my fave dishes.

But I decided to make it again with a couple of tweaks!

While Donna says to simply halve the chicken thighs I cut them into smaller pieces. I also cut the sweet potato into smaller bites. I made only 1/2 the recipe but kept the Red Curry Paste at 3 Tbl. MUCH better. And then I added a touch of salt which brought out the flavors more. I thickened the broth some and served it with some browned rice. Also much better. But…. there is still something lacking to my taste buds. I want to like this but it just isn’t there for some reason.

Did the other Ladies of WWDH like Kayte’s pick? Check out their posts by hopping over to the WWDH Website where we all leave our links.

The recipe is on page 67 of Donna’s new food fast.

And anytime you want to join us for some really good food just leave a comment for one of us or on the website. We would love to have you.

 

{Bundt Bakers} Toasted Coconut Sweet Potato Bundt

There is a little deli in Natchitoches, of Steel Magnolias fame, that makes a fantastic Yam Cake. I have been trying to replicate it for ages. I haven’t gotten it quite perfect yet, but this is the closest I have come. Thanks to this month’s Bundt theme – COCONUT hosted by Terri Truscello of Love and Confections I can parade my new concoction around.

1 1/4 cups AP flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon {needed a little more}
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 cup + 2 Tbl sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil
4 – 5 baked sweet potatoes peeled and mashed {about 2 cups}
4 Tbl sour cream
3/4 cups toasted pecans
1 cup toasted sweet coconut

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare the bundt pan. Spray with PAM or oil and shake with sugar until inside is coated.
Sift together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
After mashing the baked sweet potatoes whip them as much as possible to lighten their texture. {I think this is the key to a light fluffy cake.}
Using a stand mixer beat together the sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. At low speed add in the oil slowly so as not to deflate the egg/sugar mix. Add the whipped sweet potatoes and vanilla and continue to mix on low speed until just combined.
With a spatula fold in the flour mix and nuts until just combined.
Bake for about 1 hour or until done.
Cool for 30 minutes before removing from the pan.

I drizzled first with Coconut caramel and then with a simple coconut milk glaze, mostly for looks rather than taste. Top with toasted coconut.

Coconut Caramel:

4 cups sugar
1 can of Coconut Milk

Put 4 cups of sugar in a medium sized heavy pot and cook on medium high heat until it begins to caramelize, stirring constantly. When it is brown, carefully begin adding the coconut milk until you get the consistency you want.
Coconut Glaze:

2 Tbl coconut milk
2 cups powdered sugar

Mix until drizzle consistency. It may take more or less coconut milk.

I learned a few things making this bundt. Possibly using Creme de Coconut would be better but it might make it too sweet. Maybe cutting back on the sugar to compensate. I think whipping the potatoes more in a processor might help lighten the texture. And maybe mixing some toasted cocnut with the caramel? I will try these changes the next time I experiment with the bundt.

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Interested in learning more about us?? #BundtBakers is a group of Bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake Bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. You can see all our of lovely Bundts by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the BundtBaker home page HERE.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. If you are just a lover of Bundt baking, you can find all of our recipe links by clicking our badge above or on our group Pinterest board.
Almond Joy Bundtlettes from Sew You Think You Can Cook
Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake from Love and Confections
Chocolate Italian Cake from Magnolia Days
Coconut & Banana Bundt Cake from Just One Bite Baking
Coconut Banana Bundt Cake from Basic N Delicious
Coconut Carrot Bundt Cake from Media Racion Doble, Por Favor
Coconut Cream Bundt Cake from Adventures in All Things Food
Coconut Hummingbird Bundt Cake from Patty’s Cake
Coconut Milk Bundt Cake from I Love Bundt Cakes
Coconut Milk Bundt Cake from Un Mordisco Un Pecado
Coconut Oil Pound Cake from The Spiced Life
Coconut Sugar Banana Cake from A Kingdom for a Cake
Cranberry and Coconut Bundt Cake from La Cocina de Aisha
Cranberry, Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake from Kids & Chic
German Chocolate Bundt Cake from The Freshman Cook
Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake from Food Lust People Love
Gluten-free Coconut Orange Bundt Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream from Cassie’s Kitchen
Gizzada Mini Bundts from Passion Kneaded
Key Lime Coconut Cream Bundt from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes from Making Miracles
Orange & Coconut Bundt Cake from Living the Gourmet
Oreo Coconut Bundt Cake from Indian Curries/Stew
Pina Colada Bundt Cake from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner
Rhubarb n Rose Coconut Frosted Bundt Cake from Baking in Pyjamas
Rum Bundt Cake with Coconut and Lime from Bourbon and Brown Sugar
Toasted Coconut Lime Bundt Cake with Chili Lime Glaze from Brooklyn Homemaker