Always a hit when tucked inside boxes of Christmas sweets, these are a rich, sweet, chewy cookie that is almost a candy. The bittersweet chocolate balances the sweetness of the coconut and the flavors work very well together. I’ve made these macaroons at Christmastime for the past 3 years. If you love coconut anywhere near as much as we do, you will absolutely fall in love with these cookies. * These cookies freeze perfectly. I tuck...
Homemade Butter Mints are old-fashioned, buttery, sweet, minty candies that melt in your mouth like no store-bought candy you have ever tasted. I’ll go ahead and tell you that these innocent looking mints are absurdly addictive. I found myself walking through the kitchen several times today, just to taste one more, and then one more. I used to love after-dinner mints, but I haven’t had one in years. The last ones I tried were dry to the...
Flaky bites of shortbread that are barely crisp on the outside, then melt in your mouth with chocolate and just a hint of coffee flavor. Not so much coffee as to overpower each bite, but the right amount to bring out the flavor of the chocolate and the aroma of the espresso. I’ve made a handful of desserts with espresso this past year, and I liked all of them. However, this is my favorite and it is the first one that even the...
Haupia is a sweet coconut cream custard that can be served as firm as jello or softer and more scoop-able like pudding. Commonly served at luaus and Hawaiian restaurants, this treat caught my eye and I couldn’t resist making it along with our Huli Huli Chicken and Cilantro Lime Pineapple Rice. My kids flipped over this dessert and requested that I make it again as soon as possible. Feel free to stack a couple of the pieces. One...
For over ten years, I have declared this Turtle Cheesecake with Chocolate, Caramel and Pecans to be the best cheesecake I have ever tasted. Well, there is a new cake in town. We had some friends over for dinner and I wanted to make something a little different. Fruit was requested over chocolate and I looked around for inspiration. Naturally, I couldn’t leave well enough alone. The brown sugar and almond crust combined with a...
Chunks of apricots, strawberries and fresh rhubarb are tossed together with sugar and spices and baked in between layers of a brown sugar and almond oat crust. Almost firm enough to cut into bars and yet fruity enough to be a crisp, this is really just a fruit crisp with both a top and bottom crust layer. This is one of my favorite summer desserts. I would happily eat this breakfast, lunch and dinner every day until the pan is...
Sticky coconut rice with sweet mangos makes a terrific snack/dessert. My recipes this week are the result of a weekend spent playing at our cabin. My sister drove over from NM and met us there with her girls. The kids played and ran around with their cousins and had non-stop fun all weekend; while the adults talked, laughed, played games and only paused to put food in front of everyone. We had a blast hanging out, making our favorite foods and...
These are soft, chewy oatmeal cookies with a fantastic orange flavor and a scent that is unforgettable. Cardamom is intensely aromatic (if you are familiar with the fragrance of chai tea, it is likely the cardamom that you are remembering) and it adds a distinct flavor to these cookies. Cardamom works beautifully in baked goods, but don’t worry if you don’t have it. The cinnamon with the orange zest is a fantastic combination on...
Piping hot, tender apples, filled with dried fruit and soft pecans, baked with brown sugar and spices; this was an excellent dessert that didn’t heat up the house or require more than a few minutes of effort on my part. I baked the apples in the crock-pot this time. However, I’m including oven directions as well, if that is more your style. I’ve made Cinnnamon Baked Apples and Brown Sugar Cinnamon Applesauce in the...
This is a light and fluffy banana bread, flavored with a hint of pineapple and a sprinkling of coconut. Hawaiian muffins have been a family favorite for a number of years and I’m excited to finally have a gluten free version that tastes every bit as delicious as the original. These muffins disappeared in less than a day and my kids have already asked me to make them again. Check out all of the Gluten Free Dessert Recipes on...
