Flourless Fudge Cookies

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Here’s a gluten free, dairy free, but NOT peanut free, melt in your mouth cookie. But don’t take my word for it…

Ingredients 

½ cup nut butter
½ cup oil
1 ½ cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp baking powder
 ½ tsp salt
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, on medium speed, beat together nut butter and oil until smooth. Add sugar; beat until smooth and creamy.

Add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, and salt; beat until combined. Reduce mixer speed to low; add cocoa. Beat to combine. Add corn starch; beat until just combined.

Use a medium cookie scoop (or a heaping tablespoon) to portion out dough. Roll into balls; then roll in powdered sugar until fully coated. Place on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 minutes. 

Glazed Mocha-Walnut Brownies

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In honor of Valentine’s Day, I am featuring a brownie that marries two of most people’s loves,  “chocolate” and “coffee.” I am not a fan of plain coffee unless it is diluted  with milk or chocolate. I do, however, love anything “mocha,” and thus was compelled to bake these brownies. The recipe is a bit fussy with the use of a double boiler, but trust me, the result is worth it; the aroma alone, makes it all worthwhile! They are incredibly delicious and they disappeared before I could cut them into bite sized pieces. Yale took the entire pan back to his house at USC for his roommates to enjoy. I love that!

 

THE BROWNIE

Ingredients

  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter

  • 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

  • 2 tsp instant coffee powder

  • ½ cup all purpose flour

  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • ¼ Tbsp kosher salt

  • 2 large eggs

  • 1 ½ cups firmly packed light brown sugar

  • 1 cup walnut pieces, lightly roasted

  • 3 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9 inch square pan. Butter the paper and dust with flour, shaking out the excess.

In a saucepan, melt 6 tbsp of the butter, the 4oz unsweetened chocolate, and 2 tsp of the coffee powder over low heat, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.

Sift the flour, ½ tsp of the cinnamon, and the salt into a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs with the brown sugar, then whisk the chocolate mixture. Stir in the dry ingredients just until blended. Fold in the walnuts. Spread the batter in the prepared pan.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Let cool completely in the pan on a wire rack.

 

THE GLAZE

Ingredients

  • 3 oz semi sweet chocolate

  • 6 Tbsp butter

  • 1 tsp coffee powder

  • ½ tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Place all above ingredients in the top of a double boiler and stir often until melted and smooth. Chill the glaze stirring occasionally, until just spreadable but not set, about 15 minutes. Spread the glaze on the brownies, stand until set.


Chocolate Birthday Cake`

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This week I was so jammed between rehearsals, appointments for the blog  and running a million errands, that I found myself scrambling to bake a chocolate cake for my son, Yale’s, birthday. I have always baked my kids’ birthday cakes, with the rare exception of one or two times, and so I gave Yale the choice: a cake from Hansen’s or one by FabuLesley. He chose FabuLesley. I was torn as to what I should bake, so I called the best baker that I know of, my mother, Irene. She told me not to fret, to simply use a mix!

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