Skinny Brownies

1cup granulated sugar1container

6 oz Greek yogurt

2 tbsp canola or vegetable oil

2 tsp vanilla

2 egg whites

3/4 c flour

1/2 c unsweetened baking cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

Powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 8- or 9-inch square pan with cooking spray.

In medium bowl, mix granulated sugar, yogurt, oil, vanilla and egg whites. Stir in all remaining ingredients except powdered sugar. Spread in pan.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour. Cut into 4 rows by 4 rows. Sprinkle with powdered sugar just before serving.

16 servings. 3 WW PP.

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Cocoa Hazelnut Financiers

These are from Dinner in French by Mellisa Clark. So easy and tasty!

8 tbsp butter

1 c confectioners sugar

1/2 c hazelnut or almond meal/flour

1/3 c flour

1/3 c cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

4 egg whites

24 hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 400. Spray or line a mini muffin pan.

Melt butter and let it cook till it starts to turn brown. Let cool.

With the whisk attachment on a standing mixer, combine all dry ingredients except whole hazelnuts. Stir in the egg white and beat until well mixed. Add butter and beat until smooth.

Scoop into mini muffin pan and top with a hazelnut.

Bake for 10 – 15 minutes until firm abs tops spring back when lightly pressed.

Makes 24.

Chocolate Date Balls

So sugar – raw cocoa tahini truffles! I found this in Bon Appetite and then made a bunch of changes – they are so good you won’t believe there is not sugar! They are NOT low calorie, so keep it to just one.

• ⅔ cup roasts pistachios
• 6 Medjool dates, pits removed
• ⅓ c tahini
• ¾ tsp. kosher salt
• ¼ c unsweetened cocoa
• 1/4 c toasted, shredded unsweetened coconut

Combine nuts, dates, tahini, salt and cocoa in a small food processor. Process until everything is incorporated. Use a small cookie scoop to form into a ball. Place coconut on a small plate and roll the balls into the coconut. Repeat and chill in the fridge.

Makes about 12 balls.

Cocoa Banana Bread

This recipe from Dorie Greenspan is da bomb!

• 2 c flour
• 1 c cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 baking soda
• 8 tbsp butter, soften
• 1 c brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 ripe bananas
• 3/4 c buttermilk
• 3 oz chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a loaf pan.

Stir together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.

Combine butter and sugar in a bowl and beat until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time. Stir in buttermilk. Stir in dry ingredients and bananas. Stir in chocolate chips.

Poor into a loaf pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover loosely with foil, then bake for another 40 – 55 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool 20 minutes then release from pan.

Serves 10 – 12.

Slow Cooker Mole Chicken

 
This recipe looks a little daunting because of the amount of ingredients – but you toss them in the food processor then pour  over the chicken and let the slow cooker do the work. I made tacos with lettuce, onions and radishes. 

2 lb chicken thighs
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c water
1/4 c almonds
1/4 c raisins
2 tbsp cocoa
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 chipotle chilew
1 tbsp adobo sauce
1 tsp cinnamon
4 cloves garlic
1 small onion

Place chicken in the slow cooker and season with salt and pepper.

Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and process till smooth. Pour over chicken and cook 6 hours. Shred and serve.

Serves 4 – 6.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies

 These are the perfect cookies for school parties when you have to make sure you don’t leave anyone out! Gluten, dairy and nut free!

Ingredients:
1/2 c coconut oil
1 1/2 c coconut palm sugar
1 small banana
2 tsp vanilla
2 c oat flour
2/3 c cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine the first 4 ingredients in a mixer until smooth. Stir in remaining ingredients and beat for 5 minutes until very smooth. Chill for 30 minutes.

Scoop onto a baking sheet and bake 8 minutes. Cool and enjoy.

Makes about 12 cookies.

Chocolate Meringue Hearts



This cookies are great served with a mix of fresh berries.

Ingredients:

• 4 egg whites, room temperature
• 3/4 c granulated sugar 
• 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat the oven to 225. Trace six large hearts (roughly 3 inches tall x 2.5 in wide) on a large sheet of parchment paper. Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet–pencil side facing down. 

Place the egg whites in the bowl (clean and free of any grease) of stand mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk over low speed for 1-2 minutes, or until egg whites are foamy. Increase speed to medium and continue to whisk for an additional 1-2 minutes. 

Slowly start sprinkling in the granulated sugar, while continuing to whisk at medium speed. Increase speed to high and whisk until meringue reaches a stiff peak (10 to 12 additional minutes).
Gently fold in the cocoa powder with a spatula. 

Place the meringue in a pastry bag fitted with a small star tip. Pipe a thin layer (roughly 1/2″ thick) of meringue–filling the entire heart–to form the base of the cup. Carefully trace the edges of the heart four times with piped meringue to form the sides of the heart meringue cups. It should be relatively tall, about 1.5 inches tall at least. Repeat until all of the meringue cups are formed. 

Immediately (and carefully) place the meringue in the oven and bake for 1 hour and 45 minutes, or until the meringue is dry. Once baked, turn off the oven and allow meringues to dry in the warm oven for an additional 15 to 20 minutes. 

Meringue should be crispy, hard, and not sticky. If the meringue is wet or sticky (which can depend on humidity levels), allow them to bake for an additional 10 to 15 minutes. 

Remove the meringue cups from the parchment paper and set aside. Allow the meringue to cool completely.

Makes 6 – 8.

Devil’s Food Cupcakes

These are perfect chocolate cupcakes with a chocolate glaze and just for the heck of it I added some sprinkles on top.

Ingredients:
1 c flour
1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 c coconut palm or brown sugar
4 TBSP butter, softened
1 egg, at room temp
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c warm water
1/4 c buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350.

Combine dry.

Beat butter and sugar. Add egg. Add 1/2 the dry ingredients and the buttermilk. Add remaining dry and water and vanilla. Beat until combined.

Scoop into prepared cupcake pan. Bake for 18 minutes.

Let cool then glaze.

Glaze:
1/2 c heavy cream
4 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
Ping of salt

Combine in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring. Let stand a few minutes then glaze cupcakes.

Makes 1 dozen.

Chocolate Cutout Cookies

Finally a cut out cookie I like! This are great and it makes a small batch so after the kids get bored, I’m not stuck cutting out a ton of cookies.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c flour
3/4 c cocoa
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 c butter, softened
1 c sugar
1 egg

Whisk flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt together.

Cream butter in a stand mixer and add sugar. Beat in egg. Beat in flour mixture. Turn out onto a piece of Saran Wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375. Place parchment or silmats onto a cookie sheet.

Roll out dough, cut into shapes and place on the baking sheet. Bake 8 – 10 minutes.

Cool and ice.

Icing:
1/4 c powdered sugar
1 tsp water
Food coloring

Whisk together and spread over cookies.

Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

My baby turned 3 this week -sniff. His cake request was “light chocolate cake” as opposed the dark. So I looked for a sheet cake that was “light chocolate”. This recipe fit the bill, it appeared on about 40 different websites, the Pioneer Woman came up #1, so lets give her credit (she’s also a great food blogger)! I used a light cream cheese frosting that worked wonderfully and opted for a thicker cake so I used a 13×9 pan. This cake is very moist and most important of all – approved by the birthday boy. The non-birthday boy requested it for his birthday next month.

FOR THE CAKE:
2 c Flour
1 1/2 c Sugar
1/4 tsp Salt
5 TBSP Cocoa
2 sticks Butter
1 c Boiling Water
1/2 c Buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Vanilla
_____
FOR FROSTING:
8 oz light cream cheese
4 TBSP Cocoa
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3/4 c Powdered Sugar

Preheat oven to 350 & spray your pan.

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, and salt.

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa. Stir together. Add boiling water, allow mixture to boil for 30 seconds, then turn off heat. Pour over flour mixture, and stir lightly to cool.

In a measuring cup, pour the buttermilk and add beaten eggs, baking soda, and vanilla. Stir buttermilk mixture into butter/chocolate mixture. Pour into sheet cake pan and bake for 20 minutes. Cool in pan for 10 minute then you can flip out or allow to cool completely in pan. Frost when cool.

FROSTING:
Combine all ingredient in a food processor. Process until combined. Frost your cake.