🤱🏻Breastfeeding Mama!! This one’s for you. I have tried a few lactation cookie recipes and they are typically packed with sugar or take a while to make, sometimes using equipment that you need to pull out of the pantry. Who has time for that?! Not this gal. So I came up with this recipe and it took me 35 mins total, including prep, cooking and cooling. It has only 1/4 cup of brown sugar which you can substitute with any sweetener you prefer. TIP: don’t omit the brewers yeast, oats or flax seed, that’s what helps with increasing or maintaining healthy milk supply. 🥛🍼🍪
P.S.🤰🏻Pregnant Mamas, whip up a batch and freeze them for post-partum if you plan to breastfeed. You’ll thank me later! 😬
P.P.S. Yes, your husband can enjoy them too. No, he won’t start to lactate 😂
Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups oats
1 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons brewers yeast (I used Oat Mama)
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 tablespoons apple sauce (or 2 eggs)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup coconut oil (solid)
1 cup dark chocolate chunks or chocolate chips of your choosing
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Recipe:
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl (except for the chocolate chunks)
Mix the applesauce & coconut oil together with the vanilla extract.
Combine the wet & dry ingredients.
Add in the chocolate chips or chunks.
Form cookie shape & bake on 350 for 10-12 minutes.
Fasting for Navratri has never been easier! We had guests this past weekend, my cousins from Orlando [heart emoji] and they love football. So you can imagine the desire for wings & football food. I was determined to make a bunch of snacks that would satisfy the wings cravings but be meatless, eggless, and somewhat healthy. Challenge accepted.
Time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
1 head cauliflower cut into florets
1/2 cup Franks red hot sauce
3 tablespoons butter (we used a butter substitute)
1/2 cup all purpose flour (can use rice flour for a glutenfree version)
1/2 cup water
salt & pepper to taste
Recipe:
In a large basin, mix the flour & water together, seasoning with salt and pepper. You want it to be a batter, so add more flour or water as needed.
Dip the raw cauliflower into the batter & place it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake the battered cauliflower on 450 for 10 mins.
While the cauliflower is baking, mix the hot sauce & butter together.
Remove the pan from the oven, then liberally brush the buffalo sauce on each one using a pastry brush.
Place the cauliflower back into the oven for another 20 minutes.
Enjoy at room temperature, they're not as good when super hot. These are great with ranch dip!
Oh em gee... probably my favorite dessert ever! And I finally built up the confidence to try making it. The process for macarons is tedious because you need to be really precise & careful at every stage or you'll mess them up. But, if you do follow the process correctly, you'll end up being so happy with the results! Here's my take, enjoy!
Time: 1 hour total for about 25-30 macarons
Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond flour, finely ground
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 medium egg whites (or 2 large)
food coloring if desired
Recipe:
Combine the powdered sugar & almond flour then sift them together into a bowl. Set the mixture aside.
Mix the egg whites in a mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds.
Increase the speed to high then add in the sugar, half at a time. If you are using food coloring, pour that in now. I used 3-4 drops of color for mine.
Leave the mixer on high until you see stiff peaks start forming. Stop the mixer.
The wet ingredients are ready when you can take some into a spatula & the batter falls off in the consistency of lava.
Slowly, half at a time, mix in the dry ingredients. Fold them in slowly, careful not to over mix. After half the mixture is incorporated, add in the second half and do the same folding.
Once the mixture is combined, you can scoop it into a piping bag.
Pipe the batter into a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, using a macaron template (I got mine on Amazon with a silicon piping bag) or just average about a quarter size for each round. You want to give them enough room to expand slightly as the batter settles.
Once all of the rounds are piped out, lift the cookie sheet & drop it down hard, so it bangs on the countertop a few times, turning it on each bang. This will get rid of any excess air bubbles.
Leave the macarons out for 15-30 minutes until a slight shell appears over them. To test this, gently press your finger on one of them and if no batter comes off onto your finger, they're ready to go!
Bake on 300 for about 12-15 minutes or until the cookies are hard but not browned.
Allow the macarons to cool for 20 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Then, let them cool completely on a cooling rack before filling them.
For the filling, I made salted caramel, dark chocolate ganache, cream cheese icing, and a pistachio filling made by boiling butter, half & half, ground pistachios, and confectioners sugar.
Omg. Yep, that's the reaction I had too. I started out creating a brownie cake for my brother because he loves brownies. Then I had an idea to add bourbon, because he loves bourbon (who doesn't?). Then I decided the brownie cake looked too plain so I made my own icing... and you know the rest. So easy, so fabulous.
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 box brownie mix (I used Ghirardelli dark chocolate)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon bourbon for the cake mix & another for the icing (I used Angels Envy, use your favorite)
1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 splashes of water
1/4 cup crushed pecans
Recipe:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the brownie mix, 1 tablespoon bourbon, olive oil & vegetable oil. The recipe on the brownie box will most likely call for 1 egg, I didn't want to use any eggs so I adjusted with more vegetable oil instead. The above measurements work!)
Pour the brownie mix into a round cake pan (or honestly whatever shape you want!). Bake 2-3 minutes less than the instructions (mine was 325 for 40 minutes). The reason I bake it a little less is so the cake is chewy / fudgy. You can test with a toothpick.
While the cake is baking, mix 1/4 cup of the confectioners sugar with the remaining tablespoon of bourbon, cinnamon & a splash of water. Once the icing is combined, add in crushed pecans. I bought the pecans for baking because they're already crushed, you can use any kind you have/like.
Once you stir in the pecans, the mixture will become closer to a spread than an icing.
After the brownie cake bakes & cools, run a knife or spatula around the edges to loosen it up, then turn it over on a serving tray/plate. Now it's ready for icing!
Spread the pecan mixture on top of the brownie cake evenly.
Mix the remaining confectioners sugar with another splash of water to make white icing. A little water goes a long way! Tip: I mixed it in a measuring cup so there's a spout for pouring)
Once the icing is ready, hold the measuring cup about 6 inches above the brownie cake & drizzle in whatever design you like! I did zig zags all over my cake & then swirled the remaining on top.
Let the icing cool for about 20 minutes so it hardens before you cut the cake. Enjoy!
Finally tried the beer-can chicken! It's a miracle recipe that really makes you want to eat chicken all day. Buh bye dry, boring chicken. This drunken chicken recipe will impress yourself & your guests with juicy, tender chicken using just a few simple ingredients.
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
1 tablespoon garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, & chili powder
salt & pepper to taste
1 whole lemon
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 can of beer (with only half the beer in it)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
Recipe:
Remove all giblets from the center of the chicken. Pat it dry with a paper towel so all the water is removed.
Put the chicken in a large 13x9 Pyrex.
Pour the vegetable oil around the chicken, flipping it over so it coats in the oil.
Rub the rosemary around the chicken so that most of it sticks to the skin. Put any remaining rosemary leaves inside the cavity.
Make a spice rub with the spices, rub it all over the chicken. Add the salt & pepper at the same time.
Cut the lemon into slices, put some inside the skin if you can easily peel it away from the meat.
Open the butt of the chicken & place it on top of the beer can. Ensure there's only about 1/2 the beer left in the can!
Add any remaining lemons inside the chicken from the top, then pour the olive oil over it.
Bake on 400 for ~1 hour & 15 minutes or until golden brown.
If you know me personally, you know I loooove carrot cake! It's the perfect mix of not too sweet and not quite savory. I went a little ambitious & made an eggless, bundt carrot cake with my own carrot cream cheese icing. Recipe uses a bit of ingredients but it is so easy to put together & so worth it!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2.5 cups shredded carrots
1 cup apple sauce
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking soda
1.5 teaspoons baking powder
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground glove
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup white sugar
1.5 tablespoons molasses
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk or lactaid as needed if the icing is too thick
1/2 pack plain light cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup confectionary sugar
PAM spray or other cooking spray
Recipe:
Put the carrots in a large basin (leave about 1 tablespoon aside for the icing) Add the vegetable oil, molasses, ground spices, salt, baking soda & powder, white sugar & applesauce. Mix to combine.
Slowly start adding the flour & keep stirring to combine. If it feels like the mixture is becoming too dry, you used enough flour.
Spray the cake pan with cooking spray, especially if you're using a bundt pan, so the cake won't stick to it.
Bake on 325 degrees for about 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Baking time will vary depending on what kind of pan you used.
While the cake is baking, use a stand mixer to whip the icing together (cream cheese, vanilla, tablespoon of shredded carrots & milk or lactaid).
Once the cake is baked, let it cool almost completely so that you can turn it over & the bundt will stay in form.
Glaze with the icing & enjoy! You can freeze this cake and save pieces of it for months to enjoy :).
Garlic, olive oil & bread = happiness! It seemed a little ambitious to make my own garlic knots but it turned to be really easy! I used my standard pizza dough recipe & tweeted it to be more garlicky!
Time: 20 minutes + time for the dough to set Ingredients:
2 cups all purpose flour
1 packet yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1/4 cup olive oil + 2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup warm water
1 tablespoon garlic powder
Salt to taste
Recipe:
Fill a measuring cup with 1 cup warm water, the packet of yeast & sugar
Stir & set aside in a dark place for 15 minutes (I put mine inside the microwave & closed the door)
Put the flour, garlic powder, salt, & 1/4 cup olive oil in a basin.
After waiting 15 minutes for the yeast to rise in the measuring cup, pour the mixture into the basin.
Mix with your hands & knead into a dough. You might need to add some more warm water.
Cover the dough with a clean kitchen towel & put a plate over it to keep it dark. Set it aside in a warm place for at least 1 hour so the dough can rise.
After the dough rises, break 2-3 inch pieces of the it & roll it into a log with your hand, then tie it into a knot shape.
Preheat the oven to 425 F.
Place the knots on a greased cookie sheet, bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.
While the garlic knots are baking, mix the 2 tablespoons of olive oil with the minced garlic & dried parsley.
Take the knots out of the oven & brush on the olive oil mixture.
Sprinkle salt over the garlic knots if desired. Enjoy!
Time for all the hearty, filling dishes! The holidays are around the corner & if you're on a diet like me, you'll be craving like crazy! I made a low-fat meatloaf recipe that does the trick!
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
1 pack ground chicken
1/2 yellow onion diced
3 gloves garlic, roughly chopped
A handful of shishito peppers, diced (can sub bell peppers)
1 habanero pepper, diced (seeds removed)
1 egg, beaten
Salt & pepper
1/2 breadcrumbs
Recipe:
In a large basin, put the ground chicken & all other ingredients together & incorporate with your hands. Careful not to over mix.
Use a piece of wax paper or parchment paper on a cookie sheet. Place the mixture in the middle & form it into a loaf with your hands.
Bake on 375 for about 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the loaf is brown on the outside & deliciously moist on the inside.
Strawberry perfection!! These scones will make your whole house smell delicious. And get this, they're eggless!! Try this recipe next time you're craving home-baked goodness. Or next time you have a bunch of berries to get rid of before they go bad. :)
Time: 1 hour
Ingredients:
2 cupsall-purpose flour
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped (I froze mine overnight for easier handling)
1/3 cupsugar
1.5 teaspoonsbaking powder
1/2 teaspoonbaking soda
1 teaspoonsalt
1 stick coldunsalted butter (8 tablespoons)
1/2 cupsour cream
1/2 cup applesauce (unsweetened)
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 400.
In a medium bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
Cut the cold butter into small dices, add it to the flour mixture. Then use your hands to incorporate the butter into the flour. It will look grainy.
Add the small pieces of frozen strawberries to the mixture.
In a small bowl, whisk the sour cream and applesauce until smooth. Add this to your medium bowl, and stir until a large dough form. (Use your hands to form it into a ball.)
Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and shape it into a 7- to 8-inch circle (about 3/4-inch thick).
Use a sharp knife to cut the scones into small triangles (or desired shape) and place them on a cookie sheet (spray with PAM first).
Sprinkle the scones with 1/2 teaspoon white sugar if you like (I did!)
Bake on 400 degrees until golden, about 15 minutes.
Don't throwout your brown bananas... make banana bread!! I came up with this easy peesy banana bread recipe + it's eggless and it tastes like a milkshake. YUM!
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
2-3 ripe bananas (overripe - even brown is best!)
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon apple sauce
1.5 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Recipe:
Peel the bananas and mush them in a medium bowl so there's some small chunks left.
Add all other ingredients and stir until combined - you don't want to over-stir or it will make the bread hard.
Pour the mixture in a loaf-pan and sprinkle with more cinnamon if desired (I did!)
Bake on 350 for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Serve slightly toasted or as-is!
Optional: You can add chocolate chips or walnuts inside the batter for a crunchy surprise!
'Tis the season to be chubby! So let's embrace it and eat more cookies. YEA!! :D
I have a huge love for anything peppermint flavored, and these cookies hit the spot! Every bite has tiny crunches of candy canes, yet you still have the fluffy goodness of a warm, fresh-baked cookie. The best part? This recipe is fast and easy! Enjoy
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
2 candy canes
Recipe:
Soften the butter in a microwave for 30 seconds, then whisk it until fluffy.
Add salt, egg, sugar and peppermint extract to the butter and whip together until well combined.
Place the candy canes unwrapped into a ZipLoc bag, seal it. Using a rolling pin, pound the candy canes into small crumbs. Don't pound them to a powder, or they won't look like candy cane pieces in the cookies.
Add the candy cane crumbs and the flour to the bowl and mix it in until all ingredients are combined. Cover with clear wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
Take the cookie dough of the fridge and form small 1 inch rounds, placing each on an un-greased cookie sheet. Ensure the cookies are spaced out by at least 1.5 inches.
Bake for about 8-10 minutes until the cookies are golden brown and cooked through.
Cool on a wire rack for about 10 mins before serving. Enjoy!
A warm, flaky, savory turnover with a kick of Caribbean spice!
Time: 1 hour, 15 mins
Serving: Makes 6 patties
Ingredients:
Filling:
1 pack ground chicken (or meat of your choice)
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1-2 sprays of PAM/other cooking spray
Crust:
1 cup all purpose flour
4 tablespoons cold butter, chopped into cubes
2 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg yolk + a splash of water for egg wash
Recipe:
Put all crust ingredients into a food processor and pulse until a dough forms.
Take the dough out of the food processor and form it into a ball with your hands. Cover it with clear wrap and leave it in the refrigerator for about 15-20 mins.
Heat a large frying pan to medium heat. Coat the bottom evenly with cooking spray.
Add the ground chicken and seasonings, fry until the chicken is browned. Allow the chicken to cool for 10 mins.
Take dough out of the refrigerator and break it into 6 palm-sized balls.
Roll each ball out using a rolling pin, and fill with 2 tablespoons of the ground chicken mixture.
Fold the top of the dough over the filling and seal with your fingers, pressing the top and bottom together. You can provide an additional seal using a fork pressed into the dough.
Make your egg wash by beating the egg yolk and a splash of room temperature water together. Use a pastry brush to coat all of the patties with the egg wash.
Bake on 350 for about 30 mins or until crust is golden brown.
Mix all dry ingredients together for dough (including garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of the oregano).
Slowly add warm water & 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, mix with a wooden spoon to incorporate then knead lightly with your hands (don't over-knead or it'll get hard)
Cover with plastic wrap and let sit in a dark area for 30 mins to rise
Spread crust out onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, you will need to stretch the dough for a little bit with your hands until it stays flat.
Poke holes in the crust with your finger tips.
Sprinkle the top of the crust with the last tablespoon of olive oil and some additional Italian seasonings of your choice (I used the last tablespoon of oregano and another teaspoon of garlic powder because I love garlic!).
If you have a pizza stone, put it in the oven & turn on the oven to 500 degrees. Then, carefully take it out, place the pizza (with toppings) on it & bake for ~8 mins or until done.
If you don't have a pizza stone & are using a cookie sheet lined with foil, sprinkle a little dry flour on top of the foil (or use breadcrumbs). Bake crust alone for 15 mins on 350.
Take crust out of the oven, add desired toppings (I used 1/2 bottle of marinara sauce + slices of fresh mozzarella cheese + torn slices of fresh basil leaves.
Bake on 350 for ~30 mins or until cheese is melted & crust is cooked through.
Eggplant Parmesan is vegetarian, but most recipes require you to use egg to coat the eggplant before adding bread crumbs. I don't eat meat or eggs on Mondays so I thought up this recipe. Enjoy!
Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients:
1 large eggplant
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 log herbed goat cheese
About 3 tablespoons salt
1 bottle marinara sauce
3 cloves garlic
1/4 cup olive oil or as needed to coat the pan
1 cup bread crumbs (you can use flavored or unflavored - I used Italian flavored). You can also sub regular bread crumbs with Panko
1 tablespoon crushed red peppers
Black pepper to taste
Recipe:
Cut the eggplant into 1/4 inch rounds - salt both sides and let them sit for 5 mins (so the salt absorbs some of the moisture, and doesn't make your eggplant brown or soggy)
Next, coat the bottom of a non-stick skillet with olive oil, amount will vary based on how big your pan is. Get the oil to medium heat.
Fry each eggplant round in the olive oil for about 1-2 mins on each side. You want the cooking to start, but not completely cooked through.
While the eggplant is still hot, lay them out on a plate or napkin and drop about 1 teaspoon or 1/2 teaspoon of goat cheese on top so it can melt - then spread evenly.
After the goat cheese is spread on one side, immediately coat with breadcrumbs.
Turn each round over and spread the other side with goat cheese, coat it with breadcrumbs as well.
Preheat oven to 350.
Place the coated eggplant rounds back into the skillet and fry them until they are golden brown on both sides. You may need to add more olive oil to the pan before this step.
Lay eggplant rounds side by side into your baking pan.
Take your 3 cloves of garlic, chop them up and add them to a sauce pan or pot with a little olive oil.
After the garlic is golden brown, add marinara sauce, black pepper and crushed red pepper.
Let this mixture simmer for about 10 mins then pour over your eggplant.
Sprinkle your grated Parmesan cheese on top of this. Bake on 350 for about 15 - 20 mins or until cheese is melted.
Another serving suggestion: If you don't have marinara sauce on hand, you can also serve the eggplant fried in goat cheese & breadcrumbs as an appetizer or snack! Just add some additional seasoning in the breadcrumb mixture (i.e. some dried oregano or basil).
This is a variation of my raw cookie dough bites - but with some chocolate syrup and sprinkles! Surprise your favorite birthday girl or boy with these delicious homemade Birthday Cake Bites!
Time: 15 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup almond butter
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup old fashioned oats
3 tablespoons agave nectar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup vegan dark or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup coconut oil + additional 1/4 cup vegan chocolate chips (for the chocolate syrup)
Sprinkles
Recipe:
In a food processor, combine almond butter, rice flour, oats, honey, agave nectar, cinnamon & nutmeg
Remove from food processor and fold in semi-sweet chocolate chips
Form cookie dough balls
Mix coconut oil with additional chocolate chips and melt (using a double boiler or microwave on low heat for 20 seconds)
Drizzle the balls with the chocolate syrup mixture, add sprinkles & enjoy!
Fabulously easy! Try this fast, no-bake recipe for your next chocolate fix!
Time: 20 mins
Ingredients:
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut flakes
5 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsweatened cocoa powder
1/4 cup coconut oil
Recipe:
Pulse shredded coconut, honey, ground cinnamon & vanilla extract in a food processor.
Form bars whatever shape or size you like - you have to squeeze them together with your hand so the shape holds. Let them freeze for at least 10 mins.
Mix unsweetened cocoa powder with coconut oil in a bowl. (Tip: you can use margarine or butter instead). *Add more coconut oil if the mixture is too thick - you want it to be thin enough so you can dip the bars in without them breaking apart*
Take bars out of the freezer and dip them into the chocolate mixture, then set them on parchment paper.
Dust with cocoa powder & set in the refrigerator for at least 15 mins before devouring.
2 sticks of unsalted butter or margarine (1 stick = 1/2 cup)
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of salt
3 tablespoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon of ground cloves
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
Recipe:
Preheat oven to 425° F
In a food processor, pulse 1 stick of cold butter (cut into cubes) with 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 teaspoon salt until dough forms (you will likely have to finish forming dough with your hands after you take it out of the food processor).
Roll dough out with a rolling pin so that it's wide enough to cover the bottom of your round pie pan, and have room to press up the sides of the pan (like a crust).
Press dough into the bottom of the pan and around the sides, ensure all around the pan is coated with the crust.
This step is optional: I sprinkled some ground cinnamon into the pie crust so that it's a little more flavorful. I fully believe in cinnamon.... on everything.
Bake crust alone for about 20 mins or until slightly browned.
Filling: Slice pears very thin (I used a mandoline slicer, but you can just do this with a utility/paring knife). Remove any seeds.
In a medium bowl, coat sliced pears with brown sugar, remaining ground cinnamon, gloves, and ginger. Add a little salt if you'd like.
Remove bottom crust from the oven and fill it with the above mixture.
Top crust: Repeat steps 2-4. Roll dough out over the pie filling with your hands (to cover the pie) and gently tuck in the corners using the excess dough (you may have to pinch a little to ensure that the top crust stays on!)
Cut two slits on the top so the filling has room to breathe TIP: wiggle your knife so the slits are a little wide, since the dough will expand a little as it cooks.
Put pie into the oven first, then lower the degrees to 350° F and bake for about an hour or until the top crust is golden brown!
