cookies – Page 5 – morestomach

chocolate + coconut macaroons

Published on August 5, 2013August 3, 2015 by Lan | MoreStomach26 Comments

you guys.
it’s August.
which means Summer is drawing to a close
school starts in a few weeks,
and the traffic jams will return
it means that before you know it
it’s September,
it’s Autumn,
it’s mustard yellows
and tweed
and cowls
and of course, for me + dw,
it means our Union

i confess that this post will not be
the funnest
it might even come off as whiny
but i’m tired
that’s it,
i’m just feeling fatigued
what should be so simple,
so incredibly easy,
is kinda turning out to be a downer
there is always 2yen dispensed
advice doled out
and the worst —
oh the worst
everyone else’s expectations & requests
(i could never make it as a customer service representative)

so, for now i am wallowing
it’s an immature indulgence, i know
but it’s all i am capable of right now
but when i get back, people:
Zero. Fucks. Given.

chocolate + coconut macaroons
adapted from the Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper by Lynne Rossetto Kasper & Sally Swift
yields 13 heaping TBL-sized cookies, or 39 small tsp-sized cookies

*note: dw & i like to have dessert after dinner and well i needed a really quick, one dirty bowl sweet recipe. this was it. i previously made coconut macaroons that used only egg whites. this recipe, thankfully, let me use the whole dang thing and it came out just lovely.

2 large, organic eggs
1/4 cup organic sugar
generous pinch of salt
1 estimated tsp vanilla extract
2 2/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut flakes
1/3 cup sweetened shredded coconut flakes
chocolate melt, amount per your discretion

preheat oven to 350F

prepare cookie sheet with parchment paper

in mixing bowl mix everything, except for the chocolate. you’re not aiming for a batter, it’s more like clumps of moistened coconut.

form macaroons as you want, into balls, or drop them via tablespoon on sheet. bake for 25 minutes, until golden brown.

transfer to rack to cool.

when cool, dip in melted dairy free chocolate, and drizzle over top. allow to cool.

who else has made coconut macaroons?
felicia of dish by dish, pyramid shaped!
wendi of bon appetit hon, with egg whites only
shanna of food loves writing, lemon almond coconut macaroons

chocolate wonderfuls

Published on July 15, 2013October 3, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach16 Comments

the thing about planning a wedding
is that there are a bajillion little pieces,
that on their own are manageable,
but the total sum of them all
makes me want to take a nap

and i’m not a napper.

when in the midst of
planning a major blueberry picking expedition
organizing a jam & can session
brainstorming wedding invite layouts
discussing wedding cake options
eyerolling at my bridesmaids’ still not being attired
i had a hankering for chocolate.
these chocolate treats first appeared
in my previous space.
but due to a heavy crack down on dairy treats
we shelved it

it was quickly decided that chocolate wonderfuls
had to make a re-appearance in our lives.
i luckily found a good NON-DAIRY
sub for CONDENSED MILK
(which the consumption of would have me in a moaning fetal position)
(let’s not think about that)

there is no lie in my heart
when i tell you that this is an ass growing treat
i’ve been working out like a mad woman
and counting my calories ~~like kate moss counts cocaine lines~~
to fit into my gown
but these …
all else ceases to matter
the entire pan was meant to be shared
but the most we could bear
was to share with each other

sometimes
just sometimes
when things are chaotic
and the things that need to be done
don’t get done
instead, baked goods get made
(& consumed)
and it’s not just ok,
it’s wonderful

chocolate wonderfuls
adapted from dw’s mama (who’s his gma)

Chocolate Layer

6 oz dairy free organic semi sweet chocolate chips (i used taste the dream)
1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt (from Cooks.com)
1 TBL barely melted coconut oil (you could probably nix it, i will next time)
Pinch of salt
½ cup chopped pecans

Shortbread layer & crumb topping

1 ¼ cups spelt flour, sifted
1 ½ cups quick cooking rolled oats
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
½ cup softened coconut oil (i usually measure out a cup and put in fridge to firm up for 20-30 min)
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla

preheat oven 350F.

double boiler style, melt chocolate. in a bowl mix together 1 egg + ½ cup brown sugar + ½ tsp vanilla + 1 TBL flour + ¼ tsp baking powder + pinch of salt. very carefully add to the heated chocolate, whisking like mad, you don’t want scrambled chocolate eggs. add in the coconut oil (or nix it) and the salt. finally add in the pecans and vanilla. remove from heat, set aside.

in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, cream the coconut oil and brown sugar. add in the egg and vanilla. stir in the dry ingredients.

in a 9X9 pan, (you can first add in parchment paper if you want). press about 2/3 of mixture in as evenly as possible. spread the chocolate filling. crumble remaining oat mixture over the filling.

bake for 25-30 minutes until lightly brown.

cut into bars when cool.

to store: well covered in fridge. take out for about 15 minutes prior to eating, though eaten fresh out of fridge is fine, albeit they’ll be hard. due to the use of coconut oil if left out at room temp the treats are on the softer side, since coconut oil melts at such a low temp. we ~~like~~ love these chocolate wonderfuls cold & hard or super soft & warm.

homemade thin mint cookies

Published on May 13, 2013May 20, 2013 by Lan | MoreStomach19 Comments

i was never a girl scout. that’s not to say i didn’t want to be. but my grandparents didn’t know what it was, i barely knew what it was and it seemed like an expense that could not be spared.

when i was younger, and living with my grandparents they had a small patch in front of our apartment building, right under the living room window and where the sunshine hit late in the afternoon, that they grew fresh herbs. sometimes i would follow gpa out to water this tiny garden, squatting down on my haunches and watching the droplets meet the earth and soak into the ground.

one day it occurred to me to ask what these leafy greens were called, the leaves of which always graced our dinner table, garnishing various dishes. imagine my surprise when i was told it was actually mint.

in my experience with mint, it came in a chewing gum stick, in the form of double mint gum. i snagged a piece of this herb and tasted it. it tasted nothing like gum. i was sorely disappointed.

i have since grown to like the actual mint, though i do not have a small garden of it to tend to now.

chocolate + mint is a flavor combo that dw loves. he doesn’t like chocolate with fruit (i still shake my head over it) but give him the option of chocolate + mint and anything else, he will always choose the former. for his birthday last year i made him cake, this year, i baked him cookies. twice. i think the first batch was a bust.

second time i muscled my way through it, because i hate roll-out cookies, they suck. but for dw i would endure far more discomfort. the cookies tasted nothing like the leaves, or the gum, but were everything that girl scout thin mint cookies are and more: perfect out of the freezer, but without that chemical aftertaste. plus, he loved them.