5-Ingredient Salted Peanut Butter Cookies

I have my go-to peanut butter cookie recipe that I make interchangeably with tahini depending on what I have on hand.  I think everyone has their classic recipe that they are happy with.  The thing is.. sometimes, another one just jumps at you and begs you to be tried.

This is what happened with this one.  It seemed too good to be true, but too intriguing not to try.  I've never done a flourless cookie before.  Nor a butterless.  Come on.. we're not on a diet here!

But this cookie is not a diet cookie.  It is just peanut butter greatness in its perfect form.

It is the way peanut butter cookies were meant to be made.

 Adapted from Smitten Kitchen who adapted from Ovenly.

Yield 33 Tbsp sized cookies

Ingredients:

240g (8.5oz) cassonade or light brown sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 packet vanilla sugar or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

450g (1 lb or 1 3/4 cups) natural smooth peanut butter

fleur de sel to finish

Directions:

1.  Beat the eggs, then beat the sugar into the eggs.  Go for it.  Beat it good.

2.  Add the vanilla, then peanut butter.  Mix very well, then put in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes or while the oven heats.

3.  Preheat the oven to 180°C (356°F).

4.  Line a baking tray with a cookie sheet.  Mine was silicone.  Scoop Tbsp sized balls onto the sheet.  Sprinkle with fleur de sel, and bake for 18-20 minutes.

5.  Remove and wait for 2 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

6.  Very important.  Let cool completely before eating.

These cookies are crunchy on the outside and in the center, depending on the cooking time, you get a nice melty chewy center.

Plus, they are beautifully domed and oh so sexy!

I made a few changes to the recipe from SK.  She uses 335g of sugar and that was just not thinkable, so I reduced to 240g.  They are still sweeter than I prefer, so next time I will go for 200g and they will be perfect.  

She also uses Skippy processed peanut butter with sugar explaining that the processed stuff gives the best results.  I used Dakatine peanut butter without sugar.  The ingredients are 97% peanuts, emulsifier, and salt.

She also chills the dough in the freezer before scooping and after scooping, explaining that it helps the cookies keep their dome shape.  I did not do this because of freezer space, but keeping the dough in the fridge between batches gave me the perfect domes I wanted.

I snuck a few pieces of broken dark chocolate into a few of the cookies to surprise myself later on.. teehee!!

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Nothing says "Holiday" like ginger and spice.  I've been putting it everywhere on everything.  It's the most addicting piece of nature out there.. and when mixed with cinnamon cloves, and nutmeg, it fills you with warmth and love.. and leaves you wanting more.
I usually just have one cookie when I make a batch and keep the rest on the counter to offer.. but I can't keep my hands off these ones...

Yield 3 dozen cookies
Ingredients

Dry:

100g (3.5oz) buckwheat flour

180g (6.3oz) whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger powder

1/4 tsp salt

Wet:

90g (3.2oz) room temperature butter

100g (3.5oz) sugar

130g (4.6oz) molasses

2 Tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 large egg

Topping:

Chopped candied ginger

Directions

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar together, then whisk in the molasses.  It may be hard to stir.. molasses is a sticky caramelized licoricy mess.  But mmMmmMm!

3.  Whisk in the grated ginger.  When it is all well incorporated, whisk in the egg until nice and homogenous.

4.  Ditch the whisk and prepare your wooden spoon. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ones a little at a time.  It will be nice and stiff..hang in there.

5.  When all the dry ingredients are incorporated, preheat the oven to 350°F 180°C.

6.  Make tablespoon sized balls with the dough, dip into the chopped candied ginger, and press onto a cookie sheet.  make sure to space each cookie out at least 1 1/2 inches apart.  It is actually easier to handle if you chill the dough beforehand.

7.  Bake for 10-12 minutes.  10 for chewy, 12 for crunchy.

8.  Remove onto a cooling rack and let cool at least 15 minutes!  Do not be too impatient..

The result is a light crispy chewy cookie full of ginger and spice and everything nice...

Ginger does make this world a happier place.

Ginger Oatmeal Peanut Butter Cookies

Ginger.
It's the root of all life and all remedies.  It gives heat without spice, flavor without salt, and a full load of nurture in its nature.
This week ginger has been on my mind.. and it materialized in normal rounds of dinners, but it was the star of these cookies..
This recipe is similar to the Oatmeal Cocoa Bean Cookies, but with a slightly different twist.

Yield 40 small cookies

Ingredients

90g (oz) room temperature butter
30g (oz) natural peanut butter

115g (oz) brown sugar or cassonade

1 egg

70g (2.5oz) flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger

1 1/2 cup oats

100g (3.5oz) dark chocolate, broken into bits (mine had coffee beans in it)

20g (oz) roasted cocoa bean, crushed with a mortar and pestle into chunks
4 Tbsp minced candied ginger

Directions
1.  Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together and set aside.
2.  Cream the butter, peanut butter, and sugar together.
3.  Add the egg and beat well until as homogenous as you can.
4.  At this point, I like to switch to a wooden spoon.  Add in the sifted dry ingredients a bit at a time until evenly incorporated.
5.  Stir in the oatmeal, crushed cocoa beans, candied ginger, and dark chocolate bits.
6.  Place 1 Tbsp sized balls of dough onto a baking sheet, separating each ball at least 1 1/2 inches apart.  With 1 Tbsp I had around 40 cookies.
7.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C 375°F for 12 minutes.
8.  Remove and let cook on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before eating.

They look so perfect in that cookie jar!

Oatmeal Cocoa Bean Cookies

After what seemed like an eternity of cookielessness, inspiration came to whisper into my ear, smelling of cocoa beans ans cinnamon.  This summer I visited the Valhala of chocolate.. The Valrhona city of chocolate where each step of the chocolate making process was accompanied by a taste test.  It was an interesting experience that tested touch, smell, and of course, the different parts of the tongue reacting to taste.  Aside from just gorging on quality chocolate, I was impressed the the cocoa tree and it's magnificent raw fruit, the cabosse.

The delicate white flesh from the cabosse is similar in taste and texture to a lychee, and the beans are actually the seeds of the fruit.  They must be fermented, then dried, then washed, then dried, then roasted before they can start to become what we know as chocolate.  They start to be edible after toasting, where they release their delicate chocolate aroma, but are still 100% bean, so not at all sweet.  Over the years I've been leaning more and more toward very dark chocolate..in the same way that I like my coffee black.  I feel like I'm tasting the real thing instead of eating candy.  Chocolate for me is more of a degustation than a snack.  It is a small taste of our Earth's many hidden treasures.  When I saw you could actually buy the whole untransformed toasted cocoa beans, I was thrilled.  They are slightly bitter but nice to chew on as the flavor develops while your saliva breaks it down.  When a good friend offered me a bag of these little beans, I decided to try cooking with them instead of just munching on them.  As it turns out, they work magic in oatmeal cookies!

Yield 3 dozen small cookies

Ingredients

115g (1/2 cup or 4oz) room temperature butter

105g (3.7oz) brown sugar or cassonade

1 egg

1 vanilla bean, scraped (or 1/2 tsp extract)

70g (2.5oz) flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Pinch nutmeg

1 1/2 cup oats

100g (3.5oz) dark chocolate, broken into bits (mine had coffee beans in it)

85g (3oz) roasted cocoa bean, crushed with a mortar and pestle into chunks

Directions
1.  Sift the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt together and set aside.
2.  Cream the butter and sugar together.
3.  Add the egg and vanilla and beat well until as homogenous as you can.
4.  At this point, I like to switch to a wooden spoon.  Add in the sifted dry ingredients a bit at a time until evenly incorporated.
5.  Stir in the oatmeal, crushed cocoa beans, and dark chocolate bits.
6.  Place 1 Tbsp sized balls of dough onto a baking sheet, separating each ball at least 1 1/2 inches apart.  With 1 Tbsp I had 3 dozen cookies.  They are a perfect size for me, but go ahead and make them bigger if that's what you prefer.
7.  Bake in a preheated oven at 190°C 375°F for 10-12 minutes.
8.  Remove and let cook on a wire rack at least 10 minutes before eating.

Ladies and Gentlemen.... cookie season has officially begun!

Zesty Poppy Seed Muffins

Ah muffins, it seems like forever since we last talked.. though it's true I tend to lose track of time.
It was nice to feel your voice against my tastebuds again, your aroma in my kitchen, and your purring in my heart.
The last of my precious poppy seed paste finally made it into it's original destiny... muffins.  I was afraid to "waste" it on something so simple, so I made Khus Khus Curry and Rugelachs, where it was able to shine for one of its original purposes, but I saved just enough to make muffins, which I had been wanting to do all along.
Why does it take such a long time for me to hear what I'm telling myself?

Yield 12 muffins

Ingredients

2 eggs, well beaten

100g (3.5oz) cane sugar
1 Tbsp nutritional yeast

1 packet vanilla sugar

zest from 1 lemon

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup milk

60g (2oz) poppy seed paste

60g (2oz) canola oil

3/4 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

100g (3.5oz) whole wheat flour

25g (0.9oz) cornmeal

25g (0.9oz) buckwheat flour

50g (1.8oz) raisins

Poppy seeds for garnish

Directions

1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, nutritional yeast, vanilla, milk, lemon juice and zest, oil, and poppy paste.  Beat it well.  The mixture should not be pasty.  If it is, add just a bit of milk. 

2.  Sift together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the raisins.

3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full, sprinkle some poppy seeds on top and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F.

These muffins are quite interesting indeed.  The poppy flavor is very present, and the tang of the lemon zest creeps up on you later on, which is pleasant.  I don't know why I went about mixing all those flours together, but sometimes I just do things and only realize it when I sit down to write everything I performed.  The mix worked well here.  If I had more, I would have used a full 100g poppy paste.  I had to spoon the last bit out of that darling little jar to get my 60g.  It ends up being the perfect amount.  The lemon balances out the bitterness of the poppy and the sugar is barely there.. just floating by, just to remind us that this is a muffin.

It feels nice to be baking again.. maybe I'll continue this weekend.

Rugelach with Poppy Seed Filling

Some poppy seed paste just seemed to appear into my life, and I pondered for a long time what to do with it.  It's a serious question, especially when you know you only have a small amount, and want to make the best of it without having it go to waste.  I had a similar feeling with Kaya... and in no way do I regret my choices for the nectar, but I do wish I had an emergency supply of it for my impromptu kaya desires.  The poppy seed paste, after a finger dip (aaAaaahh!) gave me plenty of inspiration.  There were the traditional "replace the peanut butter or tahini in weekly cookies" ideas, but I wanted to make it even more special.  After doing a bit of research as to how to glorify poppy seed paste, I consistently stumbled upon rugelachs.. and my childhood memories started to rush through me.  I don't know why rugelachs are such an integral party of my cookie eating history, because I probably did not eat them very often.  When I did, though, they were a real treat.  They were so common that I never thought of their origins or tried to recreate them.
Until this week...
Rugelachs in the US are part of the Eastern European and Russian culture, mostly Jewish, that have become part of daily life, such as bagels or hummus.  The difference is that rugelachs are mostly holiday fare, whereas bagels, pastrami, and hummus are everyday fare.  Poppy seed filling is the way I remember them best, but variations include honey, nuts, jam, and even chocolate filling.
Poppy seeds are the best in my opinion, and are used in many other Eastern European pastries which I may have a chance to make.. unless I make khus khus curry with the remaining paste...
Yield 64 Rugelachs
Ingredients
250g (8.8oz or 2 cups) flour
1/4 tsp salt
160g (5.6oz) cubed cream cheese
150g (5.3oz) cubed butter
1 tsp vanilla extract (I used maple syrup)
1 egg yolk, beaten
filling:
115g (4oz) poppy seed paste (or ground poppy seeds)
1/2 cup whole milk
pinch salt
50g (1.7oz) sugar
1 beaten egg
zest from 1/2 lime
juice from 1/2 lime
sprinkling:
2 Tbsp cane sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
Directions
1.  In a stand mixer or with your fingertips (as I did) mix the butter and cream cheese with the flour and salt.  Add in the beaten yolk and vanilla extract and mix well.  This will be quite messy if using your hands.  Just try to form it into a ball.
2.  Separate into 4 equal parts and wrap in plastic wrap.  Once wrapped, press into discs and refrigerate at least 2 hours.  Overnight is probably the best bet.  Do not skip this step, or you will never be able to roll the dough.
3.  While the refrigeration process is happening, make the filling.  Heat the milk and sugar in a pan until almost boiling.  Pour some of the mixture into the beaten egg and whip well.  Beat in the poppy seed paste, lime, and zest.  Pour back into the pot and heat, whisking until thickens slightly.  Remove from heat and let cool.
4.  Prepare your sprinkling.  Stir the sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg together.
5.  Get ready to roll.  Remove a disc from the fridge.

Use parchment paper to prevent from sticking.  Sprinkle some of the spiced sugar onto each side of the disc.

With a rolling pin and parchment paper on each side, roll into a 10 inch diameter, 1/4 inch thick circle.  Similar to a pie crust.

Spoon 2 Tbsp of the poppy seed filling on.  Spread it around, then cut into 16 slices, as if it were a pie.

To roll the rugelach, start from the outside of the "pie" slice and roll toward the center.

Repeat with each slice, and for each disc.
6.  Sprinkle on some more spiced sugar and bake at 190°C 375°F for 20 minutes.

Let cool for at least 15 minutes before tasting.

The zest will pleasantly surprise you long after the rugelach as been swallowed.
That is a sign you have paid attention to the details..

Long Pepper and Cardamom Cookies

After doing some research on what to do with some Javanese long pepper and having already tried it in some risotto for a satisfyingly tingly sensation, the long pepper cookie idea was incepted into my brain and I haven't been able to shake the thought since first inhaling the sweet aroma of those little berries.
This recipe is completely my own, and I let the energy flow through me in a natural way for this outcome.  I have a basic butter cookie rule that allows me to freestyle.  It's approximately 1:1:2 ration of fat, sugar, and flour.  Fat can be butter and tahini for example.  Flour can be normal or ground almonds.  With that ratio and a feel of what I want my dough to be before baking, I am able to let the creative part take over the rest.. which contributes to my zen-therapy.
Yield 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients

110g (3.9 oz) softened butter

100g (3.5 oz) cane sugar

2 Tbsp molasses

6 cardamom pods

15-18 Javanese Long pepper berries

1 tsp ground cinnamon

90g buckwheat flour

100g whole wheat flour

Pinch salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Directions

1.  Dry roast the cardamom and Javanese long pepper until fragrant, then grind in a spice grinder.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar together, then add the molasses and mix until homogenous.

3.  Sift the flours, salt, baking soda, and ground spices together.

4.  Gently add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until it all comes together.

5.  Ditch the wooden spoon and use your hands to knead it into a nice ball.  Not too wet, but not too crumbly either.  It should stay in a ball if you shape it without fallong apart but should not come off onto your fingers after shaping.  I'm now realizing that it is not that easy to describe the consistence if something with words.

I now understand why grandmothers use "until it looks or feels right" in their recipes.

6.  Preheat your oven to 175°C 350°F.

Make tablespoon sized balls with the dough and press them down onto a cookie sheer.  Press some extra cane sugar on the tops of the cookies so that they'll have a bit of sparkle and glamor when they're done.

7.  Bake for 13-15 minutes or before the edges start to darken.  These will harden if cooked too long so be careful!

8.  Quickly transfer to a cooling rack.  And try to wait at least 20 minutes before digging in.

The result?

Intriguing.  The long pepper is slightly smoky and lingers in a similar way that cardamom lingers.  The pair go well together and the aroma wafting from this creation will hypnotize every being within you...

Buckwheat Chestnut and Fig Thumbprint Cookies

It's been way too long since I've made any cookies... the insanity had to stop.  I've been imagining putting chestnut puree in cookies for a few weeks now, but my recent weekend time has been being used up by things not involving my kitchen.  Sometimes it's a good thing, other times I daydream about what I could be doing with my time had the decision been up to me, and the answer has always been MAKING COOKIES WITH CHESTNUT PUREE!!!
So now I've been able to do it.. and I had to do it on a weeknight to be sure to fit it into the schedule.  

These are actually quite similar to my other buckwheat thumbprint cookies but with a bit of chili powder to add some kick.
Yield 3 dozen

Ingredients

Dry ingredients:

200g (7 oz) buckwheat flour

80g (2.8 oz) whole wheat flour

50g (1.75 oz) ground almonds

2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp milk (optional)

Wet ingredients:

80g (2.8 oz) room temperature butter

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla sugar

180g (6.3 oz) cane sugar

1 Tbsp poppy seeds

Toppings:

chestnut purée

fig preserves

blackberry jam

whatever your sweet little heart desires

Directions

1.  Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

2.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Beat in the egg and the rest of the wet ingredients until smooth.

3.  Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until it forms a ball of dough.  It shouldn't be too crumbly.  If it is, add a bit of milk and knead it into a ball. 

4.  On a cookie sheet or parchment paper, make tablespoon sized balls with the dough and roll them between the palms of your hands.  Press your thumb into the middle of each one and fill it with the topping of your choice.  I really loved the chestnut puree idea..

5.  Bake at 350°F 175°C for 18-20 minutes until very very lightly golden.

Now that it's done it's such a relief on the psychological side (that little lingering idea I had last month has finally materialized.. so relief is the correct word), and so gratifying on the tastebuds.
Any cookie with buckwheat will just have this nutty deep flavor that I love, but the addition of chestnut puree makes it creamy goodness with a nice contrast of textures.  Crunchy on the outside, creamy and chewy on the inside.
I also did some with fig preserves that were gifted to me.  The fig works well here too, as do the blackberries, but the real star is the chestnut.
Thank you for existing...

Spicy Melon & Basil Muffins

There comes a time during a day filled with extensive research on various subjects, that I scramble to the kitchen with a desire to make muffins.  It's one of those things that once I decide to do it, there is no stopping me.  Even on days I realize I'm out of flour or eggs or bananas (usually not on the same day), it doesn't stop me.  It's like an urge I need to let be expressed.  These days, the expression lies in  herbal combinations.  I love the way herbs or spices enhance the flavor of fruity muffins, especially basil.  Hmm actually, mint or rosemary do a lovely job as well.  Oh I need to try one with cilantro next time!
And that's how a combination of melon and basil makes its way into a muffin in my house.  I had a half melon perfectly ripe, juicy, and sweet just begging to star in the show.  I was worried about the juiciness of the melon after blending it, so I added some ground almonds and corn starch as thickener.   What I like about muffins is that I'm never 100% sure how they will turn out in the end.. if they will be fluffy, flat, or even if the flavors will go well together.  The first bite is always a surprise.  That surprise notion is covered with the addition of chile powder.  Mine is very strong, so I only used a bit, but oh how it does little wonders in unexpected places!

Yield 15 muffins

Ingredients

1 egg, well beaten

1 tsp corn starch

100g (3.5oz) cane sugar

40g (1.4oz) canola oil

30g (1oz) ground almonds

320g (about 1 1/4 cup or 11.3oz) blended melon

1 handful finely chopped fresh basil

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp chile powder

1/4 tsp salt

150g (5.3oz) whole wheat flour

Directions

1.  Beat together the egg, corn starch, sugar, melon, ground almonds, and oil.  Beat it well, then fold in the basil.

2.  Sift together the flour, chile powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined.

3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 22-25 minutes at 175°C 350°F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

The juicier the melon, the longer they will have to cook at a lower temp.  I almost went for 150°C 325°F for 30 minutes, but thought of that too late.  I may have ended up with a prettier shape and avoided the brown tops, but eh.. the muffins were delicious so who really cares how they look?

These turn out very very moist and fragile, so be gentle please..

Orange Anise Almond Cookies

I've recently decided it's a good idea to drink perrier with a squeeze of orange juice for a change instead of lime or lemon.  It's such a good refreshing idea that I now find myself with a constant supply of oranges full of sweet nectar and waiting to be consumed at any time of the day, in my perrier, or with my eggs at breakfast, or just any time of the day when I open the fridge an spot one.

This morning I had a cookie flash.  Fresh oranges in a cookie.  Hey it worked with ruby red pomelos and I really enjoyed the citrus touch of those ones.  The nice twist on these is that they are gluten free.  That happened unintentionally and I only realized it as I started to list the ingredients.  It's nice to know that even if you are condemned to do that GF dance, you can still eat delicious cookies!
The addition of anise seeds was supposed to give a subtle background licorice flavor, but it was too subtle.  Next time I'll put a whole tsp of seeds.

Yield 4 dozen cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup (110g) room temperature butter

3/4 cup (185g) brown sugar

1 large egg, beaten

1 Tbsp orange marmelade

zest from 1 orange
juice from 1/2 orange

175g (6oz) ground almonds
125g (4.4oz) buckwheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp anise seeds, ground

1/4 tsp salt

slivered almonds for topping

Directions

1.  Sift together the flour, ground almonds, baking powder, salt, anise, and ginger.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and beat well until homogenous.

3.  Add the orange juice, zest and marmelade and mix well.

4.  Ditch the whip and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add the dry ingredients little by little, while mixing until all incorporated.  The end result should not be dry and should stick to your fingers.

5.  Chill the batter while you preheat the oven to 350°F 175°C.  If you chill the batter it will be easier to manipulate.

6.  Take a scant tablespoon size amount of dough and plop it onto you cookie sheet.  This might be easier with an ice cream scooper.  I don't own one of those.  Sprinkle with a bit of slivered almonds.  Keep about 2 inches of space around each one since they are going to expand.

7.  Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until they are just about to golden.  Remove and let cool on a wire rack until they set.

These are very orangey and PEPpy.  They are quite chewy, not cakey or crunchy, but bursting with deliciousness.
Perfect for this strange hail/sun/rain/heat weather we're having right now!

Minty Peanut Butter Muffins

I'm not sure how I came up with this one.  I had started my basic muffin batter and knew there would be handfuls of freshly chopped mint going in, but the banana and lime just invited themselves into the mix.  The lime was begging for a good zesting and the banana wanted a good mashing.  What's the deal with the peanut butter?  Well, it pairs so nicely with banana that I ended up asking it to join.  A request gladly accepted.
I was planning to use watermelon instead of banana and peanut butter, but I just imagined a watery unwatermelon-tasting muffin, which would beat the entire point of using watermelon.

So the real question is, do all these flavors really go together?

The blueberry lime basil muffins did, so I thought there would be a good chance for these to make it to the."Strange but Delicious" list.

Yield 15 muffins

Ingredients
2 eggs, well beaten
2 bananas, well mashed
150g (5.3oz) cane sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
3 Tbsp peanut butter
40g (1.4oz) canola oil
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
zest and juice from 1 lime
2 handfuls finely chopped fresh mint
150g (5.3oz) organic whole wheat flour
crushed peanuts for garnish
Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, mashed banana, peanut butter, lime juice, zest, and oil.  Beat it well, then fold in the mint.
2.  Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full, top with crushed peanuts and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

It turns out the flavors DO go extremely well together.  The lime is subtle, the peanut butter is not overpowering, and the mint is an excellent enhancer.  It leaves you with a refreshing pleasant aftertaste and has you coming back for more..

sort of like Pain d'Epices...

Sesame or Peanut Buckwheat Cookies

I know I've already posted several versions of Tahini cookies, and also several versions of Peanut Butter cookies.. and both versions are excellent and essentially the same except for the flavor element.

One uses tahini and is topped with sesame seeds, the other uses peanut butter and is topped with peanuts.

Other than that major factor, the doses and quantities are exactly the same, which is why I'm showing both of them.

What I did this time was swap out the ground almonds for buckwheat flour.  That's it.  And it yields a completely different cookie.  These ones are light and crunchy, unlike their dense counterparts.  It's amazing how buckwheat makes everything seem so light and airy.. light you're floating with your cookie, naturally, flying above your life.

I no longer need to look at the recipe when making these types of cookies (or muffins by the way.. they just.. happen).

Who said you can't freestyle with baking?

Yield 40 cookies

Ingredients

130g (4.6oz) buckwheat flour

170g (6oz) whole wheat flour

100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter

150g (3/4 cup or 5.3oz) cassonade or brown sugar

pinch of salt

1 packet vanilla sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

200g (7oz) tahini or peanut butter

toppings:

various colors of sesame seeds or crushed peanuts

Directions

1.  Sift together the flours, salt, cinnamon, and cinnamon.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugars together, then add the tahini or peanut butter and beat until smooth.  

3.  Get rid of your whip and switch to a wooden spoon.  Add the dry mixture little by little into the wet mixture until all incorporated.  The end result should be crumbly, but should come together if you pack it into a ball.  You may need to add 1 Tbsp water or milk at this point just to help the dough come together.  Sometimes I need to, sometimes I don't.  Knead it well.

4.  Get your toppings ready.  Take a tablespoon sized amount of dough, make a ball with your hands, then dip it into one of the toppings and press it onto your cookie sheet to the shape you want.  Since there is no baking soda or egg in this recipe, the cookies will not expand or change shape while cooking.  

5.  Bake for 180°C 350°F for about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

The correct way to enjoy these is to take a bite.  The brittleness of the cookie will have you getting crumbs everywhere.  This is ok.
Breath in deeply.
Taste the aroma and smell the flavor as it melts on your tongue and fusions with the inside of your mouth.
Now try the other one.  Do the same.
Try to decide which one you like better.  Try to compare..
but fail because they are both equally delicious and incomparable.
Both win.

Blueberry Basil Lime Muffins

Fresh blueberries make me wild.  They do to me in a fruity way what eggplant does to me in a veggie way...except it´s a rare occasion that I stumble upon fresh blueberries at all.. Not to mention finding them at a reasonable price.

It may be a color thing.  I may be wildly attracted to all purple food.

Raspberries vs Blackberries?  The blackberry wins hands down.

My female bearded dragon goes wild when she sees orange.  She just lights up and I can feel her excitement.  Purple food does this to me.  Beets, Eggplant, red cabbage, and...blueberries!
I've made muffins with fresh blueberries before, and they were excellent.  But here, we have something different.  Zesty, fresh, and bursting with berry.  I may be over using the word burst, but I like it, and it adequately describes the way I feel nowadays.
Yield 15 muffins
Ingredients
2 eggs, well beaten
150g (5.3oz) cane sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar (or 1 tsp vanilla extract)
1 plain yogurt
60g (2oz) canola oil
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
zest from 1 lime
1 tsp lime juice
1 handful finely chopped fresh basil
75g (2.6oz) organic corn flour
75g (2.6oz) organic whole wheat flour
1 cup fresh blueberries
Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, yogurt, lime juice, zest, and oil.  Beat it well, then fold in the basil.
2.  Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined.  Fold in the blueberries.
3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Now try to wait until they cool down before digging in.
I had a flash when I saw the blueberries on sale while inhaling the scent of the basil in my hands.
These two would fusion well together...I'm going to have to make that happen.
And so, these muffins were born, and they will probably have similar cousins next week.. and I may be using herbs in all my future muffins from now on...OooOoh!
Except the Tahini Muffins.  Those are sacred.

Hand-Picked Cherry Bursting Muffins

It may be too late, but I felt incredibly connected today.  After a long period without inner communication, I found much comfort in the energy flowing through me.  This energy told me to go outside and pick cherries.  Why?  Because there are 2 cherry trees in my neighborhood.  One of them has plump juicy cherries that were ripe at the end of May, and I only got to eat a few although a ton of them gorged in sweet sunlight were just begging for me to come get them.  The kids picked all the ones at my height, and after trying and failing many times to climb the tree before giving up, realizing that I might be getting "too old to climb trees barefoot" or maybe just not strong enough, the cherries had been eaten by the birds.  The other tree is not right next to the playground, so the kids don't see it, and the cherries are much much smaller, therefore uninteresting to the little monsters.  They ripen a month later than the other one, so I've been patient..waiting for the right time.  Today, the energy took me under that tree and had me pick the ripest cherries of the bunch that I could reach.  While picking, I knew exactly what I would be doing with them.  No clafoutis..no, no..

I want to make muffins bursting with cherries.

Yes!  The same way they burst when I use fresh blueberries.

And there will be almost more cherry than there is muffin.
Yield 18 muffins
Ingredients
2 well beaten eggs
90g (3oz) canola oil
100g (3.5oz) cane sugar
1 tsp Pain d'Epice spice (or allspice)
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
60g (2oz) ground almonds
70g (2.5oz) whole wheat flour
70g (2.5oz) white flour
400-420g (14-15oz)  pitted cherries
juice from 1/4 lemon
Directions
1.  Squeeze the lemon juice over the pitted cherries and let them macerate while you prepare the rest.
2.  Beat the eggs, oil, sugar, spices, and milk together.  Go ahead and give it all you've got.  Make it nice and frothy...
3.  Beat in the salt, baking powder and soda, salt, and ground almonds.  Mix well.
4.  Ditch the whip and switch to a baking spatula.  Gently stir in the flours until incorporated.
5.  Fold in the macerated cherries until evenly distributed in the batter.
6.  Grease your muffin tins, fill them to 3/4 full, and bake at 180°C for about 20 minutes.
7.  Remove and let cool before removing them or even tasting them.

These aren't the most spectacular or strange muffins, but they are delicious muffins bursting with cherries.. exactly what the energy was expecting...

Carrot Halwa Cookies

I love halwa.  I love all the sweet cardamom nutty goodness that leaves a long lasting aftertaste.

Halwa, however, is not very portable or easily distributable, and it's usually best after having eaten Indian cuisine.  Cookies are appropriate anytime, anywhere, are and don't need to be refigerated or heated.

So...I created the halwa cookie.  The carrot halwa cookie.  And let me tell you, I'm very happy I did since I don't have any Indian cuisine ready to eat after which it would be appropriate to eat normal carrot halwa.

Ha!
Yield 44 cookies

Ingredients:

100g (3.5oz) room temperature butter

300g (10.6oz) sweetened condensed milk
200g (7oz) finely grated carrots (about 5 medium)

1/4tsp cinnamon

8 cardamom pods, dry roasted and ground (about 2 tsp)

140g (5oz) whole wheat flour (or just 1 cup of each)

100g (3.5oz) almond powder
100g (3.5oz) chickpea flour
pinch of salt
2 handfuls raisins

toppings:

pistachios

unsalted cashews

Directions

1.  Sift together the flours, almond powder, and salt.  Set aside.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and add the condensed milk, cardamom, and cinnamon.  Beat well.

3.  Get rid of your whip and switch to a wooden spoon or spatula.  Fold in the finely grated carrots.   Then add the dry mixture little by little into the wet mixture until all incorporated.  The end result should be very sticky, but not as if the dough had eggs in it.  This is eggless.  Fold in the raisins.

4.  Get your toppings ready.   Take a tablespoon sized amount of dough and kindly shape it onto your cookie sheet.  Press on the pistachios and cashews (or whatever other nuts you see fit) and repeat for the rest of the batch.  I didn't have enough pistachios so half of the batch has both pistachios and cashews, and the other half has cashews only.

5.  Bake at 185°C 350°F for about 20 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

These were exactly as I imagined them to be.  Chewy yet structured, bursting with bits of different flavors at a time with that happy aftertaste of cardamom that lingers...

Tahini Fig Muffins

This morning I woke up with 3 ideas floating around..

I need a meat grinder

I want carrot halwa

I need to try putting tahini in a muffin

As I'm writing this, my snazzy meat grinder will be arriving on thursday.. (Major event), I have a batch of Indian fusion cookies finishing up in the oven, and my tahini muffins are staring at me from the table, inviting me to nibble their earlobes.

Yes..they are a major success!  I might not be the first person in the world to do it, but I freestyled the recipe from beginning to end, hoping they would come out like a muffin (and not like custard as the avocado ones did) and I'm very proud to say that they are rather delicious, especially with those baby dried figs hiding inside them!

Yield 16 muffins
Ingredients
2 eggs, well beaten
100g (3.5oz) cane sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup milk
1 plain yogurt
200g (7oz) tahini (I used Cortas)
60g (2oz) canola oil
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
150g (5.3oz) whole wheat flour
chopped dried figs for filling
Sesame seeds for garnish
Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, milk, yogurt, oil, and tahini.  Beat it well.  The mixture should not be pasty.  If it is, add just a bit of milk.  The tahini will cramp up at first, and then relax.  You need to be gentle with her.. she's new to muffins..
2.  Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt.  Carefully stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full, drop in some chopped figs (and make sure they are covered by the batter), sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F.

Tahini can almost be used interchangeably with peanut butter, so I was almost sure this would work, but I had no idea how delectable and addicting these would be!

Spicy Apricot Basil Muffins

Here's a muffin I conceptualized while making.  I knew I was going for apricot, but I didn't use any recipe for proportions and right before adding the flour, I decided to add some dried basil and chile powder.  Those things go together well when fresh, why wouldn't they work in a muffin?
Well, they work very very well, although the basil is not overwhelming.  I may double the amount next time.
Yield 16 muffins
Ingredients
2 overripe bananas, mashed
1 packet vanilla sugar
200g apricot jam (mine was 65% fruit)
80g canola oil
2 eggs, well beaten
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 Tbsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chili powder (mine is extra spicy, but use more if yours is not)
1/8 cup milk
150g whole wheat flour
Poppy seeds for garnish
Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, bananas, vanilla, apricot jam, oil, salt, baking soda, baking powder, basil, milk, and chili powder.  Beat it well until there are little bubbles.
2.  Carefully stir in the flour until just combined.
3.  Fill your buttered muffin tins 3/4 full sprinkle some poppy seeds on top and bake for 18-20 minutes at 180°C 350°F.

That's it.. eat warm or cold but don't tell anyone what's in them.. make them guess!
The small addition of spice is what makes these special.  It will have you think
"OooOooh"
and then realize you said it out loud!

Avocado Banana Muffins

Here is another avocado moment I had recently.  I figured it would work out and be low fat and low sugar as well.  Why not have the best of all worlds?

Yield 15 muffins

Ingredients

2 over ripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 (190g) avocado
2 eggs

100g blueberry jam
1 packet (7g) vanilla sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1heaping cup (130g) flour

Toppings:

shaved coconut

Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, avocado, bananas, vanilla, and jam.
2.  In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.  Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.  The texture should not be dry.. it should be very goopy.
4.  Grease your muffin tins and fill them 3/4 to the top, then sprinkle with the coconut.
5.  Bake in a 375°F (180°C) oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after a nice stab.

These are very tasty, but they do not have a muffin texture.  I thought the avocado would have the same properties as oil, but even though the raw texture was the same as my other muffins, the rising process didn't quite make it.  They are like little custard cups though, which are very pleasant and have a hint of avocado as the aftertaste.
I'd probably do this again, but as custard pie instead of muffins.  It is remarkable that they are without any added fat, and apart from the blueberry jam and vanilla, no extra sugar... and they are bursting with flavor!

Cilantro Lime Avocado Cookies

I've been speaking to my avocados, and they kindly advised me to use them in place of butter or oil in my oven.  Interesting, I replied, but won't you taint the flavors?
That's the whole point, they replied.
And so I agreed to give it a try.

Adapted from AtablespoonofLiz
yield 35 cookies
Ingredients
1/3 cup (75g) room temperature butter
1 small avocado, mashed (about 95g)
3/4 cup (120g) cane sugar
1 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp lime juice (I used 1 whole lime)
2 Tbsp lime zest (I zested 2 limes)
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro
1 3/4 cup (240g) flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
topping:
cane sugar
pinch cayenne
shredded coconut
extra lime zest if you have it
Directions

1.  Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.

2.  In a separate mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add the egg and avocado until the mixture is nice and smooth.

3.  Stir in the lime juice, zest, and cilantro until well incorporated.

4.  A little at a time, add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix well.  

5.  Plop tablespoon sized balls of dough, drop them into the topping, and press down on a cookie sheet.
6.  Bake for 175°C 350°F for about 12-15 minutes.  Carefully remove and let cool on a wire rack.

Be amazed at what a little thinking out of the box can produce.
The toppings are completely optional, but I feel like my cookies are naked without them.
The cilantro is subtle as is the avocado, but the mix of it all together is perfect with a hint of tang from the lime and a little kick from the cayenne topping.
I'd say these are a win.

Black Current Buckwheat Muffins

This week's muffins are gluten free!  I recently added that label to my posts and I've realized that most of my recipes are GF in general.  It's just that I usually eat a piece of cheese with baguette after dinner.. hehee.
I've been using buckwheat flour relatively often, but always mixed with whole wheat flour for fear of the loss of fluffiness, but these muffins are 100% buckwheat and very low in sugar (except for the fact that I added bit of black current jam in the center).  I'm not going to say that they resemble a wheat flour muffin, but that wasn't my goal at all.  I wanted a tasty muffin full of fruit and a nutty buckwheat flavor.. which is exactly what I got.
My basic muffin proportions come from my Banana Nut Muffins, and I just tweak things from there.

Yield 16 muffins
Ingredients
3 over ripe bananas, mashed

2 eggs

scant 1/3 cup (50g) cane sugar
1/2 cup black current jam + 1/2 tsp for muffin filling

1/3 cup (50g) canola oil

1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp poppy seeds

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

1cup (130g) buckwheat flour

Toppings:

Chopped walnuts

Directions
1.  Beat together the eggs, sugar, jam, bananas, oil, and cinnamon.
2.  In a separate mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.  Gently mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, then fold in the poppy seeds.  The texture should not be dry.. it should be very goopy.
4.  Grease your muffin tins and fill them 3/4 to the top, then push down 1/2 tsp black current jam into each one and sprinkle with the chopped walnuts.
5.  Bake in a 375°F (180°C) oven for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean after a nice stab.

Serve warm or cold.. both ways are marvelous and very breakfast worthy!

Next time I may entirely do without sugar (especially when using jam).