Frosted Gingerbread Bites

Finding a perfect gift for me is always easy peasy. Just buy me an Essie polish or one or two a pair of shoes and that's it. I would also be happy with a cookbook since I love to try out new recipes and treat myself. I came across the Thug Kitchen Cookbook the other day and I love it. It is one of the best cookbooks I have ever read. So witty and fun with lots of good recipes that will make you hungry instantly. Those Frosted Gingerbread Bites are the first thing I had to do when I read the recipe. Besides, who can resist gingerbread in December?? What I absolutely love about those Gingerbread Bites is the fact that they are made in no time. I love Gingerbread Men, but hate to stand in the kitchen for two hours to finish one batch of pastry.

Since the recipe is written purely humorously, I present it to you just as it is. You can find it here.

1 ½ cups flour
2 tea spoons ground ginger
1 tea spoon ground cinnamon
¼ tea spoon ground allspice
1 tea spoon baking powder
½ tea spoon baking soda
½ cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup canned coconut milk
½ cup blackstrap molasses

For the frosting:
1 table spoon coconut milk
¾ tea spoon lemon juice
1/3 cup powder sugar, sifted 

Warm the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 baking pan and put a square of parchment paper at the bottom so this motherfucker won’t stick. Grab a medium bowl and dump in the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt. Whisk all that shit around to get out any brown sugar clumps.

In a small saucepan mix together the coconut milk and the molasses. Put it over a medium low heat until the mixture just starts to bubble on the edges. Slowly whisk the coconut milk mixture into the dry ingredients until there aren’t any more dry spots. The batter is going to be thick like a brownie batter but a little spongy. Calm the fuck down before you email me and just trust that shit is correct. Pour the batter into the baking pan and gently move it around so that it is mostly even. Bake for 25-30 minutes. An easy way to check if it’s done is to poke the middle of that motherfucker with a toothpick and if it comes out clean, it’s done.

Once you see that shit is done, pull it out of the oven and let it cool for 10 minutes. Be sure to turn the oven off. Go check that shit right now, since we’re talking about it. Now you should be able to gently slide the cake out of the pan and let it finish cooling on a wire rack or plate or whateverthefuck you got. When it’s cool enough, cut it up into two-inch squares. If you want to frost that shit, I recommend doing it the day you serve the bites. 

FROSTING:

Grab a small saucepan and gently warm the coconut milk at a low-medium heat for just about 15-30 seconds. You don’t want that shit boiling, just hot. Turn off the heat and whisk in the powdered sugar and lemon juice. If the frosting looks too thin, add a little more powdered sugar. Before it starts to harden, take a spoon and drizzle it over the cake. Crisscross the drizzle and make it look all fancy or just pour that shit on if you don’t give a fuck.

Carob Cake Bars

One of my dearest friends gave me a package of Carob Powder for my birthday. At first I was overwhelmed because the only childhood memory of carob is somehow a blur, but also horrible. I just couldn't stand carob when I was a kid; the smell and the looks were awful. 

My birthday is in August and until this day I just couldn't find any good-looking recipe on the internet with carob powder as the main ingredient. Crazy, right? Do people resent carob powder as much as I did? Anyway, I called my grandma for advice and she gave me the following recipe. It included chocolate so I decided to give it a try. Guess what, I am hooked! The carob powder is not dominant in these bars, and I love that it has some fruity flavor because of the apple. Carob powder for the win.

You need:

2 cups milk

2 cups carob powder

2 cups sugar

2 cups self-raising flour

1 cup sunflower oil (or any other neutral oil)

4 eggs

1 apple, peeled and grated

For the chocolate ganache:

2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup sunflower oil

Put all of the ingredients in your stand mixer and mix it up. You can also use a hand-mixer, if you wish. Pour the batter into a greased baking tin of your choice (the bigger the tin, the flatter your bars will be) and bake for 25 minutes on 190°C. Once baked, let cool and prepare the chocolate ganache meanwhile. 

For the world's easiest chocolate ganache just put the chocolate chips and oil in a small oven-proof dish and put it in the still hot oven. Leave it there for five minutes, then stir until smooth. Now pour the ganache over the bars. Leave to cool completely. 

Enjoy!

Pecan Date Bars

Hello dear TCB readers! Long time no see, right? I was literally shocked when I saw that there was no entry in September. Not even a Pinteresting post. Wow! A lot has happened since I last posted a recipe. As you know I tend not to reveal much of my personal outside-the-blog life, but I sure can tell now that life happens when you're busy making other plans. 

I am delighted to share a great recipe with you today. It is another vegan, no bake recipe which I love so much these days. Pecans are my number one snack - they are so nutritious and rich in taste you should definitely buy some. I carry a small zip-lock of pecans in my bag as an emergency when I get hungry or need a snack right away. 

These bars are totally addictive. I love them as an afternoon snack or pre run fuel. You can even enjoy them for breakfast if you wish.

You need:

1 cup pecans

1 cup dates, pitted

1 cup shredded coconut

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup unsweetened dark chocolate (I used 80% cocoa)

Gather your ingredients and put them in your food processor. Mix until everything holds together and it is a sticky mess. 

Put the mixture in a brownie pan or any other pan you have on hand (just make sure it is not too big). Press down with your hands firmly. Put the pan in the fridge for one hour to set. Meanwhile melt the chocolate - my trick is to put it in the microwave for one minute and there you have it. 

After one hour, remove the pan from the fridge and drizzle the chocolate over the bars. Let cool in the fridge for another hour. Slice into bars and dig in.

Lemon Bars

Spring is here! I love the fact that summer is just around the corner and the first day of spring had to be properly celebrated. I just couldn't walk past some beautiful organic lemons the other day. Since I love to bake anything lemon-y, these wonderful lemon bars happened just hours later.

Recipe adapted from here.

For the crust:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 cup butter, softened

For the filling:

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup flour

1 table spoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Put the three ingredients in a medium sized bowl and mix with a fork until combined. Then put into a greased baking tin (approx. 32 x 22 cm) and press it into the bottom. Bake for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Put everything in a bowl and mix with an electric mixer on low speed for two minutes. When the crust is baked, pour the filling on over and return to the oven for another 20 minutes. Leave to cool completely, then slice into squares and dust with icing sugar.

Linked to this link-up party.

Banana Nutella Bars

My pantry is always filled with Nutella. I mean it. I can't sleep without knowing there is always a jar of Nutella for the days I need my fix. I came upon a really great recipe the other day and I had to give it a try. What can I say? Love Nutella? Love bananas? Oh, you'll definitely love this treat!

Recipe from here

For the sponge:

2 cups flour

1 tea spoon baking soda

1/4 tea spoon salt

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 cup Greek yogurt

1 tea spoon vanilla

3 ripe bananas, mashed

1/2 cup Nutella

For the frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup Nutella

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar

2 table spoons milk

Preheat the oven to 200°C and grease a pan, set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until creamy and smooth, about 3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the yogurt and vanilla extract. Mix in the mashed bananas.Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until flour disappears. Spread cake batter evenly into the prepared pan. Swirl the Nutella into the cake using a knife of toothpick.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Allow cake to cool completely.While the cake is cooling, make the Nutella frosting. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and Nutella on high until smooth. Slowly add the powdered sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Beat on high until powdered sugar is incorporated. Add the milk and hazelnut extract, if using. Beat until frosting is smooth and desired consistency.Frost the cake with Nutella frosting. Cut into squares and serve. Add some sprinkles, if you like.

Nutty Chocolate Bars

Today I want to share a family recipe from a dearest friend of mine. These chocolate bars are so so good you will definitely go for seconds. Or thirds. Or fours.

You need:

140 grams sugar

140 grams butter

2 tea spoons baking powder

4 eggs, divided

70 grams walnuts, roughly chopped

70 grams chocolate of choice, roughly chopped

100 grams flour

4 table spoons jam of choice (apricot works best for me)

Chocolate ganache

300 millilitres cream 

300 grams chocolate

Put the cream in a small saucepan and heat it until little bubbles start to form on the edge. Set aside and add chocolate. Let sit for two minutes, then stir until chocolate is fully incorporated.

Sprinkles

Cream together sugar and butter, gradually add the flour and baking powder. Mix well, then add the egg yolks and mix again. Next add the meringue from the egg whites. Mix and add the nuts and chocolate. Pour the batter in a greased baking tin and bake for 20 minutes on 190○C. When baked, let cool and spread the jam on top. Lastly, pour some chocolate ganache on top and decorate with colored sprinkles.

Coconut Bars

The past week was a tough one for me. I was exhausted and the changing weather was sucking my energy like a vamp. When things couldn't get worse I had a sore throat. And one of the many things I absolutely hate is having a sore throat. So nasty! I got to the store and saw these - of course I had to buy them.

5 pounds of sweet Clementines just for me

I am the person that eats at least one apple a day and lots of veggies, but still catch a cold sometimes. But when I do, it is either my birthday or holidays. Yes, I'm lucky like that. Anyways, I was thinking about fun recipes to make on Christmas parties.

Here's a fun recipe to try with your friends or family on Christmas eve. We used to make these bars when I was a kid and it is an interesting thing to do. These bars taste amazing and make a great addition to the Christmas dinner party.

3 eggs

8 table spoons sugar

12 table spoons flour

½ tea spoon vanilla

2 table spoons baking powder

½ cup milk

½ cup butter, melted

200 grams chocolate (I used semi-sweet)

1 tea spoon butter

20 table spoons milk

200 grams shredded coconut

First combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Gradually add the flour with baking powder, milk and butter. Pour into a greased baking tin and bake for 25 minutes on 180°C. When baked let cool for a few minutes, then slice into squares (It doesn't matter how big or small you cut them.) and set aside.

Melt the chocolate with the butter and milk. Stirr occasionally. Set aside.

Put the shredded coconut in a medium sized bowl and set aside.

Here's where the fun begins; take one square and put it in the chocolate. Make sure you cover it all in chocolate and then throw it in the coconut. The coconut has to be all around the little square. Enjoy!

Grandma's Easy Bars

This recipe is a family classic. No scale is required, you just take a coffee mug (mine holds about 1,5 deciliter) and put every single thing in a bowl. It's an easy, no fuss dessert when you have little time to please your guests. I like to bake these bars because they're so quickly done - just mix everything up and put in the oven, forget about it for a few minutes and slice them up.

They disappear really quick too! The softness and the delicious smell of these will make your mouth water. I wish I could show you how amazing they smell fresh from the oven. Unfortunately, you'll have to bake them and see for yourself how great they are.

2 coffee mugs flour, combined with 2 table spoons baking powder

1 cup yogurt of choice (I used a peach flavored one)

2 coffee mugs sugar

2 coffee mugs walnuts, finely grind

2 coffee mugs milk

1 coffee mug oil or margarine or butter

4 eggs

1 coffee mug dark chocolate, grated

Put everything, one by one, in a big bowl, mix carefully and slow, but make sure there are no lumps. The batter should be smooth and silky. Pour the batter in a greased pan and bake for 30 minutes on 180°C. When baked let cool and slice into bars. Enjoy.