Chocolate Meringue Cookies

I love chocolate meringue cookies.. maybe even more than these CCC!

These Chocolate Meringue Cookies are super delicate with a thin crisp exterior and a soft moist interior. I can totally eat a handful at a time without feeling too guilty. The chocolate flavor is rich, and the nuttiness from the pecans compliments it just perfectly. A couple minutes is all you need to whip them together, and you can have cookies in no time.

I actually made something similar back in 2010 - link here.

Chocolate Meringue Cookies
recipe adapted from Dramatic Pancake
makes about 13 cookies

2 egg whites
a little less than 1/4 cup sugar
6 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted and cooled to room temperature
½ tsp vanilla
¾ cup chopped pecans

optional: 1/4 tsp espresso powder 

5 ingredients..

fold everything together

dollop and bake!

1. Beat egg whites, slowly adding in sugar, until the mixture forms soft peaks.
2. Gently fold in melted, cooled chocolate, vanilla and nuts, and stir just until blended.
3. Drop by spoonfuls, 2 inches apart, onto a greased baking sheet.
4. Bake 12 minutes in 350° oven.
5. Cool for 2 minutes, then transfer to platter.

*could probably use 1-2 mins more in the oven

craggy delicate crust

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Rich and nutty! So tasty!

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Love the crisp exterior with the chewy interiors.

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Banana Bread [no butter + no oil]

It's pumpkin season.
And my second bake with pumpkin ever.
(first bake here)

With the overwhelming amount of pumpkin recipes and posts, I had a hard time deciding what I should bake with my left over pumpkin puree.

Pumpkin scones - starbucks copycat recipe..
Pumpkin crumb cakes - i loveee crumbs/streusel..
Pumpkin cheesecakes - with a graham pecan crust..

Pumpkin puree would be a great wet ingredient in creating some moist/tender cakes and breads. Seeing my overripe bananas and leftover Greek yogurt, I decided on this bread that combines the best of everything and can be served anytime of the day. Healthy for on the go breakfast and also indulgent (with the chocolate chips) to be a delicious afternoon snack.

The bread was lightly sweetened with the natural sweetness from one banana, 1/4 cup of maple syrup and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. The spices were well balanced and did not overwhelm the pumpkin and banana flavors. This bread would be great on any Thanksgiving spread.

Greek Yogurt Pumpkin Banana Bread
recipe adapted from Running with Spoons
makes one 9x5" loaf

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
¼ tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. sea salt *used 1/4tsp
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 large, ripe banana (~1/2 cup mashed)
½ cup pumpkin puree
½ cup plain Greek yogurt
¼ cup (82g)* maple syrup *used 50g
¼ cup (50g) brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup chocolate chunks, semi sweet 

1. Preheat oven to 350ºF, and lightly line/grease a 9x5"bread pan. Set aside.
2. In large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir until well combined and set aside.
3. Lightly beat eggs in medium sized mixing bowl. Add mashed bananas, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir until well combined.
4. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir gently. Do not over mix.
5. Fold in any add-ins you wish to include.
6. Pour batter into pan, spreading it out evenly, and bake for 60 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
*After 45 minutes, cover with a sheet of tin foil to prevent the top from getting too brown.
7. Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes before transferring to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Wet ingredients - before mixing.

Wet ingredients - after mixing.

Wet + Dry + Add ins.

After folding in dry, fold in any add ins!

Nice thick batter.

Ready to bake.

After 60 minutes of baking. 

The texture is soft and tender- thanks to all the good wholesome wet ingredients. The crust was nicely browned and had a chewy texture. The chewy texture pairs well with the soft interiors. 

Taste: 4.5 stars out of 5

Texture: 4.5 stars out of 5

Peanut Butter Pecan Pumpkin Seed Granola Bar [no bake]

MY FIRST GRANOLA BAR.

& they are #momapproved.

Simple, no bake and packed with wholesome ingredients!

Eat them for breakfast, mid morning snack, afternoon snack, or anytime throughout the day when your snacking addiction kicks in. 

I must first confess that I was never a fan of granola bar.
(I am ok with the KIND bars.)

But, I better restate that now.. 

Homemade granola bars are THE BEST!

&Look at the two store bought granola bars and their ingredient list below..

Yes, homemade is the one and only way to go with granola bars.

Long ingredient list o_o

Peanut Butter Pecan Pumpkin Seeds Granola Bar

recipe adapted from Minimalist Baker

makes one 8x8 pan (about 12 bars)

Base:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats, roasted

1 cup packed medjool dates, pitted (~13 pieces)

1/4 cup maple syrup

Variables:
1/4 cup creamy salted natural peanut butter
1/2 cup raw pecan pieces, roasted

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds, roasted 

1/4 cup coconut flakes, roasted

2 tbsp chia seeds

Drain the dates.

Maple syrup and peanut butter.

Mix mix mix.

Press press press.

1. Process dates in a food processor until small bits remain and a dough- like ball forms.

*I pitted and chopped my dates, soaked them briefly in hot water and drained before processing.

**Next time, I would wash and drain them whole first.
2. Toast oats/nuts at 350F for 15 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Toss occasionally.

*I added the coconut flakes in for the last 5 minutes.
3. Place oats/nuts/seeds and dates in a bowl. Set aside.
4. Warm maple syrup and peanut butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir and pour over oat mixture and mix, breaking up the dates to disperse throughout.

5. Once thoroughly mixed, transfer to an 8x8 dish or other small pan lined with plastic wrap or parchment paper.
6. Press down until uniformly flattened. Cover with parchment or plastic wrap, and let set in fridge or freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden.

7. Remove bars from pan and chop into bars. Store in an airtight container in the fridge/freezer. 

This is a super versatile recipe, and there are limitless flavor and texture combinations to play with.

Here are some other things I already have in my pantry that i can't wait to add into my next granola bar:

• almonds (whole and sliced)
• cacao nibs
• cinnamon
• nutmeg
• matcha powder
• applesauce
• bananas
• coconut oil
• white sesame seeds
• black sesame paste

I would also love baking them to see how that changes the texture. These no bake were on the moist side and were sticky to touch. 

Taste: 5 stars out of 5

Absolutely tasty and satisfying for the sweet tooth.

Texture: 5 stars out of 5

Good balance of crunchy and chewy.

Re-purpose the parchment paper that lined the pan to store these bars!

#nobakenovember