Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Banana bread is one of my favourite things to bake. It's simple, quick, and makes the house smell wonderful. It's also so easy to adjust the flavour by adding in different mix-ins - chocolate chips, walnuts, coconut, berries - the possibilities are endless! I whipped this loaf up last week when I was craving something sweet. I changed up my original recipe (found here) with the addition of whole wheat flour. It makes the loaf slightly more dense but even more hearty. Banana bread is perfect addition to a rainy day like today when you really want to up your coziness levels.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 medium sized bananas, mashed

1 cup white all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Cream together the butter and white and brown sugars until fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in the mashed banana until combined.

In a separate bowl whisk together the white and whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Gradually add the flour mixture into the banana mixture and mix until fully incorporated. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the loaf pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle a few chocolate chips on top. Bake for 55 minutes to an hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean after inserted. Allow to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Homemade Hummus

We got a new food processor and boy is it beautiful! Beautiful and oh so sharp. As amazed as I was with the case full of blades it came with I quickly learned that this machine could be my enemy. My first attempt at making hummus with our new kitchen toy resulted in no hummus, but a couple band aids - all is well! I quickly got over it and tried again and now I am a homemade hummus convert. I looked through a few recipes to get the basic idea of what to put in. It is really so easy, and it makes a tonne! Hummus for days!! 

Ingredients

2 cloves of garlic (or 1 more for extra garlicky)
1 (19-oz) can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3 tablespoons of tahini
2 1/2 tablespoons of lemon juice
3 tablespoons of water
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

Add the garlic to the food processor and mince. Add in all the ingredients and process until smooth, or desired consistency. That's all you do! To serve drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes.

Banana Cream Pie

I only tried banana cream pie for the first time this past summer. On one of my trips to San Francisco I stopped by the infamous Mission Pie for a slice of something and the banana cream just looked so good I couldn't resist. Since it's pi day today (happy pi day!) I decided to give making one of these beauties a go! Creamy, slightly sweet and the perfect banana flavour makes this one a keeper. 

Ingredients
Adapted from Food.com

1 9-inch pie crust

2 1/2 cups of whole milk

3/4 cup white sugar

1/3 cup unbleached flour

1/4 salt

3 egg yolks, beaten 

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 tablespoon dark rum

2 tablespoon unsalted butter

3 large, ripe bananas

I was lazy and cheated and bought a pre-made crust (the pillsbury ones are really good! Just roll it out and go!) but you can make your own (try this recipe), prick it all over, bake until lightly brown and let cool.

In a small saucepan, heat the milk just before boiling and then remove from heat. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, flour and salt. Gradually stir in the scalded milk. Over medium heat, stir regularly until the mixture has thickened. Cover for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. Take a small spoonful of the heated mixture and stir into the beaten egg yolks until well combined. Combine all the eggs into the hot mixture, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. The mixture should resemble near pudding consistency - remove from heat. Mix in the vanilla, butter and rum and let the mixture sit until just warm. Thinly slice the bananas into the bottom of the pie shell and when your mixture has cooled pour evenly over top. Place in the fridge until set and ready to serve! I think it's best with the fresh whipped cream and shaved chocolate, just saying. 

Maple Almond Granola

This is the best granola you will ever have. It's filling, slightly sweet, and super crunchy. I can't seem to make it fast enough! I'll bake a batch, think it will last me the week, but it will be gone within a few days because the whole family is chowing down. It's great for breakfast or for a snack and doesn't even need berries because of the delicious addition of dried fruits. Seriously, this is the only granola recipe you will ever need. Don't you dare spend $10 on granola at the store - this is better!

Ingredients
Adapated from Pastry Affair

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon ground flax seed
1 tablespoon chia seeds
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
1/3 cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 egg white
1/3 cup chopped, dried apricots
1/3 cup dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, quinoa, almonds, ground flax, chia seeds, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add in the coconut oil, maple syrup, almond extract, salt and egg white and stir until everything is combined and well coated. Evenly spread out the mixture onto the baking sheet and bake for 23-27 minutes, until the edges are golden brown . Do not stir half way! Leave it for the full time to ensure crunchy clusters.

Allow to cool completely. Break up granola into clusters and mix in the dried apricots and cranberries. Store in an air-tight container. I have no idea how long this stays fresh for because ours is all eaten in about three days.

Lemon Pecan Squares

Introducing my first baking post of 2015.  Having said I was going to challenge myself and bake new things in 2015, you may be thinking - lemon squares? Really Joanna? This is your big baking endeavour? And to you I say - Yes, it is. I wanted to make use of my beautiful gifted cookbooks and I have lists and lists of recipes written down and bookmarked. Lemon squares were one of them. These aren't your typical lemon square - the combination of pecan and coconut gives a delicious added nuttiness, and the hint of lemon is the perfect complimentary flavour. These lemon squares can be easily changed to any citrus and nut combination of your choosing - oooh what about orange almond? Grapefruit cashew? Lime macadamia? Call it! Dibs on the lime squares. Anyways, here are my lemon pecan squares, adapted from Butter Baked Goods Cookbook.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup rolled oats
1 tablespoon ground flax
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup ground pecans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
1 300 mL can condensed milk
1/2 cup lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Lightly grease a 9x9 inch pan with butter, and line with parchment paper.

Melt the butter in the microwave at 30 second intervals until completely melted. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, flax, flour, sugar, coconut, ground pecans, baking powder, and lemon zest. Add in the melted butter and mix until well combined. Pour half of the oat mixture into your pan and press until firm and even spread.

In a medium bowl, gently whisk together the condensed milk and lemon juice until combined. Pour the mixture evenly over your oat base and sprinkle the remaining oat mixture over the filling. Bake for 23-28 minutes, until the edges are lightly browned. Allow to cool completely before cutting. Squares are best served chilled from the refrigerator.

Homemade Twix Bars

Halloween is almost here! I love Halloween. I love making a costume and parading around in it for all to see,  but what I love most about Halloween, is fun sized candy bars. They're delicious and yet so dangerous. I've somehow managed to resist buying a box of candy and thus thankfully avoided the dreaded stomach ache after chowing down on forty bars of fun. This year I decided to make a homemade version of a favourite candy bar, Twix! These classic treats offer the buttery, cookie crunch of shortbread, topped with creamy caramel, all dipped in smooth, milky chocolate. You could make these into normal sized bars, but fun sized is obviously more exciting. Are you excited? You should be excited.

Ingredients
Adapted from Whisked and A Beautiful Mess

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
Pinch of fine sea salt

350g of soft caramels
1 1/2 tablespoons cream

1 bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a square 9x9 inch pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, flour and salt until crumbly. Evenly press the crumbly mixture into the bottom of the pan until firm. Prick slightly with a fork to avoid air bubbles and bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are lightly browned.

While the cookie base is baking, melt the soft caramels and cream together in a sauce pan on medium-low heat. Stir occasionally to avoid burning. When the cookie is baked, allow to cool for 5 minutes and then pour the caramel on top. Spread it as evenly as possible and allow to sit until hardened. You may put it in the freezer to quicken the process.

When the caramel is set, remove the cookie from the pan and slice into bars of your desired length. Place the bars in the freezer. Melt together the semi sweet chocolate chips and vegetable oil, over 30 second intervals in the microwave. Remove the bars from the freezer and dip into the chocolate, ensuring they are fully coated. Allow the chocolate to set - again you may put in the freezer to speed up the process. Your last step is to overindulge and eat them all in one sitting.

Oatmeal Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies

After a huge berry haul from picking this summer, we have an abundance of strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries in the freezer waiting to be baked into deliciousness. Uninspired by the typical muffin and fruit crisp recipes. I was looking for something completely different to incorporate our frozen berries into. Finding this recipe on Pinterest was a dream come true! These cookies are close to a muffin top (Seinfeld dreams coming true - top of the muffin to ya...anyone?) but the best part is the burst of blueberry! If you're not a fan of blueberry I'm positive a raspberry dark chocolate combination would be just as good. These cookies are best served day of, still warm. 

Ingredients
Adapted from Lady and Pups

1/2 cup of unsalted butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup frozen blueberries

Preheat your oven to 365 F and line your baking sheet with parchment paper.

In a small saucepan on medium heat brown the butter (click here for tips) and then allow to cool for 5-10 minutes. Once cooled, whisk in the white and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, sea salt, cinnamon and baking soda. Gradually stir into the butter mixture. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix in the oats and chocolate chips. Gently fold in the frozen blueberries, until combined, ensuring not to squish many berries in the process. Round 1 tbsp of the dough into a ball, place onto your prepared baking sheet and lightly press down. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the bottoms are lightly browned.

Apple Cinnamon Granola

I am always going through food phases, especially breakfast phases. Sometimes I'll be eating oatmeal every morning, every day, indefinitely. Sometimes I'm really into soft-boiled eggs. Right now I'm into granola, and thankfully it is the easiest thing to make at home. I love to eat mine with almond milk and some berries on top but it's great with yogurt too (obviously, if you didn't know that, get with it)! For this granola recipe I wanted to make use of our delicious Ontario MacIntosh apples, and I also added in some cinnamon to spice things up. Feel free to  change up the flavours with different fruits, nuts, and spices.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/4 cup ground flax

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 small apples, chopped

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons maple syrup

Preheat the oven to 325 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl combine all the ingredients until everything is well mixed, and the oats and seeds are moistened. The mixture should clump together slightly, but if it is still looking dry add in a little more oil and/or maple syrup until moistened. Evenly spread the mixture out on your baking sheet and bake for one hour, stirring half way to avoid burning. Allow to cool completely before storing.

Note: Feel free to change up the olive oil for coconut oil or the maple syrup for honey! If you're going to add any dried fruits add them after baking so they're still soft.

Classic Banana Bread

Well I think it's about time I had a classic banana bread recipe on the blog. Scrolling through my past posts I realized I only had one banana bread option over the past year and a half! With the start of my favourite season, and the cool, fall air outside, it seemed like the perfect day to make banana bread. I've made this recipe so many times, and it never fails. It's moist, perfectly dense, with just a hint of sweetness. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
3 medium size bananas, mashed

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a loaf pan. Cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs on at a time. Mix in mashed bananas until combined. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Gradually add the flour mixture to the banana mixture, until just moistened. Pour the batter into your loaf pan and bake for 1 hour, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Peach Berry Cobbler

Last week Mom and I headed out to pick some blueberries. Originally we were just going to pick a few, not enough for jam but enough to snack on and maybe some to freeze. Oh man, we ended up with about 4 litres. There were also so many raspberries! We just couldn't stop picking. So now we have a freezer full of berries and I'm making everything and anything I can with them. Since peach season is also coming to a close I decided to throw them into this cobbler as well. 

Ingredients

2 cups raspberries

2 cups blueberries

3 large peaches, pitted and cubed

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

4 teaspoon baking powder

5 tablespoon sugar

5 tablespoon butter, cold and cubed

1 cup 2% milk

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease a glass baking dish or cast iron pan. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the fruit with the lemon juice and vanilla. In a separate bowl stir together the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Combine the fruit and flour mixture until the fruit is lightly coated. Pour into your pan and set aside.

In a large bowl stir together the flour, baking powder and sugar. Using two knives or a pastry cutter, cut the butter into this flour mixture until it forms into a crumbly, sand like mixture. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk. Mix together just until moist and mostly holding together. Break the dough into small, lightly flattened balls and place onto the fruit. Sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving. 

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Bread

Hey! I'm back again! I know this summer hasn't been the best for blogging, but I really enjoyed my time working for LiNK and don't regret missing out on posts one bit. Now that I'm back in Canada, I'm hoping to get back into baking. You know how my baking mood usually strikes at the strangest of times. Well this week I had arrived home from the cottage late afternoon and seriously felt the need to whip up something sweet. I quickly decided on chocolate chip zucchini bread, seeing as I had never made it before and I already had most of the ingredients in my kitchen. This bread is incredibly moist, with a hint of sweetness from the chocolate. It's perfect for a quick breakfast or a mid-afternoon snack. 

Ingredients 
(Adapted from A Beautiful Mess)

1 1/4 cup grated zucchini (appx. 1 zucchini)
2 eggs
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 F and lightly grease one loaf pan. Finely grate the zucchini. Combine the zucchini, eggs, white sugar, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix the dry ingredients into the zucchini mixture, until just combined. Gently stir in the walnuts and chocolate chips. Pour the batter into the loaf pan and bake for 55-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before serving.

Belgian Waffles (with Maple Syrup)

One of my favourite childhood memories is waking up on a summer morning at the cottage, to the smell of homemade waffles. Nobody makes better waffles than my mother, that is a fact. They're perfectly crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside, and best topped with real maple syrup and fresh berries. I was recently given a bottle of Lake of Bays Maple Syrup, and love pairing it with oatmeal, pancakes, but especially waffles. It is light in flavour, and perfectly sweet, the aroma alone will have you wanting to drown your breakfasts in real maple flavour. 

Ingredients

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

3 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 egg yolks

1 1/2 cups milk

2 egg whites

In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the vegetable oil and egg yolks. Gently stir, slowly adding in the milk. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Gently fold the whites into the waffle mixture - making sure not to over mix. Pour a scoopful into the heated waffle and cook according to your iron's instructions. 

Coconut Lime Pull-Apart Bread

Maybe I should consider changing the title of this blog to something with coconut in it. I think nearly everything I've been baking recently has coconut. Or lime. This bread is no exception. It is similar to a cinnamon bun except instead of cinnamon it uses coconut oil, toasted coconut, and lime zest to ensure a sweet and tangy taste. It's moist and chewy, and perfect for dessert, but better for breakfast!

Ingredients

(Adapted from A Beautiful Mess)

1/4 cup warm water
2 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast
3 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons melted, coconut oil
1/3 cup light cream
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Filling:
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons lime zest
1/3 cup toasted coconut

Glaze:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons lime juice (about 1 lime)
1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a small bowl combine warm water, pinch of salt and yeast. Allow to rest for at least 8 minutes, until foamy. In a large bowl, combine flour, brown sugar and salt. Stir in the yeast mixture, melted coconut oil and cream. Mix in the eggs and vanilla. Stir until combined and form into a ball of dough. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for about 5 minutes. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover, and rise for at least one hour, until it has doubled in size.

Preheat the oven to 350 F. After the dough has risen, roll it into a large rectangle (1/4 inch thick) on a lightly floured surface. Brush with melted coconut oil and sprinkle with sugar, zest and toasted coconut. Cut the dough into small rectangles, stack, and place in a lightly greased loaf pan. Allow to rest for at least 10 minutes. When ready, bake for 35 minutes. Whisk together the glaze ingredients until smooth. After allowing the bread to cool for 10 minutes, pour the the glaze over top and sprinkle with more toasted coconut. Now dig in while it's still warm and gooey!

Chocolate Almond Cookies

The month of April was been insane. With what seemed like hundreds of school assignments, a fake humanitarian crisis, figuring out U.S. visa regulations, and preparing for a much needed vacation, there was a great need to bake but little time for it. So I came home one evening and just started making cookies because I could and I needed to. Cookies can be such a comfort. They take little time and effort to make and are always so satisfying. Given the stress of the week I also needed chocolate. Chocolate almond cookies were made, and they did just the trick. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Joy the Baker)

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cup white all-purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
Sliced almonds

Preheat the oven to 350 F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugars until fluffy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Gently stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop approximately one tablespoon of cookie dough onto the baking sheet, about 1.5 inches apart. Take a few sliced almonds and stick them into the top of the cookie. Bake for 10-12 minutes, just until the bottoms are lightly browned. Allow to cool slightly before eating.

Key Lime Pie with Coconut Crust

Last week I had an interview for an exciting internship opportunity over the summer in California! I'll talk more about this later but to ease my nerves that morning I woke up and baked a pie. It seems rather ambitious to bake a pie before an interview rather than other sorts of preparations, but baking calms my nerves! So a pie it was. Mom and I have been going crazy over a local food truck here called the Itty Bitty Pie Company that make the best miniature key lime pies in the universe, and ever since we found them I've been itching to replicate. After searching through several recipes, I finally found one that was simple enough to whip up in a couple hours. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients
(Adapted from Hummingbird High)

Crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (appx. 14 crackers)
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
6 tablespoons of virgin coconut oil

Filling
14 oz sweetened condensed milk
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1/2 tablespoon lime zest

Preheat the oven to 375 F. In a food processor, combine graham crackers and shredded coconut until crumbly. In a bowl mix together the crumb mixture, coconut oil and sugar until moist. Using your fingers press the mixture into a 9 inch pie dish, until evenly spread. Bake for approximately 10-12 minutes, or until lightly browned. Allow to cool completely.

Lower the oven to 325 F. In a bowl, whisk together the condensed milk, egg yolks, lime juice and zest until just mixed. Pour into your cooled crust. Bake for 15 minutes, or until solid but still slightly jiggles. Allow to cool before serving. Top with whipped cream and lime zest.

Note: I know this is technically supposed to be key lime but we had lots of regular limes so I used those and it was still fantastic. Lime Pie just doesn't have the same ring to it.

Coconut Brownies

I always think I don't like brownies. If I'm in a bakery or a cafe, no part of me is thinking about choosing a brownie. Even when I'm browsing through recipes I'm always like "Meh, brownies." But then for some reason I'll buy one or I'll make a batch and I'm like, "Ohh yea...brownies." So of course I had to make a coconut-ty version of them to satisfy all the needs. These brownies are still the perfect amount of chocolate with a slight hint of coconut. If you want to jazz them up even more you could add a hint of espresso powder or some coffee chips to give them a light mocha flavour.

Here's the recipe:

Adapted from the Pastry Affair

Ingredients 

4 tablespoons solid coconut oil
4 oz of semi sweet chocolate, chopped
2 eggs
3/4 cups brown sugar
3 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1.5 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 9x9 square pan with aluminum foil and light grease.

In a saucepan, melt together the coconut oil and chopped chocolate until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool for five minutes. In a small bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Once the chocolate has cooled slightly, mix in the egg, sugars and vanilla. Gentle stir in the flour, baking powder and salt making sure not to form an air bubbles. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour into the greased pan and spread evenly. Sprinkle the shredded coconut on top until covered. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out (mostly) clean.

Three-Layer Pineapple Cake

Over the past couple months I've been really into cakes. I've never really been a cake lover either, I'm more of a pie girl. But lately! Lately I've just had an itch at making these sweet, layered, beauties. It is a well known fact on this blog that anything coconut-y (or with the potential to become coconut-y) is an immediate favourite in my books. Add that hint of coconut flavour to a moist, pineapple cake, smothered in whipped cream and you've got yourself a winner. I found this recipe on one of my regular browses through Pinterest and as soon as I got home that night I headed straight to the kitchen and began baking away! Though there are quite a few steps involved, this cake comes out stunning and delicious. I'll be surprised if it's not the best cake you've ever had. Here's my take on the three-layer pineapple cake:

For the cake:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3/4 cup low-fat vanilla yogurt

20 oz can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare 3- 8 inch cake pans, greased and lined with parchment paper. In a medium sized bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, soda and salt. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs and sugars on medium speed, until creamy. Add in the vegetable oil and coconut extract. Gradually add in the yogurt and dry mixture, alternating between the two until just combined. Gently fold in the drained, crushed pineapple. Evenly distribute the batter between the cake pans, and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. 

For the filling:

20 oz can crushed pineapple

1.5 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoon water

In a small saucepan, heat the pineapple, sugar and water, until the liquid has evaporated and the mixture is thick.

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 dark rum

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. When the sugar has evaporated, remove from heat. Allow to cool and stir in the rum.

2 cups whipping cream

1/2 cup icing sugar

Whip the cream and icing sugar together until stiff peaks form. Allow to chill.

3/4 cup toasted coconut

Once the cakes have completely cooled, you can begin assembling the cake. Starting with one cake as the base, soak the top of the cake with the rum syrup. Next gently spread a few tablespoons of the crushed pineapple mixture on top. Spread about 3/4 cup of whipped cream on top and lightly dust with toasted coconut. Continue these layers until your cake is completely assembled. Allow the cake to chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve. For serving, gently saw with a serrated knife, making sure not to crush the cake. 

I know this cake will be the perfect summer dessert and am already dreaming up some cupcake versions of it to bring to parties and BBQs!  

Vegan Tuna Salad

We're coming up to my one year vege-versary - nearly one year since I became a vegetarian! The year has flown by and I'm proud to say that I love this new lifestyle and change in eating habits. My body feels so much better (and so does my conscience - watch a few food docs and you'll understand). Though I have eaten fish occasionally (I know, I know, that technically makes me a pescitarian, but it made the transition easier) I usually prefer not to - my body just feels better when I don't. All that being said I'm always looking for new recipes that are simple to make, delicious, and easy to take on the go while still being nutritious and limited on animal products. Enter Oh She Glows. This is a fantastic food blog filled with so many delicious vegan recipes that are so incredibly easy to make - all with a very high score on the yum scale. I spent a good few hours browsing the blog and marking future food ideas, and the first one I decided to try was vegan tuna salad. It's filling, full of protein, and tastes so good you don't even need it in between bread, just grab a spoon! Here's my version of the recipe:

Ingredients 

1 cup raw almonds, soaked

1 celery stalk, chopped

2 green onions, chopped

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons cultured coconut milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Pinch of salt

Pinch of black pepper

In a bowl, soak the almonds in cold water for up to 9 hours - they'll look all plumped up when they're ready. In a food processor, chop the almonds  until they are a fine, flakey consistency. In a large mixing bowl, combine the flaked almonds, celery, green onion, cucumber, cultured coconut milk, mustard and lemon. Sprinkle with desired amount of salt and pepper. Serve chilled. 

I used crackers to dip into it, but ate most of it with a spoon. It would also be great in a pita with some romaine and additional cucumber slices!

Note: Cultured coconut milk is similar to yogurt, but dairy free. Don't be scared of it! It's delicious! You could also opt to use veganaise, mayonnaise, or greek yogurt (the latter two making it non-vegan) depending on what you have on hand.

Almond Coconut Energy Bites

On some of my favourite food blogs, and all over my Pinterest feed, I keep seeing variations of these protein packed energy balls. They deceivingly look like they could be some sort of chocolate-coconut concoction but when I peek at the ingredients they're always filled with loads of ingredients that I definitely don't have in my cupboards (though a frequent whole foods shopper might). If you frequent any health food and vegan blogs you may have stumbled across ingredients such as maca powder, or carob powder and had the same thoughts as I did, what in the heck am I gonna do with those! Upon further reading they're supposed to have all sorts of benefits, but when 'creation mode' strikes I usually stick to what I already have on hand.

These energy bites are packed full of goodness with simple ingredients, a slight nuttiness, and a hint of sweetness. What started as following a recipe quickly became me dumping ingredients into the food processor until things seemed right. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients

1/3 cup almond butter

12 pitted dates

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1/4 cup oats

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

2 tablespoons chia seeds

1 tablespoon coconut oil

2-4 tablespoon maple syrup

In a food processor, combine the almond butter and dates until well blended. Add in the coconut, oats, flax, and chia seeds, and mix until it the mixture is similar to fine granules. Mix in the coconut oil and gradually add in the maple syrup until the mixture can hold itself in small balls. After everything is combined, roll the mixture into approximately 12 balls and roll into additional coconut (you could also leave them plain or roll them in sesame seeds or other nuts for something different!). Freeze until ready to eat! 

This recipe is great because you can adjust the ingredients to various nuts and seeds depending on what you have on hand or what your taste buds prefer. They're a great mid-afternoon pick me up without too much guilt!

Earl Grey Cake with Honey Buttercream

Remember that time I said I was going to lessen the food and just up the overall happy? Well food makes me happy and lately I've been baking up a storm so here's another recipe! Believe it or not I've actually been baking more than both the blog and Instagram might suggest - which really means I've been going baking crazy because there has been no shortage of food posts on either. 

The Pastry Affair is probably the best food blog out there. All the recipes I've tried are easy and delicious. She always has cute quotes to accompany the gorgeous food pictures and the ingredients are usually already in my cupboard - A++! That being said whenever I need some baking inspiration the Pastry Affair is where I go. Within a couple clicks I'm guaranteed to feel the creative juices flowing. Last week I really wanted to make cake but wanted it to be a bit "jazzier" than regular ol' chocolate or vanilla. Enter tea cake. A simple cake recipe with a deliciously light tea flavour, and honey buttercream frosting on top combine to give you one of the best ideas ever - tea you can eat!

Here's the recipe (adapted from the Pastry Affair): 

Ingredients

1 cup 2% milk

2 tablespoons Earl Grey Tea
(I used David's Tea 'The Earl's Garden')

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350 F and lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.

In a small saucepan, warm the milk until simmering and stir in the Earl Grey tea. Remove from heat and allow to cool. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, until well incorporated. Add in the vegetable oil and vanilla until fully combined. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gradually mix into the butter mixture until combined. Finally, stir in the tea and milk until the batter is is smooth (you can choose to leave the tea leaves in or out - I put in about half). Evenly spread the batter into the two cake pans and bake for 20-24 minutes, or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Allow to cool before icing or serving. 

For the honey buttercream, I completely followed the recipe on the Pastry Affair, with the addition of about 2 tablespoons of milk. 

I love the look of a naked cake, with the icing only in the middle and on top. There's something so rustic and cozy about the simplicity of it. If you're feeling fancy pipe a few designs on the top to make it extra pretty - I attempted some buttercream roses but they're more like swirlies. I just loved this cake, finally I can drink my tea, and eat it too!