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.

Strawberry Rhubarb Oat Squares

Another trip to the cottage calls for more dessert! Since I had the afternoon off before heading up, I dedicated my time to whipping up some well deserved treats. Knowing I had rhubarb and strawberries in the freezer, I was looking for recipes that weren't pie but would still incorporate both ingredients. Having pinned plenty of strawberry recipes in June (in preparation for the picking season), I found this recipe on a Pastry Affair. Though the recipe calls for strawberry jam, I didn't want to use up my precious supply on squares so I substituted it with my beloved frozen fruits. It turned out great! We ate them as squares with tea, and also warmed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for dessert. It was the perfect pie replacement for summer - not to heavy, but still sweet-tooth-satisfying.

Ingredients

6 tablespoon salted butter

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 egg

1/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup chopped rhubarb

1 cup chopped strawberries

4 tablespoon sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Spray an 8 inch square pan with cooking oil. In a small saucepan on medium heat, add the rhubarb, strawberries and sugar and reduce until a jam-like consistency, stirring occasionally. In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the egg and honey. Mix in the oats, flour, baking soda and cinnamon until combined. Press approximately 3/4 of the batter into the bottom of the pan until it is covered. Pour the strawberry-rhubarb compote overtop and spread evenly. Crumble the remaining batter on top until it is well covered. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

They are definitely best served warm, and if you're in cottage country hunt down some Kawartha Dairy Ice Cream and you'll be in heaven. I would also try this with blackberries, raspberries or apple - or all three for bumbleberry!

Strawberry Shortcake

Strawberry shortcake is my all time favourite dessert, no question. On most birthdays I've requested it over birthday cake, I've deemed it the perfect Canada Day dessert (red and white!) and if I'm ever asked for my opinion on what should be had, it's strawberry shortcake, always. So remember how I went strawberry picking a couple weeks ago? Well not only did we make some homemade jam, but we also had tonnes left over to freeze and use for future desserts - strawberry shortcake being one of them.

There are a few variations of this dessert, from layered cakes to mini angel food cakes but I decided on the classic layered biscuits - I'm also a big fan of individual portions. I first tried this recipe from Martha Stewart but it was a huge fail and I ended up with what seemed like gigantic pancakes. After scrounging through the internet some more I settled on adapting this recipe from one of my new favourite food blogs, Pastry Affair. They are dense and wholesome and were the perfect base for strawberries and cream.

Ingredients 

2 cups slice strawberries

1 tbsp sugar

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/3 cup cold salted butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup 2% milk (or half and half cream)

1 cup whipping cream

To start, line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400 F. Sprinkle the sliced strawberries with 1 tbsp of sugar, and set in the fridge until needed. Whisk together the flours, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small cubes and cut into the flour mixture until it is crumbly. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, vanilla and milk. Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and combine until just mixed and a dough begins to form. Knead the dough together a couple times to bind it and then roll it out onto a floured surface. Cut 3-inch rounds using a biscuit cutter or glass and transfer to the baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the bottoms are golden brown. While the cakes are baking, whip the cream using an electric mixer on high speed until firm peaks form. Wait for the cakes to cool slightly, cut the in half and layer with strawberries and whipped cream. There isn't much else left to say other than enjoy! I could eat these biscuits plain with butter or jam even, but of course everything is better with strawberries (and much better) with whipped cream. You could also try adding in some chopped rhubarb or diced strawberries to the biscuits for even more flavour. Excuse me while I go feast...