I have been getting the best strawberries at the market lately. I couldn’t bear the thought of hiding them in a strawberry flavored something-or-other, cooking or mashing them beyond recognition. So I made these strawberry cornmeal cakes to show off the strawberries in all of their natural sweet goodness.

Think of it as a spin on strawberry shortcake.

It all starts with a sweet little lemon cornmeal cake base. The cornmeal adds a nice savory element and a little extra texture, but the natural sweetness of corn keeps it firmly in dessert territory. I used coconut oil and coconut milk which doesn’t add coconut flavor exactly, but does give it that certain little something that will keep people guessing. (Don’t worry coconut-haters, it doesn’t taste like coconut!)

Pile some barely-sweetened fresh berries on top and you’re 2/3rds of the way to heaven.

But it’s not strawberry shortcake without whipped cream, right? Here’s where the magic happens. I made whipped cream… without cream. That feeling? That was me blowing your mind. It turns out that you can make non-dairy whipped “cream” with full-fat coconut milk. Who knew? (Apparently half the internet. Once again, I’m late to the party.) It’s maybe a bit thicker than whipped cream, but it’s just as creamy and delightful. Even my husband likes it!

Now I know just looking at it, this dessert seems pretty predictable. But something strange happens when you take a bite. The sweet strawberries and coconut cream almost melt in your mouth, giving way to the bright lemon of the cornmeal cake. It’s both sweet and tart, creamy and crumbly. Next thing you know, you’re going back for bite after bite after bite until it’s gone.

What I’m trying to say is that I ate 3 of these by myself. I’m not sorry.

Strawberry Skillet Cornmeal Cakes

Serves 4

I made this recipe into 4 individual portions, but I believe it could be stretched to 6 if desired. If you make 6 servings, your cooking time may be slightly shorter. If you use tall, narrow ramekins your cook time may be longer. Cakes and strawberries can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.

Ingredients

1 quart fresh strawberries
1 Tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil
1 large egg
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 Tablespoons lemon juice
2 Tablespoons coconut milk
1/2 cup + 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh grated lemon zest

Dairy-free coconut milk whipped cream (recipe below)

Directions

Hull and quarter 1 quart of fresh strawberries. Toss with 1 tablespoon of sugar (or more, if your berries aren’t sweet). Set aside to macerate for at least 2 hours at room temperature, or in the fridge up to 2 days ahead.

Grease four or six 5-inch cast iron skillets or 7-ounce size ramekins with coconut oil. Set on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a small microwave-safe bowl, heat coconut oil just until liquid (20-30 seconds on High). Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

In a medium bowl, briskly whisk together egg, sugar until pale yellow, about 1 minutes. Add lemon juice, coconut milk, and cooled coconut oil, whisking to combine. Add flour, cornmeal, baking powder and salt. Whisk just until incorporated. Stir in zest.

Divide batter evenly among prepared skillets/ramekins. Bake at 375°F for 15-18 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. (Baking time will vary based on size & depth of your ramekins. Don’t be afraid to check for doneness early and often!) Cool on a wire rack to room temperature. Cakes can be baked up to 2 days ahead, covered and stored at room temperature.

Top cakes with strawberries and a dollop of whipped cream.

Dairy-Free Coconut Milk Whipped Cream

You *must* make this with full-fat (not lite) coconut milk, and it *must* be refrigerated until the point that it separates into a white solid (coconut cream) and an almost clear liquid (coconut water). Whipped coconut cream holds up well in the fridge for several days, but it will harden and need re-whipping.

Ingredients

14 ounce can full-fat coconut milk, refrigerated at least 12 hours
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 Tablespoon powdered sugar

Directions

Refrigerate an unopened can of full-fat coconut milk for at least 12 hours.

Remove can from the fridge gently, shaking it as little as possible. Remove the lid with a can opener. Using a spoon, gently scoop the solidified coconut cream off the top and into the bowl of a stand mixer, taking care to avoid as much of the liquid coconut water on the bottom as possible. (Discard or store coconut water for another use.)

Using the whisk attachment, whip coconut cream with a stand mixer until stiff peaks form – about 3-5 minutes. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, whip to incorporate.

Serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. May need to be re-whipped after chilling.

And now I’m throwing myself a fabulous pity party! Don’t worry, you’re totally invited.

The first (and only) dish at my pity party are these Mango & Ginger Ice Cream Sandwiches. The idea for these has been brewing in my head for a little while. Something about the combination of spicy ginger and creamy mango ice cream was just calling to me.

First, I made mango ice cream. I’m into altulfo mangoes (the little yellow ones) for their creamy sweetness and I’m into coconut milk in a big way lately, so that’s what I used. It’s a creamy, tangy dairy-free, egg-free tropical delight. You do need an ice cream maker to churn it, but it’s not custard based so there’s no cooking required. It literally comes together in minutes in your food processor or blender.

Pro tip: If you’re OCD like me, store your ice cream in a baking pan so that you can use a cookie cutter for perfectly round ice cream sandwiches. Ahhhh symmetry.

While the mango ice cream is good, the cookies were definitely my favorite part. I used a twist on my favorite chewy sugar cookies. I was looking for a good amount of spice so I used 3 kinds of ginger: fresh minced, ground and candied. There’s no molasses in these cookies because I wanted to taste the ginger, not molasses. The cookies are soft, chewy and pleasantly gingery. They’re not as spicy as I had hoped, but they got rave reviews from everyone who tried them! I’ll definitely be making them again.

The next obvious step was to sandwich them together. Creamy mango ice cream between two spicy sweet ginger cookies. I find them very cool and refreshing on a hot day. To appease my yearning for spiciness, I rolled the outside of my ice cream sandwiches in more chopped candied ginger. That added the zing I was hoping for!

Years ago, one of my readers pointed out that I make a LOT of chocolate recipes (naturally) and inquired if I ever made anything with mangoes. Dear reader, this one is for you!

Dairy-Free, Egg-Free Mango Ice Cream

Makes 3-4 cups

This ice cream comes together so fast, it’s almost too easy. The hardest part is cutting the mangoes, which isn’t really hard if you know how to do it. I like to cut mine like an avocado – score the insides, then scoop out with a spoon. Chef Allen Susser demonstrates how to cut a mango in this video.

Ingredients

2 large ripe altulfo mangos (about 1 pound), peeled and chopped
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups full-fat coconut milk
juice from 1 lime
pinch of salt

Directions

Puree mangoes in food processor or blender until smooth. Add sugar and puree for 30 seconds to 1 minute. With the processor / blender running, add coconut milk, lime juice, and salt. Blend until combined. Refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.

Churn in ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions.

Spicy Chewy Ginger Cookies

Adapted from Cook’s Illustrated
Makes about 24 cookies

As written, this recipe yields a pleasantly gingery cookie that will make people say, “What was in that?” (in a good way). Next time I think I will double the fresh ginger to get even more of a spicy bite to them.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons milk
1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
2 1/4 cups (11 1/4 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar , plus 1/3 cup for rolling
2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature and cut into 8 small pieces
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter , melted and still warm
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped candied ginger

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with Silpats or parchment paper.

Combine milk & ginger in a small glass. Heat in microwave for about 20 seconds. Set aside to steep.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and ginger. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together sugar and cream cheese. Whisk in warm melted butter. Add oil, egg, milk steeped with ginger, and vanilla extract. Whisk until combined. Fold in flour mixture with rubber spatula until incorporated and a soft dough forms. Fold in chopped candied ginger.

(If dough is too soft at this point, refrigerate it for 15-30 minutes until it firms enough to roll into balls.)

Place remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small bowl. Using a 1 1/2 Tablespoon cookie scoop, portion out 12 dough balls per baking sheet. Roll each dough ball in your hands, then roll in sugar to coat. Space about 2 inches apart on the baking sheet.

Bake 1 sheet at time at 350°F for 11-13 minutes, until set and just beginning to brown on the bottom. (They might not look done, but don’t over bake!) Cool on the baking sheet for 3-5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Thank goodness there are cream puffs or I would quit this job ASAP.

(Fun fact: Food blogging is not actually my job! I have a day job that involves me doing computer-y things at a computer all day long. I don’t actually get paid for blogging… except in baked goods. I think we can all agree that’s almost as good as money.)

It’s been one of those months where keep this little blog going has been a challenge. Sometimes I put too much pressure on myself to invent the next Most Awesome Recipe^TM, take the most gorgeous food photos, do something incredible in the kitchen that has never been done before. But eventually I come to my senses and just make some cream puffs instead, because who doesn’t like cream puffs? They might not be the prettiest or the coolest or the best ever, but they are pretty darn good.

There are three separate components to this recipe, but don’t freak out. Each is individually easy to make and two of the three can be made ahead of time. First is the blackberry curd. It’s packed with jammy fruit flavor and, well, just look at that gorgeous color.

Next comes the lemon pastry cream. I made it with coconut milk this time. It doesn’t taste like coconut, but it is dairy-free! The pastry cream has a good amount of lemon flavor without being LEMON. Getting the lemon and blackberry balance just right was important because bright, tart lemon can easily overwhelm the subtle blackberry. Last but not least, my favorite pate a choux to hold all of the lemon blackberry goodness.

There are two ways to assemble these cream puffs. If you’re serving them right away and don’t have to take them anywhere (which I recommend), slice the puffs in half, stuff a few fresh blackberries in the bottom, then cover them with the lemon pastry cream and a generous dollop of blackberry curd. Get ready to swoon.

If you do need to travel with your puffs, poke a hole in the bottom, use a squeeze bottle or pastry bag to fill the insides with curd and pastry cream, then plug up the hole with a fresh blackberry. You get a little less filling this way, but they’re less messy and they kinda taste like cream-filled donuts, which is never a bad thing.

Lemon Blackberry Cream Puffs with Dairy-Free Pastry Cream

Makes 10-12 large cream puffs

Ingredients

1 batch of Blackberry Curd, below
1 batch of Dairy-Free Lemon Pastry Cream, below
1 batch of Pate a Choux Puffs, below

Directions

Prepare blackberry curd and pastry cream at least 4 hours ahead, up to 2 days ahead.

Pate a choux puffs can be prepared several hours before serving, or prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer. If using immediately, let the puffs sit at room temperature. If frozen, thaw puffs at room temperature, then rewarm in a 350°F oven until warm and crisped.

There are two ways to assemble these cream puffs. If you’re serving them right away and don’t have to take them anywhere (which I recommend), slice the puffs in half, stuff a few fresh blackberries in the bottom, spoon or pipe lemon pastry cream over berries and add generous dollop of blackberry curd.

OR

If you need to travel with your puffs, use the steam-release hole on the bottom to fill the puffs. Place pastry cream and curd in separate squeeze bottles or pastry bags. Fill puffs with curd first, then pastry cream. Plug up the hole by *gently* pressing a fresh blackberry into it.

Dust with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.

Serve within a few hours of assembly, or if necessary refrigerate overnight.

Blackberry Curd

Adapted from Phemomenon
Makes about 1 cup

Ingredients

8 ounces fresh blackberries
5 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 large egg
Pinch of salt
1/2 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon cornstarch

Directions

In a food processor or blender, puree blackberries until mostly smooth. Pour blackberry puree into a medium saucepan. Add sugar, egg, and salt. In a small glass, stir cornstrach into lemon juice. Add to saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until curd thickens enough to leave whisk tracks while stirring. Remove from heat. Pour through a mesh strainer into a heat proof container, using a spoon to push curd through if necessary. Discard solids. Refrigerate curd for at least 4 hours.

Dairy-Free Lemon Pastry Cream

Adapted from BraveTart
Makes about 3 cups

I realize most coconut milk comes in 13.5 or 14-ounce cans, so you’ll need 2 to make this recipe. You can use the leftover coconut milk to make smoothies, curries, your morning coffee or just about anything else that calls for dairy milk.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
5 ounces granulated sugar
1 1/2 ounces cornstarch
pinch kosher salt
15 1/2 ounces full-fat, unsweetened coconut milk
2 ounces (4 tablespoons) fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
lemon zest from 1 lemon

Directions

In a large bowl, whisk eggs, yolk, sugar, cornstarch, and salt until combined and free of lumps.

Bring coconut milk to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Slowly pour 2/3 cup hot coconut milk into the egg mixture, whisking briskly and constantly, to temper the eggs. Add tempered egg mixture back to coconut milk on the stove, whisking constantly. Continue to cook over medium heat, whisking, until mixture becomes very thick, like pudding. (Mixture may seem over-thick; it will thin with the addition of lemon juice at the end.) Remove from heat. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla extract.

Pour pastry cream through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Stir in lemon zest. Cover bowl with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap onto the surface of the pastry cream to prevent a skin from forming. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Pate A Choux Puffs

Adapted from Ready for Dessert by David Lebovitz
Makes about 10-12 large puffs

Ingredients

1 cup water
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
2 teaspoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 large eggs

Directions

Preheat oven to 425°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat mats.

Bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a boil in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. As soon as the butter has melted and the mixture boils, using a spatula, stir in the flour all at once until a thick paste forms and pulls away from the sides of the pan. Remove from heat. Cool for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Briskly beat the eggs in one at a time with a spatula, making sure each egg is fully incorporated before adding the next, until dough is smooth and shiny.

Using a large scoop (4 tablespoon size, normally used for muffins), scoop dough onto prepared baking sheet leaving at least 1 inch of space between each. You should get 10-12 puffs.

Bake at 425°F for 15 minutes, then lower oven temperature to 375°F. Continue baking for another 10-15 minutes, or until puffs are golden brown on top and sides. Turn off oven and let puffs sit in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and poke each puff on the bottom with a paring knife to release steam. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Puffs are best used the same day they are baked, or you can freeze them in a zip-top freezer bag for up to a month.

Or two.

Fun fact: I used to skip eating breakfast every day because I hated it. I KNOW. Fortunately, I’ve grown up and matured and come to my senses. Breakfast is awesome*.

This breakfast salad with avocado, prosciutto and eggs is my new favorite reason to get out of bed in the morning.

I like to use soft boiled eggs because I can make them ahead of time and have them ready to take to work with me during the week. I have no idea if this is technically safe food handling so while I do NOT recommend that you do it… just know that I have, and I haven’t died (yet). It will work equally well with poached or fried eggs if those are more in your comfort zone.

The avocado is super creamy, the prosciutto is salty and chewy to balance with the sweetness of the tomato, and the egg yolk… oh, the silky, rich egg yolk. An ample sprinkling of salt livens up all the flavors. Last but not least, the greens hold it all together and round out the textures of this healthy and super filling breakfast. Who knew salad for breakfast could taste so good?

Do it. You know you want to. Put an egg on it.

* … as long as it’s consumed at least 1 hour after I’ve woken up.

Avocado, Prosciutto, and Tomato Breakfast Salad With Soft Boiled Eggs

Adapted from The Kitchn
Serves 1

Ingredients

1 or 2 handfuls baby spinach or swiss chard, roughly chopped
1/2 large slicing tomato
1/2 avocado
1 – 2 thin slices proscuitto
2 eggs, poached, soft boiled (see note below) or fried
salt and pepper

Directions

Pile the roughly chopped greens on a plate. Slice tomato into wedges, then slice wedges in half. Scatter on top of greens. Pit avocado and run your knife through the flesh in a cross-hatch pattern. Scoop out avocado pieces and scatter on top of salad. Tear or chop proscuitto into small pieces and sprinkle on salad. Add eggs. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper, to taste. Break yolks. Devour immediately.

Note: To make a soft boiled egg, bring a saucepan of water to a hard boil. Using a slotted spoon, carefully lower cold eggs into the boiling water. Boil 6 minutes. Remove eggs to a bowl full of ice water to stop cooking. Eat immediately.

Note: If you’re not interested in my vacation photos, skip to the bottom where I’m giving away some awesome free chocolate!

First stop, Savannah, Georgia! Savannah is such a beautiful city. There are tree-filled squares all over the city (22 in total!), historic buildings and monuments everywhere you turn, and the lovely Savannah river flowing through the middle of it all.

We worked up a good appetite exploring the city and it’s history, then headed to the most highly recommended restaurant in all of Savannah, The Olde Pink House. Guys, this place lives up to the hype. The atmosphere, service and food were all some of the best I’ve ever experienced! Our server was great at making recommendations, including suggesting that my husband add a scoop of vanilla ice cream from dessert to his stout – beer float! Like I said, basically a genius. He nearly passed out from delight.

Of course, I can’t go anywhere without finding chocolate and while The French Broad Chocolate Lounge will always be my first love, Lulu’s Chocolate Bar in Savannah is pretty great too! When I saw the double chocolate peanut butter pie in the glass case, it was love at first sight. I ate the whole darn thing.

On the way to Hilton Head, we stopped to take in the sights at Savannah National Wildlife Refuge. It was gator city in there! We must have seen more than a dozen of them sunning themselves that day. There were also tons of wading birds. This nature lover geeked right out.

When we arrived in Hilton Head, I was surprised by how green it was. I’ve never been to an East Coast beach town with so many trees! Gorgeous. I also loved how pedestrian / bike friendly the island was, with paved trails so prolific we were able to bike over to breakfast one morning. It was bliss. The perfectly executed eggs benedict at Palmetto Bay Sunrise Cafe didn’t hurt either!

There was also a large Forest Preserve and another Wildlife Refuge nearby that we enjoyed exploring.

In addition to the natural beauty, there is so much great food is available in Hilton Head! Food Network chef Robert Irvine’s restaurant Eat! came highly recommended and the food there did not disappoint. We went on tapas night so I got to try a variety of dishes. They were all good, but I highly recommend the short rib gnocchi – it was to die for! We also visited former Next Food Network Star contestant Orchid Paulmeier’s restaurant One Hot Mama’s. We saw her running around and she’s just as cute as she was on TV! Her place is known for BBQ, but I was in the mood for tacos so that’s what I ordered. No regrets. Her tacos were among the best I’ve ever had! Last but not least, Neo was our other favorite Hilton Head restaurant. Neo is a farm-to-table restaurant that boasts 90% of it’s menu is sourced within 90 miles. That would have been enough to sell me on the place, but then I spotted the Holy $#!t BBQ Pork Nachos on the menu and couldn’t resist. They are worthy of the name!

Giveaway!

We have a winner! Congratulations MonicaD! Please check your email to claim your chocolates!

Now don’t worry. I wouldn’t just disappear for a week and then make you suffer through all of my vacation photos without throwing in a little something for you too. Southern sweets shop Sucré has generously offered to give one of my very lucky readers their special 15-piece Indulge Chocolate Collection!

Sucré is located in Louisiana and they sell everything from macarons to chocolate gift baskets. They even have some great Mother’s Day chocolate collections!

To enter, leave me a comment below and tell me: What do you love about the deep South? If you’ve never visited the Southern US, tell me what you’d like to see most or your favorite place to vacation!

And now for the fine print…

US residents only. One entry max per person, per day please. I reserve the right to disqualify anyone who doesn’t follow the rules. Contest ends Sunday, May 5th, 2013 at 5pm EST. One lucky winner will be selected at random. Winner will be emailed, posted here on the blog, and announced on Twitter. In the event that the winner does not respond within two days, a new winner will be selected. Disclaimer: Sucré is not paying me or compensating me in any way for this giveaway.

Look. Compare. Here’s what all of March looked like:

And here’s this week:

FINALLY.

Spring always makes me crave lemon everything. I think it’s the bright, fresh flavor. And Spring means asparagus season, which just so happens to pair well with lemon. I think you can see where this is going.

I confessed my risotto addiction in the fall with my Cheesy Pumpkin Risotto recipe. But pumpkin is out of season and lemon is in, so let’s make Spring-y risotto!

You can use Meyer lemons or regular old boring lemons – whatever you have. They’re both delicious. I happened to have Meyer lemons which is why my lemons look a little bit like oranges in the photos.

I use pretty much the same method as the pumpkin risotto, which means we’re cheating by heating the broth in the microwave. It works and it avoids dirtying an extra pot. I give you permission to cheat.

The rest is just some easy peasy stirring. You can do this!

Speaking of peas, they’re a fantastic addition to this risotto. Also, zucchini and asparagus. Get all your Spring veggies in there!

Lemon Risotto can definitely be a dish all on its own (especially when you add some veggies), but I really like to serve it along with some pan roasted salmon (this Sautéed Citrus-Herb Salmon is my favorite) and roasted asparagus.

Spring-y Lemon Risotto

Serves 6 as a side

To make it a complete one-dish meal, stir in peas, zucchini, asparagus or all of the above at the end!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 medium onion, diced
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 to 4 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
zest of 1 lemon
juice from 1/2 of lemon

(optional) peas, zucchini, asparagus

Directions

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add arborio rice and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine to rice. Cook, stirring frequently, until wine has been absorbed. Meanwhile, pour 2 cups of chicken broth in a glass measuring cup and microwave on High for about 2 minutes, or until hot. Raise heat to medium-high. Add 1 cup of heated broth to rice and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until broth is absorbed. Repeat, adding 1 cup of heated broth and cooking until absorbed, with the remaining 2-3 cups of broth or until rice is al dente and creamy. Remove from heat. Stir in Parmesan, lemon zest and juice.

Best served immediately.

No? Me neither.

In unrelated news, here’s a recipe for making just 2 or 3-ish brownies. For those times when you don’t want to share. Or the times when you don’t trust yourself not to eat a full pan of brownies in one sitting. Or, you know, when you just really, really want a rich, fudgy, decadent brownie. Or else.

You’re going to need something other than the usual 9×13 or 8×8 pan to make these. The good news is that you have a few options. You can use an 8-inch by 4-inch loaf pan, 2 or 3 ramekins, or two of these adorable little 5-inch cast iron skillets.

Once you have your pan selected and prepped, it’s as simple as whisking, pouring and waiting.

The waiting in the hardest part.

These brownies are my favorite eaten still hot from the oven, straight out of the pan with a spoon. I won’t judge you. This is an emergency, after all!

If you must get fancy, add some vanilla bean ice cream or (pictured here) salted caramel gelato on top.

Emergency Small Batch Brownies

Serves 2 – 3 (or one if you’re bad at sharing and really love brownies)

For the 1/2 egg, beat one large egg then measure out about 1 1/2 tablespoons. If you don’t have or don’t want to buy dark unsweetened cocoa powder, substitute an equal amount of regular unsweetened cocoa powder.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon DARK unsweetened cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s Special Dark)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon water
pinch salt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 large egg (about 1 1/2 tablespoons of beaten egg)
1 1/2 tablespoons unbleached all purpose flour
handful chocolate chips (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare either an 8×4-inch loaf pan OR two 7-ounce ramekins OR two 5-inch cast iron skillets. (Line the loaf pan with foil, leaving some overhang, and spray with non-stick spray; Spray ramekins with non-stick spray; Rub insides of cast iron skillets with melted coconut oil.)

Melt butter in the microwave in a medium, microwave safe bowl.

Add sugar, cocoa powders, water, salt and vanilla. Whisk until combined, then whisk for an additional minute. Let mixture cool for a minute or two. Add egg and whisk vigorously until combined. Fold in flour, then chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared pan(s) and set on a baking sheet. Bake at 350°F. Cooking times will vary depending on pans – loaf pan and iron skillets will take 12-17 minutes, ramekins can take up to 25 (depending on how thick they are). Brownies are done when centers are set and edges pull away from the pan. (If using a loaf pan, remove brownies by foil overhang and cut into squares.)

Serve warm.

Like a lot of young girls in America, I spent some time in Girl Scouts. (Though truth be told, I would have preferred to be in Boy Scouts. Boy Scouts got to do all the fun stuff! Archery, fishing, playing with knives… though I believe they called it carving.) In my troop, it was mostly all about selling cookies and for my introverted self, it was akin to torture. What do you mean you want me to walk up to a stranger’s door, knock and then talk to them?!

I hated it.

What I didn’t hate, though, was eating the cookies, even long after I left the Girl Scouts. Girl Scout cookie time was like Christmas in Spring! My favorites were Peanut Butter Patties, Thin Mints and of course, Caramel deLites (aka Samoas).

But in recent years, I realized something had changed. Somewhere along the way, I just… stopped liking them.

I know, I know, I can hear your gasp of shock from here. But honestly, the last box of Thin Mints I bought was so disappointing I threw out the half-eaten box 3 months after I purchased them. I’m the first to admit I’m a total chocolate snob, but when your chocolate cookies don’t even taste like chocolate, it’s time to put an end to that relationship.

And so I found myself craving some Caramel deLites but not wanting to actually buy any. I was also craving coconut macaroons (not to be confused with the French cookies, macarons). Why not combine the two?

I should warn you that these Salted Caramel & Chocolate Samoa Macaroons are not the Passover-friendly type, and also that they are extremely addictive. Plus they’re pretty easy to make. I’m sorry and you’re welcome. The caramel is made in a non-traditional way that I actually found easier than making a standard dry caramel because it doesn’t seem to go from caramel to burnt quite as fast. The caramel is baked right into the macaroons too, which I love – no messy caramel drizzling!

You can absolutely eat the salted caramel macaroons plain (and they are fantastic), but to make them like Samoas, you’ll have to dip them and drizzle them in chocolate. Oh, darn.

Salted Caramel & Chocolate Samoa Macaroons

Inspired by Gillian Shaw’s Caramelized Coconut Macaroons
Makes about 24 cookies

Egg whites vary in size, so if you find your cookie mixture too runny and your cookies are forming puddles around the bottom as they bake, don’t be afraid to add a little bit more coconut and/or flour to firm things up. Keeping the mix cool will help prevent that too. The coconut oil is optional but helps to thin the chocolate some for easier dipping and drizzling.

Ingredients

4 large egg whites
12 ounces sweetened flaked coconut, divided
7 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
2/3 cup granulated sugar
6 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon salt

6 – 8 ounces dark (at least 60%) chocolate, chopped
1/2 tsp coconut oil (optional)

Directions

Whisk egg whites in a large bowl. Add half of coconut and flour, stir with a spatula or wooden spoon until combined. Set aside remaining coconut.

In a 4-quart or larger saucepan over medium-high heat, combine butter and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, until caramel reaches a rich coppery color. (Caramel may looks separated with a layer of butter on top. Don’t panic.) Remove from heat. Carefully add reserved coconut and salt (Caution: may spatter!), and stir to combine. Cool about 5 minutes.

Add about 1/4 cup of the caramel mixture to the egg white mixture at a time, stirring vigorously to combine and prevent cooking the eggs. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Mixture should be wet but not too loose or runny.

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet or two with parchment or Silpats. Scoop cookies between 1 1/2 and 2 tablespoon size, and place about 1-inch apart on baking sheet. (Return any remaining mixture to the fridge until read to bake.) Bake at 350°F for 12-14 mins, or until bottoms are golden brown. Cool about 2 minutes on the pan, then move to wire racks to cool completely.

Place chocolate and (optional) coconut oil in a small, microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30 second intervals on High until chocolate starts to melt. Continue heating in 15 second intervals, stirring well between each, until melted and smooth. Dip cookie bottoms in chocolate and set on wax paper. Drizzle remaining chocolate over top. Allow chocolate to harden at room temperature, or pop cookies in the fridge to speed the process up.

This was not the tea room—no chance of getting a decent salad or sandwich. Judging by the greasy smears on the laminated menus, cracked with either age or too many bar fights, it was either a burger and fries or nothing at all. Reading the menu only confirmed it. The only thing not deep-fried, covered in cheese, or full of fat was the sweet tea … and even that was suspect.
—The Trajectory of Dreams

I’m a born and bred Northerner. Yeah, we like iced tea, and some of us (my husband, for one) prefer sweetened tea. But sweetened tea is not Southern sweet tea. It’s just not. I read on Salon that a typical glass of sweet tea can be as much as twenty-two percent sugar. That’s a crapload of sugar!

There’s a theory that Southerners and Northerners have different taste buds—Southerners allegedly like things sweeter than the rest of us. Whether that’s true is up in the air. Over the last ten years or so I’ve visited Houston a bunch of times to see friends, and most of them really love sweet tea. Those visits contributed to getting the background right for my novel, The Trajectory of Dreams, and that includes sweet tea in at least one scene.

Ask Southerners how to make sweet tea, and you’re likely to get a million different answers. Everyone has their own version, but a standard recipe is as follows:

• Boil half a gallon of water, then turn off the burner, toss eight regular tea bags in the saucepan, and steep for at least seven minutes.
• Add one cup of sugar; stir until dissolved.
• Pour into a pitcher and refrigerate until ice cold.
• Serve over ice and garnish with lemon wedge or mint, if desired.

Now, that’s Southern sweet tea. Northerners have probably just as many variations for tea. In my family we tend to make plain, unsweetened tea brewed in the sun. It’s easy enough: a pitcher of water, six or seven tea bags, a day in the sun, and that’s it . . . although it should be noted that with sun tea, there’s a risk of food poisoning. I know, it makes you want to run right out and make it, right?

So how do I take my iced tea? Slightly sweetened with simple syrup, with the syrup added to a glass of tea (not the whole pitcher). I’m convinced I have the best simple syrup recipe for iced tea, and in honor of the launch of The Trajectory of Dreams, I’m sharing it. You will need saucepan, 4 cups of water, and 2 cups of Sugar in the Raw. Ready? It’s so complicated. Bring the water and Sugar in the Raw to a boil, cook it down for five to ten minutes, let it cool, and pour into a glass bottle with a stopper. Yeah, that’s it. Hey, sometimes simple is good!

In addition to my recipe for simple syrup, today you have a chance to win a The Trajectory of Dreams prize pack consisting of an e-copy of the novel and two awesome cookie cutters. To be eligible, just leave a comment below and tell us how you take your tea! Earn extra raffle entries by tweeting a link to this post (use the hashtag #trajectory). The winner will be chosen on March 23!

We have a winner! Congratulations to Victoria from Home and The Range, and her interesting tidbit about tea:

It seems there are, indeed, many ways to make Sweet Tea! Being new to the South…I just learned the art of making Sweet Tea ….versus Sun Tea (I hail from the Southwest), last year. I learned to add a dash of baking soda. I know it sounds weird…but it helps cut down on the bitterness from the tannins in the tea. I think I will try your simple syrup method. Sounds great!

Nicole’s Simple Syrup for Sweet Tea

If you’re not into tea, don’t worry. This simple syrup dissolves easily in all kinds of cold beverages, making it ideal for sweetening everything from iced coffee to smoothies and cocktails.

Ingredients

4 cups water
2 cups sugar in the raw

Directions

Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve sugar. Cook for 5-10 minutes to reduce. Remove from heat and cool completely.

Add syrup to taste to prepared iced tea. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Publishers Weekly calls THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS (Bitingduck Press, ISBN 9781938463440) a “skillful mainstream examination of a psychotic woman’s final descent into insanity.” The novel exposes the chaotic inner life of Lela White, a sleep lab technician and mentally ill insomniac who believes she has been tasked with protecting the safety of the revitalized U.S. space shuttle program. She breaks into the homes of astronauts to watch them sleep, and she is prepared to kill to keep those with sleep problems from the shuttle launch. Her delicate grasp on reality becomes more tenuous when annoying co-worker Trina Shook insists on moving into her house and visiting Russian cosmonaut Zory Korchagin inserts himself into Lela’s life. Korchagin’s increasing interest puts her carefully-constructed world at risk of an explosion as surely as he does his own upcoming launch. Lela’s tragic childhood unfolds throughout the novel, revealing the beginnings of her illness and long-buried secrets, and as Lela’s universe unravels, no one is safe. Buy a copy of THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS at your local independent bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or anywhere books are sold.

Goodreads | LibraryThing | Shelfari

THE AUTHOR: Nicole Wolverton fears many things, chief amongst them that something lurks in the dark. From ghosts to stalkers, her adult and young adult fiction plays on the mundane and not-so-mundane things that frighten us all. THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS is her debut novel. She is a freelance writer and editor and lives in the Philadelphia area with her husband, dog, and two cats.

MORE STOPS ON THE BOOK TOUR FOR THE TRAJECTORY OF DREAMS = MORE CHANCES TO WIN!

And that (to my surprise) I liked them even better than the strawberry meringues!

I thought maybe it was just me so I gave some to a friend who isn’t really a big fan of meringues. She couldn’t stop eating them either, which just proves that they’re amazing. I miss them already – because I ate them all.

I’ve mentioned it before, but meringues are very easy to make. You just need to whip some egg whites to stiff peaks (with a mixer, hopefully, or your arm might fall off) and add some flavoring. Then you dollop them on a baking sheet or pipe them into any shape you want, and bake until dry. That’s it!

OR… you could then dip them in melted chocolate, because coffee and chocolate pair very, very well together. The espresso somehow makes the chocolate taste more chocolate-y. Each bite of these chocolate-dipped meringues taste a lot like a sip of the foamy mocha lattes I practically lived on in college. Coffee-lovers are sure to be delighted by them!

Chocolate-Dipped Espresso Merginues

Adapted from Real Simple
Makes about 40 quarter-sized cookies

As with any meringue, it’s imperative that you not have any egg yolk in your whites or they will never reach stiff peaks. I couldn’t find espresso powder at my local grocery store, but I did find some at Target. Start checking your meringues after 1 hour of baking. The goal is for them to dry and lift easily from the pan without browning. Actual cooking time can vary based on piping size and humidity.

Ingredients

2 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, melted and cooled to room temperature

Directions

Preheat oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet or two with Silpat mats or parchment paper.

Using a stand mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites, vanilla, espresso powder, salt, and cream of tartar on medium high until soft peaks form. While beating, sprinkle in sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. Increase speed to high and continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.

Pipe or dollop meringue onto prepared baking sheets. Bake at 200°F for about 2 hours, or until meringues are dry to the touch and lift off the pan easily. Cool meringues completely on the counter (or, if humid, turn oven off and cool for 2 hours in the OFF oven.) Dip bottoms in melted chocolate and place on parchment, wax paper, or Silpats to dry.

Store in an air-tight container at room temperature.