Cappuccino Biscotti

I love making biscotti around the holidays. Because they are naturally drier, crunchy cookies, they tend to last much longer than some softer cookies, which make them good for shipping or just keeping around for more visitors. The spices and toasted pecans in this recipe pair wonderfully with a cup of coffee, latte or hot chocolate. The toffee adds a sweet punch - if you want to decrease the sweetness of these, use less toffee. For another variation, see my recipe from last year for  Cherry Almond Biscotti.

Chocolate Haystacks

My mother-in-law makes these "cookies" every year, and they are hands down one of my most favorite concoctions. Year after year, it amazes me how 3 ingredients, including chow mein noodles, can yield such crispy, chocolaty perfection. The recipe couldn't be easier: melt chocolate and butterscotch chips, stir in chow mein noodles, and make little "haystacks". That's it!! The butterscotch chips are sort of a secret ingredient - they take chocolate-covered-noodles to the next level.  If you are short on time and want a good crowd-pleaser, this is your recipe.

Mini Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes

Someone described these mini cupcakes as analogous to a wild strawberry: all the flavor of a big cupcake packed into one little bite. It's true, these tiny cupcakes are so chocolaty and so moist and so insanely good. I used 60-70% bittersweet chocolate in both the cupcakes and the ganache (chocolate topping). As a substitute for oil, I tried using coconut oil. Coconut oil is a little weird looking if you haven't used it before - you have to warm it up a little so that it's pourable (and it's a little expensive) but the results are awesome. The cupcakes have a slight coconut aroma and taste - just enough to make you think twice about what that flavor was. And if you're still not convinced? You'll use up one of those extra zucchini's you have lying around this time of year... Enjoy!!

Blueberry Blue-Cheese Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

This salad hits you three ways with "blue" ingredients: fresh blueberries and blue cheese are tossed with baby spinach and pecans, then topped with a homemade blueberry vinaigrette. My favorite part is the blueberry vinaigrette. Fresh blueberries are blended into the vinaigrette which adds a nice punch of flavor and color to the salad without being overly sweet. The little bit of sweet from the berries is a perfect contrast to the tart, salty cheese. Enjoy the berries while they're still fresh this summer!

Mascarpone Cheesecake topped with Cherry Sauce

You can make cheesecake a million ways with flavors and toppings, but this is one of my favorites: traditional filling with a twist of some added mascarpone cheese and just enough lemon to brighten the flavor. Cheesecake isn't the first thing that comes to mind when I think of summer desserts, but it is an American classic - so it is fitting for the 4th of July. And it's also the beginning of cherry season! I actually made this recipe this winter when we first got to Michigan and I made the cherry sauce with locally grown cherries that I bought frozen. But looking at this awesome pic (taken by Brian) makes we want to make this again using a fresh crop of cherries. Enjoy!

Lemony Orzo Salad

This is one of my favorite spring/summer pasta salads. The orzo is tossed in a lemon vinaigrette, where the lemon really stands out. The salad is tossed with peppers, olives, feta cheese, and several herbs. The vinaigrette makes more than you need, but I often add a little more than the recipe calls for and then save the extra to use as salad dressing or a marinade. Enjoy!

Fudgy Brownies

CHOCOLATE!! My search for the perfect brownie is ongoing... but these are my current favorite. I know everyone loves something a little different in their brownies, but I love fudgy, chewy, not too sweet, and super chocolaty. These fit the bill, and completely satisfy any chocolate craving of mine in one small bite! Or a few more small bites if you can't help yourself... I made this version with nuts, but you can make the same recipe nut-free. I've adjusted the recipe below to make a smaller batch of brownies. To bake a 9x13-pan size batch, multiply everything by 2. To make a half-sheet-pan (12x18x1) size batch, multiply everything by 3.

Mini Carrot Cupcakes

 More mini cupcakes! Carrot cupcakes are always a crowd pleaser - a magical combination of light, fluffy spiced cake topped with comforting cream cheese frosting. These mini's are garnished with toasted coconut, but I've also used candied carrot which looks pretty cool. If you go plan to go with coconut garnishes, you could mix in a 1/2 cup of crushed, drained pineapple for a tropical twist.

And the best part is, if you leave them unfrosted, you can pretend they are muffins and eat them for breakfast!

Mini Lemon Curd Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Spring! What better way to celebrate than with little mini lemon cupcakes filled with lemon curd and topped with a cream cheese frosting? I love making mini cupcakes for two main reasons: one, they're so cute; and two, people love to eat them. They are so tiny, that eating one doesn't seem like a big deal. I love making a variety of mini's so everyone can try a few without raising their glucose to dangerous levels.

This recipe is one of my staples: the cake is nice and light, with not-overwhelming lemon flavor from lemon zest. The cream cheese frosting adds a nice tangy contrast to the sweet lemon, and the rich home-made lemon curd is a nice surprise buried in the middle. Lemon curd is easy to find in most stores if you don't want to bother with that step (look near the jams and honey). I sprinkled this batch with some lemon-flavored coarse sugar I found at a local spice shop. I've also used little curls of candied lemon peel which looks cool.

Blueberry Muffins

Traditional blueberry muffins, just a little lighter. They are healthier (less fat, less sugar, and additional whole grains) but they definitely don't taste like your typical 'healthier version'. These muffins have a nice moist and cakey crumb, studded with lots of blueberries and just a hint of lemon. Applesauce is substituted for some of the oil in the muffins, cutting fat without changing the texture. The applesauce also acts as a natural sweetener, which allows for cutting down on added granular sugar without changing the taste. Whole wheat flour is combined with all-purpose flour, so the muffins are not overwhelmingly whole-grain.

SWEET SCIENCE: Magical applesauce

With certain baked goods like muffins, some cakey cookies, and cakes, you can easily substitute 1 cup of applesauce (or similar fruit purees*) for 1/4 cup of the butter or oil in your recipe. Reduce the sugar by 1-2 tablespoons depending on the sweetness of the puree, and reduce the liquid by 1/4 of a cup. This substitution is hardly noticeable in taste, but cuts a significant amount of fat and calories. 

How does it work? Normally the fat in butter or oil helps keep the baked goods moist and tender because the fat surrounds starch granules and protects them from gluten development, locking in moisture. When you substitute some of the fat with a fruit puree, the pectin in the fruit or vegetables does essentially the same thing, making it possible to cut back on the fat in a recipe without sacrificing moisture. 

*other fruit or vegetable purees include: banana, pumpkin, carrots, and sweet potatoes.