Tried and Liked: Fluffy Cinnamon Pancakes (Eggless)

These cinnamon pancakes may be eggless, but they are definitely delicious and very fluffy. Lovely with the addition of 1/2 cup blueberries or spread with jam.

To add berries: Being careful not to burn yourself, spoon a few frozen blueberries onto each pancake’s raw side. Blueberries will thaw out while cooking. Turn pancakes when bubbles form on the surface and the edges are golden brown.

Yield: About 8 pancakes (Serves two).

See the original recipe at the lucyandi blog.

Classic Potato Salad

Cook’s Notes: Double the recipe and use a 10 oz jar of sweet pickle relish. This salad is delicious with just about anything grilled. If you overcook the potatoes (boil 45 minutes), pour ice over to chill them before handling so you don’t mash them. On the other hand, the worst-case scenario is that you get Mashed Potato Salad. The flavor of the dish will still be delicious. Try the dressing with roasted potato wedges as well. This recipe has no hard-cooked eggs, because I don’t care for their texture. Add them if you like. I’ve been relying on this recipe for at least 15 years.

Serves 6 to 8

3 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled

Dressing:
1 cup light mayonnaise or Miracle Whip (use a little more or less, as desired)
2 Tbsp prepared yellow mustard
1.75 tsp garlic seasoning blend (Garlic Garni)
1/2 cup sweet pickle relish
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Chopped scallions (green onions), about half a cup (large handful)

Boil potatoes 25 – 30 minutes until just tender when pierced with a fork.  Potatoes should hold their dice. Drain potatoes and rinse in cool water. Peel most of the potato, leaving some skin, and cut into fairly large cubes (at least 1/2-inch) and let cool. Place potato cubes in a serving bowl.

Combine dressing ingredients (mayonnaise to relish). Gently fold dressing into potatoes until salad is mixed well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with chopped scallions. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Source: Adapted from recipes in the Washington Post (published circa 1994) and Southernfood.about.com

Banana-Yogurt Muffins

Cook’s Notes: Fat-free, eggless muffins served without butter might sound boring. But wait. These dense muffins are loaded with chocolate and walnuts. Have one or two of these muffins served warm with a cold glass of milk, and you won’t feel deprived at all.

Mmm, healthful

Wet ingredients:
2 ripe bananas
1/2 cup (4 oz) non-fat plain yogurt
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsweetened applesauce
1 cup white sugar
4 T water
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Dry ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Add-ins:
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Heat oven to 375F degrees. Coat a 12-cup muffin tin (regular size) with cooking spray.

Using a stand mixer, mash the bananas. Add the  yogurt, applesauce, sugar, water, and vanilla. Mix until fairly smooth.

In a separate bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together.

Add dry ingredients to the wet batter, mixing gently until just blended. Then add chocolate chips and nuts, beating just until combined.

Spoon batter into greased muffin tin and bake 25 minutes, until top is golden brown. Test for doneness with a toothpick.

Adapted from Cookbook Catchall

Coconut Joys (Mini Mounds)

Coconut Joys

Cook’s notes: Makes about 3 dozen (36 to 40) candies. These freeze well. I made a double batch (yield: 86) and combined two bars of dark chocolate for the topping: 3.52 oz Hershey Extra Dark 60% Cacao bar and 3.5 oz Lindt Excellence Intense Dark 70% cocoa. I got the candy cups from Michael’s (made by Wilton). To reduce the sweetness, use unsweetened coconut.

Baker’s Angel Flake Coconut: 7 ounce bag contains 2-2/3 cups; 14 oz bag yields about 5 cups.

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 cups powdered sugar
3 cups (8-ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
Optional: 1 T milk
3.5 to 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, melted (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted)

Lay out rows of bon-bon sized fluted candy cups on a rimmed cookie sheet.

Melt butter in a large microwave-safe bowl; remove from heat.

Add powdered sugar, coconut, and optional milk. Mix well. You may find it helpful to put on food-safe handling gloves and knead the mixture by hand to combine.

Shape rounded teaspoonfuls of mixture into balls (I used a teaspoon-size cookie scoop).

Wearing food-handling gloves, smooth each ball and drop in a candy cup.

Spoon melted chocolate over each coconut ball.

Chill until firm to set chocolate. Place candies in zip-top bags and store in refrigerator.

Other finishing options:

• Drizzle the chocolate over the coconut balls in stripes.
• Make an indent in the center of each ball. Fill centers with melted chocolate.

Source: Adapted from http://www.cooksrecipes.com/candy/coconut-joys-recipe.html

3C Cookies: Coconut, Cranberry, and Cashew (Eggless)

Cook’s Notes: As Shaye says, “These cookies are pretty easy to fix, and they are highly addictive.” With cashews, coconut, and cranberry, you won’t miss the egg at all. Variations: You can use 1/2 cup rolled oats instead of the coconut or add 1/2 cup white chocolate chips.

Yield: 30 cookies when using a 1 T scoop. Variation: Pour the batter into a greased cake pan, bake, cool, and then cut into bars.

1-1/8 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup softened butter (1 stick)
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup sweetened flaked dried coconut
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup chopped cashews

Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a cookie sheet or line with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt.

In a medium bowl, cream butter with sugars. Add yogurt and vanilla; beat until fluffy.

Add flour mixture, coconut, cranberries, and cashews to the butter-sugar mix. Mix together until well blended. Drop dough by 1 T scoop onto prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes, or until edges start to brown. Cool on baking sheets and then remove cookies from sheet to cool on wire racks.

Sources: Adapted from a recipe by Shaye and Eggless Cranberry Coconut Drop Cookies recipe from Sunset magazine. Note: Shaye’s version is double the amounts given in the “Cranberry Hootycreek” cookie mix in a jar recipe on Allrecipes.com by Susan O’Dell (rated 5 out of 5 by 269 members).

Chocolate Chip Macaroons (Flourless, Eggless)

Cook’s Notes: Recipe refreshed for 2008. These are similar to and based on the M&M Macaroons, but the egg white has been omitted. This version is scaled to use the entire bag of sweetened coconut flakes. Since they don’t have flour, these macaroons are a Passover-friendly or GF dessert.

1 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/8 tsp kosher salt
1.5 cups chocolate chips
14 oz bag (5-1/3 cups) sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven to 350°F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (or tin foil coated with cooking spray).

Combine the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until well mixed. Add shredded coconut, and stir until well coated. Batter is damp and thick. Add the chocolate chips and stir well until they are evenly distributed in the mixture.

Use a 1 Tablespoon-size cookie scoop. Pack the coconut mixture tightly into the scoop. Drop the mixture by tablespoonful scoops, placing them about an inch apart onto the prepared cookie sheets. The coconut stacks may loosen as you drop them on the cookie sheet. To correct this, dampen your fingers with water and press the mounds together.

Bake 1 sheet at a time. Bake 12 to 15 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges. Let cookie sheets stand briefly to cool. Remove the cookies from the pan and cool on wire racks.

Yield: About 4 dozen.

Best Recipe: Small Easy Coconut Cake (Cake for Two)

Cook’s Notes: A new addition to my best recipe category — This cake is made in one bowl, and it happens to be eggless. I have a friend who is allergic to eggs, and I am always looking for treat recipes for her. We didn’t have buttermilk on hand, so I used yogurt instead. It’s a wonderful cake, just enough sweet and scented with almond. This is definitely a keeper.

I baked the cake in two 4.5-inch springform pans. The batter makes two tasty layers. I frosted each layer separately, rather than making a layer cake. Each layer provides 4 satisfying servings (8 total servings), and they are so dang cute. Each frosted layer can be stored in a 6-cup plastic food-saver container.

Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup plain non-fat yogurt
1/4 cup vegetable oil (canola)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract

Frosting
6 oz heavy whipping cream
4 tsp sugar
Scant 1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

Heat oven 350F. Coat baking pans with cooking spray (two 4.5-inch springform pans or muffin tins).

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt together in a medium bowl. Add yogurt, oil, and extracts. Stir until smooth. Scoop batter into prepared pans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes (possibly less for very small pans), or until a cake tester comes out almost clean. Check the cakes at 15 minutes.

Cool cakes in the pans on a wire rack for about 5 minutes. Remove cakes from pans. Cool cakes completely on racks before frosting.

Make the frosting: Pour the cream and vanilla into the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Beat on high speed until the cream has thickened, about 1-1/2 minutes. Stop the machine, and add the sugar. Beat the cream on high speed until stiff peaks form, 1 to 2 minutes more. Gently fold the coconut into the frosting.

Place a heaping spoon of whipped cream frosting on each cake. Use a rubber spatula or spoon to spread it out. Make sure to cover the tops completely. There is enough frosting to cover the sides, too.

Variations:
To make a chocolate cake, use 2/3 cup flour and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa instead of 1 cup of flour. “Because it calls for oil and cocoa rather than butter and chocolate, it’s less rich than most cakes,” Stephanie says.

You can also bake the batter in a muffin pan, tart pans, a small cake pan, or a loaf pan.

Stephanie notes: “You can flavor this [chocolate cake] in different ways: 1/2 tsp almond extract and a sprinkle of cinnamon; 1/2 tsp peppermint extract; 1 Tbs strong coffee; or 1/2 tsp grated orange rind. But it’s pretty good just as it stands, especially straight out of the oven.” Oh, yeah.

Recipe sources:
Cake recipe adapted from the Pie Queen blog (Friday, April 01, 2005 post, “Cake for One, and My Nigella Problem”)

Frosting recipe adapted from Small Batch Baking by Debby Maugans Nakos

Pop-Up Rolls (Small Batch)

Cook’s Notes: Like a cross between biscuits and muffins, these quick breads are easy to make. Double the recipe to make one dozen. They are eggless and require few ingredients. You can even make the self-rising flour with pantry ingredients (technique is adapted from Taste of Home magazine, OCT/NOV 1995).

6 servings – 6 rolls; 30 minutes total, 10 min prep

1.5 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
Enough all-purpose flour to make 1 cup
1/2 cup milk
1 Tablespoon sugar
1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

Heat oven to 375 F. Coat a muffin pan with 6 cups lightly with cooking spray.

Place baking powder and salt in a 1-cup measuring cup. Add enough all-purpose flour to fill the cup; level off the top.

Mix all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Fill cups evenly with batter, so they are about half-full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until lightly brown.

Adapted from recipezaar, http://www.familycookbookproject.com, and http://www.recipesource.com

Best Recipe: White Chocolate Party Mix (Gluten Free)

Cook’s Notes: You could also call this “White Christmas Mix.” This is my version of Alton Brown’s White Trash (link), but it is made without cereal or pretzels. A 6-oz bag of dried cranberries yields 1.5 cups.

I brought this to my co-workers, and it received rave reviews. At least two people related tales of having to hide it from spouses. It is very easy to make and delicious.

2 bags (12-oz each) white chocolate chips
12-oz bag whole toasted almonds
2 cups whole cashews
2 cups dried cranberries (8 oz)
1 cup plain M&Ms (half of a 14-oz bag)

In a microwave-safe large bowl, heat chips on medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Add 1 tsp olive oil into the bowl and stir again. Heat the chocolate for another 30 seconds on medium; stir well until chips are completely melted and smooth. If required, continue to heat the chocolate on medium at 30-second intervals, stirring well each time.

Add mix-in ingredients to the melted chocolate. Stir to mix well with a rubber spatula, being sure to completely coat all ingredients. Spread mixture onto parchment paper to cool, separating the mixture into individual pieces or bite-size clusters (the easiest way to do this is by hand, wearing food-safe disposable gloves). When chocolate is set, store mix in an airtight container.

Makes 14 cups.

Source: This specific blend of mix-ins was inspired by a Trader Joe’s trail mix of almonds, cashews, and cranberries. Yes, you could simply add pre-made trail mix to the melted white chocolate and go from there.

Fudgy Rum Truffle Squares

Cook’s Notes: I received this recipe by e-mail and modified the technique. They have the flavor of truffles with the ease of fudge.

2 cups (12 oz bag) chocolate chips
3/4 cup (6 oz) cream cheese, cut into cubes
1.5 tsp imitation rum extract
3 cups unsifted powder sugar

Line an 8-inch square pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides of pan. Lightly coat foil with cooking spray. Set pan aside.

In a microwave-safe large bowl, heat chips on medium power for 1 minute. Stir. Add cream cheese cubes into the bowl and stir again. Heat the chocolate for another 30 seconds on medium; stir well until chips are completely melted and smooth. Cream cheese should be completely incorporated.

Stir rum flavor extract into the melted chocolate mixture. Beat the powdered sugar in 1 cup at a time, stirring well after each addition. (After the first cup of sugar, you will find it easier to work in the remaining sugar with a stand mixer.) Mixture will be like a dough-like consistency when all the powdered sugar is worked in. Spread chocolate mixture into prepared pan and smooth the top. Cover and chill 2 to 3 hours or until firm (up to 1 week).

Lift firm chocolate mixture from pan, using foil handles.

Set mini baking cups or candy papers on a baking sheet. Cut mixture into at least 36 square pieces, 1 to 1.5 inches. Combine 1 tsp unsweetened cocoa and 1/2 tsp cinnamon. Sprinkle over squares. Place one square in each candy paper.

Place candies between layers of waxed paper in an airtight container and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature just before serving. Store in tightly covered container in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.

Yields 36 to 40 pieces of fudge, about 1/2 T each