Tag Archives: coconut

7 Days of Christmas Cookies: One-Dough Wonders

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A few years back I started sharing my family’s Swedish tradition of making seven different types of cookies at Christmastime and since then it’s kind of taken off- in my personal life, at least. I guess there were a lot of people IRL that didn’t realize that I baked, or that I baked that much around this time of year.

I started off by sharing some traditional Swedish favourites (with a few thrown in for variety). They were: traditional Swedish gingersnaps, maple butter cookies, jam slices, rugulahs, orange crunch cookies, vanilla horns and chocolate crinkle cookies.

The next year I found myself strapped for baking time and decided to do a “no-baking” theme for my cookie selection. (Okay, so maybe one of them you had to bake in the oven- but it still cuts down on the work!) Those recipes included Butterscotch Bars, Midnight Mints, Chocolate Roll, Date Pecan Bars, Marshmallow Roll, Pineapple Log, and Butterscotch Confetti.

So you’re probably wondering what on earth it is I’m going to do with all this:

Well, I’ll tell you what I’m going to do: this year I’m using the same vanilla dough base (with a couple of add-ins) and all of the ingredients you see above to make seven unique kinds of cookies that you can serve at any time of year, really. Once you got the dough down pat (recipe to follow), you can build yourself a collection of cookies that are surprisingly diverse in flavor (considering they’re all made from the same dough!).

One-Dough Wonder Vanilla Cookie Dough

(yields 5-10 dozen cookies depending on recipe)

3 c. all-purpose flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder (omit if making thumbprint cookies)

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. unsalted butter

1 c. sugar

1 large egg

2 tsp. vanilla extract

Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Beat butter and granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Add flour mixture and beat until combined. Dough can be covered in plastic wrap and chilled up to 2 days.

I can’t wait to show you some of the tasty treats I’ve come up with just by using this simple cookie dough. Stay tuned!

Happy baking!

B

I’m counting down Christmas by sharing some of my favourite holiday cookie recipes with you! I’ll be posting a different Christmas cookie recipe every day for the next seven days so you can follow along in my family’s baking tradition, and have more cookies to add to your Christmas baking arsenal! For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Blueberry, Lemon and Coconut Trifle

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Let’s ease back into this baking thing a little bit, shall we? It’s been a while. I know trifle isn’t exactly “baking” in the traditional sense, but I wanted to share this with you because I made it not once, but twice in the last few weeks. Yes, it was that good.

The best thing about trifle is that you can’t really screw it up. Everyone has their own version, and it doesn’t always turn out the same way every time. Basically each trifle is made up of similar building blocks (cake, fruit, custard, whipped cream) but that’s pretty much where the similarities end. I happen to think that this blueberry-lemon-coconut combo is a fresh and modern take on this traditional dessert. (Plus, I love anything blueberry-lemon flavor.)

Put some time aside for this one: even though it’s a snap to make, assembling the layers requires work, plus you want this baby to chill in the fridge for at least four hours to get everything all blended, gooey and good. Don’t let that put you off- your patience will be rewarded in the form of this awesome dessert.

Blueberry, Lemon and Coconut Trifle (makes about 14 c.)

10 1/2 oz. pound cake (thaw if using frozen)

1 can lemon pie filling (19 oz. or about 540 mL)

1 1/4 c. flaked coconut

2 c. frozen blueberries

3 c. whipped cream

In a large frying pan, toast coconut over medium heat, stirring constantly until lightly golden. Remove from heat and put 1/4 c. aside. Mix the remaining coconut in a small bowl with the lemon pie filling.

Cut the pound cake into approx. 1″ cubes. Arrange half into the bottom of an extra-large glass bowl (or in my case, an enormous jar I had lying around the house), and set the other half aside. Next, take half of your pie filling, and spread over your cake layer evenly. Create the next layer by sprinkling the pie filling with blueberries. Spoon whipped cream over blueberries until covered. Lay down another cake layer, followed by another pie filling layer, followed by the remaining whipped cream. Sprinkle with reserved coconut. Chill in the fridge, covered, for at least 4 hours.

B’s Tip: You can substitute whipped cream for your favorite brand of frozen whipped topping, but be sure to thaw it first before using it in the trifle.

And because this dessert knows no bounds, I urge you to modify the recipe however you like- I know I have! So far I’ve used less coconut in the filling and sprinkled more on top (pretty!); I’ve bought whipped cream, and I’ve whipped my own (store-bought is sweeter!); and I’ve even used different types of blueberries (wild ones have way more flavor!)

What’s in your trifle?!

B

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: 7 Days of Christmas Treats: Chocolate Roll

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Take it from me- there is no way that you can mess this recipe up. It feels like taking everything that tastes sweet and good in your pantry and throwing it all into one fudgey slice of a cookie. The sheer amount of stuff in it makes it tricky to roll-putting it together just feels like throwing lumps of dough onto a pan- but once you’ve molded it into a nice shape, it looks pretty no matter what. I bet this would be a blast to make with kids.

Chocolate Roll (makes approximately 24 slices)

1 c. semisweet chocolate chips

2 tbsp butter or margarine

1 egg, beaten

1 c. icing sugar

1 1/2 c. small colored marshmallows

1/2 c. maraschino cherries, well-drained and quartered

1/2 c. chopped walnuts

coconut for topping

Melt chips and butter in a large heavy saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add beaten egg, icing sugar, marshmallows, cherries and walnuts. Stir to mix. Cool if very warm. Form mixture into a roll. Sprinkle some coconut over countertop, in space big enough to move around to coat with coconut. Wrap in either wax paper or plastic wrap. Chill well before attempting to slice. Slice thinly with clean, sharp knife.

B’s Tip: I ended up using glaçe cherries instead of maraschino cherries and they ended up working just as well because of their ooey-gooey sweetness.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Last year I counted down to Christmas by baking seven different types of Christmas cookies as per my favorite Swedish holiday tradition. This year I’m making it a thing, and sharing seven more delicious recipes with you. For more inspiration, you can check out more of my baking here. For even more recipe inspiration check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.

Baking with B: Homemade Granola Bars

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Granola, granola, granola. In all the forms, with all the flavours: nuts, fruit, chocolate. You name it, I’m addicted. I’ve never really met a granola that I didn’t like and I’m a firm believer that it tastes best with a healthy heap of thick yogurt, some fresh fruit, and a drizzle of honey.

But sometimes…I get lazy. And I get busy. And in the summertime there are some days that are just so beautiful that I feel like I’ll explode if I don’t get outside right this minute and enjoy the fresh air. Who has time for things like cleaning and showering and eating when there’s sunshine and a warm breeze waiting? (I’m joking; of course I shower.)

Mornings like these my dog, Gemma, is raring to go too, so I’ve taken to making a big batch of these whenever I can force myself to stay indoors to bake for an hour or two. Then it’s grab one of these and seeing where the morning takes us- to the park, along the boardwalk- the possibilities seem endless. Better take two along, just in case.

Homemade Granola Bars (makes 12-16)

2 c. old-fashioned oatmeal

1 c. sliced almonds

1 c. shredded coconut, loosely packed

½ c. toasted wheat germ

3 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 c. honey

¼ c. light brown sugar, lightly packed

1 ½ tsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. kosher salt

½ c. chopped pitted dates

½ c. chopped dried apricots

½ c. dried cranberries

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter an 8×12” baking dish and line it with parchment paper. Toss the oatmeal, almonds, and coconut together on a sheet pan and bake for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl and stir in the wheat germ. Reduce the oven temperature to 300F. Place the butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook and stir for a minute, then pour over the toasted oatmeal mixture. Add the dates, apricots, and cranberries and stir well. Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Wet your fingers and lightly press the mixture evenly into the pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool for at least 2-3 hours before cutting into squares.

Happy baking!

B

KBwB-Flower-50

Baking with B appears every other Monday on the Keeping Busy with B Blog. Find out why I like baking so much here. For more of my baking, click here. And for even more recipe inspiration, check out my Pinterest full of food eye candy that will have you licking your computer. Promise.