In a bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients and set aside.
Cream together butter, brown sugar, and ¼ cup of cane sugar then beat in egg, reduced pumpkin puree, and vanilla extract.
Stiry in dry ingredients until just combined then add white chocolate chips.
Chill cookie dough for 45 minutes then portion dough with a #20 scoop (3 tablespoons).
Combine remaining ½ cup of cane sugar with the cinnamon. Roll scooped dough into balls and coat in cinnamon sugar.
Place 6 cookies per lined baking sheet and press down by half. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 350°F.
To decorate, melt white chocolate in a bowl over barely simmered water then drizzle over cooled cookies. Enjoy!
Notes
Makes 12 cookies.*Cook canned pumpkin on low heat for 35 minutes, stirring frequently to remove access moisture, alternatively drain overnight in cheesecloth in the fridge. Measure pumpkin once it has been cooked or drained then proceed with recipe.
Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and cane sugar together until pale in color. Whisk in egg whites until batter is smooth.
Fold in half the dry ingredients, then half the buttermilk and repeat. Fold in lemon zest and juice.
Line two cupcake pans with cupcake liners and fill ⅔ full of batter. Bake for 20 minutes (rotating pans halfway through baking) or until a toothpick inserted in the centers come out clean. Set aside to cool completely.
Cream butter and add sifted confectioner's sugar. Beat frosting until smooth then mix in ½ cup of strawberry jam. Place in a piping bag fitted with a star piping tip.
To decorate cupcakes, pipe frosting in a circular pattern over the top of the cupcake leaving a well in the center. Place a teaspoon of strawberry jam in the center of the frosting. Top cupcakes with a strawberry half.
Notes
Makes 18-20 cupcakesCupcakes can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Before serving, allow cupcakes to sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
In a small bowl, toss raspberries with 1 tablespoon sugar or to taste and set aside. If raspberries do not release juices, press with the back of a spoon. In another bowl, toss peaches with remaining sugar and set aside.Allow fruit to rest for 15 minutes or until juices release.
To serve, place peaches at the bottom of serving dishes and scoop frozen yogurt on top.Spoon over raspberries and garnish with fresh mint.Serve immediately.
Chocolate covered strawberries look impressive, but the flavors of chocolate and orange are a classic combination that shouldn’t be forgotten this time of year. With peak season citrus and a dash of flaky sea salt, these chocolate sea salt mandarin oranges will be bursting with juicy flavor. They’re super easy to make, and you’ll get credit for a homemade Valentine’s gift. You can turn to this recipe year-round whenever you want to impress or have an abundance of citrus on hand.
Chocolate Sea Salt Mandarin Oranges
A Valentine’s mainstay is the chocolate covered strawberry, but we think seasonal citrus and just the right amount of flaky sea salt is an even better expression of your love.
Combine ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring, until sugar is dissolved. Do not boil.
Stir in cranberries and stir to coat all cranberries. Use a slotted spoon and transfer cranberries to a wire rack (set it on top of a lined baking sheet for easy clean up). Reserve syrup if you want – it's great to sweeten cocktails!
Let cranberries dry for 1 hour. After one hour, roll cranberries in remaining sugar until completely coated.
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Enjoy!
Notes
These may start to “weep” some liquid after 2-3 days. If that happens, you can re-roll them in sugar to extend their life.
Use on charcuterie platters, baked brie, atop desserts or cocktails.
Use vanilla bean or orange zest to vary the flavor.
We all know and love the classic crispy rice bar. Take it up a notch by adding natural peanut butter and fair-trade chocolate for these chocolate peanut butter crispy rice treats. The result? A portable treat that you can take to picnics by the water, camping under the stars, or your next backyard barbecue.
Melt butter in pan over low heat. Add agave to the pan and stir together until combined. Add peanut butter. Stir to combine.
Let this mixture cook on low for three to four minutes, stirring frequently. It should start to thicken slightly but still be a liquid when you take it off the heat. Take pan off heat. Add vanilla extract. Stir to combine.
Pour the peanut butter mixture over the rice crisp cereal. Stir to combine. Pour mixture into parchment-lined pan. Press mixture down firmly to be sure it all sticks together.
Let set in the fridge for one hour. Chop roasted and salted peanuts. Set aside.
Melt chocolate in microwave in 20 second increments. Stir well between each increment. Stop microwaving when there is still a bit of solid chocolate remaining.
Pour the chocolate over the top of the rice crispy treats. Spread out evenly with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top while chocolate is liquid.
Let set in fridge. Once chocolate is firm cut into 12 squares and serve.
Berries and cream come together in this classic dessert with a twist! Using plain yogurt in the shortcakes and whipped topping add a probiotic boost and a tangy zip. Fresh Strawberry Shortcakes with Yogurt Cream are the perfect way to end a meal with family and friends.
To make the macerated strawberries combine the chopped strawberries, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt in a medium size bowl. Mix well to combine. Cover and let sit at room temperature or in the fridge for at least an hour.
Preheat the oven to 425°F, and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to combine. In a large measuring cup combine the cream, yogurt, and egg, whisk well. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the egg and cream mixture. Use a wooden spoon to mix well, until the dough just comes together, and no dry patches of flour remain – do not overmix.
Pour the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Lightly dust the top of the dough with flour as well as your hand, and press the dough out into a rectangle about 8 x 10". Fold the dough in thirds like a letter, then press back out into a rectangle. fold in thirds again, the press back out into a rectangle. Use a bench scraper to cut the dough into either six large shortcakes or eight smaller shortcakes.
Place the shortcakes on the prepared baking sheet. Use a pastry brush to brush the tops of the shortcakes with cream, and generously sprinkle turbinado sugar on top. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.
To make the whipped yogurt cream, add the cream and sugar into the bowl of a stand mixer. Whip on medium speed until soft peaks form. Add the yogurt, and gently fold in.
Assemble the shortcakes right before serving. Split the shortcakes in half. Spoon strawberries on the bottom half and add yogurt whipped cream. Place the other half of the shortcake on top.
Cocomels are the perfect sweet treat that you can eat straight out of the bag or add into any dessert- just in time for the holiday season! They are the perfect vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, and soy-free candy.
BONUS SALES IN RECIPE: Coomb’s Maple Syrup $7.99; Wholesome Powdered Sugar $3.29; & Enjoy Life Chocolate Chips $4.29!
Ingredients
Shortbread Cookie:
1 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Powdered Sugar
1/4 Cup Maple Syrup
1 Teaspoon Vanilla
2 1/4 Cup Flour
Salt
Caramel Layer:
2 3.5oz Bags of Cocomels, unwrapped (mix up the flavors!)
1 Tablespoon Milk
Chocolate Layer:
1 Cup Chocolate Chips
1 Teaspoon Coconut Oil
Method
A. To make the Shortbread Cookies:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large bowl, mix butter until creamy. Then add maple syrup, vanilla, and powdered sugar and mix until smooth.
Add flour and salt and mix until a dough forms.
Transfer dough onto parchment paper and roll into 1/4″-1/2″ thick slab. Cut into circles (or your favorite cookie cutter shapes).
Spread cookies on parchment paper on sheet tray so that they are equally spaced. Use a fork to poke 3 sets of holes into the cookies to avoid bubbling.
Bake for 14 minutes. Cookies should be pretty firm and the edges should be slightly golden brown.
Move cookies to cooling rack.
B. To make the Caramel Layer:
Place unwrapped Cocomels in a microwave safe bowl with 1/2 tablespoon of milk.
Microwave in 20 second intervals, stirring after each time, until they are completely melted.
Allow caramel to sit for a little bit to thicken. Don’t wait too long or the caramel will be too hard to spread!
Using a spoon, spread the caramel mixture evenly over each cookie. Place in refrigerator for 5-10 minutes or until caramel is solid.
C. To make the Chocolate Layer:
While the caramel layer is setting up, melt chocolate chips and coconut oil in a microwave safe bowl for 30 second intervals, stirring after each time.
Remove the cookies from fridge and spoon chocolate evenly over the top of the cookies.
Return cookies to fridge for 10-15 minutes or until the chocolate layer is firm.
D. Once cookies are complete, ENJOY!
Before you enjoy your incredible Dark Chocolate Caramel Shortbread Cookies, make sure you take a picture of your masterpiece! Post it on social media and tag your favorite organic market, Basil Bandwagon Natural Market! #basilbandwagon
