Salmon Bruschetta

I can't take any credit for this one. My brother and I were at Trader Joe's the other day and they were sampling this exact recipe. After trying a bite we both decided we had to get some. This is perfect if you're looking for a quick, healthy dinner.

Ingredients

Trader Joe's Salmon Burgers

Light, whipped cream cheese

Trader Joe's Bruschetta sauce (or you can always make your own )

21 seasoning salute from Trader Joe's to taste (you can sub with your own seasoning blend)

Mix the seasoning and cream cheese together.

Cook, grill or pan fry the salmon burgers according to the box.

Top the burgers with cream cheese and bruschetta and it's ready to eat. Enjoy!

Speculoos S'more Cupcakes

I am very excited to post this recipe. It has been in the works for several weeks and I couldn't wait to bake it. Michael and I came up with the idea together. We thought the combination of speculoos, chocolate cupcakes, and marshmallows would be amazing and it definitely is! This chocolaty cupcake has a speculoos filling with marshmallow fluff frosting and graham cracker crumbs on top. While this recipe is not difficult it does get a bit messy, but it's worth it. 

Ingredients

a box of chocolate cake mix (I used Angel food but any chocolate variation will work)

Speculoos

a jar of marshmallow fluff

chocolate chips

5 graham cracker squares

eggs & vegetable oil (amount varies depending on cake mix used)

First, mix cake mix and cake mix ingredients according to the instructions on the box. Add in chocolate chips to your liking and mix. I probably used about 1 cup. Fill cupcake liners with batter and bake as instructed by the cake mix box. 

Once cupcakes have been baked and cooled, cut the center angling the knife so you cut out a cone shape. Scoop about a teaspoon of speculoos into the hole and replace the top over the speculoos.

This is the really messy part; frosting the cupcake with the marshmallow. The fluff needs to be microwaved to make it easily spreadable. I did about a cup at a time, microwaving for about 15-20 seconds in a little bowl and spread using a spatula. I had to repeat this about 4 times to get all of the cupcakes frosted.

Next, using a ziplog bag, crush the graham crackers by crushing them with a hand or a cup.

Finally, sprinkle the cupcakes with the graham crackers. You should use a baking sheet or paper towels under the cupcakes because otherwise crumbs will get everywhere.

Enjoy!

Thanks for all of your help Daniel :)

Secret Ingredient Cookie Dough

So this is another strange sounding recipe but you'll have to take my word on it. It's strangely delicious AND healthy! I saw a recipe for dessert hummus balls and it got me thinking. After a few test runs, I think I've come up with a pretty good recipe for yummy cookie dough that won't make you feel guilty. Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Ingredients

1 can of garbonzo beans

1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran (you could substitute with any type of flour)

1/4 cup of peanut butter (you can substitute with any type of nut butter)

2 1/2 - 3 tablespoons of agave nectar sweetener

about 20 drops of vanilla stevia (this is optional, you can always use more agave sweetener if you don't think it's sweet enough without it)

about 1/2 cup of chocolate chips

First, rinse, drain, and peel the garbonzo beans. They have a think layer of skin on the outside so while peeling takes a little while it will make the dough smoother.

Throw the garbonzo beans and oat bran in a food processor. A blender or a magic bullet could probably work as well. Blend the two until the chickpeas seem to be well mashed.

Next, add the peanut butter, agave nectar and stevia. Blend until a smooth cookie dough consistency. Take the dough out of the processor and put it into a small or medium sized bowl. Mix in the chocolate chips and voila! Feel free to eat straight out of the bowl or you can roll the dough into balls and eat them that way.

Speculoos Filled Snickerdoodles

If you haven't heard of Speculoos you are missing out. We've talked about it a few times here on the blog but if you haven't tried it you're in luck. Trader Joe's now sells their own version of this delicious spread but they call it "Cookie Spread." When we made snickerdoodles previously we spread the speculoos on top and it was delicious. I got to thinking the other day, why not fill the cookies with speculoos?

I used our snickerdoodle recipe to make the dough.Then, I made each cookie by taking two pieces of dough (about a tablespoon each) and creating disks out of them. I put a teaspoon (but I'd put more next time) worth of the spread on one of the disks and put the other disk on top and pinched the edges together to seal. The dough can get a little bit difficult to work with so feel free to wet your hands every so often to help make it more manageable

Finally, I rolled the dough in the cinnamon sugar mixture and placed them on the cookie sheet.

Since these guys were a little bit bigger than the snickerdoodles we made last time, I baked them for about 12 minutes at 400 degrees. Enjoy!

Healthy Blondies

While this recipe may sound very strange with chickpeas, you have to try it before knocking it. I can't believe how rich and decadent these blondies turned out! Give them a try if you're searching for a healthy dessert. 

Ingredients

1 can of chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

3/4 tsp. of baking powder

1/8 teaspoon of baking soda

1/8 teaspoon of salt

3/4 cups of brown sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1/4 cups of ground flax

1/4 cups of peanut butter

1/3 cups of chocolate chips

First, mash up the chickpeas. I used a potato masher but will next time try a blender or food processor.

Next, combine all ingredients (besides the chocolate chips) in a medium bowl and mix well until the batter has a smooth consistency. Stir in the chocolate chips. Pour batter into an 8x8 pan (either greased or lined with foil).Bake for 35-40 minutes at 350 degrees. While they make look undercooked when  you take them out, they will firm up a bit while cooling.

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Rice Krispies Treats

I stumbled on this recipe the other day and figured with Valentine's Day coming up it was probably a very good time to try it. It is really tasty and hits the spot if you are in the mood for rice krispies treats and/or red velvet cake. I made these today with the help and company of my lovely mother (thanks Mom).

Ingredients

8 tablespoons of butter

10oz bag of mini marshmallows

2/3 cup of Red Velvet Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines)

2 cups of chocolate chips

a tub of cream cheese frosting (once again I used Duncan Hines)

In a large pot, melt the better. Once it is melted completely, add the marshmallows and powdered cake mix. When those are melted take the pot off the heat and mix the cereal and then the chocolate chips in. 

Scoop the mixture into a greased 13x9 pan. Use parchment paper or wax paper to press down on the cereal to make it even. Let it cool completely.  

Finally, frost the treats by either spreading or piping. An easy way to pipe without professional piping tools is by putting the frosting in a plastic baggy. Cut one of the bottom tips of the baggy and you can now pipe away. Enjoy and Happy Valentines Day.

Mini Nutella Cheesecakes

My brother sent me this recipe a few weeks ago. Once I saw it had nutella AND chocolate ganache, I was dying to try it because how can you possibly go wrong with that combination? I ended giving all of them out before trying one myself but the reaction seemed positive. They are not difficult at all to make so if you're hankering for a treat, you should give these a try.

Ingredients

 1 cup of finely crushed graham crackers (I used original but chocolate would also work nicely)

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 8oz. packages of cream cheese (they need to be softened, may have to put in the microwave for about 30 seconds if coming straight from the fridge)

1/2 cup nutella

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 eggs

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions

Line a cupcake pan with 12 cupcake liners and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, melt the butter and then mix it with the crushed graham crackers.

Try to evenly distribute the graham cracker crust into the 12 cupcake liners. Using wax paper press down on the crumbs until they're packed at the bottom of the liners.

In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese, nutella, sugar, flour and vanilla, mixing well (an electric mixer works best). Next, mix in the eggs.

Once well mixed, spoon the batter on top of the graham cracker crust. Pop the tray into the 350 degree oven for about 18 to 22 minutes. Take it out once the top has set but is still soft. (If you're unsure you're probably safe to take it out after 20-21 minutes).

Once the cheesecakes have completely cooled, combine the chocolate chips and heavy cream in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir. Repeat these two steps until the chocolate is melted.

Spread the ganache over the cheesecakes and then pop the cheesecakes into the fridge for at least 3 hours.

Enjoy!

PS - Thanks D for the pictures and A for the recipes :)