Chocolate Coftea Cookies for #RecipeRedux

Are you a coffee or a tea person?

Our house is, in general, one of teaophiles. My sister and stepdad are diet hard Orange Pekoe drinkers, ignoring any other varietal as a rule, but my mom, stepbrother and I enjoy exploring the world of flavours and strengths out there. When I discovered the emporiums of Teaopia (now Teavana) and DAVIDsTEA a few years ago, it felt like I hit the jackpot. Now I have a cupboard of flavours and varieties, ranging from black to green, maté and 100% herbal - so I can have a cuppa any time of day, regardless of my mood.

Recently I received a bag of chocolate and cinnamon flavoured yerba maté called Cocoa Canela from a friend who wasn't a fan of the Mexican chocolate flavour. As a tea, I wasn't too sure about it myself, but I kept it hoping that I'd come around to the flavour eventually. Then a few days ago the power of Twitter provided the answer in the form of a YouTube link to one of RAWRKatelyn's tea recipes - vegan tea cookies! Katelyn used the "Forever Nuts" blend in her cookies, but I figured I could take that basic recipe and change it around, making chocolate tea cookies instead.

Given that I was using a Mexican cocoa flavoured tea, I amped up that element with a little plain cocoa, and used ground Coffee Bean Brittle along with Pyure Bakeable Blend Stevia Sweetener as sweeteners. A little melted coconut oil kept things nice and soft, even though I used 100% whole grain Kamut® flour. Just for looks (and because I had some leftover chocolate from school baking hanging out in the fridge), I smeared the top of each baked cookie with a dollop of vegan semisweet goodness. The combination of coffee, chocolate, "popcorn" (from the genmaicha's brown rice) and tannin-y tea worked incredibly well - I was shocked to say the least!

This month's #RecipeRedux is all about showers - with all the weddings, engagements and babies that seem to spring up as the weather gets nicer, it's only fitting to bring a little something healthier to the party!

Cocoa Banana Donuts

One of the things I like to do for special occasions at work is make a unique, off-the-official-menu (gasp!) snack for the kids. Generally, these events are restricted to once a month or so in order to prevent me getting into too much trouble with the parents and other staff (some of them are quite particular about sticking to the corporate menu cycle), so when I do deviate I try and make the best of it. Whether it's a pan of chewy brownies, itty bitty cinnamon buns or a whole cookie sheet apple pie, throwing a twist into the usual fare of crackers, veggie sticks and banana bread keeps the kids interested, and the teachers hungry too!

Since the teachers and I were up to our eyeballs in planning stress over last week's Mother's Day event, the kids missed out on any sort of special treat themselves. To make it up to them, I made a few batches of goodies last week, so that each class could have something suited for their palates (and any dietary restrictions). These donuts were the Elementary group's special treat: slightly sweet, fruit-filled, baked rings that were tender and moist inside (despite being eggless). They got a hint of colour and flavour from a combination of cocoa and mesquite powders and a boost of nutrition from spelt flour too. Not that the kids cared... they saw donuts and the rest was history!

Shared with Sugar & Slice Sunday.

Hawaiian Sweet Rolls for #BBD

Now that we're well into the season of picnics, BBQs and cookouts, it's time to start looking at some  unique fare that's versatile, portable and (of course) delicious. We do a lot of burgers at my house, thanks to two die-hard carnivores (my stepbrother can put away three giant ones, plus a salad, in a sitting), we go through a lot of buns. Usually we buy them (mostly because those same members of the family are notoriously picky), but then Arby's and a few other fast food places nearby started carrying sandwiches on "Hawaiian sweet rolls". We don't have King's Hawaiian breads around here (even though Arby's does use them apparently), but a few of our store brands have started making facsimiles and that got me into thinking about trying a version too.

Using the ingredient list of the original rolls would have been a total joke, since there is over 30 of them - and 10 of them are chemicals. I saw a few versions of recipes out on the Web, many of them using pineapple juice, but it was the fact that the recipe from Yammie's Noshery used crushed pineapple that made me pick it as a base. I knew that the pineapple itself would add a ton of moisture and tenderizing power to the dough, as well as being tangy enough to cut the richness of the dough down a bit.

With the basic recipe (which is essentially brioche!) as the blueprint, I modified it to make it partially with whole wheat flour as well as adding some extra tropical flavour with coconut "milk alternative" and coconut butter. I know that sugar helps yeast do it's job (though granted you can make perfectly serviceable bread without it), but I couldn't bring myself to add a full half cup to the dough. Instead, I used half coconut sugar, and made up the difference with a new product sent to me for review - Pure Via Turbinado and Stevia Blend (see my initial review below). The resulting rolls were nicely sweet, light and fluffy, tender and moist - exactly as Yammie's description entailed - and I can definitely see why they're popular for the sandwich crowd!

The recipe makes 12 big rolls, which would suit a small BBQ at my place or a typical family picnic. However, it's easy enough to double, and the baked buns freeze extremely well - slice them before storing in zip-top freezer bags and you're all set for the next sandwich night! The Bread Baking Day theme for #59 is "bread for company", and I think these would fit ninivepisces' theme very well!These are also being shared with Susan's YeastSpotting event.

Too Quick for this #SundaySupper

I can't believe I have to miss another #SundaySupper this week! Now granted, I would have been in this week's roundup of "Low & Slow" recipes like a dirty shirt... except for two minor major details: 1) Our slow cooker (provided it even works anymore) is up in the rafters of our garage, away from anyone without an extension ladder, and 2) Because we've stashed away our cooker for so long, I don't even have a recipe using it! Our meals tend to be more "flash-in-the-pan" than "set it and forget it", so stay tuned for some of those on What Smells So Good?. In the meantime, check out the rest of the homey, slow-cooked selections from the #SundaySupper team below:

#SundaySupper Low & Slow - Hosted by Susan at The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Low & Slow Breads & Starters:

• Asiago Meatballs from Daily Dish Recipes
• Slow Cooker Bread: Easy Dinner Rolls from Growing Up Gabel

Low & Slow Mains:

• Apricot-Mustard Baked Ham from Healthy.Delicious.
• Braniya {Lamb and Eggplant Tajine} from MarocMama
• Brisket from Sustainable Dad
• Brisket with Ale BBQ Sauce from Kudos Kitchen By Renee
• Carnitas from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Dairyfree Chicken and Mushroom Ragout from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
• Dry Rubbed Smoked Back Ribs from Noshing With The Nolands
• French Dip Sandwiches from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Fried Beef Ribs from The Urban Mrs
• Italian Beef from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Sunday Gravy from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Jambalaya from Gourmet Drizzles
• Minestrone Soup from Peanut Butter and Peppers
• Osso Buco from Webicurean
• Pork and Sauerkraut Sandwiches from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Rice, Bean and Vegetable Casserole from Happy Baking Days
• Salsa Chicken from Momma’s Meals
• Sauerbraten from Magnolia Days
• Slow Cooker Chana Masala from Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Slow-Cooker Mole from girlichef
• Slow Cooked Pork Sausage and Onions from Family Foodie
• Sweet Pork from Table for Seven

Low & Slow Sides:

• Caramelized Garlic in the Crock-Pot from Shockingly Delicious
• Slow Roasted Balsamic Tomatoes from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Low & Slow Desserts:

• 8-hour Cheesecake with Roasted Grapes (gluten free) from Vintage Kitchen
• Gluten Free Slow Cooker Glazed Cinnamon Coffee Cake from Blueberries and Blessings
• Slow-Cooked Gooey Pina Colada Cake from Juanita’s Cocina
• Slow Cooker Pineapple Coconut Rice Pudding from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz

Wine Pairing Recommendations for Low & Slow Food from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Don’t forget to join the #SundaySupper chat on Twitter Sunday to discuss cooking low and slow! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share our delicious recipes. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and food photos.

Mrs. Randall’s Brownies (Ms Sarah’s Version!)

Wow, this is the third post in a row that I've written about brownies or blondies! The sad thing is that there really is no end in sight as far as those are concerned, since between my love for baking them and my friends, family and co-workers' love for eating them, I've been a bar cookie baking fiend lately! Hopefully you'll indulge me as long as this particular obsession lasts... who knows, tomorrow it could be cotton candy (though not likely, just so you know).

Not only are these brownies the third bar cookie in a row, but they're also the second brownie I've shared from Petite Treats: Your Favorite Desserts-Bite Size!. I was intrigued by these (salled "Mrs Randalls Brownies"in the book) because they were sugar, gluten and animal-product free - basically the antithesis of the typical brownie. However, their saving grace was the combination of flavours from rich cocoa, creamy coconut oil and ground nuts (almonds and hazelnuts), along with the natural sweetness of stevia and agave. They're even portion controlled, being baked in perfect "two bite" mini muffins - just remember to watch that timer. Overbaked, you might as well be eating those sawdusty charcoal briquettes you just bought for your long weekend BBQ. I strongly recommend the frosting too - not super sweet, but creamy enough to elevate these bites to "something special"!

Sent to Ricki's Wellness Weekend