White Chocolate Brown Butter Blondies

If you haven’t browned butter before…do it…do it now! The smell it gives off is so rich and nutty, you’ll want to cook with it all the time. I love brownies but I don’t know what it is about Blondies that is so appealing to me. Actually, it’s probably the caramel like flavor they have. For this recipe I decided to add white chocolate because it compliments the nutty flavor and I added cinnamon because I LOVE cinnamon! Give these a try and I promise you won’t be disappointed. Really, the only thing missing is a big scoop of ice cream on top!

Yields 16 pieces

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup (5 oz) unsalted butter
• 1.5 cups brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 100 g white chocolate (I used a bar of Milka White Chocolate)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Butter an 8 in square pan.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over low heat. Once butter is melted, turn heat to medium and let the butter continue to cook for about 5 minutes, until foamy and color turns to a rich deep golden brown. Remove from heat and transfer to a bowl. Let cool for about 15 minutes.
4. In the meantime, chop your white chocolate into small pieces.
5. Once butter is cool, transfer to a large bowl and add brown sugar. Mix until incorporated. Add in eggs and vanilla and continue to mix.
6. Add your dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Gently fold in white chocolate.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and use a spatula to spread evenly.
8. Bake for about 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and place on rack. Let cool down completely before cutting.

Romanian Chec Spiced with Cinnamon

Chec has always been a favorite of mine because of its light and airy texture. There’s no butter or oil in this recipe and it’s made with whipped egg whites, so you get more of the texture of a genoise cake rather than a pound cake, which is made with lots of butter. This is the perfect treat with a cup of coffee or tea or as a midnight snack with a glass of milk!

Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients

• 4 eggs (separated)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Zest of one lemon
• Powdered sugar for topping

Directions

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a loaf pan.
2. In a medium bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, whip your egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4. In a large bowl cream the egg yolks and the sugar. Add lemon zest, almond extract, and vanilla extract.
5. Slowly add your flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture, alternating with your two tablespoons of warm water. Mix until incorporated.
6. Add a little bit of your egg whites and mix to lighten the batter. Continue to fold the rest of your egg whites into the batter.
7. Pour the batter into greased pan and bake for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
8. Remove from oven and let cool for about 15 minutes before removing from pan onto rack.
9. Sprinkle with powdered sugar once cool.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Winter is the perfect time for oatmeal. It warms you up first thing in the morning and fills you up until lunch time. I for one love being full until lunch, less snacking, especially after all the holiday eating! Lets be honest, plain oats are not the best tasting (actually they’re ewwww), so I decided to use an apple and some basic ingredients I had on hand to make this a rich and decadent oatmeal. I added cinnamon, brown sugar, and my secret ingredient that’s not so secret anymore, almond extract. I used a combination of milk and almond milk in this recipe but you can use one or the other or just use water. Using almond milk or water would make this Vegan! Of course water doesn’t add the creaminess that milk and almond milk do.

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup oats
• 3/4 cup milk (substitute with water or almond milk to make Vegan)
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 apple
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• Pinch of salt
• Chopped walnuts or almonds for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Cut up half an apple into small cubes, about 1/2 inch. Place them in a small skillet over medium heat. Add one tablespoon of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cook until apples are soft.
2. In a small saucepan pour 1/2 milk, 1/4 cup almond milk, oats, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract, and a pinch of salt. Bring the mixture to a boil on medium heat and cook until oats are soft. Add your last 1/4 cup of milk in the last few minutes of cooking.
3. Scoop oats into a bowl, add apples on top and garnish with chopped walnuts or almonds if desired.