Double Chocolate Cookies

Healthy and super chocolatey. Can such a thing exist? You betcha! These cookies contain whipped egg whites and arrowroot powder for stability, are sweetened with Sucanat and richly flavored with 2 kinds of chocolate. The key , as always, is using top quality products. For the chocolate I used bittersweet Ghirardelli chips and Cocoa Barry - Extra Brute cocoa powder. If dairy is an issue for you then replace the Ghirardelli chips with baking chocolate from Enjoy Life. They have excellent dairy free products.

These cookies also have an incredible texture. Crispy on the outside yet chewy inside with the yummy flavor of a brownie. If you liked added crunch then feel free to add your favorite chopped nuts to the batter.

The Sucanat will make the batter appear as if it is full of little grains of sand. Don't worry, this is expected and does not affect the taste or consistency in the finished product. The batter will also get quite thick and again, this is expected. In fact, I let the batter sit for about 10 minutes before I start scooping out my first batch. The cookies hold their shape better once the arrowroot has a chance to stiffen up.

Of course the winning aspect of this recipe for me, in addition to all I have stated above, is the fact that these are gluten-free. I am always on the lookout for great gluten recipes and have found a super one with this recipe from Clean Eating.

So without further ado, let's get baking!

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: Chocolate Cookies, Clean Eating Magazine

WHAT YOU NEED

6 oz bittersweet chocolate chips (good quality ONLY!)
3 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups Sucanat, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup of dark cocoa powder (unsweetened). Cocoa Barry - Extra Brute works best
4 1/2 teaspoons arrowroot powder

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

IN SMALL DOUBLE BOILER, melt chocolate chips and set aside to cool
IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with whisk attachment, beat egg whites until soft peaks form
ADD 1 cup of Sucanant whisking just until combined
ADD vanilla extract
FOLD in melted chocolate
IN SMALL BOWL, stir together remaining Sucanat, cocoa powder and arrowroot powder
ADD dry ingredients to wet ingredients and fold in gently until thoroughly combined
DROP batter by tablespoonful onto prepared baking sheets leaving 1/2 inch space between each cookie
BAKE 10 minutes
REMOVE FROM OVEN and let cookies cool on sheet for 10 minutes before removing (with spatula) to cooling rack

ENJOY !


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Attention Ottawa, Ontario Dessert Lovers !

I usually don’t write consumer reviews but today I have decided to make an exception. Why? Because I am one happy consumer.

Now let me start off from the beginning. You see, a few days ago my dear sweet puppy dog decided it was a good idea to trip me on the stairs. Oddly enough, I always suspected the cat would be the villain in such an incident but I was shockingly wrong. As I tumbled down 2 steps I heard a clear “snap” emanating from my left foot. Sure my toe hurt but it wasn’t until the next day when I woke up and realized how bad it really was. I had broken my baby toe.

As you can imagine, or know by experience, sporting a broken toe makes everything a challenge. I have been housebound for days and I think cabin fever is setting in. Overall, not fun! Being a home baker, my passion does require me to stand on two feet; quite the challenge when one is all gimped up. Besides, the day after my accident I didn’t feel like baking anyway and had no idea when I would in the near future. So with me out of commission, who will handle the sweet treats around here???

As luck would have it, I came across a local bakery here in Ottawa, Ontario totally by chance. In fact I cannot recall all the steps that led me to discover Totally Squared but I did find them on Facebook. Let’s chalk it up to divine intervention.

After viewing their website and seeing all their yummy assortment of squares I figured, why not, let’s order a dozen! So I did. Was I pleased with the results? YES!

Vanessa, the owner of Totally Squared, hand delivered my order directly to my front door. She also provide me with a discount (a one day special offered to her Facebook followers) and even tossed in over a dozen assorted cookies. How is that for top-notch service?

These baked delights arrived beautifully presented and impeccably made. You can bet I wasn’t long digging in. I first sampled the Shortbread Squares and all I can say is WOW!

Moist, super buttery and baked to perfection. These are absolutely fantastic treats to enjoy all year long but shortbread and the holiday season go hand in hand.

Then I moved on to the Double Chocolate Caramel Squares (see photo top right). The rich chocolate chip cookie base laid the ideal foundation. Then came the caramel; soft, sweet and gooey. These two layers were then topped off with a layer of ganache. I have to say, that chocolate ganache was out of this world. Smooth and rich – the way a fantastic ganache should be!

So would I recommend Totally Squared? I think you can figure out the answer to that! In fact I raved about them on my own Facebook wall and advised the owner that I was one happy client. She was so pleased that she followed up personally with an email and guess what, Ottawa readers? She provided me with my own discount code to share with all my family and friends.

This means YOU!

So if you want to enjoy some phenomenal squares then Totally Squared is the place to go. They do deliver to certain areas within the National Capital Region and all of this info is readily available on their site. Here are the details:

Totally Squared: http://www.totallysquared.com/

Use the following code at check out and receive 10% off your next purchase.

Coupon Code: 10-OFF

Expires January 15, 2012

ENJOY !

Giveaway Winner and GF Baking Tips !

So excited to share the winner's name with all of you today. This was a fun giveaway and a prize close to my heart - well, anything to do with cupcakes is close to my heart (which oddly enough is an organ quite close to the tummy).

The winner of the Christmas themed cupcake kit giveaway is:

Les rêves d'une boulangère (Brittany)

Congrats, Brittany ! You will definitely enjoy putting your prize to good use. Please email me your shipping address so I can send it off to you first thing on Monday, December 12th. Email: lemondropfoodie@yahoo.ca

As you can all probably guess, the next giveaway will be coming in January and will be a Valentine's Day themed prize ! So I hope you will all enter into the draw to win.

Now on to some valuable gluten-free baking tips.

Many people are rather confused about how removing gluten from a recipe doesn't result in absolute baking disaster. I mean gluten is the glue that binds, correct? And that it is. But there are options out there that yield the same results without the nasty gluten side-effects many people try to cope with day in and day out.

What are they? Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum. I know weird names but trust me, they work and you cannot be without them when you venture into the world of gluten-free baking.

These 2 ingredients, Xanthan Gum and Guar Gum, can be used interchangeably in your gluten-free baking recipes. They nicely take the place of gluten as the key missing link. Personally, I opt for Xanthan Gum - easier on the tummy , especially if you have any digestive concerns.
Below I have 3 bullets that are a good rule of thumb BUT keep in mind, nothing is exact with GF baking. Trial and error is truly the only way to go. Start off with the minimum amounts as per below and see how it works out for you !
When converting a flour based recipe over to gluten-free, in addition to adding a *GF flour blend you would also need to add the following amount of either Xanthan or Guar Gum to achieve favorable results.

• Cakes: 1/4 to 1/2 tsp to each cup of gluten/wheat free flour
• Breads: 1/2 to 1 tsp to each cup of gluten/wheat free flour
• Cookies: 0 to 1/4 tsp to each cup of gluten/wheat free flour

* NOTE: Some GF pre-made mixes already have these thickeners added so pay special attention to the ingredients !
In closing, a little tidbit of info to share with you all. I am presently working on my first e-book which will be jam-packed with absolutely delicious gluten-free recipes that will result in you, yes YOU, baking up childhood favorites your entire family can enjoy ! The launch date has yet to be determined (still in the recipe creation phase) but you will all be the first to know!

Linda @ Lemon Drop

Edward's Warm Apple and Plum Pudding

Nothing says the holiday season like a warm pudding. Toss in apples and plums and you can pretty much hear Santa's bells ! The kicker though is to top it off with a scoop of french vanilla ice cream and then a generous drizzle of warm caramel sauce.
My oh my !

This altered recipe comes from one of my British baking cookbooks The Great British Book of Baking and I absolutely love it. After tasting it I actually equated it to " having a bite of Christmas itself". All the flavors are there: cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, clove . The apples and plums add a lovely consistency and sweet flavor. The pudding part itself is a thick batter that is golden, rich and sheer perfection.

I wish I had more pics to share with you but I don't. It was overcast that day and though I intended to set up some artificial lighting the pudding was gone before I had a chance to do so. So just go with this one and only pic plus my written guarantee that you will ADORE this !

Ready? Let's get started

RECIPE:
* altered source recipe Edward's Warm Apple and Plum Pudding, The Great British Book of Baking

WHAT YOU NEED

PUDDING

115g unsalted butter at room temperature
175g golden brown sugar
1 medium egg, lightly beaten
150g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
pinch of cloves
100g pecans or walnuts, finely chopped
4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1 cm pieces
3 plums, halved, stoned and cut into 1 cm pieces
2 tablespoons chopped glacé ginger or 1 tablespoon of ginger syrup

CARAMEL SAUCE

200g granulated sugar
225ml whipping cream, at room temperature
20g unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

MAKE IT

MAKE PUDDING

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE Grease an 8" springform pan with cooking spray and line base with parchment paper.

IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with paddle attachment, add butter and beat on MED speed for 2-3 minutes until light and creamy
ADD sugar and continue to beat MED speed for another 2-3 minutes
ADD egg and mix to combine
IN MEDIUM BOWL, sift together flour, baking powder, salt and spices
FOLD dry ingredients into butter mixture and blend until combined
GENTLY fold in apples, plums, nuts and ginger
DOLLOP batter into prepared pan (yes it will be super thick!) and smooth top.
BAKE for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and sponge springs back when lightly pressed. While baking, proceed to making the caramel sauce below
WHEN PUDDING IS DONE, REMOVE pan from oven, run a round-bladed knife around inside to loosen sponge, and unmould. Serve on a warmed serving plate

MAKE SAUCE

IN SMALL DOUBLE BOILER, add sugar and continue to stir of low-med heat until it starts to melt and turn golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.
WHEN SUGAR IS A RICH GOLDEN BROWN, remove from heat and stir in cream. Be careful as the cream will splatter
RETURN to heat and gently stir until any large chunks are dissolved. The mixture will continue to darken slightly and thicken
WHEN the sauce is smooth remove from heat and stir in butter and extract
SPOON over warm pudding

ENJOY !

Chocolate Chip Scones and a Giveaway !

It is giveaway time again! Right on target for the holiday season. I love giveaways. It really lights up my day when I can send off a sweet treat to one of my beloved followers. Without you all, Lemon Drop wouldn't exist. You are the bread to my butter.

So once again we gather for another fun giveaway that focuses on - you guessed it - my love of CUPCAKES! They are my all time favorite treat. Gluten-free, flour based, topped with ganache or buttercream. You name it, I love it. So what better way to kick off the festive season than with a Christmas cupcake themed giveaway?!

For those who follow Lemon Drop, my giveaways alway consist of some type of baking gadget or presentation kit. To me these are simply the tools which let your imagination soar. How you go about using the prize is always totally up to you. For me, I simply want to help you expand your creative baking ideas ! I saw this cupcake kit while out hunting for my next prize to offer you all and knew this was the one.

The prize is a fantastic Meri Meri Happy Holidays Cupcake Kit. It contains 24 baking cups, 12 cupcake gingerbread cupcake wrappers and a variety of 12 toppers. How cute is that ?

The contest rules are the same as all my last giveaways. To recap:

GIVEAWAY TERMS AND CONDITIONS:

This giveaway will not be open that long for submissions to ensure the winner receives the goodies in time for Christmas. So act fast and don't miss out on your chance to win !

Minimum requirements (1 chance to win):

• Be a follower of this blog and add a comment to this post stating you are a follower. To follow, simply scroll down on the right until you see the Follow button in the sidebar. Then join up!
  

Please do ensure that you meet the minimum requirement or I regret to say that your entry won't be counted.


Additional chances to win:

• Minimum requirements must still be met

• Publish a post on this giveaway in your own blog and link it back to this post (+2 more chances to win)

• Add a link at the side of your blog (sidebar) to my blog. Feel free to use any image from this post if you want to (+ 1 more chance to win)

• Provide a link to your blog in your comment and leave the post/link on your blog for 1 more week after the giveaway has closed for compilation purposes.

Important:

Contest closes 11 PM EST, Wednesday, December 7th, 2011. An online random selection tool (@ random.org) will be used to select the winner. Name of winner will be announced on Lemon Drop the following day and a request will be issued to the winner to contact me privately. The winner has 24 hours after winner announcement to contact me and claim their prize.

GOOD LUCK !

Now onto the recipe

Usually I like to take the time to make super flaky scones that have endless buttery layers. This involves grating frozen butter plus some kneading and folding of the dough several times envelope style. Though I usually make this type of scone 99% of the time (the taste really cannot be beat) there are simply days where easy reigns supreme! On those days drop scones quickly become my best friend. They will become yours too.

This gorgeous little fellas require minimal prep time and bake up like fluffy cakes studded with sweet chocolate chips. A sprinkling of turbinado sugar pre-bake takes them up to an even higher level of YUM!

I whipped these up in under 10 minutes and then baked them for 15. So yes, within 1/2 hr you can have a scone ready and waiting for you. I love these for the simplicity, the taste, the versatility. Don't like chocolate? Then why not add dried cranberries and orange zest, or try butterscotch or peanut butter chips? So many choices.

I won't bother re-posting the recipe here as I stuck to the one featured at Annie's Eats. It is a great recipe and one I will definitely reuse in the future. So if you are drooling over these then head over to Annie's Eats and make up a batch of your own. You will be happy you did!

RECIPE: Chocolate Chip Scones, Annie's Eats

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Hot Chocolate Marshmallow Mugs

Looking for a quick and easy festive food craft that the kids can tackle mostly on their own? Then these are it !

So simple yet so incredibly cute. A perfect bake-free treat that your children will absolutely love to make.

All you need are a few key ingredients and you are ready to go. My daughter made these all on her own and she is only 9. Her creations were gorgeous.

Ready? Let's get crackin'

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe Marshmallow Mug, American Girl Magazine

WHAT YOU NEED

Small clean paint brush

Large marshmallows
Chocolate sprinkles and Christmas themed sprinkles
Mini candy canes
Digestive Cookies (buy the ones where one are be coated in chocolate)
Light Corn Syrup
Chocolate Frosting (store bought is fine)

MAKE IT

On the chocolate side of a cookie, add a dollop of frosting
Place marshmallow on frosting
Cut candy canes so you have a small handle
Push ends of candy cane handle into marshmallow
Brush a circle of corn syrup on the top of the marshmallow - a little goes a long way
Sprinkle with chocolate jimmies

For S'Mores, simple coat the plain side of 2 cookies with frosting
Cut marshmallows in half and place on frosting of one cookie
Sandwich together with top cookie
Cover top of cookie with a thin coating of corn syrup
Add sprinkles

ENJOY !




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5-Grain Cookies

Make a batch of these little gems Sunday night and you have healthy cookies all week long. Your kids will love you for it (and may even clean their rooms without needing to be asked!)

These gorgeous cookies are made with Bob Red Mill's 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal as their key component then loaded up with shaved coconut, slivered almonds and dark chocolate chips. If that isn't your preferred flavor combo then feel free to try out what you like: dried cranberries, walnuts, pecans, raising, diced dried apricots, dates.... It's all good !

I was looking for a cookie that would be filling, somewhat healthy and also work well as a breakfast treat too. I found it with these guys. Not too sweet and filled with goodies. They checked off all the boxes!


I have been eating Bob's 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal for years now and noticed just this past weekend that there was a cookie recipe right on the back of the bag that looked appealing. After reading the ingredients list I was hooked though I did change the add-ins. I love the crunch and health benefits of almonds. My kids love chocolate. So even-steven. But I have more ideas too. The next batch will be filled with a Xmas dried fruit mix (raisins, currants, mixed peel) for a perfect festive treat.

These make lovely, fat and moist cookies that tend not to spread out too much during baking. The recipe also makes a slew of cookies. In total I had nearly 40 when finished. I am not sure if they would freeze well or not so for now they are simply resting nicely in my biscuit tin knowing they have a short life span; the pile is getting smaller and smaller each day.

RECIPE:
*adapted source recipe: 5 Grain Cookies, packaging recipe on Bob's Red Mill 5 Grain Rolled Cereal

WHAT YOU NEED

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Butter
1 cup Golden Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
2 Eggs
1/2 cup Water
1/2 cup Slivered Almonds
1 cup Dark Chocolate Chips
1/2 cup Coconut Flakes
1 1/2 cups 5 Grain Rolled Hot Cereal

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 375F
LINE 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper

IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together first 3 dry ingredients and set aside
IN BOWL OF STAND MIXER, fitted with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on HIGH speed for 3 minutes
BLEND in water and vanilla extract
ADD in eggs, one a time, blending well after each addition
STIR in flour mixture
FOLD in remaining ingredients
DROP batter by heaping tablespoonful onto prepared pans leaving about 1 inch space between cookies
BAKE 10 minutes
LET rest on pan 5 minutes then transfer cookies to cooling rack

ENJOY !

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