Gluten-Free Apricot Tea Squares

I rarely bake with apricots but I saw a gluten-free recipe that sounded amazing and one I had to test out asap.  In fact, I think this is the one and only apricot recipe on Lemon Drop to date.

These Apricot Tea Squares are simple to make, use wholesome ingredients and get this - contain NO SUGAR or sugar substitutes!  The apricots and natural sweetness of coconut is all you need. That, my friends, is a winner in my book.

The other great thing about these squares is the easy preparation. Everything comes together in minutes with your food processor then you simply press the dough into a prepared pan.

Butterscotch Bars

Super sweet, super sticky, super delish ! This is another great recipe from Anna Olson's cookbook Sugar and it lets you play with bubbling sugar . Now don't let that scare you off. Boiling sugar doesn't need to be scary. Just take your time, keep stirring, don't stick your face into the pot to get a closer look and you will be fine!

This recipe reminds me of an old-fashioned bar I used to see at church bake sales when I was a kid. It has a soft, blondie-like crust and is loaded with creamy butterscotch, nuts, coconut and chocolate chips. What's not to like?

But as already warned, these are super sweet so a little square goes a long way. The great thing is that these can stay at room temperature covered in cling wrap for a couple of weeks so no rush to eat them all in one day (even though you may be tempted to do so).

As with most bars you bake the crust first then add the filling. Back in the oven for a final bake and you are done. So if you are ready, let's get bar-baking !

RECIPE:
*source recipe: Butterscotch Bars, Sugar by Anna Olson

WHAT YOU NEED

BASE

1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

BUTTERSCOTCH

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup golden corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
3/4 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup whipping cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

MAKE IT

PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE and line bottom of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
IN A BOWL, cream butter and sugars together.
ADD eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy.
IN SEPARATE BOWL, combine flour, baking soda and salt.
ADD to butter mixture and stir until evenly blended.
SPREAD batter into a prepared pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until an even golden brown. SET aside to cool.

IN MEDIUM SAUCEPAN, melt butter over medium heat.
STIR in sugars, corn syrup, water and salt and increase heat to medium-high.
WHEN MIXTURE BOILS, stir in walnut pieces and coconut.
SIMMER for 7 minutes, stirring often (mixture will become thick and darker in colour).
REMOVE from heat and stir in cream and vanilla (watch for steam).
POUR butterscotch over base and sprinkle chocolate chips.
BAKE for 13 to 16 minutes, until bubbling around the edges.
LET cool before cutting into squares or bars.
DO NOT refrigerate.

Butterscotch Bars will keep up to 3 weeks in an airtight container

Also seen here:

Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake

For my birthday I received the gorgeous cookbook Rose's Heavenly Cakes. I have read rave reviews about this book and couldn't wait to test out a recipe. I had my sights set on the Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake but the problem was that I didn't have a can of cream of coconut. To say finding cream of coconut in Ontario, Canada is challenging would be an understatement. So my cake recipe had to wait but not for long.

My family and I decided to take a jaunt over to the US this past weekend and enjoyed an incredible shopping excursion in Syracuse, NY. I immediately hit up Pottery Barn and Williams Sonoma. I am in love with both stores and definitely plan on being a returning visitor.

While at Williams Sonoma, I decided to ask a clerk where I could find the infamous Cream of Coconut. She swiftly pointed me in the direction of a Wegman's and advised me that Wegman's is simply the best of the best. This store, sent from the heavens it seemed, would have everything and more. As I have never even seen a Wegman's before I thought that perhaps I would be in for a treat. I was. The store was HUGE! It had everything I could imagine including the cream of coconut. Their candy section alone was impressive. I have never seen a grocery store with so many selections before, let alone one that divides M&Ms into the difference colors and loads them up into lovely little dispensers for easy access. My daughter was delirious over the bakery department. She states she has never ever EVER seen so many different types of bagels in her life. Last but not least, they had jars of imported clotted cream which I was desperately seeking to make a clotted cream cake! So Wegman's has won me over. I am a true fan now and cannot wait to return to the US for another tour.

Back to the cake: after successfully locating cream of coconut, I started making this cake within one hour after returning from my trip. It is amazing how one can barely stand up one minute, exhausted to the bone, yet the baking addiction, forever present, quickly rises one up on their feet again and fills them with energy! Only after the cake was baked, cooled, frosted and eaten did I fall into bed and sleep like a baby.

The coconut cake is not a complex recipe at all. It has coconut in the batter as well as sprinkled on top. The cream of coconut adds moisture and flavor. The frosting is nothing more than stabilized whipped cream to which I added a bit of vanilla and a bit of coconut extract. By adding a cornstarch stabilizer blend to the whipped cream you avoid whipped cream separating and it preserves the consistency for 24 hours refrigerated. What I liked just as much was how the stabilizer changed the texture and flavor of the whipped cream to that one a smooth creamy heaven with hints of custard flavor. I could have easily sat back and eaten loads of it by the spoonful it was simply that good.

To get started have a small food processor nearby; one that can accommodate about 1 cup of dry ingredients. Now let's begin!

A must have !

The Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake baked and ready for frosting!

RECIPE*:
*altered source recipe for Heavenly Coconut Seduction Cake: Rose's Heavenly Cakes

WHAT YOU NEED

CAKE

3 large egg whites at room temperature
2/3 cup creamed coconut (run through the food processor first to combine thoroughly)
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup minus 1 tablespoon fine granulated sugar
1/2 cup desiccated unsweetened coconut
2 cups cake flour (sifted first into measuring cups and leveled off). I usually simply measure this to ensure accuracy. You are looking for 7 ounces (200 grams) of flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature, cut into small chunks

FROSTING

2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
sweetened shredded coconut (optional)

MAKE IT

MOVE OVEN RACK to lower third of oven
PREHEAT oven to 350F
GREASE bottom and sides of one 9 inch round cake pan. Line bottom with parchment paper and spray parchment paper with baking spray (a spray with added flour is great too).
IN MEDIUM BOWL, whisk together egg whites, 3 tablespoons cream of coconut, vanilla and coconut extracts. Set aside.
IN FOOD PROCESSOR, pulse together sugar and coconut until you have a fine powder
IN LARGE BOWL (or bowl of stand mixer), mix coconut/sugar mixture, flour, baking powder and salt on low speed for 30 seconds (stand or hand held electric mixtures both work well)
ADD butter and remaining cream of coconut
MIX AT MEDIUM SPEED for 1 1/2 minutes scraping down bowl when required
KEEPING BEATING at medium speed and slowly add egg whites mixture in 2 parts, beating 30 seconds after each addition
POUR batter into prepared pan
SMOOTH surface evenly
BAKE 30-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Mine was perfect at 30 minutes on the dot! NOTE: do not remove until cake starts to pull away from sides of pan.
LET COOL in pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes
REMOVE from pan and allow to cool on cake stand

FROSTING:

IN SMALL SAUCEPAN, over med/low heat, whisk together sugar and cornstarch.
GRADUALLY add 1/4 cup heavy cream
BRING TO LOW BOIL stirring continuously
SIMMER for a few seconds until thickened
SCRAPE mixture into heat proof bowl
LET COOL to room temperature
STIR in vanilla extract

IN LARGE MIXING BOWL (stand mixing bowl if using), BEAT remaining whipped cream until traces of beater marks begin to appear
ADD cooled cornstarch mixture
BEAT until stiff peaks form

FROST top of cake with whipped cream
SPRINKLE with sweetened shredded coconut if desired

ENJOY !