Maple Nut Fudge

I didn't quite need the entire can of evaporated milk when making these caramel brownies, so I decided to try a new fudge recipe to use up the leftovers! The toasted walnuts add crunchy texture and depth of flavor to this decadent, creamy fudge. This recipe will be perfect for the holiday season and make for a delicious Christmas gift!

Maple Nut Fudge
Yield: 9x13 pan

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped walnuts
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter
• 2/3 cup (5 oz can) evaporated milk
• 2 cups white chocolate chips
• 7 oz jar marshmallow creme
• 2 1/2 tsp maple extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Spread walnuts in single layer on baking sheet. Bake 3 minutes, stir, then bake additional 3 minutes. (Be careful not to burn!) Let cool.
3. Grease 9x13 baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line with parchment paper. Set aside.
4. Combine sugar, butter, and evaporated milk in heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring to boil over medium heat, stirring often. Once at full boil, maintain boiling for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
5. Turn off heat. Stir in white chocolate chips until smooth.
6. Add marshmallow creme and maple extract. Stir until smooth.
7. Fold in toasted walnuts.
8. Pour into prepared pan.
9. Cool at room temperature until pan is no longer warm (about 2-3 hours). Then move pan to refrigerator to chill (about 1-2 hours).
10. Lift fudge from pan, discard parchment, and cut into squares. Store in refrigerator.
11. To maximize maple flavor, serve fudge at room temperature. (Simply remove fudge from refrigerator 30 minutes to an hour before serving.)

Recipe adapted from Mom On Timeout.

Flourless Chocolate Torte

My husband asked me not to make him a birthday cake this year.

Wait a second... what?!

I express my love for others by baking them delicious desserts, especially for birthdays. So I found a clever way around the issue: I baked him a last-day-of-the-spring-semester cake to celebrate the end of his 10th(!) year of teaching. Sneaky, huh? ;)

Flourless Chocolate Torte
Yield: 9" round cake

Ingredients
Cake:

• 1 1/3 cups bittersweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 5 eggs, room temperature
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped

Ganache:

• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Topping:

• finely chopped walnuts, as desired

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 9" round cake pan with nonstick cooking spray; set aside. (If planning to remove cake from pan before topping with ganache, line bottom with parchment and spray a second time.)
2. Melt bittersweet chocolate and coconut oil in saucepan over low heat. Let cool.
3. Meanwhile, in stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, beat eggs and sugar at medium speed for 5 minutes. Mix in vanilla and salt.
4. Stir chocolate into egg mixture until well combined. Fold in walnuts.
5. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until set. Let cool. (If parchment was used, remove before making ganache.)
6. Once cake has cooled completely, heat almond milk and semisweet chocolate in saucepan over low heat. Spread ganache evenly over cake and sprinkle with walnuts.
7. Store in refrigerator to keep ganache firm. Remove cake from refrigerator 15-20 minutes before ready to serve. Slice and enjoy!

Unlike most of my recipes which come from online sources, this one actually came in the mail! The realtor who helped us buy our home 10 years ago sends out these fun monthly postcards with various topics related to home ownership. Of course, my favorite ones are about food!

Obviously this mailing was sent out during the holidays, and it's taken me nearly 5 months to get around to making it. But hey, I think I deserve some brownie points (no pun intended) for at least hanging onto the recipe for that long and not losing it in the meantime!

Banana Streusel Coffee Cake

Need a creative way to use up those over-ripe bananas sitting on your kitchen counter? Take a break from your trusty banana bread recipe and give this moist coffee cake a try!

The fluffy, tender layers of banana cake are filled with a sweet cinnamon and brown sugar streusel that is creamy on the inside and crunchy on the outside.

Banana Streusel Coffee Cake
Yield: 7x11 pan

Ingredients
Streusel:
 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
 1 Tbsp cinnamon
 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Cake:
 1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
 3/4 tsp baking soda
 3/4 tsp baking powder
 1/4 tsp salt
 3/4 cup sugar
 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
 1 egg, room temperature
 1 1/3 cups mashed banana (about 3 large bananas)
 3 Tbsp milk

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pan with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Stir brown sugar, cinnamon, and walnuts (if using) in small bowl until well blended. Set streusel aside.
3. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in medium bowl.
4. Using electric mixer, cream sugar and butter. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Stir in mashed bananas and milk. Add dry ingredients and blend well.
5. Spread half of batter in prepared pan. Sprinkle with half of streusel. Repeat with remaining batter and streusel.
6. Bake 35-40 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack.
7. Cut into bars when ready to serve. Tastes great warm from the oven or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

Every gluten free kitchen needs a tried and true banana bread recipe...and I've got one for you!

Banana Bread
Yield: 1 loaf

Ingredients
2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
1 cup sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium or 2 large)
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk (I use almond milk)

Optional mix-ins:
 For banana nut bread, add 1/2 cup chopped walnuts.
 For chocolate chip banana bread, add 1 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips.

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 335°F. (I have a convection oven. If using a standard oven, increase temperature to 350°F.)
2. Grease loaf pan with Crisco.
3. Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Set aside.
4. Beat eggs, bananas, oil, and milk in large bowl until well blended. Add dry ingredients; stir just until moistened. Fold in nuts or chocolate chips, if desired. (Recipe is great on its own even without mix-ins!) Pour into prepared pans.
5. Bake 55 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.
6. For easier slicing (and moister bread), wrap bread in plastic wrap and store overnight before cutting.

Note: Can be made in mini loaf pans; cook about 30 minutes.