​​We haven't made banana bread for awhile, so when we spotted some brown bananas in the fruit bowl, it was time to revisit the trusty favorite. However, then we realized while we had the right bananas we had no flour, too much pie and bread making going on! We did have a bag of gluten-free flour on hand from out gluten-free pie dough experimenting, so we thought we would give it a try. As we were experimenting anyway, we tried adding in some tahini and flax to play with texture and flavor. There have been a lot of recipes we have read lately using tahini is sweets, and we are digging the nutty sesame flavor it imparts. So far, as the loaf is half-way gone, no one has even suspected it is gluten-free, and the tahini gives it this unexpected buttery flavor. Looks like a win all the way around!!!  


Gluten-Free Tahini Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
makes one loaf
​
1 1/3 cups gluten-free flour (we use Cup4Cup)
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons tahini
1 tablespoon flax seeds
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup chocolate chips or you can omit chocolate and add ½ cup chopped nuts
 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-cup loaf pan, or line with parchment.
 
Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, beat on high speed the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and fluffy. Add Tahini and mix well. Add the dry ingredients and beat until the mixture resembles sand, making sure to scrape down the sides.
 
Slowly add in the beaten egg, a little at a time, and then add vanilla. When combined, carefully fold in banana and chocolate chips (or nuts). Scrape into prepared pan and bake about 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool entirely before unmolding.
 
If you omit the chocolate chips bump sugar up to ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar.
 
Also, if the bread is browning too quickly, cover with tinfoil and continue baking
 
 

For anyone who is a lover of dark chocolate, these cookies are for you. They are intensely chocolatey without being too sweet and the ideal partner to an afternoon espresso. We have always loved a sable, the french version of a shortbread. They are a simple cookie that is delicate and crumbly with a sandy texture. You can flavor them with all sorts of things, lemon, vanilla, cheese, almond and of course, chocolate. The mix of both grated and chopped chocolate insures that the chocolate is distributed throughout the cookie. You can also have fun with the toppings, if you don't have sesame seeds, crushed nuts, flax seeds, or coconut would all be delicious.

Chocolate Brown Sugar Sables
makes about 16 cookies
 
2 oz dark chocolate, grated and chopped, finely
¾ cup flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
½  teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¾ cup brown sugar plus 1 tablespoon
10 tablespoons butter, room temperature
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon sesame seeds
pinch of sea salt
½  tablespoon sugar

Beat brown sugar and butter at medium high speed until light and creamy, scraping the bowl occasionally (about 4 minutes)
 
In a medium bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda.
 
Add egg yolks one at a time to the sugar and butter mixture, and beat, scraping down after each.   Add vanilla and water. Reduce speed and add the flour mixture. When combined, add the chocolate and beat for 30 seconds to insure that everything is combined.
 
Place dough on a piece of parchment and role into about a 2 inch thick log. Chill until firm, about an hour.
 
Preheat oven to 350. With a serrated knife cut cookies into discs, about ¼ inch thick and place on parchment lined baking tray. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, remaining sugar and sea salt if you like.  Bake 11-13 minutes. 
 
*You can place cookie close together on baking sheet as they will not spread.
 
 
​

We have to admit that we were shocked that these worked and by worked we mean that the kids ate them and thought they were doughnuts! We are always looking for ways to get more fiber and protein in the kids and while you may think buckwheat is just that, wheat, but it isn't! Buckwheat is actually a seed, so for those that are gluten sensitive, it is gluten free, grain free. We didn't replace all the flour with the buckwheat, so this recipe is not gluten-free, but we did cut down quite a bit of it, and the buckwheat imparts a nutty, earthy flavor to these baked doughnuts. The kids preferred the chocolate drizzled ones, and we liked the powdered sugar so make some of each! 


Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Banana Bread Doughnuts
Makes about 6-8
 
1 c. flour
½ c. buckwheat flour
¾ tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. cinnamon
6 tablespoons butter, softened
1/3 c. sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup dark chocolate chips
¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
Grease doughnut pan
 
In a bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a stand mixture beat butter with sugar and honey until light an fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add dry ingredients and mix until resembling sand. Add a little bit of egg at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl. Add vanilla and mix. Fold in the mashed bananas and then the chocolate chips.
 
Carefully fill the doughnut pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, checking at 25 to see if a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for ten minutes then remove from pan.
 
Dust with powdered sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate and sprinkles. 


Be sure to check out our Etsy store for our BAKED GOODS blank notecards! 

​

As we have many gluten-free friends, we are always experimenting with different desserts to satisfy their sweet tooth's. Using the gluten-free flour mix from Trader Joe's we were able to easily convert regular cookie recipes into gluten-free! These are chewy, tender, and jam packed with nuts, cherries and of course chocolate! 

Gluten-free Chocolate Walnut Cherry Cookies
Makes about 2 ½ dozen
 
2 ¼ cup gluten-free flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup of room temperature butter
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs room temperature
1 cup semi sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup chopped bittersweet chocolate (about 3-4 oz)
½ cup chopped roasted walnuts
½ cup dried cherries
 
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the sugars, vanilla extract and the butter until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. In a small bowl mix flour, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Add eggs one at a time to butter sugar mixture, making sure you scrape the sides after each addition. Then add the flour mixture and mix until incorporated. Fold in the nuts, cherries and chocolate.
 
Chill batter for 3 hours or overnight (if you can wait!)
 
Preheat oven to 375.
 
Scoop batter into about 1 inch balls onto a parchment lined cookie sheet, leaving room as these cookies tend to spread. Bake for 11-13 minutes.
 

These cookies are nutty and chocolatey, two things that are always a win. We have been playing around with different nut butters and different flours, and this cookie is a nice addition to your arsenal as it gives you the feel of a chocolate chip cookie and is good for your gluten-free friends or family. We have a version on the site with peanut butter that does not have any type of flour whatsoever in it, but the almond flour in this cookie gives the cookie a heartier bite. Maybe we can then eat them for breakfast? 

Gluten Free Chocolate Almond Cookies
Makes about 1 dozen cookies
 
2 eggs
1 cup almond butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup almond flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup dark chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350
 
In a medium bowl whisk the eggs, then add the rest of the ingredients. Once dough comes together, roll into about inch size balls. Place on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes depending on your oven. Let cool on the sheet pan as cookies are crumbly when they are removed from the oven. 

We love chocolate and salt and together they make a tasty combination. This cookie is a full on chocolate explosion, however, with the bits of salty pretzels thrown in, it has a delicious balance. Soft and crunchy, salty and sweet. They are ridiculous right out of the oven when the chocolate is still melty and warm, but the kids like dipping cool cookies in milk. Either way its a winner! 

Chocolate Chocolate Pretzel cookies
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

2 c flour
¼ c unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1-cup butter
½ cup sugar
1-cup light brown sugar, gently packed
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. espresso powder or finely ground espresso 
2 eggs
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks or chips
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks or chips
1/4 c pretzels, roughly chopped, plus small whole ones for topping


Preheat oven to 350

In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugars together until light al fluffy.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour cocoa powder, baking soda, espresso and salt. Set aside.

Add eggs one at a time to the creamed sugar, making sure you scrape the sides as you go. Add vanilla extract. Then, slowly add the dry ingredients. When everything looks combined, add your chocolate and your pretzels. Do not over mix.

Scoop dough into 1 inch to 1.5-inch balls and place on cookie sheet. If topping with whole pretzels, squish one into the ball and slightly press down so the pretzel sits in the dough, not just on top.

Bake for 9-11 minutes and cool. 

Serve with milk! 


​

Canned pumpkin is something we always have in our pantry no matter the time of year. It lends a earthy, tenderness to cakes and we have even used it as a way to vary a basic tomato sauce. It also can be added to hummus to give it a different spin or heated low and slow on the stove with some brown sugar to become a pumpkin butter for breakfast toasts. This cake is a yummy take on a classic coffee cake, and trust us it wont last long.


Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Streusel Cake
 
For the cake:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons of cinnamon
½  teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
​
For the streusel:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
½ cup chocolate chips
 
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking pan with cooking spray or rub with butter.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flours, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugars until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla until well blended. Add the pumpkin puree. Reduce speed to low, and mix in the flour mixture until just combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.  Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. 

To make the streusel, in a medium bowl, combine the flours, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add in the butter, using  your fingers or a knife, and cut butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs. Sprinkle streusel evenly over the top of the cake. Next, sprinkle the chocolate chips over the cake.

​Bake for about 35-40 minutes or until the sides pull away from the pan and a toothpick comes out clean. Place cake on a wire rack and cool completely. Cut into squares and serve.
 

​The kids were craving cookie...or maybe we were (wink) so here are some cookies with a healthyish twist. We always like adding oatmeal to any baked good as it ups the fiber and whole grains in anything (and somehow saying its an oatmeal cookie) makes it sound healthier. The mix of the two kinds of chocolates gives you some morsels that hold their shape and other chunks that melt and get gooey, just how we like it! 

Oatmeal Raisin Chocolate Chip Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen
 
1 cup of butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup sugar
½ cup rolled oats
1 ¾ cup flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ cup golden raisins
1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
1 cup bittersweet or semi sweet chocolate chunks, or a baking chocolate chopped up
 
 
Preheat oven to 375
 
Line tray with parchment
 
In a stand mixer place butter and sugars and cream together with paddle attachment until light and fluffy
 
In a separate bowl whisk oats, flour, salt and baking soda
 
When sugar and butter mixture is ready, add in the eggs one at a time, scraping down side after each addition.  Add the Vanilla extract and then, slowly add in the flour mixture. Mix until just incorporated and add the raisins then the chocolate.
Do not over mix.
 
Scoop whatever size cookies you like and bake for about 10-11 minutes until slightly brown. 

We have made banana bread too many times to count as somehow when you have little kids around, you always have overripe bananas! My mom and I argue about this recipe all the time and go back and forth over who's we like better. This recipe is our compromise!

​Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips
 
 
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon cinnamon
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
​1 tablespoon honey
2 large eggs lightly beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 very ripe bananas, mashed
½ cup chocolate chips or you can omit chocolate and add ½ cup chopped nuts
 
Preheat oven to 350 and grease a 6-cup loaf pan. Whisk all dry ingredients together in medium bowl. In a stand mixer or using a large bowl and a hand-held mixer, beat on high speed the butter and the sugars until lightened in color and fluffy. Add to sugar and butter the dry ingredients and beat on medium speed until resembling sand. Slowly add in the beaten egg, a little at a time, then add vanilla. When combined, carefully fold in banana and chocolate chips (or nuts). Scrape into prepared pan and bake about 50-60 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Let cool before unmolding.
 
If you omit the chocolate chips bump sugar up to ½ cup sugar, and ½ cup brown sugar.
 
 

 

We are always playing around with ways to get more fiber and food into the smallest child in the morning. These oat based muffins are filling and tasty, a great start to the day. And, the chocolate tricks him into eating more then a single raspberry for breakfast! 

Chocolate Oatmeal Breakfast Muffins
Makes 12
 
1-cup flour
½ cup oat flour
½ cup rolled oats
¼ cup oat bran
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
½ tsp. salt
1-tablespoon baking powder
½ tsp. baking soda
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ cup cacao powder
2 eggs
1-cup sour cream
¼ cup milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½-1 cup chocolate chips or chopped chocolate
 
Preheat oven to 400
 
Line muffin pan with paper liners or grease with butter or spray with non-stick baking spray
 
In a bowl whisk flour, oat flour, rolled oats, oat bran, sugar, salt, baking powder, baking soda, spices and cacao powder.
 
In a smaller bowl whisk eggs, sour cream, milk, melted butter and vanilla.
 
Add liquid to dry ingredients and mix with a few strokes to combine. Mixture will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips.
 
With an ice cream scooper fill muffin tins and bake for 14-16 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
 
 

A true family classic. We have been making these brownies for over thirty years. They are a more cake like brownie and rich with chocolate and always studded with extra chips. The third generation is on their way to making these without help, just a watchful eye as the chocolate melts on the stove. If you wanted to tweak this a little, on a few occasions we have added a few tablespoons of espresso to compliment the chocolate, but we recommend not serving those to small children who you want to get to sleep at a reasonable hour.  


Double Fudge Brownies
makes 1 9 x 13 inch baking pan

1 ½ cup sugar
2/3 cup butter
¼ cup water
1 12 oz package of chocolate chips plus 1 cup extra chocolate chips (or butterscotch)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs
1½ cup flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup of walnuts or pecans (optional)

Peanut butter and chocolate are a classic and favorite combination. As are pretzels and peanut butter. This pie combines everything that is wonderful into one delicious bite. The littlest one loves using the food processor, so he got in on the crust making action. However, once the peanut butter and cream cheese and whipped cream started coming together, he ran off with the spoon to lick away in peace!


Peanut Butter and Chocolate Pie with Pretzel Crust
Makes one pie
 
½ cup-3/4 cup crushed pretzels. (About large 4 handfuls of whole pretzels)
6 tablespoons butter, melted plus 1 tablespoon
½ cup brown sugar
8 oz. cream cheese
1-cup smooth peanut butter
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups heavy cream plus 2 tablespoons
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips
 
 
Preheat oven to 375
 
Place crushed pretzels, melted butter, and brown sugar in food processor and pulse until mixture begins to clump together. Dump into pie dish and press/pat firmly on bottom and sides to make crust. You want it to be even, about ¼ of an inch thick.  Place in oven and bake 10-15 minutes until the crust turns a light golden brown. Remove and cool.
 
Whip the 2 cups of heavy cream, and once soft peaks appear, add the vanilla extract. Beat a minute or two more until firm peaks.
 
With a handheld mixer or stand mixer, beat cream cheese, peanut butter and powdered sugar together until incorporated.  With a spatula carefully fold half the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Once mixed, fold in remaining whipped cream until mixture is uniform. Set Aside.
 
In a microwave safe dish add chips, 2 tablespoons of cream and the butter. Depending on your microwave, heat until chips melt, then stir carefully until mixed.  Pour into prepared pretzel shell and place in freezer to cool for 10 minutes.
 
Remove crust from freezer and fill with Peanut Butter mousse.  Chill for at least two hours or over night.
 
Fifteen minutes before serving, remove pie and decorate with shaved chocolate, or chopped peanuts, or chopped peanut butter cups.