6 egg yolk cookies

Got extra egg yolks and don't want to make pudding, custard or ice cream? Then make these soft and chewy egg yolk cookies! Customize these with your favorite extracts or even add-ins!

Remember how I used to have an egg white problem? You know the one - I'd make many batches of ice cream (using egg yolks) and then would have tons and tons of egg whites left over? Well, today I had the opposite problem. I made a fresh fruit cake using egg whites and then had 6 egg yolks left over.

I didn't want to repeat a recipe, so I passed on pudding, lemon curd, creme brûlée and other custard-type of desserts. But I did find this little gem - a 6 egg yolk cookie. Intrigued?

These cookies are NOT health food. They include 6 full egg yolks, plus a stick of butter. The regular recipe actually called for 2 sticks (EEEK!) but I slimmed them down by substituting the second stick of butter with half a cup of applesauce instead. And you know what? I couldn't even tell that there was applesauce in the recipe.

Since I like my cookies on the soft and chewy side, I only baked mine for 8 minutes. I let them cool on the baking mat and the centers firmed up quite nicely. I took these cookies on a girls' weekend and everyone was raving about them.

I imagine these would be pretty awesome with other extracts as well - such as almond, mint and orange. I used lemon because that's what I had on hand. To jazz these up, I could have added some lemon zest but I didn't have any on hand.

These are a wonderfully soft and chewy cookie that you and your friends enjoy. Have fun experimenting with different extracts or even add-ins like chocolate chips and sprinkles!

6 egg yolk cookies

• 1 stick (8 Tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (can substitute with another stick of butter if desired)
• 1 and 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 6 egg yolks (can substitute with 3 whole eggs if needed)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• Additional granulated sugar, for rolling

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter, applesauce and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder and cream of tartar together until well blended.

In a small bowl, mix the egg yolks, vanilla extract and lemon extract together. Add this to the mixer and mix until well blended. Then turn the speed down to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients until everything comes together.

Using a cookie scoop or two spoons, scoop mounds of dough (it will be very sticky) and roll it into a small bowl of granulated sugar. Make sure to cover all sides of the dough ball. Place it on your prepared baking sheet.

Repeat with the remaining dough and make sure to space the dough balls out at least 2-3 inches apart, as these will spread a little bit.

Bake in your preheated oven for 8 minutes for soft and chewy cookies. If you like your cookies a little firmer, you can bake for about 10 minutes or more.

Store the cookies in an airtight container at room temperature. They will keep for several days.

Source: Genius Kitchen

Yield: I used a medium cookie scoop and got about 27 cookies

Fresh fruit cake

A perfectly light and fluffy vanilla-infused white cake layered with fresh tropical fruits and berries and topped with a bourbon cream cheese frosting! This cake is will wow everyone with its impressive  presentation and complex flavors. Just make sure to save me a slice...

My brother, sister-in-law and nephew visited us over the summer. One evening, we went to a local taco restaurant for dinner. We followed it up with a visit to a new-to-me dessert restaurant, where we tried 4 different sweets. The menu item my sister-in-law chose was a fresh fruit cake.

To be honest, this cake didn't sound that interesting to me. The description wasn't awe-inspiring and basically said that it was a white cake with a fruit filling. I wasn't too excited about trying it but quickly changed my mind after taking a bite. The cake was light and fluffy and pretty much a perfect white cake. The fruit filling was light and refreshing from the addition of kiwi and pineapple - definitely a differentiator since most cakes don't include these tropical fruits.

And then the cream cheese frosting... with a touch of bourbon, it was a wonderful way to top off the cake, along with some additional fresh fruit bits. I guess my piece of feedback to the restaurant is not to undervalue these desserts because whoever their copywriter was did not do this cake justice. Just saying.

Since there were 4 desserts to share among 4 adults, 1 kid (Addie) and 1 toddler (who sadly, did not get to enjoy much of the spread), we got to take home the leftovers. This cake is the one dessert that I consistently went back for during my sugar cravings, and it was the first to get fully eaten.

Enjoy!

Fresh fruit cake

• 2 cups cake flour
• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 3 cups granulated sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup (8 ounces) egg whites
• 1 and 1/2 cups milk

Fruit filling

• 1 pint strawberries, 
• 2 kiwis
• 1/4 cup fresh pineapple
• 1/4 cup fresh raspberries
• 1/4 cup fresh blackberries
• 1/4 cup canned mandarin oranges

Frosting

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 vanilla bean (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract)
• 1 Tablespoon bourbon (optional)

Directions
Make the cake: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease or line three 9-inch round cake pans and set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, all-purpose flour, and baking powder and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add the salt and vanilla. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the egg whites. Alternatively add the dry ingredients and the milk, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl and mix again for another minute.

Evenly distribute the batter into the 3 cake pans and bake for 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to sit for another 20 minutes. Then turn the cakes out and cool on a wire rack for at least 30 minutes before assembling.

Make the fruit filling: Wash all the fruit and chop them into small pieces. Toss together and set aside.

Make the frosting:  In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until well blended and smooth, about 2 minutes. Turn the mixer down to low and slowly add in the powdered sugar. Add in the vanilla bean, vanilla extract and bourbon if using. Beat for 1 additional minute. Transfer to the refrigerator and chill.

Assemble the cake: Place 1 cake layer on a cake plate or a serving plate. Add a mound of frosting on top. Then add about 1/3 of the fruit filling, making sure to leave at least a 1-inch border around the perimeter of the cake untouched in case the fruit oozes out the side. Repeat with the remaining layers. Save the final 1/3 of the fruit filling for the top of the cake as decoration. Frost the cake with the remaining frosting.

Cake should be stored in an airtight container and kept in the refrigerator. It will keep for a few days.

Yield: About 8-12 servings

Source: Shyndyz, via Richmond.com

Skating Fridays

Pairs Upright Spin

The pairs spin has been giving my pairs partner and I a lot of trouble. We've tried different spins (camel, sit, etc) but nothing seems to be working. The part that is the most difficult for us is the entry. We're not getting enough speed on the 'hook' of the spin, and as a result, the spin dies very quickly. We started off with a pairs spin in the Killian position (where we are side by side and I am on a forward outside edge while my partner is on a back inside edge).

We enlisted the help of a pairs specialist to review our initial videos and got some great feedback. Unfortunately, we haven't made much progress on the original spin so opted to try this upright spin where we are face-to-face and both of us are on backward inside edges. This type of spin seems to be easier for us to execute.

So here is our upright pairs spin for now. We are required to do 3 revolutions and are barely hitting that. We need to improve on this quickly since our test is coming up.

Apple strudel

A tender, flaky apple strudel that is perfect for fall! With a cinnamon apple filling, this strudel is reminiscent of a classic apple pie!

My refrigerator is overflowing with apples. I think I've shared that I went apple picking twice in 4 days. While I didn't get 20 pounds of apples, I did come home with many Fuji apples to enjoy.

I made apple cheesecake with some, and we ate apple slices with brownie batter dip and spiced pumpkin dip. But I still had more apples!

Naturally, I turned to my husband and daughter for some suggestions on what they wanted. Without hesitation, my husband said that he wanted apple strudel. He and his family went to a German restaurant over Thanksgiving break one year and he mentioned that their apple strudel was fantastic.

So, apple strudel it was. I sifted through several recipes and noticed that many of them had a super intimidating dough that scared me. It would require pulling the dough into a super thin layer. I know that I have difficulty keeping pizza dough intact so the dough pulling was not going to be an option for me. I opted for a shortcut and used puff pastry instead.

The puff pastry turned out to be a great option since it still had layers of flaky, buttery dough. The filling reminded me of a classic apple pie, except with raisins.

All 3 of us gobbled up this strudel and wished that I had cut larger slices. Maybe the next time we try this I will attempt the homemade dough... or maybe not.

Apple strudel

• 2 Tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 large apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 2 Tablespoons raisins
• 1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed
• 1 egg

Directions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a piece of parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Add the sliced apples and raisins and mix well until no more flour mixture remains. You'll want to coat the apples really well.

Roll the puff pastry out onto a lightly floured surface. With the short end facing you, spread the apples onto the puff pastry, making sure you leave a 1-inch border around the edges so the apples don't leak out.

Roll the pastry up, jelly-roll style. Pinch the edges close and place seam side down on your baking mat. Whisk the egg along with a teaspoon of water and brush it on the top and sides of the strudel. Bake in your preheated oven for 35 minutes or until golden.

Allow the strudel to cool before serving. Store strudel in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days.

Yield: About 8-10 servings

Source: Epicurious

Caramel apple cheesecake

Is your refrigerator overflowing with apples? If so, this caramel apple cheesecake will hit the spot! With a caramel layer on the top and the bottom, this showstopper dessert is a great fall dessert!

I went apple picking twice in 4 days. Am I crazy? Well, I went with my family to the apple orchard so that I could take some nice photos of Addie for our annual holiday card. It's quite beautiful there - the orchard is on top of a mountain so we get gorgeous views all around. Then 3 days later, we went to the same orchard for a work fun event.

The first time to the orchard, we only got a few apples since I knew that I would be returning in a few days. The orchard only had a few apple varieties remaining, including Stayman, Pink Lady and Fuji. I am a Fuji girl through and through, so we went straight for those. While we were there, we also had some fresh apple cider donuts and apple cider slushies. It was a great apple-filled day.

I returned to the orchard with my work team and again went straight to the Fuji apples. I picked a few more this time and pondered what to do with my loot. My husband asked for apple strudel, but I had cheesecake on my mind. And thus, this cheesecake.

The caramel layer on the bottom hardened a bit after baking, so it was difficult to chew (Addie said her teeth hurt while eating the bottom crust). The texture of the cheese filling contained more air pockets than your typical cheesecake, but the flavors were amazing. My husband declared this a winner with two thumbs up despite those nit-picky things.

So if you're looking for a cheesecake recipe this fall or just have some extra apples in your refrigerator, consider this caramel apple cheesecake. It's a beautiful and tasty treat to share with friends and family.

Caramel apple cheesecake
Crust

• 1 and 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 8 whole graham crackers)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

Caramel

• 1 (14 ounce) package caramels
• 2/3 cup evaporated milk

Filling

• 2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 eggs

Apple mixture

• 1 and 1/2 cups apples, peeled, cored and chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 Tablespoon all-purpose flour

Directions
Make the crust: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a standard springform pan with two layers of foil (I recommend doing it in an X pattern so one layer goes horizontally across the bottom and the other layer goes perpendicular to the other piece. Fold any extra foil onto itself.).

In a small bowl, mix the graham cracker crumbs, cinnamon, sugar and butter together until it resembles wet sand. Press this on the bottom and sides of your prepared springform pan. Bake in your preheated oven for 10 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Make the caramel filling: While the crust is baking, prepare the caramel. Melt the unwrapped caramels and evaporated milk in a medium sized saucepan. Pour about 2/3 of the caramel over the baked crust.

Prep the filling: In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and flour together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low and add in the eggs one at a time until just incorporated. Turn the mixer off.

Prepare the apples: Toss the apples with the cinnamon and flour together in a medium bowl. Transfer this to the bowl with the cream cheese mixture. Mix until just incorporated.

Pour the apple cream cheese mixture into the springform pan on top of the caramel layer. Bake in your preheated oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and pour on the remaining caramel. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until the cheesecake is no longer jiggly. Allow the cheesecake to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator overnight before serving.

Cheesecake should be stored, covered, in the refrigerator and will last for several days.

Yield: About 10-12 servings

Source: Barely adapted from Taste of Home

Skating Fridays

Testing

It's been almost 4 years since my last figure skating test. The last one I took was in January 2014 when I passed my Gold Freestyle test through USFSA. Testing just hasn't been a priority for me. While I've occasionally worked on the Intermediate Moves In the Field elements, I haven't seriously worked on them.

I'm excited/nervous to say that I am testing at the end of this month. Not for Moves or Freestyle, but for Pairs. My pairs partner and I decided to take a risk and test our Adult Bronze Pairs test. We have everything going against us - no coach (he moved away), no choreographer (our friend started helping out but had to drop out due to other commitments), and no program. But we are attempting this anyway, despite all the headwinds.

So it's officially time to cram.

My partner offered to choreograph our program so we're working our way through that. We are self-coached right now and hope that our elements are good enough to pass this test.

If we don't pass, then hopefully we'll get a lot of feedback from the judges so we can work on those weaker elements.

Keep your fingers crossed for us! I don't know who will be at the test session but hope that someone can video it for us (and then I can share with you all).

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip hummus dip

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip hummus is the perfect dip for the fall. Using pumpkin spice cookie butter as the star ingredient, this dip will become the hit at your next party!

I guess you could say that I am officially on the dessert hummus train...albeit a bit late. I recently shared the brownie batter hummus with you, and now I am back with a pumpkin spice version.

Addie was getting upset one morning when my husband was getting ready to go to the gym. She was getting ready to let out a huge wail when I asked her if she wanted to make some hummus with me. When I asked her what kind, she said that she wanted cookie dough. I knew that the traditional cookie dough hummus recipes usually called for peanut butter or other nut butters, but I'm not a peanut butter person. I had Nutella and pumpkin spice cookie butter in the pantry, and because I'd already used Nutella in the brownie batter hummus, I went for the pumpkin spice cookie butter for this batch.

The hummus was ready in about 60 seconds, and we could have spiced it up a little more with additional pumpkin spices. But, I liked this just the way it was. I threw in some mini chocolate chips so it would taste like a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. Addie and I snarfed a small bowl down before my husband got home. And then we ate some later with some apples as an afternoon snack.

This is a fantastic dip that you can bring to a party. Like the other dessert hummus, I bet that nobody will guess that this dip is made of garbanzo beans. Let's keep that our little secret.

Pumpkin spice chocolate chip hummus dip

• 1 (15 ounce) can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pumpkin spice cookie butter
• 1-2 Tablespoons rolled oats
• pinch of salt
• mini chocolate chips, optional

Directions

In a food processor or a high speed blender, mix all of the ingredients together except for the chocolate chips. Pulse until everything is smooth - feel free to add a splash of milk if you want your dip a little bit creamier. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Store your dip, covered, in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days.

Yield: About 10-16 servings

Source: An Eva Bakes original

Healthy brownie batter hummus dip

Craving brownies but want to eat something healthier? This brownie batter flavored dip is secretly healthy - it's made out of garbanzo beans! Serve with your favorite fruit or graham crackers!

My family and I were watching Shark Tank the other day when one of the entrepreneurs walked on and tried to get the sharks to partner with her hummus company. This wasn't just any hummus though - it was a dessert hummus. She had lots of different fun flavors like brownie batter and cookie dough.

This woman sold her hummus for something like $6 or $7 a container, which I thought was really high. Although I wanted to try her hummus, I thought it would be more fun (and a lot cheaper) to make my own.

The next time we went to the grocery store, we bought some canned garbanzo beans and Addie and I made this hummus together. I used Nutella as a mix-in since it seemed to pair well with the hummus and and cocoa powder. If you're not into Nutella (I can't believe I'm saying that), then you can definitely use your favorite nut or non-nut spread.

We ate our brownie batter hummus with graham crackers, pretzels and apples. This has been such a huge hit at our house that it was gone in about a day. It definitely tasted like brownie batter, and I threw in some mini chocolate chips for good measure.

I know that dessert hummus recipes have already made their rounds on the internet, but I'm a slow adapter so here I am... a few years late to the party. And speaking of parties, this brownie batter dip would definitely be the hit at a party. I bet nobody would ever guess it's made of chickpeas unless you told them!

Healthy brownie batter hummus dip

• 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), rinsed and drained
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 Tablespoons olive oil
• 3 Tablespoons chocolate hazelnut spread (I used Nutella)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3 Tablespoons (or more) water
• Mini chocolate chips, optional

Directions

In a food processor, blend all of the ingredients together except for the water. Once everything comes together, slowly drizzle in the water until you achieve your desired consistency. Fold in the chocolate chips.

Serve with fruit, graham crackers or eat it straight with a spoon. Store dip in the refrigerator. It will keep for several days.

Yield: About 12-16 servings

Source: Slightly adapted from Allrecipes

Skating Fridays

If at First You Fail, Try Again

I can't even begin to tell you all how much I fall on the ice. Some days I fall only once or twice. Other days I fall probably 10-20 times. It's all a part of the learning process in skating, and unfortunately, those falls hurt. Bad.

I was attempting a death drop spin during practice one day and took an unexpected fall. As I was joking with some of my skating friends, I was really putting the 'death' in the death drop on this. Thankfully, it did not hurt as much as I had anticipated:


Fortunately, I was able to follow up this spin the next day with a more successful attempt. Although my back leg is still pretty bent on the spin entry (before the snap), it has improved a lot. I am maintaining speed throughout and not coming to a complete stop, so it is definitely making some progress.



Maybe one day it will be good enough to include in a program.

Mocha chip marshmallow fudge brownies

Fudgy and decadent brownies are taken to the next level with a melted mocha chip marshmallow infused into the batter!

If you asked me what my favorite brownie recipe on the blog was, I'd have to say these salted fudge brownies. What makes them so special? Well, they are made in one bowl, and they have that awesome sweet and salty thing going for them.

I decided to jazz things up a bit and add some instant espresso powder to the brownie base, cut back on the salt and add a molten marshmallow surprise in the middle. Because who doesn't like dessert surprises, right?

I used a package of mocha chip marshmallows from my friends at Smashmallow for the gooey interior. In order to maximize what I had, I split the marshmallows in half so I could ensure that each brownie would have some melted Smashmallows in the centers.

After baking, my brownies puffed up quite a bit on top because the marshmallows poofed up and expanded. The marshmallows were completely melted into the brownies but you could definitely taste the mocha and the espresso powder. If you're worried about having a poofy brownie, just cover it up with a sprinkle of powdered sugar like I did.

I shared these brownies with some moms at Addie's dance studio. They all loved the brownies and enjoyed the melted marshmallow in the middle.  Some asked for the recipe, so here you go.

Mocha chip marshmallow fudge brownies

• 1 and 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup plus 2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
• 1 package Smashmallow mocha chip marshmallows

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Generously grease or line an 8x8 inch or 9x9 inch square baking pan and set aside.. As an alternative, you can line the pan with aluminum foil and generously butter or grease the foil.

In a large saucepan over low heat, melt the butter and unsweetened chocolate. Stir occasionally until the mixture is uniform.

Turn off the stove and remove the saucepan from the heat. Whisk in the cocoa powder until it is fully incorporated. Do the same with the sugars, eggs, vanilla, flour, salt and espresso powder. Be sure to add in each ingredient individually and fully mix them in before adding the next one.

Transfer half of the batter into the prepared baking pan and smooth the surface with a spatula. Break each marshmallow in half and place it on top of the batter (I'd recommend using about 8 marshmallows so you have 16 marshmallow halves). Add the remaining batter on top, making sure to cover the marshmallows.  

Bake the brownies in the center rack of your oven for about 35 minutes, or until the edges are done but the center is still slightly gooey. If you insert a toothpick into the center, it should come up with a little bit of the brownie batter.

Yield: About 16 brownies
 
Source: An Eva Bakes original, and adapted from these salted fudge brownies

Sticky toffee pudding and a giveaway

Joanne Chang's winning sticky toffee pudding is naturally sweetened with dates and pure maple syrup. This is one sweet treat you'll want to eat all week long! Plus, a maple syrup giveaway from my friends at Hidden Springs Maple!

This fall, I had the privilege of meeting some fantastic people from Hidden Springs Maple. Their maple syrup is all natural, and all locally produced. There are no additives of any kind used during the harvesting of the maple sap or during the boiling of the maple syrup. Hidden Springs maple syrup is hand-packed for freshness and exceptional flavor. As an added bonus, all of their maple syrup is also certified Kosher.

I received a sample of the Dark Robust maple syrup (they have two other varieties - Golden Delicate, and Amber Rich) and decided to bake with it. What did I decide upon? Why, this lovely sticky toffee pudding!

Ever since watching the Throwdown with Bobby Flay sticky toffee pudding episode on television, I've been intrigued and wanted to try Joanne Chang's winning recipe. I found it in the cookbook that I received from a friend one year for my birthday (thanks, E).

I was thankful that I had my handy food processor for this cake because it would have been near impossible to chop up the dates by hand. If you don't own a food processor, you can absolutely use a high-speed blender instead (note that the cheaper blenders usually have a hard time breaking down the dates so attempt at your own risk).

As expected, the best part about this cake was the maple sauce. Man, I could have just gone to town with a spoon and called it a day. It was so smooth and creamy, and the natural maple flavors shone brightly.

I'm super excited that Hidden Springs has a few things to share with Eva Bakes readers. First of all, they are sponsoring a giveaway where one of you will receive a quart of the Hidden Springs Dark Robust maple syrup! Enter via the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Also, Hidden Springs is offering all Eva Bakes readers a 10% coupon for your first purchase on their website. Simply enter EVABAKES2017 as the coupon code and voila! This coupon code expires 12/31/2017 so hurry!

Enjoy!

Sticky toffee pudding

• 12-16 pitted and chopped Medjool dates
• 1/2 cup (120 grams) hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 and 1/4 cups (175 grams) all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 Tablespoons Hidden Springs Maple syrup (or any Grade B maple syrup - please do not use the imitation stuff!)
• 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs

Maple sauce

• 1/4 cup (80 grams) Hidden Springs Maple syrup
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 1/4 cup (60 grams) heavy cream, room temperature or warmed

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Generously grease or line a 10" round cake pan and set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, soak the dates, hot water, and baking soda for about 15 minutes.

In a food processor or a high-speed blender, mix together the dates and hot water mixture until a smooth paste forms. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt, vanilla and maple syrup and mix until well blended. Add in the butter and eggs until smooth.

Transfer the batter into your prepared baking pan and bake in your preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until it springs back after you gently press on it.

While the cake s baking, prepare the sauce. Mix the maple syrup and butter together until well blended. Slowly drizzle in the warmed heavy cream until smooth. Do not use cold cream or else it will cause the melted butter to curdle!

Pour about 1/3 of the sauce on top of the cake after it comes out of the oven. Once the cake is cool, slice and serve with a generous amount of maple sauce.

Cake should be stored, covered, at room temperature and will keep for several days. Store the sauce in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. Warm up the sauce before serving with the cake.

Disclaimer: Hidden Springs Maple gave me a sample of their maple syrup and are sponsoring the giveaway. All thoughts and opinions are 100% mine.

Yield: One 10" cake; about 8-12 servings

Source: Baking With Less Sugar by Joanne Chang, pages 135-137

Skating Fridays

Coachless

Don't be alarmed - I am still with a coach for freestyle. But, my pairs partner and I are out of luck.

I shared with you all over the summer that I was experimenting with pairs just for fun, and we had a pairs coach who had moved to our rink. We only met with the coach once every 2 weeks, and my partner lived about an hour away so we weren't able to practice together very often.

We had set an audacious goal of trying to test Bronze Pairs by the end of the year. The pairs coach helped us with some of the basic elements but did not cover some of the required ones that are listed on the test.

Not too long ago, the coach moved away without any warning. I don't know the exact circumstances of the situation but only know that he is no longer teaching at my rink. And no other coaches at our rink or at a neighboring rink have any qualified pairs coaches.

My partner and I still have the desire to try and pass this test. We've already come so far, so it's not an option to just abandon ship at this point. We've relegated to watching dance teams and studied YouTube videos for instruction. You can say that we're pretty much self-coached right now.

So... onward we go. There are still a few elements giving us difficulty but hopefully we'll get those sorted out soon so that we can put together a test program and get this in front of the judges.

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with melted marshmallows

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies topped with gooey melted marshmallows! Mix things up with your favorite flavored marshmallows. Don't forget the chocolate drizzle on top! 

Fall is finally here. I'm happy because it's my favorite season of the year. Not only are the mosquitoes finally starting to go away (in fact, I just got bit in mid-October!!!), but the leaves are slowly starting to turn bright red and orange.

There's definitely a little bit of a chill in the air, and as a result, the skating rink has been more than frigid. I needed something to warm up my soul and my feet and decided to bake some soft and chewy chocolate cookies. But not just any chocolate cookies. Ones with melted flavored marshmallows! I was missing my summer strawberries so I featured strawberries & cream Smashmallows in these. I threw in a few mocha chip Smashmallows too... just because.

And of course, I had to put a chocolate drizzle on top. If you have to ask why, then I am afraid you and I can no longer be friends. Kidding...maybe.

These cookies. Oh my goodness. The cookies themselves were soft and chewy with the perfect texture. Then you add on a melted flavored marshmallow and WHOAH. The extra bit of melted chocolate on the top was just... extra. Talk about a perfect cookie.

I shared these with some skating friends and several of them ate more than one. I was tempted to as well but refrained this time. I have to say that these are definitely one of my all-time favorite cookies to date. I can't wait to make them again!

Soft and chewy chocolate cookies with melted marshmallows

• 1 and 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/4 cup Oatly chocolate milk (can substitute with milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Smashmallow marshmallows (I used a package of strawberries & cream and a few mocha chip ones; you can substitute with jumbo marshmallows that are cut in half)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 standard cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone mat.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or in a large bowl if using a handheld mixer, cream the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes.

Add in the egg, milk and vanilla extract. Turn the mixer to low and slowly add in the dry ingredients. Mix until everything just comes together.

Using a cookie scoop (or two spoons), spoon moundfuls of dough onto your prepared baking sheets. The cookie dough balls should be slightly smaller than a golf ball.  Make sure you leave at least 2 inches in between each cookie dough ball.

Bake in your preheated oven for 4 minutes. Then rotate and flip the pans (so that the pan that was on the lower rack is now on the top; also make sure you rotate the pans from forwards to backwards). Bake for another 4 minutes.

Remove the pans from the oven and gently press a Smashmallow on top of each cookie. Return to the oven to bake for another 2 minutes.

Remove from the oven. If the marshmallows haven't fully melted, gently press down on them so the insides start to ooze out.

If desired, you can drizzle the tops with melted chocolate, sprinkles, chocolate curls or whatever makes you happy.

Allow the cookies to cool before serving. They should be stored in an airtight container and will keep for several days.

Yield: About 22 cookies

Source: Barely adapted from Taste of Home