S'mores Lacey Cookies

These cookies were crazy good!  Thin with crispy toffee-like edges, some caramelized marshmallow and a soft, chewy, chocolatey center, and crunchy bites of Kit Kat and walnuts throughout.  They'd be so perfect for ice cream sandwiches, if that's your kind of thing! Or if you're just looking to make some cookies that stand out amongst others, these are a great way to go!

I was singing along loudly with the Bouncing Souls' "Lean on Sheena" whilst making these this afternoon.  -jen

S'MORES LACEY COOKIES
Time:  10 min. per batch, about 50 minutes total
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  48 cookies

• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, softened
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1.5 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1.5 cups old fashioned (rolled) oats
• 1/2 cup shredded coconut (I used unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 3 oz king size Kit Kat (or 2 regular sized ones), chopped into 1/2" pieces
• 1.5 cups mini marshmallows (not big ones!)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl using an electric mixer, cream the butter and brown sugar together.  Then add eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.  Beat together.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.  Add to the wet mix while mixing at a medium speed.  When the flour is combined, add the oats, coconut, and walnuts until combined.  Then mix in by hand with a wooden spoon the Kit Kat  pieces and the marshmallows.  Refrigerate dough for 30 minutes.

Scoop 1.5 tablespoon balls of dough and place 6 to parchment-lined baking sheet, spacing about 3" apart.  Cookies will spread out thin so you want to give them plenty of space.  Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, until golden and edges are just starting to brown.  Remove and allow to cool on a baking rack.  Remember to put the dough back in the refrigerator in between baking.

Cocadas (Latin American Coconut Confections)

Last year, I made Macaroons for the first time, and they were delicious.  However, after making Cocadas, which are very similar, I decided I prefer the Cocadas.  I love a one-bowl baking recipe!  These are so fast to whip up, and they're cheap to make!

Cocadas are a traditional Latin American coconut confection.  It does seem that every area has it's own version and they can come in all different flavours and styles.  I didn't get too crazy, but I made some plain ones, some with pecans, some with cocoa powder in them to make a chocolate version, and some drizzled with dark chocolate.  Next batch we make, Justin wants to put some diced up dried apricot in them - you can really get creative with whatever flavours you like.

Music - some O Pioneers!!! doing "Loose Lips Are The Key To A Good Foundation".  -jen

COCADAS

Chocolate on the left, Pecan on the right

Prep Time:  5 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Difficulty:  Super Easy
Makes:  About 22

• 3.5 cups sweetened shredded coconut
• 13oz can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Optional Ingredients:

• 2/3 pecans, chopped small (optional)
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (optional for chocolate flavoured Cocadas)
• 4oz dark chocolate chips, melted (optional for drizzling over the tops of Cocadas)

Pecan Cocadas

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine coconut, sweetened condensed milk, egg, almond extract and salt (if using pecans and/or cocoa, add now) until well mixed.  Using two spoons, drop 1.5 tablespoons of coconut mix onto parchment paper.  You can leave in a rounded heap for a softer cookie, or smash the heap into a 1/2" thick disc for a crispier cookie.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 24-26 minutes.  Cocadas will be slightly golden brown on top.  (Careful not to burn the bottoms!)  With a spatula, carefully remove from parchment and cool on a wire cooling rack for 5-10 minutes.  Cookies will crisp up as they cool.  (If drizzling with melted dark chocolate, drizzle over cooled cookies and allow 30-60 minutes for chocolate to cool and harden.)

Drizzled with dark chocolate

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

I had no idea how simple and delicious macaroons were.  New favourite quick dessert!  Anyone could make these!  And they look pretty impressive when you're through. Like a homemade Mounds bar.  (I was actually thinking of putting some chopped almond in the next batch so it was like an Almond Joy!)

Can't believe we haven't used any Pennywise on the blog yet.  Justin picked the song because I couldn't decide - "Society".  -jen

CHOCOLATE DIPPED MACAROONS
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time:  25 minutes
Makes: 22-24
Need: parchment paper, egg beaters or stand mixer

• 4 egg whites, room temp
• 1 package (14 ounces) sweetened, shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 6 ounces bitter sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In a kitchen stand mixer or with egg beaters, whisk the four egg whites until stiff peaks form.

In a separate large bowl, combine coconut, sugar, flour, salt and vanilla.  Gently fold in egg whites.

Using an ice cream scoop or two spoons (I actually used two scoops of a melon baller), drop about 3 tablespoons of the mixture 1" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, turning halfway through, until golden brown.  Cool on a wire baking rack.

When macaroons are cooled, place chocolate chips in a microwave safe bowl.  Heat for 2 minutes at 50% power.  Stir.  Continue for 30 second intervals, stirring, until melted smooth.  Dip bottoms of macaroons into chocolate and place on a parchment lined baking sheet.  (If you want to go a little light on the chocolate, just drizzle over the tops with a spoon.)  Refrigerate until cool.  Store in an airtight container for up to a week.

Banana Nut Granola

I had this craving for banana granola the other day and wasn't even sure if such a thing existed!  Well it does now!  Came out real tasty, not super sweet (we don't dig super sweet granola).  So much cheaper to make your own than to buy it, even when you can get it in the bulk bins, it's not this cheap.  I got all the oats, nuts, seeds and pumpkin chips out of the bulk bins at my local store and spent about $5 for the whole thing - it filled 3.5 quart-sized Mason jars.  Bueno!

The thing I like about making your own granola is that you can put whatever you want in it, really.  Whatever nuts you like.  Whatever seeds you like.  It's a good way to experiment with stuff you haven't tried before.  Coconut, puffed rice, sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, etc.

We've used the Bouncing Souls a few times with our recipes, but I've been listening to a lot of their later albums the last few days and it's just what's in my head.  So I'm using them again.  "Gasoline".  -jen

BANANA NUT GRANOLA
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time:  30-40 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  about 10 cups

• 6 cups old fashioned oats
  
• 1 cup banana chips
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 2/3 cup sliced almonds
• 2/3 cup chopped cashews
• 2/3 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup pepitas (shelled pumpkin seeds)
• 1/2 cup flax seed
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 very ripe bananas
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup real maple syrup (or honey)
• 1/2 cup coconut oil, melted (or canola oil)
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• parchment paper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Place banana chips in a quart size Ziplock bag and use a rolling pin to smack the bag and break them up a little.

In a large bowl, combine oats, broken banana chips, coconut, almonds, cashews, pecans, pepitas, flax seed, salt and cinnamon.  Stir to combine.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine bananas, brown sugar, maple syrup, coconut oil, vanilla and sesame oil. Using a stick blender, puree mixture.  (If you don't have a stick blender, you can use a food processor, a stand mixer or a hand mixer.)

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir until completely coated.  Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.  Spread half of the oat mix onto each pan and bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring the granola every 10 minutes.  Granola should be golden brown.  Keep an eye on it, it can start burning quickly towards the end.

Let granola cool and store in an airtight container.

Uses:  mix with yogurt, eat with milk or almond milk like cereal, put in cookies, stir into your waffle or pancake batter, sprinkle on ice cream.

Choner Bars

You might be wondering what the hell a Choner Bar is, besides an incredibly delicious, chewy dessert.  Well, it's my understanding that stoners get the munchies.  And I've been told that when stoners get the munchies, they don't want to drive anywhere, so they start digging through their cupboards, making outrageous concoctions with what they have on hand!   So a hypothetical stoner might hypothetically have all these ingredients in the pantry and make a hypothetical chewy stoner bar out of them.  But we wouldn't want to title our bars Chewy Stoner Bars!  That could come with some negative implications, and it's hypothetical, after all... so we shortened it to Choner Bars.  Who are we to pretend like we know the culinary cravings of stoners just because we live in Humboldt County?!  Please... as if!

I chose The Clash's "Rock the Casbah" simply because someone was talking about Adam Ant today, and I was explaining my first crushes... which included Joe Strummer, specifically from this video.  So it was just rollin' through my head today.  -jen

CHONER BARS
Prep Time: 10 minutes, Bake Time: 40 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Makes: 12 huge ass bars 

• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon  
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup shredded coconut
• 1 cup old fashioned oats (or rolled oats)
• 1 cup chopped nuts of choice (I used 1/2 Hazel nut, 1/2 roasted peanuts)
• 2/3 cup dark chocolate chips
• 2/3 cup raisins

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Generously coat a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick cooking spray and set aside.

Combine brown sugar, granulated sugar and softened butter in a mixing bowl and beat with a mixer until creamed together.  Add vanilla, baking powder, salt and cinnamon; mix in.  While continuing to mix, add eggs, one at a time.  Then slowly beat in the 2 cups of flour.  Fold in coconut, oats, nuts, chocolate chips and raisins.

Press dough evenly into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.  Allow to cool before cutting and serving.