Tag Archives: coconut oil

Sea Salt Caramel Peanut Butter Brownies



I recently asked my husband, what dessert he would like for his sweet treat for his lunches? I enjoy packing his work lunches. I always like to include a few proteins, whole grains, veggies, fruit, salty snack, and sweet goodie. 

Also, I love packing lunches for my husband and I because brown bagging is a resourceful way to use leftovers. Packing a lunch daily can really help save money & reduce waste. So many people dine out or order in for meals for lunch breaks. This habit can be easily $10-20 a day downtown in a city; not to mention high in  unnecessary & unwanted calories. 

His response to my question for his sweet treat was brownies. I asked what kind and he mentioned a traditional style (last week I had made Blondies).  I couldn’t bare making Plain Jane Brownies; therefore, I spiced them up a tad. This led me to the mix up of a beautiful marriage salted caramel,peanuts, and chocolate. 

Prework:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Foil line a glass 9 by 13 baking pan and spray generously with canola oil cooking spray

Ingredients:

1/2 cup extra virgin coconut oil

4 oz of extra dark chocolate (63% cacao), plus more for drizzle 1-2 tablespoon melted 

4 Tablespoons of natural peanut butter

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2 cup of sugar

1 teaspoon of pure vanilla

3 eggs

1 1/2 cup of whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1 scant cup of dry roasted unsalted peanuts

1 1/2 cups of pretzels (wheel or mini pretzel shape)

6 ounce jar of sea salt caramel sauce or homemade prepared caramel sauce, plus 1-2 tablespoon for final drizzle

A few pinches of Sea Salt for final sprinkle (optional)

This recipe yields 16 large brownies or 32 mini
Directions:

  1. Take over a double broiler and melt the chocolate, coconut oil, and peanut butter. Once the mixture is melted add in the applesauce, & sugar. Remove the double broiler and add in the eggs one at a time with a whisk and lastly add in the vanilla. Set aside.
  2. In the meantime, whisk together the flour, kosher salt, and baking powder. Add the liquid chocolate mixture to the flour. Mix until combined.
  3. Pour 1/3 of the batter on the bottom of the prepared 9 by 13 pan. Layer the pretzels evenly on top of the batter (it is roughly 47 pretzel wheels), than sprinkle with the peanuts. Drizzle with half of caramel sauce. Place the remaining 2/3 of batter on top of the nut, caramel, pretzel layer. I find using a plastic spatula sprayed with cooking spray makes for easier spreading.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 33 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center of the brownies clean. Place the brownies on a wire rack to cool. Allow the brownies to completely cool before removing from the pan.
  5. Using the foil sides, lift the brownies from pan and place on parchment paper.
  6. On a diagonal drizzle with caramel and chocolate. Lastly sprinkle with sea salt. Store in a sealable container. Cut to your desired serving size.
  • Make sure to store in an airtight container 

Chocolate Peanut Brownies


All day long I swear I could smell brownies. So when I got home from work I had to bake some! I found a recipe in an old Betty Crocker Cookie Cookbook that I modified to present day! This one is for you Jenna! My sister loves her coconut oil!

This yields 9-12 brownies

Ingredients:

2 oz pure dark chocolate

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 TB peanut butter

1/2 cup unsalted roasted peanuts

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

Predirections:  Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8 dish with foil and spray with cooking spray and set aside.

Directions:

1. Place chocolate, coconut oil, and peanut butter in 2 qt sauce pan in low heat. Keep stirring occasionally until chocolate melts.

2. Remove from heat and add vanilla and eggs and mix to incorporate. Add in sugar and continue to mix.

3. In s separate bowl mix flour, salt, baking soda until incorporated. Add into melted chocolate batter and mix to incorporated. Lastly fold in peanuts.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish.

5. Bake for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Let the brownies sit in pan for 5 to 10 minutes before pulling the foil out and cutting the brownies.

Enjoy!

Banana Bread Scones

  

I thought about making banana muffins and then it hit me why not make some banana scones. I had a few really ripe bananas and decided I needed to use them fast (or freeze them but where is the fun in that?). This is a very fast breakfast treat and perfect for the weekend ! 

This recipe yields 16 scones using a # 16 scoop. 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 1/2 cup ap flour

1/3 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1 TB baking powder

2 TB coconut oil

2 TB canola oil

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp pure vanilla

1/2 cup buttermilk 

1 large egg

3 small bananas (1 heaping cup mashed)

Directions:

1. Whisk in a large bowl both flours, salt, baking powder, nutmeg, and sugar. 

2. Add to the flour mix the coconut oil and using hands cut the coconut oil into the flour until evenly distributed. Almost like wet sand. Set aside.

3. In a separate small bowl mix together canola oil, milk, vanilla, and egg. 

4. Add the wet batter into the dry ingredients and mix with wooden spoon. Batter will appear dry but not for long. Fold in mashed bananas. Mix until no dry residue remains. Be careful not to over mix.

5. Use a # 16 scoop to portion out on parchment paper lined 1/2 sheet baking pan. Place 6 to a pan. 

6. Bake at 400 degrees for 14 to 15 minutes or until lightly golden brown. 

7. Remove the scones from pan right away and allow to cool on wire rack or serve warm. 

Enjoy! 

Pictures below for steps:

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Banana Oat Cookies

  

I picked up a 1970’s cookie cookbook at a local loved flea market. I was reviewing the recipes this past weekend. I found many that peaked my interest. I found one in particular that I just couldn’t wait to try since I have an abundance of ripe bananas. I made many modifications to make the recipe more up to date and less sugar and transfat. I also added more whole grains as well. These cookies are crisp on the outside and light and fluffy in the inside.
Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup mashed ripe banana

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour

1 3/4 cup 100% old fashioned oats

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 cup extra virgin coconut oil 

1/4 cup canola oil 

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 chopped walnuts

2 TB grounded flaxseed

1 egg

1 tsp kosher salt 

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground vietnesse cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and place parchment paper on 1/2 sheet pan and set aside.

2. In a medium to large bowl, mash bananas, coconut oil, and canola oil together. Add vanilla and egg to mix & whisk to incorporate. Set aside

3. In a separate medium bowl whisk together oats, flaxseed, flour, salt, soda, nutmeg and cinnamon. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet batter. Use spatula to fully incorporate the ingredients together leaving no dry residue. Lastly fold in walnuts until evenly distributed thought cookie batter.

4. Using a number 60 scoop portion out cookies 12 to 14 to a pan. Place the pan in oven for 10 minutes or until cookies form a light golden color on the exterior.

5. Remove from the pan immediately and cool  the cookies on wire rack.

Enjoy!

  


Lemon Vanilla Sugar Foot and Hand Scrub

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My sister just had a birthday (happy birthday little sista)! As a special present for her birthday I wanted to make her a foot scrub we recently received as a favor at our cousin’s wedding shower. My sister was so disappointed she used up all her scrub so fast. I thought what a better gift then to surprise her with a huge homemade batch. The original recipe made a small batch so I quadrupled it and added one of my favorite ingredients pure vanilla extract for an additional pinch of love. For the original recipe check out DIY lemon sugar scrub.

You will need one quart sized mason jar.

Ingredients :
1 cup of Coconut Oil
1 cup fresh lemon juice (about 4 large lemons)
4 1/2 cups of granulated sugar
1 TB pure vanilla extract
The zest of 4 lemons

Directions:

Zest 4 lemons with microplaner and set zest aside.

Juice the lemons and place juice & 3/4 of the zest in a medium to large bowl and coconut oil. Mix with whisk to blend coconut oil lemon together.

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Add sugar and whisk together until you reach your desired consistency.

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Add more sugar if you want a thicker consistency or more coconut oil if you want a thinner scrub.

Add vanilla extract and whisk.

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Whisk until vanilla is incorporated throughout.

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Funnel into quart size (4 cup) mason jar. Top with remaining lemon zest for an extra flare. Place mason jar lid on top of rim and ring on to seal the vessel.

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Attach recipe on recipe card for replication.

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