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In , on March 9, 2016 with No Comments

German Chocolate Brownies

I’ve been swamped with work the past few weeks, and I’ve also moved, so I just haven’t had the time to do any real cooking or baking. That said, today I had a lull in work, and I had a really bad craving for chocolate, so I decided to make brownies.

Of course, when I was halfway through getting my ingredients dumped into the bowl, I discovered I didn’t have any cocoa powder in the cupboard. I could have sworn I packed that – darn it! But, when the chocolate fix is on, a girl finds a way to get her chocolate. I did have some German chocolate squares in the cupboard, so I simply modified my coconut oil brownie recipe using the German chocolate – crisis averted 🙂



This recipe does call for a cup of oil – it’s not a typo, I promise! I’ve used both canola oil and liquid coconut oil in this recipe, and it turns out great either way. I will mention that the baking time definitely depends on your oven. With my old oven, these brownies took about 45 minutes, but in my new one, it took closer to an hour. Just bake until they test done when checked with a toothpick or a knife. Enjoy!

 

german chocolate brownies

 

German Chocolate Brownies

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup liquid coconut oil (can use vegetable or canola oil)
4 ounces German chocolate, melted and cooled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until completely combined. Using coconut oil in place of vegetable oil will definitely make the texture thicker. Pour into an 8 x 10-inch greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 45 minutes, or until they test done. Frost with your favorite frosting/icing when cooled if desired.

 


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In on February 13, 2016 with No Comments

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

Winter weather is super harsh on my skin. I have very dry skin to begin with, and when it gets cold and windy like it has been the past few days, my skin takes a beating. I think I’ve used every lotion and potion you can buy at the local drug store and have even tried a few prescription concoctions along the way, but what I’ve found that works the best for me is something I can make myself from ingredients I already have at home: coconut oil, sugar and essential oils.

I made the switch to using coconut oil in my baking a couple of years ago, and I also use it to make homemade lip balms and soaps. This time I decided to use coconut oil in a sugar scrub for my dry skin. Coconut oil is extremely hydrating – you can use this as a simple moisturizer straight out of the jar if you like. Good coconut oil is becoming easier to find these days too – even my local grocery store carries a good brand, and that’s saying something for a small town grocery store in a town that has roughly 3,200 people.

Making a sugar scrub is super easy to do. In the wintertime, coconut oil is generally in solid form, which makes it great for this recipe. However, since we heat with wood, our house tends to be a bit warmer than most in the winter, and thus my coconut oil is in a semisolid state. That doesn’t hurt the scrub a bit, but it does make it runnier, almost more of a lotion consistency that’s grainy because of the sugar.

You can use whatever essential oils you like in this scrub. Citrus makes a great scent to use in a scrub, but since I may use this sugar scrub on my face, I decided against using any citrus essential oils. Instead I used a combination of frankincense, myrrh, geranium and rose, all of which are great for dry skin. Use your favorite oils based on your skin needs, or simply choose a fragrance you enjoy.

coconut oil sugar scrub and EO box

 

coconut oil sugar scrub

 

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

1/2 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon (about 50 drops) of your favorite essential oil

 

Combine all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Store scrub in a glass jar for up to 6 months.

To use: Rub sugar scrub over hands, feet, elbows, face or wherever you have dry skin patches. Rub for 30 seconds, and then rinse off the scrub with lukewarm water. Pat dry. The oil will soak into your skin, making it feel silky smooth.

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In on June 3, 2014 with No Comments

One Bowl Brownies–Redux

It’s still too wet in the gardens today to do much of anything, and since Travis, our youngest son, and I were having chocolate craving, I decided to experiment with my favorite one-bowl brownie recipe. I’ve posted the original recipe in an earlier blog post, but I wanted to figure out a way to eliminate the 1 cup of vegetable oil that recipe calls for. Don’t get me wrong…the original recipe is a very good one, but after researching how bad vegetable oils can be to your health, with the exception, of course, of olive oil, I wanted to try the recipe with coconut oil. As it’s nice and warm in my kitchen, my coconut oil was in liquid form, so today was the perfect time to experiment!

One-Bowl Brownies Take 2

2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
2 cups flour
1 cup liquid coconut oil
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients together until completely combined. Using the coconut oil in place of the vegetable oil will definitely make the texture thicker than the original recipe (see pictures below). Pour into an 8 x 10-inch greased pan. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 45 minutes, or until they test done. Frost with your favorite frosting/icing when cooled.

 

 

The texture of this brownie version is definitely more cake-like, not that it bothers me at all! While it did test as done when I checked with a toothpick, the very center still seemed a little softer…definitely needed to be eaten with a fork than with your hands. All in all, though, it was very tasty….the coconut flavor was mild, yet it still reminded me of a Mounds bar without the actual coconut texture.

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