tart & sour summer...

I found this recipe a while back in Self magazine (know that magazine with a ridiculously photoshopped lady in a bikini on the cover?) These lemony snacks actually taste like lemons surprise surprise- not artificial like those ones from a Betty Crocker box. I tend to add more lemon than needed..just because its just so delightfully tart and perfect. The crust especially is my favorite because i confess to be a huge nut lover- *in a very sophisticated voice* they contain many beneficial oils in them which is vital to our body's wellbeing (my health tip for the day).

Whisk away my lil' bluberries, whisk away (:

CITRUS SQUARES

crust:

1/2 c almonds
1/2 c whole wheat flour
1/4 c powdered sugar
1/4 tsp salt
4 tbs butter cut into 8 chunks

put all these into the food processor and add butter last. mix up till you get a nice chunky mix.
place onto 9x9 buttered pan, bake at 325 for 22-24 mins.

lemony goodness:
1 c sugar
2 eggs
2 lemons
2 limes
1/4 salt
1/4 c flour

combine sugar, salt, flour, zest lemons and limes. juice all lemons and limes into mix. add eggs and stir it up (:

pour mix onto baked shortbread, bake for 25-30 mins or till center is set.

let cool- sift some powdered sugar on top. VOILA!

ol' reliable... think i'm in love

These cookies...are amazing. They taste even better after a couple days of sitting on the kitchen counter (i mean what cookie tastes better when its left out?!) They have never let me down...  I got this recipe actually from my ex "boyfriends" mom hah. Funny story which i won't go into-it'll just turn into a rant. Have them right outa of the oven with some milk and count your blessings- this one trumps them all :)

CHOCOLATE CHIP OATMEAL COOKIES

(no raisins!)

3 c oatmeal

2 eggs

1 c sugar

1 c brown sugar

1 c butter softened

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 c flour

chocolate chips

the routine:

Mix all dry ingredients together. Then in separate bowl, soften butter (if you melt it the cookies will turn to mush instead of clumps) and add in eggs and vanilla and dumb into the dry mix. Stir until the dough gets sticky. Add in chocolate chips (raisins are a disgrace to oatmeal cookies). (taste dough ;) Spoon clumps (as big or as small as you’d like) onto cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 10-12 minutes or until cookies are brown on edges or desired consistency. Eat with milk!

PSST. For some extra comfort, scoop up some vanilla ice cream- place some on one cookie and place another on top- sandwich time!

scandinavian business...

Fun fact- Finland's not even part of Scandinavia...maybe it just became an imaginary part of it though so people could locate it better? Anyway, there's this show called New Scan Cook that i try watch every saturday...makes me feel at home plus i ran into this wonderful recipe from a Norwegian fellow. I've already made it twice with some tweaks here and there. It is...soooooo delicious and easy to modify depending on what suits your fancy.

...:FRIDGE BAKED CHEESECAKE WITH ROSEMARY:...

the crust:

5-6 tbs butter
15ish sheets of graham crackers or oat biscuits
some lemon zest (any citrus fruit will do- try orange, lime, grapefruit too)
chopped rosemary

steps:
simmer butter till it turns a light brown and smells a bit nutty. pour over finely crushed crackers and mix together into a dough like mixture. Press into springform pan and zest lemon over crust and sprinkle some rosemary here and there.

the good stuff:

2 cans (750 g) of sour cream

2 pkgs (500 g) cream cheese 

1 lemon or lime

1 pkg of gelatin (equivalent to 2 gelatin sheets)

1/2 c water

7/8 c sugar

1 tbs honey

steps:

in a pan combine water, sugar, honey and some lemon peel. boil down till sugar dissolves and add gelatin. meanwhile that cools, combine cream cheese and sour cream. take out the lemon peel and pour sugar syrup mix in with the creamy stuff- mix away till even more creamier (: i usually end up adding a bit more sour cream, depending on how diluted i want the sweetness to be.

pour into springform pan with crust and place into the fridge over night. 

(it sucks i know...fridge baking is the worst!...takes forever)

I usually serve it with options, some homemade raspberry jam (smashed frozen raspberries and some sugar) or almonds...any kinda jam words really (:

cookies+cheesecake...

Know those days when you just can't figure out what you're craving? That's when you just gotta combine it all into one ;)
...I originally thought this recipe was really unhealthy so i modified it a tiny bit to fit my preferences and high standards.

OATMEAL COOKIE CHEESECAKE BAR

crust:

1/2 c finely chopped almonds (throw them in the blender for a few secs)
1/2 c whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp salt
6-8 tbs softish butter

cookie dough:
5 tbs unsalted butter (room temp.)
1/3 c brown sugar
3 tbs white sugar (since we're being racist here)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 c oatmeal
1/3 c flour
chocolate chips

cheesecake filling:
10 oz cream cheese (room temp.)
1/4 c sugar
1 egg, room temp (everything needs to be room temp when you bake FYI)
1 tsp vanilla

the layering shenanigans-
...mix up the crust and spread it in your baking dish. bake for 10-15 minutes at 325 F. now, mix together cookie dough ingredients; beat butter with the sugars, salt and vanilla. then add in flour, oatmeal and chocolate chips.
lastly, mix cream cheese with sugar- add in egg and vanilla.
*layering time!*
pour cheesecake over cooled crust, dollop cookie dough over top randomly (or spread it- be creative :)
bake for 30 mins at 325.
Cool completely- patience young Jedi.
and ps. it tastes better when its been in the fridge for a while anyway;)

crinkle crackle...

Discovered while watching "French Food At Home". I found this cake to help me in my darkest hours of chocolate cravings... and it didn't take long people. And guess what- it has no flour either. Which automatically makes this as healthy as vegetables...naturally.

CHOCOLATE CRACKLE CAKE

1 c good quality 70% chocolate (i used giuradelli chocolate chips)
1 c butter softened (2 sticks...or 1 1/2)
1 c sugar
4 eggs



the drill:
melt chocolate in double boiler. whisk in butter once the chocolates nice and smooth. in a separate bowl whisk half of the sugar and egg yolks- till thick, pale and ribbony. in another bowl mix egg whites till foamy and add rest of sugar- mix till it becomes a white, glossy meringue. 
mix together chocolate and egg yolk slowly. then fold in the egg whites meringue mix. 
bake in spring form pan at 375 for 50 mins. let cool till top crackles and sides pull away from pan...run a knife around it so make sure it doesnt stick. 
serve warm with cold whipped cream with some chopped mint or just as a garnish :)

swirly and completely american...

Yes yes, I am completely aware that this screams out *AMERICAN AMERICAN*, but i have to admit i do like to have myself some good quality peanut butter every now and then (yes, you just witnessed a proud Finnish native say that- believe it). Especially delicious when mixed into some chocolate ice cream...YUMMA!

So here it is folks- 

Peanut Butter Swirl Brownies

1/2 c bitter/semi sweet chocolate chips or any chocolate

1/2 c butter

...melt these together in a double boiler :)

3 eggs (room temperature)

1/2 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

...whisk these together till fluffy

once the chocolate mix is cooled, combine the eggs and chocolate together

...then fold in 1 c flour.

I use Adam's crunchy peanut butter, about a 1/2 cup.. placed a few dollops randomly and took a knife to run through each dollop to make swirls :)

Bake at 350 (about 175 C) for 25-30 mins. 

*If you don't happen to have peanut butter around...(hard to come by in Finland) here's an easy enough recipe for homemade peanut butter 

I highly suggest eating this with some delicious 1% reduced fat organic milk ;)

Spoon it up!