Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

I'm trying to loose the extra baby weight so naturally I've been baking more then I should.  Baking is my happy place and during this time of social distancing I seem to be needing to go to my happy place more then usual...mostly because what the heck else am I going to do?  My 2 year old son loves to cook with me.  If I am in the kitchen making something it usually takes about 5 seconds before you can hear him dragging his kitchen helper stool out of the pantry to come help his Momma.  He helped me make this recipe - his favorite part to measure was the chocolate chips of course.

We bought a delicious chocolate chip cookie dough cupcake after lunch on Sunday and after dinner I wanted more - so we made this instead.  A little less bad for you, but still so tasty!  I took one bite and then realized it was so good I was going to have to share the recipe...so that explains the big bite missing in all my pictures.

Grain Free Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet

4 TBS unsalted butter (can use coconut oil if you want it to be dairy free)
1/4 cup + 2 TBS coconut sugar or brown sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
1 cup almond flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/3 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter in an 8" skillet over medium heat.  Cook until the butter is browned but not burnt.  Remove from heat and stir in sugar, salt and vanilla - stir until smooth.  Allow to cool for 5 minutes.  Whisk in the egg until smooth.  Add flours and baking soda - stir until smooth.  Add in chocolate chips and stir to combine.  Smooth out dough.  Bake 10-12 minutes until set around edges but still gooey in the middle.  Cool slightly before eating.  Serves 1 or many - your call 😉  Can also be doubled and made in a larger skillet.

Chocolate Oat Snack Bites

I have a confession to make.
I am a snacker.  A hardcore snacker.  I didn't realize how much my family snacked until I got married and was shocked at how little my husband's family snacked...as in not at all!  I have turned my boys into snackers as well and they eat all day long.  Seriously, we are like cows and graze all dang day!  I go through phases of what snacks we like to eat, and right now these are one of our favorites.  I try to have paleo muffins or pancakes stashed in my fridge at all times, and then one kind of energy bite like these.  They are easy to make and keep in your fridge for a few weeks.  Also make great on the go or road trip snacks.

Kid approved

Chocolate Oat Snack Bites

1 cup oats (old fashioned and quick cooking both work well)
1/4 cup nut butter (I use almond or peanut butter-no added ingredients just the nuts)
1/4 cup + 1 TBS honey
2 TBS cocoa powder
2 TBS hemp hearts or ground flax or chia seeds
2 TBS unsweetened shredded coconut

1 scoop vital proteins collagen (totally optional)

Pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together in standing mixer until well combined.  Roll into balls and store in fridge.  The batter should stick together when rolled into a ball.  If it doesn't stick together for you add more honey or nut butter until it holds its shape.  You can also make these in a food processor.  It makes for a smoother end product.  This is how we prefer them, in the food processor. 

Healthier Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies (Gluten free, dairy free) and word of the year!

Social media is being flooded right now with new hopes, dreams, resolutions, goals and different things to help start our new year off right.  Another thing I keep seeing is people choosing a word of the year to help motivate and keep them on track.  I was sitting in Mass the other night thinking about what word to choose and the choir began to sing "Silent Night", as always when I hear that song my heart was flooded with peace and calm.  Can I choose two words this year?  "Peace" and "Calm".  I took a deep breath, yes, these are my words for 2019.

2018 was a year filled with many blessings, but also heartaches for me.  Adjusting to life with 2 little ones proved a lot harder then I thought it would be.  My body has been struggling since the birth of my second son, and physically I was at my lowest.  My gallbladder attacks would hit out of nowhere and bring with them severe pain that would have me rolling on the ground in agony crying.  When I wasn't having attacks I had the fear of having another attack looming over me asking "is this the day? Will I get one in Mass?  Will I get one while walking down the aisle as a bridesmaid? Will I get one when I am alone with the kids, who will take care of them and me?"  It has now been 10 weeks since my last attack and my body is feeling much stronger as it continues to heal.  Praise the Lord!

Mentally, the last 2 years have been really hard on me.  My original family has been broken apart by the pain that comes hand in hand with divorce.  After 36 years of marriage my parents are now legally divorced.  I know I am a grown woman, as are all of my siblings, but no matter how old you are divorce affects the children on some level.  My dad lives 10 minutes away from us and we haven't seen or heard from him in over 18 months.  He has not met my 1 year old.  I have a history of not doing well with rejection, and to have your father reject your mother, your family, some of your siblings, your kids and me is a hard pill to swallow.

Peace.  Calm.  

This is what I want for myself and my family for 2019.

I have seen many people go through hardships and suffering in this life, and those that remain calm and at peace amidst the turmoil and storms are the ones that have such beauty and grace surrounding them as you can visibly see the hand of God at work in their lives.  This is what I want.  This is what I need to strive for.  The storms will come no matter who you are, but if you have faith and trust in God you will not be overcome.  

"He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 

but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. 

They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, 

they will walk and not be faint."

 Isaiah 40:29-31

I know many of you have goals to be healthier in the New Year - here is a recipe that might help with that!

Back in October I did a yeast detox, which meant no sugar of any kind - even fruit!  I have slowly let the sweets seep back into my life, but in a much healthier way.  Yes, I indulged in pie at Thanksgiving, but it was Paleo and sweetened with maple syrup not refined sugar.  Yes, I eat honey and maple syrup again on a daily basis, but in very small amounts.  This recipe is a delicious cookie that satisfies my sweet tooth without making me feel like junk.  My kiddos really like it too!  Let me know if you try it out!

Healthy Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

makes 15 cookies

1 cup oats

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/3 cup chocolate chips or raisins

2 TBSP melted coconut oil or butter, cooled for a few minutes before using

1/4 cup maple syrup

1/4 cup almond butter or peanut butter*

1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In medium sized bowl combine the oats, almond meal, cinnamon, salt and chocolate chips.  Mix well.  

In medium saucepan melt the coconut oil.  Allow to cool for a few minutes then add the almond butter maple syrup and vanilla and whisk 

until combined.  Add to the dry ingredients and stir well.  Scoop out heaping tablespoons of dough and place on parchment lined cookie sheet.  Dough can be a little loose, so sometimes I take the portioned out dough and roll them into balls before baking.  Bake 8-10

 minutes until slightly browned.  I  just store them in a ziploc or glass container on the counter - they usually don't last longer then a few days but have lasted up to 5 days for us.

*Use almond or peanut butter where the only ingredients listed are the nuts and maybe salt.  No added sugar or oils.

Thick and Chewy Snickerdoodle Cookies

My niece asked if she could come over this weekend and make some cookies for one of her teachers with me.  Um...yes...I am always down for making cookies!  She requested snickerdoodles and we decided to try out a new recipe.  I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious they were and ate way more then I was planning too.  I am not the biggest fan of any cookie without chocolate in it...but these were darn tooting good!  After I made them I thought that they might also be good using pumpkin pie spice in the topping instead of straight cinnamon...this I will try next time!

My niece is 13 going on 21 and as we were baking she told me that she bakes cookies with her 2 friends a lot and that she is the one always telling them what to do.  She said she learned a lot from watching me bake and then baking with me, and then she said "you know all your tips and tricks really do work, I mean, scraping the bowl down really well in between mixing really does make a better cookie!"  Haha, not going to lie - it made me smile : )

These would make a good addition to any Christmas Cookie tray or tin.  I was contemplating getting started early on Christmas cookie dough baking this year since baby is due to arrive at beginning of December...but then realized I don't really have time to do that now either.  I'm hoping I can still manage some sort of less fancy Christmas cookie assortment for neighbors and friends this year...not sure I am capable of just letting Christmas go by without any Christmas baking.  Haha, but honestly, I probably won't even realize it is Christmas this year I will be so zonked out from having a newborn.

Did I mention we are having baby #2?  We are super excited and of course have nothing ready for baby again!  Names?  Nope.  Found a doula?  Nope.  Nothing is ready.  Somehow I blinked and we are in our third trimester already!  When I ask Charlie where baby is he points to my belly and then points to himself - he is so right...he will always be my baby : )



Thick and Chewy Snickerdooles
adapted from sallysbakingaddiction.com

• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
• 1 and 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
  2 teaspoons cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt (not kosher or coarse)

Topping:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375°F  We have a gas oven that gets super hot so I actually preheated my oven to 360 instead...every oven is different so do what works for you!
2. Make the topping: mix 1/4 cup granulated sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.
3. Make the cookies: In a large bowl using a hand-held mixer or stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream the softened butter for about 1 minute on medium speed. Then add the sugar on medium speed until fluffy and light in color. Mix in egg and vanilla. Scrape down the sides as needed and mix again.  Set aside.
4. In a medium size bowl, whisk together the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. The dough is quite thick and you may have to stir it by hand to fully incorporate the dry ingredients.
5. Scoop 2 Tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Roll the dough balls into the reserved cinnamon-sugar topping.  Bake cookies for 8-10 minutes. The cookies will be very puffy and soft.  Cookies remain soft & fresh for 7 days in an airtight container at room temperature.

Lava Cakes

Today is St.Valentine's day.  I am not a Valentine's day fanatic, and hate the over commercialization of the day...but...like most girls I still appreciate flowers and a nice card : )  My mom would make us watch the movie of St. Valentine every year on Valentine's day...some would think watching a movie about a martyr would suck the love out of the day, but really isn't that what love is all about?  Laying your life down for someone you love?  Real love is self-sacrificing!  Questioning whether you are loved or not today?  YOU ARE SO LOVED!  Jesus lay down his life for YOU!  Ultimate self sacrifice right there.


On to the food...which is why you are here : )

You know what is a funny word?  Ramekin!  My husband is so proud that he now knows what this word is!  I have quite the assortment of random ramekins in my kitchen.  I use them for everything.  Baby food bowls, small servings of granola, little sauce dishes, salsa, hummus - they are awesome!  The best thing I use them for is making LAVA CAKES!

Are you looking for something quick, easy, and delicious to make for your valentine today?  THIS IS THE RECIPE FOR YOU!

Andrew and I never need an excuse to make these...we make them every other week.  They are sort of fancy, but sort of comfort food level.  I have tried a few recipes for lava cakes out, but this one has been our favorite, and happens to be the easiest too!  Each recipe makes 4 lava cakes - so we eat 2, then eat 2 the next day cold or reheated.  I can't decide if I like them better hot or cold!  If you get invited to our home for dinner there is a good chance we will serve you these for dessert.

Lava Cakes
adapted from the Chef in Training Blog

4 oz. or 2/3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips (You can also use milk or dark chips if that is what you have)
½ cup butter
1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs
2 egg yolks
6 Tablespoons flour
Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Spray 4 small (6-8 oz) ramekin dishes* with cooking spray and place on a baking sheet. Set aside.
In medium saucepan over medium heat combine butter and chocolate and heat until just melted. Whisk until smooth and combined.  Add powdered sugar and whisk in evenly.
Add eggs and egg yolks and whisk in until well combined.
Whisk in flour until well combined.
Pour and distribute batter evenly in the 4 prepared ramekin dishes.
Bake at 425 degrees F for 12-13 minutes until edges are firm and center is soft, but not super jiggly.
Let cool for 2 minutes. Using a knife, gently pull cake away from the edges then invert onto plate or serving dish.

*If you don't have ramekins you can use muffin tins, they are just a little bit harder to get out without falling apart...or if you have oven safe mugs you can use that too.

Chocolate Lava Cookies

You know those decadent molten lava cakes you see on many restaurant menus?  Yeah, this is the cookie version of that...you are most welcome. : )

As you can tell from my recipes that I post we have a healthy food/cookie diet in our household...I like to call it the "healthookie" diet.  We avoid most dairy and many grains, we don't do processed food, we eat our greens, our vegetables, our fruits, our proteins and our vitamins...but we also eat our cookies.  Oh the cookies.  Some days I wish that I didn't know how to bake, but then I laugh and realize that is absurd...my love language is "cookie" and if I took that away I would not know how to communicate love to others.  Can you imagine?  I would be trying to tell my husband that I loved him and so I would send him to work with a box of carrots...how depressing is that?

Good news...FALL is almost here!  Top season of all times!  We got married in the Fall, and that was a good decision...the marriage part and the Fall part.

Fall means colder weather, and colder weather means you need extra fat on your body to stay warm...here enters the chocolate lava cookie.  Eating cookies is cheaper then a new cold weather wardrobe...you are most welcome again. : )

These pictures don't do these cookies justice.  I waited until they cooled to take the pictures, and by that time the gooey molten centers had solidified.  They still tastes amazing, but they taste divine if you eat them warm.

Chocolate Lava Cookies
From the Guittard chocolate chip bag : )

2 cups semi sweet chocolate chips
3 TBS butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder

Melt chips and butter over double boiler until smooth but thick.  Set aside to cool.  In mixing bowl beat eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla on high until pale yellow and thick about 2-3 minutes.  Mix in cooled chocolate mix on low speed. Scrape bowl and mix again.  Add flour and baking powder and mix until combined. Scrape bowl and mix again.  Cover dough and refrigerate 15-30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Scoop 8 - 2 inch mounds onto parchment lined cookie sheets.  Bake 8-12 minutes until crusty on outside but soft in the center...do not over bake!  Cool a few minutes and eat warm.

White Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Oat cookies

Being a mom is an emotional roller coaster.

A few weeks ago I felt like I had a clingy baby and couldn't do anything without having to hold him in the process.  Many days he would only sleep if I was holding him.  He was waking up on average 2-3 times a night.  I was often frustrated about this.

Then one day he decided to grow up.

Just like that.  He turned 4 months old and became an adult baby who doesn't need his mama as much anymore : (  He rolls over, sucks his thumb, puts himself to sleep, won't sleep if I'm holding him, and is basically a professional baby now.  Now this frustrates me too, but at least he still needs me to feed and change him!

Haha...sometimes you just can't win!

I am proud of my little guy, and every time another developmental light bulb goes off in his head it makes me so happy.  The days go by quickly and I am really making a conscience effort to not get frustrated when the house needs to be cleaned, or my to-do list is getting neglected.  To me, the most important thing is to really savor these precious moments with our little guy, and to take as many opportunities as possible to play with him, to watch him, to cuddle him and to love him.  I know that in a blink of an eye he will be graduating college, and I just want to enjoy this special time with him.  Mama and Charlie one-on-one time...my heart is full : )

When super baby is napping I'm usually in the kitchen making something.

When I'm in the kitchen I'm usually making cookies.

When I make cookies they are usually fattening but delicious.

Totally.worth.it.

I was in the mood for a non typical cookie and decided to try a new recipe out.  I found this one on all recipes, but altered it a bit to my liking and to my pantry.

White Chocolate Cranberry Walnut Oat cookies

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

In mixing bowl cream together butter, brown sugar and sugar.  Beat until smooth and creamy.  Beat in the eggs and vanilla.  Scrape bowl and beat again.

In separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Whisk to combine.  Then add the oats, cranberries, white chocolate chips, and walnuts.  Stir to combine.

Add dry ingredients to the wet and beat until combined.  Scrape bowl and beat again.

Using a small ice cream scoop or TBS. drop onto parchment lined baking pan pretty close together.  freeze for 1-2 hours.  remove from freezer and space out more on pan.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.  DO NOT OVER BAKE unless you want a dry crispy cookie.  If you don't plan on eating all of these cookies at once you can scoop the batter onto parchment and freeze, once hardened place in ziploc bags and bake directly from the freezer as needed.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp

Oh Fall!  So looking forward to you for so many reasons:

1)  Moving into my second trimester!  Everyone says the 2nd trimester is much better than the first...looking forward to not feeling yucky all the time!  Did I mention I was having a baby! : )  The little munchkin is the size of a lemon right now and we are grateful for his strong heartbeat (we do not know the gender, but will refer to the baby as "he" until it is born)

2)  THE WEATHER!  Fall weather makes me so happy!  It makes me want to be outside all the time!  I just want to go outside and take really long deep breathes of the delicious Fall air.   By far the best season of the year!  All my workouts must be outside now!

3)  Our 1 year marriage anniversary in November!  Dang, that was a fast year!  A good year, and somehow I love him more and more every darn day.  He is basically the best husband ever : )

4)  Our family Portugal Trip!  My parents and 2 of my siblings and I are travelling to Portugal for a tour led by my Aunt.  We are looking forward to it!  I am really looking forward to the food!

5)  THE BAKING!  Oh so many things to bake in the Fall.  Next on my list is apple fritters...doesn't that sound divine?

My pregnancy has given me some really lovely heartburn and indigestion...yuck.  Gluten doesn't help it, so I am trying to stay away from it for a while.  I know I should also stay away from sugar, but at this point most of my food groups are off limits so I am just eating what I can.

Gluten Free Apple Crisp Recipe

5 apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin (I used Pink Lady and Honey Crisp)
1 TBS apple juice (or lemon)
1/2 tsp corn starch
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 TBS honey
pinch of cloves

Crisp Topping:
1/4 cup almond flour
1/4 cup rice flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup old fashioned oats
1 stick butter diced

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 cake pan.  Toss the filling ingredients together and set aside.  Place all of the crisp ingredients into a mixing bowl and mix until combined and crumbly.  Sprinkle a small layer of the crisp on the bottom of the pan.  Pour in filling and spread evenly.  Top with the remaining crisp topping.  Bake 30-40 minutes until crisp.  Serve warm with fresh whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, or ice cream.  This made really delicious leftovers too...if there are any!

White Chocolate Fudge Brownies and Forgiveness

The first reading today was the story of Joseph and his brothers.  For those of you who don't know the story, here is the super short version:

Joseph had a bunch of brothers, like 11.  He was highly favored by their father and he gave Joseph a pretty coat with lots of colors.  The other brothers were jealous and mad about this, and about other things too...they had some deep seeded issues they didn't want to talk about. : )  One day Joseph went to fetch his brothers from a field they were working in, as he got closer the angry brothers decided they wanted to kill him.  After some rough grunts and manly debates they decided to throw him into a deep pit that just so happened to be nearby...how convenient for them! : )  After some more grunts, arm wrestling, and paper/rock/scissors battles they decided to sell him to some passerby people instead of killing him.  Then they took the infamous coat of many colors and splatted it with animal blood, took it to their father and told him his golden son was dead.  (sounds like a strange episode of CSI to me)  Joseph was really blessed at this point and became buddies with the Pharaoh, I mean he spent some time in the clink for a few years on and off, but at the end of the day he ended up sitting pretty with some authority and title that was important.  Come to find out there was a famine and his evil brothers came to ask for grain...turns out they had to meet with Joseph to get the grains...who they didn't recognize!  Ha, what are the odds?  After a very dramatic, head turning, and shocking revelation of the truth Joseph straight up forgave his brothers for their crime against him.  Just like that!

Can you imagine forgiving your brothers, friends, or strangers for wanting to kill you and then selling you off into slavery?  Wow?  That kind of betrayal is intense.  Or take for instance the shootings in Charleston, SC...many of the families of the victims have spoken of forgiving Roof for his horrible crimes against their loved ones.  Wow, that is powerful stuff!  I know I personally have a hard time with forgiving people...especially my family members and friends.  It is so difficult to mentally make that step and letting go.  Sometimes letting go of something seems like it is a sign of weakness, like you are giving up power over that person, but in reality it is so freeing and makes you stronger!  How crazy is that?  I know when I am hurt by someone, or I am arguing or fighting with them I don't want to give them the satisfaction of "winning" the battle against me...how ironic it is that when you forgive someone you are the one who wins!  Not that it is about winning, but to me everything has some degree of competition to it.  Haha : )

I recently received an email from the "Prepare and Enrich" marriage prep program.  We used them while we were engaged and they send us emails every once in a while for tips to a healthy marriage.  This was a list they included on practical advice for how to give and receive forgiveness

Steps for Seeking Forgiveness

1. Admit what you did was wrong or hurtful.
2. Try to empathize with the pain you have caused.
3. Take responsibility for your actions.
4. Assure the person that you will not do it again.
5. Apologize genuinely and ask for forgiveness.
6. Forgive yourself. 

Steps for Granting Forgiveness

1. Acknowledge and give yourself permission to feel pain, anger, or disrespect.
2. Set clear and specific limits and expectations for the future.
3. Give up your right to “get even,” but insist on being treated better in the future.
4. Let go of blame, resentment, and negativity toward the person.
5. Communicate your act of forgiveness.
6. Work toward reconciliation (when/if safe).

I don't know about you, but I think I need to print this list out and tape it to my forehead and all the mirrors in my house. : )

I also think another step should be added to the list for "steps to seek forgiveness".  

Step 7.  Make the offended party brownies. : )

My husband will be eating so many brownies. : )

I needed a quick dessert for a Young Adult ministry meeting we were having at my house last night and these guys ended up being the perfect thing!  The key to a chewy brownie is to not over bake them!  When in doubt take them out! : )  These are also great because they don't call for baking chocolate, just cocoa powder, but boy oh boy are they fudge-y good!

White Chocolate Fudge Brownies

10 TBS unsalted butter

1 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup + 2 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all purpose flour

3/4 cup white chocolate chips*

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease and line an 8" or 9" square baking pan with parchment paper or aluminum foil.

Melt the butter, sugar, cocoa powder, salt together over medium heat in a saucepan.  Stir until butter is melted.  Batter will be gritty, fear not.  Remove from heat and allow to cool a few minutes.

Stir in the vanilla.  Add the eggs one at a time stirring quickly so the eggs don't scramble.  Add the flour.  Do not over mix!  Gently fold in the white chocolate chips - if the batter is too hot at this point the chips will just melt and the brownies won't be as yummy...which is why it is important to let it cool a bit before adding the eggs.  Pour into pan and smooth out evenly.

Bake 20-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out relatively clean.  Keep an eye on them after 20 minutes checking every 2 minutes until perfectly cooked.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.  

* you can also use peanut butter chips or chocolate chips here if that is what you have on hand

 Listen to this song.  Make these brownies.  Go ask someone for forgiveness.

Be 

strong.

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Chocolate Financier Cakes and Tea Parties

Growing up I adored a good tea party!  I used to make my little sisters dress up in frilly dresses and then invite neighborhood friends over and have fancy tea parties.  Ha...guess a lot of things don't change over the years : ) This love of tea parties evolved into me collecting mini tea sets until I was  teenager...when all was said and done I had over 30 mini tea sets!  I saved a few of my favorite sets for when I have a daughter (if I am so blessed)...maybe she will throw tea parties and invite her super cool mommy : ) 

My other encounter with tea parties was when I was a Senior in High School and living with 2 friends from school and 2 sweet old ladies who were also sisters.  Every afternoon at exactly 4pm we would gather around the round kitchen table and have tea and a snack.  I had decided I actually didn't like "real" tea at this point in my life - they would offer it to me every day and I would always say, "no thank you, I don't like drinking dirty water!"  Guess I preferred the make believe tea I would drink when I was younger instead.  : ) The 5 of us would chat about our days and we would listen to the old sisters tell stories from their childhoods.  I have fond memories of that year, and whenever I now drink "real" tea I think of the lovely Philbin and Hennessy sisters.

When we were in France we visited with my husband's distant relatives.  As soon as we arrived at their home we sat down to tea on their back porch overlooking their beautiful garden.  It was a damp and chilly day so the hot tea was so welcomed!  They served us a lovely loaf of sweet bread, I believe it was Brioche, with some amazing homemade fruit jam.  In that moment I am pretty sure I truly experienced what it was like to be French and live in France....certifiably the most "French" moment of our trip. : )

While we were in Paris I tried a few pastries that I had never heard of.  One of those was the Chocolate Financier cakes.  This cake was so moist, delicious, and simple that I had to try and replicate it when I got home.  I just threw a bridal shower tea for my friend and decided there was no better occasion to make these cakes then now!  They ended up being moist little brownie like bites with the texture of the ground almonds being an amazing combination of deliciousness!  

Tea Party Menu:  Fresh Crudites and hummus, ham/spinach/and piave cheese quiches, curried chicken sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, oat scones with assorted jams, fresh fruit salad, chocolate financier cakes, shortbread cookies, roasted peach lemonade, and assorted teas.

This may get confusing...hang in there : )

 I used my scale to make these and realized the non weighed measurements seemed very off to me...I am posting the original recipe and then my notes on the side of each ingredient.  For best results use a scale for this recipe.

Chocolate Financiers
adapted slightly from Chef Eddy Van Damme Blog

1 ½ Cups (5 oz) Sliced almonds or almond meal 

(if you use sliced almonds, make sure you end up with 1 1/2 cups of ground almonds)

1 Cup (8 oz)  Extra fine granulated sugar 
½ Cup minus 1 TBSP (2 oz) All purpose flour 
7 large (7 oz) Egg whites 
(I ended up only using 5 large eggs to get 7oz of egg whites)

½ teaspoon Salt (table not kosher)
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Almond extract
1 ½ sticks (6 oz) Unsalted butter
(6 oz ended up being 2 sticks minus 1 TBS of butter for me- most sticks of butter from the grocery store say they are 4 oz each, but really they are not)

4 oz Bittersweet chocolate or chocolate chips, 60% cacao 

Grease your mini muffin pans and set aside. (you can also make these in any form you like...regular muffin pans, some loaf pans, etc...just keep in mind the bake time will have to be adjusted accordingly)

If you are using sliced almonds instead of almond meal - Place the sliced almonds with the sugar and flour in a food processor and process until the almonds are finer than cornmeal and then transfer to a bowl. Mix the almond meal (or ground up almonds), flour, and sugar together in a large bowl until combined.  

Add the egg whites, salt, vanilla and almond extract and mix together using a rubber spatula.

Cut the chocolate into small pieces, or just leave as if if you are using chocolate chips, and combine with the butter. Melt over barely simmering water (double boiler), the bowl not touching the water. Remove from heat when ¾ of the chocolate is melted.  Stir until all the chocolate is melted and add to the above, stir until combined.

Fill the mini muffin tins ¾ full and bake in a 350⁰F (180⁰C) oven until the center of the financier cakes bounce back when lightly pressed with a finger. About 12-15 minutes for the mini muffin pans. For other sizes bake until the center of the cakes bounce back when pressed.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes and remove from pan.  

I just ate the last one yesterday, so I know for a fact 4 days later they still taste amazing!

This recipe may be confusing, but it is so worth it in the end!  I see myself making them again soon!

Let's all work to bring back the lovely tradition of afternoon tea.  

Then invite a friend over for tea and these financier cakes.

Eat your heart out,

Dagny

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 

- Colossians 3:12-14