Tiger Nut Brownies

This post is sponsored by Tiger Nuts USA.

Tiger nut flour is the secret ingredient in these super fudgy nut-free paleo brownies!

Have you heard of tiger nuts? They're a new-to-me ingredient that I'm really excited to share with you. Here are three fun facts about tiger nuts:

1. They are not nuts! Tiger nuts are actually tubers, which means they're a great snack option for anyone, even people with nut allergies.

2. Tiger nuts are a truly paleo food--scientists believe that they formed a large part of the diet of hominims and other early humans. They've also been found in Egyptian tombs from over 6,000 years ago. (I found this info on Wikipedia.) 

3. Tiger nut flour makes delicious brownies!

Bonus fact: tiger nuts are widely cultivated in Spain, where they're used to make a special kind of horchata. Grab the recipe here!

The folks at Tiger Nuts USA sell peeled and unpeeled tiger nuts as well as tiger nut flour. I haven't used the unpeeled tiger nuts yet, but I'm planning to use them to make tiger nut milk. (That has to be the coolest name for a kind of dairy-free milk, right? Why drink almond milk when you could drink TIGER NUT MILK??)

Mexican Almond Pulp Brownies

Have you tried making your own almond milk? It's really good, and nothing like the store-bought kind. I like to put it in my coffee, add it to smoothies, or just drink it plain, alongside a delicious paleo baked good. (If you're not a fan of almonds, you can follow the same steps to make milk using pecans instead! If I had to choose my favorite between almond milk and pecan milk, I would have a hard time).

So, if you have made your own nut milk, then you know about the pulp problem. After squeezing the last vestiges of creamy milk out of the cheesecloth or nut milk bag, you're left with a bunch of pulp.

It's sad to just throw it away. Especially when you could use it to make brownies instead!

These Mexican almond pulp brownies are adapted from a brilliant recipe by Alanna of The Bojon Gourmet. (Alanna takes some of the most gorgeous food photos out there, so if you haven't visited her site, be prepared to want to make every single thing.) My version gets its unique flavor from a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper. The result is like a Mexican hot chocolate in brownie form.

Fried Banana Brownie Cake with Honey Whipped Cream

It was my birthday on Saturday, and I had an amazing day.  I started the morning by opening the present Ben got for me, which was a Kitchen Aid stand mixer!  I've wanted one for years, and finally feel like I count as a real food blogger now that I own one.  I haven't used it yet because I have need to clear a special spot for it in the kitchen, but I've been peering into the box every few hours and just kind of smiling at it.  After opening my mixer, I met up with a friend to go for a run, and then went home and moved a bunch of furniture and hung pictures with Ben.  (Our landlords have been renovating our apartment, so we have a lot of rearranging to do.  One secret about me is that I love organizing things around the house, even though I put it off like crazy and almost never do it.  I am not at all sure why I dread it so much, because once I get started I really enjoy it.  So, oddly enough, moving furniture and hanging pictures was one of my favorite parts of the day.)

My mom, Ben, and I went to dbar for dinner, which is within walking distance of our apartment and is one of my favorite restaurants ever.  Pro tip: it starts gradually turning into a nightclub around 10 pm on Friday and Saturday.  I've never been able to convince anyone to stay with me for that phase, but we got to witness the beginning of the transformation last night: one of the waiters walked by, casually pushed a button on his bracelet, and made a screen drop from the ceiling.  No big deal.

Vanilla Bean Buttercream Brownies

The large amount of frosting on these brownies represents the large amount of love I have for you!  It constantly makes my day that people actually read my blog, and I'm even more thrilled when I get a comment or get to connect with you on FB, Twitter, or IG.  You are the best, and that is why I made you the best brownies.

I've been wanting to make frosted brownies for a while now.  They just seem fabulously over the top--because once you've baked a rich and fudgy brownie, you totally need a big pile of buttercream on top, right?  (Hint: the answer is yes!)

Mexican Brownies (Gluten-free, Paleo)

These brownies are SO good!  Rich and fudgy in the middle and irresistibly crunchy around the edges--I can't stop thinking about them.  Their flavor is enhanced by a dose of a cinnamon and a hint of cayenne pepper, but you can totally leave those out if you want a more classic brownie.

I made a big pan of these (doubled the below recipe) for the first meeting of my school's Spanish Club, and they were a huge hit!  The meeting was at ten am, but nobody complained about being served brownies for breakfast.  I made them again day before yesterday in these Christmas molds, and I was going to give them as gifts . . . but we ate them all.  Restraint is futile when faced with Mexican brownies, especially if they are shaped like Christmas trees.

These brownies do not taste gluten-free to me at all!  The original recipe called for a relatively small amount of flour, so I knew it would be a great candidate for using my paleo flour blend.  If you don't have the flour blend on hand, I've also provided measurements for each individual type of flour.  The ratio is slightly different from that of the flour blend for ease of measurement, but I have made the brownies both ways and did not notice a difference in taste or texture.

If you're looking for a last-minute edible gift, why not whip up a batch of these Mexican brownies?  Just make sure to give them away quickly before you break down and eat them all.  Or, go ahead and make them for yourself for breakfast!  ¡Feliz navidad a todos!

Salted Caramel Brownies (Gluten-free)

In case you missed it, you can make brownies (or blondies) from almond butter!  It's amazing--with just almond butter, honey, eggs, baking powder, and a few flavorings, you get a batter that actually bakes up into classic, fudgy, and delicious brownies.  I have Elana at Elana's Pantry to thank for that genius discovery.

And, as you may already know, every dessert gets better when you add salted caramel.  I've already made several salted caramel treats (the sauce, cupcakes, skillet brownies, and peach bars), and thought it was time for a gluten-free salted caramel brownie.  If you'd like to make this recipe paleo, you can make it with salted maple caramel instead of the regular salted caramel sauce.  Either way, these brownies will be amazing.

We had friends over for dinner last night, and used these brownies as a base for brownie sundaes (the ultimate dessert, in my opinion).  We started with the brownies, followed by a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a generous drizzle of warm salted caramel sauce, whipped cream, and a sprinkling of chocolate chips.  The sundaes were so distractingly good that no pictures were taken, so you'll just have to trust me and make some yourself!

Brownie Batter Truffles (Gluten free, Paleo)

Yesterday I wanted brownies, but the thought of waiting for them to bake and then cool was disagreeable.  I thought about making brownie batter truffles instead.  Since there's no egg in this recipe, you can taste as you're making it and adjust the sweetness as desired.  If you're in a really big hurry, you can skip melting the chocolate and roll these in cocoa powder or shredded coconut.  You can get your brownie fix on pretty fast.

Brownie Sundae Cupcakes

These cupcakes feature the essential elements of a brownie sundae in a convenient, easy to serve and eat form.  I made them for the kids and they were a big hit at the pajama dance party we had today (we filled the dinosaur jar again).  Some kids were guilty of just licking the ice cream off the top and leaving the brownie, but most of them polished off the whole thing.

You could just make this with your favorite brownie recipe and your favorite homemade or store bought ice cream to save time.  I ended up making my brownies with olive oil because it was the ONLY thing left in my kitchen, but they turned out great!  Nobody noticed anything at all, and I felt a little less guilty about enjoying several of these cupcakes over the last 24 hours.

I got the inspiration and ganache for these from Joy the Baker, modified this ice cream recipe from Annie's Eats, and adapted this brownie recipe from food.com.  I can't wait to make these again with a different flavor of ice cream.  And then maybe with blondies instead of brownies?  The possibilities are endless.  And some whipped cream on top, maybe?  I totally wanted to do that, but all the cream was used up making the ice cream.

Ingredients (makes about 30 brownie cupcakes):

For the brownies:

1/3 cup chocolate chips, melted
1 cup olive oil
2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder

For the vanilla bean ice cream (makes about 2 quarts):

3 cups heavy cream, divided
1 1/2 cups milk (I used 2%)
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar
1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the ganache:

1 cup chocolate chips
1/3 cup milk or cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To make the ice cream, heat half the cream in a medium saucepan with the salt, sugar, and vanilla bean (scrape in the seeds, then throw the bean in, too).  Stir occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved.  Remove from heat and stir in the remaining milk and cream.  Chill the mixture thoroughly, remove the vanilla bean, then freeze in your ice cream maker.

To make the brownies, preheat the oven to 350 and line 30 muffin cups with paper liners.  Mix together the oil, sugar, and melted chocolate chips in a large bowl.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whisk together all the remaining dry ingredients.  Combine the wet and dry ingredients until no floury spots remain.  Divide the batter among the cupcake cups (don't add too much--you want the batter to just cover the bottom of the cupcake paper so you'll have room for the ice cream later).  Bake for 8 or so minutes until set.  It's better to underbake these a little since they'll harden up in the freezer later.  Cool to room temperature, then transfer to the freezer for at least 30 minutes before adding the ice cream.

To make the ganache, set the chocolate chips aside in a bowl and heat the milk or cream until scalded.  Pour it over the chocolate chips, cover, and let sit for a few minutes.  Stir in the vanilla.  If your chocolate isn't totally melted, microwave in 15-second intervals and stir until smooth.  Cool to room temperature before using.

To put the cupcakes together, spoon softened ice cream (right from the machine is perfect) over chilled brownies to fill the cupcake papers.  Freeze cupcakes for at least an hour.  Using a spoon, top each cupcake with a teaspoon or so of ganache.  Store in the freezer, and remove about five minutes before serving.

Mocha Almond Flourless Brownies

Yesterday I got some almond flour and blue cornmeal in the mail from Bob's Red Mill.  I was super excited to try some chocolate baked goods with the almond flour.  Did you know it's just ground-up almonds?  Amazing.  Full of heart-healthy fats and protein instead of the empty carbs in flour.

I decided to try these flourless brownies, adapted from this recipe on Om Nom Ally.  They are really good!  The coffee and almond flavors are subtle, but add an extra richness to the chocolate flavor.  The brownies are really fudgy and moist, which makes them very satisfying.  Just one is enough (until the craving strikes again an hour later...).

These brownies are not overly sweet.  I actually added extra sugar, because the original recipe only called for 2 tablespoons and I didn't want a bitter brownie.  I think my version came out great, but I would have dusted them with some powdered sugar if I hadn't been out.

Ingredients (makes 9-12 brownies):

1 cup almond flour (finely ground almonds)
1/2 cup cocoa, plus extra for dusting
1-3 teaspoons finely ground coffee, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, melted, plus extra for greasing the pan
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
Powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease an 8 x 8 baking dish and powder the bottom and sides with cocoa.

In a large bowl, mix the almond flour, cocoa, coffee, salt, and baking powder.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sugar, butter, milk, eggs, and extracts.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool and cut into squares.

Mint Mocha Ice Cream Cake

Okay guys, this is it.  If you are looking for a birthday treat that will be good but nothing over-the-top, DON'T pick this.  This is actually a seven-layer ice cream cake.  If you like seven-layer dip, you need to know this cake is nothing like it.  This cake is so much better, it's almost wrong to mention seven-layer dip in the same sentence.

Have you made slutty brownies yet?  They have a brownie layer, an Oreo layer, and a chocolate chip cookie layer.  For this cake, those extravagant bars are baked in a round springform pan.  Two kinds of ice cream are smoothed on top, then the whole thing is coated with vanilla bean whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate ganache.  BOOM.

This cake is adapted from the Slutty Brownie Ice Cream Cake on What's Gaby Cooking, one of my favorite food blogs ever.  Since the cake was for my boyfriend's birthday, I had to let him pick the ice cream flavors.  When he chose mint chocolate chip and coffee oreo, I was a little bit skeptical.  I love both those flavors independently, but together?  I wasn't so sure.

Well, I have to give credit to the birthday boy--it was fabulous!  A mint mocha in ice cream cake form.  There are lots of other flavor combinations that would be amazing, though!  I hope you try your own version of this for your next over-the-top occasion.

Note:  Like many ice cream cakes, this is a little bit of a plan-ahead project.  I baked the slutty brownies on Tuesday, layered on the ice creams and froze everything yesterday, and added the whipped cream and ganache today.  

Ingredients:

1 recipe slutty brownies, baked in a 9-inch springform pan (underbake them a little--brownie layer should be a little jiggly--so they won't be too hard once they're frozen)

1 pint coffee oreo ice cream, softened

1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened

1 1/2 cups heavy cream, divided

Seeds from 1 vanilla bean, divided

Pinch of salt

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 tablespoons brewed coffee

1 teaspoon granulated sugar

2 teaspoons powdered sugar, sifted

When the slutty brownies are completely cool, top with one of the pints of ice cream and smooth with a spatula.  Freeze for 2 hours or more, then repeat with the other ice cream flavor.  Freeze for at least two hours again.

To make the chocolate ganache, roughly chop the chocolate and set aside in a medium bowl.  Place 1/2 cup heavy cream and the coffee, granulated sugar and salt in a small saucepan.  Scrape in the seeds of half a vanilla bean (save the other half for the whipped cream).  Heat the cream mixture until scalded (about to boil), then pour it over the chocolate.  Cover and let sit for 5 minutes, then stir until smooth.  Set aside to cool before using.

To make the whipped cream, combine the remaining cup of heavy cream and the seeds from the other half of the vanilla bean in a large bowl.  Beat on high using an electric mixer until medium peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat again to combine or until stiff peaks form.

To serve, remove the ice cream cake from the springform pan.  Spread the whipped cream on top, then drizzle on the chocolate ganache.  Slice and go crazy!

Slutty Brownies

Get ready!  It's a three-in-one dessert:  brownies, chocolate chip cookies, and oreos, all baked up together in one slutty square.  This delicious recipe is slightly adapted from What's Gaby Cooking, and these bars are in service of the ice cream cake I'm going to make for my boyfriend Ben's birthday.

Last year I made Ben this ice cream cake, also courtesy of Gaby.  It was amazing, but obviously this year I needed something to top last year's treat.  As soon as I saw the slutty brownie ice cream cake, I knew it would do the trick.

And, since I'd never made slutty brownies before, I knew I couldn't JUST make them for the cake.  I mean, imagine this:  I make a batch of brownie batter and a batch of cookie dough, layer them in a pan with a row of oreos in between, bake them, then WAIT TO TRY THEM until they're completely cooled and have a couple layers of ice cream frozen on top.  I don't think so!  I made a double recipe, baked half of it in a nine-inch springform pan for the ice cream cake, and baked the other half in a 9 x 9 square pan just for eating.

You might want to make a single recipe to start, so that's what's laid out here.  But, if you want to be like me and jump headfirst into the land of slutty desserts, go for it!

Stay tuned for the ice cream cake on Thursday!

To get started, preheat your oven to 350 and grease a 9 x 9 pan.

Ingredients for the brownie layer:

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick plus 1/4 of another stick)
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 eggs
1/2 cup flour

To make the brownie layer, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  When it's melted, whisk in the sugar and cocoa and remove from the heat.  Stir in the salt and vanilla.  When the mixture has cooled a little, whisk in the eggs and then the flour.  Set aside for now.

Ingredients for the cookie dough:

1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips

Cream the butter and sugars with an electric mixer until well-blended and crumbly.  Add the egg and vanilla, and mix thoroughly, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.  Add the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda, and mix on low until just combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.

To assemble:

1 package chocolate sandwich cookies (I used Newman's Os)

Press the cookie dough into the bottom of your greased pan to form an even layer.  Top with a single layer of cookies.  Pour the brownie batter on top.  Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a toothpick comes out almost clean.  Serve warm with ice cream, or cool and slice into beautiful squares.

Salted Caramel Skillet Brownies

So, this is some serious stuff right here.  Hardcore fudgy brownies with a slightly crunchy salted caramel crust on top.  And, you get to bake them in a skillet.  Yes!  This is going to happen.

First, make a batch of salted caramel sauce.  Try not to eat it all with a spoon.  Well, at least save one cup of it because that's how much you need to make these brownies.  And maybe save a little more so you can drizzle it on top of the brownie sundaes you'll inevitably make.  Yay!

Ingredients (from Two Peas & their Pod, serves 12 or more):

2 sticks butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons vanilla
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, or chocolate chips
1 cup salted caramel sauce

Preheat the oven to 350.  Grease a 12-inch ovenproof skillet.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat.  Add the sugar and stir until the mixture smooths out.  Remove from heat and stir in the sugar, cocoa, salt, and baking powder.  Add the eggs and whisk until smooth.  Finally, add the flour and chocolate and stir just until combined.

Pour into the skillet.  Drizzle the salted caramel on top, and swirl it into the batter using a knife.  Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with just a few crumbs.  My brownies took way longer, but I think I may have used a ten-inch skillet.  Who knows?  The tape measure was nowhere to be found.  The bottom line is that the brownies were eventually ready and very much worth the wait.

Serve in wedges with ice cream (I chose Haagen Daazs Dulce de Leche and highly recommend it) and more salted caramel sauce drizzled on top.  You won't regret this!