Holiday Pancakes

January 30, 2016January 30, 2016 ~ Annie Allodi ~ Leave a comment

Whether you’re throwing a festive Valentine’s Day brunch or looking to feed a very hungry partner in the kitchen, these heartful pancakes are a must!

Every year I ambitiously plan to make a super elaborate Valentine’s Day brunch.. but every year I wake up on the 14th still dreaming that my non-existent private chef is patiently waiting to serve me breakfast in bed.

I often forget how easy pancakes are and with one extra step you can dress up an old recipe into a stunning holiday plate! Add a fun twist to your routine breakfast without losing any of the original, scrumptious pancake flavor.

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You will need:

– Pancake Mix (I used Martha Stewart’s recipe)

– Red food coloring

– Heart shaped cookie cutter

– Powdered sugar or toppings of choice

Split pancake batter into 2 bowls and put a few drops of red food coloring in one of the bowls. I used about 5 drops of coloring until the mix turned a medium red. Make pancakes as instructed and place them on a flat surface.

Press your cookie cutter into the pancake and gently move it from side to side to make sure it has successfully cut through.

Collect the heart cut outs and gently place it back inside the pancake of opposite color. *Optional: place pancakes in the oven at 200°F for a few minutes to warm up before serving.

Top with powdered sugar and enjoy!

Chewy Oatmeal Cookies

June 5, 2015June 5, 2015 ~ Annie Allodi ~ Leave a comment

As you’ve probably guessed, I have quite the craving for all things chocolate and dusted with sugar. With beach season finally underway, I started searching for some healthy alternatives that would satisfy my sweet tooth as well as my waistline.

I was recently given the recipe book Chocolate Covered Katie and it’s a guilt-free baker’s dream! Her chewy oatmeal cookie recipe is one of my favorites – no eggs, butter or processed sugar! I make these nearly once a week and like to store them in the freezer so they have a deeper crunch when you bite into them.

*Gluten free and boyfriend approved

You will need:

– 3 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

– 2 Tbsp milk of choice

– 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract

– 3/4 cup oats

– 1/2 cup almond or coconut flour

– 1/2 cup date or coconut sugar

– 1/4 tsp salt

– 3/8 tsp baking soda

– pinch of stevia

Makes 12-16 cookies

1. Preheat oven to 350°.

2. Mix ingredients together in a bowl then form into 1 inch thick balls and space 2 inches apart and place on baking sheet. *If you’ve zapped the coconut oil in a microwave to nearly a liquid, your cookies will spread more so be mindful when arranging the dough.

3. Bake for 8-10 minutes and let cool. Eat right away or store in air tight container.

Enjoy!

Spring party cookies

May 19, 2015 ~ Annie Allodi ~ Leave a comment

It’s that’s time of year again – mapping out your calendar for wedding showers, derby parties and Mother’s Day brunch. These dainty treats can be made for any springtime celebration and you won’t have to sacrifice your precious Saturday locked in the kitchen.

– Use two circle cookie cutters of different sizes to make the hat.

– Once the cookies have cooled, place a dollop of icing on the bottom of the small circle and “glue” it to the middle of the larger circle.

– Melt icing and drizzle over top. Let icing set and decorate!

If you think the cookie hats are “cute, but..” you have some fancy party guests to impress, try the cookies below. I saw these “painted” flower cookies on Pinterest and was amazed how simple it was!

– Use a small icing tip to form a flower on the chilled cookie.

– Using any type of super small brush, lightly brush the icing in a downward motion. This creates the smeared edges.

For a step by step guide click to see one of the many tutorials I found on Pinterest.

Don’t wait for the next summer party to whip these up – you can buy store bought cookies and test out the painting technique too!

Ice Cream Cookie Cups

February 26, 2015February 26, 2015 ~ Annie Allodi ~ 1 Comment

Day 1 of a new juice cleanse and I’m drooling looking back on these scrumptious ice cream sundae cups I made last weekend.

Cookie + ice cream + melted chocolate.. I think the mouthwatering picture says it all.

One of the best parts about this dessert is that it’s not supposed to be super “pretty” or clean cut – the messier, the better! So pile on as many marshmallows and M&M’s as your little heart desires.

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Combine 3-4 generous tablespoons of cookie dough into a ball and place into a non-stick muffin tin. Roll the remaining dough and distribute until entire muffin tin is full.*Add more cookie dough for a thicker cookie cup.

2. Bake cookie cups for about 13 minutes or until golden brown. Pull your tray out and immediately take a spice jar and gently press into each cookie. This should form a little “crater” where the ice cream will sit.

3. Let the cups cool for 10 minutes. Take your ice cream of choice and place a mini scoop in the cookie cup. My ice cream started to melt pretty fast so after I scooped all the ice cream I stuck the tray in the freezer for about 10 minutes before adding my toppings.

4. Before taking the tray out of the freezer make sure your chocolate is melted and all toppings are laid out. To make things easier, pull out each cup and set on a flat plate or pan before decorating.

5. Take a spoon and drench your ice cream cookie cups with chocolate and as many toppings as you can find! When finished, place desserts in the freezer for an additional 10 minutes before serving. – that is if you can get that far before sticky little fingers grab them : )

Enjoy!

You will need:

– Roll of cookie dough
– Ice cream
– Melting chocolate + toppings of choice

Cook time 13 minutes