Almond Joy + Samoa Cookies + Millionaire's Shortbread = Coconut Almond Chocolate Layer Bars

OH. MY. GOSH.
I just made the best treat I have ever eaten. It's samoa cookies meets almond joy meets millionaire's shortbread. And the best thing? It's HEALTHY. I repeat, HEALTHY. Not low calorie, not light, but made with no refined sugars and only wholesome, real food ingredients. And you wouldn't know the difference.

I promise. One bite and you'll be sold. I wish words could do these bars justice. But they really just can't. I don't know what more to tell you. THESE ARE THE BEST THINGS EVER. Dessert, tea time, breakfast, snack, please just eat them anytime. They are gooey, fudgy, crunchy, chocolately, lip-smacking and out-of-this-world scrumptious.

Have you ever felt speechless? Well, that's the way I feel about these bars. Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll leave you to it.

If you haven't got the gist yet, MAKE THESE BARS. NOW. They are absolutely crazy delicious.

Ingredients
For the "crust":
2 cups almond meal
1/2 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup baby oats
3 tbsp coconut oil
4 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp salt

For the middle layer:
1 1/2 cup dates, pitted and soaked in warm water
1 cup desiccated coconut
1/2 cup coconut milk

For the chocolate topping:
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped dark chocolate
1/4 cup milk

Instructions
Preheat oven to 175 C.
Brush an 8"x 8" square baking pan with some coconut oil.
Throw the baby oats in a food processor and give them a quick pulse. Add in the rest of the crust ingredients: coconut oil, desiccated coconut, honey, salt and almond meal and process until a moist crumble dough forms. Press this mixture into the base of the baking pan. Bake for 12 minutes until the top of the crust has become a light golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the middle layer. Drain the dates. Add the dates and coconut milk into a food processor and process until an almost smooth puree forms. Mix in the desiccated coconut. Once the crust is cooled slightly, spread this mixture evenly across the crust and place in fridge to cool.

Melt the chocolate chips, dark chocolate and milk in a double boiler until silky smooth. Remove pan out of fridge and pour the chocolate mixture on top. Even it out and place back in the fridge for an hour until the chocolate has set.

Cut into squares and store in the fridge.

ENJOY! This deserves more than an enjoy so, devour!

P.S. Don't forget to like the Strawberry Chocolate Concoction Facebook Page for tips, recipes and updates: https://www.facebook.com/StrawberryChocolateConcoction!

Pumpkin Muffins with Vanilla Glaze (Doughnut Muffins!)

So, it officially has started looking like fall here in London. The leaves are starting to turn red, brown, orange and yellow. The weather is definitely getting colder. And supermarkets and farmer's markets are piled high with apples, pears and pumpkins.

I have never ever baked with pumpkin before. I haven't even tasted pumpkin pie. Don't kill me yet. I took this opportunity to make scrumptious pumpkin doughnut muffins (the vanilla glaze makes them doughnut-y). Pumpkin combined with cinnamon and nutmeg - it just screams fall!

I made my own pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkins following this method. I highly highly highly recommend doing the same because the flavor is so much richer, it's more fresh and there are no sketchy additives! 

Unlike most other recipes, the glaze here is a must. It adds that tad bit of crunch, sweetness and most of all, gives them the doughnut feel.

Fall, muffins, pumpkin, faux-doughnut. What are you waiting for?

Ingredients

For 9 large muffins
For the muffins:
1 1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup baby/quick-cooking oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp baking soda
 4 tbsp greek yogurt
1 cup homemade pumpkin puree
1/2 cup + 2 tbsp light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the glaze:
1 cup icing sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions
Preheat oven to 195 C.
Prepare a muffin tin with 9 muffin liners and set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, oats, cinnamon, nutmeg and baking soda.
In another mixing bowl, beat brown sugar and egg until thick and pale. Add in the vanilla extract, pumpkin puree and greek yogurt. Beat again.
With a spoon, mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined.
Divide the batter evenly among the 9 lined muffin cups. Fill each fully.
Bake 20 minutes until a toothpick inserted in a center comes out clean.
While the muffins are cooling, make the glaze. Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and mix in the milk and vanilla extract.
When muffins are almost cool, dip and swirl tops of muffins into the glaze and let the glaze run off the sides. Place in a plate or on a wiring rack till muffins come to room temperature and glaze has hardened.
As always, enjoy!

Vanilla Pear Muffins

Last Sunday at the farmers market, I picked up a bag of delicious, juicy, organic pears - I mean, it is fall after all! Some of them I inhaled straight out of the fruit bowl while the others decided they wanted to start ripening quicker than I could eat them, so the baking mindset took over and I made these wonderful, light vanilla pear muffins.

The combination of vanilla, pear and nutmeg pair so beautifully together, you'll wonder why you never thought of it before.

So before I meander off, just remember that then end point of this post is to tell you to go make these muffins.

Anyways, I am leaving for Cambridge in just over a week. I need to start packing, getting my things together, finish a pending math review packet and be mentally prepared to leave my family for all of two months. Not a lot. At all. I know. But I love them to the end of the world. Knowing they're less than two hours away from me (Cambridge to London) means so much; I couldn't wish for anything more.






Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup baby/quick-cooking oats

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

2 large eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 tbsp orange zest

1 cup light brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

4 small ripe pears, thinly sliced

granulated sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions
Preheat oven to 200 C.
Line a muffin tin with muffin cases and set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, oats, nutmeg and salt.
In another larger bowl, beat together eggs, vanilla, orange zest, brown sugar and applesauce until well combined.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined; do not over mix.
Fold in half of the pair slices.
Distribute the muffin batter evenly.
Stick 3-4 thin pear slices into the top of the muffins. Sprinkle granulated sugar onto the muffins.
Bake for 30 minutes, or until muffin tops have slightly crisped and browned.
Serve warm or at room temperature.
Enjoy!

Homemade Cinnamon Toast Crunch!

I. Made. My. Own. Cereal.

And not just any cereal - cinnamon toast crunch! It has more cinnamon, more sugar, and all round more goodness that storebought. I promise you'll never turn back after you make it once. You get to see exactly what's going in to your stomach as well as add as much cinnamon and sugar as you wish (obviously more!).

The whole wheat flour adds a real nuttiness and texture that you will definitely enjoy. What's more is that the recipe uses coconut oil, which has been making it's mark in the health and food world in a big way lately.

Before you shy away, it's easier than you may think! Just make the dough (in a food processor!), roll it out, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar, cut it into squares, poke some holes and bake away! Within moments, the waft of cinnamon sugar goodness will spread throughout your home.

It's delicious with milk right out of the fridge (the milk's gotta be cold!) or straight out of the box as an any-time-of-day snack.

Better and healthier than the storebought version, this cinnamon toast crunch is undoubtedly worth a try!

Ingredients
Makes around 5 cups of cereal
1 1/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup + 2 tbsp coconut oil, melted and divided
1/3 to 1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions
Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
In a food processor, add the whole wheat flour, flour, baking soda and 2 tsp cinnamon. Pulse to combine.
Add in 1/3 cup coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla and honey. Pulse again until dough resembles small crumbly pea size balls.
Add in the buttermilk and process until a dough forms. The dough might seem a bit dry, but fear not - it's fine.
Preheat the oven to 175 C.
Divide the dough into two flat discs.
Dump one of the disks onto a lightly floured counter and roll the dough as thin as possible, ideally 1/8 of an inch thick. Brush 1 tbsp of coconut oil on top.
Combine the 1 tsp cinnamon and granulated sugar and generously sprinkle half of the mixture on.
With a sharp knife, slice into 1/2 inch squares. Pierce each square 2 to 3 times withe a fork. Using your hands or a thin spatula, carefully place the squares on the prepared baking sheets.
Repeat with the remaining dough.
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until light golden brown on top. After 10 minutes watch carefully: it can go from beautiful golden brown to burnt very quickly.
Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight container.
Serve with milk, yogurt, fruit or straight out of the box.
Enjoy!