Chocolate Coconut Pie

A Martha Stewart recipe, found via Pinterest.

Source

I pinned it because: coconut. chocolate. 4 ingredients. Need I say more?

1 stick of butter, softened
11 oz. bag shredded, sweetened coconut
8 oz. heavy cream
8 oz. dark chocolate

In a food processor, blend together the butter and half of the coconut, until it forms a ball. Scrape down the edges and pulse in the remaining coconut. Turn out into a 9" pie plate, and press to form a crust. (I found a wide, flat bottomed glass helped with this step.) Cover the edges with foil and bake in a 350° oven for approximately 15 minutes, until the center begins to brown. Remove the foil and bake about 5 more minutes.

Over medium heat, bring the cream up to heat, just below a boil. Pour into a heat-proof bowl, over the dark chocolate. (The recipe recommended 61% cocoa, I used 70%.) Let sit for 10 minutes, then carefully whisk until smooth.

Pour the ganache into the crust and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, up to 24 hours before serving.


My pictures aren't that lovely because my plastic wrap fell onto the ganache. Also, the crust was a little hard to get out in one piece.

The crust was delicious, you could definitely eat it on its own. My mom said it was like a coconut macaroon. The chocolate ganache was so creamy and silky, it was heavenly to eat. 

We served with a healthy dollop of the remaining heavy cream, whipped. Go big or go home, right? 


Disclaimer: not diet friendly at all. I entered it in My Fitness Pal while making, and the stats are: 578 calories and 48g of fat per slice, when cut into 8 pieces.

Broccoli Cheese Bites

It was past midnight. I was mindlessly scrolling through Pinterest (follow me!) on my phone, while laying in bed. Then I saw these and stopped dead in my tracks. It took me less than 30 seconds to get out of bed, put my shoes on, throw open the fridge and start making these. No exaggeration. I was like a tornado in the kitchen on a mission. I even dropped a 10" chef knife on the floor (jump back!) in the process. The only thought in my brain was "must make these fast, so they bake fast, so I can shove them in my face fast."

Original recipe can be found here. I had to alter it based on starting the recipe without checking all my ingredients first (because I was trying to make it as fast as humanly possible).

~3 cups broccoli florets, washed and cut in small pieces
~1.5 cups shredded cheese of choice (I used extra sharp cheddar)
4 eggs, beaten
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed (I used reduced fat)

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl, using your hands to mix thoroughly. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and roll the mixture into golf ball sized portions, spacing them evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, turning halfway through. Makes about 30.

Try to let cool a few minutes before chowing down, otherwise you might burn the roof of your mouth! (ow.)

These were so good, which I'm excited about. I feel like the possibilities are endless- you could make with any fresh veggie on hand - spinach, beans, corn. You could use different cheeses or spices each time, too.

They'd be great as an appetizer or finger food while entertaining, or even as a side for dinner. They kept well and reheated nicely in the toaster oven. The second time I ate them I dipped them in low fat sour cream.

Johnny even enjoyed a few. Except he hates to get his hands dirty and greasy (computer geek phobia, having to work with keyboards and all...) so he used the tongs from flipping them. I thought it was funny when I turned around, especially since by now it was like 1am and we're both in the kitchen snacking away.

Annnnnnd, thank you for being patient-- the winner of the $25 Wal*Mart gift card was comment #21, Wendy from The Coupon Queen! Congratulations! Please send your mailing address to christina (at) dinneratchristinas (dot) com and it'll be on it's way! Thanks for playing everybody! Glad to see I'm not the only one who loves her sugary kid's cereal!

Let them eat (Wedding) cake!

To be honest, I really didn't care about having a wedding cake when we started planning a year ago. It just seemed silly to spend hundreds of dollars on one cake, especially since neither of us are big cake fans.

As luck would have it, our venue included the cake with our wedding package. I asked about excluding it, thinking we could make our own pies and Christmas cookies. We would have only received a $100 credit, so it ended up being worth it to have a cake!


I looked through the bakery's portfolio and instantly chose "Snowflake Tessie." It was simple and elegant. White icing with some white snowflakes. The topper was understated greenery, which went with my decor. In the sample the ribbons were red, but I knew that'd be a simple switch to my color choice of green.

In September we tasted wedding cakes and all of you guessed correctly - I went with Cannoli!

The thing I didn't count on was having to provide the topper and ribbon! I planned the wedding as frugally as possible, so I actually made the topper myself. I used the trimmed bottom of a plastic bowl, fake greenery I bought to make all the bouquets/boutonnieres, and lots and lots of hot glue! I was so proud of how it came out.

Thankfully, the women at the bakery tied the bows, I would never have been able to make them look so beautiful!

Because cannoli cream contains Ricotta cheese, Johnny chose to avoid it because chances were high that it had whey. Allergic reactions on your wedding day don't sound fun!

Instead of a "first slice," we did a "first bite" with some gingerbread men we bought ahead of time.

Chomp! We each bit off the other's head!

At the end of the day, I'm glad we had the cake. We took the top home and I had a few slices for breakfasts in the days after the wedding, since we weren't saving it to eat together. The rest I froze in individual slices to enjoy with my mom throughout the year when we get a craving!

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This sort of falls under the "semi-home made" category, but it was my first ever Pineapple Upside Down Cake and we all enjoyed it, so it's worth sharing.

We had some family friends and my parents over for dinner. I've known Jack and Sylvia pretty much my whole life. They live out in western NC now, but occasionally come to the Outer Banks to visit.

My dad tipped me off ahead of time to make this cake for them, and to be honest I was a little nervous. Last time I made an upside down cake it stuck to the pan and I had to patch it back together! I used a highly reviewed Dunkin Hines recipe, with a few alterations to cut back on fat, calories, and sugar.

Topping:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
20 oz can of pineapple rings
cherries or walnuts, optional

Cake:
Dunkin Hines Pineapple Supreme cake mix
1 pkg vanilla instant pudding (I used fat free, sugar free)
4 eggs
1 cup water (I used the 100% pineapple juice from the can)
1/2 cup oil

Preheat oven to 350°. Generously grease a 12" baking pan.

Melt butter for the topping in a medium bowl in the microwave. Stir in the brown sugar until dissolved. Spread into the bottom of the baking pan and arrange the pineapple rings, cherries, and/or walnuts, if using.

Combine the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water (or juice), and oil in a mixing bowl. Mix at medium speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Pour batter over the pineapple rings. (Note: All of the batter may not fit in the pan. Make a smaller cake alongside, or reserve for later use.)

Bake for 1 hour, or until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool a few minutes, then invert onto serving plate while still warm.


I was so excited it popped out of the pan cleanly! The cake itself was really moist and rich. I've heard people boasting about including instant pudding in cake mix before, but never tried it myself.

And my will power is happy to report we sent the leftover half of the cake home with Jack and Sylvia!

Lemon Bars

My dad is a sucker for all things lemon. The other night he pulled out a Company's Coming "Most Loved Treats" cookbook, turned to lemon bars and let me know I should make them, if I had the time.

The crust called for 2 sticks of butter, so I got to googling, trying to find some waist-friendly alternatives.

I used David Lebovitz's crust, because it reduced the sugar and butter:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 stick butter, melted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

In a large, microwave safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the flour, sugar, salt, and vanilla, stirring until well-mixed. Spread out into a 7" x 11" pan. Bake at 350° for 20-25 minutes, until browned. Remove and let cool while you make the filling.

For the filling, I adjusted the cookbook's recipe to include less sugar:

4 eggs
1/3 cup lemon juice
1 Tbsp peel (I didn't have any, so I omitted)
1 1/4 cup sugar (it called for 2!!)
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
confectioner's sugar, optional

Whisk the eggs until frothy. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and peel if using, mixing until incorporated. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour into the cooled crust. Bake for ~20 minutes, or until set. Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature. Sprinkle the top with confectioner's sugar if desired.

Cut into bars and enjoy!!

Wedding Cake Tasting!

When I think of wedding planning I think of two things: a nervous girl trying on dresses and an excited couple stuffing their faces with cake samples.

Since I already tried on dresses, I've had the cake tasting to look forward to for months!

Our venue works hand-in-hand with Homestyle Desserts, a local bakery to include the cake with the reception cost. At first I was a little weary because I wasn't sure if it was a good bakery. I read some online reviews and the locals just go ga-ga over them! My nerves were settled!

When we opened the doors to get out of the car in the parking lot, we both nearly fainted from the scent. There were people rushing in and out with huge white boxes full of tasty treats. The display cases were filled top to bottom with every Italian dessert, pastry, and treat you could imagine.

We were ushered behind the counter to a table and given 4 slices to try.

Starting at the top was Chocolate Mousse with chocolate cake and chocolate mousse. Going clockwise, next was Double Temptation, chocolate cake with cheesecake. Next was the Amaretto Cake, vanilla amaretto cake with vanilla and chocolate custard filling. Last was Cannoli Cake, an Italian sponge cake with Cannoli cream and chocolate chips.

In about 4 seconds the plate looked like this. When I looked at the selections back in February I pretty much already made up my mind. The tasting just solidified that choice!

Which one would you pick?
Which do you think I picked!?!

Cream Cheese Cookies + Update Photos

I've been craving snacks and sweets lately. With none in the house, I decided to bake some up. We've gotten my dad hooked on Dexter, so while we worked our way through season 3, I snuck into the kitchen for refreshments.

1/2 cup vegetable shortening
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg yolk
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used sliced almonds)

Cream shortening with cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg yolk. Add the dry ingredients and a sprinkle of water if too stiff. (Feel free to add chocolate chips, other nuts, or dried fruit also.)

Spoon in 2 Tbsp size blobs onto a cookie sheet. Using your straightened fingers, flatten the top of the cookies.

Bake in a 350° oven for about 15 minutes. The bottom and sides will begin to brown. Remove to a wire rack and try to let cool for a few minutes.



We've made a lot of progress on the house since I last showed you pictures. The entire downstairs is done, save for a few tiny details (installing the fire alarm, etc.) and scheduled professional installs (carpet and windows).

Downstairs doors and trim all up and stained.


Laundry room floor/doors repainted, old stuff taken out, and new (clean) insulation installed.

Downstairs bathroom done, except for mirror and new window. I'm so excited about this! For as long as I've lived here, this bathroom had been completely gutted. It's going to be awesome to have a 2nd operating bathroom.

So, now that the downstairs is done, we get to move upstairs!! Here's me geared up for demolition. Smashing out old tile can be a dangerous job!

Upstairs bathroom completely gutted. And that's where we are, now. There were a lot of imperfections in the original construction, which we found once stuff was ripped out. Right now we've been stalled by a lot of problem-solving, delays, and multiple trips to home improvement stores.

Hopefully the next update I give you will have a better ending, with another nice, new, shiny bathroom!

Pizza Night

Last night I made home made pizza, per my dad's suggestion. I used Biz's no-rise crust, except I let it rise.

2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup warm water
1 package (2 1/4 tsp) dry yeast
1 Tbsp olive oil

In a measuring cup, add the dry yeast to the warm water. Let sit about 5 minutes, it will get cloudy and foamy. Add the olive oil, and stir.

In your mixer, pulse the flour, salt, and garlic powder together. Slowly pour in the liquid while it is running and let mix for 2-3 minutes. The dough will become really elastic and pull away from the sides in a big, warm ball. (TWSS) One batch of dough is enough for a larger, rectangle pizza (about 12" x 18") or 2 smaller, circle pizzas (about 10-12").

Grease a large bowl and turn the dough to coat. Cover with a damp, clean towel and set in a warm spot to rise for a few hours.

Roll out over corn meal and voila! I usually prebake mine at 425° which makes it easier to add the sauce and other toppings. Then I finish it for about 20-30 minutes at 375-400°.

Ours used Newman's Own garlic sauce (we really liked it so I got more), fresh mozzarella cheese cut into slices, green pepper, onion, minced garlic, and some of my dad's breakfast sausage. Sprinkled with Italian spices and baked until brown and bubbly.

I served crudites with hummus alongside for extra veggie power.

Banana Walnut Muffins

Like Errign, I can't stand bananas once they are ripe. I like them with a little bit of green, right before they become ripe, otherwise it makes me want to gag.

Anyways, I bought a bunch of bananas for the three men currently residing in my home. And they sat, and sat, and sat. I asked what was going on once they became spotted and they confessed that none of them wanted to eat them in case somebody else wanted them.

I know, right? Men!

So, in my first ever baking experiment where I kind of loosely went off a recipe and threw stuff in a bowl, hoping it'd turn out:

3 over ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 flour
3/4 sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup water
pinch of salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

In a medium mixing bowl, mash the bananas. Add all of the other ingredients, except the walnuts. Stir until everything is smooth and incorporated. Fold in the walnuts.

Scoop even amounts into 12 lined muffin tins. Bake in a 350° oven for about 25 minutes.

I'll update you on the house in the next post - we've got a lot more done, if you can believe it! I'm too tired to sift through photos now to show the progress!

The Ridiculously Delicious Challenge - Stage 2

I advanced to stage 2 of Marx Food's Ridiculously Delicious Challenge! Each of us that advanced were sent a mystery box containing eight ingredients. We have to use two of them in this recipe. I chose an unlikely pair: saffron threads and dried tart cherries.

While researching saffron I came across a Swedish tradition called Lucia Buns. These are rolls, laced with saffron, baked during the feast of St. Lucia, on December 13th. The rolls are traditionally formed into an "S" or a cross of two "S" shapes and studded with currants or raisins. I chose to replace the traditional dried fruit with the dried tart cherries.

I started with a plain yeast roll recipe and worked from there.

1/2 cup warm water
1 pkg (2 1/4 tsp) yeast
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup cold water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
6 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp saffron threads
5 cups flour

1 egg
2 Tbsp water
handful of dried tart cherries

In the bowl of your stand mixer, add the warm water and yeast. Let sit a few minutes to dissolve and start to foam. Next, add the boiling water, cold water, and melted butter to the mixer, beating on low. Beat the egg and add that to the mixer with the salt.

In a small bowl, mix the sugar and the saffron threads. Using the back of a spoon, grind the saffron threads against the abrasive sugar. Work them together for a few minutes, breaking the saffron up until it becomes fragrant and mixes throughout the sugar. (A mortar and pestle can be used here if you have one.) Add this to the stand mixer.

Now, 1/2 cup at a time, gradually add the flour. The dough will be sticky and start to pull away from the side of the bowl. Let run for a few minutes on low speed until the dough gets a shiny, smooth look and is very elastic.

Oil a large bowl and turn the dough out into it. Let it rise in a warm spot for at least an hour until doubled in size. Punch down.

Form into 12-14 balls. With floured hands, roll each one into a cord about 8-9" long. Shape onto a greased baking sheet in the shape of an "S."

Mix the second egg with a couple tablespoons of water and beat. Brush lightly onto the tops of the rolls. Stud the center of each curl in with a dried cherry or two. Let rise another 30-60 minutes.

Bake in a 400° oven for 12-14 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack. Delicious eaten warm.



Johnny and I could barely wait for these to get off of the baking sheet to try them! They poufed up so beautifully, I was actually really proud of myself. This is my first success with baking rolls! I've never been able to get any results better than dried out, hard pucks.


The insides were speckled with a fantastic bright yellow from the saffron. I would say that the saffron's presence in the roll was more of an aromatic experience, tasted through the sinuses and the back of the throat, versus a strong flavor on the tongue. I loved the tart cherries on the top, it was a startling sour, chewy treat on an otherwise fluffy cloud of comfort.

I'm glad I didn't wait for December 13th to make these! Johnny and I will be enjoying them for breakfast and snacks for a few days.

Voting for the Ridiculously Delicious Challenge will be held March 1-4th. If you like my recipe, I will post links and tweet when it is time for you to vote!

Sweet Potato Bread

It feels odd to have not shared this recipe with you yet because I have been baking it all month long.

Seventeen total loaves to be exact.

20 pounds of sweet potatoes, 20 pounds of flour, four pounds of butter, a gallon of milk, and a whole jar of yeast has passed through my kitchen in the past few weeks to make those loaves.

It was worth it. I love this recipe! It was what I chose to gift to everybody this year.


I first saw the bread on Sophia's blog, shared from The Kitchn (in roll form). I'll share mine below for convenience, and since I made a few alterations.

3/4 cup warm water
1 scant Tbsp active dry yeast
1 heaping cup mashed sweet potatoes
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) melted butter (I used salted)
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp kosher salt (*see Note below)
4 cups all purpose flour

Begin by scrubbing your sweet potatoes and baking them in a 350° oven until soft. Wait a few minutes to cool, peel off the skin, and mash.

Use a very large bowl and add the warm water and yeast in the bottom. Let it sit a few minutes to dissolve while you set up the other ingredients and prepare things, such as melting the butter. (*Note: I do not buy unsalted butter. It falls under the non-alcoholic beer category for me - what is the point? If the extra salt bothers you, simply omit one of the teaspoons of kosher salt.)

Combine the rest of the ingredients except the flour in the bowl, stirring with a large wooden spoon (Any other people out there from an Italian household that grew up with a deep fear of wooden spoons?) until fully incorporated. Add the flour and begin working with the spoon, using your muscles. It will seem like too much flour and you'll wonder how you will get it all mixed - but trust me, it will eventually come together.

Spray another large bowl with non-stick spray and plop the dough into it. Let rise until doubled - about two hours. (Tip: I have two favorite methods for letting my dough rise. The first is in a warmed microwave. Our microwave is right above our oven, so it conveniently was warm from baking the potatoes beforehand. Another great place to let dough rise is in your kitchen sink with the drain plugged and a few inches of hot water in the bottom.) After two hours, transfer the dough to a greased loaf pan. Bake at 400° for approximately 40-45 minutes.

This really is a beautiful bread. It's not like a sweet, desserty bread you'd expect from the name. Instead, it's more savory with a hint of sweetness. The crust gets a delicious crunchy exterior, while the inside remains moist and fluffy.

My favorite way to eat it is toasted with a drizzle of honey.

And that is exactly how I finished a whole loaf.

In three days.

By myself.

Holiday Baking Giveaway

The folks at Betty Crocker, Glad, and Safeway stores have teamed up with My Blog Spark for a "Bake your Holidays Merry" giveaway. They're hoping to revive the holiday tradition of baking and giving cookies.


The package includes:

- a 3-pack of Glad reusable containers
- a package of Betty Crocker sugar cookie mix
- a $25 Safeway card (also valid at Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons, and Genuardi's)

I used my sugar cookie package to whip up the thumbprint cookies pictured on the back. I'm going to pack them in a Gladware and send them to my brother for Christmas! I think he might like these a bit more than the sweet potato bread I'm gifting everybody else!


I also have another prize pack to give to a Dinner at Christina's reader! There are three ways to enter (each worth one entry):

- Visit BakeSweetMemories.com and leave a comment telling me which recipe you would like to try. (worth 1 entry, mandatory)

- Tweet the giveaway, mentioning @DinneratXtinas (worth 1 entry, leave an additional comment)

- Share a "first" with Friday Firsts this Friday. (worth 1 entry, leave an additional comment)

Giveaway will end Sunday, Dec. 19th. Winner will be announced Monday, Dec. 20th.

This prize pack and the one to be rewarded were received compliments of MyBlogSpark, Gladware, Betty Crocker, and Safeway stores. Any opinions of the products are my own.