I’m spending the holiday in Alabama with my family. Aunts, cousins, mom, sister– we are a houseful of women, NO men… so to pass the time we are eating and cooking. I stumbled upon this simple, easy and delicious recipe and wanted to share. But be careful you will eat all of them faster than they cook. They are so yummy… enjoy!

makes apprx 15

browned to perfection

COCONUT MACAROONS
Prep time 10 minutes/ bake time 20 minutes

1 package (7 oz) angel flake Coconut sweetened flakes

1/3 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

2 egg whites

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. almond extract

MIX coconut, sugar, flour and salt in large bowl. Stir in egg whites and almond extract until well blended. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto greased and floured cookie sheet(s).
BAKE at 325 degrees for 20 minutes or until edges and bottom of cookies are golden brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet(s) to wire racks. Cool completely. Makes about 15 cookies

freshly baked

ready to enjoy

Butternut squash, Sage and Ricotta Cannelloni
(serves 4 prep time 35 min, Total time 1.25 hrs)

Ingredients:
3 tblspns olive oil + more for baking dish and sheet
coarse salt + pepper
8 wide lasagna noodles
(to achieve the right shape make sure to buy wide lasagna noodles instead of regular)
1/2 butternut squash (about 1lb) peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 cup + 2 tblspns milk
1 tspn finely chopped fresh sage leaves + 8-10 whole leaves
1/8 tspn ground nutmeg
2 cups ricotta (15 oz)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 2-quart or 8″ square baking dish.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente (4-5 min). Using tongs, transfer pasta to a lightly oiled rimmed baking sheet. Add squash to boiling water and cook until tender, about 10 minutes.
Drain squash and transfer to a bowl.

2 In a small skillet, heat 1 tblspn oil over med. Add shallots, season with salt and pepper, cook until soft about 5 minutes. Transfer to bowl with squash and add 2 tblspns milk, chopped sage and nutmeg; season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until a rough purée forms.

3 Spread 1/4 cup squash mixture crosswise down the middle of each noodle; roll up noodle and place, seam side down, in baking dish. In a bowl, combine ricotta, 1/2 cup Parmesan and 1/4 cup milk and season with salt and pepper. Spread ricotta mixture over cannelloni and top with 1/4 cup Parmesan. Bake until warmed through, about 25 minutes. Broil until top is browned, 2-3 minutes.

4 Meanwhile in a small skillet, heat 2 tblspns oil over medium-high. Fry whole sage leaves until crispy, 15-20 seconds. Drain on paper towel. Serve cannelloni topped with fried sage.

Voila! Delicious.

Lemon Lavendar Cupcakes ( I just love the name)
Serves 12
Prep Time: 30 minutes + or -
Total Time: 1 hour

FOR THE CUPCAKES:
1 cup white whole-wheat or all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons dried lavender buds, roughly chopped
(I couldn’t find these anywhere, so I picked some lavender from my neighbors yard!!! washed and dried it out in the sunshine- seems to have worked just fine)
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
*3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed and brought to room temperature *(DO this step first- it always takes so long for butter to get to room temp)
3/4 cup granulated sugar ( I used Bakers sugar- it’s super fine)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

FOR THE ICING:
1 cup loosely packed confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar)
5 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
Fresh Lavender buds for garnish

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place cupcake liners in 12-cup muffin pan.
To make batter, whisk together flour, lavender, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer on med speed for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy.
Beat in egg, lemon juice and zest. Beat in one-third of the flour mixture until just combined.
Beat in half the buttermilk, followed by another third of the flour, then the remaining buttermilk and flour.

Fill cupcake liners about two-thirds of the way up and bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove and cool completely on a wire rack.

To make icing, stir together confectioner’s sugar and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in zest Drizzle over cupcakes and garnish with lavender. (let frosting set for 30 minutes before packing or serving) Serve right away or store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

NUTRITION INFO:
(1 cupcake): 152 calories, 4 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 27 g carbs, 2 g protein, 30 mg calcium
WHO CARES ABOUT THAT… just eat and enjoy!