light brown sugar | Ingredients

Rustic Apple Crostata

September 21, 2023 by pamflo

As the leaves change and the air turns crisp, there’s no better way to celebrate the season than with a delicious dessert that captures the essence of autumn. This rustic apple crostata is a simple yet elegant creation that brings together the natural sweetness of ripe apples, the earthy aroma of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves and a flaky, buttery free form crust. With so many apple varieties it’s almost hard to choose a baking apple. Braeburn, Gala, Honeycrisp, Granny Smith […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Fruit, Holiday Ideas, Pies/Tarts • Tags: Bake

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Double Chocolate Brownies with Beer Malt Vinegar

June 15, 2023 by pamflo

These fudgy squares of chocolatey bliss are infused with the unexpected tang and depth of flavor from beer malt vinegar. Yes, you read it right—beer malt vinegar! I used American Vinegar Works Beer Malt Vinegar which provides a more intense chocolate zing and balance to the sweetness of the brownies. The addition of vinegar adds a unique flavor that perfectly complements the intense chocolatey goodness. American Vinegar Works, is a small group of craft vinegar makers in New England. Their […]

Categories: Brownies, Chocolate, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Gifts, Holiday Ideas • Tags: Bake

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Zesty Lemonade

June 1, 2023 by pamflo

Introducing a delightful twist on the classic lemonade: an irresistibly tangy and refreshingly lemony concoction that will invigorate your taste buds! This vibrant lemonade recipe features two different types of homemade simple syrup. One infused with the aromatic essence of lemon zest, and the other with the natural sweetness of golden honey. With its zesty kick and subtle floral undertones, every sip of this lemonade is a burst of sunshine. Serve the chilled lemonade over ice, it’s a harmonious blend […]

Categories: Beverage, Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Drinks, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Holiday Ideas, Low Sugar • Tags: Simmer

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Cashew Butter and Honey Cookies

May 11, 2023 by pamflo

My all time favorite cookie is the sesame tahini cookies, which you can find in the zestforcooking archives. I have to say that these delicious cashew butter cookies come in at a very close second! The combination of the cashew butter and honey is just irresistible. For mostly decorative purposes, these cookies similar to peanut butter cookies, usually have fork tine marks or criss-cross marks imprinted on the top of the raw cookie dough. Nut butter doughs are usually thick […]

Categories: Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Gifts, Holiday Ideas, Nuts • Tags: Bake

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Coconut Quinoa Granola

March 23, 2023 by pamflo

At the recommendation of a foodie friend, I recently had an outstanding breakfast cereal bowl at a hip LA restaurant called Urth Caffé. Even the name is fun. I’m not sure that I could recreate that scrumptious cereal bowl, but here is a solid recipe for some delicious granola. We enjoyed that breakfast so much that we went early again the next morning before flying home. Serve this crunchy granola over yogurt with a smattering of fresh berries, over ricotta cheese […]

Categories: Breakfast Ideas, Dairy Free, Easy Recipes, Gluten Free, Healthish, Nuts/Seeds, Snack • Tags: Bake

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Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

March 9, 2023 by pamflo

Ooey-goey, soft in the middle and crispy on the outside, the ultimate sweet treat! This is by far the best chocolate chip cookie recipe, it’s simple, delicious and makes about 3 dozen cookies. The dough freezes beautifully, so you can have fresh, warm chocolate chip cookies whenever you have a craving. Sometimes it’s a simple step that creates an outstanding cookie like using both white and brown sugar or using top quality chocolate chips. These cookies make superb ice cream […]

Categories: Chocolate, Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Easy Recipes, Holiday Ideas • Tags: Bake

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Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

August 19, 2021 by pamflo

There is a small Boston neighborhood shop named Fastachi that sells the best assortment of nuts, roasting them in small batches and by hand. A favorite of mine is the lightly salted, roasted pecans. I don’t usually prefer nuts in my baked goods but when I saw this recipe in a newsletter by recipe developer Susan Spungen, I knew I had to make them. I used my beautiful roasted pecans alongside bittersweet chocolate chunks for these delicious cookies. I swirled […]

Categories: Chocolate, Cookies, Crowd Pleaser • Tags: Bake

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Cashew Butter and Honey Cookies

March 11, 2021 by pamflo

I “virtually” attended a cookie baking extravaganza during the holidays with talented food stylist and recipe developer, Susan Spungen. Almost immediately after the class, I baked her cashew cookies and I haven’t stopped thinking about them since. It was time to make another batch and share the recipe. My all time favorite cookie is the sesame tahini cookie (see recipe in zesty archives), but these delicious cookies come in at a very close second. The combination of the cashew butter […]

Categories: Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Desserts, Gifts, Nuts • Tags: Bake

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Summer Plum Crumble

August 6, 2020 by pamflo

This is a perfect summer dessert using fresh, ripe plums. The farmers’ markets are brimming with succulent fresh fruit, and this recipe takes advantage of the stone variety. Try plums, peaches, nectarines or a combination of the stone fruits. This is a simple recipe with just sliced fruit and a flavorful, crunchy topping with oats, nuts, flour, brown sugar, spices and coconut oil to bind it together. Serve the crumble warm out the oven with your favorite ice cream! Summer […]

Categories: Crowd Pleaser, Dairy Free, Dessert, Fruit, Gluten Free, Nuts • Tags: Bake

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Pecan Shortbread Cookies

December 12, 2019 by pamflo

Shortbread is a biscuit made with three parts flour, two parts butter and one part white sugar. The fat from the butter creates “short” gluten strands and produces a cookie that’s crisp and crumbly in texture. Your kitchen will smell wonderful while these buttery cookies bake and they make beautiful holiday gifts! Chopped pecans mixed into the dough adds a nice nutty flavor. You can add even more nuts on the warm chocolate coated ends. Measuring the dough you will […]

Categories: Cookies, Crowd Pleaser, Dessert, Gifts, Holiday Ideas, Nuts • Tags: Bake

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Zest For Cooking

I love to cook and share my love of food!

Archives

Rustic Apple Crostata

Double Chocolate Brownies with Beer Malt Vinegar

Zesty Lemonade

Cashew Butter and Honey Cookies

Coconut Quinoa Granola

Double Chocolate Chip Cookies

Pecan Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Cashew Butter and Honey Cookies

Summer Plum Crumble

Pecan Shortbread Cookies