Lemon Brownies, gluten-free

Lemon Brownies

Makes 12

150 g butter

2 eggs + an extra egg yolk

2 lemons, zest and about 50 ml of juice

200 ml sugar

150 ml gluten-free flour mix (I used Semper Finmix)

2 tsp vanilla sugar

Pinch of salt 

100 g white chocolate, coarsely chopped 

powdered sugar

Prepare a 20*20 cm square tin by lining it with baking paper. Heat the oven to 175C 

Melt the butter. 

Whisk the eggs, they don’t need to be airy, just well-blended. 

Add the lemon zest and juice to the butter, along with sugar, vanilla sugar, salt and the gluten-free mix. Add the eggs and stir well. Finally add the chocolate. 

Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for about 15 minutes. It should be firm around the edges but can be a little bit wobbly in the middle. 

Let it cool completely before cutting, ideally overnight. Sprinkle with some powdered sugar before serving. 

Triple Chocolate Muffins

Titus favorite treat when we go out for coffee is always a chocolate muffin. I figured he should learn how to make them, so he can always have some at home. These turned out great - very tender and soft, and very indulgent with all the chocolate. 

Triple Chocolate Muffins 

Makes 24 regular sized muffins

120 ml canola oil
200 g sugar
120 ml milk
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract (or paste) 
150 g sour cream or yogurt
250 g all-purpose flour
50 g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
75 g white chocolate chips
150 g dark chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 175°C. Line your muffin tins with muffin liners - I got 24 out of this recipe. 

Whisk oil and sugar. Add milk and eggs and vanilla, and whisk again. Add the sour cream or yogurt, and stir. In a separate bowl, mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, salt and both types of chocolate. 

Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix - don't overdo it, just mix until combined. 

Dollop into your muffin liners - about 1/2-2/3 of each. They will rise quite a bit. 

Bake for about 10 minutes. Check with a toothpick to see if they're baked through - it should come out mostly clean. (Unless you hit chocolate of course.) 

Take them out of the tin as soon as they're cold enough to handle and leave to cool on a rack. 

Stay at home cinnamon buns from pizza dough

Sick of being at home yet? Sweden is one of few countries that are so far fairly  non-restricting but as we are a country full of introverts, many choose to limit their movements anyway. Those who can work from home. Our high schools are closed but the other schools are still open. 

I need to share this almost-no-work-at-all cinnamon buns  recipe. It’s so easy, my eight-year old could do it with no problems at all. So can yours. Or you. 

Do they taste like “regular” cinnamon buns? Yep! The texture is not exactly the same, but since they don’t have to rise at all, I can forgive that. 

Stay-at-home Cinnamon Buns

1 roll pre-made pizza dough

2 tbsp melted butter

3 tbsp sugar

2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze:

4-5 tbsp powdered sugar

1-2 tsp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 175C. (350F). 

Unroll your pizza dough, ideally on a nonstick sheet if it doesn’t already come on one. (The one I buy does) Brush with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle on top of the dough, leaving a little space along the long edges.  Roll it up, starting at the long edge. 

Cut into 2-cm thick pieces. Place in bun or muffin cups, to prevent the filling from going all over your oven. 

Bake, until risen and lightly golden. Mine took about 15 minutes but everyone’s oven is different so keep an eye on them. 

Let the buns cool for a few minutes and mix up the glaze. Add more milk if it’s too thick, or more sugar if it’s too runny. Drizzle over the buns. And eat. 

These do not keep very well, so just go ahead and indulge. 

White chocolate chunk macadamia cookies

These cookies are very, very close to the ones served by a certain fast-food restaurant - Subway. They are crispy at the edges and soft and chewy in the middle. Just make sure you don't over-bake them. 

White Chocolate Chunk Macadamia Cookies

Makes 24 medium cookies 

125 g butter, softened

110 g white sugar 

110 g brown sugar 

1 egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

210 g flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda 

100 g white chocolate, cut into chunks 

70 g macadamia nuts (unsalted!), halved 

Cream the butter with both types of sugar until very  soft and fluffy. I use my Kitchen-aid but handheld beaters will work too. Add the egg and beat well. And the vanilla, too. 

Next, add salt, baking powder and baking soda, and the flour. Mix to incorporate. 

Finally add chocolate and macadamias, and mix briefly. 

Shape about 24 balls and place well spaced on lined cookie sheets. The cookies will spread a fair amount so don’t place them too closely. 

Bake at 175° C for about ten minutes. The cookies should be slightly brown at the edges. Let them cool on the baking sheets, before you move them.