Recently, I’ve been going through lots of old posts and putting a decent amount of them on “private” for the time being. There’s nothing inappropriate or endangering written in them; I’ve just realized lately how much information about me is so easily available on the internet, and it’s a little weird. I love my readers and the support everyone has given me over the years, but I also know from numbers that there are hundreds more lurkers than the few dozen I’m familiar with- lurkers that are undoubtedly mostly awesome, but could include future employers and scary internet trollers.

So, I’m keeping the blog mystery, so to speak: leaving the posts that are relevant, interesting, fun and have a point- and hibernating those random rambles whose silly information mounts up to a lot. Quality over quantity, right?

While doing my blorginization, I stumbled across this recipe that I posted a few months ago in the middle of a dinner post. Homemade peanut butter cups are incredibly easy to make and a total crowd pleaser- they obviously deserve their own post! There are tons of recipes for them out there, but here’s my take on them.

Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Peanut Butter Cups

Yields about 24 mini cups or 12 large ones

Ingredients

• 12 oz bag good-quality semi-sweet chocolate chips (I used Ghirardelli)
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 cup natural chunky peanut butter, refrigerated
• 2 tablespoons confectioner’s sugar.
• roasted salted peanuts, for garnish

1. Line 24 mini muffin tins or 12 regular muffin tins with paper liners.
2. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips by microwaving at 50% power for about 2 minutes, stirring halfway through.
3. Add the sea salt to the melted chocolate and stir very well. Use two spoons to pour a thin layer of chocolate into the bottom of each muffin mold, then place in the freezer for a few minutes to solidify.
4. In a small bowl, combine the peanut butter and confectioner’s sugar. Use a teaspoon to scoop the mixture onto the hardened chocolate.
5. Working quickly, spoon the remaining chocolate over the peanut butter. Top with a few salted peanuts and immediately refrigerate or freeze until solid.

The cardinal rule of dinner party cooking is that you’re never supposed to use a new-to-you recipe. So, since I’m throwing a dinner party for some friends in a few weeks, I saw that as an opportunity to bake a cake- never mind the fact that I’ve actually already made it before. I used this recipe for tiramisu cake, only using a homemade cake instead of a boxed mix and doubling the coffee content, then decorated it with a generous amount of coffee liqueur whipped cream frosting (I’m thinking of changing it to buttercream, since whipped cream means it has to stay refrigerated) and edible glitter. It’s amazing.

By the way, let’s just pretend it’s totally normal to spend your Saturday morning being OCD with a piping bag…

The ironic thing about all of these Natural Gourmet recipes is that I’m actually de-“naturalizing” them in my replications.

With the current obesity and general poor health problems in the US, there’s a huge argument to be made for the cost of maintaining a truly healthy diet. Organic vegetables are expensive; instant mashed potatoes are not. Free-range, hormone-free meat costs an arm and a leg; Purdue frozen chicken nuggets do not. Maple crystals are stupidly costly; white sugar is cheap. It’s just what is, and it prohibits a lot of people from making good choices.

For this recipe, I subbed the maple crystals for regular refined sugar, as well as a few other alterations. I’m fortunate that my family has never had to worry about the cost of wholesome food, but I’m still not okay with spending $15 for a few ounces of sugar that gives everything a slight pancake taste. I’d rather spend more money on the stuff I eat regularly- like good-quality meats, organic dairy and fresh produce- and go all out with the unhealthy stuff when baking. I feel like the discrepancy between conventional and organic whole foods is way bigger than between regular and “natural” sugars; after all, none of it is really good for you, and the white stuff tends to taste better.

Okay, so that’s my random little tangent diatribe for the day. Onto the recipe!

Double Chocolate Macaroons

Adapted from the Natural Gourmet Institute

Yields about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

• 1 cup chocolate chips
• 2 large egg whites
• 1/8 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In the microwave on medium-low heat, melt the chocolate in a bowl, stirring every minute until the chocolate is completely smooth. Set it aside to cool off.
3. In a separate mixing bowl, beat together the egg whites and sugar until they appear white and frothy. Slowly add the sugar in 1/8 cup increments, and continue to beat until soft peaks form.
4. Use a spatula to fold in the vanilla, coconut and cocoa powder. Stir gently until everything is well incorporated.
5. Fold in the melted chocolate, mixing gently until it’s just combined. Don’t over-mix it!
6. Use an ice cream scoop or two spoons to scoop the batter onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cookies are firm to the touch.
7. Remove them from the oven and transfer them immediately to wire racks. Allow to cool completely before eating. These can be stored at room temperature in an air-tight container.

Texture-wise, they’re moist on the inside, but still chewy and grainy, almost crispy. Most macaroons are made with sweetened coconut, so these have more of a crunch to them. They’re perfectly light and poppable too- dangerously addictive!!

Do you prefer coconut macaroons, or the French macarons?