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This recipe comes from The Kitchen Nashville, a cooking store in Belle Meade.  Jim liked them.  Makes 12 large bars or 20 smaller bars.

Ingredients: 

For greasing the pan:

1 T butter

1 T cocoa powder

Crust Ingredients:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour

1/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C butter, softened

1 1/2 T unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 t salt

Filling Ingredients:

2 C pecans, halves or pieces

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

3/4 C backed brown sugar

3/4 C light corn syrup

1/4 C butter, melted

1 t vanilla extract

1 1/2 C dark chocolate chips

1 C sweetened, flaked coconut

1/2 t flake salt, for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare a 9” X 13” baking pan by greasing it with 1 T butter.   Then, sprinkle 1 T of cocoa powder in the pan, tap so that all the buttered surfaces are dusted with cocoa.   Shake out any excess cocoa powder.
2. Prepare the Crust.  In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and sugar and set aside.  In a stand mixer, starting on low speed, beat together the butter, cocoa powder, salt, then add the sugar and flour mixture until well combined into a coarse crumb texture.  Scrape the sides and base of the mixing bowl halfway through to ensure that all the butter is evenly incorporated.  Press the crust into the prepared baking pan and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly browned.  
3. Prepare the Filling.  In a large bowl, beat the eggs.  Add the corn syrup, brown sugar, butter, vanilla and whisk together.  Fold in the pecans, chocolate chips, and coconut.  
4. Pour the fill-in into the baked crust.
5. Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes, or until the bars are set.  Sprinkle the baked bars with the flake salt for a nice garnish.  
6. Place the pan on a wire rack to cool completely.  When ready, cut into bars

Believe it or not, I actually got up before Jim.  Last night we went to the “world premiere” of an opera called Three Way.  It was actually an operetta.

It was three one act plays.  The first was about a robot man.  he had been purchased by a working female and did housework, cooking, and other services.  The second one was a bout a domination. the third was a kind of wife swapping deal at a party.  So it was humorous, funny, and not very interesting.  i did enjoy the stage set.  When we were doing the snacks for this particular group during practice, the last one was a filming.  I thought they were filming to have a record of the play.  But they were actually filming to have these filmed backgrounds that included manipulated photos of the singers in obviously photoshopped images.  hard to explain and only graphics designer could clearly explain how it was done.  But all in all, I think when you enjoy the set more than the story or the singing, it is not all that successful.  

Remember At home in a Whole Foods Kitchen?  Well I tried it again this AM.  As a child I enjoyed Creme of Rice better than it’s wheat relative or oatmeal.  So this breakfast pudding caught my eye.  The author frist experienced it in Bali.  You have to start the day before and it cooks for an hour, so this took some planning.  I had most everything, but coconut milk.  I have an APP called SubUlator.  I used that to find out about coconut milk.  they said to get 3/4 C coconut milk. basically you take coconut and water and simmer it to impart the coconut flavor into the water.  Again there are all the quirky “whole” food things going on.  

Ingredients:

1 C forbidden black rice, washed and soaked 12-24 hours in 4 C filtered water.

3/4 C unsweetened full-fat coconut milk

1 1/2 C homemade almond or Brazil nut milk (obviously I did not make my own nut milk)

2 C filtered water

Pinch of sea salt

1/4 C maple syrup or coconut nectar, optional

To Serve:

Sliced bananas

Almond milk

Maple syrup 

Toasted coconut flakes*

Directions

1. Drain and rinse the black rice.  Place in a heavy-bottomed medium pat and add coconut milk, almond milk, water and salt.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Cover pot, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour.  Stir porridge every 15 minutes, then more frequently toward the end  of cooking to prevent sticking.  
2. Add more almond milk or water to desired consistency, and stir in sweeter if using.  
3. Spoon into bowels, top with sliced banana, toasted coconut, a drizzle of almond milk, and sweeter of your choice.   

I used all my coconut in making the milk.  I cut up a banana, sprinkled raspberries, granola and maple syrup on a bowl full.  I thought it was wonderful.  Jim tried to figure out how to separate the rice from the banana, from the raspberries.  He refused maple syrup.  

I also wove three pieces, halved into a bacon square, cooked.  i poached eggs, toasted English muffins and cut up an avocado.  I topped half a muffin with bacon and avocado; the other half with egg and avocado.  Delicious.  

We have a ton of rice left over but supposedly, well sweetened, it it can also be used as a dessert.  I don’t think it would take too much to sweeten.  I plan on testing tonight with Jim.  It definitely makes 4-6 servings, in fact, I would say 6-8,  

* To toast coconut, heat a wide skillet over medium heat; add coconut flakes and stir constantly for about 3-4 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant.  Remove from heat and place in a bowl to cool.  

 This cake is delicious beyond belief.  I wanted to make it only because I had coconut oil and coconut flakes that I have been wondering what to do with.  I will be using it up making this dessert over and over.  We had friends stopping by after their play for dessert and red wine.   Make this cake and you will get rave reviews.  Serves 8 

Ingredients: 

¼ C unsalted butter, plus more (or baking Pam)

1 ½ C all-purpose flour

½ C unsweetened cocoa powder

1 t kosher slat

¾ t baking powder

½ C virgin coconut oil, room temperature (not sure what virgin is, in reference to oil)

1 ½ C plus 1 T sugar

3 large eggs

1 t vanilla extract

2/3 C buttermilk

¼ C unsweetened coconut flakes

Directions:

1.      Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.  Butter (I use baking Pam) an 8” x 4” loaf pan; line with parchment paper, leaving a generous overhang on long sides. 

2.      Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking powder in a medium bowl; set aside.

3.      Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat oil, butter and 1 ½ C sugar until pale and fluffy, 7 minutes.

4.      Add eggs one at a time, beating to blend between additions; beat until mixture is very light and doubled in volume, 8 minutes.  Add vanilla.   

5.      Reduce the mixer speed to low and add dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternating with buttermilk in 2 additions, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  (Do not over mix; it will cause cake to buckle and split).

6.      Scrape batter into prepared pan and run a spatula through the center, creating a canal. 

7.      Sprinkle with coconut and remaining 1 T sugar. 

8.      Bake cake, tenting with foil if coconut browns too much before cake is done.  (it should be very dark and toasted), until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 70-80 minutes. 

9.      Transfer pan to a wire rack; let cake cool in pan 20 minutes before turning out. 

This cake from Bon Appétit, March, not only is delicious, but looks exactly like the photo on page 99.  We did takeout pizza from our local Italian restaurant and deli.  I have loved their food, but unfortunately, I learned that they make NY style pizza.  I am a Chicago style girl.