white chocolate brownies with lime

Why haven't I made a white chocolate version of brownies?
Since I've made so many other types using dark chocolate, why not white chocolate?
No brainer.
I thought of using just plain white chocolate, but it was kind of boring, so the next batch would be lime.  After all lime and white chocolate do pair together nicely.
This brownie creation is fairly much one bowl easy, just like the other brownie creations I've made.
The only hard part is the tempering of the white chocolate.
It's not that hard, but if you're uncomfortable tempering white chocolate since I know it's a bit harder than dark chocolate, just go low and slow.
Low flame, and low heat and keep stirring.
And just when it's almost melted, take it off the heat.
I keep meaning to do a video on tempering white chocolate right in the stove top and I forget.
:::writing that down now:::


Do they taste like a brownie? Almost.
They taste like birthday cake meets gooey sugar cookie.


Remember when melting white chocolate, use low heat and take your time while always stirring.


Never over mix the batter!


If you like gooey brownies then this is for you!
If you want them a bit firmer, bake a few minutes longer.


How long do they keep?  I don't know, sorry. These were gone in a matter of hours.
But I'm willing to bet 2-3 days?

white chocolate brownies with lime
from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

12 TB butter, plus 1 TB more for greasing pan
1 ¼ cup high-quality white chocolate chips
½ cup sugar
¾ ts sea salt
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs, room temp, beaten well
3 TB fresh lime zest
2-3 TB fresh lime juice

cook notes:
the benefits of using high-quality white chocolate really make these brownies, plus they melt/temper better.
Choose a chocolate like Ghirahdelli, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger.
When you melt the butter and chocolate, please use a nice low flame so the melting goes smoothly and the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, which will make it taste bitter/burnt.  And let this liquid mixture cool a bit before adding to the egg mixture.
I added a lot of lime zest to these, if you don’t like lime zest then add less or none at all.  One could use lemon zest too.
These bake up fast, faster than the dark chocolate version.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease up an 8 x 8 baking pan with butter or non-stick spray. Set pan aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted take off heat, set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar, beat well, add in the vanilla extract, lime juice and lime zest.
When the melted chocolate has cooled down a bit (warm ok) slowly add it in to the egg mixture, a little bit at first, mix really well, then more as you go along.  We want to do this slow to temper the eggs gently with the white chocolate.
Next dump the flour right on top of the mixture, then sprinkle on the sea salt.
Using a spatula mix until JUST combined, lumps are ok!
Pour  batter into greased baking pan.
Bake for 20-28 minutes. Mine were done at the 22-minute mark.
Very very gooey when hot from the oven!

Makes 9-12 brownies.

friday links

Happy Friday kids!


It's good, strong but good. Add a little bit of whole milk and ice and you're good to go.

By now you know the cape finally got it's own Whole Foods, and the sushi offerings there are so good.
Here is the spicy shrimp crunch roll. So good.

Have you made my one-bowl brownies?
They are quite popular, one of the most downloaded recipes so far.

In case you haven't tried this.....you simply must.

The tuesday after Memorial Day weekend and the beach was empty; they cleared out fast.
The cape traffic was so bad, that on Monday morning by 10am there was already traffic backed up and well past exit 5 on Route 6.  That's bad. Normally it doesn't start till after 12pm and only goes to about Exit 3.  I can only imagine what Route 6A was like (one lane roads).

The sun is very strong in May, you might not feel it since it's cooler, but the rays are very strong.
Make sure to wear a good & safe sunscreen.  I love Badger brand because it's all natural.
Not greasy either.

I am obsessed in love with the strawberry shortcake at Whole Foods.
Their poundcake is to die for good--must recreate!
This is going to be a long and fattening yummy summer.

around the web:

recognizing the early signs of osteoporosis
probiotics linked to reduction of allergies, psoriasis + more
what makes your eyelid twitch?
how much fat should I eat?
sensitive to gluten? a carb in wheat may be the culprit
whole fruit ice pops
neiman marcus cookie recipe
how breast cancer 'expresses' itself
why self pity is harmful
little apricot cakes
creating space for sciatic nerve pain
homemade animal cookies
what causes memory problems
how to pit a cherry using a paperclip?
22 bizarre photos aka 'what's going on here?' (LOL!!)
gluten free fig bars
universal antidote for snake bite promising
apple cider vinegar myths
gluten free fried chicken from ATK
recognize the "cape cod" hedge at the bourne rotary?
60 rare history photos
tool to better screen & treat aneurysm patients
mind blowing illusions!
why we get hooked on sushi
a tiny 'heart-shaped' island
vietnamese fried chicken
caramel-maple mud cupcakes w/ fudge frosting!
artisan chocolate bars
age 71, he earns his 3rd degree
are you a good mind reader?
what is gelatin and do we need?
churro-cheesecake bites
pistachios: could help avoid diabetes
4 psychological traps that keep us stressed, anxious & trapped
natural sunscreen: foods that help protect you from the sun
surprising effects drinking hot water & lemon had on me
foods you can eat well past their expiration date
more good news about eating yogurt
5 things you can do today to help you sleep better
wonderful interview with david lebovitz from ATK
taco salad with paleo catalina dressing
pb cup icebox cake
brownie & oatmeal monster cookies
I love this: ballet dancers talk about their most challenging moves
24 hours of HAPPY! Yes Yes Yes!

and with that last one....have a wonderful HAPPY weekend!

vanilla-lime cream cookies

I've been seeing a bunch of recipes lately using fresh citrus zest and it made me want to try and create a cookie--a creamy limey cookie.
I based these cookies off the very popular coconut cream cheese cookies.
With that said, if you do make these cookies, try adding a handful or two of toasted coconut in there.
Why I didn't do that I haven't a clue, but foodie hindsight is 20/20 right?


I baked some at a higher temp to see if I could get a crispy cookie since these are chewy by nature.
If you want crispier cookies bake at 375 degrees for 10-14 minutes.


I used 2 heaping tablespoons of fresh lime zest; I wanted a good amount of twang in there.

Using a combination of pure vanilla extract and vanilla bean paste really helped the vanilla flavor shine through.



vanilla-lime cream cookies
based on the coconut cream cheese cookies
print recipe

2 cups + 2 TB flour
1/2 ts baking soda
1/2 ts (oversized) salt
12 TB (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
8 oz. cream cheese softened
¾ cup light brown sugar, packed
½ cup sugar
2 TB of fresh lime zest
the juice of 3 limes
1 ts pure vanilla extract
1 ts vanilla bean paste

cook notes: 
For crispier cookies, bake at 375 for 10-14 minutes.
For chewy cookies see instructions at bottom.
You can easily use lemon zest or orange zest.

Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl; set aside.
With stand mixer, or by hand mix butter and cream cheese together until smooth.
Add in both sugars and beat until thoroughly combined.
Beat in vanilla extract, vanilla paste, lime juice and zest until combined.
Add dry ingredients & beat at low speed just until combined.
Cover dough securely with plastic wrap and chill two hours or overnight.
When ready to bake cookies preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Drop dough in round dough balls with a slight flatten, onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 12-14 minutes or until edges are set and bottoms are light brown. Do NOT overbake!
Cool cookies on sheets until able to lift without breaking and place on wire rack to cool.
Should make about 28-30 cookies.

friday links

Happy Friday!
The long weekend is ahead of us.
What are your plans?
I hope the traffic on cape cod won't be too bad. Ha, who am I kidding?
Anyone coming to the Cape?
They say kind of crappy weather Sat & Sun, but Monday is looking good.
Don't forget the Cape just got their own Whole Foods Market!

I was stuck in traffic on the Sagamore Bridge, and able to snap this photo of the cape cod canal.

Bonk Breakers are really good.
I love the almond butter & honey and the peanut butter-chocolate chip.
A very filling protein bar without all the junk and fillers.

Veggies & cream cheese the lazy way.

Is that true?

Veggie rolls with bread & butter pickles, really tasty. No really!

My favorite smoothie: blackberries, banana, protein powder, milk or almond milk.

My other bad addiction: strawberry shortcake made with pound cake and fresh whipped cream.
Found at Whole Foods. Don't buy it, you'll get hooked.  Their pound cake is INSANELY good.

around the web:

how to make doctors irrelevant
magnesium: the missing link to better health
the worst digestive health habits
gisele planning the next "goop"?
3 ways to face your phobia
a 'fat tax' on plus size clothing?
best foods for pure vitamin C
bay leaf creme brulee
real weight loss story: sarah
yoga poses for less stress & better sleep
stop the progress of pre-diabetes
how to make violet syrup
4 ways to beat allergies naturally
gluten intolerance may not exist?
mac & cheese with tomatoes (this one is a keeper)
homemade burrito bowls
peanut butter croutons
5 really good oatmeal recipes
20 foods you didn't know were named after people
lemon-vanilla pound cake
changing the bed linen: does this look familiar?
calming the working mind
cauliflower rice w/ peanuts & cilantro
best foods for your immune system
double dark chocolate excess cake
peanut butter cup cheesecake (dairy free)
brown butter popsicles!
26 baby photos that are so bad they're good!
"I write to explain things to myself" ~~Helen Vendler
roasted strawberry ice cream
cheddar buttermilk waffle BLT's!!
how to make beeswax candles
and finally, the best drum off in ages: will ferrell challenges chad smith to a drum off
PLUS more cowbell makes an appearance.


Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

braised chicken tacos with spicy carrot-raisin slaw

This would be that one big meal you make that could easily make a several smaller meals for the next couple days with its leftovers.
A little bit of extra work for two to three more meals for the rest of the work week.
These kicked up chicken tacos on day one, then BBQ chicken sliders, a quick veggie stir fry, and maybe even a stuffed omelet--just to name a few.

I stole this recipe from Marc over at No Recipes.
Craving tacos with a little bit of kicked up flavor and heat.
I added on the slaw for a 'cooling' aspect and a bit of crunch.
The slaw is so good, you can eat it on its own. The heat of the spicy mayo mixed with the crunch of chopped pecans and a bit of sweet from the honey and raisins--so good!
Use this slaw on any type of spicy taco filling really, very versatile.





This makes a lot of tacos, about 12-15?
I only used a 1/4 of this and made BBQ sliders the next day, and a nice stuffed omelet a couple days later.  The leftovers are very versatile, can be used for anything really.
It also freezes well!

braised chicken tacos with spicy carrot-raisin slaw
chicken recipe from No Recipes
slaw from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

2 pounds whole chicken thighs
3 small onions, sliced thinly
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 dried ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
3 dried guajillo chiles, stems and seeds removed (I skipped this)
14 ounce can of chopped tomatoes in juice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 bay leaf
(I added in 1/2 cup of light brown sugar)
juice of 1 meyer lemon (or juice of 1/2 regular lemon)
salt to taste

carrot-raisin slaw
1 cup of shredded carrots (enough slaw for 2-3 people as a topping)
1/2 mayo
a few squirts of sriracha sauce
a handful or two of chopped pecans
a handful or two of raisins
a squirt or two of honey to your liking

Generously salt and pepper the chicken on both sides. Add about 2 TB of oil to a large heavy bottomed pot and heat until the oil is very hot. Brown the chicken in batches, leaving room between the pieces of chicken so they turn a golden brown on one side before flipping. Transfer the browned chicken to a plate and repeat.  Turn down the heat to medium low, add the onions and garlic to the pot, and cover with a lid for 10 minutes. When you remove the lid, the onions should be wilted and cooking in their own juices. Use a wooden paddle to scrape up all the browned bits (a.k.a. chicken flavor) from the pan, then turn up the heat to medium high to burn off the liquid. When most of the liquid has evaporated, turn the heat back down and stir and continue to caramelize the onions until they are brown and glossy (another 20-30 minutes).
Meanwhile, tear up the chiles into small flat pieces and place them in a single layer on a sheet pan. Roast in a 350 degree oven until they are fragrant, but be careful not to burn them as they will become bitter. Transfer the roasted peppers to a bowl and cover them with very hot water. Once the peppers are soft, transfer them to a food processor or blender adding in about 1/2 cup of the water they were soaking in along with the can of tomatoes. Puree the peppers and tomatoes until they form a smooth sauce.
When the onions are done caramelizing add the pepper puree, along with the chicken, cinnamon sticks, 1/2 cup light brown sugar, bay leaf and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium high heat, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting, partially cover with a lid and cook until the chicken falls apart when prodded with a fork (about 1 1/2 hours).
When the chicken is done, remove the bay leaf an cinnamon sticks, then use 2 forks to shred the meat. Taste the sauce and add salt to taste.
I served this with my carrot-raisin slaw, or you can serve it plain, or with sliced avocados, fresh cilantro, lime wedges and tortillas.
For the carrot-raisin slaw: just mix all to your liking, go easy with the hot sauce at first and add more as you taste-test.  I figured about 1 cup of shredded carrots for every 2-3 people?