Walnut Brownie Pie

Walnut Brownie Pie

After previewing this recipe photo on our Facebook Page yesterday, we are rushing this recipe to publication today because it got such a great response there and folks were actually emailing me for the recipe. The truth is, this pie is just as good as it looks. Imagine a walnut brownie meets a pecan pie! 

I have to confess, I could not resist going to the fridge 3 times to cut little slivers of this pie. Little slivers can be quite satisfying with this very rich pie; it is just the sort of thing I would order for dessert in a restaurant where, at the end of a good meal it's rich sweetness could be appreciated slowly with a great cup of coffee. Those was one of my most successful pie experiments ever. I totally love this one!

Walnut Brownie Crust

Yes, this is an actual cookie crust and does make terrific Walnut Brownie Cookies

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 extra large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugars well, before adding the eggs one at a time and beating until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients and when they are almost mixed in fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Try not to over mix the dough which will be quite stiff. Refrigerate the dough for an hour or so, then roll out to about a 10-12 inch round and place in a 9 or 10 inch pie plate. The dough is very forgiving so if it tears or cracks, just fill in any holes with scraps of dough and press them evenly into place. Make sure the dough is not stretched and is pushed well into the pan. Trim the edges of the dough.

 Filling

In a large bowl whisk together for 2-3 minutes until the brown sugar is dissolved:

4 large or extra large eggs (or 5 medium, or 6 small)
1 ½ cups lightly packed brown sugar
1 ½ cups dark corn syrup
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup melted butter

Stir in:

1 1/2 cups walnut halves

Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 -50 minutes or until the center is set and jiggles like jelly. Cool completely before serving.

Chocolate Caramel Walnut Banana Waffles

Chocolate Caramel Walnut Banana Waffles

Here's an indulgent weekend brunch that's sure to impress. This recipe also makes for a very surprising dessert at a family meal or even a dinner party.

Chocolate Waffles 

• 1 egg
• 1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1  cup plus 2 tbsp flour
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder

Beat eggs. Add milk, oil and vanilla. Mix well.

Mix all dry ingredients together, add to liquid mixture and mix until smooth. 

Preheat waffle iron and pour about 1/4 cup of batter for each waffle onto the preheated iron. These waffles cook for about 4-5 minutes but times many vary for your waffle iron.
Makes about 6-7 waffles.

Serve with Banana Caramel Walnut Sauce and whipped cream.

Banana Caramel Walnut Sauce

In a small sauté pan, melt

• 3 tbsp butter

Add 

• 2 ripe sliced bananas

Warm the bananas, then add

• 3/4 cup caramel sauce (You can find my homemade Caramel Sauce here.)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped, lightly toasted walnuts
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cook only for a minute or two until the sauce is completely heated through and serve over the chocolate waffles. Garnish with whipped cream.

Walnut Brownie Cookies

My daughter Olivia, has been experimenting with some chocolate cookie recipes and came up with this one recently that really does taste like a good walnut brownie. Be extra careful not to over bake these cookies, it is actually preferable to under bake these a little to get a fudgy middle, so experiment with the baking time in your oven to get them just right.

1 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 extra large eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup cocoa powder
2¼ cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups roughly chopped walnuts

Sift together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Set aside.

Cream the butter, vanilla extract and sugars well, before adding the eggs one at a time and beating until light and fluffy. Fold in the dry ingredients and when they are almost mixed in fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Try not to over mix the dough which will be quite stiff.

Roll the dough in 1 inch balls and place them 2 inches apart on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Press the  dough balls down slightly with the bottom of a drinking glass. Bake at 350 degrees F for 9-11 minutes, being careful not to over bake them. Cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring the cookies to a wire rack and letting them cool completely.

Chocolate Banana Caramel Walnut Coffee Cake

Chocolate Banana Caramel Walnut Coffee Cake

Some leftover caramel sauce and some speckled ripe bananas on the counter top were the inspiration for this moist, delicious and completely decadent coffee cake. I swirled a little of the caramel sauce along with toasted walnuts through the batter for the cake and then used both as a topping/garnish for the finished product. The result was this spectacularly moist and wonderfully balanced coffee cake that really is an equal marriage of all its tasty components.

Caramel Sauce

• 2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup butter cut in small cubes
• 4 tbsp water
• 1 cup whipping cream

Begin by mixing the sugar and water in a large saucepan. NOTE: I use a large saucepan of about 3-4 quarts or larger because the sugar foams up when you add the butter and cream so make sure you have a large enough pot.

Boil the sugar and water over medium heat until the mixture begins to turn a light amber color. It is very easy to burn this mixture which can happen very quickly once the proper color is achieved, so have your butter and cream at the ready, as timing is crucial for this recipe.

When the color is right, quickly add the butter and stir quickly until the butter is melted. Remove from the heat immediately and pour in the whipping cream, stirring constantly until the sauce is uniformly smooth.



Coffee Cake

• 1 cup white sugar
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ cup milk
• 3/4 cup lightly toasted walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Beat sugar and oil in a bowl until foamy. Add eggs and mashed banana. Mix well.

Sift together dry ingredients and fold into banana mixture alternately with milk.

Fold in walnuts. Pour batter into a greased 9 inch spring form pan. 

Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of the caramel sauce over the batter (about 1/2 cup) swirl through the cake with the handle of a wooden spoon. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour until a toothpick inserted in the center which comes out clean; this is the best indicator that the cake is fully baked.

Garnish with more of the caramel sauce and lightly toasted walnut pieces.

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Brie and Walnuts

Honey Dijon Chicken Salad with Brie and Walnuts

One of my favorite ways to turn a great healthy salad into a full and satisfying workday dinner, especially during grilling season is to add something tasty off the grill to an interesting mix of salad ingredients for a delicious mix of tastes and textures. This one was particularly good when we added Honey dijon chicken to a terrific salad that included ripe fruit, creamy brie and crunchy toasted walnuts; a fantastic mix and one I'll definitely be making again.

Mix together:

• 3 tbsp dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• pinch salt
• pinch pepper

Brush this marinade on

• 4 boneless chicken breasts

Let marinate in the fridge for a 1/2 hour.

Honey-Dijon Glaze

• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
• pinch salt
• 1/2 cup chicken stock

Simmer together in a small saucepan before thickening with a slurry of 1 rounded teaspoon of corn starch dissolved in 3 or 4 tbsp water. Simmer for only about a minute after adding the thickening. Stirring constantly.

Grill the chicken until fully cooked, brushing it with the glaze in the last few minutes of cooking time. Serve remaining glaze over the chicken. Slice the cooked chicken and serve it n a salad composed of

• Baby salad greens
• Red onion
• Brie Cheese
• Sliced pears
• Sliced oranges
• Lightly toasted walnuts

No Added Fat Apple Walnut Muffins

I have to admit that I'm not a big fan of no added fat baking but at times everybody is looking to cut back on calories and fat so a delicious healthier option muffin recipe option is often appreciated. I have a couple of good low fat muffin recipes but this is the first time I've tried to go totally no fat added and I absolutely didn't regret the experiment. These muffins get their moisture from unsweetened applesauce and with added chunks of apple steaming inside as they bake, a little more moisture is imparted to the muffin as well.

As I always say with low fat or no fat added muffins, these are not meant to be baked well in advance. Being oil free, these muffins will have a short shelf life and are intended to be baked and eaten while still warm out of the oven at their freshest and best. The cinnamon and nutmeg add a fragrant spice touch which smells terrific as they bake and the toasted walnuts add a tasty, crunchy textural contrast as well. Overall, I really enjoyed these wholesome and healthy muffins and I will definitely be making these again.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place paper muffin liners in the muffin tins.

Sift together and set aside:


2 cup flour (you can use whole wheat or a combination of both)
3 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg


In the bowl of an electric mixer beat whisk together until foamy


3 eggs

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

Stir in:

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 cup chopped toasted walnuts

1 cup chopped apple

Gently fold in the dry ingredients by hand. Be very careful not to overmix this batter or your muffins will be quite tough when baked. When the flour is just fully incorporated stop folding and spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins. You can garnish the tops with apple slices and walnuts if you like. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes and serve.

Strawberry Balsamic Walnut Salad with Grilled Lime Cumin Chicken

Strawberry Balsamic Walnut Salad with Grilled Lime Cumin Chicken

The marriage of healthy and delicious was never more harmonious than in this beautiful salad that is a complete meal for lunch or even dinner. The strawberries get marinated in honey and balsamic vinegar which then serves as an oil free dressing for the entire salad. A few salty olives and crunchy walnuts added with perfectly grilled lime cumin grilled chicken add further layers of contrast in taste and texture. Perfect.

Serves 4

Begin by tossing together:

2 cups quartered strawberries
6 tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey

Let stand for at least a half hour, tossing occasionally.

Marinade for chicken:

Juice of 2 limes
3 tbsp olive oil
2tsp brown sugar
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Mix together and marinade 4 boneless chicken breasts in a sealed plastic bag for 1/2 hour. Grill until fully cooked. Rest the chicken for 5 minutes before slicing and serving on a bed of  salad composed of:

mixed salad greens
red onion
red pepper
sundried kalamata olives
tomato wedges
toasted walnuts

Top with marinated honey balsamic strawberries.