The best part of Valentine’s Day is undoubtedly the chocolate, so I was excited when Stonyfield asked their bloggers to make a dessert that paired yogurt with Divine chocolate. Yogurt’s a great addition in brownies to replace some fat and keep them moist. Like the chocolate, these brownies will melt in your mouth. 

My local grocery store only had Divine’s white chocolate in stock. White chocolate can be difficult to bake with because cheaper brands melt of burn but the chocolate chunks came out smooth and full of flavor. Spreading the jam in a layer in the middle instead of mixing it into the batter adds a little bit in every bite. 

Divine White Chocolate Raspberry Brownies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 35 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 1 8 x 8 pan):

• 1 1/3 cup all-purpose or gluten-free flour
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 5.3oz Stonyfield vanilla greek yogurt
• 1 3.5oz Divine White Chocolate bar, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 2 Tablespoons water

Method:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and sugar.
3. Beat in the eggs, Stonyfield yogurt, oil, and 2 Tablespoons of jam.
4. Add in the chopped chocolate and mix. 
5. Pour half of the batter in a greased 8 x 8 pan.
6. Mix the remaining raspberry jam with 2 Tablespoons of water. Spread the jam over the top of the brownie batter covering all parts.
7. Add the rest of the batter layered on top of the jam. 
8. Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean. Let these cool completely before cutting in.

Summer is good for many things like kickball, cookouts, and beach days. It hasn’t been great for posting new recipes. 7 weeks later and I finally have something new to share–a new recipe on Life By Dailyburn all about a peaches and cream that’s actually good for you!

Instead of cream this recipe uses 2% Greek yogurt with fresh chopped mint and honey for a creamy topping. The yogurt is so good I’d recommend making a double-batch and finding different ways to use (and maybe a mojito with any extra mint you have). Enjoy it knowing 2 peaches have just 150 calories and you’ll be looking good for the next Summer party. 

Head over to the full recipe and check it out!

As much as I don’t like the cold, Winter and Fall are some of the best baking months because there’s sometimes nothing to do but stay in and sit next to the heater. Now that Spring’s here and the heat waves, too, no-bake recipes are suddenly ten times more appealing. 

I made these “brownies” over the weekend for a sweets fix that wouldn’t involve sifting flours and melting chocolate. It’s pretty much the same recipe I made 3 years ago with an extra avocado frosting on top. Avocados and dates definitely don’t sound like dessert ingredients, but you’d be surprised how rich and chocolaty these come out. 

These are easier to stash and store without the frosting, which does go bad about as quickly as guacamole, so if you’re planning on waiting a while to eat these wait until the last minute to make the frosting. It’ll taste better if you do.   

Raw Brownies With Avocado Frosting

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 8-12 brownies):

• 2 cups pitted dates
• 1 cup walnuts
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons coconut butter(optional but recommended)
• 1-2 Tablespoons water
• 1/2 a ripe avocado
• 2 Tablespoons agave or honey

Method:

1. Blend the dates in a food processor until they are pulverized and start to stick together. The dates don’t have to be fresh but make sure you’re not using dry and stale ones or they won’t stick.
2. Add the walnuts and coconut butter and continue blending until the dough starts to stick to itself. Add the water as necessary if your ingredients are too dry to clump.
3. Lastly add 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder and continue blending until it’s mixed in.
4. Dump the processed ingredients onto a piece of parchment paper. With your hands, clump them together into a square or rectangle.
5. Freeze the dough for 5-10 minutes until it’s firm and cut it into even sized squares. Store in the refrigerator for freshness.
6. To make the “frosting”, mash the avocado into a smooth puree. Add the agave and remaining cocoa powder and mix thoroughly.
7. Spread an even amount on top of each brownie square. Garnish with any extra walnuts.

One of the best parts about living in NYC is that there are now vending machines where you can get cupcakes. It’s dangerously convenient for anyone. They have 1 gluten-free option, a red velvet with cream cheese frosting, that’s completely delicious. That being said, who can live with just one flavor?

When my birthday rolled around a few weekends ago I made these cupcakes a few days early to bring into work–just a premade vanilla cake mix, coconut milk instead of whole milk, and shredded coconut and lemon zest added in. 

The frosting I made was from scratch but came out just as easy and delicious. Using vanilla extract and lemon zest gives it an extra layer of flavor that you’ll want to lick off the bowl. 

This frosting works well with any number of lighter-flavored cupcakes. You can try it on cupcakes with vanilla, coconut, berries, or even white chocolate.

Easy Lemon Buttercream

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes enough for 18 cupcakes):

• 1 stick butter, room temperature
• 2 1/4 cup powdered sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons whole milk or half & half
• 1 teaspoon finely zested lemon

Method:

1. In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients. Make sure to use an extra fine zester with the lemons to avoid chunks in the frosting. 
2. Beat with an electric beater until mixed and the frosting’s smooth and silky. If the powdered sugar stops mixing in, add milk by the teaspoon until it reaches the right consistency.
3. Frost using a frosting spreader or a pastry bag. If you’re using a pastry bag, add an extra teaspoon of milk before beating to make the frosting smoother and easier to squeeze out.