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.

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. 

Valentine’s Day usually marks the last good dessert you can eat and not feel guilty about during the holiday season before you have to wait another 8 months for Thanksgiving to roll around. You might as well make it a really good one.

Last year I got to go to Stonyfield‘s launch party for Petite Creme and sample all the flavors served along champagne, puff pastries, and fine wine. There’s definitely something special about Petite Creme. It’s creamy and elegant in a way most yogurts aren’t. Making a faux “mousse” for this parfait with it is definitely a kitchen cheat no one will mind. 

Using the vanilla bean flavor here (my personal favorite) makes the strawberry and Nutella a little more complex in my opinion. Make sure to use a flavorful strawberry jam for the best results. I made this into two servings and it was almost too rich to finish. It’s definitely a hefty dessert, so if you’re looking for something lighter try splitting this between 4 shot glasses and having taster desserts.

Strawberry Hazelnut Creme Parfaits

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 0 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 large servings or 4 tasters):

• 2 5.2oz vanilla bean Petite Creme
• 1/4 cup Nutella 
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 2 Tablespoons chopped hazelnuts

Method:

1. In one bowl, mix together 1 container of vanilla petite creme and 2 Tablespoons Nutella.
2. In a separate bowl, mix together 1 container of vanilla petite creme and 2 Tablespoons strawberry jam.
3. Divide the Nutella mousse between 2 to 4 small parfait glasses. Shake gently so that the top is level.
4. Gently melt the remaining Nutella in a microwave until it’s liquid. Pour the liquid Nutella over the Nutella mousse and spread out gently with a spoon in an even layer.
5. Mix the remaining strawberry jam with enough water (about 2 teaspoons) to make it fluid. Pour gently over the Nutella in the parfaits and spread out lightly with a spoon.
6. Add 1/2 Tablespoon of chopped hazelnuts on top of each parfait.
7. Scoop the strawberry mousse gently into the parfait glasses and shake lightly to make level.
8. Refrigerate the parfaits for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly.
9. Remove from the refrigerator and garnish with any remaining chopped hazelnuts.

Chocolate chip cookies can be as polarizing as politics. Some like chewy while others like crisp. Should they have nuts in them? Are raisins even a question? Everyone has an opinion.

After Pinterest did a Q&A with me my coworkers were interested to try something gluten-free. One of them asked me if I knew any good cookie recipes for his cousin and it seemed like as good a place to start as any. 

Lucky for me, when I brought them into work they didn’t stir up any chewy vs. crispy debates and they were all gone by lunch time–a success! They’re more chewy than crispy, not too sweet, and just rich enough to hit all the right notes. It’s hard to argue with chocolate chips and shredded coconut.

Probably the best thing to keep on hand for gluten-free baking is a bag of gluten-free all purpose flour you can use in recipes without having to mix ten different flours you’re not familiar with. I like Bob’s Red Mill’s but there are tons of different brands out there; try them out and find your favorite.

Gluten-Free Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 10 minutes

Ingredients(Makes 2 dozen cookies):

• 1 1/2 cup gluten-free all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 1/4 cup peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Method:

1. In a large bowl, mix together your flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar.
2. Add in the eggs, vanilla, peanut butter and melted butter and mix.
3. Add in the shredded coconut and chocolate chips and continue mixing until it forms a thick dough. If your dough is too dry add milk by the tablespoon until it’s just wet enough to stick together.
4. Put the dough in your refrigerator and preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
5. After 15 minutes of chilling, roll the dough into 1-inch balls.
6. Put the doughballs onto a non-stick baking tray and bake for 10-12 minutes until the edges brown.
7. Remove from the oven and let sit for 20 minutes before trying to move.
8. Store in an airtight container at room temperature.