I mean, especially since I’ve wiped the floor with his sorry butt for the last four years. My people are expecting greatness, and I rarely let them down.

Poor Darren’s not the only one up for a challenge this year though. The last two years’ winners have set the bar pretty high for me as well…

Ribfest 2011: Polynesian Spareribs. White flag raised after one bite.

Ribfest 2012: White Wine and Honey Braised Ribs. Hell, I’m not even sure he tried them before giving up. The smell alone was enough to bring home the gold.

I know, I know. I’m taking a big chance going the dry rub route. And, because I’ve managed to thoroughly berate poor Darren’s rib-roasting skills in a mere three paragraphs, I’m sure he’s going to show up bearing ribs from the heavens.

Whatever. To him I say, “bring it.”

And if he were here, he’d probably call me a Douche and trip me on my way to the bathroom.

Dry Rub Pork Ribs
(makes 4 servings)
1 full rack of pork spareribs (cleaned of silver skin and cut into two equally sized racks)
Dry Rub:
1/2 tbsp cumin
1/2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 tbsp onion powder
2 tbsp dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground white pepper

Combine all dry rub ingredients in a small bowl, mix to combine evenly then set aside.

Arrange the cleaned ribs on large sections of plastic wrap on a sheet pan, and sprinkle both sides of the racks with dry rub, gently pressing the dry rub into the meat to evenly coat.

Tightly wrap the plastic wrap around the ribs and refrigerate for 4 – 6 hours (or overnight). To cook the ribs, preheat the oven to 325 degrees, remove the plastic wrap and let the ribs come to room temperature. Wrap each half rack in aluminum foil, add 1 tbsp warm water, then roll the center and both ends of the foil to create a nice little package. Return the rib packs to the sheet pan and roast in the preheated oven for 2 hours.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest on the pan for 20 minutes before serving. If you’re feeling really motivated, at this point you can throw them on a preheated grill for 3 minutes on each side to add a tiny bit of ‘crisp’ to the edges.

I think I may be on to something with this one. They smelled delightful, and seriously fell right off the bone. I know, everyone says that about their rib recipes. But unlike me, a lot of those people might be embellishing the truth a tiny bit.

I would never lie to you guys. Contrary to what Darren might say, I’m no douche.

And, because they were so ‘fall-off-the-bone-tender’, the left-overs made perfect Next Day Nachos.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

Note: These would make a perfect Holiday BBQ recipe. Dry rub them the night before, slow roast them first thing in the morning, and heat up on the grill before serving. Seriously, how easy does that sound?

Wait, wait, wait… before you get all judgy on my ass… I’m talking chips and dip that looks like this:
Dip that’s made from fresh, perfectly ripened avocados, diced grape tomatoes, red onion, jalapeño, garlic, lime juice, and cilantro. (Okay, with a teensy bit of sour cream. And maybe a bigger teensy bit of bacon.) But seriously, that’s like… all of the food groups. Right?

Well, all except for the ice cream group.

But don’t you worry, I’m sure I consumed a full serving of that one at some point during the day.

Creamy Guacamole with Bacon
(makes 2-3 servings)
3 slices thick cut bacon (precooked and cut into bits*)
2 large ripe avocados
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 cup grape tomatoes (seeded and diced)
2-3 tbsp red onion (diced)
1/2 of a fresh jalapeño (seeded and finely diced)
1 small clove fresh garlic (finely minced)
1 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
1/4 cup sour cream
Salt & ground white pepper
Tortilla chips for serving

Chop the precooked bacon into small, bite size pieces with kitchen scissors and set aside. Scoop the avocado into a small mixing bowl, squeeze in the lime juice and roughly smash it with a fork or potato masher.

In another small bowl, combine the bacon bits, tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, garlic and cilantro and toss to combine.

Add the bacon and veggies to the avocado and gently mix to combine with a fork. (I like a few chunks of avocado in my guac, if you prefer it super smooth then don’t be gentle. Have your way with it.)

Fold in the sour cream and season with a dash of salt & ground white pepper. And let’s not forget the method of dip delivery, salty tortilla chips.

Mmmm, hmm. Chip & dip dinner is served.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

*Here’s my tip for the day. When I buy bacon, I partially cook the whole package and store half of it in a sealed container in the fridge and freeze the other half. Then when I need it all I have to do is throw a few slices in a hot saute pan for 1-2 minutes to finish it to a crisp. Time savers, people. Time. Savers.

I think I consumed the most ice cream when I was pregnant with Finley. There I was, laid up on bedrest, spoon in hand shoveling Dulce de Leche and Vanilla Heath Bar Crunch straight from the container. Man, I was a mess.

Who am I kidding? I’m still a mess. And I still love shoveling ice cream into my pie-hole like it’s going out of style.  Curiously enough, so does Finley.

Coincidence? Probably not.

The boy and I were throwing elbows to get at this one. Yeah, yeah… you’d think I’d have an advantage because my elbows are bigger than his.

But his are way pointier.

 Brown Sugar Bananas Foster Ice Cream
(makes a generous quart)

2 large eggs
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
2 very ripe bananas
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp dark rum
2 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup pan roasted pecan pieces

To roast the pecans, heat them in a small saute pan over medium-high heat for 3 – 5 minutes or until they start to smell nice and toasty. Be careful not to burn them, that smell is not good. Transfer to a glass bowl to cool while you’re making the ice cream.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until they’re light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes. Whisk in the brown and white sugars, a little at a time, then continue whisking until completely blended and creamy. Pour in the cream and milk and whisk to blend. Right before transferring the mixture to the ice cream maker, whisk in the rum and cinnamon. Pour this mixture into your ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions.

Mash the bananas and lemon juice together in a small bowl, then whisk until smooth and free of lumps. After the ice cream stiffens to soft-serve consistency (around 2 minutes before it’s done), add the mashed bananas and the pan roasted pecans, then continue freezing until the ice cream is ready to transfer to a storage container.

Everything about this ice cream is pretty amazing. It’s smooth, creamy, banana-y, brown sugary, rummy, and nutty… Wait, did I just say ‘rummy’?

Yup. Sure did.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

NOTE: I know I’ve mentioned this before, but just in case you haven’t read my post on Malted Vanilla Bean with Milk Chocolate Chunks Ice Cream, I have this amazingly easy to use (and clean) Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker that I would highly recommend if you’re in the market for one.

This was the first time in my entire life I’ve made and/or eaten shrimp and grits. It will, however,  not be the last.

This newly formed food crush all started when Jonny took his annual trip to Dallas to meet with a few agencies and show off his books… and more importantly, spend a long weekend consuming a LOT of food with his best friend from college.

I’m a tiny bit jealous of this annual jaunt. Maybe it’s because he texts me pictures of whatever it is he happens to be eating at the time, with brief descriptors like “holy shit, this is good”, while I’m sitting at home watching old episodes of Arrested Development, wolfing down cereal after the kids go to sleep.

Usually he opts for the old BBQ places he frequented ‘back in the day’, but he threw me for a loop this time. The teaser image that stood out from the crowd was a dark, pixelated picture of a giant plate of cajun shrimp and cheesy grits. Dark and pixelated, yet still mouth watering.

So I did a little recon and, low and behold,  it seemed like a pretty simple dish to prepare. It very quickly jumped to the top of my scratch-pad list of food conquests.

I opted to use milk and mascarpone in the grits, rather than what I was seeing as a standard water and cheddar combination. The result was an amazingly rich, creamy compliment to the subtle spice of the shrimp sauce.

Technically I’m not sure this is how the dish is meant to taste,  but I wolfed down a full plate of it before even telling the Hubs that dinner was ready. That’s gotta count for something, right?

Shrimp and Mascarpone Creamed Grits
(makes 4 servings)
2 cups water
2 cups whole milk
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup stone-ground grits (not instant)
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (tail on)
1 cup andouille sausage (cubed)
1/2 of a medium sized green pepper (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced)
3 scallions (thinly sliced)
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
4 tsp lemon juice
1 cup chicken broth
Fresh parsley (chopped)

To make the grits, bring the water, milk and salt just to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the grits and stir to combine completely. Reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for another 30 minutes. Remove from the heat, add in the mascarpone and butter and stir to melt and combine.

While the grits are cooking, rinse and pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel. In a large sauté pan over medium-high heat, brown the andouille then transfer it to a plate. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the shrimp to the pan with the sausage drippings, and cook until they turn slightly pink and they start to ‘kiss their own butts’ (heh heh, come on. that’s good.) Add the sausage back in to the mix, along with the peppers, scallions, and garlic. Sprinkle with the cayenne and paprika, then toss to evenly coat. Pour in the chicken stock and lemon juice and stir to deglaze the pan a bit, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 3 minutes.

To serve, spoon a giant pile of grits on the plate, top with the shrimp mix (spoon a bit of extra juice over the top) and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

If you talk to Jonny anytime soon, thank him for inspiring me with his out of town food porn.

Without him, this would never have been possible.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

That feeling lasts approximately 15 minutes… or as long as it takes me to rattle off around 50 photos.

Speaking of photos…. you can blame them for my lack of blogging existence last week. Extreme panic doesn’t even begin to explain the feeling I had while frantically archiving 14,500+ images from my computer to ensure the photographic evidence of my adorable offspring (and culinary masterpieces) were safe from an inevitable crash.

I. Was. Stressed. Out.

But now I’m back. Armed with a backup drive, a shiny new library of DVDs, and my completely rejuvenated iMac. All is right in my world.

Last week, before my panic attack ensued, I posted an informal survey on Facebook asking what recipe you, my adoring fans, would like to see next. I felt really bad about leaving you hanging… seriously, I did.

So without further delay, I bring you…

Chipotle Smoked Gouda Mac n’ Cheese
(makes 4 – 6 servings)
16 oz elbow pasta
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp flour
2 chipotle peppers (seeds removed, super finely chopped)
2 tsp adobo sauce (from the can of peppers)
1 cup whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups shredded smoked gouda cheese
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
2 tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the pasta in heavily salted water to al dente, then drain and set aside. (Do not rinse the pasta. Rinsing washes away all of the precious remaining cooking liquid that actually helps your sauce stick to the cooked noodles.)

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Whisk in the flour and cook for around five minutes, stirring continuously. Add in the chopped chipotle peppers with the additional adobo sauce and whisk to combine. Stir in the milk and cream, and simmer for ten minutes. Add the shredded cheese and stir to melt until smooth and creamy.

Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and stir to evenly coat. Transfer the macaroni and cheese to a large casserole dish (or individual 7 ounce ramekins set on a parchment lined sheet pan) and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the panko, salt, paprika, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne then add in the melted butter, and stir to combine with a fork. Top the macaroni and cheese with the spiced panko mixture…

and bake in the preheated oven for 25 – 30 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is ooey-gooey bubbling…

This was seriously some of the best macaroni and cheese I’ve ever eaten. And I’ve eaten A LOT of mac n’ cheese.

The sauce is rich and creamy, with just enough smokey spice to leave a lingering heat on the back of your tongue. And cooking each serving in an individual ramekin also meant that every single bite had a crunchy, smokey textural compliment of panko crust.

Easy on the palette, and on the eyes… and it happened to be the perfect time of day for lighting, so I just kept taking pictures. It was like some sort of perverted food porn session. I felt like George Costanza in “The Blood” episode. Only I was shoveling forkfuls of spicy, cheesy pasta in my mouth instead of pastrami sandwich.

TMI? Come on, admit it. You know you missed me.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

I fully intended to have this written and posted before bed last night. Then I started playing Toca Robot Lab with Finley on the iPad and totally spaced on the corn.

I love robots. I wish I had one. Not a toy robot, we have plenty of those. I mean a real, robotic cleaning machine. Like Rosie from the Jetsons.

According to the original show concept,  I only need to wait another 49 years and they’ll be available. Along with Space Sprockets and holographic communicating machines.

2062 is going to be so awesome. 

And, if I can manage to keep all of my teeth, I’ll still be eating creamed corn with bacon and jalapeños that looks just like this:

Bacon and Roasted Jalapeño Creamed Corn
(makes 4 – 6 servings)
16 oz frozen sweet corn
6 slices thick cut bacon
1 jalapeño pepper
1 cup heavy cream
salt to taste

To roast the jalapeño, line a sheet pan with parchment paper or foil and set the pepper in the middle. Set the oven to broil and roast the pepper for 2-3 minutes, or until the skin starts to shrivel and blacken in spots. Flip the pepper with a pair of tongs and continue broiling for another few minutes. Set the pepper aside to cool on a cutting board. Once it’s cooled a bit, cut off the stem and remove the seeds, then dice it into small pieces.

Thaw the corn in a strainer set over a bowl, then gently press out the excess water. Leave the corn in the strainer to drain off any remaining water while cooking the glorious bacon.

Using kitchen scissors, cut the uncooked bacon into small pieces and brown them in a cast iron skillet or large saute pan.

Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel lined plate, reserving the drippings in the pan. Reduce the heat to medium and add the corn to the bacon drippings. Stir to coat, then add the heavy cream and simmer to reduce and thicken, stirring occasionally (around 5 minutes).

Add the bacon back in the mix, along with the diced jalapeño, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low, season with a bit of salt and allow to simmer for a few more minutes to thicken to creamed corn consistency.

I originally thought this scratch-made creamed corn would make a great substitute ingredient in a recipe for corn muffins that called for a can of creamed corn. Then I made it, we tasted it, basked in the bacony, peppery, creamy corn glory, and no longer gave a crap about making corn muffins.

Now, if I had a Rosie the Robot I could ask her to fold my laundry and mop the floors while I made a second batch for muffin testing. Then the kids and I could hop in the ol’ flying car and go out for some space age ice cream.

Yes, I predict 2062 will be awesome indeed.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

(Side note: Anyone with young kids looking for fun learning games with quality animation should check out the Toca Boca iPad series. The Hair Salon 2 game is fantastic.)

Sometimes I find myself relating to episodes of Seinfeld a little too much. I loved that show. It’s probably one of the only things left on tv that I can still watch and laugh every single time, no matter how often I’ve seen the episode.

It always surprises me when I bust out a show reference or quote and people have no clue what I’m talking about. Who are these people that don’t get it when I’m happily singing “Yankee Bean. Yankee Bean. I love my Yankeeee Bean.” or quietly repeating “Serenity Now. Insanity Later.” under my breath?

I bet you’re wondering where I’m going with this? Stay with me, I’m almost there…

I keep a notepad next to my bed because I have a habit of waking in the middle of the night with random thoughts and ideas that, at the time, seem very important, and it helps me get back to sleep if I write them down. More often than not, the next morning I feel like Jerry in “The Heart Attack” episode. Staring blankly at the scribbles, unable to comprehend the gibberish on the page. Hell, I may have even written “Flaming Globes of Zigmund” a few times.

Although unlike Jerry, I do find that funny.

Then there are the times when I jot down something that’s really, really good. Like the idea for how to make a dent in the gigantic container of strawberries Jonny bought at Costco (along with a gigantic bottle of tequila.)

Strawberry Margarita Cake.

Strawberry Margarita Cake
(makes one 8″ double layer cake)

Vanilla Lime Cake:
1 cup unsalted butter (room temperature)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp lime zest
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs, plus 3 egg yolks
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 cup buttermilk

Tequila Strawberry Compote:
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
1/2 cup tequila
1/2 cup light brown sugar
3 tbsp fresh lime juice

Lime Syrup:
1/2 cup water
3 tbsp triple sec
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Whipped Lime Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp fresh lime juice

To make the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 8″ round cake pans, tapping out the excess flour. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and lime zest.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, beat in the eggs and yolks, one at a time, then add the vanilla and lime juice. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Mix until just combined.

Divide the cake batter between the prepared pans and smooth the tops. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean. (around 30 minutes.) Let them cool in the pans on wire racks for 10 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and invert the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack set over a sheet pan.

While the cakes are baking, make the tequila strawberry compote and lime syrup.

To make the strawberry compote, combine the strawberries, brown sugar, tequila and lime juice in a glass or ceramic bowl and toss to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Drain the juice from the macerated berries into a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, add the strawberries and simmer for around 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, then use a potato masher to smash the remaining large strawberry pieces a bit and continue cooking for another 8 – 10 minutes. Transfer the compote to a glass or ceramic bowl and set aside to cool.

To make the lime syrup, combine the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup water and triple sec in a small saucepan and simmer, uncovered, for 5 – 8 minutes or until slightly thickened. Transfer the simple syrup to a glass or ceramic bowl, then add the 1/4 cup lime juice, stir to combine and set aside to cool.

To assemble the cake, use a toothpick to poke random holes in both of the cake layers. Spoon the lime syrup over the slightly warm cakes and set aside to cool completely.

Once the cake layers have cooled to room temperature, place one layer on a serving plate and spoon a good, thick layer of the tequila strawberry compote evenly over the top. Place the second cake layer gently on top and set aside.

To make the whipped lime cream cheese frosting, whip the cream cheese with an electric mixer until soft and free of lumps. Slowly add in the powdered sugar and mix to combine, then add in the heavy cream and mix until peaks begin to form, or a thick whipped cream consistency. Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the lime juice.

I chose to frost only the top of the cake, but feel free to glob the entire thing with whipped amazingness. Garnish with additional fresh lime zest and a fancy slice.

Slice…

And serve with additional strawberry tequila compote…

Store any leftover cake in the refrigerator, but bring it back to room temperature before serving/eating.

And if you sneakily eat the last slice, don’t try to replace it with an Entenmann’s. Any true cake connoisseur will know the difference. Plus, you never know when your J. Peterman might be video taping you.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

Old Blue was just one of three dozen monster cupcakes Finley and I made as a 1st Birthday gift for a close friend last year. Unfortunately, I didn’t manage to get many good pictures because it was really dark that day,  but he and his creepy little cronies where absolutely rawr-some!

There’s not really a recipe involved, other than make some kick-ass cupcakes, frost and decorate them with random candies to look like goobery monsters. For this guy in particular, we used blue airheads for horns, candy eyes for… well, eyes, and red M&M’s for his tongue.

That’s about it. Short & sweet today. He was just too cute to archive without sharing.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

Appropriately enough, like this steak, mushroom & gruyere pie…

I got the idea for this while watching an episode of Eat St. on The Cooking Channel and literally ran to get a pen and paper so I wouldn’t forget to try it later in the week. In the process I may have slipped on the hardwood floor, fallen and strained a muscle. Finley thought it was a cool new game and proceeded to sock-slide across the floor, animatedly pretending to fall, for the rest of the evening. Of course I encouraged it so he didn’t realize my animated fall was actually a result of a lack of coordination and eagerness to make a pie stuffed with meat.

All joking aside, this pie is delicious. And it made for a perfect weeknight meal since it only required six ingredients (minus the seasonings) because I, being lazy, used a store-bought refrigerated pie crust. I also used chuck steak because it was on sale, but you could easily sub out with a leaner cut of beef if you prefer. Although, I think part of the deliciousness was a direct result of the flavor from the fat marbling.

Steak Mushroom & Gruyere Pie
(makes one 9″ pie)
3 cups cubed beef (I used chuck steak)
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
2 cups fresh mushrooms (diced)
1/2 of a large white onion (diced)
8 oz Gruyere cheese (shredded)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 refrigerated double pie crust (I used Pillsbury brand)

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Line a 9″ pie plate with one of the uncooked pie crusts and set aside. Season the cubed beef with the salt, garlic powder and white pepper, then lightly brown in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. (Don’t cook the beef all the way through, just brown the outside leaving the interior rare. You’ll want it to finish cooking during baking.) Transfer the meat to a large bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, cook the onions until they become slightly translucent, then add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium, and continue cooking for another 4 – 5 minutes. Add the onion & mushroom mixture to the beef, throw in the shredded cheese and toss to combine.

Top this mixture with the heavy cream and stir to evenly coat, then transfer to the prepared pie plate and top with the chopped parsley.

Top with the second uncooked pie crust, flute the edges and cut a few slits in the top to vent steam during baking. Brush the top of the crust with melted butter and sprinkle with a bit of coarsely ground sea salt. Cover the outer edges of the crust with aluminum foil to prevent over-browning, and bake in the preheated oven for 35 – 40 minutes.

Remove from the oven and allow the pie to rest on a wire rack for around 20 minutes before serving.

And please, don’t slip and fall running for a pen and paper to write this recipe down. I’m not going anywhere, you’re welcome back to read and drool anytime.

OMFG. SO GOOD.

Yeah, I could have climbed in the car and driven three blocks to the store for more sugar. But it’s hot outside, it’s Sunday, and I’m lazy.

And because the only neighbor that even acknowledges our presence is a single guy in his mid-to-late fifties, who more than likely hasn’t purchased sugar in at least a decade, there wasn’t even the option to borrow from the neighbors.

I’m not sure why our neighbors don’t talk to us. It couldn’t be that my kids are constantly chasing quails and wild rabbits through their lawns, screaming things like “HOTDOG DOT COM” and “MOMMY, WHAT DOES BIRD PEE LOOK LIKE?” at the top of their lungs.

Whatever, it’s their loss. We’re awesome.

Thankfully, I’m a resourcefully lazy person. One with very little sugar, but a full bag of shredded sweetened coconut.

Seven simple ingredients, fifteen minutes prep time, ten minutes baking time, and BOOM. I had a plateful of these…

Coconut Macaroon Sandwiches
(makes around 15 sandwiches)
14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut
2 egg whites
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp coarse ground salt
2 tsp vanilla

Whipped Chocolate Ganache Filling:
6 ounces milk chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg whites, sugar, salt and vanilla until thoroughly combined and frothy. Add the coconut and mix with a wooden spoon to evenly combine, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour.

To make the whipped ganache filling, pour the chocolate chips in a medium sized heat safe bowl and set aside. Microwave the heavy cream for 30 seconds then pour it over the chocolate, then stir to melt completely to a smooth consistency. Refrigerate to chill (around 30 minutes.) Using a hand mixer, whip the chocolate on medium speed for around 5 minutes, or until soft peaks begin to form. Cover and refrigerate until you’re ready to assemble the sandwiches.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using your hands, form little firmly packed balls of the chilled coconut mixture and place them on the prepared sheet pan, around 1 1/2 inches apart. Flatten them to 1 1/2 inch circles…

then bake in the preheated oven for 10 – 11 minutes or until the edges begin to turn a light golden brown. Allow them to cool to room temperature on the pan before assembling the sandwiches.

To assemble, flip over one of the macaroons and top with a heaping teaspoon of whipped ganache…

Top with a second macaroon and smoosh down, just a weeee bit.

Don’t let their size fool you. Just like my crazy kids… they’re small, but they pack a mighty sweet little punch. See, my neighbors don’t even know what they’re missing. Awesome.

OMFG. SO GOOD.