I had no intention of making a third (or fourth?) Easter dessert, but then I discovered macaroon crust on Pinterest and, well, here we are talking about a Chocolate Macaroon Tart.
So, what’s so special about a macaroon crust? For one, it’s basically a big chewy, crisp-edged coconut macaroon cookie that you can bake and fill with whatever no-bake filling you like.
There is no “for two.” It’s that simple.
Now, there are many ways to make a macaroon crust. Some have flour, some contain egg whites. I looked at a few options before realizing that it would probably work with just two ingredients: sweetened flaked coconut and sweetened condensed milk.
Oh, and salt. Can’t forget the salt.
I folded the ingredients together and pressed the mixture into a heavily-greased springform or tart pan.*
*I think the only piece of baking equipment that I don’t have is a tart pan, which is probably why there have not been many tarts on here. Feel free to use whatever you have.
Half an hour later, it was toasty at the edges and light-golden in the center.



I filled it with chocolate ganache and let it set up in the fridge before slicing.
(I also gave it a few swipes with the back of a hot spoon for some rustic glossiness and because I am a control freak.)
Who knew five Ingredients and no grains could make something this irresistible?! Silky chocolate ganache filling + toasty coconut crust 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
It’s like eating a chocolate-coconut candy bar…but classier because it’s a tart. We all know how much classiness matters when you’re sneaking cold wedges of Chocolate Macaroon Tart out of the fridge after your bedtime. Not that I’ve ever done that. Twice. On the same night.
Happy Easter to those celebrating! Chag sameach to those observing Passover! And if you’re not celebrating/observing anything, have a great weekend anyway.
Chocolate Macaroon Tart {Five Ingredients, Grain-Free}
makes one 9- or 10-inch tart, about 12 servings
Macaroon Crust:
1 14-ounce package sweetened flaked coconut
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/4 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt
Ganache Filling:
12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream
Preheat oven to 350F. Heavily grease a 9- or 10- inch tart pan or springform pan. Line the bottom with parchment and grease again.
Make the crust. Combine sweetened flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a large mixing bowl. Use a silicone spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until combined. It will be thick.
Transfer mixture to prepared pan. Lightly grease your hands before pressing mixture onto the bottom and up the sides. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until edges are browned and center is turning pale golden. Remove to a rack and cool completely.
Make ganache filling. Place chopped chocolate in a large measuring cup or heatproof mixing bowl. Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it is steaming and bubbles are forming at the edge.
Pour warm cream over chopped chocolate. Do not stir. Cover bowl with a lid or aluminum foil for 5 minutes. Remove lid/foil. Use a fork to stir until chocolate and cream are combined and smooth. Pour into crust. Tap a few times to release air bubbles. Let tart sit at room temperature until filling is set (a couple of hours), or chill uncovered in the refrigerator. Remove tart from the fridge at least 15-20 minutes before running a thin, flexible knife around the edge and releasing from the pan.
Slice into thin wedges and serve. Leftovers will keep covered in the refrigerator.


Oh, hello.
Are you also distracted by the undeniable beauty of this Marble Bundt Cake?
Wait til you find out how delicious it is.
And how incredibly easy it is to make.
One batter, two bowls, ten minutes to mix 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 


A little over an hour in the oven…
and a thick blanket of ganache later…
you have a Marble Bundt Cake that will put any coffee shop fare to shame. Shame, I tell you.
Between the dense, buttery crumb…
and chocolate marbling that actually tastes like chocolate…
it doesn’t get much better than this.


When I moved in with my roommate, I thought it would be a short-term deal. We were friendly, but didn’t know each other particularly well, and I honestly didn’t think we’d get along in close quarters—the original plan was that I’d live here for six months or so while I recovered from the end of a relationship.
Flash forward three years and I’m still here, living with the same guy. Turns out that an obsessive baker who mostly wears pajamas and a neat freak can, in fact, live in peace. And make each other laugh really hard.
Before I get to the point and why this is relevant to Coconut Cluster Brownies, I have to say that this is not some sort of romantic announcement. Hahahahahaha absolutely not.
But let me confuse you further by telling you that he got me a box of chocolates for Valentine’s Day. It wasn’t a romantic gesture. We get each other things all the time—I sometimes make
The small Whitman’s Sampler that I received only had a few pieces in it, and I immediately determined the order in which I would eat them, one at a time, over the next few days. The caramel went first, followed by the buttercream and the ganache. The last one, the candy that I was the least excited about, was the Coconut Cluster. It was shaped like a peanut butter cup, but instead of being a filling enrobed in chocolate, it was a block of milk chocolate speckled with bits of coconut. As I went to eat it so I could toss the heart-shaped box, I didn’t expect much, but then I popped it into my mouth and suddenly became obsessed with putting this rich, simple chocolate-coconut combination on a brownie. And so, a month later, I did.

These Coconut Cluster Brownies are nothing more than my favorite
If you love chocolate, coconut, and brownies like I do, you will want to hoard all of these for yourself…
…but maybe set one or two or four aside for your friend who puts up with your late night baking and knows you well enough to know how you feel about sale-priced peanut butter and cheap chocolate. That’s a good sort of person to have around.


Last week, I needed a win. I needed a win badly.
I was reeling from a personal tragedy, having a difficult time getting myself out of bed in the morning, and couldn’t get any recipes to work properly. I suffer from depression and anxiety, so some of this is just part of my normal life, but there’s something about having recipes—something with which I am supposed to have some modicum of talent and control—repeatedly fail that sends me into a tailspin.
I woke up Friday morning determined to get one recipe to work. Just one. Something I thought would be easy and only take two or three tries: a chocolate variation on my single-serving
Over the course of two hours, I ran the gamut of cookie failure. Too flat, too puffy, too dry, too chemical-tasting—you get the idea. Here are four of them:
But then I looked at my tried & true 




Also, crucial to cookie success? Underbaking. If you bake this cookie until it’s fully done, you’ll end up with a chocolate M&Ms frisbee. This is because cocoa powder tends to dry things out and also because I use a teaspoon of water here in place of the usual egg (a little trick I learned from the regular chocolate chip version). Underbaking will yield crisp-chewy edges, a crackly top, and a soft, fudgy center. Yesssss.
I had a bunch of M&Ms leftover from making 



I am irrationally irritated by the fact that strawberries are so popular in Valentine’s Day treats. The amount of time I spend stewing over this sort of thing is more than a little ridiculous, but can you blame me? Strawberries aren’t in season right now—most of the punnets in the produce section have the flavor and texture of a styrofoam cup, but they are red and pretty, so there’s no doubt that this February crop will sell like hotcakes* for years to come.
Personally, I like to bypass the off-season fruit this time of year and reach for freeze-dried strawberries instead. I buy ‘em at Trader Joe’s, whirl them into powder and fold it into all sorts of
Fluffy buttercream with a fresh strawberry punch? Sign. me. up ❤
Frosting is, of course, most traditionally used as a flourish on cakes and cookies and bars, but today, I’m putting it in the spotlight with these Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Buttercreams!
These bite-sized bonbons have sweet, creamy strawberry buttercream centers, a crackly coat of dark chocolate coating, and a smattering of sprinkles—I don’t know about you, but that combination of things is definitely the way to my heart.
Add to that that these no-bake beauties are are simple to make and keep for days on end (as long as your heavy cream stays good), and you’ve got a Valentine’s Day treat that’ll have people lining up to get your number.
I mean, they may only want it so that they can get more homemade candy, but is that such a bad thing?

