Happy Easter! Here in the Phoenix area, it’s a beautiful weekend for this celebration of Christ’s resurrection–a weekend we get to spend with family, friends, and the winner of the Creepiest Easter Bunny competition 2015.

My kids and their cousins were super good sports about posing with the bunny that looked like it might burst out in a maniacal cackle at any moment.

On this Easter day, as our Lenten fast comes to a close, I’d like to share with you another recipe I made while my husband and son were doing their six weeks of eating less sugar. It really was a fun challenge to make desserts that would taste good with a major sugar reduction. (I’m sure diabetics are rolling their eyes, like, yeah, tons of fun.) This mango almond tart was a definite winner. The original recipe from Eating Well is for a raspberry-almond tart, which I’m sure would also be fabulous, but as I had no frozen raspberries in the house when inspiration struck, I used the frozen mangoes hibernating in our fridge and it turned out delicious, too. With only a quarter cup plus two teaspoons of added sugar in the entire 9-inch tart, I’d say this dessert stretches the sugar pretty thin without it being noticeably absent. My guess is you could substitute any berry or even peaches for the mangoes with lovely results. I could see making it for company–at a tea party, perhaps, or as a light but satisfying dessert for a spring dinner party. Or just for a husband and son who were brave enough to last 40 days with less sugar. I applaud them and feel no guilt today about letting my 7-year-old dive head-first into an Easter basket full of candy.

Low-Sugar Mango Almond Tart
(Adapted from Eating Well)

Ingredients:

1/2 c. sliced almonds, skins on
1/4 c. sugar
1 1/3 c. plus 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 large egg yolk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
4 c. diced mangoes, fresh or frozen (not thawed)
2 tsp. powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a 9-inch removable-bottom tart pan or pie dish with cooking spray.

2. In a food processor, combine sliced almonds and sugar until almonds are finely ground. Set aside 1/2 c. of the mixture.

3. Add 1 1/3 c. flour to the remaining sugar-almond mixture and pulse to blend. Add butter a few pieces at a time and process until well incorporated.

4. In a small bowl, combine egg yolk, vanilla, and almond extracts until blended. Add to the food processor and process until the mixture begins to form a dough that looks like wet, crumbly sand, about 1 minute. Set aside 1/3 c. of this mixture.

5. Transfer the remaining dough to the prepared tart pan. Spread evenly, pressing the dough up the sides of the pan to form a crust.

6. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. of flour to the sugar-almond mixture you set aside in step 2. Toss mangoes with 2 Tbsp. of this mixture until coated. Spread the coated mangoes evenly over the tart crust, then sprinkle the remaining sugar-almond mixture over the mangoes. Take the reserved 1/3 c. of dough from step 4 and pinch into small clumps. Sprinkle these all around the tart.

7. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees and bake an additional 45 minutes or until the crumbs on top are golden. Cool at least 30 minutes, then dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Makes 1 9-inch tart.

I have an important question for you. Are you ready for your brownie world to be rocked? “But Sarah,” you may say, “my brownie world does not need to be rocked. Brownies are already one of nature’s most perfect desserts. And when I say “nature,” I mean the Betty Crocker box mix you can get for $1.25 at Target.” And you would be right. Brownies in almost any form are pretty consistently amazing. But sometimes even a classic can be improved–or if not improved, at least expanded upon in new and different ways for a little delicious variety. That’s exactly what this stunningly flavored dessert is about. A dose of extra flaky salt on top and a deep undertone of lime elevates these beyond anything you can get in a box mix. To me, they’d be the perfect rich follow-up to a Mexican dinner.

I will tell you, though, you do have to love dark chocolate to love this recipe–these brownies are so dark they probably go around brooding. In fact, they’re probably reading Edgar Allen Poe in their basement right now. Then they’re going to turn off all the lights and watch A Clockwork Orange.* I’m just telling you. They’re dark.

*Or, in this case, A Clockwork Lime.

Extra Dark Brownies with Sea Salt and Lime
(Adapted from TheKitchn.com)

Ingredients:

6 Tbsp. butter
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 scant c. sugar
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1 lime, juiced and zested
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. flaky sea salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line an 8×8″ glass dish with parchment paper, leaving extra paper on two sides for removal after baking. (Alternatively, spray thoroughly with cooking spray.)

2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and bittersweet chocolate over medium-low heat. Stir until smooth.

3. Remove pan from the heat and add sugar, flour, cocoa powder, eggs, vanilla, and kosher salt, mixing until combined. Add lime juice and zest as well as the unsweetened chocolate until all chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. (You may need to return the pan to the stovetop, depending on how much the batter has cooled.)

4. Pour batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle sea salt evenly on top. Bake 30-35 minutes. Brownies will still be a bit gooey–don’t worry, this is what you want! Cool 15 minutes on a wire rack, then remove by lifting out parchment paper, if using. Garnish with more lime zest, if desired.

Makes 1 8×8″ pan, approximately 16 brownies.

Isn’t it interesting how every language has at least a few words that defy translation? (Like “fun” or “bromance” in English.) Recently I read this article about the Danish concept of “hygge” (“HYU-gah”), a tough-to-pin-down notion of coziness, well-being, or togetherness. It seems that any experience that evokes these feelings of comfort–coming home to a warm house on a cold night, savoring a candlelit dinner, snuggling in a cozy sweater–qualifies as hygge. In other words, hygge is the feeling of Christmas. The article theorizes that Danes’ cultural emphasis on this concept is a key factor in its consistently ranking as the happiest country on earth.

One of my favorite hygge-inducing activities at Christmastime is baking. I have happy memories of making spritz cookies with my mom every year using this contraption that looks more like an instrument of torture than a baking tool.

Baking for my loved ones, knowing I’m providing them with a special treat at Christmastime, continues to be a joy for me during the holiday season. So when I manage to pull off a really delicious, visually appealing confection like these mint chocolate candy cane cookies, I’m a happy Christmas camper. These require a little extra effort than the standard mix-and-bake drop cookies, but the presentation (and the taste) are worth it! I made a batch and froze it a few weeks ago and our family is still enjoying them one by one out of the freezer–I think we may even like them better cold. Something about the mint flavor’s inherent chilliness just makes it work.

Wishing you a very merry Christmas filled with whatever brings you hygge!

Mint Chocolate Candy Cane Cookies
(Base recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com/inspired by Bon Appetit)

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened
1 1/2 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. peppermint extract
2 c. all-purpose flour
2/3 c. cocoa powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
2 c. mini semisweet chocolate chips, divided
1 c. crushed candy cane

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract until light and fluffy. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt; stir into the butter mixture until blended. Mix in 1 c. mini chocolate chips. Drop by rounded Tablespoons onto a greased baking sheet.

3. Bake 10-11 minutes or until just set. Cool 10 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, microwave remaining 1 c. mini chocolate chips at 20 second intervals until melted. Pour melted chocolate into a squeeze bottle and drizzle in a zig-zag pattern over cookie tops. (Alternatively, if you don’t have a squeeze bottle, dredge a fork through the melted chocolate and drizzle over cookies that way.) Sprinkle with crushed candy cane. Refrigerate until set, about 20 minutes.

Makes 3-4 dozen.