Cake Fridays

These take me back to when the kids were younger and I would do anything to get them to eat pureed baby food fast.  I don't miss those days of feeding fussy babies super pungent fruits and vegetables out of a jar with the tiniest spoon possible, which made the feeding process go that much longer.  So I would play around with different jarred baby foods when making these mini cakes and the kids would just gobble them up!  I bet if I made them now they would devour them as well.  So whether you have a baby or a toddler, these babycakes are a sure fire way to get your child to eat more pureed fruits and vegetables.  Feel free to use any flavor variety you like :)     

Babycakes

½ t baking soda

1 t salt

1 ½ t baking powder

2 ¼ C flour

3 eggs

¼ C honey

½ C brown sugar

¾ C white sugar

¾ C butter, softened

2 t cinnamon

1 4 oz jar pumpkins with pears baby food

2 4 oz jars applesauce and apricots baby food

½ C ground pecans, optional depending on age of child

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In small bowl, mix baking soda, salt, baking powder, and flour thoroughly with a fork and set aside.  Using a hand mixer, combine eggs, honey, sugars, and butter in large bowl.  Add cinnamon and baby foods.  Mix until smooth.  Fold in pecans.  Slowly add flour mixture to wet until ingredients are evenly mixed.  Fill 24 mini muffin cups (paper lined or greased) ¾ way full with batter.  Bake 12 minutes.  Let stand in muffin tin 5 minutes and then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.  

Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars

I saw these on Pinterest last night and thought, "What a neat idea!"  These bars are a healthy alternative to ice cream, a new way to eat Greek yogurt, and are packed with everything yummy.  With fruit, nuts, granola, and chocolate chips, these bars look absolutely mouthwatering, refreshing, and fun to eat.  I will undoubtedly be making these very soon :)

Bishop's Bread

You have got to try this bread!  I typically don't put tons of mix-ins in my quick breads but I did this time.  This bread is chock full of nuts, dried fruits and chocolate chips.  With a superb blend of textures and flavors, this moist bread will have you going back for seconds and thirds.  Don't forget to slather it with butter to achieve that salty, sweet bite :)

Bishop's Bread
Source: The English Kitchen

1 egg
1/2 C sugar
1/4 cup oil
1 t vanilla extract
1 C buttermilk
2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup dried cherries
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 350*F.  Grease a 9 by 5 inch loaf pan. 

Whisk the egg until light. Add the sugar, oil and vanilla, beating it all well together. Blend in the buttermilk. Set aside.

Sift the flour into another bowl, along with the baking soda and salt. Stir in the nuts, cherries, raisins and chocolate chips. Add this mixture to the liquid mixture, all at once. Stir just to combine. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Smooth the top. Bake for about one hour, or until well risen, golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store in an airtight container. Serve, thinly sliced.

Swedish Sticky Chocolate Cake

We had dinner at a friend's house Sunday night, and we brought this cake.  The kids and adults loved it!  It kind of reminded us of chocolate chess pie.  Dense, fudgy, and sweet, this dessert is definitely a chocolate lover's dream.  My kids have already requested it again (good thing it's so simple to make and I already have all the ingredients on hand).  It goes fast so you may want to double the recipe :)
     

Oatmeal Mondays

I've been really into apples lately, especially in my oatmeal.  With a tablespoon of chia seeds and a sprinkling of nutmeg, I am good to go until lunchtime.  Give it a try :)

Raspberry Chipotle Black Bean Dip

This was one of the first recipes I pinned on Pinterest.  It took me up until a few days ago to actually make it.  The combination of flavors scared some people off but I went for it anyway in the hopes that it would win over even the pickiest of eaters.  It worked!  Granted, the kids didn't like it due to the smokiness and spiciness of the dish but the adults raved about it.  My husband even suggested spreading it on a tortilla with slices of turkey.  Yum!  So don't be frightened off by the raspberry preserves, chipotles in adobo sauce, black beans, cream cheese and shredded cheese.  They all compliment each other and create a harmonious dip just waiting to be scooped up by your favorite chip :)

And the Winner is...

Peanut Butter Sweethearts!  I chose to make these peanut butter cookies (http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2012/02/02/peanut-butter-sweethearts/) because the recipe calls for the most peanut butter!  I love this blog too.  Her cookies are always fluffy and delicious.  Her recipes are reliable, tried and true.  In following her methods, I've learned so much about baking, while still having fun in the process.  Chilling the dough before baking, keeping 9 minutes as your standard baking time, and not over mixing produces a consistently moist, delectable dessert every time.  Thank you Sally!     

Cake Fridays

Gingerbread Speculoos and Dark Chocolate Cake

Source: Joy the Baker

makes 1- 8×8-inch cake

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup unsulfured molasses
3/4 cup hot water
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup Speculoos spread
3 ounces dark chocolate, melted (I used Godiva 72% dark chocolate)

Place a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8×8-inch square baking pan.  Line with parchment paper and grease the parchment paper as well. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, cardamom, baking powder, and salt.  In a medium bowl, whisk together melted butter, sugar, eggs, and molasses.  Whisk until smooth and well combined.  Add the hot water and vanilla and carefully stir to incorporate.

Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients.  Stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to combine.  When no pockets of flour remain, and the batter is entirely smooth and silky, pour into the prepared pan.  Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.  Allow to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before removing to a wire rack to prepare to frost.

When cake has cooled, but is still just warm to the touch, gently spread with Speculoos (or Cookie Butter from Trader Joes).  Be gentle, as to not tear the cake.  The Speculoos will begin to melt against the warm cake as it is spread.  Great!  When entire cake is covered and Speculoos is dripping down the sides of the cake, drizzle generously with the melted dark chocolate.  I placed my melted chocolate in a small ziplock bag and cut a tiny piece of the tip off, creating a makesift pastry bag.  Place cake in the fridge to set the Speculoos and dark chocolate for 30 minutes before serving. 

   

Peanut Butter Cookie Craze

I've been craving peanut butter cookies lately.  I've made the kind with three ingredients: peanut butter, sugar, an egg but sometimes you want something fluffier and more complex.  Here are three recipes I'm considering:

http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/soft-peanut-butter-cookie-recipe/

http://www.bromabakery.com/2010/12/half-way-to-heaven-peanut-butter.html

http://www.plainchicken.com/2008/07/best-peanut-butter cookies.html?spref=pi

They all look so good...not sure which one to choose :) 

Pumpkin Muffins

I've been on the hunt for a good pumpkin muffin recipe that does not require any eggs.  I've read that pumpkin can replace eggs in cookie recipes but wasn't sure about muffin ones. These seem to fit the bill.  They are super moist, cakey, and light.  I hope you'll give them a try :)

The Best Pumpkin Muffins
Source: Todays Mama

1 3/4 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup pureed pumpkin
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup oil

Optional Ingredients:
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup cinnamon sugar (1/2 cup sugar mixed with 1 tsp cinnamon)

Combine dry ingredients in a medium bowl: flour, baking powder, salt, spices.
Combine wet ingredients in a small bowl: Pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk.
You can stop the recipe here and refrigerate the wet ingredients until morning, or keep going.
Stir wet ingredients into dry, stir until just combined. Spray regular muffin tin with non-stick spray. Using a large ice cream scoop, scoop the batter generously into the tins (should be about 2/3 full).  Sprinkle tops of muffins with chopped pecans (if using).  Bake in a 400 degree oven for 18-20 minutes. Remove to a cooling rack.
You can serve the muffins at this point, or dip the top of each warm muffin into the melted butter and then into the cinnamon sugar for a delicious topping.

Spiced Buttermilk Bread

Awhile back, I got a bag of pears at Trader Joe's, hoping to make this bread before they were all eaten.  That didn't happen.  But, I still made the bread last night minus the fruit tucked into the top and the crunch of the raw sugar.  It turned out great but I wish I had let the browned butter cool a bit longer.  It curdled the buttermilk egg mixture some even though I poured it in ever so slightly.  Nonetheless, the bread was both tangy and moist from the buttermilk.  The nuttiness from the brown butter, the spiciness from the cinnamon, ginger and allspice, the sweetness from the brown sugar, and the brightness from the lemon zest give this bread tons of flavor.  I will definitely make this again with the addition of pears and sprinkle of turbinado sugar to the top, if we can ever keep pears around for that long :)
    
Spiced Buttermilk Cake with Pears

Source: Buttered Up

2 cups whole wheat pastry flour

½ cup oat flour

1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon ground ginger
½ teaspoon cinnamon 
¼ teaspoon ground all-spice

½ cup brown sugar

½ teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

¼ cup butter, melted until brown and cooled
Zest of 1 medium lemon

½ a medium-sized pear sliced into ¼-inch wedges

3 tablespoons large grain raw sugar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375⁰F degrees with racks in the middle. Line a 9 X 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper.

Combine the flour, baking powder, ground ginger, cinnamon and all-spice, sugar and salt in a large bowl. In a separate smaller bowl whisk together the eggs and the buttermilk, whisk in the melted butter, and the lemon zest. Pour the buttermilk mixture over the flour mixture and stir until just combined (do not over mix).

Pour the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Gently nudge in the pear slices diagonally into the top of the batter, leaving about ¼ of the fruit peaking out. Sprinkle with the large grain sugar. Bake for 40-60 minutes or until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. 

Oatmeal Mondays

With an abundance of apples in the fridge and days filled with red and pink candy eating, I'm making this today to start the week off right.  Packed with fiber and spices, this baked oatmeal makes ordinary breakfast feel extraordinary.

Apple Pie Baked Oatmeal

Source: Budget Bytes

 

APPLE PIE LAYER

• 2 medium apples $1.81
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice $0.06
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar $0.04
• 1 Tbsp corn starch $0.06
• ½ tsp cinnamon $0.03
• ⅛ tsp ground cloves $0.02

OATMEAL

• 2 large eggs $0.50
• 1½ cups unsweetened applesauce $0.93
• 1 tsp vanilla extract $0.28
• 1 tsp salt $0.05
• 1 tsp baking powder $0.04
• 1 tsp cinnamon $0.05
• ¼ cup brown sugar $0.08
• 1½ cups milk $0.38
• 2½ cups old-fashioned rolled oats $0.43

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the apples into cubes. Place them in a bowl along with the lemon juice, corn starch, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves. Toss to coat. Place the seasoned apples in the bottom of an 8×8 inch casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick spray.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, apple sauce, vanilla, salt, baking powder, ¼ cup brown sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Add the milk and whisk again. Finally, stir in the dry oats. Pour this mixture over the chopped apples in the casserole dish.
3. Bake the oatmeal for 45 minutes at 375 degrees or until the top is light golden brown and no longer wet in the center. Cut into eight pieces and serve or refrigerate until ready to eat.

   

Brown Sugar Blondies

These bars won everyone's vote for Valentine's Day so I whipped them up.

The creamy, caramel colored batter begs for a taste, but since it contains a beaten raw egg, I let my nose have all the fun.  Stick your nose into it and you'll see what I mean!  Nothing like brown sugar mixed with melted butter and vanilla.  Yum :)  With M & M's running through out the dough and a second helping sunken and crackled on top, these bars are both beautiful to look at and milk chocolatey sweet to taste.  Bake these for your kids, your love or treat yourself this Valentine's Day.  Enjoy the sugar rush :)

Brown Sugar Blondies
Source: Baked Perfection
adapted from Allrecipes.com

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 cup to 1 1/3 cup M&M's

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C).

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and set aside. Melt 1/3 cup butter. Add 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar and mix well. Cool slightly. Add egg (beaten) and vanilla and blend well. Add flour mixture, a little at a time, mixing well. Mix in 2/3 cup M&M's. Spread in 9 x 9 x 2 inch pan. Sprinkle 1/3 to 2/3 cup M&M's on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Store in airtight container at room temperature.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here are four recipes I've come across that are sure to make your holiday fun, festive and delicious.  I will be making one of these desserts...just not sure which one :)


http://www.thecountrycook.net/2013/02/fresh-strawberry-cake.html

http://www.bakedperfection.com/2009/02/brown-sugar-blondies-for-valentines-day.html  

http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/01/soft-mm-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

http://www.averiecooks.com/2012/07/chocolate-chip-and-cherry-blondies.html

Pre-Valentine's Day Treat

Just got in from shoveling the driveway.  That snow is heavy and my fingers are a bit frozen but onto more exciting, sweet things...

Since my son has a snow day and they were supposed to have their preschool Valentine's Day party, we made something special to celebrate.  Maybe you'll want to do the same thing with your kiddos :)

1 T unsalted butter
3 T peanut butter chips
Melt in a nonstick saucepan over medium heat.

5 oz marshmallows
Add to same saucepan and stir until completely melted.

3 C Cheerios
Add to same saucepan off the heat and stir to coat.  Press mixture down to flatten in a greased 8x8 glass Pyrex.  Add heart sprinkles immediately.  Let cool and cut into bars.

Festive, right?!  And so cute :)    

Cinnamon Quick Bread

This might just be my new favorite bread recipe.  Who can resist warm cinnamon and sugar?  The spicy, sweet aroma transports the mind to a calm, happy place.  Studies have been conducted, I promise!  Aside from that, the combination rivals peanut butter and jelly, cherries and almond extract.  But I think it's the topping that puts this in a different category.  The butter, cinnamon, brown sugar mixture you drizzle over top before baking sinks to the bottom and forms this beautiful marbled effect.  This bread is a masterpiece for the eyes and the taste buds.  This has earned a spot in my family's quick bread rotation.  Be sure to make this bread today!   

Oh So Chocolatey Cookies

 

We have two boxes of Girl Scout cookies in the pantry and my family continues to complain that we have no sweets in the house.  I think I've spoiled them :) 

Don't get me wrong, we all adore Girl Scout cookies but there's something so comforting about freshly baked cookies.  The smells coming from the kitchen, filling every room in the house...nothing beats that.  And right now, our house smells like chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. 

These cookies looked like lumps of coal on the baking sheets; they were so dark except for the pop of red from the dried cherries peaking out from inside the dough.  After baking, they proved to be a crumbly, crispy, chewy cookie with a whole lot of intense chocolate flavor.  If you're a fan of chocolate covered cherries (like my husband and I), these are the cookies for you.

Double Dark Chocolate Cherry Cookies
Source: Bake or Break

Yield: about 24 cookies

• 1 cup all-purpose flour

• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 2/3 cup granulated sugar

• 1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

• 1 large egg

• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

• 1/3 cup dried sour cherries

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar about 3 minutes or until fluffy. Add egg and mix well. Stir in vanilla. Reduce mixer speed to low and add flour mixture in three portions, mixing each just until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and cherries. Refrigerate dough for a few hours until firm. Place the dough on a clean work surface and divide in half. Roll out into logs about 12 inches long. Refrigerate for about an hour. Dough can be frozen for a month if wrapped well in plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Preheat oven to 350°. Line baking sheets. Cut dough into 1-inch slices. Place cookies 1 & 1/2 inches apart on baking sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until cookies look just baked. Do not overbake.

Oatmeal Mondays

Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars...need I say more?!

For this morning's installment, I'm going to feature an oatmeal based dessert that could very well be a yummy breakfast treat.  These bars taste like pumpkin pie sandwiched between two oatmeal cookies (much like the website states).  They have a crunchy, chewy crumble bottom and top with a smooth, velvety pumpkin pie center.  Layer by layer, texture upon texture, these bars are both hearty and pleasing to the palate.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for dessert, plain for breakfast and you'll be a happy camper :)

See recipe here.

 

Zucchini, Feta and Olive Oil Muffins

These are the kinds of muffins I live for.  Zucchini, feta, extra virgin olive oil, basil and black pepper all in one bite!  No sweetness exists with these treats (it felt so foreign to not add sugar to the batter) but they are every bit as good as the dessert muffins I bake.

Perfectly light and fluffy from the evaporated milk and eggs, these are an unexpected treat.  The feta cheese adds just a hint of salt without weighing down the finished product.  The basil and zucchini produce an earthy flavor while the extra virgin olive oil adds fruitiness.  Harmonious is how I would describe these beauties.  Perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  If you crave these ingredients, then these muffins are for you :)

Zucchini, Feta and Olive Oil Muffins

Source: Miss Sammi Sunshine

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (I used AP flour)

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 1/2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup milk (I used evaporated milk)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 eggs

3 TBSP. freshly chopped basil (I used 2 t dried basil)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a muffin pan or line with muffin liners.

2. Combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the zucchini and feta cheese and mix until combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the rest of the ingredients. Add to the other bowl of ingredients and mix gently until everything is combined.

4. Scoop mixture into muffin pan and divide evenly between 12  cups. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until lightly browned on top.

           

Saturday Sandwich

I know this blog is sweet and not really savory oriented but I am obsessed with this sandwich so much so that I feel the need to share it with everyone.  It is so creamy, rich, juicy and crunchy.  AND it's healthy!  Make it today.  You will not be disappointed :) 


1/2 mashed avocado
4 tomato slices
6 cucumber slices
salt and pepper to taste
extra virgin olive oil (optional)
2 slices toasted wheat bread

Slather the bread with mashed avocado, layer cucumber slices, then tomato slices on top.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  If you're feeling really adventurous, drizzle with olive oil.  Eat immediately.   

Cake Fridays

I started making this cake in a 13x9 inch pan but then discovered that it would make an excellent go-to cupcake for birthday parties, brunches, any family celebration come to think of it.  It's very sweet so a little powdered sugar is all you need but if you want to frost these beauties, a vanilla buttercream or cream cheese frosting would work beautifully.     

Coffee Cake Cupcakes

1/2 C oil

1/2 C applesauce

1 C sugar

1 C brown sugar

2 eggs

1 T vanilla extract

2 ½ C flour

1 t baking soda

1 t salt

1 t cinnamon

1 C low fat buttermilk

1 C coconut flakes, unsweetened

1 C nuts of choice, chopped

Combine oil, applesauce, sugars, eggs and vanilla in small bowl.  Combine flour, soda, salt and cinnamon in large bowl.  Add to egg mixture alternating with buttermilk.  Stir in coconut and nuts.  Fill 24 paper lined muffin cups ¾ full and bake 15-17 minutes at 350 degrees.  Dust with powdered sugar if desired.