Cake Fridays

It's my son's last day of preschool so we made him something extra special: frozen chocolate pudding and wafer cake!

It doesn't look like much yet, but once he decorates it with these goodies below, it is going to be spectacular.  See recipe here.  It's different from anything I've made before.  It is a three ingredient, no bake cake that starts with a crunchy layer of sugar wafers, then a smooth layer of Cool Whip mixed with instant chocolate pudding, then more sugar wafers, and so on.  27 sugar wafers in all, 2 tubs of Cool Whip and 2 packages of instant chocolate pudding is all you need to make this delicate, kid friendly dessert.  I can't wait to try it!  It will be ready at 5:30, since it has to hang out in the freezer for at least 6 hours.  It will be the perfect end to his favorite dinner and a sad, yet exhilarating day :)     

Applesauce Bread

Moist and creamy, soft and dreamy is how I would describe this bread.  It's outstanding.

Slightly adapted from Momables

• 1/4 C + 2 T oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t nutmeg
• 2/3 C sugar
• 1 1/2 C flour
• 1 t cinnamon
• 1/2 t kosher salt
• 1 1/2 C applesauce
• 1 t vanilla extract

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, blend together oil, egg, & sugar. Then add the flour, baking soda, spices, & salt. After it starts to from a crumbly dough, pour in the applesauce and mix together.
• Spray loaf pan with cooking spray and pour mixture evenly inside. 
• Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  Cover it with foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes.  Cool in pan 10 minutes then turn out onto wire rack to cool completely.   

Raw Vegan Chocolate Chia Seed Pudding

If you're a fan of chia seeds like I am, you'll love this healthy snack/dessert!

2 T chia seeds
1 T cocoa powder
1/2 C nut or seed milk
2 T honey
1/2 t vanilla extract

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl.  Let sit on the counter for 20 minutes.  Stir again.  Put mixture in the fridge to thicken for 4-6 hours.  At this point, you can dig in or put it in the freezer for a few more hours to create an ice cream treat. 

Slightly adapted from Averie Cooks 

Oatmeal Mondays and Cake Trick

Next time you make your bowl of oatmeal, consider adding a splash of extract.  Whether it's vanilla, maple, almond, or even orange extract, this simple step will liven up your morning meal.  Why not try maple extract, chopped walnuts and banana slices, or almond extract, cherries and chocolate chips?  Make yourself a creamsicle treat by adding orange extract and a dollop of Greek yogurt to your cooked oatmeal and swirl.  The possibilities are endless, especially if you stick with tried and true vanilla extract.  Add your favorite fresh or dried fruit, a dash of spice with a handful of nuts or seeds, and you just gave your morning routine a jump start in the right direction.  

On another note, we went to a baptism yesterday for our dear friends and family.  I wish I had taken a picture of the cake.  It was a beautiful powder blue with white pearls dotting the upper and lower rim.  Perfect for the guest of honor.  When cutting the cake, my cousin asked if I had any tricks up my sleeve to cut it.  I quickly remembered reading about this on Pinterest:

"When serving a crowd, cut a circle in the center (place a small bowl on the cake and trace around it). Then cut the outer ring into slices. You'll have nice square pieces that fit on a plate, instead of long wedges that drop off the edge. You can cut the small round middle into pieces too!"
Source: Woman's Day

It worked like a charm!  Everyone had nice, even pieces and there was some cake left over to take home.  Perfect remembrance of the perfect day with one of our favorite families :)          

Cake Fridays

I've posted a strawberry cake on my blog before.  Here is another one for safe measure.  We love our strawberries over here!  This will be my Memorial Day baking venture :)

Click on the picture above and you'll see why this cake sings springtime!

Chocolate Milk Dried Cherry Oatmeal Bread

2 C flour
1 C oats
1/4 C white sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
2 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 t cinnamon
1/2 C dried cherries

Combine in large bowl.  Set aside.

1 1/2 C chocolate milk
2 eggs
3 T oil

Whisk in small bowl.  Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.  Pour into greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes then turn out onto cooling rack to cool completely.      

Peanut Butter and Jelly Greek Yogurt Dessert

 
We ran out of ice cream so I had to get creative.  What better way to get creative than to make something a lot healthier than ice cream for the kids?!  I might be giving this to the kids but I will be buying more ice cream for my husband and I because at the end of a long day, we've earned it :)

1 C Greek yogurt
1 T peanut butter
1 T honey
1/4 C dried cranberries

Mix together yogurt, peanut butter, and honey in a bowl.  Stir in dried cranberries.  Serve with 4 slices of toasted, buttered bread dusted with cinnamon sugar, cut into sticks for dipping.  Makes 2 servings.   

Speculoos Cookies

I made these cookies this morning and the house smells like a cinnamon factory!  If you're a cookie butter fan and vegan, these cookies are perfect for you.  They are super simple to whip up, although next time I think I'll use the stand mixer.  The batter was very hard to mix by hand until I added the soy milk.  Overall, these little gems remind me of peanut butter cookies with their crispy outer shell and chewy interior.  YUM!

Source: Where the Veggies Are

Makes about 20-24 cookies

2/3 cup Speculoos
3/4 cup sugar (or less)
1 tsp cinnamon
pinch salt
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp soy milk

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine the Speculoos, sugar, cinnamon and salt. Add the flour, baking powder, and soy milk. Put 1 tbsp of dough per cookie on a pan and bake 12-16 minutes.

Oatmeal Mondays

Cherry Almond Coconut Protein Balls
Source: Popsugar.com

Ingredients

1 cup raw almonds
1 cup cottage cheese
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup dried cherries, chopped

Directions

1. In a food processor, grind the raw almonds until a coarse powder forms. Add the cottage cheese, maple syrup, and cinnamon and mix until a paste forms.
2. In a separate bowl, mix the rolled oats, coconut, and cherries.
3. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix well.
4. Form into 18 balls and place on a wooden cutting board lined with parchment paper.
5. Place in the freezer for at least 30 minutes.
6. Allow to thaw five minutes before eating.

Makes 18 servings.

Nick Malgieri's Supernatural Brownies

These brownies really are supernatural, hence the name!  If you like a fudgy, moist, non cakey brownie, these are for you.  Not for the faint of heart, these brownies are exploding with rich chocolate flavor.  Enjoy with a tall glass of cold milk or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Source: Saveur

 

16 tbsp. unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, cut into ¼" pieces
4 eggs
1 cup sugar
1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. fine salt
1 cup flour

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease a 9" x 13" baking pan with butter and line with parchment paper; grease paper. Set pan aside.

2. Pour enough water into a 4-quart saucepan that it reaches a depth of 1". Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low. Combine butter and chocolate in a medium bowl; set bowl over saucepan. Cook, stirring, until melted and smooth, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

3. Whisk together eggs in a large bowl. Add sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, and salt; whisk to combine. Stir in chocolate mixture; fold in flour. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, 30–35 minutes. Let cool on a rack. Cut and serve.

 

Cake Fridays

My sister-in-law gave me this recipe and I can't wait to try it!

Apple Spice Cake

21 oz can apple pie filling
18 1/4 oz box spice cake mix
3 eggs
1/4 t ground ginger
1/4 t ground nutmeg
1 t vanilla extract

Beat all ingredients for 2 minutes with electric mixer.  Pour into greased bundt pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.  Cool 15-20 minutes in pan then on wire rack.  Serve. 

Rainy Day Muffins

When life gives you rain, make muffins :)

Buttermilk Peanut Butter Chip M&M Muffins
Slightly adapted from Joy of Baking

2 1/2 C white whole wheat flour
3/4 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1/2 - 3/4 C peanut butter chips

Combine in large bowl.  Set aside.

3/4 C buttermilk
1 egg
1 t vanilla extract
2/3 C canola oil

Whisk together in small bowl.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir to combine.  *Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full of batter.  Dot each muffin top with 3 M&Ms, if desired.  Bake at 375 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan on wire rack for 5 minutes.  Invert and cool completely or eat warm.         

*I used a mini muffin pan and baked for 9 minutes.

Addictive Snack

1/2 C Greek yogurt
1-2 T Speculoos cookie butter spread
1-2 handfuls pretzel pieces

Grab your favorite bowl and spoon.  Mix Greek yogurt and Speculoos in that bowl with that spoon to achieve a swirl effect or go all the way and mix it completely until all white streaks disappear.  Sprinkle pretzel pieces on top and enjoy. 

Chocolatey, Gooey Bars

I just made these and they look amazing!  They smell pretty great too.  I can't wait to dig in once they are set :)

These are perfect to stir up on a hot day because they are no bake.  Your oven can take a snooze while your kitchen stays cool as a cucumber.  If you're a Nutella fan and a s'mores fan, you will love these no bake Nutella s'mores granola bars.

No Bake Nutella S’mores Granola Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 10 granola bars

These easy no bake granola bars are perfect breakfast or any time snacks.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Nutella spread

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup miniature marshmallow bits

Instructions

1. Place the butter and honey in a saucepan and heat over medium low heat until melted. Stir in the Nutella spread and stir until melted. Pour in the oats and stir until completely coated. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. Add the mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallow bits. Stir gently until mixed. Press the mixture firmly into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Let set. Cut into 10 bars. Store in a sealed container.

Read more at http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/02/bake-nutella-smores-granola-bars/#FIslq8pyvfKKUZiJ.

No Bake Nutella S’mores Granola Bars

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 10 granola bars

These easy no bake granola bars are perfect breakfast or any time snacks.

Ingredients

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup Nutella spread

2 1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips

1/2 cup miniature marshmallow bits

Instructions

1. Place the butter and honey in a saucepan and heat over medium low heat until melted. Stir in the Nutella spread and stir until melted. Pour in the oats and stir until completely coated. Let cool 5 minutes.
2. Add the mini chocolate chips and mini marshmallow bits. Stir gently until mixed. Press the mixture firmly into a greased 8x8 baking dish. Let set. Cut into 10 bars. Store in a sealed container.

Read more at http://insidebrucrewlife.com/2014/02/bake-nutella-smores-granola-bars/#FIslq8pyvfK

Oatmeal Mondays and My Daughter is 3!

To celebrate my daughter's birthday, I made her and her brother healthy deep-dish breakfast cookies.  Super easy, quick and delicious.  I simply doubled the recipe and it was the perfect breakfast to celebrate the start of her 3rd year :)

A Bundt for Mother's Day

Bundt cakes are grand and stately with that old world charm.  Almost every grandmother has a tried and true bundt cake recipe that includes 3 sticks of butter, 2 cups of sugar and plenty of eggs.  They look fabulous as a centerpiece on your brunch table, are festive enough for any holiday celebration, and will feed 12-16 people easily.  So whether it's a snack you're craving or an after dinner treat, surprise mom with the perfect gift: a bundt cake. 

Click on the pictures below and discover 3 bundt cakes made by The Food Librarian.   

Chocolate cinnamon

Biscoff speculoos cookie butter

Lemon blueberry ricotta

Cake Fridays

These would be super easy to make and would look adorable on a cupcake stand for Mother's Day.  Since these Nutella cuppy cakes only have three ingredients, you can customize them to your liking.  I would add whipped cream and strawberries :)  Enjoy!

Ingredients:

   -1/2 cup Nutella spread
   -1 large egg
   -5 tablespoons all purpose flour

Directions:

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line a 12-cup mini muffin pan with paper or foil liners.
2. Put the Nutella and egg in a medium bowl and whisk until smooth and well blended. Add the flour and whisk until blended.
3. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins (about 3/4 full).
4. Bake until a pick comes out with wet, gooey crumbs, 11 to 12 minutes. Let them cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve immediately or cover and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

See link here.

Chocolate Spice Bread

 
I've yet to try a recipe by the famous Nick Malgieri.  He is a culinary legend and baker extraordinaire.  You can find out more here.  This chocolate spice bread was my first attempt. I am so excited to try it!

See recipe here.      

My Son is 5 Today!

 
I made cupcakes for my son's preschool class per his request: chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting.  He did inform me that two kids in his class don't like chocolate so I made some vanilla cupcakes as well.  I tried to talk him into marshmallows on top, chunks of candy mixed in, but he wanted plain chocolate cupcakes with plain chocolate frosting.  He did insist on sprinkles though so that livened them up.  I guess I should be grateful that he didn't want a Star Wars Millennium Falcon cake complete with fondant and working motors!

Here is a healthier frosting recipe I think you'll love.  I used this recipe for the first time today to frost my son's cupcakes.  I'd say it made enough to frost 15-18 cupcakes (I tend to not go overboard though).  If you like a lot of frosting, you might want to double the recipe.  I frosted some before adding the cocoa powder.  Both versions are rich, creamy, and oh so delicious.   

Healthier Frosting

1/3 C soft butter
1/3 C room temperature cream cheese

Beat with electric mixer for 2 minutes.

Add 1/4 C powdered sugar and mix.  You can stop here if you want white frosting but for chocolate, add 1/4 C cocoa powder and mix completely.

Frost and enjoy :)      

Oatmeal Mondays

I know this might sound crazy but it really is a good combination: avocado and strawberries!  Cook regular oats according to package instructions.  Stir in 1/4 mashed avocado and sprinkle with diced strawberries.  It makes for a creamy, sweet breakfast treat that is delicious and nutritious.  Enjoy :)  

Cake Fridays

 
These are more healthful cupcakes (they are referred to as muffins but to me, taste more like cupcakes).  Super moist and bursting with green color, these are the perfect springtime treat for even the pickiest of vegetable eaters!

See recipe here.

Soft and Chewy Gingerbread Molasses Chocolate Chip Bars

 
In my opinion, these bars have it all.  I love a good spice cake, but I sometimes miss that pop of chocolate.  Not only do these have melted chocolate running throughout but they are overflowing with spicy flavor.  Thick, rich and chewy, these bars will have you reaching for a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.  That just gave me an idea...soft and chewy gingerbread molasses chocolate chip bar milkshake :)

See link here.