Cake Fridays

Goulash and cake to celebrate a milestone birthday

Today, March 4, 2016, my grandmother and dear friend Dorothy Johnson would've turned 100 years old. My dad reminded me of this at our most recent Sunday supper.  I knew I wanted to honor her memory and what better way than to bake her signature dish, goulash and sing, "Happy birthday, dear Dodie!"  With all of my grandparents gone, I am reminded of the importance of celebrating their legacy with each passing year.  I wish with my whole heart and soul that Grandma Dodie made it to her 100th birthday but since she is in Heaven, I will offer up a plate of comforting goulash, along with a delectable piece of cake.  

This chocolate cake is perfect for any celebration, especially a milestone birthday like today.  It's the kind of dessert you can't wait to sink your teeth into again.  I'm already thinking about having it for breakfast tomorrow!  It's the darkest, most irresistible cake I've ever made with a mildly fruity, bittersweet chocolate frosting.  It is unforgettable, just like my Grandma Dodie.    

So to my lifelong pen pal...

In your words, "Let me end this scribbling and get this letter in the mail."  

But in this case, "Let me end this typing and publish this post so all can try this spectacular cake."             

Chocolate Dream Loaf and Double Peanut Butter Dark Chocolate Chunk Blondies

It was a snowy, icy day here in Apex, NC.  We were all home so that meant baking time.  It started with the first act: chocolate dream loaf.  My next door neighbor came over and we baked two loaves.  Talk about the perfect recipe to make with a friend.  Both loaves turned out beautifully after an hour in the oven.  Like a loaf cake, this oh so dreamy bread starts with a base of one cup milk, one cup coca powder, and half a cup yogurt.  Talk about the perfect dip for sun ripened strawberries.  The flour mixture comes next and the butter, sugar mixture is whipped up in the stand mixer.  Follow the steps of this recipe to yield the lightest, dreamiest loaf cake you'll ever have.  So glad my neighbor came over and encouraged me to make this bread ideal for two hungry families :)

Here is the link.

Lunch was intermission and then it was onto the second act: double peanut butter dark chocolate chunk blondies.  I know the idea sounds crazy but I can't have peanut butter at work since it is a peanut free school so when I am home for lunch I gorge on peanut butter.  My body craves it and I dream about it so I had to make these blondies even more peanut buttery.  The original recipe does not include peanut butter chips and dark chocolate chunks but only chocolate chips.  I am sad to say these were not peanut buttery enough for me!  The texture was great and they baked up perfectly after twenty minutes in the oven but they did not satisfy my strongest of cravings.  Next time I might add all peanut butter chips instead of the eight Dove dark chocolate promises I had hanging out in the bottom of the bag.  Overall, these were loved by all so I will be making them again real soon.    

    
Here is the link.

Pumpkin Cookies

Here is the recipe I used to make the pumpkin cookies on day 9.  The ice cream I stuffed them with is store bought: Turkey Hill Pumpkin Pie.  It's my favorite ice cream this time of year and is seriously delicious!  

My sister-in-law's recipe:

In large mixing bowl, cream 1 C soft butter, 1/2 C sugar, and 1/2 C brown sugar.
Add 1 egg and 1 t vanilla extract.  Mix and scrape down bowl.  Mix in 1 C pumpkin.

In another bowl, combine 2 C flour, 1 t baking soda, 1/2 t nutmeg, 1/2 t cloves, 1/2 t ginger, 1/2 t salt, and 1 T cinnamon.  Pour dry into wet and mix completely.  Lightly grease baking sheets.  Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

Enjoy!  

12 Days of Cookies

We finally have internet in our new house!  I am so excited to be writing this post :)  It's been a hectic four months but we are settled in now and I am getting back into blogging.

To celebrate the season, I decided to bake every even numbered day (the 2nd through the 24th) in December, thus creating my 12 days of cookies.  I make the dough the night before and bake the cookies off the morning of each post.  It's hard squeezing in baking when you have a full time job and a family to take care of but it's my passion so I am going to deliver on my promise.

Here's the breakdown of days and types of cookies with links included.

Merry Christmas!

Day 1: Ginger Sandwich Cookies with Biscoff Filling
http://cookiesonfriday.blogspot.com/2013/10/ginger-sandwich-cookies-with-apple.html

Day 2: Perfect Peanut Butter Cookies
http://www.sprinklesomesugar.com/perfect-peanut-butter-cookies/

Day 3: Oatmeal Cranberry White Chocolate Chip Cookies
http://www.oceanspray.com/Recipes/Corporate/Desserts-Snacks/Oatmeal-Cranberry-White-Chocolate-Chunk-Cookies.aspx

Day 4: Chocolate Chip Cookies
http://diethood.com/chocolate-chip-cookie-sandwiches-with-nutella-cream-cheese-filling/

Day 5: Pecan Peanut Butter Cookies
http://www.culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody.com/2007/02/09/166/

Day 6: Chocolate Oatmeal Chippers
https://www.verybestbaking.com/recipes/30113/chocolate-oatmeal-chippers/

Day 7: Maple Syrup Cookies
http://hugsandcookiesxoxo.com/2014/04/french-toast-cookies-maple-syrup.html

Day 8: Ginger Molasses Cookies
http://www.wellplated.com/ginger-molasses-maple-cream-sandwich-cookies/

Day 9: Pumpkin Cookies Stuffed with Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream
Not online: my sister-in-law's recipe posted on 12-20-2015

Day 10: White Chocolate Cashew Cookies
http://www.lemonsforlulu.com/white-chocolate-butterscotch-cashew-cookies/

Day 11: Almond Cheesecake Pudding Cookies
http://www.chef-in-training.com/2011/08/almond-cheesecake-pudding-cookies/

Day 12: Chocolate Molasses Cookies
http://www.fromaway.com/cooking/chocolate-molasses-cookies

Oatmeal Mondays

These oatmeal muffins were featured on America's Test Kitchen and they are so worth the effort.  There are some steps to this recipe, along with some tender loving care (toasting the oats, making oat flour, concocting the streusel topping).  The payoff is astronomical though.  These muffins taste like a bowl of cinnamon swirl oatmeal topped with toasted pecans bathed in cinnamon and butter.  I can't wait to make them again!

Here is the recipe.

Date Bars

Vanilla coconut almond date bars...

crunchy, chewy, sweet and tropical.  These are so yummy :)

Here is the recipe.  

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I didn't even realize this is a copycat recipe for the coveted Great Harvest pumpkin chocolate chip bread.  I have not had the pleasure of tasting it but people rave about it.  This bread is moist, spicy, and FILLED with chocolate chips.

FYI: I used 2 C sugar total instead of 3 C.  My bread baked for 45 minutes uncovered, 5 minutes covered with foil.  This kept the top of the two loaves from burning.    

Here is the recipe.    

Oatmeal Mondays

Transform those spotty, tired bananas into something fabulous!  These bars are hearty from the oats, creamy from the peanut butter, and sweet from the bananas.  They make the perfect breakfast bar.

Cut into 8 BIG bars for adults or 16 smaller bars for kids.  They travel well, go great with hazelnut spread, and keep you full for hours.  

Here is the recipe: Peanut Butter Banana Bars

Cake Fridays

Yay!  Made it to Friday!  But sadly, I didn't get a picture of this beautiful, rich double chocolate banana cake either!  If you have extra bananas to use up, this is the perfect solution.  With no oil or butter in the batter, it makes for a healthier option.  Low fat but decadent, this double chocolate banana cake will have everyone fooled.  The texture is spot-on, not spongy at all.  It reminds me of my double chocolate banana muffins but in cake form.  The kids and adults in the house LOVED it!    

FYI: My cake baked for 33 minutes.  

Cinnamon Spice Mini Muffins

I failed to get a picture of these mini muffins!  They went so fast!  I have to remember to take a picture right when they come out of the oven, otherwise I miss my opportunity.

I made a variation of these muffins from one of my favorite baking blogs: bakeorbreak.

Here is my version:

1 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 t baking powder
1/4 t each cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger
1/8 t each cloves, allspice
1/2 t salt

Whisk all ingredients in bowl.  Set aside.

1/2 C almond milk
1 flax egg
1/4 C oil
1/2 C sugar

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl until smooth and completely incorporated. Add to dry mixture and stir to combine.  Using a small ice cream scoop, dollop mounds of batter into 19 greased mini muffin cups.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Let cool in pan for ten minutes, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.  Enjoy with butter :)      

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love this recipe not only because the cookies are creamy and dreamy, but the measurements are so easy to remember!    

FYI: I added a splash of almond milk, 1 C chocolate chips, and made small and large cookies.  The small cookies baked for 9 minutes and the big ones, for 13 minutes.  I baked some at 350 degrees and some at 375 degrees only because my oven tends to burn baked goods when set at 375 degrees.  I didn't notice much of a difference with this recipe.  

Check it out and make these cookies today!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brownie Bars

Words cannot express how good these bars are.  You have to make them, taste one, then another, then another.  Brownie bottom paired with chocolate chip cookie topping is complete bliss.

FYI: My brownie layer turned out gooey so I cut the cooled bars and froze them for a few hours.  They firmed up beautifully.  Mine baked for 25 minutes.

Here is the recipe.  

Cake Fridays

It is so hot outside so what better way to cool down than with a refreshing, citrus cake!  The combination of lime, lemon, and orange make for a surprisingly tangy, sour bite with the perfect amount of sugary sweetness.

My only complaint with this cake is the texture.  I don't normally bake with cake flour but in this case, the recipe called for it so I used it.  It created a powdery texture that some might be fond of but I prefer either a light, airy cake or a dense, solid pound cake.  It was somewhere in between and we couldn't figure out if we liked it or not!  Overall, the citrus flavors were delightful and this cake made for the perfect summer dessert.

Instead of tequila-lime frosting, I made my all-time favorite frosting but substituted coconut extract for the vanilla extract.

Here is the recipe:

1 stick soft butter
1 block soft cream cheese
1 C powdered sugar
1-2 t coconut extract

Whip in the stand mixer 2-3 minutes until smooth and completely incorporated.  Frost cooled cake anyway you'd like :)

The frosting was my favorite part!  I have never used coconut extract and the smell instantly transforms you to the tropics.  I have since bought lemon extract and I can't wait to make a blueberry lemon cake or a raspberry lemon loaf with a lemony frosting or glaze.  Better get going before the summer is over and citrus is replaced by fall flavors!              

Here is the cake recipe.

Clean Eating Peanut Butter Fruit Dip

I halved the original recipe to see if we'd like it and we did it!  The kids ate it with a spoon but it is meant to be used as a dip :)

1/4 C peanut butter
1/4 C Greek yogurt
1 T honey
2 T milk
1 T flaxseed meal

Whisk all ingredients in small bowl.  Serve with your favorite fruit.  Store in the refrigerator.

Here is the source.

Potato Chip Cookies

Nobody loves cookies more than my husband does and these may be his new favorites.  

They are perfectly chewy and gooey.  They will satisfy even the strongest sugary craving.  Crisp, toothsome cookies coming right up!     

Potato Chip Cookies

1 stick soft butter

1/2 C brown sugar

1/2 C granulated sugar

1 egg

1 1/4 C flour

1/4 t salt

1/2 t baking soda

1/2 t vanilla extract

1 C chocolate chips

1 C crushed potato chips

Whip butter and sugars in stand mixer until light and fluffy, 2 minutes.  Add egg and vanilla extract.  Mix thoroughly.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and baking soda.  Add gradually to butter mixture and stir to combine.  Mix in chocolate chips and potato chips by hand.  Chill dough in the fridge for one hour.  When ready to bake, roll dough into 1 1/2 inch balls and place 8 at a time on greased baking sheet.  Bake in 350 degree oven for 11 minutes.  Let cookies rest on pan 5 minutes, then transfer to cooling racks to cool completely.     

Cake Fridays

Easiest and tastiest boxed cake mix cupcakes I've ever had!  All you do is dump yellow boxed cake mix into a bowl with 1 C Greek yogurt and 1 C water.  Whisk vigorously for 2 minutes until smooth.  Then bake according to box instructions.  The cupcakes turn out moist and light, perfect for a summer dessert party. The frosting is just 1 block soft cream cheese, 1 stick soft butter, 1 C powdered sugar, and 1 capful vanilla extract, plus any food coloring you desire.  Whip it up with your hand mixer or stand mixer and slather on the cakes.  The tangy frosting paired with the yogurt based cupcakes are the perfect combination.  I will be making these all the time!

Next time, I might add some zest to the batter to brighten up the flavors.  A flavored yogurt would work well here or a different boxed cake mix like chocolate, devil's food or butter.  I might experiment with different extracts too. Think of all the possibilities...

Another Breadwinner

I wish I got a picture of this chocolate-pear tea bread.  It has a delightful crumb, not to mention perfectly fluffy and soft with melted chocolate chips running throughout.  And don't get me started on the sweet pear chunks!  I had two pears that would not ripen so this was the perfect use for them.  They softened while baking but still kept their shape and texture.  Baking with pears has brought me to a new level of appreciation for the beautiful, feminine fruit.

If I had to choose, I would probably bake this chocolate-pear tea bread over the peanut butter apple banana bread I featured yesterday but only because I prefer its texture.  I do wonder if this batter could be baked in a cupcake tin and pass for cupcakes, not muffins.  Might be something to try...

FYI: My tea bread baked for 51 minutes.

Here is the recipe.      

Peanut Butter Apple Banana Bread

This bread was good, combining three of my favorite things: bananas, apples, and peanut butter.  The bake time was a bit off though.  I used 2 large bananas and one large apple so that may have been the problem.  I also substituted canola oil for the coconut oil.  Mine started to burn in the oven so I covered it with foil but it still turned out underdone.  Overall, the flavor was great but the texture was a bit spongy.  Might have to give it another try someday :)

Here is the recipe.    

Oatmeal Mondays

You have got to try this recipe!  These were super messy to make but well worth it!  They are cute, popable, portable treats the whole family will love. Chewy from the old fashioned oats, sweet from the dates, creamy from the peanut butter, and crunchy from the semi sweet chocolate chips, these bites are filled with varying flavors and textures.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites + a tall glass of milk = a breakfast worth waking up for!

FYI: I used peanut butter and did not make mine gluten free or vegan.  I also did not add vanilla extract.

Here is the recipe.

Cake Fridays

We devoured this cake in 2 days flat!  It is so chocolately, dense and rich that you can't stop eating it!  I slathered it with cookie butter while my husband opted for butter.  My kids ate it plain and decorated the table with its crumbs. I think our dog was wishing she could get to those crumbs!  I made this cake because I wanted a straight up chocolate loaf without all the mix-ins.  I was craving chocolate and this delivered. Make this and I guarantee that you'll agree :)

FYI: I used 2/3 C sugar instead of a full cup.  I also substituted 3/4 C almond milk in place of butermilk.  My pound cake baked for 37 minutes.  

Here is the recipe.