Santa Won’t Be Delayed

Santa won’t have any trouble getting to Minnesota this Christmas if the weather we’ve had continues.

I woke up to this winter wonderland  for what seems like the 10th time this December. Is it really not even considered winter yet? Oh, help me. 

But there is one, yes only one good thing about being snowed in—it is a great excuse to stay snuggled up inside and turn on the warm oven, bake cookies, and the necessary taste-testing session as well. So I guess if all this snow is coming the week before Christmas, it’s ok, I had baking on my agenda anyways!

3 days to go!

Santa Graham Cookies

Ingredients:

• Red food color, I used Wilton red food coloring paste
• 1 1/4 cups vanilla frosting (from 16-oz. can)
• 12 (2 1/2-inch-square) graham crackers
• 1 cup (about 75) miniature marshmallows, halved crosswise
• 6 small red gumdrops, halved crosswise
• 24 red cinnamon candies, I used mini red and green M&M’s instead

Directions:

1. Line cookie sheet with waxed paper. In small bowl, stir 1/4 teaspoon red food color into 1/4 cup of the frosting; blend well. In separate bowl, stir 1 drop red food color into remaining 1 cup frosting; blend well.
2. For each cookie, frost 1 inch of one corner of cracker with dark red frosting for Santa's hat. Place 1 marshmallow piece in corner for pom-pom.
3. Frost remainder of cracker with pink frosting. Place marshmallow pieces on pink frosting around 2 sides for beard. Add gumdrop for nose and cinnamon candies for eyes. Place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet.

Directions In Pictures:

“Ho ho ho!”

How much snow do you have where you live?

Hankering for Hummingbird

 

Growing up I can always remember lazy summer days, sitting in the kitchen and looking out the window at all of the birds coming to the feeder. As far back as I can remember, hummingbirds were my favorite. I was intrigued by how fast their wings moved and how swiftly they could come and go. Now that I am in an apartment, I don’t get to enjoy watching the hummingbirds, but I know it’s something to look forward to when I visit home along with many other things of course!

But obviously this isn’t a blog about birds, but instead a blog about food, so how does that tie together with hummingbirds you ask? With the one-of-a-kind hummingbird cake of course! :-)

Even I questioned how a cake and a hummingbird have a similarity, but supposedly this confection descended from Jamaican roots and the hummingbird is one of the national symbols. Regardless  of where it came from or how it got its name, there’s no arguing that this fruit-filled sweet is definitely something you want to try if you haven’t already!

Hummingbird Cake

*Recipe adapted by me*

Ingredients:

3  cups  all-purpose flour

1  teaspoon  baking soda

1  teaspoon  salt

2  cups  sugar or Splenda

1  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

3  large eggs one large egg + 2 egg white, beaten

1  cup  vegetable oil 1 cup unsweetened applesauce

1 1/2  teaspoons  vanilla extract

1  (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1/2 c  chopped pecans

2  cups  chopped bananas

Cream cheese frosting:

1  (8-ounce) package  fat-free cream cheese, softened

1/2  cup  butter or margarine, softened

1  (16-ounce) package powdered sugar, sifted

1  teaspoon  vanilla extract

 

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; add eggs and applesauce, stirring until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not beat.) Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1/4 cup pecans, and bananas.

Pour batter into three greased and floured 9-inch round cakepans. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks 10 minutes; remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Spread Cream Cheese Frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake; sprinkle 1/4 cup chopped pecans on top. Store in refrigerator.

*I sprinkled these on top instead of pecans*

-Sweet plantain chips-

As you may have noticed, I tried to lighten this up a bit by using applesauce in place of the oil, and a few other substitutes. Here are some secrets of eggs concerning baking lighter:

• Packaged cake mixes usually contain ingredients that help with texture, tenderness, etc. so using only egg white often works fine.
• One large whole egg has 70 calories, 5 grams fat, and 213 mg cholesterol. 2 egg whites have 30 calories and no cholesterol.
• When reducing eggs in a from-scratch recipe, substitute 2 egg whites or 1/4 c egg substitute. It’s best to leave at least 1 whole egg.

Have you tried hummingbird cake?

p.s. Get your hands on this cookie if you can!

Nana’s Peanut Butter Cookies

(Disclaimer:free product)

*It’s sweetened with fruit juice sweetener, but you’d never be able to tell if I didn’t tell you! ;-)

*Fresh-baked and super cake-like.

*Great peanut butter flavor.

 

Sweets O’ The Irish

Hello all! How is the week rolling along for you? Mine is no longer filled with days of sleeping in, leisurely paces, etc—spring break is unfortunately over and it’s back to waking up and cramming for school. At least there is only 7 weeks of the semester left!! So onto the next holiday/celebration of the year—St.Patrick’s Day! I don’t have one smidgen of Irish in me, but as a person who relishes in making any themed foods, I still participate in all things green! Are you Irish? How do you celebrate St. Pattie’s Day?Of course I had to dig up some interesting facts about the holiday before I could bake up a sweet treat…**Try this little quiz and see how you score!**

What is colcannon?

• Corned beef and cabbage
• Mashed potatoes and spinach
• Mashed potatoes with onions and greens
• Corned beef with onions and greens

A bar in which city recently made the world's largest Irish coffee?

• Dublin
• Boston
• Milwaukee
• San Francisco
• New York

True or false: Irish soda bread is made with club soda.

• True
• False

What is boxty?

• A traditional Irish stew
• A mix of raw and cooked potatoes
• An Irish-style omelet
• An Irish liquor made from potatoes

True or false: Bailey's Irish Cream actually hails from Ireland.

• True
• False

One: Colcannon is a traditional Irish dish consisting of mashed potatoes mixed with onions and greens.

Two: It was the Buena Vista Cafe in San Francisco.

Three: False. Though it contains baking soda, Irish soda bread contains no club soda.

Four: Boxty is a mix of raw and cooked potatoes that's often made into bread, pancakes, and dumplings.

Five: True. Launched in the 1970s, Baileys is indeed Irish in origin.

I got 3 out of 5 right. Number 2 and 4 got me! I have actually never heard of boxty—what was your score?

For each petal on the shamrock
This brings a wish your way-
Good health, good luck, and happiness
For today and every day.

St.Pattie’s Peppermint Chocolate Cupcakes

Makes: 24

Ingredients-

Cupcakes:

• 1 box Pillsbury Devil’s Food Cake
• 1/2 c vegetable oil
• 3 eggs
• 1/2 c mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 c Andes mint chips
• 24 cupcake liners

Buttercream Frosting:

• 1 tsp mint extract
• few drops green food coloring
• 1 stick butter
• 3 3-4 c powdered sugar
• 3-4 tbsp milk

Directions:

• Preheat oven to degree called for on cake mix box. Mix cake mix, oil and eggs together thoroughly. Add mini chocolate chips.
• Line cupcake pan with liners and pour until each is about 2/3 full.
• Bake as directed.
• Meanwhile, for the frosting, combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix until combined. Add more milk if necessary for spreading consistency.
• Let cupcakes cool completely—45 minutes.
• Place frosting in a star fitted pastry bag and pipe frosting on cupcakes. Immediately top with Andes mint chips.

 

Ending the Week Sweet

I lucked out with a 4 day weekend this week. I always have Thursdays off and then all of my classes got cancelled on Friday, but I’m not complaining. :-)

A lot of you have been asking what I have been up to lately, so I figured other than just sharing the recipes and meals I’ve been making/eating, I’d share a few pictures of what’s been consuming my time lately.

• A lot of studying—with mid-terms next week things get pretty busy as in reading, reading, reading, and memorizing.

• Packing for spring break—I’m taking a trip out to Boston starting next weekend for a few days to visit family. Any blogger’s in the area?—shoot me an email!

• Reviewing ALOT of great products I can’t wait to share!

• Enjoying the outdoors—I’ve been doing a lot of snowmobiling and four wheeling.

• Hanging out with my main squeeze and flying in his airplane. We flew up North to my hometown last weekend which was a lot of fun.

• And of course I couldn’t have a post without a new and sweet recipe right?! This cake is infused with a blend of aromatic spices, a fruit, AND a veggie! What a way to get five a day!!

Spiced Apple Carrot Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1  cups  flour

1/2 + 1/4  cups Splenda (what I used) or  granulated sugar

1 1/8  teaspoons  baking soda

1/2 + 1/4 teaspoons  baking powder

1/2+ 1/4  teaspoons  cinnamon

1/8  teaspoon  ground cloves

1/8  teaspoon  ground nutmeg

1  teaspoons  unsweetened cocoa powder

  pinch of  freshly ground black pepper

1/8  teaspoon  salt

1/2  cup  unsweetened applesauce

1/2 c egg beaters

1/2 + 1/4  cups  packed coarsely grated carrots (about 3 medium)

1/2 + 1/4  cups  packed coarsely grated tart apples, such as Granny Smith (about 2 medium)

Frosting:

4 oz fat free cream cheese

1/4 c powdered sugar

1 tsp  coconut extract

2/3 c Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Grease 8 inch square pan and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, splenda or sugar, baking soda, baking powder, spices, cocoa, pepper, and salt. Whisk to combine, then stir in applesauce and eggbeaters. Stir in carrots and apples.

2. Pour into pan and bake until cakes pull away from pan sides and a cake tester inserted in center comes out clean, 25 minutes. Transfer cakes to cooling rack and let cool 10 minutes. Turn out onto rack and let cool completely.

3. Beat cream cheese, cool whip,  and extract until smooth and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Gradually add powdered sugar and mix until combined.

4. Once cake is cool, cut in half and cut each half in half horizontally. Spread some frosting over it, then top with second layer. Generously frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Cut into 8 double-layer slices.

 

Anything new and exciting you’ve been up to?

A Tropical Way to Take the Cake

Oh how I wish I lived somewhere even semi-warm from October through April. Countless days spent indoors can get old to put it nicely. I know a lot of bloggers out there can’t relate because well..they are smarter luckier and choose to live in the southern or western sunshine. All I can do is look forward to our yearly vacation to somewhere warm over winter break.

Last year I visited L.A.:

The year before was Florida:

(My grandma and I)

Clearwater Beach

And in 2007 was Florida once again:

Orlando

2006 was back to Clearwater Beach:

And 2005 was Clearwater once again..can you tell I love it there?!

So to say the least, all I do in these dreary months to hold me over till December is look back at all the fun times I have had.

Where’s your favorite vacation destination?

But of course I would not leave you with a post filled with pictures of past vacations with no mention of food. You almost thought I was going to right? No chance! Of course fall time is meant for baking with pumpkin, squash and other savory food. But for the sake of my tropical dreams, I cannot give up sweet treats with fruity tastes because it temporarily brings me to a tropical state of euphoria. Bear with me okay? =) This recipe has a little fall with cinnamon and a lot of tropical with coconut and banana!

Banana Spice Cake with Coconut Frosting

Serves 16

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 c all-purpose flour
• 3/4 c granulated sugar (I used Splenda)
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 c low fat buttermilk (I used a little less than 3/4 c Almond Breeze milk with 1 Tbsp lemon juice—let sit for about 15 minutes)
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed, about 1 cup
• 2 large eggs
• 1 egg white
• 1/3 unsweetened applesauce
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz) package of light cream cheese, at room temp
• 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
• 3 Tbsp milk (coconut milk is recommended, but I subbed vanilla Eighth Continent soymilk)
• 1 tsp coconut extract (This is a crucial ingredient—no substitutes!)
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 c sweetened flaked coconut, toasted

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a 9 x 13 inch pan with nonstick spray.
2. To make the cake, whisk together flour, granulated sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk together the remaining cake ingredients in a separate medium bowl. Gradually add the banana mixture to the flour mixture, stirring until just blended.
3. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 30-35 min or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool on a rack for 10 minutes, then remove cake from pan and let cool completely on rack.
4. Meanwhile, to make the frosting, with an electric mixer on high speed, beat all the frosting ingredients except the flaked coconut until smooth, about 1 minute. With a narrow metal spatula, spread frosting over the top of cake. Add the toasted coconut evenly over the top.

This cake would even be delicious without the frosting..but who doesn’t like frosting? :-) 

 

**Speaking of tropical, enter a  HUGE giveaway here!**

I Found My Fall Angel

---Finally Friday!!---

Have you ever combined two good foods to get something extraordinary? That’s what happened with this recipe. Two things a lot of people probably have lying around their pantry paired together to create one delicious dessert. Usually I will make something, eat it throughout the week, and get sick of it. With this one, I made it Sunday and wish I had made more! This would be perfect for a fall time/Halloween get together too.

 

 +  =

 

Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon-Cream Filling

Serves:12

Ingredients

Cake

• 1 box Betty Crocker® white angel food cake mix
• 1 tablespoon Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
• 1 cup cold water

Cinnamon-Cream Filling

• 2 cups Cool Whip
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

1.Move oven rack to lowest position; heat oven to 350°F. In extra-large glass or metal bowl, beat all cake ingredients with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 1 minute. Pour into ungreased 10-inch angel food (tube) cake pan.

2.Bake 37 to 47 minutes or until crust is dark golden brown and cracks are dry. Immediately turn pan upside down onto heatproof funnel or glass bottle. Let hang about 2 hours or until cake is completely cool. Loosen cake from side of pan with knife or long metal spatula. Turn cake upside down onto serving plate.

3.In chilled large bowl, beat cool whip and powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Fold in cinnamon. Cut cake horizontally in half to make 2 even layers. Spread half of the filling on bottom layer; replace top of cake. Spread remaining filling on top of cake. Sprinkle with additional pumpkin pie spice if desired.

Will all the pumpkin recipes floating around this time a year, I would definitely recommend adding this to your list of “must makes”! Let me know if you make it and how you like it =)

The blogenda for next week:

• A new cookie line review
• A pie—oh my!
• A easy fall side dish

Fruit + Veggies = ?

It seems these days we are always hearing messages whether it be in print, on tv, or from your doctor that we should be meeting our quota of daily fruits and veggies. (Find out how many you really need here) For me, it’s never been a big deal, because thankfully fruits and veggies are always welcome on my plate! There is never really a meal that I eat that doesn’t have some type of produce.(Either fresh, frozen, or canned.) But for others who can’t down broccoli, or moms that have picky kids, you need to find recipes that can “sneak” produce in foods in unlikely ways. Today’s recipe contains one veggie and two fruits, so if you eat a slice (which is not hard to do!), you’ll knock off some out your daily fruit & veggie quota.

Carrot Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes: 16 slices

Ingredients:

Cake:

• 2 c cake flour
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 large eggs, room temp
• 2 egg whites, room temp
• 1/2 c granulated sugar (or Splenda if you prefer)
• 1/2 c apple butter (I used 1 jar of carrot baby food instead)
• 1/4 c canola oil
• 1 (8 oz) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 2 carrots, coarsely shredded (about 1 1/2 c)

Frosting:

• 1 (8 oz) package fat-free cream cheese, at room temp
• 1 1/2 c confectioner’s sugar
• 1/4 c plain reduced-fat (2%) Greek yogurt (I used Yoplait Thick and Creamy Cinnamon Roll yogurt instead)
• 3/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup walnuts, chopped (nuts are optional)

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray 2 8-inch cake pans with nonstick spray.
• Whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl—set aside. With an electric mixer, beat the eggs and egg whites on high for about 2 minutes, or until thickened. Gradually add the granulated sugar, beating until light and fluffy. Reduce the speed to low. Add the flour mixture and beat until just blended. Stir in the pineapple, carrots, and raisins.
• Divide the batter evenly between the pans. Bake until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Let pan cool on racks completely.
• To make frosting, with an electric mixer on high speed. Beat the frosting ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth, about 1 minute.
• Place 1 cake layer, rounded side down, on a serving plate. With a narrow metal spatula, spread 1/2 c frosting over the layer. Top with remaining layer, rounded side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle walnuts on the top of the cake.

[[Recipe adapted from here.]]

Carrot cake has to be one of my favorite cakes out there! I think my mom may have passed her love of it on to me—but I’m not complaining! What is your favorite cake to eat? Or are you just a frosting eater? Any super recipes?