holiday baking list - will be updated through december (stay tuned)

Thanksgiving:
Coconut Graham Bars
and probably one other one...

I will add the recipes at a later time... These are the december holidays

Peanut Butter Blossoms

Raspberry Truffle Fudge

Peppermint Bark (Williams-Sonoma recipe)

Chocolate Snowballs

Lemon Lover's Cookie

Cherry Almond Balls

nutella & walnut fudge

1 (11 1/2 ounce) bag milk chocolate chips

0.5 (13 ounce) jar nutella

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk 

1 dash salt

2 teaspoons vanilla 

1 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped (optional)

Butter/spray an 8" square pan.

Optional step: spread walnuts out on a sheet of foil and pop into 350* oven for 5-8 minutes, until nuts are golden and fragrant. Coarsely chop nuts and set aside.

In a 1 quart glass bowl, combine the chocolate chips, Nutella, sweetened condensed milk, and salt in a bowl.

Microwave on high mixture for 3 minutes, taking it out halfway through and stirring well and returning it for the remaining time. 

Carefully remove hot bowl and stir in vanilla and nuts (if desired).

Pour mixture into prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours. It sets up almost immediately.

After it's been chilled, score and cut fudge into bite size pieces. 

vanilla chai cupcakes

I love finding new recipes and trying new things.  This one has been on my list for quite some time... most of this turned out really well.  I always try new recipes first without adjusting for altitude and then make the necessary changes.  The recipe below is not altered and should work great for those under 3500ft. Mine turned out just a little flat but the taste is spot on and delicious!

Vanilla Chai Cupcakes

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 quantity chai spice mix (see recipe below)

1 1/4 cups plain flour, sifted

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar

Chai Spice Mix (makes 4 tsp)

1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

Mix spices together in small bowl.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Cream together the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and beat in one egg at a time. Stir in half the quantity of chai spice mix. Fold in the flour and buttermilk alternately and stir until combined, don’t over mix. Mix together the baking soda and vinegar and mix into the batter.

Spoon into prepared cupcake cases until 3/4 full and bake 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Chai Buttercream Recipe

1 c shortening

1/4 c of butter/margarine

appx 1/4 c of heaving whipping cream

1 tsp of vanilla

4 c. of powdered sugar (sifted)

other 1/2 of the chai spice mixture (appx 2 tsp)

Beat shortening until smooth, add butter and beat until smooth, light & fluffy. add half of the whipping cream and the vanilla and mix well. Add 2c of powdered sugar until mixed well - turn on speed higher  until well mixed.  Add remaining powdered sugar and mix well. Add additionally whipping cream and/or sugar until you reach the desired consistency.  Add in chai spices and mix throughly.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Chili Cupcakes

I was inspired by the show cupcake wars - frankly i'm a little addicted to shows that are about baking!  I have a dream to have a little bakery as part of a bed and breakfast some day!  Well during one show in particular, the cupcake wars, they are often times thrown a curve ball and having to incorporate an typically not included ingredient you might find in cupcakes.  After seeing more chocolate bars that have chili in them.  A friend of mine loves these but can't ever seem to get enough heat from them.  So I set out to make a chili chocolate cupcake that might do it justice... I think i have come close!  Give it a try and see what you think!

Chocolate Chili Cupcakes

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa, sifted

1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 ¼ teaspoon red cayenne pepper

½ tsp chili pepper

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 egg

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350°F .

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, chocolate chips, baking soda, salt, and cayenne pepper.

In another bowl, combine oil, sugar, egg, buttermilk and vanilla.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients and mix gently.

Pour the batter among muffin cups.

Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean.

Cool on rack 10 minutes before removing from pan.

Chocolate Frosting/Icing

1 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted (you may need more to get desired consistency)

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa, sifted

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

heavy whipping cream – to get desired consistency

With a electric mix, beat butter at medium speed about 2 minutes.

Reduce speed and add the confectioners’ sugar 60 g (1/2 cup) at a time.

Beating well after each addition.

Add cocoa and vanilla, beat well.

Add in whipping cream to achieve desired consistency.

If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 10 days in a airtight container.

Before using, bring to room temperature.

Happy Baking!

mmmm..... Cinnamon Rolls!

I have been looking for a cinnamon roll recipe that I liked for quite sometime and i finally found one!  I hope you enjoy!  The picture doesn't do it justice - as it was taken from my phone but believe me they were delicious!

Cinnamon Rolls

1 cup milk (heated approximately 1 minute in microwave)
1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F.)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
2 eggs, room temperature and beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar
5 cups bread flour
1 tablespoon vital wheat gluten (optional)*
3 teaspoons instant active dry yeast  

In a large bowl or in the bowl of a 5-quart stand mixer, combine all the ingredients in the order given except the Cinnamon Filling and the Butter Frosting. Using a dough hook, mix everything together until a soft dough forms.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly-oiled surface (I use a nonstick cooking spray), and knead until elastic, approximately 10 minutes. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let rise until double in size. 

Butter a 9 x 13 x 2-inch baking pan; set aside.

After dough has risen, roll and stretch the dough into approximately a 15 x 24-inch rectangle.

Brush the 1/2 cup softened butter (listed below in the Cinnamon Filling) over the top of the dough with a rubber spatula or a pastry brush. Sprinkle Cinnamon Filling over the butter on the prepared dough. Starting with long edge, roll up dough; pinch seams to seal. NOTE: Rolling the log too tightly will result in cinnamon rolls whose centers pop up above the rest of them as they bake.

With a knife, lightly mark roll into 1 1/2-inch section. Use a sharp knife (I like to use a serrated knife and saw very gently) or slide a 12-inch piece of dental floss or heavy thread underneath. By bringing the ends of the floss up and criss-crossing them at the top of each mark, you can cut through the roll by pulling the strings in opposite directions. Place cut side up in prepared baking pan, flattening them only slightly. The unbaked cinnamon rolls should not touch each other before rising and baking. Do not pack the unbaked cinnamon rolls together.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for approximately 45 to 60 minutes or until doubled in size (after rising, rolls should be touching each other and the sides of the pan).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. for regular oven or 325 degrees F. for a convection oven.  


Baked in a regular oven approximately 20 to 25  minutes in a regular oven until they are a light golden brown.



CINNAMON FILLING: 
1/2 cup butter, melted or softened
1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons ground cinnamon
3/4 to 1 cup chopped nuts (optional)
Soften the butter; set aside. In a bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon; stir in chopped nuts (optional). NOTE: I like to sift the brown sugar and cinnamon together to remove any lumps.


Cream Cheese Frosting: 
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup butter, room temperature
1+ cups powdered (confectioners) sugar - to get desired consistency
1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract 
~I used about 2TBSPs of heavy whipping cream to keep it light.
Again you can use the powdered sugar and whipping cream to get to the consistency you like

white chocolate cake with raspberry filing and almond buttercream!

White Chocolate Layer Cake with Raspberry Filling

Makes 10-12 servings

Cake:

12 ounces white chocolate, broken up into pieces (we used white chocolate chips)
¼ cup milk
2 cups all purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
½ cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs
¾ cup sour cream

Raspberry Filling:

1 ½ cups heavy or whipping cream
¾ cup fresh or thawed frozen raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease two 9-inch round baking pans; line bottoms with parchment paper (optional).

Pour milk over chocolate and microwave until smooth at 30 second intervals.

In small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder; set aside.

In large mixer bowl, beat sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Gradually blend in melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour mixture alternately with sour cream.

Pour into prepared pans. Bake 30-35 minutes or until wooden toothpick inserted into center comes out clean (watch to make sure you do not overbake). Cool 15 minutes; remove from pans. Cool completely.

Raspberry Filling:

In small mixer bowl, combine heavy cream, raspberries and sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Assembly:

Split cake layers horizontally in half. Place 1 layer on cake plate; spread with 1/3 of Raspberry Filling. Repeat with remaining layers and Filling. Frost cake with White Buttercream. Garnish with raspberries and mint, if desired. Store in refrigerator.

healthier options

So I have been trying to realign things in my eating habits and such... a couple of things that i am working on doing.... eat more fruits and vegetables, reducing as much as possible the amount of processed (and refined) foods I consume, and reduce/eliminate high fructose corn syrup along with trying to drastically reduce anything with msg. These things are completely unnecessary to have in one's diet and i feel like i will feel much better and help with anything else health related.

So I have been using whole wheat flour, agave nectar, and making most of the things from scratch as i then have control over what goes in it and have the ability to change things where i can.  For example, I made banana bread the other day and i used applesauce instead of oil and agave nectar instead of sugar and whole wheat flour and it turned out so yummy!

This weekend the garden beds got their dirt well a plant mix with is a 40/60 mix of soil and compost and is suppose to be really good for growing stuff in!  Next weekend will be the planting so I need to set up the planting plan! I can't wait to have fresh fruit and veggies in my back yard!  i can't wait!

So the recipe I really wanted to share is the dressing I found. I imagine that the base would be great for a number of variations. This one however is for a creamy dill ranch dressing!  I made one alteration - it called for a whole shallot and it was a little strong on that flavor!

• Ingredients
• 1/2 small shallot, peeled
• 3/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese
• 1/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons buttermilk powder
• 2 tablespoons white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup nonfat milk
• 1 tablespoon fresh dill, chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 
  

Preparation

With the food processor running, add shallot through the feed tube and process until finely chopped. Add cottage cheese, mayonnaise, buttermilk powder and vinegar. Process until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary, about 3 minutes. Pour in milk while the processor is running. Scrape down the sides, add dill, salt and pepper and process until combined.

Tips and Notes

Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 week.

Note: Look for buttermilk powder, such as Saco Buttermilk Blend, in the baking section or with the powdered milk in most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per 2-tablespoon serving: 19 calories; 1 g fat (0 g sat, 0 g mono); 1 mg cholesterol; 2 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 0 g fiber; 125 mg sodium; 10 mg potassium.