Week of 3/12-3/18

Green Velvet Cake (recipe by Bakerella)

• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 Tablespoon cocoa
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 Tablespoon vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 oz green food coloring

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Grease your cake pans, muffin tins, whoopie pie pans, whatever method you decide to go with.  Or be crazy like me and do them all.

Lightly stir eggs in a medium bowl with whisk.  Add in remaining liquid ingredients.   Whisk until blended and sit aside.   I waited until the very end to add the food coloring, because frankly, that much food coloring scares me and I had to work out the courage to do it.

Place all dry ingredients in your mixing bowl and stir together well.

Now take a deep breath and dump all that food coloring, yes the entire bottle, into the wet ingredients. [I only used 1/3 of what the recipe calls and they were still very green]

Pour your wet ingredients into your dry ingredients and mix on medium-high for about a minute or two until well combined and green as the day is long.

Pour the batter into cake pans or cupcake pans.

Baking times will vary based on what you are using.  For one 8″ cake pan, it was about 22 minutes for me.

Regular size cupcakes were around 16, mini cupcakes about 13 and the whoopie pie pan was about 13 as well.

Let cook for 10-15 minutes and than remove from pans.

While cooling, prepare frosting.   You can either open a can of your favorite, or go the from scratch route.   Here’s the recipe I used…

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 package [8oz] of softened cream cheese 
• 1 stick [1/2C] softened butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2C powdered sugar (2 lb bag)

Cream together cream cheese, butter and vanilla in a bowl until smooth.   Gradually add in powdered sugar and continue mixing.   This 

Green Velvet Cake Balls

• Green Velvet Cake [see above]
• White Chocolate Almond Bark

Once you’ve made your green velvet cake, let it cool.  I actually cooled mine and than wrapped it in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for a day before making my cake pops.   This was a nice way to break up the time it takes to make these.   Cut your cake up, and either shred it with a fork or pop it into your food processor.  It only takes a couple of pulses and you have cake crumbs.

Even though I made homemade cream cheese frosting, I decided to use canned frosting in the cake pops.  I didn’t want to have to store them in the fridge, so shelf stable frosting made sense.   I put a big scoop in (I always start out with a little bit and add in as needed, to make sure I don’t over do it)  and gave it a few more spins in the Cuisinart.

Now you will want to make your cake balls.   You can use a scoop, though I just shape mine by hand.

At this point you can put them in the fridge for a bit, but I decided to just keep on working (gotta make the most of that precious nap time…).   Next you will want to melt your chocolate (I like Merkens or Wilton).   I always dip my sticks into chocolate, put the sticks into the cake balls, and let the chocolate set up.

After the chocolate sets up, I than dip the cake balls into the chocolate, and than cover with pretty pretty sprinkles!  

**When I made these I made 1 batch of green velvet cake batter, split it in half - made the whoopie pies with one half and cake balls with another [for that I just baked it in a 8x8” pan]**

Homemade Shamrock Shakes

• 1 pint (2 cups) vanilla ice cream
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Pure Peppermint Extract
• 1/4 teaspoon Green Food Color
• Whipped cream and green sprinkles (optional)

Place ice cream, milk, peppermint extract and green food color in blender; cover. Blend on high speed until smooth.

Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream and sprinkles, if desired. Serve immediately.

Makes 3 servings.

(Source: lovefromtheoven.com)

Week 2/27-3/4

Cake Ball Stuffed Sugar Cookies

Cake Balls

• 1 box cake mix (Prepared as directed) [I used Funfetti]
• Approximately 1/2 cup of frosting [I used Cream Cheese]
• 1 package of candy melt mold [I used cherry candy morsels (on sale at Walmart for $1!!)]

1. Bake your cake as directed
2. Cut out cake [I don’t like using the crusts]
3. Crumble cake [a food processor can be super helpful if you don’t want to deal with mashing it up]
4. Add in frosting - add slowly to find consistency you like
5. Roll into balls - about 1in diameter
6. Melt candy mold
7. Using a fork dip balls into melted candy mold
8. Place back in freezer to cool

(Source: sugarderby.com)

Week of 2/20-2/26

Pasta Loaf

You will need:

• 1 Loaf Rhodes Bread Dough or 12 Rhodes Dinner Rolls, thawed to room temperature
• 6 oz spaghetti, cooked
• 1 cup thick spaghetti sauce
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2 –inch cubes
• 1 egg white
• Parmesan cheese
• Parsley flakes

Instructions:

1. Roll loaf or combined dinner rolls into a 12x16-inch rectangle. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10-15 minutes.
2. Cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Drain and let cool slightly.
3. Remove wrap from dough. Place spaghetti lengthwise in a 4-inch strip down the center of dough. Top with sauce and cheese cubes.
4. Make cuts 1 ½-inches apart on long sides of dough to within ½-inch of filling.
5. Begin braid by folding top and bottom strips toward filling. Then braid strips left over right, right over left. Finish by pulling last strip over and tucking under braid.
6. Place on large sprayed baking sheet. (or transfer parchment paper to baking sheet).
7. Brush with egg white and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley
8. Bake at 350 for 30-35 minutes or until golden brown.

Alternatives: Add cooked meatballs or sausage!

(Source: orangedrinks)

Week of 2/13-2/19 

Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Fudge Sauce and Coconut Milk Chocolate Mousse

Cake:

• 4oz room temperature butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 6 medium room temperature eggs
• 1 9.7oz 70% Scharffen Berger baking chocolate

Sauce:

• 8oz raspberries
• 2oz 62% Scharffen Berger baking chocolate
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 Tablespoons Scharffen Berger unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 Tablespoons liquid sweetener

Mousse:

• 3/4 cup coconut cream* [*To get coconut cream, leave a can of coconut milk undisturbed for a week or so. When you open it, the water should have separated from the thicker part, the cream. Just be careful not to mix the two together and you should be able to scrape the cream off the top easily.]
• 1/4 coconut water*
• 6oz 62% Scharffen Berger chocolate
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 4 egg whites
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Beat together the butter and sugar, adding in eggs one at a time until all of them are incorporated. The batter should be smooth and ribbony.
3. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave.
4. Slowly temper the melted chocolate into the batter until it’s completely mixed in.
5. Grease a 9-inch cake pan and pour the batter in.
6. Bake for 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
7. Remove the cake and let it sit undisturbed until it cools to room temperature. It should deflate as it cools. Don’t worry if the top cracks since it will get covered eventually.
8. While the cake cools, make the sauce by bringing all of the ingredients together to a boil in a small sauce pot.
9. Mix the contents of the pot until the chocolate has melted and the sauce is uniform in color.
10. Pour the sauce over the cake. Let it cool completely and then refrigerate to chill.
11. While the sauce sets, make the mousse by bringing to a light boil the coconut cream and water in a sauce pot. Chop the chocolate and add it in, mixing off of the heat until the chocolate has melted.
12. Beat together the 3 egg yolks. Temper them by adding a little of the chocolate coconut mixture in as you beat. Once the yolks have been tempered you can mix them into the pot along with the salt. Keep the pot off of the heat stirring occasionally to prevent fit rom getting a film.
13. Beat the egg whites while sifting in the powdered sugar until light peaks form like you’re making a meringue.
14. Carefully fold the egg whites and chocolate coconut mixture together in a large bowl until it’s all mixed. Be careful not to over-mix the mousse and deflate the egg whites; fold just enough until it’s all the same color.
15. Put the mousse into the refrigerator until it’s set, about 3-4 hours.
16. Once the mousse has set, carefully scoop it on top of the cake. Spread it out into one layer as if it were a frosting. Using a piece of saran wrap to push down for a flat surface is an easy way to do this.
17. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve. Remove from the refrigerator for about 15 minutes before cutting and eating.

(Source: thewannabechef.net)

2/6-2/11

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cupcakes

Cinnamon Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1/3 cup oil
• ¾ cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ¾ cup sour cream
• Vanilla Cake Mix (not white cake mix)
• 1 ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Buttercream:

• 8 oz cream cheese, softened
• ½ cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup Cinnamon Toast Crunch powder (Crush the cereal in a bag and then sift out 2/3 cup [Food processor also works well])

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line pans with 20-22 cupcake liners.
2. In a large bowl, gently combine eggs, oil, buttermilk and vanilla.
3. Mix in sour cream.
4. Add cake mix and cinnamon and mix until smooth.
5. Stir in lightly crushed cereal.
6. Fill cupcake liners ¾ full and bake for 15-18 minutes, or until an inserted knife comes out clean.
7. Buttercream: Beat cream cheese and butter until fluffy. 
8. Add Cinnamon Toast Crunch powder. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Adjust the consistency using milk if it is too thick.
9. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and top with cinnamon sugar and Cinnamon Toast Crunch squares.

(Source: yourcupofcake.com)

Week of 1/30-2/5

Cheesecake Dip

This was our Super Bowl Party Food, the food pictured here is: Queso Dip, Cheesecake Dip, Pasta Loaf, & Pigs in a Blanket.  I’m focusing on Cheesecake Dip for this post [The pasta loaf will be coming back later!!]

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup miniature chocolate chips
• Graham cracker sticks or teddy grahams

1. In a small bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth
2. Add sugars and vanilla
3. Stir in chocolate chips
4. Refrigerate until ready to eat. Serve with graham cracker sticks or teddy grahams.

(Source: newtoveggieworld.wordpress.com)

• 1/2 cup Nutella (chocolate-hazelnut spread)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 14 tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 large eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbsp sea salt

1. Using a 1 teaspoon measure, scoop out Nutella and place in small mounds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in the freezer for 15 minutes.
2. Place an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
4. In a large bowl, beat butter and 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar with an electric mixer set on medium speed until the mixture is creamy and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla extract.
5. Turn the mixer to low speed and gradually beat in the flour mixture until it is just combined. Using a rubber spatula, stir the mixture a few times to make sure all of the flour mixture is incorporated.
6. Place 1/3 cup granulated sugar in a small bowl. Use 2 tablespoons cookie dough for each cookie. Split the piece of dough in half and slightly flatten the bottom half.
7. Sprinkle 5 or 6 grains of sea salt on the flattened dough.
8. Use a small metal spatula to lift the mounds of Nutella from the baking sheet and lay on the bottom half of cookie dough, on top of the salt. If the Nutella starts to soften, place back in the freezer for a few minutes.
9. Cover Nutella with the other piece of cookie dough. Seal the edges with your fingers. Roll the ball in the sugar to coat it and place it on a prepared baking sheet.
10. Repeat with the remaining dough and Nutella mounds, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart from each other on the baking sheets.
11. Bake the cookies, one sheet a time, rotating from front to back halfway through baking. They are done when the edges are set and beginning to brown, 10 to 13 minutes. The centers of the cookies should still be soft and puffy.
12. Remove the cookies from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes. Using a spatula, remove the cookies from the baking sheet and let cool on a rack. They can also be served warm.

The first picture if mine, the second is what the site said.

(Source: cookincanuck.com)