Spiced Apple Cake with Oat Streusel

There's one thing that cold snowy days possess me to do and that is to bake. I turn the fireplace on, brew some coffee and spend time with my cinnamon red KitchenAid, that my husband so lovingly asked me to by for myself. Seriously. He told me I needed to do that! I argued at first because, since having children, I have forgotten how to actually spend money on myself. But I quickly came to my senses, channelled my younger self, and took the plunge. It's my baking friend and makes me smile :) Oh yes, back to gifting you all with one of the best creations that has ever been spatulaed out of my friend!

This spiced apple cake was a sweet surprise to our snowy Friday afternoon. It's soft and spicy with chunks of apple througout. The oat streusel tops it will crunchy sweetness and leaves a smile on your face and a giggle in your belly.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Ingredients:

1 stick of softened butter

1 cup of packed light brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups of unsweetened applesauce

2 cups of unbleached flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

3 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 apples diced (I left the skins on)

For the topping:
1 cup instant oats
1/2  cup brown sugar
1/4 cup of Olive Oil (or melted butter)

Mix the butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla and applecause until very smooth. Add in (without stirring yet) the flour, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg. With the mixer on low, gently mix until the dry ingredients are incorporated. Fold in apples. Use your hand to mix the streusal ingredients together. Top with the oat streusel. Bake in a 9x9 pan for 45 minutes and then cover with foil. Bake for another 15 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

*I covered my cake with foil because my topping was browning more than I wanted*

Dreamy Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate...

Did I get your attention?

Warm Chocolate...

Now I know I have your attention!

You are 20 minutes away from bliss.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees

Ingredients:

1 stick of butter

4 TBSP cocoa powder

1 cup powdered sugar

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

6 TBSP unbleached flour

Whipped Cream:

Heavy whipping cream (yes you MUST make your own whipped cream!)

2 TBSP powdered sugar

Melt butter slowly in a pot. Add in cocoa and whisk until a beautiful dark syrup appears. Whisk in eggs, powdered sugar and flour. Pour into your desired greased baking vessel. I used silicon muffin pan and it worked just fine. Bake at 425 for 11-12 minutes. Do NOT go much longer or your gooey center will bake into cake. If the top is firm and cakey and the time is up then out they come.

Pour 2 cups heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl. Sprinkle in powdered sugar. Beat on high until whipped yumminess. Top cake and devour... slowly.... with a big sigh.... after all the children are in bed! The only allowance for not making the whipped cream is if you happen to have some ice cream on hand.

Make Ahead Vegie Frittata Breakfast Sandwich

Breakfast...

If you're like me and have little ones, then you're probably feeling the grief over breakfast as I do! Grief for myself, not my children who are provided with full bellies and onto their playing before I can even figure out what day of the week it is! I have the desire for breakfast to be that meal that starts my day and gives me the energy that I need to be the best mommy for them, but after feeding two, sometime frantically hungry mouths, I'm reaching for the coffee pot! Well, those were the days! I have found the secret to a quick and very healthy breakfast that I can feel very good about. The secret is this vegie fritata that is baked in a cake pan, cut into squares and re-heated as the english muffin toasts. It's life changing I tell ya! Life changing. Ok. I may be just a little more excited than the rest of you, but I was really baffled by breakfast!

Ingredients:

1 container of liquid egg whites (or any egg white you may have on hand)

3 whole eggs (If you didn't want to use egg whites, you could use 6 or so eggs)

1/2 cup milk

Onion, Pepper, Tomato, spinach, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower (anything you have on hand)

1-2 tsp Salt

1/2-1 tsp Pepper (depending on your preferance)

Feta Cheese (really any choice of cheese and your desired amount)

100% whole wheat english muffins or thin bagel

Olive Oil

Oil a 9x13 pan. Whisk the eggs, milk, salt and pepper up until a very smooth combined consistency. Combine the vegies and toss with some additional salt and pepper. Vegies could be sauteed together if desired. Spread the vegies evenly in the pan and sprinkle with cheese. Pour egg mixture over the vegies. Making sure they are all covered. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes or until the frittata is solid and not still eggy in the very middle. Cool then cut into 12 squares. Store in refigerator for up to a week. I use a toaster oven to re-heat.

Elderberry Thumbprint Cookies

These cookies were for a friends wedding and I was so excited to bake outside the chocolate chip box! A wonderfully light shortbread cookie  baked with jam in the center. Lightly dusted with powdered sugar to give them a whispy look.

A very simple but elegant cookie. Beautiful for a wedding. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup unbleached sugar
2 egg yolks
1 3/4 cups unbleached Flour
1/2 cup desired flavor of jam
2 TBSP powdered sugar

Mix together the butter, sugar and egg yolks. Mix in flour a little bit at a time until a soft dough forms. Roll dough into 1 inch balls. If dough is too soft, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes. Using either your finger or a small circular utensil make an indent in the center of each cookie. Fill the hole with 1/2 teaspoon of preserves. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

While cooking dust with powdered sugar.

Josh's Favorite Carrot Cake

Once upon a time there was a girl who prayed for a boy.....

My husband is a blessing to me and to anyone who spends time with him. He is kind, honest, upright, joyful and content. This is the cake I bake him to celebrate the joy he brings to life!

Carrot cake oozing cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger....

Celebrate someone special or just an ordinary day with this wonderful baked goodness!

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees

Set out butter and cream cheese to soften for icing

Ingredients:

3 eggs
2 cups unbleached sugar

1 1/3 cups light olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/2 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp baking soda

4-5 tsp cinnamon

2 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ginger

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 pound grated carrots

For the frosting:

3/4 pound of room temperature cream cheese

2 sticks of room temperature unsalted butter

1 tsp vanilla

2 or 2 1/2 cups of powder sugar ( depending on your sweet tooth)

Beat the eggs until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the sugar and oil. Mix for 2-3 minutes to really combine. With the mixer on low add the dry ingredients. Then the carrots. Divide into two round pans or one cake pan. Bake for 45 minutes then check the cake with a toothpick. Continue baking until toothpick comes out clean. Could take up to 55 minutes total.

Whip up all ingredients until the frosting is light, silky and smooth

With a long seraded bread knife, carefully slice the cakes across the middle. Stack and layer icing in between the layers. This step is not necessary but will add a more dramatic and elegant look to your cake.

Vegie Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour dipping sauce

Let's just say that my husband has a new obsession!!! Which is very cool because before we met his idea of dinner was Combos and Mt.Dew! Two really do become one!

Chinese is such a treat, but sometimes scary ingredients and most of the time kind of pricey. These will save you money and you know exactly what is going into them! So take some time to try these out and you will be hooked too...

 

 

* Fill a pot half up with oil. Just enough to cover the egg roll when it's in. Begin to heat frying oil on Medium High heat. Put then end of a wooden spoon in to check if oil is hot yet. If it is hot, bubbles will quickly appear around the wooden spoon end.*

 

Ingredients:

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper (or any seasoning you want on the filling)

Any desired vegies chopped tiny- could also add finely chopped chicken

Brocoli Slaw

Egg Roll Wraps

 

These ingredients can both be found on the produce

wall in the grocer store.

 



                                          

Saute Vegies in Olive oil. Add the slaw and allow to soften. Remove from heat and set aside. Lay out one egg roll wrapper on a diagonal. In the shape of a diamond. Spoon some of the vegie mixture across. Fold the bottom corner up and then wet the outside edges with water. Fold sides in and then roll up to the top. The water will glue the edges closed. Drop into hot oil and fry until the wrap is golden brown. Remove to baking rack with paper towels underneath to soak up dripping oil.

You can make the sauce before, during or after you make the egg rolls. Depends on your level of multi-tasking!

For the sauce:

1/2 cups unbleached sugar

1 cup of pineapple juice- canned pineapple in it's own juice works good.
2 TBSP honey
2 TBSP ketchup
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
3 TBSP cornstarch stirred into 1/4 cup of warm water

Combine the sugar and pineapple juice over medium heat. Stirring often. Once it has come together and is smooth, add the other ingredients except the cornstarch mixture. Keep the heat on medium so it doesn't boil too quickly and turn into some sort of strange candy! When it begins to boil whisk in cornstarch until it thickens. Stir for another minute and set aside. This is where you should carefully taste it and determine if the sweet/sour ratio is to your liking. I think each person prefers it a little differently. Add a drop more vinegar or sugar to make it your own.

Amazing Grilled Pizza

With the beginning of summer, I began to explore my curiosity with grilled pizza. Finally tonight we had the opportunity to grill, but with a lack of desire for meat lately we decided it was time to conquer the pizza! What was our sweet victory reward??? Stone oven style pizza with amazing flavor and texture. So gather up all the necessities, get organized, light the grill and enjoy!

The necessities...

Pizza dough (my dough recipe is further down the blog if you are in need of a good homemade dough recipe)

All the desired toppings layed out and easy to access (sauce, cheese, vegies, garlic oil etc)

Large metal spatula to remove finished pizza

    

     Seperate dough into individual servings. Roll dough out to the desired thickness. The dough will puff up, so if you want a thinner pizza definitely roll out very thinly. Place dough onto grill and don't move until it begins to brown and moves off the grill easily. Flip the dough and then top with any desired toppings. Close the lid and allow to bake in the grill until cheese is melted. It's good to check once in a while with a gas grill to avoid charring from the open flame. Turn down heat if the crust is darkening too quickly. Remove pizza onto desired cutting surface.    

                             

                                                                ENJOY!!!!!!!!

                                Hubby and I had SO much fun doing this together.