Better Than A Bag of Candy

When I calculated the calories in my homemade Granola… I knew it was time for a new snack mix.  I have been a long time handful of raw almonds and a handful of Craisins Mixer.  I love a little crunch, and a little sweet.  But I really needed something to kick it up a notch this time.  A quick search around the kitchen and I came up with this new on the go snack.

YOU WILL NEED

1 cup whole raw almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1 cup shredded coconut - I used REAL coconut, not the sweetened stuff in a bag.  

2 tablespoons Agave Nectar

Dash of Sea Salt.

On a large cookie sheet, mix almonds and shredded coconut. Drizzle Agave Nectar over mixture. Bake for 25 - 30 min on 350 degrees until the coconut is nicely toasted. Check once during the baking time and stir the almonds and coconut to ensure the sweetener covers your entire mixture.  When it's done, the coconut will be a nice golden brown. Remove from oven and immediately sprinkle with Sea Salt, then mix in the dried cranberries.

If you can, resist the urge to give it a taste, because the sweetener will BURN YOUR TONGUE!

Allow to cool for about 20 minutes, THEN taste.  You will be so pleased with your crunchy, sweet, quick, portable snack mix.  If you are lucky enough, some of the coconut will stick to the almonds as it cools - BONUS!!!!

**EXTRA TIP - Don't be like me and put it all in one sandwich bag - split it up into several resealable sandwich bags for better portion control.

YUM!!!!

My Mommy's Carrot Cake

Of all of my coveted cake recipes, this one, I can say, is truly a family recipe.

My mother didn't make a lot of cakes, but she made THIS carrot cake.  It was one of her specialties.   I remember that the recipe was in an old tattered and torn cookbook - probably purchased from a church fundraiser or something like that.  The carrot cake page always easy to find - stained and yellowed from years of handling and splattered cake batter.  The recipe was plain and simple… not loaded up with fillers like pineapple and raisins that you find in some carrot cake recipes.  The most she would do was add some chopped walnuts sometimes.  She made it in a tube pan, the kind that you bake a pound cake in, and she never frosted it.  Growing up, we would just have a plain slice of carrot cake and it was delish!!!  

When I decided to post this recipe, I wanted to take pictures of my process (which differs a bit from my mom's) but I forgot to take them… so, at some point, I will come back and add pics - for now, you will have to envision it…

Cake
2 cups flour
4 eggs (at room temperature)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 package (16 oz carrots) 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare pans - spray with baking spray. (Either (3) 8 inch pans, (2) 9 inch pans, or 24 cupcake liners in muffin pan)

Scrape carrots to peel, wash, then slice.  In a blender on puree setting mix carrots and oil until mixture is smooth.  Pour mixture into a large bowl. Add four eggs to blender and pulse for about 10 seconds, just until lightly beaten.  Pour eggs over carrot mixture, use a cake spatula to get as much of the mixture out of the blender as possible.  Add sugar and cinnamon to the bowl, mix lightly with cake spatula.  In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Add to carrot mixture and mix well with a hand mixer just until all of the flour is incorporated.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

Depending on the size of your pan bake for about 30 min.  Cake is done when it is slightly browned and a toothpick or cake tester inserted in center comes out clean.

***As I always say with recipes, make it your own.  I personally never measure the cinnamon.  I sprinkle it in with a little nutmeg and even a little ginger.  If you like a little spice flavor, spice it up!

Cream Cheese Frosting
8oz cream cheese at room temp
1/4 lb butter (one stick) at room temp
1 box confectioners sugar
1 tbs vanilla extract.

Cream together cream cheese and butter, add vanilla.  Gradually sift in powdered sugar and mix for 4 - 5 minutes until frosting is light and fluffy.

ENJOY!

Caramel Pretzels

One of my favorite sweet and salty combinations is pretzels and caramel.  Don't faint, but I am not big on chocolate... So, what you see below is not covered in chocolate.  But you know what I say about creativity.  You can start with this easy recipe then take it to another level to create your own candy bars.

Classic Banana Bread

As a child my mother had a cutting board in our kitchen that had printed on the front, a recipe for Bermuda Banana Bread. A trinket I am sure she picked up to remember a vacation she took and good times she had. We grew up on that banana bread. Now, still one of my favorite treats,  I make banana bread with my own daughter.  I have come across a lot of recipes over the years, but my favorite is still the straight forward, no hiding the banana flavor with a million ingredients Classic Banana Bread.

Almond Apple Long Pie

What is an Almond Apple Long Pie you may ask.  I don't know... I just made it up.  It looks good though, smells good too, and tastes... AH MAZING.  I am part of a monthly dessert recipe challenge and this month the challenge ingredients were Almond Paste and Pastry.  I have never worked with Almond Paste (really had no idea what it was) and I had always wanted to work with puff pastry.  Great time to do both.

First of all, almond paste comes in this little box and it is rolled in foil.  It has about the same consistency as fondant.  When you open the package and get a wiff of the almond, it is a glorious scent.  I wanted to put together a dessert that was rich and buttery with the almond flavor as the focus, but then, I thought I needed something more, so I added a thin layer of apples.

Ingredients:
1 7oz package of almond paste
1 box puff pastry
3 granny smith apples
juice of 1/2 lemon
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1/4 cup pecan pieces
3 tablespoons butter
1 egg











Directions:

*Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.
*On a piece of parchment paper, roll out your puff pastry to a rectangle the length of the cookie sheet you will be using.  I didn't do this and I should have.  If I had done this, it would have been WAY easier to get my long pie onto the cookie sheet.  **learn from my mistakes** LOL
*On another surface, roll out the almond paste as thin as possible. Once it is rolled out, place the almond paste along the center (long ways) of your pastry.  It is ok if the almond paste breaks up a little because it is going to be covered.
*Peel and core the apples.  Slice as thin as possible and squeeze lemon juice over them to keep them from getting brown.

*Place one layer of apples down the middle of your pastry.  If you want a more apple, you can add it, but I wanted to highlight the pastry and the almond paste... the apples were a bonus.
*Sprinkle the apples with cinnamon, then top with the brown sugar.

*Add your pecans in one row down the middle of your apples.
*Cut the butter into tiny cubes and sprinkle on top.
*Evenly score the sides of your pastry dough.

*Starting from the top, fold your edges in, then move from side to side folding the sides in.

*Once your pastry is all closed up, lift your parchment paper directly onto your baking sheet.
*In a small bowl beat the egg with one tablespoon of water.
*Using a pastry brush, brush the top only of your pastry with the egg wash.  This will give your finished product a nice golden hue.
*Bake for about 20 - 25 minutes until golden brown.

**ENJOY**
Seriously... I just cut a piece and it is so good that I have to take this to my neighbor's house.  This cannot stay in my kitchen - it is SO good.
Check out some other great recipes below using almond paste and puff pastry.

Breakfast Of Champions

Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day.  If I could, I would eat breakfast for breakfast (duh), lunch, and dinner every day.  Of all the breakfasts, my all time favorite breakfast consists of the following: grits and scrambled eggs, turkey sausage or turkey bacon, and either an English Muffin, homemade waffles, or french toast.

As a kid, my mother made French Toast all the time.  I guess it was easy, and easy to stretch with a lot of mouths to feed. I realized I took knowing how to make French Toast for granted when a friend told me that she loved French Toast but never made it at home because she didn't know how. 
So... for all of you who don't make French Toast at home... here you go!  Enjoy!

Best Ever Vanilla Cake

I promised you guys a basic vanilla cake recipe.  I have to admit. This is not MY recipe, but after scouring countless cookbooks and trying out numerous recipes for a plain cake that holds up well with filling, works great for cupcakes, push up cakes, cake pops, and remains moist after a couple of days... this recipe won HANDS DOWN!  I have done the hard job for you... I've endured the failures to present you with the recipe that is sure to be a success in your kitchen.

This recipe comes from the book - Sweet Celebrations - By: Sylvia Weinstock

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 sticks (1/2 pound) sweet butter at room temp
2 cups sugar
4 large egg yolks
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup sour cream
4 large egg whites

Creme Brûlée - It's not that hard...

Ask my nine year old her favorite dessert and without hesitation she will tell anyone that will listen "Creme Brûlée".  When I asked her what language she would like to learn, she exclaimed "French!!! Because I already know Creme Brûlée".  She now judges restaurants by the quality of their offering of this creamy dessert.  And if they don't serve it... the restaurant is definitely not up to her standards.

As you can imagine, her mature palate can get a bit expensive. By taking a little time to make this treat at home, you can make 8 servings for the price you would pay for one dessert in a $$$ restaurant.

The recipe I am sharing with you is of restaurant quality.  If you follow the instructions, you will impress your friends and wow your family - guaranteed!

2 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
9 egg yolks
1/2 cup superfine sugar

Guest Blog - SweetSaltySizzle

My guest blogger of the month is - SweetSaltySizzle. This is her first youtube video, but I am sure it won't be the last.  I see a future for this little girl.  Let me know what you think!!!

Watch the video and take a look at her blog.
SweetSaltySizzle - Chocolate Covered Caramel Pretzel Squares.

Mini Sweet Potato Pies (with Brandy Whipped Cream)

Sweet potatoes are one of my all time favorite foods. Considering myself a southerner now, I guess there are some things I take for granted - like Sweet Potato Pie.  When a friend asked me for a suggestion of what her contribution to her family's annual Christmas brunch should be, I said "How about sweet potato pie?"  She told me she had never had sweet potato pie.  {CLUTCH THE PEARLS} She also told me that her family leans toward bite sized items that they set up and nibble on throughout the day.  I had to help her out... Here is the recipe I gave her:

3 cups warm mashed sweet potatoes - I prefer to bake the potatoes.  Place the potatoes on a cookie sheet or foil and bake for about 45 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.  I tend to overbake (almost burn) the potatoes because I find the longer they cook, the sweeter they become.

3 eggs

3/4 cup - 1 cup brown sugar - this will really depend on how sweet the potatoes are, so start with 3/4 cup sugar. If you feel like you need more sugar, you can add more brown sugar or white sugar. (just make it as sweet as you want)

3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract - since you are going to make brandy whipped cream, go ahead and use 2 tsp brandy instead of vanilla if you want.

Peel sweet potatoes while they are still hot, then mix with hand mixer

For those of you who are not sweet potato aficionados, let me share a secret. The WORST Sweet Potato pie is one that is stringy (full of the tiny strings that are visible in sweet potatoes). As a young wannabe chef, my mother taught me a great trick to rid your potatoes of those strings. Use a regular hand mixture to initially mash up the sweet potatoes. You can see in the picture above the strings on the beaters. Run your finger along the beater to see what I am referring to. DO NOT put those strings back into your mashed sweet potatoes. Rinse the beaters and start mixing again with clean beaters. Yes, you will feel like you are wasting a bit of valuable sweet potato, but it's worth it to have a smooth pie!!

Beat the eggs, sugar, salt, and spices into the mashed potatoes. Add the cream and stir well. (if you feel you need more spices, add more... use your judgement)

I will admit. For this recipe, I cheated and used refrigerated pie crust. {No harm, No foul}

Roll the pie crust out so that it is pretty thin (about 1/4 inch thick). Use a circle cookie cutter big enough for the circle to line a mini cupcake pan. If you are using a non stick pan, you should be ok just putting the pie crust in the pan. If it is not a nonstick pan, spray very lightly with nonstick cooking spray like PAM.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spoon the potato mixture into pie crusts and if any of the mixture drips on the exposed crust, wipe it off or it will burn the crust. Since these are so small, check them at about 25 minutes. Pies may puff up, but don't worry about that, they will flatten when done. keep an eye on the exposed crust. Use that as your judge of if the pies are done. Remove pies when the crust in nicely browned.

Let pies cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then remove from and allow to continue to cool on a wire rack.

Whip together the whipped cream and top the pies right before you get ready to serve them.

A tip for making whipped cream. place the beaters and the (metal) bowl in the freezer for a few minutes before whipping the cream. It helps when everything is cold (the bowl, the beaters, and the cream)

I got this whipped cream recipe from Bon Appetit - It is easy and delicious.
1 cup chilled heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons brandy
1 1/2 tablespoons sugarUsing an electric mixer, beat whipping cream, brandy, and sugar in large bowl until soft peaks form. cover and chill up to 6 hours.

Top each pie with the brandy whipped cream and a little sprinkle of nutmeg. Enjoy!!!

Heath Cookies

I am no cookie queen, but with the office cookie exchange a couple of days away, I was convinced that I could make an awesome cookie using only items I already had on hand in my pantry. In addition to the normal kitchen staples (flour, sugar, butter) I had a half bag of mini chocolate chips, some pecans, some Heath Bar toffee pieces on hand...The Heath Cookie was born.  Here is the recipe:

2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup Heath toffee pieces

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Using a stand mixer with the mixing paddle attached, cream together softened butter and brown sugar. Beat until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, then add vanilla.

Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt - mix into butter mixture. Add remaining ingredients.  Mix until well blended.  You may have to use a spoon or a spatula to mix once you get all of the chips and nuts in the bowl.

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Line a quality cookie sheet (no flimsy pans) with parchment paper.  Using a small ice cream scoop, drop cookies onto cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies on each side.  When the cookies begin to cook, you do not want them to touch each other.  Bake for about 10 minutes.  Watch for the edges to brown.  Do not let them get too brown and overcook.

Immediately remove the cookies from the pan, and allow them to cool on a wire rack.  Once the cookie are cool, place in an airtight container.

These cookies will have crisp edges and a chewy center.  They are not overwhelming chocolate, perfectly sweet, and just the right amount nutty.  They go great with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.

Enjoy. 

Candy Coated Pretzel Rods

I received a very specific request... Tell me how to make Chocolate Covered Pretzels so that I can give them away as gifts to my coworkers.  Great idea.  Chocolate covered pretzels are easy, inexpensive to make, and quite tasty.

Here is my technique.  You only need a few simple items - pretzel rods, candy coating, toppings, and plastic pretzel bags.

I have tried several different candy coating, but I like to use Vanilla Candiquik.  You can get it in most grocery stores in the aisle where chocolate chips and other baking supplies are sold.  If your store does not carry Candiquik, they will have a product called Almond Bark.  The two items are very similar and can be used interchangeably.  I usually use Snyder's of Hanover Pretzel Rods.  They are always fresh with a minimum number of broken pretzels int he bag.One 16oz package of candy coating will cover two bags of pretzel rods.  Here are a few ideas for toppings, but be creative - you can top off these pretzels with just about anything you'd like.  Some toppings I have used in the past include rainbow sprinkles, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, and nerds. Pretzel bags can be purchased at Walmart or Michael's.  They are in the section with the Wilton cake making supplies.

Line two cookie sheets with waxed paper.  

The easiest way to melt the coating is to place the entire block of Vanilla or Chocolate coating in a large glass bowl.  Microwave on high for one minute.  Gently stir the coating, then continue to microwave in 30 second increments until the candy begins to soften.  After each 30 second time frame, stir the candy coating. 

*You are not looking to completely melt the coating in the microwave.  As the chocolate heats up, the continuous stirring will help the chocolate to become smooth.

*Keep all liquids away from your candy coating.  If any liquid gets into your candy coating, it will seize up and not be useable.  This is very important to know.

Once the coating is smooth, pour some of it into a tall drinking glass. Using a tall drinking glass will make it easy to dip the pretzels and remelt the candy coating as it cools and hardens.  Dip one pretzel rod 3/4 of the way into the coating and be patient. Lift the pretzel and give the excess coating a few moments to run off back into the glass.  Wait about 30 seconds, then holding the pretzel over one of the prepared pans sprinkle with your topping.

*If you are using a "heavy" topping like mini chocolate chips, allow the pretzel to firm up just a bit before sprinkling with the chocolate chips or they may fall off.

*If you are having problems with the topping sticking to the chocolate, you can sit the pretzel down, then sprinkle your topping over each pretzel.  

Allow the pretzels to sit for about 15 minutes.  They will firm up quite quickly.  Once you are finished coating all of your pretzels, put one or two in each pretzel bag and tie the top with curling ribbon or a twist tie.  Here are a few photos of some candy coated pretzels that I have prepared.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream

I still call them the airlines cookies.  You know the ones... Biscoff Cookies. Of course now they are available in the grocery store - so no more waiting for my next flight.  A few weeks ago, I was offered a sample of what???? Hold my calls!!!! Biscoff Cream. Looks like peanut butter, but miraculously tastes just like the cookies.  It comes in smooth and crunchy- I went for the smooth.  I had to get it because I knew I could do something with it (besides eat it straight out of the jar with a spoon).  So here it is.  I made these cupcakes as my contribution to Thanksgiving dinner and they were an absolute hit.  Enjoy!

Starting with the chocolate cake.  I started using this Bon Appetit recipe years ago and over time, I've made some adjustments to make it my own.  I am honestly not a chocolate lover, but this moist, delicious cake is one of my favorites.
Start with good quality ingredients at room temperature. Here is what you will need:

CAKE:

2 ounces semi – sweet chocolate (56% cacao)

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 3/4 cups boiling water

3 tablespoons strong instant coffee

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup sugar

1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1 1/3 cups (full fat) mayonnaise

2 large eggs at room temp

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pan. Recipe will make about 26 cupcakes.

Combine chocolate, cocoa powder and instant coffee in a medium metal bowl. Add the boiling water and whisk until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.

Sift flour, baking soda, and baking powder into another bowl.

Beat brown sugar, white sugar and mayonnaise in a large bowl until well blended, 2 to 3 minutes. (I use a stand mixer to get the job done). Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until well blended after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternately with chocolate mixture beginning and ending with the flour mixture, beating until blended after each addition and making sure to scrape down the sides of bowl.

Bake cupcakes about 25 to 27 minutes. Cupcakes should be firm to the touch with a little spring when you test them. Cool cupcakes in pans for 5 minutes, then remove to cooling rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Make sure to start your frosting with your ingredients at room temperature.  You want your butter soft but not too soft.  Perfectly softened butter makes all the difference in your frosting recipes.

FROSTING:

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

1 cup Biscoff Cream

1 lb Confectioners Sugar sifted

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

milk (a few teaspoons)

Cream together butter and Biscoff Spread until well blended and smooth. Stir in vanilla. Gradually add sifted confectioners sugar until all sugar is incorporated. Add a few drops of milk as needed to reach the desired consistency. You are looking for a consistency that is light and fluffy. It should not look like a cookie dough. My all time trick to making the best frosting is to continue to whip frosting for another 3 minutes after everything is mixed in. You will end up with a soft fluffy frosting, the perfect consistency.

Now for my thoughts on frosting and embellishing your cupcakes:
Let's start with tips.  For cupcakes, my favorite tip is the Wilton 1M.  This star shaped tip is especially nice when you plan to add toppings or sauce to your cupcakes because it creates a nice crevice perfect for holding your extra goodness.

Filling the bag:  You only have two hands.  Make it easy on yourself - Once you have placed your tip in the bag, place the bag inside of a regular size drinking glass and pull the ends over the sides. Place the frosting in the glass, then simply pull up the sides. Very simple!

For this design I hold the cupcake in my left hand at about a slight angle.  I start on the outside of the cupcake and work counter clockwise around the cupcake toward the center.  Press the bag down in the middle, then pull up to end your design.

Toppings:
Be creative. You know what you like, think about flavors that go well together. For this cupcake, I topped with crushed Biscoff cookies. I simple put them in a ziploc bag and crushed them with the bottom of a cup.

Then I went a little bit over the top, starting with Salted Caramel sauce. When I do not have the time to make my own, my favorite is Trader Joe's Fleur de sel caramel sauce (Salted Caramel). I also added some chocolate chips for an extra touch.

Leave a comment... Let me know what you think of this recipe!