Let's Go Bananas!

Bananas are an interesting fruit where either you like it or you don't. And for most of my life I didn't. It's a texture thing with me. To eat a banana all by itself? Why would anyone ever want to do that? Nowadays I generally like my bananas three ways. In my smoothie, in a cake or as a banana foster over vanilla bean ice cream. I have done variations with my cakes from nut breads to peanut butter to chocolate.

There is a Chocolate Banana muffin that my husband loves at Mimi's Cafe. So I let that be my inspiration. Now normally when you think Chocolate muffin you think really sweet. But I didn't want that so I used Organic Cane sugar and cocoa dark powder with my glaze giving it a hint of chocolate and a hint of sweet with the traditional banana nut bread flavor. The bananas were also super ripe so the need for extra sugar was not needed.

I ended up with six jumbo muffins and one mini cake. I can't give you this recipe because it's a family secret. But there was a good one from the Food Network Magazine that is good. I will post that recipe at the end.

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips and Chocolate Glaze

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter one 9-by-5- inch loaf pan or three 6-by-3-inch mini pans. Mix 1 1/4 cups flour, 3/4 sugar, 1 teaspoon each baking powder and salt, and 1/2 teaspoon each baking soda, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl; add your nuts and chocolate chips. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 1/2 cup cooled melted butter or vegetable oil, 1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon citrus zest (optional). Stir your banana into the egg mixture, then fold into the dry mix until just combined. Spread the batter in the prepared pan(s). Bake until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 55 minutes for a standard loaf, 35 to 40 minutes for mini loaves. Cool 30 minutes in the pan(s) on a rack, then turn out onto the rack to cool completely.

Glaze

Whisk 1 cup confectioners' sugar, 2 tablespoons cocoa powder, 2 tablespoons milk, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract.

82nd Celebration

As promised I am going to reveal the cake I did for my Granny's 82nd birthday. Now, I just have to say I am soooo blessed to be able to be here and have her still in my life at 82. And she is more like 62 then 82. I love her very much and I was excited to share with you. So here we go...

I hand piped the flower on the top of the cake. It turned out for not being my original idea. In the end I was happy with the design. For the flavor...

Granny's favorite flavors are pineapple and lemon. So I made her a pineapple cake with the lightest most fluffy lemon butter-cream. Absolutely wonderful. And to make it off her Banana Nut recipe. She was too thrilled.

Nothing like family, love and a Slice of Sugar :)

I Scream You Scream We ALL Scream For Ice Cream

FINALLY!!!! I got my own ice cream maker. I am so excited. There is NOTHING like making ice cream from scratch. And I have been having a ball.

One of my favorite stores is Williams Sonoma. And there is an ice cream maker in there that I have been eye balling foo years now. Stalking the price hoping for at least a 20% sale. Needless to say it is still sitting at the store. Since I am not  in the ice cream making business, $300 dollars is not justified at this point. But don't sleep because there may be Tia's Ice Cream in the freezer section soon. (wink, wink) Ok I digress, so, since it was so expensive I gave up getting one. On this day I was in Costco with my mother and happened down the aisle of the KitchenAid products and guess what my eyes beheld......AN ICE CREAM MAKER!!!!!! It was by Cuisinart. I looked all over for a price and could find none. So I mosied on up to the cash register and get this...$19.99. Say WHAT!!! And my bestie and I headed home.

The love affair we had. Vanilla bean, Toffee, chocolate peanut butter crunch, coconut pineapple...yes!!! And it only takes 30 minutes to make. Danger Will Robinson. It keeps very well and the texture when you first make it is like soft serve. When you freeze it over night it is firm but very soft likfe the Edy's frozen yogurt. Love it. But I had to pack that baby away and put it out of sight. So it has been months since I have made it. But I can make sorbet with it and Italian ice. So I may dust the old boy off yet and bring him out for a lighter healthier treat. He can't come out for ice cream till I reach my fitness goals. But, I may make some so that you can see what it does. And I might just do that tomorrow. I have a birthday party coming up, I am sure that she can appreciate a gallon of soft serve, any flavor she likes ice cream.

Hmmmm the wheels are turning. After the workout, make ice cream for a give away. Don't worry, you won't catch my hand in the ice cream jar.

It's A Surprise...

Tomorrow is my Granny's birthday. And I am so excited to have done a cake for her. She has no idea, so shhhh till tomorrow. :) I had an idea in my head when I started, but because the cake wasn't a high cake, it didn't work. But not to fear, I am going to tuck that idea away and use it another time. I have a lot of those tucked away ideas. Besides, she is eating most of this cake alone and the last thing I need to do is send my granny into a sugar shock for a design.

Now, for her cake I asked what flavors she wanted. She said her favorite flavors were pineapple and lemon. From the start I thought black, yellow and white would be awesome colors to go along with that. (Only hint you will get on how it looks ) I thought the yellow just added some really good pop to a cake. I am my hardest critic. So...yeah. LOL I liked it but because it wasn't my original idea I was kind of eh on it. But, I know my Granny and I know she will love it. And for the cake I made a cake based off her original banana nut cake recipe. The very first cake I ever made that she taught me. So I made a couple of tweaks, turned it into something different. (Yep, you have to wait for the flavor too) I am very curious to see how the combination taste. Because I am taking a huge leap on this one. But I tasted the butter cream and LOVED it! It was so light I was in love. I have gotten my combination down pack now. YAY!!!

You are scrolling down looking for the pictures aren't you? You can't see the cake before the birthday girl. So tune in tomorrow for the pics of the cake and her happy grinning face.

Beach Cake

I did my very first beach cake. This was fun, because as always, I am learning while I am creating. And I always excited when people trust my creativity enough to make something for them. OK truth, there is a little nervous butterfly feeling as well. A lot depending on what I am asked to do. Because for the most part, every cake that I have done with fondant as always been my first. Now ordinarily, you probably wouldn't trust a first timer with a big event, but praise God that I am being trusted.

There was a birthday party coming up for a friend and neighbor and I was charged with awesome challenge of making a beach cake with Jamaican colors being the theme of the party. Pretty darn cool. So, they wanted a girl sitting up against a coconut tree, by the beach. I thought, whoa! Hmmm...now I am still working on my people. So far making people to look like people has been my hardest task. Just because I have OCD and I would like my people to look like people and not clay objects. Plus, I want to coin what they look like. Something that is unique to my hand.

I digress...so I set to the task. Now, the cake was a coconut and chocolate layered cake. With coconut butter-cream and chocolate butter cream. Yumm-O! I had some difficulty with the lady sitting next to the tree. The weight of the tree and the weight of the lady...not so much. So i decided to have her lying down basking in the sun instead. When you see the cake you may notice two different ladies. The first one in the two piece, my husband said looked to skinny. So I did a take 2 on the lady and she ended up in a one piece. Just in case you are wondering. so here it is.

This is the first lady.

Here is the final product with the new lady.

In this last picture, I wanted you to see the step down from the beach to the sand to the water and the step down in the water. I mean I really had fun making this cake. And I learned a lot, and several things I would do differently. But pretty darn proud for the first one! Yippee :)

New and Improved Buckeye

Those who know me know that I have a tendency for a wicked sweet tooth. Good news is I don't always induldge. Bad news is, I know how to make anything to sooth that sweet toothed monster. So it's no surprise that on one specific occassion of a sweet tooth attack, I sat home trying to think of what I could make quickly that would take care of that. Something small, but I could eat one or two and give the rest away if need be.

I went through the usually suspects of cookies, tart, mini souffle...what could I make. And it hit me, BUCKEYES!!! For those of you who don't know what that is, that means peanut butter balls dipped in chocolate. Now when I was little, I never had a buckeye or even knew it was called that. I just remembered my mom having this warm balls of peanut butter that I ate. No chocolate just the peanut butter. And she doesn't even remember how she made them. So I took it upon myself to search out the greatest recipe online could give. Well....I got nothing from one so I got a basic one and did what I do best...UPGRADE!!! LOL, You will soon realize there is no such thing as plain ole anything with me.

And shazam, here is my loaded, upgraded peanut butter ball. It tastes as good as it looks, trust me! I included the recipe that I found below and you can throw in any addtion that you want. I threw in pecans in the ball itself and a little coconut, and sprinkled it in chooped peanuts. The sky is the limit. I hope that you enjoy these as much as I did. Side note, the recipe says it makes 4 dozen. Ha! I made a dozen and a half because mine were the size of a jumbo jaw breaker. :) Enter at your own risk....

Ingredients:

Center:

2 cups confectioners (powdered) sugar

1 cups graham cracker crumbs (about 7 full graham cracker sheets)

¾ cup pecans, finely chopped

½ cup shredded or flaked sweetened coconut

½ cup unsalted butter

½ cup creamy peanut butter

Coating:

10 ounces milk chocolate

1 tablespoon vegetable shortening

4 ounces dark chocolate

Directions:

Center:

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine powdered sugar, graham cracker crumbs, pecans, and coconut; mix together. Set aside.
   
2. In a small heavy saucepan over low heat, combine butter and peanut butter; stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon until melted. Add to powdered sugar mixture. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
   
3. Shape dough into small balls, about 1” in diameter. Tip: An ice cream scoop is ideal for making uniform-sized candies. Cover balls and refrigerate until well chilled, 1 to 2 hours.
   
   Coating:
4. Line 2 large baking pans with waxed paper or parchment paper.
   
5. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt milk chocolate and shortening; stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to combine.
6. Place each ball on the end of a toothpick; dip the balls into the melted milk chocolate mixture to coat, allow any excess chocolate to drip back into the pan. Place balls on baking pans; let sit until the chocolate is set.
   
7. In top of a double boiler over hot water, melt dark chocolate. Using a small spoon, place a small amount of dark chocolate onto the top of each milk chocolate coated ball. Place balls on baking pans; let sit until the chocolate is hardened.
   
8. Store in an airtight container so they won’t dry out.
   
   Makes about 4 dozen Peanut Butter Balls
   

Strawberry Muffins

I LOVE strawberries. It is one of my all time favorite foods. When I was a little girl my parents took my brother and I strawberry picking. Needless to say my basket was always half empty. Soon the Strawberry Festival will be here and I cannot wait for all things strawberry. So in keeping with the theme early I thought I would try a muffin recipe using some strawberries I had. I finally found a recipe that was healthy. And I wanted it that way so I could have a guilt free morning treat.

I think the next time I make these I will either use all white flour, almond flour or cake flour. Something a little lighter then whole wheat flour. And I don't like the dryness that whole wheat flour can give. The strawberries definitely keep it moist. And the flavor is scrumptious. But definitely stay tuned for a Strawberry Muffin re-make :)

Now on to the treat of the morning....

Makes 1 doz. muffins

1/2 c. margarine (1 stick), softened

1 cap full veg. oil
1 egg

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 c. sugar
1 c. whole wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 c. white flour (you can use only white if you prefer)
1/2 c. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. FRESH strawberries, chopped

For the top of the muffin

2 Tblsp. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350º.

Cream the sugar and butter, then beat in the egg. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients.

Mix the milk into the sugar mixture, then mix in the dry ingredients. Beat until smooth.

Stir in the strawberries and spoon into muffin cups. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown. Careful, the strawberries are very hot!

My Hawaiian Taste Buds

On the way home today I start thinking I had not done my test kitchen recipe in a long time. What was I going to make. I thought about making something with apples. A nice puff pastry with apples, cinnamon, raisins and some walnuts. Mmmmm, yes that sounds comforting. But then the apple fairies dancing in my head disappeared and I started thinking what about something with coconut and pineapple. Hmm what if I add banana to that and Macadamia nuts. Then it hit me....a Banana Pineapple Coconut Macadamia Nut Cake. LOL a long name I know and I am sure I will find something clever to name it. Has to be more clever then the Hawaiian Surprise. Ha! And since it was a test recipe and I only needed a little(since I am off sweets while training), I decided on cupcakes. And I tasted....(shhh don't tell my trainer)

...and tasted

All I have to say is HO-LEEE COW!!! This was the most moist, tenderly soft textured mix of flavors. And with the Coconut Butter-cream with the toasted coconut and chopped macadamia nuts....mmmm mmm mmm! Delicious! I am so curious how this will turn out as a cake.

Stay tuned more to come. I may just post the recipe. :)

Health Nuts with a Sweet Tooth

Some months ago I was asked by a mommy-to-be to do a baby shower cake. The twist, she was a vegan. I had never made a vegan cake, let alone even thought it would taste good. The internet is my friend, so I googled and yahoo search trying to find a recipe that works. The frist recipe looked promising. It told of moist mango veganism in all it's glory. The result, COMPLETE FAIL. The cake was flat, super wet and looked very much like a deflated cheesecake. The taste wasn't that much better either. Very starchy tasting. So the search continued.

Then low and behild a recipe mix that worked. Fingers crossed, with some advice from my granny and wah lah!!!......

My Apple Almond Spice Cake w/ Caramel Butter cream was born. Now some may argue that because of the sugar aspect it is not vegan. But she was a no animal product kind of a girl and the sugar got a pass. So, this has been he rave at baby showers, weddings and get together's. And to my surprise has been the topic of conversation over all the other cakes. I am still working on other cake flavors so tune in for more vegan cake surprises.



Caramel Pecan Pie

As a request for a friend I made a Caramel Pecan Pie. I had made a Chocolate Bourbon Pecan pie and a plain Pecan Pie before but never caramel. I wasn't sure how to pull it off so that the distinction of the flavors stood out. But with the assistance of Caramel Chews...eureka!!!!

My girlfriend was unable to pick up this order, so I had a pie on my hand right when I swore off sweets. To my great fortune we had guests that weekend and I was able to put it out to be tasted. It looked to good not to taste, so I had a tiny taste and man oh man was this a good pie. Not too sweet and very chewy. The caramel stood out and mixed very well with the traditional taste of a pecan pie. Needless to say this was the result from what my company thought.....

It feels great to create something and have nothing but an empty container to let you know that it was all good :)

Celebration Cake

My family and I enjoy getting together for any and all ocassions to share laughter, love and food. Usually I am the dessert maker. I bring my savory dishes, but they indulge me and become my test tasters. I have two great recipes. One for a Red Velvet and the other for my Lemon Pound cake. So, as I was trying to figure out a new test kitchen recipe for my business, I came up with the idea to put these two cakes together in one. And this was the result.

When I started to assemble the cake it kept getting taller and taller. I was like "holy cow woman" and had to laugh at myself as I put it together. And it was truly my first tall cake. If you have ever been to Cheesecake Factory and seen their tall cakes up front, this was taller. I stood there like the proud cake mother that I was admiring my tower of cake. And the layering began. I went thin on the layers because I didn't think I would have enough. Next time I make this cake I definitely will give more butter-cream in between the layers.

It came out this gorgeous red and cream color. The pecans were the final touch that seemed natural to do at the end. Both cakes were very light, and the complimentary butter-creams for each (lemon butter-cream for the pound cake and cream cheese butter-cream for the red velvet) worked out perfect. Neither I not my family could not stop eating this decadent dessert. This is the best way to celebrate don't you think. :)

A true Slice of Sugar!

Homemade Maple Granola Bars

In an effort to eat healthier I decided to not eat sweets for a while. But I have a wicked sweet tooth. So I made my own granola bar. And let me tell you it is the BEE'S KNEES! It is chewy, naturally sweet and even though very healthy it doesn't taste like a bar of greens. This is the kind of bar that your kids will love. Feel free to tweak the recipe if you are more or less of a health nut, but I definitely will encourage you to try just as it is.

Chewy Maple Granola Bars

2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

½ cup sunflower seeds (unsalted)

2/3 cup sliced almonds

½ cup chopped walnuts

1/3 cup flax seed

½ cup wheat germ

1/3 cup honey

1/3 cup grade A maple syrup

¼ cup molasses

¼ cup olive oil

Pinch of salt (optional)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup dried fruit (mixed fruit of choice)

Spray a 9x9 glass dish lightly with baking spray and set aside. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, wheat germ, nuts and flax seed onto a half-sheet pan. Place in the oven and toast for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.  In the mean time in a sauce pot mix honey, maple syrup, molasses, olive oil, salt and vanilla. Stir until well combined and the color is a golden brown.

Once oven mix is done immediately mix with sauce pot mixture and add dried fruit. Lower oven to 300 degrees F.

Place in glass dish and press down to shape. Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely and cut into squares. Can be stored up to a week in an air tight container.



Suitcase Cake

So this Tuesday was my dad's birthday and he loves to travel. What better way to celebrate both then to do a suitcase cake for him. I had NEVER tried it before and I was nervous as I always am, but it turned out great! I even shocked the mess out of myself. The man upstairs was really looking out.

He absolutely loved it. It was a Red Velvet cake with a Raspberry Cream Cheese Butter-cream. He took a lot of pics on his new phone and made sure to cut from the back to the front. He saved the front for later. Said that he wanted to preserve it for a little while longer! YAY!!!!! :)

It's On!

Welcome to my blog! I am a HUGE foodie!!! This will be specifically to my sweet side, but every now and again I may hit you with a curb ball and talk savory. I am excited to share some things I have done, tasted and tried. From cooking it to trying someone elses. So look out for goodies to come.