ice cream cone cupcakes: Temmuz 2012

We are working with LoadNVote to find the craftiest cupcakes! If you think you are the best at making crafty cupcake, then load a picture of YOUR cupcake to compete against the best! Here's the contest link: http://loadnvote.com/contest/CraftyCupcakes The Loading Period is from now until July 18th, and the voting period: July 19 until August 9. How the contest works:

Users submit their original cupcake designs
Then the public votes on the their favorites in a head to head format.
The entry with the most votes wins the prize.
The prize is a choice of either a $50 Best Buy gift card OR an entire Essie Summer Collection nail polish.

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies

To contact us Click HERE

Red Velvet Sandwich Cookies1 pkg. Duncan Hines Red Velvet Cake Mix1 egg1/4 cup flour1/4 cup water1/2 cup vegetable oil1 carton of cream cheese frosting
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the cake mix, the egg, the flour, water and oil until well combined in your mixer. Roll in 1 inch balls of dough on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 9-10 minutes. Let them cool on a cooling rack and frost away! My husband likes lots of frosting, but I don't. So lather up as much as you'd like and ENJOY!

Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes & Dried Cranberries

To contact us Click HERE
Quinoa, Sweet Potatoes & Dried Cranberries
1 cup of uncooked Quinoa2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed1 Tbsp. butter1/4 tsp. cinnamon1 Tbsp. brown sugar1/2 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:1/4 cup balsamic dressing2 Tbsp. olive oil1-1/2 Tbsp. honey1/2 tsp. salt1 tsp. ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Peeled and cube the sweet potatoes. Place on a greased cooking sheet. Brush with melted butter. Bake in oven for 15 minutes. Flip the potatoes over and brush with left over butter, sprinkle the cinnamon and brown sugar. Place back in oven for 5-10 minutes, until they are soft and cut easily with a knife.
Cook quinoa according to package directions. Add in the sweet potatoes and dried cranberries.
Whisk the dressing ingredients together and stir into the quinoa mixture.
Enjoy!!!
*Served with salmon, asparagus and Parmesan bread.

Individual Apple Crisps

To contact us Click HERE
I was craving something sweet, but a bit healthy too. So I was inspired by this recipe here, and went for it. I think they turned out really good. It was quick and especially easy to serve!
Individual Apple Crisps3-4 Apples - I used granny smith green apples6 Tbsp of melted butter1 cup rolled oats1/2 cup flour1/2 cup wheat flour1 cup brown sugar1-1/2 tsp. cinnamona pinch of ground gingera pinch of sea salt
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. 2. Wash and dry apples. Cut in half. Using a melon baller scoop out the middle of the apples. 3. In a bowl combine the oats, flour, sugar, cinnamon, ginger and salt. Stir in the melted butter. Stir until combined. 4. Pat the oat mixture into and on the apples. Place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream. We drizzled a little bit of caramel on our apple too. :)
Enjoy!

Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas - Skinny Version

To contact us Click HERE
A couple of months ago I posted the recipe and picture from my cousin's blog http://boycheesesandwich.blogspot.com, for Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas here. I have made them several times since then because we love them so much. Since then I have adapted a few healthier changes to the recipe. Honey-Lime Chicken Enchiladas1-1/2 lbs. shredded chicken (I use a rotisserie chicken and use every ounce of chicken from it). 1 (10 oz.) can of green enchilada sauceWhole wheat tortillas (about 8)1 cup skim milkShredded Colby-Jack Cheese
Marinade:1/2 cup honey1/4 cup lime juice (the juice of 2 limes)1 Tbsp. chili powder1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1. Put all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl and whisk until completely combined. 2. Put all of the shredded chicken in a gallon size bag, pour the marinade over the chicken and mix it around until covered. Put in fridge. Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes. 3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x13 baking dish. 4. Put a tortilla in the dish, place some chicken along the center of the tortilla, add some cheese, and roll up tight. Continue for the remaining tortillas. 5. Pour remainder of marinade over the tortillas (I actually use a basting brush). Sprinkle cheese over top. 6. Put in oven and cook for about 20 minutes, until the tortillas start to turn golden brown. 7. In a small sauce pan heat up the green enchilada sauce and skim milk. Bring it to a low boil. Once the enchiladas are done, we serve up the enchiladas and let everyone put on their own sauce.

This was the tortillas are CRISPY! Also, this means that you're not using as much sauce, but just enough.

8 Temmuz 2012 Pazar

Heart-Shaped Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls.

To contact us Click HERE

2012 has officially lost it's sparkle.
We're heading into March, my least favorite month of the year. My birthday month is over. Valentine's Day is over. It's not winter, it's not spring. What is it?
It's just... March.

January had resolutions and confetti. February had pink and sprinkles and cake. Summer is three months away. It's "too soon" to start planning our anniversary ~~presents~~ (April is so not "too soon", by the way). And Christmas? Christmas is at least eleven years away.

Life as an adult requires that I must always have something fun and potentially sparkly to look forward to. Otherwise, honestly? I just cannot deal with laundry and gas prices and work. Monday morning? What are we doing Friday night? It's March? So... Disneyland this November? What are we doing for our five year anniversery? "We haven't even had our fourth!"

Whatever.
You know what helps with awkward, uneventful, in-between months?
Cinnamon rolls!

Cinnamon rolls that are super easy, shaped like hearts, and full of cranberries, orange-zesty brown sugar, and fresh-squeezed orange juice.

You see all those crispy, crackly brown sugar bits? This is why you use parchment paper. Otherwise you'll be scrubbing your baking sheets for days. Truth.
So yeah. These are good...
- Burning-hot off the baking pan.
- At midnight, cold, smuggled out of the kitchen like nobody's business.
- Warm, with melted butter.
- ~~Dunked in~~ drizzled with sugary-orange icing.
- With both.
- With breakfast. With lunch. With dinner.
- Eaten all. by. your. self.
Can I just say it? I love brown sugar.

Maybe there's hope for March after all.

Heart-Shaped Cranberry Orange Cinnamon Rolls
Printable Recipe
2 cups Bisquick or buttermilk baking mix2/3 cup milk3 tablespoons melted butter1/2 cup brown sugar, packed1 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1 cup cranberries (I used dried, but fresh would work too) The zest from two orangesThe juice from one orange
Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and zest from one orange; set aside.
Juice one orange and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the Bisquick, milk, zest from the second orange, and a tablespoon of the fresh-squeezed orange juice with a wooden spoon, just until dough comes together. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead for about 3-4 minutes.
Roll dough into a large rectangle, about 1/4-inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture and cranberries over the top. Drizzle a tablespoon of fresh orange juice over the top.

... I really like cranberries. Feel free to use less.
Carefully lift both ends of the dough and roll both towards the center, like a scroll. Cut in 1/2-inch slices. You may have to reform them a little bit or pinch the ends to make them look more heart-like. (If you don't want to make them heart-shaped, just roll the dough up jelly-roll style, cut into 12 cinnamon rolls, and bake on a baking sheet or in a greased muffin tin.)
Place on baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the biscuits comes out clean. Let cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wax paper to cool completely.
*I didn't have the patience to stop eating these long enough to glaze them, but to make an orange glaze, mix 1 cup powdered sugar with 2-3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed orange juice. Drizzle over the top and get to eating!
Source: Adapted from the cinnamon pinwheels recipe.

Marbled Pound Cake.

To contact us Click HERE

I know. I've made marble pound cake before. But...
1. Sometimes real-life, off-the-blog baking isn't all chocolate ganache and layers of chocolate and caramel and doughnuts. It's simple. Classy. Chocolate + vanilla + cake.

+ face. Obviously.
2. Buttermilk. I love buttermilk. I want to shower in buttermilk. Buttermilk makes everything better. Fact.
3. This recipe is actually supposed to be baked in a loaf pan... not in a tube-pan-but-I'm-baking-it-in-a-loaf-pan-anyway. No crispy, burnt edges = pound cake success.

4. Less sugar! Way less sugar, actually.
5. But mostly? There were just a lot of last-minute coffee dates that started with my boyfriend ordering a slice of Starbucks marble cake, then turning to me and nonchalantly dropping, "Hey. Don't you have a recipe for this cake? I love it when you bake. You're really pretty."

By the way, is pound cake a quick bread or a cake? I know it says cake right there in the title, but it's kind of deceiving since it's baked in a loaf pan and looks like bread and all that.

Plus if this were a cake there'd definitely be some kind of chocolate glaze or cream cheese frosting on top. And sprinkles. Always. This isn't even super sweet or all that chocolatey.
Marbling things is my very favorite.

So if you think about it... pound cake is kind of like banana bread. Or zucchini bread. Or french bread.
It's breakfast, basically.

Which totally legitimizes slicing it up and making it into french toast. I'm just saying.

Marbled Pound Cake
Printable Recipe
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature1 + 3/4 cups cake flour2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon salt3/4 cup granulated sugar3 large eggs, at room temperature1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract2/3 cup buttermilk, room temperature1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-5-inch loaf pan with cooking spray or line with parchment paper; set aside.
Whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.
Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about five minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the buttermilk and beginning and ending with the flour.
Set aside 1/3 of the batter.
In a small bowl, mix the cocoa with 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons boiling water with a rubber spatula until smooth. Add to the batter set aside and stir until well combined.
Spoon batters into the prepared pan, alternating between vanilla and chocolate. To create a marbling effect, cut a knife through the batters in a swirling motion.

Bake for 40-50 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool 10 minutes, then turn cake out from pan and allow to cool completely.
Source: From Buttered Up, originally adapted from Martha Stewart.

Cinnamon-Peach Doughnuts with Maple Icing.

To contact us Click HERE

I seriously cannot concentrate on writing this post.
One, I'm watching Smash. Today was one of those rare half-days of work and I know I should be taking advantage of this quiet house and warm spring day to do something super productive, like sleep or laundry or packing to go home for Easter or baking something with coconut.

Instead, I'm on the couch, staring at these doughnuts, and singing Rihanna at embarrassing decibels... when I would really rather be out having a girls' night out slash sing-off in the middle of Times Square, like so.

Okay. I paused it.
I also can't concentrate because, two, let's get real: this post is about doughnuts. Doughnuts! Fried dough full of cinnamon and fresh of peaches, all dunked in maple icing or rolled in cinnamon-sugar. Or both. What?

I ate so many of these.

And I just thought of swapping out the peaches for strawberries, then topping these with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and even more berries. It'd be like a mini strawberry funnel cake shamelessly eaten for breakfast and that's an idea I can totally get behind.

Aaaaand I can't concentrate because Titanic is in theaters again and I will never not love Titanic. I was nine (nine!) when it was originally released and that movie single-handedly inspired at least five sleepover parties, one birthday party, and all expectations for future relationships. I won't even lie to you.
So basically I'm all the over place today. I want to sing and dance and eat fried dough. I want my laundry to be done, I want to nap, I want to put coconut in everything. I want to be in New York. I want to be in a movie theater. And I'll be honest: I wanna microwave a Peep. I don't even know.

P.S. These don't have a super sweet peachy flavors so feel free to add a few tablespoons of peach juice to get a stronger flavor.
P.P.S. Maple icing. Seriously.

Cinnamon-Peach Doughnuts with Maple Icing
Printable Recipe
Doughnuts1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour6 tablespoons granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon baking powder1/4 teaspoon baking soda1/2 teaspoon salt1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon1/2 cup buttermilk, at room temperature1-2 tablespoons peach juice, optional 1 large egg, at room temperature1/2 cup sour cream, at room temperature1 teaspoon vanilla extract2 tablespoons butter, melted and slightly cooled1 large peach, pitted and dicedVegetable oil for frying
Icing3/4 cup powdered sugar1/4 teaspoon maple extract1 tablespoon milk
Cinnamon-Sugar 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2 tablespoons ground cinnamon Line a baking sheet or work surface with a thick layer of paper towels.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and cinnamon.In a medium bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, peach juice (if using), eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and slightly cooled melted butter, until combined. Pour into the flour mixture, add the diced peaches, and fold together with a spatula, until just combined and no clumps of flour remain.
Sprinkle a clean work surface with flour. Sprinkle flour over dough and roll out until 1/2-inch thick. Using a round dough cutter (I used a 2 1/2-inch), cut out doughnuts and doughnut holes.
*Note: Because of the chunks of peaches, this dough might be more difficult to roll out and cut doughnuts from then a plain cake doughnut recipe. If the dough starts sticking to rolling pin or counter, sprinkle with more flour. Don't worry if the shapes aren't perfect or bits of peaches jut out. They'll turn dark when fried (you can see that in the photos above), but that's from frying, not burning.
Place a candy thermometer in a medium saucepan and pour oil in about 2 inches deep. Heat oil over medium-high heat to 365°F.
When oil reaches temperature, carefully place three doughnuts into the oil. Fry for 1-2 minutes, or until they turn golden brown, then turn and fry for another 1-2 minutes (doughnut holes only need about a minute in the oil). Be sure to keep an eye on the temperature, making small adjustments to the heat as needed to maintain the temperature. Adjust cooking time accordingly.
When done and golden brown on each side, remove from oil, allow excess oil to drip off, and place on paper tools to cool. If not icing, immediately toss in a small bowl of cinnamon-sugar. Be careful not to burn your fingers!
To make the glaze: When cooled completely, make the maple glaze by whisking together all three ingredients in a medium bowl until smooth. Dunk doughnuts face-down in the glaze and place back on paper towels to set.
These doughnuts are best the day that they're made.
Makes about 16 doughnuts and doughnut holes.
Source: A Bakergirl original.

Cakey Lemon Bar "Brownies."

To contact us Click HERE

Now that Easter is over and I'm out of Peeps, it's time to focus on some seriously important things:
Summer is coming!
Three blissfully scorching-hot months of pie-baking, barbeques, drive-ins and fireworks, late nights and wedge sandals, grilled pizzas, beaches, sticks of pink spun sugar and True Blood. Oh yes. True Blood.
It is. about. time.

Summer is happening and it's happening soon. And since I'm typing this during a full-on thunder and lightning storm? It's safe to say I couldn't be any more ready.
But let's start small. Summer is all about jumping into things: pools, road trips, super short jean skirts. Spring is about new things. Fresh things. Slowly-growing things. Citrus things and bright pink flowers, if you will.
I really hope you will.

So let's finish up spring right and kick off summer proper. Let's ignore the rain... and zest some lemons.

This is where good things start.
Oh hey. Life tip? When life gives you lemons... make lemon brownies.

Lemon brownies? Lemonies? What?
Yes. Thick, cakey lemon squares the density and texture of a chocolate brownie. I'm so serious. This is no lemon bar. This is a lemon brownie and it absolutely must be apart of your spring and summer/life if you're into citrus and sugary things.

And no big deal, but they're also glazed with a super zesty glaze.

And maybe I ate the leftover glaze with a spoon, but we don't have to talk about that.

Get your zest on!
Cakey Lemon Bar "Brownies"
Printable Recipe
Brownies3/4 cup all-purpose flour3/4 cup granulated sugar1/4 teaspoon salt1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened2 large eggs2 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest2 tablespoons lemon juice
Lemon Glaze1/2 cup powdered sugar1 tablespoon lemon juice2 teaspoons lemon zest
Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-by-8-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.
Zest and juice two small lemons; set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixture fitted with the paddle attachement, beat the flour, sugar, salt, and softened butter until combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, lemon zest, and lemon juice until combined. Pour into the flour mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes.
Pour into baking dish and bake for 25 minutes, or until just starting to turn golden around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before glazing.
When brownies are cooled completely, make the glaze by whisking together all three ingredients. Spread over the brownies with a rubber spatula, cut into bars, and serve!
Source: Barely adapted from Rita's Recipes.

Summertown Recipes.

To contact us Click HERE

Summer is here and it's happening. There is sparkly pink nail polish on my toes, a Stephanie Plum book in my lap, and I am in love with June... especially the last four days of ~~funnel cakes and sunburns~~ vacation spent at home, eating giant bags of salty-sweet kettlecorn for breakfast, seeing my family, and working at the arts & craft show in our hometown summer festival with my dad. Isn't he crafty? He makes all those wooden toys and pens. I just put sprinkles of things and feel creative.
But now it's almost July and it's time to get serious about this thing. Time to bake in red, white, and blue, put booze in your popsicles, and stay up late watching True Blood. Since I've been baking a lot of already-blogged recipes lately, it's only logical I share some of my old and new favorites with you. Here are my top summery picks. Add some sugar to your summer!
Festive three-tone cupcakes.