Vegan Fudge Brownie Cupcakes

Very easy recipe. Yummy vegan brownie cupcakes. Definitely tastes like fudge brownie, with the light and airy consistency, not dense like expected from the fudge brownie. Just sprinkled with powdered sugar is enough, although chocolate fudge frosting would be a nice complement.

• 1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup coffee
• 3/4 cup soy milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Preheat oven to 325 F. Grease 9 x 9 inch brownie pan. Or lined cupcake form with cupcake liners.
Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, stir together brown sugar, coffee, soy milk and vegetable oil. Combine the wet and dry mixes and stir to mix well. Stir walnuts into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, bake 35 minutes. Or fill cupcake liners about 2/3 full. Bake cupcakes about 25 minutes. Insert toothpick to check if done. Cool before sprinkling powder sugar or frosting.

 Makes: 16 cupcakes, 160 calories each. Recipe from "Rebar: Modern Food Cookbook"

Basic Crepes

Crepes are very thin pancakes originated in France and actually considered a french national dish. Made by pouring thin consistency batter onto a flat round pan. The batter is spread evenly by tilting the pan in a circular motion, until it creates a round, thin surface. Sweet or savory can be filled with different ingredients and served as a main course or dessert.

My alltime favorite, since childhood, are crepes filled with vanilla creamed farmer's (cream) cheese and strawberry preserve, dusted with powdered sugar. Sauteed apples with sugar and dash of cinnamon make a delicious crepe filling, topped with homemade whipped cream... yum!
Try crepes with nutella and bananas... especially sauteed bananas. Warm bananas melt the chocolate nutella little bit and make it all just come together in the little bites of heaven.



There are several different versions of recipes for crepes, and they all are pretty good. I usually make crepes from my old family recipe that came from my Aunt Maria, who used to cook for a family of french Counts in Poland back in the 1930's.

Crepes

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• 2 cups AP flour
• 1,5 cup milk
• 1 cup sparkling water (regular water is fine, or milk)
• 2 eggs
• 2 TBS melter butter (or vegetable oil)
• pinch of salt
• 2 TBS sugar
• 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla

Whisk all the ingredients together, the batter should be somewhat thin, much thinner then standard american pancake batter. Refrigerate the batter for 20-30 minutes before using.
Preheat a teaspoon of vegetable oil on a nonstick skillet (use crepe pan if you have it), pour some batter and tilt your pan couple of times around to distribute the batter in a thin, even layer.
Cook on a medium heat about a minute on the first side, flip and another minute or less and the other side. Just until the crepes are lightly golden.

Fill with your favorite filling, and either roll them or fold in a half or quarters...

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Walnuts - Yum!

So I did take some time off from blogging, recipes, and cooking all together, and now I think I am recharged and ready to start again. I have to admit, with a full time job, dog, husband and the rest of everyday life it's hard to find time for this. Photographing your food before you eat it (LOL), editing, and publishing recipes - it all takes time, and sometimes I just want to be lazy and read a book or watch DVR-ed shows... or just enjoy a glass of wine with take-out.
I actually thought I would have more time to do that this past summer, but I was wrong. Summer in Chicago is so short and I tried to do as much as I could outside, enjoying nice weather before it's gone again. It comes and goes so fast, it's over before you know it. More and more I think about moving somewhere with a milder climate. I love Chicago, I love where we live, our big loft with great city views and huge rooftop deck, but the climate here might just not be worth it anymore. This country has so many great places to live to offer. Right now I would like to move to Pacific Northwest. I know, i know, the weather there is not as great as in Arizona but there i so much more to do out there. Pacific coast, mountains, beautiful lakes, trails, lighthouses, rain forests, wineries... and I don't think they get as much snow as we get here, in the midwest. Right? Portland and Seattle are my two top cities whre I could see myself living for the next couple of years...

So, cookies?! I'm not sure what made want cookies this weekend, but all of the sudden I had to make cookies. Sugar cookies are definitely my top choice but white chocolate macadamia take the spotlight completely. Oatmeal raisin are number three, and that's pretty much all cookies I really like. So I rarely make cookies, since I try to stay in "shape" and once I have cookies sitting on my counter top looking at me - I can't resist! I could finish the whole batch! In fact, I actually had (in the past)... so I stay away from making cookies...


I started with the Quaker Oatmeal Cookies recipe and modified it to my likings, if I can say that. I used margarine instead of butter to make it healthier, and I added chopped walnuts. I also reduced the amount of sugar. My husband likes white chocolate in his cookies, so after I split the cookie dough I added some chopped white chocolate to the second batch. The cookies were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, warm, straight from the oven tasted amazing with a big glass of cold milk!

Walnut and white chocolate with raisins and oatmeal - I have to admit - I was worry about all this ingredients but the effect was delicious. You can almost call them everything but kitchen sink cookies or garbage cookies??? maybe not...

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Oatmeal Raisin Cookies with Walnuts

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) plus 6 tablespoons soften butter {margarine}
  
• 3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar {1/4 cup}
  
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
  
• 3 cups Quaker® Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
• 1 cup raisins
• { 3/4 cup chopped walnuts, and chopped white chocolate-optional}

Preheat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well. Add oats and raisins {and walnuts and chopped white chocolate} - mix well.

{Refrigerate cookie dough for about 10-15 minutes before dropping, it helps with the stickiness}

Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.

Peach and Plum Upside-Down Cake

I found myself baking much more often lately. Even though it is summer and it is hot enough without the oven on, there is nothing better than the smell of baking in my kitchen. The house filled with warm aromas of cookies, cakes and pies just makes me happy. And there is always the first bite, the moment of truth. Is it as good as you expected? Would I change anything in the recipe, maybe add less sugar or few drops of almond extract...

After purchasing couple great baking books and subscribing to few great "baking blogs" - my "want to make folder" is growing rapidly. Fall is my favorite baking season, and I know, I will be sad to say goodbye to the summer, but there is something great about the harvest season, its cool evenings, the cinnamon and cloves and cider, and the endless possibilities of baking with apples...


But anyway - today is about plums, and plum upside down cake. Actually my cake has mixed plums and peaches to make it more summery. I research for a perfect recipe, there are quite of few available online. I made the cake batter with cinnamon and milk, and the topping with butter and brown sugar. Another recipe I found - had sour cream added to the batter and regular sugar in topping. Both looked equally great, and my next upside down cake will be experimenting with the other recipe. Maybe it will be apple upside down ...



This cake is tender and moist, the brown sugar-butter topping is juicy and melts in your mouth. Perfect combination of plums and peaches makes it a great dessert. This recipe is a keeper.

For Topping:
3/4 stick of butter (6 TBS)
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 TBS honey
6 large plums, pitted and cut in wedges (I used 4 white plums and 2 large peaches)

For Cake:
3/4 stick of butter (6 TBS) - I used margarine, it works well for baking, and it has fewer calories
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. almond extract (goes really well with stone fruit, like plums, peaches)
1/2 cup of milk
2 TBS buttermilk
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. salt

Directions:

Topping: Place butter, brown sugar and honey in a saucepan and melt together on low heat, whisk to combine. Pour into 9 or 10 inch round cake pan with at last 2 inch sides. (Do not use spring pan form, it will leak) Arrange sliced plums evenly over the butter-brown sugar mixture.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C). In a medium bowl mix in all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Melt the butter in a microwave. In a bowl with electric mixer pour melted butter, add sugar and beat for couple of minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and almond extract, beat until light and fluffy. Add dry ingredients alternately with milk and buttermilk, mixing until well blended. Spoon batter evenly over plums.

Bake for 50 minutes to an hour, until golden and tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer to rack and cool for 30 minutes. Using a knife, cut around the sides of pan to loosen the cake. Place serving platter on top of the cake pan and invert cake. Lift the pan, and serve the cake.

Plums can be substituted for peaches, apples, pineapples, blueberries, or other combinations of fruit.



That little someone couldn't wait to get a bite of this amazing upside-down cake. It only took a second and he was on the top of table getting started with my slice! :)

Walnut Cupcakes with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

I made those cupcakes couple of weeks ago. We had company coming over and I had nothing sweet at home, so I opened up my "want to make it" folder and found this pretty easy and fast recipe. I whipped those in about an hour including cooling time. Ok, maybe and hour and fifteen minutes! :) The cupcakes were pretty tasty the same night, but I would suggest to make them at least one day ahead, they get more moist as they get older.

To make about 20 cupcakes you need:

3/4 cup grounded walnuts/pecans
1/2 cup vegetable oil or melted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel
1 TBS. lemon juice
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
4 eggs

3 TBS. chopped walnuts for decorating

Beat eggs with sugar, oil/butter, lemon juice and lemon peel until combined. Add walnuts, and mix together. In a separate bowl mix flour with baking powder and baking soda. Add to the egg mixture and fold together to combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones. If the batter is too stiff add couple of TBS of buttermilk or milk.

Fill cupcakes liners with the batter to about 3/4 of a height of liners. Bake in 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool cupcakes and frost with vanilla cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

For this simple vanilla cream cheese frosting you need:

1 - 8 oz. cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 TBS vanilla

Beat all ingredients until well combined and fluffy. About 5-7 minutes. Frost cupcakes, sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Strawberry Cupcakes

Strawberries are my favorite! I wish I lived somewhere closer to strawberry farms, I would eat fresh strawberries everyday. Living in Chicago is not giving me too many opportunities to get fresh farmed Michigan strawberries. Working full time is not helping either. So Thursday’s Farmers Markets on Daley Plaza downtown are basically the only option for me. During June, almost every Thursday I got couple of little baskets of those fresh, beautiful, red and juicy strawberries…

I love to eat them just by itself, but it's great to make something sweet - strawberry desserts are great. Strawberry-rhubarb crisp was one weekend, than cupcakes, and jam… yes, I did slave in the kitchen for couple of hours to make 9 pint size jars of strawberry jam – but that’s another post. Today, I want to share my recipe for those little moist and sweet cupcakes with whole strawberries inside. The recipe for the cake batter is very simple and you can make it in 9x13 pan, or 9” round pan, and pretty much put whatever fruit you want.

I made cupcakes with strawberries and powdered sugar on top. I frosted some with strawberry butter-cream frosting, but unfortunately I do not have any pictures of those.

Strawberry Cupcakes

5 eggs, yolks and whites separated

1 ¼ cup sugar

1 vanilla sugar or 1 tsp pure vanilla

½ cup vegetable oil

2 cups flour

2 heaping tsp baking powder

20-25 medium size fresh strawberries, washed, stem removed, and dried

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line cupcake form with paper liners. Separate egg yolks from egg whites. Beat egg whites until soft peaks and set aside. In a clean mixer bowl mix the egg yolks with the sugar and vanilla until well incorporated. Add vegetable oil, mix for another minute. Fold in beaten egg whites. Mix the flour with baking powder andadd to the egg mixture about 3 TBS at the time, slowly folding in together.

Fill about ½ of each cupcake form with the batter and insert the strawberries in the middle. The strawberry does not have to be pushed in too far, the batter will rise up as it bakes and will cover the strawberries anyway. This should make about 20-24 cupcakes.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool completely before frosting or sprinkling with powdered sugar. Cupcakes are even better the next day, they get more and more moist as they get older…

For strawberry butter-cream frosting I used 1 stick of butter and about 1 ½ cup of powdered sugar. Mix it together until creamy. I made strawberry compote and added to the frosting. Compote: about 1 1/2 cup of fresh strawberries, roughly mashed with potato masher, added some sugar, not exactly sure how much, maybe ¼ cup, maybe more, just taste it and see if more is needed. Let it simmer on low heat until thickens. Cool completely before adding to the butter cream frosting.

You will only need about 2-3 TBS of strawberry compote to the frosting. I added 1 tsp. lemon juice to bring out the flavor of strawberries. {Instead of making your own compote you can just add about 2-3 TBS of low sugar strawberry jam.}

Chocolate Burbon Pecan Pie and Kentucky Derby

It's the time of a year again. It comes so quickly every time that I don't have enough time to plan ahead and go to Churchill Downs for the Kentucky Derby Day . When I realized that May is on the corner, it was way too late to book the trip, and get decent derby tickets without spending a fortune.

It's not the same but I decided to have a small Derby Party on that Saturday. I don't want to make a whole dinner thing, since the derby is during the day,but I want to have something to eat. I decided on a signature derby drink, couple of appetizers, and a dessert. Dessert is a must. While researching for inspiration I found this great recipe for a Chocolate Burbon Pecan Pie, also known as a Derby Pie. This recipe takes a pecan pie and adds intense chocolate and burbon flavor. It's quick ans fairly easy o make. Use store bought pie crust to make it even easier.


1/2 (15-ounce) package refrigerated piecrusts
1 1/2 cups chopped pecans
1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate morsels
1 cup dark corn syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup bourbon or water
4 large eggs
1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt

Fit pie crust into a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate according to package directions; fold edges under, and crimp. Sprinkle pecans and chocolate evenly onto bottom of pie crust; set aside.

Combine corn syrup and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Whisk together eggs and next 4 ingredients. Gradually whisk about one-fourth hot mixture into egg mixture; add to remaining hot mixture, whisking constantly. Pour filling into prepared pie crust. Bake at 325° for 55 minutes or until set, cool on wire rack.

The signature Derby drink would be a Classic Mint Julep. On the Derby day, as "My Old Kentucky Home" plays before the race, julep cups are raised high, bringing tears to many eyes. To Kentuckians, a mint julep is more than a drink, it's a cup of emotion, full of tradition. The classic version is served in silver julep cups. These are filled to the rim with a refreshing concoction of the finest bourbon, simple syrup, fresh mint, and crushed ice.

5 fresh mint leaves
1 tablespoon simple syrup or mint simple syrup
Crushed ice
1 1/2 to 2 TBS or 1 ounce of bourbon
1 (4-inch) cocktail straw
1 fresh mint sprig
Powdered sugar (optional)

Place mint leaves and Simple Syrup in a chilled julep cup. Gently press leaves against cup with back of spoon to release flavors. Pack cup tightly with crushed ice, pour bourbon over ice. Insert straw, place mint sprig directly next to straw, and serve immediately. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

{Photos and recipes courtesy of Southern Living Magazine}

Rustic Plum Pie

I never used to bake pies. I think I tried once before – it was suppose to be a peach pie, and it turned out a disaster. I used store bought crust, and the bottom of the pie was just raw. Maybe I didn’t bake it long enough… who knows it was a long time ago. Since than I decided that pies are just not my specialty. Lately I’ve been going through all my old magazine subscriptions and I found so many great looking pies, that I decided to give a home made pie one more chance. For filling I choose plums! It’s not your traditional pie filling, but I love plums and I think they don’t get enough attention in baking and cooking. Growing up, I always remember plum pies, plum jams, plum preserves, my mom used to can plums for the winter. I always liked plums. We even had couple of plum trees growing in the backyard – one of them had the best white plums I ever had. I don’t think I’ve ever seen those here, in US. Anyway – going back to my plum pie – to make it more interesting I added about 1 cup of defrosted blackberries, and 2 small pears, diced. Pear gave it a different texture, different bite to it, and the blackberries added great color. It was just enough to not overpower the flavor, but enhance the look of the pie. Overall the pie turned out wonderful, plums tasted just like they should, sweet, juicy, with a hint of vanilla and berry. This just might be one of my favorite pie flavors.

Crust Pie Dough

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup butter, chilled and cut into chunks
Approx. 2/3 cup cold water

I used my newly purchased KitchenAid stand mixer to make the dough. It was super easy and fast. Put flour, salt, and sugar in a mixer bowl, and stir together. Cut butter into small pieces and mix in with the flour mixture. Use stir speed to combine the ingredients. Add 1 TBS of cold water – one at the time to the mixture, until the dough is formed. Divide dough in half, shape each half into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. It can be put in to the freezer to speed up the chilling process. {Traditional way of making the pie crust dough: Whisk together flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter with your fingertips until mixture is very coarse, but no pieces bigger than a large pea remain. Using a fork, stir in cold water until dough almost comes together into a ball.}

Pie Filling

1 recipe for crust pie dough
6-7 fresh plums, larger in size
1 or 2 small pears – diced
1 cup frozen blackberries – defrosted
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

For Brushing
2 tbsp milk
1 egg white or whole egg
3-4 tbsp [coarse] sugar

Preheat oven to 375F. Wash plums and remove the pits. Cut the plums in to quarters or smaller pieces, it’s actually easier to cut the pie when the pieces of plums are little smaller. Peel the pears, and dice them in about half an inch dice. Defrost your blackberries. Place plums, pears and berries in a large bowl, add in sugar, cornstarch, salt and vanilla extract and stir well until combined. Set aside.
Roll out the bottom pie crust on a lightly floured surface, making sure there will be a bit of overhang around the edge of the pie plate, and transfer to pie plate. Fill pie crust with plum mixture. Roll out top pie crust, and lay on top of the pie plate, crimping or pinching edges to seal filling in completely.
Brush the top of the crust with milk and egg mixture and sprinkle generously with sugar, preferably coarse sugar. Cut several slits in the top crust with a sharp kn ife. Bake for 65-75 minutes, until crust is well browned and the filling is thick and bubbling through the vents on the top of the pie. Cool pie on a wire rack completely before slicing, to ensure that the filling thickens up and sets.

Brioche French Toast with Berry Compote

My favorite brunch dish is definitely a french toast. And when it comes with fresh berries - I'm in heaven! I stumble upon this recipe on Food and Wine Magazine website. They have so many great recipes out there. I am going to make it this weekend - for my Sunday brunch. Meantime here is the photo and the recipe.



1 pound mixed fresh berries, such as strawberries and raspberries, sliced (4 cups)
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water
6 large eggs, beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice
Unsalted butter, for the griddle
Twelve 3/4-inch-thick slices of brioche (from 2 small loaves)
Crème fraîche, for serving

Preheat the oven to 225°. In a medium saucepan, combine the berries with 1/4 cup of the sugar and the water and bring to a simmer. Cook over moderate heat until the berries are softened and the sugar is dissolved, about 8 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the heavy cream, the remaining 3 tablespoons of sugar and the ground spices. Transfer to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish.
Heat a large cast-iron griddle and lightly butter it. Working in batches, dip half of the brioche in the egg mixture, turning once, until moistened but not soggy. Transfer the bread to the griddle and cook over moderate heat, turning once, until golden and cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the French toast to a baking sheet, cover loosely with foil and keep warm in the oven while you cook the rest. Serve the French toast with the berry compote and crème fraîche.

{recipe and photo courtesy of Food and Wine Magazine}

Key Lime Coconut Cupcakes with White Chocolate Frosting

As seen on Food Network's Ultimate Recipe Showdown couple of weeks ago. I really like the idea of those cupcakes, so I wanted to try them, as they received great reviews. Also I noticed that I am becoming obsessed with cupcakes... always researching new ideas and flavors.
This recipe calls for the key limes, but I couldn't find key limes in my grocery store, so I used regular limes.



Ingredients

• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 heaping teaspoon grated key lime zest
• 1 1/2 tablespoons key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 1/3 cups loosely packed sweetened coconut flakes (3.5 ounces)

Frosting:

• 5 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped into small chucks
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (I only used 2 cups of powdered sugar)
  
• Pinch salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon key lime juice (bottled or freshly squeezed)
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Finely grated key lime zest, for garnish

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With the mixer on low speed, add the eggs, 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, key lime zest and juice and mix well. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In 5 parts total, alternately add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the batter, beginning and ending with the dry. Mix until just combined. Fold the coconut into the cupcake batter.

Line a muffin pan with paper liners and fill each liner almost to the top with batter. A spring loaded 1/4 cup ice cream scoop works great for this and ensures the cupcakes are all the same size. Bake for 25 minutes or until the tops begin to brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove cupcakes from oven and allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes and then transfer cupcakes to a baking rack to cool completely.

While the cupcakes are cooling you can make the frosting. In a small heat proof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, carefully and slowly melt the white chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool until just slightly warm. Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter until light and fluffy. With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar until well combined. Add the salt, vanilla extract, key lime juice, and sour cream and mix until very smooth. Add the melted white chocolate and mix just until incorporated.

Frost the cupcakes and garnish with a bit of grated key lime zest. Enjoy!

{The cake portion is very good, tasty, but the frosting is still little too sweet for me, even after I cut down the sugar, so maybe whipped cream frosting with a hint of key lime would be better... }

Here is the link to all the recipes from that episode of Ultimate Recipe Showdown. I know I will be trying few more of those, as they all look very appetizing.

Valentine's Day Sweets

I love browsing through the virtual space searching for fun articles or new recipes. Better Home and Gardens has a great collection of "Sweets for Two". And with Valentine's Day coming up I wanted to publish some of the recipes on my blog. The whole collection includes about 28 different desserts, I chose only few of them, the ones that appealed to me the most.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

This picture is from BHG website, and it's a great presentation idea for my red velvet cupcakes (recipe here ). use small chocolate heart shaped cookies and powder sugar to re-create the look. Yo can frost those with the cream cheese frosting, and sprinkle with red sugar or red sugar pearls, and stick the cookie on top. Possibilities are endless here...

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Cakes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache

• 12 medium strawberries
• 3 ounces bittersweet and/or milk chocolate curls

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour or line with paper bake cups twelve 2-1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside. In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Remove from heat. Let cool for 5 minutes. Stir in sugar and cocoa powder until combined. Add egg and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon, beat lightly just until combined. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Alternately add flour mixture and milk to chocolate mixture, beating by hand after each addition. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each two-thirds full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centers comes out clean. Cool in muffin cups on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Using a knife, loosen the edges; carefully remove cupcakes. Cool completely on a wire rack. If cupcakes don't have paper liners, trim a thin slice from top of each cupcake so they will sit flat. Turn bottom side up. Place cupcakes 2 inches apart on wire rack set over waxed paper. (For cupcakes in liners, peel liners down but do not remove.) Spread 1 teaspoon of the strawberry jam over each cupcake. Prepare Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache. (below) Spoon ganache over cupcakes, making sure to coat all sides. Place a strawberry on top of each cake. Drizzle each strawberry lightly with ganache, letting the strawberry show through. Top cupcakes with chocolate curls.

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache: In a medium saucepan, bring 1 cup whipping cream just to boiling over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add 10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped (do not stir). Let stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. Whisk in 3 tablespoons butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking until ganache is smooth. Makes: 12 cupcakes.

To Bake Ahead: Prepare as directed through step 4. Place cooled cupcakes in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw cupcakes, if frozen. Continue as directed in step 5.

Cherry Baby Cakes

• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 2/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup cherry marmalade or cherry preserves, large pieces snipped if necessary
• 30 maraschino cherries with stems, drained
• 1 recipe Powdered Sugar Icing*

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Line thirty 1 3/4-inch muffin cups with miniature paper bake cups;* set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Add milk, butter, egg, and vanilla. Beat on low speed until combined. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Spoon 1 scant teaspoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add 1/2 teaspoon of cherry marmalade and top with 1/2 teaspoon additional batter. Bake cupcakes about 12 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire rack.

Pat cherries dry with clean paper toweling. Frost each cupcake with about 1/2 teaspoon icing. Dip half of each cherry into remaining icing; place on top of baby cakes. Makes about 30 small cakes.

*Test Kitchen Tip: If you don't have 1 3/4-inch muffin cups, line sixteen 2 1/2-inch muffin cups with paper bake cups. Prepare batter as directed. Spoon 1 tablespoon batter into each prepared muffin cup. Add 1 teaspoon of marmalade and another tablespoon of batter. (You will only use about 1/3 cup marmalade.) Bake about 15 minutes or until tooth

pick inserted in centers comes out clean. Frost with Powdered Sugar Icing. Add a cherry as directed above. (You will only need 16 cherries.)

*Powdered Sugar Icing: In a small bowl combine 2 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, and 2 tablespoons milk. Stir in additional milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until icing reaches drizzling consistency. Makes about 30.

Tiny Raspberry Cheesecake Tarts

• 2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, cut up
• 1/2 teaspoon shortening
• 1 2.1-ounce package baked miniature phyllo dough shells (fifteen 1-1/2-inch shells)
• 1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 2 tablespoons dairy sour cream
• 2 tablespoons powdered sugar
• 2 teaspoons raspberry liqueur or milk
• 15 fresh raspberries (optional)
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

In a small saucepan, stir the cut-up chocolate and shortening over low heat until melted. Remove pan from heat. Using a clean small paintbrush, brush the inside (bottom and sides) of each phyllo shell evenly with the melted chocolate mixture. Return each shell to plastic tray included in package. Chill phyllo shells in refrigerator about 20 minutes or until chocolate is set. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the cream cheese, sour cream, and powdered sugar until smooth. Stir in liqueur or milk. Transfer mixture to a small resealable plastic bag; seal bag. Snip off a corner of the bag. Pipe about 1 teaspoon of the cream cheese mixture into each shell. Cover tarts loosely; chill 2 to 4 hours. If desired, garnish each tart with a fresh raspberry and mint leaves. Makes 15 tarts.

{My comment: You can also use store bought phyllo dough and bake your own shells, just cut the circles from the dough and bake them according to directions in small muffin pan. I am sure the pastry dough would work fine here, also.}

Apricots Cakes for Two

• 1 16-ounce package pound cake mix
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/4 cup apricot brandy, raspberry liqueur, apricot nectar, or raspberry juice blend
• 2 eggs
• 1 recipe Apricot Butter Frosting
• Edible flower petals or whole edible flowers (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and lightly flour a 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine cake mix, water, brandy or nectar, and eggs. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds; beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Spread batter in the prepared pan. Bake about 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove pan to wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely. Transfer cake to large cutting board. Using a 2- to 2 1/2-inch round cutter, cut cake into 12 rounds. (Cut remaining cake scraps into cubes and serve with fruit, ice cream, or yogurt.) For each cake, spread 1 tablespoon of the frosting on top of one cake round. Top with a second cake round. Spread a thin coating of frosting* on the sides of the cake to seal in any crumbs. Let cakes stand, uncovered, 1 hour or until crumb coat is set.

To frost cake, carefully pick up each cake and add a thicker coating of frosting around the sides. Place cake on serving plate and frost top. Top each cake with edible flower petals or whole edible flowers, if desired. Makes 6 cakes (2 servings per cake).

Apricot Butter Frosting: In a very large mixing bowl beat 3/4 cup softened butter until smooth. Gradually add 2 cups sifted powdered sugar, beating well. Slowly beat in 1/3 cup apricot nectar or raspberry juice blend. Gradually beat in 7 cups sifted powdered sugar. Beat in enough additional apricot nectar to reach spreading consistency. Tint frosting a pale peach or pink color.

*Test Kitchen Tip: For the thin coating of frosting, transfer 3/4 cup of the prepared frosting to a small bowl. Stir in enough apricot nectar or raspberry juice blend (about 1 tablespoon) to make frosting of glazing consistency.

{The recipes and pictures are from Better Homes and Gardens website}

White Chocolate and Raspberry Cheesecake

Another great cheesecake recipe. I found this one on line and I made it several time. Valentine's Day is on it's way and this could be THE dessert to finish the romantic dinner for two!

I changed the recipe a little. Adding some sour cream to the cheese mixture will make it smoother, and I use more wafer cookies and less almonds, so the crust have a nice hint of almond, but doesn't over power it. My husband is not a fruit lover, so I always make it plain, and than I can dress individual portions with raspberry sauce and fresh raspberries.

Crust

• 22 vanilla wafer cookies
• 1/2 cup almonds, crushed or grated
  
• 4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling

• 4 ounces imported white chocolate (such as Lindt), chopped
• 2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sour cream (or less, depends on the consistency of your cream cheese)
  
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3/4 teaspoon grated lemon peel
• 2 large eggs
• 3/4 cup fresh raspberries or frozen unsweetened, thawed, drained
  

Topping

• 1 8-ounce container sour cream
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Raspberry Topping

• 2 1/2-pint baskets raspberries or one 1-pint basket strawberries
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Place large piece of foil on heavy large baking sheet. Set 8x2-inch bottomless heart-shaped cake pan atop foil. (If unavailable, use 8-inch springform pan; omit foil.) Wrap foil around outside and 1 inch up sides of pan. Butter foil and pan. Finely grind cookies and almonds in processor. Add butter and blend until mixture forms very moist crumbs. Using plastic wrap as aid, press crumbs firmly onto bottom and 2 inches up sides of pan. Bake until golden, about 10 minutes. Cool. Maintain oven temperature.

For Filling:
Melt white chocolate in top of double boiler over simmering water until smooth, stirring often. Remove from over water. Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and peel in large bowl until smooth. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating just until combined. Beat in white chocolate.

Spoon half of batter into crust. Top with 3/4 cup berries. Spoon remaining batter over. Bake until edges of cake are set but center 3 inches still moves when cake is shaken, about 45 minutes. Cool 20 minutes. Maintain oven temperature. Using fingertips, press down gently on edges of cheesecake to flatten slightly.

For topping:
Whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla in bowl. Spoon over cake, spreading to edge of pan. Bake 5 minutes. Transfer cake in pan to rack. Run small knife around sides of cake. Cool completely. Chill cake overnight.

Fold down foil along sides of pan. Lift cake pan off cheesecake. Transfer cheesecake to platter, discarding foil. Cover cake with berries. Bring jam to simmer in small saucepan, stirring often. Gently brush jam over berries. (Can be prepared 3 hours ahead; chill.)

Simple Blackberry Heaven...

This is something we used to drink in Poland when we were kids - it was simply called "koktail" - means cocktail. So this is really nothing more than some frozen blackberries with a little plain yogurt and some sugar or honey. Super easy and delicious, also very healthy, if you use low fat yogurt and Splenda. I topped it with a little lite cool whip and mint leaves. It looks very festive, and taste great. Try it sometimes, it's great for a summer dessert, but also fabulous light dessert after a heavy comfort food, winter dinner.



I am not a huge fan of anything frozen, but not that long ago I needed to make a blackberry sauce for my mom's crepes, and my grocery store was out of fresh blackberries. So I figured I try the bag of frozen blackberries. I thawed them, I made the sauce - it was really tasty, almost couldn't tell the difference.

So here I used 1/2 a bag of frozen blackberries, you can use any frozen fruit, but berries will be the best for this. Thaw them, blended in food processor or blender, add a little bit of orange zest or orange juice, (optional), 2-3 TBS of plain low fat yogurt (great with Greek yogurt, also), 1 TBS of sugar, blend it together, and taste it. Add more sugar or yogurt - it all depends how you like it. Garnish with a little cool whip, or just 1/2 tsp of yogurt, or even some ice cream, mint leaves, or slice of orange... It's thicker than a smoothie, but adding a little ice to the mixture will make it very smoothie like... YUMM!

Lemon Cupcakes

Those are like little rays of sunshine on a cloudy day... I found this recipe in my free subscription of Kraft Foods Magazine, it was a bright yellow cover with few appetizing cupcakes. YUMM!
So I finally decided to make those for a birthday party. I usually don't like to make semi-homemade stuff, but I didn't have much time to come out with the dessert so I figured why not?! Super easy ingredients and super easy to make. You'll need:

1 pkg. (2-layer size) white cake mix

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Lemon Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup water

4 egg whites
Lemon zest from 1 lemon (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Beat cake mix, pudding mix, water, egg whites and oil in large bowl with mixer on low speed until moistened. (Batter will be thick.) Beat on medium speed 2 min. Spoon batter evenly into 24 paper-lined 2-1/2-inch muffin cups.

Bake 21 to 24 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 min.; remove to wire racks. Cool completely.

I used my recipe for cream cheese frosting, the one that goes on top of my red velvet cake. But instead of finishing it up with almond oil and added lemon juice. It had nice, refreshing, lemony flavor.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 1 - 8oz cream cheese, room temperature (I use Philadelphia)
• 3/4 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 3/4 cup of powder sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 TBS lemon juice
  

Beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy, add vanilla and lemon juice, add powdered sugar in 3 batches, beat few more minutes to get desire consistency. Frost the cupcakes.

This is a great and fast dessert if you don't have too much time on your hands. Definitely worth a try! :)

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year 2009 to everybody!

To help us celebrate the New Years Eve this year I made my red velvet cake in form of cupcakes. What a great party dessert! It was everybody's favorite. Believe me this recipe is amazing! I love the hint of chocolate from the cocoa and the almond extract adds a different dimension to the cake. The cream cheese frosting is not too sweet, I only put 3/4 of a cup of sugar, you can still taste the cream cheese and it's lighter in calories (less sugar!). If you try this recipe, I guarantee you will never go back to your old, plain red velvet cake. Click here for the recipe.

{my pretty little red velvet cupcake}

My Red Velvet Cake

About two months ago I had the best red velvet cupcake in the entire world. It was one of my co-worker's birthday and we had ordered cupcakes from Fox & Obel in Chicago. Those were so delicious, I could eat a whole dozen!
I knew there was something different in the flavor, it was not just a regular red velvet cake. I tasted them again, and realized that it was almond extract. And it was not just added to the cake, it was also in the cream cheese frosting. The frosting was not too sweet, just perfectly complementing the flavor of the cake. I tried to find a recipe that would incorporate almond extract - but I had no luck.




So last Saturday, I decided to make my own red velvet cake with a twist! It was a "test kitchen" experience, the cake turned out delicious - I have to say that, I almost recreated that flavor. And the only reason why I say almost is because I no longer remember the exact taste of those cupcakes. My brother and his girlfriend came over, we had some wine, and I was baking. Yes, it was late and we really wanted something sweet. I mean REALLY!



I baked the cake and let it cool down, but I was so curious to try how it taste that I cut into it about 2 minutes after I finished frosting. It was still little warm inside. ;) That explains why my pictures are so bad. I will be making that cake for Christmas again, so I will let it completely cool down, and let the frosting set.

Red Velvet Cake

• 2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 TBS cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• 1 oz. red food coloring
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp almond extract
  
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans or three 8-inch round cake pans. Into a medium bowl, sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, mix food coloring and cocoa powder to form a paste, set aside.
In a large bowl, using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then beat in vanilla, almond extract and cocoa paste. Add one third of the flour mixture, beat well, then beat in half of the buttermilk. Beat in another third of flour mixture, then second half of buttermilk. Finally beat in the last third of the flour mixture, making sure to scrape down the bowl with a spatula.
In a small bowl, mix vinegar and baking soda, it will fizz. Add it to the cake batter and stir well to combine. Divide batter evenly between the cake pans and place them in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
Cool the cakes in their pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. To remove the cakes from the pan, place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, then gently lift the pan. Allow cakes to cool completely before frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
(double the recipe for this cake)

• 1 - 8oz cream cheese, room temperature (I use Philadelphia)
• 3/4 stick of unsalted butter, room temperature
  
• 3/4 cup of powder sugar
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp lemon juice

Beat cream cheese with butter until fluffy, add vanilla, almond extract and lemon juice, add powdered sugar in 3 batches, beat few more minutes to get desire consistency. Frost the cake.

My brother had 3 large pieces of this wonderful cake that night! I can't wait to make it again in form of cupcakes! Delicious!

Coconut Cheesecake

I'm a sucker for CHEESECAKES! I love all of them. No exceptions, no... actually except the ones that don't taste good... I have a few great cheesecake recipes I tried and I like. One of them is this awesome coconut cheesecake I found on-line. You can serve it with all kinds of fresh fruit, or fruit puree, tastes great with a tropical flavor like mango. Or if you like it plain, like my husband (he's not a big fruit fan) it will taste just fine. The recipe is very simple and easy.



Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut, toasted
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

Wrap outside of 9 inch diameter spring-form pan with aluminum foil. Mix graham crackers crumbs, coconut and sugar in the medium bowl, add butter and mix to blend. Press mixture to bottom and sides of prepared pan. (I usually bake it for 10-15 minutes in the oven before I pour cheese mixture)

Cheese filling:
32 oz cream cheese (room temp)
3/4 cup of sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 (15 oz) can cream of coconut
1 cup whipping cream
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended (believe me you need the largest bowl you have...), add eggs 1 at a time,beating after each addition. Beat in egg yolk. Add cream of coconut, whipping cream and shredded coconut**, beat until blended. Pour into crust. Bake cheesecake until puffed and golden, about 1 hour and 25 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool completely. Refrigerate until well chilled.

Serve with purred mango. YUMMM... raspberries or anything you want...

** shredded coconut can be stringy, and I actually did not like it, I like my cheesecake smooth, so I think next time I make it, I will either skip the coconut completely or maybe run it through the food processor...

Yogurt - Cranberry Coffeecake

This is a great recipe for a festive holiday coffeecake. Looks amazing, and tastes great. Wonderful for holiday brunch. This recipe makes one 9 x 13 baking pan. You could divide into smaller pieces, wrap in in cellophane and voila!... nice gift for Christmas morning ...




Topping:
5 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
big pinch of salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup + 2 tablespoons King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour (I think any all purpose flour will do)

Batter:
1/2 cup butter
1 cup + 2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup (8 ounces) plain or flavored yogurt
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour

Filling:
1 can of whole-berry cranberry sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13-inch pan.

To make the topping: In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and vanilla. Add the flour, beating until even crumbs form. Scoop the mixture into a smaller bowl, and set it aside.

To make the batter: In the bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar, beating until smooth. Beat in the eggs, scraping the bowl and again beating until smooth. Beat in the yogurt, extracts, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and flour. The mixture will be fairly stiff. If too stiff add more yogurt. Scoop the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop the cranberry sauce on top, breaking it up with a fork first, if necessary. Make swirls with knife. Sprinkle the topping over the top.

To bake the coffeecake: Bake coffeecake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove it from oven, and cool for 30 minutes before serving (or serve it hot from the oven, if you don't mind it crumbling a bit!) Yield: 2 dozen 2-inch squares.

{Recipe courtesy of King Arthur Flour Website}