#BundtBakers: Coconut

January 15, 2015March 3, 2016 ~ lk529 ~ 42 Comments

Today is the first #BundtBakers post of the new year! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is coconut and our lovely host is Terri of Love and Confections.

I wasn’t sure I was going to participate in today’s bundt challenge because I’m allergic to coconut. But for Christmas I got not just one but two new bundt pans and I was itching to use them. I am now the ecstatic owner of the Bundt Duet Pan and the Garland Bundt Pan.

My husband’s birthday was last Friday and he loves Almond Joys, so I decided I could make bundtlettes for him (and #BundtBakers) and reserve one to be coconut free for me. (I should have saved me two, not just one!) Last year I tried making him Almond Joy Cupcakes which turned into Chocolate and Peanut Butter Cupcakes. So it was time for redemption. Yet again, I ran into frosting problems. It wasn’t a flavor/execution problem this time though! When I turned my bundtlettes out of the mold I realized there was no way I wanted to cover them up with frosting. They’re just too pretty! Turns out I didn’t have almond extract like I thought either. So instead, I made a ganache and garnished these little cakes with slivered almonds and coconut flakes. If you really want to play with the coconut flavor try adding 1/4 tsp coconut extract to the ganache!

This chocolate cake batter uses buttermilk and yields an incredibly rich, moist cake. My favorite part was the crusty edge.

I got six 1 C bundtlettes and one 2.5 C bundt out of this batter amount. According to the original recipe it will also make 24 cupcakes.

Almond Joy Bundtlettes

Ingredients:

2 C flour
2 C sugar
3/4 C cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 C buttermilk
1 stick butter, melted and cooled slightly
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 C heavy cream
slivered almonds, for garnish
sweetened coconut flakes, for garnish

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease six 1 C bundtlettes and one 2.5 C bundt pan.
Whisk flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer until completely combine. Until it looks like a packaged cake mix!
Add in the eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk. Mix for a few seconds before adding in the butter; to prevent the eggs from scrambling if the butter is still hot. Batter will be thick.
Fill prepared bundt pans. Bake the bundtlettes for 25 minutes and the bundt for 30, or until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow cakes to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a cooling rack.
Prepare ganache: In a microwave safe bowl, heat chocolate chips and heavy cream for 30 seconds. Stir. Repeat until mixture is smooth. While the ganache is still warm, pour over the cakes. Garnish with slivered almonds and coconut.

*This recipe is adapted from Kristan at http://www.confessionsofacookbookqueen.com/2013/03/almond-joy-cupcakes/*

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the#bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Candy Bar Chocolate Coconut Bundt Cake by Terri from Love and Confections

Chocolate Italian Cake by Renee from Magnolia Days

Chocolate Chip and Key Lime Bundt Cake by Julie from Eat, Drink and Be Mighty

Coconut and Banana Bundt Cake by Victoria from Just One Bite Baking

Coconut Banana Bundt Cake by Kathia from Basic N Delicious

Coconut Carrot Bundt Cake by Anna from Media Racion Doble, Por Favor

Coconut Cream Bundt Cake by Andrea from Adventures in All Things Food

Coconut Hummingbird Bundt Cake by Patricia from Patty’s Cake

Coconut Milk Bundt Cake by Beatriz from I Love Bundt Cakes

Coconut Milk Bundt Cake by Samantha from Un Mordisco Un Pecado

Coconut Oil Pound Cake by Laura from The Spiced Life

Coconut Sugar Banana Cake by Jelena from A Kingdom for a Cake

Cranberries and Coconut Bundt Cake by Aisha from La Cocina de Aisha

Cranberry, Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake from Kids & Chic

German Chocolate Bundt Cake by Teri from The Freshman Cook

Glazed Chocolate Macaroon Bundt Cake by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

Gluten-free Coconut Orange Bundt Cake with Coconut Whipped Cream by Cassandra from Cassie’s Kitchen

Gizzada Mini Bundts by Kelly from Passion Kneaded

Key Lime Coconut Cream Bundt by Wendy from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Mini Samoa Bundt Cakes by Rebekah from Making Miracles

Orange and Coconut Bundt Cake by Catherine from Living the Gourmet

Oreo Coconut Bundt Cake by Shilpi from Indian Curries/Stew

Pina Colada Bundt Cake by Jane from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Rhubarb n Rose Coconut Frosted Bundt Cake by Laura from Baking in Pyjamas

Rum Bundt Cake with Coconut and Lime by MB from Bourbon and Brown Sugar

Toasted Coconut and Sweet Potato Bundt by Margaret from Tea and Scones

Toasted Coconut Lime Bundt Cake with Chili Lime Glaze by Tux from Brooklyn Homemaker

recreatedbysrc

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

December 22, 2014December 20, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

It is time for the Christmas countdown. Although most of you have probably already been counting down since December 1, or from Thanksgiving, or even those of you who jump the gun, from Halloween.

I am just now starting my Christmas count down. I can probably blame it on the five month old, but this is the most unprepared I’ve ever felt for Christmas. I think the real culprit is that we didn’t put up Christmas lights this year. The house we’re living in is very old and only has one single two-pronged outlet. So all I could do was put out the fun lighted gift boxesby our front door. Stuart promises me that we’ll figure out how to do more next year. I also have my snowman door hanger up by the mailbox. Inside is a little better, but still doesn’t hold a candle to last year. Last year I had a fireplace with a mantle that I happily decorated with garland and winter birds. This year I have fewer surfaces and had to break up my Christmas villagebetween two bookshelves – one of which doesn’t have access to an outlet so it’s a dark village; and even still, some of my houses had to be left in their boxes. At least I still have a Christmas tree to be proud of! If I could only have one element of Christmas decor it would have to be my tree. There is just something about the glow of a Christmas tree that makes the world a better place.

Sorry, that was a 250 word tangent to tell you that my Christmas countdown has begun and we’re celebrating on the blog with cookies! Today until Christmas Eve I’ll be sharing three new cookie recipes. Maybe I’ll make this an annual thing and next year there’ll be more new cookie recipes Christmas week!

Roll-out sugar cookies are a traditional cookie that must be made every Christmas. Today I am sharing a twist on the classic recipe – a chocolate version! When I make the traditional cookies I put sprinkles on them before popping them in the oven, but with chocolate I left them plain. (If I had gold and silver sprinkles I would’ve given them a shot.)

Because I like thin cookies and didn’t need to feed an army I halved the recipe. In doing so I forgot to halve both the vanilla extract and the salt and when I pulled the dough out of the fridge it smelled like Kahlua. I crossed my fingers that my altered flavor profile wouldn’t be inedible, rolled out the dough, cut my shapes, and popped them in the oven. After baking, they smelled perfectly of chocolate. And they tasted like Teddy Grahams! The recipe written below uses the correct amount of vanilla extract and salt; Marian worked really hard to get the right ratio of ingredients for the perfect chocolate cookie so I will have to try these again and do it right!

Chocolate Roll-out Cookies

Ingredients:

2 C flour
3/4 C cocoa powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1 C sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. Add egg and mix until incorporated. Add the vanilla extract and mix. Add the dry ingredients in two batches, mixing until combined after each addition.
Chill dough in fridge for at least one hour. (I did mine for a few days before having time to bake the cookies.)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Roll out cookie dough on a floured surface to desired thickness. Cut out cookies and place on cookie sheet. Bake 8-12 minutes. (Will depend on your cookie thickness.) Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a minute before removing to a cooling rack.

*This recipe is adapted from Marian at http://sweetopia.net/2013/12/chocolate-sugar-cookie-recipe-cut-out-cookies/*

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#BundtBakers: Booze

November 20, 2014November 20, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 33 Comments

4ae7b-bundtbakerspost This month #BundtBakers is getting ready or the party season by using alcohol in our cakes and/or icings! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is Booze and our happy host is Lauren of From Gate to Plate.

When it comes to alcohol, I like to hide my booze behind sugar and fruit. I am the stereotypical girl who likes her fruity drinks. And I do not drink beer. I’m pretty sensitive and definitely a lightweight so I don’t often find myself with a cocktail in hand. There are few drinks that I find worth it. But what I do love is Kahlua. In hot chocolate, over ice cream, in rootbeer, as a float. And now, in cake!

It was a no-brainier for me to select Kahlua as my booze choice. And this cake is strong! I was going to use Kahlua instead of milk in my buttercream but after tasting the crumbs of the cake the extra booze simply wasn’t necessary. What I love about this cake, other than the flavor, is the texture. When I picked it up I thought it was going to be too heavy and dense, but it’s not, it actually reminded me of brownies! Brownies with Kahlua! Topping the cake with vanilla buttercream is the perfect compliment and balances the booze well.

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 C vegetable oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 C Kahlua
3/4 C milk
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 tsp baking powder

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs, oil, vanilla, Kahlua, milk, and sugar.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, cocoa powder, salt, and baking powder.
Add dry ingredients to the stand mixer in two batches, mixing until combined after each addition.
Pour cake batter into a greased bundt pan.
Bake 60 – 70 minutes, until a knife comes out cleanly.
Allow cake to cool completely before topping with vanilla buttercream frosting.

*This recipe is adapted from Elizabeth at http://www.thecollegiatebaker.com/2012/12/chocolate-kahlua-cake-with-white.html?m=1*

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Anisette and Orange Bundt Cake by Samantha at Un Mordisco Un Pecado

Apple Bundt Cake with Whiskey Salted Caramel by Lauren at From Gate to Plate

Baba au Rhum by Terri at Love and Confections

Banana Bourbon Bundt Cake by Linda at Brunch with Joy

Champagne Soaked Cranberry Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook

Chestnut and Rum Kugelhopf by Jelena at A Kingdom for A Cake

Chocolate Baileys Bundt Cake by Bea and Mara at I Love Bundt Cakes

Chocolate Chambord Mini Bundt Cakes by Tara at Noshing With The Nolands

Chocolate Guinness Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake with Kahlua Glaze by Tanya at DessertStalking Blog

Coffee Baileys Bundt Cake by Kathya at Basic N Delicious

Frangelico and Fig Bundt Cake by Victoria at Just One Bite Baking

Gin and Tonic Bundt by Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Gingerbread Rum Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Grand Marnier and Chocolate Chips Bundt Cake with Seville Orange Sauce by Anna at Media racion doble, Por Favor

Grand Marnier and Tangerine Bundt Cake by Caro at En la Cocina de Caro

Guinness Chocolate Bundt Cake by Patricia at Patty’s Cake

Irish Coffee Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life

Kentucky Bourbon Cake by Cassie at Cassie’s Kitchen

Lemon Rum Bundt by Catherine at Living the Gourmet

Limoncello Bundt Cake by Natalia at Principiando en la Cocina

London Porter Bundt with Lemon Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Peach Brandy Pound Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days

Pomegranate and Chocolate with Rum Glaze by Rocio at Kidsandchic

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake by Wendy at A Day in the Life on the Farm

Rum Pudding Cake by Rebekah at Making Miracles

Rum Raisin Apple Bundt by Maleka at La Luna en Dulce

Southern Sweet Potato, Bourbon, and Pecan Bundt by Margaret at Tea and Scones

Spiced Apple Cider Bundt Cake with Bourbon Glaze by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker

Tangerine Screwdriver Mini Bundts by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Graveyard Cupcakes

October 29, 2014October 26, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

The ghost theme continues with this super fun and adorable dessert.

I was originally planning on making another spin on S’more Brownies using ghost marshmallow peeps but during my trip to Joann’s for the ghost cookie cutterI used in Monday’s post my eyes fell upon these adorable ghost icing decorationsand I couldn’t resist! A change in plans was made and a discussion with Kate was in order. With her creative genius she suggested I do chocolate cupcakes with green icing and having these ghosts be coming back from the grave. I continued to follow her instruction and dipped Milano cookies in chocolate to create headstones.

I decided on a chocolate coffee cupcake for the base. My husband forgot his coffee on the counter one morning and I had the ambitious idea to save it, thinking I’d do something with cold coffee. These ideas are usually met with a lack of time or imagination, or even completely abandoned and everything I save with the intentions to do something awesome make their way to a dark corner of the refrigerator to die. But not this time! This time I found a use for that coffee! And because I did a coffee cupcake, I decided to use coffee creamer in the icing instead of milk. And my idea worked! Vanilla buttercream is my least favorite of the buttercreams and I didn’t think I’d be able to dye chocolate buttercream green very effectively. Using the Italian Sweet Cream flavor coffee creamer I had on stock for my mother-in-law made this frosting perfectly sweet and it complimented the cupcakes beautifully – making for an addicting chocolate cupcake. And I don’t say that about cake very often!

Chocolate Coffee Cupcakes with Coffee Creamer Frosting

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 stick butter, softened
1 C sugar
2 eggs
1 3/4 C flour
1/4 C cocoa powder
2 tsp baking powder
1 C cold coffee

Ingredients for decorating:

2/3 C chocolate chips
12 Milano cookies
12 ghost icing decorations
2 sticks butter, softened
3 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp liquid coffee creamer
green food coloring

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tins with 16 cupcake liners. Note: there are only decorations for 12 cupcakes, the other 4 are bonus for the cook!
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Mix in vanilla.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, and baking powder. If you’re using unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter and mix until combined. Add 1/2 of the coffee and mix until combined. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients, the last of the coffee, and ending with the remaining 1/3 of the flour mixture.
Fill cupcake tins and bake 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out cleanly. Allow to cool.
Over a double boiler, melt the chocolate chips. Dip the Milano cookies in the chocolate and let set on a piece of parchment paper.
Make frosting: in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar. Add the vanilla and creamer. Add up to another tablespoon of creamer if needed. Mix in food coloring until desired color is achieved. Note: Depending on how you ice your cupcakes, there will be leftover frosting.
Cut a cat’s eye slit into the cupcakes and place the chocolate covered cookies into the cupcakes.
Ice the cupcakes. Decorate with the ghosts.

*This recipe is adapted from Roxana at http://roxanashomebaking.com/chocolate-coffee-cupcakes-with-coffee-buttercream-frosting-recipe/ *

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

#BundtBakers: Caramel

October 16, 2014October 16, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 19 Comments

This month’s edition of #BundtBakers is a little different. No, you won’t notice anything unique about this month compared to any of the previous #BundtBakers events but behind the scenes I’ve gotten to try my hand at hosting! #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient.

Because Halloween happens this month I chose the ingredient of Caramel. I considered making candy the ingredient of choice but I couldn’t get Caramel Apples out of my mind. Looking at the day’s offerings it looks like I wasn’t alone! And there are even two recipes that use some popular Halloween candy in their bundts!

I must admit though, in all of my excitement at getting to host this month I ended up scrambling to make my bundt. Thankfully our leader Stacy of Food Lust People Love sent me a friendly reminder. If you’ve been following me on Instagram you may have noticed that I am in the market for a planner. If I had a super fun beautiful planner I wouldn’t have gotten my weeks messed up and this bundt would’ve been made in a less stressful environment. When it comes to #BundtBakers I’ve usually completed my cake and blog post by the first of the month!

But it all worked out in the end. My mother-in-law was visiting over the long weekend and although we had to lose some sewing time I got to bake with her! I did use a boxed cake mix as I was in a rush and because it was due to expire next week! I haven’t used a box mix in quite some time, hence it was about to expire. I needed to adjust the cooking time to accommodate for the deeper baking vessel. Feel free to use your favorite chocolate cake recipe if you so desire, but a little “semi-homemade” action isn’t a bad thing. It’s the apple crumble and the homemade caramel that set this cake apart.

Chocolate Caramel Apple Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix and ingredients required (or use your favorite chocolate cake recipe)
1 1/2 C brown sugar, divided use
1/2 C heavy cream
10 tbsp butter, divided use
pinch of salt
scant 1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 C flour
1/2 C old-fashioned oats
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C finely diced green apple

Steps:

Prepare boxed cake mix to instructions. Pour batter into a well greased bundt pan and bake until a knife inserted comes out cleanly. Allow to cool. (I baked mine at 325 degrees F for 40 minutes.)
Make caramel: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine 1 C brown sugar, heavy cream, 4 tbsp butter, and salt. Once butter melts cook stirring constantly for 8 minutes until thick. Add vanilla and cook another 2 minutes. Allow to cool.
Make crumble: In a large bowl whisk together 1/2 C brown sugar, flour, oats, and cinnamon. Cut 6 tbsp butter into cubes and fork into oat mixture until a crumble consistency is achieved. Pat the diced apple dry with a paper towel before adding to the crumble.
When cake is cooled remove from bundt pan and cut a well in the top. Fill well with crumble and top with 1/2 C of the prepared caramel.

*This cake was inspired by Averie at http://www.averiecooks.com/2014/10/caramel-apple-cheesecake-crumble-bars.html *

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Apple Butter Bundt Cake with Cider Caramel Glaze by Cassie of Cassie’s Kitchen

Apple Pecan Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Aisha of La Cocina de Aisha

Brown Butter Praline Bundt Cake with Salted Caramel Drizzle by Tux of Brooklyn Homemaker

Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Kaylin of Keep it Simple, Sweetie

Caramel Banana Bundt Cake by Kathya of Basic N Delicious

Caramel Cake with Caramel Cream Cheese Icing by Rebekah of Making Miracles

Caramel Chocolate Bundt Cake by Natalia of Principiando en la Cocina

Caramel/Chocolate La Belle Helene by Jelena of A Kingdom for a Cake

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake with Peanut Butter Caramel Sauce by Laura of Baking in Pyjamas

Cornmeal Bundt Cake with Caramel Popcorn by Patricia of Patty’s Cake

English Toffee Bundt with Drunken Dulce Drizzle by Stacy of Food Lust People Love

Fall Classic Caramel Bundt Cake by Maleka of La Luna en Dulce

Fair Toffee Apple Bundt by Jane of Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Milky Way Bundt Cake by Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm

Salted Caramelized White Chocolate Glazed Butterscotch Pecan Bundt Cake by Laura of The Spiced Life

Snickers Bundt Cake with Caramel Glaze by Bea and Mara of I Love Bundt Cakes

Spiced Apple Bundt Cake with a Caramel Brickle Drizzle by Teri of The Freshman Cook

Spiced Caramel and Pear Bundt Cake by Rocío of Kids&Chic

Three Flavor Zebra Bundt Cake – Vanilla, Caramel and Chocolate by Caro of En la Cocina de Caro

#10DaysofTailgate: Boston Lager Cupcakes

September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 4 Comments

Today is the last day of #10DaysofTailgate hosted by Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla. I wanted to end this event with a dessert, and what tailgating event is complete without beer?!

I chose my husband’s favorite beer to use in a chocolate cupcake.

While I am not a beer drinker, even I enjoyed these cupcakes. The texture of the cake is lighter than your average cupcake. The flavor of the beer comes though, but not in an over powering way. The beer mellows the sugary flavor of a traditional chocolate cupcake and lends an earthiness to the cake.

The suggested frosting for these cupcakes was for a beer buttercream but I wanted to make these a little more family friendly so chose to omit the beer. I also wasn’t convinced that a traditional buttercream was the way to go with these cupcakes. I decided instead to make both vanilla and chocolate buttercream frostings to swirl together and create the look of a glass of foamy beer. At least, that was my intention. Whether or not that image came through to you or not, I’m proud of how these look. (If you’re new to Sew You Think You Can Cook, decorating cakes is one of my weakest skills in the kitchen and would always rely on my creative friend Kate to come rescue me. Now that I am living 750 miles away I’m going to have to learn how to do these things myself!)

Boston Lager Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 1/4 C sugar
1/4 C cocoa powder
2 eggs
1/2 C Boston Lager beer
1/2 C water
1 3/4 C flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time until combined. Mix in the beer and water until smooth.
Add the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt and mix until combined.
Fill lined cupcake trays 3/4 of the way full. Bake 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean. Makes about 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes.
Allow cupcakes to cool before frosting. In a piping bag, place both vanilla buttercream on one side and chocolate buttercream on the other. Pipe over cooled cupcakes, creating a two-toned swirl. (Frosting recipes can be found here.)

*This recipe is modified from David at http://blogs.westword.com/cafesociety/2010/04/beer_cupcakes_and_beer_milksha.php *

Don’t forget to enter our giveaway and be sure to check out the other bloggers who posted more tailgating recipes today:

Starters

Sweet Cornbread Mini-Muffins with a Chile Pepper Kick by OnTheMove-In the Galley

Pretzel Bites with Hot & Spicy El Diablo Mango Mustard by Making Miracles

Mains

Homemade Honey Mustard Chipotle Chicken Bites by Love and Confections

Beer Cheese Brat Chowder by Cheese Curd In Paradise

Ducky Joes by A Day in the Life on the Farm

Ducky 13 Bean Soup by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

13 Bean Chili by Miss Laura’s Kitchen

Za’atar Spiced Cashews by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Chicken & Potato Stir Fry on the Grill by Debbi Does Dinner Healthy

El Diablo Spicy Wood Smoked Pork Butt by CafeTerraBlog
Grilled Lemongrass Lamb by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Sides
Grilled Clash of the Seasons Panzanella by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

#BundtBakers: Honey

August 21, 2014September 17, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 14 Comments

Honey is the most used condiment in our household. We go through a honey bear in two weeks. And at any farmer’s market we attend, we’ll be walking away with some local honey. Needless to say, I was excited to see honey as the theme for this month’s #BundtBakers post. I almost didn’t participate this month because of all of the major life events going on (moving from FL to OH and having a baby), but I couldn’t skip out on making a honey bundt!

I even have an adorable honey pot from Le Cruset that we pour store bought honey into. I bought this honey pot as an impulse buy because it made me think of Winnie-the-Pooh. I have a slight obsession with Winnie-the-Pooh. I learned how to read because of a Winnie-the-Pooh “read-along” cassette tape, I own every character stuffed animal, I had Winnie-the-Pooh sheets until I went to college (pretty sure my parents saved them for me too), and my friends threw me a wonderful Winnie-the-Pooh themed baby shower.

What does Winnie-the-Pooh have to do with my bundt? Everything! My mom bought me a Winnie-the-Pooh cookbook and today’s recipe(s) come from it!

Hipy Papy Bthuthdth Thuthda Bthuthdy Cake

Ingredients for cake:

1/2 C butter, at room temperature
1/2 C sugar
1/2 C honey
2 eggs, separated
2 C flour, sifted
3 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C milk
1 tsp almond extract

Ingredients for honey chocolate icing:

3 oz semisweet chocolate
9 tbsp butter
6 tbsp honey

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter, sugar, and honey. Add egg yolks, one at a time.
In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and mix until combined. Add half of the milk and the almond extract and mix until combined. Repeat with another 1/3 of the dry ingredients and remaining milk, finish with the last of the dry ingredients.
In a bowl, beat egg whites with a hand mixer until stiff. Gently fold into the cake batter.
Pour batter into a greased bundt pan and bake 30 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly. Allow cake to cool 5 minutes before removing from the bundt pan. Allow to cool completely before frosting.
Make the icing: In a double boiler, melt together the icing ingredients. Frost cake. Keep refrigerated until 20 minutes before serving.

*These recipes come from The Pooh Cook Book by Virginia H. Ellison*

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL tofoodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Honey Bundt Cake with Lemon Honey Glaze by Beatriz at I love Bundt Cakes

Honey Glazed Blackberry Cornmeal Bundt Cake by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker

Honey Roasted Peanut Butter Pound Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days

A Taste of Honey by Margaret at Tea and Scones

Honey Caramel Apple Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Honey Whiskey Mini Bundt Cakes with Honey Whiskey Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Honey Almond Bundt Cake by Terri at Love and Confections

Honey Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake by Lauren at From Gate to Plate

Whole Wheat Honey Spiced Apple Breakfast Bundtlettes by Laura at The Spiced Life

Honey Bunny Bundt Cake by Teri at The Freshman Cook

Honey Baba ah Rhum by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Orange Hazelnut Cake by Zainab at Blahnik Baker

Honey Banana Bundt by Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links.

S’more Brownies

August 18, 2014August 11, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Hey, there! I’m jumping on the summer s’more obsession bandwagon. And I’m not ashamed by it one bit. There’s a reason the s’more is the most popular summer food trend. Ooey-gooey melty chocolate and marshmallow. Sitting around a camp fire with family and friends. Enjoying warm weather and late nights. Getting all messy and not giving a care about it in the world.

Unfortunately not all of us have access to a backyard fire pit, but that doesn’t mean we can’t partake in the fun! Make these brownies and you’ll be transported to your favorite childhood memory.

You can follow the recipe below, or feel free to take a semi-homemade philosophy and use a boxed brownie mix! Just don’t skip out on making the graham cracker crust. I wonder if you can even fill two pie crusts with the brownie batter and turn these s’more brownies into s’more brownie pies!

S’more Brownies

Ingredients:

15 graham crackers, divided use
2 1/2 C sugar, divided use
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C mini marshmallows
3 chocolate bars

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Crush 12 of the graham crackers into crumbs. You should have about 1 1/2 C of crumbs. Combine crumbs with 1/2 C sugar and 6 tbsp melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan and bake for 7 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together 2 sticks softened butter with 2 C sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla extract.
In a bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Add to the stand mixer and mix until incorporated.
Pour batter evenly over graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
Break chocolate bars and remaining 3 graham crackers into bite size pieces. Top brownies with chocolate, crackers, and marshmallows. Bake another 10 – 15 minutes.
If you have leftovers, they’re best reheated in a toaster oven for a few minutes until chocolate and marshmallows are again melty and gooey.

*This recipe is modified from Nikki at http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/07/smore-brownies/*

Neapolitan Cake

August 13, 2014August 6, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

Today is Kate’s birthday! As you know, Kate is my baking buddy! She is who I turn to if I need to bake a cake – especially if I need to decorate that cake. Kate is very talented when it comes to decorating cakes. Kate is also my quilting pal – together we have completed 4 t-shirt quilts, 8 baby quilts, and 10 others.

Kate and I both share August birthdays and we like to get together to bake a fancy cake to celebrate. This year I took inspiration from a foodgawker find and we did a play on Neapolitan ice cream – but in cake form! We used Kate’s favorite chocolate cake recipe and 3 different flavors of butter cream frosting – strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla! Look below the photo for the frosting recipes.

Vanilla Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp milk

Steps:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Add vanilla extract and milk. If needed, add more milk 1/2 tbsp at a time.

Chocolate Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
1/8 C cocoa powder
1 tbsp milk

Steps:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter. Add powdered sugar and cocoa powder. Add milk. If needed, add more milk 1/2 tbsp at a time.

Strawberry Butter Cream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 C powdered sugar
2 tbsp strawberry puree (for puree, pulse a handful fresh strawberries in a blender)

Steps:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter. Add powdered sugar. Add strawberry puree. If needed, add more puree 1/2 tbsp at a time.

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

August 3, 2014December 29, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Making homemade ice cream can be an intimidating project to tackle. There is always that fear of scrambling the eggs when making the custard and having to start all over. But it’s the eggs that create that creamy texture we all know and love.

Or so I thought.

When I saw this recipe for ice cream, and noticed the ingredient list did not include eggs I was skeptical. But I was also anxious to give it a shot! It looked very simple to make and should be fail proof.

The base of this ice cream could be used for multiple applications – add whatever “toppings” you want! I went with classic chocolate chips. The recipe makes the perfect amount to serve 4 people.

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 C sugar
1 C milk
1 C heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Steps:

In a saucepan over low heat, dissolve sugar in milk. Add in the cream and vanilla. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. Towards the end of churning, add in the chocolate chips. Freeze until ready to serve.

*This recipe is adapted from Amber at http://www.sprinklewithflour.com/2012/08/homemade-chocolate-chip-caramel-swirl.html*