Eggless Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze

I came home from work yesterday craving a piece of chocolate cake. I knew I didn’t have any in the house, but I figured it wouldn’t take long to whip one up. I started gathering the ingredients, flour, sugar, eggs… no, wait, what’s this? I have no eggs! How could I have run out of eggs?! Oh, yes… it was then I remembered that I used the last of the eggs when I made french toast earlier in the week. Not a problem though. I’ve had this recipe for an Eggless Chocolate Cake that I’ve been wanting to try for quite a while now, and here was the perfect opportunity!

Putting together this cake was super easy. You just mix all of the ingredients together in one bowl, and in no time at all you have a moist, light, and very yummy chocolate cake. The cake is delicious all by itself, but if you really want to top it off in spectacular fashion, try it with the Salted Caramel Glaze. The salted caramel pairs so perfectly with the chocolatey goodness of the cake.

I’ve never been so happy to have run out of eggs.

~Enjoy~




Eggless Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Glaze

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 12-inch tube or bundt pan.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add sugar and mix together.
Add oil, water and vanilla. Whisk with a wire whisk until thoroughly mixed and batter is smooth.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and cool in pan for 10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate and cool completely. Prepare Salted Caramel Glaze. (recipe below)



Salted Caramel Glaze

4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:
In a medium sized sauté pan, melt the butter. Add sugars and milk. Stir until blended and cook over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Increase heat and boil for about 2 minutes, until small bubbles cover the surface of the glaze. Remove from heat and stir in sea salt. Let glaze cool to room temperature, then whisk in the powdered sugar. Spoon glaze over cake.

Kitty looking at Moose

I was sitting at my computer, doing a little browsing on the internet, when suddenly I noticed that my kitty was staring intently at something out the living room window. As I went to investigate, I found that she was staring at a Moose that was nibbling on a tree in the front yard.

I quickly grabbed my camera and first took a picture of my kitty staring through the window at the Moose, then I went outside on the deck and snapped a few more pictures of the munching Moose.

~Enjoy~

Moose nibbling tree

Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie

I’m sorry I haven’t been posting very many recipes or photos the past couple of weeks. One of my little birds is flying the nest and moving out of state this weekend, so I’ve been helping her prepare for the move.

It’s going to be so hard to see her go, but I know that, even though I very much want to, I can’t keep her here with me forever. I sure am going to miss her though…

I couldn’t think of a better comfort food to help ease some of the sadness of seeing my little bird go, then this Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie. The aroma of the cinnamon & sugar baking in the oven did help lift my spirits a bit, and when I removed the giant cookie from the oven, it looked so yummy that I wanted to dive right in and help myself to a piece… but I decided it might be best if I wait until it cools a bit.

~Enjoy~




Skillet Snickerdoodle Cookie

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla butter & nut flavoring (or vanilla extract)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar mixed with 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:
In a medium bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and flavoring and mix until smooth. Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, and mix until well combined. Chill dough for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Rub a 12-inch cast iron skillet with a small amount of butter.
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mixture over the bottom of the skillet. Place cookie dough in skillet and pat the dough evenly until it completely covers the bottom of the skillet.

Snickerdoodle Batter

Sprinkle the remaining cinnamon sugar evenly over the cookie dough.

Cinnamon Sugar Topping

Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. Carefully remove skillet from oven and place on a wire rack. Cool for at least 20 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

Raspberry Brownie Truffles

Well, I did it again… I made way too many brownies for Super Bowl Sunday last week. I really don’t mind though – it gave me a great excuse to transform some of them into these Raspberry Brownie Truffles.

These truffles are really rich and chocolaty, which I absolutely love. I also really enjoy the flavor combination of chocolate and raspberry, but you could also use cherry, strawberry, or any flavor jam you prefer. Just keep in mind that whatever flavor jam you use, it should pair well with chocolate.

Truffles are so delicious, but I find that I don’t make them very often. It’s probably because I know if I do, I’ll end up eating them all in one sitting – if given the chance. I’ve already had way more than my share of these little tasty delights, and I’m using every ounce of self control right now to keep myself from going to the fridge for more.

~Enjoy~




Raspberry Brownie Truffles

1 pan (13×9) brownies, baked and cooled
1/2 cup raspberry jam
1 (12 ounce) package chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Crumble brownies into a large bowl until they are in small pieces. Add raspberry jam and stir with a spoon until it is well-mixed and the brownie dough is smooth. If dough is too dry, add a little more jam until the texture is smooth and holds together when you squeeze it into a ball.

Shape brownie dough into 1-inch balls and place on a baking sheet covered with parchment or waxed paper. Freeze the balls for 30 minutes, or until firm.

Place chocolate chips, butter, corn syrup and vanilla extract in the top of a double boiler. Melt over simmering water until smooth and combined. Let cool slightly.

Dip brownie balls into melted chocolate. Place on parchment or waxed paper lined baking sheet. Place in the refrigerator to fully set the chocolate – about 20 minutes. Store truffles in refrigerator.

Makes approximately 5 dozen truffles.

Double Dutch Brownies

One of the things I enjoy about Super Bowl Sunday, besides watching the game, is all the yummy snacks that we get to nosh on throughout the day.

I have the usual items on the menu for today – chips, dip, chicken wings, etc… – and I also decided to whip up a big batch of Double Dutch Brownies.

These brownies are very rich and chocolaty, due in part to the large quantity of dutch cocoa that gets added into the mix. They’ll be a wonderful treat to munch on while I’m cheering my team on to victory. If my team loses however, they’ll be a wonderful treat to munch on to help me drown my sorrows.

~Enjoy~




Double Dutch Brownies

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups Dutch process cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9×13 inch baking pan.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl or in a saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Add the sugar and stir to combine.

Add butter mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Whisk in the eggs one at a time, stirring until smooth after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.

Spoon batter into prepared baking pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares.

Makes 24 brownies.

Mini Apple Pies

I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather for most of the week, so I haven’t been doing much of anything except resting and trying to get healthy again. Even though I’m not quite feeling 100% yet, I was really hankering for a fresh-baked treat, so I decided it was time to do a little baking.

I’ve had one lonely, large apple sitting on my kitchen counter for several days now, and I really needed to use it in something. That “something” turned out to be in these Miniature Apple Pies.

These bite-sized little pies are wonderful to snack on when you just want a little something sweet, but you’re not quite hungry enough to eat a whole piece of pie – which is exactly the way I’ve been feeling this week.

~Enjoy~




Miniature Apple Pies

Crust:
1 cup Krusteaz Pie Crust Mix
2-3 tablespoons water

Filling:
1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons flour
1 tablespoon cold butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour a 12 cup mini muffin pan.

Place pie crust mix in a small bowl. Sprinkle water (one tablespoon at a time) over mix while tossing with a fork, until moistened. Form dough into a ball. Flatten into round on floured surface. Roll dough to a thickness of 1/8 – 1/4 inch.

Using a medium-sized biscuit cutter, cut 12 circles from rolled out dough. Press one circle into the bottom and up the side of each muffin cup, to form little bowls.

In a medium bowl, combine diced apple, sugar, cinnamon and flour. Place a spoonful of apple mixture into each miniature crust. Cut butter into 12 little pieces and place one piece on top of each pie. Decorate the top of each pie with any remaining pie crust pieces, or leave plain.

Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until crust is light brown and apples are bubbling.
Remove from oven and let cool on wire rack.

Makes 12 miniature pies.

White Velvet Coconut Cupcakes

I really enjoy perusing display cases in bakeries and coffee shops, because it often leads to being a source of inspiration for some of the things I bake.

The last time I was in a coffee shop, I noticed that they had a white velvet coconut cupcake in the display case. The flavor combination sounded really yummy, but instead of purchasing one from the shop, I decided to try making my own at home.

The cake portion of this white velvet cupcake is really light, thanks in part to the beaten egg whites that are folded into the batter. I did contemplate adding some shredded coconut into the cupcake batter, but then I thought that might take away from the smooth, velvety texture that I thought the cake should have – so I opted to add coconut flavoring to the batter instead.

And what’s there to say about the frosting… In my opinion, nothing tops a cupcake better than a rich, thick buttercream frosting, and this one turned out especially rich & thick. I also chose to garnish the cupcakes with some toasted coconut, and I think that really helped add that little bit of texture I was looking for.

~Enjoy~




White Velvet Coconut Cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
3 egg whites

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour cupcake tins or line with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, ending with milk, and beat until batter is smooth. Stir in coconut flavoring.

Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt until stiff. Gently fold into batter.

Spoon batter into cupcake tins, filling cups about 2/3 full. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

Frost cooled cupcakes with Coconut Buttercream Frosting (recipe below) and garnish with toasted coconut; if desired.

Makes approximately 12 cupcakes.



Coconut Buttercream Frosting

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring

Directions:
In a large bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat well. Add milk and mix until well combined. Stir in coconut flavoring. Frost cooled cupcakes.

Homemade Chili Cheese Snack Crackers

I had a craving for some cheesy crackers to snack on today, but instead of heading down to the grocery store, I made my own. You wouldn’t believe how easy it is to make your own snack crackers. For the sake of convenience, we usually just grab a box off the grocery store shelf- but I think it’s more fun, and economical, to make them at home.

There are very few ingredients in this recipe, and you can dress it up, or down, in any way you choose. I use a medium cheddar cheese when I make these crackers, but if you like a sharper tasting cracker, you can use sharp cheddar cheese. If you are not a fan of chili, you can omit the flakes altogether and make plain cheese snack crackers. You can pretty much use your imagination and make these crackers any way you desire.

The one thing about homemade crackers though, is that they don’t have any preservatives in them, like the crackers you find in the grocery store. Therefore, they have to be eaten within a day or two. This has never been a problem in my household.

~Enjoy~




Homemade Chili Cheese Snack Crackers

3 cups grated cheddar cheese
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter, softened and cut into pieces
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon chili flakes
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Place cheddar cheese, butter, flour and chili flakes in a food processor. Pulse the processor 5 or 6 times, 5 seconds at a time, until the dough resembles coarse crumbs. Add the milk and process until the dough gathers together in a ball.

Remove dough from food processor and flatten into round on a floured surface. Roll dough to a thickness of 1/8 – 1/4 inch. Cut into 1-inch squares with a sharp knife. Use the end of a toothpick to poke a hole in the center of each cracker.

Homemade Chili Cheese Snack Crackers

Place the crackers at least 1-inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake for 10 – 12 minutes, or until the edges just start to brown.

Remove from oven and place baking sheets on wire racks to cool. Store crackers in a covered container or Ziploc bag, and eat within a day or two.

Makes approximately 160 little crackers.

Boston Cream Poke Cake

I have three thermometers placed around the outside of my home. Right now, one is reading 4 degrees below zero, another is reading zero degrees, and the third is reading 4 degrees above zero. So, I guess I’ll just average it out and say that it is zero degrees here right now.

We’ve spent much of the week enduring temperatures that stayed pretty much below zero. When it’s cold like this outside, instead of cranking up the thermostat inside, I like to heat up my home by using my favorite method – Baking!!

My latest creation is a Boston Cream Poke Cake. This is a great cake to make if you are feeling frustrated or stressed. There’s just something about taking a beautifully baked cake out of the oven and then poking holes all over it, that helps release my tension and makes me feel better.

I’ve seen some poke cakes made with gelatin and some with pudding. I think the gelatin seeps through the cake better and can make a very colorful looking cake. I like using pudding in a poke cake, because it makes a very moist cake and, depending on how many holes you poke in the cake, you can have a taste of pudding in just about every bite.

~Enjoy~




Boston Cream Poke Cake

Cake
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk

Pudding Mix
1 (3.4 ounce) box vanilla instant pudding
2 cups milk

Glaze
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons baking cocoa
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 13×9-inch baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine butter and sugar. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time; beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes. With the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes halfway through cake in half-inch intervals.

In a medium bowl, combine pudding mix and milk. Whisk until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Pour over top of cake. Loosely cover cake and refrigerate for 1 hour.

For glaze: In a small bowl, combine powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla and milk. Spread glaze over top of cake.

Refrigerate for 1-2 hours. Cut into squares to serve. Store in refrigerator.

Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

I woke up this morning to discover that it was 10 degrees below zero outside. Yesterday our high temperature never got above zero degrees, and it appears today is going to be a very similar day.

On days like this, one of my favorite ways to heat up my kitchen is by baking. Since today is a holiday and I have the day off from work, I decided to bake a breakfast treat for my family – a Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping.

I just love a nice, warm piece of coffee cake alongside a piping hot cup of coffee – especially when the coffee cake has a crisp, streusel topping, like this one does. I also added a cup of applesauce to the batter, which makes the coffee cake really moist and helps lower the fat content. That means I can have more than one piece, right??

~Enjoy~




Cinnamon Chip Coffee Cake with Streusel Topping

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup applesauce
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup cinnamon chips

Topping
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup cold butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9-inch square baking pan.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Add dry ingredients to butter mixture. Beat at low speed until blended. Stir in applesauce and vanilla. Fold in cinnamon chips. Spread batter in prepared baking pan.

For topping, stir together sugar, flour, and cinnamon in a medium bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over batter.

Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares.