Ryan Bakes

Lime Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze

2013-02-23T11:43:00.000-05:00

We've reached that point in the winter where I am REA-DY for spring- it's close right? We're almost there? I think it's more wishful thinking than reality at this point but I'm so thankful that our Virginia winters are pretty mild comparatively. But I can't wait for days when it's light out when I get off of work, when we can take our puppy on nice long walks in the park, and go strawberry picking in Charlottesville. Bring on spring!

But for now, I'm glad there is an abundance of citrus available-- it will somewhat tide me over until spring and summer produce gets here. I think I've said this before here, but I am a sucker to resist those gigantic bags of lemons and limes when they are so cheap at Costco during the winter. One of my favorite things to make is this Lime Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze. I found this recipe years and years ago to make for Easter one year. It is a cream cheese based pound cake with lots of lime juice and zest. I never liked the glaze that went with the original recipe though, so I replaced it with a buttermilk glaze that I usually make on for my favorite lemon pound cake. It's creamy and sweet and tangy, and I just swapped the lemon juice for lime.

Lime Bundt Cake with Lime Glaze

For the Cake:
Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
18 Tbs. (2 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 cups granulated sugar
6 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. finely grated lime zest

Instructions:
Bring all of the ingredients to room temperature.

Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Grease and flour a large bundt pan and tap out the excess flour.

To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl; set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and cream cheese on medium speed until creamy and smooth, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the granulated sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium-high and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the vanilla and lime juice.

Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions. Beat each addition until just incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the lime zest.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, spreading the batter so the sides are higher than the center. Bake until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 1/2 hours. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool upright in the pan for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, remove the cake from the cake pan and cool completely on wire rack. After the cake has cooled, drizzle with lime glaze.

Adapted from Williams-Sonoma

For the Lime Glaze

2-3 Tbs. lime juice
1 Tbs. buttermilk*
2 cups powdered sugar

Whisk 2 Tbs. lime juice, buttermilk, and powdered sugar until smooth, adding more lime juice gradually, if needed. It should be thick but pourable. Pour glaze evenly over top of cooled cake.

Adapted from librariane.blogspot.com via Cook's Illustrated

*Instead of buying buttermilk, I make this substitution: Take a 1 cup measuring cup. Pour 1 tablespoon of white vinegar in the bottom. Fill the rest of the measuring cup with milk. Pour the mixture into a small tupperware or jar and shake. Allow the mixture to to curdle for 5-10 minutes and you have a perfect buttermilk substitute! Refrigerate leftovers as you would any dairy product.

Frosted Red Velvet Cookies

2013-02-12T23:30:00.000-05:00

People really go crazy for red velvet. I know this firsthand, because I go crazy for red velvet. There is just something about that ruby red cake against the snowy white of the cream cheese frosting and we all seem unable to resist. Although in my book, red velvet cake is good any day, it is an especially pretty treat to make to celebrate Valentine's Day.

While there is nothing like a slice of 3-layer red velvet cake slathered with cream cheese frosting, there is not always time to whip one up during the busy week. That is why I was so happy to find this recipe for frosted red velvet cookies. These cake-like cookies have that sweet, with a slight hint of cocoa, taste that is the distinctive taste of red velvet cake. They have that delicious slight tang too from the sour cream (which is used in these cookies instead of the buttermilk that is traditionally found in the cake version). I liked that the recipe calls for a sprinkling of chocolate chips-- just enough to give these cookies a little texture and to add a touch more cocoa flavor without overpowering the cookie.

I used Southern Living's recipe for small-batch cream cheese icing to frost these cookies. This recipe makes about 1 2/3 cups icing which is perfect for this recipe.

I have to say that I really love these cookies. They are dangerous for me to have around the house-- soft frosted cookies are my absolute favorite, and the fact that these taste like a slice of red velvet cake in cookie form makes these irresistible!

Frosted Red Velvet Cookies

Ingredients:
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (You can also use unsweetened chocolate)
1/2 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1 Tbsp. red food coloring
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup (6 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions:
1. In a microwave, melt semi-sweet (or unsweetened, if using) chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg, food coloring, and vanilla. Add cooled chocolate; beat until blended. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition. Stir in chocolate chips.

3. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 in. apart onto parchment paper-lined baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 6-9 minutes or until set. Remove to wire racks to cool completely. Spread with frosting.

Makes: 3 1/2 to 4 dozen

Adapted from Taste of Home

Small-Batch Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
1 (8-oz) package cream cheese, softened
3 tbs. unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 to 1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar and salt, beating until blended. Add more powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time, if icing appears to thin-- up to an additional 1/4 cup until the desired consistency is reached. Stir in vanilla.

Adapted from Southern Living

Lofthouse Style Soft Frosted Sugar Cookies for Valentine's Day

2013-02-10T23:25:00.000-05:00

Are you doing any baking for Valentine's Day? I just love the excuse to indulge in pretty pink and pastel confections. I truly believe that a cookie or cupcake tastes better if it's iced with pink frosting. That is one of the reasons, I love (LOVE) these cookies. Delicious soft baked sugar cookies topped with a buttercream frosting in your choice of colors-- so pink it was for Valentine's Day. Yes, I know this recipe has been all over the food blogs, but that must mean they are really good right? I saw these last year on Smell's Like Home's incredible blog and made them soon after. They quickly became one of my favorite cookie recipes to bake.

If you are a fan of the grocery store-style soft frosted sugar cookies, then you will love having this recipe so you can make your own homemade version when the mood strikes! I like making these with different tinted frosting for the various holidays, and they're great to make for birthdays or showers in the guest of honor's favorite colors. For Valentine's Day, I used AmeriColor Gel Paste in Deep Pink to make different shades of pink.

This is a busy and festive food week-- Sunday starts things off with Chinese New Year, Mardi Gras is on Tuesday, and Valentine's Day is Thursday. Sounds like a perfect week to me! Happy eating everyone!

Ingredients:

For the cookies:
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
4 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
5 tsp. vanilla extract

For the frosting:
4-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tbsp.) unsalted butter, melted
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
6-7 tbsp. milk (plus more, as needed)
Food coloring (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)

Instructions:

1. To make the cookies, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and salt, and whisk together to blend. In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and sugar and beat together on medium-high speed until soft and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the bowl as needed. Blend in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, add in the dry ingredients mixing until just incorporated and evenly mixed. Cover and chill the dough for 1 hour.

3. When you are ready to bake the cookies, scoop a scant 1/4 cup of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the ball slightly and place on the prepared baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining dough, spacing the cookies at least 2-3 inches apart. Bake about 10-12 minutes or just until set. Do not overbake! The edges should be no more than lightly browned at the most. Let cool on the baking sheet for several minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

4. To frost the cookies, place 4 cups of the powdered sugar in a medium bowl. Add the melted butter, vanilla, and milk to the bowl and whisk until smooth. Whisk in additional milk as necessary, 1 teaspoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency. If the frosting is too loose to frost the cookies with, whisk in more sugar, 1/4 cup at a time. Tint with food coloring if desired. Use an offset spatula or spoon to frost cooled cookies. If the frosting begins to thicken as you decorate, just continue to whisk in small amounts of milk to keep it workable. Top with sprinkles if using. Store in an airtight container.

Adapted from Smells Like Home and Cook Like a Champion

Muffuletta Dip

2013-01-29T23:30:00.000-05:00

I saw this recipe for Muffuletta Dip a couple of years ago in Southern Living and flagged it to make at some point; as it sounded like something that I knew my husband would love. With this year's Super Bowl being in New Orleans, I thought it was the perfect time to try this dip out, and now I'm kicking myself that I waited so long. It is seriously good, and if you love good Italian subs, you will love this dip.

A muffuletta is a round submarine-type sandwich that originated in Louisiana and is made of layers olive salad, capicola, mortadela, salami, pepperoni ham, Swiss and provolone cheeses. So basically take that goodness and mixture of flavors, and then imagine it in a dip, and you have this recipe. It's salty from the salami and olives, and tangy from the pepperoncini. The provolone is sharp, but balances the tangy peppers, and there is a nice crunch from the celery and red bell pepper. My husband, who loves any kind of Italian sub, hero, hoagie, muffuletta, etc., raved over this dip, and thinks it's the perfect Super Bowl food. So there you go...

This dip is really good served with French bread crostini-- I just sliced French bread and placed on a baking sheet for about 5-10 minutes at 350 degrees until crisp, and then let people spoon the dip onto the bread when serving. Also, this dip tastes better as the flavors blend together so make sure you prepare this at least an hour before serving.

Muffuletta Dip

Ingredients:
1 cup Italian olive salad, drained
1 cup diced salami (about 4 oz.)
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup chopped pepperoncini salad peppers
1 (2 1/4-oz.) can sliced black olives,drained
4 oz. provolone cheese, diced
1 celery rib, finely chopped
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

Stir together first 9 ingredients. Cover and chill 1 to 24 hours before serving. Stir in parsley just before serving.. Serve with French bread crostini. Store leftovers in refrigerator up to 5 days. This dip can also be served with crackers over a block of softened cream cheese.

Recipe makes about 4 cups.

Recipe from Southern Living

Easy Artichoke and Chilies Dip

2013-01-22T23:03:00.000-05:00

I'm someone who really enjoys January. I know a lot of people find this to be a blah month, but after all of the craziness of the holidays, it's nice to have the calm that January brings. Plus, it seems like people reemerge for the first time in what seems like months-- all of those work and family holiday parties and commitments are past, and we can just have some low-key get togethers. Game nights, lots of football watching, and of course the Super Bowl (although I guess that's really in February-- but same thing) provide lots of excuses to get together with friends.

And, what would a game night or a Super Bowl party be without good snacks? Even better if they're easy to make so you can actually be out there enjoying things instead of stuck in the kitchen! That's where this dip comes in. I made this Artichoke and Chilies Dip a couple of times during the holidays and it was so, SO easy, and SO good. It has 4 ingredients (well, 5 if you count the dash of hot sauce, but I don't know if you can really count that since you just slosh some in at the end.) You can mix this up and have it ready in about 25 minutes, so really can you beat that? I was drawn to this because I love anything with chilies and thought it sounded like a good combo with the Parmesan and artichoke hearts. It's creamy and salty with a tangy spicy kick- just yummy!

One last thing-- while the recipe calls for regular mayo, this is one time I actually think this works better with light mayo. It makes the dip less greasy and seems to come together better. You won't notice a difference in flavor.

Artichoke and Chilies Dip

Ingredients:
1 (14-oz) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 (4-oz) can green chilies, seeded and chopped
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup regular or light mayonnaise (I prefer light for this recipe)
dash hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot)
optional: paprika to garnish

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees, Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 8-inch square baking dish or a small decorative baking dish. Sprinkle top with paprika if using. Bake 20 minutes or until edges are golden and bubbly. Serve with pita chips or your favorite crackers.

Adapted from Delightfully Southern Holidays (The link is to her first cookbook, Delightfully Southern, not the Holiday version I used which I couldn't find a link to on the internet. But, I have both of Middleton Clark's cookbooks and they are wonderful.)

Christmas Recipe Roundup

2012-12-23T13:00:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas everyone! Are you trying to finish up all of the things on your to-do lists before the big day like I am? How many of you are hosting at least some of the festivities, or are going to be doing some marathon cooking over the next few days? I know I am! I think my kitchen has a permanent film of sugar and flour from the last few days and I'm sure you all can relate!

Here are some links to some of my favorite dishes, both savory and sweet, if you need some last minute inspiration.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays and enjoy the time spent with family and friends!

Starters and Dips

Bacon and Cream Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

Edamame Hummus with Toasted Pita Chips

Warm Leek and Goat Cheese Dip

Hot Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon and Gruyere

Soups and Sides:

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup

Sweet Potato Souffle

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Bacon and Gouda

Lightened Sweet Potato Casserole

Asparagus and Mascarpone Gratin with Parmesan Breadcrumbs

Lobster and Shrimp Mac and Cheese

Muffins and Breads:

Eggnog Muffins

Parmesan Peppercorn Biscuits

Cookies:

Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Peaches

Chocolate M&M Cookies

Iced Pumpkin Cookies with Cinnamon and White Chocolate Chips

Desserts:

Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Whipped Cream

Coconut Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

Chocolate Pound Cake with Chocolate Fudge Icing

Red Velvet Bundt Cake

Pumpkin Spice Bundt with Cream Cheese Glaze

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Buttercream

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream

Pecan Pie

Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

Peppermint Cheesecake with Oreo Crust

Frosted Brownies

2012-12-08T23:30:00.000-05:00

Brownies always remind me of Christmas. Growing up, my Mom made brownies dusted with powdered sugar as one of the standard Christmas treats she made each year. Ever since, it just seems like it's not Christmas unless we make a brownie of some sort along with all of our other cookie baking.

I've flipped by this recipe for frosted brownies in my beloved Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook for some time now. The picture of the rich chocolate cream cheese frosting just called out to me, as it looked so rich and decadent. And since the holidays are the time for indulging in recipes that are rich and decadent, I thought, why not? I made them first for my husband's co-workers and also for some family and unfortunately didn't get to take pictures of them. But, I knew as soon as I tasted them that they would become a new favorite recipe at our house. That just gave me an excuse to make them again-- the ol' "I have to bake these for the sake of the blog excuse." The brownies were dense and fudgy with delicious chunks of semi-sweet chocolate mixed in. Then, of course, that frosting was heavenly. Thick and creamy and slightly tangy from the cream cheese. It's then whipped into a deliciously light consistency and spread over the cooled brownies-- an instant hit for sure!

The brownies, while very moist and chocolaty, are more of a cake-like type (which happen to be my favorite kind). They are still too dense and fudgy to be considered a cake but do well in supporting the icing. Finally, the slight crunch from the chopped bits of chocolate makes this extra special and a chocolate lover's dream-- so perfect for the holidays!

Frosted Brownies

Ingredients:
5 large eggs
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup plus 2 tbs. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 cup shelled walnuts, chopped (optional)
2 oz. bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Frosting Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
5 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
5 oz. cream cheese, cold
pinch of salt

Instructions:
Line a 13x9 baking pan with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Put the eggs and sugar in a large bowl and beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add the flour, salt, and cocoa and beat until all the ingredients are well mixed. Pour in the melted butter and mix through. Stir in the nuts, if using, and the chocolate by hand until evenly dispersed.

Spoon the mixture into the prepared baking pan and bake in the preheated oven for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top is firm but the center is still soft. Let cool completely.

For the frosting: Beat together the powdered sugar, butter, and cocoa, in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese in one go and beat until it is completely incorporated. Turn the mixer up to medium-high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy, at least 5 minutes. Do not overbeat, as it can quickly become runny.

When the brownies are cold, spread the frosting over the top.

Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Glaze

2012-11-26T23:30:00.000-05:00

Hi! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoyed the time spent with family and friends. Whether you stuffed yourself silly, or were standing in line at a Black Friday sale, or were overdosing on leftovers and football, Thanksgiving is such a great holiday, isn't it? I'm starting to plan out my Christmas baking and looking forward to making some of my favorite Christmas recipes (and trying some new ones) but in the meantime, I think I need to make a few big salads to make up for some of the over-indulging from last week.

I know people think of pumpkin desserts more for fall and Thanksgiving, but I love them all through the holiday season. I've made this bundt cake several times this year and felt like I couldn't let the season go by without posting this recipe since it's been one of my favorite desserts to make this year. As you've probably guessed from my blog, I do love bundt cakes and even more so during the holidays. They're easy, festive, and so adaptable to your favorite cake recipe, and, I just find them nostalgic and beautiful.

This pumpkin spice bundt cake has such a moist tender crumb--thanks in part to the pumpkin which is always so good in baked goods. I played around with the spices until I found a mix that brings out those delicious fall flavors we love-- cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves, but did not overpower the cake. Finally, how can you go wrong with a sweet cream cheese glaze to offset the spicy cake? Pure fall goodness!

I know I plan on making this at least one more time over the holidays. It's a great cake to make for a brunch, an office holiday potluck, or wrapped on a beautiful plate to take to a neighbor or friend.

Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup canola oil
3 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
1 can (15 oz) solid-pack pumpkin
1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-in. fluted tube pan.

2. In a large bowl combine sugar and oil until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, ginger and cloves; add to egg mixture, alternatively with pumpkin, beating well after each addition.

3. Transfer to the greased fluted tube pan. Bake at 350 for 60-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (I always set my oven time for about 10 minutes less than the estimated time in order to allow for differences in oven temperatures-- my oven runs tends to run hot, so it usually needs less time than what is called for-- so set the timer for 50 minutes and then check the cake and adjust the time accordingly).

4. Cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack. Remove pan and cool completely. Drizzle with cream cheese glaze.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients:
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed and softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 to 2 Tbsp. milk
pinch of salt

Instructions:
1. Process cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, pinch of salt, and 1 Tbsp. milk in a food processor until well blended. Add remaining 1 Tbsp. milk, 1 tsp. at a time, processing until smooth. Immediately pour glaze over cooled cake, and sprinkle toasted pecans on top, if using.

Adapted from Southern Living

Serves 12-16

Sweet Potato Souffle

2012-11-12T19:43:00.000-05:00

It just wouldn't be Thanksgiving at our house without my Grandmother's Sweet Potato Souffle. As long as I can remember, this dish of whipped sweet potatoes topped with a brown sugar pecan streusel was always on our Thanksgiving table. If my Grandmother wasn't having dinner with us one year, than my Mother always made it in her place. I've always loved sweet potato souffle even when, as a child, I didn't like sweet potatoes in any other form. I guess when you pretty much dress this vegetable up as dessert I was definitely not going to complain. I know a lot of people like their sweet potato casserole topped with marshmallows but, I really love the delicious crunchy streusel topping that is so good with the creamy sweet potatoes.

I thought it would be the perfect recipe to share as we are about a week away from Thanksgiving. The sight of it bubbling in the oven and that delicious caramel smell from the brown sugar and the sweet potatoes baking together has such a nostalgic effect on me. What are the dishes you are most looking forward to this Thanksgiving?

This dish serves about 6-8 so I would plan to double this if you are having a lot of people over, or if you want leftovers. I would say this dish makes a nice normal dinner sized portion but definitely plan to double if you want Thanksgiving-sized portions! :) I like to use my handheld or stand mixer to really make sure the sweet potatoes are nice and whipped before I sprinkle on the streusel topping.

Sweet Potato Souffle

Ingredients:
For the sweet potatoes:
3 cups mashed cooked sweet potato
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

Instructions: Peel and slice sweet potatoes into even sized pieces. Put in a stock pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil and then simmer until fork tender, about 20-25 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash with a potato masher.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a casserole dish.

Mix the mashed potatoes with the sugar, eggs, vanilla, salt, and butter. Mix thoroughly until the ingredients are well-combined and the sweet potatoes are very smooth with no lumps. I like to use my handheld mixer for this so the sweet potatoes get a nice whipped consistency. Pour sweet potatoes into prepared casserole dish. Prepare the topping and sprinkle over sweet potatoes. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until topping is golden and sweet potatoes are bubbly.

For the Topping:
1 cup brown sugar (light or dark is fine)
1/3 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
1/4 tsp. salt
1/3 cup unsalted butter, softened

Mix all of the ingredients together. Using a pastry blender or fork, cut in the butter until the mixture is the texture of course crumbs. Sprinkle over sweet potatoes and bake.

Serves 6-8

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Gouda and Bacon

2012-11-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Who's ready for Thanksgiving?? Woohoo! I am! I know, I know, it's still a few weeks away but if you're like me, you are probably thinking, at least with in some corner of your brain, "hmmm, what should I make this year?" Maybe it's not just a corner of your brain, maybe it's your whole brain, or maybe you're already waking up in a cold sweat because you agreed to host your entire extended family for dinner this year when you got cornered by your Aunt Mildred.

So, never fear! For the next few weeks, I'm going to be posting some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes- some old, some new, some family favorites, all very fattening! I decided to start today with a recipe for mashed potatoes. These are dressed up Thanksgiving mashed potatoes with bacon and Gouda cheese and are oh-so-good yet very simple. The salty smoky flavor from the bacon is delicious with the mild creamy flavor of the Gouda and the green onions add a nice hint of flavor without being overpowering. The original recipe calls for either pancetta or center cut bacon. I decided to use bacon as I had that on hand and didn't feel like running back to the store for pancetta but I listed both on the ingredient list in case you'd like to use pancetta instead. The center cut bacon will be slightly smokier than the pancetta, but I thought it was delicious. If you've ever topped your baked potato with cheese and bacon, you know what a great combo that is!

The recipe says this makes 8-10 servings and I would just say that if you are truly planning a meal for 8-10 people for Thanksgiving, I would double this recipe. This dish makes 8-10 normal sized servings but if you are like most of us on Thanksgiving and want to go back for that 2nd helping or look forward to those leftovers late Thursday night, you may be out of luck. And, I warn you, these are really good, like eat them cold out of the fridge good, so if you didn't double the recipe, you may be sad or worse, upset that I didn't warn you to make more!

Cheesy Mashed Potatoes with Gouda and Bacon

Ingredients:
1 pound red-skin potatoes, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
1 pound russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
2 green onions
1 cup uncooked center cooked bacon, snipped into small pieces or 1 cup 1/4-inch cubes pancetta (about 5 ounces)
3/4 cup half-and-half, light cream, or whipping cream
2 cups finely shredded Gouda cheese (8 oz.)
salt
pepper

Instructions:
1. In a Dutch oven, cook potatoes, covered in enough boiling lightly salted water to cover for 20 to 25 minutes or until tender; drain. Return potatoes to Dutch oven.

2. Meanwhile, thinly slice green onions, keeping the white portions separate from the green tops. Set green tops aside. In a medium skillet, add bacon. After the bacon has begun to start crisping, add the white portions of the onions (if you add these too early they will burn). Continue cooking bacon and onions, until the bacon is crisp and the onions are softened. Drain off fat.

3. Add half-and-half to cooked potatoes. Mash with a potato masher, a ricer, or an electric mixer on low speed until smooth. Stir in 1 1/2 cups of the cheese and the bacon mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

4. Transfer mashed potatoes to a serving dish. Sprinkle with green tops of onions and the remaining 1/2 cup of cheese.

Serves 8 to 10 (If you are making this for Thanksgiving, and are serving 8-10, and want large portions or leftovers, I would double this recipe)

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens

Candy Corn Drink

2012-10-30T07:00:00.000-04:00

Well, I am just getting my Halloween post in under the wire. I am very thankful that this got written at all, as I wasn't sure if the power was going to hold out with Sandy making her unwelcome and extremely LONG presence felt. She's just like the annoying house guest that won't leave, even when you drop some not-so-subtle hints. But, nope, as I write this she's still swirling overhead. I really have nothing to complain about, since so far what we've experienced has been minor compared to the poor people in the northeast. My prayers go out to them- for peace, safety, and a quick recovery.

I know a lot of people on the east coast are postponing their Halloween plans until this weekend. Our neighborhood is still debating on what to do, and I'm trying to not eat all of the candy I bought for the trick-or-treaters. I saw this recipe for candy corn punch in a magazine and thought it seemed so festive and fun for Halloween or a fall party. In case you are curious at this point, this drink tastes like an orange mango punch and nothing like a drinkable version of candy corn (which I think is a good thing). My favorite part was the topping which was whipped cream flavored with honey (a homage to the candy corn) and was really delicious. That's the first time I've combined whipping cream and honey and it was so good, I can't wait to try it in future recipes.

This punch is very simple and makes enough for about 8-8 oz. servings. I think it actually makes more than that, as the punch is sweet and very rich so a little goes a long way. You have to allow about 2 hours for the yellow layer to set slightly before you can finish making the drink so make to allow enough time for this layer to chill before you are going to serve the drink.

Candy Corn Drink

Ingredients:
1 4-serving-size package lemon-flavor gelatin
1 cup boiling water
2 cups mango nectar
3 1/2 cups orange carbonated beverage, chilled
1 cup whipping cream
2 tbs. honey
candy corn for garnish (optional)

Instructions:
1. In a large bowl, combine gelatin and the boiling water, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. Stir in the mango nectar. Pour mixture into a tall, clear 2-quart pitcher. Cover and chill about 2 hours or until thickened but not set. Gently pour* carbonated beverage over gelatin layer in pitcher.

2. In a large bowl combine whipping cream and honey. Beat with an electric mixer or large whisk just until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Spoon or pipe over carbonated beverage layer in pitcher. If desired, add candy corn. Before serving, stir to mix layers.

Serves 8 (8-oz. servings)

*To ensure that the carbonated beverage stays on top of the gelatin mixture, hold a wooden spoon above the gelatin layer and pour the carbonated beverage over the back of the wooden spoon.

Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens "Fall Baking 2012"

Pumpkin Latte Coffee Cake

2012-10-21T23:30:00.000-04:00

Sigh, pumpkin, how I love you. What is it about this orange stuff that makes so many of us go nuts in the fall? When you think about it-- pumpkin really is an odd substance-- in color, in smell, as an addition to baked goods. I mean, we're not talking about chocolate here! Yet I love it, and just tell me you've slipped some pumpkin in a dish-- whether it's cake, bread, lattes, pasta, or soup and I'll show up. Judging from the amount of pumpkin products I'm seeing displayed all over the place right now I can see I am not alone in my obsession.

In all seriousness, pumpkin, when not mixed with copious amounts of butter and sugar, is extremely healthy. Low in fat, high in fiber and brimming with vitamin A (which aids vision) pumpkin is a handy as well as tasty vegetable to have around. Also, as a side note, I've noticed that baked goods always turn out moist and fluffy whenever I use pumpkin puree in a recipe.. so I got that goin' for me, which is nice--name that movie!

Anyway, if you like pumpkin, and if you like pumpkin lattes, and if you like cinnamon streusel, you will love this coffee cake. It's all of those yummy things rolled into one cake with a latte cream cheese swirl. (So, this is not one of those healthy pumpkin dishes). As I said above, the pumpkin makes the cake deliciously moist and tender, not dried out like so many coffee cakes. The cinnamon streusel was great, as how can you not love streusel? And, the coffee drizzle had just the right hint of coffee flavor to complement the pumpkin and spices without overpowering the whole cake. I made this for my family a few weeks ago and they declared it one of the best things I had ever made for them.

The recipe calls for pumpkin pie spice in both the cake and the streusel but I just use a combination of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and ginger. I've included the amounts I used in the ingredients in case you'd rather use that or, like me, don't have pumpkin pie spice. I prefer to make my own because then I can mix it to my liking-- which is always heavier on the cinnamon and lighter on the nutmeg. And you'll see that my measurements add up to slightly more than the called for amount of pumpkin pie spice, but that is on purpose-- I always add more cinnamon than the recipe calls for. If you aren't a cinnamon fiend like me, than you can adjust accordingly. Finally, instant espresso powder can be tricky to find depending on where you live. I found mine at Whole Foods, but did some searching with no luck before finding it there. You may also be able to find it in the international foods section of your well-stocked grocery store.

Pumpkin Latte Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
5 eggs
2 tsp. instant espresso coffee powder or instant coffee granules
1 8-oz. package cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2 tbs. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. vanilla
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or use 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. ginger, and 1/4 tsp. cloves)
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 cup buttermilk
1 recipe Streusel (see below)
1 recipe Coffee Drizzle (see below)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13x9x2 inch baking pan; set aside. In a small bowl stir together
2 of the eggs and the espresso powder; set aside. In a medium bowl beat cream cheese with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in the 2/3 cup sugar, the 2 tbs. flour, the 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, and the vanilla until smooth. Beat in egg-espresso mixture; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl stir together the 3 cups flour, the baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt. Set aside

3. In a large bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium speed for 30 seconds; gradually add the 11/2 cups sugar, beating until fluffy. Add the remaining 3 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to pumpkin mixture, beating after each addition until combined. Spread half of the batter in prepared baking pan. Spoon half of the cream cheese mixture by small spoonfuls on top of the batter. Add remaining batter in spoonfuls; carefully spread over the cream cheese mixture. Top with spoonfuls of remaining cream cheese mixture. With a knife, swirl batter to marble. Sprinkle with Streusel.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean.. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 45 minutes. Spoon Coffee Drizzle over coffee cake in lacy pattern. Cool completely on wire rack. Makes 12 servings.

Streusel Recipe:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice (or 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. nutmeg (scant), 1/8 tsp, ginger, and 1/8 tsp. cloves)
1/4 cup cold unsalted butter cut into cubes,
Pinch of salt

Combine all of the ingredients. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the cold butter until crumbly.

Coffee Drizzle Recipe:
In a small bowl stir together 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar and 1 tsp. light-color corn syrup. Stir in enough cooled espresso or strong brewed coffee (1-3 Tbs.) to make a spreading consistency. Start by adding 1 Tbs. and then slowly add coffee while whisking, teaspoon by teaspoon, until you reach the desired consistency. Drizzle over cooled coffee cake.

Adapted from Better Homes and Gardens "Fall Baking 2012"

Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscuits

2012-10-15T00:12:00.000-04:00

I promised last week when I posted the Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup to share the recipe for these incredible Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscuits. Oh my, are these good-- and easy. The Parmesan and pepper add so much flavor, you really don't need any other accompaniment, although I think adding something with a sweet element like fig or apricot jam would probably taste really good with these.

I came across the recipe for these this summer and have made them numerous times since. The whipping cream makes these biscuits so nice and flaky and I love a recipe like this with only a few ingredients-- is self-rising flour the greatest, or what? This is a great recipe to serve with soup and salad-- such a nice variation from just regular biscuits (not that I'm knocking regular biscuits, goodness knows they're taken very seriously down here). They're also good if you're having people over and want to make homemade bread but don't have time to make a yeast bread and deal with all of rising, etc. I always have good intentions when I have people over of making homemade rolls or bread and have all of these recipes flagged to try when I have company, but then when we do actually have company, I usually don't have my act together enough to have hours to make homemade rolls-- except maybe at the holidays. Biscuits seem to be a good alternative. Thankfully, these can be whipped up in a snap and smell delicious while they're baking. They would be wonderful served alongside a baked ham, roast chicken, or pot roast. Comfort cooking at its best!

Parmesan-Peppercorn Biscuits

Ingredients:
2 cups self-rising flour
3/4 cup plus 3 tbs. grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 tsp. ground black pepper
6 tbs. butter, cut into pieces
3/4 cup, plus 1 tbs. heavy whipping cream, divided

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper; set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, combine flour, 3/4 cup cheese, and pepper. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add 3/4 cup cream to flour mixture, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.

3. On a lightly floured surface, roll dough to 1/2-inch thickness. Using a 2-inch round cutter, cut biscuits without twisting cutter, and place on prepared baking sheet. Brush biscuits with remaining 1 tablespoon cream, and sprinkle with remaining 3 tablespoons cheese.

4. Bake until lightly browned, approximately 12 minutes.

Yield: 1- 1 1/2 dozen

Recipe from Taste of the South, "The South's Best Dishes" edition

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

2012-10-09T23:30:00.000-04:00

It is definitely soup weather here in Virginia and I couldn't be happier about it. After a blazing hot summer, it's nice to have some relief in the cool fall weather and actually want to eat soup again. It's been cold and damp here over the past couple of days, and I've started looking pulling out some favorite soup recipes to make during the week. Now that I'm outside numerous times a day with with our new puppy, coming inside to a warming bowl of soup sounds like the perfect thing.

This recipe for Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup is one of my favorite easy weeknight recipes. It really checks all of the boxes for me-- delicious, easy, Weight-Watchers friendly, and uses pantry staples for ingredients. Can you get better than that? Because this soup uses canned whole tomatoes, it's easy to make this soup all year round without having to wait for tomato season. The tomatoes roast with onions and garlic and a balsamic vinegar dressing until they are lightly browned which brings out a rich and slightly sweet flavor. The roasting process really takes away any of that bitter aftertaste that you sometimes get with tomatoes-- you never knew canned tomatoes could taste so luxurious!

I love to make this soup with my favorite Parmesan-peppercorn biscuits that you see in the pictures. I'll be sharing the recipe for these later in the week. My husband is a particular fan of these and they couldn't be easier to whip up, which is great for weeknight dinners. There is nothing better with a bowl of creamy tomato soup than these hot cheesy peppery biscuits. Of course, this soup would also be great with a grilled cheese sandwich (you can't get more comforting than that combo) or a nice side salad if you want to keep this Weight-Watchers friendly.

Creamy Tomato-Balsamic Soup

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:
1 cup less-sodium beef broth, divided
1 tbs. brown sugar
3 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tbs. low-sodium soy sauce
1 cup coarsely chopped onion
5 garlic cloves
2 (28-ounce) cans whole tomatoes, drained
Cooking spray
3/4 cup half and half
Cracked black pepper (optional)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 500 degrees F.

Combine 1/2 cup of broth, sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce in a small bowl. Place onion, garlic, and tomatoes in a 9x13 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray. Pour broth mixture over tomato mixture. Bake at 500 degrees F. for 40-50 minutes or until vegetables are lightly browned.

Place tomato mixture in a blender. Add remaining 1/2 cup broth and half-and-half, and process until smooth. Strain mixture through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Garnish with cracked black pepper if desired.

Recipe from Cooking Light

Weight Watcher's Point's Plus Value: 1/2 cup= 3 Points Plus: (1/2 cup= 4.7g fat, 14.9g carbs, 1.7g fiber, 3.8g protein)

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes with Biscoff Buttercream

2012-09-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

Helllooo?? Is anyone there? I'm dusting off the cobwebs here at Ryan Bakes after a really (really) long absence. I can't believe it's been over two months since my last post and, I don't know about you, but I was getting really tired of looking at that Orzo Salad sitting at the top of my blog, so I thought it was time for a fresh fall recipe. I've done a lot of cooking and baking this summer, but it just got so busy that I got behind on the photographing and writing part. As summer has turned into fall, I knew I had to get back to my blog! This is my favorite time of year, and it's no secret that I'm a fall nut and can't wait for this time of year to come to start baking. Apples, pumpkin, maple, cinnamon-- those smells filling my kitchen are just the best. Fall in Virginia is really beautiful too (when we aren't getting hit with one of those freak weeks of 90 degree weather in October) with plenty of brilliantly-hued trees, day trips to apple orchards and Williamsburg, and, of course, lots of football.

I hope you all had a great summer but, really, can you believe it's come and gone already? It seems like it was just Memorial Day! We stayed busy, busy with work, some travel to see family, and vacation. And, a new little addition in September that is keeping us plenty busy right now:

She's our new little 9-week old Miniature Schnauzer puppy, Wrigley! Can you tell a Cubs fan lives in my house and was responsible for her name? :) We're all adjusting to life with a cute little puppy-- full of chew toys, sweet little puppy licks, lots of paper towels, and many, many trips outside each day!

I recently made these Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes with Biscoff Icing for my husband's office and I must say, I was thrilled with how they turned out. I figured pumpkin and biscoff spread would be a winning combination, so I used my favorite pumpkin cupcake recipe and just switched out my usual chocolate chips with cinnamon baking chips. I love baking with cinnamon baking chips during the fall and holidays. They make cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and other baked goods just full of seasonal flavor with little bursts of delicious cinnamon. I know they can be hard to find sometimes though (the stores around here usually only carry them during the holidays so I stock up then or order online), so I think butterscotch chips would be an equally delicious substitution to these cupcakes if you can't find cinnamon chips.

I wanted to incorporate the biscoff spread into the icing so I searched online and found the most perfect light fluffy biscoff buttercream icing on The Little Kitchen's blog. It was JUST what I was looking for and is absolutely delicious-- the buttery cinnamon taste of the biscoff spread mixed perfectly into the buttercream to make a sweet, creamy icing with a hint of cinnamon. Beware, if you make this, the temptation to just eat it out of the bowl will be very high! The biscoff buttercream was a delightful topping to the spicy pumpkin cupcakes and made such a nice fall treat.

Enjoy the cupcake recipe and it's great to be back baking and blogging on Ryan Bakes. Hope you're enjoying some fall baking this weekend! What are your favorite things to bake this time of year?

Pumpkin Cinnamon Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:

2 cups canned pumpkin (I used a 15 oz. can which is slightly less than 2 cups and it worked fine)
2/3 cup oil
2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. each- ground cloves, nutmeg, and ginger
1/2 tsp. salt
2 cups cinnamon baking chips (or butterscotch chips would also be great if you can't find cinnamon chips)

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 12-cup muffin pans with 24 cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, stir together pumpkin, oil, sugar, milk, and vanilla. Sift in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices. Gently whisk by hand until just combined, don't use an electric mixer or over mix the batter as it will become too gummy.

Fill liners with 1/4 cup batter (cups should be approximately 2/3 cup full). Bake for 22 to 24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before frosting.

Adapted from Gimme Some Oven via Love and Olive Oil

Biscoff Buttercream Icing

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup biscoff spread
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
3-4 Tbsp. milk

Instructions:
In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, mix thoroughly the softened butter and biscoff spread on low to medium speed. Add vanilla extract and mix well. Turn off your mixer and in two batches, add the powdered sugar and mixing until well blended (it will look like dough).

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of milk, a little bit at a time, while blending on low speed. Blend until well combined. You'll start to see the icing pull apart from the sides of the bowl. Add a little bit more milk to get the right consistency. Keep blending at medium high speed, until light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes.

Use a large star tip and a decorator bag and pipe the icing onto the cooled cupcakes. Store can be prepared and stored in the refrigerator if making beforehand. Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before icing.

Adapted from The Little Kitchen

Orzo Salad

2012-07-02T23:30:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you know what a Derecho is? Now keep it raised if you knew what it was before Friday night. I sure had never heard of it before I first heard the term on the news on Saturday morning to hear what on earth had whipped by our house on a hot Friday evening in June, but apparently it's a fast moving, long-lasting, large, violent thunderstorm and it hit with a vengeance after a day on a weekend where temperatures were well over the 100 degree mark in Virginia.

My husband and I had been out to dinner and just gotten home on Friday, and I got an email from work warning that a storm with winds up to 80 miles per hour with possible large hail was headed towards us. What? Isn't that, like, a hurricane? My nice leisurely dinner of delicious southern food at the Roosevelt Hotel seemed a thing of the past. It wasn't even cloudy at this point. Well, not much later, the email was proven correct when the skies darkened and the trees were whipping around like nobody's business. Our power flickered on and off but thankfully stayed ON, but many of our friends and neighbors weren't so fortunate. By Saturday morning we were getting reports of the damage, and it seemed like there were a lot of people with trees down and no power, with temperatures expected to be in the 100's that day. DC, as you've probably seen, got it much, much worse, and with the sweltering heat, it's just such a bad time for everyone to be out of power for an extended time. We usually get things like this during hurricane season but having this happen in June/July is so unexpected. I find myself thinking going into "hurricane storm prep/clean-up mode--buy water, batteries, fill car up with gas" but then remember , "Oh, right, this wasn't a hurricane." Oh well, now I'm stocked up for September!

The good thing from this weekend that I've noticed from Facebook and hearing snippets from friends and news stories, etc., is that everyone seemed to all work together for the most part-- those with A/C and power invited those who didn't over to stay. People shared water, ice, and generators. There were a lot of camp-outs and sleepovers going on this weekend. We had some of our friends over and had a great time grilling out and enjoying being out of the heat.

I thought of this Orzo Salad because it is a great recipe for company during the summer. It's made using a lot of herbs from the garden and pantry staples with a few fresh vegetables. It's very easy to mix up and feeds a crowd. While the salad calls for tomatoes and cucumber, I think you could easily swap them with other fresh favorite veggies such as zucchini, yellow squash or peppers, I particularly love the dressing for this salad, it's light and fresh from the lemon juice, chives, and oregano-- perfect for a summer salad.

Orzo Salad

Ingredients:
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3- 1/2 cup extra-light olive oil (I found that I only needed 1/3 cup)
2 tbs. chopped fresh oregano
2 tbs. chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) box orzo pasta, cooked and drained
1 seedless cucumber, diced
1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
1 (14-oz.) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained
1 (6-oz.) can whole pitted black olives, drained
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
Garnish: fresh oregano

Instructions:
1. In a small bowl, combine lemon juice, olive oil, oregano, chives, salt, and pepper, whisking to combine; set aside.

2. In a side bowl, combine pasta, cucumber, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, black olives, and feta cheese. Pour lemon juice mixture over pasta mixture, stirring to combine well. Cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with fresh oregano, if desired.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

Adapted from Simply Southern 2012 by Southern Lady

Looking for more recipe ideas for the 4th? How about these:

Sweet:

Blueberry Pie for the 4th of July

Red, White, and Blue Confetti Blondies

Red, White, and Blue Rice Krispie Bars

Easy Peach Cobbler

Peach Raspberry Slab Pie

Strawberry Sugar Cookie Bars

Coca-Cola Cake

Savory:

Pimiento Mac and Cheese

Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Red Bell Pepper

Easy Peasy Warm Leak and Goat Cheese Dip

Hot Caramelized Onion Dip with Bacon and Gruyere

Hot Bean and Cheese Dip

Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip

Edamame Hummus

Peach Salsa

Cookbook Winner Announced!

2012-06-22T19:34:00.000-04:00

The winner of the copy of the cookbook Desserts from the Loveless Cafe is...

#28!

theorangebee

"When all else fails I usually turn to any of my Taste Of HOme Cookbooks! Weird - but reliable for some homecookin'. This pie sounds delicious - I LOVE raspberries!"

Congrats Linda, I hope you enjoy the cookbook!! Thanks to all who entered and for all of the great cookbook ideas. You've given me some great ideas for future purchases. ;)

Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream

2012-06-18T23:50:00.000-04:00

So work has been kicking my rear lately and as usual I have been very behind on my blogging despite my best intentions. Wow, do I sound like a broken record? I feel like I use this excuse a lot! :) Anyway, I always miss blogging (and cooking) when the days pass by, and the gaps between posts grow larger and larger.

You may remember that a few weeks ago, I made cupcakes for my friend's parents' 50th wedding anniversary party. I made 6 different flavors so I'll be sharing some of the recipes in the coming weeks. I've already shared the chocolate chocolate chip here. It was so much fun-- getting to make all of those cupcakes at once and trying out a few new flavor combinations, which of course I had to taste test! One of the favorite flavors of the night (both of the guests and of yours truly) were these Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes with Coconut Swiss Meringue Buttercream. These basically taste like a pina colada in cupcake form and are perfect for the summer. I was initially drawn to the cupcake recipe because I liked that the batter is made with coconut milk instead of regular milk which infuses a delicious mild coconut taste throughout the whole cupcake. This recipe also calls for a layer of diced canned pineapple on the bottom of each cupcake which reminded me a little bit of an upside-down cake-- it was a great idea to put the fruit on the bottom because it really brought out it's flavor and seemed to allow it to bake more than if it were distributed throughout. The pineapple layer was one of my favorite parts of this cupcake-- yum, it's been a month or so since I've had these so writing about them is making me hungry.

Then, of course we have to talk about the coconut Swiss meringue buttercream (SMB). I'm a little bit obsessed with SMB and have spread my obsession to my family (it's a catching disease, watch out) who now request it when I make cupcakes. When I saw a coconut version of SMB, I knew it would be perfect with these cupcakes so I married the two, and it was cupcake heaven. The coconut buttercream is silky smooth and delicious with just a nice amount of coconut flavor-- the extract does not overpower. The recipe calls for pure coconut extract and I'm sure that is absolutely lovely. I couldn't find it anywhere, however, so I had to settle for imitation which you can buy in most grocery stores. The coconut SMB was incredible, so unless I stumble upon some pure coconut extract somewhere, I plan on just sticking with the imitation.

**I will be announcing the winner to the cookbook giveaway very soon. Thanks to all who entered and sorry for the delay!**

Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes ( I usually double this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
a scant 3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
a pinch of salt
3 tbs. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup coconut milk
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg
9 canned pineapple rings, drained well and chopped into small pieces
sweetened coconut, to decorate

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with cupcake liners.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric mixer) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

Mix the coconut milk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then beat into the flour mixture on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat well (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula).

Divide the chopped pineapple between the paper cupcake liners. Spoon the cupcake batter on top until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipe from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Coconut Swiss-Meringue Buttercream

Ingredients:
5 large egg whites
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 sticks (1 pound) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. coconut extract (pure if you can find it-- I could only find the imitation but thought it was delicious)

Directions:

1. Combine the egg whites and sugar in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.

2. Pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixture fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until cooled, about 10 minutes and egg mixture has cooled completely and formed stiff peaks.

3. Reduce the speed to medium-low. Add the butter, a few pieces at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Don't worry if the buttercream appears curdled or appears to melt, just keep beating and it will come back together and become smooth. *

4. Beat in coconut extract. Reduce speed to low, and beat until smooth. Use immediately or if using buttercream within several hours, cover bowl with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

5. To frost the cupcakes, I used a pastry bag and a large open star tip to pipe the buttercream. Garnish as desired with sweetened coconut.

*If, after you've beat in all of the butter and whipped the mixture for the required minutes and it just won't seem like it will come together, it's possible your mixture may be too warm, so try putting it in the refrigerator for a few minutes so it will firm up slightly. Then continue beating. This happened to me once when my meringue seemed somewhat soupy. Sticking the entire bowl in the fridge for about 10 minutes did the trick!

Adapted from Martha Stewart from Here and Here

Oatmeal Cookies with Dried Peaches

2012-06-05T23:30:00.000-04:00

**In case you missed it, you can still enter my GIVEAWAY for a copy of one of my favorite cookbooks, Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe which runs until Saturday! To enter click Here! **

Today I'm sharing another favorite recipe from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe. These oatmeal cookies with dried peaches are addictive and such a nice twist on an old standard cookie. I was immediately drawn to these cookies because of the dried peaches (I do love anything containing peaches) and set out to find some. After going to several stores, I finally found some delicious dried peaches at Trader Joe's (woo hoo) and quickly whipped up a batch of these cookies. They ended up being absolutely delicious! I love that this recipe contains a tiny bit of molasses. Not only do they help keep these cookies chewy but they add just a hint of flavor that made these taste a little bit like they'd been caramelized. The peaches, cinnamon, and molasses combined to make these an absolutely addictive cookie and a favorite at our house!

If you have trouble finding dried peaches, I think these cookies would be delicious with many kinds of dried fruit-- blueberries, apricots, or cherries would be a good substitution. While I really loved the sweetness of the dried peaches, I think I may try these again at some point with the dried cherries I have in the pantry. This recipe yields about 2 dozen (maybe more if you make smaller cookies than I did-- I got a little carried away and made some very large cookies). I don't think anyone minded though. :)

Ingredients:
1 1/4- cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/3 cups rolled oats
1 tsp. baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 Tbs. sorghum or molasses
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 egg
3 ounces dried peaches, cut into 1/4-inch dice

Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 sturdy cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone liners.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, oats, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and stir to combine. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar, molasses, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the flour mixture and blend until just barely combined; some streaks of flour should still show.

3. Sprinkle the dried peaches over the dough and fold in by hand until evenly mixed with no streaks remaining. Drop the dough by heaping Tbs. about 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.

4. Bake for 16 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through the baking time. Let the cookies set for a few minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Adapted from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe

Southern Belle Raspberry Pie and a GIVEAWAY!

2012-06-02T10:04:00.000-04:00

You may have noticed if you've read my blog for any time that I a). Really like dessert; b). really like Southern style homemade desserts; and c). have a love of (read: addiction) cookbooks. Yes, I am a cookbook addict, I especially love cookbooks that feature home made old-fashioned dessert recipes.

Well, after all of this talk of desserts and cookbooks, and because you all are so nice to come here and read my blog, I thought it would only be fair to have a giveaway of one of my favorite cookbooks. So I'm giving away one copy of Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe by Alisa Huntsman. My husband gave me this book for Christmas and I immediately made a mental note to make pretty much every recipe included. This book is full of classic homemade Southern-style cakes, pies, cobblers, cookies, and cupcakes that will make your mouth water!

You may have heard of the author's first cookbook (which is also great) called Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer-Cakes. Huntsman is the pastry chef at the Loveless Cafe in Nashville, TN, the landmark restaurant that features homemade Southern classics and mouth-watering desserts. This cookbook features favorite dessert recipes from the Cafe-- such as Hummingbird and Red Velvet cakes, Honey Chess Pie, Blackberry Cobbler with Cinnamon-Swirl Biscuits, Banana Split Cheesecake, and Biscuit Pudding with Drunken Caramel Sauce. Like I said, I want to make every recipe in this book. :)

I decided to make the Southern Belle Raspberry Pie, because, really, how can you resist a title like that? Plus, the filling for this pie is an absolutely gorgeous shade of hot pink. The raspberry filling is made with a delicious and unique blend of flavors-- orange zest, vanilla bean, and rose water! I was intrigued and knew I had to try this pie out. I finally tracked down some rose water flavoring (which you can find at well-stocked grocery stores or online). As you can tell from the title, this pie does feel decidedly feminine-- from the girly pink of the filling to the floral notes that complemented the raspberries. The rose water, orange zest, and vanilla added a sweet fragrant flavor that was unlike any other pie I've ever tasted-- it definitely seemed like a pie a lady would eat. :) It's always fun to try out new flavors and extracts when baking and I really loved how these flavors blended in this pie. If you think you may not like rose water (or have trouble finding it), I think the pie would still be delicious without it.

image from goodreads.com

So, now on to the details of the giveaway!

Enter to win a copy of Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe:

A few rules:

This giveaway is limited to those in the USA and Canada.
The giveaway expires on Saturday June 9th at 11:59 EST
Entries that do not meet the eligibility requirements will not be considered
The winner will be chosen by random using random.org
The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to respond. After that time, if there is no response, another winner will be chosen using random.org.
Disclosure: This contest is sponsored by me.

Required Entry: Please leave a comment telling me what is your favorite cookbook?

**For additional entries: Leave a separate comment for each of the following that you do. If you've already done these, you can still leave a comment for each, just let me know where you've already followed me.

1. Like ryanbakes on Facebook

2. Follow my blog either through Google Friend Connect or by subscribing by email.

3. Follow @ryanbakesblog on Twitter

4. Follow me on Pinterest

Good luck!

Southern Belle Raspberry Pie

Ingredients:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tsp. grated orange zest
2 tsp. rose water
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise in half
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen raspberries (5 to 6 cups)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a sturdy baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease the paper. Place the pie shell on the baking sheet and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sugar, cornstarch, orange zest, and rose water. With the tip of a small knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the bowl. Rub the ingredients together with your fingertips to combine them. Add the raspberries and toss to coat. Turn them into the prepared pie shell. Dot the top with butter (about 1 to 2 Tbs).

3. For the top crust, either roll out to top the pie or cut the dough into 1-inch wide strips and arrange in a lattice pattern on top. Mix an egg with a little water in a small bowl and using a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over the top of the pie. If you are making this as a full top pie crust, cut several slits in the top in a decorative pattern to allow steam to escape.

4. Bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until the juices are bubbling in the center and the top of the pie is golden brown. Let cool and set for at least 4 to 6 hours, or the filling will be runny when the pie is cut. Serve at room temperature.

Adapted from Desserts from the Famous Loveless Cafe

For the Pie Crust:

I used my favorite pie crust recipe for this. I also opted to make a full crust for the top instead of the lattice top, but it all comes down to your personal preference. This recipe will make enough for a double crust pie.

Lobster Shrimp Mac and Cheese

2012-05-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

We had a wonderful 3 day weekend here in the U.S. to celebrate and remember our soldiers for Memorial Day. I love the patriotic displays and decorations that pop up all over to mark the occasion to remember the sacrifices of the fallen who keep us all safe.

We had a great weekend getting to spend time with family and friends, and in typical Virginia fashion it was hot as blazes all weekend. I think summer weather has arrived whether we're ready for it or not. For whatever reason, I have been craving shrimp and lobster (well, maybe I always crave it because it's delicious). I recently saw this recipe for lobster mac and cheese during a repeat episode of the Barefoot Contessa and just couldn't stop thinking about it. I thought this weekend was the perfect time to track down some lobster and try it out. Well... tracking down lobster and not paying an absolute fortune on a recipe I've never made proved much harder than I planned, so I thought I would halve the amount of lobster I needed and add shrimp as well. Although I'm a huge fan of Ina Garten recipes, and have had lobster mac and cheese in restaurants, I wanted to make sure the recipe was not going to be a waste of delicious lobster until I knew what I was getting into.

Well, all my reservations were unfounded because this recipe is incredible! May I just say how thrilled I am at how this recipe turned out? Absolutely delicious! My husband and I both thought this was one of the best things we've had recently. I ended up making just half of the recipe since there are just 2 of us and it still made enough for 4 or 5 people (especially if you are serving this as a side dish). The cheese sauce with the blend of Gruyere and cheddar with a hint of nutmeg was just perfect with the seafood. It was creamy and luxurious. The golden bread crumb topping added some nice crunch and texture. I also really liked the combo of shrimp and lobster and thought the 2 types of shellfish complemented each other nicely.

I will definitely be keeping an eye out for specials on lobster and any other excuse to make this. Do you want to come over for dinner? I'll be glad to whip up some lobster mac and cheese and eat it with you. :) I promise I'll share!

Ingredients:
1 pound cavatappi or elbow macaroni
1 quart milk
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
12 ounces Gruyere cheese, grated (4 cups)
8 ounces good extra-sharp Cheddar, grated (2 cups)
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1 1/2 pounds cooked lobster meat and shrimp (peeled and deveined) ( I used a combination of shrimp and lobster but you can also make this with only lobster), chopped into bite sized pieces
1 1/2 cups fresh white bread crumbs (5 slices, crusts removed)

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according do directions on the package, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain well.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a small saucepan, but don't boil it. In a large pot, melt 6 tablespoons of butter and add the flour. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, stirring with a whisk. Still whisking, add the hot milk and cook for a minute or 2 or more, until thickened and smooth. Off the heat, add the Gruyere, Cheddar, 1 tablespoon of salt, the pepper, and nutmeg. Add the cooked macaroni and lobster and shrimp and stir well. Place mixture in 6 to 8 individual gratin dishes or in 1 large buttered casserole dish.

Melt the remaining 2 tbs. of butter, combine them with the fresh bread crumbs, and stir until the crumbs are golden brown. Sprinkle on the top of the mac and cheese. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbly and the macaroni is browned on the top.

Serves 6-8

Adapted from the Barefoot Contessa

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

2012-05-14T23:30:00.000-04:00

It's been awhile since I did a cupcake post, I realized. I've had cupcakes on the brain recently as a friend of mine has asked me to bake cupcakes for her parent's anniversary party! I've done a little pre-baking and testing recipes (any excuse to bake some cupcakes, right?) just to try out various flavors and to make sure everything was in shape for the event since I had some advance notice of the party. I wanted to share this recipe for Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting as they were definitely one of my favorite flavor combinations. If you're going to go for chocolate cupcakes, you might as well go all out for chocolate and make them triple chocolate cupcakes! I love the dense chocolaty cake studded with chocolate chips and the chocolate buttercream frosting on top is the perfect accompaniment. I cannot say enough good things about this chocolate frosting recipe either. It is my new favorite recipe. It's the consistency of buttercream, but it tastes like fudge due to the immense amount of melted chocolate and cocoa and that's whipped into the buttercream.

The cupcakes are made from a favorite chocolate sheet cake recipe from America's Test Kitchen. I like this recipe for several reasons, but definitely at the top of the list is because this recipe doesn't require a mixer. The ingredients are easily mixed together with only a whisk, which is nice if you don't have a stand mixer or don't feel like fooling with yours. :) The cake is rich and chocolaty too, as it combines both melted semi-sweet or bittersweet (I like to use semi-sweet chocolate for a slightly sweeter cake) and Dutch Process cocoa powder.

What is Dutch process cocoa powder, you ask? I didn't really know the difference between Dutch process and regular cocoa powder until recently. Dutch process cocoa is cocoa powder that has been treated with an alkalizing agent to neutralize the acids which makes the cocoa less bitter-- making this ideal for use in hot chocolate and other rich chocolate baked goods. Dutch process is milder than regular cocoa powder but allows the rich chocolate flavor to shine through. Depending on where you live, it can be hard to find, as it's been my experience that the grocery stores closest to me don't carry it and I have to stock up when I go near a Whole Foods or Wegman's. You can always buy it online from somewhere like Penzey's or Amazon (thank goodness for online shopping for hard to find ingredients). I really enjoy baking with Dutch process and like how it creates a deep chocolate flavor without the bitterness of regular cocoa.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cupcakes

Ingredients:
16 Tbs. (2 sticks) unsalted butter
4 ounces bittersweet (or semi-sweet) chocolate, chopped
1 cup (3 ounces) Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 large eggs, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup flour

Instructions:
1. Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle position and heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake liners.

2. Melt the butter, chocolate, and cocoa together in the microwave, stirring often, 1 to 3 minutes; let the mixture cool slightly. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and vanilla together by hand until uniform. Slowly whisk in the sugar until combined. Slowly whisk in the cooled chocolate mixture until combined.

4. Sift about a third of the flour mixture over the batter and whisk in. Whisk in the sour cream. Sift in the remaining flour mixture over the batter and whisk until completely incorporated (the batter will be thick). In a small bowl, mix together the chocolate chips with the 1/4 cup of flour and then fold into the batter. The flour will keep the chocolate chips from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes.

5. Give the batter a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure it is thoroughly combined. Using a 1/4 cup measure to fill each cup of the muffin tin about 3/4 full.

6. Bake the cupcakes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out with a few crumbs attached, 15 to 20 minutes, switching and rotating the tins halfway through baking. Let the cupcakes cool in the tins for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. Frost and serve.

Recipe from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book

Chocolate Frosting:
For the Chocolate Frosting I used this recipe from Annie's Eats. It. is. Incredible. I will definitely be using this as my go-to chocolate frosting recipe from now on!

Lemon-Blueberry Muffins

2012-05-10T23:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up, my Dad and I would always make breakfast in bed for my Mom on Mother's Day. I can't remember what we'd make but I think it would usually be bacon and eggs and toast. I don't think we really varied from that menu throughout the years. :) My Mom always acted like we were presenting her with a feast though. :) Mom's are such troopers, aren't they? These days, we always go out to brunch for Mother's Day. What is is about Mother's Day being celebrated with breakfast? They seem to go hand-in-hand but I'm not sure why. Happily, our family really enjoys brunch so it's a tradition we can get behind.

In the spirit of Mother's Day, I'm offering up this recipe for Lemon-Blueberry Muffins with Lemon Glaze. What's better than freshly baked muffins in the morning--except maybe the smell of muffins baking while you relax upstairs knowing you don't have to either cook or clean-up! :) Lemon is one of my absolute favorite flavors and add blueberries into the mix and, well, it's hard to get a better combo. These muffins have a nice lemon flavor due to fresh lemon juice and zest and are chock full of blueberries. You can either use fresh or frozen berries, which is great, as I try to keep frozen blueberries on hand for recipes such as this--no having to worry about having fresh berries in the house or waiting until it's blueberry season. Finally the muffins are topped with a lemon glaze that really gave these a perfect finish, I thought. The original recipe called for 2 Tbs. of lemon juice but I found that I needed to add an additional tablespoon in order to make the glaze thin enough to drizzle. The result was a nice tangy sweet glaze that made these muffins a delicious morning treat.

I want to wish my sweet Mom a Happy Mother's Day and also to all the other mothers out there! Enjoy your day, you all deserve it and many more!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk (whole or 2%)
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 tsp. freshly grated lemon zest
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
Dash salt
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

For the Glaze:
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 to 3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the milk, lemon juice, and zest. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Be careful not to over mix. Fold in blueberries.

2. Fill paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack.

3. In a small bowl, combine the powdered sugar, lemon juice, melted butter, and vanilla. When adding the lemon juice start with 2 Tbs. and then add more as needed to reach a spreading consistency. Drizzle over warm muffins.

Yields about 11 or 12 muffins depending on how full you fill the muffin cups. I was able to get an even dozen.

Adapted from Taste of Home

Biscoff Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake with Biscoff Glaze

2012-05-03T00:00:00.000-04:00

Yes, I have eagerly jumped on the Biscoff train. Are you as crazy about this delicious spread as the food blogging world seems to be? If you've never heard of Biscoff spread before, you've probably had the cookies at some point in your life. They are the addictive little crispy, buttery, cinnaminny (I made that word up) cookies that you get on Delta flights. Well imagine that heavenly taste in a peanut buttery type spread (but with no peanuts-- or nuts of any kind for that matter). It's delicious, as you can imagine, not only on your morning toast or English muffin but also as a baking ingredient. I had been hearing other bloggers talk about Biscoff for a long time but could never find it in our local grocery stores. Thankfully, the trend finally caught on down here and I was able to grab a couple of jars when I was at Wal-Mart recently. Woohoo!

The wheels started turning on how I could incorporate Biscoff into some of my favorite baked goods. Since it has a mild cinnamon taste, I thought it would be delicious baked into a bundt cake. Biscoff cookies already go so well with coffee, so I could imagine how great a Biscoff bundt cake would be for a brunch-type cake. I also really like chocolate and cinnamon together so I decided to add chocolate chips to the batter. The Biscoff lightly flavors the pound cake so the chocolate chips added a nice element of flavor but you can always omit them if you'd prefer. Finally, the peanut butter-like consistency worked great in the glaze so I just swapped out a 1/2 cup of Biscoff instead of using butter. It worked beautifully and really added a delicious finale to the cake. I highly recommend using this glaze if you make this as I thought it really brought out the Biscoff flavor and added such a pretty caramel color topping.

Ingredients:
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
2 3/4 cups sugar
3 cups cake flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
6 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup + 2 Tbs. Biscoff spread
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour a large 12 cup bundt pan. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.

In a separate large bowl, sift cake flour, baking soda, and salt. Add a third of the flour mixture to the batter, alternating with the sour cream and the biscoff and ending with the flour mixture. Blend ingredients until combined but do not over mix. Add vanilla extract. Mix in chocolate chips.

Pour batter into prepared bundt pan and distribute evenly. Bake at 325 until cake leaves the sides of the pan, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Test the cake to see if it's done by inserting a knife or toothpick into the middle to see if it comes out clean.

Biscoff Glaze

Ingredients:
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup Biscoff spread
7 Tbs. milk (or more if needed to thin icing)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Combine powdered sugar, Biscoff, and vanilla extract in the bowl of an electric mixer. One tablespoon at a time, slowly add the milk until the icing is still think but is able to be drizzled on the cake. Be careful not to make the batter too thin, I found that 7 Tbs. of milk was just the right consistency to give the icing the pooling effect that you see.

Recipe from Ryanbakes

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

2012-05-01T00:04:00.000-04:00

With Cinco de Mayo this Saturday, I know many of you are looking for recipes to mark the holiday. I thought I'd share this recipe for strawberry-avocado salsa as it utilizes the bounty of strawberries in season right now, and creates a zesty savory salsa that is a delicious change from the usual tomato variety. I've recently become a big fan of fruit salsas served as a snack with tortilla chips and pita wedges and also as an accompaniment to tacos and burritos or served over grilled pork, fish, or chicken. The slightly sweet fruit is absolutely delicious when paired with the spicy elements of the salsa like jalapenos and the citrus flavors of lime or lemon juice. There is just something so yummy about the combination of fruit, lime juice, cilantro, and salt that is so refreshing during the warm months, so we make fruit salsas a lot over the spring and summer.

It also doesn't hurt that salsas are a great and healthy snack too! As you may remember I follow Weight Watcher's and this recipe is 1 WW point per serving (I've included the nutritional information and WW break down at the end). It's so nice to find snacks that we enjoy that have such low point values. I usually toast some whole wheat pitas in the oven with a sprinkling of sea salt on them until they are crisp and then cut them into wedges to try to keep the points WW points down.

I really enjoy the combination of strawberry and avocado in this salsa. I have found that it is best to use slightly under ripe strawberries and avocados to keep the salsa from becoming mushy. I also prepare this immediately before serving.

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:
1 cup finely chopped strawberries
1/4 cup finely chopped peeled avocado
2 Tbs. finely chopped red onion
2 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp. grated fresh lime zest
2 Tbs. fresh lime juice
2 tsp. finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt

Instructions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Gently toss and serve immediately. Serve with toasted pita wedges or tortilla chips.

Nutrition Info: Per serving: (1/4 cup) 34 cals, 1.6 grams fat, 1.5 grams fiber, 5.4 grams carbohydrates, 0.6 grams protein.

WW Points Plus= 1 point per 1/4 cup

Recipe from Cooking Light

If you're looking for other fruit salsa recipes:
Peach Salsa
Mango Avocado Salsa

Here are some other recipe ideas for Cinco de Mayo:
Hot Bean and Cheese Dip
Tex-Mex Pimiento Cheese Dip
Crock Pot Pork Carnitas
Lightened Mexican Chicken Casserole
Mexican Chocolate Pound Cake