Lemon Cranberry Bundt Cake (half whole wheat)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cupcakes

I think I may have found a runner up to Red Velvet... These are so delicious! And I'm not even much of a peanut butter fan... Start with a regular old chocolate cupcake recipe, I like these chocolate sour cream cupcakes then top with peanut butter buttercream frosting and chopped Reese's peanut butter cups.

Peanut Butter Frosting
1 cube butter, softened
2 tablespoons crisco
3/4 cup peanut butter
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1-2 tablespoons milk

Cream butter, crisco, peanut butter and vanilla. Mix in powdered sugar and thin with milk to spreading consistency. Spread onto cooled chocolate cupcakes and top with chopped Reese's peanut butter cups (you can freeze the Reese's first for easier chopping).

Confetti Cupcakes

This is the perfect party recipe and it's so simple to make. It's perfect topped with yummy buttercream frosting. It's just as good as the cake mix kind, but better, since you made it!

Confetti Cupcakes

1 cube butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
2 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1-2 tablespoons rainbow sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs. Stir in milk. Combine dry ingredients* and mix into wet ingredients just until smooth. Stir in sprinkles (I used 2 Tablespoons and you can see there is plenty of color).

Pour into 12 muffin tins and bake for 15-20 minutes. Cool before frosting with this yummy buttercream frosting. Makes 12 regular cupcakes and 6 mini cupcakes.

*Maybe this is a no-brainer, but I hate when recipes tell me to use two bowls- one for dry and one for wet. I only want to dirty one bowl! What I do is mix the wet ingredients first- then sprinkle the flour evenly over top. I then sprinkle the salt and leavener and with a fork gently mix them with the flour, then mix down to the wet layer to combine all. Less mess to clean up!

Almond Cupcakes with Buttercream Frosting (and coconut oil!)

This is a good "plain" cupcake recipe. I am not much of a cake eater unless it's super moist or super flavorful- ok I really only eat cake for the frosting- and this frosting is YUM. So it really doesn't matter what cake you use underneath, but since you have to make something...you might as well make this...

You can substitute vanilla for the almond extract, I just wanted to add some extra flavor...(not that it needs it with a mountain of this yummy frosting!)

Almond (or Vanilla!) Cupcakes
1 cube butter, softenend
2/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons almond extract (or vanilla)
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk (or 1/2 cup milk + 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar- let sit 10 minutes)

Preheat oven to 350. Cream sugar, butter and eggs. Sift dry ingredients then stir into butter/sugar mixture. Stir in buttermilk. Pour into 12-15 muffin cups (or 12 full size and a pan of mini muffins). Bake for 20 minutes. Let cool completely before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting
1 cube butter, softened
2 tablespoons crisco COCONUT OIL
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon almond extract (optional but adds great flavor)
1-2 tablespoons milk

Cream butter and crisco coconut oil. Stir in powdered sugar. Add vanilla and milk until desired consistency and beat until fluffy. Add food coloring as desired.

Since embarking on my real food journey, I have discovered there are alternatives to crisco for this heavenly frosting, coconut oil! Doesn't affect the flavor at all, keeps the texture light and creamy, and is good for you! (Ok, so it doesn't reduce the effect of sugar- even organic sugar- but hey, it makes me feel better ;)

It is important that you use crisco coconut oil- many recipes call for 1/2 a cup- because it makes the frosting really fluffy, but I found that just 2 tablespoons was enough to do the trick without tasting like you're eating crisco. Here are pictures with and without the crisco- you can see that the one without starts to separate and is not as creamy as the one with crisco- so just close your eyes and add it- it's only 2T, and your arteries will be clogged if you make any of these desserts anyway ;)

                                   with Crisco                                                           without crisco

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

There is nothing I love more than dessert with cream cheese. These cupcakes are delicious especially with a mountain of cream cheese frosting on top! I think these might be the tastiest cupcakes I've ever had...YUM!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup flour, sifted
1 tablespoon cocoa
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup buttermilk (or regular milk + 1/2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice)
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon red food coloring

Cream Cheese Frosting
8oz cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
dash of lemon juice
milk to thin (1 to 2 T. at most)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you don't have buttermilk, mix 1/2 cup of milk with 1/2 tablespoon of vinegar or lemon juice and let sit for 10 minutes. In a bowl cream sugar, butter, vanilla and eggs. Stir in sour cream, buttermilk and food coloring (if you don't use enough food coloring they'll be pink velvet cupcakes)  Mix dry ingredients and stir into wet ingredients. Do not overmix.

Pour batter into muffin cups (makes 15-18 regular size cupcakes or a dozen regular and a pan of mini's). Bake for 20-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes then transfer to cooling rack. Cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting, beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla on high until smooth. Stir in powdered sugar. I think lemon juice is the difference between good and great cream cheese frosting. ). Start small and add a bit more until you get the right taste. Thin frosting with milk if necessary. If you frost using a large star tip you'll need a batch and a half of frosting (might as well make it two- it's a great excuse to make something else yummy...

And by the way- these freeze really well! Frost them, and put the whole cupcake pan in the freezer (flash freeze so the frosting doesn't smoosh). Once they're all frozen just put in a freezer bag and thaw whenever you get a craving. They taste just as good as the day you made them!

Chocolate Cream Cheese Cupcakes

These are delicious cupcakes and I love the chocolate cream cheese frosting. Recipe from Martha Stewart Living magazine. YUM.

Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup chocolate chips
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup boiling water
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk (or buttermilk)
2 eggs

Frosting
8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup chocolate chips, melted

Preheat oven to 350. Line 15 muffin tins or 12 regular muffin tins and 12 mini muffins.
Mix together flour, sugars, soda and salt. Boil water and pour over chocolate chips, butter and cocoa, stirring until chocolate is melted. Add sour cream, milk and eggs. Combine with dry ingredients and pour into muffin liners. Bake for 20 minutes, cool before frosting.

For frosting: melt chocolate chips in microwave. Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar. Stir in chocolate and mix until smooth.

Deep Dish Apple Pie

When I saw Grandma Ople's apple pie on Allrecipes had over 4,000 ratings, I knew it was a keeper. Here is the recipe with modifications. You can't go wrong with this one!

1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie

1/2 cup butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

1/2 cup white sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

6-8 Granny Smith apples - peeled, cored and sliced (I also like macintosh)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Melt the butter in a saucepan. Stir in flour to form a paste. Add water, white sugar and brown sugar, and bring to a boil. Reduce temperature and let simmer.

Place the bottom crust in your pan. Mix apples with 2/3 of cinnamon sugar mixture. Pour apples into pie crust, piled high.

Cover with a lattice work of crust. I roll mine out into a rectangle and cut with a pizza roller, pretty simple! Gently pour the remaining sugar and butter liquid over the crust. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.

Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes, until apples are soft

*I pre-bake my crust at 425 for 8 minutes before I add my apples so that it doesn't get soggy, you could brush it with egg whites instead.

Lemon Meringue Pie

It's just not Thanksgiving without a piece of lemon meringe pie! 

1 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups water
2 lemons, juiced & zested (about 3/4 cup)
2 tablespoons butter
4 egg yolks, beaten

1 9" pie crust baked

4 egg whites

6 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 350. To make lemon filling, mix sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a saucepan. Stir in water, lemon juice and lemon zest. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture comes to a boil. Stir in butter.

Mix about 1/2 cup of hot mixture into the egg yolks, beat and stir back into saucepan. Bring to a boil and continue to cook until thick (about a minute). Be sure to continue to stir or the sugar will burn on the bottom of the pan.  Pour filling into baked pastry shell.

In large glass or copper bowl whip egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form. Spread meringue over warm pie, sealing the edges at the crust. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or until meringue is golden brown. Cool completely.

Pecan Pie- no corn syrup!

I have always loved pecan pie but the sweetness almost made me sick. I've since discovered pecan pie without corn syrup is so much better and is still sweet but not over the top. Allrecipes has the best pie recipes and this one is pretty good and about the easiest pie you could make.

1 cup light brown sugar

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans

1 pie crust recipe (http://ldsbaker.blogspot.com/2010/11/pie-crust.html)

Preheat oven to 400. In medium bowl beat eggs, sugar, butter and flour until well mixed. Stir in milk, vanilla and nuts. Pour into unbaked 9" pie shell and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 300 degrees and bake for another 40-50 minutes or just until top starts to crack. Cool and serve!

All Butter Pie Crust

Pies are one thing I will not eat from the store. They just can't even compare to homemade, especially the crust. Homemade pie crust is so simple to make and tastes so much better. This recipe is for a 2-crust pie, if you're only making one you can half it, or if you're making more double it- I doubled mine and made 4 pies plus a lattice top and still had enough left over for mini pies or another lattice top.

King Arthur Flour 2 crust Pie Dough 

2 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter (2 cubes)

1/4 to 1/2 cup ice water

Mix flour and salt. Work in crisco with a pastry blender (or mix in a food processor) until resembles fine crumbs. Slowly add water in, mixing until mixture starts to stick together. Then you need to mix with your hands. It's just like making tortillas, you can feel when it's done- you do not want it to be too wet- it should be soft, not sticky. Just keep kneading and adding water until the dough is soft, do not over-knead.

Sprinkle some flour and roll dough out. I love my marble rolling pin for starting the crust, but the pizza roller works best for forming into a perfect circle. Make the crust 3 or more inches larger than your pie plate. I roll on a pastry sheet and then simply invert over the pie pan. Trim the crust 1/4 inch if you're doing a pinched crust or trim along the pan line if you're doing a simple pressed fork crust. This website has some great tips: http://whatscookingamerica.net/piecrsthint.htm 

Pie crust is really so simple, if you tear it or are short on one end, simply roll another small piece and push it on top and smooth it in, you really can't mess this up! If you need to bake crust without filling, prick with fork all around crust then bake at 400 for 20-25 minutes or until golden.

  

No Bake Peanut Butter Pie

This is one of my all time favorites. It's super easy to make and so yum. This recipe fills two store-bought graham cracker crusts so is also a perfect no-bake pie to give away. It also freezes really well.

Peanut Butter Pie

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 (16 ounce) package frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 (9 inch) prepared graham cracker crusts
Semi-sweet chocolate for topping

Beat together cream cheese and powdered sugar. Mix in peanut butter and milk. Beat until smooth. Fold in whipped topping. Pour into two 9 inch graham cracker pie crusts.

Melt chocolate chips in microwavable bowl just until melted, stirring occasionally. With a spatula or spoon drizzle chocolate over the top of pie.

Cover and refrigerate (you can also freeze if you don't want to wait as long) until firm.

Devil's Food Cake

So I was really sick a week or so ago and couldn't eat a thing. I lost 5 pounds in 3 days and was feeling pretty miserable. Normally I would be ecstatic about losing 5 pounds but I had already lost all my pregnancy weight and purchased all new clothes. I typically LOVE shopping but after going from store to store and coming home empty handed (trying to find shorts in my size that come down to the knee) I finally went online and found a few pairs. But there are no others to choose from, no alternative options, I bought every style I could find. So when I put on my new shorts and they were too big for me, I freaked out. What's a girl to do? That's right...

My appetite was back- I scoured the cookbook to determine what I could binge on to gain back those few pounds. Then I saw the Devil's Food Cake book that I ordered, sitting on my shelf. The picture of the cake on the cover was irresistable. I figured making the recipe would inspire me to read it faster. It sure hit the spot! I haven't gained it all back, but it earned me a few pounds at least. The cake is good- but I really only eat cake for the frosting- and this frosting is heavenly! I had a little extra left over and I ate it by the spoonful. YUM. (You should know by now that I cannot decorate a cake to save my life, but I promise it tastes better than it looks!) This is my new "go to" chocolate frosting recipe! Try it, you'll like it.

Devil's Food Cake

1 cup sour milk (1 cup milk + 2 teaspoons white vinegar or lemon juice OR use 1 cup buttermilk)

2 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup boiling water

1 teaspoon baking soda

For sour milk, mix milk and vinegar in a small bowl. Set aside for five minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except the water and baking soda. Mix until batter is smooth. Add the

soda to the boiling water (kids love this part because it bubbles). Add soda/water mixture to batter. Mix well—batter will be thin.

Pour batter into a greased and floured 9x13-inch pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 to 45 minutes or until middle is set.

If using round cake pans, grease pans very well and cut a round of wax paper to fit inside the bottom of the pans
to prevent cake from sticking when removed. Let cake cool five minutes in pans before turning out onto a wire rack.
 

Sandra’s Chocolicious Frosting

1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons shortening
1 cup baking cocoa
8 ounces cream cheese
3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter and shortening. Whisk in cocoa and stir until smooth. Let cool until it is cool enough to touch. Add cream cheese and mix thoroughly. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, mix well. will cover two 9" layers or a 9x13 cake.
*also tastes great with a spoon!

Sharon's Cheesecake

My friend Sharon Garcia is famous in our little town for her cheesecakes. For our R.S. cooking class we asked her to teach us and she so kindly shared her recipe, so now I'm sharing with you. It is delicious.

She makes a raspberry swirl, which I find heavenly. I tried making one with raspberry topping rather than swirling in and I have to say the swirl tasted so much better, so I'm doing that next time.

She prefers using coconut cookies for her crust. I didn't have those and ran out of graham crackers so used animal crackers for mine and I actually like them the best. So play around and vary your crust for fun flavor. Oh, and I used two fat free cream cheeses and one full fat- and all generic brands- so you can play around with the level of fat and not have to feel quite as guilty when you eat six pieces (I promise you won't be able to stop at one).

Crust:

1 1/2 cookie crumbs (I like animal crackers)
1/4 cup melted butter (add more if crumbs don't stick together)

1/4 cup sugar

Filling:

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 8oz packages cream cheese, softened (can use generic and 1/3 fat)

5 eggs

16 oz sour cream

3 tablespoons lemon juice (don't omit this- it really adds awesome flavor)

3 tablespoons corn starch
2 teaspoons Mexican vanilla (or pure vanilla extract)

Use a food processer to grind crumbs, or just place cookies in a ziploc freezer bag and roll with rolling pin. Mix cookie crumbs with sugar then add melted butter (if crumbs don't stick together, add more butter). Cover bottom of springform pan with wax or parchment paper so cheesecake can easily be lifted out of the pan. Firmly press cookie crumb mixture on bottom and sides of pan.

For filling: place softenend cream cheese in large glass mixing bowl. Add sugar and mix until smooth and creamy. Add eggs one at a time just until well blended and creamy (over mixing incorporates too much air in the cheesecake and can cause cracking. Sharon's tip for getting bubbles out is to pound the bowl against a table until the bubbles pop). Stir in sour cream just until blended.

In a separate bowl mix lemon juice and corn starch until smooth, add to cream cheese mixture. Add vanilla and mix just until combined, pour over crust. If you're going to swirl berries in- you can use jam or just take some frozen berries with jam or 1/2 cup sugar (or to taste) and heat over stove until syrup forms (see below for more details & pics). Using a knife, gently swirl berries into cheesecake using soft up and down swirling motions.

Bake at 350 for one hour. Do not overbake. If the cheesecake begins to inflate or "poof" on the edges, it is done. The center of the cake (approximately 2" diameter) will look soft or damp and may be like thick jello, but not liquidy. Let cool for about an hour before placing in the fridge (I turn off the oven and leave the cheesecake in the oven to cool- it usually takes an hour and then I don't see and smell the cheesecake and be tempted to cut into it early). Chill before serving, best if chilled overnight.

I found that unless the cheesecake was chilled overnight in the fridge it was too soft- so you can either cook it a bit longer and risk cracking, or be patient and wait. I personally don't mind cracks in my cheesecake- as long as it tastes good. But the flavor is better the next day too.

If you'd prefer to serve it with sauce rather than swirl in, it's just as easy to do. Use frozen raspberries (or any fruit) and heat in saucepan- add strawberry jam to sweeten them up, or about 1/2 cup or more sugar, the sugar in either form will cause the fruit to "bleed" making it a thin syrup- if you want it thicker just sprinkle a little flour or cornstarch in and mix until it reaches desired thickness.

  

Too Much Chocolate Cake

Of course there's really no such thing as "too much" when referring to chocolate. When I was pregnant this last time I craved chocolate like an addict. I've never been much of a chocolate eater until I went to Europe and fell in love with the yummy chocolate there. I don't care for dry cakey chocolate, I like super rich super fudgy chocolate. The gooeyer (is that a word?) the better. Anyway- back to being pregnant- I tried several chocolate recipes and was so disappointed until I found this one from allrecipes.com. I am usually not a fan of boxed cake mixes but I was desperate, so I decided to give it a try. Let's just say I had a very healthy baby ;)  And please, people- don't try to reduce the chocolate chips or oil- it's cake- it's supposed to be fattening!!! (besides I tried it, it doesn't work...)

Too much chocolate cake, from allrecipes.com

1 (18.25 ounce) package devil's food cake mix (do not use german chocolate- it won't taste good)

1 (5.9 ounce) package instant chocolate pudding mix

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, sour cream, oil, beaten eggs and water. Stir in the chocolate chips and pour batter into a well greased 12 cup bundt pan.

Bake for 50 to 55 minutes, or until top is springy to the touch and a wooden toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool cake before inverting onto a plate. Dust the cake with powdered sugar.

*If you're a super chocolaholic you can frost with a chocolate glaze, I like it just the way it is with a little powdered sugar dusted on top- eat it warm though so you get the full gooeyness ;)

Molten Chocolate Cakes & Chocolate Filigree Hearts

What better Valentine's Day dessert than this warm gooey chocolate cake? Make it even more romantic with these adorable chocolate filigree hearts! I recommend serving it with something yummy like praline sauce or sugared raspberries, you can also put a caramel candy in the center before baking. These babies even taste great cold the next day (if you're lucky enough to have any leftover!)

Molten Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients

1 cup butter or margarine

8 ounces semisweet chocolate chips, or bars, cut into bite-size chunks
3 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar (granulated or powdered)

1/3 cup flour

Praline Sauce
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup chopped pecans
2/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup whipping cream

Directions

1.Melt butter and chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds to avoid burning. Beat eggs and sugar until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture into chocolate until smooth. Beat in flour until just combined. (Batter can be made a day ahead)

2.Heat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 6-8 cups individual ramekins, dust with granulated sugar (or cocoa powder). Divide batter among muffin cups.

3.Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake until batter puffs but center is not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cakes to cool 10 minutes. To serve, turn out cakes, and place on serving plates, bottom sides up. Dust with confectioners' sugar or cocoa powder, and serve with fresh whipped cream and/or fresh fruit, or praline sauce!

Praline Sauce
In small saucepan, combine butter, pecans, sugar and whipping cream. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer. Cook about 10 minutes or until sauce has thickened. *Makes enough sauce for two batches of cakes or serve over ice cream.

Chocolate Filigree Hearts

1. Melt chocolate in microwave, stirring every 30 seconds until melted. Allow to cool slightly. 

2. Scoop melted chocolate into ziploc baggie and snip the corner (or use pastry bag)

3. Pipe hearts onto parchment paper (or tin foil sprayed with oil) connecting loops together so it will not break when removed from paper
4. Freeze until firm, remove from paper and adorn your favorite dessert!

*Chocolate Heart Filigree from Martha Stewart Living