Pound Cake

I have always loved baking. My love started when I got my Easy Bake oven many years ago and had to wait like 10 minutes for miniature baked goods that still weren't fully cooked, but were still amazingly delicious. It brought me so much joy to see the look on someone's face when I presented them with one of my baked goods (even though they probably pretended to eat it and threw it away lol). While I don't bake as much as my younger easy bake oven loving self, (it's hard for two people to finish a cake and be healthy, just saying) I still enjoy it and the stress relief it brings me when I do. So for this baking endeavor, I found this pound cake recipe, not made in an easy bake oven (maybe I should get one now haha), and it did not disappoint. It was the perfect combination of dense and moist that made it perfect for eating alone or topped with berries and whipped cream. You can also enjoy it as a dessert or even a sweet breakfast option. My favorite way to eat it is either cold and plain, or cold and with strawberries and whipped cream. I don't know if the cold thing is weird, but I seem to like it better that way. Let me know how you like yours! Enjoy!

Pound Cake

Ingredients
1-1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened
3 cups sugar
5 large eggs
3 cups all-purpose soft-wheat flour (White Lily) *I used cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 (5-oz) can evaporated milk
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan. Set aside.

Place butter in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat at medium speed for 6 minutes, until really light and fluffy. Gradually add sugar and beat for an additional minute. Add eggs, one at a time, beating just until the yolk disappears.

Combine flour, baking powder and salt. Combine evaporated milk and heavy cream. Add flour mixture and cream mixture to butter mixture alternately beginning and ending with flour (1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 cream mixture, 1/3 flour mixture, 1/2 cream mixture, 1/3 flour mixture). Beat at slow speed after each addition. Stir in vanilla and almond extract. Pour batter into prepared pan.

Bake for 60 to 75 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 1 hour. Remove from pan and continue cooling on wire rack until completely cool.

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Spicy Apples

So I am starting off our recipes with something so incredibly simple that it hardly deserves a full post, but I had never thought to try it before (I'm a granny smith apple lover and this called for a red apple so I wasn't sure if I would like it). But, as I stated earlier, it was too easy not to give it a shot. I found this recipe in Women's Health Magazine a few months back and quickly tossed it together. Needless to say, I was/am a huge fan. The combination of spices with the subtle sweetness of the apple made it so amazing. And besides that, we all know the old saying, "An apple a day keeps the doctor away," plus chili powder is supposed to boost your metabolism. That's a win-win in my book. It's great for a quick snack, a side to your upcoming picnics, or even a not too sweet dessert. Feel free to add as much, or as little of the spices as you want! Enjoy!




Spicy Apples

1 Apple, sliced (I prefer a red variety for this)
Fresh Lemon Juice
Chili Powder
Paprika
Pinch of Salt

Toss together you apple slices with the spices and lemon juice in a bowl, or sprinkle it on, whatever works for you and gets your apples slices coated.

Mint Chip Smoothie

Ok so I know calling this a smoothie is a bit of a stretch, but whenever I am craving something sweet for lunch I often make this because it curbs my sweet tooth and is extremely low-cal (180 calories to be exact.....side note, the nutrition information for the Mint Chip Dessert says 170 on the website, but my carton says 150). Bonus! You could also make it in lieu of a regular milkshake for dessert if you want something less caloric or you are going dairy-free. Now I am not fully dairy-free and as of right now I don't know that I ever will be, but I am somewhat being more mindful about the things I eat. Not always, obviously, but for the most part. I use Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk in most of my smoothies and recently discovered their Cashew Milk which I am excited to try. I also discovered this So Delicious brand as I was looking for a dairy-free alternative to traditional ice cream. I am a huge fan of anything Mint Chocolate Chip and this dairy-free dessert is nothing short of amazing! And for everyone else with certain dietary needs or healthy lifestyles, it is also soy and gluten free! Yay! They have so many products, especially desserts, that I can't wait to try! Even if you aren't dairy-free, if you love mint chip, I guarantee you will love this product and this smoothie/shake! Enjoy!        

Mint Chip Smoothie

Ingredients

1/2 cup Mint Chip COCONUT MILK DAIRY-FREE FROZEN DESSERT

1 cup Unsweetened Almond Milk

Handful of ice cubes

Optional

Scoop of protein powder

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until desired consistency. 

Pumpkin Mini Muffins

I know what you're thinking.......you've had your fill of pumpkin this year already, but I had to try to get this one in before you have moved on entirely. Do you remember when I made that Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cake? Well if you recall, or just cheat and go to the link :), I only used half of a box of spice cake mix because I only made one cake. I had been searching and searching for another recipe that would help me use up the other half when I stumbled across this recipe. The original does call for a whole box of spice cake mix and a 15 ounce can of pumpkin, but I found a 7 3/4 ounce can pumpkin and used the half of the mix I had left and made these little wonders! They stayed nice and moist until I ate the last one (about a week?) and had so much flavor! Another bonus, the website said it was 5 calories per muffin (I didn't do the calculations to see if it was correct)! That's right you read that correctly.......5 CALORIES!! Perfect for this time of year when we are all eating a ton of calories we shouldn't! If you need a fast treat or have leftover ingredients to use up, try these! You won't believe how good they taste!

Pumpkin Mini Muffins

Ingredients

Half a box of spice cake mix (you can do 1 whole box)

7 3/4 ounce can of pumpkin (15 ounce if using full box)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet with a Silpat or aluminum foil.

Mix ingredients together. Using a cookie scoop, place on sheet an inch a part. Bake for 15 minutes. 

Apple Spice Cake with Bourbon Glaze

I thought I better get this recipe posted since it is perfect for fall and well, fall isn't really happening this year I guess. Not that you can't eat it whenever of course. I just always think of apple and pumpkin recipes being perfect for fall weather. This recipe is very special to me because it was the very first thing I baked on my own many moons ago. I remember being so proud of myself because back then I thought it was so difficult. Well throughout the years my baking knowledge has increased and the tools (hello KitchenAid mixer) have improved greatly, but the taste of this cake has stayed the same. It is so deliciously moist with the perfect apple flavoring. The glaze makes it a little sweet, but not overpowering (below I've also included another version if you don't want to use bourbon in yours). It is too easy and tasty not to try! If you can, hurry up and make it before fall has completely left for the year! Enjoy! 

Apple Spice Cake with Bourbon Glaze

Ingredients
1 cup oil
3 eggs
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups chopped apples
2 cups sugar
3 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Optional

1 cup chopped pecans

Bourbon Glaze

1/2 cup Bourbon

1/2 cup sugar


Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour your bundt pan, set aside. 

Combine oil and sugar, beating well. Add eggs one at a time until combined. 

In a separate bowl combine flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the dry mix to the sugar mixture and add vanilla. Stir in pecans (if using) and apples. 

Pour into bundt pan, bake 1 hour 15 minutes. Once done, poke holes in the bottom before removing from the bundt pan and spoon over glaze, cool completely.

Bourbon Glaze

Place the bourbon and sugar in a small saucepan. Heat over low to medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved and the glaze is slightly thicker. Remove from heat and use on the cake. 

* Here is the original glaze I used before which is sweeter, but equally as good. It's perfect if you don't want to use the bourbon in your recipe! 

Glaze
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
4 Tablespoons butter
3 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Combine all in saucepan, boil 4 minutes.

Happy Halloween........Bark

Happy Halloween everyone! Halloween has always been fun for me no matter what I have been doing. I have dressed up many years, obviously for trick or treating in younger years and parties in adult years, dressed up to pass out candy, and just sat back and watched everyone else dress up and get excited. No matter what your stance, you probably do some sort of celebrating or decorating. Why not make this easy and delicious bark that is super festive and you can use many things you already have. It is perfect for snacking on around your house or taking to a Halloween party! You can use various kinds of chocolate (dark, white, semi-sweet, just one, two, etc.). You can also use candy or sprinkles you have already. I used Halloween Oreos because I feel like we always have Oreos around the house and candy corn, but you can use any candy you have (hello leftover candy from trick or treating). Use your imagination and enjoy!

Halloween Bark

Ingredients

12 ounce bag semi-sweet chocolate chips

12 ounce bag white chocolate chips

about 10 Oreos, broken in pieces 

about 1/4 cup candy corn

Halloween sprinkles 

Prepare a sheet pan with foil. Place about 3/4 of the broken Oreos scatter about on the foil. 

Heat the semi-sweet chocolate chips over medium-low heat in a saucepan, stirring constantly, until completely melted. Pour that on the prepared pan with the Oreos. Smoothing all around until it is as thin as desired (the thicker it is, the harder it will be to break apart). Place in the refrigerator until hardened (about 20-30 minutes). 

Heat the white chocolate chip in a separate saucepan, the same as you did the semi-sweet. Once melted, pour that over the already hardened semi-sweet chocolate. If it is really hot, it can start melting the semi-sweet chocolate and they can combine (just a heads up, it is ok, but you can let it cool slightly if you don't want them to mix very much). Once you have it on and spread out, place the ready of the Oreos scattered around, the candy corn, and the sprinkles. You can press slightly on the bigger pieces to help them set in the chocolate. Place back in the refrigerator until set (again, about 20-30 minutes).

Once set, remove from refrigerator and break apart. Since mine was on one pice of foil, I hit it on the counter a couple times. You can also use a knife to break it apart or your hands (though it may get a little messy as the chocolate melts).   

This was a craft/halloween fun I was having. I bought my husband his favorite bourbon and dressed it like a ghost. For that I uses part of a pool noodle (I had it on hand) and cut up and old white T-shirt. Then I drew on the eyes and mouth with a sharpie and added the signs. 

I saw someone post a picture of Halloween glasses they bought and I thought "Hey I can make that". I printed off Jack-O-Lantern faces, cut them out and taped them on. If we thought it was fun because we could pick out our eyes, noses, and mouths, imagine how cool kids would think it was. If it is a tradition we continue, I might look into making them so they are reusable, but for right now they are one time use. They can be used on any type of glass so have fun with it! I hope these gave you some ideas for a fun Halloween! 

Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cake

If you haven't noticed from previous posts.......I just love fall! The weather is perfect and the colors of the leaves outside are absolutely gorgeous! Now I don't go over the top crazy with making or getting pumpkin everything, but I do like a taste here and there. I made this recipe, found here, because I hadn't seen my husband eat anything pumpkin and actually he wasn't even sure if he liked pumpkin so I thought this would be a good start. The verdict......he liked it enough to eat it. It wasn't a love, but I'll still take it! I thought it was really great and the spice cake helped dull the pumpkin flavor slightly. Plus, can you really go wrong with cream cheese frosting and toffee? So if you have picky pumpkin eaters, or are looking for a different pumpkin recipe, try this one out! Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Crunch Cake
(for 2 9x13 pans)

Ingredients

29 ounce can pumpkin, unsweetened 
1 box spice cake mix (plus ingredients indicated on box)
8 ounce bag of toffee bits
1 container cream cheese frosting

*If you want to make one cake simply use half of what is stated. Everything is easy to half, except when it came to my cake mix, it indicated to use 3 eggs. I halved it and used only 1 egg and it turned out just fine.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 1 or 2 (depending on how many cakes you want to make) pans with spray. 

*See note above if making one cake. Mix the cake batter according to box directions. Add the toffee bits, reserving about 1/4 cup for the topping. Add the pumpkin and combine. 

Pour the mixture into your pan(s) about 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. 

Let them cool. Frost with the cream cheese frosting and sprinkle with reserved toffee bits.