Gluten Free Applesauce Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Icing

 This gluten free cake was so good!  I'm trying to get some of my favorite things posted on my ol' neglected blog for safe keeping, but it's just not been easy for me--don't get me wrong, I feel good!  I just can't seem to get it done. Also had computer issues for a few months.  I won't complain.  And I'll just be short on words and see if I can get it done.

I've made this fabulous Apple Spice Cake before which I first got to experience from some cooking classes I was taking from my friend, Paige, in Kansas.  She has a great post on her blog for the Applesauce Spice Cake here.  With my autumn birthday recently (November 15) and it falling on National Bundt Day, I decided this is the cake I wanted to make gluten free for me.  Sometimes I'm not sure something will turn out well and I'll have lots of testing to do--but I sure love it when I first change a recipe and it turns out great!  So happy!

It was perfect and I have one slice left that is still perfectly moist.  My family doesn't really like when I've made something and I tell them it's gluten free.  They often won't even try it.  Sam ended up eating two or three slices and said it was pretty good!  It's not only made gluten free, but I used coconut sugar and raw honey for the sweetener!  Love it! I wanted a cream cheese icing on it since it was so good on the original cake so I made some to drizzle on the bundt cake with as little sweetener as I could and used a couple tablespoons of organic powdered sugar and then pure maple syrup.  I'll try it again to see if it's fine with just maple syrup another time.  But it turned out great and I used a lot less icing than the cake that is usually completely frosted with it.  So good though!

We had some apples here that were near "death", so I made homemade applesauce!  I peeled, cored and sliced the apples into pretty big chunks.  Then I put them in the Instant Pot with a little water and cooked them on the manual setting for ten minutes, then let it naturally release for another 10 minutes.  They were pretty well done/soft!  But it worked great!  I put them in the blender and within seconds they perfectly became applesauce! No sweetener added!

Gluten Free Apple Spice Bundt Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, by Katrina Smith, www.bakingandboys.com

2 cups (240 grams) gluten free flour blend (with xanthan gum)

½ teaspoon xanthan gum (yes, extra)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup coconut sugar

½ cup raw honey

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade!)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 cup non-stick Bundt cake pan (or you can also use a 10 inch round cake pan) with cooking spray. I use a non-aerosol cooking spray.  Set aside.  Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter with the coconut sugar and honey until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes on medium high speed, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Beat for another 2-3 minutes.  With a rubber spatula, fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the applesauce (add the vanilla with the first half of the applesauce), beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, until they are fully incorporated.  Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.  Bake until a toothpick or knife inserted in the center comes out clean—about 35 to 40 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Turn onto cooling rack and let cool completely.  It should come right out of the pan.  Carefully move cake to serving dish or airtight cake keeper. Prepare icing while cake is cooling.

Cream Cheese Icing:

3 ounces cream cheese, softened

Dash of salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

2 tablespoons organic powdered sugar

½ tablespoon almond milk

2 tablespoons walnuts, lightly toasted, chopped (optional)

 

Whisk together the softened cream cheese, salt, vanilla, maple syrup, and powdered sugar until well combined with no lumps.  Add almond milk starting with ½ tablespoon and possibly a little more until desired consistency.  Drizzle over cooled cake.  Sprinkle with walnuts.

Love my bundt pan.  I've never had anything stick and I always only spray it with a non-aerosol spray.  Though I think I want to start collecting different bundt pans.  Seems like a perfect birthday/bundt day thing to do!

Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball

This is the cheese ball that changed everything at our house.  Haha, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it’s now the only cheese ball that is allowed to be made (and eaten) here and it’s been a couple years now.  All other cheese balls pale in comparison and according to Kevin just do not have enough flavor.  Does anyone else find it interesting that his favorite dessert is cheesecake, but he actually really doesn’t like cream cheese in any other form—except this loaded cheese ball.  It is loaded with his favorites, like BACON and jalapeno.  I think he’d even be happy if I’d make it even spicier, but then it would be too spicy for the boys.

I first saw a version of this cheese ball at Tracey's Culinary Adventures back in 2012.  Tracey’s blog is awesome and full of great recipes and photos.  She hasn’t been blogging much the last year or so (with good reason, she has the cutest little one year old girl keeping her busy), but you can still get recipes on her blog.  Check it out!  In my opinion, her recipe is spot on.  In Kevin’s opinion, he made me kick it up with a little more heat and I must say, it’s still not too spicy to eat if you don’t like things too hot.

The first photo is from one I made for a big Smith family dinner last Christmas.  I made two of them and they were gone in a flash.  Over this past weekend, I took the boys to a pumpkin patch and the farm has a big farmers’ market store that I didn’t know existed, including grass fed beef.  I’ll be back there, especially since their sign said they are open year round.  While waiting in line to pay for our pumpkins , we were standing next to some corn on the cob and other fresh veggies.  The boys found some cool looking jalapenos, so we bought some.  Check out the fun shapes.

We loved the one in the middle that looks like a half moon with a face.  After bringing these home from the market/pumpkin patch, it was decided by everyone that I HAD to make this cheese ball.  I almost couldn’t whip it up fast enough for everyone to dig in.  Kevin even had to run to the store for crackers—everyone’s favorite are Wheat Thins and we were out.  Quickly made the bacon while the cream cheese came more to room temperature.  Chopped up some jalapenos and pecans and got everything else out and ready.  I’ve always made this in a bowl, stirring by hand, in the past, but this time decided to do it in the food processor.  We liked how much more everything incorporated into the cream cheese, but left plenty of the jalapenos, bacon and pecans for the outside.  We love that the whole cheese ball is covered in the good stuff.  You’re the lucky one if you get to be the one who eats the few remaining pieces of bacon and jalapeno that didn’t make it onto the cheese ball.  That was Parker this time. 

 Here’s the cheese ball I just made the other night.  The family didn’t care how nicely I made it look, they just wanted to hurry and get to eat it, so it’s just a quick one.  But delicious still!

Bacon Jalapeno Cheese Ball, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1-8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature

6-8 slices bacon (you can’t go wrong with too much bacon), I use uncured bacon with no preservatives

1/4 cup toasted, chopped pecans

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1/4-1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (to taste)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon onion powder (to taste)

1/4-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin (to taste)

1/8-1/4 ground cayenne pepper (to taste)

1-2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

juice of half a lime

a couple shakes of hot sauce (Tabasco), optional

2 jalapenos (ribs and seeds removed), finely chopped and divided

Crackers of your choice

Cook the bacon in a large skillet or a glass plate in the microwave (I used the plate and it took two batches).  Ideally, I cook bacon in the oven (375 degrees F) on a roasting rack so the grease drips down into the pan.  Takes about 20-30 minutes.  Transfer the cooked bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.  I prefer toasting nuts in the oven (350 degrees F, 5-7 minutes), or you can put them on a plate in a single layer and use the microwave for 1-2 minutes, stirring half way through. 

Put the cream cheese, cheddar cheese, cilantro, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, Worchestershire, lime juice, half the bacon and jalapeno and the optional hot sauce in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse a few times, scrape sides of bowl and pulse a few more times until all combined.  Using a spatula, scrape the mixture into a ball on a plate that has the remaining bacon, jalapenos and the chopped pecans on it (mixed evenly).  Roll the cheese ball in the mixture until it is evenly coated on all sides.  While doing this, form it into a ball with your hands.  You hands will get a little messy, but it’s all for a good cause!  You can wet your hands slightly if you’d like, but I don’t usually need to do so.  Refrigerate for an hour to firm up the ball, or serve immediately if people don’t want to wait anymore!

Everyone else likes Wheat Thins with this cheese ball, but since I eat gluten free my favorite are these yummy chips I get at Costco called Food Should Taste Good Multigrain Tortilla Chips.  Love these—they are perfect for chips and salsa, nachos, this cheese ball, etc., and I like that they are pretty sturdy and will hold up to thicker things.  You’ll never made a plain ol’ cheese ball with just scallions in it again. (Ew.)

Easiest Pineapple Cake

This really is one of the easiest cakes I’ve ever made.  And I love that it was even easier than making a box mix cake and definitely not full of so many things you can’t even pronounce and shouldn’t eat!

I’ve made this cake three times in a couple of weeks and it’s been liked and popular by everyone who has eaten it.  I made it for my sister-in-laws birthday and everyone liked it.   Then I made a cake for the funeral of a neighbor’s dad and someone who went and had some took the time to message me and say how yummy it was.  I also made one for a family reunion we just had—but we had so many desserts, it wasn’t even touched.  So I took some of the cake to the friend who praised it after the funeral and she again said it is delicious, and that was after the cake was a couple days old (I’d had it sitting in our fridge waiting for the reunion for a couple days).  I also gave more of it to my sister-in-law.  I have to admit, I took a little bite of the cake, even though I’m not eating gluten and sugar, I needed to know if it really is good.  It is!

It was a cinch to whip up and make and is perfect for any occasion, especially a group get together, party or holiday!  I found this cake at my blogging friend, Mary’s blog, Bunny's Warm Oven.  When I think of cakes, I definitely think of her blog as one of the first places to look for ideas and great recipes.  But check out her blog for plenty more goodies as well as delicious-looking savory food now and then. 

I love that the cake also has no oil or butter and is still moist and tasty.  With the usual baking ingredients like sugar and flour, you just add a can of crushed pineapple (in it’s own juice).  So simple.  And you certainly can’t beat a cream cheese frosting and nuts on top!  I didn’t even notice until writing this up that the recipe actually says to frost the cake while it’s still warm (making it even faster)!  I waited until it was completely cool.  You choose what works best for you.

 

Easiest Pineapple Cake, very minimally adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from Mary at Bunny’s Warm Oven

2 cups (240 grams) all purpose flour

2 cups (400 grams) granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1—20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (in it’s own juice, NOT syrup), undrained

Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I used 1/3 less fat kind)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1  1/2 cups (165 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

1 cup walnuts, lightly toasted and chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9x13 inch cake pan with cooking spray.  Set aside.  Whisk together in a large bowl the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda.  Add the eggs, vanilla and pineapple and stir with a spatula until well combined.  Pour into the pan and bake for 35-40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool on a wire rack.

To make frosting—Beat the butter, cream cheese, vanilla and salt in an electric mixer until creamy.  Gradually add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth and creamy.  When the cake has cooled, spread the frosting evenly over the cake.  Sprinkle with nuts.

I need to find a way to try this gluten free and refined sugar free.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies

Hello, Friends.  I know, it’s been over two weeks since I blogged anything.  I’m sorry.  I’m lame.  I’ve been busy.  I haven’t felt that great.  But you totally need a cookie.  Tis the season.  So cookies it is!

In all seriousness, I want to bring you lots of yummy things this month—the holidays are coming!  I made these cookies weeks ago and you need to know about them.  I take no credit for them—that’s how I seem to roll these days.  Have you been to Krista’s blog, Budget Gourmet Mom?  Well, shame on you if you haven’t.  How could you not love the blog of a mom with four boys, just saying.  AND, how lame is it that Krista recently moved to the same city in Utah that I live in and we haven’t met yet.  We could blame those eight boys!

I made these cookies and I think one boy and one husband ate one or two and I gave the rest away to a number of wonderful neighbors who recently helped us out making us dinner when life was crazy.  I didn’t taste the cookies, but I heard from more than just my family that they were delicious.  Besides that, I think they look GREAT!  So, if you’re looking for something just a little different from plain ol’ chocolate chip cookies, try these.  You can’t go wrong with caramel AND cheesecake.  I made a few ever-so-slight changes to Krista’s recipe.  I added some salt to the cookie dough and I made a different caramel swirl.  Therefore, I think you should try both to see which you like better.   You need to add these to your holiday cookies.

Salted Caramel Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookies, adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys! from Krista at Budget Gourmet Mom

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (I used the 1/3 less fat kind)

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon fine ground sea salt

12 ounces (2 cups) semi sweet chocolate chips

Caramel Swirl

4 ounces caramel (I have a BIG block of caramel and measured out 4 ounces, you could use the caramels that need unwrapped)

3 tablespoons heavy cream

sea salt, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line baking sheets with parchment paper.  In the bowl of a mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese and beat until combined.  Scrape sides of bowl and add both sugars.  Beat to combine well.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until combined.  Scrape sides of bowl again.  In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.  Add to the creamed mixture and beat just until combined.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Scoop dough onto baking sheets and bake for 10 minutes.  Let cookies sit on baking sheets for a few minutes.  Remove to cooling racks. 

Make the caramel swirl by putting the caramel in a microwave safe bowl.  Add the cream to the bowl and microwave in 20-30 second increments, stirring each time, until the caramel and cream have combined well and are smooth.  The consistency will be like a caramel ice cream sauce.  Let it cool slightly (10 minutes or so).  Pour the caramel into a plastic zip top bag, seal it, removing any excess air, then snip off a tiny corner of the bag and drizzle the caramel over the cookies.   Sprinkle sea salt over the tops of the cookies. 

You know you want to make these.  Get your holiday baking started!  I think I’m going to make them again for a shindig on Friday.

Layers of Lemony Love Dessert and Crustless Cheesecake with Raspberry Pie Filling from Lucky Leaf

Lucky Leaf is at it again.  They sent me more of their pie fillings to try.  Lucky leaf, lucky me! Check it out on Twitter, too at #LuckyLeafLuckyMe.   I have enjoyed using their pie fillings.  Because of health reasons, I am no longer eating any processed food, also gluten free and no refined sugars.  My question is, CAN I DO THIS?  Yes, I can.  But that doesn’t mean I can’t make things my family and friends will enjoy and that’s just what I did with the yummy things Lucky Leaf sent me.

I feel a little bad, they sent me some fun jars to make individual desserts in jars.  But we were heading out of town the next morning that I used the fillings and it was easier to make regular sized treats for the company we had over.  I will for sure use the jars once we get home.  There is still some peach pie filling to use!

I often have a giveaway for my readers from Lucky Leaf and wasn’t able to do that this time since we are out of town, but I’m sure I’ll hear from them again! ;)

My family and our company (which we also family) that had these two desserts I made using the pie filling said they were great.   If you’re looking for super simple desserts, head over to the Lucky Leaf website and check out all their recipes.  I got the recipe for the Layers of Lemony Love Dessert on their site.  It was probably a favorite of the family we had over and since we were going out of town,  I sent them home with the leftovers.  They were happy.

Layers of Lemony Love Dessert, from Lucky Leaf

1  1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened (1  1/2 sticks)

1   8 oz. package cream cheese (I used the 1/3 less fat kind), softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1  21 oz. can Lucky Leaf Premium Lemon Pie Filling

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1  8 oz. container frozen whipped dessert topping (like Cool Whip), thawed

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease bottom of 9x13 inch baking pan.  Mix flour and butter (I used a food processor until it was all combined, like coarse meal.)  Spread evenly in pan and press it down slightly.  Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden.  Let crust cool.

Beat cream cheese in mixer until smooth, add powdered sugar, Lucky Leaf lemon pie filling, vanilla and half the whipped topping.  Pour and spread over the cooled crust.  Spread the remaining whipped topping over pie filling mixture.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. 

For those who didn’t want the lemon dessert, I made a cheesecake to go with the raspberry pie filling.  After deciding to make the cheesecake, I realized I didn’t have anything to make a crust, so I made a crustless cheesecake.  Some family members were happy to have a lighter, healthier option.  One of the things I love about Lucky Leaf Premium Pie Fillings is that they have no high fructose corn syrup.

I got the recipe for the crustless cheesecake from Rachael’s blog, Simply Fresh Cooking.  The only thing I did different from her recipe is that I didn’t use organic ingredients and I didn’t put the sour cream topping on the cheesecake.  There was vanilla in the sour cream topping, but I added it to the cheesecake instead. Check it out.  Everyone said it was a great cheesecake!  I served it with the Lucky Leaf Red Raspberry Premium Pie Filling and some fresh raspberries.

The raspberry pie filling is full of raspberries!  When I have been in a pinch to quickly find a last minute dessert, these pie fillings are great.  Thank you again to Lucky Leaf for the fun package!

Check out all the other goodness from Lucky Leaf on Twitter and Pinterest.  #LuckyLeafLuckyMe

Guiltless Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting—Secret Recipe Club

Nope, feeling no guilt here.  But doesn’t that cupcake look decadent and delicious.  I know you’re dying to sink your teeth into it.  I was.

These cupcakes are low in fat and have a brown sugar I made with natural cane sugar and molasses in them.  They are also made with whole wheat flour, unsweetened applesauce and a carrot puree (instead of grated carrots).  I decided to make these for some of the Easter desserts we had with family when I saw them on my assigned Secret Recipe Club blog this month.  I was assigned Miranda’s blog, Biting Life.  I had not heard of her blog before and enjoyed looking through it.  Besides lots of yummy recipes, she also blogs about reviews on books she’s read, and all the things going on in her life. 

She made these Guiltless Carrot Cupcakes and used Splenda for the sugar substitute.  I decided to use cane sugar, which I also used for the brown sugar in the recipe and made my own brown sugar with cane sugar and molasses.  I love doing that!

I just took half a cup of cane sugar and added 1/2 teaspoon of molasses to it and kept mashing it together with a fork until it was all combined and looked just like brown sugar!  You can also do that with regular granulated sugar.  If you’d like a dark brown sugar, add a little more molasses.  The recipe also only had egg whites and instead of breaking open three eggs, I used some powdered egg whites that I have a couple big cans of and need to use more often.  The egg powder is just mixed with warm water and whisked until it is the consistency of egg whites.  Love it!  I have never been able to tell a difference and have even used it for some meringue cookies!  It’s perfect for times when I don’t want to have egg yolks with no use and I hate just throwing them away.  Also in Miranda’s recipe, it calls for regular skim milk, but I decided to use lowfat buttermilk.  So the only fat in the actual cupcakes is from the little bit of lowfat buttermilk.  You really wouldn’t even know they are so low in fat.  Especially after you top them with a cream cheese frosting—that of course, I made a little lower in fat with the 1/3 less fat cream cheese, just a little butter, and skim milk. 

Yep, I am calling these pretty guiltless!

I was happy with how these baked.  I wasn’t sure since they have so many different ingredients from regular cupcakes.  Then I was a little worried that they would also stick to the cupcake liners.  But after they were totally cool, they came off the papers great!

Guiltless Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from Miranda at Biting Life

1  1/4 cup (150 grams) whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

3 egg whites (I used powdered egg whites)

1/2 cup brown sugar (I used homemade with cane sugar and molasses)

1/4 cup cane sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1/2 cup plain unsweetened applesauce

1/2 cup lowfat buttermilk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Line cupcake pan with paper liners (or spray the pan with cooking spray if you aren’t using paper liners).

Boil carrots in saucepan with water covering them for about 10 minutes, until tender.  Remove from heat and drain.  Put the carrot in the bowl a food processor and pulse to mash the carrots into a puree.  Let sit while you prepare the rest of the cupcake mixture.

Combine in a bowl the whole wheat flour, baking soda, salt and spices.  Whisk to sift together.  Stir together in a separate bowl the egg whites, sugars, and vanilla. 

Add the applesauce and buttermilk to the carrot puree and pulse to combine.  Add the carrot mixture to the egg white mixture and whisk together until all combined.  Stir in the dry ingredients with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula until well combined.   

With an ice cream scoop, fill each cup with batter.  Bake for 20-30 minutes (I forgot to write down how long they baked, probably around 25 minutes.)  Remove from oven and let cool in cupcake pan for a few minutes.  Then move each cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely.  Pipe frosting on to cupcakes.  Makes 12.

Less Guilt Cream Cheese Frosting, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

1 tablespoon softened unsalted butter

2 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

2-3 cups powdered sugar

2-3 tablespoons skim milk

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the butter and cream cheese.  Beat until smooth.  Add the vanilla, salt and powdered sugar.  Start the mixer and add a tablespoon of milk at a time until frosting is desired consistency.  You can start with just two cups of powdered sugar and add more if you’d like. 

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting

I’ve wanted to make this cake for a while now and with the it being autumn and perfect timing, I also realized it was perfect timing because I got the recipe for this (and the pleasure of first tasting it) from Paige and today is her birthday!  Happy Birthday, Paige!  She is the chef I took classes from in Kansas before we moved.  I’ve said it before, but how I miss her/her classes.  Every couple weeks I got to watch her cook and teach and then eat the things she made for the class.  Could anything be better?  And with every class, we were provided with the recipes.  I have a big 3-ring binder full of Paige’s recipes and I use many of the recipes often.  I don’t have to be the only one (well, me and all the others who took/take her classes) to have her expertise and recipes in my arsenal—she has a wonderful blog!  If you haven’t seen it—go!--For Love of the Table.  If you stop by today, wish her a happy birthday! ;)

One of the pleasures of her classes was every couple of months, she’d have a special date night class that was a full three course meal and was only allowed about eight couples.  I “dragged” Kevin to one of those classes and he liked it so much that during the time we were still in Kansas, I don’t think we ever missed one after that.  One of the date night meal classes we took had this cake for dessert and I loved it.  Not to mention, Kevin, who doesn’t really care for cake and really doesn’t like frosting, actually really liked the cake, too.

I ended up deciding to make this cake for Kevin’s birthday celebration we recently had with some of his family.  He still got his usual, traditional cheesecake, but I also made this cake and a few other things as well, like the Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies I posted a few days ago. 

This cake is perfectly spiced and instead of having chunks of apples, has applesauce which makes for a great moist cake.  The maple cream cheese frosting—well, pardon the pun, IS the icing on the cake.  You’ll want this cake/recipe in your box.  I even think you might want to make it—today.

Apple Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting, by Paige Vandegrift

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon allspice

3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

1  1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1  1/2 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Grease a 10-inch round cake pan, line with a round of parchment paper and grease the parchment.  Flour the pan!  Set aside.  Sift the dry ingredients together and set aside.

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter with the sugar until light and fluffy, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides.  This will take 2 to 3 minutes at medium-high speed.  Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition.  Increase the speed to medium-high and briefly beat until the mixture lightens in color and expands in volume.  By hand, fold in the dry ingredients alternately with the applesauce (add the vanilla with the first half of the applesauce), beginning and ending with the dry ingredients.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top.  Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean—about 40 to 45 minutes.  Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 to 15 minutes.  Loosen the sides of the cake by running a thin knife around the edge of the pan.  Turn the cake out of the pan.  Cool the cake on a wire rack.  Frost with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.

Frosting:

4 ounces unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons powdered sugar (4  1/2 ounces)

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons pure maple syrup

Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter with the powdered sugar, salt and vanilla until light and fluffy—about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the cream cheese and beat until incorporated, about 20 seconds.  Scrape down the sides, drizzle in the maple syrup and beat until smooth, about 15 seconds.  (Paige has adapted a recipe from Maria Helm Sinskey’s The Vintage Kitchen)

Oh, and because it’s also another friend/neighbor’s birthday today, too, I made one and a half times the recipe and baked one 9 inch cake and two 6 inch cakes.  Then I weighed all the batter and put half of it in the nine inch pan and a quarter of it in each of the two 6 inch pans.  I stacked the two small cakes and have a great apple spice layer cake to deliver to my friend today!  Happy Birthday, Jackie!

And again, Happy Birthday, Paige!  (Thanks for having such a great impact on my culinary life, your wonderful classes, sharing your recipes and for being my friend!)

Pumpkin Bars---Happy Birthday, Shelby from The Life and Loves of Grumpy’s Honeybunch—Virtual Party!

Pumpkin Bars for Shelby’s Birthday!

Today is Shelby’s birthday---you know, the mastermind, baker and cook extraordinaire from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELBY!  Shelby is a fun gal who blogs mostly about the delicious food she makes for herself and her husband, Grumpy.

A few of her fellow blogger friends and I got together (virtually) and thought it would be fun to surprise her with a virtual birthday party, just to show her a little bloggy linky love and besides that if/when I ever meet Shelby in person, she’s the type of person who would be like my BFF ;), or we’d at least be fellow food-lovers and we have just having boys in common.  Shelby has raised two boys who are in their 20’s. I learn a lot from her wisdom.  We all decided to make something from Shelby’s blog.  YUM!

I had a hard time deciding, but thought since it’s her birthday, it would be fun to do one of the cakes she has posted.  There were a lot to choose from, but fitting for the time of year and the fact that Shelby changed the cake she originally took this recipe from and made it a little healthier, I decided on these pumpkin bars.  For my own good, I halved the recipe she posted.  Good thing, because the bars are really good and I would be stuck eating a whole 15x10 sheet pan of pumpkin bars! ;)  Just kidding.  But my boys won’t eat it, Kevin will though, and probably Scott.

 

When I saw that the pumpkin bars were made in a 15x10 sheet pan, I knew it would be easy to halve the recipe because I have a 1/4 sheet pan.  In case you didn’t know, the 15x10 sheet pans are called 1/2 sheets.  Get the link above to look at Shelby’s pumpkin bars and the recipe, I didn’t change anything.  Okay, well, something small—it was just with the cream cheese frosting—I added more powdered sugar.  But other than that, I followed the recipe (halved) exactly.  Those pumpkin bars are great!  I was tempted to add chocolate chips or nuts.  But wanted to stay true to the recipe.  I will be kicking it up with both the next time I make this super-easy cake.  As bars in a sheet pan, this is perfect for a crowd and they came out of the lightly sprayed pan like a dream.

Check out all the other posts on behalf of sweet Shelby’s birthday!

Megan from Megan's Cookin'

Jenny from Mad Rantings of Andrew's Mom

Suzanne from Thru the Bugs on My Windshield 

Pam from Living Rancho Delux 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHELBY!

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars

Do you like cheesecake?  And who doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies?  These are the best of both worlds.  A cheesecake layer in the middle of chocolate chip cookie bars.  I saw these recently, on Pinterest? or a blog?, I can’t remember.  I think it’s Pinterest because I think I got the recipe from being led to a blog I didn’t really know.  Hey, I know, I’ll go check.

Okay, I’m not that big of a loser, the recipe is on Nicole’s blog, Heat Oven to 350 and I have heard of it, lots of delicious recipes and great photos, I just couldn’t remember until I got up, walked across the room and got the recipe I printed.  I know, the things I do for my readers! ;)  Nicole has adapted the recipe from King Arthur Flour, but a quick search over on their website and I couldn’t find anything close enough.  So, all the credit for this one goes to Nicole, and her mom’s friend, Jill. 

And you know what?  Wait for it……I didn’t change any of the ingredients in the recipe.  I know, I should have had you sit down before tell you that.  Sorry.  Make these cookie bars and you’ll forgive me.  I wanted to give the recipe a shot exactly how it is written for the first try, but I’m crazy, so I’ll change the recipe the next time I make it.  Why?  Well, I know I can make any chocolate chip cookie recipe and the bars will work, so although the recipe Nicole has provided tastes great, it has shortening and is the chocolate chip cookie recipe with vinegar.  Don’t get me wrong.  I’ve made that similar recipe before and the cookies are great.  I just try not to use shortening and since I already have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe, that’s what I’ll try next time.

I’ll shut up now.  I just urge you to try this bar cookie/cheesecake cookie bar/chocolate chip cookie bar with cream cheese/whatever you want to call it—because they are THAT good. 

I’ve looked it over and thought about it, I didn’t change the recipe enough to even rewrite it.  You’ll see in Nicole’s recipe for these Cheesecake Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars that she mentioned the dough being a little difficult to spread in the pan.  The bottom layer wasn’t too bad.  I just dolloped it around the pan, as she suggested and spread it evenly with a spatula.  After pouring the cream cheese layer over half the cookie dough, it’s a little more difficult to spread the other half of the dough over that.  I feel I was being somewhat genius in what I did.  I spread the rest of the dough on a piece of waxed paper so it was close to the size of the pan (9x13) and stuck it in the freezer.

My idea would have worked great if I had decided to wait long enough for it to freeze, but I was somewhat pressed for time, so I only waited about  10-15 minutes.  Parts of it peeled off in nice, flat pieces, but some of it wasn’t frozen enough yet.  Can’t wait to try that again and do it right next time.  There’s nothing wrong with a little of the cheesecake mixture seeping up through the top layer of cookie dough.

These bars were great and sliced perfectly after they chilled in the fridge for a couple hours.  For removing them from the pan easily, I lined it with nonstick foil that hung over the sides. 

You just need to make these, that’s all I’m saying. 

Brownie Batter Dip

A couple weeks ago I saw this delicious looking Brownie Batter Dip on Mel’s Kitchen Café and decided I needed to make it.  Love it!  I could eat it by the spoonsful, but it really is great with pretzels, animal crackers or graham crackers.  I didn’t try it, but it’d also be great with fresh fruit.  I also thought it would be a great sandwich cookie filling for whoopie pies or something.  In fact I tried it as a filling in some zucchini cookies I made this week.  I’m even thinking it would be a great topping for cupcakes. 

I made some minor adaptations to the recipe.

Brownie Batter Dip, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! adapted from Mel’s Kitchen Café

8 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter (or butter), softened

2 cups (220 grams) powdered sugar, sifted

5 tablespoons (37.5 grams) all purpose flour

5 tablespoons (25 grams) cocoa powder

2 tablespoons (27.5 grams) brown sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

**You might need a tablespoon or two of milk for the desired consistency, I didn’t use any

Pretzels, animal crackers, graham crackers, fruit

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cream cheese and butter and beat until light and fluffy.  Scrape sides of bowl.  Add the powdered sugar and beat until well combined.  Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar and vanilla.  Beat until fluffy and smooth.  Add milk a teaspoon at a time, beating together until desired consistency.   Serve with pretzels, crackers, etc. 

Do you like brownie batter?  This is the perfect solution from eating unbaked brownie batter (not that there is anything wrong with that). :)

**Disclaimer—no content or photos of this blog may be copied without permission from Katrina at Baking and Boys!

Nutella Chocolate Cream Pie

I made this Nutella Chocolate Cream Pie for Thanksgiving and I would have to say, though there were many yummy pies, this one was the hit of the party (it was also the only pie with chocolate, maybe that’s what it was).  I posted a picture of it on Facebook and was bombarded with people begging for the recipe, as well as those who got to taste it at our Thanksgiving dinner—so here it is!

And I must tell you—it IS really good, especially if you like Nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spread).  The pie on Thanksgiving sat out on the dessert table for a while—and while the pie was still good at room temperature, it is much better having some chilled right out of the fridge.  This pie is a simple combination of Nutella, cream cheese and either whipped cream or Cool Whip.  I actually was planning to make it with whipped cream and for some reason at the last second I used Cool Whip (I had both on hand).   The pie can also be made with any crust you’d like.  I used a homemade graham cracker crust.  You could use an Oreo or chocolate crust to really bump up the chocolate or I thought it would even be good in a regular pie crust (kind of like French Silk Pie).

I also decided at the last minute to drizzle some warmed Nutella over the top of the pie and sprinkle on some chopped, toasted hazelnuts.  I was so happy with how easy the pie was to make and how good it is!

I was lucky enough to get the one picture of the slice of pie and that it came out so nicely, since the pie was room temperature and it was one of the last pieces after everyone took their own slices off the pie.  I will be making this again soon just to try for better pictures!  Oh okay, and maybe to eat more of it! ;)

Nutella Chocolate Cream Pie, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!, adapted from my friend Anne’s recipe which was adapted from Plain Chicken

Filling-- 

1 cup Nutella (chocolate/hazelnut spread)

8 ounces cream cheese, softened (I always use the 1/3 less fat kind)

8 ounces Cool Whip (you can also use fresh whipped cream)

extra Nutella (about 1/4 cup) for drizzling (optional)

1/2 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Graham Cracker Crust--

1 sleeve (about 1  1/2 cups) graham cracker, finely ground into crumbs

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  After grinding the graham crackers into fine crumbs in a food processor, add the sugar and pulse a few times.  Then add the melted butter and pulse until all of it is moist.  Dump it into a pie plate and press down evenly, including up the sides of the plate.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the cream cheese.  Add the Nutella and beat until all creamed together.  Scrape the sides of the bowl and beat a little more to make sure it is all incorporated.  Add the Cool Whip or whipped cream and mix again to combine.  Scoop the Nutella mixture into the cooled crust and spread evenly.  Drizzle the extra Nutella (warmed in a small glass bowl in the microwave for about 20 seconds to thin it out slightly) over the pie.  Sprinkle the chopped hazelnuts around the edges of the pie (or however you’d like). 

Chill for at least a couple hours (I made it the day before serving it and it was great!).

 This pie is quite rich, but oh so delicious.  I’m going to make mini graham cracker crusts and pipe the Nutella cream into them for a perfect smaller treat.  Can’t wait!

Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Almost to the end of my zucchini!  My mom recently told me about a cake she made that used up some of her zucchini.  I decided it sounded and looked really good.  So I made the cake into cupcakes and used my own version of cream cheese frosting.  And the cupcakes were really good!

My mom found this recipe at Tiffany’s blog, Eat At Home.  I adapted it with different amounts of flour and sugar.

Zucchini Carrot Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting, adapted by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

2 1/4 cups (270 grams or 9 1/2 ounces) all purpose flour

1 3/4 cups (355 grams or 12 1/2 ounces) granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 cup canola oil

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups finely grated zucchini (270 grams or 9 1/2 ounces)

1 cup finely grated carrots (80 grams or 2 3/4 ounces)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line 2 muffin tins with paper cupcake liners.  I got 20 cupcakes.  Set aside.

Add the flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder and baking soda in a large bowl and whisk to combine.  In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs and vanilla until well blended.  Stir in the zucchini and carrots.  Bake for 24-26 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into one of the cupcakes comes out clean.  Cool for 5-10 minutes, then remove the cupcakes from the pan and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Frost the cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting, by Katrina, Baking and Boys! (This can be doubled, but since some people around here don’t like frosting, I don’t make a full batch.)

4 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar (220 grams)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

Cream together the cream cheese and butter in the bowl of an electric mixer.  Add the salt and vanilla and combine.  Then add the powdered sugar one cup at a time and beat well until desired consistency.  Put the frosting in a piping bag and pipe onto cupcakes if desired.  (This made enough to frost about 14 of the 20 cupcakes. 

These cupcakes are perfectly moist from the zucchini and carrots and nicely spiced with the cinnamon.  But the best part is definitely the bites with the cream cheese frosting in them! ;)

Cherry Cheesecake Bars

Last week when we had a family get-together (when I also made the Chocolate Shortbread Coconut Toffee Pecan Bars and five other desserts), I also made these Cherry Cheesecake Bars.  I’ll have to make them again soon because they were a big hit and I only tasted a little bite off one of my kid’s serving.  These bars went fast!

I got this recipe from Cooking Light website, but it was in July 2011 magazine.  I changed it a bit since their recipe uses fresh cherries, but I only had some canned tart cherries, so I used those and made the cherry puree my own way.  The shortbread crust was great and the lighter cheesecake filling was just right, especially with the cherries swirled throughout the top.

Cherry Cheesecake Bars, by Katrina, Baking and Boys!

2 cups all purpose flour (9 ounces)

6 tablespoons powdered sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

10 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces (1/2 cup plus two tablespoons or 5 oz.)

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon ice water

14 ounce can tart cherries (no sugar added), with the juice, which is about 1/2 cup)

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

red food coloring (optional)—it really brightens the color of the canned cherries

12 ounces 1/3 less fat cream cheese, softened

2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt

2/3 cups granulated sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Lightly spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray, mostly the sides of the pan.  Place the flour, powdered sugar and salt in a food processor.  Pulse a few times to combine.  Add the cold butter and drizzle in the water.  Pulse about 10 times until the mixture resembles course crumbs.  Pour the mixture into the prepared baking pan and press it evenly into the bottom of the pan.  Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool completely.  Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Place the canned cherries juice included, two tablespoons of sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil for a minute or so until thickened.  Remove from heat and add the almond extract and red food coloring.  Put in blender (be careful of hot things in the blender!).  Blend until pureed.  Pour the cherry mixture into a fine-mesh sieve over a bowl and strain it.  Set aside.

In the bowl of the food processor, place cream cheese, Greek yogurt, 2/3 cup sugar and vanilla extract and process until smooth.  Add eggs and pulse until combined.  Spoon cream cheese mixture over cooled crust and spread evenly.  Dollop the cherry puree over the cream cheese mixture and make knife swirls across the top to swirl the cherry and cream cheese together.  Don’t swirl too much to get the best effect.  Bake for 35 minutes or until set.  Cool on a wire rack, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.  Cut in to desired size bars.

  

Perfect summer treat!  And goodbye summer break—the boys are ready for school (and so is mom)!

Ready for 8th grade!  Scott is hiding the expander in his mouth as he gets ready for braces!

4th and 2nd grade, here come Parker and Taylor (they’ll put shirts on for school. ;)

I think Sam almost always has a chocolate face (my kind of kid!).  Ready for his last year of preschool.

Look at the size of this carrot Sam ate the other day!

And finally, can’t leave out the Professor—ready or not—he’s about to start school, too!