Pancakes

The hubby officially has weekends again and for the first time in all the years we have been married, we have a Saturday together. Long story short, he's been working two jobs and I have been looking forward to some time with him for such a long time. In honor of his special day, I made one of his favorites for breakfast - pancakes.

I love me some homemade pancakes. It's the same recipe I always use, see the recipe here!

Pumpkin Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Icing

Apparently Fall has started, but you wouldn't know it here in SoCal. It's 80 degrees today (my face just cringed). However, the leaves are changing and the nights are cold, so I have been pulling out my sweaters and warm socks and trying to get into the spirit of fall and maybe, just maybe, the weather will have pity on me and give us some actual Fall weather.

So, in the spirit of Fallness, my new word :) I have been craving all things pumpkin. Pumpkin latte's, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin pies and pumpkin cake. I came across this wonderful recipe for a yummy scrumptious pumpkin cake and I wanted to share :)

*Cake recipe adapted from: Gourmet Magazine and The Baker Chick

Cake Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp cloves or all spice
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups canned solid-pack pumpkin
3/4 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar (light would be fine too)
3 large eggs

Glaze Icing:

1 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
2-4 tablespoons milk

Cake Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Note: grease and flour the heck out of a 10" bundt pan.
• Bring the eggs and butter to room temperature - it makes all the difference in the texture of the cake, especially with room temperature butter.
• In a medium-sized bowl: whisk together the flour, spices, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In another bowl: whisk together the pumpkin, buttermilk and vanilla.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (if you have one, or just use a hand mixer), cream the butter and sugars together until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time until well combined.
• Alternate adding the flour and pumpkin mixtures, mixing on low speed, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Don't overmix.
• Spoon batter into prepared pan and smooth top with the back of a spoon. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Invert and cool for at least 30 minutes on a wire rack before icing.

For the glaze:

• Measure the sugar into a bowl. Add a few tablespoons of milk at a time, till it gets to the consistency you want.
• Stir until it forms a thick, creamy paste.
• When you have turned the cake out onto a cake plate, drizzle the glaze over the top. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

 

Official - The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies Ever

by Shirley Hendrickson, adapted from Leite Torres

I have been searching for the best chocolate chip cookie recipe for a long time. I have made a few meh batches and many many horrible batches, but I have FINALLY FOUND THE recipe. It requires some pre-planning and some ingredients I didn't know existed (j/k!), but I have to say, it was definitely worth it. These cookies were amazing. The hubby could not stop eating them and for someone who hates her baking, these were FABULOUS! Moist on the inside and chewy/crunchy on the outside. Absolutely fabulous...oooh, I hear my cookies singing to me, I'm going to go have another one...weight gain here I come!

Adapted from Kate Miss, by Shirley Hendrickson.

Ingredients:
Depending on how big you makes the cookies, this recipe can yield between 25-30. I like my cookies medium sized (~3 inches).

Also note, the cake flour really makes these cookies fluffy and soft.

2 cups minus 2 tbsp cake flour (8 1/2 oz)
1 2/3 cups bread flour (8 1/2 oz)
1 ¼ tsp. baking soda
1 ½ tsp. baking powder
1 ½ tsp. coarse salt, such as kosher
2 ½ sticks (1 ¼ cups; 10 oz.) unsalted butter, softened
1 ¼ cups (10 oz.) light brown sugar
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. (8 oz.) granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¼ pounds bittersweet chocolate chips, preferably 60% Ghirardelli Cacao chips

Directions:

• Combine flours, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Whisk well; then set aside.
• Using a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugars until very light and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. 
• Mix in the vanilla. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Reduce the mixer speed to low; then add dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. 
• Add the chocolate chips, and mix briefly to incorporate. Press plastic wrap against the dough, and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours. You can also bake them right away, I made a few immediately after (because I couldn't wait) and also some 24 hours later. The 24 hour batch had an even better texture, but if you can't wait, making them right away is just fine.
• When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Remove the bowl of dough from the refrigerator, and allow it to soften slightly. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat.
• Using a standard-size ice cream scoop, scoop six mounds of dough onto the baking sheet, making sure to space them evenly. Alternatively, you can roll a small ball of dough in your hands and place it onto the baking sheet. Using the ice cream scoop just makes bigger cookies. 
• Bake until golden brown but still soft, 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your oven and your taste. Err on the side of less time if you prefer less crunchy cookies on the outside.
• Transfer the cookies carefully onto a wire rack to cool. 
• Enjoy :) 

The secret to this recipe is quite a number of things, and that includes cake flour (yes there is such a thing), bread flour, as well as having all the ingredients at room temperature. If you follow this recipe to the dot, your cookies will be fabulous, trust me! See the original post for more great secrets :)

Ghirardelli, it makes all the difference!

Bon Appetit :)

Banana Bread Avec Chocolate Chunks

I love banana bread and zucchini bread and pumpkin bread and sigh...all kinds of bread. I could never go on a low or even no carb diet. I came across this recipe and it was a twist on the regular banana bread that I am used to making. I decided to try it, even though I'm cautious about adding chocolate to anything but cookies and brownies, but it came out delicious!!!! It's a very moist and dense cake filled with flavor.

Here's the recipe!! The only thing I changed was not adding Bourbon - no alcohol in this Muslim household.  For every tablespoon of Bourbon I added 1 part vanilla extract and 2 parts water.

Recipe by Joy the Baker posted at A Cup of Jo.

Ingredients: 
Makes 1 loaf


2 cups all-purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 ½ cups mashed ripe bananas (from about 3 bananas)
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp water + 1 tbsp vanilla extract
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
Almost 1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chunks



Directions:

• Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8x4-inch or 9x5-inch loaf pan. Set aside. 
• In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt. 
• In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. 
• Add eggs one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Stop the mixer, scrape down sides of the bowl, and add bananas, lemon juice and vanilla extract. Beat until well incorporated.
• Turn the mixer to low and add the flour mixture all at once. Beat until almost incorporated. Stop the mixer and remove the bowl. Add the walnuts and chocolate chips and incorporate the last of the ingredients with a spatula.
• Batter will be thick. Spoon the mixture into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and allow loaf to cool in the pan for 20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely. 
• Serve with milk or tea or coffee and enjoy!

I used very very ripe bananas that had an almost brown skin and really mashed them well. Actually let me take this time to give credit where credit is due, the hubby actually mashed them :D 

Bon Appétit! :)

The Best Blueberry Coffee Cake

I've had my bundt pan sitting in the bottom drawer under my oven for quite some time now and only remembered I had it when I was trying to pull out my cooling rack for some brownies that I made. It reminded me that I have wanted to make a budnt cake for a while now but just never got around to it. So I finally did! Here is a recipe for the best blueberry coffee cake I've ever had!! It was so moist and fluffy and absolutely delish!

The original recipe by Heather Christo came with a brown butter vanilla glaze which was not too much to my liking, so I opted for a simpler glaze. Also, to note, since I had quite a few ask me, a coffee cake is a cake you usually eat with coffee and not a cake that has coffee as an ingredient. :)

*Recipe from Heather Christo and posted at A Cup of Jo. 
Serves 8 to 10

*Cake Ingredients:
1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
3 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
2 ½ cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp nutmeg
¼ cup buttermilk
1 cup fresh blueberries

Glaze Icing:

Depending on how thick you want it, you can vary the amount of sugar and milk. For this cake, I opted for a thinner glaze.

1 cup confectioner’s sugar
2-4 tbsp milk
½ tsp vanilla extract


Cake Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 350F. Note: grease and flour the heck out of a 10" bundt pan.
• In a bowl, beat together the butter and the sugar until well incorporated. Add the eggs and the vanilla and beat until fluffy. Then add the sour cream and beat until the batter is smooth and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients, and then add the dry ingredients to the batter and partially mix together. Add the buttermilk and beat until you have a smooth batter.
• Using a spatula, gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and bake at 350F for 55 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Let the cake cool for about 10 minutes before turning over onto a cake plate. While the cake is cooling, prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

• Measure the sugar into a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of milk and vanilla extract.
• Stir until it forms a thick, creamy paste.
• If desired: for a thicker, hard glossy shell, add more sugar (2 cups) and less milk (2 tbsp).
• When you have turned the cake out onto a cake plate, drizzle the glaze over the top. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Bon Appetit :)

Funfetti Cake Avec Loads of Sprinkles

It was my hubby's birthday over the weekend (so many celebrations all at once...yay) and I wanted to make a fun looking cake and decided upon a funfetti cake with lots and lots of sprinkles.  I thought it tasted really good and the hubby really liked it. 

The recipe is adapted from Sally's Baking Addiction, with some changes per my liking. 

The recipe listed here is for a one layer cake.  I wanted to make a two layer cake, so I made two separate batches of the cake, I was worried about doubling the recipe all at once (did that a few times for other cakes and it didn't turn out well). I am also currently addicted to my cream cheese frosting, so I had to make that frosting for this cake.  Omg, fabulous frosting! 

Cake Ingredients

1 and 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1 large egg (room temperature)
1/4 cup plain yogurt
3/4 cup milk
1 tbsp imitation vanilla
1/3-2/3 cup sprinkles (logged shaped, not nonpareils) - I felt 2/3 cups was too much.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting 

Sliced strawberries (to use as filing between layers)
1/2 cup butter, softened
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar (powdered sugar)
1 tsp imitation vanilla
2 tsps cinnamon

Cake Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Spray a 9-inch round baking pan with nonstick spray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl: mix together flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. Melt butter in the microwave or over the stove. Whisk in the sugars vigorously, getting out any brown sugar lumps - mixture will be gritty. Whisk in egg, yogurt, milk, and vanilla until combined. Slowly mix in dry ingredients until no lumps remain. Batter will be thick. 
• Slowly stir in sprinkles, but do not overmix because the sprinkles will bleed their color. Just slowly fold the batter over itself a few times.
• Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover loosely with aluminum foil (loosely to avoid the top from sticking to the foil). My oven required me to bake the cake for another 40 minutes, but every oven is different) Bake for another 20-40 more minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

Frosting Directions: 

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 
• Frost the cooled cake. 

I wanted to make the cake look youthful and fun, so I decided to make a banner to add to the cake, rather than write on the cake. The banner got smooshed a bit during transport, but I think it turned out well. I'll post more on how I made the banner later.

The Best Delectable Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

I love carrot cake.  I don't know if I love it for the carrots or that amazing cream cheese frosting, but I love it.  It's also my brother's favorite cake, and so, it was only appropriate that I would make it for his 26th birthday (yes, our birthdays are very close).  Now, I have tried various "Best Carrot Cake" recipes out there, some that are too oily, too dry, too moist and just plain terrible.  This time, I decided I would take parts of various recipes I have tried over the past few years and make my own, and to also make a frosting that you normally don't find on a carrot cake (I have Sprinkles Cupcakes) to thank for that.  I am, if I haven't mentioned it enough times, in love with their carrot cake cupcakes, and well, very much in love with their frosting.  So, I decided I would try to come up with something that tasted as close as possible to theirs as I could.  And, well, I think i've found it.  If you've been following me for a while, you will know, I am a very harsh critic of my cooking and baking and I don't always love, if ever, my own cakes or food.  But this cake is by far the BEST carrot cake I have EVER HAD!  And, I mean EVER!  Now, I know everyone has their versions of this cake (there are a handful out there) and everyone always tweaks things to their liking, but let me tell you, this recipe is perfect.  I've tried this cake with coconut and pineapple and all sorts of other additions, but I think I have found the perfect mix of ingredients! :)

So, here it is:

 The Very Very Best Delectable Carrot Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

 

Cake Ingredients

4 eggs - room temperature

1 1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce

1 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

2 tsps imitation vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking soda

2 tsps baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsps ground cinnamon

3 cups grated and finely chopped carrots

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

8 ounces cream cheese, softened

4 cups confectioners' sugar

1 tsp imitation vanilla

2 tsps cinnamon 

Cake Directions:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. 
• Grease and flour 2 round cake pans - I sprayed mine with Pam.
• In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, applesauce, sugars and 2 teaspoons of vanilla. 
• Mix in the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. 
• Stir in the carrots. 
• Fold in the walnuts. 
• Pour into your prepared pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 40-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. 
• Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a wire rack to cool
  completely.  

Frosting Directions: 

• In a medium bowl, combine the butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar, vanilla and cinnamon. 
• Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. 
• Frost the cooled cake. You can also store the cake in the fridge overnight wrapped in saran wrap.  It tastes much better after a night of cooling. 

Note: In the past, I've always just added the grated carrots straight to the cake mix, but this time, I decided to chop them even further in my food processor and it made the cake taste so much better. Something about not have long strips of carrots I think added to the wonderful texture of the cake.

 

 

I used sweetened coconuts shavings and almond chips to decorate the cake, instead of adding them to the cake mix.

 

 Hope you all enjoy this recipe as much as I did.

Bon Appetite!!

Nuttella Chcolatey Goodness Cookies

My chocolate cravings have forced me to make cookies I promised I never would, because I know I would finish them in one sitting.  But alas, I can't keep myself away from anything Nutella.  Here is a recipe for some easy, quick, and uber yummily (my new word!) moist Nutella cookies, adapted from this recipe.  

 

Ingredients
13 oz jar of Nutella (generic hazlenut spread DOES NOT taste the same, FYI)
2 tbsp unsalted butter - softened, not melted
1 extra large egg
1 cup unbleached flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt

Note: The recipe this was adapted from called for self-rising cake flour, which I did not have. I had no intention to buy some just for these cookies, so instead I substituted by adding baking powder and sifting the flour mixture.   

 
Directions
 *Makes about 20 cookies.

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F
2. Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sift and set aside.  
3. Beat together 3/4 cup of the Nutella, butter, and egg in a medium bowl.
4. Slowly add the flour and beat.  
5. Roll the dough into small balls and place on the baking sheet.  
6. Bake for 10 minutes (cookies will puff).
7. Remove from oven, cool on baking sheet then transfer cookies to cooking rack and let cool completely before devouring. 

 

Mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sift and set aside. I have a makeshift sifter that I use from a small colander that I removed the foot off of.  I don't like regular sifters as they take too long, cleaning is a pain and it's hard on the hands.  

Beat together 3/4 cup of the Nutella, butter, and egg in a medium bowl.

Slowly add the flour until a moist clumpy dough forms.  I think I could add a bit of milk to get more of a dough like consistency...couple teaspoons maybe?   

 Roll into small balls and place on a cookie sheet.

 Let them cool before moving them as they are really soft and squishy.

 

Once they cool, they are crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside.  Perfect with milk or tea :)

Bon Appetit :)

White Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle

I've had a crazy sweet tooth this week and was dying for something uber chocolatey.  Here's a recipe for some white chocolate chip cookie brittles.  They come out crunchy and pretty yummy.

Ingredients
*makes about 48 cookies

• 1 cup (2 sticks) of softened butter
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs (room temperature)
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cups dutch processed cocoa powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) White Chocolate Chips

1. Heat the oven to 350°F.
2. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl until creamy. 
3. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy. 
4. Stir together the cocoa, flour, baking soda and salt and add to butter mixture.
5. Stir in the white chips until mixed well.
6. Roll a rounded teaspoon of cookie dough in your hand and place onto a cookie sheet.  
7. Bake about 7-8 minutes.
8. Cool on a wire rack.

 Note: They will be puffy while baking but once you take them out, they will flatten and get crunchy upon cooling. 

Bon Appetit :)