guilt free lava cake for one

man, i always forget what a pain the moving process is. between spending twenty hours in the car last weekend (preliminary apartment hunting) and packing up everything i own (craigslist gets the rest!) i have barely had enough time to sleep, much less blog. 

to make up for my lengthly absence i come bearing lava cake. that's right, chocolate-y goodness that's a brownie on the outside and warm pudding on the inside. i don't even like pudding and i've already made this cake twice this week - it's that good. 

on top of all that, this is also a recipe for one - perfect for when the mood strikes you, but won't leave you with a baker's dozen on the kitchen counter tempting you.

this is a shockingly simple recipe for how elaborate the final product seems to be. you just need one small bowl for dry ingredients and another vessel of some kind for wet. 

i baked my cake in a 7 ounce ramekin, which is a fancy word for a small heat proof bowl. for as much as i use the ramekins i have - seriously, ice cream, microwaving anything and everything, sauce-making, snack-holding, etc. - they do not get nearly enough praise in my kitchen. if you don't have a set of these i highly recommend picking up one or fifteen. you can thank me later!

when you take your cake out of the oven you want the sides and top to be fairly set, but definitely not cooked through. i found that to take around 15 minutes in my oven, but in the name of honesty i will say the first time i made this it i left it in far too long (i got a brownie) and the second far too short (pudding soup). not that i minded eating either, but the goal is an even split between the two extremes.

though i know from personal experience how tempting it is to dig right into your lava cake while it's in a piping hot ramekin, it isn't a good idea. seriously, i think i no longer have a fingerprint on my ring finger. what you want to do is grab a larger plate or dish and invert your ramekin onto that. you will look and feel like a total professional, promise.

now, i give you permission to sit down with your very own lava cake and enjoy every last bite. and, in case you forgot, the beauty of a cake for one is that no one will be around to judge you as you lick the plate.


guilt free lava cake for one


yields 1 cake

ingredients:

2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 heaping tablespoon dutch-processed cocoa
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
3 tablespoons skim milk
1 tablespoon non-fat yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl.

3. mix milk, yogurt, and vanilla in separate bowl.

4. pour wet ingredients into bowl of dry ingredients and stir until combined.

5. grease a 7 ounce ramekin with cooking spray. pour batter into ramekin and bake for 12-16 minutes or until edges and top of cake are set.

6. let cake cool for 1 minute then invert onto larger plate or bowl. enjoy!


nutritional information:


calories: 171, fat: 1.24g, sodium: 185mg, carbs: 39g, fiber: 4.5g, sugars: 19g, protein: 5.72g.




thanks for reading & happy baking!


amanda

italian white beans

like most cooks - and those of you who make dinner (almost) every night but still don't quite consider yourselves cooks - i am always on the lookout for both good sides and something different. bonus if the dish has five ingredients or less and takes less than thirty minutes to put together. these beans fit the bill perfectly. nothing fancy, or fussy, white beans dressed simply with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and rosemary. they went well with our pizza and i don't doubt they'll make an appearance again some night when jason's out of town and i'm on my own for dinner.

italian white beans
adapted from kitchenist
20 minutes, serves 2 as a side or 1 as a main

1/2 small red onion, finely diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1 sprig rosemary, leaves stripped and minced
pinch of coarse salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
30 ounces canned cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

1. combine the onion, garlic, and rosemary together. add a pinch of coarse salt and mix until the mixture becomes a paste.
2. coat the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and saute the onion mixture over medium heat. cook until the onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
3. add the tomato paste and and beans. depending on how dry the mixture is, add a tablespoon or two of water. cook until the beans are hot through and coated with sauce, about 5 minutes. 

2012.02.06 this was Dancing Veggies' pick for the secret recipe club!

baked's buckeyes

this year for my easter treat, i decided it was finally time to tackle cake pops. if you hadn't already figured it out, it did not end well. oh it started great. i had a boxed white cake mix shoved in the back of my pantry that i baked monday night. tuesday i tackled this blackberry buttercream, substituting raspberry for blackberry (which was amazing and will hopefully make another appearance in my kitchen soon). wednesday, when it was time to put it all together, i added too much buttercream. way too much. inedible. mush. so in the trash it went.

now it's thursday, 8:00pm, and i'm looking for a quick treat i can bring in to work. and if you remember last easter, something chocolate - preferably with peanut butter - that i can bring to my parents' for the weekend too. last weekend, while flipping through baked explorations, waiting for my monkey bread to cool down from hot-caramel-lava so that i could eat it, i stumbled upon these beauties.

growing up, buckeyes made appearances at a lot of our holidays. except in our house, they're simply peanut butter balls. nothing fancy. and more times than not, mom added rice krispies to them for a little crunch. which sounds great and really isn't bad at all on day one. but eat one of those suckers on day three or four, and you're chewing through soggy krispies. no thank you.

another well known fact: i hate soggy food. or sog, as i affectionately call it. dip a cookie in milk. are you freakin crazy!? tiramisu? a ball of mush. ick. nachos at the bottom of the pile covered in salsa & meat sauce? no way. so yea, i was a little skeptical when i saw the baked boys put graham cracker crumbs in theirs for texture.

but surprisingly, it works. i had one of the few stragglers that survived the weekend in the work refrigerator and they weren't soggy. bonus. sorry mom, but krispies are out.

buckeyes
adapted from baked explorations
1 hour, makes 36

1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups smooth peanut butter
1 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 1/3 of a box or one of the plastic sleeves)
3 cups confectioners sugar
10 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 pound dark or milk chocolate, chopped

1. in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and peanut butter until smooth. add the graham cracker crumbs and mix until combined. alternate adding the sugar and melted butter until everything is combined. the mixture will be slightly dry. refrigerate while you prepare the chocolate.
2. in a double boiler (or in the microwave on 20 second intervals) melt the chocolate.
3. line a sheet pan with parchment paper. using a melon baller, small cookie scoop, or tablespoon measuring spoon, form balls of peanut butter mixture and set on sheet.
4. using a spoon and a fork, dip the balls in chocolate. use the spoon to flip them around to coat each side. carefully use the fork to lift the coated ball out of the chocolate. lightly tap the fork with the spoon so extra chocolate drips off. use the spoon to carefully slide the ball off the fork onto the parchment paper. repeat with the remaining balls.
5. refrigerate buckeyes until the chocolate sets and store in the refrigerator.

baked's monkey bubble bread

monkey bread has been on my to make list for a while now, but it somehow got shifted down the list as waffles and baked donuts and other good eats have taken over my saturday mornings. a quick breeze through baked explorations for something else (i have no idea what i was originally looking for) led me to this bread. the perfect way to wake up saturday morning.

there was just one problem with the recipe. i didn't want to get up really early or eat my bread mid-afternoon on saturday. so i made the dough friday night and tossed it in the oven saturday morning. and the two of us sat - watching giada whip up who knows what - fork in hand, plate balancing on a couch cushion between us, until we had each eaten through top to bottom of one side. yes, it's that good.

lucky enough to have leftovers? i covered the plate with my glass cake dome and left it out on the counter. all day saturday we picked at it. sunday morning i reheated it in the oven, which honestly, wasn't worth it. a quick 30 seconds in the microwave was much faster and easier.

and for those of you who haven't noticed, this is the first success of my 11 in 2011 challenge! well, at least the first one documented...

baked's monkey bubble bread
adapted from baked explorations
4 hours, serves 6

make ahead: the dough can be made in the evening, refrigerated, and baked the next morning. follow the recipe below through step 8. wrap the bundt tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate. the next morning, take the bundt out of the refrigerator and place in a warm place for about an hour and a half. bake as instructed.

1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 egg
4 cups all purpose flour
5 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar (or 1 1/4 cups white sugar + 2 tablespoons molasses)
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1. in a small saucepan, warm the milk to slightly above room temperature, remove from heat, and add the yeast. whisk to dissolve and set aside.
2. in a small bowl, beat the egg with a fork to break up the yolk and set aside.
3. in a large bowl, beat the flour, sugar, and salt until combined. mix in the egg until combined. keep the mixer on low and slowly add the warm milk. mix until the dough comes together.
4. using the dough hook attachment, mix on medium speed until the dough becomes tacky and smooth, about 10 minutes. if your dough is too wet, mix in all purpose flour, about 1/2 tablespoon at a time, until smooth. your dough should not stick to the sides of the bowl at all and should only be stuck to the very bottom of the bowl where the dough hook doesn't reach.
5. spray the inside of a large bowl with cooking spray. turn the dough out into the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. let rest one hour until doubled in size.
6. combine the brown sugar and cinnamon in a wide bowl or plate and set aside. melt the butter in a large bowl and set aside. spray a bundt pan with nonstick spray.
7. once the dough has doubled, line a sheet pan (or your countertop) with parchment paper. use your hands to punch down and deflate the dough. use your hands or a bench scraper to form the dough into dough balls the size of a quarter.
8. organize your assembly line: dough balls, butter, cinnamon sugar, and pan. take each dough ball, roll it in the melted butter, and coat in the cinnamon sugar mixture. place in the bundt pan, making sure to evenly distribute the balls. the balls should fill the pan about half way.
9. wrap the bundt pan tightly in plastic wrap and place in a warm area for about one hour, or until doubled in size.
10. preheat the oven to 350F. remove the plastic wrap from the bundt and bake until the top layer is golden brown and the caramel is bubbling through the cracks in the balls, about 35 minutes. (i baked mine about 33 and they could have used a few more minutes.)
11. cool the bread in the pan for 5 minutes then turn out onto a serving platter. bread (and especially the caramel) will be very hot, so i suggest using forks to eat it. reheat leftovers in the microwave for about 20 to 30 seconds on high.

check out more sweet treats at sweets for a saturday!

spaetzle and an austrian dinner party

last saturday, while i was feeling nostalgic for a few minutes, i daydreamed about germany. and since it was a good two hours past when i should have been eating lunch, i was mostly thinking about the food. it was a fleeting moment, as conversation quickly moved to dinner plans - what are we doing? where are we going? who's going with us? yes, i'll cook here, we haven't done that in a while. what to make? after considering a dozen or so options in about five minutes, we came up with what i soon figured out was a perfect dinner party menu: wienerschnitzel, spaetzle, and raspberry jam tart. and it didn't hurt that our good friend susie has been looking for a reason to make us her sauerkraut for months!

so what makes this menu so dinner party friendly? the tart whips itself together in all of 10 minutes and if you keep a well stocked pantry, you probably have everything on hand for it already. (although, i hate to break it to you mom, this is the first time i can ever remember in my whole life that i bought raspberry jam. the quarter cup left in my last homemade jar just wouldn't cut it.) the wienerschnitzel can be prepared ahead of time - i had it the cutlets all ready to go stacked in a glass baking dish when my guests arrived. it took all of 10 minutes to cook them when we decided it was time to eat. the wienerschnitzel went like hot cakes and there wasn't so much as a crumb left so i don't have any pictures of it. all i can say is that it's easy and tastes great. be mindful of how long you cook it. overcooked veal is no good for anyone.

and spaetzle - more on the recipe below - can be made ahead too - either the day before or earlier the day you're serving it. toss cooked spaetzle with a bit of olive oil so it doesn't stick together, pack into a storage container and refrigerate until ready to eat. when we were ready, i sauteed it in butter on the stove in batches (i made enough for 20 for the seven of us) which i transferred to a large roasting pan that i covered and kept in a warm oven until the rest was done and the wienerschnitzel was cooked.

i couldn't decide between two spaetzle recipes: deb's eggy version (7 eggs to 2 cups of flour) or tyler florence's less eggy counterpart (4 eggs to 2 cups of flour), recommended by stephanie when i first made spaetzle last year and didn't care for the results so much. so i made both and we had a spaetzle tasteoff during dinner. both were equally as time consuming to make - all that pushing dough through holes takes a lot of time - but the tastes were very different. deb's version was light, almost fluffy, with no real chew and lacking flavor. tyler's was a bit denser, chewier, with great flavor from the salt, pepper, and nutmeg in the dough. it was unanimous. sorry deb, all seven of us chose tyler's less eggy version.

spaezle gets its homemade shape from pushing smooth, thin dough, through small holes into boiling water. sounds messy because it is. and since i made a lot of this stuff last weekend, there was one very important thing i learned. you might think that the smaller holes (like in a colander or spoon), the better. which isn't true. too small holes = dough comes out in one big blob. not tasty. instead, what worked best for me, was a spoon with rather large holes in it - the size of cooked macaroni (something like this or this). and if you're really fancy, try a spätzle maker.

tyler florence's spaetzle
adapted from food network
1 1/2 hours, serves 4 to 6 adults

4 large eggs
1/2 cup whole or 2% milk
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
4-6 tablespoons unsalted butter
minced fresh chives, garlic, or another favorite herb

1. in a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together and set aside.
2. in a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg together. make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs. slowly stir to incorporate the wet and dry ingredients. mix until smooth.
3. let the dough rest for at least 15 minutes. while the dough rests, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. if you plan to cool the spätzle and eat it later, prep an ice bath and place near the pot of boiling water.
   
4. once the dough has rested and the water is boiling, use a rubber spatula and spoon the dough in small batches into a colander with large holes or a spoon with large holes. use the spatula to force the dough through the holes and into the pot of boiling water. let the spätzle cook until it floats, about 2 minutes. remove with a slotted spoon. place in the ice bath if you want to cool the spätzle and eat it later. repeat with remaining dough.
5. when ready to serve the spätzle, melt a few tablespoons of unsalted butter in a large saute pan over medium low heat. when the butter is melted, add the spätzle (you might have to do this in batches if you have more spätzle than your pan can handle) and cook until the spätzle is hot and starts to brown ever so slightly. stir in the chives right before serving.
6. store leftovers in the refrigerator. warm them up in a saute pan as above, using less butter.

vegan banana flax walnut muffins

let's say that mother nature won't let you pack up your winter clothes and all you want is consistent weather. or let's say that your crest white strips are making your teeth sensitive (and, to add insult to injury, your boyfriend says its because you've been watching too much real housewives). let's say you're definitely moving in a month and are freaking out about getting everything packed. or maybe you just finished the "intermediate" running level on your favorite running app and now you're afraid to move up to "advanced". 

let's say you feel crazy because of all the changes, big and small, and just want a simple muffin to make you feel better. and, let's say, banana bread always reminds you of your mom. auto-comfort. 

and, well, maybe those are less hypothetical than i made them out to be. 

the biggest one being that we are officially packing up and moving 500 miles to washington dc in a few weeks. needless to say, i'm a little stressed out about the whole thing. this might translate into baking-overload, or into having very little time to whip anything up - we'll see! just know that if it's the latter than i haven't forgotten about you.

now that that's out of the way, let's talk muffins.

i would be lying if i said that sometimes i didn't let bananas overripe on purpose, just so i could make banana bread. these were getting so bad you could smell them from the hallway, so last night i decided to turn the recipe i used a few days ago into muffins to see if it translated. lucky for me, it did!

i beefed things up nutritionally by using whole wheat flour, unrefined sugar, and flax meal for extra oomph. everyone at work has been trying to be more conscientious about what they are eating, so i want to bring them something a little healthier than my normal fare. 

i ended up making a dozen with walnuts and six without, just incase anyone wasn't feeling nutty (though i sure will be) and/or there was a nut allergy issues. feel free to substitute almost anything in this recipe for another comprable ingredient. how about cranberries and almonds? the muffin is your oyster, get creative!

i wanted to pay a quick compliment to my offset spatula, one of my all-time favorite and all-time used baking supplies. i use it to frost cakes, wedge muffins out of their tins, smooth cream onto whoopie pies, scrape peanut butter from the bottom of the jar when i'm having a late-night craving, and..well, you get it. 

i had almost three of these for breakfast this morning (note: does not include the batter i shamelessly licked from the inside of the bowl during my "prewash" cycle of dish washing). they're that good. 

vegan banana flax walnut muffins

yields 18

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

1/2 cup raw sugar

3 tablespoons flax meal

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon salt

2 overripe bananas, mashed

1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 1/4 cup water

1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup

1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

1. preheat over to 350 degrees and grease muffin tins.

2. in a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, flax meal, and salt until well combined. add mashed bananas and continue to mix until mostly incorporated. (note: it will be lumpy-looking, but i use two forks and "cut" the bananas into the mix like i would butter in a biscuit recipe!)

3. add maple syrup and water and stir until mostly dissolved.

4. make two wells in the bowl (i used the back of a tablespoon) and pour vinegar in one and oil in the other. pour water mixture over everything and stir until just combined.

5. fill muffin tins until 3/4 full and bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.

nutritional information:

calories: 125, fat: 3.7g, sodium: 203mg, carbs: 21g, fiber: 3g, sugars 7g, protein: 3.19g. 

as always, thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

ps: i JUST noticed that my image bandwidth has been exceeded (what?!) and will need to figure out what to do about that. in the meantime things should be up and running, but if my photos go offline in the near future it's just because i'm doing some upgrades. thanks y'all!

pizza with prosciutto and arugula

on the very last day of our honeymoon a year and a half ago, we had pizza for lunch at danieli in vienna, austria. i'm not sure if it was the crust, the cheese, the prosciutto, the rainy day, the city, or the thought of finally going home - or a combination of it all - but it was the best pizza i've ever had outside of italy. i first recreated it three weeks after we came back (with a few other czech and german recipes that were such dismal failures that they aren't even worth mentioning), and about every six months or so it reappears for an easy weeknight dinner.

it's a very easy variation on classic pizza marguerita: skip the basil, top with prosciutto and add arugula once it's baked. use whatever dough and tomato based sauce you like. that's it.

if you haven't yet discovered the magnificence that is prosciutto, what are you waiting for?! it's a bit pricy, but well worth it. you will most likely find it at the deli counter sliced thin enough to see through. while it's great on pizza, it's also amazing thinly sliced and tossed with pasta (sometimes it's in vodka sauce) or wrapped around slices of cantaloupe or honeydew (my favorite). but be careful. once you're turned on to it, it's hard to get off of it!

pizza with prosciutto and arugula
15 minutes, makes one large pizza

your favorite pizza dough, white or wheat
your favorite pizza sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella or 1/2 pound ball of fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 pound very thin sliced proscuitto
2 cups washed arugula

1. if using, cover a pizza stone with cornmeal (to prevent the dough from sticking). place pizza stone in the oven and preheat to 450F.
2. roll out your pizza dough thin and top with sauce. top with cheese. cover the entire top of the pizza with a blanket of the prosciutto.
3. bake about 10 minutes or until the cheese is bubbly and the crust is browned.
4. remove the pizza from the oven and immediately top with the arugula.

meyer lemon tart

i have been scouring supermarket produce sections around here for at least a year in search of meyer lemons. i had pretty much given up my search, filed the thought somewhere in the depths of my brain, when i was on the search for a large bag of plain old lemons, when i picked up a bag of meyers by mistake. i literally jumped when i realized it. and after all that hunting, they weren't automatically put in the cart. shocking, i know. i had too many ideas in my head and couldn't decide. at least now i know where to get them.

fast forward one week. wine, cheese, & salad night with friends + a birthday + new tart pan that begged to be used = perfect excuse for a perfect lemon tart.

and i'll probably get a lot of grief for this, but i didn't notice a huge difference in taste between the meyer and a plain old lemon in the tart. when i was zesting and juicing them, they were sweeter, a little orangey. but once in the tart, no one knew the difference. maybe a tart isn't the best way to showcase them?

regardless of the meyer lemon vs regular lemon, the flavor and texture was out of this world. and even though i used deb's great unshrinkable sweet tart shell, mine did in fact shrink. but other than that it came together perfect and rolled out like a dream. same for the lemon curd.

anyway, see that cup and saucer up there? or down below? it normally lives behind glass doors in my china cabinet, except for the three or four times a year when i actually use it. i remember the small shop in italy, six and a half years ago when i bought it. there's something about the bright colors and memories tied to it that make it the perfect pick-me-up when i'm having a stressful week. isn't it funny how memories can change your mood so dramatically?!

meyer lemon tart
makes one 9 inch tart
tart shell adapted from smitten kitchen, lemon curd adapted from david lebovitz

make ahead: the day before, make the tart shell dough, chill it, roll it out and line the tart pan with it. pop in the freezer and bake directly from the freezer the next day.

for the tart shell
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
9 tablespoons very cold (or frozen) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg

for the meyer lemon curd
3/4 cup freshly-squeezed lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)
grated zest of two lemons
1/2 cup sugar
9 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
3 eggs
3 egg yolks

1. make the tart shell. pulse the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor until combined. add the butter and pulse until it looks like cornmeal. beat the egg in a small bowl to break up the yolk. add about a tablespoon of the egg and mix until combined. continue adding the egg, a bit at a time, until the dough forms a ball. turn the dough out of the food processor onto a piece of plastic wrap. use your hands to mash the dough into a round disc and cover in plastic wrap. refrigerate at least 2 hours.
2. roll out the dough disc between two pieces of parchment paper until the dough is a few inches larger than the bottom of your pan. carefully transfer the dough into your tart pan and use your fingers to ever so carefully push it into place in the bottom. cut off the extra dough that overhangs the top edges. prick the bottom of the tart dough liberally with a fork.
3. cut a piece of aluminum foil large enough to fit inside the tart shell, covering the bottom and sides. butter the shiny side of the foil and place butter side down into the tart. wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
4. preheat your oven to 375F. unwrap the plastic from the tart dough, leaving the aluminum foil in tact. bake the crust about 20 minutes, remove the foil, and bake 10 to 15 minutes more, until the dough is light brown.
5. while the dough bakes, make the lemon curd. warm the lemon juice, zest, sugar, and butter over medium low heat in a saucepan.
6. in a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and yolks.
7. when the butter has melted in the lemon juice mixture and it just starts to simmer, add about 2 tablespoons of the hot mixture to the eggs, whisking the eggs continuously (so they don't scramble). continue adding the hot mixture to the eggs, a little bit at a time (around 1/4 cup), whisking continuously, until all of the mixture is added. transfer it back to the saucepan.
8. put the saucepan back over medium low heat, whisk constantly until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. remove from heat and set aside.
9. place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl or large measuring cup with a spout (the spout will make it easier to pour into the tart crust). strain the curd to get out any pieces of scrambled egg and the lemon zest.
10. when the tart dough is done baking, pour the lemon curd into the shell. bake an additional 5 minutes to set the curd.
11. let cool about 30 minutes before removing the tart from the pan. chill before and after serving.

check out more sweet treats at sweet tooth friday and sweets for a saturday!

low-fat vegan ginger lemon quick bread

this recipe is amaaazing. yup, it deserved two extra a's. part of why it's so good is that it took me about ten minutes to make and i used a grand total of one bowl. considering how much i detest washing dishes - i always end up looking like i was sitting in the splash section at a dolphin show - this is a very good thing.

i had some leftover ginger from my sore throat days a few weeks ago when i would drink what seemed like gallons of ginger lemon tea every day, so i decided to pump up this lemon cake with a little heat and spice from the freshly grated ginger. if you don't have any on hand feel free to use pre-grated stuff or omit it all together. no worries!

here is the super complicated first step of the recipe. yup, you have to put all the dry ingredients in a one bowl and give them a good mix. that's it!

(this is just proof at how messy my workstation can get. seriously, stuff everywhere!)

i decided to balance the spicy and sour cake with a lemon-honey glazed that brought everything together. you can feel free to skip this step, but you know i always vote for a glaze if i have the option.

woah! oh geez, i almost forgot to tell you the most magical and unbelievable part of this recipe. get ready. are you ready? okay, just make sure you're sitting down. this entire cake has only one tablespoon of fat. that's right. ONE. did i blow your mind or what? this means that each serving has only one gram of fat. totally insane.


low-fat vegan ginger lemon quick bread


adapted from budget bytes
yields 12 slices

for the cake:

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup raw sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1-2 tbsp freshly grated ginger
2 medium lemons, zested and juiced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup powdered sugar

1. preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. in a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, cloves, lemon zest and ginger.

3. make two wells in the dry ingredients and pour the vinegar in one and the oil in the other. pour water over everything and stir until everything is just combined.

4. pour batter into a greased loaf pan. bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. while cake is cooling combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until it reaches your desired consistency. wait until the cake is completely cooled to pour glaze or risk it melting off!


nutritional information:


calories: 112, fat: 1.3g, cholesterol: 0mg, sodium: 204mg, carbs: 24g, fiber: 2.11g, sugars: 12g, protein: 2.16g. 




thanks for reading & happy baking!


amanda

homemade oatmeal creme pie!

disclaimer: these are not healthy. that being said, they are so addictive that i gave myself a stomach ache before the gooey filling had even been made. 

my second admission is that i've never actually had a real-deal little debbie oatmeal creme pie. some people might consider this good parenting and others might consider it child neglect, but my snack of choice as a child was a little thing called a pastelito de guayaba (sweet puff pastry filled with guava, or quince). but, i've decided to give this little debbie a chance considering how many people confused my zebra cake with one of deb's concoctions. since the most requested snack was her oatmeal creme pie i decided to whip up a batch! 

first, like with any good recipe, you start by creaming a ton of butter and sugar. granted, i got five dozen cookies out of this recipe, so feel free to cut the recipe in half.

the batter is this gorgeous peanut-buttery color and makes delicious oatmeal cookies on its own. i honestly couldn't keep my fingers out of this batter and am guessing 3-4 cookies worth of dough fell victim to my cravings. 

(side note: i didn't realize you could see my rolled jeans & flip flops reflected in the bowl! it was almost 80 degrees in michigan today and i broke out my favorite shoes for the event.)

to pipe my delicious filling between my cookies i used a large sized round piping tip, but you could just as easily use a knife and just spread it on. the icing might seem a little unruly as you're making your sandwiches, but don't worry! it does set after about an hour, which then makes it super easy to put in baggies or stack for portability. 

not to brag, but i think i gave debbie a run for her money with these babies. the cookies themselves are hearty, delicious, and soft without falling apart. the addition of the marshmallow-vanilla filling takes it to a whole new level of fantastic. though making these is not a particularly fast process, i think it's totally worth it to relive your childhood and bring on the nostalgia.

homemade oatmeal creme pie

yields 30 sandwiches (plus 8-10 leftover cookies!)

adapted from beantown baker

for the cookies:

3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened

2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour (i used 1 cup all-purpose & 1 cup whole wheat pastry)

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 cups quick oats

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 tablespoons boiling water

for the filling:

1 stick unsalted butter

1 jar marshmallow fluff

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1. cream butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. once light and fluffy, add egg and mix until combined.

2. in a separate bowl, whisk together salt, flour, and baking power. add to creamed mixture. add cinnamon and oats and mix well.

3. in a small dish, add baking soda to boiling water and stir mixture into batter. mix well.

4. chill dough for 1-2 hours in fridge to let cool. 

5. preheat oven to 375 degrees and lined cookie sheet with parchment. 

6. drop tablespoons of dough onto sheet about two inches apart and bake for 8-9 minutes or until cookies are firm and golden around the edges. let cookies stand on sheet for 5 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.

7. to make filling, whip butter in a stand mixer to soften. add jar of marshmallow and beat until fluffy. add powdered sugar 1/4 cup at a time until combined. add vanilla and combine.

8. spread or pipe filling onto cool cookies and allow to set for 1-2 hours.

nutritional information:

calories: 213, fat: 6.67g, cholesterol: 23mg, sodium: 74mg, carbs: 18g, sugars: 13g, protein: 1.7g.

thanks for reading & happy baking!

amanda

portobello stirfry with udon

almost every week we have stirfry for dinner. so why isn't the stirfry category overloaded with recipes? the formula is too easy, too foolproof to post - a little meat + a lot of vegetables + sauce over rice (jason) or noodles (me). it's really easy, really fast, and you can throw in whatever meat and vegetables you have lying around (it's a great way to use up the last of the carrots/snow peas/mushrooms). and if you make double, it reheats really well for lunch the next day.

this version is essentially chicken & vegetable stirfry with soba noodles. except instead of chicken, we have portobello mushrooms. and udon instead of soba. and i forgot we had carrots, so i traded those for water chestnuts.

portobello stirfry with udon
adapted from steamy kitchen
15 minutes, serves 2

1 package udon noodles
2 portobello mushroom caps, gills removed, and thinly sliced
1 cup sugar snap peas
1 can water chestnuts, drained
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 cloves minced garlic
1 teaspoon cornstarch dissolved in 1 tablespoon water

for the marinade:
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon corn starch

for the sauce:
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/4 cup chicken broth (or water)

1. stir together the marinade. pour into a bowl and toss with the mushroom strips. marinate for 10 minutes, or while you finish prepping the rest of the ingredients.
2. stir together the sauce and set aside. start the water to cook the udon noodles. cook and drain according to directions on the package. do not rinse and set aside.
3. heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat and add the vegetable oil. add the mushrooms and cook until just starting to get soft and release their liquid.
4. add garlic to the pan and cook about thirty seconds, or until fragrant.
5. add the sauce, peas, and water chestnuts and stir to coat. add the dissolved cornstarch and cook 3-4 minutes until the sauce boils. stir in the noodles to coat in the sauce and serve.

mini bacon scallion corn muffins with cheddar cheese

whenever i get invited to a party, i always ask if i can bring something, hoping the response is something simple like "how about dessert? cookies or something would be great!" is that how most people respond? nope. instead, i get "i don't care, bring whatever you'd like." whatever you'd like. sounds simple enough, and for most people, it most likely brings relief.

but for me, it throws me into a thirty second whirlwind of ideas - sweet, savory, complicated, simple, runs to the grocery store, make something up from what i have here - followed by a look at my google reader to see what i have bookmarked, a look through the stack of recipes i have pulled out of magazines, and at least a five minute discussion with jason. i change my mind. a lot. it's guaranteed that i will make the exact opposite of what i first set out to make. 

like how these muffins were first cookies. then a simple iced sheet cake. then bacon cheddar scones before settling on the muffins, only after looking for the scone recipe in a cookbook and stumbling over the muffins in the index. i always end up with what i least expect.  

which is fine, since they were perfect. corn + bacon + cheese is always good. i've never turned down bacon before or met someone else who has.

looking for some other party worth eats? how about something sweet?

shortbread cookies

dr pepper chocolate cake 

banana bars

dark chocolate almond biscotti

chocolate peanut butter chip cookies

mini pumpkin spice cupcakes

iced pumpkin chocolate spice bundt cake

gingerbread apple upside down cake

one bowl chocolate cake

fallen almond poundcake

amaretto cheesecake

the chewy [alton brown's chocolate chip cookies]

mini bacon scallion corn muffins with cheddar cheese
adapted from baking illustrated
1 hour, makes 24 mini muffins

6 slices bacon, cut into thin slices
1 1/4 cups scallions, thinly sliced
2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup stone ground cornmeal
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1. in a medium skillet, fry the bacon until crispy. drain most of the fat and add the scallions to warm through. season with salt and pepper and set aside.
2. preheat your oven to 400F. line mini muffin tins with paper or spray well with nonstick spray (i sprayed mine, instead of lining them, and some stuck pretty bad. be sure to spray really well). set aside.
3. in a large bowl, whisk the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. set aside.
4. in a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until the whites and yolks are well combined. whisk in the sugar. whisk in the melted butter in three additions, combining well before adding the next bit. add half the sour cream and half the milk and combine. add the remaining sour cream and milk and whisk. add the bacon scallion mixture and the cheese and whisk to combine.
5. make a well in the dry ingredients and slowly pour in the wet ingredients. use a large spatula to fold the wet ingredients in to the dry. mix only until there aren't any more patches of dry mixture left.
6. divide the batter evenly among all 24 mini muffin tins.
7. bake until the muffins are light brown, about 12 to 15 minutes. cool the muffins in the tin for about 5 minutes before inverting out of the pan and cooling completely.
8. store leftover muffins in the refrigerator and reheat before serving again.

2011.08.15 this was one of tea and scones' selections for the secret recipe club!

slimmed down zebra cake with chocolate frosting (a reader request!)

because one of my favorite parts of having this blog is getting to interact with all you out there in internet-land, it shouldn't come as too much of a surprise that when one of my readers emailed me asking for my help in slimming down a zebra cake i jumped at the chance.

this was my first time attempting this recipe and i think there is definitely room for improvement, especially in the stripes, but i will - as always! - share my mistakes with you so that only one of us has to make them. 

i cut this cake down from over 400 calories a slice to around 250 calories and i've gotta say, i'm pretty proud of myself. i substituted some of the vegetable oil for drained applesauce, which is a great ingredient to swap out for fats, and i made a few adjustments to the eggs and sugar quantities. 

the secret to putting the "zebra" in zebra cake is splitting the batter in half once it's completely mixed, which is way more convenient than making two batters. cocoa powder gets added to one while the other remains plain.

the rings are formed by dropping alternating dollops of chocolate and plain batter on top of each other. i did around two tablespoons per dollop, which i think led to my aesthetic downfall, and will definitely opt for a 1/4 cup size next time. i think it will make it look more like the animal print i so love and less like i'm trying to see how old a tree is.

so, my dear readers, you can totally stop here and have a delicious and gorgeous cake. maybe a light dusting of powdered sugar? something simple and elegant? 

or..you could go a different route. like i did. okay, let me rewind a bit. i was in the middle of basking in the pride of cutting the calories of this cake pretty much in half when i decided that frosting was in order. yup, gooey, decadent, dark chocolate frosting. so far from simple and elegant. i just couldn't help myself.

feel free to take either approach to this cake. you can use the excuse, like i did, that covering the top in frosting makes the cake more mysterious and alluring because you don't have any clue how beautiful the inside is until you cut into it. or you could be logical and enjoy 214 calories of marbled (or, in your case, probably more zebra-y) goodness.

skinny zebra cake

yields 12 slices

adapted from az cookbook

for the cake:

2 eggs

2 egg whites

3/4 cup granulated

1/3 cup vegetable oil

2/3 cup drained applesauce

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon vanilla

1 tablespoon baking powder

3 tablespoons cocoa (the darker, the better!)

1 cup low fat buttermilk

for the icing:

3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 tablespoons cocoa
2-3 tablespoons skim milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla


1. preheat oven to 350 degrees. grease 9" pan with oil or parchment. (i used a springform pan and it worked perfectly!)

2. in the bowl of a stand mixer, combine eggs, egg whites, and sugar until creamy and light in color. add buttermilk, vanilla, oil, and applesauce and beat until blended.

3. in a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder. gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and beat until the batter is smooth and fully incorporated.

4. scoop 2 cups of batter into bowl used for dry ingredients and set aside. in mixer, sift cocoa into remaining plain batter and mix.

5. using two 1/4 cup measurers, one for each flavor batter, scoop alternating flavors into the center of the baking pan, one on top of the next. do not wait until the previous circle has spread and do not tilt the pan - the mixture will spread by itself! keep working until no batter is left.

6. bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean!

7. while cake is cooling place room temperature butter into the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until smooth and soft. add 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and combine with butter. add cocoa and 1 tablespoon of milk and combine. add remaining powdered sugar and mix until creamy. add vanilla and combine. to adjust consistency of frosting, add milk 1/2 teaspoon at a time.

8. spread frosting evenly over cooled cake and chill in fridge until set.


nutritional information:


calories: 250, fat: 8.8g, cholesterol: 41mg, sodium: 156mg, carbs: 37g, fiber: 2g, sugars: 20g, protein: 5.13g. 

linguine alfredo with pancetta & peas

one of jason's restaurant favorites is 'penne di casa' from a now defunct local italian restaurant. it was essentially penne with peas and some kind of ham in a buttery, garlicy sauce. here's jason's simple homemade replica, whipped up in under 30 minutes!

linguine alfredo with pancetta & peas
alfredo sauce adapted from cook's illustrated
30 minutes, serves 4

1 pound linguini or fettucini
4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
3/4 cup whole milk
1/4 cup half & half
3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
salt & pepper
pinch ground nutmeg
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 cup frozen peas

1. cook the linguini according to the package directions. reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking liquid before draining the pasta.
2. saute the pancetta over medium low heat until crispy, about 5 to 8 minutes. set aside.
3. while the pancetta is sauteing, make the alfredo sauce. heat butter over medium heat in a large sauce pan until melted. whisk in the flour until it's cooked, smooth and golden, about 2 minutes.
4. whisk in the milk, half & half. add the garlic, good pinch of salt & pepper, and pinch of nutmeg and bring to a simmer.
5. add the frozen peas, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. remove from heat. remove the garlic clove and stir in the parmesan cheese.
7. whisk in the 1 cup of reserved pasta cooking liquid. stir in the pancetta. toss with the pasta & serve. 

2011.08.15 this was one of tea and scones' selections for the secret recipe club!

orange clementine pudding

i am a magazine addict. there, i said it. i average about two magazines a week - real simple, cooking light, cook's illustrated, fine cooking, bon apetit, popular photography, national geographic traveler - which is funny, since at one point in time kiplinger, rolling stone (they suckered me into a life time subscription, but i haven't gotten it in five years), self, and health were also thrown into the mix. it's a lot of information to sort through. which means i'm usually a month (or three) behind on my reading. 

not so with cooking light. it's one of the few that gets ripped to shreds within days of getting it. "ripped to shreds" sounds a bit harsh - maybe i should say "i rip out all the recipes that look good and toss out the rest." otherwise my book shelves would be full of magazines instead of unread books.

this is a perfect cooking light recipe. i've never made pudding from scratch before and this was a great one to start with. it's light and creamy, the perfect end to a meal. and since we had this on a weeknight, i made the pudding one evening and whipped up the cream and finished it the next. all in all, it was about 20 minutes of active time total. not bad at all.

i will definitely make this again, with one tweak: skip or significantly reduce the zest. sure, the zest adds an extra boost of citrus flavor, but it also adds chewiness and bitterness to the creamy citrus. it didn't bring much to the party.

orange clementine pudding
adapted from cooking light
15 minutes to make, chilling time, 5 minutes to finish, serves 2 adults

3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon each clementine and orange zest (optional)
1/2 cup fresh clementine juice
1 1/2 cups fresh orange juice
3 tablespoons corn starch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1. combine sugar, zest (if using), clementine juice, and orange juice in a small sauce pan over medium low heat. whisk in cornstarch and salt. whisk well to remove any clumps.
2. bring to a boil and boil about two minutes, or until thick.
3. remove from heat and stir in butter. pour into cups or a bowl. cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap (to prevent skin from forming) and chill a few hours until firm or chill overnight.
4. when ready to serve, whip heavy cream in a bowl until very soft peaks form. gradually add the confectioner's sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
5. fold half of the whipped cream into the pudding. serve the remainder on top of the pudding.