Category Archives: My Favorites

My Favorite Cheesecake and BSI: Cream Cheese Announcement

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Veronica

Fact: I don’t have a sweet tooth, I have 24 sweet teeth and if I hadn’t had my wisdom teeth and first molars removed to make more room in my tiny sugar-addicted mouth, I have no doubt they would be sweet too. Fact: Despite my sweet teeth, there are certain things I make or buy very rarely because I like them so much that my self-control us utterly nill when in their general vicinity. These things are: any kind of cookies, but particularly homemade chocolate chip, chocolate éclairs, pecan pie, and cheesecake.

Prior to giving in and making this particular recipe, I hadn’t made a cheesecake in seven years. But a friend requested one last year and I chose this recipe since I found it through one of my most trusted sources. After raving over it for two days, my friend let me have a piece while I was at her house (it was a gift to her in exchange for a favor she paid me), and I’ve never made another cheesecake recipe since. I have now made her three of these cheesecakes, which is a perfect arrangement because she always lets me have a slice and I don’t have to worry about going crazy and eating the whole thing in one sitting since it is not my cheesecake to dominate. But I totally would if I could, which is why I will never make this cheesecake only for myself. Never say never, but I’m saying it. NEVER. It is just too risky. (Full disclosure: the last cheesecake I possessed that was only for the two of us was ten years ago. It was about two-thirds the size of this one, and I ate it all by myself. In one day. And now you understand why I make them so rarely.)

This cheesecake comes out perfectly creamy with the best sweet-tangy flavor, enhanced by lemon zest. Due to the minimal mixing time, it is not prone to cracks caused by air bubbles in the batter. This doesn’t matter to me since I usually cover my cheesecake with a fruit topping anyway, but if you’re a cheesecake purist, you might dig the perfect top that comes out without doing anything special to achieve it. No water baths, no pan of hot water sitting in a rack below the cheesecake, no baking it at super-low temps or leaving it in the oven an hour after you turn it off. It’s a very simple, straight-forward recipe that yields a superior result, far better than any other I’ve tried. Try it for yourself and you be the judge.

Favorite Cheesecake

Printable recipe
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Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham crackers (about 25 squares)
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:
2 (8-ounce) blocks cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 lemon, zest finely grated
1 (16 oz) tub of sour cream

To prepare crumb crust: In a mixing bowl, combine the crust ingredients together with a fork until evenly moistened. Lightly coat the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan with non-stick cooking spray. Firmly press the mixture over the bottom and about halfway up the sides of the pan, using your fingers or the smooth bottom of a glass. Refrigerate the crust while preparing the filling.

To prepare filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese on low speed for 1 minute just until smooth and free of any lumps. Gradually add the sugar and beat just until incorporated. Periodically scrape down the sides of the bowl and the beaters. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and continue to slowly beat until combined. Stir in the vanilla and lemon zest. Blend in the sour cream. The batter should be well mixed but not overbeaten. Overbeating incorporates too much air and will cause the cake to puff when baking, then fall and crack when cooling. Pour filling into the crust-lined pan and poke any air bubbles you see with a toothpick. Smooth the top with a spatula.

Bake in a preheated 325 degree oven for 50-55 minutes (mine usually takes a little more than an hour, but I think my oven runs cooler than most). The cheesecake should still jiggle slightly, it will firm up after chilling. Be careful not to overcook! Do not do a toothpick test in the cake’s center, this will make a crack. Loosen the cheesecake from the sides of the pan by running a thin metal spatula around the inside rim. Let cool in the pan for 30 minutes. Chill in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for at least 4 hours to set up. Demold and transfer to a cake plate. Slice the cheesecake with a thin, nonserrated knife that has been dipped in hot water and wiped dry after each cut.

Recipe source: adapted slightly from Tyler Florence’s Ultimate Cheesecake

BSI Announcement

I’ve chosen CREAM CHEESE for this week’s Blogger Secret Ingredient contest. You can use regular, low-fat, homemade, or even vegan. Sweet or savory, snack or main course, you choose! I know you guys probably have a lot of great recipes using cream cheese and I can’t wait to see what you submit!

How to enter:

Make a recipe using the secret ingredient and write a blog post about it.
Include a link back to this post.
Add your entry to the comments section at the bottom of this post (permalink to your entry, not homepage, please).
Older/archived posts may be used as long as they’re updated with a link to this post.
If you don’t have a blog, but would still like to enter, please email me your entry (w/ photo) to vraklis (at) yahoo (dot) com

Deadline for submissions is Sunday, April 17th at 9pm (Central). I will post the roundup and the winner the following day and send a prize to the person whose recipe I like best. Please let me know if you are interested in hosting next week’s BSI.

For a list of all the previous hosts/choices, check out Biz’s BSI page.

If you have any questions please leave them in the comment area or send me an email and I’ll get back to you ASAP.

42 Comments

Posted in Announcements & Awards, Cake & Frosting, My Favorites, Pie and tagged baked, best, cheesecake, creamy, favorite, recipe, Tyler Florence, ultimate. Bookmark the permalink.

Chocolate Decadence

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Veronica

This is a dessert served on the Carnival Cruise ships (or at least it used to be in the late 90s), which I have made several times for my Mother as her birthday cake. It is one of her favorite cakes, right up there with THE Mocha Crunch Cake, and just as rich…and decadent. They aren’t kidding when they named this dessert, it really is chocolate decadence. No better way to describe it.

I originally made this according to their recipe, which is actually broken up into parts, referring to basic recipes in the “Chef’s Notes” in the back of the Carnival Creations cookbook for everything but the mousse layer. The cake consists of four recipes all combined to make one dessert: the cake layer, the mousse layer, the thin ganache layer, and the strawberry sauce. I felt that the chocolate sponge cake they used was much too dry for the dessert, and lacked in chocolate flavor since it contained only a few tablespoons of the good stuff. So I replaced it with my own simple one-bowl deep chocolate cake layer and was pleased with the result. It’s my first attempt at my own cake recipe and while it’s probably not perfect, it was perfect for this dessert. Moist, rich and fudgy, nicely complementing the rich rum-infused chocolate mousse.

I stuck with the recipe for the mousse, as that was always lovely and really is the star of the dessert. It firms up in the fridge and when you take a bite, it’s akin to eating a lightly textured truffle with cake underneath. Superb. My middle sister says it almost seems like you’re eating candy rather than cake but I say…it’s the best of both worlds!

When it came to the ganache layer, I considered making a real ganache, using heavy cream, but realized that since this dessert is served from the refrigerator and real ganache gets rock hard when chilled, it would be prudent to stick with this thinner ganache (or what I’ll now call a chocolate sauce) which thickens a little in the fridge but it still nice and soft when you cut into it.

As for the strawberry sauce, their recipe doesn’t make nearly enough (individual tastes may vary, but my family enjoyed having a large puddle of sauce on their plate beneath the small slices I served. Although the cake is wonderful alone, every bite seems improved when accompanied by a good dose of strawberry sauce!) and I wanted to use a bag of frozen strawberries I had in the freezer rather than buy fresh out of season, so I made my own recipe. You can use any recipe you like for the sauce, but if you want to use mine, you can click the link to it below.

This cake went over very well with my family. Although my Mom has always liked it, even in the days when I made it with the dry sponge cake underneath, the rest of my family never got very excited about it until I replaced the cake this time. Apparently that was the only change it needed, besides the increased amount of sauce. My little sister usually prefers citrus cakes (preferably unfrosted), but she proclaimed this “the best chocolate cake I’ve ever had.” I have to admit, I felt a little piqued at this since her devotion previously belonged to my beloved Mocha Crunch Cake, the cake I prize most…but I got over it because ultimately she still giving high praise to something I created. I’ll take it. :)

The recipe is a bit time-consuming since there are so many parts, but you can pace yourself and make the sauce several days in advance, the cake the day before (wrapping it in plastic wrap and refrigerating in the mean time), and since the cake needs to sit in the fridge overnight after you make the mousse and place the cake on top (which will later be flipped over), you can wait until the next day to make the ganache if you want. Take it little by little and it won’t seem so overwhelming.

I hope you give this one a try for a special occasion–it is worth the effort and sure to impress!

Chocolate Decadence

Printable recipe
Printable recipe with picture

Cake
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup sugar
½ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (I used coconut milk beverage)
¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
¼ cup warm water
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

Mousse
1 lb. semisweet chocolate, chopped
2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup Myers rum
6 egg yolks
½ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ cups heavy whipping cream

Chocolate Sauce
1/3 cup whole milk
3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (about 1/2 cup chips)
1 teaspoon butter, softened

For serving:
Strawberry Sauce
Whipped Cream

Make the cake: Sift dry ingredients into a bowl, stir, and then add the remaining ingredients. Beat with a whisk until smooth, scraping down bowl. Pour into a greased and floured round 8” pan. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes or until tester inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool five minutes on rack in pan, then remove from pan to cool completely, about 1-2 hours.

Make the mousse*: gently melt semisweet chocolate in a double boiler or microwave; stir in whipping cream. Cool. When cool enough that butter will not melt, beat in butter. Stir in rum. In large bowl beat egg yolks and sugar on high speed for 5 minutes or until very light; fold into chocolate mixture. In large bowl beat whipping cream until soft peaks form; fold into chocolate mixture. Line an 8” round baking pan with enough plastic wrap that it comes over the sides; spread mousse into pan. Place cake top side down on top of the mousse and press down to make sure that every part of the cake is in contact with the mousse and that the top is flat. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Make the chocolate sauce: Place the chocolate in a food processor or blender. Heat the milk until steaming hot, then turn on the food processor and, while running, pour the hot milk through the feed tube. Blend until smooth and allow to cool.

To serve: Place cake plate upside down on top of the cake, then flip over. Lift the cake pan off the cake (you may have to wiggle it or have someone hold down on the plastic wrap “handles” while you lift the pan). Remove plastic wrap; spread chocolate sauce over the top and refrigerate for at least ten minutes. Cut into 16 slices; serve with a dollop of whipped cream and strawberry sauce.

*Veronica’s note: I only make this cake once every three or so years, so I can’t recall my previous experiences with the mousse very well, but this time I had problems with the mixture wanting to get too thick every time I let it sit so I could beat eggs or beat whipped cream. To soften it back up before adding those elements, I just rebeat it with the same hand-held mixer I had just used on the eggs or whipped cream, then folded them in. I’m not sure if this is usual or if I overheated my chocolate (which can make chocolate thicker if it doesn’t altogether seize up) so I wanted to mention it just in case others had this difficulty. It is surmountable so do not despair! :)

Per serving (without sauce or whipped cream): 473 calories; 30.5 g fat; 50.5 g carb; 3.2 g fiber; 5 g protein

2 tablespoons strawberry sauce: 42 calories; 0 g fat; 11 g carb; .6 g fiber; .1 g protein

Recipe source: cake and strawberry sauce recipes by Veronica Miller; mousse recipe, dessert concept, and chocolate sauce adapted from Carnival Creations.

19 Comments

Posted in Cake & Frosting, My Favorites and tagged anniversary, baking, birthday, cake, carnival creations, carnival cruise, chocolate decadence, chocolate lover, decadent, dessert recipe, recipe, rich, romantic, sinful, special occasion, Valentine's Day. Bookmark the permalink.

Hummus and Baked Flour Tortilla Chips

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Veronica

Somehow, over time, hummus has become my favorite food. The food I think I could live on if I had to choose just one. I eat it almost every day, sometimes with pita chips, sometimes with baby carrots, and sometimes with homemade whole wheat tortilla chips. I often replace whole meals with it!

Hummus is essentially a white bean dip that originates in the Middle East and usually contains chick peas (garbanzo beans), tahini (sesame seed paste), lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, salt, and cumin. Most basic recipes contain all these and the only difference seems to be the amount used and the preparation methods.

I’m going to share my own recipe for hummus with you, one that is not only approved by me (a lover of all hummus), but by my husband, who used to detest hummus. I tried countless times to get him to like it, making him sample it every time I ordered it at a restaurant or bought some from the store, but he never enjoyed it until I started making it at home. I had almost given up hope and it does me good to have converted him, because now that we’re both eating it, it doesn’t hang around as long, tempting me to eat it all in one sitting.

You can always add less or more of any of the ingredients to make it to your own tastes, and there’s no reason you can’t have some fun and make variations on this basic recipe. I’ve made it into a sauce by adding yogurt, and I’ve also added pesto for a sandwich spread, inspired by Debbi’s recipe. My foodie twin, Melissa (so called because we have often cooked up the same thing in our kitchens over a thousand miles apart without realizing what the other is up to), likes to mix balsamic vinaigrette with hummus for a salad dressing and I can’t wait to try it that way. My blogger buddy, Biz, has made a beautiful beet hummus, and of course there’s always classic variations like roasted garlic & red pepper. Let your imagination run wild!

Hummus

Printable recipe
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2 (15.5 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and water reserved
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
salt to taste

Toast the cumin by placing it in a microwave-safe dish and microwave for one minute or until fragrant. Combine all ingredients in food processor with 1/2 cup of the reserved water and turn on. While it is running, slowly add more reserved water (I use another 1/2 cup or more) through the feeding tube, stopping to scrape down the sides, until the hummus is your desired consistency. Continue processing until smooth. Taste and add salt if desired. I like to sprinkle mine with paprika and drizzle with olive oil for a pretty presentation, and you can also use sesame seeds and additional garbanzo beans on top. Serve with pita chips, baked flour tortilla chips (recipe follows), or baby carrots. Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container.

To make your own baked tortilla chips, cut wheat tortillas (I like whole wheat, or use corn if you’re making them for another dip, like salsa) into desired shapes and put in an even layer on a baking sheet lined with foil and sprayed with cooking oil. Spray the tortillas with oil and sprinkle on some salt. Bake at 350 until edges are starting to brown, about 5 minutes depending on size of chips, turn them and bake for a few more minutes until browned. Chips will crisp upon cooling. Store leftovers in a Ziploc bag or airtight container.

Per serving (based on 16 servings and calculated without chips or carrots): 115 calories; 6.5 g fat; 11.5 g carb; 3.8 g protein

Recipes by Veronica Miller

This recipe is linked with The Balance Broad for BSI: Cumin.

17 Comments

Posted in Condiments & ETC., Mediterranean, My Favorites, Snacks & Appetizers, Vegetarian & Vegan and tagged baked chips, baked whole wheat chips, basic, bean dip, chick peas, cumin, easy, garbanzo beans, healthy, homemade chips, hummus, mediterranean, middle East, recipe, vegan. Bookmark the permalink.

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Veronica

I recently checked out Baked Explorations from the library and immediately honed in on the Cornmeal Griddle Cakes recipe because I’ve been wanting to try them for a long time. I think it took me all of two days to get to it. It was urgent! And I’m so glad I finally got to try some.

I don’t know if all cornmeal pancakes are this good, but if so, I was really missing out! Both my husband and I are awfully tempted to call them not just great pancakes but the best. ever. The best pancakes of all types that we’ve ever had. But, alas, we can not. The glorious fluffy buttermilk pancake will always hold the #1 spot, but these are just as good in a different way.

First of all, I was surprised by the texture. I expected that the cornmeal would make the cakes dry and more dense. Not so. They were extremely fluffy, moist and light. I don’t get it, but I won’t question it. The corn flavor comes through and just tastes so good with butter, maple syrup and pecans on top. Seriously. You must try this!

Cornmeal Griddle Cakes

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Printable recipe with picture

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk

Sift together flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in medium bowl. Bring 1 1/2 cups water to a boil. Place cornmeal in a large metal or glass bowl. Stirring continuously, slowly pour the boiling water over the cornmeal. Keep stirring until the mixture has cooled to lukewarm, almost room temperature. Add the brown sugar and stir until combined. Whisk eggs until pale yellow in separate bowl. Add buttermilk and whisk until blended. Add flour mixture, alternating with buttermilk mixture, to the cornmeal in three parts (beginning and ending with the flour mixture), stirring after each addition until just combined. Heat a skillet or griddle pan over medium-low heat. Spray with cooking spray and drop batter in 1/4 cup batches onto skillet. Cook until medium-brown, about 3 minutes, and the tops are bubbly, then flip the griddle cakes over and cook the other side for about 2 minutes and serve immediately. Serve with butter, pecans and maple syrup.

Makes 20 small pancakes. Per pancake: 85 calories; 2 g fat; 15.3 g carb; 1 g fiber; 2 g protein

Recipe source: slightly tweaked from Baked Explorations

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Posted in Breakfast, Lighter Fare, My Favorites and tagged baked bakery, baked explorations, best, Breakfast, butter, cornmeal, cornmeal griddle cakes, maple syrup, pancakes, pecans. Bookmark the permalink.

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Green Beans

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Veronica

If you’re looking for the usual fried “chicken” pieces (is that grisly stuff really chicken? It seems rather suspicious to me!) served with scary hot pinkish-red sauce, you’re in the wrong place! What I have instead is a wonderful version that does not involve frying, but does involve real chicken, with the only red in it coming from the peppers. It’s real. It’s healthy. It’s bright & colorful. It’s delicious! For reals.

Although I found this recipe unique and refreshing, I balked a little at the green beans. They just seem so random! I considered subbing green peppers, but I went with it and it all worked great, plus they made for a some nice visual variety amidst the square-ish chunks of chicken and peppers. I’d recommend following the directions, however, and cutting the green beans in half, because I discovered that forgetting to do so makes serving and eating them kind of tricky. Oh well, it was still delicious and there’s always next time!

Sweet and Sour Chicken with Green Beans

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Printable recipe with picture

1 cup long-grain brown rice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup white vinegar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 1/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 bell peppers (any color) seeded and diced large
1/2 lb green beans, trimmed and halved
5 scallions, thinly sliced
2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3 garlic cloves, minced

Cook rice according to package directions. Heat oil over high in wok. Add chicken, peppers, green beans and cook until softened, 5 min. Add scallions, ginger garlic and cook until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender, 4 min. Whisk soy sauce mixture, add to skillet, and cook until sauce is thickened, 3 min.

Serves 4. Per serving: 470 calories; 7 g fat; 63 g carb; 7 g fiber; 39 g protein

Recipe source: Everyday Food January/February 2011

This post is linked with Cupcake Muffins for this week’s BSI: green beans!

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Posted in Asian, Lighter Fare, Meats, My Favorites and tagged brown rice, diet, diet-friendly, green beans, healthy, peppers, sweet and sour chicken recipe. Bookmark the permalink.

Lighter Chicken Tikka Masala

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Veronica

Biz from My Bizzy Kitchen has been taunting me with her chicken tikka masala for months. And months. It’s my favorite Indian dish of those I’ve had the opportunity to try at restaurants, so I’ve been meaning to make it at home for quite some time. When Biz changed her recipe to lighten it up, replacing the heavy whipping cream with Greek yogurt, I knew it was time. And I could not believe that it was even better than what I’ve had at restaurants! Just like with the dal makhani, it was so good I couldn’t move on and had to bring it back to our menu a second week in a row. Except this recipe is actually better than the dal makhani, IMHO. Thank you so much, Biz, for sharing your wonderful recipe with us. I’m paying it forward to you, my readers, so that you can enjoy it as well. And you will–it’s simply divine!

Lighter Chicken Tikka Masala

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1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
3/4 cup (6 oz) nonfat, plain Greek yogurt, divided
1 tablespoon lemon juice
4 teaspoons ground cumin, divided
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 small jalapeno, cut in half, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 teaspoons paprika
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
6 dried red chili peppers
2 (8 oz) cans tomato sauce
1/4 teaspoon sriracha chili sauce (I use a full teaspoon for more heat)

Mix half the yogurt the chicken, lemon juice, 2 teaspoons cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper. Refrigerate and marinate for one hour. Melt butter in a skillet and add jalapeno pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the remaining 2 teaspoons ground cumin, garlic, paprika, curry powder, sriracha sauce and stir for 2 minutes, until nice and fragrant. Add chicken and cook for five minutes, turning pieces half way through. Add tomato sauce and dried chiles and simmer for 15 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked. Remove from heat, stir in remaining 3 ounces of Greek yogurt. Serve over brown rice and garnish with cilantro.

Makes 4 servings. Per serving: 205 calories; 2.5 g fat; 13.7 g carb; 3 g fiber; 29 g protein

Recipe source: barely tweaked from My Bizzy Kitchen

25 Comments

Posted in Indian, Lighter Fare, Meats, My Favorites and tagged chicken tikka masala recipe, diet, Indian, Indian cuisine, light, low-fat, spicy. Bookmark the permalink.

Favorite Banana Bread & Spices Giveaway Winner

Posted on November 27, 2010 by Veronica

First off, congratulations to Amanda, the winner of my spices giveaway! Check your email, Amanda, and send me your address so I can get them in the mail to you.

Now on to this banana bread. I started making it this summer and since the moment the first loaf came out of the oven, it became my favorite banana bread. In fact, I made it three times that first week because my family just couldn’t get enough. Which is one reason why I never got a very good photo of it. It seems to disappear before I have a chance to grab my camera.

Atypical of most banana breads, it has a fine, light texture and has a crispy, buttery crust. It is super sweet and with a perfect banana flavor. The only problem I have with it is that it bakes up flat. I even bought new baking powder and soda, and still, flat. I think this must be the result of the same thing that happens with “sad” cakes (the ones that sink in the middle) that have a high ratio of fat and liquid to dry ingredients. But, just as sad cakes are incredibly moist, so is this bread. And I seem to be the ONLY person that can’t bake it up with a dome on top. Check out the original recipe to see Mel’s pictures. And then check out my friend Cheryl’s loaf of this bread. They’re beautiful. Maybe it’s the climate here, or our altitude, or perhaps my kitchen is cursed, but based on the other photos, I’d have to say your loaf will probably bake up much nicer than mine.

And even if it doesn’t, it will disappear just as fast. It’s wonderful!

Buttermilk Banana Bread

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Printable recipe with picture

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup mashed ripe bananas (I use about 3 average-sized bananas)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 1 large (9 1/4 X 5 1/4-inch) loaf pan.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, bananas, buttermilk and vanilla until the batter is well mixed. Add in the flour, baking powder, salt and soda. Mix until well combined. Divide batter into greased and floured bread pans and bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Recipe source: My Kitchen Cafe

19 Comments

Posted in Bread, Breakfast, My Favorites, Sweets and tagged baking, banana bread recipe, cake-like, light, not dense. Bookmark the permalink.

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte

Posted on November 24, 2010 by Veronica

Happy Thanksgiving! OK, so I’m early, but I’m headed out of town for the holiday and won’t have internet access on the big day. Before we head north, I’m going to share a little gem I’ve been enjoying often but have been selfishly keeping to myself.

I’m sure your jaw dropped when you read the “Skinny” part of the title since I have posted very few healthy or low-calorie recipes in the past several months. Well, believe it or not, despite all the fattening stuff I post on here I’ve been working on losing weight since May and this delicious latte is one of the things that has helped me shed twenty-five pounds along the way.

I’m not a big coffee drinker but I absolutely adore this Pumpkin Spiced Latte and have been making it at least once a week since the beginning of October. It is sweet, spiced with a hint of pumpkin flavor, and it’s soooo wonderful topped with whipped cream or, my recent favorite, gingerbread mallows. For the above photo, I plopped them on top so you could tell what they were, but I prefer to put them in the empty cup, then pour the hot latte on top so that they begin to puff and melt (as in the photo below) and create a gingerbread flavored foam on top that I get a little bit of with each sip.

OK, I’m off to whip one up right now! Today I’m grateful for so many things, including you. Thanks for reading and have a safe and happy Thanksgiving! I’ll see you back here on Saturday when I announce the spices giveaway winner!

Skinny Pumpkin Spiced Latte

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Printable recipe with picture

3/4 cup fat-free milk
1 tablespoon pumpkin butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon sugar or sugar substitute (to taste)
1/4 cup strong brewed coffee
fat-free whipped topping or gingerbread mallows
pumpkin pie spice for topping

In a small pan whisk together milk, pumpkin butter and sugar until pumpkin butter is completely dissolved in the milk. Continue whisking and cook on medium until boiling. Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and coffee. Pour into a mug, add desired topping and a dash of pumpkin pie spice. Serve hot.

Nutrition information (calculated without topping, using my own pumpkin butter (26.3 calories per tablespoon), and Splenda): Servings: 1 • Weight Watcher Points: 2 pts • Calories: 102.7 • Fat: 0.4 g • Sodium: 101.5 • Potassium: 418.1 • Carb: 17.8 g • Fiber: 0.5 g • Protein: 6.6 g

1/4 cup Cool Whip Free adds 30 calories, 4 gingerbread mallows adds 45 calories

Recipe source: Gina’s Skinny Recipes

21 Comments

Posted in Breakfast, Condiments & ETC., Lighter Fare, My Favorites and tagged beverage, Breakfast, coffee, low-fat, pumpkin spiced latte, recipe, skinny. Bookmark the permalink.

THE Mocha Crunch Cake

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Veronica

Although I have made this recipe my own, I must give credit where it is due. Early in my cake-making days, I purchased Rose Levy Beranbaum’s Cake Bible and used recipes out of it to make the first stages of this cake. I’ve continually changed and evolved the recipe since then, and while I always ultimately preferred to use a Betty Crocker devil’s food cake mix rather than bake the cake from scratch, I have now found THE chocolate cake recipe that I actually prefer over the mix, and I have Mel of My Kitchen Cafe to thank for that.

Let’s talk about the current stage of this cake. The cake itself is light, moist, deeply chocolatey. An excellent crumb. Really, the best texture I’ve ever gotten from a chocolate cake recipe, except for this one. It’s perfect. The cake is enveloped in a buttercream that is deceptively light and almost mousse-like with a great balance of sweet coffee and chocolate flavor. The flavor combined with the velvety smooth texture makes it so good that I have been known to scoop the leftover frosting into a bowl and eat it straight. I chose to press chopped toffee into the sides of the cake because, to me, the flavor of toffee has always been a perfect compliment to chocolate and coffee, and it adds a nice contrast of texture to the bite. Finally, I eventually began smothering the whole finished cake in ganache to make it more visually appealing and to intensify the chocolate flavor. It is an immensely pleasurable treat that can be dangerous because it doesn’t feel fattening when it’s in your mouth and it’s easy to overindulge because it is so light. Do not be decieved! My thighs are a testament to the immense caloric level of each bite.

This cake is time consuming to prepare, but very much worth the effort, especially if you are making it for a birthday. And fear not that the little ones won’t enjoy it. My nephew has been devouring it since he was old enough to be allowed chocolate. And one of the ladies present at a birthday party where it was served told me that her daughter hates chocolate and she ate an enormous piece all by herself. I had to laugh, because that little girl is not the only one who has enjoyed the cake despite their aversions to aspects of it.

My Dad is a dessert hater. Honestly, I don’t know how he could have spawned me, the Dessert Queen, but it doesn’t change the fact that he doesn’t have a sweet tooth. But he loves this cake. My youngest sister is a frosting hater. She scrapes it off the cake. When I make this one she gets excited if I put extra frosting in the middle. And she licks the plate clean, frosting and all. My middle sister is a cake hater, and really just a hater of all things not raw and rich in antioxidants. But she scarfs this cake every time I make it and it is the only cake she will let me make for her birthday. My husband? A coffee hater. An intense coffee hater. And yet he perks up on the rare occasion I make a morning cup of Joe, hoping the smell means I’m making this cake. My Mom likes everything I make, but this is her favorite cake and also the one she prefers on her birthday. And not to toot my own horn or anything, but Michael Jackson left instructions in his will to be buried with three of these cakes. Or at least, I think he would have if he’d ever tried one. :)

A friend recently told me that this cake would be one of the only things she thought she would miss in heaven. Of course she said it to be funny since I doubt we’ll miss anything in heaven, but if were possible to miss something…I think I would miss it too.

THE Mocha Crunch Cake

Printable recipe

Printable recipe with picture

Cake
1 ¼ cups unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ cups all purpose flour
2 ½ cups sugar
2 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons salt

2 large eggs plus 1 large egg yolk
1 ¼ cups warm water
1 ¼ cups buttermilk
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Mocha Buttercream

¼ cup Kahlua
1 tablespoon instant coffee crystals
10 oz semisweet chocolate
6 large egg yolks
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup corn syrup

1 lb (4 sticks) unsalted butter

Ganache
4 oz semisweet chocolate
½ cup heavy cream

Additional

1-1 ½ cups toffee bits
2 toffee candy bars (such as Heath)

Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, making sure the baking rack is in the middle of the oven. Prepare two 9” round cake pans by cutting out a piece of parchment or wax paper to line the bottom of them. Grease the pans, place the parchment or wax paper in the bottoms and lightly grease again. Dust the pans with flour (or cocoa powder if you don’t want the white dusting on the finished cakes). Set the pans aside.

Sift together the cocoa, flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl. Add the eggs, yolk, warm water, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. Mix on low speed until smooth, about 3 minutes.

Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake the cakes for about 32-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with moist crumbs. Do not overbake! Remove the pans from the oven and set the pans on a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a thin knife around the edges of the pans and unmold the cakes, removing the parchment paper liners from the bottom of the cakes. Let them cool completely, top sides ups, on a wire rack. Trim the tops of the cake layers with a long serrated knife to make them level.

Make the buttercream: Put Kahlua in a microwave safe dish and heat until boiling. Remove and add instant coffee. Mixture will immediately boil up high and once it goes back down, gently stir it until the coffee is dissolved. Set aside to come to room temperature. Place the chocolate in a microwave-safe dish and heat for 30 seconds and stir. Continue heating in 15-second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is almost melted. Stir and allow the residual heat to melt it completely. Set aside and allow to come to room temperature.

Beat the egg yolks until light and mixer blades make tracks in them. Spray a 1-cup glass measure with cooking spray and set beside the stove. Combine sugar and corn syrup in a saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a full rolling boil. Immediately remove from heat and pour into the prepared measuring cup to stop the cooking. While mixer is running, pour the syrup in a steady stream into the egg yolks, careful not to pour it onto the beaters. Continue beating until mixture is room temperature. Beat the butter in a small bowl until fluffy, then begin adding it to the egg mixture a tablespoon or two at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Once the chocolate is cooled, turn the mixer back on and add the chocolate to the buttercream, beating until smooth. Add the cooled Kahlua mixture and beat until uniform & smooth.

Make the ganache: Place the chocolate and cream in a microwave safe dish and heat for a minute; stir. Continue heating in 15-30 second intervals until the chocolate emulsifies and the mixture is shiny, dark, uniform, and smooth. Allow to come to room temperature.

Assemble: Place one cake layer on plate and spread about 1 cup of mocha buttercream over the top. Put second cake layer on top and frost the top and sides with the remaining buttercream. Take handfuls of toffee bits and press them into the sides of the cake. Chop the candy bars into four pieces each and place with a pointed side up around the edge of the cake. Slowly pour the cooled ganache over the top of the cake and use a spatula to spread to the edges so that it will ooze out between the candy bars and down the sides a little. Sprinkle some toffee bits in the middle of the cake. Serve at room temperature.

Veronica’s notes: As many people have had trouble with the cake batter overflowing the pans during baking, I recommend you do what I did and only fill your pans 1/2-2/3 full and use the extra batter for cupcakes.

Recipe by Veronica Miller, with help from this recipe, and The Cake Bible.

And now, a photographic timeline to show the evolution of the Mocha Crunch Cake.

1st stage: three layers of (from scratch) devil’s food cake with mocha frosting and chocolate curls.

Stage 2: same as stage 1, except with toffee on the sides.

Stage 3: using a cake mix and with much shorter layers to make the frosting to cake ratio more equal, as my sister likes it. Mom wasn’t complaining! (On a side note, this is before I learned how to pipe roses and I was holding the tip upside down so the petals are backwards, which makes them look too fluffy–LOL!)

Stage 4: toffee removed and baked in a sheet pan to turn into a baby shower cake.

Stage 5: a ganache drizzle is added.

Stage 6: no more pussyfooting around. I slathered on a whole cup of ganache and embellished with candy bars!

And everyone rejoiced. The end.

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Posted in Cake & Frosting, My Favorites and tagged baking, birthday, celebration, chocolate, coffee, mocha crunch cake, recipe, special occasion cake, toffee. Bookmark the permalink.

1 Year Blogoversary: Thank You’s and a Top Ten–Yours and Mine

Posted on November 18, 2010 by Veronica

It has been a year since I decided I needed a new location for all the recipes I had been posting on MySpace. I started Recipe Rhapsody last fall with just a few interested readers. Faith, I think you were my very first (not counting friends and family)! Thank you so much for sticking with me and inadvertently introducing me to so many wonderful fellow food bloggers, especially Sophia, Brandy, & Biz. Thank you to Laura, Kim, Cheryl, Erin, Suzie, & Carla who all followed me from MySpace to continue to support and encourage me on my new blog.

I remember when I first started this blog, I’d log on every day to check my statistics and see how many people had found me. In the beginning, I got maybe twenty-five views a day. That quickly increased to the hundreds and eventually even reached thousands, and although I don’t check my statistics any more, I did so today so I could give you the latest report. As of this second, I’ve had 166,006 hits and am averaging about 1,000 per day. Wow. Thank you for your interest in little old me and my adventures in baking! Those are likely laughably small numbers to most bloggers, but they utterly floor me.

To celebrate Recipe Rhapsody’s first year, I put together a top ten. Actually, I put together two! The first is based on your favorites–those posts that got the most views to date. And the second is a top ten of my own favorites.

Reader’s Favorites:

1. Cake Pops won your hearts by a landslide, with 48,392 views since January.

2. Cinnamon Roll Sugar Cookies

3. No Bake Cookie Bars

4. Soft Caramels (oh, these would have definitely made my own top ten as well!)

5. Chicken Ranch Tacos

6. Best Made Plans & 10 Dozen Cupcakes

7. Rolo Pretzel Turtles

8. Cherry Cordials

9. Carrot Cake Breakfast Muffins

10. One Minute Mayonnaise

(Some of) My favorites:

Incredible Dinner Rolls

General Tso’s Chicken

Creamy Chicken Enchiladas

Dulce de Leche Apple Pie

Shrimp & Bacon Ranch Pizza

Chipotle Honey Roasted Peanuts

Mexican Corn Dip

Snickerdoodle Blondies

World’s Greatest Salmon

and last but certainly not least….(drumroll please)

THE Mocha Crunch Cake

Oh, you’re looking for the link to this one? Well, I haven’t posted the recipe yet, but you can look forward to it soon as part of the continued celebration of Recipe Rhapsody’s first year. It is my signature cake–my favorite, my family’s favorite, my customers’ favorite, and the one they most often order. And I (*gasp*) am really going to give you my secret recipe. Really, really!

Also, look forward to another giveaway later in the week as well!

And thank you all, my dear readers, for your continued interest and encouragement. XOXO