Mexican Chocolate Cookies (for Cinco de Mayo)

So I originally made these cookies on May 4 as a snack to eat with my friend while he drove us to a CT Roller Derby bout.  They needed help at the last minute, so I volunteered to go as well.  However, after the cookies came out of the oven and I had left the kitchen, I heard this bang of pans hit the floor.  I don't know how or why my cookie sheets fell but I was extremely angry since they were now unedible.  I was going to make them again on Sunday but I was out all day and really didn't want to bake at 10:00 p.m. 

So yesterday is when they were finally made, and they turned out delicious!  The recipe comes from my Cookinglight Everyday Baking book.  It was an easy and quick recipe and I highly recommend them.  They have an extra kick in them that goes well with the chocolate.  I can't stop eating them and even though I saved some for my friend, he might not get them tomorrow. 

Here's what you'll need:

• 5 ounces bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped 
• 3.3 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3/4 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• Dash of freshly ground black pepper
• Dash of ground red pepper
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Place the chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on high for 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth.  Cool to room temperature.

Weigh or spoon flour into dry measuring cups, level with a knife.  Combine the flour and the next 5 ingredients stirring with a whisk. 

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended, about 5 minutes.  Add in the egg and beat well.  Add the cooled chocolate and vanilla and beat just until blended.  Add flour mixture and beat just until moist.

Drop dough a tablespoon at a time onto a coated cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until almost set.  Remove from oven and cool for 2 minutes on pans.  Then cool completely on wire rack. 

Enjoy!

Toasted Coconut-Chocolate Chunk Cookies

Last week I made these cookies for a very small road trip my friends from derby and I were taking to help out with a neighboring league.  The trip was only a couple of hours, but who doesn't want to snack on cookies with chocolate and coconut in them?  These were extremely easy and quick to make.  They also came out of my CookingLight Everday Baking book.

Here's what you'll need:

• 1 cup flaked coconut
• 4.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 1 cup)
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light)
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 2 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

 First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Arrange the coconut in a single layer in a small metal baking pan.  Bake for 7 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring once.  Set aside to cool.

Weight or lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup;  level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until blended.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended.

Beat in vanilla and egg.  Add flour mixture, beating at low speed just until combined.  Stir in toasted coconut and chocolate.

Drop dough by level tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto baking sheets coated with cooking spray.  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes or until bottoms of cookies just begin to brown.  Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Teriyaki Salmon with Mushrooms

I made this recipe for dinner almost two weeks ago but have had other things on my mind so that's why I'm late in blogging it.  My spring break was this past week and all I really did was go roller skating, study for my second Financial Accounting exam, and help in a roller derby scrimmage.  I know it doesn't sound like much, but I've also been running errands, and reading a book that's been saved on my iPad for a long time, that I didn't have time to get to until now.  So, this recipe comes from my Cooking Light Fresh Food Fast Weeknight Meals cookbook. The recipe also has a side to go with the teriyaki salmon, orange-ginger sugar snaps, but I chose to use rice instead.   The salmon was delicious and the teriyaki and mushrooms gave the rice an extra flavor, since rice is so flavorful to begin with. ;-) 

Here's what you'll need:

• 1/4 cup sherry (I used white cooking wine)
• 1/4 cup low-sodium teriyaki sauce
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon canola oil
• 1 8-ounce package presliced baby portobello mushrooms
• 4 6-ounce skinless salmon fillets (about 1"-1 1/2" thick)

Combine the first three ingredients in a small bowl;  stir to dissolve sugar.  Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat;  add mushrooms, and saute 4 minutes or until tender (it took more than 4 minutes for me, I don't remember how long though).  Add 1/3 cup sherry mixture to mushrooms.  Reduce heat, and simmer 1 to 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates (it will take longer, again, I don't remember how long.

Spoon mushroom mixture into a bowl and set aside.  Heat pan over medium-high heat;  add fillets.  Cook 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until browned on all sides (depending on how thick the fillets are, it will probably take more than 4 minutes).  Add mushrooms and remaining sherry mixture to pan;  cook 2 minutes.

Transfer fillets to a serving platter, and top with sauce and mushrooms.  Enjoy! 

Walnut Coffee Cake

Today's recipe comes from Cooking Light Everyday Baking, it's one of the cookbooks I got for Christmas from my secret santa, who happened to be my sister-in-law, Meghan.  This was the first recipe I have cooked from this book, and it was great.  It was your classic coffee cake without all the really horrible stuff in it you'd find in an Entenmann's.  There's a sweet streak of brown sugar, cinnamon and a little bit of a crunch of walnuts.  If you're allergic to walnuts you can substitute them for pecans.

Here's what you'll need:

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts (chopped to the size of a pea)
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 14.5 oz. or 3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 10 tablespoons butter, softened
• 6 large egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups nonfat buttermilk
• Cooking spray

First preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine the first 3 ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Weight or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 3 ingredients in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Combine granulated sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium-high speed until well combined (about 3 minutes).  Add egg whites; beat 3 minutes or until combined.  Beat in vanilla.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating well after each addition and scraping sides of bowl.

Spoon half of batter into a 10-inch Bundt pan coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle half of brown sugar mixture evenly over batter.

Spoon remaining half of batter into pan.  Top with remaining brown sugar mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Buttermilk Glaze

Last year I made this cake a bunch of times during the fall season.  I made it after my husband and I bought our stand mixer, I think it was the first cake recipe I made with the mixer, now that I think about it.  I made it a couple of times when I had some new friends come over for dinner.  I made it for Thanksgiving at my aunt's last year, and at my in-laws' Christmas party.  Since it was so loved last year at Thanksgiving, I made it again this year.  I'll probably make it the in-laws' Christmas party as well. 

The recipe comes from my Cooking Light Way to Bake cookbook.  Since it is a pound cake it feels heavy, and comes out nice, moist and very yummy.

Here's what you'll need for the cake:
cooking spray
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
4 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup non-fat buttermilk

Here's what you'll need for the glaze:
1/3 cup non-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

First, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Then lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray and dust with 1 tablespoon flour.  Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels;  cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels.  Let stand about 10 minutes.  Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed for 3 minutes or until well blended.

Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour  into dry measuring cups;  level with a knife.  Combine flour and next 4 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spoon batter into prepared pan.

Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.  Remove from pan;  cool completely on wire rack.

T prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat;  bring to a boil.  Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly;  remove from heat.  Drizzle glaze over cake.

Enjoy!

Decadent Double-Chocolate Bundt Cake

 Hey everybody!  Sorry it's been a while since I posted, been busy with a lot of stuff.  I'm trying to decide if I want to keep working where I do or if I should just go back to school in January as a full time student to get my certificate in bookkeeping.  Honestly, I think I rather go back and get the certificate so I can get a better paying job.  I like my job, but it's not something I can't see myself doing the rest of my life.  I know bookkeeping may not sound like the most exciting thing ever, but I'm a very quiet, shy person (around new people), and this would fit my personality.  I was thinking about going to cooking school, but I don't want to make one of my hobbies into a career, because then I may end up hating having to cook when I come home from work.  I tried making music into a career, and I ended up not enjoying playing my piano...which I miss greatly now! Anyway, my husband's birthday was at the beginning of November and I made him this chocolate bundt cake from my CookingLight Way to Bake cookbook.

Here's what you'll need for the glaze:
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup chocolate-flavored liqueur
2 tablespoons butter

Here's what you'll need for the cake:
1 1/2 teaspoons canola oil
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Cooking spray
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
6 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
13.5 ounces all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups 1% low-fat milk
2/3 cup semisweet chocolate minichips
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

First you'll have to prepare the glaze, so combine the first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly.  Cool completely.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  To prepare cake, drizzle oil into a 12 cup Bundt pan;  coat pan thoroughly using a pastry brush.  Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons flour, shaking out excess, then coat preparted pan with cooking spray.  I know it sounds like a lot to prepare the pan, but you don't want your cake to stick to it while you're trying to get it out of the pan.

Place 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar and 6 tablespoons butter in a large bowl;  beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes).  Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.  Beat in vanilla.

Weight or lightly spoon 13.5 ounces flour (about 3 cups) into dry measuring cups;  level with a knife.  Combine the flour and next four ingredients, stirring with a whisk.  Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture;  mix after each addition.  Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes.  Fold in chips.  Spoon batter into prepared pan.  Swirl batter using a knife.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Immediately pour glaze over cake.  Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes.

Invert cake onto a serving plate;  cool completely.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Enjoy!  

Apple Upside-Down Cake

So I was originally going to make this for my friend's birthday but due to the fact that it takes me forever to peel apples, I didn't have enough time.  I made this while at my parents' place on Sunday for Sunday dinner, only this was the dessert.  It was delicious and I'm so glad I got to use more of the apples I picked from the orchard.  It was from my Cooking Light Way to Bake cookbook.  I added some Apple Spice for an extra flavor, you don't have to or you could just use cinnamon. 

Here's what you'll need:

for the topping (or rather bottom of the pan):
Cooking spray
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3 cups (1/4" thick) slices peeled Rome apples (I used whatever apples I had, but the book says 2 large ones should equal 3 cups)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 teaspoon Penzeys Apple Spice (optional)

Cake:
5.3 ounces cake flour (about 1 1/3 cups)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons butter, softened
2 large egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
3 large egg whites

First preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Coat a 9" round cake pan with cooking spray.
To prepare topping, combine 3/4 cup sugar and 1/4 cup water in a small heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly (about 3 minutes).

Continue cooking 4 minutes or until golden (do not stir).  Immediately pour into prepared cake pan, tipping pan quickly to coat bottom.  Arrange apple slices in concentric circles over warm caramel in pan.  Sprinkle with nuts (and spice); set aside.

To prepare cake, weight or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a whisk.
Combine 2/3 cup sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until light and fluffy.  Add egg yolks and vanilla to sugar mixture; beat until combined.

Add flour mixture and milk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix after each addition.

Place egg whites in a large, clean bowl.  Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form using clean, dry beaters.

Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Spread batter over apples.

 Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack.  Loosen cake from sides of pan with a knife; invert cake onto a serving plate.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Espresso Layer Cake

My dad's 61st birthday was a couple of weeks ago.  Since I don't make a lot of money I decided to bake him a cake made from his favorite drink in the whole wide world:  coffee.  He ended up getting an espresso cake, but espresso is just stronger coffee, I think.  My husband got him a DVD of that recent Three Stooges movie, another one of my father's favorites.  I've never made this cake before so it was a little bit of a challenge.  There were many ingredients and a whole lot of instructions.  The finished product was a success though.  I was afraid of it tasting too much like espresso or coffee, but it wasn't too overbearing.  I found this recipe in my Cooking Light Way to Bake cook book.

What you'll need for the cake:
Cooking Spray
1/4 cup hot water
2 tablespoons finely ground espresso
10.13 ounces all-purpose flour (about 2 and 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar (I used light brown)
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs
1 cup low-fat buttermilk

For the frosting you'll need:
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar (I used 1/4 light and 1/4 dark)
7 tablespoons evaporated fat-free milk
2 teaspoons finely ground espresso
1 and 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups powdered sugar
Whole coffee beans (optional, for decoration)

First you'll want to preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Also coat two 9" round cake pans with cooking spray, line them with wax paper, and spray more cooking spray on top of the wax paper.

Combine 1/4 cup hot water and 2 tablespoons espresso in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve.  Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife.  Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.

Combine granulated sugar and 1/4 cup brown sugar.

Place 1/4 cup sugar mixture, shortening, and 1 teaspoon vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at low speed for 30 seconds or until well combined.

Increase speed to medium; add remaining sugar mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, beating for 15 seconds after each addition.  Scrape sides of bowl; beat an additional 5 minutes.  Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute after each addition.

Add espresso mixture, beating until well combined.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Pour batter into prepared pans.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool in pans 10 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans.  Cool completely on wire racks.  Discard wax paper.

To prepare frosting, melt butter in a medium, heavy saucepan over medium heat.  Add 1/2 cup brown sugar; cook 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth, stirring frequently with a whisk.  Stir in evaporated milk, 1 tablespoon at a time;  cook 3 minutes or until mixture resembles caramel sauce.

Remove from heat; stir in 2 teaspoons espresso.  Cool to room temperature.  Stir in 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.  Gradually add powdered sugar, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting.  Top with remaining cake layer; spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.  Arrange coffee beans on top of cake, if desired.  Let cake stand 1 hour or until frosting is set.

Enjoy! 

Italian Cream Cake

I have made this cake maybe four or five times now.  It was a hit at my family's Sunday dinner, and a hit at my uncle's 50th birthday party too.  I also made it for my friend Kristin's (www.pursuitofvegetables.com) 30th birthday celebration.  My brother recently requested this cake for his birthday cake, so I was more than happy to make it.  This recipe comes from my Cooking Light Way to Bake cook book.

For the cake you'll need:
Cooking spray
2 teaspoons cake flour
1/3 cup butter, softened
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
2 large egg yolks
8 ounces cake flour (about 2 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans, toasted
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 large egg whites

For the frosting you'll need:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup (4 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Coat the bottoms of 2 (9 inch) round cake pans with cooking spray, wax paper, more cooking spray, and dust 1 teaspoon on each pan.  I don't know why they are asking for wax paper after already coating the bottoms of the pans with cooking spray, but I never like taking chances so I follow the recipe each time.  I would hate to get this delicious cake stuck to pans. 

Place 1/3 butter in a large bowl and beat with a mixer at medium speed until creamy.

Gradually add granulated sugar, beating well.

Add egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Combine 8 ounces flour, baking soda, and salt to a large bowl; stir well.  Add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.   

Stir in pecans, coconut extract, and vanilla extract.

Beat egg whites with a mixer at high speed until stiff peaks form.

Fold egg whites into batter.  Pour batter into prepared pans.

Bake for 23 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool.  Wait for the pans to be cool, then remove cakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

To prepare frosting, place 1 tablespoon butter and cream cheese in a large bowl;  beat with mixer at high speed until fluffy.  Gradually add powdered sugar, beating at low speed until smooth (don't over beat).  Add 1 teaspoon vanilla;  beat well.

Place 1 cake layer on a plate;  spread with one-third of frosting.  Top with remaining cake layer.  Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake.

Enjoy!