Monthly Archives: August 2013

Wheat Walnut Rhubarb Bread

Whole Wheat Walnut Rhubarb Bread

I am still trying to use up the rhubarb my grandpa gave me. I found this recipe in a local magazine but of course I changed the original recipe up by adding the whole wheat and incorporating more rhubarb.

Ingredients;
1 &1/2 cups of whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup AP Flour
1 cup of brown sugar (not packed)
2/3 cup canola oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
2 cups of finely chopped rhubarb
1 cup walnuts (chopped finely)
1 egg

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350:

1. Place oil, egg, & sugar in medium bowl and mix.

2. Add buttermilk & vanilla and mix until incorporated thoroughly.

3. In a separate bowl sift both flours, baking soda, & cinnamon.

4. Add dry ingredient mixture into wet ingredient mixture.

5. Add in rhubarb and walnuts.

6. Fold the batter until all the ingredient are spread throughout.

7. Divide the batter evenly into 4 mini pans (about one heaping cup each)

8. Bake for 32 to 35 minutes at 350. Check bread using toothpick method.

Please note if you would like to bake a traditional size bread this batter will make two loaves. Bake traditional loaves for 45 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Whole Wheat Yellow Squash Bread

Our neighbors brought over beautiful heirloom yellow squash from their bountiful garden. I couldn’t wait to prepare a baked treat with it. I used a recipe that originally called for twice as much oil and 1/3 more sugar! I swapped out the half the fat with flaxseed and substituted half of the flour with whole wheat. You’ll never know the difference !

Yields 6 mini loaves or 2 large loaves

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 3/4 cup ap flour
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 milled flaxseed
2 1/2 sugar
2 cups of shredded yellow squash
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup of chopped walnuts (optional)
4 eggs (lightly beaten)

Directions:

1.Place all flours, spices, salt , flaxseed, and soda in large bowl.

2. Whisk around the ingredients until blended well.

3. Place wet ingredients, and sugar in a separate bowl.

4. Whisk in squash.

5. Add the wet ingredients into dry.

6. Spray cooking spray on bread pans.

7. Place about a cup to a 1 1/2 cups in each mini pan.

8. Bake at 350 for 35-30 minutes for minis and an hour or until toothpick comes out clean for standard loaves.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cake with Oreo filling

Today is my Dad’s Birthday and there is only one way to celebrate my dad’s birthday and that is with chocolate cake (and a large family gathering of course).

My dad’s favorite meal is dessert so sorry I didn’t go low calorie on this one. I used Ina Garten’s Chocolate Cake recipe with over 1000 positive reviews. As always I cannot leave well enough alone so I added Oreo filing inside and crushed Oreos on outside of the cake for some extra dazzle http://m.cookingchanneltv.com/recipes/ina-garten/beattys-chocolate-cake.html.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup canola oil
1 cup coffee (cooled)
1 3/4 cup AP flour
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 cups of sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup of Buttermilk
3 large eggs

Amazing Chocolate Frosting
Ingredients:
6 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips (melted and cooled
1 egg
1 1/4 cup confectionary sugar
2 sticks of butter at room temperature
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 TB instant coffee (dissolved in 2 tsp of hot water) side aside and let cool

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two 9 inch round nonstick baking pans and spray with combination flour cooking spray.

You don’t want to omit this step! The cakes come out like hot butter without any difficulty.

2. Sift all dry ingredients together.

3. Sift the ingredients into bowl attached to your stand mixer and place paddle attachment and mix until well blended.

4. In a separate bowl whisk oil, milk, eggs and vanilla.

5. Start to add wet mixture to dry on low speed.

6. Now remain on low and add coffee.

The batter will be very thin.

7. Measure evenly to batter between the two pans.

I always use my scale for accurate measurements. One was 1.95 pounds and the other was 1.96, pretty close.

8. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes and check using a cake tester or toothpick. When tester comes out clean remove pans from oven and place on wire rack to cool.

9. Let set in Pan for 5 minutes and remove to cool completely.

10. After cooled completely I like to cover in plastic wrap and place back in clean 9 inch pans and freeze over night in pans. This is essential prior to frosting.

11. Remove from pans from freezer and start working on frosting.

12. Cream the butter for 3 minutes with paddle attachment.

13. Add one egg (use pasteurized eggs for safety), and vanilla mix for another 3 minutes on medium speed.

14. Turn mixer to low and start to add the powdered sugar in 1/4 cup increments. Once thoroughly combined add instant coffee mix and cool melted chocolate.

To melt chocolate place in microwave safe bowl and heat for 30 seconds and stir and keep heating in 15 second increments until melted throughout.

15. Let cool before adding to creamed butter mixture.

16. Add chocolate and coffee to frosting.

17. Mix but don’t whip.

18. Uncover your cakes place flat side from pan on a cake board. Place frosting or filling of choice inside the cake. I used my trusty Oreo filling http://www.apinchofluv.com/wordpress/2013/07/04/chocolate-mini-oreo-cupcakes-with-oreo-buttercream/

19. Place the rounded side of the second cake on the frosting so that the flat side is facing up.

20. Fill gaps with remaining frosting and catch any crumbs.

20. Now your ready for the final buttercream frosting. Place a large dollop of frosting on the top if your cake.

21. Smooth frosting using a metal spatula.

22. You will think you don’t have enough frosting but you will.

23. Place 10 -12 Oreos in a food processor.

Pulse until the cookies are at the consistency you like and hand place the crumbs on the side until evenly spread.

The cake is suppose to serve at least 8 but that would be large slices !!!

Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies

Zucchini! I am bound and determined to make something with Zucchini everyday! Until my supply from the garden is exhausted! I decided to try a new cookie recipe even though I love my grandma’s (which I also have featured on this site). Yum yum!

Ingredients:
2 cups of Zucchini( after drained well it should yield about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs or 1/2 cup egg substitute
2/3 cup brown sugar (not packed)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 1/2 cup old fashion oats
2 tsp Vietnamese cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 teaspoon pure vanilla
1/2 -1cups of raisins (optional)

Yields 4.5 dozen

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Line baking sheet with parchment paper and spray with cooking spray.

2. Mix applesauce, oil, vanilla and sugars in a large bowl. Add eggs and stir until combined.

Ingredients

2. Add flour, soda, baking powder, salt and spiced sifted over wet ingredients.

3. Mix until incorporated. Add zucchini and mix.

4. Mix until zucchini is spread throughout.

5. Now toss in the oats and raisins and fold mixture until mixed throughout.

6. Use scoop of your choice or spoon out onto parchment paper.

7. 12 cookies to a half sheet pan is a nice amount. Bake in oven for 9 to 11 minutes depending on your oven.

Enjoy!

Homemade Cinnamon Applesauce

We still had about 3 pounds of early transparent apples leftover from my grandpa’s orchard so I made some of my grandma’s homemade applesauce.

Ingredients:
3 pounds of apples cored but not peeled
4 cinnamon sticks
The juice of one lemon

1. Chop cored apples

2. Place cored apples in crock-pot, add the juice of one lemon and the cinnamon sticks.

3. Turn crock-pot on high 2-4 hours, stir occasionally.

4. Remove apple sticks before serving

Yields about 4 cups of applesauce! You will love the smell that permeates throughout the entire house.

Baked Cinnamon Apple Fritter Donuts

We went back home yesterday to find a nice surprise of early apples from grandpa’s garden!

I couldn’t wait to bake a delicious treat with them! Early apples are best for baking because they hold their shape and they’re tart!

Ingredients:
2 cups of chopped apples (no need to peel the peel is where the nutrients and fiber are)
1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour
One and a half cups of AP flour
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of baking soda
Two eggs or half a cup egg substitute
1/2 cup of dried powdered nonfat milk
1 cup of water
Cinnamon and sugar to taste
Yields: 15 if using Wilton Donut Pan

1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Place all dry ingredients in large bowl whisk until combined.

2. Place water and eggs in small bowl and mix with fork until smooth.

3. Add wet mixture to dry and mix with large spoon until incorporated.

3. Once mixed well as picture below

4. Fold in chopped apples

5. Fold until evenly distributed

6. Spray baking donut pan with cooking spray.

7. Pipe with large round tip the dough around the ring of the pan to make batter evenly distributed.

8. Bake on 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean

9. Let donuts cool for 1 minute in pan and remove to wire rack. Spray donuts with cooking spray on side where pan was and dip in cinnamon and sugar blend.

Enjoy

Zucchini Dark Chocolate Cake!

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

We have zucchini coming out of our ears! And we don’t want it to go to waste! Just recently I found this recipe in FN Magazine and I have been etching to try it. I did do some modifications to add some of my own touches of course. PS it goes well with ice cream…..

Cake Ingredients:
1 medium Zucchini ( remove excess water)
1 1/2 cups AP flour, plus 1 TB
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 Tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 oz dark chocolate chopped finely
2 oz of semi sweet chocolate chopped finely
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup unsweetened coco powder
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla

Topping
1 tsp canola oil
1/3 cup chopped dark chocolate
1 tsp honey

1. Preheat oven to 350. Spray pan with cooking spray and sprinkle/dust pan with flour.

2. Chop chocolate finely.