The Cake Slice- Cappuccino or Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cake

I've joined another group- The Cake Slice. I love baking cakes, they are probably my favorite thing to bake and decorate and I already owned the cookbook we are baking from, so I thought, why not? We are baking 1 cake a month from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne and for the debut cake- here is Cappuccino Chiffon Cake, or in my case, Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cake. You see, my family and I do not drink coffee, tea or alcoholic beverages, so thanks to Holly over at Phemomenon, who came up with a quick fix for subbing the expresso (she made a hot cocoa mix and told us all about it), we still were able to enjoy this cake. I was able to take this to a get together with some friends and it was a hit. Everyone really liked it. I have made chiffon cakes before, so the prep was easy and overall, I thought this cake was quite easy to prepare. The weekend I made it we had our first snow and the temperatures were in the 30's, so it traveled well and stayed nice and cold.

Go over to the Cake Slice Blogroll and see what all the other bakers did with their Cappucino or Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cakes!

CAPPUCCINO OR HOT COCOA CHIFFON CAKE adapted from Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes by Alisa Huntsman and Peter Wynne

Makes an 8-inch triple layer cake

1/4 cup of neutral oil (ie. vegetable, canola, or soybean) I used canola

6 eggs separated

6 tablespoons of freshly brewed espresso cooled to room temperature I used 6 Tbls of this hot cocoa mixture- 2 Tbls high quality cocoa powder+2 Tbls sugar +8 oz hot water (save the rest to make the soaking syrup)

2 teaspoons of vanilla extract

1 and 1/3 cups of cake flour*

1 and 1/2 cups of sugar

1 teaspoon of baking powder

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar

Cocoa powder or cinnamon for dusting

(*The recipe calls for cake flour and if you only have all-purpose flour on hand, you can substitute 3/4 cup (105 grams) all purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons (30 grams) cornstarch.)

Espresso (Hot Cocoa) Syrup

1/3 cup hot freshly brewed espresso ( I used the remainder of my hot cocoa mix and added sugar to taste and 1 tsp rum flavoring)

1/3 cup of sugar

1/3 cup dark rum, such as Meyers*(*if you want to leave out the rum you can use molasses thinned with pineapple juice and flavored with almond extract to equal 1/3 cup. Or use 1 to 2 teaspoons of rum extract flavoring but you'll have less syrup.)

Vanilla Whipped Cream

3 cups of heavy cream

1/3 cup of sugar

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line the bottoms of three 8-inch round cake pans with parchment paper but do not grease.

2. In a medium bowl, combine the oil, egg yolks, espresso (hot cocoa), and vanilla; whisk lightly to blend. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, the baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

3. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, whip the egg whites with the cream of tartar on medium-low speed until frothy. Raise the mixer to medium high and gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar. Continue to beat until soft peaks form. Do not whip to stiff peaks or the cake will shrink upon cooling.

4. Add the espresso(hot cocoa)-egg mixture to the dry ingredients and fold together just until combined. Add one fourth of the egg whites and fold them gently into the batter. Fold in the remaining egg whites just until no streaks remain. Divide the batter among the pans.

5. Bake the cakes for 18 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pans. Once cooled run a knife around the edge of the pans to release the cakes. Invert onto a wire rack and remove the parchment papers.

6. To assemble the cake, place one cake layer flat side up on a cake stand or platter. Soak the cake with 1/3 cup of the espresso (hot cocoa) syrup. Spread 1 and 1/3 cups of whipped cream evenly over the top of the cake. Repeat with the next layer the same steps. Finally, top with the third layer. Soak with syrup and frost the top and sides of the cake with the whipped cream.

7. To decorate the cake smooth out the whipped cream as much as possible on top. Lay a paper doily on top and sift cocoa powder or cinnamon over the doily to reveal a lacy detail.

Espresso (Hot Cocoa) Syrup-makes 1 cup

In a bowl, stir together the espresso (hot cocoa) and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Add the rum extract and let cool to room temperature.

Vanilla Whipped Cream-makes 6 cups

Place the cream, sugar, and vanilla in large chilled mixing bowl with chilled beaters. With the whip attachment, beat the cream until stiff peaks form.

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles and Chow Mein Cookies

Sometimes it is nice to have a familiar meal that you know will come together in minutes. This is one of those. I have been cooking chicken breasts ahead of time and using the shredded meat in lunches and other dishes. It came in handy for this meal.

We have been eating Cashew Chicken for years and always just served it over rice, but then I noticed Fresh Chinese Noodles in the grocery store, by the wonton wrappers and tofu and thought it might be nice to try them for a change. Well, here is the confession- we won't be going back to rice. These noodles are perfect for this dish and many others (like Kung Pao Tofu).

I knew I was going to be using chow mein noodles and happened upon these cute little cookies over at Taste and Tell and thought they would go perfect with this meal.

They were sweet but also a little salty and I made them too big, so I ended up breaking most of them in half. I also melted the marshmallows into the pb/butterscotch mixture to mellow the flavor of the butterscotch chips. Yum- I am sure they will find themselves into someone's lunchbox too!

Cashew Chicken with Fresh Chinese Noodles adapted from The Black Cookbook
1 cup diced celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 Tbls oil
1 can Healthy Request condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
2 cups shredded chicken
2 cups chow mein noodles
1 cup salted cashews

1. Saute celery, onion, and green pepper in oil until soft. Mix soup with milk and stir into celery mixture along with chicken, 1 1/2 cups of the noodles, and cashews.
2. Pour into a 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining chow mein noodles and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve over fresh chinese noodles or rice.

Chow Mein Cookies found on Taste and Tell who adapted from Goodman's Galloping Gourmet
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 10 oz. bag butterscotch chips
2 cups marshmallows
3 cups chow mein noodles

Melt the peanut butter and butterscotch chips together either using a double boiler or microwaving on half power until melted together. Stir in marshmallows and noodles. Drop by spoonful onto waxed paper, and let sit until hardened.


Coming tomorrow- The premiere of the Cake Slice- Hot Cocoa Chiffon Cake!

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies, Phyllo Mini Tarts 3- ways, and Gale Gand's Butterballs

My husband knows how much I like to bake. In the past he has asked me to make dessert for his work functions. This happens every couple of months and usually everyone requests Cheesecake Pops and I make them. This time his boss called him and asked him to ask me to make some desserts for a small lunch and then the next week for a larger event. I am getting paid! Anyway, I told him I didn't want to make Cheesecake Pops again (I like trying out new recipes) and he didn't have any suggestions, so that left me to decide what I would try.

I remember seeing these Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies in Southern Living (I still get my subscription even though we moved to Utah) and at the time thought they looked a little too fancy for everyday, so I thought this was the perfect time to try them. I just made them in a normal muffin tin, with normal size aluminum liners and made two small pies in ramekins, so we could try some too. I made them the night before and kept them in the fridge overnight. They required about 5-10 more minutes to set then the recipe suggests and the centers fell a little. Everyone loved them though. I thought they tasted more like cheesecake than pie, which isn't really a bad thing. I got the last bag of key limes at my grocery store and garnished them with raspberries and sweetened whipped cream.

The ButterBalls, (isn't that a great name) are the cookie featured on the cover of Gale Gand's Chocolate and Vanilla Cookbook (well, the vanilla side cover) and I thought they looked cute, so I made them. I made the dough and the vanilla sugar the day before and these were the favorite item with the tasters here. I couldn't keep the hands away. They were grabbing them right out of the oven, with the chocolate and then with the sugar. I finally had to hide them!

The mini phyllo shells are just so versatile and I tried a couple of different fillings. Everything was a hit. Next week for my hubby's workplace, I am going to make Bakerella's Cupcake Pops and Red Velvet Cake Balls, more Butterballs, and a few other things, so make sure you come and check them out!

Chocolate-Key Lime Cupcake Pies from Southern Living Magazine

Prep: 30 min., Bake: 20 min., Cool: 30 min., Chill: 4 hr.

12 jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups

Vegetable cooking spray

1 (9-oz.) package chocolate wafer cookies

1/2 cup butter, melted

3 (8-oz.) packages cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons key lime zest

1/3 cup fresh key lime juice

3 large eggs

Garnishes: sweetened whipped cream, fresh cherries and blackberries, fresh mint leaves

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Place 12 jumbo-size aluminum foil baking cups in lightly greased muffin pans, and coat with cooking spray.
2. Pulse chocolate wafer cookies in a food processor 8 to 10 times or until finely crushed. Stir together cookie crumbs and butter; firmly press on bottom and two-thirds up sides of each baking cup (about 3 Tbsp. crumbs per cup).
3. Beat cream cheese and sugar at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended. Add lime zest and lime juice, beating at low speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until yellow disappears after each addition. Spoon mixture into prepared cups, filling completely full.
4. Bake at 350° for 20 minutes or until set. Cool in pans on wire racks 15 minutes. Remove from pans to wire racks, and let cool 15 minutes or until completely cool. Cover and chill 4 hours. Garnish, if desired.

Mary's Butterballs from Gale Gand's Chocolate and Vanilla
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup raspberry jam or ganache*
2 cups vanilla sugar **, for rolling

In a mixer, fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it's light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Mix in the granulated sugar and when the mixture is well blended add the flour and mix until it forms a dough. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 3 hours to make it easier to handle. This also helps prevent the balls from flattening out too much when they're baked.
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Taking off pieces of dough with your hands, roll small (3/4-inch) balls of dough (about the size of a hazelnut in the shell). Chill them for 30 minutes in the freezerm then place them 2 inches apart on cookie sheets to allow for some spreading. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or just until the cookies are firm but not browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on the pans.
Spread the flat surface of half of the cooled cookies with the jam of ganache and top with a second cookie to form a little sandwiched ball. The filling will not show very much. Once you've sandwiched them all together, bury them in the vanilla sugar to coat the entire outside.
*Ganache (Gale Gand)
3 oz semi-sweet chocolate
1/3 cup heavy cream

In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate, stirring constantly. When melted, pour in the cream and whisk until combined. Remove from heat.

**Vanilla Sugar from Alton Brown
1 vanilla bean, whole or scraped
2 cups granulated sugar

If vanilla bean is whole, slice down side of bean with back of knife and scrape seeds into airtight container with the sugar. Cut bean into 3 pieces and bury down in sugar and seal tightly with lid. Let sit for 1 to 2 weeks. Use as regular, granulated sugar.

PEANUT BUTTER & CHOCOLATE KISS from Athens Fillo recipes
Ingredients
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup marshmallow creme
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
15 Athens® Mini Fillo Shells (1 box)
15 Hershey's® Kisses

In a small bowl, place peanut butter, marshmallow and vanilla. Blend well. Spoon 1 rounded teaspoon of filling into each Fillo Shell. Top with Hershey's® Kiss. Serve immediately.

Lemon Cream Phyllo Tarts by Mary Ann
1/3 cup lemon curd
1/2 cup Cool Whip
Athens mini fillo shells

place lemon curd in a bowl. Stir until color changes and well mixed. Add in Cool Whip and stir until mixture is smooth. Refrigerate or if ready to serve, fill phyllo shells. Garnish with whipped cream, Cool Whip, blueberries or other fruit.

Pumpkin Phyllo Tarts by Mary Ann
1/3 cup pumpkin puree
2/3 cup Cool Whip
2-5 Tbls brown sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice or 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp ginger and nutmeg, and 1/8 tsp allspice
Athens mini fillo shells

Combine pumpkin, Cool Whip, brown sugar and spices in a bowl. Stir until well combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Right before serving, fill shells and garnish with whipped cream or Cool Whip.

Coming Tomorrow- A Simple, Family Favorite-Cashew Chicken and Chow Mein Cookies

Vegetarian Pad Thai

I saw that Clara made this on I heart food 4 thought (she used shrimp) and since I have been wanting to make Pad Thai at home and also because it had tofu in it (Love tofu)- I decided to give it a go. Quick, easy, totally delicious. It was wonderful. Even the non-tofu lovers really liked this dish. The flavors were delicate and it was really simple to make. Perfect for a weeknight!

Vegetarian Pad Thai from Cooking Light

2/3 cup chili sauce (such as Heinz)

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 1/2 teaspoons grated peeled fresh ginger

1 teaspoon chopped seeded serrano chile

1/2 pound wide rice stick noodles (bánh pho)

4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided

1 (12.3-ounce) package extrafirm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2-inch cubes

2 large egg whites

1 large egg

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 cups fresh bean sprouts

3/4 cup diagonally cut green onions

1/2 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided

1/3 cup coarsely chopped dry-roasted peanuts

6 lime wedges

Combine first 6 ingredients; set aside.
Cook noodles in boiling water 5 minutes or until done. Drain and rinse with cold water; drain well.
Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add tofu; cook 7 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan.
Combine egg whites and egg, stirring well with a whisk.
Heat 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add garlic, and sauté for 10 seconds. Add egg mixture, and cook for 30 seconds or until soft-scrambled, stirring constantly. Stir in chili sauce mixture and noodles; cook for 2 minutes. Stir in tofu, bean sprouts, onions, and 1/4 cup cilantro, and cook 3 minutes or until thoroughly heated.
Sprinkle 1/4 cup cilantro and peanuts evenly over each serving of noodle mixture. Serve with lime wedges.

Coming Tomorrow: A Triple Threat of Treats- Chocolate Key-Lime Cupcake Pies, Gale Gand's Butterballs and Mini Phyllo Tarts, 3 Ways.

Slider Caesar Salad and Veggie Manicotti

Sliders are just too popular around here. My kids love them and they make a great, little lunch-I often sneak the leftovers into the lunchbox, if there are any leftovers.
We had a Rachael Ray night, combining two of her 30-minute meals. The salad was delicious- I swapped out the ground beef for lean ground turkey and used fat free mayo in the dressing. The kids were loving their little sliders on a stick. The veggie manicotti was a quick dish to throw together and these 2 dishes went really great together. As she would say, Yum-O!


Slider Caesar Salad From Every Day with Rachael Ray Magazine
2 kaiser rolls, cut into cubes
4 Tbls extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1/3 cup fat free mayonnaise
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
20 oz. lean ground turkey, 93% lean

One 12-ounce package romaine hearts, torn into small pieces

1. Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 375°. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the bread with 2 tablespoons olive oil, season with salt and pepper and toast for 8 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, 3 tablespoons parmesan, mustard and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil; season with salt and pepper.

3. Crumble the ground turkey into a medium bowl, season with salt and pepper and combine. Divide into 12 equal portions and roll into balls. Thread 3 meatballs onto each of 4 wooden skewers, leaving a 1/2-inch space between each; pat each meatball into a 2-inch patty.

4. Preheat a grill pan over medium heat. Brush the patties with olive oil and grill, turning once, about 6 minutes total for medium.

5. Meanwhile, add the lettuce and croutons to the dressing and toss. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 tablespoon parmesan and season with salt and pepper. Top with the skewers.

Veggie Manicotti from Everyday with Rachael Ray Magazine
Eight 6-inch-long lasagna noodles (I used whole wheat)

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

2 summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise

1 pint cottage cheese, drained in a strainer

One 16-ounce jar roasted red peppers, drained and 1/3 cup finely chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped basil leaves, plus 8 leaves, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper

1 tomato, chopped

1. In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the noodles, stirring often, until al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water.

2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the zucchini and cook, stirring, until golden, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl to cool.

3. Using a food processor, puree the drained cheese until smooth; add to the zucchini along with the chopped roasted peppers and chopped basil. Season with salt and pepper. Rinse the food processor bowl.

4. Lay the noodles flat on a work surface. Place an equal amount of the zucchini mixture at the end of each noodle, then roll up. Divide the rolls among 4 dinner plates.

5. Using the food processor, puree the remaining roasted peppers with the tomato until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and pour over the rolls. Top with the sliced basil.

Weekly Lunchbox- Popcorn Squares, Stuffed Pitas with Tuna, Egg and Corn, Italian Lentil and Bulgur Salad, and Simple Chicken Parm Sandwiches

This week's lunchbox is super yummy! The Popcorn Squares were in Family Fun magazine and I decided to rework a granola recipe I made a few weeks ago so that we could have some homemade granola but also so I could use some in this recipe. It was a favorite. The Stuffed Pita is from a really cute Annabel Karmel cookbook called Lunch Boxes and Snacks. It has some of the best lunch ideas that I have seen. I doubled this recipe because it looked great and the rest of us were able to enjoy it too.

The Lentil Bulgur Salad is yummy and unexpected, because it has Italian Seasoning, I added some cooked chicken to the leftover and it made a great snack/lunch.

And last, the Simple Chicken Parm Sandwich. I doubled Prudy's Great Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns recipe and made them into minis, so I had great buns for sandwiches. I also had some leftover chicken, marinara and provolone, so I threw them all together. Delish!

Stuffed Pitas with Tuna, Egg and Corn adapted from Annabel Karmel's Lunchboxes and Snacks

2 eggs

1 6-oz can tuna, drained

1/2 cup corn

2 Tbls fat-free mayo

1 tsp white wine vinegar

4 scallions, chopped

salt and pepper

few drops of Tabasco sauce ( I used 3 drops)

alfalfa sprouts

2 whole wheat pitas

Put the eggs in a saucepan of cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, 7-8 minutes. Drain and cool under cold water. Peel the eggs when cold.

Meanwhile, flake the tuna with a fork and mix with the corn, mayo, vinegar, scallions, salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Roughly chop the hard-boiled eggs and add the the tuna mix with the sprouts., stirring well.

Cut the pita breads in half to make four pita pockets and divide the mixture among them.

Italian Lentil-Bulgur Salad by Mary Ann

1 cup bulgur

2 Tbls fresh lemon juice

2 Tbls olive oil

1/2 English cucumber, halved and sliced

1 1/2 cup fresh green beans, blanched

1 1/2 cups brown lentils, cooked

2 Tbls fresh parsley, chopped

2 Tbls. Italian seasoning

salt and pepper to taste

2 small tomatoes, chopped

Boil 2 cups of water and pour over the bulgur, that is in a large bowl. Cover and let bulgur absorb water. When water is absorbed fluff bulgur with a fork. Add lemon juice and olive oil. Stir well. Add cucumber, green beans, lentils, parsley, Italian seasoning, salt and pepepr. Mix well and adjust seasoning to taste. Add tomatoes and stir gently to combine. Refrigerate.

Popcorn Squares from Family Fun Magazine
1/2 cup honey
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 cup homemade granola*
1 cup roasted and salted peanuts, coarsely chopped
3 cups plain popped popcorn

Step 1 Line an 8- or 9-inch square pan with foil. Heat the honey in a large saucepan until it boils, about 2 minutes. Add the peanut butter and stir until mixture is well blended.

Step 2 Remove the pan from the stove and stir in the granola, the peanuts, and the popcorn until everything is coated.

Step 3 Press the mixture evenly into the prepared pan. Refrigerate the pan until the mixture is cool, about 30 minutes. (I refrigerated them over night and cut them in the morning).

Step 4 Cut the mixture into small squares . The treats will be a bit crumbly, so you may want to serve them in paper candy cups.

* Homemade Maple Peach Granola by Mary Ann

5 cups oats

heaping 1/3 cup wheat germ

heaping 1/3 cup flaxseed meal

1 1/4 cup macadamia, walnut, and pecan pieces

2/3 cup pure maple syrup

1/2 cup peach nectar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 T canola oil

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup raisins, or other dried fruit

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and stir until well mixed. Spread on a large jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 300 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes, or longer, until dry. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.


Simple Chicken Parm Sandwiches by Mary Ann
whole wheat mini buns (Thank you Prudy)
cooked chicken
marinara sauce
Provolove cheese slices

Spread marinara on both sides of the bun. Fill with shredded chicken, top with cheese. Pop in the microwave until cheese is melted and sammy is warm!

Tuesdays with Dorie-Lenox Almond Biscotti and Macadamia, Lime, and Dried Cherry Biscotti

This week's recipe was chosen by Gretchen of Canela & Comino. Check out her blog for the recipe or go to NPR where this recipe is posted. But really you should just be able to turn to page 141 of Dorie's Baking from my home to yours, because I know you all realize by now that you should own this book! Don't the goodies look good? Well, they are, and if you don't have this Cookbook you are seriously missing out, in my opinion.
A couple of weeks ago I saw a beautiful picture of biscotti on Steph's blog, A Whisk and A Spoon. She made some beautiful Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti and put them in a glass cup with a ribbon. So, I copied her idea.Mine didn't turn out nearly as cute as hers, but it was the best I could come up with. At least I am giving her the credit right? What really happened to these biscotti, both batches, was that they got packed up really tight and were shipped to a lucky soldier for Operation Baking GALS. I figured that since biscotti are already crisp, it wouldn't matter if they sat in the mail for a week or two. Hope they tasted good!

I made 2 batches. The first was plain, Lenox Almond Biscotti and the second were Macadamia, Lime, and Dried Cherry Biscotti. I only kept the very ends, so we really didn't get to taste too much of these. Out of the scraps that we tasted though, the Macadamia version were much more popular. These turned out rather flat, but I think that is because I didn't shape the logs into precisely the measurements that Dorie suggested. I got close enough and decided that was fine.

I had to bake them for longer than suggested, but other than that, this was a pretty simple recipe. To see all the other gorgeous Biscotti, check out the Tuesday's with Dorie Blogroll! Coming up next week-Pumpkin Muffins, yum!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes

I am always surprised when a cupcake tastes just like Pie. This one does! If you love pumpkin pie- make these cupcakes! (For a great Lemon Meringue Cupcake try THESE) I found these tasty morsels when I was browsing a great blog I Heart Cuppy Cakes, Go over and check it out- there are always tons of yummy and creative cupcakes popping up on Clara's blog. I took this to a get together this weekend and promised I would get the recipe up ASAP! These keep well in the fridge, although they probably won't last long enough, but I made them the night before, piped on the whipped cream and I think they are better chilled. But they taste good warm too. Just make them and you can decide for yourself!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes from i heart cuppycakes who adapted them from Gigi Cakes
Makes about 20 cupcakes ( I made 12 big cupcakes and 9 mini's)
INGREDIENTS
For cupcakes
1 cup pumpkin puree

1-1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1-1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

*1/2 tsp ginger

*1/2 tsp nutmeg

*1/4 tsp cloves

1/2 cup of canola oil

3 large eggs
*You can replace all those spices with 2-1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice if you have it For whipped cream

1-1/2 cups whipping cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp granulated sugar
cinnamon or nutmeg, garnish

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees. Line cupcake pan with liners.
Sift the flour, baking powder & soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and cloves and set aside. In your stand mixer with the paddle attachment, mix the eggs, sugar, pumpkin, and oil until smooth.
Slowly add the flour mixture until incorporated. Careful not to over beat.
Fill the liners 1/2-2/3 full and bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17-20 minutes.
Cool cupcakes before piping on whipped cream.
To make whipped cream—In mixer with whisk attachment, whip the cream, vanilla extract and sugar on high speed until thick.
To assemble cupcakes—Using a 1M star tip, pipe the whipped cream on each cupcake. Sprinkle with cinnamon (or nutmeg) for garnish.

Homemade Happy Meal- Mini Sliders on Whole Wheat Buns and Oven Fries

Do you ever just want the appeal of a Happy Meal at your own home? Well, here it is. A Homemade Happy Meal that is sure to please the kid in everyone. The only thing missing is a cheap, plastic toy, but this meal is so good, the kids won't even notice.

I have made Prudy's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns before, (Here with sloppy joes and Here on her site), so I didn't include the recipe in this post.

Please make these buns. They are so easy and so good. They are great to eat plain, with jam, or with anything in between. I doubled the recipe and we have been eating all kinds of sandwiches on these things. They are wonderful and so easy! I promise if you make them once, you will start doing it weekly like me. Thank you Prudy!

These sliders are super simple as well. I always use ground turkey and for these instead of the super lean ground turkey breast, I use the 93% lean, which is still healthy but keeps this little guys nice and moist. I keep the seasoning minimal, but a few dashes of flavor. You can make them cheeseburgers or not, all I know is that they were very popular.

I also made oven fries, which are so easy and you can season them however you want. I always make 2 pans, because I like the added spicyness of grill seasoning, but my kids like them with salt and a little pepper. The trick is to cook them long enough at a high heat to get them nice and golden.

This was a super fun and delicious meal! I hope you give it a try!







Mini Sliders on Whole Wheat Buns by Mary Ann

1 batch of Prudy's Whole Wheat Hamburger Buns, made into 20 mini buns

1-20 oz pkg. 93% lean ground turkey

1-2 Tbls worcestershire sauce

1-2 Tbls Grill Seasoning

1 tsp onion powder

lettuce

cheddar or provolone cheese, for those who want cheeseburgers

ketchup, mustard and other condiments

Make the rolls earlier in the day. They need to rise for a total of about 2 hours, so plan accordingly. They come together really quickly-seriously, it is a super simple recipe.

Mix ground turkey, worcestershire sauce, grill seasoning, and onion powder in a large bowl with your hands. Make sure the seasonings are mixed in evenly to the meat. Divide the meat into 16 equal balls. The easiest way to do this, is to divide it in half, then in half again and then each quarter into 4 parts.

In an electric skillet, heat 1 Tbls olive oil- spreading it with a brush or paper towel to cover the entire surface. When oil is warm, smoosh each ball of meat mixture into a patty, thin enough that it will cook thoroughly without drying out. Cook for about 3 minutes on each side. You will have to do this in two batches. If cheeseburgers are desired, add a thin slice of cheese once you turn the patty over. Remove patties to a plate lined with a paper towel.

Slice open a mini-bun and put a patty on top. Garnish with lettuce and whatever condiments you desire.

Oven Fries by Mary Ann

2 large baking potatoes, cut in half and then cut into thin slices

2 red potatoes, cut in slices or wedges

Grill Seasoning

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Place your cut potatoes on a baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 Tbls. olive oil and season with grill seasoning, salt and pepper. (Go easy on the grill seasoning if your kids don't like 'em spicy). Combine potatoes, oil and seasonings with your fingers, so all the potatoes are evenly coated. Arrange the potatoes in an even layer, leaving a little space between so they cook faster.

Bake for 15 minutes and then remove tray and turn them over and shuffle them around. Return to the oven for another 10-15 minutes, until cooked through and golden.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole

This was a really hard dish to get a good picture of. It was nicely stacked in the slow cooker, but when I dished it up, it all kinda fell apart. The pics don't do it justice. Just try to imagine beans mixed with pesto, layered with polenta, zucchini, mushrooms, cheese and then spinach and pesto on top. Oh and don't forget the tomatoes. I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious this ended up being. This was a tasty, easy dish that was full of flavor and veggies. I added a sliced zucchini because I had one and we had this on a busy weekend. If you need a side dish that is full of veggies, this is a good one. But, I am not going to lie, this is the only part of the meal that I ate.

Slow Cooker Vegetable Casserole adapted from Better Homes and Gardens Magazine
2 19-oz. cans cannellini beans
1 19-oz. can garbanzo or fava beans
1/4 cup purchased basil pesto
1 medium onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1 16-oz. pkg. refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices

1 zucchini, sliced

1-8 oz pkg mushrooms, presliced
1 large tomato, thinly sliced
1 8-oz. pkg. finely shredded Italian cheese blend (2 cups)
2 cups fresh spinach

Directions
1. Rinse and drain beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of pesto, onion, garlic, and Italian seasoning.
2. In 4- to 5-quart slow cooker layer half of bean mixture, half of polenta, zucchini, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta. Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours. Add tomato, remaining cheese and spinach. Combine remaining pesto and 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole. Let stand, uncovered, 5 minutes. Makes 8 servings.

Weekly Lunchbox- Pumpkin Spice Choco-chip Cupcake Minis, Roasted Chicken-Artichoke Calzones, and Mini Egg Tarts

This week's lunch box is looking a little bit sparse, but we have had alot of leftovers that are making their way into lunch, so there wasn't as much room for all the new recipes I wanted to make.


The first thing is this simple little mini-cupcake. I read in Parents magazine a few years ago about a mom who mixed a chocolate cake mix with a can of pumpkin and made "healthy" cupcakes for her kids. I don't use cake mixes very often, mainly because I love the actual making of the cake, but this was a super quick cupcake that I came up with based on that same idea. I used a spice cake mix, because it already has all the flavor in it and added a can of pumpkin, an egg, and some milk. Mix in some chocolate chips and you have a pretty easy, fairly healthy snack that packs well in the lunchbox. Now mind you, I made these after school one day and had to hide some so that there would be a few left for lunch the next day.


The calzone is a Cooking Light recipe that I have made a bunch of times and it is always a hit. It reheats easily and tastes great the next day. If you are in a pinch, you can use marinated artichoke hearts instead, just drain them really, really well and omit the salt, pepper, and garlic.


The mini egg tarts came about because I had an extra pie crust in my fridge and wanted to do an easy egg dish. I made some without any crusts and adjusted the filling according to who was eating which ones. Super easy. We had some for breakfast and the rest went into lunches.


This week's lunchbox also had some awesome sliders that were leftover from dinner, but I am posting those couple of recipes separately. Get your creativity going and make a fun lunch!




Pumpkin Spice Choco-chip Cupcake Minis by Mary Ann
Makes 60 mini-cupcakes
1 spice cake mix
1 15-oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 cup milk (I used half whole and half skim)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups mini chocolate chips
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Combine all ingredients except chocolate chips, in a large bowl and stir until thoroughly mixed. You don't want to have any gobs of dry cake mix in there. Add chocolate chips and stir just to mix in. Bake in mini-muffin tin filled with liners that are sprayed with cooking spray or in a silicone mini-muffin tin that is sprayed with cooking spray. Bake for 10-12 minutes, checking for doneness with a toothpick (done when it comes out clean. Let cool in pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then remove from pan to cool on wire rack.
These could also be made into a normal size cupcake, just increase the cooking time accordingly.

Roasted Chicken-Artichoke Calzones from Cooking Light
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups thinly sliced fresh spinach leaves
1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) shredded sharp provolone cheese
1 cup shredded cooked chicken breast (about 5 ounces)
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 teaspoons cornmeal
1 (13.8-ounce) can refrigerated pizza crust dough
Marinara sauce, for dipping

Preheat oven to 425°.
Pat artichokes dry with paper towels. Combine artichokes, salt, pepper, and garlic in a large bowl. Add spinach, cheese, and chicken; toss gently to combine.
Brush oil over a baking sheet; sprinkle with cornmeal. Unroll dough onto prepared baking sheet; cut into 6 equal portions. Cover and let rest 5 minutes. Pat each portion into a 6 x 5-inch rectangle. Spoon 2/3 cup spinach mixture into center of each dough portion. Fold one corner of each dough portion over spinach mixture to form a triangle. Press edges together with fingers to seal. Bake at 425° for 12 minutes or until golden.

Mini Egg Tarts by Mary Ann
1 refrigerated pie crust
5 large eggs
3 egg whites
dash of cream
1/4 cup skim milk
provolone or other cheese, shredded
cooked turkey bacon, crumbled
spinach, chopped
tomato, sliced
salt and pepper
fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut as many 2-3 inch circle as you can out of the pie crust (I got 10, by re-rolling the scraps and cutting out more). Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray. Fit a circle in each cup of the muffin tin.
Whisk together eggs, egg whites, cream, and milk. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in cheese.
Fill each crust with egg mixture, filling just to crust line. Top with sliced tomato, crumbled bacon, spinach, or thyme. You can also make these without a crust. Just mix up the egg mixture and pour it into a muffin tin coated with cooking spray.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until crust is golden, egg is puffed and cooked through. Remove immediately to wire rack and let cool for a few minutes.