Orange Mini Bundt Cakes with Orange Glaze

Holidays seemed to have kicked me straight in the butt this year. Usually, I'd be baking up a storm all the way 'till Valentine's Day but I seem to have taken a long hiatus from the kitchen despite my beautiful new KitchenAid that I got for Christmas.

It definitely made things a heck of a lot easier... Though I'm pretty sure I pulled some kind of weird shoulder muscle getting that hunk of a machine out of the box and onto the counter.

Homegirl needs to go on a diet ASAP.

Maybe Christmas and New Years burned me out. Shafted along with Chris's 22nd birthday and our anniversary, blogging kind of had to take a backseat for a bit.

But now I'm back. And the Florida sunshine has not followed me into Louisiana territory.

I'm pretty sure it was so cold one night I could see my breath inside the car.

With the heater on.

Totally not awesome.


Among my KitchenAid I did get a lot of more cool gadgets...AKA, this awesome mini bundt pan. Along with one of those brownie pans, a gorgeous glass cake platter (that turns into a punch bowl), and some other little baking goodies in my stocking. Yeah... I got out good this year. And yes, I do still get a stocking. My mother and I made an agreement that I get to have a stocking until I'm married. And I'm not married yet. So there.


While I've made a couple of things already with this pan, It's really fun to make bite-sized versions of little cakes that just look so beautiful glazed or even dusted with powdered sugar. This cake in particular was delicious. Soaked up with an orange syrup and then finished with a zesty citrus glaze...if you're a fan of oranges, this is right up your alley.

I'll be posting more often soon, so be on the lookout for new posts. BTW, you can totally make these in a cupcake pan as well or double the recipe for a full-size bundt cake Just sayin'.

Orange Mini Bundts with Orange Glaze
(makes 12 mini bundt cakes or cupcakes)

Bundt Cake Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
zest of 2 oranges
1 cup sour cream

Orange Syrup Ingredients:
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Glaze Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 tablespoon cream
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray a mini bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray (or line a standard muffin tin with 12 cupcake papers). In a medium size bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and sugar and mix until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add in eggs, one at a time, incorporating well after each addition. Add in vanilla and zest. Incorporate sour cream.

3. With the mixer on low, slowly add in dry ingredients and mix until well-incorporated, scraping down the bowl as necessary. Fill each bundt mold halfway with batter (if there is any extra, pour into cupcake liners in a muffin tin). Bake for 15-20, or until a toothpick entered into the center bundt comes out clean.

5. For the glaze: While the cakes are baking, in a small saucepan set over medium heat, combine sugar and orange juice. Boil for 1 minute. When the cakes come out of the oven, allow to cool for 5 minutes, then invert on a wire cooling rack. Pour warm syrup over each of the cakes.

6. Combine all ingredients for the glaze in a small bowl and drizzle over warm or cool cakes.

Banana Nut Bread

I'm still not quite sure what part of me thought it was a good idea to get on an airplane during the Holidays and think that somehow nothing would go wrong.

I hate airplanes.

Wait, no, let me correct myself... I hate airports.

They are a pain. A big pain. Like... stepping on a bunch of lego's kind of pain. For one, all the food there is too expensive... even if it's just one little piece of fruit! I was in layover in Tennessee and you know how much it cost for one tiny palm sized apple!? $1.30! I could buy like... a whole POUND of apples for less than that. It was riiiiiiidiculous.

Not only that, but God forbid your flight delays. You know what there is to do at an airport if you're stuck there for an extra hour? nothing. You could walk around the whole airport... but then you start to feel really weird because you keep passing by the same stores and the people that work there start to give you funny looks like they've never seen someone stuck at an airport before.

Not to mention the fact that going through security takes five hours. Five hours of which you feel like you have to throw all your clothes off in lightspeed because somehow you ALWAYS end up in front of the one person who only takes like....a laptop and flip-flops.

All the while, you have to worry about being one of those selected people who get the majorly violating pat-down that will give you nightmares of security people touching you in weird places while you sleep. Keep your hands to yourself, please.

The worst part about it wasn't the security though. Or the one hour delay. Or the fact that we couldn't even leave the plane because for some reason the plane door wouldn't unlock, so we had to wait 15 minutes. It was the fact that before the flight I had meant to bring a slice of banana nut bread with me and I totally forgot.

I made banana nut bread before I left for what seems like the first time in ages. For years I've been searching for the banana nut bread that tastes most like the one my grandmother made, but I haven't been able to yet. I'm certain she made hers with walnuts, but for lack of time, I subbed out pecans. While the bread is still absolutely delicious, and probably one of the better recipes I've used, it still isn't my grandmothers bread. One day, I'll make it. But for now, this one will definitely do.

It uses up at least 5 BLACK bananas. Yes, BLACK bananas. Don't use them if their spotted. Wait until they are completely dark as night black. That's when the banana flavor is most prominent and sweet. And though you can use less than 5, I really recommend 5. It gives the bread a nice banana flavor that melds beautifully with the nuts, brown sugar, and dash of cinnamon. I also added a nice sugar crust to the top, which gives it a slight crunch when you eat it. It's perfect with peanut butter or nutella, or toasted with butter. And the slices are thick and well kept together enough that it can totally be made into french toast. So really, this banana bread is just all kinds of awesome.

Maybe if all the people work at the airport had this kind of bread for breakfast, they'd be less cranky. Including me.

Banana Nut Bread

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter, melted

3/4 (packed) brown sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

2 1/3 cups mashed black bananas (5 bananas)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease 9x5-inch loaf pan.

2. In large bowl, combined the mashed bananas with the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Stir in eggs, vanilla extract and cinnamon.

3. Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture. Stir together.

4. Sift in the 2 cups of flour, and then mix until there is no signs of flour left. Do not overmix. It's dangerous for your banana breads soul.

5. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out the middle mostly clean. Allow bread to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

I am not good at Christmas shopping.

Actually, that's a lie. I'm not bad at Christmas shopping at all.

I just have some issues when it comes to it.

For example, when I'm Christmas shopping, economic value goes straight out the window. It then becomes what I would like to call the "Aunt" value. In layman terms, what can I buy all my nieces and nephews that can trump the other 20 other uncles and aunts?

Suddenly, it's like I do not see price-tags on anything. Instead, I see a "lame" to "awesome" value of everything I contemplate buying my nieces and nephews. $2 dollar stuffed polar bear at walmart with a funky smell? Lame. Freakin' incredibly huge stuffed polar bear/pillow that smells like victory? Totally awesome.

Christmas. It's a time for giving, loving, family, being thankful... and competition.



Of course, this has put in motion some minor setbacks. Like...buying one niece #1 two things and niece #2 just one thing because I saw something niece #1 might like and therefore grabbed it and rang it up without thinking twice.

And then returning it once I realized I had already bought her a present. And then having a huge argument with myself on whether or not I should just buy everyone two things or just stick with one thing for all. Thus bringing me into a spinning mental state of what I should do ending in me being in the fetal position in the parking lot of Toys'R'Us.

Which isn't really an odd thing to witness this time of year.


Either way, Christmas shopping is both a blessing and a curse. Which is why after I come home from a nights worth of fighting with my brain about the whole Christmas present deal, I go into my kitchen and I bake something that fills the house with a very simple reminder. It's not about who gets the best gift, but about the fact that someone cared enough to get one for you.

I baked this the morning of one of those crazy Christmas shopping days, and honestly, just how beautiful it came out and how wonderful the apartment smelled afterward was enough to get me ready for the day.

It's a Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake. You may think that sounds odd, but pears are often quite complimentary for gingerbread. Right next to apple, it has a fruity sweetness that works in harmony with the spices inside the cake. It is an incredibly fragrant cake that has a glossy brown sugar shine on the top. The white chocolate drizzle is spiced with pumpkin spice, but if you don't have that on hand, a dash each of ground cinnamon/ginger/nutmeg/cloves will do the trick just fine. It really does complete the cake, I think. This is incredibly moist. I'm sure if this cake was an aunt, it'd probably win the "awesome" award right off the bat (unless, of course, its competition was a cheesecake). With just the right amount of spices, and caramlized pear slices on top... it makes a perfect brunch, breakfast, or light dessert. Plus, it makes your house smell like heaven. Who wouldn't want that?

Upside-Down Pear Gingerbread Cake

(adapted from Gourmet)

INGREDIENTS:
2 ripe pears
1/4 cup of salted butter, melted
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
2 1/2 cups of flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking soda
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon of ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon of salt
1 cup of molasses
1 cup of boiling water
1/2 cup of salted butter, softened
1/2 cup of packed light brown sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Peel and core pears and cut each into thin slices. Arrange pears in the bottom of an 8 inch springform pan. Drizzle with melted butter and sprinkle with brown sugar.

2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and salt in a bowl. Whisk together molasses and boiling water in a small bowl. Beat together butter, brown sugar, and egg in a mixer at medium speed until creamy, about 2 minutes, then alternately mix in one third of the flour mixture and half of the molasses mixture at low speed until smooth, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Pour batter over topping, being careful not to disturb pears, and bake in middle of oven until a tester comes out clean, 40 to 50 minutes.

3. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edge, then remove sides and invert a large plate with a lip over the bottom of the cake and, using pot holders to hold the pan and plate tightly together, invert cake onto plate. Replace any pears that stick to skillet. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Persimmon Coffee Cake

Fuyu Persimmons.

Does anyone else know what they are? Huh? Anyone out there?

Hello? Japan? Can you please explain yourself, here? Because I seriously need to know why these haven't been apart of my life until now. What else are you hiding from me?

Fuyu Persimmns. They blow my mind.

Upon my first meeting of the Fuyu Persimmon (not to be confused with its sister fruit, Hachiya Persimmon), I thought it was a tomato. Imagine my surprise when I brought a buttload of them home under the impression that I'd be eating BLT's all week, only to be told that those were definitely not tomatoes, but a fruit instead (yes, I know tomatoes are technically a fruit but I would rather not get into a political discussion about fruit today). I didn't believe it until I ran a knife through it and heard the familiar *crunch* noise that followed. It was as if I was cutting a juicy, firm, ripe apple. Except the taste was entirely different. Subtly sweet with a hint of what seems like cinnamon or honey, Fuyu Persimmons quickly became one of my favorite fruit the minute I snacked on it.

Which is why I had to take a perfectly healthy fruit and throw it in some butter and brown sugar and make a coffee cake.

What? It's only the logical thing to do.


In most persimmon recipes, they tell you to puree the fruit first due to its hard texture. But I merely chopped these up, threw them with some baking powder and then folded them into the batter like you would do for apples or pears. The result was a still slightly firm but mostly soft fruit buried within the coffee cake, giving bursts of flavor in every bite. Not only that, but the perfect crumble on top brings it all together for an awesome sunday morning treat or weekday brunch.

Or just a snack every time you pass by the kitchen. I'm not kidding. You won't be able to pass by this without grabbing little bits here and there.

I plan on experimenting with this fruit a little more since I still have quite a few left over. If you want you could easily substitute the persimmons for apples, pears, or any other fall fruit.

Just don't confuse them for tomatoes. It might mess up everything. Especially if you planned to use them for spaghetti sauce. Although, Fuyu Persimmon Spaghetti Sauce might turn out pretty awesome... Y'never know.

Fuyu Persimmon Coffee Cake

Coffee Cake Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
2 teaspoon baking powder, divided
1 stick butter, softened
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups chopped fuyu persimmons (3 medium persimmons, chopped)
1/2 cup of golden raisins (optional)

Crumble Topping Ingredients:
1/2 all-purpose flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, cold
powdered sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour a 9x13in. pan. Stir 1 teaspoon baking powder with chopped fuyu persimmons in a medium bowl to coat. Set aside.

2. Sift together all dry ingedients (flour through 1 teaspoon baking powder) in a medium bowl and set aside.

3. Mix together butter and sugar until creamy. Blend in eggs and vanilla until the batter is light and fluffy. Fold in the fuyu mixture into the batter.

4. Blend the flour mix into the fuyu mix until no trace of flour remains.

5. In a seperate bowl, make the crumble topping. Whisk together flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the batter is crumbly.

6. Pour the fuyu batter into the 9x13 pan, sprinkle the crumble topping evenly ontop.

5. Bake at 350F for 30-50 minutes or until a knife/toothpick comes out without crumbs when inserted into the middle. Let cool on a wire rack. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Identity Crisis White Cake with Strawberries

I truly believe that reality T.V. should come with a warning. Maybe like...

"WARNING! Please do not watch this show if you have any desire to keep hope for mankind." Or, "WARNING! Please do not watch this show if you have 4 feet of clean clothes to fold and put away and a sink full of dishes." Or even, "WARNING! Please do not watch unless you absolutely enjoy spending your time watching/making fun of/staring in disbelief at general human stupidity." Etc, etc...

Maybe, then, I wouldn't get stuck watching it so much. Then again, I could always get up and turn my T.V. off or change the channel... but every time I do that, I end up going to the food network, and for some reason Giada is always on. And while she's definitely not a horror to watch... I'm much more interested in seeing food than cleavage. Might as well go back to VH1 for that.

My mother and I were discussing reality T.V. last night. I'm definitely not as addicted* as her when it comes to keeping up with all the episodes but I shamefully enjoy a couple of them. My favorites happen to be celebrity fit club, tool academy, and occasionally celebrity rehab. And the next one that just started, Jessica Simpsons "the price of beauty" has already shown some kind of promise. I wouldn't even really count that as reality T.V. More like a comedy central skit with meaningful undertones. I mean seriously, Jessica... giggling in the middle of meditation with a bhuddist? Who does that?

Wait, i'm talking about Jessica Simpson, here. Why am I surprised? Kidding, kidding. Jessica, don't worry. I love ya for who you are. Really.



Anywho, so my mom and I were discussing reality T.V. and I had to laugh at what she was telling me. "You know," she began, "if these people want to lose weight (referring to celebrity fit club), they should just go on drugs. Then, they won't be hungry. And then they can go to celebrity rehab. And then they can go to sex rehab. Which will then lead them back to celebrity fit club..."

"Then they can make a show about finding their true love!" I piped in. "Yes, yes!" My mom laughed, agreeing. "...And then go right back to sex rehab." I slipped in smugly. We both broke out into fits of giggles.

I don't think that there's anything really wrong with some Reality T.V... I think that I, along with everyone else in the world, have a hard time turning away from watching a train wreck. And that's basically what reality T.V. is half the time. Fake or not, it is pretty darn funny to watch if you don't take it so seriously.

Plus, it's the perfect thing to watch when you're eating this cake. Because just like every single person on Reality T.V., this cake seems to be having identity issues. It can really relate.



I mean, it really just can't decide what it wants to be. When it comes to fashion, it leans towards the whole strawberry tiramisu look... but in terms of taste, it's more like a frosted version of a strawberry shortcake. Some may even say it's borderline neopolitan. But me? Well... I just see it as exactly what it is. A white cake filled with strawberries, frosted with vanilla buttercream and dusted with cocoa powder.

So in other words, a really gosh darn good cake that came out way better than expected.

I don't know what compelled me to bake a cake yesterday morning. I just kind of winged it, putting together different things that my family enjoyed and throwing it all together. Thankfully, the end product is a divinely fluffy white cake, a not-too-sweet buttercream, a perfectly light fruity filling and a wonderful burst of cocoa powder that just rounds it all out. I like it a lot.

It's not hard to make, at all. Though, I do recommend frosting it better than I did, letting the cake cool in the fridge before frosting. I admit, I suck at frosting cakes. Don't ask me why, I just do. Something about my whole "too-impatient-to-wait-to-put-a-second-layer-on" thing... Who knows. All I know is that this cake is awesome and you should definitely try it if you want something light and sweet. Or if you're having an identity crisis, too.



Identity Crisis White Cake with Strawberries
(Makes 2 8 or 9in. cake pans, or 9x13 pan)

INGREDIENTS:

Cake
2 1/4 cup cake flour
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
6oz (scant 1/2c) vanilla yogurt (fat free is fine)
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional, but highly recommended)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 cup milk (I used unsweetened vanilla almond milk, but whole, soy or skim milk will work fine)
1/2 cup water
6 egg whites

1/2 cup raw organic cacao powder (or another good quality cocoa powder)

Filling
1/2 tub whipped cream (or make about 1 cups worth of homemade)
1/2 pint of strawberries, sliced thin

Vanilla Buttercream
1/3 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-3 tablespoons milk

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat your oven to 350F and spray 2 9in. cake pans or a 9x13 baking dish with nonstick spray. Line with parchment paper if desired (RECOMMENDED).

2. To prepare the cake, sift the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl or mixing bowl, blend the butter, yogurt, sugar and orange zest if using together until smooth and light.

4. In a pyrex measuring cup or just a plain cup, combine 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup water, and extracts together.

5. In another separate, small bowl, using CLEAN mixers, whip the 6 egg whites until they form a nice soft peak (they don't have to be hard peaks, soft is fine... just make sure it isn't liquidy soft but structurally soft).

6. Alternating with the flour mixture and milk mixture, slowly blend in the flour, then the milk, then the flour, then the milk, then the rest of the flour, until well combined.

7. Take about 1/3rd of your egg white mixture and blend it straight in with a spatula to your cake batter. Proceed to FOLD NOT BLEND the rest of the egg white mixture to the bowl until there are only a few noticeable spots (do not over-mix at this point).

8. Pour batter in prepared pans, giving the side of the pan a nice little hit with your hand to smooth out the top of the batter. Bake for about 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean in the middle.

9. Allow cake to cool before removing and storing in the refrigerator, tightly wrapped, or just allow to cool COMPLETELY before frosting.

10. To prepare vanilla buttercream, mix the butter and vanilla extract together until smooth. Add in the powdered sugar and 1-2 tablespoons milk (if your mixture is too thick, thin it out with a little more milk).

11. To assemble cake, either cut through the middle of the two cakes to create a four-layer cake, or simply keep them as is (your choice). You may also cut off the tops of the cakes for a more smooth surface, if desired (recommended). On the top of one layer of your cake, fill the top with about 1/4 of your whipped cream (prepared or homemade), smoothing out to around the edges. Top with strawberry slices, slightly overlapping. Place the other cake ontop of it, and smooth out the whipped cream around the edges with an offset spatula. Place in refrigerator to set for about 20 minutes.

12. Once filling has set, take the cake back out, and proceed to use about 1/2 of your frosting to do an initial crumb coating on your cake. Frost your cake as desired with 1/2 of the frosting, then place back into the fridge until crumb coating is set. Take back out, and frost the cake with the rest of the frosting. Smooth with offset spatula for a clean look.

13. Sift the top of the cake with cocoa powder before storing, covered, in the refrigerator, or keeping covered at room temp. Unfrosted/unfilled cake can be frozen for up to 2-3 weeks.

Grapefruit Bars

I'm pretty sure that south is currently going through a week of PMS. One day, it's rainy and cold. Two days later, it's humid and sunny. Seriously, someone needs to give mother nature some chocolate to help calm her down so she can make up her mind.

It's dreary this Monday. Dreary. Sad. Depressing. Yucky. And while I don't mind the drizzling drops of rain, it does lead to a very slow and dark way to start off the week. And all this chilly weather has been going on long enough to have me pining for summer. I'm missin' the days of beaches and short shorts (although, not so much missing sixty year old guys at the beach in their tighty whities... I can pass on that). I find myself daydreaming about dipping my toes into the pool while enjoying frozen yogurt, or picnics by the lake with my favorite person. It seems like summer will never roll around, and with this constant teasing of off and on sunny/rainy weather, I'm craving the day spring presents itself at my door step.

Until then, though, I will have to make my own spring and summer.



I may not be breakin' out my bikini, but you might be tempted to if you're gonna make these grapefruit bars. Yesterday one of the nice ladies at my church brought a ton of citrus fruit that she had picked that weekend with her family. They were fresh, big, juicy, and all they needed was a good wash down and they would be ready for consumption. I'm not gonna lie, I was tempted to grab every single bag of fruit. And I probably would have. But God was watching. ;)

I used to dislike the taste of grapefruit This is probably due to the fact that when I was a kid, I saw my mom drinking it and I asked, "does it taste like orange juice?" She responded, "not really" and then proceeded to tell me she was on a grapefruit diet where all she did was drink and eat grapefruit and she'd lose weight. At the time I thought, "wow, that's dumb, I wouldn't try that"... but after she had left the kitchen and I was looking for something to drink, I decided to pour myself a glass and see what all this magical dietry belief was about. Now, mind you, I was a kid who was accustomed to all things sugar laden regarding fruit juices, so when I took a sip of no-sugar-added grapefruit juice, I promptly puckered up my lips, spit the vile concotion out into the sink and vowed that I would never go on the grapefruit diet and would much rather go on the oreos-and-milk diet. Now a days, though, I don't mind the taste. I think it's pretty good and reminds me a lot of lemon. And so, in hopes of coaxing spring and summer to come faster, I made these awesome grapefruit bars.

And I guess, if you happen to be on the "grapefruit diet", then TECHNICALLY you can eat these, since they have grapefruit in them...



But I don't think you'll see very good results. ;)

Grapefruit Bars
(Adapted from Crepes of Wrath)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour + 1/4 cup for filling

1/4 cup white sugar + 1 1/3 cup for filling

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt + 1/2 teaspoon for filling

1/2 cup cold butter, cubed

4 eggs

Zest 3 grapefruits

Juice of 1 grapefruit (about 2/3 cup)

Juice of 1 lemon (about 2/3 cup)

powdered sugar (for dusting)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, combine 1 1/2 cups flour and 1/4 teaspoon of salt and set aside.

2. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Slowly add in the flour and salt mixture until combined.

3. Press this mixture into a greased and/or lined 9×13 pan (I really suggest lining the pan with tin foil and spraying with Pam – this way, you can lift the bars right out of the pan when they’re ready to cut instead of having to angle your knife into a pan). Bake the crust for 15-20 minutes or until just turning golden on the edges.

4. While the crust bakes, combine the grapefruit and lemon zest and 1 1/3 cups of white sugar in a medium sized bowl and rub them together until the zest is incorporated into the sugar (this makes sure that all of the grapefruit and lemon flavor/oils from the zest is well incorporated into the sugar and filling).

5. Whisk or beat in the eggs and add the lemon juice. Add 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and whisk them in, too.

6. Pour the lemon filling over the hot crust and bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is set and doesn’t wiggle.

7. Remove the lemon bars from the oven and allow to cool COMPLETELY before sprinkling with powdered sugar and cutting. Makes about 12-16 squares, depending on how large or small you cut them.

Spiced Buckwheat Pancakes with Sautee'd Apples

Oh yeah. You heard right. Buckwheat. It happened.

Don't worry, I'm not gettin' all fancy and organic on ya.

Anyone who knows me knows that I am not typically a pancake person. Sure, they are good... but I only get a craving for them maybe once or twice a year. Preferably on thanksgiving morning with a tub of whip cream, maple syrup and bacon on the side. Other than that, I'm not really into the whole pancake obsession thing. But after today, I think I might be.

I forget whose blog I was looking at, but I had seen pictures on foodbuzz for buckwheat pancakes, and they looked so beautifully brown and sounded so good I vowed that very moment that at some time of the week, I was going to track down buckwheat flour and make them. And after four trips to the store turned up nothing, I had pretty much given up. It seemed that this flour had disappeared from the world, even in organic supplied markets. I was a sad panda.

But then, last night, at a last minute trip to the store for some milk and chocolate covered pretzels, I thought 'eh, hey, why not' and trudged over to the flour aisle. Surprise, surprise! What did I see? Buckwheat flour.
I was a very, very happy foodie.



While I'm not personally vegan, vegetarian, or anything like that, I am obsessed with this pancake recipe. And with buckwheat added in, it's a lot better for you health-wise than most pancakes. Not that that's going to stop you (or me) from drenching it in maple syrup but hey -- you only live once. And maple syrup... it makes everything better. Except, maybe, brussel sprouts (no offense to any maple syrup brussel sprout lovers out there). I also have an aversion to dairy so this recipe is easily adaptable so that I can make my cake and eat it too (Hah, cake, pancake, get it?).

If you have time, and you can find it -- make these pancakes. Make them with buckwheat flour. Make them with sautee'd apples. Make them with blueberries. Heck, If you're feeling extra decadent, make them with chocolate chips. I won't judge you.

Just don't leave out the maple syrup. Seriously. Maple syrup. Pancakes. It's essential.



Or, if you're my brother, serve yourself a pair with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice-cream.
It'll be our little secret.

Spiced Buckwheat Pancakes with Sautee'd Apples
(makes about 8 medium sized pancakes, and around a dozen silver dollar sized ones)

INGREDIENTS:

Pancakes
3/4 cup buckwheat flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1-2 tablespoons sugar (depends how sweet you like your pancakes)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
3/4 cup almond milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or 3/4 cup buttermilk)
1/4 cup water (or additional milk)
1 egg white, beaten until foamy
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 tablespoons unsalted vegan butter, melted (or regular butter) and cooled completely

1/2 cup add-ins (optional, such as blueberries, nuts, chocolate chips, etc)
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, for sprinkling (optional)

Sautee'd Apples
1 large apple, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine dry ingredients and any mix-ins (such as blueberries/chocolate chips/nuts) in a large bowl with a whisk, set aside.

2. In a large liquid measuring cup, combine almond milk, water, egg white, vanilla extract and melted butter. Whisk together till just combined.

3. Slowly pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients, stirring gently with a spatula or wooden spoon. Stir JUST UNTIL there are no signs of flour left. Don't worry if it's lumpy. It's suppose to be. Do not overmix.

4. Heat up a skillet to medium heat and spray lightly with cooking spray. When skillet is hot enough, test the heat by sprinkling water on it. If the water drops start to sizzle and dance, it's hot enough. If they evaporate immediately, turn down the heat a notch. If they don't evaporate or dance, turn the heat up.

5. Drop by 1/4 cupfuls (use a 1/4 measurement cups or 3 tablespoons) onto skillet. When the top of the pancakes start bubbling (it shouldn't take very long), flip pancakes over with a spatula and cook just a minute longer. Take off skillet and continue until there is no batter left. Makes about 8 medium sized pancakes, or a dozen silver dollar sized ones. Sprinkle with sugar/cinnamon mix if using.

6. To sautee' apples, take a seperate skillet and melt 1 teaspoon of butter over low heat. Throw in sliced apples, cinnamon, and sugar, and stir together until apples are coated. Cook until apples are soft, but still slightly firm.

7. Serve pancakes warm with sautee'd apples, real maple syrup, whip cream and freshly brewed coffee. And vanilla ice-cream, if you're feeling particularly naughty.

Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Muffins

Can I be honest for a second?

I am not a muffin person.

At all.

When I sit down and think about what I want for breakfast, I never think: "Gosh, I could really go for a jumbo blueberry muffin right now..."

New York crumb cake on the other hand, is an entirely different story. But that's irrelevant.

Muffins aren't usually on my list of things I crave; I'd go for a bowl of oatmeal with some sliced bananas and cinnamon before I'd go for a banana muffin, even if it had the same taste as my oatmeal.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd rather eat something that looks like more for breakfast than just a hand-sized muffin.

I'm also not a cranberry person... unless those cranberries are reduced to a sauce with balsamic vinegar and lots and lots of sugar. They are way too tart for my liking and I even dislike craisins, to an extent, because they are too sweet. Cranberries seem to get a bad rep in my life for being too tart or too sweet, so I never got into the habit of using them or eating them or including them in my every-day diet.

So the fact that one of the first baking recipes I ever made from scratch was: 1) A muffin and 2) filled with cranberries; is sort of ironic in a funny "wow, that's unexpected" kind of way.

But I've come to realize that bakers are just that. Unexpected. Weird. A little funky. And a little too quick to lick the spatula.

(Yeah, right. Since when is anyone too quick to lick the Spatula/bowl/detachable mixer handles?)

Personally, I love my little almondy cranberry muffins. They pack some serious moistness due to the fact that they are made out of 8 ounces of cream cheese instead of a cup of butter. In fact, these little muffins are probably low-carb power houses and if you happen to be on a low-carb diet then you'll wanna whip these babies up in no time because they are pretty gosh darn filling.

They don't need any additional oil to keep them nice and mosit -- the cream cheese does all the work. And the fact that they've got about 3/4 cup of oats thrown into them just means you're getting your whole-grain carbs, too!

Okay, now I'm just looking for excuses to make a muffin sound healthier than it is.

Forgive me. Some days I'm a baker. Some days I'm a dietitian. It's a rough line to balance on.

While you can choose to bake these in regular muffin tins, I go for the mini muffins one, just because that means that I have more of them and plus -- everything looks cuter when it's mini. Except Minnie Mouse. She's just creepy.

So if you're not like me, and you like cranberries and muffins, definitely make these. They're good. They're kinda good for you. And they are totally yummy.

Cranberry Almond Cream Cheese Muffins

(Recipe By: Alexandra Ramirez)

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup almond meal/almond flour

3/4 cup oats, quick-cooking

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

8 oz cream cheese, softened

3/4 cup sugar, divided

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 eggs

2/3 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup fresh chopped cranberries

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds or slivered almonds

CRUMB TOPPING

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 cup chopped or slivered almonds

6-7 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons sugar

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease 2 12 cup mini muffin tins (or a 12 cup regular muffin tin)

2. Whisk together flours, oats, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla extract, and beat in briefly.

4. In another seperate bowl, whisk together 2 eggs and remaining sugar until smooth and thick. Pour into the bowl with cream cheese, and blend on low until just combined (be careful not to overbeat here).

5. With a wooden spoon or spatula, begin to stir in flour mixture slowly. As you are stirring in the flour to the cream cheese mix, slowly pour the buttermilk in along with it. Continue to stir until there is no flour left. Your batter should be very lumpy but still wet.

6. Stir in cranberries and almonds.

7. Fill in muffin cups with batter about 3/4 of the way (a heaping tablespoon should do it for the mini muffin tins).

8. Prepare crumb topping by stirring the almond meal, chopped almonds and sugar together. Add melted butter. Stir until thoroughly coated and crumbly. Sprinkle generously over muffin tops.

10. Bake at 350F for 15-18 minutes. Muffins should be lightly brown on their sides but still generally light colored. When out of the oven, loosen the edges of the muffin from the tin with a clean, slick knife. Remove and cool on wire wracks.

Makes 24 mini muffins or 12 regular sized ones.

Peach and Blueberry Bread Pudding

Dear pound of plums at the market,

I have to confess. Ever since passing you over, I've felt pretty guilty. I mean, you were just sitting there. On sale. Begging to be bought. Loved. Made into a beautiful plum and nectarine tart. And right next to you was a pound of bright, pink peaches. They screamed at me. Absolutely screamed at me. I have to admit, plums. The decision wasn't easy. But let's be honest... Not many people know a lot about you, plum. And not many people are willing to try you. And actually, you were kind of squishy that day. No offense, but I don't think you were as ripe as you should've been -- and well... You know how people are with fruit-gone-bad. It's nothing personal. Really.

I hope you know that I did think about going back to you, plums. But those peaches. I couldn't stop myself.


I mean, come on. Look at that shapely body. Plums, you may have some curves goin' on... but jeez. These peaches were just showin' all the right things to me. You understand, don't you?

I know, I know... I'm not making this any easier. But I'm sure that someone who deserved you more than I took you home and loved you a whole lot. Maybe they made a plum and nectarine tart out of you, too. Maybe they made an awesome plum barbacue sauce. Or maybe they just thought you were good enough on your own to eat. Either way, I'm sure that you got the attention you rightly deserve, plum. And I hope you can forgive me for picking peaches over you. Next time, I swear I'll pick you up instead. Cross my heart. For real.


Honestly, this peach and blueberry bread pudding was a breeze to make. I even made it a day ahead of time and it sat in the fridge just fine until I baked it in the morning. Cover it with some caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought... whatever you have on hand) and warm it all up... Man. I may not be a peach person, but I definitely was a fan about two munches into this stuff. Do I dare try to make a toffee sauce ontop next time? Maybe. Maybe not. Oh, and if you've never made bread pudding before -- don't worry. Neither have I. It's as easy as pie. Okay, actually, it's a lot easier than pie. Especially pie dough. That stuff is ridiculous.

So if you have a spare stale loaf of bread lying around... Make it. Do it. Eat it. Eat it warm and out of the oven covered in caramel sauce. In a bowl or a cup with a big spoon. Your tummy will thank you.

(P.S: This is really easy to make gluten free, too. Just use gluten free bread in place of the french bread. And for a fabulous twist, you can experiment with different kinds of bread -- I hear old croissants work lovely.)

Peach and Blueberry Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups of stale, cubed french bread (note: if your bread isn't stale, you can easily stale it by putting it in the oven for a few minutes, or just by leaving it out unwrapped overnight/for a few hours)
2/3 cup fresh peaches, peeled and sliced thin (about 3 peaches)
1/3 cup fresh/frozen blueberries
Caramel Sauce (Like the kind you put on ice-cream)

Directions:
1. If baking right away, preheat your oven to 350.
2. Beat eggs in a large bowl until frothy (in other words, all bubbly and foamy on top.)
3. Add brown sugar, salt, milk, vanilla, nutmeg and cinnamon. Mix until well-blended.
4. Stir in bread and fresh fruit gently until just coated.
5. If baking right away, let sit for at least 15 minutes until the bread is well soaked. If baking the next day, cover with wrap and let sit in the refrigerator overnight or at least 30 minutes before baking.
6. Spray an 8x8 pan (I used a 9x13 inch) with non-stick spray, or lightly butter it. Then spread mixture in pan. Bake 35-40 minutes.
7. Warm caramel sauce in a microwave safe cup, then pour all over warm bread pudding. Eat while still warm (or, if you need to wait later to serve, keep it at room temperature and then stick it in a 325 degree oven for about 3 minutes or so to warm it up).

Tip: The longer the mixture sits, the better the texture.