Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

I've seen various flavors of whoopie pies show up all over the place in the past year or so, but I've never gotten around to making them. I thought this would be a perfect time of the year to make these because of the color, and there were several family members to help me eat them. The good Lord knows I don't need to eat all of these myself!

I thought they were delicious. If you're the kind of person that likes cake more than icing, these are for you. I've heard several people talk about cupcakes having too much icing, and they either refrain from eating them or they knock off most of the icing. Personally I've never met a cupcake with too much icing, but to each his own; I wont judge!

The only thing I'll do differently next time is to check them after being in the oven for 8 minutes. The original directions say 9-10 minutes, but I've changed that in the directions below to say 8-10 minutes. I took mine out after 9 minutes, but I think they would've been perfect at 8. The cream cheese icing, however was amazing and pairs perfectly with the red velvet.


Red Velvet Whoopie Pies

Ingredients:

Red Velvet
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed or unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg, room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon liquid red food coloring

Cream Cheese Filling
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
8-ounces cream cheese, room temperature
3 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract



Directions:
Red Velvet
Preheat oven to 375-degrees, and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment (can also use a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the egg beating well. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a small measuring cup, mix the buttermilk and red food coloring. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk mixture, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour. Drop heaping tablespoons (can also use a small ice cream scoop) of the batter onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing about 2 inches apart.

Bake for about 8-10 minutes or until the tops of the cookies, when lightly pressed, spring back (or a toothpick inserted into the center of a cookie comes out clean). Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.


Cream Cheese Filling
Beat the butter until smooth and creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar, and continue to beat until smooth and creamy.


To Assemble
Take one cookie and spread a heaping tablespoon of the filling on the flat side of the cookie. Top with another cookie.
The assembled cookies can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for several days.
My batter made 24 sandwich cookies (original recipe says 17 cookies)

Source: Joy of Baking

Molten Mocha Cakes

This dessert was the perfect ending to our anniversary dinner last week. I love that this recipe only makes two servings so we're not continually snacking on it during the week. The batter can be made in advance, so all you have to do is pop it in the oven right before eating dinner. By the time you finish eating dinner, the cake is warm and ready to eat.

The cake is moist and has a mocha lava center that pours out when you cut into it. The coffee flavor is mild, and even my man (who is NOT a coffee drinker) cleaned his dessert plate. While a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream and/or fresh raspberries would go quite well with this cake, I chose to let it stand on it's own. It looked quite elegant on the plate dusted with a little powdered sugar.


Molten Mocha Cakes

Ingredients:
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins
1/3 cup powdered sugar, plus more for ramekins and serving
2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, broken into pieces
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon espresso powder (I used Starbucks Via)
Pinch of salt
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, then dust with powdered sugar. Place butter and chocolate into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high in 20-second increments, stirring after each, until melted. Let cool slightly.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolk, sugar, espresso powder, and salt. Add chocolate mixture; whisk to combine. Add flour, and whisk just until combined (do not overmix). Pour batter into prepared ramekins.
**Recipe can be made ahead up to this point.

Bake until a toothpick inserted 1/2 inch from edge of ramekins comes out clean, and a toothpick inserted in center comes out wet, 10 to 12 minutes (do not overbake). Cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Run a knife around inside of ramekins to loosen. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar; serve immediately.

**If you want to double or triple this recipe, add about 3 minutes or so to the baking time.

Source: Martha Stewart

Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic

I had never tried broccolini until last week, but I knew I was going to love it. I'm a huge broccoli fan, and this is very similar in flavor. It's commonly referred to as baby broccoli, and it can be steamed or sauteed just like broccoli can. I actually prefer the broccolini since the stems aren't as thick, but unfortunately my grocery store doesn't carry it. I had to go to a specialty grocery store to find it, but I was okay with that since it was for our anniversary dinner.

The broccolini was tender with a slight crisp and had a subtle garlic flavor.  This will be on our menu in the future, for sure.


Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic

Ingredients:
1 bunch of broccolini
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:
Cook broccolini in a 6-quart pot of boiling salted water until stems are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes, then drain in a colander.

Heat oil in a skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then saute the garlic, stirring, until pale golden, about 30 seconds. Add the broccolini, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 2 minutes.

Source: Epicurious; originally from Gourmet Magazine November 2004

Neapolitan Pudding Pops

Popsicles are popping up all over the place (pun intended). Now you can make your own right at home, and the only supplies you need are Dixie cups and wooden sticks. I love the flavors and the colors of Neapolitan, so I chose to build my pudding pops around that. I am extremely pleased at the way these turned out, and eating them makes me feel like a kid again.

If you have children, this would be an easy recipe for them to help you with in the kitchen. Not to mention, they would have a blast eating their creation. Any pudding flavor would work, so get creative. I created my own strawberry-cheesecake pudding by mixing strawberry Nesquick with a cheesecake flavored pudding mix.

Neapolitan Pudding Pops

Ingredients:
1/4 cup strawberry Nesquick powder
1 (1-oz) box cheesecake flavored instant pudding (sugar free - fat free)
1 (1-oz) box vanilla instant pudding (sugar free - fat free)
1 (1-oz) box chocolate instant pudding (sugar free - fat free)

6 cups skim milk, divided

Supplies:
20 (3 oz) paper dixie cups
20 wooden sticks


Directions:
For the strawberry-cheesecake pudding, stir the Nesquick into 2 cups of milk until combined. Now make the pudding according to the directions on the box.
For the vanilla and chocolate pudding, make according to the directions on the box.
Place the pudding in the fridge for 5 minutes.
Set the cups onto a sheet pan. Put a heaping tablespoon of strawberry-cheesecake pudding into each of the cups. Place the pan in the freezer for about 2 hours or until the pudding is slightly frozen.

Next, put a heaping tablespoon of vanilla in the cup and then a heaping tablespoon of chocolate on top of the vanilla. Smooth out the chocolate pudding. Now put a wooden stick into the center of the pudding and stop when you feel the slightly frozen strawberry (you don't want the stick to go all the way to the bottom of the cup).

Place the pan back into the freezer for 8 hours (or overnight). Tear off the paper cup and enjoy!

**Note: If your wooden stick won't stand up straight, you can put a small square of aluminum foil on top of the cup and poke the stick through the center. The foil should keep the stick standing straight.

Nutritional Info (per 1 pop): 50 calories

Laughing Cow Breakfast Burrito

I've finally found a breakfast recipe that keeps me satisfied until lunch and doesn't take much time at all to make. It's packed with fiber and protein, and one burrito is only 175 calories. I have a small (9-inch) non-stick skillet, which makes clean-up a breeze. In the time it takes me to eat a bowl of cereal, I can make this burrito and clean the pan. I've eaten this for breakfast every day for the past week, and I can tell a big difference in my morning energy level.

Laughing Cow Breakfast Burrito


Ingredients:
1 wedge Laughing Cow cheese (plain or flavored)
1 small whole wheat tortilla (I use Mission brand carb balance)
1/2 cup Egg Beaters
4 drops hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
Fresh chives (optional)

Directions:
Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Cook the egg beaters, scrambling them as you go. Turn heat off and add hot sauce, stirring well. Spread the Laughing Cow cheese on the tortilla and microwave for 20 seconds. Add egg to the wrap and sprinkle with fresh chives.
Makes 1 serving

Nutritional Info: 175 calories; 3.5g fat; 17g protein; 8g fiber

Source: adapted from The Laughing Cow

Beef Stroganoff ... the lighter version

I've made ground beef stroganoff several times, but this is the first time I made it the "real" way. Well, the real-lighter way. This is a WW recipe that I found on Pinterest (my other addiction... I seriously think I need to go to Pinterest-anonymous).

I like to have a bed of egg noodles underneath the stroganoff because that's what I grew up with, but lots of people put it on a bed of rice. Either way would be delicious. I'll definitely be making this again. The beef was so tender, and all of the flavors came together nicely. My man even went back for seconds. I think fresh thyme works really well with beef, so I threw a little bit on top to enhance the flavors.

WW Beef Stroganoff

Ingredients:
3 ounces wide egg noodles
10 ounces lean boneless beef loin, cut into 1/2" strips
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
2 cups sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon reduced-calorie tub margarine
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup light sour cream
fresh thyme, to garnish

Directions:
In large pot of boiling water, cook noodles 5-6 minutes, until tender; drain, discarding liquid. Set aside; keep warm.

In medium nonstick skillet, cook beef over medium-high heat, stirring frequently,
3 minutes, until no longer pink. Remove beef from skillet. Wipe skillet clean; set beef aside.
Spray same skillet with nonstick cooking spray; heat. Add onions; cook over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, 7 minutes, until golden brown. Add mushrooms; cook, stirring frequently, 6 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove vegetables from skillet. Wipe skillet clean; set vegetables aside.

In same skillet, melt margarine; sprinkle with flour. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until bubbling. Continuing to stir, gradually add broth,
mustard, paprika, salt and pepper; cook, stirring constantly, 4 minutes, until mixture is thickened. Stir in sour cream.
Return cooked beef, onions and mushrooms to skillet; stir to coat. Cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is heated through.
Divide warm noodles evenly among 4 plates; top each portion of noodles with one-fourth of the beef mixture. Serve garnished with fresh thyme.

Makes 4 servingsServing size (3/4 cup beef mixture; 1/2 cup noodles)

Nutritional Info (per serving): 258 Calories, 9 g Total Fat, 3 g Saturated Fat, 68 mg Cholesterol, 393 mg Sodium, 24 g Total Carbohydrate, 2 g Dietary Fiber, 22 g Protein
WW: 7 points (point plus)

Source: Weight Watchers

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

This weekend is packed with celebrations... birthdays and Father's Day, so this gave me an excuse to make something sweet. Peanut butter with chocolate is a combination that most people enjoy, so I knew this would be safe (I've got some daring flavors that I want to try in the future).

These cupcakes came together really nice, but there's one think I would change next time. I used Mexican vanilla because that's the only kind I had on hand. While I love Mexican vanilla in ice cream and grape salad, it competed with the the chocolate flavoring a little more than I wanted. Next time I'll I make these using my trusty Madagascar Bourbon vanilla. 

The frosting stole the show! All of the ingredients came together perfectly, and the heavy whipping cream added a nice fluffy texture. You'll surely need a big glass of milk when you pop one of these in your mouth. Pure yum!


Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Ingredients:
8 Tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:
Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat to 350-degrees F. (If you are using a non-stick muffin pan, heat the oven to 325-degrees F.) Line a standard-size muffin pan with baking cup liners.

Combine butter, chocolate, and cocoa in a medium heatproof bowl. Set bowl over saucepan containing barely simmering water; heat mixture until butter and chocolate are melted, and whisk until smooth and combined. Set aside to cool until just warm to the touch.

Whisk flour, baking soda, and baking powder in a small bowl to combine.

Whisk eggs in second medium bowl to combine; add sugar, vanilla, and salt until fully incorporated. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined. Sift about one-third of flour mixture over chocolate mixture and whisk until combined; whisk in sour cream until combined, then sift remaining flour mixture over and whisk until batter is homogeneous and thick.

Divide the batter evenly among muffin pan cups. Bake until skewer inserted into center of cupcakes comes out clean, 18-20 minutes.

Cool cupcakes in muffin pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Carefully lift each cupcake from muffin pan and set on wire rack. Cool to room temperature before icing (about 30 minutes).

Yield: 12 cupcakes

Source: Brown Eyed Baker ... originally adapted from Cook's Illustrated


Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients:
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/3 cup heavy cream

Directions:
Place the confectioners' sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Yield: enough to frost 12 cupcakes

Source: Brown Eyed Baker ... originally from Ina Garten

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers

One of the reasons I love making stuffed peppers is because I don't have to worry about making a side item to go with them. They are a meal in themselves. Bell peppers serve as the "bowl" and can be stuffed with almost anything. I like to stuff them with a meat mixture, but I've never tried sausage. I was pleasantly surprised at how the flavors came together. I used a honey chicken sausage because that's the only healthy sausage my grocery store carried. I also added a pinch of crushed red pepper to the sausage to add a little heat to the sweetness.

This recipe calls for marinara sauce to be added before baking, but I forgot to add it. They were good nonetheless, and I saved a few calories that way.

Sausage-Stuffed Peppers


Ingredients:
Non-stick cooking spray
1 small onion, minced
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
1 large egg
3 Tablespoons ketchup
3 garlic cloves, minced or pressed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup dried plain bread crumbs
1 pound ground turkey sausage
4 bell peppers
1 1/2 cups marinara sauce, plus more for serving


Directions:
Brown the sausage.

Preheat oven to 400-degrees. Generously spray an 8x8 baking dish with cooking spray.
Mix together the onion, parsley, egg, ketchup, garlic, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Stir in 1/3 cup cheese and the bread crumbs then mix in the browned turkey.

Cut the tops off the peppers and use a spoon to scrape out the ribs and seeds. Stuff the peppers with the turkey mixture and place upright in the baking dish. Spoon the marinara sauce over the stuffed vegetables.

Bake uncovered until the vegetables are tender and beginning to brown, about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with additional cheese. Return to the oven for 5 minutes.
To serve, let peppers rest three minutes, then transfer to a platter and serve with additional sauce.

Source: Apple A Day

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

If you like banana pudding, you'll definitely fall hard for this ice cream. Each ingredient in the banana pudding is evident in this ice cream.... the vanilla wafers, dairy, and bananas. My only beef with it is that the whole mixture didn't fit in my ice cream maker. I'll have to halve or make 3/4 (if I can do that math) of the mixture next time.
You can also put some in a blender with a little milk to make a milkshake like the oh-so-delicious ones at Chick-Fil-A. I'll definitely make this recipe again. It's perfect for summer.

Banana Pudding Ice Cream

Ingredients:
4 ounces Cool Whip (1/2 of an 8-oz container)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 of a 14-oz can)
Scant 1/2 gallon milk (reserve about 1 cup for your morning cereal)
1 (2 1/2 ounce) package Jello Banana Cream Instant Pudding
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 bananas (mashed)
1/2 box of vanilla wafers, crushed

Directions:
In a bowl mix cool whip, condensed milk, banana pudding and about 1/2 of the half gallon of milk. Add mashed bananas and vanilla wafers.

Pour mixture into an ice cream maker. With machine on, pour in the rest of the half gallon of milk.

Stir the mixture and begin freezing according to the manufacturers instructions. My ice cream machine took about 15 minutes to get to soft ice cream.

Remove very soft ice cream and place in a freezer friendly plastic container. Serve with a slice of bananas and vanilla wafers.

Source: Joy The Baker

Strawberry Margarita Pie

We got together with Aubrey's family on Monday for a Memorial Day cookout, and I was in charge of bringing dessert. This frozen pie was perfect since the sun was out in full force that day, and the flavor mimics a strawberry margarita... hence the name.  It's almost like ice cream but not as creamy. This is definitely one of my favorite pie recipes, and I'll be making this again and again.

I'm really curious to know how it would turn out if I lightened it up a bit by using the fat free cool whip and fat free sweetened condensed milk. Heck, you could even use a store-bought pie crust, although it wouldn't be as good. I think this would be considered "semi-homemade" (hellloooo Sandra Lee). I'll have to try that in the future and let you all know how it "pans" out (pun intended). If any of my readers get to this before me, please let me know how it turns out. I have a feeling it will be yummy!

Strawberry Margarita Pie

Ingredients:
For the crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
8 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/3 cup sugar
3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
6 Tablespoons tequila
1/4 cup triple sec
3 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
Zest of 1 lime
2 cups heavy cream

For garnish:
Fresh strawberries
Lime slices


Directions:
For the crust:
Preheat oven to 350-degrees. Line the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with parchment paper. Butter the parchment, as well as the sides of the springform pan. In a medium bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add the melted butter and toss with a fork until well combined. Transfer the mixture to the springform pan and evenly cover the sides and bottom of the pan with crumbs. Use the bottom of a ramekin or your fingers to even the bottom crust. Bake in the preheated oven for 13-15 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the filling:
Combine the strawberries, sugar, condensed milk, tequila, triple sec, lime juice and lime zest in the bowl of a food processor. Process until completely smooth, scraping down the sides as needed. Transfer to a large bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the heavy cream on high speed until stiff peaks form. Add one third of the whipped cream to the puree and gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Stir in the remaining cream.

Assemble the pie:
Pour the filling into the crust, cover, and freeze overnight or until firm. To remove the springform sides, wrap a towel soaked in hot water around the outside of the pan for 10-15 seconds. Carefully remove the sides of the pan. Before serving, garnish with fresh strawberries and lime slices as desired. To serve, slice with a dry sharp knife, wiping the blade between slices.

Source: Annie's Eats