Hot Cakes by WonderSlim

These are called hot cakes by WonderSlim but, in reality, they are a healthy choice pancake with 12 grams of protein, 2 g of sugar, 120 cal, and 260 g of sodium all in one pack. You can buy it online at DietDirect.com

Holiday Tiramisu

Prep: 40 min

YIELD: 8 servings

I made this the holiday 2015 dinner and turned out delicious!

INGREDIENTS

3 cups brewed coffee, cooled

2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese at room temperature

6 eggs separated

14 ounces savoiardi cookies (firm ladyfingers)

4 ounces sugar, plus 2 tablespoons or more, for the coffee

2 shots rum,  optional

Pinch salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup shaved dark chocolate, to garnish

First prepare the coffee enough to serve 12 (about 3 cups) pour it in a bowl and allow to cool off, add 2 tablespoons sugar or sweeten to taste. 

Mix 6 egg yolks with 2 ounces sugar, and mix until you obtain a creamy light mixture. Then add the mascarpone to the sugar-egg mixture and continue to mix well. 

In a separate bowl, mix the 6 egg whites, pinch of salt, and the remaining 2 ounces sugar, until they reach a somewhat firm, but fluffy consistency, then add them to the mascarpone mixture. Stir in the rum, if using. 

Dip the cookies in the coffee, and one by one lay them flat into a 7 by 11 Pyrex tray, making sure you do not soak the cookies, as you want to make sure they maintain their firmness. Once the first layer of cookies has been laid out, spread a layer of the mascarpone cream on top, and dust with 1 tablespoon cocoa powder. 

Now, again, prepare another layer of coffee-dipped cookies, cream and cocoa powder. Garnish the top of the cake with the shaved dark chocolate.

Cover the tray with aluminum or plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 3 hours so the flavors can marry and the tiramisu can settle.

Enjoy !!!

Candy Crush Chocolate cake

I made this Candy Crush cake for a coworker as a birthday cake for her sister . It's a chocolate cake with vanilla icing .

All things bananas !

Today I made an oatmeal banana muffin and oh so healthy! All things bananas because last week I baked a banana bread, plus I was trying to finish up some of my baking ingredients from 2012. Well, today I used up some left over bananas and the rest of the gluten free flour.

At first, I was going to bake a chocolate banana cake or cupcakes, but then I found a more healthy recipe and went for it. The oatmeal banana recipe was pretty easy and fast to make, plus the muffins smell oh so delicious !!

Find the original oatmeal banana muffin recipe here http://www.simplyrealmoms.com/posts/oatmeal-banana-muffins .

I replaced the wheat flour and regular flour by using 2 3/4 cups of Bobs Red Mill gluten free flour and the unsweetened apple sauce with sweetened cinnamon apple sauce. Also, I didn't have the mini semi-sweet chocolate chips so I used bitter-sweet chocolate. Finally, I added 2 tbs each of flaxseed and wheatgerm, the muffin recipe turned out just fine and deliciously moist !

End of the Year Baking Cleaning Spree

So, its the end of the year again! Gosh, another year went by super fast and I decided to clean up my baking stash and bake some goodies for the holidays with what I have. Well, one of my cleaning spree baking  ingredients, the wheat flour, was taken away by my clumsy and lovable dog Rudy; yup, that's him below.
I would make the homemade wheat bread; but, thanks to Rudy, there was a change of plans there.

Rudy got in my baking supplies the other night and had some fun with the wheat flour bag. He woke up during the night and decided he was bored; so, he went straight to my baking ingredients. I woke up to a room full of flour all over the navy blue carpet; thanks Rudy for the "woof" morning mommy! But, I still love him, look at that face!!

So, getting back to my baking cleaning spree for the end of the year. As I am writing this blog I also have a banana bread baking in the oven; which is making my kitchen smell delicious! I decided to bake the banana bread to finish up the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free all purpose flour I had and use some more of the Xanthan Gum as well. The banana bread is a recipe from the Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free flour bag. When I want to use up an  ingredient and I don't know what to do, I just look at the package and see what's the recipe suggested; it's a great way to use up left over ingredients. 

This is the banana bread in the oven. I can't wait until it's done :-)

The banana bread recipe also let me use some more baking ingredients, such as walnuts, which I finished the bag, raisins that I also had in my cabinet and other usual baking ingredients.

For Christmas dinner, I am making Tiramisu for dessert which will allow me to use the bag of ladyfingers that has been in my cabinet for a few months now. In addition, I will use some of the brandy I also have for a while and cocoa powder. I still have a few chocolate cake mixes that I also want to use, but those will have to wait until next year; it's enough sweets for now.

So, just take a look in your kitchen cabinets and check the baking ingredients you have there; make sure you check the expiration dates and start by using the ones that will expire first. This is my end of the year baking cleaning spree suggestions... from my kitchen to yours :-)

Happy Holidays and a an even better New Year!!

Final product ... the delicious banana bread!

Chocolate Cake for a Rainy Day

Rain was pouring down for a couple of hours this afternoon; and, I have been craving a piece of chocolate cake. So, no better time to bake a chocolate cake than on a rainy afternoon.

Ok, so first let's get the chocolate cake batter going, I love my Kitchen Aid :-)

Second, someone has to lick the cake batter .... LOL! Not me, not this time ;-)

Oh yeah, the dogs are in the kitchen too... probably thinking I am going to drop some chocolate cake batter and they will get same of it. Nope, not this time. But, they also took a nap while waiting.

So, I also made some chocolate ganache to smear over the cake along with some fresh raspberries and homemade whipped cream... Yummy!!! Voila! The cake is done ... it's a very rustic looking cake, nothing fancy but it's delicious ;-)

And finally, I had my piece of chocolate cake... with fresh made Nespresso coffee!

Kai Lan Cake

Kai Lan theme cake for Mackenzie's 2nd birthday. It's a Kai Lan chocolate cake with purple buttercream icing. The Kai Lan cake was decorated with fondant; fondant flowers, sun, and birthday sign. The Kai Lan dragon boat is a plastic toy.

Birthday girl and me