Strawberry Smoothie

Try drinking this delicious smoothie for dessert instead of reaching for the ice cream after dinner.  Or make it for a quick and healthy breakfast (as Dr. Agatston suggests).  The original recipe doesn’t list liquid of any sort among the ingredients and I thought it turned out a little too thick, so I thinned the smoothie with a little water.  Do that at your own discretion.  It was quick, healthy and delicious.  Enjoy!

Strawberry Smoothie

recipe adapted from “The Southbeach Diet Cookbook,” page 28

2 ½ cups strawberries

1 cup fat-free plain yogurt

1 tablespoon sugar (more or less depending on how sweet the strawberries are)

¼ cup nonfat dry milk

¼ cup chopped walnuts

3 tablespoons wheat germ (optional)

2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 handful ice cubes

2-4 tablespoons water to thin to desired consistency

Combine strawberries, yogurt, sugar, dry milk, walnuts, wheat germ, maple syrup, and ice in a food processor or blender.  Puree until smooth.  Add water (if using) and blend well.  

Lemon Bundt Cake

I’m finished with the South Beach Diet. Finished. While that’s not a celebratory statement, it’s something I can live with. It’s an “I quit two days in” statement, which taught me (again) that phase 1 just isn’t something I can live with. Phase 2 and 3 are alright, but I can’t survive with the limitations of phase 1. I need more variety including fruit and occasional simple carbohydrates.

This cake was so good, especially after sacrificing carbohydrates for a few days. I waited and made it a week after adding complex carbohydrates back into my diet. It was worth the wait. The ribbon of sweet cream cheese along with the moist lemon cake was delicious. Add berries and sweetened whipped cream for a heavenly dessert.

Lemon Bundt Cake
recipe from Carolyn Hurst
printable version of this recipe

Cake:
1 lemon cake mix
1 8-ounce package low fat cream cheese, softened
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg

Glaze:
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350.

Prepare cake mix according to package instructions. Grease and flour a bundt pan. Pour half of the cake batter into prepared bundt pan.

Combine softened cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and egg; mix until smooth. Pour or spread cream cheese mixture on top of cake batter, then pour or spread the remaining half of the cake batter on top of the cream cheese mixture. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes.

For the glaze, mix powdered sugar and milk together until smooth. Drizzle glaze over top of the cooled cake. Serve with berries and sweetened whipped cream if desired. Store left over caked covered in the refrigerator.

Magic in the Middle Cookies (Chocolate Cookies with Peanut Butter Filling)

I saw this cookie recipe last night and convinced my husband to lighten up about the extra pounds we promised we’d to loose and let me make (and share) them. It’s true; I've gained 15 pounds since I stopped breast feeding last June. It’s sad, really. My daily calorie requirements decreased substantially, but I continued to eat as much as I did before. I know; it’s the perfect formula for weight gain. So I made and shared the cookies with neighbors, eating two myself.

Magic in the Middle Cookies
recipe from MelsKitchenCafe.com

Chocolate Dough:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup white granulated sugar
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ cup butter, softened
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk

Peanut Butter Filling:
¾ cup peanut butter
¾ cup powdered sugar

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Lightly grease two baking sheets.

To make the chocolate dough, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl. Combine sugars, butter, and peanut butter in a separate mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla, egg, and egg yolk to sugar mixture and stir to combine. Add dry ingredients to sugar mixture and mix well.

For the peanut butter filling, stir the peanut butter and powdered sugar together until smooth. Roll peanut butter filling into 26 one-inch balls using a teaspoon scoop or floured hands.

Scoop 1 tablespoon of chocolate cookie dough (a lump the size of an unshelled walnut) onto a baking sheet. Press your finger into the center of the dough to make an indentation. Put one peanut butter ball into the indentation. Bring cookie dough up over the filling, pressing edges together to cover filling. Roll the cookie dough in the palm of your hand to smooth it. Roll in granulated sugar, place on baking sheet, and flatten to ½ inch thickness with the bottom of a drinking glass. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling, leaving 2 inches between cookies on the baking sheet. Bake 7-9 minutes, or until they’re set. Remove from oven and cool them on a wire rack. Enjoy!

Cookie Dough Brownies

At Christmas a few years ago my sister-in-law, Heather, received a data CD of family recipes from her mother. Heather was kind enough to install the files on my hard drive so I could also have a copy of their beloved recipes.

These decadent brownies are from their family collection, and they are every bit as good as their title sounds—delicious chewy brownies topped with creamy cookie dough and decadent chocolate glaze.  They are really, really good.  I didn't have walnuts when I made them this time, hence the brownies sans walnuts in the rather blurry photo above. 

Cookie Dough Brownies
recipe from Heather
printable version of this recipe

Brownies:
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups flour
½ cup cocoa
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup oil
4 eggs
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts, divided

Cookie Dough Filling:
½ cup butter
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour

Glaze:
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

Directions:
Coat a 9x13 pan with cooking spray and preheat the oven to 350.

In a mixing bowl, combine sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt. Add oil, eggs, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed for 3 minutes. Stir in ½ cup walnuts. Spread mixture into prepared pan and bake for 30 minutes; cool completely.

For cookie dough filling, blend butter and sugars in mixing bowl until creamy. Add milk, vanilla and flour; mix well. Spread over cooled brownies; refrigerate until firm.

For glaze, melt 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 tablespoon shortening in a saucepan, stirring until smooth. Spread over filling. Immediately sprinkle with remaining ½ cup of walnuts; press down on them lightly. Return brownies to refrigerator and allow glaze to set up completely. Cut into 2 inch squares and serve. Enjoy!

Fruit Crepes

It wasn't my intention to make such a patriotic dessert, but that's how it turned out.  It looks like this might be a good dessert to serve in July.

We always make a few sweet dessert crepes after eating savory dinner crepes.  My husband really likes cherries so we usually make cherry crepes, but we've also made peach and blueberry crepes, too.  The directions are below.  Enjoy!

printable version of fruit crepes

Crepes:
4 eggs
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 ¼ cups milk
¼ melted butter
2 tablespoons sugar

Mix all ingredients together and stir for 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl and stir 15 more seconds. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before cooking. To cook crepes, spoon 2 tablespoons batter into a hot, lightly greased 6-7 inch skillet. Rotate pan until batter covers the bottom. Cook on medium heat until bubbles appear; turn and cook the other side.

Other ingredients:
4 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
¼ cup sugar
Cherry pie filling, sliced peaches, sliced strawberries, or fresh blueberries
Sweetened whipped cream
Powdered sugar, sifted

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla and sugar together until smooth. Spread cream cheese mixture on warm crepes; top with fruit. Roll up and top with sweetened whipped cream sifted powdered sugar.

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

I saw this recipe on For the Love of Cooking and knew right away I had to try it.  Let me tell you, this lovely little cake is so moist and tender, and the textures from the frosting pair so nicely with it.  I love this delicious little cake. 

Oatmeal Cake with Coconut Pecan Frosting

recipe from For the Love of Cooking

printable version of this recipe

½ cup quick cooking oatmeal

¾ cup boiling water
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2/3 cup flour
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 egg
¼ cup shortening
*Coconut pecan frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 and prepare a 9x9 inch pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Pour boiling water over oatmeal, stir, and cover; set aside. Combine the dry ingredients, then add the egg, shortening and saturated oatmeal; mix well. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 23-25 minutes. (Note—I used an 8x8 pan at high altitude and ended up baking my cake for closer to 30-35 minutes.)

*Coconut Pecan Frosting
3 tablespoons melted butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
½ cup sweetened, shredded coconut
½ cup chopped pecans
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly. Spread frosting over hot cake. Turn the broiler on and move an oven rack to the top position in the oven. Return frosted cake to the oven and broil just until the coconut is brown. Cool cake completely before slicing.

Cinnamon Rolls

We’re remodeling! We bought our little townhome four years ago and we finally agreed that painting the place would be a good idea. We’re also considering installing a wainscot in bathrooms and new flooring. I’ve been removing baseboards in the bathroom lately, an arduous job, but it will be well worth it when the floor and wainscot are in. It wouldn’t be so challenging if little girl would engage herself in some unsupervised play, but she refuses and would rather sit on my lap. I’m not sure, but I don’t think power tools and 1 year-olds are a safe combo.

I did make some post worthy cinnamon rolls, and will quickly share the recipe so I can get some paining in before the child wakes. The recipe is from a childhood neighbor and high school Spanish teacher. It’s my favorite cinnamon roll recipe.

Cinnamon Rolls
recipe from Lorraine Linares
printable version of this recipe

1 teaspoon sugar
¼ cup warm water
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
¼ cup potato flakes
½ cup boiling water
½ cup evaporated milk
4 eggs
½ + ¼ cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
¼ cup oil
3 to 4 cups flour
Ground cinnamon
Granulated sugar
Brown sugar
½ cup butter, melted
*butter cream icing

Spray two baking sheets with nonstick spray and set aside.

Mix sugar and water together. Sprinkle yeast into the sugar water and stir; set aside until yeast is dissolved and mixture is foamy. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl (I used my Kitchenaid) pour boiling water over potato flakes. Once the potato flakes dissolve, add the evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, salt and oil; mix well. Add yeast and stir. Add 2 cups of flour and mix until smooth. Add 1 to 2 cups more, and mix. The dough should begin to pull away from the sides of the bowl. Knead for 10 minutes. Oil the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl; return the dough to the bowl, turning once to cover the top of the dough with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise until double.

Punch the dough down and pour it onto a lightly floured surface. Roll in a rectangular shape about ¼ inch thick. Spread dough with melted butter; sprinkle with cinnamon and sugars. Roll dough, starting with one of the long rectangular edges of the dough. Slice roll into 1 ½ inch wide cinnamon rolls; place on prepared baking sheets. Spray plastic wrap with cooking spray and cover rolls. Preheat the oven to 350 and let the rolls rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 17-20 minutes. Remove rolls from baking sheet and let them cool a little on a wire rack before frosting.

Butter Cream Icing
½ cup butter
2 tablespoons milk
2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar if mixture is runny or more milk if it’s too dry.

Pomegranate Sherbet

This post concludes the pomegranate test kitchen for now.  I really had a lot of fun thinking of ways to use this lovely, versatile juice.  Thanks again to Melissa over at Wonder Mom Envy!

This recipe was also a great way to finish the four day stent of cooking with pomegranate juice. Why, you may ask? Well, because this was my very favorite recipe. I found, again, it in my 1996 “Better Homes and Gardens” cookbook, and it was so refreshing and tasty.  The recipe is for orange sherbet, but it was easy enough to replace the orange juice with pomegranate juice.  I served as a sherbet float with 7-up.

Pomegranate Sherbet

From “Better Homes and Gardens” 1996 edition, page 219

Printable version of this recipe
1 ½ cups sugar
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
2 cups pomegranate juice
1 cup milk

In a saucepan, combine the sugar and gelatin. Stir in pomegranate juice. Cook and stir until sugar and gelatin dissolve. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Stir in milk. (The mixture will look curdled.) Transfer mixture to a 9x9 baking pan. Cover, and freeze until almost firm (several hours). Break mixture into small chunks, and transfer to a chilled bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth, but not melted. Return to pan and cover. Freeze until firm.

Pomegranate Gelatin and Cream Squares

Alright, the photo isn’t that great, but the dessert was. The pomegranate flavored gelatin was wonderful. It really was unlike any gelatin I’ve tasted before, with a unique and really refreshing flavor.  Making the gelatin right here at home was really easy, and I think pairing it with a creamy filling and a crumbly crust really made the flavor stand out.  It's a great little dessert.

Pomegranate Gelatin and Cream Squares
Printable version of this recipe

For the gelatin:
2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
1 ¼ cups cold pomegranate juice (POM Wonderful)
1 ¼ cups boiling water
¾ cup sugar

Pour the pomegranate juice into a mixing bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let the gelatin granules soften on top of the juice for a few minutes, and then stir. Slowly pour the boiling water in the mixing bowl, while stirring constantly. Add the sugar and stir until it is dissolved. Cover with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator until it is soft set, or about 1 ½ hours.

For the crust:
2 cups toasted pecans
3 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
2 slightly beaten egg whites

Put nuts, sugar and salt in a food processor bowl. Cover and process until nuts are finely ground. Stir the ground nuts and egg whites together. Press onto the bottom of an 8x8 square dish and bake at 375 got 10-12 minutes, or until crust appears dry. Cool before spreading cream cheese filling on top.

For the cream cheese filling:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
½ pint whipping cream
1 cup sugar, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla

Blend softened cream cheese and ¾ cup of sugar together. In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. Add ¼ cup sugar and the vanilla. Pour half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture and whisk together. Cover the remaining half and refrigerate.

Putting it all together:
Spread the cream cheese filling over the cooled crust. Pour partially set gelatin over top. Refrigerate until gelatin is firm, another 1 ½ to 2 hours. Spread remaining whipped cream on top of firm gelatin.  Cut into squares and serve.

Dad's Chocolate Sauce

My family ate a lot of ice cream when I was growing up, and frequently my dad made chocolate sauce to spoon over it.  It was one of our favorite treats.  We usually served it with vanilla ice cream, but I made some last night and spooned it over peppermint ice cream.  I love chocolate and mint together, so I really liked the peppermint and chocolate sauce combo.  The sauce is rich, so use it according to your tastes.  It also takes some time to thicken; don't be surprised when it's still pretty runny as you remove it from the stove.  It thickens as it cools.  If you have the foresight to make it a day in advance the consistency becomes more hot fudge like.  When making it ahead of time prepare the sauce, let it cool, pour it into a container with a tight fiting lid and refrigerate it.  Heat it just before serving. 

Dad's Chocolate Sauce

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 cup evaporated milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

Combine butter, cocoa, sugar and evaporated milk in a sauce pan.  Stir while ingredients come to a boil.  Continue to stir and boil for 3 minutes.  Remove sauce pan from heat, stir in vanilla and allow sauce to cool for 5-10 minutes.  The sauce will thicken as it cools.

Printable Version of Dad's Chocolate Sauce

Strawberry Danish Pastry

I know. This Daring Baker's Challenge was a long time ago, but better late than never, right? I saw this recipe on thedaringkitchen.com few months back and just got around to it. The pastry is definitely worth the time and trouble of making. Don't get discouraged by the length of the recipe. It really isn't too difficult and is so worth it in the end. My husband requested I make it again with a sweetened cream cheese and strawberry jam filling. We both liked it more. I think the cream cheese filling also prevented the jam from leaking out of the pastry dough prior to baking.


The recipe below makes enough dough, filling, and glaze for 2 pastries. Keep in mind I substituted a scant mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves for the cardamom, given it costs close to $15 a jar.  Yeah, way too many pennies to spend for one spice, and the pastry turned out delicious with the substitution anyway.  I also used vanilla extract in place of the vanilla bean which was nearly $20 for a jar with 2 beans inside.  The cardamom and vanilla bean probably give the pastry dough a more intense vanilla and cardamom flavor, but I just saved myself $35 dollars by substituting those items for things I had on hand; and like I said, the pastry was delicious in every way.   


Danish Dough:
1 tablespoon dry active yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean split and scraped
2 large eggs
1/4 cup orange juice, freshly squeezed
3 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt


Butter block: 1 cup cold, unsalted butter mixed with 1/4 cup flour


Combine yeast and milk in a large mixing bowl that has been fitted with a mixing attachment. Mix on low speed and slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla bean seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Once ingredients are mixed thoroughly, remove the mixing attachment and install the dough hook to the mixer. Sift salt and flour together, and add to wet ingredients 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium until thoroughly mixed and dough is smooth. You may need to add more flour if the pastry dough sticks to the sides of the bowl. Add flour, a little at a time, until the dough clings to the dough hook. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Butter block: Mix butter and flour on medium speed for about 1 minute. Scrape the sides of the bowl and mix for another minute or until smooth. Set aside, allowing mixture to almost reach room temperature.


Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll dough into a rectangle about 18x13 inches, 1/4 inch thick. If the dough is sticky, dust it with flour. Spread the butter block evenly over the center and right third of the dough. Fold the left (unbuttered) third onto the center and the right third on top. This marks the first of four "turns." Return the dough to the baking sheet, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.


Put dough on a lightly floured surface, with the open ends to your right and left (like a 8.5x11 piece of paper turned horizontally). Roll the dough into another 18x13 inch rectangle. Fold the left third over the center, and the right on top. Keep in mind the entire butter block was used in the first turn, so no butter will be added for the remaining turns. Return the dough to the baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes. This completes the second turn.


Continue rolling out, folding, refrigerating until you have completed 4 turns. After the final turn, refrigerate the dough at least 5 hours, overnight if possible. After the final refrigeration, the Danish dough is ready. Remember you have enough for 2 braids, so you can either use both now, or use one and freeze the other.


Filling (for 2 pastries):
3 cups strawberry freezer jam
2 large egg whites, beaten for egg wash


Line a baking sheet with parchment or waxed paper. Roll the Danish dough into a 15x20 inch rectangle, 1/4 inch thick. If the dough seems to shrink back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes and try again. The closer the dough is to room temperature, the less elastic it will be. Place the dough on the baking sheet. Using a pastry wheel or a knife, cut the dough on one of the long edges in parallel 1 inch wide, 5 inch long strips. Repeat on the other side, making sure to align strips with each other. Spoon the strawberry filling down the center of the dough.


Starting with the bottom, fold the center pieces of dough over the filling. Now fold the cut strips of dough over the filling, right over left in a braided fashion. Trim and extra dough and tuck the edges underneath. Whisk the egg and brush lightly on top of pastry. Sray cooking oil onto a piece of plastic wrap and use it to cover the pastry.


Proof at room temperature for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume. Position an oven rack in the center of the oven, and preheat to 400 degrees. Bake 10 minutes, then turn the baking sheet 180 degrees so the pastry is evenly baked. Lower the temperature to 350 degrees and bake for 15-20 minutes more. Drizzle the top of the pastry with glaze and serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!


Orange Vanilla Glaze (for 2 pastries):
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk or orange juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
zest of 1 orange, finely chopped


Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl until smooth.

Printable version of Strawberry Danish Pastry