Vegan and Gluten Free Doughnuts

Doughnuts

Left, chocolate doughnuts, right vanilla sugar

 Ingredients:

• 1 Cup 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour
• 1/4 Cup Coconut Flour, or Tapioca starch
• 1/3 Cup Sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 1 Tablespoon Baking Powder
• 150g Soft Tofu
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Nutmeg
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, blend the soft tofu and vanilla together for several minutes. 
2. In a medium bowl sift together the gluten free flour, coconut flour, sugar, xantham gum, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
3. Slowly pour the sifted and blended dry ingredients into the stand mixer, and mix until just combined.
4. Bring a deep fryer to a temperature between 320-350°F.
5. Shape the doughnuts as desired, I used my two ounce scoop to make doughnut holes. Fry in heated oil for roughly two minutes a side until golden.
6. Drain on paper towel for a moment.
7. Dust with vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar or other toppings of your choice.
8. To make chocolate doughnuts, add 3-4 tablespoons cocopowder to dry ingredients and about 2 tablespoons water or milk to tofu.

Enjoy!

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Lemon, Poppy Seed, and Olive Oil Loaf

Lemon, Poppy Seed, and Olive Oil Loaf

Ingredients:

Two Lemons

1 Cup Sugar

1/2 Cup Butter

4 Tablespoons + 4 Teaspoons Lemon Juice 

3 Eggs

2/3 Cup Olive Oil

1 3/4 Cup Flour

1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder 

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda 

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

2 Tablespoons Poppy Seeds

1/2 Cup Icing Sugar 

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a standard Loaf tin. 
2. Zest and juice both lemons
3. In a large bowl cream together the sugar, butter and lemon zest. 
4. Add the eggs one at a time, blending well after each egg. 
5. Cream in the olive oil and 4 Tablespoons lemon juice.
6. In a medium bowl soft together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 
7. Slowly add in the dry ingredients. 
8. Fold in poppy seeds.
9. Pour batter into prepared Loaf pan. Bake in preheated oven for 55-70 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean from the centre. Let cool in pan ten minutes before turning out into a wire rack to cool completely.
10. In a small bowl stir together icing sugar and remaining lemon juice to create a glaze. Drizzle glaze over Loaf just before serving.

Enjoy!! 

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1/4 Cup Butter, Room Temp

1/4 Cup Peanut Butter

1 Large Egg

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1 Cup 1:1 Gluten Free Flour Blend

1/4 Cup Tapioca Starch

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Power

1/4 Teaspoon Baking Soda

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer or a medium sized bowl, cream together brown sugar and butter.
2. Add in peanut butter, egg, and vanilla, and cream together.
3. In a small bowl sift together flour blend, tapioca starch, baking power, baking soda, and salt. Sift dry ingredients together thoroughly.
4. Slowly blend the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture until just combined. 
5. Transfer cookie dough into an airtight sealing container, and chill in fridge overnight.
6. Preheat oven to 375°F.
7. Scoop dough by the tablespoon, into round balls and place 2 inches apart on a parchment lined baking sheet. 
8. Place some white sugar in a shallow bowl, and press the tines of a fork into the sugar, and then into the top of each cookie ball, making a cross-hatch pattern and flattening the call slightly.
9. Keep dough chilled until ready to bake.
10. Bake prepared cookies in preheated oven for 8-12 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine takes about 10 minutes.
11. Let baked cookies rest on pan for 2 minutes, before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
12. Store cookies in an airtight container for 3-5 days.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Funfetti Cake

Gluten Free Funfetti Cake

Ingredients:

• 280g Gluten Free Flour (i'm still using Our Compliments by Sobeys)
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 54g Cornstarch
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 140g Butter, room temperature
• 300g Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/3 Cup Milk
• 1 Cup Nerds Candy, or Gluten Free Sprinkles(or more than 1 cup, depending on how much fun you want in the cake)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line a 10 inch cake pan with parchment, and spray with cooking spray.
3. In a large bowl sift together GF flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt. Or if you do not have a sifter, whisk thoroughly for several minutes to ensure complete blending.
4. In a medium bowl, using electric beaters, or with a standmixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes at least 5 minutes, sometimes more.
5. Mix in vanilla.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
7. Add creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture to dry along with all of the mix and beat with electric beaters until just combined.
8. Do not over mix. The moment most of the flour is incorporated stop beating. If needed stir batter by hand to finish mixing in flour.
9. Fold in the sprinkles or nerds candy.
10. Pour batter into prepared cake pan. knock the bottom of the pan a few times against the counter to dislodge any air bubbles.
11. Bake in preheated oven for 40-60 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
12. Allow cake to cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Gluten Free Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 265g Gluten Free Flour Blend (I am still using Our Compliments by Sobeys)
• 1/2 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 50g Coco Powder
• 1 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 300g Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 250ml Milk
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 250ml Boiling Hot Water

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 355 ºF (180 ºC) and line one 10 inch round cake pans with parchment.
2. In a large bowl, sift together the gluten free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder.
3. Add the  sugar and salt, and whisk well.
4. Add the eggs, milk and vegetable/sunflower oil. 
5. Whisk well, until you get a smooth cake batter.
6. Add the boiling hot water, and whisk until you get a runny cake batter with no lumps.
7. Evenly distribute the cake batter between the two lined cake pans, and bake in the pre-heated oven at 355 ºF (180 ºC) for about 40 minutes or until spongy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
8. Allow cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting to a wire rack to cool completely before decorating.

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Cupcakes

Gluten Free Cupcakes

Ingredients:

• 280g Gluten Free Flour (i'm still using Our Compliments by Sobeys)
• 1 Teaspoon Xantham Gum
• 54g Cornstarch
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 140g Butter, room temperature
• 300g Sugar
• 2 Teaspoon Vanilla
• 3 Eggs
• 1 1/3 Cup Milk

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Line or grease about 18 muffin cups.
3. In a large bowl sift together GF flour, cornstarch, baking soda, baking powder, xantham gum, and salt. Or if you do not have a sifter, whisk thoroughly for several minutes to ensure complete blending.
4. In a medium bowl, using electric beaters, or with a standmixer, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. This takes at least 5 minutes, sometimes more.
5. Mix in vanilla.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
7. Add creamed butter/sugar/egg mixture to dry along with all of the mix and beat with electric beaters until just combined.
8. Do not over mix. The moment most of the flour is incorporated stop beating. If needed stir batter by hand to finish mixing in flour.
9. I personally use my icecream scoop to portion out cupcake batter and find one just heaping scoop makes a perfect cupcake.
10. Bake in heated oven for 18-21 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
11. Allow cupcakes to cool completely on a wire rack before decorating.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Made these for my sons daycare for his birthday, they are just as good as standard cupcakes, not grainy and good crumb texture.

Raspberry Lemonade Parfait

Raspberry Lemonade Parfait

Ingredients:

• 250ml Whipping/Heavy Cream
• 3 Egg Whites
• Pinch Salt or cream of tartar
• 1 1/3 Cup Sugar, divided
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract
• Zest and juice of one Lemon
• 1/4 Pint Blackberries

Instructions:

1. In a small pot combine raspberries, lemon juice and zest, and 2/3 cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir until sugar is dissolved. If some sugar remains a small amount of water can be added.
2. Once boiling reduce heat to a simmer, and reduce liquid by about half. Use an immersion blender, blender or food processor to smooth out the sauce. 
3. The seeds and pulp can be strained out with a fine mesh sieve if desired. 
4. Pour finished syrup into a small bowl and set in fridge to cool. 
5. Wait until syrup is at least cooled to room temperature or cooler before continuing with recipe.
6. In a medium bowl add the heavy cream and 1/3 cup sugar. Whip together until stiff peaks for. Fold in vanilla extract. Set aside for now.
7. In a large bowl add the egg Whites and the pinch of salt or cream of tartar and whip to stiff peaks. Set aside.
8. Add the whipped cream to the egg white bowl and gently fold the cream and meringue together. Gently so as to keep as much air in the mix as possible, while still blending everything together smoothly.
9. Get a container with a lid large enough to hold the entire contents of the large bowl. Pour half the cream and meringue mixture into the container. Pour 1/2 of the raspberry syrup over the cream and meringue. Pour the remaining cream and meringue mixture into the container, followed by remaining raspberry syrup. Using a butter knife or small spoon, gently swirl all the layers together, creating ribbons of syrup through the white parfait.
10. Cover and chill at least an hour. Set parfait should be similar to ice cream in consistency.

Enjoy!

Apple Crisp Cheesecake

Apple Crisp Cheesecake

Ingredients:

Crust

• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 Cup Graham Cracker or vanilla cookie crumbs
• 3/4 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/2 Cup Melted Butter

Cheesecake Layer

• 3 Bricks Cream Cheese(8 ounces each)
• 1 Egg
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup White Sugar
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Ginger
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Allspice

Topping

• 2-3 Peeled and thinly sliced apples
• 1/4 Cup Rolled Oats
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
• 2 Tablespoons Melted Butter

Instructions:

1. Thoroughly grease a 9X13 inch baking dish. If desired, also coat in a thin layer of white sugar to ensure finished dessert comes out easily.
2. Allow eggs and cream cheese to stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Crust

1. To prepare crust, mix together sugar, oats, and crumbs in a large bowl. Melt the butter and drizzle over top. Mix together into a very crumbly blend. Press crumbly mixture into the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Press the crust up the sides of the baking dish slightly, and try to get the bottom thin and even.
2. Bake crust in preheated oven for 5 minutes.
3. Keep the oven on!

Cheesecake Layer

1. In a large bowl cream the cream cheese with electric beaters for about 3 minutes. 
2. Add in the egg, flour, sugar and spices. 
3. Cream until everything is blended smooth. 
4. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the crust and carefully spread in an even layer.

Topping

1. Arrange the thinly sliced apples over top of the cheesecake layer.
2. In a small bowl mix together the flour, oats, sugar and cinnamon. Melt the butter and drizzle over top. Blend into a crumble. Spread the crumble over top of the apple slices.
3. Bake the entire dessert uncovered for 40-50 minutes. The center of the cheesecake shouldn't feel wiggly anymore when it is cooked through.
4. Let cool for 30 minutes- an hour on a rack, then cover and chill for at least one hour to fully set the cheesecake. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

Enjoy!

Overnight French Toast Bread Pudding

French Toast Bread Pudding
Ingredients:

• 1/2 Loaf day old bread
• 2-3 Eggs
• 1/2 Cup Milk
• 2 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/4 Cup Brown Sugar or Maple Syrup
• 1-2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• Optional, 1/2 Teaspoon each of nutmeg and/or cinnamon

Instructions:

Night Before

1. Slice the bread into small cubes. In a large bowl add the bread cubes.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the eggs, milk, butter, sugar, vanilla and optional spices.
3. Pour the egg mixture over the bread cubes. Using a large spoon gently toss the bread with the eggy mixture to coat. Cover the bowl and chill over night.

Morning

1. Preheat oven to 375°F
2. Lightly mist a bread pan with cooking spray. 
3. Uncover the bowl of cubed bread and gently toss and turn the bread over. Pour the bread cubes into the prepared pan into an even layer.
4. Bake the bread pudding for about 30 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the top is golden brown and toasty.
5. Serve hot, with maple syrup if you like it extra sweet, or powdered sugar dusted over top.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

What was cooking two years ago?

Brunch Skillet

Real Parfait

Parfait

I had no idea parfait was a real dessert and not just a mess with yogurt. This is more like an icecream dessert, which makes it pretty great in my books.

Ingredients:

• 175g Sugar
• 2 Tablespoons warm Water
• 285ml Whipping Cream
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 1 Egg White
• 1 tsp Vanilla

Ingredients:

1. In a small sauce pan heat the sugar with the water until a smooth, not grainy syrup forms. Allow to cool at least 5 minutes.
2. In a medium bowl, add the egg yolks and whisk gently. Add a small amount of the sugar syrup and whisk well. Slowly pour and whisk in the remaining syrup. Do not allow the egg yolk to scramble at this point. Set this bowl aside for now.
3. Whip the egg white until a stiff peak forms.
4. Whip the whipping cream until peaks appear and stay standing.
5. Fold the whipping cream and egg white into the egg yolk mixture, followed by the vanilla.
6. Pour the parfait into small dessert cups or something to freeze it in. Transfer to freezer and chill at least 3 hours before serving.

Enjoy!

Notes:

I love this almost as much as ice cream, husband does not as much.

What was cooking one year ago?

Traditional Crepe Batter

What was cooking two years ago?

Asian BBQ Pork

Fluffy Frosting

Fluffy Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1/3 Cup Water
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cream of Tarter
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

Instructions:

1. In a small sauce pan whisk together the water, sugar and cream of tarter. Heat over medium heat until the sugar has completely dissolved and the mixture starts to bubble slightly.
2. While the sugar is dissolving, using electric beaters whisk the egg whites and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. First the egg whites will get light and fluffy with many small bubbles. Continue whisking until the egg whites are white, have thickened and when you lift the beaters small peaks form and stay standing.
3. While continuing to beat with the electric mixer, slowly add in the sugar syrup while it is still warm. Continue to beat until frosting is white and fluffy. About 7-10 minutes of extra beating.
4. Frost cake or cupcakes or brownies, or cookies as desired.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Also known as, Boiled Frosting or sometimes Royal frosting!

Dark Chocolate Brownies

Brownies

I know I don't usually do my recipes with the measurements in grams, but after trying an awful lot of different brownie recipes, it just works out better with everything measured this way.

Ingredients:

• 185 g Dark Chocolate, broken into small pieces
• 185 g Butter
• 85 g Flour
• 40 g Unsweetened Coco Powder
• 100 g Chocolate Chips (Optional)
• 100 g Walnuts/mixed nuts (Optional, I never use nuts)
• 3 Eggs
• 275 g Brown Sugar
• 3-4 g Baking Powder
• 2 g Salt
• Cooking Spray

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. Lightly butter or grease a 8-9 inch square baking dish and set aside.
3. Set a small pan of water on the stove to boil. In a medium to large stainless steel or glass bowl, add the broken chocolate and butter.  Place the bowl with the chocolate and butter over the pot of simmering water and gently melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth.
4. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes.
5. In a medium bowl sift together the flour, coco power, salt, and baking powder. Add the chocolate chips and shake to blend in.
6. After 5 minutes, beat in the sugar until smooth and even.
7. Beat in the eggs one at a time until the mixture is glossy.
8. Fold the sifted flour mixture into the chocolate, stirring until everything just comes together and there is no dry flour pockets left in the batter.
9. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, and gently smooth into an even layer in the dish.
10. Bake in heated oven for 35-45 minutes, until the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the baking dish and the middle doesn't jiggle or feel squishy when VERY GENTLY touched. Should feel like a spongey cake with a nice crisp crust over top.
11. Allow to cool in baking dish for about 10 minutes before trying to cut.
12. Serve as is, or with chocolate sauce, or frosting.

Enjoy!

Crepe Batter

Crepes

Ingredients:

• 2 Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Rum
• 1 Teaspoon Lemon or Orange Zest
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/4 Cup Water
• 1 Cup Flour
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
• Butter for frying

Instructions:

1. Heat a skillet to medium heat and add the two tablespoons of butter. Melt the butter and continue to cook until bubbly, and just turning brown. remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a blender combine the eggs, rum, lemon or orange zest, milk, water, flour and vanilla.
3. Add the slightly cooled browned butter to the blender and pulse for about 15 seconds until just combined.
4. Chill batter in fridge for at least one hour, or over night.
5. To cook, heat a skillet over medium heat.
6. Melt about 1/2 Teaspoon butter in the skillet and add about 1/4 Cup batter. Swirl the batter to thinly coat the entire bottom of the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, carefully turn over and cook an additional 2 minutes.
7. Fill or serve with bananas, chocolate, berry sauces, whipped cream, maple syrup, cream cheese, mascapone cheese or whatever you can dream of.

Enjoy!

Salted Caramel Brownies

Salted Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

• About 1 Cup Caramel Sauce*
• 1/2 Cup Butter
• 3 Ounces Dark or Semisweet Chocolate
• 2/3 Cups Sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 2 Teaspoons Vanilla
• 2/3 Cups Flour
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• Pinches of Coarse, Kosher, or Flaked Sea Salt

Other Things:

• Cooking Spray
• 9X9X2 Baking Tin

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
2. In a medium sauce pan melt the chocolate and butter together until just smooth over a low-medium heat. Remove from heat for 10 minutes.
3. Spray the cooking tin with cooking spray, set aside.
4. Add in the sugar and vanilla to the chocolate and whisk smooth.
5. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time and whisk well until smooth and glossy.
6. In a small bowl sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.
7. Slowly sift the flour mixture into the chocolate and stir in with a wooden spoon. Once everything is smooth and blended. Pour the batter into the prepared tin. 
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Do not over bake or the brownies will be dry.
9. While brownies are still warm and in the tin pour the caramel sauce over top in an even layer.
10. Sprinkle a small amount of the kosher, coarse, or flaked salt over the caramel. Allow everything to cool.
11. Slice into small squares and serve.

Enjoy!

* One Ingredient Caramel, Butterscotch Sauce or your personal favorite will work

Notes:

Been on a baking marathon tonight! I love the holidays!

Other Places:

Something else wonderful for the holidays:

Christmas Breakfast

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Fudge

Chocolate and Peanut Butter Fudge

Tastes almost just like a Reese Cup

Ingredients:

Peanut Butter Layer

• 1 Cup Butter
• 1 Cup Peanut Butter, smooth is best I think, but Chunky should work as well
• 1 Teaspoon or 2 Vanilla
• 3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar

Chocolate Layer

• 7 Ounces Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 1 1/2 Cups Dark, Bittersweet, or Semisweet Chocolate Chips
• 1 Teaspoon Salt
• 2 Tablespoons Butter

Other Things Required:

• 9X9X2 Baking Tin
• Cooking Spray
• Parchment Paper
• Two Pots
• Stainless Steel Bowl

Instructions:

1. Mist the cooking tin with cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper, and mist with cooking spray again.
2. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat melt the butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy and evenly blended together. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla. Whisk in the powdered sugar roughly 1/3 cup at a time. Mixing well between each addition.
3. Pour the peanut butter layer into the baking tin and gently smooth into an even layer. Set aside for the time being.
4. Set a medium sauce pan over high heat to boil with about 1-2 inches of water in the pan.
5. In the stainless steel bowl measure in the sweetened condensed milk, chocolate, salt and the butter. Place the bowl over the simmering water, creating a water bath. Whisk everything together over the simmering water until the chocolate has melted and everything is perfectly smooth.
6. Using a fork gently make some groove lines over the entire surface of the peanut butter layer. This helps keep the two layers together when you cut it.
7. Pour the still warm chocolate layer over the peanut butter layer, smooth until even. Be quick the chocolate will set very swiftly.
8. Chill in the fridge until completely cool and set. To serve cut into 1 inch squares with a sharp knife. Keep in an air tight container in the fridge when not serving.

Enjoy!

Notes:

My man-friend had a guys night today. They came over after their dinner and drinks and walked into my baking storm, this was the hit of the evening. Plus it was super easy which makes it a keeper in my books.

Other Places:

I also made Short Bread tonight, also a massive hit.

S'mores Cheesecake

Original Recipe from Yummly, from a blog called Cookies and Cups. It's pretty adorable.

However this recipe was not so adorable.

Followed it perfectly and had several problems. First the instructions say to prepare the crust and press it into the pan and arrange some marshmallows and chocolate sauce in the bottom. Then to prepare the filling/cheese cake base and fold in some more marshmallows. Not sure why but all my marshmallows floated to the top of the cheesecake batter. . . None were folded into the batter they all floated. Plus when I went to pour the cheesecake into the springform pan all the marshmallows and chocolate sauce I arranged nicely also floated to the top of everything! ARRG!

To top it off I followed all the baking instructions and had a lot of butter melt out of the bottom of the dessert while it melted. Bad enough to make a mess in my oven but to also waste butter? Dear goodness that is a travesty in my books.

Finally the damn thing never baked all the way through, never set even after chilling for two days.

Complete failure on ability to replicate this recipe, and to make me feel even worse, I re-read the whole blog post and turns out the bloggers husband made the perfect cake. . . I think he might have kept a few things secret because I sure as heck did not succeed with this one.

At least I have delightful friends who were kind enough to quickly eat the evidence of my failure and hide it forever. It tasted good, and the slightly under-set cheesecake filling did kind of enhance the melty-gooey-ness of a s'mores.


So let us play Bob the Builder, can we fix this? YES WE CAN.

S'mores Cheese Cake

Ingredients:

• Roughly 2 cups Graham Cracker Crumbs
• 3-5 Tablespoons Melted Butter
• 2 (8 Ounce) Packs of cream cheese
• 1/2 Cup Sugar
• 2 Large Eggs
• 2 Tablespoons Flour
• 1/2 Cup Sour Cream
• 1 Tablespoon Vanilla extract
• 2 Cups Mini Marshmallows (divided into 1/3 and 2/3 portions)
• 1/4 Cup Warm Chocolate Sauce
• 1/3 Cup Chocolate Chips
• More Chocolate Sauce as Garnish
• Optional Garnish:
• Chocolate Shavings 
• Caramel Sauce
• Cookie Crumbs
• Whipped Cream

Special Tools:

10 inch Spring Form Pan

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 325°F. Allow cheesecake, sour cream, and eggs to come to room temperature, about 30 minutes on the counter should do it.
2. Combine Graham crumbs and about 3 Tablespoons of butter together, mix until fine and evenly blended. If mixture is too dry add more melted butter 1 tablespoon at a time
3. Grease the spring form pan. 
4. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides of the pan create a nice smooth even crust for the cheese cake.
5. Bake in preheated oven for about 10 minutes.
6. While the crusts are lightly baking, Prepare the cheese cake filling.
7. Cream the cream cheese with an electric mixer or stand mixer, until smooth. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the eggs one at a time and mix after each one. Add the flour and vanilla and blend. Slowly add the sour cream and blend together until smooth.
8. Once crusts have finished baking, raise oven temperature to 450°F.
9. Allow the crusts to cool for a few minutes before adding the filling. This also gives our oven a chance to preheat for round two.
10. Pour about 1/3 Cup of mini marshmallows into the bottom of the baked crust. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over top, and then drizzle about 1/4 Cup of chocolate sauce over everything on the bottom.
11. Fold about 2/3 cup mini marshmallows into the cheese cake filling.
12. Pour the filling into the crust slowly and carefully.
13. Bake the cheese cakes at 450°F for about 10 minutes. Then reduce oven temperature to 250°F, do not open the oven and continue to bake for about 1 hour or until the filling has set. Which means it doesn't jiggle when you touch the middle. Be gentle, you don't want to leave a mark in the top.
14. If your cheese cake is slightly under after an hour heat oven to 200°F, and bake in 10 minute intervals until done.
15. If top gets too dark during extra cooking time, cover with foil to protect it from excess heat.
16. Allow cake to chill in fridge over night.
17. Garnish top of cake with chocolate sauce and other toppings as desired.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Cheese cakes are my mother's specialty. . . It is really depressing when one doesn't turn out for me but I think the blogger just forgot a few ingredients in her cheese cake filling, I think it needed a little more starch to set properly.

Other Places:

Cookie Cheese Cake

Recipe Test - One Ingredient Caramel

Technically not real caramel, this is a recipe for dulce de leche, which tastes similar and can be used in the exact same way as store bought caramel sauce. But this one you can make at home with only one ingredient.

Seriously, just one ingredient.

Ingredient:

• One can sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. There is a slight difference.

Instructions:

1. Take the unopened can of condensed milk, peel off the label if there is one and place the can on it's side and cover with water in a sauce pan large enough to allow the can to be completely under water.
2. Heat over medium high heat to boil, reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for two to two and a half hours.
3. Add more water as needed to keep the can under water the entire cooking time.
4. If the pot boils dry the can could explode and it will be awful.
5. Remove can from water and cool to about room temperature.
6. Open the can and pour contents into a small bowl. Whisk with a fork or proper whisk to smooth the sauce out.
7. Serve over desserts, ice cream, or whatever you usually use caramel sauce for.
8. Can be reheated briefly in a microwave to make it more willing to pour.

Enjoy!

Notes:

Goes Excellent with:

Ice Cream

Quick Set Chocolate Shell

A chocolate syrup that magically sets into a hard shell when something cold is dipped into it, like frozen fruit, or ice cream pops.

It is pretty awesome.

Chocolate Shell:

• 16 Ounces Chocolate, I used 12 ounces dark, 4 ounces milk chocolate
• 1/4 Cup + 2 Tablespoons Coconut oil

Instructions:

1. Heat a medium sized sauce pan of water to a boil. In a large stainless steel bowl melt the chocolate until smooth over the boiling water, removing from heat occasionally to stir vigorously.
2. Once chocolate is just melted smooth, whisk in the coconut oil until evenly blended in.
3. Allow to cool to room temperature.
4. Pour over a sundae, or dip something cold and frozen right into it for a delicious chocolate coating.

Enjoy!

Notes:

What was cooking one year ago?

Falafel

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

Vanilla Custard Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 Cup Heavy or Whipping Cream
• 1/2 Milk
• 1 Cup Sugar, Divided into 1/2 cup portions
• 1 Tablespoons Vanilla or 1 Vanilla Bean Pod*
• 3 Egg Yolks

*See Notes below for details on using a vanilla bean.

Special Tools:

Ice Cream Churner/ Maker/ Machine

Instructions:

1. In a medium bowl whisk together the egg yolks and 1/2 cup of sugar until pale yellow and creamy.
2. In a large sauce pan whisk together the cream, milk and 1/2 cup of sugar. Heat over medium heat, whisking occasionally until just scalded or roughly 140°F degrees. 
3. Remove milk mixture from heat for just a minute. This prevents our custard from becoming scrambled egg yolks.
4. Pour the scalded milk mixture into the egg mixture and whisk well to blend everything together.
5. Return custard mixture to the pot and continue to heat and whisk for 10-15 minutes, or is roughly 180°F degrees and will coat the back of a spoon lightly.
6. Stir in Vanilla.
7. Strain custard mixture through a fine sieve or cheese cloth to catch any eggy bits that may have formed.
8. Pour into a bowl with a lid and chill completely in fridge, at least 8 hours.
9. Churn ice cream according to the instructions for the particular machine or method you are using. After churning place ice cream in containers and chill an additional 30 minutes in freezer to help the ice cream set.

Enjoy!

Notes:

To make this recipe using a vanilla bean:

Omit the vanilla extract in recipe completely. Use a sharp knife to split the bean pod and scrape out the tiny black tar like seeds. Add the seeds to the heavy cream mixture right at the beginning as well as the remaining split pod halves.

Follow rest of the recipe as normal, and when you strain the final custard for eggy bits, strain out the two split vanilla pods as well and discard.

Fancy custard ice cream!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Peppered Steak Stir Fry

Butterscotch Sauce

More velvety than a caramel sauce, and my favorite sundae topper! I was devastated when Dairy Queen decided to axe butterscotch sauce off the menu, but now I got it covered!

Butterscotch Sauce

Ingredients:
For roughly 1 cup finished sauce

• 1/4 Cup Butter
• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1/2 Cup Whipping Cream
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1-1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla extract

Instructions:

1. Melt the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat.
2. Add the sugar, whipping cream and salt. Bring to just the boil and continue to heat and whisk boiling mixture for 5 minutes.
3. Remove sauce from heat, stir in vanilla. Whisk again to combine evenly.
4. Transfer to a container with a lid or a jar and chill completely.
5. Heat lightly in a microwave to soften and serve just warm over ice cream or any dessert.

Enjoy!

Other Places:

What was cooking one year ago?

Home made Taco Seasoning