Chocolate Agave Cake

I hope all of you had a great Thanksgiving. :) Mine was good. Except for the whole "working the next day at an ungodly hour" part. The joys of working in retail, right?

Mu aunt has recently been diagnosed with diabetes, so I sought out a lower-sugar dessert that everyone would enjoy. Having heard about agave nectar on a few different blogs - how it's lower on the glycemic index than even an apple - the quest began for a recipe using it. It was surprisingly harder than I had expected. Monday turned up results, though. Over at Baking Bites. (I really need to write a post-it to order myself one of the cookbooks)

The cake was SUPER easy to bring together, and I was happy to discover that agave nectar moves faster in the pouring process than honey does. The cake is very fudgey, but not as chocolatey as I had hoped. The frosting isn't very sugar-free, but I did use far less confectioners' sugar than the recipe called for. Everyone else loved it, though. Now that I think about it, I don't recall ever seeing it again after I went to bed so early. Hmm... :)



Ingredients:
2¼ cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
½ cup butter, room temperature
½ cup brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 cup agave nectar
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup sour cream
¼ cup milk

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease two 9-inch round pans and line them with greased parchment paper.

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

In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until light. Beat in eggs, one at a time, followed by agave nectar and vanilla extract.

Stir in 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by the sour cream. Add another 1/3 of the flour mixture, then the milk, before stirring in the remaining flour mixture. Mix only until just combined. Divide evenly into prepared pans.

Bake at 350F for 22-28 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry or with some moist crumbs attached. Do not overbake. Turn cakes out onto wire cooling racks, peel off the parchment paper, and let cool completely.

Agave Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:
8 oz. package cream cheese, room temperature
½ cup butter, room temperature
3 tbsp honey
¼ cup milk
2-3 cups confectioners' sugar

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and beat at high speed until smooth, gradually adding the confectioners' sugar until a thick and spreadable consistency is reached. More milk can be added to thin the icing, if necessary.

Pumpkin Snickerdoodles

Alright, everyone. Try not to fall over - I'm actually updating. ;)

It feels as though I'm fighting an uphill battle in the fight against the lazy. I'm baking every weekend, but the lazy monster keeps coming up with paltry excuses from updating. Or even photographing. "It's rainy; no good light." "It's near-dark by the time I get home from work; no good light." Even worse, when the lazy monster gets in cahoots with the self-esteem gargoyle. "Oh, who's gonna care about yet another brownie recipe?"

But I'm doing good tonight. Baked yesterday, photographed a little over an hour ago, and here I am. (That and I told myself I couldn't read anymore of the book until I post this. Motivation, you come from the strangest places.)

So! I found this over at Recipe Girl and instantly fell in love. Pumpkin? In blissful union with snickerdoodles? Oh, my! You know it's gotta be something good if I'm making cookies before Christmas. ;)

And truly? These make me so ridiculously happy, it's not even funny. They're that perfect couple that, even though they're perfect, you aren't annoyed by them. You revel in their perfectness. You don't even feel that twinge of jealousy when they finish each other's sentences and get lovey-dovey.

(That last paragraph, upon re-reading, did make me raise my eyebrow in perplexedness. Have I gone off the deep end for good this time??) ;)

Anyways, divine. Everyone should make these. :)



Ingredients:
1 cup butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup pure pumpkin puree
1 large egg
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cinnamon

½ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. allspice

Directions:
Cream butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add sugar and pumpkin puree, and beat well. Mix in egg and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and ground cinnamon. Beat flour mixture into liquid mixture a little at a time until incorporated.

Cover dough with plastic and chill for at least an hour, or until dough becomes slightly firm.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Mix sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and allspice in a small bowl.

Using a medium cookie scoop (1½ Tbsp.) or a large spoon, scoop out dough and roll into balls. Roll dough through the sugar/spice mix. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. Flatten slightly.

Bake at 350F for 10-14 minutes, or until slightly firm to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before moving them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3-5 dozen (depending on the size, of course)

Chocolate M&M Cookies

Whew! It seems like it's been ages, hasn't it?

Well, first, vacation was WONDERFUL. Somehow squeezed in seeing everyone that I wanted to see, as well as nearly 12 hours of driving on the way to Oregon and back to the Bay Area. Not only was it great seeing friends again, but also the food that I can't get out here! LOL I really did pack a box and mailed it to myself, full of stuff that I can't readily get over here. (Why, yes, that did include vanilla from the Ferry Marketplace Building in SF lol)

In other awesome news, last week Southwest Airlines had a big 72-hour sale, with one-way flights as low as $25. Naturally I couldn't pass that up, so come January, as a little birthday present to myself, I'll be heading out there for a few days. And Amelia mentioned those wonderful words of "road trip" and "Disneyland." Quickest way to make this little girl smile. :)

Halloween was fun. My friend Leslie has been having a Halloween party with her daughter for quite some time, and I was able to go this year. Of course I volunteered baked goods, and cookies wound up being the choice. The regular chocolate chip stand-by and this one, which is based off a recipe I used a few years back. (So out of it tonight; I do apologize lol)

I did a half batch only because it was Halloween morning that I was making these and time was limited. The recipe's quite easy, mostly one bowl (I got lazy and just mixed the flour and stuff in the actual measuring cup *shrug*. The dough is a bit on the sticky side, and very yummy, so you might want to chew some gum while making this, just to resist the dough-eating. ;)



Ingredients:
1-1/8 cups flour
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. cocoa
½ tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
½ butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ cup + 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
½ tsp. vanilla
1 egg
6 oz. M&M's

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla until light and fluffy. Add egg. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt; gradually add to butter mixture. Stir in M&M's. Place teaspoonful-sized dough at least 1-inch apart on prepared sheets.

Bake at 350F for 9-11 minutes. Let cool on sheets for two minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes about 3 dozen.

Vacation!

So, it's 3:20am. I've been awake for just over an hour now. Which is frightening.

But, oh, we're leaving for the airport in about an hour.

Am I dressed? Completely packed? Reasonable sane? That'd be a negative on all the fronts. ;)

It's back out to Cali and Oregon for a wedding and to visit friends and family. And food that we can't get out here. :) Super excited. But well aware that I'll probably wind up being awake for 24 hours, due to time zones and what not.

Obviously no new baking this weekend, but probably on the 24th. Maybe by then I'll be better about updating on a more regular basis lol

Take care, everyone! :)

Pumpkin Cranberry Muffins

Well, look at that. Something that I made on Saturday is being posted about within two days. Wow!

It's been just over a week now since I gave in and bought a new wrist brace. The tendonitis has been flaring up again, and after three or four weeks of pain, yeah, something needed to be done. Of course it's the right wrist, since my left-handed-abilities are near to non-existant. (It was a great day when I was finally able to eat my cereal left handed without spilling milk.) Work doesn't really help it very much, since again, right-handed, and sometimes it involves lifting things that are a touch on the heavy side. Oh, and the computer! My dear, sweet computer, how you pain me so! Rather, the mouse and typing. Hmph. Sometimes I really think I was made from recycled parts.

So I'm gonna keep this one on the brief side in order to keep the swelling down. These muffins? Made of win. In my search for decent pumpkin muffins, again, Peabody saves the day. Lacking Raisinets, I popped in some Craisins to boost the health values a bit more. I like 'em and the general consensus has agreed with me. As it should. ;)



Ingredients:
1-2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup tightly packed brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin
½ cup unsalted butter, melted
1 cup Craisins

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, spices, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

In a medium bowl, stir together the eggs, pumpkin, and butter. Combine into dry ingredients, beating just until moistened. Stir in Craisins.

Fill muffin cups about 3/4's full.

Bake at 350F for 20-22 minutes, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack.

Chocolate Chip Coffee Cake

Breakfast treat or dessert?

I figure my stomach doesn't mind what time it digests certain foods. Well, within reason, of course. It does care about spaghetti sauce an hour or so before bed. But baked goods? No biggie. For about a year during high school, all I would eat for breakfast were those horribly sweet brownies from Little Debbie. Minus the nuts, though.

Thankfully, I've improved since then. ;) (I wouldn't touch those brownies with a ten foot pole!)

The evening after I made this, my mom decided to pair it with some caramel-swirl ice cream and declared it a hit. My dad has it as his after-lunch treat. I slip a slice in before heading to work. Or an after-work snack. It's gone by this point, I should add.

Sometime last week, I came across a recipe that called for buttermilk. Which I never really have on hand. When I bought some, I couldn't find the recipe. Doh! Thankfully, Baking Bites exists. :)

The recipe comes together in a breeze, with a very light, vanilla-y batter. Instead of chocolate chips, you could always substitute dried fruits or nuts. I like it's versatility, and will definitely save this recipe for the future.



Ingredients:
1-1/3 cups flour
1½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
3/4 cup sugar
½ cup butter, softened
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup buttermilk
3/4 cup chocolate chips

For streusel topping:
3 Tbsp. flour
½ cup brown sugar
½ tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsp. butter, cold

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan or springform pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, then add vanilla. Add half of the flour mixture, beating until just combined. Follow with buttermilk, then remaining flour mixture, beating only until the flour is just mixed in. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in prepared pan.

Combine flour, brown sugar, and cinnmon. Add the cold butter, using your fingers until it resembles coarse meal. Sprinkle on top of batter.

Bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool completely in pan.

Nutella Ravioli

I swear, I don't fall off the face of the earth every other week or so. Sometimes I wish I could for brief moments of time, but that's a whole 'nother blog altogether. ;)

Having an 'extra' day off this week due to the paid holiday of Labour Day, I decided to make something this past Wednesday. And for some very strange reason, cookies kept coming to mind. (Something REALLY must be wrong, huh? LOL) Speaking of work, this upcoming week, Tasha and I were 'volunteered' to help out in another store. On a good note, an extra hour of pay each day since the store's an hour away. On a bad note, it means I'm back on the salesfloor, dealing with customers. Oy.

Anyways, happier things. Nutella ravioli is definitely a happy. Another recipe by the fabulous Peabody. Of course, mine didn't come out nearly as pretty. Or round. Somewhere in my semi-lost brain, spacing just didn't happen. So when they came out of the oven, it was pretty much a cookie sheet of sugar cookie dough. Oops. Yay for spatulas, right?

Oh, and the flavor? So yummy. I want to say there were somewhere between 24 and 30 cookies? There are six left. My dad's been sneaking them, I think, in an attempt to make the brownies last longer. ;)



Ingredients:
18 oz. sugar cookie dough (store-bought or home-made)
½ cup Nutella

3 Tbsp. semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. white chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F

Roll out cookie dough to about a ¼-inch thickness.

Using a cookie cutter or a glass dipped in flour, cut out rounds. Place about a ½ teaspoon of Nutella into the center of each round. Fold rounds over to create half moon shapes, gently sealing edges. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350F for 9-10 minutes. Remove to wire racks and cool completely.

Once cooled, melt chocolate chips in microwave for about 1 minute. Using a fork, drizzle over cookies. Repeat with the white chocolate chips.

Chai-Spiced Bars

Motivation really isn't my friend lately. Not just here, but in general life, too. There is hope, though. There are only 30 more working days until vacation. ;)

This weekend was pretty yucky as far as weather goes. We kinda got sideswiped by the remains of Tropical Storm Danny, who was nice enough to give us about five inches of rain. Have I mentioned that the only time Dave and I have to do the grocery shopping is Saturday afternoon? So that included me running through the Target parking lot, attempting to avoid the big puddles and failing miserably. But as I neared the car, a giggle came out of me, that grew into full out laughter. Just for the feeling of running through the rain like I was a kid again. And that made me happy. Despite the wet socks. (My second biggest weather-related petpeeve is wet socks. Raindrops on the glasses takes first place.)

Oh, but wait! Before I continue, there's big, earth-shattering news!

Last Thursday, I (finally?) got the drivers' permit. Yes, you may all be thoroughly shocked now. ;)

I've always said that I'd get the license before I turned 30 or before I had kids. Well, I'm about a year and a half away from that number. So my friend Leslie, after much persuasion/harassment from our group of friends, went with me to the dmv. Of course, she later told me that if I didn't go willingly then, that next week, I'd be forcibly dragged there. :) I haven't done any driving yet, but it's a HUGE step for me.

Anyways, it was grey and gloomy on Saturday, yes. So I wanted something warming. Everyone knows my love affair with chai tea, and after some searching, I came across this site and, since I had everything it needed, went for it. It's not quite as chai-y as I'd like, but they're yummy. I think that if they were to be made again, I'd cut back on the cardamom; that seems to be the most prominent taste and that's just kinda... ehh. One day I'll find a baked good that has the chai taste I desire. ;)



Ingredients:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter, softened
1 egg
2 cups flour
½ tsp. ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
3/4 tsp. cloves
3/4 tsp. cardamom
¼ tsp. black pepper
Pinch of salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch baking pan.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and sugar until well combined. Add egg. Sift together flour and spices; gradually add to butter mixture. Spread in prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool on wire rack before cutting.

My Dad's Favorite Brownies

Whew! It's been a while since posting! First, there was a week spent with a very disagreeable stomach. You know I'm sick when I don't want to bake. Last weekend I made these brownies, but between real life and tiredness (or a moody computer), getting onto here, with the photo resized (I'm glaring at you, Micrographx) and uploaded... ugh.

As I've mentioned on here before, my dad's currently going through his fourth round of chemo. In an attempt to keep his weight at a somewhat normal number, I've learned the best way to do this is through bake goods. These brownies in particular. There's nothing fancy about them, but they're his absolute favorite of all the things I've made. And made him try. (Let's not talk about the hummus lol) I'm thinking about brownies with pomegranate juice in them, in order to get some more antioxidants in him, but until then, it's these pretty much on a weekly basis. Which I don't mind at all. :)



Ingredients:
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 eggs
3/4 cup cocoa
1 cup flour
½ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9x13-inch pan.

Beat butter, sugar, and vanilla until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time. Add cocoa. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Gradually add to butter mixture. Spread onto prepared pan.

Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Let cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

Raspberry-Blueberry Oat Bars

I was so proud of myself on Saturday. That's when I baked these and I even took the picture the very same day. Shocking, I know. Yet here it is, Wednesday, and I'm finally getting my butt into gear and posting. Oops. And I don't think there's even a valid excuse this time, outside of plain laziness.

Things have been going very well in the meat-free department. There are definitely some challenges at times, but overall, I'm feeling positive. And I'm feeling BETTER in general, too. Which is the biggest thing, as far as I'm concerned.

This is another recipe from the Vegetarian Times website, which I've had bookmarked for quite some time. Only did a few alterations - adding some nutmeg and allspice - and swapping out the plain jam for the Queen's Blend jam from Ikea. Raspberry and blueberry. It's the best. Get thee to an Ikea to buy some. (The Daim chocolates are yum, too) :)



Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
½ tsp. nutmeg
½ tsp. allspice
½ tsp. baking soda
¼ tsp. salt
1 cup light brown sugar
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats, divided
1 cup raspberry jam

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F. Coat 9-inch-square baking dish with cooking spray.

Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt in large bowl.

Cream sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and extracts until smooth. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture; mix until combined. Stir in 1-3/4 cups oats.

Spread 2/3 of batter on bottom of prepared baking dish. Spread raspberry jam over the batter with back of spoon. Add remaining 1/4 cup oats to remaining batter. Crumble over top of raspberry jam.

Bake at 350F for 30 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely on wire rack before cutting into bars.