Peach and Blueberry Cream Cake

The Cake Slice Baker's crew had a tie.  Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate Chips along with Lime Chiffon Cake were the June cake winners. 
I chose the Strawberry Cake to bake and this is what happened...
...a good outcome indeed!  A fresh, moist and fluffy cake. I think this could easily be adjusted to fit any in-season fruit you desire to use. 

Peach and Blueberry Cream Cake
Print recipe here
2 large eggs
½ C sour cream
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure almond extract
1½ C whole wheat pastry flour, divided
1½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
¾ tsp aluminum free baking soda
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
¼ C (4TB or half a stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 C whole cane sugar (aka sucanat or rapadura)
½ C peaches, diced
½ C blueberries

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8 inch square glass baking dish and set aside.

2. Whisk together the eggs, sour cream, lemon zest, vanilla and almond extracts in small bowl, set aside.

3.  Measure out the fruit and place into a small bowl.  Add ¼ cup of the flour and stir to coat, set aside.

4. Combine 1¼ cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

5. Whip the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer for 3 minutes, until fluffy. Pour and mix the egg mixture into the bowl in a slow stream until fully incorporated.

6. Add ½ of the flour mixture and mix, add the last ½ of flour mixture and mix until the dough is completely wet throughout with no traces of dry flour.  Fold in the fruit with a spatula, then scrape down into the glass baking dish.

7. Bake for 45-50 minutes until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean with a few crumbs remaining.  Let the cake cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, you can then invert onto a serving platter and cut to serve.

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Banana Cupcakes with Candied Hazelnuts

Birthday Banana Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Hazelnuts sprinkled with Nutmeg.  Official recipe name but much too long.  It sounds complicated and intimidating.  In reality it is so easy, comes together quickly and helps you use up those spotted bananas in the corner of the fruit bowl. Plus so yummy.
Win. Win. Win. Win.
This is a recipe that has a "dress to impress" kind of look but is a basic banana quick bread that everyone knows how to make.   Don't forget to save a step and a dirty dish using my Kitchen Technique #8 with the mashed bananas.

Banana Cupcakes with Candied Hazelnuts
Print recipe here
½ C unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ C raw cane sugar
2 large eggs
1 C full fat, plain greek yogurt (or sour cream)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 C whole wheat pastry flour
1 ½ tsp aluminum free baking soda
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
3 spotted bananas, mashed (KT#8)

1. Grease or line with paper liners a 12 cup muffin tray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a large bowl, whip the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in one egg at a time. Stir in the yogurt and vanilla.

3. Mix the flour, baking soda and salt into the wet batter. Stir in the mashed banana thoroughly. (Kitchen Technique #8)

4. With a spoon or cookie scooper, fill the cupcakes until ⅔ full.

5.  Bake for 14-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with only crumbs remaining. Let cool 5 minutes, remove from tray and finish cooling on a wire rack before frosting with Cream Cheese Frosting and topping with Candied Hazelnuts, lightly sprinkle with a bit of nutmeg over top of cupcakes.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Print recipe here
1- 8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
¼ C unsalted butter, softened
1 C organic powdered sugar
½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1. With a mixer, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar. Store in the refrigerator after use.
Note:  This is a small batch recipe intended for 12 cupcakes.  If you are frosting a cake, double the ingredients listed.

Candied Hazelnuts
Print recipe here
2 TB sucanat or brown sugar
½ tsp raw cane sugar
1 TB unsalted butter
1/2 C whole hazelnuts
pinch of celtic sea salt
pinch of ground nutmeg

1. Over medium heat, melt together the sugar, butter, salt and nutmeg in a small pan stirring frequently.

2. Keep stirring until it bubbles, add nuts and stir until coated.

3. Continue cooking for 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly until nuts turn golden brown in color and smell toasted. Transfer to waxed paper or plate to cool. Break apart and store in a cool dry place.

Happy Birthday Grandma~!!!

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  Mels Kitchen Cafe,  AllRecipes and Saved by the Egg Timer

Mexican Polvorones con Canela and Mill City Museum

Mill City Museum, it is a mecca for the 5th grade classroom every year at our school.  This was my second time there,  I got so excited getting to go again as a recipe blogger.  It took on a whole new meaning to me.

I just know I had a recipe in here somewhere!

But first, with all the stacked boxes and wrapped up glasses, this kind award slipped my mind!  Slipped but not forgotten.  Thank you My Little Space for this Stylish Blogger Award, it means so much how warmly I have been welcomed into this wonderful community of bloggers.

Now back to the flour mill mecca.  This retired flour mill called the Mill City Museum was originally built as the A Mill, built in 1874 along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN.  Using the power of the river to run the factory, it was the largest and most technologically advanced mill in the world.  At the highest capacity it was told that the mill ground enough flour to make 12 million loaves of bread a day.  That is a lot of sandwiches! 

Today the old flour mill is a museum for Betty Crocker, Pillsbury, Gold Medal Flour and General Mills.  We even got to bake in the Pillsbury Doughboy and Gold Medal Flour Baking Lab. 

Elevator ride with a movie and props just like at DisneyWorld, it lets you out at the top so you can see Sr. Anthony Falls that powered the mill along with many other flour mills right next door. 

They went over different types of wheat and what same wheats are used to make baked goods all over the world.  By using the same ingredients cooked in a little different way you get a whole new recipe.  Our recipe for the day was... 

Mexican Polvorones con Canela

Arabic in origin, this recipe was brought to Mexico from Spain. These cinnamon sugar cookies are a favorite among Mexican- Americans. They are often served at wedding and other festive occasions wrapped in multi-colored tissue paper.

Print recipe here

½ C unsalted butter, room temperature

¼ C powdered sugar

1 ½ tsp pure vanilla extract

1 C all purpose flour

⅛ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

1. Beat butter in a medium bowl until creamy.
2. Add powdered sugar and vanilla, beat until light and fluffy.

3. Stir flour and salt in gradually until mixed well.

4. Roll in ¾ inch size balls and place on an ungreased baking sheet.

5. Bake cookies for about 15 minutes in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F.  Remove when edges turn a pale gold.

6. Sprinkle the cookies with a bit of powdered sugar and let cool.

Thank you my son, 5th graders for a wonderful day and Happy Cinco de Mayo!

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  Mill City Museum's Pillsbury Doughboy and Gold Medal Flour Baking Lab

Cream Cheese Cupcakes with Fresh Berry Syrup

Today is April's Cake Slice Baker's cake post day.  This month the winning recipe was Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake from Cake Keeper Cakes by Laurra Chattman.  It makes a huge bundt cake that I was not needing.  Reconfigured my tastes and needs, 'Wa-lah!' into a Spring-y cupcake topped with Fresh Berry Syrup and whipped cream for a lush dessert.  Think of a combination between pound cake, cupcake, strawberry shortcake and cheesecake?  But. All. Good.

Cream Cheese Cupcakes
Print recipe here

1 ½ C whole wheat pastry flour
1 tsp aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
¼ C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 ¼ C organic cane sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tsp pure almond extract
½ tsp pure vanilla extract
1 medium/ large lemon or 2 small lemons, zest only

1. DO NOT PREHEAT OVEN! This is a cold oven recipe. In a small bowl measure your sugar, zest the lemon and mix into the sugar with a fork. Inhale the wonderful smell and set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

3. Prepare your muffin tin lining with paper cupcake liners or greasing with a little butter or oil spray.

4. In a large bowl, mix the butter, cream cheese and zested sugar with an electric mixer on a higher speed for 3 minutes until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add in the extracts.

5. Add the flour mixture and mix into the batter in 3 separate increments on a lower speed. Once all is added, mix an additional 30 seconds.

6. Pour the batter into the cupcake cups until ¾ full. Place the pans on the lowest oven rack. Shut oven door and turn your oven onto 325 degrees F. Bake for 30-35 minutes, remove once golden on the top. Let cool in muffin tin for 15 minutes. Place the cupcake on a cooling rack until completely cooled.

7. Serve with Fresh Berry Syrup and a dollop of fresh whipped cream.  Makes 18 cupcakes.

Fresh Berry Syrup
Print recipe here
3 C fresh berries- any variety you desire
½ C raw cane sugar
½ tsp lemon zest (optional)

1. Mix all ingredients in a medium size bowl. Let sit until the juices of the berries come out and make a syrup.  Minimum of 1 hour.
Serve over pancakes, waffles, cupcakes, cakes, ice cream. Add to smoothies, lemonade, seltzers, teas and cocktails.   

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Double Chocolate Loaded Cookies and Protein Packed Chocolate Cookies (Healthy Enough for Breakfast Cookies)

Long title I know, it will be worth it.

I made these cookies and they are amazing!  They are also amazingly healthy.  Loaded with fiber, protein and antioxidants. Yet so good, no one will suspect a thing.  Be careful though, these brownie dense cookies are very addicting! 

Healthy is good, but eating the entire bowl of dough is bad, hahah....not that I would do that.  Ever.  I mean really.  Well, maybe just a taste.  For you know, quality control and such.  No cookies to bake?  Someone must have come in when I wasn't looking?  I have been meaning to get that alarm system.  Now would be a good time, to ward off those horrible intruders. 

Double Chocolate Loaded Cookies

Print recipe here

½ C white whole wheat flour

¼ C golden flax seed, ground

½ C old fashioned rolled oats (not instant)

¼ C dark cocoa powder

1 tsp aluminum free baking soda

¼ C unsalted butter, softened

⅔ C organic brown sugar or sucanat

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ C pecans, chopped

½ C dark chocolate chips

½ C dried cherries (juice sweetened or sugar free if you can find)

celtic sea salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

I should really be more careful with the intruders around ;)

2. In a medium bowl whisk the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon, add in the flour, flax seed, oats, baking soda. Mix in the pecans, chocolate chips and dried cherries.

3. With a cookie scoop, drop onto your parchment lined cookie tray. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt over each one. (Important Note: Use celtic sea salt or kosher salt, not table salt!) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from tray and let cool on wire rack, plate or wax paper.

~After making the above recipe I was inspired to make a low carb-o, high protein "breakfast" version.  They turned out so good I am including this rendition as well.  Seriously healthy enough for breakfast!  They are more cake like but equally flavorful.  Naturally, they are sugar and gluten free.  Good for any(who's) currently on the GAPS, Paleo, Primal, Hunter/Gatherer, HCG Phase 3 & 4, Atkins or South Beach diets plan.  Especially good for all my Phases To Forever (Phase 3er's and 4er's only..this one is for you!).

Protein Packed Chocolate Cookies (Healthy Enough for Breakfast Cookies)

Print recipe here

½ C almond flour (almond meal or simply, finely ground almonds)

¼ C golden flax seed, ground

½ C unsweetened coconut, shredded or flakes

¼ C dark cocoa powder

1 tsp aluminum free baking soda

¼ C unsalted butter, softened or coconut oil

½ C unsweetened applesauce

½ tsp (mounded) liquid or powdered stevia

1 large egg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

½ C pecans, chopped

½ C cocoa nibs, chopped or ground (optional)

½ C dried cherries or any dried fruit of choice (juice sweetened or sugar free if you can find)

celtic sea salt for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

2.  In a small bowl stir together the applesauce and stevia until mixed through.

3. In a medium bowl whisk the butter or coconut oil, applesauce + stevia, egg and vanilla. With a wooden spoon,add in the almond flour, flax seed, coconut and baking soda. Mix in the pecans, chocolate nibs and dried fruit.  (I love dried cranberries too!)

4. With a cookie scoop, drop onto your parchment lined cookie tray. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt over each one. (Important Note: Use celtic sea salt or kosher salt, not table salt!) Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from tray and let cool on wire rack, plate or wax paper.

 ~Seriously, how good would it be to add in dried strawberries or raspberries to this?   Make sure to give each recipe a equal opportunity, don't tell the kids or husbands which is which and see what variation wins.

Each cookie is healthy in different ways, your secret is safe with me!

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from:  Eat Good 4 Life


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Oatmeal Cookie Bars

Happy Spring everyone!
All over the country, we are looking forward to spring a lot more than in the recent years!  So excited for warmer temps and sunny skies, MN will have to wait a little longer...today is snowing and blowing. Including a picture of our nasty weather would just be mean.  Here is my little piece of spring that resides in my kitchen smelling the whole first floor, thanks mom!

Saved by the Egg Timer has gotten a mini spring face lift!  I will be trying to get the Ingredients at Their Best page to a final update soon too.  You can still check it out in it's construction zone for some great food ingredient information.

Please excuse my absentmindedness, I mean recent absence ;)  Or maybe both...  We have been moving and growing and making some kitchen improvements!  This is a great thing, great for me and you.  More recipes, more room, more creating, more posts!  I have to say that the lighting has improved very much so will be looking forward to providing lovely, drool producing photos for the recipes.

Cookie bars for a cause.  A very good cause.  To treat the teachers that teach my children! Try saying that 10 times fast?  Well, all I have to say about this recipe is this- a week after these cookie bars were shared at conferences.  My son was named a student of the month at his school (brag worthy proud mom moment!)  No really, he earned it all on his own.  I get no credit whatsoever in the leastest bit, except being a proud mom.  It takes a village to raise a child?  These days it takes a good family and home to undo what the village has taught my child!  Seriously though, he does have great teachers and a great school.  The recipe was requested so here it is!  The name should really be Teacher's Conference Oatmeal Bars.

Oatmeal Butterscotch Bars
Print recipe here
¾ C (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter
¾ C sucanat sugar (I love Heavenly Organics brand for any baking)
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 ¾ C whole white wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
¾ tsp aluminum free baking soda
¼ tsp celtic sea salt
1 C old fashioned rolled oats
1 C butterscotch chips
1 C white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a glass 9 x 13 glass baking dish with foil, let each end have a 2 inch overhang. Grease foil with a little butter or oil spray. Set aside.

2. Beat the softened butter and sugar in a medium mixing bowl until whipped together. Add the egg and vanilla, beat for 3 minutes until fluffy.

3. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and beat until combined and no white shows through. Stir in chips.

4. Press dough into the prepared pan. Bake for 16-19 minutes until a very slight and light golden brown is achieved. (They may even seem undercooked at first but should not look doughy in the middle.)

5. Let cool in pan. Lift two sides of overhanging foil to remove bars. Place onto a large platter or cutting board. Cut into desired sized squares. Wrap up to give away, but don’t forget about quality control! Bake, smell, eat!

Today's recipes where brought to you by, inspired or adapted from: Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Toffee Coffee Cake

It's another edition of the Cake Slice Baker's.  Today is the 20th of the month and I am glad to be back in with these bakers.  The original recipe for Laura Chattman's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake is here. 

Some things I changed to the original recipe: I eliminated the instant coffee granules because I did not have any on hand.  I am not the type of person to go to the store for one thing, partly because I will walk out with much more than one item, and also because I would never use instant coffee again and would be a waste.  There is always a solution, in this case a very good solution.  Brew some strong coffee.  I like real food, to me real coffee is real good and real food.

My favorite part of baking this cake, it smells like State Fair Mini Donuts! 

Toffee Coffee Cake
Print recipe here
1½ C white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
1½ tsp aluminum free baking powder
½ tsp celtic sea salt
½ C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened + 1 TB for greasing pan
1 C raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ C organic heavy cream
½ C strong brewed coffee
½ C Heath baking bits or 2 Heath bars, chopped

For the Streusel
1 C Heath baking bits or 4 Heath bars, chopped
4 TB raw cane sugar, turbinado or brown sugar
4 TB white whole wheat flour, unbromated and unbleached
2 TB unsalted butter, softened
⅛ tsp celtic sea salt

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt 1 TB butter and pour into a 9 inch springform pan. Swirl butter around the pan until coated on bottom and all the way up the sides. Set aside.

2. Brew your coffee, measure out ½ cup amount and set aside to let cool until it is time for the coffee to make it’s entrance. Take the leftover brewed coffee, add a little Homemade Creamer and sip happily.

3. Prepare the topping by placing sugar, flour, butter and salt in a small bowl and smash with a fork until it forms little pebble size crumbs. Add the Heath bits and mix through. Set aside.

4. In a large bowl beat the butter and sugar for 3 minutes until creamy and fluffy. Mix in the egg and vanilla.

5. Add in the flour, baking powder and salt, mix in just until combined. Pour coffee and cream over batter and mix on low until batter is same texture throughout. Spoon in the Heath bits and stir in.

6. Pour batter into the prepared pan. Top with streusel, bake 55-60 minutes. Test with toothpick, when it is done you will pull out a clean toothpick with just a few crumbs. Let cool for 5 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from springform pan and slice to serve.

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