The Two Ingredient Mini Cupcake

Okay, for those of you who have heard of this recipe, why the heck didn’t you tell me about it?  You’ll never guess who did end up telling me about it – a doctor.

This recipe only requires two things to make these delicious, moist, and chocolaty mini’s.

1.) Your favorite brand and flavor of cake mix. 

2.)  One 15 ounce can of pure pumpkin.

That’s right, no eggs and no oil.  The elimination of those two items makes this recipe much lower in calories, and much healthier.  

Want to be creative? Try adding dark chocolate chips to these, or make them with a carrot, spice, or vanilla cake mix. 

I did a little research on these mini’s after the doctor told me about them.  I found the directions for making them, along with the nutritional information, at the Hungry Girl. 

I made a couple minor adjustments.  I added about 2 tablespoons of water to the bottom of  the pumpkin can to rinse it out.  I then added that water right into the batter.  I also baked my mini’s at 325 degrees for about 14-15 minutes.  Check with a toothpick to make sure it comes out clean before removing them from the oven.

I am currently looking for healthier recipes to share here at The Joy of Caking.  If you’ve got a healthier tried and true recipe that you’d love to share, or would like to guest post with me – PLEASE email me!

 

Easy as Pie

The phrase “easy as pie” doesn’t normally refer to the act of making a pie, because we all know that it is not always an easy task.  What it refers to is the act of eating pie – which is normally considered quite simple.  At least it is for me anyway.

I’ve found a recipe for a pie that gives the phrase “easy as pie” a whole new meaning.

This recipe is from Kraft Foods, and I promise you it will be the easiest,  and probably the healthiest pie you’ve ever made.   The reviews that this recipe got are so good that I couldn’t wait to make it myself.  In all honesty, I’m not sure why I haven’t made this pie before now since it’s a fairly common recipe. I’m almost thinking it might even fit into the retro recipe category.

Aside from the pie crust, this recipe only requires three common ingredients.  Yes, you read that correctly – just three!  And as long as we are talking pie crust,  I made my own graham cracker crust instead of buying a packaged one because I wanted to serve my dessert in an 8”x8” pan which then turns this recipe into a square pie.  Is that a new word – square pie?

Cool & Easy Pie  (slightly adapted from Kraft Foods)

1 package of  sugar-free raspberry gelatin

2/3 c. boiling water

1 c. of cold water (I put mine in the freezer 15 minutes before I made the pie)

1 (8 oz.) tub of lite whipped topping

1 (9”) graham cracker pie crust

1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries

In a large bowl, add gelatin.  Pour in boiling water and stir for about 2 minutes until all of the gelatin is dissolved.  Stir in cold water.  Add whipped topping; mix with a wire whisk until smooth.  Add berries and refrigerate for 20 minutes.  Remove from refrigerator and pour into pie crust.  Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.  Serves 8

I love the lightness and fruity flavor of this dessert.  If you’re not a raspberry fan then be creative and try a different flavor.  I’m already thinking ahead to Easter!

For the original  Kraft recipe, to read reviews, or see the nutritional information, follow the Kraft Foods link above.   And remember, the nutritional value of the pie I made is going to have less sugar and calories because it’s made with sugar-free gelatin. 

Now, let’s talk about the phrase “easy come, easy go”.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maple Sour Cream Cake Recipe Review

I eagerly strolled out into my kitchen today to make a cake recipe that I found on Technicolor Kitchen’s blog.  The original recipe came from Food 52.

The photo’s of this Maple Sour Cream Cake on Technicolor Kitchen’s blog looked so delicious (all of her baked goods do) that I don’t know who could resist making such a beauty.

And then there was reality…

Sadly, this cake turned out nothing like I was expecting.  Either in taste or texture.  The cake was extremely heavy and oily, browned too quickly when it was baking,  and tasted much more like egg than anything else.

So, was it something I did?  Let’s take a look, and feel free to chime in with your thoughts.

I used olive oil instead of canola oil.  It should be noted that I usually bake with olive oil and generally don’t have any issues with it, but I suppose that could have been a contributing factor.   I used an electric mixer in place of a whisk – ??  And for the actual baking, I ended up lowering the heat to 325 degrees because the outside was getting too dark too fast (I did follow the baking instructions to the letter). 

It’s inevitable that when you  try new recipes there will be some that you are tickled with, and others that you aren’t.  I like to use these experiences to try and improve on the concept of the recipe.  I’ll do a little experimenting and see if I can shape this recipe to fit my expectations of  what I think a Maple Sour Cream Cake should be.

What’s the last recipe you can remember making that didn’t turn out a thing like you expected it to?

Ham, Spinach, and Pasta Casserole

I love casseroles.  And fortunately for me, my husband doesn’t mind it when I find a new recipe to try out.  As scared as he might be at the prospect of me playing the mad scientist in the kitchen, he never lets on.  He is truly a brave soul!

Over the years, I’ve found that some casseroles can look better than they actually taste, and vice-versa.  I’ve been pleased with some, and disappointed with others. 

A recipe I found at the Better Homes and Gardens website inspired me to make this dish. 

I also have several other casserole recipes to work through and I’ll be sharing them here too.  If you haven’t already, please subscribe to my blog via email so you never miss one of my posts.  

Ham, Spinach, and Pasta Casserole

Ingredients:

2 2/3 c. bow tie pasta (cook according to package)

1 tbsp. margarine

1 small onion, sliced thin

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1 mini sweet red pepper, diced

1 mini sweet yellow pepper, diced

1/2 c. heavy cream

1 1/2 c. milk

1/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

1/4 c. grated parmesan cheese, heaping

1/4 tsp. black pepper

1/4 tsp. season salt

1/4 tsp. dried parsley

2 c. fresh spinach, rinsed, dried, and chopped

1 c. cooked ham, cubed or sliced

1 Roma tomato, seeded and diced

3/4 c. mozzarella cheese

Directions:

In a large skillet, add margarine, onion, red and yellow peppers, and garlic.  Cook until vegetables are soft  and tender.  Add flour, milk and chicken broth; cook until it thickens – stirring often. Stir in parmesan cheese, pepper, season salt, and parsley.  Remove from heat and add ham, spinach, and pasta; mix thoroughly.  Pour into a 2 quart casserole dish that has been coated with non-stick cooking spray.  Top with tomato and mozzarella cheese. 

Bake uncovered for 22-25 minutes.  Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes before serving. 

Serves 6

So what do (we) think about this dish?  It’s a winner.  It’s creamy, cheesy, and has a hint of smoky flavor.  I served this casserole with a tossed salad and garlic bread; it was a perfect meal for a cold winter night. 

The only problem with this casserole? Getting good pictures of it on a dark winter night.

Do you like casseroles?  If so, what’s your favorite? 

 

 

Heart Cookies for Valentine’s Day

This is my last post before cupid show’s himself tomorrow.  I have really had fun with Valentine’s Day recipes this year.  I hope you’ve enjoyed all the treats and recipes I’ve shared.

Now, for my final treat.  Yes, there is still time for you to whip up a batch of these delicious Valentine Cream Wafer cookies.  The recipe is straight from Betty Crocker’s Kitchen.  When I saw these I immediately pinned them on one of my Pinterest boards and knew I NEEDED to make them. 

I tweaked the original  recipe ever so slightly by adding 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the batter.  Other than that, I followed the recipe and instructions to the letter.  *Note – the original recipe say’s it yields about 44 cookies.  I got about 1 1/2 dozen with a slightly bigger cookie cutter.

These cookies are tender, sweet, and delicious.  I’m adding this recipe to my tried and true recipe box. 

Wishing all you romantics out there a Happy Valentine’s Day!

Marshmallow, Peanut Butter, and Cake Truffles

Who say’s a girl can’t have her cake and eat it too?   That’s exactly what you’re going to get in these scrumptious truffles – cake!

These little babies have already worked their way to the top of my favorites list.   

If you have someone special on your Valentine’s Day list that loves the combination of peanut butter and chocolate  like I do, these would make the perfect (homemade) gift.

Marshmallow, Peanut Butter, and Cake Truffles

1/2 c. peanut butter

2 tbsp. margarine

1 c. mini-marshmallows

3/4 c. powdered sugar

1 unfrosted chocolate cupcake, crumbled fine

3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 tbsp. vegetable shortening

In a small saucepan, melt margarine, peanut butter, and marshmallows on low heat.   Stir in cake crumbs.  Add powdered sugar and remove from heat; stirring until mixture forms a ball.

Remove from saucepan and place into small bowl.  Cover and chill in refrigerator for 20-30 minutes. 

Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Once dough has chilled, roll dough into 1” balls. 

Melt chocolate chips and vegetable shortening in a double boiler.  Dip balls into chocolate and place onto prepared cookie sheet.  Return to refrigerator to harden.

Makes about 1 dozen.

Strawberry Kiss Cheesecakes, The Chocoholic Cupcake, and now, Marshmallow, Peanut Butter, and Cake Truffles for Valentine’s Day.  Could it get any better than this? Nah….

The Chocoholic Cupcake: Another Valentine’s Day Dessert

A couple weeks ago I announced that I was going to make a few  treats in an effort to pick the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert.   The only requirement for the dessert; it must have chocolate in it.  And as you might imagine, this is becoming a harder chore than I originally thought.

The first recipe I presented was for Strawberry Kiss Cheesecakes.  They definitely hit the spot, and after making them I had to wonder if I would be able to top them.

Well… now I present the Chocoholic Cupcake.  The cake is dark, moist, and less sweet than a lot of chocolate cupcake recipes.  I like to top them off with either  vanilla or chocolate buttercream frosting which is sweet and buttery and compliments the dark chocolate cake.

I have to say that it is nearly impossible to choose a favorite between the two desserts I’ve made so far.  I have at least one more dessert to make before picking a favorite, but now I’m wondering if we should celebrate Valentine’s Day with just desserts and wine!

Chocoholic Cupcakes

1/2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. brown sugar, not packed

2 eggs, room temperature

1/2 c. olive oil

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 c. cocoa

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1 c. skim milk

1 c. boiling water

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Makes 1 1/2 dozen cupcakes. 

Prepare cupcake tins by placing paper liners in each cup.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, add sugars, eggs, skim milk, and oil.  With an electric mixer beat ingredients for 2 minutes.  Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cocoa; mix again until completely blended.  Add boiling water and flour; beat until smooth and creamy.  Stir in vanilla extract. 

Fill cupcake liners 3/4 full.  Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

I couldn’t resist decorating these cupcakes with bright gumballs from SweetWorks candy, along with Hershey’s creamy milk chocolate hearts and kisses.  Both are so festive!

And drum roll please…. 

TheMaryJaneFam blog, Raising Jane Journal, featured photos of my one and only Pink Paradise today.  They also shared a link to my Tin Can Tourist post as well.   I feel so honored!  If you have a minute,  please hop on over there and check it out.

Also, an important reminder all you glampers  -  the International Glamping Weekend is scheduled for  June 1-2, 2013.  Follow the link above to find out more.

I shared this recipe at:

 

Pineapple Cheesecake Pudding Cake

We’ve been on a short hiatus visiting family in the South, and oh how I dreaded coming back to the cold winter months that we still have left here in New York.  

It’s amazing how a little warm sunshine can make you feel so much better.  I think us folks from the North forget that during the winter months.  Like with all things in life, we learn to adapt.

In honor of warm temps and sunshine I have decided to share a dessert recipe that will brighten your taste buds and leave you feeling like you are some place tropical.

I am a fan of cakes that are loaded with pudding and fruit.  The combination of the two gives them such flavor and makes them super moist.  This cake recipe is a modified version of a Hawaiian Wedding Cake.  I opted to use a box of cheesecake pudding mix in place of vanilla pudding.  I like the way the cheesecake pudding flavor cuts the sweetness of the cake.

I usually prepare this cake a day before I plan on serving it.

Pineapple Cheesecake Pudding Cake

1 yellow cake mix

4oz. light cream cheese, softened

1 1/2 c. skim milk

1 oz. package of Jell-O brand Cheesecake Sugar-Free Pudding

1 8oz. tub of light whipped topping, thawed

1 20oz. can of crushed pineapple

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease 9”x13” pan with shortening.

Drain pineapple juice from crushed pineapple into a measuring cup and set aside. 

Prepare the cake mix according to the box (substituting the pineapple juice you have set aside in place of some of the water the recipe calls for).  Bake and allow to cool completely.

In a large bowl, add milk, package of pudding, and cream cheese.   Mix with electric mixer.  Spread on top of cooled cake.

Fold crushed pineapple in with whipped topping and spread on top of pudding.

Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Where is your favorite warm place to visit?  Do you have a favorite tropical dessert recipe?

 

 

 

Strawberry Kiss Cheesecakes

I’m already looking for the perfect Valentine’s Day dessert.  And this dessert only has to meet one criteria.  Please say this with me…  It must be contain chocolate!

With that in mind, I decided to do a test run on one of the desserts I’m considering.  These Strawberry Kiss Cheesecakes are absolutely delicious and ADDICTING.  Yes, I am thinking I may need to enroll in Cheesecake Overeaters Anonymous after making these.

These desserts are so simple to make, yet people will ooh and ah over them.  I just love that don’t you?

Strawberry Kiss Cheesecakes

Makes 2 dozen mini cheesecakes.  Line regular sized muffin pans with paper liners.

Crust

1 1/4 c. graham crackers, crushed

3 tbsp. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. margarine, melted

Combine ingredients in medium sized bowl; mix thoroughly.  Put a heaping tablespoon of crust mix into each paper liner. Pack  down using the bottom of a small juice glass.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Filling

(2) 8 oz. packages of light cream cheese, softened

1 c. granulated sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 Dark Chocolate Hershey Kisses, unwrapped and ground (I used my food processor for this.)

24 Milk Chocolate Hershey Kisses, unwrapped and set aside

In a large sized bowl, add cream cheese, eggs, and sugar.  Using electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla; mix  thoroughly.  Fill paper liners about 2/3 full with filling and sprinkle  ground dark chocolate  on top of the filling.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center.  Remove from oven and insert the milk chocolate kisses into the center of each cake.  Cool completely before removing from pan.

Strawberry Topping

Thaw one package of frozen crushed strawberries, and add sugar to taste.

Don’t forget to enter  my Hershey Candy Giveaway, and check out Celebrate with Hershey for other great Valentine’s Day ideas.

What is your favorite cheesecake?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Devil’s Food Chocolate Doughnut Holes

I have decided to make a few sinful treats to share on my blog during these cold winter months.  With the holidays nearly over, and with winter arriving with a vengeance, it’s time to get creative in the kitchen again.

I know that lately I’ve been a slacker where baking is concerned, and for that I apologize.

Now, let’s talk doughnut holes.

There is little that is  more inviting than freshly made doughnut holes sprinkled in powdered sugar, or dipped in a sweet, sugary glaze.  Grab a piping hot mug of cocoa, coffee, or tea to go with them and life is good!

These doughnut holes are baked.  So, while there is some guilt involved in consuming these little gems, you can reassure yourself that you did your very best to cut some calories out of them by not frying them.

*This recipe was designed for use with babycakes pop maker.

Devil’s Food Chocolate Doughnut Holes

1/2 c. granulated sugar

3 tbsp. cocoa

1 egg

3 tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 c. hot water

1/4 c. sour cream

3/4 c. flour

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, add sugar, cocoa, egg, olive oil, baking soda, baking powder, salt and hot water; mix with electric mixer until thoroughly blended.  Add sour cream and flour; beat until  smooth and creamy.  Add vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Follow the instructions that came with your babycakes maker for baking.  Makes 2.5 dozen.

*For best results, store in airtight container overnight and sprinkle with powdered sugar, or dip in powdered sugar glaze the following day.  Store in non-airtight container once sugared or glazed.

So, what’s the next sinful treat I’ll be sharing?  I’m not sure, it’s going to be hard to top these – seriously!

If you haven’t had a chance to review the other baked doughnut hole recipes I’ve introduced here at The Joy of Caking – then please check them out.

1.)  Vanilla Orange Cinnamon Baked Doughnut Holes

2.)   Baked Pumpkin Spice Doughnut Holes

3.)   Maple Apple Doughnut Holes

 

 

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