Desserts Archives - Crafty Cooking Mama

Chocolate Kalakand #FoodBloggerLove

February 11, 2019 by Amanda 2 Comments

Chocolate Kalakand – a delicious Indian sweet made with paneer cheese.

Chocolate Kalakand | www.craftycookingmama.com

I’m so excited to participate in the annual #FoodBloggerLove event for the third time! This is such a fun event for bloggers! We secretly get assigned another blogger with the goal of sharing a little love. This year again, I’ve been introduced to a blogger I haven’t met yet…yay! I’ve gotten to learn a little about this blogger and I also get to share their recipes & story with my readers. Total win for all!

This year #FoodBloggerLove has introduced me to another awesome food blogger – Kalyani from Sizzling Tastebuds. Hi Kalyani ♥

Kalyani is a food blogger from Mumbai. She enjoys Indian street food as well as Middle eastern and Mexican food.

Kalyani loves baking and cooking for her family and re-inventing high-carb food into everyday, healthy food. She is vegetarian and on her way to becoming a vegan. She prefers baking with gluten-free or whole-wheat flours, low sugar and no eggs.

Kalyani is not into overly sweet desserts…but I enjoyed browsing thru her desserts and knew I had to try one!

Then I found it. Chocolate! Her recipe for Chocolate Kalakand was screaming my name 🙂

Kalakand is a popular Indian dessert. I’ve tasted it before and at times have found it overly sweet. Kaylani’s recipe keeps the focus on chocolate with minimal added sugar.

This Kalakand comes together quickly. My mini-food processor made easy work of grating the cheese and chocolate. Prepare over medium/low heat and stay with the pan. After adding the chocolate, melt and stir until everything is combined. If you go to far things will start to separate.

I used a 86% Cacao Chocolate – the flavor of the Kalakand was perfectly intense. Use whatever chocolate you enjoy most.

The texture of this Kalakand is interesting. Paneer does not melt smooth, so you will bites of the grated cheese. It’s almost a mix between fudge and a brownie.

If you can’t find paneer, you can sub queso fresco – they’re just about the same thing. Or try making it at home – you’ll be surprised how easy it is to make! Paneer has been known to start many cheesemakers journeys : )

I had so much fun browsing thru Kaylani’s recipes and you will to! Head over to her blog and check it out!

Visit Kalyani at:

Sizzling Tastebuds
Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram & Twitter

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Amanda ♥

If you are a blogger who wants to participate in #FoodBloggerLove next year, make sure to join our Facebook group to know when sign-ups open!

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Mixed Berry Galette

April 11, 2018 by Amanda 6 Comments

This post was sponsored by Thyme & Table. All thoughts & opinions are always my own. #WhatAGoodThyme

Today I’m sharing my recipe for a mixed berry galette. It’s rustic, beautiful, delicious and so simple to make! Plus I’m introducing you to the newest and coolest line of kitchen utensils from Thyme & Table.

Hello Spring ♥

I’m in gear to get all things springtime going, but I think we’re officially in our 3rd winter here in Pennsylvania. *Sigh*…it’s snowing again. Fingers crossed for warm sunny days & soon!

I usually bake nonstop during the winter months – this year I took a bit of a break from it. I was definitely feeling soups, stews and hearty comfort foods during these colder months.

We had a few warm days and all of a sudden I’m craving fruits, berries and baked goods. I’m ready to bake!

Plus I’ve been staring at all these bright, fun & too cool utensils from Thyme & Table. I want to chop, whisk, mix, scrape – I want to get busy in the kitchen with all these pretty utensils!

Thyme & Table is a new line of fun, colorful & affordable kitchen utensils available at Walmart. All the pieces are so funky, fun yet functional! I love the pop of color these utensils have added to my kitchen and know everyone else will as well. I’m thinking Mother’s Day, gift baskets, housewarming presents – I’ve got gift ideas covered for awhile!!!

I’ll admit, some of my kitchen utensils are a bit beat up and overdue to be replaced. My daughter tells me all my kitchen stuff is so “old fashioned” – so this fun & fresh change was needed!

Back to baking! Craving fruit, I found a decent selection of berries at a local grocery store and grabbed one of everything they had. I happily left with strawberries, blueberries & blackberries.

I knew I wanted to bake a galette. I love, love, LOVE galettes! They’re beautiful, rustic and so perfectly simple.

I made my own pastry dough here. It’s simple, so when you have the time – definitely go for it. When you don’t have the time, grab some of that premade pastry dough. It will turn out delicious either way.

I try to keep the sugar to a minimum when working with fresh fruits & berries. Unfortunately, none of these berries were particularly ripe, sweet or juicy – so I added a bit more sugar than I might normally.

Please know that galettes are so forgiving – so eager to please! They really beg to be every bakers best friend! I sloppily rolled out the dough – egdes all messy & uneven. Guess what – it adds more character. I had a bit of berry lava oozing out one corner while baking. Easy fix – I just spooned that sweet lava over the galette while it was cooling.

Warm sunny days and springtime baking – I’m ready for you ♥

Thanks so much for stopping by!

-Amanda-

Visit Thyme & Table to learn more about their fun & fab kitchen must-haves!

You can find all these gorgeous kitchen utensils from Thyme & Table at your local Walmart.

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5 from 1 vote

Mixed Berry Galette

Mixed Berry Galette. It's beautiful, delicious and so simple to make! Oh, and if you don't feel like fussing with pastry dough, go ahead and use the premade stuff 🙂

Prep Time2 hrs

Cook Time50 mins

Total Time2 hrs 50 mins

Course: baked goods

Servings: 8 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

For Pastry:
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
9 tablespoons cold salted butter cubed (1 stick + 1 tablespoon)
2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ice water
1 egg white
1 tablespoon turbinado sugar
For Filling:
4 cups mixed berries chopped if necessary (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoon cornstarch
-parchment paper-

Instructions

For Pastry:
Combine the flour with the butter, sugar and salt in a food processor and process until mixture resembles coarse meal with a few pea-size pieces remaining.
Add the ice water over the flour mixture and process until the pastry just begins to come together.
If not using a food processor, you can make the pastry by hand with a pastry cutter.
Pat dough into approx a 6" disk. Wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 1/2 - 2 hours. This can be made well ahead of time if necessary.
For Filling:
Combine berries, sugar and cornstarch in a mixing bowl. Gently mix together.
To assemble:
When dough is chilled, preheat oven to 400°F
On a floured surface, roll out dough until roughly a 12"x14" rectangle. The corners can be rough and uneven and it's fine if you can't get roll the dough out to the full measurement.
Transfer rolled dough onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Brush about half of the egg white onto the dough.
Spoon the berry filling onto the dough, leaving a 2" border uncovered around the edge.
Fold the edges up and over the filling, overlapping slightly.
Brush remaining egg white over dough and sprinkle with turbinado sugar.
Bake until the filling is bubbly and the pastry is golden brown & crisp - about 40 - 50 minutes.
If any of the berry mixture oozed out, spoon on top of galette
Let rest on cookie sheet for about 10 minutes and then transfer galette, still on parchment paper, to wire rack to cool.
Slice & enjoy ♥

Santa’s White Christmas® & Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

November 22, 2017 by Amanda Leave a Comment

This post was sponsored by Barnie’s Coffee as part of an Influencer Activation for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own.

Today I’m sharing with you a holiday coffee that I’ve fallen in love with and a great cookie to go along. OH – and a 30% discount as well!!!

We all have a certain scent that gets the holiday season started for us. Be it baked goods, scented candles, a freshly cut Christmas tree – some fond aroma signals it for us.

Of course we all have foods & drinks that make our taste buds happily aware the holiday season is among us. Tastes that just sing out loud “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” ♥

Santa’s White Christmas® from Barnie’s Coffee does both.

Brew a pot of this coffee and your whole house smells like the sweetest Christmas memory. It makes me think of Christmas morning – while we brew a big pot of coffee and munch on leftover cookies we baked for Santa.

Taste just one sip of this coffee and you’ll be in the mood for all things Christmas. Christmas decorating, caroling, wrapping presents – it’s so festive!

Santa’s White Christmas® flavored ground coffee, a Barnie’s Coffee exclusive, was first introduced as a holiday coffee in 1995 and has quickly become a year-round best seller. This coffee, made with high quality beans, combines the flavors of coconut, nuts, sweet caramel and vanilla.

To think I’m just discovering it now. Better late than never, right!?!

One sip and I’ve fallen in love. With it’s nutty, coconut & caramel flavor – it’s a tradition I’ll be adding to my Christmas season! It’s delicious, it’s rich, it’s smooth, it’s so flavorful – it’s absolutely unforgettable! With a splash of half & half – this is coffee perfection.

I ~~a bit~~ greedily enjoyed all these bags of coffee for myself – BUT – I love my friends and family so much that I need to share. The bags of Santa’s White Christmas® are so festive – they’re perfect for all your holiday gift giving.

Since I’m such a sweetie, I’ll bake some cookies to go along as gifts. These Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies pair nicely – but really, and cookie you bake will be a hit with this coffee.

Santa’s White Christmas® is available ground, whole bean, decaf, in single serve cups, cold brew pods and tea. Something for everyone on your nice list!

Barnie’s Coffee is available in-store and online. If you, my loyal reader, are shopping online you can enjoy a 30% discount off Santa’s White Christmas® at Barnie’s Coffee! Just in time for the start of your holiday shopping! Just use promo code CRAFTYCOOKINGMAMA30 at checkout.

Tis’ the season – enjoy it! This coffee will be sure to keep us all happy, festive & energized this holiday season!

Thanks so much for stopping by ♥

Amanda

Visit Barnie’s Coffee to shop & learn more about Santa’s White Christmas®! Don’t forget about your discount!

Love Santa’s White Christmas® from Barnie’s Coffee? Share that love online with #ShowUsYourSanta

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Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies

A nice and easy recipe for soft & chewy Chocolate Chip Mint Cookies! Makes a delicious Christmas or anytime cookie!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time10 mins

Total Time20 mins

Course: cookies

Servings: 3 dozen

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

1/2 cup salted butter softened
1/2 cup brown sugar packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup mint chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375°.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugars.
Beat in eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined.
Add in flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt until combined.
Fold in mint chocolate chips.
Drop heaping tablespoons of cookie dough on ungreased cookie sheet - leaving 2-3 inches space between.
Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cookie is set.
Let rest on cookie sheet for a minute and transfer to wire rack to cool.
Enjoy ♥

Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

November 16, 2017 by Amanda 5 Comments

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #IndulgenceDoneRight #CollectiveBias

This Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with a Brown Butter Icing & a cup of coffee make the perfect fall or anytime treat!

Pumpkin is one of my favorite flavors! I don’t need cool, crisp days and the glittering array of the leaves changing colors to make me crave all things pumpkin – but it sure does help.

Fall marks the beginning of the nonstop baking season for me. County fairs, apple everything, almost daily cravings for fresh baked bread – all of a sudden I realize I’m running out of flour on a weekly basis. Hello fall.

Pumpkin, though. Nothing quite tastes like the fall season as pumpkin.

As much as I love pumpkin, for some reason I usually default to baking pumpkin breads. I really do enjoy pumpkin bread, but our favorite fall time bounty deserves more than bread after bread recipe.

It’s been a few years since I baked this Pumpkin Cake for myself. I’ve baked it for charity dinners & bake sales – but haven’t sat down and enjoyed a slice (or two) for myself in a long time. Oh, how I’ve missed it.

This cake is moist and rich with the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor & spices. A simple brown butter icing takes it absolutely over the top.

This fall favorite dessert pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee. Hold the sugar, please, I’m sweet enough. What I do need is good half & half. Like new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. The simple goodness of Half & Half made with an extra rich blend of real milk and cream – the way Half & Half should be.

I’ve fallen in love with new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. It’s extra rich blend of real milk and cream make for a simple indulgence you will love too! It makes my morning coffee (and the numerous cups to follow) extra rich and creamy. No added sweeteners, no funny business – just a rich, gourmet half & half for the perfect cup of coffee you deserve.

I baked this cake twice in one week. Both times it was gone within a day. Good company, good cake and good coffee – they make a wonderful combination!

Happy fall everyone!

Amanda ♥

Craft the ultimate cup of coffee with new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half. Visit here for more information.

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Pumpkin Bundt® Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

This moist Pumpkin Bundt® Cake has just the right amount of pumpkin flavor & spices with a Brown Butter Icing that takes it deliciously over the top! Hello fall ♥

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr 10 mins

Total Time1 hr 20 mins

Course: cake

Servings: 12 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

For Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 sticks salted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup brown sugar packed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
2 1/2 cups pumpkin puree
For Brown Butter Icing
1 stick salted butter
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

For Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease & flour a bundt® pan.
In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger & salt. Whisk together and set aside.
In a stand mixer or large mixing bowl, cream butter.
Add in both sugars and vanilla, beat until creamy.
Add in eggs, beat.
Add pumpkin puree, mix until combined. This will have a curdled look to it - no worries.
Add in half of flour mixture. Mix until combined, stopping to scraped down sides of bowl. Add in other half of flour mixture. Mix until everything is combined. Mixture will be light and fluffy.
Scrape cake batter into bundt® pan, smooth and even out top.
Bake for about 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Transfer to wire cooling rack. Let cool for 15 minutes and remove cake from pan. Continue to let cake cool on wire rack.
For Brown Butter Icing:
Have all ingredients measured and ready to go.
Add stick of butter to a stainless steel saucepan. Don't walk away, stay by saucepan during whole process - it only takes a few minutes start to finish and can burn easily.
Over medium to medium high heat, melt butter and continually whisk or swirl butter.
Butter will start to foam up, keeping whisking or swirlng. You'll notice little brown specks at the bottom of the pan. Remove from heat and continue to whisk or swirl for a few seconds.
Whisk in powdered sugar, Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half and vanilla. Whisk until smooth and all lumps are gone.
Use immediately. Spoon or drizzle over cake.

I found new Land O Lakes® Buttercream Style Half & Half at my local Walmart in the dairy section. Grab one or two while you’re there – you WON’T be disappointed!

Apple & Cranberry Crisp

November 8, 2017 by Amanda 12 Comments

Welcome fall with this Apple Cranberry Crisp! Cinnamon baked apples, a sweet & tart layer of cranberry sauce topped with a candied, crumbly, buttery oat topping.

This was originally posted September 13, 2015. I’ve updated a few of the photos during some fall baking.

My love of fresh cranberry is no secret. The tart little berries are my favorite thing to bake with. I could add cranberries into (just about) everything I bake and live happily ever after.

As for the canned stuff – I do like it – but I feel it misrepresents all the awesomeness of cranberries.

I quote myself:

“Poor, misunderstood cranberries. They have such a bad reputation. People associate this sweet and tangy berry with that lumpy, clumpy, almost gelatin like blob of canned sauce that gets served on holidays. There’s so much more to this superfruit.”

An email from a reader prompted me to share this recipe. She commented on how much she loves the flavor of cranberry but never has anything but canned sauce on hand. She requested an easy, fall dessert made with cranberry sauce. I have the perfect recipe!

First, I’ll mention though, Fall brings cranberry season! Yay!!!! I always like to remind everyone to stock up when they’re in season, or after the winter holidays when the prices drop. Cranberries freeze perfectly, just throw the little baggies in the freezer “as is” for year round goodness.

Fall also brings apple season and it’s currently in full swing. I just bought a half bushel of fresh apples from a nearby farmer for $5 dollars. That’s over 20 pounds of apples for 5 bucks. Crazy!!! Lucky for my family, we love all things apple!

Onto the recipe already, I know! Nothing says early fall to me more than an Apple Cranberry Crisp. Apples are in abundance and the flavor of cranberry gets us excited about holidays to come.

Even better, this Crisp is super simple to put together. The most effort here will be slicing the apples!

Welcome fall with this Apple Cranberry Crisp! Fresh baked apples with cinnamon, a sweet & tart layer of cranberry sauce and a candied, crumbly, buttery oat topping. Yum! Add a dollop of whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream or your favorite yogurt – you’ll be kissing Summer good-bye!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Baking 🙂

Amanda ♥

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5 from 1 vote

Apple & Cranberry Crisp

Welcome fall with this Apple Cranberry Crisp! Cinnamon baked apples, a sweet & tart layer of cranberry sauce topped with a candied, crumbly, buttery oat topping.

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: baked goods

Servings: 8 - 10 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

4-5 baking apples about 1 1/4 lbs
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 can of cranberry sauce 15 - 16 oz. can
1 cup quick/rolled oats uncooked
3/4 cup dark brown sugar packed
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter cold

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly grease or spray a 11" x 7" baking dish.
Peel, core and slice apples into sixteenths.
Evenly arrange apples in baking dish.
Sprinkle with cinnamon, gently toss.
Spoon cranberry sauce on top of apples. Using a spatula, smooth cranberry sauce into an even layer.
In a mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, brown sugar and flour. Mix.
Add cold butter slices to mixture. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until crumbly.
Spoon & evenly spread topping over cranberry layer.
Bake for about 40 minutes or until top is a light golden brown.
Remove form oven and cool on wire rack. This can be served warm or cold.
Top with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream if desired. Enjoy 🙂

Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

October 13, 2017 by Amanda 4 Comments

Chocolate Hazelnut Bars. Rich, fudgy chocolate topping over a buttery hazelnut crust.

Let’s talk recipe inspiration. Most often mine will occur when I’m grocery shopping. I’ll find a great price on something or find some type of food or ingredient that I HAVE to buy. Other times the inspiration is out of necessity. I’ll find ingredients in my pantry that somehow got lost or forgotten and need to get used pronto. How on Earth does one forget about a brand new bag of hazelnut flour, I’ll never know.

That bag of hazelnut flour led to this recipe. Nut meals make great crusts with delicious taste and texture for bars and pies. Plus it’s simple as simple can be. Combine ingredients, cut in butter and bake.

I’ve made this rich & creamy chocolate topping before for desserts and it never ceases to amaze me. Throw together a few simple ingredients and it truly transforms. Not quite a custard, nor a ganache, nor a fudge – it falls somewhere in between the three. It’s a simple chocolate recipe that you can find plenty of other uses for.

You’ll think the chocolate layer looks rather thin when topping off the hazelnut crust – trust me – it’s plenty. It puffs up a bit when baking and is plenty rich for the crust to topping ratio.

I used hazelnuts for the base of these bars. Two reasons. First, the European in me LOVES the chocolate and hazelnut combo. Second, I had hazelnut flour to use up. I’m pretty sure this would work well with almond or any other nut flour/meal – but have yet to try it.

This recipe is quick and simple and the finished bar is a rather impressive treat. Not your average, everyday cookie bar or brownie. Enjoy!

Thanks for stopping by! Happy Baking!

Amanda ♥

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Chocolate Hazelnut Bars

Chocolate Hazelnut Bars. Rich, fudgy chocolate topping over a buttery hazelnut crust. : Desserts Author: Amanda

Prep Time15 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time55 mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 9 -12 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

For Crust:
1/3 cup hazelnut meal/flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons cold salted butter cut into pieces
For Chocolate Topping:
1/3 cup water
2 tablespoons salted butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease/spray an 8" or 9" square baking dish.
In a mixing bowl, whisk together hazelnut flour, sugar and flour.
Using a pastry blender, cut in cold butter pieces until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Press the mixture evenly into baking dish.
Bake for 22 - 25 minutes or until edges are lightly golden brown.
Cool on wire rack until topping is ready.
For topping:
In a saucepan over medium heat, whisk together water and butter until melted and combined.
Whisk in sugar, cocoa powder and salt until thoroughly combined.
Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla.
Let mixture cool down for a few minutes, whisk in eggs until blended.
Pour/scrape chocolate topping onto crust.
Bake at 350° until set - about 16 -20 minutes.
Cool on wire rack.
Cut into squares. If storing for a few days, I keep this in the fridge. Remove from fridge an hour or two before serving.

Chocolate Banana Nut Bread

October 5, 2017 by Amanda 14 Comments

A delicious, moist, easy to make chocolate banana quick bread. Made with cocoa powder & applesauce – this decadent bread is almost guilt-free.

This was originally posted on December 12, 2014. I’ve updated the photos during some rainy day baking 🙂

It’s a miracle, once again, that this batter even made it into the loaf pan. Mixing this up, my daughter and I can’t keep sneaking spoonfuls of it. It’s like a banana brownie batter…yum.

I crave this bread often. I’ll cruise the produce section looking for ripe bananas so I don’t have to wait days and days for the bananas to get extra ripe or “rotten” as my daughter refers to them. This chocolate quick bread eats almost like a cake. The rich chocolate banana flavor, the texture and the scarce amount of oil – you’ll be amazed!

I used to make this bread with just the vegetable oil. I tried substituting applesauce for the oil but wasn’t happy with the results. The happy median is replacing half the oil with applesauce. Substituting half the amount with applesauce makes the bread a bit healthier and keeps it moist without it getting “gummy”. As for nuts, I prefer this with walnuts. You’ll notice in my photos I used almonds this time, only because I ran out of walnuts. Truth be told, I sit here right now looking at a pretty bowl full of nuts on my table. I was just too lazy to crack, pick and crush the walnuts. I had a bag of slithered almonds ready to go, with no work involved, so almonds it was.

Feel free to throw a cup of chocolate chips in the mix to make it extra rich.

This is nice and easy to throw together. Whisk dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl, mash the bananas with a fork and mix in eggs, oil and applesauce. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture. Do not over mix. Pour into your loaf pan, sprinkle some nuts on top and throw it in the oven. You’re done.

This should be finished in about 55 -60 minutes, just check with the almighty toothpick test. I cool it for about 20 minutes on a wire rack, remove the bread, and finish cooling on the wire rack.

I love this bread for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert or a snack. Any or all of the above in one day would suit me just fine. It’s perfect served as is, with a big glass of milk.

Thanks for stopping by! Happy baking!

Amanda ♥

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5 from 4 votes

Chocolate Banana Bread

A delicious, moist, easy to make chocolate banana quick bread. Made with cocoa powder and applesauce - this decadent bread is almost guilt free. Don't waste those brown bananas anymore!

Prep Time10 mins

Cook Time1 hr

Total Time1 hr 10 mins

Course: Breads &amp, Muffins

Servings: 1 loaf

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa heaping
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 large very ripe bananas
2 eggs lightly beaten
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup apple sauce
2 tablespoon walnuts almonds or other nut, crushed
optional 1 cup chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350°
Grease/spray a loaf pan.
In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, salt and baking powder. I use a whisk.
In a small bowl mash bananas with fork or your preferred method.
Mix eggs, oil and applesauce into mashed bananas.
Add mashed banana mix to flour mix. Stir until blended - do not over mix.
(optional) Fold in chocolate chips.
Pour batter into prepared loaf pan. Sprinkle nuts on top. Bake for 55 - 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let it cool completely on wire rack. Enjoy : )

Mango Sorbet

September 17, 2017 by Amanda 5 Comments

Mango Sorbet – a sweet & simple frozen treat made with just two ingredients. Delicious, healthy & vegan!

Much of my best food inspiration comes from my grocery shopping trips. I’m a frugal and finicky shopper and usually visit 3 – 4 different stores weekly. One for meats, one for pantry staples, one for natural & specialty foods yet another for fruits & veggies. Plus roadside produce stands and local butcher shops.

On this particular day I found a half peck of over ripe mangoes for a buck. I knew instantly what to do with them – Mango Sorbet.

Remember the one ingredient banana “ice cream” craze. Really – the craze has never went away and for good reason. The stuff is awesome! Truth is, you can make a delicious “ice cream” or sorbet out of many of your favorite fruits.

I got these super ripe mangoes home and instantly peeled, chopped and froze them. The mango sorbet had to wait for another day, but the mangoes would not have.

You can often find deals on ripened produce and meats nearing their sell-by dates. You’ll save a lot of money buying these items, but it’s important to use or freeze them right away. Forget about them for a day or two and you’ll end up wasting food and money.

Back to the sorbet. I chopped the frozen chunks into manageable sized pieces, tossed them into my food processor and let it work it’s magic.

My food processor, the glorious appliance it is, is nearing it’s end. I’ve put this thing through a ton of abuse though the years and it still keeps going. That being said, I made this sorbet in two batches, added a bit of almond milk and stopped and scraped it down a few times. My food processor lives to tell the tale of yet another creation.

We devoured this stuff instantly. It’s perfectly smooth and creamy right out of the food processor. You can also freeze it and eat it at a later time, just pull it out a few minutes before scooping.

Hope you enjoy this simple, delicious and healthy frozen treat!

Thanks for stopping by!

Amanda ♥

Print Recipe

Mango Sorbet

Mango Sorbet - a sweet, simple and decadent frozen treat made with just two ingredients. Healthy & vegan!

Prep Time3 hrs

Cook Time5 mins

Total Time3 hrs 5 mins

Course: Fruits

Servings: 3 -4 servings

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

4-5 very ripe mangoes
almond milk as needed 2-3 tablespoons

Instructions

Peel, chop and freeze mangoes. It's best to arrange them in a single layer if possible.
Freeze for at least 3 hours or days if needed.
Chop chunks of mangoes in manageable sized pieces and run in food processor. Add a tablespoon or two of milk. Expect to stop and scrape down side of food processor a few times. If mixture is still too thick, add an additional 1-2 tablespoon of milk.
Serve immediately or freeze covered. It's best served immediately 🙂
Note - I ran this in two separate batches thru my food processor. If your food processor is a work horse, one batch will be fine.

Chocolate Napoleons

May 20, 2017 by Amanda 9 Comments

Rich ganache layered between flaky Puff Pastry and topped with homemade whipped cream. Absolute dessert perfection ♥

We all have “pantry staples” and basic ingredients we always keep on hand. For the bakers, there’s the necessities – flours, leaveners, sugars, extracts, spices, eggs, butter, milk, cream & chocolate.

I’ll let you in on another not so secret pantry staple of mine. Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry.

I can count the amount of times I made homemade puff pastry on one hand. It’s not difficult – it’s just such a process. I’ve found keeping Puff Pastry Sheets ready to go in my freezer suit my baking needs best.

I love pulling out Puff Pastry for quick desserts. Palmiers are one of my all time favorites. We eat them so often that my 11 year old daughter makes them herself 🙂

When I want something with a bit more richness I bring pastry basics to the mix – ganache & whipped cream. You can have yourself a luxurious dessert with just a handful of ingredients.

Ganache isn’t complicated – it’s simply chocolate melted into heavy cream. It’s one of my go-to’s for all things chocolate. Chocolate frosting, chocolate glaze, chocolate filling – it always fits the bill.

I always recommend using your favorite “better” dark chocolate for ganache. Considering we’re only using two ingredients here, it’s best to make them count. This time, dear oh dear, all I had on hand was 60% cacao chocolate baking chips. Worked like a charm.

Homemade whipping cream takes about 5 minutes of hardly any effort. Seriously. If you’re not already making homemade whipped cream – now’s the time to start. You’ll never look back.

When making this dessert I suggest this order – Ganache, Whipped Cream & then Puff Pastry.

The ganache involves some cooling time so start it at least an hour before dessert time. This can be made well ahead of time and stored in the fridge. Just make sure to allow it some time to sit at room temp to soften up before using.

The whipped cream takes just minutes to make. The powdered sugar stabilizes so it will stay stiff and won’t weep all over the place when served. I make it ahead of time and keep it in the fridge until ready to use.

Last, but certainly not least, Puff Pastry. You’re going to want to pull this from the freezer about 45 minutes before baking.

I prefer to cut the Puff Pastry Sheets into rectangles. It’s quick, it’s easy and my pizza cutter makes simple work out of the task. Plus, there’s no scraps. You could use cutters to make circles, hearts or whatever else shape you desire.

Bake the Puff Pastry, cool, fill with your ganche and top with whipped cream. You could add an additional layer(s) if you’d like, but one layer is plenty for me.

These Chocolate Napoleon are an absolutely glorious dessert. People are always so impressed when served this dessert. It really has such a fancy feel to it – but it’s not at all fussy to make.

Ready to start baking? Pepperidge Farm® has loads of recipes & Puff Pastry basics & tips to get you inspired! Check it out!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Baking ♥

-Amanda-

**What are some of your favorite Springtime Puff Pastry recipes? Visit for more recipes & inspiration!**

Let’s not forget about the savory side of Puff Pastry! You’ll find recipes here!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Chocolate Napoleon

Rich chocolate ganache layered between flaky Puff Pastry and topped with homemade whipped cream. Absolute dessert perfection ♥

Prep Time45 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time1 hr

Course: Desserts

Servings: 12 pastries

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

FOR GANACHE:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups dark chocolate chopped
FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
3/4 cup 10x powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
FOR PUFF PASTRY:
1 sheet Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry
granulated sugar for dusting work surface and tops

Instructions

FOR GANACHE:
In a saucepan, heat heavy cream over medium heat, whisking often.
Add chopped chocolate, whisk until completely melted.
Remove saucepan from heat.
Whisk mixture until completely smooth.
Transfer ganache to refrigerator. I throw the saucepan on an oven mitt in the fridge.
Cool until creamy and thickened. I give it a good whisking every 10-15 minutes while cooling. Ganache should be ready in 30 - 45 minutes.
*Note* It's been recommended to use a mixer to whip ganache if (only if) you are having problems getting it to set. Also, if it sets up too much, you can rest it at room temp and it will soften.
FOR WHIPPED CREAM:
In a chilled bowl with chilled mixers - beat the cream until soft peaks form.
Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat until stiff peaks start to form.
Use immediately or refrigerate.
This whip cream is stabilized so it can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until ready to use.
FOR PUFF PASTRY:
Remove Puff Pastry from freezer about 45 minutes before baking to thaw.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Line a cookie sheet with parchament paper.
Sprinkle sugar onto your work surface.
Gently unfold Pastry Sheet onto sugared surface. Lightly sprinkle top of pastry with sugar.
Cut the Pastry Sheet into 3 strips along the fold marks.
Cut each strip into 4 rectangles.
Place the pastry onto baking sheet with equal space between each. The Puff Pastry will spread, but not dramatically.
Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops are golden brown.
Remove the pastry from the baking sheets and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Gently slice or split each pastry in half.
To Assemble Napoleon:
Drop a large dollop of ganache in the center of the split pastry. Top with a large dollop of whipped cream. Enjoy ♥

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting

May 18, 2017 by Amanda 5 Comments

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It’s wonderful topped on all your favorite desserts.

My daughter, Athena, turned 11 last month. (Happy Birthday Baby♥) Each year I let her think up a birthday cake she’d like. Most years it’s pretty wild – like a Dirt Cake – but not a pudding variety – a cake, hollowed out and filled & frosted with a creamy cookie frosting & loaded with gummy bugs. Or a Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge Ice Cream Cake. Or a Stuffed Piñata Cake.

This year her taste buds have gotten a bit more sophisticated. Sigh.

She requested a Chocolate Torte with a Coffee Frosting. “Not too sweet of a frosting” she said. Sigh….very sophisticated indeed. My little girl isn’t so little anymore….

I decided to skip the Coffee Frosting and make a Whipped Cappuccino Frosting that I knew she’d love. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It goes great with cakes, custards, puddings, waffles, pancakes, ice cream – even coffee and drinks.

Whipped cream frostings can be touchy with time and temperature, but the cappuccino powder stabilizes the whipped cream. Meaning the whipped cream won’t lose form and melt away a bit after beating. It will remain stiff and hold shape for days, refrigerated of course. So make sure whatever dessert you make will do well in the fridge. Or make the frosting and store it in the fridge until ready to use.

On a side note, I wasn’t so nuts about the Chocolate Torte in the fridge, but Angel Food Cake held up nicely.

Now you can’t let this cake sit out all day but it can be out for an hour or so without starting to melt away. Actually, I suggest pulling it out of the fridge half an hour to prior to serving to bring your cake to room temp.

I especially love Whipped Cream Frosting during the warmer months – even though the frosting itself doesn’t like the heat so much. A light & fluffy frosting is so much nicer on warm days then say, a rich sugary buttercream. This frosting works great on days you don’t want to bake as well. Like today – when I bought this Angel Food Cake at a local bakery 😉

Hope everyone is enjoy this Spring weather! Thanks for stopping by ♥

-Amanda-

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting

Stabilized Whipped Cream Cappuccino Frosting. Light & fluffy, not too sweet with the perfect amount of cappuccino flavor. It's wonderful topped on all your favorite desserts.

Prep Time5 mins

Total Time5 mins

Course: Desserts

Servings: 2 cups

Author: Amanda

Ingredients

1 pint heavy whipping cream 2 cups
1/2 cup light brown sugar packed (make sure it is lump free)
2 tablespoon cappuccino powder

Instructions

In a chilled bowl with chilled mixers - beat the cream, brown sugar and cappuccino powder until stiff peaks start to form.
Frost cake or refrigerate until ready to use.
This frosting must be stored in fridge. Depending on what cake you make, you may have to rest cake a room temp for about half an hour prior to serving.