Applesauce Cake

The answer is yes, I have fallen to the busy holiday season. That's one reason for the lack of blogging lately. Well, and really I haven't been
cooking as much. Christmas Eve was with Al's family and Christmas day with mine...and I only had to make potatoes au gratin and cookies. (Which were awesome by the way...cookie dough truffles, pumpkin molasses, nutella no-bakes, butterscotch drops, and super soft sugar cookies with fun icing!)

Anyways, on to something that's kind of special to me. A little over a year ago, Al's side of the family threw me a bridal shower at which I received a family cookbook. Filled with pages and pages of recipes passed down from generation to generation. Mixed in with a family tree and some really neat photos from as early as the 1860s. This is a recipe that comes from that cookbook. Craving something sweet and not having a ton of ingredients, I found myself with just about everything for this cake. I skipped the frosting, it was good enough without. And I didn't add in raisins or walnuts which are in the recipe. This turned out to be a delicious moist cake. Loved it.

INGREDIENTS:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups unsweetened natural applesauce
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
2 teas cinnamon
1 1/2 teas baking soda
1 teas nutmeg
1/2 teas salt

optional:
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

*In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs well. Add applesauce, sugar, and oil, mix well. Add in the rest of the dry ingredients, stir until well combined.
*Pour into a coated baking pan. (13x9)
*Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
*Sprinkle with powdered sugar, eat plain, or top with some frosting! Enjoy.

PB&Chocolate Bites

Today I am thankful for,

my God.

Fun fact...I'm very thankful for Him everyday! Its true. Today though I am thankful for a specific facet of His character, His acceptance. There are so many rules, regulations, pressures, expectations...(I could go on) put on us by the world. Yet the Lord of heaven and earth says simply...come. Come to me as you are. Come to me with your burdens, your scars, your insecurities, your pride, your talents, your heart...come. He accepts all, and not only that, but turns around and causes it for good and for His glory.

Another blessing from God, to be ever-so-thankful for...the mouthwatering combination of peanut butter and chocolate! This is like one of the only ways I eat chocolate. Those darn peanut butter cups!! This is a recipe that is out there in several different places. Seems like everyone and their mother is making peanut butter cups. Reason: they are fantastic! Hello!! So after perusing a handful of homemade versions of this treat, I came up with my own take. Lets just call this a homerun.

INGREDIENTS:
1 bag Hershey's milk chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups natural peanut butter
1 cup powdered sugar
3 graham crackers, crushed

*Combine peanut butter, sugar and graham cracker crumbs in a bowl. Make sure the consistency is good enough for you to roll them into balls. Add more crackers or sugar(you pick)to get it there. Kind of depends on the peanut butter you are using.
*Using a small pot, heat a cup of water over medium heat, you want it to slightly bubble, but not boil.
*In a metal or glass bowl, place the chips. Then put the bowl over the pot to use, double boiler like. Stir until the chips are melted and looking silky smooth.
*Roll a ball of pb dough smaller than a golf ball. Toss into the chocolate and using a spoon roll to cover. Place on a cookie sheet covered in waxed paper. Repeat until all the bites are done.
*Place sheet in freezer for about 30 minutes.

Notes:
*We are keeping ours in the freezer, they seem to hold up better that way.
*When I reached the end I had more pb dough then I thought would get covered by the chocolate I had left. So I tossed the pb dough into the remaining chocolate and just mixed and melted it all together. Made a "log" on the waxed paper, and after it was frozen cut into chunks. Same taste as the bites...I'm eating it like its my job, FYI.

Banana Oatmeal Cookies

Today I am thankful for....

the cozy side of fall.

Ya know...blankets, hot beverages, snuggling, candles, and the aroma of freshly baked pie. It makes you do that thing where you closer your eyes, tighten up your shoulders, and smile! Love it.

Speaking of an aroma wafting through the house. I for sure had that going on last night. I made these awesome cookies...or should I say banana-bread-bites-from-heaven. They were excellent. AND!! Come out to only about 140 calories per cookie, which isn't half bad. I had a couple for breakfast this morning...yum!

INGREDIENTS:

3/4 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 medium bananas, mashed

1 egg

1 teas vanilla

2 cups oats

1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teas baking soda
1/2 teas salt
3/4 teas cinnamon
1/4 teas nutmeg

*Cream together the softened butter and sugars. Once fully incorporated add bananas, egg, vanilla, and oats. Then combine with the rest of the dry ingredients.
*Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
*Spoon out onto baking sheet, make sure to spread the batter out just a bit, not quite flat but not a heap of a mound either.
*Bake for 13-14 minutes. Cool on baking rack and then watch these things fly.

Apple Donuts

So just a little update for everyone...on why there weren't many posts last week. Our happy little puppy, Bueller, got sprayed by a skunk! Ugh, and it seriously affected like everything! It was a rough week last week. But enough of that, back to food!

Its October, so that means apples are......everywhere. For those that read my post last weekend, this one has the same base recipe: beignets. When I made those last time it was way thinner then I thought it would be, so I added more flour and they came out more like donut holes. This go 'round, I followed the recipe exactly and then took apple slices and coated them in the batter, and fried as normal. After they cooled for a few minutes I then tossed them in cinnamon sugar. These were seriously divine!!! I brought them to church on Sunday and were gone so fast. Again, a bit time consuming but well well well worth it. It was like five steps up from mini-donuts....and to put it mildly I'm a mini-donut connoisseur. So make these. Seriously. Do it.

Candy Corn

Apparently I have a sweet tooth lately. And I'm not much of a chocolate fan, so that gets rid of a ton of options. Yet, somehow it doesn't take me long to think of something I want...and then I'm making it! This is not for the faint of heart. It is decently time consuming...or at least it was for me, perhaps I'm not a competent concoctor of candy corn. Nevertheless, I powered through. They aren't exactly like the candy corn you buy this time of year, but they suffice for a sweet tooth craving. They have a softer consistency as well, again, this may have been how they turned out for me. But yeah, I'd make it again. I'd be more likely to if I had a partner in crime to help in the shaping of the pieces. TIPS: use plastic gloves or cling wrap when working with the "dough". Don't roll out too thin, or it will break. They get better the longer they are left out, getting slightly hard on the outside.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup corn syrup 
5 tablespoons Earth Balance (or other vegan margarine)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup cornstarch
a pinch of sea salt
red & yellow food coloring


*In a sauce pan bring the sugar, corn syrup, margarine, and vanilla to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and boil for 5 mins stirring occasionally, then remove from heat.
*Sift the powdered sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl. Then add the sifted dry ingredients into the pan, stir to combine. Let stand for about 20 mins.
*Divide into 3 pieces. Add food coloring to create the yellow and orange and leave the white plain. Work each ball, kneading until color is established and they are smooth. 
*Roll out into 3 ropes of equal length(they will be long!) and push the ropes together. Take a rolling pin over the top to flatten just a bit, joining the ropes together even better. 
*Use a knife to cut into triangles, form as you wish!

Beignets

I made these on this past weekend when desiring something sweet. I could not believe my little brown eyes when I saw that these were vegan! Not to mention honestly simple. If you have the time I totally suggest them. They were awesome. Kind of ended up more like a light donut consistency rather than beignets that we're all used to. (I mean, we have all had them right?! Right?!!?) I'm going to make these again soon, with sliced apples inside, cause that sounds down right superb!!

INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 teas salt
2 tbls sugar
4 teas dry active yeast
1 teas cinnamon
1 1/2 cups of water (120 - 130 degrees)
1/2 teas lemon juice
oil for frying(I used veg oil)
powdered sugar

*Mix flour, salt, sugar, yeast and cinnamon in a large bowl. Add water and lemon juice, stir until well blended. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for about 45 mins.
*Heat oil to 350 degrees(medium to medium-high heat). Drop in the batter in heaping spoonfuls. Once golden brown, flip over once. With a slotted spoon remove and place on a cooling rack with a paper towel.
*Serve with powdered sugar dusted on top.