Spicing Up Life

Peace in 1944 Vegan Spice Cake
It's certainly been a while since I've posted, but that doesn't mean I have abandoned cooking! This winter term has been dominated by directing a production of The Diary of Anne Frank for Oregon State University. This beautiful production took a great deal of focus, dedication, time, and energy (as all productions do). I was fortunate enough to be working with an extremely passionate and hard working group of students and, I really believe this is a show we can all be proud of. That all being said, one of my tasks through the rehearsal and performance process was baking "Miep's Spice Cake" that is eaten on stage every night. While purchasing a cake is usually the option, we were faced with the dietary challenge of a vegan in the cast. Rather than bother hunting down a suitable (and cost effective) ready-made vegan cake in the store, I developed this recipe. I probably baked this cake twenty times in the past few weeks. Moist and delicious, the cast ate it over and over again. They started asking for the recipe . . . so here it is. I named it "Peace in 1944" cake because that is what the icing was supposed to say. Feel free to omit the icing completely, it's delicious either way. One of the tricks to a vegan cake is finding the right substitution for eggs which act as a binder and a leavening agent. I found this vinegar and baking soda substitution to work very well for this recipe, plus the vinegar adds a slight tang to the recipe.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/4 c. vegetable oil
- 1/3 c. canned pumpkin
- 3/4 c. flour
- 2 Tbsp. plus 1/2 tsp. baking powder, divided
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. white vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. all spice
- 1 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly grease an 8" round cake pan with vegetable shortening, dust with flour and tap out the excess. Set aside. In small prep bowl dissolve vinegar with two tablespoons of water. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together pumpkin, sugar, and oil until smooth. Add flour, spices,  salt, baking soda, and 1/2 tsp. of baking powder and whisk together until well combined. Working quickly add the remaining two Tbsp. of baking powder to the water and vinegar mixture. It will bubble. Pour into batter and quickly whisk. The batter should become lighter and fluffier. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until cake is cooked through. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely before decorating and/or eating.
   

Going NUTS

Sneaky Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookies
My theory about vegan/vegetarian/gluten-free (or whatever other dietary restriction) cooking is that attempting to force an alternative food to taste "just like the real thing" is ultimately a fool's errand. The best vegan recipes I have found are not the "corn dogs" or "hamburgers" that parade themselves as "healthy" alternatives to scarf down at a barbecue. Instead, it's recipes that make the most of fresh vegan-friendly ingredients for what they are - quinoa-stuffed squash, falafel, spicy hummus, and the like are all satisfying meals that don't need a bunch of overly-processed incarnations of soy and they taste better for it. My challenge here was to develop simply a good cookie . . . that happened to be vegan. Finding a fat-replacement is the easy part here, the trick was finding a suitable non-egg binder that would allow the cookies to remain moist and chewy (as chocolate chip cookies should be). I found there are a variety of easy alternatives, but for this recipe, the best choice was using cornstarch and water. Yep. It was already in my pantry. I did these as plain old fashioned chocolate chip cookies. The coconut taste, I find, is very subtle. As a basic drop-cookie dough recipe this works great! Feel free to substitute the chips for nuts or dried fruit, or for a more coconutty taste add a teaspoon of coconut extract and 1/2 c. of shredded coconut. Enjoy these cookies for what they are . . . you don't even have to tell people they are vegan (unless they ask). They won't know the difference.

Ingredients
- 1 c. plus 1 Tbsp. brown sugar
- 1/2 c. coconut oil
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 4 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 4 Tbsp. of warm water
- 1 1/2 c. vegan chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 375˚ F. In a small bowl, whisk together flour with salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer beat together coconut oil, brown sugar, vanilla, and cornstarch/water mixture until smooth and creamy. Beat in flour mixture in two additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl in between. Mix in chocolate chips and make sure that they are well incorporated into the dough.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and arrange tablespoon-sized cookie dough balls to bake. Bake in batches 8-9 minutes. Allow baked cookies to rest on baking sheet for 1-2 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Recipe should yield around 24 cookies. Yum!

A Match Made in Heaven

Vegan Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter "Cream Cheese" Frosting
A brief warning now . . . don't judge this recipe by the photo. I don't have my camera at home and had to make due with a dimly-lit shot with my phone. Anyway . . . "Vegan Cupcakes!?! Liz, why on Earth would you do that to a perfectly good cupcake?" Tomorrow is the first read-through for our summer Shakespeare production of Julius Caesar and I wanted to treat the cast to some . . . well . . . treats! Knowing that one member of the cast is a confirmed vegan, I wanted to come up with a tasty option for her to enjoy. As it so happens, a vegan chocolate cake recipe is not hard to come up with. This is springy, chocolatey, and not too sweet. Frosting, in the traditional sense, is a bit more of a challenge. Peanut Butter and Chocolate are a natural pairing (and one of my personal favorites) so here we go. The frosting isn't exactly a "buttercream" but it is good. Unrefrigerated I would suggest using any leftovers for a nice gluten-free fruit dip . . . just in case there are any gluten-free vegans you are looking to treat to a nice dessert.

Ingredients
- 1 1/2 c. flour
- 1 c. granulated sugar
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. baking cocoa (make sure to find a vegan brand, not all are)
- 1/3 c. vegetable oil
- 1 c. water
- 1 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 3 c. powdered sugar
- 8 oz. vegan cream-cheese alternative
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1/2 c. corn starch

CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Line standard-sized cupcake tin with liners and spritz lightly with vegetable oil spray. (The recipe makes about 18 cupcakes.) In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, cocoa, and salt so that the ingredients are well combined. Stir in water, oil, vanilla, and vinegar and then whisk until the batter is creamy and smooth. Divide batter amongst prepared cupcake liners. Fill to about 2/3 and then bake in oven about 20 minutes until the cupcakes are cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Turn out onto a wire rack for cooling. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER "CREAM CHEESE" FROSTING
One of the tricks I ran into with this frosting was that as the "cream cheese" warms to room temperature, it very quickly becomes loose. This may not be all brands, but it was with the one I used. The flavor, however, was quite good. With an electric mixer, beat together peanut butter and "cream cheese" until well combined and smooth. Add vanilla. Slowly beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time until the mixture is thoroughly mixed. Beat in cornstarch and blend until smooth. (The cornstarch helps the frosting from being too runny without adding more sweetness.) Frost cupcakes with a generous dollop of frosting and spread with an off-set spatula. Store in refrigerator until ready to eat so that the frosting holds its form. Yummy for vegans and non-vegans alike.

The Candy Man Can!

White Chocolate Maple Fudge
Holiday baking season is upon us! After weeks, the Fall term is winding down and I get some time in the kitchen to create sweet treats for my friends and co-workers. Although I don't have a huge sweet tooth, I happen to know a lot of people that do and welcome a plate of eggnog cookies, New Orleans Pralines, or (always a favorite) fudge! This time around I did three versions of this tasty holiday treat: a regular chocolate, a chocolate peppermint, and then a batch using two beloved winter-time ingredients - maple and walnuts! This is extremely sweet and not for the faint of heart. Also, make sure you have a candy thermometer to make sure it comes out smooth and creamy and not a grainy mess! 

Ingredients
- 2 c. white sugar
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (plus about 1 Tbsp. for greasing pan)
- 1 jar marshmallow fluff
- 2 c. white chocolate chips
- 2 tsp. maple extract
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 c. chopped walnuts

Line a 9x9" baking dish with heavy-duty foil and butter thoroughly with about 1 Tbsp. softened butter. Set aside.

Heat butter and sugars over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed medium-sized pot. (Clip a candy thermometer to edge of pot to keep track of temperature.) Stir mixture constantly until the butter is melted and the sugar becomes smooth. The mixture will come to a soft boil, when the thermometer reaches 238˚F remove from heat.

Pour fluff, extracts, nuts, salt, and chocolate chips into the butter and sugar mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until everything is melted and well combined.

Working quickly, before mixture cools too much and begins to set, pour into prepared pan and spread evenly with wooden spoon.

Allow fudge to set for at least four hours before cutting. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Cut it up! Share with friends! Yum!
 

When Life Gives You Zucchini

Lemony Zucchini Bread
I'm still a rather novice gardener. Last year I attempted my first tomatoes, onions, and herbs all in neat little barrel planters lining in the unforgiving rocky "soil" of our rental house. This year, as an official homeowner, I went fairly ambitious with my first real garden. Our new home came equipped with four generously-sized raised beds and hours of sun exposure each day. Tomatoes, eggplant, kale, onions, cucumbers, and a large variety of herbs have been flourishing in spite of my previous reputation as a "brown thumb." I decided to plant one zucchini plant because they are such notoriously abundant producers. What surprised me, however, was not the amount, but the sheer size these monsters will swell into. I would check on the garden in the morning and find a couple of zucchinis not quite ready for harvest, that evening they had engorged to the size of footballs. I mean, I like zucchini enough, but what the hell am I going to do with forty pounds of it? Young, small zucchinis are tender and flavorful, but when they get too big, they lose much of their sweetness leaving them a poor option for a stir fry or gratin. Luckily, the pulp is excellent for baking and zucchini fritters. I grated up one of the larger beasts and came up with this tangy and moist quick bread. I dash of ginger powder gives it just the right bite. Enjoy it with your morning coffee as the summer begins to wane.

Ingredients
-  2 c. grated zucchini (use a large box grater)
- 1 c. white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground ginger 

Preheat oven to 325˚ F and lightly spritz a 9x5" loaf pan with cooking spray. Set aside. In a large bowl combine sugar, eggs, lemon juice, lemon zest, and oil. Beat with a whisk until ingredients are creamy and smooth. Stir in grated zucchini. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, ground ginger, and cinnamon. Slowly add dry ingredients to zucchini mixture, whisking as you go. Fold in sour cream and gently mix until batter is smooth. Pour mixture into loaf pan and bake in oven for 50-60 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the bread. If it comes out clean, you're good to go! Allow bread to cool slightly before running a knife around the edge of the pan. Turn out onto a wire rack and allow to cool before slicing and serving. 
 

Orange You Glad . . .

Moist and Yummy Orange Pecan Cake
Winter citrus is a wonderful way to feel the mood of warmer weather from the inside out. A vibrantly orange bag of Minneola Tangelos caught my eye at the grocery story on a particularly gloomy day last week. Aside from enjoying juicy vitamin-C rich segments, I thought I might try my hand at a citrusy pecan cake. Tangelos are a sweet citrus hybrid of grapefruit and tangerine which make for a brightly sweet and tart flavor in this moist and easy single-layer cake. If you can't get your hands on Minneolas, just substitute fresh orange and zest. You'll love this for dessert or even for breakfast with a nice cup of coffee.

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/2 c. cake flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 stick butter, room temperature
- 3/4 c. Greek-style yogurt
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 c. sugar
- juice from 2 Minneolas, divided
- 2 Tbsp. Minneola zest
- 1 c. (or more) powdered sugar
- 1/2 chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour an 8" round metal baking tin, set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together cake flour, almond meal, and baking powder until completely combined. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl or stand mixer bowl blend together butter, sugar, vanilla, zest, and juice from one Minneola. Scrape down the sides of the bowl before adding other ingredients. 

With the mixer running, add eggs and yolks, one at a time, alternating with portions of the flour mixture. When the ingredients are combined, gently fold in the yogurt.

Pour batter into the prepared pan then bake in oven for 35-40 minutes until the cake is cooked through and firm in the middle. Set baked cake on a metal rack to cool in pan for 10 minutes before turning out on rack to cool completely.


When cake is completely cooled, whisk together powdered sugar with Minneola juice, 1 tablespoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency. Spoon the glaze over the cake, it should drip down the sides as well. Sprinkle chopped pecans over the cake. Allow glaze to set before slicing and serving. Yummy!

 

Pucker Up!

Sweet and Sour Lemon Almond Cake
Nearly two weeks into 2012 and I'm still trying to find uses for the 3 pound bulk container of sour cream I purchased to make various dips and appetizers for our swanky New Years bash! I love baking cakes with sour cream because it makes for such rich texture with a hint of zip. With Barb coming by for dinner last night, I decided to experiment with making a sweet/tart treat to end the meal. Here's the result- a moist, nutty, delicious cake with lemony zing!

Ingredients
- 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1/2 c. cake flour 
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 c. unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/4 c. lemon curd
- 1 1/2 c. powdered sugar, divided
- 4 egg yolks
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 c. sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour an 8" round baking pan, tapping out the excess flour. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, and baking powder. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl cream together butter, lemon curd, and 1 cup of the powdered sugar with an electric mixer. Add vanilla extract and beat until smooth. Add eggs and yolks, one at a time, alternating with portions of the flour mixture, beating together thoroughly after each addition. Gently fold the sour cream into the batter. Pour batter into prepared baking pan and cook in oven for about 35 minutes until cake is baked through completely and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Remove baked cake from oven and allow to cool in pan for five minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When the cake is cool, make the lemon icing by whisking together lemon juice and remaining powdered sugar, adding more powdered sugar if the icing is too thin. Spoon the icing over the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides. (Place a piece of waxed paper underneath the wire rack to keep the icing from getting all over your work surface.) Sprinkle almonds over the top of the cake.

Serve slices of cake for dessert with tea! So very yummy! (Also great for a breakfast treat with your morning coffee!)

Kris Krinkles!

Nutella and Cherry Crinkle Cookies
I was on my holiday baking marathon- Cranberry and Pistachio Biscotti with White Chocolate, New Orleans Pralines, Fudge, Chocolate Peppermint Sandwich Cookies, and Peanut and Pretzel Caramel Blondies! Yum! While I have tons of delicious treats for sharing, an unopened jar of Nutella sitting in the cupboard taunted me. I wanted to create a simple, holiday-themed cookie treat with this beloved chocolate-hazelnut spread. Tah dah! These cookies come together in a snap into a chewy and delicious addition to your holiday baking list!

Ingredients
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 1 c. Nutella
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 1/4 c. flour
- 2 c. dried cherries

Preheat oven to 325˚ F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking pad. In a large mixing bowl cream together sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and creamy with an electric mixer. Blend in eggs and Nutella and mix until the batter is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking soda. Add the dry ingredients into the Nutella mixture in two additions, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Mix dried cherries into the batter until evenly distributed.

Drop tablespoonful dollops of cookie dough onto prepared baking sheet. Evenly space dough apart. Bake for 11-12 minutes until cookies have spread and are slightly puffy. Let cool on baking sheet for about 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Cookies will crinkle as they cool. So yummy, so easy . . . what can't Nutella do?

Seeing Red

Moist and Delicious Red Velvet Cupcakes for Emily's Birthday

I am far, far away from my home and in St. Louis directing a charming holiday comedy called My Three Angels. It's been a fast and furious rehearsal process full of wonderful discoveries and challenges. I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity to work in such a great city with such talented people. Among them is a lovely actor named Emily. She is portraying the role of the ingenue, Marie-Louise, a stubborn and romantically-minded young woman in love with a good-looking douche bag. On one of the first nights of rehearsal, Emily told us that her birthday was today. When I asked her favorite variety of cupcake, she replied without missing a beat: "Red velvet." My mom had been raving about some Red Velvet Cupcakes she had whipped up a few months ago, so I took this as the perfect opportunity to get myself back into the kitchen and try out the recipe. I made a couple of changes to my mom's recipe based on what was on hand in Dan's kitchen. They came out great. Fingers crossed that Emily will like eating this birthday surprise as much as we liked baking them!

Ingredients

- 2 1/2 c. flour

- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 1 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
- 2 Tbsp. red food coloring
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 c. room temperature buttermilk
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- 2 Tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 c. or so of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350˚ F. Line muffin tins with 24 paper liners and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, salt, and baking soda. Set aside.

In another bowl combine vegetable oil, buttermilk, eggs, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, food coloring, and vinegar. Blend until thoroughly combined with a hand mixer. Batter should be smooth, thick, and bright red. In two of three batches, add the dry ingredients to the buttermilk mixture. Blend thoroughly after each addition. Using a tablespoon, fill each cupcake liner with batter to 2/3 of the way full.

Bake cupcakes in oven for about 20-30 minutes until they are cooked through and slightly raised. Remove from oven and cool in pan for about 5 minutes before turning out onto a rack. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

In the meantime, go ahead . . . taste the batter. You know you want to.

When the cupcakes have cooled completely prepare the cream cheese frosting. Blend together room temperature butter and cream cheese with a hand mixer. Add remaining Tbsp. of vanilla. Slowly add powdered sugar to the mixture about a cup at a time and blend after each addition until the frosting has reached the desired consistency. Carefully frost each cupcake with a butter knife or off-set spatula. Yum. Enjoy eating and sharing these tasty little treats!

Plum Crazy

Honey Vanilla Plum Tart
I had every intention of whipping together my favorite summer dessert (strawberry shortcake) when inspiration hit. It had been a while since I'd made a fruit tart and I was interested in developing my own pastry crust. When I stumbled upon six perfectly ripe, dark fleshed plums at the market, the choice seemed obvious. They were blackish purple and had a subtly floral fragrance to them. Sweetened with a little honey and rum, this beautiful stone fruit makes one heck of a tasty tart.
   
Ingredients
- 1 1/4 c. all purpose flour, plus extra for dusting
- 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar
- 6 Tbsp. cold butter cut into 1" pieces
- 2 Tbsp. cold vegetable shortening
- 4-6 Tbsp. ice water
- 6 plums, pits removed and cut into 1/4" thick slices
- 3 Tbsp. honey
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- juice from one lemon
- 1 Tbsp. dark rum
- 4 Tbsp. large grained sugar

PASTRY CRUST
Combine flour, powdered sugar, butter, and vegetable shortening into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until a crumbly mixture forms. With machine running, slowly add ice water one Tbsp. at a time until the dough just comes together. Turn out dough onto a floured piece of waxed paper. Sprinkle flour onto the top of dough and cover with a second piece of waxed paper. Roll dough out into a circle so that it will fit into a 9" tart pan. Remove top piece of waxed paper and turn dough over and out into tart dish. Press dough into the pan and cut off any over hang. Cover in plastic wrap and chill dough in refrigerator for 30 minutes - 1 hour. 

After chilling the dough, preheat oven to 375˚ F. Remove plastic wrap from dough and cover top with foil or parchment paper then fill with pie weights or dried beans. The weight keeps the pastry from puffing up during baking. Bake for 20-25 minutes until crust is cooked through and beginning to turn golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool before filling

VANILLA HONEY PLUM FILLING
While pastry crust cools, put sliced plums in a large bowl add honey, rum, and lemon juice. Allow plums to soak for at least 30 minutes. Drain off juices, preheat oven to 375˚F. Arrange slices in the pastry crust in a slightly overlapping spiral pattern. Sprinkle evenly with 2 Tbsp. of large grain sugar and bake for 30-40 minutes until plums are softened and juices begin to bubble. Remove from oven and allow tart to cool completely. Sprinkle with remaining large grained sugar, slice into wedges, and serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

Vanilla Wishes and Sour Cream Dreams

Vanilla Sour Cream Scones with Blueberries and Whipped Cream
Hands down, the best summer desserts include fresh berries and the simpler, the better. My favorite way is right out of the basket and into my mouth. But, for a slightly more involved preparation, a great shortcake recipe never fails to impress. For a while now, I had been musing over a twist on my favorite scone recipe and came up with this slightly sweet, vanilla-spiked biscuit. Without the blueberries and whipped cream, it's perfect alongside your morning coffee or afternoon tea. As a shortcake, it hits the perfect meal-ending note after a summer time dinner with friends.

Ingredients
- 2 c. flour, plus extra for dusting
- 1/2 c. powdered sugar
- 8 Tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
- 1 Tbsp. baking powder 
- 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. good quality vanilla
- 2/3 c. sour cream
- 1-2 Tbsp. cold milk
- 2 c. fresh blueberries, rinsed and picked over
- 2 Tbsp. honey
- juice from one lemon
- fresh whipped cream

Preheat oven  to 400˚F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicon baking sheet. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, powdered sugar, and baking powder until well combined. Work in cold butter with a pastry blender or two forms until it is broken up and a slightly crumbly mixture forms. Add sour cream, vanilla, and egg and mix together until it is just blended. If mixture is too dry work in 1-2 Tbsp. of cold milk to form a soft, slightly sticky dough.

Turn out dough onto a floured surface and knead briefly with floured hands. Roll dough into a 1 1/2" thick rectangle and cut out scones into eight squares. Place in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake scones for 9-12 minutes until they have risen and are just barely beginning to turn brown on the tops. Remove from baking sheet with a spatula and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Store in an airtight container before serving. These can be made up to two days ahead.

 Prepare the blueberries by placing them in a medium sized bowl and drizzle with honey and lemon juice. Stir gently to combine ingredients and allow them to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften slightly. Assemble the shortcakes by splitting the scones lengthwise down the center. Top the bottom half with a dollop of whipped cream and a scoop of blueberries. Top with the other half of the scone and add a little more whipped cream and blueberries on top. Enjoy with your favorite dessert wine, tea, or whatever your pallet craves.

You Put Peanut Butter In My Chocolate!!!!

Chocolate Peanut Buttercup Cakes With Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Surely I have sung the praises of the glorious combination of chocolate and peanut butter before . . . but, if not, here I go again. Seriously . . . are there two flavors better suited for each other? Rich creamy peanut butter with just a hint of salt offsetting the silky bittersweetness of chocolate. Yum. Although the amount of baking I do might suggest otherwise, I'm really not all that crazy about sweets. Give me salty, crunchy snacks any day. For dessert? I love fresh berries. Although heavy, decadent desserts are beautiful to behold and fun to make . . . I just don't crave them. The exception might be some combination of peanut butter and chocolate. Lately, I've been experimenting with cupcakes, the perfect sweet treat for people that don't like to overdo it on sweets.

Ingredients
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature
- 1 1/2 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. Greek-style yogurt
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 tsp. baking soda
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 c. flour
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 1 c. cocoa powder
- 2 c. powdered sugar (or more)
- 1 c. creamy peanut butter
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 18 miniature peanut butter cups, unwrapped

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTERCUP CAKES
Prepare muffin tins by lining with cupcake liners or lightly greasing and then flouring. Set aside and preheat oven to 325˚F. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl cream together butter and sugar with an electric or stand mixer until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, then vanilla. With the mixer running, add half of the flour mixture then the yogurt, then the other half of the flour mixture. Blend until smooth, but don't over mix.

Spoon batter into prepared tins, filling each cup to about two-thirds full. Bake about twenty minutes. Remove from oven and carefully press an unwrapped peanut butter cup candy into the center of each cupcake. Continue baking for 5-10 minutes until cupcakes are springy around the melty peanut butter cup. Let cool in cups for about five minutes before carefully removing from tins. Cool completely on rack before frosting.

PEANUT BUTTER CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a medium bowl blend together cream cheese and peanut butter with a stand or hand mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar a cup at a time until the frosting is at the right consistency. It will be thick and sticky, a bit candy-like. Frost cupcakes when cooled completely. Store in a airtight container. Yum!

Hella Nutella!

Chewy Nutty Nutella Brownies
It was a Sunday of laundry, errands, grading. I had a pretty fabulous dinner planned, but no clear-cut dessert idea and then the jar of Nutella sitting in Jordan's cupboard called out to me. I don't know anyone who turns down a chewy brownie . . . and Nutella? The combination seems obvious. I had some extra farmer's market fresh hazelnuts left over from the dinner menu. They added just the right amount of crunch to this surprisingly light, yet chewy brownie. These are a snap to whip up and definitely Jordan approved!

Ingredients
- 1 stick butter
- 1 1/4 c. sugar
- 1 c. Nutella
- 3 eggs
- 1 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 c. chopped hazelnuts

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a 13x9" baking dish with foil and then lightly butter the foil to prevent brownies from sticking. In a medium saucepan, melt 1 stick of butter over medium. Add sugar and stir over heat until ingredients are thoroughly blended and the sugar becomes shiny and smoother. Add Nutella and briefly stir over heat. Remove from stove, whisk in eggs and stir until smooth. Whisk in flour, salt, baking powder, and hazelnuts. Stir until ingredients are thoroughly blended. Spread batter into prepared baking dish and bake in oven for 22-24 minutes until brownies are cooked through. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.

Makin' Whoopie . . . Pies That Is

Richard Bradley's Pumpkin Wookie Pies
Baking is the best therapy. Sometimes I find that it is in the moments where my mind is caught in the tempest of stress that the Divine Muses of Baked Goods visit and offer temporary safe harbor from life's occasional emotional storm clouds. I was just having a weird day. Perhaps it was the whole "Falling Back" time change the night before, but something was off. Everyone seemed weird. There was weird energy in the air all around and I just felt like crawling back into bed and calling "reset" on the entire day. On my drive back from the office, suddenly inspiration struck in the form of a pumpkin and cream cheese combination. I quick pit stop at the ol' Trader Joe's and I found solace in the rituals of creaming together sugar and butter. The house smelled delicious, comforting. Later, I brought some of the fresh Whoopie Pies out to be enjoyed by the public. After sharing a delicious meal with friends, I offered up dessert. "What are those?" Emily asked with excitement, eyes wide with anticipation. When I answered, "Pumpkin Whoopie Pies," Richard Bradley looked at me quizzically and asked, "What's a Wookie Pie?" I liked the name so much I promised to name the recipe for him. So . . . here we go: Richard Bradley's Wookie Pies. They are a super-moist mouthful and definitely met the approval of all who enjoyed them. Emily sat there, smile on her face, half eaten pie in her hand, and sighed, "I don't want it to end." Indeed.

Ingredients
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 2 sticks butter, room temperature, divided
- 3 tsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 c. sugar
- 1/2 c. brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 3 c. flour
- 1 1/2 c. almond meal
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 1 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 8 oz. cream cheese
- 2 c. (or more) powdered sugar

COOKIES
Preheat oven to 350˚F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together pumpkin, 1 stick butter, sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, and 1 tsp. vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth. Add egg and blend into mixture until batter is light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, almond meal, salt, baking powder, and baking soda until ingredients are combined thoroughly. Slowly add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture about a cup at a time, blending thoroughly after each addition. Add spices to batter.

Spoon 1/4 cupfuls of batter onto a parchment or silicon pad lined baking sheet, spaced out evenly. Bake in oven for 10-12 minutes until cookies are a little puffy and cooked through. Remove from baking sheet and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Continue baking cookies in batches until batter is used up.

CREAM CHEESE FILLING
In a large bowl, beat together 1 stick room temperature butter, cream cheese, and vanilla with an electric mixer. Slowly add powdered sugar on a low speed until blended and the filling is at the desired consistency. Spread a generous dollop (2-3 Tbsp.) of the filling onto the flat side of a completely cooled cookie. Top with a second cookie and press together slightly to adhere. Store cookies in an airtight container. Eat with friends!

Nutella? Yes Please!

Jordan's Dream Cake or Nutella and Banana Butterscotch Chip Snack Cake
One of the reasons Jordan is such a good roommate for me is his unwavering support of any food experiment that pops into my head. He is extremely encouraging of my mad-scientist-like approach to developing new recipes as I play with flavor combinations and Frankenstein together beloved classic recipes into something new. We talk about food around the office. A lot. Frequently either Jordan or I might muse, "What do you think of (fill in unusual ingredient) in a (choose a beloved recipe)?" The idea for this tasty snack cake came from a recent trip to Costco, the purchase of two enormous jars of Nutella, some leftover sour cream, and a couple of overripe bananas sitting on the counter. This rag-tag team of ingredients came together to make a sticky, super moist dessert to satisfy the sweetest of sweet-tooths. Or even Jordan.

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
- 1 c. sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c. Nutella (that addictive European chocolate-hazelnut spread)
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tsp. vanilla
- 2 large, ripe bananas, mashed
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 1/2 c. vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Butter and flour a 13x9" baking dish and set aside. In a large bowl combine mashed bananas, eggs, oil, sour cream, sugar, vanilla, and Nutella. Beat together with an electric mixer until ingredients are well combined and smooth. In a separate medium bowl whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Slowly add flour mixture to Nutella mixture a half cup at a time, blending thoroughly with electric mixer after each addition. Stir in butterscotch chips.

Pour batter into prepared baking dish and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes until cake is cooked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before serving.

Pie in the Sky! Or in Your Mouth!

Rowan's Brown Sugar Pecan Pie
I have a terrier. She's adorable, fuzzy, energetic, but kind of a pain in the ass. What else can I say? She's a terrier- stubborn, willful, etc. The stereotype holds true. When I had to leave town for an evening I needed a trusted dog-sitter to keep little Hermione fed and out a trouble. Knowing Rowan to be a lover of dogs and generally willing to do things for money, I asked him to take on the task. He agreed. To sweeten the deal, as it were, I offered to make him his favorite pie. "Pecan," he responded without hesitation. Being one of the easiest pies to whip up I agreed, but I wanted to do something a little more exciting than the recipe on the back of the corn syrup bottle. In the end, Rowan approved of this tasty treat and I am grateful for his willingness to look after that feisty little beast that sleeps at the end of my bed.

Ingredients
- 1 9 1/2" pie crust (See blog entry for 9/15/10: "Just Peachy" for the perfect crust recipe, halve the recipe because the pecan is a one-crust pie.)
- 1 c. dark corn syrup
- 1 c. brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsp. melted butter
- 1 Tbsp. vanilla
- 2 c. pecan halves
- 2 tsp. cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Roll out pie dough into a 9 1/2" pie pan and finish the edges as desired. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together butter, corn syrup, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and rum until well combined. Whisk in eggs until thoroughly incorporated into mixture. Add pecans and mix in. Pour mixture into prepared pie crust and bake in oven for 60-70 minutes until the top of pie becomes slightly crusted over and the crust is turning light golden brown. Let cool completely before serving. Enjoy!

Super Spooky Halloween Fun

Pumpkin Spice Sour Cream Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Trick or treat! My announcement to my students that Friday's class would require wearing Halloween costumes to engage in a Fall-term Acting I tradition I have deemed "Super Spooky Halloween Fun" was met with a variety of responses. While several students were less than thrilled at the prospect of donning Halloween-themed attire two days before the actual holiday, their attitudes shifted when I promised a baked "treat" as part of the festivities. Pumpkin-themed baked good abound this time of year . . . and with good reason! The familiar orange gourd-like squash yields a flavorful and moist texture to cakes and cookies. I hope you enjoy this spicy, rum-spiked treat throughout the autumn season.

Ingredients
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 1/2 c. butter, room temperature, divided
- 4 large eggs
- 1 15 oz. can pumpkin
- 2 c. flour
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla, divided
- 2 Tbsp. dark rum
- 1/2 c. sour cream
- 2 Tbsp. cinnamon, divided
- 2 tsp. fresh nutmeg
- 1 tsp. cardamom
- 8 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- Halloween candies for decoration

PUMPKIN SPICE SOUR CREAM CUPCAKES
Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Line two muffin tins with paper-liners and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream 1 1/2 sticks of butter and sugar with an electric mixer. Blend in pumpkin. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add baking soda, cardamom, 1 Tbsp. cinnamon, and nutmeg and blend until thoroughly mixed together. Add eggs, one at a time, alternating with 1/2 c. additions of flour. Blend thoroughly after each addition. Blend in sour cream, rum, and 1 Tbsp. vanilla until combined.

Spoon prepared batter into paper cupcake liners. Fill each cup to about two-thirds full. Bake in oven for 20-25 minutes. Test cupcakes for doneness and remove from oven. Let cool on a rack completely before frosting. Bake cupcakes in batches and continue process until all the batter has been baked into tasty treats!

CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING
In a large bowl blend together cream cheese, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, 1 Tbsp, cinnamon, and 1 stick butter with an electric hand mixer. Blend until frosting is smooth and creamy. Add more cinnamon to taste, if desired. Frost each baked and cooled cupcake with a generous amount of frosting and decorate with Halloween candies. Enjoy this spooky and tasty seasonal treat!

Bounty Hunter Brownies

Sarah: Breaker of Translucent Wings Memorial Chocolate Peanut Butter Brownies
It was just another ordinary day in playwriting class. Clustered together in the basement room, the students shuffled their papers and poised their pencils for another in-class writing assignment. Suddenly, our peaceful haven of creativity was disrupted by the dull buzz of an uninvited intruder: Musca domestica, the common housefly. Incredibly annoying, not to mention unsanitary, this winged, garbage-dwelling insect has no place at my table. After a few of my own feeble attempts at swatting the little bugger away, I realized a hero could emerge from the crowded table of students. "I will bake cookies for whoever kills the fly." The offer of baked-good worked as a motivating bounty and within three seconds the fly's crumpled body fell to the floor. The victor? Sarah, a clever brunette with a sardonic wit and an impressive collection of Woot tee-shirts. When I asked what kind of cookie she was interested in, she requested brownies. No problem. I developed the chocolate and peanut butter combination in honor of Sarah: Breaker of Translucent Wings and to our fallen and worthy foe who gave his life so that we could enjoy an afternoon snack.

Ingredients
- 2 1/2 sticks room temperature butter (plus 1 Tbsp.), divided
- 2 c. sugar
- 2 c. powdered sugar
- 1 c. cocoa powder
- 5 eggs, divided
- 1 c. creamy peanut butter
- 1 1/4 c. flour, divided
- 2 Tbsp. vanilla, divided
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 16 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Line a 13x9" baking pan with foil. Butter lightly with 1 Tbsp. of butter. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350˚ F. In a medium, heavy bottomed saucepan, melt 1 1/2 sticks of butter over medium heat. When butter is melted, add sugar and cook over medium, stirring frequently, until ingredients are well combined and the surface looks shiny, about 3-4 minutes. Remove pan from heat and whisk in cocoa powder and 1 Tbsp. vanilla until thoroughly combined. Add three eggs, one at a time, whisking ingredients together after each addition. Whisk in 1 c. flour and baking powder.

Spread brownie batter into prepared baking pan and bake in oven for 15 minutes.While brownie layer in baking place peanut butter, powdered sugar, and remaining stick of butter into a large mixing bowl and cream ingredients thoroughly with an electric mixer. Add 2 eggs, 1 Tbsp. vanilla, and remaining flour and beat thoroughly with mixer. Set aside until brownie layer has baked for fifteen minutes. Remove brownies from oven and carefully spread and even layer of the peanut butter mixture on top. Evenly distribute the chocolate chips on top on the peanut butter layer.

Return to oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes longer until the brownies are baked through and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool completely before cutting into 2" squares. Eat!