Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts with Chocolate Glaze

May 1, 2017

If I didn't have so much cake experience, then I might have had a doughnut focused blog! Doughnuts are my jam! I love them even more than cake. But not just any doughnut, it's got to be the Old-Fashioned kind with chocolate glaze. No matter what kind of day I've had, or whatever is going on in life, when I have an Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnut with Chocolate Glaze I'm in food heaven!

And don't forget the coffee. Dipping these doughnuts in coffee is the best way to eat them. It took me a little while to get this recipe down. I strive for perfection, especially with something I love so much, and I wanted to do this recipe justice, and make it worth while to make these doughnuts at home instead of buying them.

Old-fashioned doughnuts should have a golden brown color and a crispy texture on the exterior. The interior should be light in color and fluffy. Luckily these doughnuts keep well for about 1 or 2 days. So you can make them the night before and have breakfast ready to go when you wake up the next morning!

Yes you can easily get your doughnuts at the doughnut shop but the satisfaction you'll feel knowing you can make your own doughnuts at home is an amazing feeling! These doughnuts require a little more attention, they're made with sour cream and extra leavening and turned twice during frying.

But those beautiful ridges that form during frying are perfect for the glaze to sink into. I did roll mine out a little on the thin side. Next time I'll be sure to use my ruler to measure to exactly 1/2-inch thickness to make them even more fluffed up.

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Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel-Espresso Buttercream

April 24, 2017

These Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel-Espresso Buttercream are absolutely AMAZING! The base of these cupcakes is almost like a light and fluffy brownie that's full of chocolatey flavor, but not over powering.

And the Caramel-Espresso Buttercream is the perfect topping. It's light and creamy and the caramel-espresso flavor pairs well with the chocolate cupcake. I truly am in love with this recipe.

This is a French-style buttercream made with brown sugar instead of white, which turns into caramel giving this buttercream its flavor. Plus, the addition of espresso powder compliments the caramel perfectly! The Caramel Espresso Buttercream is truly heavenly, but can be a bit tricky to make. Scroll down to read some tips I've learned while making the buttercream for these Chocolate Cupcakes with Caramel-Espresso Buttercream.

French-Style Caramel Espresso Buttercream Tips:

Before adding the butter to the egg mixture, be sure the egg mixture is room temperature! Many, many times this is where I made my mistakes. I would follow a recipe that stated the time frame at which you are to whisk, but so many times my eggs were still too hot and when I added the butter it just deflated my buttercream and melted the butter. 🙁 This time I was determined not to let that happen. I beat mine until the egg mixture was anywhere from 75-80 degrees. I used a digital thermometer to test for this.
The above tip is really the main problem I ran into previously, but I've read you can also wet a kitchen towel and freeze it and use that around the bottom of your mixing bowl to help cool the egg mixture to room temperature while it's beating.
This buttercream almost started to separate on me because I added the flavoring a little too late! (My fault, but always learning) I was a little worried at first when the buttercream started sloshing around the bowl but it quickly came together. 🙂
And if all else fails, (I've never tried this method) I've heard if your buttercream breaks or separates, just whip that buttercream up and eventually it will come together. Luckily I didn't have to resort to this. Buttercream can be a tricky beast, but once you learn how to trouble shoot it a bit, you'll be glad you made it.

And last but not least, top your cupcakes off with a candy caramel. I usually like to make everything, down to the cupcake garnishes homemade, especially if I've gone through the trouble of making homemade cupcakes, however I find Lovely's candy very worthy.

They are made with real butter, sweetened condensed milk and molasses. No high fructose corn syrup or artificial colors. Just pure and simple ingredients. And that is something I can stand behind.

That's all I have for you this week! You can follow me on social media: Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Beef Picadillo Over Brown Rice

April 18, 2017

Beef Picadillo Over Brown Rice is one of my favorite comfort foods. Picadillo is similar to hash made with ground beef and tomatoes. There are a lot of variations to this dish depending on where you're from. I have seen people put raisins and olives in it, but I like to keep mine pretty simple.

Just some potatoes (a must in my opinion), tomatoes, garlic, onion and some salt and pepper. It's really all you need.

A few of the things I love about this recipe are:

It's so easy to make.
It's cheap.
It's versatile. I've made this recipe using ground turkey to lighten it up a little.
And it reminds me of growing up with my grandmothers in the kitchen making Mexican food when I was little. The aroma takes me back to that time. It's a beautiful thing.

And the Picadillo isn't the only star in this recipe. The Brown Rice is pretty tasty too. I have a separate post all about this Easy Baked Brown Rice so be sure to check it out! I've also got a Picadillo Taco recipe you might also like.

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Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cream Pie

April 10, 2017

Chocolate and peanut butter! Who can deny this match made in heaven? Not me that's for sure. Take this Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cream Pie for example, made on top of an Oreo cookie crust, then topped with a chocolate-peanut butter filling.

But we're not finished, next comes the peanut butter-whipped cream layer and then whipped cream layer on top.

Sprinkle with a few chopped peanuts and voila! Time to enjoy this little piece of chocolate-peanut butter heaven.

This Chocolate-Peanut Butter Cream Pie is perfect for the up coming summer months. You do have to bake the crust in the oven, however it's only for a short amount of time and totally worth turning on your oven for about 10 to 15 minutes.

I mean come on the crust is made with Oreos! And not just the cookie part, the cream part is included in the recipe too! I could probably do a post on this cookie crust alone, it's a favorite of mine! My advice, skip the pre-made Oreo crust in the store. You'll love this homemade version.

I used chunky peanut butter in this recipe but you could also use creamy if that fits your taste, I like a little texture in mine though. For the whipped cream design I used a star tip and made simple circular swirl designs in different sizes and piped some stars to fill in the blank spaces. You don't have to be perfect with this. I kinda like that rustic look for this pie anyway.

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Easy Baked Brown Rice

April 3, 2017

Here is one for those that like to meal prep. This Easy Baked Brown Rice may not be as quick as the 5 minute versions, but it's definitely worth the baking time.

I won't make brown rice any other way from now on. Easy Baked Brown Rice always comes out light and fluffy everytime!

I usually make this on a Sunday and use it throughout the week for my egg white breakfast bowls.

Perfect Brown Rice

Brown rice should have nutty flavor with more texture that's slightly sticky and a bit more chewy than white rice. Here are some benefits to baking your rice:

Baking allows the rice to cook more gently and evenly, reducing the risk of burning your rice. Cooking rice on the stove top can sometimes lead to burned rice on the bottom of your pan.
Baking your rice also allows you to use less water. Most stove top methods have you add more water to prevent scorching your rice but this just makes your rice soggy and over cooked.

Adding boiling water to your rice helps to keep the cooking time to 1 hour, versus using cold tap water. Plus using a tight seal on top of the baking dish is super important.

Be sure to flavor your rice before it goes into the oven. A little bit of fat and salt will help keep the rice nice and fluffy! And lastly, once the rice comes out of the oven, be sure to fluff to separate the grains and then cover it with a clean dish towel to absorb the moisture. This keeps the moisture from going back into your rice.

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Adapted from Cook's Illustrated Cookbook.

Easy Baked Brown Rice

Name: Easy Baked Brown Rice
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ cups brown rice; 2 1/3 cups water; 2 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil; ½ teaspoon salt

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Additional Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

This fluffy baked brown rice has a earthy and nutty flavor and is easy to make.

No Ratings

Ingredients

1 ½ cups brown rice
2 1/3 cups water
2 teaspoons unsalted butter or vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt

Instructions

Adjust and oven rack to the center of the oven and heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour rice in an 8-inch square baking dish.
Bring water and butter to a boil in a small covered saucepan. Once the water boils immediately stit in the sale and pour water into the baking dish. Cover tightly with a double layer of foil and bake for 1 hour, until the rice is tender.
Remove the rice from the oven, uncover and fluff rice with a fork. Cover the dish with a clean kitchen towel to catch the moisture and let stand for 5 minutes. Uncover and let rice stand for another 5 minutes and serve.

Notes

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 129Total Fat: 6gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 5mgSodium: 271mgCarbohydrates: 17gFiber: 1gSugar: 0gProtein: 2g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Easy Weeknight Chili

March 27, 2017

Here is one you can put on your weeknight recipe repertoire. This Easy Weeknight Chili is also a great option for lower-carb dieters since there are no beans in this recipe.

It's also under 500 calories for those calorie counters out there.

Enchilada Sauce

A typical beef chili needs quite a bit of simmering time to get those flavors to meld. But I have a secret ingredient to share with you..... and it's enchilada sauce!

Instead of simmering for hours you can use enchilada sauce to add some flavor. Now one very important TIP: Use an enchilada sauce you love!!! This is where this Easy Weeknight Chili gets most of it's flavor from.

I haven't found a canned enchilada sauce that I liked until I tried Frontera brand enchilada sauce. It's pretty new, but I've seen it at Kroger, and Sprouts. Or make your own enchilada sauce.

Not only does this recipe make a great chili but my husband actually made a sloppy joe out of it because it's nice and thick and does tend to have the consistency of a sloppy joe filling. He loved it!

So, I've got a very versatile one for you here this week. Top this with your favorite chili toppings, mine are smoked gouda and sour cream with a few saltine crackers. How do you top your chili? Let me know in the comments below.

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Easy Weeknight Chili

Yield: 6 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

A flavorful and easy ground beef chili you can prepare on a weeknight.

No Ratings

Ingredients

1 tablespoon organic olive oil
2 organic onions, chopped
4 organic red bell peppers, chopped
2 pounds organic, grass-fed ground beef
4 teaspoons cumin
2 tablespoons organic garlic powder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon organic olive oil
4 teaspoons fennel seed
2 cups good quality enchilada sauce
2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, chopped
6 ounces organic tomato paste
1 bunch organic cilantro for garnish
Lime juice for garnish
Chives for garnish
Sour cream for garnish
Smoked Gouda cheese for garnish
Chopped or sliced jalapeno for garnish

Instructions

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat add 1 tablespoon olive oil and cook the onions and bell pepper, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the veggies from the Dutch oven and set aside.
Add beef to the Dutch oven and cook. Drain fat. Season beef with cumin, garlic, and salt and stir to combine.
In a small saute pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and fennel seeds and toast until browned.
Add the toasted fennel seeds and veggies to the meat and stir to combine. Cook until beef is cooked through.
Add enchilada sauce, chipotle peppers and tomato paste, stirring well.
Bring chili to a simmer and taste for seasoning. Top with your favorite garnishes and serve.

Notes

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 387Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 81mgSodium: 1923mgCarbohydrates: 25gFiber: 5gSugar: 14gProtein: 38g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Gluten Free Veggie Pasta in Olive Oil Sauce

March 20, 2017

This Gluten Free Veggie Pasta in Olive Oil sauce would be perfect for your Meatless Monday meal or a great side dish to your main coarse.

My husband has been making this pasta for years with pasta such as angel hair or spaghetti.

And since he had never actually written the recipe down for his olive oil sauce pasta, I thought this would be the perfect time to get that recipe down.

Pasta

You can also use regular pasta but if you are using Tolerant's pasta there are a couple of things you should know:

When you put the pasta in the boiling water keep an eye on it or it could boil over quickly.
The water will be cloudy and foamy but that's normal when cooking with this type of pasta so be sure to use plenty of water.

Something else you should know, I really like this pasta. And I can see myself using this pasta to lighten things up a little when I want to take in more plant based proteins and nutrients. I love that it's certified organic, vegan, gluten-free and non-gmo. If you can get past the cloudy water then I would definitely recommend this pasta!

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Gluten Free Veggie Pasta in Olive Oil Sauce

Yield: 4 side servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Veggies pasta with olive oil sauce made with gluten free pasta.

No Ratings

Ingredients

8 ounces Tolerant Organic Green Lentil and Kale Pasta
2 tablespoons kosher salt for pasta water
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 organic garlic cloves, sliced
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup jarred artichoke hearts, sliced
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 organic Roma tomato (about ¼ cup), diced
Grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
Chopped organic Italian parsley, for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

In a large saucepan, bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add kosher salt and pasta to boiling water and stir. Continue to cook according to package instructions.
Meanwhile, in a large saute pan add olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add sliced garlic, black olives and artichokes to pan and saute for about 5 minutes. Add wine and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Add capers and red pepper flakes. Remove the pan from the heat and add cooked pasta to the pan and mix with tongs to coat the pasta in the olive oil sauce. Top with fresh tomatoes, grated Parmesan cheese and parsley.

Notes

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 348Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 3521mgCarbohydrates: 38gFiber: 8gSugar: 3gProtein: 11g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Easter Confetti Cake

March 14, 2017

I've just updated my recipe for Easter Confetti Cake with a brand new confetti cake recipe and a new American buttercream! Plus check out a few more tips in the blog post below on how to decorate this fun and festive cake for the Easter season!

Confetti Cake Ingredients

Carnival Sprinkles: I love to use multi-colored jimmies for my sprinkles. I process them in a food processor because this cake is so light that if I left them whole it would ruin the cakes tender crumb.

Whole Milk: the fat in whole milk tenderizes the cake crumb which weakens the gluten just enough for the cake to have structure.

Egg Whites: helps leaven the cake.

Vanilla Extract: flavor enhancer.

Cake Flour: lower in gluten and is bleached. The bleaching process helps cakes retain a pure white color which is ideal for white cakes and angel food cakes. It also produces a fine-crumbed cake.

Granulated Sugar: it's evenly ground and loose texture incorporates well in cake batter.

Baking Powder: is a mixture of baking soda, and cornstarch. Baking powder works when it first comes into contact with liquid, and again when it hits the heat of the oven. 📌 Baking powder loses its effectiveness after six months. 📌

Salt: enhances the flavor of the ingredients.

Unsalted Butter: helps with flavor and texture. This recipe uses the reverse creaming method where the butter coats the dry ingredients instead of creaming together with the sugar.

American Buttercream

Also called Decorators buttercream, American buttercream is fluffy and sweet! I use a mix of butter and shortening in this frosting. It's easy to make and is very versatile. This buttercream is a crusting buttercream.
If you live in a climate with high humidity, you can use all shortening or use all butter if you're located in a climate that isn't humid.
You can add more water or milk to this frosting as needed or add more powdered sugar if you need a stiffer frosting.
American buttercream also takes gel food coloring well.
Feel free to have fun with this buttercream with different extract and flavored emulsions!

Crumb Coating

Crumb coating is a thin layer of frosting applied to the cake to catch crumbs and seal the cake. And just because this cake is covered with basket weave piping, doesn't mean you can skip crumb coating. Once your cake is crumb coated it needs to chill in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Then you can apply another coat of frosting, giving you a solid base to pipe your basket weave on.

Cake Decorating

BASKETWEAVE

Spread buttercream on the top and sides of the cake with an offset cake spatula. Use a Wilton tip #48 for the basket weave effect. Position a piping bag fitted with piping tip #48 at a 90 degree angle to the top edge of the cake. Apply pressure as you pipe a vertical line down the side of the cake. Your piping tip should be just above the surface of the cake. Once you reach the bottom ease up and stop the pressure.

Reposition the piping bag at the top edge of the cake and begin piping cross strokes by starting about 1/2 inch before the downstroke of buttercream. Pipe over the downstroke of buttercream and extend the line another 1/2 inch. Pipe another downstroke over the end of the crossover strokes. Repeat this process around the entire side of the cake.

SHELL BORDER

Pipe a shell border on the top edge of the cake by fitting a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #18. Position your piping tip at a 45 degree angle touching the surface, apply a burst of pressure. Allowing a small amount of frosting to come out of the tip. Push the tip slightly forward and apply more pressure, building up the shell. Then, gently pull the tip toward you, and ease off the pressure. Stop pressure and pull toward you to exit the shell. Repeat this process all the way around the top edge of the cake. Repeat the shell border on the bottom edge as well.

GRASS

To pipe grass, fit a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #233. Color a small amount of buttercream with green gel food coloring. Fill the piping bag with green buttercream and holding the piping bag straight up, slightly above the surface of the cake, apply pressure to form a base. Release the pressure and begin lifting the tip straight up and away from the cake. Repeat this process all over the top center of the cake.

Easter Confetti Cake Baking Schedule

Day 1: Bake cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare buttercream, decorate cake and serve.

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Easter Confetti Cake

Yield: 12 servings

Prep Time: 1 hour

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

Homemade confetti layer cake filled and frosted with American buttercream, decorated with buttercream basket weave for a festive Easter dessert.

No Ratings

Ingredients

SPECIAL TOOLS

3 8-inch round cake pans
Food processor
Stand mixer
1 8-inch round cake board
Cake turntable
Piping bags
Wilton piping tip #48
Wilton piping tip #18
Green gel food coloring
Wilton Tip #233

CAKE

Non-stick baking spray
½ cup rainbow sprinkles
1 cup whole milk, at room temperature
6 large egg whites, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 ¼ cups (9 ounces) cake flour
1 ¾ cups (12 ¼ ounces) granulated sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces, at room temperature

BUTTERCREAM

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups shortening
4 teaspoons butter vanilla emulsion or vanilla extract
6 tablespoons water or milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
12 cups (48 ounces) powdered sugar

Instructions

CAKE

Adjust a rack to the center position in the oven and heat to 350 degrees. Spray 3 8-inch round cake pans with non-stick baking spray and set aside. In a food processor, process the rainbow sprinkles until coarsely ground, about 8 to 10 pulses. Set aside until needed.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the milk, egg whites and vanilla.
Attach the paddle attachment to a stand mixer. On low speed combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add butter one piece at a time. Continue to combine until the butter is the size of peas, about 1 minute. Reserve ½ cup of the milk mixture, and pour remaining into the dry ingredients. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Reduce the mixer speed to medium-low and add the reserved milk mixture to the batter and beat until combined, about 30 seconds (the batter may look curdled at this point). Give the batter a final stir by hand and stir in ground rainbow sprinkles.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and smooth the tops with an offset cake spatula or rubber spatula. Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, rotating pans halfway through baking. Let cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes on wire racks. Invert cakes onto the wire racks to cool completely, about 2 hours.

BUTTERCREAM

In the bowl of an electric mixer, with the paddle attachment attached, cream together the butter, shortening and emulsion or extract until smooth.
Add 3 tablespoons of water or milk, salt, half of the powdered sugar and mix until combined.
Scrape down the sides of the bowl and on low speed, gradually add the remaining powdered sugar. Add more water or milk if needed. Use buttercream right away or cover the a damp cloth to prevent the buttercream from crusting.

ASSEMBLE

Place first cake layer cut side up on a cake turntable. Spread about 2/3 cup buttercream on top, spreading to the edge of the cake. Repeat this process with the second cake layer. Place the third cake layer on top, cut side down.

CRUMB COAT

Top the cake with about 2 cups buttercream and spread a thin coating of buttercream over the top and sides of the cake. This will help keep any crumbs from getting in to your final layer of buttercream as well as seals the cake. Chill the cake in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

BASKETWEAVE

Spread buttercream on the top and sides of the cake with an offset cake spatula. Use a Wilton tip #48 for the basket weave effect. Position a piping bag fitted with piping tip #48 at a 90 degree angle to the top edge of the cake. Apply pressure as you pipe a vertical line down the side of the cake. Your piping tip should be just above the surface of the cake. Once you reach the bottom ease up and stop the pressure.
Reposition the piping bag at the top edge of the cake and begin piping cross strokes by starting about 1/2 inch before the downstroke of buttercream. Pipe over the downstroke of buttercream and extend the line another 1/2 inch. Pipe another downstroke over the end of the crossover strokes. Repeat this process around the entire side of the cake.

SHELL BORDER

Pipe a shell boarder on the top edge of the cake by fitting a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #18. Position your piping tip at a 45 degree angle touching the surface, apply a burst of pressure. Allowing a small amount of frosting to come out of the tip. Push the tip slightly forward and apply more pressure, building up the shell. Then, gently pull the tip toward you, and ease off the pressure. Stop pressure and pull toward you to exit the shell. Repeat this process all the way around the top edge of the cake. Repeat the shell border on the bottom edge as well.

GRASS

To pipe grass, fit a piping bag with Wilton piping tip #233. Color a small amount or buttercream with green gel food coloring. Fill the piping bag with green buttercream and holding the piping bag straight up, slightly above the surface of the cake, apply pressure to form a base. Release the pressure and being lifting the tip straight up and away from the cake. Repeat this process all over the top center of the cake.
For the finishing touch, sprinkle cake with festive sprinkles and place a few candy Easter eggs on top and serve.

Notes

This cake can be stored at room temperature for 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 833Total Fat: 70gSaturated Fat: 34gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 32gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 564mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 7g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes

March 7, 2017

Indulge in a cool, creamy delight with our refreshingly sweet homemade Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes recipe! This frosty concoction perfectly blends the flavor of sweet chocolate syrup with rich, and creamy mint chocolate chip ice cream, creating a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to milkshake heaven.

Wide open shot of Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes.

Chocolate Syrup

This homemade chocolate syrup is super thick, and is rich in flavor. It cooks up quickly so there's no need to use store bought syrup here. Plus, this chocolate syrup can be made in advance.

Chocolate Syrup Storage

Chocolate syrup can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

Close up of Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes.

Creamy Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes

Made with refreshing mint chocolate ice cream, and homemade chocolate syrup, each sip delivers a delightful burst of chocolatey sweetness and a hint of minty freshness. Whether you're craving a refreshing treat on a scorching summer day or simply seeking a comforting indulgence, this irresistible milkshake is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth cravings. Whip up a batch in minutes and treat yourself to a blissful sip of creamy, minty perfection!

Three quarter angle Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes.

Milkshake Topping Ideas

Homemade whipped cream
Chocolate chips/chunks/shavings
Chocolate sprinkles
Maraschino cherry

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Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Additional Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Indulge in a cool, creamy delight with our refreshingly sweet Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshakes recipe! This frosty concoction perfectly blends the flavor of mint with rich, and creamy mint chocolate chip ice cream, creating a symphony of flavors that will transport your taste buds to milkshake heaven.

No Ratings

Ingredients

Chocolate Syrup

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¾ cup granulated sugar
½ cup cold water
½ cup malted milk powder

Milkshakes

3 cups mint chocolate chip ice cream
2 cups milk
½ cup Chocolate Syrup

Toppings

Whipped Cream (optional)
Grated Chocolate (optional)
Sprinkles (optional)
Cherry (optional)

Instructions

CHOCOLATE SYRUP

Whisk together in a medium saucepan cocoa powder and sugar. Add water and malted milk powder and stir to combine. Bring just to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat at set aside to cool.

MILKSHAKES

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth and frothy. Divide evenly among 2 milk shake glasses and garnish with Whipped Cream, sprinkles and Chocolate Syrup.

Notes

Leftover Chocolate Syrup can be stored covered at room temperature for about 3 days or refrigerated for 2 to 3 weeks. Reheat on the stove or in a microwave to liquefy.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 812Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 247mgCarbohydrates: 145gFiber: 8gSugar: 115gProtein: 15g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Reduced Sugar Blueberry Muffins

February 27, 2017

Now you don't have to feel guilty eating blueberry muffins anymore! This recipe is light on sugar and heavy on flavor.

Naturally Sweet is a cookbook from America's Test Kitchen, and when they sent out an email asking for help testing recipes for their upcoming book, I jumped at the chance. Guess which recipe I got? Yep, Blueberry Muffins!

I was super excited to help test recipes for this book because the focus is not just on reducing sugar but replacing it with natural sugars like Sucanat, coconut sugar, date sugar, honey and maple syrup. No artificial sugars here!

When I made the draft version of these Blueberry Muffins I didn’t think they were anything special, until I noticed my husband and I kept going back for more. Thinking we just weren’t used to the reduced sugar but the blueberry flavor was there and I think that’s what kept us going back for more.

Finally a muffin that wasn’t overly sweet and didn’t mask the blueberry flavor. I am crazy excited to share the perfected, reduced sugar recipe with you now! A typical blueberry muffin recipe has about 20 grams of sugar, while this version has only about 11 grams of sugar.

Some tips to keep in mind:

You do not have to grind up the Sucanat, but the granules will leave marks on the top of your muffins as they melt during baking. They will taste the same, just look a little speckled.
Low-fat yogurt can be substituted for the whole-milk yogurt, but the muffins will be slightly drier.
Frozen blueberries can be substituted for fresh.
Sweetener Substitutions:

Coconut sugar: ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons (3 ounces) Muffins will taste slightly sweeter using this sweetener substitute. Grind sugar in step 1.
Granulated sugar: 7 tablespoons (3 ounces) Muffins will be slightly less sweet and lighter in color; do not grind sugar in step 1.

If you’re looking for reduced sugar recipes but want to stay away from artificial sweeteners I highly recommend America’s Test Kitchen’s “Naturally Sweet". I personally made this recipe using Sucanat in the test batch and the final version and love it as a sweetener. Let me know how yours come out if you use the other available sweeteners.

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Reduced Sugar Blueberry Muffins

Yield: 12 muffins

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Additional Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour

Reduced sugar blueberry muffins made with Sucanat and fresh blueberries.

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Ingredients

1/3 cup, plus ¼ cup (3 ounces) Sucanat
8 tablespoons organic unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
1 ½ cups organic plain whole-milk yogurt
2 large organic eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
2 ¾ cups (11 ounces) cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
1 ½ cups (7 ½ ounces) fresh organic blueberries

Instructions

Adjust an oven rack to the center position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcakes liners and set aside. In a spice grinder, grind up the Sucanat in batches until finely ground into a powder, about 1 minute (this step is optional and for appearance only)
In a 10-inch stainless steel skillet, melt 6 tablespoons butter until it starts to turn golden brown, about 2 minutes. Continue to cook swirling the pan constantly until the butter turns golden brown and you start to smell a nutty fragrance, about 1 to 3 minutes. Pour the browned butter in a large bowl and stir the remaining 2 tablespoon butter until melted and let cool slightly.
Add the yogurt, eggs, vanilla and orange zest into the browned butter and whisk until smooth. In a large bowl, whisk together the Sucanat, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt and cloves. With a rubber spatula, stir in yogurt mixture until combined and fold in the blueberries.
Divide batter evenly into the prepared cupcake pan. Bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted in the center of the muffin comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs attached, about 22 to 27 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through baking.
Let muffins cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 207Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 55mgSodium: 294mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 1gSugar: 2gProtein: 5g

*Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary.*

Game Day Guacamole

February 1, 2017

Disclosure: This post was written in partnership with Melissa's Produce and Casabella, all opinions and stories are 100% my own.

Well it's almost time for the big game and what better way to celebrate than by having some of your favorite football foods right there with you.

Like this Game Day Guacamole made with Melissa's creamy and delicious avocados. Guacamole is a favorite in my family. We have it at every family get together.

I recommend you make a double batch of this recipe, because it will go fast!

And if by chance you do have leftovers, never fear, this neat product from Casabella called the Guac-Lock will keep your guacamole from browning.

The Guac-Lock is not like most food storage containers. It's made from shatterproof, odor-proof and stain resistant plastic. It locks into place and allows you to squeeze out excess air preventing oxidation and discoloration. Pretty cool huh? And it's easy to clean. Just wash on the top rack of your dishwasher.

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Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake

January 30, 2017

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RECIPE UPDATE: 1/28/2023 The recipe remains the same as the original, I just added a pink drip and changed up the decoration a bit.

This Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake has a sweet and tangy flavor. By no means is this just a chocolate cake with red food coloring in it.

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake on a cake pedestal.

Red Velvet Bakery Emulsion gives this cake its beautiful red hue. Not only does it give this cake color but it also gives it a unique flavor.

Red Velvet Cake

Cake flour: is a low protein content flour that helps to deliver a cake with a fine crumb.
Baking powder: is a mixture of baking soda and cornstarch. Baking powder works twice, first when its introduced to moisture and second when it hits the heat.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder: has a higher pH which neutralizes the acids and helps round out the flavor. Hot liquid such as water and coffee helps dissolve the remaining cocoa butter and helps distribute the flavor.
Salt: helps with flavor.
Unsalted butter: helps add flavor and texture to the cake. Using room temperature butter is best because it is malleable enough to be whipped, but firm enough to retain air. This helps to provide structure and leavening.
Superfine sugar: helps to create an airy cake. You can make your own superfine sugar by processing granulated sugar in a food processor. Just be sure to add a few teaspoons more sugar in addition to the amount you need for the recipe. Then measure or weigh out and continue with your recipe.
Vegetable oil: helps with moistness and also keeps the cake tender when chilled.
Red Velvet Emulsion: adds taste and color to the cake.
Eggs: binds, thickens and emulsifies.
Buttermilk: adds a tangy flavor and helps with texture. It also tenderizes and creates fluffiness in the cake.
Baking soda: is an alkali and must be used with an acidic ingredient such as buttermilk.
Distilled vinegar: when mixed with baking soda vinegar creates carbon dioxide which leavens the cake. Once this action happens you should get the cake in the oven right away.

Overhead shot of beaten butter, sugar, oil and emulsion for Valentine's Red Velvet Cake. — Dry ingredients

How To Make Super Smooth and Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting

Mix all ingredients except the cream cheese together well.
Add the cream cheese in at the very end of the mixing process.
Cream cheese should be cut into chunks and should be room temperature.
After the cream cheese is added, mix for about 1 to 2 minutes. Keep a close eye on it at this stage to keep the frosting from turning into soup. Don't over mix!

Overhead shot of beaten butter for cream cheese frosting for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake. — Beaten butter

Overhead shot of sifted powdered sugar for cream cheese frosting for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake. — Beaten butter

Cake Assembly

Place one cake layer on the center of an 8-inch round cake board, and set on a cake turntable. Spread with 2/3 cup cream cheese frosting on top in an even layer with an offset cake spatula. Place second cake layer on top and spread another 2/3 cup cream cheese frosting on top, spreading in an even layer all the way to the edge of the cake. Place last cake layer on top (top side down).

Three quarter angle close up of Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake.

The Importance of Crumb Coating

Crumb coating catches any loose crumbs and seals them in so they will not end up in your final layer of frosting. After chilling your crumb coat, this also gives you a great base to start your cake decorating on. Don't skip this extra step. It makes all the difference.

Close up of Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake on cake pedestal.

Pink Drip Tips

Chop up the candy melts before melting. This way they melt evenly.
Start with 1/4 cup heavy cream before adding more in if needed. This can differ a little bit depending on climate. Here in Houston 1/4 cup cream usually does the trick for me.
Microwave the pink chocolate melts at 30 seconds first and stir, then heat for 20 seconds more and stir, then for another 10 seconds and stir. From here, heat at 10 second intervals, stirring between each interval until the pink chocolate melts are completely melted and smooth.

Overhead shot of chopped pink candy melts and cream for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake. — Chopped candy melts and cream

Overhead shot of melted pink drip for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake. — Chopped candy melts and cream

Cake Decorating Tips

Make sure your cake is well chilled before applying pink drips. I stick mine in the freezer for at least 15 minutes or more.
Before applying the drips be sure the mixture isn't too hot or it will melt your frosting.
There's a balancing act to this process because you want the drip to be liquid but not hot. You also want your cake as cold as possible so the frosting will hold up to the drip. Because cream cheese frosting has a lot of moisture in it compared to traditional buttercream it is very soft. You'll need to work quickly when applying the drips and stick the cake back in the freezer or fridge to let the pink drip set up quickly and to keep your frosting from melting.

Close up of the top edge cake decorations for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake.

Cake Decorating Tools

3 8-inch round cake pans
Nonstick baking spray
Stand mixer
8-inch round cake board
Cake turntable
Offset cake spatula
8-inch acrylic disc
Parchment paper
Cake scraper
Piping bags
Ateco piping tip #828
Wilton piping tip #12
Candy hearts

Shop my favorite baking and cake decorating tools here!

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake sliced on a plate.

Baking Schedule

Day 1: Bake Cake layers.
Day 2: Prepare frosting, pink drip, assemble and serve.

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake sliced on its side on a plate.

Make Ahead

Cake layers can be made up to 3 days in advance, wrapped in plastic wrap, stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Cream cheese frosting is best made the day of assembly.

Pink drip should be made the day of assembly.

Assembled cake can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2 days.

Close up of cake slice for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake.

Let's Connect

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Close up of cake layers for Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake.

Suggested Recipes

Close up three quarter angle of Fluffy Red Velvet Cake — **Fluffy Red Velvet Cake**

Pink Champagne Layer Cake on pink cake pedestal. — **Pink Champagne Layer Cake**

Adapted from The Sweetapolita Bakebook by Rosie Alyea

Valentine's Day Red Velvet Cake

Yield: 12

Prep Time: 2 hours

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Additional Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 3 hours 30 minutes

Sweet and tangy red velvet cake filled and frosted with fluffy cream cheese frosting, pink drip and Valentine conversation hearts.

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