Saturday, February 26, 2011

Chocolate Wrapped Pound Cake



UNIQUE DESIGN POUNDCAKE, PLAIN & BORING!!



CHOCOLATE SAUCE, YUMMY!


NOW WE'RE TALKING!



SUPER RICH CHOCOLATEY CENTER!




I like to look in my pantry and take ingredients I already have there and create something yummy. I don't have a lot in the pantry at the moment. I have some key baking staples, flour, sugar, vanilla extract etc



I decided to make a pound cake with the ingredients I had. My mom gave me a family recipe handed down to her. If you ask me, pound cake alone is BORING. I put my own twist on this recipe. I wrapped it in a super rich chocolate sauce that was like a shell over the cake, and with a drop of whip cream this made for an awesome after dinner dessert!



I know, usually pound cake is in a bread pan, and bakes into a loaf looking cake. This poundcake bakes in an angel food cake pan for the best turn out.


RECIPE:


Preheat oven to 325 degrees


  • 1 LB Powdered Sugar

  • 1 LB Butter

  • 6 eggs

  • 3 C. Cake Flour

  • 1 tsp. Vanilla Extract

  • 1 bar 70% Cocoa Chocolate, 1/2 bar of milk chocolate

  • Small container of half n half

Cream the sugar and butter, add eggs into mixer one at a time, add vanilla. Fold in Flour. Spray your pan with a good cooking spray. Pour in mixture and bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.


The original recipe tells you to sprinkle powdered sugar over the cake once the cake has cooled for about an hour.

Here is where my twist comes in! I took half n half (trying to be healthy right?! ha!) and a mix of bittersweet 70% cocoa chocolate with regular milk chocolate in a double boiler. Chop up your chocolate bar, pour your half n half (or heavy cream if preferred), continue stirring until you see a creamy chocolatey sauce. Add more or less chocolate/cream to your desired taste.


Let the chocolate sauce cool for an hour

**NOTE** You can turn this sauce into a frosting by putting it in the fridge to cool.


Once sauce is cooled, pour into a cup with pointed tip *see chocolate poured onto cake in above picture*


Pour 3X to make a thick chocolate layer on your cake. Allow time for it to set, and serve with a dollup of cool whip. The cool whip brings in the right amount of sweetness for this awesome dessert


YUM, ENJOY :)


Friday, February 25, 2011

Key Lime Pie By Lyndsi

Currently my favorite Food Network star is Ina Garten.  She is the Barefoot Contessa. She and her husband Jeffrey owned Barefoot Contessa, a specialty foods store in the Hamptons for 20 years. She sold the store and now has her own food network show, 'Barefoot Contessa.' 

While I do think she and Jeffrey are super cute and love her recipes. I'm still very concious of my health and I realize flavor is important (thank you husband for making that clear to me!) That being said I am always looking for ways to replace sugars, butters and other non-figure friendly ingredients in my recipes without anyone really noticing a flavor difference.

I'm going to start here by giving the full blown Frozen Key Lime Pie recipe by Ina Garten.  I believe you need to try the recipe first, then as your round 2 you can replace it with ingredients you find healthier.

This is an awesome Key Lime Pie- so yummy!   I think the next time I will make it without the eggs, considering they are raw eggs in this recipe.  Maybe Splenda, Stevia, or Truvia instead of the Sugar. That would be my healthy alternative suggestions.  I might suggest a light Cool Whip if you dont have time for the homemade topping.

Enjoy :)

Ingredients

For the crust:

  • 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (10 crackers)
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

  • 6 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 tablespoons grated lime zest
  • 3/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (4 to 5 limes)
**** I used real key limes rather than lime. They are smaller, more tart, and take longer to make your juice as well as zest- but if you dare, give the real stuff a shot!

For the decoration:

  • 1 cup (1/2 pint) cold heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • Thin lime wedges

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

For the crust, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter in a bowl. Press into a 9-inch pie pan, making sure the sides and the bottom are an even thickness. Bake for 10 minutes. Allow to cool completely.

For the filling, beat the egg yolks and sugar on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment for 5 minutes, until thick. With the mixer on medium speed, add the condensed milk, lime zest, and lime juice. Pour into the baked pie shell and freeze.

For the decoration, beat the heavy cream on high speed in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and vanilla and beat until firm. Spoon or pipe decoratively onto the pie and decorate with lime. Freeze for several hours or overnight

Monday, February 7, 2011

DIPs To Die For

My favorite dip is simple, tangy, spicy, and creamy.  Prep time: 1 minute
It has no name, so if you are in a creative mood feel free to name it.  
Simply take:

1 Jar of Tastefully Simple Sweet PepperJalapeno Jam 
1 small Philly Cream Cheese block, softened
Pour the Jam on top of the cream cheese and serve with a multi grain cracker


Absolutely the best flavor, very addicting.
(I could eat this all night long!)
What is your favorite dip?  

(Use the comment section below to share)