Chocolate Malt Cake

My love for Paula Deen knows no bounds, esp. after making this cake from her Holiday Baking 2007 magazine.

I'm a big fan of chocolate layer cake, esp. devil's food and this blows anything I've ever had or made prior-- out of the water! It is slap-yourself-silly-delicious!

Chocolate Malt Cake
Makes 1 (9-inch) cake

2 1/4 c. all purpose flour
1 1/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 tspn baking soda
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn salt
1 c. milk
1 c. malted milk powder
1 c. vegetable oil
3 large eggs
1 c. sour cream
1 tspn vanilla extract
Chocolate Malt Icing (recipe follows)
Garnish: malted milk balls (and I used silver dragees to make it more Christmas-y ;) )

• Preheat oven to 350. Butter & flour 3, 9-inch, baking pans.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl, combine milk and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add milk mixture, oil and eggs to flour mixture, beating at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sour cream and vanilla, beating just until combined.
• Pour batter evenly into prepared pans and bake for 20 minutes. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans and let cool completely on racks.
• Ice and garnish w/malted milk balls if desired
  

Chocolate Malt Icing
Makes 4 cups

1 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
3/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1/2 c. malted milk powder
5 c. powdered sugar

• In a large bowl, beat butter and cocoa powder at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy.
• In a small bowl, combine cream and malted milk powder, stirring to dissolve. Add cream mixture to butter mixture, beating at low speed to combine. Gradually beat in powdered sugar until smooth.
  

Lettuce Wraps

Here's one from the archives!
I started making this recipe 3 1/2 years ago when we were newly married and have tweaked it a bit here and there over time. So, here's the fruits of 3.5 years of eating for you!

Lettuce Wraps
1 c. 10 minute brown rice or reg. brown rice cooked in veggie broth
2 tsp olive oil
1 can chopped water chestnuts
1 lb lean ground turkey/chicken
¾ c. sliced scallions
4 Tbsp bottled peanut sauce
2 Tbsp lite soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
12 large whole leaves from 2 heads boston lettuce (A nice head of iceberg will work too)
2 c. thinly sliced cucumber (I grate)
1 c. sliced radishes and shredded carrots
½ c. cilantro sprigs

Garnish: Lime Wedges

1. Cook Rice
2. Prep all veggies
3. Prep Dipping Sauce for Wraps: 3 Tbsp Peanut sauce, 1 Tbsp lite soy sauce, 1 Tbsp lime juice, 1 Tbsp water
4. Heat oil in large pan over medium-high heat. Add turkey, breaking up very small, cook 5-6 minutes.
Add ¼ c. scallions, water chestnuts, 1 Tbsp each peanut sauce & lite soy sauce and the minced garlic. Cook two minutes more, stir in rice, remove from heat.
5. To serve: I usually put the veggies(including lettuce) on fun platters, in oval bowls and serve each person their own bowl of turkey/rice and dipping sauce to make their own wraps with – YUM!

It's that time of year again..........

.........for me to lose my mind and decide to bake for friends and family. After a week of feverish slaving in the kitchen, it looks like Willy Wonka's candy factory blew up in my house. Each nite before bed, my husband and I peel off socks covered in caramel, peppermint and peanut brittle bits. And today I am free! We mailed the last 4 boxes of goodies to family and I am at last at peace.

I really don't know what drives me to such heights of foolishness. But, I guess until I come to my senses, family & friends are able to enjoy the home baked insanity that comes out of my kitchen.

I simplified my packaging this year with assorted ribbon from Michael's, shipping tags bought from Office Depot (hand stamped and written upon) and cellophane bags to contain the goodies. The cello bags were inspired by Ina Garten who used them during a holiday baking episode of Barefoot Contessa. I ordered them from Cello bags- http://cellobags.com/. Cheap, sturdy and convenient, they also provide a modest portion size. And to top it off, they are also an attractive vehicle through which to showcase your goodies. When thinking about the mass quantities of treats everyone would consume throughout the holiday season and how I'm trying to watch my own waistline in anticipation of a trip in March-- the cello bags were the perfect solution so that everyone could have a taste of each, but the chances of overindulging would be next to none.

Here's one of my standby, favorite Christmastime recipes-- Peanut Brittle, courtesy of Gale Gand.


Cinnamon Peanut Brittle
Recipe courtesy Gale Gand

1/2 cup water
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups roasted salted peanuts
1 teaspoon baking soda

Combine the water, sugar, cream of tartar and corn syrup in a medium-size heavy saucepan fitted with a candy thermometer. Bring to a boil over medium heat. After it boils, stir the mixture occasionally. Boil the mixture until it reaches 340 degrees F. The color should be deep golden brown. Remove from the heat and, working quickly, stir in the cinnamon with a wooden spoon. Stir in the butter until melted, then the peanuts and baking soda.

Pour the mixture onto the oiled cookie sheet with sides and spread it out a bit with the back of a wooden spoon, to about 1/4-inch thickness (it may not fill the whole pan). Let harden, uncovered, in a cool place, 30 to 45 minutes. (To wash the saucepan, soak it overnight.)
Using your hands, and wearing cotton or plastic gloves if desired to keep off any fingerprints, break the brittle into pieces. Store in an airtight container.

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars with Streusel Topping

Update 12/2/07-- here's the pic, really nothing much to look at. But after you allow this dessert to set up in the refridgerator, you will not be able to stop eating it! So, don't say I didn't warn you! :)
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These are in the oven baking right now in anticipation of Thursday.
We're having anti-Thanksgiving. Oh, we're thankful all right. Thankful our friends are whipping up a fabulous Italian feast for us!

This recipe is going to be our contribution to the party and a slight nod to the holiday at an otherwise nontraditional dinner. It sounded so decadent, I just had to splurge! I hope it's as good as it sounds! I will report back and have pics by next week (sorry, I know I've been a slacker lately!) If it's by Paula Deen and has 3 sticks of butter and two packages of cream cheese, you KNOW it has to be good! Happy eating, y'all!

Recipe courtesy Paula Deen
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar, plus 2 tablespoons, divided
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Streusel topping, recipe follows
1/2 cup caramel topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a medium bowl, combine flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with a pastry blender until mixture is crumbly. Press evenly into a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan lined with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese with 1/2 cup sugar in an electric mixer at medium speed until smooth. Then add eggs, 1 at a time, and vanilla. Stir to combine. Pour over warm crust.

In a small bowl, stir together chopped apples, remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Spoon evenly over cream cheese mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Streusel topping. Bake 30 minutes, or until filling is set. Drizzle with caramel topping.

Streusel Topping:(I actually mixed this up first),
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.
Yield: approximately 3 cups

Bella's Pumpkin Ribbon Bread

This is a spin off of a Cooking Light recipe just in time for the holidays!

Filling:
8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. sugar
1 tbsp flour
2 egg whites

Bread:
1 cup pumpkin
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 egg
2 egg whites
1 tbsp canola oil
1 2/3 c flour
1 1/4 c sugar
1 tspn baking soda
2 tspn pumpkin pie spice
Dash allspice
Dash cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

For filling, combine first four ingredients; set aside.

In a large bowl, beat pumpkin, applesauce, egg, egg whites and oil.
Combine flour, sugar, baking soda & spices in another bowl.
Add gradually while beating to pumpkin mixture.

Divide 1/2 of batter between 2 loaf pans coated w/cooking spray.
Spread each w/1/2 the filling.
Top each w/remaining 1/2 of batter (1/4 on each).
Bake 40-50 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Chicken Stroganoff

This is one of my newest Fall staples.

Chicken Stroganoff

Stroganoff usually consists of thin slices of beef in a mushroom-sour cream sauce and served over noodles or rice pilaf. This version keeps the classic flavors but uses chicken in place of beef and incorporates sage for a twist. Be sure to use a large skillet(I use a dutch oven) so there's room enough to stir in the noodles at the end.

1 tablespoon butter(I use Smart Balance)
1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 medium)
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh sage
1 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 (8-ounce) package presliced mushrooms
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
1 teaspoon paprika
1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons sherry(I use white wine)
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
5 cups hot cooked wide egg noodles, I use whole grain (about 8 ounces uncooked pasta)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Add sage, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and mushrooms; sauté 5 minutes or until mushrooms begin to brown. Spoon mixture into a large bowl.

Combine 1/4 cup flour and paprika in a shallow dish. Cut each chicken breast half in half lengthwise; cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips. Dredge chicken strips in flour mixture; shake off the excess flour mixture. Heat oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken; sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and the remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Sauté 4 minutes or until chicken is done. Add chicken to mushroom mixture.

Add broth and sherry to pan, scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Reduce heat to medium-low. Place sour cream in a small bowl; sprinkle with 1 tablespoon flour. Stir with a whisk until combined. Stir sour cream mixture and remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt into broth mixture. Stir in chicken mixture; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Add noodles and parsley; stir well to combine.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: about 1 2/3 cups)CALORIES 427 (28% from fat); FAT 13.5g (sat 5.7g,mono 4.7g,poly 1.6g); PROTEIN 28.7g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 96mg; SODIUM 625mg; FIBER 3g; IRON 3.4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 47g Cooking Light, APRIL 2007

The Ultimate Spinach/Artichoke Dip

Party season is right around the corner! And inevitably, this dip gets some major action on the buffet tables. No matter where I take it, people always ask for the recipe. And believe it or not, it's a lower fat alternative to the normal dips, but flavor-wise you'd never know the difference. If you want to use full-fat cream cheese and sour cream, knock yourself out. But, a warning, it might be so crazy delicious you lose your mind!~ :)

http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_30493,00.html

Spinach Artichoke Dip
Recipe courtesy Juan-Carlos Cruz
Show:
Calorie Commando
Episode:
Party Hearty

1 box frozen chopped spinach, thawed (wring dry in a towel or ricer)
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella
8 ounces reduced fat cream cheese, softened
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more as needed
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, plus more as needed
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained
Carrot sticks, celery sticks or baked tortilla strips, for serving (I use lavasch/flatbread crackers)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Squeeze all excess liquid from spinach, place in a food processor with sour cream, Parmesan, 1/2 cup of the mozzarella, the cream cheese, garlic, pepper and hot sauce.

Process until just blended but still slightly lumpy( I add everything and blend until smooth b/c we have texture issues in this house and 'chunky' just does not fly! :) ). Add artichokes and pulse to form a chunky mixture. Place in a 1-quart baking dish. Top with remaining mozzarella. Bake until bubbly, about 30 minutes. Serve with carrot sticks, celery sticks or baked tortilla strips.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per serving
Calories 282
Fat 17 grams
Saturated Fat 11 grams
Carbohydrates 12 grams
Fiber 3 grams