Pumpkin Bundt Cake

Here is one of my first attempts at using Splenda in baking!  I adapted this recipe from a version in Gourmet, which has buttermilk icing.  I would make cream cheese frosting for this or simply dust with a little powdered sugar before serving.


1 1/2 sticks butter, room temp
1 c Splenda granules - measures 1 for 1 when replacing sugar
1/4c sugar
1 Tbsp (dark) molasses
2 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/4c canned pumpkin (not quite an entire 15oz can)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp allspice
2 1/4c flour
3/4 c buttermilk - I use powdered Saco buttermilk and follow the directions for mixing up the needed amount
Optional: generous 1/2c diced candied ginger

Preheat the oven to 350 and grease and flour a bundt pan; alternatively, use Pam for Baking which is the grease and flour in one, so much easier!

Cream the butter; add the Splenda and sugar, scraping down the sides while mixing well.  Add the molasses, vanilla and eggs; mix.  At this point it may look curdled, but fret not! It will all work out. Add the pumpkin, baking powder and soda, salt, cinnamon and allspice.  Combine well.  Add half the buttermilk, mix; add all the flour, mix; add the last of the buttermilk and combine.  Remove the beater(s) and using a rubber spatula, make sure you have gotten all the butter off the bottom and sides of the bowl.  Stir in the diced ginger by hand if adding.

Spoon mixture into prepared pan, smooth the top and bake 40-50min, until toothpick inserted comes out clean.  From what I have read, baked goods cook faster when make with Splenda, so be diligent.

I think this would be lovely with some chopped pecans added to the batter, or grated orange zest, possibly even some butterscotch chips...

Sour Cream Blueberry Cake

   So moist and tender!  The farmers' market is brimming with fresh blueberries this time of year, but this can easily be made with frozen blueberries.  Substitute raspberries or blackberries, or do a mix of all three - Triple Berry Sour Cream Cake.  I would not use strawberries as they can be watery.  This is a great do-ahead breakfast that allows overnight guests to serve themselves.

2 sticks butter, room temp
3 cups sugar
6 egg yolks
4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks
1 cup sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking soda
3 cups flour
2 cups blueberries, raspberries, blackberries or in combination

Turn oven on to 350. Liberally grease ( I use Pam for Baking) a 10 cup bundt pan or tube pan.  In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter.  Add the sugar, scraping down the sides.  Add the egg yolks one at a time, scraping down the sides.  In a bowl, combine the sour cream, vanilla and baking soda.  Add the sour cream mixture alternating with the flour mixture: flour, cream, flour, cream, flour.  The batter will be heavy and slightly grainy looking.  By hand, fold in the beaten egg whites in two additions.  The batter will be shiny and much lighter.  Gently fold in the berries.  Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.  The top will get a "puffed crust" that is sooo hard not to nibble off while the cake cools.  Allow to cool in pan for an hour, then invert onto a wire rack to finish cooling.  Depending on how big you slice it, you can get up to 24 pieces.  My family gets about 16!

Key Lime Curd Mousse

You can make this with any fresh citrus juice.  Make sure you zest the citrus before squeezing the juice out. This is an easy do ahead dessert for entertaining.  You can layer the curd with cookie crumbs or any of the other add ins listed below, and the whipped cream to make parfaits that your guests will love!

For the curd:
1 cup sugar
1 Tbsp zest
3/4 cup fresh squeezed citrus juice
1/2 stick butter, cut into pieces
2 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten in a separate bowl

For the mousse:
1/2 cup heavy cream  +  2 Tbsp sugar  beaten to semi-stiff peaks
     OR

1/2 tub coolwhip
 


In a double boiler (I use a stainless steel bowl over a saucepan with a little water - do NOT let the bowl touch the water) over medium high heat, place the sugar, zest, juice and butter.  Cook until butter melts.  Temper the eggs by adding a few tablespoons of the hot juice to the eggs, whisking constantly.  Add a few more tablespoons hot juice, whisking, then pour the eggs into the double boiler.  Whisk vigorously so the eggs don't scramble.  Continue whisking at a slower pace until the mixture thickens and becomes very glossy.  Pour the hot curd into a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap touching the surface so a skin doesn't form, and refrigerate until cold, at least 4 hours.  When the curd is cold, fold in the whipped cream (or coolwhip) just until incorporated.  A few swirls of curd are OK and look neat when dished up.

Serve as is, or with crushed cookie crumbs, toasted coconut, chopped toasted macadamia nuts, candied citrus zest, fresh fruit or berries, or anything else you think would be delicious!

Banana Cupcakes with PB Frosting

This is a great recipe for using up that one extra banana that goes mushy before you can eat it.  In fact, the mushier the banana, the better taste in these cupcakes!  The frosting is AMAZING and can be used on lots of other cupcake bases - use your imagination :)

For 15-16 cupcakes:

6 Tbsp butter, room temp

1 1/4 c sugar

1 large very ripe banana

3 eggs

1/2 c buttermilk - I use Saco powdered buttermilk, which would be 2 Tbsp powder and 1/2c water

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/4 c flour ( + 1 or 2 Tbsp if your batter seems thin)

2 tsp. baking powder

pinch of salt

PB Frosting:

4 Tbsp butter, room temp

4 oz cream cheese, room temp

2 - 3 c powdered sugar

1/2 - 3/4 c smooth peanut butter

Preheat the oven to 350, and line 15-16 baking cups with liners.  Give each liner a spritz of Pam to ensure that the cakes don't stick.  

In the bowl of a mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add the banana and mix to break up.  Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the sugar up in between eggs.  Add the buttermilk and vanilla and combine.  Mix in the baking powder and salt, then add the flour in 2 additions, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl in between.  If the batter seems thin, add 1 or 2 Tbsp flour.  Fill the pans 3/4 full and bake for 18 - 22 min.  They are done when no batter sticks to a toothpick inserted in the middle.  Let cool for a few minutes in the pan, then move to a wire rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting:  in the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter until creamy.  Add the cream cheese and combine.  On low, beat in 2 cups powdered sugar.  Taste and check consistency.  If not sweet enough or if not thick enough, beat in another 1/2 cup or more of powdered sugar.  Finally, mix in the peanut butter and taste.  You can always add more PB :)    Either spread or pipe lots of frosting onto each cupcake when cool.  I store the cakes in a container on the counter and the frosting in the fridge, then frost each cupcake as I need to.

Almond Joy Filling

So, the husband bought a mini German Chocolate cake from Wegman's and of course I can't eat any of it since it is filled with carbs.  The coconut filling looked so good, I decided to come up with my own version!  I found that just a spoonful satisfies my craving, and leaves me with enough for the week.

For the Almond Joy Filling:
1 c Ricotta cheese - I use the low fat Sorrento and I think that FF would work too
1/4 c chopped pecans
1/4 c shredded coconut
1 tsp coconut extract
1/4 c Splenda
possibly a splash of dairy

In a dry skillet, heat the pecans and coconut over medium high heat.  You want to the coconut to turn a nice toasty brown, but not burn.  Stir almost constantly and as soon as it is a nice light brown, turn the heat off and pour onto a plate or into a bowl so it doesn't keep cooking.  Place the ricotta cheese in a food processor and whir for 30 sec.  Add the Splenda and extract and whir again to that you have a smooth creamy filling.  You might need to add a splash of dairy, depending on how wet the ricotta is.  Add the toasted pecans and coconut and give a few quick pulses just to combine.  Taste and try not to eat all of it right out the bowl!

Cheesecake Mousse

The easiest dessert! So fluffy and smooth.  You can easily add ingredients to make different flavors too.

1 pkg Instant Jello Sugar free, Fat free Cheesecake pudding
2 cups cold skim milk
1 container thawed FF Cool Whip

In a large bowl, whisk pudding and milk until thick.  Whisk or fold in the thawed cool whip.  For fancy serving, spoon into individual serving dishes.

Variations:  Use a different flavor of pudding mix.  Add lemon, lime or orange zest.  Substitute 1/4c of the milk with 1/4c Kahlua or Bailey's, then serve with chocolate shaving on top.  Dollop chilled mouse over berries and drizzle with ice wine.  Spread into a crumb style pie crust and freeze.

Comment with what deliciousness you came up please!

Turtle Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce

This is sooo not a Dukan diet recipe.  I made this for a Syracuse basketball game day fiesta and it was incredible.  Many asked if it was a brownie base.  The caramel sauce is the clincher!

For the bread pudding:
1 loaf of ciabatta or other crusty bread
8 egg yolks
1 cup sugar
4 cups milk
12oz dark chocolate, chopped into small bits if using a bar - I used Hershey's Special Dark morsels
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
butter, for greasing the pan

For the caramel sauce:
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 Tbsp butter, cut into small pieces

The night before, cut the bread into slices, then into 6-8 cubes per slice.  I like large, thick cubes.  Spread out on a cookie sheet and dry overnight.  When ready to assemble the dish:  heat the milk in a large saucepan until bubbles form on the sides.  Turn off the heat and add the chocolate, stirring to melt and combine.    In a separate bowl, whisk the yolks and sugar together.  While whisking, ladle in a scoop of the hot chocolate milk; whisk to combine and ladle in another scoop, again whisking to combine. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk all together.

Grease a 9x13 glass pan with butter.  Spread the bread cubes out as evenly as possible and scatter with the toasted chopped pecans.  Carefully pour the chocolate egg mixture over the cubes.  Take a large piece of wax paper and use that to gently press down on the bread helping it absorb the milk.  Allow to sit for an hour or two to fully absorb the liquid.    Bake at 350 for 45min - 1 hour, until top is dry and a knife inserted comes out clean.  While cooling, make the sauce.

For the caramel, combine the sugar and water in a clean saucepan and heat over high. Continue heating without stirring until the mixture turn a dark amber brown - about 5-6 minutes.  Pull pan off the heat and add the cream - careful! It might bubble.  Return to a low flame and stir until fully combined.  Remove from heat and whisk in the butter.  Serve warm sauce over the warm pudding.