Deep, Dark Chocolate Cake

My son is obsessed with the solar system right now. So for his 4th birthday I made him a solar system cake, complete with black frosting. To go with that, I made this deep, dark chocolate cake from a recipe that I found in Bake Wise by Shirley O. Corriher. I never noticed a single speck of crumb make it into the frosting. It was nice and moist too. I modified it slightly to make it a tiny bit healthier and more suited to its task as a birthday cake.

Deep, Dark Chocolate* Cake

Nonstick cooking spray and parchment paper, cut to fit pan
2 3/4 cups sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup Dutch process cocoa powder (all they sell around here is "natural"cocoa powder)
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup water
1cup canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup cake flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour, next time I'll increase the amount of whole wheat and decrease the cake flour and see if it works)
4 large egg yolks
2 large eggs (I omitted the egg yolks and used a total of 4 large eggs. If you want it more dense and moist, stick with the yolks. I thought it was still plenty moist and may have held up better to the decorating.)
1/4 cup buttermilk (soured milk for me)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Place baking stone in center of oven if you have one.
2. Generously spray cake pan(s). Line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper that has been cut to size. Spray top of parchment paper.
3. In a heavy saucepan, stir together the sugar, salt, cocoa, and baking soda. In another pan, heat water to boiling. Stirring constantly, pour boiling water a little at a time into cocoa mixture, mixing well. Place on heat and bring back to a boil. Turn off heat and allow to stand in pan for at least 10 minutes.
4. Pour cocoa mixture into a mixing bowl. Add the oil and vanilla and beat on low for 10 seconds. On low speed, beat in the flour and then, with minimum of beating, beat in the yolks, eggs, and buttermilk.
 5. Pour batter into prepared pan(s). Place in oven on the stone and bake until the center feels springy to the touch, about 25 minutes for round layers or 35 minutes for a 9x13 sheet cake. Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes on a rack. Run a thin knife around the edge and jar the edge of the pan to loosen. Invert onto the serving platter. Cool completely before icing. (I like to freeze it to make it even easier to de-crumb and frost.)

From here you can go many places. I did a more traditional decorating job on it. You can layer it with ganache, nuts, berries, cream, or whatever you like for a more grown-up version.

*Note that "dark chocolate" here does not refer to your typical antioxidant-rich dark chocolate. Here we are talking about alkalizing (raising pH with baking soda) the cocoa to darken its color for purely cosmetic reasons. This process actually decreases the nutrition of the cocoa somewhat :-(  So if you want a chocolate cake that's even a little bit better for you, I'd look for a different recipe. Or if you're like me and after a point you say to yourself, "It's cake for crying out loud!" then just enjoy it as it is and save the real dark chocolate for another night. After all, how often do I actually eat cake? (Answer: birthdays, so maybe once every couple of months.)

Rosemary

Gooey Delicious Whole Wheat Orange Rolls, updated

UPDATE: I've played with this recipe more since originally posting and have found that the more orange, the better. So below you'll find some additions and increases in the orange ingredients that make these rolls even yummier.

If I were a poet, I would write an ode to my sister Cayenne and dough enhancer. Together, you two have rocked my world.

If you will recall, a while back Cayenne posted a recipe for Gooey Delicious Cinnamon Rolls.
I'm a dietitian, so I've had a great food nerd dream of making them with whole wheat flour. Well I finally picked up some dough enhancer* and my dream has come to fruition. Sort of. I was out of brown sugar, so I made orange rolls instead. SO YUMMY! My husband actually thought I'd bought them somewhere. I want to play around a little more and see if maybe I can use honey instead of granulated sugar, but for now these are delicious just the way they are. They're not low cal or in any way better to eat more of than normal orange or cinnamon rolls, but it's great to know that I can get a couple of servings of whole grains while indulging myself.

Here is the modified recipe, changes are in italics:

Whole Wheat Orange Rolls
1 1/4 oz package active dry yeast (since I'm not sure exactly what that is I throw in about 2 TBS)
1 cup warm milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup margarine (I like butter better) melted (Smart Balance)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 tbsp dough enhancer 
1-2 tbsp orange zest (more never hurts)

Dissolve the yeast in the warm milk in a large bowl. Throw in everything else but the flour and mix it well. Then slowly add the flour and start getting your elbows good and dirty kneading it (this is the best part, get out all those frustrations grrr)

Put the dough into a bowl, cover and let it rise for about an hour or until it is doubled in size. Once it is you can take it out, plop it on a floured surface and roll it out to about a quarter of an inch thick. Melt or soften some butter and spread it all over. Combine 3/4 cup sugar with 2 tbsp or more fresh orange zest then sprinkle on top of butter.

Roll it up and using some handy dandy floss cut it into about 1-2 inch chunks. place them on a pan and let them raise another 1/2 hour or so. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Just until thy are beautifully golden brown. mmmm, making myself hungry!




Now for the BEST part. The icing.

1/4 cup butter or margarine (Smart Balance)
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar or thereabouts
1/4 cup (2 oz) cream cheese (fat free...we bought some by accident and while I usually find it inedible and gross, it was great in the frosting and I will definitely use it again)
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice

Cream together softened butter and cream cheese. Beat in powdered sugar then add orange juice. Should make a nice thick glaze but not a stiff frosting. Once the little beauties are cooled, ice to taste.

*Dough enhancer is a specialty baking product that helps whole wheat flour behave more like white all-purpose flour. It's more than just wheat gluten. It has stabilizers that keep baked goods aloft rather than becoming dense and hard. You can buy dough enhancer or make your own. 

Rosemary

And yes, those are pictures of Cayenne's Cinnamon Rolls. I am terrible at remembering to take pictures.

Strawberry Cake

My baby girl just had her first birthday. I decided to make this cake from scratch, following an EatingWell cupcake recipe. The recipe is definitely healthier than a store-bought cake mix, with whole wheat pastry flour and real fruit and without all of the extra ingredients from a mix. It also tastes pretty darn good. The texture is spongier than a box mix, but more delicate than a muffin. Since I wanted to decorate the cake I used the Wilton buttercream frosting recipe instead of one of the frostings suggested on EatingWell. The frosting isn't healthy, but honestly, it's one of the only things that I EVER use shortening in. So I'm ok with it.

I really liked the cake. Well, at least after it was thawed. I had it frozen for ease of decorating and to preserve it until the party, but forgot to pull it out in time. One hour is not enough time to thaw this cake so it was solid and my husband could barely cut through it. I learned that babies make much less mess with frozen cake. Also, strawberries taste better thawed.

Strawberry Cake
(adapted from the Blueberry Cupcakes recipe that can be located at http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes_menus/recipe_slideshows/easy_healthy_cupcake_recipes)

2 large yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat pastry flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour (I didn't have any so I did the ol' 1 cup minus 2 tbsp a.p. flour trick)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk or soured milk (1 tbsp lemon juice + enough milk to make 1 cup)
2 cups strawberries, 1/2" dice

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease pans and place parchment on bottom of cake pans for ease of removal.
2. Boil potatoes in water until tender, about 8-10 minutes. Drain and mash until smooth. If you have a potato rice, now would be the time to break it out. Measure out 1 1/2 cups and let cool.
3. Whisk whole-wheat pastry flour, cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl.
4. Beat sugar and oil in a large mixing bowl until combined. Beat in egg, vanilla, and potato until combined. Alternately add your dry ingredient mixture and your buttermilk, starting and ending with dry ingredients, scraping down sides as needed, just until combined (don't overmix it!) Gently fold in strawberries.
5. Divide batter between two 8"x8" square pans (or whatever pan your heart desires) and bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted towards the center comes out clean. (Sorry I'm not sure how long this took.  The cupcakes take 22-24 minutes, so I know it's at least 5 minutes longer than that.) Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. Freeze before frosting to reduce crumb issues and to extend shelf life (only keeps 1 day at room temp). Just remember to remove it from the freezer well before you serve it.

Rosemary

Rolls so soft they'll think you bought them

This is the best rolls recipe I've ever run across. They come out so soft. The first time that we had them, my husband was sure that our friend had bought them and not made them as she claimed. Once he was convinced, he had to have the recipe. Now when we make it, people always ask for the recipe. I figure it's time to post it here.  I'll list the basic recipe along with my modifications in parentheses.

Rolls

6-8 cups flour (I used 5 cups whole wheat plus one heaping tbsp of vital wheat gluten; the rest was a.p. flour; once I get some dough enhancer, I'm going to try going 100% whole wheat)
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp yeast
3 eggs or 6 egg whites
1 tbsp salt
1 cup powdered milk
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tbsp melted butter, optional (I skipped it)

Mix together sugar, yeast, salt, powdered milk, and water. Let it sit for 5 minutes.

Add the oil, then the eggs, and gradually add the flour. Knead until smooth.

Let the dough rise for one hour (or until doubled in size; if you let it go too long it will taste yeasty).

Roll out to 1/4 or 3/8" thick and cut into rounds. Dip the rounds in melted butter and fold. (I tore off the right-sized hunks and formed a nice ball by pulling the sides around to the bottom. I skipped the butter altogether.)

Arrange in two 17 x 11 x 2" pans (jelly roll pans).

Let the rolls rise for 45 minutes (or until about doubled in size; again, don't let it go too long or it'll taste yeasty).

Bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

Can also be used for cinnamon or orange rolls.

Rosemary

My New Favorite Muffins: Apple Muffins

I love muffins. They're easy to whip up, easy to play with different flavors, and it's easy for even the littlest of helpers to "help" (as long as you  don't mind losing some of your dry ingredients...I have to remind myself to relax when this happens). Today I was thinking that it was high time for me to whip up a batch, but I was out of my "usual suspects" ingredients like overripe banana and pumpkin puree. Something with applesauce perhaps? A plain old muffin? What to do? Then I checked Facebook and a friend of mine posted a link to her blog and the muffins I never knew that I wanted. It's a nice-looking blog with some great recipes, so check it out when you've got a chance.

Here is a link to her original post:
http://perkinsgoodeats.blogspot.com/2009/09/whole-wheat-apple-muffins.html?spref=fb

And here is my version of the recipe because it would be highly out of character for me to follow a recipe precisely.

Whole Wheat Apple Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup oat flour (the original recipe calls for all-purpose, but oat adds a lovely flavor)
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (use regular whole wheat flour if you don't have pastry, I did)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup ground flax meal (optional)

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk or soured milk (1 tbsp lemon juice or vinegar plus enough milk to make a cup)
2/3 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 unsweetened apple sauce
2 egg whites or 1 whole egg
2 tbsp canola oil

Add-ins:
1 cup finely chopped and peeled apple
1/2 cup sliced almonds

Mix the dry ingredients in one bowl, and mix the wet ingredients in another. Pour wet into dry and and fold in gently, just until evenly moistened. Don't over mix. Add 1 cup finely chopped and peeled apple and sliced almonds and fold in. Pour into 12 regular sized muffin tins that have been sprayed with non-stick spray. Bake at 400 for 20 minutes. Put on wire rack to cool.

Rosemary

Honey Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies

I have a cookie obsession. I admit it openly and honestly...having thus admitted that, I feel the need to insert that I have begun trying to take a more healthy/wholesome spin on my cookie making. One very positive outcome of these attempts was the discovery of this cookie recipe, which was so soft and chewy I loved it as a cookie, but included so many healthy ingredients I justified it as being nearly a granola bar. In short; tasty. Unfortunately I don't remember where I found this recipe so I cannot give full credit where it is due, I am sorry! I think it was out of a Taste of Home cookbook? Perhaps?

Whole Wheat Honey Oatmeal Cookies

1 c butter (softened)
1/2 c molasses
1 1/2 c honey**
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp. milk
2 c whole wheat flower
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
3 c oats (the recipe notes that it is best with "old fashioned" oats...I used quick
oats and it turned out fine)
Whip the butter with the honey and molasses. Add eggs and mix well. Mix in milk and vanilla. Mix in the dry ingredients. Bake for 10-13 minutes at 350.

**If you are using regular honey (vs granulated honey) let the dough stand for 2 hours before baking.

Fun additions: I tried 3 different variations of these cookies and liked all of them! I'll go through them now.

The recipe recommends 2 cups of chocolate chips, and it was good, but not my favorite. I really liked taking some of those wrapped caramels you get at the store and chopping them up and throwing it in with some chopped almonds, and in some of them I put white chocolate chips and in some of them I put regular chocolate chips and in some I only did the caramel and almonds. I think the ones with just caramel and almonds were my favorite. So go crazy! Have fun! Throw in some other things you think will be tasty.

So have your cookie and eat it too!

-Cayenne

Graham Cookies

I picked up a fun little cookbook at a yard sale called, "Make Your Own Groceries". It was published in the late 1970's, but so far almost everything in there is still quite relevant: homemade cleaners, freezer meals, instant oatmeal, and so on. Anyway, I decided to try a recipe for graham crackers to see if we couldn't save a few bucks and have fun while we're at it. The result wasn't really a cracker. Maybe it would have been closer to a cracker if I'd rolled them thinner and cooked them longer. I'm not sure. But the end result that I got from my oven was a wonderful, soft, not-too-sweet, whole wheat cookie. Call it graham if whole wheat makes you think of saw dust. Either way, they're great. You can roll them out and use cookie cutters just like sugar cookies. You could frost them, do whatever you like. I prefer them plain. I just wouldn't call them whole wheat sugar cookies, that might garner suspicion in the less adventurous.

Graham Crackers (cookies)
1 cup graham flour (a type of whole wheat flour you can find at a health foods store or some place with a good assortment of baking products. If you don't have it, just substitute with whole wheat flour like I did.)
1 cup whole wheat flour
8 tbsp (1/2 cup) butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup honey
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 to 3 tbsp warm water

Sift flours into a mixing bowl; thoroughly cut in half the butter before cutting in the rest. Mix in sugar and baking powder; stir in honey, followed by the egg and mix well. Gradually add teaspoons of the water, tossing and mixing well before adding more; stop adding water when the dough is moist enough - but not sticky - to form a ball. Knead on a well-floured surface for 1 minute or until the dough holds together enough to be rolled. Roll to a thickness midway between 1/8 and 1/4 inch then cut into 3-inch squares (I used cookie cutters instead once I decided they were going to be cookies and not crackers). Space the squares slightly apart on an ungreased cookie sheet; prick tops with a fork. Bake at 350°F for about 15 minutes.

Side Note: If you have a food processor, this recipe is super easy. Just do everything in there. Food processors are excellent sifters, pastry cutters, and mixers. A few pulses and you're cherry. I did knead outside of the processor, although I probably didn't have to.

Rosemary

Pumpkin Pancakes and Whole Wheat Pancakes

Nutmeg requested this recipe and I forgot to give it to her. So now I will share it with you all. It's one of my favorites. They're so tasty that they really don't need much adorning. My favorite way to have them is just with apple butter. My husband, we'll call him Basil, is a pancake "purist" and likes it with maple syrup. Nutmeg found they were also good with a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar. I found this on Recipezaar and slightly modified it.

Pumpkin Pancakes

1 cup flour (you can do all-purpose, half whole wheat half all purpose, or all whole wheat)

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (I don't actually have this so I make about half of this amount cinnamon and the rest I make up with whatever pumpkiny spices I have such as nutmeg, allspice, cloves, and ginger. They all give great flavor.)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

1 cup buttermilk (I almost never have this because I would never go through it, so I put 1 tbsp of lemon juice in a measuring cup and then fill it up to a cup with low fat or skim milk.)

1/2 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

2 eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

nonstick cooking spray

1. Whisk together your dry ingredients (first 5) in a bowl and set aside.

2. Whisk together wet ingredients (next 6, yes, in baking sugar is considered a "wet" ingredient).

3. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Mix as little as possible, just until everything is wet. It will still be lumpy and that is OK! Just make sure you don't over mix it because then it will get tough.

4.  Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop batter and drop on griddle. Do not scrape out measuring cup for perfectly portioned, easy-to-flip pancakes. Cook on a griddle, if you have one, at about 250°F, using the nonstick spray as needed. Flip when pancakes are bubbly on top and puffy and dry around the edges. Only flip once!

Whole Wheat Pancakes

I've searched and searched for a good whole wheat pancake recipe that doesn't taste like warm whole wheat flour. I finally found one hiding in my handy-dandy Betty Crocker cookbook. Whodathunk? I adapted the instructions though so I'll go ahead and post it here. I think I improved on it. If you follow their instructions just to beat everything in after you've whipped up the egg, it's probably going to come out tough and then you'll run into the problem of it tasting like sawdust. Anyway, here's my adaptation of these delicious and filling pancakes:

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 large egg

3/4 cup milk (a little more for thinner pancakes, which I like so I added a couple tbsp more)

1 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tbsp vegetable or canola oil

butter or nonstick spray

1. Whisk dry (first 3) ingredients together in one bowl, set aside.

2. Beat egg in another bowl. Add milk, sugar, and oil, mixing well.

3. Make a well in dry ingredients and pour in wet ingredients. Mix as little as possible, just until everything is wet. It will still be lumpy and that is OK! Just make sure you don't over mix it because then it will get tough. (I repeated these VERY IMPORTANT instructions in case you missed them the first time.)

4. Using a 1/3 cup measuring cup, scoop batter and drop on griddle. Do not scrape out measuring cup for perfectly portioned, easy-to-flip pancakes. Cook on a griddle, if you have one, at about 250°F, using the nonstick spray or butter as needed. Flip when pancakes are bubbly on top and puffy and dry around the edges. Only flip once! (Hey, I repeated this one too. This time because I'm lazy.)

Happy breakfast!

Rosemary