Chocolate Whoppie Pies

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened 1¾ cups sugar 2 eggs 2 cups buttermilk 1 teaspoon vanilla 3 cups flour ¾ cup cocoa 2 teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon baking soda 7 Minute Frosting 1½ cups sugar 2 Tablespoon corn syrup 5 egg whites ¼ teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons vanilla

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl combine butter and sugar and beat. Add eggs and beat again. Add buttermilk and vanilla, and mix again. Add flour, cocoa, soda, and baking powder and mix until just combined. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and scoop 12 cookies onto it. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes and cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing. Minute Frosting Fill the bottom half of a double boiler about half way with water and heat to a boil. Combine sugar, corn syrup, egg whites, and salt in the top pan of a double boiler and beat until just combined (about a 30 seconds to 1 minute). Place on top pan on top of the bottom double boiler filled with the boiling water, making sure that the water is not touching the bottom of the top double boiler. Beat on medium-high speed for 7 minutes while frosting cooks. Frosting should become thickened and have a glossy appearance. Allow frosting to cool. Spread frosting quite thick on a cooled cookie and then place another cookie on top. Enjoy!

Baked Salmon with honey-garlic glaze

Baked Salmon with Honey-Garlic Glaze

Ingredients:

1/2 cup honey 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce 3/4 cup pineapple juice 1 Tablespoon minced garlic 1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger 4 (6-oz.) salmon filets 1 teaspoon cornstarch Chopped scallions, for garnish Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish

Method:

In a medium bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, pineapple juice, garlic and ginger. Place the salmon filets in a large sealable plastic bag then pour in half of the marinade and refrigerate the salmon for a minimum of 15 minutes and up to 6 hours. (Reserve the remaining half of the marinade.)

When you are ready to bake the salmon, preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with foil. Remove the salmon from the fridge, lightly coat the foil with cooking spray and arrange each filet skin side down on the baking sheet. (Discard the marinade in the bag.) Bake the salmon for about 15 minutes or until it’s cooked through. (The cooking time will vary based on the thickness of your salmon filets, but aim for an internal temperature of 145°F.)

While the salmon is baking, pour the reserved half of the marinade into a small saucepan set over medium-high heat. In a small bowl whisk together the cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water. Whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, bring it to a boil, and continue cooking it until it reduces and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Remove the salmon from the oven, transfer each filet to a serving plate and top it with the glaze. Garnish the salmon with chopped scallions and sesame seeds and serve immediately.

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake

Lemon Blueberry Loaf Cake.

Ingredients

For the Loaf:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt 1 cup sugar 3 large eggs 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons) 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pour-able. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Pizza Pinwheels

Pizza Pinwheels.

Ingredients:

1 17.6-ounce package puff pastry, thawed to room temperature ½ cup marinara 3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese ½ pound sliced pepperoni

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400º F. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and set aside. Roll out one sheet of the puff pastry on a floured surface, using a rolling pin to make it slightly larger. Top with half the marinara, half the pepperoni, and 1 cup of the mozzarella. Starting at one of the narrow ends of the rectangle, roll the dough into a tight log, pressing down to seal. Slice into 1-inch pieces and place on the baking sheet, leaving 2 inches between each pinwheel. Repeat with the remaining sheet of puff pastry, marinara, pepperoni, and 1 cup mozzarella to make more pinwheels. Sprinkle each pinwheel with the remaining cheese. Bake the pinwheels until they are golden brown and the puff pastry is cooked through, 18 to 22 minutes. Serve hot.

Fudge Brownies with Cheesecake swirl.

Fudge Brownies with Cheesecake swirl.

Prepare fudge browny mix per instructions on box. Or use the brownie recipe posted earlier.

Beat 8oz of cream cheese until smooth. Add 1/4 cup sugar and mix again until smooth. Add an egg and 1/2 tsp vanilla extract and beat until well incorporated.

Spread the browny mix in a 9x9 pan. Dollup the cream cheese topping evenly, and swirl with the back of a spoon. Don’t over swirl.

Bake at 375F for 35-40 minutes, until cheesecake topping is beginning to turn golden. Enjoy!!

Chicken Meatballs with Hoisin Sauce

Chicken Meatballs with Hoisin Sauce.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce 1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 teaspoon sesame oil 1/4 cup dry bread crumbs 3 tablespoons chopped green onions 3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot 1-1/2 pounds chicken mince

Sauce:

1/4 cup rice vinegar 1/4 cup hoisin sauce 2 tablespoons water 2 tablespoons sesame oil 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon honey 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon minced fresh gingerroot Thinly sliced green onions and sesame seeds for garnish

Method:

In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Crumble chicken mince over mixture and mix well. Shape into scant 1-in. balls. Place in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 20-25 minutes or until meat is no longer pink. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the sauce ingredients; heat through. Serve with meatballs. Garnish with thinly sliced green onions n sesame seeds. Enjoy!!

Watermelon balls in sweet ginger-mint syrup

Watermelon balls in sweet ginger-mint syrup.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons fresh chiffonaded mint leaves and few stems 1 teaspoon roughly chopped fresh ginger 3/4 cup water 2 cups scooped watermelon

Method:

In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar, mint stems, ginger, and water over medium high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Bring to simmer for 2 to 3 minutes then remove from heat. Let the mixture steep 20 minutes before straining through a fine sieve. Chill the syrup. To serve, drizzle the chilled syrup over the watermelon scoops and garnish with fresh mint leaves.