Warm Summer Cake and Peach Blackberry Pie

I promised that I'd post recipes for a yummy cake and pie...so here they are :). The first recipe is for a Lowfat Warm Summer Cake. I was in the mood for a fresh and summery cake last weekend, so I opened up the refrigerator to see if anything in there would cry out to me, in fear of going to waste and getting thrown in the trash. I noticed that we still had quite a bit of orange juice left over, and it was already a week old, so I thought I should definitely include it in the cake. I've learned that a great way to make a cake moist and rich without using butter is by adding some kind of flavorful juice. We also had a huge lemon that was lonely sitting next to a bunch of bananas and a handful of kiwis, so I had to add him to the recipe as well. The only fatty ingredient in this light cake is the one egg I used. There isn't even a teaspoon of oil in this cake! Now, if only I could have that kind of success with every baked good! It seems it's easier to make some desserts healthier than others. (You'll notice, after eating one piece of the cake, my husband and I decided it wasn't enough, so we just picked up a fork and helped ourselves to a little more :)

I'd like to note that the pecans on the cake are Texan grown, we picked them ourselves!



The pie recipe I've posted is also packed with fruit, it contains blackberries and peaches. This is a recipe I found on Key Ingredient. The recipe calls for fresh ginger, but I didn't have any, so I added ginger powder instead :). Thankfully, it still tasted yummy, but I think the juicy peaches and ripe blackberries had something to do with that :). I was really pleased with this pie recipe. This is another dessert that's perfect for summer; the ginger really adds flavor, making this a pie that's far from plain. Plus, peaches are on sale right now! It's hard to say no to a dessert that's tasty, affordable to bake, and easy to make. (Just throw the peaches in there with the blackberries. They're such pretty fruits, they don't need to be organized in a fancy way!)

TGIF! Now that I've posted this recipe, it's time to relax, at least for the night. Since we only have a few more months left here in Austin, Jose and I plan on visiting a few cool foodie spots around town before we leave. Of course I'll take pictures and feature them on the blog :). This weekend we're going to a very Austiny spot that resembles an old candy store/soda shop, I can't wait! Hopefully the next time I post, I won't come back with cavity #2; I can barely handle the one sweet tooth I already have :)!

P.S. I'd like to say thanks to all of your for leaving so many kind comments on my first Daring Bakers cake :). There were tons of beautiful entries this month! Can't wait to see what they have in store for us next!

Daring Bakers May: Fruity Lemon Orange Opera Cake

So I'm having trouble figuring out if this is truly a dairy free cake! I didn't use any milk products but the cake itself does contain eggs. I checked Wikipedia and it said that the term dairy is usually attributed to milk products, but that eggs sometimes qualify as dairy products too. Please correct me if I'm wrong for calling this cake dairy-free!

This is my first Daring Bakers Challenge/post! This entry is going to be brief (wow! That's a first, Sophie!) but I only have a few minutes to spare before I have to finish getting ready for work :D! Knowing me, I'll probably come back to this post later and add something to it; it seems I just can't publish a short entry! Hehe!

Anyhow, yesterday, when I visited Lemonpi's blog, I noticed she posted her L'Opera cake...I was so worried! Earlier that day I made it a point to check the calendar, because I knew we had to submit this entry on the 28th. So, clearly, when I saw the date on her post and noticed that it said the 28th right below the title, I thought I was losing my mind...then I re-checked my calendar and thought to myself, "Oh! She's in Australia!". Anyhow, she did a wonderful job on her cake. It looks so pretty and elegant, ya'll should really check it out. (Ok... so I swore to myself that I'd never use that word - never ever - after moving from CA to TX, but now that I only have 2 months left in this lovely state, I figured I needed to get it out of my system. So there it is, I've temporarily adopted Texan lingo. I promise, you do not want to hear my sorry Boston accent! Hopefully it won't be that bad 3 years from now, when I've had plenty of time to practice. ;)

As for the cake, I decided to keep it simple and somewhat healthy. I didn't add the chocolate (including it was optional) and I decided to make a lemony/orange glaze that pretty much disappreared after I topped the cake with it (btw, this cake is also somewhat lowfat and dairy-free; I'm signed-up as an alternative Daring Baker b/c of the absent gallbladder *:). I added a few kiwi slices to give it some color...and that's pretty much it. Looking at it, I bet you'd never guess it took me about 3 hours to put this little cake together, but it did! It was a fun process, though, and I learned so much. For instance, it never occured to me to use Almond meal instead of all-purpose flour! It gave the cake a better taste, I think, and even a heartier texture. Initially, like many others, I was a bit intimidated at the thought of putting together a cake that literally had pages and pages of instructions...but once I made an outline (I really did :), it wasn't that bad!

As you can see, this post is already getting lengthy...so I should probably leave well enough alone and get ready for work (thank goodness I work at a company centered around food, at least I'll have a good excuse if I'm late)! Hope you all have a wonderful day! Make sure to squeeze in some baking time!



*I forgot to note that I didn't add white chocolate because it contains milk solids :). I also used Earth Balance vegan butter and shortening (for the buttercream frosting) to make this cake: http://www.earthbalance.net/product.html

Sweet and Savory Empanadas

Thank goodness we get an extra day off this week! You know where I'll be spending it...in the kitchen :)! Especially now that I'll be working twice as much as I used to during the week. Yay! No complaints here, though, I look forward to a busier work schedule. I love the feeling of having my hands full -- especially when they're full of dough! Even though I'll be working more, I still plan on keeping up with this blog. No excuses, I promise! Later on this week, I'll post a couple of pie recipes (and even a tasty summer cake recipe) because there's always time for baking and blogging, right?! Yes. I won't even let the 95 degree weather stop me from baking; I'll sweat my way through one dessert recipe after another while the AC is off any day! I can't decide if that makes me a dedicated baker or just plain crazy... :)


On to the post! Earlier this week, Mansi from Fun and Food invited me to join in on the Monthly Mingle event. I thought it sounded like fun, especially since I'd never put together an actual appetizer before, so I told her I'd like to do it...then, earlier today, I thought I could combine the Monthly Mingle appetizer with my Traveling the World One Plate at a Time recipe. To come up with ideas, Jose and I flipped through a few of the many half-read foodie magazines stacked up near my desk. Jose came up with a great idea after reading an inspiring recipe -- why not make empanadas, little ones? So that's what we did. I wanted to make a savory version...and because my sweet tooth has a bigger mouth than I do, I couldn't ignore it's unrelenting cry for sugar, so I gave-in and made sweet empanadas too. The savory vegetarian empanadas are stuffed with a variety of hearty ingredients (like tomatoes and portabella mushrooms), while the sweet empanadas are filled with sweet potatoes and warm spices (like cinnamon and cloves).

This is how they should be stuffed, except this one is really loaded! :)

I was inspired by Chef Jim Moffat's empanada dough recipe; as for the filling -- I decided to get creative with that. You'll find the recipe for both the sweet and savory empanadas below. Please note that there was quite a bit of filling leftover from each recipe. So, tomorrow, I plan on using the savory ingredients to make omelets for breakfast...and I might just bake up something using the mashed sweet potatoes :). The spiced sweet potatoes can be eaten on their own, though, they're so good!

Double Chocolate Razzcherry Cheesecake Cupcakes

I made these intense cupcakes yesterday, for the May Cupcake Hero challenge. Preparing everything took awhile, but I have to admit that coming up with this recipe took even longer! I wanted the cupcakes to have flavor and bite, so I filled the dense, chocolatey cupcakes with homemade razzcherry sauce (yep, that's what they're really called). I also topped them with a cheesecake-like frosting (I 'drizzled' even more sauce on afterward, because the bunny needed something soft and gooey to cushion it from the hearty frosting!).

The frosting itself contains roughly broken up pieces of bunny grahams and rehydrated tart cherries. I thought of pureeing all these ingredients together to make a smooth, rich buttercream/cream cheese frosting, but, instead, I decided to leave it chunky and thick. So it seems the frosting is a dessert in itself :) -- especially in these cupcakes, where it's 50% of the actual dessert :). I have to admit, I made more frosting than expected, but I didn't want to waste...so I used a cookie dough scooper to top the cupcakes with a generous serving of frosting. Make sure you follow all of the instructions on the recipe card below. Don't overlook the last step, where you're asked to devour the cupakes then BRUSH your teeth; these sweet and decadent cupucakes are cavity-causing ;)!

Traveling the World One Plate at a Time: Karahi Chicken with Mint and Dessert!

I didn't get the chance to cook this meal last weekend, so I made it a point to make it today. Thankfully, it only took a little less than an hour to prepare and cook, which is great for a lazy Sunday evening. I feel like I need a weekend for my weekend!

Friday night, Jose and I saw the second Narnia movie at Alamo Drafthouse; it's definitely a place you should check out if you're not from around here. They serve pretty good food and even feature a special menu for some movies; Turkish Delight was on the menu for Prince Caspian :)! Of course, we ordered some. On Saturday we checked out IKEA. Jose and I think it might be best to purchase boxed, unassembled furniture instead of driving to Cambridge with a bunch of bulky furniture that can't be taken apart. (We're trying to figure out the best and cheapest way to move to Cambridge from Austin...any ideas? We did the numbers. Paying a moving company would be too expensive; if we flew there, we'd still need to figure out a way to move our stuff. So it seems driving to Cambridge in a large van with our stuff is the best idea, at least this weekend it is :)...we only have 2 more months to figure it out, though! Oh, but I can't wait :)!) As for today, we cleaned the apartment, sold a few of our many books to the folks at Half-Price, and went shopping for pants and shoes. So, as you can see, or read, it was a very busy weekend and I didn't have much time to cook dinner. Now I'm starting to feel myself catching Jose's cold; it seems my body always gets sick when I take the time to relax and slow down!

At least I got to squeeze in a bunch of baking last week. I was craving a healthy dessert earlier, so I made an apple and carrot cake that's moist, cinnamony, and milk-free. I made a blueberry peach pie too, but I'll post that recipe little later :).

Hearty Breakfast Pumpkin Muffins

I've been pretty busy lately, which is why I didn't post this weekend! Between traveling for Mother's Day, mailing off gifts, and baking various treats, I haven't had much time to blog. So before I begin this next entry, I'd like to thank Camilla from Enlightened Baking and Lina from My Life is Yummy for the blogger awards they gave Flour Arrangements -- thank you both for your kindness :) (I've posted the awards on the "About" page :). I look forward to passing these along to other bloggers some time in the near future!

Speaking of showing thanks, just yesterday we took the time to show our mothers and mother-figures how much we appreciate them. I don't know about you, but I tend to run out of ideas when it comes to thinking of the perfect homemade and one-of-a-kind Mother's Day gift (I prefer to make gifts for special days like these). It usually takes me awhile to come up with an original and thoughtful gift that somewhat captures my love and respect for the receiver of that gift. Most of the time, I make cards, but this year I thought I'd do something a little different...why not make up a recipe? Well, sadly, I wasn't able to do this for everyone, I still need quite a bit more baking experience, but I was able to do it for my mom. I created a Hearty Breakfast Pumpkin Muffin recipe in her name, making sure to use ingredients that she'd like. For instance, my mom is not a fan of bleached flour, so I used multigrain flour :). Thankfully, she really liked the muffins!

I've decided that I plan on giving baked goods away as gifts more often. I know I'm obviously not the first to realize that it's a great idea -- just think of how the stereotypically dreaded holiday fruitcake came about ;). But...I do think it's a great way to show someone you care, especially if you use their favorite ingredients :D. Plus, you don't have to worry about it becoming another white elephant gift :P!

I bet you're thinking the muffins are topped with crushed nuts of some sort! Nope! Jose recently introduced me to steel cut oats, they're much healthier than the quick rolled oats we normally eat for breakfast. Why? Rolled oats are more processed than steel cut oats, they undergo a change that makes them easier to cook. If you're allergic to nuts, steel cut oats are a great baking alternative. Topping these breakfast muffins with steel cut oats gave them a crunchy texture that's similar to that of crushed nuts. Try them out, they even have better flavor than rolled oats! You can read more about them here. You'll find the recipe for the oversized muffins below, they're huge but tasty :)!

Dairy Free Sticky Toffee Pudding Cupcakes with Kahlua Almond Ice Cream and Caramel/Cream Cheese Sauce or "frosting"

Wow...that's a long title for cupcakes that took an even longer time to make ;)! I enjoyed coming up with this fun recipe for ice cream cupcakes. It was kind of exciting trying to figure out how I'd convert a sticky toffee pudding recipe into a sticky toffee pudding cupcake recipe. Initially, I was a little worried that the cupcakes would come out a bit gooey, but with some recipe-improvising, I was able to figure out a way to give the gooey pudding a cupcakey texture. I used one less egg and substituted the butter with canola oil.

The tricky thing about making these cupcakes was the dairy free part...so when it came time to make the 'caramel cream cheese frosting', I ran into a few problems that led to unexpected discoveries! Normally I'd use heavy cream to make caramel sauce, but this time I used soy creamer. I was hoping it'd be a tad bit thicker than soy milk, and possibly serve as a nice alternative to heavy cream, but I was wrong. The soy creamer pretty much dissolved as soon as it hit the caramel colored, burnt sugar; it's almost like it took on the form of water. Strange. Anyone have any tips on how to make dairy free caramel? I could sure use 'em!

On to the unexpected discoveries... Since the caramel sauce was watery, I decided it'd have a richer taste if it was combined with something like tofutti cream cheese frosting (I've made caramel sauce in the past, but for some reason, it really wasn't working out for me this time -- I had to re-do it 3 times!). I also had some issues with the tofutti cream cheese frosting (probably because I've never made any kind of cream cheese frosting before ;) -- it turned out a little on the watery side, but all was not lost! The end result was a lightly flavored, creamy and syrupy caramel sauce that nicely complemented the rich pudding-based cupcakes and crunchy soy ice cream.

Next time I make these cupcakes, I'd like to make the soy ice cream. I don't have an ice cream maker at the moment, so I wasn't able to do it this time around. I do think I experimented enough with the cupcakes and topping, though. But I wonder how the ice cream would've turned out if I tried making that dairy free?!

I'd now like to take the time to applaud each and every talented dairy-free baker/blogger who effortlessly creates delicious treats...how do you all do it?!

I had so many of these cupcakes, and I knew my husband and I wouldn't be able to finish even half of the batch, so I thought I'd have him take another version of them to work. I knew it'd be too messy to transport the cupcakes with an entire scoop of ice cream on top, so I packed them up in a container and covered them in the caramel cream cheese sauce, instead. I then used a teaspoon to scoop a tiny serving of ice cream on top of the saucy frosting. To give them a somewhat cute look, I threw an almond on top of the dab of ice cream. They ended up resembling a big sticky mess by the time his coworkers got to them, but I love sharing baked goods with folks. Who doesn't love getting an unexpected treat at work -- doesn't it make the day go by a little faster :)? Below is a picture of the cupcakes Jose took to work, version 2 of the sticky toffee pudding cupcakes.

Saka-Mushi (Japanese style veggie and salmon packets)

So last night I got around to making Saka-Mushi, a delicious and healthy Japanese meal that consists of fresh fish and a hearty serving of colorful vegetables. Jose and I both enjoyed the fact that this dish was simple but flavorful; it was also nice that we didn't have much to clean up after consuming every last bite! The original recipe called for only 5 ounces of salmon, but we used 8...and the original recipe also said that it would yield enough food for 4...but, between just the two of us, we ate it all! That just goes to show how tasty this meal was. I'm not a huge salmon fan, the fishiness is usually too much for me, but the flavor was a bit milder this time around; I think the sake/soy sauce marinade had something to do with it!

Anyhow, if you're tired after a long day at work, but don't feel like paying the closest fast-food joint a visit, then this is the recipe for you. The only thing you really have to do is chop a few ingredients and roll them up in a piece of foil, you don't even have to dirty many dishes! As Guy Fiere from Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives says when he's come across a tasty meal: Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! (Ooh, how I'd love to own a fun diner similar to the ones he visits; except it'd have to be pink, of course ;). Don't all the meals featured on that show look incredibly mouthwatering?!)

Tomorrow I'm making the ice cream cupcakes! I'm so excited! I'm thinking of using a very fun ingredient for these frozen treats. I'll give you a tiny hint as to what I'll be using: What makes a warm winter drink taste even better? :)

Oooh...I bet you're thinking I forgot to post the recipe! Nope, you'll find the instructions and ingredients posted in the digital recipe card below :)!

Pineapple Rightside uP Cake!

Usually I don't post two days in a row, but I'm really excited about this delicious cake! Oh, I know I'm supposed to blog about some fabulous ethnic recipe today, but I want this blog to accurately represent who I am! I'm usually all over the place; sporadic in a somewhat organized way :). For instance, when I walk into my kitchen, my world temporarily gets turned upside down, not because I end up with disasters (though sometimes that is the case!) but because my kitchen temporarily transforms into a place resembling a mad scientist's lab. I'm even able to pull off the look! So, while sporting raggedy PJs, pink hello kitty socks for good luck, and a disheveled hairstyle with flyaways in all the right places, I begin my cake baking adventure.

I call this a Pineapple Righside uP Cake because I think the name accurately captures what went on this morning; my kitchen was turned upside down, so the cake came out rightside up! (And my cake just so happened to come out with a bald spot on the bottom because I didn't spray the pan enough...but noone has to know! ;) Heather from Sweet Sins 2 Share inspired me to create this recipe. Her cake came out moist and mouthwatering, and ever since I laid eyes on the pineapple upside down cake she posted on her blog, I've had an overwhelming craving for a slice! I have to admit, Heather's cake is much healthier than mine. I was feeling rebelliously unhealthy when I put my recipe together, but I felt bad afterwards so I made a fat-free glaze!

(I couldn't decide which pic I liked better, so I posted both :P)

This cake was so fun and easy to make! It's flavorful and, thankfully, quite moist too. Here are the ingredients I used to bake the cake that my hubby referred to as Spec-Tac-Uuuularrr (that's exactly how he said it ;). I'm quite critical of my baked goods, but I have to say, this is one of the tastiest pineapple desserts I've had to date. It's not the least bit dry and it's quite pineappley. Of course, my grandma's version really does take the cake ;)!

Pineapple Rightside uP Cake
2 heaping cups cake flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup canola oil
1/2 cup half & half
1 1/3 cup sugar
8 oz can crushed pineapple, pureed w/ a hand blender
1 egg
Zest from 1 large orange

First I mixed the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and baking soda in a large bowl
Then I added in the canola oil, egg, orange zest, and half and half
I pureed the crushed pineapple with a hand blender
Then I mixed all the ingredients together with a hand mixer
I baked the cake in a square 9 inch pan
Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes

Glaze/Topping
1 8 oz can pineapple slices
Juice from the above 8 oz can of sliced pineapples
1 1/2 - 2 cups powdered sugar
1 TBSP corn starch
2 TBSP marachino cherry juice
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
a handful of marachino cherries
a handful of macadamia nuts


Initially, I mixed everything together (with a hand mixer) aside from the cherry juice in a medium sized bowl
I used half of the glaze to cover the cake
I used the pineapples, cherries, and macadamia nuts to create a flower on the cake
Then, I added the marachino cherry juice to the bowl with the glaze
As I served the cake slices, I covered them in a little more of the cherry/pineapple juice glaze

(...later this week, I will blog about my Traveling the World One Plate at A Time recipe, the post will be about a fresh Japanese dish called Saka-Muchi!)

Ice Cream Cupcakes and The Doughboy Diaries Part II

This month, Stef from Cupcake Project is hosting an Ice Cream Cupcake Roundup with Scoopalicious. Yum! I plan on using a dairy-free ice cream, I'm still not sure if I should use soy or rice ice cream...and I still haven't figured out where to get ahold of some oatscreme! Whatever I decide to do, I have a feeling that these cupcakes will be delicious...even if I manage to mess them up somehow, I'm sure a cupcake topped with ice cream AND frosting will taste heavenly -- so long as meatloaf isn't a part of the mix :)!

Speaking of dairy-free ice cream, we've got a treat for you...it's part two of The Doughboy Diaries! My husband puts these short 'stories' together as I sit back and laugh myself to tears while I read each witty line over his shoulder. Being married to someone with a sense of humor and a big heart gives me a warm, gooey feeling inside that not even éclairs can experience!

So here's part II, enjoy! (And if you'd like to read part I...click here)

As the economy slows, the cost of food rises, and gasoline prices reach unheard of levels, the Pillsbury Doughboy continues to suffer with his much-publicized financial hardship. An amateur photo journalist shot this footage of Doughboy working a part-time job as a cupcake taster -- vegan cupcakes to be exact. Some sources have speculated that throughout his career, Doughboy may have suffered from a severe lactose intolerance, which he’s been forced to hide from his adoring fans out of a fear that it might compromise his position as a spokesperson for delectable milk and butter based morsels. It may just be that all those ‘hoo hoo’s’ weren’t innocent exclamations of joy, but cries for help from a bloated, ashamed little fella. He was too afraid to tell the world that over all the biscuits, cookies, and cinnamon rolls, he’d really just prefer a vegan cupcake.

These are the first Cupcakes I made from Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World. They were delicious, apart from the fact that I forgot the include the SUGAR! Sheesh! It's so funny, I was actually making it a point to pay attention to every little step in the instructions, because I wanted to see if their lowfat vanilla cupcakes have that perfect cupcakey texture I've been looking for in a recipe. (This reminds me of the many times I make it a point to put my keys in an easy-to-locate spot in my purse, but then, later, I spend even more time looking for them than I do when I just throw them into my mary poppin's-like bottomless bag!) Never a dull moment! And guess what...at the last minute I thought I'd come up with a simple but light frosting; I threw a few ingredients together, like cinnamon, pumpkin spice, vanilla soymilk, a tad bit of butter and, to my surprise, it was yummy! I didn't even notice that the cupcakes were missing sugar! Funny how this turned into a happy accident. From now on, I think I might just start using less sugar in any cupcakes I put together; the frosting provides enough sweetness for me :).