baking

Even Better Chocolate Chip Cookies!

I have revised Po’ Girl’s Chocolate Chip Cookies for the third and probably not last time.  I am still striving for something a little healthier than the original Toll House Recipe but lighter and tastier than my previous recipe posted 5 1/2 years ago.  I cannot believe it has been that long!  This newest revision still has half the sugar of the Toll House but a little more fat than last time.  Using much less flour makes a more tender, light cookie, even with most of it being whole wheat flour.

Place on parchment covered baking sheet by heaping teaspoons and bake at 350° for 7-8 minutes for soft baked, a little longer for darker crispier cookies if you prefer.

Our apartment shuts off the heat completely after May so it was down in the low 40’s out here this morning.  I wanted to heat my apartment up a little so I decided it would be a great time to bake and store some in the freezer for later.  Hot weather prevents me from using the oven all summer.

Daily Prompt: Blame the Dog

Any of you guilty of “blaming the dog” for stuff?  Farting, eating your homework, that missing cookie, etc…?

HUH?!

Don’t forget Queens! Today is International Tiara Day! Wear your crowns proudly! 

Please enjoy the following guilty pleasure if you happen to have one of the vintage Duncan Hines Tiara Dessert pans from the 80’s.  If not I’m sure you can make do with what you have on hand and play it by ear.

You can place the strawberries over a custard or vanilla pudding layer as I did or just top with the strawberries.  Whipped cream can only improve the experience.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: I’d Rather Be Baking

Especially when my apartment’s boiler is not working properly and I wake to freezing, just above zero temps, in my area of Michigan.  My first thought was to turn on my electric oven because it helps to warm the apartment and why not throw in some muffins to bake as well (two birds).

I used the same recipe I posted on a recent post of mine for Sour Cream Coffee Cake.  Click for the recipe.  I baked them at 350° for only 17 minutes in my vintage ecko baking tin.  I did not top these but instead whipped up a spread for them from 4 oz cream cheese and 2 TBs sweet cream butter softened in the microwave but not melted, then stirred in 2 Tb French Vanilla coffee creamer to give it a rich, buttery slightly sweet flavor.  Delicious, but they would have tasted great plain too.  I just happen to be a fan of cream cheese and had some on hand from a sale last week at the local market.

 

I’m still pampering myself and having treats to make up for all the time last year during fall and the entire Holiday Season that I spent ill.  First year I lost weight instead of gaining it for once, to think of it on the positive side.

Daily Prompt: It’s a Fact

I like to bake to calm myself down.

Yesterday’s blog post was very cathartic for me and I was so happy to finally release some of my true feelings into the universe.  Just because someone’s truth is not pleasant does not mean that they should bury it inside feeling shame for things they could not control and did not want.  It’s one thing to harp on things another to finally state the facts.

So last night I wanted to use up the rest of my sour cream before it goes bad and found this great recipe that I divided in half and changed ever so slightly to lower the sugar and sodium content.  It was from my vintage Betty Crocker’s Cookbook that I received as a gift at my wedding shower in 1972.  

The recipe was for Sour Cream Coffee Cake.

This book has been well used through these many years and it shows.  Below is the recipe I prepared because I only wanted one loaf and the recipe above is for two loaves.  I also did not add any additional salt, used low sodium/sodium free baking powder and cake flour instead of all purpose.  If you are using all purpose flour, you only need 1 1/2 cups flour.

To me, less is always more when it comes to ingredients and seasoning.  You have to be careful in baking to have the right fats and leavenings with your binding ingredients but you can play around with recipes to get desired flavor or results.  No recipe is carved in stone so to speak.  Much like the recipe below is not exactly half of the above recipe but it came out great.

When the cake was finished baking in the loaf pan, I microwaved 2 Tbs butter with 1/4 C brown sugar for a few minutes, checking every 30 seconds or so to thicken, then stirred in about 1/2 cup pecan halves to coat.  When the cake was finished I spread it evenly across the top while it was hot and everything set when it cooled.

 

Pumpkin Bread with Walnuts and Chocolate Chips

I LOVE Autumn for so many reasons but the main one is that it cools down enough to begin baking again!  I’ve been trying to find creative ways to use apples, pumpkin and hard squash without all those excess carbs.  I have managed to cut them way down, eating more fresh fruits and vegetables which has helped me to lose a few pounds even after I stopped dieting on purpose.

Once you alter your diet to a more healthy one, you shouldn’t miss the junk food and I can say when you allow your palate to get used to clean, fresh, good organic sustenance you won’t enjoy garbage anymore.  We were never meant to eat the kinds of man made chemicals that most of the large corporations add to their mock foods to give them a longer shelf life.  I think their foods are going to last longer than us!

Enjoy the following recipe I have doctored from other recipes to have less fat, sugar, sodium and even cholesterol since I reduced the eggs from 3 to only 2 for most of my breads.

 Chocolate Chip & Walnut Pumpkin Bread

3/4 C brown sugar

1/2 C sugar

2 C fresh pumpkin puree (or 15 oz canned pumpkin puree)

3/4 C oil

1/4 C plain nonfat yogurt

1/2 C pumpkin spice flavor creamer

2or3 eggs

 

2 1/2 C Flour (your choice)

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

dash cloves

dash cardamom

1 C chocolate chips

1 C chopped walnuts

Pretty simple if you are familiar with baking.  Combine all the dry ingredients & set aside to add to the wet once they are all combined.  Then fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts, place in a greased Bundt pan or divide for a couple of loaves if you prefer.  Bake at 350° for 45-55 min.  Try not to over bake.

You can also use this batter for muffins
I also love this recipe for Pumpkin soup. I hope to get more creative this year.

Daily Prompt: Relax and Bake On!

Chocolate Chip Cream Cheese Muffins

8 oz cream cheese                   1/4 C milk or cream

2 Tb butter                      1/4 C vanilla creamer

1/4 C sour cream           1 tsp vanilla

1 egg                               1/2 C sugar

2 C flour                          3 tsp baking powder

1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Breakfast Muffins

cupofcoffee

 

Good morning!

This is the day that the Lord has made and I will rejoice and be glad in it!

This recipe might just help you to do that.

Lemon Blueberry Muffins

 

             Dry                                                            Wet

1     C whole wheat flour                               1/4 C sour cream

1     C flour                                                       1/4 C oil

2     tsp baking powder                                    1/4 C milk

1     pinch of salt                                           1/4 C vanilla flav. creamer

1/2 C sugar                                                      3    Tb lemon juice

1   C fresh or frozen blueberries                    2 eggs

Mix the dry together in large bowl and then all the wet together to add to the dry. If you don’t have flavored creamer just change milk to half cup and add 1 tsp vanilla.  You can also use whatever type flours you desire.  I use whole wheat for most of my recipes.

Incorporate all ingredients by hand except blueberries but do not over mix. Before folding in the blueberries, I mix them with a couple of Tbs. of sugar first but this is optional.

Fill all cups at least 3/4 full. Should make more than 12 regular size muffins.  Bake at 350° for approximately 30 minutes.

Mix the dry together in large bowl and then all the wet together to add to the dry. If you don’t have flavored creamer just change milk to half cup and add 1 tsp vanilla.  You can also use whatever type flours you desire.  I use whole wheat for most of my recipes.

Incorporate all ingredients by hand except blueberries but do not over mix. Before folding in the blueberries, I mix them with a couple of Tbs. of sugar first but this is optional.

Fill all cups at least 3/4 full. Should make more than 12 regular size muffins.  Bake at 350° for approximately 30 minutes.

(I apologize for the formatting problem on the recipe.  This is what happened using cut and paste.  Please place any question in the comment section.  Thank you!)

Po’ Girl’s Applesauce Spice Cake

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Po’ Girl’s Applesauce Spice Cake

1/2 C Butter
3/4 C Dark Brown Sugar
1 Egg
1/2 tsp Vanilla

Sift together following dry ingredients:
1 3/4 C Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp Cardamom
1/4 tsp Cloves
1/4 tsp Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ginger

Add:
1 C Applesauce
1/2 to 1 C Raisins, Currents & or Craisins
1 C Chopped Nuts if desired

Slowly cream together the first four ingredients, then add the dry ingredients till well combined. Incorporate the apple sauce and remaining ingredients into the batter and bake in a greased bundt or tube pan at 350° for 45-50 minutes.  Please feel free to adjust the spices as well as adding any of the fruit.  You could try chopped plums, apples or leave the fruit and nuts out altogether and it will still be delicious!