Vegies For Dessert....

This week has certainly had it's memorable
moments in baking....
just like the title of this old book cover.

So did you miss me? Life has been a handful this past week, I shall not go into details, but let's just say it has been often recently that I have wanted to hide under the covers and stay there!! I know we all have those weeks. I decided to just not push myself. So that would be why there has not been a weekly post as of late. Plus technology has not been my friend. But, moving on, this week is not a life post, it is a baking post. I have both a new recipe for you as well as a take THREE on one that I have shared with you in the past. Let's get started!

So as the title suggests, we are having our vegies for dessert! The first is a recipe that the main ingredient is tomato soup! Now many times I have seen tomato soup used in chocolate cake recipes, but never as the main ingredient as it is in this case! I had my reservations as did my family, but I was determined to give it a whirl. You know what, it was not bad, in fact I rater liked it. I made a few tweaks, but nothing major and nothing that would change anything taste wise. I will go over those in a bit. 

I will not bore you with all the prep photos. I am sure you can imagine what they look like, so instead I will go over a few things. The first, it says to cream butter and sugar, then it does not tell you what to do with it and when. I guessed that you add it in when combining all the wet and dry. Then it says to sit the flour and THEN measure it. So I sifted two cups of all purpose, not cake flour, and then I added all the dry ingredients, sifted again, so a total of four times!!! Now it mentions adding soda, but not if it was soda pop, or baking soda, so I took a chance and well I added both, I used soda water in with the soup, it did not change a thing, and I used baking soda in the dry ingredients. I then added the dry and wet as instructed in with the never mentioned again butter and sugar mix. It was a VERY thick muffin type batter, so there was no "pouring" into the loaf pan. I could see this being in individual muffins, even tho it said the loaf pan was "VERY" important.  I will say it took my oven 55 minutes to bake and it peaked like a bread loaf, so maybe it was supposed to be liquid soda?? I did exactly as said with the frosting, but found myself needing to add extra dry coco, thinking baking chocolate squares I used was not the same equivalent to those in the recipe...but we adapted and frosting came out perfect. 

So how did it taste? It was very dense like a good vegie bread, but very moist and well, it actually was really tasty!! it just tasted like a spice cake with chocolate frosting.  Changes? Well I would add a bit of spice to the frosting and actually it could be skipped and a light glaze used or even a crumb or raw sugar topping and be just fine. In fact next time I think I will make muffins and skip the frosting. Sol I mark this Ruby's Musings Approved! 

On to the next thing. Potato Candy! YES! I tried it a third time. If you have not read about my last two attempts, go to the web version of my blog and in the side bar there is a Recipes label and you can read all about it in the post(s) under there. This time I had success!!! Changes, I used a Yukon Gold potato, just one, the size of my hand. I microwaved it,  tho you could bake it. No boiling this time. I skinned it and mashed with butter and a bit of vanilla....not much of either...maybe 2 tbsp of butter and a splash of vanilla. I then put in a load of powder sugar until I got a dough. Tip....make sure that potato mash is super smooth! I then was able to roll it out on wax paper , and actually used my hands to shape it...be sure to dust your hands and paper with more powdered sugar. I spread the smooth peanut butter on it....I used a thin smear, but next time I would do it twice as thick. I rolled it into a log and shaped it within the paper and then popped it into the fridge to firm up so I could slice it. 

I would have rolled out thinner and made the PB
layer thicker...

How did it taste? It was super sweet...even for me..
so I think half coco mixed with powdered sugar and a
thicker layer of PB is the way to go...BUT that being said,
it was not bad.  

Till next time..... xx

Peanut Butter candy Cookie Brownie Cups~ A Pinterest Success

Sweet treats for the ones I love

This past Sunday was for many of us Mother's Day. I had informed my two daughters that live here that they would be cooking and divided up who was in charge of what and said I would handle desert. I wanted something truly decadent. I scrolled through the hundreds of recipes I have saved on my Pinterest boards and picked one that was super simple, but also would be something that unless it was a special occasion and calories be damned, would not be eaten. What I picked out was as I said simple, only a few ingredients....peanut butter cups, chocolate chip cookie dough, brownie mix, butter and a couple of eggs.

Smoosh the cookie dough into your muffin tin...I used foil
cups sprayed with cooking spray for easy clean up.
Put your peanut butter cup upside down on top....

put brownie batter that you pre-mixed on top 

Bake at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes, Don't over bake... I did as hubby and kids like then crunchy and not chewy.

Serve with ice cream ...better served warm.

The final results... YUM!

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Going A Little Fruity for Mother's Day

Does your mama love cake? Don't use a mix,
bake from scratch! It's actually easier than you think! 

If you are new here you have no idea about my notorious sweet tooth. On occasion I post savory recipes, and if you go on the web version of my blog and look under the label RECIPES, you can find some, but for the most part it is all about the baked goods...mostly sweets!! Today is no different. I have shared "dump cakes" here before. this recipe I found that is actually deemed a "pudding" is very similar , simply in it's simplicity. Just in time for Mother's Day here in the U.S., using just a few simple ingredients, ones you may already have on hand you can make your mom a sweet treat!! 

THE RECIPE...

Found on Pinterest 

Simple right??? So a few suggestions... Don't be afraid to switch out the fruit, pineapple would be really good!  Use your favorite nuts....or not. I used candied almonds, but I could also see this be amazing even without nuts, and a traditional crumble instead, or if using tropical fruit a toasted coconut topping put on half way through baking so as not to get burnt. It is super sweet...so though I served as suggested with whipped topping, I think a nice frozen yogurt which as a bit of tang would cut the sweetness quite nicely...and if you left the topping off entirely or made an oat crumble or the mentioned toasted coconut and maybe macadamia nut mix, it would cut the sweet quite a bit as well.  One last suggestion I would use a lot less of the recipes topping...it was just too thick, you can see in the photos below it did not get as baked/browned, so I would cut the amounts in half and that would cut the sweetness, as would maybe adding some spices, maybe ginger, cinnamon or nutmeg to also help cut the sweet factor. 

How did it taste??

Well my hubby and I loved it, despite of the level of sweetness, but our middle daughter who is not into super sweet things got one bite in and that was it....she is the one that suggested the frozen yogurt topping...I agree it is super sweet, but with a few tweaks as I suggested above, it is really yummy and especially fresh out of the oven! Would I make it again? Yes, I think I would. If you make a different variation of this, I would love to hear about it and the results! 

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Ruby's Coffee Cake Muffins

Something yummy is baking here at Muse Cottage!

It is recipe time here on Ruby's Musings. This go around I have a sweet treat that though not sinless, isn't the worst for you either, and made into muffins, it helps with portion control! When I was formulating this recipe, based on a basic coffee cake recipe from the 1950's , I was having a hard time coming up with a good name for it, so hence the above title for them. These yummy coffee cake muffins have the sweet juice of oranges, chunks of semi sweet chocolate, and crushed bits of candied cinnamon almonds. It is a very dense, loaf or coffee cake texture, but it is still moist. It has a slight bit of chew from the almonds and then the creamy texture of the chocolate bits. The recipe does include shortening, but could be switched out for coconut oil, the solid variety, or even for a lighter version, sour cream...even fat free. The orange juice could be tangerine, but really any other would not go as well. The chocolate is optional, or could be substituted with dark, milk or even white varieties. The candied almonds could be substituted for any nut candied or not... I prefer candied/spiced nuts as it adds a nice flavor profile. I bought most of my ingredients, all but the flour which is King Arthur Flour, and my spices which I buy online through a spice company, at Trader Joes, but you can of course shop at your local market. This could be made into a loaf OR in an 8x8 cake pan, or a round one if that is what you have, and of course that will make baking times change, as muffins that are medium size, and make a dozen, I baked them for 25 minutes. If you made them smaller, you can of course get more and bake them for less. I chose muffins for portion control. 

Let's talk toppings. I chose to not use any, but I could see this with holes poked into them and some kind of orange glaze soaking them through, or a orange flavored powdered sugar and orange juice glaze drizzled on top. Perhaps you would like a cream cheese and chopped nut frosting on them, perhaps you want to top them with a crumble or raw sugar...all would be very tasty and kick them up a notch. So let's get onto the recipe.....

What you need...

 2 cups of sifted flour 

1/2 tsp of baking soda

*1/4 tspnutmeg

*1/4 tsp allspice

*1/4 tsp cinnamon 

( *I used a all purpose baking spice )

1/4 tsp salt

1/3 cup shortening 

1 cup brown sugar packed lightly

2 eggs, room temp...beaten until thick

1  tbsp grated orange rind..less if dried 

3/4 cup orange juice...with pulp 

1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks* 

1/2 cup crushed candied nuts*

( you can add up to 3/4 cup without issue if you like, or use less if you like) 

What you need to do....

Sift flour, baking soda, spices and salt together and set aside. 

cream shortening and sugar until creamy.

If you have not already beat eggs until thick and then add to shortening mixture.

And in orange rind and mix to blend. 

Add sifted ingredients and orange juice alternately, beating thoroughly after each addition.

Add nuts and chocolate and blend once again until incorporated.  

Pour into either greased or lined cupcake pan or into a greased pan of choice at 350 degrees...

bake cupcakes for 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean , if baking in a cake pan it can bake upwards of 50 minutes... adjust accordingly for your oven 

Don's skip the sifting, it is important. 

Ok you caught me, I bought a selfie stick so I can take my own photos.

Make sure you add your sifted ingredients a bit at a time.....

....with juice alternately .

I used my grinder to help crush the almonds, but you could do so in a baggie and a hammer or if a soft nut with a knife. 

Using a scoop helps to assure you get even amounts in the muffin cups. 

Cool thoroughly on a baking rack

Store in an air tight container. 

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In "Love" with the King

I DO love the "King", but the King in this
post is NOT Elvis!

I am sure at this point that you all know I DO love Elvis, but this blog has absolutely nothing to do with that king, far from it. This weeks blog is all about flour. YES! You read that correctly, flour, as in baking flour, King Arthur Flour to be exact. So let me back up. It is not a secret I love baking, but in the past it had always been cookies and muffins for the most part, maybe a cobbler from time to time, but had not ever baked breads...well not yeast breads at any rate. I had not had much luck with bread baking, so I had given up and had not attempted any that were not from mixes. Then I ordered my 1950's cookbook, The Fantastic Fifties Cookbook by Mary Margaret McBride off of Amazon, and while going through it ran across a cheese bread recipe that sounded easy and tasty too. I made my first attempt at making the bread, using a store brand flour, it turned out pretty good, but it did not rise as much as I would have liked it to. It tasted good, but there was a bit of density to it that should not have been there. I decided to try again, but all I had on hand was whole wheat flour, and this time I hardly got any rise and the recipe just did not work out at all.  Not too long after, I was walking through the baking isle and stocking up my other supplies and I spotted King Arthur's Flour, with the slogan "Try it once. Trust it always." , I decided it was worth a try. The description, " Bake the highest-rising yeast breads ever with a flour milled exclusively for yeast baking: our unbleached bread flours, both conventional and organic. Higher-protein bread flour helps all loaves—from soft white sandwich bread to whole-grain loaves—rise their highest.

When would you choose bread flour instead of all-purpose? When your recipe calls for it; or if you like chewier pizza crust and bagels; or when you're baking whole-grain loaves that need a lift. Bread flour is perfect for any kind of yeast baking; please reserve it for that purpose." , further the encouragement to purchase the flour.... it had been around since the 1800's, and the baking hotline...which added a safety net of sorts....just in case of course. *wink* 

I dreamed of the perfect loaf of bread.

I was eager to give the new flour a try. So recently when having a special family gathering for the Easter holiday, I made the bread again using King Arthur Flour. I could tell right off the bat that this flour was different. It was very light and fluffy, promise of a light and fluffy loaf of bread? I followed the recipe, step by step, and right away in the first raising of the dough, it was so much higher than when I previously had made the bread. I was even more impressed by the second raise of the dough!! The test is the final product right? Well that was fantastic as well!! Just like the slogan stated, I tried it once, and will trust it always!!  Now I will say a little something on the side here, it states not to use on non yeast breads, but I did... I was in a bind and had muffins to make as well as French Madeline cookies, the muffins turned out just fine, and my Madeline cookies, well, they were a little too fluffy and a bit dry, so right after,  I went out and bought their basic flour and I will not use anything else now for my other baked goods such as cookies, etc., and if I could find their other varieties (and had the room to store them) , I would love to buy and try them.  King Arthur does has a wonderful web site that I linked to above where you can actually purchase their flours and other baking products, as well as gifts and supplies. They also have a really great about section and a full history of the company page. Heck if you live in Vermont you can go visit them!! I would for sure mark this flour and this company "Ruby's Musings Approved" !!  (*** I was in no way paid or prompted by the K.A.F.  company to write this blog. ) 

The Recipe....

The Flour .....

The Results....

The Proud Baker....