Makeover Spiced Cocoa-Apple Cake

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1-2/3 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup baking cocoa
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 2 cups grated peeled tart apples
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1/2 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 teaspoon confectioners' sugar

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, then egg whites, beating well after each addition. Beat in the buttermilk, applesauce and vanilla (mixture will appear curdled).
Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and allspice; stir into butter mixture just until blended. Stir in the apples, walnuts and chips.
Transfer to a 10-in. fluted tube pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 325° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 16 servings.

utrition Facts

• One serving:
• 1 slice

• Calories:
• 270

• Fat:
• 9 g

• Saturated Fat:
• 4 g

• Cholesterol:
• 37 mg

• Sodium:
• 220 mg

• Carbohydrate:
• 45 g

• Fiber:
• 2 g

• Protein:
• 5 g

Applesauce Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, divided
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 egg whites
• 1 egg
• 1-1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 3 tablespoons fat-free milk
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, baking soda, salt, baking powder and nutmeg. In a small bowl, whisk the egg whites, egg, applesauce, oil and milk. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened.
Transfer to a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray. Combine brown sugar and remaining cinnamon; sprinkle over the top.
Bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Apricot-Banana Quick Bread

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1-2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup toasted wheat germ
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel

(optional: handful of dried blueberries and/or dried cranberries

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar until crumbly, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in bananas. Combine the flour, wheat germ, baking powder, salt and baking soda; gradually beat into the banana mixture. Stir in apricots and lemon peel.
Transfer to a 9-in. x 5-in. loaf pan coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350° for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Yield: 1 loaf (16 slices).

Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Loaf

picture and recipe from The Sister's Cafe


Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt

1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar

3 extra-large eggs

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 1 lemon)

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed ("miniature wild blueberries are great for this, and pose the least risk of sinking")
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice


Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.
Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it’s all incorporated. 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 for about 50 (+) minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.
When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes before flipping out onto a cooling rack. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in (a pastry brush works great for this, as does using a toothpick to make tiny holes that draw the syrup in better). Cool.

Lemony Lemon Muffins

Lemony Lemon Muffins

makes 24 muffins

For the muffins:

3 cups all purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 cup plain yogurt

1 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

1 tablespoon lemon juice

For the streusel:

1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cold butter

For the glaze:

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1. In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, yogurt, butter, lemon peel and lemon juice. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix, just until moistened. Grease or paper line muffin cups and fill the batter 3/4 full.

2. In a small bowl, combine flour, sugar and butter. Using your hands or a pastry blender, mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle the streusel over the batter.

3. Bake muffins at 350 degrees for about 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove onto a wire rack.

4. Mix together the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and drizzle over muffins.

From Stephanie's Kitchen

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Thick and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies
From Cook's Illustrated
Makes about 30 cookies

2 1/8 c bleached all-purpose flour (about 10.5 oz)
1/2 t table salt
1/2 t baking soda
12 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly (I don't use unsalted butter because I never buy it - salted butter works just fine in this recipe when I use it!)
1 c brown sugar (7 oz)
1/2 c sugar (3.5 oz)
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
2 t vanilla
1-2 c chocolate chips (I use a full 12 oz. package of semisweet chips)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

Either by hand or with electric mixer, mix butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Mix in egg, yolk, and vanilla. Add dry ingredients; mix until just combined. Stir in chips.

Form dough into balls (I use my handy-dandy cookie scoop - the original recipe has intricate dough-forming instructions so go here if you want to do it that way) and place on parchment or silpat-lined cookie sheets. Smaller cookie sheets can be used, but fewer cookies can be baked at one time and baking time may need to be adjusted. (Dough can be refrigerated up to 2 days or frozen up to 1 month—shaped or not.)

Bake, reversing cookie sheets’ positions halfway through baking, until cookies are light golden brown and outer edges start to harden yet centers are still soft and puffy, 15 to 18 minutes (start checking at 13 minutes - these cookies really do need longer baking time than most average cookie dough recipes). Frozen dough requires an extra 1 to 2 minutes baking time. Cool cookies on cookie sheets. Serve or store in airtight container.

Zucchini Bread

Zucchini Bread

Mix:

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

3 eggs, beatn

1 cup canola oil

3 tsp vanilla

2 cups zucchini, shredded

Stir and add:

2 cups flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp soda

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking powder

Pour into two bread pans sprayed with pam. Bake at 325 for 1 hour.

Recipe from The Sister's Cafe