Take a Megabite

Applesauce Cake

Consider these the hip cousin of the petit four.
Or just consider it tasty, and slice it into big pieces instead.

Laura over at Rather Be Baking knows what’s up. I believed her when she said to trust her on this cake. She’s totally right; it’s the best.

This is just the perfect weeknight cake. It comes together quickly, in one bowl and bakes up in only 30 minutes. Chances are you’ll want to keep eating slivers of this cake as you walk by. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Applesauce Cake
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker via Rather Be Baking

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 t baking soda
• 3/4 t baking powder
• 1 t salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 t cinnamon
• 1/4 t nutmeg
• 1/8 t cloves
• 1/8 t ginger
• cinnamon frosting (optional), recipe follows

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil and spray with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. Beat all of the ingredients together for 3 minutes.
3. Pour in prepared dish and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
4. Cool completely before slicing into bite size pieces.
5. Top with a smidgen of cinnamon frosting, if you’re feelin’ it.

Cinnamon Frosting

• 3 T butter, softened
• generous sprinkling of cinnamon
• 1 heaping cup powdered sugar
• 1 T milk

Directions:

1. Beat all of the ingredients together and pipe a teeny flour on each cake bite.

And here’s Elliot, looking like such a gentleman.

I bet you wouldn’t even believe that he stole some cake off the table like a jerk.
So there you go! Both Jake AND Elliot love this cake.

Mini Pumpkin Scones

First of all, please don’t judge me for eating french fries two days in a row. And, please just know that two glazes are better than one. Always.

So maybe two days of french fries is better than one?

We are a few days into September, so it’s only right to get moving with the pumpkin love. And these scones are the perfect start. They are mini, so you can eat them two days in a row and not feel guilty about them. So that’s nice, right?

I probably don’t need to convince you to make these, but just in case … These scones taste like pumpkin donuts in the the best and glaziest way and they are really cute. So there you go!

Mini Pumpkin Scones
Recipe adapted from weheartfood

Ingredients:

scones -

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 7 T sugar
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 t ground cinnamon
• 1/2 t groun nutmeg
• 1/4 t ground cloves
• 1/4 t ground ginger
• 6 T frozen butter
• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin
• 3 T half and half
• 1 large egg

glaze -

• 1 cup + 1 T powdered sugar
• 2 T milk

spiced glaze -

• 1 cup + 3 T powdered sugar
• 2 T milk
• 1/4 t ground cinnamon
• 1/8 t ground nutmeg
• pinch ground ginger
• pinch ground cloves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and spices in a large bowl. Grate frozen butter into the dry ingredients and stir until butter is coated. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, half and half and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Pour dough onto a clean surface and knead about 4 times. Divide dough in half and pat each into a circle about 1/2 inch high. Cut into 8 small scones, slicing like a pizza. Place on prepared baking sheets and bake for 10-14 minutes or until tops are starting to become golden brown. Place on a wire rack to cool.
4. Make the first glaze by whisking together the powdered sugar and milk. Generously brush glaze over each of the scones. When the first glaze is set, make the spiced glaze by whisking together powdered sugar, milk and spices. Drizzle over the scones using a ziploc bag with the corner snipped, a spoon or a squeeze bottle. Allow the icing to set for about an hour. Eat!

Hot coffee on a chilly morning is where it’s at …
served with a teeny pumpkin scone is even better.

Cornmeal Yeast Rolls

Putting a sandwich on these guys is like having a sandwich on a corn muffin. Honestly, I can’t imagine anything better.

I’m excited to make these the next time Jake makes pulled pork …  ribs or briskit. Basically, these would accompany BBQ-ed goodness in a dreamy way.  But for now peanut butter and strawberry jam will do.

Oh yeah! It’s September! So I guess instead of BBQ-ing we should be thinking about beef stew and pumpkin everything. Well, these rolls are cool in that they can transition effortlessly from summer to fall. Like wearing your favorite dress with tights, or something.

Cornmeal Yeast Rolls
Recipe adapted from cdkitchen

Ingredient:

• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup lukewarm water
• 1 t sugar + 1/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
• 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled
• 1 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1 t salt
• 3/4 cup cornmeal
• 3+ cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the dough hook (or any large bowl+ an electric mixer), combine the yeast, water and 1 teaspoon sugar and let stand until bubbly, about 5 minutes.
2. Mix in 1/4 cup sugar, butter, milk, egg, salt and cornmeal. (If mixing by hand switch from your hand mixer to a wooden spoon before adding the flour.) Add 2 1/2 cups flour and mix until combined.
3. Knead in the remaining 1/2 cup of flour on a lightly floured surface for 7-10 minutes or in a stand mixer for about 5 minutes. Add more flour as needed to keep the dough from being too sticky.
4. Transfer to a medium lightly greased bowl, turning to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm place to rise until double in bulk  (1-2 hours).
5. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Form the dough into about 14 (2.5 oz.) rolls and place on the prepared baking sheets leaving a couple inches of space between. Cover lightly with a dish towel and set aside to rise until puffy and almost double in size (45 minutes – 1 hour).
6. Meanwhile preheat oven to 375ºF. Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container to enjoy for days.

Just dunk this in some beef stew already.

Banana + Honey + Cinnamon Smoothie for One

I’m completely impatient right now. I can’t sit still. It has a little bit to do with throw pillows and shaggy rugs. It has a lot to do with with the fact that I get to move to a cute flat in a couple weeks.

But for now, it’s time to drink this smoothie and try to stop wishing the days away.

Banana + Honey + Cinnamon Smoothie for One

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen banana* + a couple fresh banana slices for garnish
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 1/2 t honey
• generous sprinklings of cinnamon

* 1 banana peeled and wrapped in plastic wrap and placed in the freezer until firm.

Directions:

1. Dissolve honey in milk by microwaving them together in a small jar or bowl for about 20 seconds. Stir or shake to ensure that the honey is completely dissolved. Sprinkle generously with cinnamon. Chill until smoothie time.
2. Chop the frozen banana into a few pieces and blend with the chilled honey infused milk until smooth. Pour into a small glass and top with a fresh banana slice and sprinkle with more cinnamon. Chug it and feel good about life.

P.S. Did you guys know I’m on Facebook? Sometimes I post fun things.

I tricked the honey, Honey.

Did you know that honey hates being cold? That’s why I dissolved it in milk before making this smoothie! Talk about a dreamy smoothie, despite the all-khaki outfit.

Strawberry Pancakes

I’m really full because I ate those pancakes right there. I put strawberry jam on them because my maple syrup stopped being cool and just started being real. Real gross.

If you’re in the mood for a summery sweet pancake, this is the one for you. And do you know that there’s almond extract in these guys? It makes the strawberries sing. I can hear them now. They’re singing Lady Gaga. Now you know.

Strawberry Pancakes {makes 9-10 pancakes}
Recipe adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup buttermilk or 1 T lemon juice + scant 1 cup milk*
• 1 T brown sugar, packed
• 2 T canola oil
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t almond extract
• 1/2 cup fresh strawberries, diced
• maple syrup or strawberry jam, for topping

Directions:

1. *If you don’t have buttermilk, make that first. Place 1 tablespoon of lemon juice in the bottom of a 1-cup measuring cup. Top with milk. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, beat egg with electric hand mixer until fluffy. Beat in remaining ingredients except strawberries just until smooth. Stir in berries.
3. Heat griddle or skillet over medium heat. Grease griddle with cooking spray. Place a baking sheet in the oven and turn the oven on to 200°F.
4. For each pancake, pour slightly less than 1/4 cup batter from cup or pitcher onto hot griddle. Cook pancake until bubbly on top and puffed and dry around edges. Turn and cook other side until golden. Place in the oven on the baking sheet to stay warm until all the pancakes are done.

Julienne’s Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

Gravel roads remind me of graham cracker crumbs. My childhood best friend called her grandma “grammy” and it reminded me of graham crackers. Once I ate a store-bought graham cracker crust  standing in my mom’s pantry… and loved it.

I’ve always loved graham crackers so I knew I’d love this recipe since it has way more graham cracker crumbs in the ingredients than anything else.

Side-note: one of the eggs I used had freckles. This isn’t a recipe requirement, but it might make your bars extra good.

I used up most of my brown sugar and all of my fancy vanilla. (I didn’t run out of my kosher salt, but it just wanted to be in the picture too.) This would’ve made me crabby except that I now have graham cracker chewy bars that are dangerously good.

Julienne’s Graham Cracker Chewy Bars
Recipe adapted from Celebrating with Julienne via The LA Times

Ingredients:

crust -

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 T all-purpose flour

topping -

• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips because I had them on hand.)
• powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 9 x13 inch baking dish. (Feel free to line the baking dish with foil and spray it, like I did. I just wanted them to be super easy to remove and cut later on.) Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder until well-blened. Stir in the pecans or chocolate chips.
3. Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is light-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20-25 minute. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.
4. Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan if desired, and cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.

The crust was supposed to be more crusty and the top more chewy…
Mine turned out all chewy. I’m ok with it.

Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches

I ran out of eggs! It’s ok though because this cookie recipe is the kind that keeps it real without them. Basically these little ice cream sandwiches were meant to be.

These are really good. Even though the chocolate chips didn’t want to stick to the ice cream on the sides and fell sprinkling the floor on the walk to the freezer. And maybe some of the cookies were too warm when I sandwiched them and the ice cream tried to make a run for it. And maybe there was one odd cookie left over and I had an open-faced ice cream sandwich, standing over the sink, while mini chips sprinkled my dinner plate, water glass and spatula.

Don’t worry guys. I plan on mastering ice cream sandwiches at some point in my life. Maybe I’ll go back to school and major in it. But until then, I’m totally down with the imperfect, tasty version I can do right now. Time to go have another one.

Oatmeal Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches (makes about 14 ice cream sandwiches)
Recipe for cookies adapted from Betty Crocker

Ingredients:

oatmeal cookie -

• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 stick (8T) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• sprinkling of cinnamon
• 1 3/4 cups old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats
• 1 cup + 6 T all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking soda
• heaping 1/4 t kosher salt

filling -

• vanilla ice cream or whatever other flavor to fill*
• mini chocolate chips

* I used up a half gallon of vanilla ice cream minus 3 root beer floats worth.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix brown sugar, butter, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in remaining cookie ingredients.
2. Shape dough into 1-inch balls. On ungreased cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (if you have it) place balls about 3 inches apart. Flatten cookies slightly with bottom of a glass dipped in water.
3. Bake 8-10 minutes or until golden brown at the edges. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the wire rack for two minutes-ish until they can be transported easily to a wire rack. When cooled match them up by size.
4. Meanwhile set ice cream out on the counter to soften slightly for easy sandwiching. Or if it’s a soft ice cream you’re all set. Scoop a couple tablespoons between two cookies at a time. Smoosh together until ice cream reaches the edges of the cookies. Roll the edges through mini chocolate chips and place in the freezer on the baking sheets for at least 2 hours, or until firm. Either eat immediately or wrap individually in plastic wrap until time to eat. I found they were nice and frozen over night.

P.S. The oatmeal cookies stay nice and soft when frozen. Which is necessary for easy biting, right?

Nervous about having 14 ice cream sandwiches chillin’ in the freezer?
Pack them up and bring them to work for some post-lunch goodness.

ingredients for a good weekend

Ingredients for a good weekend:

• spinach and bleu cheese pizza + pepperoni pizza + chit chatting
• Franziskaner drinking (It tastes like ice cream to me!)
• summer walks
• strawberry pancakes (I’m going to make these again soon to post!)
• black bean burgers on light brioche burger buns + avocado fries
• Lost in Translation watching
• root beer floats
• casual lounging, like Elliot up there. He’s really good at it.
• Mad Men

How was your weekend? I hope it was a good one filled with tasty food.

Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes

Elliot is a puppy-sized big dog. These are the cupcake of pie.

These were birthday galettes. And since they were a gift, I had to try them to be sure they were good before I gave them away, right? I also had to eat one when I got home from giving them away to be REALLY sure before bed, right? I know something’s good when I have to “make sure” by lots of sampling. Now you know.

Mini Strawberry Rhubarb Galettes (makes 8 mini galettes)
Recipe adapted from: Recipezaar + Farm Journal Complete Pie Cookbook

Ingredients:

dough-

• 1 1/4 cup flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1/4 t kosher salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter (1/2 stick), cold and cut into cubes
• 1/3 cup ice water

filling -

• 1 cup strawberries, quartered + chopped
• 1 cup rhubarb, chopped
• heaping 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 T flour ( 1/2 of 1/3)
• pinch of salt

topping (optional)  -

• a bit of crumb topping or turbinado sugar

Directions:

1. Make galette dough: mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut in the butter until it is distributed through the flour, but still in large, pea-sized chunks. Add the ice water all at once and mix just until the dough starts to come together. Gather the dough in your hands, divide in half and shape each half into a disk- don’t worry if you see large streaks of butter- they are supposed to be there. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour before rolling out.
2. Cut each disk into 4 equal pieces. Roll out each disk of dough on a lightly floured surface, about 1/8-inch thick.  Settle each circle of dough onto a baking sheet or two lined with parchment paper.
   
3. Prepare the strawberry rhubarb filling. Toss the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, flour and salt together. Divide te fruit mixture amongst the dough, leaving a 1/2 inch border. Fold the borders of dough slightly overlapping the filling, allowing it to pleat as you work your way around. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar or some crumb topping, if you want.
   
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-40 minutes, or until fruit is bubbling and the crust is lightly browned.

Those two in the back have a bit of crumb topping. Why not?

Devilish Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake is one of my most favorite desserts. So when I stumbled across Dorie Greenspan’s devilish shortcakes, I knew they had to happen … and soon! A chocolate shortcake? Can you even think of anything better?

Jake’s job, when I bake, is to read me the recipe. He’s really good at it and it’s just so darn nice of him. When he cooks, he doesn’t let me read the recipes to him. It’s because I tend to forget to tell him steps/ingredients, and well, can you blame him?

I had intentions to pat this biscuit dough down and use my super awesome new biscuit cutters, but the truth is, this dough is sticky and the best way is to use a lightly floured measuring cup to scoop that chocolaty goodness.

I’d say these were a hit, and such a fun remix to the original. What do you think?

Devilish Shortcakes
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

shortcakes -

• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 T baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

filling -

• berries of your choice, (about 1/2 cup per shortcake) hulled and sliced if using strawberries
• sugar (I used about 1/4 cup)
• lightly sweetened softly whipped cream (1 cup whipping cream + powdered sugar to taste + vanilla, beaten until soft peaks form)

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make shortcakes. Whisk the milk, vanilla and egg together. Set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or forks, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes an pieces in between. (P.S. Try not to get the dry ingredients all over you like below:)
   
3. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and toss gently with a fork until you’ve got a very soft dough. When the dough comes together, you’ll probably still have dry ingredients  at the bottom of the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix and knead the dough until it’s evenly blended. Don’t overdo it; it’s better to have a few dry spots than an overworked dough. Even with all the flour mixed in, the dough will be very sticky.
4. Spoon out about 1/4-1/3 cup of dough for each shortcake onto the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches in between the mounds. Pat each mound down until it’s between 3/4-1 inch high.*
5. Bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating halfway through bake time, until the shortcakes are puffed and give just a bit when prodded. Pull the sheet from the oven and transfer the shortcakes to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Make the filling. Put the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to taste and let sit for about 10 minutes, until they are juicy. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Put the bottom halves on plates, top with the berries, make sure to include some of the sweet juices and spoon over some whipped cream. Put the tops on the shortcakes or lean them against the cream.

* The shortcakes at this point can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight  and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting by simply adding about 5 more minutes to the bake time.