Oatmeal Cake

As soon as I saw this recipe for Old-Fashioned Oatmeal Cake I just knew I had to give it a try. I'm not sure what exactly it was that appealed to me about it. Maybe because the word Old-Fashioned is in the name? I do have a love of all things old-fashioned. At any rate, I decided to give it a try. Here is my adjusted recipe. And I apologize about the absence of pictures.

Oatmeal Cake
1 1/2 c. old fashioned oats
1 3/4 c. boiling water
3/4 c. honey
3/4 c. coconut sugar
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
9 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce (give or take a little)
2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
1 1/2 c. flour (I used unbleached all-purpose)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt

Topping
2/3 c. sugar (I used dark brown and raw sugar)
1/4 c. butter, melted
1/4 c. heavy whipping cream
1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans

Combine the oats and the boiling water and allow to sit while you combine the rest.

In a separate bowl cream together the butter, coconut sugar and honey. Add the vanilla and applesauce and mix well. Then add the remaining ingredients including the oatmeal. Mix until well combined. Spread in a greased 9x13 pan and bake in a 350* oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

While the cake is baking combine the ingredients for the topping. When the cake is done baking, spread the topping over it and place under a broiler for 1-2 minutes until the topping is golden brown and bubbly. Enjoy!

shortbread variations

One of the things that I love so much about shortbread cookies is that they are a very basic, simple cookie that can be spiced up with whatever sounds good, and to suit the tastes of the people eating them.

This first version I only have one picture of, but they were delicious. I added dark chocolate pieces and toasted almonds to a dark brown sugar and whole wheat flour shortbread. These went with the banana bread and monster muffins to my friend who was hosting company a couple of weekends ago.

Dark Chocolate Almond Shortbread
1 cup butter
2 cups flour (I used all whole wheat)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
fresh grated nutmeg
dash cinnamon
dash cloves
dark chocolate pieces
toasted almonds

Combine the butter, sugar, vanilla and spices. Beat in the flour. Then stir in the dark chocolate pieces and toasted almonds. Chill. Roll out and cut out cookies. Bake at 350* for 13 minutes, turning the cookie sheets at the 8 minute mark.

This second version I made for my sister's bridal shower. A friend and fellow baker loves using lavender in her baking. That was what inspired me to try these.

Lavender Lemon Shortbread
1 cup butter
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 cups flour (I used unbleached all purpose)
dash cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla
juice of 1/2 lemon (about, I think I used a little less)
zest of 1 lemon
sprinkle of lavender (it was probably around 2-3 Tbsp.)

Cream together butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and lemon juice.

Beat in flour.


Then stir in the lemon zest and lavender. Bake at 350* for 13 minutes, turning the cookie sheets at the 8 minute mark.


These are delightfully fresh and light. I like using the unbleached all-purpose flour for these because it really allows the flavor of the lavender and the lemon to come through. Whereas I feel that the dark chocolate of the first version really needs the whole wheat flour to back it up a bit.

strawberry chocolate scones

You can't have a bridal shower tea party without scones, so these are the ones that I made up for my sisters shower last weekend. My recipe is adapted from the Alice's Tea Cup version.

Chocolate Strawberry Scones
3 cups flour (I think I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 unbleached all purpose)
1/3 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/4 cups hulled and quartered strawberries
3/4 cup dark chocolate pieces (I used dark chocolate chips)
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
1 tsp. vanilla
heavy cream and sugar to brush and sprinkle on top

Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl and mix together with your clean hands.

Chop up the butter.


Then work it into the dry mixture with your hands. You want to get it to the consistency of fine bread crumbs. Then I stopped taking pics for a bit, but next you want to add the strawberries and chocolate pieces and mix them in well so that they are evenly distributed throughout. Then make a well in the center of the mixture and add in the buttermilk and vanilla. Combine until the dry ingredients are all wet. DO NOT KNEAD! If you knead the dough, the scones will be tough (tough is okay if you are talking about men but not if you are talking about scones, just saying).


Then pat the dough out on a floured surface and cut into triangular pieces. Mine got a bit messy and crazy, but worked out in the end. I think I would almost rather have cut them out with my round cutter I usually use for scones. You can do what you want. Then brush the tops with a bit of cream and sprinkle with just a tiny bit of sugar and bake at 425* for about 12 minutes.

coconut cake

I saw this recipe for coconut cake in a cookbook I received as a Christmas present this last Christmas, and I have been wanting to make it since then. As it has eggs in it, I figured my sister's bridal shower was the perfect opportunity for me to try this recipe.

Coconut Cake
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar (I used 1 cup dark brown sugar and 1 cup coconut sugar)
4 large eggs
2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup milk (I used coconut milk)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup toasted coconut

In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time beating well after each addition. Add in the vanilla. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the flour mixture and the milk alternately to the butter mixture. Stir in the toasted coconut and pour the batter into 3 greased 9 inch cake pans.* Bake at 350* for 18-20 minutes. I started with 15 minutes and then added another 3, but mine came out a little dry, so they may have been slightly over cooked.

Buttercream Frosting
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups confectioner's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-2 Tbsp. milk (I used almond milk, but alternately you could use coconut milk)
1 tsp. coconut rum

Combine the butter and sugar and then add the vanilla, milk and rum. Beat until smooth and the consistency to frost the cake. To frost: Place the bottom layer on the cake plate, brush with coconut milk and a layer of frosting. Continue with the layers in the same way and top with toasted coconut.

As I said above, this turned out a little drier than I really wanted it to be, but that may have been due to being a little overcooked. I also would like to try this with just two layers instead of three because I think the layers were a little thin which could also have caused it to be a little drier. All together, though, I liked this cake fairly well and with a little tweaking I think it could be really fantastic, but then I do have a slight obsession with coconut.

*Note: I have trouble getting my cakes to come out of the cake pans easily, so I cut a paper towel the size of the bottom of the pan and place that in the bottom and then spray the pan with cooking spray. The cake comes out easily, and then the paper towel just peels off the bottom.

banana bread

I used to make banana bread all the time. My favorite coffeeshop would give me all of their old or unusable bananas to make into banana bread. At one point, I actually had about 30 bananas in my freezer. I was a little overwhelmed. They all eventually found their way into banana bread which found it's way in the the stomachs of many happy people.

However, one of the foods that my roommate is allergic to is bananas. . .sad day in happy town. I had just enough bananas left in my freezer to make one more batch, so I decided to make it up and send it with the muffins to my friend who was entertaining house guests last weekend. And here's the thing about my banana bread. I almost never make it the same way twice. Yes, I have a recipe that I gauge off of, but every time I make it I decide I want to try something a little different. And honestly, I don't even really remember what all I put in this batch as I didn't really write it down as I was making it, but I will try my best to remember.

Banana Bread
1 cup sugar (I used 1/2 coconut sugar and 1/2 dark brown sugar)
1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
3 Tbsp. applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups flour (I used a combination of almond flour, whole wheat and unbleached all purpose)
1 Tbsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. (approx) cinnamon
dash nutmeg (or some fresh ground)
2/3 cup sour milk
(I didn't have any milk on hand, so I used almond milk with a bit of vinegar in it)
3 very ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Mix together shortening and sugars.

And this is where I stopped taking pictures. Add in the egg, applesauce and vanilla. Mix well. In a separate bowl mix the dry ingredients. Then alternately add the milk, bananas, and dry ingredients to the sugar mixture. I add a banana, 1/3 of the milk, 1/3 of the flour mixture, and repeat until it's all in. Mix well. Then stir in the chopped pecans. Pour batter into two greased regular loaf pans. Bake at 325* for 40 to 60 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. My oven takes about 40 to 45 minutes.

muffins for a friend

Okay, first I just have to tell you. . .this lovely guy and I are celebrating 1 year of being in each others lives. He was my birthday present from mis padres last year, and I decided he was a he because he does the heavy lifting in our relationship. I have this thing about personifying inanimate objects, so yes, I am acting like my mixer is a person. I do have to confess, though, that while it has been a year, I have yet to name him. So if anyone has some good name suggestions, I would love to hear them. Alright, moving on. . .


A dear friend of mine had a houseful of guests last weekend, and as she is always busy and stretched out over so many things and also because she does not enjoy baking, she asked if I would make her some muffins to share with her guests. I was delighted to be able to help her out, especially since she had a new muffin recipe that she wanted me to try. I adapted the recipe that she gave me which was torn out of a magazine.

Monster Muffins
2 cups whole grain flour (I believe I used a combination of whole wheat and oat flour)
1 cup oat bran
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 cup raisins (approximately)
1 cup raw sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cinnamon (I used up all of my cinnamon on this)
a dash cloves
some fresh ground nutmeg
1 cup almond milk
2 eggs
3 Tbsp. applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup canned pumpkin
2 cups shredded carrots
3 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded
some shredded coconut

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, oat bran, pecans, raisins, raw sugar, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, almond milk, applesauce, eggs and vanilla. Mix until just blended. Stir in the pumpkin, shredded carrots, apples and coconut. Mix thoroughly. Bake at 350* for 20-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool and enjoy.



A muffin fresh from the oven with a bit of butter. . .so wonderfully delightful!! My batch easily made 24 muffins.

i promise that i haven't stopped cooking. . .

My life has just been a little crazy over the last week as I have been transitioning from one job to another and trying to keep up with life in the midst of all of that. I have several recipes that I am wanting to share and will hopefully get around to that in the near future, maybe tomorrow. We shall see. In the meantime. . .you should check out one of my friend's blogs. She is lovely and her food is always delish!! Her website is here: Cheeky Baker. Have fun!!

peanut butter cupcakes

I really love peanut butter. Yep. It's so delicious. There are times that I crave a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. . .yes, it is my inner five year old self crying out. I saw these on this site, and wanted to try them, but decided to go in a little different direction with the topping. I was wanting it to be a little more like a Reese's. Here's my version:

Peanut Butter Cupcakes
1 cup flour (I used 3/4 oat and 1/4 coconut)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
sprinkle cinnamon
about 2 Tbsp. tapioca flour
3/4 stick butter, softened
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup coconut sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 Tbsp. applesauce (unsweetened)
1/2 cup milk (I used almond milk)

Combine dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl cream together butter, peanut butter, and coconut sugar.


Then add applesauce and vanilla. Then add almond milk and dry ingredients and mix well.


Bake at 350* for 20 minutes.


And ready to be topped. I decided to do a chocolate buttercream frosting for these instead of a peanut butter frosting and chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
1 stick butter, softened
2 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/4 - 1/3 cup cocoa powder
dash cinnamon
about 1/2 cup milk

Confession: I did not have 2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar, so what I did was wait and add the milk last to get the consistency that I wanted. It turned out delightful.

Top with chopped Reese's. So delicious!!

*Note: I have to tell you, I have been a little frustrated at how non-fluffy my baked goods have been when I don't use wheat flour. I think I finally figured out a nice remedy. Using a little bit of tapioca flour in addition to the oat and coconut flour made these cupcakes much fluffier than the others I have made without it. Yay!!

chicken curry

Thai food holds a very special place in my heart. I love Thai food. I am blessed to have a good Thai restaurant (or a couple) in my town. However, I have never made Thai food at home. Today I did, and it was delightful!! My friend, A, came over to cook lunch with me today. When I asked what she wanted to eat, she replied something with chicken. Since I have been craving curry lately, I decided to try my hand at some chicken curry.

I used this recipe as inspiration and then proceeded to do exactly what I pleased. I started with 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts and cut them into nice sized chunks, not too big, not too small, just nice. Then I cooked them in a skillet with some olive oil, minced garlic, diced onion, and a bit of fresh ginger as well as garlic salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper, turmeric, curry powder, thyme, and a touch of cayenne. Once again, do what you like with your seasonings. Get a little crazy with it. Once the chicken was cooked through, I removed it to a plate and poured some chicken broth into the skillet along with a little more olive oil. While I cooked the chicken, A was graciously cutting up the veggies for me.

We added a red bell pepper, a yellow squash, a zucchini squash, some onion, and a carrot. We let this cook for a little while and then added a mango and some fresh pineapple as well as a can of coconut milk to the mix. Then came a second round of seasonings. Lastly we threw in some fresh cilantro because I had some on hand. Check the flavor of the sauce and adjust seasonings as desired. I think I would add some more curry and a touch more spice to this.


Serve with rice. I picked up some sweet black Thai rice the other day at MJ's and was eager to try it. It adds a nice color variation and has good flavor. I did cook it kind of fast (because I forgot to put it on before we started the curry), so it was a little crunchy, but all around good.


We had a delightful lunch at the table in the backyard. Thanks A for coming over and having lunch. I loved having you to cook with!!

taco rice

This, my friends, is taco rice. It's super easy to make, healthy and wonderfully delicious. I used this recipe as inspiration. Once again, I was well under way of cooking when I realized that I hadn't taken any pictures, my bad. This is so easy to make, though, you don't need pictures.

Make some sushi rice. Brown some ground beef (or in my case ground elk, we are currently out of beef). Make sure you season the beef well. Use lots of cumin so it will taste taco-y. I suppose you could also use taco seasoning, but I prefer to use all the seasonings in my cupboard. Cut up some tomatoes. Tear up some lettuce (I used green leaf lettuce). And hey, if the mood hits you whip up some fresh guacamole (I'll give you my recipe some other time).

Then just layer it up. Start with rice on the bottom, top with ground beef (or elk), and add your toppings on top of that. I was thinking you could also use black beans in this and it would be good. This is also nice because people can build their own and use whatever toppings they like. A quick, healthy, delicious dinner. . .yum!

fish in cream sauce

We had some Parmesan crusted Tilapia in our freezer, but it tasted a little freezer burnt last time we had some, so we thought if we had it in a sauce of some kind it would make it a little better. (The remaining fish have since been thrown out because after this meal we realized it was past the best by date. . .oops!) I decided to try a white wine cream sauce as white sauce seems to go well with fish in my mind. Sorry I'm kind of short on pictures. . .I'm still trying to get used to taking pictures when I make food.


I started by melting some butter in a saucepan. I think this is about 2 Tbsp.


Then I added in some seasonings. I think I put in some thyme, Herbs de Provence (an herb mixture you can pick up at a place that has a good spice selection), some basil, garlic salt, hmmm. . .I think that's all. Use your imagination and add what spices you think would be good in white sauce.


After letting the spices and butter cook for just a bit, I added in some cream, white wine and about 2 Tbsp. tapioca flour dissolved in some water. Stir this until it thickens nicely.


Then just pour sauce over baked tilapia and serve with french green beans. I am eager to try this again with better fish, perhaps that I have breaded myself.

i'm part british

Yes, it's true. I am part British. I have known this for a long time in my person, but it was recently confirmed by a family member doing some research on our ancestry. How did I know that I'm part British? Well, I love all things British. Including shortbread. Yep, buttery, delicious goodness. Shortbread is simple and with only a few ingredients it is easy to make and easy to make so that my roomie can have it too. I have been craving shortbread for a while, so I decided to give it a try. I adapted my recipe from here.

Shortbread
1/2 cup almond flour
1/2 cup oat four
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 cup butter, softened
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg
1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds

Combine the flours in a bowl and set aside.


In a separate bowl cream together the butter, cinnamon, nutmeg, coconut sugar, vanilla, and salt.


At this point, I placed my sliced almonds in a 350* oven to toast for about 8 minutes, stirring at the 5 minute mark.


Then once the almonds have cooled a bit, stir them into the creamed butter mixture. Then add the flour and stir just until it is all combined. You don't want to over mix this or the shortbread will become tough not light and flaky like it's supposed to be.


Once it is all mixed up, wrap it in waxed paper and place in the fridge for an hour or so (or you can put it in the freezer if you are impatient like me). When you take it out, roll it out until it's about 1/4 inch thick and cut out cookies using a cookie cutter.


Bake at 350* for about 12 minutes, turning the pans at the 8 minute mark. I had mine in for about 13 minutes and they almost burnt, so be careful!!




And there you have it. . .the perfect snack to have with your afternoon tea. Lovely!! Now if I were just back in London. . .

chocolate sour cream cupcakes

I am planning a bridal shower for my sister which is about two weeks away (eekkkk!!), and I decided that I wanted to serve several things for food, so of course I am going to have cupcakes. I wanted to do some chocolate ones (because let's be honest, what's a bridal shower without chocolate?), however, I didn't really like any of the combinations that were on Ming Makes Cupcakes, so I decided to make my own combo. I wanted to try the chocolate sour cream cupcakes, but I didn't like the frosting that she put on top, so here is my version.

Chocolate Sour Cream Cupcakes
1 cup flour (I used unbleached all purpose)
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup cocoa
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
dash nutmeg
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce

Combine the dry ingredients.


Add butter, applesauce and sour cream.


Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. I think mine baked for 25 minutes. I think I also added a little heavy whipping cream to these because I was a little short on sour cream. Okay, now here comes my twist on these cupcakes. Ming Makes Cupcakes frosts these cupcakes with a nutella frosting, and while I love nutella, I just wanted to go in a different direction.

Chocolate Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting

8 oz. mascarpone
1/4 - 1/3 cup cocoa
1 - 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Combine all ingredients and beat until it thickens.


Okay, just to show you what a big deal garnishing your cupcakes is, I decided to take a before garnish and after garnish picture.


See garnishing makes all the difference between a regular cupcake and a fabulous cupcake. These are garnished with chocolate chunks and a dusting of cinnamon.

pumpkin cupcakes

*Personal Note: H, I know you are freaking out because there is pumpkin in these cupcakes. Yes, they are delicious and you should try them.

I was in the mood for something reminiscent of pumpkin pie and pumpkin scones (which I will be posting a recipe for sometime soon, hopefully), and these cupcakes seemed just the thing. I love cooking with pumpkin because it keeps a lot of moisture in the food, and while it has a distinctive taste it isn't overpowering. Pumpkin also pairs well with some of my favorite spices. Here's my adapted recipe from Ming Makes Cupcakes:

Pumpkin Cupcakes
1 cup flour (I used 1/2 coconut and 1/2 oat)
2 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
pinch nutmeg
pinch ginger
pinch cloves
1 cup sugar (I used coconut sugar)
6 Tbsp. unsweetened applesauce
1/2 cup oil (I used canola)
1 cup pumpkin

In a bowl combine dry ingredients.

In a separate bowl combine the sugar and applesauce. Then add the oil and beat until well combined.


Next add the flour mixture.


Then add the pumpkin and mix well.


Bake at 350* for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. I think I baked mine for about 25 minutes because my oven runs a little warm.

Cream Cheese Icing
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, softened

1 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix until well combined.

I garnished with slices of crystallized ginger. And then I became addicted to crystallized ginger.


This makes a lovely late night snack with a cuppa tea. :)