Pumpkin Spice Muffins!

Nothing says fall like pumpkin spice _____ [fill in the blank]. Everywhere we turn it's pumpkin this and pumpkin that...not that we're complaining. The subtly of the pumpkin taste makes baked goods a little more savory and not too sweet. Pumpkin flavored breads and muffins then have a great diversity, either as a sweet dessert (maybe paired with cream cheese frosting?) or as savory breakfast bread with just a dab of butter.

From The Smitten Kitchen, this pumpkin muffin recipe is easy, quick, and only includes one non-pantry staple item: canned pumpkin. The muffins are spongy and moist. We tweaked it slightly to up the pumpkin spice taste. 

Prep time: 10 minutes

Bake time: 25 minutes  

Makes 16 muffins (can probably make 12, slightly larger ones)

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice 
• 1 15 oz can pureed pumpkin 
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice + 1 tablespoon sugar

Preheat oven to 350 and grease standard size muffin tins. 

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and pumpkin spice.

In a larger bowl, combine pumpkin, vegetable oil, eggs and 1 1/4 cups of sugar. 

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix until combined.

Fill muffin tins 3/4 full (or slightly more for 12 muffins vs. 16) and sprinkle with the pumpkin spice and sugar mixture. 

Bake for 25 minutes, rotating the pans half way to ensure equal baking time. Muffins are done when a wooden pick or skewer inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Blueberry Coffeecake with Almond Streusel

A delightful way to take advantage of berry season. This one comes by way of the July issue of Cooking Light, with some tips from us to help any first time bakers.

This cake is light and fluffy, but also has some fantastic flavor in every bite. It's a good breakfast companion with a strong cup of coffee. 

The recipe specifically calls out not baking this in a dark or nonstick pan. 

Prep time: 25 minutes

Bake time: 45 mins

What you'll need:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups fresh (or frozen) blueberries (if using frozen, don't thaw the berries. Just bake a bit longer if necessary)
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup old fashioned rolled oats
• 2 tablespoons sliced almonds
• 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup nonfat buttermilk
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind (the whole rind of a medium sized lemon)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about half a lemon)

What you'll need to do:

Combine 2 cups of flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and mix with whisk. Place your blueberries in another small bowl and sprinkle two tablespoons of the flour mixture over them and toss to coat (This apparently helps the blueberries not bleed into the mixture). 

In yet another small bowl, combine brown sugar, rolled oats, sliced almonds, 1 tablespoon flour and cinnamon. Stir in the 2 tablespoons of melted butter and mix, making sure to break up any large chunks of brown sugar. 

Preheat your oven to 375. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat sugar, 1/4 cup butter and oil until blended. Add the egg and beat well. Alternately add the flour mixture and buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Stir in the lemon rind and juice.

Grease the pan and spread half the batter, then layer with 1 cup of blueberries. Spoon the rest of the batter over the blueberries, then top evenly with the brown sugar mixture.

Bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Cool and enjoy!

Just Desserts: Coconut Cake

We saw this delicious recipe for easy coconut cupcakes on Serious Eats and wanted to put our own spin on it (and use up some coconut milk in the process). The coconut flavor comes out in all aspects of this cake, from the glaze, to the shredded coconut, to the coconut milk infused cake. 

While the original recipe calls for making your own cake, we opted for a semi-homemade feel and used a boxed cake mix. 

Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30-40 mins (depending on which mix and pan you use)

You'll need:

• 1 package of white cake mix
• 1 can of coconut milk (not low-fat or light)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1/2 teaspoon coconut extract)
• 1 cup shredded, sweetened, coconut, divided
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) cake flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/4 cups (5 ounces) confectioners' sugar

What you'll do:
Make the cake according to the directions, but substituting the liquids for the same amount of coconut milk. For example, the Betty Crocker mix we used called for oil and water. Instead, we used the same amount of coconut milk. 

Bake according to the box directions.

When the cake is cooled, you can start on the glaze. If you start too early, the glaze hardens. 

Mix the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons of coconut milk until smooth. Add additional milk to get the right glaze thickness to your liking. If you're feeling wild, add a teaspoon of vanilla extract for extra flavor. 

Sprinkle the shredded coconut over the glaze and serve. 

Ricotta Cups with Hazelnuts

This dessert will  help you keep to your New Year's resolution of eating more sweets! These cupcake sized ricotta bites are light and fluffy and surprisingly very easy to make. This is not an overly sweet dessert and you can vary the toppings depending on your mood. We edited this recipe from the Pillsbury site to make it less sugary and to fit regular sized muffin cups.

One word of advice: go with the whole milk ricotta and not light of skim. You want that fuller flavor of the whole milk.

Prep time: 20 minutes (plus one hour or more for cooling)
Cook time: 10 minutes
Makes 12 cups

Ingredients:

• 1 15oz container of whole milk ricotta 
• 1/2 powdered sugar
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
• 1 box of refrigerated pie crust, brought to room temperature
• 1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (or other toppings of your choice, like mini chocolate chips)
• flour for your work surface

 In a large bowl, combine ricotta, powdered sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla. You can use an electric mixer, or a spatula, but make sure to mix until smooth and creamy. Once mixed, place it in a resealable bag (a piping bag if you have it, or use a sandwich bag) and refrigerate for at least one hour.

While the ricotta mixture is cooling, start on the pie crust. Preheat the oven to 425.

Unroll the crust on your floured work surface. To cut the dough, we used the diameter of a one cup measuring cup, and that fit the regular muffin cups perfectly. A 3-4 inch round cookie cutter would work as well. Press the dough into the ungreased muffin cups and bake for 10 minutes. The cups should be browned when finished.

Take the ricotta mixture out of the fridge and begin piping it into the cups. If you used a resealable plastic bag, just cut one corner to make an instant piping bag. Sprinkle with the topping of your choice and enjoy!

Just Desserts: Buttermilk Pound Cake

After making those pumpkin cookies, you may have some left over buttermilk. I found this delightful recipe from All Recipes for a buttermilk pound cake. It's the recipe trifecta: delicious, low maintenance, and good for breakfast (that's our trifecta anyway).

We drizzled the lemon glaze from our Lemon Ricotta Cookies on top for some added zing (1.5 cups of powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons of lemon juice, zest of one lemon. Stirred until smooth).

Pop over to All Recipes for the full cake recipe!

Just Desserts: Pumpkin Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting

It's Thanksgiving time, which means pumpkin everything. We spotted this intriguing pumpkin black and white cookie recipe from Serious Eats and tweaked it a little.

The texture of these cookies is a great mash-up between a cookie and a cupcake: slightly crispy edges and a spongy middle texture. You have the option of making your own cream cheese frosting (like we did for our pumpkin roll with cream cheese frosting) or take it easy on yourself and purchase some of the premade stuff. 

Prep time: 30 mins (not including softening time for the butter)
Bake time: 10 minutes per baking sheet

Cookies:

• 3 cups  all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup buttermilk 
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice blend
• 3/4 cup salted butter
• 3/4 cup (5 1/3 ounces) dark-brown sugar, firmly packed
• 2/3 cup (4 3/4 ounces) sugar
• 15 ounces pumpkin puree (one can)
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg

Pre-heat oven to 350 and line your baking sheets with wax paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and pumpkin pie spice blend. Set aside.

In a larger bowl, cream together softened butter, brown sugar. Then, alternate combining the flour mix and pumpkin puree with the butter mixture. Once fully combined, add in the buttermilk, egg, and vanilla extract. 

Using an overflowing tablespoon, drop dollops of the batter onto the lined baking pan, spacing them about 2 inches apart. Flatten the cookies to roughly 2 inches of diameter. Bake for 10 minutes, until edges are browned and the middle is spongy. Cool for 15 minutes then frost. 

Just Desserts: Lemon Ricotta Cookies With Lemon Glaze

We had some leftover lemons from our lemon squares and decided to venture into the other citrusy desserts. A search on the Food Network yielded a great lemon ricotta cookie recipe from Giada De Laurentiis

The cookies are cake-like, with a moist center and crispy edges. The lemon glaze gives it a nice zesty finish and an extra savory flavor. The original recipe calls for big drop cookies, about two tablespoons, but we opted for a healthy tablespoon instead because we love bite sized cookies.  

We didn't change too much from the original recipe; what we did below was make it a bit easier for beginner bakers or just those with small spaces. We baked two cookie sheets simultaneously in the oven; be careful with the sheet on the bottom rack. This may bake faster than the top rack and you should take it out about 3 minutes before the top rack. 

Prep time: 20 minutes

Bake time: 30 minutes
Cooling time: 20 minutes 

Ingredients:

Cookies:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• dash of salt
• 8 tablespoons butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 15 oz. container whole milk ricotta cheese
• Juice of 1 lemon, about 3 tablespoons 
• 1 lemon, zested (if you don't have a microfine grater, try using the smallest grade grater you have)

Glaze:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lemon, zested

In a bowl combine the flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. 

Combine the softened butter and sugar in a fairly large bowl. We recommend using an electric mixer (but if you don't have one, softening the butter is key). With the mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, until it looks like freshly fallen snow. Mix in the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated.

Add the ricotta cheese, lemon juice, and lemon zest; hand mix to combine. Gradually stir in the dry ingredients, about 1/3 at a time. Mix until fully combined. 

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line 2 baking sheets with either a silicon mat or parchment paper. Spoon a healthy tablespoon for each cookie, keeping about 1.5 inches between cookies. Bake for 15 minutes, until slightly golden at the edges. Remove from the oven and cool the cookies on the baking sheet for 20 minutes.

While the cookies are resting, create your glaze. Mix all the ingredients together and stir until you work out all the powdered sugar lumps. Drop 1/2 teaspoon of glaze in the middle of the cookie and use the back of a spoon to spread the glaze. Let cool for about 10 minutes, then if desired, add another layer of glaze.

Let the cookies cool and the glaze harden for at least 90 minutes before removing from the cookie sheets. 

Just Desserts: Lemon Squares

We've all been gripped with the potluck anxiety of, what do I bring that will show off (Googled) culinary skills, but won't keep me in the kitchen all day? We always fall back on dips or desserts and this recipe falls in the sweets category.

Lemon squares combine a buttery crust and a tart, yet mild, citrus flavor. This recipe, taking into account squeezing fresh lemon juice, took approximately one hour and can be made 24 hours in advance.

Once again, we looked to the trusty Cooking Light for this recipe, and tweaked it to our skill level and pantry contents. 

Bakers tip: Don't over-bake this! The lemon topping shouldn't be completely solid, but almost like a custard or jelly. When squeezing the lemons for juice, be sure to have a wire mesh handy to catch any seeds or pulp. 

Prep time: 25 minutes
Bake time: 20-22 minutes

Ingredients:

Crust:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 

• 3 tablespoons butter, softened

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 

Lemony goodness:

• 3 large eggs

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 teaspoons grated lemon rind

• 4 medium sized lemons to yield 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 

• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/8 teaspoon salt

• 2 teaspoons powdered sugar, for topping

1. Preheat oven to 350° and begin mixing the ingredients for the crust. Beat 1/4 cup granulated sugar and the butter at medium speed of a mixer until creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Do not pack the 1 cup of flour, then level with a sharp edge. Gradually add the flour to sugar mixture, beating at low speed until it looks like small, fine crumbs. Gently press mixture into bottom of an 9x13 or 8x8 inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 15 minutes; cool on a wire rack.

1. For the lemon topping, beat eggs at medium speed until foamy and bubbly. Add the 3/4 cup granulated sugar and next ingredients through salt. Whisk or beat until mixture is well-blended. 

1. Pour lemon mixture over partially baked crust. Bake at 350° for 20 to 22 minutes (in a gas oven) or until set and you see a few brown edges. You'll know it's done when you stick a toothpick and it comes out a little gooey, but not liquid. 

1. While the squares are still hot, evenly spread the powdered sugar. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving. 

No-bake Pralines

A trip to NOLA isn't complete without a visit to Southern Candymakers on Decatur St. We had our first, right off the stove pralines from them in 2009 and have always made it a stop when in the city. 

This praline recipe is from The Kitchn and helped us satisfy cravings when not in the Big Easy. Since this is our first foray into candy making, we followed it closely, but included some tips for first timers below. 

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups  white sugar
• 3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup whole milk (but it seems 2% is fine)
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 cups pecans, roughly chopped

Absolutely essential equipment:

• Candy thermometer, because 220°F looks like 240°F and you don't want underdone candy
• Silicon spatula for stirring
• Deep pot for the mixture
• Parchment paper, foil or a silicon mat to cool the pralines

Place a long sheet of parchment paper where you want the pralines to set. A silicon mat works too. Have a ladle in the same area, and an extra spoon in case you need to scrape the candy from the ladle. 

You'll need a fairly deep pot for the candy and a silicon spatula to stir. The candy stuck too much to wooden spoons!

Combine all the ingredients in the pot and heat over medium-high heat, stirring to ensure the butter melts. Once the mixture starts to boil, stir constantly. You'll notice the mixture become cloudy and it will start to thicken. After about 5 minutes, check the temperature with a candy thermometer. The candy will be ready at 240°F.

When the mixture reaches 240, take it off the heat, but keep stirring. Using your ladle, drop small to medium spoonfuls of the candy on the parchment. Cool the pralines for at least 10 minutes then enjoy! These will keep for 5-7 days in an airtight container, but are the most delicious as soon as they cool!

Pumpkin Roll Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

We wanted to celebrate our 100th post with a special treat. A roll cake looks deceptively easy, but we learned the hard way it takes some practice and more patience to create. However, all the hard work does pay off as it's delicious and a fun, non-traditional dessert. The baking process also lends itself to some great stories. We ad libbed this recipe from All Recipes, which provided a great base. 

Before embarking on this journey, it would behoove you to read this 'how-to' from Cooking Light. We'll also outline the process below-but just in case you wanted a second opinion. 

Some key equipment you'll need to guarantee success:

• 15x10x1 baking sheet. We tried to cheat with a regular cookie sheet, and it's too big. It makes the cake too thin and susceptible to tearing during the rolling process.
• Wax paper: can't roll the cake without it.
• Smooth (read: no textures) kitchen towel. Anything with raised patterns just gives the cake more surface to latch onto, increasing the chance of tearing.
• Mesh strainer: this will help evenly spread the powdered sugar. 

Prep time: 30 mins

Cook time: 1h 15 mins (including cooling)

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 2/3 cup canned pumpkin
• Juice from half a lemon (around 1-1.5 teaspoons)
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus extra for pan/paper
• 2.5 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 6 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup powdered sugar, plus extra to dust linen towel
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (great time to use your homemade extract)

Preheat oven to 375. In a medium sized bowl, beat eggs on high until foamy, about 5 minutes. Gradually introduce the sugar until it's thick. Mix in pumpkin and lemon juice. 

Combine flour, cinnamon, baking powder and salt and fold into the pumpkin mixture.

Grease your baking pan and line it with wax paper. Grease and flour the paper to ensure the cake does not stick. Spread the batter evenly on the pan. Bake for about 12-15 minutes, until the cake is springy to the touch. While the cake is baking prepare the linen towel: dust liberally with confectioners sugar 

Immediately flip the cake out of the pan and onto the linen towel. Peel off the wax paper backing and roll the cake, short end first. Cool for about 30 minutes. 

While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Mix softened cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla until well combined. 

When the cake is slightly cool to the touch, carefully unroll it and spread the icing over the cake, up to about 1 inch of the edges. Roll it back up, sans towel. If your cake does tear, don't fret and use the icing like glue to keep it all together. Cover it with cling wrap and chill until ready to serve. (Trust us, it does taste better chilled).

Vanilla Rice Pudding

Rice pudding recipes are pretty easy to find online (thanks Google!). However, we wanted to post this as we used our fresh vanilla beans. 

While we've always read about the difference in taste with fresh vanilla, we didn't fully believe it until we actually had some.

Here's a standard recipe for vanilla rice pudding-with the added bonus of using fresh beans. Note: the thought crossed our mind to reduce the fat intake ever-so-slightly with skim milk. We learned the hard way that it tastes watery and not great with skim. Go with the whole milk and pretend it's skim.

Cook time: 45 minutes

• 1.5 cups water
• 3/4 cup basmati or short grain rice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 cups whole milk 
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 3/4 vanilla bean scrapings

Bring the water, rice, and salt to simmer in a large pot, uncovered. Once simmering, reduce heat to low and cover. Stir occasionally and simmer until the rice absorbs the water.

Add in the milk, whipping cream, and sugar, then scrape in the vanilla. Uncover and set to medium heat.

Cook until it thickens (about 35-45 minutes) and enjoy. We enjoy a cold rice pudding, but this can be served warm as well.

Late to the Christmas Party: Christmas Cookies

Experimented for the first time with cookie cutters over the holiday season, and I must say there's a lot more than meets the eye. While I do call these Christmas cookies, this recipe is great to use for any shaped cookie cutters and makes about 12-18 cookies, depending on the size of the cookie cutters.

A word to the wise on cutters: try to go for simpler shapes. The more complicated ones with intricate designs tend to not come out as planned.

Icing: This is enough for 15 to 18 cookies. Liquid or paste dyes will work.

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 1 egg whites
• 3 or 4 drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Food coloring

Mix the sugar, egg white, and lemon juice in a small bowl until smooth and creamy. It should have the consistency of heavy cream (you may need to add a bit more sugar). Add desired food coloring.

Sugar Cookies:

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1/4 teaspoon vanilla, nutmeg or any other flavoring
• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, milk and flavoring. Sift flour. Mix baking powder with 1 cup flour, combine mixtures, then add the rest of the flour. Chill for at least 39 minutes. When rolling the cookies, generously flour the board and rolling pin. Roll to about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into desired shapes. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon, chopped nuts. Bake in a moderately hot oven, 375 degree F., 8 to 10 minutes.

Reinventing Crispy Rice Treats

Everyone loves a fresh Rice Krispie treat. I decided to put a bit of a twist on it by using Marshmallow Fluff...Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff! The Fluff adds a bit more sweetness to the treats and the strawberry flavoring doesn't add much to the flavor, but it sure does look cool. If you can't find pink fluff, pink marshmallows could also do the trick. This is a very fun and cheap dessert that's designed to share with a group.

Check the ingredients below:

• 3 tablespoons of butter, with more for the serving dish
  
• 5 cups of crispy rice cereal
• 1 jar of Strawberry Marshmallow Fluff OR 1 package (10 oz) of regular sized, pink marshmallows

Prepare a dish with cooking spray or butter for the treats.

Melt the butter in a large pot, then add the fluff. Be warned though-fluff is tough to work with and is very, very sticky. A silicon spatula with a spoon for scraping works pretty well. Once the butter and fluff are mixed together, take the pot off the heat and add the crispy rice cereal, stir until the fluff and cereal are well mixed. When it's cool, cut into squares and enjoy!

Reinventing: Strawberry Icebox Cake

The Kitchn recently posted a few no bake desserts and the recent heat wave definitely put me off turning the oven on. The strawberry icebox cake (original recipe here ) caught my eye. The recipe calls for regular graham crackers, but I used Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers and it gave the dessert a really great flavor. I also used the homemade whipped cream recipe.

• 2 pounds of fresh strawberries
• 1 serving of whipped cream
• 1 16 oz container of Trader Joe's Cinnamon Graham Crackers

Slice the strawberries thinly and set aside. Make the whipped cream. In a 9x13 inch pan, lay down a layer of whipped cream. The next layer should be the graham crackers, with two at the top laid width wise, followed by 2 rows of three laid length wise, then the last two at the bottom width wise. Throw another layer of whipped cream on there, followed by strawberries. Keep layering, finishing with a layer of strawberries. You should have three layers. Cover the dish and refrigerate for a minimum of 4 hours. The time in the fridge softens the graham crackers and blends everything together.

This is a great dessert to make in a small kitchen. You use a minimal amount of dishes and counter space. By my count, you only use the 9x13 dish, the bowl for the whipped cream, a knife and a chopping board. Minimal amount of stuff for a pretty summer dessert.

Just desserts: Whipped Cream

Whipped cream is surprisingly not a misnomer. It is literally whipped heavy cream. Fresh, homemade whipped cream adds a richness to a dessert that most store bought whipped cream is missing. It's super easy and takes about 10 minutes with a hand mixer.

• 3 cups of heavy whipping cream
• 1/3 cup confectioner's sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

With a hand mixer on low, whip the cream until it forms soft peaks. Beat the sugar and vanilla...and that's it.
Make sure you use a glass or metal bowl to keep the cream cool.

I find this is cheaper than buying the pre-made stuff and only requires a small bit of effort. And in a small kitchen, this is a very easy dish as it only uses one dish!

Just Desserts: Dulche de Leche

Chemistry is a wonderful thing. 1 15 oz can of sweetened condensed milk + 1 pot of water + 3.5 hours = dulche de leche. Seriously.

Dulche de leche is similar to caramel, only in a more jelly form. It's a traditional Spanish dessert, but not to be confused with flan. A diverse dessert, it can be used as a garnish or eaten alone.

Take your standard can of sweetened condensed milk and take the label off. Make sure the can is submerged in water the whole time-THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT OR THE CAN WILL EXPLODE!

Cover the pot and keep at a steady boil for 3 hours. Then turn off the heat and keep covered for 30 minutes. Open the can and enjoy!

This is particularly tasty when paired with fried plantains.

Dessert: Chocolate Malt Pudding

I'm going to put this out there: pudding is really easy to make. This chocolate pudding takes about 10 minutes. You can serve it right out of the pan warm, or you can refrigerate it and serve it cold. I like to use high quality chocolate, as the chocolate makes up the majority of ingredients of this dish.

• 1/4 cup malted milk powder (Ovaltine works)
• 5 Tbsp. sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 2 1/4 cups half and half
• 4 oz semi sweet chocolate, finely chopped
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• Malted milk balls, for toppings

Whisk together malted milk powder, sugar, cornstarch in pan. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the half and half until it's smooth. Add the remaining half and half and cook the mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly until it thickens. (this happens pretty dramatically, and the mixture will take the consistency of pudding)


Remove the pan from heat and add in the chocolate. You can serve it now or put it in the fridge. Easy peasy.

This is a pretty cheap dessert, depending on the type of chocolate you purchase.

Dessert: Meringue Kisses

Simple and tasty, meringue cookies are a satisfying snack. The ingredient list is short but the process is sticky and lengthy. Here's the classic Joy of Cooking meringue kisses recipe:

• 3 large egg whites
• 1/4 tsp cream of tar tar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2/4 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat the oven to 225 degrees.

Beat in a medium glass or metal bowl the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Increase the speed to high and beat the mixture until it beings to form soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and keep mixing until well combined. Reduce the speed to low and add the vanilla. Beat until the meringue is glossy and stands in very stiff peaks.
Line 2 cookie sheets with wax paper, or leave ungreased. You can use a zipper topped plastic bag to pipe the meringue into 1 1/4 inch drops, or use tablespoons to drop the batter. Make sure they are about 1 inch apart.

Bake for 45 minutes, rotating the sheet half way through. Turn the heat off and leave the meringues in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until cool.

Dessert: Cream Cheese Brownies

Combining two of my favorite things, chocolate and cream cheese, these brownies really hit the spot. I took this recipe from Cooking Light and tweaked it a bit. Their recipe calls for making your own brownies, but I cheated a bit and just used brownies from a box. Probably made this not so "light," but nonetheless, they were delicious and easy to make.

For my cheaters recipe, just follow the brownie instructions on the box. For the cream cheese topping:

• 1 (8-ounce) block 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
• 1 large egg

And per Cooking Light: "To prepare topping, place cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Gradually add cornstarch and remaining ingredients; beat until smooth. Spread evenly over batter. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until set. Cool in pan on a wire rack."

Banana Muffin Bread

I use this banana bread recipe to make giant banana muffins because I don't have a loaf pan. Yes, those pans are only $7, but whatever giant muffins are much more fun. To make the muffins I use ceramic bakeware. this is also a great use for ripe bananas.

Banana Muffin Bread
Makes 2 muffins or 1 8.5 x 4.5 loaf of bread

1.5 cups flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup sugar
3/4 stick of butter at room temperature
1 large egg
2 medium sized, ripe banans

Heat oven to 350. Grease the bakeware. Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Beat in the egg and mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients slowly, mixing until well combined. If you are using muffin type bakeware, fill it up only half way.


Bake for about 45 minutes.