Sourdough Chocolate Cake

by penji1

This was really good. The recipe came with a cream cheese frosting which I’ve included but I decided to use a streusel topping instead, recipe here and also included in the recipe.

CAKE

1 cup flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

3/4 cup cocoa

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup sourdough starter

2 eggs

1/2 cup sour cream

1 cup canola oil

1/2 cup coffee or water

1 teaspoon vanilla

STREUSEL TOPPING

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

OR

CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1 For the cake, preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13″ pan with cooking spray.

2 In your mixer bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt and mix to combine.

3 Add starter, eggs, sour cream, oil, coffee or water, and vanilla and beat on medium for 3 minutes until well combined.

4 Pour batter into prepared pan.

5 For the streusel topping, mix together the chocolate chips, brown sugar, and nuts and sprinkle over the cake before baking.

6 Bake for about 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

7 Let cake cool completely.

8 For the cream cheese frosting, whisk together the powdered sugar and cocoa. Beat cream cheese and butter until well combined the gradually add the cocoa mixture until well combined. Frost cake and sprinkle with nuts.

recipe from Pinch My Salt

Bengal Beef Skewers

by penji1

It was my daughter’s birthday and she wanted kabobs so we decided to give this Disney knockoff recipe a try and it was almost as good as the ones we had at the Bengal Barbecue at Adventureland in Disneyland. I added some veggies to ours but the originals are all beef.

1/2 cup teriyaki sauce

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger or 1/4 teaspoon dried ginger

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons cold water

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 pound package kebab beef

6 – 12 (8″) wooden skewers

vegetables if desired, all cut into bite size pieces

1 zucchini

1 yellow squash

1 onion

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 Bring teriyaki sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, red wine vinegar, garlic powder, ginger, and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat, stirring often.

2 In a small bowl, whisk together water and corn starch.

3 Once sauce comes to a boil, remove from heat and gradually stir in cornstarch mixture. Allow sauce to cool for about 20 minutes. Pour half the sauce into a shallow dish.

4 Add meat chunks to sauce and stir to coat. Refrigerate overnight to marinate. Refrigerate remaining sauce in a separate container.

5 When ready to assemble skewers, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes. Thread meat chunks on skewers, alternating with veggies if using.

6 Preheat grill or grill pan for 10 minutes to medium heat.

7 Dip a folded paper towel in olive oil and hold with tongs to grease grill. Lay skewers on grill and spread with reserved marinade. Grill for about 8 minutes, flipping a few times while cooking.

recipe from “The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook”

Sourdough Coffee Cake with Cinnamon Streusel

by penji1

More fun with sourdough discard, this one was a big hit and almost completely gone the day it was made.

Look at those two beautiful layers of cinnamon streusel!

CAKE

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sourdough starter

1/2 cup sour cream or Greek yogurt

CINNAMON STREUSEL

1/4 cup cold butter, diced

1/4 cup flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 For the cake, preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 9″ or 8 x 8″ cake pan with cooking spray.

2 Beat butter and sugar until combined. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until fluffy. Whisk together dry ingredients in a separate bowl. Add 1/3 flour mixture to butter mixture and beat well, add sour cream and beat well, add 1/3 flour mixture and beat well, add sourdough discard and beat well, then add last 1/3 flour mixture and beat well.

3 For the topping, cut butter into flour with pastry cutter or two forks until butter is the size of peas. Stir in brown sugar and cinnamon.

4 Layer half the cake batter in pan and sprinkle with half the streusel. Gently spread remaining cake batter over streusel then top with remaining streusel.

5 Bake 40 – 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

recipe from Heart’s Content Farmhouse

Lemon Blueberry Lunch Box Tarts

by penji1

Made some more lunch box tarts yesterday, this time lemon blueberry.

The fam said they were delicious but I think they liked the Nutella ones more and honestly, can you blame them?

1 (17.3 oz) box frozen puff pastry sheets

3/4 cup lemon pie filling or lemon curd

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 cup powdered sugar

1 – 2 tablespoons heavy cream

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 Allow pastry to thaw at room temperature for 40 – 60 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2 Cut 1 sheet of pastry into 6 rectangles. Place 2 tablespoons of pie filling/curd in center of each piece, keeping edges clean. Place 6 blueberries into the lemon on each piece.

3 In a small bowl, whisk together egg and water. Brush along edges of each piece.

4 Cut 2nd pastry sheet into 6 rectangles. Gently push the middle/center of each piece up slightly to accommodate filling and place on top of each filled piece. Crimp edges with a fork.

5 Brush egg wash over each tart. Place tarts on baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 15 – 18 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 1 hour.

6 Whisk together sugar, cream, and lemon juice to make a thick glaze. Spoon glaze over each tart and top with blueberries.

recipe from “The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook

If you can’t go to Disney, then bring Disney to you!

Sourdough Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

by penji1

Another great recipe for using up both your sourdough discard and your overripe bananas. It was yummy!

2 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 cup sourdough discard

3 very ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup chocolate chips

1 Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray for baking.

2 Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.

3 In your mixer bowl, beat together oil and sugar and until well combined. Add in eggs, discard, bananas, and vanilla and mix well. Gradually beat in flour. Stir in chocolate chips by hand. Sprinkle some chocolate chips over the top of the loaf.

4 Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pan 10 – 15 minutes before removing.

recipe from This Unmillennial Life

Chocolate Hazelnut Lunch Box Tarts

by penji1

I made these little beauties last night for a treat for the fam. They were awesome and gone in a flash, the sign of really good treats.

Look at how poofy they got! Like biting into a little chocolate cloud. It’s another Disney recipe, this one is from Toy Story Land in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

1 (17.3 oz) box frozen puff pastry

3/4 cup Nutella

1 egg

1 tablespoon water

1 cup powdered sugar

2 – 4 tablespoons heavy cream

2 tablespoons cooked bacon bits

1 Allow pastry to thaw at room temperature for 40 minutes. Preheat oven to 400. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2 Using a pizza cutter, cut one sheet of pastry into 6 rectangles. Place 2 tablespoons Nutella in the middle of each piece, keeping edges clean. Spread slightly, still keeping edges clean.

3 Beat egg and water in a small bowl then brush along clean edges of each piece.

4 Cut second pastry sheet into 6 pieces. Using your fingers, push the middle of each piece up slightly to accommodate the Nutella. Place one piece over each Nutella filled piece and crimp all edges with a fork.

5 Brush remaining egg wash over each tart. Lay tarts on prepared baking sheet. Bake until golden brown about 15 – 18 minutes. Allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

6 Whisk together powdered sugar and heavy cream until you have a thick glaze. Spread over each tart and top with bacon bits. (My family liked them better without the bacon bits.)

recipe from The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook

St Patrick’s Pots of Gold Cookies

by penji1

I have a project coming up, a tv show that is going to keep me busy for all of March and a good chunk of April so I’m trying to get in some baking and holiday baking before it starts. So I made these sugar cookie cups and also . . .

these chocolate dipped Oreos for St Patrick’s Day porch treats. (Click here for an explanation of porch treats.) They are both pretty easy to put together.

Sugar Cookie Cups (AKA St Patrick’s Pots of Gold Cookies)

1 pouch sugar cookie mix plus ingredients called for to make sugar cookies

bag of mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cups, unwrapped

St Patrick’s Day themed sprinkles and gold sprinkles

1 Preheat oven to temperature called for on cookie pouch. Spray a mini muffin with cooking spray for baking.

2 Prepare cookie dough according to package directions. Using a mini sized scoop, place a small scoop of dough into each well of mini muffin pan. Bake for about 10 – 15 minutes or until they start to brown slightly.

3 Remove from oven and immediately press a mini Reeses Peanut Butter Cup into each cookie. As soon as you can see the top of the Reeses start to get soft and melt, sprinkle with desired sprinkles.

4 Allow to cool in pan for about 10 – 15 minutes before removing carefully to rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Dipped Oreos

1 bag Wilton Green Candy Melts

1 package of Oreos

St Patrick’s Day sprinkles and gold sprinkles

Melt candy melts according to package directions. Dip Oreos in melted candy melts and set on parchment covered cookie sheets. Immediately top with sprinkles. Allow to set before handling.

Double Chocolate Sourdough Bread

by penji1

Combining two of my favorite things – chocolate and sourdough! Alas I can’t tell you how it tasted because I took it to my neighbor Chelsea for her birthday. It smelled amazing! Guess I’ll just have to make another loaf!

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup cocoa

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

6 tablespoons butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1 cup sourdough discard

1/4 – 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 Preheat oven to 350. Spray loaf pan with cooking spray for baking.

2 Whisk together flour, cocoa, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

3 Beat butter and sugar until well combined and creamy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well between each addition.

4 Add 1/3 of flour mixture and beat well then add 1/3 of sourdough discard and beat well. Repeat two more times.

5 Pour into prepared pan and bake for 14 minutes. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of loaf and bake for an additional 20 – 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

6 Cool in pan 10 – 15 minutes before removing to cool completely.

recipe from Of Ordinary Things

Caramel Pecan Bars

by penji1

These were seriously so good and pretty easy to make. I highly recommend them.

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 cups flour

1 (4.51 oz) bag Werther’s Original Soft Caramels, unwrapped

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk

3/4 cup chopped pecans

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9 x 13″ pan with cooking spray.

2 Beat butter, sugar, and salt until well combined. Add flour slowly and mix until well combined. Press 2/3 of the dough into the prepared pan.

3 Melt caramels and milk in microwave for 1 1/2 minutes. Remove and stir then microwave for an additional minute. Stir until melted and smooth. Stir in pecans and vanilla.

4 Pour caramel sauce over dough in pan. Scatter remaining dough over caramel layer.

5 Bake until edges are bubbling and golden brown, about 25 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into bars.

recipe from “The Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook”

St Patrick’s Lucky Charms Cupcakes

by penji1

I have lots of work coming up so I’m trying to get some baking in before that happens and also some seasonal treats before I don’t have time for anything! I made these for porch treats and they were gone pretty quickly. (Click here for more info on porch treats.)

1 batch vanilla cupcakes from this recipe here, baked in gold cupcake liners for “the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” (I also mixed in 1 cup of confetti chips from Walmart just to make the inside of the cupcakes fun too)

1 tub green frosting (I cheated this time and used a tub of Betty Crocker green frosting but this is a great recipe here if you want to make homemade frosting and just tint it green)

1 big box Lucky Charms cereal

1 1/2 packs of Airheads Xtremes Rainbow Berry Candies

1 Bake cupcakes according to recipe instructions in gold liners and let cool.

2 Frost with green frosting and immediately top with a generous handful of Lucky Charms cereal. (You don’t have to get fancy with the frosting since the Lucky Charms will cover it all up.)

3 Cut airheads in half and drape over Lucky Charms topped cupcakes.

Happy St Patrick’s Day!