Archive for May, 2009
Disappearing Marshmallow Brownies
These Gooey Treats Can Be Prepared in 15 Minutes!
This is a fun recipe from Allrecipes.com that I’ve made a few times and my family LOVES! The marshmallows really do disappear…and you can see them burst and melt away if you’re patient enough to watch. The kids will love making and eating this sweet dessert…which is both easy and quick! It took me about 15 minutes to prepare and about 23 to bake. I’m never patient enough to cool them thoroughly before I take a bite…but they’re delicious both warm and cool. I also love how versatile this recipe is, because I substituted semi-sweet chocolate for the butterscotch and it works really well too! Everyone will be thanking you for this delectable delight! Enjoy!
DISAPPEARING MARSHMALLOW BROWNIES
1/2 cup butter
1 cup butterscotch chips (I used semi-sweet chocolate)
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups miniature marshmallows
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used white chocolate chips for colour contrast)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9×13 inch pan.
Using a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butterscotch chips and butter together in the microwave, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the melted butterscotch chips, then the flour, baking powder, and salt until smooth. Stir in the marshmallows and chocolate chips last. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared baking pan.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes in preheated oven. Cool, and cut into squares.
Very Easy Berry Bliss Cake
Make This Gorgeous Cake In 20 Minutes!
When I saw this cake recipe in my latest edition of Kraft’s What’s Cooking magazine, I instantly fell in love. I could taste each layer of moist pound cake, creamy vanilla pudding and sweet berries in my mind! I could just imagine serving this impressive cake to my guests and hearing the compliments. And best of all, this dessert is easy and quick, taking only 20 minutes to prepare. Fortunately, berry season is here and I know that my local grocery store has blackberries, raspberries and strawberries on sale right now! Hmm, that’s exactly what I need for this recipe. Sounds like it’s meant to be! Check out the Kraft site and video for this recipe here.
BERRY BLISS CAKE
1 package (4-serving size) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
3/4 cup cold milk
1-1/2 cups thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping, divided
2 cups mixed raspberries and sliced strawberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1 10.75-ounce package frozen pound cake, cut into 3 layers
1/4 cup orange juice
In a medium bowl, add milk to dry pudding mix and beat with whisk for 2 minutes or until well blended. Stir in 1 cup whipped topping. In a separate bowl, combine berries and reserve 1/2 cup.
Brush each cake layer with orange juice. Place bottom layer on serving plate and top with half the remaining mixed berries, and half of the pudding mixture. Repeat with a second layer and top the third cake layer with 1/2 cup whipped topping and remaining berries; cover loosely with foil.
Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight. Store any leftovers in refrigerator. Makes 8 servings.
Awesome Orange Cake
Rich, moist, buttery…and it only takes about 1 hour to make!
Growing up I always wanted fancy, rich desserts. I loved my mom’s cheesecakes, black forest cakes, and anything with thick frosting. So when she made simple cakes sprinkled with icing sugar, I didn’t get very excited. Well, this Orange Cake may look plain but just one bite will put you in rich buttery heaven. The orange taste is very subtle and it’s not overly sweet. You may want to top it with a simple icing or just a dusting of confectioner’s sugar for added sweetness or a nicer presentation. I originally found this dessert at Allrecipes.com, and it’s actually called Bee Lian’s Rich Orange Cake. Thank you for this recipe Bee Lian, wherever you are! So whether you’re entertaining guests or just want to compliment any weeknight dinner, this cake will be enjoyed by both kids and adults. The moist texture and sweet buttery taste are to die for…just be sure to use real butter and not margarine. I’m so excited to share this dessert with you, which is both easy and quick by the way, taking about an hour start to finish. Enjoy…and you’re welcome!
BEE LIAN’S RICH ORANGE CAKE
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 egg yolks
1 cup self-rising flour
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
2 egg whites
1 pinch salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Grease one 8 inch round cake pan (my mom has used a bundt pan, which makes a small cake but looks pretty). Sift flour and set aside.
Cream butter, sugar and grated orange zest until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time. Fold in sifted flour, alternating with orange juice.
In another bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff and add a pinch of salt. Fold whisked egg whites into the mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into cake comes out clean.
Easy Chocolate Walnut Pie
Listen up Nut Lovers…it only takes 15 minutes to prep this pie!
I love nuts but my Dad is the King of all nut lovers! So when I went home to visit recently, I wanted to make him something special and what could be better than a Chocolate Walnut Pie? Did I mention that my dad is a huge chocolate fan too? The perfect combination! I found this recipe on Allrecipes.com and I was happy to see that the ingredients were simple and I had everything on hand. Even better is that this dessert is both easy and quick to make, especially if you use a ready-made crust! It only took me about 15 minutes to prepare the pie and then it was just a matter of waiting for it to bake…about 40 to 50 minutes. The result was a sweet chocolaty pie with a nutty crunch. Needless to say, my dad LOVED it…and the rest of my family enjoyed it too. Let me know what you think of this sweet treat. Enjoy!
EASY CHOCOLATE WALNUT PIE
3 eggs
2/3 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup margarine
2 (1 ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
1 cup corn syrup
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch single crust pie
Melt the margarine and the chocolate together, stirring until chocolate is smooth. Add eggs, sugar, salt, and syrup. Stir until everything is mixed thoroughly. Stir in walnuts and pour into unbaked pie shell.
Bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 40-50 minutes, or until pie is set. Let sit for 30 minutes before slicing.
Crush Your Hunger With This Smoothie
Only 145 Calories Per Cup…And It’s Filling!
In my last post, I shared some tips on how to reduce food cravings in the hopes of not over-indulging…something I know a little bit about lately. I’ve recently tried on some of my summer clothes from last year and discovered that I can no longer pull a few of them over my thighs. I wanted to blame my weight gain on my research for this website, but I honestly know that it’s because of my lack of will power and my never ending hunger. I always snack between meals and my choices aren’t the healthiest…somebody has to eat all those cookies and brownies I make for this site! So I was very happy to find this recipe on RealAge.com for a Buttermilk and Avocado Smoothie that promises only 1 cup will fill you up and only has 145 calories. Sounds good to me, and I LOVE avocado! This may not be the usual dessert recipe that I post, but don’t worry, there will be more delectable treats to come. In the meantime, I’m going to have a smoothie to crush my hunger. Enjoy!
TANGY & COOL BUTTERMILK & AVOCADO SMOOTHIE
1 cup organic fat-free cottage cheese, such as Horizon brand
2 cups 1% low-fat buttermilk
1/2 ripe avocado, peeled, seeded, and diced
1 tablespoon organic agave nectar, such as Madhava brand
4 ice cubes or 1/2 cup crushed ice
Place the cottage cheese and 1/2 cup of the buttermilk in a blender. Cover and blend until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the blender; add the avocado. Cover and blend until fairly smooth, about 30 seconds. Add the remaining buttermilk and the agave nectar; cover and blend 10 seconds. Add the ice; cover and blend until the smoothie is thick and the ice has melted.
Nutritional Information (per 1-cup serving; makes 4)
Calories: 145
Saturated fat: 1.5 grams
Unsaturated fat: 3 grams
Carbohydrates: 15 grams
Protein: 11 grams
Fiber: 2 grams
Calcium: 178 milligrams
Sodium: 342 milligrams
Magnesium: 7 milligram
Teasing Your Craving Can Make You Eat More!
Learn Easy Tips On How To Reduce Your Cravings!
When it comes to cravings, I know all about them. I crave sweets almost every single day! Occasionally I crave salt and must have potato chips too, but mostly it’s sugar. And it’s not always about chocolate for me. Sometimes my cravings are very specific, like one day I really needed a coffee cake, and that’s when I found the recipe for Easy Sour Cream Coffee Cake, which I posted on this site. Well, today I found a great article on RealAge.com that talks about why teasing your craving with just a little taste can actually cause you to develop even more cravings! The article is awesome because it gives you tips on how to reduce your food cravings. Here’s the explanation:
GOT A CRAVING? FORGET MODERATION
Just a tiny taste of a treat and you’ll be able to put the craving out of your head for good, right?
Nope. Leave the ice cream carton in the freezer. Put the bag of mini chocolates down. Don’t even look at them. In a study, just one taste of a treat triggered more indulgences a mere 25 minutes later.
Once people had a taste of an indulgence — such as a chocolate truffle — it awakened a need for more goodies. And things snowballed. They started craving things like ice cream, pizza, and potato chips. And only once the urge to indulge had been satisfied did the study participants focus once again on healthy foods like carrots, whole-wheat bread, low-fat yogurt, and pears.
For Raging Cravings . . .
Everyone craves comfort foods now and then. Just don’t act on those urges every time. Try these strategies for nipping a case of the munchies in the bud:
Eat an egg breakfast. Not only are eggs a good protein source, but they may help you pass up junk food later in the day, too.
Eat your three squares. When you skip meals, your taste buds will have a yen for the sweet and salty.
Grab a bit of whole-wheat bread and olive oil. The fats in olive oil turn off your hunger.
This is just an excerpt from the awesome article…you can indulge in the entire thing by clicking here.