cake pops

Cake pops are great because they are cute, portion controlled desserts that you can easily make for any occasion.  You can make them any flavor, and you can dye the shell any color.

They are a bit obnoxious to make if you aren't paying close attention, but that is mainly because of dipping the pops into the shell coating.

I got my favorite cake pop recipe off the Nordic Ware website.  It makes great fudgy pops.  I apologize in advance for the horrible pictures for this recipe.  I don't know what happened.

In a small pot heat the butter and chocolate chips until they have melted and become smooth and shiny.  Stir often to prevent burning, and don't let it boil.

When the butter and chocolate look like this take it off the heat and pour it into the bowl of a stand mixer.

Mix in sugar and cocoa powder

It should end up well mixed and stay shiny

Add 2 eggs (one at a time) mixing well in between.  Lastly, mix in flour and salt.

If you have a cake pop mold like me spray it well and add a large tablespoon full to each divet.  They should bubble up a bit, remember, they will rise but you want to end up with a full sphere.  A little too much is better than a deflated looking pop.

If you don't have a cake pop mold pour the batter into a prepped 9x9 baking dish.

Checking on cake pop molds in the oven can be tricky.  You can't take the top off, and if they are under cooked they won't hold together well.  When in doubt, give them an extra 2 minutes.

When they are done pull them out of the oven and let them sit for several minutes.  Pull any overflow pop off the tops (they should come off easily), then take the top pan off.  Let the pops cool, then place them on a cooling rack.

If you didn't spray your mold thoroughly enough, or just have some very resistant pops and they break while being taken out, don't worry.

This isn't entirely fair because I'm truly terrible at making "classic" cake pops look pretty.  This is why I use a mold, but I thought I should show both ways anyway.  I've already explained the mold version, the classic version involved crumbling up the baked and cooled cake and mixing in with frosting, just enough to hold it all together.  In this case I've used chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  Try to make the cake pop into the best ball you can.

Sometimes the molded cake pops get a ring around the middle.  Grab a pairing knife and quickly trim this off.

Sorry, I don't know why I don't have a picture of the actual process, but make a batch of royal icing with whatever color food coloring you want and water it down (very slowly) until it reaches the consistency able to dip the pops in.  Pour your icing into a cup for ease.  I find the red solo cups to be perfect for this.  Dip the stick in the icing an inch, then stick it in the pop.  Dip the whole pop into the cup, then tap it gently to release extra icing.  Set the pop gently onto a freezer bag or parchment paper to set.  Allow the pops at least several hours to set fully.  Do not refrigerate.  When they are set you can decorate additionally with royal icing.  Since the pops are not flat make sure the icing is very firm and/or cold to prevent dripping.  Spot the creepy exorcist needing pop that was made with icing that wasn't cool enough?

I know traditionally cake pops are coated with candy melts mixed with crisco.  I hate white chocolate and crisco.  Why would I want to smother my chocolate pops with that?  Ugh.  This is why I use royal icing.

One of my favorite parts about cake pops is that you can make them up to 3 days in advance.  The icing coating covers them completely and keeps them moist.

Jeff insisted I take a picture of the exorcist needing pop because it is hilarious.  Liam told me that the pop looked sad and that Jeff needed to eat it.

Here is Liam's "happy" cake pop.

Give a kid a cake pop and you have a happy kid for ... at least an hour.   :)

See how fudgy and delicious this looks?

Here is my favorite cake pop recipe.  Nordic Ware's fudgy cake pops

and use this royal icing to cover the pops

basic spaghetti squash with marinara

I wasn't very familiar with spaghetti squash until recently.  I had seen the occasional recipe using it on Pinterest, but that was about it.  Last week we got one in our produce box and I was pretty excited to try it.
Random tangent: We get a produce box delivered to us every other week and it is my favorite thing ever!  It is fresh, local, and has a good mix of basics (carrots and celery) and new or more exciting items (spaghetti squash and pomegranates).  I'd been wanting to try spaghetti squash in particular for a while, but I probably would have taken longer to remember to get one if one wasn't literally dropped at my doorstep.

First step is to cut the spaghetti squash in half long wise and scrap out in seeds and gunk in the middle.  Season lightly with olive oil, salt and pepper.  Pop them in the oven at 350 degrees  F for 45 minutes.  For ease of cleanup place them on a lipped baking pan lined with parchment paper.

Remove from the oven when the squash is fork tender.

Note:  I only used half of the squash for this recipe because it was a huge one.  A single half still ended up being enough for four large servings.  I roasted and scraped both halves, but put half in a freezer bag in the freezer (duh) for later use.

In the meantime start the marinara.  Frankly, if you are in a rush or short on ingredients you can use store bought marinara, but I like this version better.  I wanted marinara that was loaded with garlic, something that wouldn't be too thick and chunky to overpower the squash.

Dice the garlic and saute it in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes.  Add 3 cups (fresh or canned) of diced tomato, and season to taste with basil, oregano, salt, pepper, and a dash of chili powder.  Cook on medium heat until the tomato juice has cooked down a bit and thickened.  If the sauce is done before the squash has finished cooking take it off heat and set it to the side.

When the squash is done take it out and let it cool to the touch.   Then grab a fork and gently scrape out the squash.  It should be very easy.  All that should be left is the hard outer edge.  Add the squash into the sauce and heat until warm.  Mix well to incorporate the sauce.

Sprinkle with parmesan cheese if desired.  I recommend having some crusty bread with this too.  Use it to soak up sauce.  So good!

As much as I love this recipe I would never lie and say that this tastes EXACTLY like pasta.  It is totally different but still amazing.  I feel like I had to say that because of my experience with tofu.  I might have liked tofu but I was told it tasted JUST like vanilla ice cream, so of course I took a huge bite of it and have hated it ever since.  So here it is again.  Spaghetti squash does not taste or feel like pasta, but still goes well with marinara and is delicious.

This dish also reheats really well.  You'd never know it was reheated in the microwave by the taste.

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basic spaghetti squash with marinara

by Liesl October-27-2014

like spaghetti but with way less calories

Ingredients

• 1/2 large spaghetti squash (or 1 whole small squash)
• 1 tbsp olive oil, divided
• pinch salt and pepper to taste
• 4 cloves garlic, diced
• 3 cups tomatoes, diced (canned or fresh)
• 2 tsp basil
• 1 tsp oregano
• pinch chili powder
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Cut squash in half length wise. Drizzle each half with 1 tsp olive oil, and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Place on parchment paper on a lipped baking pan. Roast for 45 minutes or until fork tender.
2. While the squash is roasting start the sauce. Heat the diced garlic in a pan with the remaining 1 tsp olive oil. Cook on medium heat for several minutes until fragrant. Add the diced tomatoes and seasonings. If the sauce needs it, add the optional 1 tsp of sugar. Keep on medium heat, stirring occasionally until the liquid begins to evaporate and the sauce thickens. If the sauce is ready before the squash take it off heat and set to the side.
3. When the squash is done take it out of the oven and let it sit for a few minutes until it is cool enough to touch. If the squash is small use the whole thing, if it is large, set half aside to use later. Using a fork scrape the inside of the squash until all that is left is the hard outer part. The scraped squash should resemble spaghetti. Add this part in with the sauce and mix together well. When this is mixed well and heated to your liking, remove from heat and serve. Pairs well with parmesan and crusty bread. 
4. If you are only using half the squash for the recipe scrape the other half into a freezer bag and store in the freezer to use later.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins 
Cook time: 45 mins 
Total time: 1 hour 
Yield: 4 large servings

pumpkin cinnamon rolls

It is amazing how difficult it is to get a new blog post out when half the house has colds, one is teething, and you are trying to finish up Halloween related everything!  I honestly can't remember the last time I had more than 10 minutes to myself, or enough sleep to not make me crave a portable IV drip (someone get one that design please.  Stat!).

Last night I finally had a few minutes when the kids were happily playing together and I was able to whip up some overnight pumpkin cinnamon rolls.  As you might notice from my other two cinnamon roll recipes on this blog, I really like sweet breakfast foods.  I got a bit bored with the plethora of pumpkin recipes currently all over Pinterest, but I wanted to try a new recipe for cinnamon rolls, and not only is this one great for Fall, but its not quite as bad for you as other cinnamon rolls.  I could had said they are healthy, but that would just be a flat out lie.

Combine softened butter, milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a mixer until smooth.

Add the egg and yeast and mix well again.

Combine the AP and whole wheat flours into a small bowl and add slowly until the dough is soft, pillow-y, and not sticky.

Knead for several minutes, then place a towel over the bowl and let it rest for at least an hour, until the dough has inflated.

Drop the dough out onto a floured surface.

Roll the dough out into a rectangle.

Evenly spread the filling, starting with the melted butter over the dough, trying to leave the bottom 1/2" or so bare.

Roll the dough into a roll starting with the side furthest from you.  Pinch the ends into the roll to seal.

Cut the roll into 12 even pieces.

Place the rolls 3x4 in a prepped casserole dish.

I'm terrible at rolling out a perfect rectangle shape, so I always have one roll that is smaller and uglier than all the others.  No worries.

Bake the rolls at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes.  Check them halfway through.  If they look almost done but still feel very soft, loosely drape a sheet of foil over top.

The rolls are done when they are solid but still soft.  As soon as the rolls are out of the oven set them aside and begin work on the icing.

Mix the softened cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, and cinnamon together until smooth.

Pour the icing out onto the now warm cinnamon rolls.  If you haven't done it evenly enough, use a spatula to help cover the rolls better.

Enjoy these rolls warm or cool.  They still taste nice and cinnamon-y as cinnamon rolls should, but the pumpkin is so nice for the fall.  The use of some whole wheat flour makes them a mite healthier too.

Store covered in the fridge for up to several days.

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pumpkin cinnamon rolls

by Liesl October-24-2014

easy and delicious overnight pumpkin cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting

Ingredients for dough

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
• 1/3 cup milk
• 2/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/3 cup brown sugar, not packed
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
• pinch salt
• 1 large egg
• 2 1/4 tsp yeast
• 1 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1 3/4 cup whole wheat flour

Ingredients for filling

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup brown sugar, unpacked
• 2 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp cloves

Ingredients for icing

• 2 tbsp cream cheese, softened
• 3 tbsp milk
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1 tsp cinnamon

Instructions

1. Mix the softened butter with the milk, pumpkin, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt. When it is well mixed add in the egg and yeast and mix again. In a small bowl mix the AP and the whole wheat flours together and slowly add into the other ingredients. The dough should end up very soft and pillow-y, but should not be sticky.
2. Cover the bowl and let it sit for an hour. It should puff a bit. After an hour has passed knead the dough for a minute and lay out on a lightly floured counter. Roll the dough out into a rectangle and brush with melted butter. Evenly distribute the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and cloves over the dough, leaving the bottom 1/2" of dough empty. Roll the dough up starting with the edge furthest from you. Pinch the end of the dough into the roll to help secure it. Cut the roll into 12 even pieces and place 3x4 on a prepped casserole dish. Cover with plastic wrap and place into the fridge overnight.
3. In the morning place the cinnamon rolls on the cover uncovered for an hour. Bake at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Check on them halfway through, and if they look almost done on the top, but are still obviously not done, cover loosely with foil until finished. Remove from the oven and let cool on the counter while you make the icing. Ice while warm and enjoy warm or cool.
4. To make the icing mix softened cream cheese, milk, powdered sugar, and cinnamon until smooth. Pour out over the cinnamon rolls.

Details

Prep time: 9 hour 30 mins 
Cook time: 25 mins 
Total time: 9 hour 55 mins 
Yield: 12 rolls