Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Jul 16, 2012

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs are such a delicious and comforting dinner. Flavorful turkey meatballs in a sweet and spicy sauce.

So you know how I keep telling you guys that I suck at cooking dinner these days? Well I’m trying something new. I’m letting the boys each pick out a recipe every week so that they harass me until I eventually cook. I know, novel idea, cooking what my family wants and all. Anyway.

I sat both kids down in front of my Pinterest boards over the weekend and my 2 year old picked out these meatballs. (He also picked out the crinkle fries and corn on the cob. Smart kid.) Honey and chipotle is one of my favorite combinations and I knew it would be a hit with the boys as well. I did worry a little about the heat but I ended up using only 1 ½ chipotle peppers just to be safe.

They loved the meatballs, of course. Even the baby dug them! This was a quick and easy and definitely something I’ll be making again.

More Meatball Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 6 servings

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs are such a delicious and comforting dinner. Flavorful turkey meatballs in a sweet and spicy sauce.

Ingredients

1 ½ pound ground turkey
½ yellow onion, diced small
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
4 tablespoons honey
2-4 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the turkey, onion, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Use your hands to make sure it;s uniformly mixed but be careful not to overmix. Form into 16 golf ball-sized meatballs.
Put a large ovenproof skillet over medium to medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once it is shimmering, add the meatballs. Cook until they are browned on all sides, about 10 minutes. Move the skillet to the oven and bake for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the sauce over the meatballs. Bake for another 5 minutes (swirling the pan at the halfway point), or until the sauce has reduced to glaze the meatballs and the meatballs are cooked through. Make sure not to overcook!

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

Jul 09, 2012

I’m an only child – as if that wasn’t painfully obvious by the fact that I write (and I use that term loosely here) a completely me! me! me! blog. But I have a point here. Stay with me.

There are many great things about being an only child but there was always one thing that kept me up at night. The fact that I had to get married if I wanted to have nieces and nephews. Not only did I have to get married, but I needed to marry someone with lots of siblings so that my chance of getting a niece instead of a stinky nephew was better. I don’t lie when I say it kept me up at night. And then I would eventually get tired of obsessing over finding a man with 15 siblings so I would fling myself off the bed, being sure to bang a body part on the nightstand so that I had something to go whine to my parents about.

Well all my obsessing finally paid off and my husband’s brother and his girlfriend recently welcomed a baby girl into their family! A girl! A girl to buy clothes for! Granted, she lives in Virginia but still! A girl!!

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: about 48 cookies

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Cookies

from Bluebonnets and Brownies

Ingredients

1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, chilled
½ cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup cake flour
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon corn starch
1 cup 60% bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

Instructions

Sift together the flours, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and corn starch in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
Cut the chilled butter into 1 inch pieces. Put the white and brown sugars in a stand mixer bowl or large mixing bowl and mix until well combined and no lumps remain. Add cold cubed butter and continue to mix at medium speed. Add eggs, one at a time; continue mixing until well combined.
Add flour mixture to sugar mixture in increments until just incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips and walnuts by hand.
Refridgerate cookie dough overnight.
Preheat oven to 375F.
Using a large spoon or ice cream scoop, place dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper. For trays with 6 dough balls, bake about 14-15 minutes, 12 minutes for trays with less dough balls. As is the Levain style, the cookies should be removed from the oven when they look slightly underdone,

Cinnamon Rolls with Pecan Swirl

Jun 18, 2012

Out of everything I bake, I think cinnamon rolls are my favorite. Not necessarily to eat but the actual process of making them. There’s just something magical about taking so few ingredients and turning them into beautiful swirled rolls.

Because of that there are many, many, many recipes for cinnamon rolls lurking around my blog. But these guys, right here, they might be my favorite yet!

It starts with a brioche dough but don’t let that scare you! I told you in my last brioche post that I think brioche is one of the easier doughs to work with since it’s so silky and I still stand by that comment. My mixer does stress out a little but it’s no big deal since hand-kneading isn’t so bad when the dough is nice and smooth.

The filling starts with sour cream instead of the typical softened butter and then it’s topped with cinnamon, brown sugar, and toasted pecans. I think – if it’s possible – that the sour cream actually kept the rolls moister!

We loved these and believe me when I say that I’ll be making them again soon!

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 servings

Cinnamon Rolls with Pecan Swirl

from Food & Wine

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Additional Time 2 hours

Total Time 3 hours

Ingredients

For the dough:

2¼ teaspoons instant dry yeast
2 tablespoons warm water
¼ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
6 large eggs
4½ cups sifted all-purpose flour, 1¼ pounds, plus more for rolling
1½ teaspoons salt
3 sticks unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes and chilled

For the filling:

4 ounces pecans, 1 cup
1½ cups light brown sugar
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 cup sour cream
1 large egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

For the glaze:

1½ cups powdered sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Instructions

To make the dough:

In a medium bowl, combine the yeast with the warm water and 1 teaspoon of the sugar and let stand for 5 minutes, until foamy. Whisk in the 6 eggs.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the dough hook, mix the 4½ cups of sifted flour with the salt and the remaining ¼ cup of sugar. Add the yeast mixture and beat at medium speed until the dough is just moistened and very stiff. Add the butter a couple cubes at a time, waiting until it is at least partially kneaded into the dough before adding more cubes. Continue kneading until the butter is fully incorporated and the dough is smooth and silky, about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

To make the filling:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the pecans on a baking sheet and toast for about 8 minutes, until browned and fragrant. Let cool slightly, then roughly chop the pecans. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in the brown sugar and cinnamon.
Spray two 9—13-inch baking pans with oil. Working on a well-floured surface, divide the dough into 2 pieces. Take one piece and roll the dough out to a 12-by-16-inch rectangle. Spread half of the sour cream over the, leaving a ½-inch border all around. Sprinkle with half of the pecan filling. Roll up the dough from a long side into a tight cylinder and pinch to seal. Cut into 12 even slices; transfer rolls to baking pan, putting the cut side up. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling. Cover and let rise until almost doubled, about 30-45 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350F. Brush the tops and sides of the rolls with the egg wash and bake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until golden and risen.

To make the glaze:

Use an electric mixer to beat the powdered sugar with the butter, heavy cream and vanilla extract until thick and smooth. Spread the glaze on the hot cinnamon rolls.

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake

Jun 04, 2012

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake tastes just like a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll! Layers of chocolate cake with vanilla cream filling and chocolate buttercream.

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake - this cake tastes like a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll! Chocolate cake with vanilla cream filling and chocolate buttercream.

My husband and I have this weird thing where we hide boxes of Swiss Cake Rolls in each other’s closet and then laugh hysterically when the other person finds them. It never gets old. But anyway, he’s been gone for awhile now so there have been no Swiss Cake Rolls in the house.

And let me tell you, it does taste like a Swiss Cake Roll. But better! Because, in my world, a thick layer of buttercream is better than a thin glaze. The cake and the filling taste exactly like the rolls though!

Ingredients

All purpose flour – you will be using flour in the cake and the cream filling.
Cocoa powder – this is going in the cake and the frosting.
Baking soda
Salt
Vegetable oil – you can use canola oil or coconut oil if you prefer
Sugar – you will be using sugar in the cake and the filling.
Vinegar – this won’t make your cake vinegar-y. It reacts with the baking soda to create a really fluffy cake.
Vanilla – this is going in the cake, cream filling, and the frosting.
Milk – you will be using milk in the cake and the frosting.
Butter – this is going in the cream filling and the frosting.
Powdered sugar – you want to use powdered sugar in the frosting so the frosting is really smooth and creamy.

How To Make The Chocolate Cake

Prepare. Butter 2 (9-inch) round pans and then dust them with cocoa powder.
Dry ingredients. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Wet ingredients. Add vegetable oil, sugar, vinegar, vanilla and water.
Combine. Beat batter until smooth.
Transfer. Divide evenly between prepared pans.
Bake. Bake for about 25 minutes.
Cool. Cool completely before filling and frosting

How To Make The Cream Filling

Cook flour and milk. Whisk together flour and milk in a saucepan. Cook mixture until thickened. Let cool.
Beat. Beat together cooled flour mixture, butter, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy.
Cool. Cool completely before filling the cake

How To Make The Chocolate Frosting

Combine. Beat together butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla.
Add sugar. Alternately add sugar and milk until desired consistency is reached
Frost. Use an icing spatula to frost cake

How Long Is Chocolate Cake Good For?

This chocolate cake will stay good for up to a week. Make sure to store it in an airtight cake carrier (or cover it very tightly) in the refrigerator.

I recommend bringing slices to room temperature before serving.

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 16 servings

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake

Chocolate Cream-Filled Cake tastes just like a Little Debbie Swiss Cake Roll! Layers of chocolate cake with vanilla cream filling and chocolate buttercream.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Total Time 55 minutes

Ingredients

For the cake:

3 cups all purpose flour
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
¾ cup vegetable oil
2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups water

For the filling:

3 tablespoons flour
½ cup milk
½ cup softened butter
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the frosting:

½ cup butter, softened
⅔ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
⅓ cup milk

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter two 9" round cake pans and dust with cocoa powder.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Add oil, sugar, vinegar, vanilla and water. Mix just until smooth and divide evenly between pans. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely before filling and frosting.

For the filling:

In a small saucepan, whisk together flour and milk. Cook over medium low heat until thickened, stirring constantly. Let cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, beat together the cooled flour mixture, shortening or butter, sugar, and vanilla. Beat on fairly high until the filling is fluffy.

For the frosting:

In a clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat together the butter, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Alternately add the sugar and milk until the desired consistency is reached.

To assemble the cake:

Place bottom layer topside down on plate.
Spread filling evenly on bottom layer
Place 2nd cake layer on top of filling
Use an icing spatula to spread the frosting all over cake

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

May 24, 2012

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting is a light and fluffy banana cake with a delicious vanilla bean frosting. The perfect afternoon snack!

Remember how a few short days ago I told you that we go through 27 bunches of bananas a week?

Well, that very day my 2 year old, who has been known to eat 4 bananas in the time it takes me to shower, decided he doesn’t like bananas anymore.

Coincidentally, that was also the day I went to Costco and bought a huge bag.

I can’t even remember the last time I had bananas so ripe that I was forced to bake with them! I took full advantage of the situation and made this fantastic little banana snack cake.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter
Sugar
Sour cream – you can substitute plain yogurt to make it a little bit lighter.
Bananas – make sure you are using very ripe bananas.
Egg
Vanilla
Flour
Salt – just a tiny bit to bring out the flavors of other ingredients. It does not make the cake salty.
Baking soda
Powdered sugar
Vanilla bean – I keep vanilla bean paste on hand for recipes like this. It’s cheaper and easier than vanilla beans. You can also just use vanilla.
Heavy cream

Instructions

Wet ingredients. Cream together butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add in sour cream, mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Beat until combined.
Dry ingredients. Sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.
Combine. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until just combined.
Transfer. Pour mixture into a parchment-lined 9×9-inch pan.
Bake. Bake at 375F for 22-26 minutes.
Cool. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting. Beat butter and powdered sugar together; add vanilla bean seeds and salt. Slowly add heavy cream until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.

How Long Is Banana Cake Good For?

This banana cake will be good at room temperature for about 2 days. Make sure to cover it tightly to keep it as fresh as possible.

You can stretch the time it’s good for by putting it in the fridge for up to 4 days. The fridge will dry it out a little so make sure it’s in an airtight containers, like these super airtight glass containers.

If you refrigerate it, I would let it sit at room temperature for 20 – 30 minutes before serving just to get the chill off.

More Banana Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting

Banana Cake with Vanilla Bean Frosting is a light and fluffy banana cake with a delicious vanilla bean frosting. The perfect afternoon snack!

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 26 minutes

Total Time 41 minutes

Ingredients

For the banana cake:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅔ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
¾ cup mashed very ripe banana, about 2 bananas
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup flour
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon baking soda

For the vanilla bean frosting:

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
½ vanilla bean, seeds scraped from the bean, or ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste
pinch of salt
¼ cup heavy cream or milk

Instructions

To make the cake:

Preheat oven to 375F. Line a 9x9 square pan with parchment (or butter and flour).
Cream together butter and sugar until light in color and fluffy. Add in sour cream, mashed banana, egg, and vanilla. Beat until combined.
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, salt, and baking soda.
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and beat until just combined.
Pour mixture into the prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 22-26 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Beat butter and powdered sugar together; add vanilla bean seeds and salt. Slowly add heavy cream, one tablespoon at a time, until the frosting reaches the desired consistency.

Marbled Chocolate Brioche

May 23, 2012

This is the best thing I’ve made this year.

I know I’ve probably said that 15 times already but for real. This is it.

I have been in love with brioche since the first time I made it and adding a swirl of chocolate brioche to it just intensified our love. It was flaky, buttery, and extra rich – everything a good brioche should be.

…

Fluffy Pancakes

May 21, 2012

Pancakes are a dinnertime staple around here these days. I’m enjoying it while it lasts because once the husband comes home, pancakes will no longer fly. Unless they’re accompanied by bacon, biscuits, eggs, and possibly a cinnamon roll or 2. Yeah, you know how everyone says breakfast for dinner is an inexpensive meal? Not with my husband.

These are my go-to pancakes and have been for quite some time. It’s easy, quick, and the ingredient list is short enough that I don’t even have to look it up anymore. And they puff up unlike any other pancakes I’ve made.

If you prefer, you can use buttermilk instead of the milk and vinegar but don’t try to round the amount up to a cup or you’ll get really runny batter. This batter is great for mix-ins so go ahead and throw a handful of chocolate chips, pecans, diced banana, whatever you want in!

Last thing: I am working on changing the blog around. I really didn’t think anyone would notice but I’m so excited that you guys have noticed and are liking it. I change at least one thing everyday so don’t be surprised if it looks completely different next week. I just can’t seem to figure out what I want. But thank you for all the feedback so far and if there’s anything you want to see, please let me know!

I hope your Monday is off to a fantastic start!

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: about 8 pancakes

Fluffy Pancakes

adapted from AllRecipes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

¾ cup milk
2 tablespoons white vinegar or fresh lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, whisked lightly
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
cooking spray

Instructions

In a small measuring cup, whisk together milk and lemon juice. Set aside for 5 minutes to allow milk to sour.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add sour milk, egg, and vegetable oil; mix until no lumps remain.
Heat a skillet over medium heat; spray with cooking spray. Use a ¼ cup measure to pour batter onto the hot skillet. Cook until bubble form on top of the pancake; flip and cook until golden brown. Serve hot.

Thai Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce

May 15, 2012

I’m posting these burgers today because my husband would hate them! He would probably refuse to eat them and then whine to his friends about how I tried to poison him with *gasp* peanut butter burgers.

But I loved them! And even my kids enjoyed them! They peanut in the burgers isn’t super obvious so if you wanted to serve them to someone who doesn’t like “weird” food, just leave the sauce off and they probably wouldn’t be able to pick peanut butter out as an ingredient.

Happy post tomorrow, I promise! It involves bar cookies!

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 4 servings

Thai Turkey Burgers with Peanut Sauce

adapted from Iowa Girl Eats

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the peanut sauce:

3 tablespoons peanut butter, I used chunky
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 - 2 tablespoons water
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce, like Sriracha
1 teaspoon honey
¼ teaspoon ground ginger

For the burgers:

1 pound ground turkey
½ cup grated carrot
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 green onion, thinly sliced
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
hamburger buns
lettuce, or toppings of choice

Instructions

To make peanut sauce:

Combine peanut butter, rice vinegar, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon water, garlic, sesame oil, chili garlic sauce, honey, and ground ginger in a food processor or blender. Process until smooth (if you're using chunk peanut butter, don't process until all the chunks are gone - the peanuts make it better!). If it's not coming together for you, slowly drizzle in the remaining 1 tablespoon of water until it reaches the desired consistency. Set aside about 3 tablespoons of the sauce - you will use the rest in the burgers.

To make the burgers:

Combine remaining peanut sauce with ground turkey, grated carrots, sliced green onion, chopped cilantro, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Mix until just combined and form into 4 equal patties.
Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and spray with non-stick spray. Cook patties for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until browned on the outside and cooked through.
Put the burgers on buns and top with peanut sauce and any other toppings you desire.

Chocolate Banana Muffins

May 07, 2012

Chocolate Banana Muffins are light and fluffy chocolate banana muffins with chocolate chips mixed in. Great way to use ripe bananas!

Some days just call for chocolate for breakfast, right? These chocolate banana muffins are a great way to sneak some chocolate in first thing in the morning.

They’re soft and fluffy and technically DOUBLE chocolate banana muffins because they use cocoa powder to make the muffins chocolate-y and also have chocolate chips mixed in.

Ingredients

Butter – make sure it’s at room temperature before beginning the recipe.
Brown sugar
Eggs
Vanilla
Bananas – make sure you use very ripe bananas.
Flour
Cocoa powder
Baking soda
Salt
Chocolate chips – I used semisweet but if you prefer bittersweet or milk chocolate, use those.

How To Make Chocolate Banana Muffins

Wet ingredients. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla and mashed bananas.
Dry ingredients. Sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Combine. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix until just combined.
Add chocolate. Fold in chocolate chips.
Transfer. Transfer to a 12-cup muffin tin lined with paper liners.
Bake. Bake at 350F for 20 – 23 minutes.
Cool. Cool completely on a wire rack.

How Long Are They Good For?

Chocolate Banana Muffins are good for up to 4 days. Make sure to store them in an airtight container at room temperature.

You can get another day or 2 out of them if you store them in the fridge but they may dry out faster in the fridge.

Can You Freeze Them?

You can freeze muffins for up to 3 months. I like to use freezer ziploc bags to freeze muffins.

When you are ready to serve them, let them sit at room temperature for several hours, before defrosted.

More Muffins Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins

Chocolate Banana Muffins are light and fluffy chocolate banana muffins with chocolate chips mixed in. Great way to use ripe bananas!

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 23 minutes

Total Time 43 minutes

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
¾ cup of brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 very ripe bananas, mashed
2 cups of flour
¼ cup cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or spray with non-stick spray.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, cream together butter and brown sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before moving on; add vanilla and mashed bananas.
In a medium bowl, sift together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; mix until just combined.
Fold in chocolate chips with a rubber spatula.
Transfer to the prepared muffin tin.
Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
Cool completely on a wire rack.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Frozen Mango Margaritas

May 03, 2012

Simple Frozen Mango Margaritas are going to be your favorite summer drink! Fresh mango blended with tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and ice until it’s smooth and delicious.

I also have a not frozen Mango Margaritas recipe if you prefer them on ice.

I love the time of year when mangoes go down to 3/$1. They are by far my favorite fruit to snack on but also my favorite fruit to make margaritas with!

These margaritas are as easy as putting all the ingredients in a blender and blending until smooth. Pour it in salt rimmed glasses and they’re done!

Ingredients

Tequila – use your favorite brand of tequila. I do recommend a clear one.
Orange liqueur – like Triple Sec.
Ice
Limes – the juice is going into the and then you’ll need wedges to rim the glass and garnish the finished margarita.
Simple syrup – this is a mixture of equal amounts of water and sugar cooked down to a syrup. It’s simple to make yourself or you can find it in the alcohol aisle of most grocery stores and definitely at liquor stores. You can also buy it online.
Mango – use fresh if mangoes are in season and frozen if not.
Salt – this is only if you want to rim the glass with salt. You could also use sugar if you prefer.

How To Make Frozen Mango Margaritas?

Blend. Put tequila, triple sec, ice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a blender; blend until smooth.
Adjust. Adjust the consistency to your preferences by adding more ice or more liquid.
Rim glasses. Moisten the rims of 2 glasses with the lime wedges; roll in salt or sugar.
Serve. Pour margarita into glasses.

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 2 servings

Frozen Mango Margarita

Simple Frozen Mango Margaritas are going to be your favorite summer drink! Fresh mango blended with tequila, orange liqueur, lime juice, and ice until it's smooth and delicious.

Prep Time 10 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

3 ounces tequila
1½ ounces triple sec
2 - 2½ cups ice
2 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice
½ ounce simple syrup
4 ounces fresh or frozen mango pieces
lime wedges & salt or sugar for rim of glass

Instructions

Put tequila, triple sec, ice, lime juice, and simple syrup in a blender; blend until smooth. Adjust the consistency to your preferences by adding more ice or more liquid. Moisten the rims of 2 glasses with the lime wedges; roll in salt or sugar. Pour margarita into glasses. Serve immediately.

Recommended Products

As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Slaw and Guacamole

May 02, 2012

Simple Tilapia Fish Tacos with a simple cabbage slaw and homemade guacamole. It’s all ready in about 30 minutes!

If you’ve been reading my little blog for awhile, you might remember that last summer I was very pregnant and obsessed with Mexican food. I’m talking enchiladas-three-times-a-day obsessed. Priority number one when we go to Colorado was finding the Mexican restaurant that would satisfy all our my needs. We found that place and visited at least once a week.

I gave up my habit once the baby was born and we didn’t go back until the week before my husband deployed. Since I was no longer pregnant, I decided not to eat my weight in deep fried beef tacos and instead ordered the fish tacos. It was some kind of minced fish swimming (get it?!) in a mayo-based sauce. It was awful! And I’ve been dreaming about perfect fish tacos since that day.

These tacos are everything I wanted in a fish taco. Light, fresh, and so tasty! It’s just pan-fried filapia with lime guacamole and a cabbage slaw made with coconut oil (!!), all wrapped in a fluffy flour tortilla. I cannot imagine a better fish taco!

The coconut oil in the slaw was so perfect. It really adds more of a scent than a taste but it gives the taco an even more tropical feel. If you don’t have coconut oil or just don’t want to use it, vegetable oil would work perfectly.

More Taco Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 10 tacos

Tilapia Fish Tacos with Slaw and Guacamole

Simple Tilapia Fish Tacos with a simple cabbage slaw and homemade guacamole. It's all ready in about 30 minutes!

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 avocados, halved, pitted and peeled
1 small jalapeno, seeded minced
2 tablespoons minced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
5 tablespoons fresh lime juice, divided
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
4 cups about 1 bag of coleslaw mix
1 tablespoon coconut oil, melted
2 pounds tilapia, cut into 2-inch strips
10 7- inch flour tortillas, warmed
2 roma tomatoes, diced
Lime wedges, for serving

Instructions

In a medium-sized bowl, mashed avocados with jalapeno, red onion, cilantro, and 3 tablespoons of the lime juice until it reaches desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, toss together coleslaw mix, coconut oil, and remaining 2 tablespoons of lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Heat a skillet over medium heat. Spray with nonstick cooking spray once hot. Lay strips of tilapia in the skillet. Cook only a couple minutes on each side, until browned and cooked through.
To assemble tacos, spread a large spoonful of guacamole on each tortilla. Top with fish, tomatoes, and slaw. Serve with lime wedges.

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

Apr 27, 2012

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream is rich chocolate ice cream made from only a few simple ingredients. You’ll never go back to buying chocolate ice cream again!

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream - rich chocolate ice cream made from only a few simple ingredients. You'll never go back to buying chocolate ice cream again!

Chocolate is probably my least favorite of all ice cream flavors. I don’t mind chocolate chunks or chocolate swirls but straight up chocolate ice cream just isn’t my thing.

This recipe, though, has been calling my name since I bought Baking: From My Home to Yours. Yeah, it’s chocolate but it’s chocolate ganache and therefore a million times more interesting than plain chocolate.

The recipe, despite it’s fancy name, is incredibly simple.

It is also the best chocolate ice cream I’ve ever tried. I knew it was going to be good when I pulled the chilled custard out of the fridge and it had the texture of pudding! Like I said, I’m normally not a fan of chocolate but I’ll make this one again – and next time I’m going to add chocolate chunks to make it even richer!

Ingredients

Bittersweet chocolate
Heavy cream
Milk
Egg yolks – these are used to make the custard so the eggs are cooked by the time they make it to the ice cream. It makes such a creamy, rich ice cream consistency.
Sugar

How To Make Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

Bring ½ of the heavy cream to a boil in a small saucepan
Pour hot heavy cream over chopped chocolate; let sit for 1 minute an then gently stir with rubber spatula
Heat remaining heavy cream and milk together
In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks and sugar
Still whisking the egg mixture, slowly drizzle in some of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs
Pour the custard into the pan and cook until it thickens slightly
Refrigerate the custard overnight
Freeze in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions

How To Store Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is good for up to a month. Make sure to store it in an airtight container – I like these reusable ice cream containers.

More Homemade Ice Cream Recipes

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: 8 servings

Chocolate Ganache Ice Cream

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Additional Time 20 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg yolks
¼ cup sugar

Instructions

Place the chopped chocolate in a large heatproof bowl. Set aside.
Put ¾ cup of the heavy cream in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for about a minute; gently stir with a rubber spatula until smooth.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the milk and the remaining ¾ cup of heavy cream to a boil.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and sugar together until they are slightly thickened. Still whisking, drizzle in about ⅓ of the hot milk mixture to temper the eggs. Slowly pour in the remaining liquid, whisking the whole time. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook, stirring consistently, over medium heat until the custard thickens slightly. Remove the pan from the heat and gently stir the ganache into the custard.
Refrigerate the custard overnight.
Scrape the chilled custard into the bowl of your ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer's instructions. Put the ice cream in a freezer-safe container and freezer for at least 2 hours, or until it is firm enough to scoop.

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

Apr 26, 2012

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting are light and fluffy cupcakes that taste just like the white cake mix cupcakes!

Cupcakes have been mostly absent from my life (and my blog!) since we made the move from sea level to 6000 feet. Sad story, right? I just can’t get them right. I’ve had decent luck with cakes and quick breads but the secret to perfect high-altitude cupcakes has eluded me until now.

The problem with baking at high elevation is that your leavening agents react insanely quick up here. Like, you’re making a batch of cupcakes, turn your back for 10 seconds to get a different spatula and your batter rises an inch. Seriously, it’s that fast. So you have to raise the oven temperature to set the batter before it expands too much, decrease leaveners, perhaps add an extra egg, add extra flour… it’s all very confusing. And these remedies come with side effects – raising the over temperature not only sets the batter, it also gives you burnt cupcake tops with undercooked middles sometimes. Like I said, confusing.

But I finally found a recipe that adapted really well

So about the cupcakes? They were so good! I love the white cupcakes from boxed mixes and these turned out even better than those. And the buttercream is so fantastic! It’s made by cooking egg whites in a double boiler and then beating them to stick peaks so it’s an entirely different texture than buttercreams made with just butter. It’s silky and rich and I considered spreading it on toast for breakfast this morning.

If you don’t have vanilla beans, just add vanilla. Although I do recommend picking up some clear vanilla because the regular vanilla extract will tint it. And sprinkles are a must.

📖 Recipe

Yield: 24 cupcakes

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Buttercream

White Cupcakes with Vanilla Bean Frosting are light and fluffy cupcakes that taste just like the white cake mix cupcakes!

Prep Time 45 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 1 hour

Total Time 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients

For the white cupcakes:

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoons salt
12 tablespoons 1½ sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
2¾ cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1¼ cups milk
6 egg whites, at room temperature

For the vanilla bean buttercream:

1¾ cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar
6 egg whites
3½ sticks, 14 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Instructions

To make the cupcakes:

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 24 cupcake cups with paper liners or spray with nonstick spray.
In a mixing bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle, beat the butter and 1 ½ cups sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides as needed. Beat in the vanilla. Add in the dry ingredients in 3 additions, alternately with the milk. Set aside.
in a clean mixer bowl on your stand mixer fitted with a whisk, beat the egg whites until they begin to speed. Add the remaining 1 ¼ cups sugar and beat until the whites are thick and almost hold stiff peaks. Fold ⅓ of the whites into the batter to lighten it. Fold in the rest.
Fill the muffin cups about ¾ of the way full. Bake for 20 minutes -rotating the pans halfway through â€“ until the cupcakes are golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clear.
Cool completely before frosting.

To make the buttercream:

Bring a saucepan half full of water to a simmer. Set a bowl over the water; do not allow the bowl to touch the water. Combine the sugar and egg whites in the bowl and whisk constantly until the sugar has dissolved and mixture is hot to the touch.
Remove from heat and transfer mixture to a stand mixer fitted with a whisk. Whip until the whites hold stiff peaks and are cool to the touch, about 10 minutes.
Switch to the paddle attachment. Add the butter a little at a time, being sure each batch is incorporated before moving on. The mixture may look broken, just continue beating until it comes back together.
Add in vanilla and beat until combined. Check the consistency; if it's too thin, continue beating until it's thick enough.

Sesame Beef Lettuce Wraps

Apr 24, 2012

Two things I’m obsessed with these days: lettuce wraps and flank steak.

(Now, to be fair… I used skirt steak in these lettuce wraps. But only because my store didn’t have flank steak. They’re both awesome in lettuce wraps.)

I love, love, love these lettuce wraps. I made a massive batch and had them for lunch and dinner for 5 days straight and I’m still not tired of them. They’re light despite being made with a massive piece of beef which makes them perfect for this time of year. The sesame oil and seeds add so much flavor without being overpowering and I love the slight zing the rice wine vinegar gives the sauce.

This was another recipe I saved for deployment because I wasn’t sure my husband would love it but I was totally wrong and it will be made when he comes home!

Make sure you subscribe to my email list to get all my new recipes delivered right to your inbox!

You can also follow me on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest for even more!

📖 Recipe

Yield: about 4 servings

Sesame Beef Lettuce Wraps

adapted from For the Love of Cooking

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 30 minutes

Total Time 50 minutes

Ingredients

For the beef:

2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
¼ teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound flank steak or skirt steak, cut into thin slices

For the Korean Barbecue Dipping Sauce:

2 cloves of garlic, minced
½ teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
½ - 1 teaspoon sriracha chile sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoons chopped green onion
½ tablespoon sesame seeds
1 tablespoon water

For assembly:

lettuce, washed and leaves separated
shredded carrot
chopped green onion

Instructions

To prepare the beef:

Whisk together all marinade ingredients but olive oil and steak. Place the sliced steak into the marinade and mix until the meat is evenly coated. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. Flank steak can be marinated for up to 3 hours. Skirt steak will only need about 30 minutes.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Once the pan is HOT add half of the beef and cook for 1-2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from heat and set aside. Continue with the rest of the beef.

To make the dipping sauce:

Whisk together all ingredients.

To assemble:

Place beef pieces into a lettuce leaf. Top with shredded carrots and green onions. Drizzle a bit of the dipping sauce on top. Serve the remaining sauce alongside the lettuce wraps.

Honey Chipotle Turkey Meatballs

More Meatball Recipes

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

For the dough:

For the filling:

For the glaze:

Instructions

To make the dough:

To make the filling:

To make the glaze:

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients

How To Make The Chocolate Cake

How To Make The Cream Filling

How To Make The Chocolate Frosting

How Long Is Chocolate Cake Good For?

More Chocolate Cake Recipes

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

For the cake:

For the filling:

For the frosting:

Instructions

To make the cake:

For the filling:

For the frosting:

To assemble the cake:

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

Ingredients

Instructions

How Long Is Banana Cake Good For?

More Banana Recipes

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

For the banana cake:

For the vanilla bean frosting:

Instructions

To make the cake:

To make the frosting:

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

Instructions

Recommended Products

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

Did you make this recipe?

📖 Recipe

Ingredients

For the peanut sauce: