Chewy Butterscotch Zucchini Blondies

Zucchini season is finally here!  Hopefully you guys are zucchini fans, because I am planning to try out a bunch of new recipes.  First up, we have these seriously amazing blondies.  I have made this recipe twice in the past week.  This recipe doesn't require a mixer and it only dirties one pan.  Who knew you could add zucchini to a blondie and still have a rich and chewy cookie bar.  These are going to become a regular at my house.

Even though these have a bunch of brown sugar in them, they aren't overly sweet.  They have really really good flavor.  I added butterscotch chips to these, but you could add a different type of chip, if you prefer.  

Since the mixture is warm when you stir in all the ingredients a lot of the butterscotch chips will melt into the batter and make it extra yummy.  Just like with brownies, the extra chewy edges are my favorite.  I love these plain and they taste great for several days, but I also love them cut up extra small and served with ice cream.  Yum!!

These were a huge hit.  Even my niece and nephew loved these and they had no clue there was zucchini in there :)

You might also like:

Chocolate Zucchini Sheet Cake

Cinnamon Roll Zucchini Bread

Softest Zucchini Cookies with Browned Butter Frosting

Oatmeal Zucchini Coconut Sandwich Cookies with Chocolate Filling

Chewy Butterscotch Zucchini Blondies
(Printable Recipe)

11 Tbl. unsalted butter
2 c. light brown sugar, packed
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. finely grated zucchini
1 c. butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large saucepan, melt the butter and brown sugar together.  Remove from heat and cool for a few minutes.  Stir in the vanilla extract.  Quickly stir in the egg (remember the mixture is warm and you don't want the egg to scramble).  Stir in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Mixture will be thick and slightly dry at this point.  Stir in the zucchini and 3/4 cup of the butterscotch chips until evenly incorporated.

Spread into a 9x13-inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper and sprayed with cooking spray.  Top with remaining 1/4 cup of butterscotch chips.  Bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out mostly clean.  Cool and cut into 24 squares.  

adapted from: Creations by Kara

Lime Loaf Cake with Silken Tofu and Candied Ginger

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Delicious and healthy homemade lime cake from scratch with silken tofu and candied ginger. I have topped the cake with a sprinkle of mixed sesame seeds, instead, you can drizzle a lime icing (100 g icing sugar+2 tbsp lime juice) over the cake once it's completely cooled.

300 g Silken tofu 1 Organic lime 50 g Candied ginger, finely chopped 300 g Fine spelt flour 2 tsp Baking powder Pinch of salt

100 ml Sunflower oil 100 g Coconut sugar 2 Eggs 1 tsp Vanilla paste 1/2 tbsp Sesame seeds for topping

1. Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a 22cmx11cmx9cm loaf pan with baking paper.
   
2. Place silken tofu in a mixing bowl. Rinse the lime with hot water and dry with a clean kitchen towel afterwards. Finely grate the lime zest, then squeeze the juice and add both to the silken tofu. Puree the ingredients with an immersion blender. Fold in finely chopped candied ginger.
   
3. Mix together the spelt flour, baking powder and salt. Whip oil, coconut sugar, eggs and vanilla paste until creamy, about 5 minutes. Fold in silken tofu mixture, then add in flour mixture in 2-3 additions.
   Mix until just incorporated.
   
4. Spread the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle the sesame over and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove and cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Blueberry-Nut Loaf Cake

Blueberry-Nut Loaf Cake (Source: Maida Heatter's Cakes (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 2011 ed., pg. 168).

Blueberry season has arrived. They are abundant in our region. I have thought about going to one of the local farms where you can pick them yourself but they are readily available at grocery stores and farmer's markets. I purchased berries that were grown in Salem, Oregon and that had already been frozen. They were delicious!

Maida Heatter has several other blueberry cake recipes that I want to try.

1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 TBS unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup orange juice
Grated zest of two large oranges
1 1/4 cups walnut pieces

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter a 10 1/2 x 4 x 3 inch or 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan. Dust with fine bread crumbs.

Wash the berries and allow them to completely dry. When dry, toss the berries with one teaspoon of flour.

Sift together the remaining flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.

Beat the egg and mix in the orange juice and butter. On low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients. Stir in the orange rind and the nuts.

Place 1/4 of the mixture in the pan. Fold the berries into the remaining batter. Place this mixture over the first layer and smooth the top.

Bake for 60-70 minutes, until a tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before carefully removing it from the pan. Allow it to cool completely on a wire rack.

Mango Curd Bread

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A lightly sweetened yeast bread filled with homemade mango curd. Perfect to go with a cup of tea for a satisfying and delicious breakfast. Mango curd filling can be replaced with lemon curd or vanilla custard. If you fancy a richer bread roll, use cinnamon roll dough instead.

300 g Refined spelt flour 5 g Dried yeast 40 g Raw sugar 1/2 tsp Salt 180 ml Milk, 35C/95F 35 g Butter, softened 120 g Mango curd 1/2 Egg, for glaze

1. Combine flour, dried yeast, raw sugar, salt, warm milk, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer. Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes until soft and elastic.
   
2. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about an hour.
   
3. Grease a 6-cavity jumbo muffin tin with butter. Remove the towel or plastic wrap and gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough into 6 portions. Shape each into a ball. Cover with the damp cloth for 10 minutes.
   
4. Flatten each ball and roll into a disc. Place 20 grams of mango curd in the middle of the disc. Pinch the seams to seal. Place it in the muffin cup. Repeat with the rest of dough balls.
   
5. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let rise for 45 minutes at room temperature. Preheat oven to 190C/375F. Brush the tops with bread with egg. Bake the bread for 20 to 22 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

Strawberry Grape Marshmallow Salad

I can't seem to get enough strawberries during these hot Summer months.  Every time I go to the grocery store, those bright red berries call my name.  I often eat them plain or topped with a little sugar, but the other day, I realized I didn't have any kind of fruit salad recipe on the blog.  So, I got on that right away and threw together this super delicious fruit salad.

For this fruit salad, I decided to use sweet strawberries mixed with juicy red grapes.  The two different textures of fruit go great together.  AND because I am a sucker for marshmallows, I threw some of those in as well.  The dressing is sweet, tangy, creamy and flavored with a touch of orange. This fruit salad was a huge hit.

It's best when served within 24 hours.  After that, it will be tinted pink from the strawberries.  It still tastes good, just doesn't look as pretty.

What are your favorite fruits to use for fruit salad?

You might also like:

Orange Pineapple Punch

Strawberry Oreo Frozen Fruit Dessert

Orange Cream Fruit Dip

Chocolate Toffee Apple Dip

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cheesecake Bars with Strawberries

Strawberry Grape Marshmallow Salad
From: Jenn@eatcakefordinner
(Printable Recipe)

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 c. plain Greek Yogurt
1/4 c. orange juice (about 1/2 an orange)
grated zest of 1/2 an orange
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 Lb. red grapes
16 oz. strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/2 c. mini marshmallows

In a medium bowl, combine cream cheese and yogurt and mix together until smooth.  Add the orange juice, orange zest and powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Pour over the grapes, strawberries and marshmallows that have been placed in a large bowl.  Stir together until everything is evenly coated.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serves at least 8.  Best when served within 24 hours.    

Beluga Lentil Salad with Padrón Peppers and Sweet Potatoes

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This feel-good salad with two of my favorite things, lentils and sweet potatoes, partnered with heirloom peppers and sundried tomatoes to create a dish that's filling, healthy and delicious. By providing both high fiber and protein, the lentils make this salad filling enough to be a meal by itself or a side dish with your favourite grilled chicken or salmon.

Salad	Dressing
250 g Beluga lentils 700 ml Water 600 g Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into thick slices 250 g Padrón peppers 2 tbsp Olive oil 3 Sundried tomatoes, sliced 3 Cherry radishes, sliced 1 tbsp Chives, chopped Lollo Bianco	1 tbsp Sherry vinegar 1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice 5 tbsp Olive oil 1 clove Garlic, minced 1 tsp Fresh thyme leaves Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Rinse beluga lentils under running water. Drain and place them in a medium saucepan. Add the water and bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. Continue to cook them over low heat, stirring occasionally and adding liquid if necessary, until the lentils are tender but not mushy, 25-30 minutes.
   
2. While lentils cook, preheat oven to 200C/400F. Toss the sweet potato slices with 1 tbsp of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Arrange them in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking tray. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown.
   
3. Toss padrón peppers with 1 tablespoon of olive oil until completely combined. Roast at 200C/400F for 10-15 minutes until the pepper skins start to blister and brown. Sprinkle them with a little sea salt.
   
4. To prepare the salad dressing, combine all of the ingredients and whisk until thoroughly blended.
   
5. Drain lentils and place them in a large bowl. Add in sliced dried tomatoes, cherry radishes and chopped chives. Pour in half of the dressing and toss until combined.
   
6. Arrange lollo bianco in two salad bowls or one large platter, then top with roasted sweet potatoes, beluga lentils and padrón peppers atop. Serve with the rest of dressing.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

My Go-To Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

This is my go-to banana cake recipe.  I have been making it for several years and I always get recipe requests for this.  Sometimes I switch up the frosting.  I've tried vanilla buttercream, cream cheese frosting, Nutella frosting and all are fabulous.  I've been a bit obsessed with cream cheese frosting lately.  That tang from the cream cheese just hits the spot :)

Next time you have some brown bananas lying around, you have got to try this.  The cake is dense and loaded with flavor.  Top it with whatever frosting you prefer and you might just find yourself buying bananas and letting them go brown on purpose, so you can make this sweet dessert.

You might also like:

Banana Pudding Bundt Cake with White Chocolate Ganache

Banana Bread with Crunchy Streusel Topping

Banana Cornbread with Cinnamon Creamed Honey

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
(Printable Recipe)

2 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened
2/3 c. sugar
1 large egg
1/2 c. non-fat plain Greek yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 3/4 cup)
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda

Cream Cheese Frosting
4 Tbl. unsalted butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
pinch of salt
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract (or 1 Tbl. vanilla bean paste)
1 1/2 c. powdered sugar
milk, enough to reach desired consistency

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  For the cake: Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add the egg and mix to combine.  Add the yogurt and vanilla and mix well.  Mix in the mashed banana.  Add the flour, salt, baking soda and stir together just until combined.  Pour into a greased 8x8-inch baking dish.  Bake for 25 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched or a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool completely and frost.  Store leftover cake in the refrigerator. 

For the frosting: Beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy.  Add a pinch of salt and the vanilla and mix until blended.  Add one cup of powdered sugar and mix until combined.  Add remaining powdered sugar and enough milk, as needed, to reach desired spreading consistency.  Beat until smooth and fluffy and spread over cooled cake.  

Base cake recipe adapted from: Butter Yum 
Frosting from: Jenn@eatcakefordinner

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's Chocolate Cookies

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings's Chocolate Cookies 

Source: Maida Heatter's Cookies (Andrews & McMeel Publishing, 1997 ed.), pg. 17.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings was an American writer who wrote novels and short stories based on her life in rural Florida. She won the Pulitzer Prize for "The Yearling" in 1939. In 1942, she published the autobiographical "Cross Creek" (it was made into a movie starring Mary Steenbergen in 1983). Rawlings was also an avid cook and "Cross Creek Cookery" (published the same year) is a book that Maida Heatter often mentions.

While traveling through Cross Creek, Maida and her husband stopped at a gas station and purchased some homemade brownies that the owner's wife had made. He said the recipe came from Rawlings, who his mother-in-law had worked for. The brownies were actually drop cookies and Maida found the recipe in "Cross Creek Cookery". She omitted the baking powder and added the coffee (the gas station owner's wife had added the chocolate morsels.

The cookies are chewy and very chocolate-y. And best of all, they are very easy to make.

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
Scant 2 tsp. instant coffee
1/4 cup boiling water
2 oz. unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 oz. unsalted butter
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup raisins
2 cups walnuts, broken into large pieces
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Preheat the oven to 350 and cover cookie sheets with parchment paper. Sift together the flour and salt and set aside.

Dissolve the instant coffee in the boiling water. Add the chocolate, place over low heat, and stir until smooth.

In a mixer bowl, beat the butter until soft. Add the vanilla and then gradually add the sugar, beating until mixed. Add the chocolate mixture and mix well (it is okay if the mixture is still warm).

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating them in well. On low speed, add the flour mixture and beat just until mixed.

Stir in the raisins, nuts and chocolate morsels.

Place tablespoons of the mixture on the parchment paper about 2 inches apart. Bake for 13-15 minutes, reversing the pans halfway through baking. The cookies are done when they barely spring back when pressed. Do not overbake. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

The recipe makes 25 large cookies (you can make smaller ones if desired). Store in an airtight container. They keep well.

No Bake Kiwi Cake - Vegan, DF, GF

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

This delicious vegan Kiwi Cake, adapted from here, is gluten, dairy, refined sugar free. The crust is made with dried figs, almonds and lime juice, then topped with maple syrup sweetened cashew coconut cream and garnished with a layer of kiwi fruit.

Crust	Cake
150 g Dried figs or dates, roughly chopped 100 g Almond slices, toasted 5 ml Freshly squeezed lime juice	250 g Cashew nuts 35 ml Freshly squeezed lime juice 40 ml Freshly squeezed lemon juice 75 ml Maple syrup 120 g Coconut oil, at room-temperature 2 Kiwis

1. Line a 20x11cm loaf pan with baking paper. Place chopped dried figs and toasted almond slices in a food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add in lime juice and process until a sticky mixture forms. Press the sticky mixture evenly into the bottom of the loaf pan.
   
2. Place cashew nuts, freshly pressed lime and lemon juice, maple syrup and coconut oil in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Pour the filling onto the crust and smooth the surface.
   
3. Peel and cut the kiwis into slices. Arrange the kiwi slices on top and chill for 2 hours or overnight until set.

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com

http://schneiderchen.de | © 2018 | http://angiesrecipes.blogspot.com