Citrus Cakes

It's Spring(ish) time here! How do we celebrate it? With cake, of course! 

Actually, I was gonna make a blueberry / lemon loaf recipe I found on Pinterest, but I decided not to do the blueberries since I only bought enough of those to use in my morning shakes, lol. So, I opted out of the blueberries and made mini "brownie" size cakes with my new Pampered Chef Brownie Pan. 

Here's the recipe I used:

For the Loaf:

1. 1 1/2 cups + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, divided
2. 2 teaspoons baking powder
3. 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4. 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt (I used Greek yogurt)
5. 1 cup sugar
6. 3 large eggs
7. 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (approximately 2 lemons)
8. 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
9. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
10. 1 1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen, thawed and rinsed

For the Lemon Syrup:

1. 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2. 1/3 cup sugar

For the Lemon Glaze:

1. 1 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
2. 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom and sides of one 9 x 5-inch loaf pans; dust with flour, tapping out excess.
2. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, vanilla and oil. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix the blueberries with the remaining tablespoon of flour, and fold them very gently into the batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake 50 to 55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes before removing loaf to a wire rack on top of a baking sheet.
5. While the loaf is cooling, make the lemon syrup in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir together the lemon juice and sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved. Once dissolved, continue to cook for 3 more minutes. Remove from the heat; set aside.
6. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the tops and sides of the warm loaf. Brush the top and sides of the loaf with the lemon syrup. Let the syrup soak into the cake and brush again. Let the cake cool completely.
7. To make the lemon glaze, in a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and 2-3 tablespoons of the lemon juice. The mixture should be thick but pourable. Add up to another tablespoon of lemon juice if the mixture is too stiff. Pour the lemon glaze over the top of each loaf and let it drip down the sides. Let the lemon glaze harden, about 15 minutes, before serving.

Yields: 1-9x5 loaf

Note:

1. This recipe will also yield about 12 standard muffins or 36 miniature muffins, baking time adjusted.
2. It could be doubled and baked in a well-greased and floured bundt pan, baking time adjusted.
3. This recipe could also be baked in an 8-inch square or 9-inch round, to create a thin cake (approx. 1 1/2 inches tall), baking time adjusted.

In terms of cooking it in the brownie pan, I used the Medium Scoop (Pampered Chef, of course) to distribute the batter. Then I baked it for 15 minutes at 350*. I followed the rest of the instructions regarding the syrup as well as the icing part and here's how they came out: 

They were a massive hit and all disappeared within a few hours of making them! Yeahhh!! So if you're a lemon lover, you should definitely make this! I attempted a second batch today, but with oranges rather than lemon since Eric isn't a fan of "the yellow things". They're still just as tasty, but the orange flavor is very mild compared to the lemon. I suppose that could be considered a good thing, but I like tart / sour stuff. 

Anyway! These little cakes would be wonderful for a little get together, or as one of my friends suggested...a tea party :)

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Cookie Exchange Mayhem

Over the last three years, I've participated in a really fun Cookie Exchange that one of my friends has thrown. Every time, she's changed the theme so people can get pretty creative with their cookie names, designs and even how they dress. Sadly, this is her last year doing it since she'll be moving back to the states in the middle of this up coming year. *pout*

Being true to form, I stuck with my traditional cream cheese cookies since they seem to be a hit every year, despite never winning "Best Tasting". I don't get that..I really don't, lol. Every year, I get loads of compliments on them, always get asked to make more, but I never win that specific category. 

This year, I figured I'd box up all the cookies and would keep my fingers crossed for hopefully winning the "Presentation" category. So, I scoured the internet while I was back in California, found some "Winter Wonderland" themed cookie boxes and had 'em shipped here. Honestly, I was pretty shocked at how nice they actually were considering they weren't all that expensive. For the life of me, I can't remember where I ordered 'em from :(

Pictured below are all the ingredients I used to make this cookie factory come to life: 

25 cups of flour

10 cups of sugar

10 cups of butter

56 ounces of cream cheese
10 egg yolks

YES, that's a whole lot of cookies to be made with that amount of ingredients! When I originally RSVP'd to the exchange, I could've sworn that participants were required to bake A LOT of cookies...like thirteen dozen. Apparently, I really didn't read the directions properly because people only needed to make FOUR dozen..go me! So, everyone ended up with a dozen and a half cookies each box...and I made eighteen boxes, lol. 

My trusty Pampered Chef Cookie Press:

I ended up using six of my stoneware pieces to cycle through all the cookies that needed to be baked...aye aye aye..

By the time I was done, I made a total of 400 cookies in which 288 was used for the Cookie Exchange. The others were given to friends who asked for some when they found out I was making them, lol. I ended up doing coconut frosting since that seemed to be a massive hit last year, verses using my traditional lemon frosting. Eric was absolutely thrilled *please note my sarcasm* to help me "paint" all of 'em since it gets really tiring, yet wasteful, to dip all the cookies in the icing. 

Here's how everything looked by the time we were done :) 

Oh, and I won "Best Presentation"! YAY!

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Pampered Chef Top Ten Favorites

I've been selling for The Pampered Chef for about two years now, and though out that time people usually ask me "What's your favorite thing?". I think I've acquired pretty much the entire catalog (excluding some of the recent items that were just added), but for the most part, I have everything. I can confidently say that my kitchen is pimped out..not only my kitchen, but my Dad's as well since I have a knack of sending him goodies for him to test out and give me feedback on. 

Honestly, I can't chose just one thing. There's so many different things that are helpful, cool, time saving and all around worth the money..so, here's my official list of PC goodies that I adore:

 I use my Mix N Scraper like crazy! Seems simple enough, right? It's like a "super" spatula in my eyes! I use it to scrape out stuff from my mixing bowls, stir things around in my pans while stuff is cooking, get the last bit of goodness out of a jar...and it's strong! As in, it can really take a beating when you're working with something like cookie dough! I've had mine since before I was a Consultant and it still looks BRAND NEW, no stains, no melted spots from using it on the stove top..the head is also heat-resistant to 650°F....you'd never know it was like, five years old. I actually have the whole Scraper collection so I have every size you can think of, lol.

 The Adjustable Measuring Spoons have definitely helped when it comes to "taking up less space" in my kitchen tool drawer. You know how it is when you have all the individual spoons you  have to flip through, it sucks! These make life easier since you just slide the the black adjuster tab to which ever amount you need, and keep truckin! You can use them for dry and liquid ingredients AND they're dishwasher safe!

The Deep Covered Baker is FAHHHHBULOUS! It's a stoneware piece that's a huge part of my cooking arsenal! I bake/roast chicken in it, made chowders, stews, chili's, bake squashes..man, I use it a TON! Pampered Chef just released a new cookbook geared specifically for the DCB called "Dinner in your Deep Covered Baker", which expanded my mind a little more when it comes to what I can cook in it! The only drawback, per say, is the fact that it's kind of heavy. Other than that, I absolutely love it.

Lucky number seven is my Bamboo Knife Block Set. The only reason why I'm putting it at number seven is because I feel like I'm very lucky to have earned these for FREE. When I first started as a Consultant, you have the chance of earning "PC Dollars" with every new Show you submit. Well, I submitted so many within my first ninety days that I was about to get this without paying a dime. Definitely a nice perk when it comes to selling for Pampered Chef as a newbie. These knives are AMAZING and insanely sharp. Each knife is one solid piece of metal all the way through, NOT assembled in pieces. So, you don't have to worry about the handle warping and breaking off, splintering or anything nasty like that. In the set, you get nine pieces of Forged Cutlery — 9" Bread, 8" Chef's, 7" Santoku, 5" Santoku, 5" Utility, 5" Boning, 4 1/2" Serrated,
3 1/2" Paring and 3" Petite Paring Knives — plus the Bamboo Knife Block, Forged Cutlery Honing Tool and Professional Shears.

 The Mini Whipper is by far, the simplest thing on the planet, but I love it to pieces! Whenever I'm making scrambled eggs, I go straight to this cause it'll whip 'em up nicely and gives them plenty of foam (which gives you fluffy eggs). Not only that, but this helps when I'm mixing stuff up for sauces, drinks, dressings, etc. It's dishwasher safe (yay) and pretty indestructible! It's only $4! I use it non-stop!

 By no means necessary, am I a fancy person. But, I love my Trifle Bowl! You can use it to hold layered puddings, various types of fruit salads or whatever else your little heart wants to devour (it has a 15 cup capacity), but you can also use it as a means of decoration! Instead of using mine ONLY for food, I actually put beautiful flower arrangements in it for my kitchen. SO pretty! During Christmas, I had a bunch of mini glass ornaments with tinsel in it, then I switched it out and had a lovely bunch of Tulips that I picked up from the local market. You can definitely use it for pretty much anything you can think of. It stores VERY easily (the pedestal fits inside the trifle itself) and comes with a nice plastic lid that seals up perfectly.

The Manual Food Processor is the bomb-diggity! It's one of the newest additions to Pampered Chef's Spring/Summer 2011 catalog. Mine came in a few weeks ago and I totally love how easy it is to assemble! Given, most of Pampered Chef's stuff isn't rocket science, but this particular product only has three pieces: the top which contains the pump to make the blades spin, the staggered blades and the 3 cup plastic unit that holds whatever it is you're chopping up (which has a nice rubber grip on the bottom so it won't slide will you're making stuff!). VERY easy to clean! The cup and the blades are dish washer safe, but you have to hand wash the top piece, which isn't even that bad. I spray it down with some cleaner then wipe it all up, and it's good to go! Since I've had mine, I've made a ton of amazing salsa, made fine chopped oatmeal to put in my pancakes, crushed up nuts...pretty much, I'm making this lil guy earn his keep!

The Measure All Cup!! AHH! I have the regular version (pictured above) as well as the Mini Measure All, I use 'em constantly throughout the day for my veggies! They're fabulous when you need to measure out something like peanut butter (or anything that is thick, like honey), then you just push out the contents without having to scrape everything out. Then you can just flip it over and use the liquid side for your "wet" ingredients! The fact that they're dishwasher safe is a major plus, and they can even go in the microwave when you're wanting to soften up some butter. Eric and I usually fight over the Mini Measure All since he has a knack of hiding it from me (normally stashes it in his oatmeal container) so he can use it in the mornings to make his breakfast. The regular Measure All holds 2 cups while the Mini Measure All holds 1 cup.

Stoneware, is by far, the best thing to bake on! You can bake pretty much anything and everything on the Large Bar Pan! The more you use it, the more "seasoned" it becomes! Seasoning is when the oils and fats from the food you cook pretty much sink into the stoneware, which causes it's own non-stick surface. The darker the pan, the better the non-stick! My bar pan is bordering on a chocolate brown / black color because I use it non stop! I'll bake cookies, rolls, bacon, chicken, and pretty much whatever else you can think of on there! It's almost impossible to burn anything on 'em (unless you leave it in there WAY too long), very very easy to clean and I store it in my Stoneware rack with my other pieces. By far, the best $34 I've ever spent! Here's additional info on Stoneware:

Evenly distributes heat and draws moisture away from
the surface

Retains heat, so your just-out-of-the-oven foods stay hot longer

No pre-soaking needed before use

Virtually nonporous, so it doesn't retain oils, odors or flavors

Microwave-, freezer-, and conventional and convection
oven-safe

I would die without my Executive Cookware!! In all honestly, I have all of the Executive Cookware pieces, well, except one...which is the Double Griddle, but I'll eventually acquire it!! People normally scoff at me when they see the price for the sets, and I agree, they're quite pricey, but very worth it. Most of the time, I try to get people a killer deal on these because I swear by 'em! If I happen to have a spare 50% off item or something, I'll hit up people I know that were pretty vocal about getting some cookware, but were frightened off by the $295 and $495 ticket price (eeek!). By chance, if you get a half off reward, you can manage to get the 5 and 7 piece set for $372.50 verses $745! Here's some additional info on them:

• Hard-anodized aluminum reinforced with titanium for superior durability
• DuPont™ Autograph® 2 nonstick coating inside and out for effortless cleanup
• Flared rims for drip-less pouring
• Flat bottoms for keeping food and oil from running to edges
• Thick bottoms for even heat distribution; thinner sidewalls for faster heat transfer
• Riveted stainless and silicone handles with stainless cast hanging loops for a cool, comfortable grip
• Tempered glass lids for a clear view while cooking
• Oven-safe to 400°F
• LIFETIME GUARANTEE

SO, there ya go! There's my loving list of all my absolute favorite Pampered Chef items :)

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HELP JAPAN!

I posted this on my Facebook, so might as well post it on here since I seem to get a decent amount of foot traffic:

Hi Everyone!

   As we all know, Japan was ravaged by a 9.0 earthquake which was quickly followed by a tsunami that added to the billions of dollars in destruction.

                                           

I WILL BE OFFERING 10% OFF OF ALL ORDERS PLACED THIS  MONTH! If your order happens to exceed $100, I  will GIVE you a cookbook (up to $14.75 in value)!

**** All proceeds raised for this cause will be given to Japan through the American Red Cross! ****

If you are interested in participating, please go to www.pamperedchef.biz/halleez and the Hosts name is "HELP JAPAN". Once I receive your order, I will contact you with the new price that includes the discount, and I'll ask which cookbook you would like (for orders that qualify). PLEASE have your order shipped to you, NOT the Host!

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PAMPERED CHEF GOODNESSSSSS!!!

I logged into The Pampered Chef;s Consultant site last night to see if the new Spring / Summer samples were available yet. In most cases, you're able to view things about half a month in advance since you need to start prepping with your new advertising, merchandise and anything else you need to order. To my delight, they had everything updated so I could actually SEE what the new goodies are!  Sometimes they only list what the product is, but nothing visual. So, YAY!!!!! Here ya go! ** If you click on the picture, it'll open up another page to view it larger so you can read the description easier **

 

 

 

Last but not least, a list of products that are going to be discontinued once the new catalog starts in March. Good thing I got the rest of my cranberry / white dinner plates!! 

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Desserty Goodness

I could've sworn that I posted these recipes on here before..but after trolling through my blog several times to locate 'em, I realize that I posted them as Notes on my FB rather than on here. Opps! Oh well, here they are :) 

Pumpkin-Maple Cream Trifle

Prep Time: 25 Minutes

Total Time: 4 hours, 30 minutes

Yield: 24 servings

Ingredients:

Maple Walnuts

1 box of whole graham crackers

1/2 cups plus 3 tbsp pure maple syrup (do NOT use maple-flavored pancake syrup)

1 package of cheesecake or vanilla instant pudding and pie filling

1/2 cup milk

1 can solid packed pumpkin

2 tsp Cinnamon Plus Spice Blend

1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided

Directions:

1. Prepare Maple Walnuts, if desired; set aside. Coarsely break graham crackers into Stainless 6qt. Mixing Bowl. Place 1/2 cup of the maple syrup in Small Batter Bowl; microwave on HIGH 60-90 second until hot. Pour hot syrup over crackers; toss to coat and set aside.

2. For pumpkin filling, combine pudding mixture and milk in Stainless 4qt Mixing Bowl; whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Add pumpkin and spice blend to pudding mixture; whisk well. Fold 2 cups of the whipped topping into pudding mixture; set aside.

3. For maple cream, combine remaining 3 tbsp of maple syrup and remaining whipped cream topping in Stainless 2qt Mixing Bowl; fold gently.If you want, you can attach the open star tip to Easy Accent Decorator; fill with 2/3 cup of maple cream and set aside for garnish.

4. To assemble trifle, place one-third of the graham cracker mixture over the bottom of the Trifle Bowl. Top with half of the pumpkin filling, spreading to the edges. Top with another third of the graham cracker mixture. Top with the remaining maple cream, spreading to edges. Top with remaining graham cracker mixture and pumpkin filling.

Cover; refrigerate 4 hours or overnight. Garnish with Maple Walnuts, if desired, and pipe with reserved maple cream. Sprinkle with additional spice blend, if desired.

** To make Maple Walnuts **

Combine 2 tbsp of butter and 3 tbsp of pure maple syrup in 10 inch Saute' Pan. Stir over medium heat until butter is melted. Add 1 cup of walnut halves and cook, stirring constantly, 5-7 minutes or until walnuts are completely browned. Spread walnuts in a single layer on wax paper; cool completely.

 

Apple-Cherry Crisp

This cheery dessert is made with ingredients that you may already have on hand.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Bake Time: 35-40 minutes

Fruit Filling:

6 medium Granny Smith apples, sliced

1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling

1/2 teaspoon Pantry Korintje Cinnamon

Streusel Topping:

1/4 cup of 70% vegetable oil spread, melted

1/4 cup sliced almonds, chopped

1 cup old fashioned or quick oats

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon Pantry Korintje Cinnamon

Fat-Free vanilla frozen yogurt (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375*F. For fruit filling, peel, core and slice apples using Apple Peeler / Corer/ Slicer. Cut apples in half. Combine apples, pie filling and cinnamon in large Colander Bowl, mix gently. Spoon filling into Deep Dish Baker.

2. For streusel topping, place vegetable oil spread in Small Micro Cooker. Microwave on HIGH 45-60 second or until melted. Chop almonds using Food Chopper. Add almonds, oats, flour, brown sugar and cinnamon to micro cooker; mix well. Sprinkle topping evenly over fruit filling.

3. Bake 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Cool slightly. Serve warm topped with frozen yogurt, if desired.

Nurtients per serving: 280 Calories (24% from fat), Total Fat 8g, Saturated Fat 1.5g, Cholesterol 0mg, Carbohydrates 51g, Protein 3g, Sodium 70mg, Fiber 4g

Black Forest Trifle

 

Ingredients:
1 pkg (18-21 oz) brownie mix (plus ingredients to make cake-like brownies)
2 bars (1.55 ounces each) milk chocolate candy, divided
3 cups cherry pie filling
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup cranberry-cherry juice
2 cups cold 2% milk
2 pkg (3.3 oz each) white chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare brownie mix according to package directions for cake-like brownies; spread batter over bottom of Large Bar Pan. Bake 18-20 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely.

2. Loosen brownie from sides of bar pan and invert onto flat side of Large Grooved Cutting Board. Cut brownie into 1-in. cubes; set aside. Chop 11/2 of the chocolate bars using Food Chopper. Reserve remaining chocolate for garnish.

3. Combine pie filling and almond extract in Small Batter Bowl; set aside 1/2 cup for garnish. Stir juice into batter bowl.

4. Pour milk into Classic Batter Bowl; add pudding mix and whisk until mixture begins to thicken. Fold in whipped topping.

5. To assemble trifle, place half of the brownie cubes into bottom of Trifle Bowl. Layer with half of the pie filling mixture. Sprinkle with half of the chopped chocolate; top with half of the pudding mixture. Repeat layer one time.

6. Make chocolate curls with reserved chocolate using Vegetable Peeler (see Cook's Tip). Garnish top of trifle with reserved pie filling mixture and chocolate curls. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yield: 16 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 380, Total Fat 14 g, Saturated Fat 5 g, Cholesterol 45 mg, Carbohydrate 59 g, Protein 4 g, Sodium 300 mg, Fiber 0 g

Cook's Tips: To make chocolate curls, hold the Vegetable Peeler across the short side of the chocolate bar. Using even pressure, push the blade away from you to create curls.

This trifle can be assembled several hours before serving, or even the night before. 

 

Maple-Cashew Mini Tarts

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: About 1 hour, 40 minutes
Yield: 12 mini tarts

1 cup of salted cashews
2 eggs
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (DO NOT use maple flavored pancake syrup)
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 tsp Double Strength Vanilla
1 package of refrigerated pit crusts, softened according to package directions

Prepare Filling:

1. Preheat oven to 375*. Coarsely chop cashews with Food Chopper. In Classic Batter Bowl, combine eggs, brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the maple syrup, butter and vanilla. Whisk with Stainless Whisk until smooth. Stir cashews into egg mixture; set aside.

Form Pastry Shells:

2. Unroll one pic crust onto Pastry Mat. Using wide end of the clear Food Chopper collar, cut out six pastry circles. (Circles will measure 3 1/4 in. / 9.5cm. Discard remaining dough.) Pinch edges of circles inward at 1/2 inch intervals, creating ruffled shells. Place shells into Muffin Pan wells; repeat with remaining pie crust.

Fill Shells & Bake:

3. Stir cashew mixture until combined; pour evenly into shells until two-thirds full. Bake 18-20 minutes or until shells are golden brown. Remove pan from oven to Stackable Cooling Rack; cool completely. Brush tops of tarts with remaining maple syrup. 

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