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Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cupcakes PLUS #betterbaking

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I know, I know, ANOTHER cupcake post!??! A bit over-board? Maybe. But keep reading!

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BUT wait just a hot second because this isn’t just another cupcake post. It is the start of something really awesome here at 3Boys Unprocessed because I’ve taken notice to TONS of crappy dessert recipes floating around the internet. You know, the dump cakes, the poke cakes, the boxed this and that, the cool whip, and the totally refined and semi-homemade desserts that aren’t just 3 ingredients like the title says. Boxed cake mix + box of jello = A LOT MORE than 3 ingredients! Not just that, it also = trans fats, artificial everything, unhealthy oils, and weird preservatives banned in other countries. Say whhhahattt!?!?!

Now, I try my hardest to ignore these dessert disasters because let’s face it, we live in a processed world and our food supply is nothing short of a complete disaster as it stands. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel because all of these recipes can be tweaked just a bit to be turned into something that isn’t so much of a processed mess. You know, like using whole wheat flour, and substituting real stuff for the boxed stuff. It is SO easy, yet people are so afraid of ruining a batch of cupcakes or running the risk that they don’t turn out tasting superb. Using trans fats instead of trying something new out of baking fear??? Doesn’t sound like such a good idea to me! Of course, these recipes are going to contain sugar. Sugar = desserts. I want to post relate-able content that doesn’t make the dump cake people say “Oh no, I’d never try using those weird ingredients,” therefore, I’m sticking to the simple stuff but making it a tad better by using organic versions that aren’t as processed, and don’t contain GMO’s. All of these things are important to me, and I’d much rather see people using organic sugar in their own home before going to the grocery store and buying a cake that contains 100 ingredients, including trans fats and everything else I’m going to talk about here. You get the drift? Good!

Now, I also know most of you aren’t trained Pastry Chefs like myself. That’s why I’m taking the guess-work out of all of this and bringing you #betterbaking (yes I just hashtagged in a post!) so that you can create desserts in your own home, without the processed crap, that taste nothing short of a product that comes from an upscale bakery and is totally amazing. Ready?? Let’s go! Each week I’m going to be posting a brand new recipe that DOESN’T include any of these ingredients:

  • boxed cake mixes
  • boxed jello
  • cool whip
  • soybean/canola oil
  • refined grains
  • artificially dyed and trans fat containing sprinkles (pretty much ALL mainstream sprinkles)
  • other artificial ingredients (flavors, colors, products, etc.)

Now, just so you know, none of my other baking recipes posted so far contain any of this stuff because truth is, these products don’t exist in my household. A few years ago I woke up to the fact that these products aren’t good for any of us. I know there are lots of people who haven’t realized this yet, so that’s why I’m doing this! The interwebs need #betterbaking recipes! triplechocolatecupcakes8 (1 of 1)

No sprinkles though!?!? Come now, how can that be? You see, there are these little things called naturally dyed sprinkles, and there are also these little things called cupcake toppers. They both make cupcakes as cute as they should be, without adding a bunch of chemicals and artificial dyes to your food. Problem solved! See how easy that was? I knew you would totally understand the whole no sprinkles thing, Thank You, Thank You, Thank You!

Since I’m promoting cute cupcake toppers, I’m about to make it ALOT easier by offering FREE printable cupcake toppers. Print them, cut them with those crafty folk scissors, tape them to a paper straw or toothpick, and BAM! Cute and frugal cupcake topper. For reals though, how cute are these fall inspired toppers? More to come, I promise! To get these cuties, just scroll to the bottom of the post, and click the dropbox link.

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Now that we have all of that exciting news out of the way, let’s focus on these heavenly chocolate cupcakes that not only look stunning and taste stunning, but use ingredients that are better! These are inspired by all of those “Fudgy Cupcake” recipes that include boxed Jello. I’ve tasted cupcakes with boxed Jello in the past, and yes, they are moist and yummy. But you can do the same thing using milk and yogurt, and yield the exact same texture and fudgy goodness without the boxed stuff! Yes, this is happening! No more boxed stuff just to yield a fudgy cupcake because you can do it with REAL STUFF! Ya digggg? Keep it coming, keep it coming!

Not only are these cupcakes fudgy and moist, they also are dipped in ganache, which is a fancy-pants way to say chocolate and cream, and topped with a DOUBLE CHOCOLATE cream cheese icing. Did those words really just come out of my mouth. Yes, yes I do believe this is real life and if this is what real life tastes like I’m so in. Just incase you didn’t get all that… I created this: Do you feel like you are in high schoolBiology again? 🙂

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Why yes, that is a chocolate smudge in the bottom on that picture because I said this was real life, remember? And in real life these cupcakes are a tad messy, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Can we talk ganache now because I kind of love that word and it is one of the most ridiculously good chocolate creations ever. I mean, if you’ve never had anything dipped or filled with ganache your life is not complete. Not to mention, it is SO EASY and looks really nice. When choosing a semi-sweet baking chocolate be sure to look for a brand that is using the least ingredients possible, and not using GMO’s. My favorite brand is Alter-Eco, and they have many products with basic ingredients.

To dip the cupcakes all you do is  make the ganache in 2 easy steps and dip them. Everything seemed to fall together perfectly when I did this because I chose to use foil cupcake wrappers that include a white wrapper on the inside, so they are double wrapped. This made is so easy to dip them because then the outside wrapper was able to be removed, and therefore didn’t get messy. Dipping the cupcakes isn’t really messy to begin with, but I would highly suggest double wrapping just to mess-proof them.   Whew! That was ALOT of info… so let’s recap this post since we are going all Biology Class style today:

  • We don’t like dump cakes or cool whip
  • We are providing recipes that are #betterbaking recipes, using whole ingredients and no artificial stuff
  • We think cupcake toppers are way better then sprinkles with chemicals and trans fats!!!!
  • We are providing FREE printable fall cupcake toppers and more to come
  • Ganche is awesome
  • Fudgy Triple Chocolate Cupcakes are about the best thing that ever happened to whole wheat white flour in it’s entire little shelf life
  • Double wrap your cupcakes if you want to dip them in ganache
  • This was a super long post, so thanks for reading! 😉

And here’s more cupcake porn, just incase we didn’t cover that well enough. triplechocolatecupcakes4 (1 of 1)

As promised.. here is the link to the FREE printable cupcake toppers! Simply click the dropbox link, and download the file. I’m using dropbox links to ensure everyone this is a safe download.

*I use homemade brown sugar, which is simply 1 cup of organic cane sugar to 1 Tbsp of un-sulphered blackstrap molasses. This enables me to always have fresh brown sugar, instead of a hard clump when I want to use it. For more on this check out my Homemade Brown Sugar post.

Double Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

  • 1 (8 ounce) package full fat cream cheese
  • 1.5 ounce semi-sweet baking chocolate (non-GMO preferred)
  • 2 Tbsp heavy cream
  • 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 cup organic 10x sugar
  • 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions: Allow cream cheese to soften on countertop. Beat softened cream cheese until very smooth, scraping down the sides of your mixing bowl several times to make sure all lumps are out. In a microwave safe bowl or stove top melt heavy cream and chocolate together. Pour mixture into cream cheese. Sift cocoa powder and 10x sugar into mixing bowl slowly. Add vanilla extract, and additional Tbsp of heavy cream if needed to smooth.

Chocolate Dipping Ganache:

Ingredients:

  • 1.5 ounces semi-sweet baking chocolate (non-GMO preferred)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Directions: Chop chocolate finely. Bring heavy cream to the brink of a boil in a small saucepan on the stove, then pour over chopped chocolate. Allow to sit, unstirred, for 1-2 minutes. Begin stirring, and continue until smooth and silky.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes

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This might just be the best thing I have EVER made. Scratch that. This is totally the best thing that has ever come out of my oven, and my husband would agree. Of course he would agree with a big ol’ smear of icing in his beard, but hey we’ll take it! 😉

Speaking of the wonderful man I married, he inspired this cupcake creation. Looking for new inspiration I asked him “What kind of cupcakes should I make?” and being a man he said “Whatever kind you want.” *head scratch*


Well gee Mr. Construction Man thanks for helping me. BUT THEN…. in a moment of manly clarity he said “Why don’t you just think of all the ice cream flavors you like and pick one of those.” Then I began to think of the whoopie pie ice cream I had last week (NOT real food btw) and it came to me…. Pumpkin Whoopie Pie Cupcakes!

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I started thinking about executing this fab idea, and then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Next month marks 6 years since I graduated from Pastry Arts school. 6 years! Am I old now or am I old now? Ugh I think I’m old! Ask me about it in 20 years and I’ll talk about how young I was back when I was a food blogger. 🙂

In all of my time as a Pastry chef working in bakeries and restaurants I had not come across a Whoopie Pie Cupcake so I knew I had to make this over the top fab because if I’m putting something on the map it better be amazing!

And believe me… this baby is over the top fab, delish, and cute. So cute I even went against all real food rules and sprinkled some powdered sugar on it (organic that is!). Oh the cupcake madness! Of course I also decided to use a dented cupcake for my epic powdered sugar dusting picture so please excuse that lil’ old snaffoo. Trying to dust and shoot proved to be a daunting task so the dent was overlooked.

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But WAIT… there’s even more madness to these cupcakes because I’m totally not even close to being over my paper straw obsession. My husband was also wondering why there was a straw in the cupcake. Ummm HELLO! Because paper straws are awesome and they need to be put into various cupcake porn shots to make things even more beautiful. The nerve of him to question my paper straws! hehe He will never understand because he’s a man, and they don’t understand things like cute cupcakes and pretty food. They just want to eat, that’s all. Heck, this cupcake could be in a pile on the floor and he would probably still try to find a way to eat it.

Now before we finish let me tell you about how great the texture of these came out. I wasn’t sure how they would turn out because well.. I was adapting from a recipe that was not created to be a cupcake. But the texture is SPOT ON. Super duper moist and cakey, almost so that it reminded me of a cake pop. With the pumpkin, the extra egg, and the yogurt the texture is out of this world perfect. Like I said, these are probably the BEST thing to ever come out of my oven!

*Whoopie Pie recipe adapted from Martha Stewart’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pies with Cream Cheese Filling

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Caramel Apple Cupcakes

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Caramel and Apples have  been friends forever. I am so glad they are besties for life because let me tell you… it makes food blogging so much easier! I don’t have to spend long hours thinking about elaborate cupcake recipes. I don’t have to think up some new and crazy food combination. I just have to put two things together that were made for each other… caramel and apples!


Breaking news: I LOVE PAPER STRAWS! Yes, I saw an isle full of paper straws at Target and boy oh boy do I have about 60 more reasons to continue taking pictures of food now! Are they not just the best thing that ever happened to food blogging? Ummm yes I do believe so. I can now go to Target in all of my yoga pants and messy hair glory and wander through the paper straw isle like I don’t have a care in the world!

In other breaking news if you have a husband make sure he knows paper straws don’t mix well with wee lil’ ones who like to chew on things. Apparently mine wasn’t aware of this information because I found baby Christian chewing the top off of a paper straw my husband put in his cup. Yeah, not a good mix! Fear not, Mommy swooped in and grabbed that straw right out of his cute little mouth and saved the day. Ok, maybe it didn’t go that smoothly but somehow I finangled that crap out of his mouth. Baby Christian is ok and was not hurt in the making of these cute cupcakes!

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Now let’s talk about how crafty I’ve become since blowing through the paper straw isle at Target because this is the breaking-est of breaking news. Who knew DIY cupcake toppers could be so easy and so cute. 😉 All I did to make the toppers was cut the straw on an angle, then tape a construction paper leaf onto the straw. BAM! That is it. I do believe this is officially called crafting for the non-crafty folk? Why yes, yes it is. Now please excuse me while I hand model this genius idea.

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*Pro non-crafty folk tip: Fold a piece of construction paper in half to cut out the leaf to get it perfect. I do believe I learned this pro-tip in Kindergarten. Thank you Mrs. Margerum!

Maybe we should just get back to food because I’m more comfortable being a foodie then a craftie. There are a few components that go into a Caramel Apple Cupcake so let’s discuss:

  • The amazing, moist *hate that word*, whole wheat goodness that is the cupcake
  • Cinnamon buttercream
  • Apple pie filling
  • Caramel drizzle

I know, I know, that is a lot of steps! But I promise they are ohhhh soooo delish and totally worth a few extra minutes to make the filling and drizz.

On another note, I broke one of my own rules and used 10x sugar in the icing. Being a former pastry chef, this is basically the lazy way to make icing but I know some people are intimidated by cooking sugar so I wanted to provide a recipe that did contain 10x, and suggest a brand that is trustworthy and non-GMO. Here is the brand I used. This link is for 20 lbs of sugar, hence the price. You can find it at most grocery stores in the organic section.

 

 

Apple Pie Cupcake Filling

Ingredients:

  • 2 large apples (3 small)
  • 1 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar (I used my Homemade Brown Sugar)
  • 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Directions: Dice apples small. Put apples and all other ingredients in a small sauté pan and cook over medium heat until apples are tender and sugar becomes syrupy.

Caramel Drizzle

Ingredients;

Directions: Put all ingredients in a small sauté pan and cook over medium-high heat until thick and bubbly, about 5-6 minutes.

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*Cake recipe adapted from my favorite baking blog Sally’s Baking Addiction using her Snickerdoodle Cupcakes with Cinnamon Swirl Frosting post.

100 Days of Real Food Cookbook Review

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I’ve been a huge fan of Lisa Leake of 100 Days of Real Food for quite some time. Lisa’s blog was actually the first real blog that I followed, so I am honored to be reviewing her book today!


First, I’m going to have to bring out the warm fuzzies for a minute because like I said, Lisa is awesome! Not only is she super classy (because she doesn’t even bat an eye at the drama people bring to her peanut butter posts), she is what I would call a Real Food Pioneer. Before Lisa, I’m not sure that people were really throwing around the term “Real Food” as much as they are today. That speaks volumes about how much she has accomplished through her blog, and is super inspiring.

Now I’m going to fan-girl out a little because Lisa SIGNED my book. *insert teenage-girl-pitched scream here* Yes, I’m officially cool! Ok I’m not but please don’t burst my bubble while I’m fan-girling (and don’t get a restraining order either) 😉

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So what makes Lisa’s book so awesome you ask? Everything! The book is broken up into two parts so I’m going to discuss my thoughts on both parts because… well I like to pretend like I’m organized sometimes. Just go with it. I promise I know what I’m doing, I’m a food blogger with a signed booked. That means I’ve got it together, right? Right.

Part One: The Plan

Although I love the recipes in Lisa’s cookbook, I find Part One to be the MOST important part of this book. Lisa goes through everything from how to read ingredient labels, to understanding the sugar content of packaged foods, to going through ingredient lists from popular products. The stuff she packed into part one is so valuable because it is a great tool for helping other people understand where you are coming from if you’d like to start changing the way you look at food. The information is also a great tool for beginners. One of the biggest questions I get is “Where do I Start” and Lisa’s cookbook goes over ALL of that. It even includes a 14 Week Mini-Pledge for those on the fence about Real Food in their life, and a tracking chart for progress. Lisa also talks about portion sizes, how to shop at Farmer’s Markets, and all of the tricky labeling companies use to confuse people about the ingredients in packaged foods. If you can think of a Real Food question, Lisa probably covers it in Part One.

I can’t tell you how many times I would have loved to have a “handbook” to show people what is actually in processed foods and why the ingredients aren’t what I want my family to consume. When people you know just don’t get it, this book is the perfect solution. Here are a few other highlights from Part One:

  • Identifying Artificial Sweeteners
  • Why Low-Fat Products are Not Real Food
  • How to Find “Real” Eggs
  • More Tips on Reading Labels
  • And MUCH, MUCH, more!

Even for someone like myself who is a food blogger already living an unprocessed life, I learned a lot from Part One and was reminded just how awesome it is to be eating real food. Believe me, when I looked at the pages that contained the ingredients in all the processed foods that a lot of people are still consuming on a daily basis, I was reminded of why I choose a Real Food, Unprocessed life.

Part Two: The Recipes

What I love most about the recipes in Lisa’s book is that they are all relatable to the everyday family. This isn’t the GOOP, or a super fancy and out of your league lifestyle book. It is a down to earth approach to making meals that your family will love. There wasn’t one recipe that I looked at and thought “What the heck is that ingredient?” There were a ton of recipes that I thought my kids would just gobble up (especially the Macaroni Casserole), and every recipe was accompanied by a beautiful picture. I mean seriously, there isn’t anything NOT to like about these recipes because… well… just take a look at a few of the recipes I will be adding to my Real Food Bucket list:

  • The Best Pulled Pork in the Slow Cooker
  • Veggie Pancakes
  • Teriyaki Flank Steak Salad
  • Cinnamon Apple Chips
  • Southwest Chicken Wraps

I have already tried one of the recipes, which far exceeded my expectations. The recipe I went straight to was the Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread, which was pictured in one of the lunchbox idea pictures. Lisa spreads cream cheese in the middle of the bread and serves it as a sandwich, which goes perfectly with the bread. She also suggests using it to make French Toast which I might just have to try tomorrow morning!

I should admit, this recipe calls for applesauce and I have NEVER tried baking with applesauce. Boy, I must have missed the “Knowers That Applesauce Makes the Best Quick Bread” club because the bread was so light, fluffy, and texture-ific. I made the bread in both a loaf pan and muffin tins and of course I took pictures of the muffins because their tops were bangin’. You know how I feel about those muffin tops! Overall, I loved the recipe and am sending a muffin in my son’s lunchbox tomorrow. My husband also highly recommends the muffins slathered with sunflower butter (had to throw that in there just incase the peanut butter haters are upon us). 😉 😉 But really, he did slather it with sunflower butter immediately and proceeded to eat half of the loaf.

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Of course you can also throw some raisins around and put two liners on your muffins. I did, and it was really fun. Not to mention, it made for a great picture to show off those muffin tops!

Everything Else You Need to Know About The 100 Days of Real Food Cookbook (From 100 Days of Real Food)

  • No white flour or any refined grains are used
  • No sugar or any refined (or artificial) sweeteners are used
  • No recipes call for packaged foods containing more than 5 ingredients
  • Familiar and easy-to-find ingredients are used (you probably already have most of them on hand!)
  • 71 recipes are (or can easily be) Gluten-Free
  • 79 recipes are (or can easily be) Vegetarian
  • 49 recipes are (or can easily be) Dairy-Free
  • 42 recipes are Freezer Friendly (my secret weapon when it comes to packing wholesome school lunches!)
  • A beautiful color photo is included with each and every recipe
  • 70% new recipes – not previously published on the blog

 

If you are not familiar with who Lisa Leake is, this video describes her family’s journey and gives you a look into their life. Her book is also ON SALE NOW in stores and on Amazon.com. I’ve attached a link for your linking pleasure. Be sure to get one for yourself and gift one to a friend in need of some Real Food inspiration!

Thank you so much Lisa for inspiring all of us to change the way we think about the food we are eating, and a big congrats on your book dreams coming true! Make sure you check out the recipe for Lisa’s Cinnamon-Raisin Quick Bread as well!


Whole Wheat Banana Muffins with Cream Cheese Filling

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I’ve been gawking… foodgawking that is! One thing I’ve really been gawking are all of those cutesy desserts covered in sprinkles galore. I’ve always loved sprinkles because they are cute, colorful, and well, they can make ugly things look pretty. However, once I grew up and realized what sprinkles actually were we kind of had a falling out. How could they have been lying to me this whole time? Pretending to be cute when in reality they are chemical bombs covered in artificial colorings! We’ve been broken up for quite some time now, and every time I see a sprinkle my heart sinks a little more. Until now!


I have no idea why it took me so long to realize that there ARE naturally dyed sprinkles out there, and they were right in front of my sprinkle-less little eyes this whole time. I’ve passed by them time and time again, never looking twice at their vegetable dyed awesomeness. One day when my kids weren’t screaming for Annie’s crackers (yes I do fall victim to those stupid bunnies sometimes too) I had a moment of clarity in the grocery store for the first time in over 7 years. All of a sudden there they were… the sprinkles I have been longing for all this time, so I scooped them up for $1.99 and was on my merry way home to think of reasons to use them.

Naturally I thought I’d be using the sprinkles for cupcakes but when I made these banana muffins I thought they needed a bit of a sprinkle face lift. My husband said “Don’t waste sprinkles on muffins” but seriously, he’s no food stylist so I started sprinkling, and how cute are these!?!? Muffins are no longer the “ugly cupcake” or the “stepchild of cupcakes” or the “duff” (totally not explaining that one if your not familiar with that term 😉 ), but they are now holding their own on the cuteness scale. These muffins are worthy of being a healthy classroom treat, or the lunchbox item all the kids are secretly longing for. We’ve re-invented muffins here people and I’m  loving these!

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What I love most about these muffins is they aren’t just cute muffins… they are healthy muffins! I don’t play the “whole wheat” game that is actually half whole wheat and half refined flour. What is the point of that again? Not only are these muffins whole wheat, they are also naturally sweetened which is almost always my goal when baking. On top of that they have a rich and creamy center with just enough cream cheese to make you feel like your eating something dreamy and decadent. Even better then all of that, they are so easy to make. Simply mix wet, mix dry, and combine just until mixed and bake.

Muffin Tip: I always fill my muffins to the top of the liner because nobody likes a muffin without tops!

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*If you are looking for naturally dyed sprinkles here are the ones I used. It is a bulk pack but if you love sprinkles as much as I do it might be worth it!

Balsamic and Bleu Steak Alfredo

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Yesterday was my mom’s birthday and since her friends and co-workers took her out to eat I decided to cook her a meal at home. With 3 young kids going out to eat is an ordeal every…single…time! I know anyone with kids has sat through an excruciating meal at a restaurant thinking “I’m never doing this again” the whole time. One kid is yelling, one kid is under the table, and the other one has to pee… at that very moment you promise yourself NEVER AGAIN! Yet somehow…. someway… you end up right back in that situation, reminding yourself again why going to a restaurant with kids is a horrible idea. On top of that, I know when I go out to eat trying to find something with real ingredients is nearly impossible unless I’m going somewhere that specializes in real food, and I don’t know of any places like that in my area. There are a few small cafes that I trust for some things, but most “from scratch” kitchens still use some ingredients I don’t use at home. The great thing in my situation is that I know how to cook restaurant quality food at home, from scratch with ingredients I don’t feel guilty about eating. This Balsamic and Bleu Alfredo recipe did not disappoint!


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I admit, this idea came from Olive Garden’s menu (don’t get me started on their ingredient lists and unethical marketing). My husband’s company had a Christmas party there last year and just about everyone ordered the dish that inspired this recipe. I don’t quite remember what they called it but the flavor combination was a bleu cheese Alfredo sauce, steak, and balsamic reduction. My version of this meal is definitely upscale, from scratch restaurant quality, but hey, Olive Garden gave it a good shot!

I started this recipe by making a balsamic reduction to put on my sirloin before I grilled it. I admit, this part of the recipe stinks, literally, but open a window in your kitchen and have at it! Making a balsamic reduction is really easy and is a flavorful addition to meals, fresh veggies, and even fruit. If you’ve never made a reduction before the name speaks for itself. All you are doing is reducing a liquid into a sauce-like consistency that would coat the back of a spoon when held sideways. Look for a vinegar that contains only naturally occurring sulfites and no preservatives!

After I made the reduction I trimmed the fat from my sirloin, cut it into chunks, and then used a tenderizer to flatten the sirloin a bit. I did this because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to grill, and the acidity from the balsamic reduction will work wonders in all of the little nooks the tenderizer impresses on the meat. Once I had all of the chunks cut and thinned, I GENEROUSLY sprinkled the meat with garlic powder, freshly cracked black pepper, salt, and whole wheat white flour. I really emphasize the word generously because if you don’t season your meat correctly, this dish will be lacking in the flavor department as far as the meat is concerned. You want to see a coating of garlic powder and black pepper on every piece of meat. This will ensure that your meat is not under flavored.

I used a cast iron grill pan to “grill” the sirloin, and it worked wonderfully. When I use cast iron, I always heat it up over medium heat in advance. Once it is nice and hot, I melt some ghee (clarified butter) on the pan, and reduce the heat to low. A temperature that is too high will increase the chances of sticking and that is never a good thing. I would recommend NOT to purchase a grill pan with a non-stick surface because some of the chemicals they use on the non-stick cookware are highly questionable. By using cast iron and a pat of ghee, there is no need for any additional chemicals to prevent sticking. If you’ve tried cast iron and had problems with sticking in the past, don’t give up! Reduce your heat and your sticking problems will probably be resolved.

Back to the sirloin! 🙂 Once my sirloin was on the grill I gave each piece a nice drizzle of balsamic reduction, and ohhhhh they were so sticky and delicious! Once I drizzled the balsamic on I turned every piece to get a nice coating and allowed each piece to cook for 2-3 minutes per side. You should have a really sticky, flavorful outside and a tender inside. It doesn’t get much more flavorful then this!

 

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For the Alfredo sauce, I knew I didn’t want to over-do the bleu cheese. I purchased a serious block of bleu cheese a few weeks ago, and I knew I wanted to make an Alfredo sauce with it. The only thing is, my bleu cheese is powerful. It is super stinky and super tangy so a little bit goes a long way. I only used about an ounce of bleu cheese in the recipe, but some bleu cheese’s are different. If your not getting a good hint of bleu cheese in your sauce, go ahead and add more.

*If you are looking for a high quality, relatively inexpensive cast iron grill I highly recommend the brand Lodge! Here is a link to the grill pan I used.

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Pina Colada Cupcakes with Fresh Coconut

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I picked up a fresh coconut at the grocery store and wanted to make a treat for the kids with it. We had an interesting time opening it, but it wasn’t as hard as people make it sound! It did require a large chef knife and a hammer but hey, it’s all in a day’s work I guess! My husband opened it and my kids loved the fresh and cool water inside. Even the baby was downing it like it was going out of style. There was about 2 1/2 cups of water in the coconut so we drank a little bit, and saved the rest for the cake. I mentioned in my Whole Wheat Black Raspberry Shortcake post that my husband had picked up a Cooking Light Desserts magazine for me while he was at the grocery store. Although I don’t agree with their stance on substituting low-fat and potentially harmful ingredients (like Cool Whip) for the real deal, I did find a lot of inspiration in the magazine. When I make desserts I try to find a balance between super sweet and bland, and these cupcakes fell right in the middle, and were absolutely delicious. There is a perfect balance that can be achieved by using real and fresh ingredients, whole wheat flour, and a nice fluffy homemade meringue icing that doesn’t skimp on flavor. When you use real ingredients, you don’t need cups upon cups of sugar to make a dessert amazing. These are truly “from scratch bakery style” and can be made for far less then what you would pay at an upscale bakery ($2-3 EACH!). I wanted to show you exactly how I filled these cupcakes just incase you have never done it before. All you need is a melon baller or the underside of a piping tip. I simply press each end of the melon baller into the cupcake very gently, and when I have impressed a circle in the middle I scoop it out. If you are worried about messing up your cupcakes don’t sweat it, because nobody will see what is underneath the fluffy meringue icing. It took me a few tries to get a really nice circular hole in the middle of my cupcakes, so just keep in mind practice makes perfect when it comes to baking. pinacoladacupcake7 (1 of 1)


Nothing compares to the light fluffy meringue style icing on these cupcakes! It is truly the perfect icing for any dessert because it is not sickeningly sweet. It is so beautiful and glossy, and pipes very well. It holds up well in the refrigerator for a day or two, so these are a cupcake that can be made the day before your event. To make a meringue style icing you will need a sugar thermometer which can be purchased at a crafty store, restaurant store or online. The sugar thermometer just clips to the side of your sauce pan and allows you to see exactly what temperature your sugar is. You will be looking for about 250 degrees, or soft crack, for this recipe. I started whipping my egg whites about 3-4 minutes into cooking my sugar and the timing was perfect. The egg whites were reaching stiff peaks when my sugar was reaching 250 degrees, which is what is ideal. If your whites are at stiff peaks and your sugar isn’t to 250 degrees yet, simply turn them off until your sugar is ready.

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Here is the meringue on the cupcakes before I put any garnish on them.

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With this icing you can really garnish it however you’d like, or leave it as is which is pretty too! To garnish these I toasted the fresh coconut flesh in the oven in larger chunks. I decided I wanted to set these apart from all the other cupcakes I’ve seen that just use shredded coconut. I love the look of the slightly toasted coconut chunk and the fresh pineapple. The umbrellas can be found at Party City or online for pennies, so if you are planning a luau or party the umbrellas make an inexpensive and cute decoration. We recently had a luau for my baby’s 1st birthday so I have a whole box of umbrellas to use!

 

* You an find the items you might need to make these cupcakes here. 🙂

The Meringue Icing (Adapted from Cooking Light)

Ingredients:

  • 4 large egg whites + 2 Tbsp raw cane sugar
  • 1/4 tsp cream of tartar (or a squirt of lemon juice)
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 1 cup raw cane sugar (I use Woodstock Brand)
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
  • fresh toasted coconut flesh (for garnish or topping)

Directions: Combine 1 cup raw cane sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy bottomed saucepan and mix. Attach sugar thermometer to pan, and turn burner on high heat. Once you have turned your heat on, do not touch your sugar! Cook sugar to 250 degrees. While sugar is cooking put 4 large egg whites and 2 Tbsp raw cane sugar in bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Turn mixer on medium-high speed and whisk whites to stiff peaks. While whites are whisking, sprinkle in 1/4 tsp cream of tarter (or squirt of lemon juice) and 1/8 tsp salt. I have made meringue without the cream of tartar or lemon and it will turn out just fine without this ingredient if you do not have it on hand! When sugar reaches 250 degrees and whites are at stiff peaks, continue whisking whites on medium speed and slowly pour sugar into whites while increasing the speed slowly to high at the same time. Make sure you are pouring sugar in a slow, steady stream. Some sugar may get stuck to your bowl, and that is fine. When your sugar is combined allow to mix for another 30 seconds-1 minute. Add vanilla extract to finish.

Fresh Pineapple Curd

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups fresh pineapple, diced small or pureed
  • 1/4 cup raw cane sugar
  • juice of 1 lime
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 large egg yolks (leftover from your meringue and cake)
  • 2 Tbsp whole wheat pastry flour
  • 2 Tbsp cold butter, in small chunks

Directions: If you’d like a smooth curd blend pineapple in a food processor, then strain through a mesh sieve. Also, omit water. Follow the rest of the directions the same. I left my pineapple in small chunks for a chunkier filling. Combine pineapple, sugar, lime juice, and water in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until sugar dissolves and pineapple changes color, about 8-10 minutes. When pineapple is tender and can be broken apart you may shred it if desired. Whisk egg yolks and flour in a separate bowl, and temper yolks using your pineapple mixture. Do this by adding a little bit of pineapple mixture to your eggs at a time, while whisking continuously. When eggs are warm, add eggs  into saucepan and continue to whisk until mixture is thick. If your mixture is not thickening, give it more heat. Pour mixture into heat safe bowl and add chunks of cold butter. Stir until butter is melted and combined. Refrigerate until ready to use. Be sure to place plastic wrap directly on top of curd or you it may develop a skin on top. *I can’t seem to attach a link but here is the original recipe: http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/fresh-coconut-cake-10000001973648/

Whole Wheat Shortcakes with Blackberries and Fresh Whipped Cream

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My husband picked some wild blackberries at his parent’s house. Right in their yard they have a blackberry bush, and down the street at a vacant house he found another bush with a ton of wild blackberries on it, ready to be picked! For all of his efforts I knew he would love a dessert. I really wanted to choose a dessert that wouldn’t take away from the berries because it isn’t everyday we get to eat wild blackberries that we picked ourselves. I thought back to a bakery that I worked at, who had a lovely strawberry shortcake. I always loved the fresh whipped cream that they served in their shortcakes, and nothing beats fruit with fresh whipped cream!

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I found a recipe for the cakes in a Cooking Light magazine I have. I adapted the recipe to use whole wheat flour and raw cane sugar instead of all-purpose flour and refined sugar. One thing that I keep in mind when making desserts is the fact that no, desserts aren’t necessary and sugar itself isn’t an ingredient to over-consume. However, you can still make desserts “better” by using real ingredients that aren’t as refined. Instead of dumping a cake out of box that is filled with dangerous fats and calls for GMO oils, you can use whole ingredients and yield a product that outshines the boxed stuff times 1000. If you are already used to making from-scratch desserts, just look for recipes that use whole ingredient instead of refined (they are out there). If all else fails, just make substitutions and tweak recipes to fit your own “healthy”.

 

When I was reaching for my flour I accidentally grabbed the stone ground whole wheat instead of my whole wheat pastry flour. Typically I would use the whole wheat pastry flour for a recipe like this one, but I was pleasantly surprised how nice they turned out with the stone ground whole wheat flour. The cakes themselves were biscuit-like, just like a typical shortcake. They are a bit dry to begin with, but with the addition of the cream and berries they are just the right texture. I have to say, this one was really a home-run!

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Obviously my husband ate all of his shortcake, but just incase you wanted the proof here it is!

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The best part about these babies is they can easily be served in mason jars to make them even more awesome! If you’d like to go the mason jar route, simply bake the cake part of this recipe on a parchment lined (or buttered and floured) sheet tray. Once the cake bakes and cools, use a circular Ateco cutter or the top of your mason jar to cut circles of cake.

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I layered cake, whipped cream, berries, cake, whipped cream, berries and wow! They were beautiful and delicious!

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Whole Spelt, Lemon, and Ricotta Pancakes

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I can’t even explain how excited I am to announce… I have finally purchased a REAL camera! Please bear with me through the process of figuring out how to use it. I have never even operated a professional camera so this is a learning experience for me all around. I can honestly say this is the first picture I have ever taken with a real camera and while it isn’t perfect, it is much better then the iPad photos I have been using! I’m really excited to continue growing my photography and feedback is much appreciated. 🙂

On to the pancakes… my husband actually had a dream that someone from his past was baby-wearing and making lemon ricotta pancakes at the same time. Seriously, I couldn’t make this up if I tried! Sunday morning I woke up refreshed because somehow I managed to sleep 12 hours after a really long day. It was glorious! Making up for lost sleep usually equates to a big breakfast here, and he mentioned the dream pancakes so I looked around the web but couldn’t find a whole grain version. I found this recipe on Cooking Classy and adapted it to a whole grain version using whole wheat pastry flour and whole spelt. I also made them a second time with whole wheat pastry flour and oat flour, and I have to say I liked the spelt better! I made a few other revisions to their recipe and they turned out fabulous! They are super light, fluffy, and have just a touch of lemon.

*I cook these in a cast iron skillet with about a tablespoon of melted ghee. The key to the perfect pancakes in cast iron is heating it correctly. Put the ghee or butter in your skillet when you begin mixing your ingredients. Keep it on low and let it get nice and warm. I turn it up to just under medium when I begin cooking the pancakes. Low and slow is the way to go! If your skillet is seasoned nicely you should not have to add any more ghee to your pan after the first tablespoon.

 

Whole Wheat Pie Crust

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wwpiecrust Whole wheat pie crust is one of the easiest switches to make if you are trying to eat less refined grains. When I discovered whole wheat pastry flour I was ecstatic! What rock had I been hiding under for all of my life, thinking the only pastry flour available was the refined white version? Soon I started using whole wheat pastry flour in most of my baking recipes (I just used it this weekend for cupcakes and nobody even questioned it being whole wheat!) and I love it! While I don’t do a ton of overly sweet baking, I do make quiche, and other savory tarts often. I got this recipe right off the Bob Red’s Mill whole wheat pastry flour bag and it is simple, quick, and tastes great! Thank you Bob Red’s Mill!

The Easiest Way to Make Your Own Pie or Tart Dough

Let me just throw this out there, making your own dough is quick and easy to begin with. However, the best way I’ve found is using a food processor, or Ninja. I have the Ninja Master prep and it has made dough making quicker then ever! If you have a food processor, you can use the same method. Here it is:

  • Put flour and salt in processor
  • Cut chunks of cold butter, throw in processor
  • Pulse processor a few quick times
  • Slowly add cold water until you see everything is wet and coming together
  • YOUR DONE!

This only takes about a minute or two and you have your very own whole wheat pie crust!

Store Bought Pie Crusts = Health Nightmare!

I should also mention, those store bought crusts are health nightmares.With ingredients like enriched and bleached flour, partially hydrogenated oils (aka TRANS FATS), and preservatives BANNED in other countries they are not a product I would ever purchase. Not only do they contain all of these hidden ingredients but  because they are usually frozen products there is no reason Pillsbury or any other company should be adding this stuff to their products. Any company using ingredients that are known to be dangerous will not see a dollar out of my pocket.. period!

Whole Grain Banana Bread

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We had some bananas get brown really quick, so it was banana bread time! I adapted an old banana bread recipe to make it with whole, natural ingredients and it turned out fantastic! Quick breads are just that… quick! It takes only a few minutes to put together and it is delicious. This bread it great for lunchboxes or after school snacks.


This recipe features whole spelt flour, whole wheat pastry flour, mascobado sugar, maple syrup, and salted butter. I love using salted butter in recipes like this for a little touch of saltiness  to go with the sweet bananas.

Vanilla-Almond Freezer Pancakes

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If your mornings are super busy making breakfast ahead, freezing it, and getting it out as needed is a great idea. These pancakes are loaded with nutrients and oats, which will give you lasting energy. I love knowing when I send my school aged son off to school that he won’t be super hungry before lunch time! If you don’t want to freeze this recipe I recommend cutting it in half.


Another reason to make your own pancakes to freeze instead of buying the store bought version are the ingredients. Here are the ingredients from Kellog’s Eggo Buttermilk Pancakes:

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The Red Flags

  • Soybean oil: Highly refined, unhealthy fats, GMO, never a good option!
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup: Highly refined, GMO, will likely give a spike of energy, and a crash!
  • Enrichment: The fact that they are enriching these means they are not using a whole flour that still has natural nutrients in tact. If you are consuming whole, unrefined grains there is no need for enrichment. Our bodies are also more efficient at processing naturally occuring nutrients so that is always the best way to go.

Overall, the ingredient list is just in my opinion inferior. They use the worst ingredients in each category, then go back and enrich it. I know I don’t want to start my day with unhealthy fats, gmo’s, and HFCS!  Also, if you are thinking of going the boxed mix route, some of those are even worse! Check out this post for the reasons why.

*To freeze simply place in ziplock bags and store in freezer.

 

Whole Wheat Apple and Oat Pancakes

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Apple and Oat Pancakes

I mentioned before I had been trying to perfect my pancake recipe. When I’m creating recipes to use for my kids it does take a bit of trail and error with ingredients to get things just right. I’ve been making pancakes from scratch for quite some time now, so I’m familiar with what makes a good pancake! I also have 3 tiny taste testers to let me know what they like as well.

Nutrients


Of course, being a health conscious mom I  also want to pack as many nutrients as I can into my kid’s breakfast. When my 7 year old son goes off to school in the morning I want to be sure he will have energy to last him until lunch time. The problem with sugary kids cereals and some frozen pancakes is that they are loaded with sugar and refined grains that give kids energy spikes, then crashes. Kids tend to loose focus easily and eating highly refined foods won’t help with that!

Oats provide long lasting energy and are iron rich, so I feel good about feeding them to my toddler and baby as well. Its awesome being able to make a breakfast like this and feed all 3 boys the same thing! The stone ground whole wheat flour in these is also naturally rich in iron, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and folate so your getting nutrients from grains without the bleaching and enriching refined grains go through. I’ll never understand the concept of stripping grains of their natural nutrients, then adding them back in. Getting back to basics and using stone ground whole wheat flour, rolled oats, and real apples make these pancakes a delicious way to start the day. They are great for snacks and lunchboxes as well!

*Here is a link to the flour I use:

Whole Wheat Pancake Donuts

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donuts2 These little donuts are so fun! I’m constantly thinking of ways to make unprocessed food fun for my kids and this recipe was a hit all around. They are great for breakfast, lunchboxes, or dinner. To make these you will need a mini-donut baking pan. Here is a link to the one I use.

For this recipe I also used a whole wheat pastry flour which allows for a whole wheat product that is not dense. I do use this product often in recipes like this one and other baked goods. Its a great alternative to bleached and enriched white flour without the processing the white flour goes through. This flour is a staple in my pantry! If you don’t have whole wheat pastry flour on hand, you could experiment with using a regular whole wheat flour. I have experimented with a few different flours in pancake mixes and I can’t say I prefer one over another. Here is a link to the flour if your having a hard time finding it in your local grocery store.


I should also note that I did pre-sweeten these with pure maple syrup. It is important to use pure maple syrup over a highly refined syrup because most of the time the other ones are pure high fructose corn syrup and caramel coloring! Never a good way to start the day for any child. I pre-sweetened to avoid the “syrup fight” as I like to call it. You see, my oldest son likes to put all of his syrup on one or two bites and then continually asks for more and more until the “syrup fight” happens when I have to cut him off. Then I’m “really mean” as he likes to say. I’ll admit I’m a tad bit skimpy with the syrup because refined or not, sugar is still sugar and we should all be conscious to not over-consume in the name of being “healthier.” It is just easier to put the syrup in the mix and avoid any issues! I went light on the syrup and the donuts were only slightly sweetened, but my kids didn’t complain or even ask for more. You can adjust this according to what you like.

 

 

Whole Wheat Chocolate Tarts

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Yesterday was Easter so we had a big celebration at my sister-in-law’s house. It was a wonderful day! We had beautiful weather here in Pennsylvania and a delicious meal. They grilled some fresh salmon and we had a really nice variety of side dishes to go along with it. For someone trying to eat unprocessed food there were lots of options and it was nice to see a meal without all the additives at someone else’s home!

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I made some mini-desserts to take… including these delicious Whole Wheat Chocolate Tarts. I had a very hard time finding a recipe with whole ingredients so I adapted my own using this recipe from Martha Stewart. They turned out fantastic! As with all of my dessert recipes, I like to mention sugar is still sugar! Although this is a less refined version that doesn’t mean I’m going to go crazy with it because I think that it is “better”. I switched out the all purpose flour for whole wheat pastry flour and the regular sugar for a pure cane sugar. I also used a higher quality cocoa powder as opposed to the standard Hershey’s brand. Sometimes you get what you pay for and in this instance I would rather support a company that doesn’t use a ton of additives and unknown ingredients in their products. Although Hershey’s cocoa powder has only one ingredient, the rest of their products are all filled with questionable ingredients.   Here are links to these products.


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I also used this wonderful mini-tartlet pan to get a really nice looking shell. It is super easy to use and your end product looks like something straight from a professional bakery. If you have ever wondered how specialty bakeries make their mini products so eye appealing, it is the use of pans like this one.

I filled these chocolate tarts with Mascarpone cheese. I did two varieties of Mascarpone in the shells, one was plain and the other had a hint of coffee in it. The Mascarpone really helps make these delicious because it is creamy and smooth without the use of any additives or extra flavorings. It is simple and allows for the chocolate and fruit to shine and really make this dessert.  Sometimes less is more when it comes to sugar in desserts and this is one of those instances.

 

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Whole Wheat Hummingbird Cake

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As I mentioned before it was my husband’s birthday. I made him a chocolate tart and fresh mint ice cream on the actual day then I made this cake to take to my in-law’s house. I know sometimes people feel like whole wheat equals a really dense end product but if you choose the right ingredients to substitute for the refined stuff your cake will turn out fantastic!

I took the recipe I found here and made a few switches to ensure I was using the best ingredients I possibly could for the cake. I was not able to find a recipe online that used whole wheat flour so I had to adapt my own and pray that for the effort I put in, my husband would enjoy it. I have to say he loved it and I would definitely make it again using the exact same recipe. The cake itself is pretty sweet because of the banana and pineapple so I went for an icing that wasn’t overly sweet and it was the perfect combination. I hope your family enjoys this as much as we did!

*I used Bob’s Red Mill Whole Wheat Pastry Flour. Since discovering this product I use it for most of my baking. It has worked well for cakes, muffins, and pie crusts and is a great alternative to bleached, enriched white flours. If you can’t find it in your local grocery store here is a link to get it online. I also linked the mascobado sugar which is a great alternative to standard white sugar. Although sugar is still sugar and I don’t suggest over-doing it because it is “healthier,”  this is an unrefined and pure ingredient.