Eagle Scout Court of Honor

Dessert Table

 I provided the dessert table for an Eagle Scout Court of Honor ceremony this past weekend.  I loved decorating using the patriotic red, white, and blue.  I found candy melts in blue and red for some of the cake pops and used patriotic cupcake liners, cupcake picks and sprinkles.  I also made chocolate shaped Fleur de Lis in yellow (a traditional emblem used) and used them as decorations on the cupcakes as well as to be eaten by themselves.

 The desserts included Chocolate Cake Pops, White Cake Pops, Brownies with White Chocolate decoration and Brownies with nuts, Triple Caramel Cupcakes, Mini Strawberry Cupcakes, Lemon Bars and Eagle shaped sugar cookies. 

 Out of 400 pieces made for this event, there was very 

little that was not devoured. 

I think it was a huge success and I greatly enjoyed helping to make 

this celebration extra special.

I am especially proud of how the eagle cookies came out. Decorating like this is not my strong suit but I loved the challenge and the result.

Challenge - Baking Allergy Free

Sweet Treats for Those with Food Allergies

I recently was asked to make some Soy-Free desserts for a friends' daughter's birthday party. We thought it would be best to make everything soy-free, if possible, so that the little girl who was allergic wouldn't feel left out of anything and could enjoy all the food like everyone else. This was the first time I had attempted such a thing and for my part - the desserts - it turned out to be fairly easy thank you to "Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate" (I found at Target and our local health food store).  This chocolate was perfect for dipping cake balls and strawberries in. It melts beautifully and hardens up just enough to create a perfect outer coating.  I think the girls enjoyed the treats too!  You would never have know that anything was missing.  I made the cake balls from scratch so I was able to monitor the amount of soy, or in the case, the necessary total lack thereof. 

Strawberry Lemonade Bars

Chocolate dipped Strawberries

Chocolate Cake Balls

And now for an even greater challenge...

Soy/Nut/Gluten/Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Balls

Just this past weekend I was asked if I could make some special treats for another friend's nephew who is allergic not just to soy but also dairy, nuts, and gluten. Well, this was an even greater challenge!  I quickly learned that if something is gluten-free, chances are it has soy in it.  If it's soy-free, it has gluten, or nuts, or dairy. It was more difficult to find not only a recipe that would meet all of the 'free' criteria, but then to find the ingredients to do so.  I certainly have a greater appreciation for those parents and caregivers that have to deal with these restrictions on a daily basis. 

This recipe was adapted from several others with the original coming out of an allergy-free cookbook with no author listed.  (I really hope I am not guilty of any plagiarism, copyright infringements, etc..)
I chose to make cake balls because I was unsure of how the cake would turn out and thought that cake balls would be the most forgiving in case the cack was too dry.  This turned out to be a good choice since I had problems with the frosting (you'll see why below).

Soy/Nut/Gluten/Dairy Free Chocolate Cake Balls

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Bob’s Red Mill All Purpose Gluten Free Flour
• 2 cups sugar
• 6 T. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tsp. baking soda
• 2 tsp. xanthan gum
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 cups chocolate coconut milk - I could not find this so I used a can of coconut milk and then melted enough chocolate and added to the coconut milk to meet the 2 cups needed (Enjoy Life Semi-Sweet Chocolate) even though the recipes said not to make your own it worked just fine for me)
• 1/2 cup + 2 T. canola oil
• 2 T. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 9 x 13 inch pan with cooking spray.  You can also make 2 round cakes or cupcakes.  I chose the 9 x 13 since I was making cake balls.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the dry ingredients well.
3. In a smaller bowl, combine the wet ingredients.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until smooth, making sure all dry ingredients are mixed in from the bottom of the bowl.
5. Place in preheated oven immediately.
6. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. May take slightly longer if using the 9x13 pan.
7. Cool in pans for 5 minutes before removing to cooling rack. If cupcakes, remove immediately.
8. Cool completely before frosting with the frosting of your choice.
9. For Cake Balls,  once the cake has completely cooled, crumble the cake in a large bowl and add frosting (recipe follows), mix well with your hands and then shape into small balls.  Place balls in the freezer for at least an hour for them to set up enough to handle while dipping.  If using cake pop sticks, melt some of the soy/nut/dairy/gluten free chocolate, dip the end of the stick in it, and then stick into the ball and then place in the freezer.

Chocolate Frosting for Cake Balls -

Important Note:  Do not use this if you are actually frosting a cake or cupcakes.  I assume the original recipe would make enough frosting for a cake or cupcakes but I had to make adjustments to the original recipe because I did not have the appropriate ingredients on hand and it was getting really late.  I had bought what I thought was appropriate margarine but realized at 10pm when I did a double check before adding it to the mix that it was only dairy-free, not soy-free.  The end result turned out perfect for the purposes of cake balls because the cake was quite moist all on it's own and didn't require a great deal of frosting.

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/4 cup dairy-free margarine
• 2 tablespoons coconut milk + extra to make the right consistency
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon maple syrup

Instructions

1. Sift the cocoa powder and powdered sugar into a mixing bowl.
2. Add the remaining ingredients, and mix on low speed, until everything is incorporated. Add additional coconut milk as needed to create a thick but creamy frosting.
3. Add to crumbled cake and mix well. Don't bother trying to use a spoon. You will  have to mix it by hand to get it all incorporated.

To make cake balls, melt chocolate over a double boiler and dip cake balls in to coat, shaking off excess and place on waxed paper to let set and harden.  Refrigerate or freeze and serve as needed.

For detailed information on how to dip cake balls I would suggest searching on YouTube for video.  bakerella.com is also a great resource for all things cake balls.

Summer Squash Pizza Crust

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups finely shredded zucchini and yellow summer squash
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

DIRECTIONS:
1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2.  Shred zucchini and summer squash.  Lightly salt and transfer to a strainer.  Let stand 15 to 30 minutes and press all remaining liquid out of squash.
3.  In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine squash, flour, cheeses, eggs, pepper and salt.  Mix well.
4.  Spread the mixture into a greased and floured jelly roll pan.  Back for 25 minutes in the oven.
5.  Remove the crust from the oven and change the oven's temperature to broil.  Brush the top of the crust with oil, and then broil the crust for 3 to 5 minutes until the top is lightly browned.
6.  Allow the crust to cool slightly and slide spatula underneath all edges and under the middle.  Place a large baking sheet over the top of the crust and gently flip the crust over so that the bottom of the crust is now facing upwards.  Because it can be difficult to flip the crust smoothly, it may be necessary to cut the crust in half to facilitate the flipping of the crust.
7.  Brush the top of the crust with oil and broil for another 3 to 5 minutes until the top is browned.
8.  Use your favorite pizza sauce and top the pizza with your favorite toppings and cheese. Broil until the cheese is melted. 

Some things I have learned in my attempts to make this.

1.  It is very difficult to get all the liquid out of the squash. You may want to press between paper towels in addition to pressing through a strainer. It is important to get out as much as possible.
2.  Non-Stick Reynolds Aluminum foil is a MUST!  I did this for the first time and it eliminates most, if not all, of the frustration of trying to flip it. 
3.  All of the ingredients make a wonderful crust but if you don't have both cheeses don't worry. I have made it without either of the parmesan or mozzarella in the crust and it was still very good.
4.  Don't expect this to be a "pick up and eat" type of pizza.  Forks may be necessary.
5.  You can also make smaller sized pizzas to aid in getting them crisper.
6.  You may have to broil it longer than the recipes calls.  I like to try and get it as crispy as possible without burning it.  It really never does get close to crispy.

These are the ingredients

 Here is the crust when you press it into the pan

I don't have an after picture because my son, his girlfriend, and my granddaughter were here and dug in before I could even grab my camera.  Needless to say, there were no leftovers.

Nonnie's No-Bake Cookies

Stir together in medium non-stick pan on stove top:
 
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup coca
1/4 cup butter
1/2 c. milk

Bring to boil and boil 1 minute.  Remove from heat and add:
3 cups oatmeal
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla

Mix and drop on waxed paper.  Let cool. Makes 4 dozen.

Nonnie's Secret Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

... also Phoebe's great great grandmother's cookie recipe (for all you Friends fans) - Nestle Toll House, pronounced  Nesele Tolouse.


Ingredients:
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups (12 oz pkg) Nestle Toll House Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat  oven to 375 F.

Combine flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl.  Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vailla extract in large mixer bowl until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in morsels and nuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Blackberry Preserves

From Here...

... To Here

I couldn't help  myself last night.  After thinking about canning and posting a recipe for pickling okra, I just had to find something to can.  I have an over-abundance of blackberries so I figured I would do something with them. I  have been picking over the last couple of weeks and do have some jars in the freezer of fresh frozen blackberries.  But I wanted to do something more.  I decided to make some blackberry preserves, complete with seeds and all!  I love the taste of the whole blackberry although I would like to find a way to do these without as much sugar.  Maybe my next batch will be made with the no sugar needed pectin.  Any suggestions?

Pickled Okra/Asparagus/Beans

It's that time of year  - Time to Pickle!  Well, not quite yet for me because I had a slow start to my garden and am not overrun yet but I know the day will be coming.  I have received a couple of requests for our pickling recipe so I thought I would post it for everyone's use.

Pickled Okra/Beans/Asparagus - whatever you might want to pickle

For each Pint jar you will  need:
1/2 Cup Dark Vinegar (Apple Cider Vinegar)
1/2 Cup Water
3-6 Tablespoons Sugar
Heat in pan til boiling

In each Pint jar put:
2-4 Cut Cloves of Garlic
1-2 Whole Cloves
1/8 Teaspoon Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
1-2 Dried Red Chilis (Red Pepper Flakes)

Adjust the seasonings to your own particular taste.  We don't use as many cloves as shown, but will often add more garlic and/or red pepper flakes.

Put Okra in Pint jar, fill with vinegar brine, leaving 1/2" headspace.  Put on Lid.  Process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.