Happy Baking Recipes

Finding happiness in baking can come from many things. The first whiff of chocolate from a freshly opened bag of chocolate chips. The joy on a child’s face when they are able to crack the egg into the bowl by themselves. The absolutely delightful smell that fills every corner, nook and cranny of your home as your baking creation comes to life in the oven. The smile on the faces of friends and family when you bring that special dessert to the table. But sometimes the most simple joy can come simply from the fun and creative names of the treats that we bake. These two recipes brought a smile to my face simply because of their names. I hope that they do the same for you.

Happy Day Cake

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cake flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening

1/2 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Add in the shortening, milk and vanilla. With an electric mixer, beat the mixture for 2 minutes. Add in the egg and beat the mixture for an additional one minute. Grease and flour an 8-inch cake pan. Pour the mixture into the cake pan. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes. Frost with your favorite frosting (chocolate in our house) or top with berries and whipped cream.

Cloud Nine Butterscotch Squares

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 package (3 3/4 ounce) butterscotch instant pudding mix

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup flour

1/2 cup milk

1 cup quick-cooking oatmeal

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a large bowl, beat the butter until it is creamy. Add in the pudding mix and mix well. Add in the eggs and vanilla extract. Alternately add in the milk and the flour. Mix well. Stir in the oatmeal and chocolate chips. Put the mixture into a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Allow to cool and then frost with the following.

Chocolate Frosting

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 cup chocolate chips

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter, milk and sugar. Bring the mixture to a heavy boil. Allow the mixture to boil rapidly for 30 seconds. Take the mixture off the stove and add in the chocolate chips. Allow to cool a bit and then frost the bars.

Wishing you a happy, cloud nine kind of day!

Tips for Cooking and Baking with Splenda

Splenda is a fabulous sweetening product that can be used almost anywhere from sweetening a glass of tea to baking muffins. Many people are not aware of how easy it is to use the product while preparing different types of entrees and side dishes.  In fact, Splenda can also be used to prepare an array of tasty baked goods without the added calories or carbohydrates that come from using sugar.  Here are some general tips to help you begin exploring the possibilities of using Splenda in your kitchen.

Unlike many other sweeteners available today, Splenda is formulated to work effectively in both hot and cold dishes.  The product should not lose any of its sweetness, even when used as an ingredient in muffins, cake layers, or cookies.  When paired with the fact that Splenda measures just like sugar, using the product to prepare most of your foods is a healthy decision.

It is important to note that, unlike granulated sugar, Splenda will not add volume to baked goods.  However, this is easily overcome by adding in a half-cup of dry milk powder and a half-teaspoon of baking soda to every cup of Splenda used in the recipe.  For most cakes and similar baked goods, this is sufficient to allow the recipe to rise properly and create the proper texture and mouth-watering taste.

In instances where a recipe requires a certain amount of sugar, it might not be practical to completely substitute Splenda for the entire amount. Pound cakes, pecan pies and frostings are good examples of instances when you would not completely rely on Splenda.  For these types of foods, substitute roughly a quarter of the total sugar required with Splenda.  This will serve to help reduce some of the calories and carbohydrates found in each serving while still providing a great tasting treat.

The difference in texture may also impact puddings and custards as well.  Generally, using Splenda will create a texture that is a little less thick than when using sugar.  If you are preparing individual pudding cups for the family dessert, there is a good chance no one will notice the slight difference in texture.  However, it may be necessary to experiment with adjusting all the ingredients when preparing a custard or pudding as a pie filling.

Do not be afraid to combine Splenda with sweetening agents other than sugar.  For example, you may choose to include a small amount of honey or molasses to enhance the texture as well as increase the ability of the recipe to brown in the oven.  This is a particularly useful trick when making cookies from scratch.

When preparing a recipe calling for yeast, keep in mind that Splenda will not activate the ingredient.  To help in this process, use two tablespoons of granulated sugar and add Splenda for the remaining sugar content of the recipe.  You will still minimize carbohydrates and calories significantly and achieve the rise that you need for cakes and various types of breads.

When it comes to baking time, using Splenda may mean that the recipe will bake faster.  For this reason, it is a good idea to check the status of the dish five to ten minutes before the anticipated bake time is up.  If you are trying Splenda in a given recipe for the first time, check at the ten minute mark, then every couple of minutes moving forward.  You want the baked goods to be thoroughly prepared so the middle is not still doughy.  At the same time, you want the crust area to be golden brown but not burned.  After the first couple of times you utilize the amended recipe, you will know how much, if any, change in the cooking time is required.

Sugar is considered a natural preservative when it comes to baked goods.  Unfortunately, Splenda does not offer this same advantage.  This means that any baked products such as cakes, pies, or cookies prepared with Splenda should be consumed within twenty hour hours of preparation.  If you must store the goods for any length of time, it is a good idea to place them in airtight freezer containers and place them in the freezer.  This will make it easier to maintain the freshness and proper texture.

Do not be afraid to experiment with the use of Splenda in your favorite recipes.  There is a very good chance that you will find using this sugar substitute is very easy with various types of sauces and marinades, and requires only slightly more effort when it comes to adapting recipes for breads and different sweets.  Network with other people in your area to share recipes using Splenda and do not forget to check online resources for specific recipes using the product.  In a short period of time you are likely to have recipes using Splenda for everything from main courses to tasty snacks.

Valentine’s Day Baking Recipes

Some interesting history about chocolate and strawberries: The ancient Mayans and Aztecs considered chocolate an aphrodisiac. Strawberries have been considered an aphrodisiac since ancient Rome. But the history of these two delectable treats hardly matters. All you need to know is that the combination is sure to please your lover on Valentine’s Day.

Chocolate Strawberry Cake Squares

The decadent chocolate fudge combined with the sweet flavor of strawberries in this recipe will have your lover wanting more. And the best part is that it’s quick and simple to make. It serves two so it is a perfect treat for Valentine’s Day.

2 slices pound cake

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce

2 tablespoons Amaretto

8 strawberries, sliced

2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, melted

toasted slivered almonds

vanilla ice cream

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce and Amaretto. Microwave on high for 30 seconds. Put half of the sauce on one dessert plate and half on another. Put the cake slices in the fudge sauce. Put the strawberries in even layers on top of the cake. Microwave each cake square on high for 30 seconds. Top with the 2 tablespoons hot fudge sauce, slivered almonds and ice cream.

Chocolate Strawberry Ice Cream Dessert

A delightful treat for your valentine with Oreos, chocolate and strawberries. A perfect chilled dessert to help steam up your romance.

50 Oreo’s, crushed

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened

1 cup chocolate syrup

1 package (8 ounces) whipped topping, thawed

1/2 gallon strawberry ice cream, thawed slightly

1 pint strawberries, sliced

chocolate syrup

In a small bowl, mix the crushed Oreo’s and butter. Put 1/3 of this mixture into a 9 x 13-inch pan. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the chocolate syrup gradually to the cream cheese. Fold the whipped topping into the chocolate mixture. Put the chocolate mixture on top of the crumbs and then add another 1/3 of the crumb mixture over this layer. Slice the strawberry ice cream into 1 inch thick slices and put over the chocolate layer. Top this layer with the remaining crumbs. Freeze at least overnight. Allow the dessert to sit out for about 15 minutes before cutting it into bars. Put the sliced strawberries on top of a bar and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Why Should You Use a Baked Cheesecake Recipe

There are few desserts in the world of sweets more alluring that cheesecake. A good baked cheesecake recipe can provide a dessert that will make a bad meal into a good memory, and make a good meal into an event that will be talked about for years. A slice of baked cheesecake, especially New York style, is perfection itself. The creamy texture, the subtle flavors and the richness combine on the palate to make dessert truly the great finish to the meal.

You might be tempted at some point, however, to explore a simpler way to make your cheesecake. The baked cheesecake recipe, while simple, can be unforgiving at times, and it only takes a couple of failures to send even the most intrepid of home cooks looking for alternatives. What they soon find, however, is that there really is no adequate substitute for the creamy richness of the baked version.

There are no-bake cheesecake recipes in great supply on the Internet, and you are more than welcome to be adventurous and try one. Before you serve one to your dinner guests, however, you would be well advised to make one just for in-home consumption. Why?

The answer is quite simple: There is not a single no-bake cheesecake recipe in existence that will give you anything approaching what you get when you go through the effort of producing a baked cheesecake. Most of the no-bake recipes rely on some sort of gelatin to thicken the mix, or they mix in whipped cream to try to mimic the texture of the baked product. While both options produce a generally edible end product, in the immortal words of Snoopy there are like “giving a starving dog a rubber bone.”

If you are going to cook a great meal, and put a lot of effort into it, why go cheap on your dessert? Putting forth the effort to follow a baked cheesecake recipe is worth it every time.

Castara Baking

What is so special about baking in Castara to warrant an article encouraging people to visit? The answer is an aroma and taste that can only be obtained by truly old style baking methods.

Castara is on Tobago’s Leeward coast shortly before Englishman’s Bay. There are different routes to Castara depending upon where you are staying in Tobago. If in the Charlotteville area you simply take the North Coast Road, going through Parlatuvier and continuing on to Castara. Visitors in Roxborough can use the Roxborough Parlatuvier Road and turn south at Parlatuvier. Those who are holidaying along Tobago’s south west coast can drive using the Grafton Road to get to Plymouth and then using the Arnos Vale Road to go to Moriah and on to Castara. Vacationers in Scarborough have a variety of routes to get to Moriah and then proceed to Castara. Whichever route you use to get to Castara it is a scenic drive along hillsides with sometimes distant views of a blue sea and other times beaches close by that make you want to stop and immerse yourself in the water. Along the way you pass through villages where houses seem to cling to hillsides and little children play in the streets.

Castara is a small village clustered around a picturesque bay of blue green water gently lapping onto a beach of golden sand. The small houses in the village climb the hillside and interspersed among them are rustic guesthouses and local restaurants. Each day the fishermen land their catch on the beach and if you are lucky you can see them roast a few on galvanise sheets over a wood fire. A short walk away from the village is a small waterfall and pool where refreshingly cool water

No visit to Castara however would be complete without viewing and tasting the products baked there. In this village you can get locally baked breads (including a delicious pumpkin bread), cakes, sweetbread, and coconut drops (these are so soft and moist that they break apart just using your fingertips and fill your mouth with flavour).

What is the secret – an old time dirt oven that uses a wood fire, dough wrapped in wet banana leaves and preparation methods developed over years. These delicious products are baked by a group of senior citizens who have been baking with this method for decades. The oven is located just off the main road across a small stream and directly in front of the beach. You can witness the entire process from the firing of the oven to the placement of the dough to the removal of the finished product that fills the air with a wondrous aroma. Locals and visitors alike come to Castara from surrounding areas to purchase and observe a baking method that is now rarely seen.

Spend the day watching the baking process, bathe in the sea, refresh yourself in the waterfall, have lunch at one of the local restaurants. Be forewarned however, if you want to purchase some to the baked products, come early to place your order because all are so delicious they are sold almost the moment they come out of the oven and the baking is only done on Thursdays and Saturdays.