Strawberry-filled Angel Food Cake: ABC

I was really excited when I saw this cake up on the Avid Bakers Schedule.  This angel food cake recipe reminded me of a cake that my Mom would make me almost every birthday I had when I was a girl. 

She would use store bought angel food cake and cut it up in 
cubes and mix it with strawberries, gelatin and cool whip then put it in
an angel food cake pan and refrigerate until firm and 
then frost it with whipped topping 
and fresh strawberries.  

I just had to make this one.  

I have made an angel food cake before and it was really a simple cake to make.  This recipe on the King Arthur Flour site is also very easy.  There are 12 egg whites in this recipe and I have been very curious to find out if the separating your egg yolks with a water bottle thing really worked!  So I decided to give it a try. 

Here is a tutorial that I found on You Tube.

It worked pretty well I broke one egg yolk trying it but my water  bottle was kinda flimsy...I need a stronger one.   Pretty cool, huh? Although I still like just separating the yolks in my hand.   Well anyway, back to the cake!  

I baked up beautifully, I let it cool and put it in the freezer while I made the strawberry filling. (Give me a spoon and I could have eaten the entire bowl! LOL!) After the cake froze for a couple of hours, I hollowed out the middle using a grapefruit knife...it worked really well!  The frozen cake made this step really easy. The hubby, dog and I tasted the angel food cake scraps....yummy!  I filled and frosted the cake and stuck in the freezer and anxiously awaited for the 2 hours to pass so we could dig in! 

You gotta try this one I know  this cake has a lot of steps to it...but if you break it up and make the cake the day before and make the filling the day of it is very manageable and really not hard at all. 
We ate this right out of the freezer! 
I wrapped up the rest and into the freezer it went!  Just hope the junky food terrorists leave me alone so I am not tempted to eat the rest!   Oh my, I am a work in progress!
Until next time... Enjoy!

We sure did enjoy it!  It was a nice 4th of July treat!

Strawberry-Filled Angel Food Cake Light and fluffy angel food cake, filled to bursting with fresh strawberry mousse, offers creamy clouds of berry goodness. Serve just out of the freezer for a cool and creamy summer treat. Top of Form Recipe summary Hands-on time: 25 mins. to 35 mins. Baking time: 40 mins. to 45 mins. Total time: 3 hrs 10 mins. to 3 hrs 45 mins. Yield: One 10" filled cake, about 12 servings Cake ·         1 cup Unbleached All-Purpose Flour ·         1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar ·         12 large egg whites ·         1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar ·         1 cup granulated sugar ·         1 teaspoon vanilla ·         1/4 teaspoon salt Filling ·   2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries,  mashed ·        1 envelope unflavored gelatin ·         2 cups heavy cream ·         1/4 cup sugar ·         1/2 teaspoon vanilla Directions 1) Preheat the oven to 325°F. Get out a 10" angel food pan; do not grease the pan as this will inhibit the rise of the cake. 2) To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift together the flour and confectioners' sugar. Set aside. 3) Place the egg whites and cream of tartar in a large bowl. Whip until foamy at medium speed; this will create lots of smaller bubbles, which are best for structure. 4) When nice and foamy, slowly add the granulated sugar. Increase the mixer speed to high, and beat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the whites are stiff but not dry — think shaving cream consistency. 5) Remove the bowl from the mixer and sift 1/3 of the flour/sugar mixture over the meringue. Add the vanilla and salt; fold everything in gently, until no streaks of flour remain. Repeat with the rest of the flour/sugar mixture, in two more additions. 6) Scrape the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and springs back when lightly touched. 7) Cool the cake UPSIDE DOWN over a bottle (or using the pan's feet) for 2 hours, or until completely cool. Remove from the pan carefully, and place in the freezer for an additional 2 hours, to firm up before hollowing. 8) While the cake is cooling and chilling, prepare the filling. Place the mashed strawberries, sugar and gelatin in a microwave-safe bowl. Stir together, then microwave for 1 minute. This will melt and "bloom" the gelatin. 9) Remove the mixture from the microwave, and chill in the refrigerator for about 30 to 60 minutes, or until thickened. 10) Place the strawberry mixture in the clean bowl of your mixer and pour in the cream, vanilla, and strawberry flavor, if using. Whip until thick. 11) To assemble: Turn the cake bottom-side up and cut a channel in the cooled cake with a serrated blade. Think of it as digging a moat through the center of the cake, leaving inner and outer walls for support. Be careful not to cut through the bottom of the cake. 12) Dollop the filling in evenly, spreading it over the entire "moat." Fill to the top, then use the remaining filling to cover the entire cake, like frosting. Place the cake back in the freezer for 2 to 3 hours, or up to overnight. The filling will freeze into a lovely semifreddo consistency that will slowly melt as you enjoy your slice of cake. 13) Serve with strawberry sauce or crushed strawberries mixed with sugar, if desired. Store any leftovers, well wrapped, in the freezer or refrigerator. Yield: one 10" filled cake, about 12 servings.

Banana Whoopie Pies with Milk Chocolate Swiss Meringue: Baked Sunday Mornings

We are makin' whoopie this week!  ;)  Whoopie pies that is!  I am going to my nieces graduation party this afternoon so I thought that I would make these today and bring them along so everyone could enjoy these little treats!  I wouldn't have made them otherwise.  Don't need sweets hanging around in my kitchen right now!  These were really easy to make.  I was a little worried about the Swiss Meringue but it came together like a charm! 

The cake/cookie part was a much more fluffy than I thought they would be but they were delicious and the banana came through and complimented the milk chocolate filling very nicely!

These are good!
They all raved about the milk chocolate Swiss Meringue!  These were a hit! Everyone loves whoopie pies!

recipe here

So get busy and make some whoopie! 

Enjoy!

Bourbon, Vanilla and Chocolate Milkshakes and Simple Chocolate Syrup (NOT!)- Baked Sunday Mornings

Okay, Okay....I cheated A LOT with this.  Sorry Baked Peeps but I just had to take advantage of this recipe!  As some of you might know, I have been on a weight loss journey this year.  So far I have lost nearly 60 pounds!  I have been juicing and eating clean since January.  I do indulge in an occasional treat (I am only human).  The above is pretty much a big treat to me!  We were suppose to take vanilla ice cream, whole milk, ice cubes, bourbon and a homemade chocolate syrup and make a chocolate shake.  As much as I wanted to do that....I took a different route.  My ice cream was frozen bananas and avocado.  My whole milk was almond milk.  The bourbon...well, I left that out and the chocolate syrup???  I made a vegan chocolate syrup from coconut milk, cocoa powder, Stevia and vanilla extract. 

This made one decadent, smooth, creamy, chocolaty smoothie-shake or whatever you want to call it!  I loved it!  And will add this in as a treat smoothie every now and then.

To see what the other bakers did please go here

Have Fun and As Always

Enjoy!

Here is the vegan chocolate sauce recipe I used....

Vegan Hot Fudge and Chocolate Sauce
source My Little Celebration

Ingredients
1 c full-fat coconut milk
1/3 – 1/2 c cocoa powder
5 T sugar or other sweetener (or to taste)
1/2 t vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Method | Heat the coconut milk and cocoa powder in a saucepan or a double boiler over medium heat to combine. Whisk in sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour into heat-safe container – like a pyrex bowl – to cool. Once it’s cooled, transfer into a glass jar and store in the fridge for up to a month. 

Alfajores

Alfajores are shortbread sandwich cookies with yummy Dulce De Leche 
in the middle.

I made my own dulce de leche by simmering a can of sweetened condensed milk for 3 hours.  It is so easy!  You just have to be sure that the can always has plenty of water over it or they say it will explode!  

I spread some dulce de leche around the edges of some of these cookies and rolled them in various toppings such as nuts, toasted coconut, 

chocolate jimmies, and multicolored sprinkles.  

I like how festive they look!

Try these...You will love them!

Enjoy!

I used the recipe from Baked Elements.  You can get the recipe here.

The is the Dulce de Leche recipe I used:

DULCE DE LECHE MADE IN THE CAN

COOK TIME

3 hours

TOTAL TIME

3 hours

INGREDIENTS

1 can of sweetened, condensed milk

INSTRUCTIONS

Bring a large pan of water to a rolling boil. Make sure that you put enough water in the pan to completely cover the can you’re about to cook.

Remove the label from the can of sweetened, condensed milk and carefully submerge it into the boiling water using a pair of thongs or a slotted spoon. Make sure you place the can on its side, so it can roll around. If you place the can bottom or top-side down, the boiling water can cause it to bounce up and down, which is really annoying…

Cook the can for 3 hours, making sure the can is covered with water at all times. Add more boiling water if necessary.

Using a pair of thongs, a fork or a slotted spoon, take the can out of the pan and place it onto a heatproof surface to cool. Make sure it has cooled to room temperature before you open the can, otherwise the dulce de leche will squirt out like a fountain… Once cooled, stir until smooth.

Cooled dulce de leche can be stored, tightly covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks

Source: The Tough Cookie

Scones: Avid Bakers Challenge

This months ABC challenge is scones!  
Have I told you that I love love LOVE scones!  The recipe that we were to use is a basic scone recipe and we were to choose how we wanted to flavor them.  I decided to make a Lemon Glazed Strawberry Poppy Seed Scone.  I added strawberries, poppy seeds, lemon zest and glazed them with a bright lemon drizzle.  These scones were easy to make, as most scones are, the flavors I chose were beautiful together.  Especially with the lemon curd I hanging around in my fridge leftover from my lemon macarons.  So yummy!  I halved the recipe and it made 8 nice size scones which will be wrapped up and put in the freezer.  

If you have never tried scones...please do!  They are so easy and make a special breakfast treat.  You will find the recipe on the King Arthur Flour site here.  And if you would like to take a peek at what the other bakers did with this challenge go here.

Next challenge is a strawberry filled angel food cake!  So reminiscent of a cake my mom would make for birthdays!  Can't wait to give that a try!

Until then,

Enjoy!

Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Today I have for you a gluten free peanut butter cookie. I used gluten free and almond flour and also used Earth Balance creamy peanut butter as well as Enjoy Life chocolate chips. I sweetened them with Truvia baking blend.

    These cookies are delicious!  

But be warned, even though I tried to make these healthier they are not low in calories!  The cookies spread with peanut butter and dipped in 

chocolate are truly a decadent treat!

Peanut Butter Cookies

adapted from Dieters Downfall

Ingredients

• 2 cups gluten free flour
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup butter
• 1 cup light brown sugar (7 oz)
• 1/2 cup Truvia Baking Blend
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup dry roasted salted peanuts

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 350℉.
• Chop the peanuts in a food processor until they are crumbled into little chunks.
• Stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
• Beat the butter in a mixer until light and smooth. Add in the sugars and blend for 3 minutes until smooth. Add in the peanut butter and blend until fully blended. Add in the eggs and vanilla and then add in the flour mixture and finally the peanut crumbles.
• Measure out two tablespoon sized dough balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment or a silicon mat. Using a fork, make the crisscross pattern and bake for 10 - 12 minutes. The edges should start to turn brown, but remove them from the oven before the tops turn.
• Let the cookies rest on the cookie sheet for 5 minutes before transferring them to cooling rack.
• Once the cookies are cool, you can spread on some peanut butter and then dip them into chocolate....you know you wanna do it!

Until next time...

Enjoy!

English Digestive Biscuits: ABC

I have missed baking along with the Avid Bakers!  This is my first time this year that I have baked along.  I have been trying to clean up my diet and lose weight since the beginning of the year and I don't bake unless I am baking for someone or I know that all the goods will be out of the house and enjoyed by someone else!  These cookies will go into the freezer and be
 used for a crust for Banoffee Pie at a later time :)

When I saw that Digestive Biscuits were next on the list I almost didn't bake them, but I do love vintage recipes and this is about as vintage as you can get!  These biscuits are actually cookies and they were developed in the 19th century during the Victorian era to aid in digestion. The other bakers have some really good history on their posts.  

Check them out if you would like to know more!  

These were really easy to make.  I modified a little by using Gluten Free four and adding some ground flax seed to the mix.  I also used brown sugar and almond milk.  So I kinda sorta healthified them!  I kept some naked and dipped the bottoms of some in chocolate then decorated the tops with lines (much like a favorite cookie of mine).

It was fun to be back!

For the recipe go to King Arthur Flour

and to see what the other bakers did go to 

Avid Bakers Challenge

Enjoy!