Some of the best recipes happen when you need to 'use up' something in the house.  In this case, there were 3 things-- some chocolate milk that had gone sour, a bunch of bananas that were overripe, and the tail end of a jar of mayonnaise. 

Several years back, when I was still in high school, I told my mom what I would really like as a graduation gift was a card file of her recipes.  She made one, painstakingly putting one card at a time into our manual typewriter (OK, this was more than several years back) and typing out each recipe.  When the next sibling graduated, 2 years later, she had realized there was a way to type the recipes on the computer, and that way the info was saved for and could be printed an number of times without having to retype them. The recipe card in the photo below is from one of that second round of recipes she gave me. As you can see, it makes a big cake. 11x15. So I've scaled it down to fit a 9x13, and tweaked the leavening to use both baking soda and baking powder, which combination I've found to give slightly more consistent results.

Have you ever had the boiling-water chocolate cake before?  It's a wonderful, very moist cake. It looks to me that my mom simply took that recipe and adjusted it to include mashed bananas. Chances are high that she was simply being creative with what needed using up, too.

For the cake this week, I made it using mostly whole-wheat flour, for the nutrition, fiber, and flavor. I also used a blender to streamline the mixing steps.  The strange-sounding frosting really does work!  It's modified from the Sauerkraut Cake recipe posted much earlier.

Chocolate Banana Cake

Heat oven to 375 degrees F, and spray a 9x13 pan with nonstick cooking spray. (This can also fill 2 9" round cake pans instead.)

In a large bowl, stir together
3 cups flour (I used 2 c. whole wheat flour, 1 cup all-purpose flour)
1/4 to 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt

Meanwhile, melt
1/2 c. butter
and set aside. Measure 1 cup of water and bring it to a boil in the microwave or on the stovetop. Set aside.

In a blender, combine
2/3 cups sour milk (or milk mixed with 1 Tbsp. lemon juice or vinegar)
2 eggs
2 large overripe bananas, or 3 medium/small ones
2 cups sugar​

Mix until smooth. Pour over the flour mixture, add the melted butter, and stir well. Pour the boiling water over the top, and mix in thoroughly. Bake at 375F for about 30-35 minutes, or until the top springs back when pressed lightly with a finger.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Frosting
1 bag (11-12 ounces) chocolate chips (I used semisweet)
2/3 c. mayonnaise

Melt the chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl in the microwave; heating for 1 minute at a time and stopping to stir.  This took about 2 minutes in my microwave. 

Add the mayonnaise, and stir to combine.  Spread over cake.
Notes:
If you put the frosting in the fridge, it will set up very firmly. Too firm to spread. If you need to soften it, microwave for 15-30 seconds and stir.  
If you don't have mayonnaise-- remember I said we were at the tail end of the jar?-- use yogurt instead. I had only half the mayo needed, so used that, and made up the difference with some strawberry yogurt sitting in the fridge. 

Your weekly assignment:  B for 3   Only 6 weeks to go!

This year my area has a BUMPER CROP of apricots. All along my street I can see these trees drooping--sometimes clear to the ground—with their load of soft orange goodness.  But it can be a little overwhelming.  There are only so many you can eat plain, and it’s nice to have more ways to enjoy them during the time they’re everywhere.  Last week’s post had a link to the Utah State University Extension’s pdf that shared how to preserve them. But we need more.  😊

Don’t have apricots?  Drive around town and look for apricot trees that aren’t being picked. Chances are that the owner would be delighted to have you harvest them; it spares him from having to step on, drive over, or pick up fallen fruit.

1- Eat them fresh!  They’re at their best when picked ripe from the tree, warm and dripping with juice when bitten into.

2- Fruit leather. Next to eating apricots fresh, this is my family’s favorite way to eat them. The photo above is apricot-cherry leather, using about half apricot puree, half cherry.

#3-8 Apricot nectar- puree fresh, pitted apricots with enough water to get them smooth, or puree canned apricots with their syrup.  Drink plain, over ice, with a few drops of vanilla or almond extra, with a drop of lemon oil, or a sprinkle of ginger or cinnamon.  Alternately, mix an equal portion of nectar with milk (try almond milk!), sparkling water, lemon-lime soda, or ginger ale. If you want an actual recipe so you can bottle it, see here.

9- Frozen. Halve them, remove the pit, and freeze in a single layer on a baking sheet. You can pretreat them with a little lemon juice, citric acid, or a syrup of lemon juice and honey. Once frozen, transfer them to freezer bags and return to the freezer.  

10- Grilled.  This recipe calls for brushing halved fresh apricots with honey and butter, grilling, then topping with a drizzle of honey and almond whipped cream.

Apricot jam. 

11- The recipe from Ball canning jars uses a package of liquid pectin.

12- Apricot jam using instant Clear Jel instead of pectin.  This recipe can be frozen or processed in a boiling water bath.   Don’t want to use pectin OR Clear Jel?  Use the Apricot Preserves recipe, below.

13- Apricot jam using dried apricots.  Chop 1 cup (6 ounces) of dried apricots, and combine in a saucepan with 1 c. water and 1 ½ c. sugar.  Bring to a boil; simmer a few minutes, mash, and continue simmering until it thickens.  This will thicken more as it cools.

14- Apricot-pineapple jam.  My mom made a version of this most years that we had apricots.  The pineapple lightens the flavor and adds a nice sweetness.  This recipe gives an option for adding maraschino cherries; I’ve never tried it that way but it sounds good.  It also calls for canned crushed pineapple in syrup; using pineapple canned in juice will work fine too.     If you have liquid pectin, use this version.

15- Apricot preserves. These tend to be more fruity than jam, and the apricots aren’t pureed first.  Honestly, there’s a lot of crossover between jam and preserves. This one requires no pectin- only sugar and lemon juice. (fast versions! With dried apricots, fresh ones)


Apricot butter – the thicker, more deeply flavored cousin to apricot jam.

16- This one starts with fresh apricots and apricot nectar.  See the note above on making your own apricot nectar.  

17- This apricot butter cuts the cooking time down by starting with dehydrated apricots.  If you don’t prefer the kick from crystallized ginger, feel free to leave it out for a little different version.

18- Apricot BUTTER.  Dairy butter with dropped dried apricots, lemon zest, and honey whipped into it. 

19- A smoother Apricot BUTTER, with dried apricots soaked and pureed before being beaten into soft dairy butter. 

20- Home-bottled apricots.

21- Dried apricots.  Apricots may be dried in the sun, the oven, or in a dehydrator.  Instructions for all three methods can be found here.  

22- In smoothies. Use a handful of fresh, pitted apricots. A dash of vanilla or almond extract makes it extra nice.

23- substitute fresh apricots for fresh or canned peaches in almost any recipe.

24- substitute dried snipped apricots for dried peaches in almost any recipe.

25- substitute fresh apricots for fresh or canned plums in almost any recipe.

26- substitute dried snipped apricots for pitted prunes in almost any recipe, sweet or savory.

27- Use pureed apricot (or any other fruit) as a replacement for half of the butter or oil in muffins, other quickbreads, or cookies. 

28- Purees can instead be used to replace some or all of the liquid in a recipe.  2 cups of puree will replace 1 cup of liquid.

29- Syrup for pancakes, crepes, sweetener for drinks, over ice cream, or on other desserts.  Juice the apricots using a steam juicer, (or use apricot nectar) mix with an equal part of sugar (1 c. juice to 1 c. sugar).  Bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Refrigerate, freeze, or place in jars and process in a boiling water bath.

30- Apricot sauce. Use over pancakes, in crepes, over ice cream, brushed over cakes, used as a filling in the center of cupcakes, and also on broiled salmon, chicken or pork, fresh or baked on to make a glaze.  At its simplest, combine equal parts apricot puree with sugar; bring to a boil to dissolve sugar.  For a thicker sauce, stir 1 Tbsp. cornstarch in to the sugar, for each cup of puree, before boiling.  For extra flavor, to each cup of sauce, add any of the following: ¼ tsp. almond extract, 1/8 tsp. cinnamon, ½ tsp. ground ginger or 1 1/2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (or puree it with the apricots to begin with), a sprinkle of ground cloves, a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice, zest of half a lemon.  Garnish with candied pecans or almonds, chopped candied ginger, a sprinkle of cinnamon, or lemon zest.

Apricot quickbread (baking powder-raised bread)

31- Apricot quickbread using pureed apricots. This recipe calls for canned ones, but you can use 1 pound of fresh apricots instead.  Pit them before pureeing. 

32- Apricot quickbread using dried apricots.  There are many variations of this online. Some add dried cranberries, others add semisweet chocolate chips, some have nuts- pecans and almonds both complement apricot.  

33- Apricot-Almond Muffins- stir ½ c. snipped dried apricots and ½ c. chopped almonds into a 12-muffin batch of muffin batter.  After baking, dunk tops in melted butter, sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and finely chopped almonds- or mix an almond glaze to spoon over the tops.  Almond glaze- stir together 1 Tbsp. milk or water, ½ tsp. almond extract, and about 1 cup of powdered sugar.  Add more water or powdered sugar as needed to make of drizzling consistency.
 
Apricot yeast bread

                34- My version, with orange, apricot, and pecans. I've got an awesome recipe somewhere for a seedy, dried fruit breakfast bread that includes apricots, and is served in wedges with cream cheese spread on top, but I'll have to look harder to find it.  Maybe it will get its own post.

                35- Bread machine version, with dried apricots, orange juice, and oats.

               36- Apricot Daisy Ring- a beautiful yeast bread in the shape of a daisy, with apricot preserves and a light almond glaze on top.  I love to bake it the day before and serve for breakfast.   The earliest version I’ve seen of this recipe came from a 1980’s Better Homes and Gardens “Breads” cookbook.
 
Cookies:

               37- Chewy apricot -almond oatmeal cookies, using dried apricots.  (includes tips on how to use dried fruit in general) 

               38- Jam-filled thumbprint cookies, using apricot jam or preserves, with or without chopped nuts.

Apricot bars.  There are different options, starting with either chopped dried apricots simmered in water, or using apricot preserves- but almost always on a shortbread-type bottom layer. 

               39- These Apricot-Oat bars from The Pioneer Woman use apricot preserves, brown sugar, and lots of nubbly oats.  

                40- This version also uses apricot preserves, but no oats,  Instead, it has coconut and walnuts.
 
Dinner

                41- Apricot-glazed moist Italian meatloaf. There are pureed apricots mixed into the meatloaf itself, too.  Again, the recipe calls for canned apricots; substitute a pound of fresh ones, pitted.  Reserve ½ c. of the puree to make the glaze.

               42- Apricot-glazed Pork Tenderloin, using apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, garlic, and thyme.

Apricot Chicken-

                43- One-pot, 5-ingredient Apricot Glazed Chicken, using bone-in chicken thighs, apricot preserves or jam, onion soup mix, and French dressing (homemade options are included). I’ve seen a variation on this where you use Russian dressing instead of French.
​
                44- Apricot chicken using boneless tenderloins, apricot jam, and dried apricots

                45- Apricot Glazed Chicken for One (or two).  Super simple, using one chicken breast, a tablespoon each of apricot preserves and French or Russian salad dressing, and a pinch of ginger.

                46- Apricot Chicken Stir Fry-- a kind of Sweet and Sour chicken—with boneless chicken breasts, apricot preserves, onion, bell peppers, pineapple chunks, garlic, ginger, and more. Cashews are an option. Serve over rice, couscous, or quinoa, or to the side of any of those, mashed potatoes, or cauliflower mash.

                47- Apricot Chicken using thighs or drumsticks, fresh apricots, ketchup, and apricot preserves.

                48- Slow Cooker Apricot Chicken- using bone-in thighs, dried apricots, lemon, onions, Dijon mustard, garlic, and thyme. 

               49- Moroccan Rice Pilaf, with Basmati rice, onion, dried apricots, dates, olive oil, chopped almonds, cumin, cinnamon, and other spices. It may sound odd, but it’s really good.  Sometimes I add a little diced smoked turkey. 


Apricots with goat cheese. This is a classic combination that can be done a few different ways. Don't have soft goat cheese?  Use cream cheese instead.

                50- Apricot-Goat Cheese Swirls- spread apricot leather with a layer of soft goat cheese.  Sprinkle with some chopped fresh basil, mint, or thyme if you have it. Roll up, wrap, chill for at least a couple hours, then slice.  Serve as a snack or hors d’oeuvres.

                51- Apricot-Goat Cheese Ball with dried apricots, rosemary and shallots


Apricot Parfaits

                52- Simple breakfast parfaits- pureed fresh halved apricots, poured over yogurt and sprinkled with granola. We’ve had these a couple times in the last two weeks.

                53- ‘Foodie’ Parfaits.  I don’t use alcohol, so would most likely use a little apple juice to replace the brandy.  And mascarpone is pricey, so softened cream cheese or Greek yogurt would stand in for it at my house.  And vanilla extract would be used instead of a scraped vanilla ban. But the fresh mint?  I’ve got a whole bunch of it growing happily on the ditchbank.

54- Apricot Cream Dessert. A fluffy, whipped-cream based concoction.

55-That last one is related to an apricot cheesecake my mom made often in the 70s; essentially, you replace the whipping cream with 16 ounces of EITHER cream cheese or cottage cheese, which gets pureed along with the apricots.  The whole thing is poured over a cookie crumb crust, graham cracker crust, or thin shortbread crust. (You bake the crust first, in a 9x13 pan.) Pour the filling over the top.  Sometimes she would spread pineapple topping (a 20-oz can crushed pineapple with juice, boiled with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch to thicken) over the whole thing once the apricot cheesecake was set.   Lower fat, lower sugar, and completely refreshing!

56- Apricot Cupcakes, using your choice of either apricot jam, or a filling you make with dried apricots, water, and sugar.

57- Apricot Cake, Aprikosenkuchen, a coffeecake. This cake fits in a 9” springform pan and uses two whole pounds of apricots.  It’s a delicious way to use apricot that are a little underripe, or mealy.  And it’s great when the fruit is fully ripe, too.    make your own apricot jam to brush as a glaze over the top: after pureeing half of the apricots, as directed in the recipe, set aside 1 Tbsp. of the puree.  While the cake is baking, mix this reserved puree with 1 Tbsp. sugar or honey, and bring to a boil in the microwave, about 45 seconds. Let it cool while the cake finishes baking, and brush it over top once the cake is out of the oven.
 
58- Apricot Nectarine Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream

59- Browned Butter Almond Cake with Apricot Whipped Cream; the whipped cream uses apricot preserves. And anything with browned butter and almonds is going to be a winner.

60- Almond Apricot Tart.  It’s a beauty, with an almond shortbread crust, rich filling reminiscent of pecan pie without the pecans, topped with halved apricots.  It’s served with freshly whipped cream.

61- Apricot Salsa.  Why not? Mango salsa is one of my favorites, the Granny Smith apple salsa I tried was great...


Are there more recipes?  Yes; I didn’t even make it to my hard-copy old cookbooks (Chez Panisse Apricot Sherbet or Apricot Mousse, plus whatever is in the 1958 Betty Crocker book…) , nor the hand-written 3x5 cards in the recipe boxes. There’s still Apricot Cream Soup, Upside Down Apricot Cake, Apricot Cobbler and Apricot Crisp, Apricot-Cherry Pie… 
But this will give you a good start!

Mmm.... bacon, eggs, and toast!   

Or not.

Toast:
Pound cake, sliced and toasted.  Then buttered.

Eggs:
The white:  I used some quick frosting  (1 cup powdered sugar, 2 tbsp. melted coconut oil, a bit of vanilla, and enough milk-- any kind-- to let it softly hold its shape.)  Other options include nearly-melted commercial vanilla frosting, stirred sour cream, stirred vanilla yogurt, or stirred Greek yogurt.
The center is a dried apricot, plumped in hot water for about 20 minutes, then blotted dry and shaped by hand to look more round.  I stuck a whole almond inside to make the 'yolk' stand up better.
To make the 'yolk' look more wet, I brushed it with a little bit of corn syrup.

Bacon:
Today I found some natural fruit rolls that I'd not seen before.  I bought some, and found that rather than being the smooth, flat rollup I expected, it was full of different thicknesses in the stripes the machine put down.  This enabled it to pull off in strips to eat.  And it resembled bacon!  One roll yields about four  1 1/4" wide strips, which I cut using a pizza cutter.   Make them ripple a bit when you put them down.

Pumpkin Roll
Makes 18, 1" slices.  

4 eggs                                                                          
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 c. pumpkin                                                             
1 c. flour                                                                    
1 tsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. cinnamon                                                            
1 1/2 tsp. ginger
3/4 tsp. nutmeg                                                              
½ tsp. salt
1 c. chopped nuts, optional

Beat eggs until well mixed.  Gradually add sugar; this should take about two minutes.  Beat on high for another two minutes, until sugar is mostly dissolved and the mixture is thick and pale lemon-colored..  Stir in pumpkin.  Fold in flour, baking powder, spices, and nuts.  Grease and flour a 12x18" cookie sheet with 1" high sides, OR line it with parchment and grease the pan sides..  Spread batter in pan and sprinkle with nuts.  Bake at 375 for about 15 minutes, or til the cake springs back when pressed gently in the center.  Remove from oven.  While cake is hot, flip cake over onto a kitchen towel sprinkled liberally with powdered sugar.  Holding one of the wide sides of the cake, very carefully roll it up with the towel, cinnamon roll style. When cool, 2 to 4 hours later, unroll slowly and spread with cream cheese frosting.  Roll the cake again, without the towel!  Slice and serve. 

You can make this ahead of time and freeze it for later use.
If you don't have a 12x18" pan, but have a 10x15 pan, cut the recipe in half.  The batter will not be as deep in the pan, so bake a few minutes less.  (Mine took 12 minutes.)  Roll as above, but hold a narrow side as you roll it up.  This will give you one 10" wide roll.

Fluffy Cream Cheese Frosting
(the 1-1-1-1-1 recipe)

1 stick butter (1/2 c.), softened
1 c. powdered sugar                                                     
1 Tbsp. lemon juice OR water or milk (lemon accents the zing of the cream cheese)
1 tsp. vanilla
1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, chilled and cut into 8 cubes                                          

Combine butter with powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla.  Beat until smooth.  Add cream cheese, one cube at a time, beating until smooth after each.  Once they're all incorporated, beat another minute or until frosting is fluffy.

We have one peach tree, a fairly early variety.  The little thing produced itself proud this year; we kept thinning, and thinning those peaches throughout the season, fearing the weight of the ripened ones would damage its fairly young form.   We still got somewhere around 1 1/2 to 2 bushels of ripe ones.  Most of them were preserved as rolls of fruit leather, with many more eaten fresh, made into creamy smoothies, or baked into this favorite coffeecake, which we serve as breakfast food.  I got the recipe when I was nineteen and in college, from a friend my age who also loved to bake.  She ended up living in the same apartment complex and I, and we shared several food-related experiences.  She and I drowned our boy-centered troubles one night by staying up late, crying with each other's stories, and consuming an entire cheesecake.

But back to the peaches...
There's nothing like biting into a warm, juicy peach fresh off the tree... or a tree-ripened peach from wherever you can buy them.  If you're not so fortunate, you can use either fresh, frozen, or canned (and drained) peaches for this, but the best flavor- as you'd expect!- will be from using the freshest, sweetest, juiciest peaches you can get.  

Peachy Pecan-Streusel Coffeecake
Cake:
1/2 c. butter, softened 
3/4 c. sugar (1 cup if you like things very sweet)
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c. sour cream or yogurt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 c. sliced peaches

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Butter or spray a 9x13 pan; set aside.  Cream together the butter and sugar; beat in the eggs.  combine all dry ingredients, add to butter mixture alternately with sour cream and vanilla.  Beat just until smooth.  Spread batter in prepared pan.  Arrange peach slices over batter.  Combine the streusel ingredients and sprinkle over peaches.  Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean (no batter clinging, only crumbs if anything).  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Streusel:
1 c. chopped pecans
1/4 c. brown sugar, packed
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

This gluten-free cake is high in fiber, but you'd never know it when eating it.  It just tastes like a moist coconut cake.  It also has a delicious cream cheese frosting that you can sweeten using agave or honey, and a lemon-cream cheese filling between the layers.  This makes a small cake, 6" round if two layers, or a single 8" layer:  a much better size for most people!

Coconut Cake:

4 large eggs
1/2 c. melted coconut oil
1/2 c. agave nectar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 c. coconut flour
1 tsp. baking soda (this is too much, I can taste it and the cake overbrowned)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. xanthan gum
1/2 c. shredded coconut, either sweetened or unsweetened
Cream Cheese Agave Frosting (recipe below)
1 1/2 Tbsp. orange or lemon marmalade
1 cup sweetened shredded coconut 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease sides and line bottom of a 6" round pan* with a circle of parchment paper.  Set aside.

Whisk eggs until light in color and a little foamy, about 2 minutes.  Add the coconut oil, agave, vanilla, and coconut extract; mix well.  Add coconut flour, then put the baking soda, salt, and xanthan gum on top of the coconut flour, and mix all together.  The batter will be very thin at first, but will thicken within minutes as the coconut flour begins absorbing liquid.  Stir in the 1/2 c. shredded coconut.

Pour into the prepared pan.  Bake until center no longer jiggles and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, about 45 minutes.  Run a knife around the outside edge of the cake to loosen it.  Cool cake, in the pan, on a cooling rack for 10 minutes.  Remove from pan/s and cool completely.

When cool, split the 6" cake into two layers.  Frost the first half with lemon-cream cheese filling.  Place the other layer on top of the filling, then frost the entire cake.   Pat coconut onto the sides of the cake, then sprinkle it all over the top.
  
*If you don't have a 6" round, you may use either one 8" round (reduce baking time to about  30- 35 minutes), a 9x5 loaf pan (about the same baking time), 12-15 cupcakes (about 30-35 min. of baking), or four 4" round pans (reduce baking time to  18-20 minutes each).

Cream Cheese Agave Frosting:  use the recipe for Fluffy Honey-Cheesecake Frosting, except substitute agave for the honey.

To make the lemon-cream cheese filling (or orange-cream cheese filling), take  3/4 cup of the Cream Cheese Agave Frosting and put it in a small bowl.  Add 1 1/2 Tbsp. marmalade and stir.  

A friend recently shared this delicious recipe with me.  Since I wanted to make cupcakes for a friend who can only handle sweeteners like honey and agave, it was time to tweak the recipe.  You can find the original, sugar-sweetened, recipe here, if you want to compare it to my version. As cupcakes, they needed more moisture than the original, plus a couple things needed adjusted to allow for honey.  And I discovered that the amount of water your quinoa was cooked in makes a huge difference in whether they're dry, moist, or collapse when baking.   (Not to worry, the problem should be solved now!)   Quinoa is technically a seed and not a grain.

I tried really hard to find a way to use just the blender to make the batter, and not need both it and a bowl, but the batter puffs up so much once the leavening is added, that it just didn't work out that way .  Oh well.

Everyone who has tried these loves them.

Moist Chocolate Quinoa Cupcakes

1/2 c. uncooked quinoa*
1 1/4 c. water 
1/3 c. any kind of milk (dairy, almond or coconut are fine)
4 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 c. melted coconut oil or other liquid vegetable oil
2/3 c. honey
a few drops of orange essential oil, or the washed peel of one clementine, optional
1 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2  tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Cook the quinoa, covered, in the 1 1/4 cups water:  either combine in the microwave or stovetop.  To microwave,  put them in a microwave-safe bowl, cover, then cook for 5 minutes at full power, then 5 minutes at 50% power.  For stovetop:  combine in a pan that has a tight-fitting lid.  (If the lid isn't, use 1 1/2 cups water to compensate for what will evaporate.)  Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and let simmer for 20 minutes, until water is all absorbed.
*or use 2 cups cooked quinoa and omit the water.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Put liners in 18-24 cupcake tins, depending on how high you want the cupcakes.

Combine in a blender the cooked quinoa, milk, eggs, vanilla, oil, honey, and orange oil/peel if using it.  Blend until smooth.   Mix the cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl.   Pour the quinoa mixture over the top, and stir until well-combined.  Spoon into cupcake liners, or use a spring-loaded ice cream scoop instead to portion out the batter.

For an easy, sweet topping, sprinkle each cupcake before baking with a few semisweet chocolate chips and chopped pecans or other nut.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the top of a cupcake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger.

Frost with your favorite frosting if you like, or  try any of these.   The cupcakes above are frosted with whipped coconut cream with melted chocolate beaten in:  use 1 cup of chilled coconut cream and 1 cup melted semisweet chocolate.  Whip the cream until it starts to hold soft peaks, then add in the chocolate plus a teaspoon of vanilla and a pinch of salt.  Beat until fluffy and smooth.

See the bottom of this post for photos on making the heart-swirl pattern.

A friend of mine has to avoid dairy, wheat, and oats- and we were going to be together at a potluck lunch on Thursday.  The pumpkin cheesecake last week (for a different group) was such a hit I decided to adapt it so she could enjoy it too.  But with a bit of chocolate.  Like pumpkin-chocolate chip cookies.

I wanted it to be relatively inexpensive- no quart of coconut yogurt! -that stuff's pricey. Coconut milk and coconut cream, sure.  I have that on hand.  
No recipes using those appeared to be online anywhere, though I found the chocolate-version crust here.  There were some cashew-puree based ones- but not only did I not have time to soak nuts, but wanted this to be a recipe even the nut-allergic could use. So I started with my tried-and-true 'normal' recipe, and adapted. And I was willing to buy one 6-oz cup of coconut yogurt to put in the (optional) topping. 
You won't taste the apple cider vinegar, but it adds both the tartness and savoriness you'd get from cream cheese. If you have 2 (14-oz) cans coconut milk and a 19-oz can of coconut cream, that will be exactly enough for the filling, the topping, and the ganache.

If you want to use honey in the filling instead of sugar, use just 1 cup honey plus 1 Tbsp.  Since this also adds about 1/4 cup of water, add about a tablespoon additional pumpkin powder OR a tablespoon oat or coconut flour so the cheesecake won't be too soft.

Gluten free, dairy free Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust:
1 c. fine-shred coconut, toasted
1 Tbsp. coconut oil, melted
1 ½ Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. vanilla
1 ½ Tbsp. cocoa powder 

Stir together and press firmly onto the bottom of a 9” springform pan.  Set aside.  
For a fall-spice crust instead of chocolate, omit cocoa powder, and instead use                 ½ tsp. cinnamon + ¼ tsp. cloves + ½ tsp. ginger

Filling:
1 1/3 c. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
3/4  tsp. ginger
¼ tsp. nutmeg
¼ tsp. cloves
½ tsp. salt
6 Tbsp. (slightly heaped 1/3 c.) pumpkin powder
2 (14-oz) cans coconut milk
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
5 large eggs, room temperature
1 c. coconut cream

Mix all together, in order.  Don’t overmix or whip air into it, or it may crack while baking.  Bake at 350 F for  75-90 minutes in a water bath, until center jiggles like Jello and internal temperature is 145-150 F.  Cool in oven or on counter, then chill, covered, in fridge 4 hours or more.

Rum-flavor Topping:
1 cup coconut cream, well chilled
½ cup coconut yogurt
½ cup brown sugar
1/8 tsp. salt
1 ½ tsp. rum extract

Whip cream until just beginning to thicken; add all else and whip.  Spread over chilled cheesecake.

Chocolate Ganache drizzle:
¼ c. (1 ½ oz) dairy-free chocolate chips
3 Tbsp. coconut cream or coconut milk

Heat gently to melt chocolate chips; whisk until smooth.  Drizzle on cheesecake.

This seasonal New York-style cheesecake is not exactly "lite", just light.  Not leaden.  But it is a little lower fat because I substituted one cup of cottage cheese in place of the original one cup of heavy cream.  :)  This gives it a higher protein content and reduces the fat.
This is an amazing pumpkin cheesecake, with just the right amount of tartness, sweetness, and spice.  I adapted it from an America's Test Kitchen recipe.  The whipped cream topping is optional but perfect.

The recipe- which is below- calls for a 9-inch springform pan.  I don't own one, but I do have a 9-inch round cake pan.  I use it instead by cutting out a circle of parchment paper and lining the bottom with it, spraying the inside edges with cooking spray, and going ahead with the baking.  When it's done, run a knife around the inside edge to help it pull away, cool and chill completely, and invert the pan over a plate.  Tap hard.  If it's being really stubborn, run hot water over the bottom of the pan (held at an angle so the plate doesn't fill with water) and try again.  

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Crust
1 sleeve (about 5 ounces) graham crackers- whack it a few times to break into chunks
6 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Put the cracker pieces in a blender or food processor; run until finely ground.  Put the butter in a 2-cup microwave-safe container and melt it, about 30 seconds in the microwave.  Dump in the crumbs, sugar, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves. Mix well, then sprinkle over the bottom of a 9" springform pan.  Press down evenly using the bottom of a glass or something else flat.  Bake for about 15 minutes, until it starts smelling delicious.  Remove and let cool while you make the filling.

Filling
2 cups pumpkin puree (canned or your own- or, better yet, use pumpkin powder)*
1 1/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or use 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice in place of these four spices)
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 cup cottage cheese
5 large eggs room temperature

Pour the pumpkin puree on a triple layer of paper towels, spread evenly, then top with another triple layer. Press firmly to absorb the extra moisture.  The Test Kitchen said that when they didn't do this, the cheesecake was always wet.   OR- best idea ever!- use your pumpkin powder, using only half the water you normally would.  That means you'd use 6 Tbsp. pumpkin powder-- barely over 1/3 cup-- plus enough warm water to equal one cup.  (Ta-da!  aren't you extra-glad now that you made some?!)

Bring 4 quarts of water to a boil for a water bath later.  Put the pumpkin in a blender or food processor, and add the sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, salt, cream cheese, vanilla, lemon juice, cottage cheese, and eggs.  Blend until smooth. Pour over crust. Put this pan in a roasting pan or on a jelly roll pan if that's all you have.  Put it in the oven, then pour water in that larger pan, enough to come about halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan.  Bake for about 1 1/2 hours, until the center wobbles like Jello instead of like water; a thermometer poked into the center should register 145-150 degrees F.  Run a knife around the inside edge of the cheesecake, then put the cheesecake pan on a wire rack to cool.  When cool, chill for at least 4 hours to let it firm up.  (I didn't have that much time; mine cooled on the counter for 30 minutes, then went in the fridge for 3 hours.  It was a little soft in the center, but sliced OK.  The leftovers sliced much more nicely the next day.)

Brown Sugar and Rum (flavor) Cream Topping
1 cup whipping cream, very cold
1/2 cup sour cream or 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 tsp. rum flavor*

Whip the cream until it barely starts to thicken.  Add sour cream or cream cheese (I used cream cheese since I was out of sour cream), brown sugar, salt, and rum flavor. Beat about a minute, until thick; spread on top of cooled cheesecake.

*I have a whole bunch of Stephen's Gourmet Rum Sauce mix packets; each packet makes 2 cups of sauce; I used half of one dry mix in place of part of my sugar.  But I don't know if the company still makes the mix; I got them for ten cents apiece on a clearance deal. So you can use rum flavor.  Or use 2 tsp. rum if you happen to like it.  Or, if you live nearby, call me and you can have a packet.  :)
I also cooked a bit of the sauce and used that to drizzle a design on the top of the cheesecake.  Mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top would be great instead, as would some sugared pecans or hazelnuts.  Mmm.

This is seriously amazing frosting, one you'll want to take your time eating, to capture every nuance of the flavor.

Why is it so good?  

Well, look at the name.  White chocolate.  Butter.  Cream.  Need I say more?  
Yeah, it wouldn't be smart to eat it every day.  But- boy, is it delicious!  Even better, it's really easy.

I found this in a magazine when my now-16-year-old was a newborn.  Really newborn; a magazine at my hospital bedside.  There were several intriguing recipes in there; I wrote them on a slip of paper, then tucked them in my recipe binder once at home.  The paper is still there, and three of those recipes are now favorites of mine:  Lattice Pineapple Pie, Orange-Coconut Muffins, and this frosting.  

It's one to savor.  You can also refrigerate or freeze this and shape it into truffles. Roll in chopped almonds, powdered sugar, sprinkles, or fine cookie crumbs, or dip in melted white or milk chocolate.  

My favorite white chocolate for this recipe is Guittard white chocolate chips.  To me, the Nestle white chips have a overly-cooked-and-sweet flavor, so I avoid those.   Chips are cheaper than baking squares, and the good ones have a great dairy-and-vanilla taste.  And I almost always use evaporated milk in this recipe; since it's a pantry item, I always have some on hand, unlike fresh cream.

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting (about 2 cups frosting)

1 cup (6 oz.) white chocolate, melted and cooled-  or 6-(1 oz) squares white chocolate
1/4 cup cream or evaporated milk, or regular milk if you must (not as rich- but passable)
1 cup cold butter, cut into 1" cubes
1 cup powdered sugar

Beat together the white chocolate and cream.  When smooth, with the mixer running, beat in 1 cube of butter at a time.  Add powdered sugar; beat about 2 minutes, until smooth and fluffy.

If you have essential oils, one drop of orange oil would add subtle dimension.

My nephew just had a birthday, and having spent the day before at the Museum of Ancient Life, wanted-- what else?-- a dinosaur fossil cake.  His cake photo is at the end of the slide show below.  The version above was made of brownies.  Cookies and Cream Brownies. Mmm.

The fossil is made of melted white chocolate chips: melt a cup of them in the microwave (1 minute, stir) or over a double boiler, then put in a zip-top freezer-safe bag with a small corner snipped off (start with 1/8" hole and see if it it's big enough), or use a pastry bag and a #3 or #5 tip.  Trace onto waxed paper with an outline below, let it set up, then transfer to your dessert.  Good surfaces include chocolate frosting, unfrosted brownies or chocolate cake, a frosted cake coated with graham cracker or cookie crumbs, or anything else that resembles rock or dirt.

You can make all kinds of designs this way- when I turned my kids loose, they made  a pony (complete with chocolate jimmies on the mane and tale), a butterfly, a banana (covered in yellow sugar crystals), and a set of exploding fireworks.

At any rate, here's the recipe for the brownies, which were very moist and fudgy, with a crunchy, sweet topping:

Cookies and Cream Brownies
1 batch of your favorite brownie batter to fit a 9x13 pan (I used a Duncan Hines mix)
1 cup of vanilla pudding 
8 oz. chocolate sandwich cookies, crushed

Mix the brownie batter according to its directions; bake as usual.  When done, spread with the pudding, then sprinkle with the crushed cookies.  Press the crumbs down lightly to make them stay.  Best the first day; they get a little gooey by the second day.

If you're adding a 'fossil', wait until the brownies are completely cool.

Saw this on the web and my daughter wanted it for her birthday cake...

It's really simple- one frosting tip (2110), one color, and the roses are nothing more than spirals.

The frosting I used was Strawberry Cheesecake Frosting and is naturally colored: use the recipe for Blueberry Cheesecake Frosting except double the batch and substitute 12 oz. strawberries, pureed, for the two cups of blueberries.  It tastes divine!

So St. Patrick's Day is this weekend, and this is green, right?

(Can I just mention that I have a hard time liking a holiday whose only purpose I've seen is to have an excuse to pinch people?!  So I read more about it this year, and concluded that the symbol should be a THREE leaf clover.  Look it up.  But I digress.)

OK, no, that's not really why I made the cake.  My son's birthday was coming up, he loves Minecraft, and begged for a Creeper cake.  Fortunately he only wanted its face and didn't really care if each pixel was a different color than the next. so he got this simplified version.  But he wanted it green.  Inside too.  But white cake.....

Here's what I used:
one 8x8 square cake pan
one white cake mix plus ingredients to make it
2 cups of homemade frosting (1 stick of butter, 1 lb. powdered sugar, see below)
one 6-oz box lime gelatin
3 Tbsp. semisweet chocolate chips
one milk chocolate Hershey's bar (regular size.  Or use 3 Tbsp. milk chocolate chips.)

Grease and flour your pan really well, then bake the cake until done.  Meanwhile, bring one cup of water to a boil, add the gelatin, and stir to dissolve.  Don't add the other cup of water the box calls for.  You'll have about 1 1/3 cups of gelatin liquid.  Set it aside.
When the cake is done, let it cool in the pan 10 minutes, then invert it onto a cooling rack.  While the cake is still warm, carefully spoon about 1/2 cup of the gelatin mixture on it, spreading it so it soaks in evenly.  

Once the cake is completely cooled, make the frosting:  Beat 1 stick of softened butter until it's smooth, then add about a pound of powered sugar and 1/4 cup of the gelatin mixture (warm it slightly if it's too solid to pour).  Beat until smooth.  If it's too thick, add a little more gelatin mixture; if too thin, add more powdered sugar.  (If you notice the dark specks in my frosting, they're caused by experimenting with a half avocado in the frosting.  It never did end up as smooth as I wanted, but it gave an interesting earthy appearance.)

Frost the top and sides of the cake, then pipe a border around the top.  Leave NO GAPS in the border.  Pour the remaining gelatin onto the top; the border serves as a dam to keep it there.  The ideal pouring temperature is slightly warm to slightly cool- you don't want it so warm it melts the frosting, nor so cool it forms lumps all over the top.

When the gelatin has just started thinking about setting up (slightly thicker than egg whites), pull out a ruler and a chef's knife.  Score the gelatin, pressing down into the frosting below,  in an 8x8 grid pattern, which is one square to one inch.  Make your chocolate facial features by following the instructions in the slide show.

Are you craving a moist, flavorful cupcake?  Maybe you'd like gourmet cupcakes to serve your sweetie on Valentine's Day?
The 'extras' added here- coconut extract, shredded coconut, lime juice and zest- make these cupcakes Coconut-Lime.  Feel free to substitute whatever other flavors you like.  Any flavor cake mix will work.  You could make a pretty pink-speckled frosting for Valentine's Day by using one mashed strawberry in the frosting.  Since it's contributing liquid, omit the lime juice.


Cupcakes:
1/2 cup white cake mix
1/4 cup water
a little coconut extract (about 1/16th tsp)- or other flavor, optional

Put a paper cupcake liner in each of two custard cups or microwaveable mugs.  Beat the mix, water, and coconut extract together until smooth.  Divide between the two liners. Microwave each one for about 35-45 seconds or until there's just a small wet-looking spot in the center.  Let cool.

A very simple filling is a spoonful of vanilla Greek yogurt.  Poke a hole in the cupcake with a spoon, lift the torn part up, and drop about a tablespoon of  Greek yogurt.  Jam is a good filling, as is pie filling or frosting. Just use less of these because they're so sweet.

Frosting:
1 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. sour cream (or Greek yogurt, cream cheese, or butter, depending on the flavor you want)
dash of salt
a little vanilla (1/16th tsp)
about 2 tsp. lime juice (or lemon if that's all you have.  I used lemon juice and added a drop or two of lime essential oil.)
powdered sugar (about 1 cup)

Beat together the butter, sour cream, and salt.  Stir in the vanilla and lime juice.  Add 1/2 cup powdered sugar and stir until smooth.  If it's not thick enough yet, add more powdered sugar until it is.

Spread on the cooled cupcakes, then top with some toasted coconut and finely grated lime zest.

If you want chocolate frosting, simply add 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder to it.

This weekend I participated in a moms' retreat- our own little 'Education Week'end, you might say. (See here for one of the addresses we heard.)
We each brought food for either the dinner or brunch the next day.  Most of the ladies there try to eat very healthfully, and some of them have dietary issues like gluten intolerance, so I made a gluten-free, dairy-free (CF= 'casein free'- the protein in milk) cake. 

I actually used a cake mix- Pamela's Gluten-Free Chocolate Cake Mix- which uses evaporated cane juice for the sugar, and organic grains.  That way everyone could eat happy.  Everybody- regular wheat-eaters included thought the cake was absolutely delicious.

By the way, this brand of cake mix makes two 8" or 9" layers.  Not all of the GF cakes mixes do.  Some, like Betty Crocker, only make one 8" layer.  So take that into consideration if you're pricing them.

GF CF German Chocolate Cake

Bake and cool one chocolate cake, using a two-layer sized gluten-free mix, or from scratch.  One good recipe is at Living Without.(This recipe calls for 1 c. coffee, to intensify the flavor- if you don't prefer to use coffee, use hot water instead and 1 Tbsp. molasses.  Reduce sugar by 1 Tbsp.)

Lower-fat, Dairy-free Coconut-Pecan Frosting (also egg-free) 
3 Tbsp. potato starch or tapioca starch, OR 5 Tbsp. rice flour
3/4  evaporated cane juice or brown sugar
1 c. coconut or rice milk
¼ c. coconut oil
¼ tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. vanilla
½ c. pecans, toasted and chopped fine
1 c. shredded sweetened coconut, toasted

Stir together starch and sugar, then gradually mix in milk.  Add coconut oil and salt, then heat and stir over medium-high.  Cook and stir until thickened and bubbling.  Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, pecans, and coconut, reserving 1 Tbsp each nuts and coconut for garnish.  Chill first if spreading on a tall cake, frost immediately if spreading on a sheet cake.

A surprising amount of people think you can't make frosting without powdered sugar.    I shouldn't be too surprised; I used to think that, too!

Frostings made without it are usually exceptionally smooth; powdered sugar sometimes comes across as a little chalky.  This is because at least some brands add cornstarch to the powdered sugar.

Anyway, here are some creamy, fluffy, dense, or fudgy frostings you can make without using powdered sugar:  Enjoy!

Chocolate Blender Frosting- or caramel, coconut-chocolate, hazelnut-chocolate, and more!
   version made with milk chocolate chips

Cheesecake Cloud Frosting
Blueberry Cheesecake Cloud Frosting
Strawberry Cheesecake Frosting
Cherry Cheesecake Frosting

The frosting in the photo above is Apricot Cloud Frosting: use pureed apricots in place of the pureed blueberries, also add 1-2 tsp. almond extract.

Cooked Frosting (the no-Ultra-Gel version of Cloud Frosting)

Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting (doesn't go runny)

Marshmallow Frosting

Ganache(may be whipped)

Seven-Minute Frosting- includes variations for Peppermint Frosting, Seafoam Frosting, Strawberry Fluff Frosting, and Chocolate Fluff Frosting.

So much fun I wanted to share it...

On a previous April Fools' Day we had a main dish that looked like dessert- this "carrot cake" is really meatloaf and mashed potatoes.....    

And a dessert that looked like a main dish.

So here was the whole meal. 

The actual cake, the spaghetti and meatballs, was made using the Sauerkraut Cake recipe.

Ta-da! 
The original idea came from someone's two-person 'cake', made using two giant hamburger patties-- each about a half pound-- as the cake layers, frosted the same as below.

To make this one, started with about 1 to 1 1/2 lbs of burger and make it into meatloaf, pat it into a 7" circle with vertical sides, and bake it in an 8x8 square baking dish.  When it is done, toast about 1/2 cup bread crumbs in the still-hot oven (I used panko because that's what was in the cupboard); about five minutes is all it will take.  After the mealoaf has rested about ten minutes to firm up, cover it using about 3 cups of mashed potatoes.  (I made them using potato flakes.)  To pipe the carrots, soften about 2 oz. of plain cream cheese; tint half orange, and half green.  Put each color in a ziptop baggie and snip a small corner off; squeeze a carrot shape first, then make 2-4 small green lines for each carrot top.  I used a pastry tip for the swirl on top (filled JUST the decorating tip with potatoes, and shoved my clean thumb into it); you can skip that part, use a bag and tip, or snip an 'M' shape in the corner of a ziptop baggie to pipe out of. 
To coat the sides, press a handful of crumbs against the side, repeat all the way around.   Serve warm, and refrigerate any leftovers, of course!

To make the 'spaghetti casserole', start by baking any cake in a square or rectangular pan.  My family's big enough we used a 9x13 pan.  After it's cool, frost with a rather thin layer of frosting.  Put a cup of frosting in a pastry bag fitted with a round tip (# 3) OR in a heavy-duty ziptop bag, one lower corner reinforced with tape, then snip off a tiny corner.   Squeeze frosting out, letting it randomly pile up a bit on itself to form the 'spaghetti'.  Unwrapped Ferrero Rocher make splendid meatballs, and strawberry jam makes for good 'spaghetti sauce'.   Grate a little white chocolate over the top for the 'parmesan' look.