Strawberry cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling

A recent baby shower for a friend gave me another chance to bake a cake. I always try to do something different and after some mulling around, I decided on strawberry cake with chocolate mousse filling.



I also decided that this cake would be my first leap into fondant. I planned on icing the cake with regular buttercream, but I wanted the decorations to be in fondant. I found a recipe for marshmallow fondant and had a blast working with it! More on that tomorrow.

 

The strawberry cake part didn't turn out quite as I'd planned, as the cake looked more like a whole wheat cake than a strawberry cake! Thankfully, the strawberry flavor came through ever so delicately. The chocolate mousse filling was truly fantastic, and I was definitely excited that I had a little bit left over to save for dessert another night.



Strawberry Cake with Chocolate Mousse Filling
Source: Slightly adapted from Good Things Catered, here and here

For the cake, I modified Angie's Strawberry Cupcake recipe to use pureed strawberries since mine were frozen and I didn't think they would work well, chopped. I also baked it in two 9" round pans rather than in cupcake form. For the mousse, I cut the recipe in half.

For the cake:

• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cup sugar (or a little less)
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup pureed strawberries

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two 9" or 8" round cake pans by spraying with baking spray.  Sift flour, salt, and baking soda in medium bowl.  In bowl of mixer, cream butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time until combined.  Add buttermilk, oil and vanilla until combined.  Add flour mixture and stir until just combined.  Stir in pureed strawberries.

Divide batter between two cake pans.  Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.  Cool cake in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes.  Remove cake from pans and continue to cook on wire rack until thoroughly cooled. 

For the mousse:

• 4 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 cups heavy cream, divided
• 1 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 egg yolks
• 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
• 1 pinch salt

Directions:
In large double boiler, add chocolate, 2 tablespoons cream and butter.  Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally until melted.  Let cool for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, add egg yolks, sugar and 2 tablespoons cream. Whisk to combine over heat, stirring well, until mixture reached 160 degrees, about 2 minutes.  Remove saucepan from heat, add chocolate mixture and set in saucepan in ice.  Stir mixture until cooled, about 7-10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in bowl of stand mixer, whip remaining 3/4 cup of cream until just forming stiff peaks.  Fold whipped cream into chocolate mixture.  If not filling cake right away, place into bowl, cover with plastic wrap and place into fridge overnight.

To assemble the cake, place one layer on serving platter, and pipe a border of icing around the edge of the top surface of the cake (to build a well for holding in the mousse).   Generously top bottom layer with chocolate mousse.  Apply top layer of cake, then frost cake as desired. 

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie Cake

I have been ooo-ing and aaahhh-ing over have cake, will travel for a few weeks now.  The recipe offerings are vegan, but I noticed many of them call for the clean eating ingredients that have become a staple in my kitchen.  I was in the mood to bake this weekend so I perused the dessert offerings over there and decided on this brownie cake.  I've been getting a little tired of cookies, and I wanted to open a can of pumpkin for some baked oatmeal, anyway.   It smelled delicious coming out of the oven, and the 30 minutes of cooling was pure torture.



One bite of this heavenly, soft, delicious cake and I was seriously concerned about how to prevent myself from eating the rest of the pan before bedtime.  The pumpkin flavor is very light, the cinnamon is warm and inviting, and the chocolate chips add just enough to keep it chocolatey.  I'm in love!

Pumpkin Chocolate Brownie Cake
Source: slightly adapted from have cake, will travel
Yield: 6 to 8 servings  

• Non-stick cooking spray
• 1/4 cup skim milk
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup (120 g) whole-wheat pastry flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2/3 cup (128 g) Sucanat
• 2 tablespoons (10 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 cup (122 g) pumpkin purée
• 1/3 cup unsweetened applesauce
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup (58 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C, or gas mark 4). Lightly coat an 8-inch (20-cm) square baking pan with spray. Combine vinegar and soymilk in a medium bowl: it will curdle and become like buttermilk.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, sucanat, cocoa, spices, and salt.

Whisk pumpkin purée, applesauce, oil, and vanilla into the buttermilk mixture, until combined.  Fold wet ingredients into dry, being careful not to over mix. Fold in chocolate chips and place batter into prepared pan.


Bake for 23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool in pan, on a wire rack. Remove from pan after at least 30 minutes. Enjoy at room temperature or cold.

Nutritional Information, per serving (1/6th of recipe)
Calories: 263
Total fat: 7 g
Sat fat: 0.3 g
Cholesterol: 1.3 mg
Sodium: 419.6 mg
Potassium: 28 g
Carbohydrate: 46.9 g
Fiber: 4.6 g
Sugar: 28.3 g
Protein: 3.4 g

Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream

Do you love cinnamon Teddy Grahams? If so, this ice cream is for you!  It tastes exactly like the cinnamon Teddy Graham snacks I remember from my childhood.  I think that's all there is to say here!

Cinnamon Honey Ice Cream

8 ounces heavy cream
14 ounces 2% milk, whole milk, or half and half (Depending on your preference)
1 cinnamon stick
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2/3 cup honey
2 egg yolks, beaten


Heat cream, milk, cinnamon stick and ground cinnamon in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir occasionally until simmering, but not boiling. Turn off heat, cover, and let steep for 30 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and return cream mixture to heat.

Bring back to a simmer, then add honey and whisk until dissolved. Add 2 tablespoons of heated cream mixture to beaten egg yolks, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs. Repeat 3 more times, then add tempered eggs to the saucepan with the heated cream mixture.

Heat over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of the spoon (approximately 160 degrees F). Strain mixture, if desired. Cool thoroughly, at least 4 hours in the refrigerator, preferably overnight. Freeze according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I saw these in a recent issue of Clean Eating magazine and could not wait to make them. I love cookies and always am looking for new clean cookie recipes to try. These were so easy to make, but apparently I made them a little too easy - I didn't mix the dough well enough and I had quite the variety of cookie shapes, all on the same pan! I had the flat-as-a-pancake variety, tall mounds that never seemed to settle at all from the drop shape, and then the perfect middle ground. (I have a picture of the cookie sheet somewhere, when I find it, I will post it in all it's hilarity).


These cookies are delicious, and this was my first time trying almond butter. It's quite different from peanut butter, and I really like it (though really, I'm not surprised, almonds are my favorite!)


Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Source: Clean Eating Magazine, March/April 2010
Yield: 24 cookies

1 cup unsalted almond butter, stirred well
3/4 cup sucanat
1 large egg
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3 oz dark chocolate (70% cocoa or greater), broken into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  In a medium bowl, stir together first 5 ingredients until (well!) blended.  Stir in chocolate.

2.  Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined baking sheets.  Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes.  Remove to a wire rack and let cook for 15 more minutes. 

Nutritional Information, per cookie:
Calories - 110
Total fat - 8 g
Sat. fat - 1.5 g
Carbohydrates - 10 g
Fiber - 1 g
Sugar - 3 g
Protein - 2 g
Sodium - 55 mg
Cholesterol - 10 mg

The Chewy

Ahh, The Chewy. I swear, this has to be one of Alton Brown's most famous recipes. I love Alton Brown, and wanted to use up some bread flour, so I decided it was time for me to make them. My mom is famous for her chocolate chip cookie recipe, which tends to be more crisp, so I was interested to see how these turned out.



Admittedly, I was quite disenchanted at first. I didn't love them. I barely liked them. Sure, the texture was spot on, but the flavor was missing something, for me. Though, I wondered if this was just a result of my clean eating lifestyle. However, I gave them another shot the next day, and thought they were much, much better! The flavor had definitely developed and I thought they were very good!  I should also note that my husband thought they were fantastic.

The Chewy
Source: Alton Brown

* 2 sticks unsalted butter
* 2 1/4 cups bread flour
* 1 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 1/4 cups brown sugar
* 1 egg
* 1 egg yolk
* 2 tablespoons milk
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
* 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Hardware:

* Ice cream scooper (#20 disher is recommended, but I didn't have that so I just eye-balled it)
* Parchment paper
* Baking sheets
* Mixer

Directions

Heat oven to 375 degrees F.

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottom medium saucepan over low heat. Sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda and set aside.

Pour the melted butter in the mixer's work bowl. Add the sugar and brown sugar. Cream the butter and sugars on medium speed. Add the egg, yolk, 2 tablespoons milk and vanilla extract and mix until well combined. Slowly incorporate the flour mixture until thoroughly combined. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Chill the dough, then scoop onto parchment-lined baking sheets, 6 cookies per sheet. Bake for 14 minutes or until golden brown, checking the cookies after 5 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet for even browning. Cool completely and store in an airtight container.

Chocolate Peppermint Torte

I love to get the Penzeys catalog in the mail and flip through it. They fill the catalog with tons of information about their many wonderful spices and blends. But in addition, they add recipes from customers. There are usually great stories to go along with the people and recipes, and it's always fun to read.

I saw this recipe for Chocolate Peppermint Torte in a recent winter catalog, and couldn't wait to make it! The original recipe called for mini marshmallows in the filling, but I had marshmallow creme that I wanted to use up, and it worked out so well! This cake was a hit and perfect for around the holidays, but then again, it's hard to go wrong with chocolate cake and whipped cream frosting!



Chocolate Peppermint Torte
Source: Adapted from Jean Albers/ Penzeys Catalog
Servings: 16

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 3/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup shortening
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs

For the filling and frosting:
1 1/2 pints heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup marshmallow fluff/creme
1 cup crushed peppermint candy
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat over to 350 degrees F.
To make the cake:
Grease three 9-inch round cake pans and set aside (baking spray works well).  In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and cocoa.  Add the shortening, milk, and vanilla.  Beat for 2 minutes.  Add the eggs and beat for 2 minutes more.  Divide the batter among the cake pans.  Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.  Cool for 10 minutes on a cooling rack.  Carefully remove from pans and allow to cool completely.

To make the filling/frosting:
In a chilled mixing bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff.  Add the vanilla and marshmallow fluff, beat until incorporated.  Fold in the crushed candy and pecans.   Assemble the cake with the filling between each later, and on the top and sides.  Top with additional crushed candy, if desired.

Nutritional Information, per serving:

Calories - 440
Total fat - 28 g
Cholesterol - 80 mg
Sodium - 260 mg
Carbohydrates - 47 g
Fiber - 2 g

Oreo Bites

This dessert is very easy to make, and is truly a delicious crowd pleaser!  It's tough to go wrong with oreos covered in chocolate!  There are two variations floating around, one with cream cheese and one with sweetened condensed milk  I chose to go with sweetened condensed milk so that I could make them ahead and keep them at room temperature.  The version with cream cheese needs to be refrigerated.



As you can see, I had some problems with the chocolate. I was bound and determined this time to A) temper the chocolate and B) not want to throw a fit while trying to dip the oreo balls in the chocolate and coat them evenly. I'd been wondering if the trouble that I have with dipping things in chocolate has to do with me terribly overheating the chocolate.

This time I followed these instructions, from Cooking for Engineer to temper the chocolate. I dutifully monitored the temperatures... up over 105, add the seed chocolate, then back down to 90. I was quite impressed with myself for not killing the chocolate out of impatience. Then came the dipping... and wow! This was the easiest it had ever been for me! Chocolate flowed right off the oreo bite when I lifted it out of the chocolate, and with a few taps to nudge it along, I had a beatifully, evenly coated oreo bite.

I went along my merry way, dipping bite after bite, ignorant to the horror going on behind my back. When I had completed my batch of oreo bites, I turned around to gaze, lovingly, at my little treasures. And immediately wanted to cry. As you can see in the above photo, my little bites of oreo heaven had bloomed.

Blooming is nary a cosmetic bump in the road, as the chocolate is still perfectly fine to eat, but to me, it ruined my little bites of oreo heaven. I've had chocolate bloom on me before, sure, when I carelessly went back and forth from the freezer. What was the problem here? Apparently there are two kinds of blooming in chocolate:  fat bloom and sugar bloom. The sugar bloom is what I was more familiar with, and is a crystallization of sugar caused by high humidity or bringing a cold product to room temperature.  Could this somehow still be the problem?  I don't tend to think of my home as having high humidity (especially in winter).  The fat bloom is the accumulation of large cocoa butter crystals on the surface of the chocolate.  Apparently you can tell the difference by the feel of the chocolate, but I didn't know this until after they were devoured, so it will remain a mystery. 


Oreo Bites
Source: Re-written from Kraft Recipes / Beantown Baker
Yield: about 40

1 package oreos
1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
chocolate, for dipping

Crush oreos down to a fine texture in a food processor. Pour into a large bowl. Add sweetened condensed milk and vanilla extract, and stir until the mixture is well blended. Using a 2 teaspoon scoop, scoop rounded balls of oreo mixture onto parchment lined pans, then refrigerate to set. Melt chocolate over a double boiler (tempering is best), then dip the oreo bites to coat. Set back on parchment paper and allow chocolate to set.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Though I was over-joyed at the success of clean deep dark chocolate cookies, I wanted more.  This recipe stood out to me because I knew my husband would love it, and with maple syrup being the source of sugar, agave nectar would be a great substitute.  I threw in some butterscotch chips since my husband loves them, but stick with dark chocolate chips to make them clean cookies.

I was pleasantly surprised that they are really soft - and stayed soft days later.  The peanut butter flavor is light, not overwhelming.  They are very delicious cookies that I can't wait to make again!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Source: Slightly adapted from Delicious Wisdom 
Yield: About two dozen cookies

• 1-1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• ¾ cup maple syrup (or agave nectar)
  
• ½ cup unsweetened natural peanut butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 large egg
  
• 1 cup dark chocolate chips
  

Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, salt and baking powder. In a large bowl, combine maple syrup, peanut butter, and vanilla extract. Beat in the egg. Stir in the flour mixture until well combined. Stir in chocolate chips. Shape the mixture into balls, about ¾” in size, then place on the greased baking sheet. Press them down with a fork, first in one direction, then the other. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

Caramel Corn

Caramel corn sounded like the perfect addition to my holiday baking baskets for friends. I'm always intimidated by caramel, since I seem to be adept at burning it, but this was really easy to make and turned out fabulous! Next time I make it (as my husband is already requesting another batch), I'll add the peanuts.



 Caramel Corn
Source: Christie's Corner/Good Things Catered

• 1 cup popcorn unpopped (or 3 bags microwave popcorn)
  
• 1 cup butter (use just 1/2 cup if using microwave popcorn)
  
• 1/2 cup corn syrup
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups peanuts (optional)
  

Instructions

1. Pop popcorn using your preferred method.
2. Place popped corn and peanuts (if using) in a very large bowl. If you don’t have a big enough bowl, use two bowls. You will need lots of room to toss the corn when coating it.
3. Preheat oven to 250F.
4. In a 2-quart saucepan, over medium heat, gently melt the butter.
5. Stir in the corn syrup, brown sugar and salt. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the sugar mixture to a boil, stirring constantly.
6. Boil for 5 minutes without stirring.
7. Remove from the heat, stir in the baking soda and vanilla. Note: The mixture will foam and become frothy.
8. Pour the caramel sauce over the popped corn and toss to coat throughly. Don’t worry about clumps as the caramel will remain spreadable while cooking and the coating can be evened out.
9. Spread the popcorn evenly onto 2 large cookie or baking sheets. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so.
10. Spoon cooked popcorn onto waxed paper and allow to cool before breaking apart.
11. Keep grubby handed scavengers at bay with a wooden spoon while you seal cooled caramel corn in an airtight container — Or serve immediately.

Candy Cane Biscotti

In addition to gingerbread and chocolate biscotti, I made these candy cane ones. They just sounded perfect to me, and I even found a box of already damaged candy canes at the store. It felt good saving that box of misfit candy canes, and saved me some work in the kitchen having to break them up!

I almost added a touch of vanilla or peppermint extract to the dough, and I wish I had, but they were still delicious, with lots of minty candy cane spread throughout the cookie. Yum!

Clearly, I was too lazy to dip mine in white chocolate, but I do think that makes a great presentation for these cookies. Maybe next time. :-)



Candy Cane Biscotti
Source: Loves to Eat, Culinary in the Desert
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen for me

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup finely crushed peppermint candy canes
• 14 ounces fine quality white chocolate, melted
• extra crushed candy canes to sprinkle on top

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.  In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Add dry ingredients and mix until combined – stir in crushed candy.
Evenly divide dough into 4 pieces on a lightly floured surface. Shape each piece into 9″ x 1 1/2″ round log. Place logs 3 inches apart onto parchment-lined baking sheet.
Bake until tops are cracked and ends just start to turn light brown, about 18 to 20 minutes. Remove from oven and reduce temperature to 325. Cool logs 10 minutes on cookie sheet.
Cut each log diagonally into 1/2″ slices with sharp serrated knife.  Arrange pieces standing up back onto the baking sheet.
Bake until cookies are light golden brown and crisp on both sides, about 12 to 15 minutes. The centers may still be a little soft, but will firm up as they cool. Place onto cool rack and cool completely.
Dip half of each biscotti into melted chocolate – shake off excess. Immediately sprinkle with additional crushed candy canes and set on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet until the chocolate has set.

Gingerbread Biscotti

This year I decided to make some biscotti to share with friends and family during the holiday season. These gingerbread biscotti were so easy to make, and taste fabulous! I thought it sounded like a lot of spices when I was adding them, but the flavor was just perfect, and not overbearing at all.

On a side note, this seems like the perfect recipe to adapt for the clean eating lifestyle. Why use white sugar and then add molasses? It seems obvious to me, now, that using sucanat - which still retains it's natural molasses - would be a better choice. I can't wait to try it out, and I'll update you when I do!


Gingerbread Biscotti
Source: Loves to Eat, Allrecipes.
Yield: About 2 1/2 dozen for me (perhaps I cut them thick?)

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground ginger
• 3/4 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a cookie sheet. In a large bowl, mix together oil, sugar, eggs, and molasses. In another bowl, combine flours, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg; mix into egg mixture to form a stiff dough. Divide dough in half, and shape each half into a roll the length of the cookie sheet. Place rolls on cookie sheet, and pat down to flatten the dough to 1/2 inch thickness. Bake in preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool. When cool enough to touch, cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Place sliced biscotti on cookie sheet, and bake an additional 5 to 7 minutes on each side, or until toasted and crispy.

Winter Cranberry Cupcakes

I went a little crazy a few weeks ago when cranberries went on sale, and I bought 7 (7!) bags that I promptly stuffed in my freezer. I was so happy thinking I'd be able to make cranberry-whatever all through the summer. Then I realized we are likely moving well before then. Whoops!  No time like the present, apparently, to work down the stock I just created!


First on my list was this recipe for cranberry white chocolate cupcakes. Cranberries and white chocolate are two of my greatest loves, so I knew this would be a great combo. I almost left the white chocolate bits out of the batter, and ultimately I think it would be better without them, especially with the white chocolate frosting. For the snowflakes, I melted some white chocolate, then added it to a ziplock bag. On a piece of parchment paper, I traced some snowflake designs, then flipped the parchment over. I cut a small tip off the end of the bag, and piped white chocolate, following the snowflake designs, onto the parchment. I let them set for about 20 minutes while I frosted the cupcakes, then carefully lifted each one off the parchment with an off-set spatula.

These cupcakes are fantastically delicious with the cranberries providing just the right amount of tart, and the hint of orange play very well with the cranberry. Perfect for any winter gathering!



White Chocolate-Cranberry Cupcakes
Source: Culinography (adapted from Baker’s Chocolate)
Yield: 18-20 cupcakes

• 6 (1 ounce) squares white baking chocolate
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
• 3 tablespoons orange juice2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cupcake tins with liners. Chop 6 of the chocolate squares and set aside. Beat butter and sugars in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, orange peel, and orange juice; mix well. Add flour and baking powder; beat until well blended. Fold in chopped chocolate and the cranberries. Bake approximately 18-20 minutes (mine took more like 25) or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Remove cupcakes to wire rack. Cool completely.

White Chocolate Buttercream
Source: Cupcake Shop

• 7 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature 
• 1 package (8 ounces) philly cream cheese 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla 
• ~2 cups powdered sugar

1. In a heat proof bowl over a pan of simmering water, gently melt the white chocolate. Allow to cool for 10 minutes or so.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Add the cream cheese and beat until combined.
2. Beat in the melted white chocolate.
3. Add the vanilla and 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat at low speed, scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl, until light and fluffy. Add more powdered sugar to arrive at the consistency and sweetness you like. 2 cups worked for me.

Cranberry Ice Cream

Ice cream is just one of those things I can't give up. White sugar and white flour have been no big deal for me, but ice cream (and all it's heathen saturated fat) will never leave my diet. Instead of eliminating it, I just try to find ways to reduce the amount of heavy cream while still keeping a reasonably palatable final product. I've recently started using agave nectar in ice cream, in place of sugar, and realized that the agave really keeps the ice cream soft. It was an unexpected, but very welcome, bonus.

So, what to do about the cream. I don't like to use more than 8 ounces (1 cup) of cream (in a batch that yields 4-5 cups of ice cream). I try to keep it down to 4 ounces. Previously, I made up the remaining volume with fat free half and half, and whatever milk we had, either 2% or skim. Fat free half and half, I've decided, has too many chemicals for me to using it on such a regular basis, so that ingredient had to go. But making up the rest with milk would yield some very crystal-y (yes that is now a word) ice cream.

Enter: tofu. Firm silken tofu, to be exact. I started this time with 4 ounces, blended up with 1 ounce of milk. I was reserving the remainder of the package for another dish, so 4 ounces was all I had to spare for the ice cream experiment. I also decided to make it part custard by making an egg yolk base with 4 ounces each of cream and milk, and two egg yolks.

The comparison of the nutritional information from the original recipe to mine is startling. The calories per serving were cut in HALF! Total fat was reduced by over 15g, saturated fat by over 11g. Even the cholesterol was reduced! On the plus side, I increased the potassium, fiber, and protein content. All around, a huge win for ice cream!


I almost forgot - how does it taste?  It's pretty awesome.  There is a perfect balance between tart cranberry and sweet agave nectar!

Cranberry Ice Cream
Yield: 5 cups

1 package (12 ounces) fresh cranberries, washed and picked over
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
4 ounces heavy cream
18 ounces milk (I used 2%), divided
2 egg yolks
4 ounces firm silken tofu
1/2 cup agave nectar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

1.  Heat cranberries and water in a small saucepan until boiling. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook 10 minutes, until the cranberries pop and become soft. Let cool 10 minutes.  Pour into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, but not pureed.  Add cinnamon and set aside.
2. Scald cream and 4 ounces of milk in a small saucepan.  Place egg yolks in a small bowl.  Add 4 tablespoons of heated cream, 1 tablespoon at a time while whisking constantly, to warm up the yolks.  Add yolks back to pan with heated cream.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon until custard thickens, coating the back of the spoon.
3.  Blend tofu and 1 ounce of milk in food processor until smooth.
4. Combine cranberries, custard, tofu, salt, agave nectar and remaining 13 ounce of milk in a large bowl and blend well.  Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight, then freeze in an ice cream maker.

Nutritional Information, per 1/2 cup serving:

	Reduced	Original
Calories:	153.4	310.7
Total Fat:	6.5	22.2
Sat. Fat:	3.8	15.4
Poly Fat:	0.1	0.0
Mono Fat:	0.4	0.0
Cholesterol:	62.5	88.0
Sodium:	66.8	22.0
Potassium:	3.8	0.0
Carbohydrate:	20.3	23.3
Fiber:	0.9	0.0
Sugar:	14.7	19.2
Protein:	3.3	0.1

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies

In my never ending quest for clean eating approved desserts, I saw this recipe on The Way the Cookie Crumbles and could not wait to try it.  All I needed to do to make it clean was switch out the sugar source!  The original recipe calls for powdered sugar, so I got to thinking... if you can make powdered sugar at home by grinding up regular sugar, then I should be able to make powdered sucanat by grinding up regular sucanat.  It worked like a charm!  Per Bridget's suggestions, I cut down the amount of sugar, and found that they were still sweet enough to have reduce it even more, next time.

I think I slightly under-baked mine, but I loved how they turned out because they were still soft.  Bridget mentioned they were much like meringue cookies, and that was true of my version - but only around the edges.  The centers were soft and gooey and deliciously chocolatey!  Mine spread quite a bit more than Bridget's, so perhaps next time I will chill the cookies in the fridge while the oven finishes warming up. 

Deep Dark Chocolate Cookies
Source: Adapted from The Way the Cookie Crumbles, originally from Bon Appetit June 2008
Servings: Makes about 13
BA note: Made without butter or flour, these dense, chewy cookies will satisfy even the most intense chocolate craving.

• 1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (about 6 ounces), divided
• 2 large egg whites, room temperature
• 1 cup sucanat, ground into a powder, divided
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Line one large baking sheets with parchment paper. Melt 1/2 cup chocolate chips in glass bowl in microwave, stirring twice, about 90 seconds. Cool slightly.
2. Using electric mixer, beat whites in large bowl to soft peaks. Gradually beat in 1/2 cup powdered sucanat. 3. Continue beating until mixture resembles soft marshmallow creme. Whisk 1/2 cup powdered sucanat, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. On low speed, beat dry ingredients into meringue. Stir in lukewarm chocolate and ½ cup chocolate chips (dough will become very stiff).
4. Scoop 1 rounded tablespoon dough onto prepared sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, spacing 2 inches apart. Bake until puffed and tops crack, about 10 minutes. Cool on sheets on rack 10 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool.

Nutritional Information, per cookie:
Calories: 137
Total Fat: 5.4 g
Sat. Fat: 3.1 g
Sodium: 96.2 mg
Carbohydrate: 23.3 g
Fiber: 1.2 g
Sugar: 20.1 g
Protein: 1.8 g

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've been desperate for cookies lately.  Since August I have avoided making cookies, with my commitment to eating clean.  Most cookies I've made before use a hefty amount of butter, and I'm trying to avoid that.  I knew the July/August 2009 issue of Clean Eating Magazine had oatmeal cookies, but I never got that one and my subscription began with the following issue.  Luckily, The Happy Texan posted it (and her ice cream sandwiches look great!).  I happened to be making oatmeal cookies for my husband at the same time, and Baking Illustrated suggested using ground nutmeg in this type of cookie instead of cinnamon, since it can be over-powering.  I decided to use that suggestion in these cookies as well. 


I was so excited to make these because they looked so good, and they definitely did not disappoint!  They are soft, chewy, and sweet, with a high oat to flour ratio.  Much better than I expected!  I grabbed one before they cooled completely, and the large chunks of bittersweet chocolate were still warm and gooey.  I think the icing on the cake for me is that each cookie is under 100 calories, and packs 2 grams fiber and 2 grams of protein! 

Now, it's November, and I'm obsessed with cranberries, so I added some to half the batch.  I've been getting accustomed to the natural sweetness of foods and I was surprised at how sweet these cookies were, so adding the cranberry helped to take the sweetness down a notch.  


Chocolate-Spiked Oatmeal Cookies
Source: Slightly adapted from Clean Eating Magazine, July/August 2009, as seen on The Happy Texan Cooks
Yield: 16 cookies

• 1 1/4 cup quick-cook old-fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat pastry flour
• 2 tsp ground flaxseed
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 1 large egg white
• 2 tsp. unsalted almond butter or natural peanut butter
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup dark mini chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped cranberries (optional)
  

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine oats, flour, flaxseed meal, nutmeg, baking powder and salt.
In a small mixing bowl, whisk together agave, egg white, almond/peanut butter and vanilla. Add egg mixture to dry ingredients all at once and combine. Stir in chocolate chips.
3. Scoop 2 teaspoons of batter per cookie onto prepared baking sheets, evenly spaced.  Using the back of a slightly dampened spoon, flatten each mound into 2.5 inch circles (if desired). Bake 9-10 minutes, until golden. Cool on sheets for an additional 10 minutes before transferring to racks to cool completely. Stored in an airtight container, cookies will keep fresh for 2-3 days.

Nutritional Information 
Per cookie, using bittersweet chocolate chips and without cranberries

Calories: 94
Total Fat: 2.5 g
Sat. Fat: 1 g
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 52.6 mg
Carbohydrates: 17.3 g
Fiber: 2 g
Sugar: 9.2 g
Protein: 1.9 g

Pumpkin Ice Cream

I love pumpkin. I love ice cream. This was clearly a match made in heaven!  This ice cream is perfect with chopped pecans sprinkled on top.

Pumpkin Ice Cream
Source: Slightly adapted from The Novice Chef / Ben & Jerry's

• 2 large eggs (I used the equivalent amount of eggbeaters)
  
• 3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup agave nectar
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup fat free half and half
• 1 cup low fat (1% milk)
• 1 cup unsweetened canned pumpkin
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp. ground nutmeg

Whisk eggs in a mixing bowl 1-2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Whisk in the sugar, a little at a time, and continue whisking 1 minute more, until completely blended.  Pour in the cream, half and half, and milk and whisk until blended.  Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a separate bowl. Add the pumpkin, nutmeg and cinnamon to the mixture. Stir until blended. Return the pumpkin mixture to the cream mixture and whisk to blend. Refrigerate mixture for at least 4 hours.  Transfer the mixture to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the directions.

A Tale of Two Biscotti

I've been in love with biscotti since discovering this chocolate biscotti recipe. I love making it at home because you can make it really crispy or a little on the softer side - whatever your preference. With an open can of pumpkin in the fridge, I set out to find a pumpkin biscotti recipe and epicurious.com came through with one for pumpkin pecan biscotti. I also had fresh cranberries to use up, so I decided they were going in, too.

On the left, standard. On the right, cleaner.

The original recipe calls for shaping the dough into three logs, that would later be sliced to make the individual cookies. I decided to cut the recipe in half and try a direct comparison between the standard recipe and a cleaner version, using substitutes for the flour, sugar, and butter.  My old stand-by whole wheat pastry flour and my new friend sucanat fit the bill for flour and sugar, but what about butter?  I have been reading up on the vegan buttery sticks for baking from Earth Balance, and had those in mind for this recipe comparison.  I went to Whole Foods to try and get them, but they only had the non-hydrogenated shortening from Earth Balance.  With a quick read of the label, I decided it would be just fine.

Differences were apparent as soon as I mixed up the two doughs.  The clean dough required a little manual mixing to fully saturate the dry ingredients and form the dough, but because of that low moisture level, the log was easy to form.  The standard recipe came together more easily with a spoon, but then was very sticky and harder to shape into a log on the pan.  As expected, the standard recipe expanded quite a bit more than the clean recipe while baking. Perhaps my butter wasn't cold enough.  I also forgot to refrigerate the logs for 15 minutes before baking. Oops.

On the left, standard. On the right, cleaner.

The cleaner biscotti baked up much faster, and the standard dough required an extra 10 minutes of baking time to get the log set enough for slicing, once cooled.  After being cut, the standard recipe require another extended baking time to finish baking the individual cookies.

Then it came down to the taste test. The cleaner biscotti has a hint of that whole wheat character that I have, quite honestly, come to prefer.  The standard biscotti seemed to be missing something, in comparison, but is more sweet.  But, I am being nit-picky.  Either version is a delight!  The sweet biscotti paired with tart fresh cranberries, a hint of cinnamon and spice, and creamy white chocolate chunks all come together beautifully in a perfect fall treat.

Let me go ahead and clarify how much of a treat it is.  I got about 12 slices out of the standard recipe and 11 out of the cleaner one, counting the two ends as one piece since they are significantly smaller than middle pieces.  With that in mind, the breakdown follows each recipe.  Oddly enough, the substitute I used for the butter has more calories and fat overall, so the cookies do as well.  However, the saturated fat is (marginally) lower in the cleaner cookies, the fiber is much higher, and the sugar still has all the vitamins nature intended!  A decent trade off, I think, for something that is a treat no matter what dietary plan you follow.  Having demonstrated the flexibility of this recipe, I will experiment in the future with other butter substitutes, namely the one I'd intended to get, as well as Smart Balance 50/50.

Cranberry Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti (Standard)

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 3 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate
• 1 1/3 cups pecans
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh is best)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
  

Combine first five (5) ingredients in food process. Blend until all ingredients are fully mixed. Cut chilled butter into pieces and feed into processor until a fine meal is formed. Add white chocolate until chopped. Add pecans and process until coarsely chopped, being careful not to over-process.

Combine eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and cranberries and stir until fully incorporated. A moist dough will form.  Grease and flour an 18x12 cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, forming 3 logs equidistant from each other. With moistened fingers, shape into 2 inch wide logs. Refrigerate logs for 15 min.

Place cookie sheet on rack in center of oven which has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool logs completely on rack. Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Carefully slice logs with a heavy, sharp knife. I slice them on the diagonal about 1/2 inch wide. Place cut cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly toasted. Longer if a harder biscotti is your preference. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per cookie)
Calories: 203
Fat: 9 g
Sat. Fat: 3.8 g
Cholesterol: 28 mg
Sodium: 97 mg
Carbohydrate: 28.8 g
Fiber: 0.6 g
Sugar: 16.5 g
Protein: 2.9 g

Cranberry Pumpkin Pecan Biscotti (Cleaner)

Source: Adapted from Epicurious

• 3 cups whole wheat pastry flour
  
• 1 1/3 cups sucanat
• 2 tsp. baking powder
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
• 1 stick (8 tbsp) butter substitute of choice
  
• 3 1/2 oz. good quality white chocolate
• 1 1/3 cups pecans
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 cup pumpkin (fresh is best)
• 1 tbsp. vanilla
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
  

Combine first five (5) ingredients in food process. Blend until all ingredients are fully mixed. Cut chilled butter substitute into pieces and feed into processor until a fine meal is formed. Add white chocolate until chopped. Add pecans and process until coarsely chopped, being careful not to over-process.

Combine eggs, pumpkin and vanilla extract in large bowl. Mix until smooth. Add dry ingredients and cranberries and stir until fully incorporated. A moist dough will form.  Grease and flour an 18x12 cookie sheet, or line with parchment paper.

Drop dough by spoonfuls onto cookie sheet, forming 3 logs equidistant from each other. With moistened fingers, shape into 2 inch wide logs. Refrigerate logs for 15 min.

Place cookie sheet on rack in center of oven which has been pre-heated to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes until golden brown. Cool logs completely on rack.Reduce oven temp. to 325 degrees.

Carefully slice logs with a heavy, sharp knife. I slice them on the diagonal about 1/2 inch wide. Place cut cookies on cookie sheet and bake for 10 - 12 minutes until slightly toasted. Longer if a harder biscotti is your preference. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Nutritional Information (per cookie)
Calories: 230
Fat:11.2 g
Sat. Fat: 3.4 g
Cholesterol: 19.5 mg
Sodium: 160 mg
Carbohydrate: 29.7 g
Fiber: 2.9 g
Sugar: 15.8 g
Protein: 3.2 g

Think Pink Sugar Cookies

Last year, in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, I sent some close friends and family “Kick Cancer’s Bum” cookies.  They were a big hit and I decided to send cookies again this year (since I sadly could not mail the delicious cheesecakes!).  I kept it simple this time by flooding the cookies with white, thinned royal icing, then following with a piping bag filled with pink, thinned royal icing in the shape of the ribbon. 

I’ve been making this sugar cookie recipe for well over a year and love it.  Fantastic flavor and they bake up like a dream! 

The Most Fabulous Sugar Cookies
Source: As seen on Good Things Catered, by Ashlee

• 1 1/2 c. butter
• 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 c. powdered sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp almond extract
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest
• 5 c. flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• Powdered sugar, for rolling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly.
Add vanilla, almond, and lemon zest.
Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time.
Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.
Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and bake cookies for 7-8 minutes, or until golden brown on the bottom.
Wait until cookies are cooled before icing.

Think Pink Cheesecake

I am blessed to have two very special women in my life - two very special breast cancer surviving women - my grandmother and a very close friend.  For that reason, October has always been a very special month, as it is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Last year, I sent them some fabulous Kick Cancer's Bum cookies, which I had a blast making and (I hope) they had a blast eating!

This year I wanted to participate in Jen's The Power of Pink Challenge.  Katie had yet another great idea of making mini cheesecakes with a ribbon swirl made of berry puree.  I originally found a recipe for mini cheesecakes (which helped me with timing and temperature), but later realized that I should probably consult my copy of Baking Illustrated, which as been collecting dust on my bookshelf.  I made some adjustments to the first recipe based on the information in Baking Illustrated. The resulting cheesecake is light, with an almost whipped texture, and absolutely delicious.  The hint of strawberry from the incorporated puree is wonderful.

 

Think Pink Cheesecake
Adapted from: Fresh from the Oven / Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake (Juniors) / Baking Illustrated

Yield: 13 mini cheesecakes

For the crust:

• 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 4 tablespoons butter, melted
  
• 3 tablespoon sugar

For the cheesecake:

• 6 ounces fresh or frozen strawberries
• two 8-ounce packages Philadelphia Cream Cheese (use either full fat or 1/3 less fat Neufchtel), at room temperature
• 2/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar, divided
  
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 extra large eggs plus 1 egg yolk
  
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
  

1. Place the strawberries and 1 teaspoon sugar in a bowl and allow berries to macerate for 1-2 hours, then add to a small food processor or blender and process until smooth.  Strain puree to remove seeds.
2. Preheat over to 350 degrees F.  Line 13 standard muffin cups with silicone, foil, parchment, or paper liners.(You can use Reynold's disposable aluminum foil cups if you don't have 2 pans). 
3. Prepare crust by combining graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and sugar in a bowl and stirring to combine.  Press 2 teaspoons of crust mixture into the bottom of each lined muffin cup.  Bake 6 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, prepare filling. Put one package of cream cheese and 1/3 cup of sugar in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the bowl a few times. Blend in the remaining cream cheese and 1/3 cup sugar, then the vanilla. Blend in the eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating well after adding each one. Beat in the sour cream just until it's completely blended.
5. Add 1/4 cup of strawberry puree to a small bowl.  Add 1/4 cup of cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly, then add the puree blend to a ziplock bag.
6. Add remaining strawberry puree (about 1/4 cup) to the cheesecake batter and stir thoroughly to blend.
7. Divide the batter among the 13 muffin cups (fill each one almost up to the top). Cut a very small tip off the corner of the plastic bag containing the puree, and gently pipe ribbon shape with puree in the top of each mini cheesecake.
8. Place the muffin tin in a large shallow pan and add hot water until it comes about 1 inch up the sides of the tin. Bake the cakes until set and slightly puffy, about 30 minutes.  Remove the cakes from the water bath, transfer the tin to a wire rack, and let cool for 2 hours.*Transfer the cake to a container and chill for at least 4 hours before serving.  If there are any cakes left, cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or wrap and freeze for up to 1 month.
   
   

BB: Birthday Sheet Cake

This month, we had two cake recipes for Barefoot Bloggers. I was happy to make Beatty's Chocolate cake and share it with friends, but I didn't have an occasion for the other recipe, Birthday Sheet cake. I decided to take the recipe and try to make a clean version. It was quite a challenge, as I had to switch out butter, flour, eggs, and sugar - all the things that make cake great! Armed with knowledge I've picked up from reading Clean Eating Magazine, I set out to twist this recipe and make some clean cupcakes. (I should note that I have no idea if cornstarch is clean or not, but I kept that ingredient in the recipe).

In my first attempt, I used whole wheat pastry flour to replace the white flour, and sucanat to replace the sugar. The results were delicious, but nowhere near a white cake. The sucanat is closed to brown sugar than white, so it imparted a nice molasses flavor to the cake. I think my baking soda was a little old, causing a failure to rise properly. I blended some cream cheese, agave nectar, and lemon zest together for an impromptu frosting and it was fantastic! The recipe ended up being a start to a great carrot or apple spice cake - so I can't wait to experiment further!

For my second attempt, I set out to try and correct the recipe by switching to spelt flour and agave nectar for a lighter flavor. I got a little confusing in the grocery store, since it was my first time buying spelt flour. I got what was labeled as spelt flour, and probably should have gotten white spelt flour. The regular spelt flour looks a lot like the whole wheat pastry flour, but I was trying to go for something lighter than that. Maybe next time I'll get the white spelt flour and see how the cupcakes turn out then! Using agave nectar has it's own complications, since it's a liquid about the consistency of thin honey. To compensate, I needed to increase the amount of dry ingredients by I'm-not-sure-how-much. Luckily, my first attempt at making cupcakes with agave nectar turned out great! Armed with new baking soda, my cupcakes had gorgeous high domes. I tried a few different levels of batter in the muffin tin, and ultimately preferred the ones that were 2/3 full. Like others that made the original recipe, these are very dense cupcakes.

I wasn't sure what kind of frosting to make for these. My original vision was to use a chocolate cream cheese frosting that I'd seen in Clean Eating Magazine, but in tasting the cupcakes, that just didn't seem right. Then I tried a peanut butter cream cheese, but that wasn't right either. I ended up using the same simple frosting I'd made for the first batch of cupcakes, and it was a perfect, light complement to the dense cake.

If you aren't as crazy as I am, and want a normal sheet cake, see the recipe here, and see how the other Barefoot Bloggers fared with the recipe, here. Otherwise....

My-First-Attempt-At-A-Clean-Cupcake
Makes 12 cupcakes

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup agave nectar
• 3 egg whites
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 2 ounces greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup spelt flour
  
• 1 3/4 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/3 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1. Add oil, agave nectar, egg white, flaxseed, yogurt, and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Stir to combine.
2. In a separate bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and baking soda. Whisk to combine.
3. Add dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, combine thoroughly.
4. Line muffin tin with cupcake liners. Fill liners 2/3 full with cupcake batter. Bake at 350 for 18-24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool a few minutes in the pan, then remove and cool on a wire rack before frosting.

Simple Cream Cheese Icing

• 8 ounces low fat cream cheese, softened
  
• 8 teaspoons agave nectar
• 1 tsp lemon zest

1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl and beat until smooth. Spread on cooled cupcakes.

Nutritional Information:
(Per cupcake, assumes 1 batch of frosting spread equally between 12 cupcakes)
Calories: 220
Fat: 7.1 g
Sat Fat: 3.1 g
Cholesterol: 13.6 mg
Sodium: 183 mg
Potassium: 83 mg
Carbohydrate: 34.4 g
Fiber: 3.3 g
Sugar: 20 g
Protein: 4.8 g