Browse Category by Baking
Baking, Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

It’s finally starting to feel like autumn. There’s a cool breeze, no humidity (thank you! thank you! thank you!) and the leaves are starting to become more intense in their color. Thanks to a storm on Monday night the walkway is covered with fallen leaves so when I walk to the street, there’s the comforting sound of rustling leaves.

Awe. Fall.

I had the urge to bake the other day and I wanted to make cupcakes. But I didn’t want to make the usual. I wanted something different. When I was in the grocery store I saw boxes of Pumpkin Spice cake mix and I thought “that’s it! I’ll make Pumpkin Spice cupcakes and the perfect frosting would be cream cheese”. I bypassed the boxes of mix because I’d make my own when I got home after putting the groceries away. And I did!

Biting into these cupcakes was like taking a bite out of autumn. Everything I love about the season was packed into this tiny little package of yumminess. The spices swirled with the pumpkin and the flavor burst in my mouth as the cream cheese frosting added a creamy richness. In a nutshell, these cupcakes were sweet, simple and very seasonal.

 
Baking, Writing

Countdown to Release Day & Chocolate Cupcakes

Let the countdown begin! In eight months The Uninvited Corpse will be released. Pinch me. 🙂 I thought we’d have a little tasty fun with the countdown. So today it’s all about chocolate cupcakes, which I love, love, love.

These cupcakes are so easy to make that you’ll never be tempted to reach for a box mix again. I know I’m not. This recipe can also make a heavenly chocolate cake. Ready to bake? Awesome!

 

My Favorite Chocolate Cupcakes
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Ingredients
  • 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ¼ cups Dutch-process cocoa powder
  • 2 ½ cups granulated sugar
  • 2 ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 large whole eggs, plus 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 ¼ cup milk
  • ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 ¼ cups warm water
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two standard 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners.
  2. Into the bowl of an electric mixer, sift together flour, cocoa, sugar, baking soda, baking
  3. powder, and salt.
  4. Attach bowl to mixer fitted with paddle attachments; add the eggs and yolk,
  5. then the milk, oil, and warm water. Beat on low speed until smooth and combined,
  6. about 3 minutes; scrape down sides of the bowl as needed.
  7. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups, filling each about two-thirds full.
  8. Bake until a cake tester inserted in center of cupcake comes out clean, about 20 –minutes.
  9. Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool completely. Cool then frost.

 

Baking, Quick Breads

Irish Soda Bread

A few days before St. Patrick’s day I was on the phone with a friend chatting about my pup’s recovery (he did amazing and fingers crossed for his next follow-up appointment) from a surgical procedure and she was interrupted by her husband who had a question. He wanted to know if I was baking Irish Soda Bread (he’s not Irish but he loves to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day since I moved in across the street). I said, “of course I am.” It’s one of my favorite breads and I bake it throughout the year, not just on the Wearin’ of the Green day. I was first introduced to Irish Soda bread by my uncle’s second wife. Born and bred in Ireland she moved to the United States in her twenties and kept along with her brogue her Irish traditions. Each year she bought Irish Soda bread from the nuns and that’s how I got introduced to the bread. Even though my family is Irish, no one ever baked Irish Soda bread. Go figure. Well, I set to correct that terrible error and I’ve been baking this bread for years.

I bake my bread on a pizza stone. I love the texture to the bread when it’s baked on the stone. There’s a lot of speculation of the meaning of the cross that is slashed into the dough prior to baking. There are some that say the cross wards off the devil, others say that it lets the fairies out and others who claim that it was an easy way to portion the bread. I select #2, letting the little Irish fairies out.  When you bake your loaf, you can decide. 🙂

The bread comes together quickly so it’s perfect for any meal.

Whenever I bake this bread I think fondly of my late Aunt Bridie. She was a tough old broad with a big heart. That’s the one awesome thing about cooking, even if you’re standing at the counter in your kitchen by yourself, you’re never alone because our recipes keep the spirits and hearts of our beloved ones with us.

If you haven’t tried baking Irish Soda bread before I hope you try this recipe. I’m sure you’ll love it. If you have baked this bread before, who’s recipe do you use? Is it one that has been handed down or did you get it from some place else?

What are quick breads?

They are breads made without yeast. Instead, baking powder or baking soda are used in place of yeast. This allows for the bread to be made quickly because there is no waiting for the dough to rise before baking.

Ingredients:

Flour – all-purpose works the best, I use King Arthur’s

Sugar – gives a little sweetness to the bread along with the raisins

Baking powder – leavening which makes the bread rise

Baking soda – leavening which makes the bread rise

Salt – tasty bread needs a pinch or two

Unsalted butter – gives the bread a scone-like texture

Raisins – optional and can be substituted for dried cranberries or caraway seeds, baker’s choice

Buttermilk – activates the baking soda

Egg – adds richness and density

Baking

Flourless Chocolate Cake

There are times when a gal just wants chocolate. Deep, rich, dense chocolate. When that happens it’s time to make this cake. O.M.G. Right?

It’s been awhile since I tied on my apron and baked because I’ve been busy, busy, busy writing and tackling spring cleaning. On Sunday afternoon I decided I needed a treat. But just not any treat. I wanted something decadent. I wanted something that I usually don’t bake, after all I was viewing this as a reward. Chocolate and decadent. Hmm…Flourless Chocolate Cake. Perfect!

One of the reasons, other than tasting amazeballs (sorry, I’ve always wanted to write that into a sentence 🙂 ) it’s perfect for portion control because you just need a small slice to satisfy your craving. See, it’s a perfect dessert.

Ready to dig in? First, you need to bake it and it’s really a quick recipe. So lets get baking.

 

 

Flourless Chocolate Cake
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 8 servings
Rich and decadent, this is a perfect ending to any meal. Top with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream and fresh berries.
Ingredients
  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 large eggs
  • 12 cup cocoa powder
  • Powdered sugar or whipped cream and fresh berries, optional.
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch Springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  2. Combine butter and chocolate chips into a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir. Continue to mircowave in 15 second increments, until butter and chocolate chips are melted. Stir to combine.
  3. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar and eggs. Add melted chocolate and whisk to combine. Stir in cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
  4. Pour the chocolate mixture into the greased pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean.
  5. Let cake cool for ten minutes on cooling rack and then release the side of the pan.
  6. Serve with a sprinkle of powdered sugar or a dollop of whipped cream and berries.
  7. Enjoy!

 

Baking, Recipes

Oatmeal Raisin Bars

It’s the middle of the week and I think it’s a perfect time to share one of my favorite go-to snacks. I love these Oatmeal Raisin bars because they’re healthy and they’re easy to make. I used to reach for those protein bars and then those other “nice” bars (you know the ones I talking about) and various other bars for my mid-morning snack with a cup of tea. Then I got to a point where I realized some of those bars are just as bad as a candy bar. Go ahead, read some of those labels. And the other bars while they have real foods in them (don’t get me started on the ingredients that I can’t pronounce in packaged foods) I found them to be held together by something gooey and sugary and I didn’t like the taste or texture. Ugh. So I now make my own bars. And today’s recipe is an Oatmeal Raisin bar that is easy, fast and flexible. Best of all, you know exactly what you’re putting into the bar.

 

When I’m in the mood a little chocolate, I had a handful of chips to the batter. When I want to take the bars up a notch I substitute the raisins with dried cherries and add in dark chocolate chips. Like the bars as is but like and added kick of cinnamon, then sprinkle a little extra. You really can’t do anything wrong to this recipe.

Ready for the recipe?

 

 

Oatmeal Raisin Bars
Author: Debra Sennefelder
Ingredients
  • 2 cups old-fashioned oats
  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup canola oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 cup raisins
Instructions
  1. – Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. – Spray 8″x8″ baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.
  3. – In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients thoroughly.
  4. – Spread the batter into the prepared baking pan. Bake approximately 24-30 minutes until bars are cooked all the way through.
  5. – Cool completely in the pan then cut into squares.
  6. The amount of squares depends on how large you cut them.