Mini Black and White Marble Cakes

Happy Martin Luther King Jr Day! He may have had a dream about equality, but I dream about food. Because I've never had to dream about equality. Thank you to Dr. King for being an inspirational person!

And a big thanks to Brett Bara's blog for providing me with a teeny tiny cake recipe! Because sometimes you really just need 2 cupcakes. Or, in this case, 4.

I could have followed the recipe faithfully and just added white chocolate chips at the end, but where is the fun? Truthfully, this recipe tastes almost exactly like cocoa puff cereal. I like that. It's very childhood-reminiscing....

Black and White Marble Cupcakes
makes 4 cupcakes

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

Get out 2 large soup bowls, and a little whisk. In each bowl put:

3 tbsp flour
2 tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp baking soda
a pinch of salt

In one of the bowls:

1 1/2 tsp cocoa powder

Now whisk each bowl separately. Just get everything nicely combined.

Time for the wet ingredients. In each bowl whisk in:

2 tbsp cold water or milk (I like milk)
1 tbsp Olive Oil
(Vanilla Olive Oil for the white cake, Blood Orange Olive Oil for the cocoa cake.)

Now comes the tricky part. Spoon the batter evenly between 4 cupcake liners. One color on the bottom and another on the top. Now take a small spoon and attempt to swirl the batter. Not mix it, just give it a bit of a swirl. Top with chocolate chips if desired.

Bake for 16-18 minutes. Frost if desired once cool.

Mine did not come out all fluffy like the other bloggers, but they were perfect with a cup of hot chocolate for breakfast!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

The original recipe I adapted this from was my sister in law's signature thanksgiving cookie. She makes these with chocolate chips. Chocolate is nice....But I thought these would go better with butterscotch!

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup pumpkin
2 tbsp molasses
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (optional)
1 egg
1 1/2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix the olive oil, the sugar and the egg together until creamy. Gently stir in the pumpkin and molasses. Take all the rest of the dry ingredients and whisk them together in a medium sized bowl. Combine that with the wet ingredients slowly, mixing well in between each addition so that it is well combined.  Stir in the chips.

Drop onto ungreased cookie sheets in rounded tablespoonfulls. Bake 12-13 minutes. Their color is already a bit darker because of the pumpkin, so don't wait too long for them to brown.

Apricot Sugar Drop Cookies

These sugar cookies were a last minute thing. I made an apricot paste for thumbprint cookies but found out that the intended recipient was allergic to apricots! In the interest of not killing them, I used some of our Fig Jam instead, but it did leave me with a bunch of apricot paste. I contemplated sandwich cookies, but I was out of time.

So this is another cookie made from a box. With Vanilla Olive Oil of course. But still from a box. I still have a bunch of apricot paste leftover from this. Look for some more recipes with it coming up. I'm thinking chicken! But then, I always think chicken.

Apricot Sugar Drop Cookies 

1 bag of sugar cookie mix
the eggs it calls for
instead of butter or vegetable oil, use Vanilla Olive Oil in the same amount
1/2 cup apricot paste

The apricot paste makes these too sticky to roll out into shapes. But a drop cookie is nothing to be sneezed at.

Bake for the recommended time. Checking at the minimum time to make sure the apricots aren't burning.

Apricot Paste

1 1/3 cup (8 ounces) dried apricots, finely diced
1/3 cup water
1/3 cup white sugar

Put the apricots and water in a small heavy bottomed sauce pan. Heat up to just under a boil and simmer until the water is mostly absorbed and the apricots are just about falling apart. Stir every few minutes so that it doesn't scorch. Should take about 20 minutes.

Add sugar and reduce the heat just a little bit. Stir constantly until it forms a thick paste. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Can be kept for a few weeks in the fridge or a week or so out of it.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

So this is what I have been eating all week. The risotto on it's own was very nice. This soup is even better. Could be because I have a cold. Maybe not. Maybe it's the Porcini mushrooms. Either way. This is so good.

If you don't have a couple cups of risotto leftover to make this with, feel free to use a couple cups of rice. Just be sure to up your mushrooms by about a pint. I think carrots would be nice with this as well, or chunks of squash...Hm, I may have another soup idea on my hands.

Creamy Mushroom Soup

2-3 cups Wheat-berry Risotto
1 jar Porcini Cream*
2 quarts vegetable stock
Salt and Pepper
1 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil
1 tbsp fresh minced garlic
1 pinch nutmeg
6 or 7 dried porcini mushrooms
1 or 2 pints more mushrooms, diced

In a large stock pot, heat the olive oil to medium heat and add in the garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally until the garlic is fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.

Add the stock to the pan and raise the heat to medium high. Break up the dried porcini mushrooms and put them in the broth. Cook, at just below a simmer until the mushrooms soften, 5 minutes.

Add the leftover risotto, the garlic, the rest of the mushrooms and the pinch of nutmeg. Let this simmer away for about 10 minutes.

Now it is time for the porcini cream. Add in the whole jar. You will not be sorry. (If you don't have any, a can of cream of mushroom will do, but not be near as tasty) Stir around to incorporate.

Simmer for 10-20 minutes. It's hard to overcook soup. Taste for salt. Sprinkle some of that in. Add in a big pinch of black pepper, because it's good for you.

Eat the soup and feel better.

*Porcini mushroom cream available in the store.

Vanilla Apple Brown Betty

It has started to get a chill in the air! Brrr! But it is so nice and refreshing too! It's fashion scarf weather! (the ladies understand!)

The apples are so beautiful this time of year. They wanted to be made into a pie, but I didn't really want to roll out any dough this week. So the Brown Betty is our compromise. It's not a pie, but it's not a crumble either. It's just the best of both. This recipe takes a short cut and a little less sugar, but it's delicious!

I know that this is a big sports weekend, but to heck with them, Go Apples!

Vanilla Apple Brown Betty

5 large apples or 2 lbs any kind, I like Honeycrisp

3 slices bread, any kind

1 cup apple cider

3 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil, +2

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

a pinch of allspice

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/4 cup walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Thinly slice and core your apples. Roughly chop the bread into small bits. Pulse in a food processor until they become crumbs. If you don't have a food processor, just chop the bit up as fine as you can, they will taste just as good.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, put the cider, apples 1 tbsp of brown sugar and the cinnamon. Simmer for about 8 minutes and turn out into a large bowl. Stir in the olive oil and the rest of the spices.

Take one additional tbsp of the olive oil and coat a 9inch pie pan very thoroughly. Put the apples into the pan. Combine the bread crumbs/cubes with the rest of the brown sugar and the walnuts and the last tbsp of the olive oil. sprinkle on top of the apple mixture.

Bake for 25-30 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or even better, ice cream!

Strawberry Basil Pizza

I love pizza. Crispy pizza, squishy pizza, oh man, breakfast pizza! But dessert pizza's are something else. Add some savory things to the sweet and even better! (Hey, this would be a great breakfast pizza too!)

Strawberry Basil Pizza

1 pocket-less pita

1 tsp Vanilla Olive Oil

1 tsp cinnamon sugar

2-3 strawberries

3-4 small basil leaves

2-3 tbsp ricotta cheese

1 tbsp Fig Balsamic

Brush the olive oil on your pita and sprinkle it with some cinnamon sugar. Spread the ricotta over that.

Slice the strawberries thinly and spread around. Slice the basil into ribbons and spread that around too.

Now you can eat this cold, but I like it toasted in the toaster oven or broiler for a couple minutes. I let the cheese and the pita to start browning around the edges.

Drizzle with the Fig Balsamic and enjoy!

Apple Cider Cakes

And so ends Better Breakfast Month. I have had plenty of fun with these. And there are so many more ideas I have! There should be more breakfast in the coming months. But dinners will start again soon!

These little cakes are a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. It is eggless, so it doesn't rise very much at all. So it's kind of like a little dense hockey puck of a cake. But it is moist and full of the best cider flavors. Great for breakfast, or a little afternoon pick me up.

I made this in a cupcake pan, but it would work very well in as a round or square cake too. If you would like to have something that rises more, substitute in 2 eggs for the apple sauce.

Apple Cider Cupcakes

1 1/4 cup flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 pinch salt
2/3 cup Apple Cider
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/2 cup apple sauce
5 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 350degrees. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray it with oil.

Stir the cider, applesauce and oil together until smoothly combined. In a separate bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until you have a smooth batter.

Divide the batter evenly over your pan filling each well no more than 3/4 full. If you have extra batter, a couple mini muffins will never go to waste.

Bake about 30 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean. These may take a little longer, the applesauce makes them supremely moist!

Cider Frosting

2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter softened
2 pkg (8oz each) cream cheese
3 tbsp apple cider

Blend the butter and cream cheese together. Stir in the cider and then slowly incorporate the powdered sugar.

Top off with a sprinkle of cinnamon sugar.

Honey Vanillla Cornbread with Balsamic Berry Compote

I was going to make a corn pancake, but I don't have a cast iron skillet. Now I know this is silly. Food blogger without essential cooking tools...

Anyway, since the recipe for corn pancakes and cornbread is extremely similar...cornbread for breakfast!

Honey Vanilla Cornbread

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Vermont Maple Sea Salt
2 eggs
1 cup water or milk
1/4 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/4 cup honey

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Grease a 9x9 pan for thicker cornbread, you can use a 9x13 if you want it nice and thin.

Stir together the wet and dry ingredients in separate bowls. When the oven has come to temperature, stir the dry ingredient mixture into the wet slowly. Mix gently to just combine. Do not over mix the batter, it should be just moistened and still a little lumpy.

Turn the batter into your pan and bake immediately 20-40 minutes. Shorter time for a larger pan, longer for the smaller. The very edges should start to pull away from the pan and be browning. A toothpick inserted in the center of the pan should come out clean.


Balsamic Berry Compote

1 1/2 cup mixed berries
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp Raspberry Balsamic
1/4 cup sugar
4 tbsp water

Place all the ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer together to reduce about 15 minutes. Stir occasionally to keep it from burning. You can serve this right out of the pan, or toss in the fridge overnight and it will gel up a bit more like a loose jam. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles

This was my first time making waffles. I know, why did I wait so long? I must have been crazy. These were so much fun I made a double batch and froze most of them. This is better breakfast for more than this month alone!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Waffles

2 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup canned pureed pumpkin, not pie filling
1/3 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips
1 tsp ginger powder

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit for five minutes. Start warming up your waffle iron.

When it comes to full temperature, pour on some of the mix. How much depends very greatly on the size of your machine. Finding the balance of just enough mix for each waffle and how long to cook it can be tricky. I don't mind slightly lopsided waffles. It just depends on you and your machine. My machine cooks waffles to the perfect crispness in about 5-6 minutes.

If you don't have anyone waiting to eat these up as soon as you get them off the iron, you may want to heat the oven on low and keep your finished waffles in there until you are ready to serve them.

You can serve them with syrup, some balsamic, or just powdered sugar. Have fun!

Banana Coffee Cake

I was going to to make a crumb cake, but I ran out of brown sugar! So lets call this a coffee cake!

Banana Coffee Cake

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tbsp Honey
3 mashed bananas
2 eggs
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or pecans, optional
2 tbsp White Coconut Balsamic, for glazing


Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 9x9 pan and set aside.

Sift the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Whisk the wet ingredients together in a separate bowl. Slowly stir the dry into the wet. It doesn't have to be well beaten, just stir it all together until there are no more dry lumps.

Pour into the pan. Use a spoon to spread the batter and make sure that everything is level. Bake for 40-50 minutes. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.

Let cool for at least 10 minutes before you brush on the Coconut Balsamic.

If you have extra brown sugar laying around, you can turn this into a crumb cake easily. Just take 1/4 cup of flour, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil and mix them together until the mixture resembles crumbs. Distribute the crumb topping over the cake before you bake it and then drizzle the Coconut Balsamic over everything after it cools. Have fun!

Oatmeal Raspberry Bars

I made oatmeal cookies for dessert on Christmas. Since they had to be vegan and I wasn't prepared, they spread an awful lot. I thought it would've been easier to have just made oatmeal bars and that would have been that. So that got me in the mood to make oatmeal bars, with a nice thick jam layer on top...

Of course, I've been busy and I have only just gotten around to making them. Two months too late. Or you could argue that I've got great timing since raspberries are perfect for Valentines Day!

Whichever it is, Happy Valentine's Day!

Oatmeal Bars with Raspberry Balsamic Jam

3/4 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 cup oats
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup whole wheat flour, sifted
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg

Preheat the oven to 350degrees. Line an 8x8 pan with parchment paper, or use a pan with a lift out bottom.

Combine the sugar, olive oil and the egg in a large bowl. Stir until smooth.

Slowly add in the dry ingredients. I like to start with the spices and baking soda and end with the oats.

Pour batter into your prepared pan and bake. About 25 minutes.

Cool slightly then remove from the pan. Spread the Raspberry Balsamic Jam over the top and cut into squares.

Raspberry Balsamic Jam

3/4 cup raspberry jam, seedless
2 tbsp Raspberry Balsamic

Warm the jam slightly in the microwave or over the stove top. When you can stir it, it's ready.

Pour in the Balsamic and stir well to combine.

You can always make extra of this, I love it on toast!

Great cookie swap!

I got my spatula ready and whipped up some cookies for the Blogger Cookie Swap this year. I think these turned out great! I hope my swap partners enjoy them as much as I did! Thank you to Alyssa Brantley of Everyday Maven and Michelle of Amour Beurre for being my swap partners. Your cookies were amazing! Posting pictures of them tomorrow. Thanks to everyone, it was a great swap! 

These cookies are based on a Dutch South African favorite spice cookie called soetkoekies. 

Spiced Wine Cookies

1/2 cup chilled Olive Oil, I used Vanilla

2 cups flour, whole wheat

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground allspice

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/4 cup port wine

1 tbsp almond meal or slivered almonds

Cinnamon Pear Frosting

2 cups confectioner's sugar

1/4 cup cinnamon pear balsamic

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease your cookie sheet.

Sift your dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add olive oil and cut together.

Add the eggs and wine. Mix until the dough starts to come together into a ball. Dough will be sticky.

Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a cookie sheet 2 inches apart. Flatten lightly.

Bake 12-15 minutes. They should be lightly browned. Cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting:

Stir the balsamic and confectioner's sugar together. It will be very thick and sticky. Frost and allow to set before putting in tins.

Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Crust

Pumpkin Pie with Vanilla Crust

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp milk
1/2 cup Vanilla Olive Oil*

Heat the oven to 400 degrees.

Place all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk and Olive Oil and mix with a fork.

Pat into a 9 inch pan with your fingertips. Set aside.


Pie Filling:
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 cup milk or cream (I sometimes use chocolate milk!)
2 large eggs
2 tbsp maple syrup
1 15oz can pumpkin puree (you can use the premixed kind, but taste your spices to find out when you have            too much!)

Stir all the ingredients together and pour into your pie crust. Smooth the top.

Bake for 15 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 350 and bake for another 35- 40 minutes. A knife inserted in the center should come out clean when it is done.

*unfortunately, the Vanilla Olive Oil is no longer available. I am very sad. The Meyer Lemon or the Blood Orange would be nice here too.

Vanilla Pear Coffee Cake

This is all that is left of the Vanilla Pear Coffee Cake I made on Wednesday. I had such success with the Peach Cupcakes, I decided to replace the eggs in this one with some of our new jams. I chose the pear. It sounded very coffee-cake.

I had some friends come by who had no power. They got to take warm showers and have dinner with us. We opted for a simple spaghetti plate with veggies and I made this for dessert. They liked it, I hope you do too!


Vanilla Pear Coffee Cake

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat four
1/2 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/4 cup chopped nuts (or nut meal*)
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Pear Jam(available in store only)
1/4 cup sugar

Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup brown Sugar
1/4 cup nut meal* or all-purpose flour
1/4 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
sprinkle of ground nutmeg

Heat your oven to 375degrees. Grease a 9inch round or a 9inch square pan and set it aside.

Combine the flour, nut meal*, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Add in the eggs, Vanilla Olive Oil and jam. Beat until well blended. Stir in nuts, if using.

Pour into prepared pan.

Combine dry topping ingredients in a bowl. Slowly stir the Olive Oil in until it reaches a wet crumb stage. Sprinkle cake with crumb topping. Bake for 30-35 minutes.

*Nut meal. I mentioned this a couple days ago with the Apple Cake Bars. It's finely ground nuts. I used some Almond meal for this cake and Walnut meal for the Apple Cake. If you don't want to use it or can't find it in time to make the recipe, never fear! It is easy to do without it. Just sub chopped nuts. But you can get nut meal by whizzing chopped nuts around in a food processor for a bit, or get them from Nuts.com

Jam available in-store or by phone only. If you don't have it, you can use any jam you do have. Or applesauce. (but then it won't be a Pear coffee cake)

Apple Cake Bars

I promised one of our associates I'd post this tonight. I am also posting a recipe for an easy frosting for these tomorrow. 

These bars disappeared very quickly!

Apple Cake Bars

1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
3 Eggs
1 3/4 cups All purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
3/4 cup walnut meal*
1 apple, finely diced

Preheat your oven to 350degrees.

In a large bowl, beat sugar, oil and eggs until blended.

Sift together the dry ingredients and stir gently into the sugar mixture. Fold in your apples and stir until just combined.

Lightly grease a 13x9 pan and pour in your cake. Bake for 35-45 mins, or until the center is set and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

*Walnut meal is walnuts ground into almost a flour. You do not have to have it, but I highly recommend it. My favorite place for all things nuts is Nuts.com. If you do not use it, add in 1/2 cup more flour, I'd use a whole wheat or spelt for flavor and texture. And then you can add in chopped walnuts, about 1/2 cup at the same time as the apples.

Vanilla Mandarin Chicken

I caramelize my onions in large batches. I got the recipe from here. I modified it for olive oil instead of vegetable oil. I usually use a basic olive oil, like the Spanish Blend, but for this batch I used the Vanilla Olive Oil because I really wanted that punch of vanilla. I think it turned out the best and will use the Vanilla from now on. But if you don't caramelize before hand, the recipe takes a little longer, but not much.

Vanilla Mandarin Chicken

1 Onion, sliced thin
1 pkg chicken, chopped
1 small can mandarin orange segments, drained
3 tbsp + 2 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil
2 tbsp Mandarin Orange Balsamic
Dash of salt

Start with your onions. Heat 2 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil on medium-low heat. Add the onions and an dash of salt. Cook over medium low heat, stirring every few minutes. To be fully caramelized, it takes about 15 minutes. You can cook them up to half an hour if you want them more caramelized. Set them aside.

Heat 3 tbsp Vanilla Olive Oil in another pan to medium high. Add the chicken and saute about 7-9 minutes. The chicken should be browning and cooked through. Add your onion and orange segments. Stir.

Add the Mandarin Orange Balsamic and toss to coat. Let cook an additional one to two minutes and serve.

Vanilla Peach Cupcakes

My friend Katie's birthday was earlier this week. We are going out to dinner to celebrate. But because I can't just not cook, I decided to use some of our newest oil and make her some cupcakes.

Since she and her husband recently decided to pursue a vegan lifestyle, I had to make some changes in the recipe. When I asked her if she liked peaches, her response was, Yes!

I think the substitutions work out better than the original recipe.

Vanilla Peach Cupcakes (Vegan)

1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Vanilla Olive Oil
1/2 cup Sugar
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup peach jam
3/4 cup Almond milk
1/2 tsp baking soda
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting- see below
Caramelized Peach Slices- see below

Preheat your oven to 375degrees.

Sift your dry ingredients together in a large bowl.

Slowly blend in the Olive Oil. Once that is incorporated, slowly add in the milk and the jam. This is a thick and sticky batter.

Place cupcake liners into your muffin pan, or grease the wells. Fill the cups about halfway full. Bake 15-18 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the middle should come out clean.

Cool completely before frosting.

* I had enough batter left over to make about 2 regular size extras.

Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting

8oz vegan cream cheese

1/2 cup vegan margarine

2 cups powdered sugar

1 1/2 tsp White Peach Balsamic

Cream together the margarine, Balsamic and the cream cheese. Slowly add the powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

Refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.

Caramelized Peach Slices

1 large peach, cut into 12 wedges

1 tbsp White Peach Balsamic

2 tbsp vegan margarine

Melt the margarine on the stove-top over medium heat. Add the Balsamic and stir. Arrange the peach slices around the pan and let cook for about 4-5 minutes a side. Watch you heat carefully, too hot and they will burn. Your just need a little color on each side.

Cool in the refrigerator and top each cupcake with one slice. (If they aren't cool, they will melt the frosting!)