homemade snow ball cakes

I was going to make the title "sno balls" but the grammar police might come to my house.
But wasn't that what is was called? sno balls?
The ones from Hostess right?


Anywho, cake boss man buddy valastros made sno balls via rachel ray and I of course saw how crazy/wild good they looked and had to make them at home.
They are quite easy---and I'm always honest with you on whether or not recipes are easy, but the spreading of the marshmallow frosting was tricky.
You have to coat the entire trimmed cupcake in this uber-sticky frosting and then coat it in the coconut flakes.
After that it's easy, and trust me when I say these were so good.

I was never a fan of the original snow ball, that marshmallow coating that doubled as a head warmer slash helmet was awful.
And full of chemicals!
These taste nothing like it.  These are far more moister with a creamy marshmallowy (sp) frosting.
If I had to make them all over again with changes?
I would make smaller cupcakes.
In Buddy's recipe he fills the middle cupcake with the frosting.
I did not do this because I just didn't think there would be enough frosting to go around for the coating
and the frosting.  Plus the frosting is sweet--having some in the middle would have been too much (my opinion).
But please make them how you wish.
The coconut flakes look more orange than it's original pink hue.
I think I used a red velvet dye instead of plain red.
If you do make these, first look for a pink dye rather than a red dye if you really want that true "original" sno ball look.
I just have a feeling there is a pink dye out there. Right?

homemade snoball cakes

recipe from Buddy Valastros via Rachel Ray

print recipe

12 cupcakes of your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe, cooled

for the frosting:

1 1-pound package powdered sugar

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream

1/4 cup softened butter

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 TB milk

2 cups shredded coconut

2 to 3 drops red food coloring

(I added in a pinch of salt to the frosting)

My cook notes:

I did not use a pastry bag, Just frosted the top, then the bottom.  I also did not put any frosting in the middle since it was so sweet.  But do what you want, not sure if there is enough frosting for the middle and the outside.

Trim the tops of the cupcakes to form a somewhat cylinder shape.

Cut a cone shape inside the cupcake.

For the frosting, beat sugar, marshmallow cream, butter and vanilla extract with an electric mixer. Add in milk as needed until it is a frosting consistency.

With a piping bag, fill the cone-shaped hole with the frosting, then spread frosting over tops and sides of cupcakes.

For the pink exterior, mix shredded coconut with 2 drops of red food coloring in a mixer until you get your desired color.

gluten free salty peanut butter cookies

Ever since Trader Joe's stopped carrying the peanut flour I've been on the look out for more peanut flour.
Luckily at whole foods one day I came across this jar of what I thought was peanut butter, but made me look twice because the insides looked different.
Upon closer inspection I noticed that it was powdered peanut butter.
Instantly I thought this had to work as peanut flour.  Nice dry powder with deep peanut flavor?
Has to work.
And thankfully only one recipe later -- it does work perfectly in a gluten free peanut butter cookie.
This powder is a lot sweeter than a normal peanut flour is so you don't have to use as much sugar.
When I first tweeted this product a lot of people asked how does it taste as a peanut butter?
I still have no idea as I'm just using it for baking--so far.
These cookies tastes just like a normal peanut butter cookie recipe with a deeper peanut flavor.
I only made a half batch, about 12-15 cookies.
Also what I LOVE about this recipe is that it's a snap to throw together; no waiting for butter to come to room temp AND it's a one bowl wonder.

Why add the salty?
Since the cookies are sweet AND they are peanut butter--it just begs for a nice smudge of sea salt
on the top.  (you can omit this of course, but it does taste really good).


Literally one-bowl baking.  Love that.

gluten free salty peanut butter cookies 

print recipe

1 ¼ cup all-natural chunky or all natural smooth peanut butter (not too oily)

¾ cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 large egg, room temp

1 ts baking soda

3  OVERSIZED TB powdered peanut butter

1 ts sea salt

plus extra sea salt for the tops of the cookie dough balls, optional but wonderful

Cook notes:

This recipe makes a small batch (about 12-15), if you want more, just double all the ingredients. The cookies have to sit in fridge for at least an hour to come together; don’t let them sit in fridge overnight as they become very dry.  They are delicate and tend to break apart if you make them big. So try not to make the dough balls bigger than a tablespoon size.

You can add chocolate chips to these.

In a small bowl add the peanut powder, baking soda, and salt and mix, set aside.

In a small bowl crack egg open and beat.

In a mixer or by hand, combine peanut butter and sugars until well combined.

Add egg to the cookie mixture, mix well.

Add in the dry mixture, by sprinkling it over the cookie dough, not just depositing it in one large dump. Mix till just combined.

Cover bowl and let it sit in fridge for about an hour.

Do not let this sit overnight as the dough becomes dry!

When ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Roll into tablespoon (or smaller) sized balls and place on non-stick cookie sheets or greased cookie sheets. Do not press flat, just leave as balls. Sprinkle just a touch of sea salt on the tops of the cookie balls. 

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly browned. These cook up very fast, so I really wouldn’t go past the 10-14 minute mark.

Cool on a baking sheet for a while as the cookies are very delicate and hard to move.

The cookies are fragile and tend to break, if you make them too big.

Should make about 12-15 cookies (small batch).

If you want more, just double all the ingredients.

friday links

Happy Friday!

Our cape cod sunsets have been so beautiful lately; I try to catch as many as I can. All of these are taken with my trusty iphone.  This photo (below) that pink is just stunning.

west dennis beach

sandwich marina. sandwich, ma

clam diggers in chatham, ma

my kind of dinner. never tire of steamers.

chatham fish pier, chatham, ma (with tern island in the distance)


chatham fish pier, chatham, ma

around the web:

homemade vanilla creamer (no junk) from what's megan making
are you making these sunshine mistakes? from mercola.com
very inspiring health & fitness mantras from greatist.com (LOVE these!)
DIY jeweled heels from honestlywtf.com
ultimate guide to protein supplements from greatist.com
the semi-origin of gym machines? from theatlantic.com
relationship between exercise & inflammation from marksdailyapple.com
I love this ad for the van gogh museum cafe from hyperallergic.com
buttered grits cookies! from dessertfortwo.com
how to make candy sugar hearts from crunchycreamysweet.com
influenza sorbet (for real) from jeni's splendid ice cream
be a better cheese buyer from thekitchn
buckwheat: the new baking star from thekitchn
sea-salted choco-toffee rods from the moon blush baker
how to spot fake sriracha from foodrepublic.com
DIY healthier tortilla chips from thekitchn
DIY gluten free all-purpose mix from glutenfreegirl
sloppy tempeh-joe from chickypea
cooking salmon: minimizing that weird white stuff from thekitchn
beyond chicken noodle soup from thekitchn
rundown of 5 fitness apps from foodrepublic.com (I'm getting the yoga stretch one)
chinese mushroom soup from vanillabeanblog
leftover champagne: make vinegar from thekitchn
baltimore crab pretzel sticks from foodrepublic.com
fried pizza sandwiches from diethood.com
rice krispie treat snowballs from chocolatemoosey.com
thai turkey burgers from howsweeteats.com
swedish dream cookies from saveur.com
DIY single serving choco chip cookies from number2pencil.com

And finally a big thumbs up to one of the best places on cape cod to have breakfast: Keltic Kitchen
in west yarmouth, ma.
Should you plan a trip to cape cod, this is the best place to get a homemade breakfast.
Whether you want Irish or not, their food is amazing, prices are very reasonable and the portions are huge.
This is definitely not a tourist trap where they soak you for every dollar and give you a small
meal.  They do get very crowded on the weekends, so come early.
I promise they will take good care of you--plenty of friendly waitstaff who will gladly tell you about their homeland of Ireland.


I had the Keltic Benny with a side of bacon.  Huge right?  The best breakfast I've had in a long time on cape cod.

cookie butter-cream cheese NY style crumb cake

Every year on January 10 I ask the husband what kind of cake he wants for his birthday tomorrow.
And every year, like clockwork he responds with "crumb cake".
What kind of crumb cake I ask.
He says "ahh, it don't matter"
:::thud:::
Sometimes I hate being married to a non-foodie.
The answer I'm expecting is:
"Oh I would love a kicked up devils food cake with toasted marshmallow frosting, crunchy honey nut-peanut butter filling....all with dark chocolate-caramel ganache and freshly whipped cream!"
Right?
Good answer indeed.
So I ask him if I can kick up the crumb cake with something new and fun, yet totally flavorful?
He says, "you won't make it savory will you?"
Of course my mind goes "ohhh what a great idea!"  LOL
I respond, like I do every year, with 'no, it will tastes great--you love it every year and never complain'.
And there is where the idea of cookie butter in the crumb cake came in.
Hubby hasn't a clue what cookie butter is--he thinks its just peanut butter anywho.
Did he love it?
Yes he did.
Did he know it was cookie butter?
No.
But he knew there was cream cheese in there.
Progress for a non-foodie.....




We will put down rows of cream cheese, then cookie butter, swirl the two a bit, then fill in the gaps with crumbs!

Swirl or not.  It's up to you.

Fill in the gaps with crumbs.
Make sure there are crumbs on all gaps!

Looks good enough to eat raw doesn't it?

Mmmm, can you see the perfect ratio of cream cheese to cookie butter to crumb?


So, yeah, this would be the ultimate indulgence in NY style crumb cake.

cookie butter-cream cheese crumb cake

print recipe

Cake:

¼ cup canola oil, plus more for pan  

½ stick unsalted butter, melted.

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan  

½ cup + 2 TB granulated white sugar  

1 ts baking powder  

½ ts coarse salt  

1 large egg  

½ cup + 2 TB half & half   

2 ts pure vanilla extract  

Crumb Topping:

1 cup flour

1 cus packed light brown sugar

¾ ts coarse salt

½ TB ground cinnamon

1 stick unsalted butter, melted & cooled

For the crumb topping:

In a medium bowl, combine all dry ingredients, pour melted butter over mixture, and toss with a rubber spatula until large crumbs form. Set aside.

cream cheese mixture

8 ounces cream cheese, room temp.

1 large egg yolk

4 ts white sugar

For the cream cheese mixture:

Mix all in a bowl (really well) until ready to use. Set aside.

For the cookie butter:

½ - ¾ cup cookie butter

Cook Notes:

The crumb topping makes a lot.  If you don’t like a lot of crumb on your cake, then half it. 

The cake dough is sticky and thick; so it will be hard to spread into pan.  I use patience and wet fingers to spread the dough.  Make sure to get all the corners.

Also, the cake when baked is thin.  This is a NY style cake, which means more toppings than cake.

The cake cooks up quick because the batter is thin.  Please check at the 20 minute mark.

Looks for light golden edges.  It will be hard to tell if this is done because of all the cream cheese and crumbs.  But I’ve found after baking this several times that 20-23 minutes is really all it needs.

For cake:

Place rack in center of oven, and heat oven to 350°.

Lightly butter a 9 x 13 baking pan and dust with flour, and tap to remove excess. (I’ve also used the Pam with Flour and it worked just fine). Set aside.

In a medium bowl, sift together 2 ¼ cups flour, add in the granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt; set aside. In a second bowl, whisk together egg, butter, half & half, canola oil, and vanilla.

Using a rubber spatula, fold dry ingredients into egg mixture.  

Spread batter evenly into prepared pan, and set aside. (to keep batter from sticking to your hand or spoon, just wet or oil your fingers or a spoon and spread evenly throughout pan). 

The batter should be about half an inch high.  It will cook/rise to an inch thick.

Next put on the cream cheese mixture; I did this in vertical lines in the pan.

And on the other sides of the cream cheese lines I added in a line of cookie butter. 

If you want to pipe the cream cheese mixture on that’s fine.  I just used my hands.

If you want slight swirls, take a chopstick and gently swirl the opposite of the lines.

Next add on the crumbs.

I added the crumbs in the areas where there were no cream cheese lines or cookie butter lines (see photo).

Then transfer pan to oven, and bake for 12 minutes, rotate pan. Then cook another 10- 12 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Check cake at 20-23 minute mark for sure. 

Let cake cook completely before slicing.

Using a serrated knife or bench scraper, cut into 3-inch squares.

Store in an airtight container for up to two-three days.   

friday links

Sorry the friday links have been m.i.a. for a while.
But I have lots to share with you!
Let's get right to it!

onion, bacon and butternut tart from whole foods market recipe box.

freezer friendly: homemade oatmeal pucks.
isn't that the best idea?  from williams kitchen.
pink & white layered sprinkle cake topped with macarons from raspberri cupcakes
homemade tootsie rolls from food52
bala do coco (coconut candy) from sugarcubedblog
thai fish cakes from mongolian kitchen
homemade pimento cheese from kitchen riffs
chocolate flake pudding from a cake bakes in brooklyn (never heard of this, you?)
lime & ginger cookies from cupcake muffin
sparkling red velvet bundt cake from alaska from scratch
smores macarons from bakers royale
smoky irish eggnog from married an irish farmer
gluten free winter grapefruit cake from serious eats
eggnog muffins with streusel topping from very culinary
homemade gravlax from mark's daily apple
almond butter bostock from serious eats
how to make your own sprinkles! from theKitchn
mason jar herb garden from camille styles (I LOVE this)
5 foods to eat for happiness from mind body green
face exercises (do you think this works?) from erupting mind
6 ways to fight SAD from greatist
should you ever be stranded in the wilderness, here are tips for eating for survival from outside mag
DIY hand drawn cappuccino cups from lipstick & a white tee
healthy new years resolutions from outside magazine
adorable backpacks from sherpani sonoma (I want one!)
8 natural foods to eat for pain relief from greatist
setting up a photo studio on the cheap from apartment therapy
staying awake as the days are shorter from apartment therapy
best ways to reduce stress from Dr. Weil
benefits of yoga for veterans from arianna huffington from intent (love this!)
this video made me cry (happy tears) from youtube
how to tell if you're inflamed (chronic inflammation) from marks daily apple
$66.00 kobe beef pizza from Domino's Japan from serious eats
donut foodporn from serious eats
appletini from serious eats
new hot cocoa mixes from Starbucks get taste-tested from serious eats: drinks
gluten free ring dings! from gluten free canteen
buffalo chicken pull apart bread from host the toast
barefoot running shoes made of medieval armor from greatist (hmmm)
8 best physical therapy methods from greatist
interview w/ christina tosi of momofuku from grandbaby cakes

Jessica Segarra of The Novice Chef blog has a new cookbook out called Mini Donuts: 100 Bite-Sized Donut Recipes. 

It's actually quite good.  I was not expecting it to be this creative.  Recipe like: white chocolate red velvet, pineapple upside down, S'mores, brown butter-bourbon.
They were kind enough to share a recipe with us.

Lemon–Poppy Seed Mini Donut

from Mini Donuts: 100 bite-sized donut recipes

print recipe

FOR DONUTS

2⁄3 cup whole milk

2 tablespoons sour cream

11⁄2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted

11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder

1⁄4 teaspoon salt

6 tablespoons butter, room temperature

1⁄2 cup granulated sugar

1 large egg

Zest of 1 large lemon

1 tablespoon poppy seeds

FOR ICING

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 11⁄2 cups powdered sugar

Notes: While it’s not okay at parties, when you’re icing donuts, it is totally acceptable to double dip. If you are a big fan of lemon, circle back around after your first donut dip . . . and dip them again! Just allow a little extra time, about 5 minutes, for the icing to set up after your second dip.

1. If using an electric donut maker, preheat according to manufacturer’s instructions. If using donut pans, preheat oven to 350°F and grease donut pans.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together milk and sour cream. Set aside. In a separate small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl or a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy— about 1 minute. Add egg, lemon zest, and poppy seeds. Beat for 30 seconds, scrapping down the bowl as needed.

4. Then, alternating flour mixture and milk mixture, combine all ingredients until just blended. Transfer batter to a piping bag, or to a Ziploc bag with the tip cut off.

5. If using mini-donut pans: Carefully fill each donut indentation 3⁄4 full. Bake for 7–9 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Transfer donuts to a cooling rack and cool completely. If using an electric mini-donut maker: Carefully fill each donut indentation 3⁄4 full.

Bake according to manufacturer’s instructions or until a toothpick inserted into a donut comes out clean. Remove donuts from appliance, transfer to a cooling rack, and let cool completely.

6. Place wax paper under a wire rack to collect any drippings for an easy cleanup. Then, in a small bowl, whisk together lemon juice and powdered sugar until smooth.

7. Dip the top of each donut into the icing, transfer to a wire rack, and let set for 5 minutes. Serve immediately; donuts can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days but are best served fresh.

Yields: 24 mini donuts