nutty gingerbread snack cake with molasses glaze (one bowl, no mixer)

I have to admit, I'm loving the creative side of my brain these days.
It's been giving me a boatload of ideas for one-bowl recipes.
I know a lot of you LOVED the brownie recipes (plain and caramel-pecan), and were thrilled not to have to shell out and clean your kitchen aid mixer just for brownies, but to make it all in one bowl.
I have another "one-bowl" recipe for you, that came out perfect on the first try.
(don't you love that? 1st try score?)
This snack cake is just that: a snack cake.  Not heavy or sugary gingerbread--it's a little more buttery, lighter in cake density, but full of flavor.
I added in pecans and cinnamon chips just for a little extra something something.
Of course you don't have to add in nuts, but I highly recommend the cinnamon chips as they melt into the batter when baked.
I swear cinnamon chips on their own are awful, but taste wonderful in a buttery cake. Go figure.
This gingerbread snack cake came about when I -- don't laugh-- wanted the smell of gingerbread
in the kitchen.
Ever just make something just for the smell it leaves in the kitchen?
Gingerbread and apple pie are two such items I love to make--oh the scent they leave behind.

This snack cake is perfect with hot espresso.
Are you a coffee lover?  Oh please try this with a shot (or two) of hot espresso.  Seriously, so good.


I found that "Sugar in The Raw" works just as good, if not better than coarse baking sugar.

To glaze or not to glaze?
Up to you, I loved it.
Keep in mind this glaze is super sweet, and you only need a bit.
I made way too much, so maybe go ahead and HALF the ingredients for the glaze.
This glaze was made on a whim, so I didn't have to time to re-do it with smaller amounts.
So if you don't half it, it will keep in the fridge for at least a week, just fine--mine did--just make sure to
cover and seal it well before storing in fridge.


How long does it keep?
Well, I saved a small piece for myself before the vultures set in, wrapped it well in plastic wrap, kept it in the cupboard for 2 days (had forgotten about it--I know crazy) and it was fine!

Said small piece in question.  He did fine and I bet he could have gone 3 days in hiding with no problem. :-)

nutty gingerbread snack cake (one bowl easy)
recipe from vanillasugarblog.com
print recipe

cake:
12 TB unsalted butter, softened
½ cup sugar
1 large egg + 1 egg yolk, room temp
½  cup molasses
½ cup whole milk or light cream
1 cake flour
1 cup flour
1 ts baking powder
¾ ts sea salt
1 ½ ts clove
1 ts cinnamon
2 ts ginger powder
½ cup chopped pecans
2-3 handfuls of cinnamon chips

coarse sugar, for sprinkling on top (optional)

molasses glaze:
2 TB very soft unsalted butter
½ ts sea salt
¼ cup molasses
½ confectioners sugar

cook notes:  
The glaze is very sweet!  You only need a little bit.  I made way too much, so maybe go ahead and HALF the ingredients. This glaze was made on a whim, so I didn't have to time to re-do it with smaller amounts.
If you don't half it, it will keep in the fridge for at least a week, just fine--mine did--just make sure to cover and seal it well before storing in fridge.
I used one bowl for all this (except the glaze), if you feel more comfortable using a mixer then please go ahead.  I also mixed mine by hand.

Preheat the oven to 350.
Grease with butter or spray with non stick spray an 8 or 9-inch cake pan.
In one large bowl, cream the butter, sugar, egg and egg yolk well.  Add in the molasses and milk and mix well.  Dump in: both flours, baking powder, salt, all the spices, and mix until JUST combined.  No need to overmix here-- lumps are good.
Then add in the nuts and cinnamon chips and mix using 4-5 strokes.  No more!
Pour batter into prepared cake pan, sprinkle on with the coarse sugar, bake about 25-30 minutes or until the middle is set and not jiggly.  You can use the cake tester method too.  It’s a light batter, so it will bake up fast; please check it at the 23-minute mark.
While cake is cooling in pan, make the glaze, by combining all the ingredients in a medium bowl; mixing by hand or with a hand mixer until the lumps are gone.
I waited until the cake was completely cooled to glaze it.
If you do glaze it while cake is still hot, the glaze will just melt into the cake and look ugly.

friday links

Happy Friday!

We have only 61 days till Spring! I'm excited. No more 90 days, no more 80 days.

My therapy till spring & summer arrive. (dennis, ma)

boats are all in (sandwich, ma)

lobster traps (sandwich, ma)

That color....

Soon these will be bare feet.....

Around the Web:

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why you need to cut ties if your friendships aren't benefiting you
the holidays are over, why am I so blue?
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rehabbed ramen
amazing footage of how falcons catch their prey (mildly graphic)
beige cells key to healthy fat (what makes subcutaneous obesity relatively healthy)
the scott expedition: a 1,800-mile (2,900km), four-month return journey from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole and back on foot following Scott’s route.
coffee myth-busting: cup of joe may help memory
woman goes to gym every day for 100 days (good for her! go girl!)
what I learned from six months of GMO-research
DIY candy buttons (just like you had as a kid)
cross fit coach severs spine in event
14 things you didn't know about alton brown
7 keys to establishing a confident impression
how to make your own breakfast sausage
the british library photostream
the science of the best cc cookies (truly well broken down)
6 ways sesame street taught me to be a decent human
brief history of 63 years of extreme weather
light of the night (gorgeous video of day/night sky)
10 places unhappy people search for happiness
celery and it's root soup
the devil's pool (great video, inspirational too)
vegetarian snacks for the supper bowl
10 things you didn't know about girl scout cookies
altering the community of gut bacteria promotes health
cat heaven furniture & walkways
color coded labels for health foods (brilliant!)
oatmeal-butterscotch cookies
truth about bullies & how to deal with them
gillian anderson fans? she's writing a new trilogy 
white chocolate blondies
women can have it all in Iceland
grapefruit ricotta cookies
buffalo quinoa bites
what is the "buffalo hump"?
how do you define yourself? inspirational talk from lizzie velasquez
10 more facts about the benefits of drinking coffee (I love more!)
be active to reduce chronic diseases
transformation of an 8x10 tool shed into a livable home
curried chickpea salad
the mystery house in north carolina

Have a wonderful weekend!

italian wedding soup (crockpot version)

I've always somehow equated Italian Wedding Soup with ton's of steps, which is an instant turn-off to me.  I'd rather order it out.
So I found this recipe on TheKitchn for an easier-looking (should that be a term) for italian wedding soup.  I say easier because as I read it, it seemed far easier than some others I've read through.
Reading through it I thought, why can't we do this in a crockpot?  Has it been done in a crockpot?
Oh I'm sure it has, but I wanted to give it a go.
Also, I have one of those crockpots that is smaller, a 2.5-quart one, made for serving two people I think?  It looks like this.  Do you have one?  If so, then this recipe is for you!  If you don't, then just use the recipe measurements from TheKitchn recipe or you can just make this one in your normal crockpot.
Sometimes you just want to cook for two anyways right?
I've found a great way to keep those little meatballs nice and crisp.
Don't fry em, bake em.  They stayed brown and semi-crispy after sitting in soup all day.
Doesn't the meatball in this photo look good?  Those panko crumbs really helped to keep the meatball brown and slightly crispy in soup all day.

It's a fairly easy recipe, I changed a few things around to make it easier since I didn't want to sit by the oven and add this in, wait, then add that in and wait. OY
With my recipe, I just sautéed the onions & garlic in the crockpot for an hour before adding everything; I did this while I made the mini meatballs.  When meatballs were done, I added in the chicken stock, the escarole, and the meatballs, and let it do it's thing.  Five hours later, just before serving, I added in the egg and cheese slurry.  Mmmm.  Yes indeed.
Then it was ready to serve!  Easy right?
Follow along....

First hour, sautee the onions and garlic in olive oil (on high) while you make and bake the meatballs.

I made a lot of meatballs for a smaller crockpot, but we noshed on a few....

After the meatballs are done, add the chicken stock, escarole, seasonings, meatballs and cook away on low for five hours.

When ready to serve, turn crockpot on high, get it nice and hot, then add in the egg and cheese slurry, mix. Put cover back on and let it cook another 15-20 minutes to let slurry set up.
Serve with lemon wedges, extra cheese, and bread. So easy right?


This just might become your new favorite winter soup! It's light but hearty. Filling but not food coma filling.  And you get a semi-healthy meal out of it.  Great way to use escarole, which btw I rarely use. At first I thought, a lemon wedge into the soup?  But after trying it I saw how well it complimented the soup.  Tasty tasty.  You will love this.  Also, feel free to swap out beef meat for chicken or turkey meat.


italian wedding soup (in the crockpot)
based on this recipe from The Kitchn
print recipe

1 pound ground meat (85% lean)
1/2 cup panko crumbs
2 large eggs, room temp
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese, divided
3/4 cup SHREDDED Parmesan cheese, divided (might need extra for garnish)
1-2 ts oregano
2 TB  olive oil
1 small or medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups (or more?) cups chicken stock (I used about 2.5- 3 quarts)
2-3 cups of escarole, rough chop (seems like a lot, but it will shrink when cooked)
salt & pepper
For the garnish:
Red pepper flakes
Lemon wedges (1 or 2 lemons)

Cook notes:
I used a small crockpot; I think mine is a 2/5 – 3 quart one.  If you have a larger one and want to make more soup then click on the link above to get the larger quantity version and keep in mind my changes in ingredients.  I used panko crumbs and they did help keep the meatballs crisp—I’m certain.  Also I used shredded parmesan cheese instead of grated to help “crisp” up the meatballs.  Look for it if you can, if not just use grated.
Turn crockpot on high, place the olive oil in the bottom, let it heat it, add in the onions and garlic, and let this sauté a bit while you make the meatballs.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of Romano cheese, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, oregano, salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix thoroughly, form the mixture into 3/4-inch -1-inch balls. You should have 20 to 30 meatballs, depending on how large you form them. Place meatballs on parchment lined baking sheets, making sure not to let them touch, as we want to crisp up the edges good.  Bake for about 15-20 minutes--If that? When meatballs are done, drain them on paper towels to absorb any excess fat.
Meanwhile add in the chicken stock to the crockpot, add in a bit of salt and pepper, add in the escarole, then add in the meatballs.  I turned my crockpot to low, and let it cook for four to five hours.  My low setting on my crockpot is fairly hot.  I wouldn’t suggest putting it on high for five hours unless your crockpot runs low and very slow.  You just don’t need high for a light soup.
When ready to serve, combine the remaining 1 egg and remaining cheeses in cup and stir with a fork to blend. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the hot soup, stirring constantly. Cover and simmer just until egg bits are set, about 15 minutes? Serve in bowls, sprinkle with a pinch of red pepper flakes and a squirt of fresh lemon juice.
Serve immediately.  I served with sourdough bread and extra parmesan cheese.
Should make 3 large servings or 4 smaller ones

friday links

Happy Friday!

Please read this.
I know a lot of you are not seeing my posts on Facebook.
All you have to do is comment AND like one of my posts and this will ensure that you keep seeing my posts.


Have you tried this? Caramel macchiato for the poor man!


Hilarious!  Have you seen his website? howtobeadad.com


That's right!  We're over the hump! Half over!  Spring is coming baby!


Been pretty and quiet around here on cape cod.



One of my friends has her second book out.
Mystery on Pine Lake: Cooper & Packrat, by Tamra Wight
And it's really cute, really good; perfect for kids who love to read, explore and have a wonderful active imagination. So many adults (myself included) have fallen in love with Cooper:
"....Cooper thought living at a campground would be cool. But ever since his parents bought the lakeside campground, he’s had more chores and less time to explore. And as if babysitting his little sister and cleaning the bathrooms weren't bad enough, his ex-friend Roy has chosen him as this summer’s bullying target. Cooper’s only bright spot this summer is his new friend, Packrat, a guy who carries the world in his coat pockets and leaves his troubles behind. But trouble has come to the Wilder Family Campground and Pine Lake, where a family of loons is building a nest...."

Congrats Tamra! xoxo!

Around the web:

6 secret weapons in the battle of unhealthy habits
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the joy of cooking with samin (LOVE her!)
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I finally faced my high school bullies--over a decade later on Facebook
annie hall vs. anhedonia (out there somewhere a vintage, digressive, hilarious Woody Allen masterpiece made in the late ’70s??)
artificial bone marrow created
food firm trims trillions of calories from packaged snacks
computer algorithm can tell if your book will sell or not
the "trout pout" is over!  YES!
velveeta shortage!  LOL
best beef broccoli
great line up of vegetable soups
DIY frosted cheerios
are you a birding fan?  You might like this site warblercalls.com
review of the new M&M red velvet
can my choice of workout have an impact on lifespan?
quick & easy faux pho
the story of 7-Up soda
conan visits american girl store
what 'text replies' really mean
salty honey pie
norman rockwell's recipe for his favorite oatmeal cookies
your brain can only handle a limited number of close friends
what your starbucks order says about you
how to make the perfect chocolate sauce
tar heel pie (yes please)
history of the chocolate chip cookie
scientists finds benefit to meditation
chocolate mint bites (bookmarked!)
spicy, cheesy gochujang spaghetti
cilantro-lime cucumber salad
excellent, easy recipe for hummus
your sarcastic horrorscope for 2014
10 free articles by hunter thompson
I love that there are such good good people in the world (god bless!)
25 completely absurd jobs!
dogs' pooping secrets revealed!  LOL!
tiny masterpieces: art in match boxes
the real truth about carbs (hmmm?)
DIY agave sugar body scrubs
photographs of nyc diners of the 1990's
snowboarder shaun white is just amazing
simone de beauvoir would have been 106 today
dietary prevention of age-related macular degeneration
untouched paris apartment discovered 70 years later (wonderful find!)
ironic & surprising effects of weight stigma
the red crab migration on christmas island
least you forget how cray cray dennis rodman is
and lastly,
still gives me the shivers,
makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up,
ever want to know what it's like to win the world series with the red sox?
Big Papi!!

Have a wonderful weekend.

caramel-coconut pecan brownies (one bowl, no mixer)

After the huge success with the one bowl, no mixer, decadent/borderline gourmet brownies,
I just had to make more.  More with add in's, to, well, you know kick it up a notch.
Because once you have a solid base recipe, the next best step any chef will do is to make it even better!
This time I wanted to add in my kind of ingredients:
coconut and caramel to eat all for myself  as a recipe creation for you.
I just love that taste of caramel, coconut and pecans all at once.
So needless to say, these brownies were very good.
And just as easy as one bowl.
I'll let the photos tell the rest of the post....


>
Of course you can add in whatever you wish....

If you can use salted caramels even better.
Just keep them away from the edge as it's very hard to remove baked on caramel from metal!



Oh I do hope you can see that nice caramel middle?
Mmm hmm, that's right.


Please make sure to read the cook notes before making.

caramel-coconut & pecan brownies (one bowl, no mixer)
print recipe

14 TB butter, plus 1 TB more for greasing pan
dusting of high quality unsweetened cocoa powder for coating brownie pan
1 cup high-quality bittersweet chocolate chips
¾ cup sugar
¾ ts sea salt
1 1/2 ts vanilla extract
1 cup flour
2 eggs, room temp, beaten well
9-12 caramel candies, unwrapped (salted caramels even better!)
1 cup of roasted pecans, rough chop
couple handfuls of coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)
extra sea salt for the tops of the brownies before baking

cook notes:
The benefits of using high-quality chocolate really make these brownies.
Choose a chocolate like Ghirahdelli, Valrhona, Scharffen Berger, etc… that has a high cocoa count (50-80% is perfect).  I use Ghirahdelli chips and cocoa powder (Walmart has really good prices of this brand).
The sprinkling of the sea salt on top of the brownies is not mandatory and will not make the brownies “salty”; it is meant to enhance the flavor of the chocolates in the batter.  This is a deep chocolate tasting brownie and they need a little more salt to truly bring out the chocolate.
When you melt the butter and chocolate, please use a nice low flame so the melting goes smoothly and the chocolate doesn’t get too hot, which will make it taste bitter/burnt.  And let this liquid mixture cool a bit before adding to the egg mixture.
Next time I make these I will use toasted coconut, for that extra ‘crunch’.
I didn’t load on the caramel pieces as they really spread when they melt, so keep that in mind when you want to be adventurous.

Preheat oven to 350°.
Butter up well an 8 x 8 baking pan, then coat with unsweetened cocoa powder. Set pan aside.
Melt the butter and chocolate chips together in a small saucepan over LOW heat, stirring constantly. When melted take off heat, set aside to cool a bit.
In a large bowl, mix the eggs with the sugar, beat well, add in the vanilla extract, and mix.
When the melted chocolate has cooled down a bit (warm ok) slowly add it in to the egg mixture, a little bit at first, mix really well, then more as you go along.
Next dump the flour right on top of the mixture, then sprinkle on the sea salt.
Using a spatula mix until JUST combined, lumps are ok!
Add in half the pecans and mix.
Pour 2/3 of batter into greased and cocoa-dusted baking pan.
Place down a couple handfuls of coconut, making sure not to go to the edges.
Then place down caramel candies, making sure not to go to edges.
Sprinkle on remaining pecans--ok to go to the edges.
Use remaining 1/3 brownie batter, carefully place on top, and if necessary using wet fingers gently move batter around to evenly coat.
Sprinkle top of batter with just a little bit of sea salt.
Bake for 30-38 minutes. Mine were done at the 35-minute mark.
They take a while to firm up, so if you try to remove them from the pan they will break apart.  Very very gooey when hot from the oven!
These really need to cool down since the caramel will be very hot.

Makes 9 brownies.