Paleo Pumkpin Pie Spice Donuts

Tags

dessert, donuts, doughnuts, healthy, paleo, paleo diet

Happy Valentine’s Day, Loves!

Whether you’re single, attached or don’t like to talk about it, I hope you have a lovely Valentine’s day filled with comfortable pajamas, warm blankets and delicious eats! oh, and lovey feelings!

This year, BR and I are opting for a night in on Valentine’s Day. We have reservations for the sofa and plan on sharing a cozy blanket while watching whatever is on our Netflix queue.

But before I was attached, I used to love Valentine’s Day. My best valentine’s day was when i was dumped a few days prior and I decided to throw a “love stinks” party at my apartment with all my single friends. We had tons of wine, tons of eats and had a blast.

One thing that I have kept going strong, is making a dessert for the equally loved and hated holiday. Some occasions, i ate the whole damn thing by myself (because love stunk) and other times, i shared the goodies (because sharing the love gives me the warm and fuzzies)

I got the warm and fuzzies for sure when I discovered a paleo donut recipe from  the Against All Grain blog.  It had surely been some time since I enjoyed a baked food of the dessert variety since I started paleo and i was itching for donut. This recipe delivered. And I shared them with some non-paleo, sugar loving coworkers who loved these babies.

So, this Valentines Day, skip the heart shaped chain donuts mass produced and chemically processed in favor of these super simple, super delicious, gluten free donuts. Be sure to visit Against all grain to get the complete recipe here.

I had intended on frosting these babies but after sneaking a taste when they were done, they were perfect just as they were. So I left them as they were. 

I shared a few of these donuts with some co-workers, though i wanted them all for myself, and enjoyed them with my morning coffee!

Make a batch for you and your valentine, whether your valentine is yourself, your dog or your boo, make them.  These babies are awesome.

 

Blue Smoke

Tags

bbq, Blue Smoke, dessert, dinner, mac and cheese, Restaurant Review, ribs

Restaurant Week is amazing. I have been a long time fan of Restaurant Week and can even remember the first meal I sat down to at the formerly known Planet Thailand in Williamsburg 10 years ago- grilled swordfish. If your local neighborhood hosts a restaurant week, I highly recommend it. Its a great way to check out whats around- while it may not give you the entire experience the restaurant would normally provide, its still a nice sneak peak. And for me, it gives me an opportunity to dine somewhere I might not normally dine at for a fraction of the cost.

For the final stretch of the most recent Restaurant Week, I rounded up some coworkers and friends for a 3 course dinner at Blue Smoke in the Tribeca area. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much- its BBQ style cuisine. But months have passed since my last time at Blue Smoke and I still think about how much I enjoyed dinner there.  

We made reservations at Blue Smoke after work on a Friday. It was pretty busy- a true testament to how good the food is. It smelled strongly of smoked meats- so if thats not your thing, you have been warned.

I was armed with a group of eaters so we all agreed to get different things and share them all. Except for BR. He went off the RW menu and ordered a rack of ribs. That was what he wanted and that was what he got. 

For appetizers we all got chicken wings and fried ravioli. There was a salad option but who has time for salad?? i kid.

The wings were pretty standard. A sticky and  spicy bbq sauce. We all enjoyed them but we really loved the fried ravioli. 

For our entrees we ordered the ribs and the smoked chicken. The smoked chicken was just okay. Definitely cant compete with a half rack of ribs. 

The ribs were amazing. Great smoky flavor and incredibly tender meat. 

We decided to order a few side dishes just in case the ribs werent enough. Just an FYI, the ribs ARE enough!

The mac and cheese was creamy and reminded me of a super cheesy velveeta. I am more partial to the baked mac and cheese that is more cheesy, then saucy. But that doesnt mean we didnt dip the smoked chicken into the mac and cheese sauce… 

we also ordered fries. They were crisp on the outside with a mushy center- my favorite! 

For dessert, we all decided to order one of each. The chocolate cake, the banana cream pie and the blueberry crumble.

First of all, this chocolate was EVERYTHING. We all sat there with 3 desserts between us and spoons flying everywhere. Each bite better than the last. 

The banana cream pie was smooth and creamy- very tasty but in the line up of desserts, it fell in last place. But thats just how good the others were. And while I can go for a slab of that chocolate cake pictured above, the blueberry crumble was my absolute favorite of the evening. It came warm with a crisp topping and a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream.

This was one Helluva meal! One that was not only affordable but one that we all enjoyed tremendously! Looking forward to the next restaurant week- or just a random Friday night when we need some good hearty ribs!

 

Spooky Cake Mix Brownies with Chocolate Covered Peeps

Tags

brownies, cake mix, dessert, peeps, recipes

*this post almost didnt happen as all the photos were not compatible with WordPress. I resorted to using a converter to format the photos below, please excuse the watermark- it was the only way I could post*

When I received my extremely generous supply of Peeps to play with, I knew two things were going to happen. 1. Cereal treats. and 2. Brownies. Last year, I made peeps brownies and they were great, but of course I had to do something different from last year.

I got to thinking. Most of my friends don’t like to bake from scratch. And to be honest, with the small kitchen i have now, baking is difficult for me too so I don’t do it as much.  I welcome and appreciate the efforts that anyone takes to bake something. Whether they just rip open a box or painstakingly measure and sift all the flour from scratch.

Today, I am showing how to make brownies out of cake mix. So, if the urge for brownies strikes and all you have on hand is a box of cake mix- guess what? You can still make brownies! The difference is the proportions of the water, oil, and eggs.

And just for fun, I added these fun dark chocolate covered pumpkin peeps to make these brownies perfect for that last minute Halloween get together you were invited to.

Ingredients (makes 12-16 brownies)

1 box of Chocolate cake mix

1 egg

1/3 cup water

1/3 cup oil

5 dark chocolate covered pumpkin peeps, chopped

 

Preheat the oven to 350*.

Lightly grease a brownie pan. I used a small 11 x 7 pan lined with parchment paper.

Using an electric mixer or a stand mixer (i prefer the latter), combine the egg, water, and oil until well combined and then slowly add the cake mix. The batter will be very thick. Feel free to add a tablespoon of water and oil at a time. But the looser the batter, the more cake-like it will be.

The batter was super thick and I spread it carefully into the baking pan.

Roughly chop the chocolate covered pumpkin peeps.

 

 

Press the Peeps into the surface of the brownies. Bake in the oven uncovered for 21 minutes.

 

When a toothpick inserted comes out clean, remove the brownies from the oven and allow them to cool.

When they are cool, slice into squares and store in an airtight container.

These brownies are fudgy and chocolaty. The peeps add a lovely burst of color as well as a gooey factor, not to mention all the lovely dark chocolate soaked spots. These brownies were an instant hit. Who doesn’t love marshmallows in brownies???

 

 

Halloween Peeps Cereal Treats!

Tags

candy, dessert, halloween, kashi, peeps, recipes, treats

Peeps are all about nostalgia to me. I was never a huge fan of marshmallows but every Easter, you better believe I was devouring Peeps like it was my job. There’s something about those cute little shapes showered in sugar that make them so damn delicious. And I used to even pop them in the microwave for 5 seconds to make them ooey and gooey.

Over the years, Peeps have transitioned into a more mainstream candy. Whether its Easter, Christmas, Halloween or what have you, there is a Peep for it! Last year, I took my loot of Peeps and turned them into the Peeple’s Brownies.  This year, I was asked to play around with Halloween Peeps to see what I came up with.

I decided to incorporate the bright colors of the Pumpkin Peeps into a cereal treat of sorts. I was limited to what I could prepare because I was only a matter of weeks into my Paleo regiment. I really wanted to make a Rice Krispy Treat type of dessert with the Peeps and thought it would work out just as well with a different cereal. Kashi Go Lean is filled with fiber and protein but tastes really good- so why not use it in place of Rice Krispy Treats! Hell, use any cereal you like!

Makes 24 pieces

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter, or butter substitute

3 packs of Ghost Peeps

1 pack of Pumpkin Peeps

1 regular size box of Kashi Go Lean, or cereal of choice

optional: 3 chocolate covered pumpkin peeps

In a large pot, melt the butter over a low flame. When the butter is completely melted, add the pumpkin and ghost peeps. To maintain their colors, and avoid mixing, keep the peeps separated. Move them around so they melt evenly without crossing the colors.

Once the Peeps are melted, take the pot off the flame and add the entire box of cereal. Fold until the cereal is coated with melted peeps.

In a lightly greased, or wax paper lined baking dish (9X13), pour the cereal and peeps mixture and spread evenly.

Feel free to leave the treats as is. Allow to cool and once hardened, slice into even squares and store in an airtight container.

That wasn’t enough for me, though. I decided to take the dark chocolate covered marshmallow peeps and melt them in the microwave for about 5 -8 seconds…

And spread onto the top of the treats for color and more sticky power. 

Once the treats cooled, I sliced them up and stored them in  an air tight container.

I had to take a few tastes to make sure they were blog worthy. They were amazing. I don’t know if I will ever use Rice Krispies again. These were crunchy and while the cereal is not overly sweet, the peeps add the right amount of sweetness to make these fly off your counter; or in my case, the free food table at the office.

Don’t forget to enter the Lipton Keurig K-Cup Giveaway!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Tags

breakfast, dessert, doughnuts

I have read countless blogs with homemade doughnuts and always thought one day, I would have my own doughnut pan. The occasion to get a doughnut pan just never came up or never felt like a logical decision. But, I was feeling sorta whimsy while online shopping some months ago and using a gift card I received from the office for Christmas purchased this perfectly sized doughnut pan.

And then it sat in my cupboard for some months.

But then I had some serious urge to bake, which is rare these days with my lack of counter space and whipped out the ol doughnut pan.

My favorite doughnuts are dense and cake-like and dusted with cinnamon and sugar. It seemed simple enough so I did some research and found a recipe that I thought would be perfect. ( head over to HeathersFrenchPress for all her delicious photos and recipe instructions)

The doughnut batter was thick and reminded me of pancake batter. Rather than make a mess pouring the batter into the doughnut mold, I decided to make a piping bag to keep things neat.

The pastry bag was a great idea!

The doughnuts baked in no time.

The one mistake I  made in my eagerness to consume was forget to brush the doughnut with butter before rolling it in cinnamon sugar. The lack of butter made these taste like healthy baked doughnuts. I will be revisiting this recipe and definitely not omitting the roll in butter before smothering in delicious cinnamon sugar!

I love that stupid doughnut pan!!!

Also, there were a lot of coffee and doughnut brekkies. Can you blame us?

Pumpkin Coffee Crumb Cake

Tags

cake, crumb cake, dessert, pumpkin, recipes

Sometime after all the hurricane, my mother and I went grocery shopping and I went in there without a plan. It was a recipe for disaster. When left to my own devices, I could get pretty out of control at the grocery store. Everything was on sale and a wild need for boxed cake mix came over me.

That, or not being able to resist something 3 for $5.

My mom, was also very convincing. And sometimes, the need for boxed cake mix presents itself which makes you grateful to have it on hand. Lazy days.

I was craving a crumb cake. I didn’t feel like making it from scratch. A little trick I learned when I used to be a die hard weight watcher is using pureed pumpkin and cake mix for a lower calorie but totally delicious cake.

Ingredients:

1 box yellow cake mix

1 14 oz can of pureed pumpkin

1 egg white

1 tbsp pumpkin pie spice (or 1/2

Topping:

2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 stick unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp cinnamon

Powdered sugar

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Using a handheld mixer, combine the cake mix, egg, pumpkin and pumpkin pie spice and beat until smooth. About 5 minutes. 

Pour batter into 9x 13 inch baking pan. In a small bowl, combine the flour, sugar, butter and cinnamon. It will be crumbly. Spread it evenly onto the cake batter and bake according to the box directions.

When cake is cooked, remove from oven and let cool for several hours. Using a small fine strainer, pour powdered sugar (about 1/4 cup) into the strainer and dust onto the cake.

The topping is crumbly and delicious while the cake is moist and fluffy. Not completely healthy, but a lighter version of my weakness. Its been ages since I took baked goods to work and this was received with much gratitude.

I regret sharing it. It was that good.

Fabiane’s

Tags

coffee, dessert

When my sister came to town to visit, she had plans to meet with her High School Bestie over dessert and coffee. Even though it has been a few years since I navigated the restaurants in Brooklyn, sis sought me out for a recommendation. I immediately was reminded of a cute coffee shop slash bistro in the North Side of Williamsburg with great coffee and a nice selection to nosh on.

Fabiane’s.

My first encounter with Fabiane’s was years ago when I first began brunching and to my surprise, while walking around with Phil and Stacey the other night, it was not only still standing but was busy. We managed to score a table outside. We were in need of a nightcap.

I ordered an iced soy caramel macchiato. It was rich. Creamy. And so perfect for the weather!

Phil ordered a foamy cappuccino which he sucked down at an alarming speed and quickly ordered another.

 

We opted for some biscotti to nosh on while we sipped our coffees. Everything was delicious. The people watching was particularly awesome… but the thing that led me to recommend this to my sister is…

THIS!

Stacey ordered the Iced Cinnamon Mocha Latte and it was Crack. We all took turns tasting this balanced, dessert-like coffee. It was such a treat. I felt it would make for the perfect treat to sip over an intimate reunion so I recommended it to my sister.

It was a hit. And I am already craving my next iced cinnamon mocha!

Banana Cupcakes with Cinnamon Honey Frosting

Tags

banana bread, cupcakes, dessert

Not long ago, we had a mini baby shower at the office for my good friend Karen. When they started the collections for her gift, they asked me if I would be willing to bake something. And when someone asks me to bake, I rarely say no.

It was days before my move and I was in “clean out the kitchen” mode. I had a few bananas that I bought on a whim and they were expiring quickly so I decided to make banana cupcakes. After some research, I thought my tried and true banana bread recipe, minus the chocolate chips would be perfect.

Banana cupcakes (makes 18-24)

3-4 medium bananas, ripened

1/3 cup butter, melted

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 Tbsp vanilla

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups flour

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350*.

Beat the bananas around in the stand mixer until thoroughly smushed. While the mixer is on low, slowly add in the butter, sugars, egg, vanilla and cinnamon. When the ingredients are well incorporated into a thick banana batter, add the baking soda, salt and flour. Allow the flour to be fully mixed in with the bananas.

In a lined muffin tin, fill the tins 1/3 way full and bake in the oven for 12-15 minutes. When toothpick inserted comes out clean, toothpicks are done.

Allow the cupcakes to cool so you can get started on the frosting.

When I was looking for the right frosting for these cupcakes, I found a Martha recipe for a cinnamon honey frosting but it was a buttercream and I wanted a cream cheese frosting. So I combined the buttercream frosting with my cream cheese frosting.

Cinnamon Honey Frosting

1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softenend

2 sticks of unsalted butter, softenened

1 tbsp vanilla

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp cinnamon

2 cups powdered sugar

Directions: Using a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese with a paddle attachment until its smooth and creamy without any lumps. About 2 minutes on low. Add the butter and mix in on low until lump free. keep the mixer on and add in vanilla, honey, cinnamon, and sugar one at a time until it is smooth and creamy.

Spread the frosting on a cupcake and take a big bite!

My coworkers were really happy with these and I must say, these have become my favorite cupcakes and I just made a batch for my mother!

Next time your bananas get a little too spotty for your liking, make some banana cupcakes with honey cinnamon frosting! perfect for the summer!

Ayza Wine and Chocolate bar

Tags

chocolate, dessert, wine, wine bar

I was invited by the lovely Shayna over at Near Say to sample a chocolate menu from Ayza Wine and Chocolate bar in the Lower area of Manhattan. It was sure to be a wonderful evening. Even more wonderful was being able to bring along the boy to see the bloggy side of it all.

Our first mistake, and I guess this stems from all my Yelp stuff, was that me and BF had dim sum in Chinatown prior to the wine and chocolate event. For Yelp events, I usually have a snack or small plate beforehand so as not to embarrass myself hoarding samples. In this case, pregaming wasn’t the best thing to do. The event, which I thought would be sips of wine with chocolate pairings was in actuality, a chocolate FOOD and wine pairing.

But BF and I had a nice long walk after dim sum and were able to make some room.

Ayza, itself, is a romantic joint. It’s dimly lit with soft red lighting throughout. There is also live music. The singer that evening was an amazing vocalist and really bumped up the ambiance with her silky vocal chords.

We sat at the bar where we imbibed on wonderfully crafted cocktails, courtesy of a fantastic Mistress of Mixology. I had the French Kiss which was a bit of sparkling wine with a kiss of Chambord and a sugared rim. It was a little on the sweet side, but after several sips felt perfectly dainty for the occasion. BF had the D’Lea which I very much enjoyed… noted for next time.

To start, a beautiful Cheese plate was put between the two of us. I must say, I am a bit of a Cheese FREAK. I love cheese. The BF? He’s willing to try. So, If I ate a cheese and liked it, he followed. The ruffley thing in the center was in fact cheese too and Oh My Goodness! It was so good. There were sweet and thick cubes of guava that made for a nice contrast with the sharp cheeses on the platter. And If guava isn’t your thing, there are strawberries and raisin bread. But I pretty much just wanted to fold copious amounts of ruffley cheese into my mouth.

So. Classy.

D’Lea.

The next course was a White chocolate and Celery Root Puree with warm, fried pita sprinkled with sea salt. The pita, when fried, took on the texture of a freshly fried zeppole and then when dipped generously in the white chocolate and celery root, was savory, sweet, soft and addicting. BF and I were scrapping the bowl clean of any and all traces of white chocolate dipping sauce.

We also had a steak tare tare that had a spicy kick to it with the addition of some dark chocolate. The flavor profile was a little bit more aggressive than the white chocolate dish and while we did enjoy it, we kept going back to the white chocolate.

The chef prepared a crab salad of sorts with avocado and citrus elements. I found the crab to be a little on the watery side and really didn’t love this dish. However, the avocado and crispy onions on top were phenomenal! More please!

We also had seared scallops with a kale chip and perhaps a slice of jicama… or asian pear? I was starting to feel that French kiss and when another one was placed in front of me, all chances of remembering went out the window. The kale chip was so damn good. The scallop was fresh. Tasted like a scallop should taste but needed a harder sear in the pan. I was looking for a certain color on the scallop, but regardless, it tasted just fine.

The highlight of the evening was the main course. Short rib braised in red wine with a fried Hen of the Woods Mushroom and a cauliflower and truffle smash. This dish, while just a taste, was RICH and hearty and had it been a full plate, would have been way too much for one meal. The Short Rib was tender and succulent and the sauce was reminiscent of a rich and earthy mole sauce. The fried hen of the woods was probably my favorite element of the dish. And lastly, the truffled cauliflower smash wasn’t overly done with truffle and even managed to taste creamy… despite a few bits of cauliflower. It was the perfect amount.

The Big Finish! Dessert!

What better way to end a chocolate tasting than with a plate of fondue?? Sliced bananas, strawberries, marshmallows, pretzels, short bread and brownies! BF is not a huge chocolate lover, but he really did enjoy the chocolate with the fruit.

Overall, Ayza was a great place. It had a great romantic feel to it and would be the best place to woo that special person you want to date exclusively, or to pop the question. There was talk of this being a great date spot… I definitely agree- but not a first date.

LIC Market

Tags

brussel sprouts, dessert, dinner, happy hour, queens, restaurant reviews

Things have been crazy these last few days. I sat down to take a peak at the blog and realized its been a week since I last blogged.

Sad.

Change is inevitable in life and with change comes adjustment. While things haven’t been set in stone, the adjustment has begun and I am still finding my rhythm.

Vague. I know. But there will be answers soon enough.

Its been a while since I have mentioned “the Dude”. Life happens and we lost touch for a while but when we recently reconnected, we thought there was no other way to do so than over something delicious. In true Diva and Dude fashion, we chose some place new…correction, Dude chose some place new and I just went with it.

I trust his taste.

He chose LIC Market. A cozy  restaurant with a great décor and awesome staff! Their menu is seasonal. Their happy hour is awesome. We arrived about an hour before the half price beer and wine specials were over.

We gushed over the cutesy, yet simple, décor.

Our server, Gina, was super friendly without being annoying and refreshingly honest. With so many wonderful selections on the menu, we asked for her honest opinion on what we should and should not try.

That particular day was really warm and she recommended we start with the Razor Clams appetizer since the constant change of weather would eventually make these guys impossible to find.

The clams were delicious. The broth they were smothered in was rich with garlic and wine and refreshing bits of parsley. When the clams were gone, Dude and I were using our bread to sop up the delicious broth… next time we ask for a spoon!

When it came to the entrees, Gina was honest and said the portions were a little on the small side and recommended we get an extra side to split. We then asked her for her favorites. She did not disappoint. To share, we got the wild rice and butternut squash. This was definitely delicious, but it wasn’t as good as the other things we tried.

Still, a Plus.

I ordered the Burger. The burger was GINORMOUS. On the side was a delectable wild oyster mushroom and truffle hash. Lately, I am a little hesitant when it comes to truffles as restaurants tend to have a heavy hand with truffle oil that turns me off, big time. But I was very happy with the results of this oyster mushroom and truffle hash. It wasn’t overpowering and every bit as delicious as I wanted it to be.

My burger?

Perfection.

The dude ordered the squab. The squab was also cooked to perfection with a gorgeous jewel-toned center that was tender and mouth-watering. Beneath the squab lay the most amazing brussel sprouts and bacon I have ever had. When I dine with the Dude, we split everything but I insisted he eat most of the squab and leave me as much of the brussel sprouts as he could part with… because they were THAT good!

By the time our meal was through, we were quite full. The restaurant was getting more crowded with locals and I was nursing my 2nd beer (which Gina let me order before the 7pm deadline but kept cold for me until I was ready for it! winnning!) when I spotted the table beside us enjoying something sweet and very inviting.

“Gina, what is that over there!?!”

And then she listed the desserts. And how could we choose just one? Above are the apple fritters they made fresh with a side of crème fraiche. Warm. Cinnamon. Sugary. goodness.

And a berry crumble with crème anglaise.

It was quite a feast! But I wouldn’t have it any other way when reconnecting with one of my favorite peoples in the world.

Here’s to more adventures, Dude.

 

<a href=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/3/1547678/restaurant/New-York/LIC-Market-Long-Island-City”><img alt=”LIC Market on Urbanspoon” src=”http://www.urbanspoon.com/b/link/1547678/biglink.gif” style=”border:none;width:200px;height:146px” /></a>