Chocolate Blueberry Cake with Blueberry Sauce

Jeff loves blueberries. They're not my favorite fruit, but I try to make a blueberry something for him every once in a while. I do, however, really like chocolate, so we both really enjoyed this one!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar
6 tbsp cocoa powder
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries, divided, plus extra blueberries to use as a garnish
1 egg
1 1/2 cups frozen light whipped dessert topping, thawed and divided
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking, soda, and salt in a bowl.
2. In a blender, combine water, 1/2 cup blueberries, and egg. Blend until smooth. Add gradually to flour mixture and mix until combined. Pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan.
3. Bake 30 minutes, or until a toothpick put in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.
4. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine 1/2 cup thawed dessert topping and chocolate chips. Cook in the microwave on 50% power for 1 minut. Stir until smooth. Let stand for 5 minutes, then pour over the cooled cake.
5. To make the blueberry sauce, put 1/2 cup blueberries and 1/2 cup thawed dessert topping in a blender and blend until smooth.
6. Serve cake topped with extra blueberries and blueberry sauce.

(dry ingredients)

(wet ingredients)

(ready for the oven!)

(blueberry sauce)

(mmm, chocolate ganache!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies (Husband-Friendly!)

When you're breastfeeding or pumping milk for a baby, at some point you're probably going to have some worries about your milk production and whether your body is making enough. There are lots of solutions... fenugreek supplements, drinking extra water, etc... but my favorite by far is making these cookies! The oats, flax seed, and brewer's yeast are the perfect concoction for milk production support, and they taste delicious! And don't worry... it's perfectly okay for husbands and friends and family to eat them too.

These are perfect for taking to a mom who has just had a new baby (or a mom who had a baby a few months ago and could use a little surprise from a friend!), or if you're pregnant you could make a bunch to put in the freezer for after the baby arrives (I definitely plan on doing that next time around!).

Recipe adapted from here.

Makes a LOT of cookies, like 4-6 dozen depending on how small you make 'em (but you can freeze some and they freeze/thaw really well!).

Ingredients:
1 cup butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp ground flax seed
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3 cups old-fashioned oats
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
4 tbsp brewer's yeast powder

Directions:
1. Mix flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
2. Beat butter and sugars until smooth. Add eggs and mix well.
3. Add flaxseed/water mixture and vanilla. Beat well.
4. Whisk together flour, brewer's yeast, baking soda, and salt. Add dry ingredients to butter/sugar mixture gradually and mix until combined.
5. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
6. Scoop tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto baking sheet (lightly greased, or use parchment paper or a Silpat).
7. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes.

Variations:
This recipe is super adaptable... I've tried all of the following with excellent results:
(1) Substitute white whole wheat flour for 1 cup of the flour.
(2) Substitute 1 cup of apple cinnamon instant oatmeal for 1 cup of the oats, skip the chocolate, and add a little extra cinnamon.
(3) Add in a cup of coconut flakes.

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Cinnamon Buttermilk Bread

I love breakfasty breads, especially the really moist delicious ones that taste like something from a fancy coffee shop (which this bread most definitely is!). This recipe is great for using up that extra cup of buttermilk that seems to end up in my fridge periodically, and its fanciness to effort ratio is nice and large. :)

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 c butter, softened
1 1/3 c sugar, divided
1 egg
1 c buttermilk
2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
1. Cream together butter, 1 c sugar, and egg. Add buttermilk, flour, and baking soda and mix until combined. In a separate bowl, combine 1/3 c sugar and cinnamon.
2. Put 1/2 of the batter into a greased loaf pan. Sprinkle 3/4 of the cinnamon mixture on top of the batter. Add the remaining 1/2 of the batter and top with the rest of the cinnamon mixture. Swirl with a knife.
3. Bake at 350 for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

(butter, sugar, egg)

(after mixing in buttermilk, flour, and baking soda)

(all pretty and ready for the oven!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Cinco Leches Cake

So this is a recipe for tres leches ("three milks") cake, but it actually requires not three, but five different milks/creams, so we've been calling it "cinco leches" cake around here! There must be some correlation between the number of milks and the deliciousness of the cake though, because this cake is just absolutely delightful!

Recipe from my coworker, Marisol.

Ingredients:
Cake:
1 box yellow cake mix
3 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/3 cup softened butter
Milk Mixture:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1 can (12 oz) evaporated milk
1 can (7.6 oz) Nestle table cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
Topping:
16 oz heavy whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1. Follow directions on the box to make the cake in a 9x13 pan, but use milk instead of water.
2. When the cake has cooled, use an ice pick or meat thermometer to poke little holes all over the cake. The more holes the better!
3. Mix all of the milk mixture ingredients together in a blender. Pour or spoon the mixture all over the cake slowly, allowing it to soak into the holes. Refrigerate the cake.
4. Mix heavy whipping cream in a stand mixer on medium speed. Add vanilla extract and sugar and beat on high until stiff peaks form. Spread whipped cream generously on top of the cake.

Cake with MANY holes. The more holes the better!

This is what the canned milks/creams look like. You might have to look in the Mexican foods section for the "table cream."

(milk mixture)

(after pouring the milk mixture on)

(whipped cream topping!)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Strawberry Lemonade Cookies

These cookies are the perfect little springtime treat. They're easy to make and pretty cute too!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1 box lemon cake mix
1 box strawberry cake mix
4 eggs
2/3 cup canola oil, divided
2 tsp lemon juice, divided
2 cups powdered sugar, divided
1-2 tbsp milk

Directions:
1. Put each cake mix in a large bowl. To each bowl, add 2 eggs, 1/3 cup oil, and 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix until combined.
2. Refrigerate dough for 20-30 minutes.
3. Form cookies by taking a piece of each dough and rolling into a ball.
4. Put 1 cup of powdered sugar in a bowl. Roll each dough ball in the powdered sugar before placing on a baking sheet.
5. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool on a wire rack.
6. When cookies are cool, make a glaze by whisking together 1 cup powdered sugar with 1 tbsp milk until combined. Add additional milk if necessary to reach desired consistency. Drizzle glaze over the cookies.

(lemon dough)

(strawberry dough)

(ready for the oven!)

(fresh out of the oven!)

(drizzled with glaze)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Strawberries & Cream Whoopie Pies

Valentine's Day wouldn't be complete without adorable baked goods, right? I think half the fun of Valentine's Day is getting to make treats that are pink or red or heart-shaped, or just plain sweet! These adorable little whoopie pies are perfect for your sweetheart! :) 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 package Pillsbury Moist Supreme strawberry cake mix 2 eggs 3/4 cup shortening 8 oz cream cheese, softened 4 tbsp butter, softened 2 tsp vanilla 4 cups powdered sugar
Directions: 1. Mix together cake mix, eggs, and shortening until well combined (dough will be thick). Roll dough into balls (about 25-30 of them), and place balls on a parchment-lined baking sheet. 2. Bake at 350 for 8 minutes. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool. 3. In a large bowl, mix together cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar until smooth.  4. Once cookies have cooled, make whoopie pies by spreading the cream cheese mixture onto cookies and sandwiching cookies together (try to pair each cookie with another that is close to the same size).  
(cake mix)
(thick dough)
(out of the oven!)
Ta-da!
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bars

Okay, so I forgot to take a photo of these after I cut them up into their cute little squares. So you can just look at the finished pan and imagine them cut into the little squares, okay? Haha! This is a great "skinny" alternative to most sugary pumpkin treats because it has a bit less sugar, uses whole wheat flour, and is full of healthy pumpkin and carrots! Yes, carrots! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 2 cups whole wheat flour 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup butter (or butter substitute) 2 eggs 2 large egg whites 1 15oz can pumpkin pie filling 2/3 cup finely shredded carrot
For the cream cheese topping: 4 oz light cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sugar 1 tbsp milk
Directions: 1. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda. 2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat sugar, butter, and brown sugar until crumbly. Add eggs, egg whites, pumpkin pie filling, and carrots. Beat until well-blended. 3. Add flour mixture a little at a time and mix until combined. 4. Lightly spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spread, and spread pumpkin mixture into the pan. 5. To prepare the cream cheese topping, mix cream cheese, sugar, and milk until smooth.  6. Drop globs of the cream cheese topping all over the pumpkin batter and swirl with a knife to create a marble pattern. 7. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack, then cut into squares.

(dry ingredients)

(all mixed)

(butter and sugars)

(wet ingredients)

(wet ingredients mixed)

(pumpkin mixture in the pan)

(cream cheese topping ingredients)

(cream cheese topping)

(globs on top of the pumpkin mixture)

(marble pattern)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread

I love this time of year for lots of reasons, but one of the big ones is that it's the season for baking pumpkin goodies! Basic pumpkin spice bread is great, but when you add chocolate in the mix... it's perfect! 

Recipe adapted from here.
Ingredients: 1 cup pumpkin puree 1 tsp vanilla 3 eggs 1/4 cup sour cream 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 2/3 cup flour 1 cup sugar 1/4 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1 cup + 1/4 cup chocolate chips, divided
Directions: 1. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. 2. In a separate bowl, combine the pumpkin, eggs, oil, vanilla, and sour cream until smooth. 3. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until smooth. 4. Fold in 1 cup of chocolate chips. 5. Grease & flour a loaf pan (or line it with parchment paper). Pour the batter into the pan. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips on top. 6. Bake at 350 for 60-75 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is lightly browned. 7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes or so, then remove loaf and let it cool completely on the wire rack.

(dry ingredients)

(wet ingredients)

(wet ingredients)

(adding wet ingredients to dry ingredients)

(adding in chocolate chips)

(ready for the oven)

(all done!)

(cooling on wire rack)

Ta-da!

Enjoy!