Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Rainbow Cake with Natural Dyes for the DailyBuzz Moms 9×9

kelsey — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 18:10:59 +0000

Brighten up your winter with the colors of the rainbow. Let the rainbow inspire your project this month. These were the submission guidelines for the DailyBuzz Moms February 9×9 Somewhere Over the Rainbow project. I didn’t have to think twice about entering the contest because I already had a rainbow cake on my baking list.

Rainbow cakes are everywhere these days. I made one last summer and my family and guests loved the bright, vibrant colors. But in the back of my mind I couldn’t help but think of the negative discussion and controversy surrounding chemical food coloring. My husband was actually the one to challenge me to make a rainbow cake with natural food dyes.

My first experiment with natural food dyes was when I was a child. While making blueberry muffins I inadvertently realized that the more I stirred the batter the more the berry juice bled, making blue muffins. Fast forward to two years ago and I completed my first intentional experiment, coloring Easter eggs with natural dyes. I was intrigued with the beautiful colors that resulted from using everyday fruits, veggies and spices. I have since dabbled in cooking experiments, including using spinach to make Green Eggs and Ham and coloring buttercream frosting with natural dyes.

I have to admit that coloring sweets with natural dyes can get kind of tricky. There are lots of ingredients that would make great dyes but many of them drastically alter the taste, often introducing an unwelcome flavor to the baked good or treat. I know what you’re thinking: dyeing eggs with spinach might work because it is not uncommon to combine spinach and eggs, but spinach juice in a cake?!

Well, now I can confidently say, yes, it’s ok! You end up using such a small amount of the vegetable juice that the flavor of the dye will probably go completely unnoticed for most people, especially when you add some frosting. My son, who is my toughest critic, ate it {while exclaiming, It’s beautiful, Mommy!} The rest of my family concurred that surprisingly it tasted just like cake and that it seemed much more palatable than the typical bright rainbow cake made with synthetic dyes. So, I considered the baking experiment a success. I would much rather serve my loved ones a beet or carrot-colored cake than an artificially-colored alternative.

As with the Easter eggs and other natural dye projects, a rainbow cake made with natural dyes can be an incredible and fun learning experience for your kids. They can brainstorm fruits, veggies and other colorful foods and then experiment with creating a beautiful and natural rainbow. Not only is it educational but it can also help your kids learn to appreciate the natural beauty of foods. And the process can be translated into many other cooking projects or non-edible projects such as homemade finger paints and homemade playdough.

I used a basic Cooking Light white cake that I have used for years and a vanilla buttercream frosting. I then coated the exterior of the layered cake with a whipped cream frosting. Combining the dense buttery buttercream frosting with the light and fluffy whipped cream is one of my new favorite frosting techniques and provided the perfect combo of richness and sweetness for this cake.

Initially, I did a batch of cupcakes to experiment with different natural dye options and then I selected the six rainbow finalists {indicated with an asterisk} based on a combination of color and flavor. For reference, I have included my notes on the other ingredients that I tried because depending on your project they could work well in other scenarios where flavor isn’t as important of a factor. When I made the cake I reduced the amount of milk so that the addition of the juices wouldn’t affect the consistency of the cake batter as much.

Red: *Beet juice; pomegranate, strawberry and raspberry juices were more muted in color

Orange: *Carrot juice; pumpkin puree also works but imparts more of a flavor

Yellow: *Egg yolk; saffron gave an unpleasant flavor; orange and yellow bell pepper juice produced a more vibrant yellow but had a strong peppery flavor; orange juice had a strong orange flavor

Green: *Spinach juice

Blue: *Blueberry juice

Purple: *Blackberry juice; grape juice concentrate gave a great color but a strong grape flavor. If you choose grape juice, be sure to use one that doesn’t have artificial coloring.

Rainbow Cake with Natural Dyes for the DailyBuzz Moms 9×9

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 1 hour 30 mins

Cook time: 15 mins

Total time: 1 hour 45 mins

Serves: 8+

Appreciate the natural beauty of colorful fruits and vegetables by making this Rainbow Cake with Natural Dyes.

Ingredients

Natural Dyes
1-2 Tbsp beet juice
1 Tbsp carrot juice
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp spinach juice
1+ Tbsp blueberry juice
1+ Tbsp blackberry juice
White Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 egg whites
1 2/3 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
Whipped Cream Frosting
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

Instructions

Natural Dyes

Juice beets in a juicer or use the liquid in canned beets.
Juice carrots in a juicer or buy carrot juice.
Juice spinach in a juicer.
Microwave roughly 1/4 cup frozen blueberries in 30 second intervals until they start to burst, straining out 1+ Tbsp of blueberry juice.
Microwave roughly 1/4 cup frozen blackberries in 30 second intervals until they start to burst, straining out 1+ Tbsp of blackberry juice.

White Cake

Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the egg whites and beat well.
Add the vanilla, 1 cup milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour six 1/2-cup portions of cake batter into separate bowls.
Mix the natural dye into each bowl {2 Tbsp beet juice, 1 1/2 Tbsp carrot juice, 1 egg yolk + 1 Tbsp milk, 1 Tbsp spinach juice, 1 Tbsp blueberry juice and 1 Tbsp blackberry juice, adjusting the color by using more or less dye}.
Reserve the remaining batter for a different use. {You will either need to add roughly 4 1/2 Tbsp milk to the remaining batter or the equivalent in natural dye.}
Pour each 1/2 cup colored batter into a greased and floured 5 1/2-inch cake pan.
Bake the cakes for 10-15 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back to the touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the cakes cool for five minutes in the pan and then gently slide a knife around the edges and invert the cakes on a wire rack to cool completely.
{You could also make cupcakes by layering the colored batter into each lined cupcake tin.}

Buttercream Frosting

Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
Adjust the consistency by adding more powdered sugar or milk.

Whipped Cream Frosting

Beat the cream, sugar and salt at medium speed until stiff peaks form.
Fold in the vanilla extract.

Rainbow Cake

Assemble the cake once the layers have completely cooled.
Place the purple layer on the serving cake platter.
Spread a couple of spoonfuls of buttercream frosting over the top of the layer, smoothing it until it is even.
Place the blue layer on top and repeat the process until the red layer is on top.
Place the layered cake in the freezer for five minutes to let the icing set so that when you ice the exterior of the cake the layers won’t slide around.
Using a knife, generously coat the top and sides of the cake with buttercream frosting, smoothing it with a spatula or a table knife, making sure that it is completely covered but getting rid of excess frosting.
Then spread the whipped cream frosting on top for a finishing coat, either spreading it smooth with a knife or spatula or pulling it into soft peaks using a knife or the back of a spoon.
Serve the cake immediately.

The natural dyes are beautiful but if you want a traditionally-colored, vibrant rainbow then artificial food colors are probably your best bet. If you feel strongly about using natural dyes but you don’t want to mess with making your own, you can purchase vegetable-based natural food dyes though they are more expensive than the traditional synthetic versions.

Spinach Pesto

kelsey — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:31:26 +0000

I’m not all about completely disguising healthy foods so that we don’t realize what we’re eating. My approach has been to try to introduce a variety of ingredients into our meals, prepared in many different ways, in the attempt to bring out the natural flavors, make healthy foods taste good and allow my family to learn to love and appreciate foods. But I’ll be honest, if I’m able to sneak some spinach in here or there, whether my family notices or not, then I’ll do it.

This version of pesto is one such example. Traditional pesto is intense and, as I guessed, you don’t even notice that the spinach is in there because the other flavors {basil, garlic and pine nuts} dominate. I used spinach in place of half of the basil but you could adjust the ratio up or down according to your taste. As with basic pesto, a little bit goes a long way. You just need a couple of spoonfuls to stir into a pasta sauce or spread on top of a pesto cheese bread.

Spinach Pesto

Recipe type: Sauce

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 15 mins

Total time: 15 mins

Serves: 1/3 cup

Traditional pesto is intense and, as I guessed, you don’t even notice that the spinach is in there because the other flavors {basil, garlic and pine nuts} dominate. As with basic pesto, a little bit goes a long way. You just need a couple of spoonfuls to stir into a pasta sauce or spread on top of a pesto cheese bread.

Ingredients

Roughly 1/2 cup basil leaves, washed and patted dry
Roughly 1/2 cup spinach leaves, loosely packed
1/4 cup Romano or pecorino cheese, grated
1/4 cup pine nuts
2 Tbsp olive oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Instructions

In a blender, blend the cheese and the pine nuts for a few seconds.
Drizzle in the olive oil and blend the mixture until it is smooth.
Add the garlic and then the basil and the spinach, a little at a time, blending until smooth.
Use the pesto sauce immediately or refrigerate it or freeze it in a sealed container.

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

kelsey — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:47:15 +0000

These strawberry-banana-oatmeal-buttermilk pancakes are perfect for Valentine’s Day {or any other day!}. I used my basic buttermilk pancakes as the base. You can mix and match the additional ingredients according to your taste. The oatmeal adds some whole grain to the pancakes; the mashed bananas make them extra tender; and the mashed strawberries {or strawberry jam} provide some sweetness and a light reddish hue which is festive for Valentine’s Day. Serve the pancakes with homemade whipped cream and fruit for an extra sweet treat. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Strawberry Banana Pancakes

Recipe type: Breakfast

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 10 mins

Cook time: 20 mins

Total time: 30 mins

Serves: 4+

The oatmeal adds some whole grain, the mashed bananas make the pancakes extra tender, and the mashed strawberries {or strawberry jam} provide some sweetness and a light red hue.

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup oatmeal
1 egg
1 cup buttermilk
2 Tbsp oil
1 mashed banana
1/4 cup mashed strawberries or strawberry jam

Instructions

Mix the dry ingredients.
Stir in the wet ingredients.
Heat a griddle to medium heat and cook the pancakes until they are golden brown on each side.
Cut hearts out of bananas and strawberries and use a heart cookie cutter as the shape for whipped cream and/or strawberry jam when plating your pancakes.
Serve the pancakes with the toppings of your choice.

Grapefruit Granita

kelsey — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:50:18 +0000

A few years ago I was served a grapefruit granita between courses and it was the perfect refreshing burst of citrus to clean the palate. Granita is an Italian {specifically, Sicilian} invention but it is closely related to shaved ice, gelato and other icy treats. It is essentially frozen fruit juice. Made with minimally sweetened fruit juice it is a lighter alternative to ice cream or sorbet. Depending on the region, it can be smooth like gelato {produced in a gelato machine} or coarse with larger ice crystals {whisked by hand}.

It is surprisingly simple to make. The key to making granita is to agitate the ice crystals by beating them vigorously with a whisk or a spoon, breaking down the large ice chunks into soft, fluffy ice crystals. You can sweeten the grapefruit juice to taste or leave it unsweetened for a mouth-puckering citrus treat. Grapefruit is refreshing any time of year but it turns out that this beautiful pink granita is perfect for Valentine’s Day!

Grapefruit Granita

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 2 hours

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 4+

Soft, fluffy granita ice crystals provide a mouth-puckering burst of citrus and make a refreshing palate cleanser or snack any time of year.

Ingredients

Grapefruits, juiced
Sugar, to taste

Instructions

Place a 9×13-inch pan in the freezer.
Juice the grapefruits.
Sweeten the fruit juice to taste with sugar or leave it unsweetened.
Pour the fruit juice into the chilled pan and place it in the freezer.
Check the juice between 15-30 minutes {time will vary depending on the thickness of the juice} and stir the juice once it starts to freeze to the sides of the pan.
Return the pan to the freezer and repeat the process, periodically stirring the juice vigorously with a whisk to beat the ice and break it down into soft crystals.
When the granita has formed into soft, fluffy ice crystals serve it immediately or store it in a sealed container.

Shave Ice

Heart Cake Pops

kelsey — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 03:20:11 +0000

Heart-shaped cake pops are the perfect treat for your Valentine. They also make a fun Valentine’s Day project for your kids. {My three year-old son absolutely loves to form and decorate cake pops!} The ideas for decorating them are endless so you can supply the chocolates, frosting, sprinkles and candies and let your kids go to town.

I used a Valentine’s Funfetti cake {made with a basic white cake from Cooking Light that I’ve used for years + Valentine’s sprinkles} and vanilla buttercream frosting. They are easy to shape into hearts but ultimately I made the hearts too big and they ended up splitting down the middle and falling off of the lollipop sticks. Next time I will make smaller hearts or omit the sticks and simply make mini heart cakes.

Heart Cake Pops

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 25 mins

Total time: 2 hours 25 mins

Serves: 8+

Heart cake pops are the perfect treat for Valentine’s Day and they make a fun project for your kids.

Ingredients

Valentine’s Funfetti Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 egg whites
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3 ounce jar Valentine’s heart sprinkles
Buttercream Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
Heart Cake Pops
Cake, crumbled
Frosting, to taste
Wilton’s colored chocolate candy melts {red, pink, white}
Sprinkles and other decorations
Lollipop sticks

Instructions

Valentine’s Funfetti Cake

Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the egg whites and beat well.
Add the vanilla, milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Stir in the sprinkles.
Pour the cake batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake the cakes at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the cakes are a light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean.
The top of the cakes should spring back to the touch.

Buttercream Frosting

Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
Adjust the consistency of the frosting using powdered sugar and milk.

Heart Cake Pops

Once your cake has cooled, crumble it into pea-sized or smaller pieces.
Mix in the frosting a spoonful or two at a time, adding just enough so that when rolled the cake mixture stays in balls without crumbling apart.
Roll the dough into balls and then form them into hearts.
Place the cake hearts on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate them for 15-30 minutes.
Melt a small portion of chocolate and dip the ends of each lollipop stick into the chocolate.
Immediately insert a chocolate-dipped lollipop stick into each cake heart so that it is inserted about half way through the heart.
Place the cake hearts back onto the waxed paper and freeze them for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Melt the remaining chocolate and candy melts in deep glasses or bowls.
Working with one cake heart at a time, dunk it in the chocolate and swirl it around until the chocolate covers the cake heart up past the point where the chocolate-dipped stick is inserted into the cake.
Swirl it and tap off any excess chocolate.
Decorate them with sprinkles and other decorations if desired.
Place them in a short glass or in styrofoam with holes poked in it to allow them to dry completely.
If you have difficulty with the hearts breaking in half and falling off the stick, make smaller hearts or omit the sticks and make mini heart cakes.

Heart Lasagna

kelsey — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 06:13:45 +0000

This lasagna is a hearty, comforting meal that is perfect for a special Valentine’s Day dinner. It’s easy to do by simply cutting heart shapes out of the cooked lasagna noodles. It’s also a pretty mess-free cooking project for your kids. My three-year old son loved helping me cut out the shapes! I used my Grandma’s lasagna recipe with a few minor tweaks and then we used heart cookie cutters to cut the hearts out of the cooked lasagna noodles. With the heart cut-outs we made individual heart lasagna that would actually make cute little appetizers.

Heart Lasagna

Recipe type: Main Course

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Cook time: 3 hours

Total time: 3 hours

Serves: 4+

Turn your lasagna into a special Valentine’s dinner by cutting heart shapes out of the cooked lasagna noodles.

Ingredients

1 large can of tomatoes
1 12-ounce can of tomato paste
1 tsp salt, to taste
2 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp black pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound ground beef or chicken sausage
1/2 pound whole wheat lasagna noodles
3/4 pound {or less} ricotta cheese
1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, grated
1/2 cup grated or powdered cheese

Instructions

Sauté the onions and the garlic in a little bit of oil.
Remove the onion and garlic from the pan and add the ground beef or chicken sausage to the pan.
Brown the meat over medium heat until it is fully cooked.
Combine the canned tomatoes, cooked onion and cooked garlic in a blender and blend until the sauce is smooth.
Pour the blended sauce into a large sauce pan and add the tomato paste, 1/4 cup parmesan cheese and the seasonings.
Simmer the sauce uncovered for 5-10 minutes.
Then add the browned meat and let the sauce simmer for 2 1/2 hours.
Cook the lasagna noodles and drain them in a colander.
In a 9×13 pan, layer the ingredients as follows:
About 1/3 of the sauce
About 1/2 of the cooked noodles, to cover the area of the pan in one layer
Half of the ricotta cheese or just spread a little bit of ricotta over the noodles
Roughly 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese or enough to generously cover the ricotta
Roughly 1 Tbsp of parmesan cheese or enough sprinkled to cover the mozzarella
Repeat the layers ending with the sauce.
Cut heart shapes out of the remaining lasagna noodles using cookie cutters.
Arrange the noodles on top of the sauce.
Sprinkle 1/3 of the mozzarella cheese and the remaining parmesan cheese on top of the noodles, leaving the heart cut-outs open so that the red sauce shows through.
Cover the lasagna with foil and bake it at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes or until it is bubbly and lightly browned.
You can assemble mini heart lasagna using the lasagna noodle heart cut outs, the remaining ingredients and a mozzarella cheese heart, baking them in individual ramekins.

Lasagna

Football Cake Pops

kelsey — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:55:56 +0000

The Super Bowl is just around the corner so it’s time for football cake pops. {Or you can forego the lollipop sticks and make football cake bites.} These cake pops would also be the perfect treat for a football-themed birthday bash or a football team party.

Shaping the cake pops is easy. Simply roll them into balls and then form them into the football shape with your fingers. I typically use a basic white cake or chocolate cake with vanilla buttercream frosting but you can use the cake/frosting combo of your choice. Dark, semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips are all great options for the chocolate coating.

Football Cake Pops

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 2 hours

Cook time: 10 mins

Total time: 2 hours 10 mins

Serves: 8+

Football cake pops are the perfect treat for the Super Bowl, football-themed birthday bashes and football team parties.

Ingredients

Cake, crumbled
Frosting, to taste
Chocolate chips or Wilton’s milk chocolate candy melts
White chocolate or Wilton’s white chocolate candy melts
Lollipop sticks

Instructions

Once your cake has cooled, crumble it into pea-sized or smaller pieces.
Mix in the frosting a spoonful or two at a time, adding just enough so that when rolled the cake mixture stays in balls without crumbling apart.
Roll the dough into balls and then form them into football shapes.
Place them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate them for 15-30 minutes.
Melt a small portion of chocolate chips in a double-boiler. {If you don’t have a double-boiler fill a medium-sized saucepan halfway with water and heat it over medium heat. Place the chocolate chips in a small saucepan and rest it inside the medium pan. As the water boils, stir the chocolate occasionally until it melts and is smooth.}
Dip the ends of each lollipop stick into the chocolate.
Immediately insert a chocolate-dipped lollipop stick into each football cake so that it is inserted about half way through the football.
Place the football cake pops back onto the waxed paper and freeze them for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Melt the remaining chocolate in the double boiler and pour it into a deep glass or bowl.
Working with one cake pop at a time, dunk it in the chocolate and swirl it around until the chocolate covers the cake pop up past the point where the chocolate-dipped stick is inserted into the cake.
Swirl it and tap off any excess chocolate.
Place it in a short glass or in styrofoam with holes poked in it to allow the chocolate to harden.
Melt the white chocolate in a double-boiler or the Wilton’s white candy melts in the microwave.
Transfer the melted white chocolate to a cake decorating bag fitted with a small, round tip.
Once the chocolate on the footballs has hardened, pipe the football marks on each football cake pop.
Place them in a short glass or in styrofoam with holes poked in it to allow them to dry completely.

Oh, Toodles! Cake Pops

kelsey — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:43:32 +0000

After discovering how much my family loved cake pops this summer they were a must for the dessert menu for my son’s 3rd birthday party. Working with the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme I transformed the cake pops into Mickey Mouse heads using Necco wafers. I sprinkled them with rainbow non-pareils in the spirit of Toodles and to fit the rainbow color scheme of the party. I used a basic white cake and buttercream frosting combo because that is one that my family loves but you could use the cake and frosting of your choice.

Oh, Toodles! Cake Pops

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 2 hours 30 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 3 hours

Serves: 8+

It’s easy to transform cake pops into the iconic Mickey Mouse head using Necco wafers. Decorate them with rainbow sprinkles for Oh, Toodles! Cake Pops or transform them into Mickey or Minnie Mouse.

Ingredients

White Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 egg whites
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
Buttercream Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
Cake Pops
Necco wafers, 2 per cake pop
White Wilton candy melts
Rainbow sprinkles
Lollipop sticks

Instructions

White Cake

Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the egg whites and beat well.
Add the vanilla, milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Pour the cake batter into 3 greased and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the cake is a light golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. The top of the cake should spring back to the touch.

Buttercream Frosting

Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
Adjust the consistency of the frosting by adding more powdered sugar or milk as needed.

Cake Pops

Once the cake has cooled, crumble it into pea-sized or smaller pieces.
Mix in the frosting a spoonful or two at a time, adding just enough so that when rolled the cake mixture stays in balls without crumbling apart.
Roll the dough into balls and place them on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet.
Refrigerate them for 15-30 minutes.
Melt a small portion of chocolate and dip the ends of each lollipop stick into the chocolate.
Immediately insert a chocolate-dipped lollipop stick into each cake ball so that it is inserted about half way through the cake ball.
Dip the bottoms of the Necco wafers into the melted chocolate and insert them into the top of the cake pop for the Mickey Mouse ears.
Rest the cake pops in a glass or place them on their side on a waxed paper-lined cookie sheet and place them in the freezer to set for 30 minutes – 1 hour.
Melt the white candy melts in a deep glass or bowl.
Working with one cake pop at a time, dunk it in the white chocolate and swirl it around until the chocolate covers the cake pop up past the point where the chocolate-dipped stick is inserted into the cake.
Swirl it and tap off any excess chocolate.
Decorate them with rainbow sprinkles.
Place them in a short glass or in styrofoam with holes poked in it to allow them to dry completely.

Chili Cornbread Cobbler

kelsey — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:32:18 +0000

Dress up your pot of chili and pan of cornbread by transforming the duo into a savory cobbler. This twist on the classic comfort food combo of chili and cornbread combines the two foods into one dish. The cobbler can be served in individual ramekins or in one large baking dish. The creative presentation makes it appealing for dinner parties, appetizer courses and potlucks {think Super Bowl!}. Make cornbread muffins with the leftover cornbread batter or refrigerate the chili and cornbread batter and make more cobblers to order another day.

Chili Cornbread Cobblers

Recipe type: Main Course

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 45 mins

Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins

Total time: 2 hours

Serves: 8+

Dress up a pot of chili and pan of cornbread by transforming the duo into a savory cobbler. This twist on the classic comfort food combo of chili and cornbread combines the two foods into one dish.

Ingredients

Chili Meat
1 pound of ground turkey, chicken or beef
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp oregano
1/4 tsp chili powder
Chili
1 small yellow onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 pasilla pepper, chopped
1-2 jalapeño or serrano peppers, chopped
1 15-ounce can of pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15-ounce can of black beans, drained and rinsed
4 Tbsp tomato paste
3 – 3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted tomatoes
1 Tbsp chili powder (ideally a mix of chiles such as ancho and chile de arbol
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
Cornbread Topping
1 cup flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
2 eggs
1/4 cup honey or sugar
1 cup milk
1/4 cup shortening or low-fat plain yogurt
1 cup canned corn, drained

Instructions

Cornbread Cobbler

Mix the dry ingredients.
Add the wet ingredients and stir the batter until it is smooth.

Chili Meat

Coat the bottom of a pan with oil and heat at medium-high.
Brown the meat with the spices listed above (1/4 tsp salt – 1/4 tsp chili powder). The meat can still be raw in the center because it will continue to cook as the chili simmers.

Chili

Lightly coat a large pot with oil and cook the onion, garlic and peppers over medium heat until they are translucent.
Add the browned meat and the remaining ingredients to the pot.
Let the chili simmer for thirty minutes to an hour (or longer), continuing to season it to taste once the meat is fully cooked.
Spoon one cup chili into each of the oven-safe individual serving dishes.
Pour 1/3 cup cornbread batter over the chili.
Place the dishes on a baking sheet and bake them in the oven at 425 degrees for 15-20 minutes until the corn bread is cooked and golden and the chili is bubbling up around the edges.
Garnish the chili cornbread cobblers with light sour cream or Greek yogurt drizzled with honey.

Mini Heart Ice Cream Cakes

kelsey — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 23:18:32 +0000

I had some some beautiful pink peppermint ice cream so I decided to transform it into little ice cream cakes for a Valentine’s Day treat. In miniature form these cakes are basically ice cream sandwiches with cake instead of cookies for the crust. You can use the cake, ice cream and shapes of your choice. I made Valentine heart funfetti cake {a basic white cake with Valentine’s Day sprinkles} and then cut it out with heart cookie cutters. If you are a chocolate lover simply add the Valentine’s sprinkles to your chocolate cake batter. A basic vanilla buttercream frosting piped on top with Valentine’s Day sprinkles was the finishing touch.

Mini Heart Ice Cream Cakes

Recipe type: Dessert

Author: Itsy Bitsy Foodies

Prep time: 3 hours

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 3 hours 30 mins

Serves: 8+

In miniature form these cakes are basically ice cream sandwiches with cake instead of cookies for the crust. You can use the cake and ice cream of your choice.

Ingredients

Valentine’s Day Funfetti Cake
3 1/2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 1/2 Tbsp oil
2 egg whites
1 2/3 cups milk
1/2 cup plain, fat-free yogurt
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3 ounce jar pink and red sprinkles (confetti or heart shapes)
Peppermint ice cream {or the flavor of your choice}
3 eggs
2 cups milk
1 cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp peppermint extract
1 cup crushed peppermints or candy canes
Buttercream Frosting
3 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla
3 Tbsp milk
Heart cookie cutters
Sprinkles

Instructions

Valentine’s Day Funfetti Cake

Cream the butter, oil and sugar.
Add the egg whites and beat well.
Add the vanilla, milk and yogurt alternately with the flour, baking powder and baking soda.
Stir in the sprinkles.
Divide the cake batter into a 9×13 pan a 9×9 round pan.
Bake the cake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until the top is a light golden brown and springs back to the touch. A toothpick should come out clean.

Peppermint ice cream {or the flavor of your choice}

In a large saucepan, beat the eggs, milk and sugar until well blended.
Cook the egg mixture over low heat for roughly 20 minutes, stirring constantly, until thickened. It should smoothly coat the back of a wooden spoon.
Let the mixture cool.
Add the heavy cream, vanilla and peppermint extract.
Stir until blended and refrigerate the mixture until it is completely chilled, for several hours or up to overnight.
Use a meat tenderizer or a rolling pin to crush the peppermints/candy canes. I finely crushed some candies {these will help give the ice cream the pink color} and left others in larger chunks.
Following the instructions of your ice cream maker, pour the chilled mixture into your machine and stir it until the ice cream forms. It will typically be more like soft-serve when you first make it.
Once it reaches the soft-serve stage, stir in the crushed peppermints.
If you want firmer ice cream, transfer the ice cream to a sealed container once the peppermints are completely stirred in and let it freeze for several hours until it hardens.
Recipe makes 1 quart of ice cream.

Buttercream Frosting

Mix the ingredients and beat for several minutes until a smooth, creamy frosting forms.
Add food coloring if desired. {Using food coloring will affect the consistency of the frosting so you can add more powdered sugar as needed.}

Ice Cream Cakes

Once the cake has cooled, cut out hearts using cookie cutters.
Slice the hearts in half using a serrated knife.
Let the ice cream soften at room temperature for a few minutes.
Spoon some ice cream on the bottom heart and then place the other heart on top.
Gently press the sandwich together and smooth the edges of the ice cream with a table knife.
Place the ice cream cakes in a sealed container in the freezer as you finish them.
Once they have completely hardened, remove them one at a time to decorate with frosting and sprinkles.
Store them in a sealed container in the freezer.
Let them sit out at room temperature for a couple of minutes prior to serving them to allow the cake crust to soften a little bit.

For the largest heart ice cream sandwich that has a thick layer of ice cream I used a Tovolo heart ice cream sandwich kit. For the other ice cream sandwiches I used regular cookie cutters.