Healthy Cinnamon French Toast

HI! At my house we always have pancakes or waffles for breakfast on the weekends. But I wanted to try something new! I've seen French toast been made many ways, but they are very unhealthy in most recipes. I'm a little bit of a health nut so I put my own spin on the traditional eggs and buttermilk drenched then fried bread. These ones definitely can replace any full fat variety! Not to mention they really fill you up!

And guess what? I don't like regular French toast, but these ones make me even want to eat them!

Healthy French Toast
4 servings, 2 pieces each.

2/3 cups of egg whites (2 large eggs)
2/3 cups skim milk or low fat milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (You can add more if you like...)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
8 slices of whole grain bread

In a bowl large enough to dip bread in, whisk together egg whites and milk. Whisk in vanilla and cinnamon. Set aside

Heat a non stick skillet on medium heat, spray pan with a non stick spray. Or add a little butter or margarine (but try to avoid this to keep the "healthy" vibe going)

You may need to whisk the cinnamon mixture before dipping... it tends to float around.

Dip the bread, coating both sides and place in the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn. Flip and cook and additional 2 minutes, until both sides are golden brown.

Serve warm with pure maple syrup and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired.

OR

Top with this strawberry blueberry compote (that I tend to put on everything)


1 cups each thawed or fresh blueberries and strawberries
1/4 cup granulated sugar.
1 tbsp orange - flavoured liqueur or orange juice.
2 tablespoons orange juice.
1 tsp cornstarch.

In a saucepan, combine blueberries, strawberries, granulated sugar and liqueur or orange juice.

In a small bowl, mix orange juice with cornstarch;

add to saucepan and cook over medium - low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about five minutes.

(Refrigerate in airtight container for up to 24 hours. Rewarm to serve)

ENJOY!!! My dad loves this

Strawberry Dream Cloud Cake

I made this for Mother's Day, but I never got to posting it! I also made the cupcakes the same day because I had leftover Bavarian cream from the cake.

This is by far, my favorite cake ever! It is so light and fluffy. With all the layers and chocolate strawberries, what more could you ask for? I highly recommend making this. It takes quite a bit of effort but boy is it worth it!

Now the only thing I did skimp on was the filling :( I don't know how to make Bavarian cream, and I didn't have enough time to make my own jelly. Strawberry filling is very easy to make though! And I'm sure store bought would be fine as well :) We got ours from the bakery at our grocery store.

Strawberry Dream Cloud Cake
14-16 servings

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
3 cups all purpose flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

Grease and put a parchment paper circle into the bottom of 2 or 4, 8 inch round cake pans. Grease paper and lightly flour and pat out. I did 4 pans because I don't know how to cut cake layers yet...

Pre-heat oven 350•

In a medium mixing bowl sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer cream the butter very well. We want no lumps. Add the granulated sugar and mix until fluffy. Add the vanilla extract and combine well. Add the eggs 1 at a time on a medium speed until fully incorporated. We want a light cake! On a low speed add the flour mixture in 3 parts, alternating with the milk. Begin and end with flour.

Fill the cake pans evenly with all the batter. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and tops are lightly golden brown. Cool in pans for at least 20 minutes. Invert pans onto a wired rack and cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting

2 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Place all the ingredients in a large liquid measure or medium sized mixing bowl. Place in the refrigerator along with an electric mixer's beaters for 20 minutes or until chilled. Whip the cream until quite sturdy, but not butter!!! Place in fridge until frosting the cake.



Look at all those layers of yumminess! :D

Assemble the cake (My favorite part!!!)

Place one cake layer on a serving platter. The flat side should be facing upwards. Put 1/3 cup of strawberry filling on and spread with a metal spatula, leaving one inch of space from the edge. You can also add more filling... I generally do that. Top with another layer of cake flat side facing upwards. Next add 1/3 cup of Bavarian cream on spread 1 inch away from edge. This is so it doesn't ooze out. Add another cake layer flat side facing upwards. Spread another 1/3 cup (or more) of strawberry filling. Top with final cake layer with the flat side facing downwards. We should have a hamburger cake filled with lots of goodness so far!

Frosting the cake!

I have to admit, this is my first time frosting a BIG cake! As in the sides and the top (while still trying to make it look pretty) So I went to my friend Google and she helped me find someone to teach me... Anyways! Here is the tutorial I used!
I also don't do any crumb coat stuff... just because I don't know how to yet! :)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ombLkK3aXms I didn't follow her exactly, but definitely for the most part!

Decorating the cake!

I used any left over frosting and piped in onto the bottom and top, then double dipped some strawberries in white and milk Belgium chocolate.

The cake needs to be refrigerated, but brought to room temperature 20 minutes before eating/serving :)

I really really hope everyone tries out this recipe! it is just fabulous!



The first thing eaten were the strawberries LOL! Looks scrumptious when completed!

Red Velvet Cupcakes for Cancer

HIYA! I didn't make any cupcakes last weekend... but I did make some this weekend! My friend begged me to make red velvet. I have never made them before, but these were INCREDIBLE! So delicious! I did add my own twist and put some chocolate ganache inside, just because every loves surprises. The only thing is that the frosting isn't the best for piping. It literally slides around... so if you have your own cream cheese frosting, I suggest using it. Although! The frosting was yummy! So if your not too worried about the looks, use it! I hope you like these cupcakes!

OH and I'm getting quite the reputation at school for my cupcakes. My teachers are telling me I should put them in the staff room to sell. And my friends are starting to make orders too.

Red Velvet Cupcakes by McCormick (With chocolate ganache filling)

Made 26 cupcakes and a tiny bit extra frosting

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup milk
1 bottle (1 ounce)Red Food Color
2 teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract

Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed 5 minutes or until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in sour cream, milk, food color and vanilla. Gradually beat in flour mixture on low speed until just blended. Do not overbeat. Spoon batter into 30 paper-lined muffin cups, filling each cup 2/3 full.

Bake 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into cupcake comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire rack 5 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely. Frost with Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting.

Chocolate Ganache

6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 tablespoon butter

In a small sauce pan heat whipping cream and butter until almost boiling. Don't let it boil over! Pour hot cream over chopped chocolate, stirring until melted. Refrigerate for 20 minutes max. Cut hole into middle of each cupcake and pipe in the ganache. There might be some left over, so I just used it for decoration.

Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons sour-cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups icing sugar

Beat the cream cheese, butter, sour-cream and vanilla until well combined with electric mixer. Add icing sugar gradually until smooth.

Spread frosting over filled cupcakes. Decorate to your desire! Enjoy the yummy cupcakes!

I'm making strawberry lemonade ones next weekend...

Strawberry Dream Cloud Cupcakes

Here are the cupcakes I made for week 2 of my "Cupcakes for Cancer".
They were absolutely delicious. I used store bought Bavarian cream because I haven't attempted to make it before... tasted great!
I baked them Sunday and sold them the next day by 10:00 am :) People were complaining there weren't enough! I hope you enjoy this recipe... it's my new favorite!

Strawberry Dream Cloud Cupcake
Makes 24-30 cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes
Whipped cream frosting
Bavarian Cream

Vanilla Cupcake:

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 eggs, room temperature
1 3/4 cup cake flour
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk (Doesn't matter what kind.. I did skim and they were light and crumbly)

Pre-heat oven 325•F. Line muffin tin with 30 paper liners (Not all may be needed)

In a large bowl sift cake flour, all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In a stand mixer cream the butter until soft. Add granulated sugar and beat on medium speed until fluffy. Add vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Add eggs 1 at a time beating on medium speed until well combined. Add flour mixture in thirds alternating with milk, beginning with flour and ending with flour. Batter should be smooth and lump free.

Pour into prepared muffin tins 2/3 full. I got 24 cupcakes because I wanted them big; they didn't overflow either.

Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. They shouldn't be golden. To test if done, insert toothpick and make sure it comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes and remove to cool completely.

Whipped Cream Frosting

1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Add all ingredients to a larger liquid measure. Refrigerate 30 minutes as well as beaters.

Beat cream until quite heavy. Refrigerate until frosting the cupcakes

Assemble the Cupcake

Cut a small hole on top of the cupcake careful not to go all the way through. Pipe Bavarian cream into hole completely filling, and top with cut out piece. Ice with whipped cream frosting and garnish with a strawberry slice.

I hope you all enjoy this recipe! I also made it in a cake, which I will post tomorrow.

Chocolate Cupcakes for Cancer

Here is my first recipe made in thought of "Cupcakes for Cancer" They are chocolate with a vanilla buttercream frosting and white chocolate flower decoration, in thought of the "relay for life" symbol.

Buttermilk Chocolate Cupcake *Courtesy of Taste of Home

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter, softened
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup water

Frosting
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoons whipping cream or milk

Directions

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beating well after each addition.
Fill paper-lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Bake at 375° for 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Frosting


In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

Chocolate flowers

There isn't really a recipe... just melt a little bit of white chocolate chips with a tiny bit of shortening and yellow food colouring, pipe into flower shapes on waxed paper. Freeze for 2-3 hours so they don't break when decorating the cupcakes

Enjoy!
The cupcakes tomorrow are my own recipe :)

Cupcakes for Cancer

This is something I've been wanting to do for a long time. Originally it was going to be cheesecakes for cancer, but I think cupcakes are more fun. There is no specific reason why I'm doing this, but cancer just kind of sticks with me. We learned about it in school, and the details behind it really make me think. And the reason why I want it cured is because people have no control over getting cancer. It isn't something you can get vaccinated or take pills to avoid. You either get it or you don't, and I can't imagine what it would be like to live with. And that's why I'm doing this. I want it to be cured so there is the option of "I will never have cancer."

So what is "Cupcakes for Cancer"? It is something I've started to raise money for an event called "The Relay For life." It occurs every year and it celebrates cancer survivors, and remembers the people who have lost the battle. It lasts 12 hours and is tons of fun. People dress up and walk around a track and there are games and prizes to be won. I enjoy attending the event, so I figured this was a good project to put my funds towards.

I make all my cupcakes from scratch, then I post a picture to my Facebook for any of my friends to see. They can then let me know how many cupcakes they would like (with reason of course!) and I bring them to school the next day. Any that I don't sell at school go to my mom's or dad's work to sell. Last weekend I made about $30 for 20 cupcakes. I ask 1.50 as a minimum donation but people are welcome to spend more. All proceeds go towards the fundraising.

The future of Cupcakes for Cancer? It's a big one! My mom is talking to her co-workers about me selling cupcakes once a week in front of the bank. That means my ingredients would be sponsored which would be super helpful! This would be something to do in the summer because I don't really do anything else ;) I think it's a great idea because I would get lots of popularity and would be raising lots of money! I might even get a job at the cake shop near by so it's a win-win for everyone!

I hope more people become inspired to do what I've been doing for our community. My teacher was so proud of me, she gave me bonus marks for good citizenship! I was amazed and so thankful! It made me (and makes me) feel amazing to be doing something to help the world.

I will post my weekly cupcakes for other people to use the recipes. Tomorrow is a "strawberry dream cloud cupcake" that I invented! Stay tuned!