Almost like ice cream sandwiches, but without the ice cream headache! Chocolate and vanilla are always an incredible combination, especially when it’s Duncan Hines Dark Fudge Brownies and Chocolate Chunks.

Ingredients:

1 pkg Duncan Hines® Dark Fudge and Chocolate Chunks Brownie Mix
1 large egg
2 tbsp water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 can Duncan Hines® Creamy Home-Style Classic Vanilla Frosting
Baking Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 375 ºF. Grease cookie sheet.
• Combine brownie mix, egg, water and oil in large bowl. Stir until well blended and soft dough forms. Drop by level measuring tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.
• Bake at 375 ºF. for 7 to 8 minutes or until cookies are set in center. Do not over bake. Cool for 1 minute before removing to cooling rack. Cool completely before assembling.
• Spread frosting on half the cookies. Top each frosted cookie with another cookie. Gently press together.

Recipe courtesy of  www.Duncanhines.com

Created by the authors of the popular cupcake decorating book Hello Cupcake!™. This is a fun Easter project to make with the kids or with your baking friends. All it takes are easy-to-find ingredients, fun food dye colors and delicious frosting. Easter Egg Cupcakes aren’t hard to make — but they’re sure to impress as gifts, or to decorate your holiday table.

 Servings : 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
• 12 unfrosted Moist Deluxe Devil’s Food Cake Mix cupcakes baked in white paper liners
• 12 honey graham crackers
• 2 cans (16 ounces) Creamy Homestyle Classic Vanilla Frosting
• Green, yellow, orange, blue, purple, and pink food coloring
• 2 tablespoons each mini and regular white, pink, green, and blue decorations

Baking Instructions:
1. Tint 2 cups of the frosting light green. Spoon 1 1/2 cups of the light green frosting into a zippered plastic bag. Tint 1/2 cup each of vanilla frosting pink, light blue, light purple, orange, and yellow. Spoon 2 tablespoons each into zippered plastic bags. Press out the excess air in each of the bags, seal, and set aside.

2. Using a serrated knife, trim the graham crackers into an egg shape 3 1/2 inches long and 2 1/2 inches wide. Snip a small corner (1/4 inch) from the bag with the 1 1/2 cups of green frosting and pipe a small dollop on top of each cupcake and place a graham cracker on top, pressing down to secure. The cracker will hang over the edge of the cupcake. Freeze the cupcakes for 10 to 15 minutes to set.

3. Place the remaining 1/2 cup of each tinted frosting into a separate microwavable bowl. Working with one color at a time, microwave the frosting, stirring frequently, until it is the texture of lightly whipped cream, 20 to 30 seconds. Holding a chilled cupcake by the paper liner dip the graham cracker into the melted frosting to coat, turn right side up and let stand. Continue with all of the cupcakes and graham crackers making two eggs of each color.

4. Snip very small corners (1/8 inch) from the bags with the 2 tablespoons of frosting. Pipe decorative dots, lines, and dashes on top of the frosting-coated crackers. Using the bag with the 1 1/2 cups of light green frosting, pipe dots of frosting around base of each egg always pulling the peak away from the egg (be sure to cover any exposed cupcake).

5. While the frosting is still wet add candy decors to create decorative patterns.

Recipe courtesy of Hello Cupcakes and Duncan Hines

Quick and easy recipe - Bring a bit-o-luck to the kitchen by creating these shamrock-covered Clover Patch Brownies using Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix. Makes 12 servings.

Ingredients:
• 1 pkg Duncan Hines® Family Style Chewy Fudge Brownie Mix
• 1 pkg pre-made marzipan or fondant
• green food coloring
• green toothpicks

Baking Instructions:
1. Bake brownies according to instructions on box. Remove from oven and let cool. Cut brownies into squares.
2. Meanwhile, knead green food coloring into marzipan or fondant until desired shade of green is achieved.
3. Form small (1-inch) 3-leaf and 4-leaf clover shapes out of fondant or marzipan. Be realistic and make a lot more 3-leaf clovers than 4-leaf clovers.
4. Stick clover shapes on top of green toothpicks.
5. Insert little bunches of clovers onto each brownie.

Recipe courtesy of Duncan Hines.

Yield: 18 cookies

Ingredients:
· Juice of 1 lemon
· 2 egg whites
· Pinch salt
· ¼ tsp cream of tartar
· ½ cup Splenda, granular
· 1 sugar free candy cane
· ½ tsp vanilla extract
· 2 tbsp sugar

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
2. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray lightly with Pam.
3. Combine the egg whites, lemon juice, cream of tartar, salt, and sugar in a bowl.
4. Using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites into a meringue, until the whites are thick and stand up in peaks.
5. Add the Splenda and vanilla and whip for 30 seconds.
6. Drop by the spoonful onto pan, making 12 cookies.
7. Crush the candy cane into small bits.
8. Sprinkle the candy cane on top of the cookies.
9. Bake 1 ½ hours, then turn the oven off and let the cookies sit in the oven while it is left partially open until the oven is cool.
10. Remove the cookies from the tray and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
12 calories/ 0g fat per cookie

Recipe courtesy of Wellspring Academies

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup unsweetened applesauce
1 cup Splenda, granulated
1 tbsp egg whites
2 tsp orange zest
¼ tsp salt
½ tsp ginger
1 cup chopped cranberries, fresh or frozen
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup white whole wheat flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp baking powder
Glaze:
½ cup Splenda, granulated
1 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
Pinch of salt
½ tsp vanilla
½ tsp orange extract

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
3. Combine the applesauce, Splenda, egg whites, orange zest, salt, ginger, chopped cranberries, and vanilla in a bowl and stir.
4. Add the flour, baking powder, and baking soda and stir until just combined, no longer.
5. Drop by the small spoonful onto the baking pan.
6. Bake in the oven for 10-15 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
7. Combine the glaze ingredients and stir until smooth.
8. Taste the glaze and adjust flavorings if needed.
9. Let cool for 5 minutes, and then remove from the pan.
10. Drizzle glaze over cookies.

Approximate Nutritional Information:
27 calories/0.1g per cookie

Recipe courtesy of Wellspring Academies

The holiday season is upon us and that means delicious and sometimes not so healthy treats. Laurel Hudson, culinary instructor at Wellspring Academies has created several tasty cookie recipes that the family will love. This Gingerbread Cookies Recipe will be the first in a series of healthy holiday cookie recipes featured here courtesy of Wellspring Academies.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients:
½ cup Fiber One original bran cereal
1 package whole wheat gingerbread cake or cookie mix
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
¼ tsp baking powder
¼ cup granulated Splenda
Pinch of salt
½ cup canned pure pumpkin
¼ cup warm water
3 tbsp molasses
1 tsp vanilla
6 packets of Truvia no calorie sweetener
Pam spray

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a baking pan with parchment paper and spray lightly with Pam.
3. In a food processor, grind the cereal until it looks like flour, then pour into a bowl.
4. Add the gingerbread mix, all the spices, the baking powder, Splenda, and salt and mix well.
5. In a small bowl, combine the pumpkin with the warm water, molasses, and vanilla and mix well.
6. Add the pumpkin mixture to the other bowl and stir until blended.
7. Knead the dough to combine.
8. Roll the dough into 1/2” balls, making 36 cookies dough balls total, and place them on the cookie sheet.
9. Flatten balls or scoops with the back of a spoon dipped in the Truvia, so the dough doesn’t stick to the spoon.
10. Bake in the oven for 10-20 minutes, or until the edges are firm.
11. Let cool for 5 minutes, then place in the refrigerator to cool completely.
12. Remove from the pan and enjoy!

Approximate Nutritional Information:
54 calories/0.1g per cookie

Sorry for the one month’s absence. I have not enjoyed or tried any dishes that was worth posting about, thus, the reason for the lack of post. Anyway, today I would like to share with you our local favourite cake, The Nyonya Yam Cake Recipe. It was my mom’s first attempt and the result was pretty good, if I may say so. Take a look for yourself!

Right side is what it looks like before garnishing is added

Ingredients

Part 1

400 g diced yam

4 tablespoon oil

Part 2

3 cups of water

200 g rice flour

5 g tapioca flour

Add salt, pepper, five spice powder, sugar according to taste

For Garnishing

Dried shrimps, minced garlic, oil, diced red chilli, fried shallot and diced spring onion (which we ran out of and did not include it)

Methods

1. Fragrant diced yam with oil, add in ingredients Part 1 and keep on stirring until mixture thickens. Pour everything into baking pan and steamed for 20 minutes.

2. Fragrant dried shrimps with minced garlic and then mixed with the rest of the garnishing ingredients. Sprinkle on top of yam cake. That’s all there is to it.

The very first cheesecake that was ever created was made at the height of the Greek empire by Marcus Porcius Cato. At that time he probably had no idea that his creative recipe would become one of the world’s favorite desserts even today. Nevertheless, cheesecake has never lost its appeal.

While it is interesting to note the background of cheesecake, you probably would be surprised to hear just how easy it is to actually make a cheesecake. All you need is sugar, eggs and either ricotta or cream cheese. Of course, today’s cheesecakes are topped with numerous things like tropical fruits, strawberries, chocolate and even maple syrup in Canada.

New York cheesecake is the world’s most popular type of cheesecake. Italian cheesecake, which is made from ricotta cheese and vanilla, is also quite popular. Regardless of which type of cheesecake you prefer, each is equally as delicious.

Every country has its own version of cheesecake. For instance, in Germany quark cheese is used while Greece uses a combination of Mizithra cheese and Mascarpone cr?me and in Brazil, guava marmalade is added. You will even find a version of cheesecake in Asian. Here it is known as flan and you will find eggs in the recipe.

You can also find vegetarian versions of cheesecake that use tofu instead of cream cheese in its recipe. While this may sound very health conscious, surprisingly you will also find that this tastes just as good as the original version of cheesecake itself tastes.

One thing that cakes have in common  is that they are all made from flour, sugar or syrup, eggs or a combination of gluten and starch, butter or shortening and some form of liquid (milk, water, fruit juice or soda).  From there, you will find a lot of different types of cakes.  These include:

1. Yeast cakes -  This is the oldest type of cake.  It is similar to baked bread.  Oftentimes these are decorated on top instead of simply frosted.
2. Cheesecakes - As is suggested by its name, there is cheese in this type of cake.  Usually this is either mascarpone, cream cheese or ricotta.  There is also very little flour in these cakes outside of what is used to make the sweetened crust that lines the cake.  You can find cakes like this as far back as ancient Greece.
3. Sponge cakes -  These are the first type of non-yeast based cakes to have been invented.  Air is used inside of the mix to help the cake level while it is baking.  In order to cause this leveling, eggs are beat with a whisk.  Sometimes a pinch of baking powder is also added though.



4. Butter cakes - The name here suggests that there is a lot of butter and eggs used in these cakes.  Of course, this is true.  Baking powder can also be added as a leveling agent in order to make the texture even better.  Herein the most popular types of butter cakes include pound cakes and devil’s food cakes.

I just had to share this with all my foodie fans. A friend emailed me these pictures and I was really bowled over by how cute these cookies are. Tell me, are these unique or are these unique?

My cupcake expert friend has just informed me that they are iced cookies which are decorated with royal icing…….a tad too sweet for the little ones. So, I’d say go for these cute cupcakes that she makes instead. Adorable - I’m a HUGE fan!