Apple Walnut Cake sings fall with apple chunks, walnuts and spicy goodness. Add cream cheese icing and sing Happy Birthday. Which is what we did for Wheels birthday. It was so good I made another cake -- just because -- a week or so later! I tweaked the amounts of the sugars, reducing them considerably to lower the carb count. The cake is just right sweet -- enough to complement the cinnamon and nutmeg and not overpower them. I just googled "complement". It says "a thing that completes or brings to perfection". Just exactly the description I was looking for! Don't bother to peel the apples. I used my favorite Gala, cutting them into slices and then cutting across the slices to make half inch long chunks. Buy the less expensive walnut pieces for this and save yourself time and ... [Read More]
walnuts
Cranberry Pineapple Salad
Cranberry Pineapple Salad is a kid friendly addition to holiday dinners. The addition of crushed pineapple and diced apples in raspberry gelatin take away the signature tartness of the cranberry. Easier for kids and people who aren’t into tart – like me – to eat. I have a tart reflex. One bite and my face just folds – no way to hide it. On the other hand this is not overly sweet either – but just right. Cranberries are also healthy. Cranberries are one of the top antioxidant-rich foods, containing more than other superfoods – including pears, grapes, apples and strawberries. Antioxidants help prevent or stop cell damage. For this reason, you can serve them any time of year – don’t wait for holidays! This salad is also versatile in the ways you can serve it. I like the minis ... [Read More]
Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate and walnuts
Red Velvet Cookies may be the perfect recipe for cookies – and for coping with life. Crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, a bit of chocolate to sweeten things up and a go nuts attitude. They are quick and easy to make, not too sweet and just the right amount of chocolate. If you want the show stopping white chocolate chips to show – add them to the top just before you pop the cookie sheet in the oven. “You can make these again any time” , Bytes always says. ‘Nuff said. If you want cookies check these out — 1. Fruitcake cookies 2. Almond Coconut Crunch Cookies 3. Pineapple Walnut Cookies 4. Maple Caramel Swirl Cookies 5. Peppermint Chocolate Thumbprints 6. Cherry Almond Chews 7. Polka Dot Macaroons 8. Red Velvet Cookies with white chocolate ... [Read More]
Pineapple Walnut Cookies
Pineapple Walnut Cookies shout surprise! The pineapple is not a list topper when you are thinking of cookie ingredients. The bits of pineapple bake sweet and a little chewy, a tasty second surprise. Rated superb taste in all categories – hot, cooled for 45 minutes, next day, and two days later. (I have to hide the cookies for two days later category!) Mixing the dry ingredients before adding them to the other ingredients insures that they will be thoroughly distributed in the cookie dough. This is important for taste and to make sure that the leavening agents (baking powder and soda) are doing what they are supposed to do in each cookie evenly. I confess I cheat when I am in the midst of a marathon baking session. I add one leavening agent to the first cup of flour and sort of ... [Read More]
Honey Banana Bread
Honey Banana Bread landed on the menu unexpectedly. Wheels set the quart jar of thick amber liquid on the kitchen counter. Organic honey sold by the grandfather of a fellow employee. A quart jar!!!! That is more than we’ve used in the last five years total!!! A quick taste showed that it had a pleasant flavor, but not at all like the honey in the little squeezy bear. Well – love me a challenge (and Wheels is really good at bringing them on!) I hit the search engines. According to honey.com, the website of the National Honey Board, “The 60,000 or so bees in a beehive may collectively travel as much as 55,000 miles and visit more than two million flowers to gather enough nectar to make just a pound of honey! The color and flavor of honey differ depending on the bees’ nectar ... [Read More]
Mile High Brie
When Apple Valley Sue is invited to events, the hostess requests she bring her spectacular Mile High Brie. You know those requests mean Yummy captalized! Apple Valley Sue was sweet enough to send a copy to me -- another great recipe that has become a signature dish! She says: “here is a great appetizer for parties. It is just 6 ingredients that you throw together on top of a round of brie with a couple of sauces drizzled on top. They are especially a hit at Christmas parties -- everyone loves it. I saw Mile High Brie in a showcase last year at one of the grocery stores where they were selling for about $15. You can make them for a lot less! Here’s the ingredients: One round of Brie, top rind removed Walnuts Red Maraschino cherries (or a mix of red and green for ... [Read More]
