Chocolate Banana Snacking Cake (Vegan)

I haven't done much vegan baking. I am more comfortable with eggs and butter.
However, this recipe made a delicious, moist cake. Added bonus: no raw egg, so go ahead and lick the spoon.

4 cups flour
2 2/3 cups sugar
1 1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 T baking soda
1/2 t salt
1/2 cup oil (I substituted apple sauce...still very moist)
3 cups hot water
2 t vanilla
3 bananas, mashed

Preheat oven to 350.
In medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa, soda and salt.
In a large bowl, combine oil/apple sauce, hot water and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Mix just to combine. Add bananas.
Pour batter into greased 9-x-13 inch pan. (If your pan is not very deep, you may want to set aside some batter and make 8 cupcakes or so). Bake for 50-60 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle of cake comes out clean.
Remove from oven and let cool in pan on wire rack.
Store leftover cake in refrigerator

Torta Strata

This is a great appetizer. The flavors are delicious and it looks impressive.

The colors are perfect for a holiday gathering!

I clipped the recipe from from a magazine ten years ago or so (I want to say it was an In-Style magazine). Every time I make it, someone requests the recipe.

8 oz cream cheese, softened
8 oz goat cheese
1/2 cup prepared sun-dried tomato paste (I find this in the Italian section of my local supermarket)
1/3 cup prepared pesto (I like Buitoni, find it in the refrigerated section)
1 T garlic paste
salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese and goat cheese with electric mixer until smooth.
Evenly divide mixture into three bowls. Add sun-dried tomato paste to one bowl, pesto to the next, and garlic paste to the last bowl. Stir each to combine. Season all three with salt and pepper to taste.
Line a 3-cup straight sided mold (I've used a small spring form pan, a small cereal bowl, ...for this one, I just used a small round gladware container) with dampened cheesecloth, draping excess over rim. Spoon sun-dried tomato mixture into bottom of mold and smooth with spatula. Next add garlic mixture. Smooth with a spatula. Cover garlic mixture with pesto mixture. Press down and smooth the top.
Fold cheesecloth over the top and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least one hour. It can be made a couple days ahead of time and stored well covered in the refrigerator.

To serve, invert mold onto platter and remove cheesecloth.
Enjoy with crackers.

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

While looking through some of Bunny's recipe collection, I came across this yummy little cookie. Bunny had a knack for picking out tasty recipes...especially for sweet treats.

These cookies are wonderful. You all know my fondness for the chocolate-mint combination*.

The cyclist said they remind him of starlight mint ice cream.


Bunny's Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
3/4 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
1 T milk
1 T vanilla
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 t salt
3/4 t baking soda
1 cup mint chips
1 cup chocolate chips

Combine shortening and brown sugar in a large bowl (I used a wooden spoon for the entire process). Add milk, vanilla and egg. Stir well. Add flour, salt and soda. Combine. Stir in both chips.
Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes on greased cookie sheets. I used a #40 cookie scoop (holds a generous tablespoon of dough), but split each scoop into two cookies. The recipe made about 4 1/2 dozen cookies that way.


*Almost as good as chocolate and peanut butter!

Cake Mix Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are the simplest autumn cookies to make.

And I'm all about simplicity right now.

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies
1 box Spice Cake Mix
1 (14 oz) can pumpkin puree
1 bag (2 cups) mini chocolate chips (or omit the chips and frost with a good cream cheese frosting)

Combine cake mix and pumpkin puree. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes.

Italian Salsa

This is just a "top-it-yourself" bruschetta. You can flavor it to taste. We prefer more balsamic vinegar than olive oil, try equal parts at first, then adjust.

Italian Salsa

5-6 tomatoes, diced (we used a variety of heirloom tomatoes from Matt's Garden)

8-10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

pinch coarse salt

few turns of the pepper mill

Combine tomatoes, basil and garlic. Drizzle with olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve with a thinly sliced, toasted baguette.

Quick! Make this before the first frost gets your tomatoes!

Chocolate Chip Muffins

Mmmmmmmmmmmmm.............

My contribution to the semi-annual omelet brunch.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
from the Worldwide Ward Cookbook
Muffins
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup (8 oz) plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 T brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add yogurt and vanilla and mix well. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips. Fill paper lined muffin cups two-thirds full. Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over batter. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from muffin tins.
Makes 1 dozen.

Fresh Apple Cake with Warm Vanilla Sauce

The weather here has finally cooled down. I'm in the mood for some good old fashioned autumn baking. This moist, cinnamony-apple cake tastes delicious...and will make your house smell divine!

Fresh Apple Cake
adapted from Peacocks on my Porch

1/2 cup shortening
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 c flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp soda
3 cups shredded apples (I prefer granny smith)

Preheat oven to 350 and spray a 9-x-13 inch pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, cream shortening, sugar and eggs. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon and soda. Add to creamed mixture along with the apples. Beat until combined.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Warm Vanilla Sauce
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup whole milk
1/2 cup butter
2 tsp vanilla

Combine in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Pour over individual cake slices.