Are you hungry?: 9/1/11

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake with Coffee Glaze

Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake Recipe - Kelapo Coconut Oil - Take Two

With autumn fast approaching, food bloggers are presenting fall inspired recipes in massive quantities. Florida temperatures are still in the low 90s, hardly the fall weather most are experiencing. It's a bit less humid and dusk arrives sooner proving fall is coming straight away. So last night I decided to bake something in honor of the fall approach as well as to finish the Kelapo Coconut Oil review.

This coconut oil really rocks let me tell you. It is fabulous for baking, providing grand moisture properties and a coconut flavor. I experimented with an old-fashioned cast iron skillet pineapple upside down cake recipe on several occasions. With the first baking, coconut oil replaced the shortening. This resulted in a hint of coconut flavor that prominent with first bite, then blended with the pineapple flavor, suggesting an overall tropical tone. The second cake, I got brave and substituted the melted butter too. Now that one was a rich and seriously laden coconut flavored cake.

The coconut oil also provides a nice twist for our favorite sweet and spicy chicken stir-fry. Rather than using sesame oil and finishing with the seeds, I substituted Kelapo Coconut Oil and toasted coconut. OMG it was amazing!

The nearly fall weather and a chocolate / coffee desire prompted my final experiment. Perhaps I could have eaten a candy bar and drank a cup of coffee or brewed the remainder of the Godiva Chocolatier flavored coffee however, the craving involved cake. Imagine that, me craving cake, no.

Mr. Google helped me solve the dilemma. I decided on a Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake with a Coffee Glaze. The original Chocolate Bundt Cake recipe was adapted from group recipes and the glaze from Nicole @ bakingbites.com.

Chocolate Coffee Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

3/4 cup white sugar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup baking cocoa

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

2 tsps. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup strong Godiva French Vanilla coffee, cooled

1 cup buttermilk – (I prepared sour milk - 1 Tbsp. lemon juice + 2% milk to equal 1 cup. Let stand for 10 min.)

1/2 cup Kelapo Coconut Oil

2 tsps. vanilla

Method:

Preheat the oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the first eight ingredients. Add eggs, coffee, buttermilk, coconut oil, and vanilla. Beat with a hand or table mixer at medium speed for 2 minutes. Batter will be relatively thin.

Pour into a greased and floured 10" bundt or fluted baking pan. Bake at 350 for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Mine took exactly 35 minutes.

Let cool in pan 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack to cool completely.

When cool prepare the desired glaze and drizzle over the cake top, or dust with powdered sugar.

Coffee Glaze

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp coffee

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 – 1 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

Method:

Whisk together coffee, vanilla, and 1-cup confectioners’ sugar until smooth. I used an electric hand mixer rather than whisking by hand. Gradually mix in additional confectioners’ sugar until glaze reaches a smooth, but thick, consistency.

Final Thoughts

The cake was very light and airy in addition to being exceptionally moist. In fact, it looked and felt so moist prior to cutting; I expected it to be dense. The coffee flavor was unmistakable. The French Vanilla Coffee in combination with the cocoa and a hint of coconut from the oil produced an extremely rich, deep flavor. I do believe this is the best chocolate cake I ever baked!

The glaze added just the right coffee flavor finish and set up nicely however it was very messy. While Nicole’s glazing photo looked as mine did while glazing, much of my glaze disappeared after setting. The cake was completely cooled. Perhaps I shouldn’t have used that hand mixer. Either way, it was the perfect flavor pairing for this cake, thanks Nicole!

photo credit: Nicole @ bakingbites.com

As promised, I have a discount code for my faithful, coconut loving readers. The code is RedKathy (case sensitive) and gives you 20% off an order at kelapo.com. The code is valid through 10/9/2011.

You can learn more about Kelapo Coconut Oil on FaceBook or visit www.WeAreCoconuts.com for more coconut oil recipes and information.

Are you hungry? ♥

Comments Recipe Tags: baking, cake, coffee, dessert

Monday, September 12, 2011

Game Day Cheesy Chorizo Bread Recipe

Given an opportunity via Foodbuzz Tastemaker program to sample and compare Sargento Cheese prompted a big grin followed by hubby’s famous quote, “You love cheese”! I’m a cheese aficionada to the max. That phrase came from a commercial back in the day and stuck with the family. Grab a slice of cheese and you hear hubby in that crazy voice…You Love Cheese!!

With the $25.00 gift card provided by Foodbuzz and Sargento, I went cheese shopping. The results, Sargento sliced Medium Cheddar, Pepper Jack, and Provolone, Fancy Shredded 6 Cheese Italian Cheese, and Part-Skim Ricotta Cheese along with a few brands for comparison.

Sargento Medium Cheddar Sampling

Our first Sargento cheese trial was a simple tasting comparison. Because hubby is fond of yellow cheese, we compared Sargento medium sliced cheddar to a store brand. The store brand cheese were not individually wrapped processed cheese slices, as that would be an unfair comparison. Straight up cheese, no crackers or wine considered necessary, we love cheese!

Ingredients Comparison

Store Brand - Cultured Pasteurized Milk, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Color)

Sargento – Pasteurized Milk, Cheese Culture, Salt, Enzymes, Annatto (Vegetable Color), Natamycin (A Natural Mold Inhibitor)

Both cheeses had a firm and semi smooth yet dry texture. While equal in thickness, the Sargento seemed to be more solid. Hubby and I unanimously agreed the flavor of the Sargento was rich and more intense than the other brand. Simply stated, the Sargento cheddar cheese was outstanding!

Sargento Recipe Evaluation

The second Sargento trial replaced our usual pizza night. Homemade Stromboli and Calzones, with plenty of Italian meats and cheese, seemed perfect for cheese evaluation. However, being a Tastemaker called for a creative addition, I opted for a spicy Mexican flavor.

Bread Machine Pizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups A/P flour
1/2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp bread machine/fast rising yeast
OR
2 tsp active dry yeast

Add ingredients in the order given, tapping pan after addition of dry ingredients but before adding yeast. Make a well in the center and add the yeast. Set bread machine to dough setting and allow to process. When complete, deflate the dough and allow resting for 15 minutes.

**I always rub the dough with a bit of olive oil to prevent any hardening of the top. This recipe can be doubled with a two lb. bread machine, yielding two 12” pizza or stromboli crusts.

Sargento Cheesy Chorizo Bread

1 12” pizza dough
8 oz. Mexican Chorizo
1/3 cup minced onion
6 slices Sargento Pepper Jack Cheese

In a sauté pan, cook the Chorizo until crumbled. Drain the excess oil, add the onion, and cook until translucent. Remove to a glass or stainless bowl. Gather the remaining ingredients.

Preheat the oven to 375. On a floured surface, roll the dough to about 1/4” thick, into a rectangle just a bit wider than two slices of cheese. Cover the dough with the Pepper Jack cheese slices. Top with the cooked Chorizo and onions. Roll the dough lengthwise into a log. Pinch the opening along the length. At the ends, fold the dough over and press the edges, closing the dough log. Bake for 20 or 25 minutes until bread is lightly brown.

The result will be long, 4” thick soft bread, swirled with a spicy, cheesy goodness that is simply delightful. This particular dough is awfully light and airy. The oils of the Chorizo add a nice color and spice to the bread without a greasy taste or feel. The Sargento Pepper Jack Cheese though mild, presented a distinct flavor throughout the bread, suggestive of a high quality cheese.

Conclusions
In the end, the evaluation produced enough food for two meals.

The calzones were filed with pepperoni, provolone, ricotta, and shredded 6 Italian cheeses. In one calzone, I replaced the provolone and the ricotta with another brand. While it was still quite tasty, the piquant flavor of the Sargento provolone was definitely absent.

After a small sampling of the Cheesy Chorizo bread on Friday, we stored the majority for Sunday’s football games. Our Game Day meal consisted of renewed leftovers - the Cheesy Chorizo Bread, Leftover Chicken Cutlets transformed into Chicken, Bacon, and Cheese Quesadillas, with sides of sour cream, guacamole, and salsa.

Hubby and I can’t say enough good things about Sargento products. Regardless of the flavor or style of cheese, Sargento brand comes out ahead in when compared to other equivalently priced cheeses.

Are you hungry? ♥

Comments Recipe Tags: bread, dough, entertaining, italian, leftovers, mexican

Monday, September 05, 2011

Voila!® Ready To Serve Chicken Florentine

The day after a holiday can be very stressful for Moms, especially those with school-aged children. What better a time to offer this review of Birds Eye® Voila!® prepared meals, right?

Birdseye offers Voila!® ready-made meals in two sizes, regular and family size. I found the regular size to enough food for two adults. A wide array of meals in the regular size is offered and three family sized flavors. The meals are ready in about fifteen minutes, a quick solution when the gang is starving! We sampled the Cheesy Ranch Chicken, Cheddar Chicken Potato, and the Chicken Florentine varieties.

Overall, the meals we tasted had a pleasant, home seasoned flavor. The vegetables and pasta held their texture rather well with the sauce being generously portioned. My only real criticism was the chicken. In all cases, the portions were inadequate to be considered a meal. Then again, I'm used feeding to hungry men who generally expect hearty, meaty meals. With the Cheddar Chicken Potato meal, the pieces seemed to be formed rather than real chunks of chicken.

The Cheesy Chicken Ranch was the most cost-effective of the three. By adding an additional 1/2 cup of chicken broth, the sauce was enough to accommodate another cup of pasta, cooked chicken, and/or vegetables. Red was home for spring break and being a ranch fan, was anxious to sample this one. Of course I added some extra chicken along with the broth to make it heartier. Red very much enjoyed this meal, and being a college kid, was happy to accept a few coupons.

Photo Credit - Mangoes & Chutney

My favorite was the Chicken Florentine. The flavors were much like home made, rich and creamy. In this meal, there were big pieces of real chicken and plenty of spinach. Dad really enjoyed this one too. With the abundance of buy one get one free coupons included in the Tastemaker package, this one I will definitely buy again.

The legal stuff: As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a sample of Birds Eye Voila! and 100 BOGO coupons – this did not alter my review of the product and all opinions are 100% mine.

Hope you enjoyed your Labor Day Weekend! ♥