Cornbread (lightened up) and Whipped Honey Butter

You're probably wondering could a lightened up cornbread really be better than your traditional cornbread?  The answer: yes, much better!  This cornbread is simply amazing!  Random craving, but my neighbor had brought over some incredible cornbread a few days ago so I was dying for more. 

I made this recipe to be moist, fluffy, lower fat/lower cal, with just the right amount of sweetness and a bit of extra flavor from the buttermilk.  This recipe is more than simple and its outstanding served with an also very simple, whipped honey butter.  I served this to my family as a side to go along with the turkey we had for Sunday dinner and I'm pretty sure the entire pan was gone withing a couple of seconds =). Everyone was fighting over the last piece.  Please try this recipe and it's likely you will be converted for life to this lightened up version.

Moist Cornbread (lightened up)
Yields 12 servings


Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup butter, melted
2/3 cup applesauce
2 Tbsp honey
1/3 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
Whipped honey butter for serving, recipe follows


Directions:
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornmeal and buttermilk until well blended, allow to rest at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  Add melted butter, applesauce, honey and sugar to cornmeal mixture and whisk until well combine.  Stir in eggs.  Stir in dry ingredients and whisk just until combine and no longer lumpy.  Pour mixture into a greased 8x8 dish and bake 30-35 minutes until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool about 5 minutes before slicing.  Serve with whipped honey butter.

Whipped Honey Butter
Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter, softened
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup powdered sugar


Directions:
In a mixing bowl,using an electric mixer, whip together all ingredients until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.
Alternate method: add in a bit of cinnamon and hint nutmeg for a delicious spiced version.

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Orange Creamsicle Popcorn

Oranges and cream is such a dreamy combination isn't it?  I love orange creamsicles and last week I made a recipe for Oranges and Cream Cookies so I wanted to create another recipe for people to have a second use for the orange extract if you purchased it.  Everyone loves this popcorn.  It would be a great snack for parties, movie night or the upcoming super bowl.  I played around with the recipe, the first time I made it I did an alternate method which you can find at the bottom of the recipe. It dried after a while whereas the listed recipe didn't.  It stayed nice and sticky, which I prefer.  Both ways were delicious so take your pick but either way I hope you try this recipe =).  This recipe makes a ton of popcorn so be prepared to share.
Also, check out Sweet as Sugar Cookies, sweets for saturday.  It's a great blog!

Orange Creamsicle Popcorn


Ingredients:
1 cup unpopped popcorn kernals
1/2 cup butter
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup cream
1 cup granulated sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange zest
4 cups miniature marshmallows
1 tsp orange extract


Directions:
Pop popcorn into two very large mixing bowls, set aside.  Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Stir in sweetened condensed milk, cream, sugar, salt and orange zest.  Bring mixture to a boil, stirring frequently.  Boil mixture one and a half minutes, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat.  Add in marshmallows and stir until melted.  Mix in orange extract.  Divide warm mixture evenly over two bowls of popcorn and toss with a spatula to coat.  Allow to rest 20 minutes to set.


For an alternate method:
I have also made this popcorn in a dry version.  Omit the cream, then when you stir in marshmallows also stir in 1/3 cup white chocolate chips. 

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Bakery Style Sugar Cookies (a no chill sugar cookie dough!)

It's such a delight to sink your teeth into one of these soft, fluffy, tender sugar cookies.  Kids and adults alike love these cute, bakery style sugar cookies.  One of my favorite things about these cookies is that you don't have to wait an hour for the dough to chill, because who can do that, I want cookies now! =)  I made these yesterday for my daughters birthday party so the kids could decorate them.  I doubled the batch so each person could decorate 5 cookies, then I purchased a lot of random candies to go on top (rainbow colored nerds, gummi bears, skittles, candy hearts, cinnamon hearts, lots of different sprinkles) then I bought a few sets of icing tubes, of course one with glitter =), and then I made several colors of frosting.  The kids LOVED it!  They sat there for probably an hour decorating their cookies, so if you are looking for a fun activity for kids at a party then I'd recommend this simply activity.  
I love these sugar cookies because they are soft but they don't taste like sour cream like some of the soft sugar cookies do.  And they are so simple, no rolling out dough or anything.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do!
You may also like to try my recipe for Sugar Cookie Squares (another super simple recipe) or Sugar Cookie Rice Kripsie Treats, they're a fun new twist on Rice Krispie Treats.

Bakery Style Sugar Cookies

Yields about 2 dozen

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup granulated sugar

1 egg

1 egg white

2 Tbsp sour cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 recipe vanilla frosting, recipe follows

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter and sugar until pale and fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Stir in egg and egg white.  Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until blended.  Slowly add dry mixture and stir until well combine.  Form dough into balls (I measured out 1 heaping tablespoon for each).  Place dough balls on greased cookie sheet then even flatten dough balls with your hand, to about 1/4" inch. Bake 9-10  minutes (9 1/2 was perfect for me).  Cool completely, then frost.

Vanilla Frosting

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 Tbsp cream or half and half

1 tsp vanilla

Several drop food coloring (optional)

Directions:

In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip together butter and powdered sugar and cream or half and half until fluffy. Stir in vanilla. Add in food optional food coloring and mix until well blended.

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Banana Bars with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Say goodbye to banana bread because after trying these banana bars, this may likely be the only recipe you're going to want to use those prime, overripe, generously speckled bananas for =).  I'm pretty sure I could have finished the whole pan on my own.  These are so amazingly moist, with the perfect combination of flavors.  You get tons of banana flavor (notice there's nearly equal portions of banana to flour) with a pinch of warm cinnamon flavor, then you get just a hint of richness from the sour cream and cream cheese along with the perfect balance of sweetness, then to finish an ever so slightly salty crunch from the pecans.  I hate to brag, but I have to say it, these bars are undeniably incredible =)!  I also love the simplicity of this recipe, I created it to be a one bowl recipe (granted you'll have to wash the bowl to make the frosting).  All you have to do is toss all the ingredients into one mixing bowl, stir for 2 minutes and bake, bada bing bada boom!  Love it.  I thought about creating this recipe to be a sheet pan size, but good thing I didn't because I would have a very hard time restraining myself from being engorged by these banana bars =).  

Banana Bars
Yields 12 bars (really you could get 24 but 12 is more fair)


Ingredients:


1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbsp applesauce (or 2 additional Tbsp vegetable oil)
1 egg
1 cup mashed overripe bananas (about 2 large bananas)
1 recipe Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe follows
1/3 cup chopped pecans


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients (except frosting and pecans) in a large mixing bowl, mix with an electric mixer on low speed for 2 minutes.  Pour mixture into a buttered 13x9* baking dish and spread evenly into pan.  Bake 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.  Cool completely, about 1 hour (I'd recommend covering with saran wrap after cooling 20 minutes to help retain moisture).  Frost with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and sprinkle optional chopped nuts evenly over top.  Cut into bars.

*A few people have commented below mentioning that these bars seem a bit thin. If you want a thicker, more cake like bar then either make 1.5 the recipe in a 13x9 pan or do just 1 of the recipe in a 9x9 pan and bake a bit longer. I personally like the thinness (it makes them more bar-like) so I make them just as listed, but make them according to what you prefer.


Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:
3 oz. cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar


Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix until smooth and fluffy 1-2 minutes.

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Oranges and Cream Cookies

Is it summer yet?  I'm craving the glistening suns rays warmly beating down upon me while I relax and slowly work my way through a generous scoop of thick ice cream... if only, for now all I can do is bake what brings the flavors of summer =).  These blissful cookies taste just like an orange creamsicle.  I made the chocolate chip version and thought, hmm I bet if I add in white chocolate in place of the chocolate chips it would taste like an orange creamsicle, and wallah it did!  When I said yesterday the Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies were my new favorite cookie, I was referring to both those and these =).  I couldn't decide between the two.  And I will let you in on a trick to enjoy both flavors, once the dry ingredients are incorporated in, divide dough in half then mix 1 cup white chocolate chips into one half of the dough then 1/2 cup semi-sweet and 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips into the other half of dough.  It's a great way to enjoy two kinds of cookies out of one batch of dough.  I hope these cookies become one of your new favorite cookies too!  I know for me they are going to be one of my lifelong favorites.

If you purchase Orange Extract for these cookies you may also like to try Orange Creamsicle Popcorn for another great use of the extract.

Oranges and Cream Cookies
Yields about 4 dozen


Ingredients:
1 recipe Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies, minus milk and semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 cups white chocolate chips 


Directions:
Prepare and bake according to directions, stir in white chocolate chips in place of milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

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Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies (tastes just like an Orange Milano, but better!)

These are officially my new favorite cookie!  They are one of the best cookies I've ever eaten!  These taste just like a Pepperidge Farm Orange Milano Cookie, but I think they are even better because they have all the flavors of that cookie but these are soft and chewy rather than crisp and crunchy.  I've been changing up flavors to all my favorite classics lately like Rice Krispie Treats and Oatmeal, so I decided it was time for a change with the Chocolate Chip Cookie.  So, I came up with this recipe.  I don't know if there could be a better upgrade.  These cookies are a must try!  Enjoy.  
PS just be sure you don't skip out on the orange extract or the orange zest, if you leave one out you wont get that incredible, zesty orange flavor.  They are the key ingredients of this cookie recipe.  You should be able to find the orange extract in the spice section of the grocer/supermarket, it's about $3-$6 and well worth it.
You may also like to try Oranges and Cream Cookies, they taste just like and orange creamsicle and they are made from the same dough as these cookies.

Orange Chocolate Chip Cookies
Yields about 4 dozen


Ingredients:
3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed light-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp orange extract
1 Tbsp orange zest
1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda and salt, set aside.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip together butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.  Stir in eggs 1 at a time mixing after each addition.  Mix in vanilla extract, orange extract and orange zest.  Slowly add in dry mixture and mix until well incorporated.  Gently stir in milk chocolate chips and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  Drop cookies by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a buttered cookie sheet and bake 9-11 minutes.  Allow to cool on cookie sheet several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

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Banana Split Cake

I don't need to say much on this post, I will let the pictures do the work =).  This cake is incredible!  It's a bit more work than your average cake but totally worth it.  This is one of my favorite cakes!  It's a bit messy because there's so much goodness on top so it tends to slide a bit, if it does just use clean hands to keep it upright.  A banana split in cake form, it's purely divine.  Enjoy!

You may also like to try my recipe for Banana Split Cupcakes.  I liked those so much I had to make a cake version too =).

This slices wasn't as "clean," but you've got to love all that 

chocolate goodness dripping down the sides!

Banana Split Cake
Yields 9 servings


Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 large overripe bananas
1 tsp lemon juice
1/3 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 ripe bananas, sliced
1/4 cup chopped pecans 
9 cherries (optional)


Chocolate Ganache:
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1/4 cup heavy cream


Sweetened Whipped Cream:
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar


Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside.  Mash bananas on a plate with a fork and stir in lemon juice, set aside.  In the bowl, using an electric mixer, whip together butter, sugar and sour cream until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.  Mix in egg and mashed bananas.  Stir in dry ingredients alternating with buttermilk and mix until well incorporated.  Pour mixture into buttered 8x8 baking dish and spread into an even layer.  Bake 45 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from oven and allow to cool completely, at least one hour, and for prime cake at least 3 hours or overnight (this helps the cake to "ripen," you know how banana bread is always better later that day or the next.  If cooling more than 1 hour cover with plastic wrap after 1 hour).  
Once cake is cool, in a microwave safe bowl, combine chocolate chips and 1/4 cup heavy cream.  Microwave on 50% in 30 second intervals stirring after each interval, until melted and smooth.  Allow chocolate ganache to cool 5 minutes then pour, and spread evenly over cake.  Cover cake with plastic wrap and place on an even platform in freezer and freeze 20 minutes.  Once cool, place a layer of sliced bananas evenly over cake (you will probably have a few extra that you can use to garnish top of cake slices).  
In a mixing bowl, with an electric mixer, whip 1 cup heavy cream until soft peaks form then stir in powdered sugar.  Whip until stiff peaks form.  Dollop spoonfuls of whipped cream over cake and spread into an even layer.  Garnish with chopped pecans, cut into slices and garnish each slice with a banana and cherry if desired (cake topping tends to slide just a bit so if it does just use clean hands to keep the topping balanced, this is a banana split cake after all =).  Store cake in refrigerator, note whipped cream will begin to separate after a few hours so this cake is best served immediately after frosted.
Note: I found this cake had cleaner cut slices after being refrigerated for 30 minutes, but you don't get that drippy chocolate so you decide =).

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Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Healthy grilled cheese, say what!? Can those three words even go together? This sandwich is amazing! Anyone who is a fan of grilled cheese (or not) I suggest you convert to this method. You won't regret it. In my opinion this tastes even better than the original version that's slathered in butter.  You get more flavor and you feel better about eating it.  This is obviously just a recipe for your basic grilled cheese but there are so many variations you can add to this recipe.  You could add in tomatoes or spinach, or your favorite herbs and seasonings or you can just keep it basic like this. Try this recipe out today and it's likely you will become converted to this method, like I have, for life.  Your heart will thank you later =).  Also, keep in mind you can use your favorite cheese but for a lower calorie, less fat cheese Mozzarella may be your better option. 

Healthy Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Yields 1 Sandwich

Ingredients:

2 slices whole wheat bread (preferably fresh)

Sliced Monterrey Jack, Muenster, Cheddar, or Mozzarella Cheese (enough to cover bread)

2 tsp extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

Preheat a small nonstick fry pan over medium low heat. Place cheese slices (enough to cover bread) between 2 slices of wheat bread. Once fry pan is warm drizzle with 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil, slightly tilt pan back and forth to evenly spread oil. Place sandwich in oil, cover with a lid and cook until bottom is golden, about 2 minutes. Then lift sandwich with a spatula an add remaining 1 tsp olive oil to fry pan. Flip sandwich and cook opposite side until golden. Serve immediately.

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Frozen Raspberry Custard

This frozen custard is like silky raspberry clouds, I love it!  I'm definitely going to be adding it to the ice cream recipes rotation list.  If you don't have an ice cream maker there is no better time to buy one than now =).  I use mine about every week and sometimes more.  To me it's a kitchen necessity.  I purchased the cuisinart 1 1/2 quart ice cream maker several years ago and it has gotten more than it's moneys worth.  I bought mine from Williams-Sonoma because it came with an extra freezer bowl which has actually come in quite handy when you want to make two different flavors of ice cream.  
One of my favorite flavors of ice cream is raspberry.  Since I make ice cream so often I experiment with different flavors and ingredients.  I came up with this recipe because I didn't have any fresh or even frozen raspberries on hand, but I was craving raspberry ice cream and all I had was raspberry jam.  I love that this recipe uses jam because it's already ready to go, no need to puree berries.  I used raspberry freezer jam that I made this past summer (for the most incredible raspberry freezer jam ever try out this recipe from Sure Jell).  Who knew the less sugar recipe would make better jam?  It's the best jam I've ever had.  This is also some of the best frozen custard I've ever had.  It's so smooth and dreamy, and you would think it was made with fresh raspberries!  Too bad every bit of  it is now totally gone, it went quick =). 
   

Frozen Raspberry Custard


Ingredients:
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1 3/4 cup whole milk
3 large egg yolks
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup seedless raspberry jam
1 1/2 tsp raspberry extract
1 tsp vanilla extract
Red food coloring, about 8 drops (optional)


Directions:
Combine cream and milk in a medium saucepan, and bring the mixture just to gentle boil over medium heat.  Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, with an electric hand mixer on medium speed, whip together egg yolks and sugar until very smooth and light in color about 1 minute.  Once cream mixture has reached a low boil reduce heat to medium low.  Measure out 1/2 cup hot cream mixture.  With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the 1/2 cup hot cream mixture into egg yolk mixture.  Once thoroughly combined, pour egg/cream mixture into saucepan with hot cream/milk mixture and stir to combine.  Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon, about 3 -4 minutes.  Remove from heat, stir in raspberry jam, raspberry extract, vanilla extract and optional food coloring.  Pour mixture into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, pressing plastic wrap directly against the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming.  Cool completely in the refrigerator.  Once completely chilled transfer bowl to freezer and freeze mixture 1 hour.  Pour lightly frozen mixture into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer directions.  Pour custard into an airtight container and freeze 1 -2 hours until slightly firm (the frozen custard I'm used to is similar to soft serve but thicker).

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