Quickie Fluffy Frosting

QUICK SOFT FLUFFY ICING?

Since I look and cooked it all I can't give measurements. Also, might I suggest that unless decent skill level, not everyone should try "look n cooking". I have been playing and cooking with food since before kindergarten, so I'm practiced enough, and it still won't always go well. 

this is a lite n fluffy buttercream amercian style. similar to the major chains, i used crisco instead of butter, whipped it, added vanilla and a pinch of salt, and then proceeded to the big part. Alternating between heavy cream and powdered sugar, add some then whip up, scrape bowl, then switch to the other, alternate doing that until its done. Now if you wanted chocolate like mine, add it now and finish it off with one last whip. mine has both melted chocolate and cocoa powder. you can mess with the ratios based on how sweet and heavy vs how light and fluffy you desire it. 

this is simply a quickie frosting one can whip up for cake or whatever. it be fabulous on a chocolate spongecake roll! 

my mom said mine reminded her of like kroger and publix style icing. fantasic! thanks mom! :)

I personally went for less powedered sugar than most prob would. but its all about you. also, you could add lemon rum or peppermint instead of vanilla. 

xoxo

Double Dark Chocolate Muffins

Double Dark Chocolate Muffins

I warn you now, these are serious milk muffins! 60% Cocao Ghirardelli Chocolate chips both in the batter and in the muffins. Along with Hershey Special Dark Cocoa Powder. I won't make "from scratch" chocolate baked goods without melting and adding real chocolate. Cocoa Powder is a good mix in, but would never be the chocolate backbone of my recipe. 

These muffins will kill your chocolate craving for sure. And since they are GLUTEN FREE, they fill you up quick, I warn you, one is enough. 

I used Pamela's baking mix, again, and spring boarded off her recipe. I could not for the life of me find any gf dark chocolate muffin recipes (worth crap) so here is mine!

Ingredients

1-1/4 cups Pamela's Baking & Pancake Mix
1/4 cup oil (or melted butter)

1/4 cup Half n' half

1/4 cup sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg, 1 white
1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp cinnamon

3/4's bag of (ghirardelli) dark chocolate chips 

1/3 cup Hershey Special Dark Cocoa

- water if needed to thin out, added by tbsp, until not to thin, not to thick-

Directions

Yield: approximately 6 to 7 muffins.

Melt half the bag of chocolate chips, with some of the cream if needed. Mix all the remaining ingredients together, then add chocolate slowly stirring then mix in about 1 cups of remaining chocolate chips (or more) and spoon 2/3 full into greased muffin pan (or use paper muffin cups) Or to top if you want, I did. Bake in preheated 350º oven for about 25 minutes at 350 degrees in preheated oven. Let cool, then remove. 

Breakfast Cookies

Almost a variant name for a fancy oatmeal cookie. The idea of these has gotten quite popular these days. As a busy on-the-go society, we need grab-n-go food. And the concept of a cookie can really take a quick breakfast far! you can stick all kinds of things in them! I guess we all get tired of muffins and bars. As well cereal and fruit. So why not mix it up with a healthy-ish cookie?

Yup healthy! These can be as healthy, or fattening, as you wish. On a typical 1-10 scale, I'd say 3-6 would be the best fat range. To lite and they won't be quite as scrumptious. Remember, if your going to eat sugar and fat, breakfast is the best time to do it! (balanced, not just that)

These are creative cookies. They leave plenty of room for your personal touch. Its your basic chocolate chip or oatmeal cookie recipe, cut some fat out, replace with mashed bananas and applesauce, through in some nuts, oats, dried fruit, chocolate, whatever. Some of the better sounding ingridients to a gal with my picky taste buds (don't like fruit much, esp dried) would be toasted coconut, walnuts, pecans, peanuts, flax, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, soy protein powders, chocolate chips, maybe dried cranberries. etc. I'd also probably have to up the applesauce to banana ratio, If I taste banana in the food, I'll be done with it. 

I plan on taking this idea and running with it myself. I'd encourage anyone to give it a try! Best you start with a recipe to work off of, and replace as close as possible to what is replaceable. I'll include a few below as options. (googled "breakfast cookies" to find)

Elle's Breakfast Cookies

Healthified PB Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies

King Arthur Breakfast Cookies

Ok, well, thats all for now. I can't say I'll get to try my ideas out soon, as I will be "dukan-ing" the next few weeks/months. I start next week, as this week we are not properly equipped (groceries) to do so now. I will be adding a section to my "Cooky's Diets" tab about Dukan to further explain it later. I hope despite my not jumping on the breakfast cookie bandwagon that won't hinder, as I do plan on it as SOON as i'm allowed by Dukan.

PS - You might ask, "Why is she adding ANOTHER diet in the mix?" Well, I don't typically follow a certain one, I mix knowledge from the ones that I feel fit my life and situation best. At the moment, I'm having trouble with ANY AND ALL sugars, carbs, and starches PERIOD. Its causing a flare up of my Candida (stomach, digestive, etc), which feeds off so many things. And never fully goes away. It is also responsible for some food allergies and intolerances. well, the GENERAL RULE for killing them off is to eat certain veggies and protein, and not only does my blood type diet agree with this (for 0) but Dukan goes right with it. It be a great opportunity to cleanse my system (holding off cal counting temp) and really tone my muscles. Since I'll be eating so much muscle building and feeding foods. 

In short, its for my health, so I can enjoy food and cooking again. Right now I can't eat anything (of specified above) without getting so ill. So I look forward to fixing it. As well as to being toned. 

But, I really look forward to playing with these ideas. I love the idea of creative cooking!