May 2013 - Alida's Kitchen

White Cupcakes with Truffle Filling and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

May 30, 2013 ·

truffle filled white cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese icing

White Cupcakes with Truffle Filling and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting are a fun cupcake with a gooey truffle center. They are super easy to make too!

This past weekend marked a special second birthday ~ Alida’s Kitchen turned 2! Of course a birthday is not a birthday without cake, right? I’ve been looking for a white chocolate cake for a long time and actually have several recipes I want to try. This particular recipe won me over with two little words “truffle filling.”

truffle filled white chocolate cupcakes with white chocolate cream cheese frosting

While the original recipe called this cake white chocolate, it strikes me as closer to a white cake with a little tang from the sour cream. So my quest for a white chocolate cake continues, but these White Cupcakes with Truffle Filling are definitely tasty. I used a combination of white chocolate and dark chocolate truffles for the center, and both were good. The White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting deliciously rounds everything out, making these cupcakes worthy this special 2-year celebration!

White Cupcakes with Truffle Filling and White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

Ingredients
1¾ cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
⅔ cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
4 egg whites, room temperature
6 tablespoons butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup sour cream
12 round white or dark chocolate truffles (such as Lindt)
Frosting:
4 ounces white chocolate baking bar, chopped
1 package (8 ounces) light cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners and set aside.
In a small bowl, whisk flour and baking powder.
In a liquid measuring cup, combine milk and vanilla.
In a medium bowl, beat egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.
In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream, and continue beating until smooth.
On medium speed, alternate adding flour and milk to butter mixture, ending with flour, and beat until smooth.
Stir in ⅓ of the egg whites. Fold in remaining egg whites until combined.
Divide batter evenly among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Remove cupcakes from oven and while hot, cut a ½ inch "X" into the tops of each cupcake. Insert the truffle and press until truffle is flush with the top of the cupcake. Truffle will melt into cupcake. Let cool completely before frosting.
Make frosting: Place white chocolate in microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute and stir. Continue in 30 second increments until melted. Let cool for 3 minutes.
In a large bowl, combine melted chocolate, cream cheese, butter and vanilla and beat on medium speed until combined. Slowly add powdered sugar and continue beating until smooth.
Frost cupcakes and decorate as desired.

Notes

Source: Pampered Chef

Filed Under: dessert, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: cupcakes, white chocolate

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins

May 22, 2013 ·

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins are a tasty vanilla muffin studded with large chunks of chocolate sandwich cookies throughout. If you like Oreos (or Joe Joe’s!) and are looking for a fun recipe to try with them, these muffins are for you. While Oreo muffins are not something that I would make every day, after making the crust for my Lighter Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, I found myself with leftover Oreos (if there is such a thing). Why not try something new for a change! Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins are glorious and definitely something worth trying if you’re a cookies and cream lover, like myself!

Oreo Cookies and Cream Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
⅓ cup cold butter, cut into 12 pieces
1 cup milk (I used skim)
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
16 Oreo cookies, chopped
Topping:
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 Oreo cookies, finely crushed
2 tablespoons cold butter

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a standard muffin tin, line 12 muffin cups (or spray with cooking spray) and set aside.
Make topping: In food processor, combine flour, sugar and crushed cookies until combined. Add cold butter, pulsing until crumbly. Put in a small bowl and set aside.
Make muffin: In a food processor, put flour, sugar and baking powder and process until combined. Add cold butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour into large bowl.
In a medium bowl, whisk milk, egg and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Gently fold in chopped cookies.
Divide batter evenly among prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool muffins in pan for 5 minutes and then move to a wire rack to cool completely.

Notes

Source: Taste of Home

Filed Under: breakfast, dessert, Recipes Tagged With: brunch, chocolate, cookies, cookies 'n cream, easy, muffins, oreo, quick, vanilla

Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

May 17, 2013 ·

These Chocolate Cheesecake Bars are made on the lighter side! They are chocolaty, decadent and soooo good!

It’s been a while since I’ve shared a dessert, so to make up for that, I decided you deserve some chocolate. Not just any old chocolate though ~ Chocolate Cheesecake Bars, and they’re made on the lighter side. Despite being made light, each bite of these Chocolate Cheesecake Bars is chocolaty, decadent and sooooo good!

The hands on work takes all of 10 minutes, which is awesome. First you start with a simple chocolate cookie crumb crust. Then toss the rest of the ingredients the food processor (minus the chocolate chips, which are used for topping) and process until smooth. Pour the filling over the crust, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and bake. Easy peasy! After baking, just chill the bars for a few hours, or overnight. Cut into bars and enjoy!

Chocolate Cheesecake Bars

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 cup chocolate sandwich cookie crumbs (such as Oreos) - approx. 15 cookies
2 tablespoons butter, melted (I used light butter)
1 package (8 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons cornstarch
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg
1 egg white
⅓ cup semisweet chocolate chips (I used miniature)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray a 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Line pan with 2 strips of parchment (or waxed paper) set cross-wise in the pan. Spray with cooking spray again and set aside.
In a small bowl, stir cookie crumbs and melted butter until moistened. Using waxed paper, press cookie crumbs into the bottom of prepared pan.
In a food processor, blend cream cheese and sour cream until smooth. Add cocoa, cornstarch, sugar, vanilla, egg and egg white and process until smooth. Pour into pan and sprinkle with chocolate chips.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until set (be careful not to over bake). Cool in pan on wire rack for 1 hour. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to overnight.

Notes

Notes: I made cookie crumbs by whizzing the Oreos in the food processor and then proceeded to make the filling - no need to wash in between. If you're gluten free, you can use gluten free cookies for the crumbs.

Adapted from Everyday Food, January/February, 2004

Filed Under: dessert, Recipes Tagged With: cheesecake, chocolate, easy, light, make ahead

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt {Garbanzo Beans}

May 15, 2013 ·

honey roasted chickpeas with sea salt | alidaskitchen.com

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt are a healthy, sweet and salty snack that is easy to make. They are high in fiber, protein-packed, gluten free, dairy free…and Adam can’t get enough of them (in other words, they’re toddler friendly too!)

Honey Roasted Chickpeas are made with only a few simple ingredients, and you most likely have everything you need already in your pantry. In fact, all you really need is one ingredient, and that’s the chickpeas. The additional ingredients are simply for flavoring, but roasted chickpeas are super crunchy and delicious straight from the oven. In this case I made them honey roasted with sea salt, however I have other variations in the works that I am excited to share with you soon!

Honey Roasted Chickpeas with Sea Salt

Yields: 4 servings

Ingredients

15 ounce can chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 tablespoon honey
½ tablespoon canola oil (or other neutral tasting oil)
sea salt, add to taste

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Empty chickpeas into a colander. Rinse until no longer foamy and drain. Put chickpeas onto paper towels to pat dry. (Optional: remove skins from chickpeas. Not necessary, but I recommend it).
Place chickpeas in a single layer on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes, or until chickpeas are crunchy. (If they're soft, put them back in for 5 minutes until crunchy).
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk honey and oil. Add hot chickpeas and toss to coat. Pour chickpeas back on lined baking sheet and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until caramelized. Sprinkle with sea salt, as desired, and let cool. Store in an airtight container.

Notes

Slightly adapted from fitsugar.com

Filed Under: appetizers, gluten free, healthy, kid-friendly, Recipes, vegan Tagged With: baby/toddler, chickpeas, dairy free, easy, honey, quick, roasted, snack

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

May 10, 2013 ·

Baked Cinnamon French Toast is a decadent yet simple breakfast (or breakfast for dinner, as we talked about yesterday). Made with cinnamon swirl bread that is drenched and baked into a rich custard, Baked Cinnamon French Toast toast is beyond delicious. It takes 10 minutes to prepare and then you can bake it right away since this is not an overnight French toast. While it’s not an overnight variety, you certainly can make it ahead and store covered in the refrigerator until you’re ready to bake

baked cinnamon french toast casserole | alidaskitchen.com

This Baked Cinnamon French Toast is not something that I would have every day, simply because I like to have my boring old breakfast of old fashioned oats with a banana every day. But this French toast is definitely a wonderful treat worth enjoying for a special occasion…like perhaps for Mother’s Day this Sunday (hint hint Mike!)

Baked Cinnamon French Toast

Yields: 6 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
12 slices cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread
2 cups half and half (fat free works fine)
2 eggs
4 tablespoons butter, melted (light better works fine)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13"x9" pan with cooking spray.
In prepared pan, place six slices of bread and top with remaining 6 slices of bread.
In a large bowl, whisk together half and half, eggs, butter, vanilla and cinnamon. Pour over bread, pressing bread down so some liquid is absorbed.
Bake for 45 minutes until bread is golden brown. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, if desired.

Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

Filed Under: bread, breakfast, kid-friendly, Recipes Tagged With: baked, cinnamon, easy, French toast, make ahead, quick

Easy Vegetable Frittata

May 9, 2013 ·

Thank you I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter! for sponsoring this post. Visit www.icantbelieveitsnotbutter.com for more information about Breakfast After Dark.

We love breakfast for dinner (or “brinner” as it’s often called), whether it’s waffles, pancakes, egg scrambles or frittatas. This Easy Vegetable Frittata is a frequent “go-to” dinner because it’s quick, easy, and we can easily use up whatever vegetables or cheeses we have on hand. Mike can make it too, which is another plus!

In this frittata, for the veggies, I used sliced red pepper, chopped broccoli florets, chopped red onion, and some garlic, and I used cheddar for the cheese. It was such a delicious combination and so colorful! I paired my frittata with a mixed green side salad, because that’s generally what I have with any dinner. Mike skipped the salad and enjoyed his with a beer ~ it is dinner after all!

With Mother’s Day just a few days away, this frittata would be an excellent dish to enjoy at your celebratory breakfast/brunch or for a breakfast for dinner. Tomorrow I will be sharing another great brunch recipe…and it’s even easier to make!

Easy Vegetable Frittata

Yields: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

2 tablespoons I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! spread, divided
4½ cups sliced/chopped vegetables (I used red pepper, broccoli, onions)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
8 eggs (or 4 eggs and 8 egg whites)
1 cup shredded cheese, divided (I used cheddar)

Instructions

In a large oven-proof nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! over medium heat. Add your vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are tender (about 5 minutes). During the last minute, add minced garlic and Italian seasoning, stirring to combine.
Meanwhile, melt the remaining tablespoon of I Can't Believe It's Not Butter!
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, melted I Can't Believe It's Not Butter! and 3 tablespoons water for about 1 minute, or until frothy. Stir in ½ cup cheese.
Pour egg mixture over vegetables, stirring gently, and cook over medium heat until eggs begin to set. (Occasionally lift the edges of frittata to allow uncooked mixture to go to the bottom)
Top with remaining cheese and broil for 2 minutes, or until cheese is melted and golden brown and eggs are set. Cut into wedges and serve.

Source: I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter!

For more tips about making this delicious frittata, check out the Breakfast After Dark Episode “Fabulous Frittata with Lisa Vanderpump“

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Filed Under: Admin, breakfast, healthy, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: brunch, clever girls collective, dinner, easy, frittata, quick, vegetable

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

May 3, 2013 ·

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are fun, little individual deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin. First you roll out little pizza dough circles and then gently put them in the muffin cups. Then fill each dough round with your desired sauce and toppings and then top it with cheese. I used premade dough (from Trader Joe’s), topped them with a marinara sauce, broccoli, red onion and mozzarella cheese, and they came together in less than 30 minutes. These Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are completely customizable with your favorite sauce and toppings. Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas are a definite crowd-pleaser. Besides – there is always something fun about anything in miniature!

Today I am being featured over at Momma’s Meals where I’m being featured as part of Tammi’s Featured Fridays series! Every Friday, Tammi gets to know her fellow bloggers and makes one of their recipes to share with her family and then with her readers.

I thought it would be fun to make something from Tammi’s site to share with you, and her Individual Deep Dish Pizzas were perfect! Incidentally I had been looking at an Everyday Food recipe for little deep dish pizzas made in a muffin tin, so these Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas that I’m sharing with you is sort of a combination of the two recipes.

Mini Deep-Dish Pizzas

Yields: 12 pizzas

Ingredients

Cooking spray
All-purpose flour, for rolling
1 pound pizza dough (homemade or store-bought) - in 12 pieces
Salt and pepper
1 cup pizza sauce (I used a homemade marinara sauce)
Your favorite pizza toppings - about 1 to 2 tablespoons per pizza (I used chopped broccoli and red onion)
1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray 12 standard muffin cups with cooking spray. Set aside.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out each piece of pizza dough into 6-inch circles. Place into prepared muffin cup, gently pressing dough into bottom and up the sides. Season with salt and pepper as desired.
Put 1 tablespoon sauce in each dough cup. Top sauce with 1 to 2 tablespoons of pizza toppings and then top with cheese.
Bake until dough is browned and crisp, approximately 12 minutes. Let cool for 2-5 minutes before removing from cups.

Sources: Everyday Food,September, 2010 and Momma’s Meals

Filed Under: appetizers, healthy, kid-friendly, main dishes, Recipes, vegetarian Tagged With: baby/toddler, cheese, dinner, easy, italian, muffins, pizza, quick

Silk’s Tastemaker Challenge

May 1, 2013 ·

I have been selected by Silk and DailyBuzz Food to be an ambassador for Silk Soymilk. While I have been compensated for my time, all opinions are completely my own.

When I told my kids that the new taste of Silk Soymilk left me speechless, their reaction was, well…you can see for yourself.

Indeed. While I did not capture photographic evidence of Mike’s reaction, it’s safe to assume the refrigerator is going to be well stocked with Silk. Ha! I didn’t remain speechless for long though. Let me tell you how Silk Soymilk transformed two of my everyday staples into something so extraordinary that it almost left me speechless!

I began my Silk Tastemaker Challenge with the most important meal of the day: breakfast! I enjoy the same old breakfast day after day: oatmeal, unsweetened cocoa, and flaxseed, all cooked in water and topped with a sliced banana. It’s basic, it’s simple and it’s tasty! I decided that replacing the water with Silk Soymilk would be a good way to test the new taste of Silk. And now enter the speechless moment. My (slightly) boring old breakfast became something different; something better!

For my next Silk Tastemaker Challenge, I decided to use Silk Soymilk in my favorite mixed berry smoothie. I replaced the usual juice with Silk Soymilk. The result? Let’s just say this post-workout smoothie did not last long. In fact, the only thing slowing me down was the ice cream headache. You know, when you consume something icy cold so fast that your head literally hurts? I think some people call it a brain freeze. Anyway, I have not had an ice cream headache since I was a child! I told Mike ‘This is the best smoothie I’ve ever had in my life. You have to try it!’ Mike took a sip and his eyes lit up. I could tell he wanted more, but he politely declined since he knew how starving I was after a long run. However, the next day, when I got back from my run, I found two glasses innocently placed next to the blender. I guess I’m not the only one who was left speechless by the new taste of Silk Soymilk!