#ibakebetterthanicook

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Pumpkin Four Ways!

I found this gem at Costco before thanksgiving...of course not after...but I enjoyed a easy to use pumpkin mix. My family has a great pumpkin bread recipe, but it has always been on this purple note pad paper that likes to go missing? So over the years I have tried other pumpkin mixes and recipes. Here is how to use One Pumpkin Bread Mix Box...4 ways! 

Pumpkin Bread 4 ways: 

Pumpkin Bread

Crumble

Pumpkin Cupcake

Pumpkin Cookie

The bread was lovely, the crumble was made using one of the bread mix packets and while it baked not as pretty, it was tasty. When baking if you can’t have glamour and taste, go for taste. The mix makes for a small amount of cupcakes, which pairs well cream cheese icing for a traditional cupcake...or add four fruit jam and make a Victoria sandwich. The cookie was my best reviewed item, surprisingly. The recipe is on the side of the box, and I highly encourage trying it out. 

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Baking Variation Ideas

I love to bake. I have made a couple of things lately and as I make them, and watch baking shows, and make more things...I get ideas for flavor combinations. Here are some of the ideas I have (Most likely to be future blog posts): 

Cupcakes: 

Sweet Cornbread Cupcakes: Mixed with Honey and served with Butter Cream Frosting

Savory Cornbread Cupcakes: Served with Cream cheese Icing 

I have tried this out a bit from the extra cornbread cupcakes I made the other day but would like to further expand the cornbread as a sweet idea. 

Fudge: 

Butterscotch: Butterscotch chips, White chocolate, semi sweet chocolate chips. This came out swimmingly. 

White Chocolate Chai: Steeped with Chai Tea and made with 2/3 white chocolate chips and 1/3 dark or semi sweet chocolate. Attempt 1 was close but not right...yet. 

Mint: I have peppermint chips, which would be fun for Christmas but not sure about this one yet. 

I actually really loved from my childhood a mint fudge my dad made years ago, so the last idea is exciting to me. 

Victoria Sandwiches: 

Garden: Carrot Cake Cupcake, Cream Cheese Frosting, Apple Jam. I actually don’t often mess with carrot cake or cream cheese frosting so this should be a very interesting pallete. 

Chocolate: Chocolate Cupcake, Ganache Frosting, Strawberry Jam

I got a mostly good review on my Victoria Sandwiches so I am looking forward to expanding into new and beloved territory with flavors. 

Pumpkin: 

Bread: I had a hand me down recipe for bread, but I tell you that piece of purple paper has a mind of its own. I will find another and make it my go to. 

Pie: I typically get this recipe off the can, the way most great recipe legends start. 

Cupcakes: I saw a soup that played with Pumpkin and Syrup, like maple syrup. I would even add seasonal nuts in there too with some cream cheese frosting...and syrup shards melted in mix. (You could even play with a sweet versus savory pumpkin and bring in Bacon to this). 

I made this it’s own section because of the time of year...it is its own big deal. 

Which of these are you most excited to see pop up? What flavor combinations would you add to this list? 

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Fall Victoria Sandwich Cup Cake

So I may or may not watch too much of the The Great British Baking Show. You may or may not have noticed increased baking posts. Well, I would hate to disappoint you-here is my attempt at a Victoria Sandwich Cake. 

First, what is a Victoria Sandwich Cake? I think it is a cake format of a classic sandwich, served with tea. The classic recipe is usually a vanilla cake top, jam inside layer, frosting layer, vanilla cake bottom. 

Of course when I do anything I put my own twist on it, so what is my twist? I would like some fall spices in the cake, some butter cream frosting, and a raspberry jam. To add some pizazz-I am considering making a white chocolate ganache to drizzle over it-and do it in mini cupcake versions. 

I normally go to Aldi’s for my supplies, but I was looking at other stores to fully play with the different flavor profile of this dessert-and ended up at Target. First go around I am using premade stuff, and if I nail this-then I will make it from scratch. 

Ingredients: Cake Mix, Jam, Frosting, Baking Chocolate/Heavy Whipping Cream

Step 1: Make the Cupcakes

Step 2: Create the Sandwiches

Step 3: Serve and Eat! 

These came out quite lovely. Such a good hit of spice and sweet and fruit and the perfect amount of mess. I would of loved to pipe the icing, maybe something for next time-and with the method perfected-play with flavors next time. A great idea would be to change the top to a chocolate cake and play with pumpkin frosting and blackberry jam! I was considering using Cool Whip instead of Frosting and for how long they are out, Cool Whip would lose its consistency and you need some sort of frosting in there. But you could even play off carrot cake, cream cheese frosting, and apple jam. Really, whether they are tiny or in cake format-this is an easy go to. This could also use recipes from scratch to make this vegan or Keto. 

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Trail Mix Trio Treat!

I love baking. Baking makes me happy. I also have been watching The Great British Baking Show, and felt like making an idea that popped into my head: Trail Mix broken into groups and put into classics (Cake, Brownie, Cookie) and combined into one item.

If you make this from scratch, you can control the ingredients and make it Keto or Vegan friendly. In in interest of full disclosure, I used boxes of Cake Mix, Brownie Mix, and Cooke Dough Mix, Chocolate and Vanilla Icing to prove the flavor/execution of the idea. So for this post, those are the ingredients I am going to note. (When I do one from scratch, and perfect that recipe-I will post an updated blog). 

Gather your ingredients and prep your tools. Also, I prefer the Indulgent Trail Mix from Aldi and separating the chips (Chocolate, White Chocolate, Peanut Butter), Nuts, and Dried Fruits into separate bowls before mixing anything. 

First step is going to be to make the brownies and put them in the tallest cookie sheet, at least 13x9, but butter the pan first. Mix the dried fruits into the brownie mix. 

Second Step is to make the cookie dough and swirl it in the mix. Mix the various chips into the cookie dough. Bake it at 350 Deg for 15-20 minutes. 

Third Step is to make the cupcake mix, and this mixture gets the nuts from the trail mix. I like to add pie spices in there to feel like fall. Getting this ready while your brookie bakes. 

Fourth Step is to bring the brookie out and let it cool, once you have tested with the toothpick that it baked through. Put the cupcakes in for 15 minutes. 

Fifth step is to take the cupcakes out, once baked, and let them cool. You can start cutting up the base. I cut the base level in half, one half for squares and one for layering circles. 

With the base in squares and circles and half the cupcakes allocated for icing/bare-assemble the Trail Mix Trio Treat. Placing the circles in the bottom of larger cupcake holders, put Chocolate or Vanilla Icing on top, place the cupcake on top. 

I loved how they came out, and if you don’t need a keto friendly dessert, make this with box mixes from Aldi’s. It is just as good with minimal effort. And I will admit, that this took two rounds to get right but DAMN did it feel good when I did get it right. 

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Keto Fall Cookies!

The other day I got a Apple Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie from Whole Foods. It was quite good. In chatting with my sister, I came up with a variation that I tried at home. What is my variation? 

Strawberry Fall Spice Butter / Chocolate Chip Nutty...Cookie. Fall goodness. 

Ingredients: 

- Strawberries, Butter, Pumpkin Pie Spice - 1 Cup

- Eggs - 2

- Almond Flour - 3 Cups

- Brown Sugar - 1 Cup

- Vanilla - 2 tsp

- Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp

- Baking Soda - 1 tsp

- Almonds - 1 Cup

- Chocolate Chips - 1 Cup

Directions: 

- Make your strawberry butter: smash strawberries, mix with butter and spices

- Preheat oven to 375 degrees

- Butter 3 Cookie Sheets

- Put dry ingredients into mixing bowl

- Add eggs, vanilla, butter into mixing bowl

- Add nuts and chocolate chips into mixing bowl

- Use an ice cream scoop to get a uniform amount per cookie

- Bake 10-15 minutes

- Place on cooling rack

This can be altered to be more keto friendly, and definitely do the strawberry butter first and let it get to a more solid format. These came out great, but laying them out was kind of a pain. The first time you do anything you get kinks though, right? 

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Keto Fudge Recipe!

Recently, I needed the smile that my dad’s timeless fudge gives me. So I called him up and got his recipe. Below is the ingredients and instructions: 

Ingredients: 

- 3 cups of sugar / 1-2 cups of stevia

- 3/4 Cup of butter 

- 1 5 oz can of evaporated milk

- 3 package of 4 oz bakers chocolate (Dark, Semi Sweet, Bittersweet)

- 1 Jar (7 oz) Jet puffed Marshmallow Creme

- 1 tsp of Vanilla

- Pumpkin Pie Spice

- (Optional-1 Cup Nuts)

Directions: 

- Cut Chocolate, prepare ingredients

- Bring sugar, butter, evaporated milk, pumpkin pie spice to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. 

- Add Chocolate, Marshmallow Creme, Vanilla. Stir until melted (Nuts if added, would go in here)

- Pour into 9 inch square pan with foil/foil handles. Put in fridge/freezer

- Use handles to lift fudge from pan, cut and serve

Ok, this may or may not have been altered. I loved how it came out, I made it with actual sugar, and it could be made with sugar alternative. I used salted butter, but unsalted butter can be used too. Pictured, I just used one type of chocolate but I would like to try all 3 and see what happens. The directions also say to use foil in a pan, I tried little dishes. But that is a timeless method, that when you don’t have a better idea what to do, do that. Let me know if you try it, and how your variation goes! 

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Keto Pasta: 3 Ways!!!

I love pasta. I have no shame in saying that, lol. I grew up with an Italian Stepfather for my mother’s second marriage, and between him and Nonni, it was an easy go to-but not easy to do right. Those days, pre made sauces did not even enter our house. 

As an adult, cooking for my own household, one of my favorite things to make is Pasta. Now, since moving to Brea-I have been on No Diet/Vegan/and now Keto. Not really being taught how to cook before, trying to diversify my diet has not added any helpful steps for me, so I found my own approach. Take a classic dish I know (or can look up) and adjust it for the diet I am on. 

The longer one is on the keto diet, the more they can have dishes, like Pasta. And really, its kind of amazing how many things can be turned into a noodle! I like to actually think about what flavors go with what noodles and I have found 3 ways to do Keto Pasta: 

Pasta Variation 1: Spaghetti Pasta, Vodka Sauce, Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, Onions

This is nice for your throw back red sauce but light noodle meal. This is actually the lowest carb option out of all that will be presented in this post. I like to cook the sausage in one pan, boil the water/noodles in another, and mix the sauce into the final bowl as all the ingredients finish up. The warmth from everything else will warm up the sauce and have you wash one less dish. I love the vodka sauce as being a mix of red sauce and white sauce. 

Pasta Variation 2: Edamame Pasta, Alfredo Sauce, Ground Chicken, Mushrooms, Brocoli

This is my “I am missing Marie Calendars Chicken Alfredo Meal” throwback. The noodles are thicker, perfect for the white sauce. The broccoli has a great fresh taste when steamed, and the other built up flavors add nicely to it all. This last time shopping, I could not find a chicken I liked, and ended up trying the ground chicken. It is not bad, and actually kind of reminds me of my dads spaghetti where he would use ground beef. 

Pasta Variation 3: Black Bean Pasta, Italian Seasoned Chicken, Pesto, Mushrooms, Onions, 

This is great, for any “sauce” adverse people, because the mix of oil and herbs makes enough flavor, and the beans of the noodles makes it a nice filling meal. Pesto can be home made, or picked up from your local store. 

As always, classic pairings for these dishes is a nice Keto Salad-mixed with proper lettuce (Kale, etc) and cheese and tomatoes and olives, etc. A great dressing can be a ranch, or Oil and Vinegar. As well as some home made Garlic Bread: you can take Keto Bread, create a garlic butter, and use a Pizzaz (or microwave) and toast the bread. 

I also encourage you to make any changes you would like when adapting these, like maybe adding more vegetables or changing the meat type! I wouldn’t mind trying a butter based sauce for a fourth option, maybe paired with a Salmon sprinkled in truffle seasoning! Who can forget about the Meatball Sandwiches too!