Yearly Archives: 2015

Something Sweet Cookbook {Review and Giveaway}

Cookbook Review, No Bake Desserts

Something Sweet Cookbook | Lil Miss Cakes

If I were to write a dessert cookbook, I would want it to be exactly like this one. My friend and fellow food blogger, Miriam Pascal, has worked tirelessly for months on her gorgeous cookbook debut. I had been talking to Miriam throughout the process and am blown away by how much work it takes to put this all together. Miriam shares her kitchen talents on her blog Overtime Cook. She understands that nobody has time to spend hours in the kitchen and tailors her recipes to be quick, simple and impressive. Over the years she not only perfected some amazing recipes, but she also honed her photography skills and took every photo in her cookbook.

Here is some exiting trivia for you: I baked 3 of Miriam’s recipes for her to photograph for this cookbook! The chocolate celebration cake, bakery style cake donuts, and the cookies decorated with royal icing were all done by me using Miriam’s recipes. How cool is that?! I’m so happy to help and I would love to do it again.

“Something Sweet” is really the perfect baking resource. It includes notes about every essential kitchen tool, recipe ingredient substitutions, and baking tips and tricks. Most of the recipes in this stunning book are new, but Miriam did include a few of her readers favorite recipes that were originally posted on her blog.

While Miriam does it all in the kitchen, this book specifically focuses on desserts which I am really excited about. There really is a lack of good kosher dessert cookbooks on the market. Although all the recipes in the book are strictly kosher, these desserts will appeal to everyone; especially those with dairy sensitivities. Nearly every dessert category is covered from cookies and bars, cakes and cupcakes, muffins and pastries, pies and tarts, desserts and party treats, candy and chocolate, drinks and frozen treats and finally, frosting and toppings. She even included a healthy, dairy-free pie crust recipe!

As a cookbook lover, I have read many, many cookbooks. This one has a perfect layout. The recipes are easy to read and the directions are very clear.  Each and every recipe is accompanied by a high quality color photo. A few of the recipes have step-by-step photos to make those possibly complicated steps really easy to understand.

I can’t wait to dig in to these delicious dessert recipes, but the few that immediately caught my eye are the fruity pebble cookies, snickerdoodle bundt cake, cinnamon cheese buns, cookie dough fudge pie, cookies n’ cream stuffed waffles, and chewy sea salt caramels.

Do you want a preview? This recipe for Neapolitan Trifles from Something Sweet by Miriam Pascal, is reproduced with permission from the copyright holders, ArtScroll/Mesorah Publications.

Neapolitan Trifle Recipe from Something Sweet | Lil Miss Cakes

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Neapolitan Trifles | Something Sweet Cookbook
Author: 
Serves: 12-14
 
Ingredients
Chocolate Crumbs
  • 1 cup flour
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup oil
Strawberry Mousse
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or nondairy whip topping
  • 1 cup strawberry pie filling, pureed
  • 8 oz. cream cheese or soy cream cheese
  • ⅓ cup sour cream or soy sour cream
  • 1 tsp, vanilla extract
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
Vanilla Cream
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream or nondairy whip topping
  • ⅓ cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Prepare the chocolate crumbs
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
  2. Combine all crumb ingredients in a bowl. Mix until combined and the texture of crumbs. (I found it easiest to mix this with my fingers.)
  3. Spread the crumbs in a single layer on prepared baking sheet; bake for 8 minutes. Remove from oven; cool completely before assembling the trifles.
Prepare the strawberry mousse
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on high speed, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form.Remove whipping cream to another bowl. There's no need to wash the bowl before continuing.
  2. Add pie filling, cream cheese, sour cream, and vanilla to mixer bowl. Beat on medium speed until combined and smooth. Add powdered sugar; beat until incorporated. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold whipped cream into strawberry mixture until combined. Set aside.
Prepre the vanilla cream
  1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, on high speed, beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Reduce mixer speed to low. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar until combined.
Assembly
  1. Place crumbs into a 6-ounce jar or cup, filling it about one-quarter full, Spoon or pipe strawberry mousse over crumbs, filling container a little more than three-quarters full. Pipe on vanilla cream, filling container almost to the top. Repeat with remaining jars.

Plan Ahead: These trifles freeze beautifully. Move them into the fridge for a couple of hours before serving to allow them to soften a bit.

Now for the giveway sponsored by Artscroll/Mesorah Publications!  One lucky reader will win a free copy of Something Sweet.  Contest open to US mailing addresses only.  One winner will be chosen at random. Giveaway ends  at 11:59PM EST on Monday, December 28, 2015. Please provide a valid email address; winner will be notified via email. Winner has 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. Good Luck!

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Peanut Butter Frosted Jelly Donuts {Recipe}

Breads and Yeast Raised Doughs, Doughnuts

Peanut Butter Frosted Jelly Donuts | Lil Miss Cakes

I love putting a flavor twist on traditional dessert recipes. In the past I have shared my recipes for pumpkin donuts with marshamallow graham cracker glaze, cinnamon bun stuffed donuts, and a mint chocolate cookies and cream donut (which happens to be baked). But this recipe isn’t really outside the box like those. I simply added a peanut butter frosting to a classic and traditional Hanukkah jelly donut. Now I love peanut butter and jelly, they are a match made in heaven. I’ve shared my recipe for peanut butter and jelly hamantashen which are made with a peanut butter cookie dough and filled with delicious jelly. That’s what I tried to do with these donuts. I really wanted to fry up a peanut butter donut and fill it with my favorite jelly. But after lots of research and even more trial and error I realized that peanut butter dough just doesn’t want to be fried.

Peanut Butter Frosted Jelly Donuts

I finally went with a simple peanut butter frosting on top of a classic jelly donut. My husband really wanted this combo from the beginning. He doesn’t like peanut butter flavored things since they lose the signature sticky, thick peanut butter texture. These donuts taste like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and the peanut butter texture is definitely there. I made the frosting thick but you could always thin the frosting out and turn it into a peanut butter glaze. Those would also be amazing! Enjoy the simple and dairy free recipe for these donuts!

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Peanut Butter Frosted Jelly Donuts {Recipe}
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 16 donuts
 
Ingredients
  • Vegetable oil for frying
  • Jam or jelly for filling
Dough
  • 2 packets yeast (4½ tsp.) I use active dry.
  • ½ cup warm water
  • 1 tsp. sugar
  • ⅓ cup vegetable shortening
  • ¾ cup soy milk
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 4 cups flour
  • 2 eggs
Peanut Butter Frosting
  • ½ cup creamy peanut butter
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼-1/2 cup water
  • ½ tsp, vanilla extract
Instructions
Dough
  1. In a small bowl or measuring cup, mix the yeast with the warm water and 1 tsp. sugar. Stir until no longer lumpy and set aside to proof and bubble up; 5-10 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile add the ¼ cup sugar and the salt to the bowl of an electric stand mixer.
  3. In a microwaveable bowl warm the vegetable shortening with the soy milk until the shortening has melted. Pour the shortening/milk mixture over the sugar/salt mixture and stir to melt. Allow to cool until lukewarm.
  4. Add the flour and eggs into the mixer bowl. Then finish off with the yeast mixture. Mix on low using the dough hook until the dough comes together. Once it's pulling off the sides of the bowl, set the mixer to medium low and mix for about 6 minutes.
  5. Grease or oil a large clean bowl and scrape the dough mixture inside.The dough will be sticky, but don't add flour! Grease your hands to better work with the dough.
  6. Cover in plastic wrap and set in warm place to rise for one hour.
  7. Once the dough has risen, roll the dough out and cut circles using a 2½- 3 inch round cutter. Set the circles of dough on a floured and parchment lined baking sheet and cover with a kitchen towel.
  8. Allow to rest in a warm place for 30-45 minutes.
  9. Meanwile heat the vegetable oil in a heavy bottom pot or deep fryer. Set the temperature to 350 degrees F.
  10. Once the donuts have rested and risen for a second time and the oil has reached it's temp, fry the donuts for 1 minute on each side. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels.
  11. Fill the donuts with your favorite jam or jelly. I use a piping bag fitted with a Wilton number 230 filling tip. It is long and skinny with an angled front to allow easy filling.
Prepare the frosting
  1. In a bowl stir the peanut butter with the powdered sugar and vanilla. Slowly add in the water until it's spreadable. Spread or pipe the frosting on the donuts. You can also thin it enough to make a glaze and pour over the donuts.

Mint Chocolate Cookies and Cream Donuts {Recipe}

Doughnuts, ,

Mint Chocolate Cookies and Cream Donuts | Lil Miss Cakes

I can’t believe I haven’t shared my chocolate baked donut with you yet! These are amazing-if I do say so myself. The great parts of this recipe: easy to make, no frying required, donuts look perfect every time. Negatives: they aren’t fried, and you need a donut pan. But once you have a donut pan, you will find yourself using it all the time. Try muffin recipes in it for a fun twist on the original. I only have one donut pan and this recipe makes 18 so I needed to bake 3 rounds, but they bake quickly: 10 minutes each and then they just pop right out, so I never felt the need for more of these pans. I also have the mini donut pan and I really don’t recommend it. The donuts just don’t bake nicely, they come out funny looking and making minis is just a pain. I would stick to the regular size; it works fabulously. These donuts are light and fluffy in texture, but very chocolaty and rich in taste. They definitely need to be served with a tall glass of cold milk. These donuts get their minty flavor from peppermint chocolate sandwich cookies. The cookies are filled with crushed up peppermint candy and are insanely good! They are a seasonable item so get them while you can! I won’t tell you how many boxes I am hoarding right now, it’s embarrassing! If you can’t get the cookies, you can use regular chocolate sandwich cookies with a teaspoon of peppermint extract. Here’s my easy, dairy-free baked donut recipe!

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Mint Chocolate Cookies and Cream Donuts {Recipe}
Author: 
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 18
 
Ingredients
Donuts
  • ⅔ cup dutch process cocoa powder
  • ¾ cup hot water
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • ½ cup non-dairy sour cream (such as Tofutti Brand)
  • 1⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup margarine
  • ¼ cup shortening
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 tsp. baking powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • ½ cup crushed peppermint chocolate sandwich cookies
Icing
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • ¼-1/2 cup cold water
  • green food coloring, optional
  • ½ cup crushed peppermint chocolate sandwich cookies
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  2. Using baking spray grease a donut pan and set aside.
  3. In a medium sized bowl whisk the cocoa powder with the hot water until dissolved.
  4. Stir in the baking soda and sour cream and set aside.
  5. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown sugar with the margarine and shortening until light and fluffy.
  6. Add in the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.
  7. Add in the flour, baking powder, and salt and beat on low speed for a few seconds.
  8. Pour the cocoa mixture into the mixer and mix until smooth and combined.
  9. Stir in ½ cup crushed cookies (from about 4 cookies).
  10. Pipe the batter into the donut pan filling most of the way up.
  11. Bake for 10 minutes until the donuts spring back to the touch.
  12. Allow to cool before icing.
  13. Icing
  14. Pour the powdered sugar into a large bowl.
  15. Drop in a tiny bit of green food coloring.
  16. Slowly add the water and stir until smooth. Keep adding water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
  17. Dip the donuts in the icing, and top with crushed cookies. Alternatively, drizzle or spread the icing on top.