Hidden Heart Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

  
My husband made a very disturbing confession this week.

He doesn't like red velvet cake!!

*stunned silence*

I thought I knew this man!
You can imagine my distress at this revelation.

We may have to go to therapy to get past it.

In the meantime, the kids and I will enjoy these Hidden Heart Red Velvet Cupcakes.
The frosting heart inside the cupcake is a fun surprise
and they make a great Valentine's Day treat!

 What You Will Need:
 Red Velvet Cupcakes with tops cut off
small heart cookie cutter
cream cheese frosting
confectioners' sugar in a sifter

Center your heart cookie cutter on the cupcake and press down.
Use a spoon to scoop out the cake inside the heart.
Eat the cake scraps.

Fill the heart cavity with cream cheese frosting.
(You can fill a ziploc bag with frosting and snip off the corner.)

Trace your heart cookie cutter on a piece of paper.
Cut out the paper heart and center it on a cupcake top.
Use a sifter to sprinkle powdered sugar over the cupcake top.
Carefully remove the paper heart.

 Place the tops back on your cupcakes and enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!
 
 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another fun Valentine treat idea...

Conversation Heart Cupcake Toppers

This post was featured!

Meyer Lemon Cod (scd, paleo)

I live by the ocean and I buy frozen fish. Why? Same reason why you live in the midwest and buy your meat at the grocery store. It's just easier. I go to the fish markets when I have the chance but I am busy and that means just another stop that's off my route of getting to work, the gym, and home (to then work some more). I don't judge you, so let's keep things fair, shall we?
Fresh or frozen, this fish is simple, quick, and tasty. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

3 cod fillets
2 small meyer lemons
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp rosemary
drizzle of olive oil

Directions:

Slice lemons into thin circles and place fish filets on top. Save extra to side.
Drizzle with olive oil.
Sprinkle lightly with pepper and rosemary

Bake at 450 degrees for about 12 minutes or until thickest part of filet is cooked through.

Squeeze excess lemon on top and add salt to taste.

Bhogali/ Magh Bihu Delicacies.............

We Assamese people celebrate Magh Bihu also known as Bhogali  Bihu as a harvest festival in the month of Maagha (January-February). Bhogali Bihu is a celebration of food after a good harvest. During this harvest festival a variety of delicacies made from different types of Rice (For instance Joha Saul, Bora Saul, Komal Saul etc.) , Coconut, Jaggery, Sesame seeds and more..... Here we have shared some Bhogali delicacies which are very popular in Assam.........

A delicious Bhogali Platter including  Doi, Sira,  Gur, Narikol aru Sujir Laru, Ghila Pitha, Tel Pitha ba Bor Pitha

Doi Sira Gur  Jolpaan (Kind of breakfast)

Narikol aru Sujir Laru

Murir Laru....

Bora Saulor Til aru Narikol Pitha

Ghila Pitha....

Tekeli/ Ketlli mukhot dia Pitha...

Tel Pitha ba Bor Pitha.....

চুঙ্গা পিঠা 

Sandah Guri......(Assamese rice porridge)..

Kholasapori Pithar logot Aloo Bhaji....

Patot dia Kol Pitha....

Jun Pitha/ Chandramukhi Pitha

কর্দই  পিঠা

লাউপাল্লা পিঠা 

Banana Poppy Seed Cookies (scd, paleo)

No added sweeteners! Yay!
These cookies use only the sugar from bananas to make them just sweet enough to not feel guilty about eating. They kind of taste like delicious banana bread with a twist. Word to the wiser: don't try to take a drug test after eating poppy seeds. You will fail.

Ingredients:

3 very ripe bananas
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut flour
1 Tbsp softened coconut oil
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbsp poppy seeds
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup pecans

Directions:

Mash the bananas very well and add the eggs, stir until well combined.
Add coconut flour and stir again until well combined.
Add coconut oil, salt, poppy seeds, and cinnamon. Mix thoroughly.
On a greased baking sheet or stone form into cookies about two inches in diameter and one centimeter in height. Pat them down to form an even cookie. (coconut flour does not allow the cookie to spread out from a ball shape to a flat cookie like wheat flour does.)
Place walnuts on top.
Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes.
Remove from baking sheet and let cool.
Enjoy!

Garlic Seasoned Green Beans

There is no shame in using frozen vegetables instead of fresh. In fact, frozen produce often contains higher quantities of naturally occuring vitamins and other good stuff because it gets frozen at the peak of ripeness, just after being picked versus the "fresh" produce that is offered in most grocery markets that is sometimes picked prematurely and left to ripen on a shelf. Unfortunately, for a creative kitchen, frozen vegetables cannot perform in the same way their never-been-cold counterparts can. This does not mean there is no way to spice them up, however. Here is a super simple recipe that contains basic spices for maximum flavor impact using frozen vegetables.

Ingredients:

1 1lb bag frozen green beans
1 Tbsp grass-fed butter (or coconut oil)
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/4 tsp paprika
salt, to taste

Directions:

Boil green beans until cooked, but not mushy.
Drain water and add butter and spices.
Mix well and serve.

Marjoram Buttered Baked Chicken

Sometimes the most efficient dinner is just baking a whole chicken and throwing some veggies in the oven as a side or tossing together a salad. Unfortunately, for many, baking an entire bird often ends up in dry, bland protein that is not satisfying to eat. The trick to a moist, juicy bird is to combine spices with butter (or oil if you are strict non-dairy) and coat the top of the meat in between the overlaying of the bird's skin. It's a dirty job but your taste buds will thank you later.

1 whole [free-range] chicken
4 Tbsp [grassfed] butter, softened (or coconut oil)
2 Tbsp marjoram
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp ground pepper (white or black)
1 tsp sea salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Combine softened butter with spices.
Separate skin from the breast meat with your hand, careful not to tear through the skin.
Rub spiced butter across the bird between the skin and meat in a thin layer. Use any remaining butter to spread across the top of the skin over breasts, legs, and wings.
Bake for 20 minutes per pound, the last twenty minutes increase oven temperature to 425 degrees.
When chicken is cooked through, slice and eat.

*tip: leave your chicken out to get around room temperature. If either the butter or the poultry is cold, the butter will be very difficult to spread.

Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Ganache

 

Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!

That's what this Black Forest Cake is called in Germany, where the recipe originated.

It is a delightful combination of chocolate, cherries and whipped cream.

For my version, I added cherry extract to my favorite chocolate cake recipe.

Then I layered it with fresh whipped cream and cherry pie filling,

and topped it all with thick chocolate ganache.

Scrumptious!

Isn't it simply gorgeous?
Is it fair for a cake to be so pretty AND taste so good? 

Black Forest Cake with Chocolate Ganache

by Bird On A Cake

6058473

Ingredients

Chocolate Cherry Cake

• 1 cup boiling water
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk (OR 1 tablespoon vinegar mixed with 1 cup milk)
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon cherry extract

Chocolate Ganache

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream

• 1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 (21 oz.) can cherry pie filling

Instructions

Chocolate Cherry Cake

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9 inch round cake pans with wax paper and grease the sides. Bring a small pan of water to a boil and keep it simmering while you mix the other ingredients.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and cherry extract. Beat with mixer until combined.

Add 1 cup of the boiling water and carefully stir until it is mixed in. Beat for 1 1/2 minutes with mixer. Batter will be thin. Pour the batter into prepared pans and bake for 20-24 minutes (until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean).

Chocolate Ganache

Place the chocolate chips in a small metal bowl. Heat the cream over medium heat. Watch it closely and immediately remove from heat when it starts to boil. Pour over chocolate chips. Wait for 2 minutes, then slowly stir the mixture until all the chips have completely melted and it is thoroughly combined. Stir in the vanilla. Let the ganache cool until it reaches a thicker, spreadable consistency.

Whipped Cream

Chill a large mixing bowl and beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Pour heavy cream into the bowl and whip until peaks are just about to form. Add vanilla and sugar; beat until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to over-beat, cream will then become lumpy and butter-like.

Assembling Your Cake

Level cake layers and place one layer on a cake plate. Spread 3/4 of the whipped cream on the cake layer, leaving one inch of space around the edge. Reserve 12 cherries and set aside; drop the remaining pie filling by spoonfuls on top of the whipped cream. Place second cake layer on top. Spread thickened ganache on top of the cake, just to the edges. Garnish with remaining whipped cream and reserved cherries.

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 Enjoy!

 I share my recipes and tutorials at these fun link parties.

Another yummy recipe with cherries...

Mini Funnel Cake Hearts