sweets Archives | Page 8 of 8 | Winstead Wandering

better for you triple chocolate banana bread

June 8, 2015 by Abby

Better for you triple chocolate banana bread has no butter, oil, or added sugar- except for the chocolate, of course- while still delivering big on flavor. With sweet, moist bananas and three kinds of chocolate, this bread tastes decadently indulgent.

Several years ago, when we were still living in Oregon, I had a favorite better for you banana bread recipe. When we came back from the beach a couple weeks ago with several overripe bananas, I went in search of that recipe, only to discover that the website had been removed.

Removed.

The author of my absolute favorite all-time best ever better for your banana bread deleted her blog without consulting me. The nerve.

Not to be deterred, I decided I was up to the challenge of re-creating the recipe. After all, I’ve made my share of quick breads– a lot of quick breads– and I remembered the basics of the original recipe.

It took two tries to get things just right, but I had no shortage of willing recipe testers. My sources tell me that this one is a keeper.

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blueberry lemon pound cake with lemon glaze

June 1, 2015 by Abby

I don’t remember fully appreciating the culinary combination that is lemon and blueberries when I was younger. Sure, I loved a good glass of lemonade, and I never turned down a blueberry muffin. But neither flavor was my favorite, and I certainly didn’t willingly pair the two together.

That’s all changed. Now, I actively seek out foods that marry the lovely sweet-tart flavor of berries and the refreshing citrus zest of lemons. And if that food is also topped with a rich glaze flecked with ribbons of lemon zest? Well, then I have to make a pan. Or two.

The original version of this recipe called for more sugar and butter than I felt was necessary. I’ve been known to bring the butter when the recipe really calls for it, but in this case, I felt certain that the whole thing could be lightened up without sacrificing moistness or flavor.

Don’t get me wrong; this recipe is in no way light and healthy. It’s just lighter and healthier than the original version.To make it that way, I took out a stick of butter and used Greek yogurt instead. I also reduced the sugar by a half cup.

The pound cake, on it’s own, is buttery and moist and studded with juicy blueberries. It can hold it’s own as a stand alone treat. But when adding a glaze is an option, I always choose it. Which is why these little guys were finished off with a glaze of powdering sugar, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and milk. The glaze is just rich enough to stand out against the moist cake, but not so decadent as to overpower it. They play well together.

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march’s most popular posts

April 1, 2015 by Abby

Um, where did March go?

Between the whirlwind of the end of one term and the start of another, a week out of state for spring break, and all of the final decision-making before construction of our house is complete in a couple weeks, I feel like I barely blinked and the month is gone.

I did manage to write some posts in the midst of the craziness, though. Here are the most-viewed posts of March:

5. cinnamon roll bars

This is a recipe I posted a couple months back. The fact that it’s still getting a lot of hits is a testament to how ridiculously tasty it is.

4. how to maximize your wardrobe on a budget

Have a budget? Want to be clothed? Check out this post.

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mug brownie

March 3, 2015 by Abby

There are so many mug brownie recipes on Pinterest, so I was hesitant to add my own to the mix.

But here’s the thing about those other recipes. They suck. To be fair, I haven’t tried all the mug recipes. I’ve tried a lot, though. If I had a dollar for every failed mug brownie recipe I’ve tried…well, I could buy a few boxes of brownie mix.

If you, too, have been disappointed by the recipes you’ve tried, I urge you to try just one more. Trust me, it’s the last one you’ll ever need.

mug brownie
adapted from Creating & Co.

2 tablespoons melted butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tablespoons flour
5 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons water (optional: substitute 2 teaspoons of your favorite flavored coffee syrup; I prefer Torani salted caramel)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
dash of salt

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crack(er) candy

February 24, 2015 by Abby

When I was in junior high, my step-mom, Ann, tried a new treat at a faculty potluck. The art teacher, I think, brought a strange family recipe that ended up being a huge hit. Ann liked it so much that she got the recipe and made them for our next family event.

They’ve pretty much been a staple at every gathering since, including as the dessert I choose on my birthday in lieu of cake. And y’all, I love cake.

Here’s the crazy thing about these addictive little morsels: they shouldn’t work. You shouldn’t be able to melt butter and brown sugar together into a caramel, pour it over saltine crackers, bake it and sprinkle it with chocolate chips, and end up with a dessert that’s startlingly addictive.

Lucky for me, though, it does work. Oh, does it work. Here’s how.

crack(er) candy

1 stick of butter
1 cup brown sugar
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
2 cups of chocolate chips
kosher salt for sprinkling (optional)

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frosted sugar cookies

February 12, 2015 by Abby

Forget the crumbly, tasteless grocery store version. These homemade frosted sugar cookies are crisp and buttery around the outside and chewy in the middle. They’re everything a sugar cookie should be.

These cookies. These cookies.

Let’s be real for a second. Is there anything tastier than a well-made sugar cookie? I’m not talking about those crumbly, under-baked messes you buy from the “bakery” section of the grocery store. I’m talking about the real thing. The homemade version, with the slightly crunchy, buttery outside and the chewy, firm inside.

Every year I take my FBLA students to a district conference, where they compete in various business-related events. It isn’t the competition that they’re most excited about, though. It’s not the pizza we have for lunch, the scholarship opportunities, or even the day away from school that they most look forward to.

No, the thing my students spend all year talking about is these cookies. Because they’re that good, that buzz-worthy. If you think store-bought sugar cookies are “almost as good” as homemade, you owe it to yourself to make these and prove you wrong.

Frosted Sugar Cookies
cookie recipe adapted slightly from here, frosting recipe adapted slightly from here

for the cookies
1 1/4 cups butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
5 cups flour
1 tsp salt
4 tsp baking powder

for the frosting
3 cups powdered sugar
1 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
4 tsp whole milk or cream

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and sugar. Add in the vanilla, eggs, and milk and mix until well combined. Add the flour, salt, and baking powder and mix just until everything comes together.

Form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about an hour.

On a generously floured surface, roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness, cut cookie shapes with cookie cutters, and bake at 350 degrees for 9-11 minutes.

Using a stand or hand mixer, cream together butter and powdered sugar until they’re thick and well-mixed, about a minute. Add vanilla and milk or cream and mix on medium-high for about another minute.

Cool cookies completely before frosting.

What’s your favorite sugar cookie occasion?

Want to try more homemade favorites? Try these surprisingly simple and stunningly scrumptious peanut butter cup bars or this rich and fudgy mug brownie.

brown sugar balsamic strawberries

January 24, 2015 by Abby

Strawberries. Balsamic vinegar. Sugar. These are a few of my favorite things. They’re also three things I never would have imagined combining into one dish, let along enjoying. But a few years ago, I stumbled across a recipe- if you could even call it that; it basically just listed the three ingredients- on a blog I don’t recall. I was intrigued, and I happened to have everything I needed, so I threw it together.

The berries get tossed in the rich brown sugar and the acidic balsamic vinegar. Everyone rests in the fridge for a few minutes, getting chilled and cozy. When you pull it out to eat, the sugar and vinegar have come together to form a sweet and tangy sauce. The vinegar has begun to break down the berries, making them soft and delicate. It’s all a pretty lovely process.

It’s important to note that I’ve never followed a recipe when making this dish. I measured the last time I made it so that I’d be able to provide a recipe here, but keep in mind that there’s not really a wrong way to combine these three ingredients, so feel free to play around with it.

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cinnamon roll bars with cream cheese frosting

January 15, 2015 by Abby

Who doesn’t love cinnamon rolls? I know I do, and I even make them on occasion. I’m not afraid to work with yeast and there’s just something about a warm homemade cinnamon roll that defies description.

But this is real life. Sometimes it’s 10 p.m. and you remember, as you’re about to climb into bed, that you promised a group of students you’d feed them at your 7:30 a.m. meeting. And since cinnamon rolls are certainly not happening, you rack your brain for a simpler solution. Something mouth-watering, yes, but something that comes together quickly.

That’s where these cinnamon roll bars come in. The base is a box cake mix, so it doesn’t take too many more ingredients for them to come together. I love to bake the bars the night before, then whip up the frosting in the morning and frost them right before I walk out the door.

These bars are so easy, yet so moist and rich, that they could easily become a new make-ahead holiday favorite. Or, if you really love the people in your life, make them this weekend.

Cinnamon Roll Bars
adapted from Cookies & Cups

For the bars:
1 box white or yellow cake mix
3/4 cup melted butter
1/2 cup brown sugar (I’ve used light or dark; both work fine)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon water
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons cinnamon
cinnamon sugar for sprinkling (optional)

For the frosting:
1 8 oz. brick of cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened
4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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