Moist carrot cake with lemon cream cheese frosting

Every year, I make sure that I have some local carrots saved from last fall so I can make this cake for Easter. The local carrots add so much to this cake, they are sweet and full of flavor. With these carrots, I am able reduce the sugar content in this recipe. We all agreed the cake is plenty sweet and delicious. I included a range for the sugar content so you can decide how much sugar to use in your cake.

This is a delicious carrot cake that I make for Easter; however, it is not just for Easter, it can be made for any occasion! It is made with the moist, spiced carrot bread base and is wrapped by the luscious lemony cream cheese frosting. It is definitely a crowd-pleaser!

Please try and let me how you liked it! I’d love to hear from you!

RECIPE

Makes 16 slices

Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature.

CAKE INGREDIENTS

1/2 – 2 cups brown sugar or confectioners sugar
4 large eggs
1 cup oil (I used coconut oil)
3/4 cup smooth unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (cut and sifted)
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp fine see salt
2 tsp apple spice or cinnamon powder
2 cups grated carrots
1 cup raisins (optional)
1 cup pecans for the cake, chopped, optional
4 oz fresh fruits for decoration, optional
1 cup nuts for the top, optional

FROSTING INGREDIENTS

Make sure all these ingredients are at room temperate

16 oz full-fat brick cream cheese
1/4 – 1/2 cup cream
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 – 3 cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
juice of 1 lemon
pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Making the cake

Set oven to 350°F. Butter and lightly flour the cake form. You can use parchment paper instead.
In a large bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (eggs, oil, applesauce, and vanilla) together until combined.
In separate large bowl, whisk dry ingredients (the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, cinnamon) together.
Mix the wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until just combined. Do not over mix!
Fold in the fun ingredients (carrots, raisins and the chopped pecans).
Divide the batter evenly pouring the batter into the two cake pans.
Let the dough rest for 1 hour if possible.
Bake for 30 – 35 minutes. Test the center with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cakes are done.
The cakes must be completely cool before frosting and assembling. Remove the cakes from the forms and set them on a rack.

Making the frosting

While the cake is cooling, make the cream cheese frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter together with a handheld mixer.
Add the sugar, vanilla extract, lemon juice, cream and a pinch of salt and continue beating the frosting until smooth. Frosting should be soft, but not runny.

Assembling the cake

Place 1 cake layer onto a serving cake platter. Spread some of the cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake layer (about 1/4 of the batch). Add the other cake layer. (Tip: Place the top cake layer upside down so you get a nice flat top that is easy to decorate). Using a spatula, spread the cream cheese frosting evenly over the top of the cake and the sides.

Serving

Decorate the top of the cake with the fruits and nuts of your choice.
Refrigerate cake at least for one hour before serving. This helps the cake hold its shape when cutting.
To store, cover and refrigerate. Keeps for up to 7 days.

Enjoy!

Photo and text by twincitiesherbs.

Decadent Black Bean Brownies

A few years ago, I had black bean brownies at a potluck. I love brownies but they tend to be rich and heavy. I remember looking at the brownies on the table and wished I could have had one … and soon afterwards the woman who baked the brownies came to me and invited me to try it … I explained to her that I really wanted to have one but brownies were a bit rich for me. Then she assured me that these brownies were not the regular brownies but they were made with black beans. Hmm I thought this was an interesting take on brownies … I kind of hesitated but then I gave it a try… and I am so glad I did! These are absolutely delicious, decadent brownies even better than the original!

These are very tasty, chewy and chocolaty brownies, no one will guess they are made with black beans. Try to use the best quality chocolate that you can possibly get as the chocolate is still an important part of the recipe. This is definitely a very healthy alternative to the original brownie recipes.

So why use black beans? Well, they are actually sweet. They also add protein to the brownies. The protein in the black beans helps to curb the blood sugar spikes that you would see with regular desserts.

RECIPE

Yields 12 slices

Ingredients

1 cup dried black beans or 1 can (15 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 – 1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 cup coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp coffee liquor
1 cup chocolate chips, divided
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8 x 8 x 2 inch baking pan or line it with parchment paper.
Clean and soak the beans for 8 hours. Remove the soaking liquid and discard. Cook the beans in fresh water for 2 hours. Strain. (Omit if using canned beans).
Add the black beans without its liquid to a food processor and chop until smooth. I don’t have a food processor, so I just mash the black beans with a potato masher. It works great.
In a bowl, mix the chopped black beans, egg, coconut oil, cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, coffee liquor, vanilla extract and salt until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
Stir in the chocolate chips and the nuts. You can do 1/2 cup of chocolate chips and save the other half for the top.
Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly.
Put half the chocolate chips on the top.
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Let the brownies cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Store in an air-tight container for 1 week.

enjoy!

Picture and text by twincitiesherbs.

Moist Carrot Bread with Whole Wheat Flour

This is a classic recipe for a moist carrot bread with an amazing rich texture and flavor! It is loaded with raisins and shredded carrots, infused with vanilla and warming spices and sprinkled with walnuts and sugar on top.

I use whole wheat flour instead of all purpose flour as it is better for health. Quick breads with all purpose flour are normally baked right after assembling the dough to prevent a ‘soapy’ after taste. However, the assembled dough with whole wheat flour needs to sit for 8 hours. This allows the flour to soften and prevents it from burdening our digestion. Honestly, I don’t notice this ‘soapy’ taste … the bread will be fine, just follow the recipe … trust me!

The recipe works for 1 big loaf or 2 smaller loaves as well. Just make sure you reduce the baking time. Otherwise, there are no other changes to the original recipe.

RECIPE

Ingredients

1/2 lb (16 Tbsp) butter (coconut oil is fine), melted
1/2 – 1 cup brown sugar + handful of white sugar for the top
2 cups whole wheat flour, cut and sifted
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finally chopped or 1/2 Tbsp dried ginger
1-2 tsp apple pie seasoning or cinnamon powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
3 cups grated carrots
3 eggs, lightly beaten

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Take butter out of the fridge.
Butter a 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan or two smaller ones if you decide to bake dough in two pieces.
In a medium sized bowl, cream the sugar with the butter. I do this step by hand but you can use an electric mixer. Add the eggs until they are incorporated. Set aside.
In a large bowl, sift together the dry ingredients.
Mix the dry ingredients with the butter mixture that was done earlier. Gently fold in the shredded carrots and the raisins. Mix. Make sure you don’t overdo this step.
Pour the mixture into the prepared pan or pans. Sprinkle sugar and chopped nuts on top of the bread evenly over the entire area.
Let the mixture sit overnight covered. You can put it in the fridge just let it warm up to room temperature before baking it.
Bake for 60 – 70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean and the top is golden brown. (If you divide the mixture in two parts, cook for 55 – 60 minutes).
Take the pan out of the oven and let it cool. You can slice the bread as soon as it cooled off.
Store at room temperature covered with a kitchen cloth or place in an airtight container. Unsliced, it can last up to one week.

Enjoy!

Photo and text by Twincitiesherbs.

Home-made Christmas bon bons with nuts and raisins (Házi Szaloncukor)

Our grandmothers, great-grandmothers used to make delicious sweets for Christmas. I don’t have the exact recipe my great-grandmother used; however, I have this modernized version, it works as a great replacement. The three main ingredients are raisins, walnuts, and coconuts along with some other flavorings are made into small balls. Then, they are dipped in chocolate of your choice and voila! … this healthy sweet AKA szaloncukor is ready to be hung on your Christmas tree or if you can’t resist you can just eat is as it is!

In the old days, they used honey, nuts and dried fruits like quince, raisins and apples. They also added foraged herbs that varied from country to country and region to region and often included fennel, lavender, rose petals, juniper berries, sumac etc. Ever since the exotic spices arrived from the East, people have been using cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg etc. I personally really like adding shredded coconuts and oranges as they are readily available and taste delicious.

TIP

You can make either ball shaped or rectangular shaped bon bons.

Ball shape: Take a measuring spoon (I used 1 tablespoon) and roll the dough into ball shapes.

Rectangular shape: Make 1 inch deep log shape. You can use a rolling pin and your hands to get a nice rectangular shape. Cut even pieced bon bons.

See pictures below.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup walnut, chopped
3/4 cup raisins, chopped
1/3 cup shredded coconut
peel of 1/2 orange, grated or 1 tsp dried orange peel
juice if 1 orange or 1 Tbsp orange juice
pinch of salt, more for decorating
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
300 gr or 11 oz chocolate chips
6 Tbsp coconut oil or unsalted butter

METHOD

Combine the raisins, nuts, shredded coconut, vanilla extract, orange peel, juice, cinnamon, cardamom and salt. Mix and make a large ball shaped dough.
Refrigerate for 20 min so dough is not too warm or soft.
Create the bon bons. Make either smaller balls, 1 inch in diameter or make rectangular shapes. Please see for more information above under Tips.
In a double boiler, start slowly melting the chocolate chips. Add the butter. Mix until you get a ‘flowy’ consistency, meaning when you lift up a ladle full of chocolate, the chocolate flows down evenly.
Dip each bon bon in the melted chocolate. I used a fork and let the unused chocolate fall back in the pot.
Place them on a wire rack and let them cool.
Cut out squares of paper or cloth, big enough to cover the prepared bon bons (about 15 x 1 5 cm or 5 x 5 inch). Parchment paper works great too. Place the bon bons in the middle of this squared shaped paper or cloth and wrap the ends around. Twist the ends tightly to create the classic szaloncukor shape. Please see my picture for clarification.

Merry Christmas! Boldog Karácsonyt!

Photo and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Festive Plum Dumplings With Poppy Seeds (Szilvás gombóc)

Hungarian plum dumplings (szilvás gombóc) is basically a savory dish with plums wrapped in a dough made with mashed potatoes and flour. It is often served as a second dish after a heavier soup but can be a dessert as well.

This dish is a little variation to the recipe that most people make in Hungary. I added poppy seeds instead of bread crumbs to coat the balls. In Transylvania, plum dumplings are often coated with poppy seeds. Poppy seeds are popular at Christmas time as they are full of flavor and supposed to be calming and nourishing as well. Oh one more, Hungarians believe that poppy seeds bring good luck for the new year.

Also, I used prunes instead of fresh plums because fresh plums are not available right now. Honestly, I can’t tell the difference.

These 2 changes to the recipe would make this otherwise already fabulous dish perfect for the holidays.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

about 1 lb russet potatoes (4-5 potatoes)
2 cups all purpose flour
1 egg
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
18 sweet prunes

Coating

2 cups poppy seed, ground
1 cup walnuts (finally chopped)
5 Tbsp butter or coconut oil
3 Tbsp milk or water
1 tsp cinnamon or apple pie seasoning
5+1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

DIRECTIONS

Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes with the skin on in a large pot. I like to use a metal steamer with ‘feet’ so the vitamins and minerals don’t leach into the water and so they don’t soak up too much water. Add cold water to the pot with a little salt. Bring it to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium low. Cook them with the lid on for about 45 – 60 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. (You can use a pressure cooker instead). Peel them while they are still hot but you can handle.

Puree the potatoes. Puree the potatoes while they are still warm with a potato masher. (You can use a potato ricer if you want to get a smoother dough). I was able to do it as soon as the peels were taken off. Set aside.

Make the dough. Sift flour and salt. Add egg and butter, mix. Add the mashed potatoes while still warm from earlier and mix until combined. Make a ball shape. Do not add more flour.

Let the dough rest for 1 hour. You can put it in the refrigerator if the room is too warm.

Soak the prunes. Meanwhile, soak the prunes in water for 1 hour. Set aside.

Make the poppy seed coating. Melt the 5 tablespoon butter on low heat and add the poppy seeds and 3 tablespoon milk or water, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes. Make sure the butter doesn’t burn. Add the cinnamon, sugar and chopped walnuts. Mix. This will be used to coat the balls.

Sugar mix for the inside of the balls. Also, mix the 3 Tbsp sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon and a pinch of salt for the inside of the balls

Boil the water for cooking the plum balls. Fill a 5 quart pot with about 3 quart water. Bring to a boil with a little salt.

Preparing the dough. After 1 hour, start working with the dough. Cut the dough in half. Place one of them on a flat, floured surface. Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface with a rolling pin. Cut out about 9 squares about 3 inches wide and 1 cm thick.

Squeeze the liquid out of the prunes from earlier step.

Assemble the balls. Place one of the dough squares into your palm. Put a plum in the dough. Fold corner by corner gently tucking the stuffing inside and then roll it to make a ball. Do this with each square. Coat them in flour. Please look at the pictures for clarification.

Take the other half of the left over dough and repeat the earlier steps. Do this procedure until all the dough is used up.

Boiling the plum balls. When the water starts boiling, you can slowly drop the balls in the water one by one. Try to gently stir them to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot. When the dumplings come to the surface, cook them for about another 5 more minutes and remove them with a slotted spoon.

Coating the plum balls. Coat the dumplings with the poppy seed mixture that you prepared earlier and roll them around until they are well coated.

Serve warm with a little vanilla sugar, cinnamon sugar or honey. Or all three.

Enjoy! Jó étvágyat!

Photo and text by twincitiesherbs.

Lemon meringue cake

The lemon yellow color can bring sunshine into our homes! This delicious dessert could become the center piece of your Easter celebration instantly. The tart and tangy lemon filled cake is topped with the fluffy sweet meringue. I like using lemons in baking because they offset the sweetness of desserts and give an interesting flavor. Also, it is packed with the important theme of Easter, eggs of course. It is super easy to make and delicious at the same time. In our house, my daughter will be making it for Easter this year.

RECIPE

INGREDIENTS

Crust

12 Tbsp (165 gr) butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla concentrate
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, cut and sifted

Lemon filling

4 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice + the zest (2-3 fresh lemons)
1/4 cup flour

Meringue

3 egg white, room temperature
1 pinch salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 cup sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 325 F (170 C). Set the rack in the middle of the oven. Grease and line a 9″ baking dish with parchment paper.

Separate the 3 eggs for the meringue now as it is easier to do when eggs are cold. Make sure they are at room temperature when you beat them.

Make the crust. Cream the sugar, vanilla extract and the butter. Gradually add the flour with salt mixing by hand just until a crumbly ball forms.

Place the prepared dough in the pan. Using your hands press against the bottom and about 1 inch (2 cm) up the sides. Poke the dough with a fork about 6-8 times. Bake for 20 minutes or until the dough has a nice golden brown color.

Make the lemon filling. In a medium sized bowl whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon juice and zest and the flour together. Make sure you grade the lemons before you can them up. (It is almost impossible to zest a cut lemon).

When the crust is done baking, remove it from the oven. Pour the lemon filling over the crust and return it to the oven for 30-40 minutes, until the filling no longer jiggles and the center is mostly set.

Make the meringue in the last 5 minutes before the shell is done baking. In a clean, medium bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat the egg white until stiff peaks form. Add about half of the sugar and the cream of tartar, whip for 30 seconds. Add the rest of the sugar and whip until combined.

Transfer the meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a large tip or zip-lock bag with a corner snipped off. I piped the meringue on the top covering the entire surface making large peaks each time.

Return to the oven for 10 – 12 minutes, until the meringues are lightly browned.

Let cool completely, then refrigerate for 1 hours.

Serve at room temperature.

enjoy!

Text, recipe and photo by Twincitiesherbs.

A Story of Santa (gift giving)

Often when you ask children what their favorite holiday is they say … Christmas! And then you ask why … because they get presents. I’m sure that is how I would have answered those questions back when I was a little girl. This is a very magical holiday for sure … but as we get older, we start thinking about giving too.

Many people enjoy giving treats at Christmas time. But where did the idea of Christmas gift giving come from? … and what about Santa and his rein deer?

Let’s go back in time. It is believed that it came from an old Pagan tradition. Giving gifts can strengthen the ‘family and well-being of others’, an important theme during this time of the year. This custom was part of the tradition of exchanging mushrooms as a gift at the time in the Northern part of Siberia. Mushrooms were special because of their connection to longevity. People delivered the wrapped carefully prepared dried mushrooms to people’s houses for celebrating the winter solstice. There was so much snow that they could not open the doors. The packages had to be dropped off through the holes on top of the yurts, where the smoke could escape. Also, these people used rein deer for transportation in the snow. And there is even more check this out … I need to mention that their traditional clothing is red and white … hence comes the story of Santa dressed in red and white, delivering presents through the chimney down the fire place with the help of some rein deer…

After so many years, we are still exchanging gifts. Giving home-made foods can be meaningful for both the giver and the receiver. If you are not sure what to give this year, maybe consider giving cookies. I’m presenting two different cookie recipes that can be gifted during the holidays. They are ‘Christmas’-y and mouth watering.

Wishing everyone a very merry Christmas!

Please check out the following links for the recipes.

For the coffee lover: Chocolate espresso crinkle

For the gluten free or the nut lover person: Pecan meringue cookies

Source

https://www.shamanicevolution.org/writings/shaman-claus-the-shamanic-origins-of-christmas

Art, photos, text by twincitiesherbs.

Chocolate espresso crinkle cookies

You can surely impress your guests with these rich chocolate cookies or maybe you can just use this recipe for a last minute gift for your neighbors… The crunchy outside is coupled with the melt-in-your-mouth soft inside and is elevated to another level with the espresso flavor. Enjoy!

Recipe

Makes 16 cookies

Ingredients

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tsp instant espresso powder
1 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
4 ounces bittersweet or semisweet baking chocolate
1 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup powdered sugar, for coating

Preparations

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Start melting the chocolate. I used a double boiler.

In a larger bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, espresso powder, baking powder and salt. Make sure you use some kind of a sifter, tea strainer as the powdered sugar and the cocoa powder need to be without knots. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, cream the butter with the brown sugar. Add the egg and mix until incorporated.

Mix in the melted chocolate and the milk.

Add the flour mixture from earlier until you get a ball shaped dough. Put in a plastic bag and place in the freezer for 45 minutes.

Butter a cookie sheet. Form 2 inch balls.

Pour 1/2 cup of powdered sugar in a medium sized bowl. In batches, roll the balls in the sugar and let the balls sit for a minute in the sugar. Repeat one more time.

Place the balls about 1 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Bake for 12 – 14 minutes. They should be soft but not fall apart. Let the cookies stay on the baking sheet for 5 minutes to cool.

Transfer them on a wire rack for 15 minutes. They will harden.

enjoy!

Photos and text by twincitiesherbs.com.

Pecan meringue cookie recipe

Meringue cookies have been one of my favorite Holiday desserts since my childhood … maybe because I don’t care much for the heavier desserts but still enjoy a bit of sweetness during Christmas time. These simple cookies are delicious and airy. They have just the right amount of texture with the nuts and the almond essence. They would be a great gift for those friends and family members who like something sweet with a little bit of crunchiness or eat gluten free foods. Of course, this is a great recipe to have on hand so you can use up all those left over egg whites. Enjoy!

RECIPE

Ingredients

(makes about 2-3 dozens)

4 egg whites, room temperature
1/8 tsp salt
1 cup of granulated sugar (regular sugar pulsed for about 10 seconds in a food processor)
1 tsp almond extract
1/2 cup of finally chopped walnuts or pecans or almonds
1/4 tsp cream of tatar

Preparation

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.

Line a baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a larger sized bowl, on medium high speed quickly beat (few minutes) the egg whites until they are frothy but not hard. Do not over beat.

Add the sugar gradually on high speed. It is important to add the sugar 1 Tbsp at a time to make sure they get incorporated nicely. I had a family member who did this. On a low setting beat in the vanilla, cream of tartar, almond extract and salt. Gently fold in the nuts with a spatula.

Drop a tablespoon-full of the egg white mixture onto the parchment paper lined cookie sheets, spacing them about 1 inch apart. I used a piping bag with a large nozzle to get a more uniform shapes.

Bake for 50 – 60 minutes. Cookies should not be damp. Leave them in the oven for another hour while the oven is cooling.

Repeat with the rest of the egg white mixture.

enjoy!

^{Happy Holidays!}

Winter / Christmas dishes

December brings forth Winter Wonderland and the Holidays. When I think of Christmas dishes, warming and festive winter foods come to my mind. For me Christmas is a lot about cooking and baking … and of course music. I’m already looking forward to all the baking and cooking I will be doing and singing along my favorite Christmas music…