Recipe: [Fancy] Homemade Hot Chocolate

Hello, Cooks!

Today, we are making homemade, absolutely fabulous, hot chocolate. (Disclaimer: This is not powder.)

Again, obviously not one I made.

The recipe is from: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1092/deluxe-hot-chocolate-with-marshmallows

Ingredients: 

• 600ml milk 
• 142ml pot double cream
• 100g chopped chocolate

Directions: 
Pour the milk, double cream and chopped chocolate into a pan. Bring gently to the boil, whisking until smooth. Serve in individual cups or mugs topped with mini marshmallows and a little grated chocolate.

The recipe says it makes four cups, and nutrition information is on the website.

I wish I had time to actually make these more often.

Now here's the fun part: You can add whatever other spices you want. You can add cinnamon, vanilla, maple, peppermint (or just get peppermint candies and let them dissolve in the hot chocolate), chili spices, cardamom. . . whatever you want. However, add a tiny amount, taste it, then add more. Spices are a lot stronger than you think.

Also, you can use different types of chocolate for a wider variety.

What's your favorite spice?

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/hot-chocolate-drink-coffee-122740/

Recipes: Buttercream Frosting*

Hello, Dessert-Lovers!

If you have never had buttercream frosting, you are missing out. I had never had it until this past year, and it is one of the best things ever. It is quite unhealthy, but we can just forget about that now. It's definitely worth it.

On a side note, I have decided all recipes copied directly from the website will be in golden-color words for clarity.

This recipe is from http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chai-cupcakes
This recipe is actually for chai cupcakes and frosting, so I just gave you the frosting without the extra spices. As a result, you may want slightly more vanilla.

Ingredients:

Unfortunately, this picture is from the internet.

• 6 tablespoons butter, softened
• 3 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 to 4 tablespoons 2% milk

In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy; beat in the confectioners' sugar, vanilla and remaining spice mixture until smooth. Add enough milk to reach desired consistency. Pipe frosting over cupcakes.

Frost, and enjoy! 

You can always add food coloring, (do this at the end), or mix a little other flavor, like cloves, cinnamon. . . in the frosting too.

Have fun baking!

Spruce Nogard

*Post actually written on June 26th. See here for details.

Attribution: https://pixabay.com/en/cupcake-sweets-dessert-food-cake-2386544/

 

Recipes: Coffee Cake

Hello, Cooks!

Here's an easy coffee cake recipe I found. It tastes wonderful!

It's from this website: https://lilluna.com/recipe-tip-deal-and-video-of-the-week-quick-coffee-cake/

Quick Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 1 cup oil
• 2 eggs beaten
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cup flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp salt
• 1½ cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• ½ cup margarine melted

Instructions

1. In a large mixing bowl. combine oil, eggs, vanilla and milk together.
2. In a medium bowl, blend together sugar, flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Combine egg mixture with flour mixture. Pour half the batter into a 9x13 pan.
4. In a medium bowl, prepare streusel by combining brown sugar and cinnamon.
5. Sprinkle half of streusel on top of the batter. Top with remaining batter and then sprinkle the remaining streusel on top.
6. Drizzle with melted margarine.
7. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 25-30 minutes. Makes 18-24 servings

Enjoy!

*Actually posted on May 31st. See here for details.

Spruce Nogard

Recipes: Coconut Cake Activity

Good Day, Friends!

Happy late Easter!

Today, even though Easter is past, I'm still going to post about it. :) This is more an activity, so be sure to steal some kids to help you! My grandma did this with us when we were little. (And as a result, I don't remember exactly what we did, so I'm kind of making up the parts I don't remember. :) )

Ingredients:
-Two box cakes
-Lots of White frosting (Enough to frost two or a little more than two box cakes)
-Food Coloring
-Sweetened, hydrated coconut
-Candies-M&Ms for eyes, cinnamon red-hots for nose, licorice (pull apart) for whiskers, candies for buttons
*All candies can be replaced as wanted; these are just examples.

First, make two box cakes: one in a 9x13 pan and two in 9" round pans.

Let cool.

Next, the fun begins!

1) Once you have your cakes, position one of the round cakes on a cookie sheet that will fit BOTH the round cakes AND the 9x13 cake the long way in a row. (I apologize for the basic diagrams, and I do wish I could make the cake and show you pictures of the actual cake, but, alas, I do not have time.) If you do not have cookie sheet long enough, sorry, but you're gonna have to figure something out. :)

2) Then, cut out two strips of ONE of the round cakes. They should go almost all the way across and be the same size.

3) Next, well, drum roll please. . . You are making an Easter Bunny! So, you need to figure out what color you want the different parts of your cake to be. Is he going to wear a shirt? What color will it be? What color are his ears? Once you figure that out, dye some (but not all) of your frosting that color. Then, dye some of your coconut that color. I believe you can do this by mixing a few drops of food coloring in with the coconut. Also, position the ears on top of the head.

4) After this, frost the cakes the colors you want. Make sure you frost the sides of the cakes as well. This can get a little messy because of the crumbs. Do the best you can. :) Then, gently press the coconut on.

5) Next, add eyes, a nose, mouth, whiskers, buttons, and other embellishments.

Enjoy!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions: https://pixabay.com/en/easter-bunny-candy-pink-pastels-2189397/

Recipe: Chocolate Fondue

Greetings, Friends!

Chocolate is one of my favorite foods ever. No matter what kind it is, it's delicious.

Chocolate fondue is pretty self-explanatory, but here are some ideas.

First, if you don't have a chocolate fondue pot, warm up chocolate in the microwave and make it ahead of time. This method is also easier, albeit less fun.

Second, use multiple types of chocolate. It's fun when you have dark chocolate fondue, milk chocolate fondue, white chocolate fondue, and bittersweet chocolate fondue, as opposed to just chocolate fondue.

Next, have a variety of fruit. You can also use marshmallows and other things, but I prefer fruit.
Some ideas for fruit you can use are:

• Pineapple
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Raspberries
• Whatever you want!
  

Finally, have a variety of toppings. Some topping ideas are:

• Nuts
• Coconut
• Sprinkles
• Whatever else you can find! 

I hope you like chocolate fondue! If you do make this or have made it, post in the comments!

Spruce Nogard

Attributions:

https://pixabay.com/en/white-chocolate-chocolate-sweet-380702/

https://pixabay.com/en/chocolate-dark-coffee-confiserie-183543/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/schogetten-chocolate-sweet-781746/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/pineapple-chunks-fruit-salad-chopped-1375872/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/red-raspberries-fruits-food-926840/ 

https://pixabay.com/en/apple-apples-slices-sliced-chopped-83160/

https://pixabay.com/en/strawberries-fruit-red-sweet-1350482/

https://pixabay.com/en/candy-dessert-strawberry-1252795/