Leslie Sarna

Peanut Butter Chews

Just what you need is another sweet recipe right?! But this one is super yummy and I know you'll enjoy it over the holidays!!

I made this old family recipe this past weekend with my Mom.  It was so much fun spending so much time in the kitchen with her and my Grandmother!  I love the holidays!

Peanut Butter Chews

Makes 12 squares

What you'll need:

1/3 cup butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 cup granulated sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup peanut butter

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup shredded coconut

What you'll do:

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt.  Mix in the coconut

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugars.  Then add in the eggs, peanut butter and vanilla.  Blend with mixer.

Blend the flour and creamed mixtures together.  Spread into greased 9”X13” baking pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Glaze when cool with ½ cup powdered sugar mixed with a little water.  Let harden and cut into squares.

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Grandma's Orange Kiss-Me Cake

So, have you recovered from Thanksgiving yet?  I'm on my way, but still full!  While I was down home with my family, I talked to my Mom a lot about family recipes.  She remembered this orange cake recipe that her Mother used to make all the time, we found the recipe and decided we had to make it.  Seriously, this cake explodes with flavor!  It is delicious and I would say just perfect for the holiday season!  I did change it up a little to make it vegan.  At the bottom of the post I'll give you the vegan and "normal" printer friendly options.  I hope you enjoy as much as we do.

Grandma's Orange Kiss-Me Cake

What you'll need:

1 large orange, squeezed and juice reserved for topping

1 cup raisins

1/3 cup walnuts

2 cups flour

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter, room temperature or earth balance

3/4 cup milk or soy milk

2 eggs or 2 very ripe bananas smashed

topping:

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

What you'll do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In a bowl, sift the flour, baking soda and salt, set aside.

In a food processor, grind the orange (after it's juiced has been squeezed), raisins, and walnuts until blended, but still chunky.  Pour into a large bowl.

In a large bowl, beat the sugar and butter until smooth and add in the milk.  Working in three batches add in the dry ingredients and beat for two minutes.

Add the eggs or bananas and beat an additional 2 minutes.

Fold in the orange, raisin, nut mixture.

Pour into a well greased 9 inch spring form pan.  Bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

When the cake is done and still warm, pour the 1/2 cup orange juice over the cake.  Combine the sugar, cinnamon, and chopped walnuts in a bowl and sprinkle over the top.

Let cool and serve.

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Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

Yesterday was the first Sunday in awhile that I had just to cook (my favorite kind of day!).  I started my day by flipping through my Grandmother's recipe box for a little Fall inspiration... I found a handwritten recipe for "apple cake" that I had never seen before.  Sounded delicious, but I decided to switch some ingredients out.  I took out the oil and made them vegan.  (I served these to a bunch of meat eaters and not one of them ever suspected they were vegan!!)  They turned out super yummy!  Happy Halloween!

Spiced Apple Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

Makes 2 dozen regular cupcakes

What you'll need:

4 cups peeled and chopped (1/4 inch pieces) tart apples (about 2 large apples)

2 super ripe bananas, mashed

2 cup sugar

1/2 cup applesauce

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

optional:

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1 cup raisins

Cinnamon Frosting

6 tbsp. vegan margarine (or butter)

1 tsp. cinnamon

2 cups powdered sugar

What you'll do:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together the apples, bananas, sugar and applesauce.  Add in the cinnamon and the optional nuts and raisins.  Sift flour, baking soda and salt together and blend with the apple mixture.  Pour into cupcake liners and bake for about 15 minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool on a wire rack.

To make the frosting, cream the butter, cinnamon and sugar together.  If it's too dry add a splash of soy milk and if too wet add a little more sugar.

Frost and serve :)

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The Perfect Combination...

Three ingredients: strawberries, creme fraiche, and brown sugar equals heaven!  I can't remember which of my friends introduced me to this years ago... (please come forward so I can properly thank you!), but ever since it's been one of my favorite ways to enjoy strawberries.  Seriously give this a try today, I mean it, stop reading and get to the store!

Serve a large bowl of strawberries with a bowl of creme fraiche and a bowl of brown sugar.  Demonstrate to guests by dipping your strawberry in creme fraiche then the brown sugar.  Watch their faces in amazement as they follow :)

Figs Glorious Figs

Man oh man oh man do I love figs!  It's an Italian tradition to have a fig tree in your yard.  Unfortunately I do not, but fortunately my parents do!  Every time the fruit gets ripe I high tail myself down to San Diego to eat some of their figs.  Now, I love eating these guys plain right off the tree, but I also love them broiled.  When you broil them you can serve them over salad, dessert or just about anything.  

Last night I cut them up, broiled them for just a second, and served them over vanilla bean ice cream.  Figs also go great with almond milk ice cream and then it becomes vegan too :)  This is one of my favorite summer desserts!  The sweet figs, the rich ice cream.... yum!  So if you need to beat the heat tonight, give these a try!

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Man, just when you think there is nothing better than cheesecake, you add chocolate!  Mmmmm!  This is an altered recipe of my Grandmothers.  It was a huge hit at the shower last weekend.  I hope you also enjoy!

Chocolate Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Makes 24 bars

What you'll need:

2 cups finely crushed oreos (or organic chocolate cookies)

3 tbsp butter, melted

3 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, softened

1 (14 oz) can of Sweetened Condensed Milk

3 eggs

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

4 oz of chocolate, melted

What you’ll do:

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.

Line a 13 X 9 baking pan with foil or wax paper.  In a bowl, combine crumbs and butter and press firmly into the bottom of the pan.

In another bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy, gradually beat in the sweetened condensed milk until smooth.  Add eggs and vanilla and mix.  Pour half of the batter evenly over the cookie crumbs.

Stir the melted chocolate into the remaining batter, mix well.  Spoon over the plain batter and using a knife, swirl the batter to make a marble like design.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  Cool then chill for a couple hours or overnight.

Enjoy!

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Waffles and Ice Cream

Waffles and ice cream have been a tradition in my family for generations.  When my Grandparents were dating, they used to go to the movies, then go out for waffles and ice cream.  Well, luckily for us, my grandparents passed this tradition down.  In fact, some of my fondest childhood memories included my Dad making us dinner because we knew odds were it would be waffles and ice cream!  It's one of the simplest, most delightful things I make.  Whenever I'm in a sad mood, this comforting meal cheers me up instantly!  So thank you Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa for this dish!

Waffle and Ice Cream

What you'll need:

waffles, your recipe or mine

ice cream

syrup or chocolate sauce

What you'll do:

Make the waffles and while they are still hot, top with ice cream and sauce.  

Enjoy!!!

Super Chic St. Patrick's Day Cupcakes

Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone! Check out these chic little cupcakes I did : )

 

Apple Pie

In honor of national Pi day, here is one of the best recipes I know of.  It's my Mom's Apple Pie recipe.  My Mom is such a talent in the kitchen!  She cooked homemade meals everyday and always encouraged me to learn and create.  So thanks Mom!

Mom's Apple Pie 

 For a 10 inch apple pie 

 Prepare a pastry for 10 inch two crust apple pie.

 Apple Filling: 

 1 cup sugar 

 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 

 ½ t. nutmeg 

 1 t. cinnamon 

 Dash of salt 

 8 cups thinly sliced pared tart apples 

 3 T. butter or margarine 

 Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; mix with apples. Turn apples into pastry-lined pie pan; dot with butter. Cover with top crust. Make slits in the crust to allow steam to escape. Seal and flute the top. Cover edges with 2-3 inch strip of foil to prevent excessive browning of the edges. Remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking. Bake for 40-50 minutes until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the top. (You may want to put a large cookie sheet on the rack below the pie, incase it drips the sugary mixture.) 

Cinnamon Bun Cupcakes

It's all the goey, yumminess of a cinnamon bun, wrapped neatly in a cupcake liner! : )  Baking these this way is so nice to serve to a large group of people.  There's no pulling them apart and getting your fingers all sticky!  Super easy and fabulous!  I baked these for my friend Ashley's "Bun in the Oven" baby shower.  They were a big hit!  But these would be a fabulous treat for your Valentine! 

 

Now there are plenty same day recipes out there that the dough comes together much faster, but I like to let the dough rise overnight.  So be aware of that before you start this recipe.

Cinnamon Bun Cupcakes

Makes about 2 dozen cupcakes

What you'll need:

1 pint of whole milk

1/2 vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1 packet of yeast

4 cups of flour (plus 1 more cup for later and more for dusting)

1 1/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. baking powder

2 sticks of melted butter

2 heaping tbsp. of ground cinnamon

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/2 cup brown sugar

For the frosting:

8 oz. cream cheese, room temp.

1/4 cup good butter (1/2 stick)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

What you'll do:

In a large pot, mix together the milk, vegetable oil and sugar.  Bring to a simmer and remove from the heat.  Let cool for about an hour.  Pour in the yeast and let sit a minute till it dissolves a little.  Add in the 4 cups of flour and mix well.  Cover with a lid and let rise for about an hour.

Add one more cup of flour, the baking soda and the baking powder.  Mix well and place the lid back on the pot and refrigerate overnight.  

I hope you slept well!  Now it's time to make the buns!

Get your counter space ready, by cleaning well, drying and sprinkling with flour.  Take half of the dough and roll out to a thin rough-rectangle shape.  Drizzle about a 1/2 a cup of melted butter over the dough evenly.  Sprinkle with a very very generous amount of cinnamon.  Then the white and brown sugar.  Starting at the opposite end start rolling the dough towards you.  Try to make it as tight as you can.  

Line your cupcake pan with liners and spray them very lightly with cooking spray.  

Using a serrated knife (like a bread knife), cut the roll in about 2-inch pieces and place them cut side down in the cupcake liners.  Let rise in the pan for about 30 minutes.  Meanwhile heat the oven to 375 degrees and make the frosting.  

Make the frosting, by mixing it all together in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment or a hand mixer.

Spoon some melted butter on top of the buns and put them in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes or until golden.  Remove from the oven and carefully remove the buns and place them on a wire rack.  Immediately frost with the cream cheese frosting so it melts into the buns.  

These are best served warm, but you can also serve them at room temp.

Enjoy!

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Tools I used:

Cupcake Pan

Cupcake Liners

Cinnamon