Lollicake Treats For Madilyn’s Birthday!

Kelli-headshotBy Kelli Morgan

Lollicakes

I was soooo super-excited when I found out I could bring homemade treats for Madilyn’s preschool class for her birthday. Since August, my mind has been racing with adorable cupcake and cookie ideas. My sweet hubby surprised me with lollicakes from an upscale grocery store in town awhile ago. They were so cute and bite-size, and Madilyn loved them. Kids love cupcakes and anything on a stick, so it was a no-brainer! Now I just had to figure out how to make them! If you do a search for lollicakes online, you will find the most amazing, adorable creative ideas. I figured I had better stick to the basics for my first time! They ended up being super easy to make. It just takes a little time and patience! They were a huge hit with the kids and teachers! All the parents were impressed when I brought them in, too!

This recipe was adapted from Bakerella.com.

Warning: There is nothing healthy about this recipe!

Lollicakes

Ingredients

  • 1 box white cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
  • 1 can Funfetti frosting (16 oz.)
  • 1 package melting chocolates (I used Wilton’s.)
  • lollipop sticks
  • assorted sprinkles and toppings
  • baggies for wrapping
  • twist ties or ribbons
  • wax paper

Directions:

1. After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

lollicakes

2. Mix thoroughly with 1 can frosting. (It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but be warned – it will get messy!)

3. Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (I used a large cookie scoop to get them the same size)

lollicakes

4. Chill for an hour. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

5. Melt a small amount of chocolate in microwave per directions on package. I only melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

6. Dip a stick in the melted chocolate and insert into the lollicake. Repeat for all the balls. Chill for another hour.

7. Roll balls in chocolate and lay on a baking sheet lined in wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.) If you want your balls perfectly round, stand them up in a foam block to cool. I like to stick them back in the freezer to make sure they are extra firm. They thaw quickly.

lollicakes

8. Place lollicakes in little bags and secure with twist tie or ribbon. I left mine in the freezer until they were ready to serve.

lollicakes

To learn more, follow Kelli on Twitter @kellird2004

The Great Pumpkin

Kelli-headshotBy Kelli Morgan

Oh, how I love this time of year! Living in the desert makes you truly appreciate fall! Finally no more 110 degree days!!! Besides getting to wear my Juicies and jeans again, I always look forward to whipping up some recipes with pumpkin! Not only is it super yummy and a crowd-pleaser, it is also super nutritious!

Pumpkin

It's pumpkin season!

The bright orange color of pumpkin is a dead giveaway that pumpkin is loaded with an important antioxidant, beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is one of the plant carotenoids converted to vitamin A in the body. In the conversion to vitamin A, beta carotene performs many important functions in overall health. Current research indicates that a diet rich in foods containing beta-carotene may reduce the risk of developing certain types of cancer and offers protection against heart disease. Beta-carotene offers protection against other diseases as well and some degenerative aspects of aging. I don’t know about you, but I love thinking that my pumpkin recipes are helping to turn back the clock!

Here are a few of my favorite pumpkin recipes:

Pumpkin Black Bean Soup
I am totally obsessed with black beans. My family eats them in some form everyday! This soup combines the hearty goodness of black beans with the sweet creaminess of pureed pumpkin. It is sure to be one of your families favorites too!

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 cups canned or packaged vegetable stock found in soup aisle)
1 can (14 1/2 ounces) diced tomatoes in juice
1 can (15 ounces) black beans, drained
2 cans (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (found often on the baking aisle)
1 tablespoon curry powder, 1 palm full
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin, 1/2 palm full
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, eyeball it in the palm of your hand
Coarse salt
20 blades fresh chives, chopped or snipped, for garnish

Heat a soup pot over medium heat. Add oil. When oil is hot, add onion. Saute onions for 5 minutes. Add broth, tomatoes, black beans and pumpkin puree. Stir to combine ingredients and bring soup to a boil. Reduce heat to medium low and stir in curry, cumin, cayenne and salt, to taste. Simmer 5 minutes. At this point, I use my hand-held stick blender to smooth it out. It is fine if you don’t have one, but I love how thick and creamy the soup gets by blending it. Garnished with chopped chives.
*This recipe is from Rachel Ray’s vegetarian cookbook. It is one of her older cookbooks, and I love it. I’ve never made anything from it that is not amazing!

Creamy Carrot and Pumpkin Soup
This soup is much lighter than the Pumpkin Black Bean Soup. It pairs perfectly with a nice panini or green salad for dinner.

3 tablespoons butter, divided
1 cup chopped onion
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 cans pumpkin puree
3 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
3 cups chopped carrot (about 1 pound)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in cinnamon and nutmeg; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Move onion mixture to side of pan; add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to open space in pan. Increase heat to medium-high; cook 1 minute or until butter begins to brown. Add 3 cups water, broth, pumpkin and carrot; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 35 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

2. This soup is best served smooth. If you do not own a stick blender, you can work in batches using your blender or food processor.

Pumpkin Spiced and Iced Cookies
I made these cookies a few times last year. They were a hit with all my friends and family. I think I will try them again this year with my Earth Balance vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips. I’m sure they will be just as good! Here is the original recipe from Libby’s Pumpkin.

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 can (15 oz.) LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease baking sheets.

2. Combine flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter and sugar in large mixer bowl until creamy. Beat in pumpkin, eggs and vanilla extract. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in morsels and nuts. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto prepared baking sheets.

3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle or spread with Vanilla Glaze.

For Vanilla Glaze:
Combine 1 cup powdered sugar, 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl; mix well.
Pumpkin Pecan Pie

Last, but not least, is my Pumpkin Pecan Pie.
I found this recipe last year in Prevention magazine and decided to try it out on Thanksgiving. It combines several traditional holiday flavors into one spectacular dessert. The gingersnap crust saves lots of calories over a traditional crust, and it tastes amazing!

1/4 cup butter, divided
1 1/4 cup gingersnap cookies crumbs (about 30 cookies)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 can pureed pumpkin
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, divided
2 tbsp honey
3/4 cup pecan halves

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Melt 2 tbsp butter in a microwave safe bowl. Mix with with cookie crumbs and add vanilla. Press onto the bottom and sides of a 8 inch pie place. Bake for 10 minutes and cool.

3. Blend pumpkin, egg, egg white, cinnamon, nutmeg, and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Spread in crust.

4. Bake until filling is set around edges or knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes. Remove pie from oven.

5. Heat broiler. Combine honey and remaining 1/4 cup sugar and 2 tbsp of butter in a small saucepan. Cook over heat until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Stir in pecans to coat.

6. Spread topping over pie. Broil until bubbly and golden, about 2 minutes. Watch is closely so it doesn’t burn!!!

Be creative – try adding pureed pumpkin to your vanilla protein shakes, oatmeal, pancake mix and even ice cream (or banana “ice cream”). Pumpkin seeds are delicious and nutritious as well. I have been adding them to everything lately. My favorites are on top of salads and in Katie’s granola recipe!

To learn more, follow Kelli on Twitter @kellird2004

Chill Out with Summer Cocktails

This morning on The Early Show, I showed Harry Smith some of my favorite affordable summer wines and cocktails. You might be surprised to see some of my wine choices come in a box! Boxed wines have lost their stigma and many are very good, plus they’re eco-friendly.

Click links for detail cocktail recipes:
Frozen Southsiders
Grappa Fizz
Vermouth Spritz

 

Wine Information:

Boxed Wines:
Domaine Le Garrigon – 2008 Domaine Le Garrigon is a blend of Grenache, Carignan and Syrah coming from Côtes-du-Rhône. The wine is medium-bodied with both red and black fruit and black pepper notes. Garrigon is perfect for the summer as it will pair beautifully with grilled meats-from lamb kabobs to turkey burgers to steaks. The vineyards are certified organic and this three-liter box holds four regular bottles of wine and will keep fresh for up to three weeks. $41

Yellow+Blue Malbec – From a marketing standpoint, the complete package is genius, but is the wine any good? Having seen other efforts offer poor juice; we were skeptical. The wine is great and perfect for a barbecue picnic. A medium- to full-bodied wine with fine tannins and a lingering, complex finish. Yellow+Blue is certified organic wine in an environmentally-friendly package. $12

California Natural Products, Calnaturale Chardonnay – We think this fun, tasty Chardonnay from Northern California in the convenient and environmentally friendly Tetra Pak is the perfect picnic wine! While not overly complex, it delivers a lot of pleasure. Pair this wine with pasta, fruit and cheese. $7

White Wines:
Spring Seed Wine Co., Four O’Clock Chardonnay – Produced from a single-vineyard in South Australia, this Chardonnay is unoaked and has delicious stone fruit and floral aromatics. Acidity keeps the wine lively. Enjoy with a wide range of food from grilled pork chops to lobster. $16

Chateau du Champ des Treilles, Vin Passion Sauvignon Blanc Blend – Sainte-Foy Bordeaux is known for producing value, white wines. It just so happens they’re delicious, too, with mouth-watering acidity and floral notes. Great as an apertif, or with cheese and seafood. $15

Chateau du Champ des Treilles, Vin Passion Sauvignon Blanc Blend – Sainte-Foy Bordeaux is known for producing value, white wines. It just so happens they’re delicious, too, with mouth-watering acidity and floral notes. Great as an apertif, or with cheese and seafood. $15

Red and Rose Wines:
Montinore Pinot Noir – The 2008 Pinot Noir is the product of a lovely Indian Summer. Pinots just loves a long, slow ripening period, and that’s just what it got in 2008. The colors are deep and ruby. The aromatics are of clean, very rich, ripe fruit, without any cooked or jammy notes. The acids are perfectly balanced, with mouth-filling, full-bodied wines with fine-grained, elegant tannins. $18

La Croix Du Prieur Grenache Blend – Coming from a medieval plot inside the city of Marseille, this wine is classically Provencal with fresh berry fruit and crisp acidity. A versatile food wine, this will match everything from garden salad to grilled meat. $16

Christian Venier, La Gautrie Cabernet Franc – We love this wine. It has a low alcohol level, expressive aromatics, excellent acidity and is a perfect food partner. Black pepper, olive, cherry and earthy notes combine for a complex nose. Serve slightly chilled. $17

Wine descriptions courtesy of Appellation Wines & Spirits.

Memorial Day Menu

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer, and no doubt, there will be plenty of barbecues going on this weekend.

Nobody wants to be stuck inside preparing all the food while everyone else is outside enjoying themselves, so “Early Show” contributor Katie Lee has come up with some delicious recipes that can all be done ahead of time.

Detail Recipes:

Chili Dogs with Buttermilk Coleslaw

Baked Beans

Broccoli Salad

Cookies ‘n Cream Ice Cream Cake

Marrakech in My Kitchen

Click here to see the original recipe

Each month, when I come home to find Food & Wine has been tucked through my mail slot, I get a kind of giddy excitement that I can only liken to a kid who just picked up their favorite comic book. I like to put on a pot of tea, curl up on the couch, and flip through the magazine fantasizing about the recipes I find on its pages — I swear, sometimes it’s as if I can actually smell the scents wafting off the pages!  With every issue I’m transported to a number of different locales and in the May issue, I went straight to the “Paula Wolfert Rediscovers Marrakech” story by Emily Kaiser.

Marrakech has been on my “list” of places I want to visit for a few years now, and for one reason or another, I’ve yet to take the trip.  The photos that accompany the story (by the very talented Quentin Bacon) drew me right in and made me want to cook the recipes immediately.

I chose the recipe for Pot-Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cumin (“dar yacout”) and set out to the grocery store.  The dish is actually a salad, meant to be served warm or room temperature, but I wanted it to be my main course, so I added some chickpeas to make it a little heartier.  As I got started experimenting, I worried about compromising the integrity of the recipe, but I decided to just roll with it, adding some onions and preserved lemon as well.  I put on a pot of quinoa as well and when it was done, I stirred in some chopped cilantro, parsley, and a little butter.

The final dish — a real winner that I will make again and again.  Today I had the leftovers for breakfast with a fried egg on top — delicious!

Here’s the recipe that I made, adapted from Paula Wolfert’s in the May Food & Wine:

Eggplant with Tomatoes and Chickpeas

1 large eggplant
4 garlic cloves, minced
Kosher salt
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 (28 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, diced, with juices
1 preserved lemon rind, chopped
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
2 teaspoons sweet smoked paprika
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat.  Using a fork, prick the eggplant in a few places.  Add the eggplant to the casserole, cover and cook over medium low heat, turning once, until charred on the outside and soft within, about 40 minutes.

Transfer the eggplant to a colander set in the sink.  Use a sharp knife to make a lengthwise slit in the eggplant and let it drain for 10 minutes.  Scrape the flesh into a bowl and discard the skin, and mash.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until translucent.  Using a large knife, mash the garlic to a coarse paste with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Add paste to the skillet, along with tomatoes, eggplant, preserved lemon, parsley, cilantro, paprika, cumin, and red pepper.  Cook for about 10 minutes until the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the chickpeas and cook an additional couple of minutes.  Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.

Breakfast To Get You Going

Mom was right! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.  Studies show that people who eat breakfast have more success losing weight and an easier time at maintaining their weight.  It’s important to eat breakfast within an hour of waking up to “jump start” your metabolism.

This morning I showed Harry Smith at The Early Show some of my favorite healthy breakfast recipes.  Each ingredient was thoughtfully chosen for optimum results.  All just in time to get ready for bikini season!

Triple Berry Smoothie

Berries and pomegranate juice are filled with antioxidants and vitamins.  Kefir has been gaining popularity lately due to its high level of probiotics, protein, and calcium.  Probiotics increase immunity and people with a diet high in calcium have been shown to have an easier time at losing weight.  The addition of oats adds fiber and makes the smoothie more filling.

1 cup mixed frozen berries
1 cup plain kefir
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
1 tablespoon honey or agave

Egg and Avocado Sandwich

A boiled egg and whole wheat English muffin are already a balanced start, but we are adding even more! Hummus is made of chickpeas, which are low in fat but high in complex carbohydrates and fiber, and have a low-glycemic index, which means they will prevent hunger longer.  Avocados have 20 essential nutrients and act as an enabler for the body to absorb fat-soluble  vitamins.
1 toasted whole wheat English muffin
2 tablespoons hummus
1 boiled egg, sliced
1/2 avocado, sliced

Elvis-style Buckwheat Pancake Sandwich

Buckwheat has a low-glycemic index and has more protein than grains like wheat and has cholesterol-lowering abilities.  Nuts help keep you full longer and bananas are a good way to get a serving of fruit.  To add more of a nutrient boost, stir in some wheat germ or flaxseed into the pancake batter.

2 cups buckwheat
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 cups low-fat milk or buttermilk
1 egg, plus one egg white
Optional: Add in a tablespoon of wheat germ or flaxseed for a nutrient boost

Sliced banana
Almond butter or peanut butter

Preheat a griddle over medium heat.

In a large bowl, sift dry ingredients together.  In a seperate bowl, whisk milk with eggs.  Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients and stir until just combined.

Spray griddle with nonstick cooking spray.  Pour about 1/3 cup of batter per pancake onto the griddle.  When small bubbles begin to form on the tops of the pancakes, they are ready to be flipped, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Once pancakes are cooked, they can be cooled and frozen.  Reheat right in the toaster, just like toast.

Spread a pancake with almond butter or peanut butter, top with sliced banana, and another pancake to eat as a sandwich on the go.

Unbelievably Light Cheesecake

My love of butter didn’t come from my mother. In fact, her cooking is pretty much the antithesis of mine. I sometimes get a little heavy handed with the rich ingredients, and she always finds a way to cut them out. Whenever she’d make a cake, my grandpa would mutter something along the lines of “well, she left all the good stuff out….”

I’ll admit, I’m a skeptic of low-fat cooking, but sometimes she just hits the nail on the head and makes me a believer (temporarily).  This Easter weekend, she made the most unbelievably light, decadently sinful, cheesecake.  The shocker? It was low fat.  As everybody in the family practically licked their plates and lined up for seconds, she slyly smiled and gloated, “It’s made with light cream cheese.”

Not one to keep her recipes a secret, she suggested I share it with all of you.

Mom’s Unbelievably Light Lemony Cheesecake

1/3 cup cookie or cracker crumbs (Mom used amaretti cookies that are like meringues and contain no flour, but graham cracker crumbs would work just fine.)

Non-stick cooking spray
2 cups light cottage cheese
1 package light cream cheese
3 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Sliced strawberries, for garnish

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Spray a springform pan with cooking spray.  Use a measuring cup to gently press the cookie crumbs into a crust.  The crust is not supposed to be very thick.

Put all remaining ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Bake for 40 minutes.  Let cool completely.  Serve with fresh berries.

Countdown to Easter


Katie Lee showed how to cook a home-style Easter dinner that includes a glazed ham and deviled eggs.

The Schedule:

Friday:

  • Do the grocery shopping.

On Saturday:

  • Prepare glaze, cool and refrigerate.
  • Boil eggs, cool and refrigerate.
  • Saute leeks, cool and refrigerate.
  • Shred gruyere cheese.
  • Wash and trim asparagus.  Wrap in damp paper towels and refrigerate.
  • Make and bake cupcakes.  Let cool and store in an airtight container.

Morning of:

  • Two hours before baking, remove ham from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature.  Reheat glaze, and start baking about 3 hours before serving time.
  • Prepare deviled egg filling.  Put in baggy and refrigerate.
  • Make cream cheese frosting and ice cupcakes.

Just before serving time:

  • Fill deviled eggs.
  • Cook grits.
  • While ham is resting before carving, roast asparagus.

Recipes (Click the name of recipe for more detail )

Katie Lee's Tasty Chicken Pot Pie

Comfort food is always a warm standby in chilly weather. But don’t let your winter blahs make your food “blah,” too. Take your dinner to the next level like “Early Show” contributor Katie Lee. Lee showed on the broadcast how you can take a classic American favorite: chicken pot pie, and bring the dish to life with some simple, flavorful changes.

Detail recipes click here!