Carolyn Braden says "Yummy Black Bottom Muffin/Cupcake Recipe"

Here's a great dessert/muffin recipe I just tried. It's from Woman's Day magazine. If I made these again, I may try using a brownie base under the cheesecake layer. The cake part was really good, but I love brownies and by adding a brownie base, it would make these more of a dessert.

1 8-oz pkg cream cheese (I used 1/3 less fat Philly)
1 large egg
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 cup mini-chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup canola oil (I only had vegetable oil and it worked just fine as a substitute)
1 tsp white vinegar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line mini-muffin tins with paper liners. (I also sprayed the liners with Baker's cooking spray).
Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, egg, 1/3 cup of the sugar and 1/4 tsp of the salt in a large bowl until creamy; stir in the chocolate chips.

In a second large bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking soda, remaining cup of sugar, and 1/2 tsp salt. Add the oil, vinegar, vanilla, and 1 cup water, and mix until fully incorporated.

Spoon enough of the chocolate batter into each cup so that they are filled halfway (about 2 tsp each). Top each with a rounded tsp of the cream cheese mixture, gently spreading it over the chocolate layer.

Bake until the cupcakes are puffed and barely golden, 15-20 minutes.










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Carolyn Braden says "Cake Push-Pops, New Trend?"

Visit this website below to see a new trend in eating cake, push-pops. First there was amazing 3-d cakes, then cupcakes, then cake pops, and now cake push-ups. The trendy cake world seems to be growing and growing!
These cake push-up containers are reusable and can be filled with many sweet things.

http://www.layercakeshop.com/index.php/Shop/Packaging/Push-Pop-Container-with-Lid.html

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Update**************
While shopping at Kroger the other day, they had plastic re-usable push pop containers for sale. I thought it was weird I came across those right after posting this blog. Well, now we know, the trend has arrived in Louisville!

Carolyn Braden loves Captiva Island's Bubble Room

If you ever visit Captiva or Sanibel Island in Florida, go eat at The Bubble Room. They are known for huge portions, Bubble Bread, and their desserts. I always have enough food left over for another meal the next day (scrumptious left overs!)
Here's a picture of their red velvet cake with cream cheese icing. I had to get my dessert to go because the food stuffed me for a long while. It's the reddest red velvet cake I've ever seen but it's truly great! Their food is very good too. It's a little pricey but worth it.




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Carolyn Braden is trying an Arnold Palmer

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/arnold-palmer-recipe/index.html

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Carolyn Braden's Easy Summer Salad

One of my favorite local restaurants, North End Cafe, serves a great salad that I recreated in my own way.
It consists of:
Fresh organic spinach
Finely chopped mango
Sliced strawberries
Sliced avocado
Chopped walnuts
Grilled chicken slices
Small amount of Honey Mustard Vinaigrette.
I used pre-cooked grilled chicken slices from my grocery store's deli section. It is a flavorful dinner salad that leaves your hunger satisfied.


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Carolyn Braden's Tam Tam Appetizers

I recently fell in love with a snack cracker called Tam Tams. They were in the grocery store with the Passover foods even though the box said they are not for Passover. I jazzed my crackers up. Here's what I did:
Put a tiny amount of low fat olive oil mayo on the cracker.
Follow with a small slice of fresh mozzarella, shredded turkey, tomato, and a small piece of fresh basil.
This can be a yummy appetizer or just a refreshing summer snack.


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