Peppermint and Almond Christmas Poke Cake with Nielsen Massey

I received free product from Nielsen Massey in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Christmas time and baking are pretty synonymous. Who thinks of Christmas time and doesn't conjure up memories of delicately iced sugar cookies, warm gingerbread, or boozy fruit cake? Sometimes on wintery weekends, I start feeling the impulse to just get up a bake. It keeps my hands busy, it keeps me warm, and it gives me something to do while binging Great British Baking Show for hours on end. Well, one of these impulses over took me this past weekend, and it resulted in something I'm actually pretty proud of.

I had a vision, you see. It was of a cake my mom made once, long ago. A sort of yellow sheet cake with icicle-like drips of red and green running through the slices. I don't remember how old I was when she made it, nor do I remember how many times she made it. But the memory of those magically colored squares of cake popped into my head and I decided I wanted to make a Christmas Poke Cake of my own.

Now, because I can't do anything the easy way, I realized I was going to have to improvise a little. Nearly every recipe I found for poke cakes called for boxed cake mix for some reason. Does no one make their own cake mix anymore? I don't know about you, but I like begin able to control the salt levels and types of flour I'm using for my baking recipes. I also didn't want to make a sheet cake because... well... I don't really know why I didn't want to make a sheet cake. So I decided to make it a bundt cake instead. Because bundt cakes are prettier. And more festive. Lastly, I decided not to use pre-flavored gelatin. This was mostly down to the fact that red and green gelatin look great, but don't exactly make a very Christmas-y flavor combo (but if lime and cherry are your idea of Christmas flavors, I'm not judging).

For my Christmas Poke Cake, I wanted to highlight a trio of the best flavorings on earth: Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract, Pure Almond Extract and Pure Peppermint Extract from Nielsen-Massey Vanillas. I've been working with Nielsen-Massey Vanilla's extracts for many years now and it would be a horror to open my cabinet and not find them. It's so great that a family owned company from right here is Illinois has become world renowned for producing such excellent products (seriously, you can even spot their bottles on the contestant's stations in Great British Baking Show!). Obviously, these three extracts in particular play an important role in Christmas baking, which is why they have bundled them all together for super convenient baking supply shopping. The Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Holiday Flavors Bundle is available exclusively on Amazon in 2 oz and 4 oz options.

I started off by using the basic pound cake recipe from Nielsen-Massey Vanilla's website. The only modification I made was to not use the almond extract in the batter. I baked the cake in a bundt cake pan, then let it cool. Once the cake was at room temperature, I used a wooden skewer to create holes down the center and sides of the cake. For the first syrup, I brought 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar,and 1 packet of gelatin to a simmer. Once everything was dissolved, I removed the mixed from the heat and added a few drops of red food coloring and 2 teaspoons of the Peppermint extract. I did the same for the second syrup, except with green food coloring and 1 tablespoon of the almond extract.

Now you have to work kind of quickly with this next step. I used plastic pipettes to inject the syrups into the guide holes I'd created with the wooden skewer, making sure the syrup got at least halfway down into the cake. I did one half of the cake with the peppermint syrup and one half with the almond. Once all the holes had been injected, I carefully spooned what was left of the syrup over the top of the cake, making sure the whole top and sides were coated. This will create not only a wash of color around the edges of each slice, but will help to seal the moisture inside your cake and keep it from drying out.

Once I was ready to serve my masterpiece, I covered the whole thing in a dusting of powdered sugar and sliced away! So what are your favorite holiday baking projects? Head on over to my Instagram page and look for the post with the picture of my cake, tell me your must have holiday goodies, and you will have a chance to win a Nielsen-Massey Vanillas Holiday Flavor Bundle of your own! And for more great baking ideas, make sure to follow the hashtag #NiesenMasseyInspires across social media.

Tea Party: Earl Grey Cream Puffs and Fruity Tea Spritzers with Nielsen Massey and Waterloo

Some of the products mentioned in this post were sent to me as PR. Free products do not and will not ever influence my opinions.

Anyone who has been around me for any length of time has probably heard me expound upon my love of all things Earl Grey. The magical combination of bergamot and black tea is one of my favorite flavor pairings in the universe. I even have Earl Grey scented candles, for when I want my house to smell as though I just brewed a fresh cuppa, but I don't want to ingest the caffeine. In fact, I'm a pretty big fan of most tea flavored things; I adore the grassy notes of matcha and the roasted depth of hōjicha, when I want to unwind I always turn to chamomile, and there is pretty much always a hibiscus fruit tea of some kind chilling in my fridge

So a few weeks ago when some friends and I were casually chatting about an afternoon get together, I decided to turn our gab session into a miniature tea party. Since I was expecting a mixed crowd, I knew I had to come up with a versatile drink that would please a variety of palates. I thought back to late last year when I discovered one of my favorite mixers, Waterloo Sparkling Waters. Since then, they've added a mango flavor to their existing line, making for 8 amazing options in all. I decided to make a black tea simple syrup (I boiled 2 bags of black tea in 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar for about 10 minutes), which I put into a squeeze bottle. Then I set up a little station with a bottle of chilled vodka, some ice, and a variety of the Waterloo flavors (I thought the mango, lemon, and coconut flavors worked especially well) so that everyone could make their own fruity tea spritzers!

For snacks, I knew I wanted to highlight my favorite tea of all time, Republic of Tea's Earl Greyer Vanilla (AKA the Downton Abbey Estate Blend). Since I am addicted to The Great British Baking Show, I had the idea of making some Earl Grey cream puffs with a craquelin top in honor of the newest season. As I plotted out exactly how to make the perfect Earl Grey pastry cream, I reached for a bottle of Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla extract. I went with this particular vanilla because of it's warm baking spice notes, which I thought would really bring out the bergamot in the tea. And oh man... let me tell you how good this pastry cream was! I seriously had to stop myself from eating it all with a spoon before I could pipe it into the cream puffs! Mary, Paul, and Pru would all be proud of me.

So what do you think? Will you turn your next get together into an impromptu tea party? Let me know your favorite tea treats in the comments below!



Earl Grey Cream Puffs

Pastry cream

2 cups whole milk
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup loose leaf Earl Grey tea
1 large egg plus 2 egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream

Craquelin Crumble Topping

5 tablespoons butter cut into small pices
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup of flour
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Mexican Vanilla extract
1/4 cup of loose leaf Earl Grey tea, ground very fine

Choux Dough 

16 tablespoons butter
2 cups water
1 and 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
6 large eggs

For the pastry cream: Add milk, half the sugar (1/3 cup), and Earl Grey Tea to a medium sauce pan and heat over medium low until milk is steaming and infused with the tea. While the milk steeps, add an egg, egg yolks, the rest of the sugar (1/3 cup), and cornstarch to a medium bowl and mix until well combined. Once the milk has steeped (about 10 minutes), strain out tea leaves with a fine mesh strainer. Very slowly, add warm milk to the egg mixture, whisking constantly to make sure the eggs don't scramble. Once all the milk has been incorporated into the eggs, add vanilla and transfer back into saucepan. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to thicken, then remove from the heat, add in butter, and whisk until fully incorporated. Let cool.

In a large bowl, whip the heavy cream until stiff. Carefully fold in the thickened milk and egg mixture until no more streaks of white remain. Use a hand mixer to fluffy up the cream, then refrigerate over night in an air tight container.

For the topping: Add sugar, flour, vanilla extract, and ground tea leaves to a medium bowl and mix. Add in butter and use your hands to mash it into the mixture. It should form into a loose, sandy-like texture. Spread the mixture as thinly as possibly onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper, making sure to break up any large chunks. Refrigerate until ready to use.

For the choux puffs: Melt together butter, salt, and water in a medium sauce pan. Once the mixture is at a simmer, take off heat and add in the flour. Add pan back to the heat and mix vigorously with a spatula or wooden spoon until a homogeneous dough forms. Press the dough against the sides of the pan to make sure that all of the flour cooks evenly, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let the dough cool about 5 minutes. Begin adding eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly between each one. Once all the eggs have been mixed into the dough, transfer to an air tight container and refrigerate over night.

Assembling the Cream Puffs: Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Scoop and form the cooled choux dough into balls about 2 inches across. Dip the top of the balls into the crumble topping, then place them dough side down on the parchment paper. Bake for 15 minutes, then turn the oven down to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the puffs start to turn golden brown. Let the puffs cool to room temperature.

Load pastry cream into a piping bag with a medium round metal tip. Puncture the bottom of each puff with a knife, then pipe pastry cream into the center.

Makes about 3 dozen puffs.

Summer Loves: Muuna Cottage Cheese, Louis Raison, RIND dried Fruit Snacks

Let it be known that I am about the only person in Chicago who does not like summer. Maybe it's because I grew up in Arizona, where desiring to be outside between the months of June and August was akin to having a death wish. Maybe it's because I am...ahem... a tad over weight, and everyone knows fat people don't do well in sweaty situations. Whatever the case may be, I usually spend the majority of the warmer months inside with the AC blasting.

While in my heat induced exile, I usually start experimenting with recipes and products that can give me a little energy boost to get me through the long humid days. One of my new favorite things is from a company called RIND, which have brought out some rather interesting dried fruit snacks. These snacks (which come in California Kiwi, Tropical, and Orchard blends) are large slices of dried fruits that have their rinds intact. Now, admittedly, their appearance can be a little off putting, mostly because they look a bit more like potpourri then something edible. But these snacks have no added sugar, no sulfates, and no dyes and are GMO free, gluten free, and vegan. All of the fruits (except for the pineapple in the Tropical blend) have been prepared with their skins in tact, giving every piece more fiber and nutritional value then traditional dried fruits. I'm not normally a fan of fresh kiwi, so I was skeptical about the dried version, especially because of the intact skin, but the kiwis ended up being my favorite fruit of the bunch. They were perfectly sweet, tart, chewy, and crunchy and I nearly ate the entire bag in one sitting! The Tropical blend combines the kiwi with pineapple and bittersweet orange, while the Orchard blend is a combination of apples, peaches, and persimmons. I am currently keeping bags of these snacks behind my desk for a quick burst of natural fruit energy and vitamins wherever the mid day lull hits. If you want to give RIND a try, you can pick them up on Amazon!

One of my other recently discovered favorites is Louis Raison ciders. These classic French ciders (or cidres if you want to be fancy) have just launched in Illinois with three varieties: Original Crisp, Organic Dry, and Rouge Délice. Two of my good friends are self professed cider experts, so they are constantly introducing me to new varieties and flavors from all over the world. This being my chance to finally introduce them to something new, I invited them over one night to try the Louis Raison ciders and get their expert opinions. While we all enjoyed all three of them, they both lent towards the Original Crisp as their favorite because of it's bright flavor and caramel-like finish. I have a slightly sweeter palate, so I really liked the Rouge Délice, which was a blush cider with a very clean and slightly floral flavor. The Organic Dry was very light and refreshing with a flavor almost like baked apples or apple pie. I decided to use it to cook up some chicken apple sausages I had in the fridge, and it gave them such a delicious depth! Since this was the least sweet cider, it made for a perfect boiling liquid and also made a great glaze once reduced. I had some pickled red cabbage in the fridge, as well as an onion and garlic jam, which I thought would be perfect as toppings. I also mixed up a mustard cream (whole grain mustard, powdered yellow mustard, sour cream, and a little bit of apple butter). I may never go back to beer brats. These were sweet and savory perfection!

The one thing I do like about summer is going to farmer's markets. I always get inspired by all the fresh produce, meats, and eggs. My usual farmer's market takes place on Sunday mornings, which makes it rather convenient for me to go there to find something for breakfast. A week ago, I ended up with some cremini mushrooms, beautiful heirloom cherry tomatoes, thick cut bacon, and pork breakfast sausage. It wan't until I got home that I realized I had accidentally bought all the fixings for a traditional English breakfast! But me being me, I couldn't simply just fry everything up and be done with it. Oh no! I had also bought two small wedges of very strong cheddars, which gave me the idea to combine all of these delicious ingredients into a massive pot of breakfast mac and cheese.

Pssst... the green one is the Vanilla flavor with some matcha powder mixed in!

Since I was going to be including the pork sausage and the bacon, I didn't want to make a cheese sauce with a lot of butter or milk, because the meat fats would probably cause them to separate and become too greasy. Instead, I decided to use some Muuna Cottage Cheese to bind everything together without adding too much additional fat or liquid. I've been a big fan of Muuna for a while now, especially their individually sized cups which come in a ton of delicious flavors. I even make little cheesecakes with them sometimes!

I started my mac and cheese by cutting up the bacon and sausage into bite sized pieces and browning them in a dutch oven. I then used the fat from the meats to blister the tomatoes and saute the mushrooms. I cooked up some elbow macaroni, then added them to the pot, added the meats back in, then put in all of the cheddar (which I had grated) and two large containers of plain Muuna, then mixed everything together. I baked it at 400 for about 45 minutes, then I added a can of drained baked beans to the top (it's not an English breakfast without baked beans) and cooked the whole thing for another 15 minutes. I served each portion topped with a perfectly poached egg. And voila! English Breakfast Mac and Cheese!

I received some of the products mentioned free of charge from the mentioned companies. All opinions stated are my own.

Summer Ice Cream Favorites and Fluffy Japanese-style Pancakes

It's no secret that my sweet tooth is my worst enemy. Back before Christmas, I gave the whole Keto lifestyle a try, and it was absolute torture. Now, I hear you saying that giving up sugar and carbs just before Christmas is a stupid idea. And you'd be right. But I wanted to test drive the lifestyle and see if it was something I could easily fall into after all the holiday excess.  Needless to say, I never did find my footing. I went running back to sugar like it was a boyfriend I had broken up with for all the wrong reasons, and now we're talking about getting engaged.

My number one weakness is ice cream, especially during the summer months. I will take all comers, from cookies and cream to strawberry cheesecake to mint chocolate chip. So when Hudsonville (a Michigan-based ice cream company I have loved for years) offered to send me some of their best selling flavors, I had no choice but to say yes.

The Mackinac Island Fudge was a new one for me, and I was an instant fan. It has ribbons of the rich buttery fudge that is the signature treat of Mackinac Island in Michigan. To my mind, this was the perfect ice cream to build a sundae with, because it already had the classic flavor profiles we all know and love, but with more interesting textures. It's not quite chocolate syrup, not quite chocolate flakes, but somewhere perfectly in between.

I was honestly surprised how much I liked the The Traverse City Cherry Fudge. I've never been a big fan of cherry ice creams, as they often have an overly artificial flavor to them and can lean extremely sweet. This one, however, had an amaretto ice cream base, which gave the diced cherry pieces a more sophisticated air. The chocolate wasn't heavy handed either, but was perfectly proportioned so as to make it a co-star and not the main attraction.

Lastly was the classic French Vanilla. As much as I love the flavor of a true, rich vanilla ice cream on it's own, I knew I wanted to find a special use for this one. Since I've always got brunch on the mind, I flashed back to the greasy spoon diners of my youth, who used to serve waffles and pancakes topped with a scoop an vanilla ice cream. I had also been wanting to try my hand had making some souffle pancakes, made internet famous by any number of Japanese cafes, where the locals and tourists wait for hours, just to try their fluffy texture.

Going through my cabinets, I zeroed in on one of  the new Nielsen Massey Organic Extracts. This new line features some of their classic extracts (peppermint, orange, lemon, and almond) with all the flavor and high quality of their other extracts, but now formulated with all organic ingredients. Since I am constantly experimenting with my Nielsen-Massey products, I wanted to give one of these new extracts a trial run. The orange one suddenly jumped out at me and the word, "Creamsicle," floated into place in my brain, like a long awaited block on a Tetras board. Creamsicle Souffle Pancakes. I needed to make them a reality right away.

Creamsicle Souffle Pancakes

4 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
2 egg yolks
6 tbsp cake flour (sifted)
1 tbsp of melted butter
1 tbsp Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean paste
1 tbsp Nielsen Massey Organic Orange extract
2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp melted Hudsonville French Vanilla Ice Cream

Toppings;
Hudsonville French Vanilla Ice Cream
Candied Orange Peel
Orange Blossom Honey

Place all of the egg whites into a medium metal or glass bowl (do not use a plastic bowl!) and set in the fridge to chill until just before ready to use.

In a large bowl, add the egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, orange extract, butter, and melted ice cream. Sift the cake flour into the bowl and stir to combine until the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.

Add sugar and cream of tartar to your chilled egg whites, then use a hand mixer to whip until they reach the stiff peak stage. Add one third of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and carefully fold until most of the swirls are gone. Add in the second third and repeat. Add in the last of the egg whites and repeat until completely combined.

Place a non stick skillet over medium heat. To achieve perfectly round, higher pancakes, you can use ring molds sprayed with cooking spray. For a more rustic shape, simply spoon the batter in small globs into the pan. Cook for about 2 minutes, then carefully flip the pancakes (they will appear uncooked on top, but this is ok). Cook for another minute, or until both sides are evenly browned.

Plate and serve immediately. Should yield 4-5 pancakes.






Products were supplied to me by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post, but all opinions are my own.

Recipe: Vanilla Scented Potato Croquettes

I'm kind of obsessed with Nielsen-Massey's Vanilla Bean Paste. I mean, actually obsessed. Sometimes I take the bottle out of my cabinet just so that I can open it and smell it, like it's cologne left by an ex-boyfriend. If I could pour this stuff into a diffuser and make my whole house smell like vanilla, I would. If I soak my hair in it, I would. It's not the same smell as vanilla extract, which is usually great at the front, but has that sharp alcohol bite on the tail end of the scent. The paste smells like you've just walked into a bakery owned by a beautiful French pastry chef who just happens to be single and just happens to be a former underwear model.

Although the vanilla bean paste is my go to flavoring agent for baked goods and desserts, I've always wanted to try using it in a savory context. Imagine that same French pastry chef decided to open a gastro pub next door to the bakery. Same amazing flavors, whole new environment. That's what I wanted to try.

I'd heard of people mixing vanilla into mashed potatoes before, so that seemed like a good place to start. I whipped up a simple batch, using red potatoes to make the mash extra smooth. I actually really liked using vanilla in this sort of way because it made the potatoes seem even more creamy and decadent, even though I hadn't added any cream (like I normally do when making mashed potatoes). The slightly floral flavor really added a depth and a certain je ne sais quoi to the spuds. While they were good with the vanilla added in, but they weren't going to be stealing any spot lights. So I decided to transform them into croquettes.

Now, the first time I attempted to do this, I used the potatoes chilled. Because they were extra creamy, I had a really hard time getting them coated in breading, and they turned out a bit bigger and flatter than I would have liked, almost like chicken cutlets. However, they tasted fantastic, with a lightly crisp exterior and a super creamy interior. Another downside was that they were rather delicate and could only be eaten with a knife and fork. I wanted finger food. So I made a second batch of the potato mixture and froze it. This resulted in the croquettes of my dreams! Crispy outside, impossibly creamy interior, infinitely snackable.

Version #1

Version # 2

To serve alongside the croquettes, I wanted some dipping sauces that were a little sweet and a little savory, but I also wanted to highlight the vanilla flavor at the heart of these magic nuggets. I tried a simple combo of sour cream, yellow curry sauce, and a bit more vanilla paste for my savory sauce. This was the right way to go, as the curry and vanilla made delicious friends, while the sour cream and potato made for a classic flavor combo. For a touch of sweet, I whipped up some home made applesauce (I used this recipe as a base, but subbed out the cinnamon for...you guessed it... more vanilla). The overall combo of these two sauces could not have been better, and I loved that the potato+applesauce+sour cream medley gave off a kind of potato latke vibe.

Check out my final recipe below and then head on over to the Bunny and Brandy Instagram page to find out how to win some fabulous Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Bean Paste for your own sweet and savory experimenting!



Vanilla Scented Potato Croquettes

1 lb of red potatoes, peeled
2 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon of vanilla bean paste
2 egg yolks
4 tablespoons of all purpose flour
4-5 eggs
2 cups of unflavored bread crumbs
Frying oil (vegetable, canola, corn, etc.)

Optional serving sauces:
2 table spoons of yellow curry sauce, 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste, 1 cup of sour cream
Homemade or store bought apple sauce with vanilla bean paste added in to taste

Place the potatoes in a pot of water, making sure they are completely covered, and bring up to a boil. Cook for 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender all the way through. Drain and cool slightly.

Transfer the potatoes back into the pot. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the potatoes and vanilla bean paste. Use a stick blender to puree the potatoes until completely smooth. Let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Add in the egg yolks and flour, combine well, and then transfer the mixture into a lidded freezer safe bowl. Freeze the potato mixture for 1-2 hours, or until they achieve an ice cream-like consistency.

Heat frying oil on medium high in a deep pan. Set up a breading station with the eggs scrambled in one dish and the bread crumbs in a second dish. Scoop the potato mixture into the 2-3 inch balls (a small trigger action ice cream scoop or melon baller works well for this, but a large spoon can also be used). Drop the balls into the egg mixture, then transfer to the bread crumbs and coat thoroughly. Repeat this process so that the balls have a double layer of coating.

Add no more than 5-6 balls into the oil at a time and watch them carefully. They will brown quickly and only need to cook for a minute or so on each side. Once the croquettes are browned evenly on all sides, transfer them to a paper towel covered plate to drain any excess oil.

Serve immediately.

Tea Time with Brandy: Sparkling Cocktails & Matcha Peppermint Scones

Every year a few weeks before Christmas, Brandy hosts a Wrapping Party. It's a jolly old time with all of her friends; listening to Christmas carols, nibbling a few treats, and sipping a few drinks while progressively getting merrier while their paper cutting skills get worse and worse until inevitably, someone ends up wrapped in clear tape like a mummy. "I find that it's the best possible way to get motivated for the worst chore of the holiday season," she says, "Plus, it's usually an excuse for me to try some more experimental recipes before I give them their big debut."

To keep everyone feeling merry and bright, Brandy made sure she had plenty of cocktail making supplies on hand. One thing she had hit upon as a brilliant base for mixing simple cocktails quickly while ensuring they had great flavor was a new line of sparkling waters from Waterloo. Coming in 7 varieties, the sparkling waters are all calorie free, sugar free, and sodium free, meaning they add brilliant flavor and bubbles to a cocktail without adding anything else. Brandy particularly likes the Lime flavor, which she mixes with vodka and cranberry juice to create a Sparkling Christmas Cosmo. The Black Cherry flavor is also lovely with a splash of cranberry and some honey whiskey, making a lightly crisp version of a Manhattan. All of the flavors (which also include watermelon, coconut, lemon, and grapefruit) are also perfect for sipping on their own as a light and refreshing palate cleanser after consuming tons of sweet and salty snacks.

Speaking of which, this year, Brandy decided to go a little bit out of the gift box, so to speak, for her Wrapping Party provisions. "I like my food to be colorful this time of year," she explained, "But I don't want to overload things with dye and artificial hues." For that reason, she zeroed in on Matcha as a natural colorant as well as a spectacular winter flavor. The thought of tea put her in mind of her home land, and instantly she was craving scones with lashings of cream. "Hmmm... Matcha scones... now that's an idea!" she said to no one in particular. But the idea needed just a little something more to make it feel complete. "Of course! The cream!" she exclaimed. Thinking on flavors that might match well with the delicate Matcha, but also remind her guests of snowy winter days spent snuggled by the fire, she hit on the idea of a peppermint scented buttercream to fill her scones with. And as her cabinets are always stocked with wonderful extracts from Nielsen Massey, it was a sinch to make her scone and cream dreams a reality.

Matcha Scones with Peppermint Cream

2 cups of cake flour
4 teaspoons of baking powder
2 tablespoons of Matcha powder
a pinch of salt
2/3 cup of milk, plus one tablespoon
2 large eggs (one for egg wash)
1/4 cup of sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of Nielsen Massey vanilla extract
4 tablespoons of softened butter
Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar for topping

For peppermint cream:

1/2 cup of softened butter
1/2 pound of confectioner's sugar
2 teaspoons plus more to taste of Nielsen Massey peppermint extract
about a tablespoon of milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with a silicon mat or parchment paper.

In a large bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, matcha powder, and salt. In a second bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract with a hand mixer. Add in one egg and the milk while continuing to mix. Slowly add in the dry ingredients and continue to mix until everything is well incorporated. Using either an oiled ice cream scoop or your flour dusted hands, form the dough into about a dozen small balls and line the baking sheet with them. Scramble the remaining egg with a tablespoon of milk, then use a pastry brush to apply the egg wash to the tops of the scones, then sprinkle on vanilla sugar. Bake in pre-heated oven for 20 minutes, or until the tops are slightly brown. Let cool completely.

In a medium bowl, cream together the softened butter, confectioner's sugar, and peppermint extract (start with two teaspoons and add more if desired). Add in milk a few drops at a time to loosen up the cream and give it more of a whipped texture rather than a hard icing texture. Cut the scones in half horizontally and spread a generous amount of peppermint cream on the bottom piece before adding the top back on.

The writers of this blog were sent products from the mentioned companies free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Sweet Corn Pudding and Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

With the holidays right around the corner, Brandy has begun an annual tradition of her own: testing recipes to make sure they are worthy of her circle of foodie friends. "Heaven forbid if I were to put something inferior in front of that lot. I'd never hear the end of it!" she says, "For years to come it would be, 'Remember when Brandy put that slop out for us on Thanksgiving?' One year, one of them brought a casserole that had slightly burnt edges and she was so embarrassed that none of us have seen or heard from her since." The high standards of such an audience were obviously amplified by the fact that this year it was Brandy's job to prepare the post-Thanksgiving brunch. Luckily for Brandy, she had quite a few things at hand to help inspire her creations.

First of all, there was the Feast VoxBox she received from Influenster. Among the many goodies were a classic can of corn from Del Monte, Country Crock margarine in a new easy to use stick form, and a container of crispy jalapenos from French's (a spicy cousin of their famous crispy onions, which grace the tops of green bean casseroles across the nation). A quick search of her cabinets also turned up a box of corn muffin mix, which was the thing that really switched on the light bulb. "Of course, corn pudding!" she exclaimed, and quickly went about making up the batter. But as she poured the golden liquid into her baking dish, she couldn't get over the feeling that it was still missing something.

Enter a couple of delectable condiments from Chut Up, a small start up company dedicated to creating healthier condiments by not adding in any sugar to their products, but also not sacrificing flavor or quality. Their Beet Ketchup really impressed Brandy with its true to form consistency and clean flavor and their Peri-Peri Hot sauce certainly packed quite a punch. Wanting add a little color to her corn pudding, she ended up mixing the two condiments together to produce a sort of "sweet heat" style sauce, then she dropped the mixture into the pudding and swirled it for a pretty effect. After baking her masterpiece, Brandy added a handful of the French's jalapenos to the top of the pudding to add crunch and just a bit more heat. She absolutely loved how her creation turned out, determining that it could easily be a side dish for the main event, or served with an egg and some sausage for a perfect sweet and savory post-Thanksgiving brunch. It was definitely the Chut Up condiments that made the dish pop, adding a little vinegar and heat to balance the natural sweetness of the Del Monte corn.

Next, Brandy determined to make something sweet and easily munch-able. She settled on the idea of "drop donuts," or a simple cake batter fried into small rounds, then glazed and sprinkled. For this, she turned to some amazing products from Nielsen Massey and McCrea's Candies. Brandy used a bit of Nielsen Massey's coffee extract in her donut batter, then made a simple glaze with some of the McCrea's salted caramels, which she soaked her donuts in and then topped them with Nielsen Massey vanilla sugar to add a little crunch. Because there was barely any sugar in the donut batter itself, the sweetness of the caramel and the sugar topping didn't overwhelm the palate and the subtle flavors of salt, vanilla, and coffee were able to shine through.

Finally, Brandy chose the perfect bottle of wine to compliment her dishes; Vivanco Tempranillo Garnacha. This particular rose had a bight fruity and acidic flavor with slight floral notes, making it ideal to pair with two dishes that used both sweet and salty elements. Brandy was also quite drawn to the beautifully rich color and the extremely unique wide lipped bottle, which was meant to mimic Vivanco's original 18th century bottle.

"Well, I'd say I am well prepared for the coming food storm," said Brandy as she surveyed her sweet and savory creations, "Now to start prepping for the New Year's Day brunch!"

Sweet Corn Pudding

1 can of Del Monte Whole Kernel Corn, drained
1 stick of Country Crock Salted Margarine
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup sour cream
2 eggs
1 package of corn muffin mix
1/2 cup of milk
1 can of creamed corn
2-3 tablespoons of Chut Up beet ketchup
1-2 tablespoons of Chut Up peri-peri sauce
French's fried jalapenos for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Beat together the sugar and margarine (no need to soften before hand). Add in sour cream and continue to beat, then add in eggs. Alternate adding in corn muffin mix and milk until everything is well combined and there are no lumps in the batter. Carefully fold in the whole kernel corn and the creamed corn. Season with salt if desired, but the sea salt in the corn and margarine should be enough for most palates.

Pour the batter into a greased 9x9 baking dish. Carefully drop small spoonfuls of the ketchup/peri-peri mixture into the batter, then use the tip of a knife to swirl the sauce a little further into the batter. Bake for about an hour, or until the edges are golden and the center is solid. Top with fried jalapenos and serve warm.

Caramel Glazed Drop Donuts

1 cup of milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon of Nielsen Massey Coffee Extract
2 cups of white flour
2 tablespoons of sugar
5 teaspoons of baking powder
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 stick of Country Crock Unsalted Margarine, melted
4-8 cups of frying oil (vegetable, corn, or canola oil works well), depending on the depth of your frying pot

For the Glaze:

1 cup of McCrea's Black Sea Salt Caramels
1/3 cup of milk
1/2 cup of Nielsen Massey Vanilla Sugar

Heat the oil over medium high heat, making sure there is enough oil in the pot so that the donuts are never touching bottom.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a small bowl, scramble the egg and then add in the milk and coffee extract, then whisk them all together. Slowly pour this into the dry mixture and mix well, then add in the melted margarine and continue mixing until a smooth, soft dough forms.

Using two spoons dipped briefly into the hot oil, form small 1 inch balls of dough and carefully drop them into the heated oil. Only fry about 5-6 donuts at a time to avoid the temperature of the oil falling. Let them cook for about 2-3 minutes, making sure to turn them so that all sides turn a golden brown, then lift them out of the oil with a slotted spoon and place them onto some paper towels to drain.

In a small sauce pan over medium low heat, add in the caramels and milk and stir continuously until they are completely melted and just start to bubble. Add the finished donuts to a large bowl and pour the warm caramel over them, then toss vigorously to make sure they are completely coated. Turn the donuts out onto a serving plate and sprinkle them with the vanilla sugar. Makes about 3 dozen.

The writers of this blog were sent products by the companies mentioned in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Triple Chocolate Butter Mochi and Nielsen-Massey GIVEAWAY!

Many years ago, Brandy was on a beach in Hawaii, sipping a tropical cocktail and starring out over the water at a patch of dark clouds. She had a fully packed picnic basket beside her, stuffed with everything she would need for a day of sun bathing and relaxation. Then, quite suddenly, people began running from the beach. Brandy wasn't quite sure what the problem was. Was there a shark in the water? Was there a pop up luau happening somewhere? Was there a shortage or coconuts? And then the rain started. This was no English drizzle or a light sprinkling; the sky opened up as suddenly as though a giant shower head had been turned on. Before Brandy even had a chance to scramble for cover, her entire picnic basket was soaked through.

Trudging off the beach and into a local cafe, Brandy took a seat by a window and starred forlornly outside, willing the rain to pass over. Taking pity on her and her soggy picnic basket, the owner of the cafe brought over a simple looking snack. "It's called Butter Mochi," the jovial man told her, "It's a local favorite. Give it a try." And from the first moment that her teeth sunk into that ooey, gooey, chewy little square of heaven, she was hooked.

This was the memory Brandy was currently savoring as she starred out the window of her new home at a rainy late summer afternoon. "What I wouldn't give for a bite of butter mochi right now," she said to herself, remembering so clearly how the brownie-like confection had so delighted her with it's one of a kind texture. "Wait a minute," she said, "Don't I have mochi flour in my cabinet?" And sure enough, buried behind the cornmeal and tapioca starch was a box of mochi flour. It wasn't long before Brandy had collected up all the ingredients she needed to recreate the decadent treat she had first tasted so long ago.

This time, though, she decided to give the butter mochi a chocolatey twist. While traditional butter mochi has a vanilla and slightly coconutty flavor, Brandy decided to add coco powder, chocolate chips, and Nielsen-Massey Pure Chocolate Extract into the mix, as well as a splash of Nielsen-Massey Pure Coffee Extract, which she knew would help to bring an extra richness and depth to the flavor. The result was an even more indulgent treat than the one Brandy remembered having all those years ago.

So convinced was Brandy that everyone in the world needed to try butter mochi that she not only recorded her perfected recipe for posterity, but she is also giving away a pair of extracts from Nielsen-Massey to one lucky reader! Be sure to leave a comment down below to be automatically entered and we will reach out to the winner next week (so be sure to leave an email or social media handle in your comment). Best of luck!

Triple Chocolate Butter Mochi


2 cups mochi flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup coco powder
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
14 oz of unsweetened coconut milk
14 oz of sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp Pure Chocolate Extract
1 tbsp Pure Coffee Extract
5 tbsp butter, melted
2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and lightly grease a 13x9 baking pan and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine mochi flour, sugar, coco powder, and baking powder. In a medium bowl, combine eggs, milk, coconut milk, sweetened condensed milk, chocolate extract, coffee extract, and melted butter and whisk until smooth. Slowly add the wet ingredients into the dry, stirring continuously to ensure that no lumps are formed, until the batter is completely smooth (optionally, run the batter through a strainer to catch any smaller lumps). Add in the chocolate chips and stir to make sure they are evenly dispersed, then pour the mixture into the pre-greased baking pan.

Bake for about an hour or until the center is firm to the touch and the edges are slightly crispy. Let cool for at least 30 minutes, then serve at any temperature to enjoy various levels of chewiness.

The writers of this blog were sent products free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

From the Kitchens of Bunny and Brandy: Tropical Breakfast Parfait "Cheese" Cake

It all started with a single thought. "What if I could have cheesecake for breakfast?"

Of course, Brandy could have cheesecake for breakfast, as she is a grown adult woman and capable of making her own choices, but even she knew, it was probably not wise to have cheesecake for breakfast. Well, at least not every day...

But still, the idea persisted and she couldn't quite get it out of her head. For days, she wandered in and out of her kitchen, looking at her pantry shelves or staring into her open fridge, until her whimsical idea began to solidify into something tangible. And it was a trio of recently discovered items that finally made her dream a reality.

Brandy had first sampled skyr from Icelandic Provisions at a special dinner, held at Baptiste and Bottle, celebrating the culinary prowess of Iceland. Skyr, she learned, is a deeply cherished part of Icelandic culture, with most of the country having eaten it regularly since childhood. Skyr is similar to yogurt, in that it is made with milk treated with specific cultures, but it's texture is even smoother and creamier than even that of Greek yogurt. It has more protein and less sugar than most yogurts as well, which greatly impressed Brandy. Icelandic Provisions had several unique flavors that combined familiar western fruits like strawberries, peaches, and blueberries, with lesser known Icelandic fruits like lingonberries, cloudberries, and bilberries. Brandy's favorite flavor, though, was the Coconut, which tasted just like the inside of a coconut cream pie. This, Brandy realized, would make the perfect base of her cheesecake.

Wanting to add a little sweetness and some additional tropical flavor, Brandy zeroed in on the carton of Banana Wave banana milk in her fridge. The stuff was so creamy and flavorful that she had been using it as a base for smoothies for some time, but she suddenly realized that the banana milk would pair perfectly with the coconut skyr. And as Banana Wave is packed with superfoods – fruit, grains and seeds – and because it begins with pure banana puree, she knew it would be a good source of fiber and vitamins without adding additional dairy fat into the recipe.

Every great cheesecake needs the perfect crust, and Brandy had just the thing sitting in her cabinet. She had recently discovered Grandy Oats' line of CocoNolas; three flavors of grain free granolas made from nuts, honey, and coconut. Light, crunchy, and not overly sweet, she had been downing this stuff by the handful for weeks for a quick boost of energy in the afternoon, but now, she knew that she had to utilize it's delightful flavor and texture to create a nutty crust for her cheesecake. While the chocolate chip flavor is her favorite for snacking on, and the super hemp blend gives the most bang for the buck, Brandy went for the original flavor CocoNola to maximize the coconut flavor.

As she prepared to make the breakfast cheesecake of her dreams, Brandy realized that what she had really done was to create a slice-able yogurt parfait. Not only that, but a parfait that was packed with protein and nutrients, but was very low in sugar, fat, and was completely grain free. "Also, it travels much more easily than a traditional parfait," she concluded. But in the end, this delightful concoction had such a creamy, rich texture, that she couldn't help continuing to think of it as the greatest cheesecake known to man.

The writers of this blog were provided with the products mentioned free of charge in order to facilitate the writing of this post.

Tropical Breakfast Parfait "Cheese" Cake 

5 single serving containers of Coconut Icelandic Provisions Skyr
1 9 oz package of Grandy Oats CocoNola
1 cup of Banana Wave Banana Milk
1 cup of chia seeds

Pour the banana milk into a medium sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, pour the granola in the bottom of a 9 inch spring form pan and smooth out into an even layer, making sure to break up any larger pieces. Place all the skyr (or yogurt) into a medium sized bowl. Take the banana milk off the heat and slowly pour it over the skyr, whisking away lumps. Once the banana milk and skyr are thoroughly mixed, add in the chia seeds and continue to whisk away any lumps. Carefully pour the mixture over the granola. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge over night.

When ready to serve, top the "cake" with toasted coconut, cut into slices, and serve cold with fresh pineapple or a drizzle of honey. Makes about 8 servings.