Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

April 20, 2020 Amanda Plott

I have a cookie monster in my house. …And she comes in the shape of a 10 year old girl. It’s amazing how I bought a huge container of chocolate chip cookies from the store this week and magically 3/4ths of the cookies have disappeared in the matter of just a couple of days.

That being said, I’m not about to venture out for another box. So, I thought I would whip up a delicious chocolate chip cookie inspired dessert of some sort. This Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake is the perfect guilt-free way to enjoy chocolate chip cookies any time…

Steak House Honey Wheat Oat Bread (Bread Machine)

April 16, 2020 Amanda Plott

Baking has been the name of the game in my house lately. What else is there to do when you’re stuck where you are for days, weeks, and months on end? When we decided to make some steak for dinner, I thought it was high time to whip up some of that famous ‘steal house’ bread that we all know and love.

You know the bread that I’m talking about. The soft, sweet, fluffy brown bread that is often served up with a whipped honey butter. This bread is exactly like that one. The only difference is that it’s homemade and in a larger loaf form!…

Skinny Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

April 13, 2020 Amanda Plott

These cupcakes have been in my family since sometime in 2003. Well, not these exact cupcakes. Of course, I've made some changes to them to skinny them up enough for my liking these days. I think the first time that we ever made these was the summer when I was going to be graduating college.

I had come home from school during some break and my grandmother was visiting (just as she is now.) My mom had come across this recipe somehow in a Better Crocker Cookbook and we decided to whip them up for whatever reason.

I mean... do you really need a reason to make cupcakes?

Anyway, we made the cupcakes and they were nothing short of amazing. I think that I ate my weight in them. Which at the time was more than acceptable. I was a teenager after all and could get away with eating whatever I wanted at the time. I was lucky that way.

We've made these cupcakes almost every year since then, so naturally I wanted to turn them into something that I could readily enjoy in a more guiltless manner.

The first thing I did to change these was to bake this cake with water and greek yogurt, instead of oil and whole eggs. Honestly, this usually creates an even more moist and tender cake than you would otherwise get.

I also swapped out the cream cheese for a reduced fat cream cheese. It's half the fat of regular cream cheese. Then for the frosting, I made my own cream cheese whipped cream frosting, again using reduced fat cream cheese.

This is a pretty stable whipped cream frosting, but you won't want to set them out in the midst of the summer heat as I'm sure eventually it will start to fall.

Also, be sure that you're using a HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM. Nothing light. If you use a light whipping cream it won't ever come to a thick pipe-able frosting.

Be sure to store these guys in the fridge since they are stuffed with cream cheese and also topped with it.

Skinny Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes
TheSkinnyFork.com - Originally Posted 4/17/15

Easy peasy cupcakes that are stuffed with cream cheese and a touch of strawberry preserves and topped off with a light homemade whipped cream cheese frosting.

Prep Time: 10 Minutes • Cook Time: 20 Minutes

The Skinny:
Servings: 24 • Serving Size: 1 Cupcake • Calories: 161 • Fat: 8 g • Saturated Fat: 4 g • Carb: 23 g • Fiber: 0 g • Protein: 9 g • Sugar: 12 g • Sodium: 203 mg

Ingredients:
Cupcakes:
• 1 (17 Oz.) Box Cake Mix (Vanilla, white or Yellow)
• 1 C. Water
• 6 Oz. Plain Fat Free Greek Yogurt
• 2 Egg Whites
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 3 Oz. Neufchâtel Cream Cheese
• 3 Tbsp. Strawberry Preserves

Frosting:
• 8 Oz. Neufchâtel Cream Cheese
• 1/4 C. Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 C. Powdered Sugar Substitute
• 1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 Tsp. Almond Extract
• 2/3 C. COLD Heavy Whipping Cream

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. and line a cupcake tin with cupcake papers.

Lightly coat the inside of the papers with non-stick baking spray; set aside.

Combine the cake mix, 1 C. water, 6 Oz. yogurt, 2 egg whites and 1 Tsp. vanilla into a large bowl and beat until smooth and creamy.

Divide the batter evenly among 24 cupcakes.

Place 1/4 tsp. of cream cheese onto each cupcake and push down slightly into the batter.

Put about 1/4 tsp. of the strawberry preserves over the top of the cream cheese.

Place the pan into the oven and back for 20-25 minutes or until the tops of the cupcakes are browned and 'springy'.

While the cupcakes were baking, I put the bowl of my stand mixer and the heavy whipping cream into the freezer to let it get nice and cold to whip up the frosting.

Carefully remove the pan from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool slightly before transferring to a wire rack to continue cooling.

While the cupcakes are cooling, beat the 8 Oz. cream cheese in a large bowl until smooth and creamy.; scrape down the edges of the bowl.

Add in the 1/4 C. powdered sugar, 1/4 C. powdered sugar substitute, the 1 Tsp. vanilla, and 1/2 Tsp. almond extract; beat together again until well combined.

Scrape down the edges of the bowl again and gradually beat in the cold heavy cream.

Increase the speed of the blender or stand mixer with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.

Pipe the frosting over the cupcakes using a frosting bag or if you're super classy like me... a ziplock!

Top with slices of strawberries if desired and enjoy!

Be sure to store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

Step-by-Step Photos:

Nutritional Claims: Low Potassium • Kidney Friendly • Vegetarian • Pescatarian • Peanut Free • Tree Nut Free • Soy Free •Fish Free • Shellfish Free • Pork Free • Red Meat Free • Crustacean Free • Celery Free • Mustard Free • Sesame Free • Lupine Free • Mollusk Free • Alcohol Free •Kosher

Cheesy Garlic & Herb Pull-Apart Bread (Bread Machine)

April 10, 2020 Amanda Plott

I’ve been using my bread machine at least a couple of times a week currently, largely due to the current limitations on certain things you can buy right now. Thankfully I’ve had a pretty steady stream of flour and with my handy-dandy bread machine, well… the sky is the limit!

I decided to get crafty this time around and instead of making a plain jane loaf, I made a pull-apart loaf that didn’t stop there. This pull-apart bread also has layers of cheese, garlic, and herbs tucked in between each pull-and-peel piece of warm fresh homemade bread…

Skinny Tie-Dye Vanilla 'Crazy Cake'

April 8, 2020 Amanda Plott

Well, I officially have a 10 year old! It may be a weird time in our world to be having a birthday, but you better be damn sure that I wasn’t about to let anything get in the way of my daughter having the BEST time while turning the big 1-0.

My inspiration for this cake came with us deciding to have a ‘disco dance party’ for the birthday. And what goes better with disco other than tie-dye. Between that and remembering my Dark Chocolate ‘Crazy Cake’ so fondly, I decided to put the two together…

Chickpea Tikka Masala

April 2, 2020 Amanda Plott

Let’s face it, we’re all suddenly a lot more influenced by a ‘beans and rice’ diet. Pantry cooking can be tricky, but it can also save time, money, and still be pretty damn healthy for you. This Chickpea Tikka Masala is a one pot dish that cooks up in just about 30 minutes. It’s gluten free, vegan, and vegetarian. Plus, like I said, one pan to cook it all means less mess to clean up in the end.

Chickpeas are a favorite among my family as it is. Seriously… there’s a few of us that would eat the things straight of the can if someone would let us. So, I try to use them as much as I can. And they work out really well in vegetarian dishes…