Baked Red Velvet Mochi Doughnuts

Sometimes you just can't pass up a doughnut. For me, my resolve becomes wafer thin once I see one of the ring-like treats that sings of fudgy chocolate, dense cake and a not-too-sweet finish. These gluten free doughnuts are all that and more - think of a dense, chewy brownie, with a slightly tangy finish and just the barest of red tints.

Unlike most doughnuts of this calibre, Rachael's (and mine) are baked, which also prevents the nasty oil-film phenomenon that can happen when your deep fryer is just slightly off temperature.  Being moist and rich, they also store better than regular baked doughnuts (about two days in the fridge), but something tells me that's not going to be a problem - especially if you bake a batch for the next holiday potluck!

Caramel Peanut Butter Fudge

I come from a family of bona fide peanut butter lovers. My dad and grandpa are clearly the biggest fans in my awareness of the family history, but neither my mom nor I would pass up a creamy spoonful of the stuff if offered! When it comes to confections, if we can't have chocolate in the mix for some reason, there had better be a peanut butter option - and since not everyone on my holiday gift list is as much of a chocoholic as us, when I set out to make the candies for this year's holiday baskets I knew what to focus on for my alternate!

While I've had mixed results with "real" fudge over the years, I think I found a definite winner with this combination. First, the body of the candy is full of rich dark brown sugar, chopped vanilla caramels and creamy peanut butter. There isn't a single marshmallow or chocolate chip in sight. Then, for an extra layer of creamy nuttiness, I opted to use Amoré Almonds + Dairy Beverage. Between the Amoré and the caramels, the cooked mixture turned into a creamy, firm and perfectly sliceable pan of deliciousness that stayed soft enough to melt in your mouth but hard enough to hold its shape when left out of the fridge for an hour.

After tasting the finished product (or at least the trimmings) Mom and I agreed it was mighty good candy - but if you coated it in dark chocolate it would be nothing short of divine! What do you think - are you a chocolate die-hard or can you swing to another candy camp?

This recipe calls for melting soft caramel candies, and blogger Kevin Richard has a few easy ways to do this - with no burning! His bio is below, make sure to check out the link!

Kevin Richard is the founder of Richard’s Pantry. He spend plenty of time in the kitchen every day because he love cooking healthy and delicious foods for my family and friends. He also has some useful information about caramels you can try here. Enjoy! 

Pink Popcorn Candy #12WksXmasTreats

Do you know of (or remember) Lucky Elephant Popcorn? If you grew up in Canada in the 60s, you'll remember the quaint little boxes of the vividly pink, sweet candy confection with the circus elephant on the front, and you may have even enjoyed some after saving your pocket money (was I the only one to do that?).

Sadly, it's really hard to find - at least in the iconic boxes (I saw some unbranded pink popcorn in bulk today though!). I had all but forgotten about it when I saw this post on Cravings of a Lunatic which featured my beloved treat! Armed with my candy thermometer, freshly popped popcorn and a whim to make something both classic and modern, I began to take the whimsy of the original candy coating and give it a bit of a twist. Being that it was already different by being pink, I kept feeling like it needed a different flavour than just plain sweet. I grabbed a bottle of cherry candy flavouring (it was an appropriately "pink" flavour to me) and stirred it in, as well as using vanilla-infused sugar for an extra boost. To save space in my gift boxes (and for something new and unexpected), I processed the popcorn into crumbs before adding the candy. Spread out onto a baking sheet, it set overnight before I dried it out just a little bit more in the oven. You don't have to do that last step, but if you're going to store it for any length of time (or want to save yourself some seriously sticky fingers), it's worth it. Just break it up after cooling and you have yourself a hand-held taste of nostalgia!

We're almost at the end of the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats hosted at Meal Planning Magic. Shocking, isn't it? 

Cream Cheese Granola Scrolls

Is there anyone who doesn't like cinnamon rolls? Well, maybe, but I can tell you they are definitely in the minority around here. I love biting into a warm, spicy roll with gooey icing or a sticky glaze and being flooded with buttery, cinnamonny, bready joy. My only issue when it comes to the great thing that is the cinnamon roll is that they get dried out quickly - regardless of how much butter, cream and eggs you throw into them. I discovered a counterintuitive secret from King Arthur Flour, which I wanted to try, but I had a "must make" item on my list from years ago that I wanted to make badly. I found myself with some extra homemade granola and cream cheese after the Thanksgiving meal-fest and immediately marked them for these from Brown Eyed Baker.

What made those cinnamon rolls so unique and obsession-worthy? The dough is laminated puff-pastry style - not with butter, but with cream cheese! More creamy, cheesy flavour? Yes please!

So I took the original and ran with it - using Pure Via Turbinado and Stevia Blend packets for the sugar, extra cream cheese in the dough and a touch of whole wheat flour for flavour and texture (as well as a touch of nutrition!). Instead of the nuts in Michelle's filling, I used my granola for a nut-free crunch (since I was serving to mixed company I didn't know who was allergic). I mixed up a honey glaze in place of the more traditional cream cheese icing for a little something different, which slightly soaked into the bread in the hour after baking and kept the buns moist, gooey and definitely craveable. 

I don't know why it took me so long to get these on my plate, but I am so glad I finally jumped aboard the cinnamon bun bandwagon! What's your favourite type of cinnamon roll - nutty, plain-jane, thick with frosting or humbly glazed? Let me know in the comments!

Shared with YeastSpotting

Banana Butterscotch Muffin-Cake - You're Covered this #SundaySupper

Sometimes you need to pull a rabbit out of a hat when it comes to entertaining. Unexpected guests (or unexpected sleepovers), allergies or picky eaters and (the worst thing) running out of dessert or a snack with tea can all throw a wrench into the smoothly planned events packing the next couple of weeks. Then there are the times where you yourself are run so ragged that you forget you need to eat, not just shop, prep, cook and serve!

This muffin-cake is my answer to those dilemmas this holiday season. The recipe, which I developed when cooking for a small school last year, makes a lot - but it's relatively cheap, healthy and freezes like a dream while being delicious for brunch, snacking or dessert (especially paired with a tangy Raspberry Compote). If you know you'll be hosting at all hours of the day (and night) as well as stuffing your family into the car for the annual road trip to Great-Aunt Sally's, divide the batch between a muffin tin and a 9x13 so that you have both portable, "breakfasty" muffins and a base for a dressier dessert. Plus, since it's a banana dessert, it's perfect for all those leftovers from the fruit bowl that were too soft for the fruit salad.

This #SundaySupper, We've Got You Covered when it comes to all your menu dilemmas! From dishes cooked in covered pots, cloaked in sauce or topped with pastry to "how do I do... (or deal with...)" answers, this week will definitely keep your cooking sheltered from the bitter cold outside! This event is being hosted by DB aka Foodie Stuntman. Thanks DB!

Covered Appetizers and Entreés

• Slow Cooker Cheesy Party Mix from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
• Personal Steak Pot Pies from The Foodie Army Wife
• Slowcooker Bean and Ham Soup from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
• Butternut Squash & Cheddar Potatoes Au Gratin from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Salmon en Croute from Curious Cuisiniere
• Excellent Beef Stew from Noshing With The Nolands
• Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy from Food Lust People Love
• Pigs in a Blanket (Cabbage Rolls) from Cindy's Recipes and Writings

 

Covered Desserts

• Banana Coffee Cake with Chocolate Chip Streusel from Killer Bunnies, Inc
• Bacon Cinnamon Rolls with Maple Frosting from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
• Streusel Topped Apple Pie from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Dark Chocolate Cake Batter Truffles from Take A Bite Out of Boca
• Chocolate Satin Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Banana Butterscotch Muffin-Cake from What Smells So Good?
• Chocolate Banoffee Pie from Happy Baking Days
• 1 Easy Chocolate Macaron Recipe, 3 Japanese Wine Fillings from NinjaBaking.com
• Chocolate Covered "Party Popcorn" from Ruffles & Truffles
• Caramel Apple Bundt Cake from Pies and Plots

 

Not Sure What To Do? We Got You Covered

• Cilantro Turkey Salad with Farro and Mango from Shockingly Delicious covering turkey leftovers
• Back to Basics: How to Truss a Chicken for Roasting from Crazy Foodie Stunts covering a cooking technique
• Peppermint Whip Cream from Peanut Butter and Peppers covering a vegan and dairy-free dessert topping
• Gluten Free Lego Cookies from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks covering a gluten-free dessert
• Mexican Coffee Bun from The Urban Mrs covering a dessert with an uncommon ingredient
• Cranberry Walnut Crumble Bars from Magnolia Days covering an idea for fresh cranberries
• Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars from Alida's Kitchen covering a quick and easy cheesecake fix
• Prosciutto covered Rosemary Pork from Family Foodie covering a holiday meal on a budget
• Homemade Yellow Cake Mix from Treats & Trinkets covering a cake mix without the chemicals from store-bought ones
• Waffled Cranberry Cream Cheese Turkey Sandwiches from Neighborfood covering turkey leftovers
• Apple Cider Doughnuts from The Texan New Yorker covering a dish made at home so you don't need to wait in long lines for it

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy! You can sign up by clicking here.