“Healthy” Mexican Cake

I put “healthy” in quotes, because let’s be honest, cake will never be healthy. It may be low-fat or vegan or sugar-free, but it will never be healthy.  It’s cake.  It’s meant to be an indulgent treat, an unearned reward for finishing your meal, or having a birthday.  It’s no fun if it’s healthy.  It goes against the cake-code.

This recipe, taken from Serious Eats, removed some of the fat that comes from using oil.  As they mention, it was luck the entire project still worked. I’m one of the people who tends to believe sweet and savory need to stay segregated as far as dessert goes, spiciness is just enough to be noticed but not enough to ruin the idea of dessert

And at 196 calories per slice, at least it’s “healthier” than a usual piece of cake full of shortening, and covered in frosting.  I still think it would still be best served warm with some vanilla bean ice cream, which sadly would take the “healthy” completely of the name.

Mexican Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or chili powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup cold water
• 2/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 or 3 tablespoons water

Preheat oven to 350°F.  In a large mixing bowl, whisk together first seven ingredients (flour through salt). Make two small wells in the mixture. In one, pour in the vinegar. In the other, pour in the vanilla extract. Pour cold water over everything. Stir until moistened and a only a little lumpy.

Pour batter into an 8-inch round cake pan. Bake for 30 or 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in the pan, then carefully pry out and finish cooling on a wire rack.

While cake is baking, whisk together 2/3 cup powdered sugar and 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder in small bowl. Add water. Stir to make a thick glaze. When cake is completely cooled, drizzle over cake.

Serves 10.

Oh Boy! Waffles!

I’m not quite sure why Better Homes & Gardens refers to these as “Oh Boy” waffles, but here’s a nice, simple recipe for some waffles that I jazzed up just a little bit with some spices I refer to as the “holy trinity” of comfort baking: cinnamon, all-spice, and nutmeg.  I also threw some Ghiradelli bittersweet chocolate chips in there just to make them nice and unhealthy.

And yes, I said, Better Homes & Gardens.  I am just traditional enough to firmly believe a cookbook collection isn’t complete with the red and white plaid of the Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. Our version is doubly hilarious because it’s a reprint of the original, so it includes incredibly out of date hosting rules and table settings.

But the recipes still work, in all their shortening filled glory.

“Oh Boy” Waffles

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups sifted enriched flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp all-spice
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 2 beaten eggs
• 2 1/4 cups milk
• 3/4 cup melted shortening, butter, or olive oil
• 1/2 cup bitter-sweet chocolate chips

Sift dry ingredients.  Combine eggs, milk and shortening.  Combine liquid and dry ingredients just before baking.  Beat until smooth.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Bake in a hot waffle iron.  Makes between 16 & 18 waffles.

And also, I would be remiss to not include MST3K’s waffles tribute.

XoCo – Chicago, IL

My need to NOT be that guy who writes headlines like “XoCo is LOCO” is in a constant internal struggle with the guy who on occasion loves such incredibly horrid word play.  But Chef Rick Bayless has earned a little more respect on this page than horrible puns and easy rhymes the 10-year-old stuck inside my head wants to shout.

And we’re best friends now.  Not only did he respond to one of my tweets, but he walked by us where I nonchalantly said, “Hey, Chef.” Even better is, he responded, “Hello.”  Yep.  Best friends.  Expect my Bayless endorsed restaurant MoHo RoCo in 2011.

The fixed menu is nice and simple, with only one or two daily specials.  Choices range from the familiar tastes of chicken, to the slightly-less-familiar headcheese. There are also caldos (soup) versions of a handful of the sandwiches.  Chips, salsas, guacamoles and pastries fill out the menu; along with aqua frescas, ice creams and churros.

Let me tell you, the churros are where it’s at.  Rick Bayless could open a churro stand with those things and make money.  The dough was that perfect combination of crunchy and chewy, covered with a healthy amount of cinnamon sugar.  At 1 for $1.00 or 3 for $3.00, it may be the best deal on the menu.

Chips and salsa were fine but unnecessary.  They made be handmade, but at the price you shouldn’t be able to count the amount of chips you get just by looking at the basket.  They were also a little conservative with the salsa.

Katie ordered the Gunthorp Chicken Torta described on the menu as a wood-roasted red chile chicken, caramelized onion, black beans, avocado, tomatillo salsa.  The first problem arose when the onions on the sandwich were nearly raw and definitely not carmelized.  She was also not a fan of the chicken itself, or the lack of spices that came with it to be more to the point.  Luckily, after a healthy dose of the hot sauce provided at the table, it was finally to her liking.

I ordered the Woodland Mushroom torta which came with wood-roasted garlic mushrooms, Prairie Farm goat cheese, black beans, wild arugula, 3-chile salsa.  The mushrooms were perfectly marinated and went well with the goat cheese.  I couldn’t find a single issue with my sandwich, made evident that mine was gone before Katie even touched the second half of hers.

Our main problem with the tortas were the size.  They’re perfectly average in size,  but just on the side of a little too small that when we left I was still hungry.

The mexican chocolate flan we had for dessert was rich and dense, but not sickeningly so.  A nice little finish to our meal. We also accidentally ended up getting some hot chocolate for dessert.  We ordered it thinking we could drink it before the meal, but the process is so involved that we didn’t get the cup until halfway through our meal.  It was a happy situation, however, because it went well with our dessert.

There is one thing that is keeping XoCo from moving beyond good to being great.  It’s not XoCo’s fault, nor is it Rick Bayless’.  But it is a problem that turned away at least 6 people while Katie and I took our first visit there Saturday afternoon.  The line to get in is ridiculous.  Reports vary, of course.  Our friends from Fritz Pastry, Nate & Elaine, went there on a weekday afternoon to find an empty restaurant where they quickly ordered and ate within 30 minutes.  On the other end of the spectrum, it took us nearly 30 minutes of standing in line to merely reach the doors of the restaurant.  The next 20 minutes were made even worse because now we could actually smell the smells we were already hungry for.

This would be the perfect lunch spot if you could run in and grab a quick torta, which is how this place appears to be set up.  And maybe once the excitement of a new Bayless restaurant wears off, that’ll be the case.  But for right now you have to seriously consider if your need for a torta and some chips outweighs the chance you could be waiting for that very torta any where from 45 minutes to 2 hours.

Limited Edition Rockin Nut Road Snickers

Limited Edition Rockin Nut Road Snickers

It wasn’t a good idea, nor did I think it was a good idea, but I grabbed one of the new Limited Edition Rockin Nut Road Snickers that I recently saw popping up at the local Walgreens (on sale 2 for a $1 this week!).  Why wasn’t it a good idea?  Because nothing, NOTHING, should be artificially flavored to taste like marshmallow.  If you want something to taste like marshmallow, use some effin’ marshmallow.  Nougat that’s been changed by some blood pact with Satan to taste only vaguely like marshmallow is a sin against nature.

Needless to say I wasn’t a huge fan of this candy bar.  The nougat was at times too chewy for its own good, the bar I bought barely had any caramel in it, and the normal peanuts of the Snickers shouldn’t have been replaced by the almonds, because they only added a third layer of touch-to-chew satisfaction to the equation.

Also?  20 minutes after eating it, not only did my breath still remind me what I just ate, but my stomach was also less than pleased with its contents.  Maybe if you’re REALLY into rocky road, this is a candy bar for you, but I’ll stick to the regular nougaty, caramelly goodness of the original Snickers, because in this case, they really do satisfy more than the new Limited Edition flavors.

Episode 8: Gods, Peanut Butter & Bagels

The most opinionated, least researched show about Chicago, her suburbs, and her culture.

This week, can Mike & Katie convince themselves that anything involving the words peanut butter and cream cheese is healthy? Could it be true? Did out mothers like Gale Gand’s delicious Tru edibles? We announce the next film in the Two Bites In Suburbia Dinner Series. All this, and get your breakfast bagel fix in easy to swallow cracker form! This is episode 8 of Two Bites in Suburbia, and the future is now!

Links

• Two Bites in Suburbia Movie Series: God of Cookery

• Bacon, Egg & Cheese Combos

• Tru

• Mother’s Day @ Tru

• Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

E-mail us: twobitesinsuburbia@gmail.com

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(Slightly Healthier) Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

I’m pretty sure that whoever decided to mix peanut butter and chocolate together will eventually be dained a saint by some group of people.  It is without a doubt may favorite sugary sweet.  Reese’s may as well have a monthly subscription program, and just send me a monthly supply of Peanut Butter Cups in the mail.

On second thought, no they shouldn’t.  By the end of week one, the candy would be gone, and I’d be a diabetic weighing over 500 pounds.

So when I saw this recipe, I knew I needed an excuse to make it.  Luckily father’s day was the same weekend AND Katie’s family was grilling.  Karma was looking out for me!

I originally found this recipe by Shirley McNevich on Mom’s Best Recipes.  With a few alterations, I brought the fat and general unhealthiness down a notch from using regular cream cheese and whip cream.  I also replaced the peanut butter with all natural peanut butter.  The result was a slightly less sweet, but nuttier tasting dessert.  I also decorated the top of the cake with Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups that I quartered.  Completely unneccessary, but it does make the pie look good.

(Slightly Healthier) Peanut Butter Cookie Pie

• 24 regular size Nutter Butter cookies
• 8 oz. Fat Free Cool Whip (thawed)
• 1 Tbsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 cup all natural peanut butter
• 8 oz. fat-free cream cheese (softened)
• 5 Tbsp melted butter
• 4 oz. mini chocolate chips
• 4-5 Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups for decoration

Place several cookies at a time into a large Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Pour crushed cookies into a medium sized bowl. Repeat until you have crushed all 24 cookies. Once all of the crushed cookies are in the bowl stir in the 5 Tbsp melted butter. Press the cookie mixture into a 9″ pie plate to make the crust (do NOT grease the pie plate).  Place pie plate in the freezer. Place the softened cream cheese in a mixer and beat. Continue to beat the cream cheese while adding the peanut butter. Add the white sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth. Remove bowl from the mixer. Add 1 1/2 cups of Cool Whip to the batter, stirring just until mixed. Remove pie plate from freezer and sprinkle the mini-chocolate chips just on the bottom of the crust. Pour the cream cheese batter on top of the chocolate chips and freeze the pie overnight. When you are ready to serve the pie, remove it from freezer and frost the top of the pie with Cool Whip. Quarter the peanut butter cups, if using, and place them around the edge of the pie.  If the pie is too difficult to cut right away, let it stand on the counter a few minutes.

Chocolate Dipped, Red Velvet Cake Balls

There’s no more a sure fire way to turn an entire office into a giggling bunch of grade school kids than to bring in any ball-shaped dessert.  Ball jokes have been flying at me fast and furious since 2 PM.  A small sampling of quotes from my coworkers:

“Mike, can I try your balls?” — “Your balls taste delicious!” — “Your balls are so creamy!” — “I love your balls!” — “I was told to come try your balls.” — “Have you had Mike’s balls?”

I thought it had stopped, but I just had another coworker pop in and congratulate me about how delicious my balls were.

I’m calling it.  8 hours is officially my threshold for ball jokes.  I didn’t think there could be a limit. I didn’t think a man could get tired of having his balls complimented.  But there is.  And yes I can.

But seriously, these balls?  They ARE delicious.  With a capital D.  Full of sugar goodness, it will definitely be added to the imaginary menu of my imaginary cafe. Two Bites In!  Look for it the summer after I learn how to run and maintain a business!

I originally saw a simpler recipe for these over on Bakerella.  Her recipe would definitely save a busy person some time, but I like to make my life difficult.  Where she uses packaged mixes and frosting, I decided to do this all from scratch.  Yes, maybe I do have too much free time some days.  It’s either bake, or sit through the Maury Povich-Steve Wilkos-Jerry Springer power block.

I harvested a couple of my previous successful recipes for this.  The Red Velvet cake recipe originally came from the Food Network, home to Mrs. McCain’s Family Favorites.  The frosting recipe came from Nigella Lawson’s Guiness Stout Cake.  The main difference?  I added a full 1 3/4 cups of powdered sugar to add some extra sweet (read: diabetic) consistency.

For the chocolate, you can use whatever.  I prefer using Ghiardelli baking chocolate but I was out, forcing me to use 1 1/2 lbs. of Toll House Chocolate chips.  People didn’t care.  Chocolate is chocolate as far as the hungry masses go.

The best thing to do is to roll the balls out onto some wax paper, and toss them into the freezer to let them harden up a bit before dipping them in the chocolate.  Send ‘em back to the big freeze to let the chocolate harden.

These things keep perfectly in the freezer.  People couldn’t actually tell they came FROM the freezer.  And seriously, you’ll need to put some away.  I was able to make over 5 dozen pieces.  That’s a lot of balls to have laying around the house unrefrigerated.

Ha.  Balls.

Chocolate Covered Red Velvet Cake Balls

Red Velvet Cake

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 2 eggs
  
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
  
• 2 – 3 ounces red food coloring (Depending on how red you want it to look)
  
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup buttermilk
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon vinegar
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.In the bowl of a mixer, cream together the shortening, eggs and sugar. In a separate small bowl, mix together the cocoa and food coloring. Add the paste to the shortening mixture. Sift the flour and salt together over parchment. Add to the batter alternately with the buttermilk in 3 additions. Add the vanilla extract. Fold in the baking soda and vinegar. Pour the batter into 2 greased 9-inch cake pans. Bake for 30 minutes or until an inserted cake tester comes out clean. Let cool on a cooling rack. Invert the cakes from the pans.

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 8 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 cups heavy cream

Sift powdered sugar in medium-sized mixing bowl to break up any lumps. Add the cream cheese and mix until smooth. Mix in the cream until well blended.

Cake Ball Directions

1 1/2 lbs. Chocolate of your choosing.

After the cake has cooled completely (I toss mine in the fridge), crumble into a large bowl, mixing with the cream cheese.  Use your hands.  There’s no good way to do it otherwise.  Yes.  It is messy.  Get over it.  Let mixture chill in the fridge for a few hours to guarantee it will keep the ball shape.  Roll out mixture into quarter size balls and lay on wax paper covered cookie sheet. Toss into the freezer for an hour or so to set.

Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.  It’s safest to do it 20-30 seconds at a time and mix between each heating to make sure it’s melting properly.

Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon or forx to dip and roll the balls in chocolate, tapping off the extra.)

Makes between 50-60 balls.

Again.  Ha.  Balls.

Episode 2: Not Responsible For 2nd Degree Cheese Burns

Get the new episode here! Or subscribe on iTunes (Pretty please?)

The Least Researched, Most Opinionated Podcast About Food in Chicago!

Two Bites in Suburbia returns for an action packed second episode as we discuss feedback from the premier episode, our favorite desserts, and Mike rants on about the stupidity of people on the internet.  We also review Veggie Bites, Miss Asia, Just Indulge and Berry Chill.

Notes And Links

• Two Bites In Suburbia
• Listener Feedback
  • Subscribing on iTunes
• Keith Olbermann’s Countdown
• Do chefs hate Vegetarians?  Part Two
  • Gordon Ramsay
• Restaurant Reviews
  • Miss Asia
  • Veggie Bites
  • Berry Chill
  • Just Indulge
• Omelet and Orgy Day
  • Steak & Blowjob Day
  • Cake & Cunnilingus Day
• Desserts
  • Chocolate Pizza Company
  • Tru
  • Blue Water Grill

E-mail us: twobitesinsuburbia@gmail.com

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S’mores Cookies

My friend sent me this recipe asking if I’ve ever tried something like it before. I hadn’t, but that didn’t stop me from going right out for the supplies and making them this morning. I did tart them up a bit, because the photo she sent me of the original cookies looked a little like a dog had one too many the night before.

This updated version relies on the same type of set up I used for the Hot Chocolate Cookies I made a month or so ago. I made the cookie according to the recipe, but instead of mashing a crapload of stuff on top, I used only one marshmallow and a piece of Hershey’s chocolate. I think the finished project looks WAY better.

These have also met with my co-worker seal of approval. Out of three dozen cookies, I have 2 left.

S’Mores Cookies
3/4 cup butter — softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chocolate chunks
18 Large marshmallows
3 Hershey Bars

Beat together margarine and sugars until light and fluffy. Blend in egg and vanilla. Add combined flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking soda and salt. Mix well. Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls onto greased cookie sheets about 3 inches apart.

Bake in pre-heated oven 375 degrees for 8 minutes. While the cookies are baking, cut the marshmallows in half. Remove and quickly press marshmallows into cookies. Return to oven and cook until done (1-2 minutes).

Once cookies have cooled a bit, place a piece of Hershey’s chocolate firmly into the middle of the marshmallow and let cool completely before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen

Of course, if you’re super OCD like I am about presentation, I also used a cookie cutter to trim the cookies into perfect circles. I know I’m insane. Stop reminding me voices.