Maple Raspberry Corn Cake

Maple Raspberry Corn Cake

Every once in awhile, I look in my fridge and see a variety of ingredients that have been around for awhile, and while not yet expired, I feel the urge to use them up and make room for something new.  This is what happened the morning I invented this delicious creation.  I had a container of cornmeal that I know I hadn't used in months and half a bag of frozen raspberries that were in danger of becoming a block of ice, so I put the two together, added a little sweetness and came up with this breakfast cake.  I had initially intended to make a raspberry version of my Maple Blueberry Corn Cakes but was honestly just too lazy to stand over a pan and fry them individually.  So I changed the recipe slightly, and made two round cakes instead (one for today and one I put in the freezer). They smelled delicious while baking and my son, who can be very picky about baked goods, loved them.  More savory than sweet, with a very hearty texture they are a perfectly healthy way to start off your day and make it feel like you should be celebrating something.  The recipe is super simple to throw together quickly, especially if you prep the dry ingredients the night before and while the cakes baked I had time to cut up some fruit, fry some turkey sausages and make a pot of coffee. High in fiber, low in sugar, and full of flavor. Enjoy!

Party Cake

Party Cake

I have been baking cakes for years, but always for myself and my friends and family.  So I never put too much effort into how perfect they looked or agonized over the consistency and the taste as much as I did for this recipe. Because this was the first time I made a cake for someone who paid me for it!  The recipes I used are trusted favorites, which is why I decided to write this blog post.  The chocolate cake is one my mother has used since I was a child, with the addition of about half whole wheat flour being my only change.  The vanilla cake recipe is one I have been working on for awhile and I think I finally have it right.  It tends to be a bit crumbly because of the whole wheat flour, so if you want a softer texture, you could use half white flour like I do with the chocolate cake. So get baking and forget buying a cake for your next big party!

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Butter

Chocolate Macadamia Nut Butter

This is basically the same recipe as my chocolate walnut butter, but using creamy, buttery macadamia nuts instead. I honestly prefer the flavor of walnuts, but know that eating a variety of different protein sources is good and macadamia nuts are definitely one of a kind when it comes to flavor, texture and nutrient composition.  They contain high amounts of mono unsaturated fats, fiber, calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, zinc and selenium, as well as many important B-complex vitamins such as niacin, thiamin, riboflavin and pyridoxine (vitamin B-6).  This recipe does contain a decent amount of maple syrup, so it isn't perfect, but I ate it mostly as a dessert and considering what I could have eaten instead, this is a much healthier, and ridiculously delicious, option.  I even mixed it into smoothies, oatmeal, and added it to peanut butter sandwiches for a little extra something.  I do plan on making some nut butters with considerably less sugar, so look out for those posts in the near future!!