Fresh Peach Cake

I had three Peaches and no idea what to do with them, I had been thinking about making a Fresh Peach Cake for awhile now and decided today was the day. After the Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp I made last week I was looking for something a little healthier and with less fat and sugar.

My husband suggested using Peach Yogurt instead of oil or butter in the recipe and I thought of using Egg Beaters to make it even less offensive to my diet. I went on a little buying spree at King Arthur Flour a few weeks back and bought some Orange Juice Powder, hubby suggested I put some of that in as well for a little flavor umphhhh!

The cake was moist and very delicious and I didn't feel too guilty about eating it.

1 yellow cake mix
3 peaches, peeled and pitted
3 eggs worth of egg beaters (or whatever number your cake mix calls for)
1 container low fat or fat free Yogurt
1/2 tsp Orange Juice Powder (absolutely optional)
2 tsp sugar (optional)

Cut your peaches up into 2 inch slices and toss with sugar (if you have really peak of the season peach's you probably don't need to do this, but mine were not that sweet), set aside

Make your cake mix according to directions using the Egg Beaters instead of eggs and adding the yogurt in place of fat.

MY cake mix called for 1 1/4 cup of water which I cut down to 1 cup

Mix the cake mix according to package directions and add in peaches, mix well and place into a greased vessel of your choosing I used a 9X9 baking pan

Cook according to package directions, cool and serve

p.s. I was an idiot and did not cut my peaches small enough, next time I will cut them really small or puree them !

Small update: I am doing fine, better than ever actually, just a bit too busy to blog much lately. I appreciate all your emails and comments asking how I am. You guys rock!

Turtle Brownies Plus!

It is no secret I like making brownies and some cakes from a boxed mix. When it comes to brownies I only use the Ghiradelli mixes, they are hands down the best in the land!

I was going to a barbequeue at the beach with my brother and wanted to bring some yummy brownies. I decided to use the Turtle Mix and add a special ingredient!

Yep I used chopped up Malted Milk Balls. Yes it was the best brownie I think I have ever eaten.

Two ingredients

Ghiradel Turtle Mix
Package of Whoppers, chopped

Make the brownies as suggested on the box and add the Whoppers

Try not to eat them all at once, they are extra special with a scoop of ice cream

Creme Brulee

I have been wanting to make Creme Brulee ever since my husband bought me a mini torch. Previously, I had been using the one he has for his barbecuing which is huge and scary!

It seems like there are many recipes with varying amount of difficulty for making the Brulee. I found one I liked here, and tweaked it for my tastes! I think using real vanilla bean makes the difference! It is super creamy and yummy, and sooo easy. It is also Gluten Free so I shared with my Mother In Law and she loved it!

Depending on the size of your ramekins this makes from 4-6 servings

2 cups heavy cream

5 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tbl vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, sliced open and the seeds scraped out
extra sugar for caramelizing on the top (I used Vanilla Sugar)

Mix the cream, yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla seeds in a large bowl. Really mix it until well incorporated. I would let it settle a bit so the bubbles calm down

Pre-heat your oven to 300 degrees

Place ramekins in a large baking dish (you want to be able to pour water in half way up the side of the ramekins)

Fill each ramekin with the mixture, topping off as needed

Pour HOT water into the baking dish (half way up the side of the ramekins)

Bake for approximately one hour. Check for doneness and continue to cook if needed (knife should come out cleanly)

Chill overnight and place a layer of sugar on top of each ramekin and torch it till it turns light brown. You can also do this in the broiler, just keep an eye on it