Y-U-M-Blurb: Wildflower Bread Company Low-Fat Chocolate Muffin

It's time for Y-U-M-M-Y to grow a little older and wiser. It had to happen at some point, right? I am expanding my blog to encompass foodie adventures I encounter. While this was one of the original intention of my blog, I never remembered to take pictures of what I ate because I was too busy eating! I recently developed the urge to share my experiences and thoughts about my foodie explorations. So, here is my first 'Y-U-M-Blurb' entry. Enjoy!

Wildflower Bread Company (WBC) is an Arizona only chain that serves a unique selection of salads, sandwiches, pastas, breads, and pastries. Think of it as a Panera, Corner Bakery, or Paradise Bakery but having its own little twist. Everything is made daily with fresh, healthy, ingredients. On top of that, everything is natural with no preservatives or additives. Can this get any better? Of course! Wildflower Bread Company makes sure to give back to the community in whatever way they can. A few years ago, I asked for a donation prize for a banquet I was planning in which they donated two $25 gift cards without hesitation. I was a fan from that day on even though I had not eaten there until today.

Although WBC specializes in bread, I could not resist the eye candy of desserts and pastries. My face was pressed up against the glass, searching for the right selection for my first purchase. As my breathe fogged up the glass and salivation began, I made my decision...low-fat chocolate muffin. I know, I could not resist when I saw the 'low-fat' sign but can you blame me? I was intrigued about how a chocolate muffin can taste like a chocolate muffin and be low-fat at the same time? There was only way to find out!

As much as I wanted to dive straight into the muffin, I was even more excited to take pictures. What's a better place than on the dashboard of my car? As a ripped a piece of the muffin for a sample, I could instantly tell how moist the muffin was going to be. It had the texture of a scrumptious muffin but how did the taste fare?

It was interesting because I did not get an overwhelming taste of sweet chocolate. The taste was more of a natural sweetness with a hint of chocolate. I had not have expectations beforehand so I did not know what to think of the muffin. Overall, I liked it. I could tell it was low-fat by the taste and it would be a perfect treat to satisfy one's sweet tooth without loading on the fat. 

I had one criticism: I wish there was more chocolate flavor. While it was not overwhelming sweet, the sweetness came from fruits. Applesauce is a common ingredient to reduce the fat in baked good but the sweetness was much richer than an apple. Perhaps applesauce was added in conjunction to another fruit like prunes because that is what it tasted like to me, although I cannot quite place my finger on what fruit was used to make the muffins.  

For someone who is a semi-health freak, I liked it. I thought the texture was great. The muffin was very moist and it had just enough sweetness for me with a hint of chocolate that made me think I was eating a chocolate muffin. After researching the nutritional information online, this is what I learned:

Calories: 495

Calories from fat: 25

Total fat: 3g

Saturated fat: 1g

Does this seem like a low-fat muffin to you? It does to me! You might be thinking 500 calories for a muffin is a lot but the muffin is really big and dense. Half a muffin would satisfy anyone for a snack or even a light breakfast. For someone who eat smaller portions (like myself), this muffin could satisfy 3-4 hunger urges.

Overall, for a semi-health freaks/people that want to eat healthy, this muffin is perfect. For those who have huge sweet tooth and want the full taste of a chocolate muffin, this is mostly likely not for you but worth a try in my opinion!

*Overall grade: Y-U-M-M

*Ranking for Y-U-M-Blurbs are based on the Y-U-M-M-Y scale (just Y being the lowest, Y-U-M-M-Y being the highest).

French Toast

I love food! Despite this understatement, there is one food staple that I absolutely cannot stand...eggs! I know, it may seem impossible considering baking involves using lots of eggs but I greatly detest the test, smell, and texture of eggs. Eggs are the one food item that shivers down my spine when I was little and the feeling just persisted as I grew older. Off that tangent, I made french toast today for the first time (*round of applause*)! I never made french toast because I do not like eggs and it never really appealed to me but I had an urge to make it.

Now, I'm no french toast expert but I have learned/observed a few things from the Food Network, my mom, and recipe researching. I'll share some of those things with you!

Tips for good french toast:
1. Using day old bread is important because it soaks up the egg mixture.
2. French toast shouldn't be soppy. This is easy to do if you opt using regular white sliced bread.
3. Building a custard is the key to good french toast.
4. French toast should taste eggy with a hint of sweetness, not the other way around.
5. French toast is to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.

The recipe I used for this post was an experiment but I think it turned out well. In my opinion, this is a healthier version of typical french toast because there is nothing overpowering in the recipe but it achieves all the tastes in french toast. Having said that, let's make some french toast!

Super Bowl, Sister, Sunday...CAKE!

Well, Super Bowl Sunday was more eventful for me than some because it was also my sister's birthday. It's funny how I bake all the birthday cakes for my family these days, including myself. Everyone gives me their request and I magically whip it every time. This is not to say that it's good every time but it's edible. Ice cream cakes are typical requests but this year my sister opted for something more traditional. She wanted a simple cake with marzipan. I decided instead of going through the hassle of making marzipan and rolling it out to cover the cake, I'd opt for an almond filling which is a mixture of almond, sugar, and a few other ingredients that can easily spread on cakes while still getting the pungent almond flavor from marzipan. So, how'd the cake turn out?

Overall, successful! The cake was moist, the almond filling was delicious, and the strawberries added a nice decorative touch to the cake. After all, they are my sister's favorite fruit. To make it more decorate, I used sugared pecans to decorate the side of the cake even though sliced almonds would have made more sense to use. I honestly don't believe it makes a big difference.

The Sushi Cupcake Journey

These are the absolute most cutest things I have ever seen. I have looked at different blogs and pictures of sushi cupcakes for awhile and I am finally making it myself!  Also, I was inspired to make these cupcakes by my trip to Japan this past Thanksgiving. I am a fan of Japanese culture and food but sushi has always been a food item I do not desire. Even though I did not have much sushi in Japan, I was open to the idea of going to a sushi restaurant, Teharu's, with my friend and it was really good. It was a conveyor belt sushi restaurant where we selected our items off of a conveyor. Not only was the food good but it was a fun atmosphere! Not to say that I am a huge sushi fan now but I am growing to be one. However, I would eat a cute sushi cupcake over real sushi any day!

This was two day process because I wanted to make sure all my prep work was done on one day and assembly the next day. Here is my mise en place!

This post is not so much about the recipes used but the assembly of the sushi cupcakes. Feel free to use any cake and frosting recipes you like. To reduce my time, I used boxed cake and canned frosting. Here's how they turned out!

The sashimi, while looks easier, was more time consuming to make. I used half of the cupcakes I made to make the California rolls (see image above) and I used the other half to make the sashimi. I took all remaining cupcakes and mashed it up and stirred in frosting to make a ball of dough that I could mold the beds of rice for the sashimi. Then, I melted frosting and dipped each "rice bed" into the frosting and covered with coconut. I dyed fondant black so I could cut strips of seaweed to lay over the fish gummy.

Orange Cupcakes

It's almost time for me to go back to school so I thought I would squeeze in a recipe or two before I head back to dorm life. I have enjoyed my time home but I am anxious to get back into routine...even though I do not have unlimited access to my kitchen supplies. I wanted to make something I have not made before but also something that was not too difficult. I had a craving for cupcakes so I was looking at what flavor combination I have not made yet. I came across a recipe for orange cupcakes and thought it was the perfect choice considering I had orange juice and fresh oranges on hand. I was so pleased by the cupcakes. I think they could have been more orange-y but they were good for the first time. Also, I whipped the egg white by hand, which is something I have not done before. It took a lot of arm muscle but that justified why I could eat multiple cupcakes later!

In the past, I have had difficulties folding in egg whites but I did it perfectly this time. The only problem is that I baked the cupcakes too long. I do one thing right and I mess something else up...isn't that how it is always is? Next time, it'll be a delectable cupcake, I just know it! Two key things that I did in this recipe: not overfolding the egg whites and sifting the dry ingredients. The cupcakes came out nice and airy with a hint of orange! I am a fan!

I was debating whether I wanted to make a buttercream frosting or cream cheese frosting and since I had some cream cheese on hand, I made an orange cream cheese frosting. It was so good, it's like eating orange cheesecake (my latest obsession is cheesecake)!

 I love the specks of orange zest in the frosting!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Chocolate Drizzle

 

I will be the first one to tell you that I am an avid peanut butter fan. I eat peanut butter practically everyday. I think I mentioned that I eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich everyday for breakfast. This past summer, I went on an European cruise and the selection for breakfast is enormous. It had everything I wanted, English muffins, banana, plain yogurt...everything but peanut butter. I thought it was absolutely crazy and then I forgot that I was on an EUROPEAN cruise so what do they have instead? Jam, butter, and Nutella! I went a week without peanut butter, it was hard but I survived. 

Anyways, as much as I like peanut butter, I am not a fan of peanut butter cookies. There's something about the balance of sugar and peanut butter that makes the cookie unappealing to me. On top of that, whenever you go somewhere and there is a selection of cookie, the peanut butter cookies are always the one left behind. I have been on a baking craze since I have been home so when I thought of the idea to make cookies for a friend, I remembered he likes peanut butter cookies. I whipped out my Better Homes and Garden cookbook and found a peanut butter cookie recipe. To my surprise, the cookies turned out well and I would not mind eating these cookies. Granted, I would not pick this cookie over a chocolate chip cookie but it was one of the better peanut butter cookies I have had. There's a first time for everything and surprisingly, I don't think it's going to be my last time making these cookies. 

Chocolate Florentine

 I have always enjoyed eating florentines but never thought to make them. Florentines are thin and crispy and typically has nuts or fruit in the batter. Other times, florentines are plain and dipped in chocolate or chocolate is sandwiched between two florentine to make a sandwich. I had two inspirations to make florentines. Every year, my friend gives me a tin of holiday cookies and one of my favorites is the florentine. Also, this cookies has a lot of oatmeal and my dad likes cookies with oatmeal in it (If you do too, check out Oatmeal Cookies).

Florentines are similar to lace cookies but there are some notable differences, one being the fact that florentines use a lot more oatmeal and uses corn syrup while lace cookies uses just butter and has a chewier consistency. Since there are no leavening agents in the cookies, it is easy to play with proportions of certain ingredients such as sugar. I used 3/4 cup of sugar instead of the 1 cup this recipe called for. I felt with corn syrup and chocolate, the cookie would be overwhelmingly sweet so I cut the sugar and I think it is the perfect balance for a cookie. Of course it's not overly sweet but for the individuals with a palette that cannot handle really sweet cookies, use 3/4 cup of sugar. I know my dad will enjoy these!