Wine & Sunflower Wedding Cake...

Love, happiness, smiles and joy filled our hearts at the Gallagher Wedding. Andrew and Amy Gallagher, may your lives be blessed with a fruitful marriage and be filled with the love of Christ!

Thank you for the privileged of designing your wedding cake, it was great to be a part of your special day.

Now for my friends and family, I am happy to share with you the themed:
 

Wine and Sunflower Wedding Cake 

Chocolate Wine Cake with Port Ganache &

 Chai Tea Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

designed by Brenna Bowers

Chocolate Vegan Pudding...

Decadent, rich, smooth and scrumptious all will come to mind with each bite of this dessert! And believe it or not, this recipe is Vegan, Gluten Free and Dairy Free!

So whether you are craving a healthy dessert or maybe watching your figure, you can still have dessert today!

How is Chocolate Vegan Pudding good for me?

It is important that we consume 'healthy fats' in our diet. The secret ingredient in this recipe--avocado--is the perfect source of healthy fats in the form of Omega 3's. Omega 3's help your body properly metabolize, reduce bad cholesterol (LDL) while raising good cholesterol (HDL), reduce inflammation and maintain proper cell membrane function.

So how about it....try this simple and decadent dessert for yourself!

Made with AVOCADOS!!!

Vegan, Dairy Free & Gluten Free!

Chocolate Vegan Pudding

Author: Brenna Bowers

Serving: 4

Ingredients:

2 ripe avocados (Hass is best/black kind), peeled and pit discarded

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¼ cup water

1/3 cup maple syrup

3 Tbs honey

2 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1 cup fresh raspberries (or any seasonal berry)

Directions:

In a high powered blender (Vitamix is best) or food processor add the avocado flesh, cocoa powder, water, maple syrup, honey, vanilla extract and salt. Blend for 1 minute (adding more water or maple syrup if the blender is seizing up) until the mixture is creamy and smooth.

Divide the pudding into 4 ramekins (small bowls) and top each with fresh raspberries. Eat right away or chill before serving.

*Nutrition Information on Avocados from one of my favorite sites: Avocado Facts

Put S'MORE Pumpkin Pancakes on the campfire!

Friends and I can always find ways to spice up the typical campfire breakfast...

So next time you plan on taking a camping trip don't skimp on breakfast.

Get the campfire a'blazing, mallow the sticks, and prepare the pumpkin pancake batter!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Pancakes topped with a roasted Marshmallow

Place the cast iron skillet over the red embers and cook slowly!

It's nothing fancy....this is camping!

This is the best part of camping!

S'MORE Pumpkin Pancakes

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes: 4-5 servings

Ingredients:

1 box Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pancake Mix (Pumpkin Pancake Mix)

2 Tablespoons softened butter
3/4 cup milk
1 egg

½ cup chocolate chips

1 bag large marshmallows (because you will want to eat all the extras!)

syrup

Special tools needed on the camp fire:

Cast iron skillet

Oil spray

Spatula

Mixing bowl

Mixing spoon

Hot pad (to remove skillet from the flame)

Don’t forget plates and forks too!

Directions:

Light your camp fire. Allow the coals to cool down to just red hot embers.

Place the cast iron skillet on top of the grill or red embers.

In your mixing bowl, combine the pancake mix, butter, milk and egg. Stir until just combined (a few lumps are ok!)

Spray the skillet with oil spray.

Spoon the pancake mixture on the hot griddle and sprinkle with chocolate chips.

In the mean time, have you friends/ kids roast the marshmallows on a stick until golden brown.

Once the pancakes are cooked through on either side serve up with a toasted marshmallow and syrup!

Mocha Crinkle Cookies.....for those who love cookies, coffee and chocolate

It is the season of baking cookies! Give this gooey and chocolaty cookie with a hint of coffee a try!

Not just any cookie...it has chocolate and espresso!

the cookie dough

placing the cookie dough ball into the powdered sugar

Roll the dough in powdered sugar and remove the excess.

Place the cookie dough that has been rolled in the powdered sugar right onto the cookie sheet to be baked.

Notice how they "crinkle" beautifully when they bake!

These cookies are gooey! Pull them out of the oven sooner than later!

 

Mocha Crinkle Cookies

Author: Brenna Bowers

Makes:10 large cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

¾ cup brown sugar

¼ cup granular sugar

1 egg

½ tsp vanilla

1/2 Tbs espresso powder

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips

1/3 cup powdered sugar (just to coat the cookies before baking to give the "crinkle" look) 

Directions:

In a small bowl, combine the butter brown sugar and granular (white) sugar. Beat well and until creamy (about 2 minutes)! Add in  the egg and vanilla and stir until combined. 

In another small bowl combine all the dry ingredients from the espresso powder to the baking soda. Stir to mix it and add it into the wet ingredients. Stir until just combined and add in the chocolate chips.

Take a large spoonful of dough (about 3 Tbs) and roll in your hands to form it into the shape of a thick cookie (about 2 1/2 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick). 

Place the powdered sugar in a small bowl. Drop the dough into the powdered sugar and roll until completely coated. Brush off the excess. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 9 minutes at 350 degrees F. You want to pull them out of the oven when they are still gooey!

Enjoy with a glass of milk!