Torani Holiday Cheer

I know I've totally extolled on the virtues of Torani syrups before, but I am revisiting them for the holidays. I use Torani syrups in most of my coffees. I've even used it to make my own home-made coffee creamer before (I'll tell you how later!). This year, I super-experimented and  used peppermint Torani to make icing for "christmas cupcakes".




Lets start at the beginning, shall we?
I got another opportunity to explore my love for Torani syrups this year.
SheSpeaks sponsored this post by sending me two bottles of syrup, recipes, and coupons.
I received a large bottle of Peppermint syrup, and a large bottle of Salted Caramel syrup (my FAVORITE).

 A little background on Torani for those that haven't heard of them before: Torani is family owned, and has been around since 1925. They have over 120 flavors of syrup for use in coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, teas, cocktails, mocktails, lemonades, smoothies, and much more. Torani syrups are expertly crafted and made with the highest quality ingredients, like natural flavors and pure cane sugar. The sugar free varieties have no calories and are sweetened with Splenda. Torani is available online, at Cost plus World Market, Walmart, and most major grocery stores. I have never had any problem finding it around here. Some places carry much smaller bottles than others, though *coughcough-Walmart*.

Onward to my baking fiasco story.

I've decided that I am not making Christmas cookies this year (in the midst of a stress-filled shopping spree), even though everyone will be mad about it. Its too much work, and I'm too busy to make my usual zombie gingerbread men and all the other cookies I take days to make. But I refuse to not have something to make me feel better for the holidays..... cue my Devil's Food Cake craving insanity. I bought 2 boxes just because I was stressed out when I was Christmas shopping and I KNEW I could make holiday cupcakes of some sort.
Until I got them home....and I didn't know what to do with them.

I made the cupcakes according to the recipe on the box. Then I was stumped as to how to make them Christmassy. It seemed like a good idea in the store when I craved cake (of any kind) and had what I call the "Christmas cookie rebellion meltdown".

I scoured the internet searching for ideas without any success. As I was getting a cup of coffee (with Torani syrup, I might add), it hit me. I have a bottle of peppermint Torani (thanks to the ladies at SheSpeaks) that I can come up with something!

All I did was modify my vanilla buttercream frosting recipe for the syrup and sprinkle the tops of the cupcakes with crushed candy canes. They turned out PERFECT for the holidays and everyone loves them! Here is the buttercream recipe that I use (my modification is after the recipe).

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients

    3 cups confectioners' sugar
    1 cup butter
    1 teaspoon vanilla extract
    1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

** I used 3 teaspoons of Torani peppermint syrup, and added more confectioners sugar to fix the consistency, but you can toy around with it however you like to get the flavor and texture you want. An afterthought I had was that you could also top the cupcakes with mint-chocolate curls. Yum!

I'll add pictures of them when I get another minute.

But for those of you wondering about the coffee creamer:

Creamer Substitute Recipe

Ingredients

    1 can Eagle Sweetened Condensed Milk
    1 12oz can Evaporated Milk
For flavoring, you can use any extract you have on hand and add until you reach desired flavor.
I use Torani syrup and I love the way it turns out.


**Disclaimer:
I do not receive any monetary compensation and all opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone.

Twice the Bliss

Twice the Bliss recipe Contest

 If you head on over to Coffee-Mate Natural Bliss on Facebook, you can enter the "Twice the Bliss Recipe Contest". There are 2 contests you can enter. You could win a trip to NYC with the "Film My Bliss"

contest. There will be one Grand prize winner that travels to New York City for a coffee date with Claire, and one First Prize winner that wins a gift pack from natural bliss® worth $250.

Or your recipe could get published in a limited edition cook book with the "Publish My Bliss" contest. Ten lucky Grand prize winners will get their recipes published in a limited edition
cookbook alongside Claire Robinson's recipes and receive a hard copy of the cookbook autographed by Claire. There will also be one Sweepstakes winner randomly chosen to receive a gift pack from natural bliss® worth $250. 

Not only can you enter, but you can also find some really cool recipes that other people have submitted like "Red White & Blueberry Trifle".

I'll leave you with this recipe for Cinnabliss Pancakes because it sounds delicious. Enjoy!
~ I am a member of the Coffee-Mate Brew Crew

Cinnabliss Pancakes
(from Bob R.)

Ingredients

CINNAMON FILLING:

    4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, just melted (not boiling)
    1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
    1/2 tablespoon ground cinnamon


CREAM CHEESE GLAZE:

    4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
    2-ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
    3/4 cup powdered sugar
    1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

PANCAKES:

    1 cup all-purpose flour
    2 teaspoons baking powder
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1 cup COFFEE-MATE natural bliss vanilla
    1 large egg, lightly beaten
    1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

Directions

    Prepare the cinnamon filling: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Scoop the filling into a quart-sized heavy zip baggie and set it aside.
 
  Prepare the glaze: In a small pan, heat the butter over low heat until melted. Turn off the heat and whisk in the cream cheese until it is almost smooth. Sift the powdered sugar into the pan, stir and add in vanilla extract. Set the pan aside while you make the pancakes.
  
Prepare the pancake batter: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk in the COFFEE-MATE natural bliss vanilla, egg and oil, just until the batter is moistened (a few small lumps are fine).

  Cook the pancakes: Heat a large, nonstick skillet over medium-heat and spray with nonstick spray. Use an ice cream scoop (or 1/3 cup measuring cup) to add the batter to the pan. Use the bottom of the scoop or cup to spread the batter into a circle (about 4-inches in diameter). Reduce the heat to medium low. Snip the corner of your baggie of cinnamon filling and squeeze the filling into the open corner. When your pancake begins to form bubbles, add the filling. Starting at the center of the pancake, squeeze the filling on top of the pancake batter in a swirl (just as you see in a regular cinnamon roll). Cook the pancake 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bubbles begin popping on top of the pancake and it's golden brown on the bottom. Slide a thin, wide metal spatula underneath the pancake and gently but quickly flip it over. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, until the other side is golden as well. When you flip the pancake onto a plate, you will see that the cinnamon filling has created a crater-swirl of cinnamon. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, and repeat with the remaining pancake batter and cinnamon filling. Re-warm the glaze briefly, if needed. Serve pancakes topped with a drizzle of glaze.

Torani and SheSpeaks

I have been given a great opportunity by SheSpeaks and Torani syrups

If you've never heard of Torani syrups, it doesn't mean that you haven't tried any. Torani syrups are used at coffeehouses and restaurants in over 40 countries, so chances are you've had some in your flavored coffee at some point in time.

Torani is family owned, and has been around since 1925. They have over 120 flavors of syrup for use in coffee, cappuccinos, lattes, teas, cocktails, mocktails, lemonades, smoothies, and much more. Torani syrups are expertly crafted and made with the highest quality ingredients, like natural flavors and pure cane sugar. The sugar free varieties have no calories and are sweetened with Splenda. Torani is available online, at Cost plus World Market, Walmart, and most major grocery stores. I had no problem finding it here. Some places carry smaller bottles than others, though.

Shespeaks sent me two bottles of syrup, recipes, and coupons, to try Torani for myself!
I received a large bottle of Sugar Free Vanilla syrup, and a large bottle of Pumpkin Pie syrup.

The Vanilla was absolutely delicious in my coffee, I liked it so much that I ran out and grabbed a few more flavors from my local World Market. The next flavor I tried was Irish Cream. It turned out to be wonderful too! When I cracked open the Sugar Free Salted Caramel, I thought I was in heaven. Salted Caramel is definitely my new favorite. Its rich without being too rich, its sweet without being too sweet.... and it kinda reminds me of Sugar Babies.

I also tried the Pomegranate syrup, and got hooked because its just so delicious in tea! I made pomegranate tea and lemonade. I got the recipes from Torani.com (they have SO many yummy recipes!). I've never had better iced tea or lemonade before. Give them a try!

Pomegranate Iced Tea

Ingredients Medium:
1 oz. Torani Pomegranate syrup
8 oz. brewed tea, chilled
Ice
Instructions:
Combine chilled tea and Torani in a glass filled with ice and stir well. 

Pomegranate Lemonade

Ingredients Medium:
1 oz. Torani Pomegranate syrup
8 oz. lemonade
Ice
Instructions:
Combine lemonade and Torani in a tall glass filled with ice and stir well.

  

Shespeaks was also kind enough to provide me with a special offer for everyone! Use the special offer code "shespeaks" to buy any Torani flavor online at Torani.com at a 10% discount!

GIVEAWAY!

I have a special offer as well! Follow this blog, and comment on this post with YOUR favorite coffee/tea drink or recipe and one random lucky person will get a coupon for a free bottle of Torani flavored syrup!

Submit your entry by November 25. I'll notify the winner by email shorty after.


**Disclaimer:
I do not receive any monetary compensation and all opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone.

Healthy Food Fight!

I'm sure we all know cooking and eating healthy can be kinda tough.

Through SheSpeaks.com I heard about the Aetna Healthy Food Fight

Aetna is providing healthy tips from a nutritionist, cooking and eating tips from Bobby Flay, among many other things. They have tons of recipes from Bobby Flay, The Culinary Institute of America, and everyday people.

Visit the Aetna Healthy Food Fight and explore all the wonderful recipes and other helpful features of their site.

I particularly love the "Healthy Recipe Analyzer". You can enter your recipe/ingredients and it'll rate how healthy your recipe is! You'd be surprised at how many recipes aren't as healthy as you think they are.

Another great feature is Aetna's "Fast Food Alternatives". Unless you're like me and you get sick just thinking about calories and fat, you probably grab fast food now and then. I personally have a hard time cramming down any "fast food" beyond Subway, but my husband has no issue eating a Double Whopper with cheese *shudders*.

If you're on the run a lot and you have to grab fast food, this tool is for you! Not only do they recommend a healthier alternative to some of your choices (such as getting vegetable pizza instead of deep dish), they also include the calorie count AND tell you how long you'd have to walk to burn off those calories!

You can also submit your own healthy entree recipe to compete against others.

Three top qualifiers from each region will travel to the Semi-Final recipe cook-offs.

The Semi-finalists will cook their dishes in front of a representative from The Culinary Institute of America and local VIP judges. The winner from each region will receive an all-expense-paid trip to New York City to compete in the Final Cook-off judged by Bobby Flay. Four Finalists will be competing before Bobby Flay and other VIP judges. The winner of the Final Cook-off will receive a grand prize of $10,000 worth of groceries donated by Recipe.com!

So, if you have a great healthy recipe, join the fight and submit it! If you don't have a healthy recipe, check out the Healthy Food Fight recipes and try something new.

While you're there, you can also enter for a chance to win a set of Circulon gourmet cookware!

I'm hoping some of the tips and recipes Aetna has provided will help my family be a little healthier. They're all junk food addicts and its hard to get them to eat anything that could possibly be good for them. If your kids are the same, give this healthy alternative to Fruit roll-ups a try! No dehydrator needed. My kids love fruit leather!

Apple Spice Fruit Leather
Yields one 11”x17” pan of fruit leather
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cook time: 5-8 hours at 170°F

INGREDIENTS
1 25-ounce jar of applesauce
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon cloves

INSTRUCTIONS

    Preheat oven to 170°F.
    Line an 11”x17” jelly-roll pan or lipped cookie sheet with greased parchment paper (wax paper will smoke in the oven) or a silicone baking mat.
    Spread the puree until it’s about 1/4” thick. Pick up the pan and tilt back and forth until it’s evenly distributed.
    Bake in the oven for 5-8 hours. Rotate the pan halfway during the baking time to ensure even drying. Timing will vary depending on the fruit used. It’s ready when it’s smooth and non-tacky.
    Let it cool, then cut in strips with scissors or a pizza cutter. Stack or roll them and store in an airtight container or a zipper storage bag. I roll them with plastic wrap or parchment paper so they "peel" like real Fruit Roll-ups.

Tip: Store in a cool, dry place. You can store fruit leather for up to a year in the freezer, six months in the refrigerator or a few weeks at room temperature.

Other ideas/alternatives:

• Spread a thin layer of melted caramel over the fruit leather and allow it to harden a little before rolling.
• Cut fun shapes with cookie cutters, stack on parchment paper and tie with a ribbon to make a unique hostess gift or a lunch box surprise.
• Spice up a can of pumpkin with nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and cloves for another twist on fall-inspired fruit leather.
• Puree a can of peaches or other canned fruit in the blender for a quick option that requires no washing and slicing.
• To sweeten fruit leather, add a couple teaspoons, or to taste, of vanilla, sugar, brown sugar, honey or maple syrup.
• You can adjust this recipe for just about ANY kind of fruit! All you need is fruit puree (seasonings can make a difference!), sweetener, and a little tweaking of the recipe cook time (some fruits cook faster than others). Feel free to experiment and share! My favorite is plain strawberry (pureed fresh strawberries, sweetened to taste). Mixed berries are great as well.

**Disclaimer:
I do not receive any monetary compensation and all opinions in this blog are mine and mine alone.