Antiaging Protein Power Pie (Vegan)

It’s not everyday that a dessert can claim that title! This recipe is an intense chocolate pie that can either be made Vegan or dairy. The only change is using dairy chocolate. The reason this pie recipe is so phenomenal is:

1) it uses no refined sugar

– for the sweetener I use maple syrup and agave. Both are lower on the glycemic index, thereby not  creating a spike in sugar levels and aiding in slower digestion (this means staying fuller longer!)

2) uses tofu instead of butter, cream or dairy in the pie filling

– this gives the protein punch that is usually lacking in dessert

3) a glorious amount of antioxidants

– As part of the Foodbuzz tastemaker’s program, I recieved a box of the he Kellogg’s FiberPlus Antioxidant Cereal to try. It has cinnamon already in it (a great and delicious antioxidant). In addition, the dark chocolate and cocoa as well as the raspberry jelly are all amazing sources of antioxidants. Antioxidants are a great way to fight free radicals and the signs of aging.

So now that you’re sold on the benefits of eating this dessert; lets see the recipe!

Crust:

2 c. Kellogg’s FiberPlus Antioxidant Cereal

pinch of salt

2 TBL agave

Filling:

12 oz. Silken Tofu

10 oz. Bittersweet Chocolate

1/3 c. Cocoa Powder

4 TBL Maple Syrup

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1/2 c. Raspberry Jam

1 container fresh Raspberries

Pie Crust:

preheat the over to 375° F

Put the cereal in a food processor and blend until it is fully broken into crumbs

Add the salt and agave and blend until everything is mixed (this only takes a few seconds)

Pour the crust into a 9″ pie pan and press the mixture into the pan and up the sides with your fingers

Bake for 7-10 minutes, until crust is slightly golden. Allow to cool completely.

To make the filling:

Drain the water from the tofu and blend the tofu in the food processor until it’s pureed

Put the chocolate chips in a double boiler and melt over medium heat (alternate option: save time and melt in the microwave)

Sift the cocoa powder into the chocolate and stir until combined

Add the chocolate mixture to the tofu and blend until combined.

Scrape down the sides with a spatula and add the maple syrup and vanilla extract. Blend once more.

Pour the filling into the pie crust and smooth it out.

Microwave the raspberry jelly until it becomes fluid.

Pour the jelly into lines on the pie and use a toothpick or knife to create a swirled pattern.

Line the rim of the pie with fresh raspberries.

Chill the pie for 2 hours minimum.

Enjoy…..guilt free!

Parmisu – The new healthy summer dessert!

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was quite excited when I arrived home to see a box of Nature’s Pride Hotdog and Hamburger buns on my doorstep!

In this video you will learn how to make a healthy summer dessert using bread!







Tennis Anyone?

This past week we did an order for a personalized Tennis Match Cake. Every week this group of friends gets together to play tennis. Since it was one of the players birthday, I was contacted to create a cake representing all the players.

This was an incredibly fun project to do!

Here you can see the process of creating the cake

Gumpaste Flower Demo

Gumpaste flowers are a great way to decorate cakes, cupcakes and cookies. It is easy to learn how to make flowers, but it does take practice to perfect the skill.

Here I will show you how to make simple punch and cut flowers.

To begin, you will need:

Exacto Knife

Balling Tool

Dog Bone Tool

Corn Starch

Flower Cutters

Cutting Board (the flexible plastic ones work best)

Sheet Tray with Flower Formers

Gumpaste

Cell Pad

Rolling Pin

Roll out a small piece of gumpaste to desired thickness. For this type of flower I like to roll it to an 1/8th of an inch thick

Use the flower cutter to punch out a series of flowers in the gumpaste

For small flowers place one of the cutouts on the cell pad and use the balling tool to get the flower to curve up and form a cup shape

Then use a pointed edge tool to place lines in the center of each petal. This will also create an indent in the center of the flower adding dimension to the design

For bigger flowers, place them on the cell pad and use your hand to smooth out any uneven edges

Use the dogbone tool to press into the center of each petal creating a curve and a line down each petal

Put a little bit of cornstarch on the back of each petal (so they wont stick) and place them on a flower former to dry. Give them two days to dry before moving them.

These flowers can be used for all sorts of desserts. They can be made in any color desired and look really impressive considering how easy they are to make.

Eventful Events

This past weekend we participated in the LA Cupcake Challenge. It was a great event! Tons of awesome people (over 600 to be exact!), great music and tons of delicious cupcakes of course! While the results have yet to be posted, I wanted to share some shots from the event.We made Apple Spice Cupcakes with Brown Sugar Buttercream

Each cupcake was topped with a handmade chocolate leaf

Another fun event we were involved in recently was a cake demo for a Mother/Daughter event at a local elementary school. It was a two-part demo. In the first segment I showed everyone how to make fancy looking cakes at home that don’t require special tools or techniques. I then showed what goes into making an Urban Sweets cake. It was fun to see the moms just as excited as the girls!

NY Cake Convention – Part II

The other piece of the Cake Convention that made it such an incredible experience were the demonstrations and celebrity chefs that attended.

Cake Opera Co. based in Canada, made the trip down to show us their specialty – edible cake topper busts. They are outstandingly talented and bring a new edge to our art form.

We were able to watch a live cake competition. The artists had 4 hours to complete their New York themed design.

This is the winning design

It is hard to remember is how fragile cake really is. After judging, the face of the wining cake began to fall.

Dianna Lopez, the winner, shows how to take anything in stride. She had such a wonderful, playful attitude about the fondant falling.

Zilly Cakes, famously known for creating the Obama mosaic out of cupcakes, created a gorgeous cupcake mosaic of Kirsten Dunst from Marie Antoinette.

Here’s a closeup of what each cupcake looks like that forms the amazing masterpiece.

It was so wonderful to be able to meet and hear from some great chefs in the industry.

Ashley Vicos talks about her experiences in the cake industry

Michelle Bommarito, Natalie and I strike a pose

Chris Rossum judged the live cake competition

Donut Cake

One of our most commonly asked questions is “How do you make a sculpted cake?”

Here is a slide how of the process for making a Donut Cake. It is an easy shape to sculpt and a great starting cake for newbie cake sculptors.

Enjoy!