The Book: Sweet Potato Pie; The Bite: Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
(POST 3 OF 3)

The Book!
There is nothing stronger than the bond of family in this children's book, "Sweet Potato Pie" where a family joins together to solve a problem faced when a drought sweeps across their county. Thoughtfully written by author Kathleen Lindsay and published by Lee & Low Books (September 1, 2003).

Sweet Potato Pie: "The summer a great drought sweeps across the county, the only crop Sadie's family is able to save is the sweet potatoes. Money is tight, and if Papa doesn't pay back his loan soon, the bank will take away the farm.

Suddenly Mama comes up with an idea — sweet potato pies! The family can sell her pies at the Harvest Celebration that starts the very next day. There's not much time to get ready, but as Sadie and her brother enlist the cooperation of their old cow, squawking chickens, and half-blind goat, the family rises to the challenge. And in the end it's Sadie who comes up with just the right recipe for success.

Sweet Potato Pie is a delicious affirmation of strong family ties and creative problem solving. This lively story will capture your heart, as well as your taste buds. Loosely based on Lindsey's memories of her great grandmother's stories, the story took shape in Lindsey's mind as she sewed a quilt called "Sweet Potato Pie."

Book Stats:
Genre - Children's, Fiction
Page Count - 32
Target Age Group - 5 to 8
Theme(s) - Family, Food

The Bite! 

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

This year for Thanksgiving I was tasked with bringing some of the vegetable side dishes. Besides a couple of savory vegetable sides I will be cooking, I decided to also bring something sweet; but still use vegetables. The sweet potato. I thought about bringing the traditional sweet potato pie, but my niece Jurnee does such a wonderful job at making them, I thought it best not to even try to attempt to steal her thunder...besides I think she would win that challenge hands down! So I thought I would try something different using sweet potatoes--Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies. Moist, flavorful, and delicious; they might not last long enough to make it to Thanksgiving dinner! (Ummmm, yeah, I had to make a second batch the next day because my family wouldn't stop eating them, LOL). Try them, they are sure to be a hit! Here is a pictorial step by step guide to making your own. Enjoy!
Note: Unfortunately, I ran out of time to make the Pecan Cinnamon Crunch Coating (listed below), but I still wanted to keep the ingredients on this post for future reference.  :(

Pictured: Ingredients for the Whoopie Pie Cookie

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Whoopie Pie Cookie:

2-1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour 

3/4 cup White Sugar
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt

1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Baking Soda
3 tsps Cinnamon
1 tsp Allspice
1/2 cup Butter (1 stick), softened
15 oz can Sweet Potatoes (drain syrup)
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
1 Egg

Pictured: Ingredients for the Maple Cream Cheese Filling

Maple Cream Cheese Filling:

1/2 cup Butter (1 stick)

8 oz Cream Cheese
Approx. 4 cups Powdered Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsps Pure Maple Syrup

Pecan Cinnamon Crunch Coating:
(Note: I unfortunately ran out of time to make the coating)

Graham Crackers (about 5)
1/4 cup Butter (1/2 stick butter), melted
1/4 cup Pecans (chopped)
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 Tbsp White Sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Place flour in a bowl.

Add the cinnamon, allspice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
Mix flour mixture well, then set aside.

In a separate bowl, place butter (if still hard/cold, then microwave for about 15 seconds). 

Add sugars.

Mix sugars and butter well.

Drain syrup from sweet potatoes, then mash potatoes with a fork or spoon.

Add mashed sweet potatoes, egg, and vanilla to the sugar/butter mixture.

Mix well.

Incorporate flour into sweet potato mixture.

Continue to incorporate flour.

Your cookie dough should look like the picture above.

Spoon cookie dough onto pan. 

Spray or place oil on back of a spoon and use the spoon to shape dough.

Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Make sure not to overbake!

Remove from oven and cool completely. Set aside.

Ingredients to make the maple cream cheese filling. 

Soften butter and cream cheese; blend together.
Mix in vanilla and maple syrup.
Then gradually stir in powdered sugar.

Mix icing until you attain the correct consistency.

Spoon icing between two cookies.

Sprinkle tops with powdered sugar.

Voila!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

Sweet Potato Whoopie Pies with Maple Cream Cheese Filling!

The Book: Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light; The Bite: Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes

The Book!
I decided to highlight the following award winning book in honor of National Chocolate and Peanut Day, which is today. The book, "Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light" (2006) was written by author Mort Rosenblum (he is also author of the award winning book Olives), and published by North Point Press; an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light: "A delectable journey into the world of chocolate--from manufacturing to marketing, French boutiques to American multinationals--by the award-winning author of Olives.

Science, over recent years, has confirmed what chocolate lovers have always known: the stuff is actually good for you. It's the Valentine's Day drug of choice, has more antioxidants than red wine, and triggers the same brain responses as falling in love. Nothing, in the end, can stand up to chocolate as a basic fundament to human life. 

In this scintillating narrative, acclaimed foodie Mort Rosenblum delves into the complex world of chocolate. From the mole poblano--chile-laced chicken with chocolate--of ancient Mexico to the contemporary French chocolatiers who produce the palets d'or--bite-sized, gold-flecked bricks of dark chocolate--to the vast empires of Hershey, Godiva, and Valrhona, Rosenblum follows the chocolate trail the world over. He visits cacao plantations, meets with growers, buyers, makers, and tasters, and investigates the dark side of the chocolate trade as well as the enduring appeal of its product. 

Engaging, entertaining, and revealing, Chocolate: A Bittersweet Saga of Dark and Light is a fascinating foray into this "food of the gods.""

Book Stats:
Genre - Adult, Non-Fiction
Page Count - 305
Target Age Group - Crossover
Theme(s) - Food, Historical


The Bite! 

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes

Today is National Chocolate and Peanut Day, so I decided to bake these easy to make cupcakes with a chocolate and peanut butter theme frosting. I am the first one to admit that I am not a huge fan of icing. I am that typical person that you see at parties scraping the stuff off and just eating the cake. So when I set out to frost the cupcakes, I wanted a frosting that was more like a dessert in and of itself. Although I used a store bought brand for the milk chocolate part of the frosting, I made my own peanut butter frosting and then swirled them together to create a delicious topping for the cupcakes; similar in taste to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Yes, I ate every bit of that swirled frosting along with my daughter who is not a particular fan of frosting either. So if you love the peanut butter and chocolate combination, you will love these simple to make cupcakes.  Here is a pictorial step by step guide to making your own. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Cupcakes:

Any "Moist" or "Super Moist" cake mix (I interchange between Betty Crocker and Duncan Hines)
Eggs (as many as box mix indicates); usually 3
Milk (if box mix requires water, substitute milk for water); usually 1 cup milk needed
Butter (if box mix requires oil, substitute DOUBLE the butter for oil); usually 1 cup butter needed

Ingredients for Peanut Butter Frosting:
1 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup Butter

Approx. 2 cups Powdered Sugar
3 to 4 Tbsp Milk
Also needed:
1/4 to 1/3 cup Milk Chocolate Chips (or semi-sweet chocolate chips)
Milk Chocolate Frosting 
(although I could make the milk chocolate frosting from scratch, I opted not to in order to save time. I used Duncan Hines Creamy Milk Chocolate Frosting)

Mix cake mix as indicated on box, making the suggested substitutions as listed above in the ingredients.

Add 1/4 to 1/3 cup milk chocolate chips, or as many as desired. I used both milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chips.

Spoon in cupcake holders about 3/4 full.

Follow the baking times as indicated on the box mix. In this instance, at 375 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Cupcakes are done when toothpick is inserted and comes out clean. 

Cool cupcakes completely before frosting.

To make the peanut butter frosting;
combine the peanut butter and butter and mix well in blender.
Then gradually add the powdered sugar, and blend well.

Thin frosting using milk until desired whipped consistency.

The frosting should look like the above image when finished.

To make the frosting swirl, spoon half the peanut butter frosting into a frosting applicator. if you don't have one on hand, you can also use a ziplock bag and cut a tiny hole in the bottom corner of the bag to squeeze out frosting. 

Then spoon the milk chocolate frosting into other half of cupcake applicator (or ziplock bag).

The applicator (or ziplock bag) should show half peanut butter and half milk chocolate frosting.

Squeeze desired amount of frosting onto cooled cupcakes. Start near the edge of the cupcake making a circular motion until you reach the top.

Voila!

If you desire, add a chocolate chip on top of each cupcake for decoration.

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!

Easy Milk Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl 'Chip' Cupcakes!