Fondant and the Fourth

Fourth of July weekend was a total blast! Though it rained like crazy all day Friday, it still beat having to go to work! I was able to get so many things done around the house, as well as bake some yummy treats for a party we were attending on Saturday! 

I had peanut butter cake in the freezer for like two months, waiting for the right time to use it and this was it.  I did peanut butter, chocolate and vanilla cake balls with marshmallow fondant festive accents!

Making fondant was a messy but easy task. I had been wanting to try it because buying fondant at the store is so expensive ($17/lb) and I’ve been going through it so fast lately! So I found a recipe and went for it… and it was delicious. Obviously, anything marshmallow based is going to be awesome.. I melted two bags of jet puffs, mixed with confectionary sugar and a little bit of water and done!

Here is what a pound of melted marshmallows looks like.. yes, it looks like heaven.. 

It sounds easy, but the mess was insane and I had to literally put my hands in shortening first so it didn’t stick so bad to my hands as I mixed (it stuck anyways so it was a lost cause) and I think I got more sugar on my floor than in the mix but it was an experience and I will definitely try again!  Not sure if I would use it to cover full cakes until I master it, but definitely good for accents and fun things that go on top of cake pops!

So I made some vintage looking red white and blue stars and streamers to put on top of the pops and they were perfect! Everyone ate them right up and just like that, I am back in the zone!

The weekend was filled with friends and family.. Louis and I got to see basically everyone we are close with during different parts of the weekend and it was great catching up with people!  Not sure I can eat any more hamburgers for the rest of the summer though… I am definitely BBQed out!  

So on Sunday, we decided to grill up some pizzas with my parents while sitting by the pool for the day.  I loved grilled pizza and I definitely want to post a tutorial soon!  We topped them with fresh mozzarella, various other cheeses, spicy Italian sausage, grilled chicken breast, vegetables and basil pesto! So delicious and filling, without the fat and oil in take-out pizza. Such a refreshing way to BBQ!

Hope everyone’s holiday was relaxing and fulfilling! It was a great three days to be with the people we love and reflect on our freedom we all sometimes take for granted!

-Elena 

Getting Social

Wow, it has been a while!

My mind can't stop thinking about cake, and chocolate, and frosting.

It has been 1 1/2 months since my last dessert creation..

I am having withdrawals.

Frankly, May was the busiest month ever for me, and June hasn't slowed down much either.  I really took some time for me. Beach trips,  making gourmet dinners, getting the apartment decorated, catching up with family and friends... It has been so amazing! But I am ready to get back into the kitchen for the purpose of desserts, and I have some really awesome things in store..

In a few weeks, I will be preparing a 100 cake pop display for a jack and jill that is.. wait for it..... Disney themed.. Yes, Mickey and Minnie will be edible! And it is going to be great!

Also in store is a vintage wedding in the country.. then a beach wedding.. and some other festive things in between!

So I figured right now is a good time to get social!! How am I doing that? By expanding my blog's brand of course! Being a communications major in college, I understand the importance of an online presence, however I haven't had much time to get myself together online! Tonight I quit the excuses and executed-- now I have a facebook page here and an instagram page here http://instagram.com/onesweetbiteatatime#!

By expanding myself online, I really just hope to reach more people in order to grow my following and to keep my creative juices flowing! Having people ask me to provide treats for them is just an added bonus!

This is my passion and I am sticking to it! So please, check out One Sweet Bite at a Time on Facebook and Instagram! I will love you forever for it :)

XO-Elena

3 Ingredient Protein Pancakes that Rule Over Any Other Protein Pancake Recipe

I've been on a bit of a hiatus. I purposely did not take on any dessert orders for the month of May because this month is insane for me! I just got back from vacation in Miami with my boyfriend visiting my brother which was awesome. Before that I had something to do each weekend.. this weekend is me and Louis' anniversary weekend plus Memorial Day, and next weekend my cousin gets married.. SO, I have not had any time for cooking or baking.. we've been eating a lot of salads!

Anyways I slept until 11am this morning because my body was yelling at me "you need sleeeeeep" so sleep is what I did and when I got up I was hungryyyyy! So, I whipped up these pancakes, which were just.. amazing. They are a muted banana flavor, so if you love banana these are for you. This is what my plate looks like now:

Yup.. gone. SO GOOD. So here is the recipe and I hope you create them and enjoy them! This made four little perfect pancakes for one person, at only 243 calories and 8 grams of protein.  It is the perfect dish to have when you're craving a fattening Friendly's breakfast, but know you just should NOT do that! Dont' do that!!

Start with your three ingredients (see I wasn't lying!)-- one banana, one egg, 1/4 scoop vanilla protein powder. I like baking with muscle milk, it's flavorful and there is sugar in it so it makes things sweet. I know a lot of people prefer other brands, so use what you got!

Mash your banana like so..

In a separate bowl, whisk your egg. Then add it to the mashed banana, and add your protein scoop on top.

Next, mix everything together! I added a bit of cinnamon at this stage, because I love it so much and I put it on everything. So I guess I lied when I said 3 ingredients... I used four! But this is why I love this recipe, it is a great base and you can add what you like! I suppose you could add chocolate chips at this point if you're feeling naughty!! 

Ok now add some oil to your pan. I prefer using coconut oil, but if olive oil or butter is what you have, go for it.  Then plop your batter into the pan.

Let these little babies cook for about 4 minutes on one side, until the tops start bubbling then flip.  They will be brown, but the are not burned! Remember, bananas have a lot of natural sugar, so they will caramelize and be SO YUMMY. Trust me. We're almost there.

Ok so most of the world loves maple syrup. I hate it. I prefer butter.... or brown sugar, but bad bad bad. So how do we makes these things delicious for only 40 calories more and 4 whole grams of protein!?? You make a protein glaze. 

One tablespoon protein powder goes into a bowl..

Followed by 1/2 tablespoon of almond milk. Mix, then add more milk until it reaches a glaze consistency. You don't want it watery! Think glazyyyy.

 

OH YEAAAAAA! 

 

Look at that! A delicious breakfast with only a sliver of the calories you'd get at your local breakfast joint.

Ah these were so good. Banana and vanilla and a little cinnamon and it's a great way to get my protein from egg too without having to cook eggs (ew). 

Try these and let me know what you think! You won't be sorry! Don't forget to double the recipe (2 eggs, 2 bananas, 1/2 cup protein powder) to make them for two!

For 1 serving (4 little cakes):
243 Calories, 27 Carbs, 12 Fat, 8 Protein, 71 Sodium, 14 Sugar

-Elena