Nana's 75th Birthday Cake

We threw Nana a surprise 75th Birthday this year.  It was alot of fun...and of course I made the cake.  Nana loves crosswords, so I found a website that you can create your own crossword puzzle.  I entered in 16 clues/answers about Nana and it created a personalized puzzle.  I then made fondant and drew the crossword puzzle and clues onto the fondat using edible markers.  I had been asking Nana for the recipe for her favorite cake and Uncle Chet told me what to fill it with and ice with.  As usual, I made everything from scratch, even the fondant. (which was a pain in the butt, but I did it and thought it tasted great).

Nana's 1-2-3-4 Cake
1 Cup butter or margarine
2 Cups Sugar
3 Cups Cake Flour (if use presto cake flour omit the baking powder and salt)
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
4 eggs separated
1 Cup milk
1 tsp vanilla

Grease the bottom of a 13x9inch pan.  Line with parchment paper.  Grease the parchment paper.
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg yolks and vanilla. Add flour and milk alternating between the two only until incorporated. Set Aside.
Beat egg whites to stiff but not dry peaks. Fold 1/3 into the cake batter and then add the rest gently.
Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes.

Lemon Curd Filling
5.25 oz butter cubed and divided
4.5 oz sugar divided
4.5 oz lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
4.5 oz egg yolks

Combine half of the butter, half of the sugar, all of the lemon jucie and zest in a saucepan.  Heat until sugar dissolves.

Blend the egg yolks with the remaining sugar.  Temper by adding 1/3 of the hot lemon sauce, stiring constantly with a whisk.  Return the tempered egg mixture to the saucepan.  Continue cooking , stirring constantly with the whisk until the mixture comes to a boil.

Add the remaining butter

Strain the curd into a large shallow bowl.  Cover and refrigerate to cool.


Buttercream Icing
2 extra large egg whites (room temp)

3/4 Cup sugar
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
1/3 tsp salt
3 sticks butter (room temp - not melted)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in heat proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until warm to touch - about 5 minutes. Beat with whisk attachment for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Add 1 T of butter at a time on medium speed mixing until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and add chocolate and vanilla. Mix until blended. If too soft put in refrigerator for a few minutes and beat again.

Fondant
1 1/2 oz. water
1 package unflavored gelatin
4 1/2 oz light corn syrup (I only had glucose on hand so I used that)
1 1/2 tsp. glycerin (optional)
1 lb 8 oz confectioners sugar

Mix the water and gelatin and heat gently to dissove only.  Remove from the heat and stir in the corn syrup and glycerin (if using). 

Add the sugar and mix until smooth and well combined.  Form into a disc, lightly coat with shortening and wrap in plastic if not using right away.  Best if used the same day. 

I had some trouble getting the sugar to mix into the other ingredients.  So I took out of the pan and put into my mixing bowl with the paddle attachment and let it knead together for a minute.   It worked perfect.

Nana's Pinch Cookies

My Nana has been making these cookies for as long as I can remember.  The recipe is her mothers, so I guess that makes me the fourth generation to make this cookie. (I don't remember my mother ever making these though). They are easy enough to make but time consuming.  I'm not going to give the recipe away, but it is a flour/butter cookie filled with apricot jam and chopped up nuts. (or you can use prunes or poppy seeds - which I don't like so I don't make)  I make them every year for Christmas and everyone loves them.  I use the cutter that my Grandfather made to cut them to give them a zig zag edge.

Red Velvet Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

(I need a better camera to document my stuff)

One of Dac's clients asked me if I could make her Red Velvet Cupcakes.  I know the classic red velvet is with plain cream cheese frosting, but I decidied to divide the frosting and add chocolate to half of it.  It was pretty yummy.  I had to make this recipe twice because the first time I rushed and overbeat the batter and the cupcakes fell.  The second time I took my time and only beat when I needed to.  And they came out light and fluffy.  I did get some feedback from Dac's client that she thought they were great but needed more cocoa and the color could be more intense and she loved the frosting.  I will make them again when she comes back.  

Cake Mix:

1/2 stick unsalted butter softened

3/4 Cup sugar

1 large egg

food coloring (I have food gel that I used and only needed about 5-6 drops but will probably use more next time)

1 tsp cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup plus 2 1/2 T sifted cake flour (next time I will reduce this to 1 1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 T flour and add an additional 1 T of cocoa powder)

1/2 T vinegar

1 tsp baking soda

Preheat oven to 350. Line muffin tins.

In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Beat in egg beating well after each addition.  In a small bowl whisk together the food coloring and the cocoa powder and add with salt to the butter mixture, beating until blended.

In a measuring cup mix the buttermilk and vanilla.  Add the flour to the butter alternating with the buttermilk starting and ending with the flour beating only until combined.  In a small bowl stir together the baking soda and the vinegar (it will fizz).  Pour into the batter and STIR - DO NOT BEAT!

Pour into the muffins tins until they are about 2/3 -3/4 full.  Bake for 12-15 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.  Let cool a few minutes in pan on rack and remove to cool completely on a rack.

Frost when cupcakes are completely cooled.

Frosting:

1 8oz package of cream cheese COLD

5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened

2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup - 4 cups of confectioners sugar - It all depends on your taste for sweetness.  I only used 1/4 Cup

To make it chocolate - melt 5 oz of chocolate (I used semisweet but you can use dark) let it cool and add to the vanilla cream cheese frosting.  (If you want to do half chocolate and half vanilla frosting divide the frosting after you've made the vanilla and only add 2.5 oz of melted chocolate)

New York Style Cheesecake

Graham Cracker Crust
7 oz graham crackers
5 T. melted unsalted buttter
1/4 Cup sugar

Filling
20 oz Cream Cheese
6 oz sugar
pinch of salt
5 oz eggs
1/2 oz egg yolks
2 1/2 oz heavy cream
1/4 oz vanilla

To make the graham cracker crust:
In a food processor blend the graham crackers until fine crumbs. Add the sugar and process. With the processor running, add the melted butter.

Press the mixture into the bottom and almost halfway up the sides of a 8 inch springform pan. (you do not want the crust to be showing when you add the filling - even though my did...next time it won't.)

Wrap the pan with 2 sheets of tinfoil. (This is so that no water will get in when you bake it in a water bath.)

Set aside.

To make the filling:
*Note - do not overmix - this will cause air bubbles and it may cause bubbles in the cake or cracking *
Combine the cream cheese, sugar and salt on medium speed with the paddle attachment, occassionally scraping down the bowl, until the mixture is completely smooth, about 3 minutes.

Whisk the eggs and yolks together. Add to the cream cheese in 4 additions until fully incorporated.

Add the heavy cream and vanilla and mix until fully incorporated.

Pour into the prepared pan. Gently tap the side of the pan to release any air bubbles.

Bake in a water bath (using hot water to fill it) for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the center is set (but still a little jiggly is ok).

Very Important! Let cool completely in the pan on a cooling rack. Cover with plastic wrap - with the plastic wrap touching the surface of the cake. Then move it to the refrigerator and chill overnight. It is very important to cool completely before refrigerating so that the cheesecake does not crack.

Bran Muffins

Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Wheat Bran

1/2 Cup Buttermilk

2 Tbsp and 2 tsp vegetable oil

1 egg white

1/3 Cup brown sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 Cup AP flour

1/4 Cup Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup raisins

Preheat Oven to 375. Line muffin tins with paper cups or grease them without.

Mix together the buttermilk and the wheat bran. Let sit 10 minutes.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg white, sugar, vanilla and oil. Add the wheat bran mixture.

In a separate bowl sift together the flours, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients. Whisk until just combined. Fold in the raisins. (I made 1/2 with raisins and 1/2 without).

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until a toohpick comes out clean.

Can brush the tops with a drop of honey once they come out of the oven.

Apple Pie

Dac and I went Apple Picking at an orchard in Warwick. It was a first for both of us - we had a lot of fun and got A TON of apples. (maybe like 10lbs). I love apple pie so decided to make one for Sunday dinner party with great friends. It was pretty easy to make and sooo delicious! Definitely not the healthiest thing but I am pretty sure I will be able to make a healthy version - so watch for that.

Recipe:

Pie Shell - Yes I have to make it from scratch - there's no other way! This will make enough for 2 9inch pie shells.

The key to this is to have everything (except the flour and salt) as cold as possible. When you are rolling out the first half of the dough be sure to have the other half in the fridge. You may need to refrigerate all of the dough to make it easier to work with.

Sift together and put in a food processor:

2 1/2 Cups Flour

1 1/4 tsp salt

Add:

3 Tbsp cold butter cubed

1/2 Cup cold shortening

Pulse until resembles coarse crumbs.

Add 1/4 Cup Cold Shortening and pulse until pea sized crumbs.

Drizzle with 6 Tbsp ice cold water. Blend until the dough forms a ball and pulls away from the side. (about 1 minute). Divide dough in half

Refrigerate or roll immediately. I rolled one half of the dough out just a little bigger than the pie pan. The other half I rolled out and cut into strips and latticed the pie.

Apple Filling:

6-8 medium/large apples - peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch slices

In a large wide frying pan melt 3 Tbsp butter

Add the Apples and coat with the butter. Cook for 5-7 minutes or until apples are still crisp but tender.

Increase heat to high and add:

1/2 Cup sugar

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Coat apples and bring to a rolling boil to thicken the liquid. Cook for about 3 minutes. When done remove apples to cookie sheet and allow to cool for about 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350.

Once apples are cooled add to the pie shell. Lattice the top (or whatever top you decide on).

Cook for 30-40 minutes or until top is browned and filling starts to boil.

Serve with vanilla ice cream!

Mini Ricotta Cheesecakes with Carmelized Pecan Graham Cracker Crust

I made eggplant parm the other day and have a bunch of leftover ricotta. I don't want to just throw it out so here is a recipe I found and manipulated a litte bit. I've made ricotta cheese cookies before (haven't made since I started this blog) and they were great so I decided to try a different recipe. I also love cheesecake but don't get to enjoy it that often. In my searches for a recipe I came across a recipe by Giada that someone changed a bit. I also came across another recipe for a Turtle Cheesecake (that didn't call for ricotta cheese). So I decided to combine the two and make mini ricotta turtle cheesecakes.

The recipe called for 1/2 Cup of sugar but when I tasted the batter it was very sweet so I decided to add more ricotta and more cream cheese.

I had carmelized pecans in my cupboard (a gift from someone). I decided to grind them up and add them to the crust mixture. The mixture itself was very yummy uncooked, but then again how can carmelized pecans, melted butter and graham crackers taste bad?

Ok - so on to the recipe.....

Preheat the oven to 350. Prepare your mini muffins tins with mini muffin papers :)

Crust:

1 handful of Carmelized pecans - yes I didn't measure (If you don't have the carmelized pecans just omit them)

2/3 Cup crushed graham crackers

2 T. butter, melted

Put the pecans in a food processor until a crumb mixture. Add the graham crackers and blend. While the pecans and graham crackers are processing pour in the melted butter.

Put about 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of the crust mixture into the prepared muffin tins. Use something a smiliar size to press the crust firmly into the papers.

Cheesecake Filling:

1 Cup Ricotta Cheese
6 oz Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp vanilla (I am going to use amaretto next time)
2 eggs

Put everything into a food processor and processor until blended and smooth.

Fill the muffin tins almost to the top (leaving a small space for a pecan or other topping (carmel, chocolate, etc.).

Get a sheet pan big enough to hold the muffin tin and fill 1/4 of the way with water. Place the filled muffin tin on the sheet pan. Place in oven. Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately put in freezer for about 20 minutes.

Store in the refrigerator.

Topping: I did Caramel and Melted Chocolate drizzled on topped with a tiny piece of the carmelized pecans. But you can do any topping.

1/4 Cup Brown Sugar

2 T Butter

1/2 T milk

Melt all in pot until sugar is dissolved and starts to bubble a little bit. Let cool for just a minute and work quickly to drizzle over the cooled cheesecakes.

Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Well the season is upon us! Time for soups and stews and comfort foods! And that includes sweets! I've been dying to make something with pumpkin so I decided to make pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheese frosting...YUM!! I made them with no white flour and no white sugar and with all organic ingredients. That being said - I can't say that it is the healthiest thing in the world. Still has brown sugar and butter in it - but hey - have to indulge! So here we go....

Recipe:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line cupcake tin with papers.

Melt 2 sticks of butter. Set aside to let cool slightly.

In a large bowl sift then whisk together:

2 Cups Spelt Flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp nutmeg

In a separate bowl whisk together until incorporated:

1/2 Cup light agave nectar

The melted butter

4 large eggs

1 Cup brown sugar

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Whisk gently and only until incorporated. (You do not want to overmix since you are using spelt flour. The gluten in spelt flour is more fragile than white or wheat flour. Whereas wheat flour needs to be mixed and kneaded for awhile to strengthen the gluten, you need to be much gentler with spelt flour taking care not to over-mix or over-knead. Over-mixing may result in too a crumbly texture.)

Fold in a 15 oz can of pumpkin puree.

Fill the cupcake tins halfway with the batter. Bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops spring back or a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely before icing.

Icing:

8oz Cream Cheese at room temp

1/2 Cup butter at room temp

1/2 Cup Confectioners Sugar

4 T Agave Nectar

1 tsp vanilla

Beat until light and fluffy.

Sprinkle iced cupcakes with cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg.

Chocolate Cake with Buttercream Icing

I made this cake for my friend, Alfonso's birthday. It came out moist and was pretty sweet, but he loved it. It has a ton of sugar in it - so not what I love to bake with but I wanted to do something great for his bday. He loves Buddha and similar things to that. i found this picture online and decided to replicate it on the cake. I don't think it came out too bad for my first hand drawing on a cake. They thought it looked great. Being a perfectionist I know it could be better...I just need to take a trip to Chef Central and pick up some more tools...

I made 2 types of icing because I wanted one white and one Chocolate. You can just do one or the other - but I put a decoration on the top of the cake which is why I wanted it white. The white sugar icing is much more sweet than the Chocolate icing.

Recipe:

Chocolate Cake

2 Cups Sugar

1 3/4 Cup AP Flour

3/4 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 Cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup boiling water

Heat oven to 350F. Grease and line 2 8 or 9 inch round cake pans with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed. Slowly stir in the boiling water. (The batter is going to be pretty thin). Pour evenly into the prepared pans. Bake for 30-32 minutes, Cool in pan for 10 minutes and move to wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Buttercream Icing

6 oz chocolate chopped

2 extra large egg whites (room temp)

3/4 Cup sugar

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

1/3 tsp salt

3 sticks butter (room temp - not melted)

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Set aside and let cool to room temp.

Mix egg whites, sugar, cream of tartar and salt in heat proof mixing bowl. Place the bowl over a pan of simmering water and heat until warm to touch - about 5 minutes. Beat with whisk attachment for 5 minutes or until stiff peaks form.

Add 1 T of butter at a time on medium speed mixing until just incorporated. Scrape down bowl and add chocolate and vanilla. Mix until blended. If too soft put in refrigerator for a few minutes and beat again.

White Sugar Frosting

2 Cup confectioners Sugar

1/4 Cup shortening

2 T + 1 1/2 tsp milk (more or less if needed)

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cream the sugar and shortening together. Slowly add the milk and vanilla until smooth and stiff consistency.

Coconut Frangipane

I made these for mine and Dac's salon soft opening. They were almost a big a hit as our salon! I got a bunch of people telling me they were going to be calling me for Christmas to bake these for them. They really were yummy! I can't wait to make them again! They were super easy too!

Yields - 55 mini muffin cakes

Ingredients

Coconut Cakes

7 oz Butter

1/2 lb 1 oz Confectioners Sugar

3 1/2 oz All purpose flour

.875 oz coconut rum

5 1/4 oz eggs

5 1/4 oz heavy cream

5 1/4 dried coconut

(the rum, eggs and cream should equal one cup)

Coconut rum for brushing - as needed

Swiss Meringue

2 oz egg whites

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

pinch of salt

1/4 pound sugar

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a mini muffin pan with non-stick spray.

Cream the butter, sugar and flour on medium speed with paddle attachment until smooth - about 2 minutes.

Combine the rume, eggs and heavy cream. Add to the butter mixture in 4 parts beating until well combined. Add the coconut and blend until incorporated.

Fill a pastry bag (with no tip) and pipe into the prepared muffin pans about 3/4 full.

Bake for 10 minutes.

Remove from pan and place on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Let cool.

After all batches have been cooked and cooled use a pastry brush to brush the tops with coconut rum.

To make the swiss meringue.

Place the ingredients into a metal bowl and stir until thoroughly combined. Place the bowl over barely simmering water and slowly stire until it reaches 165F. Transfer to a mixer and whip on high speed until meringue forms stiff but not dry peaks.

Using a pastry bag fitted with flat tip pipe the swiss meringue in a snake like motion on top of the cakes.

Brulee the meringue until a nice golden brown appearance. You can use a torch for this part but I stuck them under the broiler - which you have to watch very closely or they will burn.

Nut Bars II

I made another attempt at Nut Bars. This time I left out the oats and added dried fruit and raisins. Dac wanted to me to attempt to replicate the KIND Bars we like. I did and he said they were better than the KIND Bars! Yeah! I have to say they were pretty scrumptious! and super easy to make. I made a very small batch though since I was experimenting. I used a bread pan and this made about 7 bars.

Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 - 2 Cups mixed whole nutes (I had brazil, pecans, almonds, cashews and hazelnuts)
2 T Brown Rice Syrup
1/4 Cup raisins
1/4 Cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup dark Chocolate chips
1 T. Wheat Germ
1 T. Flax Seed

Preheat oven to 350. Line the bottom of a bread pan with parchment paper. Lightly grease the sides of the pan.

In a bowl mix all the ingredients together well, making sure to coat everything in the brown rice syrup. Pour into the prepared pan and press down. Take another piece of parchment paper and place on top of the nuts. Using a heavy object (I used the brown rice syrup bottle) bang on the nuts to really press them down.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Let cool completely in pan. Turn over and tap out of the pan. Cut into desired sized bars. Store in an airtight container. I left mine on the parchment paper so they didn't stick to the container.

Gianna's 5th Bday Rainbow Cake

Dac's niece turned 5 this year and she wanted a rainbow cake for her birthday. I made this for the family party her parents had for her...I think there was only be like 15 people there and I made this ENOURMOUS rainbow cake that could have fed about 50. 4 (12x17inch) sheet cakes and 2 8inch round Devils Chocolate Cake....soo yeah...might have gone a little overboard, but I had fun doing it. I am fully admitting that I cheated just a bit with the some of the frosting. When I was at the store I saw the Betty Crocker icing with the rainbowed chips in it and I thought "why not?". It was a good thing to use in between the layers of cake. I only used enough to hold the layers together. And the chocolate icing I did the same just because I had this bag of icing (the powder - you add butter and water to it) in my cupboards that Dac bought a while ago and I wanted to try it out. The cakes and the decorating icing was completely homemade though.

After I made all of the sheet cakes and chocolate cake I carved the cakes to create a giant rainbow with 2 clouds on either end. Then I put a thin layer of frosting on the rainbow portion, let dry and separated small amounts of icing, tinted to the colors of the rainbow (ROYGBIV) and hand "painted" the cake. Then I iced the sides of the rainbow white. For the clouds I iced the sides an organized messy to resemble clouds and I used a pastry tip for the tops to make it neater.

Here are the recipes:

Sheet Cakes

Have all the ingredients at room temperature.

2 2/3 Cup sifted Cake flour (I used Presto brand cake flour so I didn't have to add the baking powder or salt - If you use a cake flour without these in it - add 2 1/4 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp. salt)

2 sticks butter

1 1/2 Cup Sugar

1 Cup milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

4 large eggs separated

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/4 Cup sugar

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 12X17 sheet pan and line with parchment paper and then grease again. Set aside.

Combine the milk and vanilla in a measuring cup and set aside.

Using a paddle attachment (if you have one - if not just use regular beaters). Beat the butter for about 2 minutes until creamy. Gradually add 1 1/2 Cup sugar to the butter beating on high for about 4 minutes until light and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks one a time mixing until well blended on low speed.

Add the flour in 3 parts alternating with the milk in 2 parts beating on low speed until smooth. On the 2nd addition of the milk add food coloring (I have food color paste that really makes it a deeper shade).

In a separate bowl using the whisk attachment - beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add the 1/4 cup sugar until stiff but not dry peaks form (about 1-2 minutes on high speed). Fold 1/3 of this mixture to the flour/egg yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.

Spread evenly in the pan and bake for 18 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Repeat 4 times (I told you I went overboard) using diffferent food coloring each time. I did red, yellow, green and blue.

This takes about 25-30 minutes to prepare. I started baking these at 10:30 and finished around 2:30.

Devils Food Cake - (This was one of the clouds)

Have all ingredients at room temperature.

Preheat oven to 350.

Grease and line with parchment paper - 2 - 8 inch round cake pans.

Place the following into a double boiler and melt until smooth:

4 ounces unsweetend chocolate - chopped

1/2 Cup milk

1 Cup packed dark brown sugar

1 Large egg yolk

Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Get ready and set aside:

2 Cups sifted cake flour (same instructions for cake flour as with the sheet cake but with 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt)

In a measuring cup combine:

1/2 Cup milk

1/4 cup water

1 tsp vanilla

Using a paddle attachment, beat 1 stick of butter until creamy. Gradually add 1 cup sugar.

Divide 2 eggs - reserving the whites. Beat in yolks one at a time until well combined.

Add the flour in 3 parts to the butter mixture alternating with the milk mixture in 2 parts beating until smooth. Stir in the chocolate mixture.

Using a whisk attachment and clean bowl - beat on high speed the egg whites until stiff but not dry. Fold lightly into the batter.

Divide into the pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely.

Frosting for the Clouds - (this actually only made enough to ice one cloud and I didn't have enough time to make more so I made some whipped cream (1 cup heavy cream and 4 T agave) and used it to ice the other cloud)

4 large egg whites

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

1 pinch salt

1 tsp vanilla (I ran out and actually didn't add this but I would have)

1-3 drops light blue color paste (just enough to tint it a pale blue)

In a saucepan bring a few inches of water to a boil. Almost like a double boiler, but you want the bowl you mix the ingredients in to be able to actually fit in the water.

Whisk all the ingredients (except the food coloring) in a bowl by hand. Set the bowl above/in the boiling water and continue to whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar dissolves about 1-2 minutes. Be sure not to cook the eggs. Transfer the mixture to a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat at high speed until eggs beat up to a stiff meringue adding the food paste about halfway though.

Frosting for the rainbow part

2 1/2 Sticks butter - room temp

5 Cups confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp Milk

1 Tbsp vanilla

Mix all together until smooth.

Peanut Butter Cups

Was in the mood for a little sweet snack and wanted to do something with homemade pecan butter, but that didn't work. Have to do a little more research on making that. So I made this with regular peanut butter - of course me only having natural no salted organic peanut butter that is what I used but I'm sure Jiffy or any other PB would work. Very similar to a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. This can be a little time consuming (I only made 4), but it was really yummy and well worth it!

Recipe

Ingredients

3/4-1 Cup Dark Chocolate

1 Tbsp Peanut Butter for each Cup

mini cupcake liners

Melt chocolate in a double boiler. Using a pastry brush coat the inside of the cupcake liners with the melted chocolate. Put in the freezer for a few minutes until chocolate has hardened. Put another layer of chocolate in the liners. Freeze until hard. Scoop the peanut butter in the cups leaving enough room on top to top with more chocolate.

Freeze until chocolate is hard. I stored mine in the freezer and they were a perfect little snack when I was ready for them :)

I also put a small slice of banana in the bottom of a couple of the liners (after the 2 layers of chocolate).

Tandy Cake

This recipe my Nana used to make. It is exactly like TastyCakes Tandy Cakes. Firm white cake on the bottom followed by a layer of peanut butter, then chocolate. Cut into squares and yummy goodness! I was at my Mom's when I made this. I made this with white flour, white sugar, but will definitely attempt making it a healthier way. (I did use dark chocolate though). Really good - and went well with my glass of wine!

Recipe
Ingredients

4 eggs
2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. baking soda
2 Tbsp Butter
2 cup flour
1 cup milk
1 jar peanut butter
16 oz dark chocolate

Preheat oven to 350. Grease jelly roll pan (bigger and thinner than a 13X9 inch pan).

Mix together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and baking soda until combined. Put the butter and milk in a microwaveable bowl and heat until butter is melted. Add the flour and milk/butter mixture alternating until just combined. Pour into pan and bake for 20-25 minutes until toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pan - not completely cool.

Heat peanut butter in microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm enough to spread easily. Spread onto warm cake and let cool in fridge for about an hour (or until peanut butter is firm).

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and spread on top of peanut butter. Let cool in fridge for about 20-30 minutes until firm but not hard. If you leave in for too long it will completely harden before you get a chance to cut it and then it will crack when you do.

Super Nutty Granola Bars

I made this without a recipe - just threw a bunch of stuff I wanted in a bowl with a few ingredients to hold it together and voila! I didn't put any salt in mine and they would have been much better with, but when I melted the chocolate I added some salt.

Recipe
Yields: 24
Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Butter softened
1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp honey
1 ripe banana smashed
1 egg
2 Cups old fashioned oats
1/2 Cup unsalted peanuts (cut in half)
1/2 Cup raw almonds (cut in half)
1/2 Cup raw pecans (cut in half - quartered if they are big)
2 Tbsp wheat germ
1 Tbsp flax seed
1/2 tsp salt
Enough chocolate to cover the bars


Preheat oven to 325. Butter a


Whisk together butter, honey, banana and egg until well blended. Fold in oats, nuts, wheat germ, salt and flax seed. Press into pan and bake for 17-19 minutes or until golden brown.

Invert onto cutting board and let cool. Do not cut.

Over a double boiler melt the chocolate until smooth. Pour over the bars and spread evenly. Cut into bars. Refrigerate to harden chocolate

Chocolate Lava Cake

YUM! This was the perfect recipe because I was able to size it down to make enough for just Dac and I. It was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! Of course I will alter it a bit next time to make it even better, but it was great as is. And semi-healthy for you. I made it with spelt flour and agave. I actually might reduce the butter by about 1 Tbsp next time.

Such a simple recipe. Total time to make was about 20 minutes.

Next time I will probably add either a tsp of vanilla or amaretto. I will also make it with dark chocolate. I will also make either a strawberry or raspberry sauce to drizzle on top. Would be perfect with like a bite of vanilla ice cream to eat after wards to wash it all down with.


Recipe

Ingredients

3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (Next time I will do dark chocolate)
6 Tbsp butter (next time I will do 5 T)
2 Tbsp Agave nectar
1 1/2 eggs
2 Tbsp + 1/2 tsp spelt flour

In a double boiler melt the chocolate and butter. Meanwhile whisk together the agave and eggs. Beat quickly until frothy and almost white in color (about 5 minutes). Slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the egg mixture. Do not add all at once or you will scramble the eggs. Add the flour and mix only until incorporated. Butter the bottom and sides of ramekins. Pour mixture a little more than halfway up. Bake for 10-12 minutes (depends on your oven - mine took 12 minutes). Tops will look uncooked and the center will be gooey. If you do not want a super gooey center bake a little longer.

Orange Genoise with Chocolate Buttercream Icing

I had been craving a chocolate/orange combination dessert for a couple days now. Ever since I saw the Barefoot Contessa make orange/chocolate fondue.

We were going to a friends for dinner and I decided to make this cake. A genoise is similar to a sponge cake. It is able to absorb liquids very well without falling apart.

The cake came out very yummy. The only thing I would do different next time is bake it about 5 minutes less. It wasn't over cooked by any means - it just would have been a little lighter.

This will be a great cake made a bunch of different ways. Raspberries - strawberries - peaches - any combination of those too.

I think I would like to find a different icing. This one hardened after being applied to the cake and refrigerated. Even after bringing to room temp it was still somewhat hard (but not gross hard).

Recipe

Ingredients:

Genoise Cake
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 large eggs (Room temperature)
1/2 cup sifted cake flour
1/2 cup sifted all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange

Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium hear. Skim the foam off the surface and continue to cook until the butter turns light brown. Sieve the butter into a medium bowl and let cool. (If butter is hot it will deflate the batter)

Preheat the oven 350. Line the botton of the pan with parchment paper and butter and dust with AP flour. Set aside. (Important to do this step since the batter will be immediately poured in when done mixing)

Resift the flours with the salt and set aside.

Beat the eggs, vanilla and sugar on med-high for 3 minutes. Add the orange zest and increase to high and beat for 2 minutes until they are pale and thick and form a ribbon when beaters are lifted. Sift about half of the flour mixture over the eggs and fold in rapidy and gently until almost all of it is incorporated. Sift on the remaining flour and fold rapidly byt genly until almost incorporated. Immediately transfer about 1 cup of the mixture to the butter and fold rapidly to combine well, then fold the butter mixture into the egg-flour mixture. Immediately scrape the batter into the pan and carefully spread it level.

Bake for 20-25 minutes (I did 25 minutes - I will do 20 next time) until golden brown, springs back when gently pressed and slightly shrinks at the edges of the pan. Immediately run a knife aroudn the edges and carefully invert on cooling rack. Then invert again on another cooling rack so it cools right side up. Let cool completely before icing/filling.

Grand Marnier Syrup

In a small bown mix together:
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 Cup hot water (I boiled water in a tea pot)
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier

Buttercream
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate - chopped
1 ounce semisweet chocolate - chopped
1/4 Cup heavy cream + 2 Tbsp
2 tsp vanilla
2 Cups confectioners sugar
1 tsp orange zest

Melt the butter, chocolates and cream in a medium saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring occasionally until very smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and confectioners sugar. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionaly. (A skin will form as it cools) The buttercream is ready to use when it is firm enough to hold a soft shape. Beat in the skin before use. Refrigerate if not using within 6 hours, but bring to room temp before icing the cake.

To assemble - cut the cake in 2 layers. Put the bottom layer cut side up and brush half of the syrup on. Ice with about 3/4 cup of the buttercream. For the top layer put the cake of a piece of plastic wrap on the counter top - or if firm enough - hold on your hand. Brush the cut side with the remaining syrup. Carefully put the syrup side down on the other half of the cake. Ice the rest of the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour (or up to one day) Let stand at room temp for 15 minutes before serving.

Chocolate Chip, Oatmeal, Cherry, Almond, Spelt Cookies

Yes another weird concoction. I love baking with spelt flour. Its easier to digest and has a decent amount of protein. It also has a slightly nutty flavor to it which adds something to whatever I bake with it. I usually use dried cranberries but I tried it this time with dried cherries. They were good, but a little on the sour side. I might try to find better cherries next time. I think any dried sweet fruit would work well in this. This recipe was inspired by a similar cookie that Matt makes. Every time I make them everyone loves them and they are gone in no time.

Recipe

Yields 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup spelt flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/16 tsp salt

5 Tbsp unsalted butter softened

Almost 1/4 cup agave

1/4 Cup brown sugar

1/2 large egg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/2 Cup old fashioned oats

1 Tbsp Wheat Germ

1/4 Cup chocolate chips

1/4 Cup chopped almonds (or any other nuts you like)

1/4 Cup dried cherries (or another dried fruit - or combination)

1 tsp. flax seeds (optional - very good for you and will give it a nutty flavor)

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside.

Beat together the agave, brown sugar and butter until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla until blended. Add oats, wheat germ (flax if adding) and flour mixture and mix on low until blended. Fold in chocolate chips, nuts and dried fruit.

Drop onto prepared sheets by the teaspoon. (Not heaping) Be sure to place 2 inches apart because the cookies will spread when they bake. Bake only one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown. Let cool on sheet for 5 minutes and then cool on rack.

Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I know what you're thinking - gross and weird. Well Dac wanted me to make a healthy version of his favorite cookie - chocolate chip. Buckwheat is made from the buckwheat berry. It is gluten free. I would have used dark chocolate - since it is better for you than milk chocolate - but it was 10pm and I only had milk chocolate kisses. I also used agave instead of white sugar. Agave has a lower glycemic index so it doesn't spike your blood sugar as high as white sugar. The cookies actually came out pretty yummy. Dac ate 4 of them and would have kept going....

Recipe

Ingredients:

4 T Butter softened

1/3 Cup Agave

1 egg

1/2 T vanilla

1/2 Cup + 4 Tbsp Buckwheat Flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Handful of chocolate chips

Handful of chopped almonds

Preheat oven to 325. Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Blend butter and agave until fluffy (2 minutes). Add the egg and vanilla and beat until combined.

In separate bowl combine the flour, baking soda and salt. Add to the butter mixture and combine. Fold in the chips and nuts.

Drop by the teaspoon onto the cookie sheets and press to flatten a bit. Bake for 10 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes and then move to cooling racks.

Idea

I had a great idea today while baking with Matt today. I was inspired and I'm going to get started on it today!! I'm really excited about this idea. :) I'm sure you're thinking what is it? But I want to keep it to myself for the time being......

Lime Squares

I have made this recipe before using lemon zest and lemon juice so I decided to try it using Lime zest and juice. I also didn't have any white flour so I substituted pastry flour for the crust. I only cooked them 25 minutes (after baking the crust 20min) and they were a little over cooked. Next time I don't think I will use limes or I will think of a way to change the recipe to have more of a lime flavor. The crust with the pastry flour was good with the pastry flour. The recipe overall was a 6 - it wasn't what I wanted but was still good. Lacked good flavor. Maybe use orange zest next time? hmmm...and slice up almonds...

Recipe:

Crust:

1 Cup Flour

1/4 Cup confectioners sugar

1/2 Cup butter softened

Mix crust ingredients and press into an 8x8 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15-20 mins until almost golden brown.

Filling:

1 Cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. lime zest

2 Tbsp. lime juice

Mix all ingredients together until light and fluffy about 3 minutes. Pour over hot crust and bake 20 minutes or until center springs back when lightly touched. Let cool. Cut into squares and dust with powdered sugar.

Mango - Banana Protein Smoothie

Ok - this is the simplest recipe but oh my god was is delicious!! I was in the mood for something sweet (what else is new) but wanted something healthy (of course!) Shakes are the one of the best things for you. So much nutrition in a glass! I like whey protein. I use Jay Robb Whey Protein Powder - Vanilla. It calls to use and entire scoop - but I don't need that much protein - especially at 8 o'clock at night...Ok - heres the recipe

5 ice cubes

1 banana

1/2 fresh ripe mango

1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder

1/2 Cup skim milk

Pulse in a blender until smooth.

Raspberry Granita

A friend of mine, Johnny, went on a hike and brought back about a pint of fresh wild raspberries. I decided to make a couple desserts with them. The first was a raspberry granita. It was a little too sweet so next time I will leave out the agave and reduce the honey to 1/4 Cup.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

1 Cup Peach raspberry ice tea (I brewed the day before and sweetened with honey)

1/2 Cup honey

2 T. Agave Syrup

3/4 Cup water

Combine everything in blender and puree until smooth. Sieve to remove the seeds. Pour into a 13x9 inch baking dish. Freeze 1 1/2 hours and mix edges into slushy center. Continue to freeze until solid. Stirring every 45 minutes or so. Takes about 4-5 hours to freeze completely. Scrape into corner of dish and use an ice cream scoop to serve. Can serve with a couple of fresh raspberries on top.