Toffee Gooey Butter Cake

Wow-I have so much to post about! So many yummy and fun recipes I want to share, however, I think this recipe takes first priority. So I'm deciding to do something drastic-very drastic for me. I am going off sugar for the whole month of January! Yes, I know, crazy for me, right? Is that snickering I hear from those of you who think I wont make it one day?! Well, I will prove you wrong! Yes it will be hard, I may have the shakes for a few days but I have been eating way too much the past month I think it's going to feel good to cleanse a bit. So since in just a few short days sugar wont be an option, I decided to go out in a really big way, one last hurrah. Everyone, meet the Toffee Gooey Butter Cake.

I mean, the name says it all. It's got toffee, it's ooey and gooey and it's definitely got butter! This is such a yummy, finger licking good dessert, and so so easy! It's one of those desserts where you don't have to think about. It's a sinch to throw together and you know everyone will love it. No it's not as gourmet as some desserts, but I appreciate all desserts, the gourmet that takes hours maybe days to throw together, and the simple which consist of lots of sugar and butter and you just can't go wrong. It's one of those desserts where when you eat it with a group of people you may find yourself saying "My, isn't this rich!" but you are THINKING "I could quite possibly eat this whole pan by myself! Today was snowy, the roads were bad and I was stuck inside with this dessert all day. I should be in trouble for how much of this dessert I ate! But who cares, in a few days it will be a big no no so I am off to eat some more gooey butter cake, here's the recipe, and if you are planning to go on a new years diet, try this baby out for one last hurrah!


TOFFE GOOEY BUTTER CAKE
by Paula Deen
Ingredients

Cake:
Vegetable oil cooking spray
1 (18.2- ounce) package yellow cake mix
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (1 pound) box confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted
1 cup toffee bits
Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking pan with vegetable oil cooking spray.

In the bowl of an electric mixer at medium speed, combine the cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well. Pat evenly into the bottom of the prepared baking pan and set aside.

In a bowl, mix together the cream cheese, eggs, vanilla extract, confectioners’ sugar and butter. Beat on medium speed until smooth. Fold in the toffee bits with a spatula.

Pour the filling over the cake mixture and spread it evenly. Bake until the center is just a little bit gooey, about 40 to 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely. Cut into pieces and serve.

Devil's Food Cake with Chocolate Mousse Buttercreammm...

So are you ready for the best devils food chocolate cake recipe ever?? The most delicious, moist cake piled high with the most unbelievable chocolate mouse buttercream??? You are! Are you sure???...K here it is!!!

My bday was a week ago, and on Sunday I made myself a chocolate cake to celebrate my birthday with my fam (yes, I like to make my own birthday cakes :) ). I've had the wonderful book "Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey" for a while, and I love it! Not only is it so much fun to flip through and look at the delicious pictures, but the recipes I have tried so far taste just as good as they look in the book. I highly recommend this book, it's a winner :)

A reason why this cake is so good is because of the chocolate mousse buttercream. It's so creamy and chocolaty and not overly sweet. But if you decide to make this, do me a favor. When it comes to adding the butter to the mouse, just close your eyes and put it in! Yes, all 1 1/2 pounds of it!!! I mean, it is a cake, no need to try skimping on calories. It will seem like an incredible amount of butter, but trust me, it's worth putting it all in, this buttercream is o- so good:)

I found the recipe online, and you can find it here!

Absolutely Delicious Molten Chocolate Cake

I hope everyone had a wonderful Easter weekend full of yummy Easter treats:) This year I wasn't feeling too ambitious to make something creative for Easter, so I decided to make one of the simplest desserts but that I knew would be a crowd pleaser. I got this molten chocolate cake recipe from a friend a while ago, I wish I knew the source of the recipe but I don't. I haven't made them for a couple years and decided to make them for Easter. They are so easy and yet so impressive. People will think you spent forever making such a delicious dessert, when it only took you minutes:)

Individual Molten Chocolate Cakes

4 T. butter, at room temperature
1/3 c. sugar
3 eggs
1/3 c. flour
1/4 tsp salt
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, melted and cooled a little (I used dark chocolate and I thought it was perfect, but if you want a more intense chocolate flavor and less sweet, go with the bittersweet)

Preheat oven to 400.

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Slowly add the flour and salt, then add melted chocolate.
Butter muffin tins and dust with granulated sugar. Pour batter into tins (I got 7 little cakes). Bake 8-10 minutes, or until when pans shake they don't jiggle (I baked mine for 8 minutes and it was perfect, you want the edges just cooked but the center still gooey). Dust with powdered sugar and serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

Cute Carousel Cake!

Yesterday was my little nieces first birthday. I can't believe she is already a year old! My sis in law threw the cutest lil birthday party for her, and I made her cake:) I saw a picture of a really cute carousel cake and decided I wanted to duplicate it but make it a little different. I found some of those candy sticks with sugar dinosaurs on them and used those for the carousel poles. For the cake itself, just 2 8" round cakes. To make the carousel top, cut a 9" circle out of paper, made a cut to the center of the circle then overlapped the cut a little and tapped it together. Pretty simple, and it turned out really cute. I might have to make this for my little girl when she is one, I have a while to think about that though, considering she wont even be here for about another 10 weeks:)

So no recipe for this post because I just used a cake mix for the cake. But tomorrow, I will post a recipe for the best sugar cookies ever! So get excited:)

German Chocolate Cake Take #2

Over the summer I made "The Most Amazing German Chocolate Cake", using David Lebovitz'recipe, everything except the cake itself which I used a cake mix for. My Grandma's birthday was this past week and I decided to make the cake again, but this time put all the effort in and make the cake from scratch using David's recipe. First of all, this cake was a lot of work. If you make this cake, be prepared to dirty every bowl in your kitchen, but also be prepared to taste the best cake ever! Honestly, this time I can truly say it was the most amazing german chocolate cake. I am always nervous to try out a new cake recipe from scratch. Some are too dry, don't rise enough, too dense....but this cake was absolutely perfect. So moist, best texture. I can't wait to try this cake recipe out in a cupcake. My mom has requested this cake for her birthday in March. I think for that cake I am going to double the coconut filling. That filling is to die for! And I would have loved more of it in the cake. This cake is also a bit time consuming, but worth it. And one suggestion, I am not a dark chocolate fan so sometimes in recipes I am tempted to use milk chocolate where it calls for dark or semi sweet. But for the chocolate icing, you must use a semi sweet chocolate, at least, if you like a darker chocolate use darker. But I thought the semi sweet was perfect because the rest of the cake is pretty light and sweet it really does need something a little richer to bring it all together. Enjoy!

Looking at these pictures make me sad that I don't have a piece
of this cake to eat right now!

German Chocolate Cake
David Lebotiz

One big, tall 9-inch cake; about 16 servings


For the cake:
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped (I used semi sweet)
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
6 tablespoons water
8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ¼ cup + ¼ cup sugar
4 large eggs, separated
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


For the filling:
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup sugar
3 large egg yolks
3 ounces butter, cut into small pieces
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup pecans, toasted and finely chopped
1 1/3 cups unsweetened coconut, toasted


For the syrup:
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons dark rum (I left out)


For the chocolate icing:
8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (I used semi)
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
1 ½ ounces unsalted butter
1 cup heavy cream


1. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, then line the bottoms with rounds of parchment or wax paper. Preheat the oven to 350°.

2. Melt both chocolates together with the 6 tablespoons of water. Use either a double-boiler or a microwave. Stir until smooth, then set aside until room temperature.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, or by hand, beat the butter and 1 ¼ cup of the sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the melted chocolate, then the egg yolks, one at a time.

4. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Mix in half of the dry ingredients into the creamed butter mixture, then the buttermilk and the vanilla extract, then the rest of the dry ingredients.

6. In a separate metal or glass bowl, beat the egg whites until they hold soft, droopy peaks. Beat in the ¼ cup of sugar until stiff.

7. Fold about one-third of the egg whites into the cake batter to lighten it, then fold in the remaining egg whites just until there's no trace of egg white visible.

8. Divide the batter into the 2 prepared cake pans, smooth the tops, and bake for about 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Cool cake layers completely.

While the cakes are baking and cooling, make the filling, syrup, and icing.


To make the filling:

1. Mix the cream, sugar, and egg yolks in a medium saucepan. Put the 3 ounces butter, salt, toasted coconut, and pecan pieces in a large bowl.

2. Heat the cream mixture and cook, stirring constantly (scraping the bottom as you stir) until the mixture begins to thicken and coats the spoon (an instant-read thermometer will read 170°.)

3. Pour the hot custard immediately into the pecan-coconut mixture and stir until the butter is melted. Cool completely to room temperature. (It will thicken.)


To make the syrup:

1. In a small saucepan, heat the sugar and water until the sugar has melted. Remove from heat and stir in the dark rum.


To make the icing:

1. Place the 8 ounces of chopped chocolate in a bowl with the corn syrup and 1 ½ ounces of butter.

2. Heat the cream until it just begins to boil. Remove from heat and pour over the chocolate. Let stand one minute, then stir until smooth. Let sit until room temperature.


To assemble the cake:

Remove the cake layers from the pans and cut both cake layers in half horizontally, using a serrated bread knife.
Set the first cake layer on a cake plate. Brush well with syrup. Spread ¾ cup of the coconut filling over the cake layer, making sure to reach to the edges. Set another cake layer on top.

Repeat, using the syrup to brush each cake layer, then spreading ¾ cup of the coconut filling over each layer, including the top.

Ice the sides with the chocolate icing, then pipe a decorative border of chocolate icing around the top, encircling the coconut topping.

(It may seem like a lot of chocolate icing, but use it all. Trust me. You won't be sorry.)

The most AMAZING German Chocolate Cake Ever!!!!!!

I hope by the title you guys know how enthusiastic I am about this cake! I made it for my husbands Grandma for her birthday. Her favorite cake was German Chocolate, which is one of my favorites as well but I had never made a German Chocolate Cake so this would be new to me. I googled and what the consensus seemed to be among the foodies out there is that David Lebovitz had the best German Chocolate Cake recipe. And I have to agree.

Ok I do have a little confession....I used a box cake mix for the actual cake! (Gasp!) I know you are probably wondering why I just talked this cake up when in fact I actually didn't make the actual cake part. Well I talk it up because the coconut filling is the absolute most amazing thing I have ever tasted! I honestly could just eat a whole bowl of it! And the chocolate icing-to die for!!! When I have more time in the future I can't wait to try out his recipe for the cake and make it from scratch, but to be honest, with all of that wonderful coconut filling and chocolate icing smothered all over the cake no one could even spot that it wasn't homemade. I think you could serve cardboard with the coconut filling on it and people would go crazy! For the delicious recipe go here!

Me with Micah's Nana Loise, she is the most wonderful woman
and I love her to pieces!

Happy Birthday to me!!!....a little bit ago:)

Ok, so my birthday was a while ago, September 22 to be exact, and I have all these yummy pictures from my birthday that I just have to post, even though it's ridicioulsy late. I had such a wonderful birthday filled with great food and yummy goodies. The Sunday before my birthday we went to my moms for a birthday dinner. She prepared Ina Garten's pot roast which was so delicious! And she made me the yummiest, homemade white cake. I got to be with my little niece who I love to pieces! She tried on her Halloween costume for us and was grinning ear to ear while she was wearing it. I think she knows how cute she looks in that precious costume.

The most delicious white cake, so moist and perfect.
Me and the little chicky- seriously, have you ever
seen anything so cute?!

Ok...this may be even cuter, my husband holding the little chick,
am I the only one who gets all tingly when they see their man holding a baby?
I can hardly wait for him to be a daddy, he looks too
good with a baby:)

I woke up on my birthday to this display of all of my favorite
goodies. Have any of you ever tried rips?? They are sooo good!!!

On my birthday I went to lunch with my mom and sis inlaw at blue lemon bistro,
then went to my moms where she got me some goodies from Dippidee.
This pumpkin cupcake was delicious!

Now this little cookie doesn't look like much, but
it's called a Heavenly Pieces, and it's from Dippidee...and
the name says it all. The first bite will take you straight to Heaven:)

For dinner Micah took me to Chefs Table, one of my favorite restaurants.
I always tell him I would rather you take me to a wonderful dinner
than get me presents. Chef's Table has the most amazing Tuscan
Tomato Soup, I always get that along with the herb roasted chicken. So delish!

It was such a lovely and yummy birthday, and here are the recipes for the pot roast and cake so you can experience the yumminess that I did:)

Ina's Pot Roast

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 (4 to 5-pound) prime boneless beef chuck roast, tied
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• All-purpose flour
• Good olive oil
• 2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)
• 2 cups chopped yellow onions (2 onions)
• 2 cups chopped celery (4 stalks)
• 2 cups chopped leeks, white and light green parts (2 to 4 leeks)
• 5 large garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
• 2 cups good red wine, such as Burgundy
• 2 tablespoons Cognac or brandy
• 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes in puree
• 1 cup chicken stock, preferably homemade
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• 3 branches fresh thyme
• 2 branches fresh rosemary
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.

Pat the beef dry with a paper towel. Season the roast all over with 1 tablespoon salt and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper. Dredge the whole roast in flour, including the ends. In a large Dutch oven, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the roast and sear for 4 to 5 minutes, until nicely browned. Turn and sear the other side and then turn and sear the ends. This should take 4 to 5 minutes for each side. Remove the roast to a large plate.

Add 2 tablespoons olive oil to the Dutch oven. Add the carrots, onions, celery, leeks, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and cook over medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender but not browned. Add the wine and Cognac and bring to a boil. Add the tomatoes, chicken stock, bouillon cube, 2 teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper. Tie the thyme and rosemary together with kitchen string and add to the pot. Put the roast back into the pot, bring to a boil, and cover. Place in the oven for 2 1/2 hours, until the meat is fork tender or about 160 degrees F internally. Turn the heat down to 250 degrees F after about an hour to keep the sauce at a simmer.

Remove the roast to a cutting board. Remove the herb bundle and discard. Skim off as much fat as possible from the sauce. Transfer half the sauce and vegetables to a blender or a food processor fitted with the steel blade and puree until smooth. Pour the puree back into the pot, place on the stovetop over low heat, and return the sauce to a simmer. Place 2 tablespoons flour and the butter in a small bowl and mash them together with a fork. Stir into the sauce and simmer for 2 minutes, stirring until thickened. Taste for seasonings. Remove the strings from the roast, and slice the meat. Serve warm with the sauce spooned over it.

White Cake

from the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book

Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter or shortening, softened
• 1-3/4 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1-1/3 cups buttermilk or sour milk

Directions

1. Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, grease and lightly flour two 9x1-1/2-inch or 8x1-1/2-inch round cake pans or grease one 13x9x2-inch baking pan; set the pan(s) aside. In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar and vanilla; beat until well combined. Add egg whites 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. Spread batter into the prepared pan(s).

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for 9-inch pans, 30 to 35 minutes for 8-inch pans or 13x9-inch pan, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near centers comes out clean. Cool cake layers in pans on wire racks for 10 minutes. Remove cake layers from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks. Or, place 13x9x2-inch cake in pan on a wire rack; cool thoroughly. Frost with desired frosting.

April Daring Bakers Challenge a Skor!!

The April 2009 challenge is hosted by Jenny from Jenny Bakes. She has chosen Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake as the challenge.

I have to say I was ecstatic when I found out this months challenge was cheesecake. I was even more ecstatic when we had pretty much free reign on what flavor we wanted it to be. I have never made cheesecake before so I knew this would be fun. Cheesecake isn't my favorite dessert in the world, but a while back my dad made a cheesecake from a Bon Appetit magazine that was to die for! One of my favorite desserts I have ever had. I knew I had to make this cheesecake like the Bon Appetit one. So, I decided to make a cheesecake with skor bits, nut and graham crust with a sour cream topping. May sound a little weird the sour cream topping part but it is actually one of my favorite aspects of this cheesecake. I did a pretty good job making this cake taste like the Bon Appetit one. I will give you both recipes, the Daring Bakers Challenge recipe with my changes and also the Bon Appetit recipe which I tried to duplicate. I don't think anything beats the Bon Apetit recipe, I did a pretty good job trying to duplicate it but the Bon Appetit one is better. I really hope you have a change to make this one you will definitely not be disappointed!

You can see all the yummy layers this cheesecake has. Before you bake it,
you put half the filling on the crust, then put 8 oz chopped toffee bits
(I used Skor bars) on top, then the rest of the filling.
During baking the toffee bits melt and make the filling
unbelievable! Gives it such a yummy toffee flavor.

Abbey's Infamous Cheesecake:

crust:
2 cups / 180 g graham cracker crumbs (I did 1 1/2 c. graham crumbs, 1/2 c. toasted almonds, 1/2 c. toffee bits (skor or health) all of which I put in food processor
1 stick / 4 oz butter, melted
2 tbsp. / 24 g sugar (I used brown sugar)
1 tsp. vanilla extract

cheesecake:
3 sticks of cream cheese, 8 oz each (total of 24 oz) room temperature
1 cup / 210 g sugar (I used dark brown sugar)
3 large eggs
1 cup / 8 oz heavy cream
1 tbsp. lemon juice (didn't use)
1 tbsp. vanilla extract (or the innards of a vanilla bean)
1 tbsp liqueur, optional, but choose what will work well with your cheesecake (I used 1 tsp almond extract)

For Topping I used Sour Cream Topping From Bon Appetit recipe (Scroll down to see recipe)

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (Gas Mark 4 = 180C = Moderate heat). Begin to boil a large pot of water for the water bath.

2. Mix together the crust ingredients and press into your preferred pan. You can press the crust just into the bottom, or up the sides of the pan too - baker's choice. Set crust aside.

3. Combine cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of a stand-mixer (or in a large bowl if using a hand-mixer) and cream together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, fully incorporating each before adding the next. Make sure to scrape down the bowl in between each egg. Add heavy cream, vanilla, lemon juice, and alcohol and blend until smooth and creamy.

4. Pour batter into prepared crust and tap the pan on the counter a few times to bring all air bubbles to the surface. (I poured half in, then sprinkled with 8 oz chopped toffee bits, then put other half on). Place pan into a larger pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until halfway up the side of the cheesecake pan. If cheesecake pan is not airtight, cover bottom securely with foil before adding water.

5. Bake 45 to 55 minutes, until it is almost done - this can be hard to judge, but you're looking for the cake to hold together, but still have a lot of jiggle to it in the center. You don't want it to be completely firm at this stage. When almost done put sour cream filling on then bake 5 more minutes. Close the oven door, turn the heat off, and let rest in the cooling oven for one hour. This lets the cake finish cooking and cool down gently enough so that it won't crack on the top. After one hour, remove cheesecake from oven and lift carefully out of water bath. Let it finish cooling on the counter, and then cover and put in the fridge to chill. Once fully chilled, it is ready to serve.

Pan note: The creator of this recipe used to use a springform pan, but no matter how well she wrapped the thing in tin foil, water would always seep in and make the crust soggy. Now she uses one of those 1-use foil "casserole" shaped pans from the grocery store. They're 8 or 9 inches wide and really deep, and best of all, water-tight. When it comes time to serve, just cut the foil away.

Prep notes: While the actual making of this cheesecake is a minimal time commitment, it does need to bake for almost an hour, cool in the oven for an hour, and chill overnight before it is served. Please plan accordingly!

Some variations from the recipe creator ("Infamous" Abbey):

** Lavender-scented cheesecake w/ blueberries - heat the cup of heavy cream in the microwave or a saucepan until hot but not boiling. Add 2 tbsp of lavender flowers and stir. Let lavender steep in the cream for about 10-15 minutes, then strain the flowers out. Add strained cream to cheesecake batter as normal. Top with fresh blueberries, or make a quick stovetop blueberry sauce (splash of orange juice, blueberries, a little bit of sugar, and a dash of cinnamon - cook until berries burst, then cool)

** Cafe au lait cheesecake with caramel - take 1/4 cup of the heavy cream and heat it in the microwave for a short amount of time until very hot. Add 1-2 tbsp. instant espresso or instant coffee; stir to dissolve. Add this to the remainder of cream and use as normal. Top cheesecake with homemade caramel sauce (I usually find one on the food network website - just make sure it has heavy cream in it. You can use store-bought in a pinch, but the flavor is just not the same since its usually just sugar and corn syrup with no dairy).

** Tropical – add about a half cup of chopped macadamias to the crust, then top the cake with a mango-raspberry-mandarin orange puree.

** Mexican Turtle - add a bar of melted dark chocolate (between 3 and 5 oz., to taste) to the batter, along with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a dash of cayenne pepper (about 1/8 tsp.). Top it with pecan halves and a homemade caramel sauce.

** Honey-cinnamon with port-pomegranate poached pears – replace 1/2 cup of the sugar with 1/2 cup of honey, add about a teaspoon or more (to taste) of cinnamon. Take 2 pears (any variety you like or whatever is in season), peeled and cored, and poach them in a boiling poaching liquid of port wine, pomegranate juice/seeds, a couple of "coins" of fresh ginger, a cinnamon stick, and about a 1/4 cup of sugar. Poach them until tender, then let cool. Strain the poaching liquid and simmer until reduced to a syrupy-glaze consistency, then cool. Thinly slice the cooled pears and fan them out atop the cooled cheesecake. Pour the cooled poaching syrup over the pears, then sprinkle the top with chopped walnuts and fresh pomegranate seeds.

Some variations from Jenny (from JennyBakes):

**Key lime - add zest from one lime to sugar before mixing with cream cheese. Substitute lemon juice, alcohol, and vanilla with key lime juice.

**Cheesecakelets - put in muffin tins, ramekins, or custard cups. Try baking 20-35 minutes, or until still a little jiggly, and cool as before.

Bon Appetit Christmas Cheesecake with English Toffee filling
(This is the best EVER cheesecake! It will make non cheesecake lovers crazy about it!)
Crust:

• 1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs (from about 5 ounces graham crackers)
• 1/2 cup toasted almonds, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup English toffee bits (such as Skor)
• 2 tablespoons (packed) dark brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
• 8 ounces chocolate-covered English toffee (such as Skor or Heath bars), cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Topping:

• 1 16-ounce container sour cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Add butter; stir until moist clumps form. Press mixture over bottom and 1 inch up sides of 10-inch-diameter springform pan. Bake crust until just set, about 5 minutes. Set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 325°F.

For filling:
Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl until blended. Beat in eggs 1 at a time, blending well after each addition. Beat in both extracts. Pour half of mixture into prepared crust; sprinkle with toffee pieces. Pour remaining mixture over. Bake until edges are puffed but center is barely set, about 55 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare topping:
Mix sour cream, sugar and vanilla in medium bowl until smooth. Pour topping over hot cheesecake. Bake cake until topping is just set, about 5 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool 10 minutes. Run knife between cake and pan sides. Chill cake uncovered overnight.

Remove pan sides and place cake on platter. Garnish top with candies.

Happy birthday with a big coconut cake, monte cristo sandwitches, and salad de maison

So last week was such a busy week for me and I am finally able to take a breather and share with you what I have been up to! First off, it was my moms birthday on Thursday! The big 50! And I know she wouldn't mind me sharing her age because she looks fabulous for 50. For her birthday cake I wanted to make something extra special. She loves coconut as much as I do so I thought a coconut cake would be very appropriate. But it couldn't be just any coconut cake it had to be extra fabulous. I found Ina Garten's coconut cake recipe and decided to give it a go. I also found a yummy lemon curd recipe on the joy of baking site and thought that would be amazing as a filling. The cake turned out delicious! Such a moist cake with a perfect coconut flavor. I find I am never unhappy with Ina's recipes and this wasn't an exception. Mom said, "It could be in a restaurant," and dad said "This is the best cake I have ever had!" It truly was a delicious cake. The lemon curd filling paired beautifully with the cream cheese frosting which was to die for by the way! I will be making this cake again soon, maybe next time I will make them into cupcakes with a lemon curd filling...mmmmm....

Happy Birthday Mom!
So lucky to have a mom like you! Love ya!

For my mom's birthday dinner we made monte cristo sandwiches with salad de maison. Some may think having sandwiches for a birthday isn't special enough, but let me tell you, I would prefer these sandwiches over a steak dinner. So delicious and unique. Definitely suitable for a special occasion. And as for the salad...amazing. My family has been making this salad for a while and there hasn't been a salad that has come close to how amazing this one is. It could be the 3 whole garlic cloves in the dressing that makes it so tasty. I am definitely a garlic fan and tend to overdose on it. It is a common comment from my husband at the dinner table when he says "I see you put some extra garlic in" , I guess it's the Greek in me which makes me always want to add more to recipes, but with this dressing 3 cloves or garlic is just right. I hope you have a chance to try all of these fun recipes!

Whenever I take pictures at my moms house people
always comment on how beautiful my kitchen is...although
I would love to pretend that my mom's kitchen is mine I wont:)

Coconut Cake

ingredients:
nocoupons

• 3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
• 2 cups sugar
• 5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup milk
• 4 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

For the frosting:

nocoupons

• 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 6 ounces sweetened shredded coconut

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. Grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. Crack the eggs into a small bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. The mixture might look curdled; don't be concerned.

In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Fold in the 4 ounces of coconut with a rubber spatula.

Pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. Bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

For the frosting, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the cream cheese, butter, vanilla and almond extract on low speed. Add the confectioners' sugar and mix until just smooth (don't whip!).(Ok so this is the one time I deviated fromIna's recipe, I did whip it and it was delicious, smooth and creamy!)

To assemble, place 1 layer on a flat serving plate, top side down, and spread with frosting. Place the second layer on top, top side up, and frost the top and sides. To decorate the cake, sprinkle the top with coconut and lightly press more coconut onto the sides. Serve at room temperature.

Lemon Curd:

3 large eggs

1/3 cup (80 ml) fresh lemon juice (2-3 lemons) (do not use the bottled lemon juice)

1 tablespoon (4 grams) finely shredded lemon zest

3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar

4 tablespoons (56 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature and cut into small pieces

Lemon Curd: In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick (like sour cream or a hollandaise sauce) (160 degrees F or 71 degrees C). This will take approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools. Cover immediately (so a skin doesn't form) and refrigerate until cold. The lemon curd can be made several days (up to a week) in advance.

Salad De Maison

Yield: 10 servings

Salad:
2 cups Romaine lettuce, torn in pieces (I use a whole head to romaine)
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 cup Swiss cheese, grated (I cut mine into cubes)
2/3 cup almonds, slivered
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1 cup croutons
1/4 cup bacon (or bacon bits), to taste

Dressing:
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup canola oil
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Lightly toast almonds. Cut up bacon in 2-inch pieces and cook until crisp (or use bacon bits). Toss lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, almonds, Parmesan cheese, crou-tons and bacon together and set aside. Prepare dressing by blending lemon juice, salt, canola oil, garlic and pepper together at high speed in a blender or food processor. Pour over salad, toss and serve immediately.

Monte Cristo Sandwich

This longtime favorite is on the menu at the Blue Bayou Restaurant

1 egg

1 3/4 cups plus 2 T water

1 3/4 c. all-purpose flour

1/4 t. salt

1 t. baking powder

8 slices egg bread (challah works well), sliced 1/2 inch thick

2/3 pound ham, cut into 4 slices

2/3 pound turkey, cut into 4 slices

1/4 pound Swiss cheese, cut into 4 slices

3 cups canola oil

Confectioners' sugar

Blackberry preserves

1. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels; set aside

2. Whisk the egg and water together in a mixing bowl. Add flour, salt, and baking powder and whisk thoroughly, scraping side of bowl. Continue to whisk for 20 minutes, until smooth.

3. On one slice of bread arrange a slice each of ham, turkey, and cheese, covering the bread evenly. Place another slice of bread on top and slice sandwich in half diagonally.

4. Heat oil to between 365 degrees F. and 375 degrees F. in a 10 inch pan. Do not let the oil reach a higher temperature than this; if the oil starts to smoke, turn the heat down. Dip half of the sandwich into the batter, allowing excess to drain, and very carefully place into the oil. Repeat with the other sandwich half. Cook 3 minutes on each side. Place the cooked sandwich on the prepared cookie sheet in a warm oven until ready to serve. Repeat for other three sandwiches. Cook the sandwiches one at a time, and allow the oil to reach the desired temperature in between each batch.

5. Sprinkle sandwiches with confectioners' sugar and serve with blackberry preserves on the side.

Daring Bakers Chocolate Valentino Cake

The February 2009 challenge is hosted by Wendy of WMPE's blog and Dharm of Dad ~ Baker & Chef.
We have chosen a Chocolate Valentino cake by Chef Wan; a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Dharm and a Vanilla Ice Cream recipe from Wendy as the challenge.

I have to say I was very VERY excited for this challenge! I love baking cakes and I was particularly excited for this cake because it was flourless so my celiac sister in law could have it! When I read that the cake would taste exactly like the chocolate you use in it I instantly thought "What woulld be better than a Symphony Bar flavored cake!" So my chocoate was decided: Symphony Bar. I also am not a big fan of dark chocolate so I thought that milk chocolate woud be the way to go for me. However, after making the cake and looking back I think I would defnitely have done a semi sweet chocolate. Although the symphony bar gave it a good flavor it just wasn't chocolatly enough for me. I am excited to try this cake again and use a semisweet chocolate, I think it would be that much better. I paired this lovely cake with the best homemade vanilla ice cream ever! I am not joking when I say that! It was absolutely heaven! The ice cream is so light and fluffy it almost has a marshmallow like flavor. This was a very easy cake to make so hope you have a chance to try it out. Also make sure to check out how the other Daring Bakers did!

Chocolate Valentino
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
16 ounces (1 pound) (454 grams) of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
½ cup (1 stick) plus 2 tablespoons (146 grams total) of unsalted butter
5 large eggs separated

1. Put chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of simmering water (the bottom of the bowl should not touch the water) and melt, stirring often.
2. While your chocolate butter mixture is cooling. Butter your pan and line with a parchment circle then butter the parchment.
3. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites and put into two medium/large bowls.
4. Whip the egg whites in a medium/large grease free bowl until stiff peaks are formed (do not over-whip or the cake will be dry).
5. With the same beater beat the egg yolks together.
6. Add the egg yolks to the cooled chocolate.
7. Fold in 1/3 of the egg whites into the chocolate mixture and follow with remaining 2/3rds. Fold until no white remains without deflating the batter. {link of folding demonstration}
8. Pour batter into prepared pan, the batter should fill the pan 3/4 of the way full, and bake at 375F/190C
9. Bake for 25 minutes until an instant read thermometer reads 140F/60C.
Note – If you do not have an instant read thermometer, the top of the cake will look similar to a brownie and a cake tester will appear wet.
10. Cool cake on a rack for 10 minutes then unmold.

Vanilla Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
2 vanilla beans, split lengthwise
8 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp. kosher salt

In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the milk, cream, and 1/4 cup of
the sugar. With the tip of a knife, scrape the seeds from the vanilla
beans into the pan, then toss the pods into the pan. Place over
medium heat and bring just to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the
sugar. Remove from the heat and steep for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, vigorously whisk together the egg yolks,
salt and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar until the mixture falls in a
thick, wide ribbon when the whisk is lifted.

Remove the vanilla bean pods and reheat the milk to a bare simmer.
Slowly add it to the yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Pour it
all back into the pan and cook gently over medium-low heat, stirring
often with a wooden spoon, until thickened enough to coat the spoon,
about 3 minutes. Draw your finger across the spoon. The custard is
ready if it does not immediately bleed back together. Strain through
fine-mesh sieve into a clean storage container, let cool to room
temperature, and then cover and refrigerate overnight.

Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the
manufacturer's directions. Transfer to a tightly covered container
and freeze for about 6 hour to firm up before serving.

Mini heart cakes with the best red velvet recipe!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Valentines day! Again, sorry for not posting sooner about my Valentines but again life is busy! A few days before Valentines day I went to my mom's to do a fun activity with the two kids she she teaches from her home. I saw these darling conversation heart cakes on Martha and couldn't resist! I knew I just had to make them and I thought they would be such a fun activity for kids. Let me first start by saying that the red velvet cake recipe used to make these little cakes is by far the best red velvet recipe I have found. The taste is delicious and as for the buttercream...o my gosh! So good!!! The cinnamon was perfect in it! If you want to make these and don't think that cinnamon would be good in the frosting just trust it because it was truly wonderful. I will definitely make these little cakes again and will try many different shapes. I am excited to try this recipe out as cupcakes also. If you choose to make mini cakes it is very important to crumb coat because this cake is so moist. Hope you have a change to try this recipe out because you wont be dissappointed!

Here is the beautiful colored batter ready to bake

Now ready to frost!

Ally and Aaron working hard on their mini heart cakes,
and doing a great job!

My mom with her students and their final product. Aren't
those cakes cute?!

Now my mom and I had to take a whack at it and
make some of our own. We crumb coated these
which made them look really smooth.

Red Velvet Cake

Makes six 4-inch heart-shaped cakes

• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons vegetable shortening, at room temperature
• 1 2/3 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 cup melted dark chocolate, for decorating
• Speckled Cinnamon Frosting

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees with rack in the center of the oven. Butter an 18-by-13-inch rimmed baking sheet, line with parchment paper, butter parchment, and set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa powder, food coloring, and 1/4 cup boiling water. Set aside to cool.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together butter and shortening on high speed until smooth. Add sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
4. Stir buttermilk and vanilla into cocoa mixture. Into another medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture alternating with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until incorporated.
5. In a small bowl, mix together vinegar and baking soda until baking soda dissolves; mixture will fizz. Add to batter and mix until just combined.
6. Pour batter into prepared baking sheet, smoothing the top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes, rotating pan after 10 minutes.
7. Cook cake completely on a wire rack. Using a 4-inch heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut out 12 hearts.
8. Place 4 strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate or lazy susan. Place 1 layer on the cake plate. Spread a thin layer of frosting on the cake; top with another heart, bottom side up. Cover entire cake with a thin layer of frosting and transfer to refrigerator for 10 minutes. Repeat process with remaining ingredients.
9. Remove cakes from the refrigerator and cover each cake with a generous layer of frosting, smoothing as you go around to create a flat surface.
10. Place chocolate in a pastry bag fitted with a small plain round tip; decorate as desired.

Speckled Cinnamon Buttercream
Ingredients

Makes enough for six 4-inch cakes

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened but still cool, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Food coloring, in desired color

Directions

1. Whisk together sugar and flour in medium heavy-bottomed saucepan. Add milk and cream and place over medium heat, whisking occasionally until mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
2. Transfer mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until cool. Reduce speed to low and add butter; mix until well incorporated. Increase speed to medium-high and mix until frosting is light and fluffy. Add vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. Add a couple drops of food coloring while continuing to mix, until desired color is reached. If frosting is too soft, chill slightly and then re-mix to proper consistency. If frosting becomes too firm, place bowl over a pot of simmering water and re-mix to proper consistency.