A Valentine For You...

I love Valentines Day. I love giving gifts and treats to loved ones letting them know I am happy to have them in my life. I don't bake or make treats that often anymore, but I decided if I am going to make it a treat, it should be for Valentines Day. I decided to make little boxes of oreo truffles for some of my friends, and if my hubby is lucky enough there may be an extra one for him ;) If you haven't made a Valentines treat yet, try these out, they are scrumptious! Not only did I make the regular oreo truffles, I made up a new one. A coconut oreo truffle. These are AMAZING. Yes, it deserves all caps to emphasize how delicious they are. If you are a coconut lover, and you know I am!- you will love these, and hopefully someone you love with love them as well :)


Coconut Oreo Truffles

1 package golden oreos (not the chocolate ones, make sure they are the golden)
8 oz cream cheese
scant 1/2 tsp both coconut and almond extract
scant 1/2 cup sweetened toasted coconut
toasted un-sweetened coconut for sprinkling
vanilla candy melts

Pulse oreos in food processor or crush them until they are a fine crumb, Mix scant 1/2 tsp coconut extract and scant 1/2 tsp almond extract with cream cheese. Add sweetened toasted coconut. Roll into about 1/2 ounce balls (I made mine 3/4 oz but wish I would have made them a bit smaller). Let them set in fridge for about an hour-or freezer for 15 minutes. Coat in vanilla candy melts or white chocolate, then sprinkle with unsweetened toasted coconut. Enjoy!

Here is a link to the regular oreo truffles. But note, I don't divide my oreos because I don't sprinkle the tops of mine with crushed oreos. You can do that if you want though :)

Painting, Family, and Best Ever Rice Krispie Treats

These past few weeks have been sooo busy! I will quickly sum up what I have been up to...painting. And lots of it. A week before our carpet was scheduled to be installed I decided I wanted to try and paint our upstairs before the carpet was put in. So within 6 days we painted 3 bedrooms, our upstairs hall and ceiling, our bedroom ceiling, the baseboard thingy's going up our stairs, and part of our banister. My life for those 6 days consisted of waking up before Eleni to get some painting in, take care of Eleni till her nap-paint during her nap, repeat for 2nd nap, then as soon as she went to bed I would paint till 11-12, then repeat the whole process the next day! It was such an exhausting week and I am so glad it's over! Our upstairs is painted and I am excited to start painting our main floor, but I will take my time and not rush this one:)

I really wanted to blog the past couple weeks but painting took it out of me and I didn't have one second to do anything else, and this past week my family came to visit. It was so much fun to have them here! It broke my heart to see them go, but I am starting to get back into the swing of things and I am realizing once again that things will be ok even though we live quite a ways apart.

So, I finally have a recipe for you! A few weeks ago I wanted to make rice krispies, but I started thinking how I could take them to another level. I thought, what if I browned the butter? So I googled to try to find a recipe that used browned butter, and I found one that called for browned butter and sea salt. I decided to try it out, but also add a few things of my own. I added 1/4 tsp. almond extract, 1 tsp vanilla, and I added white chocolate chips and drizzled the top with dark and white chocolate. Wooooaaah baby were they good! Kinda ridiculously good, best rice krispies ever! There's no way I can go back to plain old rice krispies ever again:) Make these for your next pot luck or friendly gathering and you will sure to impress.

Salted Brown Butter Crispy Treats

from smitten kitchen

Makes 16 2-inch squares or 32 1- x 2-inch small bars

4 ounces (1/4 pound or 1 stick) unsalted butter, plus extra for the pan
1 10-ounce bag marshmallows
Heaping 1/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
6 cups Rice Krispies cereal (about half a 12-ounce box)

My additions:

1/4 tsp, almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
about half cup of white chocolate chips
white and dark chocolate for the top

Butter (or coat with non-stick spray) an 8-inch square cake pan with 2-inch sides.

In a large pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. It will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Don’t take your eyes off the pot as while you may be impatient for it to start browning, the period between the time the butter begins to take on color and the point where it burns is often less than a minute.

As soon as the butter takes on a nutty color, turn the heat off and stir in the marshmallows. The residual heat from the melted butter should be enough to melt them, but if it is not, turn it back on low until the marshmallows are smooth. Add white chocolate chips at this time if you want.

Remove the pot from the stove and stir in the salt and cereal together. Quickly spread into prepared pan.

Drizzle with white and dark chocolate:)

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

So this is not a new recipe to this blog, but one that needed to definitely be updated with better pictures. The pictures I used to have for it just didn't make this dessert look as amazing as it really was. Seriously-this could be my favorite pumpkin dessert I make during the fall. I was at my local Williams Sonoma store the other day and they were passing out samples of it which reminded me that it was time to start making it again! I've been trying to eat pretty healthy, and I've been surprisingly been doing a good job! ...that is until I made these bad boys. With this dessert I can't just stop at one square, I will keep piecing and piecing at it until all of a sudden a whole row is gone!! O00pps :)

The only downfall to this recipe is you have to use Williams Sonoma's Pumpkin Pecan Butter, which is almost $10 a jar. However this dessert is so good I think it's worth getting. I want to try to make this dessert with a substitute so it's not as expensive to make. Making I could substitute it with some canned pumpkin mixed with spices?? Who knows, but I will definitely give it a shot so I won't alwasy have to rely on using the Pumpkin Pecan Butter, but for now that's what I'll use:) Hope you have a chance to try this one out :)

Pumpkin Dessert Squares

1 box yellow cake mix

1 jar Pumpkin Pecan Butter (williams sonoma or other kitchen store)

3 eggs

1 TBSP flour

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup butter

3 TBSP Milk

1 tsp cinnamon

Reserve 1 cup of the cake mix and set aside.

Mix remaining cake mix with 1/2 cup of melted butter and 1 egg. Press mixture lightly into the bottom of 13 x 9 inch pan.

Mix 1 jar of Pumpkin Pecan Butter with 2 lrg eggs and 3 TBSP milk and pour over cake mixture in pan.

Mix to a crumble reserved cake mix with 1 TBSP of flour, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1/4 cup of soft butter and 1 tsp of cinnamon - crumble over the top of the pumpkin layer.

Bake 35-40 minutes and 350 degrees or until golden.

Cool 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!

Amazing Lemon Fusili Pasta and Key Lime Tart

Yesterday was such a fun day. We went up to my moms and had dinner. She made Ina's lemon fusilli pasta. It was delicious! So yummy, I can't wait to make it again. For dessert I made a key lime tart (however, I just used limes). I love this tart recipe, it's so delicious and so easy. We threw some whipped cream over the top and some raspberries. I think the raspberries really took it to another level, we are making this tart again for Sunday dinner tomorrow:) You can find the recipe for it here. Pasta recipe is bellow.

I have some great news! Eleni slept from 12-5:15 last night! It was a miracle! Her sleeping increments at night have only been about 2-2 1/2 hours, and then when she gets up I have to feed her then try to get her back down for 45 minutes or so. I've felt like I've been running on fumes, but I know it comes with being a new mommy. But she was such a good girl last night and gave me a decent nights rest! I feel like a new person today, much more rested:) I had energy today to clean my house so it no longer looks like a war zone. Cross your fingers that she will do it again tonight! :)

Lemon Fusilli with Arugula

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 tablespoon good olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 3 lemons
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 bunch broccoli
• 1 pound dried fusilli pasta
• 1/2 pound baby arugula (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.

Meanwhile, cut the broccoli in florets and discard the stem. Cook the florets in a pot of boiling salted water for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender but still firm. Drain the broccoli and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, tomatoes, and cooked broccoli. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

O little Eleni, please sleep like an angel tonight! :)

Holy Cannoli!

The November 2009 Daring Bakers Challenge was chosen and hosted by Lisa Michele of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drives. She chose the Italian Pastry, Cannolo (Cannoli is plural), using the cookbooks Lidia’s Italian-American Kitchen by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and The Sopranos Family Cookbook by Allen Rucker; recipes by Michelle Scicolone, as ingredient/direction guides. She added her own modifications/changes, so the recipe is not 100% verbatim from either book.

To be honest, I was a bit nervous for this challenge, and it turns out I should have been! I have only had one cannoli before and wasn't a huge fan, and it's always hard to get excited for a challenge when I think I may not like the end result. Also it has been such a crazy month that I can't believe I even found time to make these! They were fairly simple to make, but I think I did something wrong. Well-I know I did something wrong! I didn't use marsala wine because I don't drink, so I thought maybe cooking wine would work, and maybe that made the dough not turn out as good. They didn't fry up nicely and weren't that crisp. And the filling....well I am just not a huge fan. I wish I would have filled them with some type of custard, because I am not a fan of the ricotta filling. So I feel like the past two challenges have been a bust for me, mostly because I have messed them up! It's been a while since I have been eager to share my pictures from my challenges, for these past two I have been embarrassed to even put some up! So please, pleeease December challenge be good to me! :) Check out how some of the other lovely Daring Bakers did here

CANNOLI SHELLS
2 cups (250 grams/8.82 ounces) all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons(28 grams/1 ounce) sugar
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.06 ounces) unsweetened baking cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon (approx. 3 grams/0.11 ounces) salt
3 tablespoons (42 grams/1.5 ounces) vegetable or olive oil
1 teaspoon (5 grams/0.18 ounces) white wine vinegar
Approximately 1/2 cup (approx. 59 grams/approx. 4 fluid ounces/approx. 125 ml) sweet Marsala or any white or red wine you have on hand
1 large egg, separated (you will need the egg white but not the yolk)
Vegetable or any neutral oil for frying – about 2 quarts (8 cups/approx. 2 litres)
1/2 cup (approx. 62 grams/2 ounces) toasted, chopped pistachio nuts, mini chocolate chips/grated chocolate and/or candied or plain zests, fruits etc.. for garnish
Confectioners' sugar

Note - If you want a chocolate cannoli dough, substitute a few tablespoons of the flour (about 25%) with a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder (Dutch process) and a little more wine until you have a workable dough (Thanks to Audax).

CANNOLI FILLING
2 lbs (approx. 3.5 cups/approx. 1 kg/32 ounces) ricotta cheese, drained
1 2/3 cups cup (160 grams/6 ounces) confectioner’s sugar, (more or less, depending on how sweet you want it), sifted
1/2 teaspoon (1.15 grams/0.04 ounces) ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon (4 grams/0.15 ounces) pure vanilla extract or the beans from one vanilla bean
3 tablespoons (approx. 28 grams/approx. 1 ounce) finely chopped good quality chocolate of your choice
2 tablespoons (12 grams/0.42 ounces) of finely chopped, candied orange peel, or the grated zest of one small to medium orange
3 tablespoons (23 grams/0.81 ounce) toasted, finely chopped pistachios

Note - If you want chocolate ricotta filling, add a few tablespoons of dark, unsweetened cocoa powder to the above recipe, and thin it out with a few drops of warm water if too thick to pipe.

DIRECTIONS FOR SHELLS:
1. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer or food processor, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, and salt. Stir in the oil, vinegar, and enough of the wine to make a soft dough. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and well blended, about 2 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

2 Cut the dough into two pieces. Keep the remaining dough covered while you work. Lightly flour a large cutting or pastry board and roll the dough until super thin, about 1/16 to 1/8” thick (An area of about 13 inches by 18 inches should give you that). Cut out 3 to 5-inch circles (3-inch – small/medium; 4-inch – medium/large; 5-inch;- large. Your choice). Roll the cut out circle into an oval, rolling it larger and thinner if it’s shrunk a little.

3 Oil the outside of the cannoli tubes (You only have to do this once, as the oil from the deep fry will keep them well, uhh, oiled..lol). Roll a dough oval from the long side (If square, position like a diamond, and place tube/form on the corner closest to you, then roll) around each tube/form and dab a little egg white on the dough where the edges overlap. (Avoid getting egg white on the tube, or the pastry will stick to it.) Press well to seal. Set aside to let the egg white seal dry a little.

4. In a deep heavy saucepan, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 3 inches, or if using an electric deep-fryer, follow the manufacturer's directions. Heat the oil to 375°F (190 °C) on a deep fry thermometer, or until a small piece of the dough or bread cube placed in the oil sizzles and browns in 1 minute. Have ready a tray or sheet pan lined with paper towels or paper bags.

5. Carefully lower a few of the cannoli tubes into the hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shells until golden, about 2 minutes, turning them so that they brown evenly.

8. Lift a cannoli tube with a wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, out of the oil. Using tongs, grasp the cannoli tube at one end. Very carefully remove the cannoli tube with the open sides straight up and down so that the oil flows back into the pan. Place the tube on paper towels or bags to drain. Repeat with the remaining tubes. While they are still hot, grasp the tubes with a potholder and pull the cannoli shells off the tubes with a pair of tongs, or with your hand protected by an oven mitt or towel. Let the shells cool completely on the paper towels. Place shells on cooling rack until ready to fill.

9. Repeat making and frying the shells with the remaining dough. If you are reusing the cannoli tubes, let them cool before wrapping them in the dough.

Pasta Machine method:
1. Divide the dough into 4 equal pieces. Starting at the middle setting, run one of the pieces of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine. Lightly dust the dough with flour as needed to keep it from sticking. Pass the dough through the machine repeatedly, until you reach the highest or second highest setting. The dough should be about 4 inches wide and thin enough to see your hand through

2. Continue rolling out the remaining dough. If you do not have enough cannoli tubes for all of the dough, lay the pieces of dough on sheets of plastic wrap and keep them covered until you are ready to use them.

3, Roll, cut out and fry the cannoli shells as according to the directions above.

For stacked cannoli:
1. Heat 2-inches of oil in a saucepan or deep sauté pan, to 350-375°F (176 - 190 °C).

2. Cut out desired shapes with cutters or a sharp knife. Deep fry until golden brown and blistered on each side, about 1 – 2 minutes. Remove from oil with wire skimmer or large slotted spoon, then place on paper towels or bags until dry and grease free. If they balloon up in the hot oil, dock them lightly prior to frying. Place on cooling rack until ready to stack with filling.

DIRECTIONS FOR FILLING:
1. Line a strainer with cheesecloth. Place the ricotta in the strainer over a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Weight it down with a heavy can, and let the ricotta drain in the refrigerator for several hours to overnight.

2. In a bowl with electric mixer, beat ricotta until smooth and creamy. Beat in confectioner’s sugar, cinnamon, vanilla and blend until smooth. Transfer to another bowl and stir in chocolate, zest and nuts. Chill until firm.(The filling can be made up to 24 hours prior to filling the shells. Just cover and keep refrigerated).

ASSEMBLE THE CANNOLI:
1. When ready to serve..fill a pastry bag fitted with a 1/2-inch plain or star tip, or a ziplock bag, with the ricotta cream. If using a ziplock bag, cut about 1/2 inch off one corner. Insert the tip in the cannoli shell and squeeze gently until the shell is half filled. Turn the shell and fill the other side. You can also use a teaspoon to do this, although it’s messier and will take longer.

2. Press or dip cannoli in chopped pistachios, grated chocolate/mini chocolate chips, candied fruit or zest into the cream at each end. Dust with confectioner’s sugar and/or drizzles of melted chocolate if desired.

Brazil Cupcake Pops

A week and a half ago my family dropped my little brother Sam off at the Provo MTC because he has decided to serve a 2 year LDS mission. He got his call to Brazil! I am so excited for him and very proud of his decision to serve a mission. He had his farewell talk at church a couple weeks ago, and after church we had friends and family over for food and mingling. I decided to make some Brazil themed cupcake pops. I thought they would be such a cute center piece to the tables, and then after they served their purpose as a cute center piece people could enjoy their yumminess. Well...my idea of having them as a center piece was very short lived:) I got them all ready and set them on the tables and before I could blink they were gone! Devoured in seconds, everyone loved them! It is more important to me that people enjoy them rather than they serve as a cute center piece:) So here is the very simple recipe I used for the center of the pops. I used an oreo truffle recipe which is absolutely delicious! If you would like to know how to form them into cupcakes pops go to Bakerella's blog. She has great pictures and wonderful instructions.


Oreo Truffles

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package OREO Chocolate Sandwich Cookies
  
• 1 (8 ounce) package PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
• any type of chocolate or candy melts you wish to dip them into:) I use candy melts when making them into cupcake pops
  

Directions

1. Crush cookies in food processor. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch in diameter.
2. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. (Any leftover chocolate can be stored at room temperature for another use.)
   
3. Refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator.

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.

Toasted Marshmallow Milk Shake

A little while ago I was watching "The Best Thing I Ever Ate" on the food network. This particular episode was called "Sugar Rush", and top chef's shared their favorite sweet. Chef Michale Simon's was a toasted marshmallow shake from Stand in NY. It looked so delicious I wish I could have jumped on a plane to NY right then to get one! Well, I finally decided to see if I could make my own:) I found this recipe, tried it out, and it was amazing! I actually just put down my empty glass and wish there was more in it. My husband raved about it and said that it was the best thing he ever ate:) It was so simple, and you probably have all of the ingredients on hand. I used mini marshmallows instead of the large because that's what I had in my pantry. Sorry about the not so good pics, whenever I take pics at night they look awful because the lighting is so bad.

On a personal note, I have some excited things coming up! Well....exciting to me anyways:) This Sunday is my last progesterone shot!!!!!! After tonight, I will only have 3 more to do!!! I can hardly believe it. I know in a post a little while ago I said I could stop the shots on Oct. 4th, but my Dr wanted me to continue till my 12th week. Also, this Sunday marks my 12th week of pregnancy, and my Dr said that miscarriage rates go way down after 12 weeks. I have felt like this week has been a hurtle I just need to get over, and then a huge weight of stress will be lifted off of me! I know things aren't guaranteed to be perfect from here on out, but I am really excited to start having a normal pregnancy with no shots involved. I have had a shot every night since July 12th, sometimes 3 shots a night-so I am so excited to be done! Plus my bum is getting a little sore from all of the poking and I can't wait for it to feel better!


Toasted Marshmallow Shake
recipe by chef Spike Mendelsohn's

Ingredients:

Serves 4

• 1 bag jumbo marshmallows
• 2 cups milk
• 1 Tbsp. sour cream
• 2 cups creamy vanilla ice cream

On a medium-size cookie sheet, place 1/2 bag of marshmallows in a row.
Place under your burner in the oven for 2 to 3 minutes, until completely charred.
Take out of oven and let cool.
Repeat this step but only let the marshmallows toast, so they are slightly burnt.
Take out of oven and let cool.
In a blender, pour milk, sour cream, ice cream and charred marshmallows.
Mix for 5 minutes.
Pour in a large glass and top with 2 to 3 toasted marshmallows.

I'm busting out the swim suit, shades, and sunscreen-I'm going to Orlando!

This week has been crazy busy! I have been preparing to go to Orlando Florida and I can't believe that the time has finally come to leave! I have been looking forward for this trip for a year and a half! We are staying at the Gaylord Palms resort, anyone been there? It looks really fun and of course I had to do some research to see if there were any fun bakeries around and I found one called sweet! By good golly miss holly. I can't wait to try it out. I would love to hear from any of you who have been to Orlando and know of a yummy place to eat or a fun bakery/cupcakery.

So my friends, in honor of Florida I leave with you a delicious recipes for a key lime pie! I actually made both a keylime pie and tart. I gave the pie to a neighbor and my family and I devoured the tart. It was fabulous! This recipe is amazing and super easy. You could whip this up in no time. It's a definite recipe that will impress. I found this delicious recipe at the joy of baking. I am very sad to take a ten day break from baking, but I will continue posting my wonderful finds in florida.



Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.

Graham Cracker Crust: Mix together the graham cracker crust, sugar, and melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a well greased 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart pan. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator to chill while you make the filling.

Filling: In the bowl of your electric mixer, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg yolks until pale and fluffy (about 3 minutes). Gradually add the condensed milk and beat until you have a light and fluffy mixture (4-5 minutes). Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat in the lime juice and zest.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake for about 10 minutes, or until the filling is set. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Once it has completely cooled, cover and refrigerator until serving time. (The pie can be made to this point and stored in the refrigerator for a couple of days.) Just before serving make the whipping cream.

In a separate bowl, beat the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Either pipe or place mounds of whipping cream on top of the filling.

Makes 1 - 9 inch (23 cm) pie or tart.

And it is very late and I need to wake up early to catch a plane

and I can't figure out how to delete these google adds, so sorry about that!

GRAHAM CRACKER CRUST:

1 1/4 cup (125 grams) graham cracker crumbs

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

5 - 6 tablespoons (70 - 85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

FILLING:

3 large egg yolks

One 14 - ounce (390 grams) can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup (120 grams) key lime juice

2 teaspoons grated lime zest

TOPPING:

1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream

2 tablespoons (25 grams) granulated white sugar

When life gives you lemons...

My mother in law got a lovely package from a friend a few days ago and inside were gorgeous California lemons! She gave her about 20 so she offered me about ten. Of course I didn't resist and I knew the perfect thing to do with them, because when life gives you such beautiful lemons you have to make Ina Garten's fabulous yogurt lemon cake with lemon curd. Both of these are a family favorite and when you put the two together and top it off with straberries, VIOLA! It makes an irresistable combination. In the summer my family and I always make Ina's lemon curd and serve it with straberries or rasberries. It is so light and summery. The lemon curd is also gluten free so I like making it for dessert because my sister in law who has celiac can have it. Since the cake get's most of it's moisture from yogurt you don't have to feel too guilty eating it. So I hope life gives you some lemons (or you go buy some in the store!) so you can try out these lovely recipes.

Look how juicy and delicious!

This cake is so incredibly moist. The lemon sugar syrup
you make to put on the top seems like alot and you might
be tempted to only put half of it on, but don't be scared and just
go for it!

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt
• 1 1/3 cups sugar, divided
• 3 extra-large eggs
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the glaze:

nocoupons

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 1/2 by 4 1/4 by 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease and flour the pan.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt into 1 bowl. In another bowl, whisk together the yogurt, 1 cup sugar, the eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Slowly whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. With a rubber spatula, fold the vegetable oil into the batter, making sure it's all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Meanwhile, cook the 1/3 cup lemon juice and remaining 1/3 cup sugar in a small pan until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is clear. Set aside.

When the cake is done, allow it to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Carefully place on a baking rack over a sheet pan. While the cake is still warm, pour the lemon-sugar mixture over the cake and allow it to soak in. Cool.

For the glaze, combine the confectioners' sugar and lemon juice and pour over the cake.

Lemon Curd

Ingredients

nocoupons

• 3 lemons
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 pound unsalted butter, room temperature
• 4 extra-large eggs
• 1/2 cup lemon juice (3 to 4 lemons)
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Using a carrot peeler, remove the zest of 3 lemons, being careful to avoid the white pith. Put the zest in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Add the sugar and pulse until the zest is very finely minced into the sugar.

Cream the butter and beat in the sugar and lemon mixture. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, and then add the lemon juice and salt. Mix until combined.

Pour the mixture into a 2 quart saucepan and cook over low heat until thickened (about 10 minutes), stirring constantly. The lemon curd will thicken at about 170 degrees F, or just below simmer. Remove from the heat and cool or refrigerate.

A fun night with yum Tuscan Tomato Soup and a fun dessert

Ok-I know I haven't posted a baking post in a while which is not like me because I usually have to hold myself back from baking! I guess I actually have been sticking to my new years resolution, but don't worry I am planning a baking day tomorrow because I am just dying to try out my kitchen aid! In the mean time I have been trying to cook more. I have had a tomato soup recipe from one of my favorite restaurants (The Chef's Table) for a long time and finally got around to making it yesterday. I called my cousin-in law Tanya, also my cooking partner in crime and asked if she would be up for a cooking night and try out this tomato soup. Of course she was game and she also got the baking bug and made a fabulous dessert. So let's start with the soup:

It was so yummy...but I have bad news...as much as I hate to say this, because I absolutely HATE secret recipes, but the chef who gave this to me said not to give it out to everyone I knew. So I figured posting it on my blog would be out of the question but I do have good news! I was watching Tyler Florence on the Food Network and he made a fabulous roasted tomato soup which was very similar to the recipe I had. Pretty much the same but mine had a cup of pesto. So I'm sure if you made Tyler's recipe and added a cup of pesto it would be almost exactly the same, so please don't hate me!

I made this pesto in the summer and have had it in my freezer and after a
quick zap in the microwave it smelt just as if it were fresh! I used Giada's pesto recipe
and I have been very happy with it.

The tomato soup was so creamy and delicious. The heavy
creamy really made it feel super silky in your mouth,
I'm sure my waisteline wont appreciate that but my taste buds definitely did!

Ok on to dessert, Tanya made a berry dessert from Giada DeLaurentis and I thought it was fabulous! So refreshing and very unique. I think this is the perfect summer dessert although I had no complaints eating it in the winter. The mixture or ricotta cheese and orange zest topped with the berry mixture and vanilla sugar crutons was just an explosion of flavor in your mouth! I thought it was fabulous but Tanya had an issue with the texture of the ricotta cheese. I was fine with it but I also thought it would be good to put the ricotta cheese mixture in a food processor with a little cream to make it a sauce. So try both these recipes out and let me know what you think!

Vanill beans are definitely expensive, but I have found that the best
place to get them is Costco. For ten large vanilla beans
it was 12 dollars. Still pricy but for how big the vanilla beans
were it was a great deal.

The gorgeous berries simmering away The aroma was wonderful!

The finished product

Tylers Ultimate roasted tomato soup
Ingredients

* 2 1/2 pounds fresh tomatoes (mix of fresh heirlooms, cherry, vine and plum tomatoes)
* 6 cloves garlic, peeled
* 2 small yellow onions, sliced
* Vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, optional
* 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 quart chicken stock
* 2 bay leaves
* 4 tablespoons butter
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, optional
* 3/4 cup heavy cream, optional

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.

Wash, core and cut the tomatoes into halves. Spread the tomatoes, garlic cloves and onions onto a baking tray. If using vine cherry tomatoes for garnish, add them as well, leaving them whole and on the vine. Drizzle with 1/2 cup of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 20 to 30 minutes, or until caramelized.

Remove roasted tomatoes, garlic and onion from the oven and transfer to a large stock pot (set aside the roasted vine tomatoes for later). Add 3/4 of the chicken stock, bay leaves, and butter. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until liquid has reduced by a third.

Wash and dry basil leaves, if using, and add to the pot. Use an immersion blender to puree the soup until smooth. Return soup to low heat, add cream and adjust consistency with remaining chicken stock, if necessary. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish in bowl with 3 or 4 roasted vine cherry tomatoes and a splash of heavy cream.

Basil Pesto Recipe

The following is a basil pesto recipe from Giada's Family Dinners by Giade De Laurentis

• 2 Cups Fresh Basil
• 1/4 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts
• 1/2 Cup Parmesan
• 2/3 Cup extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Garlic Clove
• 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pulse basil, pine nuts, garlic, salt and pepper. Add oil and blend to consistency. Good in the fridge for 2 days, add salt and pepper if you so choose.

Ricotta with Vanilla-Sugar Croutons and Berries
Ingredients
Croutons:

* 1/4 (4 ounces) ciabatta loaf, cut into 1-inch cubes
* 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla sugar, recipe follows

Syrup:

* 1/2 cup orange juice (from 1 medium orange)
* 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
* 1/2 cup sugar
* 1 cup blueberries
* 8 strawberries, hulled and quartered

Ricotta:

* 1 1/2 cups whole milk ricotta cheese
* 3 teaspoons orange zest (from 1 medium orange)
* 1 teaspoon lemon zest (from 1 lemon)
* 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar, recipe follows
* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh mint leaves

For the Croutons:
Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a medium bowl, toss together the bread cubes and melted butter. Add the vanilla sugar and toss until the bread cubes are coated in sugar. Arrange the bread cubes in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool completely.
For the Syrup:

In a small saucepan, bring the orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar to a simmer, over medium-low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the blueberries and strawberries and simmer until the fruit softens, about 6 to 8 minutes. Cool the syrup to room temperature.

For the Ricotta:

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well.

To serve: Divide the ricotta mixture between 4 decorative dessert bowls. Spoon the fruit syrup over the ricotta and top with the croutons. Garnish with the sliced mint.
Vanilla Sugar:

* 2 cups sugar
* 1 vanilla bean

Place the sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Using a paring knife, slice the vanilla bean in half, lengthways, and scrape out the seeds. Add the vanilla seeds to the sugar. Pulse 10 to 15 times until the vanilla and sugar are combined. Cut the empty vanilla pod into 1-inch pieces and place in a glass mason jar. Add the vanilla sugar to the jar and seal. Shake the jar before using.

Yield: 2 cups

Prep Time: 1 minute