Milestones and chocolate cake...

My son turned eighteen today.

EIGHTEEN.

Wait.. what?

Yeah, you read that right.  Eighteen.

Half my age  -_-

We went out to dinner and had an excellent meal at a nice little Italian place by my office and I was nice enough not to embarrass him with the waitstaff singing happy birthday and making a scene.

I asked him earlier in the week what kind of cake he wanted and he requested a chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.  I have an excellent chocolate cake recipe that I've been using that is the moistest, most decadent chocolate cake not to mention comes together quickly and bakes up without a hitch every time.

I made the cake when I got home last night, split it this morning, filled it with ice cream, wrapped it in plastic wrap and set it back in the springform pan this morning and took it out when we got home from dinner.  He's got a few friends who got here a little later than expected so while they're watching TV I had to put the cake back in the freezer.

While the cake firms back up I decided to sit here and share the recipe with y'all :)

Super moist dark chocolate cake

Ingredients:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup boiling water

Instructions:

Combine dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla.

 Beat with electric mixer on medium speed for 2 minutes.

 Remove mixer; stir in boiling water by hand.

 Pour the thin batter into a greased and floured 13x9x2-inch baking pan or two greased 9-inch layer cake pans or three greased 8-inch layer cake pans.

Bake at 350° for about 35 minutes for a rectangular cake or 30 to 35 minutes for layers. A wooden pick or cake tester inserted in center should come out clean.

Cool for 10 minutes in pan on rack then remove from pan and cool completely.

Frost as desired.

I'm so excited!! (GREAT FOOD BLOGGER COOKIE SWAP)

I just signed up for the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap.



This is the first time I'm participating and signup is only through Monday 11/4 (can you believe Friday is NOVEMBER already?)

Here's a little info:

The GREAT FOOD BLOGGER COOKIE SWAP brings together food bloggers from around the world in celebration of all things scrumptious. The premise is this: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Eat them all yourself (or, you know, share. If you want. No judgement either way.) Post your cookie recipe on your blog. See everyone else’s cookie recipes. Salivate. Get lots of great ideas for next year’s cookie swap. Rinse and repeat.
This year we are again excited to be partnering with COOKIES FOR KIDS’ CANCER, a national non-profit organization committed to funding new therapies used in the fight against pediatric cancer, which claims the lives of more children in the US than any other disease. By participating in this cookie swap you are not only contributing to the food blogger community, but also supporting a great cause.

Grated apple pie.. the absolute best apple pie I have ever had in my life.

Around Thanksgiving last year my Honey and I were browsing through Cooks Illustrated Magazine on the iPad and came across this pie that looked like nothing we'd seen before.  Right then and there that pie was placed as the first item on the Thanksgiving Day menu.

Thanksgiving rolled around and after dinner was done I went about making this pie and made a Big mistake... being short on white sugar I added some brown sugar and the pie never set.  It was a soupy mess.  It was delicious, but a mess nonetheless.

After we went apple picking last weekend I set my sights on making this pie again and armed myself properly with this recipe at hand:

Grated Apple Pie

Ingredients

1 1/4 C Sugar
1/2 C (1 stick) Unsalted butter
3 Tbs Flour
2 tsp Vanilla (I make my own, use the real stuff)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
3 medium apples, Peeled and coarsely grated
1 unbaked deep dish pie shell

Directions
Preheat oven to 400°

Peel your apples and set them in a bowl of water with a little squeeze of lemon juice to keep them from browning.

In a large bowl beat together the first seven ingredients (you can use a mixer for this, but I did it by hand since My Honey doesn't have a mixer and it came out perfect every time).  Set aside.

In another bowl carefully grate your apples on the largest part of your cheese grater (I did this at home using my food processor on a smaller grater and although the pie came out good, it wasn't as good as when I did it with the good old fashioned cheese grater).

Fold the apples into the batter and carefully pour the mixture into your unbaked pie shell. (I put the pie on a pan to catch any drippings to avoid any potential spills)

Bake the pie in the center of the oven for 10 minutes and then lower the temp to 350° for 40-50 Min until golden brown on top.

Let cool completely before serving.

 We clearly didn't let it cool completely before serving... but it was still delicious :)

It's really HOT!! Lets cool down with some ice cream :)

I get an insane amount of emails daily.I'm really trying better to get through these emails daily... or at least a few times a week.  I came across an email from cookingchannel.com last week and flagged it to keep it on the list of stuff I need to read.

I finally got around to reading it on Sunday night when I sat down to get through the mass of email in my inbox and make an effort to get the number of unread emails to under 1,000.  (Yeah, you read that right)

We're having an incredibly hot week, the longest heatwave since 2002.  By 9am it was already 91° outside my office (now it says 97°).  It’s too hot to cook, it’s too hot to eat.. It’s almost too hot to even be outside for any amount of time.  The Kid hasn't been to the park all week.  It’s just too hot.

So... back to this email with the recipes.  It was Their best summer and grilling recipes so I clicked through and stopped at the recipe for Cornstarch Ice Cream.

I have an ice cream maker, I use it maybe 3-4 times a year.  I can’t seem to get the hang of making ice cream.  I don't like to use full fat milk and heavy cream, it always melts too fast and it always rock hard when I take it out of my freezer. This seemed like a very different approach instead of custard ice cream (which, admittedly is wonderful, but Sooo fattening and I've been so good at eating healthy and not just losing the weight that I battled with for years but keeping it off too.)

Okay, so Cornstarch... I have that on hand and I grabbed a quart of light cream at the store, I can do this.

And so I did.

And...

It was WONDERFUL!

I was a little hesitant while cooking it up, it looked a little... gloopy? Gluey?

I left it to cool for a bit and then set up the ice cream maker (I have a cuisinart with the freezer bowl that I always keep handy in the freezer) and churned it for 30 minutes, put it into a covered container and sat it in the freezer overnight.

I like it, the kid liked it.  I followed the recipe exactly with the vanilla bean and all and I'd like to try it again with cherries and almond extract.  Being a base recipe, just about anything can be added to this.

Cornstarch Ice Cream

The Great Marshmallow Experiment

Ok, so y'all know that I made the sugar free marshmallows on Saturday (and I'll be making another batch tonight...more on that in a few).  I also made a batch of regular marshmallows on Sunday and then yesterday I got an idea in my head... Flavored marshmallows.  Over the past 3 days I must have made around 200 marshmallows!!

I have a recipe for Cherry almond cupcakes that looks amazing.  My only problem?  I'm allergic to Maraschino cherries (not the cherries, but the sulfates that are used to preserve them) so even though technically I can make them, I wouldn't be able to eat even one so that kind of kills it for me.  I started to browse around for recipes for flavored marshmallows and learned that you can use fresh fruit like berries, bananas, and peaches.  You can Not use pineapple, kiwi, mango, or guava because of a particular enzyme that breaks down the gelatin so the mallows won't fluff up at all.

I also don't like to use food coloring.  I try to avoid it as much as possible because I think it adds a weird flavor to the marshmallows and I try to keep things as pure as I can. I make my own Vanilla extract and I'm going to make my own almond extract soon too since that stuff is seriously expensive.

I had a thought in my head yesterday and wasn't going to let it go until I got home and did it and I was So happy that I went through with it because even my kid said they were the best marshmallows that he'd ever had!

I bought a packet of dried cherries and put about 1/2 cup into my food processor and chopped them really fine.  I put the chopped up cherries back into the measuring cup and added 1 tsp of almond extract and just let it sit and steep while I made a batch of regular mallows.  I added the cherries in the last minute or so of whipping up the mallows and they came out a very very pale pink with little bits of cherries in them.

Absolute Perfection!!  I'm going to make a batch of cherry almond sugar free ones tonight and I'll also let y'all know how those turn out.

I'm thinking the next batch will be orange vanilla.. or strawberry vanilla... or maybe.... banana coconut?  I'm not sure... there are so many options :)

Ambrosia

I think everyone has their own idea of what ambrosia is.

My friend Racel makes hers Filipino style with condensed milk and fruit cocktail and lots and lots of coconut.

My version is pretty different than hers with the exception of the coconut, it's not ambrosia without the coconut.  That's a definite.

This is the ambrosia that I grew up on that my Grandma Mary made and it hadn't crossed my mind for a while until my cousin A. who is pregnant with baby #2 called and asked me for the recipe and, of course I obliged :)

This is all you need :)

I'm going to use approximate amounts here, because I never measure this, I just eyeball it since I've been making this since I was a kid.

Gram's Ambrosia

1 can mandarin oranges
1 8 oz bag shredded coconut
1 16 oz container fat free sour cream or plain yogurt
2 cups mini marshmallows

Drain Mandarin oranges

in a large bowl add mandarin oranges, coconut, sour cream and stir really well.  Fold in the marshmallows really well so they're completely covered, cover and let sit  in the fridge at least 4 hours or overnight until the marshmallows get really soft and squishy.

Serve topped with cherries or more oranges.



(I have all the ingredients for this on my shopping list.. I'll be making this tomorrow and will add pics.)

Cookie Dough Brownies

I've been seeing these brownies flash around Pinterest the past week or so.. so of course I had to try them.

Now, I make ass kickingly amazing brownies (not to toot my own horn or anything here, but really, they're freaking fantastic brownies) so I went ahead and made those and I topped them with some Eggless cookie dough.. and Viola! Cookie dough brownies.

The Brownie:

1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon sal


Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease an 8 inch square pan or line with foil.
In a medium bowl combine melted butter and cocoa and stir until cocoa is dissolved.
Add sugar and mix well.
Add eggs one at a time and stir until well combined.
Stir in vanilla, flour and salt until you no longer see any flour (do not overmix).
Spread in pan and bake for approximately 25 minutes.

DO NOT OVER-BAKE -- your brownies will come out dry. Adjust time/temp accordingly for your oven. If you do the knife/toothpick test, it should come out with moist crumbs, not clean.

For the cookie dough:
1 1/4 C flour
1/2 C butter
1/2 C packed brown sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
2 Tbs milk
1 C mini chocolate chips

Cream together the butter and sugar.

Add vanilla and milk and stir well.

Add chocolate chips.

Spread evenly over cooled cookie dough.

Let the brownies chill in the fridge until the cookie dough sets up, about an hour (or in the freezer for half an hour)

Cut into squares and keep covered in the fridge.

Funnel Cakes!!

Last weekend was the big feast at my church and The Kid and I finally made it over there on Sunday.  I saw all the concession stands but what I really wanted was a funnel cake.. I saw so many people walking by with them it  had me craving one like crazy.  Until I got to the stand that was selling the most and realized that not only was the funnel cake $5, but in teeny print to the right it said that it was $2 extra for topping.. for powdered sugar that's like $1/lb.  Ha!  Like that was gonna happen.  I got a few Zeppoles instead @6/$3 to hold me over on my fried dough craving until I could get around to making them myself.  I went and bought a squeeze bottle at the $1 store to make this a little less messy and it worked perfectly.

I finally got around to making them today... a week later.

Totally worth the wait.

Funnel Cakes


Ingredients

1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1-2 cups oil for frying
2 tablespoons sugar
1 egg
1 cup milk
confectioners' sugar for dusting


Directions
In a mixing bowl, beat together egg and milk. Beat in flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar, and sugar until smooth.

Heat about 1 inch cooking oil in frying pan to 375° F 

Pour 1/2 cup batter through funnel into oil with a circular motion to form a spiral (I didn't have the right size funnel so I went and bought a squeeze bottle from the $1 store which makes it Much easier to do this without a huge mess).

 Fry until lightly brown; turn over to brown the other side. Cook to golden brown, and remove to drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar while still warm.

I confess, I cheated

But I realllly wanted cheesecake, it's too hot to turn the oven on.. and anyway I said I wasn't using the oven anymore since I scrubbed that sucker clean last Sunday.

I went to the supermarket with The Kid the other night and upon perusing the dairy aisle I saw it. Philadelphia cheesecake filling .. I looked at it, I looked at The Kid and I grabbed the scanner (I love Stop & Shop with the handy scanners so you can scan & bag while you shop and checkout is a Breeze!) I said to the kid, if it's under $5 I'm getting it.. it was $4.99 BINGO!

It's good, Not great, but it worked to satisfy the cheesecake craving without having to spend $3.99 just for a slice. It's high in fat so I am satisfied by just having a heaping spoonful spread on a few graham crackers and I can imagine it would be heavenly with fruit.

I actually have some Push Pop containers that I bought from my buddy Vanna @ QueenVanna Creations and I'm going to layer them with some graham crackers, cheesecake filling and chocolate chips and Freeze them.. Yummy!!!

I'm moving next Saturday so my posts will be slightly scattered between then and next Sunday when I get my internet hooked up at the new place (Gotta Love Cablevision for coming to do a hookup on Sunday so I don't have to lose a day of work on Monday!)

What's better than a Homemade Marshmallow?

A homemade chocolate covered marshmallow on a stick!!!

I made Marshmallows* last Sunday and had them sitting in the oven to set up and dry out a bit.  I kept the marshmallow as a slab until yesterday because it's been wickedly humid here all week.  I cut the marshmallows up using my pizza wheel dusted with a little powdered sugar and then tossed all the marshmallows into a gallon size Ziplock bag. I tossed in 1/4 cup powdered sugar and shook it good to cover all sides of the mallow so none stuck together and give the chocolate something good to hang on to.

I took about 20 marshmallows and stuck them on Popsicle sticks, gave them a good tap on the side of a bowl to remove the excess powdered sugar and put them in the fridge to hang out until I was ready to cover them in chocolate.

I went over to my local party supply store and got a bag of chocolate melts, melted them down and using a rubber spatula coated each mallow in chocolate.  Don't dip the chocolates directly in the chocolate because they'll start to melt (trust me here, I learned by experience) Just get a good scoop of chocolate on the spatula and spread it around the marshmallow.  I sprinkled some colored sugar crystals on them too while they were still hot for some extra color and a little extra texture.

Set the chocolate covered marshmallows on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper so they don't stick and easy cleanup. Store the covered marshmallows in the fridge covered in plastic wrap or in a ziplock bag.

* When I made these marshmallows I used the Marshmallow syrup that I had leftover from the last time I made Marshmallows.  Using the marshmallow syrup gives you bigger fluffy marshmallows than using corn syrup and I find you whip them for a shorter amount of time also.  In total, this time I whipped the marshmallows for around 6 minutes and they were ready to go.

Marshmallows!

I'm not stubborn.

OK. I am. I mean, I am my fathers daughter after all.

After the failed mess on Monday did you think I was going to throw in the towel?

Hell no!
I just wasn't going to try Chocolate Marshmallows again.. too sweet.


I had a better idea so I went on the hunt for some straightforward vanilla bean marshmallows.. because, after the Monday mess I had 2 1/2 jars of marshmallow syrup leftover and one was loaded with teeny vanilla beans because I was a jar short so I poured the vanilla extract out of one of the jars under the cabinet into the one I use all the time and poured the marshmallow syrup in there.


Now, I don't have a stand mixer.. YET.. and I did this with a hand mixer and they came out perfect, so it can be done.. don't listen to anyone who says you can't make marshmallows with a hand mixer, I've got proof that it can be done.


I came upon this recipe from One Ordinary Day via Alton Brown and I made my own little change to it.. instead of the coating being just cornstarch and powdered sugar I added about 1/4 c cocoa powder for that little chocolatey kick.. OMG! YES!!! Absolute Perfection is what I came out with!





Marshmallows
3 packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup ice cold water, divided
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup light corn syrup or Marshmalow syrup (recipe follows)
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
nonstick cooking spray

Place the gelatin into the bowl of a stand mixer, along with 1/2 c. of the cold water. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine the remaining 1/2 c. water, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and salt. Place over medium high heat, cover and allow to cook for 3-4 minutes. Uncover and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan. Continue to cook until mixture reaches 240 degrees, approximately 7-8 minutes. Once the mixture reaches the correct temperature, immediately remove it from the heat.

Now turn the mixer on low speed with the whisk attachment in place. While running the mixer, slowly pour the sugar syrup down the side of the bowl into the gelatin mixture. Once all the syrup has been added, increase the mixer speed to high. Continue to whip until the mixture becomes very thick and is lukewarm, approximately 12-15 minutes. Add the vanilla during the last minute of whipping.

While the mixture is whipping, prepare the pan. Combine the powdered sugar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Lightly spray a 9×13″ metal baking pan with nonstick cooking spray. Add the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture to lightly cover bottom and sides of pan. Reserve the rest for later.

When ready, pour the marshmallow mixture into the prepared pan, using a spatula that has been lightly sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread evenly. Dust the top with enough of the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture to lightly coat. Reserve the rest for later. Allow the marshmallows to sit uncovered for at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

Turn the marshmallows out onto a cutting board and cut into squares using a pizza wheel dusted with the powdered sugar/cornstarch mixture. Once cut, lightly dust all sides of the marshmallows with the remaining mixture. Can store in an airtight container for up to 3 weeks.




Marshmallow syrup
2 cups water
5 1/3 cups sugar
1 tsp cream of tartar
Pinch of salt

Combine all the ingredients in a large stockpot. Stir until the sugar is wet. Bring mixture to a boil and put the lid on for 2 minutes. Remove the lid and clip on your candy thermometer. DO NOT STIR! Continue to cook until the temperature reaches 240 degrees. Remove from the element and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Ladle into clean jars.

When you are ready to make your marshmallows you can heat this up in the microwave for 2 minutes to loosen it up and make it pourable.

♪♫Makin Whoopie♪♫

Oh get your head outta the gutter will you?

Sheesh, you guys are really something else...

No, seriously.. I thought the same thing.. So yea... great minds think alike ;)

It’s Cold in NY.. Like chill you to the bone cold that we haven’t seen here in NY in 6 years.  It was 6̊ here this morning.. SIX DEGREES people.  (Have I mentioned how sick I am of winter yet?  Oh, I have... well.. I’ll tell ya again.. I'm so sick of winter.. Winter can suck it.)

OK.. So back to the Making Whoopie part of this post.

It was cold yesterday, so I do what I like to do when it’s cold ... I cook.. And I bake.

So I had the crockpot going with dinner, I had chicken in the oven for tonight’s dinner and when the chicken was done I decided I’d take a stab at making Whoopie pies.  I had wanted to make them last week and didn’t for whatever reason but when I went grocery shopping on Saturday I got the ingredients I needed that I didn’t have (Butter.. How the hell I managed to run out of butter I’ll never know, I always have a pack or 2 in the freezer) and got myself situated.

Now, this recipe says it makes 12, I made 24 small ones.. Because I was taking them to work for the cretins there. (They were gone by lunchtime) They were amazing.. I actually saved 2 at home for the Kid and I tomorrow.  The Kid and I each had one last night, but they’re much better if you assemble them and let them sit overnight.

I needed a recipe without shortening because I really don’t like the flavor.  Someone gave me a recipe from Gourmet magazine that uses buttermilk.. I’m going to try those next.  These aren’t super Chocolatey, but everyone at work really liked them.. I like a more dark chocolatey flavor though, hopefully the next time around I can master that dark chocolatey taste.

Ingredients

Cakes:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk

Filling:

1/2 cup butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup marshmallow creme
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).Line baking sheets with parchment paper or non stick foil

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cocoa and sugar.

Add the egg, oil and milk, stir until smooth and well blended. Drop by tablespoons 3 inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes in the preheated oven.

Cool before removing from baking sheets.


To make the filling, combine the butter, confectioners' sugar, marshmallow creme and vanilla, in a bowl. Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. Pipe filling between two cooled cookies.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

This was really easy to make and OMG is is delicious! I wanted to make this sooner, but with this crazy NY heatwave and no Air conditioning in my apartment ice cream wasn't going to come together too easily, especially when it's warmer inside sometimes than it is outside. Yesterday it was overcast and cooler than it's been in a while so I decided it was as good a time as any to get moving on this ice cream idea that's been in my head for over a week.

Rocky Road Ice Cream

3 Cups Milk
1 Cup heavy cream
1 1/2 Cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp. Vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 cup mini marshmallows
1/4 cup chocolate covered peanuts

warm 1 1/2 cups milk in a medium bowl on high heat in the microwave for 45 seconds.
Add remaining milk and cream to bowl and stir well.
Stir in vanilla
Pour mixture into ice cream maker.

Watch your time carefully and add the marshmallows and peanuts in the last 5 minutes of the ice cream cycle, slowly so they don't clump together and become evenly incorporated into the ice cream.

Pour ice cream into covered, air tight container and freeze for 3-4 hours until set.


This was the ice cream straight out of the ice cream maker.. it barely made it into the freezer, lol.

Ice cream is surprisingly easy to make

With the right tools, I’m really amazed at how easy it is to make quality ice cream at home. I had ordered a Cuisinart ice cream maker from Cookware.com last week... and it arrived within 2 days! I was in Bliss! I couldn’t wait to get out and buy ingredients to make my first batch of ice cream. I looked through the little book that came with the ice cream maker and decided to go with the basic vanilla recipe and dress it up as mint chip for the kid.

2 cups whole milk
1 cup cream
3/4 cup sugar
½ tsp peppermint extract
½ cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Really, that’s all it took.

With the maker that I have you have to freeze the freezer bowl (for at least a few hours, but I do it overnight)
in a separate bowl mix together the milk, cream and peppermint extract and pour into the freezer bowl, attach the lid, flip the switch, add the chocolate chips in the last few minutes and then in 30 minutes you’ve got a mixture that clearly resembles ice cream but is in no way ready to be consumed by the masses.. So I took it out of the ice cream maker, poured it into a freezer safe covered bowl and into the freezer it went for another 2 hours or so and then I was ready to eat it.. The kid on the other hand will eat ice cream soup.. So he tried it straight out of the mixer and said to me “OMG, mom, it tastes JUST LIKE Breyers” so.. I call that a total WIN!

I have a feeling there will be many different ice cream creations coming out of my kitchen this summer and I'm really, really excited!

Cupcakes at Rosie's

The cupcake from Rosie's bakery on Covert avenue in Floral park was So good that I had to be nice and share with my cousin who's 6 months pregnant and works 2 floors down from me. She texted me when she got into her office because I had left it for her when I came in earlier.. and her response was that the cupcake was unbelievable. Yup.. damn right it was.. the best moistest cupcake that I've ever gotten from a bakery.

Lulu’s Italian-American Bakery, Fresh Meadows, NY

Lulu’s Italian-American Bakery, Fresh Meadows, NY

Hot Damn! Lulu’s is one of the best bake shops around hands down.

I happened by a car show at one of the local high schools on my way to the grocery store on Sunday and they had some stands and whatnot and I saw cupcakes.. So naturally I had to just stop and see what the deal was and I was excited for 2 main reasons: 1. The cupcakes were not left out in the open for flies and bees to buzz around and land on (FYI, if your food is left out in the open, uncovered, you will not get any business from me) they were in a small display case and 2. all the cookies and other goodies were lovingly wrapped in little baggies tied with ribbon with a sticker from the shop on them.

The Kid got an Oreo cupcake and I got 2 (HUGE) rainbow cookies in a little plastic bag That cupcake never had a chance.. By the time we got to the car and the kid sat down that cupcake was devoured, followed by “Mom, that was the best cupcake you’ve ever bought!” I had a little more restrain, and waited until we got home to have one of the cookies.. And Holy Cow.. Wow, absolutely amazingly unbelievable, hands down the absolute moistest rainbow cookies that I’ve ever had in my life. They were sooo good. I still have one in the fridge.. At least, I think it’s still there unless the kid got his grubby little hands on it and didn’t tell me. Shoot, now I’m gonna have to go and check when I get home. Everything was $2 which was awesome.. Which also means that I will definitely have to find my way over to Lulu’s one of these days no matter what kind of hike it is for me to get there. I would drive 2 hours just to get some of those rainbow cookies!

***I just realized that their web site isn't quite up and running yet.. I'll be sure to let y'all know when it does though :o)

my first bloggerversary cake

My first bloggerversary cake was actually supposed to be Brownies.. But Damn this recipe was one big fat lie!

They were *good* they/it was nothing like what I expected though. I've made cola cupcakes a hundred times over the years and I've been craving some cherry coke brownies, with chunks of cherries in them and all, so when I found this recipe I was hoping this was exactly what I was looking for.. turns out, it wasn't. it wasn't dense and fudgy, but light and airy and not nearly chocolaty enough.

Here is the recipe:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 cup Coca-Cola *I used Cherry Coke
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 Eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cup miniature marshmallows
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup candied cherries

Sift together flour and sugar. Heat butter, cocoa and Coca Cola to boiling point; pour over sugar mixture. Mix butter milk, eggs, baking soda, marshmallows and vanilla and add to mixture. Mix well. Batter will be thin. Pour into a greased and floured 13x9-inch pan and bake 30 minutes.

This recipe called for a frosting that used 1 cup of margarine and A WHOLE BOX of powdered sugar.. I didn't go there.. that is like a diabetic coma waiting to happen. (and I do not use margarine, eww!)

If you're interested in the original recipe you can find it here.

I wasn't impressed.. but I still have 4 weeks to get it right.

Quick fix substitute sweetened condensed milk

Ok, so here's the story..

One morning I went to make my coffee and *gasp!* there was no milk.. BUT there was a half a can of sweetened condensed milk in the fridge leftover from something I made, so I scooped out a spoonful, stirred it into my coffee and prayed it was gonna be alright...

and OMG it was AMAZING!!

So, when I went to the wholesale store with my best friend Patty back in September I bought myself a 6 pack of sweetened condensed milk (considering it's around $2+ per can and I got a pack of 6 for around $4 I was very happy!) I used a can or 2 over the holidays making pies and I just used the last of it this morning and then after not adding it to my little list of things I had to stop and grab on my way home I forgot... that is, until I was setting up my coffee cup back under the Senseo before.

AHHHHH!!! I've been having my coffee so long at home like this, I wasn't sure if I could just go back to milk and sugar.. I had to find a substitute!

I searched frantically and every single recipe I found was had butter added (eew!) I knew I had a box of powdered milk packets in the cabinet from last Christmas when I made milk bath sachets for some friends, so I had the most crucial ingredient and finally.. like 20 pages down the line I found this:

Sweetened Condensed Milk substitute:

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 1-quart sized packet or 1 cup powdered milk

In a small saucepan heat water to just boiling on high heat
Quickly whisk in milk powder and reduce heat to lowest setting (or this will burn)
Add sugar and stir until dissolved
Cook until thick, this will take 5-7 minutes. This equals one 14 oz can.

OMG, it tasted just like the real thing and I have it in a squeeze bottle in the fridge, ready for tomorrow's coffee :) YAY!

Easter Pastiera

This is my favorite Easter recipe and like lots of authentic regional desserts this one has a story. The legend of the Pastiera is that Queen Mariateresa d’Austria, wife of Ferdinando II of Borbonè, had a nickname "the queen who never smiled". One day her husband, who was outgoing and loved eating, convinced her to try a new recipe. As soon as she tried her first piece of pastiera she couldn’t resist smiling, and at this piont her husband shouted: "I’ll have to wait next Easter to see my wife smiling again!"

This recipe is a little different from the one I grew up with as it doesn't have a crust, I never liked the pastry around the creamy filling and always left the remnants on my plate.. this one leaves nothing to be spared :) Plus, it's not sickeningly sweet (and after all that candy, you want something refreshing ;) )


Pastera

1 quart whole milk
3/4 cup arborio rice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
unsalted butter, for pan
all-purpose flour, for pan
3 lbs fresh ricotta cheese, drained 3 hours, preferably over night, through cheesecloth
3 large eggs, plus
3 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Strawberry or Raspberry sauce

1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1. Bring milk to a boil in a large sauce pan over medium high heat.
2. Stir in rice, cinnamon, salt and vanilla bean.
3. Reduce heat to medium low, cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until rice is very tender and has absorbed all liquid, about 30 minutes.
4. Remove pan from heat, stir in 3/4 cup granulated sugar, cover, let cool, stirring occasionally.
5. Discard vanilla bean.
6. Preheat oven to 350̊F degrees.
7. Butter and flour an 8-inch springform pan.
8. In a large bowl, fold together, the rice mixture, ricotta, whole eggs and egg yolks, and remaining 1/2 cup sugar, very carefully using a rubber spatula.
9. Pour into prepared pan.
10. Bake until golden, 65 to 70 minutes, cover with foil if starting to brown too much.
11. Transfer pan to cooling rack.
12. When cake has cooled completely, run a knife around edge to loosen.
13. Gently remove ring; transfer cake to a serving plate.
14. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve at room temperature with sauce.

Sauce:.
1. Combine all ingredients in a medium nonreactive saucepan.
2. Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until berries are soft, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makin' Whoopie.. Pies, that is, lol

I haven't made whoopie pies in a long time.. and the only recipe I have is for chocolate and I've been so good not to have any chocolate since I gave it up for Lent so finding a really good whoopie pie recipe that is not chocolate was like a gift dropped right into my lap (or, as the case may be, my inbox) This came to me via the Delish Newsletter, which is one of the many foodie related newsletters that make their way to my inbox on a daily basis.

Mmmmm.. cream filled lemon whoopie pies

Whoopie Pies

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup(s) cake flour
• 1 teaspoon(s) baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) salt
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) baking soda
• 6 tablespoon(s) unsalted butter
• 1 cup(s) sugar
• 2 tablespoon(s) sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
• 1/3 cup(s) milk
• 1 lemon, zested and squeezed for 1/4 cup juice
• 1 cup(s) cold heavy cream
• 2 tablespoon(s) crystallized ginger, chopped

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Directions

• 1. Make the cakes: Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Sift the flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda together and set aside. Beat the butter and 1 cup sugar in medium bowl using a mixer set on medium-high until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Mix the vanilla and milk together and add to batter in thirds, alternating with the flour mixture, until combined. Stir in the lemon juice and zest. Pour 1/3 cup of batter into each section of a nonstick muffin-top pan and bake until the cakes test clean with a toothpick and are golden around the edges -- about 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release from the pan and cool completely.
• 2. Make the cream filling: Beat the heavy cream and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar together to firm peaks. Stir in the crystallized ginger. Invert half of the cakes and place about 1/4 cup of cream on each. Spread to about 1/2 inch from the cake edge and top with the remaining halves. Serve immediately or keep