Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Treats

Need a kidlet-friendly treat that you can throw together while your little ghouls and goblins are working on their jack-o'-lanterns? Here's one that you can't go wrong with- Peanut Butter Rice Krispie treats. It's easy to make and you can keep one eye on the kidlets and pumpkin guts while you stir the ingredients. No oven time required!

Peanut Butter Rice Krispie Bars

Ingredients

3 T unsalted butter

4 cups mini-marshmallows

1/2 cup + 2 T smooth peanut butter

6 cups of Rice Krispies cereal


Instructions

1. Take a 13x9x2 glass pan and lightly spray it with cooking spray. Set aside.

2. In a big pan, melt your butter. Do it on a low heat so that the butter doesn't brown or burn.

3. Once the butter's melted, add your marshmallows. Keep moving them around until they melt down into a nice marshmallow fluff.

4. Turn off your heat. Add in the peanut butter and combine well.

5. Add in your Rice Krispies a cup at a time, while stirring.

6. Once the cereal is coated, transfer it to the glass pan. Using your fingers or the back of a spatula, press it down so it's even.

7. Let it cool down. Then cut it into squares and serve.

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

This year for  Thanksgiving (Canadian), I wanted to switch up my usual menu.  I wasn't going to have my Dad or my Mother in Law for company and since my Dad is a creature of habit, I never get to deviate from the usual holiday food fare.  I took this as an opportunity to experiment with some new recipes to keep our dinner with friends low-key and non-stressful.  

Enter the No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake.

All the flavors of a pumpkin pie but in a hard to resist individual cheesecake.  And since this is no-bake cheesecake, you don't have to bother with a spring form pan, water bath in the oven, etcetera, etcetera.  Just mix, dump, refrigerate.

We loved the little cheesecakes so much I made another batch with the leftover canned pumpkin the following week.  A little project for me and my three year old while her big sister was at school.

This is a great recipe if you want to involve your kids in the kitchen.  Easy, easy, easy!

Two girls, a kitchen aid mixer and a fun afternoon.  

Recipe adapted from Shugary Sweets

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Makes 2 9-inch cheesecakes

14 oz box gingersnap cookies 

1/2 cup butter, melted

2 - 8oz packages cream cheese, softened 

1 can (14oz) sweetened condensed milk 

1 cup 100% pure pumpkin puree 

1 tbsp lemon juice 

1 tsp cinnamon 

1/4 tsp nutmeg 

1 pinch ground cloves 

12 oz Cool Whip (or whipped cream)

Pulse cookies in food processor until finely ground. Mix ground cookies with melted butter. Press into bottom of two 9-inch pie plates (or one pie plate plus 8 individual dishes). 

Beat cream cheese with sweetened condensed milk for 5 minutes. Mix in pumpkin, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Pour mixture evenly into pie plates and refrigerate for one to two hours until set and cold. Serve with a dollop of cool whip or whipped cream on top.

Click here for printable version of No-Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake

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THE RESULTS?

Like I said we LOVED these.  My 3 year old couldn't wait until her sister and Dad were home so she could devour hers.  And when she finally did, joy exuded from her whole body!

Excited much?  She kept exclaiming how yummy it was and "Dad, Dad, Dad!  I made these!  And mom helped!

Rice Krispies Cookies

Rice Krispies Cookies

All week I've felt like I've been waiting, waiting, waiting. Waiting for Mr.S. to come home, waiting for the UPS guy to deliver my package, waiting for the weekend to come and even waiting for autumn to arrive. I'm sick and tired of this weird summer weather and that nasty humidity we had earlier this week was the last straw. I've got my boots, scarfs  and cute cooler weather outfits ready to go, dammit! In the meantime, the cooler beach weather of Santa Cruz is going to have to suffice. In preparation for my girls' weekend getaway, I baked a couple of batches of cookies for us to enjoy while we gab. Two were my old tried-and-true standbys- thumbprint cookies with homemade jam and chewy flourless peanut butter cookies (which half ended up mysteriously at Mr.S.'s casa). I also decided to attempt a new recipe that I had bookmarked in a past issue of Food and Wine magazine called, "Tutu's Super-Crispy Sugar Cookies" (January 2012). The Snap! Crackle! Pop! comes from the addition of Kellogg's Rice Krispies cereal to the batter. It's a pretty easy recipe to make, just don't knock over half the box onto the kitchen floor like I did!

Rice Krispies Cookies (adapted from Food & Wine, January 2012)

Ingredients

2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

2 cups AP flour

1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies Cereal


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, sugar and salt together.

3. Add the baking soda and vanilla. Beat until it's nice and smooth.

4. While the mixer's running add the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Then add the Rice Krispies. Make sure it mixes well.

5. Place a Silpat on your baking sheet.  Take about two tablespoons of dough and fashion it into a ball. Place it on the baking sheet, make sure to space the cookie "balls" apart about 3 inches as these will be big cookies.

6. Bake for 15 minutes.

7. Remove baking sheet from oven. Using the back end of a spatula, flatten your cookies.

8. Return baking sheet to the oven and cook for approximately 25 minutes more. The cookies will have small cracks on top and the bottom will be golden brown when they're done cooking.

Girls' Night Vol au Vents

Girls' Night Vol au Vents

It's funny- when I was in high school and throughout my twenties, most of my friends were guys. I'd say a good 90%. I found males to be less drama, more logical than emotional and much more fun to hang out with than female friends. I despised the cattiness and sense of competition that seemed to go with female friendships. Guys just seemed more up front. But since hitting my thirties, I've found myself gravitating towards being friends with more and more females. I still have many guy buddies but now some of my closest friends are women and I look forward to our "Girls' Nights." The vibe is different now- it's more relaxed, less drama and there's a strong sense of community. I know I can call any one of my girlfriends if I'm in crisis mode and need someone to talk to, need a lift to the hospital or I just would like a hand with my project-of-the-month. I'm not sure if as women we evolve as we get older to be less judgemental and snippy of each other or I just happened to stumble into some friendships with some amazing ladies. Either way, I feel lucky. My life is definitely more enriched with the female friendships I've cultivated in the last few years.

Last week, my friend Sheri was visiting from Portland (she recently moved there from Sacramento) and another friend of ours Emily decided to host a girls' night get together for her. Of course, good eats are always necessary- so there was pasta salad, various cheeses, pickles and veggies, hummus and homemade lime sorbet. I didn't have time to prepare anything fancy since I was gone all day so I decided to throw together a quickie dessert. I had purchased some Vol au Vents awhile back, so I decided to take those, press some goat cheese into them and top it off with some preserves. I did half with homemade apricot preserves and the other half with homemade ginger-Asian pear preserves. If you're not familiar with Vol au Vents, they're miniature, hollow puff pastry shells that are very light and crispy. The ones I used are made by a company called Erica's Kitchen and are shaped like super cute little flowers. I think they must have came out pretty good since the dish was empty at the end of the night. Next time, I might go the more savory route and make some Wild Mushroom Vol au Vents or maybe stuff them with some brie and brown sugar. What do you think would make a good filling?

Girls' Night Vol au Vents

Ingredients

1 package Vol au Vents (12 mini puff pastry cases)
3 oz. goat cheese
your favorite homemade jam or preserves (I used apricot and ginger Asian pear)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat, and place Vol au Vents on mat, spaced evenly.

3. Press the middle circle of dough down, then place about teaspoon of goat cheese into each Vol au Vent. Gently push the goat cheese down into the opening.

4. Top with a teaspoon of your favorite homemade preserve.

5. Bake the Vol au Vents for approximately 10-15 minutes or until layers are golden.

6. Serve warm or at room temp.

Figs 'n Pigs : Roasted Figs Stuffed with Chevre & Wrapped in Prosciutto

Figs 'n Pigs : Roasted Figs Stuffed with Chevre & Wrapped in Prosciutto

I know I've probably said this before but man, I feel so lucky to live in California. Oftentimes, I look at magazines like Sunset and will think,"Wow! That place is so beautiful!" when browsing the glossy photos of fresh produce, lush greenery and spectacular flora--then I remember, "I live there, duh." I especially love how we have ready access to an abundance of seasonal produce. My current obsession has been figs. I haven't always been a huge fan in the past, besides the occasional fig newton; but that turned around for me last year, when I had some phenomenal homemade fig chutney at a friend's party. It was served on some artisan bread with some softened goat cheese and it seriously blew me away. So when I saw figs recently while wandering the market, I was delighted. Mr.S. isn't much into chutney so I decided to go with a simple, classic recipe of figs stuffed with chevre. At the last minute though I decided to pick up some prosciutto to wrap the lil suckers in. Hey, you can never go wrong with adding a bit of pork product to your dish, right? Well, these small bites turned out perfect...little savory bundles of warm, salty, creamy goodness. My god, they're so good you won't want to share!

Figs 'n Pigs: Roasted Figs Stuffed with Chevre & Wrapped in Prosciutto

Instructions

12 fresh figs
3-4 ounces chevre (depending on the size of your figs)
12 slices good quality, thinly sliced prosciutto
honey, warmed

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

- Gently wipe figs clean with a damp paper towel or washcloth.

- Using a paring knife, slice off the very tip of the fig and then cut two slits (an X) into the top of each fig, going about two-thirds of the way down. Carefully separate the sides and form a small pocket. Press a spoonful of chevre into the pocket. (See below photo) Then softly pinch the sides around the chevre.

- Take a slice of prosciutto, fold it in half lengthwise then wrap it around the stuffed fig.

- Place figs upright (X-side up) on an oiled baking sheet and roast for 10-12 minutes. When the prosciutto is crisp and the chevre gets oozy, they're ready to be taken out.

- Place the figs on a serving tray, drizzle with warm honey and serve immediately.

* If you want to get extra fancy, you can sprinkle the figs with chopped toasted walnuts or Marcona almonds.

* Also, if you're thinking of making these for a party, you can prep a few hours ahead and refrigerate the stuffed figs. But don't roast them until just before you want to serve them because they will get soggy if left to sit.

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies with Maldon Salt

Crispy Oatmeal Cookies with Maldon Salt

Sorry for the lack of posts as of late, I've been a bit under the weather. I did drag my sorry butt into the kitchen yesterday though to bake a few batch of cookies. Mr.S. is going out of town for a few days this week so I thought I'd send him off with some delicious treats- a batch of chewy peanut butter cookies as well as a batch of crispy oatmeal cookies. To be honest, I'm feeling a bit low that he's going to be away although it was my decision to skip this trip. Hopefully he'll think of me each time he bites into a tasty cookie while he's gone (and doesn't notice that I kept a few for myself). Lucky for me, Pepper's staying behind to keep me company during Mr.S.'s absence. I guess I'll just have to spoil Peppy rotten...well, more than I normally do.

This recipe is from one of my favorite food blogs Lottie + Doof. The oatmeal cookies come out pretty big so be sure to space them well on the baking sheet (I did 8 cookies per sheet). You can also jazz them up with chocolate chips, nuts or raisins if you wish; but quite frankly, I thought they were perfect with just a sprinkle of Maldon salt on the top.

Crispy Oatmal Cookies with Maldon Salt

Ingredients

1 cup AP flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

14 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup light brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups old fashioned rolled oats

Maldon salt

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, combine : AP flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix throughly.

3. In your mixer's bowl (w/ paddle attachment), cream the butter until fluffy. Then add the sugars and cream together until light and fluffy.

Source

4. Add the egg and vanilla and mix well. Continue to mix on medium low. At this time add in your flour mixture and combine ingredients throughly.

5. With mixer running on low, slowly incorporate the oats into the mixture in the bowl. Mix for about 20-30 seconds on low.

6. Take about 2 tablespoons of dough and fashion it into a ball shape, then squelch them down to make a cookie about 3/4 inch in thickness.

7. Place cookies on a Silpat. Make sure they're not crowded because they will spread (about 8 to a sheet is good). Sprinkle the tops lightly with some Maldon salt.

8. Bake for 13-15 minutes (rotating 1/2 through), until cookies are a golden brown color with crispy edges.

9. Transfer to a rack to cool. Repeat steps with remaining batter.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake For One

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake For One

I love, love, love this recipe. It's a fun and easy cooking project to do with little kidlets that want to help you in the kitchen but it's also fab for when you're crazy grumpy with PMS and need a sweets fix STAT. Best of all, it only makes one portion so you don't have to feel guilty about indulging. All you need is a few ingredients and a microwave.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Cake For One (adapted from No. 2 Pencil)

Ingredients

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon of white sugar
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
a few drops of vanilla
pinch of Kosher salt
Scant 1/4 cup AP flour
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate chips

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, combine melted butter, white and brown sugars, a few drops of vanilla and a pinch of Kosher salt. Mix together well.

2. Add 1 egg yolk. Blend together.

3. Add scant 1/4 cup AP flour. Stir all ingredients together thoroughly.

4. Add 2 tablespoons of chocolate chips. Mix together.

5. Place mixture in a small microwave safe container (I used a medium-sized ramiken). Microwave for 40-60 seconds. (Take care to not overcook otherwise it'll get dry and hard.)

6. Eat while it's still warm. It goes great with a tall glass of milk.

Blackberry Yogurt Cake

Blackberry Yogurt Cake

As we get older doesn't life seem to get much more complicated? We tend to take a lot things for granted and forget the small joys in life. For example, the other day I was at the doctor's office and I had to go on the elevator. I stepped in and stood by the control panel and was shortly joined by a young boy and his father. I could see the little boy eyeing the elevator buttons and it was obviously taking every ounce of his self-control not to reach in front of me and push all the buttons. So I leaned over and asked, "Would you mind helping me? I'm headed to floor number 2." His eyes lit up with pure delight and he immediately pushed button #2 along with the floor that he and his dad were going to. It was such a small gesture, nothing really...but I could tell I had made his day. As I stepped off the elevator, I looked back to see him grinning from ear to ear. Seeing that mile wide smile on his face reminded me of the things we take for granted as adults. We tend to overlook the things in our day to day life that brought us so much joy as children- like playing in the sprinklers, staying up late or going to the park...and yes, pushing the buttons in an elevator. As kids, we would also look forward to the first fruits of a season- that initial bite of sweet summertime watermelon or sinking our teeth into a juicy ripe peach. Inspired by my interaction in the elevator, I decided to stop on the way home and buy some fresh blackberries. My first of the season. As I got out my ingredients to bake this cake, I popped a few berries in my mouth and savored the intense flavors of tart and sweet...and for a moment or two, life seemed simple.

Note: This cake is based on a recipe for Blueberry-yogurt cake from Sunset Magazine. If you don't like seeds in your cake, you may want to strain them out before adding the blackberries into your cake mix. If you're like me and they don't bother you, you can toss the berries into the mix whole.

 

Blackberry Yogurt Cake (adapted from Sunset Magazine, July 2006, Blueberry Yogurt Cake)

Ingredients

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 1/4 cups AP flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup plain yogurt

1 cup fresh blackberries

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 cup chopped walnuts

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In Bowl #1, cream your butter and sugar until it's nice and fluffy. Then add your vanilla and eggs. Beat well.

3. In Bowl #2, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Add it to the ingredients of Bowl #1. Then add your yogurt. Stir thoroughly.

4. Add in your blackberries and mix gently.

5. In Bowl #3, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and walnuts.

6. Place 1/2 of the cake batter in a butter and floured pan (the recipe says to use an 8-inch square pan but I used a 10-inch baking dish since that's what I had on hand), then top with 1/2 of Bowl #3's contents.

7. Add the rest of the cake batter to the pan.

8. Mix the remaining brown sugar mixture in Bowl #3 with 2 tablespoons of butter and sprinkle this over the top of the batter.

9. Bake for about 45 minutes or until a knife slid in the center comes out goop-free.

10. Serve warm- sliced out of the pan or in individual serving dishes (I used ramekins).

Golden Age Comic Book Stories: SUPERMAN. Sept 1, 1946

Blueberry and Cherry Clafoutis

Blueberry and Cherry Clafoutis

"Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table." ~William Powell

I know it's BBQ season when I look out my living room window and I see the squirrels in my yard throwing around the bark I laid down like it's New Year's Eve confetti. They get feistier the hotter the weather gets. Those bratty squirrels...they drive me crazy! As does BBQ season at times. I love BBQ season but with the invites comes the age-old question of, "What should I bring with me- an appetizer, some sort of summery drink or dessert?" After a winter filled with pies, tarts and cobblers I'm always ready for a change of pace. The nice thing about the warmer weather is that the farmers' market starts becoming flooded with luscious stone fruits and sweet, ripe berries...the perfect ingredients for making a clafoutis. A what? A clafoutis. It's a French dessert that consists of a firm egg custard (think like the texture of flan) and traditionally is made from cherries, but you could do it with any fruit really. Last night, I made mine from cherries and blueberries. Right now Brooks cherries are in season and quite cheap- they work perfectly for this recipe. Now, the "traditional" recipe says you should use unpitted cherries but I'm always worried about someone cracking a tooth so I play it safe and opt for pitted. As for the blueberries, they're still early in the season and kind of pricey at the farmers' market (4 dollars!) so I got mine at the store ($2.50) but later in the season I hope to go blueberry picking. Mmm, fresh berries! Did you know there's a ton of places to go blueberry picking near here? My friend Katy sent me a list and the blueberry farms should be opening up around early to mid June. I can't wait to go!

Here's a list in case you're interested in going too (just click on the name to get more info):

American River Cherry Company (they have cherries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries)
Patrick's Farm
Berry Heaven
Bolster's Hilltop Ranch
Sun Mountain Farm

Blueberry and Cherry Clafoutis (adapted from Food Blogga's Cherry & Blackberry Clafoutis recipe)

Ingredients

1 cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted

3/4 cup fresh blueberries

2 tablespoons of slivered, toasted almonds

3 large eggs

2/3 cup granulated or baker's sugar

1/2 cup AP flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 cup cream

3/4 teaspoon almond extract

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

butter (for greasing the pan)

confectioner's sugar or whipped cream (optional)


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Grease a 9-inch round baking pan with butter.

3. Place the cherries, blueberries and almonds in the pan and spread evenly.

4. In a bowl, mix your eggs, sugar, flour and salt until the batter's smooth.

5. Add your almond extract, vanilla extract and cream. Again, mix until smooth and then pour it into your pan over the fruit and almonds.

6. Bake for about 45 minutes. Slip a knife into the middle of clafoutis, if it comes out clean it's done. When you take the clafoutis out of the oven, you'll notice it still has some jiggle and will slightly deflate- that's ok, it's totally normal.

7. Allow clafoutis to cool.

8. If you wish you can dust the clafoutis with confectioner's sugar or top it with whipped cream.

9. Serve.

Candied Kumquats

Candied Kumquats

I'm currently on Day 6 of this wretched summer cold and although it seems to be slowly dissipating, it's not taking a hike quick enough for the likes of me. Since these germs have become wily to the likes of my colds meds, last night I moved onto Plan B- dousing them with a few rounds of good ol' Kentucky bourbon (aka drinks with friends). I'm not quite sure how well my plan worked...I think my cold may have laughed at my attempt and thrown a party in response, but I did sleep well when I got home. C'est la vie! In the meantime, I haven't done any heavy duty cooking projects but I did get around to candying these lovely kumquats (that I got to pick straight from the tree this past weekend). I love kumquats, they're the cutest little fruits ever. Their name comes from the Cantonese word, "kam kwat," which means "golden orange," and in China they're used as a cold remedy. They look like teeny-tiny oranges but you can eat the whole thing, skin and all. The skin is sweet and the juicy flesh is super tart (it'll make you pucker and squinch up your face), which makes them perfect for candying, or making syrup or marmalade. Candied kumquats can be used for several purposes, my favorites being: as a topping on ice cream, mixed in with Greek yogurt, diced up and mixed in with salad vinaigrette or used  as a garnish for summer cocktails. They're also great as a topping on pound cakes, paired with cheeses or cooked with savory dishes like pork.

Candied Kumquats

Ingredients

2 cups of kumquats, halved & pips removed

2 cup of granulated sugar

1/2 cup honey

1 cup of water

1 vanilla bean

pinch of Kosher salt


Instructions

1. Place the sugar, honey, salt and water in a medium-sized pot. Split the vanilla bean length-wise and scrape out the seeds with a knife or spoon. Add the vanilla bean pod and seeds to the pot, bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes. (Stir the mixture to make sure it does not burn.) Reduce the heat to medium and add the kumquats.

2. Simmer the kumquats in the syrup, stirring occasionally, until the skins become tender and translucent.

3. Using a slotted spoon, remove and place the candied kumquats in a glass jar. Discard the vanilla bean pod.

4. Continue to simmer the syrup over medium-low heat. It should reduce and takes on a syrup-like consistency. Remove from stove, pour over the kumquats. Allow to cool, then cover. Place in the fridge for at least 24 hours, before consuming.

5. Can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the fridge in an airtight container.

Of Peanut Butter Bars, Comb Overs & Audrey Hepburn

Of Peanut Butter Bars, Comb Overs & Audrey Hepburn

A bit off topic but we watched the semi-finale episode of Top Chef Wednesday night...I'm trying hard to get excited about someone winning but I haven't really been feeling any of the contestants this season. Although Paul's overgrown shaggy comb over hairdo in the latter part of the season is driving Mr.S. ABSOLUTELY bonkers which has been cracking me up. I mean, it bothers him so much that he's actually been yelling at the TV about it. It's hilarious (usually I'm the one who yells at the TV during Top Chef). How about you guys---do you have a fav contestant this season?

Well these peanut butter bars probably won't land you on Top Chef but they are really good. I recently made them to take over to my friend Melanie's for our Audrey Hepburn movie watching day. I made way too many and took a few of the leftovers over to Mr.S.'s for the kidlets to share, the treats didn't last very long. Ever watch Battle Royale? Yeah, it looked like a scene from that.


Peanut Butter Bars (recipe from Ezra Pound Cake)

Ingredients

Bottom Layer:

1 egg

1 cup sugar

1 cup peanut butter, creamy or crunchy

1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Peanut Butter Filling:

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

1 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tablespoon milk

pinch of salt


Chocolate Glaze:

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup unsalted butter


Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.

2. For the Bottom Layer: Combine all of the ingredients for the bottom layer in a large bowl until a soft dough forms. Press dough evenly in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely on a wire rack, at least 1 hour.

3. For the Peanut Butter Filling: Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat the butter and peanut butter until smooth. Alternate adding the confectioner’s sugar and milk. Spread mixture evenly over cooled bottom layer.

4. For the Chocolate Glaze: Measure the chocolate chips and 1/4 cup butter into a microwave-safe bowl or glass measuring cup, and microwave on high for 30 seconds. Stir. If the chocolate chips haven’t completely melted, microwave and stir in 10 second increments, just until the glaze is smooth. (Don’t burn the chocolate!) Spread the glaze over the peanut butter filling.

5. Refrigerate the bars for 30 minutes, or until chocolate glaze is set.

A Turkish Feast - How to Make Baklava

A Turkish Feast - How to Make Baklava

Is everyone still recovering from the 3-day weekend? I know I am. I think I had too much raki. Oy! Yesterday, my friend Elif invited me and my friend Cate over for a full day of Mediterranean cooking. We made dolma (which she showed me how to make last year and are probably still the best dolma I've ever had), tarama, sigara borek and baklava. It was a lot of cooking but it was also a lot of fun. While cooking throughout the day, we of course took several breaks to fuel up on strong Turkish coffee in cute tiny cups (Elif even read our fortunes for us) and knock back a whole bottle of Turkish raki. We were feeling pretty jolly by the time we were done chopping, stirring, rolling and baking...and hungry! Dinnertime felt like a celebration with numerous candles, wonderful wine, Turkish music and various plates of delicious edibles. The baklava recipe we made is posted below and I'll post the sigara borek recipe this week. I'll admit I've always been kind of take-it-or-leave-it when it comes to baklava. There's just too much honey drenching it, but Turkish baklava doesn't use honey and it includes a wee bit of citrus, I really enjoyed it. Give it a go- invite some friends over and have a group cooking event, there's nothing better than laughing and feasting with friends!


Baklava

Ingredients

2 packages of yufka (Turkish pastry sheets)  (you will need 10 full sheet "rounds")*

1/2 lb. unsalted, shelled walnuts- lightly toasted

1/4 lb. unsalted, shelled pistachios-lightly toasted

2 cups granulated sugar

1 large lemon

1 tablespoon rosewater

1 tablespoon orange blossom water

2-3 sticks of unsalted butter, melted

* You can find yufka at most Mediterranean markets.


Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.

2. Place walnuts and pistachios in food processor and pulse. You want them finely chopped, but not ground.

3. In a saucepan on med-high, mix: 2 cups of sugar, 2.5 cups of water, the juice of 1 large lemon, 1 T of rosewater and 1 T of orange blossom water. Stir frequently.

4. Place a sheet of yufka on your aluminum pan, use your fingers and sprinkle it heavily with melted butter. You want to make sure this sheet covers the entire bottom of the pan.

5. For the next 4 sheets, you can "rumple" them up a bit. Sprinkle these heavily with melted butter as well. You want the sheets to be very buttery.

6. Place the chopped nuts on top of the 5 buttered sheets.

7. Layer the next 4 sheets in the rumpled fashion like before. On the fifth and last sheet, make sure it covers the entire pan (like above).

8. Trim off any edges of dough that hang over the edge of the pan.

9. Place the baklava in the oven and bake for 15-20 or until golden brown.

10. Back to your saucepan- when the syrup takes on a slight yellow tinge and the consistency of simple syrup, it's done. (It'll thicken a bit and won't run off the spoon.) Remove from heat.

11. Pour the warm syrup over the baklava. Then cut the hot bakalava into even pieces. The syrup will soak into the pastry. Set it aside and let it cool, uncovered.

Tip: The longer it has time to soak, the better it'll be.

Frozen Lime Pie

Frozen Lime Pie

As you can probably tell just by scanning the Desserts section in my Recipe Index, I have never been much of a baker or had any sort of sweet tooth.  When I get cravings, I crave salt: salty, crunchy potato chips, nacho's, chicken fingers, hummus and pitas....not sweets.  Desserts just aren't in my repertoire.

But for the last year and a half, we've hosted Community Group in our home every Wednesday.  It's a small group of people from our church to learn with, grow with, and pray for.  It's teaching me a lot about hospitality and opening up my home, like having tea and coffee on the go and a sweet treat to offer up to your guests.  Since I have been working full time, the sweet treats have been harder to come by. 

Then I found this recipe!  Mix it up in 5 minutes and throw it in the freezer.  By the time your guests arrive you can slice it and serve it up.  That's my kind of dessert!

Recipe from Quick Fix Meals
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Serves 6 to 8

1 8 oz tub frozen nondairy whipped topping, thawed slightly (like Cool Whip)

1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 6 oz prepared graham cracker pie crust

In a medium bowl, combine the whipped topping, condensed milk and lime juice until blended and smooth.  Spoon the mixture into the crust and smooth the surface.  Freeze until firm, about 30 minutes.  (You can keep frozen for up to 3 months)

Click here for printable version of Frozen Lime Pie

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RESULTS?

We LOVED this pie.  Not only was it ridiculously fast and simple to make, it tasted wonderful.  If I had more time, I would have maybe grated some lime zest over the top, or topped each piece with a cute half slice of lime, but I wanted to show you how low maintenance this dessert is.  And I had guests waiting!  Nobody needed fussy finishing touches to enjoy it's deliciousness anyway.  

Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake

Although most of my posts are upbeat, I get just as crabby and moody from time to time as everyone else. I'll even admit, I'm the worst during PMS- I sob during those stupid Hallmark commercials and will go ballistic if some jerkoff cuts me off on the freeway. In fact as a joke, this year Mr. S. bought me these cute mood rings from Restoration Hardware as a Christmas stocking stuffer but secretly I think he was really hoping they'd warn him of my impending mood swings during PMS week.

(photo from restorationhardware.com)

Anyhow, nothing usually gets me out of a bad mood faster than chopping, grating and stirring in the kitchen. I just zone out, focus on the task at hand and it calms me down within minutes. So the next time you feel like screaming into a pillow or choke-holding someone...step back, take a deeeeeeep breath, grab your favorite apron, head into your kitchen and try making this gem of a recipe.

Meyer Lemon Upside-Down Cake (from LA Times, March 14, 2007)

Ingredients

4 small lemons (about 4 ounces each)

One-half cup plus 2 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter, divided

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 vanilla bean, split ( or 1 tablespoon vanilla paste)

3/4 cup sugar

2 eggs

1/2 cup milk


Instructions

1. Cut 3 of the lemons into one-eighth inch thick slices. Remove seeds and set aside. You will have about 30 lemon slices. Grate 1 teaspoon lemon peel from the remaining lemon. Set aside the grated peel; save the lemon for another use.

2. Heat 4 tablespoons of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet or an ovenproof 10-inch saute pan until melted. Brush the sides of skillet with a little of the melted butter. Add the brown sugar, stir until it is moistened with the butter and spread it into an even layer. Arrange the lemon slices, slightly overlapping, to cover the bottom of the skillet. Set aside.

3. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.

4. Cut the remaining 6 tablespoons butter into a mixing bowl. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean with the point of a knife onto the butter. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl, until creamy. Add the sugar and grated lemon peel and beat until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time.

5. Add half the flour mixture and beat until blended. Add milk and beat until combined, then add the remaining flour mixture and beat until blended.

6. Spread the batter over the lemons in the skillet to cover evenly. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cake is golden and the center tests done. Let the cake stand 5 minutes, then invert the skillet onto a platter. To serve, slice into wedges with a sharp knife.

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Lemon Sugar Cookies

Hope everyone enjoyed their weekend...I know some of you lucky ones out there even got a 3-day weekend to boot! Mr.S. and I packed up and headed out of town for a few days to get some fresh air and meet up with some friends up in Tahoe for a couple of days for some R&R. Since I'm still swimming in all those Meyer lemons, I made a big batch of giant lemon sugar cookies. Oh my goodness ya'll, these babies are...as some of my friends would put it---"amazeballs!" Minimal ingredients, quick to make, lots of flavor, you've got to try some...get to it---scoot! (Btw, they're great on their own but even more magical paired up with some creamy ice cream.)

Lemon Sugar Cookies (recipe by Pinch My Salt)
Makes about 24 giant cookies

Ingredients

- 2 c sugar, divided

- zest of two lemons, divided (Meyers if you have them)

- 1 c butter, softened

- 2 eggs, room temperature

- 1 tsp vanilla

- 1 Tbsp lemon juice, fresh

- 2 3/4 c flour

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 2 tsp cream of tartar

- 1 tsp baking soda


Instructions

1. Prepare lemon sugar: In a mini food processor (I used my regular Cuisinart), blend 1/2 cup of sugar with 1 teaspoon lemon zest. Pulse several times until the lemon zest is incorporated into the sugar. Put sugar mixture in a shallow bowl and stir lightly with a fork to break up any clumps. Set aside.


2. Prepare cookie dough: In a medium bowl, stir together flour, salt, cream of tartar, and baking soda. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups of sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time; add vanilla, lemon juice, and remaining lemon zest. Add the flour mixture, one cup at a time, blending well after each addition until all flour is incorporated.

3. Refrigerate dough for one hour.

4. Preheat oven to 350. Shape cookies using a jumbo cookie scoop or your hands; shape two tablespoons of dough into a ball and roll in lemon sugar. Place ball of dough on prepared cookie sheet and press down lightly with the bottom of a glass until cookie is about 1/2 inch thick. Repeat. Six cookies will fit on one 18 x 13 baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes.

If You Like Pina Coladas...

If You Like Pina Coladas...

"Seize the moment. Remember all those women on the Titanic who waved off the dessert cart. " ~Erma Bombeck

I'll admit I've never been one to go all crazy over cupcakes. When all that hoopla was going on over Magnolia Bakery and "designer cupcake flavors" were the rage, I just didn't get it. Sure, from time to time I bake cupcakes for a party or for Mr. S.'s kidlets but cupcakes as MY dessert of choice? Nah, I tend to like savory. I'm pretty sure it's all that gacky frosting that's plopped on top that turns me off. So when I heard about these not-too-sweet cupcakes, I had to give this recipe a try. (Add to the fact, that I was craving something tropical after seeing my buddy Maxx's Turks and Caicos vaca pics on FB...can you say super jealous?) End result--the Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes didn't exactly assuage my desires for an overseas getaway (c'mon now, let's be realistic! I still want to go) but they were quite good and not over-the-top sugary tasting. In fact, they kind of reminded me of a piña colada. Yum!

Coconut and Pineapple Cupcakes (from The Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook)
makes 12

Ingredients

Cupcakes

1 cup all-purposes flour

a scant 3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

a pinch of salt

3 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 egg

9 canned pineapple rings, chopped into small pieces (*use less though or you'll have a soggy mess, I used 6 rings)

desiccated coconut, to decorate


Coconut Frosting

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

5 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 tbsp coconut milk


Instructions

-Line a 12-hole cupcake pan with paper cups. Preheat oven to 325F.

-Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric whisk) and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.

-Mix the coconut milk and vanilla in a separate bowl, then beat into the flour mixture on medium speed until well combined. Add the egg and beat well (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side o the bowl with a rubber spatula).

-Divide the chopped pineapple between the paper cases. Spoon the cupcake batter on top until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven or 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

-For the coconut frosting: Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter together in a freestanding electric mixer with a paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and slowly pour in the coconut milk. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until the frosting is very white, light and fluffy, 5-10 minutes.

-When the cupcakes are cool, spoon the coconut frosting on top and finish with a sprinkling of desiccated coconut.

Try a Filipino Holiday Treat - Biko

Try a Filipino Holiday Treat - Biko

Ahhhh, the holidays....with the parties, tree trimmings and gift exchanges comes a lot of sugar cookies, peppermint bark and fruitcake...it's delicious but after awhile we all get a bit burned out. If you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path for your next gathering, try making this Filipino sweet rice delicacy called- "biko." It's usually deserved at birthday parties, holidays and other celebratory events in the Phillipines. It's pretty simple to make and utilizes a minimal amount of ingredients; however, there are many variations of biko- some people like to add a little orange zest, others throw in some jackfruit strips (langka) or drizzle on some caramel. Do a little research and see what appeals to your palate.

Biko (adapted from a recipe by Ivory Hut)

Ingredients

3 cans (14 ounces) coconut milk

4 cups sweet rice (I used a brand called Sho-Chiku-Bai by Koda Farms available at SF Market)

2 cups light brown sugar

1 cup coconut cream (can be found at most Asian stores)

Instructions

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

- Wash sweet rice by swirling it in cold water and draining. Continue until water is clear. Set aside.

- Pour 3 cans of coconut milk and 1 cup of water into a large pot and let it come to a simmer over medium heat. Stir.

- While it's simmering, add in the rice and stir constantly to prevent burning. (Even if your arm gets tired, don't stop.) Lower the heat if necessary.

- When the rice is cooked, has absorbed the liquid and looks like risotto (about 15-25 minutes) then add 1 cup of brown sugar.

- (Note: If rice is already sticky but not yet fully cooked, add small amounts of water, stir and continue cooking. The rice must be fully cooked before it goes into the oven.)

- Stir well and take it off the heat. Pour it into a lightly buttered (or if you're preparing this for a vegan friend, use a vegan friendly product like those by Earth Balance) 9×13 pan and carefully smooth out the top.

- In a small bowl, mix the remaining 1 cup brown sugar and coconut cream until smooth and pour it evenly over the rice.


- Bake for about 1 hour or up to 1.5 hours, until topping is dark caramel brown and has thickened. (My biko took almost all of the 1.5 hours to cook.)

- Cool slightly before serving.

Happy Halloween! : Zombie Cupcakes

Happy Halloween! : Zombie Cupcakes

It's that time of the year again, when little ghosts, goblins and ghouls go gallivanting throughout the neighborhood begging for treats and adult creatures of the night head for parties to imbibe in some witches' brew and to down a few tasty eats. If you're looking for something to bring, try this Devil's Food Cupcake recipe by Martha Stewart. I made a batch this afternoon and topped it with some orange cream cheese frosting and some zombie limbs and mini-bone sprinkles (leftover from last year's cake decorating kit). Voilà! A perfect Halloween snack for both kidlets and adults. Unfortunately, our resident "Batdog" can't have any...no chocolate for doggies, no matter how cute they are.

Martha Stewart's Devil's Food Cupcakes - makes 32

Ingredients

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder

3/4 cup hot water

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt

1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter

2 1/4 cups sugar

4 large eggs, room temperature

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream, room temperature

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

2. Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each.

3. Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Cupcakes can be stored overnight at room temperature, or frozen up to 2 months, in airtight containers.


Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

2 (8 ounce) packages Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

3 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract

yellow & red food coloring


Instructions

1. Using an electric mixer, mix together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Add in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the confectioners' sugar.

2. Add food coloring to frosting until desired color shade is achieved.

3. Spread or pipe icing onto cupcake. Decorate.

Sweet & Simple : Peach Crumble

Sweet & Simple : Peach Crumble

I wish I had more to write about but to be honest, I haven't been doing much cooking lately. Mr. S. and I ate out last week at Formoli's (the new location is fab and you must try their grilled sweetbreads---I think their sweetbreads are now my fav in town), we went to a super fun bacon and beer class put on by Community Tap and Table and attended a baptism (no, they didn't let me dunk the baby...) which was followed by a luncheon with all kinds of tasty dishes including some delicious homemade carnitas and a huge dessert table. It wasn't even until Monday that I peeked into my own fridge and that was only because Kidlet #1 had a really rough weekend and I wanted to do something nice for him so I thought I'd bake him some sort of treat. Usually I'm harping at the kidlets to eat healthy but I thought I'd cut the little guy a break this go round. I had picked up some beautiful fresh peaches at the farmers' market during my last visit so I decided to go with a crisp or a crumble. At first I thought I'd go with making a crisp but after I took quick assessment of my cupboard goods, I decided to go with a crumble. I'm glad I made something, the dessert seemed to cheer him up. That--and the fact that I agreed to participate in his fantasy football league. Goodness...not sure what I got myself into but I sure hope he realizes that I know diddly about football. Dan Marino still quarterbacks for the Dolphins, right? ;)

Peach Crumble (adapted from Orangette's Plum Crumble & The Kitchn's Peach Crumble)

Ingredients

Filling:

5-6 medium sized yellow peaches, peeled and cut into slices

1.5 tablespoons all purpose flour

2 tablespoons of brown sugar

1 teaspoon of cinnamon

dash of freshly-ground nutmeg


Topping:

Scant ¾ cup granulated sugar (about 4 to 4 ½ ounces)

1 cup all-purpose flour

½ tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. kosher salt

1 egg, beaten well

7 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted


Instructions:

- Position a rack in the center of your oven, and preheat the oven to 375°F.

- In a medium bowl, whisk together the seasoning for the peaches: the brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the peaches, and gently stir to coat. Arrange the peaches in an ungreased 9”-by-13” dish.

- In another medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients for the topping: the granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Whisk to blend well. Add the egg. Using your hands, mix thoroughly, squeezing and tossing and pinching handfuls of the mixture, to produce moist little particles. Sprinkle evenly over the peaches.

- Spoon the butter evenly over the topping, and bake for 35-40 minutes, until the top is browned and the peaches yield easily when pricked with toothpick. Cool.

- Serve crumble warm or at room temperature, with crème fraîche, thick yogurt, or unsweetened whipped cream.

- Yield: about 6 servings

Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate Layer Cake

Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate Layer Cake

It's been "birthday week in our house"; first my oldest daughter who turned four, and then myself two days later.  We've had a blast joyously celebrating with birthday ice cream with sprinkles:

and a birthday peach pie, courtesy of my mother-in-law.  

But no where this week, have we actually consumed birthday cake!  I figured I should remedy that by offering up a slice of this "Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate Cake."  This stuff is deadly.  It's rich and moist and oh so chocolatey; the perfect rich delight to celebrate some birthdays.

I first made this cake over a year ago* when I first decided I wanted to review cookbook's.  I had just begun running (even participated in two 5 km races) and decided the next logical step was to begin to eat more healthily. The cookbook Eat, Shrink and Be Merry: great tasting food that won't go from your lips to your hips! had been on my cookbook shelf for a couple of years.  I had barely cooked from it and thought now would be the perfect time.  I was running, getting into shape, starting to feel really good physically, even seeing the scale moving a bit to the left.  It was perfect timing to cook and review a bunch of recipes from a low-fat cookbook!  Go figure that the first thing I did was flip to the last chapter of the book called "You're Gonna Die Anyway" that had one lone recipe in it with a caption that said "one gut-busting, high-fat, calorie-laden doozie of a treat, 'cuz you only live once!"  


Ummm.  Done.  That was the first recipe I cooked out of the book and I never looked back.

Recipe from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry
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Makes about 16 slices

Cake:
3 cups sugar
21/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp  salt
3 large eggs
11/2 cups buttermilk
1 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled
3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz unsweetened chocolate squares, melted and cooled slightly

Frosting:
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup whipping cream
6 oz  semisweet chocolate squares
2 tsp vanilla extract
8 oz light cream cheese, softened
1 cup butter, softened


Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly grease bottom and sides of three 9-inch round cake pans. Cut circles of parchment paper to fit bottom of pans and place in pans. Lightly grease paper. Set pans aside.

Combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.

In another large bowl, beat eggs on high speed of electric mixer for about 3 minutes, until they have thickened slightly and are lemon coloured. Add buttermilk, coffee, oil, vanilla and melted chocolate. Mix on low speed until well blended.

Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix on medium speed until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly among pans. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in centre of cakes comes out clean. Cool in pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Remove cakes from pans, peel off paper and cool completely before frosting.

To make frosting: Whisk sugar, cocoa, and whipping cream in a medium saucepan. Cook slowly over medium heat, whisking constantly, until mixture comes to a gentle boil. Cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in chocolate until melted. Stir in vanilla. Let cool to room temperature.

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter on high speed of electric mixer until smooth. Add cooled chocolate mixture and beat on medium speed until well blended. Refrigerate frosting until desired spreading consistency is reached, about 1 hour. It’s important not to let it get too firm, or you won’t be able to spread it.


To frost cake: Place one cake layer on a pretty plate. Spread 1 cup frosting over top. Repeat with second layer. Place final layer on top. Ice top and sides of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate cake with halved strawberries or whole raspberries, if desired. Cover and refrigerate. Let cake stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.

Click here for printable version of Died and Gone to Heaven Chocolate Cake
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RESULTS?
When the caption says it's a "gut busting, doozie of a treat" they weren't lying!  This cake is luscious and so incredibly delicious and fudgey.  I added halved strawberries to the top and the cake really needed the fresh, juicy fruit to cut through the richness.  Earlier this year, I was at my daughter's friends birthday party and devouring the homemade Thomas the Tank Engine cake with a vengeance.  "This is like the best chocolate cake I've ever eaten!" I exclaimed as I shoved more blue icing-ed morsels into my mouth.  "I know" she replied. "It's the Died and Gone to Heaven Cake" from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry."  I shoulda known!  To be honest, I almost liked it better with the vanilla icing she had on there.  I have officially added this chocolate cake to my arsenal of special occasion treats.  A triple layered cake with chocolate cream cheese icing like this, or a single layer of chocolate cake topped with your favorite vanilla, peanut butter or coffee flavored icing would also be spectacular.

Ummm, I'm sorta making myself hungry!  Maybe making my own post-birthday birthday cake is in order.  Yes, I think so.


*Can you say "procrastinate much?"  Procrastination should be a sport.  I would most definitely excel at it.