Chicken Etouffee and Bumbleee Stew

Happy Mardi Gras!  What better way than to celebrate with some delicious cajun food.  The chicken etouffee recipe is from Emeril Lagasse, and it has lots of spice and awesome flavors.  The bumblebee stew is on the sweeter side and together, they balance perfectly.

While the etouffe looks like it has a lot of ingredients, it's really not hard.  If you can make a roux, you can make this!  Basically, throw everything in, and let it just get more delicious the longer it simmers.

Chicken Etouffe

Adapted from Emeril Lagasse, Food Network

Serves 6, easily

Image Source

Ingredients

1 4 lb chicken cut into 8 pieces

salt 

Cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 tablespoons butter

3/4 cup flour

1 cup finely diced onion

2 bay leaves

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 bottle dark lager or amber beer

1 quart cold chicken stock

1 can minced tomatoes

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1/4 cup hot sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup chopped parsley

Directions

Season the chicken pieces with salt and cayenne pepper.  Heat the oil in a large dutch oven over medium high heat and sear chicken on both sides until it is golden brown.  Remove to a platter and reserve.

Add butter to pan and when melted, add flour and stir to combine well.  Continue to cook roux, stirring constantly, until chocolate brown, about 12-15 minutes.  (It is helpful to use a whisk until the roux is complete and until the liquids have been thoroughly mixed in.)

Immediately add onion and bay leaves and cook until soft, 2-3 minutes.  Add garlic and cook another 2 minutes, then add the beer and stir well to loosen any browned bits from the bottom.  Add the stock, brown sugar, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tomatoes and stir to combine.  Bring to a boil, return chicken pieces to the pot and simmer for 1 hour and 15 minutes until the chicken is very tender.  

Remove chicken pieces to a platter and when cool enough to handle, remove the chicken meat from the bones.  Return the chicken meat to etouffee and continue to cook another 30 minutes until sauce is thickened and flavorful and chicken is beginning to fall apart.  Add chopped parsley and stir to combine.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary, and serve immediately over rice.

Bumblebee Stew

Adapted from Freakishly, Fabulous Favorites

Serves 6, easily

Image Source

Ingredients

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 stick butter

1/2 - 1 package frozen corn, I like Trader Joe's roasted sweet corn

2 cans black beans

1-2 can diced tomatoes

Directions

Saute the diced onion in the butter.  Add remaining ingredients.  Heat until it simmers; you are done. Serve alongside the chicken etouffee on top of the rice.  Garlic bread is also a nice addition!

Happy Mardi Gras!

Super Bowl Preview

Yesterday was our cooking club to celebrate the upcoming Super Bowl! We made lots of treats, but the best thing, in my opinion, were the Southwestern egg rolls. They were spicy, but they were also full of spinach, black beans, corn and a little cheese. The kids loved them, and I could have made a meal out of them. I found the egg roll wrappers in the refrigerated section at Whole Foods, and I got whole frozen spinach there. (I don't like when it's all chopped up.) I bought roasted corn at Trader Joe's to make them a little more Southwestern. They were amazing!

Source: Annie's Eats

To see the recipe for Southwestern Egg Rolls, click here.

We also made:

Cincinnati Chili
Cold Veggie Pizza
Texas Caviar
Ham and Cheese Sliders
Strawberry Pizza

Strawberry Pizza

This coming Friday, the cooking club will be having an early Superbowl Party! We are going to make lots of delicious treats that the kids will be able to make at their own parties. I had all the recipes set, but I always like to let the kids make a fun type of dessert. I was looking through my Cuisine At Home magazine, and I found a recipe that is for Strawberry Pizza. While it is still a dessert, I like the fact that it has fresh fruit. I don't like to pump the kids full of sugar, and this is something that they can make totally from scratch and make it look pretty and taste good in a short amount of time.

I always like to try out recipes before I have the kids make them just so I will know what steps will be tricky and to make sure the recipe actually works. This one worked perfectly. The cookie is shortbread, so it's nice and crisp. It has a marscarpone topping and orange glazed strawberries. It looks and tastes quite impressive, but it's so easy that a child will be able to do it! I hope this encourages you to make it!

image source

Strawberry Pizza
Adapted from Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 80 April 2010

Ingredients:

For the Shortbread:

2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup chopped pecans (I made mine without because I wanted to see how it would taste...
A few kids have nut allergies.)
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 tsp. salt
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup packed brown sugar

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
Whisk together everything but the butter and brown sugar; set aside.
Using a hand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until mixture is light and fluffy, about five minutes.
Add half of the flour mixture to the creamed mixture; beat on low until ingredients are combined. Add remaining flour, beating only until the flour is incorporated into the dough. Turn the dough onto prepared cookie sheet. Pat dough evenly into an 11-inch wide circle.
Bake until the edges are firm and beginning to brown, 20-25 minutes. While the cookie is baking, prepare the remaining toppings.
Cool on a rack five minutes, the chill in a freezer for about 30 minutes.

Ingredients for the glaze:
1/2 cup seedless, strawberry preserves
1/4 cup orange juice

Directions:
Gently mix the preserves and juice together in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for one minute and stir again. Place in the fridge to chill. WHEN it is CHILLED, pour on top of the sliced strawberries.

Ingredients:

1 lb. Strawberries

Directions:
Rinse strawberries; then thinly slice.

Ingredients for Icing:
8 oz. marscarpone cheese
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

Directions:
Add all ingredients into a bowl. Mix the ingredients on medium speed for about a minute. DO NOT OVER-MIX - the frosting may separate. Place in the fridge until ready to use.

To Assemble the Pizza:
1. Take pizza out of the freezer.
2. Spread marscarpone evenly onto the shortbread with a spatula. (I had better luck with a dull butter knife.)
3. Arrange strawberries on top, completely covering the top.
4. Use a vegetable peeler to shave curls of chocolate on top.
5. Cut into even slices and enjoy!

Vegan Orange Cake

Over the summer, my husband and I took a trip to New York City. One of my very favorite things of the whole trip was visiting a restaurant called Alice's Tea Cup. I've written about it before, so I won't go through all of the details again, but it truly was one of the most charming and quirky dining experiences that I've ever had.

I bought the cookbook, and I haven't had the chance to make as many recipes from it as I would have liked, but I finally had the opportunity. About a month ago, a family member invited us over for dinner and requested a non-dairy dessert. That got my mind turning because just about everything I make involves copious amounts of butter or heavy whipping cream. Then, I remembered my trusty cook book and that there were some vegan recipes inside. I found the Vegan Orange Cake, and I chose it because it didn't call for soy anything, and I had everything (except for the oranges) on hand.

This cake was so tasty; it was moist and crumbly. I don't know what vegan food is supposed to taste like, but if it all tasted this good, I think I could make the switch. Don't let the title fool you if you think you are a carnivore to the core... I'm pretty sure that you'll be able to eat at least one piece of this.

Image Source

I hope you enjoy; here's the recipe:

Vegan Orange CakeFrom: Alice's Tea Cup

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups turbinado sugar
1 1/2 ts. baking soda
3/4 ts. kosher salt
1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed orange juice
1 1/2 Tb. freshly grated orange zest
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 TB. apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 ts. vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350. Spray a deep 8-inch round, non-stick cake pan with cooking spray. (I used a spring form pan.) (If your pan is not non-stick, coat it with cooking spray, and line the bottom with parchment paper. This batter is extremely sticky!)
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the orange juice and zest, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Use a mixer and add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until the batter is completely smooth.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan, and bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took almost 50 minutes...maybe a touch longer. After 25 minutes, I covered mine with aluminum foil so it would brown too much. I'm not sure why there was such a drastic time difference, but all turned out well. JUST BE SURE TO WATCH IT CAREFULLY!!!)
5. Transfer the cake, still in the pan, to a wire rack to cool. When it is cool, carefully remove the cake from the pan and place it on a cake plate or stand.

Orange Glaze

Ingredients:

1 Tb. freshly grated orange zest
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

1. Whisk all of the ingredients together in a medium bowl until the consistency is thick and smooth. Cover until ready to use.
2. Slowly pour the glaze onto the center of the cake so that it spreads evenly across the top and down the sides, covering the cake. Let the cake stand for at least 30 minutes to give the glaze a chance to set.

You can decorate the top with some fresh orange slices... perfection!

Bake Sale Treats

During one of our latest cooking club events, the middle school chefs and I had a bake sale. We had such a fun time! I wanted to share some of the cute treats that we made. Each was super delicious! Some of my kids even made a chocolate ganache! I love the cooking club!!

Click on the title to see the recipe.

Kiss Pies

Peppermint Brownie Bites

Cookie Dough Balls

Mini-Monkey Bread

S'more Pops

Pretzel Treats

S'more Cookies

For more of my cooking club ideas, see my Pinterest for all of our recipes!

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Hello Friends! I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving leftovers are the best, and here is a recipe that you can make if you have a left-over can of pumpkin pie puree. It's really simple and it's really tasty. If you've ever had dump cake, it's very similar. So here is how you make this festive fall dessert:

Pumpkin Crunch Cake

Source: The Picky Apple

Ingredients:

* 1 box yellow cake mix

* 1 can pumpkin puree (15 0z)

* 1 can crushed pineapple, drained

* 3 large eggs

* 1 1/2 cups sugar

* 1 tsp. cinnamon

* 1/2 tsp. salt

* 1 cup pecans, chopped

* 1 cup butter, melted

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease bottom of 9 x 13″ cake pan.

2. Mix pumpkin, pineapple, milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, and salt.

3. Pour mixture into greased pan.

4. Sprinkle dry cake mix over pumpkin mixture and top with pecans.

5. Drizzle melted butter over pecans. Bake 50-55 minutes.

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Chai Buttercream

I'm sorry that I have been gone, but you will surely accept the peace treaty that I set before you today. Last night, we had a friend's Thanksgiving, and I made a pumpkin cake with chai icing. It was perfectly moist and the Italian butter cream (though it gave me mild fits) was supremely worth every last calorie.

Thanksgiving desserts (at least in my mind) usually revolve around pie. My grandmother would always make pumpkin pie for our meals, and it always seemed fitting. But I like cake. So I set about finding a festive fall cake that screams Thanksgiving. This cake was soooo easy to make. I made it at midnight, half asleep, and it turned out perfectly. It has a wonderful spiciness and a very mild pumpkin flavor, so if you don't like it, you won't really taste it. I think it basically just adds moistness to the cake.

The icing also has a nice spiciness, and as I was making it, my kitchen filled with the sent of a chai latte. It was heavenly. I will say though that this icing is a bit fussy. It requires that you boil the sugar - water combo and I don't really have a candy thermometer. The first time that I made it, I boiled it too long and it became like jolly ranchers before I realized what had happened. (Beware: it will look lovely and liquidy in the sauce pan, but it hardens quickly!!) So a little wiser to this icing's plot, I just eyed it instead of timing or using the thermometer.

Despite my icing antics, it was well worth it, and hopefully it will run smoother for you! I think you should give it a go as it was well worth it! If the icing does overwhelm you, I would just make a normal butter cream or cream cheese frosting (either would be great) and add the chai spices to that.

Click Here for Photo Source

Anyways, on with the show...

Pumpkin Cake with Chai-Spiced Italian Buttercream
Adapted from Cuisine at Home Magazine
Issue No. 84

Pumpkin Cake:
*2 1/2 cups cake flour
* 2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. baking soda
* 1/2 tsp. table salt
* 1 can (15 oz.) pumpkin puree
* 3/4 cup white sugar
* 3/4 cup brown sugar
* 1/2 cup vegetable oil
* 1 tsp. vanilla extract
* 2 eggs (at room temp.)
* 1/2 cup hot water

Cake Directions:
(1 hour total)
(16 servings ... at least)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat insides of two 8x2 inch round cake pans with non-stick spray. Line bottoms with parchment paper; coat paper with non-stick spray.

2. Sift together flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a bowl; set aside.

3. Beat together pumpkin, sugars, oil and vanilla in a bowl with a hand mixer on medium speed until combined. Beat in one egg at a time until incorporated.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and hot water to the sugar mixture, beating after each addition.

5. Divide batter between cake pans; smooth top with a spatula. Bake until cakes come out clean, about 28-30 minutes (mine took 25). Cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack, then turn them out to cool completely.

Chai Spiced Italian Buttercream:
* 1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
* 1 tsp. ground ginger
* 1/2 tsp. each: ground nutmeg, cardamom and cloves
* 1 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1 Tbsp. light corn syrup
* 5 egg whites at room temp.
* 1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
* 4 sticks unsalted butter at room temp. (yep... you read that right.)

Directions:
(30 minutes total)

1. Stir together spices and set aside.

2. Boil sugar, water and and corn syrup over medium heat, stirring occasionally. (Now, here is where I had trouble... this is what the recipe says to do!) When syrup reaches 230 degrees, begin whipping egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer on high speed with the whisk attachment until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat to stiff peaks. Meanwhile, continue cooking syrup until it reaches 245 degrees.
(What I did that worked: The 2nd time I started the egg whites at the same time as my sugar syrup. I mixed it on medium high and added the cream of tartar as called for. I then continued to watch the syrup and just eye balled when I thought it was done. If you pull out the spoon, you would see an ever so slight graininess of the sugar. It was mostly dissolved so that when I did add it to the egg whites, you didn't notice it.)

3. Immediately remove syrup from heat. Drizzle about 1 tbsp and all of the spice into the whipped egg whites; beat on high until thoroughly combined.

4. Continue drizzling syrup, beating until all is added and combined. Continue beating until sides are cooled to room temp. (About five minutes) (Note: as my syrup cooled, some hardened on the side of the bowl, but the icing itself was totally fine. I just avoided that as I went to frost my cake.)

5. Add butter 1 tbsp at a time, beating well after each addition. Buttercream may appear to curdle, but continue beating. It will all come together when all of the butter is added.

To Assemble:

Cut each cake in half. Apply frosting between each layer, on the top and on the sides! (You will have a nice, tall, four layer cake that is supremely moist and not overly sweet.

Raspberry Truffle Cake

I've stated before that I am mildly Pinterest obsessed. I've had a picture saved to my desserts board, and I couldn't stand simply looking at it any more. The one thing about making a cake of three layers is that you really need an excuse to make it. It would be considered glutenous to make a cake for just two people, so I needed a large group; enter snack week.

Yesterday was my turn to bring snacks to my community group, and I decided to make a raspberry chocolate truffle cake. I saw this cake on Annie's Eats, but I tweaked it slightly. I have a chocolate cake recipe that I love and will never stray from. I used the raspberry filling and frosting recipe and the chocolate ganache recipe that hers called for. I decided not to add the chocolate glaze just because I thought it had enough chocolate and richness as it was. Below is my finished product. If you would like the original recipe, you can find it here.

Photo Compliments of my Lovely Husband :)
He does a much better job than me.

Ingredients:

Chocolate Cake:
Click Here

Raspberry filling:16 oz. frozen raspberries, thawed
1/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. lemon juice

Ganache filling:
8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
3 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature

Raspberry frosting:
1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
21 tbsp. unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/3 cup strained raspberry puree
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Directions:

To make the raspberry filling, drain the thawed berries, reserving the juice in a liquid measuring cup. Add enough water so that the total liquid equals 1¼ cups. Add the liquid to a medium saucepan with the sugar and cornstarch. Heat over medium-high heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture begins to bubble and thicken. Continue whisking so no lumps form. Once thickened, remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice. Fold in the drained berries with a spatula. Cover and chill until ready to use. (The filling will continue to thicken as it chills.)

To make the ganache, place the chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Immediately remove from the heat and pour the hot cream over the chopped chocolate. Let stand 1-2 minutes, then whisk together until a smooth, thick ganache is formed. Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time until completely incorporated. Let the ganache sit to thicken a bit so that it is suitable for spreading and piping. (To speed thickening, place the bowl in the fridge or freezer and whisk every 10 minutes to ensure even cooling until the desired consistency is reached.) Transfer about ½ cup of the thickened ganache to a pastry bag fitted with a plain round tip about ½-inch in diameter. Reserve another ½ cup of ganache in a small bowl or container. (This can be used later for decorative detailing, if desired.)

To assemble the cake, place one of the cooled cake layers on a cake board or serving platter. Spread ½ cup of the ganache in an even layer over the cake. Using the reserved ganache in the pastry bag, pipe a border around the perimeter of the cake layer. This will act as a well to help hold in the raspberry filling. Spoon some of the raspberry filling inside the ganache border in an even layer. Top with another layer of cake and repeat this process, layering with another ½ cup of ganache and additional raspberry filling. Top with the remaining cake layer.

To make the raspberry frosting, combine the sugar and egg whites in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water. (I used my mixer bowl here to dirty one less dish.) Heat, whisking frequently, until the mixture reaches 160° F and the sugar has dissolved. Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form and the mixture has cooled to room temperature, about 8 minutes. (The bowl should be cool to the touch.) Reduce the speed to medium and add the butter, 2 tablespoons at a time, adding more once each addition has been incorporated. If the frosting looks soupy or curdled, continue to beat on medium-high speed until thick and smooth again, about 3-5 minutes more (or longer – don’t worry, it will come together!) Blend in the raspberry puree and vanilla until smooth and completely incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.

Frost the top and sides of the assembled cake with the raspberry buttercream, smoothing the surface as much as possible. Chill until ready to serve.

Back to School...

Well friends, you can probably tell that I have been super busy this week. My posts have become fewer, but I plan to steadily continue. Tomorrow is the first day of school, and I am very excited. I have been thinking about and praying for the new little ones that will quickly become part of my everyday.

Here are some of my favorite school ideas that I will be testing out on them this year...

I love the idea of turning normal crates into lovely chairs... plus you can't beat the extra storage.
C.S. Lewis' quotes inspire me to think deeply about topics that I wouldn't always choose to consider on my own. Hopefully, he (and I) will do the same for my students.I've yet to meet a kid who doesn't like candy, so I'll take the help I can get to make them excited about reading.I love this idea too! What a fun way to remember birthdays!And of course I bake for them. They would simply love this. Last year I made my darlings maple bacon cupcakes, and I had them hooked. :)

So tomorrow, keep all the little children and their teachers in mind; it's going to be a long but exciting day.

For pictures click here.

Cherry Limeade Cupcakes

Game night means dessert, and I wanted to find something that was incredibly festive to make. I was looking over at Annie's Eats, and I found a recipe for Cherry Limeade Cupcakes. These looked perfect so I decided to make them. Here's my finished product:

And I packed them up so they were ready to go!
They were super tasty, but they were super sweet. I think if I make them again that I will make them mini. If you like sweet, you will love these, but if that's not your thing, you may want to opt for something else.

For the recipe, click here.

Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes

As I have mentioned before, every Tuesday we get together with some friends from church. Yesterday, we had a fiesta. I wanted to bring dessert, so I decided that whatever I decided to make, it must be fiesta themed. I searched high and low, and I found a recipe for Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes, and they were to die for.

The cupcakes themselves had a kind of "brownieness" to them; they were chewy but not at all stale or dense in texture. I took an apple corer, and hollowed out the middle. I filled them with caramel and topped them with a cayenne pepper-whipped cream-brown sugar frosting. The frosting is what made them. It was not overly sweet which made them dangerous to have around. I kept eating the whipped cream by the spoonful, and the slight spiciness gave it an addictive quality. I'm glad there's one left that I can eat today.


Mexican Hot Chocolate Cupcakes
From Cheeky Kitchen

Cupcakes:
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup canola oil (I used vegetable)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Caramel Sauce:
See this recipe, or purchase some from your local grocer. I highly discourage the latter.

Cayenne Whipped Cream:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Garnish:
Shaved chocolate and red pepper flakes (mmmm....)

Directions:

Cupcakes:
1. Preheat oven to 350 and line cupcake pan with 22 liners.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugars, eggs, milk and oil.
3. Continue to add everything except the flour and cocoa. Stir until incorporated.
4. Slowly stir in the cocoa and flour, but only until just mixed in.
5. Spoon your batter into the cupcake liners, a little over half full. Bake for 17-19 minutes. Mine took 19.
6. Allow to cool completely.
7. Take an apple corer and hollow the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a spoonful of caramel.

Frosting:
1. Whip the cream so that soft peaks form. Slowly add the brown sugar and cayenne. You must use really fresh brown sugar or the frosting will be grainy. (Side note: It will be grainy for a few minutes though because the sugar needs to dissolve. It should lose that texture after 5 minutes.)
2. Pipe the frosting onto the cooled cupcakes.
3. Top with grated chocolate and a tiny bit of red pepper flakes.
4. Take them somewhere to share them so you don't eat the whole batch.

Enjoy!

Caramel Sauce

Oh what to say, what to say? Homemade caramel is absolutely the best, and I will never buy the store brands again. Last night, I made caramel for some cupcakes that I am making (I'll post those tomorrow), and it is absolutely the easiest and most fulfilling of recipes for the amount of time and effort it takes.

For the longest time, I was scared of caramel. I don't know why, but I always pictured it bubbling up (which it did) and ending in a burnt, sticky mess (it did not.) Actually, the end result was a thick, smooth topping that trumps any brand out there. Plus it only has 4 ingredients and one is water. My version is healthier (ha) and I know exactly what's in it. It would also make a lovely gift.Sass+Frass

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/3 cup water
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
1. Place the sugar in the center of a sauce pan, and add the water. DO NOT STIR. Why you ask? Sugar crystals will form up the side, and they don't dissolve easily once they harden. No stirring, no crystals in caramel.
2. Let the mixture boil; still do not stir, but keep a very close eye.
3. Wait until the mixture becomes a dark golden amber color (350 degrees on candy thermometer). Begin to slowly add your cream, but now you need to stir like crazy! The whole thing will bubble up and hiss, but fear not, it will calm down; just keep stirring and adding more cream.
4. Remove your caramel from the heat and stir in the vanilla. (A salted caramel alternative could be to add a dash of Himalayan sea salt... delish.)
5. Let the caramel cool to room temperature, jar it, and use when ready. It will continue to thicken as it cools, especially in the fridge.

Use as a topper on ice cream, cakes, toast (just kidding about the toast... or am I?)

Enjoy!

Blackberry Crisp Ice Cream

I love ice creams that have something extra to them. This ice cream was perfect for me! For my birthday, my husband bought me an ice cream maker, and he has greatly benefited from this purchase. I made this blackberry crisp ice cream from a combination of sources, and it turned out nicely. It also made the perfect amount for two people. (one quart) Take advantage while blackberries are in season!

Picture Source

Step One: Make the Crisp

Crisp Streusel
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home

2 sticks butter, cut into 1/2 cubes, chilled
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups quick cooking oats

1. Preheat the oven to 350.
2. Put all the ingredients except oats in a bowl. Blend quickly so that the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the oats; mix well. (Try not to melt the butter.)
3. Spread onto an ungreased baking sheet, and break up any large clumps.
4. Bake for 30-35 minutes until toasted and brown. Stir frequently, especially the corners. Let it cool completely, then freeze until ready to use. Can be frozen for one month.

*This makes a ton!*

Step Two: Make the Blackberry Sauce

Blackberry Sauce
Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home
Makes 1 1/4 cup

2 cups blackberries (or any berry)
1 cup sugar

1. Combine berries and sugar in a small sauce pan; bring to a boil. Continue stirring 5-8 minutes.
2. Let it cool slightly, then force the sauce through a sieve to remove the seeds. (I left some in to show it's legit.) Refrigerate until cold and ready to use.

Step 3: Make the Ice Cream

Sweet Cream Ice Cream
Cuisine at Home
Issue No. 75

3 egg yolks
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream

1. Whisk together egg yolks and 1/4 cup sugar; set aside.
2. Heat milk, heavy cream and sugar in a sauce pan until steam rises. Gradually add half of the hot mixture to the eggs, whisking constantly. Add yolk mixture to remaining hot milk. Reduce heat to medium-low for 5-8 minutes, stirring constantly.
3. Strain ice cream base into a bowl and cool in an ice bath. Cover bowl; chill 4-12 hours. Churn according to machine directions.

Step Four: Mix it all together!

1. Add a layer of ice cream into your freezer safe tupperware dish.
2. Add a layer of your crisp.
3. Drizzle the blackberry sauce.
4. Repeat - think lasagna.

Let it set for a few hours and voila - ice cream that anyone would be lucky to have. Perfect for the hot summer days we've been having.

Chocolate Cake with Whipped Cream Frosting

Today's a snow day, but yesterday was our teacher birthday party. I always make a cake, and I was scouring Annie's Eats to find a new dessert to be devoured. I found the Tuxedo Cake, and I decided it would be perfect. I did change the chocolate cake recipe, though. I have one that is tried and true, so I figured why mess with a good thing?

Image from Annie's Eats
Everyone raved over the cake, and I agree. It was very good. The "frosting" is simply a massive amount of heavy whipping cream(4 cups to be exact) and some powdered sugar. It is topped with a chocolate ganache and chocolate covered strawberries... mmm. :)

Here are my steps:

Step 1: Make the cake!
Annie's recipe calls for this cake, but I used mine. Click here for my recipe. Make sure to let it cool completely before frosting. (I put mine in the freezer just so it wouldn't get crumbs in the pure white cream.)

Step 2: Make the frosting.
You will need 4 cups heavy whipping cream and 1 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar.
Beat the heavy cream to sift peaks, then add the sugar slowly. Continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Do not over beat.

Image Source

Step 3: Frost the cake.
This frosting makes plenty to make the cake, so add lots of frosting. :) Once the cake is set, put the cake in the fridge for at least an hour before topping with ganache.

Step 4: Make the chocolate covered strawberries.
You will need about 6 strawberries and half a bag of chocolate for dipping. If you want to drizzle with white chocolate, you will need about 1/4 of a bag.
Clean the strawberries, and make sure they are very dry. Melt the chocolate and dip strawberries. Place on wax paper on a baking pan, then put the strawberries in the freezer to harden. Melt the white chocolate, then drizzle over the strawberries.

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Step 5: Make the ganache.
You will need 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, 4 ounces baker's chocolate, 1/4 cup corn syrup and 1 tsp. of vanilla.
Simmer the heavy whipping cream then remove from heat. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Add the syrup and vanilla. Let the chocolate set for 10 minutes to thicken then pour over the cake. Add the strawberries to the top so they can set in the ganache. Place the back in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

It seems like a lot to do, but make the cake the day before and freeze it! Make everything else the next day. You'll save your mind by using time wisely. Break apart preparation and clean up!