Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies

Winter has arrive in NC. We had snow and cold temperatures this weekend, so what better weather for baking cookies? 

Notes: These came out great. I have been loyal to a different cookie recipe for a long time and these may just be my new favorite!

I adapted these from this recipe. I'm a fan of chewy chocolate chip cookies, but these were supposed to be a mix of chewy and crispy. I replaced the shortening in this recipe with butter, in part because I don't have shortening and in part because shortening makes cookies crispier. 

If you use salted butter, just omit the salt from this recipe.

Don't like nuts? Just sub out another cup of chocolate chips. 

The dough was dry after I chilled it, so I ended up balling it up in my hands before putting it on the trays.

The original recipe calls for baking them at 375, but my oven runs hot. I knocked the temperature back for the second batch and that worked better.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) of unsalted butter, softened

2/3 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup pecan pieces

Directions: In a stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt together until the mixture is light and creamy. Beat in the egg and vanilla until incorporated. 

With the mixer on low, add the flour and mix until it's about halfway incorporated. Add the chocolate chips and the pecan pieces and mix until everything is incorporated.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour and up to 24. 

Heat the oven to 350. Drop the cookies onto two sheet trays, about 2 inches apart. Bake for between 18-20 minutes until light golden brown. Remove from the trays and cool the rest of the way on a rack. Enjoy!

Pear Pie

Why do people not use pears in dessert more often? I think they're one of the forgotten fall flavors. Apples and pumpkins get all the glory, but pears are right there waiting for their moment! I saw a magazine article about pear desserts and saw a pear and apple pie. But why let apples hog the spotlight? I re-tooled it to be a pear pie. 

Notes: I adapted this recipe from one I found in Southern Living magazine. 

You can probably use whatever pears you like in here. You want pears that are ripe, but not super mushy. I got some pretty ripe pears and was worried they'd be too soft, but they turned out fine. If you have tart pears, you might want to let them sit in the sugar for a little bit to let them macerate a little. 

Could you use a pre-made pie crust? Of course. But making your own pie crust is not as hard as it sounds. Lots of pie crust recipes call for a food processor, but you don't need one. People have been making pies before food processors were in existence. This recipe makes a top and a bottom crust.

When you're adding the water to the flour to make the pie crust, just add it slowly. You'll get impatient because it seems like the dough isn't coming together. Resist the temptation to dump more water into the bowl. It's hard to correct a wet dough, but it's easy to add water to a dry one. You just want the dough to be formed enough so that it holds together in a ball. That's all you need it to do, so don't knead it or anything once it gets to that stage. 

If you let your pie crust sit in the fridge for more than an hour, you'll want to take it out while you're preparing the pie filling so that it can take some of the chill off. It'll be easier to roll out. 

Ingredients:

1 prepared pie crust (recipe follows)

4-5 pears (I used Bartlett) 

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/3 cup sugar

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 tsps cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1 egg beaten for egg wash (optional)

Directions: Heat the oven to 375. 

Peel and cut your pears into about 1-inch cubes. In a large bowl, mix them with the two sugars, flour, spices, and vanilla. Set aside while you roll out your pie crust.

Roll one disc into a 12-inch circle and line it in the bottom of the pie dish. If you want to make a lattice top, roll the other disc into a 12-inch circle and cut it into strips about an inch or inch and a half wide (I used a pizza cutter). If you just want a standard pie, leave the top as a circle. 

Pour your pie filling into the pie dish. You can either lay the dough strips across the pie and weave them into a lattice or you can just lay half the strips in one direction and the other half in the other direction (that's what I did) to create a lattice pattern. Cut off the excess dough and crimp the dough closed on the edge of the dish using a fork (you can also just pinch it closed if you like the fluted look). 

If you're not doing the lattice top, be sure to cut some slits into the top pie crust to let air escape. If you're using egg wash, brush it on the pie.

Bake for about 45 minutes. Once that time is up, loosely cover the pie with foil to prevent the edges from browning too much. Bake for another 10-15 minutes until the pie is bubbly and the crust is a light golden brown. Let the pie cool for a least an hour. Serve and enjoy!

Pie crust: 

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1 tbs sugar

2 tsps kosher salt

1 cup (2 standard sticks) cold unsalted butter (if you use salted butter, omit the salt above)

1/4-1/3 cold water 

Directions: In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and use a pastry blender to cut it into the flour mixture until it's the texture of wet sand and the butter is the size of small peas. Add in the cold water a little at a time and mix with your hands until the dough comes together. Divide it in half and shape into discs. Wrap each disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. 

No Bake S'Mores Bars

This weekend when we had the big snow I decided that I needed to have some cooking projects to keep me busy. We were at a party not long ago and friend brought over these s'mores bars. They were so good! I should have asked for the recipe before we left, but I forgot. So, I did some Googling and found a similar recipe. I tinkered with it and got some excellent results!

Notes: These are crispy, sweet, and delicious. The fact that they are so easy just makes it that much better. I found a bunch of recipes for them, but this was the one I modified.

Melting marshmallows is a little difficult. They don't melt as fast as you think. I think the best way to do it is to melt the butter first and then put in the marshmallows. Keep the heat low to avoid scorching them. Let them start to get soft before you put in the chocolate chips. The mixture will become uniform as it starts to melt. It will end up being the consistency of thin peanut butter.

Don't skip out on the extra marshmallows. If you leave them out, you don't really get the full s'mores effect. If you don't want to buy 2 bags of marshmallows, just reserve 1 cup from the 5 1/2 from the bag and up the chocolate chips to 2 cups.

Ingredients:
1 box of Golden Grahams or similar cereal
1 bag of mini marshmallows (about 5 1/2 cups), plus 1 1/2 cups
1 1/2 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips
5 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Line a 9 x 13 pan with foil and grease the bottom and the sides with butter.

Open up the cereal and put it in a large bowl. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan, melt the butter, chocolate chips, and 5 1/2 cups of marshmallows together over low heat. Stir continuously until the mixture is uniform (see notes).

Pour the mixture over the cereal and stir together. Fold in the extra 1 1/2 cups of marshmallows.

Transfer to the 9 x 13 dish. Butter the back of a large spoon (or spray with cooking spray) and press the mixture into the dish into an even layer.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Cut into squares. Store in the fridge loosely covered.

Enjoy your no bake dessert!

Single Layer Pumpkin Cake

You didn't think I'd forget the pumpkin recipes for fall, did you? Of course not! I'm looking around for pumpkin desserts that aren't the typical ones you see. I'll let you know if I find any others.

Notes: I was planning to top this cake with some white chocolate ganache, but I messed up the chocolate to cream ratio and it came out too thin. *sigh* Further proof that frosting and I have a troubled relationship. I ended up pouring it over the cake anyway, but I won't include it here.

You could top this cake in a number of different ways. Some powdered sugar would be great, or you can make some frosting if you feel enterprising.

If you don't have cake flour, you can use all purpose. I think the crumb is nice with the cake flour.

This recipe makes one single layer round cake. I cut mine into squares to make it easier to eat.

Ingredients (modified from Martha Stewart):
1 2/3 cup cake flour
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/2 cup milk, warmed
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs

Directions: Heat the oven to 350

In an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until it's fluffy. Add in the eggs and beat until combined. Add in the milk and the pumpkin and mix until combined.

Add in the flour, salt, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir until just combined.

Oil or butter a 9 inch round cake tin. Pour in the batter and bake for about 50 minutes until a tester comes out clean.

Cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then carefully remove to a cooling rack. Cool about 10 more minutes. Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Watermelon Frozen Yogurt (No Ice Cream Maker Required!)

OK, stay with me: watermelon + ice cream. It's a winner, but you're skeptical. I get it. I've been there.

Cookout, a renowned milkshake and burger place in North Carolina, serves a watermelon milkshake every July. When I first saw it advertised, I thought there's no way that can be good. But oh was I wrong. I finally tried it and it was amazing. So refreshing!

Since I made coffee frozen yogurt awhile ago, I wanted to try another kind. Watermelon frozen yogurt for everyone!

Notes: I had watermelon juice that I used for this recipe. When I buy watermelon, I cut it out of the rind into small pieces. It makes it easier to eat, but of course that means I have juice and pulp left in the bottom of the rind. So, I saved the juice and the pulp for this recipe.

If you don't cut your watermelon this way, just reserve some pieces and chop them up really small until you have a little over a cup. You have to blend the yogurt and watermelon anyway, so it will become juice when you blend it. Just be sure you strain any seeds out before you mix it with the yogurt.

A little bit of fresh mint in here might be nice if you're feeling fancy.

I use a glass loaf pan for my freezer-safe dish. It works well. The handles help when you need something to help you hold the dish in place while you stir.

The only downside of this recipe is that it takes constant attention for 2-3 hours. But on a lazy weekend day when you're hanging out in the house anyway, you can manage. Other than that, it's super easy.

Store the yogurt uncovered in your freezer.

Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla Greek yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 cup watermelon juice

Directions:

Blend juice, sugar, and yogurt together either with a blender or with an immersion blender. Pour the mixture into a freezer-safe dish.

Freeze for 2-3 hours. Every 30 minutes, whisk or stir the mixture to break up large ice crystals. Starting out with a whisk will work well, but you'll need to switch to something sturdy as it starts to freeze.

Once the mixture has the consistency of ice cream, scoop and serve. Enjoy this refreshing (and unexpected) combo!

Lime and White Chocolate Bars

Do you love the flavor of key lime pie, but not the work it takes to make one? Well, have I got a solution for you. These bars are a great alternative.

Notes: I made these to take to a cook out earlier this summer. I think they're a great summer dessert. They're also a little different---not the same old cookie or brownie.

I modified this recipe only slightly. I have no key limes. I've only seen them in my grocery store a handful of times. Maybe they make a huge difference, but if they do, I can't taste it.

The first time I made these, I drizzled melted white chocolate over them. It was good, but frankly the white chocolate chips are much easier and just as delicious.

Here's a good tip for getting lots of juice out of your lime: roll it on the counter and press down on it with your palm while you roll. It should yield more juice that way.

When you zest the lime, you can use a microplane. Try to make sure you just take off the green part and not the white part underneath (it's bitter).

Ingredients:
1 heaping cup flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter (8 tablespoons)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
Zest of one lime (about a full teaspoon)
Juice of one lime (about 2 tablespoons)
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Directions: Heat oven to 350.

Melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk it together with the brown sugar (or mix with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer). Stir in the egg, vanilla, and lime juice.

Stir in the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, and zest) until the batter just comes together. The fold in the white chocolate chips.

Line an 8x8 glass baking dish with foil and grease the foil. Pour the batter in and bake for approximately 20 minutes until a test comes out clean and the center looks dry.

Cool for about 5 minutes (or to room temperature). Cut, serve, and enjoy!

Red Velvet Birthday Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

Scott's birthday was last weekend, so that means I got to make a birthday cake! The birthday boy requested red velvet cake. I was happy to oblige.

Notes: This was the first time I've ever made red velvet cake. I've been cooking for almost 10 years now and there is still so much I have to make.

People mistakenly think that the fuss about red velvet cake is the red color. False. It's really the fine crumb and the unique combo of buttermilk and cocoa powder. You could leave the food coloring out completely if you wanted to and it would still be worth making.

I followed this recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction almost to a T, so I won't retype it here. It came out great.

If I had to make some changes, I would replace the vegetable oil with another stick of butter. I also used a combo of red food coloring and blue food coloring to make a dark red. I also used a lot less of it, so my cake had a more subtle red color.

I decorated mine with mini chocolate chips. I only needed about 1/3 of a cup.

It's a lot of work, but it's worth it to have made-from-scratch red velvet cake!

Double Chocolate Coffee Cookies

Do you need a reason to make cookies? Of course not.

Notes: I love coffee desserts, so these are cookies after my own heart. Everything about them is delicious.

If you like your cookies sweeter, you could use regular chocolate chips instead of semi-sweet.

Some nuts in here would be great, too, if you're so inclined. Just add a 1/2 cup of your favorite when you add the chocolate chips.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon coffee grounds
1/2 cup prepared coffee
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 egg

Directions:

Melt butter in the microwave. In a stand mixer, add butter and both sugars and mix on medium speed until well combined. Turn the mixer to low. Pour in coffee and add egg. Add in the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, coffee grounds, and salt). Mix until just combined. Gentely fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate the dough for at least an hour.

Heat oven to 350. Scoop large tablespoons of dough onto two parchment or foil lined cookie sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes until the outsides look dry.

Enjoy--with milk or coffee!

Coffee Frozen Yogurt: No Ice Cream Maker Necessary!

I have wanted to try homemade ice cream FOREVER. OK, not forever, but since I started cooking.

The trouble is I have no ice cream maker.

I could always get one, I know. But I've had a series of small kitchens and extra equipment that only does one job takes up space that I can't afford to lose. Also, what I am supposed to do with ice cream salt? Plus, people have been making ice cream way before personal ice cream makers. If they can make it, so can I.

Notes: I used this base recipe to make my coffee frozen yogurt. I think it turned out AMAZING. Be aware: if you're expecting it to taste like the kind of frozen yogurt that comes out of the machines at those yogurt shops, it won't. It will still be tangy like non-frozen yogurt. But I think it's super refreshing. The coffee flavor is rich and the chocolate chips add a great little crunch.

If you have crushed-up chocolate covered espresso beans, you could use those instead of chocolate chips.

While you're mixing this every 30 minutes, you'll need a couple of different tools. I started out with a metal whisk, which worked great. Once the mixture becomes more solid, you'll need something like a strong spatula or wooden spoon. Remember to scrape the sides down. I poured my mix into a glass loaf pan and that worked really well.

Ingredients:
2 cups plain Greek yogurt (NOT low fat)
1 1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons coffee grounds
1 cup prepared cooled coffee
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Directions: You'll need to mix all the ingredients except the chocolate chips. You can blend them in a stand mixer, a blender, or in a large bowl with an immersion blender (I did it the last way).

Pour the mixture into a deep glass baking dish or freezer-safe bowl. Freeze for 2-3 hours. While the mixture freezes, stir it every 30 minutes using a whisk or a heavy spatula to break it up. Once the mixture become thicker, add in the chocolate chips and continue stirring as before. The mixture freeze similarly to ice cream.

Once the yogurt is frozen, scoop it just like regular ice cream. Serve and enjoy!

Chocolate Scones

Last winter was terrible. This winter has been better, but February has been pretty bad. The only good thing is that being stuck in the house with ice and snow has led to baking.

Notes: No picture for these (I forgot). They weren't as sweet as I was expecting, so I rewrote the recipe including a little powdered sugar to make them sweeter.

You can either make these as drop scones by rolling them into little balls and dropping them on the baking sheet. You can also make them triangle scones using a cake pan. Or you could use around cookie cutter. I included the directions for triangle scones and the round ones.

These would be great with some raspberry jam or some Nutella!

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons of powdered sugar

1/2 cup raw sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons baking powder

Pinch salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup plain yogurt

1/3 cup whole milk

Directions: Heat oven to 350

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In another bowl, whisk together yogurt and milk.

Cut butter into small squares and add to the dry mixture. Using a pastry blender or your fingers, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it's the size of small peas. 

Add in the yogurt and milk and stir until a soft, sticky dough forms.

To make triangle scones, pat the dough into a (buttered) 9-inch cake pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes. 

For round scones, pat the dough out onto a floured surface. Using a floured biscuit cutter (or old aluminum can or small glass) cut rounds out of the dough and place on a baking sheet. Gather the scraps into a ball and pat it down again. Cut out more rounds. Repeat until you don't have any dough left. Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Allow them to cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Serve and enjoy!

Cobbled-together Chocolate Chip Cookies

Friday night I decided I wanted chocolate chip cookies. I had not planned to make them, but I did indeed have chocolate chips in the house, so at that point it was just a matter of forming the cookie base. I was running low on several things, so none of my standard cookie recipes were going to work. So, I did what any good impulse baker would do: I improvised.

Notes: Much to my surprise, I didn't ruin these. Lately, I've some how been screwing up my normal cookie recipes. Too much butter, I think. I am also notorious for screwing up oatmeal cookies of any sort, so the fact that I put oats in these was inviting disaster. But the combination of flour, oats, and refrigeration worked.

These cookies have a nice nutty flavor thanks to the oats and the peanut butter. They are also chewy thanks to the oats and brown sugar. They have a mild sweetness as well, so if you're trying to cut down on sugar, these are for you.

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg
2 heaping tablespoons peanut butter
1/2 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Melt the butter in the microwave and pour it into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. Add in the brown sugar and beat on medium for a few minutes until well-combined. Put the mixer on low and add in the egg, applesauce, and peanut butter. The mixture will look curdled, but that's normal.

Stir in the flour, oats, and baking soda until just combined. Then fold in the chocolate chips.

Refrigerate the dough for at least one hour.

Heat the oven to 350. Spoon tablespoon-sized balls of dough onto two cookie sheets. Bake for 15-18 minutes until golden brown.

Enjoy your cobbled-together cookies!

A Little Lighter: Banana Pudding Parfaits

See these? These are amazing.

Eating healthy doesn't mean you have to give up dessert. It does mean that you shouldn't eat dessert all the time. It also means you should be creative with what kinds of dessert you eat.

One of my favorite things to do is come up with lighter versions of foods I love. I looove banana pudding, but I'd be fooling myself if I thought it was good for me. I saw this recipe for a slightly lighter banana pudding and I decided to make it even lighter.

Notes: I was perfectly happy with the flavor of the vanilla yogurt, but Scott wanted it a little sweeter. I made them again with some powdered sugar. I added that step, but if you want to keep it light, just leave out the sugar.

Baking the bananas brings out their flavor and their sweetness. You can do this step a little ahead of time.

This recipe makes two parfaits and it can be easily doubled.

Ingredients:
2 bananas
8 oz (1 cup) of Greek vanilla yogurt
2 teaspoons confectioners sugar
Nilla wafers (I used the mini ones)

Directions: Heat the oven to 350. Wrap one of the bananas in foil and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow it to cool completely.

When the banana is cool, peel it and mash it a bowl. Add the yogurt and the sugar and mix well. Slice the other banana. You want pretty thin slices so you can layer them.

In the bottom of a glass, make a layer of Nilla wafers (how many you use will depend on the size of your glass). Top the wafers with a couple of spoonfuls of yogurt mixture. Top that with a layer of banana slices. Do another wafer layer, another yogurt layer, and another banana layer.

Wrap some Nilla wafers in a paper towel and crush them with your hands. Sprinkle the crushed wafers on top of the banana slices.

You can serve immediately or refrigerate. Refrigeration will soften the wafers.

Enjoy a lighter banana pudding!

Apple Gingerbread with Vanilla Glaze

Classes are ending this week (thank goodness!) and I promised my upper level seminar snacks on the last day. I decided I wanted to bake and I had some apples left in the fridge that needed using up. Apple spice cake? Apple muffins? 

I wanted something holiday-related, so I went back through some of my bookmarked recipes. I found a recipe for pear gingerbread. Aha! Apple gingerbread it is. 

Notes: Me and glaze? We're not friends. I've never been good at getting the consistency right. This recipe as it was originally written did not work: the glaze was too dry. I upped the amounts and that worked better. If there's one thing I've figured out, it's that glaze is not an exact science. I heated a little bit more milk than I needed and just fiddled with the amounts until I got it right. 

I used my stand mixer to make the glaze and it worked great. You don't need to use it; you just need some elbow grease and a whisk.

Mixing the apple pieces into the flour will help them not sink to the bottom of the batter, so be sure not to skip that step.

The gingerbread is fluffy and sticky and delicious! If you're bored with other holiday desserts, give this one a try. It would be perfect for a holiday potluck because you can make it well in advance.  

Ingredients:

For gingerbread (adapted from this recipe):

2 cups flour

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 teaspoons fresh ginger

1 cup milk

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup molasses 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 eggs

2 apples

For vanilla glaze (adapted from this recipe):

1 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons milk

Pinch salt

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Directions: Heat the oven to 350 and butter a 9x13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and sugar. Peel and chop apples into small pieces (mine were a little smaller than 1/2 an inch). Mix the apples into the dry ingredients. 

In another bowl, crack and beat the eggs. Add in oil, milk, vanilla, and molasses. Stir to combine. 

Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir until well-combined (don't over mix). Pour batter into the baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes until a tester comes out clean. 

Let cool completely and then cut into small squares. Put wax paper under a cooling rack and transfer the squares to the rack. 

To make the glaze, add sugar, salt, and vanilla to the bowl of your stand mixer. Stir together. Melt the butter and add it to the bowl. Heat the milk for a few seconds in the microwave and pour it in the bowl while the mixer stirs. The glaze should be thick, but you should be able to drizzle it. If it seems too thick, add a little more milk. If it seems too thin, add a little more sugar. 

Using a whisk or a fork, drizzle the glaze over the gingerbread. Allow it to set for about 15-20 minutes. Serve and enjoy!

Yellow Layer Birthday Cake

It's Scott's birthday today! I love making birthday cakes for him, so I try to do something special every year. He wanted a yellow cake with white icing this year, so I was happy to oblige.

Notes: Baking layer cakes from scratch takes time, but it's mostly prep and waiting. The actual work isn't much greater than making a cake from a box.

If you're using Greek yogurt, you'll need to thin it out with milk. Instead of using a full cup, use 2/3 of a cup and mix it with 1/3 cup of milk.

I'm not into leveling and all that. It's a homemade cake! It's going to look a little rustic. but I do want to get creative with the decorations. I used an outline of a fleur-de-lis that I printed out. I laid it on top of the cake after I frosted it. Then I shook sprinkles all over the cake and CAREFULLY peeled off the paper. It's like a reverse stencil! I thought it came out well.

You can easily make the layers of the cake a day or two in advance. Just let them cool, wrap them in plastic, and pop them in the fridge until you're ready to frost and decorate.

Ingredients (adapted from this recipe):
4 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup regular sugar
1 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups plain yogurt
Double batch of white chocolate butter cream

Directions: Heat oven to 350

Make sure the eggs, yogurt, and butter are at room temperature. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in the large bowl. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar together on medium speed until light and fluffy. Lower the speed and add the eggs one at a time. Add in the vanilla and yogurt. The mixture will look lumpy and curdled, but that's normal.

Add the flour in batches and mix until just combined. Divide the batter into two cake pans. Bake for 35-40 minutes until golden brown and tester comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the in the pan for about 15 minutes. Remove and cool completely on cooling racks.

When the cakes are completely cool, frost with the white chocolate butter cream. Decorate to your liking!

Serve to your favorite birthday person and enjoy!

Chocolate Cherry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

I confess: I am not a big fan of frosting.

I know there are some people who will eat frosting straight from the bowl and never mind the cake, but I'm pretty much the opposite. Give me a delicious cake and who needs all that gloppy, sugary nonsense on the top? Maybe a little powdered sugar, but otherwise why mess with perfection?

Well, I finally found a frosting recipe that even made me want to lick the bowl. White chocolate buttercream. It's just the right level of sweetness for me and it enhanced the flavor rather than detracted from it. And it just might be the easiest frosting I've ever made.

Notes: You have no doubt heard that you shouldn't try to make things like frosting and ganache with chocolate chips because they have shelf stabilizers in them. I've heard that too, but I'm here to tell you that whatever voodoo happens in the melting and cooling process here, the frosting came out great.

You have to plan ahead for this one since the white chocolate/butter mixture has to sit in the fridge overnight. The good news is melting the two together is so easy, you could do it in your PJs right before you go to bed.

I was able to frost about 14 cupcakes with this batch of frosting.

As for the cupcakes, you might want to dust the cherries with a little flour or cocoa powder before you put them in the batter. They'll sink to the bottom because the batter is thin.

Ingredients for Frosting (adapted from this recipe):
1 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup (2 sticks) butter

Directions: Melt the butter and chips together in a small saucepan on medium. Stir frequently until everything is completely melted. Cool for 15 minutes. The butter will separate from the chips, but that's OK.

Put the sauce pan in the fridge overnight. When you're ready to make the frosting, pull the pan out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead of time.

When the frosting is at room temperature, beat in a stand mixer on medium speed for 2-3 minutes until light and fluffy. Spread on cakes or cupcakes.

Ingredients for Cupcakes (adapted from this recipe):
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup prepared coffee, cooled
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup chopped fresh cherries

Directions: Heat the oven to 350.

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda, cocoa, and sugar) in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients (coffee, oil, vinegar, and vanilla). Add the wet to the dry and stir gently until just combined. Fold in the cherries.

Spoon into a paper-lined or greased cupcake pan. Bake fro 18-20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Frost with white chocolate buttercream and enjoy!

Party Planning + Black and White Baby Shower Cupcakes

A few months ago, I hosted my sister's baby shower. Alexander (born in March) is the first grandchild in both my family and her husband's family. Naturally, we had to have a party. Since I love cooking, I offered to make the food for lunch rather than have it catered.

Cooking and entertaining can be stressful, but planning makes all the difference. Here are some tips to help you get everything done:

1. No Surprises: The most important thing to do is make something (a) that you already know how to make and (b) that you won't have to spend a ton of time putting together on the day of the party. Never made a bleu cheese souffle? Your sister's baby shower is not the time to try it. Ideally, you want to pick a recipe that you've tested and that's been well-received. The meal doesn't have to be fancy; it just has to taste good. Particularly for baby showers, people get hung up on making food that's delicate and intricate like fancy hors d'oeuvres. I understand why: they look impressive. But you're creating WAY more work for yourself if the whole menu is like that. Fancy hors d'oeuvres are labor and time-intensive. Plus, people like real food. Have you ever actually felt full from eating finger sandwiches? Unlikely. People will be happy with something tasty, so go with what you know and what works.

2. Plan ahead: For my sister's baby shower, I had a four-page printed list of everything I would need, including things like cutlery and napkins. It was sorted by menu item (i.e., main dish, salad, dessert). I finalized the list weeks in advance. When I went to the store to do the shopping, I walked around with the list and a pen, crossing things off and making notes. You can't expect yourself to just remember and think of everything a day or two before. Start your list early, revise it, add to it slowly, and remember to take it with you to the store!

3. Prep ahead: One of the reasons I picked the menu I picked for my sister's shower was because I knew there were lots of things I could do in advance. I made lasagna (one meat, one veggie). The whole day before the shower, I spent cooking and doing prep work. For example, I browned the ground beef, seasoned the ricotta cheese, and sliced the mozzarella. I used plastic food storage containers with screw-top lids (for safe transport) to hold all the prepped ingredients. The rule goes like this: The less you have to do on party day, the better! You want to enjoy the party you're hosting, not spend the whole day stuck in the kitchen. Anything you can prep ahead of time, do it!

4. Get help: Nobody says that you have to do absolutely everything yourself. A friend of mine who was coming to the shower called me up and asked if she could bring something. I said, sure, how about an appetizer? That's one less thing I have to do. Another friend asked how she could help the day of. I asked her to put one of the salads together. If someone offers to help you, take them up on it. Also, if you're making the main dish, why not get a store-bought dessert or appetizer? There's no rule that says you can't let people help you or take some help from the store. Party planning can be stressful, there's no need to make it harder for yourself than it has to be.

Enough advice! How about some cupcakes? I followed this recipe, but changed a few things.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup raw sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup prepared coffee (just use some leftover from that morning)
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons vanilla
Nutella (frosting)
White chocolate chips (decoration)

Directions: Heat the oven to 350. Line your muffin tin with cupcake liner or spray with cooking spray.

Mix all the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and add all the wet ingredients to it. Blend until smooth. Spoon the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 18-20 minutes.

When the cupcakes are cooled completely, spread Nutella on top as frosting (NOTE: don't refrigerate these. The Nutella will harden). Sprinkle with white chocolate chips. If you're making these for a party, make them the day before!

Enjoy your party!

King Cake

See this beautiful creation? It is a king cake. A king cake is a traditional dessert made and eaten during the Mardi Gras season. When Scott and I lived in Louisiana, we would get one (or two) every year. They are just so delicious.

I have wanted to make my own from scratch for a long time and I decided this year was the year. I planned to make it for the Super Bowl and I set aside a whole day for baking. And what you see above is the result.

The recipe I used was an older one originally posted in the Times Picayune. You can find it here. I won't bother retyping it, since I didn't change a thing. There's a "cheat" at the end of the article using pre-made refrigerated crescent dough. But try the from-scratch version first. It's just more fun!

The only thing I did differently was the decorations. Instead of using food coloring, I found colored sugar and just sprinkled it on the icing.

Enjoy!

Pumpkin Bread

If you haven't read this piece from McSweeny's, you are missing out. The first time I read it, I laughed so hard I cried.

At this point, I try to keep canned pumpkin in the house at all times in case the urge to bake strikes. I was planning to make some more muffins, but Scott requested bread. Pumpkin bread, you say? Happy to oblige!

Notes: I adapted this recipe only slightly. If you're not a big fan of cloves, I'd knock it back to a 1/4 teaspoon. You can really taste them. I don't mind, so I left it as is. If you wanted a more pumpkin pie flavor, add in some ground ginger.

Make this when you're planning to have company over. Your house will smell amazing.

This bread is chewy and delicious and everything fall should be.

Ingredients:
1 2/3 cup flour
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup pumpkin puree
1/3 cup butter, melted

Directions: Heat the oven 325.

Grease a loaf pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients. Make a well in the center and add in the butter and pumpkin. Mix with a spoon until just combined.

Pour the ingredients in the prepared loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean. Let cool for 10 minutes, remove from loaf pan and transfer to a rack. Serve and enjoy!

Pear Gingerbread

I am still on my baking kick, but as predicted, it has tapered off a bit since school started. I recently found this recipe for pear gingerbread and I knew I had to give it a try.

Notes: I tweaked the recipe a bit. I was thinking I'd like to grate the pears, but my pears were definitely too soft for that. So I just diced them.

Ingredients:
1 cup of flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cloves
1 teaspoon of grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup molasses
1 large, 2 medium, or 3 small pears
Powdered sugar for serving

Directions: Heat oven to 350.

Peel and cut the pears into a small dice.

In a large bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, spices, salt, baking soda and powder). In another bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients (olive oil, molasses, milk, grated ginger, vanilla).

Add the dry ingredients to the wet and stir until just combined. Fold in the pears.

Butter an 8x8 baking dish and pour the batter in. Bake 30-40 minutes. Cool 10 minutes, dust with powdered sugar, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies

For some reason I cannot stop baking. Once the semester winds up, I'm sure I'll slow down. In the meantime, I will enjoy it while I'm in the mood!

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but I love Halloween. It's my favorite holiday BY FAR. I look forward to it every year even if I don't have anything special planned. Scott and I will often just watch classic horror movies to celebrate.

In spite of my love for Halloween, I don't have very many Halloween-themed dishes. I had some leftover pumpkin and I thought I might test these out as a Halloween dessert recipe. I think they would work.

Notes: I tried to chill the dough and make shapes using my cookie cutter. That didn't work out so well. I think the dough would have to chill for much longer than an hour for that to work. If you're game to try it, spread the dough out on a cookie sheet after it's mixed. Try chilling for 2-4 hours. See if it works for you. Otherwise, the regular shapes are fine.

These are great. Full of fall flavors!

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon cloves
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 stick (8 tablespoons) butter, softened
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
2 cups chocolate chips (I like the mini ones)

Directions:

In a mixer, cream together butter and sugar until the mixture is fluffy. Stir in the pumpkin, milk, and vanilla (it won't incorporate completely, but that's OK).

In batches, add in the dry ingredients (spices, flour, baking soda, salt) until everything is just combined. Fold in the chocolate chips. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oven to 325. Spoon large tablespoons of dough onto a cookie sheet (bake in batches if you need to). Bake for 14-17 minutes until the edges are set and the cookies look a little dry. Cool them on the cookie sheet for a few minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack. Enjoy (on Halloween or any time)!