Pizza Cake

Today is Christopher's 17th birthday.  After Josh's spaghetti and meatball cake was such a hit, I didn't know what kind of birthday cake to make for Christopher.  I debated between a hamburger cake and a pizza cake.  Pizza won because it is easier, and today easy matters!

Irish Brownies

For Saint Patrick's Day last week, we had Irish stew and Irish soda bread.  For dessert we had Irish brownies made into cupcakes.  We have had these brownies many times in the past and I always made the mint frosting white because we don't use food coloring.  This time, we made them the prettiest shade of green.  I made the frosting like usual, flavored it with vanilla and mint extract, then added a little bit of spinach powder.  The spinach powder made it such a pretty spring-like color and we couldn't taste it at all.  Next time, I'm going to try beet powder to see if I can get a true red.  I bought the powders at a place called Mountain Rose Herbs, where my daughter gets most of her herbs for her studies.  

Zapoles

We have been enjoying a visit from family from the east coast.  Every time they come they bring with them a few new recipes to try out.  Today Papa and Talia made zapoles.  They are a pastry very similar to sopapillas, but not exactly.  They taste like a doughnut that is very soft inside.  Yum!

ZAPOLES
2 cups flour
2 T. sugar
1 t. salt
4 t. baking powder
5 eggs
1 lb ricotta
1 qt oil

Mix all ingredients except oil.  Heat oil in a deep fryer.  Use a tablespoon to drop dough into hot oil.  When golden brown, remove and place on paper towels to drain.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is the recipe I usually use for chocolate chip cookies.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 cups rolled oats (blended into flour)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

Cream butter and sugars.  Add eggs and mix well.  Add in vanilla extract

In another bowl, mix together flour, oat flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.  Slowly add the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.  Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts.

Bake @ 350* for 10-12 minutes or until almost done.  If you remove them from the oven before they look completely cooked, they will stay soft and pliable.

CUPCAKES

I have had such a craving for sugar the last couple of days.  I tried several different things to satisfy my longing, but to no avail.  Cookies, fruit, even chocolate didn't hit the spot.  I wanted cake so bad.  So, today I made up a recipe for a very moist yellow cake.  Up until this point, I haven't been able to make a yellow cake that wasn't slightly dry.  Today (Finally!) I had success.  Here's the recipe.

YELLOW CAKE
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 T. vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt
1 1/3 cups buttermilk
Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Beat for about 2 minutes.  Add salt, soda, and baking powder.  Alternate adding flour and milk until everything is mixed well.  Beat for about 2 minutes more.  Bake at 350* for about 30-35 minutes (15 minutes for cupcakes).
*NOTE:  When I make cupcakes or muffins, I use an ice cream scoop to fill the cups.  It makes for evenly sized cakes.

BUTTERCREAM FROSTING
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup shortening
2 pounds powdered sugar
1 T. vanilla extract
Mix butter and shortening.  Slowly add sugar.  Thin with milk if necessary.  Mix in vanilla.  Spread on cake.

Baklava

I've always wanted to make baklava, but it looked so complicated to me.  I decided to go for it anyway and  I was pleasantly surprised.  It's actually very easy; it just takes a little time.  Here's the recipe I used.

BAKLAVA
(Syrup)
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 cinnamon sticks
1/4 cup honey
Boil all ingredients together to form a thin syrup.  Let the syrup cool while you make the pastry.

(Pastry)
1 pound finely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 1/2 cups butter, clarified
1 pound phyllo pastry sheets
Preheat oven to 350*.  Combine the walnuts, sugar, and the spices.  Brush the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with butter and line with 1 pastry sheet.  Brush on more butter, repeating this process until you have 10 sheets.  Brush with butter and sprinkle with nut mixture.  Add 10 more pastry sheets, buttering between each sheet; sprinkle with nut mixture.  Repeat this until you are out of ingredients.  With a sharp paring knife, cut half way through the pastry, making diamond shapes.
Bake for 20 minutes or until dough is slightly golden on top.  Turn the oven down to 250* and  bake for another 1 1/2 hours.

Pour the cooled syrup over the hot pastry.  Cool for several hours and cut into diamonds.

Apples, Apples, Everywhere

We went apple picking a couple weeks ago and went a little hog wild. We had apples just about everywhere. I didn't think to take a picture until they were nearly gone. We've made pies, crisps, apple butter, apple cake, apple muffins, and enough applesauce to float a boat! Here are a few of t

Homemade Marshmallows

I miss vacation. I wish we were still there. We fished and walked a lot (I won't' call it hiking). Well, why not? We hiked. We ate smores made with homemade marshmallows. So, while I can't have my vacation back right now, I can have homemade marshmallows anytime I want them.

Homemade Marshmallows

.75-oz unflavored gelatin (3 envelopes of Knox gelatin)
1/2 cup cold water
2 cups granulated sugar
2/3 cups light corn syrup
1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Line 9 x 9-inch pan with plastic wrap and lightly oil it. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup cold water. Soak for about 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring the mixture to a rapid boil and boil hard for 1 minute.
Pour the boiling syrup into soaked gelatin and turn on the mixer, using the whisk attachment, to high speed. Add the salt and beat for 12 minutes. After 12 minutes, add in the vanilla extract beat to incorporate.
Scrape marshmallow into the prepared pan and spread evenly (Lightly greasing your hands and the spatula helps a lot here). Take another piece of lightly oiled plastic wrap and press lightly on top of the marshmallow, creating a seal. Let mixture sit for a few hours, or overnight, until cooled and firmly set.
In a shallow dish, combine equal parts cornstarch and confectioners' sugar. Remove marshmallow from pan and cut into equal pieces with scissors (the best tool for the job) or a chef's knife. Dredge each piece of marshmallow in confectioners' sugar mixture.
Store in an airtight container.

Makes about 40 large marshmallows, depending on the size you choose to cut them.

Hot Chocolate Pudding

It's finally getting a little bit cooler here. All it takes is the tiniest nip in the air to put me in the mood for hot chocolate pudding (or pumpkin anything, or apple anything). I just love fall! This was the easiest recipe for hot chocolate pudding. Now, I know that most people eat their pudding cold, but we must be different. Plus, we don't have the patience to wait for it to cool down so we have discovered that we like it hot.

What you do is mix 1/2 cup sugar with about 3 tablespoons cornstarch and 1/3 cup of cocoa. When it's mixed, slowly add about 2 cups of milk. Cook slowly until it boils and thickens. Then pour in about 1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream. That's it! Serve in bowls with a sprinkle of cinnamon and a dollop of whipped cream.

Peach Pie

We have been on such a peach pie kick. Safeway had such a good sale on peaches a couple of weeks ago so I bought a bunch of them. I thought about making peach jam but my mind kept going back to pie. So I made two. Then a couple days later I made two more. Then two more. And on and on it went. Now, whenever the pie plates are empty my family tries to send me back to kitchen to make more. But, alas, the peaches are gone. I think I'm glad. But they were sure good. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that each time I made pie, I was also asked to make vanilla ice cream to go with it. I enjoyed it, but now I think it's time for all of us to hit the gym and start eating peach yogurt instead. I'll let you know how that works out!

Doughnuts Yum!