An Old Favorite

Chocolate sheet cake.....I remember getting so excited whenever my mother made that dessert. I'd come home from school to find a large pan all set up, chocolate glistening and sprinkled with pecans, mmmmm! As I sat at our breakfast room table finishing up my homework, I would glaze longingly for a small slice. Sometimes I'd even walk over the try and find the pecan bit that looked like it might fall off. Surely no one would miss a small piece of pecan and a little scoop of icing? Fortunately for the dessert, my mom was always present to shoo me away before I did too much damage, and she always saved me a slice or two for later.

Below is the recipe with the original chocolate icing, however, if you'd like an alternate ending, I've also made the cake with a browned butter frosting. The browned butter requires chilling so be sure to add that to your time schedule. Enjoy!

Chocolate Sheet Cake:

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 cup margarine

1/2 cup shortening

5 Tbsp cocoa powder

1 cup leftover coffee (or water)

1/2 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

-Sift together flour and sugar. In a large saucepan, combine margarine, shortening, cocoa, and coffee. Bring to a boil then remove from heat.

-Sift together flour and sugar into a mixing bowl. Beat in hot mixture and add remaining ingredients. Stir until just incorporated.

-Pour batter into a greased 15x10 baking pan and bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

While cake is baking prepare chocolate frosting...

Chocolate Icing:

1/2 cup margarine

5 Tbsp cocoa powder

6 Tbsp milk

1 12 oz box of powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 cups chopped pecans

-Bring margarine, cocoa powder, and milk to a boil. Add to a mixing bowl with remaining ingredients and beat until fluffy.

-Pour frosting over hot cake and sprinkle with pecans.

Browned Butter Frosting:

1 cup butter

2/3 cup brown sugar

3 cups powdered sugar

1 cup heavy whipping cream

3 tsp vanilla

-Heat butter in a small saucepan for approx 8-10 minutes, stirring constantly. Butter will turn golden brown then remove from heat. Cover and chill butter for an hour.

-Whip butter, brown sugar and cream in a mixer until fluffy. Add vanilla and beat in powdered sugar cup by cup until you reach desired taste and consistency. (I've added less than 3 cups before, and sometimes more)

Christmas Truffles

Things are busy busy busy here with all my Christmas baking. Here is a sneak peak:

Listing Clockwise:

-White chocolate ginger spice truffles rolled in pecans

-Dark chocolate coated Fleur de sel caramels (with a little gold dust)

-Peanut butter and apricot jam chocolate cups

-Cocoa dusted Earl Grey milk chocolates with craisins

The Macaroon

My best friend, Mary, is getting married at the end of the month, and I'm so excited for her and her groom! In honor of the upcoming marriage, I thought I'd share a recipe that always makes me think of Mary and our trip to France. We were a couple of 18 year olds touring around the Champs Elysees when we first experienced Laduree, a tea salon and cafe in Paris. The gorgeous window displays and curious looking macaroon cookies drew us in. Laduree's macaroons aren't the lumpy coconut drop cookies, but a sandwich of two meringue cookies and a filling. The display made the macaroons look like colorful and intriguing little presents. Because we didn't speak much French, Mary and I randomly chose several cookies from the large assortment of flavors. I remember my first bite of a chocolate macaroon... A slight crunch, soft center, and a gooey filling. It was a perfection of texture! After I emerged from my moment of delight, I turned to Mary whose face had the most inexplicable expression I have ever seen. I asked if she liked the macaroon, and she said, "I don't know what to think. It tastes funny!" I was confused how these little cookies could taste funny, until I tried one for myself. My face probably made the same expression as I was confused about the flavor. We'd never tasted anything like it, pungent yet some how refined. It definitely wasn't fruity, maybe herbal? After a while it finally hit me... rose! The filling tasted just like a flower, and while I enjoyed the experience, I probably won't be making rose scented macaroons for a large crowd.

Macaroons have been known to be finicky little cookies, but practice really does makes perfect! To make it easier, take a recipe from someone who has already worked out the science of ingredient proportions. The best recipes actually weigh out ingredients which can be a hassle, but it makes a more exact cookie. I've based my meringue measurements from an article in Dessert Magazine which contains great tips! I made these macaroons for a Christmas cookie exchange at our spouse's group. Since life gets crazy around the holidays (and because I spent so much time making the meringues), I decided to do a Nutella and raspberry preserve filling. To make the macaroons more festive, I dusted the tops of the macaroons with a shimmer pearl dust. Enjoy and congratulations to Mary and Michael!

French Meringue Macaroon
3 egg whites or 100g weighed
50g granulated sugar
95g powdered sugar
115g blanched almonds
Powdered or gel food coloring (optional)
Filling (ex: Nutella, jams, chocolate ganache, buttercream)

1. Separate egg whites and refrigerate whites for 24 hours. Bring to room temperature before using. Combine the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
2. Whip the egg whites to a foam. (If you'd like a colored meringue cookie, you can add food coloring at this point) Gradually whip in the granulated sugar. Continue beating until you have a glossy meringue.
3. Add the almond and sugar mixture to the meringue and stir with quick strokes slowing to a fold. It takes approx 50 folds to combine, and be careful not to over fold. Batter should form a thick ribbon when lifted from a spoon.
4. Prepare parchment paper on top of baking sheets. Fill a pastry bag with a round tip (1/2 inch) and pipe small circles onto the parchment. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F. Let macaroons sit for an hour to harden. This helps form the crisp exterior on the meringue. Bake 10-12 minutes. Cool before filling.
5. Spread filling on the flat side of one cookie and top with another side.

Ice-cream fit for the Fourth of July!

Seth and I have been married just over a year now! Times flies not only when you're having fun, but more so when your husband is in the Navy! I wish we could have spent the 4th together (as well as our anniversary), but I was thankful to be flown back to Atlanta to be with my family and close friends. What a blessing they have been! They have also put up with many of my crazy recipe adventures, such as chocolate cherry and Baileys' ice-cream. While I do enjoy Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice-cream, I always finish craving more tart cherries, and dark chocolate! My dad received an ice-cream maker for Father's Day and I thought that the 4th would be a wonderful time to make this frozen dessert.

Chocolate, Cherry, and Bailey's Ice-cream-

(Makes one quart)

Cherries:

1 cup pitted and halved fresh cherries

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Zest from one lemon

1/4 cup sugar

-Bring all ingredients to a simmer. Cook for a minute until cherries give up some of their juice. Refrigerate.

Ice-Cream:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/2 cup sugar (more if you prefer sweeter cream)

-Bring cream, milk, and sugar to a simmer and stir until sugar dissolves. Chill overnight.

Add ins:

2 Tbsp to 1/4 cup Bailey's Irish Cream, depending on your taste

3/4 cup chopped dark chocolate

-Pour cream mixture into ice-cream maker and follow machine directions. Add Bailey's to taste.

-When ice-cream has reached desired consistency pour into a freezable container. Stir in cherries with a little juice and chocolate. (If you prefer pink ice-cream you can add the cherries and chocolate into the maker while it is still turning. ) Freeze a couple of hours before serving.

-Scoop ice-cream into a chilled bowl, drizzle with extra cherry juice and Enjoy!

Citrus and Sweet!

Mother's Day was last Sunday and I thought I'd share a recipe inspired by my Mama. Key lime tartlettes!!!! My mother and I have many things in common, but two of those things is our love for citrus and making whipped cream. Coolwhip was outlawed in my family because my mother's whipped cream was so delicious! Why eat hydrogenated oils and preservatives when you can have the real thing!?!?! She can whip up a batch of deliciousness in a matter of minutes. Defending the fluffy goodness from our sneaky fingers took more time than making it. I have not perfectly duplicated my mother's whipped cream, but then again I don't have the experience it takes to so lovingly provide for a family the way my mother does. Here is my closest version:

Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled

2 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp powdered sugar (optional)

1.) Chill a large metal bowl and whisk in the freezer for about 10 minutes. Add cream to the bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add vanilla and sugar and beat until stiff peaks. Serve!

I often call my mother when I'm needing inspiration for a recipe or event. Craving something with citrus, my mother suggested making key lime tartlettes. Instead of making the traditional sweet condensed milk version, I opted for something lighter. Combining key lime curd (or lemon curd) and whipped cream makes for an instant fluffy "custard." If you like a sweeter custard, add more powdered sugar to the curd, but I prefer to leave them a little tart.

Key Lime Tartlettes

1/2 jar key lime curd

1 Tbsp powdered sugar (or to taste)

1 recipe whipped cream

2 boxes mini phylo tartlettes or pie crusts

Toppings (lime zest, toasted almonds, raspberries)

1.) In a large bowl combine curd with powdered sugar. Fold in 1/4 to 1/2 recipe of whipped cream to desired consistency. Pipe filling into mini tartlettes and top with extra whipped cream. Sprinkle toppings and Enjoy! Happy Belated Mother's Day!

Red Wine and Chocolate

Last weekend the Whidbey Island Vintners hosted a Red Wine and Chocolate tasting. Chocolate??? Wine?? Two of my favorite food groups! I had no problem tempting Seth to join me on an excursion to the south end of the island, plus we've been pleasantly surprised about Washington State's wines. I can't begin to go into all the details of the wines we tasted that day, so I'll just list our favorites. (Disclaimer: Seth and I are relatively new to the wine tasting world, so I apologize if I don't use the correct descriptive terminology. We have our own crazy wine language)

First stop: Greenbank Farm Wine Shop. They featured wines from Fish Talk and Blooms of Whidbey. But I would have to say that the best wine there was (no surprise) the Loganberry wine. It is definitely great for dessert, and it blended with the Loganberry chocolate truffles in a tangy rich perfection. An excellent excuse to host a chocolate party!

Next up: Greenbank Cellars. What a spot! The tasting room has a gorgeous marble top bar that is totally unexpected from the rustic barn exterior. I was very interested in trying their Cabernet Franc because I've usually only seen it in blends with stronger reds. On its own, it was very mellow and almost earthy. Their Sangiovese was quite good, but our favorite was the Cab Sauvignon. The only problem with these wines was that we were expecting something a little more bold and everything seemed very light. Maybe my tongue was confused with the many varieties, but we noticed that many of the wines made with Whidbey Island grapes tasted almost.... watered down? If anyone has insight into this please let me know!

Third on our list: Holmes Harbor Cellars was just the place we were looking for! Greg Martinez selects his grapes and crafts his wines like a chef carefully selects ingredients for an intricate gourmet meal. Each tasting was a piece of art. We started out with their fabulous Pinot Noir which took to the milk chocolate better than the dark chocolate (to my sad dismay). All other wines were forgotten when we tried his Walla Walla Valley Syrah. When I think of comfort I usually play a scenerio in my head that consists of many things, including a leather sofa. This Syrah was like drinking a leather sofa. Not only did it smell like a tack shop, but its rich smoothness warmed me in a way no hot beverage ever could. We oohed and ahhed over it so long that we bought a bottle to take home. It's a splurge (about $30 a bottle) but well worth it if you need to warm yourself up on a special rainy PacNorthWest day!

Lastly: Whidbey Island Winery was a fun spot nestled away near Langley. Their Sangiovese left me with a spicy anise finish that made me wonder why I hate all things licorice. We ended up purchasing a bottle of their 2007 Primitivo (or Zinfandel) because I'm becoming obsessed with that grape and getting the name "Zinfandel" out into the public without the word "White" prefacing it. (As Seth's sister, Hannah once told me... Friends don't let friends drink White Zin.)

Anyways, I highly suggest going to any of these shops for local wines. The only thing this day lacked was good food to pair with the wine, but I guess that's my job now...