Cookies and Cream Cake

Yesterday was my nephew's third birthday.  We had a small crawfish boil with my dad, and I of course offered to bake a cake.  Since my nephew had cookie cake on Friday and another cake today at his party with his friends, I decided to try out an idea I'd been brewing for a few days: a cookies and cream cake.  The idea was to have a layer of broken Oreo pieces on the bottom of each cake layer.  Much to my surprise, the cookies pieces floated to the top; perhaps if I'd stuck with my original idea of putting down a layer of whole Oreos, they would have stayed put.  

I wanted to make this cake with a light, whipped frosting; I searched around the web and couldn't find exactly what I wanted.  Most were glorified whipped cream.  I tried one recipe, only to have it end in utter failure, then I tried this recipe for The Best Whipped Frosting over at Can You Stay for Dinner?  It was definitely a winner and it has been marked as a go-to frosting recipe.  So creamy and light.  LOVE IT. 

 For the cake, I adapted the White Cake recipe from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook, using cake flour instead of all-purpose.  This resulted in a denser, spongier cake which hubby really enjoyed.

(My nephew actually didn't like the cake, though I'm fairly certain he didn't even try it.  Oh well! His rejection only broke my heart a little bit =D)

Cookies and Cream Cake

Cake 

• 1 package Oreo cookies
• 4 egg whites
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp almond extract
• 1 1/3 cup buttermilk or sour milk

Frosting

• 1 cup milk
• 5 tablespoons flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar (not powdered sugar)
• 1 cup crushed Oreo crumbs

For the Cake:

Allow egg whites to stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.  Meanwhile, grease two 9 inch round cake pans.  Preheat oven to 350F.

Break up half of Oreos, roughly into quarters.  Line them in a single layer, fitted as closely together as possible, in the bottom of each cake pan. 

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. 

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter on high speed for 30 seconds.  Gradually add in sugar and vanilla, beating until well combined.  Beat for an additional 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and fluffy.  Add egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition.  

Alternately add flour mixture and milk, mixing after each addition just until combined.  Pour into prepared pans.  

Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until a wood toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  (Note: the toothpick may come out chocolately, you just don't want it to come out with uncooked batter.)  Cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove cakes and cool thoroughly on wire racks.  

For the Frosting:

In a medium saucepan, whisk one cup of milk with 5 tablespoons of flour. Heat over medium until the mixture begins to sputter, whisking constantly. Continue to stir as the mixture thickens. You will know it’s done when it reaches the consistency of thick cake batter, after about 7 minutes of heating and whisking. Stir in 2 teaspoons vanilla extract and set aside to cool COMPLETELY.

Now, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or using a hand held mixer, beat 2 sticks of softened butter (1 cup) with 1 cup of granulated sugar until light, fluffy, and white in color, about 3 solid minutes of beating on medium-high speed. You want the sugar to be totally incorporated into the butter.

Be sure that the milk/flour mixture has completely cooled, and add it to the butter/sugar mixture. Beat all ingredients for about 1 minute on high speed, scraping down the bowl halfway, until they are smooth and well blended. 

Assembly:

Level the cakes, if necessary.  Pipe a thick border of frosting along the top of the bottom layer to dam the frosting filling.  Spread a layer of frosting evenly within the frosting border.  (You may make this layer as thick or thin as you like, depending on your preference.) Place the second layer of cake on top, and frost it.  Dust with Oreo crumbs.  (I did this by blowing crumbs out of my hand onto the cake, but this was MESSY.  One day I'll figure out how the professionals do it.)

Fondant

I don't like fondant, the stick, moldable, "great for decorating" icing.  I like my frosting light and creamy, not stiff and gritty.  I don't like the taste and I don't like the feel.  Also, cake decorating isn't one of my strengths; I'm not an artistic gal.  That being said, I will do anything for my nephew.  His birthday is coming up and he LOVES Mickey Mouse.  My sister came across this adorable cake and posted it in Facebook, looking for a recommendation of someone who could make it. 

 

At first, I said there was no way I could decorate a cake so nicely. I mean, look at that thing! It's freakin' adorable! Cakeadelic is an artist!  But then I started to think "I haven't really challenged myself lately" and I can't avoid fondant forever.  And this is my nephew's third birthday.  He's not even just my nephew; he's my godson.  And for only being three, this kid has been through A LOT (two heart surgeries!).  And he's so darn cute.  So, for Dylan, I decided I'd give this adorable Mickey cake a try.  (And don't worry, Disney, I never planned to benefit financially from it.)  

Of course, before making such a cake for Dylan's party, I would have to do a practice one, or two, or ten.  We all know fondant can be tricky; who hasn't seen the multitude of cake decorating shows on Food Network?  I decided to take it easy on myself for my first go with fondant.  I decided to do a single layer cake, made from a box, and used a premade frosting.  (You have to apply a thin layer of buttercream to the cake so the fondant has something to stick to.)  Also, there are two ways you can make fondant: you can go all out with gelatin and glycerin and boiling things, or you can heat some marshmallows then beat in an unimaginable amount of sugar.  I took the easy route and bought myself some marshmallows.  I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com. 

This is the end result, my first cake using fondant.

I'm pretty pleased with myself.

Zucchini Fries

I'm a day late posting, but I have two posts to upload so things even out, right?  This first post is a super easy recipe that is also super delicious.  It's a recipe for zucchini fries that my sister shared with me.  It's a great weeknight veggie that is easy, flavorful, and healthy.

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

• 1 lb zucchini (approximately 3)
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 packet Shake & Bake coating mix
• 1 egg

Heat oven to 450F.

Trim the ends of the zucchini.  Cut in half cross-wise, then cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sticks.

Put cheese and coating mix into shaker bake; shake gently to combine. 

Whisk egg in medium bowl. Add zucchini a few sticks at a time; toss to coat. Use tongs to place 5-6 zucchini sticks in the shaker bag. Close bag and shake to evenly coat.  Spread onto baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Repeat with remaining zucchini.

Bake for 12-13 minutes, or until golden brown.

Shrimp Stew

I mentioned last week that hubby and I had been sick.  This left me with a near constant craving for soup, which is very odd for me.  And even odder still, I really wanted shrimp stew.  That's weird because I'd never had shrimp stew.  It just sounded like something I wanted to eat.  Can you crave something you've never had?  I guess so.   

Having a general idea of what shrimp stew was (a traditional Cajun comfort dish), I did some searching online at checked out various recipes.  I came across recipes from the big names (Emeril, John Folse) and a few from fellow bloggers.  They were all basically the same and what I expected; a roux (varying from light to dark), with the trinity (onions, bellpepper, and celery), shrimp stock, shrimp, and seasonings.  Some had tomatoes, some had potatoes.  So, with that knowledge in hand, I took a look in the pantry, and then I tried my hand at crafting a pot of shrimp stew.  

(Hello shrimp stew; how do you do?)

Shrimp Stew

• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 large yellow onion, chopped
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 4 cups seafood broth*
• 2 cups water
• 1 can diced tomatoes
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1/2 - 1 tsp Tabasco
• salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
• 1 lb peeled shrimp**
• chopped green onions, to garnish

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat until smoking.   Slowly add flour, stirring vigorously, until fully incorporated.  Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, until milk-chocolate brown.

Stir in onions and garlic and cook until onions are soft and fragrant.  Whisking vigorously, slowly add water.  You must do this slowly and steadily or the roux and water won't come together.  Once the water is fully incorporated, whisk in the stock.  Add tomatoes, oregano, Tabasco, salt, and red pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook, covered for 45-60 minutes. 

15 minutes prior to serving, add in shrimp.  Serve over white rice, garnished with green onions. 

*Preferably, you would buy fresh, head-on shrimp and use the heads and tails to create your own broth.  I made this on a weeknight, so while I had a big bag of shrimp heads and tails in the freezer, I wasn't willing to spend the time making the stock in addition to making the stew.  

**As I just mentioned, it would be preferable to use really fresh, head-on shrimp.  In that instance, you would want to buy 2-3 pounds of shrimp, since about half the weight is head and shell. 

Homemade Chai

Hubby and I have spent the last week being sick (yay sharing sinus infection cooties!), so there has been almost no cooking in our household.  So here I find myself, Sunday night, with nothing readily available to post.  To the archives I must go!

For some reason, a memory arises of a time, many a year ago, when I made my own chai.  Chai, for those who aren't familiar, is a spiced Indian tea, usually made with a strong black tea and spices such as cardamom, ginger, and cinnamon.  If I had the ingredients, I would so love to whisk some up right now.  Alas, I don't, so I will have to make do with posting and dreaming.  I don't remember where the recipe comes from; I believe my aunt gave it to me once while I was visiting her. 

Homemade Chai

• 1 2-inch piece of fresh ginger, cut into thin rounds
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 2 tsp black peppercorns
• 10 whole cloves
• 6 cardamom pods
• 6 cups cold water
• 6 bags of black tea (such as Darjeeling)
• 2 cups whole milk
• ½ cup brown sugar

Combine first 5 ingredients in medium saucepan. Using mallet or back of large spoon, lightly crush or bruise spices. Add 6 cups of water; bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, partially cover pan, and simmer gently for 10 minutes. Remove from heat. Add tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Discard tea bags. Add milk and sugar. Bring tea just to simmer over high heat, whisking until sugar dissolves. Strain chai into teapot and serve hot.

Serves 6

Dreamy Creamy Scones

Some time ago, one of the ladies I work with bought a house with a meyer lemon tree.  With the abundance of lemons, she's made plain and blueberry lemon marmalades.  So that we could all try the marmalades (which are delicious) at work, it was decided I would make scones.  Since lemon (and blueberry lemon) is a strong flavor, I decided to just bake some plain scones.  I found a recipe from America's Test Kitchen on SmittenKitchen and knew it would be a good one because a) America's Test Kitchen, and b) Smitten Kitchen.  The recipe is quite easy and the result is a perfect scone, which could be dressed up any which way you'd like or could dream of.   

Sorry, I don't have a picture.  I forgot to snap one before I brought the scones to work. 


Dreamy Cream Scones
America’s Test Kitchen Cookbook

• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
•  3 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1/2 cup currants (I omitted this)
• 1 cup heavy cream

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425F.

 Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

If making by hand, use two knives, a pastry blender or your fingertips and quickly cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few slightly larger butter lumps. Stir in currants. If using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Add currants and pulse one more time. Transfer dough to large bowl.

Stir in heavy cream with a rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones by pressing the dough into an 8-inch cake pan, then turning the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface, cutting the dough into 8 wedges with either a knife or bench scraper.  (I didn't bother pressing the dough into a pan; I just formed it into a circle.  I like the rustic, uneven look).

Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Amaretto & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

Happy Mardi Gras, y'all!  Today, I made a gumbo since the weather has been cool and stormy lately.  As we had a friend over for dinner (and to watch the season finale of Downton Abbey), I felt compelled to make a dessert.  What goes well with gumbo?  Immediate answer: bread pudding.  This past Christmas, I experimented a bit with a bread pudding using amaretto and white chocolate for our Christmas day dessert, and it was delicious!  Sadly, I couldn't remember the recipe.  That's what I get for not writing it down as I go.  Tonight, I decided to just wing it (again), and luckily the recipe came back to me as I went through the motions.  I am super glad for that because everyone really enjoyed this bread pudding, hubby included (and he doesn't like boozy treats).  

 

(Notice the little top in the background? Hubby made that for me on his lathe.  He's actually started a blog, Metallic Tang, documenting his metal and wood working adventures)

Now,  many bread puddings are served with a sauce (traditionally rum, sometimes amaretto) but I wanted to skip that step and make one that was moist and flavorful on its on.  Yay for me because I succeeded.  That being said, hubby and I did have a scoop of ice cream served over the warm bread pudding, which while not traditional, was delicious.   Also, the chunks of melty white chocolate add nice creamy accents.  I won't deny it; I'm pretty impressed with myself. 

Amaretto & White Chocolate Bread Pudding

• 1 loaf french bread, cut into 1" cubes
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup white, granulated sugar
• 1 cup cream
• 1/4 cup amaretto
• 4 oz white chocolate, chopped

Preheat oven to 350F and lightly spray a 9 inch casserole dish with cooking spray.  

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs and sugar until fully combined and light yellow.  Whisk in cream, then amaretto. 

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl; pour the liquid mixture on top, evenly distributing it.  Toss to coat.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then toss to coat again.  Stir in white chocolate chunks, then pour into prepared casserole.  (Throughout this process, you want to expose as much of the bread to as much of the liquid as possible, allowing the liquid to be absorbed.)

Bake for 25 minutes, or until the top pieces of bread begin to brown and crisp.  Serve warm.

Homemade Pizza

A little while ago, hubby's mom invited us over for homemade pizza.  We were unable to make it, but homemade pizza sounded like a fun idea so a few nights later we made some ourselves.  I have a million different pizza crust recipes saved up, but hubby was already hungry by the time we were getting started, so I went with a crust that didn't require a lot of time to rise.  Hubby was in charge of the sauce, and he did a fantastic job.  The great thing about doing pizzas at home is that you don't have to try to find a topping combo everyone will enjoy; we made two smaller pizzas personalized to our own liking.

 My pizza, with shrimp, roma tomatoes, caramelized onions, artichoke hearts, and fresh basil.

 Hubby's pizza with shrimp, pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms, and caramelized onions.  Notice the folded edge? He rolled cheese into two edges, creating a stuffed crust.  That man can be quite handy. 

I got the pizza dough recipe from my trusty Better Homes and Gardens New Cookbook.  It was a decent crust, though a bit bland.  I would use it again if I didn't have time for a proper dough to rise, but I would add some salt and herbs.  This dough does have a nice texture though; soft and slightly chewy. 

Pizza Dough
(page 150, BH&G New Cookbook)

• 2 1/2 -3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 pkg active dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup warm water, between 120F to 130F
• 2 tbsp olive oil

In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 1/4 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt; add warm water and oil.  Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping down the sides of the bowl.  Beat on high speed for 3 minutes.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface.  Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes).  Divide dough in half.  Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.  Will make two 10-11 inch pizzas. 

Pizza Sauce
(modified from this Serious Eats recipe)
(please note: hubby likes to wing it and ad-lib when he's following recipes, but refuses to write down what he does, so this is as close an approximation as we can remember)

• 1 - 28 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 medium cloves garlic, grated on microplane grater
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• pinch red pepper flakes
• 1/4 tsp red pepper
• kosher salt
• 14 to 16 leaves of fresh basil 
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and quartered
• 1 tbsp sugar

Puree tomatoes, with juices, until mostly smooth.  Set aside.

Combine butter and oil in medium saucepan over medium low heat until butter has melted.  Add garlic, oregano, pepper flakes, and a large pinch of salt.  Cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, but not browned.  Add tomatoes, basil, onion, sugar, and red pepper.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by half (about an hour).  Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend the basil and onions into the sauce.  Season to taste with salt. 
  
Assembly

We baked the pizzas on our pizza stone.  To do so, place pizza stone in the unheated oven.  Preheat oven to 400F.  Roll pizza dough on parchment paper into 10-11 inch circle (or square).  Prick dough all over with a fork.  Gently slide dough onto baking stone and bake for 10-15 minutes or until light brown.  Top as desired and bake an additional 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbly.

Snickerdoodle Scones

Lately it seems that snickerdoodle recipes have caught my eye.  I had decided that this weekend I would either try a pumpkin snickerdoodle cookie recipe or one for snickerdoodle scones.  When I woke up hungry for something sweet this morning, the decision was made: scones would be had.  

I'm a fan of scones; to be honest, who isn't?  They are easy enough to make for breakfast without having to be up for hours before anyone else (cinnamon rolls, I'm looking at you) and when done right have a nice somewhat dense texture that makes them satisfying.  You can have just about any variety of flavor combinations.  What isn't to love?

Snickerdoodle Scones

(original recipe found over at Craving Comfort)

• 1/2 cup sour cream*
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/8 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 cup cinnamon chips. (optional)
• cinnamon sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 350º. Spray baking sheet with cooking spray. 

Combine sour cream and baking soda in a small bowl; set aside.  Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cream of tartar, and salt in another bowl.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
 

Mix egg and cinnamon into sour cream mixture.  Gently stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until moist.  If using, gently mix in cinnamon chips.
 

Place on baking sheet and pat into a 3/4 inch thick circle. Cut into 8 wedges.  Move slightly so they are not touching. Dust with cinnamon-sugar.
 

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. 

* I didn't have sour cream and wasn't willing to run to the store.  Instead, I substituted 1/2 cup Greek yogurt and added an additional 1/4 tsp baking soda.  This seemed to be a common substitute on many websites.  When I was combining all of the ingredients, it was a bit too dry to incorporate all of the flour, so I added in some cream until the mix was moist enough to incorporate it all.  Milk would have been fine; I used the cream because I had it and it needed to be used.   It all worked out in the end.  Hubby and I both really enjoyed them. 

Spicy Mustard Potato Salad

Wow guys.  Second week of posting and we almost didn't get one.  I had one of those weeks where my brain decided my body didn't need to usual amount of restful sleep, so by Friday I was a bit of a hysterical zombie.  Which led to sleeping most of Saturday.  Follow that with an impromptu home-project in the kitchen... and here we are. 

Yesterday, I got this intense craving for bbq chicken.  Since I live in southern Louisiana, that's not a completely preposterous thing to eat in January.  For bbq chicken, hubby said I needed to make either mac'n'cheese or potato salad.  I've been wanting to try a different take on potato salad for awhile, so I opted for that.  The mustard I used wasn't quite right and I overcooked my potatoes so they mashed up ALOT but I think this has potential.

Spicy Mustard Potato Salad

• 3 lbs potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used russet this time; I would probably use red next time)
• 2 boiled eggs, chopped
• 2 tbsp spicy whole ground mustard
• 1 tbsp mayo
• 2 tbsp finely chopped bacon pieces
• salt to taste

Boil potatoes just until thoroughly cooked; you don't want them to mash up while you're stirring.  Stir in other ingredients until well combined.

I know, complex right? Next week I'll have a proper post (there's a cookie recipe I'm dying to try).