Oh Nuts!

 

Normally I'm OK with my natural aversion to all things nuts because of my allergy to them, but then there are days like today, National Toffee Day, when I realize that there are some things that might be worth pulling out the EpiPen for! I mean look at all this yummy deliciousness that I can't have {sad face}.

I suppose I could just make it without the nuts...but wouldn't it just be caramel then? Not that I mind just caramel but toffee it would not be.

Rum-Peach Ice Cream Sundaes with Pound Cake Croutons

Drooling already aren't you! I don't blame you, this was a DELICIOUS after dinner treat! Think of it as a sweet, rich, flavorful party in my mouth! This is a grown up version of an ice cream sundae and it does not disappoint! OK, stop drooling, of course I'll share the recipe with you!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 6

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 oz pound cake, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
6 ripe peaches, cut into thin wedges
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup rum
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 pints vanilla bean ice cream

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the over to 350 degrees F. In a large pan, melt 1 tbsp of butter, add pound cake and toss to coat. Spread pound cake cubes on a baking sheet and bake until toasted. About 10-15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, add remaining butter to pan, toss in peaches and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally until the peaches are slightly softened.
3. Add the brown sugar and stir to melt. Remove pan from the heat and add the rum and lemon juice. Tilt the pan slightly and carefully ignite the alcohol.
4. Return pan to fire cook over medium heat until the peaches are softened and the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
5. To serve, scoop ice cream into bowls and spoon peaches and sauce over the ice cream. Garnish with the pound cake croutons and serve immediately.

Happy 4th of July!!!

My fondest 4th of July memories include eating ice cream or a popsicle while waiting for the the annual parade on Grand Island, NY and growing up in San Francisco and shooting off fireworks at the elementary school playground down the street from my house. No matter what, fireworks of some sort are a MUST!

And if you know anything about San Francisco, you know that actually getting to see the fireworks is a feat in itself and is only allowed if the fog feels like being nice and decides to hold off for a little while.

These days, my child doesn't get that excited about fireworks and we would have to drive somewhere to see them where we live now, so we have had small 4th of July gatherings the past couple of years. The main event...sparklers and my Patriotic Red Velvet Cake!

This cake is PERFECT!!! I make it as a simple red velvet sheet cake, top it with a cream cheese frosting and decorate with strawberries and blueberries. It's super easy, super yummy and a definite crowd pleaser!

Happy 4th!!! Enjoy the day and remember to honor the reason we celebrate this day!

Patriotic Red Velvet Cake

It's that time again! Time for my decked out red velvet sheet cake! It's delicious if I do say so myself!!! I make this every year for the 4th of July. Here is this years cake, recipe below.

INGREDIENTS
Yields 12 servings

2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs
1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 ounces red food coloring
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon white vinegar
Cream Cheese Frosting, recipe to follow
2 dozen Strawberries, halved
1 lb Blueberries

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Whisk the cocoa powder, cake flour, baking soda, and baking powder together, set bowl aside.
3. In a separate bowl, cream the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time and mix well then add the dry mixture.
4. Mix until smooth then add the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla and food coloring. Continue beating until well combined.
5. Pour batter into well greased sheet cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean.
6. Cool pan on wire rack. When completely cool, add the Cream Cheese Frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting
1 8oz package cream cheese
1 stick butter, at room temperature
1 box confectioners' sugar

Beat cream cheese and butter together in a bowl. Add sugar and blend well. Spread on top of cooled cake. Add strawberries and blueberries in whatever pattern you like. Remember to thoroughly wash and dry your fruit before adding to cake.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

~ENJOY!~

Prankster Wankster

I loved telling jokes and doing pranks as a child but I can't really think of an ultimate prank that I pulled. I was an only child, raised by a single mother, which didn't leave me with a large audience to prank! What I do remember fondly is all of the cool prankster toys and gadgets that we had growing up in the 80's.



We had cigarette bubble gum, gum that tasted like dirt, can of farts, gum packs that would shock you, green slime, fake blood...the options were endless! I thankfully have never had the horror of biting into gum that tastes like dirt but I have definitely given out a few of those packs. I know, I'm naughty.

I think food pranks are the easiest to pull off because no one really expects to bite into something that looks normal and be knocked out by whatever ridiculousness is lurking inside. That's why I think I'll plan a nice little prank for the hubs. The guise? BACON! Bacon-themed items seem to be all the rage right now and just my luck, what did I come across?!?!?!? Bacon Frosting!!!

Just imagine his face when I present him with this beauty!

I'll have to tell you when I successfully pull this off. SHHHHH...don't tell him! Happy Pranking!!!

Uber Easy Homemade Caramel Sauce

1 can sweetened condensed milk
{YEP! That's it!}
- Place unopened can of sweetened condensed milk in a pot and completely cover it with water.
- Place lid on top and boil for 3 hours. Make sure can stays covered with water.
- Use tongs to take can out of water and let can cool.
- Open can, once cooled, and ENJOY!
See! I told you it was uber easy!

Brownie Cookie Cups...BROOKIES!!!

Like many people, I get a lot of recipe inspiration from Pinterest, how could you not?!?!? There are thousands of yummilicious looking treats and decadent meals that make you want to stop by the grocery store on the way home from work and cook up something FANTASTIC!

This brownie cookie cup is no exception! I am pretty sure I saw it on Pinterest but it wasn't a recipe it was some "special" pan that Williams-Sonoma used to carry but I don't think they do any more. But it was simply a pan that was slightly larger than a cupcake and maybe slightly flatter and I believe it was sold with brownie and cookie mixes. So today I decided to just go ahead and test it out with my old trusty cupcake pan and guess what...IT WORKED!

OK so yes, if you haven't guessed I have a bit of a sweet tooth! I do cook real food and sometimes it's even healthy! I'd probably have to actually post such things so you'll believe me, but this is a new blog so just give me a little time! {Please and thank you!}

So back to this yummy sweet ridiculousness! It's everything you would want when you can't decide between a brownie or cookies. That sounded greedy...let me rephrase...Uhmmmm... I got nothing! It's just yummy and good! And after all...isn't that what we all REALLY want deep (not so deep) down inside?!?!?!?! Just look at it!

Look how good that looks sitting on that plate! Can't you just imagine how good this would be?!?!? The brownie cup forms a perfect little bowl for the super yum brownie/cookie filling inside. It's the best of both worlds. This offers something for both the chocolate lover and the cookie fiend! It was quite simple! Just make a batch of brownies, then make the cookie dough. Or, you can be lazy like I was today and just use the box brownies, the basic Betty Crocker Fudge Brownie box is my personal favorite and grab a roll of Pillsbury chocolate chip and you're done! I greased the cups, poured the brownie mix in half way and then topped with about 2 tablespoons of cookie dough and baked for about 35 minutes.

But of course I couldn't stop there!!! Oh no...that would be nonsense to just stop at combining a cookie and a brownie. Nope...I like going that extra mile! I like pushing the envelope of ridiculous! I like going right to the edge of that cliff and then just diving off face first. Yep...I did it!!! I topped it off with some delicious Haagen Daaz Dulce de Leche Ice Cream!!! Yep...RIDICULOUS!!! 

And I won't apologize for it either!



Pear Reisling Pound Cake

OK so I had this FABULOUS idea to do a Pear Reisling Pound Cake based off of a recipe I saw for poached pears and a cardamom whipped cream! It sounded simply divine and why would I not want to treat myself to such a treat?!?!? But why stop at just a yummy dessert? Why not throw said yummy dessert into a pound cake?!?!?! Even better!

The verdict...YUMMY!!! But in my most humble and honest opinion I do think my first draft was a bit too sweet and I need to rethink how I make it. For starters, I poached the pears in Reisling and 2 cups of sugar for about 30 minutes...or was it three cups? Maybe I shouldn't drink the Reisling as I'm baking. I then combined the cardamom whipped cream, pears with some of the Reisling liquid that had been reduced to a syrup and pureed them all together.

Are you licking your lips yet? I know I was!

What I neglected to consider was that all that sugary goodness from...well the sugar mainly (tee hee) and the wine would slightly carmelize the outside of the pound cake. So besides some sticking issues, despite my very well greased pan, the outside of the cake was slightly chewy and again, in my opinion, just a little too sweet. Ask my husband, who thinks its OK to put sugar on Frosted Flakes, and he'll say it was not too sweet.

So we will have to do another test cake! YAYYYY!!! I enjoy yummy mishaps and if sweet and chewy are my downfalls on this one, I'll take it for now!

Taste wise, the cake did have a very pleasant pear and cardamom taste and of course was SUPER moist! We just need to consider reducing the sugar. Next cake I think will be more pear-y and cardamom-y and I'll use the Riesling poaching liquid as the glaze!!! Oh yum, I can taste it already!!!

I'll be sure to post my the redo! Until then...KEEP YUMMY ALIVE!