The Guest with the Best (Dessert)

There's nothing like Summer to bring out the picnic-goer and bbq-lover in all of us. Since it's always wise not to arrive empty-handed, bring along one of these sinful desserts to really get the party going:

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars and Key Lime Coconut Bars.

I brought both to a recent cooking club and my health-conscious friends made 'all gone' like they were fat free cookies. Pretty impressive considering it's bikini season. 

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Bars:

Even if you don't think you like dulce de leche, give these a try. They're delightful and taste more like caramel.  And don't forget the sea salt at the very end. It brings out all the sweet flavors.

Key Lime Coconut Pie Bars:

Just as good and if not better than any key lime pie I've tried in my life. If you don't like coconut, just omit it from the recipe all together.

PC: Bon Appetit 2010, A Feathered Nest

Recipes after the jump:

Dulce de Leche Bars:

Crust:

• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 1/4 cups finely ground graham crackers (from about 17 whole graham crackers)
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

• 3 8-ounce packages Philadelphia-brand cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/2 cup purchased dulce de leche*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:

• 2/3 cup purchased dulce de leche
• 3 tablespoons (or more) heavy whipping cream
• Fleur de sel**

Preparation

For crust:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 13 x 9 x 2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and cinnamon in medium bowl. Add melted butter; stir until coated. Transfer crumb mixture to pan. Press evenly onto bottom of pan. Bake until crust is light golden, about 10 minutes. Cool completely on rack.

For filling:
Blend cream cheese and sugar in processor until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl. Add eggs 1 at a time, processing 3 to 5 seconds to blend between additions. Add dulce de leche and vanilla; process until blended, about 10 seconds. Spread batter evenly over cooled crust. Bake until just set in center and edges are puffed and slightly cracked, about 38 minutes. Transfer to rack; cool completely.

For glaze:
Heat dulce de leche and 3 tablespoons cream in microwave-safe bowl in 10-second intervals until melted. Stir to blend, adding more cream by teaspoonfuls if too thick to pour (amount of cream needed will depend on brand of dulce de leche). Pour glaze over cooled cheesecake; spread evenly. Refrigerate until chilled, about 1 hour (glaze will not be firm). DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill.

Cut cheesecake lengthwise into 4 strips, then crosswise into 6 strips, forming 24 bars. Sprinkle bars with fleur de sel.

* A thick, sweet sauce made from caramelized sugar in milk or from sweetened condensed milk; available at some supermarkets and specialty foods stores and at Latin markets.

** A type of sea salt; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

Key Lime Bars:

Crust:

1 1/2 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 T. sugar

1/2 c. sweetened, flaked coconut

1/3 c. melted butter, melted

Filling:

3 14 oz cans sweetened, condensed milk

1/2 c. sour cream

3/4 c. key lime juice (I used bottled key lime juice from the grocery store)

1 Tbsp. grated lime zest

Topping:

Whipped cream and toasted coconut for garnish

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8 x 8 square baking pan with parchment paper, overlapping the paper over the sides to create handles for later.  Mix the crumbs, sugar, coconut, and butter in a bowl and press into the pan; bake for 8-10 minutes.  Remove and cool slightly.

While crust is cooling, make the filling. In a bowl, add the remaining ingredients: sweetened, condensed milk, sour cream, lime juice, and lime zest.  Whisk to combine until smooth and creamy.  Pour on top of crust; bake for 8-10 minutes (my oven took around 14 minutes) until firm to touch but not browned at all.   Cool at room temperature, then chill completely.

Top with whipped cream and toasted coconut*

*to toast the coconut, line a baking sheet with parchment paper; spread a thin layer of sweetened, shredded coconut on top, and bake at 350 degrees for 5-6 minutes until it's lightly golden brown)

Sunday Funday

Last Sunday my husband and I had three families over for a relaxing and enjoyable Sunday night dinner.  With Italian fare that was adult and kid-friendly and a group of well-behaved toddlers, the night went off with a hitch ending with a toddler dance party to Mumford & Son's and Skillet Almond Shortbread. (It's quite the combo I have to say).  I can't think of a more perfect (or adorable) way to end the weekend.

Here's what I served:

Kale Caesar Salad

I used green kale and a mixture of two store-bought Caesar dressings.  One that is creamy and the other that is more of a vinaigrette

Brussel Sprout, Caramelized Onion, and Pancetta Pizza:

Be sure to use store-bought pizza dough (like Whole Foods whole wheat version) and don't forget the lemon juice and hot chili oil at the end that really makes this pizza one-of-a-kind.

Sicialian Meatballs

The most wonderful meatballs I've ever had with a special surprise on the inside-pine nuts and currants

Chile Shrimp with Butter Beans, Capers, and Couscous
Hot and spicy yet lemony and buttery-the perfect combo for my health-conscious friends

Roasted Broccoli and Summer Squash
This simple and tasty side dish always does the trick

Skillet Almond Shortbread Cake
The most addictive cake I've ever had. I made it 4x this week for various reasons.

PC: Kale Caesar Salad: Tastingtable, Food & Wine for picture 2, 3, 5, picture 4: Simply Recipes, 6: Food Network

Skillet Almond Shortbread

It's recipes like these that make my chocolate allergy a walk in the park. Trisha Yearwood's Skillet Almond Shortbread is moist, flavorful, and has the perfect buttery shortbread flavor that's finished off with crunchy toasted almonds.  It will forever hold a special place in my heart and freezer. 

If you have a nut allergy, omit the nuts entirely, it's just as delicious.

Recipe after the jump:

Ingredients

Nonstick cooking spray

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

2 large eggs

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon almond extract ****(I use vanilla extract)

1/2 cup sliced almonds with skins

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 10-inch cast-iron skillet with aluminum foil and spray the foil with cooking spray.

In a large mixing bowl, stir 1 1/2 cups of the sugar into the melted butter. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Sift the flour and salt onto the batter. Add the flavoring and stir well. Pour the batter into the skillet. Top with sliced almonds and the remaining 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake until slightly brown on top, about 35 minutes. Cool the shortbread in the skillet. When cool, use the foil to lift the shortbread from the skillet; remove the foil before serving.

PC: Food Network

Recipe adapted from Georgia Cooking in an Oklahoma Kitchen by Trisha Yearwood

Peer Pressure

Looking for a showstopper? Check out Crack Pie, the cult classic dessert crafted by James Beard-rising star chef David Chang from his famous bakery Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC. (Wow, that was a mouthful).

Now, obviously you should steer clear of anything called crack, but I swear this is actually the good kind. It's the sort of pie that makes you hate yourself for realizing how little self control you have when it comes to something so dangerously addictive.  Try it, everyone's doing it. I mean I have been for the past four nights and I'm fine. (Leftovers are killer).

I think it's my favorite pie of all time. 

Recipe after the Jump

Crack Pie

LA Times Note: Adapted from Momofuku. This pie calls for 2 (10-inch) pie tins. You can substitute 9-inch pie tins, but note that the pies will require additional baking time, about 5 minutes, due to the increased thickness of the filling. Also, for those of you who don't know, 'scant' means a little less than called for.  

Cookie for crust 

2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour 

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking powder 

Scant 1/8 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/2 cup (1 stick) softened butter 

1/3 cup (2 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar 

3 tablespoons (1 1/4 ounces) sugar 

1 egg 

Scant 1 cup (3 1/2 ounces) rolled oats

1. Heat the oven to 375 degrees. 

2. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

3. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl using an electric mixer, beat the butter, brown sugar and sugar until light and fluffy. 

4. Whisk the egg into the butter mixture until fully incorporated. 

5. With the mixer running, beat in the flour mixture, a little at a time, until fully combined. Stir in the oats until incorporated. 

6. Spread the mixture onto a 9-inch-by-13-inch baking sheet and bake until golden brown and set, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to the touch on a rack. Crumble the cooled cookie to use in the crust.

Crust 

Crumbled cookie for crust 

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 

1 1/2 tablespoons (3/4 ounce) brown sugar 

1/8 teaspoon salt

Combine the crumbled cookie, butter, brown sugar and salt in a food processor and pulse until evenly combined and blended (a little of the mixture clumped between your fingers should hold together). Divide the crust between 2 (10-inch) pie tins. Press the crust into each shell to form a thin, even layer along the bottom and sides of the tins. Set the prepared crusts aside while you prepare the filling.

Filling 

1 1/2 cups (10 1/2 ounces) sugar 

3/4 cup plus a scant 3 tablespoons (7 ounces) light brown sugar 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup plus 1 teaspoon (3/4 ounce) milk powder 

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted 

3/4 cup plus a scant 2 tablespoons heavy cream 

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

8 egg yolks (yes, you read that right)

2 prepared crusts 

Powdered sugar, garnish

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, salt and milk powder. Whisk in the melted butter, then whisk in the heavy cream and vanilla. 

3. Gently whisk in the egg yolks, being careful not to add too much air. 

4. Divide the filling evenly between the 2 prepared pie shells. 5. Bake the pies, one at a time, for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 degrees and bake until the filling is slightly jiggly and golden brown (similar to a pecan pie), 20-25 minutes. Remove the pies and cool on a rack. 

6. Refrigerate the cooled pies until well chilled. The pies are meant to be served cold, and the filling will be gooey. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.

PC: Bon Appetit, Recipe: LA Times

V Day

Looking to do something romantic at home? Skip the crowds and go for this hot and spicy menu that will make you fall in love all over again.  It's so good that that it will probably earn you the 'Kitchen Goddess' moniker... which could easily lead into other pet names if you play your cards right.  

It starts with a Whipped Feta and Heirloom Tomato crostini that should be paired with a crisp, white wine.  It's followed by a Spicy Caesar Salad with bacon and red chiles in honor of V Day.  The main event is the juiciest and most flavorful Paprika Roasted Chicken cooked over crispy (duck fat) potatoes.  And the icing on the cake is the most refreshing Lemon Yogurt Pound Cake with a citrus glaze. Happy V Day!

Heirloom Tomato Crostini with Whipped Feta

(my new favorite crostini of all time)

Spicy Caesar salad with bacon
(I've made it as is and low fat with light mayo and turkey bacon and it is still amazing)

Paprika roasted chicken with potatoes

(By far the best roasted chicken I've ever made)

Lemon yogurt citrus glazed pound cake

Recipes after the Jump

Heirloom Tomato Crostini by Ina Garten:
-Makes 20 to 25 crostini; serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:
6 ounces good feta cheese, crumbled
2 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
2/3 cup good olive oil, divided
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2 Tbsp pine nuts
2 Tbsp minced shallots (2 shallots)
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
2 Tbsp good red wine vinegar
2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes 1/2" diced
3 Tbsp julienned fresh basil leaves, plus extra for servings
20 to 25 (1/2" thick) diagonal baguette slices, toasted)

Directions
Active time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes

Place feta and cream cheese in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse until cheeses are mixed. Add ⅓ cup olive oil, lemon juice, ½ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper and process until smooth. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place pine nuts in a dry sauté pan over low heat and cook 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until lightly browned. Set aside.

For the tomato topping, up to an hour before serving, combine shallots, garlic, and vinegar in a medium bowl. Set aside 5 minutes to allow shallots to absorb vinegar. Whisk in remaining ⅓ cup olive oil, 1 tsp. salt, and ½ tsp. pepper. Add tomatoes, stir gently, and set aside 10 minutes. Stir in basil and taste for seasoning.

To assemble crostini, spread each baguette slice with a generous amount of whipped feta. With a slotted spoon, place tomatoes on top. Put crostini on plates and scatter with the reserved toasted pine nuts. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Spicy Caesar Salad from Food & Wine:
Servings: 6
Prep time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1/2 baguette, sliced 1/3" thick
1/4 cup EVOO, plus more for brushing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 oil-packed anchovy fillets, preferably spicy, drained and chopped
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 large garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tsp dijon mustard
freshly ground pepper
6 slices lean bacon (3 oz)
1 1/2 pounds romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
1 long red chile, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 400°. Spread the baguette slices on a baking sheet and lightly brush both sides with olive oil. Bake for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown. Let the toasts cool, then break them into large pieces.

Meanwhile, in a mini food processor, combine the mayonnaise, anchovies, lemon juice, garlic and mustard and blend until smooth. With the processor on, slowly pour in the 1/4 cup of olive oil. Season the dressing with pepper.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderate heat until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Drain and slice crosswise 1 inch thick

In a large bowl, toss the romaine with the sliced chile, croutons and the bacon. Add the dressing and toss. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the salad, toss again and serve right away.

MAKE AHEAD The dressing can be refrigerated overnight.

Paprika Roasted Chicken with Potatoes:

-recipe from dianeabroad.com adapted from lottie + doof

Servings: 2-3

Ingredients

1 chicken, around 3 pounds
1 tablespoon salt
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 onion
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon hot Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 1/2-2 pounds waxy potatoes (I used yukon gold) scrubbed and dried
3 tablespoons duck fat, rendered bacon fat, or oil (I used canola oil, but would have loved duck fat)
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
salt and pepper

8 hours to 3 days before you plan to cook the bird, pat it completely dry inside and out with paper towels, removing the gizzards and fat from inside the cavity if they were included. Sprinkle a little of the salt inside the cavity, along the backbone. Sprinkle the rest of the salt all over the skin. Cover loosely and refrigerate until you’re ready to roast.

Prepare the rub: finely grate 1 of the cloves of garlic and mix in a small bowl with the smoked paprika, Hungarian paprika, and olive oil.

Heat your oven to 475°F (250°C).

Remove the chicken from the fridge and stuff with the thyme sprigs, 1/2 an onion, and the 3 remaining garlic cloves, smashed with the blade of a knife or with the bottom of a heavy mug. Rub the paprika mixture all over the outside of the chicken. Truss the bird if desired, or just tie the legs together with a bit of twine.


Cut the potatoes into a 3/4″ dice. Warm the duck fat (or bacon fat or oil) in a heavy cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until the fat is melted. Add the diced potatoes, smoked paprika, and salt and pepper to taste, and toss well to coat the potatoes with the fat.

Make a well in the center of the potatoes to expose some of the cast iron (if you have enough room in your skillet to do so). Lay the chicken breast-side up in the center of the cast iron and immediately transfer to the hot oven. After 30 minutes, remove the chicken to a plate, give the potatoes a stir, flip the bird breast-side down onto the potatoes and place back into the oven. Lower the heat to 425°F (220°C). Roast for another 15-20 minutes, then flip again breast-side up. Finish roasting for 5-10 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of the thighs registers 165°F (74°C).

Remove the chicken to a plate or carving board to rest for 10-15 minutes. Meanwhile, give the potatoes another toss and return to the oven for a final crisping. Serve the potatoes hot out of the oven and the chicken carved or whole.

PCM: the Oprah magazine, Simply Recipes, Diane-A-Broad, Food & Wine

Winning

Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter Cookies with Sea Salt 

The only thing Superbowl Sunday does for me is gives me a good run for my money.  Not literally since I could care less about gambling or football, but more so that I have to figure out THE dish to bring to the party every, single, year. I mean, it basically sums up your last year's worth of cooking/baking talent in one fell swoop and that's no easy feat!

This year I came out on top since I chose a cookie that is probably the best thing I've ever tasted: Nutella-Stuffed Brown Butter Cookies with Sea Salt. Need a visual? Picture a Carol's Cookie on steroids with a pop of warm nutella in its center and a sprinkle of sea salt to make you extra excited.  Feeling skinny? Make them.   Feeling fat? I don't know what to tell you.  Suck it up, what's an extra 1000 calories?

*Just a note, the dough is so thick and crumbly that I first made the balls and then after the refrigeration step, I warmed each one up with my hands, broke it half, made them into semi-flat circles, put on the dollop of nutella and covered it with the other side to form a ball.  I cooked them for exactly 10 minutes and removed them from the pan after 2 minutes.  I found that they started to burn if not and nobody likes burned chocolate. Not even Sexual Chocolate!

Recipe after the jump:

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg plus 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon plain greek yogurt
• 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
• 1 jar of Nutella, chilled in refrigerator
• Coarse sea salt for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl and set aside. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. The butter will begin to foam. Make sure you whisk consistently during this process. After a couple of minutes, the butter will begin to brown on the bottom of the saucepan; continue to whisk and remove from heat as soon as the butter begins to brown and give off a nutty aroma. Immediately transfer the butter to a bowl to prevent burning. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
2. With an electric mixer, mix the butter and sugars until thoroughly blended. Beat in the egg, yolk, vanilla, and yogurt until combined. Add the dry ingredients slowly and beat on low-speed just until combined. Gently fold in all of the chocolate chips.
3. Chill your dough for 2 hours in the refrigerator, or place in freezer for 30 minutes if you are super eager, although I cannot promise the same results if you do this.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Once dough is chilled measure about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough and roll into a ball. Flatten the dough ball very thinly into the palm of your hand. Place 1 teaspoon of chilled nutella in the middle and fold dough around it; gently roll into a ball — it doesn’t have to be perfectly rolled! Make sure that the nutella is not seeping out of the dough. Add more dough if necessary. Place dough balls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart and flatten with your hand VERY gently. (Really only the tops need to be flattened a bit!)
5. Bake the cookies 9-11 minutes or until the edges of the cookies begin to turn golden brown. They will look a bit underdone in the middle, but will continue to cook once out of the oven. Cool the cookies on the sheets at least 2 minutes. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Remove the cooled cookies from the baking sheets after a few minutes and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough.

PC: Ambitious Kitchen

Pumpkin Bread

We're celebrating Thanksgiving tomorrow morning at Jack and Wyatt's school and since I'm in charge of dessert I made a fresh batch of Breakfast Cookies and a better-than-Starbucks Pumpkin bread that is a true crowd pleaser. The recipe comes from my very close family friend in Ohio.  Thanks Heidi!

Recipe after the jump...

Here's the recipe:

2 1/2 cups flour
3 cups sugar
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp salt
4 eggs
3/4 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup water
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups canned pumpkin
Optional: 1 cup chopped nuts

Directions:
Sift the dry ingredients together. In a separate bowl (or with a mixmaster) mix the eggs, oil, and water.  Gradually add the dry ingredients to form a smooth batter.  Scrape down the sides after each addition. Add the pumpkin and vanilla and mix well.  Fold in the nuts.  Pour into 2 greased loaf pans or bake in a bundt pan as a cake.  Bake at 325 for 1 hour and fifteen minutes or until firm. Allow to cool for fifteen minutes and turn onto a cooling rack. 

*Note: if you're using a dark metal loaf pan, you might want to shorten cooking time a little, maybe 5 minutes.

This recipe freezes well.  Allow to fully cool before freezing.

PC: Yours Truly
 

Breakfast Cookies

My former sorority sister Lauren should be voted Mom of the Year.  She's a hard-working entrepreneur, dedicated Mom, social chair for other Mom's, and also a healthy chef for her beautiful daughter Bryn and her friends.  Her most recent playdate featured Breakfast Cookies that were devoured by the kids and adults alike in about one minute flat. They're so good that it's hard to believe they're nutritious.  It's no surprise since everything she does is extraordinary. 

Recipe after the jump:

Here's the recipe from Weelicious:

Yields: 30 cookies

3 bananas (preferably ripe or spotty bananas)

2 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup pitted and chopped dried dates

1/4 cup oil (Lauren uses sunflower oil)

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup any of the following: raisins, craisins, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or chocolate chips*

1/4 tsp salt

*I use a mix of raisins, craisins and sunflower seeds; Lauren uses raisins, sunflower, and pumpkin seeds.

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mash the bananas in a bowl until runny and mix in the remaining ingredients.  Allow the mixture to sit for 10 minutes.  Using a mini ice cream scoop or tablespoon, place the batter onto a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes.  Cool and serve.

To make into bars, place the dough in a greased 7" x 11" dish and bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool.  Cut into bars or squares. 

To freeze: allow cookies to cool ompletely after baking and then place them into a Ziploc bag, label, and freeze for up to 3 months.

PC: Yummly.com

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

With Thanksgiving around the corner I thought I'd be a good Samaritan and repost my favorite dessert of all time:

Apple Cake with Toffee Crust

 It's one of those cakes that puts you on the radar as a serious baker.  Time to cross off 'dessert' on your Thanksgiving to-do list.  I have you covered. 

P.S. I don't bother with the caramelized apples for topping.  I think the cake with the toffee sauce and ice cream is more than enough.

P.P.S If you don't have a tube pan use a bundt pan.

The recipe:
Servings: 10-12
Active time: 3 hours 45 minutes with cooling

Cake:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 stick unsalted butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Toffee Sauce: 
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon brandy (I don't use this)

Caramelized Apples: (I don't make these)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 large Granny Smith apples—peeled, cored and cut into 8 wedges each
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons water
Vanilla ice cream, for serving

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 325°. Butter and flour a 9-inch springform tube pan. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour with the salt and baking soda. In a large bowl, whisk the oil with the granulated sugar. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Add the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth. Fold in the diced apples with a rubber spatula. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and bake in the lower third of the oven for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool slightly.

2) Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, combine the butter, cream and brown sugar and bring to a boil over moderate heat, stirring. Remove the toffee glaze from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

3) Place the warm cake (still in its pan) on a rimmed baking sheet. Pour the hot glaze over the cake and let it seep into the cake, poking lightly with a toothpick. Let the cake cool completely, about 2 hours. Invert the cake onto a plate, and invert again onto another plate, right side up.

4) In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Using a moistened pastry brush, wash down any sugar crystals on the side of the pan. Cook without stirring until a medium-amber caramel forms, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and quickly but carefully stir in the cream and butter. Simmer the sauce over moderate heat for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and stir in the brandy. Pour the toffee sauce into a pitcher.

5) In a large skillet, melt the butter and the brown sugar. Add the apples and cinnamon and cook over moderately high heat, turning the apples once or twice, until they are tender and caramelized, about 10 minutes. Add the water to dissolve the caramel in the skillet, then transfer the caramelized apples to a plate.

6) Slice the cake and serve with the caramelized apples, toffee sauce and vanilla ice cream.

*Make Ahead: The unmolded cake can be stored in an airtight container overnight at room temperature. The toffee sauce can be refrigerated for up to 1 week; reheat gently before serving. The apples can be made up to 2 hours ahead and kept at room temperature.

Recipe: Food & Wine

Forrest Gump

They say the key to a man's heart is through his stomach.  And since I know it holds true for my husband, I thought it would be only fitting to celebrate my best guy friend's birthday by making him a special home-cooked meal. I included all of his favorites-a hearty Fall soup (pumpkin), lots of good bread (butter Parmesan toasts), something shockingly unfancy but tasty: sundried tomato and feta meatloaf, carbs: Greek potatoes, and his all-time favorite dessert from Joe's Stone Crab (his home away from home): Peanut Butter Pie.  I could go on and on about Peanut Butter Pie just like Bubba and his shrimp but I know we don't have all day so I'll leave you with these two words: Make it.

Ingredients:

Hot Fudge Sauce:
1/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/8 tsp table salt
2 tsp vanilla extract
4 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

Peanut Butter Pie
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar, plus 2 tbsp divided
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter, at room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, plus whipped cream, for garnish, optional
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 oz shaved milk chocolate
chopped peanuts, optional

Other:
1 9" baked chocolate or graham cracker pie crust
Optional: 1/2 cup chopped peanuts

Directions:
Sauce:  Add the cream, brown sugar, corn syrup, cocoa powder, salt, and vanilla extract to a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer and add the chopped chocolate. Stir continuously until the chocolate is melted and the sauce has thickened, roughly 3 to 4 minutes. Let the sauce cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pie: In a large bowl combine the cream cheese, 3/4 cups confectioners' sugar and the peanut butter until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. In a separate bowl, whip the heavy cream until thick and light. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar and vanilla extract. Continue to whip until stiff peaks form. Carefully fold the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture. Pour the batter into the pie shell, sprinkle with the shaved milk chocolate (and chopped peanuts if desired) and freeze for 4 hours.  When ready to serve, drizzle each piece with the hot fudge sauce.

PC: FoodNetwork.com, Recipe courtesy of the Neely's

Dirt Cups

My girlfriend Allyson claims she isn't the crafty type, yet she'll show up to playgroup with adorable dirt cups for the kids or host a girl's dinner with the most creative centerpieces you've ever seen (think chalkboard mugs lining the table filled with gorgeous flowers and rolling pin place cards). 

Her latest craft-dirt cups-was a huge hit with our playgroup and I thought I'd pass it along since it's perfect for Halloween. And let's be honest, it's adult-friendly too.

Kraft Dirt Cups:
Serves: 10

Ingredients:
1 pkg JELL-O (3.9 oz) Chocolate instant pudding
2 cups cold milk
1 tub (8 oz) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed
15 Oreo Cookies, crushed
10 worm, chewy fruit snacks

Beat the pudding mix and milk in large bowl with whisk for 2 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in COOL WHIP and 1/2 cup cookie crumbs.  Spoon into 10 (6- to 7-oz.) paper or plastic cups; top with remaining cookie crumbs.

Refrigerate for 1 hour. Top with fruit snacks just before serving.

Thanks Allyson!

PC: Kraftrecipes.com

Da Bears Menu

Last Monday my husband and I hosted 15 of our friends for a night of da Bears and chili.  Since one of my friends is pregnant, another is breastfeeding, and another can't eat pork, I made two sets of chili so no one would go hungry. Here's what was served:

7 Layer Dip (by the Pioneer Woman) to start:

Giada's Chicken Chili: 

Beef and Chorizo Chili: 

***I substitute ground round for stew meat

Mac N' Cheese with Pancetta: a true crowd pleaser

(I add a few dashes of nutmeg)

Ina's Corn Muffins: equally delicious

(I add a 1/2 cup of drained sweet yellow corn to the batter)

Dessert: 

Sweet Mandy B's Cupcakes:

Lucky for me, the Bears won and the food was a hit so it was a good night had by all.  

 PC: Pioneerwoman, browniebites, green local living, bon appetit, food network, formerms

So Smooth

Pregnancy brings on all kinds of cravings like two of my favorites, ice cream and fruit.  Since a daily ice cream can't be good for my non-existent waistline, I found the perfect solution to get my fix: Yoplait's Frozen Smoothie, available in several delicious flavors like strawberry banana.  Located in the freezer section of most markets, all you need to add is milk which makes it a great source of calcium.  And, when I'm extra hungry, I add a small scoop of almond flour and it tastes even more like a milkshake (which is the entire point of the snack).  

Here's the almond flour I use:

Enjoy!

PC: Yoplait, Amazon

Happily Ever After

Cheese Plate (for two) with Heart-Shaped Figs:

(Cut the figs in half and shape into hearts)

Beet-heart Salad:

Filet Mignon with Herb-and-Cheese Potatoes

OR

Rack of Lamb with Herb Crust

Chocolate Fondue (include your favorite dippers):

If you prefer milk chocolate (rather than bittersweet chocolate) try this sauce from Betty Crocker

Can't celebrate on Monday? Surprise your loved one with Breakfast in Bed over the weekend:

Classic French Toast:

OR

Heart-Shaped Eggs and Toast

PC: Martha Stewart