Leprechaun Trap Cake
This may look like a perfectly innocent cake meant to lure a leprechaun to the top but it has a few secrets. Secret #1: Beneath the pile of gold coins are fragile bars, when the leprechaun approaches to grab the coins he’ll fall into the pit and be trapped. Secret #2: There is a rainbow hiding inside the cake. The leprechaun will discover this as he eats his way to freedom. Have you heard of Leprechaun traps? I decided that my angel food cake pan, with the hole in the middles, would make an excellent shape for a leprechaun trap. To read the complete how-to for this cake please click on MORE. To form the rainbow in this cake I used the method shown here at Omnomicon which is very simple — separate your cake batter, color each section, then pour it into your cake pan one color on top of the next. You can see this effect in the image above from Omnomicon, the color poured in last is much more prominent than the color that went first, which is squeezed and spread around the bottom. Notes:
Banana Split Bites
Banana Split Bites ~ A classic ice cream dessert gets mini for some bite size fun. And yes, there is actually a tiny scoop of ice cream tucked inside and underneath the whip cream of those little darlings. Banana Split Mini Bites For once I made something mini for portion control and not just for the cute factor. Keeping all things in mind what I served is what you see here. Here’s what wasn’t a hit and what I learned. Impromptu play dates with four kid’s ages 3-5 year olds after a full work day –not a good idea.Know in advance what other kids will and won’t eat. Luckily, dessert made all things right. No recipe just a few notes: Use firm bananas and cut into 1 inch sections. Leave a Comment
Steak au Poivre - The Showstopper
I have a comment on this comment, then I have a comment for the OP. To Amy: Removing to foil is simply a way to keep the steaks warm whilst resting (FOR 5 MINUTES AT LEAST… ALWAYYYS!). When the OP says remove to foil, he/she doesn’t mean to wrap them tightly. They mean to place them in a plate, and form a loose ‘covering’ of foil. This will simply trap some of the heat and allow it to remain warm, without trapping too much moisture. To the OP and to anyone else who decides to try ‘flambe’: It is important to note: When you add cognac or any other high proof liquour to a hot pan, then ignite, you are not burning the alcohol itself, per se. - Never light alcohol while there is an open flame/heat source. - Notice how in the OP, they remove the pan from the stove and then light. - Keep a heavy lidded pan nearby, just in case things Do go awry (if you follow the first 2 tips, they won’t) - Always have at least an ABC rated fire extinguisher within arm’s reach
Churro Tots
Happy Wednesday, beautiful people.Factoid for you: Getting my car serviced stresses me.To deal, I totally made Churro Tots. Throw in stress eating and calls to dad, and it some how made everything okay. I encourage it!Last week I went to a cookbook release party at Border Grill and they had churros…in tot form! I was blown away by their cuteness–had to replicate it stat for you all.I basically made a tweaked and adjusted version of this pate a choux recipe. Grab a baking sheet, line it with some paper towels. Recipe adapted from Dorie GreenspanPrint this recipe!
How to Cook Summer Vegetables
chocolate mousse with Grand Marnier
I don’t know about you, but I always tend to think that recipes that have been with you for a long time are kind of old friends. The ones you know inside out and could make even woken up in the middle of the night, or so I thought. This chocolate mousse recipe is the one I’ve been making for years. Nicolas Boussin, who was in 2000 named the best pastry chef of France, developed this recipe for Grand Marnier, and I since I’ve tried it first time, I’ve never looked at any other chocolate mousse recipe ever again. Naturally, when I set out on this chocolate mousse marathon, I had secretly hoped, that the recipe I always use will win. What I didn’t expect however, was that due to the extensive amount of cooking that weekend my memory will start slipping and I will start forgetting things. What was surprising in the end, that even without butter this recipe scored very high with judges. Nicolas Boussin chocolate mousse Author: Nicolas Boussin Recipe type: dessert Serves: 6-8
Step-by-Step: Amazing Spiced Chai Concentrate – Tasty Kitchen Blog
Warm spices, strong tea and steamed milk swirling around in my tummy make chai lattes a favorite during the winter months. It warms me from the inside out in a way that puts coffee and tea to shame. Unfortunately, the chai concentrate from certain coffee chains is too sweet. But there is something better. It never occurred to me to make my own chai. (Certainly it must be too hard.) Here are the ingredients you’ll need: cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, star anise, cloves, black pepper, nutmeg, orange zest, tea bags, brown sugar, honey, and vanilla. Start by bringing 4 1/2 cups water to the boil on the stove. Then you need some orange zest. The recipe says to use a piece of ginger. Once the water has come to a boil, remove the pot from the heat and add the tea bags. Then add your cinnamon sticks (we only add two—it just looks like we’re using four because we broke them in half). Then add your star anise and seven cardamom pods. Now you are left with delicious, homemade chai concentrate. Description
Deep Dish Fruit Pizza
My sister-in-law Missy first introduced me to the concept of fruit pizza years and years ago, and here’s how: she brought one to my house and I proceeded to eat the whole thing. But it was small. And I was nursing. I whipped up a whopper of a fruit pizza a couple of weeks ago using my good ol’ standby sugar cookie recipe…and it was so darn good in such a naughty, naughty way. This is one of those fun, throw-together treats that’s perfect for everything from a slumber party to a baby shower. Sorry I said mammary glands. The Cast of Characters: my sugar cookie dough (recipe below), marshmallow creme, cream cheese, peaches, kiwi, blueberries…and whatever other fruit you’d like! Now, you could divide the dough in half, then roll out each half into thin, round pizzas. Or you could do what I done did… And press the whole quantity of dough into a sheet pan. I love this pebbly texture. Then just throw it in the oven… And bake it till it’s golden brown but not very crisp. And then…brace yourselves.
