Spring Treats #8: Green Velvet Cake

I think I go a little bit overboard on holidays.

For a while I kept thinking to myself, "wow, there are like six holidays in a row that are my favorite ones." But now I just think I like holidays a little too much. Every holiday. I don't discriminate.  

I had to make a dessert. A fancy one to impress some people we were having over for dinner (not that I do that of course). I saw this green velvet cheesecake cake on Recipe Girl, and since I was short on time, I decided to just omit the cheesecake part (sad day) and make the cake, because it looked equally delicious. 

And it turned out wonderfully. The recipe is relatively simple, and the cakes rose in the oven and turned a very festive, bright, turn-your-insides-green green.  

The frosting is a marshmallow cream cheese frosting that's sticky and thick, and about 1000 calories per bite. Happy St. Patrick's day to your stomach, maybe not so much to your hips.

I found these awesome sugar shamrock decals at the Peppermint Place in Alpine, and loved what they added to the cake. They made my tacky decorating job look a little bit more put together.

No matter what you're doing for St. Patrick's Day, you should probs make this cake. Just sayin'. 

Green Velvet Cake
adapted from Recipe Girl
For the cake:
2 1/2 cups flour
2 tbsp. cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups canola or veg. oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. white vinegar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermillk
2 tbsp. (1, 1 oz. bottle) green food coloring

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray two 9 inch pans with cooking spray, and cut out parchment paper to line the bottom of the pans. 
In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Set aside. 
In a large bowl or the bowl of your electric mixture, combine oil and sugar and beat on medium high speed until well combined. Add in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla, beating well after each addition. 
In a small bowl combine the vinegar and baking soda, stirring to dissolve the baking soda. Add the mixture to the rest of the wet ingredients, then add the buttermilk and food coloring.
Mix all the wet ingredients on low speed for 1-2 minutes, until well combined.
Add the dry ingredients slowly, and beat on medium-low speed until all the ingredients are combined.
Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes.
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes, then invert cakes onto a wire cooling rack. Let cool completely.


For the frosting:
2 8-oz pkgs. cream cheese, room temp.
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, room temp.
1 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme
1 1/2- 2 cups powdered sugar


In a large bowl, or the bowl of your electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Add the marshmallow creme and beat again, until well combined.
Slowly add the powdered sugar, beating well and adding as much as you want to reach your desired thickness and consistency (I used about 2 cups).


Place one cake layer on a cake plate or platter, and frost just the top of the cake. Add another layer and frost the top, then the sides of both layers.
Decorate as desired, and enjoy!
 

spring treats #7: Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp & the farmer's market

 on saturday morning, after sleeping in and listening to the pigeons chat with each other outside of our window (this is a daily occurence. they seem to gossip like it's nobody's business), i woke up and headed to the Provo Farmer's Market. Chin was playing basketball with his buddies, and i found it so peaceful to take a little me-time and head to the market for a little date with myself (although i did miss chin!). 

i had never been there before but had heard great things about the PFM, and i was so pleased. i plan on making it a weekly tradition, and also plan on taking my girlfriends with me to do a little market shopping.

loot i came home with:

delicious, fresh, chewy, soft, did i mention fresh (?) Orange Cranberry Walnut bread.

oh yeah. that. good.

also, i bought handmade earring for two dollars a piece, an herb box with six new herbs for fresh seasoning all summer long, and a bundle of rhubarb.

i'm actually not even sure why i bought the rhubarb. there was the cutest old man selling it, and we stirred up quite a conversation. i couldn't bear to not buy some rhubarb for him, and i decided to put it to good use.

 i wore these shoes to the market. i thought it was appropriate.

for a little side info:

i don't know how i feel about these oxford-style shoes that seem to be all the rage.

i never really thought they were much my style, and i would have never bought them unless i got them for the deal i did.

they were originally $100 at Nordstrom's... but as i browsed through the clearance shoe section i saw them and just glanced to see how much they might be.

to my surprise i saw that they were marked down to $20?!?! huh what?!?!

!!!!! exclamation points galore.

and so they were purchased. for i would not spend $100 on a pair of only mildly cute trendy shoes.

but they're growing on me. and i'm actually quite fond of them now.

ANYWAYS. so this crisp. it is splendid. strawberry and rhubarb has always been one of my favorite combinations, the contrast between the sweet and tart are like a party in my mouth.

plus, there is a distinct citrus tang that is subtle but adds so much to the crisp. i was pleasantly surprised during every bite!

i can't wait to make this again and again this summer.

(also, sorry for the lack of pictures. but it turned out so cute and such a pretty pinkish red color with a delectable golden brown crumble!) 

make this if you want to have eternal happiness from eating too much sugar and butter and fruit. yeah.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

adapted from barefoot contessa.

4 c. fresh rhubarb, diced (5-6 stalks)

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved

1 1/4 c. sugar

1 1/2 tsp. orange zest

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

1/2 c. fresh squeezed orange juice (about 1 and 1/2 big, ripe oranges)

1 c. flour

1/2 c. lightly packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 c. oats 

1 1/2 sticks (12 tbsp.) butter, cold and diced into small pieces

preheat oven to 350 degrees. 

for the fruit: toss the diced rhubarb and strawberries with the orange zest and 3/4 c. of the sugar (granulated sugar) in a large bowl. in a small bowl, combine cornstarch and orange juice until the cornstarch is dissolved. mix into fruit and sugar mixture. pour the mixture into a 7x11 inch pan. 

for the topping: in the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, stir together the flour, brown sugar, remaining white sugar, salt, and oats. with mixer on low speed, add the diced butter and mix until the dry ingredients are moist and create crumbles and resemble coarse meal (**NOTE: you could do this with a pastry cutter or your hands if you're without a mixer!). 

sprinkle the crumble over the fruit mixture, covering the fruit completely.

bake for one hour until the fruit is bubbly and crumble is golden brown.

serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

enjoy!

spring treats #6: Caramel Oatmeal Bars

i made these delicious bars last week, and i have been dying to share them with you. my friend Maureen showed me this recipe from Martha Stewart, and I don't know why it took me so long to make them.

I guess it's because sometimes I feel as though I am just really hit and miss with good old Martha.

I mean, let's be real, she is THE domestic goddess...

but she has soooo many recipes that it's kind of impossible for them all to be perfect.

but i decided to try these Caramel Oatmeal Bars out and they were to die for.

layers of gooey caramel and melted chocolate, with a crisp streusel oatmeal top and a soft oatmeal crust.

this description sounds fantastic, and it's not even the actual dessert!

you have to make these.

plus, they're not even tough to make. 

Caramel Oatmeal Bars

adapted from Martha Stewart

48-50 soft caramel squares (about one bag)

1/2 c. heavy cream

2 c. old-fashioned oats

2 c. flour

1 c. brown sugar

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 1/2 sticks butter, slightly cold and cut into small pieces

1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray a 9x13 inch pan with cooking spray. Line the pan bottom with parchment paper, leaving a two inch overhang over the two sides of the pan. 

Put caramels and heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat. stir occasionally until the caramels are melted and combined with the cream. Let cool.

In a large bowl, stir together the oats, flour, baking soda, and salt. Blend in the butter with either a fork or your fingers, mixing until it makes a coarse meal.

Press half of the oat mixture into the bottom of the pan, and bake until just set; 20 minutes. 

Let the pan cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes.

Sprinkle the crust with chocolate chips, then drizzle the caramel sauce over the chocolate chips. Top with remaining oat mixture and bake for 20-25 minutes, until pale golden. 

Let cool completely in the pan, then serve.

enjoy! :)

spring treats #5: Karen's Chocolate Chip Cookies

i'm not going to bore you about my cookie dilemma, because you've all heard about it a thousand times. and remember how i also said that i found the perfect recipe?!

i am so excited to share this with you my friends.

prepare to have your world rocked with fool-proof cookies.

Karen, our family friend, is an incredible cook and baker, and put together a cookbook for me when we got married.

while i was poring through recipes and cookbooks, i found Karen's recipe that she worked on  for ten years to perfect.

i've tested them out at least 4 times now, and they have been great every time.

enjoy!

Karen's Fool-Proof Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. shortening (crisco)

3/4 c. sugar

1 c. brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. lemon juice*

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and shortening together. Add sugars and beat until light and fluffy. add eggs, vanilla, and lemon juice, mix well. Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a separate bowl. Stir into shortening mixture until blended (do not beat with a mixer to combine!). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough with cookie scoop or by rounded tablespoons about 2 inches apart onto a cookie sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on pan 1 minute then transfer to cooling rack. 

*Note: i have used fresh lemon juice and it worked fine, but store bought lemon juice works great!

Karen's Cookie Variations:

for Giada's Cookies-

Use 1/2 c. nutella in place of the shortening, and add 1/2-1 c. hazelnuts.

for Double Chocolate Cookies-

add 1/3 c. cocoa to dry ingredients.

enjoy!

spring treats #4: Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

this recipe was one of the main events for Alex's graduation brunch last weekend. the recipe was adapted from Williams-Sonoma, and if i do go through with this webisode thing, this recipe will most likely be the first recipe i show. simply because i can't wait to make it again. the recipe is delicious, and really doesn't have too many ingredients in it, and it's relatively simple to make! i am so excited to share this with you today :)

Peach Streusel Coffee Cake

adapted from Williams-Sonoma

for the streusel:

3/4 c. flour

1/3 c. packed brown sugar

1/4 c. granulated sugar

1 tsp. cinnamon

6 tbsp. cold butter cut into small pieces

preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour a 9 inch springform pan. a glass square 8x8 baking dish can also be used (if using a glass dish reduce heat to 325 degrees). to make the streusel, in a bowl mix together the flour, brown sugar, sugar, and cinnamon. add the butter and blend the butter with the flour mixture with a pastry cutter or your hands, until coarse crumbs form. set aside.

for the cake:

1 1/2 c. flour

3/4 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 egg

1/2 stick melted butter (cooled)

1/2 c. milk

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

1 tsp. almond extract

2 firm, ripe peaches peeled and sliced, or 1 can sliced peaches

in a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. in another bowl, using your stand mixer or an electric mixer, whisk together the egg, milk, butter, vanilla, and almond extract until creamy, 1-2 minutes.

pour the creamy mixture into the flour mixture and just until they are combined. do not over mix! mix just enough so there are no lumps or dry spots.

spoon the batter into the pan or dish and spread evenly. align the peaches in a circle on top of the batter, pressing them into the batter slightly. sprinkle the batter and peaches with the streusel evenly.

bake until the streusel is golden brown and a toothpick in the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes.

transfer to a wire rack for twenty minutes, and then if using a springform pan, remove the sides. serve the cake warm or at room temperature. 

enjoy friends! make this over the weekend, i promise you'll love it! 

spring treats #3: Lemon Madeleines

with spring and summer fast approaching, i have been dying to start making lemon desserts.

i love the sweet and sour flavor and you can bet your bottom that come june and july, i will be whipping up lemon desserts like it's my job.

lemon treats are so refreshing in the spring and summer, it's almost like they don't count as a dessert (so of course i gourge myself in all sorts of lemony pleasures).

i first saw a recipe for madeleines a couple months ago on Cupcakes and Cashmere, and i knew i had fallen in love.

these french cookies looked soft and delightful, and i absolutely love the seashell shape.

where had i been that i didn't even know they made madeleine molds?!

as soon as i saw the little butter cakes, i knew i had to make them. i couldn't get them off my mind!

so when Chin's Nana&Papa gave me a Williams-Sonoma gift card for my birthday, i did not hesitate in thinking about what i was going to get.

my madeleine mold came today and what did i do? whip out my very first batch of Lemon Madeleines, adapted from Martha Stewart.

can you say adorable?

these tiny cakes are light and moist, and oh so sophisticated.

Lemon Madeleines 

adapted by Martha Stewart

3/4 c. (1 1/2 sticks) butter, melted

1/2 c. flour (i wish i had used normal flour instead of wheat)

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

3 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

3/4 c. sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 tbsp. grated lemon zest

2 tbsp. lemon juice (juice of about 1-2 lemons)

confectioners sugar for dusting

mix together dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, salt) in a separate bowl and set aside. in an electric mixer, mix eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon juice on medium-high speed until pale and thickened (5 minutes). mix in melted butter. Using a spatula, fold in flour mixture into egg mixture. Let rest 30 minutes.

Pour batter into buttered/greased pans, about 3/4 full. bake cookies for 7-9 minutes, rotating pans halfway through, until edges are crisp and golden. Let cool in pans until almost cooled, then invert molds. dust with confectioners sugar, and enjoy!

(yields 2 dozen cookies)

have a great weekend. :)

spring treats #2: Pot of Gold Cake

well if you can't tell by now, i absolutely love holidays.

i love everything about them.

since things have been pretty hectic lately (i spent 6 hours in the accounting lab today), we haven't had time to decorate for St. Patrick's Day and well... that was just not okay with me.

so Christian helped me make this tasty little leprechaun cake.

i think it turned out so cute.

and it actually tasted delicious!

i had to make up my own frosting because i was being pretty fickle and just couldn't decide what type would go well with this cake.

i used Martha Stewart's Vanilla Cake recipe,

and it worked like a charm (no pun intended. ha...).

i'm so excited to share this with you!

make this cake on Thursday and maybe it will bring you some luck :)

Pot of Gold Cake

adapted from Martha Stewart

1 c. (2 sticks) softened butter

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 1/2 c. sugar

2 large eggs, plus 3 large egg yolks

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 c. buttermilk

yellow and green food coloring

preheat oven to 350 degrees. butter and flour two 8 or 9 inch round cake pans, tap out excess flour. in a bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt (dry ingredients). in a bowl, using your kitchen aid mixer (or electric hand mixer), beat butter and sugar until fluffy. with mixer on low, beat in eggs and egg yolks, one at a time.

beat in vanilla. beginning and ending with flour mixture, alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to bowl, mixing until just combined.

*before adding to pans, pour half of the batter into another bowl. add yellow coloring to one bowl and green coloring to the other. mix until combined.

pour batters into pans.

bake for 32-35 minutes. let cool in pans for 10 minutes.

invert cakes onto a wire rack. once the cakes are completely cooled, cut each cake in half horizontally, creating 4 layers. lay one layer onto cake plate. frost top of cake layer (recipe below), then add another layer of the opposite color and frost. Add the next two layers like previous layers, so all layers are added and frosted so the colors are alternating. frost the top layer and the sides of the cake. top with your favorite sprinkles and enjoy! :)

Spur of the Moment Frosting

2 sticks (1 c. butter)

one 7 oz. jar marshmallow creme (could be substituted for cream cheese!)

1 tsp. vanilla

1 tbsp. milk (to thin if needed)

4-5 c. powdered sugar

beat butter and marshmallow creme until light and fluffy. add vanilla, powdered sugar, and optional milk to mixture and combine until well mixed.

spread on the cake layers. :)

yum!

spring treats #1: Sinful Brownies

is it spring yet?

it certainly doesn't feel like it,

but i am more than ready for some warm weather.

i can't stop thinking about it!

so i labeled these treats as spring ones because it's march and it's just never to early to be dreaming about spring.

for those of you who have been reading our blog for a while, you know my obsession with Picky Palate. This lady can take a brownie mix and turn it into a masterpiece.

you also know that i'm not a huge cake/brownie mix person. 

last friday we had some friends over for dinner and while I had a great meal planned, i had not even thought about dessert. the thought hadn't even crossed my mind!

around 5:00 i realized that I really should make... something.

so of course i turned to my dessert/brownie guru, Jenny from Picky Palate, and she gave me a great answer.

Peanut Butter Cup & Cheesecake Swirled Marshmallow Brownies.

if you haven't died and gone to heaven yet, just wait till you read the recipe.

the brownies, a plain brownie mix, can be dull and boring (and it's not real baking, it's using a whisk and adding eggs and oil. it doesn't count!). 

but once you swirl in a peanut butter cheesecake batter, chocolate chips, and layer on the peanut butter cups, marshmallows, more chocolate chips, and drizzle with chocolate sauce and peanut butter. we're in business! woah baby. 

Peanut Butter Cup Puffed Cheesecake Brownies

adapted by Picky Palate

1 brownie mix, along with ingredients as directed on back of package (usually canola/vegetable oil, water, and some eggs)
8 oz (1 pkg) softened cream cheese
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/4 c. sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla

2 c. mini marshmallows
12 regular size Reeses Peanut Butter cups, cut into cubes (or 24 mini cups)
1 c. chocolate chips
1/4 Cup creamy peanut butter, melted in microwave to drizzle

1/2 c. chocolate chips, melted in microwave to drizzle.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place brownie mix and ingredients on back of box as directed (eggs, oil, water) into a large mixing bowl. Mix until combined and pour into a greased 9×13 inch dish. In a separate bowl mix together the cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth. Drop by the Tablespoonfuls evenly over the brownie batter. Take a knife or toothpick and swirl the cheese mixture through the brownie batter. Bake for 30-32 minutes or until cooked through.

Once the brownies are just about cooked, with about 2 minutes left, sprinkle marshmallows, Reeses cups and chocolate chips over brownies. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until marshmallows are puffed slightly. Remove and cool completely before cutting. While brownies are cooling, drizzle melted peanut butter over bars.

once the brownies are cooled, cut and enjoy. :)