Take a Megabite

Julienne’s Graham Cracker Chewy Bars

Gravel roads remind me of graham cracker crumbs. My childhood best friend called her grandma “grammy” and it reminded me of graham crackers. Once I ate a store-bought graham cracker crust  standing in my mom’s pantry… and loved it.

I’ve always loved graham crackers so I knew I’d love this recipe since it has way more graham cracker crumbs in the ingredients than anything else.

Side-note: one of the eggs I used had freckles. This isn’t a recipe requirement, but it might make your bars extra good.

I used up most of my brown sugar and all of my fancy vanilla. (I didn’t run out of my kosher salt, but it just wanted to be in the picture too.) This would’ve made me crabby except that I now have graham cracker chewy bars that are dangerously good.

Julienne’s Graham Cracker Chewy Bars
Recipe adapted from Celebrating with Julienne via The LA Times

Ingredients:

crust -

• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs
• 3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 T all-purpose flour

topping -

• 2 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 2/3 cup graham cracker crumbs
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 3/4 t salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup chopped pecans or chocolate chips (I used chocolate chips because I had them on hand.)
• powdered sugar, if desired

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl with an electric mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the graham cracker crumbs, butter, sugar and flour until moist and well-blended. Press the mixture firmly and evenly over the bottom of a 9 x13 inch baking dish. (Feel free to line the baking dish with foil and spray it, like I did. I just wanted them to be super easy to remove and cut later on.) Bake until the crust is golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
2. While the crust is baking, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar and eggs to blend. Whisk in the graham cracker crumbs, vanilla, salt and baking powder until well-blened. Stir in the pecans or chocolate chips.
3. Spread the mixture over the baked crust and return to the 350-degree oven until the filling is light-golden on top and jiggles slightly when tapped, 20-25 minute. Transfer the pan to a cooling rack and cool completely.
4. Sprinkle a light coating of sifted powdered sugar over the pan if desired, and cut into 24 bars. The bars can be made 1 day in advance. Wrap in plastic and keep at room temperature.

The crust was supposed to be more crusty and the top more chewy…
Mine turned out all chewy. I’m ok with it.

Devilish Shortcakes

Strawberry shortcake is one of my most favorite desserts. So when I stumbled across Dorie Greenspan’s devilish shortcakes, I knew they had to happen … and soon! A chocolate shortcake? Can you even think of anything better?

Jake’s job, when I bake, is to read me the recipe. He’s really good at it and it’s just so darn nice of him. When he cooks, he doesn’t let me read the recipes to him. It’s because I tend to forget to tell him steps/ingredients, and well, can you blame him?

I had intentions to pat this biscuit dough down and use my super awesome new biscuit cutters, but the truth is, this dough is sticky and the best way is to use a lightly floured measuring cup to scoop that chocolaty goodness.

I’d say these were a hit, and such a fun remix to the original. What do you think?

Devilish Shortcakes
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan

Ingredients:

shortcakes -

• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 large egg
• 3 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 T baking powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1/2 t salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 sticks (12 T) unsalted butter, cut into pieces and chilled

filling -

• berries of your choice, (about 1/2 cup per shortcake) hulled and sliced if using strawberries
• sugar (I used about 1/4 cup)
• lightly sweetened softly whipped cream (1 cup whipping cream + powdered sugar to taste + vanilla, beaten until soft peaks form)

Directions:

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 425ºF. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. Make shortcakes. Whisk the milk, vanilla and egg together. Set aside. Sift the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt and sugar into a large bowl. Drop in the butter and, using your fingers, toss to coat the pieces of butter with flour. Quickly, working with your fingertips, a pastry blender, or forks, cut and rub the butter into the dry ingredients until the mixture is pebbly. You’ll have pea-size pieces, pieces the size of oatmeal flakes an pieces in between. (P.S. Try not to get the dry ingredients all over you like below:)
   
3. Pour the milk mixture over the dry ingredients and toss gently with a fork until you’ve got a very soft dough. When the dough comes together, you’ll probably still have dry ingredients  at the bottom of the bowl. Use a rubber spatula to mix and knead the dough until it’s evenly blended. Don’t overdo it; it’s better to have a few dry spots than an overworked dough. Even with all the flour mixed in, the dough will be very sticky.
4. Spoon out about 1/4-1/3 cup of dough for each shortcake onto the baking sheet, leaving about 3 inches in between the mounds. Pat each mound down until it’s between 3/4-1 inch high.*
5. Bake for 12-18 minutes, rotating halfway through bake time, until the shortcakes are puffed and give just a bit when prodded. Pull the sheet from the oven and transfer the shortcakes to a cooling rack. Repeat with remaining dough.
6. Make the filling. Put the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with sugar to taste and let sit for about 10 minutes, until they are juicy. Cut each cake in half horizontally. Put the bottom halves on plates, top with the berries, make sure to include some of the sweet juices and spoon over some whipped cream. Put the tops on the shortcakes or lean them against the cream.

* The shortcakes at this point can be frozen on the baking sheet, then wrapped airtight  and kept in the freezer for up to 2 months. Bake without defrosting by simply adding about 5 more minutes to the bake time.

Chocolate Marshmallows

The only time I look tan is when I get cocoa powder all over my arms. I looked pretty tan this morning, just saying.

I made marshmallows before. Those guys were lighter and fluffier and more delicate, due to the egg whites involved. These ones super rich and chocolaty. They are sturdier and would probably stay on a skewer if you wanted to serve them that way. I think it’d look cute, for real.

My mom and I had to take turns holding the candy thermometer in the syrup. You see, the pot I used was just too wide for the shallow syrup initially, and so the end wasn’t submerged when clipped to the side. Ridiculous, right? I didn’t really mind though.

The marshmallow wanted to live in the mixing bowl permanently. We had to inform it that it was just there for a visit when we poured it into the square dish. We got most of it in there too! We opted to stop after awhile though to avoid being stuck in a tangled marshmallow mess.

These are some dreamy marshmallows. The Dutch cocoa makes these guys so rich and tasty. And they are chocolatey without being too sweet. They are even good in coffee!

Chocolate Marshmallows
Recipe from Saveur

Ingredients:

• 3 T, unflavored gelatin (or 4 (1 oz. packets)
• 1 cup water, separated
• canola oil or cooking spray
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 3/4 cup light corn syrup
• 1/4 honey
• 3/4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder, sifted and divided
• 2 T cornstarch

equipment needed -

• candy thermometer

1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle gelatin over 1/2 cup of cold water, and set aside to soften. Grease an 8 by 8 inch baking pan line the bottom and sides with parchment paper, and grease paper. Grease a rubber spatula and set aside.
2. Combine sugar, corn syrup, honey and 1/2 cup water in a 2 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer; cook, without stirring, until syrup reaches 250º on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat; let cool to 220ºF.
3. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Place bowl of gelatin over boiling water (double boiler style like the red bowl + pot in picture above); whisk until gelatin becomes liquid. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk (or using an electric mixer); add 1/2 cup cocoa powder. Add cooled sugar syrup to gelatin; whisk on high speed until mixture lightens in color and thickens, 5-6 minutes. Pour mixture (it’s kindof a battle more than a pour) into prepared pan; smooth top with oiled spatula; cover and cool at room temperature until set, 5-6 hours.
4. Combine remaining 1/4 cup cocoa powder and cornstarch in a bowl. Dust a cutting board with mixture and sprinkle the top of the marshmallows with mixture, rubbing in if you need to. Slide a knife around the edge of the pan to release the marshmallows; remove from pan. Using a large sharp knife dusted with cocoa mixture, cut marshmallows into squares. Toss marshmallows with remaining cocoa mixture and store at room temperature.

That’s my mom’s speedy cutting. That’s Elliot’s ear over on the left,
and I was the one tossing them in the cocoa mixture.

Half-Way Cookie Bars

Why did I make these last night with my eye-brows down and my forehead wrinkled? Because these guys cure worries. Worried about you car at the shop? Take a bite of one of these. Worried because your house is a disaster-mess? Chomp chomp. Feeling a little weird, in general? Eat two. Whew. I feel way better, do you?

These are probably called half-way cookies because they are half-way between heaven and a dream. These cookies have it all: cookie goodness, chocolate and a marshmallowy-brown-sugary-crunchy top. So what’s not to like?

Half-Way Cookie Bars
Recipe from The Kitchn

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 t salt
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cup brown sugar, separated
• 2 eggs, separated
• 1 T water
• 1 t vanilla
• 12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line the bottom of a 9×13 inch baking dish with aluminum foil so that it overlaps the edges. Spray with cooking spray.
2. Make the cookie layer. Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder in a small bowl and set aside. Using an electric mixer cream together the butter, the granulated sugar and just 1/2 cup of the brown sugar until smooth like frosting.
3. Separate the eggs, reserving the whites. Mix the yolks into the butter-sugar mixture one at a time until they are completely absorbed, then mix in the water and vanilla. With the mixer at a low speed, add the flour mixture and beat gently until all the flour has been absorbed and the dough looks crumbly.
4. Press the cookie dough gently into the pan with your hands, trying your best to keep the layer even. Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top of the cookie dough and use your palms to press them slightly into the dough. This will help keep them from moving when you add the meringue.
5. Make the meringue. Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites, gradually increasing your speed to medium-high. When the egg whites look very frothy and look like loose foam, start adding the remaining cup of brown sugar a little at a time. Continue increasing your speed to the highest setting. When all the sugar has been added, continue whipping the meringue until it holds a soft peak. It should look like glossy, soft-serve ice cream.
6. Spread the meringue on top of the chocolate chips. It will be very sticky! Use a spatula and gently spread the meringue from the middle to the edges, skimming the excess from the top to the edges.
7. Lightly press a piece of buttered parchment paper or wax paper directly onto the top of the meringue (this helps maintain even layer of meringue and protects it from burning). Bake for 20 minutes, then remove the parchment. Continue baking for 5-10 minutes, or until the edges are toasted and are pulling away from the sides of the pan.
8. Allow the bars to cool completely before lifting the bars out by the foil and cutting into squares.

What a speedy little guy.

Mini Cookie Dough Cupcakes

I like minis. For example: my skirt could probably be considered a mini today, since it’s a shortie and my Elliot is just a little guy (14 lbs) and I order big beers at sushi restaurants because they are served in mini glasses and I always opt for mini burgers over full-size.

These cupcakes just reinforce the mini-love. What do you like best? Regular-sized cupcakes or the perfect 2-biter?

I also really like cookie dough … but who doesn’t? Remember these truffles? And that story about eating cookie dough since I was a teensy baby? Well, this recipe is just another reason for me to get cookie dough out of your dreams and into your belly.

And isn’t it true that there can’t be too much of a good thing? That is why these little brown sugar cupcakes have cookie dough filling + frosting.

Mini Cookie Dough Cupcakes {makes 4-ish dozen minis}
Recipe adapted from Annies Eats

Ingredients:

brown sugar cupcakes -

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 T), at room temperature
• 3/4 cups light brown sugar, packed
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t bakingsoda
• pinch of salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 t vanilla extract

filling -

• 2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 3 T light brown sugar, packed
• 1/2 cup + 1 T all-purpose flour
• 3 1/2 oz. sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 t vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

frosting -

• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (12 T), at room temperature
• 6T light brown sugar, packed
• 1 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• heaping 1/4 t salt
• 1 1/2 T milk
• 1 1/4 t vanilla extract
• mini semisweet chocolate chips to top

Directions:

1. Make cupcakes. Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line mini cupcake tins with liners. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the butter and brown sugar together. Beat together on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
2. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl. Stir together to blend. Add dry ingredients to the mixer bowl on low speed, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, mixing each addition just until incorporated. Blend in the vanilla.
3. Divide batter evenly between the prepared cupcake liners. Bake for 10 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake bounces back lightly when touched. Allow to cool in the pan 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. (I stored mine in the fridge between all the steps. They just couldn’t take the heat.)
4. Make cookie dough filling. Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and cream on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Beat in the flour, condensed milk and vanilla until incorporated and smooth. Stir in the chocolate chips. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the mixture firms up a bit.
5. Fill cupcakes. Cut a small cone-shaped portion out of the center of each cupcake. Fill each hole with a chunk of the cookie dough mixture.
6. Make frosting. Beat together the butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer until creamy. Mix in confectioners’ sugar until smooth. Beat in the flour and salt. Mix in the milk and vanilla until smooth and well blended.
7. Frost the cupcakes generously, sprinkling with mini chocolate chips.

I made Jake a trifle with the middle bits, leftover frosting and table chips.

Espresso Oreos

I’ve learned a thing or two lately. I’ve learned that an octopus is an animal that is very shy and can die of embarrassment. Kinda sad, right? I’ve learned that homemade enchilada sauce doesn’t even need tomatoes. And I’ve learned that flower-shaped oreos can be made at home and can be flavored with hint of coffee.

These are crunchy good. Next time I make them, I’d like to fill them with ice cream. Now wouldn’t that just be delicious?

After I baked these, I flipped half of them over and divided the filling amongst them. Otherwise, I knew I’d get too nervous that I’ll use it up and next thing you know the filling just wouldn’t even be consistent!

Espresso Oreos {3-ish dozen sandwich cookies}
Recipe adapted from the Essence of Chocolate via Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

filling -

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 8 ounces good quality white chocolate, grated
• heaping 1/4 t instant espresso powder*

cookies -

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups + 3 T all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup + 1 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 t baking soda
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 1/4 t instant espresso powder*
• 15 T (7 1/2 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

* So if you don’t have espresso powder, just skip it, and these will be tasty like traditional oreos.

Directions:

1. Make the filling. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and pour over the white chocolate and espresso powder. Make sure all the chocolate is covered by the cream. Let stand for 1 minute, then whisk until white chocolate completely melts.
2. Transfer the filling to a small bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes or an hour, or until a thick consistency is reached. It needs to be a thicker consistency to assemble the cookies. If the filling hardens too much, it can be rewarmed in the microwave for a few seconds.
3. Make the cookies. Position the racks in the oven in the lower and upper thirds of the oven and preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
4. In the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or using a hand held mixer) combine sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder and mix on low speed. With the mixer running, add the butter a few tablespoons at a time. The mixture will have a sandy texture at first and then will begin to form larger pieces. As soon as the dough starts to come together, stop the mixer.
5. Transfer the dough to a clean lightly-floured surface and roll to about 1/8-inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, cut into 2 inch rounds (or flowers). Place 1/2 to 1 inch apart on the prepared baking sheets.
6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, rotating sheets from the top shelf to the bottom or bottom to the top half way through baking. Remove from the oven and cool on the sheets for a couple minutes. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack and let cool completely.
7. Assemble cookies. Place about a teaspoon of filling in the center of half of the upside down cookies. Gently, top with another cookie and press together until filling reaches all the edges.
8. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Imagine how big the original piece of chocolate is… huge I bet.

A Megabite Birthday + Chocolate Cupcakes

It’s been a good weekend so far … full of dinner crepes, root beer floats and late night chit chat. And to top it all off, today is my blog’s birthday!

One year ago today I posted my first recipe on here. So there you go!

Thursday night I drove a couple hours west and sang along to my favorite bands that I loved in high school (and maybe still do). Nobody was there to judge me when I messed up the words. I might’ve judged myself a smidgen with a shrug in the rearview mirror, but what do I care what I think?

I went to Grand Rapids to hang out with one of my most favorite ladies ever. Since her birthday recently passed, I made her raspberry almond tartlettes and tried not to get too upset when the raspberries let me down and got moldy. Jerks! Don’t worry though, we kept it real and were able to enjoy most of them anyhow.

And tonight I made cupcakes and decorated them all willy-nilly to celebrate one year of megabites. I’m pretty excited about it. Come over for a cupcake, already!

Hummingbird Bakery’s Chocolate Cupcakes {makes 12}
Cake and frosting recipes adapted from the dreamy Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup + 2 T all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 T unsweetened cocoa powder (I used Dutch process.)
• scant 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 t baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 3 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 egg
• 1/4 t vanilla extract
• 1 quantity chocolate frosting (recipe below)
• sprinkles, coconut, sanding sugar, hopes, dreams

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven 325ºF.
2. Put the flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer using the paddle attachment (or use a handheld electric mixer) and beat on low speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined.
3. Whisk the milk, egg and vanilla together in a pitcher. Slowly pour about half into the flour mixture. Beat to combine. Pour in the remaining milk mixture and turn mixer up to high and mix just until all combined and no lumps remain.
4. Divide batter between 12 paper lined muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of a cupcake. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When the cupcakes are cool, frost!

I get out all of my sprinkles when there’s a birthday happening.

Hummingbird Bakery Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

• 2 1/3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
• 6 1/2 T unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
• 1/2 t espresso powder (optional)
• 2 T milk

Directions:

1. Beat confectioners’ sugar, butter, cocoa and espresso powder (if using) together using an electric mixer until the mixture comes together and is mixed. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed and add the milk a couple teaspoons at a time. Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.

The cupcakes weren’t the only things covered with sprinkles and coconut.

Cheesecake Bites

I’ve been trying to wake up early and go to the gym. I’ve been trying to go to the gym AND walk Elliot. But sometimes my ipod’s battery is dead and sometimes it’s pouring rain. So, you know what? I’m going to eat a cheesecake bite. Maybe I’ll even have 2. All those gym intentions are making me hungry.

Sometimes when it’s somebody’s birthday that you think is super cool and they love cheesecake you have to make these. And sometimes you have to just eat things and not think twice.

I used that honey twirler down there to press the crumbs into a crust in the bottom of the muffin papers. For some reason it reminds me of my painting class in college. I was using a c.d. case for my paint palette. My teacher saw it and held it up for the class and said “Everyone, everyone. Buy better supplies than this.” And so there you go. I was the example of what not to do.

Cheesecake Bites
Recipe adapted from a phone conversation with my Mom

Ingredients:

crust -

• 18 vanilla wafers worth of crumbs

cheesecake -

• 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• scant 1/2 cup sugar

topping -

• melted chocolate + cocoa powder
• strawberry jam, melted and strained

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º F. Line mini muffin pan(s) with 24 mini paper liners. Crush vanilla wafers using the “put them in a big freezer bag and roll over it with a rolling pin until they are crumbs” method. Or whatever method you want. Divide crumbs a teaspoon at a time between all the paper liners. Press the crumbs to the bottom of the pan. I used my honey dipper.
2. Make cheesecake. Using an electric mixer or some speedy whisking, mix together the cream cheese, vanilla, egg and sugar. Divide between the paper liners over the crust. Bake for 15 minutes or until center are set.
3. Cool on a wire rack in the fridge before topping. If topping with chocolate simply melt chocolate and drizzle over the cheesecakes. Sprinkle them with cocoa powder. If topping with strawberry jam, melt the jam in the microwave for about 30 seconds. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and place a little taste on top of each bite. Promptly sample. Store in the fridge between snacking.

Woodgrain Cake + Fudge Frosting + Meringue Mushrooms

I brought this cake two and a half hours away to be the post-bbq dessert on Memorial Day. All of the mushrooms survived the trip. I thought that was nice of them.

I’ve been wanting a reason to make meringue mushrooms ever since I knew they existed. This woodgrain cake gave me the motivation to finally do it!

Would you care to have this piece? I’d totally share if Jake and I hadn’t finished the last two pieces after our pizza last night. But you should know that this cake is dense and dreamy. And the frosting is dark chocolatey and fudgey and just the perfect accent to the cake, I’d say.

Woodgrain Cake
Recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour

Ingredients:

• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup canola oil
• 2 t vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 3 T Dutch process cocoa

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Spray a 9″ x 2″ round cake pan with cooking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper and spray again. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl (using a hand mixer) or in the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the sugar and eggs until lightened, about 2 minutes. On a low speed, blend in the oil, milk and vanilla until well combined and smooth.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk to remove any lumps. Add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients. Combine on medium speed for a couple minutes or until the batter is smooth and lump free. Be sure to scrape down the bowl.
4. Remove 2 cups of the vanilla batter and place in a 2 cup measuring cup. Sift the cocoa over the remaining batter and stir to combine.
5. Now to get your woodgrain on. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of vanilla batter into the center of the cake pan. Next, spoon 3 tablespoons of the chocolate batter into the center of the vanilla batter. This causes the vanilla batter to spread out. Continue alternating batters, in bulls-eye fashion until all the batter is used. You will now have thin rings of each batter on the outer edges of the pan, thicker rings towards the center (like below).
   
6. Bake the cake in the center of the preheated oven for 35-45 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned and a small sharp knife inserted into the center comes out clean. The top will probably crack, don’t worry about it. Test inside the cracks to be sure it’s done. Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes, and then turn out onto a wire rack to finish cooling. Frost with fudge frosting!

Check out the woodgrain! I think if this was a real tree it’d be 10 years old.

Fudge Frosting
Recipe from 125 Best Cupcake Recipes

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 T milk
• 1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, beat powdered sugar and cocoa powder into the butter until smooth. Add the vanilla and slowly add the milk. Beat until it’s smooth and fabulous.
2. Frost that cake! Make meringue mushrooms!

These mushrooms are fun. Half of the ones I made turned out cute and were useable and the rest were practice and some were weirdos so I didn’t use them. Pictured are the ones that had potential to be toadstools. So there you go. It was the perfect amount!

Swiss Meringue Mushrooms
Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart

Ingredients:

meringue -

• 2 large egg whites
• 1/2 cup sugar
• pinch of cream of tartar
• 1 t vanilla extract

equipment -

• a candy thermometer

mushroom assembly -

• 1 ounce bittersweet chocolate
• 1 ounce white chocolate

sprinkling -

• cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Make meringue! Combine the egg whites, sugar and cream of tartar in a heatproof bowl of a standing electric mixer; set over a pan of simmering water. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the bowl. Cook, whisking constantly by hand, until the mixture registers 140ºF and the sugar is dissolved (it should feel slippery and smooth when rubbed between your fingertips), about 5 minutes. (I had trouble getting my candy thermometer to reach the mixture so I just kept taking the bowl off the water and tilting the bowl to see what temperature it read. It worked though!)
2. Transfer bowl to a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Starting on low and gradually increasing to high speed, mix until the meringue is completely cool (test by touching the bottom of the bowl), and forms stiff, glossy (but not dry) peaks, about 10 minutes. Mix in the vanilla.
3. Bake! Preheat the oven to 200ºF. Line rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer swiss meringue to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#6 for small mushrooms like I made).For caps, pipe dome shapes in various sizes onto prepared baking sheets. Flatten tips with a damp finger. Pipe stems onto baking sheets, releasing pressure halfway and pulling up to form a peak. Make one stem for each cap. (The stems take practice…)
4. Bake the meringue shapes for 1 hour, rotating halfway through. Reduce oven temperature to 175ºF. Continue baking until meringue is completely dry to the touch but not taking on any color, 30-45 minutes longer.
5. Assemble! Melt bittersweet chocolate carefully in the microwave. Using a small offset spatula, spread a thin layer of bittersweet chocolate on the bottom  cooled caps. Cool until set. Melt white chocolate carefully in the microwave. Spread over the bittersweet chocolate.
6. Using a paring knife, make a small hole in the center of the coated cap. Dip one end of the stem into the remaining white chocolate and insert into the hole; place on a plate and refrigerate until set. Top the frosted woodgrain cake. Sprinkle with cocoa powder.

So now you know how I spent my Sunday.

Banana Dream Pie

So I guess I’m the type of girl who will get up at 7 am solely to make whipped cream to top a pie to eat for breakfast. That’s just what needs to happens when a pie is assembled 10:30 pm, but it has to chill in the fridge for a couple hours before slices can be pretty.

I guess I’m the type of girl who gets bullied by pie crust sometimes and learns the hard way that a frozen crust doesn’t always mean that it won’t puff up when blind baking.

So now you guys know that pie weights are important when it comes to baking followed by filling. I use dry beans for pie weights. I keep them in a jar under my kitchen sink. Right by my champagne glasses and potatoes.

Jake wasn’t sure about me adding chocolate to this recipe, but I was sure I wanted to! Nutella definitely took this pie from creamy to dreamy.

Banana Dream Pie
Pudding recipe from oldschool Betty Crocker and my mom

vanilla pudding -

• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 t salt
• 3 cups milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 T + 1 t vanilla
• 2 T butter
• 1/4 cup nutella
• 2 bananas sliced

whipped cream -

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium sauce pan. In another bowl whisk together the milk and the egg yolks. Slowly add the milk mixture to the saucepan. Cook over a medium heat, stirring the whole time, until thick. It will begin to casually boil. Continue to stir for 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap so that the plastic is pressed agains the surface of the pudding. Set aside to cool until room temperature.
2. Assemble pie! Spread nutella evenly over the crust and top with sliced bananas. Pour vanilla pudding over the bananas and smooth. Cover with plastic wrap again, directly on the surface and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving.
3. Make whipped cream by beating 3/4 cup of heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla on high for about 1-2 minutes, or until stiff peaks form when the beaters are lifted from the cream. Smooth over pie and slice!

My mom told me the recipe for the vanilla pudding part over the phone.
Hence the messy 3×5 card.

One 9″ Pie Crust
Recipe from Martha Stewart

• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 t salt
• 1 t sugar
• 1 stick frozen unsalted butter, grated
• 2-3 T ice water

Directions

1. Whisk together flour, salt and sugar. Using an electric mixer, beat in the grated butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.
2. Add 2 tablespoons ice water; beat until dough comes together. If dough is still crumbly, add more ice water a tablespoon at a time until it forms a nice dough when pressed together. Flatten dough into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Roll out until it’s about 14″ and place into a 9″ pie pan fitting to the inside of the pan, being careful not to stretch. Cut off excess dough crimp the top. Line with foil and place in the freezer for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile preheat the oven to 375° F. Bake the crust lined with foil and topped with pie weights (I use dried beans) for 25 minutes. Remove the foil and pie weights and continue baking for 15-20 minutes or until golden and cooked throughout. Set aside to cool.

I grew up with dessert being an option for breakfast always; it’s never too early for pie.