Take a Megabite

Strawberry Shortcake Sushi + Strawberry Coulis

Sometimes all I want to talk about is ice cream and puppies. Sometimes all I think about is dessert, and sometimes I fall in love with a blog (like sprinklebakes) and can’t stop thinking about techniques. Next thing you know, I’m making strawberry shortcake sushi.

It’s my brother’s birthday. And since my mom’s in town he wanted us to make brunch (I mean lunch) for him. My mom made sandwich-rolls aka rearranged cheeseburgers and potato salad and I made this for dessert, with her help, of course. She helped roll the sushi and helped me sample everything this morning. Oh, and she’s the hand model down there holding chopsticks.

Strawberry Shortcake Sushi
Recipe adapted from Cooking Light + technique from Sprinkle Bakes

Ingredients:

cake -

• 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 t baking powder
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs + 2 more egg whites
• 1 t vanilla
• 2 T powdered sugar, for the towel when wrapping the cake

filling* -

• 2 cups whipping cream
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1 t vanilla or 1/2 a vanilla bean
• 1 cup diced strawberries + more for topping

* I had a little less than half left over, so feel free to cut the filling recipe in half and you should be fine.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 400º. Coat a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll cookie sheet with cooking spray; line the bottom with parchment paper, and coat with cooking spray. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a medium bowl using an electric mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer beat together the eggs and sugar at high speed until pale and fluffy (about 5 minutes). Stir in vanilla.
3. Add the flour mixture half at a time mixing on low until each portion is mixed in completely.
4. Pour batter into prepared pan; spread evenly. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until cake springs back when touched.
5. While the cake is baking sprinkle a clean dish towel with powdered sugar.
6. Remove the cake from the oven. Cut the cake in half long ways so that you have 2 long rectangles. Invert onto the powdered sugared towel. Peel off the parchment and on each side of the towel roll the cakes from the long side toward the center. Flip the towel wrapped cakes over seem-side down on the counter for 30 minutes to an hour to cool.
7. Make filling. Beat together the whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy and thick. Stir in the strawberries.
8. Unroll the cakes from the towel and either pipe or spread the filling into the center. Roll up so the ends touch and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a couple hours or over night.
9. Slice, using a serrated knife into sushi-sized pieces. I ended up with about 18 pieces. Top with a strawberry slice and serve with strawberry coulis (recipe below).

Strawberry Coulis! The soy sauce of this sushi.

Strawberry Coulis
Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quartered and hulled strawberries, mashed
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 T granulated sugar
• 1 T lemon juice

Directions:

1. Combine strawberries, water, sugar and lemon juice in a blender. Blend until very smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. Cover and refrigerate until cool. Place in a small dish for sushi dipping!

Raspberry Granita

Sometimes Jake gets so hot that he requires ice cream to live. Elliot’s the same way, but ice cream of the doggie variety. I’ve realized that what I require are granitas.

I used half of a vanilla bean in the whipped cream. I figured whipped cream should have more freckles in the summer, since I do.

What do you think of the color? I’m infatuated. I want to hug every raspberry I see based on the color of this dessert. Would ya’ mind telling the grocery store employees not to bother judging me?

Raspberry Granita
Recipe adapted from Joy the Baker

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 heaping cup fresh raspberries
• 1 T lemon juice
• 1 t vodka (optional)
• whipped cream*

*Beat 1/2 cup heavy cream + vanilla beans or extract + 1T powdered sugar until fluffy.

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan heat water and sugar until sugar dissolves. Add raspberries and cook for about 2 minutes over medium heat. Stir and break up the raspberries a little.
2. Once raspberries are softened, pour the raspberries and liquid mixture into a blender. Pulse and blend until berries are broken down into a puree. Using a fine mesh strainer, strain puree into a bowl or the original pot used. Discard seeds.
3. Add lemon juice and vodka (if using) to the fruity mixture. The vodka helps the mixture not freeze so solid, but isn’t entirely necessary.
4. Pour mixture into a 9×13 rectangular dish and place in the freezer. Set timer for 1 hour. After 1 hour, scrape any ice crystals that have formed toward the center of the dish. Set timer for another hour and again scrape the ice crystals towards the center of the pan. Continue freezing until all of the liquid has formed ice crystals.
5. Serve with soft whipped cream and cool down on a hot day, because jeez louize, it’s a scorcher out there.

Give me fresh fruit and a freezer, please. One bite of this and I’ll say “heat shmeat”.

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.

Cocoa Almond Torte

I knew it was going to be a good weekend when I went to the grocery store and bought just the necessities: a chocolate bunny, fancy shmancy almond extract and flower cookie cutters. My plans to make flower shaped Denver Biscuits failed, but my first attempt at a torte for Easter turned out like a dream!

This cake is made with German Chocolate and it’s topped with a cocoa + almond whipped cream frosting miracle.

The goodness of this cake totally has to do with the egg whites and sugar combo that is indeed folded into the batter.

This was my very first torte. So it was my very first attempt at the whole cut two layers in half to make 4 layers thing. I just used the old tooth picks + dental floss technique, right here. It was a success!

Cocoa Almond Torte
Recipe adapted from Taste of Home magazine, April-May 2010 issue

Ingredients:

cake -

• 1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1/2 cup canola oil or vegetable oil
• 2 eggs, separated
• 2 oz. German sweet chocolate, melted
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 1/4 t baking soda

cocoa almond whipped frosting -

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder, dutch process or regualar
• 1/4 t pure almond extract
• 1/8 t salt
• 1/4 cup creme de cacao (optional)
• 1/2 cup ground almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-in. round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper and spray that with cooking spray also. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, beat 1 cup sugar, buttermilk, oil, egg yolks and melted chocolate until well blended. In another bowl combine the flour, 1/4 t salt, and baking soda. Gradually beat into sugar mixture until blended.
3. In a large bowl with clean beaters, beat  egg whites until soft peaks form. Gradually beat in remaining 1/2 cup sugar 1 tablespoon at a time on high until stiff peaks form. Fold into the batter.
4. Transfer to prepared pans. Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack.
5. Make frosting. In a large bowl, beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder, almond extract and 1/8 teaspoon salt until stiff peaks form. Make sure not to over beat.
6. Cut each cake horizontally into two layers. (Method right here. It worked like a dream!) Brush layers with creme de cacao, if using. (I left it out and it was super good still.) Top with 1/2 cup frosting and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ground almonds. Repeat layers twice. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Sprinkle with remaining crushed almonds. Store in a cool place until time to eat!

I would marry this cake if it asked.

Katie’s Crepes {Dinner + Dessert}

Last night I made dinner for my very best friend, Katie.
Let me tell you a little bit about why we are friends.

We are the kind of girls that love crepes for dinner with Magic Hat #9.
We require coffee. Always. Morning and night. Don’t judge us.
We mutually love brownies, puppies and Lady GaGa.

We are both jealous of Zoey Deschanel’s bangs.
We have the same birthday, exactly one year apart.
We both consider nutella to be magic.

Basically we go together like brie and pesto.
Like coffee and chocolate.
Like dinner and dessert.

But really though. These crepes are ridiculously good. The combination of the melty brie with pesto and the sun dried tomatoes make these savory guys irresistible.
And the dessert crepes are dreamy in that strawberries plus chocolate way. Which, I’d have to say, is probably one of the very best ways.

Katie’s Crepes {Dinner + Dessert}
Crepe filling ideas came from my love for Good Girls go to Paris Crepes in Detroit.

Savory - crepes filled with pesto, brie, sun dried tomatoes and chicken
(Leave out the chicken and they are a vegetarian delight!)
Sweet - crepes filled with nutella, sugary sweet strawberries and whipped cream

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1/2 t baking powder
• 1/2 t salt
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs
• 2 T butter (melted + cooled slightly)

savory -

• 3 T basil pesto
• 1 small wedge of brie, cut into pieces or strips
• 1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, drained and diced
• 1 to 2 small chicken breasts, cooked and cut into bite size pieces and sprinkled with salt and pepper

sweet -

• 1 cup strawberries, quartered
• 2 T sugar
• 1/3 cup nutella
• whipped cream

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk together the milk, eggs and melted butter.
2. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain.
3. Meanwhile heat a frying pan/nonstick skillet on the stove at medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour batter into the pan scant 1/3 cup at a time twirling the pan so the crepe batter thins and spreads out covering the pan. Flip when top is almost set. Remove from pan 30 seconds after flipping and place on a cookie sheet in a 200 degree oven. Spray the pan with more cooking spray every few crepes to prevent sticking.
4. When all crepes are done*, fill half of them for dinner. (Leave the rest in the oven to be warm for dessert, but turn the oven off to prevent the crepes from getting crispy unintentionally.) Spread a teaspoon of pesto along the center of the crepe. Sprinkle with a brie, followed by sun dried tomatoes and chicken. Roll up and place seam side down on a plate. The crepes will be nice and warm from the oven making that brie perfect and melty.
5. When you’re about ready for dessert, stir the quartered strawberries with sugar and allow to sit in the fridge for at least 5 minutes. Fill the remaining crepes! Spread a heaping teaspoon of nutella along the center of the crepe. Top with strawberries and whipped cream. Roll up and place seam side down on the plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Recipe makes 12-13 crepes. Enough for dinner and dessert for two very hungry people or three casually hungry people. Simply half the recipe if you want just dinner or just dessert for two.

* You can always make 6 crepes and then leave the batter at room temperature until after dinner and make the remaining crepes fresh for dessert.

Gateau Au Chocolat + French Silk Frosting + Freckled Whipped Cream

I’ve got my christmas tree on my mind. I’ve got it on my mind, because it’s currently still in my living room. I need to take it down before it becomes a Valentine’s day tree and then an Easter tree… Yeah, I need to take that tree down.

But mostly I have chocolate on my mind. AND I got a this pretty cake stand for my birthday and it was dying to be super helpful.

AND this cake is chocolaty and dreamy, and if you like scrumptious things, you’ll love this.

Gateau Au Chocolat (chocolate cake)
Recipe from I Know How to Cook by Ginette Mathiot

Ingredients:

• Scant 1/3 cup butter
• 4 3/4 ounces chocolate, chopped
• 4 eggs, separated (room temperature, preferably)
• 3/4 cup flour
• Scant 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 t vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Grease a cake pan with butter or cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper and then grease that as well. In a pan, melt the chocolate with the butter over very low heat, or melt using a double boiler. Remove from heat and stir in the egg yolks one at a time, followed by flour and sugar.
2. In a separate bowl using a hand mixer or in the bowl of a stand mixer, beat egg whites and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Fold into the chocolate mixture. Pour into the prepared cake pan and bake for 50 minutes. When the cake comes out of the oven, allow to cool completely, then frost! (If you frost too soon, the french silk frosting will get melty and weird and it’ll just be sad for such a delicious cake to have complexion problems.)

French Silk Frosting (If making a layer cake, double the recipe)
Recipe from www.cooks.com

Ingredients:

• 1 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, melted and cooled
• 1/2 t vanilla
• 1 T milk

Directions:

1. Beat sugar, butter, chocolate and vanilla in a medium bowl, scraping often on low speed. Slowly beat in the milk until smooth.

Freckled Whipped Cream

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup whipped cream
• 1/3 cup powdered sugar
• Left-over frosting bits

Directions:

1. Add heaving whipping cream and powdered sugar to the bowl used to make the french silk frosting.Beat on high until thick, stiff peaks form. Thickly spread over the french silk frosted cake.
2. Slice and eat. Preferably with coffee…and maybe on a plate instead of over the sink, like I did.

Bon Appetit!