Watermelon Cooler

Here's a nice little spritz for a hot summer day. Super simple, super refreshing. My boyfriend and I got the idea to make this after attending a late summer wedding a couple years back. They had 2 huge bowls full of this yummy stuff. I'm pretty sure we split one bowl between the 2 of us it was that addicting! Anyway here's a post for something similar (the caterers wouldn't tell me the ingredients dag nabbit!) and just as good. You should definitely whip this up, it only has a few ingredients and is a great accompany to your summer BBQ.

Watermelon Cooler

1 ripe watermelon (seeded)

2 quarts water

1-2 c sugar

1 can coconut milk

1 c grated coconut

2 tbsp mint leaves (roughly chopped)

Spoon out the watermelon flesh and mash with a fork. You want it to still be fleshy. Put watermelon in a large bowl. Make a simple syrup with a 1-2 ratio of water to sugar (depending on how much sugar you want to use; example 2cups water to 1 cup sugar) by placing water and sugar in a medium sized sauce pan and heating until sugar is dissolved, cool completely. Once cooled, add to watermelon along with the rest of the water and other ingredients. Chill before serving or add ice cubes. 

Lemon Poppyseed Strawberry Shortcake

SORRY! I swear I haven't completely abandoned my blog! I've been super busy with orders and planning a trip to, drumroll please...MAUI ! I'm so excited it's only 2 weeks away! But back to this here blog. This was actually the accompanying cake to the chocolate peanut butter pie I made for Easter dinner. Fresh, light, but full of flavor. This is a great summer treat! I took a classic recipe and stepped it up a notch with poppy seeds and lemon! Try this for your next BBQ! (maybe I will make this is Maui) ;)

Lemon Poppyseed Strawberry Shortcake

Original recipe here
For the Cake
1 ¼ Cups (175g) All-Purpose Flour
2 ½ tsp (10g) Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Sea Salt
5 Large Eggs, separated
1 ¼ Cups Granulated Sugar (I used 1 Cup (210g))
5 Tbsp Boiling Water
1 ½ tsp Vanilla Extract
Grated zest of 2 Lemons
1tbsp Poppy seeds
1/2 c chopped pecans

For the Strawberry Cream Filling
2 Cups Fresh Strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1 tsp Fresh Lemon Juice
4 to 6 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
2 Cups Crème Fraiche
2/3 Cup Heavy Whipping Cream
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Confectioners’ Sugar for dusting

Method

Preheat oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Line the bottom of a 9-inch spring form pan with parchment paper.

To make the cake, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip together the egg yolks and sugar on high speed until thick; the mixture will be grainy. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add the boiling water. Turn off the mixer and scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Increase the speed to high and whip again until thick. Stir in the vanilla extract, lemon zest and poppy seeds. Reduce the speed to low and stir in the flour mixture.

In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites on medium-low speed until frothy. Increase the speed to medium-high and whip until thick and smooth; the mixture should not look dry. Fold half of the whites into the batter, and then fold in the remaining whites.

Gently spread the batter in the prepared pan. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the inside edge of the pan and remove the ring. Invert the cake and remove the base of the pan. Carefully peel off the parchment. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and let cool completely. Using a serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into 3 layers.
To make the filling, place the 2 cups strawberries in a bowl. Stir in the lemon juice and 2 Tbsp of the granulated sugar. Taste for sweetness; depending on the berries’ ripeness, you many need to add additional 1 to 2 Tbsp more sugar.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the crème fraiche, cream, vanilla and the remaining 2 Tbsp granulated sugar. Whip on medium-high speed until soft peaks form and the cream hold its shape.

Place 1 cake layer on a cake stand or serving plate. Arrange 1/3 of the strawberries and their juices over the cake. Spread 1/3 of the cream over the berries. Sprinkle 1/3 of the chopped nuts. Repeat the layering process with the remaining 2 cake layers, berries and cream, ending with a layer cream and nuts.

Before serving, dust the top of the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with additional berries. Cut the cake with a serrated knife.

Raspberry White Chocolate Yesplease(cheese) Cake

This is one of the first cheesecakes I ever made, and still one of my favorite. It just makes sense to pair white chocolate and raspberries together. Combine that in a cheesecake and you have a simply decadent dessert. This is always a crowd pleaser because it looks absolutely beautiful and tastes unbelievable. I have tried many cheesecakes and this recipe is hands down the best ever. Yes, there are better cheesecakes than what the Cheesecake Factory produces, PROMISE! And a heck of a lot less expensive, A whole cheesecake costs around $45 from the Cheesecake Factory. This recipe costs about $20, no brain surgery here. If you really want to impress your friends, family, or that special someone, try this recipe, you will knock their socks off : P

Raspberry White Chocolate Cheesecake


Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.

For the Crust
1/4 cup nuts (any kind you like)
6 graham cracker wafers
1 (Oats & Honey) cereal bar
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. flour
2-4 tbsp. butter-melted

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until mixture becomes crumbs. Slowly add 2 tbsp. of the butter and pulse until blended. (Crust should hold together when pressed between your fingers. If it does not, add more butter until you reach this consistency.) Press into a 9' springform pan firmly with the back of a spoon or your palm. Place into refrigerator while you make the cake.

Sometimes I want a 1-1 ratio of crust to cheesecake. If this is what your going for double the crust ingredients and press excess crust up on sides of springform pan.

For the Cheesecake
5 (8 oz. packages) Cream Cheese
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
5 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup whipping cream
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 cup white chocolate chips

In an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla until fluffy. Add the eggs and egg yolks one at a time on low speed, to combine. Stir in whipping cream, lemon rind, and white chocolate chips. Pour into pan with crust. Bake for 1 1/2 hours. (I would check your cake at about 1 hour to see how it looks. When it's done the top will be golden brown, and the middle will be slightly jiggly still.)

Let the cake cool on a wire rack completely, about 3 hours. When cool, use a butter knife to loosen sides of cake from pan carefully. Remove sides of springform pan and place cake on a cake stand or cake decorator.

If you want a swirl of raspberry throughout cake:
Heat 1/2 cup of raspberry preserves (seedless if you can get it looks prettier) and 1 tbsp. lemon juice in a microwave for 30 seconds. Stir until smooth. Pour 1/2 of the cake batter into the pan, drizzle 1/2 the preserves, then poor the rest of the batter on top, drizzling the other half of the preserves. Using a knife, create a swirl like appearance by running it back and forth through the preserves.

For the Topping
2 cups fresh raspberries
4 oz. melted white chocolate
1 tbsp. sugar

Wash raspberries, dry, then place 1 1/2 cups on top of cheesecake. With the remaining 1/2 cup of raspberries, puree in a food processor and strain through a sieve. Once strained from seeds, combine juice with 1 tbsp granulated sugar and stir to combine and dissolve. Poor sweetened juice on top of raspberries. Heat white chocolate slowly in a microwave safe bowl in 20 second intervals, stirring between each heat. Once the white chocolate is completely melted transfer into a plastic zip lock bag and cut the tip off of one end (this is a VERY small cut, if you cut too big of a whole your cake will look messy). Be careful because the chocolate will start to ooze out the whole. Start to drizzle chocolate over raspberries using quick back and forth motions until you achieve the look you want.

Enjoy!

Matcha Green Tea Cupcakes with Strawberry Buttercream

I was given the opportunity to bake for a cafe/art gallery here in Provo, The F Stop Cafe  (250 n. Univ. Ave.) a little while back. These are the cupcakes I made for them that got me the gig. ;) I wanted to make something fun, spunky, and fitting to the feel of their place. I'd been wanting to try Martha Stewart's strawberry buttercream recipe for a while and thought this the perfect opportunity to do so. A local coffee joint gave me a sample of their matcha green tea powder just a few days earlier and instantly knew the combination was gonna rock. It obviously did . ;) The candies I used to decorate made these so fun and inviting. Who wouldn't want a cupcake covered in pop rocks I mean come on! I used Billy's Vanilla Cupcake recipe and just added the green tea powder to the batter, which made the color a faint green, totally awesome.

Billy's Vanilla, Vanilla Cupcakes

Makes about 30 cupcakes
1 3/4 cups cake flour, not self-rising
1 1/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
(2 tbsp. matcha green tea powder) my addition
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes
4 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 325°. Line cupcake pans with paper liners; set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, and salt; mix on low speed until combined. Add butter, mixing until just coated with flour. (This is where I added 2tbsp. of green tea matcha powder)

2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and vanilla. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts, scraping down sides of bowl before each addition; beat until ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

3. Divide batter evenly among liners, filling about two-thirds full. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 17 to 20 minutes.

4. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat process with remaining batter. Once cupcakes have cooled, use a small offset spatula to frost tops of each cupcake. Decorate with sprinkles, if desired. Serve at room temperature.

Martha Stewart's Strawberry Meringue Buttercream

adapted from Martha Stewart's Baking Handbook

Ingredients

4 large egg whites

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups (3sticks) butter-room temperature, cut in tablespoons

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/2 cups (12 oz.) strawberry jam, pureed in food processor

Directions

In the heatproof bowl of an electric mixer set over a saucepan of simmering water, combine egg whites and sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until sugar has dissolved and mixture is warm to the touch (about 160 degrees).

Attach the bowl to the mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat the egg-white mixture on high speed until it holds stiff (but not dry) peaks. Continue beating until the mixture is fluffy and cooled, about 6 minutes.

Switch to the paddle attachment. With mixer on medium-low speed, add butter several tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. (If frosting appears to separate after all the butter has been added, beat on medium-high speed until smooth again, 3 to 5 minutes more.) Beat in vanilla. Beat on lowest speed to eliminate any air bubbles, about 2 minutes. Stir in strawberry jam with a rubber spatula until frosting is smooth.

(Now you can frost these by hand or fill a pastry bag and use a tip, but just a tip for you: if your strawberries aren't very finely pureed you will have a hard time when your using a tip while frosting.) 


Decorate however you like, the crazier the better!!

Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bites

Why is it that when you have 100 little pieces of something it always feels better than having 1 large piece? I'm talking specifically about dessert of course. Put a whole piece of cheesecake in front of me and in about 1.2 seconds I'll feel really guilty I ate the whole thing, not only because I ate it in record time, but because I feel like I just polished off the whole cake. But...put 5 bite size pieces of cheesecake in front of me and I'll be asking you for more. I don't have the answer to this on going mystery, and to be honest I'd like to keep it that way frankly just for these little delights. I don't need to start feeling guilty after I eat the whole batch (cut into bite size pieces of course). I saw this recipe on Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network one day and have made them countless times. So incredibly easy to make, and a definite crowd pleaser. This is one of those recipes that looks like you spent more time than you actually did when in reality you probably will spend more time eating them than preparing them. So plus-es all around for this recipe, you gotta try it!

Tyler's Ultimate Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake Bars

original recipe here

Ingredients

For the base:

• Butter, for greasing
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 9 graham crackers
• 1/2 stick unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:

• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 2 lemons, zested and juiced
• About 1/2 cup sugar, eyeball it
• 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
• Powdered sugar, for dusting

Directions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

For the base:

Grease the bottom of a 9 by 9-inch baking pan with butter. Then place parchment paper over the top, pressing down at the corners. In a food processor, process the sugar, cinnamon and graham crackers until you have the texture of bread crumbs. Add the melted butter and pulse a couple of times to fully incorporate. Pour into the lined baking pan and gently pat down with the base of a glass. Bake in the oven for 12 minutes until golden. When done set aside to cool.

For the filling:

Add cream cheese, eggs, lemon zest, lemon juice and sugar to the food processor and mix until well combined. It should have a smooth consistency. Pour onto the cooled base and then cover with blueberries. They will sink slightly but should still be half exposed -- as the cake bakes they will sink a little more and break down.

Bake in the oven for 35 minutes or until the center only slightly jiggles. Remove from the oven and cool completely before refrigerating for at least 3 hours. Once set, remove from pan using the parchment lining and slice into 10 rectangular bars. (bite-size pieces if your serving it to a large crowd or if you don't want that guilty voice screaming at you the rest of the week) ;) Dust with powdered sugar.

p.s. sorry for the low quality pics, I have a point-and-shoot camera and it was the middle of the night when I made this batch, promise they look tastier in person ;)

Daring Bakers Challenge: March

My first Daring Baker's Challenge called for a delicious citrusy dessert. It's called Orange Tian. This was a blast to make and actually not difficult at all, just a bit time consuming. The base or crust is called Pate Sablee and is alone reason enough to make this recipe, I promise you will be using it again. I have already used this particular crust for 2 desserts I have made since! It's flaky, sweet, and dense, a great crust for tarts and even cheesecake. I actualy ended up making 2 diferent sizes for this challenge, a few personal portion sizes and a family style size. Both turned out beautiful. I would definitely make this dessert again and try using a different fruit or filling. Thanks Jennifer & thanks Daring Kitchen!

Orange Tian
You can find the original recipe here.
For the Pate Sablee:

2 medium-sized egg yolks at room temperature
granulated sugar 6 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon; 2.8 oz; 80 grams
vanilla extract ½ teaspoon
Unsalted butter ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams ice cold, cubed
Salt 1/3 teaspoon; 2 grams
All-purpose flour 1.5 cup + 2 tablespoons; 7 oz; 200 grams
baking powder 1 teaspoon ; 4 grams

Directions:
Put the flour, baking powder, ice cold cubed butter and salt in a food processor fitted with a steel blade.

In a separate bowl, add the eggs yolks, vanilla extract and sugar and beat with a whisk until the mixture is pale. Pour the egg mixture in the food processor.

Process until the dough just comes together. If you find that the dough is still a little too crumbly to come together, add a couple drops of water and process again to form a homogenous ball of dough. Form into a disc, cover with plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Preheat your oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit.

Roll out the dough onto a lightly floured surface until you obtain a ¼ inch thick circle.

Using your cookie cutter, cut out circles of dough and place on a parchment (or silicone) lined baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until the circles of dough are just golden.

For the Marmalade:

Freshly pressed orange juice ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons; 3.5 oz; 100 grams
1 large orange used to make orange slices
cold water to cook the orange slices
pectin 5 grams
granulated sugar: use the same weight as the weight of orange slices once they are cooked

Finely slice the orange. Place the orange slices in a medium-sized pot filled with cold water. Simmer for about 10 minutes, discard the water, re-fill with cold water and blanch the oranges for another 10 minutes.

Blanch the orange slices 3 times. This process removes the bitterness from the orange peel, so it is essential to use a new batch of cold water every time when you blanch the slices.

Once blanched 3 times, drain the slices and let them cool.

Once they are cool enough to handle, finely mince them (using a knife or a food processor).

Weigh the slices and use the same amount of granulated sugar . If you don’t have a scale, you can place the slices in a cup measurer and use the same amount of sugar.

In a pot over medium heat, add the minced orange slices, the sugar you just weighed, the orange juice and the pectin. Cook until the mixture reaches a jam consistency (10-15 minutes).

Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge.

For the Orange Segments:

For this step you will need 8 oranges.

Cut the oranges into segments over a shallow bowl and make sure to keep the juice. Add the segments to the bowl with the juice.

[See YouTube video in the References section below for additional information on segmenting oranges.]

For the Caramel:

Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
granulated sugar 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
orange juice 1.5 cups + 2 tablespoons; 14 oz; 400 grams

Place the sugar in a pan on medium heat and begin heating it.

Once the sugar starts to bubble and foam, slowly add the orange juice. As soon as the mixture starts boiling, remove from the heat and pour half of the mixture over the orange segments.

Reserve the other half of the caramel mixture in a small bowl — you will use this later to spoon over the finished dessert. When the dessert is assembled and setting in the freezer, heat the kept caramel sauce in a small saucepan over low heat until it thickens and just coats the back of a spoon (about 10 minutes). You can then spoon it over the orange tians.

[Tip: Be very careful when making the caramel — if you have never made caramel before, I would suggest making this step while you don’t have to worry about anything else. Bubbling sugar is extremely, extremely hot, so make sure you have a bowl of ice cold water in the kitchen in case anyone gets burnt!]

For the Whipped Cream:

Ingredients U.S. Metric Imperial Instructions for Ingredients
heavy whipping cream 1 cup; 7 oz; 200 grams
3 tablespoons of hot water
1 tsp Gelatine
1 tablespoon of confectioner's sugar
orange marmalade (see recipe above) 1 tablespoon

In a small bowl, add the gelatine and hot water, stirring well until the gelatine dissolves. Let the gelatine cool to room temperature while you make the whipped cream. Combine the cream in a chilled mixing bowl. Whip the cream using a hand mixer on low speed until the cream starts to thicken for about one minute. Add the confectioner sugar. Increase the speed to medium-high. Whip the cream until the beaters leave visible (but not lasting) trails in the cream, then add the cooled gelatine slowly while beating continuously. Continue whipping until the cream is light and fluffy and forms soft peaks. Transfer the whipped cream to a bowl and fold in the orange marmalade.
[Tip: Use an ice cold bowl to make the whipped cream in. You can do this by putting your mixing bowl, cream and beater in the fridge for 20 minutes prior to whipping the cream.]

Assembling the Dessert:

Make sure you have some room in your freezer. Ideally, you should be able to fit a small baking sheet or tray of desserts to set in the freezer.

Line a small tray or baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone sheet. Lay out 6 cookie cutters onto the parchment paper/silicone.

Drain the orange segments on a kitchen towel.

Have the marmalade, whipped cream and baked circles of dough ready to use.

Arrange the orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter. Make sure the segments all touch either and that there are no gaps. Make sure they fit snuggly and look pretty as they will end up being the top of the dessert. Arrange them as you would sliced apples when making an apple tart.

Once you have neatly arranged one layer of orange segments at the bottom of each cookie cutter, add a couple spoonfuls of whipped cream and gently spread it so that it fills the cookie cutter in an even layer. Leave about 1/4 inch at the top so there is room for dough circle.

Using a butter knife or small spoon, spread a small even layer of orange marmalade on each circle of dough.

Carefully place a circle of dough over each ring (the side of dough covered in marmalade should be the side touching the whipping cream). Gently press on the circle of dough to make sure the dessert is compact.

Place the desserts to set in the freezer to set for 10 minutes.

Using a small knife, gently go around the edges of the cookie cutter to make sure the dessert will be easy to unmold. Gently place your serving plate on top of a dessert (on top of the circle of dough) and turn the plate over. Gently remove the cookie cutter, add a spoonful of caramel sauce and serve immediately.

Preparation time:
- Pate Sablee: 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to rest, 15 minutes to roll out, 20 minutes to bake
- Marmalade: 20 minutes to make, 30 minutes to blanch
- Orange segments: 20 minutes, overnight to sit
- Caramel: 15 minutes, overnight to sit
- Whipped Cream: 15 minutes
- Assembling: 20 minutes

- Freezer to Set: 10 minutes

Verry Berry Cheesecake

I've had a lot of cheesecakes in my day, (I say that like I've been around for a while) : P I really have tried a fare share. The cheesecake Factory is one of my favorite places to eat and I've tried a good selection of cheesecakes on their menu. I'm normally pretty modest about my baking, but in this case I just can't be. THIS CHEESECAKE IS FABULOUS! Honestly, THE best cheesecake I have ever had. The fact that I made it absolutely flabbergasts me. Regardless I guess I'll take the credit. I think a lot of people might be a little weary to make a cheesecake. DON'T BE. It really is a simple dessert to make, with a far from simple outcome. I have quite a few variations of this cheesecake that I make with the same basic recipe, so versatile as well! This berry rendition is one of, if not my favorite. The creaminess of the cake paired with the tartness of the berries, and the crunchiness of the crust, is a perfect combination. The colors make this dessert a great idea for a 4th of July Barbecue or party! So if I were you, I would "favorite" this recipe and whip it out when you really want to impress your friends & family.

Verry Berry Cheesecake

Crust

6 graham crackers

1 bar Nature Valley Oats & Honey Granola Bars

1/4 cup nuts (your choice)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

4 tbsp. butter-melted (or more if needed)

Cheesecake

5 (8oz) packages cream cheese

1 3/4 cups sugar

2tbsp. flour

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

5 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/3 cup whipping cream

1 tsp. lemon rind-zested

Verry Berry Topping

adapted from Redneck Epicurean, RecipeZaar

1 (16oz.) package fresh strawberries, quartered.

2 (8oz.) packages fresh blueberries.
1/2 cup sugar
2tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup fruit juice ( I used orange.)
2 tbsp. corn syrup

• 
  

Directions

For the crust:

In a food processor combine all crust ingredients except for the butter. Pulse until crumbly. Slowly add melted butter and pulse until consistency is like damp sand (if you pinch crumbs in between fingers it should hold together). Turn over into 9' spring form pan and press down with palm or bottom of glass firmly. Place in refrigerator while assembling cake.

For the cake:

In  a medium sized bowl fitted with a paddle attachment cream: cream cheese, sugar, flour, and vanilla, until fluffy, 2-3 minutes.

Add eggs and egg yolks, mix on low to combine.

Stir in whipping cream and lemon zest.

Pour into pan and bake for 1 1/2 hours. (cake will be slightly jiggly in the middle when done, this is okay as it will set upon cooling.)

Cool on wire rack completely.

For the topping:

Bring the sugar and 1/2 cup juice to a boil.

Dissolve the cornstarch in the remaining juice. Add to the boiling juice and cook until thick.

Stir in the corn syrup. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat.

Cool, drizzle 3/4 of glaze over fruit before garnishing top of cake.

Assembly:

Remove sides of spring form pan and place whole cheesecake on a wire rack placed on top of a baking sheet. Place glazed berries on top of cake and decorate how you would like. Drizzle extra glaze over the berries (this is why you have a baking sheet under the rack, it can get a little messy). 

Slice with a warm knife & enjoy!