Zucchini Bread, anyone?

So I was just in the middle of getting our house ready for moving and I had the very logical thought, "I should post a recipe on the blog".

So for all of you who are lucky enough to garden, and have spare zucchini around, this is absolutely the recipe you want to use for them!! This is the best Zucchini bread recipe ever. From Cooks Illustrated:

ZUCCHINI BREAD

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds zucchini, shredded
1 1/4 cups (8 3/4 ounces) packed brown sugar
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups (7 1/2 ounces) all-purpose flour
1/2 cup (2 3/4 ounces) whole-wheat flour
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Instructions:

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Grease 8 1/2 by 4 1/2 inch loaf pan.
2. Place zucchini in center of dish towel. Gather ends together and twist tightly to drain as much liquid as possible, discarding liquid (you should have 1/2 to 2/3 cup liquid). Whisk brown sugar, oil, eggs, and vanilla together in medium bowl. Fold in zucchini.
3. Whisk all purpose flour, whole wheat flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and nutmeg together in large bowl. Fold in zucchini mixture until just incorporated. Fold in walnuts, if using. Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
4. Bake until top bounces back when gently pressed and toothpick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached, 65 to 75 minutes. Let bread cool in pan on wire rack for 30 minutes. Remove bread from pan and let cool completely or wire rack. Serve.

You can add all sorts of things to this bread!  Chocolate chips, pistachios, orange zest, dried fruit, etc. Go make it!

PIZZA AND STUF

HEYYY

So I’m not going to blab on in this post, cuz my brain is fried from doing stuff like
GETTING A HOUSE!

Mostly. And also finishing residency and stuff. And promoting the dress I designed! Click HERE to buy it!

STUFF!

Anyways our house is in Provo so if you’re out there you’ll let us know, right? We move on June 28th.

I have a bunch of recipes I need to share, but the latest one in our rotation is an overnight pizza dough recipe that makes the very best pizza we’ve ever made at home. Click HERE for the link to the recipe.


Don't worry! I will blog again....

Winner Winner chicken dinner!!

EVERYONE!

So after a very dramatic past few days, I came to find out this morning that I had won the Shabby Apple design contest! And by dramatic, I mean that I have been sick, plus there was major confusion about the votes through Instagram. (Didn't I mention before that it should not have been determined by a popular vote?) Turns out people can buy (yes, BUY) "likes" on Instagram and Shabby Apple had to figure out which likes were legitimate. They used a third party auditing group. Still, what a mess! I was feeling pretty good on Saturday night when the voting was closed and I had the most votes, but I still wasn't sure what the final tally would be. So I spent Sunday and Monday completely ill at ease. Then I woke up this morning to Micah calling me, telling me to check my instagram.

The winnings of this contest are having my design produced and sold on Shabby Apples' Summer 2015 line, naming the dress, and earning 1% of the royalties.

So what I have for you in thanks for your support is a recipe! Micah made this for dinner on Sunday and it was just what my tensed up soul needed! What is it? It's America's Test Kitchens

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA!!

America's Test Kitchen - season 8, episode 20, Indian Favorites, Simplified

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

Chicken

1/2 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)
1 cup plain whole-milk yogurt [you can use low-fat if you don’t have whole]
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat

Masala Sauce

3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 medium onion, diced fine (about 1 1/4 cups)
2 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 tsp)
1 fresh serrano chile, ribs and seeds removed, flesh minced [you can keep the seeds for added heat which is what I did or use a jalapeno if you don't have a serrano chile]
1 (28-oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 tbsp garam masala
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 tsp table salt
2 tsp sugar
2/3 cup heavy cream [We used a combination of cream and yogurt]
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Instructions

1. FOR THE CHICKEN: Combine salt, cayenne, coriander, cumin and in small bowl. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with spice mixture, pressing gently so mixture adheres. Place chicken on plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 to 60 minutes. In large bowl, whisk together ginger, garlic, oil, and yogurt; set aside.

2. FOR THE MASALA SAUCE: Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until light golden, 8 to 10 mins. Add ginger, garlic, tomato paste, chile, and garam masala; cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant, about 3 mins. Add salt, sugar, and crushed tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 15 mins, stirring occasionally. Stir in cream and return to simmer. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm.

3. While sauce simmers, adjust oven rack to upper-middle position (about 6 inches from heating element) and heat broiler. Using tongs, dip chicken into yogurt mixture (chicken should be coated with thick layer of yogurt) and arrange on wire rack set in foil-lined rimmed baking sheet or broiler pan. Discard excess yogurt mixture. Broil chicken until thickest parts register 160 degrees on instant-read thermometer and exterior is lightly charred in spots, 10 to 18 mins, flipping chicken halfway through cooking.

4. Let chicken rest 5 mins, then cut into 1-inch chunks and stir into warm sauce (do not simmer chicken in sauce). Stir in cilantro, adjust seasoning with salt, and serve.

NOTE!

I believe Micah used an immersion blender for the sauce to make it extra smooth. I highly suggest doing this, if you have one.

Goat Cheese Cheesecake.

The very second I read about the idea of using goat cheese in cheesecake I decided I HAD to try it.

That was this week.

But I knew better than to have a whole cheesecake in my house so I had Micah take most of it to work on Friday.

I kindof regret it.

I stole the recipe from Anne Burrell but as long as I giver her credit I feel okay posting her recipe here.

For this trial run I used a graham cracker crust but I bet the spiced wafer crust is delicious.

Ingredients

Crust:

6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for the pan

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs, such as Nilla

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

2 grates of fresh nutmeg

Pinch kosher salt

Filling:

Two 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

One 12-ounce log goat cheese

1 1/2 cups sour cream sour cream

4 large eggs

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

For the crust: Butter a 9-inch springform pan. In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, wafer crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir together until well combined and homogenous. Use your fingers to press the crumb mixture onto the bottom of the pan and about halfway up the sides. Reserve.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In an electric mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and goat cheese together until light and fluffy. Add the sour cream and continue beating until combined. Add the sugar and vanilla and begin to beat. Add the eggs one at a time, beating in each until thoroughly mixed before adding the next one.

To assemble: Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes. Rotate the baking sheet and bake until the filling is set, another 25 to 30 minutes. If the filling starts to color, tent the pan with aluminum foil. Remove the cake from the oven and let cool completely before the serving (it continues to set as it cools).

The cake will continue to set as it cools, but it's best served after it has been refrigerated overnight and has really firmed up.

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell

Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/goat-cheese-cheesecake-with-spiced-wafer-crust-recipe.html#lightbox-recipe-video?oc=linkback

BROWN BUTTER CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

Growing up I was never really into chocolate chip cookies, even though for most American kids it's an essential food group. Perhaps it was Chips Ahoy, or the lack of consistency in texture from different recipes (Soft! Crunchy! Chewy! Doughy! Cakey!) or just that I loved the cookie itself WITHOUT the chocolate chips (Sin!). I just didn't see it. 

The trend I am noticing is that once people have a recipe they like, they guard it with their lives as the ONE AND ONLY RECIPE THEY WILL EVER USE. Which is fine, I guess, but I am always up for experimenting. 

Which brings us to these. Do chocolate chip cookies always use browned butter? Because if they don't, THEY SHOULD. Oh whoops, I just joined the herd. I guess this is the ONE recipe for me. Well I guess that makes life easier. Good job people! Way to streamline your life!

These cookies made me understand the hype. 

Source: Cook's Illustrated (Of course.)

MAKES 16 COOKIES

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter; the dark color of the nonstick coating makes it difficult to gauge when the butter is browned. Use fresh, moist brown sugar instead of hardened brown sugar, which will make the cookies dry. This recipe works with light brown sugar, but the cookies will be less full-flavored. For our winning brand of chocolate chips, see related tasting.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (8 3/4 ounces)

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

14 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 3/4 sticks)

1/2 cup granulated sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

3/4 cups packed dark brown sugar (5 1/4 ounces) (we used regular)

1 teaspoon table salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips or chunks (we used Guittard)

3/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts, toasted (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. Whisk flour and baking soda together in medium bowl; set aside.

2. Heat 10 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan constantly until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, 1 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and, using heatproof spatula, transfer browned butter to large heatproof bowl. Stir remaining 4 tablespoons butter into hot butter until completely melted.

3. Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to bowl with butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is smooth with no sugar lumps remaining, about 30 seconds. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir in flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving dough final stir to ensure no flour pockets remain.

4. Divide dough into 16 portions, each about 3 tablespoons (or use #24 cookie scoop). Arrange 2 inches apart on prepared baking sheets, 8 dough balls per sheet. (Smaller baking sheets can be used, but will require 3 batches.)

5. Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and still puffy, and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, 10 to 14 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking. Transfer baking sheet to wire rack; cool cookies completely before serving.

Khao Soi 1.0

Khao Soi (ข้าวซอย) is a delicious Northern Thai Noodle dish. It was actually difficult to find in Thailand when I was there, except for in the Northern Provinces. I have found a few Thai places that offer the dish, and fewer that make it well (My favorite Thai Restaruant, Pok Pok in Portland is one of them!) I have made a few attempts at making Khao Soi, hopefully getting closer to the real thing every time.

In honor of my good friend Daniel’s birthday, I am sharing my current recipe. Happy Birthday, Dan!

Kao Soi 1.0

1 knob of ginger, chopped

2-3 shallots, coarsely chopped

2 Tbsp water

1 Tbsp of vegetable oil

1 Tbsp Yellow curry Paste

1 Tbsp Red curry paste

1 can of coconut milk

1 cup of chicken broth

1 lb. of chicken (traditionally uses thigh quarters), sliced

1 Tbsp of sugar

1 Tbsp soy sauce

Noodles

2 1/4 cup flour

2 eggs

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1-2 Tbsp Water

Oil for Frying

I have a pasta maker, but if you would like, you certainly can buy Asian egg noodles and use those instead. I have not tried frying those to make the crispy noodles, but it might work!

Garnish

Pickled Mustard Greens

Shallots

Lime

1. Place chopped ginger and shallots in blender (or food processor) with ~2 Tbsp of water. Blend to make a paste

2. Heat 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil in large sauce pan
3. Add ginger/shallot paste and cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant

4. Add the yellow and red curry pastes (1 Tbsp of each) and cook for 1-2 miinutes

5. Add 1/2 can of coconut milk (~6-7 oz)

6. Add chicken and cook until cooked through
7. Add 1 cup of chicken broth (can add more if desire thinner soup)
8. Add 1 Tbsp sugar and 1 Tbsp soy sauce

9. Before serving, add the remaining 1/2 can of coconut milk

For the noodles:
1. Mix the flour, eggs, salt and baking soda. 

2. Add water, 1/2 Tbsp at a time until dough comes together.
3. Knead dough for ~30 seconds

4. Cover and let sit for ~30 mintues

5. Make noodles

6. Boil for around 3 minutes

For crispy noodles, I take around 1/6 of the dough, make spaghetti noodles and deep fry them in about 4-5 batches.

Putting it all together:
1. Place noodles in a bowl
2. Cover with soup
3. Add chopped pickled mustard greens, shallots, and lime

4. Top with crispy noodles

5. Enjoy! 

 

Homemade Nutella!

Today I felt compelled to post about one of our favorite new recipes, homemade chocolate-hazelnut spread. The recipe we use is actually stolen (you shouldn't be surprised by the source by now) from America's Test kitchen. We have been cooking our way through their "D.I.Y Cookbook" and have been thrilled with how much better some kitchen staples (like cheese, sauces and jams) taste when cooked at home! This Nutella not only tastes better than the original but it's probably healthier because it uses a lot less oil and more nuts.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT SPREAD

makes 1 1/2 cups

Make today, enjoy immediately

from The America's Test Kitchen DIY Cookbook

• 2 cups (8 ounces) hazelnuts

• 1 cup confectioners' sugar

• 1/3 cup cocoa powder

• 2 tablespoons hazelnut, walnut, or vegetable oil

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• teaspoon salt

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Place hazelnuts in single layer on rimmed baking sheet and roast until fragrant and dark brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through roasting. Transfer hazelnuts to medium bowl. When hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, place second medium bowl on top shake vigorously to remove skins.

Process peeled hazelnuts in food processor until their oil is released and they form a smooth, loose paste, about 5 minutes, scraping down bowl often.

Add sugar, cocoa powder, oil, vanilla, and salt and process until fully incorporated and mixture begins to lossen slightly and becomes glossy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Transfer spread to jar with tight-fitting lid. Chocolate-hazelnut spread can be stored at room temperature or refrigerated for up to 1 month.

Red Iguana inspired Chiles Rellenos!!!

Hi everyone!
Sorry it has been so long since I have blogged.  Life has been busy, but good!
I have been meaning to share my recipe for Chile rellenos for a looong time. So I just had to do it today.
It all started when I had my first experience with this dish, at the Red Iguana in Salt Lake. Holy moly, it was TO DIE FOR. I couldn’t believe I never tried it before. My life changed. I had to figure out how to make it for myself.
So here is what I did!
Get 4-5 poblano peppers. Crank up your oven to a broil. Wash them, and set them under the broiler until they are charred.Turn them every so often so they are charred on all sides. Now since we will be stuffing them, you want to make sure they are not roasted to oblivion, so that being said, keep an eye on them and watch carefully that they are not 100% blackened, but I’d say about 50-60%. Put them in an airtight container. Set aside.
Prepare the filling: Get 8 ounces of Pepper jack cheese and 10 ounces of Queso Fresco. Mix them together with one egg. You can omit the egg if you want.
Once the peppers are cool, peel off the charred skin, and make a slit to access the interior of the pepper (they are tender after roasting! So sometimes it tears naturally. This is fine. Just work carefully.) Take out as much seeds as you can (don’t worry about being too thorough) and start stuffing the pepper with cheese. Use toothpicks to help keep it together if you want, but I think it kinda gets in the way of frying. So use your judgment.
Dust the stuffed peppers with flour, and then dip them in an egg mixture (We like to separate the whites from the yolks of 3 eggs, whip the whites to soft peaks, and then fold them together again. This makes a frothy mixture that adheres better to the peppers.) Fry them in hot oil for a few minutes until golden. Let drain on paper towels.
Now for the sauce. Red Iguana used a nice red sauce that tasted like enchilada sauce, so we use America’s Test kitchen’s version of enchilada sauce that works amazingly well. So here is the recipe for that:
RED SAUCE!
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 (8-ounce) cans tomato sauce
1 cup water

Combine the onion, oil, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large saucepan. Cover and cook over medium low heat, stirring often, until the onion has softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin and sugar and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water, bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
Strain the sauce through a medium mesh strainer into a bowl, pressing on the onions to extract as much liquid as possible. Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
Now, you can throw away the leftover onions, or you can mix them with your rice and BAM you have mexican rice! This is what we did and what you see in the picture.
Serve with black beans, rice, and sour cream. Give it a try, you will not regret it!!!

Bacon Jam

(If the idea of Bacon Jam disgusts you, GO AWAY NOW. And never come back.)
Ok Guys.
I haven’t really posted in a while, probably because nothing to momentous has occurred of late.
UNTIL TODAY.
Today, I made Bacon Jam.
Bacon Jam.
Bacon. Jam.

What is Bacon Jam?
It’s Jam. Made of bacon.
Can you even FATHOM IT?
I couldn’t, when I saw the recipe on Pinterest. It freaked me out. I had to make it. But I hesitated, because what if it was a waste of 1 1/2 pounds of bacon!?
IT WAS NOT.
It started out looking like this.

Then like this:


Then THIS!


And ended up tasting like this:

What the heck. I’ll share the recipe. It came from Martha Stewart, because she is an evil crafting witch.

BACON JAM

• 1 1/2 pounds sliced bacon, cut crosswise into 1-inch pieces
• 2 medium yellow onions, diced small
• 3 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 3/4 cup brewed coffee (We are non-coffee-drinkers so I used Pero)

~ Other things I added:

• 3 Tablespoons chopped pickled jalapenos
• 1 Tablespoon Molasses (I did this because I only had light brown sugar and fake maple syrup) Next time I might even add more…

HOW TO MAKE:

1. STEP 1

   In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and bacon is lightly browned, about 20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet (reserve for another use); add onions and garlic, and cook until onions are translucent, about 6 minutes. Add vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup, and coffee and bring to a boil, stirring and scraping up browned bits from skillet with a wooden spoon, about 2 minutes. Add bacon and stir to combine.

2. STEP 2

   Transfer mixture to a 6-quart slow cooker and cook on high, uncovered, until liquid is syrupy, 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Transfer to a food processor; pulse until coarsely chopped (I just used my immersion blender) Let cool, then refrigerate in airtight containers, up to 4 weeks.
   

It was surprisingly easy to make! The jalapenos were great in it and I recommend them, but you don’t have to do it. I am obsessed with those things though. There is always a jar in my fridge. Always.

This post is dedicated to Kathy Lee Gifford.

A New Nom.

My sister and I made these cookie bars for my Aunt’s birthday and I cannot stop thinking about them, so I am posting the recipe here. They are:
Chewy Gingerbread Bars!

**Note: If you would like to double this recipe, use a large jelly roll pan and bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Allow the bars to cool, then frost and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before cutting.

Gingerbread Bars:
3/4 C butter, melted
1 C sugar
1/4 C molasses
1 egg
2 C flour
2 t baking soda
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1/2 t ginger
1/2 t cloves
Cream Cheese Frosting:

4 ounces cream cheese (half a brick), softened
2 T butter, softened
2 C powdered sugar
1 T milk
1/2 t vanilla
dash salt
INSTRUCTIONS!
1. Pour the melted butter, sugar and molasses into your stand mixer, or large mixing bowl. Beat until well combined. 
2. Add the egg and beat until smooth. 
3. In a separate bowl toss together all of the dry ingredients. 
4. Pour the dry ingredients into the mixer and beat, just until combined. 
5. Spray a 9x9 pan with cooking spray and press the dough into it. 
6. Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, do not over bake. Stick a knife into the center of the bars. If it comes out clean...remove the pan from the oven and let it cool completely. The bars will continue to cook a bit as they cool. Once frosted the bars will be put in the fridge for an hour...this will also help the bars to set up and not be too doughy. 
7. Mix all frosting ingredients together in your stand mixer. Beat until nice and smooth.
8. Spread the frosting over the top of the cooled bars. Refrigerate for one hour, cut and serve!
Store leftover bars in the fridge, or freezer.

Love=food

So of course, I have another recipe for you all, because that is just my thing. I acquired some amazing cheese from Trader Joe’s for Valentines day…

And I decided I wanted to make a cheese fondue. Turns out almost every recipe calls for like 1-2 cups of white wine. BUT I found a recipe that used a basic white sauce as the base and it turned out wonderfully.

We dipped a baguette and green apples, but you can dip about anything in it! Broccoli sounds like a great idea to me right now. Ooo, and sausage! …Anyways, before I get carried away, here’s the recipe:

Non Alcoholic Cheese Fondue

1 pound Swiss or Gruyere* cheese
2 cloves of Garlic
3 T. All-Purpose Flour
2 T. Butter
1 1/2 cups Milk
½ T. Lemon Juice
1/8 tsp. ground Nutmeg
Salt and Pepper to taste

*You can mix Swiss and Gruyere. Some people prefer Cheddar. The cheddar Gruyere combo was GREAT.

Peel garlic and slice the cloves in half the long way so the most inner surface is showing. Rub a heavy saucepan with two halves of the garlic for flavoring. Rub the fondue pot with the other two garlic halves.

Grate the cheese and mix with 1 T. of the flour.

Melt the butter in saucepan over medium-low heat. Add rest of flour. Stir well till smooth. Add about ½ cup of milk and stir till smooth. Slowly add the rest of the milk, stirring constantly until the mixture thickens to about the consistency of light cream. TURN OFF THE HEAT. Add a handful of cheese and keep stirring. Let the cheese melt and then add another handful and stir until it melts. Repeat the process until all the cheese is melted.

Once all the cheese has been added and the mixture is smooth, you can stir in the nutmeg, salt and pepper. Finally, add the lemon juice. Stir well till the mixture is smooth once again.

Light the sterno and add cheese mixture to the fondue pot. Eat immediately! Spear bread and dunk in fondue and enjoy. Scrape the bottom of the pot with whatever you’re dipping from time to time to keep it from burning. (I actually don’t have a fondue pot, I just kept it in the saucepan on the lowest heat setting, until we were done eating)

Hope you all had a great V-day! We send you our love from Seattle!

THE CAKE

So I turned 27 a few weeks ago. It was really one of the best Birthdays ever. Everything worked out just the way I wanted it to, right down to the cake.

This is another recipe I stole, as I am quite the pirate. My friend Liz made this once and it changed the way I thought about cakes forever. She was very obliging to give me the recipe, so this post is dedicated to her. ALL HAIL!

I mean, just look at the thing. It was perfection.

Happy me!! (And my mom, and some cooly friends~)

HERE YOU GO WORLD!!

White Chocolate Raspberry Cake

For the Cake:

6 oz. (or squares) White chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 package (2 layer size) White Cake mix

1 cup milk

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

 

For the Frosting:
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream

1  Tablespoon Jello instant vanilla pudding mix

 

You will also need:

Seedless Raspberry Jam

1 cup Fresh Raspberries

 

TO MAKE THE CAKES:

Heat oven to 350°F.

Grease and flour 2 (9-inch) round pans; set aside. Microwave chocolate and butter in medium microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until butter is melted. Stir until chocolate is completely melted; cool slightly.

Beat cake mix, milk, eggs, vanilla and chocolate mixture in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Pour into prepared pans.

Bake 25 to 28 min. or until toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans 10 min.; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool cakes completely.

TO MAKE THE FROSTING:

To make the white chocolate whipped cream, place the chopped white chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water.  Melt, stirring occasionally. When the chocolate is almost melted, bring 1/2 cup of the cream to a boil.  Once the chocolate is fully melted, transfer the bowl to a counter, pour in the hot cream and let it sit for one minute.  (Another way to do this is to just pulverize the chocolate in a chopper or blender, then simply add it to the hot cream, which will instantly melt it.) Then stir gently with a spatula until the chocolate is smooth.  Let the chocolate sit until it reaches room temperature – the chocolate can’t be the least bit warm when it is added to the whipped cream.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the remaining 1 cup cream only until it holds the softest peaks.

WARNING! Do not over-whip the cream before adding the chocolate, or you will make white chocolate butter! Also, make sure the chocolate is not warm at all. We learned the hard way :-/

With the mixer on high speed, add the white chocolate and pudding mix all at once and continue to beat just until the mixture holds firm peaks.  Transfer the cream to a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Cut each cake in half to create 4 layers. Spread Jam in between each layer, with some frosting in the very center. Use the rest of the frosting to cover the entire cake, then add fresh raspberries to the top.