Category Archives: Dessert

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

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Last Friday night I was procrastinating and not cleaning our house before Robert’s parents arrived, so I decided to make some homemade Easter Peeps from a recipe I found on Pinterest. It was a gloriously fun time. I was singing my own made up songs (“Everybody Chunk Out Tonight,” sung to the tune of “Everybody Wang Chung Tonight,” is my current personal chart topper) and life was grand. Then I became a little impatient. Instead of letting the candy fluff cool, I decided to just keep things moving along and pipe it. It didn’t go well. My visions of beautiful, hand-crafted Peeps turned out looking like neon blobs of dog excrement in reality.

Nailed it. 

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So instead of putting peeps on the blog today, I made carrot cake whoopie pies. Fortunately, these cookies are a delightful spring treat. They’re chocked full of shredded carrots and a great spicy blend of cinnnamon, ginger, and nutmeg. Because my Peeps were an utter failure, I am bringing these bad boys home for Easter instead. When one door closes, another opens.

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Happy Easter, everyone!

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Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

Printable Version

Yield: About 16 cookie sandwiches

Ingredients

For the cookies

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 1/2 cups grated carrots

For the filling

  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 8 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 Tbsp milk or heavy cream
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Preheat oven to 350 F.  Set aside 3 cookie sheets lined with silicone baking mats or parchment paper.

2. Place the butter and sugars in a bowl of an electric stand mixer and beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, spices, soda, powder, and salt in a separate medium bowl. Turn the mixer off and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Turn it back on at low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add in the vanilla. Carefully add the dry ingredients, about 1/2 cup at a time,  and beat just until combined.  Lastly, add in the grated carrots and mix until just mixed.

3. Using a small 1.5 inch cookie scoop to place the batter evenly onto the cookie sheets, spacing the cookies about 2 inches apart.  Use your fingers to lightly press down on the dough to ensure a smoother cookie. Bake for about 12-14 minutes, or until the cookies spring back when gently pressed. Remove the cookies from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to parchment paper to cool completely.

4. To make the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the milk and vanilla and beat well. Gradually add the powdered sugar until the frosting is well mixed.

5. Spread or pipe the frosting onto the flat side of one of the cookies. Place the flat side of another cookie on the icing and store in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Source: Cookies- Tracey’s Culinary Adventures; Filling- Old Thyme Cookbook

Jack’s Funfetti 2nd Birthday Cake

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I can’t believe it’s been 2 years since I got an early morning phone call from my sister telling me her water had broken and she was at the UVA hospital. She was 5 days overdue and we were all anxiously awaiting the baby’s arrival. After I hung up from the call, I was so excited I could barely sleep. It was going to take me 6 hours to get to Virginia and I contemplated just leaving then. Robert eventually convinced me to go back to sleep, but I only lasted until 5am. I made record-breaking time (whoops!) and rolled into Virginia before noon. Little did I know, Selby’s labor would go several more hours. We waited. And waited. And waited. And finally, the physicians made the decision to perform a C-section after Selby had been in labor for 24 hours and developed a low-grade fever. I was lucky enough to get to go into the operating room and see the whole procedure… errr- make that some of the procedure. I stayed behind the curtain after I saw just what was happening to my sister’s lower abdomen. My sister and Kevin designated me to be the one to shout out the gender; and, after a few long minutes, the doctors exclaimed “here’s your baby!” They pulled out little plump ball of pink, we heard loud baby cries, and I peeked around the corner to reveal, “IT’S A BOY!!!” Selby cried. Kevin cried. I cried. It was such an incredible experience and one that I will never forget. What a beautiful St. Patrick’s Day it was.

This past week,  we were so excited that my sister, brother-in-law, and Jack were able to drive up from Virginia and spend a few days with us to celebrate Jack’s 2nd birthday. In honor of this little firecracker turning into a full-blown toddler, I made homemade pizza and a funfetti cake  decorated in Buzz Lightyear colors (one of Jack’s favorites).

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I had an awful time making my normal swiss meringue buttercream frosting the day I was assembling the cake. After a few frustrating hours, I ended up “calling it,” as Kevin so aptly described, and made a regular buttercream that tasted and looked much better . Oh well. When the time came for the birthday boy to blow out his candles, he got a little shy and seemed to be hypnotized by the firery glow. His mom and dad helped him and then he was able to dive right into his cake. The cake was a tasty hit and I sent the leftovers home with the happy family.

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It’s amazing how much love I have for my little 2 year old nephew. I am looking forward to celebrating many more birthdays with my favorite lucky charm.

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Funfetti Cake

Printable version

Yield: Two 9-inch round cakes

Ingredients:

For the cake:

  • 4 egg whites from large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk, divided
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, very soft
  • 1/3 cup multi-colored sprinkles

For the icing:

  • 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons milk or cream

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch round cake pans.  In a small bowl mix the egg whites, 1/4 cup milk, vanilla and almond extract. Set aside. In a medium-sized bowl,  whisk together  the cake flour,  baking powder, and salt. Mix for 30 seconds or until well-combined.

2. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer on low, alternately add in the flour mixture and 3/4 cup of buttermilk, beginning and ending with the flour. Scrape down the sides to ensure batter is evenly mixed. Gradually pour in the egg white mixture, mixing for 30 seconds after each addition. Mix for one more minute. Gently fold in the multi-colored sprinkles.

3. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared cake pans and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake springs back after being gently pressed on.

4. Remove from the oven and place the pans on baking racks to cool for about 10 minutes. Turn the pans over onto the rack. Flip the cake layers over and let them cool completely before icing.

5. Make the icing: in the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and light, about 3 minutes. Carefully mix in the powdered sugar, about 1 cup at a time, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add in the extracts and salt, followed by the milk or cream and mix until well-combined. Tint with desired food coloring and decorate away.*

*To decorate with the “cloud” method:

Frost the cake with a thing layer of icing. This is the crumb coat. Put the cake in the fridge and allow to chill for 20-30 minutes until the buttercream has hardened. Meanwhile, place icing in a pastry bag fitted with a large round tip (I used a Wilton #12). Pipe large dots in a vertical row.

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Using a small cake spatula, carefully smear the dot to the right. Pipe more dots to overlap the smeared dot and repeat until the cake is covered.

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Source: Cake-  Adapted from The Kitchn; Frosting- Lolly’s Sweet & Savory Treats

Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

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My in-laws recently returned from a sunny vacation in Florida and with them, they brought back some delicious strawberries. Fresh berries in Ohio grocery stores are usually pretty tart and tasteless this time of year, and the Florida produce is just another reason to love this buckeye state we call home.

I’ve made this dessert a few times before (this time for dinner at a friends’ house) and it now ranks up towards the top of Robert’s favorites. If you’re looking for a way to jazz it up even more, you can add a drizzle of  hot fudge sauce for all the chocolate lovers in your life; or you can make the tart into tartlettes for individual treats. Any way you decide, you can’t go wrong.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Strawberry Cream Cheese Tart

Printable version

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

For the crust

  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tablespoon heavy cream
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
  • 2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 8 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes

For the filling

  • 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
  • ½ cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted
  • ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoon heavy cream

Topping

  • 16 ounce container of strawberries, sliced

DIRECTIONS

1. Prepare the crust: Whisk together the egg yolk, cream, and vanilla. Set aside. Place the flour, salt, and powdered sugar in a food processor and pulse to combine. Add in the butter cubes and pulse until mixture is crumbly and the size of peas. With the food processor running, slowly add the liquid mixture to the butter/flour mix until the dough just comes together. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and mold into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours and up to 2 days.

2. Place the dough in the tart pan:  Take the dough out of the refrigerator.  Unwrap and place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Roll into a 13-inch round.  Carefully place the dough into a 9-inch tart pan.  Press the dough to the sides of the tart pan, removing the excess off the top as needed.  Put the tart pan on a large plate and freeze for 30 minutes.

3.  Bake the crust: While the dough chills, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chilled dough/pan from the freezer and mold tin foil into the shell and over the edge of the tart pan. Place pie weights on top of the foil (I used dry beans). Bake for 30 minutes, rotating halfway through the baking time.  Take out of the oven and gently remove the foil and weights.  Continue to bake until deep golden brown, 5-8 minutes longer.  Allow to cool on a baking rack.

4. Make the filling: Place the cream cheese into a bowl of an electric mixer. Beat on medium high until smooth and no lumps remain. Add in the powdered sugar and mix until well-comibined. Add in the vanilla and cream and mix 30 seconds longer.

5. Assemble the tart: Spoon the cream cheese filling into the cooled tart shell. Spread out evenly. Place strawberries in a circular pattern and serve within 2 hours of preparing for best results.

Source: Slightly adapted from Annie’s Eats

Valentine’s Day Sugar Cookies

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I adore Valentine’s Day. The colors, the excessive hearts, the candy. It’s all glorious. But I don’t just view this as a holiday for couples, I see it as a day to celebrate all of the people you love in your life (I know, I know- it sounds sickeningly cloying, but it’s really how I feel). I decided to celebrate by baking these cookies while listening to my eclectic Pandora radio stations. It was a good Saturday, folks.

I first eyed this marbling method with royal icing last year, and I’ve been waiting to try it ever since. I’ve had some practice with decorating sugar cookies (with my favorite sugar cookie and royal icing recipe), but I still have a lot to learn. What I have picked up so far is that it’s most important to plan ahead.  Most sugar cookie doughs require at least some chilling time and the royal icing is stable enough to be made a few days in advance. It’s also helpful to have all of the tools you need ready to go to make the process as efficient as possible.

Here’s what I like to use:

  • Disposable piping bags
  • Round piping tips
  • Good quality food coloring (I use Wilton or Americolor)
  • Plastic squeeze bottles (for flooding icing)
  • Toothpicks
  • Plastic containers with lids (for icing storage)
  • Baking racks

And here is how I decorated the cookies:

1. Outline the cookies

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2. Thin the icing with water and flood

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3. Pipe dots

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4. Drag a toothpick through the dots

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5. Allow cookies to dry completely and enjoy :)

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Source: Decorating method vis Annie’s Eats

Gingerbread Graham Crackers & Gingerbread Houses

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I made a few adjustments to my favorite graham cracker recipe to make it more festive for the Christmas goodies I sent out this year. Instead of honey, I used molasses and I added in grounder ginger and cloves for a little extra spice. The result was a crispy and a little bit crunchy cookie that I will be definitely be making again.

These gingerbread graham crackers are great with coffee or they would be even more wonderful as the base for holiday-inspired s’mores- perhaps with peppermint marshmallows or Andes mints or a peppermint patty? Oh man… already brainstorming for next year! Another bonus- they’re sturdy enough to be sent in the mail and they also freeze well.

Now- onto the next topic…

Two of my favorite girlfriends and I got together to decorate gingerbread houses a few weekends ago; because, as you can see, we are wild and crazy twenty-somethings living life in the fast lane.  Jess invited Chelsea and me over to live it up and we had a fabulous afternoon listening to Christmas music and overdosing on sugary candy while we created our masterpieces.

Jess so graciously made the gingerbread framework for us. She’s an expert gingerbread builder… and a hard-core icing piper (if that’s a word?).

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The key to a good gingerbread house, and a good sugar coma, is a wide variety of candy.

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Chelsea and her home. Chelsea is supermodel beautiful, intelligent, thoughtful, my favorite carpool buddy/navigator and she recently acquired the ability to fix a kitchen sink. This girl’s a jack of all trades. I’m so lucky to have her in my life.

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Jessica: she’s outgoing,  gorgeous, fun-loving, adventurous, a hardworking go-getter, and my Broadway musical mentor. As you can see, she’s also a fabulous hostess and baker/chef. A wonderful friend, indeed.

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How sweet it is to be friends with these women. They truly enrich my life and I am so very thankful for them.

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Gingerbread Graham Crackers

Printable version

 

Yield: About 2 dozen graham crackers

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups whole wheat graham flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 tablespoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons molasses
  • cinnamon sugar (1 teaspoon cinnamon/3 tablespoons sugar), for sprinkling (if desired)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the molasses and mix until combined.

2. Whisk together the flours, soda, salt, ginger, cloves, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead together into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days.

3. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Make the cinnamon sugar in a small bowl.

4. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a lightly-floured until about 1/8 inch thick. Use your prefered cookie cutter shape to cut out the cookies. Place them on the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart, and poke with a fork. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake another 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days or freeze for 3 months.

Source: Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones

Chocolate Chunk Espresso Cookies

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You better watch out, you better not cry, you better not pout, I’m telling you why: Christmas cookie baking is in full swing. Woohoo! I spent a good amount of this last weekend in a kitchen whirlwind and these chocolate chunk espresso cookies were one of the first items that popped out of the oven.

While they aren’t a traditional Christmas cookie, they are definitely something to celebrate. The flavor of chocolate (as the Barefoot Contessa will tell us) is amplified with two flavors: vanilla and coffee; and these cookies have both. The coffee flavor comes from espresso powder, which can usually be found in the coffee section of most grocery stores (I used Megdalia D’oro).

These bad boys are rich, dense, and go fabulously with a chilled glass of milk. Leave them under the tree on Christmas eve and Santa will surely lick the plate clean.

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Chocolate Chunk Espresso Cookies

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup cocoa powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons instant espresso powder
  • 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
  • 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
  • 1 cup packed light-brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 large egg, plus one large egg yolk
  • 7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 4 ounces white chocolate chips

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

2. In a small bowl mix together the espresso powder and vanilla. Set aside.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugars on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Mix in the vanilla/espresso mix and beat until well-combined.

4. Whisk together the dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in a medium-sized bowl. With the mixer on low, slowly add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture until just combined. Gradually fold in the chocolate pieces.

5. Drop the dough in even spoonfuls (I used a 1.5 inch ice cream scoop) onto the cookie sheets and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the cookies are just set. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack before transferring to parchment paper to cool completely.

6. Store in an airtight container for 1 week or freeze for 3 months.

Source: Adapted from Martha Stewart

Lemon Curd Cupcakes

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This recipe isn’t a new one for me. I’ve made it as my sister’s birthday cake here and here. This time, though, there needed to be a cupcake version. One of my favorite co-workers recently celebrated a birthday and I needed a more portable version to take out.  She, like my sister, is also a serious lemon lover and I knew these would be perfect for her. Indeed, she loved them.

I’ve discovered the key to a tasty lemon dessert is, not at all surprisingly, the use of fresh lemon juice and lemon zest. There is no substitute. Bottled lemon juice just doesn’t deliver the same bold punch.

If you’re looking to turn your favorite cake batter into cupcakes, it usually works. You just need to adjust the baking time to 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick in the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

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And to pack an even bigger lemon explosion, I filled the cupcakes with homemade lemon curd…

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Cut out a cone in the top of the cupcakes with a paring knife

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Place a spoonful of lemon curd in the hollowed out portion of the cupcake

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Top with the reserved cone-shaped piece of cake and frost as desired

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Homemade Lemon Curd

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I’ve grown to love the peace and solitude of the mornings. Now that we’ve put up our Christmas decorations, I especially look forward to getting up before the sun rises, drinking my coffee, and sitting under the glow of the lights from our tree. The mornings keep getting colder and the low temperatures seem to magnify my affection for these moments.

On the weekends, I obviously have more time to cherish these times and I like to savor something special for breakfast besides my standard cereal or oatmeal to celebrate the freedom from the daily grind. This lemon curd fits into that category.  It helps cultivate my ongoing daydream of sitting in a French cafe with Ina Garten and her friends (and maybe even Jeffrey is there too,  on leave from Yale) and we’re sipping espressos and planning our day. Ahhh…. I live a wild life.

But seriously, this lemon curd is delightfully tart and sweet and a little bit goes a long way. It goes very well with plain Greek yogurt or as a tasty addition to pancakes. It’s also a delicious in baked goods and I actually used the majority of this batch to make lemon curd cupcakes for a friend’s birthday (recipe coming next week!).

Enjoy your weekend, my friends. And don’t forget to take a few extra minutes to relax and sip your cup of coffee, with or without Ina on your mind.

Homemade Lemon Curd

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 3/4 cup (7 oz) granulated sugar
  • 3/4 cup (7 oz) fresh lemon juice, from roughly 8 lemons
  • 3 eggs
  • 3 egg yolks
  • 9 tablespoons (4.5 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Directions

1. Whisk together the eggs and egg yolks in a medium-sized bowl.  Set aside.

2. Pour the lemon juice through sieve to ensure there are no seeds or pith remaining. Combine the lemon juice and sugar in a medium, heat-resistant bowl. Place the bowl over a pot of simmering water (also known as a double boiler). Stir occasionally until the sugar fully dissolves.

3. Take the lemon juice mixture off the simmering water, but don’t turn off the stove or remove the pot. While whisking the eggs, slowly add in about 1/4 cup of the lemon juice to the egg mixture at a time, stirring vigorously after each addition. If you add the eggs all at once, you will end up with chunks of scrambled eggs. Not cool.

4. Next, put the bowl with the egg and lemon juice mixture back onto the double boiler. Whisk continually, for about 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to thicken. You’ll know it’s done when the curd coats the back a spoon and doesn’t slide right off.

5. Remove the curd from the heat and add in the butter. Whisk until smooth and no lumps of butter remains. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the curd and over the bowl so that a film doesn’t form on top of the curd while cooling. Place in the fridge for an hour to allow to cool completely. Store in the refrigerator.

Source: This very informative video from The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel (skip to 0:30 to avoid the intro)

Apple Pie with Cinnamon Rum Whipped Cream

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Here it comes. The apple pie cliche. But really- there are truly very few things that are more American than apple pie. With the presidential election and Thanksgiving right around the corner, I viewed it as my civic duty to create the classic dessert. That- plus we have been having semi-regular baking contests at work and last week was pie. So, basically, it’s a win win situation.

My Aunt Khaki recommended this pie recipe to me and, I have to say, I wasn’t convinced. It didn’t seem all that special, but you don’t question the great Khaki. She knows her stuff. And her wisdom still stands. This pie is beautifully simple, but not so simple that it’s forgettable. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Although I don’t remember my grandmothers having a special apple pie recipe, this is what it would have tasted like if they did. Add in a dollop of spiked cinnamon whipped cream and you have an extra special dessert.

Apple Pie with Cinnamon Rum Whipped Cream

Yield: 8-10 pieces of pie

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup white sugar
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 6 Granny Smith apples – peeled, cored and thinly sliced
  • 1 recipe pie dough

For the whipped cream

  • 1 cup cold heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 cup white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 3 tablespoons dark rum

Directions

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Adjust one rack in the center of the oven and another below that rack.
  2. Make the filling: Melt the butter in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Whisk in flour and stir until no lumps remain. Add white sugar, brown sugar and water and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat to low and simmer 5 minutes.
  3. Prepare the pie crust: On a lightly-floured surface, roll out one disc of pie dough into a large circle that is about 1/8 inch thick. Carefully press into the pie pan. Trim off excess and crimp accordingly. Put the apple slices on top of the pie dough. Roll out the other dough disc and cut into 1 inch thick strips. Cover the apples with a lattice work crust. Gently pour the sugar and butter liquid over the crust and into the holes between the lattice strips. Pour slowly so that it does not run off.
  4. Line a cookie sheet with tin foil and place on the bottom rack to catch any liquids from the pie. Place the pie in the middle rack.
  5. Bake 15 minutes at 425 degrees F. Reduce the temperature to 350 degrees F , and continue baking for 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking rack about 15 minutes before serving.

To make the whipped cream

  1. Place the whipping cream, sugar, and cinnamon in a glass or metal bowl. Beat on medium-high until stiff peaks form. Add in the rum and switch to a rubber spatula. Carefully fold the rum into the whipped cream. Serve immediately or store in the refrigerator for two days.

Source: Pie adapted from All Recipes

Homemade Graham Crackers and a Housewarming

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Our friends, Jess and Greg, recently moved into a beautiful new home in Dublin. This past weekend they had a housewarming party and I was happy to help with the food and drinks because I so enjoy any excuse to help plan parties. One of Jess’s desires was a s’mores station and she requested that I make homemade graham crackers. I’ve made these crunchy cookies before, but I used slightly different recipe last time around; and, I must say, I prefer this version much more. They’re perfectly crispy and the honey flavor really shines. Most importantly, though, they are delicious building blocks for s’mores. Jess even made Ina Garten’s coconut marshmallows to take things to a whole new level of scrumptastic. Hot diggity dog.

My friends, you must start making your own graham crackers. The store bought version doesn’t even compare on any fraction of a level. The recipe is very simple, but just plan ahead because the dough needs to be chilled before baking. You won’t regret it.

I’m in a glass canister mood as of late- I just love them

The new house!

The beautiful hostess

Two babies

Ladies with both beauty and brains

Two proud mamas

I love this face- pure mischief

Man talk

Mingling on a chilly fall evening

“Work it”

Graham Crackers

Yield: About 2 dozen (recipe can be doubled)

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/3 cups whole wheat graham flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • cinnamon sugar (1 teaspoon cinnamon/3 tablespoons sugar), for sprinkling (if desired)

Directions

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy- about 2 minutes. Slowly add in the honey and mix until combined.

2. Whisk together the flours, soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium-sized bowl. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture and stir until just combined. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead together into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours, or up to 5 days.

3. When you’re ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line 3 baking sheets with parchment paper. Set aside. Make the cinnamon sugar in a small bowl.

4. Unwrap the dough and roll it out on a lightly-floured until about 1/8 inch thick. Using a cookie cutter, or a pizza cutter, cut out 3 inch rectangles. Place them on the baking sheets, about 1 inch apart, and poke with a fork. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar and bake for 10 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake another 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool on a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.

Source: Barely adapted from Brown Eyed Baker, originally from Sweet Cream and Sugar Cones