Strawberry Shortcake Trifles!

The dessert I made last was perfect: easy, delicious, and just enough for two! I had seen a new technique for making whipped cream on Pinterest, by using an immersion blender to whip up heavy whipping cream in less than 30 seconds. I was amazed! Heavy whipping cream along with a heavy dose of powdered sugar, blended to perfection in no time at all! I used stemless wine glasses, and layered the trifle with the whipped cream, diced strawberries, and broken up pieces of an old-fashioned donut I picked up at the grocery store (yes, I was too lazy to make the actual 'cake' component!). Pretty and tasty! I think my man wolfed his down in less than 30 seconds too ;)

Crazy About You!

A few weeks ago I was in Miami to watch a game with my dad, and went out to dinner with two of my very good friends afterwards, to restaurant overlooking the bay called Crazy About You. The scenery was gorgeous and it was right about sunset time, so I was able to take some lovely pics.

The menu is eclectic and unique - you pick one appetizer and one entree and the options are varied and fabulous! My friends and I shared white wine and apps first.

My entree was shrimp and mushroom risotto, so delicious!

Dessert was the best part - it was a create-your-own! My friends surprised me with it and I loved it! It was a tray that came with whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, a warm brownie, cocoa powder, diced strawberries, and chocolate sauce.

I wrote Portugal because the soccer game I had seen with my dad was Portugal v Spain, a semi-final in the Euro Cup, that Portugal had lost, sadly! The third picture has some beautiful Arabic script done by my friend, who wrote our names :) Needless to say, the dessert was great! And I recommend this restaurant to anyone in the South Florida area for sure!

White Chocolate Mousse!

Last night I was in the mood for something sweet (of the non-cupcake variety), so I found the recipe for Annie's Eats' White Chocolate Mousse in my recipe book, and boom! Fluffy egg whites, whipped cream and melted white chocolate, and a few surprises of my own as well. I put a thin layer of melted bittersweet chocolate (mixed with some white sugar) in between layers of the white chocolate mousse, and topped with dark chocolate-covered raspberries. I served them in these gorgeous glasses from Crate & Barrel which made the mousse look pretty snazzy!

Baby Cinnamon Pies!

I got this recipe from Gimme Some Oven and immediately liked it because 1) it's a miniature, individual dessert and 2) there is plenty of sugary goodness involved (without being overly sweet). These baked little 'pie pockets' are basically cinnamon roll flavored, as they have two delicious flaky pie crusts filled with a creamy mixture of brown sugar, tangy cream cheese, and spicy cinnamon. They are topped with a gooey drizzle made from heavy cream and powdered sugar which both looks and tastes lovely!

Warm and gooey ... definitely best served with a tall glass of milk!

Cinnamon Sugar Bites!

I was in the mood for something sweet, but didn't want to go the whole 9 yards with cupcakes (even though I have some winners pending in my recipes binder!). I had seen AmyBites' recent posting on Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Holes and thought it would be perfect! They are small, perfectly-sized doughy-cakey bites rolled in melted butter, sugar, and cinnamon. Delicious!

Fresh out of the oven donut bites, waiting to be rolled in buttery cinnamon sugar!

Primrose Bakery Cupcakes!

Two years ago, my best friend from high school gave me a gorgeous cupcake book for Christmas. The book comes from the famous, gorgeous Primrose Bakery in London.

For my friend's bachlorette party tonight, I decided to make Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate buttercream.

The recipe calls for raspberry jam to be swirled into the cake batter after mixing all the ingredients together. I mashed the berries together with some honey and sugar and then swirled it into the batter.

Melted white chocolate mixed in with whipped butter, vanilla extract, confectioner's sugar, and milk to make gorgeous thick pale yellow buttercream.

I topped the bachlorette themed cupcakes (love those pink liners!) with sugared engagement rings from Party City.

I had fun playing with the different frosting tips to make cute star designs on the non-ring-adorned cupcakes.

Cookie and Cake Sandwiches

My lovely blogging friend Ann has a fantastic blog, At The Patisserie and another one discussing her amazing 11 week service trip to Ghana, Serving in Saboba. I decided to make her recipe for Mocha Choc Chip Cookies and turn them into cookie sandwiches with some leftover whipped cream from my Victoria Sandwich-inspired cake (see below).

Made on 03/10/12.

Variations: I halved the recipe (as I tend to do). To make the filling, I whipped 1 cup of heavy cream with 2 tbsp white sugar, 1 tbsp confectioner's sugar, and 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract. Delicious! 

Vanilla Rum Cake Sandwich! From The Pioneer Woman! Made on 03/10/12.

Variations: I made this cake in two pans so as to be able to sandwich them together. The cake halves are vanilla rum flavor, and they are sandwiched with cherry jam. The frosting is whipped cream and topped with blackberries!

One afternoon's worth of baking! Whew!

Cherry Cheesecake Swirls!

Cheesecake Swirl Bars!

Variations: I didn't have any Nutella and am deathly afraid of owning any since when I first discovered it freshman year in college, I had an immediate 5 pound weight gain! Anyway, I substituted the dangerous chocolatey-hazelnut spread with cherry jam and the ensuing red swirls made me very happy indeed!

Made on 03/06/12.

Spain & Portugal ... a Food Diary!

Fresh off a 10-day road trip through Spain and Portugal, I have now sufficiently recovered from both the jetlag I picked up and the nasty cold I brought back with me. Ten days of tinto de verano, Rioja, tapas, tiny pastries, puddings, fish, potatoes, and warm bread have left me happy and sated, with renewed love for the cusine of two incredibly unique countries. Here are some of the best bites from my trip:

Tapas....

Tortilla Española (potato omelet)

Croquetas de Jamón (ham croquettes) 

Huevos Estrellados con Jamón Ibérico (fried eggs with Iberian ham)

Pastries!

Macarons in Madrid...

Mini treats...

Gorgeous spread...

Pasteis de nata (egg tart pastries)

Happy Valentine's Day!

Happy Valentine's Day! The man and I celebrated with a little midnight dessert (is there a better time to eat dessert?!)...

And I love this :)

Berries & Cream!

Inspired by my über-healthy ladyfriend, I put together a work snack last night with no recipe (gasp!). It is healthy, yummy, colorful, simple, etc. Mix blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and 2-3 tablespoons of white sugar in a bowl and add 1/4 cup mascarpone, 2 (6 oz) containers of fat-free plain yogurt, 2/3 cup rolled oats, and a 1/4 teaspoon of fresh squeezed lemon juice.

Made on 01/31/2012.

Not particularly lovely photos, but true deliciousness inside! :)

What I have made thus far .... Barefoot Contessa Edition!

French Apple Tart!
Made on 05/02/11.

Creme Brûlée!
Made on 10/18/11.

Thanks to Barefoot Contessa! :)