Brown Sugar Apple Dip

I consider this among my "healthy" dessert options since it has apples! Well, it has to be a lot better than eating cake or cookies, right? :) My mom always made this as an appetizer to munch on before holiday dinners and while watching big football games. Ever since I made this before Thanksgiving dinner this year, I can't stop craving it...It's SO easy and quick to make- instant gratification! In fact, I may or may not have eaten it twice this weekend...

Brown Sugar Apple Dip

• 1 package cream cheese, softened (Do not use reduced fat)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBSP vanilla extract
• 2-3 large green apples

Mix first three ingredients in a large bowl, squishing together with the back of a large spoon. Try to get rid of any lumps. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Cut green apples into slices and serve! Get it before its gone. :)




Enjoy!

-Marissa

A Baking Fail

Well, it happens to the best of us... My friend Alice and I made some delicious pumpkin cupcakes last Halloween. They were yummy, so she wanted to make them again- why not? Well, this time she used organic pumpkin. She called me telling me how AWFUL the cupcakes tasted, how weird the texture was and how she was never using organic pumpkin again. This didn't stop her from trying a third time. So she called me, and I came over to make them with her again. She even had all the ingredients laid out for me when I got there!


"Hmm... there doesn't seem to be a lot of batter," I said. Oh well- yum tastes good! We made mini-cupcakes. I checked on them while they were baking. "Man! These looks SO TINY!" They were mini, but these were micro mini cupcakes. I'm talking 1 inch tall! See?


hahaha I checked the recipe. "Hmm...it calls for self-rising flour?


"Is this what we used?" Light bulb....

Hmm we definitely did not use that. We used All Purpose flour and completely forgot to add baking powder! Eek... funny how we did it right last time! Needless to say we had a good laugh once we figured out that the poor organic pumpkin took the fall. They were still yummy, although a tad gummy- too bad we had quadruple the icing for our itty bitty treats! :)


Alice had just started a new job and was too embarrassed to bring these as her FIRST baked good! haha - don't blame you Alice...We'll get it right next time!

For those of you wondering how to make self-rising flour from All Purpose flour- for every 1 cup of flour, add 1 1/2 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt!

-Marissa

Yellow Birthday Cake with Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Filling

I often crave chocolate and peanut butter.Like A LOT. Such an amazing combo. Lucky for my arteries, I was making this cake for my friend Jennifer's birthday. Is it healthy to channel my cravings into gifts for other people? It's OK she liked it too!


I have had my eye on this recipe from Bree for sometime and was waiting for the right time to make it. J told me she likes yellow cake, so I made Bree's recipe for the peanut butter chocolate chip filling and the milk chocolate butter cream and coupled with this moist and delicious yellow cake recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Simply divine. I did try a piece, and I have to say it was quite tasty.

The chocolate really takes a backseat here though. One thing to note is that the PB filing is not quite as rich as a PB icing since its made with whipped cream. Honestly, it wasn't as peanut buttery as I was imagining, but it was still good. The PB flavor really seeps into the layers. I stored in the fridge (due to the cream), which made it taste more dense and cold. If you left the cake out or warmed it up it might have a different consistency. Still, I think this is a birthday cake anyone would love! Oh and the cake batter, SO AMAZING that I shamelessly licked the entire spatula clean! OK- maybe the bowl too...

Moist and Buttery Yellow Cake

• 4 cups & 2 TBSP cake flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups buttermilk, well-shaken

*If you don't have buttermilk, start with 2 TBSP (1 TBSP per cup of milk) fresh lemon juice and fill up to the 2 cup line with milk.

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment circles and then butter parchment.

Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.

In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until fluffy.

Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well and scraping down bowl after each. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled- that's OK!).

Add flour mixture in three batches, until each batch is just incorporated.

Spread batter evenly in both pans, rapping on counter to eliminate air bubbles. Bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean (About 25-40 minutes- OK I can't remember how long I baked mine for). Cool in pan on cooling rack for 10 minutes then run a knife around the edge of the pan and invert cakes on rack.

Discard parchment and cool completely- around 1 hour.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Filling

• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup smooth peanut butter (not the natural kind)
• 2 oz. cream cheese
• 1/4 cup plus 1/8 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup chocolate chips (mini are best, but I only had regular)

When your cake is like 5 seconds away from being cool, whip the heavy cream and set aside.

Cream together peanut butter, cream cheese and sugar until well combined. Add vanilla.

Fold whipped cream into peanut butter mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

It will spread best when at room temperature, but if you need to make ahead of time, keep in fridge and remove 15 minutes before you "fill" the cake, stirring until it warms up a little.

To fill your cake, place one layer on your cake stand/cake carrier etc. and place large dollop of filling on top, spread evenly and place second layer on top.

Keep in mind that this is only used for the filling, so you may have some extra if you don't give this cake a generous filling. I won't tell if you eat it with your spatula too! I may have saved a couple scoops and eaten with a spoon for dessert...maybe... :)

Use the side of your spatula to "seal" the layers together with the remaining filling and place in fridge for 2 hours to chill and firm.

Milk Chocolate Buttercream

• 2 sticks butter, room temperature
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
  
• 1/2 cup milk chocolate chips, melted and slightly cooled
  
• 2 TBSP cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 2-3 TBSP heavy cream

* The chocolate flavor in this frosting is mild due to the milk chocolate. I added the cocoa powder to make it a bit richer, but if you want to go all out, then I would use 1/2 cup cocoa powder instead of the chips and powder listed above. You could also go with a dark chocolate.

Make this right before you're cake is finished "chilling" in the fridge. Cream butter and sugar. Gradually add cocoa powder and then melted chocolate. Add just enough cream to get the consistency for spreading. Add vanilla. Now you're ready to put the finishing touches on your cake!

To ice your cake, start by icing the top. It helps to have a handy dandy icing spatula like mine. It's OK to push the extra icing the edges. This will help us ice the sides.

What a mess! Next, slowly add icing to sides in small batches and using excess from top, smooth sides. Once you're done, carefully hold back of sspatula at an angle against edges and run around to remove excess icing.

Put remaining icing in an icing bag with a star tip and pipe around top and bottom edges for decorations. This effect will cause people to "Ooh" and "Aah." It's amazing! :)

Dig in and enjoy (with your birthday friend of course) with a glass of milk....or champagne! :) Both in our case.

On a side note- we spotted these white peacocks at J's birthday brunch at Green Pastures in Austin. All of us were chasing them around trying to take photos- haha so cute!


What is your favorite kind of birthday cake?

-Marissa

Caramelized Onion Chicken for Two

This is a super tasty, relatively easy meal for two. I got it from Rachel Ray's Great Meals for Couples or Crowds cookbooks- and it's my favorite page. You can tell by all the "love marks." :) I often crave this- in fact, I really wanted it when I was on my own for dinner, so I just halved the recipe and made enough for myself- perfecto! You must make this soon!

You'll want to pound your chicken to about 1 1/2" thick for this recipe. It helps the chicken cook more evenly and not take FOREVER. You can get one of these handy-dandy meat-tenderizer-pounders from Marshall's like me.


Or, if you need to take out some aggression, put your chicken breasts between 2 sheets of wax paper and pound away with your hands. Phew! Now that that's over, you're ready to get coookin'.

Caramelized Onion Chicken
Serves 2- If you want to make for 4- just double! Also works well with pork chops or veal chops.

• 4 TBSP EVOO
• 1 large yellow onion or 2 medium onions
• 5-6 springs of fresh thyme
• 1-3 sprigs of fresh rosemary (optional)
• 2 large cloves garlic
• 1 cup chicken broth (eyeball it)
• 3 TBSP balsamic vinegar (eyeball it)
• 2 TBSP butter
• handful chopped parsley (oops I didn't have any this time)
  
• 2 chicken breasts

Heat 2 TBSP EVOO in medium skillet over medium heat. Add onion and sprigs of thyme and season with salt and pepper.

Cook 10-12 minutes, until onions are golden.

Once the onions are on their way, heat remaining 2 TBSP EVOO in a second medium pan over medium-high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pan and cook 5 minutes on first side. Resist the urge to move your chicken around or flip it- it will really lock in the juices this way! Flip over and reduce heat to medium. Cook 8-10 more minutes, until done. While you're chicken is finishing up cooking....you're probably ready to get back to your sauce. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Add chicken broth and vinegar. Increase heat to high and simmer until liquid is reduced by half, about 3-4 more minutes. Remove from heat and remove herb twigs- all the flavorful leaves will have fallen off by now. Add butter and parsley, stirring to combine. Top chicken breasts with sauce and serve.

I love to serve these with mashed potatoes, because the caramelized onion sauce is like a delicious gravy! So yummy! :) I know it's not very pretty in my horrible pictures, but I promise- you will love it!

Marissa's Mashed Potatoes
Enough for 2

• 4-6 small, gold potatoes (2-3 per person)
• 2 TBSP butter
• 4 TBSP milk
• scoop of sour cream
• salt and pepper

Peel and slice potatoes into smaller sections. Boil in salted water for 15-20 minutes, or until they pass the "Fork" test. The fork will easily pass through the largest potato. Drain and blend/mash/whip with rest of ingredients, altering to your taste/consistency preferences. I just made this meal for one, and I was too lazy to get out the big mixer. So...I experimented with my tiny 2 cup food processor. Success! :) Perfect size. I like mine to have more of a whipped texture.


Enjoy!

-Marissa

Thanksgiving in a few photos...

Just a few....
































As you can tell, I'm very behind in my posts....I know I promised London pictures like a zillion years ago and I have them uploaded to PutPhoto, but that's about it! I will post some soon...hopefully... But for now, Thanksgiving! I hope to post some of the recipes soon too...











Don't be alarmed...the "snow" was actually bubbles from a snow-bubble machine - no actual snow in New Orleans... yet.... ;)

I have a lot to be thankful for! Happy Holidays!

-Marissa