My family loves snacking during the football game. These antipasto sticks make it easy to grab and eat without missing a play. You can use some baby spinach to dress up the platter, then drizzle everything with some Balsamic Vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 container marinated fresh mozzarella balls (found by deli)
1 jar marinated kalamata olives
Sliced pepperoni or salami (or both)
Baby spinach
Balsamic Vinaigrette
Party skewers
Place a layer of baby spinach on platter. Skewer tomatoes, meats, mozzarella balls, and olives (I placed the olives on the platter since some of my family doesn't like them). Place on platter and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy!
This special birthday cake for my Mom In Law starts with a layer of fluffy vanilla cake, homemade strawberry jam filling, strawberry cake, and topped off with chocolate frosting. The outside frosting edges were piped using a ruffle design.
Fluffy Vanilla Cake:
Recipe from Sweetapolita
5 large egg whites, room temperature
3/4 cup whole milk, room temperature (divided 1/4 and 1/2 cup)
2 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
1 T + 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
12 T unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into cubes
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
In a bowl, stir together the egg whites, 1/4 cup of the milk, and vanilla extract. Set aside.
In a large stand mixer bowl, add the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt and stir on low speed until well combined.
Add the butter and other 1/2 cup milk and mix on medium speed for 1 1/2 minutes.
Scrape down the sides of bowl, then slowly add the egg/milk/vanilla mixture in 3 batches beating on medium speed for 20 seconds after each addition.
Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the top with an offset spatula.
Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along edges to loosen and invert onto wire racks lined with parchment or paper. Turn the cake top side up and let cool completely.
Cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag and stored in freezer for up to 2 months. I only used one of these cakes, and froze the other one.
Strawberry Cake
Recipe from Sweetapolita
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1 (3 oz) box strawberry gelatin
4 eggs, room temperature
1 cup whole milk, room temperature
1 T pure vanilla extract
2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup strawberry puree (made by blending up frozen sweetened strawberries)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and line two 8 inch cake pans with parchment paper.
In a large stand mixer bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and box of strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.
In a glass measuring cup, stir together the milk and vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
Add 1/2 of the flour mixture to the creamed butter and beat on medium speed for 20 seconds. Add 1/2 of the milk mixture and beat on medium speed for 20 seconds. Repeat with remaining flour and milk.
Add the strawberry puree and mix just until combined.
Pour batter into the two prepared cake pans. Bake for 18-22 minutes, or until cake tester comes out clean. Let cakes cool in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes. Run a knife along edges to loosen and invert cakes onto parchment lined wire racks. Turn cakes top side up and let cool completely.
Cakes can be wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and then in a freezer bag and stored in freezer for up to 2 months. I only used one of these cakes, and froze the other one.
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/4 cup milk (maybe less, maybe more)
In a large stand mixer bowl, beat the butter for a minute. Add the sifted powdered sugar and cocoa powder and mix until combined. Add the vanilla extract, then slowly add the milk, a little at a time, until the right consistency is achieved. Piped frosting needs to be thicker than frosting that will be spread using offset spatula. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes until thick and fluffy.
To assemble cake, place the fluffy vanilla cake on cake plate. Spread with a layer of homemade strawberry jam (store bought works too). Top with strawberry cake. Frost with the chocolate buttercream frosting.
This is what I did with the frosting:
Spread a thin layer of chocolate frosting on sides of cake and a thick layer of frosting on top. Add remaining frosting to piping bag fitted with a medium size petal tip #103. You can watch this video tutorial to learn how to pipe on ruffle edge.
Enjoy!
I've made Red Velvet Cake truffles, Oreo truffles, and Peppermint Brownie truffles. But these truffles deserve a standing ovation. They are absolutely incredible. Seriously, they taste like cake batter cookie dough, and who doesn't like cookie dough! I found this recipe at Chef In Training.
I made a batch of these truffles for our Christmas Eve party. We always have family over to hang out, eat dinner, sing Christmas songs with the kiddos, make cookies for Santa and food for his reindeer. It was a fun night that lasted long into the am, so I bet the sugar helped us stay focused while putting together tons of toys for our girls after they went to bed.
Truffle Ingredients:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup yellow cake mix
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
dash salt
4 T milk
2 T sprinkles
Truffle Coating:
16 oz. Vanilla flavored white almond bark, or white candy melts
Sprinkles for decoration
In a large stand mixer, beat together the softened butter and sugar. Add the flour, cake mix, vanilla, salt, and milk and mix just until combined. Add the sprinkles and gently stir. Put bowl in refrigerator to chill dough for 15 minutes.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls and place on parchment lined cookie sheet. Place in freezer for 30 minutes.
Melt almond bark or candy melts in the microwave. Use a spoon to dip truffles into melted chocolate and place back on parchment lined cookie sheet. Immediately top with sprinkles. Store truffles in refrigerator in airtight container until ready to serve. Enjoy!
These bowls are easy to make and satisfies the picky eaters in the family. It starts with a layer of cilantro lime rice and taco beef. Then you set out all the toppings just like a salad bar. My kids had fun making their own bowls and hubby went back for seconds. I found the recipe for Cilantro Lime Rice over at Two Peas & Their Pod blog. I made the taco beef using ground beef and a packet of taco seasoning prepared per package instructions.
Toppings:
Cilantro Lime Rice
Taco Beef
Black beans
Corn
Grape tomatoes, halved
Avocados, sliced
Sour cream
Shredded Cheese
Hot Sauce
Jalapenos
There really is no recipe for this besides the Cilantro Lime Rice. This is an idea for an easy family meal. Enjoy!
This is a play on a pineapple upside down cake and cinnamon banana bread. I used a spice cake mix and added mashed bananas to the batter. The topping is a brown sugar sauce and sliced bananas. My girls loved it! Also, check out my Upside Down Apple Spice Cake with Coconut.
Cake Ingredients:
1 box (15.25 oz) Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix
1 cup water
1/2 cup Canola oil
3 eggs
2 medium bananas, mashed
Topping:
2 medium bananas, sliced
5 T unsalted butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a non-stick bundt pan with non-stick cooking spray.
In a large stand mixer, add the cake mix, water, oil, and eggs. Beat on medium speed for 3 minutes. Add the mashed bananas and beat to incorporate.
In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar. Turn heat to low and let simmer for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
Place the sliced bananas in the bottom of the bundt pan. Pour the brown sugar sauce over the bananas, and then pour in the cake batter.
Bake for 38-42 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. Immediately invert onto serving platter. Enjoy!
