midori cake pops

Do you like my cake pop french man in the middle with his white chocolate beret? I kind of dig him. He has great eyebrows don't you think? No one has eaten him--I don't want to lose him, I like him, kind of like Tom Hanks loved his volleyball turned best friend in the movie "Cast Away". I tried making a surfer dude with gnarly hair using the coconut (behind french man), but it didn't work so well.

Cake pops are literally sweeping the nation. I've even seen them in Starbucks! Is there a "cake pops for dummies" book out yet? Was it really Bakerella that invented them? I've been meaning to make them for a long time, but got lazy because they are labor intensive! Hard lil critters to make. To be clear, cake pops are labor intensive, the cake balls not so much. With the balls there is no stick to fiddle with or drying upright to keep a smooth complexion.

I didn't want to make just any cake pop, I wanted flavor-- funky flavor that would stand out and pair well with the chocolate dipping melts. Dipping melts don't taste like pure chocolate, and if you have a chocolate palate like I do then dipping melts are a very different flavor. Although I do see why they are used for these cake pops, they dry fast and have a harder, tougher coating than regular chocolate.
When my friend Anna over at cookie madness made (long long time ago) a midori cake, I kept that in the back of my mind to use for a cake of my own.

If you do make these midori cake pops I HIGHLY recommend dipping them in coconut. I should have toasted the coconut first--it would have tasted amazing.

Food Hindsight is always 20/20!

**cooking notes: if you are making cake pops (not balls) please make sure to invest in a large Styrofoam board for placing the cake pops on for drying. I did not. And should have. Read the recipe instructions below carefully as you will be swapping out water and replacing it with midori liquor. I thought the color of the cake pops would be green they are not. If you want them green to represent the midori flavoring then add in a couple drops of green dye to the cake batter before cooking. I used Wiltons candy melts, pens, sticks, bags, etc....The midori flavor is very gentle, not strong at all. I kind of like it that way, so it worked out perfectly. If you did want a stronger midori flavor maybe you could add some to the melted candy melts? But don't know how they would dry/set up. I dipped all my cake pops in a layer of pink candy melts, from there i either added on a 2nd layer of different color candy melts or went the coconut/sprinkle route. Do what whatever creativity you feel. Most of all have fun. If you want a better tutorial than mine (I know mine isn't the best) head over to Bakerella, she is the queen of cake pops after all.

midori cake pops
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1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)
**for midori balls (melon flavor): reduce the amount of water you add when making the cake batter by ½ cup and add in it’s place 2 nips of Midori liquor (1/2 cup)**
1 can frosting (16 oz.)
Wax paper
Assorted candy melts
lollipop sticks
sprinkles
shredded or toasted coconut
edible ink pens (optional)

Cook cake as per directions in a 13 x 9 pan. Cool, then crumble with your hands, mix in the frosting and mix well. I did NOT use the whole can of frosting; there was maybe 2 TB left. But use your own judgment.
Get you baking sheet with wax paper ready. Take the mixture and roll into small golfballs. You should get about 40-50?
Melt just a little bit of chocolate in a cup or bowl as we are going to dip the sticks in the chocolate to hold the pops in place. Dip the tip of your lollipop stick in a little of the melted candy coating and insert into the cake balls. (Insert a little less than halfway.). Place back on wax covered sheet and into the freezer for a little while to firm up

Ready to dip:
melt chocolate color of your choice in ceramic coffee cups (or bowls) in the microwave per directions on package. I did one minute intervals with a quick stir. (it was easier to use ceramic coffee cups as they are easier for dipping). Get your Styrofoam blocks ready.
Gently dip the cake pops in the chocolate with a rolling method, lift up and continue rolling to get off excess and get a smooth coating. Now if you want to want to add sprinkles and/or coconut to a certain number of pops do it now, then back into fridge for cooling.
Once firm, you can either add another layer of chocolate dip for color/decoration. If you do then back into the freezer to firm up again.
Once dry, draw faces with an edible ink pen.

pb and root beer bundt cake

Remember when I first made the infamous root beer cake from Baked? Seems like years ago. Today it's still one of my favorites. No it really is. It's simple to make and packs a powerhouse of flavor. It's easily one of those cakes you can bring to a function/party to wow friends because it is so unique and tasty. Did you know that the bundt pan was actually invented by a person? I didn't. His name was David Dalquist--here is a little ditty on him here and here. He also invented/started Nordic Ware. But originally he called it the "bund" pan. Interesting. His success of the bundt pan stemmed from 1966 winner of the Pillsbury Bake Off, where a texas woman (Ella Helfrich) made a "tunnel of fudge cake" using the bundt pan. And from there 1000's of people wanted to make the tunnel of fudge cake at home--thus buying up bundt pans like crazy. I love the concept of bundt pans, just wish they weren't so strange looking. Coat them with enough frosting or glaze and they are better....looking.

Since I do like to make this root beer cake, a lot in fact, I've had it in my mind for a while to somehow kick it up a notch. Peanut butter was the easiest choice and so was pistachios. Who doesn't love a peanut butter sandwich with a cold glass of root beer? Peanut butter and root beer do pair very well together; the salty pb frosting layer adds a nice, gentle layer of salt.

root beer-peanut butter bundt cake
inspired from: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking
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cake:
1 & 1/2 cups root beer (do not use diet root beer)

1/2 cup of root beer schnapps (if you can't find root beer schnapps use 2 cups of root beer instead of the 1 & 1/2 cups as stated above)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1¼ cups granulated sugar
½ cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoons baking soda
1 ts salt
2 large eggs

peanut butter frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 ts pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar (I used 3 cups for extra thick)
2 TB milk

root beer frosting (I halved this, since I didn’t want a thick layer):
2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 ts salt
¼ cup root beer or 1/8 cup of root beer schnapps
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2½ cups confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out excess flour.
In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, root beer schnapps (if using), cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into a cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy - do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.
Make the pb frosting:
Blend cream cheese and peanut butter together, adding vanilla and confectioners' sugar gradually with 1 to 2 tablespoons milk. Beat with electric mixer until of spreading consistency. Spread on cooled cake.
I like to put a thick(er) layer of pb frosting on, let that set, then the root beer frosting.
Make the root beer fudge frosting:
Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.
Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving.

Winter 2011 and other stuff...

Thought I'd change things up a bit with some photos of winter here on cape cod, what I've been up to, foods that made me fat this winter, fun stuff, neat stuff, etc... Photos taken with my iphone, so they aren't the best. Enjoy.

First up, the infamous Nauset Beach from cape cod national seashore. A stunning place to go to in the winter because it's so remote, quiet, raging, unpredictable, fierce and calming all at the same time. Very cold too. Even on the hottest of days in summer there is always a chill in the air along with the wind. This winter I braved it and went for a walk. It was so cold, the wind literally cuts your face. You have to be well prepared with layers of clothes and depending on the wind, a face mask. But as the old saying goes, a walk on the beach really clears the head.

There is a secret private beach club on cape cod that is a playhouse/clubhouse for the uber-rich to go to in the summer. Obviously no access is allowed in summer to the public, but this winter the gate was wide open for construction. Of course I had to sneak in and walk around--who wouldn't? This place is stunning. I'm not allowed to mention the place, where it is--I was asked not to. But here is a sneak peek of what the rich do in the summertime. This photo shoot was one of the highlights of my winter--stunning place.

the detail in masonary of this seawall was amazing.

not only are the homes on the beach, but they have a whole other section of private beach.

This winter I gained some weight....

spice cake donuts w/ chocolate hard shell

When I saw that the NYT did an article about Thomas Keller's chocolate shell ice cream topping. I knew instantly I had to use it on a donut. This magic shell coating is really intended for ice cream. But who am I to resist a little kitchen culinary experiment?

For a great little ditty and tutorial on using it for ice cream go see my friend Irvin at eat the love . Oh what fun it would be to use this on a fresh, warm, crispy donut? Right? But sadly they do not harden as fast as they do for ice cream. I'm sure it has to do with the coldness of the ice cream makes the chocolate shell harden. But if you let them set up in the fridge they do harden and taste AMAZING!
I mean who doesn't love a deep fried crispy donut with a hard chocolate shell? These were good--really good. If you don't want the hard shell, the plain donuts are good as is or with a good dusting of cinnamon-sugar or a good old fashioned glaze. Mmmm donuts! But who doesn't want a chocolate bath? Come on now.

spice cake donuts with chocolate hard shell
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2 TB shortening
2 TB unsalted butter, room temp
1 cup white sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1 cup heavy cream
2 ts high quality vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 tsp. baking powder
1 oversized ts nutmeg
1 oversized ts cinnamon
1 ts salt

In a small bowl or glass mix the heavy cream, vanilla and eggs until well beaten.
In a medium bowl mix the flour, baking powder, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt. I went ahead and sifted it too.
Cream the butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the cream/egg mixture and mix till well combined. Next add in the flour mixture and mix until just combined—don’t overmix! Transfer this to board and cover with plastic wrap. Let it refrigerate for at least 3 hours (or overnight).
When ready to make the donuts, unwrap and place on a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough into a rectangle or square with at least 1/2-inch thickness.
Using a 2 1/2-inch doughnut cutter cut out the donuts. If the cutter gets stuck in dough just dip it in flour before each cut. Place the doughnuts and holes on a baking sheet lined with parchment.
Fill large/tall heavy bottomed pan with about 1/3 full of vegetable oil. Heat oil over medium heat until it reaches 375° degrees.
Line a baking sheet with paper towels and set aside.
Remember to fry in small batches—don’t overcrowd the pan or the oil temperature drops way down and the donuts will start to absorb the oil. Fry the doughnuts (and holes), turning once until they are golden brown (about 2-3 minutes each side).
Once the donuts are done place them on the paper towels to absorb some oil and cool down.

Cook Notes:
When you are ready to dip the donuts in the chocolate use this recipe (below). Keep in mind once the hard shell is on the donuts it does not harden immediately like it does for ice cream. So you will need to let the donuts harden in the fridge to set up. And only use bittersweet chocolate as it states in the recipe. I was tempted to use milk chocolate and it was way too sweet.
The donut recipe above I halved and had more than enough chocolate dipping sauce below. If you do want to make the full batch recipe of donuts you might need to double the chocolate dipping sauce ingredients. If you don’t want coat the donuts in chocolate feel free to coat them in a cinnamon-sugar mix when they are fresh out of the deep fryer. 2 TB of cinnamon for every ½ cup of white sugar.
PLEASE make sure to spray you rack with non stick spray to prevent the dipped donuts from sticking to the rack once they are hardened.

chocolate hard shell for donuts (can be used for ice cream topping)
adapted from Thomas Keller

7 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
2 TB virgin coconut oil

Melt the chocolate in a small metal bowl set over a pan of simmering water.
Stir in the coconut oil and heat until dissolved, about 1 minute.
Keep the liquid lukewarm until ready to pour over the ice cream.
Chocolate will harden into a shell within a few seconds when spooned over ice cream.
Yield: 3/4 cup

To assemble:
If you hate getting your hands covered in chocolate then wear a plastic/rubber glove. Dip the donuts right in the chocolate. Turn over and coat the other side. Place on a rack that has been sprayed with non stick spray. The donuts will harden and stick to the rack if not sprayed. Let them sit a bit before putting in fridge to set up. You have to place them in the fridge to set up all the way—they don’t do it on their own.
If you want sprinkles, coconut, nuts, etc.. on your donuts, make sure to put them on when the chocolate is still wet.

sweet potato burritos

On one of those rare occasions I had leftover sweet potato hash. I know weird indeed. But look here, it went to good use: a burrito. A tasty lil critter of a burrito might I add. And as I type this I am thinking "I should have deep fried it!" That would have been heavenly.

The add in possibilities to this burrito are endless. Be creative or be "clean out the fridge'ish".
One of the great things I love about the sweet potato is they easily take the place of a meat--if seasoned right. I don't like to eat a lot of meat. Once a month I love to make my infamous cheeseburgers. I do crave them at least monthly.
I hope there are a lot of sweet potato lovers out there since I seem to post them a lot on here. They are just so versatile for meals and even for sweets. Remember when I made the sweet potato cupcakes? Yes. Need to make those again.

sweet potato burritos
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sweet potato hash (recipe below)
4 Flour tortillas
Cooked rice, any kind, any flavor
Monterey jack cheese, shredded
4 – 6 strips cooked bacon, chopped
Sour cream

Other add ins:
Beans
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Leftover chicken, pork, steak, tofu crumbles
Scrambled eggs
The list is endless….

For the sweet potato hash:
2-3 sweet potatoes, chopped into 1-inch cubes
EV olive oil
A few TB’s of butter
salt & pepper
¼ - ½ cup caramelized onions
Worcestershire sauce
1 – 3 chopped adobo chile peppers in sauce, minced (these are hot so use caution)

Caramelize some onions (about 1 giant sweet yellow onion) after it's done caramelizing add a few drops of the Worcestershire sauce, set aside.
Heat up same skillet (don’t clean it) with some EVOO and fry up the sweet potatoes until nice & crispy, season with salt and pepper. Towards the end of cooking add a few tablespoons of butter to the skillet to melt into the hash. Then add in a few dashes of Worcestershire sauce, mix until combined. Then add in the chopped/minced adobo. Stir.

To assemble:
Warm up the tortillas, Fill with the sweet potato hash, bacon, rice, cheese and sour cream. Serve.