Countdown to 2015: Dessert

December 30, 2014December 29, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

I skipped yesterday’s countdown of snacks and appetizers because when I went to create that blog post I discovered that in 2014 that category was severely lacking. I did a series of popcorn recipes though so go check them out!

Looks like I’ll need to make some more snack food next year!

This blogging countdown party is hosted by Sarah at Fantastical Sharing of Recipes. Scoot on over to her page to see more round-up recipes.

Today’s countdown though is all about dessert. Desserts are definitely the highest grossing posts on Sew You Think You Can Cook. And having joined #BundtBakers this year I have plenty of recipes to choose from!

So how did I pick my favorites? I do not have a very big sweet tooth and when it comes to cravings I reach for salty snacks over chocolate. When I bake I tend to enjoy a slice the day I make it and I’m content. My husband is the one who polishes off the desserts over the week. And/or I send them with him to work or take them to friends. So, this list encompasses the desserts that I ate more than once.

Candy Cane Bundt Cake

Chocolate Kahlua Bundt Cake

Cinnamon Cheese Cake Ice Cream

Roll-out Sugar Cookies

S’more Brownies

Pretzel Caramel Bread Pudding

November 5, 2014November 4, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 2 Comments

Last month’s Foodie Extravaganza celebrated pretzels and caramel. I used the leftovers to try my very first bread pudding.

I’d never made bread pudding or eaten bread pudding before. Something about it made me shy away. I’m not a fan of scrambled eggs and don’t like it when there’s too much custard on my french toast. Stuart was requesting a bread pudding so with the pretzel rolls we couldn’t finish in time I finally gave in.

And it was good! Especially with some fresh green apple to combat the sweetness. Bread pudding seemed essentially to be a baked french toast and with the caramel it reminded me of a flan.

Pretzel Caramel Bread Pudding

Ingredients:

5 eggs
1/2 C brown sugar
2 1/4 C milk
2 1/4 C heavy cream
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 – 1 lb stale soft pretzels or bread, cubed
6 tbsp caramel sauce

Steps:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a large bowl whisk eggs with brown sugar, milk, cream, vanilla, and salt.
Toss pretzel cubes in custard. Pour into a 9×13″ caserole dish. Top with caramel.
Bake covered for 20-30 minutes until custard is set.

*This recipe is modified from Riley at http://www.mydailymorsel.com/2013/04/09/salted-caramel-bread-pudding/ *

Cheesecake Mousse

September 19, 2014September 17, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Today is my father-in-law’s birthday! My father-in-law, now called Papa, is one of those quiet people who will talk your ear off. He has a contagious laugh and a passionate personality, he is very accepting, kind, and generous. He is a very loving and sentimental husband and father and new to his resume – he is a wonderful grandfather.

Wedding photography by Cher Hanna

To celebrate we’re having cheesecake! Okay, not exactly cheesecake. Cheesecake mousse. With only two of us, well technically three – but Wesley isn’t eating real food, I didn’t want to bake an actual cheesecake. Particularly when one of the two of us *cough cough, Stuart* claims to not like cheesecake! And let me just say, for someone who doesn’t like cheesecake he sure did scarf down this dessert in minutes.

I would have liked to have some graham crackers to crumble over the top, but I didn’t think of that until I was plating this dessert. So, I served mine with a wedge of lemon. Why? Because I knew I needed color for my food photography. Strawberries would have been the obvious choice but I don’t have any, and all berries I have are frozen. I was going to talk about how I’d surely be “Chopped” for placing a lemon in my dish, but Stuart squeezed his lemon wedge over his serving and raved about it. I followed suit and will admit, it improves the mousse! It makes it feel lighter. So, go ahead, serve yours with a wedge of lemon.

If you are craving cheesecake and have less than 20 minutes, this recipe is perfect for you! Maybe my mother-in-law will even surprise him tonight with this recipe?

Cheesecake Mousse

Ingredients:

1/2 C cream cheese, softened
3/8 C powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C heavy whipping cream
1/4 tsp light corn syrup

Steps:

In a bowl, beat cream cheese with an electric beater until creamy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until smooth.
In a separate bowl, beat heavy whipping cream until soft peaks form. Add the corn syrup and beat until stiff peaks form.
Gently fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese. Chill until ready to serve.
Serve with lemon wedge or other fresh fruit and graham cracker crumbles.

*This recipe is adapted from Danelle at http://www.letsdishrecipes.com/2014/02/no-bake-cheesecake-mousse.html*

S’more Brownies

August 18, 2014August 11, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Hey, there! I’m jumping on the summer s’more obsession bandwagon. And I’m not ashamed by it one bit. There’s a reason the s’more is the most popular summer food trend. Ooey-gooey melty chocolate and marshmallow. Sitting around a camp fire with family and friends. Enjoying warm weather and late nights. Getting all messy and not giving a care about it in the world.

Unfortunately not all of us have access to a backyard fire pit, but that doesn’t mean we can’t partake in the fun! Make these brownies and you’ll be transported to your favorite childhood memory.

You can follow the recipe below, or feel free to take a semi-homemade philosophy and use a boxed brownie mix! Just don’t skip out on making the graham cracker crust. I wonder if you can even fill two pie crusts with the brownie batter and turn these s’more brownies into s’more brownie pies!

S’more Brownies

Ingredients:

15 graham crackers, divided use
2 1/2 C sugar, divided use
6 tbsp butter, melted
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 C cocoa powder
1 1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 C mini marshmallows
3 chocolate bars

Steps:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Crush 12 of the graham crackers into crumbs. You should have about 1 1/2 C of crumbs. Combine crumbs with 1/2 C sugar and 6 tbsp melted butter. Press into the bottom of a 9×13″ pan and bake for 7 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment cream together 2 sticks softened butter with 2 C sugar. Add eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla extract.
In a bowl whisk together the cocoa powder, flour, and salt. Add to the stand mixer and mix until incorporated.
Pour batter evenly over graham cracker crust. Bake for 15 minutes.
Break chocolate bars and remaining 3 graham crackers into bite size pieces. Top brownies with chocolate, crackers, and marshmallows. Bake another 10 – 15 minutes.
If you have leftovers, they’re best reheated in a toaster oven for a few minutes until chocolate and marshmallows are again melty and gooey.

*This recipe is modified from Nikki at http://www.chef-in-training.com/2014/07/smore-brownies/*

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

August 8, 2014August 6, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

In the world of sweets, cupcakes have been the dominating dessert for quite some time now. And one of the popular trends is to turn a favorite beverage into a cupcake flavor. There are countless margarita cupcakes, Guinness cupcakes, and cupcakes using soda.

Kate and I decided to take our favorite mocktail and turn it into a cupcake. It’s such a fun cupcake and would be adorable to use in February for Valentine’s Day, for a summer party, or any little girl’s birthday.

Shirley Temple Cupcakes

Ingredients for the cupcakes:

1 1/2 C plus 1 tbsp flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1/2 C cherry 7-up, at room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice
red food coloring (optional)

Ingredients for the frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 1/2 C powdered sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp almond extract
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tbsp maraschino cherry juice

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tray with paper liners.
In a bowl, 1 1/2 C flour, baking powder, and salt.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time until incorporated.
Add one third of the dry ingredients and mix until combined. Add half of the cherry 7-up. Repeat until dry ingredients and soda are used (ending with the dry).
Add the vanilla and almond extracts.
In a small bowl, mix 3/4 C of the cake batter with the remaining 1 tbsp flour, maraschino cherry juice, and food coloring.
Distribute the red cake batter between 12 cupcakes. Top with remaining batter – do not mix.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, make the frosting: In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and pinch of salt. Add the vanilla and almond extracts, the lemon juice, and maraschino cherry juice. Frost cupcakes.
Garnish with maraschino cherries and a a straw!

*This recipe is adapted from Shanon at http://www.thecurvycarrot.com/2011/06/26/shirley-temple-cupcakes/*

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

August 3, 2014December 29, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ Leave a comment

Making homemade ice cream can be an intimidating project to tackle. There is always that fear of scrambling the eggs when making the custard and having to start all over. But it’s the eggs that create that creamy texture we all know and love.

Or so I thought.

When I saw this recipe for ice cream, and noticed the ingredient list did not include eggs I was skeptical. But I was also anxious to give it a shot! It looked very simple to make and should be fail proof.

The base of this ice cream could be used for multiple applications – add whatever “toppings” you want! I went with classic chocolate chips. The recipe makes the perfect amount to serve 4 people.

Egg-Free Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 C sugar
1 C milk
1 C heavy cream
1 tbsp vanilla extract
1/2 C mini chocolate chips

Steps:

In a saucepan over low heat, dissolve sugar in milk. Add in the cream and vanilla. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Follow the instructions for your ice cream maker. Towards the end of churning, add in the chocolate chips. Freeze until ready to serve.

*This recipe is adapted from Amber at http://www.sprinklewithflour.com/2012/08/homemade-chocolate-chip-caramel-swirl.html*

#BundtBakers: Stone Fruit

July 17, 2014July 17, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 22 Comments

With it being July I knew I had to take this month’s #BundtBakers theme in an All American direction. #BundtBakers is a group of bundt loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bundts with a common ingredient or theme. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme or ingredient. This month’s theme is stone fruit and our lovely host is Felice of All That’s Left are the Crumbs.

While I can’t get enough of the smell of fresh peaches and nectarines I don’t particularly care for them. And in thinking of something that’d be great for the 4th of July I knew I had to go with cherries.

Chocolate and cherries are a classic combination. So I knew I wanted to do a chocolate cake. But how to incorporate the cherry? I decided to try following the method I use on my popular coffee cake and placing cherry pie filling in the middle of the batter. Well, just like my attempted Mimosa Bundt two months ago the fruit didn’t cooperate like I’d hoped. But this time it created a more beautiful result than I could have imagined! And it also eliminated my need to make a frosting. (For the record I planned on putting some cherry pie filling liquid into a chocolate glaze.) The cherry pie filling fell to the bottom of the bundt pan which created a “pre-made” cherry glaze for the cake. The only downfall is that my brand new star bundt pan didn’t get to shine in all its glory. Thankfully a couple of the stars remained filled with cake batter instead of cherries that I can still show it off.

All-American Chocolate Cherry Pie Cake

Ingredients:

2 sticks butter
1 C water
1/3 C cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
2 C flour
1 3/4 C sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 container (5.3 oz) cherry flavored Greek yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heavily grease bundt pan.
In a saucepan melt together butter, water, cocoa powder, and salt.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, sugar, and baking soda.
Using a hand mixer add half of the chocolate mixture into the dry ingredients. When incorporated add the remaining chocolate.
Add the eggs one at a time, the yogurt, and the vanilla extract.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared bundt pan. Add cherry pie filling (I did not use all of the can) and top with remaining batter.
Bake 50-55 minutes, or until a knife comes out cleanly. Allow to cool in the bundt pan for at least 10 minutes before turning out.

*This recipe is adapted from Maria & Josh at http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/chocolate-sour-cream-bundt-cake/*

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com. All recipes and photographs can be found on our individual blogs, on our Pinterest board, and the #bundtbakers homepage.

And don’t forget to take a peek at what other talented bakers have baked this month:

Cherry Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days

Cherry Carrot & Banana Bundt by Kelly at Passion Kneaded

Peaches n Cream Melba Bundt Cake by Laura at Baking in Pyjamas

Roasted Cherry Kugelhopf with Cherry Bourbon Glaze by Tux at Brooklyn Homemaker

Peachy Bundt by Margaret at Tea and Scones

Plum, Chocolate, and Orange Bundt Cake by Maria at Box of Stolen Socks

Cinnamon Peach Bundt Cake by Beatriz at I Love Bundt Cakes

Cherry Almond Ginger Bundt by Jane at Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Chocolate Avocado Bundt Cake by Terri at Love and Confections

Black Forest Bundt Cake with Cherry Ganache Topping by Teri at The Freshman Cook

Caramel Mango Bundt Cake by Bea at Secrets from my Apron

Upside-down Apricot Butter Bundt by Stacy at Food Lust People Love

Blog-iversary

July 9, 2014July 9, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 9 Comments

Today is my blog’s anniversary! I can’t believe it’s been a year. In my first year I have gained 132 followers and 113 Facebook friends. I’ve really enjoyed blogging. I will admit that I hit a spell in my first trimester of pregnancy when I was questioning my desire to continue with Sew You Think You Can Cook. Blame the hormones and exhaustion.

But I’m glad I stuck it out. I’ve met some great bloggers through The Crazy Ingredient Challenge, #BundtBakers, and Secret Recipe Club. I think joining in these link parties has brought me the most joy. It’s been nice to expand my horizons and get creative in the kitchen. In fact, I just joined another group – Foodie Extravaganza!

For my blog-iversary I decided to try something that’s always intrigued me. Using olive oil in baking. These cupcakes are beautiful – The olive oil gave them a nice golden color and the edges had a little bit of crisp to them which I adored. They’re not overly sweet so the cream cheese frosting accompanied them perfectly. I typically find icing to push cake over the top on sweetness level. I brought them to work and they were gone before lunch!

Olive Oil Cupcakes

Ingredients for cupcakes:

1 1/4 C cake flour
1 C sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/4 C sour cream
1/4 C milk

Ingredients for frosting:

1 stick butter, softened
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2 C powdered sugar

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a cupcake tin, or line with cupcake liners.
In the bowl of a stand mixer mix the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Add the olive oil and vanilla and beat until combined. Add the eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Add the sour cream until combined. Add the milk. Mix until batter is smooth.
Place cupcake batter into prepared cupcake tin. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cupcakes to cool.
Make the frosting: Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add the powdered sugar in two installments. Beat until smooth. Add milk 1/4 tsp at a time if needed (I didn’t need it).

*This recipe is adapted from Brita at http://www.bakingisascience.com/lemon-lime-olive-oil-cupcakes/*

Ginger Molasses Cookies

July 1, 2014June 23, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 1 Comment

There are a lot of theories about foods to induce labor and while I don’t believe in any of them I’ve still used them as a nice excuse to indulge in hot wings.

And cookies.

A google search led me to a recipe for “labor inducing cookies” which are really gingersnaps with some cayenne. Except that I forgot to add the cayenne. I mean, really!? But, now I have a post perfect for National Gingersnap Day.

Quick question: Why is gingersnap day in July? Are we trying to go with the “Christmas in July” feel? The batter smelled like Thanksgiving to me!

These cookies are rich with molasses and spicy with ginger. (If you want to try to put someone into labor add the 1/2 tsp of cayenne I forgot about.)

Ginger Molasses Cookies

Ingredients:

1 stick butter
1/2 C sugar, plus extra for rolling cookies
1 C brown sugar
1/3 C molasses
2 egg whites
2 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Steps:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment beat butter and sugars. When combined add the molasses. Add the egg whites.
In a bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, spices, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to the butter and molasses mixture in two installments.
Roll dough into 1″ balls. Roll balls in sugar. Place on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Bake 10-12 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the baking sheet.

*This recipe is adapted from http://www.justmommies.com/pregnancy/labor-and-childbirth/labor-inducing-cookie-recipe*

P.S. – They didn’t work. Neither did spicy foods. Or pineapple.

Cookies & Creme Milkshake

June 20, 2014June 20, 2014 ~ lk529 ~ 3 Comments

I haven’t experienced any weird cravings during my pregnancy.

Sure, there’ll be a food item that I really want at the moment, but it’s not something unusal for me. (Chips and queso, popcorn, Sour Patch Kids)

However, I will say, I’ve never had more milkshakes in my life! (Oh, I’m not complaining!) We’ve played around with plain vanilla, strawberry, Butterfinger, Oreo, and chocloate covered strawberry.

Today is National Vanilla Milkshake Day and even though this particular recipe isn’t for a vanilla milkshake, I thought it’d be a great excuse to share this Cookies and Cream masterpiece. (But hey, if you omit the Oreo’s it’s a vanilla milkshake! Close enough.)

Cookies & Creme Milkshake

Ingredients: