Williamsburg Orange Cake

When it comes to cooking and baking, we all head to the internet to search for great recipes. Some days, I literally have my computer on my kitchen counter so I can read a recipe while I’m baking. I have some great cookbooks and I love to use them, but they are not always the first place I go for a new recipe. So in a world where Food Network and Pinterest are the source for so many of our recipes, I thought it might be fun to bake a cake the old fashioned way, with a cookbook.

This Betty Crocker’s Cookbook that I found deep in my cabinet is the first cookbook I ever owned. Originally published in 1978, this book was the New and Revised Edition that was printed in 1981.  I loved flipping through it and was amazed at how much things have changed in 30 years. The photos  are vintage and the recipes, classic.

I decided to make a Williamsburg Orange Cake. I baked this cake years ago for a bridal shower I was hosting. It's a moist, delicious cake that is similar to carrot cake but has a light orange flavor. It's a perfect fall dessert and something you don't see often, which is why I like it.

Orange zest is the key ingredient in this recipe. Just a tablespoon gives the cake a wonderful, fresh flavor.

I was in the mood to make a layer cake so I used two 9" cake pans. My layers were not very tall. You could easily use three 8" cake pans for a taller stacked cake or a 13 x 9 pan if you want something that is quick to frost and easy to transport.

The Williamsburg Frosting is a perfect topping for this cake. It's light and full of flavor with both orange juice and orange zest mixed in.

I like to put my frosting in a decorating bag so I can control where it goes a little easier. 

I put a small dot of frosting on top of my cake stand to keep the layers from sliding.

I alternate between the decorating bag and a spreader to frost the entire cake.

A quick frost all over and a few orange curls on top to finish the cake.

Amazing texture and flavor. Apparently some things never change...even 30 years later!

Enjoy!

Leslie xo

Williamsburg Orange Cake

Author: Leslie Reese
Adapted from the Betty Crocker's Cookbook (1981)
Ingredients
  • Cake
  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
  • 3/4 cup butter
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 cup golden raisins, cut up
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped nuts - I used pecans but you can use your favorite nuts
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
  • Williamsburg Frosting
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 4 1/2 cups Confectioner's sugar
  • 4 tablespoons orange juice
  • 1 tablespoon grated orange peel
Instructions
Cake
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Grease and flour a 13 x 9 pan or two 9 inch round cake pans.
  3. Beat butter, sugar and eggs until blended.
  4. Add buttermilk and vanilla. Mix until blended.
  5. Sift together flour, salt and baking soda. Add to sugar mixture and blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on high speed 3 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally.
  6. Add raisins, nuts and orange peel and mix until combined.
  7. Pour into pans.
  8. Bake until wooden pick comes out clean, 13 x 9 pan - 40-45 minutes, layers - 30-35 minutes.
  9. Cool then frost with Williamsburg Frosting.
Frosting
  1. Whip butter and powdered sugar together until fluffy.
  2. Add orange peel and slowly add orange juice until frosting reaches desired consistency.
  3. Refrigerate frosted cake.

Homemade Pasta

Every once in a while I get the urge to make homemade pasta. And then as soon as I make it, I ask myself why I don't do it more often. There is something wonderful about homemade pasta. It's delicious and worth the extra effort it takes to make it. Especially when you have the kitchen tools to do it, which I do. So, this week I decided it was time to make homemade pasta.

A long time ago, my Italian grandmother made pasta the old-fashioned way, with a rolling pin and knife. She would go down to the kitchen in her basement to make it. I remember watching her make a well of flour on her marble table. She would add some eggs and a tiny bit of water. I like to make my dough the way she did. I used about 3 1/2 cups of flour, 4 large eggs, a few tablespoons of water and a pinch of salt. 

I mixed it by hand.

Until it came together and formed a ball.

Once the dough was pretty well mixed I divided it into four parts.

Next, I got out the Pasta Roller & Cutter Set that attaches to my Kitchen Aid mixer. My kids gave it to me for my birthday a few years ago and I love it. It's so much fun to use, and definitely one of the coolest kitchen appliances I have.

I attached the pasta roller first. It fits onto the front of the mixer and it will spin automatically when the mixer is turned on.

The dough goes into the top of the roller and is kneaded and thinned out as it is pushed through the other end. When you use the Kitchen Aid and the attachments, you don't have to knead the dough quite as much by hand. The roller does it for you.

I put the dough through a couple of times until it was smooth.

I adjusted the rollers to make the dough a little thinner.

I decided to make fettuccine, so once the dough was as thin as I wanted it, I attached the fettuccine cutter to the mixer and ran sheets of pasta through it one time.

I rolled the fettuccine into little nests and set them on parchment paper to dry. Any really long strands were cut in half first.

Then I did something different with the rest of the dough. I told you how my grandma made pasta by hand a long time ago. Well at some point she started using a manual, or hand crank, machine. I was fortunate enough to inherit that machine before she passed away and I will treasure it forever. I decided to get that machine out of the box and make the rest of the fettuccine with it. It was very nostalgic.

My grandma had a long wooden rolling pin and she would roll her dough until it was as thin as she wanted it. Then she cut the dough into sheets to put through the manual machine. I used sheets of dough that were already thinned out from the pasta roller on my mixer.

The manual machine has different sized cutters for making fettuccine or spaghetti.

The fettuccine turned out perfect. It might have been even better than the pasta made from the automatic machine. I'm sure it had something to do with the fact that my grandma's pasta machine holds a lot of memories and wonderful stories. She would probably be smiling right now, knowing that even though I had a way to make it easier, I was still happiest making pasta the way she did, and with her machine.

We had fettuccine for dinner that night. I boiled the pasta until it was al dente and topped it with homemade marinara sauce and grated cheese. It was delicious. I am going to try not to wait so long until I make homemade pasta again. Maybe next time I'll try ravioli...

Mangia, Mangia!

Leslie xo

Photos by Leslie Reese and Lynsie Reese

Simple Dessert Bar

This past weekend I had the opportunity to help my daughter, Elizabeth, host a bridal shower in our home for her best friend, Brittany. It was an intimate party with a simple but elegant theme. We decided to make use of the space we had and created a dessert bar right on the window sill in our dining room. The result was a pretty display that was easy to put together, out of the way and fun for the guests. We made it completely self-serve and included a selection of miniature desserts so that we could offer a nice variety without going overboard since this was a small party.

The decorations were simple as well. Elizabeth made three large flowers out of white tissue paper and we placed them on top of apothecary jars that had the lids removed. Very inexpensive! The desserts were placed on two of the dessert stands that we made ourselves and a glass cake plate. Napkins, plates and a serving spatula were placed around the stands. The guests loved the display and were able to mingle with their dessert and coffee in a relaxed atmosphere. I love how something so simple can feel so elegant.

These Apple Pie Bites were adapted from a recipe that Elizabeth found on Pinterest. Not only were they adorable, they were delicious! Perfect for a dessert bar!

Brownie Pops. Probably the easiest dessert you could ever make! Elizabeth and Brittany share a love for Ghirardelli brownies so it was only fitting that they were part of this display. We stepped them up a notch by cutting them into petite squares and adding a stick! 

These Cheesecake Pops were a hit and quite literally addictive! Made with a frozen cheesecake from Costco and dipped into melted chocolate, they couldn't have been easier to put together. 

Celebrating should be fun, not complicated! Here are the recipes we chose for our Simple Dessert Bar.

Enjoy!

Leslie xo

Apple Pie Bites

Recipe Type: dessert
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
  • Apple Pies
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1 package refrigerated pie crust
  • 3 tablespoons melted butter, divided
  • 2 medium tart apples cut into wedges
  • Glaze
  • 1- 1 lb box of Confectioner's sugar
  • 1/3 cup butter softened
  • 1/4 cup milk
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
Apple Bites
  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Combine sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside 1 tablespoon.
  3. Unroll pie crust onto floured surface and brush with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Sprinkle with remaining cinnamon sugar.
  4. Cut pie crust into 1 inch strips. Wrap one strip around one apple slice with the sugared side in. Continue with remaining dough and apples.
  5. Brush dough with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
  6. Place apples on parchment lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
  7. Serve warm topped with glaze.
Glaze
  1. Combine butter, milk and vanilla in a bowl. Slowly add Confectioner's sugar until all ingredients are well incorporated.
  2. Place glaze in a pastry bag fitted with a round decorating tip and pipe onto baked apples. You can also put your glaze in a plastic bag and cut the corner to pipe your icing.
Brownie Bites

Recipe Type: dessert
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
  • 1 box Ghirardelli Brownie mix
  • Ingredients listed on box
  • White lollipop or cake pop sticks
Instructions
  1. Bake brownies according to package directions using a square 8x8 or 9x9 pan.
  2. Set aside to cool.
  3. Once brownies are cool, cut into small 1 1/2 " squares.
  4. Place a stick into each brownie, pressing sides in slightly to hold if necessary.
Notes

What's nice about this recipe is that you can make as many cheesecake pops as you need. Servings will vary depending on the size of the cheesecake you start with and what size you make your pops.

Cheesecake Pops

Recipe Type: dessert
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
  • 1 frozen cheesecake
  • 2-3 containers of Baker's Dipping Chocolate (milk chocolate, heat & dip)
  • White lollipop or cake pop sticks
Instructions
  1. Remove cheesecake from freezer and let it sit for a few minutes until it is soft enough to work with but not completely thawed.
  2. Using a small cookie scoop, scoop cheesecake and roll into balls. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet.
  3. Insert a stick into each cheesecake ball. Place tray in freezer for at least an hour or until firm.
  4. When you are ready to dip the cheesecake, melt chocolate according to package directions.
  5. One at a time, dip balls into chocolate, tapping gently to remove excess and place back on cookie sheet.
  6. Place pops in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Photos by Leslie Reese

 

 

Dad's Blackberry Jam

I have an Italian father and he is a great cook. I have learned a lot from him over the years and I love cooking with him. He is usually busy making things like marinara sauce or chicken cutlets but lately he’s been whipping up things like peach pie and blackberry jam. During a recent visit to his house to make spaghetti sauce, he asked me if I wanted to make jam. His blackberry bush had some ripe berries on it. I had never made jam so I said yes. I figured it would take a while but I wanted to learn so I decided to stick around. What I learned was, my dad's version of blackberry jam had to be the quickest and easiest jam you could ever make. It took minutes, literally. I thought I would share this with you in case you thought making jam was involved and time consuming, like I did. It doesn't have to be. Just keep in mind, this is a simple recipe. My dad is a little unconventional, he wastes no time. This recipe does not involve canning or preserving. I just wanted to show you how quickly you can make a jar of jam when you have some fruit you need to use or you want something homemade. It's fun, it's easy and it tastes good!

A small plant that my dad planted a few years ago has grown into a large bush. It yields the most wonderful tasting blackberries. They start out red and turn purple or "black" when they are ripe. If you eat them before they are ripe they taste sour. I actually like the sour ones...

We collected the ripe berries and put them in a pot. The pot we used is an old pot that was my grandma's. It was one of those "little things" that made the experience mean more.

We used a potato masher, another item from my grandma's kitchen, to break up the berries and then put them on the stove on low heat.

Once the berries were broken down we added a packet of pectin mixed with a small amount of sugar and brought the mixture to a boil over medium heat.

Once the mixture reached a full boil we added the rest of the sugar, stirring constantly.

We brought the mixture back to a full boil until it reached the desired consistency. It only took a couple minutes.

When the jam was finished it was glossy and thick. We poured it into jars that were sterilized in the dishwasher.

As you can see we had a beautiful, thick  jam in no time at all.

We were able to pick about 6 cups of ripe berries from the bush which yielded about 18 ounces of jam.

This jam was made to be enjoyed right away. It was stored in the refrigerator and will last a few weeks. Remember this was a make it quick, eat it now kind of thing. We did not seed the fruit, worry about foam or boil the jars. I will save that process for a day when I have more time and plan to get more creative with flavors. In fact I have a friend who recently made some amazing preserves out of cantaloupe and I am inspired. I love the idea of canning and having summer foods in the middle of winter but this day was all about a blackberry bush and a day with dad.

My favorite way to eat this blackberry jam is on a piece of toasted Marathon Energy Loaf from Wegman's. Simply delicious! 

Enjoy!

Leslie xo

Dad's Blackberry Jam
Author: Leslie Reese
Ingredients
  • 6 cups of fresh picked blackberries (remove any stems or leaves)
  • 1 packet of pectin(I used Sure-Jell) mixed with 1/4 cup sugar
  • 2 cups sugar
Instructions
  1. Crush berries to desired consistency in a medium pot and place over low to medium heat.
  2. While stirring constantly add the pectin mixed with 1/4 cup of sugar and bring mixture to a full boil.
  3. Add the remaining 2 cups of sugar and continue to stir as the mixture comes back to a full boil and then boil for about another minute.
  4. Remove from heat and check the thickness of the jam. If it's too thin you can add more pectin and return to a boil, otherwise let the pot sit for a couple of minutes.
  5. Spoon or pour jam into jars.
  6. Refrigerate jam and use within a few weeks, if it lasts that long!
Notes

*this jam is not preserved and needs to be refrigerated *this jam can be made with other types of fruit ~ We like strawberries, peaches and blackberries

Photos by Leslie Reese

Peach Berry Crisp

 

Fall is around the corner, kids are back in school and vacations are over for most of us. We all seem to be ready for a change at this time of year, especially with our menus, but there is plenty of summer left to enjoy! Not only is the weather still warm but summer fruit is still in season so why not make the most of it while we can. Soon enough it will be time for soup, apple pie and hot chocolate but for now while peaches and some berries are in full swing, I want to make what I can before they're gone. I have a recipe for fruit crisp that is quick and easy, not to mention delicious, so  I wanted to share it with you. It's a perfect dessert for your favorite back to school dinner and a time saver if you have a busy schedule!

What's fun about this recipe is that you can customize it by simply changing the fruit or adding nuts or other ingredients to the crumb topping. I make this recipe with apples in the fall and it's wonderful. Today I am using peaches and some fresh picked blackberries. Use whatever fruit you like.

The secret to this recipe is in the crumb mixture. It contains a boxed cake mix. While I rarely use boxed mixes, I recently learned that they are perfect for making a fruit crisp. Last summer when I was visiting relatives in Texas, my cousin served a beautiful Berry Crisp for dessert. The topping was amazing. When I asked her what it was, she told me she used a boxed cake mix in her crumb mixture. She didn't have a recipe. So naturally I came home and tried it myself. I haven't gone back to a regular crumb recipe since.

This simple mixture of butter, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon and cake mix is the perfect combination for a great crumb topping. The texture is light and the flavor is delicious.

One box of cake mix will make enough crumb for a 13 X 9 pan but you can easily alter the amount according to your needs.

I would love to hear from you if you try this recipe. There are so many great possibilities! If you come up with something that's a hit with your family, let me know and share it here!

Enjoy!

Leslie xo

Peach Berry Crisp
Recipe Type: Dessert
Author: Leslie
Ingredients
  • 6-8 fresh peaches, sliced or cut into pieces without skin
  • 3 to 4 cups of fresh blackberries
  • fresh squeeze of lemon juice
  • Crumb Topping
  • 1 box white or yellow cake mix
  • 1/2 cup butter softened
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup oats
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. In a large bowl combine cake mix, brown sugar, butter, oats and cinnamon until crumbly. Set aside.
  3. Lightly toss peaches and blackberries with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice in a separate bowl.
  4. Place fruit in an oven proof dish or baking pan that has been lightly sprayed with non stick spray.
  5. Cover fruit with crumb mixture.
  6. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until fruit is heated through and crumbs are light brown and baked through.
  7. Let sit 15-20 minutes before serving.
Notes

*Best served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream *Can be made ahead of time and reheated before serving

 

 

Back to School Snack Pops

Summer is coming to an end and that can only mean one thing - school is back in session! We all know how bittersweet this time of year can be but instead of trying desperately to hang onto summer why not jump into fall and make a party out of it? After all, it’s all of the little things that add up to make great memories so why not kick off the school season with a celebration. I've got the perfect place for you to start!

As you may know, I am a contributor for a wonderful online dessert magazine, Best Friends For Frosting , where we aim to inform, excite and inspire you with all things dessert. Well, Best Friends for Frosting and Sprinkles & Grins, the online destination for Signature Brands, LLC., maker of dessert decorating products including Betty Crocker and Cake Mate frostings, icings, candles, sprinkles, and more, have officially teamed up on a back to school themed website promotion and contest – Back to School Bake-off. This awesome new website will feature recipe and party ideas contributed by an exclusive group of creative bloggers and professionals. I was thrilled to be asked to participate and I couldn't wait to get started! What’s really cool is that everyone can get involved! Not only will you find great ideas at Back to School Bake-off but there is an exciting recipe contest and you can win cool prize packs for participating! So head over to Back to School Bake-off and get your party started! I’ll see you there!

Back to School Snack Pops

I love to bake but when my kids were heading back to school and things started getting hectic I was all for whipping up something "no bake". I created these fun Back to School Snack Pops for those of you who want something fun but easy. As far as I'm concerned, snacks don't have to be difficult to be amazing. Everything I used came from the grocery store. Sprinkles & Grins has some great products to make this easy!

Alternately slide small pieces of fruit, donut holes, mini muffins, etc. onto a 6" skewer. There are no rules. Use whatever you like. As long as it fits on the skewer, it works! And by all means if you want to bake, go right ahead, otherwise stick with prepackaged items.

Place a star tip onto a pouch of Decorating Icing. Cover your baked item with icing, sugar and/or sprinkles.  Be creative!

Once the pop is decorated, carefully push the skewer into the apple until it is secure. Place a small item such as a blueberry or grape on top of the skewer to finish the pop.  

Repeat the process placing 2 or 3 pops in each apple. Fill as many apples as you like. 

*Helpful Hint – Place skewers on top of apples and only slightly slanted. Placing skewers in the sides of the apples will cause the apples to topple over.

Head over to Back to School Bake-off to see my Back to School Snack Pops and other fun ideas!

Happy Fall!

Leslie xo

Back-to-School Snack Pops
Recipe Type: Dessert/Snack
Author: Leslie Reese
A fun and easy snack idea that is a great activity for parents and kids!
Ingredients
  • Assorted miniature baked goods – donut holes, cake pops, mini muffins
  • Assorted small fruit items – red and green grapes, blueberries, blackberries, strawberries
  • Cake Mate and Betty Crocker Decorating Icings in a variety of colors
  • Assorted decorating items – nonpareils, sugars, sprinkles
  • Wooden skewers
  • Apples for displaying Snack Pops
Instructions
  1. Place baked items and fruit in separate bowls to prepare for assembly.
  2. Arrange apples on a serving dish or platter.
  3. Working with one skewer at a time, begin alternately sliding fruit and baked goods onto the skewer. Leave about a 1 ½ to 2 inches at the bottom so the skewer can be pushed into the apple. You will also need to leave enough room on the top of the skewer so you can hold onto it.
  4. Place a star tip onto a pouch of Decorating Icing. Cover your baked item with icing, sugar and/or sprinkles. Be creative!
  5. Once the pop is decorated, carefully push the skewer into the apple until it is secure. Place a small item such as a blueberry or grape on top of the skewer to finish the pop.
  6. Repeat the process placing 2 or 3 pops in each apple. Fill as many apples as you like.
Notes

*Helpful Hint – Place skewers on top of apples and only slightly slanted. Placing skewers in the sides of the apples will cause the apples to topple over.

 

Sangria

During the summer months when the days are long, the weather is hot and people are getting together for outdoor parties and celebrations, Sangria is often on the menu. Sangria is a simple combination of wine, brandy, fresh fruit, and some sort of sweetener. To me, Sangria is a fun way to serve a glass of wine. It's something you can prepare ahead of time and since you serve it in a pitcher or a drink container, guests can easily help themselves. It's a great option if you don't want to be tending bar during a simple party. 

This summer has been very busy for us so Sangria was a great beverage to put on our Happy Hour menu, especially at the beach! I made three different versions this year; red, white and rose so there was something for everyone. The recipes are simple and can be altered in any way to suit your taste. I used fresh, seasonal fruit for the best flavor and I used inexpensive wine because this is one time when it won't matter! That's the beauty of Sangria! So use these recipes as a "guide" as you create your own version of Sangria for your next gathering. And remember, you can make Sangria all year. Just changing up the fruit gives you so many delicious options!

Cheers! xo

This recipe for Red Sangria uses 2 bottles of wine and is great for a larger serving vessel. If you just want enough for a smaller pitcher you can easily cut back on the wine and other ingredients.

Red Sangria

Recipe

Ingredients

1 orange sliced

1 apple sliced

1 lemon sliced

1 lime sliced

1 cup orange juice (fresh squeezed is best)

1 cup brandy

1 cup lemon club soda or seltzer

2 bottles red wine

Method

Pour brandy and orange juice over fruit in a large pitcher or serving container. Add wine and club soda or seltzer. Serve cold.

This recipe for White Sangria doesn't have brandy in it. I wanted this version to be simple and light with a hint of fruit so the only extra ingredient is club soda.

White Sangria

Recipe

Ingredients

1 sliced peach

1 sliced mango

1 sliced red apple

1 sliced Granny Smith apple

1 plum

1 sliced pear

1 cup lemon club soda

2 bottles of white wine

Method

In a large pitcher or serving container combine fruit, club soda and wine. Serve cold.

Rose Sangria

Recipe

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries sliced

2 cups fresh blackberries

1 lemon sliced

1 cup fresh pineapple cut into chunks

1 cup brandy

1 cup lemon club soda or seltzer

2 bottles rose wine

Method

Pour brandy over fruit in a large pitcher or serving container. Add wine and club soda. Serve cold.

*Notes

~ Feel free to chop your fruit into smaller pieces if you would like to add it to the glasses for serving. I used larger slices of fruit in these recipes because I liked how it looked in a larger container.

~ If you have time it's a great idea to soak the fruit in the brandy and/or wine mixture before you serve it. The flavor gets better as things marinate. You can marinate the fruit for a couple of hours or overnight. Then add the club soda just before serving.

~ You will notice I don't add sugar to my Sangria. I don't think it's necessary but if you want to sweeten yours up you can add 1/2 cup or so of sugar to any of the recipes.

 

Photos by Leslie Reese and Tara D'Aloisio

Roasted Rosemary Cashews

Summer is a busy time of year for us. We do a lot of traveling and entertaining and we love to spend time with family and friends. We travel back and forth to the beach quite a bit and we are always cooking something. Kicking off evenings with Happy Hour has become somewhat of a tradition and serving snacks and drinks that are easy to put together is the key to making sure everyone can relax.

Last week I shared a recipe for Roasted Peppers & Olives with Fresh Basil. I used basil from the herb garden on my patio. Today I'm going to share a recipe that uses fresh rosemary. These Roasted Rosemary Cashews are quick and easy to make and they are a great Happy Hour snack!

This recipe is similar to the recipe for the famous Bar Nuts served at Union Square Cafe in New York City. I have heard that these nuts were amazing but honestly, when we went to the Union Square Cafe to try them, it was very crowded and we decided not to stick around that night. Needless to say, I was really excited to find a recipe for a similar version on Food Network. I adapted it just slightly and I do think you could use any assortment of nuts. It's just a matter of preference.

Roasted Rosemary Cashews
Author: Leslie Reese ~ adapted from Food Network
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 pounds cashew nuts
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 teaspoons sea salt
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chopped rosemary
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread nuts onto baking sheet. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes until nuts are warm. Mix remaining ingredients in a large bowl until combined. Add warm nuts and toss until nuts are coated.
  2. Serve warm.
Notes

~You can make the nuts ahead of time and store them in an airtight container to save time before a party.

Enjoy!

Roasted Peppers & Olives with Fresh Basil

Every summer I grow herbs on my patio. I plant them in separate pots and place them right outside of my kitchen door next to the other flower pots. They blend in nicely with all of the other plants and the fact that they are near the kitchen makes it easy to use fresh herbs when I’m cooking.

I look forward to having my own supply of basil, mint, rosemary and parsley all summer long. It’s a great way to add fresh flavor to my recipes.

I thought it would be fun to give you some ideas for using fresh herbs by sharing some simple recipes with you. The recipe I am giving you today uses fresh basil. Basil is my favorite herb. I love the smell, the color and the taste of it and if I could grow it inside like a house plant, I would. I think basil adds fantastic flavor to so many things; certain pasta dishes, salads and sandwiches all taste great with basil added to them.

This Roasted Peppers, Olives and Basil recipe is something that we started making after a visit to Angelo’s Italian restaurant in New York City. We ordered a similar dish there and fell in love with the flavor combination. And because we couldn’t just go to Angelo’s every time we wanted it, we decided to try to make it ourselves. It's almost as good as Angelo's!

You can serve this dish hot or cold. We love it hot on top of a good crusty Italian bread but it’s also great cold on top of sandwiches.

Recipe

Ingredients

1 large (32oz) jar of roasted red peppers

1 cup of pitted Kalamata olives

8-10 large cloves garlic

¼ cup of capers

Approximately ½ cup of fresh basil

Olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Method

Peel garlic cloves and set aside. Slice each pepper into 6-8 strips and set aside. Drizzle enough olive oil to almost coat but not cover the bottom of a large frying pan. Add garlic cloves and sauté on low heat until soft, being careful not to burn the garlic. Sprinkle with a small amount of salt and pepper. Add olives and sauté for about 5 minutes. Add peppers and sauté  5-10 more minutes or until peppers are soft and heated through. Add capers and stir into peppers and olives. Tear about half of the basil leaves into small pieces. Add torn basil to pan and stir into pepper mixture. Add more salt and pepper to taste and stir. Remove from heat and pour into a heat proof serving dish. Top with the remaining basil leaves. Serve warm with Italian bread.

Enjoy!

Chocolate Cupcakes & Peanut Butter Frosting

Last week I showed you how to make your own parchment paper cupcake liners. I hope you thought about trying them. It's such a fun option! This week, as promised, I am sharing the recipes for both the cupcakes and the frosting that I made for that post.

The cupcake recipe is something I found years ago in a little recipe book that came with a package of Hershey's Cocoa I bought at the grocery store. The recipe was for a Deep Dark Chocolate Cake. I still remember the first time I made it. It was the best chocolate cake I had ever tasted. It was so moist and delicious that I knew my search for the perfect chocolate cake was over. I have been making it ever since...

The cake is made with eggs, milk and cocoa which all contribute to the delicious flavor but I think the secret ingredient is the cup of boiling water that is added as the last step. It makes the batter thin but the result is an extremely moist cake that you could actually eat without frosting. Remember this when you make your cake or cupcakes using this recipe. When you check for doneness you may not get a completely clean toothpick. If there is wet batter on the toothpick the cupcakes are not done. If there is a little bit of cake on the toothpick, as in the photo below, they are done (trust me and don't over bake them).

I thought I found the perfect peanut butter frosting recipe several years ago. I would have said there wasn’t a better one out there. I made it to top off my Deep Dark Chocolate Cake and I swore I heard Halleluiah when I took my first bite. The combo became a family favorite.  Then one day, a few weeks ago, my daughter Elizabeth emailed me and told me she found a peanut butter frosting recipe that just might be better than the one we had. Was she serious? I didn’t think it was possible but I decided to try it and she was right! This peanut butter frosting is so good I think you could eat it by itself without the cake and you would be in heaven. This is now our favorite peanut butter frosting (maybe one day I'll share the other recipe too because they are both amazing!).

Deep Dark Chocolate Cake (adapted from Hershey’s Deep Dark Chocolate Cake)

Makes 2  9”layer cakes or 24 cupcakes

Ingredients

2 cups sugar

1 ¾ cups flour

¾ cup Cocoa ( I use Hershey’s Special Dark Cocoa for a deeper chocolate flavor but regular cocoa is fine)

1 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt ( I toss in a pinch of sea salt instead)

2 eggs

1 cup milk

½ cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup boiling water

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9” cake pans or prepare cupcake pans with liners. In a large bowl combine dry ingredients. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add boiling water and stir until combined. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pans or cupcake liners (fill cupcake liners 2/3 full). Bake 30-35 minutes for 9” pans, 25-30 minutes for cupcakes or until toothpick comes out clean (or almost clean as shown above).

Cool in pans for 10 minutes; remove from pans and place on wire racks. Cool completely.

*TIP ~ when I use standard cupcake liners I will lightly (key word-lightly) grease and flour the tops of the cupcake pan. That way if the batter rises above the liner it will not stick to the top of the pan and the cupcakes will come out easier

Peanut Butter Frosting

Ingredients

8oz cream cheese, room temperature

4 Tablespoons butter, room temperature

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

3 1/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

1 cup whipped topping (I use cool whip)

Method

Mix cream cheese, butter and peanut butter together in mixer fixed with paddle attachment until well blended. Slowly add powdered sugar until blended. Add whipped topping and mix until the frosting is smooth and creamy.

Refrigerate frosting.

*TIP ~ this frosting will become soft if it sits too long. Frost your cake or cupcakes right away or place frosting in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it. I like to pop a decorating bag filled with frosting into the fridge until it reaches a desired consistency for decorating. Refrigerate your cake or cupcakes until 15 minutes or so before serving.

*TIP ~ I used a Jumbo French tip and a pastry bag to decorate the cupcakes you see in the photos.

Enjoy!

Leslie

Baked Oatmeal

I am a big fan of oatmeal. I love the steel cut variety because of the texture and nutty flavor that it has. I’ll eat it plain but I prefer it with nuts, dried fruit and on occasion a spoon of brown sugar. A healthy breakfast for the most part, right? Well if oatmeal tends to be what you choose when you want a healthy breakfast, where does baked oatmeal fit in?  Baked oatmeal is just one of those things that makes me happy. It’s not as healthy as the good old fashioned stuff so it has an occasional place at my breakfast table but when it shows up people are smiling! My dad shared this recipe with me years ago and it has become a favorite for us.

I should tell you that you can alter the recipe by replacing the oil with applesauce to make it healthier but seriously, unless you absolutely have to, don’t do it. Just make the regular recipe and ENJOY it! Then don't make it again for a while…

I suggest serving your baked oatmeal warm. I usually make it a day ahead of time and reheat it just before serving. Try adding fresh seasonal fruit and vanilla almond milk for a breakfast you can enjoy any time of the year.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients

3 eggs

2 cups milk

2 tablespoons vanilla extract

1 cup oil (I used canola oil)

5 cups uncooked oatmeal ( I use the old fashioned slow cook oatmeal, not quick cook)

1 cup brown sugar (dark or light is fine, I like dark)

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

4 teaspoons baking powder

dried fruit and nuts (optional)

 

Method

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Hand beat eggs. Add milk, vanilla and oil and stir until blended. Stir in brown sugar, salt and baking powder. Add oats and stir until combined. If you are going to add dried fruit or nuts you can add them now, stirring to combine.

Pour into greased 13 x 9 pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is light brown and oatmeal is set.

*serving suggestion ~ top with fresh fruit and almond milk

 

Photos by Leslie Reese