Happy Birthday to Me: My Birthday Cake Recipe this Year

When you think about it, birthday cake is kind of a funny thing: what other dessert do we put candles on, sing to, spit at as we try to blow out the candles, then watch as crowds clamor for a piece?

Yet in spite of the fact that it is a sharing food, birthday cake can also be a very personal thing, with the flavor really being up to the birthday person. It's an opportunity to celebrate another year going by with the cake you choose, be it strawberry shortcake, double chocolate cake, or even store-bought Funfetti.

Here's the classic I chose for my late August birthday this year: a fluffy golden yellow cake topped with a crowning glory of rich, stick-to-your-teeth fudge frosting. The contrast of light cake and thick frosting is simply beyond compare—a taste and texture combination which is guaranteed to take you back to the glee of the birthday parties of yesteryear, if only for a few bites.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Chocolate Covered Cake on a Stick

Cake is good, but it can be great—all you have to do is put it on a stick and cover it in chocolate. I formulated this theory following my first taste of "The Swingle", a slice of chocolate covered Key Lime pie on a stick, made by Steve's Authentic Key Lime Pies. I found myself wondering, what dessert wouldn't taste great covered in chocolate and put on a stick?

Instead of coming up with an answer (because really, that was a rhetorical question) why not set up a double boiler and set yourself to melting some chocolate? Since I was feeling fancy, I used slices of Dobos Torte, but really, any type of cake would work. See for yourself how enrobing a cake slice in chocolate brings it to indulgent new heights, and yet how eating it off of a stick somehow keeps the experience playful.

For the full entry and recipe, visit Serious Eats!

Raising the Bar: Apple Walnut Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

What on earth do you do when you unexpectedly find yourself with a spare box of Betty Crocker Spice Cake

Mix?

If anyone even thought "mix and bake as-is", you're officially banned from this website. Because a quick peek into The Cake Mix Doctor Returns! reveals a far more appetizing concept: Applesauce Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting. Apparently, this is remnicient of a regional southern store-bought cake that enjoyed popularity at A&P stores called "Spanish Bar Cake", a dense spice cake studded with raisins and nuts and topped with delicious cream cheese frosting. Well, my version is doctored a bit more--with finely chopped apples instead of applesauce, no raisins (ew) and even fattier frosting than the one in the book, and I assure you, they're a delightful autumn treat. I don't have a picture but they are similar in appearance to this gorgeous specimen by PastryMama, pictured above (she's got a great recipe too!).

Perfect for breakfast.

Apple Walnut Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting

For the bars

parchment paper, to line pans

• 1 package plain spice cake mix
• 1/4 cup brown sugar, lightly packed
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 2 apples, very finely chopped (I used Granny Smith, with the skin on)
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

For the frosting

• 4 ounces cream cheese (I used full-fat, original recipe calls for light...whatever)
• 1 tablespoon milk
• 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped walnuts, for garnish/topping (optional)

Procedure

1. Make the bars. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat oven to 350 F. Line a 15x10 inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper. Put the pan aside.
2. Place the cake mix, brown sugar, spices, chopped apples, butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed until the ingredients are incorporated, 30 seconds. Stop the machine and scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat until the batter is smooth, about 1 minute longer. Fold in the finely chopped walnuts. Transfer the batter to prepared pan, smoothing the top with a rubber spatula.
3. Place the pan in the oven and bake the bars until the edges have set and the center is still a little soft (press it lightly with a finger), 25-30 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for about 35 minutes.
4. Make the frosting. Place the cream cheese in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low until creamy, 1 minute. Stop the machine and add the milk, confectioners' sugar, and vanilla. Continue beating on low until the ingredients come together. Increase the mixer speed to medium low and beat until the frosting is creamy and light, 30 seconds longer. Spread the frosting evenly on top of the cooled cake. Run the tines of a fork through the frosting to make squiggles, or garnish with coarsely chopped walnuts. Let the frosting set for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
5. Storage suggestion: store the bars, covered withfoil, in the fridge for up to one week--or, freeze the bars in the pan, covered with foil, for up to three months. Let bars thaw overnight before serving.

Citrus Buttermilk Raisinets Muffins Recipe

Frequently, when publicists send me recipes, I just delete them. I am not trying to be a jerk, but a lot of them are kind of boring. And sometimes, even without trying, I am kind of a jerk.

But I didn't delete this one, so that is saying a lot. After all, even though it's technically for muffins, they are veering deliciously close to cake territory what with their raisinets (AKA: acceptable raisins) and glaze topping. Well, you know how I feel about glaze, so why not triple the recipe? I bet they'd be even better with buttercream frosting, though. 

These aren't your ordinary muffins. What sets these apart are the addition of smooth buttermilk, the fresh juice and peel of oranges and chocolate covered raisins all topped with a citrus glaze. Pop one in a work or school lunchbox for an unexpected treat!

Citrus Buttermilk Raisinets Muffins

12 muffins for your time.

• Nonstick cooking spray or paper baking liners
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated orange peel
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup NESTLÉ RAISINETS Dark or Milk Chocolate-Covered Raisins

ORANGE GLAZE

• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated orange peel

Procedure

1. FOR MUFFINS: PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Spray 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray or line with paper liners.
2. COMBINE granulated sugar and orange peel in small bowl. Rub together with your fingers until fragrant. Whisk together flour, orange sugar mixture, brown sugar, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Stir together melted butter, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla extract in medium bowl until well blended. Make a well in the center of flour mixture. Pour liquid mixture into the well; gently stir until combined. Fold in Raisinets. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups.
3. BAKE for 17 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in muffins comes out clean. While the muffins are baking, make the orange glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the muffins while they are still warm. Allow the glaze to set before serving.
4. FOR ORANGE GLAZE: COMBINE orange juice, powdered sugar and orange peel in a small bowl. Whisk together until smooth, adding more juice if necessary until desired consistency.

Political Cookies: Democratic Cookery, 1971

If you've ever been plagued with the pressing question of what democrats ate in 1971, there is a book for you: Democratic Cookery, published in 1971 by the King County Democratic Central Committee.

While many delectable dinner ideas await you in this book (Elva's Veal Roast from Mr.s Lawrence O'brien, wife of chairman, Democratic National Committee; Sweet and Sour Spaghetti from Mrs. David Ceccarelli, wife of Washington State Representative), I skipped right to the desserts.

But what to make first?

The goof-proof fudge? The Sea Foam Candy? TheCapirodata (a white-bread pudding bake from Della Montoya, wife of Joseph M. Montoya, Senator from New Mexico)?

Or perhaps, being a modern woman, I should go for the straightforward "Dessert", which includes detailed instructions on properly defrosting and displaying a Sara Lee Poundcake?

After much debate, I decided to go with the Century 21 Cookies, which sounded like a taste for a brave new (democratic) world. This recipe came from Betty Merril, wife of John Merrill, Washington State Representative. And I think that regardless of political affiliation, most will agree: these cookies are simple to make, pleasing to the palate, and delightful with milk.

Of course, if you want to get political with your cookies, there's this...

Century 21 Cookies

• 1/2 cup margarine or shortening (or, if you're feeling very 2012, butter)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 egg, unbeaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 cups flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

Procedure

Cream well shortening, sugar and egg. Sift together dry ingredients and add to creamed mixture. Add vanilla. Roll pieces the size of a walnut into balls and place on greased tin. Flatten each ball with the bottom of a drinking glass which has been buttered and dipped frequently in granulated sugar. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Makes 3-4 dozen cookies.

Donut Hole Blondies Recipe

Photo: Domestic Rebel

Donut-Hole Blondies are purely experimental. It was kind of those moments where you walk by the donut holes and think to yourself thinking to them, you’re going into a blondie today. 

Oh, you don’t talk to food? Nevermind.

They're a popular recipe on my blog for a reason: they're sweet yet salty and are completely delicious.  Blondies are my absolute fave for their rich brown sugar-y flavor, but adding donut holes to them elevates that flavor to crazy levels of awesomeness.  Also, donuts are known as being the best food ever.  Just a fact for you. 

Donut Hole Blondies

Ingredients

• 2 cups brown sugar (light preferred)
• 2/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 pkg glazed donut holes (like the pop’ems kind or from your local market/bakery), cut in half

Procedure

1.  Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease an 8×8 inch baking pan with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, combine brown sugar and butter together over medium heat until butter melts, the sugar dissolves, and the mixture is smooth, stirring constantly. Allow to cool slightly.
3. Stir in eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla. Stir in the flour one cup at a time, then the baking soda and baking powder. Stir in 3/4 of the chopped donut holes and pour into the prepared pan. Top with a couple more donut hole halves and sprinkle with sea salt (you may not use all the donut hole halves but uh, think of something else to use them for?)
4. Bake for approx. 25-30 minutes or until center is set and blondies are lightly golden. Cool for about 1 hr before cutting into squares. Store airtight for 2-3 days.

About the author: Hayley is The Domestic Rebel. She believes in cake mix, overdosing on sparkles & eating that extra cookie. And she really, really loves cupcakes.

Circus Animal Cookie Truffles Recipe

Image: Domestic Rebel

As a kid, I grew up eating Circus Animal Cookies. My grandma never paid attention to the food I had during the day, so I could shovel handfuls of these cookies into my mouth-hole while watching marathons of Scooby Doo on Cartoon Network. I am partial to the white ones as I believe they taste slightly better than the pink, but science has yet to back me up on this one.

I decided to make them into truffles since truffles are cute and portable and are yet another vessel for more chocolate and sprinkles (sprinkles are practically mandatory in life). The result is a super sweet, adorable truffle that is reminiscent of my favorite childhood cookie.

Circus Animal Cookie Truffles

• About 3 cups Circus Animal cookies
• 1/2 can cream cheese frosting
• 1 pkg white chocolate almond bark
• Rainbow nonpareils
• Pink food coloring

Procedure

1. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil and set aside. Meanwhile, in a food processor, grind the cookies (about a cup at a time–work in batches) until finely ground, coarse crumbs. Pour all the ground cookies into a large bowl.
2. Once cookies are ground, spoon in the half can of cream cheese icing. Using your clean hands or a spoon, mix together the crumbs and frosting until thoroughly combined.
3. Begin portioning the crumb mixture into inch-sized balls (I used a small cookie dough scoop) and place the balls onto the foil-lined baking sheet. Repeat until all the mixture is used up.
4. Freeze the truffles for about 3 hours or until completely frozen and solid. While they’re freezing, prepare your white chocolate according to package directions until smooth and melted. Pour half that mixture into a separate bowl, and using your pink coloring, tint one of the bowls a pretty pink shade.
5. Dip half the batch of truffles into the white chocolate, and the other half into the pink chocolate. I used a fork to coat all sides of the truffles, then allowed the excess to drip off the bottom before gently placing each dipped truffle back onto the foil-lined sheet. While still wet, sprinkle the truffle tops with the rainbow nonpareils.
6. Allow all the truffles to harden and set, about 20 minutes in the fridge. Store leftover truffles airtight for about 2-3 days at room temperature, or a week in the freezer–just allow them to come to room temperature before eating them that way.

About the author: Hayley is The Domestic Rebel. She believes in cake mix, overdosing on sparkles & eating that extra cookie. And she really, really loves cupcakes.

Olive Oil Lemon Poppyseed Cake With Lemon Almond Glaze

Not so very long ago, the California Olive Ranch sent me some olive oil with which to try out some baking.

YES!

So, I looked up recipes, because I have been really wanting to try out an Olive Oil Cake. But I specifically wanted a loaf cake type. I don't know why. Well, OK, yes I do. I have an adorable loaf pan. It's by Emile Henry and it's green. I think it's very cute. Plus, when you bake cakes in loaf form, they sort of resemble bread, and in my mind, that kind of makes them health food.

So I found a recipe which looked good, but I decided that instead of blood oranges, I wanted to use lemon. And I like lemon poppyseed, so I added some seeds. And, well, just to be a bit zany, I decided to add a dash of almond extract to the glaze. 

And so, with all of these little additions and amendments, I ended up with Olive Oil Lemon Poppyseed Cake with Lemon Almond Glaze.

DEAR GOD was this thing good. While it may look like a pound cake, the olive oil sets it apart, taste-wise. While a pound cake is delightfully dense, this had a more tender, layer cake-like crumb, but a rich flavor that while not buttery, was very delicious--luxuriant and lightly fruity-nutty. It is hard to describe, so rather than fetch my thesaurus I am going to suggest that you break out some olive oil and give it a try. I'll give you one more reason why you should try it:

Aw yeah. Here's the recipe.

Olive Oil Lemon Poppyseed Cake With Lemon-Almond Glaze

For the cake

• 1 3/4 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup sugar
• zest of 1 large lemon [about 1 tablespoon]
• juice of 1 large lemon
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon poppyseeds

Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 5-by-9 inch loaf pan. 

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside. 

Combine sugar and zest together in a bowl; using your fingers, rub together well. Add juice and milk, and whisk to combine. Add eggs and oil, and whisk to combine. 

Add flour mixture to the milk mixture, and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the seeds last, stirring until evenly distributed.

Transfer batter to the pan, and bake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, 40-50 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Turn cake out on rack, and using the tines of a fork, gently poke small holes on the top surface of the cake. Apply half of the glaze while cake is still warm.  When cake has cooled, apply second half of glaze. 

For the Glaze

• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar
• dash of almond extract 
• squeeze of lemon juice

Mix all this stuff together. If it's too thin, add a little more sugar. If it's too thick, add more lemon juice or milk or cream. 

Jam On: Late Summer Raspberry Jam Recipe

"A jam with raspberries and Lambrusco, perfect for keeping the dog days of summer—particularly the heat and bounty of August—with you all year". A tasty guest recipe from Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit

What’s better than a glass of cold, bubbly, deep-red Lambrusco and some raspberries on a hot summer day? This jam mimics the tart and bubbly flavors.

Many sugarfree dieters prefer green stevia since it’s less processed than other stevia. You can find green stevia in a well-stocked bulk section of many health food stores. Using the common white stevia is fine, however, and you can find it in many health food stores and gourmet bodegas. Lambrusco is one of my favorite wines to drink in the summer, and I love drinking a glass with salads, hors d’oeuvres, and antipasti. If you’re serving antipasti, use this jam on thin flatbread with hard sharp cheeses, such as Pecorino, accompanied by salty olives and wild boar salami. Stevia has a strong flavor, unlike other alternative sweeteners like agave. If you don’t enjoy the taste of stevia, you may substitute a milder sweetener, such as honey or agave.

Makes About Four 8-ounce Jars or 2 Pint Jars

Ingredients

• 2 pounds fresh raspberries (about 4 cups)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 cup Lambrusco wine
• 1½ tablespoons stevia powder
• ½ cup water
• 6 teaspoons calcium water
• 5 teaspoons pectin

Prep

For the raspberries: Measure the berries, lemon juice, and Lambrusco into a 6- to 8-quart nonreactive pot and add the proper amount of calcium water into the pan; stir well.

For the jars and lids: Wash and rinse the jars; put them into a big stockpot; cover the jars with water and bring to a boil; turn off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to fill. Bring the lids and rings to a boil; turn off the heat; let stand in hot water until ready to screw them onto the jars. Place a few metal spoons in the freezer for testing the consistency and gel of your jam later. You can also place them in a cup of ice water, if you prefer. Bring the fruit to a boil over medium-high heat. If it starts to foam, skim the foam off the top and discard the foam. Return to a boil again. Bring the water to a boil. Put half the boiled water in a blender or food processor and carefully add the proper amount of pectin powder. Add the remaining boiled water. Vent the lid and blend 1 to 2 minutes, until all the powder is dissolved. Be careful: the pectin tends to clump on blades and in the container. Try to dissolve all of it. Pour the pectin-water mixture into the boiling jam slowly and carefully, stirring as you add. Stir vigorously for 1 to 2 minutes to dissolve the pectin. Add the stevia and return to a boil. Remove from the heat. Skim off any and all foam that has formed on the top. Pectin gels completely when thoroughly cool, so don’t worry if your jam looks loose when still hot. To test, place a teaspoon of the hot jam onto one of the prepped frozen spoons; let it cool to room temperature (about 30 seconds) on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency desired, then the jam is ready. If not, mix in a little more pectin (½ teaspoon into ¼ cup sugar) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute.

Pairs well with sweet and creamy Bonne Bouche and Bucheron; great served with almonds on maple crackers alongside Pâte de Campagne; delicious on top of ice cream or yogurt.

Laena McCarthy is the founder and owner of Anarchy in a Jar, an artisanal jam and preserves store. Her jams are sold at Williams-Sonoma, Dean & DeLuca, Whole Foods in New York, and other specialty stores. Jam On: The Craft of Canning Fruit Viking Studio, a member of Penguin Group (USA) | August 2012

Macaroon Experiment

Recently, I thought I would make a nice batch of macaroons. After all, macaroons are pleasant. They're nice. They're really easy to make. I had plenty of dough (or is it batter?). And while baking the first tray, I thought to myself, what if I experimented a little bit with various macaroon mix-ins? I happened to have chocolate chips and nuts, so really, that's what I went with.

I tried several different combinations, including macaroons with pecans, with almonds, with walnuts, and with chocolate chips (respectively); then, I tried a version of each with each of the nuts paired with chocolate (pecan-chocolate; almond-chocolate; walnut-chocolate). And finally, I did one which had all of the nuts and chocolate chips. I labeled them on my baking sheet, as you can see:

after baking them up, it was time to taste what I had created. Here are some tasting notes:

Pecan Macaroons: the toasty pecans added a nice crunch to the macaroons, and made the flavor sort of buttery-rich. A very nice addition indeed, but I suspected that they'd taste even better with chocolate.

Almond Macaroons: The almond was subtle, working in tandem with the coconut for a slightly creamy flavor. Subtle. Nice, but no "wow" factor.

Walnut Macaroons: This was a nice flavor complement, giving the macaroons a decidedly "nutty" taste and crunch. But once again, no "wow" factor.

Chocolate Chip Macaroons: Now we're getting somewhere. The mellow sweetness of coconut against the rich chocolate chips--a very nice combo.

Choco-Pecan Macaroons: Wow, it gets even better! Sort of like a magic cookie bar of a macaroon, this was a very nice combo. I'd eat a whole tray of these.

Choco-Almond Macaroons: We're going into Almond Joy flavor territory here, and if you like them, you'll like this cookie combo. If not, this isn't your nut combo. Can you tell I'm not hugely into Almond Joy? 

Choco-Walnut Macaroons: Once again, nice. You've got that magic cookie bar thing going on again, and it's a very pleasant association, in my opinion. 

All mixed together Macaroons: Actually, pretty good. The flavors of the nuts were not distinct, they just kind of merged into "nutty" as a flavor profile. But combined with the chocolate, nutty was not such a bad thing. I'd do it again. I have no regrets.

Overall? My favorite combo was the chocolate chip pecan macaroon. They had contrast, texture, and a great flavor. I want to eat my weight in them, and I think you will, too. Here's a recipe.

Coconut Macaroons

Makes 2 to 3 dozen cookies

• 14 ounces sweetened shredded coconut, lightly toasted
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• a healthy handful of whatever nuts you'd like, or chocolate chips, or both

Procedure

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
2. Combine the toasted coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites and salt on high speed until firm, but not stiff, peaks have formed. Gently fold the egg whites into the coconut mixture. If you want, add any mix-ins at this point
4. Drop the batter onto sheet pans lined with parchment paper using either a 1 3/4-inch diameter ice cream scoop or rounded tablespoonfuls.
5. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until golden brown. Cool on the sheet for several minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.