Checkerboard Cake

I love cake. Decorating a cake is fun, but I was looking for a challenging project. This cake took me two days, but it was worth it. The cake is special and obviously homemade- you will not find a cake this awesome in the grocery store. Read on to see how you can achieve this dazzling effect yourself.

Bake the cakes (you’ll need two):

• Cake Mix – I’m not ashamed. Cake mix is cheaper and has a more consistent texture than scratch cake. I used boxes of Duncan Hines French Vanilla and Dark Chocolate. You will need two boxes of cake mix for this recipe. Any brands of flavors will work. Prepare the mix as directed, one flavor at a time.
• I used three 8-inch round cake pans. Grease the pans well and then add a circle of wax paper to the inside bottom. Grease the top of the wax paper, too.
• Divide the mix evenly between the pans. Use a rubber spatula to move the mix so that it is more to the outside of the pan than the center. This will keep your cake from puffing up in the center.
• While the cake is baking, prepare a simple sugar syrup. In a saucepan, combine 3/4 cup sugar with slightly more than 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then cool. This mixture will keep in the refrigerator for up to a month.
• After baking, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Remove the wax paper and then brush the surface of the cake with the syrup mixture (just the part that was covered with the wax paper).
• Repeat this process for your second flavor. Cool both cakes, then wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day…

• Level your cakes! I use the Wilton Small Cake Leveler. Ideally the cakes will be 1 inch high.

Prepare buttercream frosting:

• Use a kitchen scale to weigh out equal portions of butter and powdered sugar. I used about 700 g each, but I made them in three small batches. It works out to about 6 sticks of butter and 2 boxes of powdered sugar. I use salted butter, but if you don’t, you will also need to add a pinch of salt.
• Soften the butter and then use a sifter to process the powdered sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat on low for 1 minute, then on high for 5 minutes.
• Add some frosting to a piping bag. I like to fit the bag over a drinking glass- this makes it easier to fill with frosting.

Cut the cakes:

• I used a ruler to make sure I had the right dimensions. I used a 2″ round cookie cutter, a 4″ round cookie cutter, and a 6″ cereal bowl to make my cuts.
• It’s a bit complicated to describe in words, so I’ll let a picture do the talking on this step. Basically, you’re going to cut the three circles from your cakes and then swap the flavors so that they alternate. Use your frosting bag to pipe a thin line of frosting around each circle (both sides of the larger circles) so that they stick together. Do this for all six of your cakes.
  

Assemble the cake:

I used a few tools to make my assembly fool-proof: Cake lifter, Cardboard cake circles, and Cake turntable. I recently acquired many of these cake making tools, so I’m linking to the ones I used on Amazon. I did not buy these at Amazon- I went to my local craft store (Michael’s) and took advantage of sales and coupons.

• Set a cardboard circle onto the cake turntable. Use the cake lifter to move one layer onto the turntable. Add a thin layer of buttercream frosting and then bring over the next layer. Be sure to alternate the two flavors (in this case, I did a chocolate circle, then a vanilla, and then a chocolate). Repeat this process with a thin layer of buttercream frosting for each layer.
• Cover the entire cake with a thin layer of buttercream frosting. Refrigerate for one hour and then add another thin layer of frosting. Repeat as needed until the cake is covered.
• At this point, the cake is yours to decorate. I added some simple frosting swirls and then used a stencil to put colored sugar on top (I’m still not very good at decorating).

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies hold a special place in my kitchen. Some might worry that it is a boring cookie, but this trusted cookie is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth. This is a rich, chewy cookie that brings in the best elements of the greatest cookies ever (Otis Spunkmeyer and Mrs. Fields).

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks butter, softened (I use salted butter)
• 2 eggs
• 2 Tablespoons vanilla
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups chocolate chips*

*Be choosy about your chocolate. Different brands and flavors will have different effects. You can’t go wrong with semi-sweet chips. I choose Hershey’s or Ghirardelli for special occasions, but I keep a warehouse-sized bag of Nestle chips that I use for most of my cookies.

Directions:

Use an electric mixer to combine butter and sugars. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla. Combine dry ingredients and gradually add to mixture. Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill dough for as long as you can manage, up to overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape the dough into smooth balls by rolling between your palms and then bake on an ungreased cookie sheet for 11 minutes (for a 1.5 in ball, add a few minutes for larger cookies). Remove from the oven and let the cookies sit for a few minutes before transferring to a cooling rack.

Bonus: Bake a dozen or two of the cookies, then ball up and freeze the rest of the dough. Pop two frozen cookie dough balls in your mouth the toaster oven for delicious cookies anytime.

Easy & Inexpensive NY Strip Steak

Fillipo Berio just released some new olive oils and sent me a coupon to try them. I’ve experimented with a few different recipes, but tonight I used two ingredients to make a jazzy steak dinner. If you’re not in a reading mood, you can watch my video here.

I found the lean-cut NY strip steaks at my local grocery store for just under $7 for a package of two.

The secret to grilling great steaks is to let them sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before putting them on the grill. As they were sitting, I topped them with Fillipo Berio Robusto olive oil and McCormick GrillMates Montreal Steak seasoning.

My husband put them on the grill (medium heat) for about 8 minutes each side. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the internal temperature is 140-155 degrees F.

The steak was so tender and had a rich flavor. I paired the steak with a simple salad and my ranch potatoes (I’ll share that recipe soon). It was a hit!

FTC disclosure: I received a free sample of Fillipo Berio olive oil for testing and review purposes.

 

Make Your Own Dog Food

In the morning, I feed 1) the baby, 2) the dog, and 3) myself (if time allows). This morning my kiddo dove headfirst into the pantry. Seeing she was content, I went to the fridge to feed our dog Max. There was no dog food in the fridge and none in the freezer. I filled his bowl with dry food and told him that he would have to eat like a normal dog today (spoiler alert: he has waited all day for me to make him some food).

Max has always been a picky eater. He hates most dry dog foods, although he will tolerate them for awhile as long as we switch them periodically. I noticed a shift in his behavior when the baby started sitting with us at meals and eating table food.

Before cooking

After what seemed like an eternal hunger strike, I started cooking for Max. I realize he is a dog and that dogs will eat when they’re hungry. There is no excuse to spoil him except that it makes me happy to see him happy. Spending a bit more time and money on food that he loves to eat is no big deal compared to the unconditional love and friendship he gives me every day. At first it was a bit time-consuming, but now I keep the ingredients prepped in the freezer and I can toss them in the slow cooker and let them cook for a few hours. He’s a tiny guy, so one pot of this recipe will last him for 2 weeks.

Want to make your own? Research the ingredients or ask your vet to make sure this recipe will meet your pet’s nutritional needs. Other recipes have suggested adding beans, but Max always picked them out so I omit them. He has a healthy build, good energy, and a shiny coat.

Max’s vet approves of the recipe but noticed that he reached his ideal weight fairly quickly on this diet (he was underweight before, thanks to the ongoing hunger strikes). His vet recommended feeding him 15% less than I would typically give him in dry food.

After cooking

Dog Food (in the slow cooker)

1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup barley
3/4 cup butternut squash, chopped
3/4 cup carrots, chopped small (or run them through the food processor)
1/4 cup peas
2 cups water

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low for 5 hours. For easy clean-up, I recommend a slow cooker liner.

Allow the food to cool and then package it into plastic bags. You can toss them in the freezer and then just keep one in the fridge. Heat it for 15-30 seconds before serving.

 

 

Popovers for Breakfast

I did not know about popovers until I met my husband. A lot of people in my circle had never heard of them before I started singing their praises. I describe them as a biscuit made out of love and shaped like a hot air balloon (if you do it right).

My in-laws had always made them from a mix. The mix used to be a small box with enough powder to prepare six popovers. It cost less than $1.00 and they were able to buy it at the grocery store. They gave me a few boxes, but then I ran out. I could not find the mix anywhere. I finally found it at Whole Foods but you know that box cost over $10.00. For awhile, I was buying the boxes on Amazon, but even those became prohibitively expensive. I needed to learn how to make them myself.

I’ll admit that I was not very efficient when it came to duplicating the recipe. I developed a recipe that worked, but it involved a lot of ingredients (powdered milk and such) and was really a substitute for the “just add water” mix. It was also expensive to make. I was dumbfounded to learn that these are actually very simple to make and only require five ingredients found in every kitchen.

The problem with popovers is that they are a finicky pastry. Several conditions need to be met in order to make them “pop.” Sometimes I will prepare a batch that still tastes good but it lacks the magical texture because they did not rise in the oven.

Here is my recipe. Before you begin, you should invest in a popover pan. I have heard that others have had success using regular cupcake tins, but I have not tried this. This recipe takes about an hour, but it is worth it.

Popovers (makes 6)

Ingredients:
1 cup name-brand flour (like Gold Medal)
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 TBSP butter (melted), +1/2 TBSP butter (melted) for brushing the pan

1. Preheat oven and popover pan to 450 degrees.
2. Melt 1 TBSP butter and set it aside to cool.
3. Combine milk and eggs in a microwave-safe container and heat for 20 seconds to bring them to room temperature.
4. Add eggs, milk, flour, salt, and 1 TBSP melted butter to a blender and blend well. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the sides of the blender and then run it again.
5. Remove the popover pan and brush the sides and bottom of each cup with melted butter. Work quickly as the pan needs to stay as hot as possible.
6. Pour the batter into each cup, slightly more than half way.
7. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes. Turn on the oven light because you are going to want to watch, but do not open the oven at all.
8. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and continue baking for 20 minutes. Do not open that oven!
Were you successful? Popovers are an amazing treat. We eat them with butter, but they can be enjoyed plain or filled with goodies of your choosing.