Strawberries and Cream Donut Holes

Evening folks!  This is one of the easiest recipes EVER.  It is more of an assembly process but I decided to share it with you anyway.  Are there recipes that are "to easy"?  I think we could all use a few of these in our last minute panic arsenal! 

Honestly, you COULD do this with glazed donuts as well but in my opinion, the sugar coma, won't be worth it.  I love using the donut holes because you can use them as a little mini dessert, little snacks, and it is just enough.  Feel free to make your own donut holes, I purchased mine because I was in fact taking these somewhere as a gift and was in a rush.  I recommend the glazed ones, no sugar dipped or anything. 

The amounts of the ingredients will really depend on how many you are making, I did a dozen.  I also used fresh sweetened whipped cream, but if you groove on cool whip or the stuff in a can, go for it.  The world is your sandwich friends, make it how you like it.  Make sure to buy your donut holes the day you are making these or they will go stale!

I hope this quick and easy, dessert, food gift, or snack is enjoyed by everyone you make it for.  Oh yea, make sure to make it!

1 dozen donut holes
4-6 nice ripe strawberries
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
1/4 tsp. vanilla

Start with prepping your strawberries, slice them thick or thin, just make sure you put the rounded end slices with the rounded part down in the whipped cream so the tops will sit nicely!  OCD much?  I own it.  In a bowl whip the cream, sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks.  Now cut the donut holes in half and go to town.  You can pipe the cream on, but I just used a spoon.  Don't worry if you get whipping cream where you think it shouldn't be, I mean, that means there is just more.  NEVER a bad thing.  Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve but I recommend serving immediately.  (you might notice I said I made a dozen and there are only 10 on the plate)  No shame in my game, NONE!!

ENJOY my friends!

Strawberries, Moscato, and Cream Cake

WARNING: I have been playing with cake mixes again.  I know this will displease some of you and others will be ecstatic.  Either way, don't let this recipe out of your sight or mind until you make it!

Love is in the air!  I love Valentine's Day.  Not because I need a special day to express my love for my husband or anyone I love, but because I like having a special day to do it up even more than ever!  I know many who loathe Valentine's Day.  But who needs to be IN love, can't you celebrate the love of kids, family, friends, etc?  I love to spread the mushy love stuff around!!

That being said, this cake, besides being DE-lish, is perfect for celebrating Valentine's Day with your kids or families.  It will definitely feed more than 2, and it is perfect for the occasion!  I do everything heart shaped on Valentine's Day, you would think I would outgrow that stuff, but nope, never, EVER going to outgrow it! 

This cake looks beautiful, maybe even slightly complicated but it isn't at all, that is the great part.  You are really going to make someone think you worked like crazy, when you barely did much work at all!  I would not make this cake ahead.  I would make it the day of serving.  You want it all as fresh as possible.  I also did not sweeten my strawberries, with the condensed milk and sweetened whipped cream, it is sweet enough that teeny bit of tartness is delightful.

Give it a try, and be careful, I might keep playing with cake mixes!

Here is what you will need:
Strawberry Cake Mix
2 tbsp. red sprinkles
Pink Moscato Wine (I like Barefoot)
14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced

Preheat your oven to temperature recommended according the pan size you are using.  I used 2 heart shaped pans to make this layered effect, but you are more than welcome to use a plain 9x13, it will work out just as beautifully.  I promise!  Make sure whatever pans you use, spray with nonstick cooking spray well, and if using 2 shaped pans, line the bottom with parchment paper. 

Mix up you cake mix according to package directions EXCEPT when it calls for water, substitute that with the pink Moscato.  Add red sprinkles into your batter and mix.  

No this is NOT a sponsored post, I simply only will use Pillsbury for a strawberry cake mix!

Now pour into your pan(s) and bake for the recommended time.  Remove from the oven and let sit 10 minutes.  Using a large for, (I used a meat fork) poke holes all over the cake(s).  Now if you are doing one cake, pour the condensed milk over the top or divide, half over one cake and the other half over the other.  Let sit for 20 minutes. 

At this point place your cold heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a large bowl or stand mixer and whip until you achieve stiff peaks.  From here on out, it will depend on what kind of cake you are making as to what you will do next. 

For a 9x13, spread whipping cream on top of the cake, sprinkle around your sliced strawberries, cover and refrigerate until serving.

 

For a layered cake, place one cake on your cake plate of choice.  Top with 1/2 of whipped cream mixture.  Place second cake on top, cover the top with the rest of the whipped cream and top with strawberries. 
NOTE: You can use double the strawberries and add them to the first layer on top of the whipping cream as well. 

Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Enjoy and feel the love in the air!

Frog Eye Salad

Just as I was relaxing over the end of salad season, my mom strikes again.  We were chatting on the phone and she said, "I am so hungry for frog eye salad".   Oh man, it had been years since I thought about the infamous frog eye salad.  This salad has been a favorite of my siblings for many years.  I was never a huge fruit eater, but pineapple, I do love.  I pick out the oranges and the cherries and dig in.  Every holiday, EVERY holiday, my mom makes this. 

 

I think frog eye salad, originally is made with a cooked custard, but, my mom always did it this way.  I think it is the cheater way to be honest but, who messes with perfection?  Nobody with any sense!  Anyway, back to my phone conversation, she asked if I had ever posted it here and when I responded I had not she said, "OH you can come home and make it, and I can taste test it, and it will all be for the good of your website".  Yea, right ma.  When I ran this recipe by my husband he almost erped.  "Pasta in a sweet salad"?!?!  He agreed to give it a try but he was skeptical.  Now, he didn't actually SAY much, but the degree of devouring that went on over this sort of spoke for itself.  You know? 

Really he loved it and couldn't believe he had never heard of it.  So if you love it, have never had it, think it might be ridiculous, OR are brave.... give it a try!

1 1/2 cups acini de pepe (pasta, Uncooked)
2 cups mini marshmallows
2 - 4 serving size boxes of instant vanilla pudding
8 ounces cool whip
10 ounces maraschino cherries, halved and DRAINED
11 oz. can of mandarin oranges
20 oz. can of crushed pineapple
20 oz. can of chunk pineapple

Boil your pasta as per the package direction.  Drain well, and run some cold water of them.  In a very LARGE bowl, combine pudding and cool whip until well combined.  Add in oranges and both kinds of pineapple.  Make sure to DRAIN the cherries and add those as well.  Fold in the pasta and marshmallows and refrigerate for 1 hour.   This is a hit with our family as I said, and I am sure it will be a hit with yours too!

Enjoy!

PS.  If you don't prefer to use cool whip, please feel free to sweeten up some fresh heavy cream and substitute. 

Tres Leche Cake (with a twist)

Happy Monday friends!  Hoping you are all recovering from your first day after the weekend!  Hangovers?  To much yard work?  Bad Monday back at work?  Well, I am about to cheer you up in ways you didn't even know were possible.  I think, anyway. 

So, tell me why nobody has ever introduced me to this cake before?  I mean, seriously, this has got to be what heaven is like.  I am serious, one piece, and I am all in!  I have even declared it my new favorite dessert EVER.  Yes, I said, "EVER".  It baffles me  how you can pour all this milk over a cake and it doesn't get soggy, it just gets heavenly.  I twisted mine up a bit and incorporated my homemade dulche de leches as a layer of "frosting" between the cake and whipped cream.  I drizzled a bit more over the top and it was off the charts.  I really have nothing else to even say about this!

This cake could easily be made the day before and just do your whipping cream before serving.  The longer this cake sits with the milk, the better people.  Don't forget the cherry on top!  I have no idea why I said that, but I haven't ever seen a photo of it without a cherry on top.  I am a follower people, I am a follower!   Include the stem and see who can tie it in a knot with their tongue.  My husbands special gift. (stop looking at me like that)  Ok that is an entirely different blog post.

Let's get with it, I can't wait any longer!  ALL ingredients are in BLUE

1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 cup butter (at room temp)
1 cup granulated sugar
5 eggs
1 can evaporated milk
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups heavy cream, divided

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F.  Prepare either a 9x13 pan or a 9 inch round spring form pan by spraying with nonstick cooking spray and if using a spring form pan, line the bottom with parchment paper.  Set aside. 

In a bowl combine flour and baking powder and also, set aside.  In a bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs, one at a time, giving each one a few seconds to mix with the batter.  Pour into prepared pan and bake for 25-30 minutes.  When a toothpick comes out clean with no batter on it, you are done!  Place on a cooling rack and let cool for 20 minutes. 

Remove cake from spring form pan.  Peel off the parchment from the bottom and replace on the bottom of the pan and close it back up.  You will need the sides to hold the milk in while it soaks up!

Using a tooth, skewer or large fork, pierce the top of the entire cake.  Now in a bowl whisk together, 1/2 cup heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.  When well combined, pour   S L O W L Y over the cake.  Let sit 15-30 minutes and all of the milk mixture will be absorbed into the cake. 

While this happens...
 Whip 1 1/2 cups heavy cream, 1/4 cup powdered sugar and 1 tsp. vanilla to stiff peaks!

Now is where my twist comes!  I made Dulche De Leche the other day.  You can make it or not.  But it adds wonderful flavor!  If you choose to make a batch, after it has cooled, spread a layer of it on top of the cake.  Then spread your fresh sweetened whipped cream and add some cherries!

I chilled this for about 8 hours, and it was even better than the first piece I had.  Um, yea, I had 2 pieces.  I am so ashamed. 

ENJOY!

Ho Ho Cake

Do you have ANY idea how juvenile my husband and I can be?  Oh, yea, we can be.  We just do it in the privacy of our own home!   Can you imagine the names we came up with for this cake?  I could get into detail but I will spare you the ridiculousness. 

I had never made a cake roll and it has been just screaming at me to do!  So here it is, the first one ever, that I have done.  I know a traditional HOHO or SWISS CAKE ROLL probably doesn't use a milk chocolate ganache, but can I just tell you how AH-MAZEBALLS it was on this cake?  Notice I use the past tense, because this baby was shared, and devoured!  I wanted to just experiment and give this a go, and low and behold, it was so easy.  You may get discouraged by the length of the directions.  It is a few more steps, but NOT at all hard in any way.  Just prep work to make it turn out as lovely as you had hoped! 

You can choose to just dust it with powdered sugar or cocoa.  You could eve just drizzle it with some chocolate or leave it plain.  That is all in your hands, you decide, but my HOHO Cake had to be as close to the read deal as I could get!  Now get to it!!

CAKE:
4 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Sift together flour and cocoa powder into a bowl.  Set aside.  In a heat safe bowl whisk together eggs and sugar until combined.  Place over a pot of water water and whisk until it begins to warm the mixture.  Switch to an electric mixer and continue to beat constantly until it has tripled in volume (or close to it!)  Remove from the heat, and gently fold in the flour/cocoa mixture. 

Prep your pan, a 12x16 jelly roll/cookie sheet pan.  Spray with nonstick spray, lay a piece of parchment on the bottom to cover the entire bottom and then spray again.  Spoon mixture into the pan and smooth until even.  Bake for 7-9 minutes or until the cake springs back in the center when slightly pushed in.  Remove and let cool 5 minutes.

While it is cooling, lay out on your counter or table a lint free dish towel.  Dust with cocoa powder and flip the cake out until the towel.  Carefully roll the cake up in the towel.  Flip the end of the towel over the end of the cake and roll.  Leave in the towel and refrigerate for 1 hour. 

FILLING:
1 3/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whip with a stand mixer or electric hand mixer until stiff peaks.  I like to over beat it just a few seconds.  I like super stiff peaks!

ASSEMBLY:
Remove cake from the fridge and roll out carefully on the counter.  It is OK if it won't flatten all the way.  That means it won't crack when you roll it back up! YEAH for you!  Spread the whipped cream all over leaving about a 1/2 inch border all around.  (you may have some cream leftover, just keep it to serve along side!). 

Now roll the cake back up using the towel to help push it along.  Place it on a platter seam side down and prepare your ganache!

GANACHE:
2 cups milk chocolate chips
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. butter

Warm heavy cream until fairly hot.  Put chocolate chips in a bowl and pour the hot cream over the top.  Add butter and vanilla let it sit for 1 minutes.  Whisk until all ingredients are combined and the chocolate is melted. 

Place cake on a piece of parchment paper (I used foil) or cooling racks.  Pick up carefully and dip each end in the ganache and let it drip off.  When both ends have been dipped, place the cake back on the racks and slowly spoon over the ganache until it is all covered. 

If you have extra ganache you can do two coats, let the first one set in the refrigerator first.  OR, you can let it cool, whip it with your beaters and have the best frosting for cupcakes, EVER!

It is not difficult, just a few steps to this fantastic, DELISH, GIANT, HO HO cake!  Enjoy!

Eclair No Bake Dessert

Long ago, in a place far, far away......

 

I met my bestie, Mel.   She taught in the classroom next to me and my principal suggested I introduce myself because we were both young, (see I told you it was a long time ago) and she thought we would get along well.  So that morning, when we met in the gym to get our students, I saw her walk in.  She appeared about 7 feet tall and had ALL this red (natural) LONG, curly hair bouncing side to side.  I thought to myself, "self, she isn't friend material look at her strutting in here like a diva".  She had on 4 inch heel boots, and was gorgeous and I thought, "wow, she is obviously delusional with her perfect hair, high heeled boots, makeup, accessories and all her tallness, in PRE-K".    Anyway, isn't it funny (and sad) how we judge people.  I think I was actually not judging, but intimidated by all that hair.  I finally decided to invite her class over to our classroom for a dance party after several days of being asked, "Have you met Melissa yet"?  It has been downhill ever since!!  We laugh over this still, 10 years later.   After 2 marriages (neither of us were married when we met) , 3 kids (almost), lots of tears, laughter, sadness, joy and 1500 miles apart later we are still best friends.  She married a wonderful man and they are creating a beautiful family!  I am so happy for ALL of them!  Oh WAIT.....did I mention, I picked her husband for her?  Ok well not really, but I facilitated it, isn't that just as important?  Thanks to her visiting me in Nebraska, and a blizzard, she is one adoring wife, of Tom!!

Mel with her husband Tom and son Jackson (and a little pink bun in the oven too)!

As we become better friends and started spending more time together outside of work, Mel just became part of our family.  She would come over and I would have a list, we affectionately called "the tall girl list".  You guessed it, she helped me paint rooms, hang curtains, cleaned out top cupboards. HA!  Oh, the painting...........!  Was not her favorite tall girl list chore.   I know she is thrilled over my creation of the tall girl last even to this day.  Yea, I am sure she is...

I was just starting to get into cooking, and she dubbed me the "soup Nazi".  Soup has always been my thing.  We would concoct some amazing creamy, fattening soup, slap a Grands biscuit on top and hang out, for hours, or days!  Mel on the other hand, is Betty Crocker.  There is nothing this woman doesn't bake or create.  It would become a tradition for her to make us this Eclair Dessert or we would go pick up french silk pie, (before I knew how to make it)  and we would stay up all night, my husband was working grave shifts then, and just laugh and have great adventures.  She was part of our family from the beginning and it just seemed like we had always been friends.  My husband had to nickname her Rusty.  I am sure she enjoys that to this day as much as she enjoyed the tall girl list back then!

I am not sure how I survived life before her, and there are times the distance since my husband and I moved will kill me but, one day Mel, I swear we will be neighbors, and I won't have 1500 miles separating me from my sister from another mister!  Thanks for sharing your life,  your food, and yourself with us all these years, you have never really been a friend, you have just been part of our family! 

Aren't girlfriends the best?  Are there things you do with your girlfriends that are hilarious and fun?  Did I mention we used to drive through the worst parts of Philly just for fun?  OMG, we drove through some sort of "event" on this narrow street in Fishtown and we couldn't get out of it so you threw the car in reverse and backed up 2 blocks to get out of it?! "Yelling" at me the whole time, "OMG OMG OMG OMG, WHY do you NEVER give me the right directions ANYWHERE" ROFL  I miss our adventures, Ikea, Staples (mwaaahaha), farms out in Franklinville and coffee, at Fortesque at midnight.  Some of these I still laugh out loud about when I think of them!  I love you and miss you!!

Eclair No Bake Dessert
3 small boxes of vanilla instant pudding (I used sugar free)
4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 - 8oz tub of cool whip (feel free to substitute fresh sweetened whipped cream)
16 ounces of chocolate frosting.  (it can be store bought, or homemade)
1 box graham crackers (not the cinnamon ones)

In a large bowl combine pudding mix, vanilla, and milk.  With an electric mixer, beat until combined.  Fold in cool whip or whipped cream.  In a 9x13 pan, lay the bottom with graham crackers.  Don't crush them, lay the crackers so they cover the bottom.  Add half of your pudding mixture on top and spread evenly.  Add another layer of graham crackers and the rest of the pudding mixture.  Now take your icing and microwave it for a few seconds to make it almost runny.  It will pour easily over the top and you can use an offset spatula or knife to spread it out.  If you don't heat it up to thin it out, it will be impossible (obviously) to spread it over soft pudding.  Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.  I like to put mine in the freezer for a few minutes as well, I like the texture when it has been SLIGHTLY frozen but not completely.  Feel free to just chill if you like.

Easy or what?  The best thing is the memories it brings back, AND how delish it is.

 

Your "besties forever" chefwannabe

PS.  FYI, if there were written on paper, it would be unreadable because of my tears...HAPPY ones of course!

Butterscotch Love...

Hey guys!  It is Monday! Just thought I would announce the obvious.  The weekend was busy. It was hectic.  I spent time with my mom which is always risky, but she did nothing to embarrass me.  Here is how we clothes shop for my mom.  She has a hard time getting around with a bad knee so...  I sit her in a chair in the middle of the store and I start bringing her clothes that I tease her and tell her I would "authorize" and she "yeah or nays" them and off we go.  For some reason people always know when the 3 of us are in a store together.  The store was packed  and her chair was right by the registers. I waited until there were like 5 people in line on both registers, I go to the BACK of the store and yell up to my mom, "Hey MOM, do you want the matching THONG for that purple push up bra?"  She was mortified, I was laughing so hard I almost had an accident and my sister just shook her head.  I told her when she wears her new denim capri's to make sure and pull the back of her thong high enough to be seen.  I mean how will she ever learn the proper life of a pirate hooker if nobody schools her?  She may wear sneakers with 3 inch thick soles with everything, but she works that ish people.....she WORKS it!  Anyway, we went for mani's, we had lunch, we laughed our butts off.  (ok she MIGHT have cried but I was to busy laughing to notice).  Anyone want to volunteer their mothers to shop with me?  I am the queen of personal shopping.  Good times....

That was my weekend.  My OLDEST sister who was the appointed driver,  has been promising to make me this dessert forever.  It is my absolute favorite dessert and it only tastes good when SHE makes it.  I say this over and over, so many things, only taste good when certain people make them.  So she has been stringing me along for awhile on this.  Always an excuse.  Well, obviously she didn't make for me this weekend either.  I swear, she promised if I didn't purposely run her heals over with a shopping cart or let mom chase her down in a Target jazzy, she would make it for me, but alas, I had to take matters into my own hands.

You have probably eaten this dessert at every church function or potluck you have ever been too.  I can't help that, and it is NOTHING to complain about.  This is the perfect amount of sweet.  The perfect amount of creamy and the perfect little crunch from the walnuts.  I love it for summer especially because it is so light.  I can't even stand it.  I just need a piece.  I have heard it called a bazillion things.  Many people have a little part they tweak here or there.  So I am just using the recipe my sister knows by heart, and I call it "Butterscotch Love"  I hope you enjoy this light, refreshing, and oh so simple dessert!

Butterscotch Love
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup walnuts
1/2 cup cold or frozen butter (cubed)
1- 8oz package cream cheese (softened)
1 cup powdered sugar (aka confectioners sugar, icing sugar)
1 tsp vanilla
8 ounces cool whip (use fresh if you like)
2 small boxes instant butterscotch pudding
2 1/2 cups milk
8 MORE ounces of cool whip (whipped cream)
1/2 cup walnuts for garnish (keep them whole or whack them into submission to be sprinkled on top)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan and set aside.  I do the crust in my food processor.  You can use a pastry cutter if you like. 

Pastry Cutter Method- Chop walnuts and set aside.  Cut butter into cubes, add into a bowl with the flour and cut the butter in, until it is an even crumble, fine crumbs.  Add in walnuts and combine.
Food Processor- Add all ingredients, flour, cubed butter, and walnuts into the food processor and pulse until it is in small crumbs.

Add to greased 9x13 pan and press into the bottom.  Make sure it is fairly even.  Bake for 20 minutes.  Remove and cool completely.

When the crust is cooled, start on the 2nd layer.  In a bowl add in cream cheese, vanilla, powdered sugar and cool whip.  Using a hand mixer, mix until completely combined.  It should be smooth and creamy!  Dot it all over the crust and carefully spread it evenly on top. 

Time for the 3rd layer!  In a bowl (I use the same bowl I used for the cream cheese mixture) add in both boxes of pudding and milk.  Again use a hand mixer or whisk and mix until combined completely!  Pour over the top of the cream cheese layer and refrigerate for 15 minutes. 

Last but not least add the rest of the whipped cream to the top.  Spread evenly, sprinkle on the last 1/2 cup of walnuts and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. 

I don't have a lot to say at this point.  I mean, obviously this is amazing, it is probably tied for my all time favorite dessert and quite frankly, there is an entire pan, calling my name.  I must answer.......I am going into the light!

Your "can't get my lips on it fast enough" chefwannabe

Mile High Banana Cream Pie

I finally did it!  I have been talking about and thinking about banana cream pie for SO long.  I don't know why I didn't just do my own thing to begin with.  I guess, because I was sure the perfect recipe was out there.  Well I am here to tell you it isn't, or rather, it WASN'T, but it is now!

For those unaware of my plight, I was trying to replicate a pie that I had at my husband's 40th birthday that someone brought.  It was mousse-ee, not custard-ee.  It was tall, and decadent and perfection.  Now, this is coming from the girl who doesn't like bananas!  I like banana flavor just not bananas.  All slimy and mushy, ick.  And even though I was going to incorporate ZERO fresh nanners into this masterpiece my friend Danielle from @ Hugs and Cookies XOXO convinced me that to leave them out would be tragic and unforgivable.  FINE, I said, I will.  I did, and boy did she save my behind! 

I realize many banana cream pies are topped with coconut.  For the love of banana cream pie....WHY?  Coconut cream pie, I understand.  But, why?  It isn't suntan oil, some things just shouldn't be mixed!  Anyway, I did not top mine with coconut, not fresh, not toasted, not shredded or sweetened, NONE.  Now a few crushed macadamia nuts might have been good on top.  Mental note has been made. 

Many banana cream pies are made with meringue, but since I was doing it MY way, I chose a Chantilly Cream topping.  (sweetened fresh whipping cream).  Two recipes, BOTH very easy for the price of 1.  Now where else do you get THAT sort of deal?

Here is the recipe.  As usual I will make notes of the helpful or sarcastic type in parenthesis. LOL

You will need:
1 9inch pie shell  (make your own with my recipe here, or buy one.  You just need 1 crust)
3 cups heavy cream
2- 3.4 oz boxes INSTANT Banana Cream Pudding
1/4 tsp banana flavoring (optional)
2 tbsp milk
1 banana sliced (use more if you groove on the slimy things, 2 would be about right)

If you chose to buy a pre-baked pie shell the next few steps can be skipped.  If you made your own (standing ovation for you) or you bought just the unbaked crusts, keep reading.

Preheat your oven 425 degrees.  Lay your dough, after it has been rolled out, into a deep 9 inch pie plate.  Make sure to use a fork and prick the pie all over so it doesn't  puff out on you.  Bake for 15 minutes at 425 and then reduce heat to 375 and bake another 10-15 minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool completely!

Now for the filling....in a stand mixer or in a bowl and using an electric mixer (or whisk if you are that motivated) beat your COLD heavy cream until it is whipped but not all the way to whipped cream.  Add in both packages of instant pudding and whip until it is stiff.  Add in milk and flavoring if you choose to use it.  You could also add a drop or 2 of yellow food coloring if you felt so inclined.  Whip just a few seconds longer until combined.  Use a rubber spatula and clean off the sides of the  bowl, give it a few folds and put aside. 

Now, slice your bananas and add them to the bottom of your pie crust.  I used 1 but you might want to use 2 or 3 if you really love bananas!  Spoon your banana cream on top and spread evenly or mound up a bit higher in the middle like I did! 

Now for the topping! 

Chantilly Cream:
2 cups COLD heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup+1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Whip cream until almost whipped.  Add in sugar and vanilla and continue whipping until it is whipped cream!  I used a piping bag and 1m tip to pipe mine on, but feel free to just spread it over the top of the pie. 

Refrigerate for at least 2 hours!!! 

Serve, and make sure to have plenty of napkins for BEFORE the pie.  Your company will drool just watching you cut it!

Your "ate the filling, crust and cream, left the bananas" chefwannabe

P.S.  Heavy cream whips twice as fast if your whisk and bowl and cream are ICE COLD!  Toodles!  Oh and one more things, I am the one who picked whipped cream on Facebook, so to all you whipped cream lovin' people.......I am right there with ya! <3

French Silk Pie!

As a kid I can remember my mom going to "the city" which was Grand Island, Nebraska and once in a great while "splurging" on a piece of french silk pie and bringing it home.  It was heaven, pure chocolate heaven.  It was nothing like I had ever tasted and I couldn't WAIT until I was able to drive, I was going to go to Grand Island and get my own dang piece of pie one day!  Great goals eh?  Yea well.......come on I was a city kid at heart trapped in small town America and I was bustin' out baby!

Well, when I asked my mom about a recipe for it years and years ago, she told me she didn't have one but thought it was really difficult to make so I never even looked any further.  Well now that I am an advanced wannabe (in my mind anyway) I was ready to find this recipe, divide and conquer!

That being said, I waited a long time to find a recipe with cooked eggs.  Traditionally this pie has raw eggs in it.   This is the only kind of pie I will eat.   Last week, on that fateful day  I was surfing You Tube as I normally do and there it was.   There was the video I had been waiting for, showing how to make it.   I thought there was no way it could be that easy. I mean yes, there are alot of steps and you will dirty alot of bowls and dishes, but who cares?!?!? This is...FRENCH. SILK. PIE. we are talking about! (was that really even a sentence? Nah, I didn't think so).   This is the channel in which I found it.  I emailed this user and never heard back but it wouldn't be right to not link you to his channel , croutonsandcrackerjacks. 

Let us delay no longer.  Do you have any idea how hard it is to let this puppy sit at least 8 hours.  Pfftt...I was like, you have GOT to be kidding me.  But I did it! 


Here is what you need to get started!
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
3 squares of UNSWEETENED baking chocolate, melted and cooled
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick of butter softened to room temperature (NO margarine)
1 cup whipping cream (
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1 pie crust, blind baked and cooled. (350-10-15 min, or until done)

Topping
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp powdered sugar
Chocolate shavings (optional)

Ok here is where I change things a little.  The order in which you prepare your steps. 

1. Prepare pie crust and let it cool.

2. Melt chocolate, 30 seconds at a time in the microwave.  Took me 3 times.  Let cool.  I didn't let me cool completely and it was still just fine.

3. Combine sugar and eggs in a saucepan.  Whisk constantly and let come up to 160 degree's.  It will cook the eggs to make them safe but not make scrambled eggs!

4.  Poor cooled melted chocolate into eggs/sugar mixture, then add in vanilla.  Combine thoroughly and let cool 1 to 2 hours.  (or for you fellow impatient folk, put that baby in an ice bath and careful stir here and there and cool it in 20-30 minutes) Just sayin...

5. While it is cooling, whip 1 cup whipping cream just beyond soft peaks or to practically stiff peaks like I did. 

6. Beat butter until it is fluffy

7. When chocolate mixture is cooled,  pour it into the butter and beat until smooth, then carefully fold it into the whipped cream and fold until totally combined!

8.  Pour into prepared pie shell and refrigerate at least 8 hours, mine was overnight and then some.  My GOD the perfection of it all.

Before serving, cover in whipped cream, spread it, pipe it, or whatever method you want to use!  You can also top that with shaved milk chocolate shavings!


I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.  I had to wait to cut it to see if it really worked, it had to have the "French Silk Pie" texture, you know?  It does and boy is it fantastic!!

Your "there is NOTHING I can't do now"chefwannabe

Pudding Cake - Visits from Philly

As many of you may or may not know, an uncle who is very dear to me and my brothers and sisters had a massive stroke 2 days ago.  With brilliant medical intervention and PRAYER, he is doing much better and will be headed to a rehab facility soon.  Thank you all for your prayers.
 

Look at those heavenly layers of cake, pudding and whipped cream!

That being said, the last few days have been spent walking down memory lane about my Uncle Will and his wife Aunt Millie.  They still live in the same neighborhood my dad was raised in, and though it has been rare that they leave the city, they did venture out to visit us in Nebraska when I was a kid.  My dad left the old neighborhood and the family.  In reality he did it (at 17) so his dad would have one less mouth to feed.  Anywho, so the story goes that my dad met my mom and they made their life in my hometown, which is also my mom's hometown.  For big city people, this WAS a different world.  


My Uncle Will took me and my sister Patty to "Mel's Dime Store".  If you are from my hometown, you remember the ol' place!  We didn't have alot of money growing up and rarely got toys aside from Christmas and birthdays.  Well, he took us in and let us each pick out 2 toys, anything we wanted.  I remember knowing I wanted to pick TWO baby dolls.  I couldn't believe in my 5 year old mind that someone had THAT MUCH MONEY they could buy us each 2 toys! Oh the GLORY!  

While we were busy picking out toys, my Aunt Millie was busy at home....cooking!  She is Italian to the core and cooked us a feast every single night of their visit!  She also made us "pudding cake".  We were sure this was a "city dessert" when in reality it was cheap and cheerful!  She was after all feeding a family of 12 plus themselves!  It was the first time I was introduced to "jimmies".  When we learned what they were we felt so "la-dee-dah".  She made 2 pans of this one night and it has stuck in my head like glue ever since.  (I grew up and moved to South Jersey and jimmies are a food group of their own!)  I want to share it with you.  It is so delicious and not to heavy for these hot summer months.  


I used a sugar free angel food cake from the store.  You can easily use sugar free pudding and fat free whipped cream.  NONE of those choices will affect the dessert at all, only make you be able to eat more!  

Aunt Millie's Pudding Cake
1 angel food cake
2 sm. boxes chocolate pudding
2 sm or 1 lg container of whipped cream
chocolate jimmies

Cut your angel food cake into slices.  Lay them in the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Prepare pudding as directed and pour over the sliced cake.   Spread on whipped cream (you could make your own too!)  Sprinkle the top with jimmies.  HEAVY on the jimmies please!  Refrigerate until ready to serve!

I hope you make this easy, delightful dessert.  What a great recipe for your kids to make or to help with!  Enjoy this as much as we did as kids and do as adults.  Thanks Aunt Millie for teaching us "country kids" about jimmies.  It changed our lives! 

Your "missing Uncle Willy and Aunt Millie" chefwannabe

Chris

Pavlova

Is it Australian or is it from New Zealand?  The debate goes on.  They both claim it originated in their country, so whoever did it is genius!!  Pavlova is named after the famous Russian ballet dance, Anna Pavlova.  The dish is said to have been created in honor of the dancer after or during one of her tours to Australia and New Zealand.   This dessert is popularly served on holidays and celebrations.  It is a meringue based dessert and is easily changed up to meet your taste. 

 

Since I made this the first time, it was a hit.  The mix of textures is like a party for your palette.  It is a sweet meringue cake, slightly sweetened whipping cream and fruit on top. Lets not delay this any longer, I can't stand the anticipation of sharing!  


Pavlova

4 egg whites

1 1/4 cup granulated sugar

2 tsp cornstarch

1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Crumple up a piece of parchment paper and then uncrumple, dust with a bit of cornstarch and place on pan large enough to draw or eyeball a 9 inch circle or the size it should be.  



My bowl is being held upside down!

Beat egg whites adding in granulated sugar 1 tbsp at a time.  Beat until you get stiff peaks.  Add in cornstarch and vanilla.  You will know they are ready when you can turn the bowl upside down and the egg whites will not fall out.  See I have a photo of mine, upside down!  Spread on parchment paper to form approx 9 inch "cake".  Make sure all sides are even.  Bake 1 hour.  Remove and let cool completely.

Before

Here you can see before it was baked and after!

After                                 

For the topping you will need:
2 cups whipping cream
1 pint berries of your choice or kiwi fruit (or both!)
1/2 cup powdered sugar

Clean fruit, slice berries if you are using them.  Use a large bowl and pour in COLD whipping cream and powdered sugar.  Beat until your whipping cream is a nice stiff peaks but don't go to far or you will have butter!  Carefully spread on top of pavlova and top with fruit.

HELPFUL HINT:  When you are beating fresh whipping cream it is helpful to have everything very cold, put your beaters, whisk attachment or whisk in the freezer with the bowl you will be using for 15-30 minutes before using.  Cream should be very cold as well.  It will make it whip up MUCH faster.  

I hope you enjoy your possibly first pavlova experience.  It is not one you are soon to forget!  Pick your own favorite berry or combination of berries or kiwi. *Kiwi are traditional*.