Is it Fall yet?

It is no secret that I LOVE fall. In fact, since moving to California, I have become rather obsessed with it. I think it is because I am denied a proper fall season. Don't get me wrong, I love living where I live, but the main downside to being in such a temperate climate is that there are not really distinct seasons. Winter is simply a slightly cooler version of Summer. September and October in San Diego don't bring beautiful colors of gold, amber, and rust. I don't get to hear the crunch of dry leaves under my feet as I walk through the crisp, cold air. I don't smell the scent burning leaves or of an impending snow fall (those are real smells). It is just... the same.

Consequently, I try to create fall as much as possible in the land of eternal summer. My house pretty much looks like fall all year round (proof) and I love baking pumpkin type of things (my favorite) and I make my annual pilgrimage to Bates Nut Farm to pick out a pumpkin. I do what I can to convince myself it is fall when it clearly isn't. Some people would call that delusional... but I don't listen to those people.

Last week I was so badly wanting it to be fall that crocheted a hat (when am I ever going to wear a hat?!?) and I made homemade chai tea mix. The chai turned out perfectly, which is awesome since shelling out $3.50 for the drink at Starbucks is just lame and I don't do it very often. Chai is fall in a cup, I LOVE it. In fact, after I finish posting this blog I am going to make a cup and turn the fan on me so I get really cold and have to wrap up in a blanket. It WILL be fall, darn it! (Don't even get me started on Christmas in So Cal!)

Chai Tea Mix

Ingredients:

1 cup dry milk powder
1 cup powdered non-dairy creamer

1 cup french vanilla flavored powdered non-dairy creamer

2 1/2 cups vanilla sugar

1 1/2 cups instant black tea

2 tsp. ground ginger

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

1 tsp. ground cardamom

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine milk powder, non-dairy creamer, vanilla flavored creamer, sugar and instant tea. Stir in ginger, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. In a blender or food processor, blend 1 cup at a time, until mixture is the consistency of fine powder.

To serve: Stir 2 heaping tablespoons of chai tea mixture into a mug of hot water.

Note:

To make vanilla sugar scrape the seeds out of a vanilla bean pod. Add the seeds and the scraped pod to 3-4 cups of sugar. Let sit for about a week, shaking mixture daily to infuse the vanilla flavor into the sugar.

Oooooh my!

I made s'mores cupcakes last night and I have to tell you, these might just be the best thing I have ever made. Oh my gosh, they were sooooooo good! Make them. I promise your taste buds will thank me.

S’mores Cupcakes

Crust:
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
5 Tbs. butter, melted
1/2 cup chocolate chips
100 (or so) mini marshmallows

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line 24 muffin cups with paper liners. In food processor, pulse graham crackers until they are fine crumbs. Add sugar and melted butter and mix until well combined. Add approximately 1 tablespoon of crumbs to the bottom of each liner. 

Use a small circle object (like a measuring cup or a shot glass) to press the crumb mixture evenly into the bottom of each liner. Bake for 5 minutes and remove from the oven. 

Add 6-7 chocolate chips and 5 mini marshmallows to each tin.

Cake:
1 cup boiling water

2 cups sugar

1 3/4 cups flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk (or use 1 cup milk mixed with 1 Tbs. vinegar)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Bring some water to boil and keep it simmering while you make the batter.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add the eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla and beat with an electric mixer for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup boiling water and carefully stir until the water is mixed in; beat for 1 1/2 minutes.

Spoon batter evenly into cupcake liners, filling each about 3/4 of the way full. The marshmallows will float to the top but that's okay. 

Bake approximately 15 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center cupcake comes out clean. Cool for about 5 minutes in the pan and then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

 (they look ugly, but don't worry, the frosting will cover that right up)

Chocolate Frosting:

1/2 cup butter

3 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate

1 pound confectioners’ sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup milk

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

Melt chocolate and butter in the microwave, or in the top of a double boiler. In a large bowl, combine confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and milk. Blend in the melted chocolate mixture. Add remaining milk, a little at a time, until desired consistency is achieved. Let stand until spreadable (frosting will thicken as it cools). Frost cupcakes with chocolate frosting

Dip the top into the graham cracker crumbs.

Marshmallow Frosting:

8 egg whites, room temperature
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
2 tsp. vanilla

In a clean stainless steel mixing bowl or double boiler, combine egg whites, sugar, and cream of tartar. Whisk frequently, heating the mixture over medium-high heat until the temperature reaches 160 degrees. Transfer egg mixture to stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin mixing at low speed, gradually increasing to medium-high speed as the mixture becomes thicker. Beat until stiff, glossy peaks form. Add in the vanilla and mix until just combined. Transfer frosting to a piping bag and pipe a large dollop on top of the cupcake.

Using a kitchen torch, brown the cupcakes lightly as desired. Keep the torch moving so you don't catch any spot on fire. Just like toasting marshmallows by a campfire, slow and steady is a better approach than sticking the marshmallow to close to the fire, you're going for lightly toasted frosting not black and bubbly marshmallow.

I ran out of the marshmallow frosting so on the last few cupcakes I put an actual marshmallow on top. It worked just fine (not as pretty) but if you don't want to make the marshmallow frosting you can do this as a shortcut. 

Wimpy me.

The last few weeks have been so hooooooot. When I say hot I mean 83 degrees. I know, I know. I am pathetic. I have experienced "real hot". I have lived through the sticky humid summers of Texas and Wisconsin, I have spent a summer in an old broken down school bus traveling up the East Coast in sweltering weather. It was so hot that your skin would meld with the hot pleather school bus seats and you would have to peel your sticky hot legs up one by one when the bus stopped. I spent one summer in Jamaica doing manual labor where the sweat was dripping off in buckets (attractive, I know) I don't think anything is hotter than Jamaica in July than perhaps hell itself. So yeah... I have experienced hot.

I moved to paradise (aka Southern California) eight years ago and I have completely wimped out over the years. When I first got here and I would hear people complaining about it being soooo cold in the winter (50 degrees) or soooo hot in the summer (80 degrees) I would smile that condescending smile of someone who knows better and think, "um, really? You think this is cold/hot? Have you ever left the beach and experienced the real world? Oh... Bless your poor wimpy heart."

Those words are coming back to haunt me now. I have totally acclimated to the beach life and "inland" is about three miles away which is a totally unacceptable place to live and anything over 75 degrees and under 55 degrees is just miserable. I now complain when paradise is not as paradis-ey as I want it to be. It is 83 degrees today and I am sitting on my couch with a box fan aimed directly on me and sipping ice cold green tea blogging about how hot it is. No need to say it, I know I am pathetic.

On the upside, a few days ago I made the perfect "hot summer" dessert. Strawberry pie! It is light and refreshing and so easy to make! Next to Key Lime Pie (which is my favorite) this is the best summer dessert. Here you have it!

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

Crust:

2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter, melted

Filling:

2 lbs. fresh strawberries

1 cup sugar

1 1/4 cup water

2 Tbs. cornstarch

1 small pkg. strawberry Jello

Whipped Cream:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/8 cup powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

Crust:

Mix graham cracker crumbs and melted butter until well blended. Press mixture into a 9” pie plate. Bake at 375°F for 7-8 minutes. Cool and fill with pie filling.

Filling:

Boil sugar, water and cornstarch until thick. Add Jello and stir until completely dissolved. Cool for 15-20 minutes. Add strawberries that have been rinsed and sliced. Pour into pie shell and refrigerate overnight or until mixture is jelled.

Whipped Cream:

In a large bowl, whip cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Top chilled pie with whipped cream and serve.

Chocolate Overload!

Have you ever been to a chocolate party? 'What is a chocolate party' you ask?... It is the best. thing. ever... ever! My friend, Darla, has been hosting her annual chocolate party now for three years. Everyone brings some sort of chocolate treat and we all just sit around eating chocolate all night long. Of course, there were tons of homemade goodies but my favorite was this chocolate bar from Chuao - Earl Grey Chocolate. I never though of combining those two flavors but wow it was good!

I decided to make "Girl Scout Samoas" cupcakes. They turned out really yummy. I made miniature ones because at a party full of chocolate it's hard to commit to a whole, normal-sized cupcake. These were perfect little bites of gooey sweetness!

Girl Scout Samoas Cupcakes

Cake:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

3/4 stick butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/3 tsp. coconut extract

2 large eggs

3/4 cup milk

Caramel Frosting:

1 stick unsalted butter

1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups powdered sugar

Toppings:

1/2 cup sweetened shredded coconut, toasted

1/4 cup chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line muffin pan with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour and cocoa powder.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, sugar, salt, baking soda, vanilla, and coconut extract until fluffy and light, at least 3-4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. With the mixer on low speed add in the dry ingredients in three batches, alternating with the milk beating just until combined.

Fill the cupcake papers 1/2 full, making sure that the batter is divided evenly. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean, 20-22 minutes. Allow the cupcakes to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Frosting:

Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the salt and brown sugar and heat the mixture to boiling, stirring constantly. Cook over low heat for 2 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the milk and return to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in vanilla. Cool to lukewarm, about 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Once the caramel frosting mixture is lukewarm, transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the powdered sugar and beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Adjust consistency with a little more milk or powdered sugar, if necessary. Pipe the frosting in a dollop on top of the cupcake.

Toppings:

To toast the coconut, spread the coconut onto a rimmed sheet pan. Toast in a 350°F oven, stirring frequently, until the coconut is an even brown color, about 10 minutes. Once cool, store in a small bowl. Dip the cupcake into the bowl of coconut.

Heat chocolate chips in microwave for about 30 seconds or until drizzling consistency.

Transfer the frosting to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip. Pipe stripes of chocolate onto the cupcakes.  

Now if that isn't enough chocolate for you, Friday night was Abby's birthday and she requested "something chocolatey". So I went through my recipes and found one that I haven't tried yet that looked pretty good. Chocolate candy pie. Woah, right? It is basically a chocolate brownie with crushed Oreos in it, topped with a chocolate mousse with more crushed Oreos, white chocolate and nuts. It is very rich, and definitely worth making!

Chocolate Candy Pie:

Cake:

1 box brownie mix

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 cup chopped Oreo cookies (1 sleeve)

Filling:

6 Tbs. water

1 1/2 tsp. unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 cup heavy whipping cream

2 oz. white chocolate chopped

1/2 cup toasted pecans

4 chopped Oreo cookies

Garnish:

Melted dark chocolate piped into designs

Whipped cream

Cake:

Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 10" spring form pan. In a large bowl, combine brownie mix, water, oil, and eggs. Beat 50 strokes by hand. Stir in 1 cup cookies. Spread in the pan. Bake at 350°F for 40-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool for 1 hour.

Filling:

Put 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl. Add gelatin and let stand 1 minute to soften. In a saucepan, add 4 tablespoons of water, sugar, and cocoa over medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and add gelatin mixture. Stir until gelatin is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.

Beat whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Add gelatin mixture and beat until blended. Fold in cookies, nuts, and white chocolate.

Spoon this mixture over brownie. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Remove sides of pan garnish with chocolate shapes and whipped cream. 

Doesn't this post make you want chocolate now? I am sorry! But I guess that is the price you pay for daring to read a blog with "dessert" in the title. :)

Owl-ey fun!

My co-worker is having a baby girl in a few weeks and last week we had a baby shower for her at work. Unfortunately for me, the email about her "surprise" shower went out when I was on vacation and somehow I was not put on the email batch. Consequently the baby shower was a surprise to me as well. As we all pilled into the party room, I saw a big stack of gifts. I leaned over to another co-worker and asked if we were all supposed to contribute something. Then I was told that everyone was bringing individual gifts and didn't I get the memo. Um.... no. Thank you very much, party planning committee. I show up empty handed and look like an arse.

On the bright side, that gave me some time to make something which is way more fun than buying anyway. My co-worker is going with a vintage owl theme so many of the gifts were owl-ey things. I went to one of my favorite websites Ravelry and found a couple of cute patterns. My favorite one is this owl hat. Seriously, I want a baby just so I can put this hat on them!

Then I made a couple amigurumi toys, I don't think they are as cute at the hat, but they are still kind of adorable!

I love crocheting! Only 35 and I am already such a grandma!

You can't capture it on film!

I spent this last week up in Idaho for a family reunion. It was the first time in 15 years that my mom's side of the family has all been together and we had a great time. We were in the Sun Valley area which is where I grew up. It is soooo beautiful up there and I tried in vain to capture it on camera. As pretty as the pictures are, they can not compare to being in the fresh mountain air, smelling pine trees and being surrounded by nothing but God's creation. It is simply majestic! My brother, Tim and I were talking about how much more we appreciate growing up there now that we have left. It really is a beautiful place to live. Growing up in the same small town for your whole life also means that pretty much everything is nostalgic when you go back. It was a week full of sentiment and I loved every minute of it! 

We took a gondola ride up Baldy (the ski mountain), and had lunch at the restaurant there. This is one of my favorite views and makes me really wonder why I was so anxious to leave Idaho as soon as I finished high school! Doesn't this just look like the ideal small town to grow up in?

Another day we drove over to Stanley Basin and went white water rafting up the Salmon River, yes, I said up - unlike most rivers, it flows north. Since it is filled with snow runoff it is also freezing! We stopped midway for a quick dip and it was so cold!!! 

This picture is of the Sawtooth Mountains from the top of Galena Summit. I have travelled the world and seen countless breathtaking scenes, but this one still remains one of my favorites. Again, the picture doesn't do it justice!

One of my favorite things about Summer in Idaho is that the sun doesn't set until about 10:00 pm. When I was a kid, I hated it on the 4th of July. We couldn't start fireworks until it was so late! But on vacation, it is great because the days are so long! Here is a picture of the sunset I captured the other night. I love the sunset over the ocean, but I miss the sunset over the mountains. It is so pretty!

Yesterday, we took the kids and walked them around Sun Valley. We watched the ice skaters rehearse for the Sun Valley Ice Show which actually starts tonight so we didn't get to go. I told my niece, Ashton, about when my cousin, Michelle and I were her age, we skated in the Sun Valley Ice Show with Dorothy Hamill (who was an olympic gold medalist in the 80's) She wasn't all that impressed but she did enjoy watching the skaters. This is a picture of Baldy that I snapped while we were out and about. It is much prettier in the winter but it isn't too shabby in the summer either. 

The week went by fast and now here I am sitting in a hotel room in Boise. Tim and Malee are out grabbing us some food while I am here with my sleeping baby niece, Isla. We will all get on a plane tomorrow morning and fly to our respective homes, miles away. It will be months before we see each other again. Times like this make me wish we lived 100 years ago when the norm was for families to live and die in the same community. There is something so unnatural about saying goodbye to the most important people in your life. 

The last (and best) picture is of my dad and my two nieces, Isla and Ashton. I want to steal both of these girls and bring them home with me but my brothers vetoed that. Selfish boys! 

All in all, it's been a great week! Now... back to reality. 

Tiramisu

I love trying new things so when my community group said, "Italian Dinner" I said, "Tiramisu!" I have never made (or eaten) it before and it is a common enough dessert so I should know how to do it. Let me tell you, it is a "once in a while" type of treat. Making it was rather time consuming and the ingredients are kind of expensive. But the time and money is worth it. The finished product looks impressive and tastes pretty good. Well, it is pretty good if you like coffee... and liquor. I dislike both so I found it to be pretty strong. It is not my cup of tea, I really wanted to like it but, meh... not my favorite. But at least now I know how to make it!

Tiramisu

7 egg yolks

1 cup sugar for yolks

3 cups mascarpone (or substitute - see notes)

4 1/2 Tbs. water

1 1/2 Tbs. powdered gelatin

3 egg whites

1/4 cup sugar for whites

1 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped

3 cups cooled espresso

3/4 cup kalhua

3 pkg. ladyfingers (about 24 per pkg.)

1 cup chocolate shavings

Directions:

In a mixer with the whip attachment, whip yolks and sugar until thick and pale in color. Add mascarpone and whip until well incorporated. Pour water into a small bowl then pour powdered gelatin over it. Do not stir. Allow gelatin to absorb all of the water (about 15 minutes) then place the bowl on top of a small saucepan containing simmering water (creating a double boiler). Immediately turn off the heat and allow the gelatin to dissolve completely.

In a separate bowl, whip egg whites to a soft peak, gradually add sugar, then slowly pour in dissolved gelatin. Whip to a stiff, glossy peak. Fold whites into mascarpone and yolk mixture then fold in whipped cream.

In a separate bowl, combine espresso and kalhua. Soak 1 ladyfinger at a time in the espresso mixture. In a trifle bowl, arrange soaked ladyfingers close together until bottom of the bowl is completely covered. Pour about 1/3 of the mousse over the ladyfingers and smooth with a rubber spatula. Sprinkle 1/3 of the chocolate shavings over mousse. Create 2 more layers and chill until set.

*If you can’t find mascarpone (or don’t want to pay the hefty price), you can make a substitute by blending together 3 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, ¾ cup sour cream, and ½ cup heavy whipping cream. 

Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries

Summer is here and that means our Community Groups "take a break" for a few months... but not really, we still get together all the time and have dinner or go out, and we have a camping trip planned for later this summer as well. The guys get together and talk about 'manly men stuff' every week and the girls get together and go through a book study and we also do all of the things we have pinned on Pinterest all year long. I really enjoy summer when 'just the girls' get together, we bond. 


Anyway, tonight I hosted at my place and since it was just the girls, I made 'dainty' treats- cheesecake stuffed strawberries. I originally saw these on Pinterest and earlier this year, my friend, Tricia, made them and they were great. They are super easy to make and look nice and fancy. I added my own little flare and piped melted chocolate over top of them. I also left some plain in case there were any crazies who didn't want chocolate on their strawberries. Both options were great. Here is the recipe:

Cheesecake stuffed strawberries

Ingredients:
1 lb. strawberries
8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use 1/3 less fat)
3-4 Tbs. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
graham cracker crumbs
*optional – semisweet chocolate

Directions:
Rinse strawberries and cut around the top of the strawberry. Remove the top and clean out with a paring knife. Prep all strawberries and set aside and let dry.

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until creamy. Add cream cheese mix to a piping bag. Fill strawberries with cheesecake mixture. Once strawberries are filled, dip the top in graham cracker crumbs. If desired, pipe melted chocolate stripes across the strawberries, chill until hardened. If not serving immediately, refrigerate until serving.