Cake Balls

Cake pops, cake balls, cake truffles whatever you call them it's the same idea:  crumbled cake, mixed with frosting, chilled, then covered in chocolate.  They are extremely easy to make, just time consuming.  Some people decorate them with a lot of detail (a la Bakerella) but I went the simple route with sprinkles on top.

For Valentine's Day, I sent out these treats for a few friends and family members.  I knew I wanted to have chocolate, and I decided on strawberry for the second flavor, a sort of chocolate covered strawberry.  I made the cake and frosting from scratch because I ended up having time, but feel free to use a box mix and canned frosting.

The chocolate balls came out great, but I was disappointed in the strawberry balls.  Since I made the cake from scratch, there were actually strawberries in the cake which kept it moist.  If we were eating a piece of cake, it would have been fine.  Since I was adding moist frosting to moist cake crumbles, the strawberry filling turned out wetter than the chocolate filling.  They rolled into balls just fine, it wasn't until after sampling the finished cake balls that I realized they were mushy.

The treats were well received from everyone (even though there were issues with the post office).  Everything was sent from the same post office on the same day.  Packages sent to Dayton, WNY, Central NY and VA all arrived on Valentine's Day as expected.  It took 6 days to get to the other side of Cleveland, and over a week to get to NYC and CA.  What?!  I don't usually use this post office location to send packages, and I will not be using it ever again.

I will definitely make cake balls again, but not using strawberries.  The chocolate balls were a hit, and I'd try a yellow cake or carrot cake version.  I'm not a fan of red velvet, but that's a popular flavor as well.

Cake Balls

Inspired by Bakerella

Yield: about 100 1" balls from each cake

Chocolate Cake* (I used this recipe from Coconut & Lime)

1 1/2 - 2 cups Chocolate Frosting (I used Hershey's recipe on the cocoa container)

Strawberry Cake (I adjusted the servings for this AllRecipe to 36, then baked in 9x13 pan)

1 1/2 - 2 cups Buttercream Frosting (I made Wilton's using all butter, no shortening)

*UPDATE: Chocolate and yellow are my favorite cake flavors to use. These are the recipes I like to use, tastes great and no extra egg yolks or anything crazy: Chocolate Cake and Yellow Cake

Chocolate Bark/Chocolate Melts for dipping

Assorted Sprinkles or other decorations (optional)

• Bake cakes according to instructions, then allow to cool completely (a couple of hours).  Once the cakes are cooled, make the frosting according to directions.
• Using your fingers or two forks, work the cake until they are small crumbs and transfer to a large bowl.  Repeat the crumbling with the second cake and transfer to another large bowl.
• Combine about 1 1/2 cups chocolate frosting to the chocolate cake crumbs.  Stir until there are no more dry crumbs or globs of frosting.  Add more frosting if needed.  Repeat with strawberry cake.
• Roll the cake mixture into 1 tablespoon balls (about the size of a walnut) and place them on wax paper lined trays/cookie sheets.  
• Chill for a few hours in the fridge or in your cold garage if it's winter.
• Melt the chocolate according to instructions, then dip the chilled balls one at a time using two forks (clean off chocolate buildup from forks as needed).
• Place the chocolate coated cake balls on a piece of wax paper. The chocolate dries fast since the cake balls are cold so top with sprinkles immediately.  Repeat until all the balls have been dipped.  

Tip:  If you make multiple kinds of cake balls, you'll want to decorate them differently in order to distinguish each flavor.

Cherry Pie

This cherry pie was the first pie I've ever made!  I'm pretty sure I've helped make pie when I was a kid, but never a whole one by myself.  In my adult life I don't have many opportunities to make pie because Kevin is not a fan of pie.  He's got something against cooked fruit and flaky crusts or something.  Because of this, pie isn't the only pastry he avoids.  For my first time, I was pretty proud of myself though.  I made an old fashioned strawberry pie for my dad for Father's Day, but that was the last time I made a fruit pie.

My aunt always makes cherry pie for the major holidays (Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter).  As a kid I wasn't a big fan, but now I tend to choose her cherry pie over the other desserts offered.  This pie has a great sweet tart cherry flavor with a hint of cinnamon and a flaky crust.  

This recipe uses a quart jar of tart cherries and their juices.  My aunt and gram can them over the summer.  If you don't have access to home-canned cherries (or fresh cherries), hopefully you'll be able to find a few jars in your grocery store (if you have access to a Trader Joe's they sell Dark Morello Cherries that should work).  I don't know if frozen tart cherries would have enough juice after they are thawed (or if that product even exists).  Whatever you do, do not use a can of cherry pie filling!

Cherry Pie

From my Aunt Ginny

Dough (makes 2 double crust pies):

4 cups flour

3/4 cup shortening (butter flavored Crisco)

dash of salt

3 Tbsp sugar

1/2 cup cold water

1 tsp vinegar

1 egg

Filling (for 1 pie):

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 flour

1/4 tsp cinnamon

32 oz of tart red cherries with their juices reserved (not cherry pie filling in a can!)

Heavy Cream/Milk

Course Sugar (such as sanding sugar or raw sugar)

Making the Dough:

Combine flour, salt and sugar.  Cut in shortening until consistency of small peas. Combine water, vinegar and egg.  Mix into flour mixture and form a large ball.  Divide into four equal sections (one for each crust) and flatten them each into disks.  Wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 2 days before rolling.  You will need 2 disks for this recipe, the extra dough can be put into a freezer bag and frozen.

Making the Filling:

Before you make the filling, adjust an oven rack to the lowest position, place a rimmed baking sheet on it and heat the oven to 500.

• Whisk together the sugar, flour, cinnamon and cherry juices until the flour is dissolved, then stir in the cherries.

Constructing the Pie (from Baking Illustrated):

• Remove one piece of dough from the refrigerator (if it's been chilling for over an hour, let stand at room temperature until malleable).
• With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12-inch circle on a lightly floured surface.  As you roll out the dough, if the dough is sticking to the surface below or to the rolling pin, add a few sprinkles of flour to prevent sticking. Alternatively, you could roll the dough between two pieces of parchment paper. 
• Transfer the dough to a 9-inch pie plate by rolling the dough around a rolling pin and unrolling over the pan.  Working around the circumfernce of the pan, ease the dough into the pan corners by gently lifting the edge of the dough with one hand while pressing into the pan bottom with the other hand.  Leave the dough that overhangs the lip of the pie plate in place.  Refrigerate the dough-lined plate until needed.
• Add the cherry filling to the dough-lined plate.
• Roll out the second piece of dough to a 12-inch circle; place it over the filling.  
• Trim the edges of the top and bottom dough layers to 1/2 inch beyond the lip of the pan.  Tuck this rim underneath itself so that the folded edge is flush with the pan lip.  Flute the edge using your thumb and forefinger or press with fork tines to seal.
• Cut 8 slits in the top using a sharp knife.  If the dough is very soft, place in the freezer for 10 minutes.
• Brush the top of the pie with heavy cream and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar.

Baking the Pie (from Baking Illustrated):

• Lower the temperature to 425.  Place the pie on the baking sheet and bake until the crust is set and begins to brown, about 25-30 minutes.
• Rotate the pie and reduce the oven temperature to 375, continue baking until the crust is deep golden brown and the juices bubble, 25 to 30 minutes longer.
• Cool the pie on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before serving.

Pi Day Pie Party

Image Source: neatorama.com

Pi Day is coming up!  Last year on March 14 at 1:59pm (3.14159) we had a Pi Day Pie Party.  Since St Patrick's Day is a few days later, I ended up giving it an Irish theme.  

The Menu:

Cheese and Crackers

Rueben Hand Pies

Chicken Pot Pie

Shepherd's Pie

Irish Soda Bread

Cherry Pie (my first pie)

Apple Pie (Mike's first pie)

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie

Guinness

Smithwick's

Black & Tans

Green Vodka Lemonade (for the non-beer drinkers)

         

Rueben Hand Pies:  I was looking for a pie that could be an appetizer.   When I found these ham and cheese bites, I knew I had to turn them into baby ruebens.  I made extra dough when I made the chicken pot pie, so I used that instead of store bought.  Instead of the ham and cheddar, I used corned beef swiss cheese.  I also drained some sauerkraut really well and added some of that also.  It's not a rueben without the sauerkraut right?  I made some Thousand Island dressing for a dipping sauce because it wasn't worth buying a whole bottle just for these apps. 

Chicken Pot Pie:  I used a recipe from an episode of Jacques and Julia.  On the TV version they use only a smidge of cream, but in the cookbook for that show they used a lot more.  I've tried making it both ways and it's definitely better with only a smidge of cream.  The additional cream drowns out the delicious flavor of the concentrated chicken stock.

 

Shepherd's Pie:  I used a mish-mash of shepherd's pie recipes that I found online.  I plan on making it again, and when I do I'll share the final recipe.  I created some texture on the potatoes to encourage browning.
   

 

Irish Soda Bread:  After looking at a bunch of recipes, I noticed some had raisins, currants and caraway seeds.  I didn't want any of that so I went with this recipe from Taste and Tell.

Cherry Pie:  This was is the first fruit pie I've ever made!  I used my Aunt Ginny's recipe for the crust and filling which I will reveal in the next blog post (found here).

 

Apple Pie:  Our friend Mike wanted to contribute so he made his first pie also.  He made an apple pie decorated with pi's equation for an area of a circle and pi's number up to the first 10 decimals.  Not only did it look good, but it was really tasty too!  It was everything an apple should be: flaky crust with a warm mix of apple and cinnamon flavor.

   

   

Grasshopper Ice Cream Pie:  Here's a quick and dirty recipe for you:

Crush about 2 sleeves of Oreos and mix with a bit of melted butter (~5 Tbsp) then smush into a pie pan or spring-form pan.  Make or buy mint chocolate chip ice cream (1.5-2 qts) or Mint Ting a Ling if you're in Perry's country.  Give it a chance to soften a bit, then spread it evenly into pan.  Cover tightly with plastic wrap and foil, then set it in the freezer for a few hours to harden and set up.  Make or buy your favorite fudge sauce.  When it's time to serve, cut the pie with a hot knife, then spread the hot fudge over each slice.  Dollop with whipped cream if desired.

Fish Tacos

I've never been a real big fan of fish, but we've been trying to add more to our diet.  I like tilapia due to it's mild flavor so when I saw it on sale I picked up a couple filets.  Kevin and I first had fish tacos when we were on vacation a while back.  Since we really enjoyed them, I figured this would be a way to prepare the tilapia.  

I tasted the cooked fish on its own, it was clean with a hint of the lime flavor.  Once you add some of your favorite taco toppings you'll lose that subtle lime flavor, but you can pump it up with a squeeze of lime over your taco.

I've always been afraid of cooking fish because of the smell it might leave in the house.  I was really happy that the kitchen didn't stink afterwards.

Fish Tacos

Adapted from Not Eating Out in New York (marinade) and Steamy Kitchen (sauce)

Yield:  about 8 tacos (4 servings)

1 1/2 lb white fish (I used tilapia)

Salt and Pepper

1 lime

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 cup sour cream

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/8 tsp kosher salt

1/4 tsp chili powder

2 Tbsp oil

For Assembly/Garnish:

Corn or Flour Tortillas

Guacamole or Sliced Avocado

Cilantro

Fresh Salsa

Lime Wedges

Sprinkle the fish with salt and pepper, the juice of a lime and olive oil.  Cover and set aside in the fridge while prepping other ingredients.  (If you don't want to marinate it, you can sprinkle the fish with chili powder or taco seasoning right before cooking.)

For the sauce, stir together the sour cream, paprika, garlic powder, salt and chili powder.  

Warm the oil in a pan (or brush oil lightly on a piece of foil on a grill) on medium heat.  Add the fish and cook for 2-4 minutes per side.  Don't move the fish more than you need to as it will break apart easily.

Place the cooked fish on a serving platter and break it into large chunks.  Serve immediately with your favorite combination of tortillas, sauce and garnishes. 

Guacamole

I LOVE avocados!  I have been known to eat an avocado straight out of the skin with some lime juice and salt sprinkled over it.  When I make guacamole for just the two of us I usually end up eating most of it myself.  I can't get enough!  This guacamole is really bright and fresh tasting because of the lime juice and cilantro.

Guacamole

Original Recipe

2 Avocados, skin and pit removed

Juice from 1/2 lime

1 Tbsp cilantro, minced

1 small clove garlic, minced (optional)

Pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

Salt to taste

Add all ingredients to a bowl.  Mash together with fork until combined and the desired consistency is achieved.  I like to leave it a little chunky, but some prefer smooth.  Give it taste to make sure seasoning is what you want.  Taste it with a tortilla chip because the chips are salty on their own.

Prevent Browning:  If there are any leftovers, place plastic wrap directly onto the guacamole.  I've also heard that leaving the pit with the leftovers will also help fight browning, but I haven't found that this helps anymore than the plastic wrap trick.  The amount of lime in this particular recipe seems to keep the avocados from browning for a few days also.

Goat Cheese, Grape and Candied Walnut Bruschetta

I needed an easily portable appetizer to take to our Christmas Eve festivities.  I started thinking about different possibilities and decided that bruschetta would work perfectly.  Based on a salad combo I love, I was originally thinking gorgonzola with grapes and candied walnuts.  When I got to the store, I decided to use goat cheese instead. I love goat cheese and I figured it would spread more smoothly.

At first I wasn't sure how I was going to combine the cheese, grapes and walnuts.  Do I crumble the cheese and mix it around with the grapes and nuts in hopes that it'll be moist enough to stay put on the bread?  Or do I spread the cheese and top it with the other ingredients?  As you can see I went for the latter approach which worked out pretty well.  As far as my bread choice, I went for a baguette because it was perfectly chewy for this appetizer.  Try to buy your baguette the same day you plan to eat it so the bread doesn't get too hard.  If you end up with a softer type of bread, you may want to lightly toast the slices.

I was worried that there wouldn't be enough goat cheese to cover all the bread so I decided to add some cream cheese.  It's cheaper than goat cheese and mild enough that the goat cheese is still the prominent flavor (and the most convenient reason:  I already had cream cheese in the fridge so no more trips to the store!).  Feel free to buy a bigger log of goat cheese if you want to omit the cream cheese.

UPDATE: I've also had this with herbed goat cheese and it was delicious!

Goat Cheese, Grape and Candied Walnut Bruschetta

Original Recipe

Fresh Baguette or Crackers

5.5 oz goat cheese, softened

3 oz cream cheese, softened

~30 large grapes, quartered

3/4 cup candied walnuts (recipe below), chopped
Balsamic Vinegar Reduction or Syrup* (optional)

Cut the baguette into 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch slices.  Mix the two cheeses in a bowl until they are fully combined.  Spread the cheese mixture onto the baguette slices.  Top with grapes and candied walnuts, pressing down to ensure they stick.  

These can be made ahead of time the same day as your party, just pull them out of the fridge about 10 minutes before you plan to serve them to take the chill off.  Right before serving, drizzle with balsamic vinegar syrup if using.These could also be served as a build your own appetizer if you don't want to assemble them.

Candied Walnuts

From Food Network

In addition to the appetizer above, these walnuts are great on their own, and make a nice addition to salads.

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/4 tsp salt

8 oz walnuts (about 2 heaping cups)

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In a medium bowl, mix together the sugar, cayenne and salt.

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil. Add the walnuts and blanch them for 3 minutes. Drain well and then immediately mix the walnuts into the sugar mixture until thoroughly coated. The sugar will melt slightly. Transfer the walnuts to a baking sheet or pan and bake, stirring occasionally, until they are a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes. Watch carefully because the sugar can burn easily. Let cool completely before serving.


*Balsamic vinegar syrup can be purchased or you can make your own by adding some balsamic vinegar in a pan over medium heat and reduce to one-third the original amount.

Chocolate Crackles

Chocolate Crackles have been a family favorite at Christmas.  For some reason we never made them during other parts of the year and I'm not sure why because they are awesome.  Growing up they were always my favorite Christmas cookie and once Kevin tried them they were instantly one of his favorites too.  Just for the record, I do make these cookies during other parts of the year.

Last year I did a taste test of three different Chocolate Crackle recipes: the original (found below), and two that did not use a cake mix.  The original was the clear winner.  I'm still on the hunt for a good alternative that doesn't use a cake mix, but for now and anytime I need something quick, I'm sure I'll turn to this family favorite. 

This recipe is easy to adapt by adding a package of flavored chips such as mint chips for Chocolate Mint Cookies and peanut butter chips would be nice too.

Chocolate Crackles

Adapted from my Gram's recipe

Yield: about 3 dozen

1 package Devil's Food cake mix

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup shortening OR vegetable oil

Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 375.  Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Mix with a spoon until well blended.  Shape dough into 1-inch balls and roll into confectioners' sugar.  Place dough balls on baking sheets.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.  Make sure you don't over bake them, you're looking for a moist, almost fudgy texture in the middle.