justbesplendid:

Chocolate crazy cake by Mrs. Schwartz’s Kitchen

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups cold water
2/3 cups canola or vegetable oil
3 teaspoons vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. 

Spray a 9x13 inch pan with baking spray.  Add the dry ingredients directly into the pan and stir to combine with a fork.  Pour in the wet ingredients and mix until smooth and all of the dry ingredients have been incorporated.  Be sure to get the corners. 

Place in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the middle. 

Let cool on a cooling wrack.  Once cooled, frost as you wish.  I like to use chocolate frosting from a tub.  Don’t judge me. 

japhia:

Caramel Apple Cheesecake Pie

INGREDIENTS

For the crust: 
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. granulated sugar
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the filling: 
½-¾ cup caramel sauce
1 cup chopped pecans
5 tbsp. unsalted butter
½ cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
5-6 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
8 oz. cream cheese
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 large egg

For the topping:
¾ cup heavy cream
3-4 tbsp. confectioners’ sugar
¼-½ cup caramel sauce
Additional chopped pecans, for garnish

DIRECTIONS

• To make the crust, preheat the oven to 375° F. Line the bottom of a 9-inch round springform pan with parchment paper. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, cinnamon and melted butter. Toss with a fork until all the crumbs are moistened and the ingredients are evenly mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared springform pan and press the crumbs in an even layer over the pan bottom and about half to two-thirds of the way up the sides of the pan. Bake for 6-8 minutes, until golden in color. Let cool for about 10 minutes. Pour a layer of caramel into the bottom of the crust and sprinkle evenly with the chopped pecans. Refrigerate the crust while you prepare the filling.

• To make the apple filling, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Mix in the brown sugar, salt and cinnamon and cook for 1 minute, until bubbling. Mix in the apple slices and toss well to coat. Cook over medium to medium-high heat until tender and most of the liquid has been reduced, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and pour into the prepared pie shell. Set aside.

• Reduce the heat of the oven to 350° F. To make the cheesecake layer, combine the cream cheese and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer and beat on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Mix in the vanilla, egg and lemon juice until fully incorporated and smooth, 1-2 minutes. Spread the cheesecake filling into an even layer over the top of the cooked apples in the crust. Bake until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven, transfer to a wire rack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

• To serve, carefully remove the sides of the springform pan. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream and confectioners’ sugar on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (being careful not to overbeat.) Spread gently over the top of the chilled cheesecake layer. Top with dollops of caramel sauce and swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Sprinkle with a handful of chopped pecans if desired. Slice with a long, thin knife to serve.

greedygardener:

Cheese and wild garlic scones

Whilst there’s not much growing in the garden this time of the year, it’s one of the best time for foraging as tender spring greens are beginning to appear. My favourite and luckily one of the most abundant is wild garlic, that grows in damp woodlands and along shady riverbanks all over the UK. It’s similar to the north American plant known as ramps and its old English name ramsons is obviously linked. Unlike across the Atlantic, over here we eat the green leaves and not the small bulbs, which is presumably why it’s becoming quite rare and even protected in some parts of America whilst in the UK it grows all over the place.

I love the stuff and try and eat as much as I can during its short season, such as soup and risotto, or just added to a salad. These scones are something I dreamed up cycling home on a chilly damp day.

Ingredients

• 8oz / 250g self raising flour
• 2oz / 50g butter
• 1oz / 25g strong cheddar, grated
• small bunch of wild garlic, chopped
• 1 egg, beaten
• 4 fl oz / 100ml milk

Rub the butter into the flour and mix in the cheese and garlic. Mix the egg and milk together and gradually add to the mixture, kneading gently with your fingers until you have a soft dough. Keep a little of the liquid aside for later.

Roll out on a floured surface to about 3/4 inch or 2cm thick and cut into rounds using a 2 inch / 5 cm cutter. Brush the tops with the remaining milk and egg mixture. Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C / gas mark 7 for 10 - 12 minutes. Cool on a wire rack, but try and eat them while they’re still warm with plenty of butter.

thecakebar:

Ferrero Rocher Cupcake Recipe!

I don’t have anything else to say! ENJOY!

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Recipe:

The cupcake recipe came from Laura of Sweets Made Here. It is for 12 cupcakes. I doubled it.

• 1/2 c boiling water
• 6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 c milk
• 1/2 t vanilla extract
• 1 T hazelnut extract
• 1/2 c unsalted butter, softened
• 10 T dark brown sugar
• 6 T granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 + 1/8 t baking soda
• 1/4 t salt

In a bowl, whisk the boiling water into cocoa until smooth and whisk in milk, vanilla, and hazelnut extracts. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugars until light and fluffy, about 2 to 3 minutes, and beat in eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Into another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt and add to egg mixture in batches alternately with cocoa mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture, and beating well after each addition. Fill each wrapper slightly more than 1/2 way. They will rise a lot. Bake in a preheated 350F oven for about 18 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Recipe continues here!

Need more help? Contact me @thecakebar I love to help!

justbesplendid:

Mashed potato with roasted garlic and fresh parsley by Set Meal

Preparation: 20 min. 
Process: 1 hour. Yield 4. 

Ingredients: 

750 g potatoes 
6 garlic cloves 
1 Tbsp olive oil 
250 ml milk 
100 g butter, at room temperature 
1/2 bunch of fresh parsley
salt, freshly ground black pepper - on your taste 

Process: 

1. Preheat the oven to 180 C. Put the unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking tray, drizzle them with olive oil and bake for 30 minutes until tender. Peel the roasted garlic. 
2. Wash and peel potatoes, put them into a saucepan with cold salted water. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, 20-25 minutes, or until done - a fork can easily be poked through them. Drain water from the saucepan and set aside. 
3. Chop parsley, heat milk (only bring it to boil). 
4. Add garlic cloves to cooked potatoes. Use wooden potato masher to mash potatoes and garlic until well mashed. While mashing add warm milk and butter pieces step by step. Add parsley, salt and pepper and mix a little. Serve immediately! 

justbesplendid:

Strawberry Grilled Cheese {With Fresh Strawberry Balsamic Relish} by An Edible Mosaic

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon honey (preferably raw, local honey)
• 1 teaspoon good quality balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup (75 g) diced fresh strawberries
• 4 slices of your favorite bread (I like sourdough for this sandwich)
• 4 teaspoons butter, at room temperature
• 3 slices Land O Lakes® Deli American Cheese
• 3 tablespoons strawberry preserves
• 1 teaspoon powdered sugar, for garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Mix together the honey and vinegar in a small bowl and stir in the strawberries; set aside for the berries to macerate while you make the sandwiches.
2. Spread 1 teaspoon butter on 1 side of each slice of bread.
3. Place 1 slice of bread (butter side down) on a cutting board; top each with 1 1/2 tablespoons strawberry preserves and 1 1/2 pieces of cheese. Place the remaining slice of bread on top (butter side up).
4. Grill the sandwiches in a large skillet (or on a griddle) over low heat until golden on both sides.
5. To serve, transfer each sandwich to a plate and sprinkle on a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Serve the sandwiches hot along with the macerated strawberries to spoon on top.