Dorie Greenspan's Fresh Fruit Tart

I think I made this in September.  It turned out pretty good--my mom went out and got the fruit for me and the fruit was absolutely gorgeouss. A very easy, delicious recipe! The recipe can be found in Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours, which of course is my go-to recipe book for impressive desserts! Her recipes are always beautiful and delicious and easy to follow, although sometimes time-consuming (and definitely not low-cal...but this one wasn't so bad, I mean, the majority of the sugar was natural fruit-sugar!).

Key Lime Pie

I'm not even sure when I made this. I think it was late August--man, I'm behind on posting! And not really baking anything new, so I thought I'd share some of these delicious recipes I've made and never had the chance to share. Pretty sure this was delicious. I'd never made key lime pie before and was a little scared that it was undercooked at first--baked it a little longer than the directions, but in the end, so long as it's solid when you take it out of the oven, I think the key lime pie is baked.

Key Lime Pie

Recipe from Kitchen Runway

1¼ C graham cracker crumbs

¼ C sugar

5 Tbs melted butter

1 14oz can of condensed milk

1 whole egg

1 C lime juice (key lime juice can be used but keep in mind key limes are tarter and more bitter than regular limes.  You can cut the amount of juice down to ½ C for the recipe)

zest of 1 lime

Whipped Cream:

1 C heavy whipping cream

3-4 Tbs of powdered sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 tsp vanilla

lime zest and lime slices

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a medium bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter.  Press the mixture into a 9 inch pie or tart pan.  Place pie pan on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown, about 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and let crust cool to room temperature.

In another bowl, whisk together condensed milk and egg until smooth.  Add lime juice and zest and whisk until combined and smooth.  Gently pour filling into cooled pie shell (on baking sheet) and bake on the middle rack for 15 to 18 minutes until center of pie has set.  Remove from oven and cool pie on rack and then chill in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Top with whipped cream and garnish with lime zest and slices.

Whipped Cream:

In a large, deep bowl, add heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar and vanilla. Using an electric hand mixer whip the ingredients together on medium high speed for 7 to 8 minutes until it begins to hold stiff peaks.

Carmelized Orange and Arugula Flatbread

Did I ever share this recipe before? No, I don't think so. I had all the photos in a folder on my Desktop to make it hard for me to forget...but then I just got lazy. I made these MONTHS ago to surprise my mom, who loves the Carmelized Orange and Arugula Flatbread at one of her favorite restaurants. She said these were pretty darn close to the real thing!

Carmelized Orange and Arugula Flatbread
Recipe from Twin Tables


Pizza Dough (recipe below)
2 Navel oranges
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon fresh black pepper, divided
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cups wild baby arugula
Large crystal sea salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll half of the pizza dough into a large oval, reserve remaining for another use.  Combine juice of one orange, olive oil, mustard, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl.  Whisk until well combined.  Brush dough with vinaigrette until moist.

Place brown sugar on a plate.  Very thinly slice the remaining orange.  Dip one side of each orange slice into sugar and place on prepared pizza dough.  Bake for 12 minutes or until crust is golden and bottom crispy.  Toss the arugula in remaining vinaigrette and pile atop pizza.  Sprinkle all with remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper and sea salt to taste.

Yield: 2 to 4 Servings

Pizza dough
2-3/4 to 3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 pkg active dry yeast or 2 1/4 tsp
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup warm water (120 degrees F to 130 degrees F)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil

In a large mixing bowl combine 1-1/4 cups of the flour, the yeast, and salt; add warm water and oil. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Using a wooden spoon, stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead in enough remaining flour to make a moderately stiff dough that is smooth and elastic (6 to 8 minutes total) . Divide dough into 2 pieces. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes. (After 10 minutes, wrap up one of the doughs and place in the freezer for a future use.)

Another actual update. MORE CUPCAKES!!

Now I remember why I took such a long break from baking.

Baking makes me fat.

I seriously cannot control myself.

But on a side note, look how cute!

These were for my birthday party last week. Dinosaur-themed yumminess.

Red velvet were the ones I made before, here.

The other ones are...dun-dun-dun...(besides magic)...

Chocolate Cupcakes with Salted Caramel Frosting

Recipe from Cooking Classy

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup vegetable or canola oil

1 3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 tsp salt

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 recipe Caramel Frosting, recipe follows

Salted Caramel Frosting:

1 cup salted butter, at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup Caramel Sauce, recipe follows (cooled completely)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp coarse sea salt, for sprinkling

Caramel Sauce:

1 1 /2 cups granulated sugar

1/4 cup + 2 Tbsp water

6 Tbsp salted butter

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In large heat proof mixing bowl, whisk together cocoa powder and baking soda. Carefully pour in boiling water and whisk until bubbling subsides and mixture is well blended, allow to cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a separate large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer set on low speed, blend together melted butter, vegetable oil, granulated sugar, vanilla and salt until well combined, about 30 seconds. Stir in eggs and eggs yolks, mixing just until combined after each addition. Blend in cocoa mixture then blend in heavy cream. Slowly mix in flour and blend until combined, while scraping down sides and bottom of bowl.

Divide batter among 24 paper lined muffin cups and bake in preheated oven until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 - 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in muffin tin several minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool. Cool completely then frost with caramel frosting, drizzle with room temperature caramel sauce (I poured the caramel sauce in a small Ziploc bag and cut a very small tip off end to drizzle) and sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Store in an airtight container.

For the salted caramel frosting:

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, whip butter on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 - 4 minutes. Add powdered sugar and blend on low speed until mixture comes together. Add caramel sauce and vanilla and whip on medium-high speed until light and fluffy about 2 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:

Gather all of your ingredients and have them nearby ready to add to the mixture as needed. In a heavy-bottomed 3 quart saucepan, heat sugar and water over moderately high heat whisking constantly to dissolve sugar. Once mixture reaches a boil, stop whisking and allow mixture to boil until it reaches a dark amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally. Once mixture reaches a dark amber color, immediately add butter and whisk until butter has melted then immediately remove from heat. Wait 3 seconds then carefully pour in cream and immediately whisk to combine (it will bubble vigorously). Whisk until mixture is smooth. Allow caramel to cool several minutes then pour into a glass jar to cool completely and refrigerate.

Finally?!

Here's something I want y'all to take a look at:

MMM
UGH
OH GOD
So good.

Try it yourself!

Chocolate & Coconut Rum Cupcakes
Recipe from Half Baked Harvest


For the Cupcakes:
1 cup coconut flavored rum (ie Malibu)
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
2 large eggs
2/3 cup greek yogurt

For the Frosting:
1 cup butter, softened
4 1/2 – 4 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup coconut rum
1 tablespoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F, and line 2 standard cupcake pans with 24 liners.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, simmer coconut rum and butter. Slowly whisk cocoa powder into saucepan until mixture is creamy. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, whisk sugar, flour, salt and baking soda in a large bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and greek yogurt with an electric mixer. Slowly add coconut rum and cocoa mixture. Combine on low speed.

Slowly add flour and sugar mixture, combining on low speed until completely incorporated.

Fill baking cups three-fourths full. Bake for about 22 minutes. Cool.

To make the frosting cream butter until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar, alternating with rum and vanilla, until desired consistency is reached. Feel free to add more or less sugar or liquid based on how thick you want your frosting.

Pasta Bake with Green Beans

I made this a while ago (I'm a little backlogged on these recipes--been busy job hunting and getting a part time job since my real job hunt hasn't been going anywhere). It was very easy and very delicious. The original recipe was double this one and also had a bit of wine in it, but I thought it was just as flavorful without. For the vegetables, I used celery, broccoli, carrots, and an orange bell pepper. It may not have met the exact measurements of the recipe, but so long as you have the cooking times down it's a very flexible recipe! I served the pasta bake with some store bought garlic bread and the green beans (recipe below). The beans were a bit spicy so I'd probably limit the pepper flakes next time!

Chicken and Roasted Vegetable Bake
Recipe adapted by me from Lisa's Dinnertime Dish

2 cups assorted vegetables
olive oil
salt and pepper
1/2 box whole wheat penne pasta, cooked for 7 minutes (you still want it to have a bite)
1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
2 cups marinara sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Chop vegetables into bite size pieces.  Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and spread on a baking sheet.  Roast in preheated oven for 15-20 minutes until softened and starting to caramelize.

Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.

While veggies are roasting, cut up chicken into 1 inch chunks and season with salt and pepper.  Heat about 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add chicken and cook until starting to brown (you don’t want to cook the chicken through at this point).  Pour wine over chicken, bring to a boil and reduce for about 2 minutes.  Stir in marinara sauce.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, roasted veggies and chicken mixture.  Transfer mixture to either one large 9×9 baking dish, coated with cooking spray or two smaller baking dishes.  Sprinkle cheeses over the top.

If baking right away, cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.  After 30 minutes, uncover and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted and pasta is heated through.  If you froze one of the pans, defrost before baking and you may have to add an additional 5-10 minutes to the cooking time.


Green Beans with Lemon and Garlic
Recipe from foodnetwork.com

2 pounds green beans, ends trimmed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon lemon zest
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Blanch green beans in a large stock pot of well salted boiling water until bright green in color and tender crisp, roughly 2 minutes. Drain and shock in a bowl of ice water to stop from cooking.

Heat a large heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the oil and the butter. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the beans and continue to saute until coated in the butter and heated through, about 5 minutes. Add lemon zest and season with salt and pepper.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice

This was easy and delicious! You can use either cooked or uncooked shrimp--I accidentally used the precooked shrimp in my mom's freezer because I didn't see any uncooked shrimp but it worked fine and the recipe didn't overcook the shrimp. I made this while my mom was out of town a few weeks ago because she doesn't like seafood.

Cajun Shrimp and Rice
Recipe adapted by PheNOMenal from The Food Network Magazine

1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt and pepper
4 Roma tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 bunches green onions, chopped
1 1/2 cups COOKED white rice
1/4 cup water
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Lemon wedges

Heat the butter, olive oil, and garlic in a large skillet over medium heat for about a minute. Add the Cajun seasoning (or spices) and shrimp and cook, stirring constantly, for another minute. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the tomatoes and green onions to the skillet and cook, stirring constantly, for one minute. Add the rice and 1/4 cup water and continue to cook until the rice is warmed through and the shrimp are opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes

If I'm making another vanilla buttercream in my life, it's going to be this frosting. SO. SO good. The cupcakes were great too--the frosting and cupcakes went perfectly together. It tastes best on the first day (after you refrigerate it the frosting hardens a bit) but is still delicious no matter what! A great alternative to storebought funfetti!

Homemade Funfetti Cupcakes
Recipe from Annie's Eats

1 cup whole milk, divided
6 large egg whites
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
¼ tsp. almond extract
2¾ cups cake flour, sifted
1½ cups sugar
1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. baking powder
¾ tsp. salt
12 tbsp. (¾ cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup multi-colored sprinkles

Preheat the oven to 350˚ F.  Line cupcake pans with paper liners.  In a liquid measuring cup, combine ¼ cup of the whole milk, egg whites, vanilla and almond extracts.  Whisk to blend.  In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Mix briefly on low speed to combine, about 30 seconds.  Add in the butter and mix on low speed until the mixture resembles wet sand, about 30 seconds.  Mix in the remaining ¾ cup of milk, then increase the speed to medium and beat for about 90 seconds more.  With the mixture on low speed, add the egg white mixture in three additions, mixing for about 20 seconds after each addition.  Scrape down the bowl as needed.  Gently fold in the sprinkles with a spatula.

Divide the batter between the prepared cupcake liners, filling each about two-thirds of the way full.  Bake, rotating the pans halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.  Let cool in the pan briefly, then transfer to a wire rack and allow to cool completely before frosting.

Prepare the vanilla buttercream.  Add the buttercream to a pastry bag fitted with a decorative tip.  Frost as desired.  Garnish with additional sprinkles.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Recipe from Annie's Eats

1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (3 sticks plus 2 tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
Pinch of salt
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise (optional)
2 tbsp. heavy cream
1 tbsp. vanilla extract

Place the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar to the bowl and mix on medium-low speed just until incorporated. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean pod (if using) into the bowl and add in the salt. Continue to beat on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1-2 minutes. Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla on low speed just until incorporated. Increase the mixer speed and whip on high speed until light and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed, about 4-5 minutes.

Cake Batter Blondies

Easy but a little too sweet for me and more cakey and soft than brownie/blondie-ish, but I wanted to make them so I got an opportunity a little over half a month ago. I brought these with me to San Francisco when visiting my boyfriend, so hopefully he liked them but I'm not sure. They're a good quick thing to bake but I think I'd keep searching for a better recipe--or at least find a way to make it denser, maybe with less milk or something.

Cake Batter Blondies
Recipe by Girl Meets Life, found on Sally's Baking Addition

1 box yellow cake mix
1/4 cup canola oil
1 egg
1/3 -1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sprinkles
1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add the milk slowly. You want to cake batter to be as dense & thick as possible. Mix in the sprinkles and white chocolate chips.  Pour into 8 x 8 baking pan, sprinkle a few more sprinkles on top, and bake for 28-30 minutes until edges are just turning brown. Allow to cool for at least 30 minutes so the center sets, before cutting into squares.

*The blondies will look like they are not fully done because the center will be quite gooey, but that’s what you want! After about 30 minutes of cooling, they will be easy to cut using a serrated knife.

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread

I'd been wanting to make these for a while and finally got a chance to. Very easy although a little time consuming to make, and very delicious with tea or even alone! I made them for the people working on our roof--probably wasn't the ideal thing to serve them, since they probably would have been fine with big simple chocolate chip cookies, but I really wanted to make these!

Espresso Chocolate Chip Shortbread
Recipe from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours
Found on Use Real Butter

1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp boiling water
8 oz. unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners’ sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped OR 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips
confectioners’ sugar, for dusting (optional)

Dissolve espresso powder in boiling water. Set aside to cool to tepid.

Beat butter and confectioners’ sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in vanilla and espresso, then reduce mixer speed to low and add flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don’t work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate or chips with a sturdy rubber spatula.

Using the spatula, transfer dough to a gallon-size zip-loc bag. Put bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that’s 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift the plastic from the dough so it doesn’t cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide and a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2-inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.

Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the sheets from top to bottom and front to back at the midway point (I didn’t do that either – I bake one sheet at a time). The shortbreads will be very pale–they shouldn’t take on much color. Transfer the cookies to a rack. If you’d like, dust the cookies with confectioners’ sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

Makes about 3 dozen.