Easter Sunday Funday & Grandma's Black and White Chocolate Birthday Cake

 This weekend was packed, and we've all been in a bit of a food coma/sugar rush the whole time!  Unfortunately we only have one computer in our home, and my husband was occupying it with video editing, so I haven't had a chance to share our Sunday Funday activities!




My daughter participated in an all girls rock camp this past week during her spring break, and they had their showcase on Saturday evening.  The Kool Magic Chicks, as they called themselves, played an original song they all wrote collaboratively, and a cover of Joan Jett's "I Love Rock n' Roll".  Not bad for a bunch of ten year olds, eh?!  It's not cool to cry at rock shows, but I was SO proud; I really had to control myself!











Saturday also, happened to be my Mother-in-Laws Birthday, so after my daughter's concert we took her to an Asian buffet, one of her favorites.  I managed to eat my weight in Sushi; and then back to Grandma's place for cake (my poor belly!)...which is the recipe I have to share with you!





Of course the Easter Bunny made the trek to our home this Sunday, but I really wasn't with it that early in the morning, and I didn't manage to get any pics of the little's hunting around the yard for eggs.  They would've been the best pics too; crazy bed-head hair, in their pj's, with winter boots on, hilarious!  The littles coloured a mile long sheet together, while I made a delish spinach and feta omelet.  Didn't get any pics of that either.  Jeez.

Black and White Chocolate Cake 
Recipe adapted from: bon appetit


Coffee Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla 
1 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons instant espresso powder, or instant coffee granules dissolved in 3/4 cup hot water.


White Chocolate Mascarpone Frosting
1 bag White chocolate chips, melted  
1 cup chilled whipping cream
3-4 cups icing sugar
1Tablespoon vanilla
1 475g container chilled mascarpone cheese

For the cake, position rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°F. Grease two 9-inch cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out any excess.
Sift 2 cups flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt into medium bowl and set aside. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until smooth. Add brown sugar and beat until well blended. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla. Add flour mixture alternating with buttermilk, beating just until blended after each addition. Gradually add hot espresso water mixture, beating just until smooth.
Divide batter between pans. Bake cakes until toothpick inserted into center comes out clean, about 40- 50 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on rack 15 minutes. Run small knife around sides of pans to loosen cakes. Invert cakes onto racks and  cool completely.
I always make cake one day ahead, then I can stick it in the fridge to firm up, which allows for easier frosting application.

For the frosting, melt the white chocolate chips in a medium bowl.  Using a mixer slowly add icing sugar, alternating with the cream until you get a smooth consistency.  Then add the mascarpone cheese, and mix again until smooth, and add more icing sugar, and/or whipping cream until you get a firm, but smooth frosting.  You can place in the fridge to use for later, but I would recommend bringing to room temperature before frosting your cake.  To assemble the cake slice each round through the middle carefully, so you have four rounds.  Using a spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting over one round to the edges, top with another round etc and spread a thin layer of frosting on the whole cake as a crumb coat, putting in the fridge to firm up for at least 15 minutes.  Spread another layer of frosting over top and sides to desired effect, and pipe decorative frosting also, if you wish!

Enjoy!

Hashbrown Waffles

Mention waffles at my house, and you get a bunch of excited humans.  Mention hashbrown waffles?  Look out!   I've never had much success with homemade shredded hashbrowns before, they always seem to turn into a grey glob.  I usually stick to chunky or sliced potatoes, if I'm going all out for breakfast.    

The family digs those hashbrown patties you can buy frozen, probably because they're similar to something you might get at a major fast food chain.  The frozen hashbrown are probably filled with extra fat and chemicals, and I dislike purchasing anything I feel I can make myself at a lesser cost, and greater health.  This recipe seemed relatively easy, and they were...I just recommend really greasing the waffle maker well, I did it well for the first batch, and they came off super clean, but my second batch I got lazy, and they were more like a  hashbrown haystack, but still super yum!

Hashbrown Waffles

5 large Potatoes (peeled and shredded)

1 cup Onion (grated)

2 large Eggs

1/2 cup Sour Cream

3 tablespoons Butter (melted; divided)

Salt and Pepper

My waffle maker only has two temperatures: Off and On, maybe your waffle maker has different settings?

Turn On your waffle maker, using a medium/high heat if applicable.

Liberally season the potatoes with salt, toss, and let sit for about 10 minutes. The salt helps the potatoes release water, so I recommend placing them in a colander and putting over the sink to drain. Add the grated onions to the poatoes and ring out excess moisture using a clean kitchen towel.

Transfer the mixture to a large bowl add the eggs and sour cream. Season with pepper.
Brush the hot waffle maker with melted butter. Evenly spread potato mixture around the waffle maker. Close and cook until the potatoes are crispy and brown, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Special Sprinkles Pancakes

Game changer pancakes!  I have been making my pancakes the same old way for YEARS!  I think it was my mom's recipe(?), I can throw them together in minutes.  I saw this recipe recently and thought the sprinkles would be great as a special pancake for Easter brunch...but the batter!  So. Delish.  This will be my new go to pancake recipe. It's just as simple, and takes no extra time than my regular recipe, but the addition of buttermilk made them so light and fluffy.  I don't keep buttermilk on hand, I just use milk and lemon juice whenever it's called for, here's my trick:
add 2 tablespoons lemon juice to 1 cup regular milk (I use 2%), let it stand for about 5-10 minutes to curdle, stir...aaaand Buttermilk!  See?  So easy!

Double your batch if your feeding a large crew, or if you want to make ahead to refrigerate or freeze for busy weekday mornings.   Serve with your favorite pancake toppings like: maple syrup, whip cream, yogurt, and fruit galore!


Special Sprinkles (Buttermilk) Pancakes
Recipe Adapted From: Averie Cooks

1 cup all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

pinch salt
1 cup buttermilk more, if necessary

1 large egg

2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and whisk to combine; set bowl aside.

I like to use a large measuring cup, then I can pour the batter directly from it into the pan, not making more dishes using ladles or smaller measuring cups.  So, to the measuring cup add buttermilk, egg, oil, vanilla, and whisk to combine. Add wet and dry ingredients and mix until just moistened. If it seems too thick for your liking, add some more buttermilk, but this batter will be thick, and lumpy, it’s okay!

Spray a large, non-stick skillet with cooking spray, and use medium heat. Once skillet is hot, pour a generous amount of batter into pan, roughly ¼ cup if you're wanting to make huge extra special pancakes, and add less batter for smaller pancakes!
Cook until bubbles appear in the center of the pancakes, and add a generous amount of sprinkles right before you're ready to flip.  Flip carefully (they’re kinda floppy), and cook second side until done and golden. 

Enjoy!



Sausage n' Spinach Pasta

This is an easy family fave I can throw together on a busy week night with little prep, other than making certain I have the ingredients on hand.  This week though, I didn't quite have enough of any one kind of pasta, so I used the remaining amounts of practically every pasta in my pantry...rigatoni, penne, cavatappi, and fuscili.  Funny looking, but practical!

Everybody has their preferences in my house, but even though it's a one dish meal, I'm still able to cater to everyone's tastes.   I'm following the Paleo philosophy (no pasta), but usually Sloane doesn't eat the sausage, so I help her out, and Presley wants his noodles plain, so I just separate his before I add them to the skillet.  I serve it with garlic bread, and a  big ol' salad, making the salad meal sized for myself - and everybody's happy!


Creamy Sausage and Spinach Pasta

2-3 cups pasta  - Rigatoni or Penne work best
5 uncooked Italian sausages
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 cup milk - I use 2%
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 - 2 Tbsp flour
6 cups spinach about 1/2 of a bag
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender, but not mushy or overcooked.
While the pasta is cooking, remove the sausage meat from the casings, and in a large deep skillet break into clumps, and cook until no longer pink.  Add the onion, garlic, salt and pepper (add more/less to taste), and cook until the onions go translucent.  Sprinkle the flour on to the sausage mixture, stir a little to incorporate, and then add both the milk and chicken broth, stirring until it comes to a boil, and you have your sauce.  Lower your heat - If you would like a thicker sauce add more flour, or add more milk for a thinner sauce.
When pasta is cooked drain and add to the skillet, add spinach and toss, then add parmesan cheese and mix well.  Serve immediately with extra parm, if you wish!

Enjoy!

Sunday Funday - Sloane's First Brownies

Both Sloane and Presley were all over attempting a recipe all on their own, from a Cookbook they had recently picked out at the library titled Usborne Farmyard Tales: Children's Cookbook.

And so we agreed that would be our Sunday Funday activity, but shortly after this picture was taken, Presley lost all interest, and was playing cars while Sloane took this on all on her own. Boys.

The recipes in this book are laid out step-by-step, with easy to follow instructions, and she was able to gather her ingredients and figure out the measurements, with very little assistance.  And for my stubborn girl who struggles with math as much as her mom, this was a perfect chance to show why you need to know fractions for real life!

Unfortunately the recipe turned out really dry, I'm sure they'll still be great with ice cream for tonight's dessert though!  But the experience was what counted;  Sloane was SO proud of herself, and now has another recipe to add to her ever-expanding repertoire!

Chocolate Brownies
Recipe adapted from: Usborne Farm Tales: Children's Cookbook

3/4 cup margarine
1 2/3 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup cocoa
1/2 cup peanuts

Preheat oven to 350 F.  In medium mixing bowl add melted margarine to sugar and vanilla.  Beat eggs in small dish, and then slowly add to sugar and vanilla mixture a little at a time, beat them in well. Add flour, baking powder, and cocoa to sugar bowl, and stir everything together. Chop up nuts, and add to the mixture, and stir it well again.  
Use an 8 x 8 baking dish and greased parchment paper, pour mixture into prepared dish, and smooth it down with your fingers or back of spoon.
Bake it for about 40 min, and leave in the pan to cool, then cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Blueberry Honey Sticky Biscuits

Are you trolling the interwebs right now looking for the perfect weekend breakfast?  Look no further! 
I know I just recently posted something similar to this recipe, but that is what was demanded requested last weekend by my husband, kinda.  "Can you please make those yummy blueberry things you made that one time"?  There are a few different blueberry things that I make, to say the least.  And I was pretty sure that these biscuits were them, after listing off the ones I could recall...apparently these weren't the blueberry things that he was referring to, but they got gobbled up anyways!

The biscuit dough used in this recipe is really fast to throw together, and requires no kneading, or rising, making it super easy - but it is also very versatile!  I've filled this same dough with cheese and garlic butter, and cheese with dill, any number of fruits/berries would also be yum.  I've never tried chocolate before, but imagine nutella and raspberries together!   Gonna try that soon, for sure!

Make your sticky...

...make dough, roll out, and add slightly cooled blueberry and honey filling....


   






                                           ...bake, and enjoy!

                                                                                

Blueberry Honey Sticky Biscuits

Recipe Adapted from: DinnerwithJulie                                              

Filling
1 cup blueberries
1/4 cup honey
a pinch (or more) of ginger is delish too!

Stickiness
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp. honey

Biscuits
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 Tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup canola oil

To make the filling, simmer the berries and honey in a small saucepan over medium heat until the berries burst. Set aside to cool slightly.

Put the butter, brown sugar and honey into an 8”x8” pan that has been sprayed with non-stick spray, put it in the oven and turn it on to 350°F. leave it in the oven for about 10 mins, until butter is melted.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Add the milk and canola oil and stir by hand just until you have a soft dough.
On a lightly floured surface, pat or roll the dough into a 9” x 14” rectangle. Spread with the cooled blueberry/honey mixture. Roll tightly jellyroll style into a log. Cut into 9 biscuits using a serrated knife, and place cut side down in the pan.

Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Turn upside down onto a platter while still warm, so your sticky side is up!

Enjoy!!

Cookies for Monsters!

Anytime I ask my four year old what cookies we should make, he will shout as loud as he can "MONSTER COOKIES" while throwing a triumphant fist in the air!  I should know this answer by now, but it's fun to watch his excited face...even if is not so much for the making of the cookies, but the eating of the candies as we make them.  Who can blame him, really?...Candy! 

After we finished making these cookies, and I was cleaning up the kitchen, I could sense Mr. P was in the kitchen, but he was being very quiet.  Which as all mothers know, is not a good sign.  So I asked him "what are you doing"?  With a sly little smile on his face, he held up a blue marker!  "Want to see"? he said proudly.  Presley recently discovered his ability to draw happy faces, and he had drawn one on the dinning table, one on the kitchen island, one on the stools at the island, and one on the wall.  Thank goodness they all washed out, and Presley learned the lesson about markers being for paper only!  Some what ironic after making Monster Cookies, aka Cookies for Monsters...monsters meant in the most lovingly way possible, of course!

Monster Cookies
Recipe adapted from:One Smart Cookie Cookbook

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 large egg white
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp vanilla
2 3/4 cups quick oats
1/4 cup ground flax seeds/meal
1/2 cup M&Ms, Smarties, or chocolate chips - I like lots of chocolate, so I usually add 1/2    
                                                                                 cup smarties, AND 1/4 cup chocolate chips!


Drop spoonfuls of cookie dough onto cookie sheet, make them spaced-out, as these cookies spread out quite a bit.  Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes, less time for soft cookies, more time for crunchy!  Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Enjoy!