#SundaySupper Strawberry-Pink Champagne Sorbet

August 19, 2012 By 43 Comments

Happy #SundaySupper!

The #SundaySupper group is cookin’ with wine this week. Exciting, right? I was beyond excited when I first found out about this week’s theme. What? I get to cook with my favorite alcoholic beverage? Yippeeeee!

We teamed up with Schlossadler Wines this week for our wine themed #SundaySupper. They have every type of wine you can imagine, from sparkling to deep crimson red to crisp white. There’s a bottle of wine for every type of wino. I could spend hours on their website, perusing the different types of wine and the region of the grapes.

My favorite wine is the bubbly kind, also known as champagne or sparkling wine. I love the stuff! The bubbles create that classic fizziness that goes straight to my head.

Because I have an affinity for champagne, I decided to put a twist on the classic champagne and strawberry combination. I made a strawberry-pink champagne sorbet.

I took a chance with this recipe and wasn’t sure it was even going to turn out, but it did, and it’s delicious. I literally hovered over the ice cream maker, watching intently (brows furrowed intent) as the syrupy mixture spun around in the bowl, coaxing it in a pleading voice, “Please work. Oh pretty, pretty please!” When I saw that it was, indeed, churning up properly, I let out the breath that I’d been holding the entire time.

I never leave room for error, and that has to change.

This sorbet is for adults only. Let me repeat that… Adults Only! The champagne doesn’t actually get cooked long enough to cook out the alcohol, which is what I love about this sorbet. My mom ate a bowl of this last night and had a little buzz going.

Having a cocktail party, adults-only party, girls movie night? Make this sorbet. I promise, your guests will love it.

Enjoy your #SundaySupper around the family table with your loved ones.

Check out what the other #SundaySupper bloggers are cookin’ up this week with wine:

 

Strawberry-Pink Champagne Sorbet

2 cups rose champagne or sparkling wine
1 cup sugar
16 oz. frozen or fresh strawberries

In a large saucepan, add champagne, sugar, and strawberries. Cook on medium-low heat until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Pour cooled mixture into an airtight container and chill thoroughly in the refrigerator, about 4-8 hours.

Pour the chilled mixture into a blender and pulse to combine, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Store in the freezer for up to 14 days.

 

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Strawberry Pastel Swirl Cake & Birthday Wishes

June 26, 2012 By 48 Comments

I celebrated my birthday two Saturdays ago, and I’m just now getting around to sharing it with you. I do apologize for my lack of organization skills on getting this post together sooner. I’m not going to lie, I love my birthday. There’s cake, gifts, streamers, fancy tissue paper, oodles of brightly colored candles, and singing. Every year, my family takes turns calling me and serenading me with the “Happy Birthday” song. It’s a family tradition that I look forward to each and every year. My family and husband went out of their way and spoiled me this year for my birthday, and I enjoyed every moment of it.

Since I’m now in my late 20′s (sob, boo-hiss), I had to go all out and make myself a fancy birthday cake. My favorite color is pink, so I made an all pink cake- inside and out! I made a strawberry cake with pink whipped vanilla frosting, three different shades of pink to be exact. I found both recipes on Sweetapolita.

Isn’t she a beauty? I took three different shades of pink and swirled them together. Surprisingly, it was super easy. I watched Rosie’s video, and she did a wonderful job explaining the steps. You can watch it here.

The strawberry cake was absolutely delicious and super moist. It was a real crowd pleaser and, since it was my birthday, I treated myself to two slices. Yum!

Can you believe my mother made me cook on my birthday? Here’s what we ate:

Let me apologize in advance for the not-so-appealing pictures. I ran out of the house without my real camera and had to use my iPhone. Mmm, sautéed farmer’s market squash and zucchini with onions, garlic, and Land O Lakes Olive Oil & Sea Salt butter.

My mom requested I make another batch of these potatoes.

My family surprised me with crabs that the men steamed while the ladies drank cocktails. They were AMAZING!

We steamed sweet corn with the crabs and holy toledo was it delicious! I’m not sure if any of you have ever experienced corn steamed with crabs, but it is the best thing you will ever eat… Ever! The corn soaks up the flavor from the crabs and seafood seasoning, and it is ridiculously tasty. I literally took down 4 ears of corn that day. It’s that good.

Mmm, crab loot.

Here’s a peek at my family dynamics. Warning: It’s about to get very interesting.

So, here’s the story. My dad has a thing against doves. Apparently, they throw all of the seed out of the bird feeders. Don’t ask! So, my mom had a clever idea to buy him a squirt gun for Father’s Day to fight off the doves. That’s right, you heard correct, my dad is at war with the doves. He calls it his Dove Blaster 2000, and every time he catches a dove on the bird feeder, WHAM! he shoots it with 5 simultaneous blasts of water, causing the dove to fly for cover. Mission accomplished!

Of course, none of us cared about the doves except for my father, so I took possession of the squirt gun and started an epic birthday party water gun fight. There was only one gun, so we all took turns vigilantly surprising one another with blasts of cold water when least expected.

The best shot was when I caught my aunt leaning over the crabs. She was conveniently wearing a dress, so I blasted her in the booty with a generous shot of water. She squealed like a pig; it was hilarious! I may have been turning twenty *cough* but I’m still a kid at heart.

Look what I received for my birthday!

*Squeel!* It’s an amazing lens, and I love it.

Strawberry Cake with Whipped Vanilla Frosting

from Sweetapolita

1 3/4 cups granulated sugar

1 (3 oz) package strawberry flavored gelatin (I used Jell-O)

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs, room temperature

3 cups cake flour, sifted

1 tbs. baking powder

3/4 tsp. salt

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 tbs. vanilla extract

1/4 cup strawberry puree

Instructions:

1. Place 5 strawberries in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter, line with parchment, and flour two round 9-inch cake pans, tapping out the excess. Set aside.

3. In a medium bowl or measuring cup, combine and stir the milk, strawberry puree, and the vanilla. Set aside.

4. Sift and whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl, and set aside.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the sugar, gelatin, and butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.

6. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

7. Add the wet & dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternating, beginning and ending with dry ingredients and mixing just enough after each addition to incorporate, but not overmix.

8. Divide the batter between the two pans, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula.

9. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a cake tester comes clean when inserted into the center. Be careful not to overbake. Check cakes at 20 minutes, but not before. Check the cake every 2 minutes after that. When the cake is finished baking, take it of the oven and let cool on racks for 10 minutes. Loosen the sides with a small metal spatula and invert onto greased wire racks. Gently turn cakes upright, so the tops are up and cool completely.

10. Wrap tightly and store at room temperature for up to 2 days, refrigerate for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Whipped Vanilla Frosting:

3 sticks + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

3 1/2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 tbs. milk

1 tbs. vanilla extract

a pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip butter for 5 minutes on medium speed. The butter will become very pale & creamy.

2. Add remaining ingredients and mix on low speed for 1 minute, then on medium speed for 6 minutes. Frosting will be very light and fluffy. Best used right away.

For the top color, I used 2 drops of AmeriColor Electric Purple

For the center color, I used 2 drops of AmeriColor Mauve

For the bottom color, I used 2 drops of AmeriColor Electric Pink

Separate the frosting into three different bowls, reserving a 1/2 cup for the filling, then add your chosen food coloring to each bowl and mix until all of the white has disappeared.

To assemble:

Place the first layer of cake face up on a cake plate (preferably one that spins. I would highly recommend you invest in one if you’re going to do a lot of cake decorating). Place the reserved frosting on top of the first layer and spread evenly over the cake with an off set spatula. Add the second layer, face down so the smooth part is exposed, on top of the frosted layer.

Begin by frosting the top of the cake with your darkest color, smoothing with an off-set spatula. Next, add the next darkest color of frosting to the bottom of the cake with a straight cake spatula, smoothing as you go. The final layer to be frosted is the middle layer, and you’ll use your lightest color frosting. You’ll want to swirl the middle layer into the top and bottom layers, slightly.

Jennie’s Notes:

I suggest that you watch Rosie’s video before you frost your cake. It really helped me understand how to execute the technique. Click here to watch Rosie’s very informative technique video on how to frost the pastel swirl cake.

Feel free to use your favorite colors to frost this cake. Just pick three variations of your favorite color.

 

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Strawberry Basil Milkshake and a Giveaway

June 25, 2012 By 70 Comments

I was invited to the Great Shake 2012 with Adam Ried, an online milkshake party that celebrates Adam’s new book, The Thoroughly Modern Milkshake.

I have read and re-read Adam’s book, and some of the pages are even a bit sticky with melted ice cream. I thinks it’s safe to say that I love this book. It’s full of creative milkshake tips and tricks. Did you know that sorbet adds a major boost of flavor when combined with ice cream? It makes a world of difference. And, flavored simple syrups add a depth of flavor. Adam’s book discusses several different methods to take your milkshake from good to amazing.

I had a very difficult time deciding which milkshake recipe I wanted to make, but I kept coming back to the strawberry basil milkshake. I mean, doesn’t that sound amazing? I had fresh basil in the garden just waiting to be used in a milkshake.

This milkshake is creamy, smooth, and extra thick. Just when you think you’re drinking a plain old strawberry milkshake, the basil shines through and tantalizes your taste buds with its earthy, anise flavor.

The strawberry sorbet creates an intense strawberry flavor in this milkshake. Thanks to Adam, I will always use sorbet in combination with ice cream in my milkshakes. It really takes the flavor to another level.

Join the party tonight on twitter at #Greatshakes from 8-9pm EST. Adam will be there answering milkshake questions and participating in some milkshake trivia.

I have some exciting news! I love this book so much that I’m going to give on lucky follower a copy of Adam’s book. All you have to do is leave a comment telling me what your favorite milkshake flavor is.

For more chances to win:

Follow me on twitter
Follow my blog on Facebook
Subscribe to my blog
Follow Adam on twitter

That’s five chances to win! Make sure you leave me a separate comment for each entry.

Strawberry Basil Milshake

6 tbs. sugar
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 cup fresh basil leaves
1/4-1/2 cup cold milk
4 medium scoops strawberry ice cream
4 medium scoops strawberry sorbet

For the syrup:

Mix the sugar and wine in a small saucepan over medium heat, swirling the pan occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes. Off the heat, add the basil and stir to immerse in liquid. Let steep for 1 hour. Strain the syrup, pressing the basil to release all the liquid, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (or up to 3 days).

For the shake:

Place 1/4 cup of chilled basil syrup, the milk, ice cream, and sorbet in a blender and pulse several times to break up the ice cream. With the motor off, use a wooden spoon or spatula to mash the mixture down into the blender blades. Continue pulsing until the mixture is smooth. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick. Pour shake into 2 glasses and enjoy.

 

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Strawberry Orange Mousse

March 22, 2012 By 25 Comments

Wow, spring is in the air in Baltimore, and it feels good. I don’t know about you, but I definitely had a case of the winter blues. It’s so nice to finally see the sun and feel its warmth on my ghostly white skin. Seriously, my skin is so white that it glows- and not in a good way.

In honor of spring, I made a lovely light and airy strawberry orange mousse. It’s sure to pull you out of your winter stupor. This creamy dessert is easy to make- like, super easy! It will appear as if you spent all day in the kitchen making it, when actually, it only takes about 10 minutes to throw together.

This mousse is a nice finish to a heavy meal. Add a little white wine to the mix and you’ve got yourself a party.

Strawberry and orange mingle and fall in love, creating a perfect marriage of flavors. This mousse is creamy and dreamy. It’s not too sweet, but just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth after dinner.

Look at those pillowy waves of strawberry and orange fluffiness. Makes you want to dive right in. Enjoy!

Love and sweet treats,

Jennie

Recipe:

adapted from Ask Aida

1 lb. of fresh strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup sugar

1 orange, zested and juiced

1 tbs. orange-flavored liqueur

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

2 tbs. powdered sugar

In a blender or a food processor, blend strawberries, orange zest, and orange juice until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until bubbling and just thickened, about 7-10 minutes. Refrigerate mixture until completely cool, about 2-3 hours.

In a bowl of a mixture, beat cream with powdered sugar and orange liqueur until stiff peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the strawberry mixture. Chill for about 30 minutes until mixture sets. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and sliced strawberries. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Pudding/Mousse Tagged With: , , ,

Strawberry Peanut Butter Oat Bars

February 7, 2012 By 7 Comments

After indulging in several delicious desserts these past couple of weeks, I decided it was time to make something on the healthier side. A dessert that is good for your heart, body, and health, but tastes yummy, too. It has to taste good. Period. There’s no sense in eating something that doesn’t taste good. Healthy doesn’t have to equate to flavorless. I created a strawberry peanut butter oat bar that will satisfy your sweet tooth, but won’t have you regretting it later. Nope, you won’t have to spend extra time on the treadmill after treating yourself to one of these bars.

These bars remind me of a cross between granola and shortbread. They’re delicate, crunchy, sweet, and wholesome. They literally melt in your mouth as you eat them. Absolutely delicious and satisfying. And, there will be no worries or lingering thoughts of treadmills after eating them.

The ingredient round-up. You’ll need whole wheat and all-purpose flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, brown sugar, almonds, butter, peanut butter, oats, and a jam of your choice. I had strawberry jam, so I went with that. Look at all those healthy ingredients just waiting to fuel your body.

You’ll need to muster up some strength for this recipe in order to cut the butter into the flour and oat mixture. You’ll bulk up your arm muscles while making this recipe.

Mmmm, jam. It adds a nice sweetness to the bars, and I love how it gets sticky and concentrated after the bars cook.

Enjoy!

Love and sweet treats,

The Messy Baker

Recipe:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup oats

1/2 cup almonds, ground to a coarse crumb

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

10 tbs butter, cold and cut into cubes

3/4 cup peanut butter

1-18oz jar of your favorite jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch rectangular pan.

In a large bowl, mix together both flours, oats, ground almonds, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt. Using a pastry cutter, cut in the butter. Next, cut in the peanut butter. Press half the oat mixture into the prepared pan. Spread the jam onto the oat mixture. Sprinkle the other half of the oat mixture over the top and pat lightly. Bake until light brown, about 30 to 40 minutes. Let cool completely, and then cut into squares.

 

 

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