Beer Girl Cooks

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Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake

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Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale.

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale

It’s December and I’m finally getting around to posting something sweet.  I’m not starting out the holiday season with cookies, but I thought a Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake would be a good way to get things started.

How’s your holiday baking going?  Do you have your tree up and your lights lit?  We’re working on it.  We had such a busy and hectic (but fun!) Thanksgiving we needed a bit down time.  We had sort of planned – well maybe planned really isn’t quite the right word.  We kind of discussed trying to do the decorating last weekend, but when I say we I really mean me.  I said we should, but never really established an executable plan.  I guess I expected a Christmas miracle and have everything magically appear.

The weather turned out to be so bad that we wouldn’t have gone outside to hang a bizzillion lights anyway.  The sleet turned to snow and I grabbed an Uber to Birdsong Brewing for their 6th Anniversary Party.  Then Chris hung out with the dogs while I baked up some cookies.

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale

There’s nothing like baking cookies after starting your Saturday with an anniversary party and beer at 11:00 am.

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale
5 from 5 votes
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Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake

Ingredients

  • 3 sticks of butter slightly softened
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
  • 3 cups flour
  • 1 cup coffee vanilla blonde ale
  • cooking spray

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 325
  2. Cream butter and sugar together either using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand mixer
  3. Add eggs, one at a time
  4. Add vanilla
  5. Add flour, one cup at a time
  6. Add beer
  7. Scrape down sides and bottom of bowl and mix until combined
  8. Coat a bundt pan with cooking spray
  9. Pour cake batter into the bundt pan and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until a cake tester or tooth pick comes out clean
  10. Remove from oven and let cool in pan for 10 - 15 minutes then invert to a plate or cake stand
  11. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, if desired

NOTES:

  1. I used Good Morning Vietnam Coffee Vanilla Blonde Ale from Wooden Robot Brewery.  If that option is not available, you can use a blonde ale with vanilla and it will be just as good.  If you substitute a darker beer like a coffee vanilla porter, it will likely change the color of your cake. That’s not necessarily a bad thing.
  2. If the cake doesn’t easily slide out of the pan when you invert it, just walk away and leave it there. It is likely to come out eventually on its own.

Coffee Vanilla Beer Pound Cake is a very vanilla pound cake with hints of coffee flavor from the addition of a coffee vanilla blonde ale

 

 

Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake

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Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze is so pretty and pink making it perfect for a spring holiday or Easter gathering.

Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze is so pretty and pink making it perfect for a spring holiday or Easter gathering

I want to say thank you to all of you who left such kind words.  Chris and I so appreciate each and every one of you and your support has been amazing.  Thank you.

Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze is so pretty and pink making it perfect for a spring holiday or Easter gathering

2017 has not been kind to us so far and we don’t celebrate Easter, but I do like the idea of new beginnings. Most of the world seems to use the new year celebration as an opportunity to start over or make improvements.  For me, spring is a time of rebirth, new growth, planting gardens, and just a general positive outlook on everything.  I don’t know about you, but I find so much happiness and hope in seeing blooming tulips, green grass, and flowers on plants that I know will bring the most delicious summer tomatoes.

Even though I’ve said we don’t really celebrate Easter, I know many of you do, so I’ve come together with a bunch of my fantastic internet friends to bring you everything you could ever need to have an amazing celebration.  There are links below to some amazing dishes to put on your holiday menu.

I really hope that spring is the start of new beginnings and happier things to come. For me and for you. Cheers, friends.

Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze
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Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze

Ingredients

For the Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake

  • 2 sticks butter plus more to coat the pan
  • 8 ounces cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1 blood orange juiced
  • 1/4 cup blood orange wheat ale
  • 2 cups flour plus more to coat the pan
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the Blood Orange Glaze

  • 1/4 - 1/2 cups blood orange juice about 2 - 4 oranges
  • 2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt
  3. Beat butter and sugar together until fluffy
  4. Add cream cheese, vanilla, juice, and beer and beat to combine
  5. Add eggs one at a time
  6. Beat in flour until combined
  7. Coat a bread or loaf pan with butter then flour and shake off excess
  8. Transfer batter to loaf pan and bake for 55 - 65 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean from the center
  9. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan then remove and cool completely on a wire rack

For the Glaze

  1. Add powdered sugar to a bowl
  2. Stir in blood orange juice 1 tablespoon at a time until desired color and thickness is reached
  3. Pour over top of cake

#BloogersDoEaster Virtual Party:

Spring Roasted Carrot Noodle Salad with Thyme Vinaigrette from No Spoon Necessary

Earn Serious Bunny Points, And Make Easter Basket Cupcakes from The Sweet Nerd

Mini Egg Chocolate Bundt Cake from Girl Heart Food

Maple Bacon Deviled Eggs from Beyond Mere Sustenance

Lemon Curd Pavolva from Seasons and Suppers

Cookie Cutter Chocolates from Contemplating Sweets

Blood Orange Wheat Ale Pound Cake with Blood Orange Glaze from Beer Girl Cooks

Easter Mini Egg Cookie Bars from Salt and Lavender

Ham and Cheese Scones from Kevin is Cooking

Marbled Easter Egg Truffles from Sugar Hero

Angel Food Cupcakes with Compote Filling from Meg is Well

Easter Hazelnut Meringue Layer Cake from From Scratch Mostly

Spring Green Salad with Asparagus from Seasonal Cravings

 

 

 

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies Recipe

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Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies Recipe

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Who doesn’t love a whoopie pie?  I mean seriously, two cakes stuffed with some delicious filling for your own personal little some kind of wonderful?

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

I decided to take a walk on the wild side and make a whoopie pie a bit different than the traditional chocolate cake marshmallow filling variety.  Not that I normally need any particular reason to do something different, but today we are celebrating!

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Jenna of A Savory Feast recently welcomed a baby boy into her family, so today a few blog friends and I are throwing her a virtual baby shower! If only we lived closer so we could all get together, but since we cannot, but here are some ideas for a smashing baby shower menu. We included a few of Jenna’s own recipes (without her knowing!) so be sure to give her posts some love!

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

I decided to use some blueberries to make a festive (and blue-ish) filling to put between some little vanilla cakes and it was a total win.  I made the cakes with a whoopie pie pan, so they came out of the molds the perfect size for a baby shower.

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies

Join me in the celebration of Jenna’s sweet boy and scroll down below to see what everyone else is bringing to the party!

Congratulations, Jenna!

Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies
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Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies Recipe

Ingredients

For the Cakes

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 11 tablespoons butter
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 1/4 teaspoon almond extract
  • 2 large eggs
  • 3 cups flour
  • 2/3 cup whole milk
  • zest of 1 lemon

For the Filling

  • 1 cup blueberries
  • juice of 1 lemon about 1 1/2 tablespoons
  • 1 8 ounce block of cream cheese softened
  • 1 stick of butter softened
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Instructions

For the Cakes

  1. Preheat oven to 400
  2. Butter or spray a whoopie pie pan and set aside
  3. Beat sugar and butter together until creamy
  4. Add baking powder, salt, vanilla extract, and almond extract
  5. Add eggs one at a time
  6. Add 1/3 of the flour, then 1/2 of the milk, another 1/3 of the flour, then the rest of the milk and finish with the last 1/3 of the flour
  7. Scoop about 1 tablespoon of the batter into each of the whoopie pie pan cups
  8. Bake 7-9 minutes or until golden and springy to touch
  9. Cool in pans for about 5 minutes then remove and cool completely on wire rack

For the Filling

  1. Combine blueberries and lemon juice in a high speed blender or food processor and puree until as smooth as possible
  2. Combine cream cheese and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on medium until creamy
  3. Beat in vanilla extract
  4. Beat in blueberry mixture
  5. Beat in powdered sugar one cup at a time until combined and smooth

For the Assembly

  1. Add about 1 tablespoon of the filling to the flat side of one cake and top with a second cake, repeat until all the cakes are all cakes are used
  2. Arrange on a platter and refrigerate about 1 hour so the filling sets up

Cake recipe slightly adapted from King Arthur Flour

Notes

  1. Cakes can be made on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or slip mat
  2. You may need to loosen the cakes from a whoopie pie pan by lightly running a rubber spatula around the edges
  3. If the blueberry and lemon is too thick to puree, add a tablespoon of water
  4. I had leftover filling, so you would probably be ok just making half
  5. If you want to make them pink, substitute strawberries or raspberries for blueberries
  6. This recipe made 24 whoopie pies

Recipes for the perfect baby shower!

Greek Panzanella by Winstead Wandering
Nightshade Free Antipasto Platter by I Say Nomato
Peach Streusel Coffee Cake by A Savory Feast
Cucumber Finger Sandwiches by The Speckled Palate
French Palmiers by Lavender & Macarons
Roasted Red Pepper & Goat Cheese Crostinis by A Savory Feast
Mini Summer Layered Trifle by Lauren’s Kitchen the Blog
Honey Sriracha Meatballs by A Joyfully Mad Kitchen
Panko, Cream Cheese and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms by A Savory Feast
Lemon Blueberry Whoopie Pies by Beer Girl Cooks
Sparkling Balsamic Mocktails with Berry Ice Cubes by Feast + West
Honey Sweetened Limeaid with Blueberries by A Savory Feast

lemon-blueberry-whoopie-pies

30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

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30 Cookout, Grilling, and Party Recipes for Labor Day Weekend

We are headed to Hilton Head this weekend for one last beach trip before summer ends – not to worry – the house won’t be vacant.  We have a pet sitter coming so the dogs won’t be running amuck and doing water ballet in our living room like in those Farmers Insurance commercials.  Hilarious if not in your own house.  I thought I’d leave you with a recipe roundup to cover all your cookout, grilling, and party needs for the long weekend.  Party on!

APPETIZERS

Stuffed Mushrooms

Stuffed Mushrooms – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Texas Caviar – The Beach House Kitchen

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Smoked Jalapeno Poppers with Bacon, Apple, and Brie – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

Baba Ganoush – Cook With Manali

Fig, Goat Cheese, Bacon + Honey Crostini – Feast and West

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Bacon-Wrapped Brats – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

 

SIDES AND SALADS

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Bourbon & Brown Sugar Baked Beans with Candied Bacon – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Corn on the Cob with Spicy Lime Seasoned Salt -Ciao Chow Bambina

Peach & Chickpea Salad – Girl Heart Food

Quinoa Spinach Salad with Pesto – Family Food on the Table

Smoked Gouda Mac 'n Cheese

Smoked Gouda Mac ‘n Cheese – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Parmesan-Pea-Pasta-Salad-Pic

Parmesan and Pea Pasta Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

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Grilled Potato Salad with Everything Bagel Seasoning and 7  Minute Eggs – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction

Easy Grilled Watermelon and Feta Salad with Mint and Balsamic Reduction – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

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Easy 7 Layer Salad – Tasty Ever After (pictured above & photo credit)

 

MEAT DISHES

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Sundried Tomato and Gorgonzola Burgers – Spiced Blog (pictured above & photo credit)

Grilled Country Style Pork Shoulder Ribs with Blueberry Peach Salsa – Cooking LSL

Honey Mustard Grilled Salmon – Kevin is Cooking

Roasted Vegetable Grilled Pizza with Garlic Herb Oil – Ciao Chow Bambina

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Honey Balsamic Chicken Skewers with Strawberry Kiwi Salsa – No Spoon Necessary (pictured above & photo credit)

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burger with Tzatziki

Bacon and Feta Stuffed Lamb Burgers with Tzatziki Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

 

DESSERTS

Banana Pudding in a Jar Recipe

Banana Pudding in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

S'mores in Mason Jars

S’mores in Jars – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Butterscotch Blondies – Just About Baked

Grilled Pound Cake with Mascarpone Cream and Blueberries – Pumpkin ‘n Spice

Marshmallow Fruity Pebble Bars – Baked by an Introvert

Gluten Free Vegan Peanut Butter Cup Brownies – Beaming Baker

Blueberry Coconut Popsicles

Blueberry Coconut Milk Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Honeydew Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles

Strawberry Kiwi Coconut Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles

Boozy Root Beer Float Popsicles – Beer Girl Cooks (pictured above)

 

Ok.  Yes, I know that lawyers can’t do math, but I’m well aware that there are actually 31 recipes in this post of 30 recipes for Labor Day.  I just felt like the booze wasn’t well represented, so I had to add that last popsicle.

Y’all have a safe and fantastic Labor Day Weekend!  Fingers crossed that we all stay dry on the east coast and this hurricane spins back out to sea!

 

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

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Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

 

This may not be the most beautiful cake in the world, but your dad or father’s day person in your life will totally love it.  It’s actually the ugly duckling of cakes and I’m ok with that.  I was an ugly duckling for a long time (maybe I still am?) with awkward skinny long legs and shyness that would beat the band.  I never fit in anywhere and probably still don’t.  But you know what?  It doesn’t matter when you have fantastic father figures in your life.  We’ll talk about high school heart breaks some other time.  I’ll bring the wine.

 

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

 

So, we can make fancy pants cakes like this if it blows your dress up and if your dad loves pastels, but does your dad really want that?  I say, let’s go rustic.  And usually when I’m talking rustic I’m talking messy, sloppy, or down right ugly.  I’m pretty sure all those descriptions apply here.

Way to sell it, Rach!

 

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

 

The point is – and yes, eventually I usually have one – it’s Father’s Day this weekend.  Your dad or other significant dad/grandpa/uncle/step/or other dad figure in your life loves you.  He/She loves all your broken bones, skinned knees, lopsided smiles, and rustic, janky cakes with cracks and frosting squishing out the sides.  And that’s what love is.

Happy Father’s Day!

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting
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Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients

For the Cake

  • 1 cup butter room temperature, plus more to prepare the pans (1 - 2 tablespoons)
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 4 large eggs room temperature
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
  • 1 cara cara orange juice and zest

For the Frosting

  • 16 ounces 2 8 ounce blocks cream cheese
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
  • 2 cara cara oranges juice and zest

For the Garnish

  • 1 - 2 cara cara oranges thinly sliced
  • Mint leaves

Instructions

For the Cake

  1. Preheat oven to 350
  2. Measure and cut 2 pieces of parchment paper to fit 2 (9) inch cake pans
  3. Butter cake pans, fit parchment circles into bottom of pans, and butter the parchment paper
  4. Add butter and sugar to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat until fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes
  5. Add eggs, one at a time, making sure each is incorporated before adding the next
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour and baking powder
  7. Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture, alternating with milk - start and end with flour, beat just until combined
  8. Stir in vanilla bean paste, zest, and juice
  9. Divide evenly between the two prepared cake pans
  10. Bake 28 - 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out of the center clean
  11. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, turn out onto wire racks to cool completely

For the Frosting

  1. Add cream cheese and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium until combined
  2. Slowly add powdered sugar and beat until smooth and combined
  3. Add vanilla bean paste, zest, and juice and beat until combined

For the Assembly

  1. Using a serrated knife, slice each cake in half horizontally through the middle making 4 cakes approximately the same thickness
  2. Arrange the first layer on a cake stand or plate and spread 1/4 of the frosting on top
  3. Add the second layer and spread 1/4 frosting on top
  4. Repeat with the last two layers
  5. Garnish with orange slices and mint


Adapted from Bake from Scratch Cake Special Issue June 2016, page 26 and 27

Note: If you wrap the cakes tightly in plastic then aluminum foil while it’s still warm and freeze them it will seal in some of the moisture and make them easier to cut and frost while thawing.

 

Cara Cara Orange Layer Cake with Citrus Cream Cheese Frosting

 

National Doughnut Day Doughnut Recipe Roundup

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National Doughnut Day Doughnut Recipe Roundup

National Doughnut Day

Well, what do you know?  It turns out that this Friday, June 3rd is National Doughnut Day. Whaaat?!?!

Karrie with Tasty Ever After and I wanted to celebrate this delicious carby holiday so we put together a recipe roundup of some of the most yummy doughnuts by our favorite Bloggers.  So go grab some doughnut making ingredients and help us celebrate National Doughnut Day!!

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Before we move on to this delicious doughnut recipe roundup, I have a very important question: doughnut or donut?  I’m very well aware that I’ve asked this question before, but it seems appropriate to revisit the question of why in tarnation there could possibly be two different spellings for one single magical creation.

When we last discussed this difference in spelling, I shared with you the results of my Google research. For those of you who missed it, you can read about it here and here, but the gist of it is that the dictionary-approved spelling is doughnut and the shortened version became popular in the late 20th century as part of  a Dunkin’ Donuts marketing campaign.

Now, for some more interesting reading about the evolution of the actual doughnut, head over to Karrie’s website for a totally interesting history lesson.

Now, about those doughnuts/donuts!

carrotcakedonut5

Tasty Ever After Carrot Cake Donuts with Brandy Candied Walnuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

How Sweet It Is  Strawberry Buttermilk Sprinkle Donuts

Feast and West  Baked Birthday Cake Donuts

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Me  Cara Cara Orange White Chocolate Glazed Doughnuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

Club Narwhal  Baked Dark Chocolate Strawberry Donuts

Cook with Kushi  Banana Doughnut Holes

Raspberry-Vanilla-Baked-Donuts-with-White-Chocolate-Glaze-129

No Spoon Necessary  Raspberry Vanilla Baked Donuts with White Chocolate Glaze  (pictured above & photo credit)

Mon Petit Four  Jelly Doughnuts

Ciao Chow Bambina  Baked Strawberry Doughnuts with Fresh Strawberry Glaze

Key-Lime-Pie-Doughnuts-6

The Beach House Kitchen  Key Lime Pie Donuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

Havoc in the Kitchen  Baileys Cake Donuts 

Sally’s Baking Addiction  How to Make Homemade Glazed Doughnut

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Spiced Blog  Baked Samoa Doughnuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

Sugar Love Spices  Baked Doughnut Delights

GiGi Eats Celebrities  Healthy Doughnuts

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Martha Stewart  Espresso Glazed Doughnuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

Brown Eyed Baker  Vanilla Cream Filled Doughnuts

Handle the Heat  Old-Fashioned Sour Cream Doughnuts

Bakingdom  French Toast Doughnuts

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Love & Custard  Sugared Pumpkin Doughnuts  (pictured above & photo credit)

Cooking Classy  Baked Nutella Doughnuts with Nutella Glaze

Beyond the Chicken Coop  Apple Fritters

 

Have a very happy National Doughnut Day, y’all! 🙂

Mother’s Day Recipe Roundup

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Mother’s Day Recipe Roundup

 

Mother's Day Recipe Roundup (2)

 

It’s Mother’s Day this weekend.  I don’t know about y’all, but it kind of surprised me.  If you’re in the same boat as me, I’ve got your back with anything and everything that can please Mom this weekend! Let’s do this!

First and Most Important – COCKTAILS!

 

Martini-1

Preserved Lemon Martini with Spicy Olives – Tasty Ever After (recipe and photo credit)

 

Strawberry-Lime-Frozen-Margarita-4

Strawberry Lime Frozen Margaritas – Beer Girl Cooks

 

White-Chocolate-Covered-Strawberry-Boozy-Milkshake-10

White Chocolate Covered Strawberry Boozy Milkshake – No Spoon Necessary (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Butterscotch Martini with Bailey’s Irish Whipped Cream – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Jalapeno Margarita – Spiced Blog (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Patio Passion Martini – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Creme Brulee Stout Ice Cream Float – Beer Girl Cooks

 

Now that we’ve had sufficient amount of booze to get us started, it’s time for breakfast and brunch recipes!

BREAKFAST AND BRUNCH RECIPES

 

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Candied Ginger and Rhubarb Crumb Coffee Cake – No Spoon Necessary (recipe and photo credit)

 

Strawberry Banana Muffins – Pumpkin ‘n Spice

Banana Nutella Stuffed Cardamom Maple Toast – My Garlic Ginger Kitchen

 

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Eggs Benedict Crostini with Roasted Asparagus, Bacon, and Easy Hollandaise – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Goat Cheese Brie Souffle – Tasty Ever After (recipe and photo credit)

 

Spinach-and-Tomato-Breakfast-Flatbread-3

Spinach and Tomato Breakfast Flatbread – Hungry Healthy Happy (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Breakfast Casserole – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Strawberry Chia Jam Recipe – Show Me The Yummy (recipe and photo credit)

 

DOUGHNUTS V. DONUTS

Let’s be real.  No matter how you spell the word, the masterpiece deserves its own category.

 

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Key Lime Pie Donuts – The Beach House Kitchen (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Baked Vegan Chocolate Peanut Butter Donuts – Veganosity (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Brown Sugar and Pecan Baked Cake Donuts with Bourbon Maple Glaze – No Spoon Necessary (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Baked Lemon Doughnuts – Spiced Blog (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Cara Cara Orange and White Chocolate Glazed Baked Doughnuts – Beer Girl Cooks

 

How about some lunch ideas?

 

BeetSaladGoatCheeseApricotsPistachios4

 

Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Apricots, and Pistachios – Tasty Ever After (recipe and photo credit)

 

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad – The Beach House Kitchen

Southwestern Orzo Salad – Family Food On The Table

Cesar Salad with Grilled Asparagus and Quail Eggs – Cooking LSL

Cranberry Pecan Chicken Salad – Beyond The Chicken Coop

 

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Baja Shrimp Ceviche Tostadas – No Spoon Necessary (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Southside Weiss with Pan Steamed Mussels with Roasted Lemon and Toasted Baguette – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Salmon Burger with a Creamy Lime and Basil Sauce – Hungry Healthy Happy (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Lamb Burger with Tzatziki Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks

 

Going fancy pants and need some dinner ideas?

 

DINNER RECIPES

 

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Garganelli alla Vodka – Ciao Chow Bambaina (recipe and photo credit)

 

Tender Beef Kebobs with Tangy Barbaque Sauce – Cooking LSL

Thai Yellow Curry Turkey Meatballs – Fashionable Foods

 

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Grilled Coconut Lime Shrimp – Spiced Blog (recipe and photo credit)

 

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Belgian Tripel Beer Marinated Stuffed Pork Loin with Plum Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks

 

And finally.  We started with booze and we’ll finish with some awesome desserts.

 

DESSERTS RECIPES!

 

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Spumoni Cake – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Vegan Lime Tarts with Meringue – Veganosity (recipe and photo credit)

 

Banana Sheet Cake – Cook With Manali

No-Bake Strawberry Cheesecake Mousse – Baked By An Introvert

Blackberry Ginger Cupcakes – Just About Baked

 

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Mixed Berry Pavlova with Blueberry Sauce – Beer Girl Cooks

 

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Vegan No-Bake Biscoff Tartletts – Whisk and Shout (recipe and photo credit)

 

I wish all of you a Happy Mother’s Day.  Whether you have little people, if you’re empty nesters, have grands, a bun in the oven, have a mom, or your a mom to a fur baby, I truly wish you a wonderful day of food, family, and of course, booze.   Cheers!

Spumoni Cake

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Spumoni Cake

Spumoni Cake

 

I’m baaaaaaack!

 

Spumoni Cake

 

And I’m back with a bang!  I totally missed you guys, but I enjoyed my vacation, and now I’m all rested up and refreshed from a very much needed break.  I decided that my return should be impressive, so here we are with a Spumoni Cake.

This cake, y’all – I can’t even!

 

Spumoni Cake

 

It’s no secret that I love all things spumoni.  I’ve made No-Churn Spumoni Ice Cream and Spumoni Cheesecake, but I’ve never made anything like this Spumoni Cake before.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

This all started because of my recent St. Patrick’s Day birthday and the party we had to celebrate all things me!  A couple of years ago, we went to a local restaurant for my birthday (that’s now closed, so sorry to see you go Villa Antonio) and they gave me the most delicious spumoni cake for dessert.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

Actually, I went to powder my nose and while I was gone Chris told our server that it was my birthday, which he is never allowed to do because I do not want the entire restaurant singing to me. #soembarrassing

 

Spumoni Cake

 

Given that this was St. Patrick’s Day and the rest of Charlotte was doing the pub crawl, there wasn’t much risk of being humiliated because we pretty much had this Italian restaurant to ourselves.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

The server asked Chris what kind of birthday dessert I would like and he just said that I like spumoni.   Then like magic a slice of spumoni cake appeared with a simple happy birthday from our kind server.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

Chris, of course, got the stink eye, but I couldn’t stay mad after he brought spumoni cake into my life.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

So when we started planning my birthday party this year I tried to find that dang cake on the interwebs. Google couldn’t find that specific cake from the now defunct Villa Antonio, but it brought magic back into my life when it led me here and showed my the most beautiful cake I’ve ever seen in my life.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

I totally had to have it for my birthday cake!  I actually made the cake 3 times because I’m not much of a cake baker or decorator, so I needed a trial run to see if I could pull it off.  The first time I made it exactly the way the recipe was written, but then Chris pointed out his surprise that I didn’t put any Southern Tier Creme Brulee Stout in it since I was putting it in everything else these days.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

Zoink!  Head smack! DO OVER!

 

Spumoni Cake

 

The second time I swapped out the coffee from the original recipe with my favorite beer of the cold season and I made cream cheese frosting instead of the original buttercream.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

I also swapped out the pudding mix for homemade pistachio pudding in the pistachio cake layer and the frosting.  That is the reason for the different colors in the photos.  The pudding mix makes a much brighter green color in the cake and the frosting.

 

Spumoni Cake

 

I ended up serving two spumoni cakes at my party because why not?

 

Spumoni Cake

 

One had all three colors of frosting and the other I just covered in chocolate buttercream flowers. Sadly, I was running behind on party day and I forgot to take a picture of that one.  Just imagine this cake, but all chocolate. They were both a hit with my friends and family!

 

Spumoni Cake

 

I knew I needed this Spumoni Cake in my life the minute Google uncovered this wonder to me.  And I can tell you that it was just magical to see all my party guests’ faces light up when we walked in with these gorgeous cakes for dessert!

 

Spumoni Cake

 

I’ll be the first to admit that my cake decorating skills are pretty much non-existent, but I do have to say I’m pretty proud of this cake and it’s not bad for a beginner!

 

 

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:158]


Spumoni Cake inspired by and adapted from I am Baker

Chocolate layer adapted slightly from I am Baker

Pistachio and Cherry layers process adapted from I am Baker and cake base adapted from Martha

Homemade Pistachio Pudding Recipe here

NOTES:

  • The original recipe uses packaged pudding mix which is how I made it the first time and has the brighter green color in the photos of both the frosting and the cake.  The second and third times I used homemade pudding in the cake and the frosting.  The photos of the steps (including the photo of the inside) are with the pudding mix and the finished cake with the lighter colored pistachio frosting are with the homemade pudding.
  • This cake is kind of a project, so I made the cakes, wrapped them tightly in layers of plastic wrap and heavy duty foil and froze them until the day before I was going to serve the cake.  The day before I just removed them from the freezer and left them on the counter overnight.  Then made the frosting and assembled and finished it.
  • You will have an extra layer of the chocolate cake that you can either double the chocolate frosting and add a fourth layer or keep it in the freezer for another day.
  • You can watch a video here for instructions of how to make cake roses.

Spumoni Cake

Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

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Y’all will be relieved to know that I’m over my funk and have a super positive attitude – especially now that we are rolling into the weekend   Woot!  And it’s almost Valentine’s Day, so we’re getting a little crazy and rolling out the red velvet.

 

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I have to admit that I’ve never really been a fan of the red velvet, but I just couldn’t help myself. Cheesy as it may be to jump on the red velvet bandwagon just days before Valentine’s Day, it happened.  Don’t judge me.

 

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I also have to admit that we’re not huge celebrators of the cupid holiday.  Sometimes we go out for dinner, sometimes not.  This year we decided to avoid the crowds and expensive restaurants and go to our favorite hole in the wall one man show Ethiopian restaurant.  It works for us and the food is AMAZING!

 

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There was one year that we had a pretty special Valentine’s Day.  There was a romantic and fancy dinner that I’ll never forget.

 

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That was the year I got a diamond ring.

 

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And Chris got a cordless drill.

 

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Don’t judge me.  Happy Valentine’s Day, y’all!

P.S. Scroll down and don’t forget to enter the $1000 Amazon Giveaway!

 

[amd-zlrecipe-recipe:140]


Recipe very slightly adapted from Food Network

 

Don’t forget to enter the giveaway!

 

 

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Red Velvet Cream Cheese Bundt Cake

Peanut Butter Pie

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It’s Christmas eve, friends!  I know everyone has a lot going on with family, wrapping presents, sleigh bells, and getting ready for Santa, but I wanted to wish you all a Merry Christmas with one last very easy holiday dessert that’s a family favorite!

 

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This is my hijacked version of Aunt Mary’s Peanut Butter Pie.

 

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Yeah.  Totally guilty.  Cool Whip and Hershey’s syrup.  Don’t judge me.

 

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I told you it’s easy.  No joke.  I hijacked Aunt Mary’s recipe by doubling it and making it with a chocolate graham crust in a spring form pan, but you can totally half everything and throw it into a prepared regular pie crust.

 

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So if you need a quick, easy, and last minute dessert to bring to your Christmas festivities, I got your back.  DO IT, YO!  Or DO IT!  HO HO HO!

 

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This is what was left after my family got their hands on it.

Merry Christmas, y’all!

 

Print

Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients

  • 2 cups graham crumbs
  • 1 stick butter melted
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 3 tablespoons cocoa powder
  • 1 8 ounce block cream cheese softened
  • 2 cups confectioner sugar
  • 1 cup peanut butter - crunchy or smooth according to preference
  • 1 16 ounce container whipped toppinig
  • chocolate syrup

Instructions

  1. Combine graham crumbs, butter, sugar, and cocoa powder in a large bowl
  2. Press into bottom and up sides of a spring form pan
  3. Beat cream cheese until soft and fluffy
  4. Blend in sugar and peanut butter and beat until smooth
  5. Fold in 3/4 of the whipped topping
  6. Pour into prepared spring form pan
  7. Swirl chocolate syrup on top
  8. Cover pie with remaining whipped topping
  9. Refrigerate