Key Lime Pie

This past week, was a birthday baking extravaganza. Dustin helped me with the chocolate cake (see previous post) and Ryan assisted with the Key Lime Pie (both for Chelsea's birthday party). The help was much appreciated, and they both turned out wonderfully. I bought a new blue tart pan from Target. The bottom comes out for easy removal. It worked great! Here's how it turned out.



Of course, this is before I removed it from the pan. I just loved the color of the dish with the color of the dessert. Here is the recipe that I used. It's Ina Garten, again. I told you...I just love her recipes. My only tip on this recipe is to butter the pie pan. If you don't, your bottom crust will stick. It was a nightmare to get out. Lesson learned!

Chocolate Cake

I decided that I wanted to try a chocolate cake completely from scratch, so I found a recipe by Ina Garten (she's my favorite) on food network and set off in the kitchen. I made the batter and chocolate butter cream and each had a hint of coffee or espresso. It was yummy! This is a perfect chocolate cake recipe.



This photo was taken the second time I made the cake which was for my brother's girlfriend's birthday. Hence the chocolate chip "C" on top. Her name is Chelsea, and she love chocolate and coffee!

Anywho, here is the recipe that I used. It is the best tasting chocolate cake! Totally worth the time, effort, and calories! Oh, and be careful what kind of coffee you put in the batter. The better the flavor of your coffee the better the flavor of your cake!

Crème Brûlée

Crème brûlée (French for "burnt cream" also known as burnt cream, crema catalana, or Trinity cream is a dessert consisting of a rich custard base topped with a contrasting layer of hard caramel. It is normally served cold.)

On a whim, I decided to try creme brulee. The ingredients were minimal, but the technique was not. It was a fun challenge. I used a recipe by Paula Deen, and it tasted delicious! The only real challenge was getting the custard just right so that it will set up correctly. If you plan on trying this, make sure you have plenty of time to let it sit in the refrigerator. The directions say up to 24 hours. The longer it sits the better. I also didn't have a torch for browning the top, so I had to use the broiler in the oven. This meant that the dishes had to go back in the refrigerator after browning the sugar. Not a problem per say, just extra time. Here is my finished product!



I garnished with fresh whipped cream and a blackberry. Here is the recipe that I used. Voila!

Let Them Bake Cake!

I've always been obsessed with cooking, and Lord knows that I love to eat just as much. Ever since getting hitched, I've enjoyed spending free time in the Kitchen. Dustin got me some great kitchen gadgets for Christmas. I've been challenged to keep a record of what I make so here goes nothing.

First off, I got this beauty and I just LOVE it.



I also got this set of knives by Rachel Ray. I highly recommend them.
Well, it's been snowing in Tennessee all week which means teachers are out of school. So, I've spent most of my week cooking and baking. My project on Wednesday was to make Noah's Ark cookies. I got a Martha Stewart cookie cutter set as a Christmas gift from Dustin's aunt and uncle.



This is how they turned out...It was my first time to "flood cookies" with royal icing. It was tedious, but definitely fulfilling after seeing the final product. I'll definitely use this technique again. Unfortunately, they are not "two by two" because some of their mates got eaten, and some of my favorites were eaten pre-picture as well.

Here is the link for the recipe I used. Definitely worth doing it from scratch. It never would have worked with refrigerated dough. Not too shabby for a first go. I think I'll try again with another shape for Valentine's day.