Whodunnit Halloween Cake!

A whodunnit mystery cake!

Get into the spirit and take a stab at doing this easy Halloween inspired cake!

INGREDIENTS

chocolate box cake mix
powdered confectioner's sugar
white store bought frosting
red and yellow food coloring
white fondant (find this at your local cake or craft supply store)
crisco

TOOLS
half 'ball' or sphere cake mold (I found mine on Amazon.com)

plastic knife from your local Halloween store

rolling pin
fondant smoothing tool
rolling mat with measurements

2" orange ribbon, about 24" long
2-3 pins to hold the ribbon

small and medium mixing bowls
round 9" cake board
frosting spatula
rubber spatula
kitchen butter knife
cake stand

Bake chocolate cake per cake box instrucions. When cake has cooled cut a bottom 1" layer for the base. Place the cake base onto the 9"round cake boad. This will help you transfer the cake to the cake pedestal later.
After you have cut the 1" base layer, carefully cut out a small round dome.

Scoop the white frosting into a mixing bowl and add a few drops of red and yellow food coloring until you get the desired shade of orange.  Frost the top of the cake base. 

Place the mini 'half dome' on top of the base layer and cover with frosting too.  

Add the larger 'dome' cake piece over the frosted layers. 

Add a thin layer of the orange frosting over the larger 'dome'. The frosting will act as the glue when the rolled fondant is placed over the cake.  Set the cake aside.

On a smooth clean surface sprinkle powdered sugar over the rolling matt with measurements. 

Carefully roll out the fondant using the rolling pin.  Roll from center towards out.

Roll to a smooth 10" round flat shape. The fondant should be an even 1/4" thick all around. 

Carefully and with lots of patience place your flat fondant over the frosted cake. Try not to tear the fondant as it tends to dry out. If it begins to dry out rub a small amount of Crisco into your hands and carefully smooth the tear out with your fingers.

Smooth out the fondant with your fingers or a fondant smoothing tool so it covers all the cake. Then with the butter knife carefully cut the edges to leave a clean edge.

Transfer the cake to your cake pedestal or cake plate. Wrap the orange ribbon around the cake and secure with pins by pinning against the cake. 

To make the blood. Place 1/4 cup of confectioners sugar into a small mixing bowl and with a few drops of red and a very few drops of water mix all until you get the desired color of blood and thickness consistency. Test the consistency on something else before you drizzle over cake. 

Take the toy knife and stab the cake, carefully. Drizzle strategically the 'blood' over stabbed area. 

Happy Halloween...now eat some bloody cake!

Summer Spa Popsicles!

Hello Summer!

Spa Popsicles are a cool, fun, summer-in-your-mouth popsicle loaded with summer fruit and a hint of herb flavor!

They make me want to be at a spa somewhere beautiful or an amazing resort poolside cabana!

These are great on a hot blistery day when the heat and humidity become unbearable and there's no pool or beach immediately in sight! Count on these lovelies to cool you down instantly!
Want another?

Lucky for you I've got a few no-fail easy popsicle recipes. All you need to worry about is making room in your freezer. Once you start making them you won't resist trying new flavors.

Naturally sweet, hydrating and not from a box!
 

TOOLS

popsicle sticks

popsicle mold - I used Non Pro Ice Pop Maker which you can purchase on amazon.com

medium size strainer

4 cup measuring cup or medium sized containder with pouring spout

blender

small 1-2 quart sauce pan 

Strawberry Hibiscus Popsicles
2 cups water
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup hibiscus dried flowers
4 cups halved strawberries

Raspberry Lavender Popsicles
2 cups water
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp edible lavender
12 oz frozen or 4 cups fresh raspberries

Cucumber Lime Basil Popsicles

1-3/4 cups water

3/4 cups sugar

1 bunch basil

3/4 cup lime juice

4 cucumbers

Cantaloupe Mint Popsicles

2 cups water

1/2 cup sugar

1 bunch mint  
4 cups large cubed cantaloupe

DIRECTIONS

First make the herb simple syrup. Mine is less sweet whereas a true simple syrup is equal parts water to sugar. Tip: use coconut water instead of regualar water for extra hydrating benefits!

Herb Simple Syrup
Rub herb sprigs in your hands to bruise leaves and stems, then combine in a small 2 quart saucepan with water and sugar per each recipe as listed above. Bring to a boil, stirring until sugar is dissolved for about 2 minutes. Simmer for 1 minute. Then remove from heat and let steep, keep covered for 5 minutes. Pour through a strainer over a bowl. Discard herb sprigs. Let herb simple syrup cool down.

While the simple syrup is cooling, wash and cut the fruit and add to the blender, pour the cooled simple syrup and begin blending the mixture until smooth - don't forget to put the lid on the blender! Pass the mixture thru a strainer. Carefully pour the mixture into the popsicle mold filling each section. Cover and insert the popsicle sticks.

Freeze for minimum of 5 hours or overnight. Before trying to release the popsicles from the molds try running the bottom section thru running tap water to help loosen. Voila!

 Stay cool!

Star-Spangled Berry Pies

I love the 4th of July, especially where I live. It's one of those seaside Mayberry-type-of-towns where everyone displays their flags and banners, dresses up their homes, classic cars and their bikes too! During the day all kinds of festivities go on, concerts in the park, pie eating contests, the smell of BBQ all over the place, streets are closed for neighborhood block parties and Summer is all over the place! The best part comes at night of course with the fireworks finale AND the best part is I get to see all of this from my very own front yard!

Love it!

So...to celebrate this year at our annual BBQ I am baking individual mixed berry pies. With all the berries in season you can't go wrong. So go purchase your favorite antioxidants aka berries, dust off your baking tools, put that apron on and dive right in. They are easy to make and you'll be sure to impress your hostess when you show up with these show stoppers along with some vanilla bean ice cream. Delish!

TOOLS

1 12-cup muffin/cupcake tin

rolling pin

2 large mixing bowls

measuring cups and spoons

wax paper

plastic wrap

cooling rack
2-1/2" star cookie cutter
4" round cookie cutter or ramekin
small bowl
whisk
pastry brush

INGREDIENTS

BERRY MIX

2 cups mixed berries: raspberries, blueberries and strawberries

1/3 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tbsp flour

rind of 1 lemon

vanilla bean ice cream - optional

DOUGH

2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1/2 cup cold unsalted butter cubed

1/2 cup cold shortening cubed

2-4 tbsp ice cold water
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar for sprinkling

Cut the butter and shortening into 1/2" cubes and freeze them while you measure and mix the dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl whisk together flour, salt, sugar and stir to make sure all ingredients are well mixed. Then add all the frozen cold cubed butter and shortening. Make sure to coat each piece with the flour mixture. Using a pastry blender or sink your fingers into the flour mixture and begin pinching the butter and flour mixture together, making thin, floury disks of the butter. Continue working the mixture until the butter is broken down to pea size beads and then to a loose mixture that resembles wet sand. Drizzle each tablespoon of ice cold water carefully until the dough holds together.

Turn the dough out onto a clean floured work surface or sheet of wax paper. Gather the dough and knead a few times into a smooth mound and then flatten to form a round disk. 
Wrap the disk in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for about 1-2 hours.

In the meantime while the dough is chillin' work on the berry mix. In the second mixing bowl add the berries, sugar, salt, flour and lemon rind. Mix gently and make sure all berries are evenly coated. That's it. Your berry mixture is ready. 

Once the dough is chilled, roll out the dough with the rolling pin to about 1/4" thick. Using a 4"round cookie cutter or large glass or ramekin cut your circles and gently place them into each muffin cup. No need to butter the cupcake mold. The pies will pop right out. Gently press down to form a 'cup'. Do this for each cup and with the scraps roll the dough again to 1/4" thick and use the star shaped cookie cutter. Press and form 12 star tops. Try to handle the dough as least possible. The more you roll the dough the tougher it will cook and won't be flaky.  Refrigerate the muffin tin for about 1/2 hour to cool the dough before placing the berry mixture.

Add about 1-2 tablespoons of the berry mix into each muffin cup. Top with the star topper. Separately crack the egg into a small bowl and whisk. With a pastry brush, brush the egg wash over each star and sprinkle with sugar. Brush around the edge of the pie too!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and bake the mini pies for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden.
Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack for 15-20 minutes and allow to cool down to a comfortable warm before you attempt to remove the pies. With a butter knife carefully pry each pie out, they should lift right out without breaking.
Makes 12 small pies. For larger crowds or if you want leftovers I recommend doubling the recipe.

Happy 4th of July!

Coconut Shortbread

If you love coconut and shortbread try these lovelies with your tea next time you bake. A bite into one of these unleashes a clean tropical buttery taste with a bit of a "je n'ai sais pas" lovely crunch at the end, that's the cornmeal! The flavours make me think of a British colony somewhere far off on a Caribbean island. Hmm...maybe I'll plan a trip soon or maybe I'll just pop Downton Abbey into my dvd and watch that this afternoon with my tea and shortbread!

Whatever you decide to bake today, baking these treats will surely add a bit of tropical sweetness with your tea...or coffee!

TOOLS
electric standing mixer with paddle attachment
measuring spoons & cups
silicon spatula
2 baking sheets

parchment paper

plastic wrap

2 cooling racks

rolling pin

your favourite cookie cutter

INGREDIENTS
2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3/4 cup powdered sugar
2 tsp coconut extract
3 tbsp sweetend coconut flakes

1 cup white flour

1 cup wheat flour

 3 tbps cornmeal
tsp coarse salt
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut

3 tbsp cornmeal (again)

DIRECTIONS
Place butter and powdered sugar in the electric standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix on medium speed until creamy and smooth, for about 2 minutes.  Add coconut extract. Mix until combined and scrap down the bowl as necessary. Reduce speed and add the sweetened coconut flakes, flours, cornmeal and salt. Mix well. 
Halve dough and shape each half into a round disc. Wrap each with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hr. 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a bowl mix unsweetened coconut and 3 tbsp cornmeal. This will be used to sprinkle on top of cookies before baking.

Once dough is chilled, with rolling pin roll dough flat to 1/4" thick. Cut out shapes with your favorite cookie cutter and place each on baking sheets lined with parchment paper 1'' apart. Sprinkle with cornmeal and unsweetened coconut.  Bake until pale golden, 25-30 minutes. After baked transfer to a cooling rack.

Makes about 3 dozen depending on cookie cutter, mine is a 1"w x 3"l rectangle cutter.  Shortbread can be stored up to a week in an airtight container.

Tea time!