too cute to "bee" eaten

For the past several weeks, with the help of my fabulous team mates at work, I have been slowly creating a baby-shower gift basket for Alex and his new wife Steph. Making friends and colleagues gift baskets like this is something I've been doing for years and this one was the biggest. Normally I use a medium sized wicker laundry basket to hold the loot but this time I had so many donations, I ended up using a bassinet to hold everything!

I like to create gift baskets for new parents because it includes all the basic baby supplies they need, but wouldn't necessarily know to buy or register for. This includes the obvious stuff like receiving blankets, toys, soaps, and finger nail clippers, but also had things like little mittens to put on the baby's hands so they don't scratch their faces, nursing pads, a big bottle of Pedialyte, and a little rear view mirror so you can see the baby's face when you're driving. I was really blown away at the shear volume of donations. It seemed like every day I'd have something new to bring home. Everyone was so eager to pitch it and donate whatever I said we were lacking.

When we presented Alex with the gift basket, he was so shocked - partly for the fact that we made the basket of goodies but mostly out of the sheer massiveness of it. I actually heard him say, "Are we really going to need all this stuff?" I wanted to say, "Yes and that's only for the first few months!" Congrats Alex and Steph! We're so happy for you!

I decided that along with the basket, I'd prepare a baby-themed dessert made out carrot cake, which is Steph's favorite. I wanted to decorate the cake with little bees which I felt had just the right amount of baby without being too feminine. To make sure Steph wasn't left out of the fun, I made her a larger 4" cake and several cupcakes for everyone else to enjoy.

Although the bees were time consuming to make (a lot of time spent just waiting for parts to dry), they were a lot of fun. Here's how I made them:

Supplies
1 pouch of Wilton Sugar Paste
1 black felt tip EDIBLE-ink marker
yellow food coloring
black food coloring
small leaf shaped cutter
sugar glue (I used CMC powder mixed with warm water)
Exacto knife
paint brush or several Q-tips
ruler
small fondant/sugar paste roller
tiny circle stencil
lots of tooth picks
clear laytex gloves
digital scale

Dye several ounces of the sugar paste yellow (I recommend wearing gloves while you do this so that you don't dye your hands and fingernails yellow). Knead paste together well and when it is uniformly yellow, weight 7oz balls of paste for each bee you wish to make. Roll the paste into a ball and gently form into slightly rounded rectangle that's flat on the bottom, long in the center, and rounded on the tops and each end. Let sit overnight to dry. When the bees are almost dry but not 100% solid, dye a slightly smaller amount of sugar paste black, roll out into very thin and flat. Using a ruler and an exacto knife, cut 1/4 inch strips.

Using a little water and a paintbrush, wet the black strips ever so slightly just to make them a little tacky. Start by carefully placing the black strip at it's center to the bee body. Wrap to the underside of the bee, being sure to reapply moisture when needed. Continue to process with the other two strips so you have three in all. Use the exacto knife to trim the excess

After the bees have dried to the point that you can hold one in between your fingers without fear of denting them, use a small circle stencil to draw little half circles for their face. If you don't have a stencil, you can do this free hand if you choose. Then use the tip of the pen to draw the eyes.

Create the wings by rolling out the sugar paste as thinly as you can. Use a small leaf or tear shaped cutter to cut out two wings for each bee. When they are fully dry, which only takes about an hour, use a toothpick and sugar glue to blue the wings to the tops of the bee's body. Let sit over night (or several) hours until totally dry.

These were a big hit and I have to admit that I think the bees came out really well. Although it did take about 6 hours of work to make them, it was worth every second. They were just too darn cute! I can't but smile when I look at one of the smiling faces.

Dogs Need Cookies Too!

Before I left for vacation last month, I volunteered to make something for the United Way Giving Campaign at work. At first I assumed I could just bake a few dozen cupcakes or some caramel dipped pretzels but quickly learned that home-baked goods for humans were prohibited for company sponsored events. Um...what? The kind woman who was organizing the event had to break the bad news to me and suggested that I consider making dog or cat treats instead. What an incredibly awesome idea!

After much research, I learned what foods to stay away from - no chocolate, avocado, garlic (this is controversial though but I decided to steer clear) or onions and found a plethora of great recipes to choose from. I selected three that used wholesome ingredients and would be something I would eat, albeit probably not completely enjoy.

These recipes were SUPER easy to make and took almost no time at all. It's also a wonderful way to know exactly what your beloved companion is eating and save a few bucks at the same time.

Here are the recipes I used:

Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Breakfast Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup butter
1 cup boiling water
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons white sugar
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
3 cups whole wheat flour
1/4 cup of well-cooked (but not burnt) crumbled bacon (about 6 strips with all visible fat removed)

Preheat oven to 325F. In a large bowl, combine rolled oats, margarine, bouillon and boiling water. Let stand 10 minutes. Grease cookie sheets or use a SilPat mat.

Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, Cheddar cheese, and egg. Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until a stiff dough has formed.

Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in additional flour as necessary until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll or pat out dough to 1/2" thickness. Cut with cookie cutter and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. You can crowd these pretty close together on the sheet, just leave about 1/8-1/4 inch between each cookie. The dough will not spread.

Bake 35 to 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Cool before serving. Store in a loosely covered container.

Yield: 5 dozen full size cookies plus another 60 tiny cookies

5-Dot Block Cookies
Adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon salt
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a cookie sheet or silicone mold pan.

In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat flour, cornmeal and salt. Mix in the oil, egg and water to make a soft dough that is not too sticky. You may add more flour if needed. Roll teaspoonfuls of dough into balls, and place on the prepared cookie sheet or mold. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until nicely browned and firm. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container.
Yield: 48 cookies 1x1" wide cookies

Peanut Butter Crackers
Adapted from Allrecipes

2 cups whole wheat flour, or as needed
2 cups spelt flour
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 1/2 cups warm water
1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no Jiff or Skippy!)

Preheat oven to 35F.

Combine wheat flour, spelt flour, and oats in large bowl. Stir in water and peanut butter. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, mixing in more flour as needed until dough is smooth and no longer sticky. Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thick. Cut with small cookie cutters into desired shapes, and place 3/4 inch apart on greased cookie sheets.

Bake 40 minutes. Turn oven off; leave biscuits in oven until completely cool.

Yield:60 large cookies plus 60 really small cookies

I packed all the cookies by size and flavor. The larger cookies I packed 3 to a bag and the smaller ones I packed by weight (25 grams). I had a few spares so I created a sampler pack that contains one of each cookie.

I plan to sell them $2 a bag. I hope they all sell!

Amy's Peanut Butter and Chocolate Icebox Cake

I was so excited to make this dessert for Amy's birthday that I delivered it an entire day early! I left it on her desk this morning before she arrived, only to have her come to me a few minutes later to tell me her birthday was actually tomorrow. I felt like such a dork! I tried to encourage her to celebrate her birthday-eve instead, something my sister always celebrated because her birthday was on New Year's Eve, but she wanted to wait until tomorrow and who could blame her? Several coworkers commented, wondering where dessert/breakfast had gone but I assured them that it didn't disappear and that it would be back tomorrow.

Amy requested something that involved peanut better. She loves Reese's Pieces and Skippy Peanut Butter and especially enjoys cheesecake. I considered a few recipes but nothing really clicked until I saw this Smitten Kitchen's Icebox Cake. Funny how a gorgeous photo will do that! Instead of following the exact recipe, I decided to change it up by adding a layer of super airy peanut butter cream. Admittedly my only mistake in this was not doubling the recipe; it looked a bit puny half-filling my glass trifle bowl. But considering just how rich this dessert will be, perhaps it was a good thing that everyone will have to cope with a small portion, well except for Amy of course. :-)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Ice Box Cake

1 package of Nabisco Chocolate Wafer Cookies (These can get pricey so if you want to save some money, buy a package Oreos or other chocolate sandwich cookie and scrape out the centers)
2 cups cold heavy whipping cream, divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract/paste
2 tablespoons powdered sugar

1 8-oz package of cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup creamy peanut butter not all-natural style. I used Skippy
1 cup white sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2-3 tablespoons of chocolate curls or crushed cookies (optional)

In a bowl, beat the cream on your mixer's highest speed until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste and mix until well combined. Transfer the whipped cream to a different bowl.

Using the same mixing bowl (you don't have to wash it), beat cream cheese, peanut butter, sugar, butter, and vanilla until smooth and very, very light. This will take at least 2 minutes on medium speed. Slowly fold in half of the whipped cream into the peanut butter mixture and set aside.

To assemble the desert, start with a layer of 6 cookies in the bottom of the bowl or a plate. Spread about 1/2 - 3/4 of a cup of peanut butter cream on top of the cookies and use a rubber spatula to evenly spread it out. Top with a thin layer of whipped cream, smooth out, and top with a layer of cookies. It's okay if the cookies don't touch.

When you run out of cookies, top with a final layer of peanut butter cream and whipped cream. Top with chocolate curls, crushed cookies, or nothing.

Let it sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours. This will give the cookies adequate time to soften.

Note: If you want to save some calories and fat, you could use non or reduced fat cream cheese, a reduced fat/sugar peanut butter, reduced-fat margarine, low fat chocolate cookies, and non-fat whipped topping instead. I can't vouch for the taste but it would probably turn out okay.

Yield: I plan to serve this in very small servings at work but under normal circumstances it would probably serve about 10-12 normal sized servings. This recipe could easily be doubled.
Would I Make This Again?I don't think I have a choice. My husband and son were pretty upset that I didn't make a smaller version for them. My husband got a speedy one-bite version that didn't have time to sit in the fridge and he was licking his bowl. :-)

Blogging By Mail

Yesterday I signed up for Blogging By Mail. It's this really nifty foodie-style care package swap that pairs up willing food bloggers all over the world. You agree to send a care package containing ten of your favorite food items and you'll get a package in return from a someone else. You just have to promise you'll actually ship your package by October 18th and that you'll blog about the care package you get in return.

The last time Stephanie from Dispensing Happiness hosted the event, she had 85 generous folks sign up! If you're curious to see some of the contents of the care packages from the last event, she has a list of everyone that participated and what they received.

I'm so inspired by this event that I've decided to create two foodie care packages - one for the event and one for one of my awesome readers! If you'd like to have a chance to win some of my favorite foodie things, please leave me a comment and tell me about the nicest, most selfless thing you've ever done for someone else. Big or small it doesn't matter, I just want to hear about it! And if you can't think of anything, maybe this contest will inspire you. :-)

All entries must be received by September 21st and the winner will be announced on Sept 26th. International entries welcome! Please limit one good-deed story per entrant. No email entries please; comments only. NOTE: when leaving your comment, be sure to include a way for me to contact you. If I can't contact you, you can't win!

**Contest Update**

I was very impressed by the contest entries that I received. Some of the stories really tugged at the ol' heart strings and it made me want to send everyone a little something. As such, I've decided to break up the award to three people:

• Dirtbikes and Divas because of her nomination of GrandmaCarnes. I think it says volumes about the type of person she is (talk about selfless!)


• GrandmaCarnes because of DirtBike and Diva's recommendation. She sounds like the type of person I hope to be someday!


• Heather of Diary of a Foodie Fanatic. I think that sometimes lawyers get a bad rap as being out for money and her entry reminded me that there are good ones out there that do selfless things everyday.

Congratulations to the winners. Ladies, please check your email for a message from me. And to everyone else, thank you so much for entering. You are all an inspiration to me!

Craig's Rhubarb Coconut Lipstick-On-A-Pig Cake

As my way of saying thank you to a job well done, I offered to make Craig, our summer intern extraordinaire and fellow foodie, a dessert of his choice before he went back to school. He told that his favorite desserts are anything that involve rhubarb and I was free to surprise him. When he said that, I screamed "Yikes!" inside my head. Rhubarb? Really?



I have only made one rhubarb recipe in my life and wasn't impressed. I recalled having to use orange juice and strawberries in the recipe and that's all I remember tasting. What was so great about rhubarb anyway? When I did a quick search for rhubarb recipes, everything was a crumble, cobbler, or buckle. Boring! I wanted to find something unique and eventually found this Rhubarb Cake. The picture didn't do it much justice but the reviews it had received got my attention. I decided I'd try it but without the crumb-top layer. Instead I would use a broiled coconut frosting that one of the reviewers had said she used with success.

The cake part came out great and it made the whole house smell like a bakery as it baked. However, that was when its beauty faded. After I broiled the coconut frosting and took it out of the oven, I screamed "Yikes!" again, but this time out loud! The cake looked atrocious. I didn't want to give Craig an ugly cake but it was late and I was all out of rhubarb. Besides I had a feeling it would taste really good in spite of its looks.

When I woke up the next morning, I decided to cut off the edges of the cake and top it with homemade whipped cream to try and hide its wrinkled coconuty crust. It did help to soften its unfortunate appearance, and also added just the right amount of additional moisture. But you know what? It was still kinda ugly. I guess you can put whipped cream on an ugly cake, but it's still an ugly cake.

Rhubarb Coconut Lipstick-On-A-Pig Cake
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Cake
3 cups finely chopped rhubarb
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 cup non-fat buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup flaked, unsweetened coconut (optional)
1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (optional)

Coconut Glaze
6 tablespoons of unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup unsweetened coconut
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Whipped Cream Frosting - Optional
1 cup whipping cream, extra cold
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon clear vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon of cream of tarter

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan or use Pam with Flour (my fav). In a small bowl, toss together finely chopped rhubarb with 1/2 cup sugar and set aside. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg and set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until white and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, scraping the bowl as needed. Drain the rhubarb, saving a few tablespoons of the liquid and fold them both into the batter. Stir in the coconut and chopped almonds. Pour batter into prepared pan.Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let it cool about 30 minutes.

After the cake has cooled, move the oven rack as high as it can go and turn on your oven's broiler. Note: If you want to serve this cake outside of the pan, then invert the cooled cake onto a cooling rack (so it's upside-down) and then flip it again onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment/waxed paper so that it's right-side-up BEFORE you go to the next step. Mix together the melted butter, brown sugar, cream, coconut, and vanilla. Spread it evenly on the cake and brown lightly under the broiler. Keep an eye on it. It will bubble and boil up a bit and happens in a flash. - about 1-2 minutes. Keep the door open while you do this. Let it cool in the fridge for at least an hour, overnight is even better. When you're ready to serve the cake, make the whipped cream by whipping the cream on your mixer's highest setting until you get soft peaks. Add the sugar and cream of tarter. Mix again for about 30 minutes and then the vanilla. Spread the cream on top of the cake, cut, and serve.

Yield: I cut the slices on the smaller side and was able to get about 20 slices.
Would I Make This Again?I think I would. The cake was really tasty and that crispy, buttery coconut frosting was divine! It got good reviews from everyone that are it. It just goes to show that not every dessert needs to be super photogenic to be good.

Michelle's Dark Chocolate Fudge Milky Way Cake

Michelle loves chocolate and I mean loves it. She's also one of my first fans, always eager to try whatever confection I had decided to share. I didn't want to let her down, but I was having a real problem trying to decide what to make. Here was the list of top three birthday desserts I was considering:

1. Ultimate Chocolate Trifle - I knew she would like this but I've made it about 20 times and selfishly wanted new blog fodder


2. Home made Swiss Rolls, you know, Little Debbie Style - I thought I could pull this off but really didn't have the time to commit to experimenting. I'll have to save those for another day.


3. Chocolate Truffles - I made these before too and they weren't the best. I've learned a a lot since I made them last but I thought these would be a bit boring, plus I'd have to make at least 50+ for everyone to get a few.

For some odd reason, none of these sounded like a winner. I wanted something chocolately, unexpected, and a little whimsical.

Sunday afternoon, two days before the big birthday, my family and I went on a hike that was a half hour drive away. As I headed out the door, I decided to bring my Chocolate Cake Mix Doctor cookbook with me, with the hopes that I would find something interesting. Within minutes of getting on the road, I found this little gem and decided to give it a try. To make it as chocolaty as possible, I decided to use a chocolate fudge cake mix instead of vanilla and to add a few chocolate chips. I wasn't entirely sure if she liked Milky Way candy bars though, but decided to take a chance and go for it.

It turned out really great! I have seen cakes and desserts where candy bars were cut up or used whole as decoration or where pieces were tucked inside as part of the confection, but I had never considered the possibility of melting a candy bar to flavor and add depth to an otherwise basic cake mix! Oh and get this: turns out that one of Michelle's favorite candy bars is Milky Way. I guess I just have a sixth sense for these things!

Dark Chocolate Fudge Milky Way Cake
Adapted from an Ayne Brynn recipe

Cake
2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons plus 1 cup water
1 package (18.25 ounces) Dark Chocolate Fudge (or any super chocolaty flavor),with pudding in the mix
1 stick of unsalted butter, melted
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/3-1/2 cup of chocolate chips, milk chocolate or bitter sweet (handful)

Frosting:
2 1/2 Milky Way bars (2.05 ounces each), sliced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, at room temperature
1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks (you could use a Hersey's bar cut up into small pieces if you have one handy), chopped
Sprinkles, chocolate curls, cut up Milky Way to decorate (optional)

Preheat the oven to 325F. Lightly mist a 12-cup Bundt pan with Pam with Flour or use vegetable oil spray and dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the pan aside.

Place the chopped Milky Way bars and 2 tablespoons water in a medium-size saucepan over medium-low heat. Heat, stirring, until the candy bars melt and the mixture is smooth, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

Combine the cake mix, 1 cup of water, butter, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Mix on low speed for 1 minute, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Increase the mixer speed to medium and beat 2 minutes more, scraping the sides down again if needed. The batter should look thick and well combined.

Measure out 2/3 cup of the batter and pour it into the cooled candy bar mixture. Add the flour and stir until the mixture is smooth. Pour it into the prepared pan, making sure not to touch the sides of the pan. Smooth out the top by shaking back and forth and side to side.

Pour half the cake batter on top of the first layer and sprinkle the chocolate chips, one chip at a time, on top. Try to get them evenly distributed. Then pour the rest of the batter on top and smooth it out the top by shaking back and forth and side to side.

Bake the cake until it springs back when lightly pressed with your finger and is just starting to pull away from the sides of the pan, 45 to 50 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool for 20 minutes. Run a long, sharp knife around the edge of the cake and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 20 minutes more.

Place the Milky Way bars, chopped chocolate, butter and cream into a saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring, until smooth, 3 to 4 minutes (if it looks lumpy, keep stirring. If it doesn't resolve, try increasing the heat just a little at a time and eventually it will melt and all come together). Let the glaze cool slightly. If it sits too long it will start to solidify. If that happens just reheat it very slowly until it gets melty again.Slide the cake onto a serving platter. Spoon or pour the frosting over the cake so that it drips down the sides. While the frosting is still wet, sprinkle chocolate curls, sprinkles, or leave it plain. Let the cake rest uncovered, for at least 10 minutes, then slice and serve.

Yield:2-20 slices, depending on how you cut the cake!
Would I Make This Again?Sure! This cake was gone in about 5 minutes. Several people didn't even get a slice! But everyone that had one had that "ohh-this-is-so-good-but-I-can't-say-anything-because-I'm-enjoying-this-so-much" look on their faces. Love that!

Celese's Cashew Butter Fudge Terzetto Bars

Celese and I met during one of my son's baseball games about three years ago and soon became friends. She and I are very similar in some ways: we're both perfectionists, creative, and very detail oriented in the work that we do. Around the time we first became friends, I was organizing a big open house party at my job and I hired her as my party planner. We were in harmony with our thinking and at times I felt like I had met my clone. We just clicked.

I don't think I've ever met anyone in my life that's as as strong as a person as she is. Over the last year and a half, her life has been a Lifetime Original Movie script acted out, scene by scene in front of my eyes. I won't get into the specifics but she and her family have been dragged through the mud this year. It absolutely breaks my heart to see such an amazing person have to go through what she has. I have done what I could for her during this time, but mostly I've tried to stay out of her way unless she needs me. When she does it's usually because she just needs a break from the chaos. My job is to get her laughing to the point of tears. This usually involves a trip to the mall where we make fun of ugly clothes at Christopher & Banks (sorry C&B lovers, but there are some serious "What Not To Wear" contenders in that store!) and eat a good meal.

She keeps on keeping on, day by day, with a big smile and infectious laugh. She's focused, incredibly intelligent, and a force to be reckoned with. She's one tough cookie and I love her to death.
When I asked her what she wanted for her birthday treat this year she said she wanted something with lots of nuts, chocolate, and a wee bit salty. At first I was just going to make her cashew butter fudge but then I thought it would be really well complimented by a simple shortbread cookie base and a bittersweet chocolate top that had been sprinkled with just a skosh of red Hawaiian sea salt. Although this part is optional, I highly recommend it. It's unexpected and makes all three flavors pop in your mouth.

Cashew Butter Fudge Terzetto Bars
Adapted from a recipe found on CDKitchen.com

Crust (Borrowed from Dorie Greenspan)
1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into 12-14 pieces
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Fudge
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup heavy cream, at room temperature
1/2 cup full fat milk, at room temperature
1/8 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup non-hydrogenated, all natural, cashew butter, well mixed and at room temperature (I like Trader Joe's Brand)

Topping
7 oz of dark or bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
1/2 stick of butter, at room temperature and cut into 8 small pieces
few pinches of Hawaiian Red Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel (optional - )


Line a 8x8" baking dish or cake pan with wax or parchment paper so it comes up and over the sides of the pan. Butter the paper. Preheat the oven to 350F.

Combine the flour, sugar, powdered sugar, and salt into a food processor. Pulse on high 3 or 4 times until mixed. Add the butter and pulse 12 times or until the dough looks like coarse and lumpy.

Pour the egg yolk over the top of the lumpy flour and butter mixture and mix on high for about 10-15 seconds.

You want it to the point where it looks very well combined and big lumps are forming but you don't want it all sticking together in a ball.

Dump the mixture into the prepared pan and pat it down evenly. Prick several times with a fork and place in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges just start to get tan.

Combine the sugar, cream, milk, and salt in a medium saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Once the mixture begins to bubble, stir frequently until it reaches 235F on a candy thermometer, about 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the vanilla (careful! It will spit and sizzle for a minute so stand back after your pour it in) and cashew butter; continue stirring vigorously for about 5 minutes, until the cashew butter has been completely absorbed, and the fudge is smooth, free of lumps, and very thick.

Transfer the candy into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly with a rubber spatula. Set the dish aside for about 1 hour for the fudge to cool and harden.

Melt the chocolate over a simmering pan of water or in the microwave on a very low power setting. When the chocolate has melted, add the butter. Gently mix together until it's well blended.

Pour the chocolate over the top of the cashew butter fudge layer, smoothing and shaking the pan. Let sit at least 20 minutes in the fridge until solid. If you can wait a solid 8 hours, that would be best. This gives the fudge and chocolate plenty of time to solidify.

When you're ready to cut the bars, lift it out of its container by the waxed paper and set it on a cutting board. With a very sharp knife, slowly cut through all 3 layers. Clean your knife in between cuts for clean, sharp slices.
Cut it into 1-inch squares. Store the fudge in an airtight container that has been lined with wax paper. Store in a cool or cold place.

Yield: You can get anywhere from 24 big pieces to 40 smaller 2-bite pieces depending on how you cut it. Since the fudge and chocolate are so rich and oh so sweet, I opted for cutting them slightly on the smaller side.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! I LOVED the cashew butter fudge all by itself and would like to make that plain someday. Overall though, these were a total home run.

Melt-in-your-mouth Blackberry Muffins

Here in Seattle, the blackberry bushes are bursting with berries. So much so in fact that my coworkers spent a good portion of their afternoon walk picking about four pints worth just for little ole me. They proudly delivered a soggy bottomed brown paper bag, heavy with freshly picked berry goodness. "We thought you could make something with them!" they said proudly, grinning ear to ear. Pretty cute, huh? I've spoiled them a bit, me thinks. :-)

The first thing that came to mind was a blackberry cobbler but that seemed a bit trite. When I got home, I flipped to the index of several of my cookbooks and was shocked that I didn't have one blackberry specific recipe. That was when I opened "Baking with Julia" and stopped when I saw the full color photo of a blueberry muffin. I could make that and just swap the blueberries for the blackberries, right? Could I just swap 'em? Why the heck not?

First I have to say that I loved this recipe. You know it will be good when the batter tastes like frosting. The recipe includes the fixins for homemade baking powder that guarantees you'll creates the most light and airy muffins for miles and miles around. The one pause I had when preparing this recipe was at the end when it called for 2 cups of blueberries to be added to the batter. I'm no scientist but I just didn't feel right about adding 2 cups of super juicy (er, watery) blackberry goo to my beautiful, frosting like batter. So I decided to employ a layering technique to keep the juicy blackberries from ruining the batter. To do this I scooped plain batter into lined muffin cups, put a fair amount of black berries on top, put another layer of batter on top and lately dotted the surface of the muffins with the blackberries just for color and interest. This worked out great! Next time I'll do more another layer, closer to the bottle of the cup.

Not bad for my first made from scratch muffins (seriously!)!

Melt-in-your-mouth Blackberry Muffins
Adapted from "Baking with Julia" by Dorie Greenspan
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tarter
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 to 2 cups blackberries, rinsed and gently placed on a cookie sheet or platter lined with paper towels
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup sour cream or plain yogurt (fat-free works fine)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup sugar
1 large egg, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 400F. Butter, spray, or line 15-18 muffin cups with paper cupcake cups. According to the recipe, the muffins are best made in a standard sized cupcake/muffin tin, so you'll want to avoid using this recipe with really small or large pans. If you have 2 muffin pans with 12 cups, fill the cups that will be empty with water. This will help the muffins bake evenly.

Sift the cake flour, baking soda, cream of tarter, and salt together twice into a bowl and set aside. Keep the sifter handy as you'll be using it again in a moment.

Remove a teaspoon or two of the flour and very carefully sprinkle it over the berries. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix the milk and sour cream together.

In a mixture with a paddle attachment, beat butter for 3 minutes on medium speed until it is white and fluffy. Add the sugar and beat another 3 minutes on medium speed, stopping to scrape the bowl after a minute and a half. Add the egg and egg yolk and beat for another 2 minutes until the mixture is airy and light.

Remove the bowl from the mixture and sift (yes, for third time) half the flour mixture into the wet, mix a little, add half the milk mixture, fold a bit, careful not to over mix and repeat with the rest of the flour and milk mixture. It is okay if there are dry pockets here. Just use your hand and fold the batter carefully and as little as possible until it's fairly well mixed together.

Spoon or scoop the batter into a cupcake/muffin pan lined with paper cups a little less than half way up. Gently place several blackberries on top of the batter and cover with a bit more batter. Top each muffin with a few more blackberries.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Don't forget, if you have any empty cups when you're baking, fill them up with water for even baking. The moisture actually helps to poof them up a bit!

Yield: 36 muffins
Would I Make This AgainYes! I'll do more experimenting next time, such as combining raspberries and blackberries together or even strawberries. I might even be brave and actually mix the watery berry slurry into the batter and see what happens.