Annika's baby block cake

Sometimes I get an idea for a cake design that just takes on a life of its own. I imagine it's similar to what a writer might go through when they have a story that's itching to be written down. I came up with the idea of this cake when my CrossFit instructor, Deidra asked me to make a cake for her close friend who had just given birth to her first child. She wanted a cake that was just for the new mom and dad -- something they could share between just the two of them to celebrate the wonderful event. Such a sweet idea! I had just received a new cake book (Cakes to Inspire and Desire) a few days before and remembered that it had instructions for what it called a "nursery christening brick" cake. I thought it would be a good challenge so I suggested making three small baby blocks and put the baby's initials on the front, "a", "m", "c" for Annika Marie Cramer. Deidra loved the idea and gave me carte blanche to do whatever else I wanted. Instead of using additional graphics for the backs of the blocks, I used Annika's birth date, which made it all the more special. This also helped keep the baby block theme since so many of them include both numbers and letters, as well as pictures. I got a little carried away with the detail of the blocks. I had so much fun making the little pictures, especially the xylophone and the tree. I especially loved making the mallet for the xylophone because I was able to give its surface a little texture and make it three-dimensional too. I made all the pictures, letters, and numbers out of fondant. The blocks were made from three layers of dark chocolate cake with chocolate Swiss buttercream. The images came from a family of graphics that I found on iStockphoto.com that used as stencils. I am pretty delighted with out the cake came out. I loved the bright colors, the playful graphics, and its small stature. I only wished that I had been able to create a better cube shaped cake with sharper, better defined edges, but I don't think I did too bad for this being my first square cake. It was good practice.

Pistachio, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Even though I'm usually thinking about baking the majority of my time, I do have a day job that's about as far away from baking as one can get. I work in the world of technology as a business analyst and one of the interesting things about my job and the company I work for is that each time I'm assigned to work on a project, I get to work with a different group of other IT professionals. These include functional analysts, developers, testers, product management professionals, designers, and information architects, among others. The majority of my teammates work in the same building as I do in Washington state, but several work in other branches as far away as Georgia and Texas.

Over the past few months I have been working hard on a little project with a tight-nit group. Several times a week we used to get together on conference calls to discuss things and the subject of my baking would usually come up. Now if you're a frequent reader of this blog, you'll know that I've been a bit busy making all sorts of crazy treats the last few months. It seemed like each time we talked, everyone was enjoying something I brought in to share. Unfortunately it's been a bit of a tease for those that can only see my baked goods via my blog. One afternoon a few weeks ago, I had a chat with Josh (one of our very talented information architects who is based in Atlanta) who told me about his upcoming birthday plans to go to France and Italy for a few weeks. I took this off-hand comment as the perfect opportunity to stop teasing him and instead treat him to something special. He graciously accepted my offer and sent me his mailing address. Josh told me that one of his favorite desserts is chocolate and pistachio cake. Since a cake wouldn't ship very well, I thought that biscotti would be a good compromise. I made the biscotti over the weekend and brought some one to share. At first I was a little worried that I had done something wrong with the recipe because the cookies weren't as notoriously dry as most biscotti tends to be. Now, don't get me wrong, these cookies were very dry when compared to just about any other cookie I've ever made. It was just that they had a little bit of give to them that made them easier to eat. To my surprise, I received several comments from coworkers that really enjoyed the cookies because of their added moisture. A few even commented that they didn't even like biscotti until they tried these. So I'm not sure if I did something wrong or if that's just what really fresh biscotti is supposed to taste, but whatever it is, it's a good thing (especially when dipped into hot coffee or tea).

Happy Birthday Josh! We appreciate all the hard work you do and hope you have an wonderful vacation!

Pistachio, Cranberry, and Chocolate Chip Biscotti
adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 large whole eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg, separated, at room temperature
1 cups granulated sugar
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or paste
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup sweetened cranberries, chopped
1 cup unsalted pistachios, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon of sugar

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Beat the eggs, one egg yolk, and the sugar on medium speed until pale and thick, about 2 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, followed by the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl and add the chocolate, cranberries, and pistachios until thoroughly mixed. Don’t be alarmed if the dough looks dry. Do not be tempted to add additional moisture!

Preheat the oven to 325F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat mat or with parchment paper.

Using floured hands (the dough will be very sticky!), divide the dough into two or three equal portions (I recommend using a scale to make sure my potions were the same but you can eye-ball it too). On a lightly floured surface, shape each log so that it’s about 1 1/2 inches wide. If you're making two logs, they each be about 12 1/2 inches long. If you’re making 3 logs, they should each be about 8 inches long. Take care in making sure that the width is consistently 1 1/2 inches wide from the top to the bottom of the log. This will ensure consistent baking.

Place the logs on the baking sheet about 3 inches apart. In a small bowl, beat the reserved egg-white with a folk until frothy. With a pastry brush, glaze each log with the egg white and sprinkle with the reserved 1 teaspoon full of sugar (don’t feel pressure to use all the sugar, only what you need to get an even coating).

Bake the logs for 15 minutes and rotate the pan 180 degrees to ensure even browning. Bake for 10 more minutes and check to see if they are lightly golden brown, form to the touch (especially in the center) and just beginning to crack. If they are not, continue baking checking every 5 minutes.

Turn off the oven, remove the pan, and let it cool on a baking rack until they are cool enough to touch – about 40 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 200F. With a sharp, serrated knife (I highly recommend using an an offset serrated knife if you have one), slice each biscotti (on the bias if you want) into 1/4 inch slices. Julia’s Tip: The handle of most wooden spoons just happens to be about 1/4 inch wide. This helped me to consistently measure each slice.

Arrange the cookies back on the baking sheet (using the same parchment or Silpat mat) in a single layer. Return them to the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes, or until they are toasted and slightly crisp. Cool the cookies completely on the cookie sheets, then store them in an airtight container, at room temperature, for up to 2 weeks.

Note: I do not recommend doubling this recipe unless you have a KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers or KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixers. If you have a KitchenAid Classic Plus White Stand Mixer like I do, it really struggles to mix all the ingredients together.

Yield:You could get about 35 to 40 cookies out of this recipe.
Would I Make This Again?I would! It's a great basic recipe to play with and I look forward to swapping out the ingredients to try different flavor combinations like dried apricot, white chocolate, and cashew or maybe dates, walnuts, and dark chocolate...yuummm!Oh, one last thing to add: I sent a box of these cookies to my sister in North Carolina. She told me that she gave one to my four year old nephew, in spite of the fact that she wasn't sure that he'd like it. She told him that they are called biscotti and after taking one bite, he looked at her and said, "Hey, these biscotti should be called cookies!" This gave me quite the belly laugh!

Baked Walnut Stuffed Figs & Dates

When I go grocery shopping, I tend to go to a few different stores, sometimes as many as four! I know, I'm nuts but it's just something I do because I'm picky about the food I buy, especially when it comes to produce and baking supplies. There is one grocery store that I shop at because they have a great assortment of bulk foods and spices. For those of you in the Seattle area that are curious, it's Central Market.

While I was there getting a few things a few weeks ago, I was looking through all the bins for nothing in particular and stumbled upon Medjool dates. I had only had dates a few times in my life and had never been much of a fan as they were always dry and grainy. However these dates were plump, shiny, and looked to be bursting with flavor. I decided to be brave and try one and boy was I glad I did. They are SO good!

Not only are dates delicious, they are really good for you too. Dates are low in calories (around 24 in each one) and have more potassium than a banana. They are also high in fiber and have no sodium or cholesterol.

I've been so coo-coo for Medjool dates that when I found a recipe that called for Calimyrna figs, I subconsciously substituted them for dates. I even wrote down "Calimyrna Figs" on my grocery list and it wasn't until I was standing in front of the Medjool date bin at the store did I realize my error. The idea of not using the dates made me a little sad (I had my heart set on it!) so I decided I'd make the recipe with both. It worked out perfectly. I made this for an apartment-warming party and everyone liked them a lot. I only wished I had made them with Agave or maple syrup so that the vegans in attendance could have enjoyed them too. For some reason I can never remember that honey isn't vegan!

Baked Walnut Stuffed Figs & Dates
adapted from Dolce Italiano: Desserts from the Babbo Kitchen by Gina DePalma

12-18 small Calimyrna figs
12 pump Medjool dates (look for these in your bulk food department)
3/4 to 1 cup of walnut halves
2 cups of 100% white grape juice (I use the Santa Cruz brand which I think has the best flavor)
2 tablespoons of honey, maple, or agave syrup
2 or 3 3 to 4 inch strips of orange zest from 1 organic orange that's been well scrubbed

Pour the grape juice into a small sauce pan and simmer on a low boil for about 1/2 hour, until it reduces by half.

While the grape juice is reducing, preheat the oven to 325F and position the wrack in the center.

Before I explain the steps for preparing the fruit, keep in mind the goal is to make a pocket to hold the nuts. Be careful not to cut through the fig or date or to cut the pouches too big. You can always make it bigger when it's time to stuff it with a nut.

Remove the stems from the dates and with a sharp paring knife, along one side, cut a slit from the top to the bottom of the date, until you reach the center. Remove the pit and set the date aside. Repeat with all of the dates. Set aside.

Remove the stems from the figs. Hold the fig so the bottom is down on the cutting board. With a sharp paring knife, make a vertical slit along the top and down through the side, but be careful not to cut it all the way through. Set aside.

Insert one or two walnut halves into the fruit. You can use your finger to hollow out the inside of the date, if needed. Be careful not to puncture the skin on the opposite side of the fruit. Close the slit over the nuts, if you can.

To stuff the figs, use 3 or 4 walnut halves to stuff the larger ones and one or a few broken pieces to stuff the smaller ones. There's really no right or wrong way to do it. The main goal with both fruits is to avoid over stuffing them so that the break. If that happens, just put them fruit-side-up in the baking dish.

Place the fruit in a smallish sized baking dish, nut side up, leaving a little room in between each piece. Pour the reduced grape juice over the fruit and drizzle the honey over the top of the fruit. Add the orange zest to the pan.

Bake the figs uncovered for 20 minutes. Turn them once and bast them with the juices. Return them to the oven and bake them for 15 minutes and baste. Bake for an additional 15 minutes. Remove the figs from the oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

When they have cooled you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks. They can also be served warm out of the oven.

Serving tip: They go great when paired with salty cheese like aged provolone or feta.

Yield:Several! 10 to 20? Its one of those thing you just nosh on.
Would I Make This Again?Yes! These were so incredibly delicious, I had to put them in the trunk on the way to the party so I wouldn't be tempted to eat any.

My apologies for the craptastic photos lately. My camera has jumped the shark, me thinks.

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

For the last few days I've been wracking my brain trying to figure out what I could bring to a little Ladies Only PJ Party I was invited to. I wanted to make something that would appeal to crowd, but needed to be easy to whip together after work. I was leaning toward a Bundt cake because I knew it would be speedy and usually tastes good warm (I knew I'd be dashing to the party the moment the cake was done), but other than that, I was at a loss.

I started digging around AllRecipes.com and came across Honey's Butter Cake. After reading the recipe and several of the comments, it occurred to me that the cake was a bit similar to my Snickerdoodle Blondie recipe. That's when the light-bulb went on! I could tweak the recipe in just a few places and I'd have myself a Snickerdoodle cake. So that's exactly what I did. I added a sugar crust, swapped a cup of white sugar for light-brown, and upped the vanilla flavor. I was a little nervous about the crust of the cake as I knew it had to be spot-on to be able give it the Snickerdoodle name.

(Isn't this the coolest picture of the cake's crust?)

I'm happy to report that this cake was a success! The outside of the cake had the crispy shell I had hoped for and the inside was moist and snickerdoodly! As an added bonus, this cake makes the whole house smell like a big snickerdoodle cookie while it's baking. Yummmm!

Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 cup white sugar

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup white sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

In a small bowl, combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon. Mix together really well and set aside.


Preheat oven to 325F. Here's the exact way I made the crust: Using a spray product like Pam with Flour (I LOVE this stuff -- seriously its changed my life!), generously spray a 9 inch Bundt pan, being careful to cover all the nooks and cranies, as well as the center tube. (Note: If you don't want to use Pam with Flour, you can just grease the pan with shortening.) Gently dust the entire inside of the pan with the sugar and cinnamon mixture. You should only need about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of sugar, but you want to try and evenly coat the inside surface of the pan, including the tube. Save the remaining sugar and cinnamon mixture and set everything aside.

Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

Beat just the butter on medium speed for one full minute. Add the white sugar and mix for 3 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl and blade and add the brown sugar.

Mix for 2 minutes until the mixture looks light brown and uniform in color. Add the eggs one at a time, beating each for 1 full minute. Stir in the vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the sour cream; beat well.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with 1/4 to 1/3 of a cup of the cinnamon sugar mixture over top the cake. Spread the rest of the batter into the pan and sprinkle any remaining sugar mixture over the top. (If you run out of cinnamon sugar, you can mix just 1/4 cup of sugar + 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon together for the top of the cake. It should be more than enough.)

Bake in the preheated oven for 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool for 10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: It really depends on how big you cut the slices. Traditionally a 9" Bundt should serve about 12, but if you cut the slices smaller, you can feed about 18 to 24.
Would I Make This Again? Definitely! Since I didn't save a piece for my hubby, he's been moping around the house. I think I'll make one for him to take to work next week. :)

If you like this recipe, please be sure to try my Snickerdoodle Blondies or my Pumpkin Pie Snickerdoodle Bars.

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts

If you're a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, and I mean really a fan, you will absolutely fall head over heals in love with this brownie! It starts with a super fudgey brownie that's studded with chopped salted peanuts, that's topped with a luscious layer of peanut butter frosting, and finished with a generous layer of rich semisweet chocolate ganache. What's not to love?

I made these brownies for my colleague Jim in honor of his birthday. He brought them to our Monday meeting and passed them around during the last five minutes. From the moment Jim took the lid off the container, everyone could smell the rich peanut buttery goodness wafting through the room.

The hardest part of this recipe was removing the skins from the Spanish peanuts I bought from the bulk food section. It took a while, but it was worth it. The smaller peanuts were softer and complimented the brownie texture perfectly. Plus Spanish peanuts have a slightly higher fat content which helps make the brownie that much more fudgey.

You'll notice that there's nutmeg in the peanut butter frosting. I thought it would be odd and was going to leave it out, but after reading some of the feedback on Epicurious, I decided I'd keep it. I'm glad I did too because it did a great job of amplifying the peanut butter's flavor -- it really added a little something extra.

Peanut Butter and Fudge Brownies with Salted Peanuts
adapted from Dorie Greenspan

Brownies
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup roasted salted peanuts* with skins removed, coarsely chopped (optional)

Frosting
1 1/2 cups or chunky or creamy peanut butter (do not use natural or old-fashioned as the frosting will separate)
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft)
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 tablespoon whole milk,
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or paste

Ganache
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (very soft)
7 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

For brownies:
Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 325F. Line 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with foil, leaving long overhang; butter foil (don't use wax paper as it will stick).

Place 3/4 cup butter in heavy large saucepan. Add both chocolates; stir over low heat until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in sugar, vanilla, and salt, then eggs, 1 at a time. Take the time to fully incorporate the egg before adding the next one. Fold in flour, then add the nuts. Spread in prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; cool for half and hour. When the pan is cool enough to touch the bottom, put it in the fridge for half an hour.

For frosting and ganache:
Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter and 1/4 cup butter in medium bowl to blend for 3 minutes. Beat in powdered sugar, salt, and nutmeg, then milk and vanilla. Spread frosting over brownies. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or longer. (If you can't wait to chill the brownies, you can go ahead and move on to the next step, however chilling the peanut butter frosting firms it up. This will keep it from interfering with your ability to spread the ganache.)

Stir chocolate and 1/4 cup butter in heavy small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Drop ganache all over frosting; spread to cover. Chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Do ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled.

Using foil as aid, transfer brownie cake to work surface; cut into squares, cleaning off the knife after each slice.

* You can omit these and use peanut butter chips instead. However if you do use peanuts, try to find a Spanish peanuts as they are smaller and softer. You can usually find them in the bulk isle. If you can't find them, go ahead and use what ever you can find; they will still taste great.

Yield: I cut about 40 bars, but they were on the small side.
Would I Make This Again? Sure! If you're looking for a peanut lover's perfect treat, you've found it! :)

Sincere Strawberry Cupcakes

I'm the first to admit that cake mixes can be used to make some pretty amazing desserts, but for some reason the idea of using them to make cupcakes for a baby shower just seemed all wrong. When I was looking for a recipe to use, the vast majority that I found included a box of white cake mix and strawberry gelatin. While I know that this recipe is beloved by many (it has quite the following in the South), I wanted to make cupcakes that looked an tasted like real strawberries, not day-glo red in color and strawberry Kool-aid flavored.
There were a few other "scratch" style strawberry cupcake recipes that looked promising, but nothing really jumped out at me. My goal was to find a recipe that resembled the flavor of strawberry shortcake and I think this recipe came really close. You know when you're almost done with a bowl and strawberry shortcake, and the strawberries, cake, and cream are all muddled together at the bottom? Well this is what this cupcake tasted like! Since I was making these cupcakes specifically for the Whale Cupcakes, I wanted the frosting to be white so I opted to make my favorite tried and true vanilla buttercream frosting. However the next time I make these, I plan to include a few tablespoons of strawberries and strawberry juice in the frosting for some extra strawberry flavor and color.

In the end, I was thrilled with the end result. Everyone loved them! Oh and I'm pretty sure that they would adapt well to any type of fruit. Perhaps next time I'll try cherry!

Sincere Strawberry Cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
2 3/4 cups sifted cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature
1 pkg (10-12 ounces) frozen strawberries, defrosted or fresh strawberries (please see specific instructions for below)
2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

If you're using fresh strawberries: First, rinse the berries really well and remove the stems. Quarter or rough chop them them into a bowl and add a few tablespoons of water and mix to coat. Then add a tablespoon or two of sugar (enough to coat the surface) and mix to coat again. Cover and refrigerate the berries for several hours or better yet, overnight.

If you're using frozen strawberries: Put the defrosted strawberries into a bowl and cover them with the sugar, mixing well to coat them. Let the strawberries sit on the counter for at least an hour to macerate (best to do this the night before or early in the day).

Once they are soft and mushy, use a fork to mash the strawberries. Be careful not to mash them too much (you want there to be some chucks). Place the berries in a mesh strainer and drain as much of the juice that you can. Reserve the juice.

Preheat oven to 350F. Line muffin tin with baking cups.

In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar with electric mixer for 3 minutes. It should be very pale yellow and and fluffy. Add one egg at a time and mix for 1 full minute on medium-low speed (no cheating! :) ) - be sure to scrape down the bowl a few times to ensure that everything is mixing together properly. Add vanilla and almond extract and mix again for 30 seconds.

In a small bowl, whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, in 3 batches, starting with the flour. Be sure to mix well after each addition and scrape the bowl down every so often.

Mix in the strawberries on low speed plus 1/4 cup of the strawberry juice. Scoop batter into prepared pan and bake for 21-23 minutes. The surface of the cupcakes should spring back when touched and just a little brown. You can also test doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of the cupcake comes out with just a few pieces of cake clinging to it. Cool in the pan for about 5 minutes and then transfer to a wire rack.

While the cakes are still a little warm, using a clean pastry brush (or a folk), paint the surface of the cupcake with the strawberry juice (be careful not to saturate the surface). Let the cupcakes continue to cool completely. Frost if desired. Cover and store at room temperature or in the fridge. Frost with your favorite frosting (I prefer to use Wilton's Buttercream frosting or eat plain.

Yield:24 to 28 cupcakes
Would I Make This Again? Definitely -- these came out exactly as I had hoped and are a real crowd pleaser.

Check out Confessions of a City Eaters for an amaretto version of this recipe.

A Whale of a Cupcake

Sometimes you never know where inspiration will come from. For me, it can come from a song, a child’s toy, or from a random item I find at a thrift store. It’s not something I can force or rush; although I do admit that I try. I just have to open myself up to the possibility and it usually just happens.

Last week my coworker Pooja (you remember the fudge I made for her) asked me if I could be interested in making a treat for a little baby shower she was throwing for a new dad on her team. I loved the idea of making something cute and babyish but appropriate for a guy, but I really had no idea what that would be.

So after work last Friday, I headed to the grocery store to pick up some vittles for the weekend and wandered over to the baby department. Slowly I pushed my cart between the narrow isles full of toys, bibs, socks, and loads clothing, looking for anything that might spark my creativity. Just when I was about to give up hope, I found my muse: a little whale! I don’t know why, but whales seem very masculine to me and I knew these would work perfectly.

As for the cupcake flavor? Well, Pooja was very sly and found out that the new dad’s favorite dessert is strawberry shortcake. Since those wouldn’t hold up to being decorated with little whales, I decided I’d make strawberry cupcakes with vanilla buttercream. And just in case you’re curious how I made these: the whales and star fish are made out of gum paste, the “ocean” disk and little wave pedestals are both made out of marbleized blue and white fondant, and the little splashes of water coming out of the blowhole are made from non-edible flower stamens.

I got a little carried away with taking pictures, so here's some more:

Jake's Awesome Banana Bread

For Christmas last year I had a really difficult time finding gifts for my thirteen year old son, Jake. He's at the age where he's too old for most traditional toys and I'm not into gifting cash so unless I want to give him a bunch of video games, pickings are slim.

One chilly afternoon I ducked into my neighborhood bookstore to kill some time. After I found a few little stocking stuffers and a book for myself, I decided to wander over to the kids section to see if I could find anything interesting for Jake. That's when I found this book, Teens Cook: How to Cook What You Want to Eat. After flipping through the pages, I knew this would be perfect for him! It's written by two teenagers (both girls) and all the recipes are food that kids would actually want to eat. The recipes are simple, they don't have a lot of ingredients, and are written in a way a teenager can understand. Best of all there are photographs of every recipe.

This banana bread recipes was the first one he wanted to try. He made it without any help from me -- I was impressed by his confidence! I have to admit, I didn't expect it to be all that but I can honestly say that it was very, very good. I loved it! It wasn't fancy or fussy, it was just everything banana bread is supposed to be - moist, lots of sincere banana flavor, and just a little crust along the edges to give it a little texture. And, as an added bonus, while it's baking it makes the entire house smell great wonderful!

Banana Bread
adapted from Teen Cookbook

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, at room temperature
3 medium very ripe bananas, slightly mashed
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 Kosher salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup walnuts (optional - Jake doesn't use them in his bread)

Preheat the oven to 375F. Lightly butter or spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan.

Place the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1 minute. Add the eggs and mix for 1 minute. Add the bananas and mix for 1 minute. The batter will be lumpy, but the pieces of banana should all be 1/2 inch or smaller.

Add the baking soda and salt and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Add the flour and mix on low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally until all the flour is incorporated. Stir in the walnuts if you decide to use them.

Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 15 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350F and bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Remove the bread from the pan and place it on a cooling rack. (If you let the bread cool in the pan, the bottom will get soggy.)

Yield:10 or so slices, depending on how thick you slice the bread
Would I Make This Again?Yes! However I always ask Jake to make it because it's now his bread. He gets a big smile on his face whenever I tell him how much I love it.

Chocolate Stout Mega Cake

My good friend is not a big fan of anything food that is predominately flavored with citrus fruits, particularly lemon. To compound things, my son who likes lemons is not a fan of almonds, so I knew they would be underwhelmed at the idea of eating the Torta di Mandorla that I made on the night of our little Oscar party. So as not to exclude them from the dessert festivities, I set out to find a dessert that they would both like.

After a few minutes of perusing Epicurious.com, I found this a recipe that not only looked super simple to make, had over 300 reviews, and scored a 94% on the “would you make it again” scale. Plus it’s made with of all things, beer. Beer and chocolate?

Boy did this cake live up to its reputation! Now, honestly I can’t give you my opinion on taste because I didn’t have any – I know it’s hard to believe, but I really don’t like the taste of chocolate, especially a cake like this where it’s chocolate on chocolate. However, between my son and my friend’s boyfriend that was over, and the twenty or so other folks this cake fed at work the next day, there is no doubt that this cake is a sure fire hit. Everyone loved it!

The original recipe says that it makes 12 servings but my cake fed close to 25 servings (this is why I call this a "mega" cake!) The recipe says to make it in three eight-inch cake pans but I decided to make a two layer cake using my ten-inch cake pans instead. Even after filling the pans a little more than half-way with batter, I still had enough left to fill two four-inch round pans! That's a lot of batter!

The finished cakes were extremely dense and would be great for carving or stacking. Once they cooled, I covered them loosely with plastic wrap and let them sit overnight to let its flavor mature, which according to several reviewers is a critical step in this cake’s success. Several reviewers said that this cake tastes best after 48 hours.

My only beef with this recipe was with the frosting, however I think that might have been my fault. I used several different brands of chocolate to get the full pound the recipe called for. Half of it was in chip form and the other was block, which I chopped. I’m not sure if the combination of chocolates made the frosting so viscous or if it was the brand of whipping cream I used (all I could get was Lucerne brand from Safeway which is definitely not my favorite.) The problem I had was that my ganache never got to the point where it was spreadable; it was just too drippy! To fix it, I added powdered sugar to it and it eventually firmed up just fine.

As a fun and inexpensive way to decorate the cake, I melted down some chocolate using a double-boiler, spread it thin on a sheet of parchment paper, covered it with another sheet of paper, rolled-up the paper in a tight tube, and stored it in the refrigerator until the chocolate had hardened (about 2 hours.) When I unrolled it, it created lots of bark-like bands of chocolate that I carefully peeled from the paper and affixed to the top and sides of the cake. You'll want to use tongs or just work really fast because the heat from your hands will melt the chocolate. See how it's done by watching this video from Fine Cooking Magazine:


Oh and just in case you’re curious, even though this cake was made with a very full-bodied beer, my son had no idea there was any alcohol in this cake. His only complaint was that it was “too filling” – go figure!

Chocolate Stout Mega Cake
adapted from Epicurious.com

Cake
2 cups stout* such as Guinness (pour the beer slowly and don't include the foam in your measurement)
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)

4 cups all purpose flour
4 cups sugar
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/3 cups full-fat sour cream, at room temperature

Icing
2 cups whipping cream
1 pound bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
(if your ganache doesn't set, you may need several (1-6 cups) of powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350F. Butter three 8-inch round cake pans with 2-inch-high sides or 2 10 or 12-inch cake pans. Line with parchment paper. Butter paper. Bring 2 cups stout and 2 cups butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.

Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add about 1/2 cup of the stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and mix very slowly to temper it (this will help you to avoid scrambling the eggs) and beat just to combine. Repeat the process another three times (for a total of 2 cups) and then add the remainder of the stout-chocolate mixture.

Add the flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed - scrape the bowl a few times to look for hidden flour pockets but be careful not to over mix! Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted into center of cakes comes out clean, about 35 minutes. Transfer cakes to rack; cool 10 minutes. Turn cakes out onto rack and cool completely. Cover and store for a minimum of 24 hours before frosting.

For icing:
Bring cream to a very low simmer in heavy medium saucepan. Remove from heat. Add chopped chocolate and whisk until melted and smooth. Refrigerate until icing is spreadable, stirring frequently, about 2 hours. (Julia's note: I left my frosting in the refrigerator for close to 5 hours and it was very soupy. I even tried putting it in the freezer for a half an hour and that didn't work either. To help with thicken it, I slowly added sifted powdered sugar until it thickened up. It took me approximately 4 to 6 cups to get it to the point where I could spread it.)

Place 1 cake layer on plate. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with second cake layer. Spread 2/3 cup icing over. Top with third cake layer. Spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake. If you're only making two layers, use 1 cup between the layers and spread remaining icing over top and sides of cake.

Decorate any way you'd like or just leave it plain. Keep covered and store in the fridge or the counter.

Yield:8-inch cake: 12 good size servings, 10-inch cakes: 25+ servings of varying sizes
Would I Make This Again? Yes, this is now my new stand-by, super chocolaty, over the top, go-to chocolate cake recipe.