Kevin and Kaitlyn's Engagment Party

I'm in charge of desserts for the engagement party. My overall goal is have an assortment of things that are easy to cut into pieces and able to be frozen if there are leftovers.
The only problem is that I'm a chocolate fiend, so I've noticed that almost everything I've picked includes some type of chocolate. Oops!

Here are my top selections:

Peanut Butter Cream Topped Brownies

Ingredients

Brownies

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons margarine or 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Peanut Butter Cream

• 1/4 cup margarine or 1/4 cup butter
• 2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 -4 tablespoons light cream or 3 -4 tablespoons milk

Chocolate Glaze

• 2 tablespoons semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 2 teaspoons butter

Directions

1. BROWNIES: Preheat your oven to 325°F Grease a 9 inch square baking pan.
2. In a medium sauce pan, combine the sugar, butter, and water. Cook on low heat, stirring to prevent burning, until it boils. Remove the pan from the heat.
3. Add the chocolate chips; stir until completely melted.

4. Next, add the eggs and vanilla. Mix with a spoon until well blended.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour, salt, baking soda). Add to the chocolate mixture, make sure it is mixed in well.
6. Pour the batter into the 9 inch pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the brownies begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Do not over bake. Cool completely.
7. PEANUT BUTTER CREAM: Beat the butter and peanut butter in a medium bowl.
8. Alternately add the powdered sugar and light cream, mixing it to spreading consistency.
9. Frost the brownies once they are completely cool.
10. CHOCOLATE GLAZE: Using a small microwave safe bowl, melt the chocolate chips and the butter on high for about 45 seconds. Stir the mixture until the chips are completely melted.
11. Drizzle the glaze over the frosted brownies. Refrigerate until chocolate is set. Cut into 24 bars.
12. Cover and store the brownies in the refrigerator.

Martha's Coconut Cupcakes

Ingredients

Makes 21

• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup packed sweetened shredded coconut
• 6 ounces (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg whites
• 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Seven-Minute Frosting
• 1 1/3 cups large-flake unsweetened coconut

Directions

1. Make cupcakes as directed in Basic Cupcake How-To, adding sweetened coconut to dry ingredients, and using coconut milk and vanilla for wet ingredients. Once cupcakes are cool, mound frosting on tops. Sprinkle with unsweetened coconut. Serve immediately.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Coconut Cupcakes with Seven-Minute Frosting and Coconut Flakes Recipe - MarthaStewart.com


OR

Carrot Cake (I'm turning them into cupcakes) from Epicurious

Cake
2 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups canola oil
4 large eggs
3 cups grated peeled carrots
1 1/4 cups coarsely chopped walnuts
2 tablespoons minced peeled ginger

Icing
10 ounces cream cheese (such as Philadelphia), room temperature
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup pure maple syrup

12 walnut halves (for garnish)

For cake:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch-diameter cake pans. Line bottom of pans with waxed paper. Butter and flour paper; tap out excess flour. Whisk flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon in medium bowl to blend. Whisk sugar and oil in large bowl until well blended. Whisk in eggs 1 at a time. Add flour mixture and stir until blended. Stir in carrots, walnuts and ginger. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 40 minutes. Cool cakes in pans 15 minutes. Turn out onto racks. Peel off waxed paper; cool cakes completely.

For icing:

Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar and beat at low speed until well blended. Beat in maple syrup. Chill until just firm enough to spread, 30 minutes.

Place 1 cake layer on platter. Spread with 3/4 cup icing. Top with second layer. Spread remaining icing over entire cake. Arrange walnut halves around top edge. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover with cake dome; chill. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/printerfriendly/Carrot-Cake-with-Maple-Cream-Cheese-Icing-102155#ixzz0xzHxViqU

Cooking Light's Pumpkin Pound Cake

Ingredients

• Cake:
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour (about 13 1/2 ounces)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 
  Glaze:
• 1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°.

To prepare the cake, lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour. Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 additional layers of paper towels. Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in pumpkin and vanilla. Lightly spoon 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups, and level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.

And last but not least...something classic, like these Chocolate Chip Cookies

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup white sugar

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups chocolate chips (I use 1/2 white and 1/2 milk chocolate)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease cookie sheets or line with parchment paper.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream together the melted butter, brown sugar and white sugar until well blended. Beat in the vanilla, egg and egg yolk until light and creamy. Mix in the sifted ingredients until just blended. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand using a wooden spoon. Drop cookie dough onto the prepared cookie sheets. Cookies should be about 3 inches apart.

Bake for 15-17 minutes (depending on size of cookie) in the preheated oven, or until the edges are lightly toasted. Cool on baking sheets for a few minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool completely

I would love to practice setting up tables like this http://yourhomebasedparties.com/
and get some good experience.

How to poach peaches and make cobbler...and other delicious sides!

Tonight was scheduled to be Bible study at my house...well, scheduled. Our leader ended up stuck waiting for a tow truck and we ended up eating and visiting.
I'd been wanting to try a few different things, one being all the in-season peaches (from the grocery store and my friend Jen's peach tree!) and an avocado salsa.
My Bible study girls and I pretty much downed the salsa and the peach cobbler was a huge success!

Salsa (from Jen)

2 avocado's-diced
4 tomatoes-diced
1 red onion-diced
1 can of black beans
1 can of corn

Garlic salt to taste (I used 1/8-1/4 tsp...very little!)


And although this cobbler is originally entitled "Iva's Peach Cobbler" from Taste of Home, I'm naming it Katie's Peach Cobbler.

I also experimented with poached peaches first...super easy. Boil a large pot of water, add peaches (about 8 at a time), let them sit in the boiling water for 1 minute. Remove and place in another large bowl of ice water. The peach skin comes right off!

• 6 to 8 large ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
• 2-1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 3/4 to 1 cup sugar
• 
  CRUST:
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 egg whites, stiffly beaten

Directions

• Combine peaches, cornstarch and sugar; place in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. For crust, combine flour, egg yolks, butter, baking powder and sugar in a bowl. Gently fold egg whites. Spread over peaches. Bake at 375° for about 45 minutes or until the fruit is bubbling around edges and top is golden.
  
• Yield: 12 servings.

Things that taste better the day after

This is a super easy, incredible tasting homemade marina. I refuse to buy the cans when I can make this the night before and let it cook for a while on the stove top. Your food processor is your best friend for this recipe....just process that celery, onion and carrot and add crushed tomato!!
I made this last night and I'm loving the fact that dinner is done tonight...homemade marina with lots leftover to freeze. Plus my favorite...adding angel hair pasta and grilled chicken.

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes (I like the Italian ones)
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan-Regiano cheese

Directions
In a large pot, heat the oil over a medium-high flame. Add the onions and garlic and saute until the onions are translucent, about 10 minutes. Add the celery, carrots, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and simmer uncovered over low heat until the sauce thickens, about 1 hour. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and season the sauce with more salt and pepper, to taste.

Breakfast for Dinner

One of best aspects of teaching is the relationships that have been built. These are two of my favorite college freshman (as of May 2010!). One is going off to Baylor, so we had a girls night to celebrate the last time we would see her!
We had planned to eat later, so I knew I didn't want to cook something heavy and time consuming. Therefore, I decided on breakfast, at 8:30 at night.

This Apricot Stuffed French Toast is incredible! You could certainly substitute any jam/jelly in place of apricot preserves. I used strawberry jam since I had a brand new jar and served this with boysenberry syrup and a breakfast casserole. In my opinion, breakfast casseroles are just about the best thing. They make great leftovers rolled up in a tortilla, or just reheated. And bonus, you can use just about anything and it will taste great!

Simple Breakfast Casserole

Preheat oven to 350
Spray a 9 x 9 square pan with Pam (If you want to make a 13 x 9, just double the ingredients)

1 cup frozen hash browns
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk (I used skim, but you can use 1%, 2%, half/half)
1/2 cup roasted red pepper
1 onion
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2-3/4 cup cheese (any kind, I used shredded Parmesan)

Saute onions until tender, add pepper to heat through (about 5-7 minutes)
Whisk together 6 eggs, milk and salt/pepper
Layer hash browns on bottom of pan, top with onions and red pepper, pour egg mixture and sprinkle cheese on top.

Bake at 350 for 20 minutes, or until set.

Apricot Stuffed French Toast (From Martha Stewart, Everyday Food)

Serves 4

• 1 loaf Italian bread (about 4 inches in diameter), cut into eight 1-inch-thick slices
• 3 tablespoons apricot jam
• 1/4 cup (2 ounces) reduced-fat cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup low-fat (1 percent) milk
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 to 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Pure maple syrup, for serving (optional)

1. Using a paring knife, cut a horizontal slit in each bread slice to form a pocket. In a bowl, blend jam and cream cheese. Spoon 1 tablespoon mixture into each pocket.
2. In a shallow bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, and cinnamon until combined. In a large nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon butter over medium-low heat. Lay half the bread slices in egg mixture, letting them soak 5 seconds on each side.
3. Place slices in skillet; cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining bread, adding more butter to skillet if needed. If desired, serve French toast with syrup and bacon.