Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie "Cake"

Today was my handsome hubby's 28th birthday so we celebrated with a round of golf (I am lobster red after not seeing the sun much since before my mission!) going to the movie "Up" (I highly recommend it . . . darling!) and of course birthday cake!
This year I made my cookie dough loving hubby a giant cookie cake . . . so I have another cake making an appearance! (SG fam I am bringing half of it to Mom's Saturday so we don't have it at our house to tempt us . . . so grab a fork and head over!) I am going to have to change my blog title if this keeps up!My nephew has requested an Optimus Prime birthday cake on Tuesday . . . so yes I will most likely have another cake posted again! We will see if I get anything else on here between now and then! I think this would also be a great idea to do with sugar cookies or to substitute M&M's in place of the chocolate chips! I did a light chocolate cream cheese filling by adding melted chocolate chips but you can so straight up cream cheese filling by eliminating the chocolate. It seriously was a fun cake and delish to devour! Zum Geburtstag Viel Glueck babe!

Giant Chocolate Chip Cookie "Cake"

4 cups all-purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 1/2 tsp Salt
6 Tbsp Butter, softened
1 1/2 cups packed Light Brown Sugar
3/4 cup granulated Sugar
3 tsp pure Vanilla Extract
2 large Eggs, plus 2 Egg Yolks
3/4 cup Heavy Cream
3 cups Semisweet or Milk Chocolate Chips (I am a milk chocolate girl myself)

Cream Cheese Filling
4 Packages Cream Cheese, room temperature (if you use fat free cream cheese it is a little more runny, I meet in the middle and do neufchatel or half neufchatel and half fat free . . .)1-1 1/2 cups Confectioners' Sugar
2 Tbsp Butter, room temperature
1 tsp Vanilla
1 cup Semi-Sweet or Milk Chocolate chips, melted (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk flour, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl. Put butter and brown and granulated sugars into mixer bowl; mix on medium until pale and fluffy. Mix in vanilla, eggs, and yolks. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in 2 batches, alternating with the cream. Stir in chocolate chips.
2. For each of the 7 layers, drop 1 level cup batter onto center of a baking sheet lined with parchment (keep unbaked dough refrigerated). Spread batter with wet hands or a spoon into an 8-inch circle. Bake until edges are pale golden brown, about 8 minutes. Remove from oven. Use offset spatula to reshape circle. Return to oven; bake until edges are golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes more. Transfer to wire rack; let cool. Can be stored airtight up to 1 day.
3.Mix cream cheese, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar on medium-high speed until pale and fluffy. Add melted chocolate if desired and mix until just incorporated. Spread onto 4 cookies. Stack cookies, placing unfrosted cookie on top. Refrigerate until frosting is set, at least 20 minutes or up to 4 hours. Serve at room temperature. Enjoy!

(Yes this does make 7 cookies, but the birthday boy loves cookie dough . . . so our cake had 6!)

Cowboy Wedding Cake

My sweet, totally beautiful and amazing cousin Casi got married this weekend and asked me to do her wedding cake! It was a lot of fun because it was a western cake complete with cowboy and cowgirl silhouettes and horseshoes around it! It also tasted pretty darn good with an Almond Sour Cream White Cake and Vanilla Almond whipped filling!My littlest sister was my hero when she stayed up with me until 2 and carefully cut out the silhouettes and then dusted the accents with bronzing dust! (Thanks Velv!) My husband was also amazing as always and stepped in to knead some of the fondant when I could not bare touching the powder sugar anymore so thanks again Toph! I was trying not to cry when after driving 3 hours (and Utah roads are NEVER bumpy . . .) to the reception we discovered that the fondant had started to slide on the top 2 layers . . . my aunt reminded me that this even happens on Ace of Cakes . . . but still I wanted it to be perfect but everyone was so nice and complimentary and the reception was darling and all who attended from our clan had a great time and thoroughly loved watching Casi and Jake and seeing how happy they were! Congrats again!Thanks you two for including all of "the Parry girls" so much and Teri and Dave you two are awesome and a day and have a great son in law to add to the Christensen clan! We were thrilled to share this happy occasion with you all and look forward to many more!!!
Vanilla Almond Filling

1 Large Package Instant Vanilla Pudding
1/2-1 tsp Almond Extract
1 8 oz carton Cool Whip
1 Cup Milk

Whisk the pudding, milk and almond extract together in a bowl until all the lumps are out. Fold in the whipping cream and chill until use. Enjoy!

(This filling is so delish!)

Twilight Cake

My youngest sister is turning 18 today . . . so I volunteered to make her birthday cake! She (like all of the girls in my fam) is a SERIOUS fan of the Twilight series . . . so I surprised her with a Twilight birthday cake! I tried out a few new decorations and used a stencil and royal icing on the side, and added a little sparkle, ribbon etc. I was a little ticked when my top layer of fondant was too soft . . . but since this is my second time working with it . . . and the bottom layer of fondant had a perfect consistency I didn't sweat it too much. Also I learned that if your frosting evades the stencil form you can carefully scrape off the excess and use a moist fine tipped soft brush to wipe away the remnants and clean up the lines . . . (live and learn) I am making a wedding cake for my darling cousin in two weeks and am major pumped! It is a cowboy cake and is going to be awesome!!! Hopefully I will have something more than cake to post soon! We'll see!

Transformers Bumblebee Cake!

I love my nephews and nieces to death! They are just so much fun and such a joy in my life! My nephew turned 5 yesterday and I volunteered to make a Transformers Bumblebee birthday cake for him!
I was pretty pleased with how it turned out! Especially since I have NEVER used fondant before (or made the sticky fun stuff either for that matter!) I made marshmallow fondant and it turned out pretty good! My family decided that it tastes somewhere between a "peep" and "circus peanut." It was pretty fun to work with . . . very much a live and learn experience! I volunteered to make another cake in June . . . so we will see what happens!
How cute is my little helper? She loved the fondant and marshmallows! (She also LOVED her ladybug birthday cake that her mama made!) We have LOTS of birthdays in May to celebrate!

Strawberry and Cream Cheese filled Skinnies

Skinnies are a fav in my fam for breakfast/lunch/dinner. I remember my mom and my aunt making them as a child and they still remain a fav of mine! To celebrate the end of another semester of school I knew that we had to have a killer breakfast and since I still have bags and bags of strawberries in my freezer from making freezer jam, strawberry filled skinnies were a perfect choice! I could seriously eat these every day! Strawberry and Cream Cheese filled Skinnies
Strawberry filling

2 cups strawberries, whole or halved
Sugar (to taste)
2 Tbsp Water

Cook the strawberries, sugar and water in a sauce pan over medium heat until the mixture begins to boil. Cook until the strawberries have softened and the desired consistency is achieved.

Cream Cheese Filling

8 oz Cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Whipped cream, cool whip can be used to

Beat the cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Add 1/2 cup whipped cream and beat again until incorporated. Fold in remaining whipped cream. (If you want the cream cheese lighter, fold in more whipped cream.)
To assemble skinnies: Place a skinny on a plate, spoon in desired cream cheese and strawberry fillings. roll up skinny and serve with additional whipped cream and strawberries on top. Enjoy!

Kudos to Kiki!

I have been busy with finals and with my hubby traveling a lot for work I have had no desire to cook anything lately . . . although as a stress reliever I did crank out a few batches of strawberry freezer jam . . . but I have to give Kudos to my little sister Kiki for her darling cake decorating skills! My niece turned 1 last week and we celebrated with a lady bug themed birthday party! I think the cake and cupcakes turned out darling! You have mad skills K! Way to go! And happy birthday to you today! Are you really 23? Getting up there babe!

Strawberry Ice Cream Chocolate Cake Roll

This cake roll is awesome! It is also awesome to give away to some great people! The cake is super spongy, moist and delish and this ice cream recipe is the best! I could eat it all before it even freezes it is sooooo good! Plus this looks like a light spring dessert (well, before covering it in chocolate sauce . . .) All that I can say is that I am sold on ice cream cake rolls now!Chocolate Cake Roll

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Cocoa or HERSHEY'S Cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups Ice Cream(any flavor)slightly softened
Powdered sugar(optional)

1. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray 15-1/2x10-1/2x1-inch jelly-roll pan with vegetable cooking spray. Line with wax paper; spray again.

2. Sift together flour, cocoa and baking powder. Beat eggs, granulated sugar and vanilla in small bowl until pale in color, about 5 minutes. Fold in cocoa mixture; spread batter into prepared pan.

3. Bake 5 to 7 minutes or until top springs back when touched lightly in center. Invert cake onto clean towel; remove wax paper. Roll up cake with powder sugar sprinkled towel from short side. Cool completely on wire rack.

4. Unroll cake; spread with ice cream. Reroll cake without towel; press seam-side down. Cover; freeze until firm. Sprinkle top lightly with powdered sugar, if desired. Cover; freeze leftover cake roll. 8 servings.

Asian Kebabs, Toasted Coconut Rice and Mango Cucumber Salad

An amazing family in my ward is getting ready to welcome a new arrival to their clan on Monday, so I was excited to roll up my sleeves and spend a little time in the kitchen making dinner for them! It was a treat for our family too since I tried out a few new dishes which my hubby agreed will now grace our favorites list! The sauce for the kebabs is the kicker here! It is soooo good! I made the kebabs yesterday with pork and today with chicken (they were that good and I made enough sauce to accommodate both meals). Try these kebabs! You will NOT regret it!
Asian Pork Kebabs
Recipe by: Robin Miller

Apricot Mayo
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Apricot Preserves
1 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Garlic powder
1/2 tsp Ginger

1. Whisk all of the apricot mayo ingredients together and set aside 1/3 cup of mayo to baste skewers with.

Kebabs
1 1/4 lb Pork tenderloin cut into 1 inch cubes (or chicken)
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 2 inch pieces
Metal or Wooden Skewers
Salt
Pepper

1. Alternate pork pieces and red pepper pieces on the skewers. Season with salt and pepper and then brush with reserved apricot mayo mixture. Place the skewers on a hot grill pan or in a 350 degree oven. Turn repeatedly cooking for 7-10 minutes or until cooked through. Serve with the reserved apricot mayonnaise mixture.

Toasted Coconut Rice (2 ways)
I am a major fan of basmati and jasmine rice so I made regular (not instant) rice for my coconut rice, but Robin's recipe calls for instant rice . . . so use whatever you have on hand.

Robin's Recipe:
1/4 cup Shredded sweetened coconut
1 cup Instant Rice
1 14 oz can unsweetened light coconut milk

Toast the coconut in a dry medium pan over medium heat for 3-5 minutes or until lightly toasted. Add the rice and coconut milk. Increase the heat to medium high, bring to a simmer, cover, and let simmer fro 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Em's Coconut Rice:
1 1/3 cup Jasmine Rice (Or regular white rice)
1 can Regular coconut Milk (or lite)
1/2 cup Sweetened Coconut
pinch of salt

1. Pour the coconut milk into a measuring pitcher, add enough water to the pitcher to total 2 1/2 cups of liquid. Set aside.
2.Toast the coconut in a medium pan over medium heat until lightly browned, set aside 2 tbsp of the toasted coconut.
3. Add the coconut milk/water mixture, rice and pinch of salt to the toasted coconut in the pan. Bring to a simmer, cover and reduce the heat to low-medium low, simmering mixture for 20-25 minutes, until rice is cooked and tender. Remove from heat, garnish with reserved toasted coconut and enjoy!

(You may need more water depending on what type of coconut milk you use, lite milk is more watery whereas regular may need more water.)

I am obsessed with mango's lately! They are just so good and are great to add to so many things . . . hence they have made another appearance at my table! This salad is very refreshing and is a nice and light addition to any meal! I love it!
Cucumber Mango Salad
Recipe by: Emily

1 Mango, peeled and diced
1 Cucumber, stripe peeled, slice in half length wise and then thinly sliced
1/2 Tbsp Finely sliced red onion
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp Vinegar
1-2 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Chopped Parsley
1/3 tsp Chives
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp Black Pepper

Whisk together the mayonnaise, vinegar, sugar, parsley, salt, pepper, and chives. Pour dressing over the diced mango, red onion, and sliced cucumbers, mix well and serve chilled. Enjoy!

"Guerken Salat" Cucumber Salad

I think too many people dismiss cucumbers before even giving them a chance (I can see some of my fam rolling their eyes now . . .). I have to admit that I have not always been a cucumber fan . . . but now I am a total cucumber addict! I eat them plain, on sam's, in salads, as a snack, for breakfast on toast, I have even had them in soup and they delish! All you need is a good cucumber . . . I love the English ones or smaller cucumber's that don't have big tough seeds. The best cucumber I have ever had came from my Uncle Don's garden (gotta love home grown goods!). They were smaller and just crisp and refreshing. So as a salute to cucumbers and in turn a salute to Germany and Austria, where I came to eat MANY and grew to love them, here is a cucumber salad that is delish! I served it with Schnitzel to offset the heaviness. So good! I LOVE schnitzel too and it is now so easy for me to make . . . try it . . . you will LOVE it! Here are some other German FAVORITES!!!
Cucumber Salad
Recipe by: Emily

1 cucumber, stripe peeled and sliced very thin
1 Tbsp Red Onion, sliced in very thin small strips
1 Tbsp Sour Cream
2 Tbsp Vinegar, Apple cider or regular White Vinegar
1-2 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Chives (I used dried)
1/4 tsp Dry Dill weed
1 Tbsp fresh Parsley
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper

1. To make the dressing mix the vinegar and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved. Add the herbs, salt and pepper. Last, stir in the sour cream until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings if desired.
2. Add the cucumbers and red onion to the dressing and coat evenly. Refrigerate or serve immediately. (The longer it sits the stronger the flavor and the more liquid will come out of the cucumbers, so if you are going to refrigerate it you may want to add more cucumber.)