Patty's Birthday Cake

Last Sunday, September 25, my hubby turned 27. We celebrated by having some friends over the night before. Since I love to bake, I made Patty a birthday cake!

I made red velvet, sans red (to be a bit more of a masculine cake). Unfortunately, I only have a pink cake stand....

I used my favorite (and Pat's) red velvet recipe from Magnolia Bakery with creamy vanilla frosting. I omitted the red food coloring (this time only!) and made 2/3 of the recipe because I thought a three layer cake was just too much!

This was the first time I used this recipe to make a cake...I always make cupcakes. Pat and I both love this recipe because both the cake and frosting are not overly sweet. The frosting takes a bit longer to make than a regular butter cream or cream cheese, but it well WORTH it. It is just that good! Although, making this recipe in cake form was still very delicious, I think I still prefer it as cupcakes. It seems to be a little more moist in cupcake form.

And here's the inside, much different from the normal red pop! But still yummy! mmm I can't get enough of that frosting :)

Happy Baking,

Weekend Fun

Last weekend we were busy busy...

It started out with Whisky Night 5.0 (in which I enjoyed some wonderful......WINE). Not a big fan of whisky, but enjoy the company of the peeps in this group :)

Saturday was jam packed with sports. In the afternoon we went to the Bruins training camp, which we also attended this time last year. Pat and I also picked up some super cheap Bruins gear, which is always a plus!

A few up-close pics:

We also went to a Sox game. They played Tampa....and lost. But we still enjoyed the game. This was only my second Sox game. My first game was probably about four years ago while visiting Pat. So a game was long overdue!

Beautiful sunset on a beautiful night

On our way home from the game, fireworks in the distance caught our eyes. It turns out the fireworks were coming from the Mystic River, just blocks from our house. As we drove past the river we pulled into a parking lot nearby and watched from the car. It was a nice unexpected treat. And best of all we didn't get stuck behind any traffic.

Sunday, I made a most delicious dinner. Moussaka, a Greek casserole, that was absolutely delicious. It is somewhat time consuming, so I haven't made this dish since at least a year and a half ago. But I was craving it, and it was Sunday, so I had lots of time. I tried a different recipe this time around.

Excuse the photo, it does not do it justice. The topping was much more fluffy and creamy when it was hot, this picture was taken the next day. Pat absolutely loved it! I found the recipe for this dish Here. I substituted a cup of lentils for the lamb. I've tried both and I think Moussaka tastes better as vegetarian.

Also I have to say, I just finished watching recorded season premieres of Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory and yesterday I watched Glee and Raising Hope. Ahh they were all so good! So happy all my shows are back! I love our DVR, I'm not sure how we ever survived without it. ;)

My Very First Pie

Last weekend I made my first pie ever, completely from scratch. It was a peach pie to be exact. We went berry picking and the farm also had peaches from their orchard, so we picked up a whole bag full. We also bought a bunch of other goodies from the farm, like fresh eggs, cheese from a local Vermont company, and yummy peanut butter fudge. I digress...

So back to the pie. Surprise surprise, I used a recipe from my cooking bible, Joy of Cooking. This pie was amazing! Both the filling and the crust were so tasty. Just writing about it makes my mouth salivate. This recipe is definitely hubby approved.

Peach Pie Filling:
2 1/2 pounds fresh peaches, uncooked
1/2 to 3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon almond extract (I used vanilla extract)
3 to 3 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 to 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces

Begin by blanching peaches to remove the skin. Place the peach in boiling water for about 30 secs and then transfer to an ice water bath. If the skin doesn't remove with ease, repeat. Once the skin has been removed, cut the peaches into slices or chunks. (Be careful - they are slippery little suckers!). You can also just peel the peaches if this method isn't appealing to you. (haha somewhat pun intended).

In a bowl combine peaches, sugar, flour, lemon juice, vanilla extract, and salt. Stir and let it stand for 15 mins, stirring occasionally.

Crust Recipe:
(for 9-10 inch double crust)

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cold unsalted butter (2 sticks)
1/4 cup cold vegetable shortening
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
6 tablespoons of ice water

Sift together flour and salt. Cut the butter and shortening into small chunks and add to the flour. Mix together until the dough is pea-sized. I used my stand mixer on a low setting to mix, but the traditional method is to use a pastry blender, which I don't own. Next sprinkle the ice water over the dough and mix until it just comes together.

Divide the dough in half, press each into a disk, and wrap is plastic wrap. Put the dough in the fridge for at least a half hour. Sprinkle with flour and roll out first half of dough, rolling from the center each time. I used two pieces of parchment paper and sandwiched the dough to prevent it from sticking to the counter or rolling pin.

Invert the pie plate and hover over the dough to measure. Loosely roll the dough on the rolling pin, transfer to the pie plate, and gently roll out. Ease the dough down into the pie plate, then firmly press the dough against the plate, making sure there is no space between the sides of the plate and the dough. Spoon peach filling into the pie. Sprinkle the top with the pieces of  butter from the filling recipe.

Roll out the second piece of dough and cover the filling. Trim the dough around the edges, if needed. Then seal the edge as you see fit. It is important to seal the two layers tightly, to prevent the filling from bubbling out. I decided on a fluted rim because it looks pretty. :)

Next using a sharp knife cut three to four slits in the top of the crust to vent. I also cut the leftover dough into hearts to decorate the pie. Brush the top of the pie with milk, cream, or egg wash and then sprinkle with sugar.

Place the rack in the lower third of your oven and Bake at 425⁰F for 30 mins or until the pie browns. Then loosely cover with aluminum foil, lower the temperature to 375⁰F, and bake for another 30 mins or so. Cool completely on a rack.

Et Voilà!

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did!

 

Happy Baking,

Shepherd's Pie

 Last weekend I made shepherd's pie, it's yummy comfort food. I love this recipe and Pat loves it too. It's the best shepherd's pie I think I've ever tried.

I used the recipe from Joy of Cooking...my cookbook bible. I go to this book for everything. It basically has a permanent home on our kitchen counter.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds of potatoes - peeled and quartered
3 tablespoons of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 medium onion - chopped
1 carrot - chopped
1 celery rib - chopped
1 pound of ground beef or lamb
1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup beef or chicken broth
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
Pinch of nutmeg

In a large pot boil potatoes until tender. Drain the potatoes, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Mash the potatoes, add the cooking water, and then beat with a wooden spoon until fluffy. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and salt and pepper to taste. Set potatoes aside.

In a large skillet over low-medium heat combine olive oil, onion, celery, and carrots (I usually double up of the amount of carrots and celery). Stirring occasionally, cook until the vegetables are tender (about 10-15 mins).

Add the ground beef or lamb to the pan and cook until the meat browns (about 5-10 mins). Stir in flour and cook for two minutes. Then stir in beef or chicken broth, thyme, rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper. I'm fairly liberal with the spices and usually add more than the recipe calls for. Reduce heat and stir for another 5 minutes until it is thickened.

Transfer the meat to an 8x8-inch baking dish. Spread the mash potatoes over the meat, making peaks with a fork. Sprinkle pieces of butter on top of the potatoes.

Bake for 30-35 minutes at 400⁰F until potatoes are browned. 

Happy Cooking,