Classic, Passion, Watermelon & Blackberry Mojito

If I had to nail down a favorite cocktail, (although I must admit, I try to be an equal opportunity cocktail drinker) my favorite would be the classic mojito.   This refreshing cocktail is made of 5 simple ingredients:  Lime juice, fresh mint, rum, sugar (traditionally sugar cane syrup), and club soda.  Originating in Cuba, the drink combines tart lime with fresh sweet mint, all to compliment the clean kick of white (or dark, depending on your preference) rum.  To me, there is nothing more refreshing or satisfying on a hot day than a well-prepared mojito.

To make a mojito,  lime juice is added to mint and sugar in the bottom of a glass (a highball is the glass of choice for this particular cocktail – its so pretty you need to show it off!)  The three ingredients are then mashed with a muddler.  A muddler is a long stick with a flat bottom that helps to crush and release the juices and oils from the mint and lime.  I like to use sugar syrup in place of granulated so that the sugar dissolves completely.  (There is nothing worse than a clump

Muddler

of sugar swimming around in the bottom of your glass.)  To stay as authentic as possible, I make a sugar syrup using sugar in the raw, which helps to impart an “island” flavor to the drink.  (Sugar in the raw is an unrefined sugar that is made from sugar cane juice.)  Once you have created a great slurry of fresh flavors, add the rum, ice, a splash of soda and you are ready to go!  Sit back and enjoy. (more…)

This recipe is titled ricotta cheesecake, however I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a cheesecake.  I admit that I was not anticipating the texture of cake that I ended up with.  Instead of a smooth, creamy, somewhat dense cake, this ricotta cake lends itself to a light and fluffy texture.  With more subtle flavors of ricotta and a touch of lemon zest, the cake is a nice clean canvas.  I think this would be perfect to serve with tea or coffee in the afternoon – possibly an addition to a brunch.  However, as a dessert, I think it could use a little jazzing up.

I wanted to create a dessert that mimicked the light, airiness of the cake; I did not want to weigh the cake down with the addition of heavy flavors.  Trying to stay in season, I spread a thin layer of lemon curd (you can make your own, or buy good quality at the stores these days) and then topped the cake with an assortment of fresh berries.  This way the topping did not detract from the cake, but helped to give it the little extra umph that made the cake a Dessert – not just a simple cake. (more…)

This cake was made for a Baby Naming.  The highlight of this cake is clearly the edible 3-D baby blocks that sit on top of the cake.  To create the baby blocks, I formed rice krispy treats into small squares.  To ensure smooth sides, I used a serrated knife to trim each side of the block to remove all the “krispy bumps.”  Next, I iced each block with a thin layer of buttercream.  This helps not only to fill in the gaps the occur naturally in a rice krispy treat and further smooth the sides, but also helps the fondant to stick to the treat.  After each block was trimmed and iced, I then covered them with white fondant.  The letters and decorations (the sides of the blocks have bottles, ducks, carriages, etc that aren’t visible from the pictures) were cut from fondant and then applied with a small amount of water.  (Because fondant is a sugar prodcut, a little water makes the surface tacky and it sticks to itself quite nicely).  To finish off the blocks, I piped the boarders with royal icing.  After the royal dried on each block, I was able to carefully transfer the blocks onto the sheet cake.

Sangria Sundays are back!  Now that Summer produce is creeping into local supermarkets, I have decided to reinstate “Sangria Sunday”.  On these heavenly days of the week, Scott and I test out new Sangria recipes.  Sometimes I create new recipes, other times I simply test existing recipes (this recipe is from Ingrid Hoffmann).  This week’s version, “Green” sangria, highlights kiwis, green apples, and green grapes and  is paired with orange liquor and a crisp, clean Sauvignon Blanc. (I used “2 Buck Chuck,” the value wine label distrusted by Trader Joe’s.   Each bottle is $2.99 – hence the name.)  I was pleasantly surprised by this light and refreshing sangria – definitely a winner!

Like most sangria recipes, this one is quick and easy to assemble.  For best results, I suggest allowing your fruit, sugar syrup, and liquor to “marinate” overnight.  This really helps to meld the flavors.  Because Sangria is best made the night before, it’s a great addition to any entertaining menu.  Your guests will love this fruity wine cocktail – no matter the occasion.  A brunch would benefit greatly from a light and refreshing sangria, (much like this particular recipe) while a casual, spicy dinner would pair well with a more traditional red sangria.

Enjoy this fun new Sangria twist that highlights some of our favorites green fruits!

Recipe: Green Sangria

This is one of my “wow” factor meals – something that sounds as wonderful and interesting as it tastes.  The best part is, this recipe comes from a Cooking Light cookbook, so not only does it pack some serious flavor, but it is easy on the waistline too!  The sauce is the real star of this dish.  (And the most complex aspect of the recipe, however very worth it.)   With a unique combination of sweet blackberry with savory pork, the sauce is a rich, dark, luscious dressing for the meat.  It ends up a deep purple color and feels like blackberry velvet in your mouth. (more…)

This is the cake I made for my Mother-in-Law this year.  The cake is a pina colata creation that I tried for the first time.  (The mojito cupcakes were such a hit, I have decided to further explore “cocktail” cake flavors.)  This particular cake is a pineapple cake (boxed cake made with pineapple juice instead of water and added crushed pineapple) layered with a coconut pastry cream, finished with a coconut rum whipped cream.  Although I could have had fun with more flavor-inspired decorations (shredded coconut and fresh pineapple)  I wanted this cake to be elegant and feminine for Mother’s Day.  To achieve this look, I simply placed royal icing flowers around the edge of the cake to create a flower wreath.  I kept the flowers all the same color, but made them in three different sizes.  Allowing some of the flowers to “fall” over the edge gives the flowers and more natural look.

Stay tuned for instructions on how to make your own Royal Icing Flowers.

Recipe: Pina Colata Cake

What better way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo than a cupcake?  (Who needs beer, guacamole and salsa anyways?)  Scott and I were invited to a Cinco de Mayo party and I started thinking of what Mexican inspired dessert I could come up with that would be good for a crowd.  While beer may be the drink of choice for this holiday, I am a personal fan of the mojito.  The combination of rum, lime and mint is very refreshing and says “South of the Border” to me.  (I do realize the mojito is traditionally a Cuban drink, but lime is certainly no stranger to Mexican cuisine).  So I knew I wanted to play with the idea of an edible mojito, but in what form?  When planning for a party, I tend to fall back on the cupcake for group events.  They are already pre-portioned, don’t require a plate or utensils and are easy to eat.  So I knew what I wanted to create, the next step was actually figuring out how to do so. (more…)