Ice Cream and Cake Identity Crisis!

After a summer blogging hiatus, I am finally back with a fun idea!  For a family birthday party, I wanted to do something unique for cake and ice cream. I wanted it to be yummy but also appeal to and involve my kids. So, I thought of the ever popular cake pop. They are all the rage right now and fairly easy to make. (it's the artistic part that is the hard work!) To put a twist on things, I decided to make cake that looks like ice cream and ice cream that looks like cake! In other words cake pops in a cone and a layered ice cream cake that you turn out of a pan. 

To start, below you see the ingredients: a box of cake mix (and ingredients to make it), a tub of frosting, ice cream cones, whatever toppings you want, and bark coating to roll the cake balls in. 

Make the cake according to the box instructions.

trim the cones,

Once the cake is done, cool it completely, then crumble it up and mix in the frosting really well.

Roll the cake/frosting mixture into balls. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Pardon the overly-whiteness! Roll the cake balls in melted candy bark.

Place the candy coated cake balls onto the cones, then top immediately before it dries, that way the toppings stick well. I had a great cake topper in my kitchen!

The finished product! I did both vanilla and chocolate. (M&M on top for the cherry!)

Ok, so its no Bakerella, but it was a super fun mom/daughter activity and quite frankly the messy candy coating looks like melted ice cream to me!

As you can see, when you put a 3 1/2 year old in charge of the sprinkles, it can get a little messy, but oh so fun! That is what a broom is for after all. (you should've seen the floor!)

I had some leftover cake, so I just made some little bon bons. The chocolate ones I topped with sprinkles and the vanilla ones, I topped with coconut.

The display at the party. (oops, one guy fell over... but no melting!)

Ok, now the ice cream part. I made this at my parent's house one day and I didn't have my camera, so I only captured the finished product. Basically, you take a loaf pan and line it with saran wrap. Choose 2 or 3 flavors of ice cream. (I decided to do 4 layers of 2 flavors.) I used Publix's Chocolate trinity and Maple walnut. In between each layer, I put crushed Reese's cups.

Soften the ice cream for about 20 minutes, then spread one layer and whatever topping, then place in freezer for 15 minutes. Repeat process with each layer, then refrigerate overnight before serving. When you are ready to serve, sit out for 10 minutes, invert into a pan, then slice! As you can see this ice cream was our cake! Complete with candles!

 The kids were super excited about the treats and I heard from the grown-ups that they were quite tasty as well!

Orange Grapefruit Sorbet!

With summer comes the desire to consume frozen treats (although I won't bat an eyelash at a bowl of ice cream in the middle of winter). I had an abundance of citrus due to my mother in law purchasing a case of fruit at work. (Thanks Jeannie!) So, of course I can't just consume it at the rate a normal family does, I have to find some sort of culinary adventure to take it on. So, here it is. Orange Grapefruit Sorbet. My Cuisinart ice cream maker has been in storage for a while, and since I recently rescued it from its dusty demise, I have decided to put it into use more often. A couple of weeks ago, we made some simple vanilla custard and it was amazing! Next stop, frozen yogurt. But today the adventure was the sorbet. 

First, bring 2 cups water and 2 cups sugar to a boil on the stove. Boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, then remove from heat. Cool completely. 

While your sugar water is boiling, go ahead and start juicing your citrus. you need 1 1/2 cups citrus juice. I used one grapefruit and two small oranges. You could use whatever combo you wanted. I even thought it might be fun to make a strawberry limeade sorbet.  Lemon, lime and even watermelon would all be great as well. Use all lemons and make a frozen lemonade!

After you have juiced your fruits, strain it so that you dont get any pulp or seeds.

 Ok Ladies, get your microplane ready. If you do not have one of these amazing gadgets, close your laptop and go right now to the store. Or- just go to crate and barrel.com and order you one. Zest one tablespoon worth of zest from all fruits.

 After your sugar water combo has cooled completely, add juice and zest to it. Pour into your ice cream maker.

 Now comes the hard part. Set whatever time keeping piece you prefer and wait.....

My machine calls for 25-30 minutes. After your time is up, give it a taste.

 Here is one of the fans at my house. He was pretty excited about the sorbet!

So was she!

What I did was put it in the freezer for a couple of hours just to firm it up a bit. Then it was really scoopable. See what I mean? It was delish! A great summer treat!

Tea time! Cherry Almond Scones with Clotted Cream

Every once in a while I love a cup of tea in the afternoon. I do have Scottish roots (they drink tea right? shows I know a lot about my heritage!) But my love for this tradition I believe comes from my dad. He is a virtual Brit with this afternoon tea routine! I love you Daddy! Here is a recipe I found for Cherry Almond Scones (using dried cherries). The only changes I made to the recipe were instead of using sliced almonds on top, I actually sprinkled them into the dough. Don't think you can get by with using whole milk as a substitute. Go for the cream! I tried it with whole milk once and it just wasn't the same. Also, top these babies with my "cheater" version of clotted cream (a staple among Brittish tea drinkers- Educate yourself further on this tradition at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clotted_cream): 1 cup whipping cream, whipped till stiff peaks, 1/3 cup sour cream folded in, 2 TB powdered sugar folded in. Brew yourself a cup of Earl Grey and you are all set for afternoon tea!

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup chilled butter, cut into pieces
• 1 egg
• 2/3 cups whipping cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon almond extract
• 1 cup dried cherries
• Egg wash, 1 egg and 1 teaspoon water, beaten
• Sugar and sliced almonds, for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat oven: 325 degrees F.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter with pastry blender. (or I just use my kitchen aid with the paddle attachment.) Combine wet ingredients and mix into dry just until moistened. Add cherries. Mixture will be very sticky. Turn onto floured surface and knead 4 to 5 times with floured hands. Pat out into two 6 inch rounds. Use pizza cutter to cut into 6 wedges each round. Separate the wedges a couple of inches apart on greased baking sheet. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes.

Mexican Hummus

It was afternoon and you know what that meant; nap time! For me? Usually not, but the kiddos slept for a little while, and I quickly realized the peanut butter and crackers and half a sandwich that I had at the park today, were not going to get me through to dinner tonight. So, of course I decided to experiment. The result? Mexican hummus. I had a can of great northern beans, cilantro, chili powder, minced garlic, salt, pepper and chili powder.  Thats it! Use tortilla chips for dipping and you have yourself a hearty and somewhat healthy afternoon snack! (not to mention cheap! could be a great appetizer for a party!)

Ingredients:
1 can great northern beans
1 tsp minced garlic (about two cloves)
1/2 tsp chili powder (more if you like a little heat)
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup packed cilantro
tortilla chips

Throw everything into the food processor and pulse until smooth.

Variations: You could also make a black bean dip, and I thought that cumin would taste really nice in there too, but I didn't have any on hand. Green chilis would also make a nice addition.

Marinated Steak and Orzo stuffed Bell Peppers

I don't have any pictures to post because of a busy day. The goal was to simply get the food on the table, not to document each step. At any rate, because of my facebook status about what I was making tonight, I have been asked to share the links for these recipes. The steak marinade I have made before. It is delicious. I marinated them for about 24 hours in the fridge. The stuffed pepper recipe was very good. It calls for 6 peppers- green, red or yellow. I only used 4 because I knew my kids wouldn't go for the peppers. So, the rest of the stuffing I simply put into a small corning wear dish and baked separately. The peppers are stuffed with an orzo, tomato, zucchini mixture along with various spices. If put on a really good cut of meat, the marinade would have probably been better, however gas is $3.49 per gallon and I got a great deal on a manager's special skirt steak. I'll take what I can get. It was still yummy. For dessert, I found a recipe that brought both mine and my husband's favorite desserts into one brilliant marriage of flavor: Tiramisu Cheesecake.

Best Steak Marinade in Existence

Prep Time: 15 Minutes Ready In: 15 Minutes Servings: 8

"Prepare succulent steaks with this easy, garlicky soy sauce-olive oil-lemon juice-based marinade that's a tried and true family favorite."

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup olive oil 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce 1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

3 tablespoons dried basil 1 1/2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes 1 teaspoon ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (optional) 1 teaspoon dried minced garlic (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1.

Place the soy sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, basil, parsley, and pepper in a blender. Add hot pepper sauce and garlic, if desired. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds until thoroughly mixed.

2.

Pour marinade over desired type of meat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 8 hours. Cook meat as desired. Orzo Stuffed Peppers Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis Prep Time: 15 min Inactive Prep Time: -- Cook Time: 1 hr 0 min Level: Intermediate Serves: 4 to 6 servings Ingredients 1 (28-ounce) can Italian tomatoes 2 zucchini, grated 1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves 1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano, plus more for sprinkling 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 cups chicken broth 1 1/2 cups orzo (rice-shaped pasta) 6 sweet bell peppers (red or yellow) Directions Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Pour the tomatoes into a large bowl and break apart using a pair of kitchen shears or your finger tips. Add the zucchini, mint, cheese, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Meanwhile, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the orzo and cook for 4 minutes. The orzo should be only partially cooked. Use a fine mesh sieve to transfer the orzo to the large bowl with the other vegetables. Stir the orzo into the vegetable mix to combine. Transfer the warm chicken broth to a 3-quart baking dish. Slice the tops off the peppers and remove all ribs and seeds. Cut a very thin slice from the base to help the peppers stand up. Place the peppers in the baking dish with the warm chicken broth. Spoon the orzo mixture into the peppers. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil, sprinkle the top of each pepper with cheese and continue baking until the cheese is golden, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, carefully transfer the orzo stuffed pepper to a serving plate.  Here are links to the websites directly: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/orzo-stuffed-peppers-recipe/index.html http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Steak-Marinade-in-Existence/Detail.aspx  http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/tiramisu-cheesecake-90595.aspx Tiramisu Cheesecake average rating read reviews (143) prep time 20 min total time 5 hr 5 min makes 16 servings add your photo   1  of  1   photo by:  kraft what you need 1 pkg. (12 oz.) NILLA Wafers (about 88), divided 5 tsp.  MAXWELL HOUSE Instant Coffee, divided 3 Tbsp. hot water, divided 4 pkg.  (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1 cup sugar 1 cup  BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream 4 eggs 1 cup  thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping 2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder make it HEAT oven to 325°F. LINE 13x9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Spread half the wafers onto bottom of prepared pan. Add 2 tsp. coffee granules to 2 Tbsp. hot water; stir until dissolved. Brush half onto wafers in pan; reserve remaining dissolved coffee for later use. BEAT cream cheese and sugar in large bowl with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Remove 3-1/2 cups batter; place in medium bowl. Dissolve remaining coffee granules in remaining hot water. Stir into removed batter; spread over wafers in pan. Top with remaining wafers; brush with remaining dissolved coffee. Cover with remaining plain batter. BAKE 45 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan. Spread with COOL WHIP just before serving; sprinkle with cocoa powder. Here are links to the websites directly: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/orzo-stuffed-peppers-recipe/index.html http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Best-Steak-Marinade-in-Existence/Detail.aspx  http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/tiramisu-cheesecake-90595.aspx