Happy Halloween! Today has been a shitshow in our house, as I have been so distracted with party planning and executing this week that I forgot to make Bobby's costume. Since I don't have many years to dress the kiddos up in costumes of my choosing, I originally wanted them to wear costumes that reflect their current personalities. So Vivi will be going as a Cabbage Patch Doll, since she is super loveable, plump, and cuddly with a Reubenesque figure and luscious cheeks. Here is a sneak peak at one of her fittings. I can't take it.

I have been planning for Bobby to go as a cave man, since he basically acts like a tiny neanderthal and grunts and eats sticks and stuff. I bought all the fabric, cut the pattern out, and then just got so darn distracted with decorating, planning, and baking for the party I hosted on Halloween Eve...that I dropped the ball. I remembered this at 1am, and then of course didn't sleep a wink after that because it was bugging me that I had forgotten it. I hate when I drop the ball. So I worked on the costume this morning, and Bobby promptly tore it to shreds. I'm so over it at this point that I have decided to go on strike and let him wear a Walmart special. Or nothing at all. I'm to the point of giving 0 craps right now.

But at least I have festive nail polish. That's a tiny win.

 But back to the party. I love hosting parties. I love the decorating, planning, and baking. It isn't until the night before that I start cursing myself for volunteering to have my home on display and feed the masses. That's when you can only do so much, and everything else has to wait until the last minute.

Hosting an event can be stressful enough when you are childless or have older children, but stress gets taken to a whole 'nother level when you throw a toddler into the mix. There's unraveling, undoing, spilling, stage-5 clinging, and general shenanigans that only a toddler or a spawn of satan could come up with. I am incredibly lucky that my parents live 2 hours away and were generous to come over yesterday morning to distract the beasties for a bit while I cursed myself and wallowed in self-loathing prepped for the party.

I looked at the clock and realized that people were going to begin arriving in thirty minutes, and meanwhile I was still dirty and disheveled, the counters were covered in honey, I had forgotten to clean the bathroom toilet, and I still hadn't vacuumed. Thank God my awesome co-hostess, Heather, showed up to take care of the last minute details while I quickly threw on my witchy wear (moral of this story: never host a party alone).

Alex took the babes to a friend's house for the evening, and everything went off without a hitch. It's always at that point, once everything has come together, that I forget all the pain I just went through and am so happy to see everyone having a good time. And then--every damn time--I go temporarily insane and offer to host another party. "Yeah, girl, let's do one for Christmas!" It's masochistic. It's like childbirth amnesia for the domestic hostess.

The Halloween Eve party was great fun last night. It was a witch theme, and all the costumes were great. Decorations were in every nook and cranny, and the drinks were flowing. My fabulous co-hostess made so many wonderful dishes, and as soon as I get the recipe for her bacon crackers from her, I am going to post it. Because it was the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. And that's saying a lot. 

The menu included:

Crudites, Bread, and Cheddar Fondue

Jalapeno Crab Dip

Soft Pretzel Bites with Chipotle Mustard

Crostinis with Fig Chutney and Bleu Cheese

A Cheese/Fruit/Nut/Meat/Olive tray with Organic Gallberry Honey

Marinated Quinoa Meatballs

Bacon Crackers

Black Velvet Cake with Pumpkin-Pecan Filling

Chocolate Chip Meringue Cookies

White Chocolate Pumpkin Truffles

Espresso Brownies

Caramel Apple Sangria

(Non Alcoholic) Witches Brew

It was yummy. The bacon crackers were my favorite non-sweet item, but I stayed pretty true to lurking around the dessert table, per usual. I also loved that the Sangria (which was amazing, if I may toot my own horn) was demolished, while the non-alcoholic beverage remained untouched. These are my kind of people. And I was so happy that everyone really got into the spirit and brought their A-game with their witch costumes. I only hate that it was an evening party, which makes it difficult to get good pictures of the food and decor. Oh well, you get the jist.

The best part of the night (totally showing my weakness here) was that a few darlings stayed afterward and polished off wine bottles while they completely cleaned all the dishes and my entire kitchen. I had secretly been stressing about cleaning that mess up for days, especially since Alex left at the ass-crack of dawn this morning for a week-long trip to Japan. So this was the best hostess gift anyone could have given me ever. If you are paranoid about a clean house, then surely you understand. I was able to relax and not worry about all the work I had to do in the morning. Until I remembered that I hadn't made that costume. Rats. 

Keep on keepin' on!
-Annette

Black Velvet Cake with Pumpkin-Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

I was lying in bed the other night trying to decide what kind of cake would work with the theme of a Halloween coffee I was hosting (it seems like I think about sweets an awful lot when I’m lying in bed. Maybe that’s why I don’t sleep much?). Pumpkin was out, since I just did the PSL cake. An orange colored cake was out, since I didn’t want to do a typical cheesy black-and-orange color scheme for the party. I briefly considered a dark chocolate orange cake—think Grand Marnier, not actually orange in color—but then I decided I wanted to stick to a more Southern vibe (a Grand Marnier chocolate orange cake does sound fab, by the way. That may be what I fantasize about in bed tonight). I thought about doing a red velvet cake, since red mimics blood and what-have-you. But this party was more “Classy Witch” than “Michael Meyers,” so I wasn’t too eager to serve a crime scene on a plate. A red velvet cake is the quintessential Southern cake, though, so I continued down that path in my head and decided to do a black velvet cake instead of red.

It wasn’t until I started baking more and more that I actually realized that red velvet cake is not simply a regular cake dyed red. Velvet cakes typically have cocoa, buttermilk, vinegar, and baking soda in common, plus whatever food coloring you are adding. So they aren’t just “regular” cakes. A good velvet cake should be moist, a tad sour with an undertone of chocolate, and not exceptionally sweet. You typically have to add the extra sweetness in with fillings and frostings, cream cheese being the best and most popular accouterment. Now normally I pair a red velvet cake with a bourbon pecan cream cheese filling, and it is ah-mazing, but I was wanting something a little more seasonal. So I decided to whip up a pumpkin pecan cream cheese filling instead. And it’s good. It’s got some spice to it, and a definite pumpkin flair, but it isn’t overpowering. Alternately, it would be great as a filling in a butter cake. Now if you aren’t into pecans, you can leave them out. But that would make you a freak.

Velvet cakes are great frosted in cream cheese, as well, but I decided to cover this one in a traditional American buttercream. It added that bit of good, old-fashioned birthday-cake-sweetness that the cake needs, plus I was aiming for a frosting that would hold up well (cream cheese frostings tend to droop in the humidity. And damn if it isn’t still pathetically humid in Florida on Halloween). To add that extra bit of creepy, I topped the cake in a chocolate ganache. 

Side note- I *could* have made it a whole lot prettier had I not had a toddler clinging to my leg during the ganache-ing process. But that's just the way the dice rolled.

This cake is a nice, seasonal alternative to the traditional red velvet cake, and it was a fun addition to our dessert table at the Witches’ Brew party. More on that to come!

 Black Velvet Cake

* 2 c sugar
* 1 c butter, at room temperature
* 2 eggs
* 2 tbsp cocoa powder
* 2 oz black food coloring (or as much as it takes to get it BLACK!)
* 2 ½ c cake flour, sifted
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 c buttermilk
* 1 tsp vanilla extract
* ½ tsp baking soda
* 1 tbsp vinegar

* In a mixing bowl, cream the sugar and butter, beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each addition.  

* Mix cocoa and food coloring together in a small bowl and then add to sugar mixture; mix well.

* Sift together flour and salt in a medium bowl. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk. Blend in vanilla.  

* In a small bowl, combine baking soda and vinegar and add to mixture.  

* Pour batter into 2 (8 in) round greased and floured pans. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from heat and cool completely

Pumpkin-Pecan Cream Cheese Filling

* 8 oz cream cheese, softened

* ½ c butter, softened

* 2/3 c pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie mix)

* 3 ½ c confectioner’s sugar, sifted

* ½ c Pecans chopped 

* 1 tsp cinnamon

* 1 tsp ground nutmeg.

*Beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Add in pumpkin and mix until full incorporated. Add in cinnamon and nutmeg. Add powdered sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, allowing each prior amount to fully mix into the frosting before adding more. 

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

* 1 cup butter (2 sticks), softened

* 3 - 4 cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted

* 2 teaspoons vanilla

* pinch salt

* 2-3 tablespoons milk, heavy cream, or half-and-half

*Place softened butter into the bowl of a stand mixer that has been fitted with the paddle attachment. Turn the mixer on a medium setting and cream the butter until it is smooth and has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.

*Add confectioner's sugar, ½ a cup at a time. After each cup has been incorporated, turn the mixer onto the highest speed setting and for about 10 seconds to lighten the frosting.
*Add vanilla and a pinch of salt and combine until well-incorporated.
* Add heavy cream until the frosting has reached the preferred consistency. For a firmer frosting, add more confectioner's sugar, a ¼ cup at a time. For a softer frosting, add more milk or cream, a tablespoon at a time.

Chocolate Ganache

* 1 2/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips

* ½ c heavy cream

*In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add the chocolate chips, cream, and heat on high power to melt, about 2 minutes total. Stop to check and stir after 1 minute. Heat in 15-second increments until chocolate has mostly melted and mixture can be whisked smooth

Assembly

* Because you baked the cake in two cake pans, you will need to split it in order to make it four layers. This isn't as terrifying as it sounds. Simply use a cake leveler (or a large bread knife will also work), and slice the cakes in half horizontally, making it into 4 layers)
* Place the bottom later on a cake board or cake plate. With a bit of the buttercream frosting in a piping bag, pipe a large open circle around the circumference of the cake (this will create a dam for your filling so it won't spill out).

* Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the next cake layer atop.

* Pipe another large open circle around the circumference of the cake. Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the next cake layer atop.

* Pipe another large open circle around the circumference of the cake. Scoop out roughly 3/4 c filling into the center and spread outward to your icing dam. Gently place the final cake layer atop.

* Now it's time for a quick crumb coat. Using an angled, flat spatula, spread a thin layer of frosting all over your cake. As thin and smooth as you can get it. It's okay if there are crumbs in this coat if frosting. That's why it's called a crumb coat!

* Put your crumb-coated cake in the fridge for 15-20 minutes until the frosting is somewhat dry and firm. 

* Bring cake back to your counter. With a clean, angled, flat spatula, spread a much thicker layer of frosting all over your cake. You will probably use every last bit of your frosting for this.

* Place your frosted cake back in the fridge for a few more minutes for it to firm up. 

* In the meantime, make the chocolate ganache and let it sit to cool a bit once the chocolate is melted, combined, and smooth.

* Once the ganache has cooled some, bring your cake back to the counter. Spoon ganache on top of cake, and then use your spatula to smooth it out on top, letting it run down the sides to create an oozing effect.

* Enjoy!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette

Is That Cake Gluten-Free?

Walk into a grocery store, and it’s difficult not to come face-to-face with gluten-free everything.   Google “Wheat Belly” and you’ll be convinced eating gluten will cause your belly to swell like a pigeon eating rice.  Drink some water, and KA-BLAMMY!  You’re nothing but a mess on the sidewalk. 

But, you can’t knock what you haven’t tried, right?  And the Wheat Belly guy really did have me thinking pigeon destruction days were only moments away, so with my husband TDY- temporary duty yonder, and I really love that the military uses “yonder”- (aka no one home to shame my Gluten-free experiment since I do not have a condition that warrants a gluten avoidance, such as Celiac Disease), I bought all of those GF products, from the flours to the pasta and have been GF for three months now (excluding two-three beers per week… I am in Americaland, a place where beer flows like wine).

The major pitfall of GF for those leaping into it for non-medical reasons is it’s easy to think you can eat more, because it’s “healthier”.  Brownies made with coconut flour!  I probably burn more calories just chewing them!  Unfortunately, gluten-free does not mean food morphs into having celery-like qualities.  Rats.  However, the principle of becoming gluten-free, actually ELIMINATING gluten, is a good one since the emphasis is on vegetables, lean meats, fruits, and whole foods.  Cut out the junk and sugar, and load that plate with veggies and meats rather than starches and sweets, and you have yourself a fantastic food mindset. 

For me, the best way to sum it up is in my running times:

Eating every bit of gluten in 2012,
half marathon, 1:41:23 (fresh legs)

Gluten-free in 2014, half marathon, 1:45:00
(tired legs- 10k & 5k the prior day at a sub 7:30 pace)

So, did I notice a difference?  Meh.  Not really.  Don’t you dare blame the beer and say it invalidated the research.  Scientific research always has extenuating circumstances. 

Will I continue the GF drive?  Sort of… Most of our food is heavy on veggies, lean meats and legumes, and we have almost no processed foods in our house, but that isn't anything new.  Our starch is typically rice thanks to the five 10-kg bags of primo Japanese rice that arrived with our household goods shipment from Japan.

I really dig the cookbook The Feed Zone, in which Allen Lim sums, “I’m not an advocate of either a gluten-free or gluten-rich diet.  If athletes tell me they are doing better without wheat, I am likely to believe them.”  The power of the mind.  If anything, I believe it will help you to focus on how you build your plate.   

Some GF treats that really did make a swap into our house:

King Arthur Flour Gluten-Free Bread Mix

This mix is awesome and is great for when you want home-baked bread in a hurry.  It yields a loaf that slices up nicely, is excellent as toast and has a delectably light texture.

Empowered Sustenance Paleo Coconut Flour Brownies

I have tried MANY brownie recipes, gluten and gluten-free alike, and this recipe is the one that does it for me.  This is where I had the "brownies are not celery" talk with myself. 

Where GF doesn’t even come close:

* Ever had reheated GF pasta (why would you not make enough homemade mac ‘n cheese to sustain your toddler’s desire to have it for breakfast)?  It makes you wonder why you’re even bothering to eat.  Cue Gandhi hunger strike until companies agree to stop making it. 

* Cinnamon rolls… I love The Spunky Coconut recipes 90% of the time.  That love blinded me into making her Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls.  My son was so excited when I told him, “Pumpkin rolls for breakfast!”  He took a bite and cried.  No, seriously, almost three year olds have a very fragile concept of what necessitates tears.  When I took a bite, I did not follow suit and burst into tears, but I was pretty sure my efforts could have been put to better use.  I bet if you’ve never had gluten-laced cinnamon rolls or legitimately cannot have them, these pumpkin rolls would amaze you.

* Annette’s cakes.  Yeah, the ones you see right here on this blog.  I could search until I found the right amount of tapioca starch to substitute and how much xanthan gum to add.  Or I could just enjoy a damn good slice of cake.

Scientific conclusion*:  Eat good food. Take note of how your body feels when you eat food.  Make changes accordingly.  Gluten will not cause you to implode… Probably. 

*I am not a scientist.  

And when it comes down to treats, taste is really what matters most:

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones
So delicious that you will be the star of the entire CrossFit gym of people, 
who don't actually need to be gluten-free but will insist on Paleo-only food.  
Or, you can give them to the kid with real food allergies and make 
his day awesome.   Recipe to follow in the next posting.

Time to fly,

Liz

Pumpkin Spice Latte Layer Cake

I’m a basic chick who goes all pumpkin-crazy on September 1. And I’m not sure if its really because I like pumpkin THAT much, or if I just like the concept. Down here in the Deep South, summer lasts forever and a day. And I’m not a summer gal. I don’t love bathing suits, short shorts, and 100% humidity. I like blazers, hot tea, deer hunting, and clothing that covers my post-2-baby lady lumps. So maybe I do jump the gun by placing mums by my front door while it’s still 97 degrees out (if football is on television, mums are coming out. Mother Nature needs to get with it). And I really can’t decide if I love pumpkin as much as I like the idea that fall is coming. But regardless, it’s all-pumpkin, all-day around here. 

My favorite tradition that truly signifies fall has arrived is Starbucks’ Pumpkin Spice Latte. It’s so revered that it can just go by its initials, PSL. Only really important characters can pull that off (FDR? JFK?), so it’s pretty legit. I was lying in bed dreaming of cake the other night and thought how delightful a PSL layer cake might be, so I got to work scheming it together. 

This is one of my favorite kinds of cakes because it’s a naked cake. It has no decorative properties, so really a monkey can put it together. There’s no thought or effort to it, aside from actually making it. And if you can make coffee (which I actually still---as an adult--manage to screw up every time), then you can make this cake. You just need a stand mixer and the ingredients. Nothing fancy. But wow, is this cake nice. The cake itself is a bit dense, almost like a pumpkin bread. I’m not typically into dense cakes (unless it’s a pound cake), but I do love pumpkin bread. And it is incredibly moist with just the most subtle hint of coffee in the cake itself. The cake is paired with a luscious espresso cream cheese filling, which gives it a touch of sweetness and the coffee kick you are looking for. And the whipped cream on top is light, fluffy, and foamy, just like a true latte. 

It really is a great little cake-- it’s rich, but the lack of outer frosting keeps it light still; it’s sweet enough, but not too sweet; and it has mild flavors of pumpkin and coffee, neither of which overwhelms the other. It’s pretty delicious and will be a delightful addition to your Thanksgiving dessert table, your fall dessert repertoire, or just a shits-and-giggles reason to get into your kitchen on a whim. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Cake 

* 3 cups flour

* 2 tsp baking powder

* 1 tsp baking soda

* 2 Tbsp espresso powder or instant coffee mate powder

* 1 Tbsp ground cinnamon

* 2 tsp ground ginger

* 1 tsp ground allspice

* 1 tsp ground nutmeg

* 1/2 tsp ground cloves

* 1 tsp salt

* 1 cup sugar

* 1 cup light brown sugar

* 1 cup melted butter

* 4 large eggs, room temperature

* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

* 2 cups pumpkin puree

* 1/2 cup Pumpkin Spice flavored brewed coffee, HOT

* Preheat oven to 350 F degrees. Grease 3 8-inch round pans with Baker’s Joy.

* In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, coffee powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice,     

   cloves, ginger and salt. Set aside.

* In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the white and brown sugars until mixed and the clumps are gone.

* Pour in the butter and mix with the sugars until incorporated.

* Add the eggs one at a time. Mix well after each addition.

* Mix in the pumpkin puree and vanilla until smooth.

* With the mixer on lowest speed, add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing until just combined before adding more. 

   Turn the mixer off just when all of the flour has been incorporated.

* Add the hot coffee and mix with a spatula just until the batter is smooth. Simply fold the coffee into the mix, careful not to over-mix.

* Pour the batter evenly into the three prepared pans and place on the center racks in the oven.

* Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

* Allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Espresso Cream Cheese Filling

* 1 (4oz) stick butter

* 1 (8oz) cream cheese

* 2 c sifted powder sugar

* 2 tbsp espresso (cooled to room temp)

* 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

* Beat the butter and cream cheese with electric mixer in larger bowl

   Switch the mixer to low speed. ½ cup at a time, add 1 cup of sifted powder sugar, beating after each addition.

* Add vanilla and beat to combine.

* Add one tbsp of espresso, and continue beating.

* Add the remaining cup of powder sugar, ½ cup at a time.

* Add the remaining espresso slowly until desired consistency is reached.

  {You will want this filling to be nice, thick, and firm. Sometimes all the beating and the cream cheese can make it a bit runny and soft, which will not hold up with the cake layers. If this is the case, put the filling in the refrigerator for a few minutes until it has firmed up just a tad.}

  

Whipped Cream Topping 

* 2 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream

* 1/4 cup sugar

* 1 tsp vanilla extract

* cinnamon, for garnish

* In a large bowl of a stand mixer, whip heavy whipping cream with the wire whisk attachment on high.

* Add in the sugar very slowly. Then add in the vanilla extract.

* Continue to whip the cream on high until stiff peaks form.

Assembly

* Once cake layers have cooled completely, place one cake layer on a serving plate.

* Spread ½ inch layer of espresso cream cheese filling on top of the cake layer. (I usually separate my filling into   

   different  bowls ahead of time to ensure that it is divided equally).

* Gently place the second cooled cake layer on top of the filling.

* Spread another ½ inch layer of espresso cream cheese filling on top of the cake layer.

* Gently place the third and final cooled cake layer on top of the filling.

* Put the whipped cream into a piping bag and pipe the topping onto the top of the cake (alternately, you can just dollop it with a spatula…whatever your heart desires).

* Garnish with ground cinnamon and/or ground nutmeg + cinnamon sticks.

* Enjoy!

Keep on keepin' on!

-Annette