White Wedding Cake

White Cake batter:

2 cups plus 2 tbsp (300g) all-purpose flour

1 ½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

¾ teaspoon salt

½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened

3 tablespoon (45ml) sunflower oil (you can also use canola or vegetable oil)

1 ⅓ cups (265g) granulated sugar

4 large egg whites at room temperature

2 teaspoon (10ml) pure vanilla extract

½ cup (120ml) full fat sour cream, at room temperature

¾ cup (180ml) whole milk, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Lightly grease two 8-inch round cake pans, dust lightly with flour and line the base with rounds of parchment paper.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt into a large bowl and whisk well to blend evenly. It's important to distribute the leavening agents uniformly to prevent large air pockets in the cake. Set aside

Combine butter, oil, sugar and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) and mix together on medium-high speed using an electric handheld mixer until pale, light and fluffy. This will take 3-5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl halfway through mixing to ensure there are no bits of butter that haven't been blended.

Add the egg whites 2 at a time and mix for 1-2 minutes until well combined between each addition. Scrape down the bowl again. Add sour cream and mix it in evenly.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and then add half of the flour mixture until just combined then add half of the milk. Scrape down the bowl and repeat adding half of the remaining flour, followed by the rest of the milk and finally gently mix in the rest of the flour. Be sure to stop and scrape down the bowl frequently so the batter is even. It's important not to over-mix, however undermixing will mean the batter is not homogeneous and it will not bake evenly.

Divide the batter evenly between two pans (about 600g per pan) and spread it out evenly using a small offset spatula, tap the pans on the countertop to force out any large air bubbles and bake for 25-30 minutes or until evenly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Frost as desired.

Dirty Sodas

Fill cup ⅔ full with pebble ice.  Add flavorings or puree, then soda or juice then stir in creamer. Garnich with Marashino cherries, lime wedges & spray whipped cream, if desired. 

The Front Porch:

Lemonade,  2 pumps any flavor + creamer

The Smooth Talker:

Dr Pepper, 1 pump peach, 1 pump vanilla + creamer

Strawberry Twist:

Sprite, 1 pump strawberry (or 2 T strawberry puree'), 1 pump vanilla + creamer

Cherry Cream Coke:

Coke, 1 pump cherry, 1 pump vanilla + creamer

The Original Dirty:

Dr Pepper, 1 pump coconut, squeeze of lime juice + creamer

Cherry Limeade: 

Sprite, 2 pumps cherry, squeeze of lime juice 

Sunset Splash:

Sprite, 1 pump strawberry, 1 pump pineapple (or 2 T pineapple juice), 1 pump coconut + creamer

The Golden Hour:

Coke, 1 pump vanilla, 1 pump peach + creamer

Iced Oatmeal Cookies

3 cups rolled oats

1½ cups flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

1 tsp cornstarch

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 cup softened butter

1 cup packed brown sugar

¾ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

In a food processor, add flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cornstarch & cinnamon & pulse until oats are blended. 

In a mixing bowl, add butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Mix until combined. Stir in dry ingredients.

Scoop w/ medium scoop & place on parchment lined cookie sheet about 2 inches apart. 

Bake at 350⁰ for 10-12 minutes. Let cool. 

Frosting:

2 cups powdered sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla 

Mix together & dip cooled cookies into frosting mixture. Let frosting harden.

Black Forest Cake

Cake:

1 pkg chocolate cake mix

1 pkg brownie mix

4 eggs

1½ c water

1 c oil

Chantilly Cream:

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 c whipping cream

1 c powdered sugar

2 T instant vanilla pudding mix 

1 tsp vanilla

Chocolate Ganache:

½ c heavy cream 

1 c chocolate chips 

Canned cherry pie filling

Chocolate shavings

Preheat oven to 350⁰. Mix all cake ingredients (Do not use the ingredients listed on the back of the box mixes) together & divide batter into two 9" round pans & bake for 30-35 minutes. Remove from oven & let cool. 

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Add whipping cream & beat until it's not soupy. Add powdered sugar, pudding mix & vanilla & continue whipping until thick. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Cut cake layers so you have 4 layers. Place one layer on a cake stand & top with ¼ of the cream mixture & ¼ of the cherries. Repeat remaining cake layers, cream & cherries 3 more times. Frost outside with Chantilly cream. Place chocolate chips in a small bowl. Heat cream in microwave for 30 seconds & pour over chocolate chips. Let sit 5 minutes & stir. Top cake with ganache & decorate with remaining chantilly cream & fresh cherries. Place chocolate shavings on outside of cake. 

Garlic Parmesan Chicken Skewers

2 lbs chicken tenders, thighs or breast

2 tbsp olive oil

Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce:

1 stick butter

8-10 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup parmesan, grated

1 tbsp hot sauce more if desired

2 teaspoons red pepper flakes

1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced

Chicken Seasonings:

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Before you start, make sure to soak your wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes.

Start by combining your chicken seasoning mixture in a small bowl and set aside. Prep your chicken by cutting in 1-2" pieces. Place them in a large bowl or ziptop bag and toss in olive oil and the spices, coating well on all sides.

Pack the chicken onto each skewer, making sure they are tightly packed with no space in between to ensure maximum juiciness. 

Make the Garlic Parmesan Butter Sauce

Add the butter and garlic in a microwave-safe bowl and heat until partially melted. Add in red pepper flakes, hot sauce, parsley, and parmesan. Whisk together until combined. (If sauce separates, add 1-2 tablespoons of softened butter and stir to re-emulsify.)

Scoop out 1/3 of the sauce and use that for basting the par-cooked chicken. Reserve the remaining sauce for basting the cooked chicken so you don't cross contaminate. 

Cook 2-3 skewers at a time. I grill them or pay fry using a cast oron skillet. 

Flip them back, baste with more sauce and cook another 5-6 minutes or until the internal temp reaches 165⁰. Total cook time of 12-14 minutes.

Once they are finished cooking, hit them with a final pass of the garlic sauce (the clean reserved sauce) and sprinkle with some extra parmesan and serve.

Caesar Dressing

Ingredients

1½ cups mayonnaise

1 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp anchovy paste

1 tbsp + 1/4 tsp worcestershire

4 garlic cloves, minced

½ lemon, juiced

1 tsp lemon zest

1¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano, finely grated

1/4 tsp black pepper

Instructions 

• In a medium bowl, whisk all ingredients except the parmigiano-reggiano until smooth and well combined.

• Once the base is creamy, gently stir in the parmigiano-reggiano until everything has been thoroughly combined.

• Refrigerate for up to 5 days.

Crumb Topping

3 T butter, melted 

⅓ cup + 1 T flour 

¼ cup sugar 

1 T brown sugar 

½ teaspoon cinnamon (the spice I use here is dependent on what flavor of roll I’m making. Example: apple pie rolls > apple pie spice, pumpkin pie roll > pumpkin pie spice, etc. 

 

Combine flour, both sugars, and cinnamon. Mix in melted butter until crumbly.  

 

Sprinkle over cinnamon rolls before baking. 

 

This yields enough crumble for about 8-12 cinnamon rolls or muffins.