Red Velvet Sheet Cake

I know this statement will cause all sorts of outrage, but I don't get the appeal of Texas Sheet Cake. It's just an inferior chocolate cake. Thin, powdered sugary frosting... what's the point? My anti-Texas Sheet Cake attitude has bled into other sheet cakes as well. But a couple weeks ago, we were watching Pioneer Woman's show on our DVR and she made Red Velvet Sheet Cake for a potluck. It looked so delicious and easy I had to try it. We were having quite a few people over for dinner so I had the perfect opportunity to try it.
The recipe starts with creaming shortening (not my fave) and sugar together. Add eggs and vanilla and mix well. Add, alternately, flour/salt and buttermilk. Stir together red food coloring, cocoa powder, and baking soda. Add vinegar and add to the cake mixture. Pour in a sheet pan and bake! Easy!

Instead of a cream cheese frosting, PW uses a buttercream made of a cooked milk.flour mixture, sugar and butter. I've used this buttercream before, from Our Best Bites. It is a great alternative to powdered sugar frostings, but it uses quite a bit of butter (one pound). One recipe of the frosting covers this sheet cake perfectly- PW suggests doubling it, but I didn't de-pan my sheet cake and therefore didn't need frosting for the sides.

A little Instagram shot:

This cake is moist and the frosting is light and fluffy. I enjoy red velvet cake, but I think the red food coloring gives it a weird taste. I've tried all different types of food coloring- liquid, paste, gel and even no-taste, but I can always taste the food color. I did love the ease of this cake and it may have even changed my mind about sheet cakes (not Texas sheet cake, though)! :)

I want to try this one next!

TWD- Rugelach

Whew, TWD is now only every two weeks, and those weeks seem to go by quickly! We're back this week with Rugelach, a cookie made of sour cream or cream cheese dough and filled with dried fruit, nuts, fruit preserves, cinnamon, chocolate, among others.

This recipe starts with a cream cheese dough, made of flour, cream cheese and butter. I made mine in a food processor. Shape it in a ball, flatten in a disk, and chill.

Before you look at this next picture, I have a confession. I chickened out in using an apricot or prune lekvar. I actually have a personal rule to not eat anything with apricots or prunes because I hate them. As the mom of small children, we never use that word, but I will now. I hate them. Soooo, I used raspberry preserves.

 Sprinkle cinnamon and sugar over the preserves.

Before you look at the next picture, I have another confession. I used chocolate as Dorie posted in Baking From My Home to Yours. And I didn't use dried fruit, cuz that's gross. Oh, and also I forgot to get any kind of nut when I went to the grocery store. So we're just going with chocolate and fruit.

Roll it up jelly-roll style and chill. Again.

 After it's nice and chilly, you brush the roll with egg wash, slice and roll in cinnamon and sugar.

Bake for 25-30 minutes (mine took 20) at 375 degrees F. I didn't wait to take a picture of the baked ones because I'm about to go to bed, but imagine these are de-panned and arranged nicely on a plate.

My husband and I just popped a couple of these in our mouths and were quite pleased. The actual cookie part is pretty delicious- crisp, buttery, and slightly tart from the cream cheese. I quartered the recipe because we have treats coming out our ears right now (red velvet sheet cake post to come). Although these were good, I'm not sure I would make them again. I'm not really a fruit cookie kind of person, but if you are, you should try these! And don't forget the chocolate. 'Cuz it makes everything better. Margaret and Jessica will have the recipe!

TWD- Chocolate Tart

This week's TWD is for Chocolate Tartlets- 6 mini tarts. I only have a large tart pan, so I just made one big tart.

The recipe starts out with a chocolate pastry dough for the crust. It says to remove the bottom of the pan, but I didn't do that.

The filling is a made up whipped egg yolks (lots) and sugar folded into melted butter and chocolate.

The recipe calls for chopped biscotti for the filling, but I used cinnamon cookies sprinkled on top instead of folded in the filling batter.

The tart is delicious- it wasn't fudgey like I thought it would be. It was smooth and creamy and was a hit at home and with some friends!
 Steph, Spike, Jaime and Jessica will have the recipe!

Sports Cake

A cake for Cruz, who turned 1. The mom liked this cake and wanted something similar. The cake was vanilla with cream cheese buttercream. Covered in fondant with fondant and gumpaste decorations.

Rainbow Sprinkles Cake

A cake for Frances, who turned 5. The inside of the cake was rainbow vanilla with vanilla buttercream.

Oatmeal Cookie Cups with Vanilla Yogurt

Last baby shower recipe! This was the surprise hit. I wasn't sure how yogurt and oatmeal cookie cups would be together, but it turned out to be one of the best dishes!

Oatmeal Cookie Cups with Vanilla Yogurt
adapted from kevinandamanda
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 cup old fashioned oats
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt

1 quart vanilla yogurt

Fresh fruit for topping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two regular sized muffin tins with cooking spray.

Cream butter and sugars in a stand or electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.

Add flour, oats, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Mix until incorporated. Scoop 1 heaping tablespoons of dough into the muffin tins. Press the dough in the bottom and up the sides of the muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes, or until the edges are brown. Remove from oven and press the back of a teaspoon in the middle of each cookie cup to make an indent. Run a thin knife around the edge of each cookie cup to remove to a rack to cool. Once cool, fill the cookie cups with vanilla yogurt and top with desired fruit. Serve immediately.

Mini Quiches

I made mini quiches for this baby shower. Although these take more time than I would spend on any given morning, they are delicious for a special occasion. I used red onion, red bell pepper, black forest ham and a blend of shredded mozzarella and parmisan cheese.

Mini Quiches
adapted from bhg.com
ingredients
1 recipe Pastry Dough
1/2 cup shredded Italian-blend cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped red sweet pepper
1/4 cup finely chopped ham
3 tablespoons diced red onion
1 1/2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 eggs

1 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Shape chilled Pastry Dough into twenty 1-1/2-inch balls. Place each ball into a 2-1/2-inch muffin cup. Press dough into bottoms and up sides of muffin cups. Set aside.

For filling, in a medium bowl combine cheese, sweet pepper, the 1/4 cup pancetta, the green onion, flour, Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Divide mixture evenly among pastry shells.

In the same bowl beat together eggs and half-and-half. Pour egg mixture over filling in each pastry shell.

Bake about 20-25 minutes or until filling is set. Let stand in muffin cups for 5 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, gently loosen edges of the shells from the sides of muffin cups; remove from the cups. Cool slightly. Serve warm. 

Pastry Doughingredients

• 2
  cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2
  teaspoon salt
• 3/4
  cup cold butter
• 1/4 - 1/3
  cup ice water
  
  
  In a medium bowl stir together flour and salt. Using a pastry blender, cut in butter until pieces are pea size. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon ice water over part of the flour mixture; toss gently with a fork. Push moistened dough to side of bowl. Repeat with additional ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour mixture is moistened. Gather mixture into a ball, kneading gently until it holds together. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour.

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