Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake

Ingredients:

Cake:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 and 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
zest + juice of 3 medium lemons
1 and 1/2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

Cream Cheese Frosting:

8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
3 and 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 - 2 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray three 9x2 inch cake pans with nonstick spray. Set aside.

To make the cake. Using a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on high until creamy - about 1 minute. Add granulated and brown sugars and beat on medium-high speed until creamed, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until everything is combined (approximately 2 minutes). Set aside.

In a large bowl, toss together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 5 seconds, then add the milk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Remove from the mixer and stir lightly until everything is just combined. Toss the blueberries in 1 tablespoon of flour and fold into the batter. Batter is extremely thick, so do not over-mix, as over-mixing will result in a tough, dense textured crumb.

Spoon batter evenly into 3 prepared cake pans. If only using 2 cake pans, your bake time will be longer. Bake the three layers for about 21-26 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

To make the frosting, use a handheld or stand mixer with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium speed until no lumps remain {about 3 minutes). Add confectioners' sugar, 1 tablespoon cream, vanilla extract, and salt with the mixer running on low. Increase to high speed and beat for 3 minutes. Add 1 more tablespoon of cream to thin out, if desired.

Assemble and frost. First, using a large serrated knife, trim the tops off the cake layers to create a flat surface. Place 1 layer on your cake stand. Evenly cover the top with cream cheese frosting. Top with 2nd layer, more frosting, then the third layer. Top with frosting and spread around the sides. The recipe doesn't make a ton of frosting, just enough for a light frost. Top with blueberries or lemon garnish as desired. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting to keep the cake from falling apart as you cut.

Rainbow Cheese Cake

Crust:

2 cups finely crushed graham crackers
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 pinch salt
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
Filling
4 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 pinch salt
1 cup sour cream
1 cup heavy cream
4 large eggs
1 each of liquid food colors (blue, yellow, green, red)

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven 350 degrees. Before you get started with the crust, make sure your 9 inch springform pan is water tight. I do this by carefully wrapping a few layers of foil on the outside of the pan, so water cannot get into the pan. Be careful not to rip the foil or water will get into your cake and ruin it!
2.  Mix crushed crackers, 2 tablespoons sugar, the cinnamon and salt together in a bowl. Then mix in butter with your clean fingers, until crumbs are pea sized.
3.  Press all of the graham cracker mixture into the prepared springform pan. Press it down firmly in the pan. I like to use a measuring cup for this, which makes it easy to get around the edges. You should have an even, flat crust.
4.  Bake the crust for 10 minutes on a low oven rack. Remove from the oven, and cool completely before continuing. Turn oven temperature down to 325 degrees.
5.  To make filling, cut cream cheese into pieces and add to a mixing bowl. Whip until smooth, maybe 4 minutes. Then add 1-1/3 cups sugar, and continue to beat until smooth again, another 4-5 minutes. Next, add vanilla, salt, sour cream and heavy cream; beat until smooth. Add in 1 egg at a time, beating briefly between each egg.
6.  Once the mixture is well combined and very smooth, divide evenly into 6 dishes. Add food color to each dish to get the desired colors. (Red = 25 drops of red, Orange = 18 drops yellow + 6 drops red, Yellow = 18 drops yellow, Green = 18 drops green, Blue = 18 drops blue, Violet = 18 drops red + 12 drops blue)
7.  Pour colored mixtures into cooled crust. Start with red filling, and slowly pour it right in the center of the crust. Continue to build the rainbow by pouring the fillings directly in the center. This will create layers so that each slice has some of each color.
8. Place cheesecake into a baking dish on oven rack, and fill baking dish with boiling water about 1 inch up the side of the springform pan.
9.  Bake at 325 degrees in the water bath for 1 hour and 40 minutes to 1 hour 50 minutes or until set but still jiggles slightly 2 inches from the edge. If cheesecake begins to brown on top, cover loosely with foil during last 5 minutes of baking.
10. Turn off the oven, open the oven door a crack, and let the cake cool in the oven for 1 hour. The slow cooling will help it not crack.
11. Then. loosely wrap the dish in foil so the foil isn't touching the top of the cake and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
12. When ready to remove cake, run a clean narrow knife around the edge of the dish, remove the foil, unlock the spring, and carefully lift off the outer ring.
13. Serve either alone or with a cherry/raspberry sauce. It's so rich and creamy that it really doesn't need a topping

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie Pops

Ingredients:

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup salted pretzels, crushed
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 ounces (3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 ounces creamy peanut butter
4 ounces powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
1/4 cup salted dry roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup small chocolate-covered rice balls or toffee pieces
6 ounces dark chocolate
Special equipment: pop mold with sticks

Directions:

To make the crust, place graham crackers, pretzels, granulated sugar, and cocoa powder in a bowl and mix well. Add the cooled melted butter, mix, and set aside.

Place the cream cheese in a stand mixer with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed to soften the cheese, about 1 minute. Add the peanut butter, powdered sugar, salt and vanilla paste and mix at medium speed for 4 to 5 minutes, and then increase the speed to high for an additional 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture will become light and fluffy. Add the peanuts and mix just enough to incorporate the nuts. Scrape the mix into a bowl and set aside.

Clean the mixing bowl and add the heavy cream. With a whip attachment, whip the cream until slightly firm peaks. Be careful not to over whip. Fold one-third of the soft cream into the mixture. When the cream is folded in, continue with the remaining cream.

Fill a pastry bag with the peanut cream and pipe a small amount into each mold. Tap the mold to ensure the mixture drops to the bottom of the mold. Sprinkle the chocolate balls over the mix. Pipe more mix, making sure to tap again. Sprinkle some crust and repeat with the cream. Continue layering the chocolate balls and crust. Insert the pop sticks into the mixture three-quarters of the way into the pop. Freeze overnight.

Melt the chocolate and keep warm. To unmold the pops, dip the mold into hot water. Gently twist the sticks as you lift the pops out of the mold. Dip the pops one at a time into the warm chocolate allowing the excess chocolate to run back into the bowl. Place the pops on a pan and return to the freezer. The pops can stay for up to 2 weeks wrapped in an airtight container.

The Blind Date

A young blonde secretary was describing her blind date to a friend.

"After dinner," she said, "he wanted to come back to my apartment, but I refused. I told him my mother would worry if I did anything like that."

"That was smart," her friend said, approvingly. "Then what happened?"

"He kept insisting, and I kept refusing," the secretary said.

"You didn't weaken your resolve, did you?" asked the friend.

"Not one bit. In the end, we went to his apartment. I figured, let his mother worry."

Disneyland Left

Did you hear about the two blondes that were going to Disneyland?

They were driving on the Interstate when they saw the sign that said "Disneyland LEFT". They immediately started crying, turned around and went home.

Mexican Wedding Cookies

I absolutely love these cookies and they're always a hit with family and friends!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons water
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup chopped almonds
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

Directions:
1.  In a medium bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Stir in vanilla and water. Add the flour and almonds, mix until blended. Cover and chill for 3 hours.
2.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
3.  Shape dough into balls or crescents. Place on an unprepared cookie sheet and bake for 15 to 20 minutes in preheated oven.

4.  Remove cookies from pan and cool on wire racks.

5.  When cookies are cool, roll in confectioners' sugar.

6.  Store at room temperature in an airtight container.

I Miss Kansas

"Oh, I really do miss Kansas, Toto... and Loverboy, Survivor, Rush, Styx, Journey, Foreigner, but I miss Pink Floyd most of all"... is she crazy? I miss Led Zeppelin most of all! Robert Plant has always been, and always will be, my all-time rocker fave! The Rolling Stones and The Who still tour and, thankfully, so does Def Leppard! That fact makes this mama one happy rocker chick! ; )