Marble Pound Cake

Happy Father's Day! Is it me or is this year really flying by fast?

My favorite childhood moment with my dad was probably around the age of 8. I can even remember my hair style I wore that day. My dad & grandpa took my little sister and I to Piedmont Park. I just remember it being a nice sunny day, playing on the jungle gym. Then having icy treats afterwards. I just loved that moment back then even though, it was such a simple day.

I made my dad a marble pound cake. He really couldn't decide what dessert he wanted, when I was coming up with all the things I could possible bake. I honestly think I made marble cake just once and that was during university. I'm so happy to get to make it again, because it's just so darn good. I already had a slice earlier, and I'm going to get another two slices before bed. Don't judge me :)

I served the cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Of course, you can make a ridiculously yummy vanilla or chocolate glaze instead.

I never go easy on whipped cream. Always think..MOAR!

Marble Pound Cake
(recipe via Back to Baking-Anna Olson) 

3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 + 3/8 tsp baking powder (roughly a little under 2 teaspoon)
3/8 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 sticks of butter (18 tablespoons), room temperature
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, room temperature
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup full fat sour cream
6 oz dark chocolate, melted over double broiler

Preheat oven to 325° F. Brush 9'' cake pan with melted butter and flour it, tapping out the excess. 

Sift the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Set aside. Cream butter and sugar in a mixer until light & fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between each addition. Scrape the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, alternating with the sour cream. 

Scoop vanilla and chocolate batter in the pan, I alternated between them both. Then use a knife or skewer to swirl the batters together, or marble.

Bake the loaf for 60-70 minutes. (My cake was done at the 60 minute mark, but I could of taken it out sooner.) Cool and remove from the pan. 

Best Coast Concert

So last night I went to concert. It was kind of impulsive, but I knew about it for a week.
I was already out shoping with my family deciding between, spending it up at Victoria's Secret (ohh yes, the semi annual sale) or going out.

I never been to a concert alone. That was my sole reason for being a bit hesitant about going, plus I was clueless about the venue. I did feel a bit awkward before the show being solo, but I got a spot right in front of the stage.

So the first act was Lovely Bad Things. They got the crowd going, that's when I took a elbow to the back. Ohh and a little splash of beer down my back as well. Very nice. It was cool seeing the band be very well rounded in instrumentals. They would switch places between being the vocalist, drummer, or bassist.

During the set up, I quickly got my beer and the cool people next to me saved my spot.

Then Guards came on stage. I enjoyed them as well. It was funny seeing the lead singer engage with the audience. Can I just say how fashionable they looked on stage?

Sadly, the non-blurry only pic I took of them.

Then Best Coast came out.

 I felt so bad for the girls next to me, the audience was heavily pushy from the mosh fest. They had to leave halfway through the set, then these drunk shelias tried to convince me to dance on stage. Hah. Funny enough she did get on stage twice! 

So yeah Best Coast, fricken amazing! I was happy to hear all my favorite songs and new ones that they decided to play. 'Our Deal' is my all time favorite, it has been in my head for weeks, but they finished with 'Boyfriend' and I can't seem to get that one out, as of yet. Bethany sounds amazing and she was really nice to let this kid come up on stage to dance with her. I got to touch Bobb's guitar while he was playing.That was a first, this lucky girl next to me got his guitar pick. I was little jealous on the inside. But I did get a set-list at the end of the show, people were really scrambling for them. It's in my purse now.

jammin'

After they finished it got a bit awkward again being by myself. I was just standing around trying to kill some time, before my ride got there. The Guards and Pretty Little Things were in the lobby selling merchandise and chatting with fans. I wanted to say hi, but I'm so shy about those kind of things. Or am I??

matching glasses :p

Well Bobb came out. There were these girls in the lobby that I helped take their pictures. So I suggested we can take pictures of each other with him, if he agrees to it. He is super cool and nice. I actually had an actual conversation with him, so that was the highlight of the night for me.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Happy Mother's Day!!

 

I have been pretty busy lately. I actually think I say that every post when it's been some time since I have written anything. I know I have to do better, because I really do enjoy this.

Hah, so get ready for my excuses... I have a J.o.B :) I'm assistant to the pastry chef. I'm done with training so I have a set schedule. It's casual work hours, but it's great for me at the moment. It's nice being back in the kitchen, whipping up some sweet desserts. I loving the job so far. I had a hard time my last job in Australia, it was so stressful.

 

Anywho today I made my mom, an Pineapple Upside Down for Mother's Day.

I ran out of cherries, because I used some in a marshmallow order. So I just cut some in half just to make sure every center at least has a cherry. In the original recipe, you are suppose to 1/4 pineapple juice. I did not, I used it all!! It was a mistake originally but it's one I will keep on making. I loved how moist the cake is and it does soak up the brown sugary goodness anyway.

It's pretty delicious. I'm even eating another slice as I am writing this. Good thing I'm not counting how much I had today. The only thing I will do next time is make two cakes.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake 
(recipe via Southern Living) 

 
1/4 cup butter
2/3 cup firmly packed light or dark brown sugar
1 (20-ounce) can pineapple slices, undrained
9 maraschino cherries (i ran out so I cut them in half)
2 large eggs, separated
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Melt butter in a 9'' cast-iron skillet. Spread brown sugar around the bottom of the skillet evenly. Drain pineapple, reserving the juice; set juice aside. Arrange pineapple in the bottom of the skillet on top of the brown sugar mixture. Place cherries in the center of the pineapple rings.

Beat egg yolks at medium speed until thick. Gradually add sugar, beating well.

Heat reserved pineapple juice in a saucepan over low heat. Slowly add juice mixture to the yolk mixture, beating until blended.

Combine dry ingredients together; add them to the yolk mixture, beating at low speed until blended.

Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff peaks form. Fold egg whites into the batter. Pour batter into skillet; spreading evenly.

Bake at 325°F for 45-50 mins. Cool cake in skillet for 30 mins. Invert cake onto a serving plate.

Key Lime Pie

 Happy Easter!!

I really slept the day away. Until a couple of minutes ago, where I started freaking out that it's almost 8pm and I haven't even posted today. My sleep schedule is bonkers! I know that's nothing new because I commonly talk about it.

My grandma made dinner today, and I missed that. She saved me a plate of all my favorite Southern goodies, like her famous macaroni & cheese. So I'll be saving that when it's time to watch Game of Thrones tonight.

just as yummy naked

Besides all of that. I made Key Lime Pie. I made this at night because I had such a killer sweet tooth. So forgive me for the terrible lighting. I just knew I couldn't wait until morning to have a slice, and waiting we did not do.

You can clearly see the damage.

Dressed up + almost gone

I didn't change anything about the recipe I used. I saw the recipe on Pinterest, not such a surprise ey. It's awesome and I wouldn't change anything. Well actually I probably would use more graham cracker crumbs so the top looks as even as the bottom but that doesn't bother me, but aesthetically it kind of does. I do need a microplane as soon as possible because, I had to use a cheese grater. So I noticed that there was a bitter aftertaste with every bite, but I still devoured it.


Key Lime Pie 
(recipe via Brown Eyed Baker)

4 teaspoons grated lime zest
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
½ cup fresh lime juice

1 cup graham crackers crumbs (about 9 graham crackers)
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and still warm

1½ cups cold heavy cream
½ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Filling: Whisk the lime zest and egg yolks together in a medium bowl for 2 minutes. Whisk in the sweetened condensed milk, then the lime juice. Set aside at room temperature to thicken while you prepare the crust.

Crust: In a medium bowl, stir together the graham cracker crumbs and the granulated sugar. While mixing with a fork, slowly drizzle in the melted butter to graham cracker and sugar mixture. The mixture should look like wet sand. Place the crumbs in your 9'' pie pan, and press evenly into the pan. Bake the crust until it begins to brown (15-18 minutes). Let cool to room temperature on a wire rack

When the crust has cooled to room temperature, pour the lime filling into the crust. Bake until the center is set, yet still wiggly when jiggled, (15-17 minutes). Return the pie to a wire rack; cool to room temperature.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

Whipped Cream: Using an electric mixer, whip the cream on medium speed until soft peaks form. At this point, add the powdered sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, while continuing to whip the cream until stiff peaks form.

Cover leftovers with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

All About Hair

This might be an unexpected post since I usually blog about desserts or marshmallows. But I'm interested in other things like beauty and hair.

I did say I was on a healthy hair journey when I did an About Me post. It's #42 if you were wondering or decide to take another look at my list.

Slowly getting rid of the straight bits. 

Where to start? Hmm.. STATS

I have been relaxer free (chemical straightener) for two years now, as of March 3 2011. I transitioned for a year then cut off all the relaxed ends. I did cut away a lot of straight ends months leading up to March, just because I was so eager to get rid of them.

soo close to arm pit length

I reached shoulder length before June. I didn't even realized when I did because whenever I did length checks by myself it didn't seem like it. That's why you'll see man hands in the September pictures, I got some help so I can see the true length.

I always thought it took forever for the front of my hair to grow. So untrue!!

I'm surprised how much my hair has grown. Honestly my hair has never been this long before. The longest is has been prior to being a natural was arm pit length. Now I'm closely approaching bra strap length!! I still can't believe it even though I have pictures showing me..it's like WHAT!?? Really??

 

Inches away from reaching the straps :o

I keep my hair routine pretty simple. When I was in Australia I did do a lot of hair masks in my steamer, but I left it behind unfortunately. I'm not a product junkie, I really haven't ventured out in other products because of my budget and I'm content with what I'm using for now.

Products I'm Using
Shampoo: Giovanni Smooth as Silk Deep Moisture Shampoo
Conditioner: TRESemmé Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner
Leave-In:  Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner
Deep Conditioner: Joico Moisture Recovery Conditioner
Styling Products: Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Eco Styler Gel

I co-wash my hair at least once a week w/ TRESemmé Naturals, lately it has been like every three days or so. I don't have a set wash day. I'll deep condition my hair at least once a month, I did use to do it every week or two weeks. The only reason I haven't lately is due to forgetfulness and the bottle is almost empty. I'll just detangle my hair beforehand and just rinse the conditioner out. Then I'll put on my leave in conditioner, followed by coconut oil. That's It!!!

please ignore my xmas plaid bra.

I don't really style my hair anymore. I have no one to impress :p I use to do really cute define twist outs with the Eco Styler gel but I haven't lately. I still wear twist outs and braids outs typically, because I like to keep my hair stretched. Sometimes I'll try to force my hair into a ponytail..it's a struggle. Puffs are my best friend whenever I need to just run out and my hair is already down.

If this kind of post is your fancy, let me know. I have a lot of pictures from my journey to share.

Peep Marshmallows

Shop Here 

I made Peep Marshmallows for my etsy shop. I love Peeps. I use to buy them all the time around Easter when I was growing up. Who knew I could make some so much better?!!

Nom nom

They are so fricken cute. When I coated each one in sugar, I was blown away at how adorable they really are. I used my traditional vanilla marshmallow recipe and different colors of sugar, they all taste the same but my hand goes out to reach for pink and yellow first! My favorite touch are the little chocolate eyes, especially biting into one and straight away tasting it.

I'm already really excited for Easter and Spring! There are so many flavors I need to make. I'm going to a farmer's market over the weekend, so I'll be stocking up on new ingredients.

White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake

Happy Valentine's Day!!

 I remember my first Valentine's Day. I was a freshman in college dating my current boyfriend, whom I haven't met in person yet. Even though we were apart I still felt close to him. I'm pretty sure I even hugged the outside of the package he sent until the big day came around. I still have the box, and he still has the one I sent him. We opened gifts on web camera, taking turns and smiling our little faces off. 

He surprised me with a box of sunflowers and a glass vase. I didn't even know I had mail until my roommate told me I had something at the front desk. Imagine my surprise getting this long box, I had a huge grin walking to my room. I love the uncontrollable grins that you just can't hide, well in the right moments anyway. Sunflowers are my favorite flower. They were beautiful. I think all of my roommates were a tad bit jealous, which was amusing since I wasn't getting along with most of them. Hehe.

So this year I will be spending Valentine's Day alone. I think I will probably watch a romantic period piece in bed and eat cheesecake! Lot's of cheesecake. 

This recipe is fantastic. I wouldn't change anything about it and I plan on making it again really soon. The texture is creamy and smooth yet it's still firm, definitely a New York style cheesecake. The cheesecake is rich in flavor alone. The strawberry sauce is a great compliment and balances the richness. I melted some chocolate and piped hearts on parchment paper. Then I made whipped up heavy cream by using and a sprinkle of sugar (to taste).

White Chocolate Strawberry Cheesecake 

Cheesecake 
(adapted recipe via Not So Humble Pie) 
  
10 ounces chocolate graham crackers, crushed into crumbs
7 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 8-ounce packages of cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped
5 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch salt

boiling water 

Strawberry Sauce 
1.5 cups fresh strawberries (blended)
1 tbsp sugar
1.5 cups cold water
1-2 tsp lemon juice (to taste)
1.5 tsp cornstarch


Crust: Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine chocolate graham crackers with melted butter and press into bottom of the pan and 1.5 inches up the sides of a 9'' springform pan. Bake for 10 minutes and then allow to cool completely.

Sauce: Blend strawberries in a blender. Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small saucepan until combined. Stir in cold water, blended strawberries, and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat whisking often until it starts to boil. Let boil for half minute, whisking constantly. Remove from heat and strain. Set aside.

Cheesecake Filling: Reduce the oven temperature to 325°F. Place the chopped white chocolate in a bowl and set aside. In a saucepan bring the 1/2 cup of heavy cream to a simmer over medium heat. Pour the hot cream all over the chocolate and allow to stand for one minute. Stir until it has melted completely.

In a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment, beat cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Mix in sugar and beat well, scrape the sides of the bowl as needed. 
On medium speed, slowly add the white chocolate ganache. When the chocolate has combined,  add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in vanilla and salt.

Pour cheesecake over the graham cracker crust until halfway. Drizzle 2-3 tablespoons of strawberry sauce over the cheesecake filling. Continue to pour the rest of the cheesecake filling in the pan. Drizzle another 2 tablespoons of strawberry sauce over the top, take a toothpick or knife and swirl the sauce around. 

Set the pan onto a couple large sheets of aluminum foil and smooth them up the sides of the pan to waterproof. Place the cheesecake into a large roasting pan and then place in the oven. Pour the boiling water into the roasting pan, filling to about one inch (no higher than the lowest edge of aluminum foil). Allow to bake at 325°F for one hour then reduce heat and bake at 300°F for an additional 60-90 minutes until the center is just set.

Remove from oven and allow to cool completely. Once cool chill for at least 4 hours before serving.

  Check out my 2012 Valentine's Day post: Chocolate Panna Cotta