We're Back! With a Strawberry on Top!

So... the other day my Mom called and asked what the site address was for our blog... (cue the crickets). Yep... I couldn't even remember, so I quickly logged into blogger, sent it her direction and next thing you know I get a call.  

"Hi Mal, this is Grandma calling" (love that she says this exact thing every time she calls...on the phone...a phone call) "You should really keep doing that 'thing' your mother showed us. You know we always love hearing what you kids are up to." 

I would never dare say no to my wonderful Grandma and what better reason to gear back up...than... FINALLY (more with that later) finding a house... so here we are again. Anyone out there?!? (poor, silly, busy crickets)

Well at least my Grandma and my husband (because I will launch the computer in his lap and he will have no choice but to ooh and ahh as I prompt him with said oohing and ahhing) will be reading this. Good enough for me :) 

Thought I would start out easy... get you strung out on sugar... maybe you'll come back for more. 

Since we could not have managed moving into our new house all on our lonesome, we decided to invite our parents over for dinner to thank them for all their help! Two sets of parents, two cakes, two dinners, who cares... yum! 

This Strawberry Angel Food Cake Roll is ridiculously easy, super delicious, perfect for summer... oh and did I mentioned SUPER easy. So without further ado...

Strawberries and Cream Angel Food Cake Roll

For the Cake: 
9 egg whites
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
¾ cup cake flour
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

* Oofta thats a lot of work... and eggs... and time I don't have. I simply made it straight out of the box. HOWEVER, if you have the time and the motivation (man, I envy you!) feel free to hop on over to the original post at Brown Eyed Baker.

For the Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream, chilled - Make sure it is well chilled so that it is nice and fluffy when you add the strawberries. They can way things down a touch. 
6 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups diced strawberries

Powdered sugar, for dusting top of cake (optional)

And this is where I skipped to step three... seriously why go through all that when its available in a box!?

4. Carefully spread batter into prepared pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Cool for 5 minutes. - I 

5. Dust a clean kitchen towel with 1 tablespoon powdered sugar. Turn the cake out onto the kitchen towel. Gently peel off waxed paper. Roll up cake in the towel jelly-roll style, starting with a short side. Cool completely on a wire rack. - I just lay out some foil, flip it onto the counter, layer on the good stuff (aka the strawberries and cream) and roll it right on up. 

4. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, beat the cream on medium speed until it begins to thicken. Add powdered sugar and vanilla; increase the speed to medium-high and beat until soft peaks form. Gently fold in the strawberries. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.

5. Unroll cooled cake; spread filling to within ½-inch of edges (you will have some filling leftover). Roll up again. Place seam side down on a serving plate; sprinkle with additional powdered sugar, if desired. Serve with any leftover strawberries and cream filling. Store leftovers, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator. - Use all the filling... I dare you! I promise you NO ONE will complain that there is TOO MUCH whipped cream.

XO, M

A BLUEBERRY & BLOG BINGE

So I thought I would start out this whole blog binge with something easy and quite tasty... if I do say so myself. B had last weekend off (YAY) and since summer is quickly coming to a close we decided to visit one of our favorite  spots. 


There were wonderful blueberries everywhere and since they were pretty budget friendly (3 for only $5) we ended up with a very blue fridge. So I decided to research some recipes and found this one here. It turned out really well and it was half gone by sundown (mind you I made it around 4 p.m.).

Ingredients

For the streusel:

• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg - Newlywed kitchen, thus no nutmeg & more cinnamon
• 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

For the cake:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (3/4 stick)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
• 2/3 cup sour cream - I used low-fat plain yogurt instead
• 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• Confectioners' sugar for sprinkling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round baking pan.

For the streusel:

Combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a bowl. Stir in the melted butter and then the flour. Mix well and set aside.

For the cake:

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on high speed for 4 to 5 minutes, until light. Reduce the speed to low and add the eggs 1 at a time, then add the vanilla, lemon zest, and sour cream. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture to the batter until just combined. Fold in the blueberries and stir with a spatula to be sure the batter is completely mixed.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and spread it out with a knife. With your fingers,

crumble the topping evenly over the batter. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool completely and serve sprinkled with confectioners' sugar.

Enjoy! XO M