The Year of Living Audaciously

Former food blog, now travel blog - following my year as a Fulbright ETA in Indonesia

Oh My Gosh “Rolls”

by

You can’t really call them rolls. But by calling them rolls, I forget about all the sugar that I am putting in my body. But I really don’t care. BECAUSE THIS IS AMAZING.

Spencer has been bugging me to make these for weeks. He saw them on my pinterest and of all 300+ desserts on there – this is the one he kept requesting. I finally gave in and made them tonight. OH MY GOSH. CRESCENT ROLLS. MARSHMALLOWS. CINNAMON SUGAR. BUTTER. HEAVEN.

Okay so now that I have thoroughly convinced you to try this… here’s how to do it.



Oh My Gosh “Rolls”
(Recipe from Eat At Allie’s – she calls them resurrection rolls and tells her kids the Easter story – cute!)

1 can of crescent rolls
melted butter
cinnamon sugar
8 large marshmallows

Lay wax paper on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay out crescent rolls. Dip a marshmallow in the butter than roll it in the cinnamon sugar. Roll it up in the crescent roll and make sure to pinch the edges snug. Bake for 10-12 minutes and enjoy!

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies

by

These cookies…are incredible. And incredibly soft. And contain an incredible combination – peanut butter + bananas + chocolate.

Oh man.

Peanut Butter Banana Chocolate Chip Cookies
(Recipe from How Sweet It Is)

1 cup + 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 cup + 1 teaspoon whole wheat pastry flour (or you can just do all all-purpose flour)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons of unsalted butter, melted and cooled
6 tablespoons of creamy peanut butter, melted and cooled
1 cup loosely packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 egg yolk, at room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 ripe medium bananas, mashed
1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Prepare the butter and the peanut butter by measuring them melting them in the microwave – so that you can get it in the fridge and cooling.

Mix the flours, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In another large bowl, whisk together cooled butter and cooled peanut butter with both sugars until combined. Whisk in egg yolk and vanilla extract until smooth. Add in the mashed banana and mix until combined – mixture will not be smooth. Gradually add in the dry ingredients and fold in chocolate chips.

Using an ice cream scoop, shape the dough into the size of a golfball and place on nonstick baking sheet about 2 inches apart from each other. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until the edges are golden and the middles are puffy – do not overbake! Let cool and then eat!!! 
They will stay very soft because of the banana – even after a couple of days. 

We made our cookie into ice cream sandwiches – they were amazing!!!

Lemonade Cake

by

Lemonade Cake
I know you’re saying, “what?! lemonade in a cake?!”
Yeah. I did too. So I made it. And woah. Woah. WOAH.
Lemonade Cake
 
Cake:
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
6 Tbsp. butter, softened
1 Tbsp. grated lemon rind
3 Tbsp. thawed lemonade concentrate
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 large egg whites
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
Cooking spray
Frosting:
2 Tbsp. butter, softened
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 tsp. thawed lemonade concentrate
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
8 oz. 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
3 1/2 cups powdered sugarServe with raspberries and yogurt ice cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
To prepare cake, place sugar, butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate and vanilla in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 5 minutes). Add eggs and egg whites, 1 at at time, beating well after each addition. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda; stir well with a whisk. Add flour mixture; beat well after each addition.
Using wax paper, trace two circles of the bottom of a round 9-inch cake pan and cut out. Place into the bottom of the pan and it will really help the cake to come out cleanly after it is baked. Pour batter into 2 (9-inch) round cake pans coated with cooking spray; sharply tap pans once on counter to remove air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until tooth pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 minutes on a wire rack, remove from pans. Cool completely on a wire rack and remove wax paper from bottom once cooled.
To prepare frosting, place 2 tablespoons butter, lemon rind, lemonade concentrate, vanilla extract and cream cheese in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy. Add powdered sugar, and beat at low speed just until blended (do not overbeat). Chill 1 hour.
Place 1 cake layer on a plate; spread with 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Spread remaining frosting over top and sides of cake. Store cake loosely covered in the refrigerator.
Lemonade Cake
Lemonade Cake

Peanut Butter S’mores Bars

by

At Spencer’s request I made these yummy bars 🙂 They were very easy and quite delicious! 

Peanut Butter S’mores Bars
(Recipe from The Sweet Life)


Makes: 16 large/20 small squares

  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 1/4 cups flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup graham cracker crumbs
  • 16 peanut butter cups, regular size
  • 1 1/2 cups marshmallow fluff

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Line an 8×8 baking dishing with parchment paper; coat lightly with cooking spray (don’t forget the sides).
  2. In a large bowl of the bowl of stand mixer, beat butter and sugars until fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla until combined.  Scrape down the sides.  With the mixer on low, stir in the flour, baking powder, salt, and graham cracker crumbs until mixed.
  3. Spread 2/3 of the dough on the bottom of the prepared baking dish.  Lightly press the peanut butter cups into the dough, then spread marshmallow fluff on top.  Press the remaining dough on a non-stick surface into the shape of an 8×8 square.  Place the square on top of the fluff and press down lightly.
  4. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the edges just begin to brown.  Allow to cool for at least two hours* to give the bars a chance to set, then remove from the pan and cut into squares with a large, sharp knife.



*We only let them sit for an hour or so because we were too hungry 🙂 They were great warm but also very good the next day once they had set in the refridgerator.

Strawberry Shortcakes with Lemon Cream

by

Made these for our first BBQ of the summer! They were delicious! A perfect summer dessert!



Strawberry Shortcakes with Lemon Cream
(Recipe from Food and Wine Magazine)


Recipe says it makes 6 – but it made 8 for me. Granted mine were probably smaller than the recipe called for. 

BISCUITS

  1. 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
  2. 3/4 cup cake flour
  3. 3 tablespoons sugar
  4. 2 teaspoons baking powder
  5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
  6. 6 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons melted butter
  7. 1 cup heavy cream
  8. 1 1/2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (buy it – it’s totally worth it! Makes them really good!)

LEMON CREAM

  1. Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
  2. 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, preferably from Meyer lemons
  3. 2 1/2 tablespoons sugar
  4. 1 large egg
  5. 1 large egg yolk
  6. Pinch of salt
  7. 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  8. 1 cup heavy cream

STRAWBERRIES

  1. 2 pints strawberries, quartered
  2. 2 tablespoons sugar
  1. Preheat the oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk the all-purpose and cake flours with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in the cold butter until it is the size of small peas. Stir in the cream until a shaggy dough forms.
  2. Turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and knead 2 or 3 times, just until it comes together. Roll the dough into a 7-inch round, about 3/4 inch thick. Using a 2 3/4-inch or 3-inch biscuit cutter (or a cup!), stamp out 5 biscuits. Gently gather the scraps and reroll them; cut out 1 more round so you have a total of 6 biscuits.
  3. Transfer the biscuits to a baking sheet and brush with the melted butter. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar on top and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the biscuits are golden. Let cool.
  4. Set a strainer over a medium bowl. In a small saucepan, combine half of the lemon zest with the lemon juice, sugar, egg, egg yolk, salt and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Cook over moderate heat, whisking constantly, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Immediately strain the curd into the bowl. Whisk in the remaining lemon zest and 2 tablespoons of butter. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface and refrigerate until cool, about 15 minutes.
  5. In a medium bowl, softly whip the cream. Fold the lemon curd into the whipped cream and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
  6. In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the sugar and let stand for 15 minutes.
  7. Split the biscuits in half and arrange the bottom halves on plates. Mound the lemon cream on the biscuits, top with the strawberries and their juices and replace the tops. Serve right away.
MAKE AHEAD The biscuits can be stored in an airtight container overnight. Recrisp them in a warm oven and let cool before serving. The lemon curd can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. The lemon cream can be refrigerated for up to 2 hours.

Cookie Dough Cupcakes

by

I’m on a baking spree! I’ve only got a floor full of hungry college students for two more days so I’m taking advantage of it while I can!

I had some left over cookie dough in my freezer so I thought I’d try combining my favorites – cookie dough and cupcakes!

Cookie Dough Cupcakes
(idea from Ice Cream Before Dinner)

Frozen cookie dough – you don’t need too much, maybe 10 cookies worth?
Vanilla cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup water
1/3 cup oil
Frosting

First, thaw your cookie dough so that you can reform it into little balls – about the size of a marble, maybe just a little bigger. And then refreeze.

I cheated and used a cake mix (sorry!!) but it was quicker and I could use my meal points. Make the cupcakes according to the instructions on the box and then when you fill the cupcake liners, do just a little bit less than normal. Not too much, but the cookie dough ball will take up some of the volume. Plop a cookie dough ball right in the middle and bake for 18-21 minutes!

They should come out looking just like normal cupcakes and your guests will have no idea what surprise is in store for them! Once cooled, frost the cupcakes (again I just used a store bought :/) and garnish with some cookie crumbs! (I baked the left over cookie dough and then broke up the cookies to put on top)

A Look Back

This blog is not an official U.S. Department of State website and the views and opinions expressed here are entirely my own, and do not represent the U.S. Department of State or the Fulbright Program.