mocha chocolate icebox cake . . . and a casual birthday brunch

 

It's been a whirl wind month for our family. February is always busy for us.

The month begins with celebrating our oldest son's birthday, followed by a birthday celebration almost every weekend through the end of month. Nick turned 21 this year, so I was sure to add personal (and special) touches to his birthday gathering . . .

         .     .     .     .         

mocha ice box cake

MOOSE sugar cookies (Nick's favorite animal!)

a mocktail bar with a signature grapefruit drink 

 * 21 gifts *
sparkler number candles!

delicious skillet dishes
spicy Italian strata & baked french toast
 .     .     .     .  

My favorite time of day to entertain is late morning, early afternoon. It's the perfect time for brunch, which I think is one of the best times of day to entertain! So we celebrated birthday after birthday over brunch, every Saturday . . . and I enjoyed every minute of it!

So let's talk cake!

Have you ever heard of an old-fashioned Icebox Cake?

Well, I hadn't heard of one until I saw Ina Garten make one in an episode of the Barefoot Contessa last year. Ironically, the episode aired just days after hosting Nick's 20th birthday brunch; and after watching the episode, I knew that I was going to make it for his 21st birthday!

It has all of his favorite things . . . . chocolate chip cookies and mocha flavored whipped cream, layer upon layer upon layer. YUM!

They're so easy to make, and there's NO BAKING; that is, unless you choose to bake the chocolate chip cookies that go into layering this cake.

Ina uses TATE's Bakery chocolate chip cookies, which I was lucky enough to find at our local Wholesome Market . . . so I couldn't resist buying them for the cake.

It takes just minutes to whip the ingredients . . .  heavy cream, mascarpone cheese, instant espresso powder, sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla, and coffee flavored liqueur . . . and then the layering can begin. It's so simple . . . and delicious!

I can't wait to make a Spring and Summer version using lemons and lemon cookies!

mocha chocolate icebox cake

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

2 cups cold heavy cream

12 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup coffee liqueur, such as Kahlua (optional)

2 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

3 (8-ounce) packages chocolate chip cookies, such as Tate's Bake Shop

Shaved semisweet chocolate, for garnish

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine the heavy cream, mascarpone, sugar, coffee liqueur, cocoa powder, espresso powder, and vanilla. Mix on low speed to combine and then slowly raise the speed, until it forms firm peaks.

To assemble the cake, arrange chocolate chip cookies flat in an 8-inch spring-form pan, covering the bottom as much as possible. (I break some cookies to fill in the spaces.) 

Spread a fifth of the mocha whipped cream evenly over the cookies. Place another layer of cookies on top, lying flat and touching, followed by another fifth of the cream. 

Continue layering cookies and cream until there are 5 layers of each, ending with a layer of cream. Smooth the top, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Run a small sharp knife around the outside of the cake and remove the sides of the pan. Sprinkle the top with the chocolate, cut in wedges, and serve cold.

courtesy of Barefoot Contessa

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Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Baking in Pajamas, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Rustic Refined,  Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage,  Chic California, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, Sweet Bella Roos, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Everyday Enchanted Home, Pure Grace Farms A Dish of Daily Life, Bacon Time, Sunflower Supper Club, Tater Tots and Jello,  Cooking with Curls, Made from Pinterest, Simply Gloria

minted sugar shamrock cookies

I bake these unique and sophisticated minted sugar cookies every March.

They remind me of an old-fashioned cookie . . . the kind of cookie that my grandma would've enjoyed with a cup of chamomile tea in her garden.

Although they might be a simple sugar cookie flavored with vanilla and peppermint, it's the minted sugar sprinkled on top that make them so special. Because the sugar is flavored with the oils from fresh mint leaves, it's taste is subtle and clean. The flecks of mint in the sugar are so pretty . . . and the texture of the sugar is fine, so the cookies taste delicate.

shamrock fun fact . . .

The shamrock was a sacred plant in ancient Ireland because it symbolized the rebirth of spring.

Minting sugar is a simple process of rubbing fresh mint leaves into sugar until they release their oils, naturally flavoring the sugar. This can be done easily, using an electric mixer.

It might be a little extra work, but the result is unique and quite pretty . . . making them the perfect little cookie to share with your best of friends, perhaps over a cup of chamomile or mint tea in your garden (smile).

 

Ingredients

2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

12 Tablespoons (1 ½  sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 egg, room temperature
3 tablespoons heavy cream
 powder sugar (instead of flour) for rolling out dough

for minted sugar
1 cup sugar
15 fresh mint leaves

.     .     .     .     .     .     .     .     .    

Preparation

To make the cookies . . . 
In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt . . . set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the butter and granulated sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and peppermint extract and egg. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix until just combined.

Form the dough into a ball, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or as long as overnight.

Preheat an oven to 350°F.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. 

On a lightly floured powder sugar surface, roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness. Using cookie cutters, cut out desired shapes. Transfer to the prepared baking sheets, spacing cookies about 2 inches apart, and bake until just golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the size of the cookies. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let cool for 5 minutes, then remove the cookies from the pans and let cool completely.

 

Preparation for minted sugar

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a flat beater, combine 1 cup of sugar with the fresh mint leaves. Turn on slow speed for several minutes. The beater will rub the leaves in the sugar to release their oils; set aside until ready to use.

Remove and discard mint leaves from sugar. For quick mint leaf removal,  SIFT the sugar. 
Brush each cookie with a thin coating of cream and sprinkle with minted sugar.

Makes 10 to 24 cookies, depending on cutter size.

 

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Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Baking in Pajamas, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Rustic Refined,  Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage,  Chic California, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, Sweet Bella Roos, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Everyday Enchanted Home, Pure Grace Farms A Dish of Daily Life, Bacon Time, Sunflower Supper Club, Tater Tots and Jello,  Cooking with Curls, Made from Pinterest, Simply Gloria

easy caramel sauce

We had our Annual Family Dinner a few weeks ago.

My family gathers every year to celebrate and remember my dad. We enjoy a big dinner together at Buca di Beppos, and share memories, eat and laugh, and laugh and eat . . . and enjoy one another's company. There are only a few times a year when we ALL get together, and this is one of those occasions.

One of the ways I celebrate/remember my dad is by sharing a piece of him that I fondly remember. Last year I brought everyone a jar of home-made Strawberry Vanilla Bean Jam. The year before, I made mini angel food cakes. It was his favorite cake! And the year before that, I brought everyone home-made divinity candy . . . his favorite candy.

This year marks 9 years since he returned Home; so needless to say, I've prepared many things over the years, from desserts to CDs to 'fun bags' that were all intended to stir happy and loving memories of our Dad.

I felt inspired to make home-made Caramel Sauce in honor of my Dad this year.

His favorite traditional ice cream topping was caramel, so I thought it would be fun to bring everyone a jar of this yummy goodness.

I found this recipe for Caramel Sauce last December, and served it at our Annual Holiday Waffle Breakfast. Everyone LOVED it, so I knew that it would be the one that I would make for my family.

I LOVE that it's made with brown sugar!

The brown sugar gives it such a warm and unique flavor . . . thanks to the molasses.

I enjoy is most when it's warmed up and then drizzled over ice cream; but it's also good on pancakes, waffles, and drizzled over hot cocoa and brownies. Really, the skies the limit with caramel sauce!

I hope that I've inspired you to make some for your family and friends!

simple caramel sauce

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter (4 Tablespoons)

1/2 cup half-and-half or cream (cream will make it thicker)

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla

 pinch of salt

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preparation 

Mix all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-low to medium heat. 

Cook while whisking gently for 5 to 7 minutes, until thicker. 

Turn off heat. Serve warm or refrigerate until cold. 

If sauce is thin, just continue cooking for a few more minutes. 

Courtesy: Pioneer Woman

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vanilla bean cream scones

Hello, beautiful (scone)!

That might sound like a silly introduction, but look at the vanilla bean specks and the amazing flaking in the these scones. YUM!

I love baking for my friends and family! 

So when my husband's friend's wife gave me a bag of vanilla beans from Mauritius (nearest landmass is Madagascar!), I squealed with delight as my mind raced with thoughts of all the amazing desserts that I was going to make with them.

First on my list . . . make my best friend, Alex, Vanilla Bean Cream Scones for her birthday! 

She enjoys scones as much as I do, so I was excited to gift her to this delightful treat.

~ a few of my Mauritius vanilla beans ~

I typically make my scones using a Sour Cream Scone recipe that I found several years ago, but I recently started using Cook's Illustrated's Simple Cream Scone recipe . . . and it's amazing!

Even my husband - who is QUITE particular - loved these scones. Now that's saying a lot!

There are so many scone recipes on the web that call for too much butter, 'special' flours, and even eggs . . . all of which - aren't necessary in making a tender and delicious scone.

Only a few ingredients need to go into them; and it's the ratio of butter, flour, and cream that can make - or break - a 'heavenly' one.

After many trials in their test kitchens in an effort to find the right ratios, it's no surprise that Cook's Illustrated gave us the perfect scone recipe. 

Although it's a really crumbly dough (and might seem too dry), I assure you that it will bake up a light and flaky scone. 

I use their Simple Cream Scone recipe as my base, and then add flavors like currants, cranberries & orange, vanilla beans, or dried strawberries for flavored versions.

I added vanilla beans in this version, and then drizzled them with a vanilla bean glaze . . . YUM!

If you love scones too, then I highly recommend giving this recipe a try; along with this amazing one, or this one for orange cardamom scones!

Enjoy!

vanilla bean cream scones

.     .     .     .     .

2 cups all purpose flour

3 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 Tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch pieces and chilled

1 cup heavy cream

2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped

.     .     .     .     .

Preparation
Adjust the oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Pulse flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a food processor to combine, about 3 pulses.

Scatter butter evenly over top and continue to pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal with some slightly larger pieces of butter, about 12 more pulses.

*If you don't have a food processor, then a pastry cutter or fork will do just fine.

Split 2 vanilla beans and add the vanilla to 1 cup of heavy cream; stir to scatter and suspend vanilla beans.

Stir in cream until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.

Turn dough and any floury bits out onto floured counter and knead until rough, slightly sticky ball forms, 5 to 10 seconds.

Take care NOT to over-work the dough. 

Pat dough into 9-inch round and cut into 8 wedges.

Place wedges on prepared baking sheet. Bake until tops of scones are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes, rotating baking sheet halfway through baking.

Prepare vanilla bean glaze.

Transfer baking sheet to wire rack and let cool for at least 10 minutes.

Drizzle vanilla bean glaze over the top of the scones.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

vanilla bean glaze

.       .      .       .       .       .    

3 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 cup confectioners’ sugar; sifted

1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped

3-5 Tablespoons cream

.       .      .       .       .       .   

In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing together the melted butter, 

confectioners’ sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and cream. 

Whisk until smooth. 

Drizzle on top of scones, or dip the tops into the glaze. 

.       .      .       .       .       .

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Simply Suzannes at Home

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