Brown Rice Pudding w/ a Hint of Coconut

We are big fans of rice pudding at our house!  We love the heartiness that the rice adds and the creamy vanilla flavor!  So several weeks ago I decided to whip up a batch using brown rice for a little healthy boost and a little coconut for a nice flavor switch up!  The results were fantastic!  I've made it several times since when we need something sweet and my kids can't get enough of it!  I'm quite certain that Ace would eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner if I would let him!:)

 

 

Here's the line up:
1 1/2 cups brown rice, cooked
4 cups milk, divided
1/2 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
First cook your brown rice according to the instructions on the package.  Just so we are clear, you will be using 3/4 cup uncooked brown rice to make 1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice.:)  
Next, pour 3 cups of milk in a saucepan with the 1/2 cup coconut and the sugar.  Allow the milk to simmer over med-low heat for 5-10 minutes.  This is helping to infuse the milk with that amazing natural coconut flavor.  Once the milk has reached the scalding point, strain it through a sieve, into a bowl with a spout to remove the coconut.(if you want the added texture, by all means leave the coconut in.  We just prefer it more smooth)  Now poor the coconut infused milk back into the sauce pan.  Over medium heat, add the cooked brown rice.  Pour the remaining 1 cup of milk into a liquid measuring cup and crack the two eggs into it.  Whisk until combined.  Now, while stirring the milk/rice mixture vigorously with the whisk, VERY SLOWLY pour the milk and egg mixture into it.  You need to make sure you are whisking the entire time, otherwise the egg mixture will begin to scramble.  Whisk constantly over medium heat until the pudding begins to thicken.  This will take roughly 10 minutes.  Once the pudding has thickened, remove from heat and add the vanilla and butter.  Allow the butter to melt and then whisk to mix well.  Store in a clean tupperware with a lid until ready to serve!  Raspberries and fresh whipped cream are always good options on top!  Makes 5 servings approx!


Images from my phone
Recipe by Kara    

Oatmeal Moon Pies + Solar Eclipse Party

The last time there was a solar eclipse, my little brother Bryce and I thought we  were going to be blind. Someone (who?) had struck so much fear in us, that we were certain that if we looked upon the sun just once with our naked eyes we'd be blind by the next day. Our curious eyes could not help but dart a few quick glances up towards the sun that day. So by the end of it we thought we were goners. Dead serious.

18 years later and our vision is still intact and guess what?! we got another opp to burn our retinas....or is it corneas?

We had a little eclipse party yesterday with our little family of four and big brother Jason. It was a good ol' silly time. Jason had the totally brill idea to bring moon pies, but the night before I told him to skip a grocery run and I'd make homemade instead. And I'm so glad I did! These moon pies I'm about to share with you are legit. Like the kind of legit that makes you want to do a little dance and make yummy sounds all the while. But before I share the recipe, here are some pics of us Eclipsin':

Playing some Solar smash-ball. It's just like regular smash-ball if you are dying to play Solar smash-ball. (No children were harmed during this smashing session)

Special eyewear wearing.

Moon pie consuming.

And Eclipse viewing. That just about sums it up! Now, it's recipe time.

Oatmeal-Pecan Cookie Moon Pies (makes about 36ish cookies and 18ish sandwich cookies):

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

2 1/4 cups old-fashioned oats

1 cup finely chopped pecans

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temp.

1 1/2 cups (packed) brown sugar

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 7 ounce jars marshmallow creme

Chocolate drizzling sauce:

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup milk

Melt chocolate and milk over a double broiler or in your microwave. Stirring often to prevent burning and to promote the chocolate chips to melt. You can add a little honey in to thin out the chocolate as well.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small-medium bowl.

Combine oats and pecans in another separate bowl. 

Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat butter and sugar until smooth. Add egg and vanilla and beat to blend. Scrap down bowl. While machine runs at low speed gradually add flour mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in oat mixture with a wooden spoon until combined. 

Using a tablespoonful cookie scoop, roll dough into balls and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet. Flatten balls into 1/2 in thick discs. Bake for 12 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Do not over bake. Let cookies cool on baking sheets before removing to brown paper.

Drop 1 tablespoon of marshmallow creme onto cookie (use two spoons). Twist and push another cookie on top. Using a spoon, drizzle choclate over the top of moon pies with quick back and forth motions of the wrist. 

*Some of them I drizzled and some I left plain. I went back and forth all night as to which I liked more. They are equally delicious in my opinion- chewy and gooey. The chocolate drizzled ones were less messy which is good for kids.

So, did you see the Eclipse? How was your weekend in general? Thanks for letting me share our silly party!

images by Briana, bottom pic from my instagram, cookie recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

Spice & Vanilla Cream Sandwich Cookies

Well Mother's Day is over and it's back to the grind stone!  I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, celebrating with loved ones!  I've been on a serious baking rampage as of late!  I can't seem to get enough of being in my kitchen, whipping up something fun for my little fam!  One evening, last week, after dinner was no exception!  So once the dinner mess was cleaned up, I went to work making a baking mess!  I assessed my pantry and baking cupboard and came up with these!

Spicy, warm, vanilla, comfort!


For the spice cookies:
1 box Duncan Hines Moist Deluxe spice cake (18.75 oz)
10 oz salted butter, melted
2 large eggs
Mix ingredients together until a thick dough forms.  Roll into 1-1 1/2 in balls and place on cookie sheets.  Into a 350 degree oven for 11 minutes.  Makes roughly 25 (3 inch) cookies.


For the buttery, creamy, vanilla filling:
1 stick salted butter, softened
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 tablespoon milk for consistency
Cream butter and powdered sugar a cup at a time until well combined, creamy and smooth.  Add the vanilla and mix well.  If the consistency needs to be a bit more spreadable, add the tablespoon milk and mix well.  Put heaping tablespoonfuls of the buttery, sweet filling in between two spice cookies.  Makes 12 sandwich cookies.


Recipe & images by Kara


  

Fellow Blogger Recipe: Best Ever Oreo Brownies from Pinch Of Yum

It was my birthday on Monday so I made these Best Ever Oreo Brownies from Pinch of Yum to treat myself right. They were yummy! Especially served warm with vanilla ice cream, but you already knew that. The Oreos just melt right into the batter! You're intrigued, right?

Click {{HERE}} for the recipe.

You'll be glad to have this one in your arsenal.

I also think you could use your favorite scratch brownie recipe in place of the Ghirardelli box mix, so keep that in mind. Enjoy! 

images by Briana

Devil's Food Whoopie Pies w/ Creamy Mint Filling

In honor of St. Patricks Day, I decided to make mint chocolate chip ice cream whoopie pies.  The only problem?  The mint chocolate chip ice cream was completely gone before I had a chance to take pictures in good lighting!  So I will be posting that recipe real soon!  I had a few of the cakes/cookies leftover the next day, so keeping with the green theme, I made a light and creamy mint filling to layer between the cakes.  They were a hit!  And so incredibly fast and easy because the cakes are made from a box cake mix!

For the cakes:
1 devil's food cake mix
3 eggs
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
Mix together and drop by teaspoonfuls on greased or parchment lined cookie sheets.  400 degrees for 7-8 minutes.  They will spread and rise a lot while baking.  I was able to get roughly 30 individual cakes which equals 15 whoopie pies at 5-6 inches in diameter.  Allow to cool on racks completely.  Then store in airtight containers until ready to use.


For the creamy mint filling:
1 stick butter, softened
1/4 cup crisco shortening
3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract
3-4 drops green food coloring
4-5 tablespoons milk for creamy spreading consistency
First whip the butter and shortening together until light and creamy.  Then add powdered sugar a cup at a time to make sure it mixes in well.  Beat on high after each cup added, because the key with this recipe, is to incorporate as much air as possible to give it that dreamy and light quality.  Add your extracts and food coloring and beat some more to mix well.  Now add your milk a little at a time until the filling is at the perfect spreading consistency but not runny.  Be patient.  To get the proper fluffiness it could take about 10 minutes!:)

Assemble the whoopie pies by putting a generous amount of filling between two cakes.  Cover tightly at room temp until ready to eat!


Cakes recipe by jennysteffens.blogspot.com
Filling recipe by Kara
images by Kara  

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

When I'm trying to eat healthy and stay away from sugar, a strange phenomenon happens.  At night, my dreams begin and end in butter, sugar, chocolate and cream!  This is no lie!  A few years ago I even had a dream about eating a rich and dark piece of chocolate cake!  I woke up with the "realness" of devouring that amazing cake and all my cravings were squelched for the day!  I guess you could say, I had my cake and ate it too!  With ZERO guilt!;)  That's how real these dreams are!  And because of this, I end up playing in my kitchen a ton more than usual!  Here is the latest!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake!  In my advanced baking classes we used to make a lot of similar types of mini layered mousse cakes for the French restaurant that was affiliated with the school!  But I promise you, these little beauties are easy, not advanced!  Here's what you'll need:


For the bottom cake layer:
1 Duncan Hines Milk Chocolate Brownie Mix ("doctored" to my liking:)
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup canola oil
Follow the baking instructions on the box for a 9 by 13 in pan.
Once the cake is baked, allow it to cool for about an hour before cutting into it.


For the dark chocolate mousse:
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz bittersweet chocolate(I used 60% cacao Ghiradelli)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
Sprinkle the powdered gelatin into the water(this is called blooming) and set aside.  In a small saucepan bring the 2/3 cup of cream to a boil.  While the cream is heating, chop your bittersweet chocolate into small pieces and put in a stainless steel bowl.  Once the heavy cream comes to a boil, remove it from the heat and add your bloomed gelatin, stirring to dissolve it in the cream.  Now, pour your hot cream/gelatin mixture over the chopped chocolate and allow the chocolate to melt for a minute.  Pour the 1 1/2 cups of heavy cream into your stand mixer and beat on high until soft peaks form.  Add the 3 tablespoons of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.  Let the sweetened whipped cream sit and begin to get to room temp.  Also let the chocolate mixture cool down to room temp.  Roughly 10 minutes for each!  If the chocolate mixture has already started to set up and get thick in to cooling process, don't panic.  Just stir it a bit to loosen it up and fold it into the whipped cream until well combined.  Store covered in the fridge until ready to use.  


For the white chocolate mousse:
2 Tablespoons water
2 teaspoons powdered gelatin
2/3 cup heavy cream
3 oz white chocolate
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 Tablespoon sugar
Follow the same exact method as the dark chocolate mousse above!


Now for assembling the cakes:
Use a round cookie cutter or the rim of a drinking glass to cut out the cake rounds.  I was able to get 8 cake rounds from the 9 by 13 inch sheet.  With foil underneath each cake round, cut roughly 6 inch tall parchment paper strips and wrap them around each cake, securing it with tape like this:

Now, spoon a layer of dark chocolate mousse into each parchment cup, on top of each cake round.  Then do the same thing with the white chocolate mousse.  With the back of the spoon, flatten each mousse layer.  Store the assembled cakes in the freezer.  When you are ready to serve, take a potato peeler and shave bits of bittersweet chocolate on top of the cakes.  Allow them to thaw on your counter for 30 minutes before removing the parchment and serving!

Duncan Hines brownie mix modified by Kara

Dark and white chocolate mousse by Kara

images by Kara

Chilled Hot Chocolate Panna Cotta & Appliqued Hearts

Since the big "LOVE" day is tomorrow, I thought I'd show you an incredibly simple dessert that will make your sweetie swoon!  Remember the Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta recipe??  Well, I decided to modify it to make a chocolate version and holy smokes!!!!  It tastes incredible!  The first bite I took was like chilled, creamy hot chocolate heaven!  Thus the name!  My Mom said, since it does have a hot chocolate flavor, that I should serve it with a dollop of marshmallow creme!  Well Mom, you are a genius!!  It adds the perfect touch!

What you'll need:


3 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon gelatin
4 cups heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1/3-1/2 cup cocoa powder (depending on how intense you want the flavor)


In a small bowl measure the 3 T water and sprinkle the 1 T gelatin in the water. Allow it to bloom for 10 minutes.  
In a medium saucepan, over medium heat, heat the cream, sugar and cocoa powder.  Stirring frequently to dissolve the cocoa.  Once the cream mixture is nice and hot remove from heat and add the bloomed gelatin.  Stir to let the bloomed gelatin dissolve completely.  Pour into whatever size cups you would like.  I did mine 1/2 cup servings which yielded a little over 8 servings.  Cover each cup with foil and into the fridge for at least 3 hours.  Once they have chilled completely, you can either eat them straight from the cup or run the sides and bottom of each cup under hot water(making sure no water gets in the cup;) to loosen the panna cotta.  Then turn out onto plates, dust with cocoa powder and a dollop of marshmallow creme and you are good to go!


Now for the appliqued hearts!:)


A few weeks ago I ordered the most soft and buttery organic cotton onesies and today I decided to get brave, pull out my scrap fabric and the Heat-n-Bond and have a party!  Well, a party for 1 that is!  I used Heat-n-Bond Lite(sewable in the purple package) and followed the directions precisely on the back of the package.  Once I had my desired fabric heart shapes ironed on the onesies, I just used my straight stitch and outlined all the way around the heart.  It was a little rough at first but I got the hang of it after using my seam ripper more times than I want to count.:)  I call this the "Heart Over Heart" onesie.

I know the pictures of Q are excessive but I couldn't help myself!  She had just gotten up from her nap and was full of personality!  

images by Kara  

    

Rich+Silky+Creamy Chocolate Mousse

Here is another tried and true recipe from culinary school!  It's fairly quick and easy to make!  And just may be the only chocolate mousse recipe you will ever need!  I served it in little tumblers from Zurchers and made tiny Chocolate Chip Pudding cookies to top it off!  Enjoy!

Here is the recipe:

2 lbs semi-sweet chocolate

8 oz salted butter

12 oz egg yolks

Melt chocolate in a large stainless steel bowl over simmering water.  Remove from heat and add butter.  Stir until butter is melted and completely mixed in.  Add the egg yolks one at a time.  Mix in each egg yolk completely before adding the next.

1 lb egg whites

5 oz granulated sugar

Beat the egg whites until they form soft peaks.  Add the sugar and beat until still peaks.  Fold the egg white mixture into the chocolate mixture.

1 pint heavy cream

Whip the heavy cream until soft peaks form.  Fold it into the chocolate mousse mixture.  Spoon chocolate mousse into serving dishes, cover and chill until ready to serve.  It really is an easy recipe and so, so silky and smooth!

images by Kara

Recipe from The Scottsdale Culinary Institute

  

Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta

The culinary school I attended was a treasure trove of information!  Priceless as far as amazing recipes!  This vanilla bean panna cotta is one such recipe!  Sweet and absolutely perfect in its simplicity!  Panna cotta is Italian for "cooked cream."  You can literally have this recipe ready to chill in the fridge in under 10 minutes!  5 if you are in a hurry!  Just 4 ingredients!  For how simple this recipe is, anyone you serve it to will wonder how long you slaved away in your kitchen to make it!  It is that amazing!  I made these little beauties for a good friend of mines baby shower and as expected, they were a hit!

In a small dish sprinkle 1 tablespoon gelatin over 3 tablespoons water.  Allow the gelatin to absorb the water.  This is called "blooming."  5-10 minutes.
While the gelatin is blooming, pour 4 cups heavy cream into a medium saucepan.  Add 1/2 cup sugar and 1/2 of a vanilla bean.  Split the 1/2 vanilla bean lengthwise and with the tip of your knife, scrape out the vanilla "caviar" from the bean and add it to the heavy cream mixture.  Bring the cream mixture to just a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently!  Remove the pan from the heat and add the bloomed gelatin, stirring to allow it to dissolve in the cream mixture.  Then pour into small cups or ramekins.  Cover with foil and into the fridge to set up for at least 2 hours.  This recipe makes approx. 25 1/4 cup servings.


And don't forget to scroll down and enter the giveaway!  It's so easy to enter and it closes at midnight tonight!  I'll announce the winner Saturday (tomorrow) morning!


image by Kara 

Coconut Cream Truffles

Hi guys!  I hope you are all having a super week and that you are feeling good getting back into the swing of things after the holidays!  Here is a simple and quick recipe that you won't be disappointed in, if you are a coconut lover like me!  The center of this chocolate is what a chocolatier would call a ganache or fondant.  It's thick, creamy and buttery!  And then dipped in milk chocolate!  People will think you went to a chocolate shop to buy them!  Enjoy!

3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter, softened
3/4 of a 14oz bag sweetened coconut
1/2 of a can of sweetened condensed milk
Mix all of the above ingredients for the filling (fondant/ganache) together until thick and creamy.  Store in an airtight container in the fridge to firm up before rolling into balls and dipping in melted chocolate.  For the chocolate, I used guittard milk chocolate chips.  I put 2 cups of chips in a microwaveable bowl and melted for 30 seconds.  Then I stirred them a bit.  Then back in the microwave for another 30 seconds.  Then stir.  Repeat this until chocolate is perfectly melted.  Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil and stir well.  Now your chocolate is ready for dipping!  Store finished truffles in the fridge.  Take out 15-30 minutes before serving.


image by Kara

Chocolate Pretzel Buttons

These are a quick holiday treat that is sure to please!  Crunchy, salty, chocolatey and sweet!  This is a favorite at our house right now!  You will not be disappointed!  

 

Preheat oven to 225 degrees.


What you'll need:
Rold Gold Checkers butter flavor pretzels
Hersheys Chocolate Kisses
Hersheys Hugs(my fav)
Plain M&Ms(red and green)


Place the pretzels on a parchment or tinfoil lined cookie sheet.  Put an unwrapped kiss or hug on each pretzel.  Put in the 225 degree oven for 4-5 minutes so the chocolate gets soft but doesn't lose it's shape.  Once out of the oven press an M&M down in the center of each kiss!  Let the chocolate cool and set up for 30 minutes to an hour before eating!  Or if you just can't wait, eat them warm and gooey!


images by Kara    

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-up

Today I'm sharing some of the links to Kara and I's favorite Thanksgiving recipes! We've posted them here on the blog before but I thought it would be nice to have a little reminder in case you need some last minute ideas. I hope this post finds you in good spirits, looking forward to all the feasting and traditions in the days ahead! We hope you have the happiest of Thanksgivings! 

((Mom's Sweet Potato Casserole))

((GRAVY! GRAVY! GRAVY!))

((Fruit Crisp in a Pinch))

((Kara's Coconut Cream Pie))

((Our Favorite Chocolate Cream Pie))

Images by Kara and Briana: top and bottom photo by Kara, the rest by Bri

Donut Bread Pudding

This dessert came about after I was left with two dozen glazed donuts (that were two days old and not really enjoyable to eat anymore). Why was I left with two dozen stale glazed donuts? Long story short, I ordered them for my parents Halloween party and completely forgot to pick them up on our way out of town heading down to the party. I'm totally lame.


So, here I was with two dozen stale donuts the day after the party. What to do? I quickly remembered a recipe on a Sweetapolita (her cakes will bring you to your knees!) in which she made a bread pudding using Krispy Kreme glazed donuts! She got the recipe from Food and Wine, so I knew it had to be a goodie-- even if it seemed so wrong to make already rich and custardy bread pudding out of donuts!


The finished product tastes like traditional bread pudding, but with a donut quality going on. It's absolutely delicious! Especially topped with the custard sauce, melted raspberry jam and fresh whipped cream. The original recipe serves it plain with an espresso whipped cream, but I think it needs the hit of the custard and fruit sauce. I hope you enjoy! I've halved the recipe for you here, cause two dozen makes ALOT. :)


Recipe (9x13 pan):


1 dozen glazed donuts, cut into sixths (if you are using Krispy Kreme donuts increase this amount to 18 donuts, as their glazed donuts are smaller than average)
1 quart heavy whipping cream, divided (use two cups in the bread pudding save the reaming two cups for the whipped cream)
2 cups whole milk
10 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract


Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment and spread donut pieces over the parchment. Bake for 30 minutes until the donut pieces are dry and hard to the touch. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. Increase oven temperature to 350 degrees.


In a large bowl whisk together (I used a hand mixer for a thorough mixing), 2 cups heavy cream, milk, egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Add the donut pieces and let soak for about an hour. Stir and fold mixture every 15ish minutes to make sure all donuts get soaked and softened.


Butter a 9x13 baking dish. Gently spoon and pour the donut mixture into the prepared pan. Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake for 30 minutes longer until bread pudding is set and the top is thoroughly browned. After this time, you can broil the top for three minutes if needed. Remove bread pudding from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the whipped cream and sauces.


Recipe for Whipped Cream:


Remaining 2 cups heavy whipping cream from above
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 heaping tablespoon white sugar


Whip until semi-soft.


Recipe for Creme Anglaise (Custard Sauce):


1 cup half and half cream
1/2 cup white sugar, divided
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 egg yolks
2 tablespoons unsalted butter


In a saucepan over medium heat, combine half and half, 1/4 cup sugar and vanilla.  


In a small bowl whisk together egg yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar until smooth.


When cream mixture comes just to a boil, remove from heat. Whisk a small amount of hot cream into the egg yolk mixture. Then slowly pour the egg yolk mixture into the remaining hot cream, rapidly whisking while doing so. Return to medium heat and cook, stirring often until mixture coats the back of a metal spoon. Remove from heat and stir in butter. You can serve this sauce hot or cold.


For the Raspberry sauce:


In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt a 1/2 cup of good quality raspberry jam (we used a seedless variety) or any other fruit you prefer. Cook and stir until jam is liquified. This will take only a few short minutes.


Assembling the dessert:


Using a spoon, scoop bread pudding and top it with a good drizzle of the melted jam and custard sauce. Don't douse it. Finish with a dollop of whipped cream and serve.


My sincerest apologies for not having a proper picture to share with you of the finished dessert. By the time we ate this, it was dark and we were all eating this right up and enjoying the moment. 


images by Briana