hipfoodiemom

End of the Year Get-Together with Gevalia Coffee

When I learned I had the opportunity to host a party with goodies from Safeway and coffee from Gevalia, I jumped at the chance. . and I knew exactly who I’d be inviting over.

All the wonderful mothers I have met this year.

Looking back to last July- when I made the decision to quit my job and stay at home with my kids- I think that must have been the best decision I have ever made. Initially, I wasn’t sure what to expect and having been a Project Manager, I was used to being pretty busy and working on a million different things at once, so I naturally dove more into my cooking and blogging. With Madeline, we joined Gymboree, signed up for art classes and went to the library on a weekly basis and with Phoebe, we did homework together, read together, baked together and scheduled lots of play dates.

When Phoebe started Kindergarten last September, I immediately met some moms at school and got some numbers and email addresses and set up some play dates. With your kids, you hope they meet good kids and make friends, make good decisions and have some fun and – if you’re lucky- you also meet some great mothers. Which is what happened with us. With me.

I met some great, wonderful, and fun mothers.

The school year ended today. I am still in disbelief. The year went by extremely fast. This Gevalia get together was to celebrate the school year coming to an end and welcoming summer.

We had a nice lunch outside, munched on an assortment of desserts, drank some coffee and enjoyed each other’s company- sans kids- with the exception of my Madeline. You always need a princess at a party, right? Especially one who keeps snagging things from the dessert table.

We enjoyed some wonderful chicken salad from Safeway, salad, sides and dessert.

I was with a lot of flavored coffee lovers so we enjoyed the Vanilla and Chocolate Mocha flavored coffee from Gevalia. Gevalia is a great pairing with any meal, but I think it goes best with delicious desserts. After a visit to the bakery at Safeway, I was set with Madeleine cookies (yes, a fave of mine) and mini brownies, which were deliciously good.

The rich, never bitter taste of Gevalia comes in a variety of flavors and roasts, most of which are available at Safeway.

Here are my friends, Jo and Diane. Diane was rocking her new hairdo, short and blonde. I love it. Isn’t she fabulous? She was also the first mom to serve wine and chocolates at one of our group play dates. I love Diane.

Here I am, with my Madeline.

Not all of our mommy friends were able to make it. Ligia and Sandhya, we missed you guys!

Gevalia is the perfect complement to any get-together. I will definitely be serving up some Gevalia again at my next get-together! Here’s some good information about Gevalia Coffee:

Gevalia began brewing coffee in Gavle, Sweden in 1853, where traditional cast-iron roasting developed its distinctively rich, smooth taste that’s never bitter.
Gevalia is expertly made with carefully selected beans and ground extra-fine to produce a rich coffee experience.
Gevalia now comes in single serve cups for your Keurig® K-Cup® Brewer, perfect for a quick Gevalia fix.* (My friend, Deb, has Gevalia in her Keurig® K-Cup® Brewer and LOVES it!)

*Kraft Foods is not affiliated with Keurig, Inc. KEURIG and K-CUP are registered trademarks of Keurig, Inc.

I wanted to give a HUGE, BIG shout out to my dear, talented friend, Julie, who came and photographed our lunch so I could sit and enjoy! I love her so much! Julie Chung Photography.

I was selected for this opportunity as a member of Clever Girls Collective and the content and opinions expressed here are all my own.

Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Ice Cream

Ever since I tasted blueberry + lemon together, I have been in love. I absolutely love this flavor combination. It is so good. For today’s Mid-Week Cheater Recipe, I had to share this homemade ice cream.

Made with no ice cream attachment.

Just used my beloved KitchenAid Stand Mixer with the whisk attachment. I’ve made ice cream like this before a few times. Vanilla. Thin Mint Ice Cream. It’s pretty rad.

Is the texture different? With my two previous flavors, vanilla and thin mint, I really honestly did not feel like there was a difference. It seriously tasted like good ole store brought ice cream! Delicious!

But with this flavor combination, the texture is different. A little lighter. Like frozen yogurt. Maybe it was adding the blueberry compote or the lemon zest and thyme. I’m not sure but this one, in my opinion, is still worth a shot and was delicious! AND you’re making ice cream without an ice cream maker!!! How cool is that?!!!

The possibilities are endless.

So, I hope you give this method a try. . and start with the homemade Vanilla. See if you like it .. then move on to this Blueberry Lemon and Thyme ice cream. And if you do try this, please let me know. I love hearing from you all.

An upcoming taste test . . .

A friend of mine recently asked me if I have tried using an ice cream maker attachment and what I thought the difference would taste like. I took this as a personal challenge because I have NOT yet tried making ice cream with an ice cream maker attachment. . . Well, one is on the way from KitchenAid and friends, I will tell it like it is. . I will conduct a test: 1) Making homemade ice cream in your stand mixer with the whisk attachment and 2) Making homemade ice cream with an ice cream maker attachment.

Seems like everyone can probably guess which method will give us the better tasting ice cream. . Or can you??? I have to find out for myself. And my ice cream lover aficionados (ie: my kids).

So, stay tuned. . and in the meantime, I really hope you give this Cheater recipe/method a try for yourself!

I hope you enjoy!

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, condensed milk, and vanilla extract on HIGH speed (I have the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer and start out at speed 4 and go up to 6 or 8. I don’t go any higher because I am leaving my mixer on for 8 minutes straight. Feel free to try a higher speed if you wish) in a large bowl until thick, stiff peaks form, or for about 7-8 minutes. It’s important to get the stiff peaks (as much as possible). You should after about 7-8 minutes. If you don’t, beat for another 2-3 minutes.

Here is my blueberry compote, lemon zest and thyme.

Gently mix in (speed 4), using your stand mixer, until well combined.

Pour everything into a freezer-safe container or non-stick loaf pan, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, for at least 8 hours (overnight for the best results!) and up to 2 weeks.

Here it is, up close and personal. Feel free to garnish with more lemon zest and thyme.

Blueberry, Lemon and Thyme Ice Cream

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream
1 can (14-ounce) sweetened condensed milk
1 heaping teaspoon pure vanilla extract
½ cup Blueberry compote (see recipe below)
1 heaping tablespoon of lemon zest + more for garnish if desired
1 tablespoon fresh thyme; leaves only
pistachios; for garnish (optional)

Instructions

Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream, condensed milk, and vanilla extract on HIGH speed (I start out at speed 4 and go to 6 or 8) in a large bowl until thick, stiff peaks form, or for about 7-8 minutes. It’s important to get the stiff peaks (as much as possible). You should after about 7-8 minutes.
Add in the blueberry compote, lemon zest and thyme. Beat until well combined.
Transfer the mixture to a loaf pan or freezer-safe container, cover with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, for at least 8 hours (overnight for the best results) and up to 2 weeks.
When serving, top with more lemon zest and pistachios if desired.

Blueberry Compote

yield: Makes about 1½ cups. I recommend making this a day ahead and keeping the blueberry compote in the refrigerator.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Compote

Ingredients

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, unthawed
⅓ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup water

Instructions

In a heavy small saucepan over medium heat, combine the blueberries, sugar and water. Simmer until the blueberries begin to burst, stirring often, for about 8-10 minutes. Cook until the compote coats your spoon, for about another 4-5 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

As a mother, I often find myself doing things for my kids, little things, that they don’t notice or mention or say anything about. Things that I just do because I love them and I care about. My kids are too young now but I often wonder if they will realize these little things when they get older.

Looking back now- and I probably started reflecting more on my relationship with my mother and how much she did for me when I was in college and definitely after I got married and had kids of my own- I see and remember all the things my mother did for me when I was growing up. Things that I probably didn’t notice at the time or thank her for. My mom owned and operated her own Korean grocery store, which was very labor intensive and required long hours from her. She worked so hard everyday, Monday-Sunday. And years later, would finally get someone to help her run the store so she could take Sundays off.

The thing that stands out in my mind was how self-less my mother was and how much she loved me. And although she never said it much when we were little, she showed us through her actions. When I was in high school, I was on the drill team. The group of gals who came out during the half-time show at football games, kicking and doing dance routines. Yes, I was that girl. Well, kind of.

I can’t remember if it was my senior year but we were about to go into competition and all the mothers were to show up at the school and sew our costumes for us. My lovely, awesome mother went to my high school, not knowing any of the other moms- because she was always working and well, let’s be honest, felt more comfortable with her Korean friends (nothing wrong with that; Korean being her first language). She came to my high school for like a week and sat there and sewed my three costumes/outfits for me.

After working a 10-hour day and leaving the store early so she could be there. For me. Her daughter.

Even though Father’s Day just passed, I have been thinking a lot lately about my mom. Even though she lives in Dallas, we are very close and we talk on the phone very frequently. Her health isn’t the best right now and she is actually going to have a kidney transplant at the end of July. This will be my mom’s second kidney transplant, her first was when I was a kid, several several years ago. So, this kidney, which was donated by her sister, my aunt has lasted a long time.

This time, my sister, Grace, is the match and will be donating her kidney to my mother. These two women are my heros. I don’t know two women who are more brave, honest, loving and hard working.

It took me a while before I realized and really appreciated what an awesome, loving mother I have. . and believe me, I am NOT comparing myself to my mother but it will probably take many many years before my daughters begin to realize and see what I do for them. But that’s ok.

They are kids.

They are young. Kids just say things sometimes. Like tonight. When Phoebe, my 6 year old, who knew I was cooking dinner (and I was making this because she loves shrimp and pasta), says to me, “Can we just order pizza tonight?” They were playing outside with their friends and Paul, my husband, was watching them. I simply said, “Dinner is ready.” and came back into the house. Paul, I’m sure, said something to her because she comes inside- all excited- and says, “Oh, yummy! What’s for dinner tonight Mommy?”

And as she was slurping up these noodles, I thought to myself, I love this kid. She will say things to me that I don’t like. She will say things later to me I’m sure that will hurt me and cause me pain (when she’s older, hormonal and crazy). But I’m her mother. I will just love her. Always. And keep doing these little things I do for her.

Simply because I love her.

Spicy Asian Peanut Noodles with Shrimp

Prep time

25 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

40 mins

Riffs/additions: feel free to add tofu or bean sprouts to this as well. NOTE: because the veggies in this dish are sliced thin, you don’t need to cook them for very long and you actually want them to still be a little crunchy.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Main

Cuisine: Asian

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

¾ lb. of dried linguine
2 lbs. frozen shrimp; defrosted (make sure it’s peeled and deveined)
⅓ cup creamy peanut butter
⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
¼ cup brown rice vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh ginger; grated
1-2 cloves garlic; minced OR ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes + more if desired
1 small napa cabbage; thinly sliced lengthwise (try to get at least 3-4 cups)
1½ red bell peppers; seeded and thinly sliced + remaining half for garnish if desired
½ cup fresh cilantro; chopped + more for garnish
3-4 scallions; diced
roasted peanut bits for garnish (I just smash roasted peanuts in a plastic bag)
lime wedges
Sriracha sauce

Instructions

Cook the linguine according to package directions until al dente and during the last 3 minutes while the pasta is cooking, add the shrimp into the pasta water (with the pasta). Drain, rinse and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together all the ingredients from the peanut butter to the red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust/add if needed.
Using a wok or large non-stick pan, pour in the peanut butter/soy sauce mixture and heat on medium low. Add the pasta and shrimp and turn to coat. Next, add the cabbage, bell peppers, cilantro, and scallions and toss to combine. Cook for only 2-3 minutes. Serve and garnish with more cilantro, raw red bell pepper strips, peanuts and lime wedges. Mix in Sriracha sauce if desired.

Adapted from Allison Fishman’s recipe in My Recipes.

Candy Shop Cupcakes

It’s Friday. . so I wanted to share cupcakes!

During our last trip to Los Angeles, my brother, Jimmy, and I took the kids and explored Manhattan Beach, our old hood. When my brother and I first moved out to Los Angeles together back in October 2001, we got a place in Manhattan Beach. Walking distance to the beach. It was awesome. So beautiful. It was my brother’s dream to live close to the beach and yes, you guessed it: learn how to surf.

Well, he did both.

I, on the other hand, would go running. I developed my love for running when I was living in San Francisco (circa 1999-2001). I lived in the Marina and would run from my place, across the Golden Gate Bridge and back. I loved it. Man, back then, I could run 8 miles like it was nothing. Now, I’m lucky if I can run a mile without stopping.

So, Jimmy and I are back in Manhattan Beach. We actually were headed to West Hollywood so I could visit some friends at the best ad agency ever but traffic SUCKED and the kids were hungry so we stopped. And hit up MB Post (Manhattan Beach Post). This restaurant is phenomenal. If you are ever in Manhattan Beach, you must eat there. Must.

I’ve been wanting to eat at this place ever since I heard about them in an episode of Unique Eats. Chef and co–owner David LeFevre is “bringing a playful, artisan menu of small shared plates, hand–crafted cocktails, and small production wines to the South Bay.” They featured David’s Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts with Saba and Emmenthal. They seriously had me at brown butter. Brown butter + my beloved brussels sprouts? Are you kidding me?! Anyway, I think we ordered like seriously 15 different things. . all, of course, documented on Instagram.

Does anyone just eat now? I can’t. If it looks good, I must take a photo. Everything there was absolutely fabulous.

After MB Post, we wandered down to the beach, walked around and found Manhattan Beach Creamery. OH. MY. GAWD. This place.

This place was fabulous. Not only did they have cupcakes and ice cream, but they also had frozen bananas, homemade cookies, ice cream sandwiches, French macarons, chocolate dipped treats, candy apples, cotton candy and CANDY. Candy was everywhere. I’m talking those huge swirly lollipops (that I’m convinced no kid on earth could ever finish), gummy candy, jelly beans, M&M’s and the list goes on.

The kids were totally excited and wanted everything. We tried to convince them to only get ice cream and managed to leave only purchasing 4 ice cream cones, one bag of gum drops (which I didn’t even let them have that day) and some cotton candy. This was seriously the ultimate candy shop. The ultimate sweet shop. My head is still spinning with everything they had there. It was great.

That experience inspired these cupcakes today. These are obviously not over-the-top like that shop was (in a good way) but decorated with just a hint of candy and sprinkles. I’ll be honest, I was thinking of going crazy and bedazzling these cupcakes with candy galore . . but then I came to my senses. The best part of these cupcakes are the inside: funfetti. Nothing new at all. But these are my kids’ fave so this is a cupcake mix I make all the time now.

I hope you enjoy! And get out to Manhattan Beach, CA!

Candy Shop Cupcakes

For the frosting, feel free to use store-bought or make your own. This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 12

Ingredients

FOR THE CUPCAKES:

1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup granulated sugar
½ tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
½ tablespoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup whole milk
¼ cup Sprinkles (any kind)

FOR THE FROSTING:

2⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons whole milk

FOR THE DECORATIONS/TOPPINGS:

gummy candy of any kind
pink sugar crystals or sprinkles

Instructions

FOR THE CAKE:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (F). Line your cupcake tin with cupcakes holders and set aside.
Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a large bowl. Add the softened butter and vanilla, mix until the batter resembles course sand. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well with each new addition. Add the milk, and mix well. Lastly, pour in the sprinkles and mix by hand, gently.
Spoon the cake batter into the cupcake liners (filling about ½ way each) and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely, and then frost.

FOR THE FROSTING:

Beat the confectioners’ sugar, butter, and cocoa powder together in your mixer on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together. Turn the mixer down to a slower speed, and add in the milk, a couple of teaspoons at a time.
Once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed and continue beating until the frosting is light and fluffy (for about 5 minutes).
Frost your cooled cupcakes when ready to serve.

FOR THE DECORATIONS:

Place gummy candy on top and sprinkle on the sugar crystals or sprinkles. Just have fun and enjoy!

Recipe adapted from here.

Mid-Week Cheater Mini Chocolate Cream Pies

Ok, so I’ve made chocolate cream pies before. . but this time, I used NO sugar, NO cream cheese, NO heavy cream. I’m calling this a cheater recipe because it’s easier, takes less time, it’s NO BAKE! (but this does mean you have to wait at least 4-6 hrs for it to chill) and your friends will think you slaved away in the kitchen for hours whipping these babies up.

Just don’t tell them.

Let them think you are a superstar. Because you are.

Word up. Happy Wednesday. I hope you enjoy!

Yes, I am now obsessed with chocolate curls. I know. I have a problem.

Mid-Week Cheater Mini Chocolate Cream Pies

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

4 hours

Total time

4 hours 15 mins

This recipe makes 4-5 chocolate cream pies in (4.5 oz sized) ramekins. Please note the chill/refrigeration time needed.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1½ tablespoons unsalted butter; melted/softened
3-4 large graham crackers
1 cup organic coconut milk
8 oz semisweet + bittersweet chocolate; broken into pieces (I used 4 oz of each)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
whipped cream (store bought or homemade)
chocolate curls or shavings on top (semi-sweet, bittersweet or whatever you want!)
chocolate sprinkles

Special equipment:

4-5, 4.5 oz ramekins
If making the chocolate curls, a vegetable peeler

Instructions

Using your food processor (or just place your graham crackers in a large ziplock bag and smash them and mix with the melted butter in a bowl), pulse the graham crackers until they become crumbs. Pour in the melted/softened butter and pulse a few times more to incorporate. Remove from the food processor and press down the graham cracker mixture into each ramekin and place in the refrigerator to chill.
In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk over medium heat. You just want to see the bubbles forming around the edge of the saucepan (heat just to the edge of boiling).
While the coconut milk is on the stove, using your blender, combine both the semi-sweet and bittersweet chocolate pieces, the eggs, and the vanilla extract and blend until smooth; for about 30 seconds. Slowly pour in the coconut milk and blend until everything is thoroughly combined, for about a minute or two.
Remove the ramekins from the refrigerator and pour the chocolate mixture into each ramekin, over the graham cracker crust, cover and chill for at least 4-6 hours — or overnight — until set.
When ready to serve, top with whipped cream and add chocolate curls and chocolate sprinkles on top. Enjoy!

To create the chocolate curls, simply microwave your chocolate for 10 seconds and use your vegetable peeler to shave and create chocolate curls. You can do this right over the chocolate cream pies, so the curls just land on top.

Adapted from The Pig and Quill’s blog. And yes, I know these are really Chocolate Pots de Crème, but I added a graham cracker crust and whipped cream so I’m calling these mini chocolate cream pies

Check this out. Just glorious. I love it when you can get everything in ONE bite.

Damn.

Making these again on Friday. . just because :) They are that good.

Baked Veggie Wontons!

Potstickers. Dumplings. Wontons. Mandoo. Whatever you want to call them. I’ve never really had the patience or dexterity to make those beautiful, perfect looking potstickers. OK, I take that back. I do make beautiful mandoo once a year for New Year’s for my duk mandoo guk. But this is once a year friends. I love eating them and wanted to come up with something fast-er.

And aren’t these cute?

I was just playing around and discovered all I needed to do was fold my wonton skin over and bring the left and right sides together. Voila! And ever since I made Kimchi Mom’s Spam Musubi (which was DELICIOUS) and had to buy this Seaweed Gomasio (it’s basically organic Furikake but has very little seaweed and not as salty as regular Furikake), I’ve been putting this stuff on everything. It’s wonderful. Purchased both of these from Whole Foods.

And my kale obsession continues. The Hubs is not happy.

So, I made a separate batch with ground beef, broccoli slaw and cabbage just for him. And I stuck a few big pieces of kale in because I love him.

So, here’s how it went down:

Have a small bowl of water close by, dip your fingers, wet the top corner so it can stick to the other corner.

Tuck in the left side and then the right and squeeze/press together.

I used an egg wash and then added my roasted sesame seeds sprinkles.

Bake them at 425 degrees for about 8 minutes!

Baked Veggie Wontons!

Prep time

15 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

35 mins

This recipe should make about 36 wontons. The beauty of wontons is that you can put whatever you want inside. Feel free to mix together any of the veggies below and enjoy!

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Apps or Main

Serves: 36

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons sesame oil + more if desired
3-4 cups kale; chopped
3-4 cups shiitake or cremini mushrooms; sliced
2 cups broccoli slaw
2 cups shredded cabbage
2-3 cloves garlic; minced
crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for some heat)
salt and pepper
2 teaspoons low sodium soy sauce
square wonton wrapper skins
egg wash: 1 egg yolk + 1 teaspoon water; mixed
roasted sesame seed sprinkles; see photo above
dried salted seaweed (or gim) as garnish
serve with dipping sauce; we used Thai Kitchen’s Sweet Red Chili sauce

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Add the sesame oil to a large wok or non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Wait minute or two for the pan and oil to heat up, and then add your veggies + garlic and mix. Feel free to use everything or only the vegetables you want. After a minute or two, season with salt, pepper and a few dashes of soy sauce. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed. Cook until the vegetables become soft; for about 5-8 more minutes. Sprinkle on some sesame seeds and crushed red pepper if desired, toss and set aside.
To assemble: have a small bowl of water close by. Dip your finger in the water and wet one corner of your wonton skin wrap, fold over and connect with the opposite corner. Press together firmly.
Wet the remaining corners and connect/tuck in the left and right corners to the center. Press together firmly again. This should create the “pillow” shape automatically. Repeat with remaining wonton wrappers. Brush with the egg wash and sprinkle on the sesame seeds and bake for 8 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before garnishing with more roasted sesame seeds and the dried seaweed (gim). Serve with dipping sauce.

Serve with dipping sauce. Enjoy!

Strawberry Nutella Swirl Mini Bundts

Strawberry + Orange is quickly becoming a favorite flavor combination for me. Case in point: this is pretty much the same bundt cake I made last month for Bundt-a-month. . but this month I changed a few things, added Nutella, made mini bundt cakes and tried to swirl it.

Tried.

My first attempt: I purposely tried to use the parts of the batter without the strawberries for the first layer of batter that goes in first (which is actually the top of the bundt cakes), squeezed in my Nutella with a pastry bag, tried to swirl it with a knife and then added another cake batter layer on top of the Nutella.

This is what I got.

Pretty mini bundt cake but not really a swirl. . and certainly not a swirl fit for the swirly month or Swirl Theme for Bundt-a-Month for June. So, I tried again. I did have leftover cake batter. This recipe makes 8 mini bundt cakes after all. And this time, I melted my Nutella a little, was rushing and totally forgot to spray my bundt pan with non-stick (I’m still amazed I managed to get these little guys out ok). And this is what I got.

Because I used most of the cake batter without the strawberries in the first round, these were loaded with strawberries. . and I think the swirl came out much better. I think I also used more Nutella. . these were absolutely delicious. Either way you bake them.

I really love this photo because if you look closely, you can see the specks of orange in the cake. This cake really is delicious. You’ve got to try the strawberry + orange + Nutella combination. I hope you enjoy!

Strawberry Nutella Swirl Mini Bundts

Prep time

20 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

40 mins

This recipe is for mini bundt cakes. To bake a regular sized bundt cake, preheat your oven to 350 and bake for about 60 minutes.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Mini Bundts

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 navel oranges; you will use the zest + the oranges
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 cup strawberries; chopped into semi-small chunks. If you can, dry them on a paper towel for an hour or so beforehand (this is recommended)
Nutella
Powdered sugar for dusting
Special equipment: a pastry bag or ziplock bag with corner cut off; for the Nutella

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375° F. Using non-stick cooking spray, generously grease and lightly flour a mini Bundt pan and set aside; I have had the most luck using non-stick cooking spray + flour to release perfect bundt cakes.
Zest both oranges and set aside. Peel the remaining white part and place the orange wedges into a food processor to puree (remove any seeds if there are any). Set aside.
Using an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachement, cream the butter and sugar together for about 3-4 minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each is fully incorporated. Add the orange puree, zest and vanilla extract and mix until well combined.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. While, your mixer is on low, add your flour mixture slowly into the wet ingredients until fully combined. Last, lightly sprinkle your strawberries with a little flour, add the strawberries and gently mix into the batter.
To create the swirl: Pour a little of the cake batter into each prepared mini Bundt well, using a pastry bag or ziplock bag, squeeze the Nutella over the batter in each mini well and swirl into the batter with a butter knife. Then, cover the Nutella with more cake batter, spreading so that it is evenly distributed. Bake for about 20-22 minutes or until a tester inserted in a mini bundt cake comes out clean.
Allow the cake to cool in the pan for about 15-20 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool.
When completely cooled, dust with confectioner’s sugar and serve with fresh strawberries if desired.

Bundt-A-Month for June

We have a swirly theme this month! 16 gorgeous swirly cakes in every form will be inspiration enough for you to bake with us this month!

Apple Swirl Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Cinnamon Praline Pecan Swirl Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
Cinnamon Pecan Swirl with Cinnamon Glaze by Stacy at Food Lust People Love
Chocolate and Peanut Butter Swirl Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
Chocolate Matcha Swirl by Kim from Ninja Baking
Double Chocolate Swirl Bundt Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
Lemon Raspberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Carrie at Poet In The Pantry
Lemon Basil Blueberry Swirl Bundt Cake by Kate at Food Babbles
Nutella Swirl Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Nutella Swirl Bundt Cake by Anuradha at Baker Street
Orange Creamsicle Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House
Strawberry Nutella Swirl Mini Bundts by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Strawberry Swirl Cream Cheese Bundt by Sandra at The Sweet Sensations
The Spiced Life Espresso Swirled Bundt Cake by Laura at The Spiced Life
Vanilla Cherry Swirl Mini Bundt Cakes by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Zebra Bundt by Tara at Noshing With The Nolands

How you can join Bundt-a-Month:

Simple rule: Bake us a swirly bundt
Post it before June 30, 2013
Use the #BundtaMonth hashtag in your title. (For ex: title could read #BundtaMonth: Cherry Bundt)
Add your entry to the Linky tool below
Link back to our announcement posts

Even more bundt fun! Follow Bundt-a-Month on Facebook where we feature all our gorgeous bundt cakes. Or head over to our Pinterest board for inspiration and choose from hundreds of Bundt cake recipes.

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Mid-Week Cheater Recipe: Chocolate Croissants

Summer is here and I don’t know about you, but we plan to kick it a little and relax. I don’t want to be spending a lot of time in the kitchen everyday during the summer because school is out and the weather here in Seattle is gorgeous. . we gotta soak in the sun while we have it!

So, I am thrilled to announce a new series . . Mid-Week Cheater Recipes! Every Wednesday, or every other Wednesday, I will post something to get you over HUMP day. These will be anything from appetizers to sweet treats to quick meals.

We’re kicking off our very first cheater recipe with Chocolate Croissants! J’adore chocolate croissants!! I have never attempted homemade croissants yet. . seems so daunting. . although, I know I will need to conquer these one day.

Only it’s not today, yo.

My kids have been addicted to croissants lately so I thought I would go a little crazy. . add a little chocolate. . I didn’t really need to add the melted Nutella. But I did. The sliced almonds are perfection. You must add these.

I hope you enjoy!

Mid-Week Cheater Recipe: Chocolate Croissants

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

15 mins

Total time

20 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Breakfast, Snack, Dessert

Serves: 8

Ingredients

2 sheets frozen puff pastry dough; thawed
4 oz bittersweet chocolate; broken into roughly 16 pieces
1 egg yolk; slightly beaten for egg wash + 1 teaspoon water
sliced almonds
Nutella; melted (optional)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees. Roll out or unfold your thawed puff pastry sheets. Cut into 4 even squares each.
Place 2 pieces of chocolate close to a corner of a puff pastry square and roll the corner up, continuing to roll the pastry dough and seal the opposite corner over. Working with the left side first, roll over the edges of the dough to close. Repeat on right side. Then, join together the two ends in the middle. Press gently to secure while baking. Repeat with remaining squares.
When ready to bake, brush on the egg wash over each croissant, sprinkle on the sliced almonds and bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the croissants have reached a nice golden brown color.
When finished, allow to cool before drizzling on the melted Nutella. Serve immediately.

These were inspired by Nigella’s! To see my take on Alice Currah’s Peach Croissants, click here. Also, in case you missed it, my Pork, Avocado and Sweet Corn Crostini recipe is on KitchenAid’s new blog, Kitchenthusiast! Please check it out!

Here are some detailed photos on how to roll these babies up!

Place 2 pieces of chocolate close to a corner of a puff pastry square and roll the corner up . . . (yes, I was very generous with the chocolate. Use as little or as much as you want!)

Continue to roll the pastry dough . . .

and seal the opposite corner over.

Working with the left side first, roll over the edges of the dough to close. Repeat on right side.

Then, join together the two ends together in the middle.

Like this! (Or you can really fold and shape these any old way you want)

Press gently to secure while baking. Repeat with remaining squares. Now you have croissants ready!

Brush on the egg wash over each croissant and sprinkle on the sliced almonds. .

Bake for about 15-17 minutes or until the croissants have reached a nice golden brown color. Voila! (and yes, they might come apart while baking and open up which kind of makes it look like a real croissant? but hey, they are still beauties to me!)

When finished, allow to cool before drizzling on the melted Nutella. Devour immediately.

Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie for #SundaySupper

The summer is here and that usually means there’s berries around. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries. . if you don’t have them in abundance at your local grocery store now, you will soon. Of all the fruits, berries are definitely a favorite of mine. Not only do I love baking with them but I also just love munching on them. Soon after Phoebe, my oldest, was eating solids, we introduced blueberries to her. Every time one would hit her tray or plate, she would devour it in a second. So, my husband and I had the brilliant idea of planting our own blueberry bush to see if we could grow our own. HA! I think we got 2 or 3 blueberries max. It was so sad.

But I’m hoping it was just the excessive heat and high temperatures in the Santa Clarita Valley (about 30-40 miles north of Los Angeles). . so now that we are in lovely Washington. . where the summers are much milder and hopefully the climate is a little more of what the blueberries like. We planted a big blueberry bush so we’ll see if we get any good fruit this season. Fingers crossed!!

Random fact: Did you know Blueberries are packed with more cancer-fighting, anti-aging, eyesight-saving and disease-fighting antioxidants than foods like spinach and salmon?? What?!

So, when I found out we were celebrating berries this week for Sunday Supper, I knew I was going to do something that involved blueberries. I wanted to do something different. Something I’ve never attempted before. I’ve already done the (freaking delicious) Lemon Blueberry Bread, Blueberry Cupcakes and Blueberry Crumb bars. . . but not a Blueberry Pie . . and certainly not a lattice-top pie.

These have always intimidated the hell out of me.

Not sure why but I thought this would be super difficult and hard to do. It’s not. It really isn’t. But you don’t have a cool pastry wheel with a cool looking crimped egde? Don’t sweat it. Just use a pizza cutter. Everyone should have one of those. And here’s a cool trick to ensure your strips are all relatively the same size, use a ribbon! (I apologize for the horrible photo!)

A little weaving is involved and you’re done.

As you can see, I did my little herringbone-ish design before the lattice-top. . and again after I put the top on.

If you’re looking for a tasty berry pie, give this one a try! And the crust was phenomenal (same recipe as my galette! you just need flour, salt, butter and ice cold water). This is seriously the only way I am making pie crust ever again. It’s so good. I hope you enjoy!

Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie for #SundaySupper

This recipe is for a 9-inch berry pie. See note re: cooling time after baking: COOL FOR AT LEAST 4 HRS BEFORE CUTTING AND SERVING.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

For the crust:

2½ cups all-purpose flour
1¼ teaspoon sea salt
2 sticks (1 cup) very cold unsalted butter; cubed and immediately added
¾ cup cold ice water
1 egg yolk; slightly beaten + 1 tablespoon water (for egg wash)
2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

For the filling:

3-4 cups fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh blackberries (feel free to use raspberries here too if desired)
¾ cup granulated sugar
⅓ cup corn starch
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
pinch of sea salt

Instructions

For the crust:

Using your food processor, combine the flour, salt and butter and process for about 5 seconds. Sprinkle the ice water over the flour mixture and pulse until the pastry just begins to come together, about 10 seconds; you should still be able to see small pieces or specks of butter in it.
Transfer the pastry dough to a lightly floured work surface, gather it together to combine everything, divide the dough in half, shape into two balls. Wrap one and place into the refrigerator.
With the other, roll out to a 12 inch circle. Transfer the dough to a pie plate or pie pan and trim any excess and place into the refrigerator while you prepare the filling.

For the filling:

Combine all of the ingredients for the filling in a large bowl. Stir to mix well, gently mashing the berries with the back of a spoon to slightly release their juices. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and let sit for 15 minutes.
When ready, remove your pie crust from the refrigerator and fill it with the mixed berry filling.

Assemble the pie:

Remove the other pastry dough from the refrigerator, transfer to a lightly floured work surface and roll it out to a 12-inch circle. Using your pastry wheel or pizza cutter, cut twelve 1-inch wide strips of dough.
Arrange the lattice strips over the pie in alternating rows, weaving the strips horizontally and vertically. Trim the strips to an 1 inch overhang and tuck the tuck under the bottom crust. Crimp the edges of your pie as desired. I used a fork to make decorative marks.
Whisk the egg yolk with the water in a small bowl and brush over the lattice top and edges of the crust. Sprinkle on the turbinado sugar over the entire top of the pie.
Place your pie in the refrigerator for at least 20 minutes. At this time, preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
When ready, transfer your pie to a parchment or foiled lined baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes.
Reduce the oven temperature to 375 and bake for an additional 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling in the center. COOL FOR AT LEAST 4 HRS BEFORE CUTTING AND SERVING.

Recipe adapted from A Year of Pies by Ashley English. I love this cookbook!!

Ready to get your BERRY recipes on? Take a look at all of these wonderful recipes! This week is hosted by the lovely Nicole from Daily Dish Recipes.

Breakfast & Brunch

Angel Food French Toast with Blueberry Lemon Sauce by Neighborfood
Blueberry Lemon Baked Doughnuts by Small Wallet, Big Appetite
Blueberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal by Pies and Plots
Overnight Strawberry Stuffed French Toast by In The Kitchen With KP
The Best Blueberry Muffin by Supper For a Steal

Sweet & Savory Berry Recipes

Herbed Pork Tenderloin with Wild Blueberry Sauce by Noshing With The Nolands
Red, White, and Blue Chicken Salad by MarocMama
BBQ Strawberry Pizza by Jane’s Adventures in Dinner

Jams, Jelly, Sauces & More

Blackberry Ketchup by Healthy. Delicious
Four-Berry Jelly by Blueberries and Blessings
Mixberry Jam with Merlot by The Urban Mrs
Roasted Strawberry Tarragon Butter by Gourmet Drizzles
Strawberry Freezer Jam by Growing Up Gabel

Desserts

Strawberry Crumb Bars by The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
No-Bake Frozen Berrylicious Cracker Cake by Shockingly Delicious
Strawberry Cream Cheese Dessert by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Sugar Chips by Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Lattice-Top Blueberry Pie by Hip Foodie Mom
Caramelized White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake by Vintage Kitchen
Strawberry Shortcakes by Juanita’s Cocina
Berrylicious Ice Cream by NinjaBaking.com
Stove Top Berry Crumble by Peanut Butter and Peppers
Strawberry Yogurt Popsicle by Mama’s Blissful Bites
Peggy’s Cove Blueberry Grunt by Kudos Kitchen By Renee
Chocolate-Raspberry Yoghurt Cookies by What Smells So Good?
Strawberry Ice Cream by Basic N Delicious
Financiers with a Summer Berry Salad by The Lovely Pantry
Strawberry Pretzel Salad by Curious Cuisiniere
Strawberry-Chocolate Frozen Yogurt Parfaits by The Weekend Gourmet
Summer Berry Salad with a Honey Citrus Dressing by Runner’s Tales
Strawberry Pop-Tart Ice Cream by Foxes Love Lemons
Strawberries with Cannoli Cream by Comfy Cuisine
Almond Cake with Blackberry Mascarpone Filling by Ruffles & Truffles
Oregon Strawberry Sundae {Dairyfree} by The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Blackberry Pie w/Brandied Whipped Cream by Webicurean
Vo-Vo’s Famous Strawberry Cheesecake by Family Foodie
Raspberry Mousse by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Mini Strawberry Cheesecake with Walnut Crust by Soni’s Food
Salted Caramel Strawberries With a Crunchy Nut Coating by Sue”s Nutrition Buzz
Strawberry Blueberry Stuffed Monkey Bread by Daily Dish Recipes

Cocktails, Drinks & Smoothies

Berry Berry Smoothie by Momma’s Meals
Blueberry Infused Vodka by Big Bear’s Wife
Blueberry Moscow Mule with Homemade Ginger Beer by I Run For Wine
Goji Berry Martini by Magnolia Days
Irish Cobbler by girlichef

Party Planning

Recipes + Tips to Create A Summer Berry Cocktail Bar by An Appealing Plan

We’d love if you joined our #SundaySupper chat on Twitter today! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share all of our recipes. Then at 7:00pm EST we’ll start our weekly chat. Please jump in anytime and join us! To join in, just follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets. You can also check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and photos.

Come join us in sunny Orlando, this July! Learn more at www.foodandwineconference.com

Honey Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

It happened on a Wednesday and this was not my best day. I was doing some housework and cleaning and was in the laundry room upstairs. I don’t know what was going through my head because it happened so quickly. I was reaching for the detergent and knocked over the bleach. . which was left on the counter and OPEN and proceeded to spill everywhere. All over my clothes and the floor.

Insert many bad expletives here. Many.

I was fuming. So mad. My husband does his own laundry from time to time and left the bleach open. The cap was on but not closed. We’re talking nearly a full 3 quart (96 fl oz) jug of Clorox Bleach. Spilled everywhere. While I was cleaning it and inhaling the fumes, I thought. . OMG, this could be dangerous. And then I was mad again. Fuming mad. I wanted to call my husband and yell at him. Which would do no good and make him have a bad day but I wanted to call anyway. And then I looked up on the counter and saw this sticker.

A sticker that said, “My teacher prayed for me.” (I re-stuck this on Madeline’s back so you could see it)

At our church, Madeline attends the 2 year old Sunday school class. At the end of class while the kids are munching on gold fish crackers, the teacher volunteers go around the table and pray out loud for each child. And then they place this little sticker on their back. I think this is so lovely and special. Every kid needs to be prayed for. Always.

I was doing laundry a few days earlier and found the sticker on Madeline’s dress and for some reason, couldn’t throw it away and placed it on the counter. And now I know it was so I could see it again. On this Wednesday. After this crazy accident.

I thought about the meaning of this little sticker and my daughter, Madeline, and gained perspective and calmed down. I realized I was just tired and in a bad mood and probably PMSing. But that little sticker did it. Sometimes you just need a reminder or something to bring you back to reality.

OR if you don’t have a “my teacher prayed for me today” sticker. COOKIES.

In the short time we have been here, WA has been really great. We honestly love it here. We have some very dear friends, Will and Victoria, with whom we alternate watching each others kids so the parents can go on date nights. We haven’t had a set-up like this ever. It’s brilliant. Also, our kids really love playing with each other and their twins, Alex and Abby (age 7) treat Phoebe and Madeline like their own sisters.

Abby is allergic to eggs so one day I made these Honey Oatmeal cookies for her (no eggs). She loved them and they soon became her favorite. The twins were here the other night for a play date/date night for their parents and I was making the cookies for Abby again. And she comes up with the brilliant idea: adding chocolate chips. She totally suggested this. Abby rocks. These cookies have become one of my favorites too.

What I LOVE about this recipe? No electric mixer needed. Just one pot and a little elbow grease. I hope you enjoy!

Moral of the story: I’m not letting my husband in the laundry room anymore. . hmmmm. . maybe he did this on purpose.

Honey Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

This recipe makes about FORTY (40), 2½- 3 inch cookies. So, if you don’t need that many, cut all of the ingredients in half. You can store these, airtight, for up to one week. They can be frozen, airtight, for up to one month.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Cookies

Ingredients

1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1⅔ cups packed dark or light brown sugar
⅓ cup honey
⅛ teaspoon course sea salt + more for sprinkling (if desired)
4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1¾ cups all purpose flour
2 cups chocolate chips (use semi-sweet, milk or bittersweet)
sea salt; optional

Instructions

Position your rack to the middle level in your oven and preheat to 325 degrees. Prepare a parchment paper or Silpat lined baking sheet.
In a large saucepan or pot, melt the butter until fluid over medium-low heat, stirring. Remove from the heat and add in the sugar, honey and salt. Stir until well combined and smooth.
Next, add the oats and baking powder. Stir well until well combined. Let sit for about 2-3 minutes so the dough can cool a bit.
Stir in the flour until evenly incorporated and let sit again for about 5-10 minutes. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.
Using 2 small spoons or a cookie scoop, scoop the dough and make 1½ inch mounds, spacing them about 2 inches apart on the cookie sheet. Gently press the dough balls down a bit and sprinkle a little sea salt on each one (this is optional but highly recommended).
Bake the cookies for about 10-12 minutes or until the cookies are brown at the edges and lightly tinged on top. Watch them carefully to ensure they don’t burn. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely before removing.

Recipe adapted from Simply Sensational Cookies, the cookbook.

If you read my blog on a regular basis, you may have noticed the surge of posts (almost everyday) recently. I have a problem. When I’m feeling anxious or restless, I like to work or cook or bake to take my mind off things. I’m coming back to reality and don’t want my posts to become anything less than what I intend so I will be pulling back on the number of weekly posts. I promise.

For those who will continue to read my blog, I just want to say thank you. Thank you for taking the time. It really means a lot to me.