Desserts | Hip Foodie Mom

Marshmallow Cupcakes!

It was my daughter’s 6th birthday last Friday. . and she knew exactly what she wanted.

These Marshmallow Cupcakes.

My kid is 6 and she knows exactly what she wants. With most everything. Definitely when it comes to food. She is my daughter after all. She’ll come home from school and ask me for an apple: peeled but left whole or peeled and cut but she doesn’t want the core. Or she’ll ask for crackers with peanut butter on them. Not the ones that come in boxes and are already made. She wants me to make them and she specifies which peanut butter she wants, sometimes creamy, sometimes crunchy (our fave is Adam’s 100% Natural crunchy). Then, as she’s eating her after school snack, she gabs on and on about her day and then asks me how my day was.

How could I not bake these cupcakes for her?

This is another recipe from my beloved Hummingbird Bakery cookbook. Honestly, I knew I would feel a little guilty bringing these into my daughter’s classroom. . to sugar up all the kids. . so I made some adjustments. . I tried to make these not so packed with sugar and marshmallows; but I did mix in more mini marshmallows into the frosting so that’s why it may appear that there’s no frosting at all. I could have frosted these with the vanilla frosting and then added the mini marshmallow mixture but remember, I was trying to tone it down a bit.

A little girl in my daughter’s class even announced with excitement, “Oh, there’s marshmallow inside too!” In my opinion, my daughter’s and her classmates, these cupcakes still rocked. And one of Phoebe’s classmates who lives a few houses down from us, came over after school to see if I had more. Guess that’s a good sign, yeah?

If you’re looking for a sweet, yummy cupcake and you love marshmallows, this is it.

Marshmallow Cupcakes!

This recipe will make about 12 cupcakes.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Cupcakes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
a pinch of salt
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ cup whole milk
1 egg
¼ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For the vanilla frosting and inside the cupcake:

2 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons whole milk
a couple of drops of pure vanilla extract
about 6-7 oz mini marshmallows
marshmallow fluff or creme (for the inside)
pink sugar crystals

Special equipment:

pastry bag with tip

Instructions

For the cupcakes:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and prepare a muffin/cupcake tin with cupcake liners.
Mix the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on slow speed until you get a sandy consistency and everything is combined. Gradually pour in half the milk and beat until the milk is just incorporated.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, vanilla extract and remaining milk together for a few seconds, then pour into the flour mixture and continue beating until just incorporated (scrape any unmixed ingredients from the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula). Continue mixing for a couple more minutes until the mixture is smooth. Do not overmix.
Spoon the cake batter into your cupcake liners until about two-thirds full and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. (A skewer inserted in the center should come out clean.) Allow the cupcakes to cool slightly in the pan before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once cooled completely, cut out the center of each cupcake (I used a strong, thick plastic straw). Fill your pastry bag with the marshmallow fluff and fill in the middle of each cupcake.

For the frosting:

Beat the confectioners’ sugar and butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium-slow speed until the mixture comes together and is well combined. Next, add the milk and vanilla extract and once all the milk has been incorporated, turn the mixer up to high speed. Beat until the frosting is light and fluffy, for at least 5 minutes. The longer the frosting is beaten, the fluffier and lighter it becomes.
Stir in the mini marshmallows into the frosting by hand until evenly dispersed. Spread over each cupcake and top with the pink sugar crystals.

Adapted from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook.

And please don’t let these lame photos discourage you from baking these. . the morning I baked these was frantic and I didn’t get a chance to take photos. . I ended up giving away more than expected and managed to save one. Here she is.

So, with the inside. . originally these were going to be oozing with marshmallow on the inside but, again, I held back because these cupcakes went to a bunch of 5 and 6 year olds and I didn’t want to be responsible for the craziness that might have ensued had I packed these suckers with marshmallow fluff.

Toast with Honey Mascarpone and Nutella

OK, I admit it. I love going to Costco. Yeah, you heard me right.

I know it’s absolute craziness if you go on the weekends but if you go during the week like I do, it’s not that bad. And yes, I know most of you work so you can’t go during the week . . so if you want to hit the big warehouse for some much needed toilet paper or buy that extra large, humongous bag of tortilla chips, you gotta go on the weekends.

And what do you have to look forward to? Other than having to park 3 miles away because everyone and their brother has also decided to brave Costco the same day as you, the hundreds of people who are there with you inside shopping and the longggg lines you have to wait in once you’re finished?

The food samples.

This and the extra large, humongous bag of tortilla chips. These things make Costco okay for me. Yes, I know sometimes you’re waiting in a line to get a sample and there are sometimes unsupervised children running up to the table and grabbing food. But sometimes. . sometimes you get to try something pretty great and you go home happy.

I love this bread. Squirrelly Bread from Silver Hills Sprouted Bakery. I’m not gonna say how many food samples I ate. This bread is seriously delicious. And because they were at Costco, I walked away with 2 loaves.

So, I’ve been eating this bread non-stop. It’s great, obviously, as a sandwich. But I needed something fabulous. . and I had some mascarpone in my fridge. One should never be left alone with mascarpone, honey, strawberries and Nutella. You might eat the entire loaf.

Just sayin’.

This recipe is so simple and freaking delicious. You simply must give this one a try. Go ahead and indulge. I hope you enjoy!

Toast with Honey Mascarpone and Nutella

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Breakfast or Snack

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

6 slices of your favorite bread; toasted
½ cup mascarpone
1 heaping tablespoon of honey
fresh strawberries; sliced
Nutella; slightly melted in microwave (helps to drizzle on easier)
sliced almonds or hazelnuts (or both!)

Instructions

Mix the mascarpone and honey in a small bowl. Spread on your slice of toasted bread, then arrange the strawberries on top, drizzle on the Nutella and sprinkle on the nuts.

And if you can’t get your hands on some fresh, sweet strawberries. . don’t fret.

The Ultimate Waffle Sundae.

I have birthdays and desserts on the brain this week. This was bound to happen.

It came to me in a dream. For reals.

When I was living in Los Angeles, years ago, I started this thing where I baked cakes for my friends’ birthdays. And we’re not talking beautiful, elegant, professional frosting job cakes here. We’re talking “it’s totally obvious this is from a cake mix and homemade birthday cake; but made from love cake.” And these were round cakes so I couldn’t fit the entire “Happy Birthday Joyce” on the cake, so I would just write “Happy” and then the person’s name. “Happy Joyce.” It became my thing.

Birthdays are a special occasion no matter what your age. Even though these weren’t beautiful cakes, everyone loved them and it made the birthday guest of honor feel special. Isn’t that what it’s all about?

My daughter, Phoebe, like most kids I know, LOVES ice cream. As you might have guessed, her favorite flavor is Mint Chocolate Chip.

I really did dream this up in my head. And this might look insane . . just crazy to you. . I did feel a little crazy indulgent as I was slathering on the creamy peanut butter and globs of Nutella over each waffle.

And then as I was scooping out the ice cream. I think there are 8 or 10 scoops on this thing, I did think, Whoa. This is a little crazy. It did get a little DMX crazy up in here. And here’s the thing with taking photos and working with ice cream and whipped cream. You need to work fast. Or this is what starts to happen.

Still, if you make this for that special someone on their birthday, something amazing will happen. And I’m not talking about sugar coma because there is no way one, single person can eat this thing alone. No, No. This Waffle Sundae is meant to be shared.

Everyone will be happy.

At least that’s how it works here. Ice cream makes everyone smile. So, if you’re looking for a little over-the-top, a little crazy, a little, well ok A LOT of ice cream and decadence, give this a try. . and hey, I added fruit. And there’s waffles so it’s not completely bad for you. There is no shame in using a box waffle mix for this one. No shame at all. However, if you want to make them yourself, here’s a recipe for waffles.

I hope you enjoy!

The Ultimate Waffle Sundae.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 4

Ingredients

2 Waffles; prepared and cooked
Creamy peanut butter
Nutella
Several scoops of your favorite ice cream
Hot fudge
Whipped cream
Nuts of any kind
Sprinkles
Cherries
Bananas
chocolate wafer sticks or any cookie

Instructions

Prepare your waffles according to box directions or make them homemade from the link provided. Allow to cool.
To assemble: plate your first waffle. Slather on peanut butter and then some Nutella. Repeat with second waffle. Add the ice cream scoops and then go crazy with all of the toppings. Place additional fruit on the side if desired. Enjoy.

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes!

My oldest daughter, Phoebe, turns 6 on Friday. SIX. I can’t believe it. Where did the time go? I feel like it was yesterday when I was holding her for the first time. . or feeding her. . or taking her to daycare or tying her hair in a ponytail.

She’s growing up.

Now, I’m lucky if she even lets me brush her hair. Yeah. She’s 6. Six and she knows what she wants and can be very particular about certain things. I’ve watched her grow over the years and have probably seen the most growth this past year, after we moved to Washington. This once extremely shy kid, now runs outside to call out all of her neighborhood friends to come out and play. She still has training wheels (which we hope to take off this summer) but she rides her bike with a lot of joy and excitement. Her new bike, which we got for her birthday, has a basket so she totes around this little stuffed teddy bear. I hope it stays in there for a while. I’m not ready for her to grow up and grow out of certain things yet.

Phoebe will always be my big girl. My first daughter. The oldest.

The one who used to cling to my leg when I dropped her off at pre-school. The one who was always scared to try anything new. Always. The one who was always very timid and shy. And even though she’s growing out of this, there are still times when she gets scared or doesn’t like too much attention or just plain and simple: needs her mommy. I will be here for her forever. And each day, I will strive to be a better mother. . because God knows sometimes I suck at it. And sometimes I am selfish and sometimes I lose my temper. On those days when I screw up, Phoebe always seems to be more loving and gives me more hugs. She’s awesome. She gets her awesomeness from her loving father.

To celebrate this week (because she is also the STAR of the week at school) and because I get to bring in homemade cupcakes to her class on Friday, and Phoebe has selected about 5 recipes for me to experiment with. . First up. . . We bring you these Chocolate Banana Cupcakes from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook. Phoebe and I – of course- embellished our cupcakes. That’s how we roll.

If you are a baker, you need this cookbook. I have also baked their Chocolate Cheesecake, where my chocolate curls first made their debut . . . and I just discovered a blogger who is baking her way through the entire cookbook! These cupcakes are legit. Everything you want in a cupcake and more. Moist, flavorful and delicious! If you like chocolate + bananas, you must try these!

I hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Cupcakes!

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, from the Hummingbird Bakery Cookbook

Recipe type: Dessert

Cuisine: Cupcakes

Serves: 12

Ingredients

For the cupcakes:

1 cup all-purpose flour
about ¾ cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
a pinch of salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature (cut into cubes)
½ cup whole (or 2%) milk
2 eggs
1-2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

For the chocolate frosting + curls:

2⅓ cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
6½ tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
⅓ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
2 tablespoons whole milk
2 oz. good quality semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate bar for the curls
swirled chocolate wafer sticks; optional
Special equipment: a vegetable peeler

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 325 (F).
Combine all of your dry ingredients in a bowl, mix slightly and pour into your stand mixer bowl fitted with the paddle attachment. Add the butter and beat on slow speed until you get the consistency of sand and everything is well combined.
Slowly add the milk into the flour mixture, mixing well until all the ingredients are combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well, scraping any unmixed ingredients from the side and bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Lastly, mix in the mashed banana by hand. I left some of my banana somewhat chunky so there would be lovely banana pieces in my cake.
Spoon the cake batter into cupcake liners in your muffin tin until two-thirds full and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 – 22 minutes, or until light golden and the cake bounces back when touched. Let the cupcakes cool slightly in the pan before placing onto a wire rack to cool completely.
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 and, when ready to serve, if decorating with the chocolate curls: microwave your chocolate for 10-15 seconds and simply use your vegetable peeler to shave and create chocolate curls. You can do this right over the cupcakes so the curls just land on top. Insert a chocolate wafer stick if adding and enjoy!!

Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake

If you told me 3 years ago that I would have a food blog and would be head over heels in love with baking and cooking, I would have laughed in your face. Back then, I only knew of one food blog. One. That was it. And the only reason I knew of it was because a lot of my friends were following her . . I think mainly because of her Korean dishes and beautiful cupcakes.

Back then, I had no idea this entire blogging universe or blogosphere really even existed.

Fast forward almost 3 years . . because Madeline will be 3 years old in November and I fell in love with cooking again while on maternity leave after I had her. Oh how life has changed since this little firecracker came into my life. I now probably follow 20 or 30 food blogs. . more if you count the fabulous ones that I stumble upon once or twice on FoodGawker.

Sometimes people ask me how I got into blogging and why I do it, especially now that there are so many food blogs out there. You can read my About Page or the short answer is this: I enjoy it. I’m doing this for me. I love telling stories and cooking and baking. If someone actually tries one of my recipes and enjoys it or tells me how it worked for them, I am over the moon. This is all I need. And I can’t let the numbers get to me. In fact, I don’t check any stats. Unless I absolutely have to. My husband checks from time to time . . so I’ll leave that part of this to him.

And because I have a food blog, I get to buy and taste different kinds of chocolate for research. I eat out occasionally for ideas. I sometimes sample various types of desserts or cupcakes. Again for important research purposes only. I flip through cookbooks and magazines and other food blogs for inspiration. I get to meet new bloggers and read their stories. And, best of all, I get to bring you fabulous treats like this one today.

I know this looks like a big doughnut but I love doughnuts. This might be my favorite bundt cake I have baked so far. And I’ve baked a lot these past several months. After baking Dorie’s Orange Almond Tart, I became reacquainted with delicious navel oranges again. With kids, I always seem to buy the smaller mandarin oranges only. That tart changed everything.

I LOVE the combination of the navel oranges + strawberries in this bundt cake. The strawberry flavor is more subtle but you certainly taste it. Next time, I am definitely going to add more strawberries. And the aroma is amazing! The smell of this bundt cake alone will make you smile. Oh. So. Good.

And my 5 year old tells me that I must ALWAYS add the chocolate sprinkles. Always.

I hope you enjoy!

Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

1 hour

Total time

1 hour 10 mins

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Deseert

Cuisine: Bundt Cake

Serves: 10-12

Ingredients

For the Bundt Cake:

2 navel oranges; you will use the zest + the oranges
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1⅔ cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
3 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.

For the Chocolate Ganache Glaze:

about 1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chocolate chips or your favorite chocolate, finely chopped. I recommend using a mixture of semi-sweet + bittersweet or bittersweet + dark chocolate

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350° F. Using non-stick cooking spray, generously grease and lightly flour a 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 4-5 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, add the strawberries and gently mix into the batter.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared Bundt pan, spreading so that it is evenly distributed. Bake for about 60 minutes or until a tester inserted in the 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.
Place the chocolate pieces in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Cook until small bubbles appear on the outside edge of the cream. Pour the hot cream mixture over the chocolate. Using a wire whisk, gently stir from the middle out, until all of the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.
Pour the ganache on the cooled bundt cake, and top with the fresh strawberries if desired.

Adapted from Bake and Bait.

BundtaMonth for May

We’re celebrating berries! Blueberries, strawberries, blackberries. . whatever. . check out all of the fantastic bundt cakes below!

Blueberry Banana Bundt by Veronica at My Catholic Kitchen
Blueberry Buttermilk Cake by Lora at Cake Duchess
Blueberry Coconut Bundt by Jennie at The Messy Baker Blog
Blueberry Cream Cheese Bundt Cake by Anuradha atBaker Street
Blueberry Orange Baby Bundts by Anne at From My Sweet Heart
Lemon Berry Bundt Cake by Heather at Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
Lemon Berry Bundt by Holly at A Baker’s House
Lemon Raspberry Bundlets by Kate at Food Babbles
Lemon Rhubarb Bundt Cake with Blueberries by Laura at The Spiced Life
Lemon Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Karen at In the Kitchen With KP
Orange Blueberry Yogurt Bundt Cake by Renee at Magnolia Days
Strawberry and Orange Bundt Cake by Alice at Hip Foodie Mom
Strawberry Sweetheart by Kim at Ninja Baking
Very Berry Streusel Bundt by Anita at Hungry Couple
Raspberry Wine Chocolate Bundt Cake by Paula at Vintage Kitchen

Here is how you can be a part of Bundt-a-Month:

Simple rule: Use your favorite berries or a combination of two and bake us a Bundt for May
Post it before May 31, 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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Marshmallow Bars and a Product Review: Silpat Entremet Baking Pan

Sometimes, we all need a little craziness in our lives. . to let loose a little and just indulge. Indulging for me, these days, usually involves baking. Something with a little sugar. . . or maybe a lot. Something with a little chocolate. Or a lot.

Regardless of what I am baking, I now always use my Silpat non-stick baking mat, my Silpain, if I am baking a delicious bread, or my awesome Sil-Eco round mat whenever I use my springform cake pan. I seriously use this all the time now. Silpat has become a brand that I use, love and trust when I bake. I first saw their new Silpat Entremet Baking pan on Facebook. If you’re not a fan of Silpat on Facebook, you should become one. If you already use their products, the FB page keeps you posted on news and new products.

So, when my Silpat Entremet Baking pan arrived, I got to work. Obviously, it’s from the makers of Silpat, so you know it’s a quality product and it’s good. I like the fact that I don’t have to use parchment paper or foil in a baking pan and just like all of the other Silpat products, there is very little mess and you simply rinse it off with water and wipe it clean with a damp towel or papertowel. My only problem was not being able to wait for my baked treats to cool. I got ahead of myself and couldn’t wait, which I usually do when I am baking- Don’t judge- and tried to remove my marshmallow madness from the pan too early- because you cannot cut anything IN the actual silicone pan- and, of course a corner broke apart and I proceeded to eat an entire corner section. This is why there are no photos showing the entire pan So obviously, like any other baked treat, you have to wait until it has cooled significantly before trying to remove it from the Silpat Entremet pan, otherwise you might have a bit of a mess.

So, if you are looking for a new baking pan, I say, try this one out. You can also bake savory dishes inside like casseroles and mac n cheese . . there is, in fact, a mac n cheese recipe on the box along with a Gourmet Brownie recipe on the box, which I made and they were delicious!

And for a sweet recipe: if you’re looking for a crazy, over-the-top, “dump all of your leftover chocolate chip, butterscotch, peanut butter morsels and marshmallows into it” bars, these are it, homie. I will be the first one to admit these are a little crazy and loaded with sugar. . but I’m not telling you to eat the entire pan here. Everything in moderation. And then share these goodies with friends and neighbors. I baked these before and these are the sweet treats that everyone always asks me for again and again.

I hope you enjoy.

Marshmallow Bars

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

30 mins

Total time

40 mins

To help solidify the bars more before cutting, after they have cooled a bit from coming out of the oven, pop the pan into the refrigerator to help harden more and then cut into squares.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom, adapted from Averie Cooks

Serves: 15

Ingredients

½ cup butter (1 stick); melted
2- 2½ cups graham cracker crumbs or Nilla Wafer crumbs (or a combination of both)
½ can (7 oz.) fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 cup chocolate chips; any kind
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup peanut butter chips
1-2 cups coconut flakes; sweetened or unsweetened
2-3 cups mini marshmallows

Instructions

Melt the butter in microwave-safe bowl and add the graham cracker (and/or Nilla wafer) crumbs to it. Stir to combine and press the crumb mixture into a parchment paper lined (or directly into your Silpat Entremet pan) 9 x 13 pan.
Pour the fat free sweetened condensed milk over crumb mixture; don’t worry that you do not cover every inch of the crumb mixture. You will not be able to spread this because the condensed milk is extremely sticky. (Feel free to use the entire can but I only used half).
Evenly disperse all of the chocolate, peanut butter and butterscotch chips over the condensed milk and crumb mixture. Then, sprinkle on your coconut flakes. Lastly, top everything with the mini marshmallows. Feel free to cover the entire top; this will help hold everything together even more.
Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until top is starting to brown. (Start checking on the bars after 20 minutes.) Allow to cool, remove from pan and cut into squares. To help solidify the bars more, after they have cooled a bit, pop the pan into the refrigerator to help harden more and then cut into squares.

Recipe from Averie’s Magic Eight Bars.

Disclosure: I was provided a Silpat Entremet Baking pan for product review purposes. As always, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Dorie Greenspan’s Orange Almond Tart for #SundaySupper

Everyone faces challenges. We all have them. Some say challenges and challenging yourself makes you stronger. Some challenges are the kind one never wants to face. Working through something hard, something life changing. Something happens and you have to overcome. Some challenges come at a young age and when accomplished or overcome, there is great victory and a wonderful feeling of accomplishment, accompanied with huge smiles, giggles and lots of clapping. Whenever my daughter Phoebe faces something hard or something she doesn’t want to do or something she’s struggling with, my younger one, Madeline, will sometimes sing this song she learned from Yo Gabba Gabba ”Keep trying. Keep trying. Don’t give up. Never give up. Keep trying. Keep trying. You’ll get it right. You’ll get it right.” She literally started singing this song one day to her sister and she sometimes sings it very softly to herself when she’s trying to do something with her tiny hands, like dressing her Barbie doll, which can be extremely frustrating for a 2 year old. When I heard her singing this song to herself the first time, I couldn’t believe it. It was so adorable.

Other challenges come in the form of a sweet tart with oranges and almond cream. I adore Dorie Greenspan. Who doesn’t? So far, I’ve made her gougères (which Dorie actually saw on Twitter and she sent me a tweet and said they looked gorgeous!), her dieter’s tartine (which everyone must try!) and her chicken in a pot. I’ve had this recipe on my culinary bucket list since January and wanted to tackle this one today for many reasons. A few being: 1) I am going to try to meet Dorie (hopefully) at the International Food Blogger’s Conference in September and want to cook as many of her recipes beforehand. She’s the keynote speaker! I totally don’t know how things are going to be set up but I would certainly hope there will be a Q&A session after she speaks and time for us to snap photos and have her sign our cookbooks. 2) Even though I bake quite often, I don’t have a lot of experience with tarts or even baking my own sweet tart dough shell.

Case in point: I burned the sucker.

It made me so sad but oh well, I know what to do next time. I baked the shell for too long when I was pre-baking it and should have checked the tart sooner when it was in the oven. I’m usually like a hawk when I have something wonderful in the oven. Swooping by frequently, clicking on the oven light to check on my baked treat. But the day I was baking this lovely tart, I was playing with Madeline and lost track of time. Note to self: set the timer for when I want to check my tart; not for the entire baking time.

Have fun with this one. Decorate and arrange your oranges how you want but allow room for the almond cream to rise. Ah, I had such high hopes for this one. Here she is right before going into the oven. You can see that the edges of my tart shell are already too browned. I should have known.

If you don’t have a copy of Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan, this one is a must purchase for all home cooks. It’s packed with SO many wonderful, elegant and delicious recipes, I can’t keep up! And in keeping with French Fridays with Dorie, I am not publishing the RECIPE here on my blog but I did find it online, already **published here**. So yea! You now have this wonderful recipe! And please don’t let my lame photos deter you from baking this delightful tart. It’s really really delicious and I loved biting into the oranges, which were still a bit juicy and lovely, despite having dried them and leaving them out overnight. The oranges, paired with the crust and the almond cream is absolutely delicious! I’m definitely going to bake this one again. And this time, I am all over that tart shell. It’s not going to burn on me again.

I hope you enjoy!

New Cooking Adventures/Challenges for Sunday Supper

Today’s Sunday Supper theme is all about trying out something new and challenging ourselves. We are exploring foods, dishes & techniques that we’ve had on our lists to attempt!

New Expeditions (Sides, Starters & Staples)

Homemade Corn Tortillas from Pescetarian Journal

Easy Oven Polenta from Shockingly Delicious

Homemade Spiced Flour Tortillas from Chocolate Moosey

Naan from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks

Homemade Tofu from Kimchi MOM

Indian Moong Beans from Magnolia Days

Baked Lemon Coconut Risotto from Soni’s Food

Homemade Peanut Butter from Home Cooking Memories

Homemade Ricotta Cheese from Webicurean

Portuguese Chorizo Bread from Family Foodie

Savory mushroom and herb steel cut oat Risotto Foxes Love Lemons

Grand Quests (Main Dishes)

Traditional Pork Tamales from Gourmet Drizzles

Braised Lamb Brisket with Lemon Oregano Yogurt Sauce from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen

Rice Burger from The Urban Mrs.

Pan-fried Scallops with Garlic Chili Linguine from Food Lust People Love

Miso-Glazed Salmon from The Foodie Patootie

Penne with Mustard and Chives from My Other City By The Bay

Arepas Rellenas (Stuffed Arepas) from The Wimpy Vegetarian

Spanish Baked Scallops from Momma’s Meals

Black Beans and Cheese Empanadas from Basic N Delicious

Pork Dim Sum from Small Wallet, Big Appetite

Venison Steak Gyros from Curious Cuisiniere

Baked Tilapia with Parmesan Basil Sauce from Growing Up Gabel

Vegetarian Hortobagyi Pancakes from Happy Baking Days

Caribou & Andouille Chili from The Foodie Army Wife

Escapades (Sweet Treats & Spirited Companions)

Vegan Chocolate Mousse from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen

Zebra Cake from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

Multilayer Bars from What Smells So Good?

Rut-Busting Wines For New Cooking Adventures from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog

Homemade Vanilla Marshmallows from Vintage Kitchen

Strawberry Raspberry Fruit Leather from Juanita’s Cocina

Making Macarons – FAIL! from girlichef

Macaroons from Noshing With The Nolands

Fresh Strawberry Frozen Yogurt from The Messy Baker

Bircher Muesli from Peanut Butter and Peppers

Hello Kitty Rice Krispies from The Ninja Baker

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls from In The Kitchen With KP

Dorie Greenspan’s Orange Almond Tart from Hip Foodie Mom

Ombre Mini Cakes from Daily Dish Recipes

Chocolate Dipped Madeleines from Big Bear’s Wife

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on Twitter today to talk all about our foodie fears! We’ll tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 4pm PST/7pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag, and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more delicious recipes and photos.

Chocolate Cheesecake Decadence for a Guest Post

Today is the day.

The day I get to share The Mother of all Cheesecakes with you . . . And I am guest posting today over at Gotta Get Baked so this is quite perfect. Surprisingly, I have never been a huge fan of cheesecake. . That is, until I tasted this. I mean I love cream cheese slathered on my bagels. . but for some reason whenever I would have a slice, I was more interested in eating the crust versus the cheesecake part. I know. Totally weird.

Why did I bake this cheesecake then. . if I wasn’t a big fan of cheesecake? Well, I needed something awesome. Something decadent. Something that involved chocolate and lots of it. Something that would make you just stop and look. And say, O. M.G.

And who said food can’t be sexy? I’m bringing sexy back with this. Head on over to Gotta Get Baked for this post and recipe!

As always, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

Blueberry Crumble Granola Bars and A Bestowed Giveaway!

“In a market as crowded, dynamic, and unregulated as health food and snacks, how do you know what’s really good?

Unfortunately . . . you don’t. Unless you follow it closely.

Bestowed is the creation of nationally recognized nutritionist and author Heather Bauer and is the answer to all those that have ever stood in the health food section of their local grocery store and said to themselves . . . “which one of these is really the best??” Each month, Heather and her team of health and diet experts carefully curate 5 product samples that have caught their attention. Items like nutrition bars, snacks, breakfast cereals, and supplements are just a few of the categories considered. Bestowed members receive these samples in a box delivered right to their door each month.”

I was so excited when the good people at Bestowed reached out to me. I consider myself to be fairly knowledgeable about many health food/all-natural brands and food but new ones come out all the time and like it’s stated above, it’s a little overwhelming when visiting the grocery store. I love what companies like Bestowed are doing. They are making it very easy for consumers to try different brands, foods, snacks and bars- brands and products that we might have never heard about or come across in the store. And they are delivering it right to your door. Could this be any easier and convenient?

I received this awesome box of goodies above and have enjoyed everything. I especially love granola and have been snacking on the Healthy Grains from KIND. I love this brand, company and their philosophy. Check them out! And because I love the Healthy Grains so much (I got Oats & Honey Clusters with whole grains: quinoa, oats, millet and buckwheat), I made these Blueberry and Blackberry Crumble Bars for you! Yes, I am calling these crumble bars. I added blueberries and blackberries for the kids. These are yummy and good for you! Well, kind of, right?

I hope you enjoy!

Blueberry Crumble Granola Bars

Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

45 mins

Total time

55 mins

Equipment: 9×9 square baking dish. When preparing to cut the bars: You can even place the bars into the refrigerator to help them cool faster. After removing from the oven, I let the bars cool for about 20 minutes before placing them into the refrigerator. I left them in there for about an hour so cutting the bars would be easier.

Author: Hip Foodie Mom

Recipe type: Breakfast/Dessert/Snack

Serves: 9

Ingredients

½ cup granulated sugar
½ teaspoon baking powder
1½ cups all-purpose flour
½ cup cold unsalted butter (1 stick); cut up into small pieces
1 egg
about ¼ teaspoon salt
zest from one lemon
½ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
fresh lemon juice from ½ lemon
about 2 cups fresh berries (blueberries + blackberries)
½ cup of your favorite granola

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 9×9 inch square baking dish. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, and baking powder. Mix in the salt and lemon zest. Using a pastry cutter, mix in the butter and egg. The dough should be crumbly. Press down half of the dough into the prepared pan.
In a separate bowl, mix together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon juice. Gently fold in the berries. Pour the berry mixture evenly over the crust. Then, mix in the granola into the remaining crumbly dough. Crumble the remaining dough + granola over the blueberry/blackberry layer. It’s ok if you have berries peeking out.
Bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is slightly golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for about 20-30 minutes. Cool completely before cutting into squares.

Recipe adapted from Smitten Kitchen.

Bestowed Giveaway!

We’re giving away a FREE one-month subscription to Bestowed.com! So, one reader will receive one box of goodies from Bestowed. Remember, each month is different, so the winner will likely be receiving different products/food items than the ones shown above.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

Giveaway ends on Wednesday, April 24, 2013. The winner will be selected by random.org and contacted via email. The winner will have 48 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to US residents only.

Disclosure: This giveaway is sponsored by Bestowed.com. All opinions expressed here are my own.

A Guest Post: Brass Monkey and Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie Bars

What up everyone! I’m in Los Angeles and it’s been a great week so far. As you know, I have one more guest post for you all and it’s from my dear, sweet friend, Nancy from Gotta Get Baked. Nancy is legit. She’s the real deal. She is the baker extraordinaire. She’s the first person I really connected with through food blogging. And by connecting I mean, actually keeping up with one another, going beyond the blog post and learning about each other’s lives, husbands and families.

Nancy makes me laugh and her writing is awesome and clever. She’s honest and tells it like it is. What do I love about Nancy? Other than the fact that this lady can bake, she’s a hard worker, she relates and really connects with people, she actually reads people’s posts and writes thoughtful comments, she’s warm and caring and funny. . and she also has a ghetto fabulous side. She’s my homeslice. My home girl. When I added some rap lyrics to one of my posts, she got it. She knew what was up. Nancy is the friend I would be driving with in the car, with the top down and dancing in the car to Brass Monkey by the Beastie Boys. I love this song.

So, if you haven’t visited her blog, get on over there. It’s wonderful. To me, she is the cake queen. Check these out: Coconut Raspberry Layer cake, Peanut Butter Banana Bundt cake, Lemon Faux Napolean cake, and the mother of all cakes, her Chocolate Gingerbread Layer Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting. Word.

Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie Bars from Nancy at Gotta Get Baked

Howdy dear readers of Hip Foodie Mom, I’m Nancy and I write a little blog called Gotta Get Baked. When Alice asked if I would guest post, I immediately said yes. I didn’t have to think twice. Not only do I adore Alice’s blog for obvious reasons like her amazing droolworthy recipes (have you people SEEN her mac n cheese cups or pork ragu or dulce de leche…I could go on and on!), but I’ve got lots of love for this lady personally. Alice was one of the first people I met when I started blogging. I don’t know how she found me but she did. She was one of the first people to comment on my posts with warm, encouraging, witty remarks and thankfully, we’ve been friends ever since. She is sweet, smart, hilarious, feisty, strong-willed and super loving to her friends and family.

Case in point: this past fall, we decided to send each other foodie gift boxes because we weren’t able to be matched up for the food blogger pen pal program since I’m in Canada and she’s in the US. I had remarked one day to her on Facebook that I’ve never had a Nutter Butter before since they’re not sold in Canada.

When I got my giant, heavy box of goodies from Alice in the mail, what was one of the first things I saw in there? A pack of Nutter Butter cookies and a bag of mini Nutter Butters because not only did Alice remember what I said but she was determined that I not go another day longer without trying one of these babies. I inhaled that bag of mini Nutter Butters as if my life depended on it. Girl, they changed my life, they’re that good!

We’re actually going to be sharing a room and tearing it up at the International Food Bloggers Conference being held in Seattle in September. Alice doesn’t live that far from me, only about a 2 hour drive away, so hopefully we’ll get to meet even earlier than that! In honour of my dear friend Alice, I made peanut butter and jam cookie bars. I made great use of those fabulous Nutter Butter cookies that she sent me (it took an extreme amount of will-power not to have devoured them immediately back in December) plus I figured peanut butter and jam makes a fabulous pair, just as the two of us will at IFBC.

Alice is on vacay with her beautiful family and I hope she’s enjoying every single moment. This hardworking mama deserves some rest ‘n relaxation!

Peanut Butter and Jam Cookie Bars

Author: Gotta Get Baked

Recipe type: Dessert

Ingredients

½ cup unsalted butter, room temp
½ cup light brown sugar, packed
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup smooth or crunchy peanut butter (I used smooth because I added peanuts)
1 large egg
½ tsp salt
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp vanilla extract
1½ cups sifted flour or if you don’t sift (which I didn’t cause I’m lazy) use 1⅓ cup flour
1 cup chopped honey roasted peanuts (optional)
1 cup crushed Nutter Butter cookies (optional)
1 jar strawberry jam (250 mL – I used the whole thing)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a square baking pan with parchment paper, making sure there are flaps of parchment paper sticking over the edges for easy removal of the cookie. I didn’t butter my pan since the cookie base was going to be pretty buttery and I didn’t have any problems removing it.
Beat the butter and both sugars together until fluffy. Add in the peanut butter and egg, mix to combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the salt, baking soda and vanilla. Mix to combine. Add in the flour and mix until blended. Stir in the chopped peanuts and Nutter Butters.
Place ⅔ of the cookie dough into the pan and press into an even layer. Pour the jam over top and smooth into an even layer. Drop the remaining cookie dough overtop in rough dollops. You can top with more peanuts if desired.
Bake for approximately 45 minutes, until the cookie is golden in colour. Allow the cookie to cool and stiffen in the pan, approximately 20 minutes. When the cookie is solid enough, lift it out of the pan and let it continue cooling on a rack. Make sure it’s completely cool before attempting to slice.

Peanut Butter Cookie Base adapted from Cookie Madness

I adore peanut butter cookies so needless to say, I loved these bars. You just can’t go wrong with PB&J. The Husband loved these so you know they’re good (he’s my harshest critic. It gives me great satisfaction to make something sweet that he enjoys). These cookies couldn’t be easier to make and they punch one helluva peanut butter ‘n jam flavour.