Tag: Baking

How to Stop Your Cake Collapsing: Guest Post by Marie Makes

How to Stop Your Cake Collapsing: Guest Post by Marie Makes

Today is a special guest post from Marie at Marie Makes! She bakes and decorates beautiful cakes in England and today she will be sharing a few tips with us all. Look at how adorable her cakes are. Marie, we wish you lived closer so 

White Sandwich Bread

White Sandwich Bread

If you’ve noticed a decrease in blog activity lately…we have a good excuse! Stephanie went and got married and Kelly was there alongside her! We’ve got a bachelorette trip to New Orleans to recap plus we have TONS of wedding pics to share with you. 

Whiskey Chocolate Cake

Whiskey Chocolate Cake

Why is it that I always seem to make holiday themed treats after the holiday has passed??
FullSizeRender (3)

In my defense, I actually made this cake for St. Patrick’s Day, I just didn’t post it in time. Clearly since it’s June… but hey, we can look at it like I’m just very ahead of schedule for next St. Patrick’s Day??

I’m a whiskey fan! I’m not some whiskey connoisseur/snob. There are a lot of whiskeys I haven’t tried but I know what I like and my whiskey collection at home has grown quite nicely! So when I saw Well Plated’s Whiskey Chocolate Cake, I just knew I would like it. I mean, whiskey and chocolate- what’s not to love!
FullSizeRender (2)

This cake is RICH, let me tell you! Normally I can inhale an embarrassing amount of chocolate cake in one sitting, or by eating a sliver at a time over the course of an evening. (It’s a family thing…) That is not the case for this cake! This is for the true chocolate lover and you really only do need a sliver.
FullSizeRender (1)

So do yourself a favor and don’t wait until next St. Patrick’s Day to  make this cake, make it now!

-Kelly

Ingredients:

  • 7 ounces dark chocolate, chopped
  • 2 sticks unsalted butter, cubbed
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 5 large eggs
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (heaping 1/2 cup)
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/2 cup Irish Whiskey (I used Tullamore Dew but you can use whatever you have on hand. If you don’t have whiskey, you can use cold coffee!)

Directions:

  1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and grease 9″ springform pan.
  2. In microwave safe bowl, melt butter and chocolate in 30 second increments, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Transfer to mixer.
  3. Slowly add sugar and salt. Incorporate eggs one at a time- mixing completely in between.
  4. Add the cocoa powder, vanilla and whiskey and mix until combined.
  5. Pour into pan and bake for 18-20 minutes. Don’t over bake, cake will become dry!
  6. Let cake cool completely then add glaze. Let sit in refrigerate for about an hour then enjoy!

For Glaze: In microwave safe bowl, melt 4 ounces of dark chocolate and 2 tablespoons of butter in increments of 30 seconds, stirring in between, until melted and smooth. Stir in whiskey. Pour over cake!

A Year in Review: 2015

A Year in Review: 2015

It’s hard to believe that 2015 is over and what a year it has been! Here are some highlights of the past year for LDB, starting with the one that will make 2016 even more memorable! Life Highlights Post: I’m Engaged!!! Steph gets engaged to 

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

German Chocolate Cake Cookies

I’m going to preface by saying that I have never had German Chocolate Cake so I can’t say how much these taste like an actual German Chocolate Cake but I can say they are delicious! And super easy to make too! It’s no secret how 

Sweet Potato Crisp

Sweet Potato Crisp

I avoided sweet potatoes like the plague when I was younger. I couldn’t get past the marshmallow topping and the orange color. They just weren’t for me.
IMG_0793

That was until my cousin transformed them into an AMAZING dessert. Or side dish. Really it could go both ways.

We had a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner with my bible study a few weeks ago and I signed up to bring the sweet potatoes.
IMG_0792-2

These did not disappoint.

I couldn’t get my cousin’s recipe in time so I adapted these from my hero, The Pioneer Woman. Her recipes never steer me wrong. With the addition of coconut and a hint of cinnamon, these are bound to be a regular on your dinner table. Enjoy!
IMG_0795

-Kelly

Ingredients

  • 4 medium sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup milk
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • sprinkle of cinnamon
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup pecans, chopped
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 3/4 sticks butter, softened
  • 2 cups coconut

Directions:

Wash 4 medium sweet potatoes and bake them in a 375-degree oven until fork tender, about 30-35 minutes.

When they are finished cooking slice them open and scrape out the flesh into a large bowl. I pulsed them in a blender until they were mostly smooth but slightly chunky before I went to the next step

Add granulated sugar, milk, eggs, vanilla extract, salt, sprinkle of cinnamon and 1 cup coconut. Mix until well incorporated.

For the Topping:
In a separate bowl, add brown sugar, pecans, flour, 1 cup coconut and 2 sticks of softened butter. Mash together until well incorporated.

Spread the sweet potato mixture into a regular baking dish (that has been coated with cooking spray) and sprinkle the crumb mixture all over the top.

Bake in a 400-degree oven for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

 

Soft Sugar Cookies

Soft Sugar Cookies

Is anyone else super behind on their holiday baking?! I don’t know where the time went! Sugar cookies are a classic. For any holiday! We used to make these every year growing up. The recipe is from my Aunt Jacki and to be honest, I 

Soft Gingersnaps

Soft Gingersnaps

Two things have confused me about the name Gingersnap: why are they called “ginger” when it’s the dark molasses that gives most of the flavor, and why “snap” when they are so soft and chewy? Turns out…not all gingersnaps are the same! I found I’m 

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars

Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars | longdistancebaking.com

Things I love about baking at my parent’s house: KitchenAid mixer!!! Giant butcher block island. Double oven. Always having every ingredient I can possibly think of. Surround sound kitchen speakers and XM radio. Things I don’t love: I can never, ever, find anything. Once my sister and I left for college Mom and Dad moved into a new house and I’ve yet to figure out the cupboard situation. This results in a lot of talking to myself (which luckily you can’t hear over my music) and a lot of running up and down stairs to check the pantry for hidden ingredients. Continue reading Salted Caramel Chocolate Cookie Bars

Easy Make Ahead Pie Crust

Easy Make Ahead Pie Crust

My mother is a firm believer that every woman needs to know how to make homemade pie crust, that it is a necessary skill for life. Problem was, she didn’t have a good recipe! Not that the pie crusts were ever bad, they just weren’t that