Tag: the hubs

Foul Proof Recipe For Your Next Gathering

Are you looking for a foul proof recipe for your next gathering that’ll be a flipping crowd pleaser? I don’t usually participate in skipping pages of a story to get to the good part but I can’t help it, today’s recipe IS your foul proof recipe for your next gathering.

A few weeks ago my MIL surprised me with a recipe book from Balboa Island’s art festival and it was filled with family recipes…so of course I flipped thorough it IMMEDIATELY. (I love recipe books, it’s my guilty pleasure, anyone else?)

This week’s recipe is called Grandmother Ruth’s Apple Goodie by Christy Hardison Ward, and it’s a good. Full disclosure: I’m not a huge warm apple fan. I don’t know why…I love hot apple cider. Anyways, my Hubs is happy to eat all of my warm apple recipes.

Scroll for the recipe, my baking hacks for this recipe, my Hubs’ review, and if this bake makes it into the I’ll make this more than once recipe book.

The Recipe:

Apple Filling 

  • 3/4 c. sugar
  • 1 T. flour
  • 1/8 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 2 c. sliced apples

Topping

  • 1/2 c. oatmeal
  • 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 c. flour
  • 1/8 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/8 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/4 c. butter, room temp.
  1. Preheat oven to 375.
  2. Sift flour, sugar, salt, and cinnamon together. Combine apple slices and place in the bottom of greased casserole.
  3. Combine oatmeal, brown sugar, flour, baking soda and baking powder. Mix butter into coarse crumbs. Sprinkle crumbs over apples.
  4. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until apples are tender. Serve hot or cold.

Baking Hacks:

  1. I translated 2 cups of apples into 2 apples, not because I Googled it to double check but because I wasn’t going to go back out and get any more apples. LOL
  2. When recipes call for x to y minutes I always set it for whatever is the middle between x and y. For example, between 35 – 40 minutes translated to 37 minutes and ended up being the magic number.
  3. YOU CAN’T MESS THIS UP

Stuff My Wife Makes:

Ps: Hell to the yes I would make these again, it was quick and easy for the most part (if you have the Pampered Chef apple peeler, corer and slicer, I bet it would make it WAY more easy) and my Hubs loved it.

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Lemon Berry Napoleon – Is It Good, Why Is It Called Napoleon?

Who here has tried to make three-tiered deserts, cakes included…it’s a little hairy at points, amiright? This week’s recipe by Home.Made.Interest was my first attempt at a three-tier dessert that WASN’T a cake…spoiler alert: I opted to make it two because #scarycustard.

This week’s recipe to try is a Lemon Berry Napoleon. Is it good and why is it called Napoleon? Keep scrolling for the recipe, some helpful first-time bake hacks, and if it makes the cut for recipes I make more than once. Oh, and what will the Hubs say? His review is down near the bottom, too!

The Recipe:

  • 2 sheets Puff Pastry
  • 2 1/4 tsp Powdered gelatin, , unflavored
  • ¼ c Warm water
  • 2 c Heavy Cream
  • 4 Tbsp Powdered sugar
  • 10 oz Lemon Curd
  • 1 c Strawberries
  • 1 c Blueberries
  • 1 c Blackberries
  • 1 c Raspberries
  1. Preheat oven to 425F.
  2. Lay thawed puff pastry sheet on a floured surface and roll it out into a 12x 12 inch square.
  3. Cut the square into three 12 inch x 4 inch strips and prick them all over with a fork.
  4. Place the puff pastry strips on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
  5. Repeat for second puff pastry sheet.
  6. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place back in refrigerator to chill for at least 20 minutes.
  7. Once chilled remove baking sheets from refrigerator and place in over.
  8. Bake for 10 minutes until the dough begins to turn golden brown then place another baking sheet directly on top of the dough and continue baking for another 6-7 minutes.
  9. Remove the top baking sheet and finish baking for 6-7 minutes or until pastry is golden brown.
  10. Remove the puff pastry sheets from the oven and while they are still warm trim the edges of the puff pastry and cut the strips in half making each one 6 inches x 4 inches (approximately).
  11. Cool completely.

LEMON MOUSSE

  1. While the puff pastry cools make the lemon mousse.
  2. Fill a small bowl with the warm water and sprinkle the gelatin over it letting it dissolve.
  3. Whip the heavy cream until it forms soft peaks then add the powdered sugar and the gelatin.
  4. Continue to whip until it forms stiff peaks.
  5. Gently fold in the lemon curd mixing until it is fully incorporated.

ASSEMBLY

  1. You will use 3 puff pastry pieces for each Napoleon.
  2. Spread lemon mousse over the bottom piece making it about 1/2 inch thick. Top with the next piece and repeat.
  3. Top the third layer of puff pastry with lemon mousse and place on a baking sheet.
  4. Do this for all of the puff pastry and then place your 4 Napoleons in the refrigerator to firm up.
  5. Before serving top with fresh berries.
  6. Enjoy!

Baking Hacks:

  1. If your custard feels unreliable maybe knock down your layers to two instead of three, there’s no shame in modifying. Also, if you give zero shits about if it holds all three puff pastry layers then go for it! I had to bring this to a party and have it sit outside of the fridge for an hour or two so I was suspicious of the third layer.
  2. I cut the 6×4 inch puff pastry rectangles in half to make it a more manageable bite. The shape ended up being more square.
  3. Folding in the lemon curd knocked a bit of air out of the whipped cream, and I think it’s because the curd was stiff coming out of the jar. If I were to make it again I think I would scoop all of the curd out of the jar and into a separate bowl, stir the curd up so it gets fluffed (?) up and then fold into the whipping cream to keep it airy. If you try this idea, let me know if it makes a difference, I’m hopeful!
  4. If you’ve never decorated the tops of flimsy puff pastry layers with multiple pieces of fruit, give yourself grace. It’s not going to look IG cute your first go, and it’s okay 😉

Is It Good?

And would I make it again? Not unless it was requested. No offense to the puff pastry but it’s a damn mess and a pain in the ass to assemble, lol.

Wait, why is it called Napoleon?

Per usual it depends on who you ask, but according to most it has nothing to do with the French conquerer. Instead, “Napoleon translates into “thousand leaves” for its many flaky layers of pastry surrounding its custard cream,” and you can read more about it here if you’re curious.

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Do Slutty Brownie Cups Live Up To The Hype?

Fridays are my favorite not only because it means the weekend is one work day away, but also because that means it’s time for another rendition of Try Stuff My Wife Makes with my Hubs.

I make, he tries. This week’s recipe is by Delish, so do you think the Slutty Brownie Cups live up to the hype? Keep scrolling for the recipe, some helpful first-time bake hacks, and if it makes the cut for recipes I make more than once.

The Recipe:

  • 1 box brownie mix (plus ingredients box calls for)
  • 24 oreos
  • 1 1/2 logs store-bought cookie dough
  • 1 1/2 c. semisweet chocolate chips
  • 3/4 c. hot heavy cream
  1. Preheat oven to 350º and line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
  2. Prepare brownie batter according to box instructions. In each cupcake liner, add an Oreo. Top with a tablespoon-size ball of cookie dough and top with another Oreo.
  3. Pour over brownie batter mix until each is almost full, fully covering the top Oreo.
  4. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie cup comes out almost clean, 20 to 22 minutes.
  5. Let cool, then make ganache: In a small heatproof bowl, add chocolate chips. Pour over hot heavy cream and let stand 3 minutes, then whisk until smooth and no clumps remain.
  6. Spoon ganache over each cupcake and serve.

Baking Hacks:

  1. Unless you have ginormous cupcake tin pans, the double Oreo sandwiching the cookie dough ball takes up a lot of room in the regular cupcake tin, so opt for 1.5 Oreos. One full Oreo on the bottom and then one half of an Oreo on top of the cookie dough.
  2. My grocery store didn’t have logs of cookie dough so I bought two packs of Nestle’s cookie dough (only ended up using one pack) and cut each precut squares in half, so the 12 pack turned into a 24 pack and it was plenty!

Did It Live Up To The Hype?

 

Ps: Hell to the yes I would make these again, they’re easy as FUH and were a huge hit with everyone in the office and at home. The texture differences were raved about and I couldn’t get over how easy it was because everything was store bought and simply assembled.

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