Olivia's Birthday Easter Cake

I found a TON of Easter recipes I wanted to try. Unfortunately, I always have bigger plans that I have time for. Today, even though Easter was 3 days ago, I am starting on another one I didn't have time for: Danish Easter Cake. It needs candied lemon and orange - so I'm making a bunch of that even though I only need 1/8 of a cup. We looked at 4 different stores for it. No one has it. What a disappointment.

Anyway, I found several other dessert recipes (ALWAYS dessert with me!) And here are the ones I made:

Robin Egg Cake

This one is from Deals to Meals. She says its vanilla flavored, but it has almond flavoring in it too, and I think it tastes more like almond. Maybe because I forgot to put the vanilla in the frosting too (oops!) It was still delicious. Olivia loved it. I had another recipe that was similar, but it had strawberries in it, and since she is anti-fruit, we didn't make it.

1 package white cake mix
1 cup flour
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup milk or buttermilk (I used the homemade version: milk with lemon juice in it)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 Tbsp egg whites ( or egg whites from 4 eggs)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, spray 2  9-inch round pans, line with parchment paper and spray the paper too.
Stir together the white cake mix, flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl.Pour in the water, milk, sour cream, vegetable oil, almond and vanilla extracts, and egg whites, and beat with an electric mix on low until all the ingredients are mixed and moistened.
Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pans, and bake in the preheated oven until the top is a light golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes. I think mine took longer. The recipe said 20-25 but that wasn't nearly enough time. Maybe my oven is dying.....Allow to cool before frosting.

Buttercream Frosting

2 sticks unsalted butter
1 stick salted butter
*You want the butter not super cold but not quite room temperature either, if its too soft the frosting wont pipe properly. You want it just to the point that you can press a finger into it and it will indent but not push through easily.
4 ounces cream cheese
2 Tbsp heavy cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

4 cups powdered sugar ( I used Kroger brand, the recipe said you could only use C&H or it'd be gritty - whatever -  We ate it and no one complained of grittiness)

Directions from the original recipe follow - I pretty much followed the. Didn't time it exactly, but I did A LOT of beating. I had to stop in the middle at making it too and stuck it back in the fridge, so I don't know how that affected the temp. of the butter:

In a medium size bowl beat butter until it almost turns white, approx 7 minutes. This is the crucial first steps so watch the color change carefully depending on the speed of your mixer it could take longer. Add the cream cheese, heavy cream, and vanilla extract and beat again for another 3-5 minutes. Add the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time beating 2-3 minutes in between each cup. All the beating is a pain, but well worth it in the end! Pipe on to cupcakes or frost a cake! This is enough to do a 2 layer cake.

Robin Egg Topping

1 Tbs. Cocoa powder
Vanilla extract
Coconut flakes - about 1/3 cup ( I didn't measure)

Mix the cocoa powder with enough vanilla to make a runny paint- I think it took about 3 Tbsp of vanilla - lots more than I expected. "Holding a small arts and craft paint brush with one hand, gently flick the bristles with your other index finger to splatter the chocolate paint. Practice first onto a piece of paper towel or wax paper until you get the hang of it. When you have practices for a bit you’re ready to start speckling, hold the paintbrush fairly close to the cake and start splattering."

When the cake is all splattered, add enough coconut to make a nest to the rest of the "paint" and mix to color the coconut. Arrange the coconut into a next and top with eggs- I used white and blue Whopper Robin Eggs, and some Palmer chocolate eggs. The large egg is 2 half peanut butter Palmer eggs stuck together.

I made 2 other desserts too and for the sake of completeness and so I don't have to look for them again here they are: (Both are from Just A Pinch)

Easter Knot Cookies (or Anise Sugar Cookies)

2 sticks butter, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
6 eggs
2 Tbsp milk
1 tsp anise extract
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
8 c sifted flour
6 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

BUTTER ICING RECIPE
3 -4 cups powdered sugar
1 stick butter
1 tsp anise extract
milk
food coloring

Cream butter and sugar. Add the eggs, milk, anise and vanilla. Add salt and baking powder and mix until combined. Slowly add the flour. Grease cookie sheets. Roll dough into 1/2” logs and form into knots. Bake at 400 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool until barely warm. Dunk in icing and let dry.
To make butter icing, combine sugar and butter. Add anise. Slowly add milk to desired consistency. Add food coloring of your choice.

Springtime S'mores

These were Myles favorite of the 3 desserts. I thought they were a little too gooey, and I don't think I liked the white chocolate I used. - I used Private Selection. Maybe next time I will try the Ghiradelli as suggested. I had to add A LOT more marshmallows that the original recipe said. We doubled the recipe and added the entire bag, minus the handful Adria and Genna ate.

1/2 c heavy whipping cream
12 oz (1 bag) white chocolate morsels (Ghiradelli is best)
about 3 cups miniature colored marshmallows
1 box (9 oz) shortbread cookies

 LINE 9-inch-square baking pan with heavy-duty foil. (I sprayed mine too - maybe that wasn't a good choice?) Break cookies into small bite-size pieces.
Heat cream in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes or until bubbles appear around edges. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate; stir until smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 12 minutes.
Add marshmallows; stir to coat. Gently stir in cookie pieces until combined.
Spread mixture into prepared pan; press down lightly. Refrigerate until set or cover and let set on the counter. Cut into bars.
**Variation** I didn't try this one, but found a similar recipe that used 3 1/2 cups marshmallows, milk chocolate chips, and 7 1/2 oz chocolate covered graham crackers broken into pieces.

Elizabeth's Birthday Dinner

We hosted dinner at our house with all the family because Mom and Dad had to spend the day at the conference center and couldn't host at their house. We started with a recital for all of the grandkids to perform and then we ate. The food was great! Ashlee made funeral potatoes, Olivia made roasted red potatoes, Jessica did the dessert and I did the rest. Elizabeth said all the food turned out great. She said she liked everything we made. I tried a bunch of new recipes and Libby said sometimes it doesn't turn out great when I do that, but today it did. I didn't do any changes to most of the recipes because I didn't have time to think about it. So I'm re-posting them here along with links to the originals.

PEA SALAD

First I made Pea Salad. This is one recipe I did my own version. There are lots of them out there. It's pretty much potato salad with peas instead of potatoes.

7 cups frozen peas

14 slices of bacon, crumbled (or just 7 if you don't add more later)

1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

5 oz cheddar cheese cut into cubes (about 1 cup)

4 oz Mozzarella cheese cut into cubes (about 1 cup)

3/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp mayonnaise

1 Tbsp fresh dill, finely chopped

1 Tbsp Ranch powder (the kind used to make dressing)

1 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice (I think this was too much - I'll only do 1 Tbsp next time)

Salt and Pepper as desired.

Put the peas in a colander and rinse with warm water to thaw. Allow to drain completely. Meanwhile mix sour cream, mayo, dill, ranch powder, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Add the peas, cheeses, onion and half the bacon. Stir to coat evenly. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Top with remaining bacon and serve. - I forgot to add the rest of the bacon. It was good anyway- so you could use less bacon slices. 

SEED ROLLS

Next I made rolls from Our Best Bites. She named them after the Hunger Games movie - I don't know why. I just called them seed rolls. I doubled the recipe. The rolls are REALLY big. I think next time I might cut more than 8 slices from each round, or make more than 2 rounds from the recipe.

MAKES 16 Rolls

3/4 cup warm (105-115 F) water

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon yeast

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 tablespoons honey

2 teaspoons table salt

3 tablespoons flax seed, divided 

3 tablespoons unsalted, shelled sunflower seeds, divided

2 1/2 tablespoons poppy seeds, divided

3 tablespoons sesame seeds, divided (Mine were already toasted, so I didn't toast them again)

2 tablespoons uncooked oats

3 cups wheat flour

2 tablespoons dough enhancer

2-3 cups bread flour

1 egg white

2 tablespoons cold water

In a small bowl or larger liquid measuring cup, combine the warm water and the sugar. Sprinkle on the yeast, stir to combine, and allow to stand for 10 minutes or until frothy.While the yeast is proofing, combine 2 tablespoons of each of the seeds in a small skillet, reserving 1 tablespoon each of sesame, flax, and sunflower seeds and 1/2 tablespoon of poppy seeds (you’ll use these later to top the rolls). Toast over medium heat, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the sesame seeds start to turn a light golden color.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer, combine the buttermilk, melted butter, honey, and salt. Add the yeast mixture and mix well. In another bowl, combine the whole wheat flour, vital wheat gluten, and the toasted seeds and then add to the yeast mixture and mix well. Add 2-3 cups of bread flour 1/2 cup at a time, until the dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl to the center and it barely sticks to your finger when you touch it. When you reach that point, allow the mixer to mix it for 5 minutes.While the dough is kneading, spray a large glass or metal bowl with non-stick cooking spray. When the dough is done kneading, turn the dough into the bowl and cover with a clean dish cloth. Allow it to rise in a warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

While the dough is rising, lightly flour a work surface (or spray with non-stick cooking spray). Line 2 baking sheets with Silpat liners or parchment paper and set aside.When the dough is done rising, transfer it to the work surface and divide it in half. Roll each half into a circle about 12″ in diameter and about 1/4″-1/2″ thick. Using a pizza wheel or a dough cutter, cut the dough into 8 equal wedges. Starting with the wide edge of each wedge, roll down to the point. Place on the prepared baking sheet and then form into a slight crescent. Repeat with remaining dough pieces. Cover and allow to rise until doubled, about 45 minutes.When the dough has about 10 minutes left to rise, preheat oven to 375. Whisk together the egg white and water. Mix the reserved seeds and the oats in a small bowl. When the rolls are done rising, carefully brush the tops of each of them with the egg white mixture. Sprinkle evenly with the seeds and bake for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown on top. Serve warm (if possible) with butter. 

ALMOND CRUSTED BAKED HAM WITH APRICOT GLAZE

By this time I was running out of time and had Ryan help me make the ham. It's from A Spicy Perspective. We used a pint of mom's homemade apricot jam to make it. Everyone said they really liked it. - it was a little dryer than some hams and had more of a caramelized, roasted flavor. I learned how to carve it too- but we didn't do that. Stand it on its end and cut around the bone, then cut down the natural breaks where the fat it so- about 3 different places to get nice slices you can put on a serving plate.

10 pound Spiral Sliced Half Ham - ours was about 9.5 lbs

18 ounce jar Apricot Preserves - I used a pint of mom's homemade jam - Yummy!

1/2 cup Crushed Pineapple

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup Brown Sugar

1 cup Sliced Almonds - Our was a little skimpy - we ran out. 

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Unwrap the ham and place it on a large rimmed baking sheet. Place the apricot preserves, crushed pineapple, and Dijon mustard in a microwave safe bowl. Warm in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, until the apricot preserves soften enough to mix evenly into the other ingredients. Stir well. 

Brush half the apricot glaze over the surface of the ham. Open and separate the slices here and there to let the glaze seep down between the layers as you brush it. Cover the ham with foil and place it in the oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, roughly chop (or crumble) the sliced almonds into smaller pieces. (This helps them stick to the edges of each slice of ham.) Toss the almond pieces with the brown sugar.

After 2 hours, remove the ham from the oven and raise the temperature to 400 degrees F. Brush the remaining glaze over the ham. Then press the almond and brown sugar mixture over the entire surface of the ham. Place it back in the oven for 30 minutes, uncovered, to allow the almond crust to brown. Serve warm.

CANDIED WALNUT SALAD

The last recipe I tried was a salad also from Our Best Bites. The entire meal had nuts in it- so if you don't like nuts and seeds it may not have been what you wanted, but the birthday girl liked it! I doubled the walnuts in the original recipe and I think I added more spinach than it said too. I added some extra cheese as well.

2 heads of leafy greens; 1 can be a bag of spinach - I use 1 head of romaine, and baby spinach - probably more than a bag.

3/4 c. Craisins

2 crisp apples - we used Fuji, mine were really big so I didn't use the last 1/4 piece.

Orange juice from 1 orange (enough to toss apples in to prevent browning and add a little flavor)

2 oz. Gorgonzola - I think I used 3.

1 c. chopped walnuts

1/2 c. sugar

1 recipe Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette 

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. honey

1 clove garlic (recipe said roughly chopped, but I didn't do it)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 c. canola oil - I used vegetable oil - it was all I had. 

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving. **I just put everything in the Magic Bullet and blended it all together at once. It worked great - chopped up the garlic and incorporated the oil just fine).

Wash and chop lettuce. Set aside to drain.

To candy the nuts, combine walnuts and sugar in a medium skillet over medium heat. Stir constantly. After a few minutes, the sugar will look very fine and then a few minutes after that, it will start to liquefy. This is when you have to be absolutely vigilant about scraping the bottom of the skillet and making sure everything gets stirred around. The syrup will begin to darken and will coat the nuts. When they reach a golden brown color, remove from heat. Stir occasionally as the nuts begin to cool. After a few minutes, spread candied nuts onto a greased piece of parchment or wax paper or a greased cookie sheet and allow to cool completely. Set aside.

Chop blue cheese or Gorgonzola very finely. You want crumbles, not chunks.Chop apples and toss in orange juice.When ready to serve, toss lettuce, cranberries, walnuts, apples, and blue cheese in a large bowl. Add dressing if desired (I did!); it really is better all mixed together rather than on top, but the dressing will wilt any leftovers. ** We have left overs and it still tastes great even though it's wilted. 

That was it! Olivia and Ashlee and Jess will have to post their own recipes. Jess made cute little sugar cookie bird nests for Easter. Sorry - the only pics I have aren't great. Just one of my own half eaten plate:

Asian Beef Bowls

Elizabeth came into town with her kids to celebrate her birthday! We spent last night at a hotel with Mom, me, Libby Jessica, Ashlee and Olivia and had tons of fun rock climbing and going out to dinner. This morning Ryan made us all Liege Waffles. Libby had never tried them and they are SOOO good! We invited her and Olivia back for dinner, because Mom and Dad spent all day at the Conference Center doing their service mission for General Conference, and Ben had to work. I found a recipe for 30-minute Asian Beef bowls at Once Upon A Chef and thought I'd give it a try. Here's my own variation:

Beef:
3 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 c hoisin sauce
6 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoon ketchup
2 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, chopped
4 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger
10 green onions sliced, light and dark green parts separated
1 zucchini thinly sliced and cut into quarters

To Serve:
Rice
Chopped cashews
Sesame seeds
shredded carrots
shredded romaine lettuce
thinly sliced red and yellow bell peppers
Any veggie you like

In a large bowl mix the beef with the baking soda. I used my hands with plastic gloves on.Let it sit on the counter for 20-25 minutes. The baking soda will "soften" the beef.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
Cook the beef in a large skillet pan over medium-high heat. Brown the beef, stirring frequently and breaking into pieces, until just slightly pink, about 5 minutes. (I didn't drain the fat because the original recipe said there wasn't much and it adds flavor. I though that was fine, but Pierce complained it was greasy - he was the only one of the 11 people that ate it to complain.)
Add the garlic, ginger, and light part of the green onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, a few minutes.
Add the hoisin sauce mixture and cook until the beef is well-coated and cooked through, about a minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add Zucchini and cook for a minute to soften slightly. Then stir in the green onions (the green parts). Spoon the beef into bowls over rice. Top with sesame seeds, chopped cashews, and shredded veggies, if you like.

The kids all had to use chopsticks to eat it. After all, it is the Asian way!