Heavenly Meringues by Stroble Farms

I recently discovered something wonderful on ETSY...flavored meringues!  Stroble Farms offers many wonderful baked goods but I had the great fortune of being able to taste several of the meringue flavors.  The pink champagne, the violet and the honeysuckle flavors were my personal favorites.  These would be great for weddings or to serve along side other desserts. 

 

 

Swirled,honeysuckle-scented meringues are made with organic cane sugar, fresh egg whites from farm-fresh free-range eggs, and flavored with honeysuckle flowers.

 

 

Meringue-of-the-Month Club is a great gift to give someone you love (including yourself!) a fun way to sample their wonderful meringues. These are not 'Miss Meringue' meringues! We have unique and unusual meringues that you're not going to find anywhere else; these are all our very own recipes that we invented. Only the best-tasting flavors made the cut and we are proud to offer the following varieties:
Chocolate Swirl
Pistachio
Persian Saffron
Date-Walnut
Coconut Delight
Chocolate Cherry Chunk
Lavender
Rose
Pomegranate
Honeysuckle
Cherry Blossom
Violet Candy
Sparking Pink Champagne
Pecan Praline
Maple Walnut
Brown Sugar
Green Tea
Christmas Candy Cane

You can visit Stroble Farms at:  http://www.etsy.com/shop/StrobleFarms?ref=seller_info

 

 

 

Fall is Around the Corner and It's Time to Start Thinking

"HALLOWEEN" !!!

 

Welcome your guests with a cup of "blood" punch

 

Stir one 64-ounce bottle cherry or cranberry-cherry juice, 1 liter ginger ale, 1/4 cup lemon juice and 1 tablespoon grenadine in a large punch bowl. Add 2 cups frozen cherries and 1 orange, cut into chunks. (To spike it, add 2 cups bourbon or rye and 3 dashes orange bitters. )

 

Mickey and Minnie Mouse Cupcake Topper Rings

Come along and sing our song and join the jamboree!!! 
M - I - C - K - E - Y    M - O - U - S - E!


Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse ring toppers are a must have for your party!


These rings are great on cupcakes, as napkin rings for your napkins or utensils, to scatter on your table as confetti or put in gift bags as party favors.

You'll receive a package of 12 rings/toppers (6 Mickey Mouse and 6 Minnie Mouse).  Just $3.75 at www.cupcakeessentials.com

Rose Cake Tutorial from "I Am Baker"

Learn how to make this phenominal cake at "I Am Baker".  Here 's a link!

http://iambaker.net/rose-cake-tutorial

Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

Anne’s Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake -
From The Cake Mix Doctor


This recipe begins with your favorite box of yellow cake mix. The 21.6-ounce cake mix is the Cake Mix Doctor’s Old-Fashioned Yellow cake mix, which you can find in stores near you or order online.

Makes 12 servings


Prep: 15 minutes


Bake: 50 to 55 minutes


1 package (21.6 ounces) Cake Mix Doctor’s Old-Fashioned Yellow Cake Mix


For the Filling:


2 tablespoons light brown sugar


2 teaspoons ground cinnamon


1 cup finely chopped pecans


For the Batter:


1 cup sour cream


½ cup vegetable oil


½ cup water


4 large eggs


1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze:


1 cup confectioners’ sugar


2 tablespoons milk






1.  Place a rack in the center of the oven, and preheat the oven to 350°. Grease and flour a Bundt pan, and set the pan aside.


2.  For the filling, measure out 2 tablespoons of the cake mix and place in a small bowl. Stir in the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans. Set the filling aside.


3.  Place the remaining cake mix, sour cream, oil, water, eggs, and vanilla in a large mixing bowl, and blend on low speed for 30 seconds. Increase the mixer speed to medium and blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes longer.


4.  Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Scatter the filling over the top of the batter. Pour the remaining batter over the filling. Place the pan in the oven.


5.  Bake until the cake springs back when lightly pressed with a finger, and it is golden brown, 50 to 55 minutes. Remove the cake from the oven, and let it cool in the pan 20 minutes. Run a knife around the edges of the pan, and invert it onto a rack to cool completely, 45 minutes.


6.  Meanwhile, prepare the glaze by stirring the milk into the confectioners’ sugar. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the cake and let rest 15 minutes to let the glaze set. Or omit the glaze and just dust with confectioners’ sugar. Place the cake on a platter, slice and serve.

Bundt pan is available from William Sonoma.

Boone Tavern - Berea Kentucky

Recently, my husband and I went to Lexington, Ky. for a long weekend.  While we have traveled I-75 many times, we finally decided to stop at historic Berea, Kentucky.  Berea, Kentucky is the home of Berea College which is a wonderful liberal arts, non-tuition based college.  It holds some personal history for me as well.  Berea is the childhood home of my mother and her father was the college "handy-man"  back in the 30's. 

While growing up, I had always heard about Boone Tavern and just assumed it was some sort of tourist trap.  I could not have been more wrong.  Not only is it beautiful but the food was wonderful. 

After entering the hotel and being seated, our waitress, who was a graduate of Berea College, brought us one of the Inn's most famous dishes.... spoon bread.  This can best be described as a cornbread souffle.  I do not generally care for cornbread but this was delicious! 

Boone Tavern Spoon Bread
Yields approximately 8 servings

4 tbsp. unsalted butter (1 tbsp. softened, 3 tbsp. melted)
3 cups milk
1 1⁄4 cups finely ground white cornmeal
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. fine salt
2 eggs, well beaten

Preheat oven to 350°.
Grease a 9" round cake pan with some of the softened butter. Cut out a parchment paper circle to fit inside the pan, nestle it into the bottom, and grease the paper with the remaining softened butter. Set the prepared pan aside.

In a 2-quart saucepan, bring the milk to a boil, whisking occasionally, over high heat. While whisking, pour in the cornmeal in a steady stream. Whisk vigorously to incorporate the cornmeal, for about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to let the cornmeal mixture cool to room temperature. Transfer the cornmeal mixture to the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Add the remaining butter, baking powder, salt, and eggs and mix on medium speed until uniform and aerated, about 15 minutes. Pour cornmeal batter into the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and puffy and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Serve immediately.

After enjoying the spoon bread and possibly the best iced tea that I've ever had, we ordered another of the Boone Tavern's specialties.... Chicken Flakes in a  Bird's Nest.  This is basically a rich creamed chicken in a fried potato nest. 

This dish is a good as it looks.  We finished the meal with a couple of different desserts.  I had a mixed berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream and my husband had their banana bread pudding with a caramel sauce.  Oh my!  It was like eating elegant french toast. 

If you not been to Berea and have the opportunity to stop.... do so!  The Tavern is spectacular and the rest of the town is just as special.  There are fabulous artisans at every turn.  So if you find yourself heading down Interstate 75 between Lexington and the Tennessee state line, make sure and stop at Berea.  You'll not be dissapointed.  We'll not miss that stop ever again!

Passion for "Fancy" Cake Plates

While I continue to enjoy baking wonderful cakes and love to decorate them, I also have an appreciation for "fancy" cake plates.  I probably have more than any one person should but do believe that we all have hobbies that we're more than willing to spend a little too much on.  Thankfully, my husband does not read my blog so he probably won't realize just how many plates I own. 

Mostly, my plates sit behind glass where I can look at them.  Sometimes, for a very special occasion, I'll get one out and actually use it.  I wanted to share some of my favorites.

This is a "Glitterville" plate.  I was lucky enough to have Steven Brown actually sign it. 

This is one of my absolute favorites!  This is also a "Glitterville" plate.  It's so much fun for Halloween with its different colored socks.  I've taken this to parties much to the dismay of friends.  They're always afraid that someone will break it.  But, as I tell them, why have it if you never use it!

It's no secret that I LOVE Christmas.  This is a "Krinkles" plate and cover.  I just love the red shoes and the big red bow. 

Another "Krinkles" Halloween favorite!  I certainly have a thing for the "shoe" theme!  This is extra cute with Halloween themed cupcakes on it.

Nothing like 3 French Hens!  Another "Krinkles" Christmas plate. 

I have many more and love them all.  As you're making your cakes, just remember.... Presentation is Everything!

Keep baking!  Enjoy yourself.... with whatever and whoever you love!