Happy National Pecan Day! {Pecan Recipes}

I've just been alerted it's National Pecan Day!  PHEW! Almost missed it thanks CJ at Foodstories!

Thought I'd take a super quick moment to remind you of some of my favorite pecan recipes...

Less is More they say.... Candy  some 

CLICK HERE for my recipe....

got bananas?  add them to your White Chocolate Pecan Banana Bread 

Or get your fresh & fancy on and 

sprinkle them on your

Raspberry Asparagus Endive Boats

or you can just grab a handful and enjoy!

My Boy the Baker {White Chocolate Coconut Pecan Banana Bread Recipe}

My Dylan has been my longest standing kitchen helper, he's a great chopper, mixer and beater licker.  He's told me he's going to grow up and be a chef or a roller coaster engineer.... I'm torn as a Mama as to which I'd prefer but in the meanwhile I do enjoy when he joins me to cook.

That said, I'm keeping my intro on this short..... David said "this is the BEST Banana Bread he has EVER had." 

Just sayin'
White Chocolate Coconut Pecan Banana Bread

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED:

4 Ripe Bananas

1/3 cup melted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sweetened coconut

1/2 cup Ghiardelli White Chocolate Chips

1/4 cup chopped pecans

Red Velvet Mile High Cake with White Chocolate Butter Cream Icing {Happy Valentine's Day}

Let me start off by saying, I'm NO Baker BUT because there is no bounds to my love of my chocoholic family.... I decided to GO BIG with my Valentine's Confection and it is a recipe that I hope will go down as one of my not-so-secret FAMOUS family recipes....  Heidi's Mile High Red Velvet Cake!

 Here's what you NEED:
3 c. all-purpose flour
1 c. unsweetened Hersey's cocoa powder
2 & 1/4 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 & 1/2 c. butter, softened
1 & 1/2 c packed brown sugar
1 & 1/4 c sugar
6 large eggs at room temperature
3 oz milk chocolate chips, melted 
2 & 1/4 tsp MADAGASGAR vanilla
2 & 1/4 c well-shaken buttermilk
3 oz. [3 small bottles] red food coloring

First, Preheat oven to 350°F. 
Spray 3 -9 inch round cake pans with Pam and line 
bottom of each with a round of wax paper.
Spray paper and dust pans with flour, knocking out excess.  NOTE:  This may be stating the obvious but it took me a while to start doing it this way, so I'm sharing..... set the pan on the wax paper and gently trace with open scissor and it'll sorta perforate it so you can tear a perfect sized insert!

Mix together flour, cocoa, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, set aside. Beat together butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer at medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after adding each one. Add melted chocolate [which I melted in microwave a minute at a time, this small amount took 2 minutes on high, stirring mid way], madgasgar vanilla and red food coloring [be CAREFUL, it'll git ya if you're not] and beat until just combined. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in a few batches, beginning with flour mixture and mixing until just combined.
Divide batter between cake pans, spreading evenly, and bake until a tooth pick inserted in center of each cake layer comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Cool cake layers in pans on racks at least 10 minutes [I've left in for a while with no harm]. Run a knife around edge of each layer, then invert onto racks. Peel off paper and cool layers completely.
Make your butter cream once cakes completely cooled [I made my cakes last night and wrapped tightly in Saran wrap overnight on the counter].


HUGE shout out to Tara at Smells Like Home for this To. Die. For. butter cream recipe [which I have doubled here for our purposes]...

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

4 & 1/2-5 cups powdered sugar added 1/2 cup at a time

2 tsp pure MADAGASCAR vanilla extract

8 oz good-quality white chocolate, melted – I used Ghirardelli

4 tbsp heavy cream

To make the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft and fluffy then beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time; allow the sugar to mix in before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated. With the mixer on low, add in heavy cream 1 tbsp at a time and beat at medium speed until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.

Now to frost.... Halve each cake 

layer horizontally using a long 

serrated knife [bread knife]. 

Layer cake, using a heaping 1/2 cup frosting between each layer, then frost top and sides with a LIGHT coat, it will get very crumbly, fret not this is our "under coat".  Once undercoat on put in fridge for 20 minutes THEN ice outside with remaining frosting.

p.s. leave out the food coloring for a kick a$$ chocolate cake ANY day of the year

Red Velvet Brownie Showdown

NOTE:  For some reason my photos
are NOT showing how red the brownies
were.... I know, I suck.  But I'm TRYING

I love a purpose.  Even if there's really no purpose to my purpose.  That's how I roll.


My friend Leslie challenged me to find the best Red Velvet Brownie. After much googling, I found it really came down to Complex vs Simple.   So, I spent all day having a bake off.... against myself.  Sounds stupid, but it was a fun day.  


And after the crowds (ok my family) did their blind taste test the answer across the board was SIMPLE, albeit not so simple for ME to get to that!


And so I present, SIMPLY the best Red Velvet Brownie.... and gosh it was yummy.


I must give the appropriate nod to the Restless Chipotle whose Grandma apparently this recipe was adapted from..... I only made a couple tweaks, based on her blog comments and my             preferences.... but I kept it simple :)



YOU WILL ONLY NEED:
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon MADAGASCAR vanilla
2 eggs
2 oz red food coloring
1 cup flour
1/4 cup cocoa
pinch of salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips


Preheat your oven to 350F and
generously butter a 8 inch square pan.


I used my Kitchen Aid.... which I heart so very much....cream the sugar and melted butter until smooth, then add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each, then add the food coloring, once blended add the flour, cocoa and salt.

Pour the batter in the pan, it should be fairly thick.  Sprinkle the white chocolate chips over the top then use a knife to loosely stir the chips in so they all all covered with batter but not "shoved to the bottom."
Bake 30-35 minutes.


I allowed to cool in the pan then loosened the edges with a knife and they came out easily for icing.




The SIMPLE Frosting also prevailed.... yes, I cut the contenders in half and iced in BOTH COMPLEX & SIMPLE icing.... I know, I'm troubled.


Thanks to Southern Living for this recipe :)


YOU WILL ONLY NEED:
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened 
                                                                             
3 tablespoons butter, softened 
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon MADAGASCAR vanilla 


Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed until creamy, then add powdered sugar and mix well, once combined mix in vanilla. VOILA!

Now, even though it didn't WIN, I LOVED this other icing...... and I will make it again.... when I'm feeling more COMPLEX ...Thanks to Smells Like Home

White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting:

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups powdered sugar added 1/2 cup at a time

1 tsp pure MADAGASCAR vanilla extract

4 oz good-quality white chocolate, melted – I used Ghirardelli

2 tbsp heavy cream

To make the frosting:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter until soft and fluffy then beat in the vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add in powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time; allow the sugar to mix in before adding the next 1/2 cup. Once all of the sugar has been added, beat on medium speed for 30 seconds and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add in the melted white chocolate and beat on medium speed until incorporated. With the mixer on low, add in heavy cream 1 tbsp at a time and beat at medium speed until the frosting has reached your desired consistency.

FEELING COMPLICATED on the Brownie?  You really shouldn't..... it was way cake like... But you should look at the ingredients to know they WILL not create a brownie.... don't fall for it :)

2 1/2 cups flour

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 t baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

3 large eggs

7 ounces-unsalted butter

1 cup confectioner's sugar

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbsp. red food coloring

1 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. vanilla extract

GOOD NIGHT.... CONGRATS MY NY FAN FRIENDS