I'm Dreaming Of A White Christmas Cake

A cake full of Christmas deliciousness!
I had been concocting this cake in my head for the past few weeks.
It is four layers of super moist chocolate cake, pink peppermint filling between each layer, and vanilla icing.

The peppermint "plate" idea came from Southern Living.

I used my favorite chocolate cake recipe.  The filling is a whoopie pie filling recipe that includes marshmallow cream.  I wish I knew how many drops of red food coloring I used to get this perfect pink color, but the food coloring was a new bottle that squirted rather than dropped, so I got a lot more than I expected with one squeeze!   The vanilla frosting is the new recipe that I had tried a few months ago.

It made for a pretty and yummy Christmas dessert!

A Cinnamon & Sugar Topped Christmas

This is my first Christmas as a Mom and I am loving it!
We have had so much fun this week doing Christmas crafts, baking, making gifts, seeing Christmas movies and The Nutcracker, and all sorts of other family things!

We adopted the Christmas breakfast tradition that I grew up with......French Breakfast Puffs.
The muffins have a bit of nutmeg, and are dipped in butter, then coated with a cinnamon sugar mixture.
Of course we opened presents first, and then I made the French Breakfast Puffs which we agreed are the perfect Christmas Breakfast!

More later, as I am about to put together a cake I have been dreaming up!

French Breakfast Puff and Hot Chocolate

French Breakfast Puffs

Cookies for Santa

Merry Christmas!

The baking mania continues!  In the last week I tried two new sugar cookie recipes, but I think I like the one I have been using much better.  The first had lemon zest and the second had sour cream.  They both had good flavor, but nothing exciting.  I don't like a bland sugar cookie.  They had good structure for decorating.  The only thing is, I was going to make royal icing and decorate both batches at once, but I tried one of the sour cream cookies yesterday and wasn't sure if I even liked it.  So, I am not decorating those.  I will make some more cookies and decorate them with a winter theme rather than Christmas.

I did make a double batch of the lemon zest sugar cookies and Little C (that will be my blog name for our 7 year old daughter) cut out and decorated half of them.  I did not think it was possible to use an entire 6 pack of sprinkles on one batch, but she came very close!  We had a lot of fun and she was very proud of her cookies!

Yesterday I made Oatmeal Cookies - part of the batch was cinnamon raisin for Santa, and the rest of the cookies were chocolate chip.   Santa's plate was clean this morning, so I assume he loved the cookies we made for him!

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

Santa Would Like These Cookies

Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies

This was the new cookie that I tried last Christmas and every time it is made, it's a hit!
They are normally dipped in  powdered sugar before they are baked, which makes them prettier.
I did not dip these because they are very sweet that way, and I just wanted them for dessert.

Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookies

Close-up of Butterscotch Chip Spice Cookie

Joy To The Book Club

This week I had my book club Christmas meeting/party at my house.
Every year I make them an assortment of treats which always includes peppermint bark, peppermint brownies, and cayenne shortbread (aka cheese wafers).  This year I added the white chocolate cherry shortbread.

I change the packaging each year and have the container as part of the gift.  One year I did a decorated photo box with each person's initial and favorite colors, and another year was a Christmas tin.  Last year I used black photo boxes and attached wire ribbon (black, white and red Christmas pattern) to look like the box was a wrapped package.

This year I started with a Christmas tin tray.  The shortbreads were both packaged in cellophane and tied with a red wire ribbon.  The peppermint bark candies and peppermint brownies were each in the small boxes below.  I wrapped the entire thing in cellophane and tied it with a red ribbon.

For dinner I made a delicious new soup - Chicken Vegetable Soup with tortellini, fennel, kidney beans, Swiss chard and several other ingredients.  I served the soup with warm rolls.  Dessert was a brownie topped with peppermint ice cream, homemade whipped cream and crushed peppermints.
We had a great Christmas book club!

Packaged Christmas Goodies

Tray with Cayenne Shortbread and White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Box of Peppermint Bark Candies added

Second box with Peppermint Brownies added

Final product

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Party - Part B, Desserts

And now for the desserts.........

Homemade Marshmallows
Amazing how sugars can be turned in to a white billowy mass, which can then be cured, cut, coated with sugar and..........marshmallows!  They are very time consuming to cut, but are very fun and I cannot wait to make them in different colors for other holidays and events!

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread
These were even better the second time around!  I did the white chocolate my way and they turned out much better!  I used a little more almond extract this time too.  Such a pretty shortbread cookie!

Peppermint Bark Candies
I started making this peppermint bark in to candies; it takes a little more time, but it is a prettier display and easier to serve/eat.

Peppermint Brownies
My Christmas creation/tradition.  The perfect brownie covered with pink peppermint icing and peppermint candies - need I say anymore!?!?

Eggnog Tea Cookies
I used fresh ground nutmeg which gives a wonderful flavor to the cookies, and added a second splash of rum to the icing.

Dessert Table

Dessert Table - Center

Homemade Marshmallows

Homemade Marshmallows - Green Close-Up

White Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Peppermint Bark Candies

Peppermint Brownies

Peppermint Brownies Close-Up

Eggnog Tea Cookies

Eggnog Tea Cookies Close-Up

We Wish You A Merry Christmas Party - Part A, Decorations

I had so much fun decorating for this Christmas Party!

My third trip to the craft store last week turned in to trip 3 to store A and trip 1 to store B!  I will try to limit my visits this week to 1 trip to store A. :)

The large arrangement below is my favorite!  I love arrangements with cranberries/fruit in the base.  I wanted the base to be colorful and unique, and the arrangement to be a burst of Christmasy floral beauty!

Cranberries were involved in most of the arrangements and candle displays.  If you want to get attention at the grocery store, load up 30 bags of cranberries into the top of the cart!  I think I used 27 bags!  Not pictured are the tall vases like the large arrangement vase, that I filled a little more than half with cranberries then added a white pillar candle to each.  This made for a very pretty and striking display - they were at opposite ends of a raised kitchen island counter.  I used cranberries for the table centerpiece below with the green, red, and white flowers; with cranberries and white candles on each side.

The bowl of glass ornaments was the centerpiece for the dessert table, which had silver trays and lots of red in the desserts.

The red and white centerpiece was on the main serving table.

I have so many pictures with the decorations and desserts, I will do two posts.
All the decorations were very Christmasy and went well with the desserts I made and the Italian food that was catered for this party.

It's The Most Decorative Time Of The Year

Here is what I have been up to..........

I had an idea of what I wanted to do for a centerpiece on the coffee table in the living room.
It all came together in the last two days!  One my first trip to the craft store, I got the plain wreath, candle and glass.  The second trip was for the ribbons and other decorations.
I can't wait to see how it looks when the candle is lit!

On that same second trip to the craft store, I found the pink glass ornaments, then the ribbon and silver beads, and finally the Charlie Brown looking Christmas tree.  When I first spotted the pink ornaments, I just HAD to make a tree for our daughter's bedroom!  She was surprised and loves it!

Lots to do in the next few days for party decorations and desserts!
I am so excited about the ideas I have and will post photos of my creations.
I am off to buy ingredients, and I fear a third trip to the craft store!

Pretty Pumpkin Pie

Pumpkin Pie and Banana Bread......Yum!

I tried the banana bread and it is quite tasty!

The pumpkin pie is for tomorrow, of course.   I used the classic Libby's recipe for the pie.
It looks pretty, and I assume the flavor will be good too.  I did not make my own pie crust, just to save on time.  (I hate to use anything pre-made, but in this case I made the exception.)
I will make a homemade sweet whipped cream to serve it with.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Ho Ho Cherry-O

In the Test Kitchen today.....White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread!

I found this recipe last week and had to try it out.
The shortbread dough was a great consistency without any modifications, however, I would add a little more almond extract next time so that you can taste the flavor.  This is a sweet shortbread with cherries and white chocolate in the cookie.  (A big change from the Cayenne Cheese Wafer shortbread I usually make.)
The full recipe calls for dipping the cookies in white chocolate; I followed the recipe and did not like how the white chocolate turned out.  It was not dip-able at all.  I spread some white chocolate on a few of the cookies, but did not care for how it looked.  I will do plain melted white chocolate and dip the remaining cookies.  

I am very pleased with the cookie part and I think with a few changes, I will like them dipped in white chocolate.  I am definitely adding this to my Christmas cookie list!

Tomorrow is Pumpkin Pie, Banana Bread and whatever else I decide to whip up!
I haven't forgotten about the marshmallows, I just haven't gotten there yet! :)

White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread

Pumpkin Spice and Everything Nice

I have made two pumpkin spice cakes this week. 

I doubled the recipe for the cream cheese icing, so that every piece had plenty of coverage.

I haven't had anyone try this cake and not love it!

The cake is so light and moist, and of course when you add cream cheese frosting to something like this, it's amazing!  

Test Kitchen lesson for the week - don't treat this type of icing like regular cake icing!  It should really only be on the top; when the sides are iced, it doesn't go as smoothly as regular icing.  And I don't mean texture; I am talking about the icing not cooperating and the ensuing stress!  But like my wise mother pointed out, I am a Test Kitchen and have to try new things to see if they work or not!    

Here are a few responses from an office that enjoyed the one cake:

"Great Cake! Thanks"

"Mmmmmmmm, mmmmmmm good!"

"I broke my no-carb for it -- it's great"

I haven't made it to the homemade marshmallows yet this week, but there is still time!

If not, I will try it out on Monday!

Happy Weekend!

Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

Boxed Pumpkin Spice Cake

Deck The Cookies With Boughs Of Holly

Today is the "official" launch of my business, Treva's Test Kitchen & Creative Design!!!!!

Below are the Eggnog Tea Cookies that I wanted to try out for this years Christmas parties. The cookies have the nutmeg and the icing has a splash of rum.  And yes, this is the icing that I had modified for the pumpkin sugar cookies.  I made it thinner than the recipe called for and will thin it a little more next time.  The decorations take awhile, but the result is a pretty and festive looking little cookie.  I think that this is a winner and will stay on the Test Kitchen menu.

I am finishing up my Thanksgiving/Fall cards, and can't wait to start on the Christmas cards!
I have photos on the way for my sample albums (pet and balloon festival), and an album I am doing for a hair salon.  I am looking forward to putting all those together!

Next up in the Test Kitchen are pumpkin spice cake and homemade marshmallows.

Eggnog Tea Cookies

It's Just Around The Corner

Thanksgiving Cards

Page One of a New Chapter

Wedding Album First Page

The numbers are from a set of dies that I just got. 
I cut out the numbers and then had to do this page!
I was very pleased with how it turned out!

How Do I Love Thee, Let Me Taste The Ways

I love this frosting!  I made this based on a new recipe and my favorite recipe.
It's great and is my new favorite!

The cupcakes are the chocolate cake that I always make, with this new fluffy white icing.
I made them for my small group, for a birthday, and everyone seemed to enjoy them.

I was so excited when I almost accidentally discovered this frosting!  I set out to make my usual icing and this came about.  The texture, flavor and color are perfect!

Last evening I was in the Test Kitchen, and today I am working on the Creative Design side of things.

Happy Brownie To You......

Brownies in the shape of Cupcakes!
I made these for a friend's birthday.  These are the plain brownies with a touch of sea salt on top.  If I were to do this again, I think I would use large sugar crystals on top.  It was not easy to cut out the cupcakes, but they turned out well and made a fun birthday dessert.  I could only get four cupcake shaped brownies from one pan, which left lots of odd shaped brownie bites.   That is not a problem with my taste testers - the brownies taste great no matter the shape!

Today I am making a cake, not sure which kind yet.  Over the next few days I will be working on albums and cards.  I would like to test one Christmas cookie possibility by the weekend.  I am looking forward to having some time to focus on creating things!

Pink Cookies And The Three Little Girls

Pink sugar cookies were the perfect pre-concert dinner party dessert for 7 and 8 year old little girls!

The cookies are pink and then I covered them with sprinkles to make them extra fun!

A Cupcake By Any Other Name.......

Today is the unveiling of my new logo!!!

It's 6:30AM and I am making brownies.  My mother is coming to visit and has never had my brownies!
Amazing!

I would eventually like to name my desserts something other than their traditional name.  Last week as we were eating the chocolate cupcakes for dessert, I asked our 7 year old, whose face was covered in chocolate frosting, how she would describe the frosting.  First she said delicious and when I asked for another description, I got "so not disgusting"!  I don't think that one will make the menu board, but it's a thought!

Today I am off to show some scrapbook/album examples and then pick up mom at the airport.
Next week will begin the testing of the Christmas dessert recipes!

To Grandmother's Recipe Box We Go

The chocolate chip cookies Grandma always had in the cabinet, the jello salad she always made for holidays, her famous pickles............all those foods that Grandma was known for and you have the recipes......somewhere!

I have put together an heirloom recipe book, using my grandmother's recipes.
Below are a few sample pages from my Grandma's Recipe book.

It was so much fun for me to put this book together, and remember my grandmother.
Each recipe brings back a special memory of Gram.   I spent many hours in the kitchen with my Grandmother and many more Sunday dinners enjoying her great cooking!  What I wouldn't give for her homemade cinnamon rolls, her noodles, or the strawberry/banana jello salad she always made because she knew I loved it.  

This is a great way to organize your own recipes, preserve family recipes, or give as gifts.
I can customize the paper and layout to achieve the look you are going for.
These books start at $30.  I have 18 recipes in my book, plus a title and dedication page.
This 8"x8" book can hold 36 recipes (depending on the size), and pages can be added.
The pages also have the protective plastic so that while you are making Grandma's famous cookies, your cherished recipes are protected.

All you have to do is gather the recipes and I will take care of the rest!