SUZIE SWEET TOOTH

Cakes, Treats, and Everything Sweet

recent posts

    • Boozy Bourbon and Coke- Bundt Cake Bites

      Bourbon and Coke Cake Bites

      This is an ADULT dessert cake bite, so plan accordingly… The bourbon packs a punch and definitely is assertive, front and center. These are conveniently bite size and although they look dainty, they are meant to be popped into the mouth whole for one glorious bite. The perfect boozy bite of chocolaty goodness. This is NOT your wall flower kind of cake bite. There is no hiding in the corner. Bring these to your next Uker, Bunko or Poker party cause it’s about to get rowdy….you’ve been warned.

      Bourbon Chocolate Cake Bites

      Boozy Bourbon Cake Bites

      (recipe adapted from Cake Simple by Christie Matheson)

      yield: 5 Cups of batter- about 60 mini cake bites

      1/2 Cup unsalted butter, room temp

      1/2 Cup (packed) light brown sugar

      1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

      1 large egg + 1 egg yolk

      3 oz. unsweetened chocolate, melted & cooled

      1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

      2 Tbsp. natural (not dutch- processed) cocoa powder (such as Hershey’s)

      6 Tbsp. (90 ml) boiling water

      1/2 Cup bourbon (preferably 100 proof-I used Knob Creek brand)

      1 Cup all purpose flour

      1/2 tsp. baking soda

      1/4 tsp. salt

      1. Preheat oven to 325° F. Spray two mini bundt bite (tea cake size pans) generously with nonstick (baking with flour spray) and set aside. You can also use a small bundtlette size pan; both work well as I have tested the recipe in both. Conversely you can double the recipe and bake in a 10 Cup size large Bundt pan.

      2. In a small bowl place the cocoa powder and pour the boiling water over and mix with a spatula to dissolve cocoa. Add the bourbon and stir to combine; set aside to cool to room temp. In another small bowl:  whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt and set aside.

      3. Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add in the egg and egg yolk and beat until combined. Hand stir in the vanilla and melted chocolate until combined. (You want to avoid overbeating batter in order to keep it moist). With the mixer on low add the flour mixture (in three increments) alternately with the cocoa/bourbon mixture (in two increments) beginning and ending with the flour mixture until just combined (avoid overbeating). Note: the cocoa/ bourbon mixture will seem like too much- but trust me it will mix in.

      4. Pour the batter into the wells of the tea cake pans filling them 3/4 full. Note: I find it easier to put the batter into a pastry bag with a round tip and fill the wells this way- you have better control.

      5. Bake in a preheated oven for 10 minutes. For the larger bundt (but still mini) bundts I baked them for 18 minutes. If confused: this particular size Bundt wells hold 6 Tbsp. of batter.

      6. Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then turn pans over to remove and allow to cool over a wire rack. Drizzle tops of cakes with Bourbon and Coke Chocolate Glaze. Store in an airtight container. Note; because of their size they tend to dry out quickly- they are best served the day they are made.

      Bourbon & Coke Chocolate Glaze

      recipe from Southern Living

      1/4 Cup unsalted butter

      3-4 1/2 Tbsp. Coke soft drink

      2 1/2 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

      2 Cups + 2 Tbsp. Confectioners sugar, sifted

      1 Tbsp. bourbon (preferably 100 proof-I used Knob Creek)

      In a small sauce pan over low heat melt butter. Add in the cocoa powder and 3 Tbsp. of the coke, and whisk to combine, cooking for 1-2 minutes over low heat. Remove from heat and add in the bourbon. Add the sifted confectioners sugar a little at a time and whisk until smooth. If too thick add a little more coke a teaspoon at a time until desired consistency.

    • Copycat Starbucks Blackberry Mojito Ice Tea Lemonade

      Starbucks Copycat Blackberry Mojito Ice Tea Lemonade

      Do you ever get mad when suddenly your favorite restaurant, establishment, grocery store etc. stop carrying a product you love? You know the feeling…you’re cruising along about your day and ready for something familiar or favorite and suddenly, WHAM you’re told “We stopped making that” or “We stop carrying that”. Excuse ME?! Like for real? I’ve been waiting all darn Winter long for a Blackberry Mojito Shaken Ice Tea Lemonade-whatever the heck that name of that darned drink- was. Uh huh. Now, I was craving that drink. CRAVING IT. I kept thinking okay, about Spring time they would start bringing it back. Nope. I inquired- They “decided” not to bring it back this year.  Well, that was not going to do, so I decided to play around with the recipe (I knew the components cause I asked one day while chatting up the Starbucks gal last year) and set up my lab/shop in my kitchen to experiment. I know the original mixture contains blackberry mojito green tea from Teavana, but I found this tea mix at Cost Plus one day and I think it is lovely. If you use a green tea based mint flavored tea you should be fine. After playing around with different measures this is what I’ve come up with. So for all of you Blackberry Mojito Ice Tea Lemonade lovers out there, this is for you.

      Copycat Tea Setup

       

       

      Copycat Starbucks Blackberry Mojito Ice Tea Lemonade

      yield: one serving

      3/4 Cup Mojito or Mint flavored  Iced green tea (follow package directions for making iced tea)

      1/4 Cup store bought lemonade (I like Simply Lemonade)

      1 1/2 Tbsp. Blackberry Syrup such as Torani or Monin

      Ice

       

      Fill a glass with ice, stir the iced tea, lemonade and syrup together. Enjoy~

    • Cherry Vanilla Yogurt Pops

       

      Vanilla Cherry Yogurt Pops

       

      Soon you can “legally” wear white pants. Memorial Day is looming…You don’t really follow that silly rule, do you? Nor do you know you can only enjoy a popsicle that you purchase in a frozen store case. The world is yours to discover. Break out the Vitamix, blender, or food processor and start making your own frozen pops. Start with your favorite fruit or two and add a little yogurt or extra jam for flavor. Pick a fruit that is in season and remember that anything frozen looses a little sweetness when it’s at frozen state, so if adding any sugar this helps to gauge before you make your final pour into your pop molds. Enjoy~

       

      Cherry Vanilla Yogurt Pops

      1 1/2 Cups vanilla low fat yogurt

      1/2 Cup fresh sweet cherries, pitted

      1/3 Cup cherry jam

      In a blender, food processor or Vitamix in this order; place the yogurt and jam. Process/pulse until mixture is smooth. Add the fresh pitted cherries and pulse until the cherries are small pieces; if you like your pops a little more chunky, then so be it. Once processed to your liking pour into clean pop molds and if using wooden sticks, wait for about 15 minutes to place sticks. Freeze until firm.

       

      Cherry Vanilla Yogurt Pops

       

      Sweet Cherry Yogurt Pops

    • Jamaican Meat Pies

      Jamaican Meat Patties 1

      Several years ago I went on a Caribbean cruise with a stop in Jamaica. It was a quick stop and I really, really, really,  wanted to go on this agricultural tour, so I signed up since I’m a total geek when it comes to things like that (I love anything that involves a working plantation where they show you how they harvest crops). I’m a sucker for it-I Love it. It did not disappoint. I was able to see trees of cocoa pods, allspice trees, and various other tropical fruits and plants. After our tour we were taken to another part of the island to have a catered lunch which had Jamaican meat patties as part of the spread. OMG, where had these little beauties been all my life. Well- duh- they were in Jamaica. I needed these in my life. Eventually of course I forgot about them until fast forward, years later when I came across an actual recipe for them by chef Lucinda Scala Quinn. You may know her by the show Mad Hungry. She apparently spent quite a bit of time in Jamaica in her day and her cookbook-which I checked out from the library has some amazing authentic recipes. I did tweak the recipe slightly by adding a pinch of cinnamon, a little more salt than her recipe, and ended up using empanada premade dough rounds found in a Hispanic market, but I’ve included her original recipe for her dough here.

      Jamaican Meat Pies ready to bake

      Meat Patties

      Jamaican Meat Pies “Patties”

      recipe: slightly adapted from  Lucinda Scala’s Cookbook: “Lucinda’s Authentic Jamaican Kitchen”

      Pastry:  recipe from original recipe which I did not use*

      *Full disclosure- I used store bought Goya empananda dough rounds-which I found in a Hispanic market in the frozen food section. They worked perfectly! They came 12 in a package- which ended up working to use exactly all of my filling. If you can find them it saves a lot of time, but here is the original recipe for the pastry.

      2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour

      1/2 tsp. salt

      1/4 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 Cup butter (1 stick)

      3/4 Cup ice-cold water

      (optional: 2 Tbsp. curry powder- I personally would omit this– it’s part of the original recipe) by Lucinda (I’m not a huge fan of curry and I thought the curry in the filling was suffice)

      Combine the flour, salt, baking powder and (optional curry) in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and add to the bowl. Working quickly; using fingertips, squeeze together the flour mixture and butter and toss together by scooping under the mixture with both hands. When mixture resembles a very coarse meal, add the water to the bowl. With floured hands, mix and squeeze the dough just until it forms a ball. Knead it once or twice to combine it fully (avoid too much kneading). Form the dough into 2 pieces, flattening each into a thick pancake shape. Wrap in plastic and set them in the fridge to chill for at least 15 minutes. Remove from fridge 30 minutes before using it.

      Roll out each dough round on a lightly floured surface and cut 4 3/4 inch sized rounds. (This is the size of the Goya empanada rounds I found and thought the size was perfect).

      Place a large spoonful of the cooled filling on one side of the dough round, and using a clean finger, paint water around the border. Fold over the opposite side of the dough; being careful to press out any air bubbles and press to crimp. Use the tines of a fork to crimp to seal. The patties may be frozen at this point and saved to bake off later. To bake: brush with egg wash, sprinkle with (optional) a little bit of kosher salt, and bake in a preheated oven at 400° F. for about 16-18 minutes or until golden brown.

      Egg wash: one egg whisked together with 1 Tbsp. water.

      Meat Filling:

      1 lb. ground beef (I used 90 % lean)

      1 small-medium onion, diced

      3 scallions, chopped fine (white and green parts)

      1 clove garlic, minced

      2 Habanero peppers, seeded, minced

      1 tsp. dried thyme

      3 Tbsp. vegetable oil

      2 tsp. curry powder

      1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

      1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

      pinch of cinnamon

      2 Cups water

      1/2 Cup plain (dried) bread crumbs

      1. In a large bowl mix the beef, onion, scallions, garlic, peppers and thyme. In a large skillet, heat the oil over high heat and add the beef mixture. Fry until the meat is browned and the moisture is evaporated. Add the curry powder, salt, black pepper, and cinnamon, stirring constantly and allowing a crust to form somewhat on the bottom of the pan; scraping frequently to avoid burning. Add the water and stir the mixture, scraping the bottom to incorporate any browned crust. Add the bread crumbs and stir. Cover, and reduce heat to very low and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the meat mixture to a bowl and allow to cool, refrigerate if you plan to assemble the pies on a separate day.

    • Mini Rose Cupcakes With Sugared Rose Petals

      Mini Rose Cupcakes With Sugared Rose Petals

      rose cupcake with vanilla bc and sugared rose petalrose cupcake

      This is my new favorite way to bake mini cupcakes-in “party cups”. The cake does not stick and they push right out- no peeling of paper needed. Perfect for a party! I was in one of those girly, pretty in pink kind of moods today, so decided to make mini rose cupcakes. You can pair the cupcakes with either pistachio buttercream or vanilla buttercream, but they are especially pretty with sugared rose petals.  I chose to divide the vanilla buttercream and tint half of it with rose pink. Pistachio and rose is a classic combination-made popular by middle eastern and certain cultures. If you use rose flavor- just make sure to use a subtle amount because they flavor can turn soapy tasting if too heavy.

      rose cupcakes with pistachio bc and rose petals

      rose cupcakes with pistachio buttercream and sugared rose petals

       

      Rose Cupcakes

      (yield: 24-28 mini cupcakes)

      1  1/2 Cup + 2 Tbsp. Cake flour

      1  1/2 tsp. baking powder

      1/2 tsp. salt

      1/2 Cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened

      3/4 Cup sugar

      3 (Lg,) egg whites (room temp)

      1 tsp. vanilla

      2  tsp. rose water (make sure to use rose water and NOT extract)

      1/2 Cup milk (room temp)

      1. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Prepare mini muffin tins with paper liners or use “party cups” as I have done here. If you use party cups you simply place them on a sheet pan; no other prep is needed.  In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt, set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy; about 2 minutes. With the mixer on medium low speed, add the egg whites one at a time, stopping to scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl. Mix until combined. Mix in the vanilla and rose water. Starting with the flour mixture add 1/3 of the mixture alternating with the milk in two additions, ending with the flour mixture. Note: if you desire you can add a little pink gel food coloring paste if you want a pink colored cake.

      2. Fill the cups or tins 2/3 full with batter. The batter really rises, so resist the urge to fill them further. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° F for about 10-12 minutes or until a wooden skewer comes out clean or if you press on them lightly the cake springs back.  The cakes will not brown. Frost  cooled cupcakes with either Pistachio Buttercream (recipe below) or Vanilla Buttercream, decorate with optional sugared rose petals.

      Pistachio Paste

      1 Cup shelled unsalted & roasted pistachio nuts

      3/4 Cup sugar

      3 Tbsp. water

      2 Tbsp. pistachio oil (or vegetable oil)

      1. Prepare a sheet pan with either a Silpat or by lightly greasing with vegetable oil.

      2. Pour the water in a saucepan and then add the sugar. With a clean finger mix the sugar and water until it looks like wet sand. Have a cup of water with a clean pastry brush placed in the cup.  Bring the sugar to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar. Once sugar dissolves-stop stirring. If sugar crystals form along the sides of the pan; use the wet pastry brush to let water drip down to dissolve the crystals. Continue to cook until the mixture comes to a light caramel color. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the nuts. Return to the heat and cook until comes to a medium amber color. Working quickly- pour the nut mixture onto prepared pan and with a heat proof spatula do your best to flatten out nuts. Allow the nuts to cool until they become hard.

      3. Once mixture is hard and completely cooled- use your hands to break apart any large clumps. Place the mixture in a food processor and pulse several times to initially break up the mixture. Proceed to process the mixture until it starts to form a thick paste. When the blade no longer seems to move add the oil and continue to process until as smooth as possible.

      Swiss Meringue Vanilla Buttercream

      4 large egg whites

      1 Cup sugar

      3 sticks unsalted butter, room temp

      2 tsp. vanilla

      In the bowl of a stand mixer combine the eggs whites and sugar and place over a pot with simmering water. Whisk the egg whites and sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture is about 160 degrees F on an instant read thermometer* (*alternatively- you can feel the mixture with your first two fingers and if you don’t feel any sugar granules then it is ok). Turn off the heat. Attach the mixer bowl onto the mixer with the whisk attachment and whisk the mixture on medium until the bottom of the bowl is almost cool to the touch and the mixture has turned into a nice stiff meringue.  This will take several minutes. With the mixer on medium high, add the softened butter one tablespoon at a time and continue to mix until all the butter is incorporated and the mixture is smooth. It will go through a curdled looking stage as it mixes; but don’t worry keep adding the butter and it will come together. Add in the vanilla and mix to combine.

      For Pistachio Buttercream: Mix in 4-5 Tbsp. Pistachio paste (recipe above) and 1-2 drops of “Mint Green” colored gel paste

      For PInk/White Vanilla Two toned Buttercream: Divide buttercream into two equal portions. Tint one half with 3-5 drops “Deep Pink Rose” colored gel paste- mix well to combine. Prepare a large piping bag by standing it upright in a tall glass fitted with chosen piping tip (such as star tip). Place one color down inside of the pastry bag and the other color down the other side; make sure to get the buttercream down all the way to the tip. I find it helpful to place each color inside a disposable pastry bag and squeezing each color down inside the bag.

      For sugared rose petals: Place a small amount of liquid pasteurized egg whites (such as 100 % liquid egg whites) in a bowl. Have your organic (non pesticide) rose petals already cleaned and dried. Using a soft clean brush- brush each rose petal (front and back) and then sprinkle with fine granulated sugar. Place petals inside a mini muffin tin to dry. This is best done the day before you assemble your cupcakes- as it takes them several hours to dry completely.

      Note: any leftover buttercream may be frozen in an airtight container. To use from frozen; allow buttercream to thaw at room temperature, then rewhip using the whisk attachment.

    • Pineapple, Coconut and Pina Colada Macarons

      In my favorite dream I’m laying in a hammock swaying under a breezy palm tree sipping a cold pina colada. I have no job to return to, no bills to pay, I have thin thighs, and no worries what so ever. Oh, and there are no calories at all in my pina colada. It’s my dream, okay?  My personal beach butler is only there to return every so often to ask me if I want another drink… Yeah, nice fantasy, huh? At least in reality you can create a tasty macaron…

      coconut and pina colada macarons

      Coconut Pineapple Pina Colada Macarons

      pina colada macs

      Coconut Macarons

      3 large egg whites (105 g) (room temperature)

      pinch cream of tartar

      1/4 cup (50 g) superfine sugar

      1/2 tsp. coconut extract

      3/4 Cup (72 g) almond meal, sifted

      1/4 Cup unsweetened (desiccated) coconut

      1 1/4 Cups (156 g) confectioners sugar

      1. In the bowl of a stand mixer place the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until foamy. Once they start to become foamy slowly add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whip until they are stiff. Towards the end of whipping add the 1/2 tsp. of coconut extract.  Hint: if you remove the bowl and turn it upside down and the whites do not slide out they are ready! (Just be careful when checking!)

      2. In a separate bowl whisk together the almond meal, coconut, and confectioners sugar well to remove any lumps. Gradually add the mixture to the egg whites and mix/fold with a rubber spatula until mixture falls in sheets when the spatula is lifted. About every 5th fold lift the spatula up and let the batter fall back into the bowl.

      3. Prepare a sheet pan with either Silpat or parchment paper and preheat the oven to 300° F. Pipe the macarons onto the prepared sheet pan about a quarter size with 1 1/2 inches space between. Note; if after piping there are visible peaks then the batter is too thick and could cause problems such as cracking or not rising correctly. Squeeze out all the batter back into the bowl (with firm pressure) and refill the batter back into the piping bag and re pipe.  Usually the act of doing this will thin the batter enough (without having to mix more) to get a more ideal thickness. Once you have piped the batter take the sheet pan and rap it on the counter a few times (3-6)  to release any air bubbles. If you still see any visible air bubbles pop them gently with a bamboo skewer or toothpick. Allow the sheet pan to sit for 30-60 minute to form a “skin” so when touched the batter is no longer tacky feeling.

      4. Bake the macs for about 13-15 minutes until when touching the top of a macaron, the top does not wiggle or slide but is firmly set. If they look like they are getting too browned then cover with tinfoil for the last few minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely on a wire rack. Do not attempt to remove until they are completely cool. Once cooled; fill with your choice of fillings such as purchased key lime curd, vanilla bean buttercream, purchased pineapple jam, or pineapple curd. See below for a few recipes.

      Pineapple Macarons

      3 large egg whites (105 g)

      pinch of cream of tartar

      1/4 Cup (50 g) superfine sugar

      “Electric Yellow” gel food color (4-6 drops)

      2 Tbsp. finely ground pineapple powder (from purchased freeze dried pineapple)

      1 Cup (96 g) almond meal

      1 1/4 Cups (156 g) confectioners sugar

      1.  In the bowl of a stand mixer place the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk on medium speed until foamy. Once they start to become foamy slowly add the 1/4 cup sugar and continue to whip until they are stiff. Add the gel color paste towards the end of the whites becoming stiff.

      2. In a separate bowl whisk together the almond meal, pineapple powder, and confectioners sugar well to remove any lumps. Gradually add the mixture to the egg whites and mix/fold with a rubber spatula until mixture falls in sheets when the spatula is lifted. About every 5th fold lift the spatula up and let the batter fall back into the bowl.

      Follow steps 3 and 4 as above with the coconut macarons. Fill with Pineapple curd, pineapple jam or vanilla bean buttercream. For the pina colada macaron sandwich one coconut mac and one pineapple mac and fill with vanilla bean buttercream.

      Vanilla Bean Buttercream

      4 egg whites

      1 Cup granulated sugar

      3 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)

      1 1/4 tsp. vanilla bean paste

      In the bowl of a stand mixer combine egg whites and sugar. Set over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until mixture is hot and sugar is dissolved. Remove bowl and place on mixer and beat until stiff meringue forms and bottom of mixer bowl is cool to touch; about 5 minutes. Add softened butter one tablespoon at a time until all is incorporated. Add vanilla bean paste,  then beat until smooth.

      Pineapple Curd (click here for recipe link)