TWD: Coconut Butter Thins

This post is going to be VERY short. The kids and I had the stomach flu all weekend and, while I am feeling better, I haven't had much motivation to anything. That's why I have been MIA over the last couple of days.

This weeks TWD choice was Coconut Butter Thins. FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC, FANTASTIC! I loved these little cookies (even if they aren't the prettiest cookies!). The lime, coconut, and macadamia nuts worked so well together! And on a side note, was anyone else singing "You put the lime in the coconut" while making these? :) I couldn't get that song out of my head for days!

Thanks to Jayne of The Barefoot Kitchen Witch for choosing these gems! Head to her blog for the recipe and check out the blogroll for posts which I'm sure are more entertaining than this one!

Daring Baker Challenge: Lasagne

The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.

I had mixed feelings about this month's challenge. It seemed to be more cooking than baking and I was slightly disappointed at first. But then I started thinking about it. A few months back we made pizza and I was thrilled with that choice. Was it because it involved yeast? Was that what made it more "baking" to me? Wasn't lasagne just as much baking as pizza? Even more than that, I started thinking of why I joined the Daring Bakers' in the first place. It was to expand my horizons and make a recipe every month that I may not have tried.

After all this thinking (which lasted all of a few minutes), I was excited for this challenge. I have made spinach lasagne before and I really enjoyed it. The DB recipe was VERY similar (if not almost identical) to the recipe I made before and I was happy to have a reason to make it again!

The biggest component to this recipe is organization. I made the ragu the day before since it simmers for a couple of hours. I made the pasta the morning that I was going to serve it and it only took me about an hour and a half. Even though the bechamel can be made ahead of time and reheated, I chose to make it right as I was assembling the lasagne since it only takes about 10 minutes.

While it is definately more time consuming to make your own pasta, it is totally worth the effort. I love the taste of homemade pasta and this was no different!

Thank you so much to the hosts this month for picking a fantastic recipe! I had a blast making it! Make sure you check out the DB blogroll, as I'm sure there are beautiful lasagnes floating around today!

Apple Dippin' Peanut Butter Cookies

Picky Palate is one of my all-time favorite blogs. Jenny is awesome and she is always posting fantastic recipes. Pretty much every single one she posts gets bookmarked. And the best part about her recipes.... they are ALWAYS winners!

This cookie recipe is no different. They are filled with peanut butter, diced apples, and granola. The apples make them so moist! The cookies are also rolled in turbinado sugar and that gives them a delicious crunch.

My only recommendation for this recipe is to make two batches, especially if you are planning on sharing! :)



Apple Dippin' Peanut Butter Cookies
Recipe from Picky Palate

1 stick softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 Cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 Cup creamy peanut butter
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
3/4 Cup vanilla flavored granola clusters
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Cup diced apples, about 1/4 inch
1/2 Cup turbinado sugar, or other sugar of choice to roll cookies in

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a stand or electric mixer, cream butter and sugars until light mixed well. Beat in peanut butter until combined then add the egg and vanilla until well combined.

In a large bowl mix together the flour, granola, baking soda and salt. Slowly mix into the wet ingredients following the apples until just combined.

With a medium cookie scoop, scoop dough, roll into sugar then place onto a silpat or parchment lined baking sheet. With tines of a fork, press down slightly making an X on top of each cookie.

Bake for 8-9 minutes, cookies should look somewhat soft inside when you take them out. Let cool/finish baking out of oven for 5 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack.

TWD: Blueberry Crumb Cake

It's no secret that I love breakfast. Okay, more specifically, I love sweet breakfasts. Let's face it... My blog could be called "Breakfast with Cristine" or, more honestly, "Cristine's excuse to have sugar at 8 AM"!

Given my love for a good sugar high in the morning, I was thrilled when Sihan of Fundamentally-Flawed chose Blueberry Crumb Cake for this week's Tuesdays with Dorie. Ah.... any excuse to HAVE to make a crumb cake!


This cake was mighty delicious! Full of yummy, fresh blueberries and topped with a fantastic crumb topping - it just doesn't get any better. I cut the recipe in half (I may love sweets but I have to control myself somewhere!) and baked it in a loaf pan. I also used pecans in the crumb topping because I was out of walnuts (how did that happen?). I loved, loved, loved it and will be making it again!

For the recipe, head over to Sihan's blog. And don't forget to check out the blogroll to see what the talented TWDers baked up!

Snickerdoodle Blondies

These blondies have made their rounds on the blogosphere and for good reason. They are divine, amazing, fantastic, drool-worthy, delicious.... well, you get the point! If you enjoy snickerdoodles, then you will love these bars.

They are so simple, but sometimes the simple desserts are the best. I'm willing to bet you have all the ingredients to make them, too, so go whip up a batch! Or, better yet, make a double batch because they won't last long!


Snickerdoodle Blondies
Recipe from Dozen Flours

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons white sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease a 9 x 13 inch pan.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt and set aside. In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg and vanilla until smooth.Stir in the flour mixture until well blended. Spread evenly in prepared pan (mixture will be somewhat cookiebatter-ish.)

Combine white sugar and cinnamon in a little bowl. Evenly sprinkle cinnamon sugar mixture over the top of the batter.

Bake 25-30 minutes or until surface springs back when gently pressed. Cool slightly. While still warm, cut into bars with a sharp knife.

Iced Cinnamon Bun Scones

I love homemade cinnamon rolls. For me, they are totally worth the effort. I love a warm cinnamon roll straight from the oven slathered in a cream cheese frosting. YUM! Now I'm drooling!

This recipe combines two of my favorites- cinnamon rolls and scones. These scones can be made when you are craving cinnamon rolls but don't have the time to make them.

These scones have a wonderful brown sugar/cinnamon mixture that is kneaded lightly into the dough. This creates delicious cinnamon swirl throughout the scones. Then, to make a good thing even better, there is a DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting on top.


I had the scones two ways... with and without the frosting. They are fantastic either way, so if you want to save a few calories, you could omit the frosting. But for me... I like to go all out! :)

Iced Cinnamon Bun Scones
Food & Wine Annual 2004

2/3 cup brown sugar
1 stick cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch dice, PLUS 2 TBSP softened
1 1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 cups AP flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
1 tsp lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 425. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix brown sugar, 2 TBSP softened butter, and 1 tsp cinnamon until soft crumbs form. Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and 1/4 tsp cinnamon. Add diced butter and mix until pea-sized crumbs form. Make well in center and add cream, egg, and vanilla. Stir with a wooden spoon until a firm dough forms. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture over the top and knead into dough until it is just incorporated, leaving some streaks.

Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and knead 3 times. Pat dough into 8" roun. Cut the round into 8 wedges and transfer to baking sheet. Refrigerate 10 minutes.

Bake the scones for 18-20 minutes or until they are nicely browned.

In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with the lemon juice. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth. Spread the icing over warm scones.

Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Broth

While I was in Arizona I had the pleasure of meeting my brother-in-law's girlfriend, Lauren. Lauren and I hit it off right away! She and I are so much alike and one of our shared passions is cooking. (She starts culinary school in September... JEALOUS!!!) Since we both love to cook, we got together one night and decided to make ravioli. I have no pictures from this wonderful venture, but I copied the recipe and brought it back to Germany with me.

Fast forward 2 weeks and here I am, back at home, ready to recreate the fantastic meal that I shared with Lauren.

I am very proud of this meal. First off, it is DELICIOUS! If you love asparagus, you will go nuts for this ravioli. It is amazing! Asparagus is Nathan's favorite vegetable, so I am stoked to make it for him when he comes home. The second reason that I am so proud is because my ravioli look so cute! Now, not to toot my own horn or anything, but seriously... I made these and they were awesome. I think that deserves a little toot, no?


The filling for the ravioli is made with pureed asparagus, mascarpone, parmesan, breadcrumbs, and lemon zest. The filling is amazing by itself. Anya and I were eating it by the spoonful as we were filling the ravioli. I have some leftover in the fridge that I am considering just slapping on a piece of bread for lunch! HEE HEE!


The pasta was relatively easy, too. I know pasta can seem daunting, but it really isn't. Plus, with the help of my Kitchenaid pasta roller, it is easy peasy.

So... get some asparagus and make this meal. Or come on over and I'll make it for you. :)

Asparagus Ravioli in Parmesan Broth

Gourmet Magazine April 2009

Pasta Dough:

1 cup cake flour

1/4 cup AP flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 large egg yolks

1 1/2 TBSP olive oil

1/4 cup water

Blend together all dough ingredients in a food processor until mixture starts to form a ball. Knead dough on lightly floured surface, adding additional flour to prevent sticking, until smooth and elastic (6-8 minutes). Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let stand for 1 hour.

(Dough can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated and bring to room temperature before rolling out.)

Ravioli:

1 lb asparagus

5 cups chicken stock

1 (3 inch) rind from a wedge of Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 Turksh or 1/2 California bay leaf

1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1/4 cup mascarpone

1/4 cup fine dry breadcrumbs

1 tsp lemon zest

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

MAKE BROTH AND FILLING WHILE DOUGH STANDS.

Cut off asparagus tips, then halve each tip lengthwise and reserve.

Bring stock, cheese rind, and bay leaf to a simmer in a medium saucepan, then add asparagus stems and cook, uncovered, until stems are just tender, 5-6 minutes. Transfer stems to a paper towel and cool slightly. Reserve broth.

Puree asparagus stems in a food processor with parmesan, mascarpone, breadcrumbs, zest, salt, and pepper.

MAKE RAVIOLI:

Cut dough into 4 equal pieces. Cover 3 pieces with plastic wrap, then pat out remaining piece into a flat rectangle and generously dust with flour.

Set rollers of pasta machine on widest setting. Feed rectangle, short side first, through rollers. Fold rectangle in thirds, like a letter, and feed it, short side first, through rollers. Repeat 6 or 7 more times. Turn dial to next setting and feed dough through. Continue to feed dough through, without folding, until the second or third narrowest setting is used.

Put pasta sheet on a lightly floured kitchen towel with a long side nearest you. Drop 6 rounded teaspoon-size mounds of filling 1 1/4 inches apart in a row down the center right half of the sheet. Brush pasta around mounds with water, then lift left half of sheet and drape over mounds.

Press down firmly but gently around each mound, forcing out the air. Cut pasta witha sharp knife into 2 inch squares. Line a large baking pan lightly with flour and and place ravioli to rest. Make remaining ravioli.

COOK RAVIOLI AND ASPARAGUS TIPS

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.

Bring broth to a simmer. Add asparagus tips and simmer, uncovered, until tender (2-3 minutes). Season broth with salt and divide among 6 bowls, discarding cheese rind and bay leaf.

Add half of ravioli to gently boiling water and cook just until pasta is tender, 2-3 minutes.

NOTES:

Filling and broth, without asparagus tips, can be made 1 day ahead.

Also, ravioli can be assembled and frozen until needed. Just add a few extra minutes to boiling time.

Cookie Carnival: Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies

Ah... spring is coming! Right? Well... I hope it is! This month's Cookie Carnival selection made me think of spring. Kate of The Clean Plate Club chose Inside Out Carrot Cake Cookies and I was thrilled!

I love carrot cake and was excited to put it into cookie form. Plus, you get the added bonus of sandwiching the cookies together with cream cheese frosting. Double yum!


There was a slight problem, though. My cookies spread and went completely flat. I was so bummed! But, they still tasted delicious and I didn't want them to go to waste. So, I got a flower cookie cutter and cut out the centers of the cookies. I ended up with bite sized carrot cake goodness.

I hope to try this recipe again because I really liked it. I just need to figure out what went wrong!

Thanks to Kate for hosting Cookie Carnival! If you are interested, the recipe can be found here.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

Okay... you may lift your jaw now. That's right. I am posting a dinner recipe! :) And not just any dinner recipe, but a fantastically delicious recipe!

I love this meal. It is so delicious and filling. It has the added bonus of getting on the table in under 20 minutes. The chicken is not too spicy, so if you like a little kick to your food, you could always up the cajun seasoning. Don't shy away from it, though. Believe me. I suck at eating spicy foods. I just don't do well with it and I love this meal, so that should tell you something about the heat/spicy factor. The heavy cream makes it slightly creamy, but not overly so. Everything works together so well!

Enjoy!


Cajun Chicken Pasta

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 tsp cajun seasoning
2 TBSP butter
1 red bell pepper, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 green onion, sliced
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 tsp basil
1/4 tsp lemon pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp black pepper

Linguine, cooked
Parmesan

Toss chicken with cajun seasoning. In large skillet, saute chicken in butter 5-7 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add peppers and onion; cook 2-3 minutes. Reduce heat. Add cream and seasonings; heat through. Serve over linguine. Top with parmesan.

TWD: French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze

Oh yes, I'm back baking with TWD! This weeks recipe was French Yogurt Cake with Marmalade Glaze. I was really excited for this cake because Dorie gushes about it in book and it is apparantly a cake that most people in France make regularly.

That being said, I was unsure of the cake. First off, it wasn't very cake-y. I was expecting it to be more like pound cake, but it reminded me of lemon-poppy seed bread, but without the poppy seeds. Don't get me wrong, almost the entire loaf was eaten. It was really delicious. But, since I was thinking "cake" it totally threw me off. Once I started thinking "quick bread", I began to like it more! I really enjoyed it on day three with a nice big cup of coffee. YUM!

The only change I made to the recipe was the marmalade. It calls for lemon marmalade, but I only had orange, so that is what I used.

Thanks to Liliana of My Cookbook Addiction for choosing this week's recipe. You can find the recipe at her blog and, as always, check out the blogroll!

Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

Yes, I know. Another muffin recipe. At least you know where you can turn if you are in a muffin rut! :)

Seriously, I do make dinner for my family. But, since it is just me and the kids, one meal usually lasts us for at least 2 nights. Add on to that the fact that I eat friends' houses 2-3 times a week and that makes for not many nights of cooking here at home. I am so blessed to have great friends who are great cooks who have me over all the time!

So sit back and enjoy all the baked goods and desserts! But... be on the lookout for 2 FANTASTIC dinners coming up soon. Seriously, they are so good!



Oatmeal Raisin Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 TBSP baking powder
1/4 tsp allspice
3/4 tsp salt
1 cup quick oats
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1 egg
1/3 cup oil
1 1/4 cups milk
1 tsp vanilla

Heat oven to 375.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour through salt. Stir in oatmeal, raisins, and nuts. In medium bowl, lightly beat egg. Stir in oil, milk, and vanilla. Pour wet into dry and mix just until incorporated.

Fill muffin cups and bake for 25 minutes or until tops are golden.

Grandma's Fruit Pizza

Before I talk about this AMAZING dessert I should tell you that the pictures don't do it justice. Don't let the pictures talk you out of making this.

I grew up with this fruit pizza. This was the number one requested dessert that my grandma made. (Well, this and her kolocky's!) There are four elements and it does take some time to prepare, but it is well worth it. The crust is flour, sugar, and butter (nuts, optional). Seriously, it doesn't get better than sugar and butter! I could just eat the crust all day! The crust is then topped with a cream cheese and cool whip mixture and a variety of fresh fruit. Top off the entire dessert with the glaze and you are on your way to a sugar-induced coma.

You can thank me later. :)

Grandma's Fruit Pizza

Glaze:
1 cup sugar
1 cup boiling water
3 oz jello (any flavor you want... I usually stick with any red one!)
4 TBSP cornstarch

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup walnuts, chopped

Filling:
8 oz cream cheese
8 oz Cool Whip
2 cups powdered sugar

Topping:
Kiwi
Pineapple tidbits
Strawberries
Bananas
Grapes

Mix and boil glaze ingredients until thickened. Cool completely.

Mix crust ingredients and pat into 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes or until golden and bubbly. Cool.

Blend together filling ingredients and spread on cooled crust. Scatter fruit on top of filling. Pour cooled glaze over fruit.

Refrigerate until glaze is set.

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

I saw this recipe at Dessert First and knew I had to try it. Both of my kids LOVE bananas (are there many children who don't?), so it was really a no-brainer. I loved the chunks of banana inside the pancake! These were really good and a great weekend breakfast!

Banana Sour Cream Pancakes

1 1/2 cups flour
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 cup sour cream
3/4 cup plus
1 tablespoon milk
2 extra-large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Unsalted butter
2 ripe bananas, diced, plus extra for serving
Pure maple syrup

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sour cream, milk, eggs, vanilla, and lemon zest. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, mixing only until combined.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large skillet over medium-low heat until it bubbles. Ladle the pancake batter into the pan to make 3 or 4 pancakes. Distribute a rounded tablespoon of bananas on each pancake. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until bubbles appear on top and the underside is nicely browned. Flip the pancakes and then cook for another minute until browned. Wipe out the pan with a paper towel, add more butter to the pan, and continue cooking pancakes until all the batter is used.

Serve with sliced bananas, butter and maple syrup.

Pistachio Cranberry Scones

I was flipping through my mother-in-law's Cooking Light magazine while I was in Arizona and I saw this recipe for scones. Now, you know me... I'm never one to turn down a new scone recipe! So, I stole (I mean, borrowed! Seriously... I gave it back!) the magazine and made these scones one morning.

I can't be 100% sure, but I'm pretty sure that this is the first scone I've made that had nuts in it. It gave the scones a nice crunch and I did enjoy these. And it probably doesn't hurt that it is a lighter version of a scone.

Enjoy!

Pistachio Cranberry Scones

Cooking Light November 2008

2 cups flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

5 TBSP butter

1/3 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sugar

3 TBSP honey

2 tsp lemon zest

1 large egg, beaten

1/3 cup craisins

1/4 cup pistachios, chopped and toasted (I didn't toast)

1 large egg white

2 TBSP Turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 400.

Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse meal. Cover and chill 10 minutes.

Combine buttermilk and next 4 ingredients, stirring with whisk until blended. Stir in craisings and nuts. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture; stir just to combine.

Turn dough out onto floured surface. Pat into 8" circle. Place on baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cut into 12 wedges. Brush with egg white and top with sugar.

Bake at 400 for 13 minutes or until golden.

Chicken Pot Pie with Sage Pastry

Comforting. Hearty. Warm. Delicious. All these things apply to this fantastic chicken pot pie! It is creamy and filled with chicken, carrots, and celery. It isn't very complicated and it is well worth any effort! I love to serve it over rice, but you could also eat it plain. The crust is my favorite part of this pot pie. Yummy cornmeal with sage throughout... Mmmm!!!



I didn't get a picture of the whole pie because Eric was a VERY hungry baby who just wanted to eat! So... maybe I can interest you in said 9 month old very happy after INHALING his portion of the pot pie! :)

Chicken Pot Pie with Sage Pastry

1 small onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1/4 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup milk
1 tsp sage
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp nutmeg
3 cups cooked chicken, diced

Pastry:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
3/4 tsp sage
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
2-3 tsp water

In skillet, saute onion, celery, and carrots in butter until softened. Stir in flour. Gradually stir in remaining ingredients (minus chicken) and bring to a boil. Cook until thickened. Add chicken and warm through. Transfer to a pie dish.

For pastry, combine all ingredients (minus water) until crumbly. Gradually add water until a ball forms. Roll out and cover filling. Flute edges and vent top.

Bake at 425 for 18-20 minutes or until top is golden.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

I know I've said it before, but I'll say it again. I LOVE MUFFINS! For me, nothing beats a homemade, warm from the oven muffin (or scone!) for breakfast. These muffins are fantastic and loaded with delicious fresh strawberries. What more could you ask for?

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

2 1/2 cups flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups fresh sliced strawberries

1 cup buttermilk

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg, lightly beaten

2 egg whites, lightly beaten

1 1/2 TBSP sugar, for tops

Combine flour through salt in large bowl. Add strawberries. Make a well in the center of mixture. Combine buttermilk through eggs; add to flour mixture. Stir until moistened.

Divide batter into muffin tins. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Deja-vu, anyone? No TWD this week, either.

This weeks recipe was Lemon Cup Custard chosen by Bridget of The Way the Cookie Crumbles. I was excited about the recipe at first because I LOVE lemon desserts. But, after reading all the comments about this recipe (many saying it was too eggy and very much like flan, which I don't care for) and jetlag, I chose to sit this week out as well.

I will DEFINATELY be back next week and the week after that and the week after that and... well... you get the idea!

Check out the blogroll to see how everyone fared with the custard and you can find the recipe at Bridget's blog.

I love trifles. I don't know what it is about them, but I think they are beautiful and incredibly delicious. This trifle is no different. While in Arizona, we had a BBQ at my mom's house after a fun day at the Children's Museum. I have made this trifle many times before and thought it would make a great dessert for the day.

It was fantastic! I love how quick it is to put together. With storebought pound cake and the use of instant pudding, it is an easy-peasy dessert that will wow a crowd!

Lemon Blueberry Trifle

16 oz frozen prepared pound cake

2 lemons

1 1/2 cups milk

8 oz sour cream

8 oz cool whip

2 pkgs (3.4 oz each) lemon instant pudding

1 pint blueberries

White chocolate chunks or shavings

Cut pound cake into 1" cubes; place in large bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice. In another bowl, combine milk, sour cream, and half of the cool whip; whisk until smooth. Add pudding mix and whisk until mixture thickens.

Place 1/3 of pound cake cubes in bottom of trifle dish. Top with blueberries, white chocolate, and pudding. Repeat layers 3 times. Garnish with cool whip rosettes, blueberries, and white chocolate. Cut lemon slices and place in between rosettes, if desired.

French Toasted Angel Food Cake

After a two month (for the most part) break, I am back. I didn't plan on taking such a long break from blogging, but I just haven't been able to find the time. Between Nathan's R&R and a 30+ day visit to Arizona, I have been one busy lady!

I still baked/cooked as much as possible while on vacation, but mostly I made things already posted on the blog per the request of family members! I did, however, make a few new recipes.

This was one of my favorite recipes that I made while in Arizona. Talk about a breakfast treat!!! Angel food cake used for french toast? INGENIOUS!!! I topped it with strawberries and whipped cream, but you could easily just top it with butter and syrup. Either way is fantastic!

French Toasted Angel Food Cake

1 (7-8inch) angel food cake, sliced into 10-12 wedges
6 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups milk
3 TBSP sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix eggs, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Soak wedges in egg mixture for 1-2 minutes per side until completely coaked through. In a skillet or on a griddle melt butter over medium heat. Cook wedges for 1-3 minutes per side or until golden brown.