Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

When I was a child, I thought as a child.  Cookies were always chocolate chip and always dipped into ice cold milk.  As an adult, I still think like a child.  But, I have managed to expand my cookie repertoire to include the ever adult biscotti.  A cookie for those who don’t need the comfort of the soft, chewy and chocolaty.  A cookie for those who can understand the comfort of sturdy and stable without being overly sweet.

While I usually reserve biscotti to the colder months, I felt compelled to create a summery version of a favorite treat.  I’m glad I did.  Lemon really adds a spark and the addition of poppy seeds do not go unnoticed.  I thought the crunch of the biscotti would make the poppy seeds invalid.  Not the case.  I love this twist on a flavor combination that’s usually reserved for muffins.

Lemon Poppy Seed Biscotti

adapted from here via Smitten Kitchen

Ingredients:

• 3  1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 T baking powder
• 1/3 t salt
• 1  1/2 cup sugar
• 1  1/4 sticks unsalted butter, melted
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 2 T lemon juice (usually it’s the juice of one small lemon)
• zest of 1 small lemon
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
2. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
3. Mix sugar, melted butter, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large bowl.
4. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl and set aside.
5. By hand, not using an electric mixer, incorporate the flour mixture in three batches into the sugar/butter mixture.
6. Incorporate until everything is blended and smooth.
7. Add poppy seeds to cookie dough and mix to incorporate.
8. Divide dough in half and shape into two logs onto the parchment-lined baking sheet.
9. Make each dough into a 13-inch-long and 2-inch-high log.
10. Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
11. Remove from oven, but do not turn off oven.  Or, if you have to turn off the oven, note that you must have the oven back at 350 F when you re-bake the cookies.
12. Cool completely.
13. Once cool, transport the cookies (holding onto the parchment) to a cutting board.
14. Cut each log into 1/2 wide slices.
15. Lay each slice back on the cookie sheet with cut sides facing down.
16. Bake for 12 minutes.
17. Turn the cookies over and bake for another 8 minutes.
18. Remove from oven and cool on a cooling rack.

 

Cinnamon Toast

As my family spent the weekend telling stories and sharing memories a year later, nostalgia was on the menu.  As children, my mother made cinnamon toast often on weekends.  A cross between toast and a cookie, my sister and I looked forward to these mornings served with a cold glass of milk.  My dad on the other hand, sat at the edge of the table, paying bills and having tea with his toast.  He would listen to my sister and I entertain each other with ridiculous stories, and we would watch him meticulously write his checks and gather materials for our first outing of the weekend – the bank.  Happening almost like clock work, the only variable was the breakfast and lately, I’ve had cinnamon toast on my mind.

While my mom used regular white bread, which is commonly used, I switched out for a loaf of wheat french bread that I had on hand.  Again, I really am giving you a how-to as opposed to a real recipe, but this is one of my all-time favorite foods.  Simple and easy to make, it’s perfect for anyone and everyone.  I mean, who wouldn’t enjoy a piece of bread laden with cinnamon and sugar?

Cinnamon Toast

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bread (if using French bread, cut into 1/2 inch slices)
• 1 stick of unsalted butter, softened
• 3/4 cup white granulated sugar
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• pinch of nutmeg

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350F.
• In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.
• Spread butter on each slice of bread.
• Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon sugar mix.
• Place on cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes until it’s golden brown.

Roasted Broccoli

Broccoli is one of my favorite vegetables that I don’t eat nearly as often as I should or would like.  I prefer it plain with a dash of salt.  As I’m more comfortable using my oven than attempting to steam something into mush, roasting is my favorite way to cook this beautiful vegetable. In addition to being easy, the flavor is just outstanding.  Hit with a bit of kosher salt and olive oil, this has become a go-to side dish to pair with many types of cuisines.

I know this is not a complicated recipe or really even a recipe for that matter as much as it a how-to on a basic dish.  But, sometimes we just have to be reminded that the simplest things are usually what makes it into the weekly menu rotation.  Easily modified and adapted to whatever main course you are preparing, this is a great base recipe.

Roasted Broccoli
adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets (I also keep the stems)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Toss the broccoli with the olive oil.
3. Lay out an even layer on a cookie sheet.
4. Sprinkle with kosher salt.
5. Bake for 20 minutes, until the florets are tender and some may have browned edges.

Hot and Spicy Tofu Stir Fry

This is hard to say but I’m turning into my mother.

Whenever we take her out to eat, albeit rarely, she always says, “We should learn how to make this” or “We can make this at home.”  My father would entertain her requests and they would cook meals together to replicate restaurant foods.  (I can’t wait to share my mother’s Southwestern egg rolls with you all one day.)  Without a doubt, my mother takes more joy out of copying a recipe and making it at home than have someone cook, serve and clean up for her.  During her last trip to Whole Foods, she asked the kind staff to let her try what seemed like all of the deli foods only to have the little Indian lady thank them and walk away.  Afterwards, she tells me “We can make that at home.”

I used to be the opposite of that.  As I’ve gotten older and more courageous in the kitchen, I find myself refusing to purchase items because I tell myself that with the right ingredients, I can put it together at home.  I still will not buy any prepared food items from grocery stores just because I think I can do it myself.  Don’t even get me started on the bakery items.

We have a favorite Chinese restaurant that we frequent often.  However, as going there as often as we do is not really an option for the long-term, it was time that I buckled down and found a way to recreate the dish I love at home.  I’m a fan of tofu.  Binks is not, but is coming around – slowly but surely.  I love the texture and its versatility.  Especially for saucy dishes, the ability for tofu to soak up and marinade itself in whatever it simmers in is just one of the many reasons why I choose to use this as a protein source.  After some tweaking, I created a dish that competes well with the one I order almost exclusively at the restaurant.  You really can change the vegetables based on what you have on hand.  I love eating it alone, but the sauce would be perfect draped over hot steamed rice.

Hot and Spicy Tofu

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup olive oil, divided
• 1 pound extra firm tofu, cubed
• 1 cup carrots, julienned
• 1 white onion, sliced
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
• 1 orange bell pepper, sliced
• 2 small red jalapenos, chopped – adjust to taste
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, grated
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili in oil or red pepper flakes, adjust to taste

Directions:

1. Heat half of the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add tofu to the oil and brown on all sides.  Set aside.
2. In the same pot, heat the remainder of the olive oil and heat.  Add the carrots until softened a bit, approximately 5-7 minutes.  Add the sliced onions and cook for another 5-7 minutes, until the onions are wilted.  Add the bell peppers, jalapenos, garlic and ginger and stir until the peppers are softened, approximately 5-7 minutes.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together the water, vinegar, soy sauce, corn starch, brown sugar and chili sauce.  Pour over the vegetables and stir to incorporate.  Add the tofu and stir carefully to mix into the sauce, but don’t over mix that you crumble the tofu.  Cook over medium heat until the sauce has thickened a bit, which should take another 10 minutes.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Growing up, desserts were not readily available in my house.  Rather, my mom’s versions of dessert consisted of digestive cookies, cake rusk, or the Goya Maria cookies.  For fear of her children getting diabetes or other health problems, warm chocolate-y sugar-y baked goods never came out of the oven.  In fact, our oven was where my mom store her pots/pans.  No joke.  Even today, the only other purpose my mom’s oven serves is to keep food warm when she has company.

I, on the other hand, am the extreme opposite.  Once a week, I bake something sweet.  And, I see my mom at least once a week.  Whenever she sees the sweets, she always has a comment.  You know – the mom comments.  But, after about 15 minutes, she relents and has a piece.  She usually fits in another comment as she finishes off her piece and thinks about reaching for another.  And this is our routine.

So, here and there, I offer sweets with healthy alternatives.  This time, I changed up the flour.  Usually, I reserve my whole wheat flour for breads and chapatis, I wanted to lend the nutty flavor to a cookie – none better than one studded with chocolate chunks.

I fully expected to hate this cookie.  Whether it would be too bready from the flour or not sweet enough, I anticipated a shed load of problems that would render this an experiment never again to be repeated.    The exact opposite.  This cookie will be made for years to come.  I can pretty much guarantee that this will be a staple in our household.  The whole wheat shines in all the right ways.  Beautifully nutty and dark, the flour is sturdy enough to hold up against the dark chocolate without compromising the cookie texture.  After eating this cookie, I fear that going back to the all-purpose chocolate chip cookies might leave me wanting something a bit more complex, like this.  As the cookie is not overly sweet, I know my mom will be less hesitant to take one.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

adapted from  Good to the Grain via Orangette
yields about 24 cookies, using a heaping tablespoon scoop

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 and 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 and 1/2 kosher salt
• 2 sticks unsalted butter, cold and cut into small pieces
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 8 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line cookies with parchment paper.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl.  Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter, brown sugar and white granulated sugar.
4. Once creamed, add the eggs and vanilla extract.
5. Add the flour mixture in two parts, mixing well between each addition on low-speed.  Scrape down the bowl as you go to ensure even combination.
6. Mix in the chocolate by hand.
7. Using a cookie scoop, place cookie dough scoops on cookie sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes rotating the sheets half-way through.  Remove from the oven and move the cookies on the parchment paper to a rack to cool.

 

 

Pesto Macaroni and Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Peppers

We all have our happy places, don’t we?  It’s slipping into your favorite pajamas and socks after a long day’s work and just planting it in front of the TV.  Or, the spot between my puppy’s neck and shoulder that seems to be the best place for a nuzzle.  Lately, watching my kid belly laugh while I ‘gobble up’ his feet.  And, a big bowl of macaroni and cheese.

I’m quite picky about my macaroni and cheese.  So many people make it incorrectly, don’t you think?  Sometimes it’s too watery (the worst) or too dry (big no no).  The best mac and cheese has cheese – and, a lot of it.  Not just cheese sauce, but the cheese blend that coats each nook and cranny of a macaroni.

While I have only enjoyed the traditional macaroni and cheese, with my new pesto stash, I wanted to experiment and give one of my favorite dishes a different flavor profile without sacrificing the creamy-cheesy foundation of the dish.  And, while I wanted to stop at several steps ahead, proclaiming it’s perfect, keep going.  Adding the roasted red bell pepper and the crunchy buttery topping will only build upon the flavors.  But, for some reason if you didn’t have the ingredients or didn’t want to mix in the red peppers or the Panko crust, just know that it’s delicious on its own, as well.

Pesto Macaroni and Goat Cheese with Roasted Red Peppers

loosely adapted from Aida Mollenkamp

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp basil pesto
• 2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3/4 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 3 tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1 pound elbow macaroni
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• 8 ounces goat cheese
• 2 cups Parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/2 cup basil pesto
• 2 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 4 roasted red bell peppers, drained and diced (recipe below)

Directions:

1. Heat a large dutch oven over low heat.  Once melted, add the shallow and garlic and cook until softened, about 4 minutes.  Stir in the 1 tbsp of pesto, red pepper flakes, bread crumbs and 3 tbsp of Parmesan and mix to combine.  Place the crumb mixture in a small bowl and set aside.
2. In a large pot of heavily salted water, cook the pasta according to the package instructions.  Drain and reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
3. Using the same pan, add the half and half and bring to a simmer on the same low heat.  You want the mixture to simmer, thicken and reduce, about 5 minutes.  Add the shredded mozzarella.  Whisk until the cheese has melted and no clumps remain.  Add the goat cheese to the cheese mixture and whisk until smooth.  Stir in the remaining Parmesan cheese and whisk until melted.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the cheese mixture and stir until incorporated.  Mix in the 1/2 cup basil pesto, pasta water, salt and pepper.  Mix gently to ensure it is evenly distributed and coated.  Add additional salt and pepper if you need.
5. Gently stir in the roasted peppers until evenly distributed.
6. Top with the crumb mixture.
7. Place under the dutch oven broiler for no more than 2 minutes until the crust has browned.   (If you haven’t been using a dutch oven, just transfer the pasta to a baking dish and place in the oven.)  Remove from broiler and let it cool about 5 minutes before serving.

Roasted Red Bell Peppers

adapted from Ina Garten

Ingredients:

• 4 red bell peppers
• 3 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 500F.
2. Arrange bell peppers on a baking sheet.
3. Bake in preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, until skin is charred and wrinkled.  Turn them twice during cooking.
4. Remove from the oven and immediately place in a large bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap.
5. Let it sit for about 30 minutes, or until the peppers are cool enough to handle.
6. Once cooled, remove the stem, seeds and skin, and place the peppers in a bowl with any juices.  Pour the oil over the peppers and store in the refrigerator.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

I’ve mentioned several times that pizza is a staple in this house.  Whether we go out for it or make it at home, pizza makes a repeat appearance here.  While I love the crisp thin crust pizzas, there is a very special place in my heart and palate for the rich and saucy deep dish pizza.  I experienced deep dish pizza for the first time while I visited Chicago with Binks while we were dating.  As he had lived there for three years, he had always raved about Gino’s East.  After the first bite, talk about a revelation.

A heavy baking dish full of crust, cheese and sauce, perfectly proportioned.  Eaten with a fork and knife, I loved the flaky cornmeal crust, full-bodied sauce and hearty cheese.  I have been searching for a great recipe since my last visit.  That was about 5 years ago.  I decided to take another crack at it to see if I could somehow relive that experience.  Binks was quite happy to participate in my experiment.

Before I begin, I’ll throw in the towel.  No pizza will rival Gino’s (well let’s forget the Giordano’s debate for the purposes of this post).  I accept that.  However, this homemade version was very delicious.  This pizza was highlighted exactly as it should be – the crust and sauce.  First, let’s discuss crust.  Almost akin to puff pastry, this crust was wonderfully flaky and baked crisp without being too doughy. Second, the sauce is near perfection.  I’m a huge sauce fan and I understand the sauce for deep dish is different from for a thin crust.  Here, the sauce needs to be chunkier to complement the thick layer of mozzarella.  All in all, welcome the new member of the pizza family in rotation in our house.  We are quite smitten.

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza
recipe from Cook’s Illustrated via Annie’s Eats
yields one 9-inch pizza

Ingredients:

For the dough:

• 1½ cups plus 2 tbsp. (8 1/8 oz.) all-purpose flour
• ¼ cup (1 3/8 oz.) yellow cornmeal
• ¾ tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 1/8 tsp. instant yeast
• ½ cup plus 2 tbsp. (5 oz.) water, at room temperature
• 1½ tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

For the sauce:

• 1 tbsp. unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp. grated onion
• Pinch of dried oregano
• ¼ tsp. salt
• 2 clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1 (14.5 oz) can crushed tomatoes
• Pinch of sugar
• 2 tbsp. fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
• 1½ tsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• Ground black pepper

For toppings:

• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 8 oz. mozzarella, shredded (about 2 cups)
• ¼ oz. Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 tbsp.)

Directions:

1. Mix flour, cornmeal, salt, sugar, and yeast in bowl of stand mixer fitted with dough hook on low speed until incorporated, about 1 minute.  Add water and melted butter, and mix on low speed until fully combined, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping sides and bottom of bowl occasionally.  Increase speed to medium and knead until dough is glossy and smooth, and pulls away from sides of bowl, 4 to 5 minutes.  You know it’s ready when the ball of dough pulls away complete from the sides of the mixer.  Coat a large bowl with 1 teaspoon olive oil, rubbing excess oil from fingers onto blade of rubber spatula. Transfer the dough to the bowl, turning once to oil top; cover tightly with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise at room temperature until nearly doubled in volume, which should take between 45 to 60 minutes.
2. While dough rises, prepare the sauce.  Heat butter in medium saucepan over medium heat until melted.  Add onion, oregano, and ½ teaspoon salt.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has evaporated and onion is golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes and sugar, increase heat to high and bring to simmer.  Lower heat to medium-low and simmer until reduced to 2½ cups, which takes about 25 to 30 minutes. Turn off the heat, stir in basil and oil, then season with salt and pepper.
3. To laminate the dough, turn the dough out onto dry work surface and roll into a 8- by 6-inch rectangle. Using offset spatula, spread softened butter over surface of dough. Leaving ½-inch border along edges. Starting at short end, roll dough into tight cylinder.  With the seam side down, flatten cylinder into an 9- by 3-inch rectangle.  Cut rectangle in half crosswise. Working with one half, fold into thirds like a letter; pinch seams together to form ball. Repeat with remaining half. Return balls to oiled bowl, cover tightly with plastic wrap and let rise in refrigerator until nearly doubled in volume, between 40 to 50 minutes.
4. At this point, preheat the oven to 425F.  To assemble, coat a 9-inch round cake pans with 2 tablespoons olive oil.  Transfer the dough ball to a dry work surface and roll out into a 13-inch disk about ¼-inch thick.  Transfer the dough to the pan.  Lightly press the dough into the pan, working into the corners and 1 inch up the sides.  If the dough resists stretching, let rest 5 minutes before trying again.
5. Sprinkle 2 cups mozzarella evenly over surface of dough.  Spread the tomato sauce over cheese and sprinkle 2 tablespoons  Parmesan over sauce.  Bake until crust is golden brown, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove pizza from oven and let rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Basil Pesto

First impressions are a funny thing. I remember, as a freshman in high school, hearing one of the most beautiful girls in the school proclaim that she bases all her friendships and any potential relationships on first impressions. “I don’t care if it’s unfair. If I don’t like you from first talking to you, I’m never going to talk to you again.” I still remember these words. While harsh, I actually wondered whether she had a point. All our lives we are judged on first impressions, including dates and interviews. Interactions that decide the most important parts of our lives are truly governed by the first impressions. So, was there any truth to what she said?

After 30 years of life experience, I call B.S. on her theory.

According to Binks, if he had judged me based on his first impression, he would not have talked to me ever again. I obviously thought differently of our first interaction. I was so shy and nervous that when he called me, I sat on the phone quietly for most of the conversation. Me being quiet is not the normal if you have ever met me. But, I did. And if it was anyone else, he wouldn’t have called again. But, because Binks would be the last person to judge a person from a first impression, he called again. And, six years and a baby later, the rest is history.

Less importantly, I hated pesto the first time I tried it. That’s what happens when you try to make pesto out of a powder mix from a “pasta creation” box. Disgusting. Extremely pungent (not in a good way), bitter and salty. After having some basil left over from making pizza sauce, I decided to give it a second try.

Controlling the levels of the different ingredients, I was able to create a product that was creamy yet bold, without any harsh flavors to distract from the bright basil. Since making it, I have been using it on everything I can find. Ranging from pesto pasta with vegetables and roasted pesto potatoes, I’m in love with this pesto.

Basil Pesto

adapted from Simply Recipes

Ingredients:

• 4 medium cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup pine nuts (or walnuts), roasted and coarsely chopped
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 cups basil leaves, packed tight
• 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
• pinch of black ground pepper
• pinch of salt, more as required

Directions:

1. In a food processor, add minced garlic and pulse about 2-3 times to break down the garlic further.
2. Add pine nuts (or walnuts) and process until finely ground.
3. In a thin stream, slowly incorporate half of the olive oil while the food processor is running.
4. Add basil and puree until smooth.
5. Slowly pour in the remaining olive oil until incorporated.
6. Add the cheese, pepper, and salt and process until fully blended.
7. Test for salt and add if required.

 

Turning 30 Turned up Rainbows [Cake]

All I wanted for my birthday was to bake my own cake. I picked out and planned my cake for a whole month. Meanwhile, Binks was planning a surprise party right under my nose. As I have been talking his ear off about my cake, he assembled a party planning to build a party around the cake.

I decided on the rainbow cake for my 30th birthday.
While I’m not one for the colorful, for my 30th birthday, the idea of having a plain-white-frosted cake, sliced to reveal bright layers of cake, enhanced further by white frosting, somehow spoke to me as I embark in this new decade of my life. Well, it was a show-stopper.

There were a lot of oohs and aahs once I cut into the cake to remove a slice.

I prepared the cake layers the night before, stored them in the fridge and frosted the next day. The cake layers hold together much nicer and produce less crumbs when I frost this way. I also cut my work time in half so I can focus on one aspect of the cake at a time.Oh and the frostings? It’s white chocolate buttercreams. Yes, I meant frostings. I made two types for this cake. While I love love Swiss meringue buttercream, I wanted something sweeter as well. So, the cake is filled and crumb coated with Swiss meringue and frosted outside with the traditional buttercream. It worked beautifully. the sweetness of traditional buttercream complemented the rich subtle Swiss meringue. The original recipe uses lemon buttercream, but I wanted white chocolate buttercream. A divine choice.

I’m still in love with this cake. Aside from being beautiful, it was delicious, as well. Completely light in flavor and texture, this cake did not feel heavy. Rather, the use of Swiss meringue buttercream throughout the layers made it subtly sweet where you can finish a whole slice without feeling like you might go into a sugar shock. But, just when you think you figured out the cake, the outer layer flavors hit and the sweetness mixes in with the same white chocolate flavors carrying through. I could not have been prouder of a cake – and from my 30-year-old-self, that’s saying a lot!

The whole party was wonderful. My friends and family truly came through and pretty much made a party around my cake.

With rainbow-themed photo booth area and colorful flowers and balloons, I felt a happiness that I remember as a child during birthdays.

The photo booth was a hit with all the guests. We had some younger guests who were having a ball with all the props.

My creative friend made Oreo truffles and packaged them away nicely in these cute little boxes as favors.

*The outside of the cake looks a little wonky because I was rushed out of the house to go run an errand. I thought I would come home to finish it, but walked into a wonderful surprise!

Rainbow Cake

recipe by Whisk Kid

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks of butter, room temperature
• 2 and 1/3 cup white granulated sugar
• 5 egg whites, room temperature
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 and 1/2 cup milk, room temperature (just warm for 30 seconds in a microwave)
• Food coloring*

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease and flour six 8-inch pans. I only have two pans so I baked two layers at a time.
2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
3. Cream together the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg whites gradually. Add the vanilla until fully incorporated into the batter. Then, starting with the flour, alternate between adding the flour and milk, adding in two parts.
4. Divide the batter between six bowls. Add food coloring to each bowl’s batter. Remember, the cake will cook to be the same color as the batter. Add the amount of food coloring you expect to see in the baked cake.
5. Pour into prepared baking pans.
6. Bake for 15 minutes. Once baked, remove from oven and let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Then, turn over onto wire rack to fully cool.
7. I kept them in the fridge overnight but you can frost once fully cooled.

My food coloring: (All of them are Americolor gels)

• Red: Super Red
• Orange: Egg Yellow mixed with a bit of Super Red
• Yellow: Lemon Yellow
• Green: Electric Green
• Blue: Electric Blue
• Purple: Electric Purple

White Chocolate Swiss Meringue Buttercream – for filling layers and crumb coat
adapted from Whisk Kid

Ingredients:

• 9 egg whites
• 1 and 3/4 cups white granulated sugar
• 4 sticks butter,
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Take your butter from the fridge and cut it into cubes and set aside on a plate on your counter – just not in your fridge.
2. Wipe down a large (preferably steel) bowl with lemon juice to ensure that no trace amounts of oil remain. Oil is danger to meringue.
3. Add the egg whites and sugar to the mixing bowl and simmer over a pot of water (not boiling), stirring constantly with a whisk. Be gentle but consistent with the stirring. Keep whisking until you get a temperature of 150F for the mixture using your candy thermometer. Another way to check is to dip your hands in the mixture and rub it between your fingers. It should be completely smooth, with no grainy-ness. If there is any grains of sugar, keep stirring/whisking. you want the sugar to be completely dissolved and the egg whites to be hot (and cooked).
4. Once it gets to be 150F, attach the bowl to your electric mixer. Using the whisk attachment, whip on medium-high heat until the meringue is thick and glossy. You know you are done when the bowl is also room temperature to the touch, and not at all warm. It cannot be warm at all.
5. Once you get stiff thick peaks with your meringue, switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle attachment.
6. You are going to start adding the butter, one cube at a time. Your butter should be cool, not cold, at this point.
7. With the mixer on low-speed, mix until you get a smooth rich texture. The mixture will look curdly at some point, just keep mixing. I promise you it will come together.
8. Add vanilla and salt, and continue to mix on low-speed until everything is combined.
9. Add the melted white chocolate until fully incorporated and well blended in the buttercream.

White Chocolate Buttercream

adapted from my Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 2 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup white chocolate, melted and cooled

Directions:

1. Sift together the salt and powdered sugar into the bowl of your electric mixer.
2. Add butter and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl to ensure that there are no unincorporated parts.
3. Whisk in the cream and vanilla extract until well blended.
4. After you get a good buttercream consistency, add the white chocolate and beat on medium-high for another 3-5 minutes.