Pink Velvet & Berry Parfait

My husband rocks. He is so passionate about cooking & even though he's not a professional chef, his meals really impress me. 

I'm always posting them on my instagram, so if you follow me there, you'll see what I mean. He made these amazing parfaits for the LOVE LETTERS/Cartas De Amor digital Mag we put together, they were delicious! Below he'll add the recipe in case you want to impress your significant other! You can view the entire Love Letters magazine here. 

Also a quick shout out to Holly of Decor8 for sharing the 'Love Letter' mag on her blog! Thank you!
 

Here he is prepping...

Parfaits:
Cake (any kind of sponge or regular cake like the pink velvet)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar (powdered)
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Berries - cut strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries

In a chilled bowl, whip the heavy cream with a whisk attachment until it begins to peak. Add the sugar and vanilla and finish whipping - should be light, soft peaks.

Cut small cubes of the cake and place in the bottom of a parfait or tall shooter glass (if you don't have those, champagne or wine glasses also work well). Carefully spoon about 2 tsp of cream on top then gently knock the bottom of the glass to force it down. Add a layer of berries, then another layer of cream. Top with an exceptional berry, or even a nice bing cherry!


Stay tuned for a few more sweeeeeeet Valentine's Day recipes this week!

 
-images by jen ramos

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Holiday Treats

There are sooooo many cute Holiday recipes all over Pinterest - have you noticed?  Total inspiration! I pin a bunch on my own Pinterest if you'd like to follow along.  
 

Below are a few of my recent favorites! The peppermint eggnog is high on my 'to make' list. 

Have you ever made any of these below??

images via:

mocha / oh she glows

peppermint s'mores / culinaryconcoctionsbypeabody

peppermint eggnog / sugar and cloth

glittering cookie sandwiches / sugar and cloth

marshmallow candy canes

white chocolate popcorn / eat good 4 life

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FOOD: Spiced Pear Cake & Crème Fraîche Glaze

Hi guys! Lauren from Perpetually Chic, back today to share one of my favorite cakes for the fall season. The basic pear cake recipe is a staple in my family, but I recently made a few adjustments and created a glaze that I think makes this treat even more irresistible.

 Packed with pears, walnuts and currants and laced with cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla, it's a cake that literally tastes like fall. Plus, it's equally delicious served with vanilla ice cream for dessert as it is enjoyed alone for breakfast! Keep reading for the easy recipe...

Ingredients:

For the Cake

• 3 firm, ripe pears, peeled, cored and diced
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, at room temp
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup dried currants (or raisins)
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)

For the Glaze

• 1/2 cup confectioners' (powdered) sugar
• 1/4 cup crème fraîche
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1/4 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp each of cinnamon and nutmeg

Instructions:

1. Place the pears in a large bowl with the sugar. Stir and set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a shallow, round pan.
3. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Then sift the flour mixture into the bowl with the pears. 
4. Add eggs, oil, vanilla, currants and walnuts to bowl with pears and mix well. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.
5. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan on a rack. 
6. Meanwhile, make the glaze. In a bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar, crème fraîche and water until smooth. Mix in vanilla extract, cinnamon and nutmeg. Spread the glaze all over the top of the cake. Let stand until the glaze sets, then cut into wedges and serve.

-post & images by Lauren Craig

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My Gilt Taste Purchase

Hey...this week has already BEGUN & I'm super busy. Today I have a new assistant coming in, it's her first day, so I'll be busy training & getting her acquainted with all things MadeByGirl & Cocoa & Hearts, should be interesting! But, now let me tell you about a site I came across this past weekend.

Some of you may know I'm MAAAAAD for chocolate. Dark chocolate to be exact. I can't stand milk chocolate, it tastes annoyingly sweet & it's not even good for you!  Anyhow, I came across a site called Gilt Taste. It's a division of the popular site GILT, where you find all things fashion. I love fashion, but GILT Taste was impressive. My husband introduced me to the site - showing me these magical chocolate covered figs. I instantly fell in LOVE & wanted to purchase them!  So, I did. Talk about impulsive shopping. 
 
Ok, they weren't the CHEAPEST sweets around, I paid a total of $62 for 16 chocolate covered FIGS.

Have you ever had chocolate covered figs???????? Call me crazy, but it is chocolate & figs, 2 of my favorites! 

My husband COULDN'T believe I bought it... but I will bet he changes his mind when they finally get here & he has a taste. Ha! So, to explain more about GILT Taste, it's a site that sells artisanal food products ranging from meats to sweets, produce & even seafood! 
 
The interesting thing about Gilt TASTE is that the products are not easily found in any kind of grocery store & they're sold for cheaper that retail but they're only available for a limited time on their site! Cool huh?

 

I'd love to know....What's your fave chocolate?? Dark, White or Milk?? & have you ordered from Gilt Taste??

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Food: Cappuccino-Cocoa Nib Popsicles

My husband is the coolest. 

He loves making great meals (slash) desserts for me. Lately one of my favorite things he's made are popsicles. He is DETERMINED to make as many different types of flavors! So far, he's whipped up some blueberry yogurt, cappuccino, coconut & plum flavors! 

Today I wanted him to guest post on MadeByGirl & show you how cute this recipe is. Enjoy!

Hello ladies (& guys) - Jen loves both coffee & chocolate so I thought this would be a neat way to get both into a nice, cool treat for her.  Love when I can make her smile. 

Here's how to make these delicious popsicles.

 

Ingredients:

4 shots espresso

1 1/2 C vanilla soy milk

1/4 C agave

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp coffee extract

1/4 C cocoa nibs

Ok, let's make it:
 

While making the espresso, froth the milk. We made these using a Nespresso with the Aeroccino on the cold setting but you can also make them with a hand frother or even whipping the milk with a whisk.  Put all the liquid ingredients into a small pitcher and mix together.  Fill each mold half way with the mix, then add 2 tsp of nibs.  

Fill the molds up the rest of the way and freeze. Note that this method, most of the nibs will eventually sink so they will be at the top of the popsicle. 

If you want to have them mix evenly, first freeze the mix until it becomes slushy, add the nibs to the mix and then pour or spoon it into the molds for final freezing. Makes 6 popsicles.

By the way - these are Tovolo molds that we got at Basics Plus.

Let me know if you end up making these & how you like them.

You can see more of the goodies my husband makes for me on his blog- MadeForJen & on my Pinterest!

-images by jen ramos
-post by Mat


 

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Food: Pom Citrus Trifle

Hello again MBG readers! It's Heather from The Lovely Cupboard, and I've got a something sweet to share today. Are you looking for a dessert to serve up on Valentine's Day? 


This trifle is fresh, light, and feels decadent all at the same time.  Pomegranates, navel oranges, and blood oranges not only taste wonderful together, but they have the look for the occasion too. Here's what you need to pick up at the store.

1. Start by cutting the navel and blood oranges into "supremes", or slices without the pulp. Set aside.
2. In a sauce pan, heat 1/3 cup of marmalade and 1/3 glass of OJ on medium heat until the marmalade has dissolved and the liquid begins to bubble slightly. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
3. Combine 1 cup of heavy whipping cream, 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 8 ounces of mascarpone cheese (a soft, slightly sweet Italian cheese that looks a bit like cream cheese). Mix in an electric or hand mixer until stiff peaks form.
 (Typically 4-5 minutes)

4. Begin assembling the trifle by dipping the lady finger cookies in the marmalade mixture and stacking on the bottom of your trifle bowl.
5. Once the bottom of the dish is covered in cookies, add the cream mixture with a rubber spatula, spreading evenly.
6. Layer slices of the oranges and a handful of the pomegranate seeds.
7. Continue layering cookies, cream, and fruit until the dish is filled. Top with remaining fruit.
8. Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Isn't it almost too pretty to eat? 

-images & post by Heather Freeman

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