Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

It's been so bloody hot in Houston lately that when it comes to desserts, Dr. Sweetpea and I just want popsicles. I came across this Orange Creamsicle recipe the other day and made it the same day since I had all the ingredients on hand. Y'all, it's creamy with a hint of orange and tastes amazing. Dr. Sweetpea had two popsicles in one sitting because these are that good. It's definitely a keeper in our household.

Orange Creamsicle Popsicles

(Source: Laura Vitale)

1 (12 oz) can orange juice concentrate

1 cup milk

1/2 cup cream

1 (14 oz) can condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract 

Place all of the ingredients in a blender, and blend until smooth. Pour into popsicle molds and freeze for at least 6 hours but overnight is best. Remove from the mold and enjoy!

Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

Dr. Sweetpea loves Chicken, Herbs, and Goat Cheese, so when I saw this recipe that uses all three, I knew it would be a massive hit. Admittedly, he was skeptical when he saw me trying to stuff the chicken with goat cheese and basil, but as the chicken was baking, he kept asking me when dinner will be done since it smelled so good in the kitchen. It only took one bite for Dr. Sweetpea to be over the moon about this dish and told me to keep it in our regular rotation.

Chicken with Herbed Goat Cheese

(Source: Ina Garten)

3 whole (6 split) chicken breasts, bone-in, skin-on

12 ounces Montrachet goat cheese, with garlic and herbs

Fresh basil leaves

Good olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. Loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving one side attached. Cut 12 thick slices of the Montrachet and place 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast. Rub each piece with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Bake the breasts for 35 to 40 minutes, until just cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Spring Green and Goat Cheese Salad

The other day, I was looking at a catering menu for an event that I'm coordinating for work. I saw a delicious looking salad on the menu and made a mental note of what I'd need to buy if I want to try to replicate it at home. I bought the ingredients on my way home for work and whipped everything together the best I could. The result? The best damn salad we've ever had! It's crispy, tangy, creamy, and sweet! It's currently Dr. Sweetpea's favorite salad and it'll be in our regular dinner rotation for years to come!

Spring Green and Goat Cheese Salad

Spring Greens

Baby tomatoes, halved

Dried apricots, sliced

Pecan halves

Crumbled Goat Cheese

Sliced apples (optional, but if I decide to add apples to the salad, it's always Honeycrisp)

Toss all the salad ingredients together. Drizzle Champagne vinaigrette over salad and serve. 

Champagne Vinaigrette 

(Souce: The Neely's)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

1/4 cup champagne vinegar (I usually substitute with white balsamic vinegar)

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons honey

2 or 3 dashes hot sauce (I usually omit the hot sauce)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, honey, hot sauce, salt, and pepper in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified. Alternatively, you can combine all the ingredients in a blender or a food processor and puré until smooth.

Oatmeal, Maple and Pecan Scones

I woke up suuuuper early just to watch the royal wedding. Y'all, I had to take a nap in the afternoon because I was so sleepy after missing out on some sleep! Anyway, I wanted to have some scones to munch on while watching the royal wedding, so I decided to make the Oatmeal, Maple, and Pecan scones from Once Upon a Chef. They were so so SO tasty and perfect with my morning cup of coffee. 

Oatmeal, Maple and Pecan Scones

(Source: Once Upon a Chef)

For the Scones

1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

1 1/4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking or instant)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup pecan halves, toasted (if desired) and chopped

1/2 cup currants (or raisins)

1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 10 pieces

1/3 cup cold heavy cream

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 cold egg

For the Glaze

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

3 tablespoons maple syrup

1 to 2 tablespoons water

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a handheld mixer), mix together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pecans and currants on low speed for 10 to 15 seconds. Scatter the butter pieces over top and beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, or until the butter is somewhat broken down and grape-size pieces are still visible. In a small bowl, whisk together the cream, maple syrup and egg until thoroughly mixed. Pour the cream mixture into the butter mixture and mix on low speed for about 20 seconds, or just until the dough comes together. It will be fairly wet. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula to ensure that all of the dry ingredients are incorporated into the dough. Using an ice cream scooper, drop mounded scoops of the dough (about 1/3 cup each) onto the prepared baking sheet, forming 8 scones and spacing them about 2 inches apart. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until scones are golden brown around the edges and lightly golden on top. Transfer to a wire rack to cool for about 30 minutes. (Hold on to the parchment paper -- you'll need it for adding the glaze.) While the scones are cooling, make the glaze: In a small bowl, whisk together the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and enough of the water to make a smooth, pourable glaze. When the scones have cooled for at least 30 minutes, transfer them back to the parchment-lined baking sheet and use a spoon to drizzle the glaze evenly over top.

Pork Chops in Creamy White Wine Sauce

Dr. Sweepea LOVES pork chops for a midweek dinner. It's such a quick meal and there are so many sauces to serve them with that I happily indulge his love for pork chops. I recently came across a recipe where the pork chops are served with a white wine sauce and it was a massive hit! Definitely will be in our regular dinner rotation!

Pork Chops in White Wine Sauce

(Souce: whatsinthepan.com) 

Pork Chops:

4 boneless pork chops (I used bone-in pork chops)

2 tablespoons butter

Pork Chop Dredging Mixture:

1/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Creamy Herb and Wine Sauce:

2 tablespoons butter

2 cloves garlic minced

1 tbsp flour (or use leftover flour from pork chops dredging)

1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 lemon (juice of fresh lemon)

1/2 cup chicken stock

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

4 sprigs fresh thyme (leaves only)

Pork Chop Dredging Mixture: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, garlic powder, onion powder, Italian seasoning and season generously with salt and pepper.

Cooking Pork Chops: Dredge pork chops thoroughly in dry mixture, then heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add pork chops and sear them by cooking for 3-4 minutes per side for a total of 6-8 minutes. First side is cooked on medium high, but when cooking on the second side, reduce the heat to medium. Remove pork from heat and transfer to a plate. Cover to keep warm.

Creamy Garlic & Herb Sauce: Return skillet to heat, add 2 tablespoons butter and minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes on medium heat. Add flour to the butter mixture and start pouring in wine while still on medium heat - about 1 minute. Next squeeze lemon into the pan, add chicken stock and heavy cream. Add fresh thyme and Italian seasoning, season with salt and pepper (to taste). Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Taste the sauce and add more seasoning, if necessary.

Final Assembly: Reduce heat to low and return pork chops to pan. Depending on the thickness of your pork chops, you might just need to heat them up a bit to make sure they are done. Drizzle some of the sauce over pork chops and reheat on low for 2-3 minutes or until pork chops are done.

**Note: since my pork chops were thicker and I only seared the pork to create a crust, I baked the pork in a pre-heated 400 degree oven for about 10 minutes until it was close to being cooked through.

Succulent Braised Pork

I've had this recipe in my files for several years but never made it until today. It's essentially braised pork but the sauce tastes amazing! The pork falls apart with just a fork and I serve it on a bed of rice or mashed potatoes to not miss out on any sauce. Dr. Sweepea RAVED about this meal and it's probably one of his favorite pork dishes right now. I even brought leftovers to lunch!

Succulent Braised Pork 

(Souce: Melissa d'Arabian) 

2 pounds pork shoulder, cut into 6 large chunks

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 clove garlic, roughly chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups beef stock or broth

1 bunch parsley stems, tied with string

2 bay leaves

1 cup water (I omitted the water)

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Pat the pork dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, and working in batches brown the meat on all sides until a golden crust forms. Transfer the pork to a plate. To the pan add the onion, celery, and carrot and sweat until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and sweat another 2 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and cook for 3 minutes to cook off the raw flavor and caramelize it. Sprinkle with the flour and cook another 2 minutes to cook off its raw flavor. Whisk in the wine and reduce it by half. Return the pork to the Dutch oven, then stir in the beef stock, parsley stems, and bay leaves. Add the water if liquid does not come up to the top of the pork. Do not cover the pork with liquid. Cover the pan and place it in the oven to braise until the meat is fork tender, about 3 hours. Taste and season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.

Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

There are many days when I'm just too tired to cook a full dinner for us after I come home for work. So what do I do? I drive to Costco and buy a rotisserie chicken, some veggies, and ingredients to make an easy side dish. Both Dr. Sweetpea and I love peas so I knew this pasta salad would go well with our dinner. It's creamy, lemony, and perfect as a side dish to go with the chicken. Definitely something I'll keep around to make in the summer for a picnic or potluck.

Bacon Pea Creamy Pasta Salad with Lemon Parmesan Dressing

(Source: Carlsbad Cravings)

Pasta Salad

12 oz.  medium shells or other small pasta of choice

2 cups frozen petite peas thawed

8 oz.  thick cut bacon cooked and chopped

Lemon Parmesan Dressing

2/3 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup freshly finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried chives

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

Whisk together all of the Lemon Parmesan Dressing Ingredients together in a medium bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Dressing is much better if it has at least 30 minutes to chill. Cook pasta according to package directions just until al dente. Rinse with cold water and drain. Drizzle with a little olive oil to keep from sticking. If serving immediately: Add cooled pasta, peas, bacon and dressing to a large bowl and toss until evenly combined. If not serving immediately (preferable so salad can chill): Add the pasta and peas to a large bowl and toss with half of the dressing once the pasta has cooled (so the dressing doesn’t separate). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  When ready to serve, add the remaining dressing and the bacon and toss until evenly combined.

Homemade Popsicles

It's starting to got hot and humid in good old Houston. So what does one do when getting one's tan on poolside, but want to cool down? Eat popsicles of course! I purchased a popsicle mold from Amazon to make fresh popsicles for us to eat throughout the hot months in Houston and I seriously think it's one of the best purchases that I made in a while. I've made a variety of popsicles already and Dr. Sweetpea is in heaven. Our favorites are Strawberry and Cream, Blood Orange, Cantaloupe, and Thai Tea. I'll share the recipes for these below and you'll have a very refreshing summer too!

Strawberries and Cream Popsicles

(Source: People's Pops)

Just over 1 pound (4 cups) strawberries, hulled

7 fl oz simple syrup (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons)

2 fl oz heavy cream (1/4 cup)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Puree the strawberries in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups (16 fl oz) of puree. Transfer the pureed strawberries to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the simple syrup. Stir well to combine. Add the cream and mix according to your aesthetic preference. Taste; the mixture should be sweet and mouth-fillingly creamy but not cloying. Adjust to taste, adding the lemon juice if the mixture tastes a little flat. Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once. 

Cantaloupe Popsicles 

(Source: People's Pops) 

1 cup(8 fl oz) simple syrup

1 cantaloupe, about 2 1/4 pounds, peeled and seeded

Cut the cantaloupe into large chunks and puree in a food processor. You should have about 2 1/3 cups (19 fl oz) of puree. Transfer the pureed cantalope to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout. Add 3/4 cup (6 fl oz) of simple syrup to the cantaloupe puree until it tastes sweet. Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until slid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once. 

Blood Orange Ice Pops

(Source: Sweet Cream and Sugar Cone Cookbook)

1/2 cup 2:1 simple syrup (recipe below) 

2 1/4 cups fresh blood orange juice (from 6 to 8 blood oranges)

1/8 teaspoon kosher salt

about 30 segments of blood, cara cara, or other variety of orange

In a medium nonreactive bowl, combine 6 tablespoons of the simple syrup, the juice, and the salt. Stir until well combined and the salt has dissolved. Taste the base. It should taste too sweet (once frozen, it will lose some of it's sweetness. Add the remaining simple syrup if you need it. Add 2 or 3 orange segments to each ice pop mold. (Don't add too many or the pops will be hard and icy. Leave room so that you end up with more juice than fruit in each pop.) Strain the base through a fine-mesh strainer into a liquid measuring cup. Pour into the ice pop molds, insert the sticks, and freeze until completely solid, about 4 hours. Unmold just before serving. 

2:1 simple syrup

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Mix the sugar and water in a small saucepan. Dip your fingers or a pastry brush in water and wash down the sides of the pan before heating. Place over medium heat and stir until the mixture comes to a boil and the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool completely. Transfer to a covered container and store in the refrigerator. 

Grilled New York Strip Steak

Yesterday was Dr. Sweetpea's birthday and he asked for a delicious steak dinner. I was watching Ina Garten on Food Network recently and saw her make a dry rub for her steak and decided to try her recipe. I'm not surprised that the steak was amazing! Dr. Sweetpea loved his steak so much that he asked me to make it for him every year on his birthday.

Grilled New York Strip Steak

(Source: Ina Garten)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 teaspoons light brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground coffee (regular or decaf)

1 teaspoon (dried) granulated garlic

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

3 (1½-inch-thick) New York strip steaks

1½ tablespoons good olive oil

In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon black pepper, the brown sugar, coffee, garlic, chipotle powder, and red pepper flakes. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels, place them in a baking dish, and rub them all over with the olive oil. Rub the steaks on both sides with the spice mix, using it all. Cover the dish and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to get into the meat.

When ready to cook, heat enough charcoal to cover half of the grill (I fill a charcoal chimney ¾ full). Pour a layer of hot coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side empty.

Cook the steaks on the hot side of the grill for exactly 2 minutes on one side, turn them over, and cook for exactly 2 minutes on the other side. Move the steaks to the cool side of the grill, put the lid on, check to be sure the vents are open, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into the middle of the steak registers between 115 and 120 degrees for medium rare and 120 and 125 degrees for medium. Transfer the steaks to a plate, cover the plate tightly with aluminum foil, and allow to rest for 15 minutes. Remove the foil after 15 minutes or the steaks will continue to cook. Slice the steaks, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot or warm.

French Canele

I've become obsessed with deserts that are served in European countries. I think they look absolutely divine and since they are hard to find in the US, I've been looking at recipes to try making them at home. One of my favorite chefs on Youtube is Bruno Albouze and I knew that his Canele recipe would be top notch since he made these in a bakery in Bordeaux. I've never had a Canele before, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect but Bruno's recipe does not disappoint! It was sweet, custardy, and perfect! Dr. Sweetpea ate three in one sitting! The only change that I made to his recipe was using the oven temperature and baking time from the Saveur website.

Caneles de Bordeaux 

(Source: Bruno Albouze and  Niko Triantafillou from Saveur)

500 ml whole milk

45 grams unsalted butter

1 vanilla bean, scrape the seeds

80 grams egg yolks

120 grams all purpose flour

30 grams corn starch

225 grams granulated sugar

20 ml dark rum

20 ml Grand Marnier

Bring milk, vanilla bean seeds, and butter to 185 Fahrenheit over low/medium heat (I even added my vanilla pods into this mixture). In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and slowly add in the hot milk mixture. Whisk until thoroughly combined. In a separate bowl, combine flour, corn starch, and sugar. Slowly pour the milk mixture into the bowl with the flour. Whisk until thoroughly combined. Mix in the dark rum and Grand Marnier. Let this mixture rest in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours (I let mine rest for 24 hours because I read online that it’s better to have the mixture rest undisturbed longer). Preheat the oven to 450 degrees and coat the molds lightly with nonstick baking spray. Retrieve the batter from the fridge and stir gently with a rubber spatula to redistribute any flour and vanilla seeds that have settled to the bottom. Remove the vanilla pods and discard. Pour 71 grams of batter into each canele mold. Transfer to the oven and immediately turn the oven temperature down to 425F. Bake for 15 minutes, then lower the temperature down to 350F and continue baking for 1 hour (Nikko's recipe indicates that the caneles should be baked for 1 hour 50 minutes but I only baked them for 1 hour). Remove the pan from the oven and let the caneles cool int heir molds for 10 minutes before unmolding unto cooler rack

  

Skillet Seared Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

This is such an easy and delicious midweek dinner. Dr. Sweetpea loves salmon at least once a week and I tried this recipe since the salmon is served with a garlic lemon butter sauce. Dr. Sweetpea devoured his meal and ate the rest of the salmon that was left over too! This is definitely a keeper for us.

Skillet Seared Salmon with Garlic Lemon Butter Sauce

(Source: Cooking Classy) 

4 (6 oz) skinless salmon fillets (about 1-inch thick)

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 tsp olive oil

2 garlic cloves , minced

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

3 Tbsp + 1 tsp unsalted butter , diced into 1 Tbsp pieces

1/2 tsp honey

2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley

Lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Remove salmon fillets from refrigerator and allow to rest at room temperature 10 minutes.

Meanwhile prepared garlic lemon butter sauce. In a small saucepan melt 1 tsp butter over medium heat.

Add garlic and saute until lightly golden brown, about 1 - 2 minutes. Pour in chicken broth and lemon juice. Let sauce simmer until it has reduced by half (to about 3 Tbsp), about 3 minutes. Stir in butter and honey and whisk until combined, set sauce aside. Dab both sides of salmon dry with paper towels, season both sides with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a (heavy) 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Once oil is shimmering add salmon and cook about 4 minutes on the first side until golden brown on bottom then flip and cook salmon on opposite side until salmon has cooked through, about 2 - 3 minutes longer. Plate salmon (leaving oil in pan) and drizzle each serving generously with butter sauce, sprinkle with parsley and garnish with lemon slices if desired. Serve. 

The Best Homemade Meatballs

If you love spaghetti and meatballs as much as we do, then you must make Ina Garten's meatball recipe. I wasn't surprised that these meatballs are the best that I've ever had since Ina's recipes are always a hit. These meatballs came together quickly and both of us devoured our meal because the meatballs and marinara were just the best that we've had in a while. Definitely a keeper! 

Meatballs and Marinara

(Source: Ina Garten)

For the meatballs:

1/2 pound ground veal**

1/2 pound ground pork

1 pound ground beef

1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)

1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 extra-large egg, beaten

Vegetable oil

Olive oil

For the sauce:

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 cup chopped yellow onion (1 onion)

1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic

1/2 cup good red wine, such as Chianti

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

For serving:

1 1/2 pounds spaghetti, cooked according to package directions

Freshly grated Parmesan

Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, egg, and 3/4 cup warm water in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs. You will have 14 to 16 meatballs.

Pour equal amounts of vegetable oil and olive oil into a large (12-inch) skillet to a depth of 1/4-inch. Heat the oil. Very carefully, in batches, place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels. Discard the oil but don't clean the pan.

For the sauce, heat the olive oil in the same pan. Add the onion and saute over medium heat until translucent, 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper.

Return the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

**I didn't use veal but made the meatballs using a mixture of 1 pound ground beef and 1 pound ground pork**

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel

This is the BEST coffee cake that I've ever eaten or made! Dr. Sweetpea took one bite and raved about how he's never had coffee cake this good either. Yes, it's a bit time consuming, but it's 100% work it to take the time to make this coffee cake from scratch. This is definitely something I'll make when we have guests over or to serve for breakfast during the holiday season. 

Sour Cream Coffee Cake with Brown Sugar Pecan Streusel

(Source: America's Test Kitchen)

STREUSEL

¾             cup unbleached all-purpose flour (3 3/4 ounces)

¾             cup granulated sugar (5 1/4 ounces)

½             cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)

2              tablespoons ground cinnamon

2              tablespoons unsalted butter, cold, cut into 2 pieces

1              cup pecans, chopped

CAKE

12           tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, plus 2 tablespoons softened butter for greasing pan

4              large eggs

1 ½         cups sour cream

1              tablespoon vanilla extract

2 ¼         cups unbleached all-purpose flour (11 1/2 ounces)

1 ¼         cups granulated sugar (8 3/4 ounces)

1              tablespoon baking powder

¾             teaspoon baking soda

¾             teaspoon table salt

For the streusel: In food processor, process flour, granulated sugar, 1/4 cup dark brown sugar, and cinnamon until combined, about 15 seconds. Transfer 1 1/4 cups of flour/sugar mixture to small bowl; stir in remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar and set aside to use for streusel filling. Add butter and pecans to mixture in food processor; pulse until nuts and butter resemble small pebbly pieces, about ten 1-second pulses. Set aside to use as streusel topping.

For the cake: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 10-inch tube pan with 2 tablespoons softened butter. Whisk eggs, 1 cup sour cream, and vanilla in medium bowl until combined.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in bowl of standing mixer; mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add butter and remaining 1/2 cup sour cream; mix on low speed until dry ingredients are moistened and mixture resembles wet sand, with few large butter pieces remaining, about 1 1/2 minutes. Increase to medium speed and beat until batter comes together, about 10 seconds; scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula. Lower speed to medium-low and gradually add egg mixture in 3 additions, beating for 20 seconds after each and scraping down sides of bowl. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until batter is light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Using rubber spatula, spread 2 cups batter in bottom of prepared pan, smoothing surface. Sprinkle evenly with 3/4 cup streusel filling (without butter or nuts). Repeat with another 2 cups batter and remaining 3/4 cup streusel filling (without butter or nuts). Spread remaining batter over, then sprinkle with streusel topping (with butter and nuts).

Bake until cake feels firm to touch and long toothpick or skewer inserted into center comes out clean (bits of sugar from streusel may cling to tester), 50 to 60 minutes. Cool cake in pan on wire rack 30 minutes. Invert cake onto rimmed baking sheet (cake will be streusel-side down); remove tube pan, place wire rack on top of cake, and reinvert cake streusel-side up. Cool to room temperature, about 2 hours. Cut into wedges and serve. (Cake can be wrapped in foil and stored at room temperature for up to 5 days.)

Creamy Corn and Tomato Pasta Bake

It's starting to get warm here in Houston so I've been having cravings for corn since it's the ultimate summer food. I came across this pasta recipe from America's Test Kitchen and as soon as I saw that corn and tomatoes are a huge part of this dish, I had to make it. It came together quickly, made our kitchen smell amazing, and was a total hit. Dr. Sweetpea RAVED about how good this dish was and told me to make this at least on a monthly basis. Definitely a keeper for us.

Creamy Corn and Tomato Pasta Bake

(Source: America's Test Kitchen) 

1 pound penne

Salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup dry white wine

4 ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs

8 ounces fontina cheese, shredded (2 cups)

2 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (1 cup)

1 pound cherry tomatoes, halved

1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, parsley, or tarragon4

Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add pasta and 1 tablespoon salt cook, stirring often, until just beginning to soften, about 5 minutes. Drain pasta in colander and toss with 1 tablespoon oil; set aside.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Dry now-empty pot and heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, thyme, and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 1 minute. Slowly whisk in broth, cream, and wine, smoothing out any lumps. Stir in corn and bring to simmer.

Off heat, gradually whisk in 1 cup fontina and ½ cup Parmesan into sauce until cheese is melted and sauce is smooth. Stir in tomatoes and pasta, breaking up any clumps. Transfer pasta mixture to 13 by 9-inch baking dish and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup fontina and ½ cup Parmesan.

Place baking dish on aluminum foil–lined rimmed baking sheet and bake until golden and bubbling around edges, 25 to 35 minutes. Let casserole cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with basil and serve.

Strawberries and Cream Popsicles

While Dr. Sweetpea and I were walking around Hermann Park a few days ago, we came across a popsicle stand that sold popsicles that were freshly made. We devoured ours within minutes and realized we can make some at home ourselves. We bought Popsicle molds the very next day through Amazon and decided the one we should try first were the Strawberry Popsicles. Y'all, if you love the frozen fruit bars that you buy at the grocery store, then you HAVE to make these popsicles at home. These are SO much better!

Strawberries and Cream Popsicles 

(Source: People's Pops Cookbook) 

Just over 1 pound (4 cups) strawberries, hulled

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (7 fl oz) simple syrup

1/4 cup heavy cream (I used half and half but increased to about 1/2 cup)

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice, if needed

Puree the strawberries in a food processor. You should have about 2 cups (16 fl oz) of puree. Transfer the pureed strawberries to a bowl or measuring pitcher with a pouring spout and add the simple syrup. Stir well to combine. Add the cream and mix according to your aesthetic preference. Taste; the mixture should be sweet and mouth-fillingly creamy but not cloying. Adjust to taste, adding the lemon juice if the mixture tastes a little flat. Pour the mixture into your ice pop molds, leaving a little bit of room at the top for the mixture to expand. Insert sticks and freeze until solid, 4 to 5 hours. Unmold and transfer to plastic bags for storage or serve at once. 

Simple Syrup

2/3 cup (5 oz) organic cane sugar

2/3 cup (5 oz) water

Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is transparent. Turn off the heat and let cool. Add any spices before the mixture starts to simmer; add any herbs only after you've turned off the heat. Store plain and infused syrups in sealed containers in the fridge.