Urban Comfort

Summer Red Velvet with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

It's no secret that I like to bake cakes year round, but there's something about red velvet cake in the summer that doesn't appeal to me. By Valentine's Day, I'm usually done with it until the fall. But this year I wanted to make a version that felt more appropriate for the summer months, namely a cake to be served cold. I started with the recipe I traditionally use, researched lots of other recipes, and determined the ways in which I wanted to alter the texture and presentation.

But the real find was this whipped cream cheese frosting recipe that I'd pinned. It seemed like a good alternative to the traditional cream cheese frosting, so I made my recipe changes based on the frosting - which meant I needed the contrast of a slightly sturdier cake than what I typically make. The problem, of course, with sturdier red velvet cakes is that they tend to be dry. I could have made an oil based cake, but I find I can always taste the oil, which I don't like. So I did an experiment and mixed butter with oil. It worked (perhaps because it's served cold), as did the frosting.

This cake is good at room temperature, but I really appreciate it cold (take it out of the refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving). And while you might be tempted not to split your cake layers, I think it provides the right balance of frosting to cake. To make it easier, I refrigerated my cake layers after they'd fully cooled, wrapped in plastic wrap, and split them with a knife while they were still cold. But if that feels too difficult, you can always bake four thinner layers. You'll just have to experiment with the cooking time.

Finally, a red velvet I can live with in July.

Summer Red Velvet
(makes one 8-inch 4-layer cake)

2 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
3 tablespoons cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt 
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter
1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 ounces red food coloring
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly coat two 8-inch round cake pans with vegetable shortening. Insert parchment paper cut to fit the bottom of the pans and lightly coat the paper with shortening, then dust with flour.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, and salt. Set aside.

3. Cream the butter, sugar, and oil in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Beat in the food coloring on low speed.

4. Add the flour mixture to the batter in three batches, alternating with the buttermilk. Add the vanilla extract.

5. In a glass measuring cup, dissolve the baking soda in the vinegar and stir into the batter, blending all ingredients as little as possible. 

6. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool cakes on a wire rack, then unmold. 

7. When cakes are fully cooled, wrap the layers in plastic wrap and refrigerate for a few hours. Before frosting, split the layers evenly with a serrated knife and frost with Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting.

Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting:
(from Not So Humble Pie)

16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/2 cups powdered confectioners sugar, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream, cold

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and fluffy. In a separate bowl, beat the heavy cream to nearly stiff peaks, then add the whipped cream to the cream cheese mixture and beat quickly to combine (don't overbeat). 

4th of July Cake Topper

Professionally, I'm in the throes of Christmas. I should be used to it by now, but it always takes me a little while to settle into a winter mode when it's ninety degrees outside. So I decided to rebel a bit over the weekend and do something I never do in the correct season - create a project for 4th of July (it was also a good excuse to try out a recipe for a summer version of red velvet cake, which I'll share with you tomorrow). 

Ironically, with a change in paper, this cake topper would work just as well on a Christmas cake. But for Independence Day, grab some patterned papers in the requisite colors and craft a few 3-dimensional stars for an easy, festive look. Here's how:

 

Materials:

Star template (See below in Resources)
Plain cardstock in red, white, and blue
Patterned paper or cardstock in red, white, and blue
Pencil
Scissors
Scoring board and bone folder
Craft glue (I use Beacon 3-in-1 Adhesive)
Thin skewers 

Directions:

1. Print star template on cardstock and cut out; trace around the template onto the back sides of the patterned papers; cut them out.

2. Using the scoring board and bone folder, score the back side of the patterned papers (see the diagram below). 

3. Fold along the scored lines. All lines marked "A" are folds that will protrude outward and all lines marked "B" will be folded in. 

4. Once you've made your folded star shapes, apply glue along the edges of the stars and glue them onto plain cardstock. Once the glue has set, cut around the edge to form a border. (Note: I find this easier than trying to glue the folded stars onto plain star cutouts, but it's another option if that works better for you.)

5. Glue a skewer to the back side of the star; let dry. Once it's dry, you can glue another folded star cutout over the skewer to make it fully 3-dimensional or leave as is.

 

 

Resources:

Download Star Template

Scoring board and bone folder from Martha Stewart Crafts

Crawfish (or Shrimp) Étouffée

It's difficult to get my son to eat and it drives me crazy. He's got a sweet tooth, so he thinks I'm the world's greatest baker, but dealing with real food is always a challenge. He's smart enough to know that the packaged kid foods don't taste all that great, so he turns his nose up at those, but he'll look at other things and decide they're "ugly," and that he's just not tasting them. It goes on and on.

But one thing I can count on is his love of crawfish. Generally, he prefers to eat them at crawfish boils, where he peels some for himself, but always strategically places himself next to an adult who'll drop them in his mouth at a steady pace.

Crawfish season is over, though, so we'll make do with frozen crawfish until next season. Using frozen crawfish (and I only use frozen crawfish from Lousiana - the Chinese crawfish are too watery and don't taste like much), I made étouffée (ay-too-FAY) for my son for the first time. I knew that he'd decide it was "ugly" before tasting it, so I walked him through the recipe, showing him every single ingredient beforehand. He agreed to try it, then told me that he could eat étouffée every day of his life. Success!

This is a really easy dish to make. There's a little chopping and a short cooking time, making it a quick and satisfying dish for a weeknight. And since you may not have access to frozen crawfish, I'm also including a shrimp variation.

Bon appétit!

 

Crawfish Étouffée
(Serves 3-4) 

1 stick unsalted butter (1/4 pound)
2 cups chopped onion (I use yellow)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped bell peppers
1 pound peeled crawfish tails (fresh or thawed)
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons chopped green onions (scallions)

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and sauté until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the crawfish and bay leaves. Reduce the heat to medium. Stirring occasionally, cook until the crawfish begin throwing off a little liquid (10 to 12 minutes for fresh crawfish tails, 5 or 6 minutes for thawed tails).

2. Dissolve the flour in the water. Add to the crawfish mixture and season with the salt and cayenne. Stir until the mixture thickens, 3 or 4 minutes. Add the parsley and green onions and cook for a couple of minutes, until the parsley is wilted.

3. Remove the bay leaves and serve over steamed rice. 

 

Shrimp Variation:
 

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup water
3 tablespoons chopped flat leaf parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions (scallions)

1. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. When the butter is foaming, add the onions, bell peppers, and celery and saute until soft and golden, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp, salt, and cayenne, and cook for about 4 minutes, or until the shrimp turn pink and start to curl up.

2. Dissolve the flour in the water and add to the shrimp mixture. Stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the parsley and green onions. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes more, until the parsley and onions are wilted. 

3. Serve immediately, over steamed rice.

 

A Stitched Note for Dad

Today is a two-for-one (to make up for my dismal lack of consistent posting). When you're finished here, I'm guest posting at Navy Blue Shoe. Olga is lovely and I hope you'll pop over and say hello!

I had wanted to post this before Father's Day, but I couldn't be sure my husband wouldn't see it, as he's a frequent reader of this blog. It's not a new idea. I originally saw this stitched love note, swooned over it, and immediately recognized there was no way I'd be hand stitching an entire piece of notebook paper. Call me lazy. But then I found a piece of printed linen and the idea came back to life for me.

My son decided that he wanted to write a letter to his dad for Father's Day, so I marked off the lines on a piece of plain paper and had him write his letter on that. Then I took an excerpt from that letter, transferred it to the fabric using tracing paper and stitched it. 

I don't have a lot of embroidery experience (okay, virtually none), but it was surprisingly easy to do, especially with a child's printing. And while this was a sweet Father's Day gift, I think it's a fun idea for any time of the year, even if it's just to capture something funny or endearing your child has said, preserved in his own handwriting. 

The fabric I used doesn't seem to be available anymore, but I've found other products and links for you to assist in creating your own version. Also, here's the step-by-step. Forgive me for not publishing a photo tutorial, but I trust that I'm giving you enough information that you won't need it at all.

 

Materials:

Notebook paper fabric (see directions below)
Iron and ironing board
Masking tape
Plain white paper
Ruler
Pencil and pen
Tracing paper for embroidery patterns
Embroidery hoop
Needle
Embroidery floss or DMC Cotton Perle Thread #5 (I used the cotton perle thread because I wanted a slightly chunkier, rougher look to complement the handwriting. I found it right next to the embroidery floss.)
Iron and ironing board
Scissors
Canvas panel or other method of finishing
Staple gun (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Create your fabric base (and here are a number of options for you):

• Make your own printed notebook paper fabric (tutorial and notebook paper download from The Gunny Sack)
• Machine stitch a notebook page (tutorial from Ol' Stitcheroo)
• Purchase another style of notebook fabric - a writing tablet print (from Timeless Treasures' The Pixie Pops Collection, available from multiple sources, including EQuilter)

2. Once you have your fabric base, iron it and tape the corners to a flat surface. Place a piece of plain paper over the fabric and use your ruler to mark off the corresponding lines on the paper (this will leave you with a piece of paper that's lined exactly like your fabric). 

3. Have your child write on the plain piece of paper.

4. Place a piece of embroidery tracing paper carbon side down on the piece of fabric. Place the paper, face up, over the tracing paper and make sure the lines of the paper and the fabric match up. Use a ballpoint pen to trace over the letters on the paper. This will transfer the design to the fabric.

5. Working in small sections, place your fabric in the embroidery hoop and follow the transferred design, using a simple back stitch or the stitch of your choice (tutorial for the back stitch from CraftStylish).

6. When you're finished, iron your embroidered fabric to remove any wrinkles or impressions from the embroidery hoop. Finish as desired (you can line it with another piece of fabric and sew it together to create a heavyweight paper of "paper," you can frame it, or you can wrap it around a canvas, stapling it to the back, or you can wrap it around a flat canvas panel and tape or glue it down in the back (if you want it to look tidy, you can cover the raw edges with a thin ribbon, decorative tape, or a larger piece of felt that covers the entire back).

 

***Don't forget - head over to Navy Blue Shoe!

Summer Pasta with Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Our markets are bursting with Creole tomatoes, an heirloom variety eagerly anticipated each year. And every summer I use them for this fresh, flavorful pasta. It's an easy recipe, one that can be whipped up on a busy weeknight, but perfect for lazy days and dinner guests as well. And If you don't have Creole tomatoes in your area, any type of heirloom tomato will elevate this simple dish.

 

Summer Pasta

1 pound thick spaghetti (dry)
6 chopped heirloom tomatoes
1 seeded and chopped jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Cook the spaghetti according to package directions. Drain when done and set aside.

2. Combine the chopped tomatoes, jalapeno, basil, goat cheese, and olive oil.

3. Pour the tomato mixture into a large saucepan, add the drained pasta and Parmesan cheese and toss over medium heat just until heated through.

4. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper.  

Beds to Nap In

There was rain, for more than a week. I felt like I was moving through quicksand, as if winter had returned. Then there was more socializing and entertaining than usual. A lot of fun and exactly what I needed...but now I must admit, I want nothing more than a good long nap. Any one of these beds would work for me.

 

via Wave Avenue

 

 

via Maison Boheme

 

 

Nibs My Points of View

 

 

via That Inspirational Girl

 

 

via Castles Crowns and Cottages

 

 

Desire to Inspire

Gin Gin Mule

It's summer, and other than work, I haven't been crafting much. I find myself more interested in entertaining, cooking, and cocktail experiments. I'll get back to business eventually, but in the meantime I thought I'd share the drink that changed my mind about gin.

The Gin Gin Mule, created by Audrey Saunders of Pegu Club, made me a happy gin drinker after years of swearing I'd never touch the stuff.  As we speak, I have eight different brands in my home bar, a small miracle. It's a wonderful summer cocktail, perfect for the nearest porch or patio in your vicinity.

Cheers!

 

Gin Gin Mule:

3/4 oz. lime juice
1 oz. Simple Syrup
6-8 sprigs mint
1 1/2 oz. Tanqueray  (Audrey's preferred gin for this drink)
1 oz. ginger beer**

Combine the lime juice, simple syrup, and mint in a mixing glass; muddle well.  Add the gin and ice, then shake well.  Strain into an ice-filled highball glass.  Top with the ginger beer.  Garnish with a sprig of mint and a piece of crystallized ginger.  Serve with a straw.  

Simple Syrup - Add 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a saucepan.  Bring to a boil; stir to dissolve sugar and remove from the heat.  Let it cool and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 month.

**Audrey makes her own ginger beer at Pegu Club but you can use a good-quality, purchased ginger beer, such as Fever Tree (my absolute favorite!) or Reed's Extra Ginger Beer. 

Sweet Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad

I have a wealth of inspiration in my Pinterest boards, so I'm making a concerted effort to try some of the many recipes and projects I've pinned. Eventually, I hope to move them off of my inspiration boards and onto "tried and true" boards, like this recipe from Baba Ganuj.

I've been craving lentils, so I kept thinking about this salad. Also, I was hosting a craft gathering Monday night and wanted to make something light, yet substantive. This dish fit the bill. It was really easy to pull together, satisfying, and very good! I've only modified the recipe to the extent that I've revised it a bit to feed a larger group of people (and use an entire bag of lentils). 

 

Sweet Lentil and Goat Cheese Salad
(Serves 8) 

 
For the salad:

1 16-oz. bag of lentils (puy lentils, if you can find them)
4 shallots, finely sliced (save 1 shallot for the dressing)
Pickled beets, thinly sliced, added to taste
4-6 oz. mild goat cheese
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper 

For the dressing:

 
1 finely chopped shallot (saved from the original 4)
7 1/2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
5 teaspoons superfine sugar
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Half of a bunch of fresh cilantro, finely chopped
5 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1. Rinse and sort through the lentils, then place them in a saucepan and cover with water (approximately 2 times more water than lentils). Cook them for 20-25 minutes, until they're cooked through but still have a bite to them. When ready, drain well.

2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the dressing except the olive oil and set aside (add the olive oil to the other dressing ingredients just before tossing the salad).

3. Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and fry the sliced shallots until deep golden brown.

4. In a bowl, toss the lentils with the fried shallots and sliced, pickled beets. Whisk the olive oil into the salad dressing and toss with the lentils (you may not need all of the dressing). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

5. Plate the salad, add goat cheese, then drizzle with a little more dressing, if desired.

 

Photo and original recipe from Baba Ganuj by Su Suk

In Pursuit of Beauty (Part II)

It's my birthday this weekend, and with the gain of another year I thought I'd take my annual dip into the topic of beauty. Yes, inner beauty is of utmost importance, but there's no reason you can't look pretty on the road to enlightment.

Beyond the tips I had last year for turning back time and an economical approach to makeup experimentation, I thought I'd share the makeup tips and products I've been using that have been working for me.

I'm like every busy mother, and because I work from home, there are plenty of days that I roam around without makeup. But that makes the days when I am wearing it a lot more fun. And while I still enjoy experimenting, I also need to get out of the house in a timely fashion, so here's my tried and true.

Lay the Foundation:

I was always a liquid foundation lover, but you can't beat the ease of mineral makeup. I tried a number of brands before settling on my favorite, Raw Natural Minerals Active Mineral Foundation. I've been using it for the last couple of years and it's hands down my favorite of all the mineral makeups I've tried. It stays in place for a good twelve hours, holds up to heat and humidity, supplies coverage from sheer to full, and doesn't look shiny or shimmery. I do have to mix two shades to get the exact color I need, but it's easy to combine the powders in the lid. I love it!

 

Highlight the Eyes:

When you're tired it shows up in your eyes. And as you get older, it shows up more and more. If you use a product like Eye Beam from Smashbox, you can highlight the inner corners of your eye and the brow bone. It's an instant brightener that makes you look younger and more alert.

 

Lale Beauty

Tightlining:

This is a little trick I picked up from Pinterest. If you lift your lid and apply liner at the lash line, from the inside of your eye, it gives you subtle definition that still looks natural. It's great for everyday wear, when you don't want to go all out. I still use the technique at night and apply liner on the top of my lids as well.

Beautylish

 

Enhance the Lips:

I'm lucky in that I have naturally full lips. But I do notice a certain deflation that's taking place over time. It's subtle, but I endured a lot of teasing as a child over my lips. I've earned them and I'd like to flaunt them as long as possible, not to mention that fuller lips automatically make you look younger (unless you've gone the extreme surgical route, which we've seen the unfortunate results of on celebrities who should know better).

So here's the trick - highlight the upper ridge of the lip. This could be a highlighter pencil or even a lighter concealer  (I use an inexpensive highlighter from Maybelline - DreamLumi Touch Highlighting Concealer). The other product I use on top of my lipstick is Sally Hansen Full & Radiant Lip Definer. I like the texture and it adds just enough luminescence to enhance my lips without looking fake and overly shimmery.

The Beauty Department

 

Go Nude:

In my twenties I was all about red lipstick and much deeper shades. The older I get, the better I look with lip shades that are more natural (it also makes your lips look fuller than deeper shades do). This year I went even more natural with Kevyn Aucoin's Flesh Tone pencil in Medium (I use it on my entire lip). I can't tell you how many women stop me and ask what lip color I'm wearing. It's natural, but somehow dramatic. 

 

So there they are, my beauty tips for the year (along with self-confidence, a perennial favorite). And I may be a year older, but you know what - I'm getting better and better with age. I bet you are, too.

Sweet Paul Magazine

I love Fridays, the beginning of a new month, and new magazines on the (virtual) newsstand. Today, I have it all!  

Have a happy weekend!

See Sweet Paul Magazine here.