Bee Sting Cake

I made this for a bear-themed tea party. I've been wanting to try it ever since a friend mentioned it to me, and the tea party was a perfect excuse.

Notes:

• I used cornstarch in the filling because I had it on hand. I was a little worried that it would make the filling too gloopy but it ended up being perfect. I personally think it's worth making the filling from scratch.
  

Verdict: The honey caramel topping all sunk to the bottom of my cake during baking. I removed it from the pan and the middle was very soft; I thought it was underbaked, but thankfully it was completely cooked. However, it was not structurally sound enough to split it horizontally and fill the entire cake, so we split and filled the individual slices as we cut them (which was probably better for us anyway, since it's just two of us and the cake wouldn't get soggy that way). I loved the flavor, but it was a lot of work. I would make it again if someone specifically asked for it, and probably use a different recipe with more flour so the topping is more likely to stay on top of the cake, but I probably won't go out of my way to make it again.

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RECIPE: Bee Sting Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

Lemon Ricotta Pancakes

 

What do you do with a large surplus of ricotta when there's still a lot and you're sick of pasta? Make this, I guess.

Notes:

• The weight measurement for the ricotta cheese is really inaccurate; I went by the volume measurement. 
• You might have to adjust your heat as you go. It says to cook them on medium-low but that was too cool for mine so I cranked it to medium and after a couple of batches that was too hot.
• My batch made 14 pancakes.
• I served them with raspberry sauce instead of the sauteed apples because it was what I had, and I liked it.
  

Verdict: I am glad I tried them but they were kind of fussy for pancakes, and I don't usually keep ricotta cheese in the house so I don't think I'll go out of my way to make them again.

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RECIPE: Lemon Ricotta Pancakes (Smitten Kitchen)

Plush Coconut Cake

I made this for Brian's birthday because he likes coconut and we celebrated his birthday during band practice this year. Happy birthday, friend :D

Notes:

• I decorated my cake with toasted coconut, crushed pistachios, and candied violets.

Verdict: I loved the texture (definitely plush, maybe a tiny bit oily but in a good way) and that it was not especially sweet. The crushed nuts added a nice little bit of saltiness to offset the sweet icing. It was also really easy to make. I would definitely make it again, especially if I had a can of coconut milk on hand and wanted a cake on short notice.

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RECIPE: Plush Coconut Cake (Smitten Kitchen)

Candied Violets

I have been wanting to candy violets for a few years now, and this year was the year I finally tried it.

Notes:

• Pick your violets as soon as you notice them opening; this will give the best flavor.
• I picked mine from my backyard -- I don't use pesticides on my lawn so I knew they'd be safe to eat.
  
• I had both purple and white violets. The flavor was similar between them, but I think the purple ones are prettier.
• I made superfine sugar by grinding regular granulated sugar in my mortar and pestle until it was a finer texture.
• Make sure you paint every surface of the flower with the egg white.
• Keeping the stem on the flowers while working with them will make it easier to paint them and cover them in sugar.
• I used them to decorate a cake!
  

Verdict: They were very pretty and turned out how they were supposed to, though I was really skeptical that they'd fully dry. The flavor was really delicate (to the point where I could barely taste it) and I think it is because my flowers may not have been especially fresh -- they may have been open for a couple of days before I picked them. I would consider making these again for a fancy event.

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RECIPE: Candied Violets (In Jennie's Kitchen)

Pasta with Ricotta and Vegetables

What do you do with a large surplus of ricotta? Make this! It's a super quick pasta dish and really versatile. 

Notes:

• Spinach is one of my favorite vegetables to put in this instead of snap peas. Even better with some cherry tomatoes or sun-dried tomatoes in there too if you have them.
  
• I've used other pasta shapes with success (penne, campanelle, fusilli).
  

Verdict: I think I made this 3 or 4 times within 2 weeks. It is a good, quick, reasonably healthy meal to keep in the regular rotation.

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RECIPE: Bowties with Sugar Snaps, Lemon, and Ricotta (Smitten Kitchen)

Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

This sounded really good to me when it scrolled by, so I gave it a try!

Notes:

• Since the recipe is not very precise about how much of each ingredient to use I weighed mine out.
• 110 g carrot (95 g fully peeled/prepared)
  
• 17 g shallot (I would use even less next time, more like 10-12 g fully prepared)
  
• 15 g ginger
  

Verdict: I really liked it! I may use less shallot next time but I would definitely make it again. It's a fresh, bright tasting, and colorful addition to a salad.

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RECIPE: Avocado Salad with Carrot-Ginger Dressing

Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette

Another recipe I saw a picture of, thought it looked and sounded really good, and realized I had everything I needed to make it so I got right on it.

Notes:

• I used brown rice instead of white and shredded cabbage instead of cucumber because it's what I had on hand.
  

Verdict: Absolutely wonderful. The ginger scallion sauce reminds me of a condiment at a restaurant I have been sorely missing. I would love to make this again the next time I find myself with fresh ginger.

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RECIPE: Crispy Rice and Egg Bowl with Ginger-Scallion Vinaigrette (Smitten Kitchen)