I enjoy watching Everyday Italian on the Food Network, but my girls like to make fun of Giada’saccent when she says things like “marscapone” or “pancetta.”  It doesn’t bother me, but I have to admit that I cannot read the title of this fancy-pants cake recipe without hearing her voice in my head:

 A White Vanilla Cake with Fluffy Marscapone Frosting Flavored with Anise Hyssop  

1 ¾ cup all purpose flour (fluffed and made light before measuring)
2 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
8 tbs. (½ c) butter, softened
1 ¼ cup sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla
¾ cup milk
3 egg whites (about ½ cup)

Infusion of fresh Anise Hyssop and Candied Anise Hyssop Sprinkles

1 c sugar
1 c water
10 fresh sprigs organic anise hyssop, leaves and flowers removed (this should be about 2 cups loose stack of a mix of young and mature leaves and purple flower clusters)

Anise Hyssop Mascarpone frosting

1 lb. Mascarpone cheese
Anise Hyssop infusion/syrup from recipe above.
  
Directions:

Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans.

Combine the flour, baking powder, and salt and sift them together into a small bowl. Set aside.
Put the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl, and beat until smooth and well blended.
Stir the vanilla and the milk together and add to the butter-sugar mixture in two stages alternately with the flour mixture, beating until the batter is well blended and smooth after each addition.
In a separate mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until they are stiff but moist. Gently stir one-third of the beaten whites into the batter. Fold the rest of the beaten egg whites in.
Divide between the prepared cake pans. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and let cool in their pans for 5 minutes, then turn out of the pans onto a rack to cool completely.
****************************
Infusion of fresh Anise Hyssop and Candied Anise Hyssop Sprinkles:

To make anise hyssop infusion/syrup bring water and sugar to a boil and add anise hyssop leaves and flowers. Stir to coat. Remove from heat and let cool stirring occasionally. Strain out leaves and squeeze to get all remaining liquid out. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Save the candied pulp and gently tease the leaves and flowers apart. Spread on a cookie pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with granulated sugar. Air-dry for several days or in a convection oven set at lowest temperature (1300) until crispy dry.

Chop the dried candied anise hyssop leaves in an electric food chopper until they resemble medium ground pepper. These have a lot of flavor and can be used to decorate the frosted cake or for other recipes.
****************************

Anise Hyssop Mascarpone frosting:

Beat mascarpone until smooth.
Slowly stream in 1 cup of Anise Hyssop infusion/syrup until smooth and fluffy (like whipped cream). Fill and frost cooled cake.

Any left over syrup can be refrigerated for up to 3 months. It’s really good as a flavored sweetener for hot or cold drinks.

Image and recipe credit: Oakland  House Seaside Inn via BnBfinder.com

Post from: Blisstree

Fancy-Pants White Cake

Photo: SXC

This is the perfect solution for a busy mom who wouldn’t mind getting away, but would mind having to leave for a vacation on a specific weekend and might not care for the location the kids picked out. The gift certificate they received was really nice, but BNBFinder.com also offered a fast email gift certificate option for people looking to pick up a last minute gift for their moms.

Post from: Blisstree

Give Mom a Mini Vacation for Mother’s Day

This recipe is a specialty of the Candlight Inn in Napa, California - just about 4 hours south of me. The Candlelight Inn is located in the heart of the California wine country, on grounds surrounded by beautiful Redwoods and Cypress Trees. They serve a 3-course breakfast each and every morning in a gorgeous romantic atmosphere.

Artichoke and Roasted Red Pepper Strata

Ingredients:
12 eggs
2 tsp. hot sauce
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup melted butter
1 pint cottage cheese
1 lb. shredded cheese, such as Jack & Cheddar mixed
8 oz. marinated artichoke hearts, coarsely chopped
8 oz. roasted red peppers, chopped
4 slices white bread, crusts trimmed off and cut into cubes

Directions:

Beat eggs and add hot sauce. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together, whisk into eggs. Add melted butter, then fold in cottage cheese, shredded cheese, artichoke hearts, and roasted red peppers.

Sprinkle bread cubes into 2 buttered 8″ x 8″ glass baking dishes. Pour egg mixture evenly over the top. Recipe can be prepared ahead up to this point, covered, and refrigerated over night.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until eggs are firm and knife comes out clean. Garnish with sour cream and green salsa. Serves 16.

Recipe posted with premission from BNBFinder.com
Image credit: BNBFinder.com

Post from: Blisstree

Roasted Red Pepper and Artichoke Strata