Glorious Layered Dessert Giveway!

We are so excited that our friend Glory, from the popular baking blog Glorious Treats, has just released a new book! 

Her new recipe book, Glorious Layered Desserts, puts a modern twist on classic trifles. From combinations like Brownie Strawberry Shortcake to Pumpkin Caramel Banana Trifle, Glory teaches you to create simple & beautiful desserts that are sure to make any crowd cheer with delight. This book is a definite must for any home baker or dessert aficionado!

And just to convince you that you NEED this book as part of your collection, Glory is letting us share a recipe from the book!

Fried Iced Cream Cheesecake

Makes 5-6 servings

Inspired by Fried Ice Cream, often served at Mexican restaurants, creamy cheesecake is layered with cinnamon sugar cereal for an unexpected twist.

Dessert Components:

Creamy Whipped Cheesecake (recipe below)

2 cups Cinnamon Cereal (such as Cinnamon Toast Crunch)

Whipped Cream (use the recipe below, or use canned whipped cream)

Maraschino Cherries

Creamy Whipped Cheesecake

1 block (8oz.) cream cheese

¾ cup powdered sugar

½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup heavy cream

Using an electric mixer beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add powdered sugar, cinnamon and the vanilla, and blend until fully incorporated and smooth.  Add (cold) heavy cream, and whip until smooth, and increased in volume by almost double.  

Whipped Cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 Tablespoons powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Chill the bowl and beater (whisk attachment) of your electric mixer by placing them in the freezer about 5 minutes.  This will help your cream whip up faster, and fuller.  

When the bowl has chilled, pour cream into bowl and begin whipping (on medium-high speed).  

When the cream is beginning to thicken, slowly add the powdered sugar, while continuing to beat.  

Then, add vanilla (while mixing).  

Assembly:

1. Crush cinnamon cereal (in a large ziplock type bag), then place crushed cereal in a bowl.  

2. Melt 2 tablespoons butter, and pour over cereal.  Stir well.  Spread cereal onto a baking sheet and bake at 350°F for 6-8 minutes.  Allow to cool.    

3. Prepare Creamy Whipped Cheesecake 

4. Assemble dessert by adding 1-2 tablespoons crushed cereal to the bottom of your dessert dishes.  Add a layer of cheesecake (this will be easiest if you use a piping bag fitted with a large round tip, or add cheesecake to a large ziplock type bag and snip off one corner).  

5. Repeat with another layer of cereal, then cheesecake.  

6. Top with whipped cream and a cherry. 

Enjoy immediately, or keep in the refrigerator (up to 1 hour).        

Are you ready to make some layered dessert? Want to win a copy of Glorious Layered Desserts? Leave us a comment telling us what your favorite dessert is & we will pick a winner at random to receive a signed copy of Glory's book!

Glorious Layered Desserts is available NOW at Amazon, Barnes & Noble,Wal-mart  & Deseret Book

A Mother's Day Picnic & Portable Cocktails

Mother’s Day Brunch is a really lovely idea, but as a mom with a young toddler, I’m looking for another way to celebrate this year. My Mother’s Day game plan this year: picnic and punches. Picnics are so much less stress than a formal brunch and its an easy way to include dads and kids of all ages. 

Pack a basket, some blankets, bubbles, and a few balls and then you can look forward to a lazy afternoon in the park. My husband usually packs a cooler of beer for picnics too, but I’m more of a cocktail drinker myself which got me inspired me to come up with these portable punches. 

Punches are basically big batch cocktails designed to satiate a thirsty crowd. I’m packing ours in the Plastic Soda Bottles and garnishing them with pretty craft sticker labels. 

 Cucumber Gin Lemonade 

Yield: 3 quarts of punch, approximately 12 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar 

1 cup lemon juice, from about 6 medium lemons

1 large cucumber, thinly sliced plus extra for garnish

4 cups water

4 cups ice 

3 cups gin 

Additional lemon slices for garnish 

How To:

Combine the sugar with the lemon juice and water in a large pitcher. Stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the cucumber and steep for 1 hour at room temperature. Add the ice and stir again. Taste and top with additional water as desired. I find 4 cups of water is the perfect balance of sweet to tart!

Strawberry Watermelon Rum Punch

Yield: 2 quarts punch, 8 servings 

Ingredients:

1 quart strawberries, stems removed and cut in half

6 cups cubed watermelon, about 1 personal sized watermelon 

2 cups dark rum 

1/4 cup orange liquor 

1 lime, juiced

How To:

Puree the strawberries and cubed watermelon until smooth in a blender or food processor. Strain the resulting liquid through a fine mesh strainer into a large pitcher. Add the rum, orange liquor, and lime juice and chill for one hour.

A few tips for packing the punches: Use thinly sliced fruit or vegetables and roll them up to fit them into the bottles before filling. A funnel is your very best friend for filling the Plastic Soda Bottles. Be sure to label your bottle after you fill them – I had a few spill overs that would have ruined the labels.

To keep thing easy I’m picking up some greek salad and pitas from our favorite local deli and serving strawberry shortcake in these Paper Ice Cream Cups (the domed lid is prefect for fitting in extra whipped cream). 

Meghan Splawn is a professional recipe developer. She works full-time as part of Alton Brown's culinary team. Her personal blog, Stir & Scribble, is full of clever cooking, classic cocktails, and useful kitchen tips.


source guide & credits:

recipe, styling, and photography: meghan splawn of stir & scribble

plastic soda bottles, tall straws, paper ice cream cups, craft stickers, take out containers, wooden utensils, small napkins: shop sweet lulu


picnic basket and floral picnic blanket: vintage

Sweet May Day Baskets

We made some sweet little May Day baskets this past weekend & wanted to share their uber cuteness with you!

We used some simple craft basics from the shop to create these cuties: double sided crepe paper, gold tinsel pipe cleaners, polkadot paper cups & some green pipe cleaners. Took learn how to make the crepe paper flowers, check out our tutorial by clicking here.

source guide & credits:

concept, styling & photography: jessie senese for shop sweet lulu

double sided crepe paper,  polkadot paper cups & pipe cleaners available at shop sweet lulu