Friends Food Family

Pigs in the Mud Peanut Butter Fudge Cake - Piggy Cake

Last week I saw a picture on my Google+ account of a cake with pigs. It was adorable. Sadly, the only thing I know about the cake is a link which came from tumblr called Pigs in Mud Cake. I decided to post it on my Facebook account expecting the same amount of comments that I normally receive...between 4-6.

After a large response to the picture, people were looking for the recipe. So, last night my daughter, Danielle, and I decided to make the cake. I went to the local craft store to look for fondant. You need this to make the pigs for the cake. It is similar marizpan, and edible. I was able to find Duff's Fondant, the cake creator from Ace of Cakes. He has a line of fondant which happens to come in pink. Since I couldn't open the container of fondant in the store, I decided to buy some white fondant, too. I stopped by the ribbon section and bought a flowery designed ribbon to tie around my cake. 

Next stop was the grocery store. I didn't want to make a cake from scratch (I can't believe that came out of my mouth!) so I grabbed a box of Devil's Food Cake, a few packages of Kit Kat bars and some heavy cream. I now had everything I needed.

We made the cake according to directions and placed the batter in two 8" cake pans. While the cake was baking, we made the ganache and put it aside to cool to room temperature and then started mixing the frosting. We decided on a peanut butter frosting because of the dark chocolate ganache. We make this cake called the Reese's Peanut Butter Cake. It has dark chocolate cake, peanut butter frosting and then we put chocolate ganache all over the cake. It is a huge hit, wherever we take it. Oh, and there are no calories...

After the cake and ganache were cooled, we started by frosting the cake with the peanut butter frosting. We kept the center and top frosting thinner than the sides. I needed the kit kat bars to stick and I didn't want the cake to be any higher than it needed to be. There isn't much length to a Kit Kat bar.

We opened the Kit Kat's and broke each package into 2 bars. We did find there were some height issues so I took a bag of Hershey's Mini Kisses and put a row of them at the bottom of the cake. We then placed the Kit Kats above the mini kisses which made the fence for the pigs the right height.

We let the cake rest and started making our pigs. The pink fondant was very bright so we added white fondant to the pink. It softened the color quite a bit and we decided to have brighter pink pigs rather than flesh colored. In hindsight, we probably should have mixed the pink fondant into the white. It would have given the white a perfect rosy color.

NOTE: Please look at the pigs on the cake for ideas. We also found a video on making fondant pigs at Candy Ribbon Sweets. Take a look, it will give you some ideas.

Once your pigs are made, pour the chocolate ganache on the top of the cake. It should be thick enough to swirl and the consistency of mud. Place your pigs. Our pigs were probably bigger than the original photo but I do like that they fill the pig pen.

Tie a ribbon around the cake and you are done!

I hope you enjoy the cake as much as we have. We are looking forward to making the "Pigs in the Mud" Cake again. Our biggest problem...we didn't want to cut it because it looked too (pig) pretty!

Ingredients for the Pigs in the Mud Cake:
1 box of your favorite cake mix - we used Devil's Food Cake
1 package of Hershey's Mini Kisses
6 Kit Kat Bars, broken into two sticks each
ribbon for decoration

Peanut Butter Frosting
1-1/2 cups of softened butter
1-1/2 cups of chunky peanut butter
2 teaspoons of vanilla
3-4 cups of confectioner's sugar

Chocolate Ganache
1 cup of heavy cream
2-1/2 cups of bittersweet chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of butter

Pigs
1 - 8 ounce container of pink buttercream fondant
1 - 8 ounce container of white buttercream fondant

Preparation:

1. Starting with your favorite cake mix, make according to manufacturer's directions. Bake in 2 - 8" round cake pans.

2. While cake is baking, start the chocolate ganache. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, add the heavy cream and heat until there is a slight simmer around the edges. Do not allow it to boil.

3. Remove from heat and add the chocolate chips. Allow to sit for a minute or two and then begin to mix the melted chocolate with the cream. Once the ganache is completely incorporated, add the butter. Put aside and allow the mixture to cool completely.

4. Start the peanut butter frosting : In a mixing bowl (using a beater), beat the butter and peanut butter together until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat. Start by adding one cup of confectioner's sugar at a time. Beat until blended. After the 3rd cup taste the frosting. Adjust the confectioner's sugar to your taste. We like a less sweet frosting so the peanut butter flavor will come through. We put in about 1/2 to 3/4 cup more.

5. Soften fondant according to directions. Our fondant was very pink so we mixed half white and half pink to softened the color. Making it again, I would probably use more white and add pink to it for a lighter pink. Using a knife and toothpicks, create pigs. For tails - we wrapped a thin piece of fondant around a skewer and let it set for a minute or two, then removed it. Create your pigs (look at the two pictures for ideas...be creative!). See the link above for a video of making fondant pigs.

Assembly: (please read storyline for more in depth directions)

1. Place one layer of cake on a plate or platter and frost top and sides with peanut butter frosting. Add second layer and frost the top and sides.

2. Place a row of Hershey Mini Kisses around the base of the cake.

3. Line the Kit Kat bars around the cake in sets of two. It takes 11-12 (sets of 2 kit kats) to surround the cake.

4. Pour chocolate ganache on the top of the cake and swirl.

5. Add pigs and tie with a ribbon a choice.

6. Stand back and smile, your "Pigs in the Mud" Cake is complete!

Written by Tricia White

Oatmeal Cookie Brittle with Craisins and Almonds or Coconut and Chocolate Chips

(Oatmeal Cookie Brittle with Craisins, Almonds and Cinnamon)

In my last post, Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle, I spoke about finding a number of different cookie brittle which I made for this year's Super Bowl Party. At the time, I was looking for a fun dessert that people could enjoy while watching the game; dessert finger food.

For me, the best brittle was this Oatmeal Cookie Brittle. I found the recipe on Cookie Madness. What I loved was that there was no flour in the recipe. So, for all those who are looking for a gluten free cookie recipe, this is a great treat. When I made it the first time, it called for coconut and I decided to put mini chocolate chips with the coconut as I love the flavor of oats, coconut and chocolate. The finished cookie brittle tasted like a granola bar, but a bit sweeter. The butter and brown sugar made for a caramel, melt in your mouth taste that most granola bars are missing. It was sweet and crunchy and addictive. I will warn you, breaking off a few little pieces will cause you to succumb to a big piece. I've seen it happen. And, of all the cookie brittle I made for the party, the oatmeal cookie brittle went the fastest. It's definitely not as heavy as the others.

I was lucky, on the Friday night before the Super Bowl, we had friends over who sampled all the brittle. When I got ready to make the second batch for Sunday, I decided to change the recipe a bit. Instead of coconut and chocolate chips, I would substitute craisins, almonds and a little bit of cinnamon. What a hit! It wasn't as sweet and had a nuttier taste between the oats and the almonds. I actually would like to try a trail mix style with mini chips, almonds, walnuts and craisins. Sound good?

So brainstorm with me...think of a few different combinations:

1. Mini peanut butter cups (chopped) and peanuts

2. Walnuts, almonds, pecans and peanuts (I bet I could substitute maple syrup for corn syrup)

3. White chocolate with coconut and macadamia nuts

4. Health bar bits and almond slices

5. Coconut and craisins with orange rind

6. Dried apples, raisins, walnuts and cinnamon

The list could go on and on. This is a great base recipe for oatmeal cookie brittle, just use your imagination for the endless possibilities.

Make a batch and tell me about your oatmeal cookie brittle creation!

Ingredients for Oatmeal Brittle:

1/2 cup of butter, melted
1 tablespoon of light corn syrup
1/2 cup of light brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
1 3/4 cups of oatmeal

Chocolate Chips with Coconut
1/3 cup of sweetened flake coconut
1/2 cup of mini semi sweet chocolate chips
or

Craisins with Almonds
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/3 cup of craisins
1/2 cup of slivered almonds

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 13×18 inch cookie sheet with foil.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, corn syrup, sugar, salt, vanilla and baking powder.Make sure all ingredients are incorporated. It make take a minute or two to get the butter to mix with the brown sugar.
3. Add the oats and mix thoroughly.
4. Choose the flavors and add the ingredients from the chocolate chip and coconut or craisin and almonds.
5. Spread the mixture, as thinly as possible, on the cookie sheet.
6. Bake for 20 minutes or until the edges are browned.
7. Cool on a rack. Lift the foil from the pan and break into pieces.

Written by Tricia White

(Oatmeal Cookie Brittle with Mini Chocolate Chips and Coconut)

Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle with Heath Bar Toffee Bits

At the beginning of Super Bowl Weekend, I decided I was going to bring some easy and fun desserts to my friend Maria's house for the Super Bowl. I'm not sure what triggered the search for cookie bark or brittle, but I found myself looking for all sorts of recipes from brownie brittle to oatmeal brittle and even chocolate cookie brittle. By the time I was done, I had a list of different recipes.

I started with Nestle's Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle since most bloggers were using this recipe. I decided to make it as directed and see how it tasted. The first batch was delicious. The brittle was crispy, with tones of caramel, chocolate and nuts. Being a chocolate chip cookie fiend, these definitely made my list of (really) good chocolate chip cookies. I served them to some friends that Friday night during game night...yes, we had a game night, our very first and we had a ball! They got devoured to rave reviews ending in, "Please take these away from me, I think I've eaten the entire tray!" OK, very addicting.

On Sunday, I decided to change up the recipe a bit, I wanted to use mini-chips, rather than regular chips since these cookies were thin and instead of nuts, I would use Heath Bar Toffee Bits. This recipe tasted even better than the first batch with a stronger chocolate caramel flavor. What's nice about this recipe is the ability to adapt the flavor through mix-ins. If you like raisins and nuts, I'm sure they would be delicious, the same with white chocolate and macadamia nuts. Take out the chocolate and heath bar bits and use your favorite chips, nuts or candy. Think of pairing different combinations.

Off to the Super Bowl Party we went, carrying a big tray of cookie brittle. The next few posts will highlight the other brittle we made: Oatmeal Brittle, Brownie Brittle and Saltine Toffee. The reviews to date were that everyone really liked the brittle...and for a few reasons:

1. It's fun and different. People don't normally make cookie brittle so a favorite chocolate chip cookie gets to be crispy and crunchy.

2. No matter how big or small the piece, people can break the brittle and enjoy the amount of dessert they want. My girlfriend, Di, and I were breaking and sharing pieces all night. " Here, try another piece!"

Valentine's Day is next week, what a great treat to send to school, into the office or to your favorite valentine. Easy to make and easy to enjoy. Put Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle on your list of "Things to Make" this weekend. You won't be disappointed.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chip Cookie Brittle with Heath Bar Bits
(Adapted from Nestle's Very Best Baking)
1 cup of butter or margarine, softened
1 cup of white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
1 teaspoon of kosher salt
2 cups of flour
1 cup of mini semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup of Heath Bar Toffee Bits

Preparation:

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and line a cookie sheet (approx. 12 x 18) with aluminum foil.

1. Cream butter, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until well blended and creamy.
(I do this by hand, but you can use a mixer.)
2. Add salt and flour and mix until incorporated.
3. Mix in mini chocolate chips and toffee bits.
4. Break up pieces of dough and sprinkle on the cookie sheet.
5. Press dough to form a layer across the bottom of the pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Allow to cool, lift the cookie out of the pan, using the foil.
8. Peel back the foil and break the cookie into pieces.

Enjoy!

Written by Tricia White

Slow Cooker Mustard Barbecued Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Grapefruit Coleslaw

I've been meaning to get this recipe posted, I guess I'm just suffering from writer's cramp. 

And I shouldn't be having difficulty writing this post because this sandwich is really good! We served these delicious pulled pork sandwiches for last year's Super Bowl game when the New England Pats got CRUSHED. In the midst of the depression of the game and the excitement of the food, I didn't get to take pictures and before I knew it, the food was gone and the plates were empty.

We wanted to serve pulled pork sandwiches for the Super Bowl and started looking through our many cookbooks. Jeff came across this recipe, Slow Cooker Mustard Barbecued Pork in the Southern Living 2012 Annual Recipes Cookbook. It was under the Slow Cooker Winter Barbecue and it had some great suggestions for side dishes. We figured we'd give it a try. Getting the pork ready for the slow cooker was very easy, and very yellow. The first time we made it, I kept looking at the pork butt sitting in the slow cooker with the mustard glaze (yes, bright yellow). I'm not a big mustard fan. I will use mustard in recipes because I understand the importance of the flavor in a dish, but to put it on a sandwich...I'll pass. I kept thinking that the mustard would overwhelm the dish, but it didn't. It makes the dish very flavorful. You get hints of the mustard and the sweet and sourness of the other ingredients which allow the entire dish to balance perfectly. 

Now, how about some grapefruit coleslaw to go on that mustard barbecued pulled pork? When we found the pulled pork recipe, there was a recipe for three different types of coleslaw: Simple Slaw, Lone Star Slaw (with the grapefruit) and Lowcountry Slaw (made with simple slaw, 1 cup of sliced pickled okra and 2 tablespoons of pickled okra juice). I definitely wanted something different and the Lone Star Slaw was calling me. It was perfect for the pulled pork. It had a sourness from the grapfruit, yet, the sweetness of the cabbage gave it balance. I kept thinking, this is going to be amazing on the pulled pork.

It's time to put the sandwich together.

Jeff makes these amazing rolls which we butter glaze and sprinkle with a mixture of kosher salt, sugar and dill. That was our roll of choice and one of these days, I will blog about the rolls. So, until then, grab a sandwich roll of choice and place some of the mustard barbecued pulled pork on the bottom bun half. Make sure you dip the pork in the wonderful sauce. Place a heaping spoonful of grapefruit coleslaw on top and cover with the bun top. Grab with both hands and take a big bite. OK, I'll wait until you finish and can take a big deep breath to comment on the deliciousness of your sandwich.

Wasn't that good? (Just nod...) I told you. 

(So, quickly check the recipe ingredients and get your pork butt in the slow cooker...you still have time to enjoy this for Super Bowl Sunday!) And may the best team win!

Ingredients for Slow Cooker Mustard Barbecued Pulled Pork

1/3 cup of brown sugar, firmly packed
2-1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
1-1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder
1-1/2 teaspoons of paprika
1 teaspoon of onion powder
1/2 teaspoon of ground red pepper
1 (4- to 5-lb.) bone-in pork shoulder roast (Boston butt)
1 cup of yellow mustard
1/3 cup of honey
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1-1/2 teaspoons of Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
1. Mix the first 6 ingredients together. Rub this brown sugar mixture over the roast; place the roast in a lightly greased 6-qt. slow cooker.
2. Whisk together the mustard, honey, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Pour mustard mixture over the top of the roast.
3. Cover and cook on the low setting for 8 to 10 hours (or on the high setting for 4 to 6 hours) or until meat shreds easily with a fork.
4. Let stand 15 minutes. Shred pork with a fork; stir until sauce is incorporated.

Ingredients for Lone Star Grapefruit Slaw
Simple Slaw
1/4 cup of apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup of canola oil
2 tablespoons of mayonnaise
1 tablespoon of honey
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 teaspoon of celery seeds
1 (16-oz.) package of shredded coleslaw mix

Preparation:
1. In a small bowl. mix together all the ingredients but the coleslaw mix.
2. Once well blended, add to the coleslaw mix.

Stop here if you only want a simple coleslaw.
If you would like to make the Lone Star Grapefruit Slaw version, add the following -

1/2 teaspoon of grapefruit zest
2 tablespoons of fresh grapefruit juice (which you can obtain after sectioning the grapefruit)
1 grapefruit, sectioned
3/4 cup of pecans, chopped and toasted
1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro, chopped

Mix and refrigerate until ready to serve.