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Chicken Pot Pie

There’s nothing like a pot pie on a chilly fall night. I like this chicken pot pie which is based on a Martha Stewart recipe. I modified it somewhat, mostly the “topping” as she calls for puff pastry but I prefer pie dough, croissant dough, or biscuit dough (store-bought is fine by me). The ingredient that Martha uses that really make this recipe different is a little cognac. It really add a richness to the pot pie. Now you can also make this vegetarian by leaving out the chicken and using vegetable stock instead.

Chicken Pot Pie.JPG

Chicken Pot Pie

  • 5 tbsp butter
  • 1 lbs of potatoes (I like the small yellow ones) cut into small pieces, about 1/2 inch
  • 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces*
  • 5 tbsp flour
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 2 medium carrots, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup frozen green beans, small pieces
  • 5 oz mushrooms (optional)
  • 1/2  cup cognac
  • 1 cup milk
  • 3 or so sprigs of thyme (tie these into a bundle)
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Dough of your choice (I use store-bought)

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottom pot, again I love my Le Creuset Dutch Oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the onion, potatoes, and carrots. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and carrots are tender (about 8 minutes). Add the mushrooms and cook for another 4 minutes. Add the cognac and cook for a minute. Add the flour and cook for another minute, stirring constantly. Pour in chicken stock, milk, and thyme bundle. Bring it to a simmer, stirring, until it’s thick and bubbly.  Add chicken and green beans. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Now transfer it to either a casserole dish or ramekins, which is what I like to use, removing the thyme bundle. Now roll out your dough and cut it to fit your dish and place it over your dish. Cut a hole in the middle so the pot pie(s) can vent.

Bake in a 400 degree oven, loosely covered with foil, for 10 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 25 minutes. Now you can make the crust nice and golden brown by adding an egg wash. 1 egg and about a teaspoon of water whisked together and brushed onto the dough. I recommend putting your dish on a cookie sheet in case it spills over, it makes clean up easier.

*Now for the chicken you have 2 options. You can precook it, which I do using a Anova Sous Vide (I’ll be posting about what this is soon). Or cook it before anything else. In your heavy pot add 2 tbsp of oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken, that’ll take about 4 or 5 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside, then follow the above recipe.

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Banana Cream Pie

Ok I’m a big fan of banana cream pie. I had a coworker when I was in college who was sweet enough to make it for me for my birthday. Again this is one I modified from an existing recipe. I didn’t like the way the filling turned out as it was pretty much plain vanilla. I guess all the banana flavor was supposed to come from the slices of banana in the pie. Uh no. So I added a little banana liqueur and it made a huge difference. Enjoy!

Banana Cream Pie

Banana Cream Pie:

  • 1 pie crust, baked (recipe below)
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 3⁄4 cup white sugar
  • 1⁄3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
  • 3 egg yolks, slightly beaten
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 3 or 4 bananas
  • 2 tbsp banana liqueur

Directions :

In a medium bowl lightly beat the 3 egg yolks and set aside.

In large saucepan, combine the sugar, flour and salt.

In a medium saucepan, scald* the milk. Gradually stir in the scalded milk with the sugar/flour mixture. Over medium heat, stirring constantly, cook until thickened. Cook for another minute or two.

Stir a small amount of the hot mixture into beaten yolks a little at a time. Do this until you have incorporated about 1 to ½ cups. Then stir yolk mixture into the milk/flour/sugar. Add 2 tbsp of banana liqueur.

Cook for one minute longer, stirring constantly.

Remove from heat and blend in the butter and vanilla.

Let sit until lukewarm.

When ready to pour, slice bananas and line the bottom in pie shell; pour ½ of the warm mixture over bananas. Add another layer of bananas and pour the rest of the mixture into the shell.

Chill for at least 1 hour then enjoy. Optional: use the 3 egg whites to make a meringue or top with whip cream, this is what I do (recipe below).

*So what does “scald” mean anyway? You heat the milk up until really hot but not boiling or even simmering. Be careful, you don’t want to scorch the milk either.

Pie Crust

  • 6 tbsp cutter cut into small cubes
  • 2 tbsp lard in small chunks
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cup ice water
  • Approx 32 ounces of dried beans
  • Aluminum foil

Directions:

This is a basic pie crust recipe. You can use any recipe you want or go to the store and buy pre-made ones. This one is pretty much from Alton Brown but I don’t use his directions on combining the ingredients or putting the shell together. I tried it and it was a disaster.

Put the butter and lard in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes before making the crust. I tend to cut it up into small cubes or chunks when cold and then chill again, it’s easier to cut that way.

In a food processor combine flour and salt, pulse 3 to 4 times. Add butter and pulse until combines, should look like chunky sand. Add lard and pulse until the lard is combined, should still look like chunky sand. Add water a tablespoon at a time and pulse 3 to 4 times. You want to add as little water as possible, only enough until the dough starts to come together and form a rough ball in the processor.

Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. While waiting put your pie pan and a cookie sheet in the freezer.

Roll the dough out to form a rough circle, try to do this quickly. The idea here is to not work it so much that the butter and lard in the dough melt into the flour. You want a circle that a couple of inches bigger than your pie pan, so if using a 9 inch pan a circle about 11 or 12 inches. Put it on the cold cookie sheet for a few minutes. This will suck out any heat from your rolling it out. Transfer it to the cold pie pan and cut the excess off the edges. You can shape it with those fancy curves first if you like.

Poke some hole in the bottom with a fork. Mold the foil to the crust and fill it with the beans, this will help prevent bubbles in your crust. Bake for 10 minutes at 425 degrees. Remove the beans & foil and bake for another 10 or so minutes in lightly brown. Remove and cool.

Banana whip cream

  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 2 tbsp banana liqueur
  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

Whatever bowl you’re going to use put it in the freezer for about 30 minutes before hand. This really does help with the whipping process. I use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment but you can use a regular old beater. Whip the cream at medium-low speed for a couple of minutes and then slowly start to increase the speed until it starts to thicken. Once you get soft peaks then add the banana liqueur and beat some more until those soft peaks come back. Beat a little more until the peaks get firmer and then slowly add the powdered sugar. Beat until stiff.

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Banana Bread Cake

I’m a big fan of desserts, which I make for friends more than I actually eat myself. This recipe is delicious, the cake comes out incredibly moist. The original recipe had a brown butter frosting which was just too much, way too sweet. So I modified it and added a cream cheese frosting instead. This is another recipe where I’ve kicked it up a notch by adding a little banana liqueur.

Banana bread.JPG

Banana Bread Cake

  • 1 1/2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 stick butter at room temp.
  • 2 eggs
  • 4 bananas mashed, the riper the better.
  • 2 tbsp banana liqueur*
  • 2 tsp vanilla (not that fake crap!)
  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 3/4 tsp salt

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375 degrees. Spray a 9×13 cake pan with non-stick spray. In a large bowl beat together the sugar, sour cream, butter and eggs until creamy. Add in the bananas, banana liqueur and vanilla and beat some more. Now add in the flour, baking soda and salt; beat for about 1 more minute.

Spread evenly in the cake pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes until golden brown. Cool before frosting (recipe below).

Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 16 ounces (2 packs) cream cheese at room temp.
  • 1 stick butter at room temp.
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 tbsp banana liqueur

Directions:

In a bowl beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Scrap down the sides as needed. Add the vanilla and banana liqueur, beat until smooth again. Add in powdered sugar a 1/4 cup and a time, beating until smooth. If a little runny add a little more sugar. Refrigerate before adding to the cake or add it to the cake (if cool) and then refrigerate. Enjoy!

*OK the brand of banana liqueur you use can really make a difference. I used 99 bananas, which is a schnapps, the first time I made this as it’s what I had on hand for when I make bananas foster. Turns out it works really well for the foster, not so much for the frosting of this cake. A little too much harsh alcohol flavor. So I recommend using Dekuyper liqueur instead, it has less of the harsh alcohol taste.

Posted on by Opie · 2 Comments

Cougar Mac & Cheese

Like most people I love a good mac & cheese. My twist on this recipe is I like to use a cheese made by the Washington State University called Cougar Gold. While I know it’s local, I’m sure people who live outside the Pacific Northwest can find a favorite in their area. Or if your lucky enough to be somewhere that they sell Beecher’s Flagship Gold, also a local PNW cheese, you can use that instead; it’s basically the same cheese. I’m sure I’ll get crap for this but I use Velveeta as well. If you’re not a big fan of processed American cheese you can use another cheese that’s really good at melting, such as fontina. I use Velveeta because it’s super easy to work with.

Like my risotto recipe I like to finish this off with some truffle oil at the last-minute before serving. Also this freezes really, really well, so I put it in small ramekins that I have that came with lids. That way I can pull them out, pop them in the oven and 30 mins later eat. Enjoy!

mac and cheese

Mac & Cheese

  • 1/3 cup flour
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (I like to use Sauvignon Blanc)
  • 2 2/3 cups of milk
  • 1/2 cup Velveeta, cut into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1 cup shredded Cougar gold cheese
  • 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cups rigitoni noodles (or macaroni if you like that.
  • Salt & Pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp Truffle Oil (optional)

Directions:

You’re going to want to have the wine and milk close at hand before you start as you are going to be adding them rapidly and doing a lot of stirring.

Melt the butter in a large pan (again I like my Le Creuset Dutch oven) at medium-high heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes. You’re really just getting rid of the flour taste here.

Slowly add the wine stirring furiously. The flour mixture will become solid and pasty FAST. Once the wine is incorporated and pretty much evaporated start adding the milk slowly, still stirring furiously. The idea here is to not have lumps. If you just dump the milk in all at once it’s make the flour mixture lump up so you need to do it slowly so it’s smooth.

Once you have all the milk in there you can add the Velveeta. Stir until it’s pretty much melted. Add the cheddar and Cougar gold and stir until melted. Now while I’ve put specific amount for the cheese in the ingredient list this is really just a basic starting point. Add as much as you like until it tastes the way you want. It’s possible to add too much, and you’ll know if you do because it’ll become to thick, but you can thin it out by adding more milk. Add salt and pepper to taste and add 1 tbsp of truffle oil (optional).

Meanwhile put another large pot of water with a handful of salt (I like corse briny sea salt myself) to boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente (meaning it’s still firm and slightly undercooked). When done drain and put back in the pot. Ideally this will be done just about the time your cheese sauce is done.

Dump the cheese sauce into the pot of pasta. Now here you can either put it in 1 large ramekin or several smaller ones that you have sprayed with non-stick cooking spay. Sprinkle the top with the Parmesan cheese. Loosely cover with foil, try to have it not touch the top of the mac & cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes or so until bubbly and slightly brown on top.

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Spicy Brownies

I’m a big fan of heat, as you’ll discover following this blog. So a lot of the recipes I’m drawn to either  have a kick to them or I’ve added it. This recipe is based on a recipe from, of all people, the figure skater Brian Boitano. Again I’ve switched it up a bit, I like more spice that he has in his recipe and slightly different spice at that.

brownies

Spicy Brownies

  • Non-stick cooking spray
  • 2 cups chocolate chips (semi-sweet, dark chocolate, whatever you like)
  • 2 tsp instant espresso powder
  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, in cubes
  • 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt*
  • 4 tsp ancho chili powder
  • 2 tsp chipotle powder
  • 7 eggs, 4 whole and 3 egg yokes only
  • 1 tbsp vanilla (use real vanilla, not that fake crap!)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup regular sugar
  • Flake sea salt (I like Maldons)

Directions:

Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. Spray 2 mini-muffin tins with the non-stick cooking spray.

In a double boiler, which for me is a glass bowl over a medium size pot with some simmering water, melt the chocolate, butter, and espresso powder until sooth.

Whisk the flour, salt, ancho and chipotle together in another bowl.

Whisk the eggs, egg yoke, and vanilla in yet another bowl.

Once the chocolate mixture is done, take it off the boiler and add the brown sugar and regular sugar. Stir until well mixed and the sugar is somewhat melted. The mixture would be warm, not hot. This is important because we’re adding the egg mixture to it. If it’s too hot it’ll cook the eggs and you’ll have scrambled eggs in the chocolate. Once you have the eggs and chocolate well combined add half the flour and fold it in until just incorporated. Add the 2nd half of the flour and do the same. Let it set about 5 minutes or so, this will allow the flour to be completely absorbed.

With a small ice-cream scoop add the batter to the pre-sprayed muffin tins. The tins should be about 2/3 full. Sprinkle lightly with flake sea salt and bake for 15 minutes. Cool and enjoy!

*Why specifically say Kosher salt? Because regular table salt has iodine in it and this really changes the flavor and is a hold over from when people really didn’t get enough in their diet. That’s no longer the case so why ruin your food with a weird iodine taste? Kosher salt doesn’t have iodine added.

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Mushroom Risotto

Risotto is a pretty versatile and easy dish to make. You can add all sorts of things to it to make it as tasty as you like. Personally I like a nice mushroom version. Add chicken, peas, asparagus, etc to make it go even further. I’ve got a couple of “tricks” that I like to use with mine. The first comes from Giada De Laurentiis. In one of her risotto recipes she tops hers with crispy prosciutto which is delicious! The second is truffle oil. And it generally only take 30 minutes.

Mushroom Risotto

  • 3 plus cups of chicken stock (or vegie stock if you want vegetarian)
  • 1 cup arborio rice
  • 1/2 white wine*
  • 3 tbsp butter divided (2 tbsp and 1 tbsp)
  • 1/2 medium onion
  • 8 oz mushrooms (I like crimini)
  • 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 clove garlic (or more if you like garlic)
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp truffle oil

IMG_1860

Directions:

In a medium pan bring the chicken stock to a simmer.

In a heavy pot, I like a Le Creuset Dutch Oven myself, melt 2 tbsp of butter with 2 tbsp of olive oil (medium high). Saute the mushroom for about 6 minutes. Add onion and garlic and saute for another 2 minutes. Add the last tbsp of butter and the rice, toast the rice for about 2 minutes. Add in the wine and deglaze the pan. Once the wine is pretty much evaporated start adding the chicken stock a ladle full at a time, stirring constantly. Once that’s almost evaporated add another ladle of chicken stock. Keep this up until the rice is tender. Note: if you feel like the stock is getting too low but the rice isn’t close to being done add some water to it and bring it quickly up to a simmer again.

Once the rice is tender pull it off the heat and add the cheese. Stir until it’s melted and then add the truffle oil. Service garnishing with the prosciutto if desired (instructions below).

If you wanted to add additional ingredients, such as chicken etc., add those about 1/2 way through. I pre-cook the chicken if I’m going to add it, this prevents it from getting over cooked.

Prosciutto:

Pre-heat your oven to 400 degrees. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray. Put 4 or 5 slices of prosciutto on the cookie sheet and bake for about 10 mins or until crisp.

*For the wine. Pick something you like to drink (duh) first and foremost. Then base it on the flavors you’d like in your risotto. If you want a creamy, buttery risotto; pick a chardonnay. If you want something a little sharper to match the parmesan, pick Sauvignon Blanc. Or my favorite, Champaign.

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Chipotle Sea salt nuts

This is one of my holiday favorites to make along with Bourbon nuts and pumpkin spice nuts. This one has a kick to it but you can adjust it to your taste. Add rosemary to get an additional flavor kick. If you want sugar free, substitute the maple syrup and brown sugar with agave syrup instead. Feel free to mix up the types of nuts as well, I like an equal combination of pecan, walnut, almond and cashew. Enjoy!

Chipotle sea salt nuts

  • 8 cups of nuts (use whatever mix you like)
  • 1/3 cup real maple syrup (don’t use that fake shit)
  • 1/3 cup brown sugar
  • 3 tbsp of orange juice*
  • 2 tbsp of ancho chili powder
  • 1 tbsp of chipotle powder
  • 1/4 cup minced fresh rosemary (divide in half) – DO NOT USE DRIED ROSEMARY! BLUCK!
  • 1/4 cup flake sea salt – I like Maldon’s
  • Vegetable oil

Rosemary nuts

Direction:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush a large cookie sheet (best to use one with a lip) with a generous amount of vegetable oil.  In a large bowl combine the nuts, 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, maple syrup, brown sugar, orange juice, ancho chili and chipotle. Mix well. Add 1/2 of the sea salt and 1/2 of the rosemary (optional) and mix again.

Spread out on the cookie sheet trying to make sure they’re even and in 1 layer. Bake for 10 minutes and then pull them out and mix them with a spatula. Bake another 10 minutes and pull out and mix again. Another 10 minutes, or until they are nice and golden, and they’re done.  Be careful to watch this last 10 minutes or so as they can easily burn and you don’t want that.

Remove from the oven and toss in the remaining salt (and rosemary if you added that). Let them cook, stirring occasionally to prevent them from sticking together.

*About the orange juice. It may seem weird but it caramelizes in the oven and really adds a unique, delicious flavor.

Posted on by Opie · 3 Comments

Rainy Day Potato soup

So unlike the last recipe, which was fairly healthy, this one is not. But hey, sometimes you need something rich and comforting. I grew up with my mom making this all the time for us. I’ve updated it a little but otherwise it’s pretty much the same as she’d make it. You can use what ever potatoes you have on hand and as many as you like. I chose 1 pound because it struck a good balance, for me, between being to soupy and too much potato; but you can add as many or as little as you like and it will still work. Enjoy!

IMG_1858

Potato Soup

  • 1 lbs potatoes (I like the little golden yellow ones)
  • 3 slices bacon
  • 1 small yellow onion (I like sweet)
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp butter (plus 1 Tbsp optional)
  • 1 Tbsp flour
  • 3 cups chicken stock
  • 2 cups milk (or cream)

Directions:

Slice the bacon into bite size bits, about 1/16th of an inch. Add to a pot with 2 tbsp of olive oil. Brown over medium-high heat until the bacon renders somewhat.
What does render mean? When it’s nice and oily, more so than when you put it in. That means the bacon has released some of it’s fat.
Once the bacon is browned add the potato’s and cook for another 3 minutes, stirring so they don’t stick. Add onion and garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, again stirring.
Remove it all from the pot and add the 2 tbsp of butter and melt it. Once it’s melted add the flour, stirring constantly with a whisk. After 2 minutes it should be good. Slowly add the chicken stock stirring constantly. Once incorporated, add everything back in and bring it up to a boil. Once it’s boiling turn it down to low and simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potato’s are tender.
Why do this? It makes the soup a little thicker, which I like. Not as thick as some clam chowders but still thicker than how my mom would make it.
Add the milk, or in my case cream, and bring back up to a simmer. This is the point where you want to taste to see if it needs salt, I’ve never had to add any as the bacon is enough. Add pepper to taste.
Once it’s hot, it’s ready to serve. I like to add a tbsp of butter as a finish, it had a nice flavor right at the end.
Posted on by Opie · 1 Comment

Quick Chipotle Chili

My future sister-in-law brought this healthy recipe to my attention. I really like it because it’s vegan/vegetarian friendly, all you have to do it leave out the chicken, add an additional can of beans, and substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth.

As usual, I did make some modifications. When I first made it with the recipe it came out way to watery for my tastes. I like my chili a little on the thick side.

It’s pretty quick too. Pre-cook the chicken and it’ll take about 30 minutes. I like to make this in my Instant Pot. You can sauté the veggies in it and them program it to slow cook for however long you need. I can start this first thing in the morning and have it ready for dinner by the time I get home.

IMG_1856

Chipotle Chile

  • 1 tablespoon of olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 1 poblano pepper, diced
  • 1 red bell pepper, diced
  • 4 or so minced cloves of garlic (to taste)
  • 2 chipotles in adobo, chopped*
  • 2 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock
  • 1 chicken breast, shredded (leave out to make vegetarian)
  • 2 (15-ounce) can beans, rinsed and drained (your choice of type, I like black and pinto)
  • 1 (15-once) can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes
  • 1 (6-ounce) can of tomato paste
  • 1 tbsp cumin
  • 1 tsp ancho chili powder
  • salt & pepper to taste

Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, poblano and bell pepper and sauté for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft. Add in the garlic and chipotles in adobo and sauté for another minute, stirring occasionally.

Add in the rest of the ingredients, stir it together, and bring to a simmer. Cover, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes.

Enjoy!

*Why the asterisk? Chipotles are a tricky thing, you never know how hot they’ll be. So if you’re heat sensitive then you might want to start out with just one. If it’s not enough then you can add another. Or add additional Ancho chili powder.

Posted on by Opie · 3 Comments

Limoncello Cake

So this is a favorite of both myself and my friends. It’s excellent, light and not too sweet. While not horribly complicated (I think) it is a little labor intensive but so worth it in the end. I don’t remember what inspired me to create this recipe but I cobbled it together from several different sources. Oh and in posting this I realized no where did I mention, until the assembling part, that you should have Limoncello on hand although it’s implied in the recipe name. It could be optional I suppose but why?

Limoncello Cake

Lemon Curd:

  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • ¾ cup fresh lemon juice
  • Zest of 2 lemons (or 3 if it takes that many to get ¾ a cup of juice)
  • 6 Tbsp unsalted butter (melted)

Whisk together the sugar & eggs in a sauce pan. Add juice, lemon zest & melted butter. Cook on Med Hi heat. Stir until thick, mixture should coat the back of a metal spoon*. Cool on counter, whisking occasionally, for about an hour. Finish cooling in fridge.

*OK so what the hell does this mean? Dip the spoon into the mixture. There should be a nice layer of mixture on the spoon that doesn’t immediately drip off. Run a finger down the middle. Does the line stay? Or does it immediately start to blend back down the spoon. If it stays, it’s done.

Cake:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  • 2 9inch cake pans
  • 2 ¼ cups of sifted flour
  • 1 ½ cups of sugar
  • 3 tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ cup of soft shortening
  • 2/3 & 1/3 cups of milk (split)
  • 1 ½ tsp lemon flavoring
  • 2 large eggs

Sift together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder & salt). Add in shortening, flavoring & 2/3 cup of milk. Mix at medium speed for about 2 mins (may be lumpy, that’s ok). Add 1/3 cup of milk & eggs, mix at medium speed until well mixed (about another 2 mins). Divide equally into the 2 cake pans.

Bake about 30 – 35 mins in a 350 degree oven until done. How do you know it’s done? Take a toothpick and jab it into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean & dry, it’s done. If it has cake batter on it, well then it isn’t done now is it?

Cool cakes on a cake rack. Cut each cake in half once they’re cool. No not down the middle! You don’t need 4 half circles now do you? Cut them horizontally, so you’ll have 4 layers for your cake.

Frosting/Filling:

  • 2 cups of heavy whipping cream
  • 2/3 cup of confectioner’s sugar (that powdered sugar)
  • 16 oz of mascarpone cheese (at room temp)
  • 8 oz of cream cheese (at room temp)
  • 1 ¼ cups of lemon curd (that the first thing you made, just use it all)

Place a large mixing bowl and wire whip beaters in the freezer for 10 minutes. Really this makes the whip cream come out better. Beat the cream until stiff. How do you know when it’s still? Pull out the whisk. There should be a “peak” of whip cream off the end. Does it sag? If not, then it’s stiff.

Slowly add the sugar and continue beating until stiff again. It doesn’t take long.

In a separate bowl beat the mascarpone cheese & cream cheese together until smooth. NO LUMPS! Add the lemon curd and beat some more until that’s smooth. Now add this to the whipped cream mixture and beat until smooth.

Assemble the Cake:

Place the first layer of cake, cut side up on a plate. Pour Limoncello onto the cake, sparingly you lush! You want an even coverage but not have it sopping wet.

Slap on a layer of frosting. Only on the top, don’t bother with the sides yet. Repeat until you’ve done this with all the layers. Once you’ve got the top layer on, now you can frost the sides.

Cake is best if you refrigerate it for several hours before serving.