We might as well christen this pumpkin week over in the Espresso and Cream kitchen. In addition to eating it non-stop in Healthy Pumpkin Butter form, I’ve also been baking with canned pumpkin. Joey grew up with a mom who frequently had a pan of bars in some shape and form sitting around the house for hungry boys to eat. And every now and again, I like to recreate this in our home, too. Last month it was Banana Sheet … Read More
Watermelon Sorbet
One last hello before we head out for the holiday weekend! I hope where you are or where you are traveling to has a forecast full of sun and warm weather. And if it does, then I have just the thing for you to make. There are very few foods that I really, truly cannot stand. Mayonnaise, Jell-O, mushy vegetables… and watermelon! I know, I know. People rarely understand how the texture of watermelon can make me cringe, since it … Read More
Homemade Almond Joy Candy Bars
Hey, friends! I hope you had a great weekend. My mom spent the weekend with us, which meant Joey and I spent the weekend trying to keep up with her. We played tennis, grilled out and went on an 8-mile run this morning. Exactly how I like to spend my weekend. For as long as I remember, I’ve been intrigued by the idea of making my own candy bars. I don’t really have a clue why, since I can’t … Read More
Peanut Butter Chocolate Cheesecake Ice Cream
This weekend, something so amazing came out of my ice cream maker that I can hardly believe it was me who made it. Chocolate and peanut butter are a killer combination in every form, but chocolate and peanut butter together in cheesecake ice cream form? Absolutely killer. I could keep rambling about how the subtle chocolate flavor compliments the creamy peanut butter perfectly. Or comment on how the cream cheese adds a perfect bit of tang and makes for … Read More
The Only Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe You’ll Ever Need
I don’t like to over-promise on a recipe, and I’m not fond of people who exaggerate. This post title claims that this is the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you will ever need. And it’s neither an over-promise nor an exaggeration. This is the real-deal, the most amazing cookie I’ve ever made, and a big hit in our house. I’ve owned a copy of Desserts By The Yard by Sherry Yard for almost a year now. It’s a beautiful book … Read More
Peach Birthday Cake and a Blogiversary Giveaway!
This week, Espresso and Cream turns two! When I started this blog, I had very few expectations of what it would become and was excited when a few others besides my mom started reading my posts. Two years later, more people than I could imagine visit each day. You guys, the amazing readers of Espresso and Cream, knock my socks off with your comments, e-mails, and Twitter conversations. So to say thank you for making this site what it is, … Read More
Peanut Butter Pie for Mikey
I don’t personaly know Jennifer Perillo, nor did I know her husband, Mikey. But like thousands of others across the web, I was brought to tears after reading her touching post in the wake of her husband’s sudden and premature death. When I first heard the news, I thought immediately to what we as a blogging community could do to offer love and support. Jennifer herself provided the answer: make Mikey’s favorite peanut butter pie on Friday and enjoy it … Read More
Project Wedding Cake: Part 1
On Friday after work, Joey and I took off and headed four hours north west to spend time with our families and friends for the weekend. It was the first time we had been home since the wedding, and seeing everyone was such a great way to spend the weekend. However, it wasn’t just a weekend of play. I also had a mission: making a small, two-tiered wedding cake for the bride and groom to cut into. The bride … Read More
Banana Sheet Cake
Over the past month of marriage, I’ve realized how much more fun cooking has become. Although I could live on smoothies, roasted vegetables and whole grains, it’s been a blast getting to stretch myself in the kitchen again and push myself to come up with meals many nights during the week. Typically, desserts have been a bit of trouble spot for me. I love to eat them, probably a little too much, and more often than not, I found … Read More
Coffee Ice Cream
I’m not going to lie, one of the major perks about getting married had to be all the amazing kitchen gadgets we got from friends and family. It wasn’t that my kitchen was bare and in dire need of pots and pans, but there were a few items that I have had my eye on for some time but was too cheap to actually buy for myself. One of those things being an ice cream maker. Thankfully, our amazing friends … Read More
Berry-Cherry Soft Serve
Write this down. Are you ready for it? If you don’t currently own a food processor, put it down at the top of your list of kitchen items you absolutely need. I promise, it will be the best investment you make for your kitchen, and maybe your health, too. You see, I love ice cream. And if I didn’t have a food processor that enabled me to make healthy, fruit-based soft-serve at home, I would probably eat a lot more … Read More
Belgian Spice Cookies
I realize that it makes absolutely no sense for me to be posting a recipe for spice cookies in June. But sometimes thinking, cooking and eating seasonally-appropriate foods is just so daunting. And sometimes you just want a hearty, soft, spice-filled cookie. Last week during a particularly strong heat wave I had split pea soup from Trader Joe’s, a piece of whole grain baguette and a spice cookie for dinner. It was delicious and I enjoyed it with a … Read More