Mollie + Maggie's 21st Birthday Fiesta

Here is the little Mexican fiesta I threw for my friends, Mollie + Maggie

because, well, they turned 21 (woot woot)

We had a gourmet taco bar with 12 homemade toppings

AND LOTS OF BOOZE.

Enjoy :)

P.S. do this for Cinco de Mayo next year

Oh and P.S. we met Chipper Jones (a.k.a. the Atlanta Braves most famous player)

XOXO, Juliana

Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges

Yesterday was the busiest day ever. My gawd. I was preparing from morning until night for a celebration of one of my best friend's 21st birthday fiesta!! Tomorrow I'll post some pictures and my ideas for her Mexican themed bash... including a liquor shot filled pinata. YES IT'S A REAL THING. There was a bunch of confetti, lots of booze, and a gourmet taco bar with 12 different homemade toppings!! So check back for the deets, y'all. But today, I'm sharing my Watermelon Mojito Jello Shots in Lime Wedges. I have seen ideas floating around the internet for classic mojito jello shots in limes and I have been dying to try them. However, I could not get it out of my mind how I wanted to make watermelon flavored shots. Wouldn't that be adorbz?! UM, well it was. The filling includes watermelon puree, lime juice, steeped fresh mint, and rum (along with gelatin). You pour the jello mix into the lime halves, let them set until hard, cut them into wedges, and finally garnish them. I finished them off with more fresh minced mint & dyed black raw sugar for the perfect watermelon effect. And they were a HIT. They were gobbled up in minutes. Now there is a forewarning here, these are not for the faint of heart. It is a process, a very tedious process. Especially hulling out and peeling the lime rinds of its' pulp. So, if you aren't willing to slave away to prep these guys, you could just pour the jello into plastic shot glasses. Although, they certainly are not as cute. The choice is yours however. I know for sure that these will be a Summer classic and a party favorite from now on!! Enjoy :)

hollowed out lime shells.

fresh mint steeping in the jello mixture 

look at those colors... it screams summer doesn't it?? 

wittle baby watermelons.

For the Watermelon Mojito Wedge Jello Shots:

1 ½C Fresh Watermelon Puree (strained of pulp into a juice)

1C Sugar

4 Envelopes of Unflavored Gelatin

½C Fresh Lime Juice

Pink Dye, Optional (to make them a little brighter)

4 Stems of Fresh Mint Leaves

1C White Rum

Fresh Minced Mint, For Garnishing

Homemade Black Raw Sugar or Watermelon Pop Rocks, For Garnishing

Directions:

1. Preparing the Watermelon Mojito Jello: In a pot, combine the watermelon juice and sugar over medium heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and stir in the gelatin. Add the lime juice and 4 mint stems (with leaves). Allow that to steep for 10-15 minutes. Remove the mint stems and stir in the rum if using.

2. Prepping the Limes: In the meantime hollow out your lime shells (we used roughly a large bag of limes for all the jello filling). This is probably the hardest part of making these. I used a small sharp knife to carve around the inside of the limes and then a melon baller to scoop out the centers. If the insides don't look perfect don't worry! Mine looked far from perfect. Be sure to leave the limes cut in halves until after the jello has set, then you can slice them into wedges.

3. Finishing the Shots: Fill each lime shell with the jello mixture and sprinkle in some chopped fresh mint (from the remaining leaves on that 3rd stem). Place in the refrigerator and allow them to set for at least 3 hours. Cut into wedges and finish by garnishing with fresh chopped mint and a sprinkle some black raw sugar (or watermelon pop rocks if you are feeling crazy) for the “watermelon” look.

source: mojito jello shots.

"Momofuku Style" S'mores Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Cake, Malted Chocolate Cake Soak, Malted Fudge Sauce, Graham Ganache, Graham Cracker + Chocolate Milk Crumbs, Charred Marshmallows, & Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

"Momofuku Style" S'mores Layer Cake with Chocolate Fudge Cake, Malted Cake Soak, Malted Fudge Sauce, Graham Ganache, Graham Cracker + Chocolate Milk Crumbs, Charred Marshmallows, & Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

Hi. Let's all be best friends. 

Okay? Why, you ask, I know. Well, 

Please... just please.

Now, that we got that clear. It's because I don't want to type a lengthy description of today's post. 

That's so lazy of me right? BUTTTT, there's so many components. Wordless Wednesday Monday.

1. Chocolate Fudge Cake 

2. Malted Chocolate Cake Soak

3. Malted Fudge Sauce

4. Graham Ganache

5. Graham Cracker + Chocolate Milk Crumbs

6. Charred Marshmallows

7. Toasted Marshmallow Frosting

That's it. NBD (no big deal). Amirite (am I right)? Right. Make this for everyone you know, and you'll have more best friends than Kate Hudson. She's so likable right? Love her. She has to have a lot of best friends, I just know it. Anyway, perfect for the 4th of July... it screams "Americana". 'Merica, f**k yeah!! Enjoy :)

P.S. Are there any fellow bloggers out there that want to do a guest post? I would love to have some people write recipes for my blog, or vice-versa! Comment below if you would like too!!

For the Malted Chocolate Fudge Sauce:

2oz Bittersweet Chocolate, Chopped

1C Chocolate Malt Ovaltine Powder

1t Sorghum Molasses

¼t Salt

2T Corn Syrup

¼C Sugar

½C Heavy Cream

For the Graham Cracker Milk Crumbs:

1 Sleeve of Graham Crackers, Roughly Crunched & Crumbled

½C Sugar

¼C Milk Powder

½tSalt

7T Melted Butter

  

For the Chocolate Milk Crumbs:

2/3C AP Flour

1t Cornstarch

½C Sugar

2/3C Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder 

1t Salt

6T Melted Butter

For the Chocolate Fudge Cake:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Room Temperature

1 ½C Sugar

3 Eggs

½C Buttermilk

¼C Canola Oil

1t Vanilla Extract

3T Malted Chocolate Fudge Sauce (already prepared)

1 ¼C Cake Flour

½C Unsweetened Dark Cocoa Powder

1 ½t Baking Powder + Salt

     

For the Malted Chocolate Cake Soak:

¼C Milk

2T Malted Chocolate Ovaltine Powder

For the Graham Ganache:

1 ½C Graham Cracker Crumbs

¼C Milk Powder

2T Sugar

1t Salt (plus an extra pinch)

4T Melted Butter

¼C Heavy Cream

2/3C Milk (a little more may be needed for texture)

For the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting:

25 Large White Marshmallows, Toasted or Charred

1C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

2 Sticks of Salted Butter, Room Temperature

1t Vanilla Extract

1 Jar of Marshmallow Crème

Directions:

1. For the Malted Chocolate Fudge Sauce: Combine the chocolate, Ovaltine powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Combine the corn syrup, molasses, sugar, and heavy cream in a saucepan and stir occasionally while bringing to a boil over high heat. The moment it boils, pour it into the bowl containing the chocolate. Let it sit for a minute. Slowly begin to whisk the mixture, and then increase the vigor of your whisking, every 30 seconds, until it is glossy and silky-smooth. Set this aside until ready to use.

2. For the Graham Cracker Milk Crumbs: Preheat the oven to 275 degrees and line a pan with a Silpat, and set it aside. Pour the sleeve of graham crackers into a bowl and crush them with your hands until they are quarter of the original size. Add the milk powder, sugar, and salt, and then toss to mix. Add the butter and toss to coat. This will bind the ingredients together. Spread the clusters onto the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently. Cool completely.

3. For the Chocolate Crumbs: Preheat the oven to 300 degrees and line a pan with a Silpat, and set it aside. Combine the flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, sugar, and salt, and then toss to mix. Add the butter and toss to coat. This will bind the ingredients together. Spread the clusters onto the prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes or until toasted, smell buttery, and crunch gently (breaking them up gently throughout the cooking process). Cool completely. They will harden as they sit.

4. For the Chocolate Fudge Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then prepare your three cake pans by lining them with parchment paper and spraying them with Pam. (either 8 or 9inch pans will work here, as long as you have a 6inch cake ring). Combine the butter and sugar in the bowl of a standing mixer fitter with the paddle attachment and cream them together on medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Scrape down the side of the bowl, add in the eggs, and mix on medium-high heat for 2-3 more minutes. Scrape down the sides once more. On low speed, stream in the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla. Increase to medium-high speed and paddle for 5 minutes, until the mixture is practically white, twice the size of your original fluffy mixture, and completely homogenous. Stop and scrape down again. Add the fudge sauce and mix on low speed until incorporated. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. On low speed, add the flour in and gently mix it until your batter comes together, about 1 minute. Scrape down and mix once again for 30 seconds to 1 minutes until the little lumps of flour are broken down. Pour the cake batter into the prepared pans, evenly. Bake each layer for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center runs clean. Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature (on a cooling rack). Once they have cooled, you need to invert them out of the pan onto a silpat or cutting board. Next, spray your 6inch cake ring with Pam and use it to cut out the cake center (think of it like a large cookie cutter). Repeat with the other cakes, you should have three perfectly round and trimmed cakes (there will be a lot of leftover cake, which means you get to share it or snack on them while you’re decorating). After cutting them, you need to refrigerate them overnight or partially freeze them for a few hours, so that they will be firm in consistency and will hold their shape when assembling the cake.

5. For the Malted Chocolate Cake Soak: Whisk together the milk and Ovaltine until Smooth. Brush this mixture over the cake layers to soak and make it extremely moist.

6. For the Graham Ganache: Toss the graham crumbs, milk powder, sugar, and salt with your hands in a bowl to evenly distribute the ingredients. Whisk the butter and heavy cream together. Add to the dry ingredients and distribute. Place the small clusters into a food processor. Pour the milk into the food processor, along with salt, and puree on medium speed until whipped and smooth. It will take anywhere from 1-5 minutes, depending on how good your machine is. Scrape down the sides to make sure it is completely homogenous. Layer this ganache immediately into the cake layers.

7. For the Toasted Marshmallow Frosting: Place marshmallows on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Place on lower rack of oven, and broil marshmallows until nice and brown on top, between 30-60 seconds. Remove pan from oven and gently turn the marshmallows over, and broil until they are golden brown (be sure to keep an eye on them, they burn very quickly). In an electric mixer fitted with paddle attachment, combine butter and icing sugar on low until blended, about 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix on med-high for about 3 minutes. Add marshmallow cream and toasted marshmallows, and mix on lowest setting for about 1 minute. Char some extra marshmallows to layer in between the layers of cake.

8. Assembling the Cake:This cake could easily be assembled any which way you like, but I decided to make it based off of the famous technique used by Momofuku Milk Bar. This requires a 6inch cake ring, strips of acetate, and pastry frosting bags. Since you have already cut the three cake layers with the 6inch cake ring, those no longer need to be trimmed. But, you will need to prep the cake ring for perfect layering. Place the cake ring onto your serving plate and line it with the acetate. Put one of the layers of cake into the ring; brush on some of the Ovaltine milk mixture (soak it good). Spread some of the graham ganache in an even layer. Sprinkle about 1C each of the prepared graham cracker and chocolate milk crumbs over the gooey butter topping, make sure to gently press the crumbs into the ganache, so the layers will mesh together (or a little more or a little less of the milk crumbs, it doesn’t have to be exact). Either using a pastry frosting bag or a large rubber spatula, add a third of the toasted marshmallow frosting on top of the milk crumbs and smooth it out over the crumbs until they are all completely covered. Top with some charred marshmallows as well. Garnish the frosting with a drizzle of malted chocolate fudge sauce. Repeat this layering process until all the ingredients have been used (you should have 3 chocolate fudge cake layers, 3 layers of milk crumbs, and 3 layers of graham ganache, toasted marshmallow frosting, and charred marshmallows). You can garnish the cake any way you like, but I just made a mound of more crumbs & fudge sauce drizzle. Transfer the tall, layered, assembled cake into the freezer and let it chill for 12 hours (keep the cake in the cake ring and lined with the acetate for the freezing process). At least 3 hours before you want to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer and pop it out of the ring and gently peel off the acetate liner. Let it defrost in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Slice the cake into wedges and serve immediately.

“Momofuku Style” Gooey Butter Funfetti Layer Cake with Birthday Cake Milk Crumbs + Whipped Rainbow Chip Frosting

“Momofuku Style” Gooey Butter Funfetti Layer Cake with Birthday

 Cake Crumb, & Whipped Rainbow Chip Frosting

I've been nonexistent for a week, sorry guys!! But, I have an extra special, super delish recipe to share with y'all today. Since my birthday was last week and my Mountain Man's birthday was Monday, I decided I wanted to go all out for the birthday layer cakes this year. I've been itchin' to make a cake using the Momofuku layering method. If you don't have the cookbook, I sincerely urge you to run out and by Milk Bar's guide to desserts. All of her recipes and ideas are so creative, and I'm not the only one who thinks this, since it has gone viral over the last year. BUT, we couldn't just decide on one cake, so I made two... the first one, which I am sharing with you today, and a second one, which is inspired by one of our favorite summer treats, s'mores (except for the cake is like a cracked out, steroid ragin' version, which is obviously better). So I will post my recipe for that cake next (cough cough, hint hint: keep checking back because it's totally worth it). Now, before I start ranting + raving about how awesome this cake truly is, I want y'all to know, it's quite complicated and most certainly not intended for the faint of heart. The process will be long and gruesome, but you will love it so much that it won't matter that you spent days of baking + prepping for a dessert. Okay, so now onto the specifics... I didn't really use that many exact components from her birthday cake recipe. Instead of a classic funfetti cake, I couldn't help myself from wanting to use Gooey Butter Funfetti Cake. For every layer of cake, there is a generous goo layer on top. It's similar to a cheesecake in flavor, but acts like a dense filling. In other words, it is the money-maker in this joint. I mean, you don't even need all the other components because it's that delicious. The cake is broken up between thick layers of birthday cake milk crumbs and whipped rainbow chip frosting. I love love love these cake crumbs. They give the cake so much texture, as well as a great contrast of color + flavor. PS... always add more sprinkles, there can never be too many of those guys. The whipped frosting clouds are light & fluffy, but slightly tangy from the cream cheese or mascarpone that is folded into it. I just had to add homemade rainbow chips into the mix because they are the best (so don't skip that step, it's way too important). Now that you've gotten the play-by-play, I will urge each and every one of you to not do what I did. Where did I screw up? Well, I thought I was more talented than actually am because I tried to make the entire cake in one whole day. No no no no no. NO. Don't do it. It would be much better if you break up the components and completed a small task every day of the week. Take my word for it, it was practically a workout ("yeah, don't sign me up for cardio"style via Rebel Wilson) for this baker, and not gonna lie, I had a mental breakdown around 3AM in the morning and hysterically dry cried on the kitchen floor (like Kim Kardashian). But, the end result comes full circle when you begin to gently peel off the protective acetate sheets and finally see your masterpiece! It's so beautiful that you might actually consider not cutting into it at all. Don't worry though, all those thoughts will disappear into thin air when the gooey filling begins to ooze out and drip down the cake. Make this, please, just for me. My inner fat kid is still running off that sugar high from the last piece I enjoyed!! Enjoy :)

For the Gooey Butter Funfetti Cake Layers:

2 Boxes of Funfetti Cake Mix (preferably white in color, but yellow cake can be used)

2 Extra Large Eggs, Room Temperature

2 Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Melted

4T Milk

Extra Rainbow Sprinkles (optional)

2 8oz Blocks of Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

4 Extra Large Eggs

32oz Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

2t Clear Vanilla Extract

Pinch of Salt

For the Funfetti Milk Crumbs:

1C Sugar

3T Light Brown Sugar, Packed

1 ½C Cake Flour

1t Baking Powder

1t Salt

¼C + 2T Rainbow Sprinkles

½C Grapeseed Oil (canola + vegetable can be substituted here)

2T Clear Vanilla Extract

For the Whipped Rainbow Frosting:

5T AP Flour

1C Milk

1T Clear Vanilla Extract

2 Sticks of Salted Butter

1C Sugar

8oz Whipped Cream Cheese or Mascarpone, Softened

1 ½C Homemade Rainbow Chips (plus extra for decorating and garnishing)

Directions:

1. For the Gooey Butter Cake Layers: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then prepare your three cake pans by lining them with parchment paper and spraying them with Pam. (either 8 or 9inch pans will work here, as long as you have a 6inch cake ring). In a mixing bowl, mix together the cake mixes, eggs, melted butter, milk, and some extra sprinkles until combined. Separate the dough into thirds and press the dough into the prepared pans, making sure the cake is in an even layer. In another mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, eggs, sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy. Pour this over the cake layers evenly. Bake in the oven for 30-45 minutes, depending on your oven and pan size. You need to make sure that these are completely set in the middle or they will ooze and drip a lot when you go to eat the cake (which is not necessarily a bad thing, but not pretty for presentation). Remove the cake pans from the oven and let them cool completely to room temperature (on a cooling rack). Once they have cooled, you need to invert them out of the pan onto a silpat or cutting board. Next, spray your 6inch cake ring with Pam and use it to cut out the cake center (think of it like a large cookie cutter). Repeat with the other cakes, you should have three perfectly round and trimmed cakes (there will be a lot of leftover cake, which means you get to share it or snack on them while you’re decorating). After cutting them, you need to refrigerate them overnight or partially freeze them for a few hours, so that they will be firm in consistency and will hold their shape when assembling the cake.

2. For the Funfetti Milk Crumbs:Heat the oven to 300 degrees and line a baking sheet with a Silpat. In the bowl of a standing mixer, fit with the paddle attachment, combine the sugars, cake flour, baking powder, salt, and sprinkles. Mix on low speed until well combined. Add in the oil and vanilla extract and paddle again until small clusters have formed. Spread the clusters onto the prepared baking sheet and cook for 25-30 minutes (while making sure to continually check them and break them up occasionally). The milk crumbs might be soft to touch until they have completely cooled; they will harden as they sit.

3. For the Whipped Rainbow Chip Frosting: In a small saucepan, whisk flour into milk and heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. You want it to be very thick, thicker than cake mix, more like a brownie mix is. Remove from heat and let it cool to room temperature. (If I’m in a hurry, I place the saucepan over ice in the sink for about 10 minutes or so until the mixture cools.) It must be completely cool before you use it in the next step. Stir in vanilla. While the mixture is cooling, cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. You don’t want any sugar graininess left. Then add the completely cooled milk/flour/vanilla mixture and beat the living daylights out of it. If it looks separated, you haven’t beaten it enough! Beat it until it all combines and resembles whipped cream. Once it has reached the consistency that you like, gently add in the mascarpone or whipped cream cheese, and beat it lightly to make sure that it is combined. It should be fluffy and light, but smooth. Gently beat or fold in the homemade rainbow chips until incorporated throughout the frosting.

4. Assembling the Cake:This cake could easily be assembled any which way you like, but I decided to make it based off of the famous technique used by Momofuku Milk Bar. This requires a 6inch cake ring, strips of acetate, and pastry frosting bags. Since you have already cut the three cake layers with the 6inch cake ring, those no longer need to be trimmed. But, you will need to prep the cake ring for perfect layering. Place the cake ring onto your serving plate and line it with the acetate. Put one of the layers of cake into the ring, making sure to keep the gooey butter topping facing upwards. Sprinkle about 1C of the prepared birthday cake milk crumbs over the gooey butter topping, make sure to gently press the crumbs into the gooey layer, so the layers will mesh together (or a little more or a little less of the milk crumbs, it doesn’t have to be exact). Either using a pastry frosting bag or a large rubber spatula, add a third of the frosting on top of the milk crumbs and smooth it out over the crumbs until they are all completely covered. Garnish the frosting with an even layer of sprinkles. Repeat this layering process until all the ingredients have been used (you should have 3 gooey butter cake layers, 3 layers of birthday cake milk crumbs, and 3 layers of whipped rainbow chip frosting). You can garnish the cake any way you like, but I just made a mound of more crumbs & extra sprinkles for our presentation. Transfer the tall, layered, assembled cake into the freezer and let it chill for 12 hours (keep the cake in the cake ring and lined with the acetate for the freezing process). At least 3 hours before you want to serve the cake, remove it from the freezer and pop it out of the ring and gently peel off the acetate liner. Let it defrost in the refrigerator for at least four hours. Slice the cake into wedges and serve immediately.