Saturday Down South: University of Alabama-Inspired Houndstooth Pudding Trifle with Homemade Red Velvet Pudding, Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, Crushed Double Stuffed Oreos, + Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles

The Haute + Heirloom blogger has returned, yay!! I know I have been gone for-like-ever and I apologize for that, but I have been extremely busy and my personal life is in shambles. I hate that I haven't posted some of my new recipes, but I'm back, and the recipes are even BETTER. It's a 100% guarantee, mmk? As many of my followers know, we are huge football fans. Obviously, Alabama comes in first in the ranking, and just behind them comes University of Georgia + the Atlanta Falcons. So if you're a Georgia gal like me, this dessert is perfect for all three teams and all of your buddies will love you for making a pan of this trifle during the long day of tailgatin'. Trust me on that one. My usual go-to dessert had always been my Gourmet Banana Pudding, but I wanted something festive to celebrate with... and this is certainly festive. If you didn't know already, Alabama's team colors are crimson + white, but the school has incorporated the pattern of houndstooth into the scheme as well. The tradition of houndstooth comes from the greatest college football coach of all time, Bear Bryant. He wore a houndstooth hat to every single game, and well, it caught on like wildfire. Now it's almost impossible to not see someone with houndstooth on during the game day. So, when I first started concocting this dish in my head, it became clear to me that I wanted the same idea that I use for banana pudding. Instead of creamy vanilla bean pudding, there is a luscious + homemade red velvet pudding. You have to know by now that my obsession with "red velvet desserts"is quite unhealthy and I tend to go overboard, but hey who's counting anyway. Next, I used crushed up Double Stuffed Oreos rather than the homemade shortbread because I needed the contrast of the black + white cookies to represent the houndstooth concept. And hell, who doesn't like Oreos... I sure do!! What's even better about them is that if you let the pudding trifle sit in the refrigerator for 1-4 hours (or overnight if you need to) like we did, the cookies begin to soften to the texture of the Oreos in cookies + cream ice cream. They literally, like, melt in your mouth. Lastly, you have to make the "frosting" type whipped cream layer. It has the tang of a cream cheese frosting (which is what all red velvet cakes must have), the sweetness from the sweetened condensed milk, the delightful cloud-like fluff from the Cool Whip, oh and don't forget that vanilla bean that is added in because that is so much better than vanilla extract. One fun ingredient I found for this dessert are some of Betty Crocker's yummy Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles. And let's be honest, sprinkles make every dessert so much better, it's a scientific fact. To be frank, these are double the fun because they are sprinkles that taste like cake.... woah, woah, WOAH. Mind Blown. These Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles also give the dish a little crunch with each bite. Textures galore here, folks!! I hope y'all enjoy this pudding trifle as much as we did because it's already on our tailgate menu for the Alabama-LSU game in Tuscaloosa in November. So go on, start cookin' it :)

the beginning of making the homemade red velvet pudding

assembling like a beast

check out those layers, guys

The Close Up: Amazing Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles

And the best shot of them all... a perfect spoonful of every glorious layer :)

For the Classic Pudding Mix:

½C Cornstarch

¼C Buttermilk or Milk Powder (I used buttermilk since it’s a key component in red velvet cake)

1C Cake Flour (AP Flour can be substituted if you don’t have it)

1 ½C Sugar

1t Kosher Salt  

For the Homemade Red Velvet Pudding:

3C Whole Milk, Divided

¾C Classic Pudding Mix (above; you will have leftover mix, but now you can make more of it)

5T Cocoa Powder, Sifted

Generous Pinch of Salt

¼C Sugar

2 Eggs

1T White Vinegar

2T Salted Butter

2t Vanilla Extract

1T Cream Cheese Emulsion

Red Food Coloring (use as much as you want until you reach your desired red color)

For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream:

8oz Cream Cheese, Softened

1 Can of Sweetened, Condensed Milk

1T Cream Cheese Emulsion

¼C Heavy Whipping Cream

16oz Cool Whip, Defrosted

1 Vanilla Bean, Split + Scraped for Seeds (if you don’t have vanilla bean, sub in 2t vanilla extract)

Generous Pinch of Salt  (or to taste)

For the Houndstooth Trifle:

Prepared Homemade Red Velvet Pudding, Completely Chilled

Prepared Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, Completely Chilled

1 Box of Double Stuffed Oreos, Crushed into Bite Size Pieces

1 Container of Betty Crocker Red Velvet Cake Sprinkles (chocolate sprinkles can be subbed in)

Directions:

1. For the Classic Pudding Mix: Combine the cornstarch, flour, buttermilk powder, sugar, and salt. Whisk the mixture until it is a cohesive mixture is formed. Set this pudding mix aside. If you have any remaining pudding mix left, store it in an airtight container.

2. For the Homemade Red Velvet Pudding: Pour 2 ½C of whole milk into a medium sized saucepan or pot. Turn on the stove to low heat and allow the milk to get hot (with some slight steaming), but make sure the milk does not start boiling! While the milk is heating, get another mixing bowl and whisk together the pudding mix, sifted cocoa powder, sugar, 2 eggs, a generous pinch of salt, white distilled vinegar, and the remaining ½C of whole milk. While whisking, make sure it is a smooth, creamy, chocolate liquid. Once the milk is hot, add in the chocolate liquid to the hot milk and whisk vigorously (so that the eggs won’t cook and curdle). Then add in the salted butter, vanilla extract, cream cheese emulsion, and red dye. Increase the heat to medium or medium-low while whisking continuously because the pudding could easily burn. Cook and whisk until the pudding mixture starts to thicken, this usually takes about 8-12 minutes, depending on the thickness that you prefer. During the cooking period, make sure to taste test it to see if it needs more salt or vanilla (do it to taste) When it has reached your desired consistency, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. It will continue to thicken a little more as it cools and sits. Press a piece of plastic wrap onto the top of the pudding; this will help the pudding to remain smooth and also prevents it from developing a “skin” on top.  Cool the pudding until it is completely chilled and store in the refrigerator until you need to use it.

3. For the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream: Place the softened cream cheese, vanilla bean seeds, heavy whipping cream, cream cheese emulsion, and a pinch of salt into the bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment. Beat the cream cheese at medium speed until it smooth and slightly whipped, about 1-2 minutes. With the mixer still on, pour in the can of sweetened, condensed milk and mix until it is a cohesive, creamy mixture (also make sure to scrape down the sides and the bottom of the bowl to get any remaining cream cheese that is stuck). This should take another 1-2 minutes. Lastly, gently fold in the defrosted (yet still cold) Cool Whip, so that it is completely incorporated, but still has a light and airy texture. Cool the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.

4. Assembling the Houndstooth Pudding Trifle: Get your favorite serving piece (preferably a glass trifle dish, so that you can see every layer) and begin the layering process. Start off with a base of crushed double stuffed Oreo cookies. Next, dollop some of the homemade red velvet pudding all over the cookies and then gently smooth it out, so that the Oreos are completely covered. Following the same method as the pudding, dollop the cream cheese whipped cream on top of the red velvet pudding and smooth the top as well. Spread some of the red velvet sprinkles evenly over the cream cheese whipped cream. Repeat the layering process of crushed cookies, red velvet pudding, cream cheese whipped cream, and red velvet sprinkles until you have run out of all of the different components. 

5. You can enjoy the pudding now, but I personally prefer to let it sit in the refrigerator, so that the pudding and whipped cream have firmed up, while the cookies are soft (think of the softened textures of Oreos in cookies + cream ice cream). You can chill it from 1-4 hours… or even overnight if you want or need to! Besides that, it’s time to chow down on your festive football dessert. And hey, it’s also great for UGA + Falcons fans as well!!

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

Chewy Red Velvet Cookies with White Chocolate Chips, Birthday Cake
Oreo Truffle Pieces, & Cheesecake Filling

I've been wanting to make Red Velvet Cookies for a while now, but homemade... all from scratch. No box mixes. I struggled for a while trying to make a recipe that would yield chewy cookies because all of the other ones I had made were quite cakey. No thank you. Don't y'all worry your little hearts, I finally got one for ya! And trust me, they are worth it. The dough is a bright red color, which is exactly what I wanted, but it also has Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces and white chocolate studded throughout. Yes, you heard me right... BIRTHDAY CAKE OREO TRUFFLE PIECES in a cookie. This is perfect because it gives the cookie a chocolate flavor (that is known for from red velvet cake) and it also lends a slightly "birthday cake" taste to it. The fun doesn't stop there because when you bite into the center, there is a creamy cheesecake filling. We loved these cookies, even though it took me three previous batches to perfect it, and I can't wait to make them again. And for all y'all Alabama, UGA, and Falcons fans out there, it'd be a perfect tailgatin' dessert. Oh, don't you forget about Christmas either because these will definitely be on the list!! Enjoy :)

Those Dark Areas on the Cookies are Birthday Cake Oreo Truffles  

Don't forget the white chocolate chips...

Ain't that red color purdy??

For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces:

21 Birthday Cake Oreos, Finely Crushed

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

For the Cheesecake Filling:

4oz Cream Cheese, Softened

2C Confectioners’ Sugar, Sifted

2T Powdered Buttermilk (optional, this can be left and the texture is still great)

1t Vanilla

For the Chewy Red Velvet Cookies:

2 ¼C AP Flour

1T Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

½t Baking Soda

1t Vanilla Bean Fleur de Sel (scant)

1 ½ Sticks of Unsalted Butter, Softened

1C Light Brown Sugar

½C Sugar

1 Large Egg + 1 Egg Yolk

2t Vanilla

1oz Red Dye (to the color of your preference)

12oz White Chocolate, Roughly Chopped into Chunks

Prepared Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces

Prepared Cheesecake Filling, Chilled

Directions:

1. For the Birthday Cake Oreo Truffle Pieces: Line a small baking dish with foil and set it aside. Crush Oreo cookies in a food processor or blender until finely ground, and then in a medium bowl, mix with softened cream cheese until truffle forms. Press into foil-lined baking dish and flatten with hands. Place in freezer for 30 minutes. Once chilled, remove the Oreo truffles from the freezer and cut into small pieces. Keep chilled until you are ready to fold into the cookie batter.   

2. To Make the Cheesecake Filling: Using a mixer, combine cream cheese, powdered sugar, powdered buttermilk, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth. Using a teaspoon, scoop out cheesecake filling and place on a plate. Continue scooping out cheesecake filling into teaspoon balls until you have as many as you need for the cookies (I made about 25). Place plate in the freezer and freeze for at least two hours. After they have chilled, I rolled them with my hands, so that they were a smooth, round shape.  

3. For the Red Velvet Cookies:In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugars until smooth. Add in the egg and egg yolk, one at a time, making sure each one has been blended completely before adding the next. Add in the vanilla and the red dye and blend until everything is incorporated. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Blend in this sifted flour mixture into the red batter until just incorporated. Fold in the white chocolate chips, followed by gently folding in the Oreo Truffle pieces (make sure not to blend too much or they will mix into the cookie dough). Chill the cookie dough into the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpats.

5. To Assemble the Cookies: Take about 1 scoop of the red velvet cookie dough and flatten it in your hands. Place one of the cheesecake filling balls in the center and wrap the cookie dough around the filling. Gently roll into a ball and place onto the prepared baking sheets. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Bake for 10-14 minutes (depending on the size of your cookie dough balls) or until the cookies have started to set in the center, but are crisp on the outsides.
6. Let the cookies cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes, and then remove them to a cooling rack to cool completely. Let the cookies set before enjoying.

source: chewy cookies. oreo truffle-swirled chocolate chip cookies.cheesecake filling.

Birthday Cake Batter Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream

Birthday Cake Batter Cookies n' Cream Ice Cream

Another day... another ice cream recipe. Sadly, Summer is officially coming to a close. Yes, it's going to start to get cold, but with Autumn comes football games, Soup Sunday, movie nights & date nights, bonfires, pumpkin, apple cider, etc. So, in celebration of this hot weather, this will probably be one of the last ice cream recipes I make for a while... well, besides the occasional fall-themed custard. Anyway, I used to hate anything cake batter flavored, but suddenly it has intrigued me, and now I love it. At the beginning of the Summer, we actually make a cake batter ice cream that we just fell in love with. Well, when I saw the new Birthday Cake Oreo's at the grocery store, I need I just had to make a birthday cake flavored-cookies n' cream ice cream. It's a homemade birthday cake base, yep... you heard me right, no cake box mix here. And then it is filled with big ole' chunks of Birthday Cake Oreo's and lots of rainbow sprinkles. And why is it pink you ask? Well because I just felt like it. I mean, pink makes every thing better. But, feel free to discard the food dye and leave it plain... or you could dye it your favorite color. This ice cream is thick, smooth, and utterly creamy. And I put a whole bunch of Oreo's in there for good measure. Also, I personally like to wait a day or so before I eat the ice cream, so that the Oreo's soften a touch. But, that's really up to you!! Enjoy :)

That's one crazy concoction...

For the Cake Batter Cookies & Cream Ice Cream:

1 Stick of Unsalted Butter, Melted & Cooled Slightly

2 ½C Heavy Cream

½C Milk

6 Egg Yolks

1C Sugar

2T Dry Milk Powder & AP Flour, Sifted

½t Salt (heaping… or just a tad bit more to taste)

1 ½t Vanilla

¼t Almond Extract (scant… or a little less)

1T Vanilla Bean Rum (or any kind of infused booze, preferably clear)

25 Birthday Cake Oreos, Roughly Chopped

½C Rainbow Sprinkles

Any Food Coloring, Optional (I chose pink because it’s pretty)

Directions:

1. For the Custard Base: In a saucepan, bring the cream and milk to a simmer. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, sugar, sifted dry milk powder & AP Flour, and salt until fluffy. Slowly whisk in the melted butter. Once combined, gradually and slowly into the simmering heavy cream-milk mixture. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, until thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon). Strain the custard into a bowl that is placed into an ice bath. Stir in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and vanilla bean rum. Cool the custard base until completely chilled. If you are going to add in food coloring, this is the time. Whisk in as many drops of food coloring into the chilled custard base until you have reached your desired color. Once you have reached your desired color, pour this chilled custard base into the ice cream maker.   

2.  Once the mixture is chilled, freeze in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Chop the Birthday Cake Oreos into small chunks. As soon as the mixture is done churning, transfer to a bowl or airtight container and stir in the chopped Oreos and the rainbow sprinkles (layer some chopped Oreos and sprinkles throughout). Store in the freezer until firm.  

Cookies n' Cream Cake Batter Blondies

Heyyyy y'all!! I hope everyone is having a great week. I know I will be soon because it's my Spring Break, and I have a bunch of friends coming into town on Thursday to celebrate St. Patty's Day in Savannah for the weekend :) I'm so excited... St. Patty's is huge here, like really huge. Last year I had such a blast, and I'm hoping that this time it'll be even better! Anyway because it's my break & all, I will be taking a break from posting, so this will be my last post until Monday or so. For today, I'm putting up my Cookies n' Cream Cake Batter Blondies. I found the recipe for Cake Batter Blondies from girl meets life, the most adorable blog ever. I'm so jealous of her life in New York... I wanna move there. Well, she makes these blondies all the time and raves about them, so I saved the recipe on my computer for a rainy day. Well, I was at the grocery store the other day, and I saw the new Birthday Cake Oreos. I was in shock, and I had to get them. I can't think of anything better. That's when I decided to make those cake batter blondies, but with some Birthday Cake Oreos added in. Double the birthday cake batter flavor... double the fun. These blondies are super easy to make, and you can use the boxed cake mix. I usually am the type of person that likes to make everything from scratch, but sometimes you just want a recipe that doesn't require a lot of energy, yet still yields a yummy dessert!! I hope you enjoy :)

Cookies n' Cream Cake Batter Blondies

For the Blondies:

1 Box of Yellow Cake Mix

¼C Vegetable Oil

1 Egg, Beaten

½C Milk

½C Rainbow Sprinkles

½C White Chocolate Chips

¾-1C Birthday Cake Oreos, Roughly Chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Combine the cake mix and sprinkles in a large bowl, and then mix in the oil and the egg. Add the milk slowly just until the batter is combined. Fold in the white chocolate chips and chopped Birthday Cake Oreos, and mix until incorporated.
3. Place the batter into a small, greased pan. Bake for 20-30 minutes or just until the edges turn golden. Let them cool for 15-20 minutes before cutting because the center is gooey and it needs to set.
4. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Beer Battered Fried Oreos

I meant to post these bad boys a longgggg time ago, and I just forgot about it. Anyway, what's better than something that is coated in a thick beer batter, and then deep fried until golden brown & crispy? Nothin'. Add Oreo cookies, and you've got a winning recipe, people. When Oreos are fried, they almost taste like a gooey brownie, and it's amazing. I served our fried Oreos with a homemade creme anglaise & raspberry sauce for dipping, and it was even better. I know it sounds kinda crazy to serve something so redneck (and I mean that only in the a good way), like fried Oreos, with a fancy schmancy sauce, like creme anglaise, but it somehow makes so much sense. Anyway, I think everyone should go whip up some of these at your next party because I know that everyone will love them!! Enjoy :)

The most delicious bite...

Always dust with powdered sugar :) 

Beer Battered Fried Oreos

For the Beer Battered Fried Oreos:

1C Cake Flour

1t Sugar

¼t Cinnamon

Pinch of Salt

1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten

¾C Beer

Double Stuffed Oreos

Peanut Oil, For Frying

Confectioners’ Sugar, For Dusting

Your Favorite Dipping Sauces (I made a Creme Anglaise & Raspberry Sauce)

Directions:

1. Whisk together the flour, sugar, and seasonings. Add the egg and beer, whisking until completely mixed. Set it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat your canola oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees.
3. Once the oil is hot, submerge the Oreos into the beer batter. Drop them one by one into the hot oil (do not over-crowd). Cook until golden brown and crispy, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and let them drain slightly.
4. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with your chocolate sauce, crème Anglaise, or raspberry sauce for dipping.