Fourth of July Birthday Weekend Food

So, I mentioned in my last post that I wore myself out cooking for the Fourth of July holiday and my sister's birthday which happens to be the next day. I figure if anyone at all reads this blog, it should at least be a little useful. So, I took down the recipes, and now you can have them and make delicious food. Mmmmm.

Starting off with the drinks:

Lavender Lemonade

• 2-1/2 cups of water
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
• 2-1/2 cups of cold water
• 1 cup of lemon juice
• Ice cubes, lavender flowers for decoration (opt)

In large saucepan, bring 2-1/2 c. water and the sugar to a boil. Remove from heat and add lavender flowers. Cover and let sit 1 hour.

Strain, throw out lavender, stir in cold water and lemon juice and serve over ice.

Strawberry Party Punch

• 6 cups fresh strawberries (can use frozen, but not as delicious)
• 3/4 c. thawed limeade concentrate
• 1 can (6 oz) unsweetened pineapple juice
• 4 c. chilled lemon lime soda
• Ice cubes (opt)

1. In a food processor or with a stab mixer, process strawberries until smooth. Stir in limeade concentrate and pineapple juice and chill until serving.
2. Transfer to punch bowl. Just before serving stir in soda. Serve over ice if you want.

Now for the appetizers!

Homemade Guacamole

• 3 medium ripe, peeled avocados
• 1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 c. minced fresh cilantro
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 1/8 tsp salt - or to taste
• Tortilla chips

In a small bowl, mash avocados with fork. Add onion, cilantro, lime juice and salt and mix it all up. Refrigerate until serving and serve with chips.

Apricot Turkey Pinwheels

• 1/4 c. apricot preserves
• Puff pastry sheet
• 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/4 lb. deli turkey
• 1/2 c. shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Spread apricot preserves on the sheet of puff pastry, sprinkle with ground mustard, layer turkey on that and then top it all off with the cheese. Roll up jelly roll style, cut into 16 slices and bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until browned.

Caprese Salad

• Two vine tomatoes
• Two medium balls of buffalo mozzarella
• Balsamic
• Olive Oil
• Fresh Basil
• Salt 
• Pepper

Slice up the tomatoes and mozzarella into thin, round slices and layer on serving plate. Tear up the fresh basil pieces and sprinkle on top of the circle of tomatoes and mozzarella. Salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle olive oil over tomatoes and mozzarella and follow up with drizzling balsamic. Serve chilled!

The main course responsibility was handed off to my dad, so I have no recipes for that stuff today... moving on to the sides.

Green Bean Apple Sauté

• 1 lb. fresh green beans
• 1 chopped apple
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1/2 c. walnuts
• 1/2 c. honey
• Sesame Seeds

Saute green beans and chopped apple in oil. Add in chopped walnuts, cook until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in honey and top with sesame seeds. Serves 4-5.

Italian Pasta Salad

• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 lb. bow tie, or spiral pasta
• 1 c. balsamic vinaigrette dressing
• 1/4 c. mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 c. halved cherry tomatoes
• 1 (4 oz.) can of sliced black olives
• 1/2 diced red or green bell pepper
• Grated Parmesan for topping

Cook pasta according to box directions. While pasta is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk balsamic vinaigrette, mayonnaise, and sugar. Drain pasta well and transfer to serving bowl to let cool completely. Add in tomatoes, olives, bell pepper, salt and pepper to taste. Toss together and top with parmesan.

On to my FAVORITE part. The delicious desserts. I made the cake roll on fourth of July and dressed it up in red, white, and blue. The other two I made for Julie and Jeremy's birthday dinner. All were incredible.

Cake Roll With Berries

• 3 eggs
• 1 c. sugar
• 1/3 c. water
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3/4 c. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• confectioners' sugar

FILLING:

• 1/2 c. all purpose flour
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. butter, softened
• 1/2 c. shortening
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp. salt

BERRIES:

• 3 c. sliced fresh strawberries
• 3 c. fresh blueberries

Line a greaed 15 in. x 10 in. x 1 in. baking pan with parchment paper and grease the paper - set aside.

In a large bowl, beat eggs on high speed for 3 minutes. Gradually add sugar, beating until mixture becomes thick and yellow. Beat in water and vanilla. Combine flour, baking powder and salt and fold into egg mix. Spread batter onto pan.

Bake at 375 degrees for 12-15 minutes. Cake should spring back when touched. Cool and invert onto a dish towel dusted with confectioners' sugar. Peel off parchment paper and roll up the cake in the towel jelly roll style. Cool completely. 

For filling, combine milk and flour in small saucepan until smooth. Then cook and stir it over medium heat until it comes to a boil.. cook for two minutes longer until it is really thick. Transfer to a bowl, press wax paper on top and cool completely.

In a large bowl, cream butter, shortening and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla and salt. Gradually beat in cooled milk mixture and continue beating for five minutes or until it's light and fluffy. Mix in half of the blueberries

Unroll the cake, spread filling over the cake and roll up again - without the dish towel. Place seam side down on a serving platter and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Place strawberries and blueberries on the top in alternating lines. Surround cake with strawberries. Pretty much place strawberries and blueberries wherever you want to.  Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Lemon Lavender Layer Cake

• 1 c. plus 2 Tbsp. butter, softened
• 2-1/2 c. sugar
• 4 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 c. all purpose flour
• 3 tsp. baking powder
• 1-1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp + 1/8 tsp. baking soda
• 6 Tbsp. lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp. dried lavender flowers
• 3 tsp. grated lemon peel

FILLING/FROSTING

• 2 pkg softened cream cheese (8 oz)
• 8 c. confectioners' sugar
• 3 tsp. grated lemon peel
• 2-1/4 tsp. lemon juice

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and yolk, one at a time, beating after each. Combine flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda and add to creamed mixture. On the side, in a small sauce pan, bring lemon juice just barely to a boil. Remove from heat and add lavender flowers. Cover and let sit for 30 minutes. After the 30 minutes is up, add the juice and lavender mixture (flowers and all) and lemon peel.

Transfer to three greased and floured 9-in round baking pans and bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until edges are beginning to brown. Cool for a little bit before removing to wire racks to cool COMPLETELY.

For frosting, in a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Then add confectioner's sugar, lemon peel and juice and beat until smooth.

Spread frosting between layers and over top and sides. Grate some more lemon peel to add on top for decoration. Place live or dried whole lavender flowers on top for decoration. Refrigerate and serve.  

TASTY.

Black Forest Chocolate Cake

• 2-1/2 c. 2 % milk
• 1 c. butter, cubed
• 4 oz. semi sweet chocolate, chopped + 4 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2-2/3 c. all purpose flour
• 2 c. sugar
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 c. kirschwasser - cherry schnapps

FILLING

• 1/2 c. butter
• 3-1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1 tsp. strong brewed coffee
• 2 cans (14 oz) pitted Bing cherries - drained (save a little of the juice though)

WHIPPED CREAM TOPPING

• 2 c. heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 Tbsp. kirschwasser
• 1 oz square of semisweet chocolate - shaved
• Maraschino cherries to top

In a large saucepan, cook milk, butter, and chocolate over low heat until melted. Remove and let cool for 10 min.

In large bowl, beat eggs and vanilla; stir in chocolate mix until smooth. Combine flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Gradually beat into mixture until a thin batter forms. Transfer to three greased and floured round 9-in baking pans. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 min. or until a toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. Cool for a while before transferring to wire racks to cool completely. COMPLETELY. I usually stick all of the layers in the refrigerator to get really cool because this cake is prone to misbehaving in the past. (Refrigerator landslides)

Once really, really cool, sprinkle layers with the 1/2 c. kirschwasser - less if you find you don't like the taste.

In medium bowl, cream butter until light and fluffy. Add confectioners' sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee beating until smooth. If consistency is too thick, add some of that cherry juice you saved earlier by the teaspoon, beating after each addition, until it reaches a smooth consistency. Spread 1/3 of the mix on the top of the first layer. Then add 1/3 of the cherries. Repeat until all layers are in place. 

In a separate bowl, whip the cream until stiff peaks form. I liked the cake a little sweeter, so I added 1/2 to 1 c. of sugar. Beat in vanilla extract and 1 Tbsp. of kirschwasser. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle the shaved chocolate on the top and place maraschino cherries around the sides and top of cake. Refrigerate and serve chilled.

So. Voila and happy baking. :)