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Irish Cream Coffee Cake

By: Amy Weinberg

Morning. It’s morning, everyone! Today is the day! The sun is shining, the tank is clean, and we’re gonna get out of…. 

THE TANK IS CLEAN!

Finding Nemo, 2003

But really, the sun is finally shining. The grass is as green as my beer so you know what that means….St. Paddy’s Day! (I originally typed this on my phone and St. Paddy’s autocorrected to St. Party’s – fitting.) There are so many different Irish themed flavors that come alive this time of year, most of them in the form of beer. Even if you’re not at all Irish, you’re a little bit Irish on St. Paddy’s Day. On St. Paddy’s Day, your blood runs green with Bailey’s and artificial food coloring.

Whether you’re entertaining guests, or you just need that perfect midnight, not-so-sober snack, I’ve got the recipe for you.

Irish Cream Coffee Cake

What You'll Need:

For Ganache - 

1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp. heavy cream

1 cup milk chocolate chips

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Irish Cream liqueur (about half a mini bottle)

For Icing - 

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup plus two tablespoons Irish Cream (about 1 1/2 mini bottles)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

For Hot Fudge - 

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 cup milk chocolate chips

1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup coffee

1/2 cup Irish cream (2 mini bottles)

The first thing you’ll have to make is the chocolate ganache. Combine your heavy cream and chocolate chips in a saucepan and heat on medium low until all chips are melted. Start adding in your butter in chunks and stir until everything is combined. Final step? Add the Irish cream. Once everything is combined, you’re going to want to pop this in the fridge to cool while we make the other components.

Next, you’ll want to make your Irish Cream frosting. First, combine your butter and powdered sugar and mix on low, gradually adding in the Irish cream. Add in your vanilla and beat on high until the frosting is light and fluffy. Clear some room in your fridge because you’re gonna pop this in right next to the ganache.

The final component of this dessert is the Irish Cream hot fudge sauce. Combine and whisk together all of the ingredients over medium heat. Let your sauce bubble for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Once the sauce cools a little bit, pour about ¼ cup into each empty Irish cream bottle.

 Now that all of the components are ready, it is time for the best part: ASSEMBLY. I used a Granny Smith Apple Coffee Cake because it is what I had, but I would recommend using a no-nut cake for this dessert. I would also recommend semi-freezing the cake beforehand so that it is easier to cut out the hole in the middle. Next, take out your ganache and start spooning it into the hole. The ganache should still be warm so it should finish defrosting the cake. Next start filling a piping bag with your Irish Cream icing and pipe it onto the cake, finishing with a dusting of cocoa.

The final step is the hot fudge. If you are serving this as a dessert for other people, I would recommend serving the Bailey's bottle on the side, allowing your guest to make their own mess. In one swift move, you'll have to tip over and insert the mini bottle into the top of the cake. If you're successful, the bottle will stay still while the cake explodes with chocolate. 

And just a friendly reminder - although everyone is Irish on St. Paddy's Day, this is not a dessert for children. I even got a little tipsy tasting each component!

Here Comes The Sun - Ready for Spring Ice Pops

By: Amy Weinberg

If you’re like me, March 1^st officially means spring to you. It means flowers are starting to bloom, snowstorms are turning into thunderstorms, and ice pops are once again edible. Yes, there is still snow on the ground. Yes, it still gets dark before 6pm. Yes, playoff basketball hasn’t even started yet. I do not care. To me, March = Spring. While I tend to commit to spring a little early, I understand that t-shirts and ice pops in March may not be for everyone. I’m not here to tell you how to spend your March. I am here to get you JACKED UP about spring and all of the fun desserts we will make to celebrate.

I am going to dive head first with this dessert and go straight for the ice pops. And no, I will not be turning our delicious coffee cake into an ice pop. (Although, if I ever figure out how to do that, you guys will be the first to know.) Instead, I’m going to give you an ice pop that will leave you feeling so great, so refreshed, that you'll be ready for that second slice of coffee cake in no time. 

I mean, who doesn’t love popsicles? They’re cool, refreshing, and you can make them out of just about everything. The ice pops I’m going to be making are even healthy.

What You'll Need:

1 cup spinach, packed

1 mango

1 banana

1 cup fruit juice (something lightly colored - I used Dole Mango, Peach, Banana juice) 

A blender

It probably could not be any easier to make these ice pops. Simply take your spinach, banana, mango, and juice and combine them in a blender. 30 seconds in my new NutriBullet and these pops are ready to freeze. 

Pour the combined ingredients in your popsicle molds, secure the tops, and pop them in the freezer for a few hours. 

As I was making these I was thinking to myself, "Why don't I make ice pops more often? They're incredibly easy to make and they taste great." Only when I tried to pop the ice pops out of the molds did I realize why I don't make ice pops more often. With three pop-less sticks sitting on my counter, I had one chance left to get this popsicle out of its mold and in one piece. 

Luckily, I was able to wiggle that last pop out of its mold.

And let me tell you, these popsicles were DELICIOUS. Who would have thought that frozen, blended up spinach would taste great? Certainly not someone whose desserts normally consist of coffee cake. But here I am, frozen spinach in hand, waiting for that grass in front of me to turn the same color green as the ice pop. 

After finishing my ice pop I turned to my mother to see if she could bestow any of her ice pop knowledge upon me. I remember making an ice pop or two when I was a kid so I figured she MUST have some insider tips to get the rest of them out. The one tip she gave me was so simple, yet so perfect - 

"Uhhh... Just dip the mold in warm water for a few seconds."

Of course it worked perfectly. Moral of the story, every now and then you just have to suck it up and ask your mother for help, even if you know that her response will be sarcastic.

Apple Cider Caramel Sauce

by: Amy Weinberg


Spring is coming.

"To get Spring, you must be willing to endure Winter" - A quote said by many different people, in many different ways, throughout many different time periods. 

I remember having to walk my friends though the meaning of that one after I tweeted it years ago. Well, anyone who is reading this is alive and (hopefully) well, and that means you were able to endure Winter. So, congratulations! It helped that this Winter was like a vacation in the Bahamas compared to Winter last year. Regardless, we all endured which means that soon we will be able to bask in the glory that is Spring. 

Yes, apple cider is a fall drink and yes, I drink it to celebrate the coming of Spring. As long as my grocery store keeps selling it fresh, I'll keep buying it. And what pairs better with apples than caramel? Today I'm celebrating the coming of spring and warmth with this Apple Cider Caramel sauce. 

What You'll Need:

2 cups apple cider 

1 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp. butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. apple pie spice

1/2 tsp. kosher sea salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract 

First you have to boil down the apple cider. Place 2 cups in a small saucepan and boil for about 10-15 minutes. A good half of the apple cider should be evaporated at this point. Next, remove the pan from heat and stir in the brown sugar, butter, cream, cinnamon, and apple pie spice. 

Return to heat and let simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Remember that sauces thicken as they cool! That being said, you'll definitely want to mix and thicken this up a bit before refrigerating. After reaching an ideal thickness, remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and salt.

Once the sauce cools a little bit, you'll be safe to seal in an airtight jar or container. Store in the refrigerator until use. 

The sauce may separate a tiny bit in the fridge. In this case, just pop it in the microwave for a few seconds and mix it back together. No, this is not in fact raspberry preserves. Yes, we recycle in the Weinberg household. 

I used this sauce on an Original Cinnamon Walnut coffee cake because it is what I had in the house. This sauce would be perfect with a number of our cakes, including the Cinnamon No-Nut, the Granny Smith Apple, and the Chocolate Chip Walnut. Try out this sauce with any one of our cakes and get ready for a great Spring! 

New Year, Same Great Coffee Cake

By: Amy Weinberg

Well that was fast, it's 2016! 

It feels like it was 2015 just a few days ago. Hey, what's your New Years Resolution? Mine is the standard 1024 x 768. Okay, enough with the cheap puns. 

A new year means new things. New trends, new resolutions, new gym memberships, and new coffee cake flavors? 

(Just kidding, but we're always trying out new flavors on QVC!)

One trend that isn't going anywhere is the post-holiday health craze. We're all in the same boat here. We all "went to the gym like last week or something." We all are feeling a little bloated, slow, and cranky. We all have a little bit of Brucey in us right now.

The post-holiday food coma is upon us and there isn't anything that anyone can do to stop it; except  *GASP* eating healthy and exercising. There are hundreds of ways to get back on that horse but the first step is always the hardest. 

So being that this is a coffee cake blog, you're probably wondering why I'm on a rant about eating healthy, right? Well, like a few of you I'm sure, my digestive track is a mess. One bite of cake and I'm waiting 10 minutes for the gurgles and pain to subside. Everyone has their reasons to get healthy, mine just so happens to be to eat an occasional dessert. Pain free. That's not too much to ask for, right?

Instead of taking you on a ride full of chocolate, cinnamon, and sugar, today I'm going to do your guts a favor and list foods to eat/stay away from for a speedy recovery. 

GOOD FOR YOUR TUMMY:

1. Fruits and Vegetables (duh, fruits and vegetables help everything)
2. Water (because let's be honest, most of us are dehydrated anyways)
3. Herbs & Spices (ginger, turmeric, & garlic ) 
4. Organic yogurt (IN MODERATE AMOUNTS)
5. Cultured Vegetables (sauerkraut & nattoh) 

BAD FOR YOUR TUMMY:

1. Spicy Foods (again, duh)
2. Caffeine (don't know if I'll be able to cut this one out) 
3. Soda
4. Alcohol 
5. Dairy (except yogurt IN MODERATE AMOUNTS) 

If you're feeling a little out-of-wack after this holiday season, these lists are for you. Everyone get out there are fix your bodies so that we can fill them with more coffee cake!