S’Mores Ice Cream Cake

Dories tells us this cake is big and beautiful and I would like to add…”spectacular” as some of my tasters described it….and also “11/10”, and “Out Of This World”. 😂

This is a show stopper, no doubt about it and when you have an ice cream loving family as I do, this hits the mark on every level!…all seven of them in this case!

There is nothing hard about making this, although it does take time. You need to make it a day ahead of time chilling each layer, and then also chilling the whole thing at least five hours, or overnight.

So here is the scoop…literally 😂

• The crust is made from crushed graham crackers, melted butter, and chopped peanuts
• Next layer, softened pint of premium ice cream. Dorie suggests coffee flavored. I went with Ben and Jerry’s Coffee and Toffee Bits
• Next layer, half of the homemade fudge we made from chocolate, heavy cream, sugar, and corn syrup..next time I need to split this in half better haha!
• Next up…another pint of softened premium ice cream…Dorie suggested vanilla and chocolate for these last two…I went chocolate chip and just split the regular container for each
• Next…a layer of peanut butter fluff filling…wow was that tasty!…made up chunky peanut butter, marshmallow cream, and a little milk.
• Last layer of ice cream…I finished up the chocolate chip
• Top it with the last half of the homemade fudge.

I stopped there because unfortunately we weren’t able to eat this big spectacular cake at a gathering and had to send it out in pieces to share…(and it made it without melting!) There would be one more layer of toasted marshmallows on top helping to give the cake its “s’mores” title. In all honesty…it didn’t need the extra marshmallows at all. We didn’t miss them. I am sure it would add to the look of the cake, but flavor wise, not necessary.

This is a cake that will be made again and again in my family. We absolutely loved it…for the small individual parts, but also in the grand scheme and the way the flavors all played together. Everyone thought this was one of the best things I have made in the group over the years.

Totally a keeper!

Chocolate-Pecan Cookies

These cookies use our “Do-Almost-Anything Chocolate Cookie Dough and with a simple trick, are made party-plate worthy.

The basic cookie dough has chopped pecans added into the dough and then are also topped with a mix of nuts, sugar, and egg whites that creates a no fuss meringue topping.

Instead of rolling and using a cookie cutter, I followed Steph’s lead and cut them into squares…way easier and they taste just the same haha. Nothing difficult about these, although there is some chilling time required.

Everyone enjoyed these…I did hear that most were surprised by the mild chocolate flavor but the overall taste was great. They also said it reminded them of something but no one could put their finger on it haha. I guess they need a few more to figure it out. 😂

Crumb-Topped Ricotta Coffee Cake

Dories tells us this recipe is suppose to make you nostalgic for that “childhood favorite” bakery or boxed crumb cake….and I think it does just that!

This coffee cake uses ricotta cheese which helps make the crumb tender, and also give it a distinctive taste. I am not sure we were that discerning of the distinctive taste, but we would all say we loved the flavor and moistness of the cake!

The cake is made in three parts…the crumb being made ahead of time so it has time to chill. It is made with the usual sugars, flour, and butter but this one has a hidden secret for added crunch…cornmeal.

The middle layer is berries…I chose blueberries but you can use blackberries or raspberries as well!

The bottom layer is the cake which is super easy to make…don’t even need a mixer, just a whisk and a spatula!

Once assembled, the whole thing gets popped in the oven until the top is golden, berries are bubbling, and the center skewer comes out clean.

I don’t think any of us were surprised that we would love this..I mean crumb topped berries and cake is hard to beat. This one was particularly good! We loved it and I would most certainly make it again. The blueberries were great, but we might have to try out the other berries as well! 😂

This one is a keeper!

Basta Pasta Potato Salad

When I first saw this recipe, I thought it was going to be pasta and potatoes combined haha…but I was wrong. “Basta Pasta is the name of a New York City restaurant that is really Italian, slightly Asian, and very happy to be indescribable, like these potatoes.”

These potatoes are seasoned with pickles, capers, wasabi, orange, and saffron…we are told surprise after surprise. We are also told it pairs well many foods…salmon, hamburgers, grilled tuna, even hard boiled eggs. Perfect for grilling and for a party.

I feel like we all had an idea of what this would taste like…potato salad but this was its own creation. It was indescribable, and oh so delicious. We all tried to say what we tasted or what we thought and it was just all a mixture of comments. I feel like we all thought the forward flavors were the wasabi and/or capers…hard to distinguish…and also the pickle juice. It was a little hard to believe there was no mustard or eggs because as much as it was different, it also felt the same. Sounds weird, I know…but true.

We all loved this and thought it seemed very flavorful and a lighter version of potato salad. There were requests that I make it again so I call that a keeper! 😍