mango cake & green curry paste

My mom celebrated her 62nd birthday this August and I wanted to make her a unique dinner and dessert for her special day.

Her dessert request for our sweet teeth? Fresh mango.

My first instinct was to make a clafouti and although I knew it would taste delicious, I wasn't sure how it would photograph for such a festive occasion. A cherry clafouti would be the better visual choice but I had to stick to my mango guns.

A not-too-sweet cake flecked with fresh mango became my inspiration. I searched around and fell across this recipe. After a few tweaks with the frosting and an addition of sugared raspberries to cut the sweetness (I adore mangos paired with raspberries), this was the perfect confection for the occasion.

Mexican Mango Birthday Cake

with Tequila & Sugared Raspberries

Cake:

3 sticks unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing the pan

3 cups cake flour, plus more for dusting the pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 large eggs

2 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup buttermilk

Frosting:

1 cup fresh mango, diced finely

1 cup granulated sugar

8 ounces cream cheese, plus additional, as needed*

2 Tablespoons tequila

*If the frosting is too wet from over-ripe mangos, add additional cream cheese to firm frosting up.

Garnish:

fresh raspberries, rolled in granulated sugar

edible flowers

birthday candles

Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Liberally butter and flour a Bundt pan.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In another large bowl, using an electric mixer beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy-- approximately 7 minutes. Add the eggs, beating well after each addition. In batches, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over-mix or cake well become tough.

Pour the batter into the prepared Bundt pan. Bake until the cake is golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack and cool completely in the pan. Invert the cake onto the wire rack, then put it on a cake plate or platter.

Combine the mango, sugar, cream cheese and tequila with the whip attachment in the stand mixer. Blend until smooth and thick, adding additional cream cheese, if needed.

Spoon the mango topping evenly over the top of the cake and decorate with edible flowers and sugared raspberries.

After I frosted and decorated the cake, I went on to make dinner for four with the help of my father (aka THE Grill Master).

On the menu:

Spinach Salad with Avocado,

Grapefruit, Basil & Creme Fraiche

Grilled Filets of Beef with

Green Curry Cream Sauce (foodgasm!)

&

Grilled Asparagus

Herbed Jasmine Rice with Serrano Peppers

Delish! We were too famished for pictures...next time.

a wedding day & grapefruit 3-ways

I recently had the pleasure of collaborating with local wedding planner Shannon Schultz of Shannon Schultz Events and local photographer Sara Donaldson with food and drink for a gorgeous French Ballet-inspired wedding photo shoot.

Also a part of the shoot was friend and calligrapher Lauren Essl of Blue Eye Brown Eye who hand-constructed the most beautiful calligraphy work to grace the shoot.

Let me just tell you...

These gals are intensively creative, dynamic and talented beyond belief. The breath-taking pictures definitely reflect this.

This was my first time collaborating for a photo shoot of this sort and we had a blast in the July Texas heat! Below are a sampling of pics from the Style Me Pretty blog post featuring the shoot.

All beautiful photos are courtesy of Sara Donaldson.

Rose quartz-hued table-settings fit for a Queen.

Courtesy of Shannon Schultz.

Elegant mismatched chairs from local Simple Things.

Gorgeous calligraphy à la Lauren Essl.

Vanilla Cupcakes with Grapefruit Cream Cheese Frosting

Rustic Grapefruit Tarts with Turbinado Sugar

Champagne & Grapefruit Cocktails with Thyme Syrup

What an ingenious cocktail "table"-- an antique drum!

Dainty ice cubes with edible flowers--

a delight to shoot in this Texas heat :)

I loved being a part of this lovely collaboration!

bridal shower bliss & cherry pits

I really can't get enough of planning menus for showers-- especially when one is celebrating the upcoming nuptials of a good girlfriend of mine.

While on vacation in Austin, I cooked for my friend Reagan's shower held at another high school girlfriend parents' house. Lucky for my, this hostess is also a fabulous new photographer and my last minute food preparations turned into an impromptu photo shoot.

My social media peeps also went crazy when I posted a picture of this decadent sweet contribution to the shower: Banana Cream Cheese Muffins with Peanut Butter Frosting and Toffee Peanuts-- I couldn't get the recipe posted fast enough...

First on the shower menu: Stone Fruit Salad with Rosemary Syrup and Toasted Hazelnuts

I began with a cooled rosemary simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water simmered with fresh rosemary from the garden until reduced by half), and soaked it with sliced Texas peaches, white nectarines, plums and cherries in the refrigerator overnight.

Next, I toasted a handful of buttery hazelnuts at 400 degrees on a sheet pan until toasted and fragrant, approximately 5 minutes.

Serve toasted hazelnuts atop chilled, soaked fruit with a sprig of rosemary. Refreshing and so summery! Remind guests to mind their cherry pits.

Next on the menu is an oh-so-simple side from my "non recipe" in the summer issue of Fort Worth Foodie Magazine: Tomato Carpaccio.

I also made a syrupy balsamic reduction to serve alongside the gorgeous tomatoes. Guests can gracefully spoon (or slather) the increments of their liking atop the juicy tomatoes.

I like to cluster the tomatoes by size in a monochromatic fashion to add eye appeal. Make sure to bring the tomatoes to room temperature if they aren't already to truly taste the wonderfulness of this summer staple.

Finish tomatoes with fleur de sel, fresh-cracked pepper and fresh thyme leaves. Delicious!

Next on the menu: Salmon Phyllo Tarts perfect for breakfast, lunch or brunch.

I began by making a salmon salad with flaked, cooked salmon, dijon, mayonnaise, fresh rosemary, fresh tarragon, capers and liberal salt and pepper. Next, I began an assembly line with melted butter, the salmon salad and delicate phyllo sheets. After I filled and folded the tarts, they went to chill on sheet pans until ready to bake.

Brush tops of tarts with melted butter or olive oil then bake at 400 degrees approximately 8 minutes until they reach a gorgeous golden brown.

I served salmon tarts with a simple aioli made with mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice and zest, fresh tarragon, salt and freshly-cracked pepper.

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for...

Banana Cream Cheese Muffins

with Peanut Butter Frosting & Toffee Peanuts

These "muffins" are creamy, luscious and the perfect guilty pleasure with a morning (or evening) cup of coffee.

Yields 36 muffins

Adapted from Artisan Baking Company's Seasonal Fruit Muffin Recipe

3½ cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 pound cream cheese, softened

½ pound unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

4 eggs, room temperature

½ cup whole milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure almond extract

2 cups ripe bananas, mashed (about 4 bananas)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat muffin pan or pans with nonstick baking spray or place paper liners in each cup and lightly coat papers with nonstick baking spray, so that the paper liners slip off muffins easily.

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large mixing bowl.

Beat cream cheese, butter and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth, about 5 minutes.

Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each addition. Add dry ingredients in two parts, alternating with milk, vanilla and almond extract. Fold in mashed bananas. Batter will be thick.

Portion into prepared muffin pans with an ice cream scoop. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15 minutes. Rotate pan in oven (for even baking), and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted near the center of a muffin has only a few or no crumbs clinging to it.

Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes. Remove muffins from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Peanut butter frosting:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

4 T unsalted butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

4 T whole milk

Cream together peanut butter and butter in a stand mixer with the whip attachment until fluffy, approximately 3 minutes. Scrape down sides. On medium high speed, slowly add 1 cup of powdered sugar, then whole milk. Add remaining powdered sugar then beat 5 minutes until smooth and fluffy.

Pipe or spread atop cooled banana muffins. Top with salted peanuts, candied peanuts or toffee peanuts.

Foodgasm, for real. Enjoy, folks!

peaches & velvet cream

There is nothing better to me in the summertime than sweet peaches and rich cream.

Add some honey, reduced white wine, bright lemon and a dash of smoky cinnamon and you're in business for a refreshing summer appetizer or cooling dessert course. A sprinkling of pistachios adds an appropriate salty crunch and texture contrast.

Chilled Peach & White Wine Soup Shooters with Pistachios

I ran across this recipe for Chilled Peach and Yogurt Soup in culinary school then adapted the recipe and swapped tangy yogurt for cream. I just adore the richness of the velvet cream with the tart peaches.

yields approximately 1/2 gallon

4 lb frozen peaches

4 cups white wine

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1/4 t cinnamon

1/4 c honey

1 cup heavy whipping cream

roasted and salted pistachios to garnish

Begin by simmering peaches, white wine, lemon, cinnamon and honey over medium high heat approximately 45 minutes to reduce and soften. Enjoy the gorgeous aroma because your kitchen will smell insane!

Let cool approximately 30 minutes to prevent hot liquid splattering when pureeing the soup. With an immersion blender, puree soup until completely smooth.

Transfer peach and wine mixture into a large pitcher then chill completely over night.

Before serving, whisk in heavy cream, an additional squeeze of lemon and drop of honey. The luxurious heavy cream will turn the chilled soup into an irresistible creamsicle hue.

Serve soup chilled as shooters with a couple pistachios or as a dessert soup with a sprinkling of pistachios and a swirl of heavy cream.

Sip, shoot or slurp away!