Mixed Berry Pavlova

Image property of Cake It With Justin.

This recipe makes a 9” round pavlova.

Ingredients

  • 4 egg whites, room temp

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream:

  • 1 cup heavy cream

  • 1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Decoration:

  • 2 cups strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries (optional) fresh or frozen

  • Mint leaves

  • Honey, for drizzling

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees℉.

  2. Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a hand-mixer, beat egg whites on a medium-low speed until foamy.

  3. Add 1/3 of the sugar to the mixer, increase the speed to medium, and continue beating for several minutes.

  4. Add in another 1/3 of the sugar, increasing speed to medium-high and continue beating for several minutes.

  5. Finish with the remaining sugar and vanilla extract, increasing the speed to high, and beating until stiff peaks form at the tip of the meringue- typically several minutes. Meringue should create a peak at the end of the whisk attachment when lifted out of the bowl.

  6. Spread the meringue out on a baking sheet fitted with parchment or a silicone baking mat using a spatula. Create a circular disk that is roughly 9”.

  7. Bake in the center rack of the oven for 1 hour.

  8. Once the hour is up, turn the oven off, and allow the meringue to cool to room temperature in the oven with the door ajar (slightly open) for roughly another hour.

  9. Prepare the whipped cream by whipping together the heavy cream and powdered sugar until peaks form.

  10. Serve by placing the meringue gently on a serving board, top with homemade whipped cream, berries, mint, and drizzle of honey.

  11. The pavlova can be stored in an airtight container on it’s own (without whipped cream and berries) in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Pavlovas with berries and whipped cream must be eaten immediately.

Easy Fudge Brownies

This recipe yields 9 - 12 brownie squares.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter

  • 1 1/4 (1/2 lb) cups chocolate chips

  • 4 eggs, room temp

  • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1 cup flour

  • 1 cup dutch-processed dark cocoa powder

  • 2 tsp salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8x8” square pan or a 9x13” sheet with parchment paper hanging over the sides.

  2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl, melt chocolate and butter together in 30 second intervals, until melted.

  3. Using a whisk or a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in the eggs, slowly, whisking well between each egg.

  4. Add in the vanilla extract and salt, mixing to combine. Clean the sides of the bowl with a spatula.

  5. Add in both of the sugars to the bowl and continue mixing until well incorporated.

  6. Follow with the flour and cocoa powder and mix until mixtures comes together to form a smooth batter.

  7. Any additions you want to add to the brownie like oreos, nutella, or nuts can be added at this stage and is purely optional.

  8. Spread batter evenly into the greased and lined baking tray and bake in the center rack of the oven. A 8x8” square pan makes a taller brownie and requires roughly 45-50 minutes in the oven whereas a 9x13” pan may only require 35-40 minutes. Test the brownie by jiggling it in the oven and if it doesn’t jiggle in the center, it’s ready.

  9. Allow to cool to room temp before removing from the pan, cut, and serve!

Chewy Lemon Cake Mix Cookies

This recipe yields 12-15 cookies.

Ingredients

  • 1 box vanilla cake mix (flavor optional)

  • 2 eggs

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 1 tablespoon Lemon Drop Elixir (extract)

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 1/2 tsp yellow food gel coloring (optional)

  • 1 cup powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicone mat.

  2. In a medium bowl, combine the cake mix, eggs, oil, lemon flavoring, food coloring, and lemon zest using a spatula or a wooden spoon.

  3. Mix until a smooth cookie dough forms.

  4. Pour powdered sugar in a small bowl to roll the balls of cookie dough in.

  5. Using an ice cream scoop, make balls of cookie dough and roll them in the powdered sugar. Make sure they are well-coated.

  6. Evenly space the cookie balls on the baking tray with enough room for them to flatten out - roughly 2” apart.

  7. Bake 8-12 minutes or until the tops of the cookie don’t look greasy and are just slightly golden brown at the edges.

  8. Transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool and enjoy!

Holiday Cookie Squares

This recipe makes roughly 12 (2”) bars.

Image property of Cake It With Justin

Ingredients

For the blondies:

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter

  • 1 cup granulated sugar

  • 2 eggs, room temp

  • 1 tablespoon Cake Batter extract

  • 3 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1/4 tsp baking soda

  • 1/4 tsp salt

  • Sprinkles (optional)

For the cream cheese icing:

  • 1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, room temp

  • 1/2 block cream cheese (4 oz)

  • 3 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 tsp cake batter extract

  • pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350℉ and prep 8” square pan with non-stick baking spray.

  2. Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl for 2-3 minutes on medium-high speed.

  3. Add eggs and vanilla to the mixture and beat to combine.

  4. Clean sides of the bowl with spatula and add flour, salt, and baking powder.

  5. On a low to medium speed, combine all of the ingredients until a dough forms.

  6. Press dough into the 8x8” square pan to line the base evenly.

  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until slightly golden brown around the edges and the top of the cookie doesn’t look greasy.

  8. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before removing from pan.

  9. Once cooled, transfer blondie to a flat surface for icing.

  10. For the icing, cream butter and cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add extract, salt, and powdered sugar to the mixer and mix on a low speed until frosting is smooth and lump free.

  11. With an offset spatula, add the icing to the top of the cookie bar and smooth evenly. For clean cuts and perfect squares, refrigerate before cutting.

  12. Finish with sprinkles, cut into bars or squares, and serve!

Salted Caramel Dutch Apple Pie

This recipe makes (1 ) 9” pie - roughly 2 inches deep!

Ingredients

  • One batch of Perfect, Flakey Pie Crust, chilled

  • 8-10 medium-sized Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apples, cored, peeled, and sliced.

  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon

  • 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1/4 teaspoon all-spice

  • 1/2 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

  • 4 tablespoons cornstarch

  • 3/4 cup Gooey Salted Caramel Sauce , plus more for drizzle

For the Dutch Crumble Topping:

  • 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter (3/4 cup)

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

  • 1 cup brown sugar

  • 1 cup oats

  • 1 tsp salt

  • 1/2 cup chopped pecans

Directions

  1. Prepare the apple filling by peeling, coring, and cutting the apples into slices. Try to cut them thin but not paper thin so that they can bake evenly in the oven without overcooking. Combine the apples, spices, and brown sugar in a large pot and place on stove over medium heat.

  2. Cook the apples for 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to become tender. Do not cook completely.

  3. Add the cornstarch and caramel sauce to the apple mixture and continue stirring over medium heat until mixture thickens - roughly 3-5 minutes.

  4. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer apples to a large bowl until mixture gets to room temperature.

  5. For the crust, roll out the chilled dough on a lightly floured surface until it is larger than the diameter of your pie dish.

  6. Spray non-stick baking spray into the pie dish and fit the dough to the dish, trimming the excess at the top.

  7. Scallop the edges of the pie crust by using your fingers to create a design or by using a fork! Finish the edges of the pie crust off with an egg wash or some milk and allow to cool in the fridge for up to 30 minutes before adding the apple mixture.

  8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

  9. Once the pie crust has chilled, add the cooled apple mixture.

  10. To make the dutch crumble on top, combine all of the ingredients for the topping in a large bowl and, using a pastry cutter or your hands. Butter should be the size of peas and the mixture should just slightly combine into a crumbly dough.

  11. Top the pie with the dutch crumble and bake for one hour.

  12. After the hour mark, continue baking for another 10-15 minutes to ensure the bottom crust has baked to golden brown.

  13. Allow the pie to cool completely on a wire rack, roughly 4 hours.

  14. Top with more Gooey Salted Caramel Sauce and enjoy!