Pretzel S’More Crunch Bars

April 24, 2014April 30, 2014 / mikeysinmykitchen / 10 Comments

These bars were a bit of an experiment…

And we all know that sometimes experiments work, and some times they flop. These bars were a little bit of both!

The top was sweet and salty and crunchy and delicious.

The crust was a crumbly mess that was more like sand and less like crust…

I adjusted the ratio of butter and flour in the recipe below and I think if you follow that these bars should be a home run! You could also make them with a little bit of graham cracker mixed in with the pretzels as well!

I made these bars with hopes that summer would be here soon! S’Mores remind me of warm summer nights up in Wisconsin and I CAN’T WAIT for those warm nights to return to the midwest again!

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Chocolate Cake with Oreo Cream Cheese Frosting

April 14, 2014April 30, 2014 / mikeysinmykitchen / 9 Comments

We had a surprise party for my sister-in-law a couple weeks ago and I made this gigantic cake for the party.
I did not realize it was going to be so huge! It was probably 10 inches tall (at least) and weighed a ton!

The benefit to such a big cake is that you can cut the slices thin and the pieces will still be huge! It was a super easy recipe and you could modify the frosting and cake to fit any flavor profile you prefer!

I always struggle when it comes to making birthday cakes because I want to make sure the person being celebrated loves the cake, but that everyone at the party likes it as well. I had a million different ideas but ultimately went with this cake and it seemed to be a hit. I don’t know if I’ve ever met someone who didn’t like Oreo’s in their desserts!

If you remember the Salted Caramel Vanilla Bean cake I made a few weeks ago…you will probably notice a trend in the style of these cakes. It is my new favorite way to decorate a cake. It is way easier and I like the rustic vibe you end up with. I recommend trying this style cake and experimenting with all different sauces, flavors and frostings!

Processed with VSCOcam with c1 preset

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Asian Slaw with Ginger Peanut Dressing

April 9, 2014July 16, 2014 / mikeysinmykitchen / 7 Comments

This is my favorite side dish/salad of all time.

I make this slaw at least once a month and Mikey and I usually consume the entire bowl in one sitting…

It is spicy, sweet and salty all at the same time. It has a great crunch from the cabbage, carrots and peanuts and the Sriracha gives it a great kick of heat.

I have made this salad for multiple parties and people are always asking me for the recipe

Slaw (or coleslaw) was one of the few “vegetable” dishes I liked as a kid. We all know I was very picky when it came to practically everything in life…but creamy coleslaw was one of my favorites. My other fav was the Ramen noodle slaw with sunflower seeds and cabbage (if you don’t know it, I’ll put it up on the blog one of these days. High in sodium, low in nutrition. It’s amazing).

Mikey and I have gotten into many a heated debate over what’s better: Vinegar vs. creamy based coleslaw. I like creamy and he likes vinegar…the same goes for BBQ sauce. I like sweet, tomato based and he likes vinegar based.

Mikey grew up eating at a BBQ place called Russell’s Barbecue…Yes, I know what you’re thinking. “Bethany, that was your maiden name, it must be the best place in the whole world.” Mikey would say it is and so would his entire family. Unfortunately…they have vinegar based sauce and coleslaw…I’m not saying that I won’t eat my face off at Russell’s and soak my pulled pork in their BBQ sauce, I’m just saying that when it comes to vinegar based vs. tomato based…My heart is with the sweeter of the two (that’s not really a surprise for someone with a giant sweet tooth) and I don’t consider that authentic BBQ. (Remember: This is only my opinion, please don’t hate me).

That was a random tangent since I’m not sharing a BBQ recipe or a normal coleslaw recipe…but none the less, I think you should make this Asian slaw the next chance you get.

The longer it sits in the refrigerator the better. The flavors combine and the dressing soaks in to the cabbage and carrots. It is AMAZING.

P.S. It usually has 1-2 cups of shredded carrots which I did not have on hand. The slaw was still amazing but i recommend you include them. They are listed in the recipe below 🙂

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Brown Butter Snickerdoodles

April 4, 2014 / mikeysinmykitchen / 14 Comments

I made a cookie with brown butter.

I am now going to add brown butter to everything. It is so rich and nutty and the aroma that they add to your house/cookie can’t be beat!

These cookies are crunchy around the edges but then gooey on the inside. They are sweet but the brown butter gives them that nutty flavor that keeps you coming back for more…and more…and more…you can easily eat 10 in one sitting.

Our ginger child, Norman, went under the clippers a couple weeks ago and has the cutest little lion cut (you can’t tell in this picture). But he is still as rambunctious as ever! And apparently he can’t keep his dirty little paws off these Snickerdoodles either!

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Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014 / mikeysinmykitchen / 6 Comments

There is an unspoken rule whenever Mikey and I go to brunch and that is that I always have to get something sweet for us to share (although I’m usually the one who eats 90 percent of it). Whether it is a doughnut (a hip trend here in Chicago that I won’t complain about) a piece of coffee cake, a cinnamon role or a simple waffle…I always require something sweet to go with my coffee and eggs.

I grew up with an incredible Mom who always made us amazing breakfasts on Saturday mornings. I would wake up to the smell of pancakes or waffles and although I didn’t eat breakfast during the week, waffles were my weakness and I always found a way to make room for them on the weekend.

We also would have things like cinnamon rolls, monkey bread and coffee cake on occasion and I blame her for my obsession with all things gooey and cinnamon laced.

I wanted to try a new coffee cake recipe, but stick with the classic flavors and texture I love and was really pleased with the way this coffee cake turned out. My favorite is still this Classic Coffee Cake that literally melts in your mouth (and must be consumed warm), although I will keep this coffee cake recipe on the back burner as a quick and tasty brunch option.