That Time We Went to Hawaii Plus An Easy Pineapple Coconut Ice Cream Recipe

With Summer right around the corner,  I thought it was a great opportunity to share one of my favorite recipes again with everyone!

A few months ago The Mr. and I received an incredible opportunity to take a quick jaunt over to Maui. We had to keep this all on the DL for a while but I've recently received the all-clear to share!

We experienced some of the most breathtaking sites as you can see in the photos below and enjoyed amazing meals such as Kalua Pork, Garlic Nori Fries and of course, Shave Ice.

Kaula Pork Wrapped in a Banana Leaf, Paella with Jumbo Prawns, Linguica and Calamari, Garlic Nori Fries

It ain't a trip to Hawaii unless you get authentic Shave Ice! Half Pineapple, Half Tiger's Blood for me!
Clearly the sugar made us silly! 

Cranberry Apple Hand Pies

Impress your pals with these adorable little hand pies. Go on, have two! We won’t tell.

Mini Key Lime Pies with Coconut Crust

A few weeks ago while I was in Florida visiting my husband's family, I had stumbled across a bottle of fresh Floridian Key Lime juice. Having a strong love for anything Key Lime and a fresh boost of confidence thanks to what I learned at the FBF Conference I decided that this little green bottle was coming back to California with me. 

Now, many of you know... I'm not much of a baker, I'm more of a faker. Meaning I can fake-bake my way into a delicious dessert whenever needed but it's not my strong point. With that in mind, I sought out for some inspiration via Pinterest and ended up finding a straight forward Key Lime Pie recipe that I knew I could doctor up to make it my own! 

Pretty Little Peanut Butter Bars

Yum

This is a no-brainer dessert for parties, girl's night, or your next adventure. I mean, you can grab a bar before darting off after a mysterious figure in a black hoodie, you can comfortably eat one while locked in a confined space, and you can even mow down a whole batch after your find out you're heading to the slammer and you have no clue why. No big deal. 

Ingredients:

1 c peanut butter (chunky will give it a good crunch!)

1 c butter

¼ brown sugar

1 ¾ c powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 sleeve of graham crackers

1 ½ c chocolate chips

1 tsp vegetable oil

pinch of salt

Simple Sugar Cookies for Santa

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As some of you might have seen via Instagram, I've partnered up with Treat Street to create a few fun holiday recipes featuring their super cute treat toppers. The toppers can be found in stores coast to coast including Michaels, Target, Kroger and Walmart. 

@kaseys_kitchen

I'm honored that Walmart asked to use one of my recipes on their in-store display and website, too! If you happen to be in your local Walmart store and see it, snap a picture and use #KKRecipeFound and you just might win a prize!! 

Here's the recipe for you to try for yourself - 

Cinnamon Cupcake Monsters!

Only a few weeks away from every "Boos and Ghouls" favorite holiday! Why not whip up some simple cinnamon cupcakes and top it off with these adorable gummy eyes from Treat Street!

See below for decorating tips and how to build in a spooky surprise! 

Quickie Recipe: Simple Caramelized Peaches

The other night I was suffering from a killer sweet tooth but didn't want to totally ruin the hour of yoga I had done earlier that day. (#thestruggle) I remembered that I had a gorgeous white peach from the farmers market in my fridge that was about to go bad. I got a little creative and whipped up this insanely easy and addictive dessert... here's what you do:

Ingredients

1 large peach

1 tbsp coconut oil

2 tbsp brown sugar

dash of cinnamon

1 tbsp agave

vanilla frozen yogurt (or go for broke with ice cream)

Preparation

Cut peach into thin sections. 

Heat coconut oil in saute pan on med/low heat. Add peaches and begin to simmer. Add in brown sugar, cinnamon, and agave. Cook until peaches are tender. 

Serve in a shallow bowl with a dollop of vanilla yogurt! 

If You Were Stuck on a Dessert Island...

No, you're not reading a typo in that title. We've all been asked, if you were stuck on a desert island and you could only have three items with you, what would you bring? Well, the Kasey's Kitchen team would like to ask: If you were on a dessert island, what decadent sweets would you like to be stuck with?

In honor of National Ice Cream Month this July, here are some options of the classic frozen treat with a twist for you to choose from. These unique creations can be found throughout L.A. and definitely have us screaming for ice cream!

RESTAURANT: Gusto
CHEF: Vic Casanova
ICE CREAM DISH: Coconut Gelato Pie

RESTAURANT: The Rockefeller
ICE CREAM DISH: Hot Chocolate Chip Cookie

RESTAURANT: The Eveleigh
CHEF: Jared Levy
ICE CREAM DISH: Hot Fudge Sundae (with all ingredients made in-house - and KK contributor Jen's choice!)

Sweet Secrets from Chef Barb

A few weeks ago I was invited into the B Sweet kitchen to sit down with Chef Barb Batiste and talk about all things tasty! As you may have seen on my Instagram posts, the treats from B Sweet are straight up OUT OF THIS WORLD. We're talking a chocolate chip cookie the size of a pie... donut ice cream sandwiches... oh yeah and lots of bread pudding! Check out the video below for all the scoop and then scroll on down for some drool-worthy photos!

A Red, A White, and A Blue Dessert For 4th Of July!

When trying to come up with the perfect "Red, White, and Blue" recipe, I kept falling back on some of my old favorites. Thanks to the freedom given to us by our forefathers, it's my blog and I can do whatever I want. Therefore... you're getting 3 different recipes! A "red" one, thanks to the fresh strawberries in the recipe... a "white" one made with yummy coconut chips... and a BLUEberry one!



Here is one of my favorite summertime recipes. It brings together the freshness of strawberries and the induglence of cheesecake without the drama of all those calories. Bonus, it whips up in minutes, so you won't miss that valuable time in the sun!

#MeatlessMonday - Vietnamese Summer Rolls Plus a Vegan Dessert!

Recently I've been obsessed with Vietnamese Summer Rolls. There is something about that cold, crisp bite that is instantly refreshing! I realized that I was ordering them off any menu they graced so it was about time I learned how to make them for myself.

After a quick spin down the Asian Foods aisle of the grocery store, I had all the ingredients I needed. It's amazing how even the most obscure ingredients, i.e. rice paper, can be found just a few rows over from Lunchables.

Don't forget to get a taste of the Vegan sweets from Sugar Beak Bakery at the bottom of this post!

Throwback Thursday: Super Simple Coconut Bark

I was recently introduced to Whole Kernel Coconut Oil... it's straight up AMAZING! I've found myself eating spoonfuls of this stuff our of the jar with a few chocolate chips and I thought to myself, "This is just silly, it's time to make something!"
Here's what I came up with!

Ingredients:
2 c shredded coconut (unsweetened)
1 c coconut oil
1/4 c honey
1 c chocolate chips
pinch of sea salt

Rethink Your Tofu Timing: Tofu For Dessert

When I think of tofu my brain always goes right to stir-frys. It's pretty much everyone's go-to when they try tackling tofu for the first time but there are many different ways to play with this amazing ingredient such as incorporating it into an unexpected course, dessert!

I decided to create a tasty dessert that was packed with protein because who doesn't want a dessert you can feel less guilty about??

Chocolate Lava Cake Fake-Outs

So The Mr.'s favorite dessert is Chocolate Lava Cake, and let's be honest, who can blame him! It's sweet, warm, delicious...he obviously has the same preference in desserts as he does in women ;-)

Since I don't have the patience to make the real deal ( as some of you may know, I don't boast my baking abilities... because they are pretty nil ) I tried a simpler concoction. My experiment was a smashing success! Here's the recipe for you to try!

Ingredients:

1 box of Devil's Food cake mix

1 c Chocolate Chips

1 c Caramel Dip

1 tsp Sea Salt (I used Hepp's Pink Sea Salt)

Cooking Spray

Cupcake Pan

See quick video instructions here - http://vine.co/v/brvO65iFezl

Caramel Apple "Nachos" Recipe

This recipe is perfect for a game-day snack, girl’s night nosh, or even post-turkey day dessert! Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!

Ingredients:

1 bag of Cinnamon Sugar Cookie Chips

2 apples, chopped
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
5-8 caramel melts
1 tbsp water
pinch of salt

Spook-tacular Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting

Everyone's favorite frightful night is right around the corner! Before you don your costumes and grab that big ol' trick-or-treat bag, take a few minutes to whip up a batch of these pumpkin cupcakes. This recipe is so simple, it's scary!

Guest Recipe: Chocolate Dipped Hazelnut Butter Cookies

By Kristin Viola of Confections by Kristin

Yield: Approx 40-60 cookies (depending on the size of the cookie cutter)

1 cup finely ground hazelnuts, toasted and blanched (plus more for garnish)

1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour, sifted

2 sticks plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened

1 cup sifted confectioner’s sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

8 oz 50-70% Cocoa Dark chocolate, chopped finely

1 ½ teaspoons vegetable shortening

Fresh Blueberry Bars

I stumbled into this recipe after having an abundance of blueberries from the farmer's market and a surprise delivery from Duchy Originals. I thought to myself, "Kasey, you're not the best baker in the world... it's time to step up your game!". So I did! Let me know what you think.

Ingredients

For Filling:

2 cups of blueberries

1 cup of white sugar

cornstarch

For Crust:

2 1/4 c flour, sifted

1 stick of butter, room temp

1/2 c white sugar

1 tsp sea salt

1tbsp lemon zest

For Crumb Topping:

2 tbsp butter

1 package Duchy Originals Lemon All Butter Shortbread 

2 tbsp brown sugar

No-Fail Banana Bread

You can ask The Mr. , banana bread is not my strong suit. I always want to make it because I have a habit of letting my bananas go bad... whoops. However, in all my attempts it always seems to come out too doughy, too dry, too sticky, or too blah. But guess what? Last night, I did it. I finally came up with the easiest banana bread recipe that actually tasted good! 

Ingredients

1/2 c butter, softened

1 c sugar
2 eggs, beaten
4 bananas, mashed

1 1/2 c flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract (I used fresh beans from Wild Bean Vanilla Co.)

Restaurant Recipe: Magnolia Bakery's Frosting

This is one of my favorite frosting recipes because it's not too gritty or heavy. The vanilla buttercream they use at Magnolia Bakery is technically not a buttercream but actually an old-fashioned confectioners' sugar and butter frosting. Be sure to beat the icing for the amount of time called for in the recipe to achieve the desired creamy texture.