Recipes That Are Easy As Pi!

As we prepare for Pi Day (March 14th....3/14...duh!) I wanted to share with you some of my favorite recipes for what else, PIE! Above you'll find my board from Foodie.com filled with delicious (and easy) pie recipes from fellow bloggers around the country! Check it out and get inspired!

Now for me, when I first think of the classic dessert I think of good ol' American Apple Pie or maybe a savory slice of Shepard's Pie, but as you can see from the board above, the options span far outside of the crust! Here are 3 of my faves from Kasey's Kitchen:

Make Magnolia Bakery's Treats at Home This Valentine's Day

For those of you who may not have a Magnolia Bakery in your neighborhood or just simply don't have the funds to have a batch of these babies delivered to your beloved (if you do, click here) you can actually make these heavenly confections at home thanks to their signature buttercream recipe, which I just happen to have the recipe for! ;-)

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.

Ingredients: 

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 to 8 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

This recipe is enough for 2 dozen cupcakes or 1 (9-inch) layer cake.

Chocolate Cookie Truffles

These little chocolate treats have become a staple in my Holiday repertoire. I first made them with my cousin when I was in high school. They are relatively simple but can become a bit time consuming. I think after 10 years of making these I may have finally mastered the process and I'm ready to share it with you! 

Kasey's Kitchen Exclusive: A Taste of The Oscars

A few weeks ago I was fortunate enough to be invited to the Oscars Food & Beverage Preview. This is where the media gets a first hand look at everything the stars enjoy at the post-show Governors Ball. Chef Wolfgang Puck is the headliner putting out a spread of over 35 dishes while Patron and Ultimat Vodka are mixing up the cocktails for the night.

Check out the video below for all the fun!

Take a glance at some of the amazing dishes Chef Wolfgang is whipping up:

 

 Baked Macaroni & Cheese with Black Truffles by Wolfgang Puck 

Click Here for the recipe!

 Crab Louie by Wolfgang Puck 
Click Here for the recipe!

 

Spicy Ahi Tuna Cones by Wolfgang Puck 

Click Here for the recipe!

Not only did we get to sip and sample all the tasty treats, we also had a chance to meet Marc Friedland, designer of the iconic Oscar Envelope! Marc even created gorgeous electronic invitations for Evite Postmark that you can send out for your own Oscar party!

See the fun party tips Marc had for us in the video here!

Stay tuned to Kasey’s Kitchen all week long for red-carpet fashion tips from Pink Champagne and Proverbial Hearts, award-winning beauty from Make Me Up, Mel and of course, tons of recipes straight from the kitchen of Wolfgang Puck! 

Super Simple Strawberry Cheesecake Fake-Out

Here is my recipe for my Strawberry Cheesecake Fake-Out that I made for LA Foodie last weekend! This is perfect for cookouts, picnics and BBQs, or make the filling and put in small containers for a quick dessert. 

This is super easy to whip up and trust me, you won't miss the calories!

What You Need

1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust

2 pack Cheesecake flavored Jell-O pudding powder
2 cup Milk

1 Lite Cool-Whip
Fresh Strawberries (about 1 cup chopped)

What You Do

In a large mixing bowl, combine pudding powder and milk. Whisk until combined. It will be much thicker than pudding but that's ok. 

Fold in Cool-Whip one heaping spoonful at a time until all is combined.

Chop up some fresh berries and toss those in.

Spread mixture into the pie crust and refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Voila!

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Best Darn Lemon Bars... Like, EVER

Those of you who know me know that I RARELY use recipes, however when my co-worker brought in a batch of these lemon bars I needed to know how to make them! They are seriously the BEST lemon bars (and I hate quote an overplayed Taylor Swift song) like, EVER!

Here’s What You Need:

1 cup Gold Medal® all-purpose flour

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup granulated sugar 

2 teaspoons grated lemon peel, if desired                                                                            2 tablespoons lemon juice                                                                                                     1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt                                                                                                            

2 large eggs

   

Here’s What You Do:

Heat over to 350

In a medium bowl, mix flour, butter and 1/4 cup powdered sugar with spoon. Press in ungreased 8-inch or 9-inch square pan, building up 1/2-inch edges. Bake crust 20 minutes; remove from oven.

In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients except additional powdered sugar with electric mixer on high speed about 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Pour over hot crust.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until no indentation remains when touched lightly in center. Cool completely in pan on wire rack, about 1 hour. Dust with powdered sugar. For bars, cut into 5 rows by 5 rows.

Recipe Courtesy of Betty Crocker.

Balsamic Smashed Strawberries

As Seen On "The Dish"

Last week we talked about making your own Balsamic Glaze... and now it’s time to put it to use in a not so common way.

This recipe is inspired by a dessert that was served in a restaurant I worked at back in Boston called 606 Congress. I can remember the first time the chef brought it out for us to try, I was a bit hesitant but after one bite, I was hooked!

What You Need:

1 pint of fresh strawberries

Nilla wafer cookies or Lady Fingers

vanilla ice cream

fresh mint

balsamic glaze

½ c sugar

What You Do:

In a large bowl, combine coarsely chopped (big chunks) strawberries, balsamic glaze ( about 4 swirls around the bowl) and sugar. Let marinate for 1-2 hours in the fridge.

Place cookies or Lady Fingers in a shallow dish and spoon the strawberry mixture over them.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnish with a sprig of mint

Tip: Don’t be afraid to mix it up and serve with crumbled biscotti, angel food cake or even dense pound cake! Or just keep the strawberry mixture on hand to pour over ice cream on it’s own for a super simple dessert!

Remember, if you change it up, let us know about it in the comments section below!

Check back soon to see what’s cooking in Kasey’s Kitchen.

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