Mama Pea's Funky Monkey Pie

First off, Happy Royal Wedding Day! If you're anything like me, you'll be drinking coffee by the gallon to stay awake. I'm also going to my second wedding dress fitting over lunch, which makes this day filled with wedded excitement!

On the food front, I can't tell you how many times I read a recipe on one of my many favorite blogs and am absolutely inspired to make said recipe. However, I rarely ever end up doing so, mainly because I figure if it's already out there for the internet to see, then why blog about it again?

But some recipes are just too good, and fun, not to share. Take this pie, for example. It's called Funky Monkey Pie. Could that name be any more fun? And if you're a vegan like Mama Pea, this pie will make you especially happy. Now that I think about it, this might be the first vegan recipe on Espresso and Cream. But don't for one second think you have to be a vegan to enjoy this pie. No, this recipe is for all.

Maybe I should let you know this pie has a secret weapon in the peanut butter filling. Or maybe the tofu will scare you away. I guess if it does that means more pie for me. Which, frankly, I'm okay with.

Mama Pea's Funky Monkey Pie

Ingredients
*1 pre-made graham cracker pie crust
*1 large banana, sliced
*1 (12-ounce) package silken tofu
*2/3 cup natural peanut butter
*2/3 cup powdered sugar
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*2 tablespoons non-dairy milk
*1 cup whipped topping
*Chopped peanuts and chocolate chips (optional)

Instructions
*Layer the banana slices in the graham cracker crust. 
*In a food processor, blend together the tofu, peanut butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk until smooth, scraping down the sides of bowl as necessary.
*Spoon mixture into pie crust. Top with whipped topping and sprinkle with chopped peanuts and chocolate chips, if desired.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Cereal Layer Bars

Layer bars like these come in many forms. The only real components necessary to make them are a cookie or graham cracker crust, a mixed ingredient filling full of different flavors and textures and a topping of sweetened condensed milk to bind it all together. Typically, they are sweet to the max. And, in my opinion, lacking depth and diversity in flavor. Unless, of course, we are talking about these bars.

I would like to say they are a stroke of carefully planned out genius. However, they are more a product of photo shoot leftovers than anything else. Instead of graham crackers for the crust, we're talking a crust made with crushed Cracklin' Oat Bran (my childhood favorite cereal).

And inside?

Salty peanuts to break up the sweetness of two types of chocolate with crunchy granola thrown in for good measure.

The best part of it all is how easy they are. And tempting, too. The day after making these bars I whisked them off to work to avoid the temptation of eating the whole pan. Proceed with caution.

Cereal Layer Bars
Ingredients

Crust
*1 2/3 cups Kellogg's Cracklin' Oat Bran Cereal, crushed into a fine meal
*1 tablespoon sugar
*4 tabespoons butter, melted

Filling
*1/3 cup salted roasted peanuts, chopped
*1/3 cup mint chocolate pieces
*1/3 cup semi sweet chocolate chips
*1/3 cup Teddy Grahams, crushed into coarse pieces
*1/3 cup Honey Bunches of Oats Just Bunches cereal or other type of granola cereal
*7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 a regular-sized can)

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, combine the crushed Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal, sugar and butter. Stir until evenly combined. Press mixture into a 13 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 1 rectangular tart pan (I purchased mine here but I am guessing it would also work to use an 8x8-inch baking pan.), paying attention to pressing mixture up the sides.
*Bake crust for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
*Meanwhile, combine the peanuts, mint chocolate pieces, chocolate chips, crushed Teddy Grahams and cereal. Pour mixture into the crust and spread evenly. Drizzle with sweetened condensed milk. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown around the edges and slightly bubbly. Remove and cool for at least an hour before serving.

Happy Baking!

Madison  

April (Wedding) Showers

This weekend Joey and I had our first wedding shower! It was thrown by Joey's aunts on his dad's side and, as is tradition in his family, the guys were invited, too. We had so much fun playing silly games, eating (of course!) and opening gifts.

Did I mention I'm super lucky to be marrying into this amazing family?

Because I am. They play silly games, laugh a lot and make sure we are never without caffeine.

Our loot included a coffee grinder, French press, coffee mugs, travel coffee mugs and an espresso machine. (!!!) Are you seeing a pattern?

Be Back Soon

Regular posting will resume momentarily.

We've been out on a three day weekend. Eating tasty treats, planning our wedding, and running gravel roads out in the country.

Now, it's back to work and the kitchen.

Hope you all had a fabulous Easter!

Madison

Rice Krispie Treat Pops

First things first, the winner of the cookie giveaway is Jesse who said...

Congrats, Jesse! Please browse Espresso and Cream (or search 'cookies' in the Google search box to the top right) and pick out your cookies of choice. Then, e-mail your selection to me (madisonjanemayberry@gmail.com) and I'll get them in the mail next week! 

You didn't think I'd let this week slip by without posting a recipe worthy of Easter, did you?

I love this holiday for a lot of reasons, many deeper and more important than food and sweet treats. But, of course, the treats and candy also have a little something to do with how much I love Easter. I could do without most Valentine's Day candy but Easter candy is a whole different ball of wax.

Cadbury eggs? Sign me up. Starburst Jelly Beans? Dangerous. And don't even get me started on the peanut butter filled eggs.

So of course when I had some extra baking supplies on hand after a photo shoot at work, I thought of the sweetest, most Easter-worthy dessert I could imagine. Trust me, these little pops are a pure dose of sugar and chocolate mint goodness.

Oh, I forgot to mention that regular Rice Krispies Treats wouldn't do for these pops. Instead, I jazzed them up with a hit of mint chocolate. Mainly because I had some leftover Andes mint chocolate baking pieces and needed a reason to use them.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Rice Krispie Treat Pops

Ingredients
*1/4 cup butter
*6 cups mini marshmallows
*1/2 cup mint chocolate pieces
*7 cups Rice Krispies cereal
*24 Paper treat sticks 
*1 standard-sized package almond bark
*Rainbow sprinkles

Instructions
*In a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add in the marshmallows and continue to cook and stir until marshmallows are melted and combined. Stir in mint chocolate pieces until well combined. Remove from heat.
*Place Rice Krispies in a very large bowl. Pour marshmallow mixture atop Rice Krispies and stir to combine. If needed, use lightly buttered hands to full combine the mixture.
*Form Rice Krispie mixture into24 (2-inch) balls and stick a treat stick into the center of each ball, pressing the treat mixture around the stick.
*Melt almond bark according to package directions. Dip treat balls into the almond bark to coat completely. Transfer to waxed paper or aluminum foil to cool. Top with sprinkles before almond bark hardens.

Happy Easter!

Madison

Cookies, anyone?

Do you love cookies?

I do, too.

In fact, I love them so much that I want to bake some cookies and send them to one of you. Two dozen of any of the cookies found on this site.

So here's the deal:

Leave a comment below telling me what you're most looking forward to this summer. Contest is open until 11 p.m. on Thursday, April 21. Winner will be announced on Friday.

Have a happy Wednesday!

Madison

Guilt-Free Strawberry Fool

Lately I've been on a bit of a strawberry kick. Maybe that's an understatement since I eat a clam shell container of strawberries a day. Thankfully, strawberries are in abundance and finally at a reasonable price. Something I can't say eight of the other months out of the year.

But as much as I love strawberries, even they need a little bit of love every now and again. Enter the strawberry fool, which is bascially a fancy way of saying berries and whipped cream, with a few other extras added in. And while I would much prefer a full-blown fool made with real, rich whipped cream and thick lemon curd or sticky strawberry jam, the weeknights call for something a bit less decadent.

This week has suddenly turned extremely crazy, full of big changes, decisions and responsibilities. I'm running just to keep up and promise to share with you all the juicy details as soon as I can! Until then, I strongly recommend hitting up the produce isle for some strawberries.

Guilt-Free Strawberry Fool

Ingredients
*1 tablespoon sugar-free strawberry preserves
*2 to 3 tablespoons lemon yogurt
*1/3 cup light whipped topping
*4 strawberries, sliced

Instructions
*Stir together the strawberry preserves and yogurt until well combined. Combine the strawberries, whipped topping and yogurt mixture in a bowl and gently stir to combine.
*Spoon into glass and enjoy!


Madison

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cake Balls

I didn't set out to make cake balls, a la Bakarella, but then again, I'm guessing that a lot of cake balls have been made after a cake recipe failed. Thankfully, cake balls and cake pops have become envied, coveted and enjoyed in every Sarbucks around the country.

Tuesday night I set out to make peanut butter chocolate chip cupcakes with peanut butter buttercream after reading another inspiring and mouthwatering recipe from The Blue Eyed Bakers. However, instead of following their recipe, which I should have, I got lazy and experimented with one of my own. The cupcakes weren't a total flop, just slightly flat and lifeless.

Thankfully, when crumbled up, combined with frosting and dipped in chocolate the cake makes a heck of a cake ball. I like to think they're the perfect sweet bite at the end of a meal, but I'll let you be the judge of that.

Nutmeg wanted to give them a taste. I had a hard time explaining to her why dog's can't eat chocolate. 

Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cake Balls

Cake Ingredients
Adapted from Cupcakes from the Primrose Bakery

*5 tablespoons butter, softened
*2/3 cup creamy peanut butter
*1 cup firmly-packed brown sugar
*2 large eggs
*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
*3/4 cup all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking powder
*2/3 cup miniature chocolate chips

To Make Cake:
*Preheat oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
*With an electric mixer, beat butter, peanut butter and brown sugar together until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, until incorporated. Add in salt, flour and baking powder and beat until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips by hand.
*Bake for 20 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Peanut Butter Frosting Ingredients
*1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
*3 tablespoons butter, softened
*1/4 cup milk
*2 cups powdered sugar

Topping Ingredients
*12 oz. milk chocolate
*Sprinkles (optional)

To Make Peanut Butter Frosting:
*With an electric mixer, beat together the peanut butter and butter until creamy. Add in the milk and powdered sugar and beat until creamy.

To Make Peanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cake Balls
*Place cake in a large bowl and stir with a fork to break up into small, almost even pieces. Mixture should still have some small clumps and cake pieces intact. Allow to cool completely. Add frosting to cake and stir until evenly combined and mixture forms into a dough-like consistency. Form into 1-inch round balls. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
*In a large saucepan, melt chocolate over medium-low heat, stirring frequently. Dip cake balls into melted chocolate; transfer to waxed paper lined baking sheet. Top with sprinkles of choice, if desired.
*Rest until chocolate hardens, or chill in the freezer to speed up the process.

Happy Baking!

Madison

Please?

I'm sorry, I really do have a recipe to share with you all. A really sweet, yummy and tempting treat perfect for weekend baking. But, you see, I got in an early morning workout, did a load of laundry, walked Nut and all was going as planned. Just enough time to photograph said delicious treats.

But then the bad hair day struck hard and I ran out of time to snap a few pictures.

I promise, I'm running home over lunch to make up for lost time and should have a recipe for you tonight. Until then, I give you my just-bathed puppy, who was whining last night because I wouldn't let her up on my couch.

It really is hard to say no.

Madison

Black and Yellow (er... Pink)

After some serious prompting by Joey, I finally broke down and ordered business cards for Espresso and Cream. Except instead of ordering a couple hundred, I ended up with a box of 1,500. That's a whole lot of business cards that I'll be too embarrassed to ever hand out. Even if I do think they're pretty cute.

If anyone wants to come work for me and hand out business cards, I'll pay you in cookies. And I'll let you play with my puppy.

Takers, anyone? :)

Ginger Spice Scones

Whew. 

I hope you had a slightly more relaxing weekend than I did and are returning to your schedules refreshed and wide awake. After spending a couple days with Joey and my mom at my apartment, I took off on Saturday, with Nutmeg in tow, for a bridal shower for my best friend up in Minneapolis. It was a whirlwind trip to say the least, but even a few hours with those you love is more than worth the time in the car.

On the kitchen front, I've been baking and eating scones. Over the years, I've made a few scone recipes and eaten even more. Most of those scones have been less than memorable. Dry, crumbly, and unhealthy. 

These scones are different. They're light and fluffy (thanks to a hefty dose of baking powder and soda) despite their stellar whole-wheat nutritional profile. Maybe, for some, they are too light to be considered a true scone, but for breakfast lovers like me, they really hit the spot. Of course, when I get my hands on a jar of sugar-free fruit preserves, I spread the stuff on everything in sight. Scones are no exception. 

Have a scone. And a happy Monday!

Ginger Spice Scones

Ingredients

*1 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or a combination of 1 cup whole wheat flour and 3/4 cup all-purpose flour)

*1/3 cup granulated sugar

*1 tablespoon baking powder

*1/2 teaspoon baking soda

*1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

*1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

*1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

*1/3 cup butter 

*2 large eggs

*1/4 cup milk

*Sugar-free blackberry preserves an Greek yogurt (optional) 

Instructions

*Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large bowl, combine the whole wheat pastry flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger. With a pastry blender, blend in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. 

*In a small bowl, combine eggs and milk. Add wet mixture to dry mixture and stir to combine. Turn onto floured surface and knead a few times until mixture comes together. Roll dough out into 1/2-inch thickness and cut into circles with a round cookie cutter or the top of a glass. 

*Transfer scones to baking sheet and bake for 11 to 13 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crisp around the edges. Cool on wire rack. Serve with blackberry preserves and Greek yogurt, if desired. 

Happy Baking!

Madison

Today I Love...

{My first true spa experience in Sonoma}

This morning I woke up to an inbox full of pictures (some very embarrassing) from childhood courtesy of my step-mom, Andrea (pictured above). Truth be told, everyone in my family hates the phrase 'step-mom' or 'step-sister' because it doesn't seem to reflect how close we are as a family, so for now I'll just be calling her Andrea on Espresso and Cream.

Even though some of the pictures were less than flattering, I thought I would post them anyway. It's fun to take a look back at old pictures every now and again and good for a little laugh, too.

{My grandma Max and little sister, Taylor}

{Taylor as an adorable little toddler}

{My sister Ashley, who is now 18(!!) and graduating from high school this year} 

Have a happy weekend, everyone! Back with a killer breakfast recipe on Monday.

Madison

Everyday Broccoli

Alright, I'll admit it. I don't eat broccoli every single day, but I'd be hard-pressed to think of a week in the past year that I didn't eat broccoli at least once. Call me crazy, but aside from fresh green beans, broccoli is my absolute favorite veggie.

So much so that I ate the entire four cups of Everyday Broccoli for dinner last night.

And if you are reading this thinking about how much you dislike broccoli, I will make you a bet that if you try broccoli my way, you'll change your mind.

Give it a try. I dare you.

Everyday Broccoli

*4 cups broccoli florets
*1 tablespoon olive oil
*Kosher salt
*1/4 cup grated Parmesean cheese
*Cracked black pepper

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 425°F. Place broccoli on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil. Toss slightly to coat. Sprinkle lightly with salt.
*Bake in the oven for 15 to 20 minutes, turning once halfway through cooking. During the last two minutes of cooking, sprinkle with the Parmesan cheese. Transfer to a bowl and serve warm.

Happy Cooking!


Madison

Little Feet and Hands

I'm so unbelievably excited to share that Joey and I are going to have a niece/nephew in October!

Goodness, you have no idea how hard it has been not to tell everyone about this amazing news. Amber and Jake (the parents-to-be) told us they were going to have a baby about three and a half weeks ago when we were in Chicago working on their new house and we've been signed to secrecy ever since. But now it's on Facebook for the world to see, so we are free to share!

The whole family is so excited for them, and I know that Joey's parents are more than ready to be grandparents. Truly, I can't believe how blessed we are at this time in our lives. Getting married and becoming an aunt in less than four months? Now that's something to get excited about.

Happy Wednesday!

Madison

Grandma Dorothy's 90th Birthday

My wonderful grandma turned 90 last month and, of course, our family got together to celebrate the milestone. Over the years I've realized that reaching 90 is not easy and most certainly not always fun and games, but I have yet to meet another 90-year-old who is as mentally sharp and intelligent as she is.

If you're ever in Iowa and in search of someone to play a mean game of Scrabble with, I would highly suggest you take up a game with grandma Dorothy. Just don't be upset when she beats you.

Madison 

Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and enjoyed some of the wonderful weather we had here in Iowa. It still amazes me that less than a week ago there was snow on the ground and today temps got into the 70's!

Joey, Nutmeg and I spent as much time as possible outside over the past couple days, going on long walks, runs and taking an inaugural (and probably final) trip to the dog park. I'm not sure what I expected, but none of us really thought the dog park was as much fun as we expected.

When Joe got here on Friday night, I had a plate of these cookies waiting. Growing up, my memories weren't of chocolate chip cookies, but of warm, chewy cinnamon-spiced snickerdoodles. For me, they are the most comforting type of cookie and always make me feel at home.

Bottom line: the cookies are chewy, perfect goodness and I've got two cuties waiting for me to cuddle. Have a wonderful start to your week!

Soft and Chewy Snickerdoodles
Adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook 

Ingredients
*1 cup butter, softened
*3/4 cup sugar
*3/4 cup brown sugar
*2 large eggs
*1 teaspoon vanilla extract
*2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
*1 teaspoon baking soda
*1/4 teaspoon salt
*1/2 cup sugar
*1-2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Instructions
*Preheat oven to 375°F. Beat butter and sugars together with an electric mixer until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
*In a bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. Add flour mixture to butter mixture. Scoop dough by heaping tablespoons and form into balls. Combine sugar and cinnamon. Roll dough in cinnamon sugar and place on a baking sheet.
*Bake for 9 to 11 minutes, or until lightly golden around the edges. Cool slightly on baking sheet and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Happy baking!

Madison