Chocolate Whipped Cream

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Brains work in wonderful ways. After being invited to a BBQ on short notice, I had to think up something easy to make. Balsamic berries always fit that bill, but I wanted to make them a little more special. Whipped cream, I thought. And then, the best idea… chocolate whipped cream. Chocolate and balsamic complement each other well, and heavenly thoughts of the concoction forced me to start experimenting immediately.

To make chocolate whipped cream, add 1 pint of heavy whipping cream, 3 tablespoons of powdered sugar, and 1/4 cup of cocoa powder to a bowl. With an electric mixer, whisk the cream until it becomes full, frothy, and just starts to hold soft peaks. It should be voluptuous but not dense. In the process of my experimentation, I over-mixed the cream and it lost its lusciousness (as pictured with the berries above). If you make the same error, don’t worry! It’s an easy fix, just pour 1-2 more tablespoons of cream into the bowl and whisk it by hand until the whipped cream thins back out. By the time David kindly went out and bought me a second pint of cream, we’d already eaten the berries and cream pictured above and were too full to make a second plate to photograph. Imagine it, or better yet, make one for yourself! Keep the whipped cream refrigerated until serving time, and also try not to eat it all before then.

Shopping list:

  • Heavy cream- 1 pint
  • Powdered sugar- 3 tablespoons
  • Cocoa powder- 1/4 cup
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Strawberry-Cream Cheese Frosting

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Help! I almost ate this frosting for lunch. My cake was in serious fear that it would have to live its short life naked. Fortunately, Stella talked some sense into me. I iced the cake, and proceeded to eat the frosting from there. I love cream cheese, cream cheese icing, and especially the strawberry-cream cheese icing on Baked and Wired‘s strawberry cupcakes. I had to replicate it, and I succeeded. The strawberry cake was less of a success, and I refuse to share less-than-loved recipes with you. Until I come up with a suitable strawberry cake (UPDATE- I did!), spread this icing on your favorite cake, strawberries, or your fingers.

To make this addictive frosting, bring 1 stick of butter and 1 brick of cream cheese to room temperature. Put 4 strawberries in a food processor or blender, and chop them until they form a mostly runny but somewhat chunky liquid, depending on whether you want visible strawberry pieces in your frosting.

With an electric mixer, whisk the butter and cream cheese together until they are fully incorporated and start getting fluffy. Then, add the strawberry purée, 1/3 cup of powdered sugar, and 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract to the bowl. Whisk everything until the icing is smooth. Taste the icing. I like my icing to be very cream cheesy with just the right amount of sweetness. Add more sugar if you like yours sweeter. Your icing should smell like strawberries do in heaven. Now, go wild!

Shopping list:

  • Cream cheese- 8 oz. brick
  • Butter- 1 stick (1/2 cup)
  • Powdered sugar- 1/3 cup +
  • Strawberries- 4
  • Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon
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Pucker Up: Lavender Lemonade

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This lemonade is refreshing and delicious! Fresh squeezed lemonade is one of the best drinks out there, but the lavender infusion takes this one to a whole new level. It gives the lemonade a glorious hot pink color and a flavor twist that makes it stand out from other lemonades. The lavender notes are perfect, not too subtle and not too strong. Pack this lemonade for a picnic, and you can sprawl out in the grass with a smile on your lips.

To make this lemonade, get yourself some culinary lavender and 6-8 lemons, depending on their size. Bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a small pot. Then, remove the pot from the heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of the lavender. Put a lid on the pot, and let the lavender steep for 30 minutes. In another small pot, make a simple syrup. Add 1/2 cup of water and 1/2 cup of sugar, stir it around, and bring it to a boil. The sugar should completely dissolve into the water. Then, turn off the heat and let the syrup cool. I like my lemonade to retain its tangy tartness, but if you prefer sweeter lemonade, make your simple syrup with 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar.

While the lavender steeps, juice your lemons. I love this electric juicer. You push a lemon half down on the reamer, and it spins around, juicing the lemon. The strainer is adjustable so you can control the amount of pulp that gets into your juice, and it catches all of the seeds. We had a machine like this when I was a little girl, and I loved using it. Once, I juiced a ton of lemons and then spilled the juice all over the kitchen. I was so sad, but despite the stickiness I caused, my mom said she enjoyed the smell. She’s nice.

Hang on to some of the lemon shells so you can garnish the lemonade later. I got this idea from Nifty Fifties in Philadelphia. Their lemonade is fantastic. So are their chicken nuggets. And burgers. And onion rings.

Once you have about 1.5 cups of lemon juice, add it to a pitcher.

When your lavender has fully stepped, pour the liquid through a mesh strainer to catch the lavender buds. The liquid is pretty and purple.

Add the lavender water to the lemon juice. Pink!

Add 4 cups of cold water and your simple syrup into the pitcher, and stir it around. Taste, and adjust accordingly with more water and sugar if needed.


Pour your lemonade over ice, and garnish with one of the lemon halves. Sip. Slurp. Pour another.

This recipe was adapted from the Pastry Affair.

Shopping list:

  • Lavender- 3 tablespoons
  • Lemons- 6 to 8
  • Sugar- 1/2-1 cup
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