Red Keep Treats: Raspberry & Dark Chocolate Meringues

 Raspberry Meringues with Dark Chocolate Chips

Valentines Day is close enough now that we can't stop thinking about sweets. Looking for a royal treat for your betrothed? Look no further than our raspberry flavored meringues with dark chocolate chips. Inspired by all of the betrothals and weddings in the Red Keep of King's Landing last season, our mouth-watery Red Keep Treats are the perfect sweet that will literally melt in your mouth. They're light and fluffy - just right for your sweetheart (arranged or not).

Besides, who doesn't want to feed their Valentine like a royal Southerner?

Ingredients:

2 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp raspberry extract
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/8 tsp salt
2 drops of pink or red food coloring
1 cup dark chocolate chips

Step 1: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Prepare a cooking sheet covered with parchment paper.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat egg whites until soft white peaks form. To check for peaks, turn off your beaters and flip them upside down. Beat until peaks remain on the upside-down beaters.

Step 2: Add sugar, raspberry extract, cream of tartar, and salt. Beat until stiff peaks form. Test for peaks the same way as before. These cookies are naturally white, so I beat in pink food coloring. If you don't have pink, try using one or two drops of red food coloring for the same effect.

Step 3: Stiff in dark chocolate chips. Drop the mixture onto the parchment paper in small clumps, using a spoon. Space each cookie about 1 inch apart. Bake for 20 minutes.

And that's it! Let them cool, and enjoy. But be careful, these cookies crumble easily, so don't pack them too tight.

North of the Wall: German Black Forest Cake

A view over the hills of the eastern edge of Germany's Black Forest facing France

What's been keeping House Cook from having much chance to cook these days? Distance and many, many changes.

This has been a season of change for us all. Anna-Lara has found a job and has been getting used to a new rhythm of life, Katy-Lynn is preparing for college, Julianne is jumping into her exciting new world of high school, and the youngest of us has been working as her soon-to-be rockstar self, practicing piano and winning science fairs. Meanwhile, I, Sarah-Lambert, have moved to Germany.

Today is the first in our new series, "North of the Wall," featuring foods and drinks and adventures from Germany where winter is most definitely coming.

Feast your eyes on some delicious, traditional Black Forest cake:

Yeah... tasty looking, right? It certainly is.

When I first started looking for the recipe, I could find only German ones. Not too much of a problem since translating a recipe isn't the most difficult, but thankfully, I found one written up in English that is only a tiny bit different from the one in German (you can find the English one I used as reference here). The recipe we're sharing with you today from North of the Wall is a mix of these two recipes.

German Black Forest Cake

Moderate difficulty. Prep time 40-60 minutes (I took 60, but you're probably faster). Cook time 40 minutes.

Ingredients: 

Cake:

1 2/3 cups   flour
2/3   cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp   baking soda
1 tsp   salt
1/2 c   shortening
1 1/2   cups sugar
2   eggs
1 tsp   vanilla extract
1 cup   buttermilk
2/3 cup   kirsch (cherry schnapps)

Filling: 

1 stick of butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 pinch of salt
1 tsp strong coffee or espresso brewed and cooled
1 (14 oz) can of dark sweet pitted cherries in heavy syrup

Whipped frosting:

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp kirsch
1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
grated semi-sweet chocolate for garnish
extra dark cherries for decoration


Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Step 2: Line the bottoms of two 8 inch round pans with parchment paper (or tin foil) circles.

Step 3: Sift together flour, baking soda, cocoa, and salt and set mixture aside.

Step 4: Cream shortening and sugar until nice and fluffy. Then beat in eggs and vanilla.

Step 5: Slowly, add the flour mixture into the shortening mixture alternating with your buttermilk until they are thoroughly combined. **If the mixture seems too dry add a tiny bit more buttermilk**

Step 6: Pour the mixture into your pans and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Step 7: When the cake halves are both baked, allow them to cool thoroughly. Once cooled, poke holes all over them using a toothpick or fork and sprinkle the kirsch (cherry schnapps) over them generously. How much you use is up to how strongly you'd like the cake to taste of schnapps. Remember: the alcohol will not be baked off, so don't get crazy with it if you're making this sugar treat for your kids!

Step 8: Cream the butter until light and fluffy.

Step 9: Add the powdered sugar, pinch of salt, and coffee and mix thoroughly.

Step 10: Remove the cake halves from their pans. Place the first half on a plate and spread the mixture from steps 8 and 9 over the surface of the layer. Top this with the pitted cherries and their syrup. **I only ended up using 3/4 of the can. Use as little or as much of the cherry/syrup business as you think looks good**

Step 10: In a separate bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks.

Step 11: Beat in the vanilla, cocoa and kirsch listed under "whipped frosting" in the ingredients.

Step 12: Frost top and sides of cake and decorate with a dusting of chocolate shavings and a lining of cherries. Want more chocolate? Get crazy with your shavings and apply them liberally!

Keep the cake refrigerated until serving.

Kingsroad Peanut Butter Bars

Reese's Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cup Bars

We love Reese's. Naturally, while we watched Jamie Lannister slog through the mud of Kingsroad this past season, we thought: Reese's! So today we've whipped up a batch of Reese's Peanut Butter Cup Bars that are an easy treat for a hot day. And as dark chocolate fans, naturally we used ark chocolate chips. 

So today, when you're traveling down the Kingsroad in the heat, sit back and relax for a minute while you enjoy this simple dessert.

Prep time: 15 minutes

Fridge time: 2 hours

Makes: 9x13 pan

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c peanut butter

1 1/2 c powdered sugar

2/3 c crushed graham crackers

2 Tbsp butter

4 cups dark chocolate chips

4 Tsbp shortening

Step 1: Mix together peanut butter, sugar, graham crackers, and butter. Spread across the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan. 

Step 2: In a double boiler, melt chocolate chips and shortening together. Pour evenly over the peanut butter mix. Place in the refrigerator for 2 hours or until top is solid.

And that's it! Super simple and delicious. Cut it into bars and enjoy!

Dragon's Sweet Teeth: Blueberry Lemonade Popsicles

This Friday isn't a drink (sorry to say, because I'm thirsty). Today, the Hand of the Kitchen brings you a variation on last week's blueberry lemonade: blueberry lemonade popsicles!

Our hand of the kitchen loves to freeze juices into popsicles during the summer and the lemonade last week was no exception. To make the popsicles extra tasty, though, we've mixed a special batch of lemonade with a little less water so the flavor is nice and juicy.

Fresh Blueberry Lemonade Popsicles

Ingredients

3/4 c hot water

3/4 c sugar

1 c fresh lemon juice

1 c fresh blueberries

2 c cold water 

1 popsicle tray

Step 1: Puree together your hot water, sugar, lemon juice, and blueberries until everything is thoroughly mixed. 

Step 2: Pour your mixture into a pitcher through a fine mesh strainer 

Step 3: Stir in your cold water and pour your juice mixture into popsicle trays, add sticks, and freeze. 

These popsicles are so delicious! 

Beyond the Wall: 3 Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookies

Today we bring you the first recipe in our Beyond the Wall series. We'll be giving you easy-to-make recipes that our fast, no-bake, or low-ingredient. All things that will help you survive in the freezing tundra north of the Wall.

The first of these are our super simple, 3 ingredient peanut butter cookies. The youngest of our troop, and our hand of the kitchen, found herself north of the wall with our dire wolf and in desperate need of food. Luckily she remembered this recipe and was able to whip together something to nibble on. And our dire wolf loves peanut butter. If she hadn't baked these cookies, who knows what would have happened to them...

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Bake Time: 7-10 minutes
Makes: 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1 c peanut butter
1 c granulated sugar
1 egg

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet covered in parchment paper.

Step 2: In a medium sized bowl, thoroughly stir or mix together peanut butter, sugar, and egg. Drop teaspoon sized balls of dough on the parchment paper. Space cookies roughly one inch apart. Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the bottoms of the cookies are browner than the original dough.

And that's it! Delicious peanut butter cookies with only 3 ingredients. Now keep safe. It's cold beyond the wall, and dessert is coming.

Look out for more Beyond the Wall recipes coming soon.

Dragon Droppings: Where Chocolate Chip Cookies REALLY Come From

Even delicious comfort food can come from the strangest of places...

Sure, dragon's spend most of their time burning things and looking menacing, but even they have to do their business at least once a day to maintain healthy dragon colons.

Whether your a wildling or a high-born, dragon droppings, when baked at 350 degrees, make an extremely delicious comfort food or dessert snack that's known to the locals as Chocolate Chip Cookies.

We've got a recipe for you to match all others and will be a sure-fire win at any Cook's Landing bake sale. So, let's bake us some dragon poo!

Dragon Poo Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Makes roughly 24-28 cookies 

Ingredients

1/2 c shortening (or canola oil)*
6 tbsp white sugar 
6 tbsp brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 c and 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/3 c semi sweet chocolate chips**

*We prefer Crisco, but canola oil also works if you're low on shortening, but it's soupier and bakes darker

**We've grown up on semi-sweet and haven't ever tried anything else, but chocolate chips all taste the same once they're in cookie form).

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream together your shortening (or canola oil) - microwave the

shortening for 10 seconds on medium power level or less to make it softer - white sugar, and brown sugar

Step 2: Once that's got a good creamy texture, mix in your egg and vanilla extract. Then mix in your flour, salt, and baking soda.

Step 3: Now comes chocolate chip time! Our recipe recommends 1/3 cup, but if you've got a clan like ours, cut open the bag and pour in chips until there's a 6 chips per 1 T. of dough ratio. At least. 

Step 4: Drop dough on an ungreased cookie sheet, spacing about 2 inches apart in about 1 tbsp dollops  If you used canola oil, you're probably gonna have to scoop and drop with a spoon, but if you used shortening then you can easily roll the dough into balls with your hands.

Step 5: Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown. If you see the bottoms getting darker than the dough then they're done.

Set on a rack to cool or let them sit on the pans 'til you start seeing that they are mysteriously disappearing.

Enjoy the deliciousness! The Sisters of House Cook recommend a nice glass, or mug, of milk for optimal dipping, to accent the chewy cookies.

4th of July Special: The Hand of the Kitchen's Ice Cream Recipe

Our Hand of the Kitchen is the second in command whenever we bake, fry, or throw food at each other. Since the unfortunate, temporary demise of our last Hand by White Walker Sugar Cookies, we've had to instate a new force for decision making.

 Naturally, we went with our guts and everyone pointed at the youngest while simultaneously touching their noses not-it.

Today, our Hand brings you her very own recipe for the 4th of July while the rest of us blow up stuff in the name of liberty. Introducing, the proper way to eat your ice cream from the littlest hipster we know.

First, you'll need to make sure you have everything...

Ingredients

blueberries
blackberries
strawberries
vanilla ice cream

homemade whipped cream ingredients:
1 c heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp powdered sugar
1/8 tsp of vanilla extract

Step 1: To make your whipped cream, whip your whipping cream, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar into a frenzy in a bowl until soft peaks form or it's the consistency you like best.

Step 2: Scoop 3 nice, round scoops of vanilla ice cream into a bowl.

Step 3: slice your strawberries and sprinkle strawberry slices, blueberries, and blackberries over your ice cream.


Doesn't that look delicious!

Finally, add a couple of dollops of our homemade whipped cream to the top of your ice cream and start eating!

Here in the Atlanta area we really only have a matter of minutes to eat ice cream out on the front porch while it still counts as "ice cream" and not just "cream." Our Hand tried her best to finish her deliciousness as fast as possible so she could join in festivities.

Happy 4th of July! From House Cook's littlest hipster and Hand of the Kitchen. 

White Walker Sugar Cookies: the zombified dessert that's out to get you

We thought they were cookies. We were wrong. So wrong. They were much more than mere cookies. After we removed them from the oven, things got ugly...

It started when we noticed that their eyes were blue. None of us remembered them having blue eyes. Weren't they brown before?

Then they started to move...on their own. That's right. They got right up off the cookie sheet, as though they'd been reanimated. It got gruesome fast!

We tried to run, but it was useless. They were faster. Stronger. Invincible. We didn't stand a chance. Our only recourse was to burn the remaining unfrosted guys before they had a chance to attack.

Sadly, we lost a sister... but it could've been worse. We're not sure what we'll do with Katy-Lynn now. For the time being, we're keeping her locked up. Who knew cookies would turn her into a White Walker? Living in Atlanta, we're pretty used to the dodging zombies issue (The Walking Dead), but we never thought that White Walkers were a risk as well! I guess we were wrong.

All we have to say is, watch out! Make the cookies because they are delicious, but be careful. Be on your guard. You never know what might happen when White Walker sugar cookies are on the loose.

If you're willing to risk your life, here's how to give them a try...

White Walker Sugar Cookies Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 8-12 minutes
Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup room temperature unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1 egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 cups flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder

Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, beat together butter and sugar. Add vanilla extract and the egg and beat thoroughly.

Step 2: In a medium sized bowl, stir or sift together flour, salt, and baking powder. Slowly add flour mixture to the large bowl, beating it in about 1 cup at a time until completely mixed together.

Step 3: Divide the dough into two large balls. On a floured surface, roll dough out to 1/8 inch thick. Cut with cookie cutters, dipping the cookies cutters in flour before cutting. Place cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and cook for 8-12 minutes or until they start to brown.

We decorated our cookies with simple sugar cookie icing that tasted delicious.

Icing ingredients:

1 cup powdered sugar
4 tsp milk

Mix together in a bowl using a fork or a whisk. Divide up the icing before you dye it. You might need to make more icing. We doubled the recipe.

Take Up the Black: Marshmallow Filled Chocolate Cake

Based on what we saw at the end of 'Game of Thrones' Season 3, the job of the Night's Watch is about to get a lot harder. They might need some new men to take up the black and protect Westeros. So if you're at all inclined to join the Night's Watch, we'll raise a toast to you and send you off with this delicious cake.

This rich chocolate cake is moist and filled with homemade marshmallow spread. Trust us when we say, it'll melt in your mouth. While you might not be willing to give up everything to protect the Wall, you will be willing to drop everything to have another piece of this cake.

Here are all the ingredients you will need for the cake, icing, and marshmallow spread.

Cake Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (use bread or cake flour if available)
3/4 cup cocoa
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

Icing Ingredients:

3/4 cups butter
2/3 cups cocoa
1/2 cup milk
4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

Marshmallow Spread Ingredients:

3 egg whites
2 cups light corn syrup
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla extract

To bake the cake...

Prep time: 15 minutes
Bake time: 30-35 minutes
Serves: 10-12

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease and flour two 9-inch round pans. Then put 1 1/2 cups of water on the stove to boil. You'll only need 1 cup of the water, but some will evaporate while bowling.

Step 2: Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl.

Step 3: Add eggs, milk, oil, and vanilla extract and beat on low for 30 seconds and then one medium speed for 2 minutes.

Step 4: Stir in 1 cup boiling water. This will make the mixture quite runny, but don't worry; it's supposed to be like that.

Step 5: Evenly divide the batter into the two prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes before removing to cool on a plate or wire rack.

How to make the icing...

Prep time: 10 minutes

Step 1: Melt butter. Stir butter and cocoa together in a large bowl.

Step 3: Alternately stir in milk and powdered sugar until well blended. Stir in vanilla.

Marshmallow spread directions...

Prep time: 10 minutes

Step 1: Beat together on high speed egg whites, corn syrup, and salt until mixture is thick and double the size.

Step 2: Beat in powdered sugar at low speed until well blended. Add vanilla extract and beat until blended.

If you have left over marshmallow after you decorate your cake, store it in the fridge. Put it on ice cream or pour extra over your cake.

To decorate the cake..

Decorating time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Step 1: Place the first layer on your cake plate. Put chocolate icing in a piping bag and pipe a rim around the cake with a large round tip. With a large spoon, scoop out marshmallow and pour it on top of the cake layer. The marshmallow will spread out on its own. Make sure not to pour too much so that it doesn't seep over the edge of the icing wall.

Step 2: Place second cake layer on top. With an angled spatula or table knife, apply a crumb coat of chocolate icing. Put the cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour to allow the icing and marshmallow to harden.

Step 3: Remove cake from fridge and apply a final layer of icing to only the sides of the cake. (If you don't want to decorate like I have, then go ahead and apply a final icing layer to the top as well.) To do what I did, put icing in a piping bag with a medium sized star tip. I used a Wilton 21 star tip. Start form the outside rim of the top of the cake and make small stars. Go all the way around, working your way in to the center of the cake. Make the same small stars around the bottom of the cake, and you're finished!

This is, honestly, one of the tastiest and most moist cakes I've ever had. It's fairly rich, so thin slices are better. I mean, it even looks delicious.

They're Poisoned! Boysenberry Beignets

At the very beginning of Game of Thrones, the Hand of the King was poisoned: Jon Arryn. Unfortunately, there are things hidden in food even in the kitchen. Our Hand of the Kitchen found this out the hard way when she bit into one of our fluffy beignets. They were boysened! 

That's right, boysenberry jam filled beignets. This beignet recipe makes enough to feed the whole kingdom, but watch out. You don't want to lose your Hand of the Kitchen to a boysened beignet.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 envelope or 2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

2 eggs

1 1/4 tsp salt

1 cup evaporated milk

7 cups bread flour

1/4 cup shortening

Oil, for deep-frying

3 cups powdered sugar

2 cups boysenberry jam (seedless is easiest)

Step 1: Pour lukewarm water into a large glass bowl. Stir in granulated sugar. Carefully stir in yeast. Let mixture stand for 10 minutes.

Step 2: In a separate bowl, mix together eggs, salt, and evaporated milk. After the yeast mixture has sat 10 minutes, add egg mixture and stir together.

Step 3: In a separate bowl, measure out bread flour. Add 3 cups of flour to the yeast mixture. Stir in. Next stir in shortening and then slowly add the rest of the flour while stirring.

Step 4: Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth.

Step 5: Spray a large glass bowl with nonstick spray and place kneaded dough in bowl. Cover with a towel or plastic wrap and let sit in a warm place for at least 2 hours.

Step 6: Preheat oil in a large pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. *If you can't check the temperature of the oil, then use a small piece of dough to check if the oil is hot enough.

Step 7: Roll dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into squares about 1 1/2 inches wide. Deep-fry, flipping the beignets constantly, until brown. It should take about 3-5 minutes per beignet. Make sure not to overcrowd your beignets in the fryer. Remove from fryer and place on a plate covered by at least two paper towels. 

Step 8: To insert the filling -- Using a toothpick or any other small object, puncture a hole into the side of the beignet. Put jam in a piping bag with a round pastry tip. If you have a small round tip, make sure you're using seedless jam as seeds will need a larger tip to fit through. Insert the piping tip into the hole in the side of the beignet and squeeze out some jam. You'll probably have to do a couple of practice beignets to figure out exactly how much jam to push out of the bag.

Step 9: Sift powdered sugar over your beignets and serve.

This recipe makes a lot of beignets, but don't worry. If you don't want to make all of them at once, store the dough in the refrigerator for up to 36 hours. Enjoy!