When you say “summer”, I say “s’mores”.
Seriously. S’mores and fireworks are tied for first place in both my heart and in line of thought at the mere mention of the word “summer”.
As a result, when it came time to plan my friend Ragnar’s birthday dinner party, I immediately knew what I would be making.
Last Saturday night, six of my friends came over for an “Indian Summer” dinner party. I made strawberry lemonade and served sparkling wine to serve as beverages – the sparkling wine for those of us who desired an extra kick after standing in the kitchen all freaking day (aka me). As the main course, I laid out a make-your-own naan pizza bar (my recipe for make-your-own naan pizzas can be found here) and a make-your own Frankies bar. I also made not one but two desserts: a delicious S’mores Cake and a delectable Vintage Cake with a surprise layer of yummy goodness hidden at the base (that second one definitely wasn’t for him. Definitely just for me and my love of baking, but we’ll let him think that I just adore him that much!).
Anybody who knows me or who has followed my blog for any length of time probably knows how I feel about desserts: if I could swap out every meal for a dessert buffet without dying of a) malnutrition and b) obesity, I would. “The more, the merrier” definitely applies in the dessert situation. Somehow, whenever I’m faced with a difficult dessert decision, I always hear my father’s voice in my head saying, “why choose one when you can have both?”
Can’t hate me for following my father’s advice!
Frankies + Various Chutneys
Adapted from Whole Foods Culinary Department Recipes
Never heard of Frankies? Well, that’s a cryin’ shame! They’re fried (or, in this case, baked) deliciousness and they deserve a special spot in the hearts of humans everywhere (that spot may turn into a clogged artery, head’s up). Frankies are a popular street food in Mumbai. Essentially, they are spiced latkes wrapped in tortillas, served with various chutneys to add flavor and dimension to the dish. So… they’re basically pretty freakin’ fantastic. This recipe yields about 10 Frankies (I doubled it for my party).
PS: these chutneys are all incredible. I make a bunch ahead of time and then freeze the extra to use as extra flavoring whenever I decide a dish needs a little kick!
Ingredients
For the Cilantro Chutney
- 1/4 cup of raw, unsalted peanuts
- 1 bunch of cilantro, coarsely chopped (stems discarded)
- 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of coarsely chopped peeled ginger root
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1/2 teaspoon of sugar
- 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice
- 1/2 cup of water
For the Tamarind-Date Chutney
- 1 packed cup of tamarind pulp
- 2 cups of water
- 1 cup of chopped pitted dates (I used about 20 dates)
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground coriander
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon of salt
- 2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
For the Hot Garlic Chutney
- 20 to 25 peeled garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon of coarsely chopped peeled ginger root
- 1/4 cup of raw, unsalted peanuts
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 teaspoon of chili powder
- 2 teaspoons of paprika
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 1/2 cup of water
For the Frankies
- 1 tablespoon of whole wheat flour (plus extra, as needed)
- 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
- 1/8 teaspoon of ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon of ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon of chili powder
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons of ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon of freshly-grated ginger root
- 2 pounds of medium white potatoes, boiled and peeled
- 2 cups of breadcrumbs (I use panko)
- oil (I used canola oil, but olive oil definitely works too)
- 10 paratha, roti, or whole wheat tortillas
- wedges of lime
- optional toppings: sautéed onions, sautéed spinach, diced fresh jalapeños or serrano chilies, chopped cilantro, ketchup, pulled chicken, various chutneys
Directions
For the Cilantro Chutney
Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Purée until it becomes a thick liquid. If necessary, add more water. The chutney should be the consistency of a medium-thick soup.
For the Tamarind-Date Chutney
Place the water in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. Once the water is lightly boiling, add the tamarind pulp to the hot water. Lower the heat and cook for 10 minutes, breaking the pulp with a wooden spoon occasionally.
After the 10 minutes are up, strain the tamarind-water mixture into a bowl. After you discard the pulp and seeds, you should be left with about a cup of tamarind water (more is also fine).
Place the tamarind water back into the saucepan, turn the heat to medium-low, and add the chopped dates, chili powder, coriander, cumin, and salt. Stir well, slightly mashing the dates with your wooden spoon as you do so.
Over the course of about 10 minutes, the mixture will reduce and begin to look like a chutney. At this time, turn off the heat and pour the mixture into a blender or food processor. Add the brown sugar and purée the mixture until it becomes a thick liquid. If necessary, add more water. The chutney should be the consistency of a medium-thick soup.
For the Hot Garlic Chutney
Place all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Purée until it becomes a thick liquid. If necessary, add more water. The chutney should be the consistency of a medium-thick soup.
For the Frankies
Preheat your oven to 400º and place a few tablespoons of oil on a baking sheet (or two).
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, dry spices (yes, all of them), and grated ginger. Using a potato masher (or forks… or your hands), mash in the peeled boiled potatoes to the mixture. Mash well for a few minutes (feel free to add some water if you think it’s necessary), making sure you break down all of the big chunks of potato.
Pour the panko into a large plate. Using water-moistened hands, scoop golf ball-sized balls of the potato mash onto the palms of your hands. Toss the ball between your hands for a few seconds until you have a smooth and velvety sphere and then begin to flatten the ball into the shape of a hot dog, slightly compressing so it doesn’t fall apart. Once the potato ball is the length and shape of a hot dog, slightly flatten (should be like a hot dog that is flat on the top and bottom, if that makes any sense). Drop the Frankie into the plate of panko and gently roll it so it gets evenly coated. Place the Frankie on the baking sheet and repeat until you have no more potato mash left in the bowl.
Place the baking sheet in the oven for 60 – 80 minutes, flipping the Frankies halfway through the time. The Frankies should be dark golden brown on both sides by the time they’re done baking. Once the Frankies are ready, remove them from the oven and place them on a paper towel-lined plate.
For the Final Assembly
Heat a tortilla or parantha on a lightly greased skillet until it puffs up and begins to brown (on both sides). The tortilla needs to be crispy and yet pliable. Place the Frankie in the center of the tortilla, squeeze a lime wedge over it, and add your favorite toppings (I like to add all of the chutneys, as well as some spinach and onions). Roll the wrap and serve immediately. Repeat per serving.
S’mores Cake
Adapted from A Subtle Revelry’s Recipe – Found on Pinterest
As I said above, the theme of this dinner party was “Indian Summer” – and no summer-themed party is complete without s’mores! I found this recipe a little over a month ago on Pinterest. Though my version didn’t look quite as pretty as the one shown in the original recipe, it was pretty dang [dangerously] delicious!
Ingredients
For the Graham Cracker Cake
- 1 cup of graham cracker crumbs
- 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1 1/2 cups of water
- 2 egg whites
- 4 tablespoons of canola oil
For the Chocolate Ganache
- 1 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 2 teaspoons of light corn syrup
- 12 ounces of semisweet chocolate, chopped
For the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 jar (13 ounces) of marshmallow creme
- 1 package (8 ounces) of cream cheese, softened
Directions
For the Graham Cracker Cake
Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Grease and flour two nine-inch cake pans.
Place all of the ingredients together in a large mixing bowl – beat well until they are well-combined. Pour the batter into the two cake pans, dividing evenly as you go.
Place the cake pans in the oven and allow the cakes to bake for about 25 to 30 minutes, or until the toothpick test comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool before inverting onto a wire rack.
For the Chocolate Ganache
Place all of the ingredients together in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat. Once it starts to simmer, remove the mixture from the heat and stir so the mixture becomes a thick chocolate sauce. Make sure you don’t over-stir. The mixture should be smooth and shiny.
Put the ganache in the refrigerator – remove it to stir the mixture every 5 minutes. Over time, the frosting should become thick enough to spread (use immediately when this is the case).
For the Marshmallow Cream Cheese Frosting
Add the ingredients to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Whip the marshmallow creme and cream cheese together until the mixture becomes thoroughly mixed and glossy (use immediately when this is the case).
For the Final Assembly
Place a layer of cake on your stand or plate. Spread the chocolate ganache frosting to the edges, and then place the cake in the fridge for a few minutes to the ganache sets. Next, spread the marshmallow frosting on top of the ganache. Follow the marshmallow frosting with the second layer of cake, and then repeat the steps for adding the ganache and frosting.
Heat some marshmallows over a flame so they get a little brown and then place them atop the cake (on top of the last layer of marshmallow frosting).
Vintage White Cake… With a Twist
Adapted from Kitchen Meets Girl’s Recipe – Found on Pinterest
I found this traditionally-un-traditional recipe on Pinterest, though I definitely adapted the recipe a bit. This recipe easily served seven – with humongo slices for every person (I think it could serve as many as 15-20 people – it’s pretty big).
Ingredients
For the Cake Layers
- 1 box of brownie mix, mixed and prepared as directed
- 1 box of white cake mix, mixed and prepared as directed… OR:
- 1 cup of white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1 3/4 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 cup of light, unsalted butter
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup of milk
For the Chocolate Sauce
- 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate, roughly chopped
- 7 ounces of sweetened condensed milk
- 1 tablespoon of water
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup of light, unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 4 cups of confectioner’s sugar
- 1/4 cup of milk
Directions
For the Cake Layers
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a nine-inch cake pan. Prepare the brownie mix as directed and pour the mixture into the pan. Bake as directed according to the box (should be 25 to 30 minutes). Once the brownies pass the toothpick test, remove the pan from the oven and allow the brownie to cool for a few minutes before inverting it onto a plate or cake stand.
Mix the white cake mix ingredients together as directed, until the batter becomes smooth. Grease the nine-inch cake pan and pour half of the cake batter mixture into the pan.
Bake as directed (for about 30 minutes) before removing the cake from the oven and placing it on a rack to cool. Allow it to cool for a few minutes there before inverting it onto a wire rack. Re-grease the cake pan and repeat this step with the remaining portion of the cake batter.
For the Chocolate Sauce
Place the ingredients in a small saucepan, on low heat. Stir until the chocolate is melted (about 5 minutes), and then remove the saucepan from the heat.
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
Combine all of the ingredients except for the confectioner’s sugar in a large mixing bowl. Mix with an electric mixer until they are well-incorporated (should take only a minute or two). Add the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, until the frosting becomes light and creamy. For thicker or stiffer frosting, add more powdered sugar; if the frosting becomes too stiff, add more milk.
For the Final Assembly
Place the brownie layer on your plate or cake stand. Slowly pour the chocolate sauce on top of the brownie so it soaks into the brownie. Set aside and allow the brownie to soak in the chocolatey goodness for about 30 minutes.
When the time is up, add a white cake layer atop the chocolate sauce. Cover the cake in a layer of the cream cheese frosting and then add the final layer of cake. At this time, cover the whole cake in a thick layer of the frosting (it helps to move your spatula in a small “C” or “S” shape). Chill the cake until ready to serve.