Sometimes you want a luxurious dessert but you don't want too much of it. I always loved chocolate mousse as a kid because I thought it was so fancy, and I still love it today as a light and fluffy (yet still fancy) dessert. Today, we made these mini mousses—in strawberry, caramel, matcha, and salted caramel flavors. Here's how...
When it comes to making a special dessert or cake, anything that feels special without taking up too much time is always a plus in my book. Today, we've partnered with Seventh Generation to share this recipe we came up with—a no-bake funfetti crepe cake that is just as beautiful as it is delicious. It can get a little messy to make and eat, but it's worth every dab of whipped cream you'll have to wash off your plates! Here's how...
You'll need:
- 30 Crepes (store bought in packs of 10, but here's a recipe if you'd like to make your own)
- 4 Cups Heavy Whipping Cream
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/3 cup strawberry jam
- sprinkles
Here's how...
1. In a metal bowl, combine whipping cream, sugar and jam.
2. Use an electric mixer to whip together until stiff peaks form.
3. Begin building your cake by placing down one crepe as the base. Add one large spoonful of the whipped cream and spread a thin even layer over the crepe.
4. Stack another crepe on top of the whipped cream layer, and continue alternating until you've used all of the crepes.
5. Finish off your crepe cake with a layer of whipped cream on top - add fun sprinkles as a garnish! We also added some crumbled meringues for extra texture!
Finally, it's gonna get messy, so we use Seventh Generation's Free & Clear dish soap to wash all cream off the sticky dishes and bowls. It's non-toxic and plant-based, yet tough on grease and dried-on foods (and lots of whipped cream in our case)! Which means it's safe for kids to help clean the dishes because it doesn't leave behind potentially harmful residue.
Because of the fresh cream, make this cake prior to your special occasion and refrigerate until serving. It's best if enjoyed the same day!
{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester, crafting by Jess Hong. Recipe by Oh Joy. Props include: Leif Spoons, Leif Napkin, Target Canisters}
I love brunch. Like I love brunch more than a lot of things. But you know what brunch usually doesn't have? Salad! And as much as I'd love to eat only eggs and carbs for brunch, sometimes you need some of those greens for your growing bones, too. So today, we're sharing a recipe we created for a hearty fall salad that's perfect for brunch (or lunch or dinner, too ;). Here's how to make it...
You'll need:
For the salad:
- 16 oz kale
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced brussels sprouts
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced beets
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup micro greens
- 2/3 cup feta cheese
- 1/2 cup julienned heirloom carrots
- 1/3 cup pistachios
- 2 cups cubed, roasted butternut squash
- 3 tbs honey
- salt & pepper
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
- 3 tbs maple syrup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- salt & pepper, to taste
Here's how:
1. Preheat over to 375 F. Toss diced butternut squash with honey, olive oil, salt, and pepper.
2. Bake for 15 minutes, stirring half way through to evenly brown. The squash should be slightly tender and lightly browned.
3. In a large bowl, combine all salad ingredients—kale, brussels sprouts, beets, pomegranate seeds, micro greens, feta, carrots, and pistachios. Allow for butternut squash to cool for 15 minutes before adding to the salad.
4. Prepare the dressing. In a small bowl, whisk together all the dressing ingredients.
5. Add butternut squash and mix in dressing. Salt & pepper to taste.
Add the salad to your other dishes, and you'll feel much better having this dose of green!
And, to spruce up your brunch table quickly and easily, we added in a faux leaf garland and mixed in some real eucalyptus and flowers. It made for a centerpiece that lasts longer and costs a lot less since you can use the garland over and over again.
{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester, crafting by Jess Hong. Tabletop items: Pehr runner, Target flatware, 1882 Ltd Plates, Pehr napkins, vintage glasses.}
Today, we’re going to make some mini waffle sandwiches perfect as an afternoon treat - whether after school or simply after a day full of adventures! See our video below for the full how-to!
// CREDITS //
Creative Direction: Joy Cho
Video: Jenner Brown
Music: "El Sea & The Mar" by Fremont
Creative Production and Styling: Julia Wester
Production Asst: Jessica Hong
Graphics: Angie Stalker
Still photos: Casey Brodley
*This post is in partnership with Band-Aid Brand Bandages
In another life, I would love to be a pastry chef. I love, love, love sweets so much and completely admire the talent and patience that goes into making these beauties. So today, we're sharing a recipe for this ridiculously beautiful cake from the book Layered by Tessa Huff of Sweet Style CA. This is a longer recipe than we normally post on Oh Joy, but it feels like a real treat to me...something worth making for a birthday or special occasion.
Here's the recipe to make this gorgeous Yuzu Citrus Cake! I fell in love with yuzu after trying it in Japan 6 years ago so this cake just calls my name...
As a mom of two, it’s a daily struggle to figure out new and healthy things to make for my kids that they will actually eat. Inspired by the new Curate Kids bars, today, we’re going to create a few versions of a Bento Box Tray that your kids will love. Check out our video below to see how to make one!
// CREDITS //
Creative Direction: Joy Cho
Video: Jenner Brown
Music: "Let's Go" by Handsome and Gretyl
Production and Styling: Julia Wester
Production Asst: Jessica Hong
Graphics: Angie Stalker
Still photos: Casey Brodley
{Sources: White tray by Poppin, Animal forks from CuteZCute, Silicone cups from IPOW.}
Charcuterie and cheese plates might be one of my favorite things...EVER. I'm the one at every party standing above the food table popping these into my mouth. While I love those large charcuterie and cheese boards, I like the idea of making smaller versions that each person could have for themselves that has a mix of everything. So, today, we're showing you how to make this beautiful mini spread for your next lunch, brunch, or dinner...
Start by gathering a mix of cured meats, cheeses, crackers, and other delights to your liking. I like to make sure there is a variety of textures (both crunchy and creamy), flavors (sweet and salty), as well as foods with some color (to make the plate pop!).
For these, we used:
- prosciutto
- sopressata
- champagne grapes
- breadsticks
- fresh figs
- fig jam
- cherry tomatoes
- marcona almonds
- garnish with micro arugula and edible flowers
Here's how to make them:
1. Start by choosing your plates. The best part is you can use a mix of plates you already have. We used a mix of plates and small cutting boards—all roughly the same size. Because these mini charcuterie and cheese plates look and taste best with a variety of items, it's always easier to put together a bunch of them at one time.
2. Lay out the larger, main items first—like your cured meats (we loosely placed them on the plate), a cluster champagne grapes, breadsticks, a chunk of cheese and fresh figs.
3. Then sprinkle the smaller pieces around them making sure to distribute color and texture evenly. The key here is you don't have to keep them all together in sections. We sprinkled the cherry tomatoes and the almonds around the entire plate. Lastly garnish with micro arugula and some edible flowers for a hit of whimsy and extra texture.
4. Finally, place them on the table ready to be scooped up and enjoyed by your guests!
We ate these for lunch after we photographed them, and it was one of my favorite lunches of all time!
{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester, assistant styling by Jess Hong. Table runners are by Hedley & Bennett in Papaya and Elderberry.}
...fresh passion fruit! My friend Catherine dropped off a bag of passion fruit from the tree in her backyard, and while I have always loved passion fruit-flavored things, I have never really eaten straight from the fruit! Yesterday, I had it simply over yogurt and mixed with some champagne grapes, and it was perfection. So I scoured Pinterest for a few others on my "must make with passion fruit" list that I wanted to share with you...
Passion Fruit Cheesecake Ice Cream by The Kate Tin
Passion Fruit Popsicles by Sweet Style CA
Passion Fruit sandwich cookies from Gourmet Traveller
Passion Fruit Meringue Pie by Drizzle and Drip
Passion Fruit lemonade by Love & Olive Oil
Clearly, I'm obsessed...
{Top photo by Oh Joy, other photos credited below each image.}
Few things are more refreshing then a berry tart on a summer day. Today, our friends Claire and Laurel from Sweet Laurel are sharing this beautiful dessert with us that takes only 15-20 minutes to make! And what's even better, for those of you have food allergies, this tart is gluten, grain, dairy, refined sugar free! Here's how...
I'm not super domestic when it comes to home cooking. I like cooking and I would love cook more, but life and work often take over and I often get assistance when it comes to meal time. However, I still one day would love to have a signature dish. That one thing I know how to make without a recipe, that I can make well, and that I'd probably bring to every pot luck dinner because it's my go to. It doesn't have to be super fancy or complicated but something you just love and know inside out.
Do you guys have a signature dish? If so, what is it?
{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling and pattern play by Julia Wester, wrapping paper background by Moglea from Urbanic.}