Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

If you want to drool over beautiful cakes, head over to Cakes by Courtney. We didn't get to our usual apple orchard this year, so I felt especially compelled to bake her apple cider doughnut cake. This cake is moist and dense and tastes like an apple cider doughnut. It's also quite easy to put together. The only thing I've found is that it requires a longer baking time in my oven than her original recipe.

Apple Cider Doughnut Cake

3 cups flour
2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup applesauce, room temperature
1 cup apple cider, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract (I subbed in bourbon vanilla for a little oomph)
Coating
1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
2 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°F. Coat a Bundt pan with whatever method works for you to get your cake to release. ;-) 

In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, combine sugars and oil on medium speed. Add in the eggs, and mix on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add the applesauce and vanilla, and mix to combine. 

With the mixer on low, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, followed by half the cider. Repeat, finishing with the last 1/3 of the flour. 

Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs on it. (I find mine needs at least 60 minutes.) 

Let the cake cool and turn onto a cooling rack or cake plate (again however the Bundt cake techniques work for you). Once cake is cooled, brush with melted butter. Combine sugar and cinnamon, and use your hand to press onto the cake. Serves 8-12. 

Crispy Oven-Baked Quesadillas

This recipe was inspired by the oven-baked quesadillas from How Sweet Eats. I made a batch of cheeseburger sliders as meal prep the other weekend, and I had some of the cheeseburger filling left over. So I decided to do a quick, easy and amazing dinner. 

These oven quesadillas had the texture of deep frying without the oil or the mess. We are excited to try this technique with more traditional fillings, but I'm sold on the cheeseburger version that I'm sharing here!

Cheeseburger Quesadillas
1/2 lb. hamburger
1/2 small onion
2 Tbsp. ketchup
1 Tbsp. mustard
Salt and pepper
1 cup freshly shredded cheese
8 6-inch tortillas

Preheat oven to 400­°F. While the oven is heating, brown the meat with the onion, ketchup, onion, mustard, salt and pepper. 

Spray tortillas with non-stick spray on one side. Place sprayed side down on a baking sheet, and place hamburger mixture on half of each tortilla. Top evenly with cheese. Close the tortillas, so the filling is inside with the tortilla folded in half. 

Bake 10 minutes or until crispy on the top. You may need to reclose the tortillas if they pop open. Carefully flip each quesadilla and bake 5 more minutes or until thoroughly crispy on both sides. Serves 4. 

Creamy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup

 I got all my kids, which includes my husband, to eat this soup that I modified from How Sweet Eats. There's enough cheese in this recipe that we all love it. It's incredible with a loaf of sourdough bread and will be a repeat recipe for us.

As an added bonus with meat prices going crazy, this is a mostly meatless meal that only requires bacon. And, yes, it requires bacon for all the flavor. If you're like me and don't have chicken stock on hand but have extra Raman seasoning packets, you can wing it with a couple Raman seasoning packets and water. And if you happen to have fresh sage, toss it in that bacon grease to crisp it up and crumble it on top. 

I was lucky enough to get a couple heads of beautiful golden cauliflower at the last farmers' market of the season. It made a beautiful soup! (I was tempted by the green and purple, but I didn't think they'd be as appealing in soup form.)

Creamy Cheddar Cauliflower Soup
4 slices bacon, diced
1 onion, diced
3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and pepper
4 Tbsp. flour
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 large head cauliflower, cut into florets
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 oz. cheddar cheese, freshly grated

Cook bacon until crispy in a large pot over medium heat. Remove the bacon, but retain the grease. Add the onion, carrots and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until they soften. Sprinkle in flour, and cook 2 to 3 minutes while stirring.

Stream in the stock while stirring. Add in cauliflower, and bring the mixture to a boil. Then reduce it to simmer uncovered for 15 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Blend in batches for a creamy, smooth soup.

Stir in cream, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until warmed. Reduce the heat to low, and stir in the cheese until it is melted. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Garnish with extra cheese and bacon. Serves 6-8.

Chai Pumpkin Cake with Maple Browned Butter Frosting

Remember way back in April when I last posted a recipe? A lot has happened since then, which is why it's been months since I posted here. Since this blog is about delicious food and serves as my virtual recipe box, I'll just leave this amazing cake from Half-Baked Harvest here. A friend introduced me to her blog, and I've already made two recipes from her amazing collection.

What's the occasion for this cake? Well, first of all, it sounded amazing with some of my favorite flavors: chai and browned butter. Secondly, tomorrow I'm planning to run the furthest I've ever run: a 14-mile training run. I have run many half-marathons fueled by cake from the evening prior (thanks to half-marathons that fall right around our families' birthdays). Also, I feel entitled to delicious cake as a treat after running 14 miles, so I made myself a cake.

The frosting is amazing. It seems like too much maple syrup, but it all pulls together and tastes incredible.

Chai Pumpkin with Maple Browned Butter Frosting

Cake
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. ginger
2 tsp. cardamom
1/2 tsp. allspice
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. pepper
1 cup canola oil
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp. vanilla
4 large eggs
15 oz. pumpkin puree
Frosting
3 sticks butter, divided
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, may need more
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 8-inch cake pans or 3 6-inch pans. Line with parchment paper, and butter pans. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together all dry ingredients. In a mixer, beat together canola oil, sugar, vanilla, eggs and pumpkin until combined. Gradually add in dry ingredients until smooth. 

Pour batter into cake pans, and bake 35 to 40 minutes or until tops are just set. Let cool 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges of the pan and turn onto cooling racks to cool completely. 

To make frosting, brown two sticks of butter. (Search for browned butter if you need guidance on this.) Cool to room temperature, and allow butter to solidify again. (It can be refrigerated to speed the process.) Combine browned butter with remaining stick of butter and cream cheese. Add powdered sugar and maple syrup. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla, and beat to combine. If needed, add more powdered sugar to thicken the frosting. 

To assemble, place a layer of frosting between each cake layer, and cover cake with remaining frosting. Makes a delicious cake perfect for a celebration ... or a post-run treat!

Garlic Herb Cheese Bread

This is another recipe from Half-Baked Harvest. When I was looking for this recipe to share, I got lost in her blog and found another 4 cheesy bread recipes I want to try.

This looks and feels fancy, but it's relatively easy to make if you've ever made something like homemade cinnamon rolls. I used the cheeses I had on hand, but I think the sharper cheeses listed in the recipe would be even more amazing. I happened to have all the recommended fresh herbs on hand.

This bread was our supper (and then lunch the next day), devoured while warm with pizza sauce for dipping. It's worth the time!

Garlic Herb Cheese Bread

3/4 cup warm whole milk (microwave 30 seconds)
2 1/2 tsp. yeast
2 Tbsp. honey
3 large eggs
3 1/2 to 4 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/3 cup chopped Italian herbs (I used sage, oregano and basil)
1/4 tsp. cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated

In a stand mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine milk, yeast and honey. Let sit 5 to 10 minutes until bubbly. Add the eggs, 3 1/2 cups flour and salt. Use the dough hook to mix until the flour is incorporated, about 4 to 5 minutes. If the dough is not coming together, add additional flour until the dough is smooth to the touch.

Cover the bowl, and let it rise at room temperature for 1 hour or until doubled in size. Meanwhile, combine remaining ingredients in a bowl. 

After the dough has risen, gently roll the dough to a 12 x 18 rectangle. Sprinkle the cheese mixture evenly over the dough. Starting with a long edge, roll the dough into a log, keeping it as tight as possible. Use a sharp knife to cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving a small portion at one end intact. Twist the halves to expose the filling, and then cross the dough ropes over each other, repeating the twisting until entire log is twisted. Coil the dough into a circle, and carefully transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet. Stick any cheese that spills out back into the top of the dough. Cover, and let rise 15 minutes. 

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the top is golden brown. Slice and serve warm. Makes 1 loaf.

Sourdough Discard Crackers

These are amazing. I can make a triple batch, and they're gone within a couple days. They truly are best if you follow the proportions in the recipe from Little Spoon Farmer. I may have winged a few batches that just weren't quite as tasty. I've tried these with a chipotle-type seasoning that was tasty, but I preferred everything bagel seasoning over that version. Lately, I've been on a rosemary kick, and those are my favorite thus far. I can't wait for fresh rosemary to make these instead of buying jars of rosemary ... seriously, who buys two jars of rosemary in a month?

Sourdough Discard Crackers

200 grams sourdough discard

2 Tbsp. butter, melted

1/4 tsp. salt

2 tsp. dried herbs

1/4 tsp. flaky salt for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Melt the butter, and combine with the discard, 1/4 tsp. salt and herbs. Mix until thoroughly combined. Use a spatula to spread the mixture in a thin, even layer onto the parchment paper. Sprinkle the top with flaky salt. 

Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, and score the crackers. Return to the oven, and check them again in 15 minutes. Continue to bake them until they are crispy. (I often will pull off the edge crackers that are crispy and done and put the pan back in.) 

Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread

This recipe from Ahead of Time is a fantastic sourdough recipe. I promise that it looks more complicated than it really is, as my 9-year-old son shaped this bread himself. The dough comes together fairly quickly, with less than 15 minutes of hands-on time to make the dough itself. Then it's about 15 more minutes the next day to make the filling and shape the bread. I love that it can be ready in less than an hour in the morning of baking from pulling the dough from the refrigerator to pulling it out of the oven.

I highly recommend slathering this with cream cheese frosting, although it would be delicious on it's own or with butter melted onto slices of it. I enjoy cutting a chunk and then peeling apart the layers. 

I have found that my baking time is longer, and I've also played around with making just a wreath without folding the ends under to ensure an even bake. Otherwise, I've found it to be a bit doughy. This is still a fairly dense loaf, not light and fluffy. It might be fluffier with more of a rise in the morning, but then it would take longer to get the deliciousness in my belly.

I highly recommend doubling the recipe, so you can either gift the second loaf or freeze it for later.

Cinnamon Swirl Sourdough Bread
Dough
100 grams active sourdough starter
80 grams water
1 egg
1 Tbsp. sugar
350 grams all-purpose flour
40 grams butter, melted
1/2 tsp. salt
Filling
50 grams butter, softened
4 Tbsp. brown sugar
3 tsp. cinnamon 

Make sure your starter is active when you prepare the dough. You can ensure it's active by testing if a small amount floats in a glass of room-temperature water.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the starter, water, yogurt, egg and sugar. Add in the flour, and whisk to combine. It may take a bit of of stirring or using your hands to combine, so no flour is visible. Cover the bowl, and let it stand for one hour.

After an hour, mix in the salt and melted butter. I find that it works best by mixing with my hands to work the butter into the dough. 

Let the dough stand for 30 minutes, and then gently fold it onto itself, pulling the dough up from each of the four sides. Let the dough rest again for 30 minutes, and then gently fold it onto itself. Let the dough rest 30 more minutes, and then gently stretch and fold the dough. 

Let the dough rest for an hour or so to let it rise until nearly doubled. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased container, and cover it with a lid. Chill for 8 to 12 hours.

In the morning, preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a medium bowl, mix together filling ingredients to form a paste. Transfer the dough onto a lightly floured surface, and roll it to 20 x 12 inches. Scoop the cinnamon paste onto the dough, reserving 1 Tbsp. of paste. Gently spread the paste onto the dough, only leaving 1/2-inch empty around all the edges. 

Roll the dough into a log, so that you have a 20-inch log. Cut the log in half lengthwise, leaving 1-inch on one end intact. Gently twist the halves, so the cut side is facing up. Gently braid the two halves by twisting them together while keeping the cut sides with the cinnamon filling exposed facing upwards. Pinch the ends together to form a coiled rope. Pull it together to form a circle, and tuck the two ends together in the middle like a wreath. Gently transfer to parchment paper, and brush with the remaining cinnamon sugar paste. You can also do an egg wash by beating an egg with a Tbsp. of water and brushing the dough with that if you want it to be a more golden color. 

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. (I find it takes at least 25 minutes.)

Serve warm, ideally with cream cheese frosting.

Graham Cracker Cake

My husband's favorite birthday cake through the years has been a graham cracker cake from a local bakery. I remember being unimpressed when I first ate the cake, probably because it included no chocolate, but I've attempted to replicate it a couple times for him through the years. 

This year's rendition was as close to the original as I've come, so I wanted to at least document the recipe I used from Cook, Nourish, Bliss. This cake is similar to what I've done for different cupcakes through the years, where it contains no flour aside from graham cracker crumbs. It's a denser cake for that reason, but man are the edges I cut off to level the cakes delicious. 

I think the difference this year was using a swiss meringue frosting, which I copied from this recipe. That is most similar to the frosting on the original cake. I also topped the cake with graham cracker crumbles. 

Graham Cracker Cake
4 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
5 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
6 large eggs, separated
2 cups sugar
2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/4 cups milk
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
Graham Cracker Crumbles
6 graham crackers, crushed
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
4 Tbsp. butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 2 9-inch round cake pans, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

Whisk egg whites on high until stiff peaks form. Set aside. Cream together sugar and butter about 2 minutes. Add in the egg yolks, and beat until combined. Add vanilla, and beat until combined. With mixer on low, add in 1/3 of graham cracker mixture. Then add half the milk and then another third of the graham cracker crumbs. Add in the rest of the milk and then the last of the graham cracker crumbs.

Gently fold in half the egg whites. Then fold in the remaining egg whites. Divide the batter between the two pans, and smooth with a spatula. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool at least 30 minutes before removing from the pans, and then cool completely on wire racks.

While the oven is still hot, bake the graham cracker crumbles. Combine those ingredients and press together on a baking sheet in a thin layer. Bake 10 minutes, and set aside to cool. 

Follow recipe in the link for frosting. For easiest frosting, chill the cakes prior to frosting. Frost, and garnish with graham cracker crumbles immediately prior to serving. 

French Onion Stuffed Shells

This is exactly the type of recipe that is way too much work for our family, when the odds were good that I'd be the only one super excited by it. However, that's the joy of having childcare providers who routinely eat with us. There's a better chance of them liking something that's out of our usual wheelhouse, so I took advantage of that to make these piles of delicious cheesiness from How Sweet Eats. 

First, everyone except my oldest son thoroughly enjoyed these. (My younger son thought they were finger food and ran around with the one he stole from the counter.) These are a lot of work, probably close to 90 minutes to prep when you factor in the dishes and such, but oh ... my ... goodness. I loved these! They were great the first time, and the leftovers were fantastic as well. I won't likely repeat these often due to the time commitment, but they are absolutely worth making for a special meal. 

French Onion Stuffed Shells

4 sweet onions, thinly sliced

4 Tbsp. butter

Salt and pepper for seasoning throughout

1/2 tsp. dried thyme

2 garlic cloves, minced

8 oz. jumbo pasta shells

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg,

1 cup grated gruyere or Gouda

1/4 cup grated Parmesan

1 Tbsp. flour

1 1/2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock

1/3 cup cream

1 cup grated mozzarella

1/4 cup seasoned breadcrumbs

Heat the butter in a large oven-safe skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onions with a pinch of salt and pepper, along with the thyme. Cook, stirring often, until the onions carmelize, about 30 minutes. (Note: I did mine in a regular skillet and baked in a separate dish, so I could divide them into separate meals.) 

Meanwhile, cook and drain pasta shells, according to package directions. 

Once onions are carmelized, add garlic. Turn off heat, but leave them in the pan. Preheat oven to 400°F. 

In a bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, gruyere or Gouda, parmesan and a pinch of salt, pepper and thyme. Take half the carmelized onions from the pan, and stir them into the ricotta to finish your filling. Fill each shell, stuffing it full but not overflowing. ­

Turn the heat to medium-low for the remaining onions in the pan. Stir in the flour, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Slowly add the stock while stirring, and cook for another couple minutes to thicken slightly. Stir in the cream. Place the shells open side up in the sauce (or drizzle the sauce over the shells if you're baking in a separate dish). Top with mozzarella cheese and breadcrumbs. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and bubbly. Serve warm and enjoy! Makes about 20 to 25 shells. 

Creamy Queso Chili

One of our childcare providers, who frequently joins us for meals, eats mostly vegetarian meals. So I use that as an opportunity to help our family enjoy a few more meatless meals. It's a great reason for us to add variety into our meals and help with sustainability of both our planets and ourselves (although most meatless options that come to mind are things like grilled cheese, ice cream, etc., so perhaps not our own sustainability). 

This recipe from Eating Well caught my eye because it was vegetarian, quick and involved copious amounts of cheese. I adapted it because we don't have an Instapot, and it worked out well. We all enjoyed it, although my son said he only liked it when it was scooped on tortilla chips. We'll definitely repeat this variation.

Creamy Queso Chili
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large bell pepper, chopped
1/2 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
15-oz. can pinto or great northern beans, rinsed and drained
14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes
4-oz. can diced green chilis
1 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth 
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup Mexican-style cheese, shredded
2 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 Tbsp. lime juice
Tortilla chips for garnish or dipping
Cilantro for garnish

Heat a large pot with the olive oil. Add pepper, onion and garlic. Stir until softened, about 3 minutes. Add spices, and cook 1 minute until fragrant. Add beans, tomatoes, chili peppers, broth and salt. Cover and simmer about 20 minutes. Blend using an immersion blender to thicken. If you don't have an immersion blender, blend approximately half the soup to thicken it. 

Stir in cheeses until melted and smooth. Stir in lime juice and garnish as desired. Serves 4, so make a double batch to enjoy leftovers. 

Frankenstein Macarons

As I whipped up skillet cookies the other night, I told our babysitter that it's a double-edged sword. Most people would think that a skillet cookie sounds good but need to go to a restaurant, find a recipe, buy ingredients or have some other roadblock. I though skillet cookies sounded good and was eating a cookie  less than an hour later. 

Something similar happened with this recipe from Sugar and Charm. It wasn't quite as instantaneous, but it was an impulsive bake. I had all the ingredients on hand, so I whipped them up prior to Halloween. I just never got around to posting them, and I'm not going to share the recipe. I'll leave it in the link and simply share my (not perfect but still cute) efforts. 

Key Lime Cheesecake

We fell in love with key lime desserts when we visited the Florida Keys way back in 2010. Chocolate will always be my first love, but there's something so delicious and refreshing about key lime treats. That pucker cuts through the sweetness. This beautiful cheesecake from SprinkleBakes won my heart for our Christmas dessert. (I opted out of the yule log this year since we had a smaller crew, and this was tempting me.) 

I had such high hopes for this dessert. It looked amazing. It smelled wonderful. I cut it and served it to my family first, like a good hostess. When my husband took his first bites, I asked how it was. He said that it wasn't as sweet as he expected. I paused, thought back through my preparation of the recipe and realized I forgot to add the sugar to the cheesecake! I told him to tell the rest of the family (in the other room) that the cheesecake wasn't good and that they didn't have to eat it.

Well, I'm not sure if they were just good sports or just that hungry because most of them already had the cheesecake mostly gone by the time I told them that I forgot the sugar (because my husband made me confess my own error). My mom left most of hers (because she gave me my sweet tooth), my aunt said she didn't need anything that sweet anyways and my grandpa gets a pass because he's possibly too old (he's 98) to realize it was gross. I was so disappointed because I had such high hopes for it. 

So, I tossed the rest of the cheesecake and recreated it for New Year's Eve (because I really wanted it). It was worth remaking and quite delicious. Just be sure you add the sugar. If you don't want to go through the effort of the pomegranate touches, it will still be delicious, but they are the perfect accompaniment. 

Key Lime Cheesecake
Crust
1/2 cup butter
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
Cheesecake
24 oz. cream cheese, room temperature
1 1/4 cups sugar (don't forget this!)
3 large eggs
8 oz. sour cream
2 tsp. lime zest
1/2 cup key lime juice
Pomegranate Syrup
1/2 cup sugar
3 cups pomegranate juice
Toppings
3/4 cup whipping cream, plus dash of powdered sugar, whipped to stiff peaks
1/2 cup pomegranate arils

Preheat oven to 350°F. To make the crust, combine all ingredients together. Press into a 9-inch springform pan, going 2 inches up the sides. Bake for 10 minutes, and cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. 

To make the cheesecake, beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually add the sugar, and beat until well combined. Add the eggs one at a time, and beat well after each addition. Stir in the sour cream, lime zest and juice. Poor into the crust. Bake for 70 minutes. Turn off the oven, and prop the door open for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, and cool completely. Then store in refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight.

To make the syrup, combine the pomegranate juice and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a boil, and reduce until syrupy and reduced to about 1 cup, about 25 minutes. Cool to room temperature before topping cheesecake. 

To serve cheesecake, top with syrup, arils and whipped cream. Serves approximately 10-12. 

Panna Cotta

This was a first for me as I've never eaten (nor made) panna cotta. However, this recipe from SprinkleBakes sounded delicious, simple and a good reason to try something new. This was incredibly easy to make, although I definitely didn't have the right containers to set nicely in an egg carton to match her lovely tilted appearance. I nailed that look for about one of mine and managed to dump about 2 in the process. Ooops. 

This is something I would make again or try another recipe as it's fun, simple and tasty. I didn't have strawberries and cranberries she used, so below is my raspberry adaptation.

Panna Cotta

White Chocolate Panna Cotta

1 envelope (.25 oz.) unflavored powdered gelatin

2 cups half and half or whole milk

4 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Coulis

18 oz. raspberries

1/2 envelop (.12) unflavored powdered gelatin

1/2 cup sugar

1 cup champagne

For the panna cotta, in a saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over 1 cup of milk. Let stand 2 minutes. Place the saucepan over medium heat, and cook while stirring constantly until gelatin is melted. Remove from heat, and add in white chocolate. Stir until melted, and then whisk in remaining ingredients. Divide mixture evenly among four 4-oz. dessert glasses or jars, angling if you're brave and want to make them look super cool. Let chill at least 4 hours or until fully set.

For the coulis, combine berries, gelatin, sugar and champagne. Bring to simmer over medium heat, and stir until sugar is melted. Remove from heat and puree once slightly cool. Let cool to room temperature, push through sieve and the divide evenly among the panna cotta. Refrigerate until serving. If desired, top with gold star sprinkles right before serving. Makes 4 servings.