tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40011429150365145022024-03-13T04:50:58.890-07:00sweetcakes bakeshopmayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-61856291226851837882011-03-03T11:42:00.000-08:002011-05-02T21:44:09.325-07:00Raspberry Frangipane Slice<center style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5494623719/" title="Raspberry Frangipane Slice by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5177/5494623719_064469a892.jpg" alt="Raspberry Frangipane Slice" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">You know when you finally convince yourself to buy that special, expensive ingredient and as soon as you place it in your pantry it just sits there...to special to be used. That happens to a lot of the things I buy. As you can probably attest to, baking isn't exactly the cheapest hobby. Over the next few weeks I'm forcing myself to suck it up and use some of my coveted ingredients that have been sitting around. In the next few weeks expect to find a dessert incorporating the chestnut cream I bought on my last trip to Paris that I just haven't had the heart to use yet. But for today, the star of the dish is the almond meal that was tucked away in my refrigerator.<br /><br />The recipe is a combination of the shortbread crust from my favorite lemon bar recipe and the almond cream (frangipane) recipe from the (equally coveted and rarely used) Tartine cookbook.<br /><br /></span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Raspberry Frangipane Slice<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i></i><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">3/4 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/3 cup powdered sugar<br />1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />1 cups almond meal<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />7 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature<br />1 large egg<br />1 tablespoon whole milk<br />1/2 teaspoon almond extract (optional)<br />pinch of salt<br />1/4 cup raspberry jam (or as desired)<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan. Combine the flour, powdered sugar, and the first amount of butter. Pat dough into prepared pan. Bake for 15 minutes.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Meanwhile, make the frangipane topping. Beat the butter on medium speed until creamy. Add the sugar and mix to incorporate. Add the almond flour and beat until thoroughly combined. Add the salt, almond extract (if using), and egg and mix until incorporated. Add the milk and beat until light and fluffy.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Spread raspberry jam (or any flavor that you like) on the warm crust. Pour the frangpiane mixture on top of the jam layer and spread evenly with an angled spatula, making sure to cover the jam completely.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Halfway through baking sprinkle sliced almonds on top of the frangipane if desired. Cool completely before cutting to serve.</span></span><br /></p><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b></b></span></span></span></span></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-51648997915015747272011-02-04T10:21:00.000-08:002011-02-04T10:46:26.528-08:00Red Velvet Whoopie Pies<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5415957503/" title="Red Velvet Whoopie PIes by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4143/5415957503_640333b6eb.jpg" alt="Red Velvet Whoopie PIes" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">A close friend of mine was celebrating her birthday earlier this week and while I was consulting with her regarding her birthday treat she jokingly suggested "red velvet cookies". I instantly replied "Done!" because I had seen so many adorable looking red velvet cookies online all week. She was surprised that such a thing existed and I assured her that in the food world "anything and everything is possible". I had fallen in love with the cute, crackly cookies I spotted on <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/11/08/red-velvet-sandwich-cookies/">Babble</a>. However, when I made the recipe myself using the homemade version based on a Paula Deen recipe they came out more like whoopie pies than cookies. Rest assured that my disappointment was short lived as these cookies are delicious, especially the day after they are assembled and the cream cheese filling has a chance to moisten the cookies. If anyone decides to try out the cake box version available on Babble, please let me know if those turn out flat and crackly like in the pictures. <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br /><br /></span></span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5416570172/" title="Red Velvet Whoopie Pies stacked by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4153/5416570172_6f13ef88eb.jpg" alt="Red Velvet Whoopie Pies stacked" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Red Velvet Whoopie Pies<span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span></span></span></b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> </i><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(adapted from <a href="http://blogs.babble.com/family-kitchen/2010/11/08/red-velvet-sandwich-cookies/">here</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup butter<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 eggs<br />2 tablespoons buttermilk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 tablespoon red food coloring<br />1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour<br />4 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt</span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar. Add in eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Beat in buttermilk, vanilla and red food coloring. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the wet. <br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Scoop dough onto a lined cookie sheet (I piped mine) using a generous medium scoop (2-3 tablespoons). Bake at 375 degrees F for 10-12 minutes until centers appear set. Allow to cool slightly. Then pull the liner onto the wire cooling rack to cool completely.</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Cream Cheese Filling</b></span><span style="font-size:85%;"></span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">8 ounces cream cheese<br />4 tablespoons butter, softened<br />2 teaspoons milk<br />1 teaspoon vanilla<br />4 cups powdered sugar<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Cream together cream cheese and butter in a medium bowl. Beat in milk and vanilla. Sift powdered sugar over the wet ingredients and beat in until smooth. Spread in between two cooled red velvet cookies (again I piped mine, just seems cleaner and easier).<br /></span></span></p> <p style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Makes 10-15 sandwiches.<br /></span></span></p></span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-63655262794626273802010-12-16T18:56:00.001-08:002010-12-16T19:41:56.191-08:00White Chocolate Lemon Biscotti<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5259837132/" title="Lemon Biscotti dipped in White Chocolate by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5089/5259837132_3d7c033c6e_b.jpg" alt="Lemon Biscotti dipped in White Chocolate" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">These biscotti were whipped up short notice to fill a sudden craving my mom had for something sweet. I've had quite a few biscotti recipes bookmarked and was really intrigued by all the different methods used. Some recipes used butter, others oil, or even both. And a few recipes I came across used neither. For my purpose, I decided to go the traditional route and make my biscotti with olive oil.<br /><br />Now, if you know me well enough by now, I hardly ever make a full recipe. However, this time I went one step further and actually didn't complete the full list of instructions. Biscotti gets its crunchy texture from a "twice-baked" method. The dough is formed into a log, baked, removed from the oven, sliced, then baked again. This makes biscotti the perfect dipping cookie for coffee, teas, or simply milk. However, I don't drink coffee or milk and although I love tea, I don't have it all too often. So I decided to make "soft-baked" biscotti. After baking the dough as a log, removing it from the oven, and slicing it, I allowed the cookies to cool and left it at that. Then I dipped the bottoms in white chocolate...well actually, I tried to dip them, but without success. What I found worked better and yielded a more aesthetically pleasing result was simply spooning the melted chocolate onto the bottom of the biscotti, then spreading it cleanly with a small angled spatula. Then I set them carefully down on their rounded (undipped) side and allowed them to dry.<br /><br />Well, whichever way you decide to make these--crisp or soft, dipped or spread with chocolate--I assure you, you'll love the combination of delicate<br /><br /></span></span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5259837728/" title="Lemon Biscotti Duo by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5049/5259837728_431e373cf5.jpg" alt="Lemon Biscotti Duo" width="650" height="433" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Below I'm posting the recipe in its entirety. Including the steps that I decided to skip. Because I tend to adapt recipes, I often make mistakes when retyping them into my blog. So please if you see any discrepancies, let me know and I will amend it as soon as possible. </span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>White Chocolate Lemon Biscotti</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> </i><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cranberry-Pistachio-Biscotti/Detail.aspx">here</a> and <a href="http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=10000000226791">here</a></span></span></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1/4 cup light olive oil<br />3/4 cup white sugar<br />2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />1 teaspoon lemon extract (or to taste)<br />2 teaspoons lemon zest<br />2 eggs<br />1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />1 1/4 cups (6-ounce) bar premium white chocolate, chopped<br /><br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. In a large bowl, mix together oil and sugar until well blended. mix in the vanilla and lemon extracts and zest, then beat in the eggs. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder; gradually stir into egg mixture.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Divide dough in half. Form two logs (12x2 inches) on a cookie sheet that has been lined with parchment paper. Dough will be very sticky; wet hands with cool water to handle dough more easily.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Bake for 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until logs are light brown. Remove from oven, and set aside to cool for 10 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 275 degrees F.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Cut logs on diagonal into 3/4 inch thick slices. Lay on sides on parchment covered cookie sheet. Bake approximately 8 to 10 minutes, or until dry; cool.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Meanwhile, melt the white chocolate in a double boiler or using your preferred method. When the biscotti is cool, dip, spread, or drizzle white chocolate and allow the cookies to dry on a cookie sheet before storing in an air tight container.<br /></span></span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br /><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-78490458432557612132010-12-10T15:30:00.000-08:002010-12-10T16:56:22.891-08:00Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting and Streusel<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5249675797/" title="Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting with Brown Sugar Crumble by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5083/5249675797_1d68b756e0.jpg" alt="Pumpkin Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting with Brown Sugar Crumble" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">After a long hiatus, this blog is finally back in action. During the past few months of this break I've been able to concentrate on school and clean up my diet. Perhaps a greater influence on my blogging than my academic schedule has been my attempt to overcome my dependency on sugary sweets. Today I am very happy to say that one of these bad boys is the first homemade treat that I've had in months. And as delicious as it was, there was something different. The way I felt when I ate it was different...less ravenous. I savored every bite of it, but when it was over I didn't run back for more.<br /><br />Now although this new found lifestyle may mean great things for me, I'm not exactly sure what the significance is for my blogging. This holiday season will definitely warrant much more baking and testing of my self control. So for now, I'll resist making any predictions until the end of the holidays. Enjoy yours, as I enjoy mine...and try these cupcakes!<br /></span></span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5250278728/" title="Pumpkin Cupcakes Taking a Dive by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5288/5250278728_1ee618be2f.jpg" alt="Pumpkin Cupcakes Taking a Dive" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">These cupcakes were made using the leftover batter I had after making a pumpkin bundt cake for an end-of-the-semester/Christmas party on Wednesday night. Like the cake, they are topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting, but are taken a step further with a sprinkling of brown sugar crumble.</span></span></span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b>Pumpkin Cupcakes</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Pumpkin-Cake-III/Detail.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">allrecipes</span></a></span></span></i></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span><p></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">2 cups white sugar<br />1 1/4 cups vegetable oil<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />2 cups canned pumpkin<br />4 eggs<br />2 cups all-purpose flour<br />3 teaspoons baking powder<br />2 teaspoons baking soda<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice<br /><br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">In a large bowl, combine sugar and oil. Blend in vanilla and pumpkin, then beat in eggs one at a time. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Pour batter in muffin tin, filling cups 3/4 full.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Bake in the preheated oven for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of a cupcake comes out clean.<br /></span></span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting</b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cream-Cheese-Frosting-II-2/Detail.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">allrecipes</span></a></span></span></i></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span><p></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened<br />1/2 cup butter, softened<br />2 cups sifted powdered sugar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 teaspoon cinnamon<br /><br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar. Mix in cinnamon, add more if desired. Store in the refrigerator after use.<br /></span></span></p><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><b><br />Brown Sugar Crumble</b></span></span></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> <span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">(<a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Crisp-II/Detail.aspx"><span style="text-decoration: underline;">allrecipes</span></a></span></span></i></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span><p></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">1/2 cup quick-cooking oats<br />1/2 cup all-purpose flour<br />1/2 cup brown sugar<br />1/8 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/8 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/4 cup butter, melted<br /></span></span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Line a sheet pan with foil. Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and melted butter together. Crumble onto sheet pan, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Bake crumble for 10 minutes or until brown, watching carefully.<br /></span></span></p><br /><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/5249676611/" title="Pumpkin Cupcakes by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5005/5249676611_9c537ea85a.jpg" alt="Pumpkin Cupcakes" width="500" height="750" /></a></center></span></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-29345047087712212182010-08-05T08:20:00.000-07:002010-08-05T08:20:25.485-07:00Orange Milk Sherbet<center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4841718525/" title="Scoops of Orange Sherbet by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4091/4841718525_ba088ddc8d_b.jpg" alt="Scoops of Orange Sherbet" width="500" height="750" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">I only recently discovered my fondness for Orange Sherbet. I recall throughout my lifetime hearing others exclaim their love for the treat and disregarding them almost instantly. It was a chance encounter with a grocery store Orange Sherbet ice cream cake, something that I would normally overlook without a second thought. Soon, a small slice turned into a second and a third...an accompaniment to my breakfast cereal, an after school snack...until one day, it was gone. There was something undeniably nostalgic about the flavor that I just couldn't place. And then suddenly, I had it. I even called my sister from across the house to have a taste and confirm my suspicion. Orange Sherbet tasted oddly like...Fruity Pebbles. Yes, Fruity Pebbles: a childhood favorite from my pre-gourmet days. A flavor-memory that I still find hard to resist when it crosses my path. Definitely a guilty pleasure of mine. <br /><br />Behold, my hand-churned orange sherbet. Now before you start thinking that you ought to be impressed...my decision to hand-churn the ice cream was based more on desperation than inspiration. I had prepared and chilled my rather impromptu sherbet mixture and was starting to assemble the ice cream maker attachment on my KitchenAid stand mixer when I realized that the adapter was missing. What ensued first was panic, then frustration, and finally...insanity.<br /><br />My freezer bowl was already out and starting to condensate. I had to act quick. I grabbed the chilled mixture and poured it into the bowl. I hastily set the microwave timer to twenty minutes, grabbed the plastic churner and began to spin the bowl with my left hand, while my right hand clenched tightly onto the top of the churner. I tried my best to keep my knuckles away from the freezing mixture. The end result was light and slightly creamy, with the tiny ice crystals characteristic of a sherbet. Thanks to my unwavering will and endurance, the consistency is exactly what I expected to achieve if I had used the ice cream maker.<br /></span></span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4841718863/" title="Orange Sherbet Duo by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4084/4841718863_30836a4fa2_b.jpg" alt="Orange Sherbet Duo" width="600" height="450" /></a></center><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">This orange sherbet is not so much the result of a recipe, but the outcome of trial and error. I'm so embarrassed by my method that I won't even attempt to post a recipe or instructions. I simply took a few scoops of vanilla ice cream (cheating? perhaps, but I told you this was very impromptu), a teaspoon and a half of vanilla, a splash of milk perhaps (I used soy), and enough orange juice concentrate to achieve the flavor you want.<br /><br />Not really faithful to a real Sherbet at all I suppose, but it satisfied my (Fruity Pebble) craving.<br /></span></span></span><br /><center><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4842334854/" title="Orange Sherbet by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4842334854_49e57a14e7.jpg" alt="Orange Sherbet" width="500" height="750" /></a></center>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-996896990275084112010-07-28T21:04:00.000-07:002010-07-28T22:50:06.453-07:00Dimply Peach Cake<center style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4839166087/" title="Dimply Peach Mini Cakes by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4112/4839166087_62576e6136_b.jpg" alt="Dimply Peach Mini Cakes" width="500" height="750" /></a></span></center><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm a bit apprehensive as I type this and soon you'll understand why. When my mother came home yesterday she brought along a small bag of peaches from her best friend's backyard. She told me that she would be out of town for the next two days and knowing that most of my clandestine baking happens while she's gone, she commissioned me to make a peach cobbler. <span style="font-style: italic;">Nothing fancy, no individual ramekins: just one simple cobbler<span style="font-style: italic;">. </span></span><br /><br />Well I guess I don't take directions well unless they're part of a recipe that promises something delicious at the end. I convinced myself that if I made an alternative to cobbler that was simple, yet delicious enough to win over my mother, I would be in the clear. So I began my search for the perfect simple peach recipe. I found my answer in Dorie Greenspan's Dimply Plum <span style="font-style: italic;">(Well, Anything) </span>Cake. I've always been an obedient daughter, but I suppose baking must bring out my inner rebel, because I had the audacity to make miniature cakes as well.<br /><br />The cake smelled delicious sitting in the oven and I was so sure of my success. The first downhill turn was when I pulled the cakes out (the 6" cake and the 3" mini cakes) at 20 minutes and found them a little too dark along the edges. I tried to stay hopeful as I proceeded with picture taking and when I finally shut off my camera, I grabbed a slice and took a bite straight off the prop fork. <span style="font-style: italic;">Dry</span>. Well, at least, not moist enough for my liking. Nothing too spectacular in terms of taste, but I'll also admit that the peaches from her friend didn't taste so good on their own to begin with.<br /><br />Even still, I was disappointed and consequently worried about how my mother will receive the <span style="font-style: italic;">not-so-cobblery </span>cakes when she returns. Whenever I run into a recipe I don't favor, especially from a source as reliable as Dorie Greenspan, my first assumption is that the fault is my own. Can someone please let me know if the cake is meant to be slightly dry? Am I missing out on something?<br /><br />I'll be sure to give it a try again tomorrow morning and hope for the best, but my expectations aren't high.<br /><br /></span></span><center style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4840059716/" title="peach cake quartet by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4144/4840059716_893d85d501_b.jpg" alt="peach cake quartet" width="500" height="750" /></a></span></center><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">You can find the recipe <a href="http://bake-en.blogspot.com/2008/09/twd-dimply-plum-cake.html">here</a>.<br /><br />* Just as I went to retrieve the link for the recipe, I skimmed through the recipe commentary over at Bake-En and am instilled with new hope. "</span><span style="font-family: arial;" xmlns="">Dorie says that the first day the cake is like corn bread and the 2nd and 3rd days it's soft and moist. Perhaps I'll fall in love with it tomorrow." This is somewhat reassuring and now I am a little more excited for what breakfast might reveal. Perhaps it's the juices of the fruit permeating through the cake that makes it more moist over time...but for now that's just speculation. I'll find out for sure tomorrow. I knew Dorie wouldn't let me down so hard...<br /><br />Meanwhile below is a Before & After project I took on, my first really. I saw this worn-out, shabby chic end table outside of a neighbor's house as I drove to work one morning. When it was still there on my way home from work the next day, I quickly pulled over and timidly went to go knock on the door and inquire about it. Fortunately for me, the homeowner walked right out to retrieve her child's toys outside and when I asked her about it, she gladly let me have it for free. I giddily placed it in my trunk and drove the half a block to my house where I immediately got started. After smoothing it down with a power sander, I vacuumed it and wiped it down. Then the next day I spray painted it bright white. Dozens of adorable color combinations flooded my mind, but for my first project I decided to keep it simple and clean...and easy to coordinate. It took me years of admiring Before & After projects for me to finally tackle one myself. Now I won't hesitate to pull over when I see a promising find. You can click <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4839786760/">here</a> and <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4839787160/">here</a> to see the "before" photos.<br /></span><br /></span><center style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4839782078/" title="Peach Cake On Side Table by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4105/4839782078_8c63100c6d_b.jpg" alt="Peach Cake On Side Table" width="500" height="750" /></a></span></center>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-39343089389456284502010-07-25T18:35:00.000-07:002010-07-29T16:32:56.723-07:00Raspberry Walnut Rugelach<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4814448654/" title="Rugelach by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4081/4814448654_34bf7bf37d_b.jpg" alt="Rugelach" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">Remember how I confessed to just not being a "cookie lover"? Well, there must exist some technicality that prevents rugelach from being classified as a cookie, because as of today...I love rugelach. More realistically, I <span style="font-style: italic;">could</span> love rugelach. I made an <span style="font-style: italic;">almost</span> classic variation with raspberry jam, walnuts, and semisweet chocolate chips. The recipe is great, but I had mixed feelings about the batch I made. For one, I'm not a big fan of chocolate. I know...a food blogger that isn't fond of <span style="font-style: italic;">chocolate or cookies</span>, some might consider it an oxymoron. If and when I make these again, I'll probably cut down on the chocolate and definitely make the trip to go buy some currants or dried fruit, because although the cookie itself was flaky and tender, the texture of the filling left much to be desired. I'm also sure that the fruity flavor of the currants would lighten up the richness of the chocolate. So I suppose what I'm saying is that I'm not <span style="font-style: italic;">in love</span> with these cookies as much as I am in love with the idea of what they could be.<br /><br />Please don't let my rambling stop you from trying these cookies. The fact that they're <a href="http://www.doriegreenspan.com/">Dorie's</a> should be enough motivation to get you in the kitchen. And besides, the majority of my reservations are based solely on my inability to stick to the recipe in the first place...as soon as I add those currants, I might as well delete this whole rant and simply post five gold stars underneath picture.<br /><br />Enough, enough. Run away before I start up again, you can find the recipe <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6649570">here</a>.<br /></span></span></span></div></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-72908433050708404892010-07-20T20:54:00.000-07:002010-07-20T22:20:24.526-07:00Lemon Pouts<div style="text-align: center; font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4814448208/" title="Lemon Pouts by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4138/4814448208_8866f9b52f_b.jpg" alt="Lemon Pouts" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;">This is not an attempt to alienate my readers, but I honestly am not a cookie lover. In a bakeshop filled with all manner of baked goods, the last thing to usually catch my eye are the cookies. The only cookies that I ever crave are the ones sold at the <a href="http://www.teacakebakeshop.com/">Teacake Bakeshop</a> locations around the Bay Area. And even then, the craving is often never strong enough to get me to walk into the store. I suppose my bias is this: if I'm going to put something unjustifiably caloric in my mouth, its looks should somewhat mirror its decadence. I guess even my stomach has a very particular aesthetic.<br /><br />One of my favorite cookies there is the simple Lemon Pout. A soft, chewy sugar cookie with an undeniable lemon zing, perfectly offset by the crunch of sparkling sugar. I finally convinced myself into buying a microplane zester just so I could make these cookies. The recipe I found yields the most perfectly soft and chewy cookies. But beware: "store them in an airtight container to keep them nice and soft" is <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> a suggestion, it is a must. I left a few of the best looking cookies on a paper plate and covered them in plastic wrap so I could save them for picture taking later and within a few hours they lost their delicate texture. Nothing a quick zap in the microwave won't fix, but not ideal nonetheless.<br /><br />Another note, I didn't have any lemon extract on hand (but after this incident, I will soon), so I took a cue from <a href="http://www.mybakingaddiction.com/chewy-lemon-sugar-cookies/">here</a> and substituted four tablespoons of lemon juice. The result? Sadly not at all lemony. More like sugar cookies with a subtle hint of zest. Good, but just not tempting enough to cram down my mouth. I will, for certain, try this recipe again as soon as I get my hands on some lemon extract. Until then, for all you lemon lovers...don't settle for a substitute!<br /><br />On a lighter, purely aesthetic note: next time I would definitely opt for rolling these cookies in sparkling sugar. Again, I only had granulated on hand, which lent nothing to the texture. Well, there was turbinado in the pantry, but I didn't want to risk discoloring the cookies with caramel-colored flecks. Just another reason to try it again, I'm missing out on that delicate crunch!<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><b>Lemon Sugar Cookies</b></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><i> <span style="font-size:85%;">(adapted from <a href="http://melissamckelvey.com/?p=403">Crepes of Wrath</a></span></i></span><span style="font-size:85%;">)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1 cup butter, softened<br />1 1/2 cups white sugar<br />1 egg<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract<br />zest of 1 lemon<br />1/2 cup granulated or raw sugar for rolling cookies (I used raw sugar, which I think was an awesome choice)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or tin foil and spray lightly with Pam.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">Rub together the zest and granulated sugar until the sugar is a pale yellow color. This helps to infuse all of the oils in the zest into the sugar and gives your cookies an even more lemony flavor. Using a mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth and very fluffy (about 3-5 minutes).</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Beat in egg, vanilla extract, and lemon extract.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Gradually blend in the dry ingredients and mix until just moistened.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Roll rounded tablespoons of dough into balls, and roll in sugar. Place on lined cookie sheets about 1 1/2 inches apart.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden and set.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Let stand on cookie sheet two minutes before removing to cool on wire racks. As soon as the cookies have cooled, store them in an airtight container to keep them nice and soft. Makes around 20 cookies.</span></p></div></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-47849761843406017862010-06-29T15:32:00.000-07:002010-06-30T07:22:27.130-07:00Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Muffins<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4747399152/" title="IMG_2109 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4747399152_fd4c5ce148_b.jpg" alt="IMG_2109" width="500" height="750" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >I have had my eye on this enticing <a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/001561.html">Baked Doughnuts</a> recipe from 101 cookbooks for months. I have daydreamed in class about simple glazed doughnuts and different jam-filled varieties. And yet, I'm practically half way in to my summer and haven't found the time to tackle a yeast recipe. Or perhaps it's a little bit of moxie that I can't seem to locate. However, I did promise myself that I would get to it sometime before school starts and I have no intention of letting myself down.<br /><br />Until then, I had to satiate my doughnut craving with this quick fix solution: doughnut muffins. The recipe is from <a href="http://www.downtownbakery.net/">The Downtown Bakery and Creamery</a> north of the Bay Area in Healdsburg. They claim to sell out of these muffins every morning and I can already see why. The original recipe, which I posted here, yields 24 standard sized muffins. Predictably, I quartered the recipe and made 24 mini-muffins, but each little, melt-in-your-mouth bite is delectable. I'll shamefully admit that I've already eaten somewhere over 6 mini-muffins which is a little under 2 standard muffins...in under an hour. I've since forced myself to clean the kitchen completely and grab myself a glass of water so that I won't have a reason to go into the kitchen for a good couple of hours. I won't lie...doughnut muffins are not the new doughnut. But don't let that stop you from trying them. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4747398736/" title="IMG_2095 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4747398736_25b288c950_b.jpg" alt="IMG_2095" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" >D</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" >oughnut Muffins</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> (recipe found <a href="http://www.finecooking.com/recipes/doughnut_muffins.aspx">here</a>)<br /><span style="font-size:85%;">makes 24 medium muffins</span><br /><br />12 oz. (24 Tbs.) unsalted butter, warmed to room temperature<br />1-3/4 cups sugar<br />4 large eggs<br />1 lb. 11 oz. (6 cups) all-purpose flour<br />1 Tbs. plus 2 tsp. baking powder<br />1/2 tsp. baking soda<br />1-3/4 tsp. salt<br />1 tsp. ground nutmeg<br />1-2/3 cups milk<br />1/4 cup buttermilk<br /><strong></strong><br />8 oz. (16 Tbs.) unsalted butter; more as needed<br />2 cups sugar<br />2 Tbs. ground cinnamon<br /><br />Put a rack in the middle of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.<br /><br />In a stand mixer or a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and nutmeg.<br /><br />Combine the milk and buttermilk. With a wooden spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don't overmix.<br /><br />Grease and flour a standard-size muffin tin. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. (A #16 ice-cream scoop gives you the perfect amount.) Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, 30 to 35 min.<br /><br /></span>Melt the butter for the dipping mixture. Combine the sugar and cinnamon. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.<br /></div></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-24645871916037923992010-06-22T08:52:00.000-07:002010-06-26T08:19:48.176-07:00Southern Red Velvet Cake<div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4725944390/" title="IMG_1301 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1059/4725944390_c67cefc376_b.jpg" alt="IMG_1301" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /><br /></span></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span>I'm</span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span></span>surprised that in my almost two years of blogging it has taken me this long to make and post the notorious and often over-hyped Red Velvet Cake. Well take a good long look at it now, because this will likely be the last time that you will see any form of Red-Velvet-Anything for a while...or ever. I brought this cake to church last Sunday as a sampler and took orders for 6 inch cakes to raise funds for some youth in the church who want to go to Family Camp this summer, but can't afford it on their own.<br /><br />It's so difficult to brainstorm products and prices for people that you know. Not only did I have to come up with something that appeals to their tastes and that they would actually buy (which entails that they either cannot make it themselves or conveniently buy it elsewhere). I remembered often hearing the women mention red velvet cakes before. It seemed perfect, it wasn't a cultural staple, so it wasn't something that most of the women would make on their own. It was also not too simple, as many of the women were already well-seasoned in making their own quick breads, so banana bread for sale was out of the question. Red velvet was the perfect option the more I thought about it.<br /><br />Then there was the price to consider. After researching prices at most well established bakeries, I found that even a small 6 inch cake can run up over $30. Considering the population of the church, I realized that this would not do. Even with the price above $20 I could already imagine their polite "No Thank You"s. I figured the price had to be low, a low amount of funds is better than no funds at all and I was hoping that the low price would encourage more orders. So, I sold 6 inch red velvet cakes for....$15 dollars. No lie. And for a moment it even pained me to do it, but it all turned out for the better in the end. The cake was very well received and on our first day of taking orders we sold 10 cakes, totaling up to $150 raised on our first go.<br /><br />This of course means that this Friday, I will be in the church kitchen baking up ten red velvet cakes. And although we'll continue taking orders for more as the weeks go by (I have several requests to make a sugar-free version) I assure you that by the time I get back to school, I will be running out the door if my friends so much as request a Red-Velvet-Anything.<br /><br />But for now, I give you this cake recipe. The only adaptation I made was altering the prescribed one teaspoon of cocoa powder to two tablespoons. I know, I know there is so much controversy over doing this. However, I had made a half recipe earlier in the week as a batch of mini-cupcakes for an order of 6-dozen (2 dozen lemon with cream cheese, 2 dozen vanilla with chocolate ganache, and 2 dozen red velvet) and the flavor never seemed to develop. To make a six inch cake, I only needed to use half the recipe, but I added a tablespoon of cocoa powder instead and after the cake cooled and I had sliced it and taken my bite of the scraps I immediately screamed for my sister to come down to the kitchen. Even right out of the oven, without maturing, the flavor was so full and complex. That extra hit of cocoa gave the taste so much body without actually being too obviously chocolate, because believe me I am NOT a chocolate fan. Just keep in mind that the recipe posted below makes a three-layer, 9 inch cake. You could make half and end up with a good sized 6 inch or use the other half for cupcakes. All up to you.<br /><br />*Also, I'm considering making those 6 inch cakes into three-layers instead of two. Well maybe if I ever make it again for myself I'll try it out.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Southern Red Velvet Cake </span><span style="font-size:100%;">(adapted from <a href="http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html">Food Network</a>)</span><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />1 1/2 cups sugar<br />1 teaspoon baking soda<br />1 teaspoon fine salt<br />2 tablespoons cocoa powder<br />1 1/2 cups vegetable oil<br />2 eggs, room temperature<br />1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature<br />red food coloring (as much as desired)<br />1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br /><br /></span><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;" class="instructions"> <p><span style="font-size:100%;"> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes. </span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.</span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span></p><p style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Cream Cheese Frosting</span></span></p><p><span style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);font-size:100%;" ><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 pound cream cheese, softened</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">2 sticks unsalted butter (1 cup), softened</span> <span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size:100%;">In a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or with a hand-held electric mixer in a large bowl, mix the cream cheese, sugar, and butter on low speed until incorporated. Increase the speed to high, and mix until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Occasionally turn the mixer off, and scrape the down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula.)</span></p> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Reduce the speed of the mixer to low. Add the vanilla, raise the speed to high and mix briefly until fluffy (scrape down the bowl occasionally). Store in the refrigerator until somewhat stiff, before using. May be stored in the refrigerator for 3 days.</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;font-size:100%;" >Assembly</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /></span> <p><span style="font-size:100%;">Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.<br /></span></p> </div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-36029483198534944812010-06-16T13:56:00.000-07:002010-06-18T08:00:08.675-07:00Strawberry Shortcakes with Whipped Cream<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4706471837/" title="Split Strawberry Shortcakes by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1303/4706471837_9bbbc19f5b_b.jpg" alt="Split Strawberry Shortcakes" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">For any of you who have yet to pick up on the pattern, I'll spell it out for you. If you so much as see the word "strawberry", know that the post has my boyfriend all over it. Because of the recent makeover and all my giddy self-satisfaction at doing it all on my own--from the logo to every last, frustrating bit of code--my boyfriend has taken a closer look at my blog, instead of the customary once over. I even received my first "reader complaint" when he noted that I had failed to mention him in the <a href="http://sweetcakesbakeshop.blogspot.com/2010/04/strawberry-bavarian-and-birthday.html">Strawberry Bavarian</a> post. The title of the post clearly shows that I had meant to make mention of it, but my busy school schedule and sheer laziness when it comes to writing here prevented the post from ever developing into more than just a recipe card. The cake was made for my boyfriend's .......th birthday. Funny, I hesitated to announce the age, partly because I'm not sure how much more information my boyfriend minds me posting outside of a mere mention and because I suddenly became worried about dating ourselves by giving his age. Besides, as most of you know, the number itself means little and most people who see that kid in action and then hear his real age are surprised.<br /><br />I will now simply refer to him as J, because I'm not sure how fond he would be of my previous nickname for him. Anyways, this last Monday was our 34 month anniversary or two months short of three years anniversary...however you choose to look at it. And yes, you can see that we're still silly enough to celebrate our relationship down to the month, but part of me hopes that if we're together ten years from now, we'll still be celebrating our 114 month anniversary, a.k.a our 9 1/2 years anniversary.<br /><br />As soon as I hinted to J that I would be making him something, he immediately exclaimed "ice cream cake!". I almost went for it too, and began mentally planning out individual ice cream cakes made in ring molds, but inevitably came back to my original idea...strawberry shortcakes. Which surprisingly for a strawberry lover, he has never tried, but he's not the kind to try something new unless under duress. He also stared shocked for a moment when he saw how I had cut the dozen peach roses he had given to me short enough to fit into a mason jar. He had expected for me to leave them long-stemmed and elegant, like he was accustomed to seeing, but I explained that I liked the cozy feel of the simple display.<br /><br />So the verdict? Success! Despite a few helpless (albeit, adorable) questions about how he should go about eating it, his plate was emptied and scraped in a few minutes and I was finally relieved of enough anticipation to enjoy my own.<br /><br /></span></span></span><a><br /></a><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4707521122/" title="strawberry shortcake duo by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4066/4707521122_c7cf8bb5d7_b.jpg" alt="strawberry shortcake duo" width="600" height="450" /></a><br /></div><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:arial;">As soon as I hinted to J that I would be making him something, he immediately exclaimed "ice cream cake!". I almost went for it too, and began mentally planning out individual ice cream cakes made in ring molds, but inevitably came back to my original idea...strawberry shortcakes. Which surprisingly for a strawberry lover, he has never tried, but he's not the kind to try something new unless under duress. He also stared shocked for a moment when he saw how I had cut the dozen peach roses he had given to me short enough to fit into a mason jar. He had expected for me to leave them long-stemmed and elegant, like he was accustomed to seeing, but I explained that I liked the cozy feel of the simple display.<br /><br />So the verdict? Success! Despite a few helpless (albeit, adorable) questions about how he should go about eating it, his plate was emptied and scraped in a few minutes and I was finally relieved of enough anticipation to enjoy my own. As for myself, I love the recipe. Too often you encounter dry or flavorless shortcakes, but these were so moist and tender that I couldn't resist taking one to work with separate little containers of sliced strawberries and whipped cream and trying to assemble it without anyone noticing and sneak it back to my desk to enjoy.<br /><br />This recipe came from a recent Tuesdays with Dorie, though I don't know if I can officially claim to have participated seeing as I am two weeks late. You can find the recipe over at <a href="http://www.thetortefeasor.blogspot.com/">The Tortefeasor</a>.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4707101006/" title="Peach Roses from Mr. Simple by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4707101006_ce77eb2e60_b.jpg" alt="Peach Roses from Mr. Simple" width="500" height="750" /></a></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-39534907599532622282010-05-20T17:09:00.000-07:002010-06-18T08:00:55.402-07:00Key Lime Pie<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" > <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689410808/" title="IMG_8803 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4689410808_792bf4e6e0_b.jpg" alt="IMG_8803" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />Summer is finally here! Well, supposedly. Finals are through, school is out, and I'm still alive. However, this temperamental Bay Area weather indicates anything but. Add in the fact that few other colleges let out this early and that I started working a full time job two days after my vacation started and you've got the perfect formula for the anti-summer.<br /><br />The only way I could convince myself otherwise was to make key lime pie. I few months earlier I spotted bags of key limes being sold at Food Max and I took this as a sign that it was finally time to try my hand at this iconic dessert. Of course, this was in the dead of winter and on top of being buried in weekly exams and hospital clinical days, I was still craving the comfort of warm, cozy baked goods.<br /><br />Only a few minutes into my undertaking I realized that it was a good idea that I had decided to wait until my vacation to try this recipe. Although I halved the recipe and needed only half a cup of key lime juice, it took over thirty minutes just to squeeze out enough juice from those tiny little buggers and they left my fingers stinging. Fortunately for me, the rest of the recipe is cake, well you know what I mean. Some people bake their key lime pies with zest in the filling, which I'm sure adds even more delightful tartness. However, I just couldn't bring myself to blemish the pristine, marble-like custard. Instead I opted to add zest to the graham cracker crust, which I enjoyed just as much. The bright, green flecks of zest added just the right amount of zing and quirk to the pie. Key lime pie is notorious for being deceivingly light, yet calorie laden so I spared myself a fraction of the guilt by making it in tart form. I'll post the amounts that I used and if you'd like to make a full size pie you could easily double the ingredients--note though that you might end up with a little more filling than you need, but I'm sure you can find something to do with that.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689428424/" title="key lime duo by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1307/4689428424_da475d244a_b.jpg" alt="key lime duo" width="600" height="450" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Key Lime Pie </span>(adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Easy-Key-Lime-Pie-I/Detail.aspx">Allrecipes.com</a>)<br /><br />makes one 8-inch tart<br /><br />4 egg yolks, beaten<br />1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk<br />1/2 cup key lime juice<br /><br />1 cup finely ground graham cracker crumbs<br />1/4 cup white sugar<br />1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted<br />zest of a few key limes<br /><br />Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.<br /><br />Mix graham cracker crumbs, sugar, butter, and zest until well blended. Press mixture into an 8-inch tart plate.<br /><br />Combine the egg yolks, sweetened condensed milk and lime juice. Mix well and pour into unbaked graham cracker shell.<br /><br />Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Allow to cool and refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight before serving.<br /></span><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689405570/" title="IMG_8789 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4689405570_f423b6c618_b.jpg" alt="IMG_8789" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-16827344907390925642010-04-02T10:26:00.000-07:002010-06-10T14:43:22.871-07:00Strawberry Bavarian and a Birthday<span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S7YpNd0s52I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/VmnvTM0WRBs/s1600/IMG_6722.JPG"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 500px; height: 750px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S7YpNd0s52I/AAAAAAAAAdQ/VmnvTM0WRBs/s400/IMG_6722.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5455593309926647650" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Strawberry Bavarian</span> adapted from Tartine via <a href="http://manggy.blogspot.com/2009/06/summer-fruit-bavarian.html">No Special Effects</a><br /><br />Chiffon Cake<br /><br />160 g (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons) all-purpose flour<br />1 teaspoon baking powder<br />150 g (3/4 cup) sugar<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />55 g (1/4 cup) vegetable oil<br />3 large egg yolks, at room temperature<br />88 g (6 tablespoons) water<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />3/4 teaspoon grated lemon zest<br />5 large egg whites, at room temperature<br />small pinch cream of tartar (1/8 teaspoon if you must)</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span class="fullpost"><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><br />Line the bottom of an 8-inch cake pan or ring (at least 2-1/2 inches high) with parchment paper cut to fit exactly; don't grease the pan. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).<br /><br />In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, egg yolks, water, vanilla, lemon zest, salt, baking powder, and 125g (1 cup and 2 tablespoons) sugar until combined. Sift the flour over this, at the same time whisking until very smooth.<br /><br />In another large mixing bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add the cream of tartar and beat on medium-high speed until it holds soft peaks. Add the remaining 25g (2 tablespoons) sugar slowly while beating on medium-high speed until the whites hold firm, shiny peaks. Add a third of the egg whites and fold into the yolk mixture to lighten, then fold in the rest of the whites until just combined.<br /><br />Pour the batter into the pan and spin it around to flatten the batter. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack. Once completely cool, run a thin knife around the sides and invert onto your hand (a little crust loss is okay since it'll be covered with cream, but you may also invert onto a sheet of parchment sprayed with baking spray if you wish), then place right-side up on a platter. Measure the height of the cake and split it horizontally into two layers of equal height. Carefully separate the layers.<br /><br /><br />Bavarian<br /><br />250 g (1 cup) milk<br />1/2 vanilla bean<br />small pinch of salt<br />2 tablespoons cornstarch<br />58 g (4 1/2 tablespoons) sugar<br />1 large egg<br />27 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter<br />3/4 teaspoons gelatin<br />1/2 tablespoon water<br />250 g (1 cup) heavy cream, very cold<br /><br /><br />Make the pastry cream: In a small saucepan, add the milk and scrape the vanilla caviar into it, then throw the pod and salt in. Heat the milk gently, whisking constantly, until small bubbles start to appear on the sides. Remove from the heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, sugar, and egg until a paste is formed. Pour the milk into the paste in a thin stream, whisking madly all the while. Return this to the saucepan and place over low heat, constantly whisking until the bubbles just disappear, about a minute. Immediately remove from the heat and place into a cool bowl. When it comes down to about 60°C (140°F), whisk in the butter until incorporated. Leave to cool completely, then place cling film flush against the surface and place in the fridge.<br /><br />In a small dish, sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let stand for a few minutes. Take 60g (1/4 cup) of the pastry cream and heat it in a microwaveable bowl at LOW in 10-second intervals, or in a heatproof bowl over simmering water until it is hot to the touch. Remove from the heat and whisk in the gelatin water until smooth. Whisk in half the remaining cold pastry cream until well-combined, then the remaining pastry cream.<br /><br />Whip the cream using a cold bowl and beaters until it holds medium-stiff peaks, then fold in the pastry cream mixture.<br /><br />Fruit Puree<br /><br />85g (slightly more than 1/2 cup) berries (I used strawberries)<br />25g (2 tablespoons) sugar<br />pinch of salt<br /><br />Combine the three ingredients in a blender until smooth.<br /><br />Assembly<br /><br />150 g (1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons) heavy cream, very cold<br />2 teaspoons sugar<br />285 g (10 oz or a pint) strawberries<br /><br /><br />Whip the cream and sugar using a cold bowl and beaters until it hold soft peaks.<br /><br />Use an 8" cake ring or springform pan to assemble. Line the sides with plastic wrap, or as I did, a strip of food grade acetate. Place a cake board cut to 8" diameter on the bottom, then the bottom layer of cake. Brush this with half the fruit puree. Spoon on half the filling, then arrange the fresh fruit over this (if using strawberries, start with the sides, using halved strawberries). Dump the remaining filling over this, using an offset spatula to go over the surface to make sure there are no large air pockets. Place the top layer of cake over this push lightly over the top to compress the filling. Moisten the top layer with the remaining fruit puree. Frost the top with the sweetened whip cream, taking care not to bleed the color of the puree into it (spoon the cream over the whole surface, then fix it with an offset spatula). Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Unmold and remove the plastic wrap or acetate before serving.</span></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-68224748517683289462010-02-20T08:10:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:01:16.558-07:00Blueberry Crumb Cake<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689394766/" title="IMG_6338 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4004/4689394766_a6eab58268_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6338" width="500" height="750" /></a></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:100%;" ><ul style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px;"><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></b></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></b></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">Blueberry Crumb Cake</span></span></span></b></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">3/4 cup white sugar</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup butter</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 egg</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup milk</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup heavy cream</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">2 teaspoons baking powder</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">2 cups fresh blueberries</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup white sugar</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup brown sugar</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/3 cup all-purpose flour</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup butter, softened</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 8x8 inch pan.</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cream together 3/4 cup sugar, butter, and egg.</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">In a separate bowl mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Stir into sugar mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in blueberries. Pour into greased 8x8 inch pan.</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">To make topping: Combine 1/4 cup white sugar, 1/4 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, cinnamon, and butter. Sprinkle over cake batter.</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border-width: 0px; outline-width: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bake at 350 degree F for 30-40 minutes.</span></span></span></li></ul><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">*I received a comment saying that the picture didn't match the recipe. Well it is the exact same recipe, I just forgot to mention that instead of stirring the blueberries into the batter, I poured half of the batter into the pan then poured in a layer of blueberries and topped that off with the rest of the batter and then the topping. Also, part of me, the part with the giant sweet tooth, thought it would taste even yummier if I DOUBLED the topping and layered it in this order: batter, blueberries, streusel, batter, streusel. But when it comes down to it, in baking...it's all your preference.</span> </span></span></div></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-84379415963132968792010-02-15T17:14:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:01:37.298-07:00Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689394012/" title="IMG_6320 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4689394012_62ea1cefcd_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6320" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" class="Apple-style-span" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />Deciding on a Valentine's Day gift for my boyfriend can be too difficult these days, especially because my boyfriend has a very small and picky sweet tooth...in our case, opposites do attract. You can imagine how overjoyed I was when I watched a big, satisfying smile appear on his face as he bit into (well, more like popped a whole one into his mouth) one of these and deemed it "perfect". </span></span><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Not that I could say I was surprised, I already knew since the night before how perfect they were. I had worked on these until 2 a.m. on the morning of Valentine's Day and had one (well two, for quality assurance) of the chocolates to give me the sugar-driven motivation needed to press on into the wee hours of the morning. The ratio of chocolate to peanut butter was perfect for both our tastes, just enough chocolate to encase the just-sweet-enough peanut butter filling without being too rich and thirst-inducing. </span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">To add to my personal triumph, the chocolates were also well received by my family and his co-workers, although I can't deny that I was happy to hear him proudly claim the rest for himself, seeing as I did put my heart into each and every one of them.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689449368/" title="pb cup montage by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4018/4689449368_4de9850182_b.jpg" alt="pb cup montage" width="600" height="450" /></a><br /></div><br /><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">(a</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">dapted from <a href="http://www.peterandrewryan.com/baking/2009/02/dark-chocolate-peanut-butter-cups/">Pete Bakes</a>)</span></span></span></strong></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></span></span></strong></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">12 oz milk chocolate *see Note</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1/3 cup creamy peanut butter (I added a couple more tablespoons to suit my preference)</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1 tsp salt (not in the original recipe, but you can omit it, or add more or less depending on your taste)</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1/4 cup crushed graham crackers</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">*I actually ended up with a lot of chocolate left over, so for easy storage I poured the chocolate into the molds I used and let them set up so that I could have solid, portionable pieces. If you want to avoid this problem, and don't feel too lazy, melt a little bit of chocolate at a time, so as not to waste any. </span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">1. in a bowl, mix together the peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and graham crackers. set aside.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">2. in a double boiler, carefully melt the chocolate (set a metal bowl on top of a saucepan with boiling water). alternatively, you can microwave the chocolate in short bursts.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">3. using a pastry brush or a clean paintbrush, brush the melted chocolate on the bottom and sides of mini cupcake liners. it’s helpful to stack some the liners together to give more support. when in doubt, add more chocolate, since this will be the base for your candy. place the cupcake liners on a plate or in a cupcake tin and place in the freezer for 10 minutes.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">4. remove the liners from the freezer, and place about one teaspoon of the peanut butter mixture in each cup. press down a bit with a spoon to spread. spoon more melted chocolate on top of each cup.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">5. place the peanut butter cups back in the freezer for another 15 minutes to set. eat cold or let warm to room temperature before serving.</span></span></p><p style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 15px; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;font-size:11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688759481/" title="IMG_6305 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4002/4688759481_b25bc4276c_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6305" width="500" height="750" /></a><br /></div></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-32549217292403060482010-02-11T14:00:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:01:51.895-07:00Lemon Bars<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689619128/" title="IMG_6262 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4689619128_c8c63d7c98_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6262" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span><div style="text-align: center; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" ><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></u></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Lemon Bars</span></b></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-weight: normal;"><ul style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 cup all-purpose flour</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup and 3 tablespoons confectioners' sugar</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">4 eggs</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1 1/2 cups sugar</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">1/4 cup all-purpose flour</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">2/3 cup lemon juice</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">confectioners' sugar for decoration</span></span></span></li><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; overflow: hidden; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></li></ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8 inch baking pan.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Combine the flour, confectioners' sugar, and butter. Pat dough into prepared pan.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, until slightly golden. While the crust is baking, whisk together eggs, white sugar, flour, and lemon juice until frothy. Pour this lemon mixture over the hot crust. </span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Return to the preheated oven for an additional 20minutes, or until light golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. Dust the top with confectioners' sugar. Cut into squares. </span></span></span></div></span></b></span></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-82989022647021908902010-02-11T13:49:00.001-08:002010-06-18T08:02:04.448-07:00Miniature Blueberry Pies<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688759057/" title="IMG_6220 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4013/4688759057_1b7d40ced1_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6220" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><strong></strong></span><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><strong></strong></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: 20px;font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></strong></span><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 20px;font-size:100%;" ><strong style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Double Crusted Blueberry Pie</span></span></strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />From: </span></span><a style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" href="http://www.amazon.com/Baking-Home-Yours-Dorie-Greenspan/dp/0618443363/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1215461654&sr=8-1"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Baking: From My Home To Yours</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">, written by Dorie Greenspan.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Ingredients:</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough for Double Crust , chilled (below)</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">2 ½ pints fresh blueberries</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 cup of sugar, or a little more, to taste, plus more for dusting</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">½ cup all purpose flour</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Pinch of salt</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Coarsely grated zest of ½ lemon</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Squirt of fresh lemon juice, or a little more, to taste</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">¼ cup dry bread crumbs (you can use packaged unseasoned crumbs)</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">1 large egg, beaten with 1 tsp of water, for egg wash</span><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Sugar, for dusting</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Getting Ready: Butter a 9-inch pie plate (Dorie uses a standard Pyrex pie plate).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Working on a well-floured surface (or between wax paper or plastic wrap), roll out one piece of the dough to a thickness of about 1/8 – inch. Fit the dough onto the buttered pie plate and trim the edges to a ½ inch overhang. Roll the other piece of dough into a 1/8 inch thick circle and place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment or a silicone mat. Cover both the circle and the pie plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate while you pre-heat the oven and prepare the filling.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Getting Ready to Bake: Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Put the berries in a large bowl and gently stir in the sugar, flour, salt, zest and juice; let sit for about 5 minutes. Taste the filling and add more sugar and/or lemon juice, if needed.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Remove the pie shell and top crust from the refrigerator. Sprinkle an even layer of the breadcrumbs over the bottom of the shell. Give the filling a last stir and turn it into the crust.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Using your fingertips, moisten the rim of the bottom crust with a little cold water. Center the top crust over the filling and gently press the top crust against the bottom. Either fold the overhang from the top crust under the bottom crust and crimp the edges attractively or press the top crust against the bottom crust and trim the overhang from both crusts even with the rim of the pie plate. If you’ve pressed and trimmed the crust, use the tines of a fork to press the two crusts together securely. Using a small, sharp knife, cut 4 slits in the top crust crust and cut a circle out of the center, then lift the plate onto the baking sheet. (If you have time, refrigerate the pie for about 30 minutes. The pie can also be wrapped airtight and frozen for up to 2 months. Glaze and sugar it before you put it in the over and add at least 15 minutes to the baking time).</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Brush the top crust with the egg wash, then sprinkle the crust with a little sugar, just to give it sparkle.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Bake the pie for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F, and bake the pie for another 30 minutes or so (total baking time is about an hour) or until the crust is a beautiful golden brown and the filling is bubbling up through the slits. If the crust seems to be browning too quickly, make a loose foil tent for the pie.</span><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);">Transfer the pie to a rack and let it cool and settle for at least 30 minutes before serving.</span><br /><br /></span></span><strong style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough</span></span></strong><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);" class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br />For a 9 inch Double Crust<br /><br />3 cups all purpose flour<br />¼ cup sugar<br />1 ½ tsp salt<br />2 ½ sticks very cold unsalted butter, cut into tbsp size pieces<br />1/3 cup very cold vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces (I opted for all butter, just my preference)<br />About ½ cup ice water<br /><br />Put the flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don’t overdo the mixing- what you’re aiming for is to have some pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, gradually add about 6 tbsps of the water- add a little water and pulse once, add some more water, pulse again and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If, after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn’t look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water as necessary, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. Big pieces of butter are fine. Scrape the dough out of the bowl and onto a work surface.<br /><br />Divide the dough in half. Gather each half into a ball, flatten each ball into a disk and wrap each half in plastic. Refrigerate the dough for at least 1 hour before rolling (if your ingredients were very cold and you worked quickly, though, you might be able to roll the dough immediately: the dough should be as cold as if it had just come out of the fridge).<br /><br />To Roll Out the Dough: Have a buttered 9 inch pie plate at hand.<br /><br />You can roll the dough out onto a floured surface or between sheets of wax paper or plastic wrap or in a rolling slipcover. If you’re working on a counter, turn the dough over frequently and keep the counter floured. If you are rolling between paper, plastic or in a slipcover, make sure to turn the dough over often and to life the paper, plastic, or cover frequently so that it doesn’t roll into the dough and form creases.<br /><br />If you’ve got time, slide the rolled out dough into the fridge for about 20 minutes to rest and firm up.</span></span></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-1463310033344539392010-02-04T15:02:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:02:20.406-07:00Banana Bread Muffins<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688943287/" title="IMG_6123 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4024/4688943287_09197c9a3d_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6123" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Banana Bread Muffins</span><br /><br />2 cups all-purpose flour</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />1 teaspoon baking soda</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />1/4 teaspoon salt</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />1/2 cup butter</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />3/4 cup brown sugar</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />2 eggs, beaten</span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><br />2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas</span><div class="ingredients" style="margin-top: 10px; font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span><br />Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span><br /><br />In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.</span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span><br /><br />Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.<br /><br /><br /></span></span><div class="directions" style="margin-top: 10px; font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689576460/" title="IMG_6118 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4055/4689576460_6fdff5d625_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6118" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><br /></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-64154597107146425602010-02-04T14:54:00.001-08:002010-06-18T08:04:40.478-07:00Samoas Cookies<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689576250/" title="IMG_6079 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4005/4689576250_0567bdbf9f_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6079" width="500" height="750" /></a>I had my very first Samoas cookie rather recently while visiting my sister-in-law and her husband last year. Apparently, they're his favorite and as we were all out shopping he was immediately drawn to the Girl Scouts who had set up camp outside and returned triumphantly with several boxes of these babies. So, appropriately, I thought I'd make them for real (real as in sans preservatives and novel-sized ingredient list) and bring them along for our next visit. I deviated from the recipe a bit by opting out of dipping the bottom of the cookies in chocolate...that's just too much chocolate for me...and now no worry about melty-chocolately fingers.</span><br /></div><div style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Samoas Cookies <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">(adapted from <a href="http://bakingbites.com/2008/01/homemade-girl-scout-cookies-samoas/">Baking Bites</a>)</span><br /><br /></span>1 cup butter, softened<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 cups all purpose flour<br />1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />up to 2 tablespoons milk<br /><br />Preheat oven to 350F.<br />Cream together butter and sugar in a large bowl. Mix in flour, baking powder and salt at a low speed, next, the vanilla and milk, adding in the milk only as needed to make the dough come together without being sticky (you may not need any at all). The dough should come together into a soft, pliable ball. Add in a bit of extra flour if your dough seems sticky.<br /><br />It's easiest to roll the dough out in 2 or 3 batches (between pieces of wax (or parchment) paper to about 1/4-inch thickness (or a little thinner) using a 1 1/2-inch cookie cutter to make rounds. Place on a parchment lined (or on silicone mat) baking sheet and make a hole in the center. I used the small end of a large round piping tip. Nicole comments that you can use a knife, or the end of a wide straw, to cut a smaller center hole. Repeat until the dough is used up (it's okay to re-roll, this dough is shortbread-like and very forgiving.)<br /><br />Bake cookies for 10-12 minutes, until bottoms are very lightly golden brown around the edges.<br /><br />Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet, to allow them to firm up slightly, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688943113/" title="IMG_6103 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4026/4688943113_21019c554a_b.jpg" alt="IMG_6103" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong face="georgia"><em></em></strong></span><span style="font-size:100%;"><strong></strong><span style="font-weight: bold;">Topping:</span><br />3 cups shredded coconut (sweetened or unsweetened)<br />12-ounces good-quality chewy caramels<br />1/4 teaspoon salt<br />3 tablespoons milk<br />8 ounces dark or semisweet chocolate (or milk chocolate, if you prefer)<br /></span><p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;"><br />Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F)<br /><br />Spread coconut evenly on a rimmed baking sheet and toast 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes, until coconut is golden. Watch carefully, especially near the end of toasting time; the coconut toasts very quickly once it begins to become golden.</span></p><p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Cool on baking sheet, stirring occasionally. Set aside.<br /><br />Unwrap the caramels and place in a large microwave-safe bowl with milk and salt. Cook on high for 3-4 minutes, stopping to stir a few times to help the caramel melt. When smooth, fold in toasted coconut with a spatula.<br />Using the spatula or a small offset spatula, spread topping on cooled cookies, using about 2-3 teaspoons per cookie. Reheat caramel for a few seconds in the microwave if it begins to firm up, to make it soft and spreadable once again.</span></p><p style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-size:100%;">While topping sets up, melt chocolate in a small bowl. Heat on high in the microwave in 45 second intervals, stirring thoroughly to prevent scorching. (I melted mine stovetop using double boiler method.) Dip the base of each cookie into the chocolate and place on a clean piece of parchment paper (I used silicone baking mats instead). Transfer all remaining chocolate into a piping bag or a ziplock bag with the corner snipped off and drizzle finished cookies with chocolate. (Melt a bit of additional chocolate, if there is not quite enough for each cookie.)</span></p><span style="font-size:100%;">Let chocolate set completely before storing in an airtight container.<br /></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-21021042999510275152010-01-14T12:00:00.001-08:002010-01-21T18:14:39.760-08:00White Chocolate Toffee Blondies<span style="font-size:85%;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0_a7PDA6MI/AAAAAAAAAbY/3YqNtRwcMGY/s1600-h/IMG_5452.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 364px; height: 498px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0_a7PDA6MI/AAAAAAAAAbY/3YqNtRwcMGY/s400/IMG_5452.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5426796787191048386" border="0" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(64, 64, 64);font-family:georgia,sans-serif;font-size:85%;" ><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In Anaheim now as I type this, getting ready for a fun weekend at Disneyland. As another birthday nears, I'm thankful for having a sister and friends who are always exciting and young at heart, to remind me not to worry about growing up too fast. I doubt I'd ever have as much fun here without them, I wouldn't know where to start.<br /></span></span></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="font-weight: normal;">This weekend is a reunion for my sister and I with our childhood friend from Las Vegas who has always been there for me to talk about all things food. So now after all these months I finally get to treat her to something more than a pretty picture and decided to whip up these blondies last minute (a little too last minute considering I was a few minutes late for work due to the delay). But it was worth it, especially to wake up and hear her and my sister last night take a bite of one as I laid half asleep in the other room. </span><br /></span></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;">My biggest worry was that they would harden up once they were cool, but a quick sneak into the kitchen to rip off a corner of one and savor a bite proved that they remained irresistibly tender and delicious, even straight out of the refrigerator. Must have been Disney magic.<span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"></span><br /><strong></strong></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">White Chocolate Toffee Blondies</span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />adapted from Dorie Greenspan “Baking: From My Home to Yours” </span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span">2 cups all-purpose flour<br />3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />1/2 teaspoon baking soda<br />1/2 teaspoon salt<br />2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />1 1/2 cups (packed) light brown sugar<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />2 large eggs<br />1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract<br />6 ounces bittersweet chocolate <i>(I used white chocolate)</i><br />1 cup butterscotch chips or Heath Toffee Bits <span style="font-style: italic;">(I used 1/2 cup toffee bits, plus a roughly chopped Heath bar for extra texture)</span><br /></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Getting Ready</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span">: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Butter a 9×13-inch baking pan and put it on a baking sheet.</span><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span"><em></em></span></span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Add both sugars and beat for another 3 minutes, or until well incorporated. Add the eggs one by one, beating for 1 minute after each addition, then beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients, mixing just until they disappear into the batter. Using a rubber spatula, stir in the chocolate and toffee. Scrape the batter into the buttered pan and use the spatula to even the top as best you can.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Bake for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the blondies comes out clean. The blondies should pull away from the sides of the pan a little and the top should be a nice honey brown. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for about 15 minutes before turning the blondies out onto another rack. Invert onto a rack and cool the blondies to room temperature right side up.</span></p><p style="margin: 0px 0px 0.75em; line-height: 1.6em;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Cut into 32 bars, each roughly 2-1/4 x 1-1/2 inches.</span></p></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-12405222117942954112010-01-12T18:11:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:05:13.827-07:00Lemon and Brown Butter Madeleines<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688942941/" title="IMG_5418 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1279/4688942941_1da8ef6c9d_b.jpg" alt="IMG_5418" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />With one week until school begins I find myself lamenting how quickly my five weeks of vacation flew by and how little free time I actually had. I blame it on the constant cycle of work that made the days go by faster and faster as they became indistinguishable. Work, eat, sleep, repeat. Now I'm saddened that I, once again, did not get to doing all the fun things that I had planned and day dreamed about instead of being attentive during last semester's classes. But I can't deny that I am excited for school and clinicals to start, so one could say that the fun has just begun for me.<br /><br />Now these madeleines were something I whipped up in the few hours in between waking up and heading to work at noon this morning. Just had to satisfy my baking fix. Now, I've made madeleines once before with great success. They're my father's favorite, he loves the ones baked up by the Sugar Bowl Bakery in San Francisco that are sold in Costco, so I wanted to see what he thought of these. I was delighted to hear from my sister the next day that they were devoured by the familyin one sitting. My one qualm about that batch of madeleines was that I slightly overfilled the pan, which ruined the ideal shell shape. So I noted that I would have to make them again properly in order to document them here.<br /><br />However, this time around I used a different recipe from</span></span><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/index.html"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> 101 Cookbooks</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">. That looked promising and was deemed "fail-safe", but I couldn't help but notice the lack of baking powder and refrigeration in the recipe. Now, baking powder I know is not a MUST in all madeleine recipes, but in my previous research I came up on a lot of emphasis regarding refrigeration, sometimes anywhere from 2 to 4 hours. But I pressed on and followed the recipe regardless. Now maybe it was my use of a handmixer as opposed to a stand mixer, but when I pulled the first tray of madeleines from the oven I was discouraged to find that they had not developed that signature hump nor had they risen at all. The backs were sunk in and they stuck to the pan. So, crossing my fingers, I sprinkled a small amount of baking powder into the remaining batter, gave it a good fold and hoped for the best. I even stuck the filled madeleine pan into the freezer for a good ten minutes. To my relief they came out much better, not humpy, but nicely puffed up. Now, I want to say that it must have been something that I did wrong that caused the problem, because I'm sure that the recipe, which has given others so much success, can't be flawed. But I'll be sticking with my original madeleine recipe, which is what I'll be typing up here. For the other recipe,</span></span><a href="http://www.101cookbooks.com/archives/madeleines-recipe.html"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span"> see here</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">.<br /></span></span><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4688942407/" title="IMG_5387 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4688942407_cfb62d5f60_b.jpg" alt="IMG_5387" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span id="fullpost"><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><b><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;">Madeleines</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:arial;"> </span></span></span></span><span style="font-family:arial;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">(</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span id="fullpost"><span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span">adapted from Baking From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan)</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span id="fullpost" style="font-family:arial;"><br /><br /><span>2/3 Cup All-Purpose Flour</span><br /><span>3/4 tsp Baking Powder</span><br /><span>Pinch of salt</span><br /><span>1/2 Cup Sugar</span><br /><span>Grated zest of 1 Lemon</span><br /><span>2 Large Eggs, at room temperature</span><br /><span>2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract</span><br /><span>3/4 Stick (6 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled</span><br /><br /><span>Confectioners' sugar, for dusting</span><br /><span></span><br /><br /><span>Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.</span><br /><br /><span>Working in a mixer bowl, or in a large bowl, rub the sugar and lemon zest together with your fingertips until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the eggs to the bowl. Working with the whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together on medium-high speed until pale, thick and light, 2 to 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. With a rubber spatula, very gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the melted butter. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the batter and refrigerate it for at least 3 hours, or for up to 2 days. This long chill period will help the batter form the hump that is characteristic of madeleines. (For convenience, you can spoon the batter into the madeleine molds, cover and refrigerate, then bake the cookies directly from the fridge; see below for instructions on prepping the pans.)</span><br /><br /><span>Getting ready to bake: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F. Butter 12 full-size madeleine molds, or up to 36 mini madeleine molds, dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess. Or, if you have a nonstick pan (or pans), give it a light coating of vegetable cooking spray. If you have a silicone pan, no prep is needed. Place the pan(s) on a baking sheet.</span><br /><br /><span>Spoon the batter in the molds, filling each one almost to the top. Don't worry about spreading the batter evenly, the oven's heat will take care of that. Bake large madeleines for 11 to 13 minutes, and minis for 8 to 10 minutes, or until they are golden and the tops spring back when touched. Remove the pan(s) from the oven and release the madeleines from the molds by rapping the edge of the pan against the counter. Gently pry any recalcitrant madeleines from the pan using your fingers or a butter knife. Transfer the cookies to a rack to cool to just warm or to room temperature.</span><br /><br /><span>If you are making minis and have more batter, bake the next batch(es), making certain that you cool, then properly prepare the pan(s) before baking.</span><br /><br /><span>Just before serving, dust the madeleines with confectioners' sugar.</span></span><br /></span>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-3885180352029368722010-01-11T11:42:00.000-08:002010-06-18T08:06:31.591-07:00Raspberry Pistachio Teacakes<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689575208/" title="IMG_5283 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4689575208_d4f3550868_b.jpg" alt="IMG_5283" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />The days are dwindling fast until school starts up again and my life gets lost in a whirlwind of classes, work, and clinicals. Free days are becoming a rare commodity and considering that I will be gone for half of the last week of my vacation (celebrating my 20th birthday in Disneyland with my sister and friend), I realize now that I have very few opportunities to bake at my leisure. That's why I woke up early this morning in order to take advantage of this and over my bowl of cereal I quickly began to rack my brain for a relatively simple recipe that utilized the ingredients I had on hand.<br /><br />Then of course, I had to factor in my dying need to use the adorable baking cups I purchased from Daiso (a Japanese goods store) a few weeks ago. So then I finally settled on making teacakes, which--maybe due in part to their simplicity--I had never made before.<br /><br />Meanwhile, while I love the versatility of my new camera, I'm still struggling to achieve that bright, sunny look--but there's not much that can be done about that when shooting on a foggy Bay Area day. Keeping that in mind, I am content with the results.<br /><br /></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689575142/" title="IMG_5260 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4040/4689575142_db4850f498_b.jpg" alt="IMG_5260" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />Here is the recipe, adapted from </span><a href="http://www.mytartelette.com/2009/03/recipe-raspberry-pistachio-cakes.html"><span class="Apple-style-span">Tartelette</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span">.<br /><br />[As you may have noticed, I am notorious for attempting to make the smallest possible portion of any recipe and so I divided the recipe in half, which yielded exactly three muffin-sized teacakes. ]<br /><br /><br /><br /></span></span><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:arial;font-size:100%;" ><span class="fullpost"><strong><span class="Apple-style-span">Raspberry Pistachio Teacakes Recipe:<br /></span></strong><span class="Apple-style-span"><br />Makes about a dozen<br /><br />1 cup (120gr) pistachios, raw, divided<br />1/2 cup (110gr) dark brown sugar, packed<br />2 large eggs<br />1 stick (113gr) unsalted butter, melted and cooled<br />1 teaspoon (5gr) vanilla extract<br />1 1/2 cups (205gr) cake flour<br />pinch of salt<br />1 teaspoon (4.6gr) baking powder<br />1 1/2 cups (185gr) fresh raspberries<br /><br />Preheat the oven to 350F. Lightly spray or butter 10 to 12 muffin cups or tins.<br />Coarsely chop the pistachios and set aside.<br />In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or with hand held beaters), whisk together the sugar and the eggs on medium speed, until thick, about 2-3 minutes. Lower the speed and with the machine running, add the butter, vanilla extract, cake flour, salt and baking powder. Increase the speed to medium and whisk until just incorporated. By hand, fold in the raspberries, being careful not to break them up too much and half of the reserved pistachios. Divide evenly between the muffin tins (or other small molds). Sprinkle the remaining half a cup of pistachios evenly over the cakes. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool on wire racks.<br /><br /></span></span></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689575086/" title="IMG_5189 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4060/4689575086_9f9ab6dbf9_b.jpg" alt="IMG_5189" width="500" height="750" /></a></span><br /></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-1663935271680042442010-01-07T16:37:00.000-08:002010-06-10T17:16:07.815-07:00Vanilla Bean Eclairs<span style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-size:100%;" ><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/31898955@N06/4689390178/" title="IMG_4968 by sweetcakesbakeshop, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1285/4689390178_f451d362ef_b.jpg" alt="IMG_4968" height="750" width="500" /></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><br />My brief trip to Paris last November had me swearing upon my return that I could never again be tempted by the baked goods that my home country had to offer. It didn't take me long, however, to realize my folly. I much as I do miss the light, cloud-like vanilla eclairs of Laduree, I no longer consider it infidelity to crave treats from San Francisco gems such as Miette and Tartine. One of my favorite Christmas gifts (along with my new Easy Bake, but more about that in a later post) is the Tartine cookbook.</span></span><div style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">The cookbook suggested a traditional chocolate glaze, but in homage to Laduree I left these eclairs simply dusted with powdered sugar, allowing the vanilla bean-flecked pastry cream to dominate the palate. Struggled to photograph them and do them justice on such a cloudy Bay Area day, but I am quite impressed with how they turned out and you ought to be too, once I tell you that I baked these eclairs up in a little toaster oven. Yes! Toaster. Oven. Just another experiment in satisfying my baker cravings while simultaneously keeping the electric bill low. Economical and environmental? Perhaps.</span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /></span></span></div><div style="font-family: arial; color: rgb(102, 102, 102);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=";font-size:100%;" ><span class="Apple-style-span">Delicious? You bet.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-76328483392374821992010-01-07T15:52:00.000-08:002010-01-21T18:18:12.652-08:00Raspberry Bakewell Tartelettes<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0Zz5ktHwTI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/omhTnRkWwm4/s1600-h/IMG_4849.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 498px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0Zz5ktHwTI/AAAAAAAAAZ0/omhTnRkWwm4/s400/IMG_4849.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424150234157007154" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The only thing that makes a great recipe better is when it carries over into another great recipe. This greatness is applicable to the Apple Frangipane Tart that graced my Christmas dessert spread. Case in point, Raspberry Bakewell Tartelettes made from the irresistibly fragrant vanilla bean frangipane left over from the apple tart. I've wanted to make a Bakewell tart ever since the Daring Bakers flooded Tastespotting with their beautiful tarts (er, puddings?) and I finally got my chance, albeit months later. But more importantly, none the less delicious. This was also a chance to use the precious raspberry preserves I brought back with me from my recent trip to Paris that I feared I treasured so much that I could never get myself to use it. Worth it? Yes indeed. </span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><strong><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Bakewell Tart…er…pudding</i></span></span></strong></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"></span></i></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Makes one 23cm (9” tart)</i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Sweet shortcrust pastry:</i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />225g (8oz) all purpose flour<br />30g (1oz) sugar<br />2.5ml (½ tsp) salt<br />110g (4oz) unsalted butter, cold (frozen is better)<br />2 (2) egg yolks<br />2.5ml (½ tsp) almond extract (optional)<br />15-30ml (1-2 Tbsp) cold water<br /><br />Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Grate butter into the flour mixture, using the large hole-side of a box grater. Using your finger tips only, and working very quickly, rub the fat into the flour until the mixture resembles bread crumbs. Set aside.<br /><br />Lightly beat the egg yolks with the almond extract (if using) and quickly mix into the flour mixture. Keep mixing while dribbling in the water, only adding enough to form a cohesive and slightly sticky dough.<br /><br />Form the dough into a disc, wrap in cling and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes</i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br /></i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Assembling the tart:</i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;"><i>Jam or curd (I used the aforementioned Raspberry Preserves from Paris)</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;"><i>Frangipane (I used the leftover frangipane cream from this </i><a href="http://sweetcakesbakeshop.blogspot.com/2010/01/apple-frangipane-tart.html"><i>recipe</i></a><i>)</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small; line-height: 20px;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Place the chilled dough disc on a lightly floured surface. If it's overly cold, you will need to let it become acclimatised for about 15 minutes before you roll it out. Flour the rolling pin and roll the pastry to 5mm (1/4”) thickness, by rolling in one direction only (start from the centre and roll away from you), and turning the disc a quarter turn after each roll. When the pastry is to the desired size and thickness, transfer it to the tart pan, press in and trim the excess dough. Patch any holes, fissures or tears with trimmed bits. Chill in the freezer for 15 minutes.<br /><br />Preheat oven to 200C/400F.<br /><br />Remove shell from freezer, spread as even a layer as you can of jam onto the pastry base. Top with frangipane, spreading to cover the entire surface of the tart. Smooth the top and pop into the oven for 30 minutes. Five minutes before the tart is done, the top will be poofy and brownish.</i></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><i><br />The finished tart will have a golden crust and the frangipane will be tanned, poofy and a bit spongy-looking. Remove from the oven and cool on the counter. Serve warm, with crème fraîche, whipped cream or custard sauce if you wish.<br /><br />When you slice into the tart, the almond paste will be firm, but slightly squidgy and the crust should be crisp but not tough.</i></span></span></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4001142915036514502.post-81291503169835495442009-12-31T15:58:00.000-08:002010-01-21T18:18:30.598-08:00Apple Frangipane Tart<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0Z1V53FM5I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/93ObC0OrYsg/s1600-h/IMG_3875.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 364px; height: 498px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_tFM3Lci-bYo/S0Z1V53FM5I/AAAAAAAAAZ8/93ObC0OrYsg/s400/IMG_3875.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5424151820383892370" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I have been dying to try my hand at frangipane ever since I purchased almond meal from the Ferry Building in San Francisco in the middle of autumn. When I started planning my Christmas baking lineup I was faced with the difficulty of creating desserts that would not only satisfy my ambitions as a baker but would also be accessible to people of different ages, with tastes ranging from simple to adventurous. As suggestions started pouring in, I started to see that apple would have to make some sort of appearance. But I was determined to present it in a not so traditional way. That's when an apple frangipane tart came to mind and I was instantly sold on the idea, the days approaching Christmas Eve were filled with images and days dreams of a beautiful, seemingly intricate, yet deceptively simple tart in bloom. If dessert is my life, would it be appropriate to say that, in my opinion, dessert (life) should imitate art?</span></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Anyways, enough with the idealistic blah blah blah. End result: delicious and devoured. </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Apple Frangipane Tart</span></span></i></b></div><div><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></b></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">makes a 9-10 inch tart</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 22px; font-family:Georgia, serif;"><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pate Sucrée</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">:</span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup granulated sugar</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1/8 teaspoon salt</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup unsalted butter</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 large egg, lightly beaten</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">In a mixer, beat butter until softened. Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy. Gradually add the beaten egg, beating just until incorporated. Don't overmix or butter will separate and lighten in color. Add the flour and salt and mix until a ball is formed. Don't overwork or pastry will be hard when baked.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Flatten dough into disk, cover in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until firm.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to about an inch larger than the size of the tart pan. Roll out from the center to maintain a uniform thickness, about 1/4-inch thick. Take rolling pin and gently wrap dough over pin, dust off excess flour, and transfer to top of pan. Gently lay dough down, careful not to stretch dough, or dough will shrink down. Press dough into sides of pan, remove excess dough from edges by rolling pin over top of tart pan. Prick bottom of dough with a fork, cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">At this point you can bake your crust for 20 to 25 minutes at 400 degrees F with pie weights or dried bean atop dough. Instead, I opted to just fill the uncooked crust immediately and just bake the completed tart. </span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Frangipane Cream:</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 20px; "><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1 stick (115 gr) butter, softened<br />1/2 cup (100 gr) granulated sugar<br />1 cup (100 gr) ground almond<br />seeds from one vanilla bean or 2 teaspoons vanilla paste or extract<br />2 eggs<br />1/4 cup (60gr) heavy cream<br /><br />Place the butter, sugar, almond powder, vanilla bean seeds and the eggs in a large bowl and whisk until smooth (can also be done in a food processor). Add the cream but stir in it instead of whisking not to emulsify it or it will rise while baking. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.</span></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Assembling the tart:</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">6-8 Apples, peeled, cored, halved, and thinly sliced (keep in cold water; I used Golden Delicious)</span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">4 tablespoons cinnamon-sugar mixture</span></span></i></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:x-small;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: normal; color: rgb(76, 76, 76); font-size:15px;"><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Gently spread frangipane over bottom of crust. Beginning at the outside, place apples slices perpendicular to the bottom, halfway overlapping each slice. For every new layer, place apple slices alternatively to the layer before. Cut smaller apple slices to fit in center of tart.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></i></span></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal; "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sprinkle apples with a cinnamon-sugar mixture. Bake until crust is a deep golden brown and apples are cooked through, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove from oven and cool before serving.</span></span></span></div></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div><div><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color:#000000;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span></span></i></div><div><br /></div></span></i></span></div></span></i></b></span></div>mayan.http://www.blogger.com/profile/18359923872405753092noreply@blogger.com1