tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-91925456826817977612024-02-07T06:08:27.995-08:00destination: beach side bakeryLeahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-1107977234199082272012-01-09T21:32:00.000-08:002012-01-10T14:53:15.505-08:00Vegan Peanut Butter and Chocolate Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYx_11axyQ-fTF3VSyurcB7jlFPn3a-x8NfAH0HpMd_uQyQinyzD7QVRvKk1Z2U2jGm7i8vE8CU68fkiH3fIGMmNoh8_mVIbAhFwUDqKT23jmfM9Alk39GZtMGKzGYg8Ax0uK5ua_6Uus/s1600/IMG_0297.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYx_11axyQ-fTF3VSyurcB7jlFPn3a-x8NfAH0HpMd_uQyQinyzD7QVRvKk1Z2U2jGm7i8vE8CU68fkiH3fIGMmNoh8_mVIbAhFwUDqKT23jmfM9Alk39GZtMGKzGYg8Ax0uK5ua_6Uus/s320/IMG_0297.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Isn't it funny how the longer you go without writing, the harder it is to start writing again? That's how it is with me, anyhow. I've been kind of wracked with guilt over what I refer to (at least to myself) as the great blogbandonment of the holiday season. I mean, of all the seasons of the year, for a baking blogger to completely go MIA during the holidays? In a word- sacrilege.<br />
<br />
I won't bore you with the reasons for my absence, but we'll just say it was a busy holiday season. I did lots of baking, but photographed and blogged none of it-- just the chaos of it all. In fact, I did do some baking projects that I photographed but never got up on the blog. They've been sitting on my computer, looming over me, creating this weird sense of obligation-- like I can't bake, photograph, and blog new recipes until I finish the ones I already started. It's weird how we are sometimes our own worst enemy, isn't it?<br />
<br />
But alas, it's a new year, and thus I've decided, a new start! Maybe I'll go back and post the old baking projects someday, but for now, it's on to the new! <br />
<br />
A couple items of note:<br />
1. Over the holidays we acquired our very own DSLR camera (Canon Rebel T2i) and I'm learning how to use it. I'm having a blast and I'm excited to see how my photography will evolve. I've even signed up for a photography class next month! <br />
2. We're eating vegan for the month of January-- thus today's recipe's overall lack of some of my favorite ingredients such as butter, cream, and eggs. Not a permanent thing, just hitting the "reset" button for one month.<br />
<br />
So enough small talk-- onto the important stuff. These scones have peanut butter AND chocolate. I'm totally going to eat them for breakfast because they're scones, which I believe are a breakfast food-- it's like dessert masquerading as breakfast food. Oh delicious deception! <br />
<br />
Let me just say, these things are good. And not just "vegan good". I'd happily devour these outside the confines of vegan month! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseNK79_GAPKpo2mv73k9vUYHOQqyAZlIM0hoVOZuqNfD2UkSFdfRHs2L7za50fkOrvCRp6sA57xUzDei6eByGuvuzoB8f2hpEPr2l3BkGeKRbn0RurW9iysoP0KF2gm8a0LDtdPIFrEk/s1600/IMG_0287.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjseNK79_GAPKpo2mv73k9vUYHOQqyAZlIM0hoVOZuqNfD2UkSFdfRHs2L7za50fkOrvCRp6sA57xUzDei6eByGuvuzoB8f2hpEPr2l3BkGeKRbn0RurW9iysoP0KF2gm8a0LDtdPIFrEk/s320/IMG_0287.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you need is love. And ingredients.<br />
<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqxN_O3-8ZsfDfJ-fRyJ_EomXYR99aHSWfZ2wNd0nOfR1WlVG-tVjEtko8M3tTW0UQOdppl9YlU-wX5tMCBtQF2qz5IczjhiRIP6jdy-t6KqrnGLmmAMw5VHDHrWGtSF1jyJmy7-BGpI/s1600/IMG_0288.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOqxN_O3-8ZsfDfJ-fRyJ_EomXYR99aHSWfZ2wNd0nOfR1WlVG-tVjEtko8M3tTW0UQOdppl9YlU-wX5tMCBtQF2qz5IczjhiRIP6jdy-t6KqrnGLmmAMw5VHDHrWGtSF1jyJmy7-BGpI/s320/IMG_0288.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Better than breadcrumbs.<br />
<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPWX85UlomSwAGCp1sHyqdLLnPlagJsyLRDjvCNvxYmy9zctNVx-2o4xREXmZ27XRZkiefVQSyd3VXCk6GAHC2xjFn6MgD9qa3J7cdMdfF69n5R1f8il2DRyFpJIbx5mhY4d3DWMu4w/s1600/IMG_0290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4pPWX85UlomSwAGCp1sHyqdLLnPlagJsyLRDjvCNvxYmy9zctNVx-2o4xREXmZ27XRZkiefVQSyd3VXCk6GAHC2xjFn6MgD9qa3J7cdMdfF69n5R1f8il2DRyFpJIbx5mhY4d3DWMu4w/s320/IMG_0290.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adding almond milk makes dough.<br />
<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEobfoUvcOqkVEq592-yeaXZPYkqndnzou37J4WSE9Krfco5GywSaNO1-3kfKporUMU5x4JKhevMAgpZoDWl0ZHc8_i2ywIXhOlE3ZbaMewngbG9iRqDF8P6LduJ3Wuj1Ed2A_MPvdCA/s1600/IMG_0291.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkEobfoUvcOqkVEq592-yeaXZPYkqndnzou37J4WSE9Krfco5GywSaNO1-3kfKporUMU5x4JKhevMAgpZoDWl0ZHc8_i2ywIXhOlE3ZbaMewngbG9iRqDF8P6LduJ3Wuj1Ed2A_MPvdCA/s320/IMG_0291.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add in the chocolate chips-you don't have to use a separate bowl, I won't tell!<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRzpqxmpGIIFmZZ3rfGrz9Y0Fj8e5A_qOEzXK6GxLLyJ9Ivr3dp5YQj34hMPQYsqhqhIscvgr09j8ODdejuQimSVnHu18569RAF2PzluyZ5Kj3oxq9mrDZyJ5ZwMpy7EEpw_p4ylJhhE/s1600/IMG_0294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCRzpqxmpGIIFmZZ3rfGrz9Y0Fj8e5A_qOEzXK6GxLLyJ9Ivr3dp5YQj34hMPQYsqhqhIscvgr09j8ODdejuQimSVnHu18569RAF2PzluyZ5Kj3oxq9mrDZyJ5ZwMpy7EEpw_p4ylJhhE/s320/IMG_0294.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Press into scone pan if you have one.<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAR7_Q7tc57i4IfoZScw0YCvJWbm1kJQhr0Vf3n1vAnlAFeXEL3hyphenhyphenA0lsdHnksn4GN8sSDcfrwAL2RLAq1MAzmITtEp9T0mXDLvpcQKdTgW9CSXbjKQIbMmzDZV9V8xhD5X1ffVh4B7-U/s1600/IMG_0295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAR7_Q7tc57i4IfoZScw0YCvJWbm1kJQhr0Vf3n1vAnlAFeXEL3hyphenhyphenA0lsdHnksn4GN8sSDcfrwAL2RLAq1MAzmITtEp9T0mXDLvpcQKdTgW9CSXbjKQIbMmzDZV9V8xhD5X1ffVh4B7-U/s320/IMG_0295.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breakfast is ready!<br />
</td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<a name='more'></a>Source: <a href="http://www.roxanagreengirl.com/2011/10/peanut-butter-and-chocolate-scones.html" target="_blank">A Little Bit of Everything</a><br />
<br />
Ingredients:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>1 1/2 cup all purpose flour</li><li>2 teaspoons baking powder</li><li>Pinch of salt</li><li>1/4 cup organic granulated sugar</li><li>3 tablespoons chilled vegan butter, cut into cubes</li><li>1/4 cup creamy unsalted peanut butter</li><li>6 tablespoons almond milk</li><li>1/4 to 1/3 vegan chocolate chips</li></ul><div>Instructions:</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><ol><li> Preheat oven to 425 and grease scone pan or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.</li><li>In a food processor, add the flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, vegan butter and peanut butter. Pulse several times until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.</li><li>Through the top chute of the food processor, slowly add the almond milk while continuing to pulse the mixture. The dough should have the consistency of modeling clay so if it's too dry, add a bit more almond milk and if it's too wet, add a bit more flour.</li><li>Take out of food processor and place into bowl. Fold in chocolate chips. (I actually just removed the blade from my food processor and mixed the chocolate chips into the mixture in the food processor-- I *hate* dishes and will avoid creating more of them than necessary if it won't negatively impact the recipe)</li><li>Either press the dough into the scone pan, or shape dough into a disk and cut into 8 triangles.</li><li>Bake for about 18 minutes until golden.</li></ol></div><br />
<br />
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-8119586382157778702011-11-13T19:22:00.001-08:002011-11-14T19:09:03.597-08:00Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Icing<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx18xB6U0XlvGvcSY-fv3jZ5galqyf1slAfZsenUHpfhv7uhIKDEPMsHideOZsyspF2Qr1kvMVsahr0kfMtXOs51L2ahX1zj7aNd_WZQuZBJI825IJZkqVrJuv7QYFNsSPlX3UtFyqpPs/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx18xB6U0XlvGvcSY-fv3jZ5galqyf1slAfZsenUHpfhv7uhIKDEPMsHideOZsyspF2Qr1kvMVsahr0kfMtXOs51L2ahX1zj7aNd_WZQuZBJI825IJZkqVrJuv7QYFNsSPlX3UtFyqpPs/s320/IMG_2947.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
I'm not a pumpkin pie kind of girl (gasp!). I think it's a texture thing-- I love the pumpkin flavor but don't care for the strange wobbly, yet dense, yet gooey consistency. I know-- sacrilege. But that's just me. Fortunately I think I've found a good compromise in this cake.<br />
<br />
This recipe had me at "brown butter icing". Pumpkin shmumkin. Bring on the icing, baby!<br />
<br />
Truthfully though, both the cake and the icing are phenomenally good and embody quintessential taste of the season. See, I promised you there'd be pumpkin-something soon, didn't I? I first found this recipe on <a href="http://www.shutterbean.com/pumpkin-cake-brown-butter-icing/" target="_blank">Shutterbean</a> and then saw that it was featured again more recently on <a href="http://www.risingshining.com/home/2011/10/31/falliday-halloween.html" target="_blank">RisingShining</a>. This cake lived up to the high praise it received on both of these blogs... and then some! <br />
<br />
Here we go!!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa18xsWJLdvisNm3NILlzcqVx_ZNflQzAf5vMwBXoIvrBVKOrvg4w-LrqrFn0MFHjkWz11s5c6fU2vmMiUgzTMbgZvtOmbvc4vjhmzmK3osQ61-ukda0AGQmlxROk-f0JaDsloxchUPg/s1600/IMG_2922.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKa18xsWJLdvisNm3NILlzcqVx_ZNflQzAf5vMwBXoIvrBVKOrvg4w-LrqrFn0MFHjkWz11s5c6fU2vmMiUgzTMbgZvtOmbvc4vjhmzmK3osQ61-ukda0AGQmlxROk-f0JaDsloxchUPg/s320/IMG_2922.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prep your pan with butter and parchment paper and combine your dry ingredients</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TK_UArglxUcbha22rRWsYgtHp5YULh35ivEqbJlArpav6uBtRgDaDyZu9kRkkqQMKA72DNFk_zx2yO1G-jlwTwxynFnGF6Rw-iciMf6GPxeK3D6gqR0Kc0OF3bEEZPsedvHkRE-sAT0/s1600/IMG_2923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TK_UArglxUcbha22rRWsYgtHp5YULh35ivEqbJlArpav6uBtRgDaDyZu9kRkkqQMKA72DNFk_zx2yO1G-jlwTwxynFnGF6Rw-iciMf6GPxeK3D6gqR0Kc0OF3bEEZPsedvHkRE-sAT0/s320/IMG_2923.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Cream the butter and the sugar</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgcfZurOLx7iyDEHJmPu6rVrUZe9FROL0Nu47ZJ64myhnEU9j94JnX06rOauHzx0D_Fjfi9fTKBAfo6DUUSSSvweP_mEXYG9bji3WKusOYI9lyazfgE4qorMYepjI3A5sACTE0_2HuUg/s1600/IMG_2927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlgcfZurOLx7iyDEHJmPu6rVrUZe9FROL0Nu47ZJ64myhnEU9j94JnX06rOauHzx0D_Fjfi9fTKBAfo6DUUSSSvweP_mEXYG9bji3WKusOYI9lyazfgE4qorMYepjI3A5sACTE0_2HuUg/s320/IMG_2927.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add the pumpkin and eggs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtebWzOobfyTUW9_zERaVzCgtyAKeiPG-w0Ktfe30le_x6QtqNFBbJS1ypWVPLOCdmtvHdidHLAQ8ne4LamQ2DCqyVZW3_p6ux74Xkf5c8wYCBCQOdVqdCNIMaET6ja3cwlj8iBWHgyOA/s1600/IMG_2929.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtebWzOobfyTUW9_zERaVzCgtyAKeiPG-w0Ktfe30le_x6QtqNFBbJS1ypWVPLOCdmtvHdidHLAQ8ne4LamQ2DCqyVZW3_p6ux74Xkf5c8wYCBCQOdVqdCNIMaET6ja3cwlj8iBWHgyOA/s320/IMG_2929.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix it up and add in the dry ingredients</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhltpIuh3pu2diVJ0Aumo0EZKjxmef-Pgp1EYhhYQxgniSBwra2eDHw2WiaLvl-EPk5OvOVrS0_-PaRJWO77eQPvu-XQLFic7vFAORl8zyKZEcxvhaSw0kpSZyEWhV9oI4OHShI7yuq0Y/s1600/IMG_2931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhltpIuh3pu2diVJ0Aumo0EZKjxmef-Pgp1EYhhYQxgniSBwra2eDHw2WiaLvl-EPk5OvOVrS0_-PaRJWO77eQPvu-XQLFic7vFAORl8zyKZEcxvhaSw0kpSZyEWhV9oI4OHShI7yuq0Y/s320/IMG_2931.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Batter's done!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-snQLBnNr886nNuivcDvP1VpFflQ4dZbfTVVJPm75x79Zt_LfX_iH0BQ0HjhI_wt4Cxnhu1l9lRqe7M3p20nXMjBHX1zMwkonzdEa0jl7kZSQNndjxN59tRhFCbBOyxKg1O8QqLxiNE/s1600/IMG_2939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-snQLBnNr886nNuivcDvP1VpFflQ4dZbfTVVJPm75x79Zt_LfX_iH0BQ0HjhI_wt4Cxnhu1l9lRqe7M3p20nXMjBHX1zMwkonzdEa0jl7kZSQNndjxN59tRhFCbBOyxKg1O8QqLxiNE/s320/IMG_2939.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cake is baked!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpb-mhvBkDSLhCAEg7TIuUyFJ95q17TTl5Zc6T14sxCR6vGIiTkmohDGK5uaZHrfLmSetkpmjpTG9epJZLV_EukJJbKBuysh9U5Rrc77VFw9-s4JMqa_Rm7HOCrGTVURrijSFs2D-pLY/s1600/IMG_2940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpb-mhvBkDSLhCAEg7TIuUyFJ95q17TTl5Zc6T14sxCR6vGIiTkmohDGK5uaZHrfLmSetkpmjpTG9epJZLV_EukJJbKBuysh9U5Rrc77VFw9-s4JMqa_Rm7HOCrGTVURrijSFs2D-pLY/s320/IMG_2940.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brown the butter!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicphit-hQp7GY2_XeusS4Y0DtJKxIgehtiV8dRE4S4ZD3LmpEvFx4Ysu2zopiQxKm2utQDNkZJqnIPiF7Cyw03B8hJ5Qml7WAS93YLpPcTKxIftAhY3dPGFJy3_C3RnG7G9HlkIeVaUXA/s1600/IMG_2943.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicphit-hQp7GY2_XeusS4Y0DtJKxIgehtiV8dRE4S4ZD3LmpEvFx4Ysu2zopiQxKm2utQDNkZJqnIPiF7Cyw03B8hJ5Qml7WAS93YLpPcTKxIftAhY3dPGFJy3_C3RnG7G9HlkIeVaUXA/s320/IMG_2943.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy brown butter icing!<br />
(Don't get your hopes up, friends-- this makes exactly enough to cover the top of the cake, so no extra "tasting")</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx18xB6U0XlvGvcSY-fv3jZ5galqyf1slAfZsenUHpfhv7uhIKDEPMsHideOZsyspF2Qr1kvMVsahr0kfMtXOs51L2ahX1zj7aNd_WZQuZBJI825IJZkqVrJuv7QYFNsSPlX3UtFyqpPs/s1600/IMG_2947.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx18xB6U0XlvGvcSY-fv3jZ5galqyf1slAfZsenUHpfhv7uhIKDEPMsHideOZsyspF2Qr1kvMVsahr0kfMtXOs51L2ahX1zj7aNd_WZQuZBJI825IJZkqVrJuv7QYFNsSPlX3UtFyqpPs/s320/IMG_2947.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dig in!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<b>Recipe</b><br />
<br />
<br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Cake:</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>8 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature, plus more for pan</li>
<li>1 2/3 cup all purpose flour, plus more for pan</li>
<li>1 teaspoon cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon nutmeg</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon ground allspice</li>
<ul>
<li>Note: My local grocery store was all out of allspice, so I subbed 1/2 teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for the 1/4 teaspoons of nutmeg and ground allspice and the cake still turned out marvelously</li>
</ul>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups granulated sugar</li>
<li>2 large eggs</li>
<li>1 cup pumpkin puree</li>
<li>1/2 cup warm (110 degree) milk</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Brown Butter Icing:</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>4 tablespoons butter (Either salted or unsalted is fine, depending on your preference and what you have on hand. I only had unsalted butter so I added a tiny pinch of kosher salt because I like the sweet/semi-salty combo)</li>
<li>1 cup sifted confectioners' sugar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1-2 tablespoons milk</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Caramelized Walnuts:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>1/2 cup sugar</li>
<li>10 well shaped, good sized walnut halves</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Instructions</u></b></div>
</div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees</li>
<li>Butter a 9 inch by 2 inch round pan. Line pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Coat pan with flour and tap out any excess.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, sift together flour, spices, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Set aside.</li>
<li>In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add eggs and beat until combined. Add pumpkin puree and mil and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until just combined. </li>
<li>Pour batter into prepared pan and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean (about 55 minutes)</li>
<li>Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest about 20 minutes.</li>
<li>While the cake is cooling, begin the icing. In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until the mixture is browned and smells nutty (about 10 minutes).</li>
<li>Remove pan from heat and pour butter into bowl, leaving behind any burned sediment.</li>
<li>Add sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk. Stir until smooth. If icing is too thick, add additional milk, one tablespoon at a time until the consistency is spreadable. </li>
<li>Let cool 5 minutes before icing the cake. </li>
<li>Next, prepare the walnuts. In a small skillet, melt sugar on medium-high heat until medium golden in color (about 3 minutes). Remove skillet from heat. Working quickly drop walnut halves into the melted sugar, one at a time. If sugar hardens, return to low heat and stir several minutes. Using a fork, turn the walnuts until they are evenly coated. Transfer walnuts to a wire rack to cool completely.</li>
<ol>
<li>Note: I ran out of time and had to forgo the caramelized walnuts, hence the pictures of the cake garnished with raw, un-caramely walnuts. I'm sure this adds a great deal to an already beautiful and delicious cake, so I'll definitely make time for this step the next time I make this cake. </li>
</ol>
<li>Remove cake from pan, spread icing over the top of the cake, and garnish with caramelized walnuts. </li>
</ol>
</div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-60417666492480848882011-11-02T21:45:00.000-07:002011-11-02T21:46:00.887-07:00Cranberry Orange Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt2_4xwE0nbzlnnWk59MICbqSs-B2PURCtoZyOl5-lFCtihZS6hrmsWK5Np38ykpmCb8BPngghHW-xFFb3DK2jcJP0J4AcWO0k-ncxsejYxcQQRsxkewhUT2Bie4qWd9pMVKuQCff8Cs/s1600/IMG_2913.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtt2_4xwE0nbzlnnWk59MICbqSs-B2PURCtoZyOl5-lFCtihZS6hrmsWK5Np38ykpmCb8BPngghHW-xFFb3DK2jcJP0J4AcWO0k-ncxsejYxcQQRsxkewhUT2Bie4qWd9pMVKuQCff8Cs/s320/IMG_2913.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span id="goog_856046148"></span><span id="goog_856046149"></span>It's fall, or so they say. As desert dwellers we have few of the telltale signs of fall that other regions see... no cooler weather (it was 90 degrees yesterday... true story), no changing leaves (as far as I can tell, the palm trees are still green and the cacti are still pointy).<br />
<br />
I did have a short jaunt to Chicago last week for work and was positively beside myself with excitement as the plane descended into O'Hare and I saw the bursts of bright yellow, red, and orange. I'm pretty sure the guy sitting next to me thought I was a complete lunatic as I pressed my forehead against the window in an attempt somehow to be closer this breathtaking marker of the changing seasons. I travel quite a bit for work, and generally pull off the whole nonchalant/blase 'too cool for school' business traveler attitude pretty well, however any semblance of cool composure was quickly abandoned at this awe-inspiring menagerie of colors. Cool is overrated anyway. <br />
<br />
With fall comes all things pumpkin and the food blogs are abuzz this week with pumpkin delectables. And I'm pretty sure I'll do pumpkin-something at some point this season, but being hardwired for deviance I bucked the trend this week and decided to work with a couple other distinctly fall flavors: oranges and cranberries. I know I did scones a few weeks ago, so maybe this is cheating (there goes that deviance again...), but orange cranberry scones are my favorite. This had to happen. It just did. Don't judge. Next week I promise you something brand spanking new.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
And while we're on the subject of non-judgment, I also have to tell you that I made<a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2011/03/cinnamon-sugar-pull-apart-bread/" target="_blank"> this a-ma-zing cinnamon pull-apart bread from Joy the Baker</a> last week, but due to technical difficulties it didn't make it on the blog (read: we ate/gave away all of it before I photographed it). You'll just have to trust me when I tell you that it was beautiful and tasted like it had been flown in directly from heaven by a fleet of angels. Needless to say, I'm making it again-- and I'll make a concerted effort to photograph it prior to consumption and to share it with you.<br />
<br />
This brings me to my next topic: photography. Most of the pictures on this blog up through today, with the exception of <a href="http://destinationbeachsidebakery.blogspot.com/2011/09/lemon-scones.html" target="_blank">Lemon Scones</a> in October, have been taken with the ridiculously awful camera on my Blackberry. You've noticed, right? It's okay, I understand. Personally, when I read food blogs, the photographs a crucial part of their appeal and definitely what keeps me coming back. I want you to come back and I want you to have pretty and compelling images to enjoy alongside my writing. <br />
<br />
I don't own a DSLR camera so I've been contemplating a remedy for the lack in quality (and quantity) of photographs for this blog. My plan is to buy a DSLR at some point in the not-so-distant future and to take a photography class so I'll actually know how to use the dang thing. In the interim, I'm borrowing a DSLR camera and playing around with it. I do not have a clue what I'm doing. I repeat, not. one. clue. I'm fiddling with camera settings and lighting and such, taking a zillion pictures and trying to figure out what works.<br />
<br />
Starting with today's entry, I'm going to experiment with a format that includes more "in process" photos. So... onto those scones<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrGrwqNh-eEDgb59FM6iGGcRjq90zobPJkC1JjtvljCMwbr2MI3I3gA_vSG1T4sZUViISxueDmUHLrUk4pZvXIrUOtDvfDPBeCGES4FQuShuttsS4be2MywV5UpC2eojSB-3V2d-50x4/s1600/IMG_2855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvrGrwqNh-eEDgb59FM6iGGcRjq90zobPJkC1JjtvljCMwbr2MI3I3gA_vSG1T4sZUViISxueDmUHLrUk4pZvXIrUOtDvfDPBeCGES4FQuShuttsS4be2MywV5UpC2eojSB-3V2d-50x4/s320/IMG_2855.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zest that orange!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uiqDocbc7_RqH5g_BoOgNvE3bFAYQkiAT0et1FDywNqg-FXITvb9U-XzMkplJxqP5RJ28_vPAIq0qMtxkq3O4987UpbBpXJRKsyQm_atTtnURlv0wUNDVLPyUoG4vqZ-Ug_DrfpqciI/s1600/IMG_2860.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uiqDocbc7_RqH5g_BoOgNvE3bFAYQkiAT0et1FDywNqg-FXITvb9U-XzMkplJxqP5RJ28_vPAIq0qMtxkq3O4987UpbBpXJRKsyQm_atTtnURlv0wUNDVLPyUoG4vqZ-Ug_DrfpqciI/s320/IMG_2860.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A food processor takes this from a quick recipe to a super lighteningfast recipe!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XiQst3Rnr5yxPh7OMMjGJat6lXH6A_qgWUT2anXybf1DpV1SihzRIdp9PMczXEuOR2z9_vWlHq2_LeH94ypBVyXKh3DADuSSqsY874q5TTzmHm2-VGxGGEViZhdES0QR6t_ZVOti-pE/s1600/IMG_2863.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4XiQst3Rnr5yxPh7OMMjGJat6lXH6A_qgWUT2anXybf1DpV1SihzRIdp9PMczXEuOR2z9_vWlHq2_LeH94ypBVyXKh3DADuSSqsY874q5TTzmHm2-VGxGGEViZhdES0QR6t_ZVOti-pE/s320/IMG_2863.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add the heavy cream, orange zest, and dried cranberries.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDdWIxsvvCiKKjvBPz8tXbbi8iLXsEeWERFOBhs31nJPb9qM7AXWlAzVsADXvkkeC487NlYxs1Phv2OcWyhvOzmiYelFiWEYHD1HXkEn5nEodEJS6ZEZeQVKhaUp_EAC_Z_uopmt04FI/s1600/IMG_2868.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtDdWIxsvvCiKKjvBPz8tXbbi8iLXsEeWERFOBhs31nJPb9qM7AXWlAzVsADXvkkeC487NlYxs1Phv2OcWyhvOzmiYelFiWEYHD1HXkEn5nEodEJS6ZEZeQVKhaUp_EAC_Z_uopmt04FI/s320/IMG_2868.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mix it up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNzKaYRaPY1pU5kqRPbjMaI1JHWJPGC-mZhFaKxz680AXdgexjA0cu9xWaTY77OHSA_GxDYWLWcMYwHSbzVI4NnBNlRdMHq9fuGeY7GEfDEG9b7alCQg1XIteuhC6hm_Boqpn2O99i4g/s1600/IMG_2876.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQNzKaYRaPY1pU5kqRPbjMaI1JHWJPGC-mZhFaKxz680AXdgexjA0cu9xWaTY77OHSA_GxDYWLWcMYwHSbzVI4NnBNlRdMHq9fuGeY7GEfDEG9b7alCQg1XIteuhC6hm_Boqpn2O99i4g/s320/IMG_2876.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cut. it. out. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4EOjhQ8IgOxMaBUoSjlH1nsld1U9BAINeFqTzwZATP1s-pR5Ge-mJNu0bgt1MWA1Cv46XZW89nJi39N3nfBefktiKCNJvdjDRQYJNPS0YbNf_nHL_LN_3e2R_fhcUDv45kabfxTBaP4/s1600/IMG_2888.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP4EOjhQ8IgOxMaBUoSjlH1nsld1U9BAINeFqTzwZATP1s-pR5Ge-mJNu0bgt1MWA1Cv46XZW89nJi39N3nfBefktiKCNJvdjDRQYJNPS0YbNf_nHL_LN_3e2R_fhcUDv45kabfxTBaP4/s320/IMG_2888.jpg" width="229" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make the glaze.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHHdQO0BoPGSrcPjU4hJl6ATkifWqJ1iAcT0s8R_7fGyDzmLMYDH10iqUrPTgO86lR6wtYmiZjq_tlWLon2E4m7jUaAMPXg0F-fXnyoRW7N-P7cEVSW4o0Wz85S477TKbtuR5DzMV5s/s1600/IMG_2898.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNzHHdQO0BoPGSrcPjU4hJl6ATkifWqJ1iAcT0s8R_7fGyDzmLMYDH10iqUrPTgO86lR6wtYmiZjq_tlWLon2E4m7jUaAMPXg0F-fXnyoRW7N-P7cEVSW4o0Wz85S477TKbtuR5DzMV5s/s320/IMG_2898.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fin! <br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Recipe</span></span></u></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></u></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Ingredients</span></span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Scones:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tablespoon baking powder</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 tablespoons sugar</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 teaspoon table salt</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5 tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 teaspoons fresh grated orange peel</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/3 cup dried cranberries</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 cup heavy cream</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Glaze:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tablespoons orange juice</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Instructions</span></span></b></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl and whisk together</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Alternatively, if you wish to use a food processor, place the ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and pulse a few times to mix.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Place the small butter pieces in the bowl of dry ingredients and "squish" the butter pieces into the dry ingredients. Continue until the butter is almost fully incorporated into the dry ingredients- a few small lumps are okay, but do your best to work the butter into the dry ingredients.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If using a food processor, drop the small butter pieces onto the mixed dry ingredients in the bowl of the food processor and pulse until the butter is fully incorporated. Once complete, transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Stir in heavy cream, dried cranberries and grated orange peel with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Flatten the dough out by hand or using a rolling pin until the dough is roughly 1/2 inch in thickness. Use a biscuit cutter to cut rounds out of the dough. Place the rounds onto the parchment covered baking sheet. </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. Mix together confectioner's sugar and orange juice for the glaze.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8. Apply glaze to scones by either dipping the tops of the scones into the glaze or by spreading the glaze on the tops of the scones using a knife or small spatula/spreader.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">9. Allow glaze to dry and enjoy!</span></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-20930571708914734922011-10-24T12:26:00.000-07:002011-10-24T12:34:20.028-07:00Homemade Soft Pretzels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlwkDRlip0Ph6ThSQdTZPeQNNWIc0AhnkBN1GMKGYTySUNHxNysVrw99_bvOT6mgRF96E52aBUbdY9r3KqOxN-tRZoMa162DF3ziMqPVnJjOVnXf4tbI9T4BVdzbP8RZY6KNS5b40u-I/s1600/IMG_1933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGlwkDRlip0Ph6ThSQdTZPeQNNWIc0AhnkBN1GMKGYTySUNHxNysVrw99_bvOT6mgRF96E52aBUbdY9r3KqOxN-tRZoMa162DF3ziMqPVnJjOVnXf4tbI9T4BVdzbP8RZY6KNS5b40u-I/s320/IMG_1933.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prepare Yourself for Some Serious Deliciousness</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Tomorrow is my 31st birthday. Yikes. Truthfully, though, my 30th year on this planet has been pretty fantastic, so if 31 is just 30 plus one, I think I can handle that. It's just one more candle on the cake and 365 days to live, love, and learn as much about life as possible. Totally doable. Totally awesome. Bring it on!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
With the impending anniversary of my birth on my mind, I thought today might be a fitting day to try a recipe I've had on my "to bake" list for years: soft pretzels. Soft pretzels are easily on the list of my top 15 favorite foods, maybe even top 10. There's just something completely irresistible about their chewy, yeast center and their crispy, salty exterior. I found the recipe on <a href="http://www.shutterbean.com/homemade-soft-pretzels/">Shutterbean</a> and learned that making soft pretzels was on the list of the author, Tracy's, "<a href="http://www.shutterbean.com/31-32/">31 comes before 32</a>" list (31 things to do before turning 32). How awesome is that?!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Soft pretzels remained unchecked on my "to bake" list for so many years because I was intimidated by their perceived complexity (boiling dough... whaaaaaat?!). Truthfully though, these are silly stupid easy. And the results are a-ma-zing! There are so many awesome options for toppings-- I made three plain with sea salt, three with cinnamon sugar, and two with (get ready for this) sharp cheddar cheese, roasted garlic salt, and crushed red pepper. YUM. My only challenge now will be to not consume all eight of them today. </div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05scKIgz2ZyYD0phftmTLso8caz3sCL8FDDtgRBOBHSoLwz7Sxb7zRmziTb6xA4om377cC9b-IWHMdG6gaYTydIvd19vAbWbFkjFpxpQMPKOOlyd_hQdX86ZFQmqlnaFLlFsbqNzs_Q8/s1600/IMG_1922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg05scKIgz2ZyYD0phftmTLso8caz3sCL8FDDtgRBOBHSoLwz7Sxb7zRmziTb6xA4om377cC9b-IWHMdG6gaYTydIvd19vAbWbFkjFpxpQMPKOOlyd_hQdX86ZFQmqlnaFLlFsbqNzs_Q8/s320/IMG_1922.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Baked Pretzels Just Removed from Oven</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxa50wJj_9qmyX90DCybFsNKA6FR3mWM5J5yLmT8ln4denuqjwkvUYaMuhQGBlbtV9z3OwFCF_YgjVc1kLzYRydsLjuK4ZJU0-8VkIIjr3Vz-MGVHbtQJPfi6z89TiXHhZ9BX7-hmw8k/s1600/IMG_1928.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvxa50wJj_9qmyX90DCybFsNKA6FR3mWM5J5yLmT8ln4denuqjwkvUYaMuhQGBlbtV9z3OwFCF_YgjVc1kLzYRydsLjuK4ZJU0-8VkIIjr3Vz-MGVHbtQJPfi6z89TiXHhZ9BX7-hmw8k/s320/IMG_1928.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft Pretzels and Birthday Flowers!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Recipe</b></div>
<div>
<a name='more'></a></div>
<div>
<b>Ingredients</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pretzels</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>1 1/2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees) </li>
<li>1 tablespoon sugar</li>
<li>2 teaspoons salt</li>
<li>1 package active dry yeast (1/4 oz)</li>
<li>4 1/2 cups all purpose flour</li>
<li> 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted</li>
<li>vegetable oil/spray (for bowl and pan)</li>
<li>10 cups water</li>
<li>2/3 cup baking soda</li>
<li>1 large egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Toppings</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Cinnamon Sugar: granulated sugar and ground cinnamon (find the ratio you like)</li>
<li>Salt: Coarse sea salt</li>
<li>Cheese: Grated sharp cheddar cheese, roasted garlic salt, crushed red pepper </li>
</ul>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<b>Instructions</b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Combine warm water, sugar, and salt in a measuring cup. Sprinkle yeast on top and allow mixture to sit until it becomes a bit foamy (approximately 5 minutes).</li>
<li>While yeast mixture is sitting, put flour into the bowl of a stand mixer with dough hook attachment and melt butter. </li>
<li>Pour the yeast mixture and melted butter into the mixing bowl with flour. Mix on low speed until well combined. Move speed up to medium and knead until dough is smooth and pulls away from the sides of the bowl (about 5 minutes).</li>
<li>Remove dough from the bowl, clean the bowl, and lightly brush (or spray) with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow covered bowl to sit until dough has doubled in size (about one hour).</li>
<li>Preheat oven to 450 degrees. </li>
<li>Boil 10 cups of water and baking soda in an 8 quart sauce pan. </li>
<li>Line extra large baking sheet (or two standard size baking sheets) with parchment paper. Lightly brush (or spray) parchment paper with olive oil.</li>
<li>Turn dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into eight equal pieces.</li>
<li>Roll out each piece of dough into a 24 inch rope. Make a "U" shape with the rope. Holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the "U" to create a pretzel shape. Place on the parchment lined baking sheet.</li>
<li>Gently place pretzels in the water one by one for 30 seconds. Remove using a large flat spatula. </li>
<li>Return pretzels to the baking sheet, brush with egg yolk/water mixture and then sprinkle with desired toppings. </li>
<li>Bake until dark golden (about 12-14 minutes)</li>
<li>Transfer to cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.</li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-28984685751577872552011-10-20T21:38:00.000-07:002011-10-20T21:38:53.581-07:00Ginormous Soft Sugar Cookies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtm3Gg0hIr1kL7OIBXfNEHucCN2SFm-FJMhNEu3VnibLKxShkbfyLbJVGlCOHuJNM-Tva1k4drOSnapmdrFXe7IWMgHdUml2Lm2x-DOtJ6PeifpjPxFdtuqladnTtSus2XqamLptbth8/s1600/sugar+cookies+on+plate" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqtm3Gg0hIr1kL7OIBXfNEHucCN2SFm-FJMhNEu3VnibLKxShkbfyLbJVGlCOHuJNM-Tva1k4drOSnapmdrFXe7IWMgHdUml2Lm2x-DOtJ6PeifpjPxFdtuqladnTtSus2XqamLptbth8/s320/sugar+cookies+on+plate" width="320" /></a></div>
Sugar cookies are weird. I mean, they themselves aren't weird, but their appeal is somewhat mysterious. No chocolate, nothing gooey, no marshmallows, no fluffy egg whites... no good? Opposite! Super good! I think it's their simplicity that makes them so appealing-- sweet, but not too sweet, soft and somewhat dense, they're a cookie's cookie (like a man's man, but not... you know what I mean).<br />
<br />
My favorite kind of sugar cookies are the soft kind, but alas I've always been in somewhat of a conundrum because I don't like to use shortening in my baking (hydrogenated oils.. yuck). I'm definitely a butter girl, but you already knew that, didn't you? But you can't get that soft delicious texture with butter, so pretty much you're stuck with crunchy cookies or cookies filled with junk. Until now. While perusing the baking aisle in Whole Foods last night, I discovered <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Naturals-Shortening-Vegetable-Containers/dp/B001FA1DG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319170326&sr=8-1">Spectrum Organic Shortening</a> which contains only 100% unhydrogenated palm oil. Jackpot!<br />
<br />
With my newfound (and hopefully somewhat more virtuous) ingredient, I mixed up the sugar cookies and they came out deliciously. This recipe makes a huge amount of ginormous sugar cookies, and being that it's just me and my sweetheart in the house, I thought it wise to bake up only 8 cookies and freeze the rest of the dough for later (lest we consume all of them in one night and find ourselves relegated strictly to elastic waistband pants). I don't even know if that's a legit baking thing to do-- freezing the cookie dough. It's times like these, well really anytime I bake, that I wish I had some more (any) formal training, or a baking 'mentor', or something. Anyhow, I broke the dough out into 4 equal chunks, wrapped three of them individually in parchment paper first, then in plastic wrap, tossed them in the freezer and hoped for the best. I figure next time we're wanting sugar cookies, I'll just pull one of the packages out and let it thaw for an hour or so before baking. We'll see how that goes.<br />
<br />
The ones I baked today turned out great-- Sweetheart says they taste "like professional bakery cookies but better". I think it's the love... oh, and the lack of yucky hydrogenated oils. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8Z3oeBvw7w31nRFrLY8AE2pdS6VwQYIcpeNFo0AjI04Nwa1arPrrKSBoGCLa6EnafC8dGXKCsCGXZI0bcsu9O24B8WW47QJfhVOVmyIn4XVD2z2YLvTjSjVDWZOVJfz9EG6ZRQ54vJI/s1600/sugar+cookies+cooling" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN8Z3oeBvw7w31nRFrLY8AE2pdS6VwQYIcpeNFo0AjI04Nwa1arPrrKSBoGCLa6EnafC8dGXKCsCGXZI0bcsu9O24B8WW47QJfhVOVmyIn4XVD2z2YLvTjSjVDWZOVJfz9EG6ZRQ54vJI/s320/sugar+cookies+cooling" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<b>Recipe</b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/world-famous-paradise-bakery-sugar-cookies-150131">Adapted from this recipe</a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1 cup granulated sugar</li>
<li>1 cup confectioner's sugar</li>
<li>2 cups<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Spectrum-Naturals-Shortening-Vegetable-Containers/dp/B001FA1DG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319170326&sr=8-1"> Spectrum Organic Non-Hydrodgenated Shortening</a></li>
<li>1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract</li>
<li>1 large egg, beaten</li>
<li>4 1/3 cups cake flour</li>
<ul>
<li>What?! You don't have cake flour? What kind of baker do you think you are?! Just kidding, it's super easy to make if you don't have any on hand. <a href="http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/09/how-to-make-cake-flour/">Just check out this awesome tutorial from Joy the Baker</a>. </li>
</ul>
<li>3/4 teaspoon baking soda</li>
<li>3/4 teaspoon baking powder</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>granulated sugar for decorating</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Instructions</b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 375 and cover cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper</li>
<li>In a medium bowl combine the cake flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.</li>
<li>In another medium bowl (or the bowl of your stand mixer), cream together sugars and shortening using an electric mixer at low speed for about 30 seconds</li>
<li>Increase the mixer speed to medium and continue mixing for 3 more minutes</li>
<li>Slowly add the vanilla and beaten egg while continuing to mix</li>
<li>Gradually add the dry ingredient mixture to the wet ingredient, mixing on slow speed just until blended, taking care not to overmix. </li>
<li>Scoop dough out with an ice cream scoop (this is what makes them ginormous) and roll in sugar</li>
<li>Place dough on cookie sheet and flatten slightly with the palm of your hand</li>
<ol>
<li>Funny story. While making this recipe, in my haste, I missed the whole "flatten with the palm of your hand" thing and just put the dough balls in the oven in their ice cream scooped shape. Then, after about 5 minutes of baking I thought 'I wonder if those are going to flatten on their own'. So I looked back at the recipe, and, sure enough, I'd skipped that step, so I pulled them out of the oven and, continuing my genius moment, tried to flatten a cookie with the palm of my hand. Yep, it was scaldingly hot. Epic fail. Lesson #1: read the recipe carefully before proceeding. Lesson #2: If you missed Lesson #1, use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to flatten the cookies, not your hand. </li>
</ol>
<li>Bake at 375 for 9 to 10 minutes. You'll know they're done when there are small cracks in the tops. Ideally the edges do not brown</li>
<li>Cool completely on cookie sheet before removing. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. </li>
</ol>
</div>
<br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-5969509689792998582011-10-14T14:08:00.000-07:002011-10-14T14:08:09.606-07:00Flourless Chocolate Walnut Cookies- Ooops!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzayHR-tRhtSE4s_E9ItmEiiXXdLNSoXicEsr1fJnlhDVrg78QMSHdhJ4RTDEG7wQ2O2P3pirJ-TvhgQBooD32cELnp3-bbbB-YwIPABMaF9ca_Ct5Z2udKrCULG2eqHd56wQW0_Gd40/s1600/choc+walnut+cookies-+plate" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzayHR-tRhtSE4s_E9ItmEiiXXdLNSoXicEsr1fJnlhDVrg78QMSHdhJ4RTDEG7wQ2O2P3pirJ-TvhgQBooD32cELnp3-bbbB-YwIPABMaF9ca_Ct5Z2udKrCULG2eqHd56wQW0_Gd40/s320/choc+walnut+cookies-+plate" width="320" /></a></div>
Tonight in search of a gluten-free cookie recipe to make for my sweetheart, I came across this recipe on <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2008/04/17-passover-dessert-ideas/">Smitten Kitchen</a> (yes, that same blog, again... but it's just wonderful, so I can't argue with that). I think I should really start by telling you that these didn't turn out as I hoped... so if you're hoping for a smashing success story, you'll probably want to stop reading this now and direct your attention elsewhere-- say, to Martha Stewart, Queen of Domestic Perfection. If, on the other hand, you enjoy tales of human fallibility, read on. <br />
<br />
I'm sure in theory, I'm sure they are great cookies when made by someone else under different circumstances, but I found them to be quite vexing, from start to finish. So why even post this? Why not opt out of giving this regrettable incident internet immortality and just let this traumatic kitchen episode fade into a distant memory instead? Because I'm human. Because we're all human-- and I'm pretty sure this kind of nonsense happens to everyone, even the most talented and experienced bakers out there, at least every once in a while. If we only highlight our successes, first of all, we're not being honest with ourselves or with the world, and secondly, we perpetuate an unrelenting (and impossible) standard of perfection for others. I don't think the world needs more of that, do you? <stepping off soapbox><br />
<br />
Onward to the gory details...<br />
<br />
Perhaps I should have taken it as a sign when the first step in this recipe went horribly wrong. In an attempt to lightly toast the walnuts, precisely following the instructions to toast them at 350 degrees for 9 minutes (actually, they only made it to about 7 minutes before I was alerted by the smoke spilling out of the back of the oven), I nearly set them ablaze. The smoke was so bad our dogs, who are normally constantly underfoot while I bake, packed up their chew toys and departed for greener, less smokey pastures (read: our bedroom). True story. After that, the measuring and mixing part was uneventful-- thank goodness! However, when I dropped spoonfuls of the batter onto the parchment paper, the batter was so runny the cookies kind of merged into each other and the runny batter dripped everywhere from the spoon while en route from the bowl to the parchment paper. But, being the perpetually optimistic girl that I am, I held out hope as I watched them bake in the oven. Just as the recipe said, after 14 minutes in the oven, they did have a nice glossy finish and a crackly top, so I removed them to let them cool. Tragically, even after letting them cool completely, they refused to let go of the parchment paper-- they. were. STUCK. And not just kinda stuck, really really stuck. I attempted all manner of prying them from the parchment without completely destroying them (spatula, various other flat utensils, my hands, etc), all to no avail. I was able to save about half of them from completely crumbling (but still left their bottoms stubbornly stuck to the parchment paper), while the other half simply went into the trash. <br />
<br />
I tried one of the survivors and it wasn't bad, in fact, the chocolate cookie part was quite delectable-- but the burned walnuts definitely tasted, well, burned. I enjoyed the gooey fudgy texture somewhat, but realize it was that texture that probably lead to them being impossible to remove from the parchment paper in once piece. <br />
<br />
So what did I learn from the exercise in frustration? That's a tough one, since I can honestly say that I followed the recipe precisely. I know for the walnuts, that I need to watch them like a hawk in the oven-- and not try to multitask while relying on the kitchen timer to tell me when they're done. And what of the sticking issue? I'm honestly not sure what went wrong-- I've never, ever had anything stick to parchment paper like this-- that's the great thing about parchment paper-- things are far less likely to stick to it than to a cookie sheet. I'm not ready to give up on this recipe yet, but before I attempt it again, I'm going to do a bit more research into what may have caused the issue. I'll get back on this horse one day, but for now, I think I'll move on to a different recipe... I need a little space from this one.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOjlXdIX_rt3AbsCCoRbYb6QhFrUHenYCLGldJ19QMln2_ZyBb1rk_tuDqnBOrVy4eAy8l8djkHT2G2Sk9j5OAj6TvRDHNAahGFPW1PFTH3r-kZMi9-4gWxjMhHOhid6hyphenhyphen0mo19vReYo/s1600/choc+walnut+cookies+cooling" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidOjlXdIX_rt3AbsCCoRbYb6QhFrUHenYCLGldJ19QMln2_ZyBb1rk_tuDqnBOrVy4eAy8l8djkHT2G2Sk9j5OAj6TvRDHNAahGFPW1PFTH3r-kZMi9-4gWxjMhHOhid6hyphenhyphen0mo19vReYo/s320/choc+walnut+cookies+cooling" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Misbehaven Cookies<br />See the cookie merging? And the sticking? Boooo</i>!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<b>Recipe</b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br /><br />
<b><u>Ingredients</u></b><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>2 3/4 cup walnut halves</li>
<li>3 cups confectioner's sugar</li>
<li>1/2 cup plust 3 tablespoons Dutch-process cocoa powder</li>
<li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>4 egg whites, at room temperature</li>
<li>1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract</li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><u>Instructions</u></b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Preheat oven to 350</li>
<li>Spread walnut halves over large rimmed baking sheet</li>
<li>Toast in the oven until golden and fragrant-- <i>original recipe says 9 minutes, but clearly that was far too long in my oven, hence the smoke-filled kitchen and nearly flaming walnuts-- check on these guys frequently and avoid the urge to multi-task, lest you repeat my unfortunate experience</i></li>
<li>Let walnuts cool slightly, then transfer to a cutting board and coarsely chop</li>
<li>Position two racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven and lower the oven temperature to 320</li>
<li>Line two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper</li>
<li>In a large bowl, whisk (or combine with an electric mixer on low speed) the confectioner's sugar with the cocoa and the salt, followed by the chopped walnuts</li>
<li>While whisking (or once you change the speed to medium), add the egg whites and vanilla extract and beat just until the batter is moistened. Do not overbeat or the batter will stiffen.</li>
<li>Spoon the batter onto the baking sheets in 12 evenly spaced mounds and bake for 14 to 16 minutes, until the tops are glossy and slightly cracked. Shift pans from the top to the bottom and from the front to the back halfway through to ensure even baking. </li>
<li>Slide the parchment paper (with the cookies) onto 2 wire racks and allow to cool completely. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. </li>
</ol>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-33231911945065431722011-10-11T22:18:00.000-07:002011-10-11T22:27:11.503-07:00Sally Lunn Bread with Honeyed Brown Butter Spread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ8gC3FFW8ew3x-BF2Q4Dvd0A2r0xXdleS5bTKhA6PxqqxZAQG6tnlDLC1-z2NUgDgXVsFMXqBUhJhRSQY8LEVd7YncmDyct7YE4UO60Zh-cehyphenhyphennpxE2qPwUE7Ue3Nt6cbDzakXBLW9Y/s1600/sally+lunn+bread+1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKQ8gC3FFW8ew3x-BF2Q4Dvd0A2r0xXdleS5bTKhA6PxqqxZAQG6tnlDLC1-z2NUgDgXVsFMXqBUhJhRSQY8LEVd7YncmDyct7YE4UO60Zh-cehyphenhyphennpxE2qPwUE7Ue3Nt6cbDzakXBLW9Y/s320/sally+lunn+bread+1" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So I have to admit, when I saw this recipe on </span><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2011/03/sally-lunn-bread-honeyed-brown-butter-spread/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Smitten Kitchen</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">, I was primarily drawn to it for it's tempting accoutrement-- the honeyed brown butter spread. I love honey butter to begin with, but browning it to add a nice nutty flavor and then adding a couple of pinches of sea salt? I was sold. And I figured I should make the bread too... you know, since you can't just eat butter by itself (or can you?!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I really enjoy making bread, but having been in the throes of a sweltering Phoenix summer forever, or so it seems, the prospect of heating up the oven for over an hour at a time has been less than appealing. This same sentiment also explains my general lack of posts in the summertime, as I eschew baking on days when walking outside feels akin to sticking my face in an oven pre-heated to 350 degrees. Call me crazy.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Now that it's October, we've been granted a little reprieve from the heat and I'm back in the kitchen again and loving every minute of it. I've made no less than three batches of chocolate chip meringue cookies in the last week for a multitude of reasons but mostly because a certain lovely someone in our household is eating gluten free these days and this is pretty much the only thing I make that doesn't contain copious amounts of flour. However, last night, with the windows open in the house and the outdoor temperature in the mid seventies, I decided it was time to get my bread on (actually my honey butter, but here I am trying to pretend I'm a grownup who wouldn't just eat honey butter by the spoonful).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">So the bread! Pretty easy to make, especially using the Kitchen Aid mixer since it pretty much does all the hard work (read: mixing for minutes on end) for you. It only rises for a total of an hour and thirty minutes, which makes this a bread doable on a weeknight, as opposed to sourdough which takes all dang day (the way I make it at least). In reading about this type of bread, some people said that it tasted like a lighter version of brioche which was appealing to me because I loooove brioche. However, I felt like it (well, my loaf at least) really didn't resemble brioche in the slightest. It was still a delicious bread, completely worthy of the to-die-for honey butter, but just didn't seem reminiscent of brioche to me. It was very slightly sweet and relatively light in texture. When I sliced a piece this morning, it seemed a bit crumbly but still toasted up nicely and tasted wonderful, particularly when adorned with the honey butter. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bottom line, a pretty tasty breakfast bread made even better with the accompanying honeyed brown butter spread. I wish it were chewier, but that's just me (maybe bread flour next time for a higher protein content?). One of these days I'll give this one another shot with some tweaking, but even as-is, it's a great recipe. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDAnAvwvXMbF9n6mLvwgSdQMLlN-bnUOjJeijRaoBdAefei6sTbDs51cPu0WQqcwJsrWb1Zt25Q4xioJMWtNmIa1iLj71phEQ7J12Paoy18CMHQ5oqeBaZY4PExZM4srRI0ONZaA6720/s1600/sally+lunn+bread+2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBDAnAvwvXMbF9n6mLvwgSdQMLlN-bnUOjJeijRaoBdAefei6sTbDs51cPu0WQqcwJsrWb1Zt25Q4xioJMWtNmIa1iLj71phEQ7J12Paoy18CMHQ5oqeBaZY4PExZM4srRI0ONZaA6720/s320/sally+lunn+bread+2" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Recipe</span></u></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">*Recipe is for one 9"x5"x3" loaf of bread </span></i><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bread Ingredients</span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 cups all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons granulated sugar</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon table salt</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 and 1/8 teaspoon active dry yeast</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 cup milk</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolks</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bread Instructions</span></b></div>
<div>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a large bowl, mix 3/4 cup flour, sugar, salt and dry yeast by hand or with an electric mixer.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a saucepan, heat the milk and butter together until the mixture is warm (105 to 110 degrees); don’t worry if this butter isn’t completely melted. Gradually pour the warm ingredients into the dry mixture and mix with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or stir vigorously by hand with a wooden spoon for 3 minutes. Add the egg, yolk and another 1/2 cup flour and beat again for 2 minutes by machine or 3 by hand. Add the last of the flour and beat or stir until smooth.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Scrape down bowl and cover the top with plastic wrap. Let rise for one hour or until doubled. Meanwhile, butter and flour a 9×5x3-inch loaf pan. Once the dough has doubled, scrape it into the prepared pan. Cover with buttered plastic wrap and let rise for a total of 30 minutes. After 15 minutes, however, remove the plastic and preheat your oven to 375°F.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean and the loaf sounds hollow when you tap it with your fingertips. Cool in the pan for five minutes and then turn on to a rack to cool.</span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Honeyed Brown Butter Ingredients</span></b></div>
<div style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 stick unsalted butter, divided</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 tablespoons honey</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Few pinches of flaky sea salt</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Honeyed Brown Butter Instructions</span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222; letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"></span></span></b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a small saucepan, melt half of the butter over medium heat. Once melted, reduce heat to medium-low. The butter will melt, then foam, then turn clear golden and finally start to turn brown and smell nutty. Stir frequently, scraping up any bits from the bottom as you do. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">While it is cooling, leave the other half of the butter out to soften slightly (semi-firm is fine).</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Whip softened butter with an electric mixer until fluffy. Slowly drizzle in the room temperature browned butter, honey and salt continue whipping until combined. Chill butter in fridge until a nice spreadable consistency, or until needed.</span><br />
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #222222;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="letter-spacing: 1px; line-height: 14px;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<br />Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-16989821926788373202011-10-05T21:06:00.000-07:002011-10-05T21:06:04.307-07:00Chocolate Chip Meringues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmAtZqG9Yf29nM6P9EB0KobsBj1wye6MRln3BjVcM1VLfZ5iTnXzkpLyORpBUijcRfsuQpRFdU-EDbKA15nsRiBMl9D3k4TdfYrLxIEOayv9tUAUG1v4LyzAE0WkiyjZ_tAA9gqMfpqg/s1600/chocolate+chip+meringues" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRmAtZqG9Yf29nM6P9EB0KobsBj1wye6MRln3BjVcM1VLfZ5iTnXzkpLyORpBUijcRfsuQpRFdU-EDbKA15nsRiBMl9D3k4TdfYrLxIEOayv9tUAUG1v4LyzAE0WkiyjZ_tAA9gqMfpqg/s320/chocolate+chip+meringues" width="320" /></a></div>
So... I think I have an unhealthy obsession with egg whites. I guess not just egg whites in general, but mostly with how they behave when whipped for long periods of time along with sugar and a little cream of tartar. No matter how many times I do this, no matter the recipe, whether it be for frosting, pie topping, candy, or meringue cookies, I just stare in utter amazement at my mixer as it transforms a quarter of a cup of translucent goop into fluffy white pillowy peaks of awesomeness. Am I the only one who is amazed by this? Probably so... but I never said I was normal, people, never. What fun would that be anyway? <div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Naturally I gravitate towards recipes that include the aforementioned "miracle". Accordingly, tonight I couldn't stop thinking about meringue cookies, so I found this recipe on <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/02/two-fops-and-a-fix-it/">Smitten Kitchen</a> (a completely brilliant blog, by the way) and decided to give it a shot. Like clockwork, the magic occurred in my mixer once again. This is a super simple recipe (as most meringue recipes are). They keys are room temperature egg whites and patience while the egg whites are mixing (although with only two egg whites in this recipe, the patience required is fairly minimal). The original recipe called for toasted pecans or walnuts, however not having any on hand, I omitted them and the cookies still tasted amazing. I imagine this addition would make these puffy little bites of heaven even more delicious, so next time I'll try adding them.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<b>Recipe<a name='more'></a></b></div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Ingredients</b></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>2 egg whites, room temperature</li>
<li>1/4 teaspoon salt</li>
<li>1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar</li>
<li>1 teaspoon vanilla</li>
<li>3/4 cup granulated white sugar </li>
<ul>
<li>You can use superfine sugar if you have it on hand. I didn't and couldn't tell a difference.</li>
</ul>
<li>6 oz chocolate chips, mini chips, or finely diced semi or bittersweet chocolate</li>
<ul>
<li>I used Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate baking bits because I think they're the bee's knees. They're rather large chips, so I threw them in the food processor on low for about 10 seconds to break them into smaller pieces</li>
</ul>
<li>1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts-- toasted, if you're fancy like that</li>
<ul>
<li>These are optional. As I mentioned, I didn't use them, but I'm sure they'd make them even more super duper delicious </li>
</ul>
</ul>
<div>
<b>Instructions</b></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Preheat oven to 300 degrees and line two standard-sized baking sheets with parchment paper.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Beat egg whites until foamy. If using a stand mixer, use the whisk attachment. Add salt, cream of tartar and vanilla and continue beating until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually while continuing to beat at medium-high speed until stiff peaks form (can you believe just a minute ago you just had a bowl of goop and now you have fluffy perfection?!). Gently fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Drop spoonfuls of the batter onto the parchment paper-lined baking sheets. If you prefer, you may also use a piping bag to squeeze out dollops of batter. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Bake for 25 minutes or until the undersides of the cookies are golden or lightly tanned. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">*This post is dedicated to chickens everywhere who supply us with eggs, without whom this magical process and the plethora of baked goods which benefit from them would not exist. </span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div>
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">To chickens everywhere: I'm sure being an egg-laying chicken sometimes seems like a thankless job, but just know that your efforts are appreciated by bakers and those who enjoy baked goods the world over. And lastly, I'm sorry that you can't read this... because you're chickens. </span></i></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-57059990215894695962011-09-30T19:40:00.000-07:002011-09-30T19:47:22.255-07:00Lemon Scones<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtICGtk6EWV2OF2xddpxJet7yd5nS1lnZ234jWvHKM0B71G6vt0GgNa1JGGzMEkqzR7rjGoja2SHNnAZdu7jMOKvDJDTRVSD9I2mocyMDyWNODDU4FgxMGPaQLhTiK-4TzZ26I0pEgsmM/s1600/IMG_2484.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtICGtk6EWV2OF2xddpxJet7yd5nS1lnZ234jWvHKM0B71G6vt0GgNa1JGGzMEkqzR7rjGoja2SHNnAZdu7jMOKvDJDTRVSD9I2mocyMDyWNODDU4FgxMGPaQLhTiK-4TzZ26I0pEgsmM/s320/IMG_2484.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Last night I had the opportunity to do two things I absolutely adore: spending time with my sweet sister, Christina, and baking lemon scones. Lemon scones are kind of my "thing"-- there's just something delightful about a recipe that is so simple and satisfying. The scones I remember from my youth were so dense they could have doubled as door stops, but these are light and fluffy with a fresh lemon flavor!<br />
<br />
The recipe below is one that I created as a hybrid of 3 different recipes when making a huge quantity of scones for Christina's baby shower about a year and a half ago. Last night, we got together to make six (yes, SIX) batches of lemon scones for her sister-in-law Carolyn's bridal shower. We had a great time, and got the six batches done in record time (especially considering that there was plenty of chatting and some wine sipping involved)!<br />
<br />
This is a ridiculously easy recipe that takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, including baking. And best of all, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your kitchen!
<br />
<br />
Recipe<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="mbl notesBlogText clearfix" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 20px; word-wrap: break-word; zoom: 1;">
<div>
<div style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">I</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">ngredients</span></span></u></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></u></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Scones:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 tablespoon baking powder</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3 tablespoons sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1/2 teaspoon table salt</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5 tablespoons unsalted butter , chilled and cut into 1/4-inch pieces</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1.5-2 teaspoons fresh grated lemon peel</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1 cup heavy cream</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Glaze:</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2/3 cup confectioner's (powdered) sugar</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2 tablespoons lemon juice</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Instructions</span></span></b><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425 degrees.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in large bowl and whisk together</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">3. Place the small butter pieces in the bowl of dry ingredients and "squish" the butter pieces into the dry ingredients. Continue until the butter is almost fully incorporated into the dry ingredients- a few small lumps are okay, but do your best to work the butter into the dry ingredients.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">4. Stir in heavy cream and grated lemon peel with rubber spatula or fork until dough begins to form, about 30 seconds.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, slightly sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Press the dough into a long, thin rectangular shape. The dough should be about 1/2 inch thick. Using a sharp knife, cut the dough into triangular-shaped wedges. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet. I actually lined my baking sheet with parchment paper, which made clean up super easy.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">6. Bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">7. Mix together confectioner's sugar and lemon juice for the glaze.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">8. Apply glaze to scones by either dipping the tops of the scones into the glaze or by spreading the glaze on the tops of the scones using a knife or small spatula/spreader.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">9. Allow glaze to dry and enjoy!</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v3bvBXRo_pcKN9-ndNh6HerivuxLFviDD_4clw6jrRTqSf7lCO1kCXbIm3ndGtyfw4f3bqBdehWsKxOuoW-Wpy8fK5c8WkUwn7QhpSA3t9-axkFwEQiAr4n5q92jmu64PyYl7rjgQSI/s1600/IMG_2480.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6v3bvBXRo_pcKN9-ndNh6HerivuxLFviDD_4clw6jrRTqSf7lCO1kCXbIm3ndGtyfw4f3bqBdehWsKxOuoW-Wpy8fK5c8WkUwn7QhpSA3t9-axkFwEQiAr4n5q92jmu64PyYl7rjgQSI/s320/IMG_2480.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mixing up the dry ingredients</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNMn9zKbZIxCywpskBwxTIkfzCyNbESlZEboxQMGNYylTFloPLFt9EUN-wqRZFcEO9RbNoxOqA1fpaugDr2EOfzPSVa4e4dux2P8xpXlyfP3jG07fGqBmgcpaU7GEzTp0wRYroNIfu8/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTdNMn9zKbZIxCywpskBwxTIkfzCyNbESlZEboxQMGNYylTFloPLFt9EUN-wqRZFcEO9RbNoxOqA1fpaugDr2EOfzPSVa4e4dux2P8xpXlyfP3jG07fGqBmgcpaU7GEzTp0wRYroNIfu8/s320/IMG_2479.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Mixing the dry and wet ingredients</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8A3ZO212dODinvANQS9RamIUVbW1iiTtnR4whkYn26GuIBwNezPp_JegaWuE6gtnblaLIUnqfY0APQ4xgCE6Rl2gI5QJc6EviAzg8R9KNBW1jD1N-EM-fPXvami5xF7FNJp86B9RngZc/s1600/IMG_2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8A3ZO212dODinvANQS9RamIUVbW1iiTtnR4whkYn26GuIBwNezPp_JegaWuE6gtnblaLIUnqfY0APQ4xgCE6Rl2gI5QJc6EviAzg8R9KNBW1jD1N-EM-fPXvami5xF7FNJp86B9RngZc/s320/IMG_2478.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Our little helper, Hudson, made sure he was present to supervise.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7ymC2EU857PfRGHX3af1gfJud3b7K8qpXxBZ3IfzwNL0UHTd2o2wjW94wrzMmMj8Hv2R36dZMEGYuja3t7Qe2Ow7rlGPBAjMYToCQweqNaHtjMdS4CmR1WzuSALtFVWzSTDeWoqZ2zA/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY7ymC2EU857PfRGHX3af1gfJud3b7K8qpXxBZ3IfzwNL0UHTd2o2wjW94wrzMmMj8Hv2R36dZMEGYuja3t7Qe2Ow7rlGPBAjMYToCQweqNaHtjMdS4CmR1WzuSALtFVWzSTDeWoqZ2zA/s320/IMG_2482.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Voila! Glazed lemon scones!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><i>Nom nom nom nom...</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="font-size: 11px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-18285144297670121912011-09-27T09:16:00.000-07:002011-09-27T10:49:27.461-07:00Triple Chocolate Ganache Cupcakes<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaM9muZjocqUCFlNxx3FiSXmHHyNJcccjR4ZtD42YZLRdgHG7l0KaO2yCj9zAKqmBTY-1d7Hd22bZNp3LL6iboMhUxGxBsniqOosGrpJ6hg1yuZHXHi-XzwWL-cI4UcFvRlWXcuZZ2Wg/s1600/triple+chocolate+ganache+cupcake" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><blockquote></blockquote><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeaM9muZjocqUCFlNxx3FiSXmHHyNJcccjR4ZtD42YZLRdgHG7l0KaO2yCj9zAKqmBTY-1d7Hd22bZNp3LL6iboMhUxGxBsniqOosGrpJ6hg1yuZHXHi-XzwWL-cI4UcFvRlWXcuZZ2Wg/s320/triple+chocolate+ganache+cupcake" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657079827585595490" /></a><div>Dear readers, I must confess something to you. Before I embarked on this most recent baking adventure, I took ten deep breathes, meditated for five minutes, prayed to the baking gods, and chanted a little bit. And I'm (mostly) not kidding. I first tried this recipe almost a year ago and nearly ended up having an anxiety attack. You see, I'm not someone who deals well with failure, particularly in the baking arena. I was preparing these cupcakes in a mad rush for a dinner party (mistake #1) and for some reason I found everything about the recipe, particularly the frosting, nerve wracking. The cupcakes actually turned out fine- and were even met with high praise by my parents (but they're my PARENTS, the incredibly sweet loving folks who used to proudly display my disastrous finger paintings on the refrigerator!) Bottom line, they had texture issues- the frosting was a wee bit lumpy and the cake was a little dry, and worst of all, the cupcakes were, in my mind, tinged with anxiety and mediocrity.</div><div><br /></div><div>Fast forward one year, and here I was, ready to take on the mighty triple chocolate ganache cupcake monster once again. After the proper preparations (prayer, chanting, offerings to the baking gods), I started on the cupcakes, this time ensuring I had plenty to time (no dinner party) and the right baking music (the Fleetwood Mac station on Pandora). To make along story short, they turned out much better this time, and I'm finally recovering from the cupcake trauma of 2010. This time the only hitch was having to remake the Italian meringue buttercream frosting-- after accidentally buying and using salted butter, the frosting was way too salty. Even that though, has a positive side. I thought the original recipe I was using had an excessive amount of butter, even for buttercream frosting. In an effort not to have to make another run to the store, I found an alternate recipe that was quite a bit easier and used less butter.</div><div><br /></div><div>The official verdict is that these cupcakes rock, according to people who aren't obligated to love me or my baking and who certainly don't give out false compliments. Amazingly chocolatey, great texture, delicious frosting-- I dare say the best chocolate cupcake I've ever had (and I've had my share, believe me!). They're a bit of effort, but completely worth it for an outcome that is leaps and bounds above your average run-of-the-mill chocolate cupcake. So, go ahead, lay an offering of frankincense, gold, and myrrh at the foot of your Kitchen Aid stand mixer, turn on your favorite baking music, and get started. It's SO worth it! </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Recipe</b></div><blockquote><div><b></b></div><div></div></blockquote><a name='more'></a><div>(makes 12 cupcakes)</div><div><br /></div><div><b>INGREDIENTS</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ganache Filling</b></div><div><ul><li>2 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate 60% Cacao Baking Chips)</li><li>1/4 cup heavy cream</li><li>1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar</li></ul><div><b>Chocolate Cupcakes</b></div></div><div><ul><li>3 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine (I used Ghiradelli Bittersweet Chocolate 60% Cacao Baking Chips)</li><li>1/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder</li><li>3/4 cup hot coffee</li><li>3/4 cup bread flour (not AP flour)</li><li>3/4 cup granulated sugar</li><li>1/2 teaspoon salt</li><li>1/2 teaspoon baking soda</li><li>6 tablespoons vegetable oil</li><li>2 large eggs</li><li>2 teaspoons white vinegar</li><li>1 teaspoon vanilla extract</li></ul><div><b>Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream Frosting</b></div></div><div><ul><li>3 egg whites</li><li>1/2 cup sugar</li><li>150g unsalted butter, softened to room temperature</li><li>1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract</li><li>3 oz bittersweet chocolate (melted and cooled)</li></ul><div><br /></div></div><div><b>INSTRUCTIONS</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Ganache Filling</b></div><div>1. Place the chocolate, cream, and confectioners' sugar in a medium microwave-safe bowl. </div><div>2. Microwave until the mixture is warm to the touch, 20 to 30 seconds. </div><div>3. Whisk the mixture until smooth and refrigerate until chilled, no longer than 30 minutes.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Cupcakes</b></div><div>1. Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and preheat the over to 350 degrees. Line a standard size muffing pan with making cup liners. </div><div>2. Place the chocolate and cocoa powder in a medium bowl. Pour the hot coffee over the mixture and whisk until smooth. Refrigerate until completely cool, about 20 minutes. Whisk the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda together in a medium bowl and set aside.</div><div>3. Whisk the oil, eggs, vinegar, and vanilla into the cooled chocolate-cocoa mixture until smooth. Add the dry mixture and whisk until smooth.</div><div>4. Divide the batter evenly among the muffing pan cups. Bake until the cupcakes are set and just firm to the touch, 17 to 19 minutes. Cool the cupcakes in the muffing pan on a wire rack until cool enough to handle, about 10 minutes. Carefully left each cupcake from the muffin pan and set on a wire rack. Cool to room temperature, about 1 hour. </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>Recipe for 'Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes' from 'The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2011'</i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Frosting</b></div><div>1. Find a small saucepan and a stainless steel bowl that fits over the saucepan without sinking to touch the bottom of the pan. The bowl should rest on the rim of the saucepan. Set aside the bowl and bring some water to boil in the saucepan. </div><div>2. While the water is boiling, carefully separate the egg whites with clean, dry hands into the clean, grease-free stainless steel bowl that you're going to place atop the saucepan. Add the sugar and whisk lightly to combine.</div><div>3. When the water comets a boil, turn the heat down to a simmer. Using oven mitts, carefully place the bowl over the saucepan, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl.</div><div>4. Continuously stir the contents of the bowl lightly with a wire whisk. Stir the whites until they are foamy and very warm to the touch. Check the temperature and to see if the sugar is dissolved. The mixture should be very warm and smooth, without any grainy sugar crystals. </div><div>5. Once the whites are ready, remove the bowl from the saucepan and wipe off any condensation from the bottom of the bowl. Get your electric beaters, or whisk attachment if you're using a stand mixer, ensuring they are clean and free of grease and water. </div><div>6. While the whites are still warm, start whisking them, first at a low speed to allow them to froth up and then slowly moving up to high speed.</div><div>7. Whisk the whites until they have tripled in volume, are glossy and hold stiff peaks when you lift the beaters up. </div><div>8. If you're using a stand mixer, switch to the paddle attachment. While mixing, add the softened butter in tablespoonfuls. Ensure the butter is fully incorporated before adding the next tablespoonful.</div><div>9. Once all the butter has been added, the mixture will be soupy-- don't worry, it's supposed to look that way. </div><div>10. Beat the mixture on medium-high speed until it thickens. This can take up to 15 minutes-- patience is a virtue!</div><div>11. Once the mixture has thickened and looks like frosting, add in the vanilla and cooled chocolate and mix until fully incorporated. </div><div>Voila! Beautiful Italian Meringue Buttercream! </div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><i>For a great tutorial on this frosting with lots of pictures,<a href="http://tastegoblet.wordpress.com/2007/09/24/meringue-buttercream-how-to-and-cupcakes/"> please see this fantastic blog post from tastegoblet</a></i></span></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:100%;color:#333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 19px;font-size:13px;"><br /></span></span></div><div><b>Finishing Steps</b></div><div>1. Place the ganache filling in a piping bag with a round metal tip. Carefully insert the metal tip into the center of the top of each cooled cupcake and fill with a small bit of ganache, taking care not to overfill the cupcake, causing it to explode.</div><div>2. Place the frosting in a piping bag with a large star tip and gently pipe frosting into a swirl on top of each cupcake (Warning: this recipe makes *exactly* enough for 12 cupcakes, so take care not to over-frost the first cupcakes in order to ensure even distribution on all 12 cupcakes)</div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 19px; font-family:'Trebuchet MS';font-size:13px;"><p align="center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 13px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p><p align="center" style="text-align: left;margin-top: 13px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 13px; margin-left: 0px; "><br /></p></span></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09011401404170730922noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-33155231018640438922011-04-14T19:57:00.000-07:002011-04-14T19:57:59.560-07:00Marshmallow Fluff Rice Krispy Treats<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBcrBqVEIz99eJ6pdl_VzssNAmk1DZwPPX53B7d22qDOfnB3QMYeItyXON4mrPx26b6QkWPsZqsXb5v-LZISSan44dkYXW5YQ-yDYj1TRTeIacAe3Ff_ecThOA8dFdDaWeSpV9fKs_mIS/s1600/rice+krispy+treat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiBcrBqVEIz99eJ6pdl_VzssNAmk1DZwPPX53B7d22qDOfnB3QMYeItyXON4mrPx26b6QkWPsZqsXb5v-LZISSan44dkYXW5YQ-yDYj1TRTeIacAe3Ff_ecThOA8dFdDaWeSpV9fKs_mIS/s320/rice+krispy+treat.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Rice Krispy Treats are a classic, and for good reason-- who can resist the ooey gooey sweet chewy and crunchy taste of this confection? As a vegetarian, though, I struggle with these, because the traditional recipe contains marshmallows, which contain gelatin which contains... well, I won't say it here, but let's just say I don't find it very appetizing. So as an alternative, I tried making these with marshmallow fluff, because it does not contain gelatin.<br />
<br />
All in all, the taste was awesome-- my only qualm is with the texture-- the darn things want to fall apart when they get warm. I let them set in the freezer, and they were perfectly firm, but after they'd been on the counter for a half hour or so, they started to sort of fall apart. Not very practical for a bakery. I think I'll try reducing the amount of butter next time to see if that helps. <br />
<br />
<b>Recipe</b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
1/4 cup butter (will try using less next time)<br />
1 7oz jar marshmallow fluff<br />
1 tsp pure vanilla extract<br />
5 cups Rice Krispies<br />
<br />
<b>Directions</b><br />
Melt the butter in a large pan (or, in my case, a wok!). Once the butter is melted, scoop the marshmallow fluff out of the container into the pan with the butter. I let the jar of fluff sit in a bowl of hot water for a few minutes to thin out the consistency and make it easier to scoop out. Mix until butter and marshmallow fluff are fully incorporated and the consistency is smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla extract. Add Rice Krispies and stir to fully coat the cereal. Pour the mixture into an 8x8 pan lined with parchment paper (yep, parchment paper again!). Place in the fridge to set (or the freezer if you're impatient like I am!). <br />
<br />
<i>Note: I actually made these in a 9x13 pan this time, however in hindsight, I think they're better thicker, so next time I'll make them in an 8x8 pan. </i>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-59659197504513077982011-04-14T19:45:00.001-07:002011-04-14T19:45:34.467-07:00Hudson's Smash Cake- Epilogue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkwUXO2nGAESBIEuDrXcLoySJ91VyDNO7d7DythzRNJPaMtphFa3tn0R3bq3-LLPVaAeCxXnWDsOryDgUGRjNeTHPMxONy7KYGfY6Hxs_YxRsSTY-rsGFya07kaUafmTbdvZR3KtI9EyC/s1600/smashed%2521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLkwUXO2nGAESBIEuDrXcLoySJ91VyDNO7d7DythzRNJPaMtphFa3tn0R3bq3-LLPVaAeCxXnWDsOryDgUGRjNeTHPMxONy7KYGfY6Hxs_YxRsSTY-rsGFya07kaUafmTbdvZR3KtI9EyC/s320/smashed%2521.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
To my utter delight, Hudson did, indeed, smash the cake all through his cute little fingers. And he picked up the letter blocks and clapped them together, getting frosting EVERYWHERE. Mommy and Daddy had to bathe him in the sink because he was covered head to toe! Oh what a proud auntie I am!Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-57853901223090290062011-04-09T10:11:00.000-07:002011-04-09T10:11:28.399-07:00Hudson's Smash Cake- Part 3<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6eG-A19t02oN3hLEjqofzi3Xlw-j-LP6OxJ9BuRLbIMZ25z9MCDdeTmuPeU1RG2Ll6b-CQ_8WiHCDS8MU6e0TECQCYMdD7IxaSpAreckFT0axUAX1MyFMLxi2AB44WMpt2yBRcYi-hzt/s1600/H+cake+topview.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6eG-A19t02oN3hLEjqofzi3Xlw-j-LP6OxJ9BuRLbIMZ25z9MCDdeTmuPeU1RG2Ll6b-CQ_8WiHCDS8MU6e0TECQCYMdD7IxaSpAreckFT0axUAX1MyFMLxi2AB44WMpt2yBRcYi-hzt/s320/H+cake+topview.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Aaaannnd it's done!<br />
<br />
I have to say this was quite an adventure and I absolutely have newfound respect for cake decorators- this stuff isn't easy!<br />
<br />
The cake didn't turn out precisely as I'd planned, but I still think it was a good first attempt at cake decorating. And as I've mentioned before, the purpose of this cake is for it to be smashed between Hudson's fingers, not admired for its form and beauty. So in light of that, I'm trying not to hold myself to too high a standard, however difficult that may be for someone who tends to have "unrelenting standards", or so I've been told!<br />
<br />
The cake itself turned out nicely... the second time around. After a killer 16-hour workday, I decided to bake the cake last night. I realized (too late) that normal common sense eludes me after a certain number of hours working my crazy job. So, of course, when I got home at 11pm, I thought... "let's bake that cake!" Two words: bad.idea. I made the full recipe (see below) which was for two 9" round pans and poured the entire recipe into two 6" round pans. The result? The pans runneth over with batter, the oven was an unspeakable disaster, and I narrowly averted setting off the fire alarm during this middle of the night baking adventure. I crawled into bed at 2am with a smoke-filled house and an oven that looked like a war zone, just thankful the house was still standing. This morning I surveyed the damage, cleaned the oven, and started over. This time, I halved the original recipe and voila... it's amazing how things can work out when you consider the basic laws of chemistry and physics while baking.<br />
<br />
The 3D "1" didn't happen, but I think that the letters turned out quite nicely. I made a fluffy white frosting that doesn't contain any fat (and should, theoretically, be easier to clean up off the birthday boy than greasy buttercream).<br />
<br />
So it's all done and I can't wait for Hudson to smoosh his cute little fingers into it! <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbiU9mpLpUyWlSeCBkl3VakjMMT_y-KecSIssLTlkQN1HUj63HQF0BP8yeKHt4AknsOaNGFSbM4L_hj7b-qF8X5ISY5zwYsEmClvDRb1cy4OXtcZOxewPaYdZ-JgVcNtjVhOogWONAnNd/s1600/H+cake+side+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrbiU9mpLpUyWlSeCBkl3VakjMMT_y-KecSIssLTlkQN1HUj63HQF0BP8yeKHt4AknsOaNGFSbM4L_hj7b-qF8X5ISY5zwYsEmClvDRb1cy4OXtcZOxewPaYdZ-JgVcNtjVhOogWONAnNd/s320/H+cake+side+view.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Recipes for cake and frosting below:<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><b>Chocolate Cake</b></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><u>Ingredients:</u></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px;"><div class="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-size: 11px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup white sugar</span></span></h3></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #666666; font-family: Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px;"></span><br />
<ul style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 cup and 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 teaspoon baking powder</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">3/4 teaspoon baking soda</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 teaspoon salt</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 eggs</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup milk</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 cup vegetable oil</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/2 cup boiling water</span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><u>Directions:</u></span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><ol style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two six inch round pans.</span></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add the eggs, milk, oil and vanilla, mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.</span></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bake 30 to 35 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. Cool in the pans for 10 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to cool completely.</span></span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Base recipe: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/Detail.aspx with modifications</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Fluffy White Frosting</span></span></b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><div class="ingredients" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><h3 style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 14px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Ingredients</span></h3><ul style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 cup white sugar</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/3 cup water</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">2 egg whites</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">1 teaspoon vanilla extract</span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></li>
<li class="plaincharacterwrap" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Directions</span></span></li>
</ul></div><div class="directions" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 10px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><ol style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: decimal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 16px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a saucepan, stir together the sugar, water and cream of tartar. Cook over medium-high heat until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is bubbly.</span></span></li>
<li style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; line-height: 16px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="plaincharacterwrap break" style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-wrap: break-word;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">In a medium mixing bowl, whip the egg whites and vanilla to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar mixture while whipping constantly until stiff peaks form, about 7 to 10 minutes. Set aside frosting for coloring for piping/decorating. Frost the cake and decorate as desired.</span></span></li>
</ol><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 16px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Recipe: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #7a7a7a; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/fluffy-white-frosting/Detail.aspx</span></span></div></div></span></span></div></span></span></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-91974990156078507692011-04-06T23:13:00.000-07:002011-04-06T23:13:59.517-07:00Hudson's Smash Cake- Part 2Other (probably more fitting) titles for this blog post include...<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Watching Cake Boss episodes on Netflix does not MAKE me a Cake Boss</li>
<li>Why People Pay Professional Bakers Hundreds of Dollars to Make Cakes</li>
<li>Thank Goodness This is a Smash Cake and Not the Real Cake</li>
<li>Let's Just Pretend This Cake was Made Not Only for a 1 Year Old, but also BY a One Year Old</li>
<li>and finally.... Eff You, Fondant (pardon the implied profanity)</li>
</ul><div>So yes, tonight I worked on the fondant letters for Hudson's smash cake. It was hard. I'm starting to understand why people take classes for cake decorating. Let's just say I'm um... humbled... by my efforts tonight and I'll be signing up for a cake decorating/fondant class soon. </div><div><br />
</div><div>But the letter blocks are done! They aren't perfect by any stretch, but they are done, and they do look like blocks with letters on them, which is what I was going for. I learned that you have to work very quickly with fondant or it dries out and cracks. I'm not sure if there's any way to smooth fondant out that has cracked, but if there is, I didn't discover it tonight. </div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXwF-4E-J9bsnnyXXNGcpDAN1w2ppsCmVTGUdclUF2TrkGmTsNFH9C1Ts_DOdEHTyFde-A8V7jNBvJVh07hmiO1l2h-EkKTOLDt5XkDPHaI7cTa0YinZDajpH6zr1cvP77972HqRpEDzl/s1600/Hudson+Blocks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGXwF-4E-J9bsnnyXXNGcpDAN1w2ppsCmVTGUdclUF2TrkGmTsNFH9C1Ts_DOdEHTyFde-A8V7jNBvJVh07hmiO1l2h-EkKTOLDt5XkDPHaI7cTa0YinZDajpH6zr1cvP77972HqRpEDzl/s320/Hudson+Blocks.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>My efforts at a 3D "1" made of rice crispy treats and covered in fondant were pretty frustrating... the results were scary. The fondant wouldn't smoothly cover the surface and began cracking and falling off. I should have taken a picture, but I tossed it in the trash in a fit of rage... just kidding...sort of. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The good news is, the letters are done and I've picked out the cake and icing recipes I'm going to use, so all that's left is the easy stuff- the baking! I'm still going to try to figure out if I can somehow get a 3D "1" of some sort on the cake.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm planning to finish up the cake on Friday night and I'll post a final update and pictures afterwards. </div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-33939388421068724272011-03-27T10:59:00.000-07:002011-03-27T10:59:12.267-07:00Hudson's Smash Cake- Part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnIzOiVHWHkxqLlY28KyCMe6U0JjmKot2NvEYowsaGPYtj1da-zir0VibTFC_bKqcx81eNu47MGru3Ei0ONslIuStaPrSyifXF8yeYua_VjO22BxGX40PiH9Kwue_lGGTkbmewv8Fm0YC/s1600/Hudson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnnIzOiVHWHkxqLlY28KyCMe6U0JjmKot2NvEYowsaGPYtj1da-zir0VibTFC_bKqcx81eNu47MGru3Ei0ONslIuStaPrSyifXF8yeYua_VjO22BxGX40PiH9Kwue_lGGTkbmewv8Fm0YC/s320/Hudson.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i>This little cutie pie is turning 1! Time to make a (smash) cake!</i></div><br />
So my favorite nephew, Hudson, (okay, so what if he's my *only* nephew... if I had more than one, he'd still be my favorite!) is turning one in a couple of weeks. When I asked my sister what I could do to help with his party she said I could make his "smash cake". Now, not having kids of my own or having been to any first birthday parties recently, I had no clue what this was. So, of course, my next step was to consult "the google". The internet told me that it is now common for the birthday boy (or girl) to be given a small cake to do with it what he pleases (hopefully, smash it all through his fingers and on his face-- makes for good pictures). This saves the cake set aside for consumption by guests from whatever mayhem befalls the "smash cake". Pretty brilliant idea. <br />
<br />
Being that I don't have a tremendous amount of experience in cake decorating... okay, almost none, it's certainly more fitting for me to make the cake intended to be smashed through the fingers of the guest of honor than the official birthday cake. Still, I've been dying to play with fondant recently-- blame it on too many episodes of Cake Boss on Netflix. Since the goal here is for Hudson to get as messy as possible with this cake, covering the whole thing with fondant is out-- too hard for tiny little fingers to break through, not enough messy smeary stuff to create the desired "smash effect", etcetera, etcetera. Instead, I'll do traditional buttercream frosting on the outside of the cake with plenty of buttercream decorations to smoosh. However, I'm going to top the cake with decorations made out of rice crispy treats covered in fondant. My idea is to make alphabet blocks that spell out Hudson's name and also to make a "1" to sit in the middle of the cake. <br />
<br />
Yesterday I visited my favorite cake decorating store and bought the supplies- two 6" round cake pans, some pre-made white fondant, a fondant smoother, a rolling pin, blue and black food coloring gel (the theme colors are light blue, gray, white, and black), and rolling pin guides to ensure even thickness for the fondant. I also made the rice crispy treats.<br />
<br />
This morning I cut a tiny block out of rice crispy treats, rolled out a small amount of fondant and covered it to make the alphabet block-- looked pretty good for a first attempt. Fondant is so cool-- I don't know why I never ventured into this territory before! I forgot one essential element for adding the food coloring gel to the fondant-- rubber gloves! Since I didn't want my hands dyed blue for the next several days, I didn't dye the fondant. I didn't want to waste the fondant or rice crispy treats, so I stopped there today. Once I make it to the store for some rubber gloves, I'll finish making my alphabet blocks and "1" prototypes. I also need to invest in some fondant stencils for the letters on the blocks... I tried cutting out a letter "H" by hand... and as you'll see from the picture below, not so pretty! Stand by for more updates on my adventures with fondant!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYrvnq6ih05LJS7SwvKBHov5Ch6CALClmwhzh3KOVtlkO9o8Eb-UT9kJ9hVvStCFZ17Wtc4wdWKCE-18cnYH4kEBObTrPdM1k78W2Rkql15F37xYa2zcG7B3YlOjkrJ7EsSXmoEuxtDWa/s1600/smash+cake+prep+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiYrvnq6ih05LJS7SwvKBHov5Ch6CALClmwhzh3KOVtlkO9o8Eb-UT9kJ9hVvStCFZ17Wtc4wdWKCE-18cnYH4kEBObTrPdM1k78W2Rkql15F37xYa2zcG7B3YlOjkrJ7EsSXmoEuxtDWa/s320/smash+cake+prep+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Smash Cake Supplies</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOR5EFqrruUXIHprji3SJ4EC9rHszOMTmE_sHnVaQSD4fgLmw2qZ4aGhw1K8gt-T_-U8AXWrYu0yviVW0Rkee5-uzTTkR4PHaniyDC3fv4E7BmekcuwYdgi86dRoL_0A9xZUc8P2ASPpd/s1600/smash+cake+prep+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizOR5EFqrruUXIHprji3SJ4EC9rHszOMTmE_sHnVaQSD4fgLmw2qZ4aGhw1K8gt-T_-U8AXWrYu0yviVW0Rkee5-uzTTkR4PHaniyDC3fv4E7BmekcuwYdgi86dRoL_0A9xZUc8P2ASPpd/s320/smash+cake+prep+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And this is why I need fondant stencils... raggedy looking "H"</i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><br />
</i></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-20572064414927525632011-03-27T09:31:00.000-07:002011-03-27T09:31:06.250-07:00Pecan Pie Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvElgfj60y97VV-IcNdZGCDn7MVg8F7Rne196iiaZ6jhFUCkVpH2n2GRwF6FqqTtdYlgy-yqYjtkVVvudFYon8JStSMDzvYr8QYDX9m8LE2Nse-wtHA-8k42Hgjr6onVpsPa_f1D6IO5G/s1600/Pecan+Pie+Bar+3.27.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvElgfj60y97VV-IcNdZGCDn7MVg8F7Rne196iiaZ6jhFUCkVpH2n2GRwF6FqqTtdYlgy-yqYjtkVVvudFYon8JStSMDzvYr8QYDX9m8LE2Nse-wtHA-8k42Hgjr6onVpsPa_f1D6IO5G/s320/Pecan+Pie+Bar+3.27.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So... confession... I've never eaten pecan pie before. Ever. Not because I don't like pecans or it doesn't seem appealing, though. It's just that whenever there's pecan pie around, there's also usually apple pie, which is my favorite, so I default to that. Anywho, I digress. Our favorite coffee shop has these delightful little confections they call pecan pie bars. They're positively delicious-- though I can't speak to their likeness to the traditional pie that no doubt inspired them. I love how the sugar caramelizes with the pecans to form this deliciously sweet crunchy crust all atop a delicious buttery shortbread-like crust. Seriously awesome. So, of course, I had to try making them.<br />
<br />
I started with the shortbread crust recipe I used for the lemon bars earlier this week and for the topping I found a recipe on the internet, and then tweaked it to my liking.<br />
<br />
<b><u>Pecan Pie Bars Recipe</u></b><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><strong>Crust</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<ul style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; list-style-type: disc; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 2.5em; padding-right: 2.5em; padding-top: 0px;"><li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-color: initial; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: initial; border-width: initial; color: #434343; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">1 cup butter, softened</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #434343; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">1/2 cup + 2 tbs white sugar</li>
<li style="border-bottom-style: none; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #434343; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-color: initial; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none; border-width: initial; color: #434343; margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.25em; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0.25em; text-indent: 0px;">Dash of salt (if you use unsalted butter like I did)</li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><b>Pecan Pie Filling</b></span></span></div><div><ul><li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">3 eggs</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1 cup light corn syrup</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1/2 cup white sugar</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">2 tbs melted butter</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1 tsp vanilla extract (plus a tiny extra splash because I think extra vanilla compliments the carmel taste very nicely)</span></span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">1 2/3 cup coarsely chopped pecans</span></span></li>
</ul><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #434343; font-family: Puritan; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><strong><u>Directions:</u></strong><br />
<ol><li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees F</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Line a 13x9" baking pan with parchment paper <em>(as with my advice on the lemon bars-- the parchment paper is crucial if you do not want to spend the better part of your weekend painstakingly scrubbing caramelized sugar and pecans out of your baking pan... been there, done that, not fun. Learn from my mistake. Leah loves parchment paper. There, I said it.)</em></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">In a medium bowl, mix together all of the crust ingredients. The consistency will be slightly crumbly once fully mixed.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Pour the crumbly crust mixture into the 13x9" pan lined with parchment paper and use your fingers to press the mixture flat into the bottom of the pan.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until firm and golden</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">While the crust is baking, in a medium bowl, combine the eggs, sugars, corn syrup, melted butter, and vanilla from the pecan pie filling recipe. <i>(I used my Kitchen Aid mixer for this, although mixing in a medium sized bowl by hand with a whisk would work fine as well.)</i></li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Add chopped pecans and stir gently.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Pour pecan pie filling mixture over baked crust.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Bake for an additional 25 minutes in the pre-heated oven or until the sides are firm and the center jiggles only very slightly when shaken gently.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Allow bars to completely cool (at least one hour) before lifting the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into 2 inch squares .</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.25em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-indent: 0px;">Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.</li>
</ol><div><b><u>Base Recipe:</u></b> http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/pecan-pie-bars-i-2/Detail.aspx with modifications</div><div><br />
</div><div><b><u>Taste Test Impressions</u></b>: Very sweet and crunchy. They seemed a little thicker than the pecan pie bars at the coffee shop that inspired this venture, but I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing. I love the carmel flavor. I think these turned out slightly softer in the center than the coffee shop bars-- it seems whenever I eat them at the coffee shop, they are always very firm-- even tough. Mine weren't soft in the center by any means-- just chewy. Bottom line- not exactly like the ones I was trying to replicate, but delicious in their own way. I'll wait for reviews to decide whether to try to make these thin and tougher or leave the recipe as is. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZhrRlCBtiaGFVDVnL68Lsce3IwFzNfJWk7cxqdSyc7U_rRF0K09pAZWAE-4_7sxq_pGZbNYoge0rJdRdesTpZzV1FiDsgB2c4C227YxxUHxYP2iClAFmxJr6T7FWOnTU4OLWv5Ou1tcp/s1600/Pecan+Pie+Bars+3.27.11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4ZhrRlCBtiaGFVDVnL68Lsce3IwFzNfJWk7cxqdSyc7U_rRF0K09pAZWAE-4_7sxq_pGZbNYoge0rJdRdesTpZzV1FiDsgB2c4C227YxxUHxYP2iClAFmxJr6T7FWOnTU4OLWv5Ou1tcp/s320/Pecan+Pie+Bars+3.27.11.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br />
</div></span></span></div></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9192545682681797761.post-58355047951627225922011-03-23T15:39:00.000-07:002011-03-27T08:57:27.980-07:00Lemon Bars<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XnlZc1iPofl5g_Hui65jZVV9VKBAhMui5emQkn99241MAWusoeIPVBQbJgGiihkc9rKz4M_Vaeo7KvU_IQZCwED0C21QMtvZk6gAgsztRY0gguCFIL8gYpTQLqXWyQC8g0I16mghjYfe/s1600/IMG00048-20110323-1458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XnlZc1iPofl5g_Hui65jZVV9VKBAhMui5emQkn99241MAWusoeIPVBQbJgGiihkc9rKz4M_Vaeo7KvU_IQZCwED0C21QMtvZk6gAgsztRY0gguCFIL8gYpTQLqXWyQC8g0I16mghjYfe/s320/IMG00048-20110323-1458.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Too many eggs with no idea what to do with them... what's a girl to do? Bake, of course! I considered egg-heavy concoctions like creme brule and angel food cake, but ultimately decided on two types of bars, lemon and pecan pie. Each recipe calls for 4 eggs, and with 10 eggs to spare, an 8 egg dent in my supply (plus some pretty tasty bars) sounded like a pretty good deal!</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">I never cease to be amazed by the things I can make with ingredients I already have-- avoiding a trip to the grocery store on a weeknight just makes baking that much more fun! I had everything I needed for these lemon bars on hand. The pecan pie bars are another story-- I'm running low on pecans, so I will have to venture out to the grocery store before I can take those on.</div><br />
<strong><u>Lemon Bars Recipe</u></strong><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<strong>Crust</strong><br />
<ul><li>1 cup butter, softened</li>
<li>1/2 cup + 2 tbs white sugar</li>
<li>2 cups all-purpose flour</li>
<li>Dash of salt (if you use unsalted butter like I did)</li>
</ul><strong>Lemon Custard Filling</strong><br />
<ul><li>4 eggs</li>
<li>1 1/2 cups white sugar</li>
<li>1/4 cup + 1 tbs all-purpose flour</li>
<li>2/3 cup lemon juice </li>
<ul><li>2/3 cup lemon juice makes for a very "lemony" taste, which a like, but reduce lemon juice and flour slightly for a less tart taste<em> (be warned though, the less lemon juice you use, the more "eggy" the bars will taste, which some people don't care for)</em></li>
</ul></ul><strong>Garnish</strong><br />
<ul><li>Confectioners sugar</li>
</ul><br />
<strong><u>Directions:</u></strong><br />
<ol><li>Preheat oven to 350 degrees F</li>
<li>Line a 13x9" baking pan with parchment paper <em>(trust me.. do not omit the parchment paper or the struggle to remove the caramelized edges of the bars from the edges of the pan will be epic)</em></li>
<li>In a medium bowl, mix together all of the crust ingredients. The consistency will be slightly crumbly once fully mixed.</li>
<li>Pour the crumbly crust mixture into the 13x9" pan lined with parchment paper and use your fingers to press the mixture flat into the bottom of the pan.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven or until firm and golden</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the lemon custard, first mixing the sugar and flour together and then adding the eggs and lemon juice</li>
<li>Pour lemon custard mixture over baked crust</li>
<li>Bake for an additional 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven</li>
<li>Allow bars to completely cool (at least one hour) before lifting the bars out of the pan using the edges of the parchment paper</li>
<li>Sprinkle bars with confectioners sugar</li>
<li>Use a sharp knife to cut the bars into 2 inch squares (to prevent the knife from sticking to the bars, lightly butter the blade of the knife on both sides prior to cutting)</li>
<li>Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator until ready to serve</li>
</ol><strong><u>Base recipe:</u></strong> <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Lemon-Bars/Detail.aspx">http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/The-Best-Lemon-Bars/Detail.aspx</a> with modifications<br />
<br />
<strong><u>Taste Test Impressions:</u></strong> These turned out exactly as expected-- tart and sweet and buttery. The only modifications I would make would be baking the crust slightly longer so that it was slightly browner-- I don't think I had the placement of my oven rack quite centered, so the baking time may have been a little off. Otherwise, these turned out quite delicious (if I do say so myself)!<br />
<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bJoHMBC2WjQvEjw6PJsO56AcUcid9r4F_Rw8J3jiJy9c-UlgYiUIqahyoarz3t8Ue5r8q3LegOFnKJ9TWSI7zhZ3hNVmoWQZmQ9M_Exj3R9UuCzCamVhp3BUW5ysG-pby3c1kqw8HKgE/s1600/IMG00050-20110323-1500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bJoHMBC2WjQvEjw6PJsO56AcUcid9r4F_Rw8J3jiJy9c-UlgYiUIqahyoarz3t8Ue5r8q3LegOFnKJ9TWSI7zhZ3hNVmoWQZmQ9M_Exj3R9UuCzCamVhp3BUW5ysG-pby3c1kqw8HKgE/s320/IMG00050-20110323-1500.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Leahhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07257127617281549542noreply@blogger.com4