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Written on December 15, 2009 by Kate

gingerbread pl cup In case anyone is wondering, it’s “nick of time”. I looked it up. In my thirty-something years of living, I don’t think I have ever written that expression down… so glad to clear that up!

It’s December 15th, the day that the cupcakes for the Martha Stewart Online Cupcake Club are supposed to be posted. This month’s pick was “Gingerbread Cupcakes With Cookie Cutouts” from Kayte of Grandma’s Kitchen Table. I missed last month due to the craziness of Thanksgiving, but luckily was able to pull off these tonight. These cupcakes combine all of the flavors in gingerbread cookies – molasses, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and nutmeg. They are frosted with Martha’s fluffy white frosting, a great pairing.

Did anyone notice what’s missing here? Yes, those “cookie cutouts” (not to mention some good lighting for snapping a picture). These look a little sad, I know – kind of like me on those days when I forego all accessories, in an effort to make it on time for kids’ carpool and work. Yes, I am that lady in the car next to you putting on my work shoes and lip gloss at the stop light. (Don’t worry, I assure you, I have a good driving record. ) Tomorrow, I will relieve my cupcake guilt and accessorize these little cupcakes so they look a little more presentable for the holiday season. Stay tuned…

In the meantime, go check out everyone else’s cupcake creations on flickr!

Baking Groups, Cupcakes, frosting, Holidays, Recipes

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Written on November 30, 2009 by Kate

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This month’s theme for the “Flavor of the Month” group, hosted by Bridget from Bakeat350, is “traditions”. We have so many favorite traditions in our family… new pajamas on Christmas Eve, gingerbread parties, and counting the naughty words as my dad puts up my tree to name a few. But some of our best traditions are baking our favorite holiday treats.

Peppermint is one of my all-time favorite holiday flavors. Peppermint ice cream, peppermint mochas, candy cane martinis, add peppermint and I’ll probably eat it. Every year I make up a batch of peppermint bark to have on hand when friends stop by. Last year my girlfriend came over to help make the bark and we endured a minor catastrophe. The batch was immediately thrown out and we moved on to the next recipe. The chocolate seized… Gasp! Rule #1 Chocolate and water never mix. I should know better! I still have no idea how it happened, and to this day blame it on the Kendall Jackson!

When my Bon Appetit magazine arrived in the mail last week, I couldn’t wait to try their new twist on peppermint bark. These peppermint bark cookies keep with the traditional chocolate and candy cane ingredients, but place them on top of an amazing shortbread. They are so simple to make and absolutely to die for. This is one of those recipes you whip up that make people think you’re a fabulous baker. This weekend I baked up a batch minus the girlfriend, and minus the KJ and guess what… the chocolate was on its best behavior! This is the perfect treat to make for a cookie exchange. Set them out on a plate for guests, or better yet wrap them up with a bow and get rid of them. These are dangerously good!

Here’s how simple they come together…

Bake up the shortbread exactly as the recipe states. Once you take it out of the oven, sprinkle broken up pieces of chocolate over it. Wait a few minutes and the chocolate will easily spread using an offset spatula.

Immediately after the chocolate is spread, sprinkle with candy cane pieces and drip melted white chocolate all over the top.

See the recipe below for all of the details, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s traditional recipes.

Peppermint Bark Cookies

(Bon Appetit, December 2009)

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray

2 cups all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 large egg yolk

6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped red-and-white-striped hard peppermint candies or candy canes (about 3 ounces)

2 ounces high-quality white chocolate (such as Lindt or Perugina)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9x2-inch metal baking pan with nonstick spray. Line bottom of pan with long strip of 9-inch-wide parchment paper, leaving overhang on both short sides of pan. Whisk flour and salt in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until creamy, about 2 minutes. Gradually beat in sugar. Continue beating until mixture is light and fluffy, stopping occasionally to scrape down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Beat in vanilla, then egg yolk. Gradually add flour mixture, beating on low speed just to blend.

Drop dough by tablespoonfuls into prepared baking pan, spacing evenly. Using moistened fingertips, press dough to form even layer over bottom of pan. Pierce dough all over with fork.

Bake cookie base until light golden brown and slightly puffed and edges begin to come away from sides of pan, about 30 minutes. Place pan on rack; immediately sprinkle bittersweet chocolate over. Let stand until chocolate softens, about 3 minutes. Using small offset spatula, spread bittersweet chocolate over top of cookie in thin even layer. Immediately sprinkle chopped peppermint candies over.

Stir white chocolate in medium metal bowl set over saucepan of simmering water until melted and smooth. Remove from over water. Using fork, drizzle white chocolate all over cookies. Chill until white chocolate is set, about 30 minutes.

Using paper overhang as aid, lift cookie from pan and transfer to work surface. Using large knife, cut cookie into irregular pieces. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 week ahead. Store in refrigerator in airtight containers between layers of waxed paper or parchment paper.

Mix it up

For a variation on this cookie, sprinkle the melted dark chocolate with chopped peanut brittle or peanut butter cups instead of the peppermint candies.

Baking Groups, Candy, chocolate, cookies, Gift Ideas, Holidays, Recipes

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Written on November 11, 2009 by Kate

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This month’s theme for Cupcake Hero, hosted by Clara at Iheartcuppycakes, is peanut butter. Most of us would agree that nothing goes better with peanut butter than chocolate, right? A little over one hundred years ago, a man by the name of Perley Garrish created one of the most amazing contributions in history (or at least those of us addicted to candy bars would argue). His claim to fame is creating the first candy bar that combined peanuts and chocolate, which he named the Squirrel Nut Zipper. Though, sadly, discontinued in the 1980′s, I have a feeling his amazing flavor combination is here to stay!

The inspiration for these cupcakes literally came from my son’s Halloween stash. Shhhh…he still hasn’t noticed that anything is missing! Having already eaten all of his fun size Snicker’s (another thing we’re keeping secret from him), I was left with Butterfinger’s for this cupcake challenge. I started by making a Devil’s Food chocolate cake and folding bits of chopped Butterfingers into the batter. The cake itself is incredibly moist. The two-toned peanut butter chocolate frosting, also turned out fabulous. So many people ask how to make the icing swirl. It looks fancy, but it’s really simple to do. It’s made using the Wilton 1M tip. Check out Wilton’s tutorial on this for more details. The two-toned frosting is also pretty simple, though can get a little messy if you fill the piping bags too full. Step by step directions on this technique can be found on my Laker’s cupcake post from last year.

Want more peanut butter lovin’ cupcake inspiration? Check out everyone’s cupcakes on the Cupcake Hero’s Flickr group!

Devil’s Food Cake* (Recipe by, David Lebovitz)

9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1½ cups cake flour (not self-rising)
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon baking powder
4 ounces (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1½ cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature
½ cup strong coffee (or water)
½ cup whole or low-fat milk

Adjust the oven rack to the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans. Sift together the cocoa powder, cake flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder in a bowl. In the bowl of a standing electric mixer, beat together the butter and sugar about 5 minutes until smooth and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time until fully incorporated. (If using a standing electric mixer, stop the mixer as necessary to scrape down the sides to be sure everything is getting mixed in.)Mix together the coffee and milk. Stir half of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture, then add the coffee and milk. Finally stir in the other half of the dry ingredients. Fill cupcake liners 2/3 full with batter. Cook for approximately 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.

*Need a shortcut? Use a devil’s food boxed cake mix (I won’t tell!).

Peanut Butter Frosting (www.cdkitchen.com)
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter or margarine
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine all ingredients and beat until smooth and creamy.

Creamy Chocolate Frosting

2 3/4 cups confectioners’ sugar

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

6 tablespoons butter

5 tablespoons evaporated milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the confectioners’ sugar and cocoa, and set aside. In a large bowl, cream butter until smooth, then gradually beat in sugar mixture alternately with evaporated milk. Blend in vanilla. Beat until light and fluffy. If necessary, adjust consistency with more milk or sugar.

Baking Groups, Cakes, Candy, chocolate, Cupcakes, frosting, Recipes

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Written on November 1, 2009 by Kate

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The theme for the Flavor of the Month Group for October was pumpkin. I’m a couple days late posting because things have been crazy around here with our Halloween party, a complete blog redesign in the works, and a featured article on Grin and Bake It in the OC Register this weekend. I finally feel like life can get back on track!

Some of you know, I became one of those crazy dog people about a year and a half ago when my son’s birthday pup took over my house. It could be worse, I guess… I could be one of those weird cat ladies, right? So in the midst of all of my yummy Halloween baking, why would I take time out to bake for a dog? The answer is simple, to celebrate her victory. The Naughty One (or Winnie – her legal name) has become quite a local celebrity in the community. Last year she was asked to be the Master of Ceremonies for Octoberfest, after getting a ton of press for her participation in the Wiener Nationals. This year she took the title in the first annual Octoberfest wiener dog races, continuing her 4-legged local celebrity status. The boy, his pup and I have somehow managed to make it in the newspaper four times this month, and the only one who isn’t camera shy is the Naughty One – just look at her smiling above, after picking out her pumpkin! She’s short in stature, but has the biggest personality of any pup I know!

Last week, we decided to share her pup treats and devised a plan to “Boo” her brother, Odie. We put together a treat bag of biscuits and a few pup toys, made a super cute card, and set out down the street with our pup in tow ready to ding-dong ditch. Odie’s dad happened to be walking out to his car as we were walking out, so the three of us literally dove into a neighbor’s bushes to hide. It was a hilarious adventure that the boy and I will remember for years to come.

The boy made me taste the batter for these treats, not sweet enough for me – but the pup loved them. Pumpkin and organic peanut butter are two treats most dogs love!

Want some non-dog pumpkin treats? (I’m guessing I’m the only food blogger crazy enough to submit a dog recipe for Halloween.) Head over to Bakeat350 for all of this month’s entries.

Pumpkin & Peanut Butter Pup Treats (Allrecipes.com)

2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 eggs

1/2 cup canned pumpkin

2 tablespoons peanut butter

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Whisk together the flour, eggs, pumpkin, peanut butter, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Add water as needed to help make the dough workable, but the dough should be dry and stiff. Roll the dough into a 1/2-inch-thick roll. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Bake in preheated oven until hard, about 40 minutes. (A little less time if your pup prefers them a little softer.)

Baking Groups, Holidays, Recipes

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Written on October 23, 2009 by Lynda

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Planning on having a Halloween Cocktail Party? My friends got together for a girls night out last night. We were asked by the hostess to bring an appetizer and a drink. I purchased a small loaf of sourdough bread and cut it on the diagonal to create a larger surface. I cut into each bread slice with a pumpkin cookie cutter. Surprisingly it was quite easy! I dyed olive oil orange by adding yellow and red food coloring and whisking it until it turned orange, then brushed the pumpkin cutouts with the orange olive oil, and sprinkled them with small amount of garlic salt. I toasted the bread at 400 degrees for about 5 minutes until the edges a slightly browned. I cut a 4″ X 6″ piece of pate with mini Halloween cookie cutters. For the eyes on the ghost, the cat and the bat I used black sesame seeds. When the toast cooled I placed the pate on top.

For the second appetizer I tried to create a spider. I used 8 toothpicks and placed 3 pieces of shrimp on each toothpick. For the head I used baby bella mushrooms and stuffed them with crab (see my recipe for crab cakes). I baked the stuffed mushrooms at 350 degrees for 10 minutes. To assemble I placed two toothpicks of shrimp together to form the body (six legs). The stuffed mushrooms attach to the toothpicks and become the head. My simple recipe for shrimp sauce is catsup (1 cup) + horseradish (1 tablespoon) to taste.

Candy Corn Martini - 1 part Rose’s Mango + 2 parts candy corn infused vodka*

*1 cup candy corn + 2 cups vodka – mix and refrigerate for one day and up to 3 weeks.

Appetizer, Breads, Candy, Drinks, Gourmet Group, Holidays, Martinis, Parties, Recipes, Table Setting Ideas

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Written on October 16, 2009 by Kate

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There’s a lot of pumpkin on the menu month, but this one will go down in history. Cupcake Hero has a dual theme this month, “pumpkin – monster” cupcakes. I was seriously tempted to double dip and use my extra Martha’s pumpkin cupcakes from yesterday, and decorate them monster-like. I even went so far as to buy tootsie rolls, licorice and candy corn to decorate them. It’s been a busy week. On top of work, I’m in the midst of creating a dessert bar for a baby shower this weekend (trust me, I’m not complaining) - but if there was any week to cheat a little, this was this one.

But we all know cheaters never prosper (that’s the teacher in me talking). I had an idea about a week ago and couldn’t let it go. My girlfriend and I love the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and get giddy every year when they make their debut. Not too long ago, I came up with a recipe for caramel frappucinno cupcakes and they were amazing. I kept envisioning a pumpkin spice latte cupcake that was as good as its inspiration. Funny thing is, I love pretty much everything pumpkin – except pumpkin pie (and I wonder where my boy gets his quirkiness???). One of my favorite indulgences each fall is Dryer’s limited edition pumpkin ice cream…splurge if you’ve never tried it!!

The final product was a scary good latte-like cupcake. I started with a chocolate cake and included strong brewed coffee, cinnamon, and a pinch of nutmeg to achieve that pumpkin spice flavor. I topped that off with a layer of pumpkin ice cream. A ghost-like dollop piped on top with homeade whipped cream with two little eyes gave it some scare factor.

I did wonder if technically this was monster enough, but then thought back to the days when my son was younger and I had to do nightly bed and closet checks for Ursula the Sea Monster.

Ghosts, monsters, evil sea creatures, they’re pretty much all in the same category in my house…Scary!

Pumpkin Spice Latte Ice Cream Cupcakes

½ gallon Dryer’s Limited Edition Pumpkin Ice Cream (directions below)

Cinnamon Chocolate Cake

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup water

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup strong brewed, hot coffee

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 cup baking cocoa

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon baking soda

In a mixing bowl, combine the first five ingredients. In a saucepan, combine water, oil, butter and cocoa; bring to a boil over medium heat. pour over dry ingredients; mix well. Add eggs, buttermilk, vanilla and baking soda; mix well.* Fill cupcake liners ¼ full (not too much you want them to come out half full so there is enough room for the ice cream). Bake at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. These don’t need to cool. The heat actually helps melt the ice cream a bit so you can smooth it out over the top. Freeze for several hours until firm.

Whipped Cream Frosting

1 pint heavy whipping cream, well chilled

1 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

Combine ingredients in a high speed mixer and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks form (approx. 7 minutes). Refrigerate for an hour until firm.

Remove cupcakes from freezer. Fill a piping bag with whipped cream using 1M Wilton tip. Pipe a dollop of whipped cream on each cupcake and then freeze until ready to serve.**

*If you want to make them ghost-like, I found the best way to do this was to place a large marshmallow on top of the cupcake and then pipe the whipped cream over and around it. For the black eyes, I used leftover black gum paste. No need for that. You could pipe the eyes or take bits of a chocolate chip.

**If you want to cheat a little… you could use a chocolate boxed cake mix. Substitute half of the oil for strong brewed coffee, add a pinch of cinnamon and bake as directed above. The homemade whipped cream is simple, but cool whip would work just great too.

Baking Groups, Cupcakes, frosting, Frozen Treats, Holidays, Parties, Recipes

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Written on October 13, 2009 by Kate

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I’m excited to now be part of the Martha Stewart online cupcake club. I know, what was I thinking taking on one more thing? It’s self-inflicted craziness – 100% genetic! My mom bought Martha Stewart’s cupcake book for me right when it came out. I knew being part of this group would be a great motivator to bake my way through the cookbook. This month’s theme was pumpkin. (as is Cupcake Hero’s and Flavor of the Month’s theme). Cupcake Hero’s pumpkin-monster cupcakes also have to be posted by the 15th, so I’ll be making round two of cupcakes later on today. This recipe did not disappoint. I thought they would come out tasting muffin-esque, but they truly are light and fluffy like a cupcake. I told my son they were good and he corrected me (as he often does) telling me they were not good, but great! If the Picky One approves, it’s safe to say anyone who likes pumpkin will love these.

Part two of the recipe was a little more challenging. Martha uses marzipan to make dainty little pumpkins for her cupcakes. I substituted gumpaste because that’s what I had on hand. Don’t be intimidated. My son knows it’s called “grown-up play doh” in our house. The most challenging part, aside from the sculpting is kneading the color into the gum paste. I painted some gold luster dust on them to add some shimmer. I then piped tinted green cream cheese icing for grass. The grass stands up great with a stiff icing, not so much with the cream cheese icing, but I got the effect I was going for. Just look at this cute cupcake pumpkin patch, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s!

Baking Groups, Cupcakes, frosting, Holidays, Parties, Recipes

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Written on October 7, 2009 by Lynda

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I love the shotglasses filled with mini desserts that many restaurants are serving. When I saw the mini martini glasses at the Crate and Barrel Outlet I had to buy them. I used them for the first time (now that my kitchen is 95% finished) for the Mexican Hat Dance Bunco and they were a huge success. It took a little time to make 3 different desserts but the results were worth it.

If you decide to try the mini desserts just use your imagination. Gather the ingredients you love and mix and match. Start with a few basics; A layer of ice cream, white chocolate mousse, lemon or lime curd, or chocolate mousse. For the next layer think cookies or candy bars, crumbled or think coulis and sauces. Experiment with the layers. For the topping think presentation. What looks better than a raspberry covered top? What about a chocolate dipped strawberry cut in half and placed on top. The combinations are unlimited! I used the following desserts for the Mexican Hat Dance Bunco.

Macaroon Cookies

3 cups sweetened coconut flakes

1 cup macadamia nuts, chopped

2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 egg whites

pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place coconut and macadamia nuts on large cookie sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 12 minutes. Stir about 3 times during baking. Cool.

2. Combine milk, vanilla and salt in large bowl. Mix in coconut and macadamia nuts.

3. Beat egg whites until stiff and fold into coconut mixture.

4. Line 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Spray with PAM. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons on parchment and bake 14 minutes or until cookies turn golden around the edges. Cool completely.

Lime Curd

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

6 tablespoons butter

1 cup sugar

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons lime zest

1. Whisk eggs and egg yolks in medium bowl.

2. Melt butter in double boiler. Whisk in sugar, lime juice, zest and salt

3. Gradually whisk in egg mixture. Whisk until thick, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Macaroon Lime Curd Dessert

1. Crumble about half a macroon into the bottom of the mini martini glass. Top with lime curd. Chill.

White Chocolate Mousse

1/2 cup water

2 teaspoons Knox gelatin

1/2 cup whole milk

10 ounces white chocolate

3 cups heavy whipping cream

1. Whisk gelatin and cold water in a microwaveable cup until dissolved. Microwave on high 30 seconds and let stand for 2 minutes.

2. In a small saucepan bring milk to simmering. Add white chocolate and remove from heat. Stir until mixture is smooth.

3. Blend gelatin into chocolate mixture and refrigerate for about 10 minutes.

4. Whip cream until stiff. Fold white chocolate mixture into whipped cream.

5. Place mixture into mini martini glasses and chill. Top with raspberries.

Ice Cream Kahlua Dessert

1 pint Vanilla Ice Cream

Mrs. Richardson’s Hot Fudge Dessert Topping

Caramel Sauce

Skor or English toffee bits (In grocery section with chocolate chips)

Kahlua liquor

1. Place 2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream in mini martini glass. Freeze for 15 minutes.

2. Place 1 teaspoon hot fudge sauce over ice cream

3. Sprinkle top of hot fudge sauce with Skor Bits.

4. Cover Skor bits with 1 1/2 tablespoons softened vanilla ice cream. Freeze 15 minutes.

5. Cover ice cream with 1 teaspoon caramel sauce and freeze 15 minutes.

6. Place a dollop of hot fudge in center, sprinkle with score bits and freeze 15 minutes.

7. With a thin skewer poke holes in top of dessert and pour 1 teaspoon of Kahlua over top. Freeze until ready to serve.

While dessert was served the prizes were awarded. Going with the Mexican theme I had Mexican silver prizes – trays, ice bucket, frames and a few Mexican condiments. Kate brought over cookies in the shape of margarita glasses for an “extra” favor. They were adorable! She wrapped each in a plastic bag tied with cute ribbon. The girls loved them!

Baking Groups, chocolate, Favors, Frozen Treats, Parties, Recipes

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Baking my way through the trials and triumphs of life!

Category Archives: Baking Groups

See the recipe below for all of the details, and don’t forget to check out everyone else’s traditional recipes.

Ingredients

Preparation

Mix it up