Beansy Loves Cake

Minnie & Mickey Cake

2012-01-19T09:39:00.000-08:00

A cake for a 7 year old- Minnie and Mickey. And zebra stripes.

Zhu Zhu Pet Cake

2011-12-29T06:30:00.000-08:00

Beansy is my oldest daughter. She turned 6 last week. She's the reason I started making cakes- her 1st birthday cake was the first fondant-covered cake I made. She had a big week- she suddenly started riding a two-wheeled bike, her first piano recital, she lost her first tooth, she turned 6, and it was Christmas. She's a sweetie pie and I'm so grateful for her. For her birthday, she wanted a Zhu Zhu princess castle with Lyric, her favorite ZZP.

For her birthday, we went to the Griffith Observatory on what was one of the clearest days I've seen in Southern California. Amazing day for my amazing girl.

Beansy and LuLu in front of the Hollywood sign.

Boxing Cake

2011-12-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

A boxing cake for a 7 year old who loves "Rocky." Cake was chocolate with vanilla filling.

Rainbow cake

2011-12-27T03:30:00.000-08:00

A cake for Sophie, who turned 6. The inside is a rainbow cake, I'm waiting on a pic of it from the birthday girl's mom!

Chocolate Dipped Macaroons

2011-12-26T19:50:00.000-08:00

We were invited to a Christmas party in Balboa to see the boat parade and the hosts requested a dozen cookies from each guest. I was indecisive about what kind to bring, but I remembered I had coconut in my pantry and hadn't made macaroons (not macarons) in a long time. A fave at our house, I decided to try this Martha Stewart recipe from an old cookbook.

These little cookies call for unsweetened coconut, but I use sweetened. Less sugar and fewer egg whites and you come out with comparable results. These cookies come together in a few minutes and are a hit (as you can see from my picture, I didn't shape them into pyramids. Still yum)!

Coconut Pyramids
adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup sugar
4 cups unsweetened shredded coconut
3 large egg whites
1 pinch salt
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon pure almond extract
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 ounces semisweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon pure vegetable shortening

Directions

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment. In a large bowl, using your hands, mix together sugar, coconut, egg whites, and salt. Add butter and extracts, and combine well. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Moisten palms of hands with cold water. Roll 1 tablespoon of the coconut mixture in palms, squeezing tightly together 2 or 3 times to form a compact ball.
Place cookies on the prepared baking sheet about 1 inch apart, and bake until edges are golden brown, about 15 minutes. Leave on baking sheet on a wire rack to cool completely.
Place chocolate and shortening in a small heat-proof bowl, and set over a pan of simmering water; stir occasionally until melted. Dip bottom 1/4" of each cookie in the melted chocolate. Set each dipped macaroon on cooled baking sheet to allow chocolate to harden.

Gift Idea #4- Cinnamon Caramel Corn

2011-12-20T16:31:00.000-08:00

My husband loves caramel corn. Like, it's one of his favorite treats. Usually I make caramels because they're a fave, but this year I wasn't up for wrapping 200 caramels, so I went with caramel corn.

I used a recipe that uses cinnamon, and I drizzled it with melted chocolate:

Packed in little gift cello bags, it was an easy and yummy treat!

Cinnamon Caramel Corn
Recipe adapted from Our Best Bites
2 bags microwave popcorn, popped (I like Light Butter)
1 C brown sugar
3/4 t cinnamon
1/4 C dark corn syrup
1/2 c stick unsalted butter
1 t vanilla
1/2 t baking soda

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 250 degrees
Place popcorn in a large bowl and set aside.
Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a 2 liter capacity microwave safe bowl. Mix well.

Chop butter into chunks and place on top of sugar mixture. Pour corn syrup over the top of

everything. Microwave on high for 30 seconds and then stir to combine. Return to microwave

and heat for 2 minutes. Remove and stir and then microwave for 90 seconds more.

Remove from microwave and add in vanilla and baking soda. Stir to combine.

Mixture will foam and rise. Pour caramel mixture over popcorn and pecans and stir

very well so everything is well coated.

Spread popcorn mixture onto a foil-lined cookie sheet. Place in oven and bake for 30 minutes,

stirring every 10 minutes.

Remove from oven and spread out on a large piece of parchment, waxed paper, or foil.

Microwave chocolate chips on medium heat for 45 seconds. Stir.

Continue to microwave on medium until melted. Drizzle over popcorn mixture.

Break into chunks when cooled.

Gift Idea #3- Cookies in a Jar

2011-12-17T05:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, I saved my favorite for last. This recipe for cookies in a jar is so cute and fun- oatmeal chocolate chip cookies with m&m's. Bakerella posted in a while ago in pink, and then Make it Do posted a Christmas version with the Christmas m&m's. I love this because you can customize it to any holiday or occasion. I really wanted to try it with the CINNAMON m&m's I saw at Target a couple weeks ago, but they weren't Christmas colors. Guess I'll have to make them again! :)

Ok, so I took a picture of the mix in the jar. And then I accidentally erased it. Who erases the most important picture? So here's the pic from Make it Do. Imagine mine was this good. And this cute:

The recipe is so easy, your kids can help! Don't worry if you get a mix from me; no naked kids were allowed to make the mix. And no naked kids make any food that leave this house.

These cookies are delicious and a great gift for any family!

The recipe for the cookies is here!

Gift Idea #2- Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread Mix

2011-12-16T05:00:00.000-08:00

Are you on Pintrest? I really don't need any more reasons to spend time online. I have four kids under the age of six, but I love to see all the great ideas that people post. I found this post a couple weeks ago- gifts in a jar. I love the idea of putting mixes in a jar; all the receiver has to do is add a couple wet ingredients for a special treat!

I chose to do the Oatmeal Chocolate Chip bread and the Cowgirl cookies from Bakerella (post coming soon).

The Oatmeal Chocolate Chip bread is from Sunset Magazine. I layered the dry ingredients as follows: 1. granulated sugar; 2. brown sugar and cinnamon; 3. oats; 4. flour/baking powder and soda/salt; 5. chocolate chips. Note to self #1: break up the flour mixture into two separate layers:

Note to self #2: Put the chocolate chips lower in the jar:

All the receiver has to add is butter, buttermilk and eggs. Bake for about 40 minutes at 350 degrees F.

The bread is moist and tender; I would prefer it a little sweeter, or with more chocolate chips. Perfect for breakfast!

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Bread
adapted from Sunset Magazine

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup miniature chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/4 cup melted butter

In a large bowl, mix the contents of this bottle.

In a small bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, and butter.

Stir wet mixture into dry ingredients just until evenly moistened (batter will be lumpy).

Pour batter into a buttered 9" loaf pan, and bake in a 350° oven until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 40 minutes.

Gift Idea #1- Chocolate Zucchini Bread

2011-12-15T19:23:00.000-08:00

I love giving and getting baked goods as a gift. I love the holidays- it's a perfect time to try new recipes and not getting stuck eating it all! This chocolate zucchini bread it a great twist on the original- cocoa powder and chocolate chips are added to give it a great chocolate flavor. It's moist and the chocolate chips add great texture. The loaf is topped with a crunchy cinnamon-brown sugar topping. Yum.

The bread is quick and easy. Wrapped in cello with a cute bow, it's a great gift, or make it on Christmas morning!

Chocolate Zucchini Bread
makes 2 loaves
Recipe adapted from OurBestBites.com

2 C flour
1 t cinnamon
1/2 t salt
1 1/2 t baking soda
6 T unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 C canola oil
1 C sugar
1/4 C brown sugar
3 eggs
1 t vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
2 C grated zucchini
3/4 C semi-sweet chocolate chips

Topping:
2 T brown sugar
2 T white sugar
1/2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter two 9" loaf pans and set aside.

Mix topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.

Place flour, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder in a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.

With a stand or hand mixer beat oil, white sugar, brown sugar, and eggs until combined and slightly fluffy, 1-2 minutes.

Add vanilla and sour cream and mix until combined.

Gently stir in the grated zucchini.
Take a spoonful of the flour mixture and stir in with the chocolate chips. Add chocolate chips and stir to combine.

Divide the batter between the two pans and sprinkle topping over each.

Bake in your preheated 350 degree oven for 40-50 minutes.

Let it cool on a rack for 5-10 minutes and then remove from pans.

Book Review- The Lake of Dreams

2011-12-02T01:00:00.000-08:00

The latest book BlogHer book club is reading is The Lake of Dreams by bestselling author Kim Edwards, who also wrote The Memory Keeper's Daughter. Lucy Jarrett is back in her hometown Lake of Dreams to visit her mother. Haunted by the death of her father ten years ago, Lucy has not been back for several years. On one of her first days there, she discovers some old letters in the house that take her on a fascinating journey through her family's history.

I had a couple issues with this book. First of all, I found the main character, Lucy, distinctly unlikable. She's 29 years old, but acts like a spoiled nosy brat when faced with the possibility of her mother becoming involved with another man. She leads on her high school boyfriend even though she is in a relationship with someone else. When her current boyfriend tells her he's resigned from his job because of a conflict with his principles, she says she supports him, but then follows up with statements like, "even if it means we're broke."

Second, I'm not clear on how the letters came to be at their house. The authors of the letters never lived at the house, nor did the collectors of the letters that we know of. The plot seemed a little too coincidental and convenient. If you discount the mysterious circumstances under which the letters came to be in Lucy's possession, the story of her ancestor is quite interesting. Unfortunately, the story is bogged down with too many characters and too many other storylines to keep you interested.

Check out what other reviewers thought, as well as the discussions on BlogHer's The Lake of Dreams page.

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake bars

2011-11-30T16:02:00.000-08:00

I went to a baby shower a couple weeks ago. I remember two main things about it- a Marc Jacobs bag given to the mama-to-be, and these cheesecake bars. Cheesecake with a layer of dulce de leche and chocolate on top. The maker of these goodies pointed me to Pintrest, where it looked like a few people have posted them- Brown Eyed Baker, Smitten Kitchen, and some others. I used BEB's recipe and made some changes.
First, I made the dulce de leche from sweetened condensed milk in the microwave using this method (this is an amazing cake, BTW). Then I added more butter to the crust to make it more moist. I also used milk chocolate for the glaze as I don't like the bitterness of darker chocolate with the tang of cream cheese.

I made these for our little guy's baby blessing, along with these. Make them. Now. You don't even have to share them I won't tell.

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake Squares

adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

Crust:1 cup graham cracker crumbs, crushed
2 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons butter, melted

Filling:
1 can sweetened condensed milk (or 1 can dulce de leche)
2 8 oz. pkg cream cheese, at room temperature
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Glaze:
3 ounces milk chocolate chips
4 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons light corn syrup

1. Make the Crust: Preheat oven to 325F. Line the bottom of an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on all sides. Spray with non-stick spray.

2. In a bowl, combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press mixture evenly in bottom of pan. Bake 8-10 minutes until golden. Set on rack to cool while you make the filling.

3. Make the Filling. Spread the dulce de leche evenly over the graham crust. Chill in the refrigerator refrigerator while you prepare the cream cheese layer.

4. Beat the cream cheese on medium-high speed unti light and fluffy. Add the sugar and continue to beat on medium-high for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl if necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract.

5. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the dulce de leche layer evenly, and bake for 40-45 minutes until the center is set. Cool completely and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

6. Glaze the bars. Heat the chocolate, butter and light corn syrup in a double boiler until melted and smooth. Pour the glaze over the cheesecake, tilting the pan to ensure the top is coated evenly. Chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

7. Lift the cheesecake from the pan using the parchment handles and slice into squares using a sharp knife, wiping it clean after each cut.

Caramel Apple Bars

2011-11-21T15:08:00.001-08:00

Caramel and apples is an inspired combination. I always see recipes for caramel apple desserts, but have never found one that actually tastes like caramel apples. I thought caramel apple bars might be a good way to combine the two and still be caramel-y and apple-y. I took an oatmeal crumble-type topping and used it for the crust. Then I spread chopped Granny Smith apples over the crust and drizzled melted caramel over the apples (you could probably use caramel topping, too). I sprinkled more of the crumble topping on the top and baked it until golden.

I waited for them to cool to cut, but I recommend scoring them while they're still a little warm. This was exactly what I was looking for- yummy tart apples with caramel in a dessert form! they're easy and fast!

Caramel Apple Bars

yield: 36 bars

1 c brown sugar packed
3/4 c butter softened
1 1/2 c quick oats
1 1/2 c flour
1/2 t salt
3 medium tart apples finely chopped
3 T flour
1 pkg caramels, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Combine first 5 ingredients in large bowl. Reserve 1 1/2 c of the mixture. Press the remaining in an ungreased 13"x9" pan. Toss apples and flour together in a bowl. Spread over oatmeal mixture. Place caramels in microwave safe bowl. Microwave on med-high for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally until melted. Drizzle over apples. Sprinkle remaining oatmeal mixture over the top and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden. Cool partially on rack; cut while warm. Store covered in refrigerator.

Dinner Rolls

2011-11-19T04:00:00.000-08:00

Did I mention I'm loving this cookbook my mom gave me? Every recipe I've made from it has been a hit. These dinner rolls were no exception. My friend and I started doing a dinner swap once a week and I decided to make a batch of these to go with this soup. The book says these are the world's best, and I think they are definitely in the running. I used Trader Joe's 100% White Whole Wheat flour instead on all-purpose and it was a great, healthy substitution. My husband, who tries not to eat too much bread, ate like 4 of these. They'll definitely be on our Thanksgiving table!

Get the recipe (and others!) here.

Wedding Cake

2011-11-18T05:30:00.000-08:00

This cake was for my friend's mom who got married on 11-11-11. A two-tiered covered simply in cream fondant and wrapped in chocolate brown ribbon. The cakes were red velvet and carrot filled with cream cheese italian merengue buttercream.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

2011-11-16T20:19:00.001-08:00

Mmm.. pumpkin... it's so Homer Simpson, my love of pumpkin. I found yet another way to have pumpkin and cream cheese frosting- Pumpkin Whoopie Pies! Yes! Little moist pumpkin cakey cookies sandwiching cream cheese frosting.
This recipe is from Brown Eyed Baker, a site full of yumminess. Her recipe uses maple cream cheese frosting. I just used plain cream cheese frosting as I have no use for maple. These are super moist- I think I may have blended them too much after the flour was in- they were a little gummy. Definitely a must-try. Even if you just eat the cream cheese frosting like my 2 year old.

The recipe is here.

Toll House Pie

2011-11-07T20:10:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been to the Dodo Restaurant in Salt Lake City? They have the BEST desserts. One of my favorites in their Tollhouse Pie. It's like chocolate chip cookie dough in a crust, topped with creamy whipped cream. It's rich and thick and yummy. I've tried to find a similar recipe, but to no avail. Any pie I've found is really just chocolate chip cookie dough baked in a crust. I had a craving for it, so I thought I'd give it a try,
I went to the source- Nestle Tollhouse for a recipe. I made my own pie shell and the filling is just butter, sugars, flour, egg and chocolate chips. It comes together easily.

Nestle Tollhouse Pie

1 unbaked 9" pie shell

2 large eggs

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Sweetened whipped cream or ice cream

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 325° F.

BEAT eggs in large mixer bowl on high speed until foamy. Beat in flour, granulated sugar and brown sugar. Beat in butter. Stir in morsels. Spoon into pie shell.

BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes or until knife inserted halfway between edge and center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Serve warm with whipped cream, if desired.

Not as good as the Dodo, but fairly good. If you like chocolate chip cookies, this won't disappoint!

Candy Bars

2011-11-07T20:05:00.000-08:00

We recently added another monkey to our family- a little boy. Once he came, we had an outpouring of meals from our wonderful friends. As a thank you, I decided to make some treats to return in their dishes. I know most of you are probably hating candy right about now, but these are really worth making. A fudge layer topped with a peanut-caramel layer, topped with a layer of chocolate. I loved these right out of the fridge- the chocolate layer has a little bite that I find appealing. They're quick and easy and most importantly, yummy.

Candy Bars

adapted from BHG.com

1/2 cup butter
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
3 1/2 cups sifted powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
30 vanilla caramels, unwrapped
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 cups salted peanuts
1 cup semisweet chocolate pieces

directions

1.Line a 9x9x2-inch baking pan with foil, extending the foil over edges of pan. Butter the foil; set pan aside.

2.In a large microwave-safe bowl microwave the butter, uncovered, on 100 percent power (high) for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes or until melted. Stir in cocoa powder, brown sugar, and milk. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 to 2 minutes or until mixture comes to a boil, stirring once. Stir again; microwave for 30 seconds more. Stir in powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth. Spread in prepared pan.

3.In a medium microwave-safe bowl combine caramels and water. Microwave, uncovered, on 50 percent power (medium) for 2-1/2 to 3 minutes or until caramels are melted, stirring once. Stir in peanuts. Microwave, uncovered, on medium for 45 to 60 seconds more or until mixture is softened. Gently and quickly spread peanut mixture over fudge layer in pan.

4.In a 2-cup microwave-safe glass measure combine semisweet and milk chocolate pieces. Microwave, uncovered, on 50 percent power (medium) for 2 to 3 minutes or until melted, stirring once or twice. Spread over peanut layer. Score into pieces while warm. Cover and chill for 2 to 3 hours or until bottom is firm. Use foil to lift candy out of pan. Cut into pieces. Store tightly covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks. Makes about 2-3/4 pounds (64 pieces).

Baked Chicken Taquitos

2011-11-03T07:00:00.000-07:00

For my birthday, my mom bought me the cookbook Our Best Bites, from the popular blog. This cookbook is chock full of great recipes that are perfect for family and entertaining. All the recipes use ready-found ingredients and are pretty easy and delicious.
I tried this chicken taquitos recipe last week. I used leftover chicken that we had grilled the night before.

It made for a quick and easy dinner- my kids loved it (especially dipped in ranch dressing). I did make a couple changes to the recipe (noted in red below).

Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos
Recipe by OurBestBites.com

1/3 C (3 oz) cream cheese (I used sour cream)
1/4 C green salsa
1T fresh lime juice
1/2 t cumin
1 t chili powder (I omitted)
1/2 t onion powder
1/4 t granulated garlic
3 T chopped cilantro
2 T sliced green onions (I omitted)

2 C shredded cooked chicken
1 C grated pepperjack cheese (I used mild cheddar)

small corn tortillas
kosher salt
cooking spray

Heat oven to 425. Line a baking sheet with foil and lightly coat with cooking spray.

Heat cream cheese in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds so it's soft and easy to stir. Add green salsa, lime juice, cumin, onion powder and granulated garlic. Stir to combine and then add cilantro. Add chicken and cheese and combine well.
Work with a few tortillas at a time and heat in the microwave until they are soft enough to roll without cracking. It helps to place them between damp paper towels. Usually 20-30 seconds will do it. If you find yours are cracking when you roll them or come unrolled right away, just try heating them longer and try the paper towel thing.

Place 2-3 T of chicken mixture on the lower third of a tortilla, keeping it about 1/2 inch from the edges.

Then roll it up as tight as you can.

Place seam side down on the baking sheet. Lay all of the taquitos on the baking sheet and make sure they are not touching each other. Spray the tops lightly with cooking spray or an oil mister and sprinkle some kosher salt on top.

Place pan in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until crisp and the ends start to get golden brown.

Haunted House Cake II

2011-10-31T04:00:00.000-07:00

A cake for Bayler, who turned 6. My second haunted house cake (the first one is here)- the birthday boy wanted something similar, only he wanted a blue house. The bottom part of the house is vanilla cake with chocolate filling and the top is banana cake with vanilla filling. My favorite banana cake recipe is below.

Happy Halloween!!

Mr Banana Legs
adapted from CakeLove by Warren Brown

One 12-cup bundt cake, two 9-inch-round cakes

Ingredients

Dry:

Unbleached all-purpose flour, 10 ounces (2 cups)
Salt, ½ teaspoon
Baking soda, ¼ teaspoon
nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon

Liquid:

Very ripe peeled bananas, 6 ounces (3 bananas), mashed
Whole milk, ¾ cup
Vanilla extract, 1½ teaspoons

Creaming:

Unsalted butter, at room temperature, 6 ounces (1½ sticks)
granulated sugar, 21 ounces (2¾ cups),
Eggs (large), 4
Egg yolks (large), 3

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Set rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and line pans with parchment.
Sift the flour into a bowl. Measure the other dry ingredients into a separate mixing bowl, add the flour, and whisk for 10 seconds to blend. Set aside.
Combine wet ingredients in a separate bowl and set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar on the lowest speed for 2 to 3 minutes. The mixture should look white, fluffy, and aerated.
With the mixer still on the lowest speed, add the eggs one at a time followed by the yolks, fully incorporating after each addition. Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Add the dry ingredient mixture alternately with the liquid mixture in 3 to 5 additions each, beginning and ending with the dry mixture. Move swiftly through this step to avoid overworking the batter. Don’t wait for the dry or liquid mixtures to be fully incorporated before adding the next.
Stop the mixer and scrape the sides of the bowl all the way down. Don’t miss the clumps of ingredients hiding on the bottom of the bowl. Mix on medium speed for 15 to 20 seconds to develop the batter’s structure.
Spread in prepared pans and bake 30 minutes until golden and cake tester comes out clean.
Cool to room temperature, 25 to 30 minutes, before removing from the pan. Use a small offset spatula to loosen the cake from the rim of the pan. Carefully invert each pan onto a flat surface to remove the layers. Remove the parchment from the bottom of each cake and wrap the cake tightly in plastic. Assembling a layer cake is easier if the cake is cold, so refrigerate the layers overnight or for up to 5 days before frosting.

Spiderweb Cupcakes

2011-10-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

We carved pumpkins last week and for our treat, I made spiderweb cupcakes. I just used a box cake mix (gasp!) but, as I usually do, I substituted butter for oil, milk for water, and added 1/2 c sour cream. I also tried a new whipped buttercream frosting recipe from my new favorite cookbook.

To make a spiderweb pattern, you pipe three or more concentric circles. Using a toothpick, draw a line from the center to the outer edge through the circles. Repeat three or four times to achieve desired effect.

Perfect Cupcake Frosting and Filling
recipe by ourbestbites.com
3 T Flour
1/2 C milk
1/2 C real butter
1/2 C sugar
1 t vanilla extract (I used almond)
Whisk together the flour and the milk. Heat in a small sauce pan on medium heat. Whisk continuously until it starts to thicken. Let it cook, while stirring, until it looks like pudding (you should be able to see the bottom of the pan when you stir it). Even though it's thick, you can still it through a mesh strainer (just whisk the mixture in the strainer to push the thick stuff through) and then let it cool completely to room temp. or chill it in the fridge. It needs to be cooled completely. If you don't let it cool completely, it will melt the butter and you'll have runny frosting.

It an electric stand mixer, beat the butter and the sugar for a minute or two until well combined and fluffy. You'll want to use the whisk attachment on a stand mixer, not the flat paddle. Then while beating, add in the thickened milk mixture and the vanilla. Beat on the highest speed you can get to without it spraying all over the place for 7 minutes. Yes, 7 whole minutes, maybe even 8 or 9.
Use it to fill cupcakes or other pastries, or as a frosting on top.
One batch makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes

Pumpkin Bars

2011-10-20T08:51:00.000-07:00

Did I mention that I love pumpkin? I mean, really love it. And anything with cream cheese frosting. A few days ago, I posted my favorite pumpkin cake recipe. This recipe for pumpkin bars is similar, but more dense and since it's made in a cookie sheet-sized pan, thinner and makes significantly more servings. But same moist, pumpkin flavor- the perfect fall treat for a crowd (or, a week-long treat for a family of 5! :) )!

Pumpkin Bars
adapted from BHG

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 15-ounce can pumpkin

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup cooking oil

Cream Cheese Frosting

In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a large mixing bowl beat together eggs, pumpkin, sugar, and oil. Add the flour mixture; beat until well combined. Stir in chopped pecans, if desired.
Spread batter in an ungreased 15x10x1-inch baking pan. Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Frost with Cream Cheese Frosting. Cut into squares. Store in refrigerator. Makes 24 bars.

Cream Cheese Frosting:
one 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla until fluffy.
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
Beat together all ingredients except sugar until smooth. Gradually add powdered sugar and beat until fluffy.

Book Review- Love at First Bark

2011-10-19T18:53:00.000-07:00

Love at First Bark by Julie Klam is 3 stories about "how saving a dog can sometimes help you save yourself." After reading the book, however, I failed to see how exactly the people involved were changed by each experience.

The first story is about how she and her husband find a dog abandoned on the street and their efforts to find a home for it. Because the dog was a pit bull, Klam had a difficult time finding a temporary place for it. The story, while amusing, did not exactly show how the pit bull was the “couple’s therapist” the title claimed him to be. There is a little part at the end of the story where Klam reminisces about the good ol’ days with her husband, but it seems like an afterthought, rather than the main point of the story.
The book is entertaining and I really like Klam’s narrative. She’s funny and real and her voice in the stories shows a real love and compassion for canines. I was really expecting something more from the book judging from the title and book description.
Join the discussion of the book at BlogHer and read what other bloggers thought about the book!
This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own

Peach Cobbler

2011-10-17T20:35:00.000-07:00

A few months back, I won a cookbook from Chef Pandita. Awesome, right? It was Abby Dodge's Desserts 4 Today, a collection of dessert recipes with only 4 ingredients. There are some great recipes in there, and one that I wanted to try was her Peach Cobbler. This easy, quick recipe uses phyllo dough instead of making a traditional cobbler topping. This was a perfect late summer dessert, and could be used with any stone fruit- apricots, plums, nectarines.

Peach Cobbler with Phyllo Topping
adapted from Abby Dodge's Desserts 4 Today
1/4c + 1 1/2T cinnamon sugar
8 sheets frozen phyllo dough, thawed
6 ripe peaches
2T all purpose flour

Arrange 1 sheet of phyllo dough on surface and lightly spray with cooking spray. Sprinkle with about 1/2t cinnamon sugar. Repeat for the rest of the layers of phyllo.
Starting at the short side, roll up the layers jelly-roll style. Using a sharp knife, cut roll into 1-inch slices. Put slices in a medium bowl and gently toss until the strips are separated and loose.
Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut peaches into quarters. Put peaches, remaining 1/4c cinnamon sugar and flour in an 8" baking dish. Toss well. Spread phyllo strips over the fruit and bake until phyllo is golden and peaches are tender, about 30-35 minutes. Cool on rack 15 minutes before serving. Top with ice cream.

Pumpkin Cake

2011-10-16T19:34:00.000-07:00

Ok, so it's 80 degrees here, but I'm really in the mood for fall. And my favorite thing EVER in the fall is anything pumpkin. I made pumpkin bars for the first time a few weeks ago, but I've been craving pumpkin cake.

This recipe is seriously the best- moist and warm, topped with creamy cream cheese frosting. A great way to welcome fall!

Pumpkin Cake
makes 9"x13" or 2x 8" rounds
2 cups all purpose flour
2 t cinnamon
1/4 t cloves
2 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
1 c vegetable oil
2 cups granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 (15 oz.) can pumpkin puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a glass 9"x13" baking dish, or 2x 8" rounds.
In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix oil, sugar and eggs until well blended. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add pumpkin and mix until blended.
Pour in prepared pan and bake for 30-35 minutes, until cake tester comes out with a few crumbs. Cool completely. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Hello Kitty Cake #3

2011-10-04T07:11:00.000-07:00

This cake was for Kylie, who turned 6. She wanted Hello Kitty and Sleeping Beauty, but I couldn't figure out how to incorporate both. The cake was vanilla chocolate marble with vanilla filling.

This is my last cake before baby #4, set to come this Friday. Ahh!

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

2011-10-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is so three months ago, but I'm trying to catch up. For my hubs birthday, I made an almond cake and chocolate almond ice cream. This ice cream is his mom's recipe, and his favorite in the world. It's easy and quick- no cooking or eggs involved. Just mix everything together and throw it in the ice cream maker!

Chocolate Almond Ice Cream

makes 1 pint

1 c granulated sugar

1/4 c unsweetened cocoa powder

2/3 c evaporated milk

2 c half & half

1 1/3 c heavy whipping cream

1/2 t almond extract

Combine all ingredients and stir well until combined. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Book Review- Lunch Wars

2011-09-29T21:44:00.000-07:00

Gloppy hot mystery food. Canned peaches or fruit cocktail. Warm cartons of milk. Multi-colored plastic trays. This is what I remember of school lunches when I was in elementary school. Waiting in line with my little blue ticket for food and brown ticket for milk, kind of embarrassed that my mom made me get hot lunch that day. Granted, I didn’t get school lunch that often; my working mom was nice enough to send lunch with me most days. But on those days she (understandably) didn’t want to make it, I got “hot lunch.”
In Lunch Wars: How to Start a School Food Revolution and Win the Battle for Our Children’s Health, author Amy Kalafa outlines her game plan for changing school food in your community. Kalafa has produced films, television shows and articles about health and nutrition. Her latest documentary, “Two Angry Moms” is about exposing school food, and this book is a follow-up to that documentary.
The first third of the book is a fascinating look into what schools are serving and the nutritional (or unnutritional- I know that’s not a word) consequences they have. I’ll have to admit that reading through all her research makes it seem like the only acceptable things to feed your kids are certified organic fruits, vegetables and meats. It’s a little exhausting.
The rest of the book is a (VERY) in-depth plan on how to start a “school food revolution” in your school and community- a step-by-step guide with everything from how to approach your school’s food director, to USDA guidelines and current legislation on school lunches.
My oldest child just started kindergarten this fall and I don’t have plans to purchase school lunches when she’s older, so I’ll admit that this topic is not high on my list. As such, I found the abundance of information tedious, but I can understand how this information could be very valuable to those parents who are concerned about this. After watching Jamie Oliver’s “Food Revolution,” in what is basically my backyard of Los Angeles, it is frightening the lack of nutritional value and the effects that school food has. This book is a great guide for those willing to take on school food, and all the politics that are apparently behind it.

Join the discussion on BlogHer and find out more about the book!

This was a paid review for BlogHer Book Club but the opinions expressed are my own

Sentimental Circus Cake

2011-09-25T03:30:00.000-07:00

One of my best clients asked me to make her 14 year old's birthday cake (3rd year in a row!). She requested a Sentimental Circus theme, which I'd never heard of. The main character is a little bunny, a little reminiscent of Hello Kitty. Cake was orange dreamsicle.

Tangled Cake #5

2011-09-23T02:00:00.000-07:00

Yet another Tangled cake. Tower made from rice krispy treats and a cupcake. Cake was pink lemonade with vanilla filling.

Baby Shower Cake

2011-09-22T10:08:00.000-07:00

This cake was for a baby shower for a baby girl. The mom-to-be made all the nursery decor, and the cake was designed to match the fabric. Cake was chocolate with vanilla filling.

Tinkerbell/Little Mermaid Cake

2011-09-21T22:07:00.000-07:00

This cake was for my daughter's friend, who turned 4. The cake was strawberry with strawberry filling and lemon with lemon filling.

Hello Kitty Cake II

2011-09-12T06:00:00.000-07:00

This cake was made to match the same party decorations as this cake. To make it look a little different, I used the Hello Kitty that was on the decorations, and made it 2D instead of a figure. Cake was chocolate with oreo and vanilla with strawberry.

Smurfette Cake

2011-09-10T08:35:00.000-07:00

For my girl, who turned 4, a Smurfette cake:

2011-09-08T05:33:00.000-07:00

I haven't done too many carved cakes, but when our friend asked for a classic VW Beetle cake for her husband, I was so excited. Carving cakes is time consuming and takes a LOT of cake. This car cake was difficult because there are so many angles and lines. After looking on the internet for other Beetle cakes, I found out that professionals make these TO SCALE. What?

Mine's not to scale, but it was fun to make and a great experience. The cake was red velvet with cream cheese filling.

40th birthday cake

2011-09-07T06:28:00.000-07:00

This cake was for my friend's husband, who turned 40. He's a fan of the Raiders and LA Kings, and apparently, a bunch of metal bands from the 80's. Rather than make all the logos by hand, I used edible images. Cake was lemon with strawberry filling.

Tangled Cake III

2011-09-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Another Tangled cake with a tower. The tower is made from Rice Krispy treats. Cake was chocolate with strawberry filling.

Almond Cake with Homemade Almond Paste

2011-09-05T21:18:00.000-07:00

My husband's birthday was last month and for a cake, he wanted an almond cake. I've always wanted to make a traditional almond cake using almond paste. I looked for a recipe for almond paste and found that it's relatively easy to make. There were cautions, however, that a food processor would not be able to ground almonds as finely as found in store-bought almond paste. I decided to go for it anyway.

I used this easy recipe from Taste of Home. You ground almonds in a food processor until very fine- mine took about 3-4 minutes. Be careful not to process too much or it will turn to mush. Then you add powdered sugar, an egg white, and almond extract.

Once the almond paste is made, you're ready to make almond cake. I used David Lebovitz's recipe for a traditional almond cake. The recipe is straight forward and comes together fairly quickly. The recipe recommends making the batter in a food processor, but mine wasn't big enough so I used a stand mixer.

The cake bakes in a 9" spring form, and is dusted with powdered sugar.

I served this with my husband's favorite chocolate almond ice cream (he likes almond flavor, in case you didn't catch it). The cake is dense and moist, but didn't have the almond flavor I was expecting. It tasted quite eggy, and more like a breakfast dish than dessert. The almond paste was yummy, though, and I used the rest of it to make Abby Dodge's Chewy Almond cookies- recipe to come!

Homemade Almond Paste

from Taste of Home

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups blanched almonds

1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 egg white

1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract

1/4 teaspoon salt

Place almonds in a food processor; cover and process until smooth.

Add the confectioners' sugar, egg white, extract and salt; cover and

process until smooth.

Divide almond paste into 1/2-cup portions; place in airtight

containers. Refrigerate for up to 1 month or freeze for up to 3

months. Yield: 1-1/2 cups.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-08-18T17:02:00.000-07:00

This has been my favorite cinnamon roll recipe for years. I don't make them often because to have them for breakfast, you have to make them the night before and finish them in the morning. Or, eat them at 11am. :)

This particular recipe is for a bread machine. Since I don't have one, I just adapted it for a stand mixer. It's very straightforward, and the results are amazing!!

Clone of a Cinnabon

adapted from allrecipes.com

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45

degrees C)

2 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 eggs, room temperature

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup white sugar

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Filling

1 cup brown sugar, packed

2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon

1/3 cup butter, softened

Frosting

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese,

softened

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

DIRECTIONS:

	In the bowl of a stand mixer, sprinkle yeast over warm milk. Let stand 5 minutes. Add eggs, butter, salt and sugar. Mix. Add flour, a cup at a time and knead until the dough is slightly tacky. Turn dough out on a floured surface and knead for a couple of minutes. Place in an oiled bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm, dry place until doubled in size.
	After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.
	Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
	Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

Soccer Ball Cake

2011-08-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

This cake was for my little rascal, who turned 2. His favorite things are balloons and balls. I don't why I decided to make the most difficult ball out of all the balls, but he really loves soccer, so I decided to try it out. I don't have a ball pan, so I carved this, and then used a hexagon pattern I made. After putting all the white pieces on, I traced each spot where the black ones would go so they would fit perfectly.

Oh, and when I asked him what kind of cake he wanted, he said, "Boo (blue)." So this is what we ate- blue vanilla:

Happy birthday to my sweet boy!

Mater Cake

2011-07-31T19:38:00.000-07:00

Another Cars 2 cake- this time the birthday boy wanted Mater. Mater is made from Rice Krispy treats. Cake was chocolate/vanilla swirl with strawberry filling.

Knorr Four™ Recipe Contest

2011-07-13T19:26:00.000-07:00

BlogHer, the wonderful network of bloggers, is having a recipe contest using the new Knorr Homestyle Stock. The product is a concentrated stock (in my case, chicken), to which you add water for your recipe. Simple!

For my recipe, I made a pulled pork that you can use for taco/burrito fillings, sandwiches, or just with rice. It's a slow-cooker recipe, perfect for a busy summer day!

Sweet Pulled Pork
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 3-6 hours
servings: 8

1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 c light brown sugar
2 t garlic powder
1/4 t ground ginger
1 container Knorr Homestyle chicken stock
1 cup water
2 pound pork loin roast

tortillas, buns, or rice for serving

In a slow cooker, combine first 7 ingredients. Stir well. Add pork roast. Cook on low for 6 hours, or high for 3-4 hours. Shred meat with forks and serve as desired.

Pinkalicious Cake

2011-07-11T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ok, maybe I'm the last mom of daughters on earth who hadn't read this book, but someone asked me to make a Pinkalicious cake so I finally read it. Adorable!!
This cake was for a sweet little 6 year old. The mom really liked this cake, so that was the inspiration. The bottom cake was chocolate and the cupcake was vanilla.

Cars 2 Cake

2011-07-08T12:53:00.000-07:00

Cars cake for a three year old. Cake was chocolate with oreo filling and peanut butter filling. Lightning and Mater were made from rice krispy treats.

What Happened to Goodbye Book Review

2011-06-24T15:47:00.000-07:00

I read and reviewed Sarah Dessen's new book, What Happened to Goodbye for BlogHer Book Club. I've been a fan of Dessen's other books- she's a Young Adult author and often writes about family dynamics and situations. Her newest book is no exception. Although not my favorites of hers, it's definitely worth a read. The complete review is here.

Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Cake

2011-06-24T12:19:00.000-07:00

It was my mom's birthday last week and she requested chocolate cake. Instead of using the dense chocolate cake recipe I use for my layered cakes, I decided to pick a different recipe. I found a recipe from Barefoot Contessa called Beatty's Chocolate Cake. It's pretty much "one-bowl," (I used a glass measuring cup for the wet ingredients). The result is a moist, fluffy chocolate cake. With the chocolate buttercream, it's a perfect, easy take on a classic dessert!

Beatty's Chocolate Cake
Copyright 2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Butter, for greasing the pans
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups good cocoa powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup buttermilk, shaken
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup freshly brewed hot coffee
Chocolate Buttercream, recipe follows

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 8-inch x 2-inch round cake pans. Line with parchment paper, then butter and flour the pans.

Sift the flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder, and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and mix on low speed until combined. In another bowl, combine the buttermilk, oil, eggs, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry. With mixer still on low, add the coffee and stir just to combine, scraping the bottom of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool in the pans for 30 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

Place 1 layer, flat side up, on a flat plate or cake pedestal. With a knife or offset spatula, spread the top with frosting. Place the second layer on top, rounded side up, and spread the frosting evenly on the top and sides of the cake.

Chocolate Frosting:

6 ounces good semisweet chocolate (recommended: Callebaut)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 extra-large egg yolk, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon instant coffee powder

Chop the chocolate and place it in a heat-proof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until just melted and set aside until cooled to room temperature.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium-high speed until light yellow and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the egg yolk and vanilla and continue beating for 3 minutes. Turn the mixer to low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, then beat at medium speed, scraping down the bowl as necessary, until smooth and creamy. Dissolve the coffee powder in 2 teaspoons of the hottest tap water. On low speed, add the chocolate and coffee to the butter mixture and mix until blended. Don't whip! Spread immediately on the cooled cake
.

CS Bakers- Lime Chiffon Cake

2011-06-20T07:17:00.000-07:00

I'm back to Cake Slice Bakers (at least for this month)! I love this group, but the 20th always sneaks up on me and I find I haven't made that month's cake. This month I was proactive and made it over Memorial Day! There were two cakes to choose from this month- Lime Chiffon and Fresh Strawberry Cake with White Chocolate chips. I opted for the lime cake because I had all the ingredients on hand, but I may still make the strawberry one, too, because it sounds so summery!
The Lime Chiffon cake is a light and fluffy, but more dense than an angel food cake since there are eggs yolks in it. The yolks and sugar are whipped, then oil and lime, and the dry ingredients and milk. There are a few more steps than what I would call a "quick, easy cake," but the results are worth it.

The cake is so refreshing- I'm not normally a fan of citrus flavored desserts, but this was just too good. It was a hit with my family- topped with a little whipped cream (or a cream cheese glaze would be great, too), it was a perfect summer dessert!

June’s Cake: Lime Chiffon Cake
Makes one 9 inch angle food pan cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
Ingredients
1 & 1/3 cups cake flour
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
7 large eggs – 5 separated and 2 left whole
1½ cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1/3 cup water
2 tsp grated lime zest
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/3 tsp cream of tartar

Method
Preheat the oven to 325F. Have ready a 9 inch ungreased angel food tube pan with a removable bottom.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl and whisk thoroughly to break up any lumps. Set aside.
Place the egg yolks and 2 whole eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium high speed until lightened in colour, about 3 minutes. With the mixer running, add 1 cup sugar in a slow steady stream and continue to beat until the mixture is light and increased in volume, about 5 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the oil and continue to beat for 1 minute longer.
Combine the lime juice and water in a measuring cup. With the mixer on low speed add 1/3 of the flour, then ½ the lime mixture, another 1/3 flour, the rest of the lime and then the remaining flour. Scrape down the bowl when necessary. Stir in the lime zest and vanilla.
With clean beaters, whip the egg whites on medium speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to beat on medium speed until the egg whites begin to turn white. With the mixer still on medium speed, pour in the remaining ½ cup sugar in a slow stream, and whip until the whites hold stiff peaks.
Fold ¼ of the yolk mixture into the whites to lighten. Then fold the remaining whites into the yolk mixture, gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the tube pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake until golden brown and the top springs back when touched, about 55minutes to 1hour.
If your pan has feet, invert the pan onto a heatproof surface and allow to cool. If your pan doesn’t have feet, invert 4 heatproof drinking glasses on the counter and rest the inverted pan on top of the glasses to allow air to circulate around the cake while it cools. Let the cake cool completely in the pan, about 2 hours.
To remove the cake from the pan, run a sharp knife around the edge, being careful to leave the golden crust intact. Remove the sides of the pan. Invert the cake onto a serving platter. Run the knife under the removable bottom and lift it off the cake. Slice and serve.
Store uneaten cake wrapped in plastic and kept at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Hello Kitty Cake

2011-06-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

Finally! Someone asked me to do a Hello Kitty cake! I grew up loving Hello Kitty- my relatives from Japan always brought me HK stuff and it was AWESOME. My mom always decorated half-sheet cakes for our birthdays and I remember one year she made me a Hello Kitty cake that I adored. I've been dying to make a HK cake, but no one had requested one.
But finally, my daughter's friend was having a Hello Kitty birthday. The cake was designed to match the party supplies.

The cake was vanilla with strawberry filling. It was so much fun, I want to do another!!

TWD- Brown Sugar Blueberry Plain Cake

2011-06-07T00:11:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest here. I wasn't going to make this week's TWD because it sounded kinda boring. I mean, it says "plain" right in the name! But after reading the handful of rave comments on the P&Q, and remembering that almost EVERY recipe in this book is amazing, I decided to go for it.
This is a very quick cake- it only takes a few minutes to put together. It calls for an 11"x7" pan, which I don't have, so I used a 9"x13". I know that's bigger, but everyone in the P&Q said the blueberries sank, so I thought if the cake was thinner, the blueberries wouldn't sink as much.

This cake is so moist and delicious. The blueberries add the perfect amount of fruity sweetness to it. It tastes like breakfast, but we ate it after dinner. Three-fourths of the pan. It was a hit.

Cindy at Everyday Insanity will have the recipe!

A Discovery of Witches Book Review

2011-06-05T11:11:00.000-07:00

In a departure from baking, I joined the BlogHer Book Club and this month's book is A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness. In a nutshell, I LOVED this book! Kind of Twilight-y, but much more intelligent and grown-up. My review is here. Check it out. And read this book!!

Tangled Cake III

2011-05-21T13:41:00.000-07:00

Somewhat inspired by this cake, this was a Tangled cake for Taylor's 5th birthday. Imagine Tangled character figurines on there (supplied by the birthday girl)! :)

The cake was vanilla with cookies n' cream filling. The tower is made from rice krispy treats.

TWD- Rewind Basic Marbled Loaf

2011-05-10T14:42:00.000-07:00

This was last week's TWD, but this week's TWD for Brown Sugar Bundt required too many nuts and dried fruit for my tastes. But check out the list of TWD'ers who did it here.

This basic loaf cake was simple to put together- it only takes a few ingredients and about 15 minutes to get in the oven. I just made the basic chocolate and vanilla, but in the Playing Around section, there are plenty of other suggestions for tasty combinations.

Dorie suggests several marbling techniques, none of which I used because I was being lazy. Hence, mine was more double-decker than marbled.

This loaf was really good- very dense and rich (the slices pictured were WAY too big). I substituted almond extract for the vanilla and loved the combination with the chocolate.

This is a great, quick breakfast or a gift for your neighbors! The Bake More has the recipe here!

TWD- Berry Double Crisp

2011-04-12T00:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, how depressing that I've been away from TWD for so long. I'm glad to be back (at least for this week) with this AMAZING fruit crisp. Chosen by Sarah, this is supposed to be a strawberry rhubarb crisp. I couldn't find rhubarb (ok, I'm not sure I would've used it if I could), so I used this Very Cherry fruit mix from Trader Joe's. Cherries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. Yum.
The fruit mixture is boiled with sugar and cornstarch to produce a jam-like filling.

Sanwiched between an oatmeal-brown sugar (I omitted the ginger and walnuts) crust, this was HEAVENLY. We served it with vanilla ice cream (we had guests and I thought maybe it was tacky to photograph their dishes) and it was amazing. The perfect way to get me in the mood for some warmer weather!!

Teapots and Cakestands will have the recipe!

And the real reason I've been missing lately:

#4. Are we crazy??!!!

Double-decker Bus Cake

2011-04-08T07:55:00.000-07:00

For my good friend Melissa, who loves London!

The cake was chocolate filled with caramel buttercream. The buttercream was a recipe I hadn't tried before, but has made my list of favorites! Make it and put it on everything!!!

Caramel Buttercream
recipe from Martha Stewart Recipes

Ingredients

- 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 4 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Directions

Bring 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and the water to a boil in a medium saucepan. Wash sides of pan with a wet pastry brush to prevent sugar crystals from forming. Cook, undisturbed, until caramel is dark amber. Remove from heat, and slowly add cream, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth. Let cool.
Beat butter with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
Place whites and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a heatproof mixer bowl set over a pot of simmering water. Whisk until sugar dissolves and mixture registers 160 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat, and attach bowl to a mixer. Whisk on medium speed for 5 minutes. Increase speed to medium-high, and whisk until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 6 minutes. Reduce speed to medium, and add beaten butter, cup at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in vanilla.
Switch to paddle attachment. With mixer on low speed, add caramel, and beat until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes. Use immediately, or cover, and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

Homemade Pizza Dough

2011-04-07T19:53:00.000-07:00

We love pizza. LOVE it. And I love to make it at home. It's fairly easy and low maintenance. I know on cooking shows, they recommend the easiest thing to use for pizza crust is buying some dough from your favorite pizzeria (has anyone tried that?), but I always just make it at home. My old go-to recipe was from Cooking Light, but recently, I tried a crust from Simply Recipes. It's equally easy and quick to put together, but I think it's chewier and has a better texture. And if you haven't checked out Simply Recipes, you should! There are great main dish recipes that I love!
Try this pizza dough out the next time you're in the mood!!

Homemade Pizza

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups warm water (105°F-115°F
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of active dry yeast package
3 1/2 cups bread flour
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon sugar

METHOD

1 In the large bowl of an electric mixer, add the warm water. Sprinkle on the yeast and let sit for 5 minutes.

2 Attach a dough hook to the mixer. Mix in the olive oil, flour, salt and sugar on low speed for a minute. Knead on low speed, until the dough is smooth and elastic.

3 Place ball of dough in a bowl that has been coated lightly with olive oil. Turn the dough around in the bowl so that it gets coated with the oil. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until it doubles in size.

Makes 2 10-12-inch pizzas.

Batman Cake/Cupcakes

2011-04-01T07:08:00.000-07:00

For a 5 year old's birthday- Batman!

Dorie Greenspan's Black and White Chocolate Cake

2011-03-31T19:16:00.000-07:00

I've been in TWD for a few years now and I must've missed making this cake when it came around. A vanilla cake layered with dark chocolate and white chocolate cream, covered in white chocolate cream. I'll say that I'm not a HUGE fan of white chocolate, but the dark chocolate cream in this is worth making just to eat with a spoon. Out of the bowl. Yes, I did.

Black-And-White Chocolate Cake
(from Dorie Greenspan's Baking: From My Home to Yours)
For the Cake:
2 cups cake flour
2 t baking powder
1/8 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
1 1/4 sticks (10 T) unsalted butter, room temp.
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 t pure vanilla extract (I'm going to substitute vanilla beans from my huge stash!)
3/4 cup buttermilk

For the Dark Chocolate Cream:
2 cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
6 T sugar
3 T cornstarch, sifted
1/4 t salt
7 oz bittersweet chocolate, melted
2 1/2 T unsalted butter, cut into 5 pieces, at room temp

For the White Chocolate Whipped Cream:
6 oz premium quality white chocolate (such as Valrhona Ivoire or Guittard), finely chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Chocolate shavings or curls for decoration (optional)

Getting Ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans, dust insides with flour, tap out the excess and line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake: Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until soft and creamy. Add the sugar and beat for another 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, and then the yolk, beating for 1 minute after each addition. Beat in the vanilla; don't be concerned if the mixture looks curdled. Reduce the mixer speed to low and add the dry ingredients alternately with the buttermilk, adding the dry ingredients in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin and end with the dry ingredients); scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed and mix only until the ingredients disappear into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 28 to 30 minutes, rotating the pans at the midway point. When fully baked, the cakes will be golden and springy to the touch and a thin knife inserted into the centers will come out clean. Transfer the cakes to a rack and cool for about 5 minutes, then unmold, remove the paper and invert to cool to room temperature right side up on the rack.

To Make the Dark Chocolate Cream:
Bring the milk to a boil.

Meanwhile, in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the egg yolks with the sugar, cornstarch and salt until thick and well blended. Whisking without stopping, drizzle in about 1/4 cup of the hot milk--this will temper, or warm, the yolks so they won't curdle--then, still whisking, add the remainder of the milk in a steady stream. Put the pan over medium heat and, whisking vigorously, constantly and thoroughly (make sure to get into the edges of the pan), bring the mixture to a boil. Keep at a boil, still whisking, for 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat.

Whisk in the melted chocolate, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then whisk in the pieces of butter, stirring until they are fully incorporated and the chocolate cream is smooth and silky. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface of the cream to create an airtight seal and refrigerate the cream until chilled, or for up to 3 days. Or, if you want to cool the cream quickly, put the bowl with the cream into a larger bowl filled with ice cubes and cold water and stir the cream occasionally until it is thoroughly chilled, about 20 minutes.

To Make the White Chocolate Whipped Cream:
Put the white chocolate in a heatproof bowl and put the bowl over a saucepan of gently simmering water. Stir frequently to melt the chocolate evenly. Meanwhile, bring 1/2 cup of the heavy cream to a boil.

When the white chocolate is melted, remove the bowl from the pan. Pour the hot cream into the melted chocolate and let it sit for a minute. Using a small spatula, stir the chocolate gently until it is smooth. Let it sit on the counter until it reaches room temperature--it can't be the least bit warm when you add it to the whipped cream.

Working with the stand mixer with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the remaining 1 cup heavy cream only until it holds the softest peaks. Turn the machine to high, add the cooled white chocolate all at once and continue to beat until the whipped cream holds firm peaks. Turn the whipped cream into a bowl, press a piece of plastic wrap gently against the surface to create an airtight seal and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 6 hours.

To Assemble the Cake:
If the tops of the cake layers have crowned, use a long serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion to even them. Slice each layer horizontally in half. Place one layer cut side down on a cardboard cake round or on a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.

Remove the dark and white chocolate creams from the refrigerator and whisk each of them vigorously to loosen and smooth them. With a long metal icing spatula, spread enough dark chocolate cream (about 1 cup) over the cake layer to cover it completely. Top the cream with another cake layer, cut side up, and cover this layer with white chocolate whipped cream, making the white layer about the same thickness as the dark layer. Cover with a third layer, cut side up, and cover with another cup of so of the dark chocolate cream. (You'll have some dark chocolate cream left over--use it as a dip for madeleines or sables). Top with the final layer of cake, cut side down, and frost the sides and top with the remaining white chocolate whipped cream. If you'd like to decorate the top with chocolate shavings or curls, do it now.

Refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.

CS Bakers- Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

2011-03-31T19:04:00.000-07:00

Ok, I'm a little late here (about 11 days), but here's my Cake Slice Bakers March cake. I did make it in time for the deadline, but I didn't post it. :(
This cake is amazingly good- it's quick and tastes delicious. It's more of a breakfast-y type cake, in my opinion. Not sure why it's called a pound cake when I thought the reason pound cake is called pound cake is because it has a pound of butter?
I added about 1/2 c chocolate chips in this. Just 'cuz.

March’s Cake: Chocolate Cream Pound Cake

Makes one 9x5 inch loaf cake
March’s Cake: Chocolate Cream Pound Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)
Ingredients
6 tbsp unsweetened Dutch process cocoa powder
¼ cup heavy cream
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
¼ tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
½ cup (1stick) unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Heat the oven to 325F. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan and dust with flour.
Sift the cocoa powder into a heatproof bowl. Place the cream in a microwavable bowl and heat for 30-60 seconds until just boiling. Pour the hot cream over the cocoa and stir and mash with a spoon to make a thick paste. Set aside to cool.
Combine the flour, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and sugar in a large bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bow once or twice as necessary. Beat in the cocoa powder paste until smooth.
With the mixer on medium-low speed add the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Stir in the vanilla.
Turn the mixer to low speed and add the flour mixture, ½ cup at a time, scraping down the sides after each addition. Add the last addition, mix for 30 seconds on medium speed.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a rubber spatula. Bake the cake until it is firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes. Invert it onto a wire rack and then turn it right side up on the rack to cool completely. Slice and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Superman Cake

2011-03-18T08:05:00.000-07:00

A cake for Parker, who turned 16:

Tangled Cake II

2011-03-17T20:04:00.000-07:00

Wow, I have been gone for a while! I was under the weather for a while, and then we had family in town for a few weeks. I haven't done any baking except a couple cakes here and there! I'm ready to get back!
This is a Tangled cake for 4 year old Brynnley. The mom saw my other Tangled cake and wanted something similar.

Photo courtesy of the birthday girl's family.

Daring Bakers- Panna Cotta and Florentine Cookies

2011-02-27T19:29:00.000-08:00

The February 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Mallory from A Sofa in the Kitchen. She chose to challenge everyone to make Panna Cotta from a Giada De Laurentiis recipe and Nestle Florentine Cookies.
Panna Cotta, which is Italian for cooked cream, is my husband's favorite dessert. He's spent a lot of time in Italy, and is fluent in Italian (language and food). This was a simple, straightforward recipe. My husband is a purist when it comes to Italian food so I just did vanilla. I didn't used honey as I don't like things sweetened with honey. I also cut down the cream milk ratio. Pictures are coming!

Panna Cotta
Adapted from Giada DeLaurentiis
Ingredients
1 cup (240 ml) whole milk
1 tablespoon (one packet) (15 ml) (7 gm) (¼ oz) unflavored powdered gelatin
1 cup whipping cream (30+% butterfat)
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
pinch of salt

Directions:

Pour the milk into a bowl or pot and sprinkle gelatin evenly and thinly over the milk (make sure the bowl/pot is cold by placing the bowl/pot in the refrigerator for a few minutes before you start making the Panna Cotta). Let stand for 5 minutes to soften the gelatin.
Pour the milk into the saucepan/pot and place over medium heat on the stove. Heat this mixture until it is hot, but not boiling, about five minutes. (I whisk it a few times at this stage).
Next, add the cream, milk, sugar, and pinch of salt. Making sure the mixture doesn't boil, continue to heat and stir occasionally until the sugar and honey have dissolved 5-7 minutes.
Remove from heat, allow it to sit for a few minutes to cool slightly. Then pour into the glass or ramekin.
Refrigerate at least 6 hours or overnight. Add garnishes and serve.

CS Bakers- Chocolate Heath Bar Cake

2011-02-20T10:16:00.000-08:00

Guess I've been MIA in Cake Slice Bakers again. But I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make something with Health bars. My favorite candy bar. I've always been disappointed when using the Heath baking bits in recipes, though. The whole point of Heath bars is the crunchy texture, and the baking bits always end up soggy.
This recipe, for Chocolate Heath Bar cake (we don't drink coffee so I subbed cocoa), uses chopped up candy bars. The cake is a simple cake topped with a Heath bar streusel. The cake was a fave with our friends and family. The cake is moist, and the crunch chocolatey Heath bar is a fun topping. It tasted like a breakfast cake to us. Try it out!

February’s Cake: Coffee Heath Bar Crunch Cake
(Recipe from Cake Keeper Cakes by Lauren Chattman)

For the Cake
1½ cups all purpose flour
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup milk

For the Streusel
1 cup/4 Heath bars (1.4ounces each), chopped *(see below)
2 tbsp light brown sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
1 tbsp butter, softened

Method – Streusel
Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a 9inch round springform pan.
Combine the Heath bars, brown sugar, flour and butter in a medium mixing bowl. Work the mixture with your fingers until it resembles large crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Method – Cake
Combine the flour, espresso powder, baking powder and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
Combine the butter and brown sugar in a large mixing bowl and cream with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. With the mixer on low speed, add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla.
With the mixer on low speed, add a third of the flour mixture and then half the milk, scraping down the bowl after each addition. Repeat, alternating the flour and milk, ending with the flour.
Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth into an even layer with a spatula. Scatter the streusel onto the batter, distributing it evenly over the cake.
Bake the cake until golden and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 5 minutes. Release the sides of the pan and use a large spatula to slide the cake from the pan bottom to onto a wire rack. Cool completely, cut into wedges and serve.
Store uneaten cake in a cake keeper or wrap in plastic and store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Chewy, No-Roll Sugar Cookies

2011-02-17T19:49:00.000-08:00

We have three kids, but even before we had three kids, we had a middle child. Maybe since about the time she was 10 months old, she was a middle child. Countless things have been broken/ruined by this girl. But I do feel badly for her- never the first or last to do anything. With all that feisty comes the sweetest, goofiest, loving girl you can imagine.

Today, while she was stuck at home while her older sister had playgroup, I suggested we make cookies together. I wanted chocolate chip, but she wanted "vanilla. With pink fwinkows (sprinkles)."
Fine.
I didn't want to have to chill, roll and cut them, so I made this recipe for sugar cookies that is so easy and the cookies are SO good. Chewy with a little crisp edge, thick and moist. Just like my ideal chocolate chip cookie.

As you can see, I rolled some of them in fwinkows like LuLu asked, and then frosted some. My preference is frosted, but fwinkows are a big hit, too!

Chewy No-Roll Sugar Cookies
makes about 3 dozen

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
2/3 cup unsalted butter, slightly softened
1/2 cup shortening
2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract
sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter, shortening and sugar until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl between additions. Add vanilla and mix well. Gradually add flour mixture and mix just until combined.
Roll dough into 2 inch balls and cover with sprinkles (skip sprinkles if using frosting). Place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets and bake 8-10 minutes, until edges are crisp and middle is just slightly soft. Let cool 2 minutes before removing from pan to racks to cool completely. Frost, if desired.

Quick Fluffy Frosting
makes about 1 cup

1/2 cup shortening
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 T milk
1/2 t almond extract (or vanilla)

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the shortening until smooth. Gradually add the confectioners sugar and extract, and beat until fluffy, adding milk to reach the proper consistency.

TWD- Chocolate Oatmeal Drops

2011-02-15T04:21:00.000-08:00

This week's TWD is for Chocolate Oatmeal Drops. I've never had chocolate oatmeal cookies. Obviously, I've had oatmeal chocolate chip cookies, but not chocolate oatmeal. These cookies are super easy and quick- they get their rich (I mean, RICH) chocolate flavor from cocoa powder and melted chocolate. I halved the recipe because I wasn't sure if my family would love them. Actually, I halved it because I only had 1 stick of butter in my fridge. :)
I thought these were fairly tasty, but not my favorite. I might have overbaked them a little- they seemed a little dry. My husband ate one. My two daughters ate a couple each. And my 18 month old ate 5. Today. (I know, what kind of mother lets an 18 month old eat 5 cookies? One who's trying to get a Valentine's present for her husband at the mall!)

The recipe will be here.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2011-02-14T05:55:00.000-08:00

I'll be honest here. I've never been someone who really gets into Valentine's Day. Sure, I loved making mailboxes in elementary school and giving valentines to my classmates (and I did save the best valentine in the box for the cute boy). This Valentine's day might hold the most excitement for me because my 5 year old told me tonight that she's going to get up in the morning and put something special on my nightstand that she made in school. She also said with a totally serious face, "sorry, mom, I didn't make blue hydrangeas or marzipan at school for you," (my two favorite things).
To help me get into the spirit of things a little, I baked up some goodies. Some heart sugar cookies (recipe here):

An owl/heart cake for Elizabeth, who turned 1. The cake is red velvet with cream cheese buttercream (very Valentinesy):

And lastly, some heart cake pops- red velvet, of course!

I am looking forward to spending the day with my family, being outside and eating yummy food. But who needs a holiday to do that?

Carnitas

2011-02-09T10:24:00.000-08:00

I love Mexican food. LOVE it. When I was younger, I didn't like it because I thought it was to fattening. Seriously, what was I thinking? Granted, the only Mexican food I'd had at that point was drenched in sauce and cheese (although now, I think that's heavenly). My favorite Mexican dish of all time is carnitas- pork roast simmered in liquid, and then roasted. I hadn't really had it until I moved to Los Angeles after I finished college. Southern California has so many different little taco shops and restaurants that have amazing carnitas.
I decided to make some myself. I was tempted to go the slow cooker route, but I decided doing it in the oven seemed more authentic. I found David Lebovitz's recipe for carnitas and decided to try it. The recipe is very straight forward and requires relatively few ingredients. After searing the pieces of meat, you simmer them in the oven with water, a cinnamon stick, cumin, garlic, chili powder and bay leaves.

The recipe says to cook it for 3.5 hours, but mine was done after about 2.5. After shredding the meat and putting it back in the oven to crisp up, we had an AMAZING taco dinner. I was surprised how easy and delicious homemade carnitas is. Try this recipe; you'll be glad you did!

Carnitas
Serves Eight
Adapted from The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz
4-5-pounds boneless pork should, cut into 5-inch chunks, trimmed of excess fat
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
2 tablespoons canola or neutral vegetable oil
water
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon ancho chile powder
2 bay leaves
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and thinly-sliced
1. Rub the pieces of pork shoulder all over with salt. Refrigerate for 1- to 3-days. (You can skip this step if you want. Just be sure to salt the pork before searing the meat in the next step.)
2. Heat the oil in a roasting pan set on the stovetop. Cook the pieces of pork shoulder in a single layer until very well-browned, turning them as little as possible so they get nice and dark before flipping them around. If your cooking vessel is too small to cook them in a single-layer, cook them in two batches.
3. Once all the pork is browned, remove them from the pot and blot away any excess fat with a paper towel, then pour in about a cup of water, scraping the bottom of the pan with a flat-edged utensil to release all the tasty brown bits.
4. Heat the oven to 350F (180C) degrees.
5. Add the pork back to the pan and add enough water so the pork pieces are 2/3rd’s submerged in liquid. Add the cinnamon stick and stir in the chile powders, bay leaves, cumin and garlic.
7. Braise in the oven uncovered for 3½ hours, turning the pork a few times during cooking, until much of the liquid is evaporated and the pork is falling apart. Remove the pan from the oven and lift the pork pieces out of the liquid and set them on a platter.
8. Once the pork pieces are cool enough to handle, shred them into bite-sized pieces, about 2-inches (7 cm), discarding any obvious big chunks of fat if you wish.
9. Return the pork pieces back to the roasting pan and cook in the oven, turning occasionally, until the liquid has evaporated and the pork is crispy and caramelized. It will depend on how much liquid the pork gave off, and how crackly you want them.

TWD? No. But Dinosaur cake? Yes!

2011-02-08T12:16:00.000-08:00

Sorry, there's no Bourbon Bread Pudding here. We don't drink alcohol so we don't have any in our house. Plus, I was busy making this:

Cute Cody turned 4 and wanted a dinosaur cake. Last year it was horses. The cake is covered and decorated in fondant. The dinosaur is gunpaste/fondant. Cake is chocolate with vanilla buttercream.

Rarrrhhh!

Simple Fried Brown Rice

2011-02-03T07:05:00.000-08:00

In the seemingly never-ending quest to feed my kids healthier food, we bought brown calrose rice from Costco last week. My husband and I like brown rice, but I wasn't sure if our kids would feel the same way. For those of you who don't know, brown rice is considered "whole grain" because the husk is still in tact. Brown rice and white rice have similar calorie, carbohydrate and protein amounts, but brown rice is much higher in vitamins.
I make this rice as a quick, go-to dinner. You can alter in many different ways- adding different vegetables or meat. I've made it with ham or pork; I always have frozen peas and corn on hand, but I've thrown in broccoli and carrots as well. I find this recipe is a good way to get my kids to eat vegetables since they're all mixed together.. and a little soy sauce doesn't hurt, either!

Simple Fried Rice

2 slices bacon (or 1 cup diced ham, cubed pork, etc.)

2 cups cooked brown rice, cold

3 eggs

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1/2 cup frozen shelled edamame

5 T of low-sodium soy sauce

In a large skillet, cook the bacon on medium heat until crisp. Remove from pan and place on paper towels to drain. Wipe the skillet with a paper towel and add the cooked brown rice. Return the pan to medium heat and fry the rice for 2 minutes. Move the rice to one side of the pan, and add the eggs to the other side. Scramble the eggs for a minute, then stir in the rice, mixing until the rice and eggs are combined. Let cook until the eggs are no longer wet, stirring occasionally.

Add the peas, corn, edamame and soy sauce. Cover and let cook 3-4 minutes, until vegetables are warmed through. Serve immediately.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake

2011-02-02T00:16:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine is having a baby boy soon, and for her shower she requested this chocolate chocolate chip bundt cake. I guess it was a hit at another shower and the mom-to-be loved it- A simple bundt from a mix, topped with cream cheese frosting. I added some fondant flowers and a little bear.

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Bundt Cake
recipe adapted from Gabrielle D'Ambra

Chocolate Chocolate Chip

1 pkg. devils food cake mix
1 small pkg. instant chocolate pudding
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup oil
1 cup chocolate chips

Mix first six ingredients together with an electric mixer. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a greased bunt cake pan. Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 35-40 mins. Remove from oven. Let cool for 20 mins. Remove from pan and cool on rack completely.

Cream Cheese Frosting

1 (8 ounce) pkg. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c. butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, cream together the cream cheese and butter until creamy. Mix in the vanilla, then gradually stir in the powdered sugar.

TWD- Great Grains Muffins

2011-02-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

I think Julie put it best on the P&Q when she said, "After months of sugar overload, this might be just what I need." Seriously. The holidays are over. But somehow, desserts just keep popping up.

These muffins, with cornmeal, oatmeal and whole wheat flour aren't exactly healthy. They still have plenty of sugar and butter. The recipe calls for dried fruit, but you know what I think about that. I did have the urge to put chocolate chips in them, but I'm proud to say I resisted (ok, I am kinda regretting it). They tasted like cornbread to us, very dense and moist.

They are quick to put together, if not all that exciting. Happy Tummy will have the recipe. And check out other TWD'ers here.

Daring Bakers- Biscuit Joconde Imprime/Entremet

2011-01-27T03:11:00.000-08:00

The January 2011 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Astheroshe of the blog accro. She chose to challenge everyone to make a Biscuit Joconde Imprime to wrap around an Entremets dessert. This is my first DB challenge in... over a year and a half! Sad, because this group is so fun and I love trying new things.
This challenge was a little intimidating, I'll admit, mainly because I don't even know how to pronounce it. The challenge is to make a joconde imprime, which is a design baked into a sponge cake. This is wrapped around an "entrement," which is a dessert with different layers of cake, pastry creams, etc. in a mold. If you Google "biscuit joconde imprime" images, you'll get the idea. Gorgeous.
Anyhoo, you make the biscuit joconde first, which is just a sponge cake. I used ground almonds for the nut flour. Once the batter is made, you make the joconde decor paste, which is butter, sugar, egg whites and cake flour. I made mine chocolate (of course).
To make the design, you can use any number of methods. I piped dots and lines, but I wished I had a pastry comb. After I made mine all chocolate, I also wished I had left some white so I could do different colors. Also, I only made half of the decor paste and still had a bunch left over. Maybe quartering or a third of the recipe is sufficient.

After the design is piped, you freeze it solid for a few minutes, and then pour the sponge batter over the design and bake. Do not bake for very long, and do not let the sponge cool too long before releasing from the silicone mat. Mine was a little difficult to remove.
I used a 9" springform for the mold, but you could use small molds of any shape. You cut the sponge to fit the inside of the mold, layering if needed. For the entrement, or filling, you could use cake, cheesecake, fruit, creams, mousse, etc. I used vanilla and chocolate pastry creams, topped with a chocolate ganache glaze.

This was so fun and I would love to try it again now that I know a little better what to expect. The biscuit joconde is not very tasty; next time I would try to make it thinner (mine was about 1/2" thick). I would also use a different filling- layers of cake or a cheesecake would hold up better. Check out the DB site to see others' gorgeous creations!!

Joconde Sponge

YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients:

¾ cup/ 180 ml/ 3oz/ 85g almond flour/meal - *You can also use hazelnut flour, just omit the butter

½ cup plus 2 tablespoons/ 150 ml/ 2⅔ oz/ 75g confectioners' (icing) sugar

¼ cup/ 60 ml/ 1 oz/ 25g cake flour *See note below

3 large eggs - about 5⅓ oz/ 150g

3 large egg whites - about 3 oz/ 90g

2½ teaspoons/ 12½ ml/ ⅓ oz/ 10g white granulated sugar or superfine (caster) sugar

2 tablespoons/ 30 ml/ 1oz / 30g unsalted butter, melted

Directions:

1. In a clean mixing bowl whip the egg whites and white granulated sugar to firm, glossy peeks. Reserve in a separate clean bowl to use later.

2. Sift almond flour, confectioner’s sugar, cake flour

3. On medium speed, add the eggs a little at a time. Mix well after each addition. Mix until smooth and light.

4. Fold in one third reserved whipped egg whites to almond mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in remaining whipped egg whites. Do not over mix.

5. Fold in melted butter.

6. Reserve batter to be used later.

Patterned Joconde-Décor Paste
YIELD: Two ½ size sheet pans or a 13” x 18” (33 x 46 cm) jelly roll pan

Ingredients
14 tablespoons/ 210ml/ 7oz/ 200g unsalted butter, softened
1½ cups plus1½ tablespoons/ 385ml/ 7oz/ 200g Confectioners' (icing) sugar
7 large egg whites - about 7 oz / 200g
1¾ cup/ 420ml/ 7¾ oz/ 220g cake flour
Food coloring gel, paste or liquid
COCOA Décor Paste Variation: Reduce cake flour to 6 oz / 170g. Add 2 oz/ 60 g cocoa powder. Sift the flour and cocoa powder together before adding to creamed mixture.

Directions:
1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy (use stand mixer with blade, hand held mixer, or by hand)
2. Gradually add egg whites. Beat continuously.
3. Fold in sifted flour.
4. Tint batter with coloring to desired color, if not making cocoa variation.
Preparing the Joconde- How to make the pattern:
1. Spread a thin even layer of décor paste approximately 1/4 inch (5 millimeter) thick onto silicone baking mat with a spatula, or flat knife. Place mat on an upside down baking sheet. The upside down sheet makes spreading easier with no lip from the pan.
2. Pattern the décor paste – Here is where you can be creative. Make horizontal /vertical lines (you can use a knife, spatula, cake/pastry comb). Squiggles with your fingers, zig zags, wood grains. Be creative whatever you have at home to make a design can be used. OR use a piping bag. Pipe letters, or polka dots, or a piped design. If you do not have a piping bag. Fill a ziplock bag and snip off corner for a homemade version of one.
3. Slide the baking sheet with paste into the freezer. Freeze hard. Approx 15 minutes.
4. Remove from freezer. Quickly pour the Joconde batter over the design. Spread evenly to completely cover the pattern of the Décor paste.
5
5. Bake at 475ºF /250ºC until the joconde bounces back when slightly pressed, approx. 15 minutes. You can bake it as is on the upside down pan. Yes, it is a very quick bake, so watch carefully.
6. Cool. Do not leave too long, or you will have difficulty removing it from mat.
7. Flip cooled cake on to a powdered sugared parchment paper. Remove silpat. Cake should be right side up, and pattern showing! (The powdered sugar helps the cake from sticking when cutting.)

TWD- Chocolatety, Swirly Sour Cream Bundt Cake

2011-01-25T01:57:00.000-08:00

I have a confession.
I don't own a bundt pan.
I've been baking since I was a kid and I don't have a bundt pan. I have a tube pan, which we got for our wedding. I use it maybe once a year for angel food cake.
I had two bundts to make last week. I should've bought one. But I borrowed.
This week's TWD is for a nutty, chocolatey bundt with raisins (what? EW!). I just made a chocolatey one. The cake is layered with a cinnamon/sugar/chocolate swirl- one in the middle, and one at the bottom (top?).

Dorie says in her recipe not to worry if the mixture on the bottom isn't completely covered with batter.
But you should worry.

That's what happened when I unmolded mine. A pile of filling. However, I didn't have any problem with the cake sticking, like some others did.

I thought this cake was mostly good. I added a 1/2 cup of cocoa powder to the cake batter. There was a little too much cinnamon for my tastes- if you omit the nuts, maybe cut back on the cinnamon to one teaspoon. I would also omit the salt in the filling altogether.

Jennifer has the recipe!!