Been a long time....

So....it has been a while...okay, a LONG while. Have I been baking? OF COURSE!!!

The musical is over and was a success. A lot of time, a lot of work but sooooo worth it! So, here is what I have been up to......Friday I made a couple things. 1. Red Velvet cake...my first one! 2. Fudge puddle. Miles and miles of fudge puddles.

So, here it is...Red Velvet cake.

PICTURE

Ingredients

• Vegetable oil for the pans
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tablespoons red food coloring (1 ounce)
• 1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly oil and flour 3 (9 by 1 1/2-inch round) cake pans.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In another large bowl, whisk together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla.

Using a standing mixer, mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined and a smooth batter is formed.

Divide the cake batter evenly among the prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the oven evenly spaced apart. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through the cooking, until the cake pulls away from the side of the pans, and a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean, about 30 minutes.

Remove the cakes from the oven and run a knife around the edges to loosen them from the sides of the pans. One at a time, invert the cakes onto a plate and then re-invert them onto a cooling rack, rounded-sides up. Let cool completely.

Frost the cake. Place 1 layer, rounded-side down, in the middle of a rotating cake stand. Using a palette knife or offset spatula spread some of the cream cheese frosting over the top of the cake. (Spread enough frosting to make a 1/4 to 1/2-inch layer.) Carefully set another layer on top, rounded-side down, and repeat. Top with the remaining layer and cover the entire cake with the remaining frosting.

FROSTING:

1 cup whole milk
2 TBSP cornstarch
1 cup white sugar
1 cup butter
1 tsp Vanilla

To Make Icing: In a saucepan, combine the milk and 5 tablespoons flour. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens. Set aside to cool completely. Cream together butter, 1 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla until light and fluffy, then stir in the cooled milk and flour mixture, beating until icing reaches spreading consistency.

Another Friday baking adventure

So, as I mentioned in my other post today...I found a new Chocolate chip cookie recipe that I kind of like...it is out a cookbook that my mother bought me from a rummage sale in New York City when she went last fall. The cookies themselves, are not pretty. But I will give you a picture.

And as long as I am here....I will include the picture and recipe of the whoopie pies that I made a couple weeks ago!!

Annie's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cookbook: Trevor Family Favorite Cookbook

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 to 9 minutes
servings: 4 dozen (not in the Mazzara household....but that is what the book says!)

2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter at room temperature
3/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar firmly packed (you can use regular brown sugar, I have done both)
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
2 cups chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in small bowl.

Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in a large bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually beat in flour mixture.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake for 8 to 9 minutes or until barely brown for soft chewy cookies. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove to wire racks to cool completely.



NOW....a couple weeks ago, I decided to make whoopie pies. Another new adventure. But they were well received. :)

Recipe From: King Arthur's flour

Ingredients

Cakes

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa
• 2 1/3 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 1 cup milk

Filling

• 1 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
• 1 1/3 cups Marshmallow Fluff or marshmallow creme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Cakes

• 4 ounces butter
• 7 1/2 ounces brown sugar, packed
• 1 teaspoon espresso powder, optional
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/2 ounces Dutch-process cocoa
• 10 ounces King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
• 8 ounces milk

Filling

• 6 1/4 ounces vegetable shortening
• 4 ounces confectioners' sugar or glazing sugar
• 5 7/8 ounces Marshmallow Fluff or 1 1/3 cups marshmallow creme
• 1/4 teaspoon salt dissolved in 1 tablespoon water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease (or line with parchment) two baking sheets.

2) To make the cakes: In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter, sugar, espresso powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and vanilla till smooth. Add the egg, again beating till smooth.

3) Add the cocoa, stirring to combine.

4) Add the flour to the batter alternately with the milk, beating till smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl, and beat again briefly to soften and combine any chunky scrapings.

5) Drop the dough by the 1/4-cupful onto the prepared baking sheets, leaving plenty of room between the cakes; they'll spread. A muffin scoop works well here.

6) Bake the cakes for 15 to 16 minutes, till they're set and firm to the touch. Remove them from the oven, and cool on the pans. While still lukewarm, use a spatula to separate them from the pan or parchment; then allow to cool completely.

7) To make the filling: Beat together the shortening, sugar, and marshmallow till well combined.

8) Dissolve the salt in the water, and add to the marshmallow mixture. Add the vanilla, and beat till smooth.

9) Spread the flat side of half the cakes with the filling. Top with the remaining cakes, flat side towards the filling. Wrap individually, in plastic wrap, till ready to serve.

10) Yield: 8 large whoopie pies (about 4" dia., about 5 ounces each). To make smaller pies, see tips at right.

FRIDAY FRIDAY FRIDAY

Above you will see my little black cat who decided that it was necessary to make herself known while I was trying to take pictures of the fudge puddles.

Today was gloomy and yucky and a perfect day to bake.

I have once again taken up running. My new goal is to be able to run a 10K by June 15. Of to a good start this week...Tuesday was 4.95 miles, Wednesday was 5.3 miles and Thursday was 5.3 miles. Today is my day "off". So I decided to bake!

Last night...I made cut out cookies for Bella to take to school and this morning we frosted. Now...I say WE....that means that I frosted and she decorated....well...created a really big mess. So that is how my day started.

Then...I made rhubarb dessert to give to my grandmother who is currently not eating a whole lot...thinking that something high in calorie would be good for the 92 year old woman. Then on to Chocolate chip cookies...with a new recipe that I really kind of like...I will post it. THEN...because Shannon brought it up, I decided to make Fudge Puddles. Now this is a recipe that I found about 7 or 8 months ago when I first started this whole baking kick. And because Shannon raved about them so...I decided to try them. They are REALLY good. :) I would also like to try a few different variations as far as the chips are concerned, but here is the recipe....




Recipe adapted from: Fudge Puddles

Fudge Puddles
For the "crust" of the cookie:
1/2 c. butter, softened
1/2 c. creamy peanut butter
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt

In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla:


Next, in a seperate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mix. to the creamy mixture:




Chill in the fridge for at least one hour (or if you're impatient like me, in the freezer for about 15 minutes). Remove from fridge and form into 1" balls. I use a small melon baller scoop to make mine a uniform size. Grease a mini-muffin pan and add 1 ball to each muffin cup:


Bake in a 325 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball:



Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack. Once all of the cookies are done baking, it's time to make the fudge filling:

Filling:
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips (if you don't like butterscotch, just use milk chocolate chips)
1-14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. vanilla
chopped nuts or sprinkles(optional)

In a microwave safe bowl or saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts/sprinkles. Microwave for 1 minutes. Stir well. If there are still unmelted chips, continue to melt in microwave for 15 second increments until all smooth:






Immediately start filling the cookie cups with the filling. It will start to harden just a bit as you do it, so make sure to give it a good stir once in awhile. Sprinkle with the nuts or just leave plain. Let set for an hour or so. When I filled these, I put the chocolate mixture into a ziploc bag and cut off the end. I do believe that it was easier than trying to use a spoon!!


Tip: You can use the extra chocolate mixture over ice cream later on. Just store in the fridge and heat when ready to use. It's so good!

Once again, time to catch up

BIRTHDAY!! Last week was Calvin's birthday. I made cakes. Yes...more than one. The first cake was made to take to the FCR. To celebrate. And I am told that they like things that contain alcohol....so off to the Cambridge cooler I went in search of Baily's Caramel Irish Cream. Yea....for $26 a bottle....not going to happen. Especially since I was only using a small amount. However...I found a box of four little bottles....for only $10. SOLD! Off I went. Back into the little red car and and home to make frosting. So....here is cake #1. Baily's Caramel Irish Cream Cake.

Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream Cake
Chocolate Cake(recipe follows)
Chocolate-Caramel Ganache(recipe follows)
Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting(recipe follows)
Store bought Caramel Sauce



Deeply Dark Devils Food Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

11 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups warm water


1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9 inch cake rounds and dust with flour.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to incorporate.
3. Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additons alternating with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake cake for 45-55 mintues. Cool cake for 20 minutes after baking.
5. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely before frosting.
Source: The Cake Book by Tish Boyle


Bailey’s Buttercream Frosting
3 large eggs

4 large egg yolks

½ cup water

2 cups sugar

3 cups of butter, at room temperature

½ tsp salt

4 TBSP Bailey’s Caramel Irish Cream

Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and yolks in a large bowl on high speed for about 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar; simmer until it reaches the soft ball stage, registering between 234 and 240F on a candy thermometer. Immediately transfer the syrup to a large heatproof liquid measuring cup. In a slow, thin stream, add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture., mixing on low speed the entire time. Increase the speed to medium and beat about 7 minutes, until the syrup has cooled. Add the butter, half a stick at a time, beating on medium after each addition. Once all of the butter has been added, beat on medium speed until the frosting thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and Irish Cream.


Chocolate-Caramel Ganache
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 cup heavy whipping cream

10 caramel candies, unwrapped

Place the chocolate in a medium bowl. Heat the cream and caramels over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the caramels have melted completely. Pour the hot mixture over the chocolate and stir until melted.
Source: Both Ganache and Buttercream are adapted from The Pastry Queen by Rebecca Rather with Alison Oresman


To Assemble: .
Take your two 9-inch cake and cut each one of those layers horizontally in half(so you should have 4 layers). Place the bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer. This time spread the chocolate-caramel ganache on that layer. Place third layer on top of that and spread more buttercream. Place forth layer and frost the top and sides of the cake with remaining frosting. Drizzle store bought caramel over the cake, however much you would like. Place cake in refrigerator until ready to serve.



CAKE #2.



This was our birthday cake for the family. We have a tradition that we go out for dinner as a family for everyone's birthday. So...off to Red Robin we went because the famirefused Shushi....me included!

Deeply Dark Devils Food Cake
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp baking soda

3/4 tsp salt

11 TBSP unsalted butter, softened

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder

2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

1 1/3 cups warm water

I will post the frosting at a later date. It is from Dorie Greenspans cookbook. It is the marshmallow frosting for the devils food white out cake.
The cake is topped with Seroogys Dark chocolate curls. YUM!
1. Preheat oven to 325F. Grease two 9 inch cake rounds and dust with flour.
2. Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Mix to incorporate.
3. Beat the butter at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high speed for about 3 minutes. Add the cocoa powder and beat for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides with a spatula. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Beat in the vanilla. On low speed, add the flour mixture in three additons alternating with the warm water in two additions. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix at low speed for 30 seconds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake cake for 45-55 mintues. Cool cake for 20 minutes after baking.
5. Remove cake from pan and let cool completely before frosting.
Source: The Cake Book by Tish Boyle

AND...Rhubarb Dessert....
Rhubarb Dessert:
Recipe adapted from: cooks.com

1 c. flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 egg
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. butter
2 tbsp. milk
4 c. raw rhubarb, diced
1 (3 oz.) pkg. strawberry jello

TOPPING:

1 c. sugar
1/2 c. flour
3 tbsp. butter

Mix together flour, salt, baking powder, and butter; add egg and milk. Press into ungreased 9x9 pan. Cover with diced rhubarb. Sprinkle with dry gelatin.

Mix topping until crumbly. Sprinkle over top. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 minutes. Serves 9.

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So...just catching up on things that I have made....and there are several. :)



The first is a white cake that I made for Easter..it is from Dorie Greenspans cookbook. I did not use the raspberry preserves, I used Fresh strawberries instead.

Makes 12 to 14 servings

For the Cake

• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/4 cups whole milk or buttermilk
• 4 large egg whites
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream

• 1 cup sugar
• 4 large egg whites
• 3 sticks (12 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing

• 2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves, stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
• About 1 1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconutGetting Ready: Center a rack in the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9-x-2-inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

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

Whisk together the milk and egg whites in a medium bowl.

Put the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant. Add the butter and, working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light. Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed. Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs, beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2-minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the tough – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean. Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unmold them and peel off the paper liners. Invert and cool to room temperature right side up. (The cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to 2 months.)

To Make the Buttercream: Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or other large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a pan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream. Remove the bowl from the heat.

Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes. Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth. Once all the butter is in, beat the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6 to 10 minutes. During this time, the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again. On medium speed, gradually beat in the lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny, smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake: Using a sharp, serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper. Spread it with one third of the preserves. Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream. Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with the third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream left over). Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving: The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but it’s best to let it set for a couple of hours in a cool room. Serve it at room temperature with anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing: The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to 2 days.

The second...it scotcheroo cookies. Yes...they taste EXACTLY like the rice krispie treats that we all know and LOVE.

Scotcheroo Cookies (makes about 4 dozen)

1 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour (you can use regular all purpose flour if you want)
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 stick (8 TBSP) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 cup peanut butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light corn syrup
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cup Rice Krispies
1 cup butterscotch chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In mixing bowl combine the butter, peanut butter and brown sugar. Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. Add in the corn syrup and mix, then scrape down beaters and bowl. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then add the vanilla. Scraped down beats and bowl again, then add the flour mixture and mix well. Using sturdy spoon add the Rice Krispies and butterscotch and chocolate chips.

Cover dough and refrigerate dough for at least two hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Remove the dough from the fridge and place tablespoons full of cookie dough two inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Place cookies immediately into preheated oven and replace unused dough back in fridge. It's important to keep the dough cold until right before you're ready to bake each pan of cookies and remember to always use a cooled baking sheet.

Bake for 9-10 minutes, until center is just set and the edges have just begun to brown. Remove cookies from oven and let cool for a few minutes on baking sheet before removing them to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Last night, I was in the mood to bake...so I decided on these....

Millionaire’s Shortbread

Source: Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito

For the shortbread:

½ cup sugar

1 ¼ cups (2 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened

1 large egg yolk, slightly beaten

For the caramel filling:

28 ounces sweetened condensed milk

For the chocolate glaze:

6 ounces dark chocolate, (60% cacao), coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon light corn syrup

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes

Make the shortbread:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter together until blended.

Add 2 cups of the flour and beat until well combined. Add the egg yolk and beat for a few seconds, or until just combined.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Dust the top off the dough and your hands with a little flour. Use your hands to gently work the dough into a 6×6-inch square. You will have to turn the dough and sprinkle the top with flour as you go. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup flour on the surface of the dough. Fold the dough over and knead until incorporated, then flatten the dough into a rectangle. Transfer the rectangle to the prepared pan and press it into the pan.

Prick the dough all over with a fork and bake in the center of the oven for 20 to 22 minutes, until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

Make the caramel filling:

Put the sweetened condensed milk in a medium heatproof bowl and set it over a saucepan of boiling water over low heat. Cook for 1 to 1 ½ hours, until thick and caramel colored. Remove the bowl from the pan and beat until smooth. (alternately, you could just bake the sweetened condensed milk in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for the same amount of time).

Make the chocolate glaze:

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly. Pour the mixture over the chilled caramel layer and use an offset spatula to spread it into an even layer.

Put in the refrigerator for 1 hour, or until the glaze hardens.

Remove the pan from the refrigerator 30 minutes before serving so as not to crack the chocolate glaze. Cut into squares and serve.

The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

And last but not least....the peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. I used chunky peanut butter and Seroogy dark chocolate candy bars for the top. YUM!

Ingredients

Makes 36

* 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)
* 4 tablespoons ( 1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
* 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 2 large eggs
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, whisk together flour and baking soda; set aside. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat peanut butter, butter, and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla, and beat until smooth. With mixer on low, gradually add flour mixture, beating just until combined. Stir in chocolate chunks.
2. Drop dough by heaping tablespoons, 1 inch apart, onto two large baking sheets. Bake until golden, 13 to 15 minutes, rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer cookies to wire racks to cool.

Birthday cake....

I never make something for an occasion without trying it first. So, yesterday I dove into a Lemon Lust Cake...thinking that I could make it for my mother's birthday which is Friday. While the cake turned out well and my Mom really liked it....my children turned their nose up and walked away and never even asked for a TASTE! So, it will be a no go for birthday party cake....must find something that the children will eat as well. So perhaps today, I will try a German chocolate or something coconut....that is yet to be determined!

So, here it is...Lemon Lust Cake....everything is from scratch. whooo hoooo my kind of cake!
Recipe from: eatmedelicious.com

The lemon cream cheese filling and lemon buttercream each call for 1 cup of lemon curd, but I think the lemon curd recipe here makes a little less than 2 cups so just split the lemon curd evenly for the filling and the icing.

Lemon Cake
3 cups (342 g) cake flour
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 cups (350 g) granulated sugar
4 large eggs
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 cup strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
2/3 cup whole milk

Lemon Curd
8 large egg yolks
1 1/4 cups (250 g) granulated sugar
2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
3/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
pinch of salt
1/2 cup (4 oz) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

Lemon Cream Cheese Filling
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 ounces (113 g) cream cheese, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup Lemon Curd

Lemon Soaking Syrup
1/3 cup (80 mL) water
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Lemon Buttercream
1 1/2 cups (12 oz) unsalted butter, softened
1 cup Lemon Curd
Pinch of salt

Make the lemon curd:
1. Set a fine mesh sieve over a medium bowl and set aside. In a medium heavy nonreactive saucepan, whisk together the egg yolks, and sugar until blended. Stir in the lemon zest and juice, salt, and butter and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, 7 to 10 minutes (do not let the custard boil, or it will curdle). The mixture should leave a path on the back of a wooden spoon when you draw your finger across it. Immediately strain the mixture through the sieve, pressing it through with a rubber spatula.

2. Set the bowl containing the lemon mixture in a large bowl filled about one-third of the way with ice water (be careful that the water doesn't splash into the lemon mixture). Stir the mixture frequently until it is slightly chilled, about 15 minutes. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use. Ashley note: I didn't use plastic wrap, just put it in an airtight container as is. (The curd can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to 3 weeks in an airtight container.)

Make the cake:
3. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9 inch round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour and tap out the excess.

4. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.

5. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until well blended and light, about 3 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Reduce the speed to medium and add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and mixing until blended. Beat in the lemon zest and lemon juice until blended. Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating it with the milk in two additions and mixing just until blended. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.

6. Bake the cakes for 22 to 25 minutes, until they are golden brown around the edges and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes.

7. Invert the cakes onto the wire racks and let cool completely.

Make the filling:
8. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the whisk attachment, beat the heavy cream at high speed until firm peaks form. Transfer the whipped cream to a smaller bowl, cover and refrigerate.

9. In the same mixer bowl (no need to wash it), using the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium speed until very creamy, about 2 minutes. On low speed, beat in the vanilla extract. Add the lemon curd and beat at medium speed until well blended and smooth, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the mixer stand and, using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the whipped cream until almost completely blended. Cover the bowl and refrigerate while you make the syrup and buttercream. (The filling can be made ahead and refrigerated for up to a day.)

Make the syrup:
10. In a small saucepan, combine the water, lemon juice, and sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside at room temperature.

Make the buttercream:
11. In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium speed until creamy and light, about 2 minutes. At medium speed, gradually add the lemon curd, a large spoonful at a time, then add the salt and beat at medium-high speed until creamy and light, about 1 1/2 minutes. Set aside at room temperature while you assemble the cake.

Assemble the cake:
12. Using a long serrated knife, trim off the domed tops of the cakes so that they are even (save any cake pieces and crumbs for snacking). Cut each cake horizontally into 2 layers. Reserve one of the flat bottom layers for the top of the cake. Place another layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or flat serving plate. Generously brush with some of the lemon syrup. Spoon a scant cup of the filling onto the cake and, suing a small offset metal spatula, spread it into an even layer, leaving a 1/2 inch border around the edge of the cake. Top with another cake layer and brush it with more syrup. Top with another scant cup of filling. Repeat with another layer, more syrup, and the remaining filling. Brush the cut side of the reserved cake layer with the remaining syrup. Place the layer cut side down on top of the cake.

13. Frost the sides and top of the cake with the buttercream. Serve the cake or refrigerate it. If it has been refrigerated, let stand at room temperature for about 45 minutes before serving.

Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Baking weekend

So today, I was going to make a pumpkin pie for Bella, when she informed me that she would rather have cake...and not just from a box....she wanted a marble cake that she could help me make.....so.....off I went in search of a recipe. I found this one in a folder on the computer of things to try....so I figured that today was the day! WHooo hoooo



CHOCOLATE ORANGE BUNDT CAKE
recipe from: Joy the Baker
The cake is loaded with sour cream, and is incredibly moist. The orange zest adds brightness and chocolate and chocolate chips add richness. It’s absolutely delicious.

Chocolate Orange Bundt Cake

adapted from the Gourmet Cookbook

Print this recipe!

3 1/2 cups cake flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 sticks (1/2 pound) unsalted butter at room temprature

2 cups sugar

4 large eggs, left at room temperature for 30 minutes

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 cups sour cream

1/2 teaspoon orange extract

zest of 1 large orange

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 cup chocolate chips

Put rack in the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan and set aside.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and set aside.

Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in vanilla. Reduce speed to low, add half of flour mixture, and mix until just blended. Add sour cream, mixing until just combined, then add remaining flour mixture and mix until smooth.

Divide the batter evenly into two bowls. In one bowl add the orange zest and orange extract and stir to combine. In the other bowl add sifted cocoa powder and chocolate chips and stir to combine.

First pour the orange batter into the buttered Bundt pan, spreading it evenly around the bottom of the pan. Next, simply add the chocolate batter on top of the orange to cover. No swirling is necessary, although you can swirl the batters together if you like.

Bake until cake is springy to the touch and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Remove from oven and cool cake in the pan for 30 minutes. Invert onto a cooling rack and cool completely.

After sleeping the week away....

I got back into the kitchen last night with a purpose. I needed to make cookies for someone who was nice enough to come and fix my kitchen sink and not charge me an arm and a leg to do it. Thanks to Jeremy I now have a working sink, garbage disposal and dishwasher. It was a yucky stinky mess but he fixed the clog. Whooo hooo!!! This called for his favorite cookies White Chocolate macadamia nut cookies. And so it was.
And then this morning since I can't seem to sleep now that I slept the week away I was up at 5am. So....what to do at 5am with children and husband sleeping....make cinnamon rolls!! A new recipe with cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Not too bad!! :D

Cinnamon Crunch Cinnamon Rolls
Recipe from Sugar Plum

1 tablespoon active dry yeast
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 cup warm milk (not hot), plus 2 teaspoons
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, divided use
1 2/3 cups bread flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup crushed Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal
5 tablespoons confectioners' sugar

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together yeast, granulated sugar and 1/2 cup warm milk (reserve the 2 teaspoons) until well combined; allow to sit 5 minutes. Add egg, vanilla, salt and 2 tablespoons butter, and mix using a dough hook, until well combined - about 1-2 minutes. Add flour and mix on medium speed for 5 minutes.

Remove dough onto a lightly floured surface, and knead for an additional 5 minutes. Shape dough into a ball, place in a greased bowl, lightly cover, and allow to rise in a warm area for 1 1/2 hours.

Roll dough out using a rolling pin, into a 13x9-inch rectangle. Spread remaining 2 tablespoons butter over dough. Sprinkle brown sugar, cinnamon, and cereal over dough. Roll up, jellyroll style, and slice very ends off. Slice log into 6 equal pieces, and place in a greased 9-inch cake pan. Lightly cover and allow to rise in a warm area for 45 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush a little extra melted butter over rolls, if desired. Bake 20-25 minutes or until golden brown and well risen. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes.

Stir together confectioners' sugar and additional 2 teaspoons milk until combined; drizzle over cinnamon rolls, and serve.

Makes 6 big cinnamon rolls

Thrilled to have an outlet

So.....today I am thankful once again to have somewhere to send all of the stuff that I bake. I have had a cheesecake sitting in my want to make pile for a few months and yesterday I finally decided to make it. Now, as you all know...I don't usually eat the things that I make. And yesterday's cheesecake was no exception. I sent it out the door this morning with Calvin for the FCR along with forks and paper plates.

The color is a little bit um....red. The recipe that I used called for 2 BOTTLES of red food coloring. I decided to use the gel food coloring that I had in the cupboard and used my own judgment as to how red it really needed to be. :)

I also got to use my new food processor for this recipe which I am sure my mother will be happy about, I don't know how many times she has asked me if I had used it. And this gave me a reason to....to grind up graham crackers for the crust of a cheesecake. What better reason?

So...FCR...did you enjoy your Red Velvet Cheesecake a couple days late for Valentines day??



Red Velvet Cheesecake
Recipe from: Peabody

For the Crust:
1 ½ cups chocolate graham cracker crumbs
¼ cup butter, melted
1 TBSP granulated sugar

For the Filling:
3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, at room temperature
1 ½ cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs, lightly beaten
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa
1 cup sour cream
½ cup whole buttermilk
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp distilled white vinegar
2 (1 oz) bottles red food coloring

For the Topping:
1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, at room temperature
¼ cup butter, at room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Crust:
Stir together graham cracker crumbs, melted butter and 1 TBSP sugar; press mixture onto bottom of a 9-inch springform pan.

For the Filling:
Beat together cream cheese and sugar at medium low speed with an electric mixer 1 minute.
Add eggs, unsweetened cocoa, sour cream, buttermilk, vanilla extract, vinegar and food coloring. Mix on low speed just until fully combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake at 325F for 10 minutes, reduce heat to 300F, and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until center is firm.
Run knife along outer edge of cheese. Turn oven off and let cheesecake stand in oven 30 minutes.
Remove cheesecake from oven; cool in pan on a wire rack for 30 m minutes.
Cover and chill for 8 hours.

For the topping:
Beat cream cheese and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth; gradually add powdered sugar and vanilla, beating until smooth.
Remove cheesecake from refrigerator and spread topping evenly over top of cheesecake.
Remove sides of springform. Garnish if desired.

A day in the Kitchen

So...today now that I feel sort of better again, I spent the day in the kitchen. Lasagna, focaccia bread and a lemon meringue pie. Two out of the three are new recipes for me. I am so excited for dinner to be over so that I can try the pie! Anyway...her we go.


Lasagna Recipe:
Recipe from...Me

Sauce:
1 pound hamburger
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 can tomato soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
crushed red pepper to taste
Italian seasoning to taste
garlic powder to taste

Cheese filling:
1 tub of ricotta low fat cheese
2 eggs
3 1/2 cup shredded cheese

First make the sauce by browning the hamburger with salt, pepper and onion, draining the fat off when the meat is browned. Add to the meat the rest of the tomato sauce, tomato paste, cream of mushroom soup, tomato soup and spices. Allow to simmer on low on top of the stove for about 30 minutes.

Mix together cheese filling to begin assembling the lasagna.

In a greased pyrex dish, coat the bottom of the dish with sauce, then no cook lasagna, the cheese mixture. Repeat until you use all of the cheese mixture, top with sauce and then shredded mozzerella cheese.

Bake 375 degrees until the sauce bubbles and the cheese is golden brown. This cuts better if you allow it to sit for about 10 minutes after removing it from the oven.


Focaccia Bread:
Recipe From: All recipes

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
• 1/3 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 cups all-purpose flour (I used 1 cup all purpose and 1 cup whole wheat flour)
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

1. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar and yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture with flour; stir well to combine. Stir in additional water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until all of the flour is absorbed. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead briefly for about 1 minute.
3. Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in a warm place until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 475 degrees F (245 degrees C).
5. Deflate the dough and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface; knead briefly. Pat or roll the dough into a sheet and place on a lightly greased baking sheet. Brush the dough with oil and sprinkle with salt.
6. Bake focaccia in preheated oven for 10 to 20 minutes, depending on desired crispness. If you like it moist and fluffy, then you'll have to wait just about 10 minutes. If you like it crunchier and darker in the outside, you may have to wait 20 minutes.

Lemon Meringue Pie
Recipe: Brown Eyed Baker

Lemon Meringue Pie

Makes one 10-inch pie

For the Crust:
¾ cup cold butter; cut into ½-inch pieces
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup granulated sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1/3 cup ice water

For the Filling:
2 cups water
1 cup granulated sugar
½ cup cornstarch
5 egg yolks, beaten
¼ cup butter
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
1 Tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For the Meringue:
5 egg whites, room temperature
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¾ cup granulated sugar


For the Crust:
Make sure all ingredients are as cold as possible. Using a food processor or pastry cutter and a large bowl, combine the butter, flour, sugar and salt. Process or cut in until the mixture resembles coarse meal and begins to clump together. Sprinkle with water, let rest 30 seconds and then either process very briefly or cut in with about 15 strokes of the pastry cutter, just until the dough begins to stick together and come away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured work surface and press together to form a disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for at least 20 minutes.

Allow the dough to warm slightly to room temperature if it is too hard to roll. On a lightly floured board (or countertop) roll the disk to a thickness of ⅛ inch. Cut a circle about 2 inches larger than the pie plate and transfer the pastry into the plate by folding it in half or by rolling it onto the rolling pin. Turn the pastry under, leaving an edge that hangs over the plate about ½ inch. Flute decoratively. Chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line the crust with foil and fill with metal pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and continue baking for 10 to 15 minutes, until golden. Cool completely before filling.

For the Filling:
Bring the water to a boil in a large, heavy saucepan. Remove from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Whisk the sugar and cornstarch together. Add the mixture gradually to the hot water, whisking until completely incorporated.

Return to the heat and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the mixture comes to a boil. The mixture will be very thick. Add about 1 cup of the hot mixture to the beaten egg yolks, whisking until smooth. Whisking vigorously, add the warmed yolks to the pot and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in butter until incorporated. Add the lemon juice, zest and vanilla, stirring until combined. Pour into the prepared crust. Cover with plastic wrap to prevent a skin from forming on the surface, and cool to room temperature.

For the Meringue:
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Using an electric mixer beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar, salt and vanilla extract until soft peaks form. Add the sugar gradually, beating until it forms stiff, glossy peaks. Pile onto the cooled pie, bringing the meringue all the way over to the edge of the crust to seal it completely. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack. Serve within 6 hours to avoid a soggy crust.

Another chocolate chip cookie

That will end up in the recycle bin. I am in desperate search of the chocolate chip cookie recipe that will make me say WOW this is it! Today I tried another one. Still not what I was looking for. I am finding that I don't like chocolate chip cookies that are made with butter. I prefer margarine. Not sure if that is because that is what I grew up eating. Who knows, but this one too will end up in the not to be made again pile. They were not bad...just not the WOW factor! Bella seems to like them though.

The flavor of the day is CHOCOLATE

Okay...so today when I should be bagging popcorn samples, I was baking muffins. Okay, the recipe says muffins...I say cupcakes. You decide. Here is the picture and the recipe will follow the picture is just to let the FCR (full compass row) know what is coming their way tomorrow.

Okay...the recipe!

Not quite Yura's farm-cake Muffins
From: Trevor Family Favorites cookbook
servings=18

For Cream cheese filling:
8 ounces cream cheese at room temp
1 egg
1/3 cup sugar
pinch of salt
6 ounces chocolate chips

For the Muffins:
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup DARK brown sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
8 ounces sour cream

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line cupcake tin with liners.

In a small bowl, blend cream cheese, egg, sugar and salt. Blend until smooth. Add chocolate chips.

IN a large bowl (I used a stand mixer for this) mix the flour, sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix in the water, oil, vinegar, and sour cream and blend well.

Spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, about 3/4 full. Add one heading tablespoon of the cream cheese mixture in the center of the batter. DO NOT MIX OR STIR!

Cake until done, about 30 minutes. I actually baked mine for about 24 minutes and they were done. Turn the muffin tin half way through if you think of it. :)

Disney Hangover

After 7 days at the happiest place on Earth I have returned to my real life and to my kitchen. Which at the moment is a complete disaster! Oh the joys of going away! First I am going to share a couple of yummy things and then what I made for the Full Compass employees who were kind enough to take care of things for Calvin while we were away. And in hopes that Beaker is not totally destroyed. ;)

So.....here is some yumminess from the Happiest place on Earth.

Day #1
Today we ate at the Akershaus which is a little place in Epcot, in the land of Norway. This was our storybook Princess dinner. The girls got to see Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, and Ariel in her ball gown. Which was the highlight for them. :) The food....good. Calvin ate his fill of all things fish on the first night. I had chicken which was good and the children both ate pizza. Ick. If there is something Disney does NOT do well, it is pizza. Anyway, here is our dessert from the first night. From left to right....chococlate mousse cake with chocolate ganache, rice pudding with berry compote, and apple tart with caramel ice cream and caramel sauce!
Day #2...today we ate at Coral Reef. This is another place within the wall of Epcot. This is not in the world show case, but still fantastic! This is the second time that we have eaten here and I will return again. Calvin had apricot braised beef short rib which he LOVED and I had.....steak. If there is one theme with me, it is beef. :) For dessert I had cheesecake with a blackberry on the top and a berry drizzle, Calvin had butterscotch creme brulee, and the girls had....pizza. Ick again. But here they got to make their own sundaes when they were done which they LOVED. Here is my dinner...
Day #3
Today we went to the Animal Kingdom and the girls were a pain in the butt and wanted NOTHING to do with anything that had animals...HELLOOOOOOOOO this is the ANIMAL kingdom. ugh. So we had a short day. Our dinner was at Kouzzina. This was a new dining experience for us. One that we will not be returning to if I have anything to say about it. Nothing special. The girls had grilled chicken and I should have eaten their dinner, it was better than mine. I had flank steak and Calvin had fishermans stew. For dessert, Calvin are his before i could take a picture.... :( But he had a piece of chocolate with words on it inside bakalava. It was pretty tasty. I had Galaktoboureko, which you are probably wondering what that is....I did....here is what it says....Semolina Custard in Baked Phyllo Dough and Vanilla-Praline Gelato it was tasty as well. We split each dessert. But the meal itself, I was not blown away by and perhaps I was just expecting too much.

Day #4
Saturday...this is our halfway point....and BY FARRRRRR the best meal of the whole trip. Today we ate at Epcot again. And the name of the happiest place to eat...LeCellier. This is a steak house in "Canada" It is wonderful. And hands down the best steak that I have had...and that is saying a lot. I like steak. So, I had steak, New york strip to be exact and Calvin had the same, I could not even tell you what the children had. They also serve something yummy before the melt in your mouth steak....bread. And not just any bread, pretzel bread. Warm yummy pretzel bread. So....for dessert which was almost as good as the steak, I had an apple tart with maple syrup and almonds. And Calvin had the Chocolate celebration cake.....which is pictured below. It was a great meal and we have eaten here before and will return on EVERY visit to the world.

Day #5
So here we begin our endless buffets....the first being at Hollywood and Vine at the Disney's Hollywood Studios park. Now, the studios does not have a lot of options when it comes to food. It is my least favorite park and the food sucks, not much going for this place....BUT they have Fantasmic! which makes it all worth it. The buffet was average and can't even brag about the dessert buffet. I have no pictures from here. And to top it off....it was the COLDEST day of our whole trip down south. And I will leave it at that. At least the girls loved Fantasmic! or as they call it...Mickey saves the world.

Day #6
Day of buffets number 2. Tonight we ate at a new place called Boma. This was an experience. This is a buffet of African type food as well as a few "american" things for those who are less adventurous. I ate fruit. They had a great fruit bar. :D And dessert as you will see below. All in all it was good, but nothing to write home about. The atmosphere is good. Would we eat here again? Probably not. It is one of those places that is WAY out of the way and the food is not good enough to make me go that far out of the way. So...here is dessert from Boma.....
The first is a Zebra dome. Which contains alcohol of some kind. There is a chocolatey mousse inside of the white chocolate top....the second, does not have a real name of sorts, but it is in a chocolate shell and was pretty good for chocolate....

Okay...so now we are on Day #7
This is our final buffet and a new one for us. It was Chef Mickey's. Yes, we will do this again. WAY FUN and out our window was a view of the castle. And we got to watch the sun set. This is a character buffet and Olivia was THRILLED because the mac & cheese had mickey mouse noodles. And she ate 2 plates of them. Whoo hoo!! Anyway, the food was good. The dessert buffet was to die for. They had make your own sundaes and then a few other things. Pictures of many to follow. The first is something I hope to try and make on my own. The second picture had Mickey mousse, Minnie cheesecake and Key lime tart. The Key lime tart is the square dessert in the picture.

OKAY....now onto my life at home. While I felt pretty good on the trip the pain has returned to me over the weekend. :( So while waiting for the Drs office to call me back today....I decided to bake. Look out Full Compass....you are getting food tomorrow! Today I made Chocolate chip cookies, which my girls have consumed almost the whole batch. When I was done and the Dr's office still had not called, I decided to make a lemon cake. This is what will be traveling into Full compass tomorrow. :)
Lemon Pound Cake
- adapted from Cookie Baker Lynn (and her picture was MUCH prettier than mine!)


2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 sticks unsalted butter at room temperature
2 1/4 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 cup milk
1 1/2 Tbsp lemon zest
1 tsp. pure lemon extract
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

1- Preheat oven to 300 F with a rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour a 12 cup Bundt pan.

2- Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together twice. Set aside.

3- Cream the butter and 1-3/4 cups sugar until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Reduce the speed and add the flour mixture, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stir in the lemon zest and lemon extract.

4-Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 1-1/2 hours, or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes on a rack.

5- While the cake cools, bring the lemon juice and remaining sugar to a boil over medium high heat in a small saucepan, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

6- Invert the cake onto a rack, and remove the pan. Poke holes all over the cake with a wooden skewer. Position the rack over a baking sheet and slowly pour the syrup over the cake. It will seep through the holes and into the cake. Let cool to room temperature. Decorate with fresh or candied flowers (optional).

CAKE! Everybody loves CAKE!

Okay...so as long as I was being adventurous in the kitchen today...I decided to try a new cake for dessert as well. So...here we have a new bundt cake which will be enjoyed by the full compass sales staff tomorrow because it will not stay here!

White Chocolate Almond Bundt Cake

Recipe from: Better Homes and Gardens.

* 4 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped
* 3 cups all-purpose flour
* 1/4 cup blanched almonds, finely ground
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup butter, softened
* 2 cups sugar
* 6 eggs
* 1 tablespoon vanilla
* 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract
* 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
* 4 ounces white baking chocolate with cocoa butter, chopped
* 1 teaspoon shortening
* 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted and chopped

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch fluted tube pan; set aside.

2. In a small heavy saucepan, cook and stir 4 ounces white chocolate over low heat until melted. In a medium bowl, combine flour, the finely ground almonds, the baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

3. In a very large bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Gradually add sugar, beating about 10 minutes or until mixture is fluffy and lighter in color. Add eggs one at a time, beating about 1 minute after each addition and scraping side of bowl frequently. Add vanilla, almond extract, and melted white chocolate; beat just until combined.

4. Alternately add flour mixture and sour cream to butter mixture, beating on low to medium speed after each addition just until combined. Do not overmix. Spread batter in the prepared pan.

5. Bake for 55 to 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove cake from pan; cool completely on a wire rack.

6. For glaze: In a small heavy saucepan, combine 4 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. Spoon glaze over pound cake and sprinkle with the chopped almonds. Let stand until glaze is set. Makes 16 to 20 servings.

Yeast breads anyone?

Okay...so after 2 stays in the hospital I have new things to post! Yesterday was bread today. Well, so was today. Getting ready to head to see the Big Mouse in Orlando on Wednesday and that day can't come fast enough....BUT I have passed some time baking.

Recipe #1. Golden Cinnamon Loaf.

This recipe is from eatmedelicious.com



Makes two 8-inch loaves, 8 to 10 servings per loaf.

Dough
1/4 cup warm water(110 to 115F)
1/3 cup plus 1 tbsp sugar
1 package active dry yeast
3 1/4 cups all purpose flour, spooned in and leveled
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup (2/3 stick) unsalted butter, diced
1/2 cup milk
1 large egg
2 large egg yolks (reserve 1 egg white for egg wash)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 large egg white plus 2 tsp water, lightly beaten, for egg wash
1/3 cup sugar mixed with 2 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, for filling
1 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Rinse a small bowl in hot water to warm it. Add the warm water and 1 tablespoon of the sugar to the bowl. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water. Do not stir. Cover with a saucer and let stand for 5 minutes, swirling the bowl every so often. Stir iwth a small whisk or a fork and cover again for about 3 minutes, or until the yeast is bubbly and dissolved.

Make the dough:
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, remaining 1/3 cup sugar, and salt on low speed. Add the butter and continue to mix until meal-size crumbs form.

3. In a small bowl, whisk together the dissolved yeast, milk, whole egg, yolks, and vanilla. On low speed add the liquids to the dry ingredients and mix for 1 minute longer, or until a soft dough forms.

Shape the dough:
4. Shape the dough into a ball, the place it in a buttered bowl large enough for the dough to double. Turn the dough a few times to coat it with butter. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a warm spot to rise until doubled, about 1 1/4 hours.

5. Generously butter two 8 x 3.75 x 2.5 inch loaf pans and line the bottoms with baking parchment. Line a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment.

6. Working with one piece of dough at a time, roll it into a 6x13 inch rectangle with the 6 inch side parallel to the counter. Brush with some of the egg wash. Remove 1 tbsp of the cinnamon/sugar mixture and set aside for garnish. Sprinkle the dough evenly with half of the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture, leaving a 1 inch border on the top. Starting with the 6 inch side closest to you, roll very tightly to form a cylinder. Pinch the seam together very well and roll the cylinder back and forth three or four times to seal the layers. Place the roll in the prepared loaf pan, making sure the seam is on the bottom. The dough dough does not have to touch the sides of the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough. Place the loaves on the prepared cookie sheet. Cover the loaves with a tea towel and place in a warmish spot to rise until puffy and almost doubled, 45 to 60 minutes.

Bake the loaves:
7. Fifteen minutes before baking, position the rack in the lower third of the oven. Heat the oven to 350F. Bake the loaves for 25 minutes, remove from the oven and then brush the tops with melted butter and sprinkle with the remaining cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes longer, until golden.

8. Remove loaves from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, take the loaves out of the pans and place onto a rack to cool.



Recipe #2...Italian Bread

Recipe from Brown Eyed Baker

Italian Bread
(Adapted from Dawn’s Recipes)

Makes 1 large ginormous loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups lukewarm water (~100°F)
1 package active dry yeast
5 to 5¾ cups bread flour
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2½ teaspoons salt
1 egg white, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons sesame seeds

Directions:
Stir the yeast into ½ cup of the warm water. Let proof as you measure out the dry ingredients.

Combine 5 cups flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer. Add the yeast mixture, remaining water and olive oil. Using a dough hook attachment, mix on lowest speed of electric mixer (stir setting on a KitchenAid) until a dough starts to form, adding more flour as needed. Knead on low speed (2 on a KitchenAid) for 7 minutes. Transfer dough to lightly floured surface and need by hand for 1 to 2 minutes, or until a smooth, firm, elastic dough is formed.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl and spray the dough with a thin coating of cooking spray. Wrap the bowl with plastic wrap and set aside to proof in a warm, draft-free place for 1½ hours or until doubled in size.

Remove the plastic wrap, punch down and flatten the rounded dough with the heel of your hand. Roll the dough up tightly, sealing the seam well after each roll. The dough should be elongated and oval-shaped, with tapered and rounded (not pointed) ends.

Preheat the oven lined with a baking stone or unglazed quarry tiles to 425°F.

Place the dough on a baker’s peel heavily dusted with flour, or alternately on an inverted baking sheet. Allow the dough to proof, loosely covered with a floured canvas cloth, for 30 minutes, or until doubled in size.

Brush the dough with the egg white and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the top. Using a razor blade or sharp knife, slash the dough lengthwise about 1/4-inch deep, keeping the blade at a 45 degree angle.

Spray the dough generously with water from a water bottle and place in the oven on the baking stone. Immediately close the oven and bake for 3 minutes. Open the oven door and spray the dough again with the water bottle. Close the oven door and bake for an additional 3 minutes before spraying the dough for a third time (the spraying of the dough will ensure a crisp golden brown crust).

Bake the dough for a total of 45 minutes, or until a hollow thud is heard when tapping the bottom of the bread. Allow the bread to cool before slicing.