Delightful Dessert

Energy Bites

2011-10-22T16:34:00.002-04:00

These little bites were surprisingly delicious! I also expected them to be super messy, but as long as you keep them in the fridge, your fingers will stay pretty clean when eating!

It's a good thing these are super fast and easy to make because they'll be gone before you know it and your family will be asking for more!

No-Bake Energy Bites (from Smashed Peas and Carrots)

1 cup oatmeal

1/2 cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)

1/3 cup honey

1 cup coconut flakes

1/2 cup ground flaxseed

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1 tsp vanilla

Mix everything above in a medium bowl until thoroughly incorporated. Let chill in the refrigerator for half an hour. Once chilled, roll into balls and enjoy! Store in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.

-amanda

Sugared Pecans

2010-12-02T20:49:00.003-05:00

Sugared pecans are the perfect snack especially served warm during these chilly months! And they will make your house smell delicious!

Sugared Pecans

1 egg white
1 tablespoon water
1 pound pecan halves
1 cup white sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 250 degrees F (120 degrees C). Grease one baking sheet.
In a mixing bowl whip the egg white and water until frothy. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, salt, and cinnamon.
Add pecans to egg whites, stir to coat the nuts evenly. Remove the nuts, and toss them in the sugar mixture until coated. Spread the nuts out on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake at 250 degrees F (120 degrees C) for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes.

Recipe from Allrecipes.com

-amanda

Chocolate Cheescakes for Two

2010-09-14T20:29:00.004-04:00

Wedding planning consumes me, and I feel totally guilty for neglecting my blog. I've been meaning to post this for 2 weeks now! For those of you who are still around, thank you. :o) I have a lot of comfort fall desserts I want to make now that autumn is practically here. And soon enough the stressful part of planning will be over and I will make more time for the blog!

For now, you must try these personal sized cheesecakes. Extremely easy to make, and that perfect size for that quick cheesecake fix! The recipe makes two, one for you and one for your honey...or one for you now, and one for later! ;o)

Chocolate Cheesecakes for Two (from kraftrecipes.com)

2 oz. (1/4 of 8-oz. pkg.) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 square Baker's Semi-Sweet Chocolate, melted
1/2 cup thawed Cool Whip Whipped Topping
2 Oreo Cookies

Beat first 3 ingredients in medium bowl with whisk until well blended. Stir in COOL WHP.
Place 1 Oreo cookie on the bottom of each paper-lined medium muffin cups (make sure you place the liners in a muffin pan so the liners don't flatten out before the cheesecake thickens); top with cream cheese mixture. Mixture will be somewhat thick, so use a small spatula to spread it evenly.
Refrigerate for 2 hours and eat up!

Hi there!

2010-08-13T15:55:00.005-04:00

I know I have been absent for awhile, but I have good reasons! Like I was on vacation for 2 weeks, driving all around the country, taking in the beautiful sites of the west coast and getting engaged! :oD I wanted to make a special "We're engaged" dessert to post, but just haven't found the time. Instead I have something super yummy and cute!!!

My dear friend gave me the sweetest birthday present when I returned from vacation. A book that I have been wanting for quite some time now...

David Lebovitz's "The Perfect Scoop"

Not only did she get me this awesome book, but she made me the cutest peanut butter cup ice cream sandwiches. Yum!! How adorable are these?

I am so excited to start digging into this book (and the ice cream sammies...hehe)! Thanks so much to the best buddy ever! :o)

-amanda

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

2010-07-17T15:27:00.005-04:00

Really enjoying Kraft's cheesecakes recipes. They are so simple and fast to make, and they taste delicious! The White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake is so yummy! The recipe called for an Oreo pie crust, but I couldn't find a pre-made one and I didn't feel like making my own, so I just used a chocolate pie crust. I do think however, that the Oreo pie crust would have been much more rich...there is something about Oreo and raspberry together that is soooo good! Like my Chocolate Raspberry Tarts...yum-o! Anyways, on with the recipe!

Cheesecake with swirls prior to baking.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake (adapted from Kraft Recipes.com)

Ingredients

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup Sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
3 squares Baker's White Chocolate, melted
1 Chocolate Pie Crust (6 oz.)
3 Tbsp. Raspberry seedless preserves

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Melt chocolate in microwavable bowl, in microwave for 20 secs. Stir and microwave an additional 15 secs until melted, stirring in between. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Stir in chocolate. Pour into crust.
Microwave preserves in small bowl on HIGH 15 sec. or until melted. Dot top of cheesecake with small spoonfuls of preserves; swirl gently with knife.
Bake 35 to 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Enjoy and store leftovers in refrigerator.

-amanda

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake

2010-07-14T11:23:00.005-04:00

I loooove cheesecake and I love toffee. I knew this recipe would not fail me. It is delicious and the best part about it was that it only took me a few minutes to mix. Fast, easy, yummy, and hardly any dirty dishes...just the kind of recipe I love. You must try it!

Pre-bake photo

Toffee Crunch Cheesecake (from Kraft Recipes.com)

Ingredients:

2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp. Vanilla
2 Eggs
4 Heath bars (1.4 oz. each), chopped (3 bars to mix in, 1 bar to sprinkle on top)
1 Graham Pie Crust (6 oz.)

Preheat oven to 350°F. Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add eggs; mix just until blended. Stir in the 3 chopped Heath bars.
Pour into crust. Sprinkle with remaining chopped Heath bar.
Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight. Store leftover cheesecake in refrigerator. Enjoy!

-amanda

Guinness and Bailey's Cupcakes

2010-07-01T18:56:00.003-04:00

I found these cupcakes on Annie's Eats, and have been wanting to make them for about a year now. I planned on making them for Father's Day but didn't have the time or all of the ingredients. I finally made them and they are yummy! I have never been a big fan of homemade cupcake batter, but I guess I just never found a good one. Well this one is soooo good! I like it even more than the ganache and the frosting which is odd for me. If you plan on making these cupcakes, allot a few hours and expect to dirty a lot of dishes! But I think they are worth it! :o)

Guinness and Bailey’s Irish Cream Cupcakes (adapted from Annie's Eats)
Yields: 24 cupcakes

For the Guinness chocolate cupcakes:

1 cup stout (Guinness)
8 tbsp. butter
8 tbsp. shortening
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp. baking soda
¾ tsp. salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

For the Bailey’s ganache filling:

8 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 tbsp. butter, room temperature
2 tsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

For the Bailey’s buttercream frosting:

8 tbsp. unsalted butter, room temperature
3 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted
8 tbsp. Bailey’s Irish cream

To make the cupcakes, preheat the oven to 350° F. Line two cupcake pans with paper liners. Combine the stout and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the cocoa powder and whisk until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat together the eggs and sour cream to blend. Add the stout-butter mixture and beat just to combine. Mix in the dry ingredients on low speed just until incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the cupcake liners, filling them about 2/3 to ¾ full. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 19 minutes. Allow to cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
To make the ganache filling, place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream in a small saucepan until simmering, then pour it over the chocolate. Let sit for one minute and then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate is not completely melted, place the bowl over a double boiler or give it a very short burst in the microwave (15-20 seconds). Once the mixture reaches 90 - 95 degrees F, add the butter and Bailey’s and stir until combined.
Set aside to let the ganache cool until it is thick enough to be piped. (You can use the refrigerator to speed the cooling process, but be sure to stir every 10 minutes or so to ensure even cooling.) Meanwhile, cut out a portion from the center of the cupcake using the cone method (a small paring knife works best for this). Once the ganache has reached the correct consistency, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a wide tip and pipe it into the cupcakes.
To make the frosting, place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Gradually add the powdered sugar until it is all incorporated. Mix in the Bailey’s until smooth. Add more if necessary until the frosting has reached a good consistency for piping or spreading. Frost the cupcakes as desired.

-amanda

Sherbet Trio

2010-06-30T22:11:00.007-04:00

I have been dreaming about this delicious trio of sherbet for quite some time and I finally had the time to make it happen. How yummy does this look?! And pretty too. :o)
I was originally going to make sorbets, but decided that sherbet would be so much better because of the creaminess, and boy are they delish! The trio consists of strawberry, raspberry and orange. Enjoy!!

Top to Bottom: Raspberry, Orange, Strawberry

Strawberry Sherbet (from Delish)

3 cups hulled strawberries, fresh or frozen
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a food processor, puree fruit until smooth. Press the mixture through a strainer to remove seeds if desired. Sweeten the puree with sugar until desired sweetness achieved.
Chill the mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Best when served immediately. Can be stored in freezer; leave out for 10-15 minutes to soften before scooping and serving.

Raspberry Sherbet (from Simply Cooking, Originally from David Lebovitz's, The Perfect Scoop)

4 cups raspberries
2 cups whole milk
1 cup sugar
1½ tsp. lemon juice
food processor
ice cream maker

Puree the berries, milk and sugar until smooth
Strain to remove the seeds
Stir in the lemon juice
Freeze the mixture in your ice cream maker

Orange Sherbet (from Food Loves Writing)

7 ounces sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons finely grated orange zest
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups orange juice
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups very cold whole milk

In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients except the milk, and process until the sugar is dissolved, approximately 1 minute.
Transfer this mixture to a mixing bowl, and whisk in the milk.
Cover the bowl, and place in the refrigerator until the mixture reaches 40 degrees F or below, approximately 1 hour.
Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker and process until it is the consistency of soft serve ice cream. You may serve immediately or put in a container and place in freezer until firm, approximately 3 hours.

The orange sherbet is so refreshing and delicious, the only part that bummed me out is that it turned out yellow instead of orange. The raspberry is the next best, nice and creamy. The strawberry is good as well, just not as creamy. It's a little more icy. All in all I am very happy with the results!

All packed up and ready to be delivered to someone special!

-amanda

Creamy Strawberry Cookie Tarts

2010-06-27T12:17:00.005-04:00

I'm back! Not that I really went anywhere. Sorry for my absence. I made these yummy strawberry cookie tarts for a work party and thought I would share them with you. I was a little worried about how these would taste with the jello mixture on top of a cookie and all...just seemed odd to me. But everyone at work really liked them, so yay! I mean the way I see it is you can't go wrong with anything that has cream cheese in it...am I right or am I right? I thought so. :o) These were really easy to make and took no time at all. I was thinking they would be really yummy will raspberry jello instead, oh and an Oreo cookie on the bottom...yummers!

Creamy Strawberry Cookie Tarts (from Kraft)
Yields: 12

Ingredients:

2/3 cup boiling water
1 pkg. (4-serving size) JELL-O Strawberry Flavor Gelatin
1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, cubed
1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping
12 CHIPS AHOY! Cookies
12 small strawberries

Stir boiling water into dry gelatin mix in small bowl at least 2 min. until completely dissolved. Cool 5 min., stirring occasionally.
Pour gelatin mixture into blender. Add cream cheese; cover. Blend on medium speed 30 to 45 sec. or until well blended; scrape down side of blender container, if needed. Add whipped topping; cover. Blend on low speed 5 sec. or just until blended.
Line 12 muffin pan cups with paper liners; spray with cooking spray. Place 1 cookie on bottom of each prepared cup; top evenly with the gelatin mixture. Refrigerate 1 hour 30 min. or until firm. Top each with a strawberry just before serving. Store leftover desserts in refrigerator.

-amanda

For my best buddy :o)

2010-05-23T12:15:00.002-04:00

Hope you have a wonderful birthday!!

-amanda

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

2010-05-13T18:39:00.004-04:00

When I saw this cake I knew I had to make it. Chocolate and mousse, plus triple the chocolaty goodness?! Score! :o)

Now in the past, prior to pastry school, I would have seen this recipe and dreamed about how wonderful it would turn out but I would never attempt it. For a few reasons: 1. The long list of ingredients, 2. The even longer list of to-dos, and 3. No spring form pan, and what the heck is folding?! But now that I have experience, a shiny new spring form pan, and big strong folding muscles (who knew folding could be so much work and hurt so bad?), I am ready to take on the world! (The baking world that is.)

So I made the lovely Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake and am very pleased with the way it turned out. My only problem with the recipe is that after the bottom layer is baked, the edges turn in, not allowing for a pretty outer appearance. If I had had the right size cake ring I would have trimmed the cake and built the entire thing in the ring to make for a gorgeous appearance, but I only have little bitty cake rings. Oh well.

Oh yeah, and I really wanted to do chocolate curls on top because how frickin cute are chocolate curls?? But I could not find a large block of chocolate. Guess I have to go to a candy store or order online. Hmmm. Anyhoo! On to the cake!

Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake

Bottom layer:

6 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into 6 pieces (plus extra for greasing the pan)
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
¾ tsp. instant espresso powder
1½ tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs, separated
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed

Middle layer:

2 tbsp. cocoa powder
5 tbsp. hot water
5 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream
1 tbsp. granulated sugar
Pinch of salt

Top layer:

¾ tsp. powdered gelatin
1 tbsp. water
6 oz. white chocolate, finely chopped
1½ cups heavy cream

Garnish with:

Chocolate curls or cocoa powder

To make the bottom layer, butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan and line with parchment. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325˚ F. Combine the butter, chocolate, and espresso powder in a large heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir occasionally until the mixture is smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the vanilla and egg yolks. Set aside.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and salt on medium speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. Crumble half of the brown sugar into the mixing bowl with your fingers to remove any lumps. Beat until incorporated, about 15 seconds. Add the remaining brown sugar and continue to beat on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 1 minute more. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the beaten egg whites to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining egg whites gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the batter into the prepared spring form pan and smooth the top with a spatula.
Bake until the cake has risen, is firm around the edges and the center has just set but is still soft (should spring back after pressing gently with a finger), about 14-18 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool completely, at least 1 hour. Do not remove the cake from the pan.
To make the second layer, whisk together the cocoa powder and hot water in a small bowl; set aside. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Once melted, remove from the heat and let cool slightly, 2-5 minutes.
In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, sugar and salt on medium speed until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 seconds. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Whisk in the cocoa powder mixture until smooth. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Pour the mousse into the spring form pan over the cooled cake and tap gently on the counter 3 times to remove air bubbles. Gently smooth the top with a spatula. Wipe the inside edge of the pan to remove any drips. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes while preparing the top layer.
To make the top layer, sprinkle the gelatin over the water in a small bowl and let stand 5-8 minutes to allow the gelatin to bloom. Place the white chocolate in a medium bowl. Bring ½ cup of the cream to a boil in a small saucepan. Remove the pan from the heat, add the gelatin mixture and stir until dissolved. Pour the hot cream mixture over the white chocolate and let stand about 1 minute. Whisk until the mixture is smooth. Cool to room temperature, about 5-8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
In the clean bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whip the remaining 1 cup of cold cream at medium speed until it begins to thicken. Increase the speed to high and whip until soft peaks form when the whisk is lifted, 30-60 seconds. Using a whisk, mix one-third of the whipped cream to the white chocolate mixture to lighten it. Fold in the remaining whipped cream gently with a rubber spatula until no streaks remain. Spoon the white chocolate mousse into the pan over the middle layer. Smooth the top with an offset spatula. Return the cake to the refrigerator uncovered and chill until set, at least 2½ hours. (I left mine in overnight and still needed to pop it in the freezer for a bit to get nice clean cuts.) Before cutting, sprinkle with cocoa powder or chocolate curls.

Adapted from Annie's Eats, originally from Cooks Illustrated

-amanda

Baseball Cookie Favors

2010-04-28T07:00:00.001-04:00

My friend and I made these baseball cookies as favors for her baby shower. Now that the little cutie is 4 months I'm finally getting around to posting them.

Is he not the cutest baby you have ever seen!?

-amanda

Green & Yellow Dessert Table

2010-04-20T17:23:00.007-04:00

I love doing dessert tables! Not only do I get to bake, but I get a chance to do a little bit of party planning at the same time. Before I wanted to do pastries I wanted to be an event planner so I love any chance I get to plan and make things pretty! Last weekend I had the pleasure of creating a dessert table for my friend Michelle's wedding shower. I had a great time putting this together for her and thought I'd share some pictures with you! (Forgive the bad pictures...this was my first time using my new camera!)

Congratulations to Michelle and Dave!

-amanda

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

2010-04-05T18:13:00.006-04:00

Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are my favorite. I especially love the holiday versions, such as the Christmas tree, the Easter egg, the pumpkin, etc. I am assuming you know why and agree with me...because of all the extra delicious PB inside, and the chocolate is softer and it's this whole big thing...anyways!

I decided peanut butter cupcakes were something I needed to make, and why not? Afterall, Reese's PB Cups were on sale! These turned out very yummy, and I would definitely make them again. So cure your PB craving and bake some of these little yummies! This recipe made 36 mini cupcakes and 12 regular cupcakes.

Reese's Peanut Butter Cupcakes

1 box dark chocolate fudge cake mix
3 eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
24 regular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - chopped (16 for mix, 8 for topping)
8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup peanut butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place mini baking cups in mini cupcake pan.
In a large bowl, beat cake mix, eggs, buttermilk and vegetable oil on low for 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes. Fold in the 16 chopped peanut butter cups.
Use a cookie scoop or tablespoon to spoon batter into cups. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Cool completely.
Place semi-sweet morsels in a medium bowl. Bring the cream just to a boil and then pour over chocolate. Whisk chocolate until it melts, then add the peanut butter and whisk until smooth.
Dip the tops of the cupcakes in the peanut butter/chocolate frosting.
Sprinkle remaining chopped peanut butter cups over each cupcake.
Refrigerate to set the the frosting.

Enjoy!!

Flower Wedding Cake

2010-03-23T20:29:00.006-04:00

Before I show you the cake, I have something to say:

Dear Fondant,

You and I will never be friends. You have caused me heartache over and over and over again. Friends don't make one another cry, like you have made me. I know I have tried to stretch you too thin at times and that is why you tear, leaving my buttercream to show through. What I don't understand is why you refuse to be smooth. Why must you always crease when I try to smooth you out, no matter how hard I try? It exhausting and humiliating! I can't take it anymore. I have been patient with you and you have failed me again. They say "third times the charm" but they are wrong. I am sure we will meet again in the future, but it will not be my choice. I hope when the day comes, we can be decent enough to one another. And if not, "there is always a backside to every cake" and plenty of royal icing flowers to cover up the boo-boos.

Sincerely,
Amanda

Now on with the cake!!

I completed my first wedding cake and overall I am pretty proud of it. I did have some fondant issues as you already know. ;o) But I was able to cover up most of my mistakes with flowers. I am not going to lie, it was stressful making this cake. I dreamt about icing cakes for like 3 nights straight! lol Anyways, it is based on a cake by Peggy Porschen. It is buttercream covered in fondant. The flowers are royal icing and the topper is made from pastillage. I hope you enjoy it!

-amanda

Birthday Cake

2010-03-16T19:40:00.005-04:00

It's been a long time!

Sorry I have been gone so long. It is very hard to find time nowadays to bake, but I will be done with school in no time and spring is in the air!

Today I would like to share with you the first cake that I have decorated in school. It is yellow chiffon cake, covered in buttercream and decorated with roses and lilies.

I will be making my very first wedding cake this week! Stay tuned for a picture!

-amanda

Valentine Message Cookies

2010-02-10T14:38:00.006-05:00

Photo from Williams-Sonoma.com

I recently bought these Message in a Cookie cookie cutters from Williams-Sonoma. I was very excited to use these, and I was pretty excited with the way mine turned out. The cookie on the right is supposed to say "sweetheart" but unfortunately you can't really read it. Next time I make them I will make sure to press a little harder and also not let my cookies puff up too much. Other than that, these were a lot of fun to make and you can write pretty much whatever you want! The set also comes with a scalloped rectangle and a star. You can purchase the Message in a Cookie set in the store or at Williams-Sonoma.com

No-Fail Sugar Cookies
Adapted from CakeCentral

6 cups flour
3 tsp. baking powder
2 cups unsalted butter
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix well. Mix dry ingredients and add a little at a time to butter mixture. Mix until flour is completely incorporated and the dough comes together.
Chill for about an hour
Roll to desired thickness and cut into desired shapes. Bake on baking sheet with parchment at 350 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until just beginning to turn brown around the edges.

Royal Icing

1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1 egg white
1 tsp cream of tarter

Combine powdered sugar and cream of tarter in mixing bowl. Gradually add the egg whites and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes. Add a little bit of water to make icing more runny, or a little powdered sugar to stiffen the icing.

Tip: If you plan to flood your cookies you will probably need to double the icing recipe.

-amanda

Creme Brulee

2010-02-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Creme Brulee
Makes 4 - 4oz ramekins

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. plus additional 1/3 cup sugar
2 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 300ºF. Prepare some boiling water.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 Tbs sugar; cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan, 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. Pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide mixture among four 4 oz. ramekins.
Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Fill pan with boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes (use caution when removing ramekins from oven as they will be very hot!). Chill 2-3 hours.
Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over top of cooled custards. With the kitchen torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly. (You may need to use more sugar for the top if you are getting burnt spots). Serve immediately topped with fresh fruit or refrigerate for later use (if saving for later use, wait to torch the sugar until ready to serve).

-amanda

Crème Carmel

2010-02-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Crème Carmel (aka Flan) is a nice custard dessert, presented here with a tuile cookie dome. First prepare the caramelized sugar and then the baked custard.

Caramelized Sugar
Makes enough for 5 - 4" ramekins

8 oz sugar
2 oz water
3 drops of lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and begin heating. Do not stir the mixture. Brush down the insides of the pan with clean water if crystals start forming on the walls, careful not to touch the mixture with your brush. Once the sugar begins to turn brown gently swirl the solution around to distribute the color, by holding the handle of the pan and swirling. Once the entire mixture is brown, place the pot directly into an ice bath so stop it from cooking further. Immediately pour the sugar into 5 - 4" ramekins. Just enough to coat the bottoms. If the mixture hardens in the bottom and you don't have enough to coat the whole bottom, don't worry about it because it will melt again evenly in the oven when you bake the custard.

Baked Custard
Makes 5 - 4" ramekins

1 pt milk
1 pt half and half
4 oz sugar
1/2 vanilla bean (split)
1/3 tsp salt
14 oz eggs

In a sauce pan scald the milk, half and half, sugar, vanilla bean, and salt. Remove from heat.
In a bowl, whisk the eggs to break them up. Carefully pour about 1 1/2 cups of the hot mixture into the eggs, stirring constantly.
Whisk the tempered eggs back into the hot mixture. Strain the mixture through a fine sieve. Gently scrape out the vanilla bean and stir in.
Place mixture into the ramekins (after the caramelized sugar has already been placed in the dishes). Put dishes in a water bath, ensuring water comes up no higher than 1/3 way up the ramekins.
Bake at 350 degrees F, until set and there is a light skin on top of the custard, approximately 35 minutes.

Once they are finished baking, cool and then cover in saran wrap and place in the fridge. The next day (or once they are completely cooled), take a small offset spatula and run it around the edge only going about halfway down so you don't touch the sugar. Flip it over onto a plate, shake it a little and it should come out of the ramekin. If it does not, you may need to run the spatula around again. Decorate as desired and serve chilled.

-amanda

Super Bowl Petit Fours

2010-02-04T23:45:00.007-05:00

I have always loved the Super Bowl. I enjoy watching the game and rooting on my favorite team, and of course watching the commercials. However, one of my favorite reasons why I love the Super Bowl so much is because of the food! It is a great opportunity to make appetizers and other yummy food that I wouldn't otherwise have a reason to make.

About a week ago I was trying to figure out what I should make and petit fours came to mind. I had originally wanted to do them for Valentine's Day but then decided that I already had too much on my plate for V-day. Plus, mini footballs sounded so cute! Once I had the idea in my head, I knew I had to make it happen. I am very happy with the way they turned out!

Almond Pound Cake

7 oz sugar
7 oz almond paste
1 oz egg
7 oz diced butter
4 eggs
3 oz cake flour

Before you begin, all ingredients must be room temperature including the eggs.

Cream sugar and almond paste together. When the mixture is well broken up, add the 1oz egg.
Continue to mix until the mixture is smooth and forms a paste. There should be no lumps of almond paste in the mixture.
Add the butter and cream on high speed until the mixture is light and airy.
Add the eggs in 3 stages and scrape down after each addition. Do not over mix.
Finally add the sifted flour and mix just until incorporated.
Line a cookie sheet with parchment and evenly spread the mixture in the pan.
Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown and firm to the touch. Approximately 30-35 minutes.

Once cooled, flip it over onto another sheet pan and remove the parchment. Cut in half horizontally and spread 1/2 cup of warm jam on one half and then place the other layer on top. Now you are ready to cut out your shapes. It may be easier to cut if you place the cake in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.

To glaze, place a rack on a sheet pan to catch the extra glaze. Pour melted chocolate fondant over the petit fours. You can use the extra glaze in the pan if you need more fondant. Once they are set, draw the laces on with a piping bag and royal icing.

Royal Icing

1 cup powdered sugar (sifted)
1 egg white
1 tsp cream of tarter

Combine powdered sugar and cream of tarter in mixing bowl. Gradually add the egg whites and mix on medium speed for 4 minutes.

Enjoy the game!!

-amanda

English Trifle

2010-02-02T16:40:00.005-05:00

English Trifle
It is made with an apricot jelly roll, layered with cake cubes soaked in grand marnier, strawberries, mandarin oranges, diplomat cream, and garnished with chantilly cream and strawberries. Although this is not a classic English trifle, it is still very delicious and pretty!

-amanda

Charlotte Russe

2010-01-19T17:32:00.005-05:00

I am very excited that I finally get to make some pretty things in pastry school! Last week I made a Charlotte Russe torte which is a Bavarian cream torte with lady fingers around the outside. The one pictured below is made with a vanilla chiffon cake, layered with vanilla Bavarian cream and topped with apricot glazed fresh fruit.

The recipes that I have make way more cake than you would want to make at home. So I will just tell you how to construct this torte.

You will need:

an entremet ring (cake ring) one inch larger than your cake pan
a cake board larger than your cake ring
acetate strip
a recipe for 1 chiffon cake
a recipe for vanilla Bavarian cream
lady fingers

Bake and freeze chiffon cake: Make one pan of chiffon cake, and once cooled place in the freezer (the cake will be easier to remove from the pan and cut in half if frozen). Get all of your ingredients ready to make the cream, and before you make it, prepare your cake ring.
Prepare cake ring: Place the cake ring on a larger cake board. You will need to put a strip of acetate around the inside of the rings and then place your lady fingers inside the ring as well. You will need to layer your torte with chiffon cake and cream, so cut your cake in half equally. Next brush the cake layers with dessert syrup (recipe below). Place one cake layer inside the circle of lady fingers (it is okay if there is room in between the lady fingers and the cake, the cream will just fill in these spots and hold the torte together).
Make the cream and assemble the torte: Now you can start to make your cream. Once the cream is done, you must make sure that it is not too runny or it will run out the bottom of the ring. However, because it has gelatin in it, you cannot let it sit around or it will set up quickly. Once it is the right consistency, pour half of the gelatin over the first cake layer. Then take the second cake layer and set it on top, and press it down a little bit into the cream. Pour the remaining cream on top and use a flat edge to make the top even with the cake ring. Freeze overnight.
Decorate: Before you begin decorating, pull torte out of the freezer and let thaw for about an hour or so. When you are ready to decorate your torte, first put your toppings on before removing the cake ring. Once you are finished with your torte you are now ready to remove it from the cake ring.
Remove torte from cake ring: In order to do this we used a torch and a cake turn table to warm the top part of the ring. Do not hold the torch in once spot too long, and do not use the torch too long in general because it will melt your cream. Once you warm it up you should be able to slowly lift the cake ring up and off the torte. Peel off the acetate and place on a serving plate. Slice and serve cold.

Dessert Syrup
(yields enough syrup for about 2 - 10" torte)

1/8 cup water
1/8 cup sugar

1/4 cup Grand Marnier (or desired flavor)

Combine sugar and water in small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add Grand Marnier. Bring back to a boil and remove from heat.

In the future I will try to cut down my recipes so I can post them here for you.

-amanda

Oreo Truffles

2010-01-11T18:11:00.003-05:00

These are sooooo yummy! If you like Oreos, you will probably love these. Even my boyfriend (who dislikes sweets), said they were "amazing". I love when I finally make something he likes. :o) You must try these!

Oreo Truffles
Makes approx. 24

-1pkg of Oreos (18oz)
-1pkg of softened cream cheese (8oz)
-Chocolate melts or semi-sweet chocolate (for dipping)

Crush the package of Oreos, either in a food processor or in place in a ziplock bag and use a rolling pin. Once the Oreos are crushed (you want them to be very fine crumbs, otherwise you will have chunks of cookie in your truffles), combine them with the softened cream cheese in a bowl. Mix until it is well blended. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place on a cookie sheet. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer or fridge to harden the truffles. Once firm enough (about 30 - 1 hour in fridge), remove them and dip them into the melted chocolate using a fork. Replace back on cookie sheets and put them in the fridge or freezer to harden. Best when served chilled.

Enjoy!!!

-amanda

Happy New Year!

2010-01-06T15:54:00.002-05:00

My vacation is coming to an end. While I have been back to work for a couple days now, I don't go back to school until next week. I have been enjoying my time off and I am trying to relax as much as possible. Drinking hot chocolate and trying to stay nice and cozy inside as much as possible. I know once school begins again, the craziness will follow. There will be no time for anything, what with 20 hours at school, 20+ hours at work and 3 days of workout classes (what was I thinking?!). So I am using this time now to just lounge around. Therefore I haven't felt like baking much. My apologies. I also realize I didn't post much from school last semester, but since I was mainly baking bread, I didn't find anything to be pretty enough to post. This semester should have a lot more things to post, as I will be making lots of pastries. I believe I will also be making a wedding cake, so that should be interesting!

Anyways, if you are still around, I appreciate it. I will try to get some new stuff up soon.

-amanda

Challah Wreath

2009-12-19T07:00:00.000-05:00

Challah
Makes 2 wreaths

Ingredients

1 lb water
2 oz fresh yeast
2 lb 12 oz hi-gluten flour
4 oz sugar
.75 oz salt
8 oz eggs
4 oz oil

Mix yeast and water together first, then combine all ingredients together in mixing bowl and mix on low for 12 minutes.
Ferment dough in a warm place for 1 1/2 hours. (Some people put it in the oven with the oven off but the light on.)
Scale the dough into logs.* Each wreath will need 6 logs (3 of each size). So scale six - 6 oz logs, and six - 4 oz logs). Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
Once the dough has rested, roll out each log into a long strand. Cover and let rest again for a few minutes then roll once more. The longer the strands the bigger your wreath will be.
Braid 3 pieces of 6 oz strands together, pinching the ends. Do the same for the 4 oz strands.
Egg wash the top of the 6 oz strand braid and place the 4 oz strand braid on top.
Shape into a wreath, place on sheet pan with parchment and egg wash.
Repeat steps 5 - 7 for your second wreath.
Place sheet pan in oven once again with just the light on for about 20 minutes or until dough has proofed.
Egg wash again and then bake for about 30 minutes at 400 degrees F.

*When scaling the logs, if there is enough left over dough you can use it to make a regular 3 braid challah loaf.

-amanda

Day 12: Oatmeal Scotchies

2009-12-18T07:00:00.001-05:00

It's the last day of cookies. How sad. :o( For the last cookie, I made something I had never heard of this until this year, and boy are these cookies yummy! Enjoy!

Oatmeal Scotchies
Makes about 4 dozen

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 cups quick or old fashioned oats, uncooked
2 cups butterscotch chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Once creamed add eggs and vanilla, mix until combined and creamy. Gradually mix in flour mixture. Stir in oats and butterscotch chips. Drop tablespoonfuls onto cookie sheets lined with parchment. Bake for approximately 10 minutes.

Thanks for joining me for my 12 Days of Cookies!

-amanda

Day 11: Scotcharoos

2009-12-17T07:00:00.001-05:00

Butterscotch and chocolate and peanut butter, oh my! These little yummies won't last long. And of course, my favorite part about them...no baking! Super easy to make. :o)

Scotcharoos (from All Recipes)
Makes 24 bars

Ingredients:

1 cup light corn syrup
1 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups peanut butter
6 cups crisp rice cereal
1/2 cup butterscotch chips
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Generously butter a 9x13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

2. In a large pot, mix together corn syrup, sugar, and peanut butter. Cook over medium heat, stirring until peanut butter melts. Bring mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, and stir in crisp rice cereal.

3. Transfer mixture into a well buttered 9x13 inch pan. With your hands well buttered, pat it down into pan.

4. In a medium saucepan, over medium low heat, melt chocolate chips and butterscotch chips until smooth. Spread over top of bars and let bars cool. Cut into squares.

-amanda

Day 10: Thin Mints

2009-12-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I think you will either love or hate these crackers. I had a lot of people who love thin mint cookies, say these tasted almost just like them, and they loved them! Other people just didn't the idea of a chocolate on a cracker. I really enjoyed them, and I hope you will too!

Thin Mints
Makes 80

Ingredients

1 pound bittersweet chocolate
80 Ritz crackers
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

Melt chocolate using a double boiler or the microwave. (Do not overheat or get water into the chocolate)
Once chocolate is melted, stir in a couple drops of peppermint flavor into the chocolate.
Dip crackers into the melted chocolate and then place onto a cold cookie sheet and put into the refrigerator to set. (The cold sheet tray will keep the bottoms neat.)
After a few minutes take them out and package them up.

If you'd like to add sprinkles or crushed peppermint, do so after dipping and before refrigerating.

-amanda

Day 9: Mudslides

2009-12-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

If you love chocolate then these cookies are for you! You must have a scale to measure out the ingredients for this cookie. Sorry I don't have any other measurements.

Mudslides
Makes about 1 dozen large cookies

Ingredients

4 oz unsweetened chocolate
12 oz bittersweet chocolate
2 oz butter
4 eggs
12 oz sugar
.5 oz coffee extract
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 oz cake flour (or all-purpose if you don't have cake)
1/3 tsp (or a little more than a 1/4tsp) baking powder
very small pinch of salt
14 oz chocolate chips, frozen
2 oz walnuts, chopped and frozen

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Soft together the flour, baking power, and salt.
Melt the unsweetened chocolate, bittersweet chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Once melted remove from heat.
Quickly whip the eggs, sugar, extract, and vanilla together.
Slowly fold the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture continuously stirring.
Fold the sifted ingredients into the mixture.
Finally quickly add the frozen chocolate chips and walnuts.
Use a large or small cookie scoop depending on what size cookies you want.
Bake for about 15 minutes.

Batter will be very wet and liquid at first. If it is too liquid to hold any shape wait a minute or two before scooping, but don't wait too long because then the batter will get too hard to scoop.

-amanda

Day 8: Snowballs

2009-12-14T07:00:00.002-05:00

The classic snowball nut cookie. If you are a nut lover you may want to double the nuts in this recipe.

Snowballs
Makes 2 dozen.

Ingredients

1 cup butter
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Cream together butter and sugar, then mix in vanilla and salt.
Gradually add flour to mixture and then chopped pecans. Mix until well combined.
Chill dough for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place on baking sheets.
Bake for 10 -15 minutes. Once they are light brown on the bottom they are done.
Cool for about 5 minutes, and then roll in powdered sugar.

-amanda

Day 7: Eggnog Thumbprints

2009-12-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

These don't really have an eggnog taste in my opinion but other people thought so. Either way they are pretty good. :o)

Eggnog Thumbprints (from Allrecipes)
Makes 48

Ingredients

3/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 tablespoon rum
1 pinch ground nutmeg

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium bowl, cream together 3/4 cup butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Combine flour and salt; stir into the creamed mixture by hand to form a soft dough. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and place balls 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. Make an indention in the center of each cookie using your finger or thumb.
Bake for 12 minutes in preheated oven. Cool completely.
In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, and rum. Spoon rounded teaspoonfuls of filling onto cookies. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Let stand until set before storing in an airtight container.

-amanda

Day 6: White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies

2009-12-12T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is my new favorite cookie. They are amazing! You must try these. Enough said.

White Chocolate Cherry Chunkies (adapted from Food Network)
Makes 4 dozen

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons milk
1 cup candied cherries (chopped in half or quarters depending on size)
1 1/2 cups white chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, with electric mixer, cream butter and sugars together until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until just combined. Set aside.
Sift together flour, soda, and salt. Add milk to the butter mixture and then add the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Batter should be stiff.
In another bowl, combine cherries, and white chocolate. Then add to batter, stirring only to blend. Drop by heaping tablespoons onto a greased cookie sheet, 2 inches apart. Bake for approximately 11 to 13 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

-amanda

Day 5: Buckeyes

2009-12-11T07:00:00.001-05:00

Buckeyes (from Allrecipes)
Makes 24

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 tablespoons shortening

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside.
In a medium bowl, mix peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar with hands to form a smooth stiff dough. Shape into balls using 2 teaspoons of dough for each ball. Place on prepared pan, and refrigerate.
Melt shortening and chocolate together in a metal bowl over a pan of lightly simmering water. Stir occasionally until smooth, and remove from heat.
Remove balls from refrigerator. Insert a wooden toothpick into a ball, and dip into melted chocolate. Return to wax paper, chocolate side down, and remove toothpick. Repeat with remaining balls. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set.

-amanda

Day 4: Chocolate Toffee Crunchies

2009-12-10T07:00:00.002-05:00

These are very good and people loved them! It is almost like a Heath bar, but more crispy. And they are soooo easy and fast to make.

Chocolate Toffee Crunchies (from Allrecipes)

Ingredients

2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup butter (no substitutes), melted

Topping:

1/2 cup butter (no substitutes)
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans

Combine crumbs, brown sugar and butter. Press into an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned.
In a saucepan, bring butter and brown sugar to a boil over medium heat; boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour evenly over crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.
Remove from oven and let stand for 2 minutes. Sprinkle with chocolate chips; let stand until chocolate is melted. Spread evenly over top; sprinkle with chopped pecans. Cool completely before cutting.

-amanda

Day 3: Candy Cane Cookies

2009-12-09T07:00:00.001-05:00

When I found these cookies online I thought they were so adorable and I couldn't wait to make them!

Candy Cane Cookies (from Food Network)
Makes 25

Ingredients:

1 box sugar cookie mix
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 egg
1/3 cup cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup all-purpose flour, plus additional for surface
Red food coloring
1 1/2 teaspoons peppermint extract (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

2. In a bowl, combine sugar cookie mix, melted butter, egg, cream cheese, and flour; mix together to form dough. Separate dough into 2 equal portions and place in 2 different bowls. Add red food coloring gradually to 1 bowl of dough, kneading together until desired shade of red is created. To second bowl of uncolored dough, add peppermint extract and knead together.

3. On a floured work surface, shape each dough into balls and then roll each ball into 1/4-inch-wide ropes, each about 6 inches long. For each cookie, carefully twist some of the red and white ropes of dough together and shape into a candy cane. Spread candy canes out on cookie sheets and bake on the top shelf of the oven for about 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool before serving.

Tips: Unless you are a huge peppermint fan I wouldn't add the peppermint. Only my dad enjoyed the peppermint taste of these cookies, everyone else would have preferred a regular sugar cookie. Also these were very difficult to twist together because they kept falling apart. So I ended up making some round "peppermints" with the rest of the dough. To make the peppermints in the picture below, just take a couple pieces of each dough and roll into a ball and press flat before baking.

-amanda

Day 2: Butterscotch Drops

2009-12-08T07:00:00.001-05:00

These were super easy and fast to make and were a huge hit with everyone! These are definitely tasty and if you haven't made them you should give them a try!

Butterscotch Drops (adapted from Allrecipes)
Makes 24

Ingredients

1 (11 ounce) package butterscotch chips
1 cup creamy peanut butter
4 cups cornflakes cereal
1 cup melted chocolate, to drizzle over top (optional)

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butterscotch chips and peanut butter together. Remove from stove and stir in cornflakes. Drop by spoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Chill to harden. Drizzle chocolate over top and chill again. Place in baking cups for serving.

All packed up and ready to go!

-amanda

Day 1: Pumpkin Cookies

2009-12-07T07:00:00.001-05:00

Welcome to Day 1 of 12 days of Cookies!

These pumpkin cookies are nice and soft with a delicious pumpkin flavor, and the easy to make glaze adds just the right amount of sweetness!

Pumpkin Cookies
Makes 36 cookies

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick), softened
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup of walnuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease baking sheets or line with parchment or wax paper.
Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in medium bowl. Beat sugar and butter in large mixing bowl until well blended. Beat in pumpkin, egg and vanilla extract until smooth. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Drop rounded tablespoon sized balls onto prepared baking sheets.
Bake for 15 to 18 minutes or until edges are firm. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Drizzle Glaze over cookies (recipe for glaze below).

Glaze:
2 cups sifted powdered sugar, 3 tablespoons milk, 1 tablespoon melted butter and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract in small bowl until smooth.

-amanda

12 Days of Cookies

2009-11-30T20:27:00.003-05:00

Starting December 7th, I will be posting a different cookie for twelve days! Whether you're baking this holiday season for a cookie exchange, a party, or for gifts, hopefully this will give you some inspiration! So check back for plenty of goodies!!

-amanda

Time to Give Thanks

2009-11-26T00:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Today is a day to give thanks for what we are grateful for.

Today (and everyday) I am grateful for:

Life
Love
My wonderful family and friends
That everyone I love is safe, happy and healthy
The roof over my head, the food on the table and the clothes on my back
Yesterday, today, tomorrow and all the days to come

I hope you all have a wonderful day spending time with the ones who mean the most to you, and filling up on delicious Thanksgiving yummies!

_______________________________________________

I had to make a bread centerpiece for my baking class and this is what I chose to do.
It turned out much better than I thought it would. :o)

The before and after baking photos.

We were not allowed to use food color, so I used coffee extract, and red pepper to color the dough. Unfortunately you lose a lot of color during baking. The breads that I used were challah without yeast and a decorating dough and I used sesame seeds to give the turkey some texture.

-amanda

Snickerdoodles Made with Love

2009-11-24T00:00:00.002-05:00

Today is November 24th, which just happens to be my favorite day, ummm....ever. :o)
Why you ask?

Today my boyfriend and I celebrate our 7th anniversary and I couldn't be happier. He is an amazing boyfriend and best friend and I am grateful for everyday that he has been in my life. (I love you!!!)

To celebrate, I made his favorite cookies...Snickerdoodles! Now, Snickerdoodles are a little too plain for my taste (I would prefer, double fudge chocolate or something, lol) but they are perfect for him and I actually enjoy this recipe quite a bit. They have a nice little crisp edge and a soft center which I love. There is nothing I hate more than a crunchy cookie! Ewww.

Snickerdoodles (from Allrecipes)
*Makes approximately 12 cookies

1/4 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup shortening
3/4 cup white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups and 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Cream together butter, shortening, 3/4 cups sugar, the egg and the vanilla. Blend in the flour, cream of tartar, soda and salt. Shape dough by rounded spoonfuls into balls.
Mix the 1 tablespoon sugar and the cinnamon. Roll balls of dough in mixture. Place 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment.
Bake 8 minutes. Let sit on baking sheet for another 2 - 3 minutes before removing from baking sheets and placing on racks to cool.

When you take them out of the oven the edges should be golden brown and the tops should have cracks and seem gooey in between and very soft. Letting them sit on the baking sheets will cook them further without over cooking them.

*The recipe above was altered, and was supposed to make 24 cookies, but it actually made 12. The original recipe states it will make 48 cookies but I am thinking not.

Enjoy!

-amanda

P.S. I apologize for being MIA, but this semester is almost over and I have quite a few yummy things planned for the holidays! :o)

pumpkin icebox pie

2009-11-03T14:35:00.003-05:00

This is a nice fall dessert, that is very tasty! Like pumpkin pie but a little sweeter in my opinion. I didn't have a 9-in square pan, so I used my 10-inch and just crushed up some extra graham crackers and melted a little more butter and it filled up the whole pan.

Pumpkin Icebox Pie (from Everyday Food)
Serves 9-12

Crust:

16 cinnamon graham crackers, crushed
1 tablespoon dark-brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Filling:

3 teaspoons unflavored powdered gelatin
1 can (29 ounces) pure pumpkin puree
4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk
1 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon salt

Make crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a bowl combine crushed graham crackers, sugar, salt and butter. Mix until it resembles a wet sand. Press crumbs in the bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch square baking dish.
Bake until crust is deep golden brown and fragrant, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool completely in baking dish on a wire rack.

While crust is baking, make the filling

Place 1/4 cup cold water in a small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin on top of water and let stand 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together pumpkin puree and cream cheese until smooth.
In a small saucepan, combine evaporated milk, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt; bring to a simmer over medium. Add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved.
Pour milk mixture into pumpkin mixture and whisk until completely smooth.

To finish

Pour filling into cooled crust and refrigerate until chilled and completely set, about 3 hours (or wrap tightly with plastic and refrigerate for up to 2 days).
To serve, top with whipped cream and sprinkle with nutmeg.

-amanda

Golf Bag Cake

2009-11-01T22:53:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday to my golf lovin' man. :o)

On my way to deliver the cake I realized two things:

I forgot the candles I bought (I always forget the candles, so I have boatloads of different candles...sparkling ones, wavy ones, black and white polka dots ones, and blue ones for the BF. *sigh*)
It looks like he's turning 31...crap! I didn't even think to put his age on the clubs. And that just happened to be the one thing that everyone commented on! Oh well. :o)

-amanda

Chocolate Kitty Jack-O-Lantern

2009-10-20T14:29:00.003-04:00

This is a centerpiece I made in school (sorry about the photo quality, I only had my phone).

To make a hollow pumpkin (egg, ball, etc.) of your own follow these directions.

Blow up a balloon to desired size and grease.
Temper chocolate and dip balloon in chocolate covering all but the top
Let the chocolate dry (you can set the balloon on a plate but might want to tie a string to the top and attach to something else so the balloon won't fall over)
Once chocolate is hard, dip again in tempered chocolate and set to dry. (Do this procees a total of 3-4 times to get a thick enough shell, so that it won't break when you carve into it)
Once the final layer is completely dry you can pop the balloon. Depending on how well you greased the balloon, it may or may not come out.

To decorate use cookie cutters or an exacto knife. Heat the knife tip or edge of cutter over a heat gun. Careful not to burn the metal or yourself! Slowly and with little pressure insert into the chocolate to carve desired design. You will need to keep re-heating your tools while you are carving. To add other pieces of chocolate, use tempered chocolate as "glue".

Have fun!

-amanda

Dessert Table: Baby/Wedding Combo

2009-10-04T15:13:00.008-04:00

I have been dying to make a dessert table for months now, but never had a reason to do one until now. One of my co-workers is getting married next week, and the other who happens to be her cousin is having a baby girl in November. So we decided at work to throw them a little surprise wedding/baby shower. I figured this would be the perfect event for my first dessert table. It was so much fun to do, I hope I can do more in the future!

Details:

-amanda

Chocolate Bow

2009-09-22T13:23:00.004-04:00

My first day working with chocolate at school we made bows! It was a very lengthy process mainly because chocolate is hard to work with because you have to keep it in temper. If you are unfamiliar with working with chocolate and how to temper here are some helpful instructions: Tempering Chocolate.

One thing I want to stress is to make sure that you don't get any water in your chocolate, or it is ruined. This includes steam, so if you are using a double boiler with your chocolate, make sure the bowl fits over your pot correctly so no steam can roll into the bowl. You also have to be careful when using a double boiler that you don't burn your chocolate. I prefer to pour the hot water into a bowl and use that instead of a pot over direct heat. It may take a little longer to melt, but there is less stress of burning and not as much steam to worry about.

I don't have my notes with me on how to make the bow, and I don't really know how helpful they would be without step-by-step pictures. However, if you really want my notes, let me know and I can send them to you.

-amanda

Blueberry Ice Cream

2009-09-22T12:58:00.005-04:00

This blueberry ice cream was fun to make and tasted good, but a little too tangy for my taste. But still a nice refreshing treat. (I forgot to save some blueberries for garnish, oops! So sorry about the not so exciting picture!)

Blueberry Ice Cream
(from Noble Pig)

1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen, if frozen, thaw and drain)
1/3 cup sugar, or more to taste
Pinch of salt
Zest of one lime
Juice of 1/2 a lime, or more juice to taste
3/4 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sour cream

In a medium saucepan cook blueberries, sugar, salt, lime zest and juice over medium heat, stirring until mixture boils and the berries pop and soften, about 4 minutes.

Pour the berry mixture into a blender and whirl until a puree is achieved, about 1 minute. The mixture will not be completely smooth. Add the heavy cream and sour cream and pulse to blend. Taste and add a bit more lime juice or sugar if you choose.

Pour the blend into a bowl and refrigerate until it is chilled before churning into ice cream.

Tip: If you don't like blueberry skin, after blending the blueberries try to put the mixture through a sieve to get rid of skin, and then finish adding the creams.

-amanda

Dirt and Worms!

2009-09-10T17:46:00.004-04:00

Dirt and worms brings me back to the third grade when kids brought in treats for their birthday. It was the first time I ever had dirt and worms, and I believe the last. Until now! My friend at work has been talking about dirt and worms for awhile, so I made it for her birthday. And it was so yummy!!! The best part is, it only took minutes to make! It's a nice quick treat and fun for kids (and adults too...ahem).

Dirt and Worms
Makes about 10 - 7oz cups

2 cups cold milk
1 pkg. (4-serving size) Jello-O chocolate instant pudding
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip whipped topping, thawed
20 Oreo Cookies, finely crushed, divided (I take out the creme)
Gummy Worms (plain or sour)

Pour the milk into a large bowl and add the pudding mix. Beat with a whisk until well blended, about 2 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes. Mix in the Cool Whip and half of the Oreo crumbs.

Pour into cups or container of your choice and top with remaining Oreo crumbs (you can always crush up some more Oreos if want more dirt on top). Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and add gummy worms before serving.

-amanda

Classic Creme Brulee

2009-09-09T18:41:00.009-04:00

Creme brulee...my boyfriend's true love. ;o)

It is the only dessert that he really likes. In fact, he likes it so much that he makes it himself, and I just assist him. :o) Personally, creme brulee is not my favorite dessert because it lacks something that I find to be a necessary ingredient in a delightful dessert.....Chocolate! I do suppose you could make some sort of chocolate creme brulee, but so far all we have had is your basic creme brulee with fruit. Enjoy!

1 cup heavy cream
2 Tbs. plus additional 1/3 cup sugar
2 extra large or jumbo egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract

•Preheat oven to 300ºF. Prepare some boiling water.
•In a saucepan over medium heat, combine cream and 2 Tbs sugar; cook, stirring occasionally until small bubbles appear around edges of pan, 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
•In a bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla until smooth and light. Pour hot cream mixture into egg yolks, a little at a time, beating continuously until well blended. Strain mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl. Divide mixture among four 4 oz. ramekins.
•Arrange ramekins in a baking pan and place on middle shelf of preheated oven. Fill pan with boiling water to halfway up sides of ramekins. Cover pan loosely with aluminum foil. Bake until custard is just set, about 25 minutes (use caution when removing ramekins from oven as they will be very hot!). Chill 2-3 hours.
•Sprinkle remaining sugar evenly over top of cooled custards. With the kitchen torch, move the flame continuously over the surface of the ramekins, in a circular motion until sugar melts and becomes golden brown and bubbly. Serve immediately surrounded by fresh fruit or refrigerate for later use (if saving for later use, wait to torch the sugar until ready to serve).

♥ Thanks B for all the hard work and help with this one! ♥

-amanda

New Layout and Giveaway!

2009-08-31T19:20:00.009-04:00

Sorry I have been MIA for so long. I have been out of town a lot and started baking and pastry school which keeps me quite busy along with work. Over the next couple months I will be posting some different things I make in school. So be sure to check back!

Now onto the fun stuff! How do you like the new layout? That's me as a cartoon! :o) Fun huh? Well, I told you I would be doing a giveaway when I got my new layout. So here it is!

If you win you will receive:
2 potholders, 1 oven mitt, and 1 kitchen towel,
all with a cute cupcake/flower pattern!

You must follow my blog to be eligible.
And just so I know you're still out there, leave a comment on this post about what you think of my new layout, ideas of new desserts I should make, or whatever you want!
Make sure to leave a way for me to contact you if you win!
Winner will be picked by random.org.
~~Deadline for post is Friday, September 11th @ 5pm.~~

Good Luck!

And the winner is....Kim from Stirring the Pot! Congratulations!

-amanda

Rocky Road Ice Cream

2009-08-19T21:39:00.004-04:00

I have a friend who is pregnant and craves ice cream. Since I got my new ice cream maker she was really hoping that I would make her favorite, rocky road. I was a little resistant to wanting to make it, because I have never had it and I'm not a big fan of marshmallows. However, I think she and baby deserve some yummy rocky road. :o) And this is a good opportunity for me to try something new!
Rocky Road Ice Cream (from Serving Ice Cream)
Makes 10 half cup servings

1 cup milk
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate (8 oz)
2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1/4 cup chocolate chips
3/4 cup mini marshmallows (place in freezer before making the ice cream so they are easier to stir in at the end)

On your stove or in your microwave, heat milk until it just starts to bubble. While the milk is heating, finely chop chocolate in a food processor or blender. Remove milk from heat and add chocolate and sugar, mix until chocolate completely melts and the mixture is smooth.

Cool in refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. Once cool, stir in heavy cream and vanilla. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Pour mixture into ice cream maker and mix about 20 minutes or according to manufacturer's instructions.

Add chopped nuts and chocolate chunks and mix for an additional 5 minutes.

Remove from ice cream maker, stir in frozen marshmallows, and place in a storage container.

And enjoy! It was better than I thought, but I still am not a fan of the marshmallows. Hopefully my friend will enjoy it!

___________________________________________________

For those of you who are new or haven't heard about the giveaway, I plan on doing a giveaway soon. The only thing you need to do to be eligible for the giveaway is to follow my blog. You can do so by clicking the follow button in the sidebar to the right.

I apologize for not having done the giveaway yet. I wanted to do it with the launch of my new blog layout and I am still waiting to get the new layout. Hopefully it will be soon!

I just wanted you to know that I haven't forgotten and I promise it's coming!

In the meantime, thanks to all of you that are following my blog and even those who aren't. I really appreciate all of the visitors and the comments/feedback that you leave!

Thanks again :o)

-amanda

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

2009-08-19T20:40:00.006-04:00

These no-bake cookies have been a favorite in my family since I was little. We like them so much they are usually gone in one day. I made them today for my brother's birthday, because it is one of the few sweets that he likes. Personally, I am not a big fan of oatmeal cookies, but I love these!

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Makes about 18

3 tablespoons cocoa powder
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup milk
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons peanut butter
3 cups Quaker Oats Quick Oats (you MUST use the quick oats or the cookies won't turn out)

Set out some wax or parchment paper on the counter before beginning.

In a large pot combine cocoa powder, butter, milk and sugar. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add vanilla and peanut butter, stir until peanut butter is melted. Pour in oats and mix quickly until all the oats are covered with the chocolate.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop some of the mixture onto the wax paper and pat down with the back of the scooper to make the cookies flat. Do this quickly as the mixture starts to harden quite fast once the oats are added.

Tip: I suggest measuring out your peanut butter and oats ahead of time so the chocolate will be at the right temperature when you add them.

Let cookies set for about 10-15 minutes or until firm and you are able to pick them up without them bending.

Finally, eat 'em up! Because they are gooooood!

-amanda

Brownie Ice Cream

2009-08-14T14:51:00.005-04:00

For my birthday this year my friend got me a Cuisinart ice cream maker! I was thrilled! I attempted the basic vanilla ice cream recipe that came with the maker for my first batch and decided why not add some brownies, since I have a ton left over from the Cheesecake Brownies I made. So I threw some of those in the mix and the ice cream is delicious! Also, it was SO easy to make! I can't wait to make something else with my new ice cream maker.

That thing is amazing and I am so happy that I have one now! If you don't have one...you seriously need to get one. They are more affordable than I thought, only $49.95 on Amazon and free shipping! I really like that the freezer bowl is small enough to fit in my tiny freezer that is always packed with food. And did I tell you all you have to do is turn on the machine, add the ingredients and it does all the work for you in about 25 minutes? A-ma-zzzing! Sorry, I am just really excited about my new toy. :oD Anyways, here is the recipe:

Brownie Ice Cream
Makes 10 half cup servings.

1 cup whole milk, chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, chilled
1-2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, to taste (I used 2 and would probably cut it back next time because it had a very strong vanilla taste)
1 cup chopped brownies

In a medium bowl, use a whisk to combine the milk and sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Turn on your ice cream maker and pour the ingredients in. Let mix 25 minutes or until thickened. Add the chopped brownies in the last five minutes of mixing or just mix them in by hand with a rubber spatula once the ice cream maker is done and turned off. Unless you like your ice cream soft and creamy, place it in a freezer safe container and freeze for at least 2 hours to get it thickened properly.

Now go get your ice cream makers out and get started! Because it's hot out there, and this is delightfully refreshing on a hot summer day. :o)

-amanda

Cheesecake Brownies

2009-08-12T19:23:00.010-04:00

My favorite parts of dessert usually involve two ingredients: cream cheese (which honestly I have no problem eating by itself, except for the fact that it's not such a healthy idea), and chocolate. When I came across cheesecake brownies, I thought it was one of the best ideas ever! It was one of the first recipes I found when I first discovered foodie blogs, and I have been wanting to make it ever since. I decided today was the day so here they are! They are very rich, but oh so good!

Cheesecake Brownies (Recipe from My Baking Addiction)
Makes 32 brownies

Ingredients
Brownie Batter:

2 Sticks unsalted butter, cut into pieces
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
2 cups superfine sugar*
2 large eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 pinch salt
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder

Cheesecake Batter:

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese; softened
2/3 cup superfine sugar*
2 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. Put an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat oven to 350° F.
2. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan with butter.
3. Heat butter and chocolate in a saucepan over moderately low heat, whisking occasionally, just until melted, or just melt in the microwave.
4. Remove from heat, pour into a big bowl and whisk in sugar, eggs, vanilla, and a pinch of salt until well combined and shiny.
5. Whisk in flour and baking powder until just combined and spread in baking pan.
6. Next, whisk together the cheesecake batter ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
7. Dollop over brownie batter, then swirl in with a knife or spatula. (I forgot to dollop and smoothed mine evenly in the pan, so there isn't much swirl going on, but still delicious!)
8. Bake until the edges are slightly puffed and center is just set, about 45 minutes.
9. Let cool.
*Note- If you do not have superfine sugar, just throw some granulated sugar in the food processor for a few seconds.

-amanda

Coco Bello

2009-08-10T19:28:00.006-04:00

Picture it:

You're laying in a lounge chair underneath the warm sun and you can hear the waves crash onto the beach. You feel the breeze from the water and it keeps you nice and cool so you can tan for hours and hours comfortably. You're in paradise and you think it doesn't get better than this. And then you hear, "Coco bell-ooooo!" and you jump up!
Yes! the coconut guy has arrived with his bucket of delicious and refreshing Coco Bello, the perfect snack for the beach. You grab 1 euro and run over to get your little piece of heaven. Who knew coconut could be so wonderful?

This was my experience every time we went to Sottomarina Beach in Italy. It was about an hour and twenty minutes from where we lived, which was a treat for us since we don't live close to a beach in the States. We traveled there often and I always looked forward to the Coco Bello guy and the granita vendor that rolled down the beach. I recently bought a coconut to enjoy and bring me back to those wonderful lazy days in Italy. Needless to say, it wasn't nearly as good as I remember.

Ciao,
-amanda

Pineapple Cheesecake

2009-08-05T13:48:00.006-04:00

My mom made me this delicious cheesecake for my birthday. She got the recipe from my great grandma, and we're not sure if it was her own or if she got it from somewhere else. But if you like like pineapple and you like cheesecake, you will definitely enjoy this.

Pineapple Cheesecake
Makes 8 servings.

Crust:

1 1/4 c graham cracker crumbs
1/3 c sugar (omit sugar if using Honey Maid graham cracker crumbs)
1/3 c melted butter

Combine ingredients together and then reserve 1/4 of the mixture for the top of the cheesecake. Press remaining mixture into bottom and sides of 8 inch pie pan.

Filling:

1 pkg (8 oz) cream cheese, softened
2 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
2 tbsp flour
2/3 c milk
1 can (9 oz) crushed pineapple, including juice

Blend together the cream cheese and butter until well mixed, and then add the sugar and egg. Mix thoroughly, then blend the remaining ingredients in the order listed: flour, milk, pineapple.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pie pan and spread evenly. Top cheesecake with reserved crumb mixture. Bake for 35 minutes at 350° F. Chill before serving.

-amanda

Happy Birthday to me...

2009-08-03T19:42:00.006-04:00

My birthday was yesterday and because I am going to be attending culinary school in the fall, I thought I should try to work with fondant again. I figured there is no better time to practice than for my own birthday, because if it didn't turn out, then the only person that would be let down would be me (or maybe my boyfriend because he paid for the supplies/ingredients since he wanted to buy me a cake. But I don't really think he would care either way).

I was a little bit nervous to attempt this cake, since my first fondant cake took me for-e-ver (picturing Smalls from The Sandlot), and cost me lots of tears and heartache. But I thought it turned out ok.

Problems I had:

Trouble covering the cake: My boyfriend helped me lay the fondant on the cake since I didn't have a large rolling pin (oh yeah, that was fun...I didn't have my large fondant rolling pin with me and so I had to use my mini one to roll out my fondant. You know the one you use to roll out tiny bits of fondant for flowers and whatnot. *sigh*) and as we're laying it on top he asks me how is the cake going to be smooth with no creases. Good question I told him. I flashed back to my Wilton fondant class to the moment where I was covering my cake with fondant....oh that's right, I didn't cover my cake with fondant, the instructor pretty much did it for me. Great. Now I remembered she kind of pulled on the fondant and it just magically smoothed out and the creases ended up below the cake and I cut them off. So I tried that...and instead of magically smoothing out, mine stretched...and tore. *heavy sigh* Awesome. At least I was adding circles to the cake so I could cover the tears. I managed to get all of the creases out except for the one in the back of the cake....hence no pictures of the back of the cake. Haha. :o) Solved that problem! But seriously, I don't even remember how I did that on my first cake which was quite curvy.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to make it so there are no creases?

Air pockets underneath the fondant: I tried poking a hole but that didn't really work. I had way too much air underneath there.

Droopy fondant: The numbers are droopy and I know it's because they didn't get to dry long enough. So...

How long do they really need to dry before they will stand up straight?
And once they can stand up straight, how do you secure them on the top of the cake?

In the end, I was a little bummed but I didn't cry about it, so I think it was successful. :o)
However, any suggestions or advice you can offer would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

-amanda

Coming Up....Delicious Food and a Giveaway!

2009-07-30T18:17:00.005-04:00

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to everyone who has stopped by my blog and for all of the wonderful comments! I really appreciate all of you!

Also, Welcome Foodie Blogroll Members!! For those of you bloggers not on the Foodie Blogroll, you should check it out! It's a great place to find other foodie blogs and they have contests & giveaways!

_________________________________________

It's my birthday week so check back next week for some delicious birthday food and dessert!!

Plus! Within the next week or two I will be launching my new layout, and to celebrate I will be doing my first giveaway!! To be eligible for the giveaway you must be a follower of my blog. More details to come!

Thanks for reading :o)

-amanda

Jello Cups

2009-07-24T10:41:00.003-04:00

And last but not least for the Hawaiian luau...Jello Cups!!

Simple and delicious!

Jello Cups
Makes 10 cups

4 - 3oz. boxes of different flavored Jello
Cool Whip
10 - 9 oz cups
Drink umbrellas (optional, but why wouldn't you? they are so cute!)

Make two of the Jello flavors according to the directions on the box. Fill five cups half way with one flavor and the other five cups with the other flavor. Refrigerate for 4 hours or until firm.

Repeat the process with the other two flavors and carefully pour on top of the set jello. Refrigerate for another 4 hours or until firm.

Top off with some Cool Whip and enjoy!

-amanda

Hawaiian Cupcakes

2009-07-22T18:52:00.008-04:00

I made these for a Hawaiian luau at work and I wanted them to be coconut flavored and have a flower on top that sort of resembled a Hawaiian flower. I was originally going to make frangipani flowers but I didn't have the right fondant cutters to do it so I just used what I had.

They tasted pretty good but I thought they were a little dry, my co-workers disagreed saying that they were "heavy" but not dry. I opted not to do coconut in the frosting because I wanted the frosting to look smooth.

Coconut Cupcakes
(from Simply Recipes)

3/4 cup of unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/4 cup of sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 cup of canned coconut milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups of flour
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 cup of sweetened desiccated coconut

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add sugar and cream till light and fluffy again, scraping down the sides halfway through to ensure even mixing.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds each to ensure mixing. Be sure to scrape down the sides after each egg to ensure even mixing.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder in one bowl. In another add 1 cup of a well shaken can of coconut milk and a teaspoon of vanilla. Add 1/3 of the dry ingredients and mix, then add 1/2 of the wet ingredients. Continue alternating with the wet and dry mixtures, ending with the dry. Stop mixing once just as the ingredients become incorporated; do not overbeat.

Fold in the coconut. Scoop into cupcake papers about one half to three-quarters of the way full. Bake for 18-22 minutes, rotating the pan after the first 15 to ensure even baking. Be sure to check with a toothpick to see if the cupcakes are done. If the toothpick comes out of the cupcake clean, then they're ready. Allow the cupcakes to cool for a minute or two in the pan, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

I think these were definitely the prettiest cupcakes that I have ever made but they were very time consuming.

Until next time...

-amanda

Macaroni and Cheese.....My First True Love

2009-07-21T23:33:00.006-04:00

Once upon a time there was a girl who loved macaroni and cheese....more than any other food in the world...

Macaroni and cheese has always, always, always been my favorite food. My earliest memory of macaroni and cheese is not actually eating it but writing about it. In kindergarten we all had to write a storybook and then the ladies in the library actually bound them into books for us. Well we had to write a section "About the Author" which included things we liked. And of course I wrote that I loved macaroni and cheese.

When my friends would come over for lunch on a half day of school, they always knew what they would be eating, and I think one of them even asked me once if we could have something besides macaroni and cheese. I am sure that idea was quickly shot down.

As I grew older, I think people thought I would outgrow my love for macaroni and cheese, but they were wrong. I only came to love it more. But recently, I realized that I had never made homemade macaroni and cheese myself. How could this be?? I had to correct the problem right away.

This is how it turned out...

Stove-top Macaroni and Cheese (from Evil Shenanigans)
Serves 4-6

8oz macaroni
1 tablespoon butter
6 oz evaporated milk
6 oz freshly grated cheddar cheese
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
Hot sauce, to taste
Salt and pepper

Boil the pasta according to package directions, but reduce the cooking time by one minute. Drain and pour back into the cooking pot.

Over medium-low heat, add the butter and stir until melted.

Mix the egg, milk, and spices and pour over the pasta. Stir until it begins to thicken, about three to five minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat then add the cheese in four installments, making sure the first is melted completely before adding the next.

Now I am a fan of all kinds of macaroni and cheese, but I think that perhaps I should stick to eating it and not cooking it. It just wasn't what I had hoped for: not creamy enough, not cheesy enough. I think it was operator error and not the recipe that ruined it, because Evil Shenanigans' mac and cheese looked delish! Soooo, I think I will wait awhile before I try another macaroni and cheese recipe and just stick to the good 'ol Kraft Deluxe that has never done me wrong.

Speaking of Kraft, stop by their website Share A Little Comfort. With one click you can help Kraft donate 10 boxes of macaroni and cheese to Feeding America!! You can click once per day, so stop by often! Also, if you love Kraft macaroni and cheese as much as I do, they have COUPONS you can print! Yay!

Well, if you've made it this far thanks for putting up with all of the macaroni talk.

And the girl and macaroni and cheese lived happily ever after...The End.

-amanda

P.S. The cutest cupcakes I have ever made (thus far) coming up tomorrow! :o)

Aloha! Chocolate Covered Pretzels

2009-07-20T17:38:00.004-04:00

Pretzel rods dipped in white chocolate then sprinkled with sugar, fish sprinkles or drizzled with colored chocolate. Perfect for a Hawaiian luau!

-amanda

More Cupcakes!

2009-07-14T16:29:00.007-04:00

So my friend invited my boyfriend and I over for a double date. Since they are cooking us dinner she asked if I would bring some cupcakes. She didn't get to try my 4th of July cupcakes that everyone loved, so I thought I would make those again.

And some minimal frosting cupcakes for my boyfriend. (If I give him a normal one he would wipe off most of the frosting...this may even be too much for him. We shall see..)

Next week I plan on making some Hawaiian inspired cupcakes (maybe even from scratch! lol) for a luau we are having at work, plus some yummy jello treats! So check back!

-amanda

Red, White, and Blue!

2009-06-29T14:14:00.015-04:00

These are quite possibly my favorite cupcakes that I have ever made. They are festive for the 4th of July, and oh so tasty. Now, the cake itself is not from scratch because I had an extra box of white cake mix laying around for some cake balls that never happened. Plus, I always know that the boxed cake mix will be wonderful, so that only leaves me to worry about how the new icing recipe will turn out. I did however, add some sprinkles to the cake mix to make it festive on in the inside too!

In the picture below are some of the main things
needed to make these cupcakes...sparklers? Yup!

After you make your cake batter, pour in some sprinkles!

The cupcakes waiting to go in the oven...

And they're done!

The icing recipe I used is below, and it is DELICIOUS! It is a white chocolate cream cheese frosting, and my taste testers loved it!

White Chocolate Frosting
Adapted from Taste Duds

7oz (approx. 1 heaping cup) white chocolate chips
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar

1. Melt white chocolate chips in a bowl in the microwave in 20-second bursts. Cool for about 10 minutes.
2. Cream butter and cream cheese together using an electric mixture (make sure they are both room temperture or they won't cream properly).
3. Add the white chocolate and vanilla and beat until combined.
4. Carefully add in the powdered sugar and beat at low speed until combined.
5. Turn off mixer and give it a good stir to make sure everything is combined.

Then pour into a pastry bag with a large star tip and pipe away! To get the colors in the frosting I took a paint brush and painted red and blue lines inside the pastry bag using the Wilton Icing colors, and then filled the bag with icing. However, it didn't work as well as I had hoped. The first cupcake was pretty much just white then the next ones were really dark and then the color kind of faded away. You may have to add more paint when you refill the bag if you want them all to have similar color, or just use two bags.

(The sparkler was just for photography sake, and any
cupcakes with sparklers in them should not be eaten!)

Enjoy and have a wonderful 4th of July!!
-amanda

Chocolate Raspberry Tarts

2009-06-26T15:13:00.005-04:00

I found this recipe on the Food Network site and could not wait to try it. The recipe yields 6 regular muffin size tarts, but I thought that would be too much richness for one person. I ended up making two in the large size so I could put a raspberry in the center like the recipe calls for and then made 12 mini ones as well.

Overall, I didn't think they were sweet enough. I wish now that I would have used semi-sweet chocolate instead of bittersweet.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs (I used Oreos)
6 tablespoons melted butter
1 recipe Dark Chocolate Truffle mixture, recipe below
6 fresh raspberries, plus extra for serving

Mix together the chocolate wafer crumbs and melted butter. Spray the cups of a 6-muffin tins (or mini tins if you choose) with a vegetable spray. Line the cups with strips of parchment or waxed paper, cut so that they are as wide as the diameter of each cup and long enough to overhang the sides (you'll need this overhang to remove the tarts).

Use the bottom of a small glass (I used the back of a measuring table spoon for the minis) to press the crumbs over the bottom and sides of the muffin cups, building the sides up. Place a raspberry in the center of each crust and with a pastry bag fill the tarts with the truffle mixture. Smooth the tops and refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Dark Chocolate Truffle Mixture:

1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces good-quality (70 percent) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

In a saucepan, bring the cream just to a simmer over low heat. stir to avoid getting a skin on the cream. Pour the cream over the chocolate in a bowl and let stand about 10 minutes to melt the chocolate. (I had to put mine in the microwave for about 15 secs or so because it was still chunky.) Add the vanilla and stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 1 hour at room temperature. Then beat the chocolate at medium speed until it gets thick and light colored.

-amanda

Cupcake Bites

2009-06-21T18:13:00.003-04:00

I made these yummy little cupcake bites using the delicious and simple Duncan Hines Butter Fudge cake mix. For detailed instructions on how to make the cupcake bites check out Bakerella.

I decided that I didn't want to make a million cupcake bites so I used the rest of the batter to make a small cake. Ta-daaa!

Also for your viewing pleasure, here are some previous cupcake bites that I made:

Thanks for visiting!
-amanda

Happy Birthday to you...

2009-05-24T20:03:00.005-04:00

I made these little cheesecakes for my friend's birthday (Happy Birthday!). I used the same recipe that I used for Valentine's Day however, I altered them by making different flavors. In my opinion (and the boyfriends) they were to die for delicious! Hopefully my friend will enjoy them just as much! :)

Left to Right: Strawberry (swirled with jam and topped with a strawberry), Chocolate (Oreo crust and swirled with chocolate sauce), Plain cheesecake (topped with fresh fruit), Oreo (Oreo crust and Oreo crumbs mixed in).

-amanda

Mother's Day Cupcakes

2009-05-12T18:48:00.008-04:00

Yes, I know this is late. Mother's Day was very busy with work, baking, cleaning, and other mom projects. Since then I have been busy with my new fast paced pastry class. Anywho....on with the Mother's Day Cupcakes!!!

Ta-Da! So pretty on the outside :)

Not so pretty on the inside :( Boooo!

They were supposed to be bright pink and purple on the inside.
However, I decided to make the white cake batter from scratch,
which ended up being yellowish cake instead...grrrr!

But don't they look cute in their to-go container?! I love it :)

So even though I was pleased with the outer appearance, and the inner faded pink and purple were good enough this time around, I wasn't loving the recipes I used. They were decent tasting but I have yet to find a buttercream icing that I LOVE. Although both recipes were VERY easy and fast, so that was nice. If I make the icing again I will use less cream.

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting
Simple White Cake (remember this is not like the white you will get from a store bought mix. it's yellowish)

-amanda

Strawberry Shortcake Cookies

2009-05-08T22:24:00.006-04:00

I found this recipe in my Martha Stewart Living magazine and I had a lot of strawberries in the fridge so I figured I should make these cookies. :)

(Batch 2)

2 cups strawberries (hulled and cut into 1/4 inch dice)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
9 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking power
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter (cut into small pieces)
2/3 cup heavy cream
Sanding sugar, for sprinkling

1. Preheat oven to 375. Combine strawberries, lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons granulated sugar. Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, and remaining 7 tablespoons granulated sugar in a large bowl. Cut in the butter with a pastry cutter, or rub in with your fingers, until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in cream until dough starts to come together, then stir in strawberry mixture.
2. Using a tablespoon drop dough onto baking sheets lined with parchment, spacing evenly apart. Sprinkle with sanding sugar, and bake until golden brown, 24 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool. Cookies are best served immediately, but can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 1 day.

(Batch 1)

My take on this recipe: My cookies didn't spread like I thought they would so for the second batch I flattened them out a little and that helped. I also think that 24 minutes is too long as the first batch burnt on the bottom, especially if there was a berry on the bottom. So for the second batch I did 10 minutes and then let the cookies continue cooking on the baking sheet. They didn't burn and they were nice and soft (and edible). Overall I was disappointed, but perhaps it was just operator error. :)

As for the family, everyone seemed to like the round burnt batch better, so maybe I did do it right? The boyfriend suggest 23 minutes would be perfect. Either way I don't know if I will ever make these again. lol

-amanda

Strawberry Cream Cheese Cupcakes

2009-05-07T13:16:00.003-04:00

I had purchased a box of strawberry cake mix to make some Easter cake pops but that never happened, so I decided just to make some cupcakes. You can find the Duncan Hines strawberry cake mix at your local grocery store. :)

Cream Cheese Frosting from Bunny's Warm Oven

1 pkg ( 8 oz) cream cheese
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup confectioners sugar

Let cream cheese and butter warm to room temperature. Beat them together and add vanilla. Gradually beat in sugar.

I also made some hearts using Wilton's Candy Melts and added them to some of the cupcakes:

-amanda

Lemon Cheesecake Pots

2009-05-07T12:54:00.006-04:00

I found this great recipe for a cheesecake dessert that takes much less time than a traditional cheesecake. It was very easy to make and very tasty!

Here is the recipe from Hungry Girl that I used:

(This ended up making 4 ramekins for me)

1 bar of cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
3 tbsp. half and half (she used 2tbsp. but i added another)
1/4 cup sugar
zest of one lemon
1 egg

preheat oven to 350 F.

beat cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment with lemon zest until creamy. add sour cream, half and half and sugar. blend well. add the egg and combine, scraping down bowl as needed.

pour mixture into ramekins and bake in a water bath for 30 minutes, until centers only wiggle slightly. cool completely and chill for at least 1 hour before serving.

These were so good! However, next time I don't think I would do the lemon zest, because the boyfriend didn't care for the lemon taste. So I will probably just put some fresh fruit on top.

-amanda

Box of Cheesecakes...yum!

2009-05-04T22:23:00.006-04:00

I made these delicious little cheesecakes for my boyfriend for Valentine's day since he is not a fan of chocolate, he loved them! (and so did i :)

The recipe that I used can be found here.

The only thing I did different was made a graham cracker crust instead of using vanilla wafers. Once the cheesecakes were done and cooled, I piped designs using blueberry and cherry pie filling.

Yum! I look forward to making these again.

-amanda

All Kinds of Sugar Cookies...

2009-05-03T21:49:00.002-04:00

My friend and I have been baking cookies together for about a year now and here are some of our creations. The recipes can be found at Cake Central, which is a very fun website full of cake decorators. You can find lots of inspiration in all of the photos, plus lots of recipes, how-to articles and discussion forums for any questions you might have!

No-Fail Sugar Cookies
Antonia74's Royal Icing

Enjoy!

-amanda

Cakes!

2009-05-03T21:29:00.002-04:00

My first post! I thought I would share some old things that I have created. So here are a few cakes that I have made...

Rainbow Sherbet Cake - A nice light summery dessert made with rainbow sherbet, angel food cake and cool whip. The recipe that I used can be found here: Rainbow Sherbet Cake

This cake was made using the Wilton Little Graduate Pan.

And my favorite cake that I have made so far is this snowboard cake made out of fondant. My very first fondant cake (besides the one from the Michael's class that the instructor pretty much did for me. lol.)

So that's all for now, I plan to post the cookies that I have done next. And then we can get on to the new stuff. I have lots of baking projects I want to do soon...so check back! :)

-amanda