tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21880333730091371602024-03-19T01:47:33.668-07:00Building ButtercreamLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-12161812545787249072014-09-07T17:14:00.000-07:002014-09-07T17:14:08.080-07:00Lemon Berry Birthday Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBTNWRjtEbd5E8mOoqArgesoyxR-PDYvU_4azKiFeP4eCgW6ws91We0yUv5ZBqd3puGwDpTsLCjKXrdlZeHHDU35j7bqTgxmzUs4aeRcwzvOhKaoRENlQStnpYAqsWGBsMUQdlFCeYYjR/s1600/lemon-berry-cake-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLBTNWRjtEbd5E8mOoqArgesoyxR-PDYvU_4azKiFeP4eCgW6ws91We0yUv5ZBqd3puGwDpTsLCjKXrdlZeHHDU35j7bqTgxmzUs4aeRcwzvOhKaoRENlQStnpYAqsWGBsMUQdlFCeYYjR/s1600/lemon-berry-cake-1.JPG" height="454" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom's birthday close to Christmas, and last year she had a special request for us - she wanted to celebrate her birthday during the summer with a super awesome family backpacking trip.<br />
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First thought through my head: <i>Fun!</i><br />
Second thought: <i>How do I bring a cake on a backpacking trip?</i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaspik26LQFSSfSRIgDaeFVlSuoGYYZBeVLViJlkMSR5diMk2InWLQYc3RajBhLD2SAyE41-YFJpYGY8h8A0Q_pvYOPEG4cY_oRO2YFByDybCrOpQGtdySsDgHIKwr9r90AJSr1iul2Ob/s1600/backpack-desaturated.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHaspik26LQFSSfSRIgDaeFVlSuoGYYZBeVLViJlkMSR5diMk2InWLQYc3RajBhLD2SAyE41-YFJpYGY8h8A0Q_pvYOPEG4cY_oRO2YFByDybCrOpQGtdySsDgHIKwr9r90AJSr1iul2Ob/s1600/backpack-desaturated.JPG" height="416" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might not look it, but it's actually a birthday party!</td></tr>
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Buttercream, I realized, would not be an option. Instead, I decided to top the cake in a summer berry compote that could be frozen and transported fairly easily. Next, I decided to pair this with lemon cake layers - because lemon and berries sounded extremely delicious. I chose a lemon cake recipe from Sweetapolita's <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2013/03/lemon-meringue-delight-cake/">Lemon Meringue Delight</a> post and decided to create my own berry compote recipe.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqqDHsPcgJ7Uz9aHxPVBmGuo7zH2LXsMUZrSqDLWbKOpVbtfJtA3pcVJZrR1mYN4zZoiMSfjjcfkvcBBUifvIVeV0gMO39vhujQ2iMm-6hlvAzPHDqrEAEHnl3FbmWwb0oASTMi69B4I8/s1600/lemon-berry-cake-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxqqDHsPcgJ7Uz9aHxPVBmGuo7zH2LXsMUZrSqDLWbKOpVbtfJtA3pcVJZrR1mYN4zZoiMSfjjcfkvcBBUifvIVeV0gMO39vhujQ2iMm-6hlvAzPHDqrEAEHnl3FbmWwb0oASTMi69B4I8/s1600/lemon-berry-cake-2.JPG" height="408" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How do I transport this up a mountain?</td></tr>
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I made the cake and berry compote the night before our trip. For the cake, I made one single 9" layer and then used a <a href="https://www.blogger.com/a%20href=%22http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DE49S/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000DE49S&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20&linkId=M6LUTLIZKX6AV667%22">cookie cutter </a>to cut out 4 heart-shaped cakes. I wrapped each of these in plastic wrap and froze them. When the berry compote was cool, I put it in a plastic freezer bag, arranged it in a round tupperware (so it would freeze in a manageable shape) and froze it as well.<br />
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The next morning, I put the compote, cakes, and some candles in my camping cook pot and used some rope to fill in the gaps so that they wouldn't move around too much during the journey.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They survived the trip!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-k_etHNj6qeWXZF6NQx6hkQhVw4n-KWl57YFNPh-1sFyne4LUq7e9Kxq4AhyphenhyphenUigVAR5RPA9s1pEP6U9lQiARRU_NWshKhQs6qPEgs1nfXrblCHiZ0mYnaFrAKfL2QF7YI-R8tkNI3OJXx/s1600/backpack-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-k_etHNj6qeWXZF6NQx6hkQhVw4n-KWl57YFNPh-1sFyne4LUq7e9Kxq4AhyphenhyphenUigVAR5RPA9s1pEP6U9lQiARRU_NWshKhQs6qPEgs1nfXrblCHiZ0mYnaFrAKfL2QF7YI-R8tkNI3OJXx/s1600/backpack-2.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready to eat.</td></tr>
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The cakes survived the trek beautifully and we ate them on the first night of our trip (after singing 'Happy Birthday' of course). There were two two-layer cakes and we split them between five of us. The cake, and especially the compote, added quite a bit of weight to my pack, but it was totally worth it!<br />
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We had a wonderful birthday trip - we did the <a href="http://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/seven-lakes-basin">High Divide - Seven Lakes Basin Loop</a> in Olympic National Park, and it was absolutely gorgeous.<br />
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In my quest to make a backpack-able cake, I seem to have stumbled on what could be my favorite cake...ever. After the trip, I couldn't help but make this again - this time as a two-layer 6" round cake. Backpacking can sometimes make everything taste good, and I wanted to see if that was impacting my assessment of this cake.<br />
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It was not. This is a delicious cake. The lemon layers are soft and have the perfect amount of lemon-ness to them. The berries are tart and balance out the sweetness of the cake to create a light, not-too-sweet cake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart.</td></tr>
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Lemon Berry Cake</span></b><br />
Lemon cake recipe adapted from <a href="http://sweetapolita.com/2013/03/lemon-meringue-delight-cake/">Sweetapolita</a>. Makes 2 6" round layers or 1 9" round layer.<br />
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<i>Lemon Cake Ingredients</i><br />
⅔ cup all-purpose flour<br />
¼ teaspoon baking soda<br />
pinch salt1/4 cup butter, softened<br />
⅔ cup sugar, seperated<br />
2 eggs, separated<br />
1 tablespoon lemon juice<br />
1 tablespoon lemon zest<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
⅛ teaspoon lemon extract<br />
¼ cup plain yogurt<br />
<br />
<i>Berry Compote Ingredients</i><br />
6 ounces berries (raspberries, blackberries, blueberries - whatever you want), frozen or fresh<br />
¼ cup water<br />
¼ cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon corn starch<br />
<br />
Method<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>To make the cake</b>, preheat your oven to 350° F. Line two 6" round cake pans or one 9" round pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Cream the butter and ⅓ of the sugar until light and creamy - about 5 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the egg yolks one at a time to the butter and sugar, mixing well after each one is added.</li>
<li>Add the lemon juice, zest, and extracts. The batter might look a little curdle-y at this point - that's ok.</li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients all at once and mix until well blended.</li>
<li>Add the yogurt and mix until incorporated.</li>
<li>In a separate bowl, combine the egg whites and the remaining ⅓ cup of sugar. Beat on high until the egg whites are stiff.</li>
<li>Fold the egg white mixture into the batter, taking care to keep as much air in the eggs as possible.</li>
<li>Spread the batter in your cake pan(s) and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.</li>
<li>After 10 minutes of cooling in the pan, turn the cake(s) onto a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.</li>
<li><b>To make the berry compote</b>, combine the berries, water, sugar, and corn starch in a pan.</li>
<li>Simmer over medium heat until the mixture becomes thick - about 6 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove from heat and allow to cool.</li>
<li><b>To make the highly-transportable mini cakes</b>, cut four shapes out of the cooled 9" cake using a cookie cutter. </li>
<li>Wrap each cake layer in plastic wrap and freeze overnight.</li>
<li>Pour the cooled compote into a gallon-size plastic freezer bag and freeze overnight as well.</li>
<li><b>To make the regular cake</b>, place one 6" layer on a plate. Spoon half of the compote over the cake.</li>
<li>Place the second layer on top and spoon the second half over the top of the cake layer. Garnish with extra berries if you have any.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-64102773421504246802014-04-27T16:50:00.000-07:002014-04-27T16:50:33.901-07:00Italian Easter Bread (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpcFf8iuCHkQLo__H09XWj5Gq_-p0g7l-aOFqrr5yuxsmx23i4eYrJC8pKOSQ20H3XCwjVg1HXs51gPcGzXkLbx6BY0uwy0xNNjc8A0dEJiab1pg1oReHayRPZ3xsuDETez4jeR9tAIv3/s1600/easter-bread-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtpcFf8iuCHkQLo__H09XWj5Gq_-p0g7l-aOFqrr5yuxsmx23i4eYrJC8pKOSQ20H3XCwjVg1HXs51gPcGzXkLbx6BY0uwy0xNNjc8A0dEJiab1pg1oReHayRPZ3xsuDETez4jeR9tAIv3/s1600/easter-bread-3.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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What is that in the middle of the bread? It's a dyed Easter egg! This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge was Easter bread. Many of them featured whole eggs worked into the bread. I liked how this Italian version looks like an egg in a cozy bread nest.<br />
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<div class="highlight">
The April Daring Baker’s Challenge was hosted by Wolf of <a href="http://wolfsilveroak.insanejournal.com/" title="Wolf's Den">Wolf’s Den </a>. She challenged us to Spring into our kitchens and make Easter breads reflecting cultures around the world.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunOfIkobTmh2ohYux9b3WtIgfmtOaTn1c7mNhyphenhyphen8A_LqWsp_78s4hA__WRgM5iDbQ4gISvf769zZr_8Fi6lJ3RdJ_tjfZXCufgufdii1sTtqrRwtLYARRJrLjE1SYkoqSSJqDUP-SZumTP/s1600/easter-bread-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhunOfIkobTmh2ohYux9b3WtIgfmtOaTn1c7mNhyphenhyphen8A_LqWsp_78s4hA__WRgM5iDbQ4gISvf769zZr_8Fi6lJ3RdJ_tjfZXCufgufdii1sTtqrRwtLYARRJrLjE1SYkoqSSJqDUP-SZumTP/s1600/easter-bread-1.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Although I thought the egg in the middle of the bread was kind of cool...if a little weird, I don't like eggs cooked in the shell at all. Therefore, to reduce the number of wasted eggs, I only used an egg in the middle for one of my bread loaves. For the rest, I used part of the bread dough to form an egg shape and dye it with food coloring. The result was more weird than the egg version.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9xSUghnoFo6SADxuxogf3rubxCxRMwiOFU-9ZR6a3l4BW4GccInFtCIkZGAtPkszfAYupInTb0fRLJ5WlREsvd2F1d6E0_QVkGfrdp8LNS2ScPtsUiGD6Qb9LajNGVgd-lTrG-769aEG/s1600/easter-bread-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjS9xSUghnoFo6SADxuxogf3rubxCxRMwiOFU-9ZR6a3l4BW4GccInFtCIkZGAtPkszfAYupInTb0fRLJ5WlREsvd2F1d6E0_QVkGfrdp8LNS2ScPtsUiGD6Qb9LajNGVgd-lTrG-769aEG/s1600/easter-bread-4.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That blue one is downright scary.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">When I make this again, I think I'll probably leave out the center decoration altogether - the braided look of the bread is pretty cool on its own I think. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">I'm not a huge bread fan (I prefer cake), but I found this bread to be very tasty - a little sweet and very soft. It's also fairly easy to make, so I'll probably be returning to this recipe very soon.</span><br />
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Italian Easter Bread</span></b><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://theitaliandishblog.com/imported-20090913150324/2011/4/17/italian-easter-bread-revisited.html">The Italian Dish</a>. Makes 6 loaves of Easter bread.<br />
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<i>Ingredients</i><br />
⅓ cup butter <br />
1¼ cups milk<br />
2¼ teaspoons instant yeast <br />
⅛ teaspoons salt<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten with a fork<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
3½ cups flour (approximate)<br />
1 egg, lightly beaten with a fork with 1 teaspoon of water<br />
6 dyed uncooked eggs (optional)<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Warm the butter and milk in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once the butter melts, remove from the heat and set aside.</li>
<li>In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the yeast, salt, eggs, and sugar until combined.</li>
<li>Once the butter/milk mixture has cooled so it won't kill the yeast (warm but not hot - body temperature) add it to the yeast mixture and mix to combine.</li>
<li>Slowly add the flour until the dough is firm. Remove the paddle attachment and replace it with a dough hook attachment. Knead for 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and allow to rise until doubled (about an hour).</li>
<li>Punch the dough down. Divide into twelve pieces.</li>
<li>Roll/pull two pieces into a foot-long rope. Pinch the tops of the two together and then twist the ropes around each other to form a simple braid. Pinch the bottoms together and then connect top and bottom to form a circle. Pinch top and bottom together. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Repeat with the other pieces until you have 6 rolls.</li>
<li>Allow the rolls to rise again until double (about an hour).</li>
<li>Brush each roll with the egg/water mixture. If desired, place a dyed egg in the center of each roll.</li>
<li>Bake at 350° F for about 20 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a wire rack.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-53004980131569390372014-04-18T20:51:00.000-07:002014-04-18T20:51:29.041-07:00Lemon Almond Spring Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH6iYdsC34YgsQ53HjSBgj6-DEAqVWRyyoLeCPX7kbO_9FYcyMNKRxtQ2U_0_626LeAPVP5sl6M3EFD68tFpqC08c-K1hAXmR7uXcnoPmmQSAENSSpFG-LmwgDc_oHUx8tXN-pvNtnEGE/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH6iYdsC34YgsQ53HjSBgj6-DEAqVWRyyoLeCPX7kbO_9FYcyMNKRxtQ2U_0_626LeAPVP5sl6M3EFD68tFpqC08c-K1hAXmR7uXcnoPmmQSAENSSpFG-LmwgDc_oHUx8tXN-pvNtnEGE/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-1.JPG" height="640" width="438" /></a></div>
<br />
Spring weather in Seattle can be a bit capricious. Several sunny
days will raise my hopes that summer is finally on its way - but then
two weeks of grey drizzle will drown those hopes as I realize that
it's still at least two months before summer is really here. My
response to one such dreary day was to make this sping-y cake - even though the flowery sunny cake and
the dismal rainy spring weather could not be more different.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc30cgvVJuXzNkFm6fnwK1wZxApheE_bTl2iiIKRksl_txf6rXlbMW8F6Uh9eq-M5OqhYBj5sm665ycZp_BI8tA-NtMzscXelFrJLsbWbsXUmdtO6J-WuPqbbLi7A5HACwOkHadOkpB5ti/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc30cgvVJuXzNkFm6fnwK1wZxApheE_bTl2iiIKRksl_txf6rXlbMW8F6Uh9eq-M5OqhYBj5sm665ycZp_BI8tA-NtMzscXelFrJLsbWbsXUmdtO6J-WuPqbbLi7A5HACwOkHadOkpB5ti/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-6.JPG" height="278" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty colors!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The design on the cake was inspired by a cup that my aunt gave me for my high school
graduation. You may remember it from my <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/11/grandmas-tortelettes-daring-bakers.html">tortelette cookies</a> post. I'd been thinking for a while that the simple brush strokes
and minimal design would be fairly simple to replicate in buttercream.
The trickiest part was getting the colors right. In the end, the colors are a little lighter and closer to pastels than the actual cup, but I think they came out very nicely on the cake anyway.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ufost6eB2OMEX7ZlukNyKnjf6RokNJawg3ydyFM9KkG9LC1i_o-XIU7kbY02XZmq08tdYesfTp6UzbIVbBb0u7_B3eJU8ag-T8qezJcK2YrzQ2ba23saN7u86ZyiH71SWhyUDy4tIDyI/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8ufost6eB2OMEX7ZlukNyKnjf6RokNJawg3ydyFM9KkG9LC1i_o-XIU7kbY02XZmq08tdYesfTp6UzbIVbBb0u7_B3eJU8ag-T8qezJcK2YrzQ2ba23saN7u86ZyiH71SWhyUDy4tIDyI/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-3.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I decided to make an Italian Meringue Buttercream for this cake since I like its stability. I hadn't actually made a batch of the stuff since I made five batches in a week for a <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2013/11/a-wedding-cake-for-friends.html">wedding cake</a>. Both the KitchenAid and I were having flashbacks to that week. The meringue for the buttercream needs to cool down to room temperature after being heated by bubbly liquid sugar. The entire time, the KitchenAid is working at full force - beating the meringue until it's cool. For some reason, this takes a very, very long for me - I found that putting an ice pack around the bowl speeds it up just a little.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrnu6jBeevrgFheRSG7KB9pn1NLsiU5diGCy_cLkZDu4aitxmJZ1V2XcZh1w7_c3vfMn3h6QJ8PSsoYgMpvEBGxTa9qzz6ZzLnoylyLr6GYxCXCgQfNf_OB42C_vhA-xy8HZWo91l-1-5/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisrnu6jBeevrgFheRSG7KB9pn1NLsiU5diGCy_cLkZDu4aitxmJZ1V2XcZh1w7_c3vfMn3h6QJ8PSsoYgMpvEBGxTa9qzz6ZzLnoylyLr6GYxCXCgQfNf_OB42C_vhA-xy8HZWo91l-1-5/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-5.JPG" height="640" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poor, overworked, KitchenAid.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I wanted the cake flavors to be bright and spring-y to match the outside of the cake. I chose to make almond cake layers, and to fill and frost it with lemon buttercream. Since I really enjoyed the <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2014/01/baumkuchen-daring-bakers-challenge.html">baumkuchen</a> made from almond paste, I decided to find another cake recipe that used almond paste. My goal was that the almond flavor and lemon flavor were both present - I did not want one to overpower the other.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xjLRn-_NWjfDk3EDPEn_B36lVpjzpD7fFTCorPXOhpWcThkPGDJIio9l05LW3Ffsdx8KSbCj-qnr2MoznE97Z3RuvK4a_y5ED7vY5a2ZUB-dNMaPMA_ZwkU0v93TiZz_MqNbrt7e42e1/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7xjLRn-_NWjfDk3EDPEn_B36lVpjzpD7fFTCorPXOhpWcThkPGDJIio9l05LW3Ffsdx8KSbCj-qnr2MoznE97Z3RuvK4a_y5ED7vY5a2ZUB-dNMaPMA_ZwkU0v93TiZz_MqNbrt7e42e1/s1600/lemon-almond-spring-cake-4.JPG" height="640" width="426" /></a></div>
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<br />
The cake was a little on the dry side for me, but the flavor balance was perfect - there was almond and lemon in every bite. If I were to do this again, I might have used a bit of moistening syrup on the cake, probably with a lightly lemony flavor. <br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Lemon Almond Cake</span></b><br />
Cake adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0U9W40/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F0U9W40&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes</a> almond-raspberry cake recipe. Makes 3 thick 6" round cakes. Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076455719X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=076455719X&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Wedding Cakes You Can Make</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Almond Paste</i><br />
2 ounces blanched almonds<br />
2 ounces powdered sugar<br />
¼ teaspoon almond extract<br />
1 egg white<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients for Cake Layers</i><br />
2¼ cups cake flour<br />
2¼ teaspoons baking powder<br />
½ teaspoon salt<br />
5 ounces (1¼ sticks) unsalted butter, softened<br />
1⅓ cups sugar<br />
½ tablespoon almond extract<br />
3½ ounces almond paste<br />
5 egg whites<br />
¾ cup whole milk<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients for Buttercream</i><br />
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar, and 3 tablespoons sugar, divided<br />
¼ cup water<br />
4 egg whites, at room tempereature<br />
½ teaspoon cream of tarter<br />
1½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces and at room temperature<br />
2 teaspoons lemon extract<br />
zest from ½ lemon<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li><b>To make the almond paste</b>, place the almonds and powdered sugar in a
food processor. Grind the mixture until the almonds are very fine (they
should be almost powdery).</li>
<li>Add the almond extract and grind the mixture to combine. Slowly,(teaspoon by teaspoon) add the egg white, grinding to combine. Add just enough for the mixture to come together (for me, this was less than ½ of the egg white). If you add too much egg white and the mixture is sticky, just add some more powdered sugar.</li>
<li>Gather the almond paste into a ball. Use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.</li>
<li><b>To make the cake layers</b>, preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Line three 6" round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour.</li>
<li>Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>In a stand mixing bowl fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the butter, sugar, and almond extract on low until combined. Add the almond paste in small chunks and mix at medium speed. Continue to beat until the mixture is light and fluffy (a couple minutes).</li>
<li>Lower the speed to low. Add the egg whites in one at a time, beating until they are just incorporated.</li>
<li>Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the milk in five additions, beginning and ending with the dry ingredients. Keep the speed low and don't overmix.</li>
<li>Divide the batter among the three pans. You can use a kitchen scale to ensure that each layer will be the same thickness.</li>
<li>Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.</li>
<li><b>To make the buttercream</b>, add the ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar and water to a small saucepan. Place a candy thermometer on the edge of the pan as well.</li>
<li>Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Have the cream of tarter and 3 tablespoons sugar ready.</li>
<li>Heat the contents of the saucepan on medium heat. Don't stir the mixture as this could cause sugar crystals to form.</li>
<li>When the candy thermometer reads 230° F, start beating the egg whites on medium-low. When the egg whites start to become frothy, add the cream of tarter and turn up the speed to medium high.</li>
<li>When the soft peaks form, add the 3 tablespoons of sugar gradually. Continue whipping until the egg whites are stiff (you can hold the bowl above your head without them coming out). Don't overmix and get gross crumbly egg whites, however.</li>
<li>Your goal is to have the egg whites stiff and the sugar at 248° F at the same time. If the eggs come first, turn the mixing speed down as far as it will go until the sugar is ready. If the sugar comes first, add a bit of hot water to it to lower the temperature until the eggs are ready.</li>
<li>Once the sugar has reached 248° F, turn the mixer to medium high and pour the syrup in a slow stream into the egg whites. Don't let any syrup get on the whisk or the sides of the bowl - this takes a bit of a steady wrist.</li>
<li>Beat the meringue on high speed until it is room temperature. Most recipes say that this will take 10-15 minutes, but for some reason, this takes me much longer. I've found an ice pack on the outside of the bowl speeds it up a bit (but it's still 30-40 minutes - I guess my house is warm?). It's important to let the mixture get down to room temperature. While making buttercream for a wedding cake, I saw buttercream where I was impatient side-by-side with buttercream where I was not. There is a difference in fluffiness, volume, and even color.</li>
<li>Once the meringue is cool, turn the mixer speed to medium and add the butter one piece at a time. The buttercream will come together (usually after going through an "ugly phase" where it appears to curdle).</li>
<li>Beat in the lemon extract and zest - you can add more or less of these depending on your taste.</li>
<li><b>To assemble</b>, level and torte (cut in half) each cake layer so that you have 6 even layers. I like using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7YB/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004S7YB">cake leveler</a> to do this.</li>
<li>Place your first cake layer on your decorating surface. Spread a thin
layer of buttercream evenly over the cake layer.
Place the next layer on top, and repeat. Repeat with the remaining
layers.</li>
<li>Spread a thin coat of buttercream over the top and sides of
the cake. Don't worry if you get crumbs in the frosting - that's what
this layer is for! Place the cake in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes
to allow the frosting to set.</li>
<li>Remove your cake from the refrigerator and frost with a final, thicker layer of buttercream.</li>
<li>At this point, your cake is ready to enjoy. However, if you'd like to beautify it, return it to the refrigerator for another 20 minutes.</li>
<li>While the cake is in the refrigerator, boil some water and separate out 5 portions of the remaining buttercream (you don't need much at all in each portion). Dye the portions the colors you want to use on the cake (I did green, yellow, purple, pink, and magenta). Getting the colors right is a bit of an art (I used some black, green, yellow, and blue in the green color alone). I recommend a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0029YDR82/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0029YDR82&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">gel food coloring set</a>.</li>
<li>Remove the cake from the refrigerator. To smooth the buttercream, run some boiling water over your spatula or knife and wipe dry. Use the heated spatula to smooth the buttercream. When the spatula cools, run the water over it again. Repeat this until you have the smoothness you want.</li>
<li>Use a small spatula or knife like you would a paintbrush to paint the grass and flower dots onto the cake.</li>
<li>Finally, if you have enough buttercream left over, pipe a border around the bottom of your cake.</li>
</ol>
<ol>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-30258756990549817592014-01-27T17:49:00.002-08:002014-01-27T17:49:51.848-08:00Baumkuchen (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYG9ZcuX4PEMScmC04m7b3uClntIt3JCLjIZs12SYL_yYQZ6LpGFUE6haF7DM_PL2KfUiWGe7qqx0bwUFQUwiOwp7uxWPUTY1eB81sHRt5tyfn-5vuei2iNfKP-F2UDyD9LZVFSlo_-cc/s1600/baumkuchen-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYG9ZcuX4PEMScmC04m7b3uClntIt3JCLjIZs12SYL_yYQZ6LpGFUE6haF7DM_PL2KfUiWGe7qqx0bwUFQUwiOwp7uxWPUTY1eB81sHRt5tyfn-5vuei2iNfKP-F2UDyD9LZVFSlo_-cc/s1600/baumkuchen-1.JPG" height="446" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
I got very excited when I saw January's <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' Challenge</a>. So excited, in fact, that I promptly dropped the rest of my plans for the weekend, marched to the grocery store to buy almonds, and began baking. This month's challenge was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Baumkuchen">baumkuchen</a> - a traditional cake throughout Europe that has also become very popular in Japan. The name translates to "tree cake" in German. Usually, the cake is ring-shaped, so the layers look like tree rings. Unfortunately, getting this ring-shaped layering requires some specialized equipment, so my baumkuchen has horizontal layers.<br />
<br />
<div class="highlight">
The January 2014 Daring Bakers' challenge was hosted by Francijn of
"<a href="http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com/">Koken in de Brouwerij</a>". She challenged us all to bake layered cakes in
the tradition of Baumkuchen (tree cake) and Schichttorte (layered cake).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lidWFnA-t3dkUjTOfwd5ezIR7jZ50SBJY9w4vtQGU96btul4mru_tnfWSiI_p5TsW2eb1jBtNWCtsPeOhojhQUNpiJ7o2_VDvvnluysBjGAQusZIgPj3gw-z2_769nf4UDn-EWXV1hcv/s1600/baumkuchen-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8lidWFnA-t3dkUjTOfwd5ezIR7jZ50SBJY9w4vtQGU96btul4mru_tnfWSiI_p5TsW2eb1jBtNWCtsPeOhojhQUNpiJ7o2_VDvvnluysBjGAQusZIgPj3gw-z2_769nf4UDn-EWXV1hcv/s1600/baumkuchen-2.JPG" height="640" width="438" /></a></div>
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I had baumkuchen for the first time when I was in Japan. It's quite popular there. I was not really impressed with the cake flavor - it was dry and basically sponged up all moisture in my mouth when I ate it. It <i>looked </i>super cool though, so I was very eager to try making it for myself. Mr. Buttercream, however, was dubious.<br />
<br />
<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: What are you making?<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: Baumkuchen. Remember - that cake we had in Japan?<br />
<br />
<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: The cake that looked like layers of the earth? It looked like...<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratum">strata</a>?<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: Yep.<br />
<br />
<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: Oh....uh...I didn't like that cake very much.<br />
<br />
<b>Me</b>: Me neither, but I'm sure this will be tastier than the grocery store cake we had in Japan.<br />
<br />
<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: Ok...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimY9VlpVNkplc04hRRQltKwKTTmadqgVrNwhsaTWqHXtOxb7mKOqKGehYMt1lQFVrw6-SUxE8StY_8fzmXH9mV0jE-1c32sygjGebtOtbn15xvBXEoa6aiuYBsjZmJY1Wix8kAkhrKw_y/s1600/baumkuchen-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjimY9VlpVNkplc04hRRQltKwKTTmadqgVrNwhsaTWqHXtOxb7mKOqKGehYMt1lQFVrw6-SUxE8StY_8fzmXH9mV0jE-1c32sygjGebtOtbn15xvBXEoa6aiuYBsjZmJY1Wix8kAkhrKw_y/s1600/baumkuchen-3.JPG" height="640" width="446" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This totally <i>does </i>look like layers of rock that have slowly accumulated over<br />
hundreds of years. Baking this cake took almost as long...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This is a very time-consuming cake. Each layer is spread and baked separately for about two minutes. After the batter was mixed up, it took about an hour to finish baking the cake, and I had to monitor the cake the entire time to ensure the thin layers didn't burn (you can see I wasn't totally successful in this regard on the top layer). I highly recommend turning on a TV show or movie that you can partially watch while the cake bakes.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKHhj3EiLoYFd56BWnQ1sfQ8LJvwDKZe2XkRDWdqN2135o4TC8bCVJAe5k1NIgXW7NnKY81Sx4CkgzxL3X81m9IMtBcHMckKvy_hNqjaytFMQxvuZL3_4J5XvI14tfeSIcfmMK4Oibmvv/s1600/baumkuchen-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKKHhj3EiLoYFd56BWnQ1sfQ8LJvwDKZe2XkRDWdqN2135o4TC8bCVJAe5k1NIgXW7NnKY81Sx4CkgzxL3X81m9IMtBcHMckKvy_hNqjaytFMQxvuZL3_4J5XvI14tfeSIcfmMK4Oibmvv/s1600/baumkuchen-4.JPG" height="426" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marzipan flowers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
Mr. Buttercream's skepticism about this cake wore off once he had a bite. We both agreed that it was a little on the dry side, but still tasty - especially when accompanied by tea or coffee. It was also coated in chocolate and topped with little marzipan flowers, which made it extra delicious. I was actually a little disappointed with the almond flavor - it was a bit lost in the cake itself. If I ever make this again, I'd probably try adding a bit of almond extract to the chocolate glaze.<br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Baumkuchen</b></span><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://globaltableadventure.com/2011/04/28/recipe-german-tree-cake-baumtorte/">Global Table Adventure</a>. Makes a 6" round cake.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Almond Paste</i><br />
3.5 ounces blanched almonds<br />
3.5 ounces powdered sugar<br />
½ teaspoon almond extract<br />
1 egg white <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Cake</i><br />
½ cup cake flour<br />
6 tablespoons cornstarch<br />
6 ounces almond paste<br />
2 tablespoons milk<br />
6 tablespoons butter (softened)<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
5 eggs (separated)<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
~3 tablespoons apricot jam <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Apricot/Chocolate Glaze</i><br />
~3 tablespoons apricot jam<br />
6 ounces chocolate chips <br />
6 tablespoons butter<br />
2 tablespoons water<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
2 tablespoons light corn syrup<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>To make the almond paste, place the almonds and powdered sugar in a food processor. Grind the mixture until the almonds are very fine (they should be almost powdery).</li>
<li>Add the vanilla extract and grind the mixture to combine. Slowly (teaspoon by teaspoon) add the egg white, grinding to combine. Add just enough for the mixture to come together (for me, this was about ⅔ of the egg white). If you add too much egg white and the mixture is sticky, just add some more powdered sugar.</li>
<li>Gather the almond paste into a ball. Use immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.</li>
<li>To make the cake, line a 6" round cake pan with parchment paper. Grease the sides with oil. Make sure your cake pan has high sides - I recommend 3" sides. I actually used a springform pan since mine had higher sides.</li>
<li>Sift together the cake flour and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Place 6 ounces of the almond paste (which should be almost all of it) into a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment.</li>
<li>Begin to mix. Add the milk slowly and continue mixing until combined. </li>
<li>Next, add the softened butter and mix until fluffy. Add the sugar in a slow stream while continuing to mix. Finally, add the 5 egg yolks and vanilla extract.</li>
<li>In three additions, add the flour/cornstarch mixture. Make sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. Mix until combined.</li>
<li>Place your egg whites in a medium bowl. Beat on high until the egg whites are stiff but not dry. Carefully, fold the egg whites into the batter, trying to keep as much of the air from the whites as possible.</li>
<li>Set your oven to broil. I set mine to broil on high and moved the oven rack to the middle of the oven. Your goal is to get an even brown on the top of the cake.</li>
<li>Give the oven a couple minutes to heat up while you prepare the apricot jam. Place the jam in a microwave-safe bowl. Heat the jam for 20-30 seconds, or until it is a bit more liquid-y.</li>
<li>Pour the jam through a strainer to get any apricot chunks out. Set aside. </li>
<li>Spoon three heaping tablespoons of batter into your cake pan. Spread to evenly coat the bottom using a pastry brush. You want the bottom completely covered, but you don't want each layer to be too thick.</li>
<li>Place the cake in the over for about 2 minutes. Turn on the oven light and watch it the first couple times - you want the top to get nice and brown but not burnt. Careful here - if you forget about the cake you could very easily ruin it. Remove the cake from the oven.</li>
<li>Repeat steps 14 and 15 until you run out of batter, or run out of room in your cake pan (I was at the very top of a 3" tall pan). Every third layer, spread a thin layer of apricot jam on the cake before spreading on the next layer of batter. Try to keep the layers completely level throughout this process.</li>
<li>Remove the cake from the oven and place on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edges and remove from the pan. Allow to cool completely. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight.</li>
<li>Remove the chunks of apricot from your apricot jam as you did in step 12. Using a pastry brush, brush apricot jam on top of and on the sides of your cake. Return it to the refrigerator to set.</li>
<li>To make the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl.</li>
<li>In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add the water, vanilla, and corn syrup and allow to combine.</li>
<li>Pour the butter mixture over the chocolate chips. Stir until the chips are melted. If they're not completely melted, or if you want a thinner consistency, place the glaze in the microwave for ~10 seconds.</li>
<li>Set your cake on a wire rack over a bowl. Pour the glaze over your cake, trying to get the sides covered. Allow the chocolate to set.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-37853441159208477752013-11-01T20:24:00.000-07:002013-11-01T20:24:28.806-07:00A Wedding Cake For Friends<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAjZRMj746fZPUnNRH3vIK2BBakximKTsILRSuMIut-KaeCMs4_ajm125vHNpzV77_ys8K8bbgmojA0TR0syBS35i6oiqUXPazxqbSfdguoGnAgEqk2-sR7LFDozHP4icLRq3Fyf1qCqE/s1600/wedding-cake-lilies-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkAjZRMj746fZPUnNRH3vIK2BBakximKTsILRSuMIut-KaeCMs4_ajm125vHNpzV77_ys8K8bbgmojA0TR0syBS35i6oiqUXPazxqbSfdguoGnAgEqk2-sR7LFDozHP4icLRq3Fyf1qCqE/s640/wedding-cake-lilies-1.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.abouttheday.com/">About The Day</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last year, Mr. Buttercream and I were <i>delighted </i>to hear that a great friend from college was getting married to his awesome girlfriend. The couple initially asked me to help them with a dessert table for their wedding reception, but then decided they really wanted a tiered wedding cake.<br />
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I was nervous! Even though I've made many, many cakes in my day, I've never tried putting one cake on top of another (or made one this <i>big</i>). To prepare, I spent many weekends this summer planning, researching, and practicing. Ultimately, I learned a <i>lot</i>, the cake turned out well, and (most importantly) my friends loved their cake!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFdBsRffyrK6makn0ZDrE-SCDDAUtyAiijLq9g3n61PMYcANYrMyJ1igWPocTyw7MpB8MEoWN_axDr2SzeBlwMbulJXoY_Bw3mBZG2l10ImNRYo4B1PRmNJXfq4HzZu6Jxzr_a14LIrDr/s1600/wedding-cake-lilies-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfFdBsRffyrK6makn0ZDrE-SCDDAUtyAiijLq9g3n61PMYcANYrMyJ1igWPocTyw7MpB8MEoWN_axDr2SzeBlwMbulJXoY_Bw3mBZG2l10ImNRYo4B1PRmNJXfq4HzZu6Jxzr_a14LIrDr/s640/wedding-cake-lilies-2.jpg" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo credit: <a href="http://www.abouttheday.com/">About The Day</a>.</td></tr>
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My first step on the long road to wedding cake completion was to work with my friends to decide on cake flavors and a design. My friends were expecting 100-120 guests, so I decided to do 3 round tiers with diameters of 14", 10", and 6". They decided on two flavors - chocolate for the bottom tier, and matcha with strawberries for the top two. Their wedding colors were white, yellow, and brown. I sketched up a couple ideas, but we ultimately landed on white buttercream (they quickly nixed fondant - thank goodness), chocolate brown ribbon, yellow gumpaste lilies, and a piped buttercream detail at the bottom of each tier. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYGH-KMJlhw8jKYxFiafG3uYeHlWvQHR2AniWgrjdgv8udjmqi_NumTIK2skMa7F1AsGt1W95t9h0Qh_NtocGdviB8Zi27HApLVG4Ys3stxxKLLUu41UsY1nmZwo1qTxGs0RmsiY0hzCG/s1600/cake-orchid-with-color.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXYGH-KMJlhw8jKYxFiafG3uYeHlWvQHR2AniWgrjdgv8udjmqi_NumTIK2skMa7F1AsGt1W95t9h0Qh_NtocGdviB8Zi27HApLVG4Ys3stxxKLLUu41UsY1nmZwo1qTxGs0RmsiY0hzCG/s640/cake-orchid-with-color.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my early design sketches - not the design they went with.</td></tr>
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Finding the right ribbon color was probably the most difficult and
stressful part of the design. This didn't seem like it should be
hard - there are tons of chocolate brown ribbons to choose from at craft
stores and online. The reason this was tricky was because there would
be buttercream on both sides of the ribbon...which meant that it would
absorb oil...which meant the color would darken a shade or two (I actually
pre-soaked the ribbons in oil so that the color was even and not
spotty). Chocolate brown ribbon that has been darkened a shade or two looks black, which was not not one of the couple's colors.<br />
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And so began my great ribbon quest of 2013. I traveled from
craft store to craft store, armed with swatches of ribbon that were too
dark, too light, or the wrong size so that I could compare them with
ribbon at the store. Once, I found the Perfect Color, only to be
dismayed that the 1.5" width looked funny on the 4" tall cake. Friends and family looked on, concerned, as I delved deeper and deeper into ribbon madness. Just when Mr. Buttercream was becoming genuinely worried for my sanity, I found a ribbon that I was happy (ish) with.
Before being soaked with oil, it was a kind of copper color.
Afterwards, it was as close to a chocolate brown as could be hoped for.
As a result of my neurotic ribbon shopping spree, I now have
approximately a lifetime's worth of brown ribbon. From now until
forever, all gifts from me will be adorned with a big brown bow.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgtOTLqtPulQdgHUUpHMLa1fF1qBIt3wBQmeNCdjZw_lH3RhjovSIW_rC4yPZsK9O2Rj6DFfWj82d7RNdivZELumzosXZoouq_EOgxC5xkcqrWo__-lM8G3hIhr1rAChEDua6pFRlj_NN/s1600/cake-ribbons.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfgtOTLqtPulQdgHUUpHMLa1fF1qBIt3wBQmeNCdjZw_lH3RhjovSIW_rC4yPZsK9O2Rj6DFfWj82d7RNdivZELumzosXZoouq_EOgxC5xkcqrWo__-lM8G3hIhr1rAChEDua6pFRlj_NN/s400/cake-ribbons.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Warning: taking pictures of various ribbons on cakes and making friends and family choose "the least terrible ribbon" is a classic sign of ribbon madness.</td></tr>
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A word of warning to anyone thinking of making a wedding cake for the first time: just making the cake is a solid week of hard <i>work</i> (also, if you don't already have the equipment, it's very expensive). I drew up a plan for the week before the wedding and stuck it on my refrigerator, determined to methodically cross off each task on time.<br />
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Almost immediately, I was woefully behind. In a <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2013/09/how-to-make-gum-paste-lilies-tutorial.html">previous post</a>, I talked about the gumpaste lilies I made for the cake. The lilies were very time-consuming, so I initially had them done pretty early - about 3 weeks before the wedding. Unfortunately, I discovered the hard way that gumpaste and humidity do not mix. I had placed the lilies somewhat close to an open window. One humid (well, humid for Seattle) day, only a week before the wedding, they melted. After panic-crying for a while, I drew up a new plan and reconciled myself with just how little sleep I would be getting that week.<br />
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I think the reason these cakes take so much time for a home-baker is pure <i>scale</i>. All of my baking equipment - my Kitchenaid, my oven, even my bowls - are just not designed to make a 14" cake. This meant that each cake layer needed to be made separately. Additionally, the quantity of buttercream needed to fill and frost a cake of this size is <i>staggering</i>. I used an Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe that was designed to make maximal use of a standard stand mixer, and it still took 5 batches. My Kitchenaid is still mad at me for the hours of mixing I put it through.<br />
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Luckily, cake layers freeze surprisingly well (when wrapped in lots of plastic wrap) and buttercream can be kept in the refrigerator for several days, so I was able to spread out the work over the week. I still ended up taking part of Thursday and all of Friday off from work, but that was expected.<br />
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Stacking the cakes...<i>this </i>was the part I was most nervous about. Most books and websites that talked about stacking cakes suggested using <a href="http://www.wilton.com/cakes/tiered-cakes/dowel-rod-construction.cfm">dowels</a> to provide support (you can't just flop one cake on top of another without some support because they are <i>heavy </i>and the bottom tiers will collapse). The idea of using dowels made me very nervous - it just seemed too easy to have dowels with slightly different heights, causing the cake to not be level. After some research, I decided to use the <a href="http://media.cakecentral.com/files/sps_104.pdf">single plate system</a> (SPS). With SPS, you basically buy a lightweight plastic "table" with four legs. The "table" legs get pressed into the lower cake tier, and the upper tier gets put on the table top. This seemed pretty foolproof and very stable, and the parts were not too expensive to buy (they're available in several places online, but I got mine from <a href="http://www.globalsugarart.com/bakery-crafts-pillars-plates-sps-system-c-886_887.html">Global Sugar Art</a>).<br />
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This actually worked very well. The night before the wedding, I carefully pressed the tables into the cake tiers. I transported the tiers unassembled to the venue, and then stacked them onsite. The trickiest part was to make sure the cake tiers were exactly 4" tall so that the tables would be flush with the top of the cake.<br />
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Transporting the cakes was a very stressful experience. To anyone planning on making their first wedding cake: I suggest getting a helper (or "cake minion") for the day. Unfortunately, Mr. Buttercream was not available because he had Best Man duties to attend to, so Justine was my cake minion for the day (thanks, Justine - sorry for bossing you around all day!). My cake minion helped me gather materials, prepare the "cake-mobile" (which basically consisted of sitting in a borrowed van while the air conditioning ran until it was as cold as a refrigerator), making sure I ate something so that I didn't collapse, and calming me down when I started stressing out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Gi3hAFSg1Usr7MwUcWtedFPSUn9TASKOZnqo86b23yrQV-LPIrrJY3D36yTwHRyYsx_wguwqjvWBg6x7RKK8G_sitapw-OPBd412ORB0tj_dL4vppCprF647CENi7YTKJloeCPWlqUB/s1600/cake-refrigerator.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit9Gi3hAFSg1Usr7MwUcWtedFPSUn9TASKOZnqo86b23yrQV-LPIrrJY3D36yTwHRyYsx_wguwqjvWBg6x7RKK8G_sitapw-OPBd412ORB0tj_dL4vppCprF647CENi7YTKJloeCPWlqUB/s640/cake-refrigerator.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My refrigerator is full of cakes. Photo credit: Justine.</td></tr>
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Once at the venue, I stacked the tiers, piped the buttercream detail, and arranged the lilies on the cake. Then, I sat back and enjoyed my friends' beautiful wedding. The time came for the bride and groom to cut the cake. Together, they made the first slice and fed each other a piece. She plopped a bit of frosting on his nose and then lovingly wiped it off. It was wonderful, and I was so happy to be able to give them this gift.<br />
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It took two men to carry the fully assembled cake (wedding cakes are <i>heavy</i>) so that it could be cut. I definitely think this was one of the better-tasting wedding cakes I've ever eaten (it was much, much better than the cake served at Mr. Buttercream's and my wedding). The other guests seemed to agree, as did the bride and groom (yay!). I had used a moistening syrup in between each layer to keep the cake moist. Next time, I'll make sure to use more - because wedding cakes usually spend a night in the refrigerator, I think they tend to become a bit dry. Although this cake was good-tasting, I feel like a bit more moisture could have made it <i>great</i>.<br />
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I'm so happy that my friends liked their cake. Even though it was very stressful and time-consuming, I really enjoyed making it for them. I can't wait to do this again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first slice! Photo credit: <a href="http://www.abouttheday.com/">About The Day</a>.</td></tr>
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Here are links to books, recipes, and equipment that I found useful:<br />
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/076455719X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=076455719X&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20"><i>Wedding Cakes You Can Make</i></a> by Dede Wilson. I was recommended this book by a friend's mom, who also let me borrow her copy. It was incredibly useful and I also really liked the author's attitude towards wedding cakes. She maintained that the cake is supposed to look beautiful and appetizing, not necessarily "perfect". I also found her assertion that all cakes go through an "ugly phase" while frosting very reassuring. This is also where I got the Italian Meringue Buttercream recipe I used, which was very stable. This book is now at the top of my Christmas list.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.globalsugarart.com/index.php">Global Sugar Art</a>. A really good online shop for specialty cake supplies.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=fat%20daddio%20cake%20pans&linkCode=ur2&tag=buildibutter-20&url=search-alias%3Daps">Fat Daddio cake pans</a>. Not super expensive and really good.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002U0LE4Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002U0LE4Y&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Cake strips</a>. These are really necessary for the big cake sizes - they make the cake bake up a bit more evenly so you don't get a huge dome in the middle of the cake (which you'll then have to cut off to make it level).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N07KUE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001N07KUE&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Kitchen scale</a>. When you scale up a recipe for a 14" cake, you don't want to be dealing with cups. Weights are much easier to deal with (and more accurate).</li>
<li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0016BPTSU/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0016BPTSU&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Rotating cake stand</a>. This makes it much, much easier to evenly frost your cakes. </li>
<li><a href="http://www.globalsugarart.com/bakery-crafts-pillars-plates-sps-system-c-886_887.html">SPS pillars and plates</a>. If you plan on using SPS.</li>
<li><a href="http://sweetapolita.com/">Sweetopolita's</a> <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/sweetapolitaprintables/6-layer-dark-chocolate-strawberry-buttercream-cake">One Bowl Chocolate Cake</a>. I used this recipe for the bottom tier. It's my favorite chocolate cake recipe and impossible to mess up.</li>
<li><span class="author" id="lblSubmitter" itemprop="author" rel="nofollow"><a href="http://allrecipes.com/cook/1657330/profile.aspx" id="lnkUser580332">Tiramisuki's</a></span> <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/green-tea-layer-cake/">Green Tea Layer Cake</a>. I used this recipe for the middle and top tiers. Delicious.</li>
<li><a href="http://www.abouttheday.com/">About The Day Photography</a>. I was so stressed out the day of the wedding, I forgot my camera. Luckily, the wedding photographers let me use their photos in this post. Thank you Stephen and Sonia for the wonderful pictures!</li>
</ul>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-41265251715985016382013-09-27T21:53:00.000-07:002013-09-27T21:53:01.611-07:00Pastel de Tres Leches (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtAN-j2WcofliB3Ci3NNhe0Mmoy6bIAxOa7dC_82H52QO9eQAkVJjxa1IUYHIzbJtUvXCi4yw0oUlmJ-DG_Hf9po8tORaRWACYgUA1vwldI9QM3YZybpAsmj-QDrC496RrxegzwTbe16t/s1600/tres-leches-cake-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="438" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtAN-j2WcofliB3Ci3NNhe0Mmoy6bIAxOa7dC_82H52QO9eQAkVJjxa1IUYHIzbJtUvXCi4yw0oUlmJ-DG_Hf9po8tORaRWACYgUA1vwldI9QM3YZybpAsmj-QDrC496RrxegzwTbe16t/s640/tres-leches-cake-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Pastel de Tres Leches...this is one of those cakes that's been on my cake backlog <i>forever</i> even though I'd never eaten it before and I had no idea whether or not it was any good. The concept of this cake - which involves soaking sponge cake in milk - is so novel and interesting. When I saw that this was the subject of the September Daring Bakers', I was beyond excited.<br />
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Inma of <a href="http://lagalletika.com/category/lagalletika/">la Galletika</a> was our Sept. 2013 Daring Bakers’ hostess and WOW did she bring us something decadent and delicious! Pastel de Tres Leches or Three Milk Cake, creamy yet airy, super moist but not soggy.. just plain delish!
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Inma's recipe called for fresh or canned fruit to adorn and enhance the cake. I decided to add a bit of a crunchy twist and use almonds baked with cinnamon and sugar. These were really tasty, even just to eat plain...by the handful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDiGQwCotFED953NNWd_EbSWGoqsSBrGaJKULmuwzy-kYNOUZHkuiU2U1sPLqdLhf6zeGqhMvL7uTq8e3xtfYxlrlLrNOa_Q7FJGFWsJdvJPUO0J21apaGsUJXm7um3QO1ZpSsdaH4hWh/s1600/tres-leches-cake-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSDiGQwCotFED953NNWd_EbSWGoqsSBrGaJKULmuwzy-kYNOUZHkuiU2U1sPLqdLhf6zeGqhMvL7uTq8e3xtfYxlrlLrNOa_Q7FJGFWsJdvJPUO0J21apaGsUJXm7um3QO1ZpSsdaH4hWh/s640/tres-leches-cake-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I <i>loved</i> this cake. It reminded me of the rice pudding that my dad used to make for me when I was young. The syrup was infused with a warm, subtle, cinnamon flavor from the cinnamon stick. I think the flavor from cinnamon sticks may be smoother than that from cinnamon powder, because this was so especially, deliciously, <i>cinnamon-y</i>. Thanks for a great challenge, Inma!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Pastel de Tres Leches (with Cinnamon Almonds)</span></b>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients for Cake</i><br />
5 eggs (separated)<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Syrup</i><br />
1 can (14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk<br />
1 can (12 ounces) evaporated milk<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
1 cinnamon stick<br />
2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Cinnamon Almonds</i><br />
8 ounces sliced almonds<br />
1 egg white<br />
2 teaspoons water<br />
⅓ cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Topping</i><br />
2 cups heaving whipping cream<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>To make the cake, preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a 8" square (or 9" round) cake pan with parchment paper. Grease and flour the paper and pan.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, beat the egg whites (save the yolks!) on medium speed. When soft peaks form, add the sugar in a slow stream.</li>
<li>Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, beat the egg yolks and vanilla extract on medium speed for 5 minutes, or until the yolks are light and fluffy.</li>
<li>Pour the yolk mixture over the whites and carefully fold the yolks into the mixture.</li>
<li>Slowly, sift the flour over the egg mixture, a little at a time. Fold the flour into the mixture, trying to lose as little air as possible. Repeat until all of the flour has been incorporated.</li>
<li>Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the top. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean (about 25 minutes). Remove and allow to cool.</li>
<li>While the cake is baking, make the syrup mixture. Heat the three milks and the cinnamon stick over medium-high heat until boiling. Allow to boil for 5 minutes and then remove from heat and allow to cool.</li>
<li>Once the cake and syrup is cool, torte the cake so that you have two even pieces. Place each cake piece in a dish with sides. Using a pastry brush, brush the syrup equally over the cake pieces. Use all the syrup (it will seem like a lot, but it's ok). Cover the cake and store in the refrigerator overnight.</li>
<li>To make the almonds, preheat the oven to 275° F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. </li>
<li>Mix the egg white and water with a fork until frothy. Mix with the almonds until they are evenly moist. Toss the sugar, cinnamon, and salt with the almonds. </li>
<li>Spread the almond mixture evenly over the cookie sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, removing the sheets every 15 minutes and breaking up any almonds that are sticking together. Remove and allow to cool.</li>
<li>To assemble the cake, beat the whipping cream, sugar, and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Remove one of the cake layers from the refrigerator. Frost the top with whipping cream and sprinkle with cinnamon almonds. Place the second cake layer on top and frost with the remaining whipping cream. Cover with cinnamon almonds. Make sure to store in the refrigerator until serving.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-2294135885623833172013-09-17T21:43:00.000-07:002013-09-17T21:43:07.876-07:00Lotus Paste & Peach Candy Mooncakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2_YuzKki00WBEn-fIy6Hd5RuogUpw9AHFAuIbTpHvsYWwZR6JXcyxnfdlvPm7TSP00t9IqaiohC0LJfx3Jr_YA89yzcH8NEtz3woKbH6ccaQh14OOuWBdVEz_7WYiwciiPtBrxyBa_68/s1600/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ2_YuzKki00WBEn-fIy6Hd5RuogUpw9AHFAuIbTpHvsYWwZR6JXcyxnfdlvPm7TSP00t9IqaiohC0LJfx3Jr_YA89yzcH8NEtz3woKbH6ccaQh14OOuWBdVEz_7WYiwciiPtBrxyBa_68/s640/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Thursday is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mid-Autumn_Festival">Mid-Autumn Festival</a>...that means it's time to make mooncakes! <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/09/red-bean-mooncakes.html">Last year</a>, I made mooncakes for the first time and filled them with an easy, pre-made red bean paste filling. This year, I was determined to make lotus seed paste for the filling. Then, because my <a href="http://browncookie.com/collections/mooncake-molds/products/peach-shaped-mooncake-mold-with-4-pattern-plates">new mooncake mold</a> was peach-shaped, I decided to add a non-traditional twist and place a homemade peach gelée candy at the very center of my mooncake.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CwRtoRjzYmSBQaWV0rmQ-h-oJbOJmsUvdN6ChMwPFXHQhxVRkR3pcLlZ_OtejC9x5r18GtlEayYWHjUOQ7d8mlBCC4hJoTHVRmJWUCah0AgJaQBWHACxFUrjAzpr4uRK6EmEIf_P-lUc/s1600/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5CwRtoRjzYmSBQaWV0rmQ-h-oJbOJmsUvdN6ChMwPFXHQhxVRkR3pcLlZ_OtejC9x5r18GtlEayYWHjUOQ7d8mlBCC4hJoTHVRmJWUCah0AgJaQBWHACxFUrjAzpr4uRK6EmEIf_P-lUc/s640/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Peach gelée candy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Last year, I embarked on an epic quest to find pre-made lotus seed paste. When that failed, I decided to make it from scratch. That ended...poorly. My lotus seed paste was grainy, pale, and weird-tasting. Discouraged, I decided to give up and try again in a year.<br />
<br />
Looking back, I think my problem was that I was relying on a tiny food processor to grind my cooked lotus seeds into paste. This year, I was gifted a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000GIGZXM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000GIGZXM&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Blendtec blender</a> (thanks, Mom and Dad!), which had absolutely no problem making a smooth paste out of the lotus seeds. I'm sure a less expensive blender would also do the trick - just don't try making this with a wimpy 3-cup food processor.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2yYuufd7SuxmF0rYyqRMPANc5Tx2rrWKT2S2ZzpRhJgck2mTeZYsbeuFvGPk1GRs6VQgyJPuLC2aUJp-3Xrszf1OT4Gpyu2mIZQ-e4mHCeppgWAd3RWIYmt9oGobnT5ksNYsHY5WHNqd/s1600/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_2yYuufd7SuxmF0rYyqRMPANc5Tx2rrWKT2S2ZzpRhJgck2mTeZYsbeuFvGPk1GRs6VQgyJPuLC2aUJp-3Xrszf1OT4Gpyu2mIZQ-e4mHCeppgWAd3RWIYmt9oGobnT5ksNYsHY5WHNqd/s640/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I stumbled upon a bit of interesting chemistry while reading <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470392673/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0470392673&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">How Baking Works</a></i> that helps explain what makes mooncakes, and particularly the mooncake pastry, so special. I was learning about invert syrups, which can be made in small amounts by boiling sugar in the presence of an acid. Invert syrup has special properties - it is good at keeping pastries moist, smooth, and shiny. The "inversion" of the syrup continues slowly even after the syrup cools. As I read this, I realized this all sounded very familiar...the golden syrup used for making the mooncake pastry has some of its sugar "inverted" in this way, which makes the mooncake skin soft and smooth. Also, because the chemical process continues after the syrup cools, it's important to make this syrup in advance (the author of my <a href="http://browncookie.com/products/mooncake-classic-cookbook">mooncake cookbook</a> recommends one month). Science: making my pastries more tasty one awesome fact at a time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbEtX5Sf0Yz5pzgd3BJDPvRZC9zrZWBkMhCRXiD7D6hkUdY7sOOa_NIt-TmL4NoYZNHjz7LChHtWjh2bbelx9gVptxKdnB39XSAI9yDdjNEO9bLD22w5X9z0cO3rEcramn-_F5tf65dsm/s1600/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJbEtX5Sf0Yz5pzgd3BJDPvRZC9zrZWBkMhCRXiD7D6hkUdY7sOOa_NIt-TmL4NoYZNHjz7LChHtWjh2bbelx9gVptxKdnB39XSAI9yDdjNEO9bLD22w5X9z0cO3rEcramn-_F5tf65dsm/s640/lotus-seed-paste-mooncakes-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mooncake filled with lotus seed paste and a center layer of peach candy.</td></tr>
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These were very, very tasty, although I still think I can improve my mooncake technique quite a bit (the crust should be thinner, darker, and more evenly baked). The peach filling gives these mooncakes a jolt of sweetness that is very different from other mooncakes I've tried. I actually made a couple of them without the peach filling and found that I preferred the sans-peach-version. Others who tried these enjoyed the sweet peach, so if you try this recipe you may want to make both.<br />
<br />
I don't know if the lotus paste turned out 100% "correct". It seems to have a stronger flavor than store-bought mooncake - I'm not sure if that's good or bad. I do know that I think it's absolutely delicious, so I'm calling it a success.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Lotus Paste & Peach Candy Mooncakes</b></span><br />
(Sorry, most of these ingredients are in units of weight. You'll probably want to purchase a kitchen scale - I bought a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001N07KUE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">pretty inexpensive one</a> a while ago and I use it all the time.) <br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Golden Syrup</span></b><br />
Adapted from Choong Su Yin's Cooking Syrup recipe (from <a href="http://browncookie.com/products/mooncake-classic-cookbook">Moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival</a>).<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1000 <span class="amount">grams sugar</span><span class="name"></span><br />
<span class="amount">500 grams water</span><span class="name"></span><br />
3 lemon slices<br />
<br />
<i><span class="name">Method</span></i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Heat sugar, water, and lemon slices in a medium pot over medium heat until boiling.</li>
<li>Reduce heat to low. Cook on low heat without stirring until a candy thermometer reads about 230° F (this will take 45 minutes to an hour).</li>
<li>To check if it's done, drop some syrup into a bowl of water. It should not disperse.</li>
<li>Remove from heat, pull out lemon slices, and allow to cool. Store at room temperature. For best results, make this at least a month ahead of time.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Peach Gelée</b></span><br />
Adapted from the Peach Gelee Candy recipe at <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peach-gelee-candy/">allrecipes.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 pound peaches, peeled, pitted, and cut into slices<br />
1 tablespoon lime juice<br />
2 tablespoons pectin powder <br />
2 cups sugar, divided<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Line an 8" x 8" baking dish or cake pan with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Blend the peaches and lime juice in a blender until smooth.</li>
<li>Transfer to a medium saucepan. Add ½ cup sugar and the pectin powder. Mix to combine.</li>
<li>Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Cook for another 15 minutes, or until the mixture starts to thicken.</li>
<li>Add the remaining 1½ cups sugar and mix. Heat mixture to 205° F, stirring constantly.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the prepared dish/pan. Cover and refrigerate overnight.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Mooncake Pastry</b></span><br />
Adapted from Choong Su Yin's Mooncake Pastry recipe (from <a href="http://browncookie.com/products/mooncake-classic-cookbook">Moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival</a>).
<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
300 grams golden syrup<br />
90 grams vegetable oil<br />
3 teaspoons alkaline water (which I couldn't find, so I substituted 3 teaspoons water + ¼ teaspoon baking soda)<br />
400 grams low-protein or cake flour <br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>In a food processor or blender, blend the syrup, oil, and water (or water + baking soda) until smooth.</li>
<li>Transfer the liquid mix to a large bowl, and add the flour. Mix with your hands until the dough sticks together.</li>
<li>Knead the dough a couple times until it is completely smooth. Cover
with a cloth and set aside for at least two hours (or overnight).</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>White Lotus Seed Paste</b></span><br />
Adapted from Choong Su Yin's White Lotus Seed Paste recipe (from <a href="http://browncookie.com/products/mooncake-classic-cookbook">Moonlit Mid-Autumn Festival</a>). I've been able to find dried lotus seeds at most Chinese grocery stores. 15 ounces of dried lotus seeds should be plenty for this recipe - just make sure to rehydrate them fully before weighing out the required 600 grams.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 piece of ginger, about ¼" thick<br />
420 grams vegetable oil<br />
600 grams lotus seeds, rehydrated for at least 6 hours if using dried lotus seeds<br />
600 grams sugar<br />
100 grams milk powder<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Go through your rehydrated lotus seeds and remove the small green sprout in the center if it exists. </li>
<li>Smash the small ginger piece a bit (to enhance the flavor) and place it and the vegetable oil in a medium saucepan.</li>
<li>Cook over medium heat until the ginger floats up off the bottom of the saucepan. Remove the ginger piece and allow the oil to cool.</li>
<li>Cook the lotus seeds in about 8 cups of water until very soft (they should almost be breaking down - about 45 minutes). Add more water if the seeds start to become dry.</li>
<li>Pour the cooked lotus seeds along with the remaining water into a blender. Add the sugar and blend until you have a very smooth, creamy substance.</li>
<li>Coat the bottom of a large frying pan with a small amount of oil. Add your lotus paste and begin to cook over medium heat.</li>
<li>Add the cooled ginger-oil in three additions, working the mixture each time until the oil is fully absorbed.</li>
<li>Continue to cook, stirring often, until the lotus seed paste can hold a shape by itself. To test this, remove some of the paste from the pan and allow to cool for a while. Once it's cool enough to handle, see if you can work it into a ball with your hands. When you can do so without it sticking to your hands, it's done. This took about 45 minutes for me, but the time will depend on how much water is present when you blend your paste. Place the lotus seed paste in a large container and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.</li>
</ol>
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Assembly</span></b><br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat your oven to 375° F.</li>
<li>Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Using a round cutter or just a shot glass, cut a small circle out of your peach gelée. </li>
<li>Determine how much mooncake can fit in your mooncake press (mine
took 125 grams - it was labeled). Use roughly ⅓ for the crust and ⅔ for
the filling. For my mooncakes, I used 45 grams of crust and 80 grams
of filling (the gelée circle plus lotus paste).</li>
<li>Weigh out your crust and fillings using a kitchen scale.</li>
<li>Flatten out the lotus seed paste and place the peach candy in the center. Work the lotus seed paste into a ball around the peach candy. </li>
<li>Roll your crust into a ball, and then flatten into a disc. Carefully, push the crust around the peach & lotus filling and cinch it together
in the middle. Once the filling is sealed in, roll the entire thing
around in the palm of your hands. The warmth from your hands will seal
some of the cracks a bit.</li>
<li>Place on your cookie sheet. Repeat with about five more mooncakes (however many will fit on your pan).</li>
<li>Center your mooncake press over each ball and press down hard. </li>
<li>Lightly brush each mooncake with egg yolk (don't do too much or the pattern will be harder to see).</li>
<li>Bake for 5-10 minutes, or until the mooncake is yellow. Remove from
the oven, and brush again with egg yolk. Let the mooncakes sit for 10
minutes.</li>
<li>Return the mooncakes to the oven and bake again until golden brown (12-18 minutes). </li>
<li>Remove and allow to cool. Due to the nature of the golden syrup, mooncakes are best enjoyed a day or two after being baked.</li>
</ol>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
</ol>
</div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-41703807107196326352013-09-02T17:17:00.000-07:002013-09-02T17:17:30.446-07:00How to Make Gum Paste Lilies (Tutorial)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Shortly after returning from China, some good friends asked me to make a wedding cake for their August wedding. I agreed to take this on, and the rest of my summer weekends were dedicated to practicing, preparing, and practicing. I'll post more about the wedding cake later (in the rush to deliver the cake I forgot my camera, so I'm waiting on the pictures from the professionals), but in the meantime I wanted to post a tutorial on something I got pretty good at over the course of making the cake - gum paste lilies. The couple had asked for yellow "lily-ish" gum paste flowers, so I decided to make bright yellow (with a hint of pink) <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=yellow+asiatic+lily&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=u74kUqCNOYqgiAKugYHwAg&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1920&bih=950">Asiatic Lilies</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aWIxPdkEyoqo5Zgg104UKaBlFPOmpvM_rclNWb1fs3sZVYLTXlO_-9ordCDRoBSu6crCa4beDzDte5xrSYHn5wSYl20NQhrZljvIRnyzt582I3XnbhFkXMVDu2puD3V6xmLMB4B_CaSL/s1600/lilies-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3aWIxPdkEyoqo5Zgg104UKaBlFPOmpvM_rclNWb1fs3sZVYLTXlO_-9ordCDRoBSu6crCa4beDzDte5xrSYHn5wSYl20NQhrZljvIRnyzt582I3XnbhFkXMVDu2puD3V6xmLMB4B_CaSL/s640/lilies-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A couple people have asked if these lilies are edible. Almost all of the flower adornments I've made in the past have been edible, but alas, these really are not. Each petal has a wire in it (which is not food-safe). Additionally, the petal dust explicitly says that it is not for consumption (although it's non-toxic). At this point, the gum paste is really just a non-toxic clay that I can use to create the flowers for the cake exactly as I envisioned them.<br />
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<div class="highlight">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>How to Make Gum Paste Lilies</b></span><br />
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I apologize in advance for the questionable video quality - I've never taken video with my camera before!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgJS3GOX1QXy5y3ZGOz7lg3j6dCK_a3fmznyROBDovcH5zxEaJ1O4JB9W6e8WbX5ze5pdw1DHm_LMFunoXU1RTb3-OcDGkwMCc5onwOjBOXsKWf0QQ8ubXOpCaJjz7CrQ1gCYYZV_pKRr/s1600/lily-anatomy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpgJS3GOX1QXy5y3ZGOz7lg3j6dCK_a3fmznyROBDovcH5zxEaJ1O4JB9W6e8WbX5ze5pdw1DHm_LMFunoXU1RTb3-OcDGkwMCc5onwOjBOXsKWf0QQ8ubXOpCaJjz7CrQ1gCYYZV_pKRr/s400/lily-anatomy.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simplified lily anatomy</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Materials (for one lily)</i><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015DJZNE/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0015DJZNE&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">gumpaste</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0017JL5R0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0017JL5R0&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">fondant</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S1C6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004S1C6&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">gel food coloring</a> (optional) <br />
powdered sugar<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050B1HV0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0050B1HV0&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">7 pieces of white wire</a> (~26 gauge, ~4" long)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0007ZM57Y/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0007ZM57Y&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">small rolling pin</a><br />
lily cutters (I used the ones from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006UKNWQS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006UKNWQS&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">this Wilton kit</a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D4M1PZ0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D4M1PZ0&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">lily veiner</a> (the Wilton kit has one, but I didn't like it)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000FRXNTI/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000FRXNTI&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">thin foam pad</a> (also comes in any Wilton kit)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00175RMF8/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00175RMF8&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">thinning tool</a> (also comes in many Wilton kits)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003N4A93S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003N4A93S&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">curved drying rack</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050B1HR4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0050B1HR4&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">small paintbrushes</a> (also comes in many Wilton kits)<br />
<a href="http://www.globalsugarart.com/search.php?q=petal+dust">petal dust</a> (the colors I used were Buttercup and Pink)<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S1C6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004S1C6&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">brown gel food coloring </a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003KK9J9A/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003KK9J9A&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">6 stamens</a><br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050B1HV0/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0050B1HV0&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">floral tape</a> <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7b3wyQFSlnXqNp2_da_khspuAOsQZ6zYn3Cj1Feo3XCt0hY-qRdqO9Rtj3lD2_MaQvRybnmMCV6TDO2zI9cnuX4p8ne4-GtP_XTBwTqmhcMWgGRv503uMQphCeIrI8-8msb2RPd2NPIE/s1600/lily-tutorial-materials.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7b3wyQFSlnXqNp2_da_khspuAOsQZ6zYn3Cj1Feo3XCt0hY-qRdqO9Rtj3lD2_MaQvRybnmMCV6TDO2zI9cnuX4p8ne4-GtP_XTBwTqmhcMWgGRv503uMQphCeIrI8-8msb2RPd2NPIE/s400/lily-tutorial-materials.JPG" width="373" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of materials.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<i>Step 1: Mix your gumpaste and fondant.</i><br />
<br />
I used a 50/50 mixture of gumpaste and fondant. I find that the gum paste gives structure while the fondant makes it easier to work with. You can just use gum paste. I also used orange and yellow food coloring to color the gum paste a bright yellow. You can do this if you wish, but you can also start with a white lily and color it with petal dust.<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Step 2: Make the pistil.</i><br />
<br />
The pistil is the large thin center part of the lily. At the top is the stigma, which is a little thicker and seems to be divided into three equal parts, almost like a peace symbol. You can actually use a green wire instead of a white one for the pistil since it's a bit thicker than the petals.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdeee0;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="377" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/KHKMP8Eim6U?HD=1;rel=0;showinfo=0" title="YouTube video player" width="600"></iframe>
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<i>Step 3: Make the petals/sepals.</i><br />
<br />
For each lily, you'll need three sepals (use the thinner cutter) and three petals (use the thicker cutter). In the video below, I'm creating a petal, but the steps are the exact same for each type - just use different cutters.<br />
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Both the pistil and the petals/sepals need to dry overnight. Don't try and paint them until they're totally dry!<br />
<br />
<i>Step 4: Paint with petal dust.</i><br />
<br />
I painted my lilies with a buttercup petal dust. It's difficult to tell in the videos, but this brightened the already-yellow lilies. Then, I painted some pink highlights in the center and up the middle of each petal and sepal. Finally, I painted the stigma with some brown gel food coloring and then painted brown dots on the petals in the same food coloring.<br />
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<i>Step 5: Assemble!</i><br />
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Once the food coloring is dry, you can assemble your lily. Start with the pistil and stamens, then do the inner petals, and finally, assemble the outer sepals.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fdeee0;"><iframe frameborder="0" height="377" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8JkoGes_dvQ?HD=1;rel=0;showinfo=0" title="YouTube video player" width="600"></iframe>
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Once you're done assembling your lily, start a pot of water boiling. Hold your lily above the boiling water for a couple seconds (I count to four) and remove. This makes the lily a little more shiny and deepens the color.<br />
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<i>Warning!</i><br />
<br />
These lilies can be made well in advance, but make sure to store them in a cool, <span style="color: red;"><i><b>dry</b></i></span> place. A week before the wedding, I woke up to discover that all of my lilies had melted. Like most houses in Seattle, my house doesn't have air conditioning, so all of the windows have been open since June. The lilies were too close to an open window and the humidity got to them, adding hours of work to an already stressful week. Don't let this happen to you!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zD3EbEEbhIOe0EBu3dP15hUvFoO30ZeVt3FLou5SSiY1h-vTfL3jaWjx67Qo3cxwQ7zhbEsozdJkw-p-sdNQU754Vesw7Oj5kgZLrrJ7QdQlKXGKAwYqzL-4f1d_7BQBbK7sx2JRxxvM/s1600/melted-lilies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="322" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2zD3EbEEbhIOe0EBu3dP15hUvFoO30ZeVt3FLou5SSiY1h-vTfL3jaWjx67Qo3cxwQ7zhbEsozdJkw-p-sdNQU754Vesw7Oj5kgZLrrJ7QdQlKXGKAwYqzL-4f1d_7BQBbK7sx2JRxxvM/s400/melted-lilies.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're melting!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
</div>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-478046474400606962013-07-10T21:11:00.000-07:002013-07-10T21:11:39.875-07:00Blueberry Pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's been a while, hasn't it? I have spent the better part of the last month on vacation in China! I was only able to do a small amount of baking while I was away (many people don't have ovens in their kitchens, but a relative let me use a portable one to make a cake) so I was eager to get back to baking as soon as the jet-lag wore off.<br />
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Luckily, the opportunity presented itself pretty quickly. I found myself in possession of about 8 pounds of blueberries after a morning of productive berry picking, and had no doubt about what to do with my delicious haul: blueberry pie.<br />
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Blueberry pie is my absolute favorite pie. I enjoy the blueberries complemented with a bit of lemon and a whole lot of vanilla. For that reason, I made a special trip to the grocery store to get some fresh, fragrant, vanilla beans.<br />
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Each pie only takes 2 pounds of blueberries. Since I had 8 pounds, I decided to make 4 pies - 1 for immediate consumption and 3 for freezing.<br />
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This pie did not disappoint. Blueberries are not too sweet, and not too sour, and when they're baked, they keep their structure just enough to kind of "pop" when you eat them. I'm not sure how long those frozen pies are going to last!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Blueberry Pie</span></b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients for Crust</i><br />
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour (or whole wheat flour, I used a mixture)<br />
4 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) cold, unsalted butter<br />
~¾ cup ice water<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Ingredients for Filling</i><br />
½ cup sugar<br />
zest and juice from ½ lemon<br />
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 2 teaspoons vanilla extract)<br />
4 tablespoons cornstarch <br />
2 pounds fresh or frozen blueberries<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>For the crust, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl with a fork.</li>
<li>Cube the butter and "cut" it into the flour mixture with a pastry
cutter until there are no butter bits that are bigger than a pea. Make
sure you don't go smaller than this, however, since you'll start to lose
flakiness if the butter is too small.</li>
<li>Add the ice water, a tablespoon or two at a time and use a fork to wet the flour/butter mixture.</li>
<li>Keep adding until the dough just starts to hold together. You don't
want the dough too wet, and you don't want to mix in the water too
much. I find it useful to just use my hands to mix at this point.</li>
<li>Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a couple hours at least (overnight is best).</li>
<li>To make the filling, combine the sugar, lemon zest, vanilla, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Toss the sugar mixture together with the blueberries and lemon juice in a large bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Divide your pie dough in two. Roll out the first half on a floured surface and use it to line the bottom of a 9" pie pan.</li>
<li>Spoon the blueberry filling into the pan.</li>
<li>Roll out the second half of the crust on a floured board cover the pie, sealing and crimping the edges. If freezing, cover the pie with plastic wrap and throw it in the freezer now.</li>
<li>Cut several slits in the top of the pie to allow air to escape. Brush with an egg yolk wash and sprinkle with sugar if desired.</li>
<li>Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes, or until the top is golden and the filling is bubbly.</li>
<li>Allow to cool completely before serving.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-28311611242371604692013-05-27T20:17:00.000-07:002013-05-27T20:17:07.155-07:00Green Tea & Strawberry Prinsesstårta (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Once again, the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' Challenge</a> has introduced me to an awesome cake that I had no idea even existed. This cake is known as Prinsesstårta (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Cake">Princess Cake</a>) and its back-story is just as adorable as the cake itself. It was originally called Grön tårta (Green Cake), but the name was changed because it was a particular favorite of the daughters of Prince Carl, Duke of Västergötland. Traditionally, the cake is covered in green marzipan and topped with a pink marzipan rose. <br />
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<div class="highlight">
Korena of <a href="http://korenainthekitchen.com/">Korena in the Kitchen</a> was our May Daring Bakers’ host and she delighted us with this beautiful Swedish Prinsesstårta!</div>
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The cake traditionally has three layers of plain sponge cake, two layers of vanilla custard, a layer of raspberry jam, and a large layer of whipped cream.<br />
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However, when I first saw a picture of this cake, with its green outside and pink rose, my first thought was of green tea and strawberries. So, I decided to do a bit of a variation on the traditional Prinsesstårta: three layers of green tea sponge cake, two layers of vanilla and strawberry custard, one layer of strawberry filling, and a layer of lightly-strawberried whipped cream. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-QjZgBCMFWbWFayL556XuX7e2CpfeDQGvxiutlL2VVIfj-tjh_jxFbPNwGy7PxJ9iXSUOCmHKq56En_uIIPkU2R-XEFjc3DCIuhQyzpofXZ1DABigxGfvz9821vtX4iwfR5TkNUzcjgf/s1600/green-tea-strawberry-prinsesstarta-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC-QjZgBCMFWbWFayL556XuX7e2CpfeDQGvxiutlL2VVIfj-tjh_jxFbPNwGy7PxJ9iXSUOCmHKq56En_uIIPkU2R-XEFjc3DCIuhQyzpofXZ1DABigxGfvz9821vtX4iwfR5TkNUzcjgf/s640/green-tea-strawberry-prinsesstarta-3.JPG" width="478" /></a></div>
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There are a lot of components to this cake, but none of them are very difficult or time-consuming. It's also very easy to spread the work over a couple days. The strawberry filling, custard, and even the sponge cake can be made a day ahead of time. I found the most difficult part to be covering the cake with marzipan. I've covered a cake with fondant before (my <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/09/champagne-strawberries-ombre-cake.html">Champagne & Strawberries Cake</a>), and had some success, although there were small wrinkles and tears. I found that that I had a harder time with marzipan - there were more, larger wrinkles. Also, the cake layers are clearly visible underneath the thin marzipan layer. On the other hand, marzipan is a million times more delicious than fondant, so the wrinkles are totally worth it.<br />
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This is a very tasty cake. It's not a very "cakey" cake - that is, there are a lot of things in it besides the sponge cake itself. I really enjoyed it. The strawberry and green tea flavors were excellent, and the cake was very light and airy. Perfect for a princess or just a plain old commoner like myself!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Green Tea & Strawberry Prinsesstårta</b></span><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://semiswede.com/2011/09/21/princess-cake-demystified-prinsesstarta/">Semiswede</a>. Makes a 6-inch round cake. <br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Strawberry Filling</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
6 ounces frozen or fresh strawberries, thawed (if frozen)<br />
2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
1 tablespoon sugar <br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Puree the strawberries in a food processor. Press the strawberry slurry through a strainer and into a small saucepan.</li>
<li>Add the cornstarch and sugar to the saucepan, and heat on medium heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat.</li>
<li>Cover and refrigerate for several hours until completely cold. </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Vanilla & Strawberry Custard</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
½ cup heavy cream, divided<br />
2 egg yolks<br />
1 tablespoon cornstarch<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 ounces fresh strawberries, cut into small pieces<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Whisk together ¼ cup of the cream, the egg yolks, the cornstarch, and the sugar in a medium bowl.</li>
<li>In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the remaining cream (¼ cup) just until boiling.</li>
<li>Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg/starch/sugar mixture to temper the eggs.</li>
<li>Transfer the mixture back to the saucepan and heat on medium-low until it thickens, whisking constantly (seriously, don't leave it even for a minute or it will get super thick and curdle-y). </li>
<li>Once it's thickened to a custard-like consistency, remove from heat.</li>
<li>Whisk in the vanilla and transfer to a bowl or tupperware.</li>
<li>Place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard to prevent a skin from forming and refrigerate for several hours until completely cold.</li>
<li>Just before assembling the cake, mix the fresh strawberries into the custard.</li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Green Tea Sponge Cake</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
fine dry breadcrumbs for the pan (I'm think flour would work as well)<br />
2 eggs<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
¼ cup all-purpose flour<br />
¼ cup cornstarch<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 tablespoon matcha (I used <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span id="btAsinTitle"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0087ALJ3M/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0087ALJ3M&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Maeda-En Matcha - Culinary Quality</a>)</span></span></span><br />
dash of salt<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line the bottom of a 6-inch round <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VEI060/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001VEI060&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">springform pan</a> with parchment paper. Grease the pan and paper and coat with breadcrumbs. Tap out the excess. I think a non-springform pan would work, but you want to make sure the sides are nice and high (3 inches).</li>
<li>Beat the eggs and sugar in a medium bowl at medium speed until the eggs have tripled in volume and the mixture falls from the beaters in thick ribbons (about 5 minutes).</li>
<li>In a small bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, matcha, and salt.</li>
<li>Transfer the dry ingredients into the egg/sugar mixture. With a balloon whisk, mix the ingredients while trying to keep as much air in the mixture as possible.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-40 minutes, or until the top springs back when touched.</li>
<li>Remove and allow to cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the pan and remove the springform sides. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and allow to cool to room temperature.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Light Strawberry Whipped Cream</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
2 teaspoons strawberry filling (see recipe above)<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>In a medium bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form.</li>
<li>Add the strawberry filling and whip until stiff peaks form.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Assembly</b></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cut the sponge cake into three even layers (I like using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7YB/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00004S7YB&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">cake leveler</a> to do this). </li>
<li>Spread the strawberry filling evenly onto the bottom layer of the cake. On top of this, spread half of the vanilla & strawberry custard.</li>
<li>Place the top cake layer on top (saving the middle layer for later). Spread the remaining custard on top evenly.</li>
<li>Set aside about ½ cup of the strawberry whipping cream. With the rest, shape it into a nice round mound on top of the custard.</li>
<li>Place the last cake layer (the middle one) on top of the whipping cream. Try not to smush the whipping cream - you want to keep the top nice and round. Try to tuck in the sides of the cake as much as possible so that the round top transitions seamlessly into the sides. I ended up cutting off some of the cake corners with a knife to smooth this out.</li>
<li>Use the remaining whipping cream to "frost" this cake - almost as you would with a crumb coat. Your goal is to get everything smooth so that the marzipan will look good.</li>
<li>Transfer the cake to the refrigerator while you prepare the marzipan.</li>
<li>Dye 7 ounces of marzipan (I used store-bought, but you can make your own) light green (if desired). Roll the marzipan out into a circle on a surface dusted with powdered sugar until it is very thin (⅛ inch thick).</li>
<li>Remove your cake from the refrigerator. Roll the marzipan around a rolling pin and transfer onto the cake. Smooth out the marzipan as much as possible and trim off the excess. </li>
<li>You can use the excess marzipan to cut out pretty leaves and top with a pink marzipan rose if desired!</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-38174835526899728882013-05-11T18:04:00.002-07:002013-05-11T18:04:57.271-07:00Caramel Mocha Brownies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I was overcome by a desire to bake something last Sunday afternoon. After pushing around various food items in my pantry for several minutes, I decided that I had all the ingredients for brownies. Then, because I love coffee, I decided to make them mocha brownies. Then I decided to throw in some caramel. Usually, my baking projects are well thought-out far ahead of time. These brownies...not so much.
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<br />
<a name='more'></a> I quickly whipped up some brownie batter. I mostly followed a recipe I found on <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/04/15/caramel-brownies/">Annie's Eats</a>, but threw in some finely ground coffee. Then, I started the caramel sauce.<br />
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I'm really bad at making caramel. Last time I tried, I had to throw out two batches because they crystallized beyond the point where I could feasibly save them. This time I did better - I only had to throw out <i>one </i>batch. I have wasted a lot of perfectly delicious sugar trying to make caramel, and at this point, I'm going to go ahead and declare caramel my baking nemesis.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FJ535S1GIEbaih-PlZxWGluO88PtaKyAZ-D-sTVFznSxKC4Jm2MnS4DRyzn3QtO8euMrJuu7gUGswVCdin7Jwvewq3HQIkkEAiUw6yydvkkEez_AOvtJeIIVkndRaGcTHr5lVbvWoUNu/s1600/caramel-nemesis.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="361" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7FJ535S1GIEbaih-PlZxWGluO88PtaKyAZ-D-sTVFznSxKC4Jm2MnS4DRyzn3QtO8euMrJuu7gUGswVCdin7Jwvewq3HQIkkEAiUw6yydvkkEez_AOvtJeIIVkndRaGcTHr5lVbvWoUNu/s400/caramel-nemesis.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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If you'd like to avoid the hassle of making caramel yourself, I've provided an alternative in the recipe below.<br />
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I intended to let these brownies cool before cutting and serving them. My husband and sister, however, would <i>not </i>let me do that. They insisted on digging into them while they were still super gooey and the caramel was bubbling all over the place.<br />
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These brownies were really delicious. The caramel and chocolate made them super moist and the coffee deepened the chocolate flavor. They were also pretty easy to prepare (well, minus my caramel troubles). Basically, they were a perfect spontaneous baking project!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Caramel Mocha Brownies</b></span><br />
Adapted from the <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/04/15/caramel-brownies/">Caramel Brownies</a> recipe at <a href="http://www.annies-eats.com/">Annie's Eats</a>. This recipe makes about twice as much caramel as you'll need for the brownies themselves - the rest should be drizzled over each brownie piece! <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for the Caramel*</i><br />
2 cups sugar<br />
¾ cups (1½ sticks) unsalted butter<br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
*If
you'd like to skip making your own caramel, just use 28 ounces caramel
candies and ⅔ cup whipping cream. Combine the two in a saucepan and
heat until the caramels are melted and the mixture is smooth.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for the Brownies</i><br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />
12 ounces chocolate, coarsely chopped<br />
1¼ cups all-purpose flour<br />
½ tsp. salt<br />
2 tablespoons finely ground coffee<br />
1½ cups sugar<br />
4 large eggs<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Make the caramel first (I didn't do this and the caramel didn't quite have enough time to cool). In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the sugar over medium-high heat.</li>
<li>Whisk the sugar with a whisk or a wooden spoon until it starts to boil. From this point on, only swirl the pan to mix the caramel.</li>
<li>Once the sugar is completely melted and is a dark amber color, add the butter and mix until the butter has melted. When the butter is added, the caramel will bubble a lot - that's ok.</li>
<li>Remove the caramel from the heat and immediately add the whipping cream, mixing until the mixture is smooth. Once again, the whipping cream will cause the caramel to bubble.</li>
<li>Pour the caramel into a jar and allow it to cool for about an hour.</li>
<li>Now, to make the brownies, preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a 9"x13" baking pan with aluminum foil. Grease the aluminum foil with oil or butter.</li>
<li>Melt the butter and chocolate over a double-broiler. Once it's smooth, set aside to cool for a couple minutes.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, salt, and coffee in a small bowl.</li>
<li>Whisk together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla in a large bowl. Continue to whisk while you add the butter/sugar mixture.</li>
<li>Finally, add the dry ingredients and whisk the mixture until smooth.</li>
<li>Spread half of the mixture into the aluminum-lined pan. Bake for 20 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the pan from the oven and spread half of the cooled caramel over the baked brownies. Now, add the rest of the uncooked brownie batter, and spread evenly over the pan. If you'd like, you can swirl the caramel into the brownie batter a bit (I did this), or keep them as separate as possible.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 more minutes. Allow to cool completely (if you can!). Slice into squares and serve with the extra caramel.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-16512725818133602082013-04-27T20:16:00.001-07:002013-04-27T20:16:43.240-07:00Espresso Savarin (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Has it really been a month since my last post?! Bad blogger! Well, Mr. Buttercream and I are <i>still</i> getting settled in the new house (we're still missing some key bits of furniture) - that's my only excuse.<br />
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This month's challenge was to make Savarin, a yeasted cake that is really more of a bread. The cake itself is pretty much all-bread, and it is then soaked in a sweet syrup and filled with something delicious. I decided to soak my Savarin in a espresso-cinnamon syrup, and fill with an espresso pastry creme.<br />
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<div class="highlight">
Natalia of <a href="http://gattifiliefarina.blogspot.it/">Gatti Fili e Farina</a> challenges us to make a traditional Savarin, complete with soaking syrup and cream filling! We were to follow the Savarin recipe but were allowed to be creative with the soaking syrup and filling, allowing us to come up with some very delicious cakes! </div>
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We were supposed to follow the recipe given on the Daring Bakers' site exactly for the cake/bread part of this dessert. Boy, it took a while! The bread needs to be worked, rise, be worked again, rise, etc. for the better part of a day.<br />
<br />
For baking the savarin, we were supposed to use a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/?_encoding=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&field-keywords=savarin%20pan&linkCode=ur2&tag=buildibutter-20&url=search-alias%3Daps">savarin pan</a>. Not wanting to add yet another specialty cake pan to my already-large collection, I used a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0021CEREA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0021CEREA&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">10-cup bundt pan</a> instead.<br />
<br />
For the espresso pastry creme, I decided to re-use my recipe from the <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/08/pate-a-choux-swans-daring-bakers.html">pâte à choux swans</a>. The pastry creme was used to fill the hole in the middle of the cake. Finally, I topped my cake with a chocolate drizzle and cocoa powder.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mQkG9q6nbJ7yAO3yk-K5gBaKtxxaQH5L0cjdJqgBa_Gw9hrHvVX3pMpLF4CdvqhuXVA5cR9-kxo2JjetqiE9h0dqjWLJ1xStQSjL3IOJQhyphenhyphentmW5PKLIdr01tymM67yHXqMUPchwoli8/s1600/savarin-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS9mQkG9q6nbJ7yAO3yk-K5gBaKtxxaQH5L0cjdJqgBa_Gw9hrHvVX3pMpLF4CdvqhuXVA5cR9-kxo2JjetqiE9h0dqjWLJ1xStQSjL3IOJQhyphenhyphentmW5PKLIdr01tymM67yHXqMUPchwoli8/s640/savarin-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
This was...not my favorite cake. As you can see in the image above, the soaking syrup got to part of the cake and not the other. What I was left with was a cake that was either soggy or bread. As a bread, it wasn't bad at all, but it seemed weird to pair it with a sweet pastry creme. I assume I must have done something wrong - not allowed the syrup to soak long enough perhaps?<br />
<br />
Ah well. My sister at least seems to like the cake - she's had it for breakfast several days this week and says it's good as a breakfast pastry.<br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Savarin</b></span><br />
From the recipe provided by the <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' site</a>. To be used with an 11-inch savarin mold (or a 10-cup bundt pan). <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
2½ cups (350 grams) bread flour<br />
2 tablespoons water, lukewarm<br />
6 eggs at room temperature, separated<br />
1½ teaspoons yeast<br />
4 teaspoons sugar<br />
⅓ cup (⅔ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
1 tablespoon orange zest (optional)<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>To make the yeast "sponge", mix the lukewarm water, 3 tablespoons of the flour and the yeast in a small bowl. Cover with cling film and let rise 60
minutes.</li>
<li>After 30 minutes, place 6 egg whites in the bowl of a standing mixer. Begin mixing at low speed with a paddle attachment. Add bread flour slowly until the dough begins to come together (this should be about 2 cups flour). Cover with cling film and let rest for 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the cling film from the sponge and the dough. Place the sponge in the mixer bowl along with the orange zest and a tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>When the dough starts pulling away from the sides of the bowl add one yolk and
as soon as the yolk is absorbed add another tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>Add another yolk and the sugar, then as soon as the yolk is absorbed add another tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>Bring the speed up to medium-low. Add another yolk and the salt, then as soon as the yolk is absorbed add another tablespoon of flour (are you getting the hang of this yet?).</li>
<li>Add another yolk, then as soon as the yolk is absorbed add another tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>Repeat step 7 with the remaining two yolks. </li>
<li>Mix the dough until it's super elastic-y. You should see threads of dough on your paddle attachment.</li>
<li>Add the butter to the dough. When the butter is absorbed, add a tablespoon of flour.</li>
<li>Knead the dough with the paddle attachment until it passes the <a href="http://www.wildyeastblog.com/2007/07/07/gluten/">windowpane test</a>.</li>
<li>Cover the dough with cling film and allow it to rise until it doubles in size - about two hours. </li>
<li>Butter your savarin or bundt pan.</li>
<li>Grease a work surface with butter. Knead your dough several times, and then let it rest on the surface for 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Shape your dough into a round ball. Poke a hole in the middle, and place it in your prepared pan.</li>
<li>Cover with cling film and let the dough rise again until it reaches the top of the pan (about an hour).</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 340° F. Bake the savarin for about 40 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.</li>
<li>Once the savarin is out of the oven, spoon all of the espresso syrup into the savarin pan. Leave it there for a while (about a half-hour).</li>
<li>Place a cooling rack over a plate. Turn your savarin over onto the cooling rack. Left-over syrup will drip onto the plate. Be careful here - I made a big mess and got syrup all over my kitchen.</li>
<li>To serve your savarin, spoon espresso pastry creme into the center hole.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Espresso Syrup</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
4 cups water<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2 shots (½ cup) fresh espresso<br />
2 cinnamon sticks<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla<br />
1 teaspoon coffee liqueur (I used Kahlua)<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>In a medium saucepan, mix the water, sugar, espresso, and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a boil.</li>
<li>Boil for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat. </li>
<li>Mix in the vanilla and coffee liqueur. </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Espresso Pastry Creme</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 tablespoon (1 envelope) unflavored gelatin<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
4 large egg yolks, well beaten<br />
1 cup milk<br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream<br />
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder dissolved into 2 teaspoons water (for the coffee variation)<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Whisk together the gelatin, sugar, and flour in a medium saucepan.</li>
<li>Add the yolks and milk. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir constantly.</li>
<li>When the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of your spoon or
spatula (approximately 10 minutes), remove it from the heat and filter
it through a strainer into a bowl.</li>
<li>Add the espresso powder dissolved into the water and whisk to combine.</li>
<li>Cover the surface with plastic wrap (to prevent a skin from forming), and refrigerate for about 45 minutes.</li>
<li>After the 45 minutes has elapsed, beat the whipping cream until
stiff peaks form. Remove the cooked mixture from the refrigerator and
fold into the whipping cream (if it doesn't fold in nicely, go ahead and
beat it in) until smooth.</li>
<li>The creme can be refrigerated, just make sure to beat it with a whisk when it's removed to return it to a smooth texture.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-32778247046581814132013-03-27T07:00:00.000-07:002013-03-27T18:27:47.205-07:00Beet Mini Cakes (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafjK3bxXia-RtRR5N4CMrfDyhtMwgZoUBoCj5oGCOTpRKjpPifn3l2_2tZiNKDwdplp14aq3qh8Q1r8NZm9CZgl0Jm7w8xeH5fL27o_5X0Rbxzo7ty3YOpxYYMdztIy-mWGcL0kjx7NXn/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Roses" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafjK3bxXia-RtRR5N4CMrfDyhtMwgZoUBoCj5oGCOTpRKjpPifn3l2_2tZiNKDwdplp14aq3qh8Q1r8NZm9CZgl0Jm7w8xeH5fL27o_5X0Rbxzo7ty3YOpxYYMdztIy-mWGcL0kjx7NXn/s640/beet-mini-cakes-1.JPG" title="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Roses" width="600" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
A couple weeks ago, while out at a restaurant with friends, I tried a chocolate beet cake for dessert. It was ok - it tasted nice and chocolaty, but it didn't have any beet flavor, which left me a little underwhelmed. A couple days later, I discovered that the Daring Bakers' challenge for this month was to use vegetables in our baking. I knew what I must do: create a beet cake that <i>does</i> taste like beets, and see if it is any good.<br />
<br />
<div class="highlight">
<span lang="EN-US">Ruth from <a href="http://makey-cakey.blogspot.co.uk/">Makey-Cakey</a>
was our March 2013 Daring Bakers' challenge host. She encouraged us all
to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into
our baking, with surprising and delicious results!</span></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tAXl4KVYObKCK1Wicihun9T3Q-_EcSwnokiX30FQhh2rhWrUYudv83HUktKy-l_eSMyR-1jk5wH5BAD9y6VR7Su9LfLf-uEYmqK4WFR6f9YyB13t60MEg0ZPlLr3kdPCJiqgwssoUIbL/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Syrup" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2tAXl4KVYObKCK1Wicihun9T3Q-_EcSwnokiX30FQhh2rhWrUYudv83HUktKy-l_eSMyR-1jk5wH5BAD9y6VR7Su9LfLf-uEYmqK4WFR6f9YyB13t60MEg0ZPlLr3kdPCJiqgwssoUIbL/s640/beet-mini-cakes-4.JPG" title="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Syrup" width="640" /></a></div>
Since chocolate can be a very powerful flavor, and I didn't want my cake to taste overwhelmingly of chocolate, I decided to make a straight beet cake. I started with my <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/11/walnut-carrot-cake.html">walnut carrot cake</a> recipe, but used roasted beets instead of boiled carrots. I also cut out the spices, since I wanted the beet flavor to be the feature of the cake.<br />
<br />
My first test of this recipe started out great - the batter was a beautiful, natural deep pink and the beet flavor was strong and quite nice. As the cake baked, I noticed the outside was turning yellowish-brown. I figured that was just a bit of a browning effect on the cake. Then, when the cake was done, I removed it from the oven, and cut into it...<br />
<br />
...it had turned a yellow-green color. I was very <i>very</i> confused. I was so confused, I briefly considered the possibility that some weird kind of cake thief had come through my window and swapped my lovely beet cake for another, inferior cake.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJqyv7Xpr7kMg3cXZ8C3ZUZDCNa8Ot09ASpVvkAx5ay93oLSmtMHR8Hf74AEI1eNKvmfmJFth8jZfYIoedfUk2714_EzhyphenhyphenMESW2533fdBtYpDCGTqZOe72ps5yNQZpnXthlCEXv_s3qoq/s1600/weird-cake-theif.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVJqyv7Xpr7kMg3cXZ8C3ZUZDCNa8Ot09ASpVvkAx5ay93oLSmtMHR8Hf74AEI1eNKvmfmJFth8jZfYIoedfUk2714_EzhyphenhyphenMESW2533fdBtYpDCGTqZOe72ps5yNQZpnXthlCEXv_s3qoq/s1600/weird-cake-theif.png" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
On the bright side, this cake (which I was still assuming was left by some insane cake thief) was quite tasty - very moist, super light, and subtly beet-flavored. Possibly one of my favorite cakes ever.<br />
<br />
So, I tried again. This time, I made some cupcakes. I added food coloring to most of the cupcakes (to see if that color would stay) but set aside one cupcake without any food coloring. Going into the oven, they looked virtually the same. After coming out, the food-colored cupcakes were pink, the naturally-colored one was yellow-green. At this point, I accepted that there was no cake thief - I only had science to blame.<br />
<br />
Turns out, beets turn kind of blue-ish in the presence of a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Base_(chemistry)">base</a>. Baking soda (in water) is basic. It makes sense that the blue-ish beets + the yellow cake = yellow-green. Not wanting to sacrifice the nice light-ness of the cake imparted by the baking soda, and not wanting to mess with the pH and potentially ruin my new favorite cake, I just dumped a whole bunch of food coloring into these mini cakes to make them red. I'd like to come back to this recipe and test some different things so that I can get the nice, natural red color in my cake (it just seems silly to dump red food coloring into an already-red batter). I found a useful post on <a href="http://bigbaketheory.com/2012/01/27/natural-red-velvet-cake/">The Big Bake Theory</a> that looks intriguing.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnjf0gZHxJQg_kLHogMnkkE95tBhXLWSoFrxWkeoU1AbXZB9690Ul-aWemPPSaO-ihSJ3r8AKYtsVK0FRqYQECP4_-SDck4cepxT3zD3QBcZtV9PbrHX0wJX-mrgdy538YIjkaIvyqRd3/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Candied Beet Rose" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijnjf0gZHxJQg_kLHogMnkkE95tBhXLWSoFrxWkeoU1AbXZB9690Ul-aWemPPSaO-ihSJ3r8AKYtsVK0FRqYQECP4_-SDck4cepxT3zD3QBcZtV9PbrHX0wJX-mrgdy538YIjkaIvyqRd3/s640/beet-mini-cakes-2.JPG" title="Candied Beet Rose" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US">So far, I've made decorative roses out of <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-post-chocolate-raspberry-birthday.html">chocolate plastic</a>, <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/03/green-tea-layer-cake-with-lemon-honey.html">fondant</a>, and <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2013/01/gevulde-speculaas-daring-bakers.html">marzipan</a>. For these mini cakes, I decided to expand my repertoire to include candied beet roses. I made these by cutting flower shapes out of raw beets, simmering them in a sugar syrup, shaping them into a rose, and finally, baking them so that they hold their shape. I've included a tutorial on how to make these at the bottom of this post. They're super fun and very tasty, but do require quite a bit of work. And while making them, you will get very sticky - I managed to get beet sugar syrup in my hair somehow. The leftover beet sugar syrup (the stuff that didn't get in my hair) was also really delicious drizzled over the cake.</span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MtfHm-ePg29YDZm9KEg3uPNZVIs4KaNlKYkWHK5LgYrm29nojtUmGetbVHiU5vYtQX_RXlsjr0S_xb_FyyHut7tujOLFBAmlvUfddLTS3sBNmafHLLQdGrXGQ5pOgho-ykiqRtD76Iy9/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Syrup" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8MtfHm-ePg29YDZm9KEg3uPNZVIs4KaNlKYkWHK5LgYrm29nojtUmGetbVHiU5vYtQX_RXlsjr0S_xb_FyyHut7tujOLFBAmlvUfddLTS3sBNmafHLLQdGrXGQ5pOgho-ykiqRtD76Iy9/s640/beet-mini-cakes-5.JPG" title="Beet Mini Cakes with Sour Cream Frosting and Beet Syrup" width="640" /></a><span lang="EN-US">I decided to frost this cake with a sour cream frosting, which really worked well with this lightly sweet cake. I really <i>really</i> liked this cake - it's incredibly moist, the beet flavor makes it interesting, and it's not too sweet, even with the frosting. Everyone who's tasted this, even people who don't typically like beets, have said they also liked it. This recipe is a winner!</span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">I made these cakes "mini" to add an extra bit of fanciness to them - they're like something you'd have at a restaurant. </span><br />
<br />
<span lang="EN-US">
</span>
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Beet Mini Cakes</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Makes two 9" round cakes, which can be cut using any cutter into mini cakes.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">Ingredients for the Cake</span></span><br />
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">12 ounces red <span class="il">beets, roasted, peeled, and chopped into squares</span></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">9 ounces water</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">3 cups (342 grams) <span class="il">cake</span> flour</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">1½ teaspoon baking powder</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">1½ teaspoon baking soda</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">½ teaspoon salt</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">3 eggs</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">1 cup sugar</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">2 tablespoons honey</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">¾ cup vegetable oil</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">¾ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">1 tablespoon vanilla extract</span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">red food coloring (optional) </span></div>
</div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Ingredients for the Frosting</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">6 tablespoons sour cream</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">1 teaspoon vanilla</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">1 teaspoon honey</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">1¼ cups powdered sugar</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<div>
<span lang="EN-US">Method</span></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-US">
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.
</li>
<li>Line two 9" round <span class="il">cake</span> pans with parchment paper. Coat with a thin layer of oil and flour.In a food processor or blender, combine the roasted beets and the water. Blend until smooth.
Set aside.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, sift together the <span class="il">cake</span> flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
</li>
<li>Beat the eggs and sugar together on low speed until combined. </li>
<li>Add the honey, vegetable oil, melted butter, vanilla extract, and food coloring (optional) and beat until combined.</li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients in three batches and beat on low until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl after each batch.
</li>
<li>Add the beet puree and beat on low until combined.</li>
<li>Divide the batter evenly between the two <span class="il">cake</span> pans.</li>
<li>Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
</li>
<li>Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.</li>
<li>To make the frosting, whip the butter, sour cream, vanilla, and honey until smooth. Add the sugar, a little at a time and whip until well mixed.</li>
<li>Level the cakes and cut shapes out of them using any cutter you desire.</li>
<li>Frost in between cake layers and on the top, and finish with a candied beet rose if desired (see below for a tutorial on how to make them).</li>
</span></ol>
</div>
<span lang="EN-US">
<br />
</span><br />
<div class="highlight">
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">How to Make Candied Beet Roses</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">1. </span><span lang="EN-US">Wash a medium-sized beet and cut off the leaves and end.</span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHh9GRlv4PtzsxPIefdVTkVN87iSHUSjWZEZeNRF4wUNT4sGhL08g0xJ9MU0VHcj8s4y8g_So5255NTB3y0KJnKyREPUX-_wnjBIdjX14n1KsEnM-O6tDczeLYI5dNijSb2wF4FK_Uda6f/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHh9GRlv4PtzsxPIefdVTkVN87iSHUSjWZEZeNRF4wUNT4sGhL08g0xJ9MU0VHcj8s4y8g_So5255NTB3y0KJnKyREPUX-_wnjBIdjX14n1KsEnM-O6tDczeLYI5dNijSb2wF4FK_Uda6f/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-1.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3amkzlkPUchq1KIwa8oSP35RS27WnAJdxL0-Obs1WyrMCgViRA-SV3fcb_SJSWGOCaj7tgqbuFZA1RzwT32BPNDXl4inxEt_eDMKX4s_0zVU995oKSAYnDdXDKjm9HhdPXOopcjEiMyD/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr3amkzlkPUchq1KIwa8oSP35RS27WnAJdxL0-Obs1WyrMCgViRA-SV3fcb_SJSWGOCaj7tgqbuFZA1RzwT32BPNDXl4inxEt_eDMKX4s_0zVU995oKSAYnDdXDKjm9HhdPXOopcjEiMyD/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-2.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">2. Slice the beet as thin as possible. You'll need 3-4 slices per rose, so slice as many as you need. A <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001FB59LS/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001FB59LS&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">mandoline</a> is best for getting really thin slices.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdLMlwxnOK8Owt6RnSgb_3AUj6d-rNjDqiam1teHPX6UnPPIUJ-fEN2oTFJiDTZysZWsW3FpuPQFlVmXK0HCvQwuW7K2iW5zH8rudwlBhfnetBNt4uwWHcQ4OTXEv4sL-PLr7G8KjmnnK/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVdLMlwxnOK8Owt6RnSgb_3AUj6d-rNjDqiam1teHPX6UnPPIUJ-fEN2oTFJiDTZysZWsW3FpuPQFlVmXK0HCvQwuW7K2iW5zH8rudwlBhfnetBNt4uwWHcQ4OTXEv4sL-PLr7G8KjmnnK/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-3.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">3. Using a five-petal flower cutter, cut flower shapes out of each beet slice. I used the flower cutter that came with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LN9WF2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003LN9WF2&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">Wilton's gum paste and fondant kit</a>, but you could also use something like <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0071B8QCA/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0071B8QCA&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">this</a> cutter.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxjGsdBFsBPhNOJbr7ILwhchq9bANcz7ZAGJgwNesL_AvikT-qQphumtcIEx-hBLfVu06_6na8fHnzg3Aeq3rovdEZ8l-0-SmJSj2LjVbimILD_iymr3fpylNwPnBNV_mMFnwt8IvO5wg/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGxjGsdBFsBPhNOJbr7ILwhchq9bANcz7ZAGJgwNesL_AvikT-qQphumtcIEx-hBLfVu06_6na8fHnzg3Aeq3rovdEZ8l-0-SmJSj2LjVbimILD_iymr3fpylNwPnBNV_mMFnwt8IvO5wg/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-4.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMFl_z6U8aCMuDOcnCdHEgCzmT3F5PmXt7pRdd46PwJZzAvvuUsk93swVNg7koHOZayDJFtjzVJT5awpfuGg3R9V-I86Dgrme2e8RHMCBWPwLhEkPh3t-AzUHuFCi_K00GdxSF2k1k0b6/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEMFl_z6U8aCMuDOcnCdHEgCzmT3F5PmXt7pRdd46PwJZzAvvuUsk93swVNg7koHOZayDJFtjzVJT5awpfuGg3R9V-I86Dgrme2e8RHMCBWPwLhEkPh3t-AzUHuFCi_K00GdxSF2k1k0b6/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-5.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">4. Cut a couple thin strips (about ¼ inch wide) out of the leftover beet slices. These will be used as the center of your roses.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">5. In a medium saucepan, bring 2 cups of sugar and 1 cup of water to a simmer. Once all the sugar has dissolved, add the beet flowers and strips. Simmer for 30 minutes.</span> </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XFdW7HpFS1oc4bSYB6E4aEiSyYh9YpRZzUFjT9sVJXLBQS3a9TWS5xDamYysWUKSN85OAXxWlKEqGSI2x3n3-uOFTJythtTwtG5uikG4YnHpnF_oAf9xUByKzO5Fg6x-tvI4jjeO-SRd/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-XFdW7HpFS1oc4bSYB6E4aEiSyYh9YpRZzUFjT9sVJXLBQS3a9TWS5xDamYysWUKSN85OAXxWlKEqGSI2x3n3-uOFTJythtTwtG5uikG4YnHpnF_oAf9xUByKzO5Fg6x-tvI4jjeO-SRd/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-6.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">6. While your beets are cooking, preheat your oven to 275° F and prepare some aluminum forming cups to help your beet roses keep their shape. Find something round and small-ish (1-2 inches in diameter) that has nice concave shape. I had some plastic forming cups in my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003LN9WF2/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003LN9WF2&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">fondant kit</a>, but you could also use an empty egg carton.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">7. Cut out a piece of aluminum foil and press it into that thing you found (whatever it may be) so that the aluminum foil takes on its shape. Spritz the aluminum foil with a little oil to keep the rose from sticking to it, and poke a small hole into the bottom of the aluminum foil cup.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjsRbAL4VPlCMJtl8M6FJ_Y6zzdcF22TZhyISR0ccCeI0lvHk-Le8Kth74qrvNETDpd8eBj8xhyphenhyphengwvFQrj114WGSEBIIbRtuVAUV3TQNAW4ZKGdcAQIXyEHpzAjFTJn63OpHy2K79ss_l/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwjsRbAL4VPlCMJtl8M6FJ_Y6zzdcF22TZhyISR0ccCeI0lvHk-Le8Kth74qrvNETDpd8eBj8xhyphenhyphengwvFQrj114WGSEBIIbRtuVAUV3TQNAW4ZKGdcAQIXyEHpzAjFTJn63OpHy2K79ss_l/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-8.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">8. Once your beets are done cooking, remove them from the sugar syrup and place them on a piece of parchment paper. Try to drain as much of the syrup from them as possible. If you'd like, keep the sugar syrup to drizzle on your cakes (it's very tasty).</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">9. Using a knife, cut slits in between each of the "petals". </span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrgVcaaOXQikWnTIOM2MsICA03DwNMcA846r2knLdfFGTVufpVW8Vktpm3WjM46edO3SDwO3x1UsojEziMjbQSPqr7T3ZWO6S5u4xI-SFUir0YqNNGVFCyjzH2Xfv8PbQubIuc3BIJIFI/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrgVcaaOXQikWnTIOM2MsICA03DwNMcA846r2knLdfFGTVufpVW8Vktpm3WjM46edO3SDwO3x1UsojEziMjbQSPqr7T3ZWO6S5u4xI-SFUir0YqNNGVFCyjzH2Xfv8PbQubIuc3BIJIFI/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-7.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">10. As soon as the beets are cool enough to handle (just a couple minutes), take one of the beet strips and fold it in half twice (so that it is roughly square-ish). Stick a toothpick through the longer end of it. You'll want to work quickly here, because the beets will become harder and harder to handle as they cool (my picture quality degrades a bit here because I had to work quickly - sorry!).</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wWygBvIcaznBeH0LyLfj4_3V8IJrkSbvnqMbFkMpwClsGJEpHgqlBx7uMSz1GhK5UaD1T_pmIB9sJZYuUI1D3FW2PxruRhnLfoMfAZ_cCXnTIfpTVj7dtfqiLCDa6f9HIN6u0Uor90iN/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-9.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4wWygBvIcaznBeH0LyLfj4_3V8IJrkSbvnqMbFkMpwClsGJEpHgqlBx7uMSz1GhK5UaD1T_pmIB9sJZYuUI1D3FW2PxruRhnLfoMfAZ_cCXnTIfpTVj7dtfqiLCDa6f9HIN6u0Uor90iN/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-9.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US"><span id="goog_114073534"></span><span id="goog_114073535"></span><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US">11. Remove a flower from the parchment paper. Poke the free end of the toothpick through the center, and thread the flower down the toothpick until it is next to the center strip. Press each petal around the center, using the sticky-ness of the syrup to hold it in place.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CpMWiiDiWMY6u2ppSaXsLoV8WuMFDkuopcOlyJhGW-maQsvOqsvBLr5xx2YWSzHtn3-5yHsyQxhVv4EFNN3XR_NBWs-Ndy8fNmvrSTuYUd8MCgZ_BsOtkIq6ITwZsaoHlqWty3S8fP8A/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3CpMWiiDiWMY6u2ppSaXsLoV8WuMFDkuopcOlyJhGW-maQsvOqsvBLr5xx2YWSzHtn3-5yHsyQxhVv4EFNN3XR_NBWs-Ndy8fNmvrSTuYUd8MCgZ_BsOtkIq6ITwZsaoHlqWty3S8fP8A/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-10.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">12. Repeat with 2 or 3 more flowers. With each flower, press the petals less into the rest of the rose - as if it's "opening" a bit more with each layer. If the petals get too "squished", you can separate them with another toothpick.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC96KEoh7NKxLwo7ZEGl_qh0U7gu7YGdDtBEW9I_juAd6FimpVOepk2e6UjDPRWaRvUova8MPQmpyN4ueE0PrvOC7dmF0j0yi09QhjAZa4zqiXvHGg6Y_Utscj4pF2Y31IHYbTmzvfh8y9/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC96KEoh7NKxLwo7ZEGl_qh0U7gu7YGdDtBEW9I_juAd6FimpVOepk2e6UjDPRWaRvUova8MPQmpyN4ueE0PrvOC7dmF0j0yi09QhjAZa4zqiXvHGg6Y_Utscj4pF2Y31IHYbTmzvfh8y9/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-11.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">13. Place the rose into an aluminum forming cup, using the hole in the middle to allow the toothpick through. Carefully remove the toothpick. You can then put the aluminum forming cup into a cupcake pan.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyelyyughGFaVMcDzxbIXa6pkz2-d2ydYMxubm-_NSC7DnstKx9iYTKS3DRSmRNtkOd7YIQteeY_-stXL3-PXpxcZMDRW8MYxtE77OK-uT8BvSdF5PWfWh-8bdgiGcR_mm0AKyFI8jG9PF/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyelyyughGFaVMcDzxbIXa6pkz2-d2ydYMxubm-_NSC7DnstKx9iYTKS3DRSmRNtkOd7YIQteeY_-stXL3-PXpxcZMDRW8MYxtE77OK-uT8BvSdF5PWfWh-8bdgiGcR_mm0AKyFI8jG9PF/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-12.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">14. Repeat steps 10-13 with the rest of the petals, until you have the desire number of roses.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqU0TeV_qh4Ng6Spfbez2xRfHxWLfjL0AiydRUPvyAYsKyCctI_gofHbwdvLtGUxO9Aw9TQ-lBVuYv_dAavokwcVVbcyi_00_x100830IHBG1BI8P58tcs59h6poYQuYf8q2ZOBiOC986/s1600/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-13.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqU0TeV_qh4Ng6Spfbez2xRfHxWLfjL0AiydRUPvyAYsKyCctI_gofHbwdvLtGUxO9Aw9TQ-lBVuYv_dAavokwcVVbcyi_00_x100830IHBG1BI8P58tcs59h6poYQuYf8q2ZOBiOC986/s400/beet-mini-cakes-roses-how-to-13.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">15. Place the cupcake pan with the forming cups and roses in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes, or until the roses are pretty firm. Allow to cool, and then carefully peel the aluminum away. The bottoms will still be a bit sticky, so place the roses upside-down to dry out for a bit.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US">16. Decorate your favorite beet dish with the roses! I made roses not just for these mini cakes, but also for a beet salad I made. Pretty!</span></span><br />
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-20436102436543093702013-03-06T20:36:00.000-08:002013-03-06T20:36:06.301-08:00Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwopf65dvjZ01rFrFYlPfj7hz82vkEHiVGOvyD8QXKTaRMhWzC0OC18tYsuZEdhEhIX-FSw1bdrnLtt6xOrXYyT5q_uZZCmJdIIGaWX0xBPkcWHa5hZr-p-YOk3YvTPpYACccHWitlLUY/s1600/olive-oil-cupcakes-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBwopf65dvjZ01rFrFYlPfj7hz82vkEHiVGOvyD8QXKTaRMhWzC0OC18tYsuZEdhEhIX-FSw1bdrnLtt6xOrXYyT5q_uZZCmJdIIGaWX0xBPkcWHa5hZr-p-YOk3YvTPpYACccHWitlLUY/s640/olive-oil-cupcakes-1.JPG" title="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" width="462" /></a></div>
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It's late winter, and I've been craving something tangy, sweet, and above all, <i>colorful</i>. These cupcakes fit the bill on all three counts. The cupcakes themselves are olive oil and orange. They're filled with a deliciously tart lemon curd, and crowned with a whipped orange cream cheese frosting. <i>Bam!</i> The cure for winter in a tasty little cupcake-shaped package.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFqGYahE1tcabiorK0UUQYF98zDIJ5TXxn6aIhwX8Z1nU9zLxHrtC1-yBlxkc-XosXA2BVsHaJiLLyQIsM7ccc3La2ZC3dRO9I8DMv9gSvafWATRGprVC6VT5CkWB4JrvTNP-SZVoUpuz/s1600/olive-oil-cupcakes-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" border="0" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRFqGYahE1tcabiorK0UUQYF98zDIJ5TXxn6aIhwX8Z1nU9zLxHrtC1-yBlxkc-XosXA2BVsHaJiLLyQIsM7ccc3La2ZC3dRO9I8DMv9gSvafWATRGprVC6VT5CkWB4JrvTNP-SZVoUpuz/s640/olive-oil-cupcakes-5.JPG" title="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" width="640" /></a></div>
Yum. I love the lemon curd filling in these cupcakes. It's a refreshingly tart punch-in-the-face (in a good way!). Because it's so powerful, the cupcakes only need a very small amount of the filling - a little less than a teaspoon should do. The recipe makes about twice as much as you need, but the extra lemon curd makes an excellent spread on toast or biscuits. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycTUR06vG_qGJ-8-I9MUMPKCAScx3h2mB0Pra5TG0h-B1MtvLh43rE08zRaA2FOmrKD5h7KagjXk6dPjSjxy7srMo9DPOVTUOVpEP-BbkwCsAcGSx5TPJX6PDPPGwzfeCPsNTSWNkc6KC/s1600/olive-oil-cupcakes-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgycTUR06vG_qGJ-8-I9MUMPKCAScx3h2mB0Pra5TG0h-B1MtvLh43rE08zRaA2FOmrKD5h7KagjXk6dPjSjxy7srMo9DPOVTUOVpEP-BbkwCsAcGSx5TPJX6PDPPGwzfeCPsNTSWNkc6KC/s640/olive-oil-cupcakes-2.JPG" title="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" width="640" /></a></div>
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To frost the cupcakes, I wanted something that was light and orange-y, so I decided to do a whipped orange cream cheese frosting. I've made whipped cream cheese frosting before for my <a href="http://www.buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/11/walnut-carrot-cake.html">carrot cake</a>, so I just altered the recipe to include some orange flavor. The frosting reminded me of an orange creamsicle. I didn't add too much sugar, which meant that the frosting was less stiff than it probably should be for cupcakes, but that just meant it was super creamy and rich.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBqW8qxRbjCe4T7c6ZGkjFXB4Dkz-wNZCrCV4k_B6y6CvQowjU8jjd3c7dEmOSbS1VGA0SdpnZ5CquCKj01gRnUhuLxhWvSXN6h6A2rQdEkWG7fjPKuYzEWYoa5C7LGKUfkfpykK7xU2u/s1600/olive-oil-cupcakes-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWBqW8qxRbjCe4T7c6ZGkjFXB4Dkz-wNZCrCV4k_B6y6CvQowjU8jjd3c7dEmOSbS1VGA0SdpnZ5CquCKj01gRnUhuLxhWvSXN6h6A2rQdEkWG7fjPKuYzEWYoa5C7LGKUfkfpykK7xU2u/s640/olive-oil-cupcakes-3.JPG" title="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6rTpUaGUz17N3WVpfs74eXviZK0FQOm0vnTUg9xDJO1EIMFdZHfuzsB_eV1gG3USTwoEfv1yBEL8JotBYPr2gQRMyk5KqdodTEa0ir3eCJ1DVnWFueruKAe1WiQ8ExL3viE0oRQfJB-5/s1600/olive-oil-cupcakes-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6rTpUaGUz17N3WVpfs74eXviZK0FQOm0vnTUg9xDJO1EIMFdZHfuzsB_eV1gG3USTwoEfv1yBEL8JotBYPr2gQRMyk5KqdodTEa0ir3eCJ1DVnWFueruKAe1WiQ8ExL3viE0oRQfJB-5/s640/olive-oil-cupcakes-4.JPG" title="Olive Oil, Lemon, & Orange Cupcakes" width="640" /></a></div>
Unfortunately, the olive oil was overshadowed by the powerful citrus flavors. I'll have to make something with olive oil again sometime and feature it a bit more.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Olive Oil & Orange Cupcakes</b></span><br />
Adapted from the Lemon Thyme Olive Oil Cupcakes recipe at <a href="http://www.apronstringsblog.com/lemon-thyme-olive-oil-cupcakes/">Apron Strings</a>. Makes 15 cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
pinch of salt<br />
1 tablespoon orange zest <br />
1 cup sugar<br />
⅔ cup olive oil<br />
3 large eggs<br />
½ cup fresh orange juice
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat your oven to 375° F. Set 15 cupcake liners into a cupcake pan.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, toss the sugar with the orange zest. Add the olive oil and beat on low until combined.</li>
<li>Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until combined after each addition.</li>
<li>Alternately add the dry ingredients and the orange juice to the egg mixture, starting and ending with the dry ingredients.</li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Scoop into cupcake papers, filling them about two thirds full. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.</span></li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: 100%;">Lemon Curd</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">Makes about twice as much as you need to fill the cupcakes. </span><br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-size: 100%;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">zest and juice from 2 large lemons</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">2 eggs</span><br />
½ cup sugar<br />
4 tablespoons unsalted butter<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Combine the lemon zest, juice, eggs, and sugar in the top portion of a double broiler. Whisk the ingredients over medium heat until quite thick - about 10 minutes.</li>
<li>Pour the mixture through a strainer into a small bowl.</li>
<li>Add the butter and whisk into the mixture until it's fully melted.</li>
<li>Cover with plastic wrap, pushing the wrap directly onto the surface of the lemon curd to prevent a skin from forming.</li>
<li>Refrigerate for several hours, or overnight.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><span style="font-size: 100%;">Whipped Orange Cream Cheese Frosting</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: 100%;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">4 ounces unsalted butter</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;">3</span>½ cups powdered sugar<br />
1 tablespoon orange zest<br />
1 tablespoon orange juice<br />
¼ cup heavy whipping cream<br />
orange food coloring, if desired <br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with a whisk attachment until smooth (a minute or so).</li>
<li>At low speed, add the powdered sugar. Add the orange zest and juice and beat until combined. If using, add the food coloring now.</li>
<li>While beating at medium-high speed, slowly add the whipping cream. Whip for about 30 seconds.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Assembly</b></span><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;">Cut a cylinder out of each cupcake, going about ¾ of the way down. Scoop out the cupcake cylinder with a small spoon.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Fill with a little less than 1 teaspoon of lemon curd.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 100%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;">Replace the cut-out cylinder (you may
need to cut off a little bit of the bottom to make room for the
filling). Frost with whipped orange cream cheese frosting. </span></li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-43114316700195395602013-02-17T11:46:00.000-08:002013-02-17T11:46:29.236-08:00Raspberry Cheesecake (A Late Valentine's Day)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeYPkh2IGlJ1yeqS6L93hflGtoNkHDLTWfKlc69LrVBGBtU_2z72t3BLei8NevIiJ4iC71bnwpZiTt3VDgcMjx6TDOAKd047Zp92gD3xSn2NwPTjGS02scJeYxzA-GBpKGhWk4m0Jz_93/s1600/raspberry-cheesecake-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqeYPkh2IGlJ1yeqS6L93hflGtoNkHDLTWfKlc69LrVBGBtU_2z72t3BLei8NevIiJ4iC71bnwpZiTt3VDgcMjx6TDOAKd047Zp92gD3xSn2NwPTjGS02scJeYxzA-GBpKGhWk4m0Jz_93/s640/raspberry-cheesecake-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Whew! My husband and I are mostly moved into our new house...mostly. Well, at least we've unpacked essentials like pillows, blankets, the computer, the cat, and the Kitchenaid. I'm getting used to the new kitchen, which has a gas oven instead of an electric one (weird). So far, I've managed to tackle a couple small baking projects, and I'm finally ready to post about a scrumptious raspberry cheesecake, which I originally made for Mr. Buttercream for Valentine's Day.<br />
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<a name='more'></a><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0S3D3WV1ZIC7N4GiiFu7AoKXmUgTREcyQ32Vx45-T5gNp9U03a4tIMSAuHWe9DCSPSCkhDRs2NtJ92p-tRWewELr6DcRnyXvJDufzMCa4YFwhWmL8j2GNLYhCbCk8APVxRs9tXUm7-ls/s1600/kitchenaid-back.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiY0S3D3WV1ZIC7N4GiiFu7AoKXmUgTREcyQ32Vx45-T5gNp9U03a4tIMSAuHWe9DCSPSCkhDRs2NtJ92p-tRWewELr6DcRnyXvJDufzMCa4YFwhWmL8j2GNLYhCbCk8APVxRs9tXUm7-ls/s1600/kitchenaid-back.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I unpacked the Kitchenaid before plates or silverware.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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My husband has been pestering me about making a cheesecake for a while now. Although I've made cheesecake cupcakes a <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/07/white-chocolate-cheesecake-mini.html">couple</a> <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/03/strawberry-and-blueberry-cheesecake.html">times</a>, I'd never tried a cheesecake <i>cake </i>before. This is for two reasons: one, I had this idea in my head that cheesecake was super hard to make. Two, I don't really like cheesecake - it's a little rich for me, and so a small mini-cupcake-sized bite is about all I can handle.<br />
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Mr. Buttercream, however, can't get enough of cheesecake. When I've made cheesecake cupcakes in the past, he's eaten way too many of them and made himself sick. I thought that this would make an excellent Valentine's Day treat for him (provided I enforce some rationing).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp4YQjb7YOy22EnUlAN7XidNtKrVlNtW1M9nSg9UV47SpemSQ950VgGDrmtvPuPCibZkMU8K8N4B9k7dXWxFycwSgvwIy0rlh5JF30rkPvn8l_4g1aLx9WseQQq8Yli5PUeZDvq-J5owI/s1600/raspberry-cheesecake-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOp4YQjb7YOy22EnUlAN7XidNtKrVlNtW1M9nSg9UV47SpemSQ950VgGDrmtvPuPCibZkMU8K8N4B9k7dXWxFycwSgvwIy0rlh5JF30rkPvn8l_4g1aLx9WseQQq8Yli5PUeZDvq-J5owI/s640/raspberry-cheesecake-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Most cheesecake recipes call for graham crackers or oreo cookies for the crust. I didn't have either of those things, and didn't really feel like a special trip to the grocery store to get them, so I made some chocolate wafer cookies for the crust instead. In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I cut the cookies into heart shapes and served the extras on the side of the cheesecake.<br />
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Well, my husband definitely liked this cheesecake, although he would have preferred a stronger raspberry flavor. The cheesecake was creamy and rich, and the homemade chocolate crust was particularly tasty. I'm sure there will be more pestering for me to make this again soon.<br />
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Happy (late) Valentine's Day, everyone!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
Raspberry Cheesecake (With a Chocolate Cookie Crust)<br />
Makes a 6" round cheesecake. Cookies for the crust adapted from <a href="http://www.food.com/recipe/chocolate-wafer-cookies-like-nabisco-chocolate-wafer-cookies-329292">Food.com</a>. This recipe makes about 2x the cookies you need for the crust - I served the rest as a side to the cheesecake. Note that the cookies in the crust can be substituted with graham crackers or oreo cookies to save time. <br />
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<i>Ingredients for the Crust Cookies</i><br />
2 ounces chocolate<br />
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour<br />
¾ teaspoon baking powder<br />
¼ teaspoon baking soda<br />
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened<br />
½ cup sugar <br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1½ teaspoons milk<br />
1 egg<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for the Cheesecake</i><br />
2 ounces (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted <br />
3 ounces raspberries (frozen or fresh)<br />
16 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
¾ cup sugar<br />
2 tablespoons flour<br />
pinch salt<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste<br />
2 eggs<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li><b>To make the cookies</b>, preheat your oven to 400° F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Melt the chocolate, either in the microwave or over a double-broiler. Set aside to cool a little.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a small bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, cream the softened butter. Add the sugar and vanilla extract and beat until combined.</li>
<li>Add the chocolate, milk, and egg, and beat further until combined.</li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients in three batches, scraping the sides of the bowl and fully incorporating each time.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Mix together the 2 tablespoons sugar and the cinnamon and set aside.</li>
<li>Roll out the dough on a floured board until it's a little less than a ¼-inch thick. Cut the dough into any shape you like using a cookie cutter or just a knife - the cookies should be about 2-3 inches in diameter.</li>
<li>Place the cookies on the baking sheet, prick with a fork in a couple places, and sprinkle with the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Remove and transfer to a wire rack.</li>
<li><b>To make the cheesecake</b>, lower your oven to 325° F. Grease the bottom and sides of a 6" springform pan. If your pan doesn't completely seal, wrap the outside of the bottom and sides with aluminum foil to keep water out. Test the water-tightness of your pan by pouring water into a larger pan and placing your springform pan into it.</li>
<li>Transfer 4 ounces of the chocolate cookies to a large ziploc bag. Crush them into small crumbs using a rolling pin (or your fists). </li>
<li>In a small bowl, combine the crumbs with the melted butter. Press the crust mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan.</li>
<li>Bake the crust in the oven for about 7 or 8 minutes so that it's set. Remove and allow to cool.</li>
<li>Press the raspberries through a strainer to remove any seeds. Set aside.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, using a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium-high until light and fluffy - about 3 minutes.</li>
<li>Slowly add the sugar and beat for a minute more on medium-high.</li>
<li>Sift the flour into the mixture (sifting avoids clumps of flour), and add the salt and vanilla extract. Beat until well combined.</li>
<li>Turn the speed down to very low. Add the eggs, one at a time. Beat until just incorporated - you don't want to get too much air in those eggs or your cheesecake might collapse.</li>
<li>Transfer the cheesecake mixture to the springform pan. Use a spoon to drop dollops of raspberry on the top of the cake. Swirl with a toothpick to create any design you want.</li>
<li>Put the springform pan in a larger baking dish or pan (a 12" round pan worked for me - but any bigger pan should do it).</li>
<li>Transfer both pans into the oven. Pour boiling water into the larger pan, until it reaches a little more than halfway up the side of the smaller pan.</li>
<li>Bake for about 40-50 minutes, or until the cheesecake looks like it's mostly set (although the middle might still wiggle a little).</li>
<li>Allow to cool to room temperature, and transfer to the refrigerator. Refrigerate for a good 2 hours (or overnight) before removing from the pan and eating.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-68189252436806199252013-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:002013-01-27T07:59:21.082-08:00Gevulde Speculaas (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The first <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' Challenge</a> of 2013 was a traditional Dutch spice cake: gevulde speculaas. The outside is a slightly crunchy pastry, full of all sorts of delicious spices, and the inside is a creamy almond paste. <i>Yum</i>. Excellent challenge!<br />
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<div class="highlight">
Francijn of <a href="http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com/">Koken in de Brouwerij</a> was our January 2013 Daring Bakers’ Hostess and she challenged us to make the traditional Dutch pastry, Gevulde Speculaas from scratch! That includes making our own spice mix, almond paste and dough! Delicious!</div>
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To decorate my speculaas, I decided to top it with a rose, because apparently, I <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/12/earl-grey-vanilla-bean-birthday-cake.html">can't</a> <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/03/green-tea-layer-cake-with-lemon-honey.html">help</a> <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-post-chocolate-raspberry-birthday.html">myself</a>. I've previously used fondant and chocolate plastic to make decorative roses, but this time I decided to use marzipan. I was pleasantly surprised to find that working with marzipan is pretty easy, and the result is much tastier than fondant.<br />
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The speculaas was not very difficult to make, and worked really great as a breakfast pastry as well as a dessert. I found it went really well with a cup of coffee. Although I enjoyed it, my husband wasn't a huge fan - he decided it tasted too much like chai (which he likes, so I'm not sure why he didn't like this). Too bad for him - I'm planning on making this again soon, and he just won't get any!<br />
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You may or may not have noticed that I haven't been posting quite as often this month. The reason is that Mr. Buttercream, Kitty, and I are moving to a new house. I hope to have the kitchen back up and operational soon, but it may be a little while before there is another post.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_er9V6gTEAoxATmoVTh56rS7spLcsS4CliwVomXZVUFybGfhUG_HY1NmbqFLS6_h2B34HjGFolu4Ke_MQDvWNLyeBbwjyzW0FC3JgIib3SbhPmB8vQsF8XKGl49TFBVyqFHvkbRjQmqs/s1600/kitchenaid-moving.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn_er9V6gTEAoxATmoVTh56rS7spLcsS4CliwVomXZVUFybGfhUG_HY1NmbqFLS6_h2B34HjGFolu4Ke_MQDvWNLyeBbwjyzW0FC3JgIib3SbhPmB8vQsF8XKGl49TFBVyqFHvkbRjQmqs/s1600/kitchenaid-moving.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I miss you already, KitchenAid!</td></tr>
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Gevulde Speculaas</span></b><br />
Adapted from Francijn's <a href="http://kokenindebrouwerij.blogspot.com/2007/12/gevulde-speculaas.html">Gevulde Speculaas recipe</a> (that site it in Dutch - she posted it in English on the Daring Bakers' site, but you need an account to get to it). Makes a 6" round pastry.<br />
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<i>Ingredients for the Filling</i><br />
½ cup (about 66 grams) almonds, with skins removed<br />
zest from ½ lemon<br />
½ cup powdered sugar, packed<br />
1 egg white (save the yolk for later)<br />
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<i>Ingredients for the Dough</i><br />
1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
½ teaspoon baking powder<br />
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg<br />
¼ teaspoon ground cloves<br />
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger<br />
⅛ teaspoon ground cardamom<br />
⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper<br />
⅛ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup brown sugar<br />
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cold<br />
1 tablespoon milk<br />
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<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>For the almond filling, grind the almonds and the zest in a food processor until finely chopped. Add the powdered sugar and grind some more. The mixture should be very fine at this point.</li>
<li>Remove the almond/sugar mixture from the food processor and place in a small bowl. Add the egg white and mix in with a fork or your hands.</li>
<li>Store the filling in the refrigerator until ready for use.</li>
<li>For the dough, whisk together the flour, baking powder, spices, salt, and sugar in a medium bowl. </li>
<li>Cut the butter into small pieces, and then "cut" it into the dry ingredients with a pastry cutter or your hands (like you would with a pie).</li>
<li>Add the milk to make the dough come together. Knead with your hands until it is consistently moist.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in cling wrap and refrigerate until ready for use.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F. Grease a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VEI05G/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001VEI05G&linkCode=as2&tag=buildibutter-20">6" round springform pan</a>. You could probably use a regular 6" round cake pan, but you might damage the top a little when getting it out if you're not careful.</li>
<li>Prepare an egg "glue" by whisking your saved egg yolk with a little water (a teaspoon).</li>
<li>Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide in two.</li>
<li>Roll one of the sections into a little bigger than a 6" round circle, and press it into the bottom and up the sides of the pan.</li>
<li>Brush with a third of the egg glue.</li>
<li>Remove the almond filling from the refrigerator and spread evenly in the pan.</li>
<li>Brush with a third of the egg glue.</li>
<li>Roll out the second section of dough into a 6" circle, and press it into the pan.</li>
<li>Brush with the remaining egg glue.</li>
<li>Decorate the top with almonds, or however you like.</li>
<li>Bake for 35-40 minutes. Allow to cool completely before removing from the pan.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-6616979306117582013-01-13T11:38:00.000-08:002013-01-13T11:38:00.183-08:00Pecan Macarons<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxOH7EQYjdrGONHJcygqWWwBq6MEUJ-l7rDu4t5xY0MS7R4hA61Toe3vOzOFdhZX4EHSb7beCUPLn-N7XtwIqj__1ui0uyWL3yGUer6utDqewQwHuKrMI8uT7ubouSk79058Hz5p8DcrN/s1600/pecan-macarons-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizxOH7EQYjdrGONHJcygqWWwBq6MEUJ-l7rDu4t5xY0MS7R4hA61Toe3vOzOFdhZX4EHSb7beCUPLn-N7XtwIqj__1ui0uyWL3yGUer6utDqewQwHuKrMI8uT7ubouSk79058Hz5p8DcrN/s640/pecan-macarons-1.JPG" width="482" /></a></div>
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These macarons are the tasty result of a fortuitous mistake and a hungry husband. Originally, I intended to make a macaron version of one of my favorite winter desserts - a buttermilk pecan pie. Instead, I ended up with a super-delicious pecan punch-to-the-face in macaron form.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSJ7LQDygLuhyphenhyphenw9OwefYoM0zdm_8cdb8AuN6O_Sr1tOYvoAmR7_dH4rO3spskoYYN6nmHB0Yz8gjql0_qZz3-WmWCxFKLSCGJXhXwCjUnwxZjokqcEcTusCbmnEo7wbUoKfryna_uBvUi/s1600/pecan-macarons-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSJ7LQDygLuhyphenhyphenw9OwefYoM0zdm_8cdb8AuN6O_Sr1tOYvoAmR7_dH4rO3spskoYYN6nmHB0Yz8gjql0_qZz3-WmWCxFKLSCGJXhXwCjUnwxZjokqcEcTusCbmnEo7wbUoKfryna_uBvUi/s640/pecan-macarons-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Until now, I had always bought <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EDG598/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000EDG598">pre-ground almond flour</a> for my macarons. Unfortunately, I couldn't find pecan flour <i>anywhere</i>, so I decided to grind my own. Here's where I made the lucky mistake - not knowing how to grind nuts into flour, I accidentally beat my pecans into butter. I momentarily stared down at my wet, gloopy, not-flour-like pecans, before adding some oil and sugar, telling my husband he should find something to eat with pecan butter, and throwing the stuff into the fridge.<br />
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After this I was much more careful while grinding my pecans, and eventually ended up with some pecan flour. I made my macarons, and then made a buttermilk pastry cream to go with them. While waiting for the pastry cream to set, my husband wandered over to the cooling macarons.<br />
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<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: "Can I have one?"<br />
<b>Me</b>: "One of the ugly ones. That one there is a little weird and oval-shaped." (I always save the prettier ones for photographing.)<br />
<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: "Oh, hey. Where did that pecan stuff go?"<br />
<b>Me</b>: "It's in the fridge."<br />
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My husband spread some pecan butter on the macaron and took a bite.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcihPz0wTXX0OC5m-bnAGntk-J5B0OVGBXKPuJnR1vBOfPdn6b2bHD1eH8eUyVY4q-DxizBXsQc_uKRcj0bQdJUSbFejUOWqEkjMwNjUTr6qUJbc8969f4t_ov2SdbrHKHY0Xqwpupz5a/s1600/pecan-macarons-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLcihPz0wTXX0OC5m-bnAGntk-J5B0OVGBXKPuJnR1vBOfPdn6b2bHD1eH8eUyVY4q-DxizBXsQc_uKRcj0bQdJUSbFejUOWqEkjMwNjUTr6qUJbc8969f4t_ov2SdbrHKHY0Xqwpupz5a/s640/pecan-macarons-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Mr. Buttercream</b>: "Wow, these are really good."<br />
<b>Me</b>: "Really? Make one for me."<br />
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They <i>were </i>good. Really, really good. After the pastry cream set, I spread some on a macaron and tasted it. It was good, but not <i>as good</i> as the pecan butter macaron.<br />
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So, that's how a mistake and a hungry husband led to my favorite macarons yet.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq-L_WWBVnBNw1XMBVF4PrBVioWfdopblC0qie7s0dooAd723p9G7NUW0ojuyOZ-ErRfdnrPc3YgKaMLw3pt_ozANRHYlzLFROZydd6KTnrvRki5MfNGlmlyf_liDVOjqlqEcjCuDcUlJ/s1600/pecan-macarons-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqq-L_WWBVnBNw1XMBVF4PrBVioWfdopblC0qie7s0dooAd723p9G7NUW0ojuyOZ-ErRfdnrPc3YgKaMLw3pt_ozANRHYlzLFROZydd6KTnrvRki5MfNGlmlyf_liDVOjqlqEcjCuDcUlJ/s640/pecan-macarons-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hamburger? Or macaron? </td></tr>
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If you don't like pecans, stay far, far away from these macarons. I love pecans, so to me, these are three bites of awesome pecan intensity. My favorite thing about these is that the filling has very little sugar. I often find macarons to be too sweet, and so these are a welcome not-too-sweet macaron.<br />
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Yum. I've already made these twice in as many weeks - and I can't wait to make more.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Pecan Butter</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
5 ounces (142 grams) whole pecans<br />
2 tablespoons vegetable oil<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>In a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000645YM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0000645YM">food processor</a>, grind the pecans until they start getting moist.</li>
<li>Add the oil and sugar, and continue to grind until the butter reaches a spreadable consistency.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Pecan Macarons</b></span><br />
Makes approximately 16 macarons (32 macaron halves). Adapted from <a href="http://bravetart.com/recipes/Macarons">BraveTart's Macarons</a> recipe. <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
2 ounces (57 grams) pecan flour<br />
4 ounces (115 grams) powdered sugar<br />
2½ ounces (72 grams) egg whites<br />
1¼ ounces (36 grams) sugar<br />
½ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat the oven to 300° F. You might want to invest in an <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003EDY97U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003EDY97U">oven thermometer</a> to ensure your temperature is correct.</li>
<li>Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. If you'd like to
ensure macarons of the same size, trace some guide circles on the
parchment paper, and then flip it over (so that you don't get pen in
your cookies!).</li>
<li>Sift the pecan flour and the powdered sugar together and set aside.</li>
<li>Combine the egg whites and sugar and mix with an electric mixer on medium (4 on my <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000VUY4PG/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000VUY4PG">KitchenAid</a>) for 3 minutes.</li>
<li>Increase the speed to medium-high (6 on my KitchenAid) and whip another 3 minutes, then go to high (8 on my KitchenAid) and whip for another 2 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the vanilla and beat for one more minute on high.</li>
<li>Dump the dry ingredients into your meringue. Mix with a spatula
until the batter melts back down in 20 seconds after being spooned out
and dropped back in.</li>
<li>Transfer the batter to a piping bag with a plain tip (a Wilton #7
tip works pretty well for me). Holding the bag straight up, pipe batter
out onto your parchment paper until you almost fill the circle you drew.</li>
<li>After all the macarons have been piped out, bang the cookie sheet onto your counter top a few times to get the air bubbles out.</li>
<li>Let the macarons sit for an hour (this may or may not be necessary,
but probably doesn't hurt, especially if you're not sure about if you've
over/under-mixed).</li>
<li>Bake the macarons for 18 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove, and cool completely before peeling the macarons off of the parchment paper.</li>
<li>Once completely cool (only about 5 minutes), match up similar sized macarons. Spoon about 2 teaspoons' worth of pecan butter onto the bottom of a macaron, and sandwich with its pair. </li>
<li>Refrigerate. These are best after at least 24 hours.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-83175033739290347012012-12-29T12:02:00.001-08:002012-12-29T12:02:39.175-08:00Earl Grey & Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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It's my mother's birthday <a href="http://www.buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-post-chocolate-raspberry-birthday.html">again</a>! My mom loves tea, so I decided to make her a little earl grey cake this year. Since earl grey is a pretty mild, delicate flavor, I decided to accompany it with a subtle vanilla bean buttercream.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aURDj3Nkjy6hQXkHKECTe96QN_s7iSEXxl3e2auYVcBcNIhGVqy6LM46CJ2VrZk0ysKcIvNZds1sGyMi9Fi-AD-cozp3ZhMWJd0YrJs09nme_DDTnf3j0DFBMrciaQt0PSR1NpkazhAZ/s1600/earl-grey-birthday-cake-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Rose Candles" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aURDj3Nkjy6hQXkHKECTe96QN_s7iSEXxl3e2auYVcBcNIhGVqy6LM46CJ2VrZk0ysKcIvNZds1sGyMi9Fi-AD-cozp3ZhMWJd0YrJs09nme_DDTnf3j0DFBMrciaQt0PSR1NpkazhAZ/s640/earl-grey-birthday-cake-2.JPG" title="Rose Candles" width="640" /></a></div>
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My mom also loves roses. <a href="http://www.buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-post-chocolate-raspberry-birthday.html">Last year</a>, I made her some pink chocolate plastic roses for her chocolate raspberry cake. This year, I've done more roses in fondant and used them to hold each of the five candles. I made them a dusky blue color to go with the earl grey cake, and added a little shimmer using <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000SSXTAM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B000SSXTAM">pearl dust</a>.<br />
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To make the roses, I once again followed <a href="http://www.wilton.com/technique/Full-Bloom-Fondant-Rose">Wilton's tutorial</a>, with a couple modifications. After making the rose center, I pushed a candle into it. I also did four blossom layers instead of three to make a fuller rose.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGiabBvcBQ7Ifssk06_wgmWbIc16TxdwdE_OXviGCwjcXQ8bZtDALksAbBgN-H91uexHfL21igDMlL_mlVlVhI360yIZVQhFW7-BskPyhWCGm9G_vso8b1FxgDfKISZH2fkV2_n7EmzP7/s1600/earl-grey-birthday-cake-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Earl Grey & Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake" border="0" height="492" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfGiabBvcBQ7Ifssk06_wgmWbIc16TxdwdE_OXviGCwjcXQ8bZtDALksAbBgN-H91uexHfL21igDMlL_mlVlVhI360yIZVQhFW7-BskPyhWCGm9G_vso8b1FxgDfKISZH2fkV2_n7EmzP7/s640/earl-grey-birthday-cake-3.JPG" title="Earl Grey & Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake" width="640" /></a></div>
For the cake recipe, I started with a Chai Cake recipe from <span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811854485/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811854485"><span id="btAsinTitle">Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes</span></a><span style="font-size: small;">. Instead of using <span style="font-size: small;">chai tea<span style="font-size: small;"> bags, I used ea<span style="font-size: small;">rl grey and le<span style="font-size: small;">ft the ch<span style="font-size: small;">ai spices out. </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span>I've <span style="font-size: small;">followed this recipe before, <span style="font-size: small;">and found it to be a l<span style="font-size: small;">ittle dry. <span style="font-size: small;">In an <span style="font-size: small;">effort to offset this dryness, I decided to <span style="font-size: small;">do <i>si</i><span style="font-size: small;"><i>x</i> layers - each with some creamy buttercream in between. I was hoping that the abundant buttercream would make the cake m<span style="font-size: small;">ore moist.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>I</i> still thought this was a little dry<span style="font-size: small;">, but everyone else (m<span style="font-size: small;">y mom in<span style="font-size: small;">cluded) said the buttercream did its job<span style="font-size: small;"> and the cake seemed nice and moist. I was pretty happy with the earl grey<span style="font-size: small;"> - <span style="font-size: small;">it made for a <span style="font-size: small;">really nice, interesting cake flavor<span style="font-size: small;">. I may re-visit th<span style="font-size: small;">is recipe <span style="font-size: small;">to try and <span style="font-size: small;">tone down the dryness, but <span style="font-size: small;">for now it made a great little birthday cake.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;">Happy birthday, <span style="font-size: small;">Mom!</span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Earl Grey & Vanilla Bean Birthday Cake</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Earl Grey Cake</b></span><br />
Adapted from Huntsman and Wynne's Chai Cake (<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0811854485/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0811854485"><span id="btAsinTitle">Sky High: Irresistible Triple-Layer Cakes</span></a>). Makes 3 6<span style="font-size: small;">-inch</span> round cake layers.</span></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
⅔ cup milk<br />
4 earl grey tea bags<br />
2 whole eggs, plus 1 egg yolk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1¼ cups + 2 tablespoons (160 grams) cake flour<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
2¼ teaspoons baking powder<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened<br />
blue or purple food coloring (optional) <br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Line three 6" round cake pans with parchment paper. Grease and flour.</li>
<li>In a small saucepan, heat the milk until simmering. Remove from heat, add the tea bags, and steep for 5 minutes. Remove the tea bags and allow the milk to cool completely.</li>
<li>Whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Set aside.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.</li>
<li>Add the butter and cooled milk to the dry ingredients. Beat on low until well-blended. Raise the speed to medium and beat for another minute.</li>
<li>Add the egg/vanilla mixture in three additions, beating well after each addition.</li>
<li>If desired, beat in food coloring. </li>
<li>Divide the batter between the three pans and bake for about 20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.</li>
<li>Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool completely.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
4 egg whites<br />
1¼ cups sugar<br />
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter<br />
½ tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped<br />
pinch of salt<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Cube the butter and leave out at room temperature (make sure you
don't leave it over the dishwasher or oven or it will get too warm).</li>
<li>Whisk the eggs whites and sugar together in the top part of a double
broiler. Make sure that the water in the bottom part is simmering, not
boiling. Keep whisking until a candy thermometer reads 160° F.</li>
<li>Transfer to a stand mixer with the whisk attachment installed. Whip
at a medium speed until the mixture is at room temperature (the bowl
feels neutral when you touch it).</li>
<li>Lower the mixing speed and add the butter, one cube at a time. Keep
mixing until there is an obvious change in the consistency of the
buttercream - from soupy to much more solid (you can usually hear the
mixer start making different noises). If it stays soupy for a very long
time, throw the bowl in the refrigerator for ten minutes or so and
retry.</li>
<li>Add the vanilla extract, vanilla bean, and salt and keep mixing until they are incorporated.</li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New", Courier, monospace;"><b>Assembly</b></span>
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Level and torte (cut in half) each cake layer so that you have 6 even layers. I like using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7YB/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00004S7YB">cake leveler</a> to do this.</li>
<li>Place your first cake layer on your decorating surface. Spread a thin
layer of buttercream evenly over the cake layer.
Place the next layer on top, and repeat. Repeat with the remaining
layers.</li>
<li>Spread a thin coat of buttercream over the top and sides of
the cake. Don't worry if you get crumbs in the frosting - that's what
this layer is for! Place the cake in the refrigerator for 20-30 minutes
to allow the frosting to set.</li>
<li>Remove your cake from the refrigerator and frost with a final, thicker layer of buttercream.</li>
<li>Top with fondant rose candles if desired. </li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-1486392628294079782012-12-21T08:43:00.000-08:002012-12-21T08:43:15.408-08:00Pear Pie<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW6PlMhfd6NoobFvRTzcG_WDCaGtyy0ts4dm89D6jTjh5bvy4AvSX1DIb4pst7tSM4jgXX0eN8LXC0Im1KUJZUrlQ92aGJUuIZXv2z-rRTVYVlbklO6eTKfvLhU9PbABHvKCku4YNqN41/s1600/pear-pie-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqW6PlMhfd6NoobFvRTzcG_WDCaGtyy0ts4dm89D6jTjh5bvy4AvSX1DIb4pst7tSM4jgXX0eN8LXC0Im1KUJZUrlQ92aGJUuIZXv2z-rRTVYVlbklO6eTKfvLhU9PbABHvKCku4YNqN41/s640/pear-pie-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
Ah, winter. Seattle's color palate is dominated by grey, dark grey, and very dark grey. Today is the shortest day of the year (fingers crossed that it's not the last day <i>ever</i>). Sunset is officially at 4:20, but it'll start getting dark by 3:30. And the endless winter drizzle, which will last until May at least, has begun in earnest.<br />
<br />
So...it's <i>absolutely necessary</i> to brighten the winter days with some warm, sticky, delicious pie. Pear pie is one of my favorites. I first made it last Christmas instead of the apple pie I usually bake, and, although it's almost blasphemous to say in my family (we really care about pie), I actually prefer pear to apple.<br />
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I tried something new to decorate the pie this time - I used some leaf shapes to adorn the edges. To do this, I first crimped the edges of the pie with a fork. Then, using the dough leftover from rolling out the pie, I cut out a bunch of leaf shapes using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001C10OPW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B001C10OPW">sugar-paste cutter</a>. To help them stick to the crust, I dabbed a little water on the bottom of the leaf before lightly pressing it into place. Although the leaves lost their detail a bit while baking, I still think the pie came out nicely.<br />
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<br />
The reason I love this pie is its simplicity - there isn't much to it besides pears, brown sugar, and pie crust. The amount of added sugar is relatively low (⅔ cup in the filling, and 4 tablespoons in the crust) because pears are naturally pretty sweet.<br />
<br />
This, in my opinion, is a perfect holiday pie. The filling is buttery and not to sweet, the pears are mild, yet delicious, and the crust is flaky, buttery, goodness. You can't keep me down, Seattle winter! <i>I have pie.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
Merry Christmas and happy holidays, everyone!<br />
<br />
<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Pear Pie</b></span><br />
Inspired by <a href="http://www.dailyunadventuresincooking.com/recipe/caramelized-pear-pie-recipe/">Katerina's Caramelized Pear Pie</a> recipe at <a href="http://www.dailyunadventuresincooking.com/">Daily Unadventures in Cooking</a>. Makes one 9" pie.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Crust</i><br />
2½ cups (12½ ounces) all-purpose flour<br />
4 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1¼ cups (2½ sticks) cold, unsalted butter<br />
~¾ cup ice water<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Filling</i><br />
2 pounds (6-8) fresh pears (I used Anjou pears)<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
2 teaspoons cornstarch<br />
⅔ cup brown sugar<br />
¼ cup butter<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>For the crust, mix the flour, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl with a fork.</li>
<li>Cube the butter and "cut" it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until there are no butter bits that are bigger than a pea. Make sure you don't go smaller than this, however, since you'll start to lose flakiness if the butter is too small.</li>
<li>Add the ice water, a tablespoon or two at a time and use a fork to wet the flour/butter mixture.</li>
<li>Keep adding until the dough just starts to hold together. You don't want the dough too wet, and you don't want to mix in the water too much. I find it useful to just use my hands to mix at this point.</li>
<li>Cover the dough with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a couple hours at least (overnight is best).</li>
<li>To make the filling, peel and quarter the pears, and cut into ¼-inch to ⅓-inch thick slices.</li>
<li>In a large bowl, toss the pears with the cinnamon and cornstarch.</li>
<li>Place the brown sugar and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the pears.</li>
<li>Simmer the pears, stirring occasionally, until they are somewhat tender and soaked in the butter/sugar mixture. This will be about 10 minutes for ripe pears and more (20-30 minutes) for unripe pears.</li>
<li>Remove the filling from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature at least (overnight in the fridge is also fine). If you don't allow them to cool before assembling your pie, they'll melt your pie crust and make a big mess.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 425° F.</li>
<li>Divide your pie dough in two. Roll out the first half on a floured surface and use it to line the bottom of a 9" pie pan.</li>
<li>Spoon the cooled filling into the pan.</li>
<li>Roll out the second half of the crust on a floured board cover the pie, sealing and crimping the edges.</li>
<li>Cut several slits in the top of the pie to allow air to escape. Brush with an egg yolk wash and sprinkle with sugar if desired.</li>
<li>Bake at 425° for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350° F and bake for another 25-30 minutes, or until the filling is bubbly.</li>
<li>Allow to cool completely before serving.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-63515731498139621862012-12-11T20:24:00.000-08:002012-12-11T20:24:38.558-08:00Chai Spice Oatmeal Cookies (In a Jar!)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<br />
I decided to make cookie mix for Christmas gifts this year! I have seen these adorable treats both around the Internet and in grocery stores for a while, and thought it would be fun to try them for a personal, DIY gift.<br />
<br />
To give these oatmeal cookies a unique twist, I added chai spices and black tea to the mix for yummy, warm, chai spice oatmeal cookies.<br />
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<br />
I had two goals in mind while creating these cookie mixes:<br />
<ol>
<li>Warm, chewy, chai-spice flavor.</li>
<li>Very, <i>very </i>easy for the recipient to make.</li>
</ol>
I wanted to be able to give these to people who don't bake often (or ever) so that they could enjoy homemade cookies any time. So, outside of the mix, there are only two required ingredients: an egg, and a stick of butter. <br />
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<br />
Because I'm giving these as gifts, I decided to decorate them a bit. I used some fabric and ribbon I had around the apartment to make a pretty lid for the jars. Then, I cut out large tags on which to write the simple recipe to go along with the jars. This turned out to be as much a craft project as a baking project! Finally, to tie it together, I sewed on some cute red heart buttons.<br />
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I didn't actually make the cookies pictured in this post! To test if these were easy enough for people who never bake, I handed my husband a jar of mix and the directions, and told him to <i>make me some cookies</i>! This was truly the ultimate test - he's never made cookies on his own before (not even from a mix or pre-made dough). He struggled in several places:<br />
<ol>
<li>He didn't know how to melt the butter - he eventually settled on microwaving it.</li>
<li>He didn't know what I meant by "greased cookie sheet". After asking me <i>many </i>times (I refused to answer since I wanted a good test), he used some vegetable oil. Yay!</li>
<li>He did not understand what was meant by "walnut-sized". I'd love to hear in the comments if anyone has a better description for that size.</li>
</ol>
<div>
Despite the confusion, he figured everything out and successfully made a batch of tasty, beautiful cookies! These are nice and soft (especially right out of the oven) and have a strong chai spice flavor. Yum. Good job, Mr. Buttercream!</div>
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Chai Spice Oatmeal Cookies (In a Jar)</b></span><br />
Makes approximately 22 cookies. <br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients (In the Jar)</i><br />
1 cup + 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
¼ teaspoon salt<br />
1¼ cup quick-cooking oats<br />
1½ teaspoons cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon cardamom<br />
⅛ teaspoon ground cloves<br />
3 black teabags<br />
½ cup brown sugar<br />
½ cup vanilla sugar*<br />
*If you don't have vanilla sugar, add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the ingredients not in the jar.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients (Not In the Jar)</i><br />
1 egg<br />
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter, melted<br />
<br />
<i>Method (For the Jar) </i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl until well combined. Add to the bottom of a quart-sized, wide-mouth canning jar. </li>
<li>Measure out your oats and place in the jar on top of the flour.</li>
<li>Add the spices to the jar, one at a time.</li>
<li>Cut open your teabags, and add the content to the jar.</li>
<li>Measure out the brown sugar and pack into the jar.</li>
<li>Add the vanilla sugar to the jar.</li>
<li>Screw on the jar lid, and decorate however you like.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<i>Method (To Be Included with the Jar)</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat oven to 375° F.</li>
<li>Empty jar contents into a medium bowl and mix.</li>
<li>Add 1 egg and 1 stick melted butter, and mix until everything is moist.</li>
<li>Roll dough into walnut-sized balls and place on a greased cookie sheet, leaving about 2 inches between cookies.</li>
<li>Flatten each cookie with a fork or the palm of your hand.</li>
<li>Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the cookies start to brown.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-92101110522774302322012-11-27T21:17:00.000-08:002012-11-28T09:22:43.606-08:00Grandma's Tortelettes (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This month's Daring Bakers' Challenge was holiday celebration cookies (hosted by Peta of <a href="http://petaeats.blogspot.com.au/">Peta Eats</a>). This challenge had two parts - to make one of the dozen recipes listed by Peta, and to make another celebration cookie of our choosing. For the second requirement I picked out and made some of my grandma's holiday cookies - ones that she called tortelettes. Due to an unfortunate kitchen malfunction, I didn't get to the first of the criteria. So, this post is all about grandma's tortelettes!<br />
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My grandmother kept a lot of recipes on index cards. Some she hand-wrote, some were written by typewriter, and some have different handwriting - I'm guessing they were gifts from friends. While looking through her collection of cookie recipes, I came across one titled "Tortelettes (Christmas Cookies)" - perfect for a holiday cookie challenge.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vMv6FCM2FICOUG5FQAIb3SvFcwU9E3ASJ1_69Xqw2G6dF_QidgJ5inKHjoClKRoTr7OwjyJShTa64Ta2543tieNgYFUWH2H6afr2WI_QSZEaqkcmhmrA7QlsuUEHn-RN93x5cVoJpT7s/s1600/tortelettes-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4vMv6FCM2FICOUG5FQAIb3SvFcwU9E3ASJ1_69Xqw2G6dF_QidgJ5inKHjoClKRoTr7OwjyJShTa64Ta2543tieNgYFUWH2H6afr2WI_QSZEaqkcmhmrA7QlsuUEHn-RN93x5cVoJpT7s/s640/tortelettes-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The index card didn't really give a description of these cookies beyond "Christmas Cookies", so I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they are crispy, buttery, and incredibly addicting. I especially loved the nut and spice mixture on the top of the cookie, and the light lemon flavor imparted by the cookie itself. After chomping down cookie number 11, I begged my husband to hide them somewhere so I couldn't get any more.<br />
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I'm really glad I found that index card! I'll have to try out some more of my grandma's recipes soon.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iVSdWk25nB2bT6eqDCV5AMeZYfbPhyphenhyphenDMsZTIiMi6hl8HyMcp5ozm0rqceiuCxPx_EPEVSvppJYVAYyNJoT6jsKys3LiKjiGDl625FpGaRVb8crJlDfkM5BJdsoCmsRhTTCg7QGCpM7BL/s1600/tortelettes-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3iVSdWk25nB2bT6eqDCV5AMeZYfbPhyphenhyphenDMsZTIiMi6hl8HyMcp5ozm0rqceiuCxPx_EPEVSvppJYVAYyNJoT6jsKys3LiKjiGDl625FpGaRVb8crJlDfkM5BJdsoCmsRhTTCg7QGCpM7BL/s640/tortelettes-4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heart.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Grandma's Tortelettes</b></span>
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Made 45 small heart cookies for me. The exact number will depend on your cutter and how thin you roll the dough.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Cookie</i><br />
zest from ½ lemon<br />
½ cup sugar<br />
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened<br />
1 egg, separated<br />
¾ cup (104 grams) all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Topping</i><br />
½ almonds, blanched and chopped fine<br />
2 tablespoons sugar<br />
½ teaspoon cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon nutmeg<br />
dash of salt<br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Toss the zest with the sugar in a medium bowl. Cream the butter and sugar until smooth, about a minute.</li>
<li>Beat the egg yolk into the butter/sugar mixture, saving the white for later.</li>
<li>Beat in the flour until well mixed. Gather the dough into a ball, cover with saran wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 375° F. Mix together all the topping ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.</li>
<li>Roll out the chilled dough on a floured board, until it's about ⅛-inch thick Using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000DE49S/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">cookie-cutter</a>, cut cookies out of the dough and place on cookie sheets that have been greased or lined with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Brush the cookies with the egg white and sprinkle with the topping mixture.</li>
<li>Bake for 7-10 minutes, or until the edges are brown.</li>
<li>Cool on a wire rack.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-4075969532513637192012-11-13T21:42:00.000-08:002012-11-13T21:57:05.293-08:00Walnut Carrot Cake<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuazKSy9pFTgbAOaXWvqwKSMdw6uEf-BwxUjM2n_V3XR1YGdv2m8MzYT4GPZydMp4Sv47WXBJokCJol8Bz-k0Pu9UkaxUmB-JTufjpit3M5P1TgoE4l_Fa_Sm-XsGdZ4q7x0Hy5SVomaek/s1600/walnut-carrot-cake-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Walnut Carrot Cake" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuazKSy9pFTgbAOaXWvqwKSMdw6uEf-BwxUjM2n_V3XR1YGdv2m8MzYT4GPZydMp4Sv47WXBJokCJol8Bz-k0Pu9UkaxUmB-JTufjpit3M5P1TgoE4l_Fa_Sm-XsGdZ4q7x0Hy5SVomaek/s640/walnut-carrot-cake-2.JPG" title="Walnut Carrot Cake" width="446" /></a></div>
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I've always disliked carrot cake. In my experience, it is often too dense, the frosting is usually too sweet, and it almost always commits what I consider to be a major cake felony - it contains chunks of nuts and carrots right in the cake, which messes with the texture in an inexcusable way (this is totally my opinion - I know lots of people like this). <br />
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I decided to create a carrot cake that I would like: light, moist, and free from chunks in the cake - all without losing the carroty-ness and nutty-ness that defines a good carrot cake.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5cKtRWV1-fSBxyDcGQ1CRLh9ntjeQ8PnR3QTQMRbhdBVOlyxn-CnJeauDY4cgN6_uKjUpyN3ZPZIaIuTCYvJfsprKqijsnIR4JmhAylppBOIyIyCK-1J0WkTmTigKLG1PRyRuKyNh8F-/s1600/walnut-carrot-cake-1-medium.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Walnut Carrot Cake" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhR5cKtRWV1-fSBxyDcGQ1CRLh9ntjeQ8PnR3QTQMRbhdBVOlyxn-CnJeauDY4cgN6_uKjUpyN3ZPZIaIuTCYvJfsprKqijsnIR4JmhAylppBOIyIyCK-1J0WkTmTigKLG1PRyRuKyNh8F-/s1600/walnut-carrot-cake-1-medium.JPG" title="Walnut Carrot Cake" /></a></div>
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Instead of grated carrot cake, I decided to use a smooth carrot puree in my cake. This would eliminate any carrot chunks from the cake completely. I started with the Golden Carrot Cake recipe from <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471469335/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">The Cake Book</a></i> by Tish Boyle. I knew that using a puree in place of grated carrots would introduce a lot more liquid to the recipe, so I decided to try it out using just one 6" round pan to start. <br />
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As expected, there was way too much liquid. The cake never really cooked properly, sank once it came out of the oven, and was a horrible, inedible mess. It took four more renditions of me tweaking the recipe before I was satisfied with the result.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaNMHCZAi9LfoQ35OEkOinhjzQ68GktwfPJimo7f92Sszop-vVPoEb7Uzoa3sfaOSNuDOnxHNdGVoNGrMpH5Bkzd6nXAcjbc3R79VA3eAjDmuvOrOP3-5KQxTyld5tX8K-Cqw8BufU3jx/s1600/cake-method-flow-chart-small.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZaNMHCZAi9LfoQ35OEkOinhjzQ68GktwfPJimo7f92Sszop-vVPoEb7Uzoa3sfaOSNuDOnxHNdGVoNGrMpH5Bkzd6nXAcjbc3R79VA3eAjDmuvOrOP3-5KQxTyld5tX8K-Cqw8BufU3jx/s1600/cake-method-flow-chart-small.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My insane quest for carrot cake - as a flow chart.</td></tr>
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Traditionally, carrot cake has a cream cheese frosting. I decided to keep with tradition, but to give it a unique twist by making a light, whipped cream cheese frosting. <br />
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Although I didn't want any nuts in the cake, I did want to incorporate walnuts in some way. I decided to sprinkle candied walnuts in between each cake layer. For some reason, I don't mind nuts on top of the cake, just as long as they're not in the cake batter (I'm weird).<br />
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Finally, to decorate the cake, I decided to make some candied carrot flowers. I carved out the flowers as shown in <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdIyyKiWsqI">this video</a>, and then simmered them in a sugar syrup for an hour. They came out sweet, chewy, and deliciously carrot-y.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtjGRX3ps9BScKKk7bIpsyihwFyxzyfPvALXSnlFhL8fZ5XXqMbMlxz6E88EuLew_v_rcFkCm3s8IeIRyV5jgaEkuuskyAZqm-NQ1_j-N1cc70DQGmEfhOiN3ywHAPDLZXjN1IwxcM8VL/s1600/walnut-carrot-cake-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Walnut Carrot Cake" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAtjGRX3ps9BScKKk7bIpsyihwFyxzyfPvALXSnlFhL8fZ5XXqMbMlxz6E88EuLew_v_rcFkCm3s8IeIRyV5jgaEkuuskyAZqm-NQ1_j-N1cc70DQGmEfhOiN3ywHAPDLZXjN1IwxcM8VL/s640/walnut-carrot-cake-3.JPG" title="Walnut Carrot Cake" width="522" /></a></div>
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I achieved my goal - I created a carrot cake that I actually like a lot. The cake had a warm, subtle, carrot and cinnamon flavor, and the frosting was light and didn't overpower the cake. Both my husband and I agreed - the candied walnuts were really the best part. They gave each bite a sweet, nutty crunch. <br />
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If you really enjoy the chunkiness of regular carrot cake, this might not be for you. However, if you are interested in experiencing a different kind of carrot cake, give this a try.<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Carrot Cake</span></b><br />
Inspired by Tish Boyle's Golden Carrot Cake recipe (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471469335/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20"><i>The Cake Book</i></a>). Makes 3 6" round cake layers.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
7.5 ounces carrots (2-3 regular carrots), peeled and chopped*<br />
¾ cup (6 ounces) water, plus more for boiling*<br />
2 cups (228 grams) cake flour<br />
1 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon nutmeg<br />
2 eggs<br />
¾ cup sugar<br />
½ cup vegetable oil<br />
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted<br />
1 tablespoon vanilla extract<br />
*To save time, the carrots and water can be replaced with 10.5 ounces of baby food carrots (the thicker kind).<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Line three 6" round cake pans with parchment paper. Coat with a thin layer of oil and flour.</li>
<li>To make the carrot puree, fill a small saucepan with about 4 cups water. Add the chopped carrots and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until the carrots are soft (about 10 minutes). Drain.</li>
<li>In a food processor or blender, combine the cooked carrots and the ¾ cup of water. Blend until very smooth (the consistency of baby food). Set aside.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Set aside.</li>
<li>Beat the eggs and sugar together on low speed until combined. </li>
<li>Add the vegetable oil, melted butter, and vanilla extract, and beat until combined.</li>
<li>Add the dry ingredients in three batches and beat on low until well mixed, scraping the sides of the bowl after each batch.</li>
<li>Add the carrot puree (or baby food) and beat on low until combined.</li>
<li>Divide the batter evenly between the three cake pans.</li>
<li>Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.</li>
<li>Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Whipped Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature<br />
4 oz unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
2 cups powdered sugar<br />
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract)<br />
⅓ cup heavy whipping cream<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Beat the cream cheese and butter at medium speed with a whisk attachment until smooth (a minute or so).</li>
<li>At low speed, add the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla bean seeds or extract. Beat until fully incorporated.</li>
<li>While beating at medium-high speed, slowly add the whipping cream. Whip for about 30 seconds.</li>
</ol>
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<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Candied Walnuts</span></b><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
¾ cup walnuts, finely chopped<br />
¼ cup sugar<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Heat the walnuts and sugar in a small frying pan over medium heat, stirring occasionally.</li>
<li>As soon as the sugar melts (about 5 minutes), stir to coat the walnuts with the sugar.</li>
<li>Remove from heat when the walnuts start turning brown and allow to cool completely.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Candied Carrot Flowers</b></span><br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 regular carrot, peeled <br />
2 cups sugar<br />
1 cup water<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Cut the carrot into flower shapes by cutting five evenly spaced nicks in the side of the carrot. Slice the carrot at an angle so they are cupped in the middle. See <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PdIyyKiWsqI">this video</a> for a demonstration on how to cut the flowers.</li>
<li>Bring the sugar and water to a simmer in a medium saucepan.</li>
<li>Add the carrot flowers and continue to simmer for an hour.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Assembly</span></b><br />
<ol>
<li>Level the top of each cake layer with a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004S7YB/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=buildibutter-20">cake leveler</a> or a sharp knife.</li>
<li>Spread ⅓ of the frosting on a cake layer. Sprinkle with ⅓ of the candied walnuts.</li>
<li>Place the second layer on top of the first, and repeat step 2.</li>
<li>Place your final layer on top, and repeat step 2.</li>
<li>Top with candied carrot flowers if desired.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-25802958180856937972012-11-04T17:14:00.000-08:002012-11-04T17:14:44.302-08:00Baking Experiment! Cupcakes with Varying Sweeteners<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I've been neglecting my studies. Last year, I got <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0470392673/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">How Baking Works</a></i> by Paula Figoni as a gift and have been slowly (<i>very </i>slowly) working my way through it. At the end of each section, there are experiments that demonstrate the concept being taught. I learned about different flours in a <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/03/baking-experiment-rolled-sugar-cookies.html">previous experiment</a>, but I hadn't done a single experiment since then. It's time to change that - this weekend I did an experiment to determine the effect of the amount and type of sweetener used in pound cupcakes.<br />
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First, I tried out different amounts of sweetener. The book outlines five different amounts to be tried, but I chose three (I don't have all the time in the world): no sugar (0x), the correct amount of sugar (control), and twice the sugar (2x). I figured that both the 0x and 2x amounts wouldn't taste good (one would be too sweet, the other not sweet enough), but according to the book, the structure of the cupcake would be different as well. The presence of sugar delays structure-building (often provided by egg proteins and gluten), which means that a lack of sugar causes structure to be built sooner, and a surplus means that structure-building will be delayed longer.<br />
<br />
This was completely supported by my experiment. The cupcake with no sugar was dense, short, and terrible, with a nasty clay-like texture. It also was super pale and looked unappetizing because it didn't brown at all. The cupcake with twice the sugar wasn't able to build enough structure in the 20 minutes of bake time and ended up collapsing. It was also kind of chewy and unpleasant.<br />
<br />
This is really good information. I find myself often cutting sugar out of recipes because I tend to like things a little less sweet. When I do this without making other adjustments, I can expect the result to be denser, shorter, and less brown. So, what adjustments can I make? I believe the addition of fats will also interfere with structure-building, but I'd love to hear other suggestions in the comments!<br />
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Next, I experimented with different types of sweeteners. I chose to try Splenda, brown sugar, and honey. I don't usually use Splenda, but I know a lot of people do to make things sugar-free. I do use both brown sugar and honey as substitutes for sugar quite often, so it's good to know what effect that has.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphenKCXkqssiVIMhRUEtXlU1FZNWSnMcFkqzlNNkgM1TTt9pWE1JD7aZJVLh4QOYZbAkogFeI1822qkO-NEBSE-6mwk6vTf9aVMK4lg5dlcirQ_rFX18WjG1A-6dYwuM34jJEk_PCgh482/s1600/baking-experiment-sweeteners-none-sugar-splenda.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWhyphenhyphenKCXkqssiVIMhRUEtXlU1FZNWSnMcFkqzlNNkgM1TTt9pWE1JD7aZJVLh4QOYZbAkogFeI1822qkO-NEBSE-6mwk6vTf9aVMK4lg5dlcirQ_rFX18WjG1A-6dYwuM34jJEk_PCgh482/s640/baking-experiment-sweeteners-none-sugar-splenda.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: no sweetener, regular sugar, and Splenda</td></tr>
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<i>Splenda</i> - I have to say, I really disliked Splenda. As you can see in the above image, it doesn't look too different texture-wise from the cupcake with no sweetener. The flavor was a bit more palatable, but I just couldn't get over how dense and clay-like it was. I was really disappointed, because I'd like to eventually be able to bake for people who can't have sugar. Does anyone have a favorite non-sugar sweetener that I could try next?<br />
<br />
<i>Brown sugar</i> - This turned out very similar to regular sugar. The only real difference was the darker color and the slight molasses-y flavor imparted by the sugar.<br />
<br />
<i>Honey </i>- This was a bit denser than the cupcake with regular sugar (see the image below), but not as dense as the Splenda. The honey flavor was delicious.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIz_DxSMkVHzREKHHb8QitBnGxfYj_k7kiUxHgXiOniFggjdE73Chqh3EaavYjFInCNDZf_RL-KW4lupfl4jljvbBMtsYpwSZa0QPsWp-NkrpV5OI74zi3nXsdYmhQdrh6gPfwVowSxMA/s1600/baking-experiment-sweeteners-sugar-honey.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnIz_DxSMkVHzREKHHb8QitBnGxfYj_k7kiUxHgXiOniFggjdE73Chqh3EaavYjFInCNDZf_RL-KW4lupfl4jljvbBMtsYpwSZa0QPsWp-NkrpV5OI74zi3nXsdYmhQdrh6gPfwVowSxMA/s640/baking-experiment-sweeteners-sugar-honey.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left to right: regular sugar, honey</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This was a really great experiment! I honestly had no idea that sugar was so important to the chemistry of baking, and now I know I can't just go replacing sugar with other sweeteners (except brown sugar, apparently) or altering the amount willy nilly. <br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><b>Pound Cupcakes for Experiment</b></span><br />
Adapted from Tish Boyle's <i>Plainly Perfect Pound Cake</i> (<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0471469335/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">The Cake Book</a></i>). Makes about 4 cupcakes.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
50 grams cake flour<br />
⅛ teaspoon baking powder<br />
⅛ teaspoon salt<br />
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, softened<br />
63 grams sugar*<br />
1 egg<br />
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
20 mL heavy cream**<br />
*For volume variations, substitute with the volume of sugar desired (I did 0g and 126g). For sweetener type variations, replace as follows: 63g brown sugar, 8g granulated Splenda, 63g honey.<br />
**Leave out for the honey variation.<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Preheat your oven to 325° F.</li>
<li>Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.</li>
<li>In a medium bowl, beat the butter until creamy (30 seconds - time yourself to be consistent). </li>
<li>Beat in the sugar or sweetener for 60 seconds (again, time yourself). If you're doing the 0 sweetener variation, just beat for 60 seconds without adding any sweetener.</li>
<li>Add the egg and vanilla extract and beat until combined.</li>
<li>Add half the dry ingredients, beating until combined. Beat in the heavy cream, and then the rest of the dry ingredients. If doing the honey variation, leave out the heavy cream.</li>
<li>Place a cupcake liner on a scale and weigh out 50 grams of batter. Place the liner and batter in a cupcake pan. Repeat 2-3 times until you've used all the batter.</li>
<li>Bake for 20 minutes. Allow to cool completely.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-65625541595297714762012-10-28T15:30:00.000-07:002012-10-28T15:30:51.596-07:00Pumpkin Pie Cookies<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8ESEIZ4MKEynHzQQf_yMDnWRvUahF-U2EV7LoWatBC0RSsB-RkPTljc9jyOTzPSyQlHd1JUogs89o68Vy2YS9vCNCRbgjSkueNSWXlEz_nwjrm22c7YhR8ecCUx_qPhac7VPKC0xbh9a/s1600/pumpkin-pie-cookies-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr8ESEIZ4MKEynHzQQf_yMDnWRvUahF-U2EV7LoWatBC0RSsB-RkPTljc9jyOTzPSyQlHd1JUogs89o68Vy2YS9vCNCRbgjSkueNSWXlEz_nwjrm22c7YhR8ecCUx_qPhac7VPKC0xbh9a/s640/pumpkin-pie-cookies-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I've been itching to try a new rendition of the <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/08/blueberry-pie-cookies.html">pie cookie</a>. After hearing that we would be having a small Halloween celebration at work, I caught myself wanting to bring in some delicious pumpkin pie, and decided this would be an excellent opportunity to try pumpkin pie cookies.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy24hqS-uWpAgsalOAA5z80fPKGGxQ7WEAA2fjBcUWGG5fiLe0UdM7xOxJC97XQLTbJOh71KbxyTazxj_JcMRTXdZnEwj73sot97A5lvwdW-rEYUU45pRTX7stUt5ATJ-v8QtaTWJSLO6/s1600/pumpkin-pie-cookies-collage.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSy24hqS-uWpAgsalOAA5z80fPKGGxQ7WEAA2fjBcUWGG5fiLe0UdM7xOxJC97XQLTbJOh71KbxyTazxj_JcMRTXdZnEwj73sot97A5lvwdW-rEYUU45pRTX7stUt5ATJ-v8QtaTWJSLO6/s1600/pumpkin-pie-cookies-collage.JPG" /></a></div>
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I decided to give these pie cookies a Halloween twist by using a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VMIX6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">pumpkin-shaped cookie cutter</a> and cutting out little jack-o-lantern faces in each one. However, these cookies could be made all throughout autumn (they'd be awesome right around Thanksgiving).<br />
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I don't think my husband's quite in the spirit of the season. His first reaction, upon seeing these, was, "Huh. Weird. You gave them creepy little faces." I reminded him that these were <i>pumpkin-shaped</i> and Halloween was only a few days away, and he eventually got it. I was worried that perhaps I wasn't properly conveying jack-o-lantern-ness in my pie cookies until later that night when my husband mistook two kids dressed as the main characters from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corpse_Bride">The Corpse Bride</a> as a couple going to homecoming. I think he's just a bit oblivious to Halloween.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFo82qCxcKHtNFjqNXYr5eqSg4b-dpniByZZNT5AzFet2YR7sO3neWqr8LaNxE6c8MLwp_mSgq1ZzuTRklvPNs-qDv67mzF9uzfxcGIU61vVvibd5sbacp6F7Z4wD-dvIXzq-y7qIDEL7/s1600/pumpkin-pie-cookies-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFo82qCxcKHtNFjqNXYr5eqSg4b-dpniByZZNT5AzFet2YR7sO3neWqr8LaNxE6c8MLwp_mSgq1ZzuTRklvPNs-qDv67mzF9uzfxcGIU61vVvibd5sbacp6F7Z4wD-dvIXzq-y7qIDEL7/s640/pumpkin-pie-cookies-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepy little faces.</td></tr>
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When the first batch of cookies came out of the oven, I found I actually wasn't too fond of them. There was too much pastry and not enough creamy pumpkin flavor. So, for my next batch, I used as much pumpkin filling as I possibly could without making a huge pumpkin mess all over my cookie. These were <i>much better</i>. I found that, for my pumpkin-shaped crusts, a little over two teaspoons was a good amount of filling.<br />
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Also, because you will be tasting the pastry a whole lot more than in a regular pumpkin pie, I recommend using your best-tasting flour. I discussed this in my <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/08/blueberry-pie-cookies.html">blueberry pie cookies</a> post - my favorite flour is a <span id="goog_1966835461"></span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0043348LW/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">whole wheat pastry flour<span id="goog_1966835462"></span></a>, so I used that again in these cookies.<br />
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Yum! As soon as I got the filling amount right, I couldn't stop snacking on these. The pumpkin filling is creamy, pumpkin-y, nutmeg-y, and delicious. Very close to real pumpkin pie, but much more mobile and work-party-friendly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSghk3oGAAXTps2r5ruTUakKAsZ5ot7TDqNXKH9hFh8qEJHZ_E0VyCnN1kX6jYV-7-x490eIZhejp4mOcBg1yjtbwpt2wjDYwGXoc2QLkx4EW7YoVw0yNCHjJqPvlo5FZ4thFFlSwf6nW/s1600/pumpkin-pie-cookies-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSghk3oGAAXTps2r5ruTUakKAsZ5ot7TDqNXKH9hFh8qEJHZ_E0VyCnN1kX6jYV-7-x490eIZhejp4mOcBg1yjtbwpt2wjDYwGXoc2QLkx4EW7YoVw0yNCHjJqPvlo5FZ4thFFlSwf6nW/s640/pumpkin-pie-cookies-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Halloween!</td></tr>
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Pumpkin Puree </b></span><br />
Makes approximately 1½ cups.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
1 medium pie pumpkin (mine was about 2 lbs)<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Cut off the stem of your pumpkin, and then cut it in half.</li>
<li>Using a spoon, remove the seeds and strings from inside each pumpkin half.</li>
<li>Place each half cut-side down on a baking tray linked with aluminum foil. Cover each half with aluminum foil and bake until tender (about 1 to 1½ hours).</li>
<li>Allow the pumpkin halves to cool until you can handle them. Scoop out the tender pumpkin flesh.</li>
<li>Blend the pumpkin flesh in a food processor until smooth. </li>
</ol>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Pumpkin Pie Cookies</b></span><br />
Makes approximately 32 cookies using a 3" <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VMIX6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">pumpkin cutter</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Pie Crust</i><br />
2 ½ cups flour (whole wheat pastry or all-purpose)<br />
6 tablespoons sugar<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 ½ sticks cold unsalted butter<br />
~½ cup ice water<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Filling</i><br />
1 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)<br />
1 egg<br />
¼ cup heavy cream<br />
½ cup packed brown sugar<br />
½ teaspoon cinnamon<br />
¼ teaspoon nutmeg<br />
¼ teaspoon ground cloves<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Mix the flour, sugar, and salt together with a fork.</li>
<li>Cube the butter and "cut" it into the flour mixture with a pastry cutter until there are no butter bits that are bigger than a pea. Make sure you don't go smaller than this, however, since you'll start to lose flakiness if the butter is too small.</li>
<li>Add the ice water, a tablespoon or two at a time and use a fork to wet the flour/butter mixture. </li>
<li>Keep adding until the dough just starts to hold together. You don't want the dough too wet, and you don't want to mix in the water too much. I find it useful to just use my hands to mix at this point.</li>
<li>Divide the dough in two, cover each half with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for a couple hours at least (overnight is best). </li>
<li>To prepare the filling, combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and beat on low speed until combined.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 350° F.</li>
<li>Line the bottom of a cookie sheet with parchment paper.</li>
<li>Remove one of the covered dough halves from the refrigerator. Divide this in half and roll out on a floured board.</li>
<li>Using a 3-inch <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0013374XO/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">round</a> or <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000VMIX6/ref=as_li_ss_tl?tag=buildibutter-20">pumpkin-shaped</a> cutter, cut eight shapes out of the pie dough. Place these on the parchment paper, evenly spaced.</li>
<li>Cut eight more shapes out of the pie dough (you may have to gather
the scraps and re-roll it out). Using a sharp knife, cut out some small
slits (in a jack-o-lantern shape if you desire). </li>
<li>Spoon about two teaspoons of filling into the center of each bottom pie crust. The more filling you get in there, the tastier the cookie will be!</li>
<li>Place each top crust on top of the pumpkin-topped bottom shapes. Press down the edges with something thin (the top of a paintbrush or lollipop stick would work). </li>
<li> If you'd like to add some color to your pumpkin (I added a little green to the stem), brush on some food coloring.</li>
<li>Brush with an egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. </li>
<li>Bake for 10-14 minutes, or until the filling is set. Cool on a wire rack. Repeat in three more batches with the rest of the pie crust and filling.</li>
</ol>
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Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2188033373009137160.post-53656168214728378932012-10-27T09:27:00.000-07:002012-10-27T09:27:30.709-07:00Chocolate Mousse Mille-Feuille (Daring Bakers' Challenge)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhVyBSvwKvjD5jDSt-edWbZ3soPXaA8oo97b5Jzm-lgvyl-O1dqa1m0-yrW8aPe94ZSPR9qetoUjgjWYvah2nz9fFwu9uSFQSPBvQpWRceTa5SxTpvdJ8mu5QlFBOosawREID57Zb91je/s1600/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVhVyBSvwKvjD5jDSt-edWbZ3soPXaA8oo97b5Jzm-lgvyl-O1dqa1m0-yrW8aPe94ZSPR9qetoUjgjWYvah2nz9fFwu9uSFQSPBvQpWRceTa5SxTpvdJ8mu5QlFBOosawREID57Zb91je/s640/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
It's October 27th! That means it's time for another <a href="http://thedaringkitchen.com/">Daring Bakers' Challenge</a>. This month's challenge was to create something called <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mille-feuille">mille-feuille</a>, which means "thousand sheets" in French. The reason this is called "thousand sheets" is because the buttery pastry part of this dessert is folded and rolled out a <i>gazillion </i>times (I may be exaggerating...a bit). Typically, mille-feuille is filled with a vanilla pastry cream. I felt like I'd just used pastry cream in the <a href="http://buildingbuttercream.blogspot.com/2012/08/pate-a-choux-swans-daring-bakers.html">pâte à choux swans challenge</a>, so I decided to use chocolate mousse instead.<br />
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<div class="highlight">
Our October 2012 Daring Bakers’ challenge was hosted by Suz of <a href="http://serenelyfull.blogspot.com/">Serenely Full</a>. Suz challenged us to not only tackle buttery and flaky puff pastry, but then take it step further and create a sinfully delicious Mille Feuille dessert with it!
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrUqIy1dJDfzisvupC7jANqTD5zn6sh6OvO4fI4C9Voq31wbXYXx-YAOPlX61ruf70-R98Jlmwd1I5QzMSUqXEeVCG0-hzKpwP25GrKFVgfyZe2k0x-AYcvhR9oPukNL-NhcPs8YDAg3W/s1600/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHrUqIy1dJDfzisvupC7jANqTD5zn6sh6OvO4fI4C9Voq31wbXYXx-YAOPlX61ruf70-R98Jlmwd1I5QzMSUqXEeVCG0-hzKpwP25GrKFVgfyZe2k0x-AYcvhR9oPukNL-NhcPs8YDAg3W/s640/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
I found an excellent chocolate mousse recipe over at <a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/2012/04/chocolate-mousse-methodology-day-four.html">Dessert First</a>. It's part of a series where several different chocolate mousse techniques are tried and evaluated. I chose this because it looked like it would set up nicely in a spring-form pan, and because the eggs are cooked (I'm afraid of uncooked eggs - probably unreasonably so).<br />
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The most time-consuming aspect of this dessert was the pastry, which, as previously mentioned, had to be folded, rolled, folded, and rolled a bazillion times. I was especially frustrated with the numerous wait times. So that the butter wouldn't just melt and go everywhere, the pastry had to regularly be refrigerated for about a half-hour between foldings. This meant that my afternoon looked like: start pastry, do dishes while pastry cools, roll pastry, go to grocery store while pastry cools, roll pastry, play some Sims 3 while pastry cools, roll pastry, take a nap while pastry cools, <i>finally </i>bake pastry. At work, we would call this "randomizing", and it's bad.<br />
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I wanted the mousse to set between the pastry layers instead of piping it on after it had set. I believed this would make for a fluffier mousse and a very pretty display. For that reason, I invested in a 6" spring-form pan from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VEI05G/ref=as_li_ss_il?tag=buildibutter-20">Fat Daddio's</a>. This decision caused some unexpected challenges. First, it was a bit hard to cut the puff pastry so that it fit exactly into the pan. As a result, the mousse got into all the cracks and kind of hid the pastry. Second, my fear of the mousse sticking to the pan led me to attempt to line it with parchment paper. This meant that instead of pretty, smooth layers of mousse, I got wrinkles (as you can clearly see in all my pictures). Sigh...<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdqDB_tc6ZtWqSQPBdeK6QB-_Tmk1mSU4MvtMYSEChUdtfdia030i4zfCrZkRsR4SdDaPqoZ5zCnYim4JZUZu2iJcUP3TvUF5gDhuF5wiNgMXYcZzXyT6SCJjXN0-1kAWu0w4cVQHtxZX/s1600/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="445" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQdqDB_tc6ZtWqSQPBdeK6QB-_Tmk1mSU4MvtMYSEChUdtfdia030i4zfCrZkRsR4SdDaPqoZ5zCnYim4JZUZu2iJcUP3TvUF5gDhuF5wiNgMXYcZzXyT6SCJjXN0-1kAWu0w4cVQHtxZX/s640/chocolate-mousse-mille-feuille-3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Have some milk or coffee standing by when you finally eat this - it's super rich and chocolaty. While the mousse dominates flavor-wise, the puff pastry gives it a nice, buttery, crispiness. I highly recommend using a good chocolate because you will taste it.<br />
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Overall, I'm glad to have tried this dessert. I don't know if I'll be making the "thousand sheets" pastry again anytime soon, since it was a lot of work, and I think a chocolate mousse pie would yield something very similar in a fraction of the time. Still, I'm glad to have the experience!<br />
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<div class="recipe">
<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Puff Pastry</b></span><br />
Adapted from <a href="http://moroccanfood.about.com/od/dessertsandcookies/r/Puff-Pastry-Dough-Recipe-Pate-Feuilletee.htm">Christine Benlafquih for About.com</a>. This makes enough for 4 6" round layers of puff pastry.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Pastry</i><br />
2 cups (250g) all-purpose flour<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
3½ tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cubed<br />
½ cup plus 2 tablespoons ice-cold water<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients for Beurrage</i><br />
14 tablespoons butter, at room temperature<br />
3½ tablespoons (30g) all-purpose flour<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>To make the pastry, combine the flour and salt in a medium bowl.</li>
<li>Add the butter and cut it into the flour with your hands or a pastry cutter until it looks like soft breadcrumbs.</li>
<li>Add the cold water and mix with a fork until combined.</li>
<li>Knead the dough for about three minutes, until smooth.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>To make the beurrage, squish together the butter and flour in a small bowl until combined.</li>
<li>With your hands, on a sheet of plastic wrap, form the beurrage into a 4.5-inch square. Place another piece of plastic wrap on top, and neaten up the square.</li>
<li>Refrigerate for about 15 minutes, or until the beurrage is flexible but not soft.</li>
<li>Remove the pastry dough and work it into a 6-inch square. Place the beurrage in the middle, offset by 45°, so that the corners of the beurrage touch the sides of the pastry.</li>
<li>Fold the corners of the pastry over the beurrage and cinch it together so that it completely encases the beurrage. </li>
<li>Alright, time for folding/rolling madness! On a floured surface, roll the dough out into a rectangle.</li>
<li>Fold the rectangle into thirds, forming a smaller rectangle.</li>
<li>Repeat 11 and 12.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Repeat 11 and 12 twice.</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Repeat 11 and 12 twice. (Last time! You can do it!)</li>
<li>Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Preheat your oven to 400° F.</li>
<li>Cut a piece of parchment paper to about 12" by 18".</li>
<li>Roll the dough out onto the parchment paper, until it about covers the entire thing.</li>
<li>Poke the dough with a fork all over so that air can escape.</li>
<li>Cut the dough/paper in half if necessary so that it fits on a cookie sheet. Slide the first half onto a cookie sheet. Place another piece of parchment paper on top, then place another cookie sheet on top. This is to keep the puff pastry flat.</li>
<li>Bake for about 15 minutes.</li>
<li>Remove the cookie sheet and parchment paper on top of the pastry, and bake for another 5-10 minutes, just until the pastry begins to brown.</li>
<li>Remove and allow to cool on a wire rack.</li>
<li>Repeat with the second half of the pastry.</li>
</ol>
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chocolate Mousse</span></b><br />
Adapted from Dessert First's <a href="http://dessertfirstgirl.com/2012/04/chocolate-mousse-methodology-day-four.html">Custard-Based Mousse recipe</a>.<br />
<br />
<i>Ingredients</i><br />
180g bittersweet chocolate, chopped<br />
1 egg yolk<br />
1 tablespoon sugar<br />
¼ cup whole milk<br />
1 cup heavy whipping cream, separated<br />
<br />
<i>Method</i><br />
<ol>
<li>Either in your microwave or in a double-broiler, melt your chocolate and transfer to a large bowl.</li>
<li>Whisk together your egg yolk, sugar, milk, and ⅓ cup whipping cream in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, heat over medium until the mixture has thickened and can coat the back of a spoon (about 6-8 minutes for me).</li>
<li>Pour about a third of the hot custard through a strainer and into the chocolate. Mix until combined. Repeat with two more pours of the custard until the custard is completely combined with the chocolate.</li>
<li>Whip the remaining ⅔ cup whipping cream in a medium bowl until stiff peaks form.</li>
<li>When the chocolate/custard mixture has cooled to around 113-122° F, fold in the whipped cream and carefully mix to combine.</li>
<li>Assemble the pastry before the mousse sets.</li>
</ol>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Assembly</span></b></div>
<div>
<ol>
<li>Either line your <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001VEI05G/ref=as_li_ss_il?tag=buildibutter-20">6" spring-form pan</a> with parchment paper, or coat it with something non-stick (oil or a spray).</li>
<li>Using the pan, or something else 6" in diameter, cut three or four round circles out of the puff pastry using a knife. I only did three layers of pastry, but the recipe makes enough for four.</li>
<li>Place a pastry circle into the pan.</li>
<li>Spread either half (if you're doing 3 pastry circles) or a third (if you're doing 4) of the mousse on top.</li>
<li>Repeat steps 3 and 4.</li>
<li>If your doing 4 pastry circles, repeat steps 3 and 4 again.</li>
<li>Place your last pastry circle in the pan.</li>
<li>Top with melted chocolate (that's what I did - it proved to be hard to cut), powdered sugar, or a chocolate glaze. If you'd like to get the cool squiggly design in melted chocolate or a glaze, pipe some melted white chocolate in lines across your dark chocolate. With a sharp knife, trace a line alternately down and up across the lines.</li>
<li>Refrigerate for at least 12 hours to allow the mousse to set.</li>
<li>Carefully remove the top of the spring-form pan.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Laurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18206347216047583729noreply@blogger.com11