Wintermint Cake

Merry Cake-mis

 

This cake was not a miss at all!  Wow!  Such a beauty.  In the book Baked Occasions it looks stunning (shown here), all in shades of pink.  

Pic from Baked Occasions

I would dare say it looks too beautiful to eat.  But come on!  It's a cake!  And a Baked cake at that?  So it's going to be good!  And it would be terribly rude to not have a piece.  Do NOT embarrass me in front of company!

Date Squares

Square Dates

I have eaten many a date square, as they seem to be what every grandma/aunt/mother made in my youth.  But I have never made date squares.  And that folks is as interesting as this post is going to be.  Hit the snooze button as often as needed, to get through this.  Just be comforted in the fact, that it does come to an end (one assumes).

This is a super easy recipe.  Perhaps that is why these squares are made so often for bake sales.  Also, it is an inexpensive dessert to make.  And chances are, you have all the ingredients needed for this recipe in your pantry, apart from the dates.

Campfire Cookies

 No Camping Required

What the devil is a campfire cookie?  Well, I'm glad you asked. (Just play along this is going somewhere good.)  Why a campfire cookie is a whole lotta s'mores and a little bit more. (OMG, I just wrote a slogan.)  Nailed it.  

So this is my apron of choice for today's baking adventure.  And I may or may not have told hubbie to get out of the kitchen house (spoiler--I totally did).  What?  If you love something or someone, you're supposed to set it/him free (in hopes that he comes back with a doughnut from Suzy Q doughnuts.)  What?  That's the way the saying goes.  I couldn't make something like that up!  Oh and he can pick himself up something too.  (Yup, selfless I is.)

S'more Style Chocolate Whiskey Pudding

S'more please

I wasn't sure if I'd have time to make this recipe (our last recipe from Baked Elements).  But I pulled up my big girl pants and got in the kitchen.  Luckily this is another easy recipe.  I don't make pudding very much so hopefully it turns out!  Of course seeing Mark's instagram pic of his finished pudding product got me in the mood.  Yeah, I'm totally in a pudding mood.  It's a mood people!  My mood ring often turns to pudding.  What?  Why would I lie about something as sacred as my mood ring?

Squirrel! 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls

Roll it, Slice it, Bake it

Roll with it, baby.  Unless you're a pumpkin and then we bake with it, baby.  Yes, Baked loves Pumpkin.  And so do I.  Not sure about pumpkin in cinnamon rolls though. But far be it from me to doubt my Baked Boys.  I'm pretty sure they are cool with me calling them that now.  We have a connection me and my Baked Boys.  Well...I met them...and it was magical...okay, it was a book launch and a new bakeshop opening for them.  Yes, I'm a foodie geek.  And I met up with some of my pals from Baked Sunday Mornings to celebrate the new book, Baked Occasions, and the opening of Baked Tribeca (the Baked Boys 2nd bakeshop).  This was another amazing bit of New York City that I got to experience.  I will be sharing that in another post.

Baked Occasions-the 4th Baked cookbook!

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cupcakes

Got Mayo?

A cupcake made with mayonnaise?  "Eww", I heard a voice in my head say.  Um excuse me?  What are the main components of mayonnaise?  Eggs and oil.  Why?  Well, those two things are generally the basis of cupcakes and cakes.  So there!  Sheesh, a little defensive about baking?  I know you are, but what am I?  'Nuff said. 

Now before we get to the recipe, let me just say I LOVE NYC!  Yeah, I was just in NYC.  No biggie.  Just my first time EVER going to NYC!  I don't wanna blow this out of proportion or anything...or exaggerate...but it was TOTES AMAZEBALLS!!

And I am TOTES DEPRESSED that I had to leave NYC.  (I think she liked it.)  Good Grief, Charlie Brown why did we leave?  Well, other than the fact that we couldn't afford to live there, we couldn't afford to live there.  Two good reasons.  You win this one, Chuck.

There were so many great things about this trip.  (Big and small.)  You know when you've wanted something for so long and when you finally got it, you were a little disappointed.  Yeah, we've all experienced that.  But this long awaited dream did NOT disappoint.  NYC lived up to all my expectations.  And I can't wait to go back.  A new blender wouldn't be a disappointment to me either (just sayin').  What?

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

A Cupcake of a Muffin

These cupcakes muffins are totes amazing!  Totes!   Sorry, I gave away the ending.  But that's good.  Now you can head over to Baked Sunday Mornings to get the recipe, and get making these muffins!  Seriously!!

Candy Bar Cookies

Hide and Seek Cookies

This week's recipe is for a cookie.  And rather than a drop cookie or a rolled cookie or pressed cookie (umm I think we get the idea)...well this is a cookie with a surprise in the middle.  It's a surprise and nothing will get that secret out of me.  Nothing.

It's a mini chocolate treat inside the cookie!!  Shut the front door!

 Life is good my baking friends...life is good.  This really cuts down on having to decide whether to have a chocolate treat or a cookie.  Just kidding...there's no or in that situation!

Chocolate-Chunk Pumpkin Bread Pudding

Pumpkin Eater

Bread pudding!!  Yes, please!  I love bread pudding!  (And exclamation points!)  Oh dear, I can't stop!  So excited!  Let's get started!
Hold the phone.  I have to make bread for the bread pudding?  What the?  I thought I'd just have to get a loaf of bread.  Well this changes everything.  Yes, everything.  (If everything is this recipe.)  In my day, we made bread pudding with a loaf of day old bread.  Sorry, I just had a birthday and I think I may have hit the 'I remember when' age.  Why we used to have to walk a mile uphill to get a loaf of bread.  Sorry...again.  Let's get started for real now.

Crunchy Peanut Butter Banana Bread

Banana Bread Gone Wild

How could I say no to this?!  Peanut butter, bananas oh and there are chocolate chips in it too.  OH SNAP!  Oh snap indeed, dear sir.

I didn't get to make last week's recipe, Chocolate Banana Tart, so I've got the bananas on hand.  Actually, I had enough for that recipe (had I made it) and a couple of loaves of this bread. (And the rest of the bananas were going in the freezer.)  I got a huge bag of ripe bananas last week at the grocery store.  I hate not having ripe bananas in the freezer (as one never knows when a banana bread craving will strike).

This recipe couldn't have been easier.  Well, it probably could have been.  But I think when no mixers are involved, it is pretty darn easy.  (Whoa, watch the language there, Missy.)
When I read the recipe, my mind was kinda blown.  Peanut butter in my banana bread?  Chocolate chips are one thing, but peanut butter?  Oh sure, I've eaten peanut butter and banana sandwiches in my yout.(That's youth for anyone not familiar with the movie My Cousin Vinnie.)  But in my banana bread??  Mind blown.

Chewy Chocolate Mint Cookies with Chocolate Chunks

Oh Chocolate, My Chocolate

Cookies!  Woot, woot!  I haven't made cookies in like...forever...forever...forever! (I thought.)  But I figured I should perhaps take a look and see just how long it has been.  Yeah, I looked back and saw this blog from June 15.  Two months can seem like a long time, especially when cookies are involved (and chocolate).



These cookies sound good.  Real good.  I'm unsure about the mint; I've never baked with mint extract. (That could of course be a lie, since I was sure I hadn't baked cookies in, and I quote, 'forever...forever...forever'.)

Vanilla Bean Malt Cake

Tiny Dancer Bundt

Deep relaxing breath.  Now let’s begin. 

I’m trying to be all cool about baking.  It has been a little while since I’ve baked.  (Not as long a stint as the last time I had a long break.  But still long enough to make me feel anxious.)  Of course the anxiety might be from the fact that I tried making buttermilk pancakes last weekend and failed (not miserably, just noticeably.  What?)  It was a bit surprising, as I’ve made this recipe so many times, I’ve lost count.  But apparently following directions (which I have been noted to have issues with in the past) caught up with me.  Yada-yada-yada-pancakes weren’t very good.

I’m going to slowly get all the ingredients together for this simple bundt cake.  Thank the baking gods it isn’t a layer cake this week.  I would totally flop at that right now.   

But a bundt...oh I’m all over a bundt.  (Unless it doesn’t turn out…and then I’m totally going to blame the person/cat standing closest to me.)  Probably be one of the Wonder Twins. They don’t care!

Easy Candy Bar Tart

Project Free 100 1 Days

I wasn’t sure if I was going to make this week’s recipe.  I wasn’t sure if I’d have time, what with all my projects. (Please note:  I’m not a project person.) I know my friends are finding it hard to believe, what with this…

And this….

And this….

Okay, so I’ve heard we all become our parents at some point.  And I accepted that (because I knew that was never going to happen to me).  Ha, suckers! 

Yeah…it would appear I’ve become my mother.  I’ve got so many projects (and worse, ideas for other projects) on the go.   And I go to garage sales and flea markets and consignment shops looking for items I can transform.  WTF!  This is getting out of hand!  Seriously!  I’m either in a Dallas dream sequence (Bobby and JR Ewing style) or I’m having a mental breakdown.  I can accept those two things easier than I can accept that I’m becoming a project person.

You know, I’m not someone to play games, but today let’s play the ‘Blame Game’.  I’m still totally blaming my friend Lisa from Lisa Mounteer Photography.  She’s the one that introduced me to Chalk paint and Annie Sloan and Malenka Originals.  I blame her, but I’ll still share my baked goods. 

It’s true though, should anyone ask you,  I’m not a project person!!  Denial is first step.  What???!!!  I’m not in denial!  You’re in denial!  (I showed that little voice in my head!  Winning!)

Anyhoo…<Awkward tension is now filling the room.  And because I’m the only one in the room, it has more room to expand.>  I think I need a timeout.

 

Maybe I should just head to the kitchen and bake now.  Not that there is much baking involved with this week's recipe.  It looks pretty easy...and has 'easy' in the title.  Sweet!

Banana Whoopie Pies

Making Whoopie

 

Yep, you read right.  I'm making whoopie.  And I'm doing it in the kitchen.  <wink>  I even bought bananas.  Kinky.

So yeah, I bought bananas.  They were already kinda sorta ripe...but not ripe enough for whoopie.  Okay, I feel I need to clear some things up.  I'm making Banana Whoopie Pies.  Whoopie!!  

Fast forward five days:  My bananas got a little too ripe.(Scary ripe.)  So ripe, that I'm a little afraid to touch them.  Say a prayer for me.
Time to go shopping for more bananas...again.  Whoopie will be delayed. So much for spontaneity.

I've been reviewing blogs that talk about making whoopie.

  Stop it!  Whoopie pies.  I've been looking at blogs about making whoopie pies (mostly).  And a common complaint seems to be the problem of the cake part being sticky on top.  I guess kind of like the top of a cake, when it comes out of the oven.  So I have an idea.  I'm going to use a whoopie pie pan.  Mmm Hmm, there's a pan for that.  And I bought it!

It's shake and bake and I helped.  Umm no, it's a whoopie pie pan.

Turtle Thumbprint Cookies

{Baked} Element{s}ary Dear Watson

These cookies sound really good and cute and super nutty.  Not nutty in a 'wow that Sandra is nuts, and it's not too late to call in the men in white', more like a 'wow there are three cups of pecans in this recipe'.  Now that we've cleared that up, let's get baking!

Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy (also known as the softening of butter).

Actually, I've just taken out the 2 sticks of butter needed for this recipe, there will be a slight delay until they soften.   <cue the elevator music>  No, not the muzak!  Okay, then cue the music from the Nutcracker.  (It will be like I'm on hold with IT, at work.) Hmm...I think the music is only in my head.

Poppy Seed Pound Cake with Brown Butter Glaze

Baked in the Saddle again

hi.

i'm back.
it has been over a month (more like two).
it has felt longer.
i'm anxious.

i feel a bit hesitant to get back to baking.
i feel a bit hesitant to get back to blogging.
it has been over a month (more like two).
it has felt longer.
i'm anxious.

i'm afraid my (blogging) voice has gone into hiding.
i'm afraid my baking skills might be hanging out with my (blogging) voice.
it has been over a month (more like two).
it has felt longer.
i'm anxious.

Drama Queen says whaaaat?  Good gravy, just get your butt in the kitchen and get back on that saddle.

Hmpf!  Fine!

Okay, I'm just going to jump into this.  Less thinking; more doing.  And I can do this.  I love baking!  Oh and I really love poppy seeds.  I think a little pick me up from Stuart might help.

 Breathe in.  Breathe out.  Bake on.

TWD-Potato Lefse

These sound and look very interesting.  I have never heard of them, but they look like a flat bread.  Scratch that, the recipe calls them Crêpes.  Fancy!  I imagine the potato will make them nice and tender. 

First step to making these, is to boil potatoes.  I can totally do that.  Next step, is to use a potato ricer to mush them up.  I can do that too.  (Yep, I've got a ricer.)  And then the potatoes get mixed up with some cream, butter, sugar and salt.  Done and done.  Lastly, the bowl of potatoes need to sit in the fridge for at least 8 hours or overnight (uncovered).  I was only 5 hours in when I realized they should be uncovered.  Woot-woot!  Yes, I'm calling that a win (for me).
So I guess I'm going to let them sit overnight now.  Or not.  I'm really curious impatient to try this recipe!  The video for making them is here.  I think I need to watch it again. (Just to keep me from starting the recipe before the potatoes are ready.)

Potatoes are ready to be mixed with the flour.

 I'd say it looks like a regular ball of dough (to say it is just flour and the potato mixture).  Interesting.

Smaller balls of the dough are ready to get rolled out.  And as per the instructions, lots of flour is required.
I have floured up a dish towel and then rolled the little dough balls into the flour.  I think I have floured the whole kitchen to be honest.  There was much flouring going on.  (Me thinks too much.)

The lefse gets rolled super thin. (I just used my wooden rolling pin.)  They're so thin, I can see the stripes of the towel through it.  Eeek!  I feel so brave (and crazy).  Now I have to try and lift it! 

I didn't have any fancy lefse tools.  I just used a wooden spatula.  And it seemed to work great.

And it was very easy to actually lift the lefse as well. Yep, I'm pretty darn pleased right now.











The lefse gets placed on a hot griddle.












And after a minute, air bubbles form (a sign this is baking).  Yay, it's working!!

And flip.  Nice!











As this is a long process of rolling and baking.  The baked lefses get put on a clean towel and covered with plastic wrap until all are finished baking.

I think the usual filling for these is butter and sugar.  I did try that, with a little bit of cinnamon as well.
But for these ones, I used melted milk chocolate.







And unlike a crepe, these are rolled (almost like a tortilla) and hand held to be eaten.  Interesting.










Of course I couldn't make these without making them into a lefse suzette.  This is the way to do it! And as a bonus, I didn't light the kitchen on fire while lighting up the grand marnier.  Winner, winner, Lefse dinner!

Yum!

Peanut Butter Whirligigs

Roll, Hot Knife, Bake

Peanut Butter Whirligigs?  Well with a name like that, they've gotta be good!  The peanut butter and the chocolate don't hurt either!  Yep, there is chocolate in these cookies.  Yum!

Now when I saw this recipe, I just assumed that the chocolate being used would be milk chocolate.  I made the Peanut Butter cookies from the Baked New Frontiers book and they were made with milk chocolate (and were incredible).  In fact, they are my favourite peanut butter cookie to date.  The milk chocolate combined beautifully with the peanut butter.  You can find the recipe on this blog.  So yeah, a little surprised that it is dark chocolate being used in this recipe.  I want to use milk chocolate instead. Nay, I will use milk chocolate.  To the batmobile kitchen!

Crème Brûlée with Caramelized Brown Sugar

 Easy Peasy Fancy Pants Dessert

This recipe sounds very fancy pants indeed.  Crème brûlée
But is it not essentially just pudding?  Pudding with some sugar on top.  Sugar that you get to torch.  Yes, fire is involved.  And I will be the one holding a lit torch to this dessert.  <Insert power crazy maniacal laugh here.>  No worries, there is a fire extinguisher in the kitchen.  Hubbie will be on standby (and standing close).  He will also be the one lighting the torch for me.  I'm a scaredy cat.

There really isn't much to do for this recipe.  Therefore, this post is going to be short and sweet.  Yes, yes, just like me.  (Don't let the lit torch in my hand scare you away...unless I'm also laughing maniacally...and the drapes are on fire...and the cats are looking at me in a 'oh I knew this day was coming' sort of way...and the hubbie is calling 911.)  Sorry, what were we talking about?

Easy Peasy.  There are only 6 ingredients in total.

TWD-Buttermilk Scones

Today's recipe seems real easy. Granted, I did need to watch the video because I wasn't sure about a rolled scone.  Seriously, I have never heard of a rolled scone.  I thought scones were either dropped or cut into a triangle.  See, always learning something here at Tuesdays with Dorie.

I love Scones!  There I said it.  Whew, that's a relief to finally share this.  Wait, it's acceptable to like scones in this day and age?  I didn't just come out of the pantry with this bold statement? Fine.  Pass me a scone...and don't skimp on the butter!
I made some super awesome scones here, a while back.  They were crazy good. I also made nutella scones. (Totally decadent.)

I had thought about making these scones with whole wheat flour.  (Because of this pic below: Please note, this graphic scene may be hard for some bakers to see...you've been warned.)

Yep, I was out of flour.  Gasp.  And for a whole week!  I know, I know...there are no words.  Just thinking back on it, makes me shudder.  There was a palpable sense of horror in the kitchen all week.  (I swear.)  And I breathed a sigh of relief, once I set a bag of flour in our shopping cart this week.  (Hubbie thinks I have a problem.)  Not a problem now!  I gots me some flour!!

Banana in a Blanket-Rogue Style

 Coffee Talk

Psst.  Wanna go for a ride?  Where we goin'?  We're going back, way back...in the waybac machine.

Yes, I'm going rogue this week.  Instead of making Banana in a Blanket, I've decided to make something else.  I made a rolled cake here not so long ago.  And as much as I enjoy saying 'Banana in a Blanket' (which I do, a lot), I'm still going rogue.  Mash up in my head, The Police song, 'Message in a Bottle' with the words, Banana in a Blanket.  
'I hope that someone gets my...I hope that someone gets my...Banana in a Blanket'. 
 You're welcome (and now I won't be the only one with this stuck in my head).  Can you believe it, I've got the perfect song for the post, and I'm still going rogue.  The devil you say!

Lime Angel Food Cake with Lime Glaze

When Angels get Baked

This is my second angel food cake making experience.  Surprisingly, both turned out.  (Well that's a post spoiler...why even go on from here.)
Why?  Well, it's Angel Food Cake and when angels get baked(*), good things happen.  Wait, that sounds wrong.  This is a Baked Recipe, so I think that sentence is okay.  But in my mind, I see angels getting high...smoking the weed...or like the kids say, smoking the ganja.  They say that, right?  

Ingredients for the cake.   Check.

Dry ingredients get sifted...not once...not twice...but three times.
No, I'm not going to start singing 'Once twice three times a lady'. No!  Damn it!  It's in my head now.  Oh Lionel, why you wanna mess with me?  I fear a catalog of Lionel's songs are going to be going through my head now.





Let's just leave the sifted ingredients for now.  Sifting seems to be stirring sifting up some old songs.

TWD-Onion Bialys

Bread and Mummy

Today's recipe is Onion Bialys.  Yeah, I had no idea what it was either.  Apparently a bialys is like a bagel.  The main difference though, is that the bialys is just baked (no boiling involved).  Guess I should have made bagels as well, to really see the difference.  But that would involve me being brave enough to try to make bagels.  (I missed making bagels last year.)

The beginning of the recipe starts here. (Not gonna lie, that sentence was/is lame.)  Oh sure, I could just remove the sentence, but I don't want me to feel insecure about my writing.
So, this is the beginning.

Bale Bars

Bar None

Psst.  How 'bout a quickie?  Yeah? 


Okay, follow me!

TWD-Vanilla Chiffon Roll

Before I even thought about starting this recipe, I looked for the PBS video of Julia and contributing baker, Mary Bergin, making this roll.  I always like watching the contributing bakers make the recipe, so I can understand the recipe better.  Occasionally (which sounds better than 'a lot of times'), I find the recipes in this book a bit hard to understand.  Watching the video generally (which sounds better than 'sometimes') clears up any confusion incurred during reading of said recipe.  Here is the link for the video.

This really is a beautiful cake.  I am a little intimidated with the process of rolling the chiffon cake (without cracking it).  But I'll worry about that later.  (Just  kidding, I will continue to worry until I actually get to the rolling stage.)

Set your phasers to worry.

Simple Chocolate Whiskey Tart with Whiskey Whipped Cream

Kick (s)Tart My Heart

Okay, let's just cut to the chase with this post.  This tart is redonk!  Redonkulously good that is!  I thought it was good the day I made it...but then I put it in the fridge overnight and 'Bam' this tart got way better.  The chocolate filling got way more intense in flavour.  The flavour of the crust even went up a notch (the salt becoming more pronounced).

I am shocked at how good this tart was.  (Just in case that first paragraph didn't read clear.)  And even more shocking, was just how easy this tart was to make.  Thank  you to my taste testers at work.  I was convinced to make it again this weekend for a dinner with friends.

Follow me along this journey to tarty goodness.

The crust is made with shortbread cookies, butter, sugar and salt.  And just like a superstitious baseball player, I wore the same underwear I wore the first day I made it bought the same shortbread cookies for the second coming making of this tart.

The cookies just need to be smooshed up finely in the processor. 

That's some fine smooshing.

Next, the butter, sugar and salt get mixed into the cookie crumbs.  Yep, a 1/2 tsp of salt.  Not much really, but it is one of the flavours that shines through and brings out the flavour of the chocolate.










I didn't have a 9 inch springform pan, so I used my 9 inch tart pan.
                                                                

This crust (before it goes in the oven) needs to sit in the freezer for 5 minutes.  I did that the first time I made it. (That's all I'm saying.)

I've assembled the ingredients for the tart filling.  Both milk chocolate and bittersweet chocolate are used.  And true to the name of the tart, whiskey makes an appearance.  Can I get a woot, woot!

The milk and the cream were heated and then the chocolate gets melted into it.

Once this mixture cools, the eggs, flour and whiskey get whisked in.

Whisking in progress.

Once completely whisked, the filling...well the filling does what it is named for...it fills...and in this case, it fills the shortbread crust.  Then, this tart is baked for 25 minutes.

Fresh from the oven.  Air bubbles and all.  Dang.  Even my second tart had bubbles (and I banged it before I put it in the oven).  Baking Tip: Tapping the pan on the counter before baking is supposed to get rid of the air bubbles.  So when you're working in a kitchen and someone walks by your work station and says 'I'd tap that'...you can assume they see air bubbles in your tart.





Our first tasting of this tart, was about an hour or so after it was baked. (So room temperature.)  The Baked Note indicates there is a debate about the best way to serve this tart (room temperature or directly from the refrigerator).  I thought it was very good at room temperature.  And then the next day, I took it to work and had my testers sample it (straight from the refrigerator) and everyone loved it.  I did save two little pieces at home (to test on hubbie and I).  And I gotta say, straight from the fridge is the winner.  The filling became denser.  The salt in the crust was more pronounced which brought out more of the chocolate flavour. (Yes, I said all this in the first paragraph...but love makes you do and say things you never thought you'd say once, let alone twice.)  Yep, I fell for a tart.  Interestingly, that was going to be the title of this post, 'I fell for a tart'.  But then hubbie came up with a play on words, for this song title 'Kick Start my Heart'.  Clever hubbie...I think I'll keep him!

Oh and I didn't even mention the whipped cream!  See, I'm delirious...in my love of this tart!  The whipped cream is made with whiskey too. (Yep, the name of the recipe didn't lie.)
And finally, a little cocoa powder gets sifted over the top of the whipped cream.

So head over to Baked Sunday Mornings to see how the rest of the gang liked this tart, and to get the recipe.