The Tale of Making Crepes

It's been a little over 2 months since I last posted and SO much has happened since then. I finally graduated from pastry school AND I got my first, full time job as a Baker at Belterra Park.  Life has been so dandy lately it's not even funny.  Summer is sneaking up on us (except today is 50 degrees and rainy).  Today I felt inspired.  I can't even pinpoint what exactly I was inspired to do, so I did a little bit of everything I enjoy doing.  I was off from work today and I had ZERO plans for today.  I woke up, took a shower, and hit the road with no plans really.  I headed out to Florence and I decided I would like to go to the Antique Mall.  So that's exactly what I did.  I swung by Starbucks out there (drive-thru, holla!), grabbed myself a (SKINNY!) Hazelnut Macchiato and headed to the Antique Mall.  It was seriously perfect. I got there right when they opened, no one was there, and I was able to mosey on down each aisle at my own pace and look at everything.  They also had classic rock playing on the radio which made the trip just that much more enjoyable.  Every time I saw something I liked I jotted down which booth it was in, and then when I finished going throughout the entire mall, I grabbed a basket and went back to reevaluate if I REALLY needed it. Some stuff I REALLY needed :D.  I bought 3 dessert plates to match the 4 I already had, a scalloped milk glass bowl, a retro ice bucket, and a retro "napkin holder".  I don't know if it's really a napkin holder, but we use to have one in our kitchen when I was growing up and it was pink.  I had to buy this green one for old time's sake.  All in all the shopping experience was exactly what I needed on a day like today.  When I came home I started making the crepes.  Now, I have to say, I don't understand why people don't cook dinner every night.  Sure, we all enjoy a meal out at a restaurant every now again, but to us, to my family, that's a treat.  As a family, it's a rarity if we go out to dinner at a restaurant once a year.  I guess we just genuinely enjoy cooking in the kitchen and eating as a family. Call us crazy!!! But seriously, don't you people like to know where your food is coming from??? It took me a little over an hour to make the crepes, caramel sauce, and whipped cream.  That's the same amount of time it would take to go out and order dinner and to eat it. It might take you even a little longer because you MIGHT make conversation with whomever you are with, but then again, you might just sit across the table from them and sign into every social media website there is and not look up from your phone. I made dinner tonight for $5.00/per person....and we ate so well! I made plain crepes with nutella filling, a fresh fruit compote, caramel sauce, honey whipped cream, and toasted hazelnuts.

Ingredients:
For the crepes:
1 1/2 Cups Milk
4 Tablespoons Melted Butter
3 Large Egg Yolks
1 1/2 Cup Flour - sifted
1 tablespoon Vanilla
2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 Teaspoon Salt

For the caramel sauce:
2/3 cup cugar
1/3 cup water
2/3 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon vanilla

For the fruit compote:
6 oz raspberries
6 oz blackberries
12 oz blueberries
1 pint strawberries

For the whipped cream:
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/4 heavy whipping cream 

Directions:
For the crepes:
-Mix all dry ingredients together. Set aside. Mix all wet ingredients together. Whisk wet ingredients into dry ingredients.
-Oil a pan and heat on stove top. When heated, pour 1/4 cup of the batter and swirl around until base of pan is coated. Let it cook until the bottom in light brown.  Flip in pan, and cook the other side.  Slide it out of the pan onto a clean surface. Repeat.
-Once the batter is all gone, spread nutella on one side of the crepe and roll up.

For the caramel sauce:
-Put sugar and water in a small saucepan on medium heat. Bring to a boil and cook until amber color. Remove from heat.
-Stir in heavy cream, vanilla, and salt.  Be careful because the heavy cream will splash.

For the fruit compote:
-Combine all fruit into a medium size pan, over low heat.  I added a splash of water and a couple tablespoons of sugar.  I heated the fruit up just to soften the fruit.

For the whipped cream:
-Whip the cream, honey, and powdered sugar on high until soft peaks form.  Be careful not to over whip. 

For the toasted hazelnuts:
-Place a cup of hazelnuts into a large pan over medium heat and heat until golden brown.

Blood Orange Pound Cake with Blood Orange Sauce

Well, well, well, look who hasn't posted in quite some time! I promise I've been baking! I have at least 3 other desserts I want to blog about! Life's been crazy. Ok, no it hasn't, but that's my excuse. Life update: I graduate from Pastry School in a month and a half! Ahhhh!!!!! Now THAT is crazy! I've been in school my entire life. And now that I've found something that I enjoy learning every day, I don't want to leave school. I want to keep learning forever, by the best chefs! Dang it! Also, only 22 days until Opening Day!!! Literally cannot wait to go to Reds games this summer and drink a nice cold pop....and by pop I mean Budweiser. But until then, you should try this Blood Orange cake recipe! :)

Ingredients:

For the cake:

1 1/4 cup butter

3 eggs

2 1/4 cups of flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup milk

5 teaspoons blood orange zest

2 tablespoons blood orange juice

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

For the sauce:

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup blood orange juice

1-2 tablespoon of cornstarch- until thickens

Directions:
For the cake:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside. 

-In a medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. 
-In a small bowl combine milk, orange zest, and 2 tablespoons orange juice. Set bowls aside.

-In a large mixing bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. 
-Add granulated sugar, beating until combined. 
-Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. 
-Stir in vanilla. 
-Alternately add flour mixture and milk mixture to butter mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined. 

-Pour batter into the prepared pan, spreading evenly. 
-Bake about 45 minutes  
-Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.  

For the sauce:
-Place juice, powdered sugar, and corn starch in a small saucepan and bring to a boil to cook out the corn stach taste.

*Pour warm sauce over cake and enjoy!

Peanut Butter and Nutella Mousse...or something like that.

"And something like that" comes from me not really knowing what to call this concoction. I woke up today knowing I wanted to make something, but I didn't know what. I attempted to make macaroons but something went horribly wrong so I wanted to whip something up really quick in replace of them. I knew I wanted something peanut butter so this is what I got.

Ingredients:

8 oz cream cheese (1 block)

1 cup of Peanut Butter

1/2 cup of Nutella

1/2 cup of powdered sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla 

4 oz of cool whip

Directions:

-Cream the cream cheese until soft.

-Once soft, cream in the peanut butter and the Nutella.

-Add the powdered sugar and vanilla.

-Fold in the cool whip.

-Pour into parfait glasses.

-Serves 5.

Banana Bread!

It's been quite some time since I've last blogged, but I promise you I have been baking....especially throughout the holidays. Oh boy! I've been busy with work and school. Can you believe it!? I graduate this spring! I feel like I was just blogging yesterday about how I was going to pastry school, and here I am, 2 years later, getting ready to graduate! I am so so so excited! Except I kinda wish I could just be in pastry school forever. I learn so much all the time....also....I don't want to enter the real world and not have summer break. Wah. Such is life. Let's not think about it. Moving on....this banana bread recipe comes from a Jan Koran, the author, and I have to give a shoutout to my cousin, Krissy, for making this banana bread recipe and bringing it to our Grandma one day. I loved the bread so I asked Krissy for the recipe.  I LOVE it!

Ingredients:

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 1/4 cup sugar

2 eggs - beaten

3 bananas - very ripe (black)

1 1/2 cup flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/3 cup buttermilk

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 loaf pan.

-Cream sugar and oil in mixer.

-Beat in eggs and add bananas

-Sift together the dry ingredients 

-Alternately add the dry ingredients with the buttermilk, ending with the buttermilk.

-Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 55 minutes.

Chocolate Fudgey Brownies!

Why have I never blogged a brownie recipe until now? Sinful. This and chocolate chip cookies are like a staple of survival. We're having Sunday Family Dinner tonight and I knew I wanted to bake something for dessert, but I was not about to make myself accepting looking for society, and I knew I had all the ingredients for brownies, so I made these! They are SO stinkin' good. So fudgey and gooey and good. And it's a brownie recipe so it only takes like 7 seconds to make! Dinner, which is roast beef with rainbow carrots and loaded mashed potatoes made by Phillip, is about to be set on the table, so I'm going to hurry up and post the recipe and go be a glutton. Ugh. I wish I didn't know I was being a glutton. Forgive me Lord, I know not what I do. Or do I? ....I'm 100% hungry. Goodbye.

Ingredients:
-1/2 cup butter - room temperature
-1 cup granulated sugar
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-2 eggs
-1/2 cup all purpose flour
-1/2 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-2 cups chocolate chunks

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x9 baking dish.

-Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla in a stand mixer bowl. Add the eggs one at a
time, mixing well between each addition.

-Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture. Mix in the baking soda.

-Mix in the chocolate chunks with a wooden spoon or spatula.

-Once the batter forms (it will be thick), scrape it into the prepared dish and spread evenly.

-Bake for 25 minutes, until brownies begin to pull away from the side of the pan.

Pumpkin & Maple Bread w/ Streusel Topping!

I didn't have the slightest clue it has almost been 4 months since my last post! Yikes! Where does time go? Life is silly sometimes (Ok, most of the time....ok, ALL the time).  I have a lot of questions that are sometime left unanswered. Like what is cured ham being cured from? And why do ducks float? Why ducks, though? Why not pigs or raccoons or a polar bear? Wouldn't it be so cute to see a pig float on water? I'll answer that for you, yes, it would be adorable. I also wonder what it would be like to be a rabbit, but I could go on for days talking about that. You may be wondering why I'm talking about the life of animals, and I'll just tell you I have no idea why I think these things. I always think everyone thinks these things, but I'm just the one who makes it public. Haha. Anyways, today is a beautiful Fall day, and I decided to make this (Grandma says it's "sheer delight!"):

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup pumpkin puree
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil

2 tbsp flour
2 tbsp granulated sugar
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled
1/4 cup pecans, chopped



Directions:

-Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
-Butter a 9 inch loaf pan- set aside
-Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and pumpkin pie spice in a small bowl.
-In a larger bowl mix the pumpkin puree, sugar, maple syrup, egg and oil. Add the dry ingredients and blend until it's just combined.
-In a small bowl whisk together the flour, sugar and pumpkin pie spice then cut in the butter with a pastry blender or two knives until it resembles pea sized chunks. Toss it with the chopped pecans.
-Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan and smooth out the top with a spatula. Sprinkle the streusel evenly over the top.
-Bake it for 30 – 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let it cool in the pan for about 5 – 10 minutes before lifting it out to cool completely on a wire rack.

-Enjoy!

Tiramisu!

As I sit here and contemplate about just how great life is, there's only one thing, maybe two things, I could complain about.  Before I complain, I would like to just say how great it feels to have 3 days off from work in a row! Woo! And the weather is great! Double-woo!  Now....about buying a new phone. Holy. Cow. My poor phone went ca-puts this evening at approximately 6:32 pm. It was a sad day.  I watched my phone go from 100% battery, to its' last breath...0% battery. And that was that.  So what did I get to do? I got to take my dad to the phone store.  And Phillip.  My boys!!.....Have you ever been inside a phone store? It's like willingly stepping inside hell for 3o minutes.  Literally. Ok, not literally, but ONLY because there wasn't flames....that I know of.  But oh my gosh....can't a gal just buy a darn phone? Shoot. I don't want a data plan. I don't want to pay insurance. I don't want to spin around 10 times and do a magic trick. I just want to go inside and purchase a phone. But no. It doesn't work like that. What I want would consist of me buying a phone, buy a data plan, cancel that data plan, and pay $100 in cancellation fees. Like, holy cow....no.  I'll find a way to just buy a phone. Some day. Some day. Also, some day I dream of a better world when chickens can cross the road without having their motives questioned. That is all. Here is my tiramisu recipe.

Ingredients:

-6 egg yolks
-3 tablespoons sugar
-1 pound mascarpone cheese
-1 1/2 cups strong espresso, cooled
-2 teaspoons dark rum
-24 packaged ladyfingers
-1/2 cup bittersweet chocolate shavings, for garnish

Directions:

-In a large bowl, using an electric mixer with whisk attachment, beat egg yolks and sugar until thick and pale, about 5 minutes. Add mascarpone cheese and beat until smooth. Add 1 tablespoon of espresso and mix until thoroughly combined.

-In a small dish, add remaining espresso and rum. Dip each ladyfinger into espresso for only 5 seconds. Letting the ladyfingers soak too long will cause them to fall apart. Place the soaked ladyfinger on the bottom of a 13 by 9 inch baking dish, breaking them in half if necessary in order to fit the bottom.

-Spread evenly 1/2 of the mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers. Arrange another layer of soaked ladyfingers and top with remaining mascarpone mixture.

-Cover tiramisu with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, up to 8 hours.

-Before serving, sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

**I used a trifle bowl for this tiramisu that is pictured, just layer the same way...use your brain.**

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake with a Brownie Crust.

Mama said she wanted something chocolate for her birthday, so I made her something chocolate.  This cheesecake is so rich and creamy that it could easily serve 15 people.  It's to die for though.  I would like to rant about Mother Nature for 2 seconds.....WHAT IS UP WITH THIS RAINY DREARY WEATHER? oh my gosh. I'm not tan. I've been to the pool maybe like 7 times this summer. It's already July 5th. Not ok. I haven't been able to use my Hawaiian Tropic tanning lotion. Sad times. Sad, sad times.  However, as long as no one else gets to go to the pool, then I guess it's bearable.  Not really though.  I couldn't begin to tell you the last time I've seen the sunshine, and I just took a look at the 10 day forecast, and there isn't any sun on the forecast for the next 10 days. What is this? Winter? Shoot.

Ingredients:
Brownie Layer:
6 tablespoons melted butter
1-1/4 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt

Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Layer:
3 packages cream cheese - softened
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups (12 ounce package) Hershey's Special Dark Chocolate Chips - divided

Directions:
-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9-inch springform pan.

-For Brownie Layer, stir together melted butter, 1-1/4 cups sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Add 2 eggs; stir until blended. Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt; blend well. Spread in prepared pan. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until brownie layer pulls away from sides of pan.

-For Dark Chocolate Cheesecake Layer, beat cream cheese and 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed in large bowl until smooth. Gradually beat in 4 eggs, heavy cream, 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/4 teaspoon salt until well blended.

-Set aside 2 tablespoons chocolate chips. Place remaining chips in large microwave-safe bowl. Microwave chocolate, stopping at 30 second increments to stir until smooth. Gradually blend melted chocolate into cheesecake batter.

-Remove Brownie Layer from oven and immediately spoon cheesecake mixture over brownie. Return to oven; continue baking 45 to 50 minutes or until center is almost set. Remove from oven to wire rack. With knife, loosen cake from side of pan. Cool to room temperature. Remove side of pan.

6. Place remaining 2 tablespoons chocolate chips in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at Medium 30 seconds or until chips are melted and smooth when stirred. Drizzle over top of cheesecake. Cover; refrigerate several hours until cold. Garnish as desired. Cover and refrigerate leftover cheesecake.

The tale of making 400 cupcakes.

Once upon a time I was asked to bake 400 cupcakes for a friends wedding.  I can't pass up a challenge.  I knew it was going to be a challenge from the start, but boy, am I SO glad I did it!  From how much ingredients to buy, to how much to charge, to where I'm going to bake 400 cupcakes, ALSO where was I going to store 400 cupcakes once they were all iced, or how was I going to display 400 cupcakes.  These are the things that I had to take into consideration when I had 5 weeks to plan.  For 5 weeks, this house lived, breathed, and ate cake and icing.  First things first was I had to come up with an idea and a design on how I was going to display a good amount of the 400 cupcakes.  My mom and I googled for hours and shopped around Lowe's for inspiration.  We finally found 3 20" glass table tops for $6.00 and my loving father found 3 $1.00 fancy bowls.  We decided to stack the glass table tops of top of the bowls and put a flameless candle underneath each bowl.  It turned out so pretty, better than I ever thought it would!  Then comes the baking of the cupcakes.  First round of baking cupcakes was the chocolate and vanilla cupcakes.  My mom and brother helped and we made a huge dent in what needed to be baked.  Unfortunately, Phillips first turn up to the Kitchen Aid got him fired from the job because he turned the mixer on full blast at the very start.  BATTER WENT EVERYWHERE. When I say everywhere, I mean, EVERYWHERE. So he was fired.  By the end of that night we had 24 dozen cupcakes baked.  The second night I had to make 12 dozen red velvet cupcakes.  My mom and I went over to my sister's house and we took over her house for an evening.  So in only 2 nights I was able to bake 400 cupcakes.  That was certainly a weight lifted off my shoulders.  All I had to do now was to bake a cake and icing the cupcakes and figure out where I was going to store 400 iced cupcakes.  The wedding is on a Friday so Thursday rolls around and my best friend Allie comes over and and my mom helps me out and we set up 3 tables in the family room, and once I again, my cupcakes take over.  Allie is in the kitchen slaving away making about 15 batches of cream cheese icing.  While she is doing that, I'm in the family room icing the cupcakes.  About 10:00 pm rolls around and I finally iced the last 400th cupcake! High fives all around!! Luckily, it was very chilly that night so you know what we did?  We packaged all the cupcakes up in their boxes, opened up the doors and windows in the family room, and the family room served as our innovative refrigeration system.  Don't be alarmed, I did have a back up plan for an actual refrigerator, but this way they were able to all stay in my house, and this was less travel time for when I needed to deliver them the next day.  Friday morning at 9:00, my mom, dad, and myself travel over to Independence to set up my display, all goes smoothly.  Mind you, this entire week I was desperately sleep deprived.  After setting up, I come home and decorate the wedding cake that they were having for the cutting of the cake.  Then, 5:00 rolls around and Aunt Trinett, my mom, and myself travel back over to Independence in Aunt Trinett's van that is lacking backseats.  That is where myself and the 400 cupcakes and cake resided for this 20 minute car ride.  I just sat back there and talked to the cupcakes and encouraged them to stay strong and not topple over or commit suicide.  After a long 20 minutes, we finally made the last turn into the parking lot and everything went smoothly. I know, I know, you were hoping for a traumatic ending to that, but alas, the 3 Musketeers did it again!  We unload the cupcakes and start displaying them out on the cupcake table.  That took only about an hour/hour and half.  To celebrate a successful day, we ordered pizza and drank wine!  Then 10:00 pm rolls around and I go back to the hall for a 3rd time that day to collect all my things and out of the 400 cupcakes, there were only about 50 or so left and the night was still going strong! WOW! I thought they were going to have cupcakes coming out of their ears.  I was so glad to get some great feedback that night and the following couple days.  What an experience it was.  I couldn't had done it without my dad, my mom, my brother, sister, brother-in-law, Allie, and Aunt Trinett and Uncle Don.  I seriously could not.  I am so blessed. For this being my first wedding, let alone a HUGE wedding, I must say, it was very successful. 

  

And this was the tale of making 400 cupcakes. 
And no one killed anyone in the process. 
And we all certainly lived happily ever after.

The end.

Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Mascarpone Whipped Cream Frosting!

Being a 21 year old, self proclaimed baker is overwhelming.  I work, I go to school, I hang out with family, I hang out with friends, I bake on the side, I booze on the side, because, well, let's be honest, it may be the booze talking, but I love booze. In fact, I might even bake with booze.  And when I say might bake with booze, I mean I do bake with booze.  Anyways, I do all those things all while trying to make a business of my own.  With the help of my happy little family (happy happy happy), we're trying to make my dreams come true.  So far, so good.  Keep the business coming! As for today, I'm off, on a SUNDAY.  That rarely happens.  So as a family we take advantage of it, and we have a feast for dinner.  I am contributing this fabulous cake.

Ingredients:
For the cake-
-1 cup flour
-1/4 cup cocoa powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking powder
-1/4 teaspoon baking soda
-1/4 salt
-100 grams butter - softened
-3/4 cup brown sugar
-1 whole egg
-1 egg yolk
-75 grams dark chocolate
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/2 cup milk

For the frosting-
-250 grams mascarpone cheese
-1/3 cup cocoa powder
-1/3 cup powdered sugar
-1 cup heavy cream

*Fresh berries*

Directions:
For the cake-
-Heat oven to 350 degrees.
-Butter and flower two, 8 inch cake pans.
-Mix flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
-Whip the butter and brown sugar in a mixer until light and fluffy.
-Add egg, egg yolk, melted chocolate, and vanilla until smooth.
-Alternately, add flour mixture and milk ending with flour mixture.
-Divide batter evenly between the two pans.
-Bake 20-23 minutes.

For the frosting-
-Whip mascarpone, cocoa and powdered sugar until creamy.
-Add heavy cream and whip on high to light and fluffy peaks.

**I actually ended up doubling the frosting ingredients from what I have above because I wanted to frosting oozing out the middle and lots on the top :)

Cream Cheese Frosting!

My life is nonstop these days.  And the last thing I want to deal with are moped drivers on the interstate. What? Pretty sure that's illegal, and if it isn't, it sure as heck should be because this hoodlum was all over the place and like screaming at cars.  He had horrible balance and was about to fall sideways on his cool, lime green moped.  And to top it off, he didn't even know where he was because once we got to the end of 471 to 27, he asked the car next to him where 275 was!!! AHHH! I hate you.  Hate's a strong word, and you know what.....I hate you dude.  Now that rant is over. It is now, FINALLY, March....and it's still cold. However March is filled with Basketball, beer, and apparently great cream cheese frosting.  If you are like me, and somewhat despise buttercream frosting, cream cheese frosting is the way to go.  It's less "fakey" tasting.  A lot of buttercream recipes call for Crisco, and personally, I think that is disgusting.  There's other recipes that call for just butter, but it's still pretty gross.  Literally, I don't think this recipe could be any easier to do. Also, it has a wonderful, thick consistency and it stays put! 

Ingredients:
-1.5 blocks of cream cheese
-1 stick of butter
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
-2 lbs powdered sugar

Directions:
-Cream the cream cheese and butter until very smooth.
-Add the vanilla.
-Gradually add in the powdered sugar until all is incorporated and smooth.

-Add food gel coloring as desired.

Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake.

I am so thrilled with how this cheesecake turned out! I was somewhat winging it when I added my homemade raspberry puree, and I wasn't sure if it was going to mess with the chocolate consistency. So on Thursday night I had a trial run, and needless to say, it was a success. The family gobbled it down before I could say "Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake."  Today I made 2 more of these bad boys, and am selling them to a friend for his dad's birthday.  I call Grandma out to come look at the finished product and I thought she passed out in the doorway from pure excitement.  She said, "Now who are these for???" (hoping they were for her.) I told her who they were for and she said, "Wow! He sure is a lucky boy! And so is his daddy!".....I could make a dessert out of garbage and I know I can count on Grandma giving me an A+! She's a doll like that. 

Ingredients:

-1 1/2 cups chocolate wafer crumbs
-1 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar
-3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
-2 1/2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese - softened
-1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1 vanilla bean - seeds scraped from inside of pod
-3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
-3 eggs
-1 cup sour cream
-8 ounces melted semisweet chocolate - cooled slightly
-6 ounces raspberry puree
-Fresh raspberries - for garnish

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees F if using a silver springform pan (or 325 degrees F if using a dark nonstick springform pan).

-Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring-form pan.

-In a mixing bowl, combine the chocolate wafer crumbs, 3 tablespoons of the sugar, and the butter and mix well. Press onto the bottom of springform pan and set aside.

-In a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer, combine cream cheese, remaining cup of sugar, vanilla extract and vanilla bean seeds and beat until light and creamy.
 

-Add the flour to the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth.
 

-Add the melted chocolate and sour cream and mix well.
 

-Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition until just blended.
 

-Pour the batter into prepared pan and bake for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes, until the center is almost set.
 

-Run a sharp knife around the rim of the pan and allow cake to cool on a wire rack before removing rim of pan.
 

-Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight before serving.

***Cheesecake may be made up to 2 days in advance before serving and will keep for up to 1 week in the refrigerator.***

I'm backkkk with Salted Caramel Mousse & Chocolate Trifle

Long time, no see! I know, I know....it's been forever since I have last blogged.  I've been so busy with school and work these days! Growing up is for the birds!  However, I did start my paid co-op with Kroger's pastry department.  Just so you know, there is a bakery AND a pastry department and the pastry department makes everything from scratch, aside from a couple things from Servatii's (boo, overrated).  We make everything from chocolate ganache cakes, to lemon tarts, to death by chocolates, to New York cheesecakes.  We have it all.  I'm getting a lot of experience working there.  However, I'm also getting a lot of experience with working with the public, as well. .....I kid you not, yesterday some man came up to me as I was sampling out some desserts and started yelling and complaining to me about how Kroger and Target both have Starbucks in the front of their store, and "I work in the medical field (.......congrats?) and nothing turns my stomach more than the smell of coffee.  I've gone to corporate before to tell them to move the Starbucks to the back of the store."  Ok.....WHAT do I even say to that? Yeah, sir, you are so entitled to everything in life.  And the cherry on top of this story was once I was finished listening to his rant about Starbucks making his stomach sick, he asked me what I was sampling out, and it was Tiramisu......awkward.  But again, it's funny how some strangers can make your day miserable and then 10 minutes later this sweet, little old man, had to be at least 85, came up to me and was telling me about how he got diagnosed with bone marrow cancer a year ago and that they were able to catch it in time and he said to me, "That Big Guy upstairs is really watching out for me and you and loves us. ....And I love him back!" So, even though I have a bunch of whacks jobs from the insane asylum come into work sometimes, there's always those few that remind you of the important things in life.

 

Ingredients:
Trifle Ingredients:
-Twix bars (I used 3 packages) - chopped
-1 1/2 cups of chocolate fudge sauce - storebought
-4 cups Whipped cream (homemade or storebought)
-Salted caramel mousse (recipe below)

Salted Caramel Mousse Ingredients:
-1/3 cup sugar
-3 tablespoons water
-1/3 cup heavy cream
-1 teaspoon vanilla extract
-1/4 teaspoon sea salt (or more, to taste)
-4 oz. Cream Cheese
-1 cup powdered sugar

Directions:

To Make Salted Caramel Mousse:

-Briefly stir together granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan.

-bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
-Continue cooking, without stirring, until mixture turns dark amber in color, about 6 minutes. (Keep an eye on it, though, because it goes from clear to amber very quickly!)

-Remove from heat and slowly add in cream (just start with a tablespoon or two), stirring with a wooden spoon until completely smooth. (Be careful, as the mixture will definitely bubble up and possibly splatter as you add in the cream.) 

-Stir in vanilla and salt. 

-Set aside until it reaches room temperature, or refrigerate to speed up the process.

-In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat cream cheese on medium-high speed for 1 minute until very smooth.
-Add in the room-temperature caramel and powdered sugar, and beat on medium-low speed until combined.
-If the mousse is too thick, add in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream.
-Then increase speed to medium-high and beat for another 2 minutes until light and fluffy.

-Fold in 3 cups of whipped cream into the caramel mixture. (1 cup of plain whipped cream remains for garnish). ---This is the caramel mousse.

To Make Trifle:

-In a trifle bowl, add a layer of the chopped Twix bars. Then use a pastry bag (or a Ziplock bag with the corner tip cut out) to pipe in a layer of caramel mousse. Even out with the back of a spoon.
-Then do the same with a layer of chocolate fudge sauce. (I heated my sauce just a tad to make it easy to pour, but make sure it is back to room temperature before pouring on top of the mousse)
-Then repeat!
-Finish off with a layer of plain whipped cream, and top with the remaining Twix bars.

Sick of pumpkin yet?...Never!

This picture pretty much sums my thoughts up exactly.

Pumpkin...what a wonderful gourd it is!  I once saw a girl with the name "Punkin" (not a typo), how very fortunate of a name. Cute. I'm sure she's going real far in life, too....with a name like that, how could you not?  I think by the end of November, I will be so sick of pumpkin that it will be time to smoothly transistion into Christmas goodies.....great for everyone's figures.  I read it somewhere if you eat chocolate fudge 25 out of the 31 days in December that you are guaranteed to lose 9 pounds. I also read somewhere not to believe everything you read. Also, I am known to make stats up. 65% of stats are made up. Anyways, one stat I know that is true is if you are to make this pumpkin roll, you will 100% enjoy it. Like how I did that? Smooth criminal.

Ingredients:
For the roll
1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2/3 cup Pure Pumpkin


For the filling 
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese - at room temperature 
1 cup powdered sugar - sifted
6 tablespoons butter - softened
1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
For the roll
-Preheat oven to 375°F.
-Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.
-Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture.
-Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.
-Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched.
-Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end.
-Cool on wire rack (About an hour and 15 minutes)

For the filling
-Beat cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth.
-Carefully unroll cake.
-Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake.
-Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if you wish!

**Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.**

Pumpkin Pound Cake with Maple Buttermilk Glaze.

I haven't blogged in a few weeks. Wah.  Halloween is in 2 days so I'll treat you all to a joke. Why did the ghost go to the bar?.....to get some BOOze. Thank you, thank you.  School has been keeping me busy with midterms and such as for the past couple weeks.  Tonight I have my cake decorating midterm. Wish me luck! I'm working on sending out my resume's for co-oping...that's always exciting. Wooooo.  I'm also working on figuring out my classes for next semester which is exciting to see everything come together....kinda.  I have no motivation to go out in this cold and windy weather so I will be sure to pack my hot tea and be on my way to class tonight. As far as this pound cake goes....delicious.  Made it yesterday afternoon while momma's chili was simmering away on the stove. Great combo. Try it sometime. .....I will also be doing my blog for my pumpkin roll in the very near future!

Ingredients: For the cake:
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour 
1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin 
3/4 cup sugar 
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar 
1/2 cup butter - softened 
4 large eggs 
1 teaspoon vanill
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1/2 teaspoon baking soda 
1/2 teaspoon salt 
3/4 cup fat-free buttermilk

For the glaze: 
1/3 cup fat-free buttermilk 
1/4 cup sugar 
2 tablespoons butter 
2 teaspoons cornstarch 
1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350°.

-Lightly coat a 10-inch tube pan with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.
-Spread pumpkin over 2 layers of paper towels; cover with 2 another layer of paper towels. -Let stand about 10 minutes. Scrape drained pumpkin into a bowl.

-Place 3/4 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes or until well blended.
-Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
-Beat in pumpkin and vanilla.
-Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk. -Add flour mixture and 3/4 cup buttermilk alternately to sugar mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.

-Spoon batter into prepared pan.
-Bake at 350° for 55 minutes.
-Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack.
-Remove from pan, and cool completely on wire rack.

-To prepare glaze, combine 1/3 cup buttermilk and remaining ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil.
-Cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly; remove from heat. Drizzle cake with glaze.

Soft Pumpkin Cookies

First off, if anyone has a deep love for accounting, come on over and do my homework for me. Thanks.
This past week I had my midterm in my baking class.  We had to make soft roll dough by ourselves.  Chef was nowhere to be found while we all were in the kitchen making the bread....ironic.  My mind is so scatterbrained right now, so I don't really have anything of importance to say.  As opposed to me ever having anything important to say..... I've had 2 cups of hot tea already today trying to stay warm. It's not working.  However, these pumpkin cookies I baked yesterday go great with a warm cup of tea! Just sayin'.  
.........but really....this accounting book that is looking at me right now as I type this....it's all yours to the first person who says they love it.

Ingredients:
For the cookie-1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup unsalted butter - softened
2 cups sugar
2 cups canned pumpkin 2 eggs
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups all-purpose flour

For the cream cheese icing-
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese - softened
2 tablespoons butter - softened
4 cups confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons milk

Directions:
For the cookies:
-Cream shortening, butter, white sugar and pumpkin.
-Add eggs and mix well.
-Sift together the baking soda, ground cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, nutmeg, salt and flour. -Add to pumpkin mixture and mix well.
-Drop from spoon to cookie sheet.
**make sure the spoonful is a pretty big spoon full**
-Bake 13-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

For the icing:
-Mix the cream cheese with the butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract, and milk in a bowl.
-Heat in a microwave for 15 seconds.
-Drizzle spoonfuls over the cooled cookies and smooth with the back of a spoon or a spatula.

Autumn Temptation: Apple & Creamcheese Cake

Apples upon apples in this house thanks to my sister, Sam, who went to the orchard last weekend.  As described by Grandma, yep, you guessed it, "DE-licious!".  I would just like to give you all an update about my dislike of haunted houses from last post.  So, last night (Friday), I was at Brother's in Newport, and there was a group of guys for a Bachelor party there from out of town, and they told me and my friend Frannie that they were going to USS Nightmare over the hill on the river. They asked about it, and I quickly told them NOT to go there and they would hate their lives if they did. So of course, they asked me where they should go then, so I pointed them to The Banks over in downtown....not the haunted house. They listened. .....but I'm also thinking their first problem was that they were going to a haunted house for a bachelor party. Oh, sounds wild..............

Ingredients:
Cream Cheese Filling
1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese - softened 
1/4 cup butter - softened 
1/2 cup sugar 
1 large egg 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cake Batter
3 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup sugar
1 cup light brown sugar - packed
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 
3 large eggs - lightly beaten 
 3/4 cup canola oil
3/4 cup applesauce 
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups peeled and finely chopped Gala apples

Praline Frosting
1/2 cup light brown sugar - packed
1/4 cup butter 
3 tablespoons milk 
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup powdered sugar
 
Directions:
Prepare Filling:
-Beat first 3 ingredients at medium speed with an electric mixer until blended and smooth. -Add egg, flour, and vanilla; beat just until blended.

Prepare Batter:
-Preheat oven to 350º.
-Stir together 3 cups flour and next 7 ingredients in a large bowl; stir in eggs and next 3 ingredients, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened.
-Stir in apples.
-Spoon two-thirds of apple mixture into a greased and floured 14-cup Bundt pan.
-Spoon Cream Cheese Filling over apple mixture, leaving a 1-inch border around edges of pan. Swirl filling through apple mixture using a paring knife.
-Spoon remaining apple mixture over Cream Cheese Filling.
-Bake at 350º for 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a long wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.
-Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes; remove from pan to wire rack, and cool completely (about 2 hours)

Prepare Frosting:
-Bring 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 3 Tbsp. milk to a boil in a 2-qt. saucepan over medium heat, whisking constantly; boil 1 minute, whisking constantly.
-Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
-Gradually whisk in powdered sugar until smooth; stir gently 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture begins to cool and thickens slightly.
-Pour immediately over cooled cake.

It's that time...Apple Pie.

So it's that time of the year again. Summer has come and gone, and I'm sitting here in long pants again.  Have you ever noticed everything is never as it seems?  Fall for instance.  We think fall is like the greatest time of our lives "hoodies, bonfires, pumpkin patches, haunted houses, and hayrides" when in fact, when you put on a hoodie, I'm willing to bet you don't think twice about it or dwell about how fantastic your day just got because you put on a hoodie. And bonfires, sure they're great, if done properly, but 9 times out of 10 it's windy and the smoke is blowing straight into your eyes, or the guy building the fire who thinks he knows how to do it and claims he was a boy scout, can't get the fire even to spark. And haunted houses?  No. Don't even go there with me.  Because they aren't even scary, and you stand in line longer than you're actually in the "haunted house". So needless to say, fall is only good for apple pies......apples straight from the orchard, mind you. And I would take my lovely summer weather, and summer tanning, over a rainy, 65 degree fall day. Enjoy this apple pie recipe......it's simple as pie! Oh wait..... 

 

Ingredients:
1 refrigerated pie crust (from 15-ounce package)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 4 medium)
1 teaspoon sugar

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 425°F.
-Prepare crust as directed on package.
-Place on foil-lined 12-inch pizza pan.
-Brush crust with about 1/2 of the beaten egg white.

-Mix 3/4 cup sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon in medium bowl. Toss with apples.
-Spoon into center of crust, spreading to within 2 inches of edges.
-Fold 2-inch edge of crust up over apples, pleating or folding crust as needed.
-Brush crust with remaining egg white; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sugar.

-Bake 20 minutes or until apples are tender.

Enjoy!

Lemon Lime Sugar Cookie Truffles! Yeehaw!

Talk about being late on this blog.  I made these back in Vietnam.  And when I say Vietnam, I really mean back in May.  My bff Frannie had the picture on her laptop, and I never got around to getting it off her laptop until the other day.  As I sit here on my last day of summer vacation, drinking on my strawberry & banana smoothie I just whipped up for my post work out snack, looking back on this summer, it was a helluva lot of fun. Helluva. I said it, Mom. Helluva!!  I can't even think of 1 thing that was bad about this summer, except that it is ending. I could literally cry myself a river right now thinking about it.  *Cue the music*  As for right now, I am a bit distracted with my dad and the dog running around in circles in the family room screaming.
Sarah- "Dad, can you be quiet? I'm blogging."
Dad- "Blogging? What does that mean?"
*sigh* Dads these days.

Ingredients:
-1 batch of sugar cookie dough (I used a store-bought mix...I know...so sacrilegious!)
-zest and juice of 1 large lemon
-zest and juice of 1 large lime
-1 1/2 blocks cream cheese (12 ounces) at room temperature
-1 package white chocolate candy coating
-colored sprinkles or coarse sugar, for garnish

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
-Prepare the cookie dough as directed on package or recipe
-Add in the zest and juice of the lemon and lime and mix well.
-Spread the cookie dough in a greased 9×9 baking dish and bake for 30-40 minutes, or until cookies are fully baked.
-Cool completely.

-When cookies are cooled, using your hands, remove from the dish and crumble into the bowl of a stand mixer or food processor (small chunks are fine).
-Add in the cream cheese and mix until the cookie crumbs and cream cheese are completely mixed together.
-Roll into 1-1 1/2 inch balls and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

-When the balls are thoroughly chilled, melt the white chocolate candy coating in the microwave, or over a double boiler.
-Carefully dip each ball into the white chocolate and turn to coat.
-Remove with a tooth pick and set on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.
-Top with sprinkles. 
-Repeat until all the balls are coated. Store in the refrigerator.

**These are a delicious summertime treat and if you use the appropriate amount of lemon and lime juice and zest, it is the perfect combo and not too overwhelming, like some lemon/lime recipes tend to turn out! Enjoy! :)

Meltaways....exactly that.

You know those Busken Bakery tea cookies with the dollop of colored icing on top? Yeah, well these are those.....but on steroids and better!  Yes, I just compared myself to Busken Bakery, and yes I said I was better. Trying to stay humble, but I am just too fabulous to do so.  Mind you, these were very simple to make and called for very few ingredients.  And like myself, you'll probably have to go to the store and buy a new jar of cornstarch because the recipe calls for 3/4 cup of cornstarch. WHAT?! Normally a recipe called for like 1 teaspoon. Shoot. Anyways, I'm keeping this short and sweet. Enjoy these bad boys!
                                              
Ingredients:
For the cookie: 

1 cup butter 

3/4 cup cornstarch

3/4 cup powdered sugar

1 cup flour

1 teaspoon vanilla
 

For the frosting: 

3oz. cream cheese - softened 

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:
For the cookie: 
-In a medium bowl, cream butter until fluffy.  
-Add cornstarch & sugar and blend well.  
-Beat in flour until thoroughly mixed.  
-Drop by small teaspoons onto baking sheet & flatten out with the bottom of a class. (Dip glass in powdered sugar to prevent sticking).  
-Bake at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.  

For the frosting:
-Mix all ingredients together.  Color with food coloring if desired.