Dozen Flours

Boss Hog Cake

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 00:54:00 +0000

Last Tuesday night I took a chance and responded to a "cake wanted" ad on Craigslist. Michelle was planning a surprise pig-themed party for her husband who was graduating from the Police Academy and was looking for someone to make a cake for the big event.
Having never made a cake for someone I didn't know before, I wasn't sure if I'd have a chance at scoring the gig but decided I would try anyway. When I wrote to Michelle I explained that I wasn't a professional baker, just someone who loved to bake and included a link to my blog. Within about a half hour she wrote me back and said the job was mine. Woo hoo!Michelle's had two requirements: the cake had to convey a pig/police theme and it had to be chocolate. Her exactly words were: "Derek LOVES chocolate. His ideal dessert is chocolate cake with chocolate sprinkles, with chocolate ice cream, with brownies, drizzled with chocolate syrup, with a side of whip cream." So chocolate is what she got! I decided to go out and made a chocolate espresso cake filled with bittersweet chocolate ganache and frosted with chocolate Italian meringue buttercream. I'm not a big chocolate fan but I have to say that the buttercream was dreamy and it was super decadent. And although it was chocolaty, it wasn’t too over the top. It's definitely a keeper! I've always found ganache to be a tricky medium with which to fill a cake. This is because to achieve a substantial layer of it, you have to get the temperature just right. If it's too warm it will literally drip right off the cake and if it's too cool it will solidify to the point where it's not spreadable. So what to do? I found that if I spread a thin layer of ganache on the cake and gave it a moment to set, I could easily add another layer without worrying about it dripping. I did this three of four times until I got the nice thick layer of ganche. I'm sure there must be a better way to this, but this is what worked best for me.I wasn't sure what to use to cover the cake. At first I thought about using fondant or even Oreo crumbs but knew the flavors would detract from the sincere chocolate goodness the rest of the cake boasted. So instead I decided to repurpose the leftover cake crumbs to coat the outside of the cake. As I carved the donut shape out of the cake, I saved all the crumbs and pieces I could and then frozen them briefly to firm up. I then ran the crumbs through a food processor in small batches and lightly pressed handfuls of the crumbs into the cake's surface (Tip: When I did this, I placed the cake on a large cooling rack over the sink. This made clean-up a lot easier!) My only gripe was that I was running a bit low on crumbs. If I had about 2 more cups, I would have had a more even texture. Overall though I was very pleased with the outcome.

Chocolate Espresso Cake
adapted from Elisa Strauss

2 2/3 cups (12 ounces) All-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, best quality you can find (I prefer Droste)
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup full fat sour cream, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
10 ounces espresso coffee, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the bottoms and sides of the pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition.

Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.

Gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly
combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. For 9-inch cake pans, bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; for cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched. For this specific cake, I used the entire recipe to make one layer of cake in a 14" pan and baked it for 25 minutes.

Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes. Once the cake is cool, release it from its pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the cake over onto another pan or cake board and peel away the layer of parchment.

Chocolate Ganache

8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 cup heavy cream

Place the chocolate into a large stainless steel bowl and set aside.

Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking often. Just when the cream starts to come to a boil, pour it over the chopped chocolate and let it sit for 3 minutes.

Whisk it until it is smooth and no lumps appear.
(I doubled this recipe for this specific cake)

Chocolate Italian Meringue Buttercream
Adapted from Collette Peters

5 large eggs white, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tarter
3/4 + 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup water
1 pound or 4 sticks unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1 tablespoon pieces
1/2 cup melted bittersweet chocolate, cooled

Combine 3/4 cup sugar and the water in a small saucepan and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Slowly heat the mixture, stirring constantly, until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to low and insert a candy thermometer. Do not continue to stir.

Using a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites in a large mixing bowl on medium speed until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat at high speed until soft peaks form.

Gradually add the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Meanwhile, boil the sugar mixture until it reaches 248-250 degrees. DO NOT LET THE TEMPERATURE EXCEED 250 DEGREES F!

Remove from the heat and immediately pour the hot sugar into a glass measuring cup to stop it from cooking.

Turn your mixer on low speed and slowly pour a little of the hot sugar into the bowl. Slowly add the remaining sugar. Beat on high speed for minutes, then reduce to low until the mixture is cool (you should be able to place your hands on the sides of the mixer bowl and not feel a substantial amount of heat). This should take about 3 minutes. Add the cooled (do not add hot melted chocolate as it will ruin your buttercream!) melted chocolate a few tablespoons at a time and whip on high for 30 seconds or so until it's combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.

Spread on the cake immediately or store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Yield: 4 1/2 cups of buttercream

This little guy was about 4 inches high and made out of Rice Krispy Treats and gum paste. I used a 14 inch cake pan to make the cake, it was about 6 inches tall and it weighed 37lbs!

October Spice Cake

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 08:00:00 +0000

Today is my birthday! And just like every birthday for the last six years, I made a dessert to share with my friends and family. I know it's odd and might even seem a little self-aggrandizing, but it's something I really look forward to doing every year.

The last three or four birthdays I've made cookies, but this year I thought I would make something a little different. This is actually the third time I've made this recipe in the last few weeks. As it bakes, it fills the entire house with the quintessential aroma of autumn. Wisps of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and cardamom gently fill the kitchen and then slowly pervade the rest of the house like creeping ivy. Even after the cake is long gone, the scent of it baking in the oven will linger for a day or two.

The roasted pecans give the cake a wonderful crunch and add just the right amount of texture to this dense little cake. And the cream cheese frosting? Well, cardamom is my favorite spice when it comes to baking and I just love the way the two work together. The unexpected floral notes of the cardamom warm up the tartness of the cream cheese and make the frosting something special. There's a bit of cinnamon in there too just to balance everything and to keep the cardamom from being too overwhelming.

As for turning 35? I’m not sad! So far my thirties have been pretty darn amazing. I wonder what this year has in store!

October Spice Cake
adapted from Gourmet

Cake
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (I use Trader Joe's) or you can use 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of cardamom, and 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves)
1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups plain, unsweetened applesauce - I love Santa Cruz brand (shake/mix the container of applesauce prior to measuring) Tip: I found the Trader Joe's brand to be too bland and would not recommend using it this recipe.
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Cardamom-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
5 oz cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
3/5 teaspoon ground cardamom

Cake
Preheat oven to 350F with rack in middle. Butter a 9-inch square cake pan and set aside. While the oven is preheating, spread an even layer of chopped pecans into an oven proof pan (I use a stainless steel frying pan) and place into the oven. When the oven reaches 350F, set a timer for 3 minutes. Remove the pan and allow the nuts to cool while you prepare the cake. Don't turn off the oven.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.

Beat butter, brown sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until pale and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in applesauce (it will curdle, but don't worry). At low speed, mix in flour mixture until just combined, then stir in the pecans (if using).

Spread batter evenly in pan and bake until golden-brown and a wooden pick inserted into center comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan 15 minutes. Run a knife around edge of cake to loosen, then invert onto a plate. Re-invert cake onto a rack to cool completely.

Cardamom-Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Beat cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy. Sift confectioners sugar and cinnamon over cream cheese mixture, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.

Spread frosting over top of cooled cake.

Yield:One recipe makes about 9 to 16 servings. I have also made this recipe using a 9"x13" pan with great success, just make a recipe and a half.
Would I Make This Again? Yes, this is one of those go-to recipes now.

Vanilla Giveaway Winner

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:05:00 +0000

Congratulations Di for winning my Singing Dog Vanilla giveaway! Lucky duck!

Buster Brown Cupcakes with Delicious Frosting and a Giveaway!

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:00:00 +0000

I'm back from my Grand Canyon rafting trip and can honestly say I had the best time of my life. I learned to camp, row a river raft, and a lot about myself. I even rowed a class 3 rapid! It was a lot of work being on the river, but the simplicity that came from letting go of modern life and truly relaxing made the experience just extraordinary. It didn't hurt that the Canyon is just so incredibly beautiful either. There's so many stories, so many things I want to tell you all about, but I'll save that for another post when I have the photos organized and ready to share. Until then, let's get to back to business, shall we? On to the cupcakes!

A few weeks before I left for my trip I received an email from a reader, Jennie, asking me if I had ever heard of Buster Brown Cake. She didn't provide a recipe so I hopped onto Google and found one on Midwest Living Magazine's website. I wasn't super impressed at first because it looked like just another brown sugar butter cake, but the frosting piqued my curiosity. It starts with making a roux like substance out of milk and flour that is slowly brought to a boil and let sit in the fridge for two hours. I wondered what a frosting made with flour would taste like? Would its texture be thick and pasty? I wasn't able to read the article that accompanied the recipe, so I know nothing of its origin; but my guess is that it is probably linked to the Buster Brown comic strip that was popular during the early 1900s. Maybe it was the winning recipe for a contest? Whatever the impetus was, this recipe is a keeper! I loved the tender crumb of the cake and its lovely butterscotchy-caramel flavor. And the frosting, wow! It lived up to its namesake because it really was delicious. I mean really, really good! It has the most wonderful creamy texture that was light and had the perfect amount of sweetness. And as an added bonus it was very stable and held its shape.

The day after I received the email from the reader about the Buster Brown cake, I was contacted by Jennifer from Singing Dog Vanilla. She had graciously offered to send me a sample of their organic pure vanilla extract. What perfect timing! I have to say that I was just blown away by this vanilla and I've tried a lot of vanilla extracts over the years. There's no added sugar or fructose - just water, organic alcohol, and organic vanilla beans so you're left with a very true vanilla flavor. Jennifer was kind enough to offer one of my lucky readers their choice of organic vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste, vanilla beans, organic ground cinnamon, or cinnamon sticks. How cool is that?! Considering how good their vanilla is, I can't wait to try their cinnamon.

To enter for your chance to win you must leave me a comment below (no email please), and provide a link to your blog or some means of reaching you. If you don’t provide a way for me to contact you, you can’t win! Contest is only open to those that live in the United States (my apologies to my foreign readers!) All entries must be received by midnight Friday, October 16th. A winner will be selected at random and announced on Monday, October 19th.

Thank you to everyone for who wished me well on my trip and for being patient while I have gotten back into the swing of modern life. It took a good two weeks to adjust! I promise to get back to posting more regularly too. I have a backlog of recipes just waiting to be posted - everything from homemade bread to a new cheesecake recipe that will make you weep it looks so darned good. :)

Buster Brown Cupcakes with Delicious Frosting
adapted from Midwest Living Magazine

Cupcakes
2 cups all-purpose unbleached flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/2 cup shortening (not butter flavored)
2 cups packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg yolks, at room temperature
1 cup buttermilk (low or full fat), at room temperature
2 egg whites, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F. Line a muffin pan with 18 cupcake liners and set the pan aside.

In a medium bowl stir together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl beat shortening with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add brown sugar and vanilla; beat for 2 minutes. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, beating for 1 minute each. Alternately add flour mixture and buttermilk to shortening mixture, beating on low speed after each addition just until combined.

In a medium mixing bowl beat egg whites with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form (tips stand straight). Gently fold egg whites into the beaten mixture. Fill each cupcake liner a little more than half-full.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean (if a few crumbs stick to the toothpick, it's ok). Let the cupcakes sit in the pan for 5 minutes before cooling thoroughly on wire racks.

Delicious Frosting
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup unbleached all purpose flour
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 cup of white sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla
1/4 teaspoon of salt

In a screw-top jar, shake milk and flour until well combined. Place milk mixture in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly - it will take several minutes. It will eventually get really thick and look a little like a thick paste. Like this:Reduce heat; continue to cook and stir for 2 minutes more - be careful not to scorch it! Remove from heat. Transfer cooked mixture to a small bowl (preferably metal). Cover surface with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until thoroughly chilled. It will look thick, like this:
In a large mixing bowl beat butter, sugar, salt and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed for 5 minutes. Add the chilled milk and flour mixture, 1/4 at a time, beating on medium speed after each addition until smooth. Let it sit in the fridge for about 20 minutes to thicken. Makes about 3 1/4 cups frosting.

When the cupcakes are completely cooled, frost each cupcake with a generous amount of frosting and enjoy!

Yield: 18 +/- cupcakes and about 31/4 cups of frosting

The Grand Canyon is Calling...

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 07:05:00 +0000

Guess what my dear readers? I'm off on a big adventure! I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

This Friday afternoon I depart for Flagstaff, Arizona to go white water rafting through the Grand Canyon for 14 days (my trip officially starts on the 13th). I'll be covering 225 miles of the Colorado River from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek. I'm going with a group of 11 other rafters, the majority of which are river guides, so I'll be in really good company. Now I should mention that I've never rafted nor camped a day in my life but I thought it was high time that I experienced both. I guess I'm a "jump into the deep end" kind of gal!

It's really a trip of a lifetime and I'm beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to go. But don't fret! I'll be back before you know it and have lots of great stories and photos to share. Be well everyone! I'll miss you!

Namita's Piano & Guitar Cupcakes

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 16:52:00 +0000

Namit's turned 11 and celebrated with piano and guitar themed birthday party. She was very clear that she didn't want anything too girly and definitely no pink! When her mom Sonie, my coworker, gave me free range to come up with something on my own the first thing I thought of was using the designs that I had seen a Flight of the Conchords poster that was designed by Dan Kuhlken & Nathan Goldman of DKNG studio for HBO. It was kismet!

The amplifiers, speakers, guitars, pianos, and other musical equipment were made from gum paste that I dried out completely over the course of a week. I then hand painted each decoration using liquid food coloring that was mixed with vodka and left to dry for two days.

Click here to see a larger view the slideshow

teensy-weensy turnovers

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 00:03:00 +0000

Aren't these darling? Kids of all ages can't help but fall head-over-heals in love with these little guys - they are just so adorable! And if cuteness wasn't enough, they are a breeze to make, relatively inexpensive, and you don't have to have any special equipment to make them. Wouldn't these would be a fun little project for the wee-ones to make the next time you have a rainy Saturday and nothing fun to do?

I got inspired to make them after reading about the Pie Pops that swept the web a few weeks ago. I went home to make them only to find that I only had four lollipop sticks left in my supplies. So, instead of making pie on a stick (which is really pretty ingenious), I made turnovers.

I made mine with apple pie and blueberry pie filling, but really the sky's the limit. You could use jam, nut butter, fresh fruit, even a few chocolate chips, or sweetened cream cheese. What would be your filling of choice?

Teensy-Weensy Turnovers
Turnovers
1 package (2 sheets) of refrigerated pie crust (or make your favorite recipe) - at room temperature
A few tablespoons of the pie filling of your choice
1 egg white, whipped with a fork until frothy

Glaze
4 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Milk (enough to be thin)

Few tablespoons of cinnamon sugar (optional)

1. Preheat the oven to 375F. Flour your counter with a little all-purpose flour. Unfurl the pie dough and cut as many 2-inch circles that you can. You can use a round cutter or fluted and if you don't have a cookie cutter, use a plastic lid or a glass to cut the dough. Using a fork, gently prick the top-center of the dough to make vent holes.

Repeat process with the remaining scrap dough (you'll need to roll it out first before cutting). I found that after you roll out the dough scraps, the dough doesn't bake up as evenly. It's still very good, it just doesn't look as pretty. Just for fun, try making little gallettes with your left over dough.

2. Directly below the holes, in the bottom-center of the circle of dough, place about 1/4-1/2 teaspoonful of your pie filling - seriously, it's a tiny amount. Be careful not to overfill or it will cause your turnover to burst open and make it difficult to close.

Using your finger or a Q-tip, very lightly, moisten the edge of the pie with just a teeny-tiny amount of water. If you can see water, then you've used too much -- you just want to make it tacky. Use a paper towel to blot the excess water (or pie filling) away if necessary.

3. Fold the top of the pastry up and over the filling so that the edges of the dough line up and press down slightly to make sure that it sealed.

4. Now -- you can stop here if you want, but for that extra special crimped look, slowly "stamp" the edges of the little turn over using a lollipop stick or even a toothpick. I think this is what makes it look very "turnover-y".

With a clean pastry brush, brush the entire surface of the pastry with the whipped egg white. This will make them look shiny and golden brown when they come out of the oven. Transfer to ungreased cookie sheets (I baked mine on Silpat mats). Bake in the center of the oven for 9-12 minutes or until golden. Remove to wire racks to cool.

To make the glaze, combine powdered sugar, vanilla, and enough milk for it to be thin enough to drizzle. Use a fork to drizzle the glaze over each turnover. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar if desired. Let dry completely. Store in an air tight container.

Yield: About 24-30 or so cookies
Would I Make This Again? Yes, although next time I'd like to try making them with puff pastry instead.

PeanUtOh Butter Fudge

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 22:12:00 +0000

I was dead set on making this fudge before I went to bed. Why? Well, because I'm a hard-headed dork, of course. Actually there's really no good reason. I wanted to make this in spite of the fact that I only had about four hours sleep AND got up at 5:30am to workout AND made dinner AND cleaned a good portion of the house (I even scrubbed a large swath of my kitchen floor on my hands and knees!) By 11 o'clock I was one tired chick and should have gone to bed; but no, the fudge insisted on being made so I stayed up.
The recipe, which had received many favorable reviews, clearly instructed me to cook the caramel-colored goo to a temperature of to 234F, which I did like a good recipe follower. Except that in my bleary-eyed stupor, I cooked (er, boiled) the sugar, salt, butter, and milk concoction on much too high of a heat and scorched the base of my fudge.I just knew that the bottom of the saucepan was coated in a slick tar-like substance -- and boy was it! It was so burnt and so hot that I could hear the steel making really odd cracking noises. It actually burnt my cutting board! Afraid that it might be too hot to sit in the sink, I resorted to tossing it out in the back yard to let it cool off in the cool night air.

I should have just called it a "fail" and threw out the goo but no, I decided to see if I could salvage it. Instead of adding the peanut butter and marshmallow creme to the saucepan like the directions said to, I decided to pour the fudge into a stainless steel bowl first and then add the other ingredients. Ever the optimist, I stirred in the peanut butter and marshmallow creme, poured it into prepared baking dish, and let it cool on my counter overnight.
What resulted was both odd and kind of wonderful. Another thirty seconds and it would have tasted downright bitter and burnt but instead it had the most blissfully burnt marshmallow flavor followed by a subtle hint of peanut butter. The texture was smooth and creamy and not grainy at all. I brought it into work and the brave souls that tried some were both pleased and perplexed by its peculiar smoky flavor. One friend suggested serving it with chocolate and graham crackers and another brought it home to try it with her favorite petite sirah!
To duplicate this recipe exactly as I did might be close to impossible and probably unsafe too. I almost didn't post this recipe because I felt like it was a bit of a tease going on and on about how yummy it was. However, I think the texture of the fudge was so good that even if you just made the fudge correctly, it would be worth making! And if you're dead-set on experiencing the combination of slightly burnt marshmallow and peanut butter together I have what I think is a good plan B: scatter a handful or two of mini-marshmallows on the top of the fudge after you've poured it into the pan and then broil it briefly until the they turn slightly golden brown. You won't have as good a story to tell, but your saucepan and cutting board will be grateful. ;)

Peanutoh Butter Fudge
adapted by Allrecipes.com

4 cups (28 ounces) white sugar
1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk (full fat)
1 cup unsalted butter
1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup creamy or crunchy peanut butter, not all natural (I used Jif)
1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
1-2 cups of mini marshmallows (optional)

Butter a 9x13 inch baking dish, a 3 quart saucepan, and a large stainless steel bowl. Set aside.

For normal peanut butter fudge: Add the sugar, salt, evaporated milk, and 1 cup butter to the saucepan and heat on medium heat. Mix the ingredients together until the butter is melted and it starts to boil a bit then stop stirring. Heat to between 234 and 240F. This will take a while -- maybe as long as 20-25 minutes. Be patient.

Remove from heat, pour into a stainless steel bowl. Do not scrape the sides or bottom of the saucepan. Working somewhat quickly, stir in peanut butter and marshmallow creme very carefully (the mixture will be very, very hot!) When the peanut butter and marshmallow cream has melted and it's fully incorporated, pour it into prepared baking dish. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Optional: Scatter mini-marshmallows over the surface (as heavy or light as you see fit) and press them down slightly so they stick to the fudge. Turn on your broiler and with your oven door open, put the pan into the oven and watch it very carefully until the mini marshmallows turn golden brown. Remove from the oven. Let cool completely before cutting into squares.

Store covered at room temperature or in the refrigerator.

Yield: Lots and lots of fudge! At least 40+ good sized pieces.
Would I Make This Again?I would because the texture of the fudge is worth it. Although next time, I'd like to try my toasted marshmallows idea. If you make it, please let me know!

My First Wedding Cake

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 17:16:00 +0000

Yesterday I delivered my very first wedding cake! I made it for my friend and colleague Courtney, who was hosting a big reception at her home for her friends and family. She and her new husband Ralph were married in Tuscany, Italy last month and the reception was a way for them to celebrate with everyone that wasn't able to attend the ceremony abroad. Since the wedding took place in Tuscany, Courtney continued the whole Italian theme in her reception and especially in the cake which was filled with a cannolli cream. She served traditional wood fired pizza, salads, a great assortment of Italian cheeses and cured meats, and had the vino flowing! I was honored to be included in such a glorious event. Congratulations Courtney and Ralph!

Here's are a few bits of trivia about this cake:

The cake was a traditional white cake flavored with lemon zest and vanilla. It was filled with a thin layer of lemon curd, followed by a thick layer of simple sweet vanilla cannolli cream. The cake was frosted in a traditional Italian meringue buttercream also flavored with vanilla.

I used 18 lemons to make the cake and the lemon curd. The bottom tier is 16 inches round, followed by a 10 inch square, and topped with a 6 inch square. Each tier is two layers of cake with one layer of filling.

I made 36 cups of batter! The 16x2 inch cake required 14 cups of batter for each layer. I didn't have a 10 or 6 inch square cake pan so I baked two half-sheet pan (12x18x2) and cut the 10 and 6 inch layers from them. I had a bit of cake left over (not a huge amount, but enough to share with my friends and family).

According to most sources, a cake of this size would yield about 130 servings, but small 1 by 2 inch slices. The top tier served 6, the middle, 40, and 80 for the bottom tier. I wanted to make sure everyone could get cake and a good sized piece at that. The top tier was going to be saved for the bride and groom to enjoy later. I used 7 dozen eggs to make the cake and the buttercream. The cake required 40 egg whites alone and the butter cream took another 40! The lemon curd only used 4 of the remaining egg yolks plus another 4 whole eggs. That's a lot of unused egg yolks!

I used about 10 and a half pounds of butter to make the cake, lemon curd, and the butter cream. Each cake layer required a pound and a half of butter and the buttercream made great use of the other 7 pounds. The rest of the butter was used to butter the pans and make the lemon curd. To make the cannolli cream, I used 8 pounds of whole milk ricotta cheese and two vanilla beans.

Sugar... yeah, there was sugar in this cake. And a lot of it. 17 pounds of it! 8 pounds of sugar went into the cake, 4 pounds went into the buttercream, 1 went into the lemon curd, half a pound went into the simple syrup, and 4 went into the cannolli cream. Although the cannolli was almost all powdered sugar.

There was a professional photographer at the event so I'll post more photos soon.

Glenn's Stargazer Pie

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 15:23:00 +0000

When I was planning my trip to Oregon back in early June, one of the things I was most anticipating was star gazing. I knew it would be a long shot to see anything while on the Oregon Coast, but I had a hunch that the city of Bend, surrounded by acres of U.S. Forest Service land, would be plenty dark enough to see the stars by the truckload. I just couldn't wait to lay outside in the balmy night air and gaze up at them.

A few days before I left on my trip I made this sweet concoction for a visiting coworker, Glenn. Since he lives in New Jersey and never gets to partake in any of the treats, I offered to make him something special the next time he was in Seattle. However I was so preoccupied with going on my trip (and the subsequent star gazing) that when I saw him one afternoon having just arrived airport, I was a little taken aback. His visit had completely slipped my mind! Glen was only going to be in the office for one day so I had to get my act together and fast. To make matters worse, I had plans that evening and didn't have time either to look for a recipe or make anything elaborate. My only hope was to be inspired while shopping at the grocery store on my way home.

Once at the store I headed straight for the dairy case because I knew I needed milk. As I walked past the refrigerated cases on the way, I stopped abruptly in front of the pre-made cookie dough. Right then and there I got a flash of exactly what I wanted to make and promptly filled my shopping basket with everything I'd need. Phew!

As I stood in the checkout line, visualizing the finished dessert, I knew Glenn would love it. I could just see my coworkers smiling ear to ear as they took that first bite, closing their eyes out of sheer delight. And just as I predicted, it was a bit of a sensation. Everyone just loved it.

Glenn's Stargazer Pie

Crust
1 16.5 oz tube of refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough, softened

Brownie Layer
1 box of Betty Crocker Triple Chunk Brownie Mix (my preference)
1/2 cup of cocoa powder, sifted
3 tablespoons of lukewarm water
1/2 cup of vegetable oil
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of almond extract or vanilla if that's all you have

Cream Cheese Truffle Layer
1 cup of milk semisweet chips
4 oz of cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick of unsalted butter

Whipped Cream Layer
2 cups of whipping cream
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/4 cup of powdered sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (give or take) of chocolate curls or other garnish, optional

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a 9 or 9 1/2 inch springform pan with butter.

Spread the cookie dough into the bottom of the pan, making one big even cookie. It will be a little on the thin side, but don't worry, there will be enough. Use a fork to tamp it down. Stick it in the freezer.

Mix the brownie mix and the cocoa powder together in big bowl with a whisk or large fork. Add the water, oil, eggs, and almond extract and mix together *just* until the dry ingredients are absorbed. Be careful not to over mix! The batter will be somewhat lumpy.

Remove the springform pan from the freezer and add the brownie batter right over the top. Bake for 34-38 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out *almost* clean -- just a few bits of brownie sticking to the toothpick is okay. You basically want it to where it's not raw in the center and doesn't jiggle when you shake the pan a bit. You want it just a tad bit less baked than you would a normal brownie.

Remove it from the oven and promptly sprinkle about a 1/3 cup of chocolate chips (from the 1 cup of chips listed above) over the top. Let it sit for a minute or two and once the chocolate chips are soft, evenly spread them over the top of brownie's surface. All it to cool on the counter.

While the pie is cooling, microwave the remaining chocolate chips on low power (2 or 3) on 30 second intervals until the chips are melted, stirring well each time. Set aside. Cream the butter, and cream cheese together for 1 minute. Add the vanilla and stir again. Add the melted chocolate, one big teaspoonful at a time until it's totally incorporated into the cream cheese. Spread the cream cheese mixture over the top of the pie and store it uncovered in the refrigerator for an hour.

About an hour or two before you're ready to serve the pie (or when it's totally cooled off), whisk the whipping cream on high speed until soft peaks form. Add the vanilla and the powdered sugar and mix again until combined. Spread evenly over the top of the pie. Grate chocolate directly over the top (that's what I did in the photos), sprinkle chocolate curls, or embellish with chocolate sprinkles. Cover and put it back in the refrigerator for at least 1/2 an hour.

When you're ready to serve, run a thin knife or spatula to around the edge of the pan to free it from the outside ring. Gently remove the ring and serve let it come to room temperature at least a half an hour before serving. You'll know it's ready to serve when you're able to cut it from the center fairly easily.

Yield: I was able to feed about 20 people with this pie but the pieces were very small. I'd guess that it would probably serve 10-12 people with a more normal sized serving.
Would I Make This Again?I would! Everyone really enjoyed it and I mean *really* enjoyed it. Being a bit of purist I would have preferred to have made the cookie dough and brownies from scratch. Maybe next time :)

There are no words except...Lemon-gasm

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 21:39:00 +0000

You can thank my good friend Kristina for christening my latest concoction. I was going to call it Frozen Lemon Mousse Pucker Pie but according to her that name just didn't convey what she says is "off-the-hook yummy!"

What makes this dessert so special you ask? Well, maybe it's the fact that it's frozen. Or maybe it's because it looks perplexing. "Is that cheesecake?" most of my coworkers asked as they eagerly anticipated a slice. "Nope, not cheesecake," I said with a smile.

Or perhaps it's the fact that when you open your mouth and take that first bite, your taste buds are so pleasantly overwhelmed by the ultra creamy, intensely luscious, pucker-inducing flavor, you can't help but close your eyes, smile an impish little grin, and curl your toes just a little. Yeah... I'm pretty sure that's it. :)

Frozen Lemon-gasm Cake
adapted from Desserts Magazine

7-8 medium lemons, preferably organic if you can find them
2 cups granulated sugar
4 large eggs yolks plus 4 large whole eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten

3/4 cup unsalted butter (1-1/2 sticks or 6oz), cut into pieces
1-1/2 cups heavy cream, chilled (not ultra-pasteurized if you can find it)*

Scrub the lemons with hot soapy water. Rinse really well and dry completely. Zest all of the lemons, being careful to avoid the pith (the white part that live right below the yellow part of the lemon).

In a separate bowl, combine the sugar and the lemon zest. Work the sugar and zest together between your fingers until the sugar is moist, grainy and very aromatic. Set aside.

Juice the lemons, reserving at least 1 cup but no more than 1 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Strain the juice through a sieve to remove the pulp and any seeds.

Combine the lemon zesty sugar, the lemon juice, and the eggs into a sauce pan. Whisk over medium-high heat for 10 minutes, stirring constantly. Be careful not to boil the curd! And don't even think of walking away from the stove for even a second! Mixture will thicken and you'll know it's ready when it's temperature is 165F and it coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Remove it from the heat, add the butter and whisk until the butter is all melted and incorporated. Pour the curd through a wire sieve into a glass bowl. Cover the surface of the curd with plastic wrap and promptly refrigerate, stirring periodically until it's totally cool, for at least 1 hour or for as long as 3 days.

Place 1 1/2 cups chilled heavy cream in large chilled mixing bowl; whip using a whisk attachment until *soft* peaks form (this only takes about 45 seconds with a stand mixer so be careful!). Reserve 1/2 cup lemon curd for sauce; add remaining lemon curd to whipped cream. Fold gently until well combined.

Pour the mousse in an 8-inch springform pan and cover using plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the mousse from the freezer.

When you're ready to serve: Spread a thin layer of the reserved lemon curd on the top of the frozen mousse. Rub a hot, wet towel around the outside of the pan to as to slightly slightly melt the mousse. Run a knife around the mousse and remove sides of the springform pan. Cut the pie with a knife that has been dipped in hot water. Be sure to wipe the knife down after each slice. Place a slice of the mousse on the plate, garnish with whipped cream or raspberry coulis ( both optional).

* If you're lucky enough to live in Washington, please try to find organic heavy whipping cream from the Fresh Breeze Organic Dairy. I found it at Central Market but it's available at PCC, all Hagen's, and Top Food stores. Seriously they have the very best whipping cream I've ever had in my life. It's so good that you don't have to add vanilla or sugar to it. It's simply beautiful!

Yield: 8 large servings. I made 1 1/2 recipes and used a 10" springform pan and was able to get about 25 small servings out of it.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! In fact at the time of this post I had already made the cake a second time in a week!

Courtney and Amy's Butterfinger Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 05:27:00 +0000

I'm not usually a fan of the group dessert thing. I think birthdays and other big events are just too personal. I've always tried to make something special, catered specifically for the person for which I'm celebrating. However I bent this rule when I made this cake for two very lovely brides, Courtney and Amy. Both of these wonderful women work on my team and are getting married within a month of each other. (Congrats to Courtney who just tied the note in Italy a few weeks ago!!)Last month I, along with a few others, hosted a little bachelorette party for them at my house. Since every bride is always watching their waste line, I thought it best not to create a big spread of desserts but instead opted to make just one decadent treat. This wasn't my my original plan but when Courtney said she wanted something with Butterfinger or banana and Amy wanted something with peanut butter, I gasped outloud when I found this recipe. It could not have been more perfect!

The cake itself was really yummy, even without any frosting. It could be baked in a loaf pan as a sweet banana bread. However, with the peanut butter cream cheese frosting, this cake was the hit of the party. I recommend making it at least one day in advance so it can sit in the fridge and all the favors can get to know each other.

I've included steps for using simple syrup to help moisten the cake. This step is optional but I think it makes the cake that much better.

Butterfinger Banana Cake with Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from RecipeZaar.com

Simple Syrup
1/2 cup of sugar
1/2 cup of water

Cake
5 (2 1/8 ounce) Butterfinger candy bars

1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 3/4 cups granulated sugar
3 eggs, at room temperature
4 very ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon banana extract, optional (I like that extra punch of banana flavor)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup full-fat buttermilk, at room temperature

Frosting
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
6 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (Skippy or Jiff) - avoid the all-natural kind.

Simple Syrup
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the sugar and water together. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a full boil for about 3 minutes. Turn off the heat and move the pot away from the burner to cool for at least an hour. Cover and store in the fridge.

Cake
Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour two 9" cake pans. In the food processor, coarsely chop the candy bars; set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time, for one minute each, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Mix in the mashed bananas, vanilla, and banana extracts.

In a separate bowl, combine the flour, soda and salt and mix together with a wire whisk until well combined. Add the dry ingredients and the buttermilk alternately to the egg mixture (in two to three additions each) and incorporate thoroughly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the chopped Butterfinger candy bars and fold the rest into the batter. Divide the batter between the cake pans and bake for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool the cakes on wire racks for 10 minutes. Invert onto a rack and cool completely before frosting.

Frosting
In a large mixing bowl, blend the cream cheese, butter, and vanilla with an electric mixer until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the powdered sugar and peanut butter and mix until smooth.

Assembly
Inspect the cakes and cut the tops to even them out, if necessary. To frost the cake, place one layer on a serving plate. Using a pastry brush, generously "paint" the surface and sides of the cake with the simple syrup. Don't be afraid to really get the cake wet. Spread 1/4 of the frosting over the top and place it back in the fridge to firm up for about 15 to 20 minutes. Place the second layer on top and paint the cake with the simple syrup (you'll have syrup left over). Spread the remaining frosting over top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle the reserved crushed Butterfingers over the top of the cake (optional). Store in the fridge, covered until you're ready to serve.

Yield:15+ servings, depending on how big you cut the slices
Would I Make This Again? Yes, for sure. Everyone loved it! Ironically, I think this could be a great Father's Day or birthday cake for a guy. There's something about this flavor combinations that just screams "guy". Maybe it's all the bananas? (tee-hee)

Kitchen Scale and Cookbook Giveaway Winners!

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 20:06:00 +0000

Congratulations to my two lucky contest winners!
First to Linda of For Goodness Sake won the new Eat Smart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale And second, to Evil Cake Lady of Eat My Cake won a hardbound copy of Rustic Fruit Desserts: Crumbles, Buckles, Cobblers, Pandowdies, and More by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson.

And a very sincere thank you to all my readers for taking the time to enter and to William of Eat Smart Products for sponsoring the kitchen scale giveaway. Stay tuned for more giveaways in the future!

Upside-down Sweet Cherry Cake and a Giveaway

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 22 Jul 2009 03:35:00 +0000

Summer is here in the Pacific Northwest and oh how glorious it is! I absolutely love this time of year and try to relish every last minute of it. As such, I find myself spending a lot more time outside and out of my kitchen and that mean a lot less baking. However, that doesn’t mean that the mood doesn’t strike me to bake, but it comes a lot less often which is why I haven’t been blogging lately.

I like to treat myself to a new cookbook when I’m on vacation and this year's section, as I as on my way to Cannon Beach, was this one: Rustic Fruit Desserts by Cory Schreiber and Julie Richardson. I bought this book totally on impulse as I waited to checkout. On a side note: I stopped in Portland specifically so that I could go to Powell’s bookstore. This store is AMAZING! You literally get a map when you walk in the door because the place is so big! It takes up an entire city block! It’s completely independent too and so that makes it extra fun giving them my business. I spent several hours in the store, most of which was in the cooking and baking section alone but I couldn’t have spent several more hours there. I am already longing to go back again but I digress!

I read this cookbook like a novel while I sitting on the beach along the Oregon Coast. The day after I arrived home I decided to make this specific recipe because it just looked so darn good and let me tell you, it’s fan-freaking-tastic! Maybe it's the amazing cherry season that we're having or that I was still on my post-vaca high, but let me tell you that this cookbook is one of the best that I’ve seen in a long time. Each recipe is well thought out and each written in a way that’s easily understood. The photos are beautiful too. When making this particular cake, I was out of a few things and had to substitute some of the ingredients and it still came out great. I loved it so much that I decided that I needed to give away a copy to one lucky reader* and, just because I think it’s would complete the experience, it will be shipped via Powell’s books too! One of my favorite things about this cookbook is the fact that each recipe includes the weight of the dry ingredients as well as the standard measurements. As anyone who has read my blog knows, I am a firm believer in the use of a kitchen scale. It makes measuring ingredients a breeze, creates a lot less mess because you don’t have to wash a bunch of measuring cups, and makes making recipes so much more consistent. It’s really the only way to go! I actually have a chart taped to the inside of my kitchen cabinet which lists the weight of all the ingredients that I use the more often to help speed up my preparation.Now as luck would have it, my new best friend William, of EatSmart Products sent me their new Eat Smart Precision Pro Kitchen Scale to evaluate. The timing could not have been better because my old kitchen scale was well past its prime and I was considering buying a new one. I was impressed with the scale the moment I received it. It’s very lightweight, compact, and very modern looking. When I took it out of the box, the first thing I couldn’t help but notice is that it has a big, bold display that is set away from the main weighing area. This makes it really easy to read the weight of whatever you might be weighing without having to worry if the bowl or plate that you’re placing on top of the scale is covering the scale’s read-out. It also measures in grams, ounces, kilograms, and pounds! And hold on to your hats folks, they actually ship this little gem WITH the batteries! But that is not the best part about this scale – nope, the best part is that I get to give away one to one of my very lucky readers*! Lucky you, huh?

* To enter for your chance to win either the scale or the cookbook, you must follow leave me a comment below (no email please), and provide a link to your blog or some means of reaching you. If you don’t provide a way for me to contact you, you can’t win! Contest is only open to those that live in the United States (my apologies to my foreign readers!) All entries must be received by Thursday, July 30th. A winner will be selected at random and announced on Friday, July 31st. All entries will automatically be entered to win both the scale or the cookbook. This is a picture of Cannon Beach at sunset which is where I spent the majority of my vacation.

Oh and a word of caution to everyone who makes this recipe: Try not to eat all the batter because it tastes REALLY YUMMY! Seriously I could have very easily sat on my couch and eaten the entire bowl with a spoon while watching Steel Magnolias.

Upside-down Sweet Cherry Cake
adapted from Rustic Fruit Desserts

1 tablespoon of unsalted butter at room temperature for the pan.

Cherry Topping
1/4 cup (2 ounces) unsalted butter
3/4 cup (5 1/4 ounces) sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (don't use the concentrated junk!)
1/2 to 1 pound of pitted fresh sweet red cherries (organic if you can get them) (Note: I don't have a cherry pitter so I just sliced my cherries in half and the cake turned out just fine. Also, you may not need an entire pound of cherries. I think I used a little less than 1/2 a pound. As long as you have enough whole or halved cherries to cover the surface of the pan, you're golden.)

Cake
2 cups (9 ounces) cake flour or 1 3/4 (8 1/2 oz) cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3/4 cup (6 ounces) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons (8 ounces) sugar
Zest and juice of one lemon (1-2 tablespoons of lemon juice) or small orange (be sure to scrub the peel well before zesting)
2 eggs, at room temperature, separated
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup (8 ounces) full fat sour cream

Preheat the oven to 350F. Butter a 9-inch square metal baking dish (if all you have is round, that's okay too.) *Don't use a glass dish!*

To make the caramel topping, slowly melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until it's all melted. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice with a wooden spoon. Turn the heat up to medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. As it boils it will become foamy and change color from beige to amber brown. Once it just starts amber, pour the caramel into the prepared pan. Set aside to cool for about 10 minutes.

Place the pitted cherries in a single layer on top of the caramel with the pitted sides facing up. Set aside.

Sift the cake flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together in a bowl. Set aside.

Cream the butter, sugar, and lemon/orange zest on medium-high for 4 minutes. It will be very light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks one at a time and mixing for a full minute until totally incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon/orange juice and vanilla.

Mix in the flour mixture in three additions alternating with the sour cream in two additions, beginning and ending with the flour (so 1/3 flour, then 1/2 the sour cream, 1/3 flour, the rest of sour cream, and then whatever is left of the flour mixture). The batter will be very thick. Set the batter aside.

In a clean bowl, with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks appear. Fold half of the egg whiles into the batter, being sure to incorporate them completely before adding the other half. This means that you don't want to leave any huge blobs of egg white in the batter. It should be an even color throughout. (Not sure how to fold ingredients together? Check out this video from Epicurious to learn more!).

Carefully pour the batter into the pan and gently spread in an even layer over the cherries.

Bake for 60 to 65 minutes, or until the top of the cake is firm and the center springs back when lightly touched. Be sure to do use a toothpick to check for doneness too. The cake will be very brown and might crack slightly in the middle; this is normal.

Cool the cake on a wire rack for 45 minutes.

To flip the cake out of its pan, first run a knife around the edge, then place a flat plate or piece of tin foil face-down over the cake and quickly invert the cake onto the platter in one fell swoop. Cut into squares or wedges and enjoy! Keep covered and store at room temperature.

Yield: I cut it into really small squares and got about 12-15 servings but ideally it would serve about 10-12 people
Would I Make This Again? Yes, without a doubt. It tasted so good! I couldn't stop eating it. I can't wait to try other recipes from this book!

Chicago Cubs Red, White, and Blue Celebration Cupcakes

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 02:31:00 +0000

Guess what?! This is my 150th post, woo hoo! Boy that's a lot, huh? Sometimes I look at this blog and I can hardly believe that it's mine. Speaking of which, have no noticed how little I've been posting lately? Well, I think I the baking blahs. Maybe it's just the warm days of summer? Who knows! I am not saying that I'm going to stop blogging, but I think I just need a little break from it for a while so don't be alarmed if you don't see anything new from me between now and the beginning of August. My hope is that with a nice long break, I'll come back ready and raring to go. Knowing me, I'll probably be back to posting well before then.
In the mean time I wanted to post these red, white, and blue cupcakes in anticipation of the big holiday month of July. Not only is it Independence Day here in the USA, but it's Canada Day (just red and white, of course) on the 1st and Bastille Day in France on July 14th. All three holidays can benefit from the theme. I made these cuppies for a friend at work as gift for her friend's 27th birthday (that's where the idea for the jersey came from). Since she asked me to come up with something that a Chicago Cubs fan would love, I thought it would be fun to try to do a swirly red, white, and blue "tie-dye" theme along with some fun decorative Cub logos I made out of fondant and gum paste. They came out so good I decided to use the same technique on Emma's Beachy Keen Cupcakes.
I used Martha Stewart's Versicle Yellow Cake recipe for these cupcakes. I'm totally in love with this cake and it worked well for this recipe as well. I have to say those that because of the extra moisture from the food coloring gel, the cupcakes tend to shrink after they bake, but they still taste really yummy!

Red, White, and Blue Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart

3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
2 1/4 cups sugar
3 large eggs plus 5 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract (or lemon if you prefer a lemony cupcake)
1 1/2 cups low-fat buttermilk

Your choice of Food Coloring Gel (America Color Red-Red and America color Navy Blue are the colors I used)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with white cupcake liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. (Beware! The batter is super yummy! Try not to eat it all!)

Divide the batter between three bowls. Set one aside. Using gel based food coloring, add drops of red food coloring gel until you reach the desired color. Be prepared to add a lot of color to get really vibrant colors, especially with the red. Be sure to mix really well with a small fork or spoon and to scrape the bottom of the bowl too to look for any pockets of white batter. Repeat with the second bowl of batter using the blue food coloring gel.

Using a normal everyday tablespoon, take your time and fill the cupcakes with a layer of batter in each of the three colors (or how ever number of colors that you're using). There's really no wrong way to do this -- just have fun! Just use small blobs and try to focus their placement towards the edges of the paper, instead of the middle, but be sure to put some in the middle too. Fill the cup until they are a little more than 2/3rds the way filled. Using a toothpick, gently swirl the cupcakes, being careful not to touch the cupcake paper. This isn't a totally necessary step, but it does make the cuppies look really pretty!

Bake the cupcakes for 18-22 minutes, until the centers come out clean. Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes sit for about 5 minutes before removing them. NOTE: The cupcakes will look big and glorious after you take them out of the oven. However, the will shrink like a shrinky dink! Don't worry though -- they will still look and taste good.

Let them cool completely before frosting them.

Yield: around 30-33 cupcakes
Would I Make This Again?Yes! Although next time I want to try making it with powered food coloring to see if that effects the whole shrinky-dink factor.

Two Cakes for the Road: Mountain Biking and Liverpool Soccer Club

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:17:00 +0000

I really wish I could have recorded the moment when my friend arrived to pick up her cake order, because it was one of the most precious memories I'll have for a long time! You see, Stephanie had ordered two cakes to celebrate two birthdays: one for her husband Roger that was decorated with a mountain biking theme, and a second one for their friend Gavin who is a die hard Liverpool Soccer Club fan. Stephanie was trying to keep it a surprise but eventually had to spill the beans.

Stephanie, her husband, and their new baby Conner arrived at my house late on an overcast Friday morning to pick up the cake as they were leaving to go to Cannon Beach for the weekend. At first Roger didn't know why they had to stop by my house but the moment he got out of their truck, he had this big grin on his face and said, "Ohh! Am I getting a Julia cake?!" and then proceeded to jump up and down like a little kid. So adorable!!

I had the cake covered in a box but he couldn't wait to see it. With Stephanie's permission I opened the lid to show it to them and the look on his face was absolutely priceless. He loved it! I gave them a moment alone while I went in search of a better carrier; and when I returned, Roger and Stephanie were hugging. He was thanking her for his birthday cake, it was a very sweet and genuine moment. It was something very special; I was so excited to be a part of it, and it will be something I won't soon forget. For the design of Roger's cake I used a combination of designs that I found on the Earth Design Website (which is a really cool site, check it out!): a sprocket wind chime and a Kokopelli guy doing a wheelie. I decorated the base of the cake using chocolate rocks that I found at my local grocery store's bulk food department. For the cake itself, it was a very deep chocolate that was filled and frosted with Oreo frosting. I had made way too much filling and decided to use it to frost the cake, which in the end was a good thing because it replicated the look of mud! Just one of those happy accidents. This chocolate cake recipe is one that I use a lot but this time decided to try something different and replace the sour cream with Oikos Greek Yogurt. The good folks at Stonyfield farms sent me some coupons to try their yogurt for free, and it was excellent! According to Stephanie and Roger, the cake was really moist and a little tangy (in a rich, dark chocolate sort of way).

Perfect Chocolate Party Cake
adapted from Elisa Strauss

2 2/3 cups (12 ounces) All-purpose unbleached flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder, best quality you can find (I prefer Droste)
2 cups (14 ounces) granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Stonybrook Farms Oikas Greek yogurt (you'll need 2 5.3 ounce containers)
1 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoons almond extract
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 eggs, at room temperature
10 ounces strong coffee, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 350F. Brush the bottoms and sides of the pans with melted butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, coco powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, vanilla, and almond extract. Set aside.
In the bowl of a standing mixer fitter with a paddle attachment, combine the butter and sugar and beat on medium speed until smooth.

Set the mixer to low speed and add the eggs, one at a time, scraping thoroughly between each addition.

Alternately add the flour and sour cream mixtures to the butter mixture in two batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Scrape down the bowl after each addition.

Gradually pour in the coffee. Scrape down the bowl and beat until thoroughly
combined.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans. For 9-inch cake pans, bake 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean; for half-sheet pans, bake 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean; for cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until they spring back after being touched.

Allow the cakes to cool for 20 minutes. Once the cake is cool, release it from its pan by running a metal spatula or knife along the sides of the pan. Flip the cake over onto another pan or cake board and peel away the layer of parchment.

Oreo Cake Frosting
adapted from EasyCakeIdeas.com

1 pound bag of powdered sugar
1/2 cup milk
1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 sticks butter, cut into ½ inch slices, that's at room temperature
1/2 cup plain shortening
1 cup crushed Oreos

Using the whisk attachment on your electric mixer, mix the powdered sugar, salt, vanilla and milk at low speed until smooth.

Add butter, one slice at a time, until incorporated

Add shortening and whip at highest speed 10-12 minutes, until volume increases by at least 50%.

Add crushed Oreos, beat on high speed until it's well combined.

Yield:The cake recipe makes four 6" chocolate cakes or three 9" cakes, 24 cupcakes, or one half-sheet cake. The recipe for the filling made a lot of frosting, enough to fill both 6" cakes, frost them, and have quite a bit left over. My guess is that there was about 3-4 cups of frosting.
Would I Make This Again? Yes! This is my go-to chocolate cake recipe and now that I've tried it with Greek yogurt, I don't think I'll ever go back to using sour cream again. The buttercream frosting base is my new go-to recipe for frosting, especially for cupcakes. It's very smooth and thick, and the texture is just perfect.

Emma's Beachy Keen Cuppies

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 03:37:00 +0000

Tomorrow is Emma's 9th birthday and these cupcakes were made to celebrate her last year of being in the single digits. I made these last night and instead of spending a bunch of time writing a long blog post, I've decided to just hurry up and share these with you. I have a bunch more posts coming so stay tuned for the recipes. I just couldn't wait! (If you want to see a full screen version of the slideshow, click here.)

A Cake For The Books

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 02:55:00 +0000

Boy am I behind! I usually try to post more often but lately it's been really hard for me to blog. Part of it has been due to the amazingly beautiful weather that Seattle has been fortunate to receive the last few weeks but the other reason has been because I've just been really busy! (So to all my fellow bloggers, I'm really sorry for not commenting more on your posts... I'm trying!)Anywho, here's a cake I made last weekend for my neighbor Liz. Her son was graduating from high school and she wanted a cake that incorporated a bunch of things: his high school graduation, the fact that he was a goal keeper on his soccer team and his acceptance to college. That's a tall order! I thought about making a soccer field but just couldn't "see" it with everything else she wanted on the cake. Then one morning during a brutal run, it came to me: a book! I presented my idea to Liz and she loved the concept. Filling the pages was a bit harder than I anticipated and wished I could have thought of some more things to decorate the "college" side, but my creative bone was just dry! I used a big art book I picked up at a rummage sale a few years ago (Paintings of the Musée d'Orsay) as my muse. I really wanted to try and accurately capture the way the book looked open, with the gaping spine and arched headband (yes, I admit it, I'm a nerd for knowing what this part of a book is called.) Carving it was tricky, but I took my time and went really slow. Boy did I make a big mess though(check out the slide show below for photos)!
I used a bit of a tromp d'oeil technique to give the impression that one side of the book was smaller than the other (the left side) and was really tickled with how well I was able to illustrate that.Overall I was very pleased with how the cake came out. Oh, and in case you're curious, the cake consisted of 2 layers of devil's food and one of vanilla bean cake, with dark chocolate ganache filling and crumb coated with vanilla Italian buttercream.

Here's a little slideshow of the cake's progression to being completed.

Adele's Peppermint Heart Cookies

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:04:00 +0000

One Christmas season many, many years ago, I was invited to bake cookies with my friend Adele and her family. It was an annual tradition for them, something I found to be completely foreign. The only things I recall my mother ever baking were a lackluster lemon meringue pies at Thanksgiving and drop-biscuits that were super dry and literally tasted the way Bisquick smells. My mom could cook like no body's business, but baking was never her forte.

I remember arriving to a kitchen that smelled heavenly, full of the aromas of cinnamon and browned butter. Freshly baked cookies and pastries sat cooling on racks while Adele, her mom, and sister busily toiled away on their own individual creations, yet seemingly working together. Various baking supplies peppered the kitchen counters: newly opened bags of flour, big black bottles of pure vanilla extract, and sticks of unsalted butter softening on the counter.

At Adele's request, I had come prepared with a recipe in hand. The night before I flipped through my mom's big plastic container of laminated recipe cards, each one boasting a full-color photograph. It didn't take me long to find the recipe I wanted to make: Peppermint Heart Cookies. Peppermint seemed perfectly appropriate for a holiday cookie and for some unknown reason the fact that they were pink and heart shaped didn't seem to matter one bit.
I remember being nervous, but really excited. I followed the recipe very carefully, being sure to take my time to not make any mistakes. The rest of the day is a bit of a blur; I don't remember much except listening to Manheim Steamroller, cracking jokes about the Whisper 2000, and watching the lights on their magnificent Christmas tree twinkle.

Years have past, friendships have been made and forgotten, and many miles have separated us, but Adele and I have remained friends. Our paths may have taken us in completely separate directions in life but when she writes, calls, or I am lucky enough to actually see her, we pick up like right where we left off.

A few weekends ago Adele was in town for a conference and even though it had been more than four years since I had last seen her, I couldn't wait to spend the day catching up. And of course I couldn't greet her empty handed! I arrived with a big tin of these cookies as a belated birthday gift which she dove into almost immediately, which I loved. I think that these are the perfect cookie to celebrate an important friendship in your life and it doesn't even have to Christmas to make them.

Peppermint Heart Shaped Cookies
Cookies

1 cup of sugar
1 cup of unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
1 eggs, at room temperature
3 cups of all purpose, unbleached flour
1 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt

Cream the butter and sugar. Add vanilla and eggs. In a separate bowl, mix dry ingredients together. With the mixer on low/medium speed, slowly add dry ingredients to the wet, being sure to scrape down the bowl frequently. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface. Form the dough into a ball, wrap it in plastic, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Separate the dough ball into 2 balls and place between two sheets of parchment paper. Roll the ball out to about 1/4 inch thick being sure to keep all the dough between the sheets of paper. Transfer to a cookie sheet and store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or until firm (you can also cheat by putting them in the freezer).

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut out desired shapes (I used a big heart shaped cookie cutter plus a slightly smaller one to create a heart shaped frame) and place onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or a Silpat mat. Bake for 8-12 min. Keep a careful watch on your first batch so you can establish the correct cooking time. After 6 minutes, keep checking them every minute until they are firm to the touch and just the slightest bit brown. Cookies will continue to bake as your remove them from the oven. Let them sit for a minute, remove the cookies from the baking sheet with a spatula big enough to support the entire surface of the cookie (or they may break) and cool on a wire rack.

Repeat steps with left over cookie dough.

When they are completely cool, store them in an airtight container or a big zip-lock bag. You can even freeze them and save them until later.
Peppermint Buttercream Frosting
adapted from More From Magnolias Bakery

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup cold milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon peppermint extract (if you don't like peppermint, use vanilla)
pink food coloring gel (optional)
4-5 red peppermint candies or one candy cane, crushed but not pulverized (optional)

Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar or you may find you need to add more milk. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly until you get your desired color. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Assembly
Carefully spread each heart-shaped cookie with a generous dollop of pink frosting. Top with a heart shaped cookie frame (if desired) and sprinkle a little crushed peppermint candy in the center.

Yield: About 16-20 sandwich cookies (it really depends on how much dough you eat. It's yummy!)
Would I Make This Again? Yes and I always will!

these cupcakes bug me, but in a good way

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Sun, 24 May 2009 03:36:00 +0000

Remember when I made the Pinkalicious cupcakes? Well, these cute little bug cupcakes were part of that order too (just in case the little boys that were invited didn't want a pink cupcake!). I almost forgot to share them with you! Since I only needed to make a dozen, I went on a mission to make twelve unique designs.I think I might have been channeling the Yip Yips when I made this little guy. Remember those funny aliens from Sesame Street? (If you're ever in need of a belly-laugh, watch a few of the Yip Yip videos -- guaranteed to make you feel better!)

Here are the rest of the little guys...

Jay's Gluten-Free Dark Chocolate Chunk Chestnut Muffin-top Cookies

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 20 May 2009 03:38:00 +0000

This cookie is so good, it's actually smiling! Do you see the face?

For a while now, my blog's name has worried me a bit. Not because I don't like the name, but because I've never really pushed myself to try baking with flour other than wheat, almond, or oatmeal, as the name might suggest. But today I'm proud to announce that all that has changed! I'm going to make an effort to regularly bake with a different flour at least once a month. And to kick things off, I decided to look for the most unusual one I could find: chestnut flour!
This past Sunday my family and I celebrated Mother's Day, or as I like to call it, "Let's Spoil The Heck Out Of Mom Day". Seriously, my hubby and son treated me like a queen! Not only did I have breakfast made for me, get showered with some awesome gifts, get to go out to one of my favorite restaurants for lunch, AND get to go to Trophy Cupcake for a dessert, I was also treated to a day in downtown Seattle and a stroll around Pike Place Market. This always means a stop at DeLaurenti's which I happen to think is the best Italian grocery store in Seattle. I got a little carried away and bought a bunch of baking supplies. This included "00" flour, some arrack extract (no idea what it is but it smells great!), candied citron, some really authentic extra virgin olive oil, and a pound of chestnut flour. Now I'll admit that I've never even had a chestnut before but I thought it would be fun to see what I could make with it.
As soon as I got home I started my quest to find a recipe. During my research I found out that chestnut flour is very low calories, fat, and carbohydrates! And, to my delight, I found out that it is also gluten-free. This worked out perfectly because just a few days before one of my coworkers, Jay, confided that he's can never indulged in my treats due to his sensitivity to gluten. The moment he said that I knew I had to make him something special. Isn't it funny how things fall into place sometimes? :)It didn't take me very long to find Sara's blog and this insanely yummy recipe. Originally I had wanted to follow it to the letter and make muffins but they fell apart in the pan. However, the tops of the muffins stayed completely intact so I decided to just make cookies instead. Honestly I think they were better than any muffin could have ever been.
The best part about making these was seeing the look on Jay's face when he came into the office. He was beyond thrilled and later on that night he sent me the following message that I just have to share:

Thanks *so* much for showing me that its possible to have delicious baked goods once again... your gluten-free dark chocolate coconut/chestnut cookies made me remember how wonderful desserts were. It really made my week! (I'm really at a loss for words...) Please continue to share your love with so many people. They truly are sincere acts of sweetness!

Soft Chestnut Chocolate Chunk Cookies
adapted from Ms. Adventurers in Italy

2 cups or 200g chestnut flour
1 cup or 60g unsweetened medium or finely shredded coconut flour
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs, at room temperature
1 stick plus 1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cups of whipping cream
1/2 cups of milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet (60% or more) chocolate, chunked into small pieces
1/2 cup of milk chocolate chips (I used mini chips)

Preheat oven to 375F. Prepare a cookie sheet with a Silpat mat or line with parchment paper.

Whisk the chestnut flour, coconut flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda together in a bowl. Set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the softened butter for two minutes until light and smooth. Add the brown sugar at high speed for 2 minutes until light brown and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time and mix for 30 seconds each. Add the vanilla last and mix again on medium speed for 30 seconds.

Add half of the chestnut flour mix and very slowly and mix, pulsing at firs. Add the cream and mix for about 30 seconds until all the cream is absorbed. Add the milk until all the milk is absorbed. Scrape the bowl and the beater blade. Add the remainder of the dry ingredients until well distributed. Add the chocolate and mix until everything is well combined, about 20 or so seconds.

Drop dough using a one or two-tablespoon cookie scoop 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheet. Bake for 9-13 minutes or just until the tops spring back slightly when you touch it.

Yield:about 24-27 2-tablespoon sized cookies.
Would I Make This Again? Def-in-ate-ly! They have this unexpected taste that is so unique! It's only been a day and I've been craving them like crazy!

Very Berry Trifle

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Thu, 14 May 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Even after everything that I've made in the history of my blog, this is my most favorite. It has everything I love in a great dessert: thick buttery pound cake, lovely sweet berry flavor, a glorious vanilla pastry cream, and dreamy whipped cream. This is my idea of comfort food.

Many years ago I threw a baby shower for my friend Laura. It was my first big party and I wanted to make it extra special, so I went all out. This was years before I had ever had any confidence as a baker so I ordered a trifle from this little old lady that I met during a Curves class (ahh... Curves!). I was dead set on a cake but she suggested it because it would be cheaper to make and it would feed a lot of people too and it was perfect for a girly baby shower. She wasn't kidding that it would feed a lot of people; even after serving it to over 30 people, my family and I was still eating it a full week after the party. (I don't have pictures of that trifle available but the pictures at the top and bottom of the page are of one very large trifle I made for a baby shower a few years ago. That's double the size of the recipe listed in this post.)

Although I never asked the lady for the recipe, I came up with what I think is a very close approximation. I dare say it might even be a little better. I've made this several times: for BBQs, baby showers, birthdays, and it's always a sure fire hit. If you're looking for a good Sara Lee Pound Cake copycat recipe, you will LOVE the one I included below. I learned about it from my friend Emily who made it one day at work and I couldn't believe how good it tasted. The secret is Vanilla Butter Nut Extract, which can be a little hard to find depending on where you live.

You'll notice that the recipe is really long but don't be frightened. I just like to give lots of detailed instructions. I urge you to try this for your next big group event and have copies of the recipe ready.... or maybe you'll just keep this one to yourself. :)

Very Berry Trifle
15 cup trifle bowl or large glass bowl with high sides (like a bunch bowl)
2 piping bags or large zip lock bag (Why use a bag? I prefer using a bag because it gives you better control over the pastry and whipped creams as you're adding it to the bowl. In the end gives a prettier, more even and consistent layer. If you're not concerned about the look of your layers, or you're using a bowl that textured or opaque, then you can skip this step and just use a spoon/spatula.)

Make 24 Hours Ahead:
1 1/2 Sour Cream Pound Cakes (1 large and 1 small sized store bought pound cakes
Vanilla Pastry Cream
Macerated Berries

Make the day of, right before you're ready to assemble:
Whipped cream
Fresh Fruit Layer - This is optional. It provides a colorful layer of fresh fruit for your trifle that brings a bit of visual interest to the look of the dessert. If you're using a textured bowl or one that is opaque in color, then this step is not necessary. If you want to include this then you will need a pint each of any fruit fresh fruit that you're using in the trifle. Typically and depending on the availability of the produce, I like to use strawberries and blueberries because they look the best. Raspberries and Blackberries tend to be too soft and get mushy looking against the glass of the trifle bowl.
Getting Ready
Inspect the bowl that you're going to use, inside and out, being sure to remove any fingerprints that may appear on the surface of the glass.

If you're including a fresh fruit layer, clean and rinse the strawberries and any other fruit you might be using. For the strawberries, slice up a few lengthwise and reserve the larger, red center pieces that have good color. Keep all the ones that are of similar color, shape, and size. Lay each slice on a layer of paper towel. Dry the blueberries or other berry on paper towels too. How much will you need? It's hard to tell you how many slices you'll need because it depends on how thick you slice them, the circumference of the bowl, and how far a part you want to space them. For a 15 cup trifle bowl, I used about 10-14 slices of strawberry and the same amount of blueberries.

Put the pastry cream in a pastry bag -- no need for a tip.

Put the whipped cream in a pastry bag with a star tip of your choice.

Remove the outermost layers of the pound cake and save in a separate bowl. Cut 1/2 inch slices from the cake.

Mix up the berries and carefully cut up any big strawberries with the side of a spoon.

Assembling the Trifle
This trifles is three layers deep. Each layer consists of cake, berries, pastry cream, and whipped cream, in that order.

First Layer
Arrange cake slices into the bottom of the trifle bowl, placing them right up against the edge of the bowl. Cut small pieces to fit in empty spaces until the bottom is close to being one solid layer of cake. Remember that no one is really going to see this so it doesn't matter how it looks. Just try to keep each layer about the same height. Using a spoon, collect a little of the juice and saturate the cake a bit to get it a little soggy. The, with a slotted spoon add about a third of just the berries directly on top of the cake, staying about 1/2 inch away from the edges of the glass bowl. Then spoon several large spoonfuls of just the juice over the cake. Maybe 1/2 cup or so. When the cake looks about 80 juice-stained you're done. :)

Carefully pipe a layer of pastry cream around the edges of the bowl, working in a spiral to the center. The most important part of the spiral is the outermost edge; the rest of your spiral doesn't have to look perfect.

Carefully piper a layer of the whipped cream around the edges of the bowl, working in a spiral to the center. The most important part of the spiral is the outermost edge; the rest of your spiral doesn't have to look perfect.

Second Layer
Gently arrange a second layer of cake slices into the top of the first full layer, being careful not to pack them too solidly. Cut small pieces to fit in empty spaces until the bottom is close to being one solid layer of cake.
Add your fresh fruit layer. I like to start with the strawberries and place them one at a time, across from each other, working my way around the bowl. I find this works better than placing them side by side because I always end up with a space that's too big or too small for another whole strawberry slice. Once you place a strawberry slice against the glass of the bowl, you really don't want to remove it. If you do it will leave a little footprint behind and you'll need to wipe the glass off before you can continue. To the right you'll find a little diagram that helps you to understand the method I use. The red circles with the numbers are the strawberries in the order that I add them and the little blue circles are the blueberries. The bottoms of the strawberries should just be touching the top of the last layer of pound cake.

Using a slotted spoon, add about a third of just the berries directly on top of the cake, staying about 1/2 inch away from the edges of the glass bowl. Then spoon several large spoonfuls of just the juice over the cake. Maybe 1/2 cup or so. When the cake looks about 80 juice-stained you're done. :)

Add a layer of pastry cream and pipe it behind the fresh fruit that's stuck against the side of the bowl. Continue the spiral to the center.

Carefully piper a layer of the whipped cream around the edges of the bowl, working in a spiral to the center. The most important part of the spiral is the outermost edge; the rest of your spiral doesn't have to look perfect.

Third (Final) Layer
Add a final layer of cake just as you did with the previous two layers.

Add the berries and be a little more generous with the juice and the berries. You don't want to add too much more, but just enough that it causes a nice trickle-down effect down through the other layers of the dessert. Carefully pipe a layer of pastry cream around the edges of the bowl, working in a spiral to the center. The most important part of the spiral is the outermost edge; the rest of your spiral doesn't have to look perfect.

Finally, pipe the top with whipped cream. You can spoon it on and then smooth it out with a spatula or you can pipe little stars of whipped cream all around the top in concentric circles until you get to the center.

Cover and store in the refrigerator for at least 8 to 24 hours - the longer the better. Seriously, don't try to cheat and only refrigerate it for 2 hours and expect the magic to happen. Decorate the top with edible flowers or pieces of fresh fruit.

Recipes
Sour Cream Pound Cake
adapted from McCormick.com

2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
2/3 cup full-fat sour cream
4 eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon McCormick® Imitation Vanilla Butter & Nut Flavor or vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325F. Grease and flour 9x5-inch loaf pan or spray with Pam with Flour; set aside.

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

Beat butter, sugar and sour cream in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy - about 5 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating 1 full minute after each addition. Add extract and mix for 30 seconds. Gradually beat in flour mixture until no traces of flour appear in the batter (about 1 minute or so). Pour into prepared pan and smooth out the top.

Place the pan on a thin cookie sheet and bake 1 hour and 10 minutes (maybe as long as 30 minutes) or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove from pan and cool completely on wire rack. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, if desired.

Note: This is best made two days in advance. For the trifle, store uncovered and unwrapped so that it gets a little stale. If you're making this for something other than the trifle, wrap it in plastic or store in a covered container.

Vanilla Pastry Cream
2 cups half and half
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 large eggs (at room temperature)
2 large egg yolk (at room temperature)
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste (all the specks looks so lovely)

Bring half and half to simmer in heavy medium saucepan. While the milk is warming up, whisk sugar, eggs, egg yolk and flour in medium bowl to blend. Once the milk is hot (but not boiling) very gradually, whisk in half of the hot half and half, whisking quickly so as not to scramble the eggs. Transfer to saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until mixture thickens and comes to boil, about 5 minutes. Boil 1 minute. Pour into medium bowl. Stir in vanilla. Optional step: Pour the pastry cream through a wire mesh filter to ensure a smooth texture. Press plastic onto surface of pastry cream. Cover; chill until cold, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. Try not to eat the whole bowl :-))

Macerated Berries
1 16 oz bag of frozen mixed berries (raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries from Trader Joe's is my favorite) or 4 pints of fresh berries of your choice
1 16 oz bag of frozen strawberries or 4 pints of fresh strawberries of your choice
1/2 cup of sugar

A day or two before you want to assemble the trifle, dump the frozen berries into a large bowl. Pour the sugar over the berries, add 1/2 cup of water, mix it up, cover, and stick it in the fridge. Every 12 hours or so, mix well.

Whipped Cream
3 cups very cold whipping cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until stiff peaks form. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and chill.)

Have Leftover Ingredients?
This recipe isn't one that's measured out perfectly and you'll more than likely have cake, pastry cream, berries, and whipped cream left over. And since I typically make this for some big event, I rarely get any. So, if you're in the same boat or have a neighbor or friend you'd like to treat, do what I do. Take some of the cake cuttings that I have left over, break them up into smaller pieces. Combine it with any left over pastry cream and any left over berries, juice and all. Mix it up well and squish it down into a small bowl so it's about 2-4 inches high. Spread any left over whipped cream on top and stick it in the fridge overnight. It won't be as pretty as your trifle but it will be super yummy!

Yield: The big trifle with the flowers on it fed *a lot* of people; I'd say roughly 30-40 servings, depending on the portion size. The smaller one feeds about 15-20 servings.
Would I Make This Again? Without a doubt! This is one of my "go to" recipes that I will make in a pinch because it's always a big hit no matter how large the crowd.

Did you say Powerlifting a Ballet Dancer?

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Sun, 10 May 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Did the title grab your attention? I was just teasing you (sort of!). Truth is, I spent the last day making powerlifting and ballet themed cupcakes for the same birthday party. Why would someone want both of these? Well, let me explain why. Last week one of the trainers at my gym asked me if I would be interested in making her boyfriend cupcakes for a little birthday party she was organizing. He's pretty big into powerlifting and she knew making gym equipment into something edible would be right up my alley. I was psyched! But then, yesterday afternoon she called me with a little dilemma: there was to be another person at the party who was celebrating a birthday too! Not wanting to leave them out, she had hoped I could include a few ballet themed cuppies in with her order. I couldn't imagine ever having the opportunity to create such two diametrically opposite themes, so how could I possibly say no?
For the cupcakes I decided to make a chocolate and peanut butter combination - with two toppings: a simple peanut butter glaze and a fluffy fudge frosting. The cake in this recipe was unique in that it was a cross between cake and a brownie so I've decided to call it a Crownie! :)
The frosting was a bit of an issue. I followed the recipe exactly as it was written but when I was ready to pipe, it was the consistency of fudge! It was so thick, in fact, that I was not able to get it to even come out of the tip. So to lighten it, I added some soften cream cheese, a bit more vanilla, and a little more powdered sugar. The result was much more frosting-like and according to my husband, added a lot to the overall texture.

As you can see, I got a little carried away...but I had SO much fun making them! And just in case you're curious, this apparent talent I have for making random things out of fondant and gum paste is new. While I've always appreciated the arts and can doodle with the best of them, I had no idea I could do this! So to all those people out there who doubt their ability to make things out of fondant, I dare you to give it a try. I bet you'll surprise yourself with what you can do. :)

Peanut Butter and Chocolate "Crownie" Cupcakes with Whipped Cocoa Fudge Frosting
adapted from All Recipes

Chocolate Cupcrownies
1 cup unsalted margarine
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup water
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
2 cups white sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips (optional)

Peanut Butter Glaze
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, it's up to you)
1 tablespoon peanut oil (or other vegetable oil)
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 teaspoon vanilla

Whipped Cocoa Fudge Frosting
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup butter
6 tablespoons buttermilk
Pinch of kosher salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
4 oz (half a package) full fat sour cream, at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350F. Line 2 muffin tins with 18 cupcake liners. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sifted flour, sugar and baking soda. Set aside. Make a well in the center and pour in chocolate mixture. Add vanilla and beat until smooth. Spread batter into prepared pan.

In a saucepan, combine 1 cup margarine, 1/4 cup cocoa, water, and 1/2 cup buttermilk in a saucepan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until it bubbles. Remove from heat and set aside.

Remove 1 cup of the hot liquid and very slowly, maybe a tablespoon or two at a time, whisk it into the beaten eggs. Continue adding the chocolate liquid to the egg mixture until you've mixed it all together. Pour the chocolate/egg mixture very slowly into the saucepan, whisking the entire time. Turn the heat back up to medium and continue whisking several minutes until the mixture just starts to come to a boil. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Pour in chocolate mixture into the flour mixture and mix until well blended and no dry ingredients appear. Add vanilla and beat until smooth - about 1 to 2 minutes. Don't be alarmed at how liquidy the batter looks.) Fill each cupcake tin 2/3rds of the way. Sprinkle a few mini chocolate chips over the top of each cupcake. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the top is set and a toothpick entered into the center of the cupcake comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the cupcakes from the pan and continue to cool.
While the cupcakes are cooling, mix the peanut butter and oil together until the oil is absorbed. Add the powdered sugar and the vanilla. Spread a little over the top of each cake.

In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup cocoa, 1/2 cup margarine, salt, and 6 tablespoons buttermilk. Heat just until it starts to boil. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Place confectioners' sugar in a large bowl and beat in chocolate mixture. Continue mixing until smooth. Add the cream cheese and mix until combined. If the frosting seems a little thin, continue to add more powdered sugar until it's at the consistency you want. Spread or pipe on each cupcake.

Yield: 19 cupcakes, er...cupcrownies. :)
Would I Make This Again? My husband said they were really good and I liked how dense they were. I'd like to make this in a 9x13 pan and see how it compares.

Oh! Nuts Giveaway Winner!

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Fri, 08 May 2009 17:25:00 +0000

Congratulations to Mel a.k.a "Short Person's Mom" of Stories of Short Person! You're the lucky winner of the Oh! Nuts Giveaway.

Thank you to everyone that entered! Based on the popularity of this giveaway, I plan to do it again very soon.

Erin's Pinkalicious Cupcakes

ilovecookiemonster@gmail.com (Julia from Dozen Flours) — Wed, 06 May 2009 05:08:00 +0000

Considering the fact that I have a thirteen year old son, it shouldn't seem too odd that I had never heard of the book, Pinkalicious. However, that all changed when I volunteered to make cupcakes for my friend's daughter's third birthday party, as I became a bit of a subject matter expert on the story. The book is about a little girl who eats so many pink cupcakes that she turns pink! Erin just loves it and asks her mom to read it to her just about everyday. And who could blame her? This book so so cute and girly, with it's unique illustrations and silly, albeit moralistic plot.At first glance, the cupcakes seem simple enough, but it was much more than a little pink icing, some sprinkles, and a cherry. The part I found most challenging was the frosting and getting the tall, rounded shape perfected. After a bit of research, I was able to achieve this by adding just a little flour to the frosting, which was the perfect stabilizer. Admittedly, the frosting looked a little on the dry side, but it had to be to support the domed shape, hold on to the fuchsia swag border, and the cherry on top. Perhaps someday I'll come up with a smoother, more visually appealing recipe, but I think in the end it worked out really well.
These cupcakes were challenging but so much fun to make! I actually squealed with delight when I was done making them because I felt they looked just like the cupcakes that were in the book. The best part was that Erin did too; she really thought her cupcake was Pinkalious!

Pinkalicious Cupcakes
Note: The following recipe is one that I put together and is no way endorsed by the publisher or authors. If you'd like to use their recipe, they have one available on their site.

Supplies You'll Need Ready
- Solid purple cupcake liners (Save 10% by entering code PC0050)
- Gel Food Coloring in both Pink and Purple (Please, do not use liquid or water based coloring. I used the CK brand that comes in the tube in Bright Red and Purple)
- Wilton White-White Food
- Pastry/Icing Bags
- Icing Tip ( I used a Ateco #15)
White Non-parallel sprinkles (should be available in your grocery store)
- 24 Maraschino Cherries, with stems

Cherries
Before you start baking, remove the cherries from the jar and let drain on a few folded paper towels. Discard any cherries that aren’t in good shape (those you get to eat!) After about an hour, flip the cherries over. Cover lightly and set aside.

Pink Cupcakes
adapted from Martha Stewart
Note: This recipe makes exactly 24 cupcakes.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup full-fat sour cream
Pink Gel food coloring (I used CK Food Color Gel in Bright Red)
Optional: Wilton's White-White Icing Color

Preheat oven to 350F. Line two cupcake tins with 24 cupcake liners. Set aside.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

Mix 2 tablespoons of the sour cream with just a pin sized amount of the food coloring gel. Be sure to mix it together really well, breaking up any globs. Keep adding more food coloring until the color is the right shade of pink – you want it a little bit brighter than what you envision the end product to be. Add a little at a time until you get the desired shade. Add this to the larger bowl of sour cream and mix well. If the color is too light, remove a tablespoon of the sour cream and repeat the process again. Set aside.

In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. With mixer on low, beat in eggs and yolks, one at a time, mixing one minute for each one. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. If the color of the batter is not the color you had envisioned, remove a tablespoon of batter to a little bowl, add more color, mix well, and then add it to the big bowl of batter. Mix well. Repeat this as necessary.

Fill the cupcakes about 2/3 way full and smooth the tops as best you can. Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until a toothpick put into the center of the cupcake comes out clean (a few crumbs are okay). Be careful not to over bake - you don't want brownish pink cupcakes!

Let cool 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove from pan and let cool completely. When they are totally cool, store them in a covered container. Pink Frosting
1 cups white vegetable shortening
1 cups unsalted butter
2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract
8 cups sifted powdered sugar
2 teaspoons all purpose flour
Pinch of kosher salt
4 tablespoons milk
Pink Food Coloring Gel
Optional: Wilton's White-White Icing Color

In a small bowl, mix together the milk and a very small amount of food coloring gel – and I mean a very little bit. You want to achieve only a pale pink.

In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar and flour. Set aside.

In large bowl, cream shortening and butter with electric mixer. Add vanilla. Gradually add sugar, one cup at a time, beating well on medium speed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl often. When all sugar has been mixed in, icing will appear dry. Add milk and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. Keep bowl covered with a damp cloth until ready to use.

Note: If you find that after you add the pink milk mixture to your frosting that the frosting is too pink, you can use Wilton’s White-White icing color to mute it. It works wonders!

Reserve about 1 1/2 to 2 cups of the frosting and cover it to keep from drying out.
Fushia Frosting
Reserved 1 1/2 to 2 cups of pink frosting
Pink Food Coloring Gel
Purple Food Coloring Gel

In a clean bowl of stand mixture, mix the frosting for about 30 seconds just to warm it up. In very small quantities, add a blob of pink/bright red food coloring gel. Mix until it’s well combined. You want the color to be saturated and very bright pink. When you’re there, add just the tiniest bit of purple to the mixture so that it deepens the pink to the point that it’s about to go purple. Unfortunately there’s no good way for me to precisely measure the amount of food coloring I used. You just have to go slow and be patient. Make sure you have a reference point for the color you’re trying to achieve near by to keep you calibrated.

Get your piping bag ready with the Ateco 15 tip and add the frosting to the bag.
Assembly
Pour the white non-pariels into a small rounded bowl and have a small spoon at the ready. Set aside.

Have a little cup of water ready. Set aside.
Pipe a generous amount of frosting on the top of each cupcake, doing your best to create a domed shape. Don’t worry about it looking perfect and pretty at this point just try to go for height. Using a small off-set spatula, gently coax the icing into a somewhat smooth domed cap of frosting. You may need more frosting so add it if you need to.
Loosely Cover the top of the cupcake with piece of plastic wrap – one that is large enough to completely cover the cupcake. Cup one of your hands and gently use it to gently push against the plastic wrap, forming the surface of the cupcake into a rounded surface. Continue to press and mold until you get a smooth (or close to it) cupcake surface free of dents. This sounds a bit difficult, but believe me, when you’re in the moment, it will make sense.

While the frosting is still damp, turn the cupcake upside down and drip the top of it into the bowl of sprinkles. Use the spoon if you need it to direct the sprinkles around the cupcake and/or to tamp them down. Now, if you find that the non-pariels are not sticking to the surface it just means that the frosting is too dry. Using your finger, gently dampen the surface of the cupcake (just a teeny tiny amount of water works wonders) and try again.

Using a bit of pressure, slowly pipe a continuous “w” shape on the sides of each cupcake. It really helps to have a cake stand that turns to do this, but if you don’t, just pipe with one hand while you slowly turn each cupcake with the other.

The key here is the placement of the frosting-swag. If your cupcake has a good sized dome, you should have a nice horizontal surface to work with.

Top each cupcake with a cherry and tap it down just a bit to hold it in place.

Keep the cupcakes covered until you’re ready to eat them.

Enjoy!!

Yield 24 cupcakes and probably more than enough frosting
Would I Make This Again? I would, but I have to admit that these were not easy, but now that I have made them, they'd be easier next time.