Soap Mom's Kitchen

Oreo Cookie Centennial Celebration Today

2012-03-06T05:44:00.001-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY OREO AND MANY, MANY MORE!

I was informed by a fellow blogger, Louise at Months of Edible Celebrations that it is Oreo Cookie Centennial Celebration Today. I didn't have time to conjure up something scrumptious, but I do have a previous post, Cookies and Cream Chocolate Chip Muffins you might like if you're a big fan of this black and white delight. Who doesn't love these cookies?

French Croissants

2012-03-03T05:59:00.000-05:00

The weekend is here and I love to bake with my daughter. She wanted to learn how to make croissants. She is 12 years old and it's time for her to learn. She did pretty good for her first time. I used the recipe from Esther MacManus, baking with Julia. They taste wonderful. These croissants taste very French and authentic. I used french butter and that makes a difference. If you can't find French Butter use the best butter you can buy. Layers and layers of flaky, buttery dough. Yum.....It is perfect with with a smear of soft French butter and homemade preserves.

CROISSANT RECIPE
Recipe from “Baking with Julia: Savor the Joys of Baking with America’s Best Bakers”
Ingredients
For 20-24 croissants
For the dough:

1 ounce compressed fresh yeast
3 3/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp salt
1 cup milk

For the butter:

4 1/2 sticks (1 pound 2 ounces) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
2 tbsp unbleached all purpose flour

For the egg wash:

1 large egg beaten with 1 tbsp cold water

Place butter square on top of dough

Fold into packet

Roll out and get prepared to fold

Fold into thirds like an envelope

Place in fridge

Completed first turn do 2 to 3 more

Roll into rectangle and clean edges.

Save scraps for later in preparation.

When turns are complete roll and cut with

pizza cutter into triangles

Stretch the dough like the one on the left

Take scrap dough and place in center at the end

and begin rolling

Roll croissant into shape and proof and coat

with egg wash

Method
Preparing the dough:
Put the yeast, flour sugar, salt and 1 cup of milk into the bowl of a mixer fitted with a dough hook. With the machine on its lowest speed, mix for 1 to 2 minutes, until a soft, moist dough forms on the hook. If the dough is to dry, add more milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. In most cases if the dough does need more liquid, it won’t need more than about 3 tablespoons, but check carefully as you want all the flour to be moistened. Stop the mixer and look into the bowl. If the hook has not picked up all the flour from the bottom of the bowl, add a few more drops of milk.
Set the mixer to its highest speed and work the dough until it is smooth and elastic, no longer sticky and close to the consistency of soft butter, about 4 minutes. To make certain that all the ingredients are perfectly blended you can remove the dough from the mixer after 3 minutes, and then with the mixer on high speed, return plum size pieces to the bowl. The pieces will remain separate for a short while, then come together, at which time the dough is ready.
Remove the dough from the mixer, wrap it in plastic and put it in a plastic bag, leaving a little room for expansion. Keep the dough at room temperature for 30 minutes to give the gluten time to relax; then refrigerate the dough for 8 hours or overnight.
Preparing the butter:
Attach the paddle to your mixer and beat the butter and flour on the highest speed until smooth and the same consistency as the croissant dough, about 2 minutes. Reach into the bowl and poke around in the butter to make sure that its evenly blended – if you find any lumps, just squeeze them between your fingers. Scrape the butter onto a large piece of plastic wrap and give it a few slaps to knock the air out of it. Mold it into an oval 5 to 6 inches long and 1 inch thick. Wrap it tightly and refrigerate until needed. At this point the dough and the butter can be frozen; defrost overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding with the recipe.
Incorporating the butter:
Place the croissant dough on a generously floured large work surface (marble is ideal) and sprinkle the top of the dough lightly with flour. Using a long rolling pin, roll the dough into an oval approximately 10 inches wide and 17 inches long. Brush the excess flour from the dough. Center the oval of chilled butter across the oval of dough and fold the top and bottom of the dough over the butter to make a tidy package. Gently and evenly stretch the folded layers of dough out to the sides and press the edges down firmly with your fingertips to create a neatly sealed rectangle.
If you own a French rolling pin (one without handles) now is the time to use it. Hold one side of the dough steady with your hand and strike the other side gently but firmly with the rolling pin to distribute the butter evenly. As you hit the dough you will see the butter moving out into the crevices. Strike the other side of the dough the same way. After pounding you should have a 1 inch thick rectangle about about 14 inches long and 6 inches wide.
Keeping the work surface and the top of the dough well floured, roll out the dough. If this your first time working with croissant dough, you may want to roll out the dough just a little to distribute the butter, put it on a baking sheet lined with flour-dusted parchment paper, cover it with plastic and chill it for 1 to 2 hours first; this way you wont risk having the dough go soft or the butter seep out. (Each time you wrap the dough, make sure its well covered – even a little air will cause the dough to form an unwanted skin.) If you are experienced, feeling courageous or have dough that is still well chilled, go on to make your first turn.
Rolling and folding:
Roll the dough into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long and about 14 inches wide, with the long side facing you. (You may feel as though your rolling the dough sideways-and you are.) Brush off the excess flour and, working from the left and right sides, fold the dough inward into thirds, as you would a brochure, so that you have a package thats about 8 inches wide by 14 inches long.
Carefully transfer the dough to a parchment- lined baking sheet, mark the parchment “1 turn” so you’ll know what you’ve done, cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. You can freeze the dough after this or any other turn. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before proceeding.
Second turn:
Place the dough so that the 14 inch side runs left to right. (The dough needs 2 more turns; you’ve given it one quarter-turn already.) Making sure the work surface is well floured at all times, roll the dough as you did before into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long by about 14 inches wide . (When doing the second and third turns, you may find that the dough has cracked a little. That’s natural; its a result of the yeast. Don’t worry, just flour the dough and work surface and keep going.)
As you did before, fold the dough in thirds. Place it on the parchment, mark the paper “2 turns”, cover and refrigerate continued in part 2 for at least 2 hours.
Third turn:
Start again with a 14 inch side running from your left side to your right. Roll the dough into a rectangle 24 to 26 inches long by 14 inches wide. Fold the left and right sides of the dough into the center, leaving a little space in the center, and then fold one side over the other as though you were closing a book. This is the famous double turn, also known as “the wallet”.
Chilling the dough:
Brush off the flour, wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours. At this point the dough is ready to be rolled, cut and shaped into croissants. Storing: The dough can be frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight, still wrapped, in the refrigerator.
Rolling the dough:
Generously flour a work surface. Position the dough so that it resembles a book, with the spine to your left and the opening to your right. For easy handling, cut the dough in half horizontally so that you have two pieces about 7 inches long and about 6 1/2 inches wide: wrap and chill one half while you work with the other half.
Flour the dough and roll it into a rectangle thats 24 to 26 inches long and 15 to 18 inches wide. This takes a lot of rolling. Keep the work surface and the dough well floured and have patience. If necessary turn the dough so that the long side runs from left to right along the counter. Carefully fold the top half of the dough down to the bottom. The dough is now ready for cutting.
Cutting the dough:
Working with a pizza cutter or a large, very sharp knife, cut triangles from the dough. This is done most easily by making a diagonal cut on the left hand side to get the pattern started; save the uneven piece of dough. Measure off a 3 to 4 inch base and begin cutting the triangles, always cutting from bottom to top. You’ll have another scrap when you reach the other end-you’ll use these scraps when you shape the croissants. Unfold each pair of triangles and cut them in half to separate. You should have 10 to 12 maybe 14 triangles; set them aside while you clear the work surface of all flour. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper.
Shaping the croissants:
Moisten your hands with a wet towel. Working with one triangle at a time, gently stretch the base to widen it slightly, then, holding the base of the triangle in one hand, run the fingers of the other hand down to the point of the triangle. Use your thumb to pull and stretch the dough until its almost twice the original length-have courage and tug; the extra length is what allows you to make a large croissant with sufficient rolls to show off its layers of dough.
Place the triangle, point toward you, at arm distance on the work table this will give enough space to roll the croissant into shape with-out having to lift it in mid-roll) Pull off a little piece of the reserved scrap dough, mold it into a small football shape and center it on the wide top part of the triangle-this will help make the “belly” of the croissant plump. Fold about 1/2 inch of this wide end over itself and press the ends down once to secure. With you palms and fingers positioned over the flattened ends of the croissant and the heels of your hands on the flat work surface, roll the croissant toward you-try to keep your hands moving down and out to the sides as you roll- ending with the point of the triangle tucked under the croissant. A well shaped croissant-and it takes practice to achieve one-will sport at least six clearly accountable sections, or ridges, from rolling. Place the croissants on one of the baking sheets, leaving room for them to triple in size without touching one another. Repeat with the other half of the dough.
Glazing and rising:
Give the croissants a last gentle plumping, carefully turning the ends down and toward the center to produce the classic croissant shape. Brush the croissants with egg wash and allow them to rise, uncovered, at room temperature for 3 to 4 hours, until tripled in size and spongy. (Reserve egg wash, covered in the refrigerator.) The ideal place for rising is a turned off oven (one with a pilot light is fine) containing a pan of hot steamy water. To test that they are properly risen, wet your fingers and squeeze the end of a croissant:It should offer no resistance and feel almost hollow.
Baking the croissants:
Arrange the oven racks to divide the oven into thirds, and preheat the oven to 350 f. Brush the croissants once again with egg wash and bake for 12 minutes. Rotate front to back and bake another 4 to 6 minutes, until the croissants are deeply bronzed. Cool on racks. As tempting as they are croissants should not be eaten as soon as they come from the oven. The dough-and the layers within need time to set.
Storing:
The croissants are best eaten the day they are made. If you must keep them, freeze them, wrapped airtight. Thaw the croissants overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature and reheat in a 350F oven for about 8 minutes.

New York Cheesecake

2012-02-27T16:03:00.000-05:00

A thing of beauty! Only people who love cheesecake

could understand my excitement!!!!

I am so happy because I finally found a recipe for New York Cheesecake that is worthy of that name. I found this recipe on my favorite blog, Food for a Hungry Soul . My fellow blogger, Katy adapted the recipe from, Jim Fobel's, "Old Fashioned Baking Book". In my opinion, this is as authentic as it gets.

I made this for a family Sunday Dinner at my Mom's house yesterday. The table was surrounded by 14 die-hard New Yorkers with very discriminating taste. New Yorkers do not hold back their opinions, including my wonderful New York husband and daughter. They all raved about this cheesecake and said, "This is the best New York Cheesecake they ever ate." Thanks Katy for posting this recipe. I am jumping for joy!!!!! I will never make another cheesecake again! My search is over!

New York Cheesecake

Recipe found at: Food for a Hungry Soul by Katy

Recipe written by: Jim Fobel, "Old Fashioned Baking Book"

Note: There is no crust on a typical New York Cheesecake

Ingredients:

5 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups (one pint) sour cream, room temperature

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese, room temperature

8 tablespoons (one stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

Generously butter the inside of a 10-inch springform pan. Wrap a double layer of heavy-duty aluminum foil tightly around the outside bottom and sides, crimping and pleating the foil to make it conform to the pan. This will help to prevent water seeping into the pan when you put it into the bain-marie. Position the baking rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 300* Fahrenheit.

In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the eggs with the sour cream until well blended.

In a medium-sized bowl, beat the cream cheese with the butter until smooth and creamy. Add this to the egg-sour cream mixture and beat until smooth.

Add the sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, lemon juice and lemon zest and beat thoroughly, about 2 minutes.

Pour into the prepared springform pan and place in a roasting pan (or other pan) large enough to prevent the sides from touching. Place in the oven and carefully pour in enough very hot tap water to reach halfway up the sides of the springform pan.

Bake for 2 hours, 15 minutes, or until the cake is very lightly colored and a knife inserted in the center emerges clean. Remove from the water bath and carefully peel the aluminum foil from around the pan. Let stand at room temperature until completely cool, about 4 hours. Refrigerate, covered, until well chilled. For best flavor and texture, this cheesecake is best chilled overnight.

Note: For the best cheesecake possible, your ingredients should all be a room temperature. I leave my ingredients out for at least 4 hours. The cream cheese and butter should be very soft. The sour cream and eggs should be room temperature, as well. This makes all the difference in the world.

My quick and delicious Berry Sauce.

2 cups blueberries, frozen

2 cups strawberries, frozen

1/2 granulated sugar

1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 T. water

Optional: Feel free to substitute other berries like raspberries and blackberries. I have only made this sauce with frozen fruit. If using fresh fruits you may have to add some extra water to sauce pot.

In a heavy duty sauce pot over medium to low heat, place berries in pot with sugar and jam. Bring to a medium to low boil. The fruit will produce it's own liquid, reduce this to half by boiling on a (low simmer for about 20-25 minutes). Dissolve the cornstarch with water in a small cup. Remove the pot from heat and slowly stir the cornstarch liquid into the berry mixture. Place pot back on heat and stir for another 3 minutes. Place in a glass bowl in fridge until cool.

This stuff is great on yogurt, ice cream and toast.

Chocolate Marble Pound Bread

2012-02-26T11:21:00.003-05:00

This is a wonderful tea, breakfast or snack bread. It taste like a pound cake/tea bread. It actually gets better with age. It is simple to make and wonderful if you're having friends over for coffee or tea. I made extra to freeze to have on hand just for quick get togethers with family or friends. This is also a great pound-bread to make for a fondue party, dip pound bread in warm Chocolate Ganache. Yum!

Recipe Source: " Baking with Passion" by Dan Lepard and Richard Whittington.
Chocolate Marble Pound Bread
4 oz semi sweet or bitter sweet chocolate, chopped into small pieces
1/2 cup milk (divided)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
pinch of salt
Optional: (I added 1 T. orange zest and 1 tsp. orange extract)

Directions
Preheat your oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Grease and flour a standard sized loaf pan.
In a bain marie (a metal bowl placed over a pot of barely simmering water), combine your chocolate and 1/4 cup of milk, stirring occasionally until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is glossy and smooth.
Using a stand or hand mixer, combine the butter and sugar, and beat until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the vanilla and mix in well.
In a separate bowl combine the flour, salt and baking powder. Sift to eliminate lumps.
In another bowl combine a 1/4 cup of milk with the sour cream.
In alternating additions, add the flour and milk mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again.
Remove half of the mixture and add it to the melted chocolate.
Using ice cream scoop, alternate the chocolate and vanilla batter in layers in the loaf pan. Once the pan is 3/4 of the way full use a knife to gently swirl the two batters together.
Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the loaf springs back after being lightly pressed or a cake tester comes clean after being inserted into the middle of the loaf.

Garlic Knots

2012-02-22T07:57:00.003-05:00

I was making black bean soup and decided that garlic knots would be a wonderful accompaniment with all that garlic, yum. I found this recipe at Simply Recipes. Warning they are addictive and kids love them! I doubled the recipe below.

Garlic Knots

Dough:

3/4 cup warm water (105°F-115°F)
1 package (2 teaspoons) of active dry yeast (check the expiration date on the package)
1 3/4 cups bread flour (can use all-purpose but bread flour will give you a crisper crust)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar

Garlic-Butter Coating:

5 Tbsp unsalted butter ( I used half olive oil)
4 cloves garlic, minced (I grated my garlic for intense flavor)
1/4 cup parsley, minced
1 teaspoon salt
Optional: I added 1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes, 1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning and a little grated Parmesan Cheese

Method

1 Sprinkle the yeast on top of the warm water and let it sit for 5 minutes. Stir to combine and let sit for another 5-10 minutes, until it begins to froth a bit.

2 In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center of the flour and pour in the olive oil, then the yeast-water mixture. Mix this together to form a soft dough and knead for 5-10 minutes. Shape the dough into a ball and lightly coat with olive oil. Put it in a large bowl, top the bowl with plastic wrap and set it at room temperature to rise.

3 When the dough has doubled in size, anywhere from 90 minutes to several hours, cut it in half. Set out a large baking sheet and line it with a silpat or parchment paper. Take one half of the dough and cut it in half. Working with one piece at a time, flatten into a rough rectangle about 5 inches long 1/2 inch thick.

4 Using a sharp knife, slice the dough into strips of about 1 inch wide by 5 inches long. Cut these strips in half. Take one piece and work it into a snake, then tie it in a knot. The dough will be sticky along the cut edges, so dust these with flour before you tie the knot. Set each knot down on the baking sheet and repeat with the remaining dough. Remember that the dough will rise, so leave some space between each knot.

5 Once all the knots are tied, paint them with a little olive oil. Loosely cover them with plastic wrap and let them rise again until doubled in size, anywhere from 90 minutes to three hours or so. Toward the end of this rising period, preheat the oven to 400°.

6 Uncover the knots and bake in the oven 12-15 minutes, or until nicely browned on top.

7 Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small pot and cook the garlic gently in it just long enough to take off that raw garlic edge, about 1-2 minutes over medium-low heat. Add the salt and parsley and stir to combine. Turn off the heat.

8 When the knots are done, take out of the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Put into a big bowl and pour butter/garlic mixture over knots. Take a big spoon and toss knots with butter/garlic mixture and serve. These are best warm, but are good at room temperature, too.
Yield: Makes about 20 knots.

Black and White Cookies

2012-02-17T05:00:00.000-05:00

On Have the Cake the challenge was Black and White, Linzer and Lace Cookies. I love all those cookies, but I decided to go Black and White for the challenge. They are very popular in New York City. I have a very fond appreciation for these deli favorites. I think every sandwich shop, coffee shop and diner in New York sells these delightful treats. I found this recipe on Joy the Baker. They are very easy to make and I made them with my twelve year old daughter. We had a lot of fun together doing the black and white icings. Enjoy!

Black and White Cookies

Makes about 16 large cookies
Recipe from Joy the Baker who adapted from Gourmet Cookbook

For the Cookies
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/3 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large egg

For Vanilla Glaze

2 cups powdered sugar

1 Teaspoon light corn syrup

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

For Chocolate Glaze

4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate

3 Tablespoons butter

1 Tablespoon light corn syrup

To make the cookies-

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt in a bowl. Stir together buttermilk and vanilla in a cup.
Beat together butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes, then add eggs, beating until combined well. Mix in flour mixture and buttermilk mixture alternately in batches at low speed (scraping down side of bowl occasionally), beginning and ending with flour mixture. Mix until smooth.
Spoon 1/4 cups of batter about 2 inches apart onto a buttered large baking sheet. Bake in middle of oven until tops are puffed and pale golden, and cookies spring back when touched, 15 to 17 minutes. Transfer with a metal spatula to a rack and chill (to cool quickly), about 5 minutes.

To make the glazes-

In a bowl, whisk together the powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and 2 tablespoons hot water, until smooth. That’s your vanilla glaze.

In a separate bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate in a microwave for about 1 minute. Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. That’s your chocolate glaze!

Once the cookies are cooled, face them all bottom side up of a clean surface. Spread half of the cookie with vanilla glaze and the other half with chocolate glaze. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to set. And…Yum!

School Cafeteria Rolls

2012-02-15T05:05:00.002-05:00

When I was a kid growing up in Missouri in the 1970's, I have very fond memories of my high school cafeteria rolls. They were high dinner rolls that smelled of yeast and were piled high with thick slices of brown-sugar ham and thick slices of real Wisconsin cheddar cheese, slightly warm with the cheese oozing down the sides of the bread or just served plain with sweet butter. Either way they were delicious.

I found a recipe a few years ago that really comes close to those amazing rolls that I fondly remember in school. My daughter and hubby love them. She has requested ham and cheese sandwiches with a smear of raspberry jam on a cafeteria roll for her lunch box. The name cafeteria rolls is what we call them in my house, but feel free to call them what ever you want. My response for her lunch request is, "No problem, I'll make one for me as well". This is a really good recipe and I think it will be a keeper for you.

Recipe:
Yields: 12 large rolls are 18 medium
Cook time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter or shortening
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup half and half or whole milk
1 package active dry yeast
3/4 cup lukewarm water (105 to 115 degrees)
1 medium to large egg, beaten
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, may need a little extra
Butter, melted for greasing pan

Preparation:
In a large bowl, combine sugar, vegetable shortening or butter, and salt; stir until well blended. In a small saucepan, scald milk; pour over sugar mixture. Cool to lukewarm (105 to 115 degrees F).
In a small bowl, combine yeast and water; stir until yeast is dissolved. Mix in egg until well blended; stir into milk mixture.

Add 2 cups flour. Gradually stir in as much of the remaining flour as dough will absorb,sometimes you may have to add a little extra, mix well. (Add additional flour carefully. You can always add more flour, but once you've added too much, the result will be a dry product.) You want a soft ball of dough. Place dough into a well-greased bowl, turning to grease top. Cover bowl with dough with a film of tight plastic wrap. Place in a warm, draft free place to rise. Must double in size. You can refrigerate dough for up to 3 days.

Grease a baking pan or muffin cups. To bake, shape into desired amount of rolls (cloverleaf rolls, Parker House rolls, crescent-shaped rolls or round balls, like I did.) If your are going to do what I did, shape dough into tight balls and place in well greased pan. As you shape the rolls, you want to stretch the top of the dough ball while simultaneously sealing the bottom. The stretching helps the dough hold up to the expansion that occurs in the oven, while the sealing prevents the rolls from opening up while baking.

Place the balls onto well greased baking pan or into greased muffin cups. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85 degrees), free from drafts, until double in bulk, about 1/2 to 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven and remove from pans.

Yields 12 to 18 rolls (depending on size).

Hugs and Kisses Valentines's Day Cupcakes

2012-02-10T15:40:00.000-05:00

My daughter is having a Middle School Valentine's Day Dance tonight. My daughter's best friend is having a pre-dance party at her house. I baked these cupcakes for a sweet treat for the girls tonight.

I downloaded Free Cupcake Printable Toppers that you cut out, put on toothpicks and insert into your cupcakes. Check this sight out, they have many other free printables.

I used Martha Stewart's Old Fashion Butter Cake recipe. I added pink food coloring, 2 T. strawberry preserves, 2 tsp. almond extract and 2 T. chocolate sprinkles into the batter.

Cream Cheese Frosting

4 oz. cream cheese, room temperature

1 stick room temperature unsalted butter

2 cups confectioner’s sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine. If you need to add extra confectioner's sugar to make a stiffer icing you can but it will become sweeter. optional: Add food coloring and sprinkles. I used a pastry bag to pipe out frosting but you can use a spatula and decorate anyway you like.

German Sauerkaut and Apple Salad

2012-02-09T16:39:00.004-05:00

Do you want an easy side salad recipe that's delicious? This is it. Just a few ingredients and it taste wonderful. This wonderful salad is from my mother's recipe tin from the beauty shop back in the day. It was from a German customer, named Gertrude. It is so simple. Perfect with a pork or sausage. It is also very light and great if you are counting calories. You can even eliminate the oil all together and I don't think you would even notice. Enjoy!

Recipe:
by Gertrude
1 14oz. can sauerkraut
2 large red apples or 4 small apples (grated with skins on) I used Fuji apples
2 tsp. olive oil
2-3 tsp. sugar ( I used Stevia)
cracked black pepper to taste
optional: I am sure dried cranberries would be a nice addition.

Mix all ingredients in bowl. Refrigerate for an hour or so for flavors to merry.

Bougatsa

2012-02-07T10:04:00.002-05:00

Lately, I have been on a Greek baking kick. I am trying to get all these Greek recipes that I love for my daughter and nieces to have when I am long gone. Not that I am planning on departing anytime soon, but we need to keep the family traditions alive and well.

What is Bougatsa? It is a favorite Greek street food and snack, bougatsa in Greece is traditionally made with puff pastry before being folded over the custard filling. I have seen it made with store bought phyllo dough which is fine, but it is not really authentic. In my opinion and I have been all over Greece, I believe that the island of Corfu in the North Western part of Greece makes the best, but I could be bias since that is where my family comes from. Watch this Video from Corfu on how they actually make bougatsa. I acutally had it from this place. The line in the morning goes around the block. It has a creamy custard filling and is sliced and served slightly warm or at room temperature, sprinkled with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon, it is Greek comfort food at its finest. I happen to use the puff pastry recipe from the fame, Chef Michael Richards. I always get good result and use this recipe for all my puff pastry needs. Just follow his recipe below and you should have success.

The filling recipe comes from my blog friend, Rodoula. This is her mothers recipe. Rodoula, thank you so much for sharing!! It is easy and delicious. I love bougatsa for breakfast with a strong Greek Coffee, heaven!!!

Puff Pastry by Chef Michael Richards
2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups cake flour
1 tablespoon salt
1 1/4 cups ice water
4 sticks (1 pound) very cold unsalted butter

Makes 2 1/2 pounds of dough

Mixing the Dough: Put all-purpose flour, cake flour, and salt in the work bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade. Pulse just to mix. Add water all at once, pulsing until dough forms a ball on the blade. Remove dough from machine, form into a ball, and slash the top in a tic-tac-toe pattern, with a small sharp knife. Wrap dough in a damp towel and refrigerate 5 minutes.

Incorporating the Butter: Place butter between 2 sheets of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin until it flattens into a 1 inch thick square. Unwrap the chilled dough and place it on a work surface dusted with all-purpose flour. Roll into a 10-inch square. Starting from the center of the square, roll out over each corner to create a thick center pad with “ears” or flaps. Place the cold butter in the middle of the dough and fold ears over butter, stretching as needed so they overlap slightly and encase butter completely. It should be about 8 inches square.

Making the Turns: Gently but firmly press the rolling pin against the top and bottom edges of the square. Then, keeping the work surface and dough well floured, roll the dough into a rectangle that is three times as long as the square you started with, about 24 inches. (Don’t worry about the width of the rectangle; if you get the 24 inches, everything else will work itself out.) With this first roll, it is particularly important that the butter be rolled evenly along the length and width of the rectangle; check when you start rolling that the butter is moving along well, and roll a bit harder or more evenly, if necessary, to get a smooth, even dough-butter sandwich. With a pastry brush, brush off the excess flour from the top of the dough, and fold the rectangle up from the bottom and down from the top in thirds, like a business letter, brushing off the excess flour. You have completed one turn.

Rotate the dough so that the closed fold is to your left, like the spine of a book. Repeat the rolling and folding process, rolling the dough to a length of 24 inches and then folding in thirds. This is the second turn.

Chilling the Dough: If the dough is still cool and no butter is oozing out, you can give the dough another two turns now. If the condition of the dough is iffy, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes. Each time you refrigerate the dough, mark the number of turns you’ve completed. It is best to refrigerate the dough for 30 to 60 minutes between each set of two turns.

The total number of turns needed is six.

Butter Square on top of dough....

Pull dough over the butter on four sides......

Roll out into a rectangle.....

Fold over into thirds......follow instructions above....

Baked Bougatsa and finished off with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon.....

Custard Filling
by Rodoula's Mom from Athens, Greece
2 eggs,

1/2 cup of fine semolina

1/2 cup of sugar

4 cups milk

1 T. unsalted Butter

1 whole vanilla bean with seeds

In a bowl beat eggs, sugar and semolina. In a sauce pot add milk and split open vanilla bean pod scrap seeds out and place into sauce pot as well, bring milk to a gentle boil. Remove vanilla pod. Pour the hot milk slowly onto the egg, sugar and semolina mixture; whisking while gently incorporating milk to temper the eggs. Pour back into the sauce pot and stir until thick and creamy. Put butter into custard and stir until well incorporated. Place into a bowl, cover with plastic wrap so the custard does not form a skin. Refrigerate until completely cool.

Assembly: Cut a strip of pastry dough the size of a 2 by 5 rectangle. Roll out a rectangle, place about 3 T. of filling , spread filling out a little with the back of the spoon and roll up like a burrito. Make an egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar (optional).

Egg Wash:

1 egg + 2 tsp. water. Mix well..use pastry brush...

Cut pastry dough into 2x5 piece and roll out to a rectangle 4x8

Place a few Tablespoons of filling and spread out with back of spoon. Fold burrito style.

Brush with egg wash and fold over flap.....

The folded filled bougatsa, seam side down.....

Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar.....

Notice my sizes are not perfect, but who cares????

Place in a lightly sprayed pan with spray release.....

I lightly score the top with a sharp knife.

Do not go all the way through to the custard filling.

Bake in a 375 Degree oven for about 35 -45 minutes until golden brown. It may take longer to cook depending on size of bougatsa and oven heat. Keep a close eye the first time. Sprinkle with confectioner's sugar and cinnamon.

You can make them bigger or smaller, it is up to you....

Tulumba Pastries

2012-02-03T09:10:00.000-05:00

So, what is a Tulumba? It is a Greek/Turkish beingnet. They kind of look like a churro. They are made using choux paste, piped out of a pastry bag with a star tip into hot oil and soaked in lemon sugar syrup. They are delicious. What is a choux paste? It is a French dough that is used typically for eclairs, cream puffs, Paris Brest and beingnets. They are simple to make and are quite impressive to serve to guest. If I am having a dinner party, I will make a double batch of Tulumbas, serve it in individual bowls for each guest and make different sauces for dipping, like chocolate, raspberry and creme anglaise. It is very typical in Greece, Turkey and the Middle East to soak their confections in sugar syrup and honey syrup. Either you love it or you hate it. I grew up on these type of desserts and I adore them. If you love baklava then your in the right place. You can make these Tulumbas and not dip them in syrup, but I would sift a lot of powder sugar on top while they are hot and serve with the sauces. I have sauce recipes below that I use. The texture is crispy and the centers are somewhat hollow, the syrup just adds something to it. It's sticky, crispy and slightly chewy. My 12 year old daughter is the official taste tester and she can't get enough of them.

Tulumba Dough:
choux paste

1 2/3 cup water
3 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cup flour
3 eggs

2 cups sunflower,canola, peanut or any light flavorless oil for frying in heavy duty pot

Heat the water, butter and salt in a pot.

When it starts to boil, lower the heat and add in the flour.
Stirring constantly until the mixture leaves the sides of the pot and becomes doughy.
Remove from the heat put aside for a few minutes.
Add eggs one at a time, blend well before adding the next.
Heat the sunflower oil in a large cooking pot on medium heat.

Fill Pastry Bag with choux paste.
Squeeze out pieces about 3/4 inch long over hot oil.
Break them off with a dull knife and let them fall right into oil.
Fry each piece uniformly, push under using a slotted spoon,
until golden brown and crispy.
With slotted spoon scoop Tulumba onto kitchen towel to remove excess oil.
Let cool completely.

Choux Paste

Pastry Bag with a Star Tip

Fry to a light golden brown

Dry on a Paper Towel or Tea Towel

Lemon Sugar Syrup:
3cups sugar
2 cups water
1 tsp lemon juice and add large cuts of
lemon rind into syrup to boil

Directions:
Put all the syrup ingredients into a heavy duty sauce pot and stir well. Bring syrup to a boil and then simmer on medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes until thick in consistency like thin maple syrup. While still warm throw Tulumbas in small batches in warm syrup for about 5 to 8 minutes remove and put into a colander for excess syrup to drip off.

Make sure they all soak in the syrup. Leave to air dry so that syrup gets sticky. Cover with loose clear wrap or foil.

These are the three dipping sauces I make when I am having a party.

Chocolate Sauce
Makes 2 1/2 cups of sauce

1 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup or agave nectar
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-processed)
2 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1. In a medium saucepan, whisk together the water, sugar, corn syrup or agave, and cocoa powder.

2. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Once it’s just begun to simmer and boil, remove from heat and stir in the chopped chocolate until melted.

Serving: You should let the Chocolate Sauce stand for a few hours before serving, which will give it time to thicken a bit.

Storage: Store the chocolate sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days. Rewarm before serving.

Raspberry Sauce (Makes: 2 cups)
1 half-pint package fresh raspberries
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 cup (12 ounces) seedless raspberry jam
optional: 1 tablespoon Framboise liqueur

Place the raspberries, the sugar, and 1/4 cup water in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour the cooked raspberries, the jam, and Framboise into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade and process until smooth. Chill.

Creme Anglaise:
Makes 2 cups

2 cups light cream or half and half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise or 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
5 large egg yolks

Have a fine medium-sized strainer and bowl ready near the stove.

In a stainless steel bowl stir together, using a wooden spoon, the sugar and yolks until well blended. (Do not let this mixture sit too long or a film will develop on the yolks.)

In a small saucepan heat the cream and vanilla bean (if using) just to the boiling point. Remove from heat and whisk a few tablespoons of the cream into the yolk mixture. Then, gradually add the remaining cream, whisking constantly.

Pour this mixture into a medium sized saucepan and, over medium heat, gently heat the mixture to just below the boiling point (170 - 175 degrees F) (77 - 80 degrees C). You will notice that steam will begin to appear and the mixture will be slightly thicker than heavy cream. Do not boil or the eggs will curdle. Check to see if it is the right consistency by holding a wooden spoon sideways that is covered with the custard and run your finger along the back of the spoon. If the streak remains without the cream running down through the streak, it is ready.

Immediately remove from the heat and pour through the strainer, scraping up any thickened cream that settles on the bottom of the pan. Remove the vanilla bean and scrape the seeds into the sauce. Stir until seeds separate. For maximum flavor, return the pod to the sauce until serving time. (If you are using pure vanilla extract, instead of the vanilla bean, add it to the cream now.)

The creme anglaise can be refrigerated covered with plastic wrap for a couple of days.

Note: If sauce was overheated and curdling occurs, pour instantly into a blender and process until smooth before straining. If necessary, add a little heavy cream to the mixture before blending.

Apple Turnovers

2012-01-29T23:22:00.002-05:00

Layers of flaky, buttery crust! Delish!

This recipe comes from my mother's recipe tin. The recipes date back to the 1960's - 1970's. My mother had a beauty Salon in St. Louis, Missouri. These recipes were passed on to her from her customers. The recipes are representations of home cooking from many different countries. My mom's customers were German, English, Dutch, Irish, Polish, African, Italian and Greek.

Every Friday night we had a feast in that Salon. These ladies had some of the most intricate hairdos. They really got decked out in those days. I was just a tween, but my love of food started in a Salon. I know that sounds crazy, but these ladies were proud about their dishes and loved to share them. Those Friday nights were the best times in my life. I am sure many of those wonderful ladies have passed away. I moved some 30 years ago and settled in New York. My heart and mind is filled with so much love for that simple time and that recipe tin means so much to me. It is all I have left from that amazing time in my life. I have a little bit of all those wonderful ladies in that tin. Well, this recipe is just as good as those memories and I will be making them all the time. I hope you love them as much as I do.

Apple Turnovers

Recipe: 8 Turnovers

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. salt

1 cup butter (unsalted very cold)

1/2 cup ice water

3 large apples peeled or 4-5 small apples peeled (cut into small dice)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1 tsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 egg plus 1 T. water

2T. coarse raw sugar

Glaze

Water and 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar

Mix with enough water to form a medium consistency glaze.

1. In a medium bowl with pastry blender, combine flour and salt. Cut in 1/2 cup butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle with ice water. With fork, mix well. Shape dough into a ball; with lightly floured rolling pin on lightly floured surface, roll into an 18 inch by 8 inch rectangle. Cut 1/4 cup butter into thin slices. Starting at one of the 8 inch sides place butter slices over 2/3 of rectangle to within 1/2 inch of edges. See pics below:

Fold into envelope

Roll back into 18 inch by 8 inch rectangle and place in fridge

2. Fold unbuttered 1/3 of pastry over middle 1/3; fold opposite end over to make an 8 inch by 6 inch rectangle. Roll dough into an 18inch by 8 inch rectangle (I slide my dough onto a plastic cutting board) and place in fridge for 20 minutes.

3. Take out from fridge, place onto floured board and slice remaining 1/4 cup butter; place slices on dough and fold as in steps 1 and 2; Chill another 20 minutes. Take out from fridge after 20 minutes and fold lengthwise and crosswise and chill for 1 hour.

4. Prepare filling: In a saucepan with spoon, mix diced apples, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon. Cook on low heat, stirring frequently until apples are tender, about 5 minutes. Chill.

5. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Cut dough crosswise in half: roll into a 12 inch square. Chill the other half of dough. Cut into four 6 inch squares. In cup, beat egg with 1 T. water. Spoon 1/8 of apples into center of square and fold over to make a triangle. Take a fork and press the sides all around each turnover to seal edges. Brush with egg mixture. Sprinkle with raw sugar. Continue the same procedure with remaining dough. Bake for about 20-22 minutes until golden. Cool slightly on rack and drizzle with glaze. Can serve warm or at room temperature.

Valentine's Day Cookies

2012-01-25T20:35:00.003-05:00

My daughter and I are making Valentine's Day Cookies for gift giving. We are using our favorite Sugar Cookie recipe and Marshmallow Fondant to cover them. We painted the stripes with almond extract and food coloring. The pearls are made with royal icing and different shades of pearl dust. The heart is made out of fondant. These cookies are great to make in an advance.

Sugar Cookies Recipe:
Make 10-12 large cookies
( Depends on thickness and size of cutter)
1 cup unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
pinch salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degees. In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and creamy. Add egg and continue to beat until lighter in color. Sift flour, pinch salt and baking powder into a bowl. Add extracts into butter mixture, mix well. Slowly add flour mixture and mix well. Wrap dough in clear wrap and refrigerate for 1/2 hour. Roll out dough onto a floured surface and cut into shapes, about 1/8 inch thick. You can go thicker if you like, but adjust cooking time. Bake on parchment or silpat for about 8 - 10 minutes until lightly golden.

Decorate as follows: Brush each cookie with apricot glaze. Make fondant and roll out. Cut using the same cutter as the cookie dough. Place fondant on to cookie. The glaze will help the fondant to stick to the cookie. Decorate as desire. Special note: if you are adding layers of fondant or adding a heart like I did ,you must attach with thinned out royal icing. The pearls are made with stiff to medium consistency of royal icing.

Marshmallow Fondant:
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 (16 ounce) package miniature marshmallows
4 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 pounds confectioners' sugar, divided

Directions
Place the butter in a shallow bowl, and set aside.

Place the marshmallows in a large microwave-safe bowl, and microwave on High for 30 seconds to 1 minute to start melting the marshmallows. Carefully stir the water and vanilla extract into the hot marshmallows, and stir until the mixture is smooth. Slowly beat in the confectioners' sugar, a cup at a time, until you have a sticky dough. Reserve 1 cup of powdered sugar for kneading. The dough will be very stiff.

Rub your hands thoroughly with butter, and begin kneading the sticky dough. As you knead, the dough will become workable and pliable. Turn the dough out onto a working surface dusted with confectioners' sugar and continue kneading until the fondant is smooth and no longer sticky to the touch, 5 to 10 minutes.

Form the fondant into a ball, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. To use, allow the fondant to come to room temperature, and roll it out onto a flat surface dusted with confectioners' sugar.

Apricot Glaze
1 jar of apricot preserves

Blend in blender to smooth out. Heat to thin out glaze. Use a pastry brush to brush each cookie with glaze.

Royal Icing Recipe:
3 tablespoons meringue powder
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
6 tablespoons water

Directions:
Beat all ingredients at low speed for 7 to 10 minutes, or until icing forms peaks. Tip: Keep icing covered with a wet kitchen towel at all times. Icing can dry out quickly.
Wrap in cellophane bag with ribbon. Add a card for a personal touch.

Sweet 16 Birthday Cake

2012-01-21T23:53:00.001-05:00

I made this "Sweet 16 Cake". It was covered in lollipops, sixteen white chocolate candles and a pulled sugar swirl coming out from the top. I love making Sweet 16 cakes covered in lollipops. The name plate was made out of chocolate. On the top tier there are leopard prints made out of chocolate. My niece loves animal prints. I actually made two cakes for my niece because she had 2 parties. One for friends and the other for family. I will be posting the pic of the second cake soon. This cake was a red velvet from my red velvet cupcake recipe and French Custard Buttercream Frosting. I love making really bright colored birthday cakes. Sweet 16 Birthday Cakes should be all about fun and the cake should be youthful and happy!

The chocolate candles are always a hit!

The kids love the homemade lollipops.

Ekmek (Greek Pastry)

2012-01-19T16:00:00.004-05:00

This is one of my favorite Greek Desserts. I know this desserts is also made in Turkey, but it is very different from the Greek version. This has a bottom layer of shredded phyllo dough, called Kataifi you can find in specialty Greek shops or Supermarkets. It is soaked in syrup, layered with a lucious pastry cream and whipped cream on top. You can add almonds are pastichios on top. It is very elegant and would make a lovely dessert for an elegant dinner party. I have been making this for years and I haven't met anyone who did not love it.

Recipe: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

For the Pastry Base:

(use a 11x15 baking pan with at least 2 inch sides)

1lb. Kataifi pastry
1/2 cup melted unsalted butter, plus a pat more for buttering the pan

This pic is from a previous one I made using a pyrex pan.

I do not recommend using glass. I highly recommend using an aluminum

11x15x2 rectangle pan.

For the Syrup:
3 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice

For the Custard:
7 egg yolks
5cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups sugar
7 tablespoons fine semolina
4 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 vanilla bean whole (remove seeds)

Whip Topping:
3 cups heavy Whipping Cream
1/2 cup confectionser's sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a large rectangular baking pan (about 11×15x2 inches), making sure it is deep enough to fit the layers of pastry, custard and whipped cream. To begin making the base, take the strands of Kataifi and pull them apart while layering them in the bottom of the buttered pan no need to press down on the Kataifi strands as they are better left light and fluffy. Brush the Kataifi strands with the melted butter then place the pan in the oven. Toast the Kataifi strands until light golden brown, you do not want the Kataifi too dark. (about 20 minutes).

Begin making the syrup by boiling the sugar with the water in a small sauce pan for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice, then pour the hot syrup over the toasted pastry base.

To make the custard, add the sugar and the egg yolks in a medium saucepan and whisk until combined. Alternating as you go, slowly begin adding the semolina, milk and corn starch whisking until well incorporated. Add vanilla bean seeds and pod. Move the saucepan to a burner and set it over medium heat. Cook the mixture stirring constantly and being careful not to scorch it. Once the custard thickens, remove the saucepan from the heat. Remove vanilla pod. Cool slightly, then pour the custard over the Kataifi base. Let cool for 10 minutes and cover with clear wrap so the custard does not form a skin. Refrigerate until completely cool. About 4 to 5 hours. After it is completely cooled, add the fresh whipped cream topping. (At this point you can refrigerate overnight if you prefer)

Whip Topping: Combine 3 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar in the bowl of a standmixer, using the whisk attachment and beat the cream to stiff peaks. Spoon the whipped cream over the custard layer and carefully spread it to each corner of the pan. Sprinkle with sliced almonds or pistachios. Carefully cut the Ekmek Kataifi into square servings.

Rainbow Cookies

2012-01-01T10:08:00.003-05:00

The Holidays would not be the same if these wonderful cookies are not invited. This is definitely my number one requested cookie by my family and friends for the holidays. This recipe is finally on my blog for all my nieces and friends to make and enjoy throughout the years.

I must tell you this is a time consuming cookie to make and does require some experience in baking to make them without a hitch. There are a few steps involved and I would considered this an advance cookie to make. Once you master it and are comfortable, I think you will be making it all the time. They are wonderful. Keep them in a sealed container and they will stay fresh for about a week. They also make a wonderful gift.

Special Note: If trying this cookie for the first time you can leave out the almond paste. It takes a little practice to make this cookie. I recommend not using almond paste, because it can be pricey until you are comfortable with this cookie. The almond paste does add another dimension of flavor and I highly recommend using it. Also, you can subsitute apricot jam or do one layer apricot and one layer raspberry.

This recipe is scaled down from a professional baker's recipe. This recipe requires a kitchen scale.

Recipe:

3 silpat lined halfsize sheet pans (Must use silpat this is crucial no parchment)

Food coloring: green, red and yellow

1 Large jar of Raspberry seedless jam

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

1 pound unsalted butter, softened

1 pound sugar

8 ounces almond paste, not marzipan

(if not using almond paste add 2 teaspoons of almond extract)

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 pound eggs

1 pound cake flour

Add almond paste to mixer and beat until smooth and creamy. Add butter and sugar beat until light and fluffy. Add eggs slowly to incorporate, mix well. Add cake flour slowly and beat until very well incorporated. Divide batter into 3 separate bowls in equal amounts. Add food coloring of different colors to each one. The traditional colors are red, green and yellow. Add enough food coloring to achieve desired color hue. Pour each color onto a sheet pan lined with a silpat (Must use silpat). Level out with an offset spatula and tap on counter to level out. Bake each cake for about 8 to 12 minutes. When you touch the top with your finger it should be slightly moist and make a slight dent. You do not want to over bake and get a dry cake that would be hard to handle. This part is tricky and crucial to success. BECAREFUL.

One of the cake layers leveled and ready for oven.

First layered flipped on to foil sheet on top of a large

cutting board and covered with jam.

When cakes have cooled lift one cake that is on silpat and place on a large cutting board covered in parchment or foil slightly bigger than the cake itself for easy lifting to fridge. Peel off the silpat. Take your jar of seedless raspberry preserve and pour into a bowl. Smooth out with a wooden spoon. Place a thin layer of jam on the first layer and level off with a offset spatula. Lift another cake layer while holding on to the silpat and gently place cake side down on jam layer. Pull off silpat and add another layer of jam. Add the remaining cake layer on top.

Add second cake layer, place jam on top, add third layer and place chocolate on top.

Adding melted chocolate on third layer. Smooth out with offset spatula.

Use metal pastry comb and make zigzag design while chocolate is still warm.

Ready for the first chocolate layer to go into the fridge to harden. Cake must be on a
sturdy board to place into fridge.

Both sides of the cookie are covered in chocolate and harden. Trim off edges and slice cookie rectangles.

Over a double boiler on very gentle heat melt 2 large bags of chocolate chips, until smooth. Becareful not to overheat the chocolate or let steam from the double boiler get into chocolate. Your chocolate will seize and you will have to throw it out. Smooth a thin layer like picture, and use a metal pastry comb to make traditional zigzag design. Place in fridge to harden up. When it is completely hard about 1 hour. Flip cakes over and do the other side with chocolate and comb. Place in fridge for another hour. When it is completely firm, trim sides and keep for a snack and cut your little rectangles. Keep in a tight sealed container to stay moist and fresh.

Blackberry Jam Oyster Cakes

2011-12-10T15:27:00.000-05:00

These little Jems are delicious. They have a pie crust on the bottom and a lovely cake on top. You carve out the cake top with a knife, spoon a little jam and pipe a little buttercream. Put the cake top back on and the filling peeks out. Sift powder sugar on top. They are really cute and would make a lovely tea cake for friends. You can fill these little cakes with pastry cream, jams and whipped ganache. You can use your imagination. They remind me of a Victorian Sponge Cake. Which is a traditional English cake. It is Sponge cake layered in between with jam, cream and a sifting of powder sugar on top.

I think these are bite size and elegant.

Ready for the oven.

Recipe: Preheat oven to 375 degrees

regular size muffin tin; spray with pan release (PAM)

Pie Crust

3 cups flour

1 cup shortening

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 large egg, beaten

5 T. cold water

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Directions
1. Cut together flour, shortening and salt until it resembles small peas.
2. Combine the egg, water and vinegar and gradually ad to flour mixture.
3. Stir just until moistened and a soft dough forms.
4. Divide into 2 disk.
5. Wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cake:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 extra large egg, room temperature
1/4 cup water
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions:
Beat the fat and sugar until creamy and lighter in color. Add egg and extract and continue to beat. Slowly add water and beat. Sift flour, baking soda and salt. Add to cream mixture. If you need an extra tablespoon of water you can add to slightly thin out batter. It should be the consistency of pudding after beating.

Assembly:
Roll out pie crust and use a 3 inch cooking cutter. Place cut pie crust into grease muffin tin. You should fill 16 muffin tins. You will have left over pie crust. Wrap up and freeze, use for another recipe. Spoon batter into muffin tins. You should be able to fill all 16 muffin tins, evenly.

Bake for 20 minutes. Place on a cooling rack. When cool cut out cake part with a paring knife. spoon your favorite jam and pipe a dollop of buttercream. Place top back on and sift powder sugar on top.

Cut around the edge with a paring knife to remove top of cake.

Butter Cream:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine softened
1 teaspoon clear almond extract
2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoons cream

In large bowl, cream 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.

Old Fashion Buttermilk Donuts

2011-12-03T22:40:00.000-05:00

I love donuts and a friend of mine gave me this recipe to try. She received it from a friend's friend. So this donut recipe has been passed around. It is delicious. It does take a little practice getting it just right. As you can see, some of my donuts were a little over done. However, I will be making this recipe again and hopefully my frying skills will improve.

Glazed and waiting to dry!

They do look gorgeous!

Removed from the fryer.

Some were a little darker than I would have liked. Becareful not to over do it.

I think this takes some practice frying to perfection.

Recipe:
Unknown source (written from recipe I received)
Recommended cake batter temperature 74-76°F
Large pot for frying

INGREDIENTS:
3 eggs, room temperature
1 ⅓ cups sugar
½ cup vegetable oil or shortening (pre-melted)
1 1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 tbsp. salt
4 ½ -5 cups all purpose or soft flour
5 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
¾ cup buttermilk

In a mixing bowl with paddle, incorporate eggs with sugar on medium speed until creamy and thick. Add in oil and vanilla and mix for 30-45 seconds. Incorporate dry ingredients alternately adding buttermilk to desired thickness and mix for about two minutes on medium speed. Allow batter to rest 10 minutes prior to
rolling.

Note: Don't worry if your batter looks too thick, you can add water. Avoid a thin mix and adding flour.

Roll until it's 1/2" on bakers table or board. Cut with donut or biscuit cutter. Fry at 365F° in large pan or mini-fryer. Be very cautious when frying!! Yields 24 donuts.

A few more tips that were on the original recipe ( I might try a few on my next batch):
(1)You can use this recipe to make donut holes. Just let the dough sit for a little bit longer after adding in the baking powder allowing it to "activate."

(2)If you notice that after you fry your donuts that they brown or blacken, use less sugar next time.

(3)If the donuts turn out too greasy, they absorbed too much oil from the fryer.

An easy fix: next time, reduce shortening to said donut recipe and make sure oil is 370F.

Cranberry Bliss Bars

2011-11-29T09:14:00.003-05:00

I must admit that I probably visit Starbucks more than I care to tell. I am addicted. Every Christmas they bring out the Cranberry Bliss Bars. I found this copycat recipe of their famous Cranberry Bliss Bars. I found the recipe at: Top Secret Recipes. They taste like a fruit cake but better. They are very sweet, so I think I would cut back on the sugar, Maybe to 3/4 of a cup. I also think I would use white sugar because the cake part was a little to dark and the Starbucks Bliss Bars are lighter. I did add extra crystallized ginger on top of the frosting. I can't get enough of that ginger. I think it is a very festive bar for the holidays, but like I said I would cut back on the sugar. It was a little to sweet for my taste.

Cake

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened

1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar (I would cut back and use white sugar)
3 eggs
2 tablespoons minced crystallized ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
4 ounces white chocolate, cut into chunks

Frosting
4-ounces cream cheese, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

4 teaspoons lemon juice (This adds a lot of flavor) YUM

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries

Drizzled Icing

1/2 cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon milk

2 teaspoons vegetable shortening

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Make cake by beating the butter and brown sugar together with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the eggs, ginger, vanilla, and salt and beat well. Gradually mix in the flour and baking powder until smooth. Mix the chopped dried cranberries and white chocolate chunks into the batter by hand. Pour the batter into a buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly across the pan. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cake is lightly browned on top. Allow the cake to cool.

3. Make the frosting by combining the softened cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon juice, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. When the cake has cooled, use a spatula to spread the frosting over the top of the cake.

4. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of chopped dried cranberries over the frosting on the cake.

5. Make the drizzled icing by whisking together powdered sugar, milk, and shortening. Drizzle this icing over the cranberries in a sweeping motion with a squirt bottle or fill a small plastic storage bag with the icing and cut off the tip of one corner.

6. Cover the cake and let it chill out in the fridge for a couple hours, then slice the cake lengthwise (the long way) through the middle. Slice the cake across the width three times, making a total of eight rectangular slices. Slice each of those rectangles diagonally creating 16 triangular slices.

Makes 16 bars.

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

2011-11-18T12:10:00.000-05:00

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
Preheat oven to 325*

In a small bowl, combine crackers and sugar, then stir in butter.
Press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan, coated with cooking spray.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.

Filling:
3 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 15 oz can pumpkin
2 1/2 tbsp flour
3/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs, lightly beaten

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth, do not over beat. You do not want to incorporate to much air into the batter. It should be dense. I use my food processor, it works great.
Add in pumpkin, flour, spice and vanilla. Add eggs and beat on low just until combined.

Pour over crust.
Bake for 45 minutes, or until center is almost set. It should not wiggle a lot when you shake it.
Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.
Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night. The longer it chills the better it will be.

The Ultimate Heavenly Cream Puff

2011-11-16T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Angels are Singing!

I have to admit, I think this is my favorite sweet treat. They are not overly sweet, they are light, and quite frankly, heavenly. The only problem is, I can't just eat one. Making these from scratch is so well worth it, and not that hard or time consuming. It truly is very easy and not expensive. They taste so much better than the frozen ones from the supermarket. I am hooked!!

Why is this the ultimate? First off, they are super easy to make. The Bavarian Cream uses a pudding mix to start, and added whip cream to give it a light and heavenly texture. A topping of chocolate Ganache for good measure and I actually think this is better than a cupcake. Maybe this should be the next bake shop fad. If your planning a fancy dinner, I highly recommend wowing your guest with homemade Cream Puffs. For some holiday fun, crush some red and white peppermint candies and sprinkle on top or how about some
home-made caramel sauce for a topping. Yummo!

Slice in Half to make sure they are dry in the middle and Cool

Spoon or Pipe the Bavarian Cream and dip the top part of the

Cream Puff in the Chocolate Ganache.

Recipe:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Use a cookie sheet/ungreased

Makes 12 medium cream puffs

Bavarian Cream Filling

1 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix

1 cups heavy cream (Do not use premade Whip topping, YUCK!)
3/4 cup whole milk

Mix first three ingredients and whip with a hand held balloon whip until very thick. Put into fridge

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup powder sugar (heaping cup)

Whip on high on your counter top mixer until thick.
Fold the whip cream into pudding custard. Gently fold and put into fridge.

Cream Puff Batter
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 T. sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
4 eggs

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).

2.In a large pot, bring water, butter, sugar and salt to a rolling boil. Stir in flour until the mixture forms a ball. Transfer the dough to a large mixing bowl. Using a wooden spoon or stand mixer, beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Drop by tablespoonfuls (the size of a large golf ball) onto an ungreased baking sheet or use a large pastry bag with a large round tip.

3.Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Centers should be dry. At around 20 minutes of baking, you can take a wooden skewer and punch a hole in the sides to let the moisture out.

4.When the shells are cool, either split and fill them with the pudding mixture, or use a pastry bag to pipe the pudding into the shells. Dip the tops into Chocolate Ganache or just sprinkle with powder sugar.

Basic Chocolate Ganache
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
6 oz. semi sweet chocolate chips

Heat heavy whipping cream to a low simmer in a heavy bottom pot. Becareful not to scorch the cream. Remove from heat add the chocolate chips and stir until melted and smooth.

Engagement Cake

2011-11-15T07:49:00.004-05:00

It was still daylight when this picture was taken

and you have a view of Manhattan Skyline and the Williamsburg Bridge.

I was setting up the cake table before the guests arrived.

It was my niece's engagement party and I made the engagement cake. She prefers buttercream cakes and her taste is very simple and understated. She wanted a three tier Snickerdoodle Cake with Off White French Buttercream Frosting. The filling was a Cinnamon Bavarian Cream. The entire cake is covered with Buttercream Rosettes and Sparkle Shimmer Dust. When the candle light shined on the cake, it just shimmered. They both were very pleased with the cake, and I got rave reviews on the taste.

Her fiance's Aunt bought them the Crystal Heart Cake Topper. It was at a gorgeous venue in Brooklyn, New York overlooking the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan Skyline. It was romantic and perfect for such a beautiful and wonderful couple.

Congratulations, Eleftheria and Anthony.

Evening Picture.

Molasses Ginger Cookies (Best Ever)

2011-11-11T11:18:00.004-05:00

My jar filled with Vodka, fresh Ginger, Cinnamon Sticks, Anise Star,

Whole Cloves and Nutmeg.

In my opinion, these are the best Molasses Cookies I have ever eaten. This cookie is a real keeper. I promise you will not be disappointed. I make my own brew of Ginger Extract. Make this 2 weeks prior to baking these cookies. It makes a difference and is well worth it. If you start now, you will have it ready by Holiday Baking time. Your friends will be singing your praises. Great for gifts. Once the icing is competely dry, put cookies into cellophane bags stacked on top of each other, tie a festive ribbon and you have a wonderful gift.

Molasses Ginger Cookies
Preheat oven to 350

3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup molasses
1 cup sugar
1 extra large egg room temperature (must be extra large)
1 1/2 tsp. of Ginger extract *See Recipe below
2 cups flour plus 3 T. flour
1 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
3 T. of chopped up crystalized Ginger

1. Combine all dry ingredients, except sugar. Set aside.
2. Combine oil, molasses, sugar, and egg in bowl of a stand mixer. Paddle on medium speed until smooth. Be careful not to incorporate too much air. Mix 15-20 seconds.
3. Add dry ingredients and mix until well-combined, about 20 seconds. Add chopped crystalized ginger and mix well.
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a small ice cream scoop with a spring release, place formed dough on to cookie sheet lined with silpat or parchment, 1/2 inch apart. Press down with palm of hand to flatten slightly.
5. Bake for exactly 13 minutes and no more. Cookies will look slightly under done. That is exactly what we want.

Let cool on pan for 3 to 4 minutes. Use spatula and place on cookie sheet to cool completely. Make icing and drizzle on top of cooled cookies with spoon. Let icing dry before storing.

Icing:
1 1/2 cups powder sugar.
2 T. ginger extract and enough water about another to 2T. water to make a drizzle icing. Can add more extract and leave out the water. Do it to your liking. I like my with full extract!

Mix very well to get the right consistency for drizzling.

Ginger Extract:

Add a handful of fresh ginger chunks to a jar
2 to 3 cinnamon sticks
3 to 5 anise stars
5 cloves
2 whole nutmegs (cracked to release flavor)
Let sit in fridge for at least 2 weeks. This will last forever as long as you keep filling jar with vodka. Everything must be covered with vodka.

Vanilla Bean Glazed Cream Scones

2011-11-03T12:19:00.004-04:00

Look at all those Vanilla Bean Seeds! YUM!

I happen to think the recipe from America's Test Kitchen for Cream Scones is the best. The crumb and texture are divine! They melt in your mouth. I took it a step further and added the seeds of one whole vanilla bean to the dough and made a heavy cream, vanilla bean seed glaze that makes you scream for joy! The dough and glaze are loaded with vanilla bean flavor and you can see all those yummy seeds. It is just incredible. Make this for your friends and they will be singing your praises. This is not a low-cal friendly recipe, but worth the indulgence every once in awhile.

Adapted from America's Test Kitchen
Ingredients:
Do not subsitute half and half or light cream for heavy cream.
Use the real deal in this recipe.

2 cups (10 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour, preferably a low-protein brand such as Gold Medal or Pillsbury

1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

5 tablespoons chilled, unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes

1 cup heavy cream

1 Vanilla Bean (scrap out seeds with back of knife)

*Great source for Vanilla beans http://topvanilla.com/

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 425°F.

2. Place flour, baking powder, sugar and salt in large bowl or work bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Whisk together or pulse six times.

3. Using food processor, remove cover and distribute butter evenly over dry ingredients. Cover and pulse 12 times, each pulse lasting 1 second. Transfer dough to large bowl.

4. Mix vanilla bean seed into heavy cream and add to flour mixture. Bring together with a large spoon. Do not over do it or you will have a tough dough.

5. Transfer dough and all dry, floury bits to countertop and knead dough by hand just until it comes together into a rough, sticky ball, 5 to 10 seconds. Form scones into a disc and cut with a sharp knife or dough scraper into 8 pieces.

6. Place wedges on ungreased baking sheet and bake until scone tops are light brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least 10 minutes. Spoon on glaze. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Number of Servings: 8

Ever so gently bring the dough together with a spoon.

Form into a flat disc and slice into 8 pieces.

Vanilla Bean Glazed

1/2 cup of heavy cream

1 whole vanilla bean( scrap out the seeds with back of knife)

10 rounded T. of powder sugar

Put cream in cup add vanilla seeds and powder sugar and mix with spoon into creamy and well incorporated.

Melomakarona (Greek Honey Cookies)

2011-11-02T21:26:00.002-04:00

Prepped for party platters

I have included my baklava shortbreads and kourambiethe butter cookies.

Recipes are on my blog.

Wrapped up in cellophane, ribbon and flowers for each table

This is a traditional Greek Cookie. I had my neice's engagement party this past Saturday and I made trays of Greek cookies. As you probably guessed, I am of Greek heritage. I am putting this recipe up because my whole family and friends adore this recipe. After I am long gone, they will be here for them and future generations to prepare and pass down. I am slowly putting all my greek recipes in my blog. This is the real deal, so if you ever had one of these cookies, I think this recipe is perfection! It is time consuming, but well worth it.

Recipe: preheat oven to 350 degrees

I use half size sheet pans with silpats

1 pound unsalted butter

1 cup vegetable oil

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1/3 cup orange juice

1 T. grated orange rind

1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground clove

7 1/2 cups flour (may have to add an extra 1/4 cup if dough is to soft)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

Topping:

1/2 ground walnuts

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

pinch of ground clove

Melt butter, than add oil. Cool. Beat with electric mixer about 5 minutes until well blended. Add sugar and continue beating. Add eggs, orange juice, cinnamon and clove. Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda. Mix into batter. Shape into oblong cookies, 3 inches long 3/4 inch wide. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet in 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes, just until golden brown. Cool completely. Dip cookies in hot simmering syrup for about 8 to 10 seconds put on wax paper and sprinkle with topping. Let cookie sit out for one hour for syrup to dry. Then you can store away. Be sure cookie is cold and syrup is hot, or the cookie will crumble. Makes about 80 cookies.

Syrup:

2 cups granulated sugar

1 cup water

1 cup honey 1 stick cinnamon

Juice of 1/2 lemon

and rind of 1 lemon

In a large saucepan gently boil on low steady heat for about 10 minutes. Keep a close eye on this. It can boil over. It should be a gentle rolling boil. After 10 minutes it will be thicker. Must be hot to dip cold cookies.

The family got together and we ordered flowers in bulk from Costco and made the flower arrangements for the tables. They were just beautiful. The roses were yellow and orange, just perfect for the fall. The vases were glass and were the prettiest dark lime/green. I have to say doing it yourself saves you a lot of money. We had a great time. The affair was in Brooklyn, New York at wonderful place called Giando on the Water. We had a spectacular view of the Williamsburg Bridge and the Manhattan skyline at night. It was very romantic and perfect for an engagement party! I also made a 3 tier cake and will be posting about that soon.