Sprinkle Bakes

Kentucky Bourbon Puddings with Candied Pecans

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 15 May 2012 22:02:00 +0000

Let's face it. Sometimes baking is tied to emotion. Oftentimes, for me. The weather has been strangely muggy and overcast, which has kept me hermit-like and sleepy. And the cake I've been dreaming of can only seem to materialize as a sketch in my recipe journal. Those frosting ruffles I penned are too effervescent for days like this.

Conversely, these cozy bourbon puddings appeared in front of me in the span of about 20 minutes. After pouring a few jars-full, I ate the remainder directly from the saucepan (it was still warm - swoon!). To make this comforting treat even more sweetly southern, I candied pecans for a topping.

I'm sure some of you are wondering what bourbon pudding tastes like. It's not overly boozy or tongue-tingling - it's more like the best butterscotch pudding you'll ever make. In fact, if you swapped out the Kentucky bourbon whiskey (made of 51% corn/grain mix) for Scotch whisky (made of malted barley), you'd have authentic butterscotch pudding.

This recipe is adapted from Dorie Greenspan's Baking From My Home to Yours. Be aware, there's a few back-and-forths of hot liquid between saucepan and food processor (or blender if you prefer) so be careful. Otherwise this is a really easy recipe. ~~Highly recommended,~~ you should make this - now!

Some goings-on:

Want to win a signed copy of SprinkleBakes? Head over to my friend Darla's site, Bakingdom. While you're there check out the Grasshopper Pies she made from the Color chapter - lovely!
Another signed copy is being given away by my first friend in all of blogdom, Sue of Munchin Munchies. She made the Blackberry Curd from the Color chapter - delish!
A third giveaway runs till May 18th, you can find that here, on Babble's "The Famlily Kitchen".
It truly warms my heart when someone uses my book and has a baking break-through. Check out these utterly beautiful macs.

Kentucky Bourbon Puddings with Candied Pecans
Yield: eight 4 oz. servings [click for printable version]
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons water
1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 large egg yolks
1 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 tablespoons Kentucky Bourbon (such as Jim Beam)
Whipped cream (about 1 1/2 cups prepared)
Candied pecans (recipe follows)

Have eight 4oz. canning jars ready to hand - or six ramekins that hold 1/2-3/4 cup.
Put the brown sugar and water in a medium saucepan, put the pan over medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stirring and lowering the heat if necessary, boil for 2 minutes. Add 1 1/2 cups of the whole milk and cream and bring to a boil. The mixture may curdle as it heats - this is normal.
While milk is heating, whisk the cornstarch and salt together in a small bowl.
Add sugar and egg yolks into the food processor (or blender) and blend for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup of milk and pulse just to mix, then add the cornstarch/salt mixture and pulse a few times to blend.
With the food processor running, very slowly pour in the hot milk mixture that has been heating on the stove. Process for a few seconds, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Whisk without stopping over medium heat - making sure to get into the edges of the pan - until the pudding thickens and a couple of bubbles surface and pop. You don't want the pudding to boil, but you do want it to thicken, so lower the heat if necessary.
Scrape pudding back into the food processor and pulse. Add the butter, vanilla and bourbon and pulse again until blended.
Pour the pudding into ramekins. Refrigerate for 4 hours. Top with whipped cream and candied pecans.

Candied Pecans:
1 cup raw pecans
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment, or grease a baking sheet with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk egg white until frothy. Place pecans in another bowl, and pour in just enough egg white to coat them. You will most likely not use the entire egg white. Add salt, sugar and cinnamon. Toss well to coat.
Spread pecans on baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they begin to dry and color. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: Top the puddings with pecans just before serving. The pecans can also be served alongside the puddings in a pretty dish.

Peanut-Honey Pupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 09 May 2012 21:49:00 +0000

It's Churro's birthday!

Well, sort of.

We don't really know when his birthday is. And we don't know exactly how old he is either, but we still like to celebrate the day we welcomed him into our family. Churro is a rescue -yes, a pound puppy. His history is somewhat of a mystery to us, but we were told that he came from a pretty bad situation. You'd never know that from his demeanor. He's the sweetest real-life teddy bear you'll ever meet! And he instantly fit right in with Biscuit-the-pug and our three kitty-cats. Words cannot express how gentle and loving he is. It breaks my heart that there are so many animals of similar docility that get taken to the shelter. I don't like to think about that too much, but I felt that I must mention it.

Maybe someone out there looking for a furbaby will remember Churro's happy ending and decide to rescue.

Both pups went absolutely NUTS over these Peanut-Honey Pupcakes. I've never seen them so excited! And I have to admit- they smelled pretty darn good fresh from the oven. I used natural peanut butter (no sugar, low sodium) and some good quality local honey. To make absolutely sure no one mistook these for people food, I added a peanut butter dog biscuit to the tops before baking.

Just a note:
There are lots of SprinkleBakes book giveaways going on right now! Please check out the following if you'd like another chance to win.
Cookies and Cups
Averie Cooks
Icing Designs
Cut Out + Keep

Peanut-Honey Pupcakes
Yield: 12 regular size puppy cupcakes, or 24 bite-size. [click for printable version]
Adapted from Stacia Osborn's recipe on Just a Pinch

Note: This treat should not be used as a replacement for meals.

1 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup all natural peanut butter (no sugar added, low or no sodium)
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup vegetable or peanut oil
2 eggs
12 small peanut butter dog biscuits for regular size cakes, or 24 for minis

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cupcake pan with cupcake papers.
In a large bowl, combine all ingredients until well blended. Spoon the batter into cupcake papers, about 3/4 full.
Gently place a dog biscuit in the center of each filled cup - don't press in! Just let it sit on top.
Bake 18-20 minutes for standard size pupcakes, 10-12 minutes for minis. Let the cakes cool in the pan.
Remove cupcake liner before giving to your pup.

Happy Pugday Churry!

Deep Dish Berry Pie Tart

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Sat, 05 May 2012 22:00:00 +0000

Is it a pie, is it a tart? Yes. And yes!

I first saw this odd pie-tart hybrid while browsing a pastry table at a local market. I was intrigued for a fleeting moment, then able to pass by with a "eh..."

Mr. Baird was intrigued for longer. His silent reaction was to sneak it into the shopping cart while I browsed the tea aisle. I gave him a sideways glance as the cashier scanned it and put it in a bag. He maintained his poker face.

I'll admit, I was a little irritated. I like trying new things, but we had a surplus of sweets at home.When I reluctantly decided to try a bite I recognized the cream cheese tart crust immediately- though it lacked the loving touch of a little salt. Like most grocery-bought bakery items, it was just okay.

A while later, something happened. It was a daydream I think, or the deepest thought this dessertophile could muster. In my mind's eye I saw tart dough, baked into tall fortress walls,which held a kingdom of every type of berry. There was a lattice top, too.

I remembered the deepest-dish pie I'd ever seen, and decided to have a look at the crust recipe - bingo! A cream cheese crust -I'd found my fortress wall.

My favorite berry pie filling recipe was adapted to generously fill the deep dish crust. And I cheated a little. Since berries won't be at their peak for another month here, I bought a few bags of organic blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries. They made a deliciously sweet filling that contrasted that amazing tart crust.

Deep Dish Berry Pie Tart
Yield: 10-12 servings [click for printable version]
This tart slices best when chilled in the refrigerator overnight, so plan ahead! It is wonderful when re-heated and served with ice cream.
You will need a 9 x 2.5-inch spring-form pan for this recipe.

Tart crust:
adapted from Matt Bites
1 cup salted butter or margarine, softened
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter or margarine and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy. Gradually add flour and 1/4 cup of sugar. Mix until a soft dough forms.
Shape dough into a flat disk and cover with plastic wrap. Chill 15-20 minutes. Cut dough into thirds and wrap 1/3 in plastic wrap. return it to the refrigerator to chill.
On a well floured surface, knead remaining dough together. Roll dough with a floured rolling pin. Gently lay dough inside spring-form pan and press up the sides. Place dough-lined pan in the freezer and freeze until dough is stiff. Next, prepare the berry mixture.

Berry pie filling:
6 - 7 1/2 cups fresh berries or frozen berries thawed and patted dry. (I used blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and strawberries)
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. cornstarch

In a large mixing bowl, stir together sugar and cornstarch. Remove 1/4 cup of this mixture and sprinkle over the bottom of the tart crust (be sure to return pan to the freezer).
Add berries to the remaining mixture and toss gently to coat. Remove tart crust from freezer and pour in berries. Return to freezer while you roll out the remaining 1/3 of reserved dough.

To finish:
1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp. water for egg wash
1-2 tablespoons turbinado sugar

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Roll remaining 1/3 dough portion on a well floured surface. Cut into strips with a pizza cutter or knife. Place dough strips on top the berry mixture forming a lattice and cut off excess with a knife.
Brush lattice top with egg wash and sprinkle with turbinado sugar. Bake for 15 minutes at 375, then reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes longer, then place a piece of aluminum foil over the top of the tart to prevent over browning. Bake for 30 minutes longer. Remove from oven and let cool. Chill overnight. Run a knife around the edge of the crust before removing the spring-form ring. Slice and serve.

It's Here! The SprinkleBakes Book and a KitchenAid Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:41:00 +0000

Today's the day!

It's the official publication day for the SprinkleBakes book! I'm so excited and more than a little nervous! Every other post on my blog will feature a recipe, but today I wanted to tell you a little bit about what I've been pouring so much love and work into over the past year. I really hope it lives up to everything you'd expect - your encouragement from the very start of this blog has meant so much to me and has made this day possible.

Hopefully this will answer your burning questions: inside you'll find 77 recipes. Of those, 36 are basics that every baker and dessert enthusiast will want in their recipe arsenal.This section is called "Blank Canvases" because these recipes can be endlessly varied with flavor, color and shape. I return to these simple and approachable basics again and again. Use them to create a confectionery work of art, or just to satisfy a craving!

I've said before that this is an art-meets-baking book, but what does that mean? The creative recipes in this book are listed under chapters called Line, Sculpture, Color, and Mixed Media. Preceding the recipes in each of these sections you'll find - art lessons! From brush primers to sculptural cake carving instructions, this book teaches you how to think like an artist. A few recipes are elaborate, but many are easy to make, and I give plenty of templates.

At heart, this book is about taking the things in life that inspire you, and recreating them in your baking. It's about making the most of your time in the kitchen and being able to share something delicious and memorable with those you love.

As my publisher tells me, launching a book these days is hard work. So if you're willing to help me spread the word, I'd be more than grateful. You'd be a big help if you'd care to tell a friend, tweet, post an Amazon or Goodreads review, or anything else. I'm told every bit counts!

~~To help celebrate, I'm giving away 5 copies of the book, plus a KitchenAid Professional 6-quart stand mixer!~~

~~How to enter:~~

~~Leave a comment below - tell me what inspires you! Maybe it's a loaf of freshly baked bread, a pretty dress, your children, a good movie... it can be anything!~~
~~Please be sure to leave an email address or some way to reach you if you win!~~
~~Deadline for entry is Monday, May 7th.~~
~~Winners will be chosen at random and announced in this post and on the SprinkleBakes Facebook page on Tuesday, May 8th.~~
~~Contest is open to everyone with a valid mailing address.~~

Here are the winners!

Winners chosen using random number generator Random.org.

The 5 SprinkleBakes books go to:

andrea.lane[...] I'm inspired by my wonderful 2 year old daughter and all the new things she learns every day. Makes me want to try new things and learn new things, especially when it comes to baking :) I can't wait to buy the book!! My birthday is Sunday; maybe my wonderful husband will buy it for me :)

Thereasa Gargano said... I have been inspired by your awesome baking ideas, I made your yummy champagne mousse not very long ago. Color also inspires me; I will be baking your wonderful looking/sounding shortbread cookies. I haven't used Hibiscus in my food for a very long time, simply inspirational. :-) Congrats on your book. Thanks for this wonderful giveaway opportunity. Good luck to all.

Anonymous said...Especially I like the idea of creating something from a few simple ingredients.My inspiration is anything: the market, the situation, the weather... and internet. Your blog is great!!Congratulations for your book!!! Good luck!!! Yolanda [...]

Zack said... Cooking with my girlfriend weekly has given me inspiration to want to be a better cook! Seeing her make increasingly complex recipes week after week inspires me to branch out and try to make the best thing she (or anyone at my work) has ever tasted!

Devon @ deli-cute-essen said... Recently I have started making my own bread and it has inspired me to make more and more "staples" at home rather than buying them. Also there is nothing better than smell of fresh baked bread!

The KitchenAid stand mixer goes to:

Michelle McCandless said... What inspires me - nature always! I love the beautiful vibrant colors of flowers and butterflies - and they transfer so well to baking!

xo
-Heather

PS. If you'd like to know where to find my book, check out the blog's updated book page!

Hibiscus Tea and Poppy Seed Shortbread

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:20:00 +0000

Last week I bought a tin of hibiscus tea, and the moment I looked into my first freshly brewed cup, I knew it was destined to be a star ingredient in something sweet!

I recently read that infusing loose tea with butter creates a strong flavor for use in baked goods. So, my first order of business - make hibiscus tea butter. It was so easy and turned out beautifully! It's hard to explain, but there was something very special about preparing the tea butter. I immediately wanted to use as much of it as possible. My first thought - shortbread.

As I mixed the magenta-hued butter into sugar and flour, I witnessed a magical color transformation from bright pink-red to purple. This kind of surprise is the best kind of surprise.

Now, in theory this steeping method should work with just about any tea, but I can only vouch for Republic of Tea's Natural Hibiscus Superflower in bags. Since I didn't purchase the loose tea, I just opened the tea bags and poured the contents into a 1/4 cup measure. I can't wait to try this method with an Earl Grey and varieties of my new favorite brand of tea- Kusmi.

A couple of happenings:

I'm so excited to be featured in Country Woman's "Blog and Crafter Spotlight". For those Country Woman Magazine subscribers, look for one of my recipes in their June/July issue.
Amazon is shipping my book early! Holy wow. So many people already have their copy and I've been receiving so many kind messages about it. I'm very grateful to those supporting my fun and unconventional baking book.

I really love the raspberry-rhubarb scent that the tea butter gave the cookie, and the poppy seeds give it a subtle texture.

These are very nice with... tea!

Hibiscus Tea & Poppy Seed Shortbread
Yield: Twenty four 3-inch cut-out cookies [click for printable version]

First, make the hibiscus tea butter.
(I first read about this method on Stefani Pollack's awesome blog "Cupcake Project")

1 pound, 8 tablespoons unsalted butter cut into pieces
¼ cup Republic of Tea Hibiscus Superflower tea (about 20 bags)

Place butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. When butter begins to melt and pool in the bottom of the saucepan, pour in the loose tea. Stir occasionally. When butter is completely melted and mixture is hot, remove from heat source. Allow the tea to steep for several minutes until it is a bright, red-pink.
Place a large sieve over a bowl and line the sieve with a tea towel (one that you don’t mind getting stained). Pour melted tea butter through the towel-lined sieve and let stand for a few minutes. Gather the towel together at the top and squeeze out as much of the melted butter as possible (you may want to use gloves, as this tea will stain hands).
Place bowl of melted butter in the refrigerator until partially firm, then stir until the butter is a consistent color. Cover and keep refrigerated until ready for use. The shortbread cookie recipe requires one pound of tea butter, be sure to measure it out before you begin making the cookies. You will have a small amount of tea butter left over.

Make the cookies:
(adapted from the SprinkleBakes book!)
1 pound prepared hibiscus tea butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup poppy seeds plus extra for sprinkling
2-4 tablespoons cold water

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and granulated sugar until fluffy.
Add the confectioners’ sugar and beat until incorporated.
Add the vanilla extract and mix again.
Add 2 cups of the flour and salt and mix on low speed until crumbly. Add the remaining 2 cups of flour and mix again on low speed. Stir in the poppy seeds on the lowest mixer setting. Mixture will be crumbly. Add cold water 1 tablespoon at a time until a stiff dough forms. Dough should not be sticky.
Gather the dough together with your hands and place on parchment paper. Divide into two pieces. Roll each piece of dough between sheets of parchment until flattened to about a 1-inch thickness.
Wrap the dough in plastic film and place the pieces on a cookie sheet or jelly roll pan. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. This dough will firm up quickly because of the high butter content.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
While it’s still cold, roll out the dough to a ¼-inch thickness. If the dough is difficult to roll, let it stand at room temperature for a few minutes until it is pliable. Use rolling-pin guide bands for evenly rolled shortbread.
Cut the dough into desired shapes and place them on cookie sheets spaced 1 ½ inches apart. Sprinkle cut-outs with extra poppy seeds. Transfer the pans of cut-outs to the freezer and chill until frozen solid. This will help the cut-outs keep their shape while baking. Remove pans from freezer and bake until fragrant:

• 7 to 10 minutes for small cookies
• 12 to 15 minutes for medium cookies
• 17 to 20 minutes for large cookies

Peanuts in My Coke: Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:34:00 +0000

“I remember when no one was looking
I was puttin' peanuts in my Coke.”
- "I was country when country wasn't cool."

We all have food traditions that are specific to our geographical location. I am a citizen of the Southeastern United States, and my residence is just outside the Great Smoky Mountains. I could tell you about a number of traditional and odd-sounding foodstuffs that I grew up on; eggs scrambled with crumbled cornbread, cushaw pie, chocolate gravy... but this post is dedicated to a simple southern snack that I remember fondly: peanuts in Coca-Cola.

When I was a kid I would ride to the gas station with my dad in his old beat-up work truck. While he filled the tank, I’d go inside the mini mart with a few dollars he’d given me and get a couple of Coca-Colas (in glass bottles) and two bags of salted peanuts. The cashier would remove the bottle caps with the opener mounted on the wall behind the counter.

Once back in the truck, the ritual began. A couple of swigs were taken to make room for the peanuts, then the entire 2 oz. bag emptied into the mouth of the bottle. And finally, the all-important last step - an extra tap-tap-tap on the end of the upright turned peanut bag to make sure all the salt made it into the soda.

I still find this snack oddly delicious, and there's something about the saltiness of the peanuts that makes the cola taste even sweeter.

This cupcake is an homage to that nostalgic treat. I love the nuance of flavor that coca-cola brings to chocolate cake, and the peanut butter frosting delivers a perfect sweet & salty bite!

One more thing, if you ever get the opportunity to try peanuts in your coke, it's best in the 8 oz. glass bottle.

Coca-Cola Cupcakes with Salted Peanut Butter Frosting
Yield: 12-14 cupcakes [click for printable version]
Cake portion adapted from Baked! New Frontiers in Baking

Cupcakes:
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp. granulated sugar
1/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. plus 1/8 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 eggs

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a cupcake pan with baking papers.
In a small saucepan, heat Coca-Cola, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until butter is melted. Add sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool.
In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, and salt together.
In a small bowl, whisk egg until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently stir flour mixture into cocoa mixture.
Use a 1/4 cup measure to pour batter into the cupcake papers. Bake cupcakes for 25 minutes or until cake springs back when pressed in the middle.
Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

Note: Diet cola cannot be used as a substitute for regular cola in this recipe.

Salted peanut butter frosting:
4 cups powdered sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
3-4 tbsp. heavy cream
Sea salt for sprinkling
Chocolate jimmies
Ground salted peanuts

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, combine powdered sugar, butter, peanut butter and salt. Mix on low speed until just combined, then switch to high speed.
Add heavy cream one tablespoon and beat until mixture is lightened and smooth. Transfer to a piping bag or zip-top bag with the corner snipped. Pipe onto cooled cupcakes.
Garnish with jimmies, ground peanuts and a sprinkling of sea salt.

No Bake Strawberry Milk Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 17:12:00 +0000

Make a wish...

My love of strawberry milk is well documented in the pages of this blog, and no matter how hard I try, sprinkles are never optional when it comes to using this nostalgic flavor in my baking. With its graham-sprinkle crust, this cheesecake looks like a party and I wouldn't hesitate to make it in place of the usual birthday cake for a special celebration.

Though it may seem otherwise, this cheesecake isn't overly sweet, and I really love how the strawberry flavor is heightened by the tanginess of the cream cheese. I can't help but think it would be a good pick-me-up for someone feeling blue. It's almost impossible to be unhappy around all those sprinkles!

No Bake Strawberry Milk Cheesecake
Yield: one 9-inch cheesecake. [click for printable version]

Note: I used the 25% less sugar variety of Nestle's Strawberry Milk Drink Mix. If using the full sugar mix, the granulated sugar in the cheesecake filling may be omitted. I suggest adding the sugar to taste after the strawberry powder has been mixed into the filling.

Graham Cracker Sprinkle Crust:
2 cups fine graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup jimmies sprinkles (can be found in the ice cream toppings aisle )
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp granulated sugar
8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled

Combine graham cracker crumbs, jimmies, salt and sugar in a large bowl. Whisk until thoroughly combined and jimmies are evenly dispersed.
Make a divot in the middle of the graham cracker mixture and pour in the melted butter. Mix together using a rubber spatula; turn mixture over from the bottom of the bowl to the top until all the crumbs are moistened.
Pour crumbs into an 8 or 9-inch springform pan; press tightly and evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the springform pan. Set aside.

Strawberry Milk Cheesecake Filling

2 ¼ cups heavy cream

1 pound (two 8 oz. packages) cream cheese, softened

1 cup strawberry milk drink mix (such as Nestle's)

2 tbsp. granulated sugar * (see note at beginning of recipe)

In a large bowl, beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Add softened cream cheese and beat again with the electric mixer until combined. Sift strawberry milk powder over the whipped cream/cream cheese mixture. Add granulated sugar if using* (see note at beginning of recipe) and mix again until well incorporated.
Pour mixture into the prepared graham cracker crust. Set aside.

Topping:

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Multicolor nonpareils

In a medium bowl, beat heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Transfer mixture to a piping bag fitted with a large star decorator tip. Pipe whipped cream stars around the outside edge of the cheesecake, and in the center. Sprinkle with multicolor nonpareils.
Cover springform pan in plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 4-6 hours, or overnight. To unmold, remove from freezer and place a dishcloth soaked with hot water and wrung dry around the outside of the pan. This will warmth will help loosen the frozen crust from the pan. Let cheesecake partially thaw in the refrigerator before serving. Slice cheesecake while still partially frozen and serve.

Like Porcelain, Royal Icing Nests

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 17:25:00 +0000

This is such an easy little project. I made these nests with the Easter holiday in mind, but I think they'd make cute place card holders for a wedding reception. They'd even make an elegant table decoration for Mother's Day brunch.

Remember the chocolate bowls I made way back when? Well, this project is very similar, and I might say - even easier! The nests will need to dry for 24 hours, so plan ahead. They solidify to a hard candy finish, and remind me of delicate porcelain.

A few daily tidbits:

You may have noticed the Saveur tag in the upper right hand corner of my banner. I'm a finalist for best baking blog of 2012! I'm not sure how the folks at Saveur chose finalists from such a vast amount of entries, but I'm really honored that I was nominated and selected again. There are several baking blogs that I love and admire deeply that weren't on the finalist list, and it makes me wonder how on earth I was picked! That said, voting is now open to everyone worldwide. If you like what I do here, then cast your vote!

My book comes out in less than a month (!), which fills me with nervous excitement. I'll be doing a book related post once a week until then with sneak peeks of recipes and pictures inside. On May 1st I'll be holding a giveaway for copies of the book and I'll be giving away a KitchenAid stand mixer! Tell your friends! We are going to party. There will be cake.

Check out what's on ModCloth's coming soon list! (Be sure to click the extra pictures below the book!)

Feathering the nest with coconut.

Okay, a final note about the royal icing nests: make sure to beat the icing to stiff peak consistency. The royal icing can't be the least bit lax or it will slide down the sides of the balloon.

Royal Icing with Meringue Powder

for Royal Icing Nests [click for printable version]

YIELD: Approximately 3 cups of icing. This recipe makes stiff-peak icing.

Note: Not all meringue powder is the same. Be sure to read the directions on the back of the meringue powder container for suggested amounts.

4 cups confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3 tablespoons meringue powder

1/4-1/2 cup warm water

1/2 teaspoon clear flavoring extract (lemon, orange, almond, clear vanilla)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, stir the confectioners’ sugar and meringue powder on low speed until combined.

2. Add the water (1/4 cup first and add more as needed) and beat on medium-high speed until very stiff peaks form, 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Add the flavoring and beat on low until combined.

4. Use the icing immediately or drape a damp tea towel over the mixing bowl or bowls to prevent the icing

from drying out.

Note: Royal icing should be used immediately or transferred to airtight containers and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and stir before using.

Make the nests:

Yield: 10 nests - more or less, depending on how much you inflate the balloons.

1 recipe royal icing, stiff peak, placed in a piping bag with Wilton #3 round piping tip

10 latex balloons

About 2 cups toasted coconut

30 candy-coated chocolate eggs

Inflate the balloons to an approximate 3 1/2 -inch diameter and tie off. Place them upright on an egg crate or in the tops of a few plastic tumblers. Pipe icing over the top 1/3 of the balloon. Make many circular passes around the balloon while piping until the top is covered in icing. Note: Don't overload the top with icing. Pipe until the balloon is just covered with icing.
Leave to dry at least 24 hours. The icing will dry to a hard candy matte finish.
When nests are completely dry, snip the balloon at the tie-off with scissors, allowing the air to escape slowly. The balloon will pull away from the sides of the nest revealing a bowl-shaped cavity.
Line nests with toasted coconut (make sure coconut has completely cooled) and place 3 chocolate eggs inside.

Mint-White Chocolate Mousse Cake and a Book Trailer!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:35:00 +0000

Before I get to the details of this cool minty mousse cake, I'd like to introduce you to someone.

This is my friend, Morgan. She's pretty much my favorite photographer in all the land.

She makes me look cute in pictures.

Trust me -I don't always look cute in pictures.

I recently asked her if she'd be interested in helping me put together a book trailer. Now, this was no small request and I was afraid she's say no, but she didn't! (You can read her recount of this here). One Saturday last month, she drove from her home in Alabama to my home in Tennessee and we got started.

It's definitely not the expected book trailer, which is usually presented in an earnest tone and with mentions of accolades -and there's nothing wrong with that! In fact, that's what we had in mind at first, but my editor (the best editor in all the land, ahem...) asked, "where's the fun?"

(Email subscribers may need to visit SB to view)

Very lighthearted, very SprinkleBakes. - thank you Morgan!

Morgan is a mint-and-chocolate fanatic, and I felt it only fitting to make something she'd love for this post. Dark chocolate joconde sponge cake is filled to the brim with mint-white chocolate mousse; a true mint-lover's nirvana!

At the last minute, I decided to use a chocolate transfer sheet that had been languishing in my pantry for months. I should have used it earlier, as the pattern was a little unstable, but I still really love the results.
Looking for chocolate transfer sheets? You can find them here. The striped chocolate cigarettes are made by Dobla, and I found them at World Market.

If you need some how-to's on putting this cake together, see my Crown Jewel Cake tutorial on how to line the pan with joconde. Also see my Chocolate-Honey Cake for tips on applying the chocolate transfer sheet.

Mint-White Chocolate Mousse Cake

Yield: one 7-inch cake, 6-8 servings [click for printable version]

Make the Joconde sheet cake:

1 cup almond flour

3/4 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup dark chocolate cocoa powder (unsweet)

4 eggs

1 egg yolk

4 egg whites
1/4 cup superfine sugar
2 tbsp. melted butter

Preheat the oven to 450°F..
Line an 11.5 x 17-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond flour, confectioners’ sugar, all-purpose flour, whole eggs, and egg yolk until combined, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites with an electric hand mixer. When the egg whites are foamy, gradually add the superfine sugar until a white, shiny meringue forms.
With a large rubber spatula, gently fold the meringue into the almond-flour mixture.
Add the melted butter and gently fold again, being careful not to deflate the batter.
Bake for 5 to 8 minutes or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center. Remove from the oven and let cool slightly.
Invert the cake onto a sheet of parchment and carefully peel away the parchment paper. Trim the edges of the cake with a serrated knife. Set aside.
Have ready a 7” springform pan. Trim edges and cut one long piece of joconde big enough to fit around the inside of the 7" springform pan. You may have to piece together with a small portion of cake to line the entire circumference of the pan.
Using the bottom of your pan as a guide, cut a circle of cake from the joconde and press it into the bottom of the pan evenly (you may need to trim the circle slightly for it to fit perfectly). Set joconde-lined pan aside.

Make the white chocolate mint mousse:
If you're not interested in making this entire cake, this mousse recipe can be made and poured into a parchment-lined loaf pan. If you go this route, be sure to thoroughly chill before turning out onto a serving plate; slice into individual servings. Creme de menthe can be used to taste in place of the mint extract.

1/4 oz. package of powdered gelatin (about 2 tsp.)

2 tbsp cold water

3 egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup milk, hot - (put in the microwave for 30+ seconds)

8 oz. high quality white chocolate, chopped (I used Ghirardelli white chips)

½-1 tsp mint extract (add to taste)

Few drops of green food coloring

1 1/2 cups whipping cream.

Place 2 tbsp water in a medium saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand for 1 minute. Whisk in egg yolks and sugar; mix well. Stir in hot milk. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until thickened considerably 7-10 minutes. When done, it should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in melted chocolate and blend with a whisk until chocolate has melted and even in color (no streaks!). Let cool.
When mixture has cooled somewhat, stir in mint extract and green food coloring.
Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Gently fold whipped cream into the cooled chocolate-mint mixture until well blended.

Assembly:

½ cup white chocolate

1 chocolate transfer sheet, your choice of pattern

1 cup prepared whipped cream

Chocolate cigarettes, curls or shavings

Pour as much of the mousse as possible into the joconde lined pan; smooth the top. (you will have a little mousse and joconde cake left over. I suggest making a single-serving trifle).
Place mousse cake into the freezer for 2-3 hours, or until firm. Remove from freezer and remove cake from springform pan. Measure side of joconde cake and cut the chocolate transfer sheet to size. Melt white chocolate chips in the microwave at 30 second intervals until smooth. Let chocolate cool slightly, then spread onto the chocolate transfer sheet with an offset spatula in one or two even strokes. Allow chocolate to harden then peel away the acetate, revealing the patterned chocolate.
Pipe whipped cream in a florettes in the middle of the cake (I used Wilton #133 tip). Decorate with chocolate cigarettes, curls or shavings.
Serve frozen or allow cake to thaw in the refrigerator and serve cold. Keep uneaten portion wrapped in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator or freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Devil's Food Cake Cheesecake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 11:09:00 +0000

Serious chocolate chip cookie dough lovers, this one is for you!

Say it with me, "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Devil's Food Cake Cheesecake." That's a mouthful- literally! I've taken my favorite devil's food cake, layered it with cheesecake and topped it with a generous portion of chocolate chip cookie dough.

Now admittedly, this cake is a production. But each portion of the recipe is strait-forward and the end result is well worth the effort. In comparison, it is easier to make than the infamous PBC⁴, and most reviewers who attempted that behemoth reported back with favorable results.

Like its cheesecake-cake predecessor, I suggest making this cake over the course of two days. I made the cheesecake layer and cookie dough layer on the first day, then baked the devil's food cake, made the frosting and assembled the cake on the second.

This is such a fun, over-the-top cake. I suggest making it when you need something delicious to feed 20 of your closest friends!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Devil's Food Cake Cheesecake
Yield: One 9-inch cake, approximately 15-18 servings [click for printable version]

Cake portion:
The cake portion of this recipe is adapted from Rose Levy Beranbaum's Devil's Food Cake. I have reduced the batter quantity to make one 9-inch layer instead of two 9-inch layers.

1 oz. fine quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped evenly
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp unsweetened dark cocoa powder
1/2 cup hot coffee (can use hot water or decaf coffee if caffeine sensitive)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
2 tbsp sour cream
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 cup plus 2 tbsp all purpose flour
3/4 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
8 tbsp (1 US stick) unsalted butter, softened

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch cake pan with vegetable shortening and line with a circle of parchment paper. Grease paper and set pan aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk the chocolate, cocoa and hot coffee (or water) until smooth. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks, sour cream, half the chocolate mixture and vanilla until just combined.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the flour, brown sugar, baking soda and salt on low for 30 seconds. Add the softened butter and the remaining chocolate mixture. Mix on low speed until the dry ingredients are moistened. Raise the speed to medium and beat for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the mixer off between additions, add the egg mixture in two parts, starting on medium-low speed and gradually increasing to medium. Beat on medium speed for 45 seconds after each addition to incorporate the ingredients and strengthen the structure. The batter will be slightly fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Using a silicone spatula, scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface evenly with a small offset spatula.
Bake for 30-40 minutes (check at 30). Cake is does when a toothpick tester comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed in the middle. Let the baked cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes, then turn cake out onto a wire rack. Let cool completely.

Cheesecake portion:
This crustless cheesecake uses half of a 3 oz. packet of cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix. Be sure to add it to your shopping list!

8 tbsp (1 US stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
2 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 eggs
1.5 oz. (or 1/4 cup plus 2 tsp) cook and serve vanilla pudding mix
2 tbsp sorghum molasses (not black strap)
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease one 9-inch springform pan with shortening, line the pan with parchment and then grease the parchment. Lightly flour the pan and tap out excess over the sink. Set aside.
Cream butter and sugar in a stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Add cream cheese a little at a time until smooth. Scrape bowl down and beat again on medium speed, adding eggs one at a time. Add vanilla pudding mix, molasses, vanilla and baking powder; mix again until well combined.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Smooth batter with offset spatula and bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour. Cheesecake will puff up during baking, then deflate when taken out. Allow cheesecake to cool in pan. Place in freezer until needed for assembly.

Chocolate chip cookie dough:
This recipe is adapted from "The Cupcake Project" blog. It is eggless, so it can safely be eaten in its raw form, but I do recommend refrigeration to maintain freshness.

A word about quantities: I love a lot of cookie dough. My husband would have liked a smaller portion of cookie dough in relation to the other layers of the cake. The table below will allow you to make the amount that is right for you.

I love a little cookie dough.	I love a LOT of cookie dough (shown).
1 cup all-purpose flour	3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt	3/4 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup +2 tbsp. light brown sugar, packed	1 ¼ cups light brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup granulated sugar	3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted	1 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp. vanilla extract	1 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
1/3 cup chocolate chips	1 cup chocolate chips
2 tbsp. whole milk	6 tbsp. whole milk

Line a 9-inch spring-form pan with parchment paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together flour, salt, brown sugar and granulated sugar. Pour in butter and vanilla extract. Mix until a dry dough forms. Add chocolate chips and mix on lowest speed (this is "Stir" on KitchenAid machines).
When chocolate chips are evenly dispersed, add whole milk 1 tablespoon at a time with the machine on low speed. Remove dough from mixer bowl and press into the prepared springform pan. Place in freezer until ready for cake assembly.

Light chocolate-molasses buttercream:
Chocolate and molasses are used sparingly in this recipe to create a light tasting frosting that doesn't distract from the other elements of the cake.

1 1/2 cups (24 tablespoons or 3 US sticks) unsalted butter, salted
4 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
2 tbsp molasses
1 tbsp cocoa powder (I used regular strength, not dark)
1/4 tsp salt

Combine butter and powdered sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on low until just combined, then beat on high until mixture is thoroughly incorporated. Stop mixer and add vanilla, molasses, cocoa powder and salt. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy.
Scrape down bowl and beat again until no streaks of molasses remain.

Assembly:
Chocolate chips - a handful
Optional * 1/2 cup finely ground chocolate cookies (such as famous wafers) or chocolate sprinkles

Wilton Star Tip #133

Choose a serving plate on which to build and display the cake. Line the edges of the plate with strips of wax paper to keep the plate edge clean while frosting.
Level the devil's food cake layer with a serrated knife. Place it in the center of the wax paper lined plate. Spread a small amount of frosting over the top of the cake - just enough to hold the next layer in place [pic 1].
Remove the cheesecake from the freezer and level with a serrated knife, if needed. (The cheesecake puffs up while baking, then sinks a bit as it cools. I usually have a small line of cheesecake around the outer edge that is taller than the rest of the cheesecake, which I remove.) Carefully place the cheesecake on top of the frosted devil's food cake, supporting it with a spatula on one side and your hand on the other [pic 2].
Remove cookie dough layer from freezer and remove it from springform pan. Turn layer over and remove parchment round. Place cookie dough layer on top of the cheesecake. No icing is used between the cheesecake and cookie dough layer [pic 3].
Frost the sides of the cake with an off-set spatula; do not frost the top [pic4]. Transfer remaining frosting to piping bag fitted with a large star tip (Wilton #133). Pipe 2" swirls around the edge of the top of the cake. Press a chocolate chip turned upside down into the middle of each swirl.
Optional * Gently press handfuls of ground cookies into the icing on the bottom half of the cake. This is a messy business no matter how you do it, but having someone hold the cake over your kitchen sink while you manage the task of pressing/ tossing crumbs on the cake will help.
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Wrap uneaten portion of cheesecake in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

Strawberry Cream Cake - A Guest Post!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 12:07:00 +0000

Today I'm sharing a recipe for delicious Strawberry Cream Cake on my sweet friend's blog Sweet Teeth! I met Heather on the SprinkleBakes Facebook page, and we've been gabbing about sugar ever since!

In this guest post you'll find lots of goodies: an interview, a new peek at the SprinkleBakes book and all the details for this old fashioned strawberry cake. Oh, how I love strawberry cake!

Hop on over to Heather's blog and check it out!

xo

Mochi - A Guest Post for Bakingdom!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 15:46:00 +0000

Hi friends! Today I'm sharing a unique treat at one of my favorite places in all the blogosphere: Bakingdom! I've been smitten with Darla's work ever since I first discovered her site, and I feel she is a true kindred spirit when it comes to creating and decorating with sugar. You simply must see her work to believe it!

I wanted something colorful and cheerful for my guest post, and mochi fits the bill! Get all the details on what mochi is and how to make it HERE!

Spring Flower Lollipops

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 20 Mar 2012 22:22:00 +0000

Happy first day of spring! To celebrate I've made a special treat for you with colorful spring flowers.

I've been enamored with edible flowers ever since making candied rose petals earlier this year. By doing a little research (that includes taste-testing) I've found that just because a flower is non-poisonous, doesn't mean it is also yummy. That's why I'm sharing my list of favorite edible flowers. They are all fairly well-known (easy to find) and add a certain something when used sparingly in dessert.

Basil
Chamomile
Hibiscus (you can also find these at specialty markets -or online -packed in syrup!)
Johnny-jump-ups
Lavender
Marigolds
Pansies
Roses
Violas
Violets

Common sense note: Eat only those flowers you are positive you can identify. Use organic, pesticide-free plants from nurseries and herb shops that offer organically grown flowers; pick them from a trusted friend's organic garden or your own.

I made these without the use of a lollipop mold, and if you make these - do yourself a favor and buy an inexpensive round lollipop mold. I used this method on the King Arthur Flour blog, and although it was successful, it was also messy and I didn't feel comfortable re-using my powdered sugar. I also had to rinse the powdered sugar away under a thin stream of water in order to see the flower. Using a lollipop mold would have made the whole endeavor much more enjoyable, but if you don't have access to candy molds - the powdered sugar method works in a pinch! Here's a little peek at the process.

[1] Make an indention in powdered sugar with a small flat-bottomed object. [2] Pour hot candy in the indentation; press a clean, fresh flower face-down into the hot candy. [3] Quickly cover flower with more hot candy. Let stand until candy hardens.

Edit 3/28/12: Check out this cute version using decorative quins (sprinkles) by Karen at Trilogy Edibles!

Spring Flower Lollipops

Hard candy recipe from the SprinkleBakes baking book!

Yield: 10 lollipops [click for printable recipe]

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup corn syrup

2/3 cup water

1 dram bottle candy flavoring oil (such as LorAnn, I used Blackberry)

Violet gel food coloring

10 organic whole voila flower heads or pansy petals, washed and patted dry

10 lollipop sticks

If you are using a lollipop mold (recommended), lightly grease it with cooking spray. If you are not using a mold, pour 2 cups of powdered sugar into a baking pan with a lip. Create indentations with the bottom of a glass or other flat-bottomed object. Set aside.
Stir together the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan and clip a candy thermometer to the side of the pan.
Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Continue to heat without stirring until the bubbling mixture reaches the hard-crack stage (302 degrees F). Remove pan from heat.
Stir in flavoring oil and a small amount of gel food coloring. Be extra careful because the mixture will bubble and sputter with these additions.
When the mixture has stopped bubbling, drop it into molds by the spoonfuls (or powdered sugar indentations) using a metal spoon. Carefully place a viola flower head or petal face down on the hot candy. Use the end of a lollipop stick to slightly press it into the candy. Quickly pour just enough hot candy over the flower head or petal to cover the backside, encasing it completely in the candy. Place a lollipop stick in the candy and turn 1/2 turn. Allow the candy to harden, then remove from molds. If using powdered sugar to mold, you may choose to rinse off the excess sugar under a thin stream of warm water - either way, the flower will become more visible once the lollipop is being enjoyed.

Note: Make sure the mold you use is large enough to accommodate the size of the flowers and petals you are using.

Sweet and Salty Guinness Chocolate Pie with Beer Marshmallow Meringue

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:48:00 +0000

I'm a huge fan of Guinness in desserts, so when St. Patrick's day rolls around I try to find new ways to incorporate it into my baking. This year I've made an old recipe new again! Ever since I first tasted Guinness Chocolate Pudding, I thought it would be delicious as a pie filling. It just took a few little tweaks to make it sturdy enough to slice. I paired it with my own recipe for sweet-and-salty pretzel crust and topped it with a Guinness flavored marshmallow meringue. So, let's recap.

Sweet and salty pretzel crust
Guinness-infused chocolate pudding pie filling
Guinness marshmallow meringue -toasted

Comforting. Delicious. My very own beer/pretzel/chocolate/marshmallow dream come true.

This recipe makes two pies. Show kindness to others. Give a pie. ♥
3/19 - Notations have been added to this recipe.
Sweet and Salty Guinness Chocolate Pie with Beer Marshmallow Meringue
Yield: 2 pies [click for printable recipe]

Pretzel crust:
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
10 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (firmly packed)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a medium bowl, mix together pretzels, graham cracker crumbs, butter and brown sugar. Stir together with a rubber spatula until well incorporated.
Divide mixture between two 8 or 9-inch pie plates. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely before filling.

Guinness chocolate filling:
8 large egg yolks
1 cup sugar
14.9 oz. can Guinness Draught, divided
2 1/4 cups heavy cream
7 oz. high quality bittersweet chocolate, evenly chopped
1/4 cup cornstarch

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a non-reactive bowl.
Pour 1 cup of Guinness in a heavy-bottomed 3-quart saucepan (reserve the rest for later use - no drinky!). Add heavy cream and whisk to combine. Set over medium-high heat and cook until very hot but not boiling. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate. When chocolate has melted, whisk in the egg mixture in a very thin stream as to not scramble the egg. Whisk in cornstarch and return to heat source. Whisk over medium heat until thickened.
Divide mixture between pie pans. Use a rubber spatula to effectively remove all the pudding from the saucepan; quickly smooth the chocolate into the crust. Refrigerate while making the marshmallow topping.

Beer marshmallow topping:
Edit: 3/19 -Note: This marshmallow meringue is really gooey and not your average dry, fluffy meringue. It's more like melted marshmallow fluff.
Place the remaining Guinness in a small saucepan over medium heat and cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons.

2 cups sugar
4 egg whites
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. water
1/4 tsp salt
12 jumbo marshmallows (or about 18-20 large) cut into quarters with kitchen scissors
3 tbsp. beer reduction (as instructed above)

Whisk sugar, egg whites, water and salt together in a large metal bowl. Set bowl over a simmering pan of water; whisk constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture is hot to the touch. Remove bowl from simmering saucepan and stir in marshmallows pieces. Let stand for 3-5 minutes until marshmallow pieces have softened. Return bowl to simmering water and beat together using a hand-held mixer. Beat for several minutes until mixture thickens. Remove bowl from simmering water and add beer reduction. Continue to beat mixture until it has cooled slightly.
Preheat oven to broil.
Divide mixture between two pie pans and place under broiler in oven. Watch constantly - it's easy for the marshmallow to burn! Remove from oven when nice and toasty.
Refrigerate pies until well set - about 3-4 hours. Edit: 3/19 -this is important! This helps the meringue to solidify

Note: Use a warm knife (dipped in hot water then wiped dry) to achieve cleanly cut slices of pie. That marshmallow topping is sticky!

Tiffany Blue Macarons with Orange Blossom Buttercream

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 23:05:00 +0000

"I want them for every table."

And so, she shall have them. Specifically, bowls-full of macarons in assorted colors and flavors. I was giddy at the news and my mind was flooded with inspiration for buttercream fillings; mimosa, lemonade, blackberry, buttermilk, bourbon, mint julep - southern flavors that would do justice to the the location of the nuptials.

I had just one concern. I haven't made macarons in months, so a few practice batches were in order.

Luckily, I still have the knack!

Although macs are already very feminine and dainty, a strand of sugar pearls makes them look even more elegant - almost like they are meant for fancy jewelry boxes instead of the dessert table. I found this idea in a UK-printed magazine simply called "Wedding Cakes".

The task of pressing sugar pearls into buttercream one-by-one is a little tedious and time consuming, but just one or two pearl-donned macs can make an entire bowl look dressy. I can handle that.

Need help with your mac-making technique? Find my batter folding video here.

Tiffany Blue Macarons with Orange Blossom Buttercream
Makes about 15 sandwich cookies [click for printable version]
Shells:
3/4 cup almond flour - I like Hodgson Mill
1 cup confectioners' sugar
2 large egg whites, room temperature
1 pinch cream of tartar
1/2 cup extra fine sugar
Sky blue gel food coloring by Wilton

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment.
Sift almond flour and confectioners' sugar together 2-3 times. Set aside.
Whisk egg whites with a hand mixer until foamy. Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Reduce speed and gradually add extra fine sugar. Increase speed and beat until stiff peaks form.
Sift flour mixture over whites with a fine sieve. Discard any lumps or coarse bits that remain.
Fold mixture together with a rubber spatula -using short strokes at first -until just combined . The batter will be very stiff. Place a small amount of Wilton Sky Blue gel food coloring on the end of a rubber spatula. Normally powdered food coloring is used, but a small amount of gel does not disturb the batter. I would not recommend liquid food coloring.
Use bigger folds once batter loosens. When batter is ready, it should fall from the spatula in a thick ribbon.
Transfer mixture to a piping bag. Pipe 1 or 1 1/2" rounds on the parchment lined baking sheets. Let piped macarons stand uncovered for 15 minutes to form a crust.
Decrease temperature to 325 just before placing the baking sheet in the oven. Bake pans one at a time for 10 minutes, turning halfway through.

Note: After first batch has baked, oven temp should be increased to 375 then decreased to 325 just before the 2nd baking sheet goes in.

Orange Blossom Buttercream:
1 cup unsalted butter
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
Orange blossom water to taste
Pearl dragees

Cream butter and confectioners' sugar together in a large bowl using a hand mixer or stand mixer. Beat on high speed until light and fluffy. If mixture is stiff, use 1 or 2 tablespoons of cream to loosen.
Add orange blossom water in small drops (a little goes a long way!). Beat until flavor is thoroughly incorporated. Transfer icing to a piping bag and pipe on half the macaron shells - don't use too much icing! You don't want the icing to be taller than the pearl dragees. Sandwich with remaining shells.
Using a new pair of tweezers (or baking dedicated tweezers) press a line of pearl dragees into the buttercream.

Lattice Pie Bars

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 22:24:00 +0000

Last December Bonne Maman sent me a sampling of their products. I was already familiar with the brand, and I couldn't wait to use their preserves in my baking. I knew whatever recipe I chose to make needed to be special; a recipe that would allow the all-natural preserves to shine and not play second-fiddle to other ingredients. Months later, I've found that special recipe in a Taste of Home home-cooks compilation, and the home cook who submitted the recipe is from my home town of Knoxville, Tennessee!

(Hi Betty K! I don't know you, but I love your recipe.)

(And you probably don't read my blog, but I had to give a shout-out just in case!)

Finding a dessert recipe using jelly or jam is easy... a preserves-specific recipe isn't as easy to locate. Sure, they can all be interchangeable at times, but here's the difference.

Jelly: made from juice or liquids.
Jam: made from fruit pulp or crushed fruit and is less firm than jelly.
Preserves: made with chunks of fruit (or whole fruit at times) in a syrup or jam.

Preserves remind me just a little of pie filling, but of course, they are too sweet for that purpose. This "pie bar" recipe hits a perfect balance with the preserves thinly spread over a thick tart crust. It's true comfort food, and the alternating colors and lattice will make your table pretty.

Look who's feeling better.

Daily Tidbits:

Churro the pug thanks you for the well wishes. He's walking normally and as bossy as ever.
A writer for GALO magazine (Hi Brittany!) interviewed me recently. You can find that here.
May 1st draws ever closer. Here's a peek at the back cover of the SB book.
I bought 18 lbs. of butter this weekend - let's party! Or practice more wedding cakes. Probably the latter.

Planning the cake!

One last word about the bars - they are easy to make and one pan will serve a crowd!

Lattice Pie Bars
Adapted from Taste of Home's "The Baking Book"
Yield: 2 dozen bars [click for printable version]

3 cups all purpose flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup cold butter
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup apricot preserves (such as Bonne Maman)
1 cup raspberry preserves

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the flour, sugar baking powder and salt; add butter in pieces. Process in short bursts until crumbly. If you don't have access to a food processor, this may also be made by cutting the butter into the flour mixture with a pastry/dough blender. Combine the eggs and vanilla; add to processor and blend in short bursts until a dough-ball forms. Cover and refrigerate a fourth of the dough for at least 45 minutes.
Press remaining dough into an ungreased 15-x10-inch baking pan. Spread 1/3 cup preserves in a 1 3/4-inch strip over one long side of crust. Spread 1/3 cup of raspberry preserves ub a 1 3/4-inch strip adjoining the apricot strip. Repeat twice.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Roll out chilled dough to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut into 1/2-inch strips; place over filling to make a lattice top. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars.

Potato Petit Fours for St. Patrick's Day

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 02:31:00 +0000

So, what do you call a cake that looks like a potato? A potato cake? No, that's name is already taken by a savory something. Since these are small sponge cakes filled with buttercream and covered in marzipan, they might as well be called petit fours. Right?

I like it. I'm going with it.

Each time I pass by the plateful of "potatoes" on the kitchen counter, I do a double-take. I can't wait to ~~fake people out~~ serve them!

The filling for these can be endlessly varied. You can use jam, ganache, pastry cream... whatever you find most pleasing. I tinted buttercream green and added a little Irish cream for flavor to keep with the St. Paddy's Day festivities.

These were so much fun to make! The details - or, the "eyes" - of the potatoes are impressions made in the marzipan with the end of a lollipop stick. I also added a few small dimples with a single fork tine.

Presentation counts! You can pile them up in a little brown paper sack, or serve them individually, wrapped in foil and presented as mini "baked potatoes". Tricky, tricky!

Potato Petit Fours
Sponge recipe adapted from "The Chocolate Bible", various authors.
Yield: 15-20 cakes [click for printable version]

Sponge batter:
3 egg yolks
4 egg whites
1/4 cup fine granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
Filling and coating:
1 1/2 cups buttercream
-or-
1 1/2 cups your choice fruit jam (raspberry or pineapple is recommended)
1 1/2 lbs. marzipan or almond paste
Cocoa powder for dusting

1. Preheat oven to 375. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Place egg yolks in a bowl and beat in 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Mix until frothy and lightened; set aside.

3. Beat egg whites in a separate large bowl. Gradually add remaining sugar and beat until meringue is stiff and dry.

4. Sift corn starch over meringues and fold in with a rubber spatula. Add beaten yolks and fold again, being very careful to not deflate the batter. Finally, fold in the flour.

5. Spoon mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large plain tip and pipe 1 1/2-inch mounds spaced well apart onto the baking sheet. Bake for 6-10 minutes with the oven door slightly cracked. When lightly brown, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

6. Pipe buttercream between two same-sized sponge rounds. If using jam, use a sharp knife to make a small hollow in the bottoms of the cakes. Spoon in the jam and sandwich sponge rounds together.

7. Roll out marzipan or almond paste to 1/8-inch thickness -use a little confectioners' sugar to flour the work surface and rolling pin if paste sticks. Cut into squares and use to cover the potatoes. If paste doesn't stick to the cake, brush a little melted jelly over the surface (I didn't have to do this). Make a few indentations to represent "eyes". Use a fork tine to further pock-mark the potato.

8. Roll the cakes in cocoa powder. Shake off excess and place in paper liners, brown paper bags or wrap in foil to mimic a baked potato.

Note: I used a spoon to hold my oven open just a crack. If you do this, be careful! The spoon will become hot. Be sure to grab a pot holder to remove the spoon.

White Wedding Cake and Swiss Meringue Buttercream

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 16:35:00 +0000

How many times have I mentioned that I will be making my first wedding cake this year? Fifty? Yes, I am obviously excited. Cautiously excited. I've never made a cake of such great importance, so I'm carefully planning every step.

At the bride's request, half the cake layers will be white with lemon curd filling, and the other half will be chocolate cake with raspberry filling. I can easily locate a good chocolate cake recipe, but I've been test-driving white cake recipes for almost two months now. Last week I finally found a moist, scratch-made white cake recipe that I'm really excited about. From pristine white interior to delicate flavor and crumb, I am pleased with every aspect.

(The bride has not taste-tested this cake yet, but I'll be sure to amend this post with her thumbs-up or thumbs-down!)

The official wedding cake will be covered in rolled fondant, but I plan to use Swiss meringue buttercream as a crumb coat - and that's what I used to decorate this test cake. Since I've been getting a few emails from frustrated Swiss buttercream first-timers, I decided to put together a video tutorial. Hopefully this can be used with the recipe for successful results!

(Also be sure to check out Rosie's in-depth Swiss Meringue Buttercream tutorial, and Shelly's too!)

In this post you'll find three recipes for this white cake in different volumes. A 6-inch test cake, a 9-inch cake and another large quantity batter for big 14-inch tiers. I really like this cake's crumb as-is, but I found the accompanying simple syrup recipe added great flavor and moisture. I do not consider the syrup optional! Be sure to use it - especially if you freeze the cakes for future use, or if you will be decorating it over the course of a few days. This tends to dry out an otherwise moist cake.

The recipe and decor idea for the test cake is adapted from the book "Wedding Cakes You Can Make" by Dede Wilson. You won't find any crazy-elaborate decorating or rolled fondant-covered cakes in this book, but you will find approachable cake recipes, a timeline to follow, and a cake cutting guide. All of this is very helpful information. I highly recommend this book!

The recipe portion of this post will be lengthy, but don't let that overwhelm you. The cake, lemon curd and icing recipes can all be printed separately.

The directions to make the cake as pictured is at the link below. I've included a few instructional pics below, too.
LINK: Fruit Topped White Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

White Wedding Cake
[click for printable version]
For a 6 x 2-inch round double layer test cake:
1 3/4 cups cake flour (such as Swan's down, do not substitute homemade cake flour)
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
3 large egg whites, room temp
3/4 cup whole milk, room temp
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

For a 9 x 2- inch round double layer cake:
3 1/2 cups cake flour (such as Swan's down, do not substitute homemade cake flour)
1 Tbsp plus 1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
6 large egg whites, room temp
1 1/2 cups whole milk, room temp
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract

For a 14 x 2 inch round double layer cake:
Note: A stand mixer is recommended for large quantity batters

8 2/3 cups cake flour (such as Swan's down, do not substitute homemade cake flour)
2 Tbsp plus 4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
15 large egg whites, room temp
3 1/2 cups whole milk, room temp
2 1/2 cups (5 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
4 cups sugar
5 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease pans and line with parchment. I suggest using Wilton's Cake Release to grease the pans. You don't have to use parchment with this product, and there are far less crumbs on the outside of the cake when it is turned out.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt; set aside. Whisk together egg whites and milk in a separate bowl; set aside.
Beat butter using the paddle attachment until soft and creamy. Add sugar gradually and beat until light and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Beat in vanilla.
Add flour mixture alternately with the egg white/milk mixture. Begin and end with flour mixture and beat until smooth on medium-low speed after each addition.
Divide batter between pans. Bake 6-inch cake at 350 for 25 minutes; bake 9-inch cakes at 350 for about 35 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees for 14-inch cakes, bake for about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan, then turn out and cool completely.

Simple Syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2 tsp clear vanilla extract

1. Place sugar and water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and cook until sugar has dissolved.
2. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in vanilla and set aside.
3. Use a new soft-bristled pastry brush to apply syrup to cakes. Use your discretion for applying syrup to cakes. Below are my quantity suggestions, but feel free to add more or less according to your taste and desire for moistness.

1/2 cup for 6-inch cakes
3/4-1 cup for 9 inch cakes
2-3 cups for 14 inch cakes

Swiss Meringue Buttercream (Small and Large Batch)
Batch for 6-inch double layer cake: [click for printable version]
5 egg whites
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
1 pound unsalted butter, cubed, softened (room temperature works too, but takes longer to come together)
3 teaspoons clear vanilla extract

Large batch (make once for 3-4 large tiers, or make 2-3 times for many-tiered cakes):
12 egg whites
3 cups sugar
1/4 tsp salt
5 cups unsalted butter, softened
1 tbsp clear vanilla extract

Set a saucepan filled one-third full of water over medium-high heat and bring to a simmer.
Whisk together the egg whites, sugar, and salt in a large heatproof bowl ( I suggest a stainless bowl). Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved (120-140 degrees on a candy thermometer, to be sure).
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat on low speed for 2 minutes. Increase to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
Continue beating at medium-high speed until the mixture is fluffy and has cooled (the mixing bowl should feel cool to the touch).
Turn the mixer off and switch from the whisk attachment to the paddle. Turn the mixer on medium-low and add the butter, a few cubes at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
Add the vanilla extract. Divide batter and tint with food coloring, if desired.
Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Lemon Curd
Yield: About 3 cups, enough to fill one 9-inch double layer cake
with a little left over.
[click for printable version]
8 tbsp (1 US. stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1/3 cup plus 4 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl using an electric mixer. Slowly add the eggs and yolks one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Pour in lemon juice and mix again. Expect the mixture to look curdled, this is normal.
Cook the mixture over medium heat in a medium-size saucepan until it looks smooth (no longer curdled.) Increase the heat slightly and cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens. Clip a thermometer to the side of the pan and cook until the mixture reaches 170 degrees.
Remove the curd from the heat. Transfer the curd to a bowl and press plastic wrap on the surface of the lemon curd to keep a skin from forming. Chill the curd in the refrigerator. The curd will thicken further as it cools. Covered tightly, it will keep in the refrigerator for a week and in the freezer for 2 months.

Whiteout Cocoa

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 21:58:00 +0000

This post will be short and sweet since I'm going out of town for a few days, but I couldn't let another day pass without sharing this recipe!

This is an absolutely delicious white chocolate cocoa, and it couldn't be easier to make. The original recipe uses full-fat ingredients, but I've lightened it up a bit. So feel free to go crazy with copious amounts of whipped cream or even giant oven-toasted marshmallows.

I won't tell.

Whiteout Cocoa
8-10 servings [click for printable version]

6 cups skim milk
2 cups fat-free half and half
12 oz. package white chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
1 tablespoon vanilla
Whipped cream and nonpareils for topping

1. Place skim milk, half and half, vanilla and white chocolate chips in a large pot, and place over medium heat. Stir occasionally until chocolate chips begin to melt, then reduce heat to medium-low.

2. Cook, stirring occasionally until mixture is very hot and chips are melted. Divide mixture between mugs and top with whipped cream and sprinkles. Serve immediately.

Note: If the mixture is left for very long at room temperature, the fat from the white chocolate will rise to the surface. Be sure to gently re-heat the mixture a give it a good stir before serving!

Flaming Baked Alaska Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 13:51:00 +0000

Just call me the cupcake arsonist.

This is the second time I've intentionally set fire to this cutesy confection. What's the appeal? Maybe I feel the cupcake could use a break from its curlicued reputation. Or maybe it appeals to my inner juvenile delinquent who loves to play with matches. All I know for sure is, this is one incredibly delicious show-stopping dessert! It's a perfect dramatic finale for any dinner party.

Baked Alaska is a layered dessert consisting of cake, ice cream and sweet meringue, so it wasn't terribly difficult to translate into cupcake form. To begin, you'll need a "naked" cupcake - no wrappers! They'd catch fire, and we certainly don't want burning paper on our delicious treat.

You have two options to obtain your "naked" cupcakes: 1.) Bake cupcakes without liners in a greased and floured cupcake pan. 2.) For easy clean-up, use your least cutesy cupcake papers and just peel them away before you begin assembling the cakes. I'm all for the latter - one less pan to wash. Inexpensive parchment paper liners will do just fine.

To make the blue-flame magic happen, turn down the lights and sprinkle a couple of tablespoons of warmed brandy over each meringue-coated cupcake. Ignite with a grill lighter or a long fireplace match. Please note that I used a little more brandy on these cupcakes for photography purposes. I needed a longer burn time so I could get a good picture of the flame. (I ate one of these cupcakes after photographing and it was a little strong - made my tongue tingly!).

Back when I made Flaming Strawberries on Cupcakes, I didn't know heating the liquor would help it catch fire easier. Try it! It makes all the difference!

Other goings-on:

My pal Meaghan of The Decorated Cookie has a new book available called Sugarlicious! I recieved my copy last Thursday, and it is a delight to read! Lots of edible crafty goodness in there. I recommend!
Slight freak-out at the realization that in just a few short months, I'll be making a wedding cake that serves 200 people! Jesus take the wheel.
Bon Appetit included me and some of my bloggy pals in their Red Velvet round-up. Check it out here!
I'm still working on answering your letters! (Just an update in case you haven't received your reply yet.)
My fur-baby Churro hurt his paw while playing outside, which resulted in a trip to the pet ER. He's doing better, but gosh - was I ever worried! I really don't know how parents of human children do it. You have my utmost respect!

Flaming Baked Alaska Cupcakes:
Yield: 10-12 cupcakes [click for printable version]

Cake/Ice cream:
Use your favorite cupcake recipe, or my Basic Vanilla Cupcake recipe (below)
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons milk

2 cups of your favorite ice cream for filling cupcakes

1. Heat oven to 350°F and line cupcake pan with papers.

2. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar until lightened in color and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well between additions. Beat in vanilla extract.

3. Add flour mixture and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour. When completely incorporated, divide batter evenly amongst liners, filling them 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, but check them after 15.

4. Peel away cupcake liners and discard. Cut a small divot out of the top of each cupcake, large enough to hold about 2 tablespoons of ice cream. Fill each divot with ice cream and place filled cupcakes in the freezer while preparing the meringue.

Meringue/ flambe:

6 large egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

1 1/2-2 cups brandy, warmed on the stove top

Note: Warm the brandy just before serving the cupcakes.

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with an electric mixer until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.

2. Gradually beat in the sugar until the meringue is stiff and glossy. Transfer half the meringue to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip.

3. Preheat oven to hottest setting (this is usually broil).

4. Remove the cupcakes from freezer. Set each cupcake on their own small plate, and then set the plates on one or two large baking sheets. Immediately pipe meringue swirl on top of the cupcakes, covering/enveloping the ice cream completely. Use an off-set spatula to coat the lower part of the cupcakes with meringue.

5. Place cupcakes under broiler until meringue is lightly browned - be sure to give this step your undivided attention! Remove from the oven and present to guests. Gently pour 2 tbsp. brandy over each cupcake. Ignite the brandy with a long kitchen match and let burn until the flame subsides

6. When the flames die down, serve immediately.

Note: As a safety precaution, keep cupcakes on the metal baking sheet until flame subsides.

Vanilla-Rosewater Cupcakes for the ModCloth Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 21:22:00 +0000

I'm so excited to be guest posting on the ModCloth blog today! For most of us, ModCloth needs no introduction; for those unfamiliar, it's one of my favorite sites for vintage-inspired clothing, shoes and the cutest tabletop items around! Last month they asked if I would develop a special Valentine's day recipe for their blog readers. I had a fresh bottle of rosewater lingering in my cabinet, and it didn't take long to figure out exactly what I wanted to make.

Ready to get rosy? Read all about these cupcakes (complete with candied rose petal topper) here!

Red Velvet Cake Minis

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:01:00 +0000

Today, I'm joining some of my favorite bloggers for a virtual Valentine's Day treat party. If you're looking for something special to make for your sweetheart, this is the place to be!

This cake recipe is my go-to Red Velvet sponge roll, but instead of rolling it up, I've used a pastry ring to cut the sponge sheet into 3" stackable rounds. The rounds are filled with a light whipped cream and cream cheese mixture, then topped off with a little more of the same.

I love to give (and get!) chocolates for Valentine's Day, so I used gold-covered chocolate buttons and a squares of Godiva chocolate for decoration. Of course, any square of good quality chocolate will work. If Godiva doesn't strike your fancy, a Vosages square would be yummy, or spherical Lindor chocolates or Ferrero Rocher would do the trick too!

(For those curious, I found my gold-covered chocolate buttons here.)

Be sure to visit all my friends for fabulous inspired Valentine's Day desserts!

1. Confessions of a Cook Book Queen ~ Valentines Twinkies on a Stick
2. Buns in My Oven ~ Hot Fudge and Strawberry Doughnut Pudding
3. Glorious Treats ~ Red Velvet Cupcakes
4. Cookies and Cups ~ Glass Topper Valentines Cookies
5. Bakingdom ~ Valentines Day Cookie Cakes
6. The Hungry Housewife ~ Valentines Jello Hearts
7. Sweet Adventures of Sugarbelle ~ Valentines Dotty Cookies
8. Sprinkle Bakes ~ Red Velvet Cake Minis (that's me!)
9. Bake at 350 ~ Double-Decker, Stripey, Valentine Cookies
10. Two Peas and Their Pod ~ Red Velvet Crinkle Cookies
11. Scarletta Bakes ~ Mexican Chocolate Hearts
12. She Wears Many Hats ~ Valentines Popcorn

Red Velvet Cake Minis
Yield: Six 3" cakes [click for printable version]

Red Velvet Sponge:

4 eggs

3/4 cup superfine sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 ounce (2 tablespoons) red food coloring

3/4 cup cake flour, sifted

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a jelly roll pan with shortening. Line the pan with parchment paper and grease the paper also.
Place the eggs in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, and with a timer set, beat for 5 minutes.
Slowly add the sugar and oil. Beat well. Add the buttermilk, vinegar, vanilla, and red food coloring. Switch to the paddle attachment.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt, and slowly add to the liquid ingredients. Beat for 2 minutes, until well combined. The batter will be very thin.
Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 12 to 15 minutes. When done, the cake should spring back when touched in the center.
Allow cake to cool in the pan. Use a 3” round cookie cutter or pastry ring to cut 12 circles from the red velvet sponge.

Whipped Filling:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 oz. cream cheese softened
1/3 cup granulated sugar

Place cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip until fluffy.
Pour in heavy whipping cream and beat on medium high speed. Gradually add sugar with the mixture running, until stiff peaks are formed.
Scrape down bowl with a rubber spatula and mix again, making sure mixture is completely incorporated

Assembly:
6 gold chocolate buttons or other metallic dragees
6 squares of quality chocolate such as Godiva, Vosages or Lindor/Lindt
Special equipment -
Piping bag fitted with large star decorator tip, or a zip-top bag with the corner snipped
6 pastry rings *optional

Place pastry rings on a large baking sheet, if using. Place one round of cake at the bottom of the rings and spoon in 1/4 cup whipped filling. Top with second cake round. Alternatively you may use a piping bag and decorator tip to pipe about 1/4 cup of filling on one cake round, and then sandwich with a second. Cover cakes and refrigerate for 2 hours. Transfer remaining filling into a piping bag fitted with star tip.
Gently press the cakes out of the mold. Pipe a decorative swirl on the top cake and garnish with gold button or dragee and chocolate square.

Chocolate Amaretto Crêpe Cake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 01:37:00 +0000

Last Saturday morning, while our heads were still on our pillows, my husband's eyes popped open and he said "I've been meaning to tell you this. I've dreamed of a cake three nights in a row, but I keep forgetting to tell you about it. It's one of those crêpe cakes. The flavor is chocolate-amaretto, and it has a maraschino cherry on top. I think you are supposed to make it."

I knew he wasn't fabricating a story to coerce me into making something he was craving. I know for a fact that he'd rather eat a pickle on top of cake than a maraschino cherry. I took this news as a sign, or maybe it was some kind of divine appointment with cake. Whatever the case, I felt his dream should be made a reality- with one exception. I decided to spare him the cherry.

This was my first time making crêpes, so I took some time researching crêpe recipes. They all seemed very simple, but it was the batter swirling technique I was worried about - and the pan. The fancy pan.

You need a fancy crêpe pan to swirl the batter properly, right? Well, that's what I thought. I took a chance with my beat-up non-stick pan with the wobbly handle. I swirled, I cooked. I didn't lose my head. Everything turned out fine!

I let Mr. Baird taste-test as I developed the whipped filling recipe. I wanted to make sure it matched his dream-memory. I also made a chocolate amaretto ganache - a bit too much, it turns out - so I made truffles with the leftovers.

The resulting cake was delicious, and the many-layered texture is so divine!

So. Who can say if -or why- I was meant to make this cake. Maybe it was to overcome my fear of crêpe-making. Maybe it was a way for my husband to purge the cake-clutter from his unconscious. Maybe it was so I could share it with you fine people. Who can say. Sometimes you just have to eat cake and let the mystery be.

Chocolate Amaretto Crêpe Cake
Yield: One 9-inch cake. [click for printable version]

Note: Have ready a pastry brush and a little cup of melted butter before you begin cooking the crepes. This is for brushing and the pan with butter.

Crêpes:
6 large eggs
1 cup whole milk
1/2 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/4 cup confectioners sugar

Place all ingredients in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until well combined. The mixture will be the consistency of heavy cream.
Brush a 9 or 10 inch skillet with melted butter and place over medium heat until butter just starts to smoke. Pour scant 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Swirl the batter with the pan lifted over the stove eye until the bottom is coated with a thin layer of batter. Place pan on the stove eye and cook until the surface of the crepe loses most of its glossiness and the top is set. At this point, most recipes will tell you to flip the crepes; mine were cooked through without flipping, so I just slid them out of the skillet and onto a plate.
Repeat process until all crepe batter is used. Allow the crepes to cool completely.

Chocolate-Amaretto Filling:
1 1/3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 Tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 tsp. almond extract
2 Tbsp. amaretto liqueur

Whip heavy cream in a large bowl on medium-high speed with a hand mixer or using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Gradually add the granulated sugar. Mixture will begin to thicken.
Gradually add in the unsweetened cocoa powder. Add the amaretto liqueur one tablespoon at a time, and then add the almond extract. Whip until stiff peaks form. Set aside.

Chocolate-Amaretto Ganache:
Note: This recipe can be halved if you don't plan to make the amaretto truffles.

9 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate

1 cup heavy cream

2 tablespoons Amaretto liqueur

Roughly chop the chocolate and place it in a medium bowl.
In a small saucepan, heat the heavy cream over medium-high heat until just boiling.
Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth. Mix in the Amaretto and whisk again until smooth. Allow to cool slightly before using

Assembly:

Center a crepe on a serving plate. Using a pastry brush, very lightly coat the crepe with chocolate ganache while it is still thin (if ganache begins to set, you can gently heat it in the microwave at 20 second intervals). Thinly spread a little whipped filling over the ganache and top with another crepe. Continue brushing, spreading and stacking, ending with a crepe on top. Set aside.
When remaining chocolate ganache is of spreading consistency, use to frost the cake. Let stand at room temperature until set.

Note: If making entire ganache recipe, remaining amount can be chilled and rolled into truffles. Roll truffles in cocoa powder and garnish top of cake, if desired.

Red Wine Lollipops

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Sun, 22 Jan 2012 00:49:00 +0000

I'm a fan of red wine in desserts (you know this, right?), and I've seen lots of boozy lollipop recipes, but none containing red wine. I did a good bit of searching online, and even in my personal stash of candy cookbooks -nada. I became obsessed with the idea of a red wine pop, and my mission soon became clear: get in the SB test kitchen and fill this terrible void in the confectionery world!

It took a few tries. First, I used the liquid/sugar ratio for a standard pop, but the flavor was lacking. I increased the red wine, only to find the candy wouldn't set properly. I knew better, but I did it anyway.

A while later the correct synapse fired in my brain, and the answer was simple: make a red wine reduction. This gave the lollipops big-time flavor and a beautiful color.

I dressed up the lollies with gold luster dust, and the technique could not be easier! Brush luster dust over the dry lollipop surface and dip it in a glass of room temperature water; shake off the excess then lay it flat on a piece of parchment paper. The gold dust will separate a little while the lollies lay flat. Leave them to dry overnight.

See? Easy! And perfect to hand out for Valentine's day.

Extra tidbits:

After much deliberation, it looks like I will be attending Blissdom this year! I can't wait to meet some of my favorite people!
Last week while making Chicken Marsala, I accidentally coated our chicken in powdered sugar instead of flour. I blame my husband and his efforts to organize my pantry with unlabeled containers. (We both choked down about two bites. Perhaps I should just stick to making dessert.)
I am still loving my special purpose camera, but my poor dogs may go blind from the flash. I can't help that they are so photogenic.

Port Wine Lollipops

Yield: About 12 lollipops [click for printable recipe]

Note: You will need hard candy lollipop molds or a silicone mat. If those are not readily available, parchment-lined cookie sheets will also work.

1 1/2 cups plus 2 tbsp Port wine
3 tablespoons corn syrup
3/4 cup sugar
1/8 tsp. kosher salt
12 Lollipop sticks
Gold luster dust *optional

Bring red wine to a simmer in a small saucepan. Simmer wine until reduced to 1/3 cup, this should take about 20-25 minutes. Remove from stove-top and let cool completely.
In a medium saucepan combine sugar, corn syrup, salt and wine reduction. Stir until combined. Clip a candy thermometer to the side of the saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Stir occasionally with a heat-proof spatula until all sugar granules have dissolved. Boil until candy temperature registers 298-310 degrees on a candy thermometer.
Remove from heat and fill greased lollipop molds with the hot candy. Place lollipop sticks in the stick crevices and rotate until the stick is coated in the hot candy. Alternatively, you may also drop the hot candy from a spoon onto a silicone mat or parchment paper, making two to three-inch disks and leaving room to place -and rotate- the lollipop sticks.
Allow the lollipops to harden completely. These are best if you wait a day to consume them, as this gives the red wine flavor plenty of time to develop.
Embellish with luster dust if desired and store between sheets of parchment in an airtight container

Edit 2/7/12, TIPS: Many of you are having trouble with the candy burning. I just made these again to make sure I didn't make a mistake or leave something important out. Mine came out perfectly, again. I suggest boiling the candy to 298 degrees instead of 310 degrees (the candy will keep cooking a little after it is removed from the heat source). The candy will caramelize just slightly, but it should not be - or taste- burnt. I use a digital thermometer, as it is easier to read. Also, don't use a large pan in which to boil the candy, or it will certainly burn. If candy continues to burn, it could be your pan - you may try adding a couple of tablespoons of water or wine from the bottle to the reduction/sugar/corn syrup/salt mixture.

Cotton Candy Meringues for a Special Birthday

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 13:11:00 +0000

When I heard that Kristan of Confessions of a Cookbook Queen was having a birthday today, I immediately wanted to help celebrate! I've been a long-time fan of her creative desserts, not to mention her hilarious point of view and true-to-life anecdotes. Yes, she's smart and funny, but above all- she's as sweet as her confections. I deeply admire the openness she has with her readers, and even though we've never met in person, I consider her a friend!

Kristan loves all things pink and sparkly (helloo, a kindred spirit!), so I created these glittering pink cotton candy meringues for her special day. They are just as easy to make as standard meringues! Just swap out the granulated sugar for finely ground cotton candy sugar. They are melt-on-your-tongue delicious, and much more stable than cotton candy, which will melt away before your very eyes!

Be sure to check out all of Kristan's birthday party fare at the following sites:

Happy Birthday Kristan! Hope your day is special!

Note: Lots of you are asking where to buy cotton candy granules. You can find them online -Amazon sells them in various sizes and variety packs- restaurant supply stores are a good place to look -or your local party rental store may have some if they rent cotton candy machines.

Cotton Candy Meringues

Approximately 36 cookies [click for printable version]

2 egg whites, at room temperature

Pinch of cream of tartar

1/2 cup finely ground cotton candy granules

*Note: Grind cotton candy granules in a food processor until slightly powdery.

Preheat the oven to 170°F. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper. Fit a large pastry bag with a large French piping tip.
Place the egg whites in a spotlessly clean bowl and whip them with an electric mixer on medium speed until frothy.
Stop the mixer and add the cream of tartar. Start the mixer again and continue to beat the egg whites.
Once the egg whites form soft peaks, increase the speed to high and gradually add the cotton candy sugar, a little at a time.
Beat the egg whites until they are very shiny and hold stiff peaks but are not dry or crumbly, about 7 minutes.
To make sure the sugar has completely dissolved, rub a bit of the meringue between two fingers to see if any granules of sugar remain. If grains are present, continue to beat the meringue until the sugar has fully dissolved.
Spoon the meringue into the pastry bag and pipe onto the prepared cookie sheets. Meringue can also be dolloped onto parchment by heaping spoonfuls if you have no piping bags or decorator tips.
Bake the meringues for 90 minutes, turning them halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.
When the meringues are done, turn off the oven and let them stand in the closed oven for several hours or overnight. The meringues should be hard and dry to the touch, and you should be able to easily lift them from the parchment.

*Disco dust is sold at cake specialty shops and online. If using, sprinkle a little on before baking.