Sprinkle Bakes

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.

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 (try to use a light-colored pan) - you may try adding a couple of tablespoons of water or wine from the bottle to the reduction/sugar/corn syrup/salt mixture.

Edit: 2/10/12, Recipe temporarily removed: Hi friends - I've decided to take this recipe down until I can test it with red wines of varying alcohol percentages. I don't want to anyone to be frustrated over this candy recipe, and it seems I'm getting more bad feedback than good.

If you want to try these at your own risk, I still have the recipe up at SprinklePrints.

I hope to be back with an updated recipe soon. Thanks so much!!

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.

Cherry-Vanilla Layer Cake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 06 Jan 2012 13:36:00 +0000

It's cold outside and the landscape is dreary. And the jolly celebration of Christmas and New Year's is over. I can't think of a better time to make -and share- a pretty cake.

My sights have been set on a pink scratch-made maraschino cake, and trying to find a recipe for one has been a little like trying to find Waldo. The same recipe kept popping everywhere I looked. You know, the one that uses a white cake mix as a base? I tried that one, but it was not what I was looking for.

I wanted scratch-made. I wanted complete control of what went into my cake, and I wanted it to taste bakery fresh. That doesn't seem like such a tall order, right?

Alas. The recipe I had been looking for was in an old fundraiser cookbook (love those!). It took a some mild tweaking, but now it's ready to share!

The frosting is the Swiss Meringue Buttercream recipe from my cookbook. I gave it a generous dose of vanilla, which is a nice compliment to the cherry cake.

I also want to mention that I made this cake in two 7" springform pans. I cannot tell you how much I love and use this size pan. It makes cakes a little smaller in circumference, but they are slightly taller. I love this profile! You don't have to adjust the ingredient amounts of a double layer cake recipe to accommodate the pans. Just divide the original amount of batter between two (or three) 7" pans and adjust baking times according to the amount of batter in the pan.

The original recipe for this maraschino cherry cake indicates the use of one 9" cake pan. As you can see, it divides beautifully between two 7" pans.

Other Tidbits:

I may be venturing into the world of video podcasting soon. It all depends on whether or not I can stand the sound of my own voice.
I am in major like with my new "special purpose" camera. It's so much fun, and there's something great about capturing the moment with no hope of digital editing, no turning back.
I'm completely obsessed with the 90's TV show Northern Exposure, and about to watch the series from beginning to end again. It's not often that I recommend watching television, but this show... it is special.

Cherry-Vanilla Layer Cake
Serves 8-10 [click for printable recipe]

Maraschino Cake:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/4 cups granulated sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup whole milk

1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice

2 teaspoons almond extract

2 tablespoons flour for sprinkling over diced cherries

10 oz bottle maraschino cherries, finely chopped
Drop or two of red food coloring, or Americolor Deep Pink food coloring gel *optional

4 egg whites, beaten to stiff peaks

Preheat oven to 340 degrees. Grease two 7” spring-form pans (or one 9”) and line with parchment paper.
Beat the butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder . Combine milk,cherry juice and almond extract, and add alternately to the butter and sugar with the flour mixture.
In a small bowl, sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of flour over the diced cherries and stir until the flour has been completely absorbed. Note: It’s okay if the cherries still have a little juice on them after this.
Stir cherries into the batter. Stir in food coloring if desired
Fold stiffly beaten egg whites into the batter. Pour into prepared cake pans and bake for 50-60 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to cool completely on a wire rack.

Vanilla Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting:

5 egg whites

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 pound (4 sticks) butter, cubed, at room temperature

3 teaspoons 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. Set over the simmering water and whisk until the mixture is hot to the touch and the sugar has dissolved.
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. I kept a little un-tinted frosting out to pipe around the edges of the cake. To achieve my favoriteblue/green tint, I used a dot each of Sky Blue and Kelly Green Wilton gel food colorings.
Beat until the frosting is thick and completely smooth.
Store in an airtight container until ready for use.

Note: The heart topper is a piece of gum paste with a piece of clean, unused floral wire inserted through the center. The surface was brushed with corn syrup and dipped in multicolored sprinkles.

Chocolate-Mashed Potato Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:43:00 +0000

Yes. You read that right. Chocolate-mashed potato cupcakes.

We have a whole new year to be adventurous, so I figure, why not.

Why not try something new and different and unexpected? And why not since I had a bowl of leftover mashed potatoes just hanging out in my fridge with the dozens of other New Year's leftovers.

As I considered this idea, I remembered the chocolate-covered potato chips from the Sweet Confections book and that sealed the deal. They were destined to become chocolate-mashed potato cupcake toppers.

I smiled. I giggled. I whipped them up in a flash!
Best of all, I totally weirded out Mr. Baird. It was a good day.

Now, I've had my fair share of secret ingredient desserts; tomato soup chocolate cake (a Rose Levy Beranbaum recipe), chocolate kraut cake - I even ate garlic chocolate chip cookies once at a garlic festival. They were all really good and not weird at all. The main purpose of the novelty/mystery ingredient is to impart moisture, and it's no different with these mashed potato cupcakes. The cake portion bakes up dense like a pound cake but it is OH-so-moist.

I will make these again when I'm staring down a bowl of leftover 'taters.

A few (obvious?) notes about the mashed potatoes:

Avoid using mashed potatoes with skins, chives, sharp cheeses, garlic or any other inclusions that would ruin the texture and flavor of the cupcake.
If you make runny mashed potatoes, then you may need to add up to 1/8 cup of all purpose flour to the batter.
Use mashed potatoes with any combination of these ingredients: salt, butter, margarine, sour cream, milk, heavy cream, half and half, evaporated milk. A little pepper is okay too, just as long as it's not super-duper peppery.

Other Tidbits:

Thanks to those of you who sent Christmas cards and letters! I'm so happy to be able to connect with you all on a more personal level. I've already sent out my 1st batch of return letters, so let me know if for some reason you don't get yours.
My editor sent me the advance reading copies of the SB book during Christmas holiday. It looks GREAT and I'm super excited and grateful. And excited. And grateful. And looking forward to all that comes in 2012!
My scuba-diving sister-in-law just got engaged (he popped the question at 35 ft. underwater!). I foresee many wedding cake blog posts in SprinkleBakes' future.

Chocolate-Mashed Potato Cupcakes
Yield: About 15 cupcakes [click for printable version]

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup granulated sugar
4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 cup cold, leftover mashed potatoes *see notes
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup whole milk
2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350. Line cupcake tins with papers and set aside.
Whisk together flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar together, then add mashed potatoes. Whip until fluffy.
In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Add the flour and egg/milk mixture to the batter alternately, beginning and ending with flour. Mixture will be thick.
Fill muffin tins 3/4 of the way full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed in the middle.
Let cupcakes cool completely before icing them.

Chocolate Frosting:
Shared by Heidi D. on my Facebook page, originally from Food.com
(Adapted slightly)

1/2 cup butter softened
2 2/3 cups confectioners sugar
1/2 cup half-and-half
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

Cream the butter in a medium bowl.Add the cocoa, confectioners sugar and vanilla alternately with the half-and-half.
Whip until light and fluffy. Transfer to a piping bag fitted with a large open star tip.
Frost cupcakes.

Chocolate-Covered Potato Chips:
Note: this part of the recipe can be made ahead for convenience.

30 Small potato chips with ridges (hand-select from bag)
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
Nonpareils

Pour 3/4 cup of the semisweet chocolate chips in a small microwaveable bowl. Heat at 30 second intervals until half of chocolate is melted and bowl is warm. (I only had to heat for 30 seconds, with no additional intervals needed). Stir very well after each heating.
Add remaining 1/4 cup of chips. Adjust microwave to 50% and heat at 10 second intervals until fully melted. Stir between each interval.
Dip potato chips in chocolate and place them on a piece of parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle with nonpareils. Let set until completely hardened.
Top frosted cupcakes with one or two chocolate-sprinkle-covered potato chips.

Champagne Mousse

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:41:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that 2012 is just a few days away. I'd like to say I'm ready to dive in head first, but I'm more the type of person to test the water with one toe. For me, easing into the new year means no high pressure resolutions. It's more fun to make up a few that are easy to keep. For example, this year I resolve to...

Eat birthday cake without feeling guilty.
Put sprinkles on everything.
Sleep late whenever possible.
Watch movies on rainy days.
Tell more corny jokes.

Easy.

For this year's NYE gathering, I whipped up a batch of champagne mousse. In spite of its light texture, it is completely decadent and full of champagne flavor. I decided to mold mine in a fancy pan, but you can use a regular loaf pan or just pipe it into champagne flutes. It's very versatile. The chocolate ganache was a last minute addition, and I'm including the recipe, but it can be enjoyed with or without.

And of course, it had to be decorated with sugar pearls, shiny dragees... all types of edible baubles.

I wanted to get a good picture of us wishing you a Happy New Year, but the pups weren't having it. As you can tell, Churro wanted to get off of my lap so badly, he wouldn't even look up at the camera.

Oh well. Happy New Year anyway!!

Oh, and one last thing.
If you need a more portable New Year's treat, check out my Sparkling Champagne Cupcakes from last year.

Champagne Mousse
Serves 8-10 [click for printable version]

Note: This can be made ahead and kept in the freezer.
1 cup heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups champagne, prosecco, or your choice sparkling wine
2 1/2 tsp powdered gelatin
3 tbsp water (or champagne)

In a medium bowl, whip the heavy cream with an electric hand mixer until stiff peaks form. Place in refrigerator until ready for use.
Place a saucepan filled 1/3 with water over medium-high heat until water is simmering.
Combine the egg yolks and sugar in a stainless steel (or glass) heatproof bowl. Whisk until lightened in color. Add the champagne and whisk until combined. Place bowl over simmering water.
Whisk mixture constantly. The champagne will cause the mixture to fizz and foam. Keep whisking! Mixture will begin to thicken. When the mixture is ready the mixture will have thickened and gained volume, and it will have lost its foaminess. Remove bowl from the simmering saucepan and continue to whisk for 1-2 minutes. Set aside.
Place the 3 tbsp water (or champagne) in a small microwave-safe bowl, sprinkle gelatin evenly over the liquid. Let set until absorbed - about 5 minutes. Heat the absorbed gelatin mixture for 10 seconds in the microwave, or heat until the gelatin has completely melted.
Whisk gelatin into the champagne mixture; fold in the whipped cream with a rubber spatula.

To mold: Lightly grease a loaf pan with white vegetable shortening. Pour champagne mousse into the loaf pan and freeze until solid. To unmold, run a dish towel under hot water and wrap the bottom of the loaf pan with it. Turn mousse out onto a serving plate. If mousse resists unmolding, run the towel under hot water again and wrap around upside down loaf pan. Repeat this step until mousse releases. Bring to room temperature. Slice and serve.

To pipe: Refrigerate mousse for 10-15 minutes, or until stiff enough to pipe. Transfer to a large piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe into champagne flutes. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Note: Make a half-batch of this recipe to cover the champagne mousse, otherwise you'll have too much ganache left over. Or make the whole batch and use it to make truffles. :)

Chocolate ganache *Optional

1/2 cup heavy cream
9 oz. chopped chocolate

Sprinkles, sugar pearls and dragees

Place heavy cream in a small microwave safe bowl, and place chocolate in another small bowl.
Heat cream at 30 second increments, until very hot but not boiling.
Pour cream over chopped chocolate and whisk until well incorporated. Let stand until cooled and slightly thickened, then pour over frozen molded champagne mousse. Decorate with dragees and sugar pearls before chocolate ganache sets.

Gingerbread House Dough

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 12:51:00 +0000

Gingerbread houses: I would move into one if humanly possible. Cookie walls, chocolate fondant roof, and a nonpareil walkway... yep. Those are all the amenities I'm looking for in life.

Tiny mistletoe hangs above the entry.

If you don't have a gingerbread recipe for building purposes - no worries. I've got you covered! This dough slices easily with a knife, so it is ideal for cutting around templates. It bakes up sturdy but not too hard, so you can also use the dough for cut-out cookies if that is your preference.

Need a good template? I use and recommend this one from bbcgoodfood.com. Just print out 3 copies and cut out each of the shapes. It is just the right size for a single batch of dough with a little left over to roll out and cut into cookies.

I had planned to decorate this house with gumdrops and colorful candies, but obviously the muse led elsewhere. I'm not sure where the Bavarian influence came from, but... I like it!

The roof shingles and other "wood" ornamentation are pieces of chocolate fondant that were striated with a toothpick and adhered with dabs of corn syrup. The trees are cupcake picks placed randomly around the house in the powdered sugar "snow".

Below you'll find the "bricks and mortar" for your house. The rest is up to you!

Gingerbread House Dough
2-3 dozen cookies, or one gingerbread house and accouterments
[click for printable version]

3½ cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons ground ginger

1½ teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

¾ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

½ cup molasses - not black strap, and preferably "golden", "mild" or "sorghum" molasses

1 large egg

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Sift flour, ginger, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt into large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in another large bowl at medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add brown sugar; beat 1 minute. Add molasses; beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg; beat until well blended, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to low; beat in vanilla. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend.
Gather dough into ball; divide in half. Form each half into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap disks separately in plastic; chill until firm, at least 4 hours. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled.
Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 350°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with 1 disk at a time, roll out dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to ¼-inch thickness. Use gingerbread house templates or decorative cookie cutters to cut-out shapes and transfer to prepared sheets, spacing 1 inch apart. Gather scraps, roll out dough, and cut more shapes/cookies, repeating until all dough is used. Bake 1 sheet at a time until cookies are firm on top and slightly darker around edges, about 8 minutes for smaller shapes and up to 15 minutes for larger shapes.
Cool completely on rack. Line baking sheets with fresh parchment as needed.

Note: Cookies will not spread much during baking, but for precise gingerbread house construction, cookies can be perfectly re-cut while still hot. Place the paper templates on top of the hot cookies, and quickly cut with a plain-edge knife - but be careful not to burn yourself!

Royal Icing

Yield: 2 1/2 -3 cups [click for printable version]

3-4 Tbsp meringue powder

4 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp lemon extract

1. Whisk together meringue powder and powdered sugar. Pour mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment.

2. Add warm water and mix on high speed for about 5-7 minutes or until stiff peaks are achieved. Transfer to a piping bag and use to adhere gingerbread house pieces.

Notes: Not all meringue powder is created equal. Be sure to check the recipe on the container before you begin. I usually use 3 Tbsp. meringue powder, but if you don't have a powerful stand mixer in which to whip the icing, you may use an additional tablespoon. It will come together more quickly.

A Birthday Cake for Jane Austen: Twelfth Night Cake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 08:00:00 +0000

I hope you'll pardon my digression from the merry-making of Christmas goodies in order to celebrate a beloved literary figure. Happy Birthday Jane Austen! Jane captured my heart long ago with her sharp satire and humor. And with the handsome Mr. Darcy, of course.

True, this is Jane's birthday cake, but I made it especially for I Heart Classics, my publisher's Tumblr site that celebrates all things pertaining to classic literature. If you are a Janeite, or any-sort-of-classic-literature-ite, then you'll enjoy browsing IHC.

To celebrate this birthday properly, I chose a Regency era cake called Twelfth Night Cake. The cake's meaning has changed over the years, but essentially Twelfth Night was a celebration that marked the end of the Christmas season in Jane's time. This cake was always present at the occasion. It is somewhat fruitcake-like (don't be scared) and I've completely updated it by removing those weirdly green candied cherries, and adding dried cranberries, orange zest and pecans. See? That sounds delicious, and not at all scary. It also gets a dose of Cointreau simple syrup. No dry fruitcake on my watch!

Perhaps the neatest thing about this cake - the bean. A dried bean gets baked into the cake. If you find the bean in your slice of cake then you are the Queen (or King) of the celebration. Doesn't that sound like fun? I may have to bring this (and a paper crown) to our Christmas Eve party this year.

I knew exactly how I would decorate this cake when I found a set of Jane Austen themed rubber stamps from Etsy seller Oxford Impressions. The decorations are stamped wafer paper (the "ink" is black food coloring) adhered to pastillage. Everything is completely edible, right down to the pink and silver dragee quote marquees.

Twelfth Night Cake
One 12-inch cake, serves 8-10 [click for printable version]

Make the cake:

1/2 lb. (1 cup or 2 US stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 lb. (2 cups) granulated sugar
5 eggs
2 oz (1/4 cup) orange liqueur (I used Cointreau)
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 lb. (2 cups) all purpose flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt
1/2 lb (about 2 cups) dried cranberries
8 oz (about 2 cups) roughly chopped pecans
Zest of 1 large orange
1 dried bean

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar together until pale.
2. In a small bowl, beat the eggs and add orange liqueur and vanilla. Mix well then pour into the butter mixture. Beat until combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
3. Add the flour, salt and spices. Mix thoroughly.
4. Add the cranberries, pecans and orange zest. Stir to combine.
5. Grease and line a 12-inch cake pan with parchment paper - bottom and sides. Pour cake batter in and use a fork to press the dried bean down into the batter. Cover top of cake with aluminum foil. Bake for 2 1/2 - 3 hours. Remove cake from oven and let cool in the pan while you make the simple syrup.

Note: You may also insert the dried bean AFTER the cake is baked. This will ensure that the bean doesn't cook during the 3 hours in the oven. The dried cranberries re-hydrate quite a bit, so this worries me about the fate of your bean, especially if it is small.

Orange simple syrup:
8 oz (1 cup) water
1/4 lb. (1 cup) sugar
2 tbsp. orange liqueur (such as Cointreau)
1 cinnamon stick

1. Combine water and sugar in a small saucepan and set over medium-high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved and liquid is very hot. Remove from heat and add cinnamon stick. Let steep 5-10 minutes.
2. When liquid has cooled somewhat, remove the cinnamon stick and add the orange liqueur.
3. Pour syrup over cake a little at a time, allowing it to soak in before the next addition. Do this until all the syrup is used. Turn cake out on a serving plate when it is completely cool.

Coffee Bean Cookies

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 02:08:00 +0000

I think we can all use a little extra get-up-and-go when the holidays arrive. There are gifts to buy, crowds to wade through, long check-out lines to endure, gifts to wrap, and parties to attend. I don't know about you, but having a little caffeine in my system gives me an extra ounce of energy and patience to get through it all with a pleasant demeanor.

I can remember when chocolate covered coffee beans were a specialty item that could only be found in coffee houses. These days, you can find them at most grocery stores - I've even seen them at Target. If you can't find them at your regular grocers, try local coffee houses or places like Earth Fare, World Market, or Whole Foods.

These cookies have the perfect chocolate chip/chocolate coffee bean to cookie dough ratio. Enjoy!

Coffee Bean Cookies

Yield: 4 dozen [click for printable version]

1 cup butter

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2/3 cup chocolate covered coffee beans (I used Pacari brand)

2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Beat butter with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy; add sugars and beat well. Add eggs and vanilla, beat well.

2. Combine flour, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture. Stir in chocolate covered coffee beans and semisweet chips. Cover dough and chill for 20 minutes.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drop dough by the heaping teaspoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheets. (These spread quite a bit during baking, so I suggest you follow the teaspoon suggestion.) Bake for 10-11 minutes or until golden.

4. Let cool on cookie sheets until cookies are rigid enough to transport to a cooling rack. Let cool completely.

Tip: Press a few extra chocolate chips and chocolate covered coffee beans into the tops of drop cookies before they bake. This allows the star ingredients to be visible after the cookie is baked.

Serve with (what else!?) coffee!

DIY Packaged Baked Goods

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 11:19:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was invited to be part of the "12 Waverly Bloggers of Christmas". This month-long event features unique ideas from 12 of Waverly's favorite bloggers. Our mission? To share easy and useful holiday projects using Waverly materials.

Waverly is also giving you the chance to win two $100 gift cards, one for JoAnn's Fabrics and another for Michael's Arts & Crafts store. Just hop over to their Facebook page to enter.

As far as holiday gifts go, I can't think of anything better to get than a loaf of freshly baked Maple-Walnut Bread. Or maybe Homemade Caramel Corn. Okay, Sea Salted Caramels are pretty high on my wishlist too. Sounds good, you say? You love all those treats too?! Then you'll be happy to know that I have recipes for all of the above and easy ways to package them up for gift giving!

Christmas cones are so easy to make and they are reminiscent of Victorian paper cone ornaments, only larger. You can fill them with cookies and candies - and they are reusable, too! For complete instructions check out the how-to video below. (Email subscribers, please visit the site to view).

Bread is such a beautiful thing to give, and this Maple-Walnut Bread is so hearty! It's like a big ol' biscuit that gets baked in a loaf pan. There's only one way to eat this bread (in my opinion); top a slice with goat cheese and place under the broiler until toasty. It makes a great appetizer, unless you top the whole thing off with fig jam. Then it's more like heavenly dessert.

There's something so humble and utilitarian about ticking fabric. That's why it's perfect for wrapping these simple bread loaves. Cut a length of fabric with pinking shears and wrap the bread. Wind a few lengths of baker's twine or yarn around the fabric and tie off. A charming little package!

And why not give bread in a loaf pan? You can find the the pans for a modest price at discount stores or even vintage shops, and the recipient gets a double gift! Maybe after sampling some delicious homemade bread they will be inspired to make good use of the pan.

Loaf pan in folded ticking fabric. Tie it up with fancy trim.

Since we are all terribly busy during the holidays season, I found a two-in-one recipe that I think you will LOVE. Seven minute microwave caramel is poured over popcorn for a Crunch-n-Munch type snack, or you can pour the caramel into a parchment lined dish and when cool, cut into individual caramels. You just can't get any better than that, folks.

Before I close, a few tidbits of SprinkleBakes news:

My book! You can read an update here, and it's available for pre-order now! I'm so excited!
You may have noticed that SB has a new look! This is thanks to Mr. Boddington's Studio, illustrator of the SB book cover. I'm so in love with their illustrations of my sweets. In love, I say!
The winner of the ModCloth gift certificate is Madeline Olin. Congrats to you, Madeline!
SprinkleBakes has a mailing address. If you like snail mail, send me a letter. I'll send you one back! You can find the address under "Contact Me" on the "About" page.

7 Minute Microwave Caramels or Caramel Corn
Spotted first on Pinterest, then adapted from here and here.
Yield: About 50 individually wrapped caramels, or 15 cups of caramel corn [click for printable version]

Make the Caramel:

Note: If making individual caramels, have an 8x8 dish lined with parchment paper at the ready. If making caramel corn, prepare 12-15 cups of popped kettle corn and place in a large bowl. 1 1/2 standard size bags of microwave popcorn popped equals about 12 cups. This is the amount I used.

4 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 cup light brown sugar, tightly packed
1/2 cup corn syrup
2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk (not low fat)
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1. In a large microwaveable bowl or 8 cup glass measure, combine the butter, brown sugar and corn syrup. Microwave at 100% power for 2 minutes.
2. Stir mixture well. It will be a little grainy. Microwave for another 2 minutes, stir well.
3. Add 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk. Microwave for 3 minutes. Watch carefully, it is prone to bubble up at this stage.
4. Remove from microwave and stir in vanilla extract. Be very careful at this stage, the caramel is extremely hot and sticky!

For Individual Caramels:
Sea salt for sprinkling

1. Pour hot caramel into the parchment lined pan.
2. Lightly sprinkle with sea salt.
3. Let stand until set, but still slightly warm. Lift caramel block from pan and cut into individual squares.
4.Wrap in wax paper squares.

*Note: My caramels held their shape quite well without being wrapped.

For Caramel Corn:
1 cup peanuts or cashews
Sea salt for sprinkling

1. Pour nuts over popped kettle corn.
2. Pour hot caramel over popcorn, turning popcorn over with a large wooden spoon to coat.
3. Line a large cookie sheet with parchment paper, set aside.
4. Microwave caramel coated corn for 4 minutes, stopping after each minute to stir.
5. Pour onto prepared baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt. Let stand at room temperature until hardened.
6. Break into pieces and store in an air-tight container.

Note: this recipe should be made in a standard household microwave. High powered commercial microwaves are not suitable for this recipe.

Maple Walnut Bread
Adapted from the Northern Exposure cookbook (I am a fan!)
Yield one 8x4-inch loaf. [click for printable version]
(I often double this recipe to accommodate larger loaf pans.)

2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 large egg
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
3/4 cup chopped walnuts

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease loaf pan with vegetable shortening and set aside.
2. Mix flour, baking powder and salt together in a large bowl. Add egg, milk, maple syrup and butter and mix until thoroughly blended. Fold in walnuts. Dough will be wet and sticky. Pour into prepared loaf pan.
3. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove loaf from pan and let cool.

Note: This is not a sweet bread. It's more like a southern biscuit baked in a loaf pan. It is GREAT toasted and topped with goat cheese and jam.

PS. Here's the calendar of Waverly bloggers and projects.

Waverly fabrics used in this post:

Prance 675910

Classic Ticking 652221

Ellis 673543

Disclaimer: Fabric and notions courtesy of Waverly.

Christmas Coal Candy

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 19:16:00 +0000

I think we've all met a few people who deserve a lump of coal from Santa, and I'm not talking about the cute candy version I'm sharing with you today!

Years ago, when I worked at a busy art gallery during Christmastime, more often than not, at the last minute before the doors closed on Christmas Eve, we'd get a visit from a high maintenance client. I would inevitably be stuck escorting them around the showroom for a couple of hours after closing.

The last time I found myself in this situation, I had to listen to a man refer to every piece of artwork he spotted as "sexy". Piece of pottery? Sexy. Painting of a dead tree? Sexy. Indonesian cat carving? Sexy. Bronze sculpture of Jesus? You guessed it.

An hour later I was desperate for someone to put me out of my misery. My best friend worked there too, and she tried to ~~interrupt him~~ save me many times, but to no avail.

When he finally left (without a purchase, no less), we judged him harshly. My BFF grumbled something about his taste level and I said I hoped Santa brought him a lump of coal instead of fine artwork. Now, that sounds rather mean of me, but please understand... I'd had my fill of "sexy" talk that day. When I think back on the incident, I wonder if he was just lonely at Christmas. I hope by now, at the very least, he's learned a new adjective.

But enough of my reminiscing. On to sweeter things!

Coal candy is perfect for those on your naughty and nice list. It looks much like a lump of coal, but is sweet and sugary with an unexpected crumbly texture. I found it on one of my favorite sites - Fragrante Delicia - which you should certainly check out!

My first batch failed because I cooked the sugar too long and it liquefied. The end result was a shiny block of black candy which was pretty, but far too hard to eat! I got it right the second time, and as it cooked, I wrote down important visual cues to look for as it is being made.

Is there anything better than faking out your friends and family at holiday gatherings? I think not. I hope you'll cook up a batch of your own for the ultimate "naughty" stocking-stuffer.

Christmas Coal Candy (Carbon Dulce)
Recipe adapted from Fragante Delicia, with my commentary [click for printable version]

Step 1:
1 egg white
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar divided, plus a little extra might be needed for thickening purposes
1 1/2-2 tsp. black gel food coloring such as Wilton brand
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Whisk together 1 cup of the powdered sugar along with the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.
Whisk in the remaining 1/2 cup powdered sugar. The mixture should be very stiff as you whisk. Pick up some of the batter with the whisk, and allow it to fall back into the bowl. It should cling to the whisk when you pick up the batter, and fall in thick heavy pieces back into the bowl. If it does not, add a little more powdered sugar until this consistency is achieved.
Set aside while you cook the sugar (next step).

Step 2:
3 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup water

Line an 8x8 (or similar size) heat-proof pan with parchment paper, set aside.
Combine water and sugar in a large non-stick saucepan. Mix sugar and water together by stirring and mashing them together with a heat-proof spatula until it is the consistency of wet sand.
Insert a candy thermometer and let the mixture cook until it reaches 258-260 degrees. The mixture will stay grainy and look weird and you might think you've done something wrong but you haven't. When it's close to the 250 degree mark, the mixture may begin to lightly brown from cooking. It should still be grainy and not in a liquid state.
When 258-260 degrees is achieved, add the black egg white/powdered sugar mixture to the pot and stir (don't whisk) with a heat-proof spoon. The mixture may foam, so be careful!
When thoroughly mixed, pour into the prepared pan and allow to stand until hardened. When hardened, break into pieces.

Notes:

I used a chisel and hammer to break the candy into chunks. It's certainly a hard candy, but it has a break-away crumbly quality too. You might get away with cracking it on the edge of a kitchen counter top, though I'd imagine that method is messier.
Make sure you achieve a deep black color with the gel food coloring, otherwise your finished candy may have a purplish hue to it. Black food coloring is funky like that.

Presentation ideas:

Small burlap pouches can be easily made or bought for festive presentation . Tie the bag up with a red ribbon and a "naughty" tag.
Put a large chunk of coal candy in the toe of a stocking, along with a small hammer.

A Culinary Christmas Giveaway! (Chocolate Sugar Cookies, Too!)

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 11:29:00 +0000

I'm so happy to be sharing two sweet things with you on this Cyber Monday! The first is a $100 gift card giveaway from one of my favorite online retailers - ModCloth! I love their stylish and smart wares for the kitchen and tabletop. Today I'm going to show you a few of my favorites!

I'm also sharing my favorite chocolate sugar cookie recipe that is ideal for decorating. It contains no chemical leavening, so it bakes up evenly for a perfectly smooth decorating surface. I use this recipe for decorating Christmas cookies, but they're also good sandwiched with a little buttercream.

More on this treat a little later, first I want to show you some goodies for your kitchen!

How adorable is this Cutensils Cutlery Set?! Each utensil in the 16 piece collection has a printed handle in different colors and patterns. I love the charm of mismatched cups and saucers, so this is naturally a favorite for me.

And what about this Cooking Owl Day Apron they sent me?! Gosh, it's cute. So cute that I didn't want to get it dirty, but like all things in my kitchen, it was soon covered in powdered sugar and cocoa. I've only spot cleaned it so far, but the tag says it is machine washable in cold water. That's a good thing if you're a messy marvin like me.

The Roy G. Baker food prep set is one of the smart kitchen items I was speaking of earlier. This is an incredible find for someone who doesn't have a lot of cabinet space (ahem, me.) or for a college student's first apartment. Graduated bowls, colanders, strainers and measuring cups all nest for maximum space utilization. Very tidy, indeed.

Here's how to enter:

Do you have a cupcake connoisseur in the family? A baker best friend? Maybe you're looking for some sweet chef's tools for your own wishlist. Whatever the case, browse through ModCloth’s Kitchen and Tabletop category, and leave a comment in this Sprinkle Bakes blog post with what you'd give -or would like- for Christmas. The winner will be chosen at random for a $100 ModCloth gift card to make their holiday cooking wish come true!

Open to U.S. residents only. Contest ends Sunday December 4th. Winner will be chosen and contacted December 5th. Please leave a valid email address with your entry.

Products featured in this post are courtesy of ModCloth.com

Oh, and one more little tidbit. ModCloth's mascot is a pug named Winston. Being a pug owner and enthusiast, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a few Winston sugar cookies! (Just don't tell Biscuit!)

Chocolate Sugar Cookies
Yield: Approximately two dozen [click for printable version]

1/2 lb. (two US sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups plus 1 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 scant cup dark cocoa powder
Pinch of salt

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the butter and sugar together until just incorporated. Do not over-mix at this stage, or the cookies may spread while baking.
Add the egg and vanilla extract. Mix again on low speed, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl intermittently as needed.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt. Add to the butter and egg mixture. Mix on low speed until a dough is formed and there are no longer any streaks of butter in the mixing bowl. The dough will often clump around the paddle attachment while being mixed. This is normal and a good sign that your dough is the right consistency.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
Turn the dough out onto a sheet of wax paper and top with a second sheet. Roll dough into an oblong disc between the paper with a rolling pin. Transfer dough - wax paper and all - to a large cookie sheet. Wrap the dough tightly onto the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Remove top sheet of wax paper and roll dough a little thinner. It should not be sticky. You may dust the surface lightly with flour if it is sticky, but not too much! You don’t want streaks of white flour baked onto your pretty dark chocolate cookies.
Roll dough to a ¼-inch to ½ -inch thickness.
Cut out desired shapes from the dough and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Be careful not to stretch the cutout shapes or they will be distorted after baking.
Refrigerate the cutouts for 30 minutes. This will help the cookies maintain a crisp shape during baking.
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Bake the cookies for 15 to 20 minutes.
Let cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack. Decorate the cookies when completely cooled.

Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies - A Guest Post at The Decorated Cookie Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 16:24:00 +0000

Today I'm sharing a colorful cookie recipe on one of my favorite blogs! Many of you may already know Meaghan Mountford as an inspired cookie decorator and promoter of creative edibles. If you've never visited her blog, you are missing out! Her work always makes me smile, and I cannot wait for her soon-to-be-released book, Sugarlicious! I'm so honored to be her guest today.

Click over to read about my Chocolate Sprinkle Sandwich Cookies at The Decorated Cookie.

Classic and Not-So Classic Thanksgiving Day Desserts

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 13:27:00 +0000

I am in total denial that it is mid November, and that Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. Where has the time gone? And how exactly am I supposed to share all my favorite Thanksgiving day desserts with so little time remaining? The only solution I could come up with was to cram this blog post full of my favorites. So that's what I did.

Today I'm sharing four recipes. Pumpkin pie and buttermilk pie are classic desserts that are expected on our dessert buffet every year; pumpkin tiramisu and apple-buttermilk pie offer a fresh perspective on these classic flavors.

I love being outside when there's a slight chill in the air, so this weekend I decided to take my food photography outdoors. I don't know if it was the fresh air or the pretty foliage, but I was feeling especially creative and decided to throw together an impromptu video. I count on these simple, spur-of-the-moment creative impulses. I've learned something about myself through this blog. I often get these big ideas, and every time I try to execute some elaborate plan, something will go haywire and I'm left feeling creatively frustrated. I'm slowly learning the beauty of simple, so here's a simple little video that is my celebration of fall, apple-buttermilk pie, and my best bud.

(email subscribers may need to click over to view)

Now, a little more about these desserts.

One thing that makes the pumpkin tiramisu so delicious is the mixture of maple syrup and coffee that gets drizzled over the ladyfingers. And boy, is it ever easy to throw together! With all the work and complexity that goes into the rest of Thanksgiving, it feels a little like cheating.

My pumpkin pie recipe is very no-frills, but delicious all the same. I did dress it up a little with some pie crust "cookies" that I cut from the leftover dough. What can I say, I like a lot of crust with my pie!

Choose your slice!

Okay, so I realize that not everyone has buttermilk pie on their "classic desserts" list. It's a common dessert in the south, and this particular recipe is Granny Baird's. It is Mr. Baird's favorite dessert ever, and since Granny Baird is no longer with us, his sister Megan makes it at Thanksgiving and Christmas. For those who have never sampled buttermilk pie, it has a sweet, smooth custard filling that is ever-so-slightly tangy.

My personal favorite is the apple-buttermilk pie. I'm not one to make declarative statements, but after tasting it, Mr. Baird and I both declared that we would be perfectly okay with never eating regular apple pie again. The buttermilk custard makes the apples so tender... and did I mention that it has a streusel topping? It does. I live for streusel.

Almost forgot! I have a whole other roundup of fall goodies on the Cooking Channel's blog. Check it out here.

Classic Pumpkin Pie
Yield: one 8-9 inch pie, 8 servings [click for printable version]

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or use 1/2 tsp ground ginger and 1/4 tsp ground cloves)
2 eggs
15 oz. pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
12 oz can of evaporated milk
1 unbaked pie shell

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Combine sugar, salt, cinnamon and pie spice in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a separate large bowl. Stir in pumpkin and sugar spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk.
Pour into the unbaked pie shell. Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 40-50 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.
Allow pie to cool completely. Serve. Refrigerate uneaten portion.

Pumpkin Tiramisu
Adapted from BHG
6-8 servings [click for printable version]

4-5 oz package ladyfingers (crispy, not soft)
1/2 cup maple syrup (maple flavored syrup is okay to use)
2 tablespoons strongly brewed coffee

Filling:
3/4 cup pumpkin puree or canned pumpkin
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with plastic wrap. Set aside.
Combine maple syrup and coffee in a small bowl and stir to combine. Line the bottom of the prepared pan with lady fingers and drizzle half the syrup over them.
In a small bowl combine pumpkin, cinnamon, ginger and salt. In a separate small mixing bowl combine the heavy cream and granulated sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gently fold into the pumpkin mixture. Pour half of mixture over the lady fingers. Create another layer with ladyfingers and drizzle the remaining syrup over. Top with remaining filling

Topping:
8 oz. mascarpone cheese or cream cheese softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup heavy cream
Freshly grated nutmeg

In a small bowl combine mascarpone or cream cheese and granulated sugar. Beat with a hand mixer on low speed. Gradually beat in heavy cream until just thickened. Spoon onto layered dessert.
Cover and chill for 8 hours. Use the plastic wrap to lift the dessert from the pan.
Top with freshly grated nutmeg when ready to serve.

Granny Baird's Buttermilk Pie
Recipe courtesy Megan Baird [click for printable version]
8 servings

1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp all purpose flour
Pinch of salt
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup buttermilk
8 inch pie crust

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar with a hand mixer. Beat until light and fluffy. Mix in flour and salt. Add eggs, one at a time. Beat until well incorporated. Add buttermilk and vanilla, mix well to combine
Pour into an unbaked pie shell and bake for 50 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean.

Apple & Buttermilk Pie
Adapted from The Best of Cooking Light
10 servings [click for printable version]

Note: This recipe requires a deep-dish pie pan.

Crust:
Ready made 9" deep dish pie crust. (Or homemade, if you prefer)

Streusel topping:
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tbsp cold butter cut into small cubes

Filling:
5 cups (about 2lbs.) sliced and peeled apples, a firm variety like Granny Smith
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 tbsp. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 3/4 cups fat-free buttermilk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Roll dough into a 14-inch circle and fit into a 9 inch deep dish pie pan coated with cooking spray. Fold edges under and flute. Place pie in refrigerator until ready for use.
To prepare streusel, combine flour, brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, cut in butter with a pastry blender until the mixture resembles coarse meal. A mini-chopper is handy for this if you have one. Store in refrigerator until ready for use.
For filling, heat a large nonstick skillet (I used my cast iron pan) coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Add sliced apples, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and cinnamon. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until apples begin to soften. Stir occasionally. Spoon apple mixture into prepared crust.
Combine remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, salt and eggs, stirring with a whisk. Stir in buttermilk and vanilla. Pour over the apple mixture. Bake at 325 degrees for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 300 degrees (do not remove pie from oven); sprinkle streusel over pie. Bake at 300 degrees for 40 minutes or until set. Let stand 1 hour before serving.

Chocolate Quake Cake

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 23:37:00 +0000

Maybe this blog should be renamed "Sprinkle Bakes Chocolate Cakes". I've had a serious romance with the confection all year. First there was a very special chocolate cupcake recipe for pyromaniacs, soon after came Chocolate Whiskey Cake, then Chocolate Gâteau on the Half Shell, Nigella's Chocolate-Honey Cake, the proportionally epic PBC⁴ (as I've come to call it), and last week's post was dedicated to the marriage of chocolate cake and red wine.

I may need an intervention, but like most addicts I don't want one.

I've tasted many, but this chocolate cake may be my favorite, ever! It is indulgently rich with a generous amount of chocolate icing, and in contrast the cake has a light, moist crumb. It is pretty in an unconventional way, which is my favorite kind of pretty. The ingredients are easy enough to put together, but you will need a standing mixer of some sort. Otherwise your hand mixer may bog-down or your arm tire midway through whipping the icing. Oh, the icing!

Squirrel perfectly conveys my feelings for chocolate cake.

This was the strangest technique for making icing that I've ever encountered. After mixing up the ingredients, the mixture is poured into a 9x13 pan and frozen for a few hours until firm. After freezing it is scooped into a stand mixer (do this as best as you can, it's like a mini La Brea Tar Pit) and whipped until light and fluffy.

Ta-daa! Transformed.

As you can see in the picture above, two cake layers are stacked and frosted...

... and the third cake layer is cut in two pieces horizontally (some of you may know this as "torting" a cake). The halves are then cut into cubes, triangles, rectangles - whatever shape you wish - and then assembled willy-nilly onto the frosted cake. It's almost impossible to mess up the decorating of this cake. It's so easy and fun!

Important note: This recipe requires a whopping 3 cups of cocoa powder. That's more than the 10 oz. container most home bakers have on hand. Be sure to have extra when planning to make this cake.

One more thing! You can tell a lot about a girl by what's in her purse. Take a peek in mine at That's What We Said!

Chocolate Quake Cake
Adapted from The Pastry Queen Christmas
Yield: 14 servings [click for printable version]

Note: Make the frosting first, it will need to chill in the freezer for at least two hours.
Frosting:
2 cups heavy whipping cream
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 cups granulated sugar
2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (I used dark cocoa powder)
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a large saucepan combine the cream and butter and set over medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Whisk in the granulated sugar, cocoa powder and corn syrup. Whisk until smooth.
Remove from heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Pour into a 9x13" pan and freeze until firm, 2-4 hours. While the frosting chills, make the cake layers.

Cake:
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted
2 cups water
1 cup canola oil, or other light tasting oil
4 cups sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (again, I used dark cocoa)
4 cups all purpose flour
4 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
1 Tbsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt

Place an oven rack in the bottom third of the oven and another rack in the upper third. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease three round 9-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment. Grease parchment paper. Dust pans with flour and knock out the excess over the sink.
In a large (5 quart at least) saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, water and oil. Cook until butter is melted. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cocoa and flour. Pour into the butter mixture and whisk until smooth.
Whisk in the eggs, one at a time then whisk in buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk in the baking soda and salt. Divide batter among prepared pans (I found this to be about 3 1/2 cups of batter per pan). Stagger the cake layers on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool about 20 minutes in the pans, then turn out on a wire rack and let cool completely.

Assembly:

Remove frosting from the freezer and scrape out into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat frosting on medium speed for 3-5 minutes. Paddle attachment will loosen the frosting enough for whipping. Switch to the whisk attachment and whip 5-7 minutes at high speed, or until frosting has lightened in color and is fluffy.
Remove parchment paper from cake layers. Spread 1/3 of the frosting on the top of a cake layer and top with a second cake layer. Use the remaining frosting to cover the top and sides. Slice the 3rd layer horizontally into two even layers. Cut each layer into strips, then into various shapes (cubes, triangles, rectangles). Press the cake pieces into the top and sides of the frosted cake until it is completely covered.

*Note: Entire cake may be dusted with 1/4 cup powdered sugar before serving.

Chianti Chocolate Cupcakes

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 16:53:00 +0000

I've always had the opinion that red wine and chocolate were made for each other, so when I happened upon a recipe for chocolate red-wine cupcakes, all my other baking plans flew out the window. Now, I'm no wine connoisseur, but I do have a favorite red. I keep a bottle of Chianti squirreled away in my wine cabinet for special occasions. I couldn't wait to see how it tasted in cake form.

The red wine flavor in the chocolate cake is subtle, so I felt punching up the Chianti taste with frosting was an absolute necessity. I made a simple confectioners' icing with a wine reduction and finished it with a few tablespoons of Chianti strait from the bottle. I've made these twice; once as full size cupcakes and once (shown here) as minis. I loved the minis, and could imagine them lined up on a fancy platter for the perfect sweet bite at a cocktail party.

I used tiny Bunchins table grapes as a cupcake garnish (remember them from this post?). I like the added freshness in both flavor and appearance. If you can't find this tiny variety of grape, an average-size grape can be halved and perched on top.

Chianti Chocolate Cupcakes
Cake portion adapted from Silvana Nardon's recipe [click for printable version]
Makes about a dozen cupcakes or 2.5-3 dozen mini cupcakes

Cake:
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 oz. dark chocolate (72%) broken into small pieces
1/4 cup boiling water
1 stick (8 oz.) butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup plus 1/8 cup all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup Chianti red wine

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place liners in cupcake pan cavities.

2. In a medium heatproof bowl, combine cocoa powder and chocolate pieces, whisk in the boiling water until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is thoroughly combined.

3. In a large bowl, cream the butter and granulated sugar. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Sift in flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix until just combined. Alternating, add the chocolate mixture and wine, mix until batter is smooth.

4. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them about halfway full. Bake for about 20 minutes for regular size cupcakes - 10-12 for minis. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

*Note: These cupcakes have a flat top when baked, so don't expect a nice rounded top. That said, they are very moist and tender. Don't let the flat tops fool you!

Frosting:

1 cup Chianti wine plus 4 tablespoons, divided
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 sticks of butter, softened (not room temperature, butter should still be a little cold)
3 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 tsp salt
Small seedless red grapes for garnish

1. Place 1 cup Chianti and granulated sugar in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved, and simmer until mixture is reduced to scant 1/3 cup. Allow to cool completely

2. In the bowl of a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, combine the softened butter and confectioners' sugar. Mix on low speed at first, and then on high until mixture is fluffy. With mixer running, gradually pour in the cooled Chianti reduction. Add salt and beat until well combined. Scrape down the bowl as necessary.

3. Again, with the mixer running, gradually pour in the 4 tablespoons of Chianti one tablespoon at a time until thoroughly mixed. Transfer the frosting to a piping bag fitted with a large french decorator tip. Frost cupcakes and garnish with grapes.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 20:06:00 +0000

I love a good pumpkin cheesecake, and this one is especially good. The recipe comes from Food & Wine's Best of the Best Cookbook Volume 10. The first thing about this dessert that piqued my interest was the sugared pumpkin seeds. I've sugared pecans plenty of times at Christmas (a tradition) but never pumpkin seeds! Why didn't I think of that?!
Sunflower seeds, you're next.

I appreciate the nuances of flavor in the crust; slightly nutty with the addition of pecans and just a hint of ginger. Every component of this cheesecake is well composed. It does take a little time to make, but it's the real deal.

Embrace the beauty of the water-bath method. It's so worth the effort.

Sugared pumpkin seeds are so easy to make and great for a quick snack!

Creamy Pumpkin Cheesecake

with Sugared Pumpkin Seeds

Adapted from Tish Boyle's recipe in Food and Wine's Best of the Best Volume 10

Makes one 9-inch cake; serves 12-16 [click for printable version]

Ginger-Pecan Crust:

1 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1/8 tsp salt

1/3 cup pecans (1.2 oz.)

1/4 tsp ground ginger

1/2 cup cold butter

1 tablespoon cold water

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch springform pan. Wrap the outside of the pan in an 18 inch square of heavy duty aluminum.

2. Place flour, sugar, salt, pecans and ginger in the bowl of a food processor. Process until the pecans are finely ground. Add cold butter and process until crumbs form. Add water and process in bursts until the dough starts to come together in clumps. Press dough evenly into the bottom of the prepared pan.

3. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Cool completely. Reduce oven temperature to 325 degrees.

Pumpkin Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup pumpkin puree (canned is fine)

1/2 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 lbs (20 oz, or 2 1/2 eight oz. bricks) cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar, packed

1 tbsp cornstarch

4 large eggs

1. In a medium bowl whisk together pumpkin puree, heavy cream, vanilla extract, cinnamon , ginger and salt. Set aside.

2. In a standing mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese at medium-low until creamy (approx. 2 mins). Gradually add sugars and beat until blended. Add pumpkin mixture and beat until blended. Add cornstarch and beat until just combined. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Scrape down bowl as necessary.

3. Use a rubber spatula to scrape the batter onto the cooled crust. Place the aluminum-wrapped pan in a roasting pan or large baking pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come up 1 inch up the sides of the springform pan. Bake 70-80 minutes, or until set and slightly wobbly. The cake will completely set as it cools.

Whipped Cream Topping

2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar

1. In a standing mixer with the whisk attachment, beat heavy cream until it begins to thicken slightly. Add in granulated sugar a little at a time.

2. Beat until stiff peaks form. Use to top cheesecake, or pipe in decorative swirls. You may also serve this on the side.

Sugared Pumpkin Seeds:

1/2 cup hulled raw pumpkin seeds

1 egg white

Pinch of salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Line a cookie sheet with a piece of parchment, or grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

2. Whisk egg white until frothy. Place pumpkin seeds in another bowl, and pour in just enough egg white to coat the seeds. You will most likely not use the entire egg white. Add salt, sugar and cinnamon. Toss well to coat.

3. Spread seeds on baking pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until they begin to dry and color. Cool completely on a wire rack.

Note: I broke the sugared seeds into large pieces and used them as a sculptural garnish for the cheesecake. If you do this, be sure to top the cheesecake just before serving so the seeds stay crispy. These can also be served alongside the cheesecake in a pretty dish.

"Batty" Battenburg Cake and Ghoulish Green Punch

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 10:53:00 +0000

This is a fun cake to make. I made my first Battenburg cake this past spring, and I've been itching to make another ever since. If you love the bright flavor of almond (like me!), then you'll love this cake. It has plenty of eye appeal, and will give any holiday dessert table an infusion of brilliant color. I couldn't resist baking up a "Batty" version in Halloween hues.

The ghoulish green libation is a very basic party punch recipe. I'm willing to bet that every hostess with the mostess has a version of this dog-eared. On party night, you may want to have ingredients for two batches on hand. It is always guzzled down to the last drop, and refilling the entire punch bowl may be necessary.

You can find my recipe for Battenburg cake here. All the same instructions apply for this cake, except I used a generous squeeze of Americolor purple and orange soft gel food coloring to tint the batter. And of course, black fondant was used to wrap this cake instead of white.

The bats are made of gum paste tinted black and rolled 1/4-inch thick. If you have a small bat cookie cutter, you can use it to cut the gum paste into bat shapes. Otherwise, there are scores of free clip art bat silhouettes to choose from online. This is the one I used. You simply lay the template on top of the gum paste and cut out the shape (through the paper) with an X-Acto knife. The bats are brushed with corn syrup diluted in a little water, then sprinkled with black sanding sugar. Two tiny nonpareil eyes are applied with tweezers, and small lengths of floral wire are carefully inserted into the gum paste bats.

Gum paste dries candy-hard, so leave them uncovered to dry. For best results, allow to dry overnight.

Ghoulish Green Party Punch
Serves about 20, more if using small punch cups [click for printable version]

2 cups granulated sugar
8 cups water
2 packages lime flavored gelatin, 3 oz. each
1 can of pineapple juice, 46 oz. size
4 cups ginger-ale
*Lime sherbet, optional

1. In a large punch bowl, stir together sugar and water until sugar is completely dissolved.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients until jello is dissolved.
3. Chill thoroughly before serving.

*Note:
This punch can be topped with lime sherbet just before serving.
Variation: Use your favorite gelatin flavor and sherbet flavor in place of the lime gelatin and sherbet.

Battenburg Cake
Printable Battenburg cake recipe can be found here. Photo tutorial can be found here. Glittery candy bat instructions and batter color variation is explained in the text of this post (above).

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes with Cinnamon Frosting

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 13 Oct 2011 16:35:00 +0000

I'm aware that the food world has no shortage of pumpkin cupcake recipes, but I'm sharing this one anyway. It's my favorite because it doesn't err on the "muffiny" side. It is truly a pumpkin cupcake, and I cannot recommend them enough. Make them! Need some convincing?

Sour cream. It does magical things to cake batter. Any cupcake with sour cream as an ingredient is my favorite cupcake, and this one has it.

Brown butter is pretty amazing in anything, but mix it up with pumpkin and spices... swoon.

You won't even have to break out the electric mixer for the cake batter. If you have a whisk, a large bowl and a spoon - you're good to go.

Cooked cinnamon frosting. From the Red Hook guys, no less.

And what about those postage stamp cupcake banners? My intentions were to fill this post with fall reminders (leaves, pine cones, & gourds) but the muse led elsewhere.

Elsewhere just happened to be in a bag of international postage stamps.

Used international postage stamps can be purchased inexpensively at bookstores. They usually hang out in the collectibles section with the coin portfolios, and come in a bag of 300 for about six dollars. If you can't find them at a bookstore, there are plenty to be had on Etsy for just a few dollars. I think they are so beautiful! The bags are full of duplicates so you won't mind using a few for crafting purposes. Cut a triangle-shaped notch from the end of two stamps that are attached (or one large one) and glue it to a toothpick. Easy!

Pumpkin Brown Butter Cupcakes

with Cinnamon Frosting

Yield: About 24 cupcakes [click for printable version]

Cake:

¾ cup unsalted butter

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 ½ tsp. baking soda

3 tsp. ground cinnamon

1 tsp. ground ginger

1 tsp. salt

¼ tsp. allspice

1 ½ cups granulated sugar

½ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

1 ½ cups pumpkin puree

3 large eggs

½ cup sour cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake tins with papers.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns golden brown. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not solidified.
In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and allspice. Set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk 1 ½ cups of pumpkin puree with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs and sour cream until well combined. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Whisk in the browned butter until well blended.
Divide batter between cupcake liners. Fill them about half full.
Bake cupcakes for 20-25 minutes, or until they spring back when pressed in the middle.

Cinnamon Frosting
From Baked: New Frontiers in Baking

1 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 teaspoons cinnamon

In a medium saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and heavy cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool. Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and cinnamon and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly, and then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Poached Pears in Puff Pastry Bed (Like Planting Fall Bulbs)

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:05:00 +0000

I love Fall, but it can be bittersweet if you are a gardener. I am not a gardener, but my mother is one of the extraordinary sort. Her lawn is always impeccable and her flower beds are award-winning (no kidding!). Lately she's been hard at work pulling up annuals and cleaning out the remnants of her vegetable garden. While I was assembling this dessert, it occurred to me that this might be something she would want to make in the colder months, when she's lonely for gardening. Small pears remind me of flower bulbs, and here they are poached and "planted" on ready-made puff pastry. Once baked and cooled, they are sprinkled with"soil" (chocolate shavings), and a sprig of mint on top gives the effect of emerging leaves.

My last pear and puff pastry creation was easy to make, but this might be even easier! I firmly believe that anyone can make this... and should.

Poached Pear in Puff Pastry Bed
Yield: 6 servings [click for printable]

Poach the pears:
6 firm Bosc pears or 12 firm Seckel pears, peeled
2 quarts of water
3 cups granulated sugar
2 vanilla beans, split
1/2 lemon
2-4 Whole star anise
3 cinnamon sticks

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 quarts of water. Squeeze lemon into the water, then add sugar, vanilla beans, star anise and cinnamon sticks. Add the squeezed lemon rind also.
2. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. When sugar has dissolved, add pears.
3. Simmer peeled pears for 25 minutes. Remove from heat and place pears on a plate to drain.

Make the tranche (puff pastry container):
1 package puff pastry (the kind that has two sheets that tri-fold)
1 egg mixed with 1 tablespoon of water (egg wash)

1. Line a cookie sheet with parchment, set aside. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Allow puff pastry to thaw according to directions. Roll puff pastry slightly thinner with a rolling pin. Transfer to baking sheet and coat with egg wash.
3. Place 3 (6 if using Seckels) poached pears in the middle of each puff pastry. Beginning at the bottom, near the pears, fold in the edges of the puff pastry accordion style (like you'd fold a fan) creating a tall edge on each side. You may also choose to cut a 6x12 inch rectangle of puff pastry for the bottom, then cut two 1/2 inch strips to stack on the edges. (see picture below)
4. Score the edges with the back of a knife, creating a quilted pattern.
5. Bake for 18-20 minutes at 425 degrees, or until puff pastry is golden.

Assembly:
6 mint sprigs
3/4 cup chocolate shavings

1. When pastry is cool, sprinkle chocolate shavings around the base of the pears and into the tranche.
2. Insert 1 sprig of mint into the tops of the poached pears where the stem would be.
3. To divide into servings, cut puff pastry between pears. Serve with a knife and fork.

Note: I did not core my pears, but you may choose to do so.

Sixlets Cake for a Blog Birthday, and a Giveaway!

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 10:11:00 +0000

One year ago I was baking up a scratch-made confetti cake for this blog's first birthday. Not only was it fun to make - in a fling-sprinkles-everywhere kind of way - it was incredibly well received. Many of you made your own version and sent me pictures of the happiest faces behind lit candles, which makes me more than a little teary as I type this. Words can't express how special those emails are. They are a gift to me.

Here we are at year two! I wanted this year's cake to be just as special and sprinkle-filled as the last, but I wasn't exactly sure how to go about doing that - until I discovered Sixlets.

Have you heard of Sixlets? They're like sprinkles, only bigger, and instead of solid candy they are a mixture of chocolate and carob wrapped in a candy shell. A little like M&M candies but different, round. They are sold by the pound in solid colors, metallics and color assortments. I'm tellin' you, it's a sprinkle lover's dream come true! I stacked them high to the tippy-top of this cake for ultimate sprinkle-coverage!

The inside of the cake holds a birthday-blue sprinkle swirl, just like my favorite birthday cake ice cream.

This recipe makes a lot of cake batter - about 14 cups, and you'll need a stand mixer to make it...

...so I'm giving one away!

Rules: To enter, kindly subscribe to Sprinkle Bakes, either via email or Google friend connect (right side-bar). If you are already a subscriber, then you're good to go! Just leave a comment telling me about the best birthday gift you have ever received. It could even be a gift from yourself to yourself ( like my cotton candy machine), or it could be a gift that you really, really want and haven't gotten yet.
~~US. and Canadian residents are eligible. Contest ends October 7th. Winner will be chosen by utilizing Random.org, a random number generator.~~

~~Again, to clarify:~~

~~1. Subscribe~~

~~2. Leave a comment about your best birthday gift.~~

~~That's it!~~

Contest is now closed, thanks for entering!

Here's a few more details about the cake.

If you've been sticking around here for a while, then you know I love a good scratch-made cake, so you may be surprised to know that this cake is not completely scratch-made. It's Rebecca Sutterby's famous White Almond Sour Cream cake (WASC, as it has come to be known) - and it's the absolute best cake for creating beautiful consistent color. I knew my blue swirl would really stand out in this batter! It's also a great choice for a pristine white wedding cake sans food coloring. It is moist, delicious and feeds a crowd!

Edit: Beautiful Sixlets cakes are showing up in my email and on my Facebook page! Check out these gorgeous color combinations!!

Left to right:
Orange, blue and white Sixlets cake by Amy Rasmussan Fontana.
Silver, blue and Lavender Sixlets cake by Chantell Lindner of This Lil Piece of Heaven.
Lime, blue and purple Sixlets cake by Rebecca Nebel. Just, beautiful!!

And check out this Halloween version by Jacque Mclean of Major Cakes.

The Sprinkle Bakes Sixlets Cake

Cake portion adapted from Rebecca Sutterby's WASC [click for printable version]

Cake:

2 boxes white cake mix
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups granulated sugar
1 ½ tsp salt
2 2/3 cups water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp real vanilla
2 tsp almond extract
2 cups (16 oz) sour cream
8 large egg whites

½ tsp Wilton sky blue food coloring

¾ cup multicolored jimmies (the kind you find in the ice cream section of the grocery store will hold up well in the batter)

2 lbs. Sixlets candies

Various and sundry sprinkles of your choosing for the top of the cake

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease five 7-inch cake pans and line with parchment. You may also choose to use four 9” cake pans.
Place all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir together with a wire whisk. Add the remaining ingredients and beat on a low speed for 2 minutes until smooth.
Remove 6 cups of batter and tint with the sky blue food coloring. Add the multicolored jimmies to the blue batter and fold gently to combine.
Pour batter in pans, alternating blue and white batters. Pull a knife or skewer through the batter to create a swirl. Bake cakes for 40 -50 minutes, or until cake springs back when pressed in the middle.

Icing:

8 egg whites

1 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

32 tbsp. (1 lb. or 4 US sticks) unsalted butter, cubed

2 tsp. clear vanilla extract

Set a saucepan filled 1/3 full of water over medium high heat and bring to a simmer.
Whisk together egg whites, sugar and salt in a heat-proof bowl. Set over simmering water and whisk until mixture is hot and sugar has dissolved.
Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.
Beat on low speed for 2 minutes, then increasing to medium-high until stiff peaks are formed.
Continue beating at medium-high speed until mixture is fluffy and has cooled.
Remove whisk attachment and replace with paddle attachment
Decrease mixer speed and add butter, a little at a time, beating until well incorporated before the next addition.
Add vanilla extract.
Beat until icing is smooth. Increase speed if icing is slow to firm.

Assembly

Ice cakes and stack them, making sure the edges are as even as possible. Apply an even coating of icing to the outside of the stacked cakes using an off-set spatula, filling any gaps and crevices.
Starting at the bottom of the cake, gently push sixlets into the icing. Create a line of alternating colors (or use a solid color, your choice!) To achieve the graduated swirl, use colors in the same order on the second line, but move the first color over one space to the right. Continue this pattern all the way up the cake. By the time you’re done, (about 1 hour 20 minutes) you’ll be in a hypnotic state from applying sixlets sprinkles. This process is very meditative – enjoy the zen!
Sprinkle the top of the cake with various and sundry. Add a sparkler if you’re into pyrotechnics…which I certainly am!

Portrait of Poe in Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet

noreply@blogger.com (SprinkleBakes) — Fri, 23 Sep 2011 00:53:00 +0000

I've been absent from the blogosphere for the past couple of weeks; maybe you've noticed. I wish I could tell you that I was on a relaxing vacation, but instead I was recuperating from the worst cold I've had in a long time. There's something lurking out there folks. Beware. Stay well.

During this time of recuperation I pored over every page of the new Martha Stewart Halloween issue (have you seen it? Good stuff!). I also curled up with a book of prose by Mr. Edgar A. Poe and became properly creeped out. It took my mind off being sick for a little while, but soon I was desperate to bake up something spooky!

I realize skeletons and spiders are spookier than the morose looking Mr. Poe, but after spending time with his super creepy work last week I felt a special homage was in order.

This version of red velvet is supposedly the original, and often referred to as Waldorf-Astoria Cake. It has a deep blood red hue that makes a perfect ghastly interior for this particular project. The old fashioned boiled frosting is a nice departure from the currently favored cream cheese coating. I think it tastes a great deal like the filling in a hostess Twinkie, and I'll be using it again and again.

I've kept the cake and icing printable separate from the "Portrait of Poe" instructions, just in case you'd rather not invite him for dessert.

Waldorf Astoria Red Velvet
Yield: one 2 layer 8-9-inch cake [click to print]

Cake:
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 oz. liquid red food coloring
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon white vinegar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch round cake pans with shortening and line bottom with parchment.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla. Mix well.
In a small condiment cup, stir together liquid food coloring and cocoa powder until smooth and then add to the butter mixture.
Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour to butter mixture in three additions, alternating with the cup of buttermilk. Begin and end with flour. Scrape down bowl and mix well.
In a small condiment cup, combine baking soda and vinegar. Mixture will bubble and fizz. Pour into the cake batter and mix until well incorporated.
Divide batter between the two prepared pans and bake for 25-30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when pressed in the center.
Let cakes cool slightly in pans. Run a knife along the edge of the pans and turn cakes out. Let cool completely before icing.

Boiled icing:
1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In a large saucepan, whisk together flour and 1/2 cup of milk until smooth. Set over medium heat and and whisk in remaining milk and salt. Whisk constantly until mixture is thick and paste-like. Remove from heat and let cool completely.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add vanilla and mix well.
Beat cooled flour mixture into the butter mixture on high speed. Beat for several minutes (6-10) until sugar granules have dissolved. You can check this by rubbing a little between your thumb and forefinger.
Frost cooled cakes.

Portrait of Poe in Fondant [click to print]

1/4 lb. white ready make fondant
1/4 lb black ready made fondant
X-acto knife
Small artist's brush
This free clipart template printed at 200%

Before frosting the cake, brush away any crumbs from the cake's surface with a pastry brush (A).
Crumb coat the cake with icing (B).
Lay the Poe template upon a flat surface. Position a cake pan (the size of the cake) over the template and draw around the circumference. Cut out with scissors and set aside. (C)
Roll the white fondant on a work surface (that you don't mind cutting on) lightly dusted with confectioners' sugar. Place the cake pan on the fondant and cut around the cake using the x-acto knife. This will give an 8 or 9-inch white round "canvas" to work on.
Roll the black fondant and place the Poe template on top. (D)
Using the x-acto knife, very carefully cut into and through the paper and fondant, tracing the outside of the head and bust. Cut out the face as well. You should now have a duplicate of the head and bust (E). Position the cut silhouette in the round 9" white circle. Use the artists' brush to dab the underneath of the silhouette with water sparingly. This will make it stick to the white circle of fondant.
Use the cut-out face to fit inside the cut-out to perfectly position the silhouette.(F).
In the same manner, cut out the eyes. Cut the nose and mouth as one piece. You may use the face again to help with exact positioning of the pieces. (G) Use scraps of black fondant to make the lines under the mouth and beside the nose. When the features are perfectly positioned, you may use the artists brush again to sparingly wet the backs of the fondant pieces so they will stick to the white fondant circle. Two tiny scraps of white fondant may be used for the reflection in the middle of the eyes (H).
Using scraps of white fondant, cut the neck kerchief in four main pieces. Place atop the black silhouette at the neck. Adhere with water, as before.
Transfer the completed circle to the top of the crumb-coated cake. Ice the sides of the cake with a generous amount of additional frosting, creating swirls and texture.