Wannabe Culinarian

Re-Invent the Lamington Contest 2014 Entries--If You Know Me, You Won't Be Surprised.

2014-02-28T17:59:00.001-08:00

This blog has been poorly neglected. I could go into all the details about why I haven't posted in over a year, but I don't have time. I'm in a major rush at the moment, and I'm a man on a mission.

It's the annual Re-Invent the Lamington Contest sponsored by Mr. P on his fun baking blog Delicious Delicious Delicious! The deadline to enter is only minutes away. Therefore, I will not have time to do a good proofread, so please excuse any typos and bad grammar. This is the only baking contest I have ever entered. Why? I don't know other than it just sounds fun to me.Click here to read the story behind the contest.

What is a Lamington?

Well, let me tell you. It's a dessert of Australian origin consisting of two cake halves held together with layer of jam or cream. They are then dipped in chocolate and covered in desiccated coconut. (For Americans, desiccated coconut is more finely shredded than what you can find here.)

For the contest, you can be as creative as you want. You can see what I've entered in the past by clicking here, here, and here.

When I found out about this year's contest, I decided I wanted to do something on a theme, and it only took a couple of seconds for me to come up with one. But, it does require some back story.

Let's go back in time to 1983. I was a senior in high school. One day, I was watching MTV on our old TV that had seen better days and was only working in black and white. On came a new video that had me completely hooked from the beginning synthesizer riff. The video was the most amazing thing I had ever seen, and I had to own the song immediately. I ran outside, hopped in my car, and drove straight to the mall. At the music store, I asked if they had heard of the song, and the lady said, "You mean the lady with the crazy orange hair?" I didn't know what she was talking about because I had only seen the video in black and white. The clerk found the cassette tape for me, and yep, the woman from the video did have the brightest orange buzz cut I had ever seen. I virtually ran to my car to pop it into the cassette deck. It was one of those albums where I loved every single song. About a month later, I finally saw the video in color, and it was another amazing experience.

I became obsessed.

If you haven't guessed yet, the group is the Eurythmics and the singer is Annie Lennox. I am one of their biggest fans. I know ALL their music by heart, and I've seen them multiple times in concert. I listen to Annie almost every day, follow her in social media, and even sat through that interminable Lord of the Rings III in a theater just to hear Annie's song at the end. Yep, I'm certifiable. Fortunately, I have a great family who puts up with it.

So, back to Lamingtons. The theme this year is the Eurythmics.

I take my inspiration for my first entry from the video that started it all. Take a look.

Even though that video is 30 years old, I still love it. Hence, I give you the Sweet Dreams Are Made of This Lamington.

The Lamington is covered in white chocolate and broken up Oreo cookies. This, naturally, pays homage to one of my favorite parts of the video--the cow walking around the board room. And now to view the inside.

Of course, it's orange. Could it be anything else? This is an orange pound cake with a vanilla cream center. I added orange food coloring to match Annie's shocking shade.

The reviews from the family were unanimous. These are downright fantastic! You have to be careful though. Because they're bite-sized, you can go through a mound of them in a hurry.

Now, for to my second Lamington entry...

This is also inspired by a Eurythmics video. Please enjoy "There Must Be an Angel (Playing with my Heart)."

The There Must Be An Angel Lamingtons are covered in toasted meringue. Once again, I wanted to match Annie's hair. I did this with the caramelized sugar drizzled on top.

For the cake, there really was only one choice. It had to be angel food cake, am I right? But I must confess... Angel food cake is probably the only cake where I use a box mix. They are too much of a hassle when the mix tastes just as good.

I struggled with what to put on the inside. I wanted the Lamingtons to be mostly white and gold in color. As I perused the grocery aisles searching for something to use for the filling, I had a eureka moment. Biscoff Spread! This product is fairly new to our area. It's kind of a golden brown and is definitely one heavenly treat. It turned out to be the perfect inside for these Lamingtons.

These were light, fluffy, and oh so tasty. The family also gave these their overwhelming stamp of approval.

So, there you have it--my entries for the 2014 Re-invent the Lamington contest. I actually have many more ideas for Lamingtons inspired by Eurythmic and Annie Lennox videos, but they will have to wait. First of all, I have to finish this blog post, and secondly, I have completely destroyed the kitchen.

Sweet Dreams Are Made of This Lamingtons

Orange Pound Cake
Ingredients:

1 cup butter, room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
2 tablespoons orange juice

Grease and flour a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.

In a large bowl, beat butter. Add sugar gradually, beating until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. In a separate bowl, stir together flour and baking powder.

Gradually beat flour mixture into the butter and egg mixture just until blended.

Stir in orange zest and orange juice. Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan. Bake at 350° for 45 to 55 minutes, or until cake tests done. Cool in pan on a rack; remove from pan to rack to cool completely.

Vanilla Cream Filling

Ingredients:

¼ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ cup solid vegetable shortening
1 ¾ cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and shortening until well combined. With mixer on low speed, gradually add the confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the vanilla, and beat to combine. Set aside at room temperature until ready to use.

Lamington assembly:

It works best if you freeze the cake. After the cake is frozen, cut into 1" squares that are a ½" thick. Sandwich two pieces of cake with the vanilla cream filling. Dip and cover with melted white chocolate. Sprinkle crushed Oreos on top and press into sides.

There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) Lamingtons

Ingredients:

angel food cake
meringue--I used Ms. Humble's recipe. Take a look at her incredible entry from a few years back.
Biscoff Spread
caramelized sugar

Caramelized sugar

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn syrup
2/3 cup water

In a medium saucepan, combine water, sugar, and corn syrup, and bring to a boil over high heat. Do not stir. Cover pan, and boil until steam dissolves any crystals. Uncover, and boil 5 more minutes, or until syrup is amber in color. Remove from heat. Dip ends of a fork into the mixture and drizzle over Lamingtons.

Funfetti Cake from Scratch

2013-01-07T16:59:00.001-08:00

It's Chloe's birthday. She turned 19 and will soon be leaving to serve an LDS mission in Birmingham, Alabama—Spanish speaking. We are very proud of her and are excited to hear her adventures and all about the great things she'll be doing.

I asked Chloe what kind of cake she wanted me to make for her. She called my cell phone (from downstairs in her bedroom) to place her order. She requested a Funfetti cake. My initial reaction was, "You can't be serious!" I am not a big fan of cake mixes, and I have always thought the Funfetti cake was the worst of the worst. Chloe, however, has always loved it. How could Chloe, whose parents both love to bake, prefer a boxed cake mix with those nasty sprinkles. I just plain don't get it. Anyway, Chloe went on to clarify that she wanted a Funfetti cake made from scratch. Since it was her birthday, I was willing to compromise. Plus, she'll be far away next year.

For the Funfetti cake from scratch, I decided to make just a basic white cake and throw in a bunch of sprinkles. To frost the cake, I made a vanilla buttercream and threw on a bunch more sprinkles (And when I say "threw on," I mean it. Those little things were everywhere.) I added 19 colorful, curly candles, and the party was on.

The result? Chloe and the family really liked it. It was a little on the sweet side for me—but so is the cake mix version. I would recommend small slices of cake served with a simple flavor of ice cream. Next time, I think I'll try a cream cheese frosting, a strawberry butter cream, or find a white frosting that's a little less sweet. But still, it was a good cake, and I even liked it better the next day.

Happy birthday, Chloe!

I was very happy with how it turned out. This cake says, "Party!"

It was pretty a lit up, too.

This was the perfect size slice. Otherwise, it would be sugar overload.

Funfetti Cake from Scratch

Ingredients:

½ cup butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
4 egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt
1⅓ cups buttermilk
⅓ cup multicolored jimmies (sprinkles)

Grease two 9-in. round pans. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease bottoms of pans again and then flour the pans. Preheat oven to 350°.

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; add to creamed mixture alternately with buttermilk, beating well after each addition. Fold in jimmies.

Spread batter evenly into pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clan. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans to wire racks to cool completely.

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

1 cup unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Place butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On medium speed, beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition, until frosting is thick enough for spreading.

Gourmet Hostess Cupcakes (and Homemade Twinkies)

2013-01-04T15:01:00.002-08:00

OK, I think I'm starting to catch up and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm only a couple months behind.

It was about two months ago that the big headlining news was that Hostess was going out of business. All of America was in a panic. There was a run on all Hostess products at the grocery store, and people were selling Twinkies on Ebay for ridiculous amounts.

I think I fell into the same category as most Americans. I hadn't eaten a Twinkie, Cupcake, or Zinger in years, but now that they would be no more, I was upset. They were definitely a part of my growing up. Every day at school for years, I could count on some sort of Hostess product in my lunchbox. And, I have many memories associated with them. Katie and I called the raspberry filled powdered sugar donuts "Temple Donuts" because we would pick up a package for the car trip to the LDS temple when we were newlyweds. Ding Dongs and Chocodiles were also some of my favorite Hostess treats. I even remember when they came out with special orange flavored Ding Dongs.

I'm not too worried though. My bet is that some company will by Hostess, and they'll return soon.

In the meantime, I've made my own Twinkies and Cupcakes. I had planned to bring in some of both to work for Ellie's birthday. But, only the Cupcakes made it. The recipe for the Twinkies didn't make enough, and once everyone in the family tried one, or two, there weren't many left.

For the Twinkies, I used the Todd Wilbur's Top Secret Recipes version. I didn't have a Twinkie pan, so I watched his video on how to make Twinkie molds from tinfoil. Most of the Twinkies turned out well, but a few were oddly shaped. However, they all tasted remarkably like the real thing.

Next time I try making them, I plan to make them completely from scratch. Todd Wilbur's recipe uses a cake mix. I want to see if I can kick the "gourmet" level of the Twinkies up a notch.

Yep, they look like the real thing.

I actually think this cream center is better than what you actually find in a Twinkie.

So for Ellie's birthday, I decided to make my own gourmet version of the famous Hostess Cupcake. I was not going to use a cake mix but rather my favorite cocoa fudge cake recipe. Instead of chocolate frosting, I covered them with a ganache. My original plan was to write Ellie's name across the top instead of the trademark loops, but my piping skills are terrible and I was in a hurry. Using white chocolate, I scribbled like a two year-old across each one.

The gourmet Hostess Cupcakes were a bit hit. I thought they were much better than the original. I have plans to make them at Christmas. However, I will practice my piping skills so I can write "hohohohoho" across the top. Clever, eh?

Mmmmm...Hostess-y goodness!

Happy birthday, Ellie!

Gourmet Hostess Cupcakes

Cocoa Fudge Cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
⅔ cup cocoa
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350˚. Grease and flour cupcake pan(s). Recipe will make about 24 average-sized cupcakes. Instead of flour, you can also dust the pans with cocoa powder.

Beat all ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake for 20-24 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Ganache

Ingredients:

4-oz. chocolate
½ cup cream
2 tablespoons corn syrup
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Chop chocolate into small pieces. Heat cream and corn syrup to a simmer. (I do this in a microwave.) Add butter and chocolate. Stir until chocolate is melted and incorporated. Let cool. To speed this process up, I put it in the refrigerator (or freezer) and stir every so often until it gets to a frosting texture.

Filling

2 teaspoons very hot water
¼ teaspoon salt
2 cups marshmallow cream (1 7-oz. jar)
½ cup shortening
⅓ cup powdered sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla

Combine salt with hot water in a small bowl until salt is dissolved. Let cool. Combine marshmallow creme, shortening, powdered sugar, and vanilla in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Add salt solution to the filling mixture and combined. Put into piping bag with a round tip.

Assembly

Take a thoroughly cooled cup cake and core out the center. I used a vegetable coring tool, but you could use something similar like a very small biscuit cutter, or you could use a small paring knife. Pipe as much filling in as you can. Replace the top part of the core piece. Frost cupcakes with the ganache. I found it actually quite easy to dip them. Let the ganache set up completely before proceeding. Using melted white chocolate in a piping bag with a small round tip, pipe loops across each cupcake.

Berry Orange Torte

2013-01-01T18:43:00.001-08:00

This cake is also something I made a couple months ago and am finally getting around to posting the recipe.

One of my students was having a birthday the next day, and I was walking through the grocery store for inspiration. I came upon some magnificent looking blackberries that were on sale. They looked so good, I knew I needed to use them somehow. When I got home, I immediately began looking through cookbooks to see what I could make using the berries. I found a Taste of Home recipe I could adapt.

The recipe called for a box cake mix. Typically, I always prefer scratch, but I was short on time. The cake was very easy to make, and it turned out to be a real show stopper. I had also never used Mascarpone cheese before. Oh my! That stuff is goooood. You could easily substitute cream cheese in the recipe. But, I think I'm now going to start looking for more recipes to try that use Mascarpone cheese.

It's a beautiful cake. And if you chose to use a cake mix, no one would ever guess. I felt this was worthy of a German bakery.

Here's the lucky birthday girl. Happy birthday, Brielle!

Orange Berry Torte
adapted from Taste of Home

Ingredients:

1 18¼ oz. white cake mix (This is what I used due to lack of time, but you could certainly use your own favorite homemade white cake recipe.)
1 10 oz. package frozen sweetened berries thawed (I used a rasberry, blackberry, and blueberry mix.)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 8 oz. carton Mascarpone cheese
¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons orange juice
½ teaspoon grated orange peel
2 cups fresh berries (in this case blackberries, but I would also recommend raspberries)

Prepare and bake cake according to package directions, using two greased 9-in. round baking pans. cool on a wire rack until completely cooled.

Press sweetened berries through a sieve, and discard seeds. Set berry puree aside In a chilled small mixing bowl and with chilled beaters, beat cream until stiff peaks form. In a large mixing bowl, beat the Mascarpone cheese, sugar, orange juice and orange peel. Fold in whipped cream.

Split each cake into tow horizontal layers. Place bottom layer on a serving plate. Bush with about ¼ cup berry puree. Spread with about 1 cup cream mixture, and top with ½ cup of fresh berries. Repeat layers three times. Refrigerate until serving.

Sunshine Lemon Cheesecake

2012-12-28T13:28:00.000-08:00

So, I'm still going through photos of things I've made over the past six months.

I made this wonderful cheesecake last June for a student's birthday. Camilla ALWAYS has a positive attitude. I seriously don't know how she does it, but I'm in awe. And, she influences all who are around her. Therefore, I thought this sunny yellow lemon cheesecake would be the perfect way to wish her a happy birthday.

My favorite part is the lemon curd-like glaze on top. Yum.

I'm not sure why the side of cheese cake looks more brown than it actually was in real life. I was using someone else's camera to take this photo. Maybe that's it.

A happy cake for a happy Camilla!

Sunshine Lemon Cheesecake

1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons butter, melted

Preheat ove to 325°. Combine crumbs, sugar and butter. Press onto bottom of 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 325° for 10 minutes.

3 8-oz. packages cream cheese at room temperature
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon lemon zest
½ teaspoon vanilla
4 eggs (one separated)

Raise temperature of oven to 450°. Combine cream cheese, sugar, flour, juice, zest and vanilla, mixing at medium speed until well blended. Add three eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Beat in remaining egg white and reserve yolk for glaze. Pour over crust. Bake 450° for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 250° and continue baking for 30 minutes. Loosen cake from rim of pan. Cool before removing rim of pan.

¾ cup sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
½ cup cold water
¼ cup lemon juice

Combine sugar and cornstarch in saucepan. Stir in water and juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until clear and thickened. Beat reserved egg yolk in small bowl. Add small amount of hot mixture to yolk. Return to mixture in saucepan. Cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Cool Slightly. Spoon over cheesecake and then chill for several hours.

Oreo Cookie Cake with Chocolate Ganache

2012-12-27T22:37:00.003-08:00

OK, this has reached the point of being completely and totally Pa-the-tic. And, I do mean with a capital P! It's been half a year since I last posted anything.

I haven't given up baking though. In fact, I've done quite a bit. Every student I work with still gets a cake for his or her birthday, and I've baked something for other family gatherings and social functions. I've also taken photos of most of the creations with the intent of someday posting the recipes. But, I don't know what my problem has been. Laziness? Lack of interest? Guilt?

Anyway, I have a few vacation days, so I thought I'd go through my photos and get some posts finished. I found photos of a birthday cake I made back in July, and it was actually my own birthday cake. Quite a few people asked me why I made my own birthday cake. My answer was that way I assured I got something I wanted.

I found this Oreo cake on the Kraft website. I love Oreos even though I know they are totally unhealthy, especially in the amounts I like to eat them. I modified the recipe a little because I only use cake mixes if I absolutely must and I never use imitation whipped cream. I have my standards.

Here is the result, and dang, was it ever good.

Happy birthday to me!

Oreo Cookie Cake with Chocolate Ganache

adapted from Kraft Recipes

Cocoa Fudge Cake

Ingredients:

1 ⅔ cups all-purpose flour
1 ½ cups sugar
⅔ cup cocoa
½ cup shortening
1 ½ cups buttermilk
1 ½ tsps. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs

Heat oven to 350˚. Grease and flour two 9" round pans. Beat all ingredients on low speed for 30 seconds, scraping bowl constantly. Beat on high speed for 3 minutes. Pour into pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes on at cooling rack. Invert and remove from pan and cool completely.

Oreo Filling

Ingredients:

8 oz. package cream cheese
½ cup sugar
2 cups heavy cream
12 Oreo cookies, coarsely crushed

Beat together cream cheese and sugar. In a separate bowl, whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in whipped cream and crushed Oreos into cream cheese mixture.

Ganache Topping

Ingredients:

4 oz. semi sweet chocolate in small pieces (I prefer Guittard semi sweet chocolate chips.)
1/4 cup heavy cream

Place chocolate in a bowl. Heat cream just until it begins to boil. Pour cream over chocolate and stir until chocolate is completely melted. Let cool until it thickens.

Assembly

Place one cake layer on plate. Spread with cream cheese mixture. Top with second cake layer. Spread ganache on top. Let stand until firm. Keep refrigerated.

Mango Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

2012-05-25T21:55:00.001-07:00

Each month, we get an order from the Community Co-Op. Even though we always give it a good try, it's been known to happen in our home for the fruits and vegetables to sit on the counter or in the fridge until they go bad and have to be thrown out. Quite often the reason is we receive some sort of fruit or vegetable we have no idea what to do with. Take last month, for example, where we received a bunch of leeks. What do you do with those? I think the only time I've ever had leeks was when it was served with something I had ordered in a restaurant. So, Katie went searching for recipes and found a really good leek and cauliflower soup. We've discovered something new.

This gave me an idea. I've given myself the challenge to try and use something each month from our co-op order in a recipe and post it here.

Last week, we received a bunch of mangoes. The only time I have had mangoes was in a mango lassi (a sort of Indian smoothie). Our fourteen year-old, Liam, is the smoothie maker of the family. Maybe I'll have him someday do a guest post on either mago lassis or one of his many creative flavor creations.

I, however, wanted to use the mangoes in something else. As it turns out, there was another birthday at the office—perfect opportunity to try a new dessert. Caving into pressure to join the cupcake craze, I chose to try out mango cupcakes.

Happy Birthday, Julie Anne!

The hardest thing about the cupcakes is cutting up the mangoes. I learned how from this guy here. Everyone at the office loved the cupcakes. The mango flavor is really nice, and the cupcakes were very moist. The cream cheese frosting was a perfect compliment. I flavored it with vanilla extract, but if you want to go with a Caribbean theme, I think rum extract would work well.

The cupcakes did stick to the paper liners a bit. I think next time I'll try spraying the liners with a cooking spray.

All in all, this turned out to be a keeper recipe, and I tried something new with mangoes. I'm excited to see what we get in our next co-op order.

Mango Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups peeled and mashed ripe mangoes (4 to 5)
2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 cups flour
2 tsps. baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a mixing bowl, combine mangoes, sugar and eggs. Add in flour, baking soda, and vanilla, and mix until combined.

Fill cup cake liners 2/3 full with batter. Bake in a 350° oven for 20-25 minutes or until pick comes out clean. After 10 minutes, remove from pan and let cool completely on cooling rack. Frost with cream cheese frosting.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
¼ cup butter, softened
2 ¼ cups powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla or rum extract

In a mixing bowl, combine ingredients and mix well.

Battenburg Cake

2012-05-09T21:45:00.003-07:00

Ever since Katie, Chloe and Liam had the opportunity to visit London last summer, we've been a little obsessed with all things English—from Chloe being in love with all the members of the boy band, One Direction, to Katie reading London travel guides and watching QI, to me becoming addicted to all the BBC shows on Masterpiece Theater. And, we can't wait till the London Olympics begin. We will watch every minute of it including sports I totally hate (weight lifting and boxing) or completely don't get (rhythmic gymnastics and dressage).

Each year for our Christmas Eve dinner, we eat dishes from another country. This year, we had a British feast. I made a Battenburg Cake for dessert. Now, as far as I know, this is not a typical Christmas dessert in England, but you can read the story of how we came to love this cake here. Sorry it's taken nearly five months to post this. Better late than never, I guess.

This cake was so amazing, I'm sure I'll make it again during the Olympics. In fact, I think I'll spread the spirit of the Olympic by trying and sharing lots of new recipes from across the pond. Stay tuned.

Battenburg Cake
adapted from SprinkleBakes

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
½ tsp. almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1/8 tsp. salt
1-2 tsp. milk
1 drop pink gel food coloring
1 drop yellow gel food coloring
½ cup apricot jam
¾ lb. marzipan (approx. 1 ½ cups)
¾ lb. white fondant (approx. 1 ½ cups)
Powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 7”x7” pans. Or, if you don’t have 7”x7” pans, you can do the following with a greased 10”x7”. Fold a piece of parchment paper or aluminum foil in half, then, while folded, trim the edges to fit the length of the pan. Place the parchment inside the greased pan with the crease sticking up and running lengthwise to divide the pan into two parts. Smooth each side of the parchment or foil down into the pan, adhering it to the bottom.

In a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar together. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then mix in almond extract. In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt. Gently add the flour mixture to the creamed butter mixture, and stir on low speed until combined. Add milk if mixture is too dense. The batter will be thick but should spoon out easily. Divide batter into two equal parts. Tint one portion of batter pink and the other green. Spoon pink mixture into of the 7”x7” pans or one side of the divided 10”x7” pan, and green into the other pan or side. Smooth it out as best you can. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick tester comes out clean. Turn cakes out onto a wire rack and let cool completely

Using a serrated knife, trim each cake evenly into long strips that are equally high as they are wide (4 for the 7”x7” pans and 2 for the 10”x7”). Take two green cake pieces and two pink. Melt apricot jam and brush cakes on all sides with it. Stack cakes together in two-by-two, creating a square of alternating colors. On a piece of parchment, roll marzipan* thinly with a large rolling pin, making sure there is enough to completely cover the stacked cakes. Roll stacked cake tightly in marzipan, pressing to secure the edges.

Dust work surface with confectioners' sugar and roll ready made fondant** into a large thin sheet. Make sure it is big enough to completely cover the cake. Roll marzipan coated cake in fondant making sure the seam is placed at the bottom of the cake. Trim as needed. Slice a small portion of cake off each side, removing the excess fondant and marzipan along with it.

You can stop there or continue decorating. I used the dull side of chef’s knife to put a crisscross pattern on top.

*For the marzipan, I purchased it at the grocery store. However, it's very easy to make if you have a food processor. There are lots of recipes on the internet.

**I have never used fondant before, and it was a bit tricky to get used to. I decided to make my own, and the recipe I used can be found here. In the end, it all worked out well.

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle

2012-05-07T21:34:00.000-07:00

We've been making this recipe for Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle for a long time. In fact, I think we clipped it from a magazine back during our innkeeper days over fifteen years ago. The bed-and-breakfast inn where we worked had a British Isles theme, and to me, trifle is very British. We love this recipe because it's a real show-stopper, it feeds a lot, and it's incredibly easy to make. If you don't have time to make your own pound cake, just pick up a loaf of Sara Lee's at the store. I promise no one will know.

I'm always surprised, however, how many people here in the States have never seen or heard of a trifle. When I made this one for the office recently, there was maybe only one in the group who knew what it was. I think this needs to change, and I'm willing to do my part to spread the love of trifle. I think I might try making more this summer. Just imagine the endless cake, fruit and flavor combinations.

The trifle always looks spectacular, and everyone thinks you spent hours. They're also afraid to be the first to dig into it. I say to just take a big spoon and go for it—like ripping off a band aid. It's so good the bowl will be empty soon anyway.

Of course, this was for another birthday at work. But, we were celebrating a few months early. Andrew's birthday is in July. I, too, have a summer birthday, and I know what it's like to never be able to celebrate your birthday with all your friends during the school year. I also never liked it when my elementary school teacher would lump celebrating all the summer birthdays onto one day. It's not really the same. Since most of the students, including Andrew will be gone for the summer, we chose a day in April to be Andrew's special day.

Happy early birthday, Andrew! I'll try and remember to send you a birthday greeting on your real birthday. Or, if you happen to be in town, let me know. It never takes much convincing for me to make something to bring into the office. I've seriously got some wild and crazy trifle ideas I'd love to give a try.

And look, they match!

Strawberry Cheesecake Trifle
Ingredients:

2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
1 cup sugar
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
3 Tbsps. orange juice
3 cups heavy whipping cream, whipped
3 oz. grated semisweet chocolate
1 loaf (10-3/4 oz.) pound cake, cut into ½" cubes (It's easiest to cut the cake into cubes if it is frozen.)

In a bowl, toss strawberries with 1/2 cup sugar, and set aside.

In a bowl, beat cream cheese, orange juice and remaining sugar until smooth. Fold in the whipped cream; set aside.

Drain strawberries, reserving juice. Set the berries aside.

Gently toss cake cubes with reserved juice.

Place half of the cake in a4-qt. trifle dish or serving bowl. Top with a third of the cream cheese mixture, half of the strawberries and half of the grated chocolate. Repeat layers. Top with remaining cream cheese mixture.

Garnish with chocolate curls and strawberries if desired.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Pound Cake
Ingredients:

1 cup butter
2 ¾ cups sugar
12 egg yolks, room temperature
3 cups flour
¼ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk
2 tsp. vanilla extract

Grease and flour two loaf pans. Cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks one at a time, mixing well after each. Sift dry ingredients together. Add buttermilk and flour mixture alternately, mixing after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake in a 350° oven for 70 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Freezes well.

Peach Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

2012-05-03T23:50:00.002-07:00

Two posts in two days?

You better believe I am serious about getting caught up. (especially when it means I get to watch the season 2 premier of Sherlock if I reach my goal)

This cake may look just like the one in the previous post. But, the only similarity is that they both come from the same book, All Cakes Considered. I'm definitely a fan of this book.

I've never had a peach cake, and this sounded really good. And topping it off with a cream cheese frosting enhanced with a dash of ginger made it sound amazing. However, since I was still on my no-sugar kick for Lent, I was just going to have to go on faith.

The occasion for the cake was a lost bet. Or maybe it would be better to say it was a reward for an accomplished goal. To make a long story short and not bore your with the details, the two young ladies below, Erika and Megan, said they could complete a task related to one of our events at work that has traditionally taken weeks for students to accomplish. They said they could do it in four days. I didn't really think it was possible, but I didn't want to squash their enthusiasm, so I offered a cake as a reward. When I got a text informing me they were able to check that assignment off their list, I congratulated them and asked when they wanted their cake. The day they chose just happened to be Megan's birthday. There you have it—two birds with one ~~stone~~ cake.

Well done Erika and Megan!

The cake was a huge hit with everyone. Katie even came by the office to try it. She said the cake is a definite favorite. In addition to the frosting, she loves the cake texture and the flavor of the peaches. I look forward to making this again when I'm not off sugar.

I apologize for the picture above. The cakes I make for the office are usually finished right before I rush out the door to work. I never get a chance to set up a proper photo. Oh well, I think you can still get the idea.

Peach Cake

Ingredients:

3 large eggs, beaten
1 ¾ cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 cups sliced peaches, preferably canned

Preheat the oven to 375°.
Prepare a 10-in. tube pan by greasing the bottom and side. Line the bottom with parchment paper. Grease again and flour.
On medium speed, mix together eggs, sugar, and oil until just blended.
In a separate bowl, dry whisk flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon together. Add to the egg mixture and beat until just combined. The batter should be sticky.
Fold in the peaches.
Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake for 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 10 minutes in the pan before unmolding. Allow to cool completely on a baking rack.
Frost with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

3 oz. cream cheese at room temperature
4 Tbsps. unsalted butter at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp. ground ginger

On medium speed, mix together cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract until smooth.
Gradually add the powdered sugar and ginger. Beat until smooth.

Sour Cream Spice Cake with Orange Butter Frosting

2012-05-02T20:49:00.003-07:00

I've have sadly neglected this blog. I know, I should be reported for blog abuse.

I've been baking though, and I've been taking photos of my culinary creations. However, I just haven't sat down at the computer to write up the posts. And once I got behind, I began feeling guilty. And, the recipes kept piling up. I'd look at the computer and think about writing, but then I'd feel overwhelmed. It turned into vicious cycle. It was much easier, and frankly more enjoyable, to go watch Masterpiece Theater than blog. I got hooked (like practically everyone I know) on Downton Abby, I watched all of Little Dorrit and Great Expectations, and I was glued to season one of Sherlock.

Well, I have a bit of free time this evening, I am determined to get one recipe posted. To get the others finished, I've made the goal of getting caught up before season two of Sherlock airs this Sunday. Let me tell you that is motivation enough for me. We've been waiting so long for season two. They left us with such a cliff hanger, and the guy playing Moriarty is creepy beyond belief.

So, among the recipes I have to post are several birthday cakes. Here is one I made for my student Taylor, whose birthday was months ago. I got the recipe for spice cake with orange butter frosting from one of my new favorite cookbooks, All Cakes Considered. At the time, I couldn't try it because I had given up sugar for Lent. However, the smell was incredible, and everyone's reactions proved to me this cake is a winner. Now that Lent is over, I'm looking forward to making this cake again (and there goes the 10 lbs. I lost, too).

Happy Birthday, Taylor!

It was a serious temptation not to take even a little taste of this frosting it looked so good. I had to quickly give the boys the beaters to lick and rinse the bowl and get it into the dishwasher before I lost all self control.

Sour Cream Spice Cake
from All Cakes Considered

Ingredients:

2 ¼ cups cake flour
¾ tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
2 tsps. Ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground nutmeg
½ tsp. ground cloves
1 ⅔ cups sugar
1 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 cup sour cream
3 large eggs
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350°.

Prepare two 8-in. or 9-in. round or one tube pan by greasing the bottom and side. Line the bottom of the pan(s) with parchment paper. Grease again and lightly flour.

Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves together. Whisk in the sugar.

With the mixer on medium speed beat together the melted and cooled butte, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla extract and continue beating on medium speed until thoroughly blended.

Gradually add the flour mixture and beat until thoroughly blended.

Pour the batter into the cake pan(s) and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center come out clean.

Let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Unmold onto cake racks and cool to room temperature.
Frost with orange butter frosting.

Orange Butter Frosting
Ingredients:

½ cup butter at room temperature
3 cups powdered sugar
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. orange extract
3 Tbsps. dried orange peel

Cream the butter in the mixer at medium speed. Beat in the powdered sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla extract, and orange extract. Mix until smooth. Add the orange peel and mix until incorporated.

Frost the cake and refridgerate for 20 minutes to firm up the frosting.

Banana Cake with Fudge Frosting

2012-03-24T11:24:00.000-07:00

This is Liam.

Liam turned 14 recently, and for the past several years, he has asked for the same birthday cake—banana with chocolate frosting. This year was no different. However, I have never been really happy with the banana cakes I've made. There have been a variety of problems. Often, the cakes don't seem to bake through properly and are a little doughy in parts, Or, the cake turns out more like banana bread, which is also not the texture I'm going for. I want it to be more like cake. And finally, I want the cake to have a lot more banana taste.

I checked out a cookbook from the library, All Cakes Considered. In addition to the banana cake, I've tried several of the other recipes. They've all turned out really well, and I think I need to buy this book. The banana cake recipe is finally the one I've been looking for—great taste and texture. My only deviation from the recipe in the cookbook was that I used my own frosting recipe, which everyone in my family loves.

Here is the result. I had to include a birthday card Liam received from his grandparents. Liam is a HUGE Beatles fan. The song, "Birthday," was sung or blasted several times throughout the day.

I almost forgot to photograph a slice of the cake before the entire thing was devoured. I did it in such a hurry, so I apologize the photo is not totally sharp. But, you can still get an idea of what it's like.

I thought I'd include this photo, too. The hole in the middle of the cake from the tube pan was the perfect size for a tea light candle. Tomas added the clowns to the cake for his big brother. But, you can see that Liam thought they were pretty creepy.

Banana Cake with Fudge Frosting
Ingredients:

⅔ cup shortening
1 ⅔ cups sugar
2 ½ cake flour
1 ¼ tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 ¼ cups ripe bananas, mashed
⅓ cup buttermilk
2 large eggs

Preheat oven to 350°. Prepare a 10-in. tube pan by greasing it. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease again and flour.

With mixer on medium speed, cream shortening and sugar. In a separate bowl, whisk cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture, beating until blended. Add bananas and ½ the buttermilk and mix until just moistened. Increase mixer speed to medium and mix for 2 minutes. Add the rest of the buttermilk and the eggs and beat for 2 more minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for about 50 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Cool cake for 10 minutes and then unmold to cool completely. Frost with fudge frosting.

Fudge Frosting
Ingredients:

8 Tbsps. butter, melted
6 Tbsps. cocoa powder
¼ cup milk
1 ½ tsps. vanilla
4 ½ to 4 ¾ cups powdered sugar

Mix melted butter and cocoa powder in a bowl or stand mixer. Mix in milk and vanilla. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Once all sugar is incorporated, mix on high for 30 seconds.

Misfortune Cookies

2012-02-15T22:45:00.000-08:00

A little over a year ago, I saw someone on TV makes some homemade fortune cookies. I thought this would be a really cool idea for something to bring into work on Valentine's Day. However, I wanted to do it with a twist. I wanted to make misfortune cookies.

I went online to find a homemade fortune cookie recipe. I wasn't shocked to find out that my misfortune idea was by no means original. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that one of my favorite food bloggers, Ms. Humble, had already made some misfortune cookies. I decided to go with her recipe.

The cookies were a bit of work, but they turned out well. The only problem was that I had burned the tips of every single one of my fingers trying to shape the things. I finally had to call in Katie with her famous asbestos hands* to help.

This Valentine's Day, I wanted to try the misfortune cookies again to hand out at work. However, I found a different recipe that requires a lower oven temperature. I thought maybe I could avoid any third degree burns this time. The cookies had to bake double the time, but my fingers didn't mind.

For the misfortunes, I sent a message to Jeff, a friend of mine, through Facebook. He's one of those that posts completely hysterical and witty status updates, so I thought he could come up with some really good misfortunes for me. And, I was right. Within an hour, I had about twenty new ones to add to my list.

Once again, the misfortune cookies were a big hit at work. I received lots of compliments on the taste. Almost everyone also loved the misfortunes and had a good laugh. However, I admit there were a couple that from the looks on their faces seemed not to appreciate the humor. Oh well... I still think I want to do it again next year and possibly make it a yearly tradition. I'd even like to experiment with different kinds of flavorings and try dipping them partially in chocolate with sprinkles, crushed candies, etc.

*This may be even more proof that Katie is a vampire. I'm not sure. We already know that her skin is pale (alabaster as she calls it), she's a complete insomniac, she loves her meat rare, and her special power is that she can find anything anywhere ("Hey Mom, where are my shoes?" "Have you seen my keys?") Some may think this is just a little family joke, but I am beginning to wonder.

Below is a list of the misfortunes I used. If you can think of one to add to the list, please let me know for next year. (Disclaimer: Several of the misfortunes were found online. However, I found the same ones in several places, so I have no idea who came up with them first and whom to credit.)

SHAME ON YOU FOR THINKING A COOKIE IS PSYCHIC.
YOU NEED A MINT. LIKE, BAD.
SOMEONE AHEAD OF YOU IN LINE WILL PAY WITH A CHECK.
ERROR 404: FORTUNE NOT FOUND.
THIS COOKIE FELL ON THE GROUND.
PIGEON POOP BURNS THE RETINA FOR 13 HOURS. YOU WILL LEARN THIS THE HARD WAY.
YOU ARE FAR FROM LAZY. YOU PUT IN A HARD DAY’S WORK…EVERY WEEK.
AT THE RATE YOU GIVE PEOPLE HEADACHES, YOU SHOULD BUY STOCK IN EXCEDRIN.
AVOID LARGE, HEAVY OBJECTS TRAVELING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED.
IF YOU LIVE A LONG LIFE, IT WILL BE A REMARKABLE TESTAMENT TO YOUR FRIENDS’ AND RELATIVES’ SELF CONTROL.
I’M WATCHING YOU. YOU CAN’T ESCAPE.
ARE YOU WEARING THAT OUTFIT JUST TO BE FUNNY?
YOU WILL DIE ALONE AND POORLY DRESSED.
YOUR FRIENDS REALLY DON’T LIKE YOU.
LOCK YOUR DOOR AND NEVER LEAVE THE HOUSE AGAIN.
IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED, NOBODY WILL BE SURPRISED.
EVERYONE IS LAUGHING AT YOU BEHIND YOUR BACK.
THE END IS NEAR AND IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT.
IF YOU READ THIS, YOU WILL DIE.
IN TIME, YOU WILL OFFEND EVERYONE YOU KNOW.
WHEN YOU’RE CLOSE TO THE BOTTOM, YOU DON’T HAVE FAR TO FALL.
YOU WILL FIND HAPPINESS, THEN QUICKLY MISPLACE IT.
CHOOSE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE. THAT’S ALL YOU CAN HANDLE.
THE FORTUNE YOU SEEK IS IN ANOTHER COOKIE.
A MISPLACED COMMA WILL COME BACK TO HAUNT YOU.
YOUR DECISION TO STUDY THE HUMANITIES WAS A WISE CAREER DECISION. IT HAS LET TO AMAZING ART CHOICES FOR YOUR CUBICLE.
DON’T COUNT YOUR CHICKENS BEFORE THEY HATCH. YOU’LL BE SO DISAPPOINTED WHEN YOU FIND OUT THAT SOMEONE HARD-BOILED THE EGGS.
ACT AS IF IT WERE IMPOSSIBLE TO FAIL. PRETEND THAT YOU DON’T SEE PEOPLE LAUGHING AT YOUR FAILURE.
A SPOONFUL OF SUGAR HELPS THE MEDICINE GO DOWN. A SPOONFUL OF IPECAC HELPS THE MEDICINE AND THE SUGAR COME BACK UP.
YOUR FINANCIAL SITUATION WILL SOON BE IMPROVING, WHICH ISN’T NECESSARILY SAYING MUCH.
SO SORRY THAT YOU MISUNDERSTOOD. DOWNSIZING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR WAIST SIZE.
YOUTH IS WASTED ON THE YOUNG, BUT NOT ON YOU.YOU REALLY APPRECIATE SEEING IT IN OTHERS.
YOU SHOULD BE GRATEFUL YOU WEREN’T A CHILD STAR. THEIR LIVES ARE MORE MESSED UP THAN YOURS.
YOU DON’T LOOK AS GOOD AS YOUNG ELVIS, BUT YOU DON’T LOOK AS BAD AS OLD ELVIS.
BE GLAD YOU’RE NOT BETTY WHITE. THE GOLDEN GIRLS HAVEN’T FARED WELL OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
SOMEONE SHOULD WRITE A SONG ABOUT YOUR LOVELIFE. WAIT, ADELE ALREADY DID.
IF YOU ADD “IN BED” TO THE END OF THIS FORTUNE, YOU WILL BE CURSED.
USE YOUR CHARM AND PERSONALITY TO OBTAIN YOUR WISHES. IT MAY OR MAY NOT WORK.
IF YOU ATE THE COOKIE BEFORE YOU READ THIS, IT WAS POISONOUS. IF NOT, JUST KIDDING…GO AHEAD AND EAT THE COOKIE. NO, SERIOUSLY, EAT THE COOKIE.
TASTES LIKE CHICKEN MEANS IT’S NOT CHICKEN.
THE CLOSEST YOU’LL COME TO EXPERIENCING GLEE IS TUESDAY NIGHTS ON FOX.
THINK BEFORE YOU EAT. FOR EXAMPLE, “WHAT DID THAT FORTUNE COOKIE EVER DO TO ME?”
THE SENTENCE YOU PLAGIARIZED IN THE 11TH GRADE WILL BE YOUR DOWNFALL.
WHEN PEOPLE TELL YOU YOU’RE HOT, THEY MEANT YOU’RE NOT SMART.
THAT CARLY SIMON SONG WAS ABOUT YOU.
LEARN FROM THE BRADY BUNCH OR YOU ARE DOOMED TO RELIVE THE TIKI DOLL PART OF THE HAWAII SPECIAL.
EVERY PERSON IS THE ARCHITECT OF HIS/HER OWN FORTUNE. YOU SPECIALIZE IN SAND CASTLES TOO CLOSE TO THE WATER’S EDGE.
YOUR FORTUNE IS, “COME ON, GET HAPPY.” THAT BAD NEWS? YOUR FORTUNE EXPIRED IN 1974 WHEN THE PARTRIDGE FAMILY GOT CANCELED.
YOU WILL FIND A SMALL PIECE OF PAPER TODAY IN YOUR COOKIE.
HELP! I’M STUCK INSIDE A FORTUNE COOKIE FACTORY.

Homemade Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:

2 large egg whites
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ tsp. almond extract
3 tsp. vegetable oil
3 tsp. water
½ cup flour
1 ½ tsps. cornstarch
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup granulated sugar
Food coloring (optional)

Preparation:

Print fortunes on pieces of paper that are 3 ½" long and not more than ½" wide.

Preheat oven to 300˚. Line baking sheet with silicone baking mat. You can grease the baking sheet or use a cooking spray, but I have had much better luck with the silicone.

In a mixing bowl, beat egg whites, extracts, water and vegetable oil until frothy.

Sift the flour, cornstarch, salt and sugar into a separate bowl.

Add the flour into the egg white mixture and stir until batter is smooth. This is also the point where you can add food coloring if you'd like.

Place level tablespoons of batter onto the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 3" apart. Spread the batter with a small offset spatula or the back of a rounded tablespoon into thin 4" circles. Bake for about 14-15 minutes or until the outer edge begins to turn golden brown. If you take them out and they do not come off easily, put them back in the oven for a few minutes.

Working very quickly, loosen a cookie with a spatula. Place a fortune in the middle of a cookie, and fold the cookie in half pinching the sides together. The cookies will be hot when you handle them. If you don't have asbestos fingertips, you can use latex or white cotton gloves. To form the fortune cookie shape, use a large mug or bowl with a high side. Place the middle of the bottom of the folded cookie on the rim of the mug or bowl and pull the ends down. Place the finished cookie to cool completely in the cup of a muffin tin so that it keeps its shape.

I would advise starting out with only one or two cookies. It takes a little practice to get the hang of things. Then, increase up to four cookies at a time. To keep things moving, I use several baking sheets and prepare them while one is in the oven.

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

2012-02-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

A coworker had six packages of cream cheese just taking up space in her refrigerator. Imagine?! That would be inconceivable at my house. So, she gave the cream cheese to me knowing full well I could put them to good use.

I clipped a recipe fifteen years ago for a Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake. I thought it was finally time to give it a try. I had enough cream cheese to make two cakes. And not only did we have house guests to bake for, there was another birthday at work.

Remember this joker? Well, it WAS actually and truly his birthday this time.

Here's Richard, one year older and wiser, with his Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake. Sorry, I didn't get a close up photo of a slice. I was pretty messy with my cutting.

Still, Richard, I advise you watch your back come April 1.

If you love cheesecake and are slightly addicted to chocolate like I am, this recipe is perfect for you. It's very easy to make, and it was a big hit at work and at home. Even my two boys, who are rather picky when it comes to cheesecake, devoured this one.

Plus, I just realized that Valentine's Day is only three days away. I just maybe making this again!

Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

Crust:

1 ½ cups chocolate water crumbs
2 Tbsps. sugar
¼ cup butter, melted

Filling:

¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream
3 8-oz. packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup baking cocoa
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Topping:

1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate chips
¼ cup whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla

In a small bowl, combine cookie crumbs and sugar. Stir in butter. Press onto the bottom and 1 ½" in. up the sides of a greased 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325°.

For the filling, place chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate chips and let stand for 1 minute. Stir until smooth and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add cocoa and beat well. Add eggs and beat on low just until combined. Stir in vanilla and reserved chocolate mixture just until blended. Pour over crust. Bake for 45-50 minutes or until center is almost set. Let cool on a wire rack. After 10 minutes, carefully run a knife around edge of pan to loosen.

For the topping, place chocolate chips in a small mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring whipping cream to a boil. Pour cream over chocolate chips and let stand for 1 minute. Add vanilla and stir until smooth. Spread over filling. Refrigerate overnight.

Austrian Drum Torte

2012-02-03T21:55:00.000-08:00

As I thumbed through a cookbook we got for Christmas, the word "Austrian" immediately caught my eye. You see, Katie, the kids and I spent the summer in Vienna directing a study abroad program. I looked at the incredible photo for the Austrian Drum Torte and read the recipe. Although it would probably be one of those very involved all day affairs, I knew I had to make it, and I knew who I had to make it for. One of my student employees, Rachel, was having a birthday, and she also went on the study abroad with us.

Here I am with some of our students at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna. Rachel is on the left.

During my time in Austria, I had never seen nor heard of Austrian Drum Torte, but I didn't really care if this recipe was authentic Austrian because the photo in the cookbook looked so cool. However, I did do a little investigation online and found out there is really such a thing, but there seems to be a little confusion. I guess the cake is actually Hungarian and called a Dobos Torte. Dobos means "like a drum" in Hungarian. I thought the cake didn't look much like a drum, but after a little more research, I found the cake was named after its creator, Jozsef Dobos, a Hungarian pastry chef. He created the cake in 1884, and Emperor Franz Joseph and Empress Sissi were two of the first to try it. Since Hungary was at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian empire, I think it's OK if Austria claims the cake, too.

Here's the finished product. Pretty amazing, isn't it. And really, it wasn't hard at all. It's just time consuming. But, I was able to multitask and get a lot of other things done while creating this work of art.

Wunderbar!

When I brought the cake to the office, it was a definite showstopper. And of course, it tastes every bit as good as it looks. I can't wait for the next special occasion to make it again.

Herzlichen Glückwunsch zum Geburtstag, Rachel!

Making this cake made me wish there were more time in a lifetime to learn several different professions. Training as a pastry chef in Vienna would be on my list. So many wonderful cafés, so many wonderful desserts! If you are wondering which café is my favorite, here are some photos of a little outing Tomas and I took to Café Central. That place is a—ma—zing! I had the Café Central Torte and Tomas had the Schokozauber (chocolate magic). Tomas still talks about how he ate a piece of cake with real gold flecks on it.

Yep, I want to run a café like this.

Austrian Drum Torte

Ingredients:

Chocolate Ganache

8-oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
3-oz. milk chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup heavy whipping cream
4 Tbsps. butter

Sponge Cake

12 large eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tsps. vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups cake flour
3 Tbsps. butter, melted

Caramel

1/3 cup sugar
1 Tbspn. Butter
1 tspn. Fresh lemon juice
2Tbspns. Water
1-oz. semisweet chocolate
16 chocolate chip pieces

Prepare chocolate ganache. In medium bowl, combine semisweet and milk chocolates; set aside. In 2-quart saucepan, heat cream to boiling over medium-high heat. Pour over chocolate in bowl; let stand 1 minute. With rubber spatula, stir until mixture is smooth. Stir in butter until melted and smooth. Chill uncovered in refrigerator at least 4 hours or overnight. Let come to room temperature, stir with spoon until an easy spreading consistency.

Prepare sponge cake. Preheat oven to 400°. Grease bottoms of two 9-in. round metal cake pans. Line each pan with parchment paper and grease again. In a small bowl, with mixer at high speed, beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar about 10 minutes, until thick and lemon-colored. Beat in vanilla; set aside. In a large bowl, with clean beaters and with mixer at high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form. Beating at high speed, gradually sprinkle in remaining ½ cup sugar until whites stand in stiff peaks. Transfer yolk mixture to very large bowl. Gradually sift in and fold flour into yolk mixture, then fold in melted butter until blended. With spatula, fold beaten egg-white mixture into yolk mixture, one-third at a time, just until blended. Spoon about 1 cup batter into each prepared pan. With offset spatula, gently spread batter to even thickness. Bake cake layers about 10 minutes, until lightly golden and cake springs back when gently touched with finger. Loosen edge of each layer with metal spatula; invert onto wire rack to cool completely. Remove parchment paper from layers after layers are cooled. When pans are cool, repeat with remaining batter to make 6 layers in all. Stack cooled cake layers between sheets of waxed paper.

Prepare caramel. In 1-quart saucepan, combine sugar, butter, lemon juice, and water and heat to boiling over high heat. Continue cooking without stirring, about 4 minutes, until caramel I golden brown. Carefully pour hot caramel over top of 1 cake layer; spread evenly with offset spatula. Cool caramel 2 minutes to set. With greased chef's knife, cut later in 16 wedges (do not let caramel cool too long; it will crack when it is cut). Dip rounded outside edge of each wedge into melted chocolate; place on waxed paper-lined cookie sheet to set.

Assemble cake by spreading 1/3 cup chocolate ganache on 1 cake layer. Top with second layer and spread with 1/3 cup ganache. Repeat 4 more times. Place 16 chocolate chips evenly spaced around edge of top layer. If serving within2 hours, place 1 caramel-coated wedge, set at an angle, on top of each chocolate chip. If not serving right away, refrigerate cake, but do not place wedges on top; the caramel will get soft in refrigerator. To serve, remove cake from refrigerator at least 1 hour before serving and top with caramel wedges.

Elvis Presley Lamingtons

2012-01-31T22:52:00.000-08:00

It's Lamington time again!

And for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, it's when Mr. P. hosts the Reinvent the Lamington Contest on his blog Delicious, Delicious, Delicious. Lamingtons are an Australian dessert consisting of squares of cake with a jam filling covered in chocolate and shredded coconut. Last year, I submitted three entries. You can check them out here and here. My S'Mores Lamingtons actually placed 2nd.

This year, I had the greatest of plans. It was going to be a veritable Lamington extravaganza. I had ideas for at least four different Lamington creations. But alas, I procrastinated, and then life just got in the way. To illustrate—the reason I'm typing this at 10 p.m. just two hours before the deadline is that I spent the entire evening involved with the Cub Scout Pinewood Derby. (Yes, I am Master o' the Cubs.) Unfortunately, only one of my ideas made it to fruition. It's sad, I know, but at least I've got some ideas ready to go for next year if Mr. P decides to once again hold the competition.

So without further ado, I give you (drum roll please)...

the ELVIS PRESLEY LAMINGTON!

My inspiration for this Lamington was Elvis' favorite sandwich, which contains three of my favorite flavors together in one—peanut butter, banana, and bacon.

Now wait!

Just stop right there, and wipe that look of disgust off your face.

Do NOT knock it till you've tried it.

You're probably thinking, "Hmm. Banana and peanut butter—I'm OK with that. But bacon? No way. That's too weird!" Well, just think of it this way. You know how adding sea salt to sweet desserts like caramels and brownies is all the rage? (If you didn't know that, just trust me. It is.) The bacon is just a little bit of salty goodness that balances out the sweetness and adds an interesting smokiness.

For these Lamingtons, I made a banana pound cake for the cake part. The filling is a peanut butter frosting. I then dipped the squares in chocolate and sprinkled bacon pieces on top.

In my opinion, Elvis was really onto something, and these Elvis inspired Lamingtons turned out really well. I brought them into work to use my students and coworkers as guinea pigs. I admit I got some skeptical looks, but everyone gave the Lamingtons a fair chance. In the end, everyone liked them. Most were pleasantly surprised.

I found the Elvis Lamingtons quite addicting. I ended up eating too many of them, which is not good. I'd better be careful, or I'm starting to look like Elvis in his later years.

Oh, and by the way, this banana pound cake recipe is fantastic by itself.

If you're wondering what the Kewpie doll is doing in the photo, it was my 2nd place prize for last year's Lamington contest. A little strange, I know, but still fun. It comes from Japan and arrived in a sealed box where you don't know what kind of Kewpie is inside—kind of like Cracker Jacks or Kinder eggs. I got the deer Kewpie from the animal collection. Kewpie dolls and other assorted figurines show up in Mr. P's blog posts, so I thought I'd include mine in the photo as a shout out to Mr. P to say thanks for holding the competition. It was a lot of fun coming up with these Lamingtons.

So, with 10 minutes to go till midnight. I'm going to hit the publish button and go to bed.

Good night.

Elvis Presley Lamingtons

Banana Pound Cake
Ingredients:

2 cups flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1tsp. salt
½ tsp. baking powder
1 cup mashed very ripe bananas
1 cup sugar
2 egg whites
⅔ cup vanilla or banana yogurt

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease a 9"x5"x3″ loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper and grease bottom again. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the bananas, sugar, egg whites, and yogurt. Mix until thoroughly blended. Add the flour mixture. Blend until no flour is visible. Pour into the loaf pan.

Bake for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry. Cool in the pan on a rack for ten minutes. Remove to the rack and cool completely.

Peanut Butter Frosting
Ingredients:

½ cup peanut butter smooth
5 Tbsps. butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1 -3 tablespoon milk (only if needed to thin)

Directions:

Beat peanut butter and butter together with electric mixer. Add sugar. If too thick, add a little milk.

Chocolate Glaze
Ingredients:

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsps. Shortening

Preparation:

Melt together in a pan over a low heat.

Elvis Presley Lamington Assembly:

1 loaf banana pound cake
Peanut butter frosting
Chocolate glaze
Crumbled bacon pieces

It works best if you freeze the cake. After the cake is frozen, cut into 1" squares that are a ½" thick. Sandwich two pieces of cake with the peanut butter frosting. Dip and cover with chocolate glaze. Sprinkle bacon pieces on top.

Nauvoo Gingerbread Cookies

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

Here is another recipe I made over the Christmas holidays. It comes from the Scovil Bakery in Nauvoo, IL, which was originally built in the 1840's by Mormon pioneers. If you tour the rebuilt bakery, you will be rewarded at the end with samples of their world famous gingerbread cookies.

Truth be told, I have never been a fan of gingerbread. The gingerbread cookies I've tried have always been hard and over-spiced for my taste. However, this recipe is the exact opposite. The cookies are nice and soft, and the flavor is perfect. In fact, I have fallen in love with this recipe and think it makes the best gingerbread cookies on the planet. Not only do they freeze well, but they seem to even get better after they've been in the freezer for a while.

This past Christmas, I made batch after batch for parties and to give to neighbors. As proof of the wonderfulness of these cookies, I've been asked for the recipe multiple times. Here are some Y cookies I made for a student party at work.

Go Cougars!

I also used this recipe for our annual Gingerbread House Extravaganza we celebrate with some friends. This may be one case where a hard-as-rock gingerbread recipe might work better. Or, I would at least advise baking the house pieces a little longer. We had a few problems this year, but we didn't mind eating the broken pieces. And, I was pretty impressed with our creation.

Our gingerbread house masterpiece

And now, for the big finale! After the holidays were over, we wondered what to do with our house. No one was really interested in eating it. As good as this recipe is, it does not stay nice and soft after sitting out as a Christmas decoration for almost a month. Here is what we came up with. It's now our new family holiday tradition.

Take a look.

Nauvoo Gingerbread Cookies
Ingredients:

1 cup white sugar
1 cup molasses
3/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup hot water
2 eggs
6 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, molasses, shortening, and hot water until smooth. Stir in eggs. Combine the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ginger; stir into the batter to make a soft dough. Add more flour if needed. Cover the bowl and refrigerate dough for at least 1 hour, or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 350°. Roll out the dough to ¼ inch thickness on a floured surface. Cut into desired shapes using cookie cutters. Place cookies onto ungreased baking sheets. I found that the cookies came off even better when using silicone baking sheets.

Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cookies appear dry in the center.

Candied Orange Peel

2012-01-21T16:16:00.000-08:00

Yes, I'm still playing catch up. I think I have a backlog of about five recipes waiting to be written up and posted. Since the pace of life recently has returned somewhat to normal, I have high hopes. But please, don't hold your breath.

As a gift, Katie received Good Housekeepking's A Very Merry Christmas Cookbook. So far, we've tried several of the recipes and have been very impressed. And, there is still a lot more recipes we want to give a try.

While thumbing through the cookbook I was immediately drawn to a photo of candied orange peel. The beautiful orange color was bright and cheerful. However, I had no intention of making the recipe because I didn't think I liked candied fruit. My only experience with candied fruit has been in fruitcake, and I'm NOT a fan. In fact, I rarely like any kind of little fruit pieces baked in something, especially raisins.*

A Threadless T-shirt—might have to go on next year's Christmas wish list.

Well somehow just before the holidays, we had amassed a huge pile of oranges, and no one was eating them. I stared at them on the counter wondering what to do with all of them. It was then I remembered the recipe for the candied orange peel. Along with the oranges, we had all the ingredients in the house (sugar and water). It was Saturday afternoon, and I had a few free hours, so I thought I'd give it a try. I was mainly making it for Katie because I figured neither I nor the kids would like it.

Just as I was finishing up, Katie and the kids came home. I got some pretty strange looks, especially from Katie who was wondering what I was up to. Although you're supposed to let the peel sit for 12 hours before eating, I gave everyone a taste. We were all amazed at how incredibly good the candied orange peel was. In fact, it wasn't long before that batch was gone, and I was making another. They can be addictive.

I decided to make candied orange peel as part of the Christmas culinary gifts I hand out to coworkers, and it was a hit.

This recipe is extremely easy and is one I'm sure our family will continue to make. However, I still doubt if I'll be chopping it up to bake in anything. That's still gross. But alone? Fantastic!

*I did use the word "rarely" because dried cranberries in scones is one exception.

Candied Orange Peel

Ingredients:

5 navel oranges
3 ½ cups sugar
1 ½ cups water

Directions:

Score peel of each orange into quarters, cutting just through the rind and whit pith. Pull peel from fruit. Refrigerate and Save fruit for another use. Cut orange peel lengthwise into strips about ¼ in. wide.

In 4-qt. saucepan, combine peel and enough water to cover. Heat to boiling over high heat, and boil 5 minutes. Drain. Repeat this step two more times, draining peel well and using fresh water each time.

In a 12-in. skillet, combine 2 ½ cups sugar with 1 ½ cups water. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves and mixture boils. Boil, stirring occasionally until a candy thermometer reads 235° (10 to 15 minutes).

Add drained peel to syrup in skillet and stir to coat evenly. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, or until peel has absorbed most of the syrup, stirring occasionally. Remove cover and continue to simmer, stirring gently, until all syrup has been absorbed.

On a sheet of waxed paper, place remaining cup of sugar. With tongs, lightly roll peel, a few pieces at a time, in sugar. Place in single layer on wire racks. Let peel dry at least 12 hours. Store at room temperature in airtight container up to 1 month.

Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting

2012-01-16T15:20:00.000-08:00

One of the students I work with, Jeff, had a birthday a couple of months ago. Of course, I made a cake, and I even started a blog post back then with the recipe. However, I got a distracted and never got back to it. I guess you could really call that getting totally sidetracked. Oh, this poor neglected blog.

Well, today was a holiday, and I spent pretty much the entire day doing absolutely nothing. I was feeling slightly guilty and thought before I go to bed I wanted to do at least one productive thing. It was then I looked over at the computer and remembered this unfinished post.

Back on the day before Jeff's birthday, I remember thinking I wanted to try something other than chocolate. Now, that seems so strange to think I wasn't in the mood for chocolate, but oh well. I wondered if there was such a thing as a caramel cake. I looked through all my cookbooks to no avail. Next, I went online, and I found a caramel cake recipe from Maya Angelou's cookbook. As I read through the recipe, I noticed that it had the same browned butter frosting that goes on my favorite cookie in the world, sour cream cookies with browned butter frosting. I seriously cannot control myself when these cookies are in vicinity. If Maya Angelou's cake might be in any way like these cookies, I thought should give it a try.

Sour cream cookies with browned butter frosting—If it weren't so late and I wouldn't have to go to the store to pick up some sour cream, I'd make me a batch right now. And, eat most of them.

The recipe calls for caramel syrup in the batter. You could make your own, but that was more trouble than I wanted, so I just went with a store bought jar of Mrs. Richardson's. The cake doesn't have a real strong caramel flavor, but it is really good.

The cake was a big hit at the office, and it did taste a lot like the cookies. However, I must warn you. This cake is rather sweet and is best enjoyed in small slices—and not the big ol' honkin' pieces we Americans tend to usually serve.

Happy birthday, Jeff! Hope it was a good one.

The birthday boy with his cake

And, here we have Jeff. Why the goofy look? He "thinks" he's impersonating me. Personally, I don't get it and think he looks rather silly. I'm sure I have never been photographed making such a silly face with a dessert. (Is there such a thing as a sarcasm emoticon?)

Caramel Cake with Browned Butter Frosting
from Maya Angelou

Caramel Cake
Ingredients:

½ cup unsalted butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
¼ cup caramel syrup (I used Mrs. Richardson's)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsps. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Grease two 8-in. round cake pans, line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, grease again, and then flour. Set pans aside.

Beat butter in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Gradually add 1 cup sugar and continue to beat until mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in caramel syrup. In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix flour mixture into butter mixture, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat eggs until foamy in another bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue beating until thickened, about 5 minutes. Fold into cake batter until well combined.

Divide cake batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes or until cakes spring back when gently touched in the center. Cool cake in pans for 10 minutes. Loosen the cake edges with a sharp knife and invert cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper. Let cakes cool to completely before frosting.

Place four strips of parchment paper around perimeter of a serving plate. Place the first layer on the cake plate. Spread the top of the first layer with frosting. Top with the remaining layer, bottom-side up. Spread entire cake with frosting and drizzle with caramel syrup. Remove parchment paper strips.

Browned Butter Frosting
Ingredients:

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
16 ounces powdered sugar
½ cup heavy cream, plus more if needed
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
Pinch of salt

Directions:

In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color. Remove pan from heat immediately and pour butter into a bowl. Be very careful not to burn. Let cool.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add powdered sugar, vanilla, salt, and butter. With the mixer on low, slowly add cream; beat until smooth. If frosting seems too thick, stir another tablespoon cream into the mixture.

You'd-Never-Guess-They're-Vegan Chocolate Cake Balls

2011-11-05T10:07:00.001-07:00

Another birthday at work. This time the birthday boy is lactose intolerant. He seems to be totally OK with that, but let me tell you, I would die. I LOVE my dairy products.

Once I tried making a gluten free cake for a student, and it was a disaster. It tasted like cardboard and had the consistency of sand. Not appealing at all. I decided this time making a special dietary needs dessert it was going to be good. And, I didn't want anyone to say, "Well, it's good if you're lactose intolerant and didn't know any different."

So, I went looking for lactose free cake recipes. After searching the internet, I decided upon this recipe for a chocolate cake. The author guarantees it's the best chocolate cake ever, and plus, it's vegan. I made a few modifications and decided to use a vegan version of my favorite chocolate frosting instead of the recommended chocolate glaze.

The recipe said to prepare the cake batter in the pan. I was a little wary of this and decided to grease and flour the pans, and prepare the batter in a mixing bowl. When I took both cake rounds out of the oven, they looked perfect, and I was most pleased. However, after letting them cool for ten minutes, I loosened the sides of the cakes and tried to flip them out onto a cooling racks. I say "tried" because I was not successful. Those cakes were both completely stuck. When I finally got them out, I was left with chunky piles of chocolate cake.

Arrgh! What was I going to do? It was already 10 p.m.

That's when Katie reminded me when a cake fails, make cake balls. And, that's what I did.

How did they turn out? Well, everyone loved them. If I wouldn't have said anything, no one would have even known they were vegan. They tasted exactly like my cocoa fudge cake truffles.

I think if I were vegan or lactose intolerant, I would be making these quite often. But after second thought, maybe not. These little babies are dangerous around me. I just can't stop at one, two, five, ten...

As it turned out, Katie has a student in her writing class who is also lactose intolerant. Katie always makes treats when they do their peer reviews. The cake balls were also a huge hit in her class. Word about them seemed to spread across campus. A student came up to me and told me how incredible my wife's cake balls were, and then later, I overheard a student talking about how her teacher brought these amazing cake balls to class.

So, that should inspire you to make these even if you're not vegan.

I'm sure this recipe could make a great cake, but Katie and I still haven't figured out the secret of getting it nicely out of a pan. I'm going to try parchment paper next.

Below is a photo of Kyle, the birthday boy, and me. It may look like we are fighting over the cake balls, but that is actually my oh-how-I-absolutely-love-desserts look, and that is Kyle's this-guy-is-nuts look. Happy birthday, Kyle!

Give me cake balls! Nom, nom, nom!

Vegan Chocolate Cake
(adapted from here)

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups flour
2 cup sugar
⅔ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 cup warm water
2 tsp. vanilla extract
⅔ cup vegetable oil
2 tsp. white or apple cider vinegar

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease and flour one 9"x13" or two 8" round pans. (Like I mentioned earlier, the cake still stuck to the pans, so next time I plan to line the bottom with parchment paper and greasing and flouring over it.)
Mix together flour, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, and salt. Mix in water, vanilla, oil and vinegar until blended well. Pour into prepared pan(s) and bake for 30 min. When done, a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean.
Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes and then use a knife to loosen sides. Cool completely.

Vegan Chocolate Frosting

Ingredients:

4 cups powdered sugar
½ cup dairy-free margarine (soy)
½ cup almond, soy, or rice milk
1 ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla

In a mixing bowl, cream powdered sugar with margarine until well combined. Add milk, cocoa powder, and vanilla. Continue mixing till smooth.

Cake Ball Assembly

After cake has cooked thoroughly, cut into quarters. Break cake apart until it resembles the consistency of lumpy oatmeal. Add in frosting and combine. Hands work very well here. Cake and frosting should be mixed until everything holds together well, but be careful not to over mix. Using a 1-in. cookie dough scoop, form round balls and place on parchment or wax paper. Place balls in the freezer for at least 30 min. Melt a package of vegan semisweet chocolate chips in the microwave with 2 Tbsps. of shortening. Stir until smooth. Using a fork, dip balls and coat. Place on parchment or wax paper and put in the refrigerator until chocolate is set.

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

2011-11-04T21:39:00.001-07:00

I'm back!

Did you miss me?

Did you even know I was gone?

Well, the family and I had the amazing opportunity to spend the summer in Vienna directing the BYU study abroad. While I had a wonderful time full of exciting experiences and fantastic food, it's taken me until now before I felt I was caught up enough with my real life that I could post anything on this blog.

This was taken at Demel's Cafe, the imperial bakery. Liam and Tomas are enjoying a typical Viennese dessert called "Mohr im Hemd" which a steamed chocolate cake with chocolate sauce and whipped cream. When life slows down a bit, I plan to learn how to make some of the out-of-this-world desserts we had in Austria. And of course, I'll share them here.

Since returning, I have done some baking though. I've kept up the tradition of bringing something into the office when one of the students has a birthday. I don't know what it is, but there's always a cluster of birthdays around October and November, my busiest time of year at work.

First off, we had Erika. Good thing for Facebook. I would have probably missed her birthday all together. It was late at night, and I needed something quick and easy, yet still have that "wow" factor. I thought back to the days when Katie and I were newlyweds, and we went through a cheesecake phase. We were so into it, I think we made one a week. I hadn't made a cheesecake for a long time, and I immediately thought of this chocolate orange cheesecake, one of our favorites. After a quick run to the store for some cream cheese (Which, by the way, you can't do in Austria because the grocery stores close early.), I was ready to start. By the time David Letterman came on, it was in the oven.

The cheesecake, as always, was a hit. Everyone thought it was a lot more work than it really was. If you've never tried making a cheesecake before, this is a good one to start with.

Happy birthday, Erika!

*My mom just informed me I posted this recipe before. Rats! Oh well. I'll just have make another one of our favorite cheesecakes and post it to make up for the goof.

Chocolate Orange Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup chocolate wafer crumbs
¼ tsp. cinnamon
3 Tbsps. butter, melted
4 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
½ cup sour cream
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, melted
2 tsp. orange extract
½ tsp. grated orange peel

Combine crumbs, cinnamon, and melted butter. Press onto bottom of a 9-in. springform pan. Bake at 325° for 10 min.

Combine cream cheese and sugar, mixing at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Blend chocolate into 3 cups batter. Blend orange extract and peel into remaining batter. Pour chocolate batter over crust. Bake at 350° for 30 min. Reduce oven temperature to 325°. Spoon remaining batter over chocolate layer and continue baking 30 min. Loosen cake from rim of pan and cool before removing rim of pan. Chill for several hours.

Blackberry Scones for our Royal Breakfast

2011-04-29T19:39:00.000-07:00

Yes, along with millions of other crazed Americans fascinated with British royalty, we watched the wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton. The rest of the family was promptly in front of the TV (or should I say telly) at 2 a.m., and I stumbled downstairs shortly thereafter.

Nigella Lawson, a British food writer and one of my favorite contributors to National Public Radio, gave suggestions for making a royal breakfast fitting the occasion. And even though in England they are more of a tea time confection, Nigella recommended making scones.

English scones are more what Amerians thinks of as biscuits, and biscuits are what the British call cookies. During our bed and breakfast days, Katie and I made our version of English scones with white chocolate and cranberries. They were very popular, but I have no idea of their authenticity. My only experience in Great Britain is a layover at Heathrow. Someday I hope to do some research in person.

For our little viewing party, I decided to try a new recipe for scones using blackberries. Blackberries are not in season and terribly expensive, so I used frozen. Frozen works fine but is a bit messy. But, the result was mighty fine.

I've always heard the English eat their scones with clotted cream, an extremely thick cream with an extremely high fat content (I'm sure the "clotted" refers to your arteries). Since clotted cream isn't sold here, Katie and I chose to top the scones with vanilla yogurt. Not only a healthier choice, but just what the scones needed. Absolutely brilliant!

I plan to try these scones with other seasonal berries. But for now...

I'm feeling sleep deprived...

and need a nap.

My best to Prince William and Princess Catherine. Good night.

Simply smashing!

Blackberry Scones
adapted from Ivy Bake Shoppe Cookbook

Ingredients:

4 cups flour
4 tsps. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1/2 tsp. salt
12 Tbsps. butter, cold and cut into pieces
3/4 cup butter milk
3/4 cup cream
1 egg
2 1/2 cups blackberries (divided)
sugar

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 425°.

Mix all the dry ingredients. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture is small pea-sized with chunks of butter still evident. This can also be achieved in a stand mixer on low.

Mix buttermilk, cream and egg together. Stir into butter mixture or slowly add to mixer on low. Mix until just combined. Remove to floured surface and fold dough over onto itself ten times. Divide dough in half. Roll one half out to 1/2". Top with half the berries and fold dough over. Roll dough to 3/4". This is where using frozen berries that are thawed out can get messy, but it's OK. Use a biscuit cutter to cut out scones. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone liner. Brush tops of scones with buttermilk and sprinkle with a little sugar. Bake for 13 minutes. Repeat with remaining dough and berries.

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

2011-04-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

At work, the employees upstairs celebrate Treat Fridays, where someone is assigned to bring treats to enjoy during break time. Since I bake a lot and bring my experimentations into the office, the group upstairs usually asks me to participate and sign up for a Friday.

I put my name down months ago but completely forgot it was my turn this past week until I got a nice little reminder note. One thing I didn't think about when I signed up was that I gave up sugar for Lent, and Easter is later this year. I had a choice to make. I could either bring something healthy or make a dessert and not get to have any myself.

It didn't take too long to decide. I do have a reputation to uphold. So, it had to be sugary goodness all the way.

To find the perfect recipe to try, I referred to the Ivy Bake Shoppe Cookbook, a source of many family favorite recipes. I've almost worked my way through all the desserts, but I hadn't tried this recipe for Chocolate Caramel Brownies.

I admit I was initially shocked to read the recipe called for a box of cake mix. For me, there is pretty much only one exception to prefer a cake mix over scratch, and that is with this recipe for Chocolate Angel Food Cake. However, this cookbook has produced enough winners that I trust the Ivy Cafe.

I was not disappointed. Or, I should say that everyone who tried the brownies wasn't disappointed. In fact, everyone loved them, and several asked for the recipe. This is one way to kick the standard brownie up several notches, and they are incredibly easy. The hardest thing is unwrapping the caramels. I may even try next time replacing the caramel mixture with dulce de leche. Mmmmm...

Good thing Easter is less than a week away. I'm almost sure I will be making another batch. I just hope the past month and a half has taught me some restraint.

Probably not.

I can only imagine what this chocolatey, caramely, gooey temptation tastes like. Only. Six. More. Days...

Chocolate Caramel Brownies

Ingredients:

1 box German chocolate cake mix

1 ½ cups butter, softened

1/3 cup evaporated milk

1 cup chopped pecans

1 (14-oz.) bag caramels, unwrapped

¼ cup evaporated milk

1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease a 9"x13" pan.

Mix first four ingredients together. Spread two-thirds of the batter on bottom of pan. The batter is very thick, and I found using an offset spatula helpful. Bake for 7 minutes.

Melt caramels with ¼ cup evaporated milk in the microwave for 3 minutes. Stir and then microwave 1 minute more. Stir until smooth. Pour mixture over baked batter and then sprinkle with chocolate chips. Dot with remaining dough. Bake for 10-12 minutes. Set on rack to cool. Cover and cool 6 hours before serving.

I've Been Got!

2011-04-04T21:22:00.000-07:00

Like I said in my last post, there was a birthday at work. Richard turned 24 on Friday, and I was in the mood to bake something new.

I recently read somewhere about a cake with orange curd and strawberries. I can't remember where I saw it, and I didn't read through the recipe. But, I thought the flavor combination sounded great. I decided to create my own version.

First of all, I chose to use pound cake. For Christmas, I received Rose Levy Beranbaum's The Cake Bible, and in my opinion, her pound cake recipe is first rate. I then made a batch of orange curd. Though I've made lemon curd, this was my first attempt at orange curd. Because I'm still off sugar for Lent, I had to rely on my wife, Katie, that it tasted good.

To assemble the cake, I cut it horizontally into four layers and spread a layer of orange curd between each layer. This is where I started to have a bit of trouble as the cake started to do an impersonation of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. No matter how I tried to level the cake, the layers kept sliding. I had to think of something, and I had to do it quick.

First, I stabilized the layers of cake with various kitchen implements. This bought me some time to think what I could do to save the cake. I looked in the refrigerator and found some cream cheese. I decided to make a cream cheese frosting. Maybe that would hold the layers together.

Well, it did...sort of. And let me tell you, it was no easy feat to frost.

It still wasn't the prettiest thing, but I still had some really nice looking strawberries. I halved them, and stuck them into the frosting. This seemed to be the structural support the cake needed. It looked quite amazing considering that just minutes earlier I was considering tossing the thing out the window and stopping by Krispy Kreme Donuts on the way to work to pick a dozen glazed for Richard.

Not too shabby—don't you agree?

When we gathered up the coworkers and students to sing "Happy Birthday," the cake was met with unanimous ooohs and aaaahs. Richard was touched. As we were taking a group photograph to remember the occasion, Richard gave the following speech.

I would like to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, and I would especially like to thank Curtis for making this amazing looking cake for my birthday on April 1st even though it isn't really my birthday.

What?!

You mean to tell me that Richard has had me thinking his birthday was April 1 for over a month now, and it's not his birthday? His birthday is actually in December?

In today's vernacular, I was punk'd for April Fools Day.

Good one, Richard!

Happy April Fools Day, Richard! But, watch your back next year...

We all had a great laugh, and then I cut into the cake. This is when the Leaning Tower of Pisa finally fell over. The more pieces I cut, the bigger mess it became. However, everyone loved it. Some even said it was the best thing I've made yet.

I won't post the recipe for this tasty mess because I plan to do some more experimenting after Easter when I can actually enjoy a piece. I'm not sure if I will try something other than pound cake, or if I'll try to assemble it differently. So, check back in about a month to see what I've come up with.

Red Velvet Chocolate Squares (A Sugar Free Surprise)

2011-03-29T21:29:00.000-07:00

It's been over a month since I last posted anything.

I'm sorry.

However, I do have an excuse—sort of.

I decided to give up sugar for Lent. I'm not Catholic, but I really like the idea of Lent and have observed it for the past several years.

Giving up sugar hasn't been too terribly difficult. I do have the occasional cravings, but the dreams about candy have finally subsided. One recurring dream involved going out to dinner with my family and my parents. I had a giant stash of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups under the table. Every time no one was looking, I would shove one in my mouth. I felt so guilty but couldn't stop.

Needless to say, baking treats that I can't try doesn't seem to be much fun. I could have made healthy recipes to post, but I found it best to just stay out of the kitchen.

The reward? I've dropped 8 lbs.!

Last week, I received the Costco "magazine" in the mail. It's basically all advertisements for stuff they sell. I usually give it a quick glance before tossing it into the recycling. As I thumbed through the pages, I stopped on a picture of an amazing looking chocolate dessert. I thought maybe I would hang onto the magazine and try out the recipe after Easter. However, as I read through the ingredients, not only did I notice some very interesting and odd ingredients, I noticed the recipe didn't use any sugar. I could try it now!

The recipe comes from Rocco DiSpirito's new book, Now Eat This! Diet. The odd ingredients in these red velvet chocolate squares are beets and red beans. This reminded me of some rather tasty desserts I tried in China that had red beans in them.

I followed Rocco's recipe exactly, and decided to test it out on my kids. Of course, I didn't tell them what was in squares. If they had known, they would never have tried them. All three kids ended up loving them and would have finished off the pan if I had let them.

I then put the chocolate squares to the ultimate test—the in-laws. While not picky eaters, they're probably not the most adventuresome eaters either. I still don't think they ever gave my peanut butter pizza a fair try. Without knowing they were sugar free and made with beets and beans, the in-laws offered glowing compliments.

I highly recommend these red velvet chocolate squares. I liked them so much that I think I will check out Rocco's book.

For those of you wondering if it will be after Easter before I post again, do not fear. One of my students has a birthday Friday. I'm not quite sure what I'm going to make, but I have a feeling it's going to be grand. Stay tuned!

Never have vegetables tasted so good!

Red Velvet Chocolate Squares
from Now Eat This! Diet by Rocco DiSpirito

Ingredients:

½ cup chopped canned beets, drained and rinsed

7 oz. (about 1 cup) canned red beans, drained and rinsed

½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup liquid egg substitute

3 Tbsps. whole-wheat pastry flour

¾ agave nectar

1 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

½ tsp. almond extract

2 tsps. natural red food coloring

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 350°. Grease or spray with nonstick cooking spray an 8"x8" pan.

Combine beets, beans, cocoa, egg substitute and flour in a food processor. Process until smooth (about 2 minutes).

Add agave, butter, vanilla, almond extract and food coloring. Process until all ingredients are well combined.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and smooth top with a spatula. Bake for 20 minutes, turning the pan halfway through the baking time. Turn down the oven temperature to 300° and bake for another 5 to 8 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a little bit of soft batter clinging to it. It should not come out clean. If it does, it's overcooked.

Let cake cool completely in the pan on a wire rack. Then put it in the fridge for at least 3 hours. When it's cold, cut it into small squares and serve. Dust with cocoa powder if desired. These are best if served cold, so refrigerate any leftovers.

When I made this recipe, I used all the ingredients just as Rocco listed. However, I'm sure you could use white flour, real eggs, and regular food coloring if you wanted.