Piece of Cake

Malasadas

2012-07-31T16:40:00.000-04:00

It's the dog days of summer, and if you're stuck at home (like me) daydreaming about the perfect vacation spot, I have just the tropical treat to snap you out of it and transport you (at least temporarily) to paradise. These fried dough treats, called malasadas, are native to Portugal, but are a specialty on the islands of Hawaii. They're great simply rolled in some cinnamon sugar, or for a tasty surprise you can pump them full of all sorts of fillings - custard, guava, or chocolate. But today, I'm going with my favorite, a coconut filling called haupia that's pure creamy, coconutty goodness!

Here's all you knead (see what I did there?)

Start off by dissolving a package (2 1/4 teaspoons) of yeast and
1 tablespoon of sugar in a 1/4 cup of warm water.

Next, mix 6 cups of flour and and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a large bowl.

In a medium sized bowl, beat six eggs and add 1/2 cup of sugar,
1/4 cup melted butter, 1 cup water, and 1 cup of evaporated milk.

Once the yeast mixture foams, it means the yeast is dissolved
and you can add it to the wet ingredients.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture...

and pour the wet ingredients in.

Mix the dough until it is soft and smooth then cover it and
let it rise until doubled in size, about two hours.

Meanwhile, you can make the haupia filling by heating 2 cups
of coconut milk and adding 3 tablespoons of cornstarch and
1/2 cup of sugar, constantly stirring the mixture.

Once the haupia thickens, set it aside to cool.

After the dough has risen, punch it down, and break
off small balls, about 2 - 3 inches in diameter.

Make sure to keep your hands well-floured during this process,
as the dough is a bit sticky. Set the balls on a greased and/or
lined baking sheet, cover them, and allow them to double
in size, about an hour.

Don't they just look like soft pillows of doughy goodness?

To cook the malasadas, heat about 2 inches of oil to 350
degrees. You'll need a candy thermometer for this!

Cook the malasadas until light brown, about 4 minutes on each side.

From there, remove the malasadas, making sure to shake off
any excess oil. You can either go with the simply approach
and roll them in cinnamon sugar, or...

You can pump them full of...

The creamy, luscious...

and delicious haupia filling!

And of course, if you're going with the haupia, you can still
finish off your malasadas with some cinnamon sugar! It
would be crazy not to, right?

Don't they just look like a little piece of paradise? The dough is so light and fluffy, and the haupia is such a burst of refreshing coconut. But, if you're not a coconut fan, feel free to experiment with all sorts of fillings. Something's telling me a nutella filling would be amazing! The only bad thing about these babies is that you can eat them all in one sitting!

Malasada Recipe (yields about 22):

Ingredients:

For the Malasadas:

1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) yeast

1 tablespoon sugar

1/4 cup warm water

6 cups flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 eggs

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup melted butter

1 cup water

1 cup evaporated milk

Vegetable oil, for frying

Cinnamon sugar, optional

For the Haupia Filling:

2 cups coconut milk

1/2 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

Directions:

1. Dissolve the yeast and sugar in the warm water.

2. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl.

3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl and add the sugar, melted butter, water, and evaporated milk.

4. Make a well in the dry ingredients, and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Incorporate the two, until you get a soft and smooth dough.

5. Cover the dough and let it rise until doubled in size, about two hours.

6. For the haupia filling, heat the coconut milk in a saucepan and add in the cornstarch and sugar, constantly stirring until the mixture thickens. Set aside to cool.

7. Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and form small balls of dough, about 2 - 3 inches in diameter. Set them on a greased baking sheet and let rise until doubled in size, about an hour.

8. Cook the malasadas in 2 inches of vegetable oil until golden brown, about four minutes on each side.

9. Cut a small, but deep hole in the short side of the malasadas and pipe them full of haupia (a zip loc bag with a corner cut off works as a great piping bag!).

10. Optional: roll the malasadas in sugar or cinnamon sugar. Make sure to do this while the malasdas are still hot so that the sugar will adhere!

Birthday Cake

2012-07-21T23:16:00.000-04:00

This year, for my birthday treat, I decided to combine two of my loves: chocolate and hazelnut. The result? A delicious chocolate hazelnut frosting cake that still has my mouth watering. Hazelnut's not your thing, no worries. Simply substitute your favorite nut butter for the homemade hazelnut butter (yes you heard me right, I'll be showing you how to make a simple, yet scrumptious hazelnut butter!), or, just substitute the hazelnuts for your go-to nut and still make your own nut butter. Those of you up to the challenge, will be rewarded with a more flavorful frosting!

The Ingredients. (Yes, I know I'm using boxed cake mix, but I'm doctoring
it up just like a certain someone did with this pretty darn good cake)

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and, for those of
you making the hazelnut butter, boiling 6 cups of water with 9
tablespoons of baking soda. Then add 3 cups of whole hazelnuts.
This will help loosen up the hazelnut skins.

After 3 minutes drain and move the nuts to a ice bath.

The skins should slip off easily now.

Next, dry the peeled nuts off, spread them out on a baking sheet,
and pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes.

For the cake, simply mix together the cake mix, instant pudding,
4 eggs, 1/2 cup of warm water, cup of sour cream, cup of vegetable
oil, 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract, and teaspoon of salt.

For a little extra something you can also fold in a cup of chocolate chips

and 1/2 cup of chopped hazelnuts.

Line 2 9-inch cake rounds, divide the cake batter evenly, and
cook those in the same 350 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Look at those perfectly golden hazelnuts! Can you practically
smell that nutty aroma?

Transfer the hazelnuts, or nut of your choice to a blender
or food processor

and grind them into a fine dust.

Add in 3 tablespoons of either vegetable or peanut oil to start off,
and then add more in one tablespoon increments until you get the
desired consistency.

I used 5 tablespoons of peanut oil to get this slightly dry hazelnut
butter. This consistency will work fine once incorporated into the
frosting, and will actually give it a more concentrated nutty flavor,
but if you're making a little extra homemade butter, or want a
smoother consistency, feel free to add more oil. And for those of
you working with other nuts, make sure to still start off with 3
tablespoons of oil and then work in one tablespoon increments, as
some nuts have a higher fat content than others and will contain more
moisture. (Whew! That was a mouthful)

Now to make the frosting! Start by creaming 10 tablespoons
(1 1/4 sticks) of butter with two cups of your preferred nut butter.

Then incorporate 2 1/4 cups of confectioner's sugar. (A little hint:
try using slightly less sugar if working with a store-bought nut butter,
as those have sugar added in and this homemade kind doesn't).

To finish, mix in 1/2 tablespoon of vanilla extract, 3/4 teaspoon of salt,
and 2/3 cup of heavy cream and beat until light and fluffy.

Once an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly from the cakes,
they're done and you're ready to start assembling!

You can stop here, or coat the cake with some cocoa powder or
shaved chocolate for a little extra flavor and color!

There you go, the perfect gift for anyone's birthday! (because who doesn't love chocolate and nuts?)

Chocolate Hazelnut Cake Recipe:

Ingredients:

For the Cake

1 16.5 ounce package chocolate cake mix

1 5.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup warm water

1 cup sour cream

1 cup vegetable oil

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (optional)

1/2 cup chopped hazelnuts (optional)

For the Hazelnut Butter

3 cups whole hazelnuts

6 cups water

9 tablespoons baking soda

5 tablespoons (approx.) vegetable or peanut oil

For the frosting

10 tablespoons unsalted butter (at room temperature)

2 cups hazelnut butter

2 1/4 cups confectioner's sugar

1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon salt

2/3 cup heavy cream

Garnish(Optional): Shaved chocolate or cocoa powder

Directions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare 2 9-inch cake rounds by lining them with parchment paper and greasing them.

2. Boil the hazelnuts in 3 cups of water and 9 tablespoons of baking soda for 3 minutes.

3. Remove the hazelnuts to an ice bath, remove the skins, dry the nuts, and bake them for 15 minutes.

4. Make the cake batter by mixing the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, water, sour cream, oil, vanilla and salt together. Then, if you want, fold in the chocolate chips and nuts.

5. Divide the batter evenly between the rounds and bake them for 30-35 minutes, or until an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly.

6. Make the hazelnut butter by blending or processing the nuts into a dust, then adding 3 tablespoons of oil, plus more in one tablespoon increments until the desired consistency is reached.

7. Make the frosting by creaming the unsalted butter and hazelnut butter with the confectioner's sugar, vanilla, and salt. Finish by whipping in the cream until the frosting is light and fluffy.

8. Assemble the cake and garnish with cocoa powder or shaved chocolate, if desired.

Lemon Bars

2012-07-04T18:32:00.000-04:00

Scrambling for a a last-minute Fourth of July dessert or summer picnic recipe? No fear, I have the perfect tangy, sweet, and refreshing treat: lemon bars! After all, the saying goes, "When life gives you lemons, make lemon bars", right...? Well, it should, because these babies are absolutely delicious and quick to whip up for any summer gathering.

This is all you need: just five simple ingredients
(plus some garnishes if you feel like sprucing stuff up).

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and creaming
2 sticks of butter, 1/2 cup of sugar, 2 cups of flour, and a pinch
of salt together. It's okay if the dough is crumbly like pictured.

Gather up the dough with your hands, and it should easily pack
together into a ball. Then flatten it into a greased or lined 9x13
pan. Chill until the dough becomes firm to the touch and bake
for 20 minutes or until the base is lightly browned.

Meanwhile, start off the lemon filling by beating 6 eggs and
2 1/2 cups of sugar together.

Next, zest two lemons. I find a micro-plane to work best for
zesting (it's also great for grating)!

And you'll need a cup of fresh-squeezed lemon juice; none of that
bottled, concentrated junk! 4 to 5 lemons will do the trick,
depending on how big they are.

Add the zest and lemon juice to the filling.

As well as a cup of flour.

This is the perfect color for the base.

Pour the filling in, then pop it into the oven for 35
minutes, or until the filling is set.

Let cool to room temperature, and then you can cut and decorate. Dusted confectioner's sugar is perfect for a simple presentation, and for something a little more elegant you can try some fresh whipped cream and raspberries. Yum!

Lemon Bars Recipe (Yields about 18 bars)

Ingredients:

For the base:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups flour

pinch of salt

For the Filling:

6 eggs, at room temperature

2 1/2 cups sugar

2 tablespoons lemon zest (about 2 lemons)

1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (about 4 to 5 lemons)

Optional: Confectioner's sugar, whipped cream, and/or berries for garnishing

DIrections:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cream the butter, sugar, flour, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.

3. Gather the dough together and press into a 9x13 pan. Chill for about 10 minutes, or until dough firms up.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes, until the base is lightly browned.

5. Beat eggs and sugar together. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and flour. Pour filling over base.

6. Bake for about 35 minutes, or until filling is set.

7. Let cool to room temperature and cut into rectangles and garnish with powdered sugar. (or whipped cream and berries)

Baklava

2012-06-24T15:02:00.000-04:00

Have you ever walked by pastry shops and seen picture perfect, diamond shaped baklava wishing you could make this delectable dessert on your own? If you have, then I'm here to make your wishes come true! And if not, well, then I have an amazing recipe that you should give a go. The process is a bit time intensive, but it's pretty straight-forward, and well worth it in the end when you get to eat all that sticky-sweet, nutty goodness.

Here's what you need.

Start by pre-heating the oven to 350 degrees and then coarsely
grind a pound of nuts and a cup of graham crackers together
(Any combination of nuts you like will work, but I'd go for
pistachios and walnuts!). Finish off the mixture with a
teaspoon of cinnamon.

Now for the assembly! Begin by brushing a 9x13 dish with
melted butter, and don't be stingy!

Layer 10 pieces of phyllo along the bottom, brushing melted butter
between every layer. Helpful tip: for all you perfectionists out there
(not me!), most frozen phyllo is a little larger than 9x13, so you can
take a knife and trim the whole stack to fit the dish perfectly!

Next, layer a quarter of the nut mixture (about a cup) on top,
followed by four pieces of phyllo, another quarter of the nut
mixture, four more pieces of phyllo, a quarter more of the nut
mixture, four pieces of phyllo, and the final quarter of nut mixture,
making sure to brush melted butter between every sheet of phyllo.

Finish layering with 10 more sheets of phyllo, each with melted
butter inbetween. Make sure to hit the top layer with some extra
butter to get a nice golden brown after baking and cut the bakalava
into diamonds (hopefully you can do a better top than me!)

Pop the bakalava into the oven for about an hour, and meanwhile,
you can work on the syrup. Start by bringing 3 cups of sugar,
6 ounces of honey, and 1 1/2 cups of water to a boil.

If you want a little extra flavor, in your syrup, you can also try
adding lemon zest, star anise, nutmeg, and/or cinnamon
(sticks work best, but the ground type suffices).

Once the syrup reaches a boil, cook for about 15 minutes.
Then add some lemon juice and boil for two more minutes.

You should now have a delicious looking brown syrup! Let it
coolfor a bit while you wait for the baklava to finish.

Once you get this golden brown top, your baklava is ready to
come out of the oven.

Pour the cooled syrup right over the warm baklava, and
let it sit and soak, uncovered, for at least six hours,
but preferably overnight.

Garnish these babies with some chopped nuts, and enjoy your pastry shop quality baklava!

Baklava Recipe (yields about 36 pieces):

Ingredients:

1 pound ground nuts (pistachios, walnuts, pecans work best)

1 cup ground graham crackers

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 sticks unsalted butter, melted

32 sheets phyllo dough

3 cups sugar

6 ounces honey

1 1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Optional: Lemon zest, star anise, cinnamon sticks, grated nutmeg, to taste

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and make sure to position a rack on the lower third.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the ground nuts, graham crackers, and cinnamon.
3. Brush a 9x13 dish with melted butter.
4. Layer 10 sheets of phyllo in the dish, brushing butter between each sheet.
5. Alternate a quarter of the nut mixture with four pieces of phyllo, until out of nut mixture, making sure to brush melted butter between each sheet of phyllo.
6. Layer 10 sheets of phyllo on top, brushing melted butter between each layer and brushing extra on top of the last sheet.
7. Cut the baklava into small diamonds, a 9x4 array works best.
8. Bake the baklava for about 1 hour, or until the tops are golden brown, in the lower third of the oven.
9. Start the syrup by boiling the sugar, honey, and water together.
10. Add the lemon zest, star anise, cinnamon, and/or nutmeg, if desired.
11. After boiling mixture for 15 minutes, add lemon juice and boil for two more minutes.
12. Let syrup cool, then poor over the warm baklava.
13. Let the baklava soak in syrup, uncovered, for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight.

Maple Bacon Cupcakes

2012-06-13T11:34:00.000-04:00

They say that everything's better with bacon, so why not add some of that crispy, salty goodness to desserts? You may be skeptic at first, incorporating this breakfast staple into something sweet, but trust me, these cupcakes are the perfect mix of maple-y and bacon goodness!

Here's what you need.

As per usual, start off by pre-heating the oven, 350 degrees
for these cupcakes, and then cream 10 tablespoons of butter.

Then add 5/8 cup of brown sugar and 1/2 cup of maple syrup.
No white sugar in this cupcake, as you want that molasses,
syrupy taste to go with the bacon!

Beat in some eggs as well.

Sift 2 cups of flour, 2 teaspoons of baking soda, and a
teaspoon of baking powder together and gradually
add that to your wet mixture.

Divide the batter into a prepared cupcake pan, each tin about
2/3 full, and then bake for them for about 20 minutes.

While the cupcakes bake, you can start on the frosting by
creaming 2 sticks of butter.

Then whip in about 1/2 cup of maple syrup, depending on
how strong of a flavor you want your frosting to have.

Incorporate 2 1/2 cups of confectioner's sugar, a little at a
time until your frosting gets a smooth consistency.

Finish the frosting off with a teaspoon or two of cinnamon.

If you're still waiting on the cupcakes at this point, you can go
ahead and fry up some bacon - as much or as little as you like
- but i usually go for about a third of a strip per cupcake

Once your cupcakes are done, go ahead and frost and
top them with bacon.

And then enjoy the sweet, salty goodness!

Maple Bacon Cupcakes Recipe (yields 16):
Ingredients:
For the Cupcakes
10 tablespoons butter
5/8 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
approx. 6 strips bacon, more or less to taste
For the Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup maple syrup (more or less to taste)
2 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar
1-2 teaspoons cinnamon

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line a muffin/cupcake pan.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the butter, brown sugar, maple syrup, and eggs.
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder into a separate bowl and then gradually add them to the maple mixture.
4. Divide the batter into the cupcake tins, about 2/3 full, and bake for 18-22 minutes, or until golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly.
5. Start the frosting by creaming the butter and add the maple syrup.
6. Gradually mix in the confectioner's sugar and finish with cinnamon.
7. Cook the bacon until crispy.
8. Frost and top the cupcakes with bacon.

Donut Muffins

2012-05-20T19:06:00.000-04:00

For those of you with a sweet tooth, this is the perfect recipe for a lazy Sunday breakfast! You can get your sugar fix and glazed goodness from these muffins without all the hassle of forming and deep-frying actual donuts. And the best part is that all the needed ingredients are pantry and fridge regulars; if you're at home, I bet you could walk over to your kitchen right now and find everything you need.

Let's get crackin' (pun intended)!

Your ingredients.

As always, start by pre-heating the oven to 425 degrees
and then cream half a stick of butter with 1/4 cup of
vegetable oil, 1/2 cup of white sugar, and 1/3 cup
of brown sugar.

Then beat in two eggs.

And add in the baking soda, baking powder,
salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon...

Or substitute the nutmeg and cinnamon for 2/3

cup of cocoa powder for a chocolate muffin.

Alternate adding in 2 2/3 cup of flour

and 1 cup of milk

Until you get a nice thick batter.

Line and fill a muffin tin and you're ready to bake! Cook
your muffins for about 15 minutes, or until an inserted
toothpick comes out cleanly.

While the muffins bake, you can make the glaze by whisking
3 tablespoons of melted butter, 1 cup of confectioner's
sugar, 1 teaspoon of vanilla, and 2 tablespoons of
hot water together.

After the cupcakes cool slightly, you can dip them in
the glaze. (Double-Dipping is also highly encouraged!)

Look at that double-glazed goodness!

Donut Muffin Recipe (Yields 12):

Ingredients:

For the Muffins

1/4 (1/2 stick) cup butter

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup white sugar

1/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2/3 cup cocoa powder (alternative to nutmeg and cinnamon)

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

For the glaze

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 cup confectioners’ sugar, sifted

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

2 tablespoons hot water

Directions:

1) Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line a muffin tin and grease the cups (this will help them peel off easily later!)

2) In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vegetable oil, and sugars until smooth.

3) Add the eggs, beating to combine.

4a) Stir in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

b) Or replace the nutmeg and cinnamon with cocoa powder for a chocolate muffin.

5) Stir the flour into the butter mixture alternately with the milk. Make sure to begin and end with the flour and make sure that everything is thoroughly combined.

6) Divide the batter evenly into the muffin tins. The cups should be nearly full.

7) Bake the muffins for about 15 minutes, until they're a pale golden brown and an inserted toothpick comes out clean.

8.) In a medium bowl, prepare the glaze by whisking together the melted butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and water. Whisk until smooth.

9.) When the muffins have cooled slightly, dip the tops into the glaze and allow the glaze to harden. After the first layer cools, you can go for a double dip or enjoy your muffin as is!

Oreo Cake

2012-05-13T22:09:00.002-04:00

Finally, its that time of year again! It’s spring, AP exams are over, and homework is now a little less textbooks and a little more bringing in food for class parties. So for an upcoming chemistry party this week, I thought I’d try my hand at an oreo cake. To keep things simple (it's a school night, after all), I used a boxed mix with a few extra ingredients (it tastes just as good as a from scratch cake, I promise!) and to save myself a few much needed cents with my high schooler’s budget, I used Wal-Mart brand oreos, but feel free to use milk’s favorite cookie or even your own favorite chocolate cake recipe (this one's pretty darn good if you ask me) for this doozie of a cake!

Without further ado, lets get to it!

Here's what you need.

First things first, pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees and then start
off the cake by mixing the cake mix, pudding mix, 1 cup of vegetable
oil, 1 cup of sour cream, 4 eggs, and half a cup of warm water
together. Either an electric hand or stand mixer will do.

Then fold in some semi-sweet chocolate chips for
a little extra chocolate gooey-ness.

Separate the cake batter into two nine inch rounds
and pop them into the oven for 25-30 minutes.

While the cake cooks, you can work on the frosting by
first creaming 2 sticks of butter.

Then add a tablespoon of vanilla extract.

And three cups of powdered sugar.

And 3 to 4 tablespoons of cold milk until you
get a smooth, creamy frosting.

Finally, fold in about 20 chopped oreos (feel free to go with
more or less, I used 18 cookies cut into fourths).

Now to check on the cakes! You want your cake to be springy
to the touch and for an inserted toothpick to come out cleanly.

Let the cake cool and then you're ready to frost!

You can go with one layer of frosting sandwiched between the
cake layers for an oreo-looking final product...

...or you can go with two separate layers.

And finish it off with some more oreos as a garnish!

And there you have it: either a whimsical or elegant oreo cake that's as delicious as it is easy to make!

Oreo Cake Recipe:
Ingredients:
For the Cake
1 16.5 ounce package chocolate cake mix
1 5.9 ounce package instant chocolate pudding mix
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream
1 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1/2 cup warm water
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
For the Frosting
2 sticks unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3 cups confectioner’s sugar (powdered sugar, 10x)
3-4 tablespoons cold milk
20 (approx.) Oreo cookies, chopped

Directions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with parchment paper and grease pans thoroughly.

2. In a large bowl, mix together the cake and pudding mixes, salt, vanilla, sour cream, oil, eggs, and water. Fold in the chocolate chips and then divide the batter evenly into the pans.

3. Bake the cake for 25-30 minutes, until the top is springy to the touch and an inserted toothpick comes out cleanly. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

4. Cream the butter. Add the vanilla extract and combine well.

5. Slowly add in the sugar, mixing thoroughly after each addition. Then add the milk one tablespoon at a time, combining well after each addition until you reach the desired consistency.

6. Fold in the chopped Oreos and frost your cooled cake layers.