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	<title>Ryan's Baking Blog</title>
	
	<link>http://ryansbakingblog.com</link>
	<description>Recipes, pictures, and reviews of delicious sweet treats!</description>
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		<title>Woodland Bakery (Chatham, NJ)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/7PG3_eUYFs4/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/09/woodland-bakery-chatham-nj/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:00:33 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bakery Reviews]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1264</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Woodland Bakery is a small bakery in northern New Jersey that specializes in all kinds of treats but is especially known for their crumb buns. The owner, Gretchen, has her own youtube channel where she posts videos and tutorials on how to make tons of the things that she sells (I&#8217;ve already made the amazing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6010/6197692472_02713e8e35.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Woodland Bakery is a small bakery in northern New Jersey that specializes in all kinds of treats but is especially known for their crumb buns. The owner, Gretchen, has <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/steph91069">her own youtube channel</a> where she posts videos and tutorials on how to make tons of the things that she sells (I&#8217;ve already made the amazing <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/key-lime-pie/">key lime pie</a>).<br />
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<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6170/6197174661_65f6319780.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
The crumb buns come in two flavors: plain and apple. They both boast incredible amounts of crumb which is stacked on top of a thin layer of bun. The apple version has a delicious layer of apples between bun and crumb.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6175/6197692712_4ffea21f23.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Seriously, a lot of crumb, it&#8217;s a journey eating one of these. The crumb holds together tightly until you chomp down on it and it falls apart in your mouth in the best possible way, exploding with a vanilla, buttery flavor. The bun on the bottom is soft and bready and is literally a vessel for crumb.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6154/6197692512_b75b47c962.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Along with crumb buns, Woodland Bakery also offers cake pops which have a perfect frosting to cake ratio, they don&#8217;t fall apart but aren&#8217;t dry.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6179/6197692584_2b1cc544fe.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Cookie dough truffles are also a good choice for a small snack. Cupcakes come in a variety of flavors and frostings, but my personal favorite from the bakery was the lemon bar (which I didn&#8217;t get a picture of).</p>
<p>It has a shortbread crust and a thin layer of lemon topping and powdered sugar. The sweetness balances the tartness perfectly and the crust brings it all together. Thankfully, the recipe is on <a href="http://www.crumbboss.com/?p=109">the Crumb Boss site</a> so I&#8217;ll be making it soon enough.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/6197692552_b4f09c910a.jpg" width="540" height="360"></p>

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		<item>
		<title>Ginger Pudding Parfaits With Lemon Madeleines</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/HqKmVUHqJqg/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/09/ginger-lemon-parfaits/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Sep 2011 06:16:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Treats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[ginger]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lemon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[madeleine]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[parfait]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pudding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zest]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1258</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Ginger Pudding Parfaits With Lemon Madeleines Ginger Pudding recipe adapted from My Recipes Makes 4 servings 3 cups 1% milk, divided 1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, plus more for garnish 2/3 cup sugar 3 tablespoons cornstarch Dash of salt 3 large egg yolks 1 tablespoon butter 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 teaspoon vanilla extract [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6190/6101882101_9fe3d78cd2.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Recently I was contacted by a company called <a href="http://www.donsuemor.com/">Donsuemor</a> who asked me to create a dessert for their <a href="http://www.facebook.com/donsuemor?sk=app_203814743005282">Dessert-A-Day</a> feature coming in October.</p>
<p>I used this as an excuse to make another fall recipe before August ended.</p>
<p>Ginger pudding, with chopped pieces of crystallized ginger, gets layered with crushed up <a href="http://www.donsuemor.com/">Donsuemor</a> lemon zest madeleines for a delicious combination. I don&#8217;t think enough people know about how awesome it is and not enough people utilize it so I&#8217;m making it my mission to inform you. Try it, if you like them separately, you will love them together.<br />
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<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6062/6101881945_13f18c2913.jpg" width="540" height="360"></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6072/6101882411_a9d3deab96.jpg" width="540" height="360"></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6182/6102431152_ab63358d6a.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Pudding skin is gross. Unless you like that, in which case it&#8217;s totally awesome. But I don&#8217;t like it, so I covered up my pudding tightly with plastic wrap. It prevents that skin from forming.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6072/6102431362_7d3c05d91c.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I don&#8217;t know why this glass has bumps on it but it does. It&#8217;s also a really tall glass for a heaping serving of pudding. The recipe will make two full sized glasses or 4 half glasses. I recommend going with the half glasses, it&#8217;s great pudding layered with amazing madeleines but eating a full glass is still a lot.<br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>Ginger Pudding Parfaits With Lemon Madeleines</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Ginger Pudding recipe adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ginger-pudding-10000000604696/">My Recipes</a></small></p>
<p>Makes 4 servings</p>
<p>3 cups 1% milk, divided<br />
1/3 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger, plus more for garnish<br />
2/3 cup sugar<br />
3 tablespoons cornstarch<br />
Dash of salt<br />
3 large egg yolks<br />
1 tablespoon butter<br />
1 teaspoon lemon zest<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
12 lemon zest madeleines</p>
<p>Combine 2 1/2 cups milk and crystallized ginger in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring frequently. Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 minutes.</p>
<p>In a medium bowl, combine remaining 1/2 cup milk, sugar, cornstarch, salt, and egg yolks. Whisk together until well blended. Slowly add one-fourth of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, stirring constantly. Go very slowly so you don&#8217;t accidentally cook the eggs. Pour back in with the milk mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat, cooking for 1 minutes or until thick and creamy, stirring constantly. Remove mixture from heat, stir in butter, zest, and vanilla. Pour into a bowl or large glass measuring cup, cover the surface of the pudding with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours.</p>
<p>If using four small glasses to serve, place 1/2 cup ginger pudding in the bottom of each glass and top with 2 crushed madeleines each. Add another half cup pudding and top with a whole madeleine and sprinkle with some crystallized ginger pieces.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Molasses Spice Cookies</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/20MMAwMBWew/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/molasses-spice-cookies/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 29 Aug 2011 21:42:32 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fall]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[molasses]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[spice]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1254</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Molasses Spice Cookies Adapted from The Cookiepedia Makes 3-4 dozen cookies 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 cup dark brown sugar 1/2 cup sugar, plus [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6094498906_e75211efc9.jpg" width="540" height="308"><br />
I&#8217;m counting the days until the end of summer, not that I don&#8217;t love summer flavors, as you could tell from all my lemon recipes lately. It&#8217;s the heat I can&#8217;t stand. Plus, fall and winter have my favorite flavors of all time and winter is my favorite season.</p>
<p>The warmth of ginger, the intoxicating smell of cinnamon baking in the oven, and the comfort of brown sugar. I spend all year waiting for it. Yes, I do eat it year round but there is something about a warm slice of <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2010/10/the-best-pumpkin-bread-and-its-vegan/">pumpkin bread</a> or one of these molasses spice cookies in the cool fall weather or the bright white snow in the dead of winter that can&#8217;t be duplicated any other time of year.</p>
<p>These are easily one of my top cookies. Chewy and soft all over, a slight crunch from the sugar coating, a strong molasses spice flavor, and it&#8217;s easy to make a large batch. I ate most of them after baking but I&#8217;m still snacking a day later and everyone I shared them with wanted the recipe, so I&#8217;m going to share it a bit early so you can all get into your fall baking ahead of time.<br />
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<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6087/6094498856_b1bc50bf76.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
This recipe comes from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594745358/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=cuofthda-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=1594745358">The Cookiepedia</a> which is quickly becoming one of my favorite cookbooks ever.</p>
<p>It is full of illustrations and photos that make the book approachable, along with great writing that makes you feel like you could bake anything in the book. That&#8217;s the point though, to teach you the basics of cookie baking and help you to adapt the recipes to your own needs. At the end of each recipe there is a little section to write your own notes about what you might change, also some recipes include suggestions for changing the flavors of the recipe.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6073/6094498878_63f8680a8f.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
The book is neatly organized into chapters of different types of cookies: buttery, chocolaty, fancy, fruity, spicy, and nutty/seedy. It&#8217;s a beautiful book that&#8217;s easy to navigate and I highly recommend <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594745358/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=cuofthda-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=1594745358">picking it up</a>.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6184/6094498880_8a5308e0a7.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Full disclosure: I was sent a copy of the book to review but the opinions expressed are completely my own and I absolutely love this book. I&#8217;ve always said cookies were the things that I&#8217;m worst at baking but I&#8217;ve been improving and after the success of these cookies, I just want to make dozens upon dozens. The snickerdoodle recipe in this book also comes highly recommended so I&#8217;ll have to try them out. This book is definitely a staple in my collection now.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6206/6094498898_b415752f28.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Let&#8217;s move on to the cookies now, the real star of this post (along with this glorious mountain of flour and spices).</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6200/6094498904_becc87f33d.jpg" width="540" height="334"><br />
The cookie dough balls get rolled in sugar. I used white sugar, feel free to experiment with demerara sugar for a bigger crunch.</p>
<p>The more you flatten them, the more they&#8217;ll spread. I flattened them a tiny bit and they were pillowy and soft, but you could flatten a lot more and get giant, flat, chewy cookies. I don&#8217;t think you&#8217;re supposed to use more than two adjectives to describe something but I&#8217;m doing it anyway, we&#8217;ll just call it poetic license.</p>
<p>Make these cookies and check out the book while you&#8217;re eating them warm from the oven.<br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>Molasses Spice Cookies</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1594745358/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&#038;tag=cuofthda-20&#038;linkCode=as2&#038;camp=217145&#038;creative=399373&#038;creativeASIN=1594745358">The Cookiepedia</a></small></p>
<p>Makes 3-4 dozen cookies</p>
<p>2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour<br />
2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves<br />
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice<br />
3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature<br />
1/2 cup dark brown sugar<br />
1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for rolling<br />
1 egg<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 cup dark molasses.</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 325°F and line several cookie sheets with parchment paper.</p>
<p>Sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, and spices. Set aside.</p>
<p>Cream butter and sugars on medium speed for several minutes, until light and fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add the molasses and mix until combined.</p>
<p>Add the flour mixture in three parts, mixing on low after each addition just until incorporated.</p>
<p>Cover the dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes.</p>
<p>Roll 1 1/2-inch balls of dough in the extra sugar. Place cookies of the baking sheets about 2 inches apart. Flatten slightly. Bake 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the pans halfway through baking. Cool in pans on wire racks for about 5 minutes before transferring cookies directly on racks to cool completely.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Chocolate Lemon Icebox Cake</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/trLJNCfZjCY/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/chocolate-lemon-icebox-cake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 26 Aug 2011 09:44:21 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graham crackers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[icebox]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lemon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[no bake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[whipped cream]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1250</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Chocolate Lemon Icebox Cake Adapted from 17 and Baking for Boston.com Lemon whipped cream (recipe below) 14 unbroken chocolate graham crackers Chocolate graham cracker crumbs 8 Candied lemon slices Line a 9&#215;5&#8243; loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on two sides. Spread 1/2 cup whipped cream over the bottom of the pan. Place an [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6080/6081135413_0b7c7ba869.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Summer is coming to an end and it&#8217;s starting to cool off, at least on the east coast. We also just had an earthquake and might be getting hit by a hurricane so who knows, the heat might pick back up. In case it does, be prepared with this recipe for icebox cake.</p>
<p>An icebox cake is a cake made of whipped cream and graham crackers. It&#8217;s not baked at all, it&#8217;s place in the fridge to allow the moisture from the whipped cream to soak into the graham crackers to create a cake-like consistency. Some people achieve this with cool whip and graham crackers, I, however, am strongly against any kind of whipped toppings. It&#8217;s just as easy to whip up your own cream, especially if you have a stand mixer, and it tastes a ton better. Plus, you can toss in other flavorings with ease. I used lemon to flavor this whipped cream to pair with the chocolate graham crackers and topped it off with <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/candied-lemon-slices/">homemade candied lemon slices</a>. All that deliciousness without ever having to turn on your oven.<br />
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<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6191/6081134761_0aec97d504.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
First you need to wrap up a 9&#215;5&#8243; loaf pan with plastic wrap. It helps things not stick.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6081671404_3a36de3c64.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Then make the whipped cream. You can choose whatever flavor you like and swap in different flavor graham crackers to suit your tastes. This recipe was inspired by <a href="http://17andbaking.com/">Elissa of 17 and Baking</a>. Her recipe for <a href="http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/blogger_17andbaking_iceboxcake/">Raspberry Amaretto Icebox Cake was featured on Boston.com</a>. I didn&#8217;t have any desire to make an icebox cake with those flavors but really liked the recipe instructions and figured I could swap stuff around and make the recipe fit my needs better, so don&#8217;t be afraid to experiment.</p>
<p>Just don&#8217;t experiment with pre-packaged &#8220;whipped topping&#8221;. Thank you.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6084/6081671586_90cdec881e.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>Chocolate Lemon Icebox Cake</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://17andbaking.com/">17 and Baking</a> for <a href="http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/food/blogger_17andbaking_iceboxcake/">Boston.com</a></small></p>
<p>Lemon whipped cream (recipe below)<br />
14 unbroken chocolate graham crackers<br />
Chocolate graham cracker crumbs<br />
8 Candied lemon slices</p>
<p>Line a 9&#215;5&#8243; loaf pan with plastic wrap, leaving overhang on two sides.</p>
<p>Spread 1/2 cup whipped cream over the bottom of the pan. Place an even layer of graham crackers on top. Spread another 1/2 cup whipped cream over the graham crackers. Repeat alternating layers until you have 6 layers of whipped cream and 5 layers of graham crackers (starting and ending with the whipped cream). Cover top in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 6 hours or up to two days.</p>
<p>After it is chilled, remove top layer of plastic wrap and invert pan onto serving plate. Remove the pan and the plastic wrap. Use an offset spatula to smooth out whipped cream and coat sides in graham cracker crumbs and garnish top with <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/candied-lemon-slices/">candied lemon slices</a>.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Lemon Whipped Cream</strong></big></big></p>
<p>2 cups chilled heavy cream<br />
1/2 cup powdered sugar, sifted<br />
2 tablespoons lemon zest<br />
4 teaspoons lemon juice</p>
<p>Combine all ingredients together in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Whisk on medium-high until stiff peaks and it reaches desired consistency.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Candied Lemon Slices</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/jlL0A2jnz5s/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/candied-lemon-slices/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 23 Aug 2011 20:42:53 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Treats]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[candied]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lemon]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[simple syrup]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[slices]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[sugar]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1243</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Candied Lemon Slices Adapted from The VA Foodhead Thinly slice lemons with a serrated knife. Poke out seeds with a toothpick. In a medium pot, combine equal parts sugar and hot water (I used about 3 cups of each, this much probably wasn&#8217;t needed. Fill pot enough that the lemon slices won&#8217;t touch the bottom [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6188/6066672957_4060c2d568.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I&#8217;ve never candied lemons before in my life. I&#8217;ve never candied anything I don&#8217;t think. I had recipe inspiration and needed some candied lemons for garnish so I decided I&#8217;d give it a shot. You&#8217;ll see the other recipe this friday, keeping the details secret for now.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ll completely admit that I&#8217;m not sure if I did this right. I went through a ton of lemons trying to slice them right, I may not have candied them correctly, they may not be perfect, but they taste good and I learned a couple things. I went through various sources and didn&#8217;t find any that fully explained the process so I did a lot of guess work.<br />
<span id="more-1243"></span><br />
<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6187/6066672717_53213a2e5d.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
First you need to slice the lemons. I bought a lot because I knew I&#8217;d mess up. I read on <a href="http://butteryum.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-make-candied-lemon-slices.html">ButterYum</a> that you can use wooden skewers to slice the lemons thinly and evenly. You place the wood skewers on separate sides of a cut-side down lemon and run a serrated knife along the skewers.</p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t have any wooden skewers and couldn&#8217;t find anything that worked. I did it by eye. It worked okay but I definitely need more practice, or wooden skewers (preferably skewers).</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6082/6067217194_41faf588e6.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
You heat them in water for anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, I found a lot of different times. I&#8217;m not sure if they can overlap or not. Mine did and were fine, and I saw in some other bloggers&#8217; photos that they overlapped but I also read somewhere that they shouldn&#8217;t overlap.</p>
<p>They take 24 hours to set up, so you should make them the day before you&#8217;re actually going to use them. They taste great, sweet with all the bitterness removed, and you can use the water you made them in as a lemon simple syrup.<br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>Candied Lemon Slices</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://vafoodhead.blogspot.com/2009/05/orange-you-glad.html">The VA Foodhead</a></small></p>
<p>Thinly slice lemons with a serrated knife. Poke out seeds with a toothpick.</p>
<p>In a medium pot, combine equal parts sugar and hot water (I used about 3 cups of each, this much probably wasn&#8217;t needed. Fill pot enough that the lemon slices won&#8217;t touch the bottom of the pan). Stir together to dissolve the sugar and water. Bring to a low simmer and add lemon slices. Allow to simmer for 15 minutes.</p>
<p>Turn heat off and let the lemon slices sit in the water for 10 minutes. Bring water back to a low simmer for another 30 minutes. Turn off heat and move lemon slices to a wire rack positioned over paper towels or parchment paper to cool and drain. Let sit at room temperature, exposed, for 24 hours before using.</p>

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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>Key Lime Pie</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/u6yQn8RDpks/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/key-lime-pie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Aug 2011 09:44:18 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graham cracker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[key lime]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mini]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[tart]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1237</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Key Lime Pie Adapted from Crumb Boss 9&#8243; graham cracker pie crust, recipe below 14oz sweetened condensed milk 5 egg yolks 1 1/4 cup key lime juice Preheat oven to 325°F. Whisk egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk together. Add the key lime juice and whisk until completely combined. Pour into prepared pie crust and [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6079/6057774441_c4fcecbce9.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
A coworker of mine requested key lime pie, as tart as I can make it, without any fancy toppings to take away from the tartness. This is the result.</p>
<p>These would be excellent topped with whipped cream or meringue, left plain they are extremely tart. People with a high tart tolerance will like it a lot, or people who like the feeling of their face scrunching up so much it hurts.<br />
<span id="more-1237"></span><br />
<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6196/6058320110_dcaa8b25c6.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
The pie filling is only three ingredients: eggs, key lime juice, and sweetened condensed milk.</p>
<p>It&#8217;s important to use real key lime juice, I liked the brand above. I found it at Wegman&#8217;s but I think it can be found at most grocery stores. Ask a clerk, it wasn&#8217;t with the lemon juice and lime juice, it was off on a bottom shelf in some random aisle.</p>
<p>The recipe comes from <a href="http://www.crumbboss.com/">Crumb Boss</a>, she is a baker in northern New Jersey at Woodland Bakery (I haven&#8217;t had a chance to visit but I really want to try their crumb buns). She makes videos with her friend, Stephanie, that they upload on <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/steph91069">their youtube</a> account every week. I think they are hilarious and the videos are also good for picking up a few tips or getting some good recipes.</p>
<p>Especially for tart key lime pie.<br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>Key Lime Pie</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://www.crumbboss.com/?p=155">Crumb Boss</a></small></p>
<p>9&#8243; graham cracker pie crust, recipe below<br />
14oz sweetened condensed milk<br />
5 egg yolks<br />
1 1/4 cup key lime juice</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 325°F.</p>
<p>Whisk egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk together. Add the key lime juice and whisk until completely combined. Pour into prepared pie crust and bake about 20 minutes. It should be stiff and not move much, about the consistency of jello. Allow to chill in fridge for at least 1 to 2 hours.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Graham Cracker Crust</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href=http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/graham-cracker-crust-i/Detail.aspx>Allrecipes</a></small></p>
<p>1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely ground<br />
1/3 cup sugar<br />
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 375°F.</p>
<p>Combine graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and butter and mix until well blended. Press into a 9 inch pie plate. Bake for 7 minutes. Let cool before adding filling.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Creamy Peanut Butter Pie</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/RBXwb1_pEkc/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/peanut-butter-pie/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:37:24 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Pie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cookies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mikey]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[peanut butter]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1227</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Recently Jennifer Perillo, an amazing food blogger who lost her husband recently due to a sudden heart attack wrote a beautiful post about her husband and his favorite peanut butter pie. She reached out to the food blogging community for support, for love, and a call to action to everyone out there to make an [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6070/6036857557_75fb4f4b4f.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Recently <a href="http://www.injennieskitchen.com/">Jennifer Perillo</a>, an amazing food blogger who lost her husband recently due to a sudden heart attack wrote <a href="http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2011/08/for-mikey.html">a beautiful post about her husband and his favorite peanut butter pie</a>. She reached out to the food blogging community for support, for love, and a call to action to everyone out there to make an extra step to remind their loved ones just how much they are loved.<br />
<span id="more-1227"></span><br />
I don&#8217;t really know Jennifer, I&#8217;ve been reading her blog for a while, but I&#8217;ve never spoken to her. At this point, I don&#8217;t even know what I&#8217;d say to her. I&#8217;m just going to try to fulfill her request. She asked everyone to stop what they are doing and make a peanut butter pie for someone they love. To stop putting things off, to stop waiting til &#8220;tomorrow&#8221; to get around to things, it&#8217;s a reminder that there may not be a tomorrow.</p>
<p>I have a few things on my To-Do list to bake for people. A birthday cake for a friend this week, a pineapple upside down cake I&#8217;ve been putting off for a couple weeks now (that I&#8217;m going to make on Tuesday, when the person it&#8217;s for returns from vacation), as well as various other treats. I already ran in the kitchen and made whole wheat chocolate muffins for a friend last night.</p>
<p>Today I made this peanut butter. I&#8217;m going to share the peanut butter pie with my friends, I&#8217;m going to tell them the story behind why I made the pie, and I&#8217;m going to encourage them to make it for themselves and share it with their loved ones. I&#8217;m also sharing it with you all.</p>
<p>There is a lot of uncertainty in this life, in this world, and things are constantly changing. The only thing we have for certain is the present, what we see right in front of our eyes, the things we can feel and touch. We can&#8217;t hold on to what could be or what could have been, only what is.</p>
<p>Don&#8217;t just tell someone you love them, tell everyone you love them. Write an email or a letter to your friends and family far away, send them some peanut butter cookies. Go visit the important people in your life that live close by. Drop off a slice of pie to them, give them a hug.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Creamy Peanut Butter Pie</strong></big></big><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://www.injennieskitchen.com/2011/08/for-mikey.html">In Jennie&#8217;s Kitchen</a></small></p>
<p>1 1/2 cups chocolate cookies<br />
3 tablespoons butter, melted<br />
5 ounces finely chopped chocolate or semi-sweet chocolate chips<br />
1/4 cup chopped peanuts, optional<br />
1 cup heavy cream<br />
8 ounces cream cheese<br />
1 cup creamy-style peanut butter<br />
1 cup confectioner&#8217;s sugar<br />
1 – 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice</p>
<p>Place chocolate cookies in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are fine crumbs. Move to a bowl and combine with melted butter, mixing together completely. Press mixture into the bottom and 1-inch up the sides of a 9-inch pie plate or 9-inch springform pan. If you use a pie plate, you will have leftover filling.</p>
<p>Melt the chocolate in a double boiler. Pour over the cookie crust and spread to the edges. If using chopped peanuts, sprinkle over melted chocolate. Place pan in the refrigerator while preparing the filling.</p>
<p>Pour heavy cream into the bowl of a stand mixer and whip until stiff peaks form. Transfer to a small bowl and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Place the cream cheese and peanut butter in a clean mixer bowl and beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low and slowly add confectioner&#8217;s sugar. Add the sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, and lemon juice. Increase speed to medium and continue to beat until all ingredients and combined and filling is smooth.</p>
<p>Stir in 1/3 of the whipped cream into the filling mixture to lighten the batter. Fold in the remaining whipped cream with a rubber spatula. Pour the filling into the prepared pie plate (or springform pan). Top with additional melted chocolate, whipped cream, and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight, before serving.</p>

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		<item>
		<title>Chicago Bakery Roundup, Part 2 (Chicago)</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/kpXr_QXHsLo/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/chicago-bakery-roundup-part-2-chicago/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Aug 2011 09:48:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bakery Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bakery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cupcakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[macaron]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pie]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1222</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Welcome to part 2 of my Chicago Bakery Roundup. Part 1 was all bakeries I visited my first time in Chicago but this post covers the ones I visited for the first time ever. I really enjoyed all of these places and can&#8217;t wait to go back to Chicago to try more offerings from them. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Welcome to part 2 of my Chicago Bakery Roundup. <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/chicago-bakery-roundup-part-1-chicago/">Part 1</a> was all bakeries I visited my first time in Chicago but this post covers the ones I visited for the first time ever. I really enjoyed all of these places and can&#8217;t wait to go back to Chicago to try more offerings from them.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>New Wave Coffee</strong></big></big><br />
<small>3103 W Logan Blvd, Chicago, IL 60647</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6201/6024537844_e57a7f9623.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
This coffee shop was right around the corner from the friend&#8217;s place that I stayed at and I ended up going in one day with another friend because we were in the area and needed someplace to go. I saw some cupcakes on display, I think they are all vegan (including the one I got), and decided to get one. The woman working the counter was extremely friendly and had a great sense of humor, so I really have to compliment that.</p>
<p>The cupcake is a (vegan?) lemon cupcake with lemon frosting, lemon zest, and a lemon wedge. It was incredibly soft, moist, full of lemon flavor. The frosting was the perfect amount of sweet and had a cream cheese taste to it. Oddly enough this coffee shop cupcake was probably the best cupcake I had my entire trip to Chicago, along with the atmosphere and kindness of the staff, I really have to recommend this place.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Hoosier Mama Pie Company</strong></big></big><br />
<small>1618 1/2 Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/6023983935_45ce18f407.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Despite riding the bus in the opposite direction for 20 minutes, I was able to get here before they closed for the day. I&#8217;ve heard great things about their chocolate pie but I didn&#8217;t want to weigh myself down with chocolate after all the bakeries I visited that day so I went with a safe choice: a small buttermilk pie.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6137/6023984029_c1eea788c9.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Hoosier Mama Pie Company offers small pies and normal sized pies. They have a small shop front that offers seating or they will box it up to go. I took mine to go and split it with some friends.</p>
<p>It had a soft but crisp crust that gave way easily, managed not to be dry and have a nice flavor. It had a creamy, custard like buttermilk filling that was tangy without being overwhelming. I loved it and want to go back for their decadent chocolate pie. This might be the one place that could turn me into a pie lover.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Swirlz Cupcakes</strong></big></big><br />
<small>705 West Belden Avenue, Chicago, IL 60614</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6128/6024537604_7cc5cefeaf.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Swirlz was recommended to me by a reader so I decided to head on over.</p>
<p>They say you can always tell a bakery by how they handle their &#8220;basic&#8221; flavors, such as vanilla. Vanilla also happens to be one of my favorite flavors so that&#8217;s what I decided to get here. It&#8217;s a vanilla buttermilk cake with a whipped Italian frosting. I am not a fan of whipped frosting so I can&#8217;t properly judge it but it was super light and had good flavor. The cake was flatter and wider than most cupcakes, which I enjoyed, it let me get a full bite of cake with a full bite of frosting without any kind of awkwardness. The cake blew me away, it&#8217;s one of the best vanilla cakes I&#8217;ve ever tasted. It was light, soft, moist, packed with vanilla flavor, and completely enjoyable. It tasted fresh and had a great frosting to cake ratio. I&#8217;m eager to try all of their flavors on my next trip.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Bittersweet</strong></big></big><br />
1114 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657-2798</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6205/6023983737_2973ba4c4b.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I was a bit disappointed with Bittersweet. I walked in and was surrounded by beautiful pastries and lots of people sitting at tables eating. I grabbed a vanilla cupcake and lemon macaron to go.</p>
<p>The lemon macaron was good but I couldn&#8217;t find the lemon at all. It just tasted like a yellow macaron with a swiss meringue buttercream filling. There might have been lemon curd but I didn&#8217;t see or taste it at all.</p>
<p>The vanilla cupcake was dry and the frosting was piled high and really thick and sweet. It was just too much and completely unsatisfying. I hate giving places bad reviews but I really just didn&#8217;t enjoy this place.</p>

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		<title>Chicago Bakery Roundup, Part 1 (Chicago)</title>
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		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/08/chicago-bakery-roundup-part-1-chicago/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 02 Aug 2011 09:54:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Bakery Reviews]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bakery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brownies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chicago]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cupcakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[pudding]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[review]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1211</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I was back in Chicago at the end of June and beginning of July, hanging out with friends and enjoying all the bakeries. So many bakeries that I&#8217;m splitting this post into two parts. This first part is covering all the bakeries I went to in my first trip, and first post about Chicago bakeries, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I was back in Chicago at the end of June and beginning of July, hanging out with friends and enjoying all the bakeries. So many bakeries that I&#8217;m splitting this post into two parts.</p>
<p>This first part is covering all the bakeries I went to in my first trip, and first post about Chicago bakeries, which can be found <a href="http://ryansbakingblog.com/2010/08/cupcakes-in-chicago/">by clicking here</a>.</p>
<p>I wanted to try their other flavors, give the places I didn&#8217;t like a second chance, and if it wasn&#8217;t a cupcake-only shop I wanted to try their other offerings. Overall, I liked the bakeries just as much, if not more, than last time, but I did have a couple disappointments.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Molly&#8217;s Cupcakes</strong></big></big><br />
<small>2536 North Clark Street, Chicago, IL 60614</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6145/6000124807_ea69c60ca9.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Last time I was at Molly&#8217;s I got the Chocolate Decadence cupcake, looking back I don&#8217;t know what I was thinking when there were so many other options. This time, I got cookie dough, lemon meringue, and the butterscotch caramel.</p>
<p>I wish I got the cake batter one and will have to get it next time I&#8217;m in Chicago.</p>
<p>My favorite was the cookie dough, which was a chocolate chip cupcake with vanilla buttercream, a cookie on top, and a soft cookie dough filling.</p>
<p>The lemon meringue was super lemony, light, and had a toasted meringue topping (which I could have used more of, but it was still delightful).</p>
<p>Finally, my least favorite was the butterscotch caramel. It tasted like burnt caramel and I just didn&#8217;t like it at all. I was really hoping it would be amazing but I was mostly just disappointed, maybe it was having a bad day but I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;d get it again.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Bleeding Heart Bakery</strong></big></big><br />
<small>1955 West Belmont Avenue, Chicago, IL 60657</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6149/6000671540_5f59b58970.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I was looking forward to Bleeding Heart Bakery the most. They have such a huge selection and I really wanted to go back and try their cake balls. The photo above only shows the stuff I got the first trip. A s&#8217;mores brownie with vegan marshmallows and graham cracker pieces baked in and a veruca salt cake ball. On another trip I got a chocolate mint cake ball, a chocolate hazelnut cake ball, and another flavor I can&#8217;t remember. On top of all that, I got a lemon bar.</p>
<p>The bars and brownies are huge. I&#8217;d really recommend splitting it with someone unless you had a big appetite that day. The brownie was dense and packed with chocolate, the graham crackers got a little lost but the marshmallows were melted and toasted and really stood out. The lemon bar was a huge slab of lemon filling with a delicious shortbread crust. I recommend both of them highly.</p>
<p>The cake balls are a great deal at just $1.50. They are pretty deceiving in size, one is definitely enough. I tried to eat 4 and felt stuffed and saved the rest for later. Every single one was great, my favorite being the veruca salt (a salted caramel cake ball, also available as a cupcake). They are also a great way to sample flavors that you can then buy in a cupcake version.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Sweet Mandy B&#8217;s</strong></big></big><br />
<small>1208 West Webster Avenue Chicago, IL 60614</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6021/6000671834_a89a8223e5.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I was a bit caked out by the time I got to Sweet Mandy B&#8217;s, it was my fifth bakery in one day, so I wanted to switch up my order a bit and got butterscotch pudding. It was thick, smooth, and packed with brown sugar flavor. It was layered with whipped cream and a cool treat for a hot day. I got a large size to share but they have them in smaller, single serving sizes as well.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>Sprinkles</strong></big></big><br />
<small>50 E Walton St, Chicago, IL 60611</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6006/6000124505_97498cc72c.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I didn&#8217;t like Sprinkles much on my first visit. I liked the key lime cupcake and hated the milk chocolate. This time I went with a staple flavor, Vanilla, because it&#8217;s also one of my favorite flavors.</p>
<p>I was pleasantly surprised and really enjoyed it. It wasn&#8217;t the best vanilla cupcake I ever had but I wouldn&#8217;t hesitate to stop in and enjoy it.</p>
<p><big><big><strong>More Cupcakes</strong></big></big><br />
<small>1 East Delaware Place, Chicago, IL 60611</small></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6027/6000124559_5dd8c2088e.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
I&#8217;m sad to say that More Cupcakes was the most disappointing of them all again. Last time I had a cupcake that had too much frosting and made me feel kind of sick by the end of it so this time I went with something with a lot less frosting, the salted caramel.</p>
<p>The frosting was a swiss meringue buttercream with a small amount of sea salt sprinkled in the middle. This might have been the only salt in the entire cupcake unfortunately. The cake was very dry and the center was just a big hole where the caramel had kind of soaked into the cake but still didn&#8217;t manage to flavor or moisten it. I want to like More and would love to give it a third try, but so far I have just been disappointed.</p>
<p>On the upside, the staff is really friendly (but the staff at all the bakeries I visited was extremely friendly as well).</p>

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		<title>S’mores Cake</title>
		<link>http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/RyansBakingBlog/~3/SbQLO-pQMRQ/</link>
		<comments>http://ryansbakingblog.com/2011/07/smores-cake/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 30 Jul 2011 01:37:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Ryan</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Cakes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[cake]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fluff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fudge]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[graham cracker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[marshmallow]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[smores]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[summer]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[vegetarian]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://ryansbakingblog.com/?p=1206</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[S&#8217;mores Cake Graham Cracker Cake Adapted from Gigi Cakes 2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs 3/4 cup flour 1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup butter 1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar 3 eggs 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and line two [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6138/5989315156_1e9083f26c.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
We&#8217;re deep in summer right now, July is ending and the heat index here in Philadelphia is still breaking 100. I&#8217;m tired of it but complaining won&#8217;t do anything to fix it so I&#8217;ll just keep dreaming of those cold winter nights where my home is filled with the warming scents of cinnamon and ginger.</p>
<p>Summer does have it&#8217;s shining food flavors though, like refreshing citrus and a favorite of mine: s&#8217;mores.</p>
<p>This is a two layer graham cracker cake with marshmallow fluff filling and a dark chocolate fudge frosting. The cake manages to stay moist even though it replaces most of the flour with graham cracker crumbs. The filling is straight up marshmallow fluff from a jar but you could get adventurous and make your own fluff or use the fluff to make marshmallow buttercream. On top is a two-ingredient fudge frosting garnished with vegan marshmallows (since marshmallows have gelatin, they aren&#8217;t vegetarian/vegan friendly, but a few brands, like Dandies, make them without gelatin. They taste even better without gelatin in my opinion).<br />
<span id="more-1206"></span><br />
<img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6026/5988754299_cf48ff391f.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Graham cracker crumbs get mixed with some flour and baking powder.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6007/5989314910_3ac1b9ea7f.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Which then gets mixed with some dry ingredients and bakes up into beautiful golden cake layers.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5988754505_d950b304c3.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
A full jar of fluff goes in between the cake layers.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6139/5988754337_d048156c73.jpg" width="540" height="360"></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6003/5989314974_87901a4733.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
The chocolate gets mixed with sweetened condensed milk until well combined, then it gets refrigerated for a short period. It&#8217;s best to allow it to come back to room temperature before frosting because it can get too stiff to work with.</p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6132/5988754591_5b0abb8946.jpg" width="540" height="360"></p>
<p><img src="http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6025/5988754723_62e8ffb29f.jpg" width="540" height="360"><br />
Serve with extra marshmallows.</p>
<p>The fluff isn&#8217;t very sturdy but it works well, if you want to turn it into a fluff-flavored buttercream it might work a little better. The fudge frosting comes together extremely quick with only two ingredients and packs a lot of chocolate flavor. Feel free to experiment with a 70% or 80% dark chocolate instead of unsweetened to tone it down or use a milk chocolate frosting to stick with the s&#8217;mores tradition.<br />
<br />
Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.<br />
<big><big><strong>S&#8217;mores Cake</strong></big></big></p>
<p><strong>Graham Cracker Cake</strong><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://www.gigicakes.net/2008/03/smores-cupcake.html">Gigi Cakes</a></small></p>
<p>2 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs<br />
3/4 cup flour<br />
1 tablespoon + 3/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
3/4 cup butter<br />
1 cup + 2 tablespoons sugar<br />
3 eggs<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract<br />
1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk</p>
<p>Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and line two 8&#8243; round cake pans with parchment paper, set aside.</p>
<p>Sift and whisk together the graham cracker crumbs, flour, and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.</p>
<p>In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract.</p>
<p>Alternately add the graham cracker mixture and the milk, starting and ending with the graham cracker mixture, beating well after each addition.</p>
<p>Divide batter evenly between the two cake pans. Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for 15 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.</p>
<p>I recommend making the fudge frosting (below the filling recipe) as the cake cools. It&#8217;s best to frost the cake as soon as the fluff is put on so it doesn&#8217;t spread out everywhere.</p>
<p><strong>Marshmallow Fluff Filling</strong></p>
<p>7.5oz Marshmallow Fluff</p>
<p>Use a knife to cut the domed top off of both cake layers to have a flat surface. Dollop fluff around the top of one cake layer and spread evenly. If you put it all in the middle and spread it may drag a lot of crumbs. Don&#8217;t put it too close to the edges because it will spread.</p>
<p>Place other cake layer face down on top of the fluff and frost.</p>
<p><strong>Elizabeth Falkner&#8217;s Dark Chocolate Fudge Frosting</strong><br />
<small>Adapted from <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/10/elizabeth-falkners-dark-chocolate-fudge-frosting-recipe.html">Serious Eats</a></small></p>
<p>5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, roughly chopped<br />
14oz can sweetened condensed milk</p>
<p>Melt chocolate completely over a double boiler. Allow to cool slightly.</p>
<p>Remove sweetened condensed milk from can into a bowl and microwave for about 10 seconds or until just warm to the touch. Combine with still warm chocolate and stir well, until totally incorporated.</p>
<p>Allow it to set in the fridge for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until firm. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature before frosting cake. To speed up the process, place back over a double boiler and stir constantly until just soft enough to spread (don&#8217;t let it get too melted).</p>

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