Next time......

This month's Daring Bakers Challenge was Filbert Gateau with Praline Buttercream. The recipe looked delicious unfortunately, I just didn't have anyone or anything to bake it for this month!! That is the downside of living on our own and I just thought it was too much for the office! I hope to make it in the future but make sure you check out the rest of the Daring Bakers . They do look delicious and now I am sorry I didn't make it!

Peanut Butter Heaven!

I LOVE to bake but I try not to make things that I crave; however, I have failed when it comes to these cookies!!! I LOVE and CRAVE these! I try to convince myself that its okay because they are made with reduced fat peanut butter (hey I need that protein!) and I try to forget that there are 2 sticks of butter in them! I know that they were a big hit today because I had random people come knocking on my cubicle because they heard I had cookies! Part of the reason I wanted to make these were because I was reading about Clumbsy Cookie's peanut butter cookies, that also look delicious!





PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES

INGREDIENTS:

2 Sticks of butter, softened
3/4 jar of peanut butter
3/4 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Brown Sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 1/4 C. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
12 oz chips

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream the butter, peanut butter, sugar, and brown sugar together. Then add the eggs and vanilla and mix. Next add the flour and baking soda. Finally add the chips.


I use an ice cream scoop so they are moundy but you can use a big spoonfull of dough. Bake them for 8 minutes then check them, possibly need an extra 2 minutes. Let them cool and enjoy! Take them out when they are lightly brown and look somewhat firm, not gooey but not hard! enjoy!!

Not Cute but Devilishly Delicious Cupcakes!

For the most part my baked goods come out delicious but are not overly pretty....there are no complaints on the eater's end but it is something I definitely need to work on. I for some reason have a hard time with filling cupcakes and these Devils Food and Peanut Butter Frosted Cupcakes were no exception to the rule...they are delicious but just not super pretty! Thank god for frosting!!! These cupcakes are a HUGE hit at work and have been requested a few times, today they were for a work birthday! These have been listed in my friend's top 5 baked goods I make.





The cupcakes are the same devils food recipe I used in Chocolate and Cherries and my Delicious Ice Cream Cake, I am a big fan of recipes that are versatile. The Peanut Butter frosting recipe makes 4 cups but for a normal batch of cupcakes 2 cups is enough. I included the original recipe but at the end (in parenthesis)is the halved recipe - I added just a tad more peanut butter this time!


DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE RECIPE
(Source: allrecipes.com)

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups water
2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter or margarine
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup baking cocoa
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

- In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Remove from the heat.
- Stir in sugar and butter until butter is melted.
- Add eggs and vanilla; mix well.
- Combine flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt; add to butter mixture and mix thoroughly.

Pour into cupcake pan and bake for 13-15 minutes, it makes 15-20 cupcakes.

Peanut Butter Frosting
(Source: The Peanut Butter & Co. Cookbook)

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 C. (2 1/2 Sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened (.625C or 1 1/4 Sticks)
1/4 C. Smooth Peanut Butter (1/8 C. I actually used almost 1/4 C. see notes)
5 C. Confectioners' Sugar ( 2 1/2 C.)
1/2 tspn. Salt (1/4 tspn.)
1/4 C. plus 1 T. Milk (1/8 C.)

DIRECTIONS:

- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip the butter and peanut butter together.
- Add the confectioners' sugar, salt, and then milk.
- Add additional tablespoons of milk or sugar to loosen or tighten the icing, respectively.
- For best results, use immediately.

NOTES:
- If the Devils Food batter looks thin - don't worry it is!!!
- The icing makes 4 cups, the halved recipes makes enough for one batch of cupcakes.
- I added extra peanut butter, especially when halved, it is not an overly peanut buttery flavored frosting but it is definitely creamy.

Meme Time!

I just finished my first Daring Bakers Challenge and I have to say thank you to all the wonderful DBers out there who left comments! It really is a great group of people. Amelia from Diary from the Last Frontier sent me and other new DBers a meme today. I decided that I was going to follow in her footsteps and do it and tag some other Daring Baker newbies! Also, if you get a chance make sure you check out their blogs because they are all wonderful, including Amelia's!

The rules:

#Link to the person who tagged you.
# Post the rules on the blog.
# Write six random things about yourself.
# Tag six people at the end of your post.
# Let each person know they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
# Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Now six random things about me:
1. I love baking but hate cooking!!! I don't cook at all!
2. I started baking as a challenge because I used to consider baking as cutting up the cookie rolls!
3. I DESPERATELY want a pug, I can't have one right now but that doesn't stop me from looking at petfinder all the time!
4. I LOVE reality tv!!
5. I have a slight obessession with Starbucks
6. The joy I get from baking is making other people happy! That's why I bake!

My six victims were chosen because they are Daring Bakers (well except 1) and I love their blogs!

Pineapple Princessa - Jess

The Hungry Housewife - Leslie

52 Recipes - Paula

Do Better - Karen

The Clumbsy Cookie - Rita

Modern Beet - Jen

Daring Bakers Challenge #1 Not So Scary Danish Bread!

My First Official Daring Bakers Challenge!!! I have to admit that when I found out what this challenge was I immediately thought wow I am in over my head!! I freaked about it for awhile, read about other Daring Bakers problems, continued to freak, but then I watched this video about folding and then this video.


Once I figured out how to fold the butter in, I then used thisfor my visual on how to do the braids (it is in Italian so it is all about the visual!).

What had me freaking out was how to do the butter block and folding and I immediately screwed up because I couldn't unfold it the way the directions said to; however, it seemed to work out okay by just rolling into a ball and flattening it out every time. I didn't have problems with the butter coming out or with it being overly sticky. However, I did have a problem with juice escaping and smoke everywhere but despite that they were pretty yummy!!! I brought one to work and the other is in my freeezer for later.

Mind did not come out as beautiful as the other Daring Bakers did but I am excited I could acutally do it!


The spreading of the butter


Not super Pretty but Delicious!





Slighlty Burnt but still delicious


DANISH DOUGH

Makes 2-1/2 pounds dough

Ingredients
For the dough (Detrempe)
1 ounce fresh yeast or 1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup sugar
Zest of 1 orange, finely grated
3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
2 large eggs, chilled
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt

For the butter block (Beurrage)
1/2 pound (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

DOUGH
Combine yeast and milk in the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on low speed. Slowly add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice. Mix well. Change to the dough hook and add the salt with the flour, 1 cup at a time, increasing speed to medium as the flour is incorporated. Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, or until smooth. You may need to add a little more flour if it is sticky. Transfer dough to a lightly floured baking sheet and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Without a standing mixer: Combine yeast and milk in a bowl with a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk. Add sugar, orange zest, cardamom, vanilla extract, vanilla seeds, eggs, and orange juice and mix well. Sift flour and salt on your working surface and make a fountain. Make sure that the “walls” of your fountain are thick and even. Pour the liquid in the middle of the fountain. With your fingertips, mix the liquid and the flour starting from the middle of the fountain, slowly working towards the edges. When the ingredients have been incorporated start kneading the dough with the heel of your hands until it becomes smooth and easy to work with, around 5 to 7 minutes. You might need to add more flour if the dough is sticky.

BUTTER BLOCK
1. Combine butter and flour in the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment and beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and the paddle and then beat for 1 minute more, or until smooth and lump free. Set aside at room temperature.
2. After the detrempe has chilled 30 minutes, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough into a rectangle approximately 18 x 13 inches and ¼ inch thick. The dough may be sticky, so keep dusting it lightly with flour. Spread the butter evenly over the center and right thirds of the dough. Fold the left edge of the detrempe to the right, covering half of the butter. Fold the right third of the rectangle over the center third. The first turn has now been completed. Mark the dough by poking it with your finger to keep track of your turns, or use a sticky and keep a tally. Place the dough on a baking sheet, wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Place the dough lengthwise on a floured work surface. The open ends should be to your right and left. Roll the dough into another approximately 13 x 18 inch, ¼-inch-thick rectangle. Again, fold the left third of the rectangle over the center third and the right third over the center third. No additional butter will be added as it is already in the dough. The second turn has now been completed. Refrigerate the dough for 30 minutes.
4. Roll out, turn, and refrigerate the dough two more times, for a total of four single turns. Make sure you are keeping track of your turns. Refrigerate the dough after the final turn for at least 5 hours or overnight. The Danish dough is now ready to be used. If you will not be using the dough within 24 hours, freeze it. To do this, roll the dough out to about 1 inch in thickness, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and freeze. Defrost the dough slowly in the refrigerator for easiest handling. Danish dough will keep in the freezer for up to 1 month.

APPLE FILLING
Makes enough for two braids

Ingredients
4 Fuji or other apples, peeled, cored, and cut into ¼-inch pieces
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
4 tablespoons unsalted butter

Toss all ingredients except butter in a large bowl. Melt the butter in a sauté pan over medium heat until slightly nutty in color, about 6 - 8 minutes. Then add the apple mixture and sauté until apples are softened and caramelized, 10 to 15 minutes. If you’ve chosen Fujis, the apples will be caramelized, but have still retained their shape. Pour the cooked apples onto a baking sheet to cool completely before forming the braid. (If making ahead, cool to room temperature, seal, and refrigerate.) They will cool faster when spread in a thin layer over the surface of the sheet. After they have cooled, the filling can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Left over filling can be used as an ice cream topping, for muffins, cheesecake, or other pastries.

DANISH BRAID
Makes enough for 2 large braids

Ingredients
1 recipe Danish Dough (see below)
2 cups apple filling, jam, or preserves (see below)

For the egg wash: 1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk

1. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper. On a lightly floured surface, roll the Danish Dough into a 15 x 20-inch rectangle, ¼ inch thick. If the dough seems elastic and shrinks back when rolled, let it rest for a few minutes, then roll again. Place the dough on the baking sheet.
2. Along one long side of the pastry make parallel, 5-inch-long cuts with a knife or rolling pastry wheel, each about 1 inch apart. Repeat on the opposite side, making sure to line up the cuts with those you’ve already made.
3. Spoon the filling you’ve chosen to fill your braid down the center of the rectangle. Starting with the top and bottom “flaps”, fold the top flap down over the filling to cover. Next, fold the bottom “flap” up to cover filling. This helps keep the braid neat and helps to hold in the filling. Now begin folding the cut side strips of dough over the filling, alternating first left, then right, left, right, until finished. Trim any excess dough and tuck in the ends.

Egg Wash
Whisk together the whole egg and yolk in a bowl and with a pastry brush, lightly coat the braid.

Proofing and Baking
1. Spray cooking oil (Pam…) onto a piece of plastic wrap, and place over the braid. Proof at room temperature or, if possible, in a controlled 90 degree F environment for about 2 hours, or until doubled in volume and light to the touch.
2. Near the end of proofing, preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Position a rack in the center of the oven.
3. Bake for 10 minutes, then rotate the pan so that the side of the braid previously in the back of the oven is now in the front. Lower the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, and bake about 15-20 minutes more, or until golden brown. Cool and serve the braid either still warm from the oven or at room temperature. The cooled braid can be wrapped airtight and stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days, or freeze for 1 month.

Wine, Jazz, and Baby Loafs!

Tonite I am joining some friends for some wine and Jazz music at the Sculpture Garden and I wanted to bring something for us to nibble on. I haven't made this bread in a few years and the recipe originally calls for it to be 3 loaves but I remembered that last time they came out kind of thin and this time I wanted fatter loaves so I divided the batter into 2 pans instead of 3 and it was still delicious! I brought one loaf into work and so far everyone loves it!






Orange Baby-Loaf Cakes with Dried Cherries and Walnuts
(Original Source: Fitness Magazine December 2002)

CAKES INGREDIENTS

Butter Flavored Cooking Spray
2 1/4 C. All Purpose Flour
1 1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
8 Tbs. (1 stick) Butter, Softened
1 1/2 C. granulated Sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 Tbs.Grated Orange Zest
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
1 C. Nonfat Buttermilk (I used 2% this time)
1/2 C. Dried Cherries (I used a combo of Cherries and Cranberries)
1/3 C plus 1 1/2 teaspoons Finely Chopped Walnuts (mine weren't too finely chopped and it still tasted great!)


GLAZE INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 C. Sifted Confectioners' Sugar
1 1/2 to 2 Tablespoons Water

DIRECTIONS

- Heat oven to 350 degrees and coat three 5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2 inch metal loaf pans with cooking spray.
- Sift together flour, baking powder and baking soda onto a large piece of waxed paper (I used another bowl).
- In a large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, effs, grated orange zest, and vanilla extract until smooth.
-Alternately beat in buttermilk and flour mixture until well blended.
- Fold in cherries and 1/3 C. Walnuts and pour into prepared pans.
- Bake 45 mins or until a tester inserted in the middle comes out clean.
- Cool in pans on wire rack 10 minutes and remove cakes from pans and cook completely

- Prepare glaze in a large bowl by beating confectioners' sugar and water until smooth. Drizzle over tops and sprinkle with 1/3 tsp. walnuts

Craveable Quiche!

I love to bake but cooking is not my thing; however, I was recently craving my mom's famous quiche - her friends used to pay her to make them for events. It was so easy that even I could do it! The important lesson I learned from making it is that it tastes better when it sits for a few minutes - a hard lesson for me to learn because I usually can't wait to eat it! Also, warning self control can go out the window with this recipe!



Spinach Layer


Spinach and Cheese


Rt before going into the oven


Right after it came out

A Messy but Delicious Piece!

QUICHE

INGREDIENTS:
- 9' Deep Dish Pie Shell
- 6 oz. cheese - Swiss or combination of cheese (tastes best with 3 different types incl. Swiss)
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/2 C. Light Cream OR 1 C. Heavy Cream & 1/2 C. Milk
- Salt, Nutmeg, Pepper
- Filling: Chopped Spinach and Onion (make sure dry), Shrimp, Mushroom, Broccoli, Bacon

DIRECTIONS:
- Heat oven to 375
- Put filling then cheese on the bottom of the shell
- Beat eggs, cream & spices until frothy
- Pour into pie shell
- Bake 35 to 40 minutes

NOTES:
- I only had skim milk so I used that, my mom is not a fan of the skim substitute and is a purist, but I just added a lot of extra cheese and it tasted just as good!
- My mom likes using 3 different types of white cheese - I don't care