Taking a break...

My latest creation.

I am not abandoning ship, rather I'm taking a blogging hiatus. To my great excitement, my custom cake business (The Great Cake Company) has become a little too big for me to handle while also maintaining this blog and spending quality time with my family.

So, as the weather breaks and the busy cake season approaches, I have decided to step aside from this blog and focus on other things for awhile.

I promise I will be back though. I am not sure in what capacity, but I will be back :)

Until then, I wish you all the best!

Daring Bakers: Speculaas

Have you experienced Biscoff biscuits? These delightful cookies, dished out by Delta Airlines, have won the hearts of many weary travelers, and have developed a bit of a cult following in the process. Biscoff, known as "Speculaas" in Europe, is a caramelized, shortcrust biscuit from Belgium. Its yummy blend of spices and endearing crunch have earned it the title "Europe's Favorite Cookie with Coffee".

Daring Bakers: Biscuits

Wow! I have been a very bad blogger lately. I just realized it's been well over a month since I last posted. I guess I have either been too tired to bake and write or involved with too many other projects to stop in and say hello. And, while I sort of enjoyed the break, I promise to try to get back on track.

Sunday Baked: Buckeyes

Apparently, I need to apologize to the state of Ohio. I was never much of a fan of you... no offense, it's just that I'm a Purdue alum, and we just don't like anyone from The Ohio State University (intended mocking and sarcasm). Naturally, if I don't like Ohio State University, then I should make a blanket statement about the whole state... The logic is there, right!?

Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pistachios & Dried Cherries

I'm not a big fan of fancy things. Rather, I am a jeans and T-shirt, mini-van drivin', no frills, plain Jane sort of girl. It holds true for how I dress down to how I bake. I like to keep things simple. Christmas cookies are the perfect example of how I operate. This time of year most people break out their "fancy-schmancy" cookie recipes. They're baking nut cups, almond crescents and other uber traditional treats, but not me. No, I like to make an overabundance of the no-frills cookies that I love to eat throughout the year, plus a few others that make the holiday cut... for good measure.

Sunday Baked: Baked French Toast

Alright, so here's the thing. If you were to ask me what I would want for my very last meal on this earth, I would answer quickly and without hesitation, French toast. It is my idea of food paradise, and if done right, makes me one happy camper.

How do I prefer my French toast, you might ask? Well, my version of French toast is simple, classic and not at all froofy (which is what I am calling Matt and Renato's version). I eat mine one way and one way only. It needs to be slathered in butter and covered in powdered sugar. And by covered, I don't mean dusted or sprinkled. No, we are talkin' a think blanket of sugary snow that slowly melts into the butter to form a candy-like coating on top of the bread. It's how I have been doing it since I was a wee lass and to me is heaven on a plate!

Sweet & Salty Brownies

Typically, I tend to leave my review of the recipes I try until the end of my post. But I am going to make an exception this time. I fear that if I don't make this adjustment you may get the wrong idea and not fully understand how much I am in love with these brownies.

They were killer! The sweet and salty combination is one of my favorites, and these rich, decadent bites left me wanting more. How can anyone resist luscious salted caramel baked right into a brownie? Not to mention they were not overly difficult to make and plated up beautifully. The adults in the group loved the twist on the traditional brownie, especially since many had never experienced the sweet and salty combination before. They were received fantastically well, and I will be using this recipe again and again.

Now, to the Thanksgiving Brownie Debacle of 2011...

Sunday Baked: Boston Cream Pie Cake

Let's just clear this up right now.... This is no more a pie than I'm a size 2 beauty queen. There is no pie crust or pie dish to speak of. Nope. This is cake through and through. I imagine when the first versions of this dessert appeared in Colonial America, cake pans were not commonplace. So, the Colonial bakers of yore grabbed whatever they had available, which happened to be pie tins.

Sunday Baked: Pumpkin Cheddar Muffins

Wow! I did not see this one coming. I guess I never really gave these much of a chance. Yes, I love almost all things pumpkin, but based on my reaction to the savory Tomato Soup Cupcakes we made awhile back, I totally did not expect to like these as much as I did. The combination of pumpkin, cheddar cheese and pepper seemed a little too unusual for my tastes, not to mention I am just not that into savory baked goods... Or, so I thought. Dare I say that my palate matured a bit this week?

Apple Cider Doughnuts

It was October 2008. Our yearly trip to the pumpkin patch was drawing to a close, and the little ones were quickly fading into a cranky abyss. Eager to get out of the chaos, my husband and I grabbed the kids and our newly acquired pumpkins and headed towards the car. On our way out we happened to pass a vendor selling fresh, hot apple cider doughnuts, which they conveniently placed at the exit of the farm (evil geniuses). The aroma was completely intoxicating. As tired as we all were, and despite the look of desperation on my husband's face, I made the quick exchange of money for doughnuts.

Daring Bakers: Povitica

Povitica, pronounced po-va-teet-sa, is a popular holiday dessert bread, much like a nut roll, served in Eastern Europe. Depending on what country you are in, the name and filling will vary; however, they all share the common thread of tradition and familial pride. Secret family recipes and techniques have been passed down through generations. Epic battles have been waged over proper rolling techniques (okay, not really). How have I never heard of this sweet and swirly bread?

Sunday Baked: Googly-Eyed Chocolate Mint Thumbprint Cookies

Hmmm...What to do? What to do? How do I make this week's selection from Baked Explorations a little more enticing? I mean, another mint dessert... so soon! Yes, the department stores have had their Christmas displays up for a couple of weeks (which is pure ridiculousness by the way), but we are still way too far away from Christmas for this baker to be overly excited about these cookies. Not to mention, we just covered Grasshopper Bars, their minty kin, a few weeks ago. It's mint overload....Aaaahhh! How will I ever survive?

Sunday Baked: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cake

Yeah, yeah... I know, it's not Sunday, and my "Sunday Baked" title doesn't technically apply anymore. But, I promise you, I really did baked this over the weekend! Really, I did. I am just now getting around to writing them up. Does time fly these days, or what?

This cake was another winner from the boys at Baked NYC and their cookbook Baked Explorations.  A quick, easy recipe that produced a perfect after school snack.  The cake was moist and sweet, not too dissimilar from an oatmeal cookie... just in cake form!  The recipe as written calls for a cream cheese frosting layer (recipe below), but I thought the addition would put an already sweet dessert over the top... and, I like sweet. Instead, I opted for a light dusting of powdered sugar, which suited my tastes perfectly. 

Pumpkin Pistachio Cannoli (Homemade)

I just can't help it. The fall desserts, I mean. I'm piggy-backing on my Caramel Apple Cake from a few weeks ago with another bit of fall deliciousness. And, you know what, I'm not gonna feel bad about it. Nope! In fact, I may even do it again next week. The thing is, my birthday is in October. I get all happy and giddy watching the trees change color and unpacking my warm weather clothes. Not to mention, the excitement of Halloween (and my birthday) throws the house into a bit of a tizzy. It's just a fun time. It flat out makes me happy. October is the greatest month of the year (don't even try to argue me on this point), and I feel obliged to celebrate it as I please. So, bring on the pumpkin, and let's celebrate!

Daring Bakers: Croissants

The Daring Bakers go retro this month! Thanks to one of our very talented non-blogging members, Sarah, the Daring Bakers were challenged to make Croissants using a recipe from the Queen of French Cooking, none other than Julia Child!

This is not only my first Julia Child recipe, but also my first time making croissants. Yes, before this week I was a croissant-making virgin.

.... Err, I don't think that one came out right :)

Any who, I need to apologize to all of you for the quality of my post this week. I had no idea croissants would be such a devil to make! Not because it was overly difficult (though technique is required for sure), but rather they took forever to complete. I am talking a good day and a half when all was said and done. Granted, I could have knocked a lot of the time off the clock had I not had a million things going on, but it never happens that way. Instead, I had to squeeze steps in here and there throughout the weekend. As a result, I was not able to get many of the photos I had hoped to for all of the required steps. Sorry all!

Sunday Baked: Honey Corn Muffins

The year was 1998. I was in graduate school for a degree I would never end up using, a good fifteen pounds heavier and chock full of that youthful optimism we all possessed in our earlier twenties. On one particular night, my girlfriend and I were making our rounds at a required school function when what did I come across at the potluck table, but a magical concoction that would forever change my views on corn muffins (and potlucks for that matter). There in front of me sat a vintage Corningware plate, and on that plate was something that I could only describe as being thrown together last minute in the backseat of someone's car (assuming that car was equipped with an oven). Now, why would I try something so unappealing? Simple. It was the smell. Those muffins pulled me right in... buttery, sweet and loaded with whole corn kernels. They made my toes curl. I helped myself to seconds and probably thirds and fourths after the alcohol started to kick in... well, there's probably no need to get into that part of the story.

Sunday Baked: Caramel Apple Cake

... Cue the music

Yup. That about sums it up for me this week. Pure heaven. Matt & Renato's little dandy of a  cake represents everything I love about this time of year. The perfect blend of spice and sweet and all the flavors of the season. With a single bite, I wanted to throw on my favorite sweater, watch football and go rake some leaves. It is the perfect dessert to usher in the fall and an instant all-time favorite. Yes, it is that good!

Mascarpone Chocolate Toffee Bars

I'm not sure when it happened, but somewhere along the way I've become a snob. A complete and total baking snob. I admit it. I came to this realization not too long ago after I found myself turning my nose up at some birthday cake being served at a friend's party. Before you get all huffy with me, no, I didn't ask them if it was a "boxed cake" and then refuse when asked if I would like some. That would have just been rude. Rather, I accepted a piece knowing it wasn't from scratch and politely ate a bite. I proceeded to eat a second bite merely to confirm that I really didn't like the first bite. Yup, total snob. I couldn't eat it.

Sunday Baked: Coffee Ice Cream

I SCREAM. YOU SCREAM. I MADE ICE CREAM.

I am not going to deny it. I totally indulged and bought an ice cream machine specifically for this week's Baked Sunday Mornings challenge. Silly, I know, but I figure with three little kids and an ice cream loving husband it will get put to good use in the long run. After all, it has been on the "would love to have" list for a long time. Totally justified, right?
 

OK, probably not, but I'd have to say that it was totally worth the splurge. Homemade ice cream is WONDERFUL! I had no idea it was so good or so easy. The kids are already trying to bribe me to get their favorite flavor selection made next (not that they had any of this alcohol and caffeine based concoction to know how fantastic it was). Whoops.

The whole process was rather simple, really. Bring (2 cups) whole milk, (1 3/4 cups) heavy whipping cream, (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) sugar, (3 tablespoons) instant espresso and (1 teaspoon) salt to a simmer. Then, slowly stream half of the coffee mixture into 6 gently whipped egg yolks. Whip the egg yolks like crazy and add them back to the coffee mixture. Heat over medium-low heat until you have custard or until about 175-degrees on an instant read thermometer.

Remove the custard from heat and strain it into a bowl. Whisk in the Kahlua (1 tablespoon) and place plastic wrap directly on top of the custard to prevent a crust from forming. Cool the custard for a few hours in the fridge.

After the custard cools, put it into your ice cream maker and let the magic happen. Twenty minutes later voilà... Ice Cream! 

Technically, this is more frozen custard than ice cream since it has the addition of egg yolks. Either way, it is creamy, rich and full of great coffee flavor. A totally delectable pick-me-up.  

Grab a bowl or a cone and ENJOY! This stuff is good.

Head on over to Baked Sunday Mornings to see what my fellow bakers thought of this cool summer treat from Matt & Renato's Baked Explorations.

Have a Sweet Day!

Jaime @ The Great Cake Company

Daring Bakers: Passion Fruit Gelées with Lime Sugar

 So, here it goes... And it isn't pretty this month.

The August 2011 Daring Bakers’ Challenge was hosted by Lisa of Parsley, Sage, Desserts and Line Drive and Mandy of What the Fruitcake?!. These two sugar mavens challenged us to make sinfully delicious candies! This was a special challenge for the Daring Bakers because the good folks at http://www.chocoley.com offered an amazing prize for the winner of the most creative and delicious candy

 

Errrrrrrrrr... Say what? I messed up already?

Darn it!

Not the recipe... No, actually these little gems are quite refreshing. I am talking about this whole "Candylicious" themed month here at The Daring Kitchen. Yes, I read through the instructions at the beginning of the month and thought I understood the challenge, but as I am about to post, I am realizing I messed this one up. I messed it up pretty good.

Now, from what I thought I had read, I didn't have to make a chocolate candy if I did not want to enter the contest. To be honest, with school starting, a son with a broken leg, and a whole bunch of other craziness, the last thing I wanted to do was think about a creative chocolate recipe. (Thanks to those who did 'cause I will be trying them out later.) No, I needed a no brainer this month. A simple recipe where I could just stick to the script.

Well, as it runs out, I did need to make a chocolate recipe AND a non-chocolate recipe...

Says so right here... See?

MANDATORY ITEMS

You must make TWO candies

The first candy must be ONE of the following CHOCOLATE candies:

     a. A truffle, dipped or not dipped in chocolate OR
     b. A cut (square) dipped chocolate/bonbon OR
     c. A filled chocolate/bonbon using a chocolate mold

The other candy can be any CHOCOLATE or NON-CHOCOLATE candy you like.

I am not sure how the requirements could have been made more clear. And, to top it off, I went out and found my own non-chocolate recipe.

GULP! 

I am fairly certain finiding my own recipe isn't allowed either. What in the world was I thinking? Wow! Was I off on this one, or what?!

Since I am realizing my mistake a few hours before post time, instead of a Daring Bakers compliant post, you get these candies made of passion fruit puree and lime infused sugar. They were a bit reminiscent of Jell-O Jigglers but with more sophistication. The original recipe called for plain sugar to coat, but I chose to jazz them up with the lime sugar, which added a definite kick. To be honest though, out of the three options (no sugar, plain sugar and lime sugar), I thought the unadorned gelées were the best.

Hopefully, next month will prove less of an embarrassment. I can't promise though :)

Have a Sweet Day!

Jaime @ The Great Cake Company

 

PASSION FRUIT GELÉES with LIME SUGAR  

Makes about 4 dozen candies  

Start to Finish: 13 hr (includes setting time)

-------------------------------

FOR THE LIME SUGAR
2 small limes
1 cup of sugar

Method
Using a microplane, zest limes and add to sugar. Mix the zest with the sugar until well combined and store in an airtight container. Zest should be ready in about 5 to 7 days. If you find the citrus flavor is not strong enough after 1 week, add a little fresh zest to the sugar before using.

-------------------------------

FOR THE PASSION FRUIT GELÉES
Recipe adapted from Gourmet (December 2007)

4 (1/4 ounce) packages unflavored gelatin
1 cup water
2 cups sugar plus additional for tossing
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup thawed unsweetened passion fruit puree (maracuya) such as Goya brand

Method
Lightly oil an 8-inch square, nonstick baking pan.

Sprinkle gelatin over water in a 2-quart heavy saucepan and let stand 4 minutes to soften. Heat gelatin over medium-low heat, stirring until dissolved. Add 2 cups sugar and stir until dissolved. Add lemon juice and stir.

Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, washing any sugar crystals down side of pan with a pastry brush dipped in cold water. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil, uncovered, without stirring, 13 minutes (watch carefully so that mixture does not boil over). Remove from heat and let stand 5 minutes for bubbles to dissipate. (Skim any foam that remains after 5 minutes.) Stir in passion-fruit purée (do not scrape bottom of pan; leave any dark bits that stick).

Pour into baking pan and pop any remaining bubbles with a toothpick. Let stand at room temperature until set, at least 12 hours.

Run a sharp knife around edge of gelatin and invert onto a cutting board. If the gelées will not release from the pan, place a hot towel on the bottom of the pan until they release. Cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips, then cut strips into 1-inch pieces. Just before serving, gently toss gelées in a bowl of (lime) sugar to coat, brushing off excess.

Gelées, without the sugar coating, will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for two weeks.