Easy Cake Baking

Thursday, December 30, 2010

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Christmas Cookies Recipes - Joyofbaking.com

Christmas baking wouldn't seem complete without a batch of gingerbread men. Fragrant with ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves the amount of which can be adjusted to suit your own individual taste. moreRum balls are the perfect adult indulgence for as their name implies, 'rum' balls contain rum and since we do not bake these cookies the alcohol taste and content are not lost during baking. moreThese sweet and buttery cut-out cookies are always a favorite for not only can you tailor the shape of the cookie to the occasion but you can also dress them simply with granulated or colored sugars or make them very decorative by frosting them with royal icing. moreThese rich and elegant, bite-sized round petit fours are made from a mixture of dark or white chocolate and cream to which various flavorings can be added: butter, liqueurs, extracts, nuts, coffee, purees, spices, candied or dried fruits. moreThese melt-in-your mouth, shortbread-like cookies go by many names; a Russian Tea Cake, a Mexican Wedding Cake, an Italian Butter Nut, a Southern Pecan Butterball, a Snowdrop, a Viennese Sugar Ball and a Snowball. moreShortbreads are traditionally a Christmas cookie that blends butter, sugar, and flour to make a rich and delicate tasting cookie. moreA seasonal favorite, buttery balls of dough are rolled in toasted nuts and filled with jam. These little gems get their name from the fact you use your "thumb" to make an indentation into each ball of dough for the jam. moreSpritz Cookies, also known as Swedish Butter Cookies or Pressed Butter Cookies, are a very popular Christmas cookie. They have a lovely vanilla flavor and a rich buttery texture that is tender crisp. morePeanut Blossom Cookies consist of a peanut butter cookie that has a chocolate Kiss sitting happily on top. moreMost of us have favorite cookie recipes that we like to bake at holiday time. They are the ones we look forward to baking and serving as they are part of our family traditions and invoke pleasant memories.?But, if you are like me, I always like to try something new and a little different.?Sometimes they will get added to the next year's "must bake" list and sometimes not.?Here are a few of my favorites, some I am sure you will recognize, others you may want to try.

Notes on Storing Cookies:? Freshly made cookies need to be cooled completely before storing in airtight containers or the cookies will become soft from the steam they produce while they are still warm.? For frosted cookies, always let the frosting dry completely before storing or the cookies will stick together.? It is best to store filled and frosted cookies in a single layer or between layers of parchment or wax paper.? Always store each type of cookie separately.? If you store different flavored and textured cookies together they will end up taking on the characteristics of each other i.e. a dry crisp textured cookie stored with a soft textured cookie will absorb its moisture and become soft.? Likewise, a shortbread stored with a spice cookie will end up tasting like a spice cookie.? continued below These sweet and buttery cut-out cookies are always a favorite for not only can you tailor the shape of the cookie to the occasion but you can also dress them simply with granulated or colored sugars or make them very decorative by frosting them with royal icing. moreThese are known as Chocolate Crinkles or Black and Whites. Both are perfect names for this deliciously soft, fudge-like chocolate cookie that is encased in a coating of confectioners sugar. moreMelting Moments are a delicious shortbread-like cookie covered with confectioners sugar that literally melt-in-your-mouth. moreCandy Cane Cookies are dressed for the holidays with their red and white stripes that are tender crisp with a buttery sweet almond flavor. morePeppermint Whoopie Pies takes two round domed shaped chocolate cookies and sandwiches them with crushed candy canes in a marshmallow filling. moreThis recipe contains all the necessary S'more components; chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers only presents them in bar form. moreSnickerdoodles are an old fashioned cookie that have a sugar cinnamon coating and a sweet and buttery flavor. moreCoconut Macaroons have a wonderfully sweet coconut flavor with a crisp exterior and a soft and chewy texture. moreChocolate Chip Cookies are made with butter and a combination of white and brown sugars which produces a rich and chewy cookie with caramelized edges. moreLoaded with oats, this version produces a crisp and chewy cookie that can be filled with chocolate chips (white or dark chocolate), dried fruits, and/or chopped nuts. moreThis biscotti has a wonderful dark chocolate-colored dough, which comes from using both ground semi-sweet chocolate and cocoa powder. moreLinzer Cookies use the same ingredients as the Linzertorte but present them in a different way. Two cookies are sandwiched together with a layer of preserves. morePumpkin Cookies have a wonderfully soft and spongy texture and taste of pumpkin and its complementary spices (ground cinnamon, ginger and cloves). Absolutely delicious with a cream cheese frosting. moreGinger Cookies are aptly named, as they are both ginger colored and ginger flavored. They have a sugar coated crackly surface and when you bite into one you will find the texture soft and chewy with a flavor that is buttery and spicy. moreNanaimo Bars are British Columbia's best known confection. They are wonderfully rich with two layers of chocolate that are separated by a layer of buttercream icing. moreGinger Snaps are a highly addictive, sugar coated cookie that gets its chewy texture and spicy flavor from adding brown sugar, molasses, and spices (cinnamon, ginger and cloves) to the batter. moreTurtle Brownies consist of a fudgy brownie that is topped with a layer of caramel mixed with toasted pecans, and finished with a drizzling of melted chocolate. moreThis cookie is a chocolate lover's delight. Not only are they made with a whole pound of chocolate, but they also contain both white and dark chocolate chips. moreShortbreads are a buttery cookie (biscuit) that taste absolutely delicious when sandwiched together with raspberry jam and grated white chocolate. moreCombining the subtle flavor of Dutch-processed cocoa powder with dark and white chocolate chips produces a chocolate filled cookie that is chewy yet has nice crisp edges. moreFlorentines are a delicious mixture of toasted nuts and candied fruit that are coated with a sweet sticky mixture of honey and sugar. They are finished with a layer of melted chocolate. moreChocolate Brownies have a lovely deep chocolate flavor and dense fudge-like texture that are topped with a smooth and glossy Ganache frosting. morePumpkin Whoopie Pies take two round domed shaped pumpkin cookies and sandwich them together with a soft and creamy vanilla filling. morePecan Shortbread Cookies have a deep golden brown color and come out of the oven wonderfully crisp and crunchy. moreMincemeat Shortbread Bars have two buttery layers of shortbread sandwiched with a layer of spicy mincemeat. morePeanut Butter Cup Cookies are delicious. Each cookie has a miniature peanut butter cup pressed into the center which makes for a wonderful treat. moreThis beautiful looking and delicious tasting square combines the flavor of an oatmeal cookie with raspberry jam. moreMagic Bars simply layer six ingredients; melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sweetened coconut, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and a can of sweetened condensed milk in a pan and the bars are baked. There is no mixing. moreRugalach is a Eastern European cookie that is made with a cream cheese flavored dough that is cut into triangles and rolled around a filling to form a crescent. This recipe makes Rugalach in bar form which is much less work. moreFor this recipe we add Dutch processed cocoa powder to a basic shortbread dough to give it a smooth chocolate flavor and cornstarch has replaced some of the all purpose flour to produce a delicate melt-in-your-mouth texture. moreCowboy Cookies are sweet and buttery and loaded with chocolate chips, rolled oats, raisins, sweetened coconut, and walnuts. moreSince this shortbread is baked in a tart pan, we cut it into wedges which are called "petticoat tails". moreChocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies use cocoa powder, melted dark chocolate and chocolate chips for a cookie that is rich with chocolate flavor. moreThis popular British shortbread consists of three delicious layers; a buttery shortbread, a smooth caramel, and a shiny layer of melted chocolate. moreChocolate Coconut Macaroons are bursting with flakes of sweetened coconut and have a wonderful deep chocolate flavor. moreWhile browsing through the website it suddenly occurred to me that there wasn't a recipe containing both chocolate and mint. I decided the perfect dessert to feature these ingredients was a three layer square, really a Nanaimo Bar, only peppermint flavored moreChocolate Mint Brownies consist of a dense and fudgy brownie that is topped with a mint flavored butter frosting and a shiny chocolate glaze. more

Chocolate Dipped Coconut Macaroons have wonderfully crispy edges and soft and chewy centers. They are lovely when dipped in melted chocolate. more

Toffee Bars are a delicious combination of toasted almonds, dark chocolate, and buttery brown sugar shortbread. more

Sabl es (French Butter Cookies)

Cream Cheese Brownies combine a dense and fudgy chocolate brownie with a cheesecake-like topping.? moreThis recipe is one I have adapted from 'Windmills in my Oven' as it still gives you that wonderful spicy flavor of the commercial product only with a softer texture. moreSables, also known as French Butter Cookie or Breton Biscuit, is a classic French cookie originating in Normandy France. moreThis highly addictive, sugar coated cookie gets its chewy texture and spicy flavor from adding dark brown sugar, molasses, and spices (cinnamon, ginger and cloves) to the batter. morePeanut Butter Cookies are instantly recognizable by their crisscross pattern. They have that 'sweet and salty' flavor combination that make them irresistible. moreSpice cookies are a great tasting spicy almond cookie that is crisp and crunchy. moreIn this recipe we pair the almonds with chunks of smooth dark chocolate. moreThis is a biscotti that combines the taste of coffee with chocolate, nuts, and spices. moreThis biscotti makes the perfect Christmas cookie, combining bright red dried cranberries with lovely green pistachios. moreIf you are in the mood for a crispy buttery chocolate chip cookie this recipe fits the bill. moreAmaretti is the Italian name for macaroons, which means little bitter things. Crisp and crunchy on the outside and soft inside, these small domed shaped cookies originated in Venice Italy during the Renaissance period. moreAlthough this recipe is very similar to a plain shortbread, it differs in that it uses not only all purpose flour but also rice flour and almond flour which subtly changes both its flavor and texture. moreThese fruit and nut bars are chewy and crunchy and loaded with flavor. They are healthy for us as they contain lots of dried fruit and nuts and the batter has no butter or oil in it. moreThis recipe is a delicious combination of buttery shortbread, toasted nuts, and chopped chocolate. moreCheesecake Squares are a wonderful combination of a graham cracker crust and a thin layer of creamy smooth cheesecake. moreCranberry Shortbread Bars have two layers of buttery shortbread with a lovely tangy cranberry layer in between. moreThese little gems are baked until the crusts have nicely browned and the filling has set. They are excellent warm from the oven, at room temperature, or even chilled. morePecan Squares are the perfect combination of a shortbread crust topped with a chewy and gooey pecan filling. moreTuiles are one of my favorite cookies. The orange crunchy flavor is absolutely delicious. moreWhether you enjoy them plain or dipped in your tea or coffee, these small petit fours sec make the perfect afternoon treat. moreWhoopie Pies take two round domed shaped chocolate cookies and sandwich them together with a soft and creamy vanilla filling. moreM&M's cookies have wonderfully crisp edges and soft and chewy centers. Kids absolutely love these candy topped cookies. moreAlthough there are many chocolate cookies to choose from, I love to snack on these Chocolate Wafers. Their texture is wonderfully crisp and crunchy and their chocolate flavor is rich. moreChocolate Sugar Cookies are a sweet and buttery cut-out cookie with a mild chocolate flavor that are frosted with royal icing. moreButter Cookies are sweet and buttery with wonderfully crisp edges. Serve them plain with a bowl of fruit sorbet or a fruit salad. These cookies can also be iced with a Confectioners Frosting. moreBrutti ma Buoni is a delicious Italian cookie that has a wonderfully crisp exterior with a texture that is soft and chewy. Very similar to a meringue cookie only with nuts. moreBrownies are America's favorite bar cookie and these are rich and dense with chocolate. moreThis delicious candy-like square is made with rice cereal, melted marshmallows, and margarine. moreLow-Fat Brownies have a wonderfully moist and chewy texture and a deep chocolate flavor. They are wonderful plain or topped with fresh berries and/or a scoop of low fat vanilla ice cream, frozen yogurt, or a fruit sorbet. moreS'mores are deliciously sweet and gooey. They take roasted marshmallows and pieces of chocolate and sandwiches them between two graham crackers. moreLinzer Squares have a beautiful golden brown lattice crust made with ground nuts (almonds and/or hazelnuts) and spices and filled with ruby red raspberry preserves. moreCheckerboard cookies are appealing not only because they look beautiful but also because they combine both the flavors of chocolate and vanilla. moreChocolate Peanut Squares are a delicious combination of peanut butter, cocoa powder, marshmallows, rice cereal, and peanuts. moreThis is a traditional biscotti, for it does not contain butter or oil, and its moisture comes from the eggs. moreRaisin Cookies have a soft and chewy texture and a buttery sweet flavor. These homey raisin-packed, old fashioned drop cookies are a busy mother's friend. moreRaisin Shortbreads take soft and chewy raisins and sandwich them between two layers of tender and crumbly shortbread. moreRocky Road Brownies are amazing, with their deep chocolate flavor and dense fudge-like texture topped with gooey melted marshmallows jumbled together with chocolate chips and nuts. moreThese rich and buttery Cranberry Pistachio Shortbreads are dressed for the holidays with their chunks of green pistachio nuts and dried red cranberries. moreChocolate Mint Shortbreads take two chocolate shortbreads and sandwich them together with a dark chocolate ganache flavored with pure peppermint extract. moreA stack of these sweet and buttery Icebox Cookies, dotted with flecks of red candied cherries, makes you think of Christmas. moreThese Butter Tarts consist of flaky pastry shells that are filled with a sweet mixture of butter, brown sugar, and eggs. moreBourbon Balls are a sweet and chewy, no-bake confection made from a combination of crushed vanilla wafers, confectioners sugar, cocoa powder, chopped pecans or walnuts, held together with a little corn syrup and bourbon. moreChocolate Shortbreads take a buttery rich round of shortbread and covers it with a chocolate glaze and pieces of crunchy green pistachios. Delicious. moreOatmeal Raisin Cookies are a big and fat, golden brown cookie with a bumpy surface all dotted with raisins. Their edges are crisp, their flavor sweet, and their texture is wonderfully soft and chewy. moreGingerbread Biscotti are not overly sweet, have chunks of hazelnuts, lots of sweet and juicy raisins, lovely flecks of rolled oats, just a hint of molasses, and are warmly spiced with ground cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. moreHermit Cookies have a soft and chewy texture, are nicely spiced with ground cinnamon, allspice and cloves, and are jammed with raisins, dates, and nuts. moreBlack and White Cookies, also known as Half Moon or Half and Half Cookies, are large, sweet and buttery, dome shaped cookies, that are iced with both vanilla and chocolate fondant frostings. moreMeringue Cookies are so airy, sweet and crisp that they seem to almost melt in your mouth. more

Scottish Shortbreads would make a fine Christmas cookie with their rich and buttery flavor and tender and crumbly texture. more

Continued from above

Notes on Shipping Cookies:? If you plan to ship cookies, choose cookies that keep well and are not fragile.? Place the container of cookies in a heavy duty corrugated container or box that is larger than the package of cookies to allow for packing materials (popcorn, newspaper, bubble wrap, Styrofoam peanuts).? Good examples of cookies to ship: Amaretti, Biscotti, Gingersnaps, Oatmeal, Mexican Wedding Cakes, Plain Sables, Shortbreads, Spice, or Plain Sugar Cookies.?

Notes on Cookie Containers:? For gift giving try to choose a container that matches the personality or hobbies of the recipient.? Ideas for containers are: new or antique cookie jars, hatboxes, flowerpots, baskets, cookie tins, cellophane bags, lunch bags, gift bags or boxes, festive paper or glass plates, bakery boxes, or bowls.? Adorn them with ribbon, raffia, or metallic twine and attach a pretty gift tag.

Coconut Cake, Revisited

I made this cake a second time for a labor day party. The all-white version was elegant, but I prefer the taste and texture of toasted coconut. Lately, i’ve been labeling all of my potluck contributions with toothpick flags. They’re fun to customize- I use Tombow permanent adhesive to affix the paper to the picks.

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Melting Moments Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

Sometimes it is hard to decide which is better, Melting Moments or Mexican Wedding Cakes.?Both are round balls that are coated with confectioners sugar, and both are a shortbread-like cookie that rely on butter for their wonderful flavor. But there are a few differences between these two cookies; one is that Mexican Wedding Cakes contain ground nuts, and the other is that Melting Moments replace some of the flour with cornstarch (corn flour) so the cookies literally "melt-in-your-mouth".?

Melting Moments are easy to make and are perfect for those who like to do their Christmas baking early. They store very well, up to two weeks, but since they are so fragile I wouldn't advise shipping them.?As far as the ingredients go, because there are not a lot of competing flavors in this cookie this is one time when buying a good quality unsalted butter is advisable. Also, use 'pure' vanilla extract not the ones that are labeled 'imitation'?as they are made with?synthetic vanilla (from glycoside found in the sapwood of certain conifers or from coal extracts) and leave a bitter aftertaste. The best pure vanilla extract I have found, although it is quite expensive, is Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extract that can be found in specialty food stores and by mail order.?If your budget doesn't allow this expenditure or you cannot find it, don't worry, there are quality brands to be found in your local grocery store.??

Incidentally, you may have seen Melting Moments that look very different from the picture above. Sometimes the dough is placed in a piping bag with a fluted tip and then piped into rosettes.?The finishing touch is to top each cookie with a red or green candied cherry. Other times the dough is rolled into a crescent shape with the ends sometimes dipped in melted chocolate. Note: For those unfamiliar with cornstarch it is a fine white powder that comes from the inner grain (endosperm) of corn and is used by many as a thickener for gravies and sauces.?The British term 'corn flour' is often used synonymously with the North American term 'cornstarch'.?

Melting Moments: In a medium sized bowl whisk together the flour, cornstarch and salt.?

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Beat in the vanilla extract.?Add the flour mixture and beat until incorporated. Cover and refrigerate the dough for at least one hour or until firm.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

When dough is firm, form into 1 inch (2.5 cm) balls and place the cookies on the prepared baking sheets spacing about 1 inch apart.?Bake for about 12 - 14 minutes or until the edges of the cookies start to brown.?Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, line another baking pan or tray with parchment or wax paper. Sprinkle about half of the confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar onto the bottom of the pan and then place the slightly cooled cookies on top of the sugar.?Put the remaining sugar in a fine strainer or sieve and then sprinkle the tops of the cookies (or you can just roll the cookies in the sugar).

These cookies store very well. Place in an airtight container between sheets of wax paper and they will keep a couple of weeks.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (60 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (30 grams) powdered (confectioners or icing) sugar

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping:

1 cup (110 grams) powdered (confectioners) sugar, sifted

Cake Baking & Decorating [VHS]

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Monday, December 27, 2010

Chocolate Pecan Pie

I have a love/hate relationship with pecan pie. I love the crunchy, sugar crusted pecans on top. In fact, I love them so much i’ll pick them off my piece, one by one. The problem lies between the crunchy topping and the bottom crust. It’s the sugary, gelatinous gloop that I can’t stand.

Naturally, I gravitate towards pecan pie recipes that incorporate more than the standard corn syrup, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and salt. I look for sweeteners like golden syrup, honey, or raw sugar, and flavors like alcohol, chocolate, or spices. My go-to favorite has been Richard Sax’s recipe from Classic Home Desserts. Another way to avoid the filling is to make a variation like pecan bars or pecan tassies. If you’re not wedded to pecans, you can also try a caramel+nut pie, like this honey caramel walnut tart.

Criticisms aside, this pie was pretty good. It ranked high on the ‘speed of coworker consumption’ scale. The filling rather looked liked melted chocolate- it even oozed a bit when I cut into it. Note that this isn’t a pecan pie with chocolate chunks- it’s a pecan pie with melted chocolate mixed into the filling.

Chocolate Pecan Pie

adapted from Alice Medrich’s “Bittersweet”
1 prebaked 9-inch pie crust (it should be golden brown for maximum crispness)
2 cups pecan halves, toasted
2 oz bittersweet chocolate (50-64% cacao), chopped
1/4 cup light corn syrup
1 tsbp unsalted butter, melted
1 cup lightly packed dark brown sugar
1/4 tsp table salt
1 tbsp rum
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, combine the chopped chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. When the chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth, add the brown sugar, salt, rum, and vanilla. Then whisk in the eggs. When the mixture is well blended and hot to the touch, remove it from the heat. Pour the nuts into the crust and pour the filling over the nuts.
3. Bake until the filling is puffed and cracked, but slightly wobbly in the center, 10-12 minutes. (Mine took closer to 30 minutes). Remove from the oven and cool on a rack.

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How to Properly Measure Flour
Tip for Measuring Several Cups of Flour

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Using a Cookie Press (About)

Mixing Dry Ingredients

Photo ? 2009 Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com, Inc.Like most other cookie recipes, it's best to begin by combining the dry ingredients. Either do this by measuring ingredients into a large bowl and mix with a wire whisk. A sifter may also be used to combine the ingredients.

Recipe for Butter Cookies in standard format

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies

This recipe does not require any explanations – It is very very simple to make, and the final result is very delicate, and very tasty (and may I add- very addictive!).

A few words about poppy seed- this recipe requires?using ground poppy seed. I didn`t have any, but if you an get it, please make sure to use poppy seed that was grounded in the same day, or that was grounded and then frozen, at the same day. Be very careful with store bought poppy seed, since?they tend to be bitter, and may ruin whatever you cook.

Also, if you would like to add a bit more lemon to these cookies, you could roll the unbaked cookie log with granulated sugar with a lot of lemon zest. Then, simply slice into rounds and bake as written in the recipe.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cookies/ adapted from Yael from Vieanna, Ynet food forums.

250 gr. flour

200 gr. butter

100 gr. ground poppy seed (I used whole poppy seeds)

70 gr. confectioners sugar

1 egg yolk

zest from one lemon

Combine all of the ingredients until a soft dough is formed.

Roll the dough in wax paper to make a cylinder about 3 cm in diameter Chill dough until firm, at least 1 hour (or less in the freezer).

Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.

Slice dough into rounds about 1/4 cm?thick. Arrange on?a baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. Let cookies cool on baking sheet for a few seconds, then remove to a wire rack and let cool completely.

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Friday, December 24, 2010

Flourless Brownies

Since it`s passover, and I was asked to bring a flourless dessert to some Seder, I thought that brownies would be the perfect dessert. I was trying to find a recipe that did not include matzo meal or other flour substitute.? I found this recipe, by the lovely Nigella Lawson, that included ground nuts – just what I was looking for.

This recipe is an perfect replacement for the ordinary brownies, and also have a great nutty flavor. Also, it is a one bowl recipe, a thing that makes it just perfect. With these few ingredients, you get a very, very rich result.

To make the brownies look perfect after cutting them, I suggest, as I do with all brownies recipes, to put them in the fridge for at least two hours, and only when chilled, cut then into squares. Though it is not suggested in the recipe, I stored the brownies in the fridge, and served them just out from the fridge.

Flourless Brownies/ Nigella Lawson (makes 16)

225 gr. bittersweet chocolate, 70% cocoa solids

225 gr. butter

2 teaspoons vanilla

200g caster sugar

3 eggs, beaten

150g ground almonds

100g chopped walnuts

Preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3. Melt the chocolate and butter gently over a low heat in a heavy-based saucepan.

Take the pan off the heat, mix in the vanilla and sugar, and let it cool a little.

Beat the eggs into the pan along with the ground almonds and chopped walnuts. Turn into a 24cm square baking tin or, most sensibly, use a foil one.

Bake in the oven for 25–30 minutes, by which time the top will have set but the mixture will still be gooey. Once cooler, cut carefully, four down, four across, into 16 squidgybellied squares.

Frozen Desserts: Rose Ice Cream | Submitted By: MsMarilyn (Allrecipes)

4 cups light cream3 cups heavy cream1 cup milk1 cup white sugar1 1/2 teaspoons rose extract1/4 teaspoon salt1 dash pink food coloringWhisk together the light cream, heavy cream, milk, sugar, rose water, salt, and pink food coloring in a bowl. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. Serve immediately for soft-serve style or transfer to a container and store in the freezer for a few hours for a firmer ice cream. Amount Per Serving? Calories: 654 | Total Fat: 56.8g | Cholesterol: 204mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Servings Per Recipe: 8

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 654

Total Fat: 56.8gCholesterol: 204mgSodium: 167mgTotal Carbs: 33.3g????Dietary Fiber: 0gProtein: 6.1g powered by esha RESEARCH

VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info

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Thursday, December 23, 2010

Breakfast at Urban Standard

On Saturday, we had breakfast at Urban Standard, a Birmingham coffee shop + eatery that benefits from cool knick knacks, interesting light fixtures, rustic tables, and giant vintage maps. Their urban omelet was loaded with goat cheese and ripe, red tomatoes and topped with spicy arugula. We also ordered some scrambled eggs with red peppers, onions, cheddar cheese, and some sort of sausage. It was only after I was full that I noticed the homemade biscuits…

The pastry case was full of generously frosted strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla cupcakes. I waited for a coffee refill and watched the barista deftly pour latte art on two, traditional sized cappuccinos. I was reminded, briefly, of the Italian cappuccinos at Enrico’s Tazza D’oro in Pittsburgh. (There’s a nice photo and additional write-up over at EatBHM.)

It was nearly empty when we arrived, but there was a hefty line at the counter when we left. Someone commandeered our table as soon as I stood up. Being an early morning breakfast-type, I’ve never had much problem with crowds at any Birmingham restaurants.

The coffee and food were fantastic. I have plans to return quite soon.

Chocolate Torte Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

A Chocolate Torte is a European-style cake that has become very popular in North America. It is a rustic looking cake that has a rich chocolate flavor, and a soft, almost pudding-like texture. I love its broken and cracked surface and sunken top. It can be served simply with softly whipped cream or, for a more formal presentation, it can be covered with a smooth and shiny coating of Ganache, made with chocolate and cream.

Chocolate tortes have just a few ingredients; unsalted butter, chocolate, eggs, and sugar.?There is a large proportion of eggs in this cake and they provide the leavening.?This cake does rise during baking but sinks after it is removed from the oven (as it does not contain flour).?You will notice the center of the cake sinks more than the outside rim and that is how it should be.?The outside surface of the cake will be broken, cracked, and crusty.?If?pieces do fall off, just press them back into place. Eating this cake the day it is made gives you an intense chocolate flavor with a smooth and soft texture.?It will be quite fragile when sliced.?My personal preference is to make this torte the day before serving.?Once it has been refrigerated overnight it becomes dense and fudgy (like a brownie) with a mellow chocolate flavor.?Either way is delicious. For everyday I like to serve this cake plain, maybe with a dollop of whipped cream.?Other times I like to cover it with a layer of Ganache with raspberry or strawberry sauce served on the side.

Note:?Americans apply the word "Torte" to any type of European-style cake that contains little or no flour, although sometimes containing ground nuts or breadcrumbs. In Europe, "Torte" or "Torta" is the name used for any single or multi-layered decorated cake containing rich ingredients.

Chocolate Torte: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Butter a 9 x 3 inch (23 x 8 cm) springform pan or spray with a nonstick cooking spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper.

Separate the eggs while still cold, placing the egg whites in one bowl and the egg yolks in another bowl.?Cover both with plastic wrap and bring to room temperature (about 30 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt the butter and chocolate in a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water.

Place egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in the bowl of your electric mixer (can also use a hand mixer).?Beat on medium high speed until thick and lemon-colored, about 3-5 minutes. (The eggs should have tripled in volume, look thick and soft, and when you lift the beater the mixture falls back into the bowl in a slow ribbon.)?Beat in the vanilla extract and melted chocolate mixture.

In a clean bowl, with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites until foamy.?Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form.?Gradually add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula or whisk, fold a small amount of whites into the egg yolk mixture to lighten the batter.?Add the remaining egg whites, folding just until incorporated.?Do not over mix or the batter will deflate.

Pour into the prepared pan, smoothing the top. Bake the cake for about 50 - 60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs. (During baking the surface of the cake will form a crust which will collapse when the cake is removed from the oven.)?Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.?The top of the cake will have become hard with a cracked surface and lots of crumbs. Serve with softly whipped cream. Note: If covering the torte with ganache, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for a few hours or up to a few days.

Ganache: Place the chopped chocolate in a stainless steel bowl. Heat the cream and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring just to a boil. Pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 5 minutes. Stir until smooth. If desired, add the liqueur.

Assemble: Remove torte from refrigerator and brush any loose crumbs from the cake. Place on a wire rack, top of the cake facing down (so now the bottom of the cake is facing up). Put the wire rack on a baking sheet. In this way if the chocolate ganache drips it will fall on the baking sheet, which makes clean up easier.?Pour the ganache into the center of the cake.?Spread the ganache with a spatula, using big strokes to push the ganache over?the sides of the cake, to create an even coating. If there are any bare spots on the sides of cake, cover with ganache.?If there is leftover ganache, strain to remove crumbs, and with a hand mixer or whisk, beat until light and fluffy. Place in a piping bag, fitted with a Wilton 1M open star tip, and pipe rosettes on top of the cake. Refrigerate cake.?I find this cake is best served the next day as it allows the flavors to blend. Cut the cake in small slices with a sharp knife, wiping off the knife after slicing each piece.?If you have problems cutting the slices, warm the blade of the knife under hot running water before cutting each slice.

Serves 10 to 12.

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

The Bread And Biscuit Baker's And Sugar-Boiler's Assistant

From Wedding Cakes To Candies, You Can Host A Fantastic Bake Sale Or Start Your Own Ole Timey Bakery, These Wonderful Ole Timey Recipes Will Provide You With Many Years Of Pleasant Fundraising And Baking Pleasure.

The Easy Way to Gluten Free Baking

Gluten free recipes often use strange ingredients and require you to mix several types of flour. Not these ones! Here are 80 Easy recipes for cookies, muffins, pancakes etc. Including 3 bonuses! 10% conversion rate!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Ricotta Cheesecake with Cran-Raspberry Sauce Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

Crust:

1 cup (100 grams) graham wafer or digestive biscuit crumbs

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

20 ounces (2 1/2 cups) (570 grams) fresh whole milk ricotta, drained (See Note)

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams ) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 tablespoons (15 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

4 large eggs, room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon or orange

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Cran-Raspberry Sauce:

3 cups (300 grams) frozen unsweetened raspberries

2 cups (200 grams) fresh cranberries

1/2 cup (100 grams) granulated white sugar (or more to taste)

1 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

Zest of a lemon or orange (optional)

Note: Place the ricotta in a fine-meshed strainer or else a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been suspended over a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator to drain for several hours, or even overnight.

Patty cake, patty cake ..

Patty cake, patty cake is a batch of over 100 delicious cupcake recipes and frosting ideas, some Louise's favorites and some submitted by her readers. Included in the book are chapters with vegan and gluten-free recipes.

Monday, December 20, 2010

Judy's Pecan Balls (About)

Stir together pecans, butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar and vanilla, mix well. Sift together flour and salt, and then gradually stir into nut mixture. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough into 1-inch balls, then roll each ball 3 times in powdered sugar. Place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until set but not brown. Allow to cool for 2 minutes on baking sheet and remove to wire rack to cool completely. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Makes 48 cookies. These cookies can be shipped if packaged carefully.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

8 Christmas Gifts for Foodies

Every Christmas, I eagerly await the arrival of several food items my parent’s neighbors and friends are known for sending. I’m a big fan of edible Christmas gifts- they won’t clutter your house, they’re pretty easy to give away, and you don’t have to worry if they’re the right size.

What makes a good food gift? I think it must be both delicious and thoughtful. While a gift of local biscuit mix and sausages might be delicious, it might not be the best gift for a vegetarian. While an intricate gingerbread house may be thoughtful, it might taste terrible and ultimately get thrown away. Jokes about alternative uses for fruitcakes exist for a reason.

Here are some of my top pics for edible (and 1 drinkable) Christmas gifts. I have tried nearly every item on this list, and the exceptions came highly recommended by friends. Feel free to add your own suggestions!

1. Loose Leaf Tea
Tea is one of my favorite things to buy when I travel. It lasts much longer than a chocolate bar, and it’s often attractively packaged. Le Palais des Thes has some nice sampler sets and tins. The Cultured Cup, based in Texas, has a good selection of Mariage Freres teas that you can order in bulk.

2. Foreign Foodstuffs
For years, I have been looking for an excuse to order from germandeli.com. They have one of the best selections of Bahlsen Christmas cookies that i’ve seen online. Their Contessas (picture above) are some of my favorite gingerbread cookies. For other (non-German) items, I usually go to local groceries or larger stores like Mistuwa or Cost Plus. Vacations abroad are also good opportunities to pick up unique food gifts.

3. Things in a Tin
Tins are great. Many of them are elegant, colorful, and perfect for toting baked goods to work. Some of my favorite products in tins include Yoku Moku cookies, Enrico Biscotti, Pittsburgh Popcorn Company popcorn, and Williams Sonoma Peppermint Bark.

4. Chocolate
Whether it’s for baking or for eating, chocolate can be an indulgent gift choice. I’ve enjoyed products from Chocosphere, Mon Aimee Chocolat in Pittsburgh, Garrison Confections, Poco Dolce, and Jin Patisserie. If you’re looking for something unusual, check out Bond St. Chocolate’s ‘Divine Collection.’ I’ve heard good things about Bon Bon Bar as well. There are almost too many chocolate retailers to name…

5. Candy
I frequently give people sea salt caramels from Little Flower Candy Company. They’re some of my favorite confections. Bags of brightly colored hard candies from Papabubble would make nice stocking stuffers, as would candies or lollipops from Yummy Earth.

6. ___ of the Month Club
My personal prefences: cheese of the month club, bacon of the month club, coffee of the month club, chocolate of the month club, or fruit of the month club.

7. Preserves
If you can get good preserves from a local store or farmers market, go for it. I occasionally make my own. I also frequently buy it at TJ Maxx, of all places. For a splurge, I am a big fan of preserves from Jin Patisserie, especially tangerine.

8. Temperature Sensitive Things
I know a few people who would really appreciate a Cheesecake for Christmas. Or some gelato. Frozen fruit purees or concentrates are also great for the pastry making set. I mostly included this category because these are things i’d love to have, but am usually unwilling to purchase myself.

There are many things missing from this list, like spices, salts, and other hard to find ingredients, but I hope it’s enough to get you started!

Melissa & Doug Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set

An included oven mitt adds a realistic touch to the Bake and Decorate Cupcake Set from Melissa and Doug. These 4 delectable-looking wooden cupcakes fit in the included cupcake baking tray. This special set has 4 dry erase markers shaped like icing tubes to decorate the smooth, removable, wipe-off cupcake tops. With colorful baking cupcake sleeves and decorative wooden candles, these low-cal cupcakes will be the hit of birthday and tea parties!

Price: $19.99

Saturday, December 18, 2010

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Fudge (About)

2010 Chocolate Peanut Butter Photo by Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com With the holiday stress beginning to build, I needed some chocolate. I needed it bad and didn't want to go to the store, so I had to use just what was on hand. Looking on my own Desserts and Baking website, I found this old recipe for Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge. Not only is this an extremely easy fudge to make, but it's not overly sweet. The most important part was that just by licking the spoon, my chocolate needs were satisfied. I put the fudge in a container and stored it in the fridge for any upcoming urgent cravings.

2010 Chocolate Peanut Butter Photo by Carroll Pellegrinelli, licensed to About.com

Wilton 570-1121 Easy Flex 3-Piece Silicone Spatula Set

Price: $9.99

Brooks, Cindy. Cindy's Itty Bitty Baking Book. Hearst Communications. New York: 1995.

Friday, December 17, 2010

Mocha Shortbreads Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

These buttery, melt-in-your mouth Mocha Shortbreads are dressed for the holidays with their pretty ribbons and bows made with melted white chocolate. This is when you can have some fun with your cookie decorating, so get as creative as you like with your piping bag. I love to give these cookies to family and friends at Christmas.

Shortbreads, by definition, have a buttery flavor and a creamy smooth texture. These Mocha Shortbreads, as their name implies, are mocha flavored which comes from adding unsweetened cocoa powder, instant espresso powder, and a nice dose of pure vanilla extract. Now, as I have said before, a shortbread will only taste as good as the ingredients you use. So use the best unsalted butter you can afford and make sure the vanilla extract is labeled "pure". While you could use regular unsweetened cocoa powder in this recipe, I much prefer the mild delicate flavor of Dutch processed. Droste is a good brand, but my personal favorite is Valrhona which can be found in some specialty food stores or it can be ordered on line from Chocosphere. For the instant espresso powder, my favorite brand is Medaglia D'Oro which can be found in some specialty food stores or there are many on line sources. The melt-in-your mouth texture of these shortbreads comes from adding a little cornstarch (corn flour) to the batter. Rice flour could also be used. Since it is always difficult to know when a chocolate cookie is fully baked, watch these shortbread carefully as they are done when the edges are dry but the center still looks a little wet (a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean). This mocha shortbread recipe comes from a great little baking book called "Cindy's Itty Bitty Baking Book". What is so unique about this book, is that all the recipes are made in miniature.?

Mocha Shortbreads: Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Lightly butter?(or spray with a non stick vegetable spray) a 15 x 10 inch (38 x 25 cm) baking pan.?

In a small bowl, sift the confectioners sugar with the cocoa powder.?

In another bowl, sift the flour, cornstarch and salt together.?

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter until smooth.?Add?the sugar and cocoa mixture and beat until fully incorporated. Add the vanilla and espresso powder and beat until incorporated. Then add the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat until the dough just comes together.

Spread the dough over the bottom of the prepared pan and gently press the dough, with your fingertips or the back of a spoon, to form an even layer. Then, with a sharp knife, score the top of the shortbread into approximately 3 inch x 1 inch (7 x 2.5 cm) fingers.?Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, or until the top is dry and a?toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and place on a wire rack to cool.?While the shortbread is still warm, re-cut the shortbread into fingers.?Cool completely before removing from pan.?

If you want to garnish the shortbread fingers with white chocolate; in a small heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, melt the white chocolate with the vegetable shortening. Then place the melted chocolate into a paper cone or pastry bag fitted with a 1/16 inch tip. Carefully pipe a thin line of chocolate across the center of each cookie and then pipe another line across the first one to make them look like presents.?Don't worry about making your lines exact. These shortbreads can be frozen.

Makes about 50 shortbreads

Source:

1 1/2 cups (195 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar

3/4 cup (60 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Dutch-processed)

2 1/4 cups (295 grams) all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons (25 grams) cornstarch (corn flour)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups?(340 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons (8 grams) instant espresso powder

Garnish:

3 ounces (90 grams) white chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 teaspoon vegetable shortening

Cookies: Caramel Turtle Brownies | Submitted By: Jessi (Allrecipes)

1 (14 ounce) package individually wrapped caramels1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix6 tablespoons butter, melted1 cup semisweet chocolate chips1/4 pound whole pecansPreheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan. Set aside. Unwrap caramels and place in saucepan with 2 Tablespoons evaporated milk. Melt over medium to low heat, stirring constantly. In a large bowl, combine the remaining evaporated milk, dry cake mix, and melted butter. Stir until well blended. Spread half of this mixture in the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove brownies from oven. Sprinkle chocolate chips and drizzle melted caramels over the top. Drop remaining cake mixture by teaspoonfuls over all. Return to oven for 20 minutes. Garnish with whole pecans if you'd like. Amount Per Serving? Calories: 246 | Total Fat: 13.1g | Cholesterol: 9mg Powered by ESHA Nutrient Database

Servings Per Recipe: 24

Amount Per Serving

Calories: 246

Total Fat: 13.1gCholesterol: 9mgSodium: 239mgTotal Carbs: 33.4g????Dietary Fiber: 1.4gProtein: 2.8g powered by esha RESEARCH

VIEW DETAILED NUTRITION
About: Nutrition Info

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Thursday, December 16, 2010

YummyArts Cakes, Cookies and Candies Membership

Get instant access to dozens and dozens of Cakes, cookies and Candies online training videos and community. Stories, Recipes, pictures and so much more. This membership site is a real winner.

Ricotta Cheesecake Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

This Ricotta Cheesecake uses both ricotta cheese and cream cheese to produce a cheesecake that is creamy smooth yet wonderfully light and fluffy.?The base is a graham cracker crust and I like to garnish the top of the cheesecake with fresh raspberries when they are in season. Other times I serve this cake with a fruit sauce, with raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry being my favorites.

A Ricotta Cheesecake contains ricotta, which means "recooked". It is a highly perishable cheese made from the whey (watery residue from making other cheeses) that is cooked to produce a mild tasting, soft, yet granular white cheese.?I like to use whole milk ricotta in this recipe. The brand I like is Calabro as it does not contain a gum stabilizer. The ricotta should be drained before adding it to the cheesecake batter. Do this by either placing the ricotta in a fine-meshed strainer or else a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been suspended over a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator to drain for an hour or two, or even overnight.

The most important thing to remember when making a cheesecake is to have all the ingredients at room temperature.?Beat the cream cheese just until it is creamy and smooth (no lumps) and then add the ricotta and sugar.?You can do this in either an electric mixer or food processor.?Just make sure you scrape down the bowl often to remove any lumps and beat at low speed to reduce the amount of air incorporated into the batter. Too much air will cause the cheesecake to rise during baking only to disappointedly sink once it has been removed from the oven.?Another thing to remember is that since cheesecakes are a custard it is best to bake them in a water bath.?A great piece of advise was given by Rose Berenbaum in her book 'Cake Bible' where she says to add a little cornstarch to prevent leakage. Of course, there is always the question of when is a cheesecake done??For this recipe it is done when the cake has turned a light golden brown color and the filling has set but is still a little wobbly in the center. As with all cheesecakes, let it cool before covering and placing in the refrigerator.?I find cheesecakes do benefit from sitting overnight in the fridge so the flavors have time to soften and blend.?You can freeze this cheesecake for about a month by wrapping it in foil and placing it in a airtight bag. Defrost by placing the frozen cheesecake in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

Ricotta Cheesecake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) and butter, or spray with non stick cooking spray, a 9 inch (23 cm) spring form pan.?Wrap the outside of the pan with two layers of heavy aluminum foil.?

For Crust: In a medium sized bowl combine the graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Press the crumbs evenly over the bottom of the spring form pan. Cover and refrigerate while you make the filling.

For Filling: In the bowl of your food processor or electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), place the cream cheese and beat until smooth and free of lumps.?Add the drained ricotta and sugar and beat until smooth (about 2 - 3 minutes), scraping down the bowl as needed.?Beat in the cornstarch.?Add the eggs, one at a time, beating about 30 seconds after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the lemon zest, vanilla extract, and salt and beat until incorporated.?

Remove the crust from the refrigerator and pour in the filling.?Place the spring form pan in a large roasting pan.?Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come about halfway up the sides of your spring form pan.?

Bake for about one hour to one hour 15 minutes, or until the top of the cheesecake has nicely browned and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken.?Remove the pan from the water bath and cool on a wire rack. Can serve this cheesecake warm, at room temperature, or cold.

Makes one - 9 inch cheesecake.

Crust:

1 cup (100 grams) graham wafer or digestive biscuit crumbs

2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar

1/4 cup (57 grams) unsalted butter, melted

Filling:

20 ounces (2 1/2 cups) (570 grams) fresh whole milk ricotta, drained (See Note)

1 - 8 ounce (227 grams ) cream cheese, room temperature (use full fat, not reduced or fat free cream cheese)

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)

4 large eggs, room temperature

Zest of 1 lemon or orange

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Note: Place the ricotta in a fine-meshed strainer or else a cheesecloth-lined strainer that has been suspended over a bowl. Cover and place in the refrigerator to drain for an hour or two, or even overnight.

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Start A Cake Decorating Business

Home Business Creating Wedding Cakes Recipes And Samples Included.

Tiramisu

I`ve made this delicious dessert while my brother was here, and we looked for some kind of cake to make. After much thinking, we laid our eye on this dessert, and we decided to make it. We did not, in any we regret it.

This recipe, unlike may other tiramisu recipes that I saw, does not include soft white cheese, white chocolate, or any other ingredients that have nothing to do with a good tiramisu.

Tiramisu, as you may know is a traditional Italian dessert, which is made of mascarpone cheese and zabaglione. As any dessert with very high percentage of fat, this was delicious, and fairly easy to make. The only catch about this one, at least in israel, is the price of the mascaropne cheese: it is quite expensive here, so making proper tiramisu may cost you a bit.

Tiramisu\? Anna Maria Volpi (Via Room For Dessert)

For a 20X25 cm pan, or a 20X30 cm pan, for a shorter Tiramisu

4 large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Marsala wine (or brandy)
450 gr?Mascarpone cheese
250 ml heavy cream
25-30 lady finger cookies
1 1/2 cups strong coffee
2 tsp sugar

Dutch processed cocoa powder, for sprinkling on top

Prepare the coffee in a small bowl, stir in the sugar and let cool.

Place the egg yolks in the bowl of a double boiler. Beat them well by hand, until fluffy and their color becomes lighter (about 5 minutes).?Add in the sugar and Marsala wine and?beat until incorporated. Place the bowl on top of a double boiler and whisk until the zabaglione mixture thickens (this happens just before boiling point – when small bubbles appear).

In a separate bowl whip the cream until soft peaks. ?In a separate bowl mash the mascarpone until creamy.
Pour the?zabaglione mixture upon the mascarpone and mix until incorporated.?Add in the whipped cream, and fold it into the zabaglione-mascarpone mixture.

Assemble the Tiramisu: Lightly soak the ladyfingers in the coffee, one at a time and each one?from both sides, arrange them as the bottom layer in the pan. Spread half of the cream over the lady fingers, then soak and arrange another layer of lady fingers, and spread the remaining cream mixture upon them. Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.

Just before serving, sprinkle with cocoa powder. Serve within 48 hours from the preparation time, after that the lady fingers will become too mooshy.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Carlo"s Bakery T-Shirt - White

Show your support of Cake Boss and our favorite personality chef, Buddy, with this authentic Carlo s Bakery t-shirt. 100% cotton. Double-needle stitched bottom and sleeve hems.

Price: $24.95

Monday, December 13, 2010

Mexican Wedding Cookies (About)

Looks beautiful, smells amazing, but..., Member magnoliasouth

Maybe it's just that these weren't what we were expecting, but they were just not that good to us. I followed the instructions to the letter, except for the part where it says to add pecans, then beat. I've never in my life made a recipe where you beat in pecans. I'm not even sure how one would do that, then to use a wooden spoon to stir in the flour after? I'm assuming that his is a mistake. I ended up swapping them myself. I beat in the flour and stirred in the pecans. Once it was done there is no way I could have ever stirred in that flour. The dough was absolutely too thick for that. Aside from that, I followed the recipe exactly as printed. The cookies, however, are just very, VERY crumbly. One bite and the things just fall apart. Also they taste heavily of dough. It appears to be shortbread-ish so I'm assuming that's why they're also not very sweet, and that's fine, but the dough flavor is overdone. I really can't imagine what it would need for improvement, but it's very likely that it's just our taste in cookies. My mother would probably love these, but our family isn't keen on them. If I had it to do over again, I would add an egg or two (to keep the cookies from crumbling apart) and perhaps I'd use granulated sugar in the dough, instead of the powdered. The powdered is fine for the outside, but it just didn't seem to do well for the dough. Just my opinion of course, which doesn't matter really.

Write a review 9 out of 11 people found this helpful.
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O'Neill, Molly. 'New York Cookbook'. Workman Publishing Company, Inc. New York: 1992.

Magic Bars Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

Magic Bars, also known as Hello Dollys, live up to the adage that bar cookies are the easiest of all the cookies to make. This recipe, or maybe we shouldn't even call it a recipe as it is so little work, is just about layering and baking six ingredients; melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, sweetened coconut, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts, and a can of sweetened condensed milk (in that order). No mixing, no fussing, and what's best of all is that you don't have to sacrifice flavor for lack of work. While not much to look at, these bars are rich, sweet, sticky, and absolutely delicious. Magic Bars only seem to get better tasting after a day or two in the refrigerator, so you may want to add this recipe to your Christmas baking repertoire or keep them in mind for the next time you need to make something for a bake sale or potluck supper. ??

Sweetened condensed milk is what binds all the dry ingredients together in these Magic Bars. It is made from a mixture of whole milk and sugar that has had about 60 percent of its water removed. Its consistency is?thick and sticky (like honey) and it is very sweet tasting. It is most often used in baked goods and it takes on a lovely caramel flavor and color when baked. To give you a small bit of history, condensed milk was the result of Gail Borden's (1801-1874) determination to invent a milk that could be stored and distributed over long distances. At the time of its invention (1856) milk was not pasteurized so it was difficult to keep it fresh and free of germs. After Borden received a patent on his invention he starting producing condensed milk, but it wasn't until it became standard issue for the troops during the Civil War that it really gained popularity.

Finally, these Magic Bars can magically turn into Seven Layer Magic Bars, just by adding one cup (170 grams) of butterscotch chips to the recipe. Layer the butterscotch chips after the chocolate chips.

Magic Bars: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (177 degrees C) and place the rack in the center of the oven.?Have ready a 9 x 9 inch (23 x 23 cm)?square baking pan.?

Melt the butter and pour it into the bottom of your pan. Sprinkle the graham cracker crumbs evenly over the butter. Sprinkle the coconut over the crumbs. Sprinkle the chocolate chips over the coconut. Sprinkle the nuts over the chocolate chips. Finally, drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over all the ingredients. Do not mix the ingredients together, just layer them.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the squares comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Cut into squares. Store in the refrigerator. These bars can be frozen.

Makes about 16 - 2 inch squares.

Sources:

Peery, Susan Mahnke. 'The Wellesley Cookie Exchange Cookbook'. A Fireside Book. New York: 1986.

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, melted

1 1/2 cups (150 grams) graham cracker crumbs

1 1/3 cups (90 grams) sweetened flaked or shredded coconut

1 cup (170 grams) semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup (100 grams) chopped walnuts or pecans

1 - 14 ounce (396 grams) can of sweetened condensed milk

MacDonald, Claire. Sweet Things. Century Publishing. London: 1984.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Scottish Shortbread Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

Every year when I am deciding what to bake for Christmas, I always know that a shortbread cookie will be on my list. This recipe for Scottish Shortbreads makes a very fine Christmas cookie with its' rich buttery flavor and tender and crumbly texture. As its' name implies, this cookie is Scottish in origin and is made with just four ingredients, butter, sugar, rice flour (or corn flour/cornstarch), and flour. While shortbreads can be made in various shapes and sizes, we will stick with tradition here and bake them in a round shape and then cut the round into wedges, called "petticoat tails". The name "petticoat tails" refers to the shape of the shortbread wedges which look like the bell-hoop petticoats worn by court ladies in the 12th century. ?

The secret to making a good Scottish Shortbread is to have a light hand when mixing the ingredients and to use the finest ingredients. So that means a high quality salted butter, my personal preference being an imported butter (I used Kerrygold Irish Butter to test the recipe). Now, butter in the States is graded according to flavor, color, texture, aroma and body and one easy way to tell the quality of the butter is by the letter code or numerical number listed on the butter's package.?The highest grade is AA (93 score), then A (92 score), followed by B (90 score).?Also, these shortbreads contain rice flour which gives the shortbread a more crumbly and tender texture.?Rice flour is a fine gluten-free flour produced from white or brown rice.?It can be found in some grocery stores or else health food stores. In the absence of rice flour you can use cornstarch (corn flour) which is a fine white powder that comes from the inner grain (endosperm) of corn.

Scottish Shortbreads are made by hand using just one large bowl. An electric mixer is not needed. To make the shortbreads, first mix the flour with the rice flour and sugar. Next, very cold butter is grated over the flour mixture. Then, with your fingertips, take small handfuls of the mixture and gently rub the butter into the flour. Keep lifting and rubbing the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs (you do not want a dough to form). Take the shortbread and place it in an eight inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press into an even layer and prick the surface with the tines of a fork. The final step is to take a sharp knife and 'score' the top of the shortbread into 16 wedges. ('Score' means to lightly mark or make shallow cuts into the top surface of the shortbread with a sharp knife or prongs of a fork. Do not cut all the way through the pastry or bread. Scoring is done both for decorative purposes and as a way for gases to escape during baking.) Bake in a 300 degree F (150 degrees C) for about 40-50 minutes or until biscuit colored (watch carefully). Remove from oven, place on a wire rack to cool for five minutes before removing from tart pan.?Place the shortbread round on a cutting board and cut each shortbread round into 16 wedges (along the lines scored). Cool completely on a wire rack.

Scottish Shortbreads: Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C) with the rack in the middle of the oven. Have ready an 8 inch (20 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

In a large bowl whisk the flour with the rice flour (or corn flour/cornstarch) and the sugar. Then take the very cold butter and grate it over the flour mixture. With your fingertips, work the butter into the flour by lifting small handfuls and rubbing the butter and flour together until the mixture looks like breadcrumbs (you do not want a dough to form). Evenly press the shortbread into the tart pan, smoothing the top as best as you can. Prick the surface with the tines of a fork and then, with a sharp knife, score the top of the shortbread into 16 wedges. Bake for about 40-50 minutes (watch carefully) or just until a light biscuit color. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 5 minutes. Then remove from tart pan.?Place the shortbread round on a cutting board and cut each shortbread round into 16 wedges (along the lines scored). Cool completely on a wire rack.?

Shortbread cookies with keep in an airtight container for about a week or they can be frozen.

Makes 16 shortbread wedges.

Sources:

McNeill, F. Marian. Recipes from Scotland. The Albyn Press. Edinburgh: 1946.

McNeill, F. Marian. The Scots Kitchen. Mercat Press. Edinburgh: 1929.

www.bakingforbritain.blogspot.com

3/4 cup (95 grams) all-purpose flour

1/4 cup (30 grams) rice flour (can use cornstarch/corn flour)

1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar (or castor sugar)

1/2 cup (113 grams) cold salted butter

Note: Can use 1/2 cup unsalted butter and just add a pinch of salt to the batter.

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Brennan, Georgeanne. Christmas Sweets. Chronicle Books. San Francisco: 2006.

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Candy Cane Cookies Recipe - Joyofbaking.com

December 1 marks the beginning of the Christmas baking season and I always like to start my baking with something Christmasy. Since candy canes are a symbol of Christmas, Candy Cane Cookies seem fitting. These cute little cookies are tender crisp with a buttery sweet almond flavor. Think Sugar Cookie. There is no denying that kids love these cookies, but adults seem to enjoy them every bit as much, especially with a hot cup of tea.

When you look at these Candy Cane Cookies you would think they are difficult to make. While I agree they are a little more labor intensive than say, a regular sugar cookie, it is not hard work. In fact, this would be a great time to get your kids involved, as their small hands are well suited to the task of rolling the small balls of dough into a rope shape. But I digress. First we must make the cookie batter, which follows the basic instructions of beating the butter with the sugar, adding two egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts, and then beating in the flour. There is no baking powder or baking soda in this recipe, as we do not want the cookies to rise while they bake, as this would distort their candy cane shape. The first time I made these cookies I made them peppermint flavored, since candy canes do taste like peppermint. While tasty, the second time I made the cookies I replaced the peppermint extract with almond extract, and the results were much more to my liking. Of course, if you want these cookies to taste like peppermint, simply replace the almond extract with equal amounts of peppermint extract. The other thing about the batter is that two egg yolks are used instead of whole eggs, and this is done to give the cookies a richer flavor. As always try to use a good quality unsalted butter, and use extracts that are labeled "pure".

Now, once the cookie batter is made it is divided in half, and to one half red food coloring is added. I have used regular 'liquid' food coloring, the type you can easily buy at grocery stores. Then the fun begins. If you find the batters too soft, then place in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes. Then, take about a walnut sized piece of dough from each of the two batters and separately roll them each into a rope shape, that is about 4 - 5 inches (10 - 12.5 cm) long. Twist the two ropes together and place on your parchment lined baking sheet. Shape the cookies into a cane shape by curving one end into a hook shape. I like to gently smooth the edges of the two ropes to soften the lines between the two colors. The cookies are baked in a moderate oven just until set and the edges of the cookies are barely tinged with brown. Place the baking sheet on a wire rack to cool, as the cookies will be quite soft and fragile. These cookies will keep, well wrapped, at room temperature for about a week.

In the bowl of your electric mixer (or with a hand mixer), beat the butter and sugar until creamy.?Add the egg yolks and vanilla and almond extracts and beat until combined.?Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the flour mixture, in three additions, and beat until you have a smooth dough.

Remove half of the dough from the mixing bowl. To the remaining half add the red food coloring and beat on low speed until well blended. If you find the dough too soft, cover and refrigerate for 30-60 minutes.

Take a walnut sized piece of red dough and a walnut sized piece of white dough. Separately, roll each color on a lightly floured surface, into a 4-5 inch (10-12.5 cm) long rope. Place the two ropes side by side, gently press together, and twist the two ropes to form a spiral. Place the cookies on a parchment lined baking sheet, spacing the cookies about 2 inches (5 cm) apart. Shape each cookie into a cane shape by bending one end into a hook shape.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in center of oven.

Bake cookies for about 8-10 minutes or until set and the edges of the cookies are just starting to brown.?Remove from oven and let cookies cool completely on baking sheet. Cover and store in an airtight container for about a week.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Sources:

Wilson, Dede. A Baker's Field Guide to Christmas Cookies. The Harvard Common Press. Boston: 2003.

2 1/2 cups (325 grams) all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (227 grams) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 cup (120 grams) confectioners sugar (powdered or icing)

2 large egg yolks

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract

1/2 teaspoon red liquid food coloring

Double Chocolate Loaf Cake

A beautiful photo spread featured on Design Sponge led me to Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito’s second cookbook, Baked Explorations. Tina Rupp’s gorgeous photo of their double chocolate loaf cake inspired me to try this recipe.

At least three of the many baking books on my bookshelf contain a recipe for a simple-yet-decadent chocolate loaf cake. I’ll confess- I didn’t like any of them; one was bland, one was too squishy, and the other crumbled as I tried to slice it. Despite their convenience, chocolate loaf cakes don’t have the same luster as mousses, souffles, fondants, or pots de creme.

Here, at last, is a chocolate loaf I can get excited about- one that’s rich, dense, and best enjoyed with a glass of milk, a cup of coffee, or (even better) a big scoop of ice cream. The original recipe pairs it with a peanut butter/cream cheese spread, but it would go equally well with some boozy fruit or a smear of jam. In fact, it’s almost too rich to eat by itself. I would suggest using good quality chocolates and cocoa to get the full effect.

adapted from Matt Lewis an Renato Poliafito’s “Baked Explorations”
3/4 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (like Valrhona), sifted
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 large egg yolk, at room temperature
3/4 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
8oz good quality dark chocolate (60-72%), coarsely chopped (I used 61-64% Valrhona feves)
1. Preheat the oven to 350F and position the rack in the center of the oven. Grease a 9×5 inch loaf pan and line with parchment paper. Alternately, don’t grease and line the pan with aluminum foil.
2. In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the dark brown sugar, cocoa, flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix until combined, then scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolk until blended, then add the buttermilk, oil, and vanilla, whisking until combined. Turn the mixer to low and slowly pour the wet ingredients into the dry ones, mixing until just combined. Stir in the dark chocolate chunks by hand. Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 60-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then unmold onto a wire rack to cool completely.