Week 20 - Ice Cream Bon Bons

So I made these the same day I made the peach blueberry pie.  They were honestly a cinch.  Would be great for a dinner party to accompany some type of fancy cake, with a little ice cream on the side...

The recipe was from my Food and Wine Magazine that I get each day.

Maybe this one was cheating because it wasn't technically baked but nonetheless, the recipe needs to be shared.

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/ice-cream-bonbons

Mine were not as pretty as the ones in the magazine but tasty nonetheless....

Here is my assembly line: Ice Cream, chocolate, cookie crumbs.

A couple of hints - best to have two kinds of ice cream because it melts so fast.  You can switch back and forth....Or two pints of the same kind.  And use the scoop to get the ice cream out of the container but I had more success molding it with my hands into a bon bon shape...

I left off the salt but it it a great coverup for the skewer hole so if I did it again, I would use it!

They were so good.  Mike and I have been having one a night as a treat!

So....I am technically 8 weeks behind so I am probably going to be doing two or three things a week for a while until I catch up so the more the merrier!

Week 19 - Blueberry - Peach Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping

Well, it was Fourth of July and I had to make something to bring to my friend Kristy's holiday party.....She is an awesome baker so I had to come up with something fabulous!

In my Pie book also from Tom, there is a great pie recipe! Blueberry Peach Pie with Pecan Crumb Topping

I made a basic pie crust for the pie.  Then the recipe is as follows:

3 cups blueberries
3 cups peaches
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp lime juice
Grated zest of 1 lime
3 tbsp cornstarch

For the topping:
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup pecan halves
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp milk

Freeze the pie crust for 15 minutes in the pie shell.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Combine the blueberries, peaches, 1/2 cup sugar, the lime juice and lime zest.  MIx well and set aside for 10 minutes. 

Mix together the cornstarch and remaining sugar in a small bowl and stir the mixture into the fruit.
Turn the filling into the shell and bake for 30 minutes.
Make the topping: Combine flour, pecans, sugar and salt in a food processor.  Pulse several times.  Scatter butter over the top and pulse again.  Sprinkle the milk over the mixture and pulse again. 

Remove the pie from the oven and lower to 375.  Spread the crumbs over the pie and tamp down, return pie to oven with a baking sheet underneath.  Bake for another 30 to 40 minutes. 

Cool 2 hours before serving! Enjoy!

Gotta be honest - it was good.............

Week 18- Orange and Chocolate Cake Balls

Okay so this recipe was sort of a combination of a bunch of different ideas.

First of all, I had a Christmas get together for colleagues from work seven months ago now - one of my colleagues brought a dessert made by his wife - cake balls! They were awesome...

So I did some research and found all the info I needed to know at this article written by a Dallas newspaper. http://www.dallasnews.com/lifestyles/food/latest-recipes/20100614-bite-size-cake-balls-are-popular-new-treat-with-home-cooks-bakeries.ece

However, the recipes at this website called for box cake...which the blog is supposed to be everything from scratch so....
I was on the hunt.

I found a cake recipe in my Fannie Farmer cookbook, one of the cookbooks from my stepdad.  It is so tattered now from all its use, I might have to buy another one!

Anyway, I decided to make Princton Baltimore Cake with orange frosting and chocolate coating.

So the recipe for Princton Baltimore Cake

1 large orange
1/4 lb butter
1 cup sugar
4 eggs separated
1/2 cup orange juice
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 tsp salt
4 tsps baking powder

Oven at 350. Butter and flour two round cake pans.  Grate the rind of the orange, cream the butter and add the sugar, beating until light.  Add the egg yolks, orange juice, and orange rind and beat well.  MIx the flour, cornstarch, salt and baking powder, stir into the first mixture and blend until smooth.  Beat the egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff but not dry.  Gently stir a third of the eggs whites into the first mixture, then fold in the remaining whites.  Spread the batter ni the pans and bake for 30-40 ,minutes. 

I then whipped up some frosting with confectioners sugar and orange juice.  And combined the cake and frosting.  It was a yummy combo...

I then had to make little balls and freeze it for at least six hours.

I think because I made my cake from scratch, the ratio of cake to frosting was a bit off.  so the balls had trouble sticking together but I just froze them longer.

Once I put the chocolate on, they were tasty....

I gave them to my staff for our recent staff meeting - they were a hit! But I would bet the boxed kind are just as good...

Happy Baking - They are fun to decorate too for holidays!

Week 16 and Week 17 - June 23, 2011 - Black and White Cookies and Rainbow Tie Dye Cupcakes

Well - I am embarassed.  May was an exciting month with graduations (Gaby!), weddings (Mary and Grayson) and some holidays...making it somewhat difficult to keep up with the blog.

So here I am in catch up mode - again.  Going to make a bunch of stuff the next couple of weeks. So stay tuned....

On Sunday, I had a cooking bonanza.  I attempted to make four desserts but technically got through 2.5...which was pretty good.  I also made 36 meatballs and homemade sauce which usually takes most of the day. 

So I made two things on Sunday.  Black and White Cookies - which are a tribute to my dad for Father's Day.  They were my and his FAVORITE cookies when I was growing up.  Lincoln Park bakery on McLean Avenue had the best black and whites.  It was right across the street from my dad's barber so we would stop there often.  the bakery is now closed and someone else has moved in to try their hand at baking but since I do not live in Yonkers anymore, I haven't tried it.

I found the recipe for the black and whites online here: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/black-and-white-cookies-i/detail.aspx

It was a good recipe and I loved the lemon extract element to the cookie.  The most difficult part was making the icing.  Some cookies came out better than others.  My tip: make sure the icing doesn't dry out by adding more water.  Also, a pastry brush would have been key here. I didn't have one and used a knife instead and it was a bit gloppy. 

But I will definitely make these again.  I think the first batch was a little small..I got more generous with the batter as I went along and they were more of the size I remember.

Happy Father's Day Dad! You are the absolute best - Black and Whites are not the only food tradition you passed along but definitely one of the most delicious...

In other news, I usually make meatballs and sauce and keep it in the freezer for use on nights when I don't feel like cooking.  I haven't had time to do it in a while.  But I love it.  Here's the mess before I roll it into huge meatballs...I use pine nuts in mine....makes all the difference!

My second event of Sunday was to make Rainbow Tie Dye Cupcakes, suggested by Kim Ryan who works with me.

She sent me the link for this blogger who had made them: http://www.canyoustayfordinner.com/2011/02/10/rainbow-tie-dye-cupcakes/

It's a great blog - and the cupcakes were adorable.  It called for boxed cake but being that I have to make things from scratch, that didn't work....

I made Boston cupcakes which is a recipe that includes a bit of the spice mace - wasn't really my favorite outcome.  And although I gave it the good fight on the food coloring separation - my cupcakes looked nothing like the ones in the blog.  Sort of a color mess.  Unfortunately the masses agreed.  The black and whites went on day 1, the cupcakes were still hanging around...days later...

I think I am going to make these again because I truly believe they would be a hit for a birthday or for a kiddie party.....

I didn't even take a picture of the final product.  there is one left on my desk so I might add it to the blog later.

Here is the different colored batter- think I was light on the food coloring too....

So not a total failure but i need a regular cupcake recipe and then I need to try again! Or you try it!

Happy baking everyone! Sorry for the delay....But I am catching up.  I made cake balls too and will try to write the blog tonight.  This Sunday I am shooting for blueberry pie and something else I haven't figured out yet....

Week 15 - Angel Food Cake - May 1, 2011

So this week I made something I have never made before....I made Angel Food Cake! It requires a special cake pan, which I got for my birthday from Doris and Dave!

Angel Food Cake is super easy....There are only a few ingredients: egg whites, flour, coconut extract.

This is the first recipe I have written out...

2 cups of egg whites
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup flour

Preheat the over to 325.  Beat the egg whites until foamy, add the salt and the cream of tartar, and beat until soft peaks form.  Add the almond extract and vanilla, then gradually add the sugar beating until stiff.  Fold in the flour.  Bake on an ungreased tube pan (see below) for 50 minutes.  Let it cool completely before removing from the pan. 

The pan is a crazy shape but makes the cake!

The cake was good!!!!
I am ready for more cakes! What to make this week....

Week 14 - Coconut Cream Pie - April 24, 2011

Well everyone....Here is the latest entry.  This pie was made for Easter with a special guest! My mother-in-law, Doris!!! Coconut Cream Pie is a Strohecker family favorite and I have never made it.  So, we had a great time....And thank you to Doris for all your guidance...

So we made the entire pie from scratch including the dough.  This is the second time I have made pastry dough from scratch and it wasn't as bad as I remembered.  I didn't chill it for as long as the last time but I did ask Doris to roll it out....I was nervous!

She also made a super cute edge on the dough as well!

We then made all the coconut cream filling from scratch, which required lots of stirring to prevent lumps.  Here we are pouring it into the shell! 

Here was the application of the meringue! Which unfortunately we did not beat enough....we only found that out after we baked it.  The peaks were not as stiff as they should have been!

And it was a big hit for dessert!!!! Thank you again to Doris for all your help! Hope everyone had a great Easter!

Week 13 - Lemon Icebox Pie

Well guys, I am woefully behind.  Having a tough time getting it all done.

So I made this icebox pie LAST sunday but just didn't have the opportunity to update the blog all week.  So, here goes. 

The Icebox Pie was fabulous.  Last week, I was in the mood for lemon.  It is FINALLY spring weather and this pie was perfect...We have a subscription to Food and Wine Magazine and every year they send us a cookbook or two.  The year's worth of recipes from the magazine or the Best of the Best new Cookbooks that came out.  And it was in there from David Guas from a famous restuarant in New Orleans.  The recipe can be found here:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/lemon-ice-box-pie

So I made it on Sunday...
You had to squeeze 8 lemons for the cake.  Also, the graham cracker crust was super easy! This is the kind of pie you can make ahead of time and whip out for guests as quite a surprise! You bake it for 25 minutes and then leave it in the freezer for 6 hours or up to a week!

It is literally a Lemon explosion in your mouth....And fantastic!!!! Try it, try it.  It is EASTER worthy.....

 

Also, I made prosciutto tomato, gouda cheese sandwiches for Mike that day too.  He was leaving on a plane and I made them before he left.  They were tasty!!!!