Sunday, July 10, 2011

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!

Thursday, June 23, 2011

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....

Saturday, May 7, 2011

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!

Sunday, April 17, 2011

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!!!!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Week 12 - Lanie's Chocolate Mousse

Hey everyone....
So this week was my former roommate and colleague, Melissa's birthday. I asked her what she wanted me to bake and gave her some options.  She picked Lanie's Chocolate Mousse which was an excellent pick...

So, Lanie's chocolate mousse is iconic in our household.  If she hasn't made it for you, you are missing out.  Also, I am not going to share the recipe because she has been offered the option to bake it for commercial uses...And, we are always secretly wanting to open a mousse retail store.  To my siblings...The Mousse is Loose...

Anyway, I started out and made the crust and chocolate mousse portion of the cake and then it had to refrigerate overnight. 

The mouse, cake part can be seen here...



I thought it only appropriate to let you see what the kitchen looks like after I bake... Please note the glass of wine that usually accompanies my creations.



At 5:30AM I whipped up some cream for the topping and added it on! And it looked pretty!




After hauling it on the train to work with NO accidents, I removed the springform pan (only after a panicked call to Lanie about the appropriate temperature for this action!) and it didn't fall apart!




Now I got RAVE reviews from my colleagues.  Each week, they get a treat and are excited to try what I made, but I knew this would be a winner..
Lou - "It's Killer"
Melissa (the birthday girl) "Lan - it's so good"
David  - a thumbs up
and too many more to count....

Proving once again, that Lanie is the BEST baker.  After another 40 weeks, I hope to be in the same ballpark as she.  Have a couple more of her recipes that I sprinkle in later in the year.

And Happy B-day Melissa!

Also, I am getting to the point, where I am ready to solicite ideas of what to bake from the masses....Let me know if you think of anything.  Some things I am saving for more appropriate timeframes, such as key lime pie is only good in the summer, Apple Pie in November, etc.  Next week is Angel Food Cake with a berry topping.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Week 11 - Holy Cannoli! Italian Feast Part 1

Okay wowzer, do I love cannoli cream.  At one point in my life, I insisted that I would have a cannoli cream wedding cake.....I did not end up with that, but it was a representation of how much I love cannoli! Nor, do I share cannoli with anyone...If you want one, get your own!

Artuso's Bakery was right down the block from me growing up and we knew the family who worked there.  I have never, in all my travels had a cannoli that was better than this place does them.  I thought I would give it a whirl, knowing that I would come up short.  If you want to follow them on facebook, here you go! http://www.facebook.com/Anna.Artuso.Pastry.Shop

So I found a recipe that sounded somewhat interesting from Bella Online...I liked the almonds and chocolate chips....
http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art39125.asp

And I looked everywhere for cannoli shells.  I don't have a deep fryer so I thought it would just be easier to buy them.  I have seen them before in Costco but no dice.  So, today I was downtown and went to DiBruno Brothers in Center City and bought six cannoli shells.....

And here are the results!

Thanks to Kate for the flowers! And the last picture is Mike's Bad A>> Beans.  The recipe comes from Alex Keddie Sr. and I love them....I haven't tried the cannoli yet but I tried the filling and I am pretty sure they are going to be awesome....Unfortunately, only sharing with Mike, not the office - see first paragraph!





Monday, March 14, 2011

Week 10 - Red Velvet Cake...oh wait.But I did it!

So I have been trying for weeks to make a Red Velvet Cake for Mike. 

I have even skipped a week for those who are REALLY paying attention.  So I was ready yesterday for a comeback...this is it! Going to catch up and make two things!

Red Velvet Cake and Cannolis....Went to the supermarket, got everything I needed except cannoli shells.  So I drove over to Costco to see if they sold them (I know I have seen them there). Alas, a Costco seasonal item....so no Cannoli shells. Going to have to check a specialty food store downtown today at work....

I no sooner walked in the door that I recalled I forgot cream cheese to make the cream cheese frosting for the cake. So, Mike offered to go out to the store for me.  He asked "do you need anything else???" - NOPE all set. He returns, two packages of cream cheese in tow!

Well - I start to make my cake and realize, NO unsalted butter. I Always have a stash of both regular and unsalted butter.

At this point, I realize that the universe is telling me not to make the cake and instead I decide to make cupcakes from a box with store-bought icing. I realize that is "outside the scope" of this project...but just didn't work out yesterday!

Here they are - I did put green sprinkles for St. Patty's Day.

Going to try to make the Red Velvet this week!

Okay - I got myself together on Thursday night and made the red velvet cake! It was pretty actually. I wasn't sure if it was red enough....But people seemed to enjoy it! I only tasted the batter, not the cake once it was done.

I was worried that the icing was too gloppy.  As a result of my cream cheese distaste, I wasn't sure that I spent enough time beating the icing to get it to the right consistency.  But I kept asking everyone who ate it if it was ok, and I got positive feedback...So either everyone was being nice, in the hopes of continuing to get good eats or it really was ok!

Mike was happy with the outcome and my co-workers got two desserts this week!

This was a Southern Red Velvet Cake...not sure what that means but it was tasty!

Here is the recipe from the Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sara-moulton/southern-red-velvet-cake-recipe/index.html



See what I mean about gloppy below!!!


Trying to catch up this weekend.....

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Week 9 - Orange and Olive Oil Cake

Ok - so we have gone a full seven weeks without an accident.  Today we broke that streak! I decided to make my very last recipe out of the New York Times cookbook, as it is due back next week at the library! So, last week, I made a chocolate cake so I was feeling like something vanilla.  This orange and olive oil cake sounded so different and it was described as "mediterranean". 

The recipe was strange however, in that it asked for a 1/2 cup of baking powder and a 1/4 cup of baking soda.  At the supermarket today, I bought an extra box of baking soda just in case....

I remember thinking it was ALOT of baking soda....Well, I whipped up the recipe, inhaled the orange and olive oil smell and loved it! The batter tasted great, not too baking powder strong at all....


I put the springform in the oven and started washing dishes.  Within 10 minutes or so, I started to smell burning and found that the cake had literally overflowed.  Like one of those science experiments of a volcano, absolutely hilarious....Here was the outcome!



I started yelling, Mike came running and we both had quite a good laugh! After we put the dishes into soak, we headed for Google and found the results...
The cookbook has a typo...1/2 cup baking powder is supposed to be 1/2 TEASPOON...and 1/4 baking soda is to be 1/4 TEASPOON....

According to someone else's blog, she had emailed the author....! They had the EXACT same photo...well, Mike and I were hysterical....
http://madewithatwist.com/2010/02/08/orange-and-olive-oil-cake/

Tonight is Oscar night so I probably won't make the cake the right way until Tuesday....Stay tuned!

I did remake the cake!

Here are the correct photos!

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Week 8 - Intense Chocolate Mousse Cake

So it was a birthday week again!!! My mom had a milestone birthday this weekend....So, her birthday wish was that we all go up to the Poconos to be together for her birthday weekend...

So I made my creation up there.  I picked another recipe from the New York Times Cookbook - this one by Nigella Lawson.  For a flourless intense chocolate mousse cake.  Someone else made it and typed out the recipe online - Here it is.  http://en.petitchef.com/recipes/chocolate-mousse-cake-fid-775835

I had to beat egg whites to make this one and use bittersweet chocolate. Of course I needed my mom's help to figure out when the egg whites were whipped enough....Thanks Mom! And it was delicious.  Very light but rich at the same time. And didn't need anything.  But i had ice cream with it anyway...And it was so good, we forgot to take a picture before cutting into it!




Next time - I won't forget the confectioner's sugar on top which would have helped to cut the intense chocolate.  But it was wonderful! And Happy Birthday Mom!!!