tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-46783624988904440792024-03-19T04:40:07.304-07:00The Happy BakerThe Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-31402002754397008932012-04-15T20:40:00.005-07:002012-04-15T20:48:12.038-07:00Flourless Chocolate Truffle Torte<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover008cover.jpg" align="left"> <br />
Hold onto your hats, friends. This recipe is one for the bookmarks. Everyone loves a creamy, velvety chocolate truffle, amiright? Take a bite and that luscious ganache filling just melts in your mouth. You can't have just one.<br />
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So I turned that thick, decadent truffle flavor into a cake. Each bite has the same luxurious texture. Cut with a drizzle of tart raspberry glaze, this cake is sure to be a go-to recipe for elegant parties, or nights when that sweet tooth simply can't be satisfied with anything less. Also, because it is flour free, it's a perfect recipe for Passover and those with gluten intolerances or wheat or nut allergies. Win! <br />
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We're going to start with a very simple recipe. <br />
Preheat your oven to 300 degrees. <br />
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Oh! Just a heads up--this is not a whip-together-at-last-minute sorta deal. This is a low-and-slow kinda cake, loverfaces. You'll want to give it enough time to bake and chill overnight before serving, so plan ahead.<br />
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1/2 cup water<br />
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt<br />
3/4 cup white sugar<br />
18 ounces bittersweet chocolate (you can use chips or baking squares)<br />
1 cup (two sticks) unsalted sweet cream butter (the higher quality, the better)<br />
6 large eggs<br />
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In a small saucepan (I used a teakettle for convenience's sake) combine the water, salt, and sugar and bring to a simmer. You want the sugar and salt to completely dissolve. If it doesn't dissolve completely, your cake will be gritty, so this is an important step. Don't let the water evaporate, so keep a lid on it. <br />
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Now, for the chocolate! Lots and lots of chocolate. More than a pound of the good stuff! There's no such thing as too much when it comes to a decadent cake. Really. For best results, use high quality chocolate. When you have a dessert like this with so few ingredients, the quality of those ingredients is important. I used bittersweet baking chocolate, and Ghiradelli chips. Mm, all that chocolate. Smells a little like evil in the kitchen.<br />
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Empty your chocolate into a microwave safe bowl. Zap it at full power for 30 second intervals, stirring well between each interval. Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl and get all that chocolate worked into itself. We want smooth, creamy chocolate with no lumps. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover002.jpg"><br />
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Chop the butter into pieces and add it into the chocolate, along with the hot sugar/salt water. Stir well until the butter has melted and the chocolate is smooth. Sorta like this. :) Ohhhh yeah.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover008.jpg"><br />
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Once the chocolate has cooled a bit, we're going to add the eggs. Don't add them while the chocolate is hot, or you'll end up with scrambled eggs, and that's not the texture we want, no ma'am. Plop them in one at a time for best results. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover017.jpg"><br />
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Using a hand mixer (unless you really just want to work on your bikini arms), whip the chocolate and eggs together until fully incorporated. You shouldn't be able to tell there's any egg in there--it should be perfectly even and blended. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover016.jpg"><br />
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To bake this cake and retain an evenly-baked texture with no dry or cracked patches, we're going to bake it in a water bath. Using a water bath keeps the oven's interior humid, bakes the cake gently, and spreads the heat evenly around the pan to prevent overbaking. <br />
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Taking a 9" springform pan, line the bottom insert in parchment. This will help keep the edges of the pan sealed and keep the cake from sticking. You can trim any excess parchment sticking out. With the inherent creaminess of this cake, you'll want a satin-smooth finish to make it perfect. Using your fingers or a pastry brush, grease the parchment and sides of the pan with vegetable shortening. You can use nonstick spray if you don't have shortening. <br />
Wrap aluminum foil around the bottom of the pan, bringing it up the sides. This is simply to ensure that no water leaks into your pan while baking, 'cause that can make a gooey mess.<br />
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Now pour in your batter and place the springform pan into a large, shallow roasting pan. I used a 9"x13" cake pan. Fill it with hot water, halfway up the side of the springform. Stick that bad boy in your oven, set a timer for 45 minutes, and go have a cocktail. And for the love of chocolate, don't open your oven door to peek. You'll let all that lovely steam out. Your cake is taking a spa day, you should too. So go relax. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover022.jpg"><br />
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When your timer dings, you can take the cake out to cool. It will still look wet and wobbly in the middle--totally normal! Don't bake it anymore. Remove the springform from its bath and put it on the counter on a cooling rack. I's gonna hang out there for an hour or so. And then transfer the cake (IN the pan) to the fridge and let it chill at least 10 hours (preferably overnight).<br />
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When you're ready to serve, run a hot butter knife (I dip mine under steaming water and wipe with a towel) around the outer edge of the cake, between the cake and the pan, to loosen it. You'll see by now that the cake is fully set and cooled and firm. Remove the springform's ring. Invert your cake onto your serving platter and peel off the parchment. You can garnish with powdered sugar, a dusting of cocoa, fresh fruit, whipped cream, whatever. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover042.jpg"><br />
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Because I'm a glutton, I topped mine with--what else? Homemade dark chocolate ganache. What compliments an intense chocolate cake better than a generous serving of MORE intense chocolate?? Nothing, I say. Nothing. <br />
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Ganache is so easy, it's silly, really. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover046.jpg"><br />
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In a microwave safe bowl, nuke a cup of heavy cream for 90 seconds. It should be hot, but not scalded. Add in a 12oz package of dark (or milk, if you like that better) chocolate chips. Stir to blend. See? How easy is that? Really. Let it cool and thicken for a bit, about half an hour, and then drizzle over your cake. I drizzled a bit of mine, then let the rest firm up, covered, in the fridge for a couple of hours until it was thick enough to pipe. I drizzled. I piped. And then I piled on some fresh raspberries for color. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/passover073.jpg"><br />
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And there you have it. An entire cake made of chocolate truffle. This is a PMS-thwarting, man-catching, sweet tooth defying showstopper of a cake. You'll love it. <br />
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Happy eating!!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-65936342412606794162012-04-03T11:54:00.003-07:002012-04-03T12:12:42.982-07:00A refreshing change of paceHey all! I wanted to thank those who've been commenting on my blogs--it's always nice to see feedback. And also, the validity that I'm not sitting here talking entirely to myself is nice as well. I'm sorry I haven't responded. The email address linked to this blog (the one that bleeps up exciting messages when someone comments) is an address I no longer use, so when people comment, I don't see it unless I go and check. I should fix that. <br />
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Also, I have been working on some terribly cute projects lately. I'll post about those next week. With Passover approaching, this week is crazy busy! But today I wanted to rave about something I recently discovered that threw me for a bit of a loop. <br />
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I'm a water purist. People talk about putting slices of fruit into their water for that "subtle touch of flavor" and I've tried that. It's awful. I don't want a subtle touch of flavor. I want full balls-to-the-wall flavor (can I say that on a family blog?) or nothing at all. <br />
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....or so I thought. <br />
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My tastes have been changing recently as I've been transitioning into a much healthier lifestyle (read: less interwebs surfing and more Zumba. But the evil that is Zumba is another post for another time) <br />
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I've been craving fruit instead of sweets (gasp!) and have noticed a definite change in my palate. But even though I've definitely been leaning towards more organic choices, when my girlfriend Morgan introduced me to MetroMint, I was skeptical. <br />
The way she described it--subtly flavored water infused with mint essential oils--well, it sounded a little delicate for my taste. <br />
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<img src="http://www.thenibble.com/zine/archives/images/metromint-280.jpg" align="left"> However, never one to turn down new experiences, I gave them a try. I had a full selection of flavors to sample--Orange Mint, Lemon Mint, Spearmint, Peppermint, and--get this--chocolate mint. All unsweetened, uncarbonated, and with no artificial flavors or additives. So I cracked the chocolate mint first and gave it a sip. <br />
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It was odd at first. It's hard to describe something that tastes like candy, but isn't sweet in any way. And come on, I create and describe flavor for a living. I should be good at this.<br />
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The chocolate and the mint are both there. Very clear. It tastes like an Andes Mint, but without the toothache-inducing sweetness. The flavors ARE very subtle and super clean. They don't leave any cloying aftertaste the way Crystal Lite can sometimes. The water still tastes like water, but at the end of the sip, you get this really distinct sense of the flavor, along with the cool refreshing mint. They're delicious. And the best part? The bottles are all fancy! So I feel very fancy drinking it. Like instead of doggy-paddling in the deep end, I should be in some SuperSpa Elite gym with Javier, my cute Argentinian personal trainer spotting my perfectly-formed squats under flattering light.<br />
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Ahh. A girl can dream.<br />
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One thing I noticed is that the waters taste different at room temperature. The mint essence is more pronounced, and the background flavor less prominent. I prefer them refrigerated and icy cold, but they certainly taste fine if they're not. <br />
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Of all the flavors I sampled, it's really difficult to choose a favorite. Chocolate Mint is up there, along with the Peppermint. They also have a cherry mint flavor that I didn't try, but OMG, sounds so good. If you wanna try some too, and tell me what your favorite flavor is, check the <a href="http://metromint.com/get/storelocator.html">store locator</a> to find where they are sold. Whole Foods, Kroger, Ralphs, Safeway...they all carry MetroMint. :) You can even get them on Amazon! <br />
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After reading up on the company, I found there's a lot of sciencey stuff about digestion benefits from the natural mint oils. From pregnant women with morning sickness to chemo patients working through nausea, this stuff is like gold. People rave about this stuff, truly. The reviews I was reading blew me away. MetroMint has some very loyal fans. And I'm pretty sure that they can add me to the list. <br />
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Morgan, thanks for introducing me to these, and for changing my mind about delicate flavors. These really are pretty amazing. <3The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-1422059272594304782012-02-25T15:46:00.000-08:002012-02-25T15:46:36.888-08:00Food For FuelI have a confession to make, friends. Please try not to judge.<br />
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Okay...I know this may be hard to hear, but it's time I come clean.<br />
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I don't feed my children cake and chocolate on a regular basis. <br />
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I know!! I know, it's crushing news. You thought you knew me! What is this world coming to when the Happy Baker doesn't even follow her own credo of "There's never enough chocolate"?? It's a scandal. <br />
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Here's the truth, though. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. I rarely crave chocolate, and *gasp* I don't even care for cake that much. But boy, do I love making it. The creative process of conjuring up rich, decadent flavors and turning them into beautiful little treats--it's like therapy. It makes me calm and happy. <br />
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Our household is fairly health conscious. I may not always follow my own rules, and my plumpishness definitely rats me out on that. But when it comes to my children, I've got an ironclad drive to teach them proper nutrition. I want them to have better skills than I did, and not end up with my tendencies to lean on junk when I'm tired and lazy. <br />
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One of our favorite places to go when the weather is yucky is Monkey Joe's. If you're not familiar, Monkey Joe's is a play center filled with various giant bouncy castles, slides, and obstacle courses. It's a pretty great place to let kids run amok and burn themselves out. <br />
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<img src="http://onmilwaukee.com/images/articles/mo/monkeyjoes/monkeyjoes_fullsize_story1.jpg"><br />
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So I gathered up my children one afternoon and we headed out to the Joe. <br />
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After an hour of red-faced, damp-shirted play, I went to the concession stand to buy them some juice. I paid, and the lady plopped down on the counter two bottles of neon-colored sugar water in plastic squeeze bottles. "I'm sorry," I said, "I wanted juice...like apple juice. In the juice boxes." I felt an episode of charades coming on. <br />
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She stared blankly. "We don't carry those anymore."<br />
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What?? I know it had been a while since we visited, but they seem to have changed a bit. I peered past the cashier into their cooler, looking for the fruit cups that were present last time we went. Gone. I felt the self-righteous Mommy-frustration bubbling up and shoved it back down. Unfortunately, a little snark managed to escape and fall out, plop! Right there on the counter.<br />
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"So.... you guys have completely stripped the place of anything remotely resembling real food, then? Isn't this just sugar water?" <br />
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She stared blankly, waiting for me to sign the receipt. <br />
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I gazed at the menu. Salted, buttered popcorn. Soft pretzels with nacho cheese (bright yellow processed cheese product). A candy buffet as long as the eye can see. Ice cream bars. Pizza so greasy you have to sop the oil up with a handful of napkins. And best of all? Customers are not allowed to bring in any outside food or beverages, and are not allowed to leave and return. <br />
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I'm bringing my children to a place where they can exercise, socialize, burn calories, expend energy, play, and a slew of other healthy activities. And then when they get hungry and thirsty, I'm forced to refuel them with sugary, fat-laden garbage. No. I refuse. I'm going to be the parent who marches in with my mini cooler, packed with bottles of water and juice, carrot sticks, and chopped fruit. And if they raise a stink, they can kick me out and lose me as a customer. <br />
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I am no food nazi by any means. My children have snacks, eat fast food, and enjoy cake and candy. But they do so in planned settings and special occasions. It is not something I allow just because it's there. <br />
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My bigger concern is WHY Monkey Joe's isn't working harder to provide healthier alternatives to our next generation? It wouldn't cost much to provide shelf-stable snacks that are lighter on the waistline. Horizon makes organic milk tetrapacks that don't even require refrigeration. 100% juice boxes and water are entirely shelf stable. <br />
A bowl of carrot sticks and peanut butter can easily last an entire week and costs pennies on a bulk scale. Whole wheat PB&J sandwiches can be made to order, with the bread kept in the freezer. Even Uncrustables, which aren't my favorite but are better than greasy pizza, come in whole wheat and can be frozen indefinitely. There are a lot of options, and I bet a lot of parents would be far more comfortable spending more time at their favorite play center if they knew they could count on a healthy dinner being available when the kids come back clutching their tummies. <br />
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<img src="http://doublebugs.com/WP/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/pb_strawberry_jelly_wheat_uncrustables.jpg"><br />
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So parents, women, healthy advocates - if you were revamping the Monkey Joe's menu, what would you add? Would you be more likely to take your children there if there were better food options? Toss in your opinion, I'd love to hear it!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-22574211280845179552012-01-20T17:55:00.000-08:002012-01-21T00:00:57.518-08:00Hello again, world!<center><img src="http://www.cartoonaday.com/images/cartoons/2010/12/snowplow-volkswwagen-598x463.jpg" border="0"></center><br />
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We just moved into a little suburban ranch-style house in December. I'm still getting used to all the bumps and squeaks in the night, and one thing I haven't attempted to master yet is the garage. It's a small, one-car garage with a door opener. Wee! However, having to cart around two kids and a dog, I drive a Dodge Journey, which is not a small car. I did many a half-assed measurement, holding my hands apart and trying to size up the width of the garage versus the width of my vehicle, and it just didn't look like a promising endeavor. So I said "Eh, to heck with it" and settled on remaining parked in the driveway. More room for my boxes of pots and miscellaneous kitchen equipment that way. <br />
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Enter: Midwest Winter. <br />
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After weeks and weeks of crazy December days in the 60's where we're stringing up lights in our tshirts, the ice finally rolls in. "Winter mix" they call it. Way to be festive, Weather Channel!<br />
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Nothing sounds more fun than standing in the 12 degree morning air, scraping ice off my windshield while my toddler stands at the front door and wails at me, I admit. But because I usually don't have time in the mornings to participate in such fun activities, I decided to try the impossible, bending the laws of physics to make my car fit into this teensy tiny garage. <br />
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I played a little "Garage Tetris", moved some stuff around, and stacked things artfully in teetery towers. I folded in my rearview mirrors and handed my son my emergency call list in case peril should occur. <br />
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I skated carefully to the car in my pink bathroom slippers, trying not to fall on the ice and concuss myself, and as I climbed into the driver's seat and opened the garage door, there stood my 6 year old son at the far end of the garage, in the doorway leading to the kitchen, clad in his Thomas pajamas, watching intently. Fantastic. If I rip my car and/or the house apart, he'll be my star witness. At least I know I can buy his silence with a lollipop if I have to. <br />
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I started the engine and peeked out the window, trying to align my car with the weensy little opening. It was like threading a needle. Or putting on Spanx. I called out, "Am I going to hit?" and my son waved and called, "No, you're doing great, Mom!" And then I realized I'm relying on the perspective skills of a child who still draws his self portraits with stick arms and giant balloon heads. Whatever. So I slo-o-o-wly pulled in while my son waves me on like a tiny tarmac attendant. <br />
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And I didn't hit. <br />
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Victory is mine. <br />
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We won't talk about me getting stuck between the car door and the wall and my son having to pry me out with a crowbar and a jar of crisco. <br />
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It's good to be back, friends. I'm having a cake truffle giveaway on Facebook, so be sure to go check it out! <br />
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* You get one entry into the drawing for each of the following tasks:<br />
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- Post on the Happy Baker's wall, telling me about a dish or dessert that gives you a warm fuzzy feeling or triggers a special romantic memory. <br />
- Post a photo of that dish/dessert along with your post.<br />
- Add my Etsy shop to your favorites *<br />
- Tag my shop in a Twitter post<br />
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* If you've already favorited my Etsy shop, send me an Etsy convo and let me know.<br />
The drawing will be done by www.random.org, and the winner will be announced on Facebook and Twitter on February 1st. Good luck! <br />
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www.facebook.com/HappyBaker<br />
www.happybakery.etsy.com<br />
www.twitter.com/The_Happy_BakerThe Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-28312702922992726872011-12-14T10:41:00.000-08:002011-12-14T10:41:08.827-08:00Not dead. Just crazycakes busy.Hi friends! My, but it has been a while, hasn't it? <br />
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It's been so long, in fact, that I forgot how to log into to update. Took me a few minutes and some frustrated, less-than-kosher verbage, but I got in. Obviously. <br />
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Anyway, I've gone from casual kitchen blogger to full-swing businesswoman recently. I sucked it up, collected my nerves, and put myself and my cake truffles out there, and it turns out, people love them. I mean, who wouldn't love a cake truffle, really? Trolls, that's who. And probably vampires. I hear they don't eat much. <br />
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So, business has taken off like gangbusters, and I've been kind of consumed with that. And the whole "raising kids" thing. But that's just a hobby. Motherhood doesn't pay well. <br />
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Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and let you know I'm still around. I'm active <a href="https://www.facebook.com/HappyBaker
">on Facebook</a> if you ever want to come say hello. And you can check out goodies <a href="http://www.happybakery.etsy.com">on Etsy</a>, too, if you are into the window shopping thing. <br />
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I hope you all have a perfectly lovely holiday, full of all kinds of sweet things and whipped cream.The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-81802377511210240612011-08-30T08:16:00.000-07:002011-08-30T08:47:31.470-07:00I Can't Compete With Pizza<img src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5141/5654509251_78e470eda3.jpg" align="left"> Sometimes I have thoughts that originate outside my kitchen. Sometimes. This is one of them. Kind of. It's still food related, but... um... aw hell. Alright, I confess, this is kitchen related, too. <br />
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Last week marked a very special occasion in our household. My five year old son, Monster, is officially a kindergartner. His first day, I completely embarrassed myself while becoming a living cliche. I got out of my car in the circle drive as I dropped him off to wave and snap photos, with parents behind me in their minivans, huffing and giving me the stinkeye for holding up the line. <br />
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Since then, I've taken a lot of pleasure in the little things--packing his afternoon snack into his Toy Story lunchbag, reading enthusiastic correspondence that come home from his teacher in his folder every night, secretly throwing away the endless piles of coloring book pages when he's not looking, and best of all, being able to drop off my kid while wearing the comfy pajama pants with the hole in the crotch, flip flops, and no bra. Oh yes. This is the high life, friends. I'm living the dream.<br />
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You see, in preschool, parents walked their tots to the door, buzzed them in, and walked them back to their classroom. Because I had to interact with real people who might judge me for traipsing around in my bunny slippers, I had to actually DO stuff in the morning, like brush my hair and wear pants. I'm not good at those things. It's a flaw, I suppose, but I don't believe you can get paid to make candy for a living if you don't secretly harbor a perpetual 7 year old somewhere deep down inside. <br />
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And anyway, my semi-homeless appearance aside, I wanted to know the opinions of other moms out there on school lunches. When we were buying supplies, Monster excitedly told me he wanted to pack his lunch. He'd spent all of preschool eating the mandatory school lunch, so a lunchbox of his very own was hip beyond belief. (Not to mention, it features Buzz Lightyear, and everyone knows Buzz is the lunchbox kingpin. You don't get cooler than that.) <br />
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So with more maternal glee than is probably natural, I spent a great deal of time planning creative lunches and putting together easy-to-eat items. In true Happy Baker fashion, I handcrafted shortbread cookies decorated with royal icing to pop into his lunchbox along with little cartoon notes from home to make him smile. And it didn't matter. <br />
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One week in, Monster climbs into my car after school and announces with a dramatic sigh, "They're having pizza for lunch tomorrow. I guess I won't get any." I raised an eyebrow. Passive aggression? Already? I must have missed that on the syllabus. <br />
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The next day, I enclosed a check in his folder for lunch money, and he bought pizza. He never went back to the ol' lunchbox. Buzz now hangs on our coathook, lonely and unloved, and probably slightly ashamed to have lost out to canned green beans and instant pudding. I miss making his lunches at night, and I miss sneaking little treats and surprises into his bag for him to find. My heart twinges to know my wee man is now able to make decisions and purchases all on his own, and that from 8:30 to 3:30, I hold no place in his day. <br />
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Then of course, there are the practical issues. I know a major concern is whether school lunches are even remotely healthy. Fruit products made with corn syrup, veggies packed and canned with salt, deep fried foods, everything with ketchup or cheese... it's worrying. I'm fortunate that Monster is a healthy kid. He's slender, super active, and not picky with food, so I don't worry too much about what he eats for one daily meal, but I will keep my eye out for any unhealthy habits that might arise and nip those in the bud. <br />
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Of course, there's the financial aspect, too. Lunches are up to $2.10 per day. That's $10.50 a week for someone else to feed him. I remember they were $1.25 when I was a kid, when I had to walk to school barefoot. Uphill! Both ways! In the snow!<br />
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When I think about it, though, I might actually save money by paying for lunch, instead of buying the groceries. I admit, with him eating lunch at preschool for the last year, I was a bit surprised by how much it costs to make 5 extra meals every week, plus his afternoon snack. Doesn't sound like much, but it really affected my already-tight grocery budget in a big way. I hadn't expected that. <br />
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So moms, what about you? Does your kiddo bring or buy? What's his favorite thing to eat? What was YOUR favorite lunch item when you were in school? Do you think buying a hot lunch is less expensive than packing one? Why or why not?The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-74075700221375147952011-08-29T19:51:00.000-07:002011-08-29T19:52:41.324-07:00How To Make A CakepopHello friends! <br />
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I've had a lot of questions over the last couple months, regarding cakepops. There are tutorials all over the interwebs, but I want to show you my method and address some of the more common questions that seem to come up. <br />
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Because I didn't do a separate shoot just for this post, I'll be using a composition of different photos from various projects to illustrate each step. Sorry if that's distracting. Consider it...er, eclectic. :D <br />
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I'll start with some of the FAQ I've gotten recently. <br />
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<b>Q) How much frosting do you use?</b><br />
A: That all depends on how much cake you've got. For an 8x8 pan of cake, I usually use about a cup of "filling". <br />
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<b>Q) Why did you call it "filling?" </b><br />
A: I call it filling because I don't always use frosting. Sometimes I use cream cheese. Or hot fudge. Or condensed milk. Or caramel. Or jam. Or peanut butter. Whatever ingredient you use to moisten the cake will alter the flavor, so be creative, and you can achieve endless numbers of unique flavors. The idea is to find something that will bind the cake crumbs together, soak into the cake to make it creamy, and firm up enough in the refrigerator to make dipping easy. <br />
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<b>Q) I can't get my chocolate thin enough, it's too gloppy!</b><br />
A: This is the only time in my entire chocolate-loving life I will ever recommend against using chocolate chips. They contain additives to help them keep their shape, which also keeps them from melting thinly. I recommend using something specifically marked, "melting chocolate", or "couverture". You can find these all over the place, usually in craft shops or cake-decorating stores. You can also use bricks of flavored bark. <br />
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Merkins, Wilton, and a number of other manufacturers make chocolate discs in all colors, meant specifically for candy making. Discs tinted in various colors are actually made from white chocolate, so they will be much thicker, and may require some thinning. To thin your chocolate, simply add a teaspoon of cocoa butter or vegetable shortening during melting, and stir well. You can buy cocoa butter in most upscale groceries. Don't go squirting your hand lotion in there... I promise, it's not tasty.<br />
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Couverture chocolate has a really high fat content (cocoa butter), which allows them to melt really thin and smooth. Bar chocolate and super dark chocolate has a lower fat content and won't have that same consistency. <br />
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<b>Q) How do you keep the cakeballs from slipping off the stick and into the chocolate?</b><br />
Cakeballs MUST be firm for easy dipping. If you're making pops, dip the end of your sticks into the melted chocolate and insert into the "dough-ball". Chill thoroughly, about half an hour at least. <br />
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If you're making truffles (cake pops without the stick), I use toothpicks to dip. Same thing--they need to be firm. (Firm balls are the best. Nobody likes mushy balls. Ahem.) I like to roll mine the night before and let them chill overnight. If they start slipping when you dip, stick them in the fridge for an hour. <br />
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It may be tempting to freeze them, but don't. The cakeballs will constrict when frozen, and as they thaw, they will expand and bust out of the candy shell. It's a little like me trying to zip myself into a leather bustier. Not pretty. Nobody wants to see that.<br />
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If you have any other specific questions, please send them along--I'll be happy to answer! <br />
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But now, onto the general tutorial and my mismatched photos. :)<br />
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First, you have to think about what flavor you want. This is more important than it sounds, because you want to match your filling to your cake. Not matchy matchy, necessarily, but they should complement each other well. Say you wanted double chocolate. That's easy--chocolate cake, chocolate frosting. But say you wanted something super fancy, like... oh, pumpkin pie. <br />
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You'd probably make a pumpkin cake, but what would you mix it with? Vanilla frosting is the classic standby, but when you think about pumpkin pie, there are a lot of flavor layers there... pumpkin custard (represented by the cake), cinnamon, whipped cream, and of course, the buttery crust. To get a truly authentic flavor profile, you want to incorporate as many of those elements as possible. You might consider mixing it with pumpkin pudding, or maybe cinnamon flavored frosting.<br />
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So you bake a pumpkin cake. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/20110202_10.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP2.jpg"><br />
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(oooh! Mismatchy!)<br />
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Let the cake cool. The quickest way to do this is to invert it onto a rack and tear it into pieces. The more surface area exposed to air, the quicker it will cool. A lot of bakers will tell you this next step is unnecessary, but I don't think it is. <br />
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Stick your cake chunks into a food processor. Pulse it down to fine crumbs. Some say you can simply crush it with your hands, but I find having nice, even crumbs makes for much finer, creamier texture. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP4.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP3.jpg"><br />
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Dump your crumbs into a bowl. With a silicone spatula or a flat-sided spoon, blend in your filling. again, I recommend about 1 cup of filling per 8x8 cake. But depending on your choice of filling, more may be needed. Use your judgment--the dough should feel thick and damp, but not sticky. It should roll into a ball without cracking or crumbling. Don't be afraid to get in there and mix it with your hands. You dirty, dirty cakeballer. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP6.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP7.jpg"><br />
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Now for the rolling. I use a 1" cookie scoop to make sure my portions are even, but you can just eyeball it. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_1038.jpg"><br />
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Pinch off a piece of dough and roll it between your palms, pressing it into a ball. You <i>will</i> need to squeeze and press it as you roll--this condenses it and keeps the ball tight and firm so it doesn't fall apart. <br />
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Place the rolled balls into a pan, so you can pop it into the fridge and chill later. Roll another one. And another. <br />
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When you're all done rolling, chill those puppies down. Like I said earlier, I prefer to do mine overnight. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/OB_40.jpg"><br />
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When they're chilled and ready for dipping, prepare your chocolate. I usually use chocolate or vanilla bark. I break off pieces and put them in a thick, deep mug. Then I zap 'em in the micro for 30 seconds at a time, stirring with a butter knife between each interval, scraping down the sides of the mug as I stir. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP13.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP14.jpg"><br />
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You want the chocolate to drip from the end of a spoon in a thin, consistent stream.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP15.jpg"><br />
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Now, for the dipping! This seems to be the part that gives people the most trouble. I've been asked often, "How do you get your coating so thin and smooth?" I swear, I really don't have a trick. I just rely on a few key things:<br />
<br />
1) The chocolate has to be the right consistency<br />
2) I tap off as much excess chocolate as possible<br />
3) I rotate the pop as I tap to make sure the chocolate drips off evenly<br />
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If you're making pops, dip the ends of your sticks in the melted chocolate and insert into the pops.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_0673.jpg"><br />
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If using toothpicks, you don't need to dip them first, but it may help.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/OB_46.jpg"><br />
<br />
Whether you're using sticks or toothpicks, the method is the same. Dip your chilled pop straight down into the chocolate until it's completely submerged. This is why your dipping container should be deep. And you'll use way more chocolate than you think you need. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP19.jpg"><br />
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Lift it from the chocolate, and holding the pop at a 45 degree angle, tap the stick (or toothpick) against the rim of the mug and let the excess chocolate drizzle off. Like I said, I turn it as it's dripping so I don't end up with obvious drip-marks. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP20.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/OB_50.jpg"><br />
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Now, what do you do with them after they're dipped? You can sit them on parchment, of course, but that tends to create puddles and ruins the spherical shape. I use a foam piece from a craft store. This way, I can dip the pops, tap off the excess, and just insert the stick (or toothpick) into the foam for the cakeball to set undisturbed. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP16.jpg"> <img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/CP22.jpg"><br />
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If you're using toothpicks to dip truffles, wait for the chocolate to harden over the pop, and gently twist the toothpick to remove it. You can then use that toothpick to fill the hole with a little remaining melted chocolate to seal the shell. <br />
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If you're using toppings-- nuts, sprinkles, sugar, crushed pie crust, whatev-- you want to sprinkle it on or roll the pop in it before the covering has set. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3913.jpg"><br />
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I hope this helps. And now that I've spilled my guts and given away all my secrets (or lack thereof), go make some cakeballs! <br />
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And if you have any questions, send them along! <br />
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Enjoy, and happy baking!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-7607440582825748442011-08-19T23:36:00.000-07:002011-08-19T23:36:38.575-07:00Cakepop BouquetAhhhhh, school's in! You know what that means, friends. We'll wave goodbye from the drop-off zone, watching our little ones march inside, toting their backpacks and lunchboxes, heads full of all the exciting things they plan to do on the monkey bars at recess. <br />
<br />
As much as it makes my heart hurt a little to see my little ones' youth slip away so quickly, I'm thoroughly pleased to see the sticky-hot days pass right along with them. We seem to have hit another heatwave recently, and summer's letting us all know she's not quite ready to be shoved out the door yet.<br />
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So, to honor her last days with us, I wanted to make something bright and cheery. <br />
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I happen to have several dozen cake truffles that I made this week. They're key lime truffles--creamy key lime cake blended with homemade, tangy lime buttercream to create a luxuriously soft truffle center, drenched in a vanilla candy shell and crowned with sugared lime zest. Yum, right? <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5065-1.jpg"><br />
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I've had this idea in my head for quite some time--wondering what would happen if I repurposed some flowers, added some cakeballs, and made semi-edible bouquets. I wanted to give it a try. I found some silk sunflowers in my craft basket and an empty clay pot on my gardening bench, located a pair of wirecutters, and went to work. <br />
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Silk flowers are usually made in several layers. The petals are stacked together around the central stem, and held in place by a center "button" that acts as the flower's middle. Locate the button and remove it. Disassemble the flower pieces, but keep the center hole aligned. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5084.jpg"><br />
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Taking a 6" paper lollipop stick, insert it through the center hole and slide the petals and flower support up the stick, leaving about 1" of stick at the top. (I'm feeling vaguely dirty describing this, folks...just sayin')<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5085.jpg"><br />
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Take a cake ball and gently slide it onto the 1" length of stick above the petals. (bow chicka bow wow. ::ahem:: Sorry. Family show.)<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5086.jpg"><br />
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And now repeat. And again. And again. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5087.jpg"><br />
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Now, to assemble! Using a sharp knife, cut your floral foam to fit inside your pot. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5091.jpg"><br />
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Gently insert the lolly sticks into the foam, at an angle. You can fill in any bare space with silk leaves, baubles, fern, or whatnot. And there you have it. A bright, colorful cake ball bouquet. <br />
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Now, if I'd had my choice, I would have preferred to make these with chocolate pops, to make the sunflower center a more natural brown color. I probably would have flattened them a bit and added yellow nonpareils for even more definition. But I didn't have any of those. So you're going to have to use your imagination. <br />
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But I know you're good at that. <br />
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That's why we're friends. <3
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5094.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-83785030635807857152011-08-16T23:14:00.000-07:002011-08-16T23:14:54.867-07:00$10 Dozens! Key Lime Cake Truffles! Limited time only.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kAIlTNBjBmONavs1yNay-ZGOmmBk1dEV4lUqpfSF8l7NgX1pi6DWvmSfscx9mQHMObfhtTbSJYCpWZdHQ0LcZV9vSy9N93zDFOgLg7QADJCmXqfjTQJweloru0YMzBE832Qm3DHMlcE/s1600/keylimepie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8kAIlTNBjBmONavs1yNay-ZGOmmBk1dEV4lUqpfSF8l7NgX1pi6DWvmSfscx9mQHMObfhtTbSJYCpWZdHQ0LcZV9vSy9N93zDFOgLg7QADJCmXqfjTQJweloru0YMzBE832Qm3DHMlcE/s320/keylimepie.jpg" /></a></div><br />
This week, key lime cake truffles are on sale for $10 a dozen. <br />
<br />
Creamy, tangy key lime cake truffle, neatly dipped in a sweet vanilla candy shell and crowned in sugared lime zest. Mmmm. Tastes like the Caribbean! <br />
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The usual price is $18 a dozen, so they're nearly half off. Order now--the sale ends Friday!<br />
<br />
<center><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/79929184/key-lime-vanilla-cake-truffles-sale-this?ref=sc_1"><img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/happybakerorderlogo.jpg" border="0"></a></center>The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-40854906975965935062011-08-15T08:11:00.000-07:002011-08-15T14:00:34.681-07:00Ohmigosh! Peanut Butter Cup CookiesI made peanut butter cookies yesterday. Whatev. <br />
I stuffed them with creamy peanut butter and melty chocolate. No biggie. <br />
<br />
So hey, you know...just cookies, right?<br />
<br />
WRONG.<br />
<br />
When you pull apart the soft peanut butter cookie, the warm, gooey center says, "Hi there. I love you." These cookies have serious mojo. And also? They're sorta magical. <br />
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I think these need no further introduction. <br />
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I started with the usual suspects--sweet cream butter, creamy peanut butter, sugar, and vanilla. <br />
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Whip it all up until fluffy and smooth. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4976.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4978.jpg"><br />
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Then we invite the leaveners and binders to the party and whip them silly. Because it's <i>that</i> kind of party. That's how we roll. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4981.jpg"><br />
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Add your flour, and make your 8 year old niece mix it well until her little arms get tired, because <strike>child labor rules</strike> uh, ahem. Excuse me. ...Because kids are awesome little kitchen helpers. <br />
<br />
...<i>what</i>? They are! Ahem.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4984.jpg"><br />
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Young little hands are also really good at peeling tiny wrappers, so put them to good work and peel the wrappers off 12-15 bite-sized peanut butter cups. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4990.jpg"><br />
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Now, here's where it gets fun. And slightly messy. And this is where the magic happens.<br />
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Taking a golf ball-sized roll of dough in one hand, use the heel of your other hand to flatten it out to the size of your palm (note: I have tiny hobbit hands. Scale accordingly)<br />
Place a peanut butter cup in the center of the dough disc and wrap the dough around it, pinching off any major excess. Roll it up pretty.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4991.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4992.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4993.jpg"><br />
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Place on a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake until set, about 8-10 minutes. Don't wait for them to be golden. They'll be a soft butter color, and <i>extremely</i> fragile. Keep in mind, these cookies are now being held together by nothing but liquid peanut butter and miracles. I recommend not even trying to remove them from the parchment. Just slide the whole thing off onto a cooling rack. They'll become a lot sturdier once cool.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5001.jpg"><br />
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When cool, keep them in an airtight container for up to two weeks. <br />
<br />
...haha! I can't even say that with a straight face! Right, like they could ever last two weeks. Yeah. O<i>kay</i>. <br />
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And you know what's really fun? On the outside, these look like boring ol' plain cookies. Don't tell people they're filled with all kinds of mad crazy awesome. Wee! I'm so excited for you! <br />
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This is what they'll look like if you try to eat them when warm.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5009.jpg"><br />
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And if you let them cool properly, the centers will set up nicely, and they're much easier to eat.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_5020.jpg"><br />
<br />
So, you want the recipe? Of course you do.<br />
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I started with my own adaptation of Smitten Kitchen's peanut butter cookie recipe, which you can find <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2007/12/peanut-butter-cookies/">here</a>. <br />
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1/2 cup unsalted sweet cream butter, softened<br />
1 cup peanut butter at room temperature<br />
3/4 teaspoon baking soda<br />
1 1/4 cup sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1 large egg, at room temperature<br />
1 tablespoon milk<br />
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
10-15 bite sized peanut butter cups<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 F.<br />
<br />
Cream together butters, sugar, and vanilla until fluffy. Add salt, powder, soda, milk, and egg. Blend well. Stir in flour. <br />
<br />
Roll dough into golf-ball sized balls and flatten in your palm. Place a mini peanut butter cup in the center of the dough-disc and wrap the dough around it. <br />
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[<b>Note</b> - <i>if you wanted to make these caramel filled, you could use Rolos instead of PB cups. Goodness, me. You could make miniature bite-sized versions with those new Reese mini cups, too. Reese's should totally hire me to promote them. Hear that, Reese's? I'm willing to negotiate! Gimme a call.</i>]<br />
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Place dough-ball on a parchment lined baking sheet and bake at 350 about 8-10 minutes until set. Slide parchment off baking sheet onto a cooling rack, cookies and all. Let cool 25 minutes or until cookies are no longer fragile... if you can wait that long. Don't forget a cold glass of milk. <br />
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Makes 10-15 cookies, depending on how big you make them. <br />
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Enjoy and happy eating!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-27043878209537174332011-08-09T00:49:00.000-07:002011-08-09T00:49:53.850-07:00Client Projects - Super Huge Photo PostI have been kind of AWOL lately, huh? I haven't been neglecting you, dear friends--at least, not on purpose. No, I've just been spectacularly busy. I even made food that turned out yummy and didn't even take pictures of it, because my brain is off dancing drunkenly in the streets elsewhere. I made crispy polenta cakes and eggs. I made fudge-covered bing cherry brownies. I made marshmallow fondant. Pictures of any of it? Nope. I'm ashamed. <br />
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But I DID take photos of the stuff that's been keeping me so occupied. If you follow me on Facebook, you've already seen these photos. And if you're not on Facebook with me.... well then, that's where the cool kids are. You should come. Tell your friends. They want to be cool too, right? <br />
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<img src="http://www.demotivationalposters.org/image/demotivational-poster/0804/facebook-facebook-demotivational-poster-1209019228.jpg"><br />
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Here's what I HAVE been doing. <br />
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I made a bunch of stuff for the local Relay for Life Fundraising Auction. Included were a stack of shortbread owl cookies with royal icing, two boxes of german chocolate cake pops, and a box of gooey butter cakepops. I made all kinds of sugar cookies for various people--one batch for a lady going on a beach picnic (I also made her sunburst cakepops), one batch for my son's preschool teachers, and one batch of little shortbread flowers for my family's weekly pool partay! (But crap, I don't have pics of the flower cookies. Shame, they were adorable. They might still be on my camera.)<br />
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<div id="PictoBrowser110809024611">Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer</div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser/swfobject.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "500", "500", "8", "#EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.addVariable("names", "random projects"); so.addVariable("userName", "diamonds_nine"); so.addVariable("userId", "27179305@N00"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157627391600944"); so.addVariable("titles", "on"); so.addVariable("displayNotes", "on"); so.addVariable("thumbAutoHide", "off"); so.addVariable("imageSize", "medium"); so.addVariable("vAlign", "mid"); so.addVariable("vertOffset", "0"); so.addVariable("colorHexVar", "EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("initialScale", "off"); so.addVariable("bgAlpha", "90"); so.write("PictoBrowser110809024611"); </script><br />
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I made a 4-layer dark chocolate cake for an elephant-themed 3rd birthday party. It was squee-cute. See for yourself. See? Cute!<br />
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<div id="PictoBrowser110809021856">Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer</div><script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser/swfobject.js"></script><script type="text/javascript"> var so = new SWFObject("http://www.db798.com/pictobrowser.swf", "PictoBrowser", "500", "500", "8", "#EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("source", "sets"); so.addVariable("names", "Elephant cake"); so.addVariable("userName", "diamonds_nine"); so.addVariable("userId", "27179305@N00"); so.addVariable("ids", "72157627267259295"); so.addVariable("titles", "on"); so.addVariable("displayNotes", "on"); so.addVariable("thumbAutoHide", "off"); so.addVariable("imageSize", "medium"); so.addVariable("vAlign", "mid"); so.addVariable("vertOffset", "0"); so.addVariable("colorHexVar", "EEEEEE"); so.addVariable("initialScale", "off"); so.addVariable("bgAlpha", "90"); so.write("PictoBrowser110809021856"); </script><br />
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I also made cake pops to donate to a baby shower down in Georgia. Sadly, they ended up melting in shipping, despite my best efforts to keep them cool--I wrapped them with an ice pack inside an insulated bag, and stuffed the whole thing in styrofoam. I plastered the box in an obnoxious number of "Perishable" stickers, but alas--the sun, she's too strong. It IS August, after all. <br />
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So you see, my negligence hasn't been intentional. I've just been baking my dear little heart out. What have you been doing lately in your kitchen? Do tell!!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-12432165847848090122011-08-03T10:35:00.000-07:002011-08-03T10:36:29.318-07:00Free Cakepops!!Hi there, friends!!<br />
<br />
If you have not yet started following the Happy Baker on Facebook, you should.<br />
Click "Like" on the top of this page. Tell your friends. Make them Like it, too. <br />
<br />
http://www.facebook.com/HappyBaker<br />
<br />
Why? What's in it for you, hm?<br />
<br />
Well, I'll tell you.<br />
<br />
If The Happy Baker's facebook page can get 100 "likes" by September 1st, I will enter all of my followers' names into a random drawing (done at <a href="http://www.random.org">Random.org</a>) and the winner will receive a dozen free, handmade chocolate truffle cakepops. And because I love you so much, I will make them extra big, extra creamy, and extra awesome. They'll be gift wrapped all pretty and delivered right to your door with a little thank you note from Yours Truly. <br />
<br />
Oh, also! When your friend "likes" the Happy Baker's page, make sure they send me a message or post a comment, telling me you referred them. You'll both get an extra entry into the drawing. Score! No limit on how many entries you can have. <br />
<br />
So get to it! Spread the cakepop love! <3
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/OB_61-2.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-10651138932586757232011-07-20T22:13:00.000-07:002011-07-20T22:46:43.518-07:00Sweet Corn Spoonbread and Tomatillo Salsa<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4526-1.jpg" align="left"> Today was a lovely day. I don't know if it could have been much better. I slept well last night. I had a luxurious afternoon nap. I met with an old friend for lunch and had a fantastic turkey sandwich over discussion of life lessons and reminiscing. We went window shopping. Kiddo played outside with his friends and came home with a soaked shirt and chugged a glass of ice water. Brainfreeze. It was one of those perfect summer days. <br />
<br />
So what makes the perfect summer day even <i>more</i> perfect? How about a spicy, flavorful dinner made with locally grown vegetables and fresh herbs, paired with a side of something soft and sweet? Oh yeaaah. That'll do it. <br />
<br />
I had three tomatillos sitting in my produce basket for a week now, feeling lonely and unloved. Truth is, I just had them wrapped up really well and forgot about them, which is a shame because they're SO wonderful. They may not look like much from the outside. If you've never worked with them, chances are good you probably pass them in the grocery store and never even pay them a passing glance. <br />
<br />
That just won't do. <br />
<br />
Buy one. Or six. And make salsa. They're fab. <br />
<br />
The size of the tomatillo you use is up to you. The small ones, about the size of a ping pong ball, are sweet. The larger, more plum-sized ones, are more tangy and have more acidity. On the outside, tomatillos look a little like papery, dry bulbs. (Did you know they're actually a member of the Nightshade family? Unlike its cousins, Belladonna and Jimsonweed, a tomatillo won't kill you. Don't mention the family reputation to the tomatillo, though. okay? It's a really awkward situation at reunions.) <br />
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When you peel away that husk, they reveal a firm, glossy, slightly sticky green flesh. Beautiful. You'll want to wash that stickiness off with warm water. It comes off easily. So first we wash, then slice. Then roast. Get all that delicious flavor out. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4498-1.jpg"><br />
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Then chop the rest of the yums. Stick 'em in the food processor and pulse. Now, to be fair, this isn't a fancy "artisan" salsa or anything like that. The flavors are basic and traditional, but really are pretty exceptional. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4503-2.jpg"><img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4507-2.jpg"><br />
<br />
And there you have it! Fresh salsa in less than 10 minutes. And I gar-un-TEE it will be better than <i>anything</i> you can find in a jar. You can pulse it roughly for a chunky salsa, or puree it down for a thinner, more relish-like salsa, as I have done. I preferred mine thinner for this recipe. If I were making it for dipping, I'd keep it much more rough. You can also add anything you like in there--shallots, bell pepper, corn, olives, cilantro, you name it. It's all yours. Co crazy with it.<br />
<br />
Salsa may not be the prettiest thing in the world, but boy howdy, is it ever delicious. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4526.jpg"><br />
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<br />
So, what about that spoonbread? This stuff is magic. You've no doubt run into this little treat at any tex-mex restaurant you might have visited. It's like the comfort-food feel of cornbread meets the sweet dessertishness (it's a word) of cake, meets the soft custardy texture of corn pudding. Because there are no eggs, it doesn't hold together like cake. You can't quite slice it, you sort of have to scoop it out of the pan. <br />
<br />
I made mine in an 8x8 pan. But when I make this again (and you bet your butt I will), I'll bake it into individual ramekins or muffin tins. It'll be easier to serve that way. <br />
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So basically, this dish starts with butter. And sugar. Come on, all that fresh healthiness up there in our salsa needs a little balance. This obviously isn't an every-day side dish, but for a special occasion, it's definitely the bee's knees. <br />
<br />
Oh, and you know what's awesome about living in the midwest during the summer? It's not the soul-sucking heat and humidity. It's not the numerous broken bridges and constant interstate construction. It's not even our amazing lack of post-card scenery. Nope. The best thing about the midwest is all our fresh corn. Acres and acres of rolling green cornfields, swaying in the breeze and waving their golden tassles. And there's not a whole lot that tastes better than fresh, sweet corn grown from the earth not even 10 miles from your home. While you can definitely replace the fresh corn with canned, these fresh badboys beat the pants off anything in a can. <br />
<br />
So let's do this thing.<br />
<br />
We're going to shuck the fresh corn and boil it until tender. While that's happening, our masa harina will be chillaxing in diluted yogurt, waiting to join up with whipped butter in a tasty little fiesta. Mmm, creamy. It makes one heck of a base for a yummy cake-like dish, yeah? And then fresh corn? And sugar? Oh my. Don't mind if I doooo. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4483-1.jpg"><br />
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This thing DOES take an hour to bake. <br />
<br />
I know. <br />
<br />
In the summer? That soul sucking heat we were talking about? Yeah. But it's worth it, I promise. <br />
<br />
So...yeah. Shuck. Whip. Stir. Waterbath. Bake. That's about it. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4486-1.jpg"><br />
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It comes out looking like this. Fluffy and soft and lightly golden. I used an ice cream scoop to dish out the servings. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4514.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4528-1.jpg"><br />
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Now, I made my <a href="http://baking-a-cake.blogspot.com/2011/04/black-blue-vegan-tacos.html">Black & Blue Tacos</a> for dinner, and used the tomatillo salsa on those, but I gotta admit, I got a little greedy and slathered it on the spoonbread as well. I wasn't sure how the tangy/spicy flavor would mingle with the sweetness of the cake, but wowza. I think we may have the next peanut butter and jelly here, friends. What a pairing. <br />
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My only problem now is that I want more. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4540-1.jpg"><br />
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<u>Tomatillo Salsa</u><br />
Makes about 1.5 cups<br />
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3 medium tomatillos, washed, hulled and sliced<br />
1/4 large red tomato, chopped<br />
1/2 small yellow onion, chopped<br />
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped<br />
1 medium serrano pepper, diced (use more if you like it spicier)<br />
Juice and zest of one lime<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Remove the hulls with the tip of a paring knife, and slice the tomatillos into 3-4 thick slices. Brush the slices with a little olive oil and roast in the oven on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees until translucent and <i>slightly</i> browned around the edges, about 10-15 minutes. <br />
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While they're roasting, empty your chopped onion, tomato, serrano pepper, and parsley into a food processor. I used a little 2-cup processor. When the tomatillos are finished, add them as well. Pulse 3-4 times. Add your salt, lime juice, and zest. Pulse to blend. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish.<br />
<br />
<u>Sweet Corn Spoonbread</u><br />
Makes 4-6 servings, depending on how much you wanna share<br />
<br />
1/3 cup butter, softened<br />
1/3 cup masa harina<br />
1/4 cup water<br />
1 1/2 cups fresh shucked sweet corn (about 2 medium ears)<br />
<i>(You can also sub 1 can whole or creamed corn)</i><br />
1/4 cup cornmeal<br />
1/4 cup white sugar<br />
2 tablespoons sour cream or greek yogurt<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon<br />
1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder<br />
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees. If you've made the salsa beforehand, your oven should already be there from roasting the tomatillos. <br />
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Remove the ears of corn from their husks, and remove all the silk. Using a sharp knife, cut off the kernels into a small saucepan. Add just enough water to cover, and boil on medium-high heat until kernels are tender, about 10 minutes. Drain. <br />
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While your corn is boiling, combine your masa harina with the water and sour cream (or yogurt). Stir well and let it soak it all up for about 5 minutes until you can fluff it with a fork, like stuffing. In a larger bowl, whip up your butter, spices, and sugar until creamy and thick. <br />
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Add the soaked masa harina, cornmeal, salt, baking powder, and drained corn. Stir well and spread into ungreased 8x8 pan, muffin tins, or ramekins. Put your pan into a 9x13 water bath (a 9x13 pan filled halfway with water). This is because the spoonbread is delicate and has to bake quite a while. You don't <i>have</i> to do a waterbath, but I really do recommend it to keep it from getting too firm and drying out. <br />
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Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Serve warm. Enjoy the ooh's and aah's, and then that wonderful silence as everyone digs in. <br />
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Enjoy, and happy eating!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-89475624491580913602011-07-17T00:21:00.000-07:002011-07-17T00:23:17.448-07:00Death by Chocolate, part 2I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say something I don't usually say. Ready?<br />
<br />
Cake isn't <i>always</i> best when it's tucked into cute little cupcake liners.<br />
<br />
Now. That's not to say it isn't completely <i>awesome</i> in little cupcake liners. It is. I'm just saying that sometimes, an old fashioned layer cake might be the way to go. Especially if you're dealing with a moist, fudgy chocolate cake, arranged into four gorgeous layers, stacked up tall with whipped ganache. Oh yes. I'll take a slice of <i>that</i>.<br />
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If you've linked to this post from somewhere else, or just happened to stumble across it (hi!), you can find the original recipe and photos here, at <a href="http://baking-a-cake.blogspot.com/2011/07/death-by-chocolate-part-1.html">Death By Chocolate, part 1</a> <br />
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I used this exact same recipe to make a layer cake for my friend Kassia's Dirty Thirty birthday. In fact, I made this right alongside the cupcakes in the above post. You really can't have enough chocolate on your birthday. It's a fact.<br />
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So, let's recap a bit.<br />
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We sifted. We mixed. We dropped an egg. We blended. We have cake batter.<br />
Then, we simmered. We melted. We whipped. We have ganache filling. <br />
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Now what?<br />
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I used a small 6" round cake pan. To keep the bottoms from sticking, I sprayed them with Pam, and cut a circle from parchment to line the bottom of the pan, then sprayed again. You could also use butter or Crisco.<br />
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan, about 3/4 full. Bake it at 350 until a pick comes out clean. It took my oven about 35-40 minutes. But honestly? I wasn't watching the clock. You can small cake when it's done. <br />
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Anyway, transfer the cake to a rack to cool. When you turn it out, it should flip out easily, due to the handy dandy parchment lining. Peel the lining off and discard. You'll be left with a perfectly smooth-bottomed cake. <br />
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Repeat again. Line pan, spray, pour batter, bake, cool. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4233.jpg"><br />
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When cakes are completely cool, we're going to torte them. Torting a cake simply means leveling it into flat, even layers. I don't claim to be a pro at this, but I can give it an honest effort and get decent results. Hopefully, I won't end up on <a href="http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/">Cake Wrecks</a>. After all, I can spell, and I have a leveler. It looks like this:<br />
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<img src="http://www.wilton.com/store/images/site_images/415-815_m.jpg"><br />
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You can adjust the wire to level the cake to the height you desire. It's an amateur tool, but it gets the job done. <br />
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You'll want to cut the domed top off your cake. What you do with this extra piece is completely your business. If you want to smear it with frosting and fold it into a cake taco and eat it over the kitchen sink, I wouldn't judge. Not even a little.<br />
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Using your leveler if you have one, or a serrated bread knife, gently slice your cake layer in half. It helps to put your cake on a flat, sturdy surface and press down gently with your palm on the top of the cake while you do this. Slice both cakes, and you'll end up with four decadent, chocolatey layers.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4232.jpg"><br />
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Now we're going to go back to that luscious whipped ganache. Spoon it into a wide-tipped piping bag and twist the bag shut at the top so your hands don't get all goopy. <br />
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If you were using a fruit or creme filling, you'd want to build a barrier line. That's basically a circle of thick frosting around the outer edge of each layer that helps keep your filling contained so it doesn't squoosh out the sides of the cake when you put the next layer on top. <br />
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A frosting (or in our case, ganache) barrier isn't really necessary for this recipe, since the ganache is already so thick. But to keep things neat and relatively tidy, I made one anyway. It also helps keep from having gaps between layers when you frost the entire cake. Makes it more solid, y'know?<br />
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See? Barrier line...<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4235.jpg"><br />
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Now fill it in...<br />
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You can pipe it in, or just use an offset spatula and schmear it around. <br />
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<i>(Oh, note: I keep seeing the word "spatular" used in different food blogs. It makes me cringe every single time. Really, people? Spatular?)</i><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4236.jpg"><br />
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If your torte levels aren't geometrically precise and perfectly flat (mine aren't either, it's completely okay. It's just cake), try to make sure that you line up the layers where the cuts were made so they stay as level as possible. The ideal end result is a round, flat cake without a rounded top or saggy sides.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4237.jpg"><br />
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So there we have it. A 4-layer stack of glory. Now, let's frost it!<br />
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I switched to the chocolate buttercream for the frosting. Again, the recipe is in the recipe link above. (And you should SEE this frosting if you haven't already. It's magic.)<br />
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I made this cake on a cardboard cake circle, and since frosting gets super messy, I slipped squares of parchment under the cake to catch my smears. This way, I can make a big ol' fat mess and just remove the parchment afterward. Boom, instant cleanup. <br />
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First, I put on a crumb coat. This is just your base layer of frosting. It catches loose crumbs and smooths out rough edges. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4239.jpg"><br />
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See the mess? Yeah. <br />
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Next, I added a second layer and used the back of a spoon to add some decorative swirlies. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4240.jpg"><br />
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And then, voila! Off with the parchment, and we have a nice clean cake!<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4241.jpg"><br />
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Don't make fun of me for using my food scale as a decorating pedestal. I'm ill equipped. Gotta use whatcha can. Okay, go ahead and make fun. Just a little. <br />
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I will admit, I got a little carried away with decorating. I let the buttercream set, and then drizzled the whole thing in liquid bittersweet ganache. I made "lace" fragments from purple-tinted chocolate by drizzling melted chocolate into bowl molds, then breaking it into pieces. Those went around the bottom edge. More lace on top as well, accompanied by chocolate bowls filled with ganache and a big chocolate ...um... feather. Fan? Starburst? ... something.<br />
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Hey, I thought it was neat! (And I wasn't drinking, I swear)<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4307.jpg"><br />
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Slicety slice:<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4345.jpg"><br />
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Happy birthday, Kas!<br />
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Oh, and just some cute things for your viewing pleasure...<br />
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I made this cute little skulls and crossbones as cupcake toppers for the cupcakes that went with this.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4298.jpg"><br />
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And this is Stormy. Kassia and Amanda's beagle. Isn't her nose entirely pokeable? Awww.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4315.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-18386667403052978202011-07-11T23:13:00.000-07:002011-07-11T23:13:22.637-07:00Death by Chocolate, part 1Buckle up, peeps.<br />
<br />
We're gonna go on a crazy ride. We're gonna make cake. But not just any ol' cake. No. <br />
<br />
Cake with cocoa. And chocolate milk. <br />
Filled with whipped ganache. <br />
Crowned in a cloud of chocolate buttercream. <br />
Dipped in dark chocolate ganache. <br />
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Holy moly, right?<br />
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Shockingly, these cupcakes, as explosive as they are with chocolatey goodness, are not too rich to eat. The bittersweet chocolate counteracts the sweetness of the buttercream and gives you a nice balance, so it's decadent, but not cloying. <br />
<br />
The cake is fudgy and thick, a bit like a brownie. It holds up well to all this deliciousness. When I first saw the recipe, I was a bit taken aback to see the addition of boiling water, but the reviews were awesome, so I went with it. And I'm so glad I did. These things are tremendous.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4218.jpg"><br />
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We're gonna start out mixing out sugar, flour, soda, powder, cocoa, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4220.jpg"><br />
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Still mixing, add your eggs. Don't drop them. That gets sticky. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4304.jpg"><br />
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Along with oil and coffee liquor, we'll add some chocolate milk for a lovely boost of flavor. There's no such thing as too much chocolate. Or liquor. Steal a nip for yourself while you're at it.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4223.jpg"><br />
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Now, mix it up, baby. It'll be kinda thick.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4224.jpg"><br />
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When it's well blended, with no lumps, add your boiling water. I know! Crazy! Water! Who'd have thought?<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4227-1.jpg"><br />
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Now. Blend it all up, stick it into lined cupcake pans, and bake. You'll be shocked how dark and luscious they come out. <br />
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See?<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4249.jpg"><br />
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Now, time for frosting! My favorite part.<br />
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This frosting is totally <a href="http://www.bakerella.com/fourteen-for-the-fourteenth/">Bakerella's</a> dreamchild. Because she's amazing. And so is this buttercream. Butter, sugar, cocoa, cream cheese... oh yes. This frosting is <i>sexy</i>. <br />
<br />
So, we'll whip up a batch of fudgy fluff and set it aside for now. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4234.jpg"><br />
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And now for the crowning glory. Literally. The ganache. This ganache plays two roles in this recipe, so you'll want to make sure it's awesome. Use good chocolate. I recommend Ghiradelli. <br />
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Stir until it's glossy and beautiful. If you're dancing in your kitchen humming songs from Willy Wonka right about now, you're definitely a friend of mine. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4257.jpg"><br />
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Now, I'm a crappy blogger and forgot to take pictures of this next part. I blame the chocolate. I might have been in a cocoa-coma. That's a thing. <br />
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Separate the ganache into two bowls. One deep, one wide. Set the deep dish aside. We'll get to it. I promise.<br />
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In the wide bowl, use a hand mixer to whip up the ganache. It's like magic! I squealed. <br />
It starts deep and glossy, and ends up like a fluffy, pale cocoa mousse. It'll look a lot like your buttercream.<br />
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Spoon the whipped ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip (or no tip). Using a paring knife, hollow out your cupcakes. This would be a most excellent time to eat some cake bellies. <br />
Pipe the whipped ganache into your cupcakes. It's getting good now. <br />
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I'm really sorry I don't have photos of this part. Total brainmelt. When chocolate is involved, sometimes I get a little loopy. <br />
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Anyway, swap out the whipped ganache for buttercream in your piping bag. I used a 1M open star tip and swirled on the buttercream like a delicious little hat. You'll want a nice little heap of it for the next part. <br />
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Oh! And stick 'em in the freezer. About 20 minutes should do it.<br />
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Here comes the bit about the deep container of ganache. Toldja we'd get to it. <br />
<br />
Careful now. These chilly cupcakes are going skinny dipping. <br />
<br />
Take a deep breath...<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4258.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4259.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4261.jpg"><br />
<br />
Whew. Now look at that. You've got yourself some serious chocolate. <br />
I'll see you soon for part 2. There's more. <br />
<br />
Enjoy, and happy eating!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4262.jpg"><br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Chocolate cake</u>:<br />
Recipe adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/one-bowl-chocolate-cake-iii/detail.aspx">this one</a> by Shirly O.<br />
<br />
2 cups white sugar<br />
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder<br />
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda<br />
1 teaspoon salt<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 cup chocolate milk<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
2 teaspoons coffee liquor<br />
1 cup boiling water<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. <br />
In a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt. <br />
Add the eggs, chocolate milk, oil and liquor. Mix for 2 minutes on medium speed of mixer. Stir in the boiling water last. Batter will be thin. Pour evenly into the prepared pans.<br />
Bake 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, until the cake tests done with a toothpick. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Bittersweet ganache</u>:<br />
<br />
2 pints heavy cream<br />
12oz bittersweet Ghiradelli chocolate, chopped<br />
<br />
In a medium saucepan, heat the cream to a simmer. Do not boil. Remove from heat, and add the chopped chocolate. Whisk until well blended, thick, and glossy. <br />
<br />
<br />
<u>Chocolate Buttercream Frosting</u>:<br />
<i>(Thanks, Bakerella!)</i><br />
<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened to room temperature<br />
8 oz. cream cheese, softened to room temperature<br />
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder <br />
1 box (1 lb) confectioner’s sugar<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1-3 Tbsp milk<br />
<br />
Cream the butter and cream cheese with a mixer.<br />
Add the cocoa and vanilla.<br />
Add the confectioner’s sugar in small batches and blend on low until combined. Scrape down sides with each addition.<br />
Add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until you get the consistency you desire.The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-41615315514648374292011-07-08T00:14:00.000-07:002011-07-08T00:20:19.715-07:00Butterflies are LoveIt's 2:09am. <br />
<br />
This is why I can't sleep. I'm FAR too busy playing. <br />
<br />
Melted chocolate and a piping bag is open invitation for insomnia. So many fun things to do. <br />
<br />
My project tonight was a mess of little purple candy butterflies, perched on top of ganache-dipped chocolate cupcakes. Ohmigosh. <br />
<br />
...did I mention that under the ganache is a fluffy cloud of fudge buttercream? Oh, and did I <i>also</i> mention that the INSIDE of the cupcake is hollowed out and filled with whipped ganache? No? Oh. Well it is. <br />
<br />
That's one super happy butterfly.<br />
<br />
These got tucked into a plain brown hatbox and tied with a purple ribbon. They're going to my son's school in the morning. Teachers need love. Especially teachers who deal with pants-wetting, tantrum-throwing, boogey-eating preschoolers all day. Bless their wonderful little hearts, Lord knows I couldn't do it.<br />
<br />
...not without a hefty dose of Xanax and a cocktail. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4291-1.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4293.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-50929349941218395942011-07-03T15:47:00.000-07:002011-07-03T15:47:35.041-07:00New UpdatesHello, friends! <br />
<br />
You may have noticed, my blog's got a whole new look. Also, it has caught up to the 21st century and joined Twitter as well. I'm still a tweeting novice, so if you have any tips or recommendations, send them my way! Any awesome groups I should join? Any fabulous websites or blogs to follow?<br />
<br />
Also, I have a link on the right to my storefront on Etsy. Now, I hate to be so blatant about merchandising, but I tried the Adsense thing, and frankly, I just hate having ads on my site. It looks awful, and I don't want to spam you guys, ever. You deserve better. <br />
<br />
So if you have an event coming up and would like to order some goodies, send me a message. If not, just keep on reading, and send me some comments! I love the interaction, and it's been feeling kind of dead in here lately. I will -always- reply to your comments or questions. And if you tried a recipe, or want to share one of your own, send it along! I'll post it! I love to see what's brewing in your kitchens. <3<br />
<br />
Until then, have a safe holiday, and happy eating!The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-16856067973391909852011-06-30T11:21:00.000-07:002011-07-02T20:51:00.272-07:00Vegan Strawberry Date Bars<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_40812.jpg" align="left"> <br />
Sometimes, I don't want to do stuff.<br />
<br />
Sometimes my bed looks far too inviting to want to actually crawl out of it and be productive. And sometimes even pouring a bowl of cereal is way too much work. Get a bowl? Ug. Put the milk BACK in the fridge? Psh. I can't be bothered with all that high maintenance breakfast drama for something blah like Cheerios. <br />
<br />
So what's a lazy girl to do when the sun is shining, and the day beckons for something healthy and fresh and wholesome, but you're still schlepping around the house in a ratty tshirt, half asleep? Make these bars, that's what. They come together in, like, 5 seconds. There's very little cleanup, they make just enough for two or three to share (or one hungry baker) and... Hm. What else...?<br />
<br />
Oh! That's right, did I mention they're vegan? And gluten free! And you can even easily make them <i>raw</i> vegan if you wanted, if you're feeling extra granola. <br />
<br />
This recipe is loosely adapted from one I saw in this month's "Whole Living" magazine. Except I changed some stuff. And added some stuff. But the concept has been stuck in my head since I first saw it, and has been whining to be let out. <br />
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<br />
So what do you need for these fab breakfast/dessert/snack/because-it's-tuesday bars? <br />
<br />
You'll need a food processor. And a dish. Preferably a loaf pan or a 6x6 or smaller casserole. Or little tart pans if you want to get all fancy. <br />
<br />
Then, you'll need some foodstuffs.<br />
This is a small-batch kinda thing. It only makes 4-6 bars.<br />
<br />
6-7 large strawberries<br />
1 1/2 cups dried, pitted dates<br />
1/4 cup unsweetened coconut <br />
1/4 cup cashews <br />
2 tablespoons old fashioned rolled oats<br />
1/4 cup no-sugar-added strawberry jam<br />
<br />
<small>(if you're not vegan, you can use regular jam. <br />
If you're raw, use mashed berries instead of jam, and make sure your coconut and cashews are raw, not toasted or roasted)</small><br />
<br />
...and that's it. Crazy.<br />
<br />
And here's how they come together. Just watch, you're gonna laugh. These are the most easy-peasy things ever. <br />
<br />
In a food processor, whirl all ingredients except the jam and berries until finely crumbed. You don't want any big pieces. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4038.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4048.jpg"><br />
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Press the crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased casserole dish or standard loaf pan. This won't make a lot, so don't use a large dish. I used a vintage 6x6 casserole that I found for $2 at a thrift shop. Wee! <br />
<br />
Then, just spoon your jam or mashed berries over the pressed crumb crust in an even layer. My jam is homemade. I made it last night in a fit of productivity. It has strawberries and balsamic vinegar and key lime juice and Riesling wine. It's yum. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4027.jpg"><br />
<br />
Then, slice up your strawberries and lay them over the jam. Press everything down just a bit to make sure it holds together. Chill for 10 minutes, slice, and serve. The crust is soft and chewy, with that lovely brown sugar flavor from the dates, offset by the tart, tangy strawberries. So many fantastic flavors and textures, all partying together. It's a good time. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/pressspreadslice.jpg"><br />
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The bottom may be crumbly, so you can serve it with a fork. Your floors will thank you. Your dog won't. <br />
<br />
Enjoy, and happy eating!!<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4062.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_4081.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-77467434478072786812011-06-28T22:48:00.000-07:002011-06-28T22:53:54.912-07:00Rainbow Cake PopsHold onto your britches, friends. <br />
<br />
Are these not the darn coolest things ever? And the best part is that they're sneaky! On the outside, they're a plain ol' boring cakepop. Sure, they're chocolatey and delicious. Sure, they're creamy and melt-in-your-mouth, but still. Just a cakepop. (Bakerella is hiring a hitman to hunt me down as we speak, for blaspheming so awfully) <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3913.jpg"><br />
<br />
But <i>then</i>... You bite into it, and KAPOW!! Totally groovy psychedelic swirls of colorfun jump out and smack you in the face! (Because they're fierce like that. <i>Fierce.</i>) You didn't see it coming, did you? Well, that'll teach you. Don't underestimate the mighty cakepop. (Please call off the hit, B. I love you.)<br />
<br />
Anyway, I must say, these were quite a project. I did two batches, and the first was FAR more time consuming than the second. By the time I got to the second batch, I had a better idea of how to go about it, and the results came out much better with much less work. Win, right? I'm all for less work. <br />
<br />
So, I'll tell ya how it happened. No magic wands were involved. <br />
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<br />
First, I mixed up a batch of plain <a href="http://allrecipes.com/recipe/simple-white-cake/detail.aspx">vanilla white cake</a>. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3855.jpg"><br />
<br />
Then, I separated it into five bowls and tinted each bowl a different color. I did these blue, yellow, orange, pink, and purple. I'm sorry I used awful, disposable bowls. You deserve better. Also? I'm a super messy baker.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3860.jpg"><br />
<br />
Pour into muffin tins and bake.<br />
(Now, you could also use regular cake pans, but I needed the colored muffin tops for another project.)<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3861.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3862.jpg"><br />
<br />
When cooled, throw the muffins, one color at a time, into the food processor and pulse to fine crumbs. Transfer crumbs to a bowl and mix with frosting. I used basic buttercream, tinted the same color as the cake for extra vibrancy. <br />
<br />
Repeat for the rest of your colors. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3868.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3870.jpg"><br />
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See? Super messy. But it's a happy mess!<br />
<br />
Then, chill each bowl (or in my case, plate) of cakeball "dough" until firm and moldable. <br />
<br />
I laid out a sheet of plastic wrap, got my hands damp (not wet!) under warm water, and pressed the first color of dough out into a long, thing strip. I started with purple. Wash hands. Repeat with each color, adding layer on top of layer. <br />
<br />
Then, I brought the plastic up, wrapped it around my layers, and pressed the layered stack of dough into a cylinder, much like you would a jelly roll cake. This is where you can twist it up or whatever you like to get your pattern inside. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3920.jpg"><br />
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Cutting off little 1" segments with a sharp knife, roll each piece between your palms into a sphere, or whatever shape you might happen to be making. Be sure to rinse your hands often, or the outside of your spheres will become a muddled mess of color as the dough rubs off on your hands. Of course, since they're being dipped, that really doesn't matter. But I'm kind of OCD like that. <br />
<br />
Chill until firm. Then, just skewer with your lolly sticks, and dip as usual. Voila! Pretty nifty, eh? <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3921.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3922.jpg"><br />
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You end up with a lovely swirl of color inside, and the best part? You can make them any color you want! Multicolored pops for baby showers, weddings, theme parties, whatev. And people will be totally amazed and swear you're magic. That's the best part.<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3941.jpg"><br />
<br />
Oh, and my daughter thinks they're super cool, too. She approves. And she matches. <br />
<br />
Enjoy and happy eating!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_38452.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-19141576838611987552011-06-23T21:05:00.000-07:002011-06-23T21:15:29.908-07:00Sweet Holy Smores, People!<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3839-1.jpg" align="left"> Okay, so I'm trying to come to terms with the idea that my tropical little desserts might not happen. I keep putting them off, and I WANT to make them, but I usually balk at the idea of making a bunch of things that can't be easily given away. And these guys are fragile. They won't pack well or hold up to a lot of shuffling around. So if anyone local wants to come chat a while in my kitchen and take home some yumminess, sing out. I want to get these guys done. Really. <br />
<br />
In the <i>meantime</i>, however, I made s'mores. But these are certainly not your typical campfire s'mores, no sir! <br />
<br />
I thought of so many friends when I made these.<br />
<br />
I thought of Katie and her undying love of cinnamon toast crunch.<br />
<br />
I thought of my friends Kassia and Amanda, who are off on a long camping excursion.<br />
<br />
I thought of Christy, who I need to go camping with very soon!<br />
<br />
I thought of Cara, who stopped by just in time to help, but couldn't stay for a bite. That was tragic.<br />
<br />
So you see, friends, there is a lot of love in these s'mores. That's probably why they're just so damn delicious. Or it might be the Ghiradelli chocolate. Or the buttery marshmallow cream. Or the crispy cinnamon toast crunch...<br />
<br />
Wait, what's that you say? Where's the Hershey bar? The big spongey mallows? The graham crackers? "Posh!" you say. You say it's not a S'more without those vital ingredients, yeah? <br />
<br />
Well, let me tell you.<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<br />
These things may look a bit different, but they are nuclear-hot on the deliciometer. These are like what would happen if Rice Crispy Treats and S'Mores hopped on the good foot and did the bad thing. They are dessert's tastiest lovechild. <br />
<br />
So let's get 'em started. We're gonna go back to a plain ol' photo post today, friends. I shot these at night, so they're a bit dark.<br />
<br />
<br />
<u>What you'll need:</u><br />
5-6 cups Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal<br />
<small><i>...(you could also use Golden Grahams. But I don't like those.)</i></small><br />
1 7oz container marshmallow fluff<br />
1 cup milk chocolate chips - <i>I used Ghiradelli</i><br />
4 Tbsp sweet cream butter<br />
<br />
Using a large mixing bowl, crush your cereal. You don't want crumbs, but whole pieces are harder to hold together. A rough chop in a food processor will work too, but I prefer good, old fashioned brutality. I used a pestle to mash mine a bit. Set them aside.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3819.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3820.jpg"><br />
<br />
In a saucepan, melt your butter over low heat. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3815.jpg"><br />
<br />
Add your marshmallow creme and stir well until well incorporated. We use marshmallow creme for this recipe instead of whole marshmallows because we want the finished product to be slightly gooey. Whole mallows will firm up too much, and we'll lose that wonderful s'mores melty texture. <br />
<br />
I know it seems like the mallow creme will never blend into the butter, but it will. I promise. Keep stirring. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3821.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3824.jpg"><br />
<br />
Now, once you have a nice liquid creme, pour it over your crushed cereal. Thank you Cara for helping out! She was the one pouring this. She poked her head in the door and I called, "Hey, just in time! Come do this!" Hehe! It's a well established fact that if you visit, you very well might be forced to work in the kitchen.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3830.jpg"><br />
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Mix it in really well.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3831.jpg"><br />
<br />
Add your chocolate chips and stir again. Oh! This is also the time where you could add a handful of mini marshmallows if you wanted! Oooh, that would have been awesome. Next time. <br />
<br />
When everything is well blended, press the mixture into a buttered 8x8 pan. Get in there really good and solid, pressing it down into the corners. <br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3833.jpg"><br />
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Mmm, yum!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3834.jpg"><br />
<br />
Now. Stick the pan in your fridge and let them set for an hour or two. There you have it. Perfect bars of campfire bliss. Crispy and chocolatey with just the right amount of gooey in each bite. Slice 'em up into squares and serve. Or hoard them all for yourself. It's none of my business. <br />
<br />
Enjoy, and happy eating!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3840.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-53387548568578978852011-06-16T09:23:00.000-07:002011-06-16T09:33:11.136-07:00Getting there...<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/kiwi_love_sc.jpg" align="left"> Hello out there. <br />
<br />
I wish I had something amazing for you today. I don't. <br />
<br />
I'm in the process of <i>making</i> something amazing, though. Something coconut and macadamia nuts. And graham cracker and kiwi. And white chocolate and cardamom. Crazy, right? <br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I don't think it'll be done until tomorrow. It's not a particularly difficult or tedious recipe or anything. In fact, I could probably have it all done in about an hour and a half if I wanted to. But I'm afraid I've gotten distracted. Summer has flashed a grin at me, and like a lovestruck teenager, I'm wandering off after it. <br />
<br />
Oh sure, I <i>could</i> be baking. But I haven't been. At least, not for more than an hour or so at a time. <br />
<br />
Instead, this is what I've been doing this week.<br />
<br />
I had cold spaghetti for breakfast. Two days in a row. <br />
<br />
I took out the trash. <br />
<br />
I browsed for museums to visit. <br />
<br />
I gave my daughter a soap mohawk in the bath tub. <br />
<br />
I had friends over for queso and a princess movie. <br />
<br />
I painted my nails red. <br />
<br />
I changed my mind and repainted them plum. <br />
<br />
I fell asleep on the couch and woke up to Fraggle Rock. I didn't change the channel.<br />
<br />
I said hello to the snake that lives in my garden.<br />
<br />
I used clementine-scented bath gel in the shower. <br />
<br />
I noticed that my neighbor's garden is overrun with weeds, and felt better about my own. <br />
<br />
I fed my mom's cats. <br />
<br />
I took a nap in my hammock.<br />
<br />
I went for a walk and waved at my neighbors.<br />
<br />
I fell for a prank phone call. But only a little.<br />
<br />
I said a prayer for a friend. And then said a couple more. <br />
<br />
I picked up the same eight baby toys. Again and again. <br />
<br />
I introduced my daughter to tomatoes and avocado. <br />
<br />
I stayed up until three o'clock in the morning.<br />
<br />
I joined a friends' fundraiser relay team.<br />
<br />
I listened to some seriously fantastic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCCGmD-dSq8&feature=related">bluegrass music</a>. <br />
<br />
<br />
So you see, I've had a busy week. I promise, I'll have something yummy to you soon. Thanks for being so patient. And for those who are have just subscribed, hello! Good to see you. Thanks for joining us! I just know we're going to be very good friends.The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-89209160989586858012011-06-12T09:44:00.000-07:002011-08-15T15:05:52.242-07:00Gooey Butter Cake BallsOh my gosh, you guys! I was just reading through my own blog and saw, several posts down, that I promised you gooey butter cake balls. I never delivered on those, did I? Oh no.<br />
<br />
Please forgive me. Let me fix that right this second. <br />
<br />
First, some history. <br />
<br />
This is a gooey butter cake.<br />
<br />
<small>Thanks to www.tidymom.net for the pic!</small><br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/Gooey-Butter-Cake.jpg"><br />
<br />
It is exactly what it sounds like--it's a cake, it's gooey, and it tastes like butter. It's sweet and rich, and satisfies that urge your sweet tooth sometimes has for something just horribly unhealthy. It's also <i>delicious</i>. <br />
<br />
Gooey butter cake is a St. Louis landmark and tradition that originated in the 1930s. According to legend, a German baker added the wrong proportions of ingredients in the coffee cake batter he was making. It turned into a gooey, custard-like filling.<br />
<br />
Being a true St. Louisian, I couldn't resist the urge to turn a local point of pride into a lush truffle. <br />
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I made several different attempts, trying to get the flavor and texture just right.<br />
<br />
<br />
First, I tried putting an entire gooey butter cake in a food processor. I ended up with rich, custardy goo. So that got tossed.<br />
<small>(I may or may not have snuck out of bed in the middle of the night to steal spoonfuls of said goo from the bowl on the counter before I mustered the discipline to throw it away.)</small> <br />
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Then I tried just pinching off bits of gooey butter cake and rolling them into balls. That didn't work because the texture was inconsistent and gave me lumpy truffles with bits of globby crust pieces. No bueno.<br />
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So finally it hit me that I don't have to use actual gooey butter cake if I can just get the flavor and texture right. So I went hunting. <br />
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I needed something crusty and buttery. So I went and scoured the cookie aisle at my local grocery. Bingo! I found a box of extra-buttery shortbread tea cookies. They actually <i>said</i> "Extra buttery!" on the box. So I took those home and ground them up in the food processor into fine crumbs.<br />
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I also needed creaminess. So I made a quick bowl of buttercream frosting with one stick of butter and 2 cups of powdered sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla and a drizzle of milk. Whip well until light and fluffy. I used unsalted, sweet cream butter for the right richness. <br />
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Mix a generous dollop of buttercream into the crumbs and stir until well mixed and smooth.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/Gooeybutter1.jpg"><br />
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Next, I rolled the GBC (gooey butter cake) dough into 1" balls and chilled for an hour until firm and set. <br />
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next, melt 12 ounces chocolate flavored almond bark. Make sure to stir it smooth. <br />
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Inserting a toothpick into a chilled dough ball, gently dip it into the melted bark. Tap to remove excess and let set on a piece of parchment. <br />
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When all balls are dipped and set, drizzle a bit of melted bark over the tops to cover the toothpick holes and seal. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/dunkit.jpg"><br />
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When it's all done, sprinkle with some powdered sugar, and go to town. <br />
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Enjoy and happy eating!!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_2245.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-70741189583038397872011-06-09T22:36:00.000-07:002011-06-09T23:16:42.629-07:00Girl Scout Samoa Twinsies<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/samoaheader.jpg" align="left"> Happy Friday, friendlies! I am going to preface this post with one disclaimer. I support Girl Scouts. I am totally down with jamborees and sashes. I can get behind the sisterhood thing and helping little old ladies across the street. Or...is that Boy Scouts? Meh. Whatev. <br />
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Camping? Love it. Patches? Who doesn't love flair! The Girl Scouts are good people. During my pregnancy last year, they singlehandedly contributed to at least 10 pounds of my total gain, purely through the abuse of Do-Si-Do Peanut Butter cookies. En masse. I do my part. You should too. Support your scouts or the terrorists win. <br />
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Okay, NOW. I must <i>also</i> say that it is incredibly unfair of said Scouts to set up their booths and peddle crack-laced cookies to the public, and then disappear for another 51 weeks while we all throw ourselves into Thin Mint comas and begin turning on each other in fits of peanut butter withdrawal rage. <br />
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So between those magical annual festivals of Girl Scout glory, I want to offer you a substitute to help keep you sated until the Scouts return once again to distribute their wares.<br />
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I happened to receive two fresh, whole coconuts in my co-op produce bag this week. I wanted to do something really fabulous with them, and the cookie idea struck. <br />
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So let's start there. <br />
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Of course, to make things easier on yourself, you can always use pre-shredded coconut. (And honestly? For a recipe like this where there are so many rich flavors, I recommend it. They're a LOT of work, and the goodness of fresh coconut is better suited for a dish where the coconut flavor is the star)<br />
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I stuck a stubby short flathead screwdriver into the coconut shell and whacked it with a hammer. A lot. I created a hole and drained the juice. Then, I used the flat side of the screwdriver to pry apart the shell like a crowbar. Pop! Those suckers are <i>strong!</i> Using a couple different knives, I peeled the meat from the shell. This is a LOT harder than it sounds. My arms were tired and I was sweating by the time it was done. Those coconuts don't go down without a fight, let me tell you. <br />
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Anyway, I stuck the flesh in my food processor, fitted with the shredding blade. I toasted it at 200 degrees for an hour, and let air dry overnight. By morning, it was perfect. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/coconut-1.jpg"><br />
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The Samoa cookie is made up of three parts.<br />
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Shortbread base<br />
Caramel-coconut topping<br />
Fudge drizzle<br />
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Serious yummage. <br />
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I used a simple, standard shortbread dough.<br />
<small>Recipe is kosher dairy, vegetarian, and can be easily made gluten free</small><br />
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1 cup (two sticks) butter, room temperature<br />
1/2 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
<small>(You can also use gluten free flour and make these cookies totally G.F.)</small><br />
1/4 teaspoon baking powder<br />
1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 tablespoons whole milk or half-and-half<br />
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Cream together the butter, sugar, and vanilla until super light and fluffy. It should be pretty in the bottom of your mixing bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together your flour, baking powder, and salt. I hate sifting. I'm lazy like that. <br />
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With your mixer on low speed, gradually add the flour until the dough is crumbly and well mixed. Add your milk and stir with a spoon until the dough holds together. Turn it out onto a clean surface and knead until smooth and supple. Separate the dough into two balls. Squish 'em flat and wrap in plastic. (This is a family show, folks.) <br />
We want to chill these babies in the fridge until they're relatively solid again. Otherwise, your rolling pin will make a nasty mess of everything. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/whipmix.jpg"><br />
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Once your dough is well chilled, flour your work surface and unwrap one of the dough packages. Sprinkle the top of the dough with a bit of flour to keep the pin from sticking, and roll flat to 1/4" thickness. Cut out your cookie shapes. I used a 1 3/4" round biscuit cutter, and the open end of a piping tip for the center hole. Re-roll the scraps and go again. Then, if you want to use your second dough packet, go for it. If not, it will keep for a week or two in the fridge. Longer in the freezer. <br />
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My good friend Kara lent me her daughter for the day, and she was <strike>performing child labor</strike> helping me in the kitchen. It was lovely to have someone else with whom I could make a giant happy mess.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/doughballrings.jpg"><br />
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Pop your shortbread rounds into a preheated oven (350 degrees F) and let them bake until firm, but not browned. About 10 minutes maybe, but it will vary from oven to oven. Keep an eye on them. Transfer to a rack to cool. <br />
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Now for the caramel coconutty goodness. <br />
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I eyeballed this, so my measurements are....well, frankly, I'm totally making them up. Sometimes ya just gotta freestyle. <br />
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The same friend, Kara, (isn't she awesome?) made me a lovely jar of homemade caramel sauce for my birthday a few weeks ago. It's been sitting in my fridge singing to me ever since, and I needed to put it to good use before I found myself on the kitchen floor at 3:00am with the jar and a spoon. That's not pretty. Nobody wants to see that. <br />
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You can use caramel sauce, or use your microwave to melt storebought soft caramel with a few spoonfuls of milk and a pinch of salt. Maybe if we all ask really nicely, Kara will post her caramel recipe in the comments. :D Pleeaase?<br />
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So I spooned a good cup of chilled caramel into a heatproof bowl and nuked it for a minute until it liquefied. I then stirred THAT into about 2 cups of my fresh shredded coconut. The coconut should be coated, but not drippy or oozy. You want it to resemble a raw macaroon. <br />
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(mmm...macarooooons!) <br />
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I stuck my finger through a cooled shortbread round and used my other hand to press the coconut mixture onto the cookie. Be gentle. Treat it like a lady. I won't lie--this process sucks. It's tedious and time consuming and messy as hell. But the results are worth it, I promise. <br />
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<i>(Of course, if you wanted to take the Lazy Man method, you could just press the shortbread dough into a 9x13 pan, bake, cool, schmear with caramel coconut mix, and drizzle in chocolate. Cut into squares and call 'em Samoa bars. But not today.)</i><br />
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Once your cookies are coated, stick them back into the fridge to firm up a bit. And wash your hands. Goodness, they're sticky! <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/ooooeygooey-1.jpg"><br />
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When the cookies are chilled, you can make them neat. Press them caramel-side down on waxed paper to flatten them out, roll them on edge to smooth out the rough coconut flyaways. Make 'em pretty if you want. <br />
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Now. In a heat-safe bowl, melt 12oz dark chocolate, chopped or chips. Stir to make it smooth. <br />
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You can use a fork, your fingers, a toothpick, whatever you like. We're going to dip those cookies, cookie-side down, into the chocolate. I started with my fingers, but that got messy. I then tried chopsticks, but that wasn't working. I ended up using toothpicks. Lay dipped cookies on parchment or waxed paper. <br />
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I found that I had so much excess chocolate on these cookies, that I had to set them down on paper, let them puddle a little, then pick them back up out of the choco-pool and transfer them to a clean sheet of parchment. Too much chocolate! (I know, there's no such thing, right? But for aesthetics, sacrifices must be made.) <br />
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Once they're dipped, transfer the rest of the melted chocolate into a baggie. Zip it tight and snip a hole in the tip. Drizzle chocolate over the cookies, and let them set until firm. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/chocolate.jpg"><br />
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Voila! There you have it, lovelies. Homemade Samoas. <br />
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So next time a cute little girl in a beret knocks on your door with a wagon full of cookie boxes, you can stick out your tongue and say, "Nope, not gonna do it. I can make my own!" But really...don't. Buy a box. She wants to go to Happy Fun PlayWorld. Have a heart.<br />
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And while you're at it, have a Samoa, too!<br />
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Enjoy, and happy eating!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3489.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-74936103972251626712011-06-06T12:43:00.000-07:002011-06-06T13:31:58.545-07:00Cheese and Almond Creme Blintzes<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_33792.jpg" align="left"> Happy Monday, dear ones. I hope you're all having a wonderful day. If not, then I hope you have wine. <br />
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Did you have a good weekend? I had a <i>fabulous</i> weekend. Barbecue and pool party with the family, then an absolutely stirring concert at a tiny local theater last night. I did a little digging and found a <a href="http://ishootshows.com/2011/06/05/preview-mumford-sons-the-pageant/">photographer</a> who was there and has photos! ::dance:: Gotta wait for them to be uploaded, though. <br />
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If your weekend was as rockin' as mine, you better spill it. I want to hear. <br />
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So after an amazing couple days, I woke up this morning and craved something light and fluffy. Pancakes would be too heavy. Toast? Nah. Too dry. Omelet? Eh, too meaty for a balmy St. Louis morning... hm. What could I make?<br />
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Oh! Blintzes! Light and airy, creamy, and full of yum. And let me share something with you, friends--I like yum. What could be tastier than thin, toasty crepes stuffed with marzipan-infuzed ricotta filling and drizzled in homemade blackberry sauce? HO boy! Nothing. So I hopped out of bed and whipped up my batter. <br />
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<b><u>Crepe Batter</u></b><br />
<small>Makes 12 large crepes</small><br />
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1 cup all-purpose flour<br />
3 eggs<br />
2 cups milk<br />
1 teaspoon granulated sugar<br />
1/4 teaspoon salt<br />
2 tablespoons butter, melted<br />
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I can tell you how to sift everything together and stir in this, and whisk in that... but to be perfectly honest, I don't want to sift and stir first thing in the morning, no ma'am. So I put everything in a blender and pulse until smooth and well blended. Then I let it sit in the fridge for an hour to let the bubbles dissipate. Bubbly batter will make the crepe less flexible and more prone to cracking. <br />
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I highly recommend using a crepe pan. You can use a skillet if you don't have a crepe pan, but skillets aren't usually as thick and heavy-bottomed as a crepe pan, and because crepes are so thin, they'll scorch easily if you don't keep a diligent eye on them. So be sure to watch like an angry mama bear if you're using a skillet. <br />
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I like to wipe my pan with an oil-dampened paper towel and get it nice and hot. When you pour in your batter, you should hear a slight sizzle and it should spread easily, but the batter shouldn't stick and cook immediately--you'll get globby, uneven crepes. Pour about 1/2 a cup of batter into the crepe pan, and swirl the batter around the pan until you have a nice, even layer. Let it cook 30-45 seconds and flip. If your pan is well seasoned, you should be able to just give a flick of the wrist and pretend like you're hosting a cooking show as you flip it right there in the pan (or is that just me?) <br />
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It should be golden brown on each side. Transfer to a rack to cool. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3364.jpg"><br />
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Now to make them blintzalicious!<br />
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In a small bowl, I mixed 1 cup of ricotta cheese with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of honey. I also used 1/2 a cup of sweetened almond paste, and several spoonfuls of homemade blackberry jam, warmed and liquefied. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3226.jpg"><br />
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Schmear one quarter of your cooled crepe with a thin layer of almond paste. Pile in the ricotta mixture and roll your crepe from one edge, tucking in the ends as you go. Or you can just fold your crepe into quarters and make it into a triangle shape.<br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3379.jpg"><br />
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You can garnish with whipped cream for an extra dollop of dairy, or sprinkle on some orange zest to bring out that bright flavor, sprigs of mint, fresh fruit, a dash of cinnamon, or whatever your heart desires. <br />
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Enjoy, and happy eating! <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3389.jpg"><br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3394.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4678362498890444079.post-60449221538420742512011-05-10T12:52:00.000-07:002011-05-10T13:06:44.752-07:00Springtastic Salad<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3184-1.jpg" align="left"> It's gray today. It's hot, and the air is sticky, and thunder keeps rolling through but there's no rain. It's one of those days that just makes you want to sit in the air conditioning and not move much. <br />
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The perfect cure for the hot-sticky blues is something fresh, bright, and clean. Something sweet and tangy and fabulous. Something just loaded to the brim with all kinds of goodness that comes from the earth. <br />
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So on days like these, a salad just fits the bill. <br />
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But we can't have just any ol' salad, now can we? Nope. That just won't do. A salad should have texure, and not just texture but contrast! Hot and cold, sweet and spicy, creamy and crunchy, ooh baby, I'm gettin' all shivery. Sounds like one hell of a salad, yeah? Yeah! <br />
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I feel a bit silly writing out an actual recipe for a salad, so is it okay if we just take a walk-through? There's no need to stand on formality, we're all friends here. <br />
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First let's start with the greens and the as-is stuff. Things that don't need any modification. <br />
I used living lettuce leaves (that cool lettuce that comes with the roots still attached? Yeah, that. It was on sale this week), fresh blackberries, cherry tomatoes, and avocado slices. I also sprinkled pinches of Mediterranean herbed goat cheese across all that loveliness. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/FRESH.jpg"><br />
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I prepped the sweet potato by poking some holes in it, wrapping it in a wet paper towel, and mirowaving for 8 minutes. It's too hot for ovens. When it was nice and tender, I sliced it up and threw it in a skillet with just a dab of oil and sauteed the pieces until crispy and browned on each side. Throw those on the salad.<br />
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Trim the ends of a handful of asparagus spears. You want asparagus that is brightly colored, firm, and have tightly closed tips. In that same skillet, toss the asparagus with a little garlic pepper and olive oil, and sautee lightly until tender, about 5 minutes. Those go on the salad, too. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3163.jpg"><br />
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Now, the dressing! Mmm, dressing. <br />
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I admit, I stood over this pot of dressing and ate it like dip, using a handful of asparagus as my "spoon". <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3168.jpg"><br />
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I brought 1/3 cup mango juice to rolling boil in a small saucepan. I used Naked juice, but you can use whatever you fancy. You'll want to let the juice reduce down at a rolling boil until you're left with about half of the original amount. Next, slice a pink or red grapefruit in half. Squeeze the juice of one half into the mango reduction, along with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Stir well and remove from heat. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/DRESSING.jpg"><br />
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Peel and separate the other half of the grapefruit into segments. Guess where those go? Yep, on the salad! <br />
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Now, drizzle your warm mango-grapefruit dressing over the salad and serve immediately. <br />
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<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3178.jpg"><br />
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Could you possibly ask for anything more decadent and luscious? No way. Enjoy, and happy eating!<br />
<br />
<img src="http://i1229.photobucket.com/albums/ee478/SweetN0things/IMG_3183.jpg">The Happy Bakerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13050272210821172359noreply@blogger.com0