A Christmas Eve Brunch

                            

Christmas is here!
I love Christmas.  Our immediate family gathers together at my Mom and Dad's to celebrate the holiday.  Christmas is a smaller celebration than Thanksgiving.  It is quieter, more relaxed and wonderful.  (Don't let me mislead you, Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday.  We are able to see all of our aunts, uncles and cousins.  We share wonderful meals and are always laughing!)  



We decided to start Christmas Eve this morning with a festive brunch.  I made a Sausage Cheese Breakfast Casserole last night to pop into the oven this morning.  It called for turkey sausage and low-fat cheese to lighten this casserole.  I did use a full-fat cheese for added flavor, but followed the recipe otherwise.  It was unbelievably delicious and still fairly low in calories to help us conserve for all of the Christmas cookies.  


Georgia Peaches anyone?  Yes, please!  I used one ounce Peach Schnapps, one ounce orange juice and filled the rest of the glasses with champagne.  Oh my goodness, so good.  And it is never to early on Christmas to have a little bubbly!







I've been promising my brother, A, for months that I would make him the blueberry streusel muffins.  As an added side dish, I whipped these up this morning.  As good as ever - super moist and filled with blueberries.  Yum.


My cousin, J, was a tremendous help this morning.  He even made the potatoes.  He baked them, then sliced them adding them to a pot with butter and diced onions.  Wow.  No better way to start the day!


Merry Christmas!

Happy Birthday, J!

I've said it once, birthdays are wonderful.  A time to remember how amazing life can be and the joys it brings to all of us.  I had the great honor of celebrating with my favorite cousin, J.  Vanilla on vanilla was the request.  I tested a new vanilla cake recipe.  I think I found a winner!  It stayed so moist and was absolutely delicious.


I made my classic vanilla buttercream.  For the filling I chose a white chocolate, raspberry ganache.  Boil 1 cup whipping cream for 5 minutes, take off heat and add 5 oz. white chocolate to melt.  Refrigerate for 1 hour to set.  Add chopped raspberries to cream mixture after 1 hour refrigeration.  Pour over cake layer.

This was my first square cake, and it was so much fun to make!  I "wrapped" it to represent a present.  I made my own fondant - wrapping the entire cake with white fondant.  I then colored the remaining fondant blue and used strips for the ribbon.  I wrapped 1/4" strips around dowel rods and let dry to make the curliques.

The cake turned out beautifully.  Happy Birthday, J!

Cookie Extravaganza

Kitchen is clean, butter is at room temperature and the Christmas music is playing.  Let the baking festivities begin!


Many people host holiday cookie exchanges to make baking for the holidays easier.  Now I know why!  I spent the weekend baking.  It was absolutely wonderful, but a true challenge.  I started with making homemade dog biscuits for my sisters puppy.  A lovely Christmas gift from the heart.  The biscuits came out wonderfully.  They were a little puffy, but they smelled of chicken and looked like the expensive dog biscuits you buy in the high-end shops, so I was happy.  Now on to the cookies for humans!


I want to give cookies away this year as a nice treat for people.  I'm making the cookie I'm known for - the classic chocolate chip.  I've made chocolate chip cookies more times than I can count.  This is the cookie that got me started on baking as a hobby!  They are wonderfully delicious, and super easy to make.  I made a double batch to ensure plenty for the family and all of my gift boxes!  

Next up - Ooey Gooey Butter Cookies.  This recipe is a family recipe.  I remember my Aunt A making these when I was a kid.  Exactly how they sound, ooey, gooey, buttery, melt in your mouth - YUM!  These still are an all time favorite at our house.  


And don't forget the sugar cookies!  I made a double batch of these so I could give plenty away and still have some left over for the family.  I made these for A and C's baby shower, and they were a huge hit.  I'm hoping these will go over just as well, if not better than the last time I made them.  I chose a variety of shapes to get into the holiday spirit, Christmas trees, stockings, candy canes, gingerbread men, stars and snowmen.  Decorating is a bit of a challenge.  I'm not sure I have the right tools to make these look as awesome as they could, but close enough!  And practice makes perfect, so I guess I'll just have to make more of these in the near future.


I am looking forward to giving these sweet treats away and sharing them with my family.  Looking forward to Christmas!


Happy holidays! 

Muffins - Absolute Perfection

How to describe a muffin.  If made correctly, they have a perfectly moist inside with a crunchy topping – melt in your mouth deliciousness, especially hot from the oven.  I’ve always had a love for breakfast food.  I can eat breakfast for breakfast, lunch or dinner.  And don’t forget about brunch!  Taking my love for baking and combining it with breakfast food has become a real treat on the weekends.  Glorious muffins, hot from the oven with a small pat of butter.  Nothing is better when you’re still in your sleepy state first thing on a Saturday.

As children, mom used to make us blueberry streusel muffins after church.  These are the muffins that come out of a box.  They were delicious, but the formula changed over the last year and they certainly aren’t the same.  We used to beg for these muffins.  They were so good!  I was experimenting one weekend trying to recreate these delicious memories of childhood.  Success has been found.

I started with a recipe for apple pie streusel muffins, but made a few changes, including swapping out the apples for blueberries.  Followed then by banana.  What else was I to do with the bananas that were slowly turning from ripe to screaming "bake with me please?!"  Substituting three bananas for the blueberries, these muffins turned out phenomenal.  Moist in the center, with the crunch of the streusel topping.  Absolute perfection.    

Birthday Celebrations

I absolutely love birthdays.  We commemorate how wonderful the gift of life is and all the joy it brings.  Nothing more makes me happier than getting to share in someone’s birthday celebration.  As I’ve grown as a baker, this usually involves me making a cake or cupcakes to bring to the party.  After all, everyone must make a birthday wish, and you can’t do that without a cake or cupcake to put the candle in!

This month I’ve had the honor of making two very special birthday cakes, both for family members.  The first cake was for a first birthday party.  Minnie Mouse was the theme!  I can’t think of a more fun theme for a first birthday.  An absolute blast to make!  All hands on deck for this cake.  I had my dad help me with the power tools.  Yes, power tools in the kitchen!  After fully washing, of course, we drilled holes into the cake boards and cake to insert a dowel rod for extra support.  This was quite the experience! 

For the ultimate introduction to sugar, chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream.  Yum.  This was made for the “smash” cake the birthday girl dug into.  I made a tiered cake for the rest of the party goers to enjoy.  Two layers were chocolate with whipped Oreo filling and the third was chocolate with a chocolate peanut butter ganache filling.  So delicious.

The second cake I had the privilege of making was for my dear sister.  


She wanted something classic but with an edge.  We decided on a black tiered cake, but miniature, with tiny roses made of fondant as an accent.  The roses really pop against the black fondant.  She wanted the cake to look sexy, so we went with chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream.  The reviews were outstanding.  I was even asked at the restaurant where we purchased the cake.  I was happy to tell the wait staff that I had made it.  What a compliment!

Happy Birthday B!!

My First Turkey

Thanksgiving is a magical time.  Family gathers from all of the United States to reconnect, spend time together and, of course, eat delicious meals.  The center of Thanksgiving is the turkey and the stuffing.  This year, as my family gathers, I have the wonderful opportunity to dive into my hobby of cooking and baking all weekend!

I'm roasting my first turkey.  A remarkable task, as it is the main dish for the meal today.  I chose Saveur's Herbed Roast Turkey Recipe.  Using a high fat butter - Kerrygold Unsalted - with thyme, sage, paprika and brown sugar as an herb butter sauce.  I've already basted the turkey three times with this delicious mixture.  In the cavity I mixed the carrots, onion, celery and lemon wedges to help give the turkey an impeccable flavor.

I added more water to the roaster to ensure an extremely moist turkey.  The house is filling with the smells Thanksgiving brings.  My mouth is already watering waiting for the turkey to come out of the roaster.  


A few hours pass and the turkey is ready!  The skin is browned and crisp from the butter herb mix.  And just as I had hoped, the turkey is falling off the bone - moist to perfection.  My dad carves the turkey as we taste test.  Once we get to the bottom, he looks at me and says "now this is the best part" pointing to the carrots and bits of meat that have fallen into the bottom of the pan with the juices of the turkey.  Heavenly.


Happy Thanksgiving!

Love for Pumpkin

I was inspired this week to create a pumpkin buttercream frosting.  Which then led to what do I put the pumpkin frosting on top of - a chocolate cupcake, vanilla?  Why not just dive in pumpkin first - Spiced Pumpkin Cupcakes with Pumpkin Buttercream Frosting.  Now that's a mouthful of pumpkin!

So I began doing some research on recipes.  What makes the best pumpkin cupcake?  So many choices!  I decided I wanted a really good pumpkin flavor, so I began by using 3/4 cup pumpkin puree.  Attempting to simulate a pumpkin pie flavor while keeping a nice cake texture, I added nutmeg and cinnamon to help bring out the flavor.


The batter reached the flavor I was going for, so into the oven they went!  I brought the cupcakes out slightly early to make sure they were as moist as possible.  

The cupcakes came out perfectly.  Time for the pumpkin buttercream!  Traditional buttercream only uses butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and milk.  To amp this up with pumpkin flavor I added 3/4 cup pumpkin puree, cinnamon, ginger, salt and pumpkin pie spice.  The texture is very similar to buttercream, but be sure to use less milk so it isn't too soft.  The flavor is unbelievable.  Pumpkin on pumpkin, it doesn't get better than this!

All About Cakes

Birthday Celebrations are the Best!


I strongly believe that everyone should be able to make a birthday wish and enjoy a really good piece of birthday cake when they celebrate turning one year older.  


This last week I've made two cakes for two very special birthdays.  The first was a friend of mine - a classic carrot cake with a classic look.  I was asked to do a vampire themed cake.  Without making it cheesy, I did a white fondant over the carrot cake with a black ribbon border.  I added black scrolls and then three red roses.  

The second, for a party this weekend, is R2D2.  This was by far the most difficult cake that I've made, but it was the most fun!  I used three 6 x 3" cakes and a dome cake for the top.  I painted the dome with a silver edible paint mixed with vodka.  The vodka evaporates (safe for kids to eat!) and leaves a nice silver color on the cake.  The arms were the most interesting piece of the cake to design.  I used Rice Krispies treats to mold the shape of the arm and covered those with fondant.  I never thought I would be molding Rice Krispies treats into robot arms.    


I hope each individual has a very special birthday!

Let's Celebrate Fall

Fall is my favorite time of the month.  The sticky August heat wave comes to an end, and the cool fall breezes sweep through the air.  The leaves start to change colors and, in time, illuminate the streets with breathtakingly beautiful colors.  Apples are in season and pumpkin patches are on my mind. 

I loved taking trips to the apple orchard and pumpkin patch as a kid.  We’d pick apples all afternoon followed by a glass of cider.  Then we’d get to pick out the biggest (best) pumpkins in the patch.  When we got home, the house would fill with smells of apple crisp while we carved the pumpkins with dad on the front porch.  We’d slide the candles into the pumpkins, light them, put the tops back on, and line them up on the steps.  As the sun set, our porch would glow with our freshly carved pumpkins – it always made our Victorian house seem slightly eerie, but in a perfect way.  Isn’t that the whole point of Halloween? 

Mom would make pumpkin pies and pumpkin desserts.  Her pies are the best.  The perfect amount of pumpkin, the flakiest crust and just the right amount of spice.  Oh how I love you, fall.

Today screams fall.  The temperature has dropped, the leaves have begun to fall and people have dusted off their jackets.  To evoke my favorite memories from this time of year, I’ve made a pumpkin gooey butter cake. 

A crust of butter, sugar, flour, egg and milk is patted down on the bottom of the pan.  I pour on top a pumpkin, cream cheese, powdered sugar mixture with, you guessed it, more butter.  Next, sprinkle on the chocolate chips.  I used a combination of milk chocolate and white chocolate chips to kick this dessert up a notch. 

Exactly as I thought it would, the house filled with that delicious pumpkin smell.  This pumpkin gooey butter cake is precisely that – pumpkin, gooey, butter crust, delicious.  I think I’ll have seconds.

I LOVE Birthdays.

Happy Birthday!

Today is my birthday, so we had to have cake to celebrate. 

My lovely sister wanted to make me a birthday cake.  I have been wanting to make a cupcake house (adapted from Wilton) for ages.  What better time than for my own birthday!  With my assistance, my sister crafted this amazing birthday cake for my birthday celebration.  We used a white wedding cake recipe for the batter and my traditional, signature buttercream frosting.  B was in charge of dying the frosting.  I haven’t quite mastered colors!  She always has to tell me when I’ve hit the color I’m shooting for, I’m not sure why this is so difficult for me.  The doors and windows were the hardest part.  I piped them on, and she smoothed them down to make them look like actual  doors and windows.  They turned out fabulous!  I think I’ll hire her full time as my color expert and window/door shaper. 

The trickiest part was assembling the house.  Using a dowel rod, we slid the small cupcake on top of the larger one, being careful not to completely ruin all of the work we just did!  B spread the pink frosting on top of each cupcake as the roof.  Sprinkles added a little something special, as did the candied dots on the window and door trim.   To finalize the house, grass was added.  I think this is my favorite cake I’ve made so far.  It is too cute!

Thanks B for your help and wanting to make me a fabulous cake!  And thanks to my very good friends who joined me on Saturday for a pre-birthday celebration.  Dinner, drinks and birthday cake.  What could be better?!  The celebration was one to remember, and I know there are only more to come!  

Dedicated to J

The best cousin ever sent me an amazing gift, a KitchenAid Mixer!  Seriously, there is no better gift a baker could ask for than a new stand mixer.  Mine was on the fritz, and this one arrived just in time.  I cannot thank you, J, enough!  This one goes out to you.

In honor of the new stand mixer, and the fall season that is suddenly upon us (or am I just slow to admit summer is gone?), I made pumpkin cupcakes with a maple cream cheese frosting.


This KitchenAid beats and mixes so smoothly and fast, it is truly amazing.  The batter came out a smooth texture, perfectly mixed in minutes.  I think it was my fastest batch of cupcakes yet!





Once the cupcakes cooled, I made a maple cream cheese frosting.  The final product was super moist, with the perfect amount of pumpkin flavor.  






The maple syrup added an extra hint of sweetness to the cream cheese frosting.  


The perfect fall sweet treat!

Butter + Honey? Delicious.

Ah, butter.  When you have the right butter (I'm partial to Kerrygold - Pure Irish Butter, pure deliciousness) it can enhance the flavor profile of any dish or baked good.  However, it is also a secret pleasure just to have on its own with fresh bread.  Add an extra element, like honey, and you make an already tasty product irresistible.  I whipped up a batch of honey butter using Kerrygold Salted Butter and an all natural honey (about 1/4 cup honey to one 8oz stick of Kerrygold).  It was enjoyed with a simple sliced baguette.  I  might have to make pancakes this weekend just to be able to enjoy this butter again!

Bananas!

I have this weird obsession with bananas.  Banana ice cream, banana cake, banana drinks, banana bread, I could go on…bottom line, bananas are delicious. 

New dish of the week – Banana Scones with Crystalized Ginger.  My mouth is watering already!  I’ve never made scones before – I guess that is the whole point of my challenge to make two new dishes a week.  I’ve had them, I like them, but never attempted to make them.  They turned out amazing.  Super moist and with a hint of lemon, scrumptious!  

Challenge!

I’ve decided to challenge myself.  Earlier this month, I set a goal to make two new dishes each week.  This has no limitations – main dishes, side dishes, desserts, anything goes!  The first week I made a white cream spinach lasagna and roasted tomatoes.  Neither of which I had ever attempted before.  Thanks  to my guests, the meal received rave reviews!  Success. 

This week I’m making up for sticking with traditional, easy meals last week.  First new dish for the week – Peanut Butter Twix Brownies.  I only have two small brownies left in the pan, so I’d chalk this up to another successful new dish!  (Thank you to Dinners, Dishes and Desserts!  for the recipe.)  I did make a few amendments – I used milk chocolate instead of unsweetened and I used Kerrygold Unsalted Butter – grass-fed, all natural, Irish butter – it makes everything better. 

Welcome to the blogging world...

I can't believe I'm actually starting a blog!

One of my first cakes for a first birthday party.

I've been making cakes for months now and needed a new outlet to share my sweet confections.  What better way than to blog about them!


It all started as something fun to do.  My first project was a first birthday for my friend's little girl.  She wanted a traditional cake and a smash cake.  Let the creative juices flow!

Smash cake for first birthday!

Baby Shower

Next project was a baby shower cake for my brother.  The bow was such a cute idea (thanks Christine!).  

Black and Bling!

But my favorite cake I've done so far was for a friend's birthday.  The theme was 'Black & Bling' - I had a lot of fun with this one!


Stay tuned for more cakes!