I Baked a Bunch of Stuff

I suppose, really, all my posts could have that title. But the truth is, I've baked so much random stuff since the last time I blogged, I found photos that I can't remember what they're of (other than the obvious "that's a cake"). So, here's a bunch of good stuff for you:

October started with these churro cupcakes made for a celebration in honor of my Grandmother. It would have been her 100th birthday. She was a Los Angeles gal, so the theme was "Grandma's LA", which included places like Olvera Street (hence the churro cupcakes), Philippe's, Chinatown, etc. My aunt brought the most beautiful pinata I've ever seen (Grandma used to bring them to every family party), as well as some homemade Almond Cookies that I need to make myself. They were so delicate and delicious.

The cupcakes are my go-to white cake recipe (from the BAKED boys) with a little cinnamon added to the batter, topped with a cinnamon cream cheese frosting and a piece of churro and cinnamon sugar sprinkle for decoration. So easy. So yummy.

In an unprecedented turn of events, not only did we have TOO MANY cupcakes (I know), but I also had tons of leftover frosting. So I decided to make this Spiced Zucchini Cake to put under the frosting. And then topped it with toasted pecans. Also ridiculously good. Especially for something filled with vegetables.

In the middle of the month, Prima turned 15 and wanted Red Velvet Cupcakes with cream cheese frosting for her party. I used a full bottle of this good stuff:

and ended up with the most brilliant red Red Velvet I've ever made. So beautiful. And they were perfect in every other way as well. 

 

Used the same cream cheese frosting I used for the other two recipes, except I omitted the cinnamon and added vanilla and almond extracts. More deliciousness.

Then at the end of the month my sister (the yogi) visited for her 50th birthday celebration and I made this Toasted Coconut Cake for her. There's a lot of people in my family, so one dessert is never enough. I thought I'd give these brownies a try, they're supposed to taste just like Hostess Sno balls. Well. You can never really go back to your childhood, can you. They were fine, just not really anything like a Hostess Sno ball.

The coconut sure did end up looking pretty though. I'll have to use that trick for something else in the future.

And that's a wrap! 

Next up: It's pie season! I'm heading out tomorrow morning for my clandestine lard pick-up and trying to decide what pies to make for Thanksgiving. Prima wants Cherry Chocolate and Seconda wants Chocolate Pecan. I want to maybe try something new as well, thinking about these specifically, but I'm still on the lookout...

2013 Year in Review

Who'd have guessed?! Snowcaps was my most visited post this year. Yeah, they're super delicious!

Personally, I can't pick a favorite. But here are some highlights:

Stuff I altered/combined from other people's amazing recipes...

          

Excellent pies/tarts...

     

Super delicious cookies...

Yummy bread I'm about to alter for a Sunday morning breakfast treat...

Best birthday cake ever...

Favorite new frosting technique...

TGIP Rating--2013--A good year. Not very much inventiveness on my part, but I loved a lot of what I baked.

Next up: I'm going to alter that Coconut Bread with some toasted almonds and lime zest. See how that turns out!

Linzer Torte

This is my last baking project of 2013! And it sort of sums up where I think my baking is headed. I think.

I have never tasted a Linzer Torte before now. I've had cookies that are sort of reminiscent of it (in both flavor and design), but that's the closest I've come. It has always seemed like an exotically European dessert and, it turns out, that's exactly what it tastes like. In all the best ways. Yes, the crust is a little difficult to handle. But other than that, it's a very easy recipe. And frankly, the fact that the crust behaves the way it does isn't really a big deal. By the time it's all put together and baked, you can't tell what is crust and what is filling, and whether your lattice is an honest-to-goodness lattice or a cheat (spoiler, mine was a cheat).

The taste is sweet, but not too sweet. The texture is complex and nutty and crunchy. It tastes distinctly European, and I don't even know how to describe what I mean by that. Just trust me.

And here's why I think it's a good summation of my baking style--it's rustic. Not particularly fancy-looking. But the taste is perfect. A little tart, a little sweet, a little complex. The more I bake the more I discover that I'm just not one for fancy desserts. I think they have their place. But that place is decidedly not in my kitchen.

TGIP Rating--smitten kitchen's Linzer Torte--KEEPER. It might become a Christmas tradition. Festive and delightful.

Next up: I feel like I didn't do much baking this year, but I'm going to do a 2013 Year-in-Review anyway. Revisit and see what stands out.

P.S. In other news, I filled my first pie order. One cherry and one apple (plus some pie dough cookies) for a dear woman I was fortunate to share the stage with this year.

2012 Year in Review

I think I did substantially less baking in 2012 than I have in recent years past. Some incredible successes and some astounding failures.  Here are my favorites of the year:

Coconut Cream Pie (regular) and Chocolate

Puffy Cherry Chocolate Chip Cookies

Margarita Cupcakes

Grasshopper Bars

Ciabatta

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans

Chocolate French Macarons

Buttermilk Pie

Lemon Drop Cupcakes

 Layered Pumpkin Pie Toffee Cheesecake

Coming in 2013: I'm not going to get specific here. Seems like when I do, the specific thing I mention is the ONE thing I don't get around to over the course of the year. So, I'll just say this: lots of good stuff, including maybe some modern reworkings of very old-world traditional holiday baked goods. I will also reiterate my annual plea: FRIENDS and FAMILY WHO LIVE NEARBY come over and eat things! They may not always be good, they may be on their way to something better, but come be my guinea pigs!

First up: Mister did his usual homemade doughnuts for Christmas morning this year. Lots of leftovers, which we popped in the freezer...to be used in bread pudding...along with some leftover waffles. 

Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars

This is the first recipe I have tried out of this gorgeous book.

 
And...they were scrumptious. But I'm not going to pretend they were easy to make. Caramel is never easy (except this caramel apparently, which I still haven't tried, I seriously need to).  I don't believe in my candy thermometer (this is on my Christmas list), and I hate electric stoves (this is on my lifelong wishlist). *heavy sigh* I'm thwarted on every front. In the caramel-making process I usually have a panic attack or two, sweat, curse, yell, and have an extra glass of wine to calm my nerves. In spite of the sturm und drang, it all culminates in some form of caramel, not necessarily the right one for the recipe. BUT I LOVE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SO IT'S WORTH IT.

I think in this instance it was just too soft, due to my not cooking it to a high enough temperature: it got to about 225 and just would not move any higher, no matter how high I turned the stove or how long I let it bubble. The softness made the bars difficult to cut, difficult to dip in chocolate, difficult to eat. In spite of all of that, they were completely delicious. And I will definitely be trying them again. My family loved them so much that I didn't even have to pawn them off on people at work: BONUS!

TGIP Rating--Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars--KEEPER w/this caveat: not for the faint of heart. Caramel-making-chocolate-melting-bar-dipping might sound easy, but it's not.

Next up: Another thing on The List of Things I Covet is this book: 

But, until I have it, I will remain grateful to people who post recipes from it on their blogs. Another baking actress no less! Cornflake Chocolate Chip Marshmallow Cookie. Yep. I need cookies.

Brewer's Blondies

Not much to say about these. Not much to show either. Just this:

But here's what I will say--just delicious. So easy. So caramel-y (I think because of the malt powder, but I don't really know, I just know that it's yummy). Sort of nutty and warming with a unique flavor. I really, truly loved them. And did I mention they were easy? The recipe is from the first BAKED book.

Now, for the really important news: this book was published a few days early, and I have my copy in my hot little hands. It was hard to put down last night. So much food porn to drool over. So many new things to learn about. So many meals to plan around desserts. I cannot wait to get started.

My girls are scared of the Whiskey Sauce on the Lacy Panty Cakes (which, what a beautiful confluence of campy recipe name and deliciousness, I can't wait to make them--they're like delicate pancakes with graham cracker crumbs in the batter! PLUS WHISKEY SAUCE!). So, I've decided that will be for another time. But I do have a plan for the weekend.


TGIP Rating--Brewer's Blondies--KEEPER. Have you even bought the first BAKED book yet? I don't know what more I can do to convince you.

Next up: Caramel Coconut Cluster Bars. Yes.

Grasshopper Bars

 

Chewy brownie+mint buttercream+chocolate glaze=surprisingly delicious.

I can never decide whether I like "grasshopper"y desserts. I love mint and chocolate together, but something about Crème de Menthe makes me...squeamish. It COULD taste medicinal, if the proportions weren't just right. And I've certainly had that experience. I thought, for just a moment (and then I remembered I should just trust the BAKED boys) that this was headed down that path. The brownie portion, I knew, would be perfect.

 

But then I started in on the buttercream. All went smoothly (I've even figured out why my buttercream sometimes doesn't work, and realized the surefire trick is to beat the living HECK out of it) until I added the Crème de Menthe and peppermint extract.

The smell wafting from the mixer bowl scared the daylights out of me. Doctor's office?  Maybe. I plugged away. Finished the buttercream. Tasted it. Divine. Subtle, minty, buttery flavor. Like these guys, which I love:

Together with the delightfully chewy, dense brownie layer and the smooth, ganache-like glaze on top, this is a perfect dessert. 

It's not too heavy, but it's not too light. It's beautiful to look at. 

And it contains chocolate. And a little bit of booze. What more could you want?!

The recipe is from this book. But a blogger has also posted it online. You know I'm still going to recommend that you go out and buy the book. You will not be sorry.

TGIP Rating--Grasshopper Bars--KEEPER. Also, not difficult at all.

Next up: I MADE the Chocolate Macarons, I just haven't BLOGGED about them yet. You get that next time.

Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans

I KNOW. I know that you just had a small heart attack when you saw the name of this blog post. And rightfully so. Because it has all the good things in the world: booze, pork, chocolate, nuts. Honestly. If I could put my husband and kids in these brownies they would have everything that I love and can't live without. This was my first venture into the world of bacon/chocolate. It's a trendy thing and...to be honest...I've been kind of afraid of it, conceptually. It makes me think of the meat trifle. I know you know what I'm talking about. But I was PLAIN WRONG. The bacon just offers up enough smokiness and saltiness to enhance the chocolate. And the bourbon. And the pecans.

Clicky for the recipe. Be warned: the recipe disappeared from this link a few days ago, so if you want to have it for later, PRINT.

Over-stylized photos taken with Hipstamatic (which may be too hip for its own good):



Look how cleanly they can be cut into squares! I used an 8" square pan, rather than 9", so I guess mine actually turned out a little thicker than intended, but they were just the way I like them: a little crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, but not too gooey to cut. You will want to eat these warm; let them cool for 20 minutes or so, and then enjoy. The warmth brings out all the flavors so perfectly.


And by all means, have a glass of bourbon with them. I recommend High West. And Knob Creek.


TGIP Rating--Bacon-Bourbon Brownies with Pecans--KEEPER. NOW, I just have to figure out how to get those flavors into a pie. I'm thinking finely chopped bacon in the crust, bourbon chocolate pecan pie filling, candied bacon on top. Will require some more pondering...

Next up: Chocolate Macarons (the French kind). And that Ciabatta I promised (I actually made it, but forgot to take pix. Or maybe I just need an excuse to make it a second time.)

2011 Year in Review

That year went past fast! I feel like 2011 was less impressive in the baking department than I wanted it to be. Maybe if I review I can prove myself wrong. Here are some things I baked (and liked):

Pies/Tarts:

• Sweet Potato Pie
• Rhubarb Pie
• Orange Creamsicle Tart

Cakes:

• Carrot Cake
• Devil's Food Cake with Coffee Buttercream
• Pumpkin Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting and Candied Hazelnuts

Cookies/Bars:

• Salt-n-Pepper Sandwich Cookies
• Sweet & Salty Brownies

Bread:

• Mostly Whole Wheat Sourdough
• Pain au Levain
• English Muffins

Other (it was the year of the whoopie pie):

• Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
• Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
• Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Most epic failure:

• Hot Cross Buns

Shout-outs/thanks for sharing/inspiring me:

• The BAKED boys--always and forever. Is it too much to say that my life would be empty without you?!
  
• All of my amazing friends who oooh and aaah over even the most minor of my baking successes. And challenge me to try things I haven't considered. Now, please come over more often and eat all of these extra baked goods.

Okay, so not as pathetic of a year as I thought it was. But still, lots to get on to in 2012. Namely:

• Bread. No, really this year. I am armed with a book I trust. I will learn.
  
• Figure out that Sarno's Italian Rum Cake I've been meaning to work on for YEARS. I have all the pieces (I think), I need to put them together. In time for my birthday. I'll make my own cake this year.

First up: Burnt Sugar Bundt Cake. Meant to do it before 2011 ended, but illness prevented me from even thinking about eating, let alone baking. This Sunday is the day.