Midweek Projects 2: Scharffen Berger Cupcake Contest

I'm entering. With at least one recipe. Are you?

Birthday Cake with Fondant

Whatever you do, DON'T look at the back of this cake!


Aaaaaaahhhhhahahaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!


I told you not to do that.

*sigh* Let's add "find a how-to video on draping fondant on cakes" to my to-do list, shall we? They make it look so easy on TV. They simply cut away after the fondant is first draped over it, and don't come back until it's all neatly smoothed on. What happens in between? Seriously, there's bound to be extraneous fondant (I'm sure there's some geometry proof I could use as evidence, but I've forgotten all of that), so what do you do with it? How do you get it smoothed out? *FRUSTRATED*

One side turned out okay, but then I got to the part where there was...excess. And there was much cracking and other nonsense. Which I tried to cover up with spider webs. Using storebought (and obviously very runny) black and white (with sparkles!) frosting. The results, as you can see...not aesthetically pleasing.

At least the birthday girl was happy.


In other news, although it didn't look particularly delicious, the cake tasted yummy. Could have been yummier, but my life is crazy right now, so I had to make the cake almost a week ahead of time and freeze it. I think that caused it to not be as moist as it should have been. But the frosting--so easy. Easiest frosting I've ever made (food processor!).


And super super delicious. The fondant, too, was actually nice tasting (I used storebought--Duff Goldman's new brand). But I'm too frustrated with it to give it high praise.


TGIP Rating--Birthday Cake with Fondant--Meh. The cake and frosting I'll definitely use again. I would be perfectly happy to never use fondant again. Ever. I understand why people like it--the clean look for a decorating base. But I'm far from being a professional baker/decorator, so the look of something is less important to me than the taste. Now, to win my children over to my point of view.


Next up: Duff (twice in one post!) talked in an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate about a pie from the Dangerously Delicious bakery in Baltimore called the Baltimore Bomb Pie. They use crumbled Berger cookies and a chess pie filling. I'm making my own version and calling it the Salt Lake Bomb Pie. I'll be using black and white cookies from my favorite Salt Lake bakery, Les Madeleines. I think that's about as close as I can come--a cakey cookie with a fudgy frosting. But, really, it's all about the fact that I'm craving pie.

Pumpkin Muffins

A million years ago (approximately), when I worked at UC Berkeley, the department I worked for was full of people who appreciated food. We had food parties a few times a year where everyone brought a passage from a book, or a scene from a movie that involved food, and a dish inspired by that. It was always fun and always delicious. One of those foodie co-workers brought a loaf of the most delicious pumpkin bread to work one morning and the recipe to share. I made it once, way back then, and haven't made it since. But I've always remembered how delicious it was and have always meant to revisit the recipe. Well, now I've revisited AND revamped it.

The most obvious revamping is that I made it into muffins. So much easier to manage, store, take, and eat than a loaf, or even a slice of a loaf. I also replaced half the oil with applesauce to make it a tiny bit healthier. I have tried replacing all oil with applesauce in other recipes and I feel like it makes sweet breads a little too tough. I'm willing to eat a little oil if it means that the muffin is tender. There is still a good bit of sugar in the recipe, but I'm not sure what can be done about that. At least it's not HFCS. :)

You can use an electric mixer if you feel you must, but it's not necessary at all. And I don't know about you, but I like, sometimes, just for a change of pace, to make a recipe that can be done with a bowl and a spoon. So simple.


Pumpkin Muffins *click here for printable version*

adapted from “Joan’s Pumpkin Loaf” from an unknown source
yield: approximately 18 muffins, or ?? mini muffins, or 1 large loaf (10x5x3), or 4 mini loaves

2-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1-1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cloves
2 eggs
2 cups granulated sugar or brown sugar (firmly packed)
1/4 cup Canola oil
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 pound (2 cups) canned pumpkin--NOT pumpkin pie filling
8 ounces (1 cup) pitted dates, cut into pieces
4 ounces (generous 1 cup) walnuts, chopped or broken into medium-size pieces

Adjust an oven rack one-third up from the bottom of the oven and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a muffin tin, or use cupcake papers (if using a loaf pan, use 10-cup capacity, butter, then dust the pan with fine, dry bread crumbs, then shake or tap out excess crumbs).

Sift together the flour, soda, salt, cinnamon, and cloves and set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs just to mix. Add the sugar, oil, and applesauce and beat lightly just to mix. Mix in the pumpkin and then the dates.


Now add the sifted dry ingredients and stir, mix, or beat only until they are smoothly incorporated. Stir in the nuts.

Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full of batter. Bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one muffin comes out clean (for large loaf pan, bake 1-1/2 hours).

Cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.



When these are warm, they're obviously delicious with butter that gets nice and melty. And when they're cold, I like them with a little whipped cream cheese spread over them. Yummy. Cheesy. Spicy. Creamy.


TGIP Rating--Pumpkin Muffins--KEEPER. Still good after all these eons. Even better as a muffin.

Next up: Prima's 11th birthday is soon. She wants a cake. Of course. But with pink fondant. Yikes. I'll aim to deliver.

Canned Pumpkin: scarce?!

The Pie Queen mentioned something on Facebook recently about a canned pumpkin shortage. To which I replied, "What?!". Apparently, it's no joke. But then there's this article that says it's over. I don't know. What I do know is that there isn't even a spot for it in the baking aisle at my local Target. So, you be the judge. I suggest taking a casual look for it everywhere you happen to go. That's what I've been doing. Found a small trove at my Winco and snatched up 3 cans. Of course, I've already used two of them.


Whether the shortage will continue into this Fall or not, I guess it's about time I learned how to use the meat of a real pumpkin for a pie. Because I simply can't imagine Thanksgiving without pumpkin pie. Here's a site that details how to prepare the pumpkin puree (using either microwave, stovetop, or oven), for those of you like me who have never done it. And another. I will still use my own recipe beyond the point of pureeing, just because I like that mixture of spices.

Hopefully the Great Pumpkin will arrive before November and bless all the sincere pumpkin patches with a bounteous harvest.

Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie

A while back I went to a port party, hosted by the inimitable Peter Brown. A lovely evening. With gorgeous port, wonderful food, and delicious people. One of the dishes that was brought was an amazing Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse. I had never tasted anything like it. It went perfectly with the port. And I decided then I would have to make it. And make it into a pie.

I only found one recipe online for Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse, and it wasn't a very good recipe. So I found a recipe for Chocolate Mousse Pie and I...messed with it. I don't know, I thought adding cinnamon to each level of the whole would make it more...complete. And I might have been right. Although I don't have a control to test against. But it's so perfectly delicious. A little reminiscent of Mexican Hot Cocoa. But cold. And with lots of air.


Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie *click here for printable version*

adapted from Bon Appetit and smitten kitchen
Serves 8

Crust
5 T unsalted butter, melted, plus more for greasing
1-1/2 cups cinnamon graham cracker crumbs (10 cinnamon graham crackers-pulsed in food processor until finely ground)
2 T sugar
1/8 tsp. salt

Mousse
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon (divided)
1 T + 1-1/2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
3-3/4 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup sugar

For Crust:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 9- to 9-1/2 inch pie plate. Stir together all ingredients and press evenly into bottom and up sides of pie plate. Bake 12-15 minutes, until slightly browned, then cool on a rack to room temperature.

For Mousse:
Combine chocolate, vanilla, 1 tsp. cinnamon, cocoa powder, and salt in a food processor. Bring 1 cup cream to boil in a heavy small saucepan. With processor running, gradually pour hot cream through the feed tube and process until chocolate is melted and smooth. Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Beat 2 cups cream, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, and sugar in a large bowl to stiff peaks. Fold into chocolate mixture. Spoon mousse into prepared crust. Chill until set, about 6 hours. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead.)

Beat remaining 3/4 cup cream in medium bowl to firm peaks. Spoon a small portion on each slice of pie as you serve.

TGIP Rating--Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse Pie--So good I wish I had made two.

Next up: Pumpkin muffins. It's time.

Top Chef Just Desserts

This starts tonight! Squee!

And one of the contestants works at BAKED Brooklyn! (And, btw, he stole the life I was meant to have)

And BAKED Brooklyn is giving away mini whoopie pies from 1-3 pm in honor of Top Chef Just Desserts Day! *angry fist that I don't live in Brooklyn*

/end, fangirl rant

Farmers' Market Challenge

So, here's what I found at the Farmers' Market this weekend:



Of course, I found a lot more than that. But these were the things that tasted the best, looked the best, etc. So I bought them and brought them home.

And then I made these with them:

Smitten Kitchen's Peach Shortbread

Fresh Peach and Blackberry Pie

The shortbread was new and interesting. I probably made the bottom crust too thin and the top crumbs too thick. I also probably cut the peaches too thin.


But they still turned out to be delicate, spicy and buttery. These brown bits you see in the crumbs are bits of brown (but not burnt) butter...so delicious.


I saved some of the crumbs to make myself a little baked peach with white streusel later in the week when all of these yummies are gone and I need a little something. The brown butter is something (as I've said before) that I need to find more uses for. I might try making our family Scotch shortbread recipe with it this Christmas. Brown butter shortbread with caramel drizzle maybe? Yes.

The pie. What can I say? My standby fresh fruit pie recipe that I've admittedly stolen from Dave/Miriam is so easy and delicious and adaptable.


I used 1 cup of blackberries and 1 cup of peaches (with a little less water than the recipe calls for) to make the mashed up jammy filling stuff, and 2 cups of peaches for the fruity part.


What a delicious, not too sweet, perfectly fresh tasting combination.


TGIP Rating--Baking with fresh peaches--KEEPER. My aversion to peach flavored foods is still well intact, but I think it no longer extends to peaches themselves. At least not the fresh ones. Yum.

Next up: I am going to make something that involves almost no baking. But it sounds delicious to me in a "Fall is coming" way.