Yellow Butter Cake

It is said that if you're going to have dessert, portion-controlled servings are the way to go.
I find that logic almost interesting.

Regardless, I gave it a try. And I believe this clever strategy has the potential to work!

I can't  begin to tell you how many of these single-serving cakes I've had this week  plus the strong urge to swing from power lines was undeniable.

However, should my body start to block out the sun, I will have to forgo the experts' advice, and resort to baking mini cupcakes instead...

You'll probably think it prosaic to blog about yellow cake, when you consider the endless times I've declared my love for chocolate cake. But this humble classic takes me back to my childhood. And to all the birthdays this type of cake has made its appearance. Light in texture, not overly sweet, buttery and very comfortable sharing the spotlight with just about any buttercream.

These cupcakes were topped with some fantasy-type flowers, which I'll refer to as   'camellias' because who would gainsay me? Who?
In any case, a fancy swirled top would also be pretty. I will be sharing both, my favorite buttercream, and a  simple way to pipe flowers, in time for Valentine's Day.

Yellow Butter Cake

4 large eggs, room temperature
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup sour cream
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2¼ cups sifted cake flour
1½ cups superfine sugar*
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, each stick cut into 8 pieces

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease two 9-inch pans and line bottoms with parchment paper. Or, line a standard cupcake pan, with cupcake liners. Whisk together eggs, heavy cream, sour cream and vanilla. Remove 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.

Combine cake flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Mix on lowest speed to blend, about 30 seconds. While mixer is still running, add butter, one piece at a time (Make sure to cover mixer bowl with a kitchen towel for the initial mixing, to keep all the ingredients in the bowl instead of your lovely face :).

Mix until butter and flour begin to look  pebbly, with pieces about the size of peas, 30 to 40 seconds after all the butter is added. Add reserved 1 cup egg mixture, mixing on lowest speed until until incorporated, about 10 seconds. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.

Add remaining egg mixture  into batter, in slow, steady stream, about 30 seconds. Stop mixer and scrape sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat until well combined, 15 seconds longer

Divide batter equally between pans. Pick up each filled pan a few inches off the counter and drop several times to 'belch' any air bubbles to the top, as well as to evenly level the batter in the pans.

Bake until tops are light golden and wooden skewer inserted in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool cakes on wire rack 8 to 10 minutes. Run thin metal spatula around pan perimeter to loosen. Invert cake onto parchment-lined wire rack, peel off parchment, and reinvert cake onto parchment paper-lined rack.**  Cool completely before frosting. Adapted from The Best Recipe, by Cook's Illustrated.

*To make your own superfine sugar, process granulated sugar in a food processor or blender for about one minute.

**This cake will level off a bit once it comes out of the oven. If the cake still has a dome after a few minutes of cooling, take a piece of  parchment paper and lay it over the cake. Rest another cake pan over the warm cake, and  press it down, gently. Hold  for 15-20 seconds and release the pressure. If cake still has a dome, repeat the process. This is a  technique commonly used by cake decorators to level most cakes without the need to slice the tops off.

I hope you'll bake this wonderful cake soon. But I'm warning you, you'll need a shower afterward.

Have a good weekend, my friends.

Designs by Gollum
Romantic Home

Happy Halloween, my sweets!

I'd like you to meet my friend, Rick O. Mortis.

Lately, he's been a little lonely—and dare I say—dead on his feet, since he bought the farm. So, I've asked him over...for dinner...
He's mortified at the prospect because he hit a dead-end, deciding what to bring to the fete. Silly stiff.

As you can tell, Rick is pretty down to earth. From his marzipan head to his fungus-y nails. You may think this is arcane, but I cannot wait to eat...er...I mean, meet him.

Mr. Mortis (whose only crime was being born [again] delicious), was molded from rice krispies treats.
If you make this, make sure the krispies treats mixture is cool enough to handle before shaping it into a skull. I usually wait between 8 to 10 minutes before handling the stuff.

For the head, shape the mixture into a rough oval. With your thumbs, make the impression for the eyes. And gently squeeze the head, just below the eyes, until it begins to look like a skull.
Looks a bit like Jay Leno, doesn't he?   Next time, I'll ease up on the chin.

Set the skull aside to dry,  by placing it on a plastic-covered bag of rice,  flour or confectioner's sugar to keep the shape of the head round.
If you skip this step, his head will be flat in back. Which will only make your zombie that much creepier.

In other words, let your fearless creativity flow, and quit hanging on to my every word!

Okay then. This is optional, but, color your marzipan with a few tablespoons of baking cocoa for that freshly-dug effect.   Roll out the marzipan, and drape it over the head. Quickly mold it to the shape of the head.
If it tears a bit, rejoice! 

Or, you could always patch it up—but not too much—because smooth, flawless skin is hardly prevalent with today's modern zombie.

Blood is piping gel,  tinted red.
From here on out, do as you please. Add as many, or as few, wrinkles, and teeth, as you dare.

The hair is Asian rice noodles, simply inserted into the skull, while marzipan is still soft and malleable.
Btw, remember to  lightly drape the areas you're not working on with plastic wrap, to keep marzipan from drying out, while you work.

The fingers were shaped freehand  into sausages,  again,  from marzipan. Pistachio halves were used for the nails. I wanted him pushing up daisies, but all I had were Brown-Eyed Susans,  which I made in sugar years ago. Somehow, the  Brown-Eyed Susans  seem  less morbid.  This suits my  friend Rick just fine. After all,  he's kind of an earthy,  happy-go-lucky zombie.  And you're jealous.

And just so you don't think I'm all about doom, gloom and despair, I present to you  this benign little witch, Evilene.

Evilene consists of three Jack be Little pumpkins, supported by toothpicks. She was then tarted up with a cute, sheet music hat.
The broom was haphazardly put together with a bunch of fresh thyme, tied to an artist's paint brush with twine. Easy, right? 

Well, my dear goblins, it is time for me to depart.

May you all rest in (Reese's) pieces this Halloween.

Regards,

Bad Brew Betty

Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake

Well, I just finished 1½ hours on the treadmill. Oops. Typo. I meant, I just finished half a cheesecake for lunch.
I developed a craving for a simple lemony dessert, something befitting my simple tastes. And on a fickle whim, I went with Lemon Curd.

Then, Thumper upped the ante by claiming I hadn't made his favorite cheesecake "in like, forever." And the idea for a cheesecake, infiltrated with amorphous blobs of lemon curd was born. Far be it from me to impugn his request...

I  cut out individual servings  from the chilled 9-inch cheesecake with a biscuit cutter,  in the hopes that  no temptation would befall my diet, and overall good intentions.  Is my sarcasm showing?

By the way, the (botanically-incorrect) hyacinth on the plate was made by rolling fondant into an egg shape, if you will. Next, the stem and leaves were added. Then I cut out gazillions of tiny flowers and glued them onto the fondant egg with a paste made from Gum Arabic.
(If you're convulsing in your chair  because you don't know what the hell kind of thing I speak of, then forget about  the Gum Arabic,  and use Royal icing instead).

Actual size not shown.


Lemon Curd Marbled Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce

Crust:

2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cup  packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Pinch salt
14 tablespoons  unsalted butter, diced

Lemon Curd:

4 large egg yolks
½ cup + 2 tablespoons sugar
3 ounces lemon juice
4 tablespoons (2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
Pinch  salt

Filling:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
¾ cup sugar
½ cup sour cream
3 large eggs, room temperature
1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

Blueberry Sauce:

1 pint fresh blueberries
¼  cup  sugar
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice


Preparation

Crust: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Combine flour, sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and vanilla extract, and process until a dough forms. Press the dough into a 9-inch Springform pan and bake 10 to 15 minutes, or until it just begins to turn color.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Lemon Curd:
In a heavy  saucepan, beat the  egg yolks and sugar until blended. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Don’t allow the mixture to boil or it will curdle.  Press a piece of wax paper right on the lemon curd, to prevent a crust from forming, and  set aside to cool. (If  lemon curd will not be used right away, cool completely, and then, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 weeks).

Filling:
Combine  softened cream cheese, sour cream and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process until smooth. Add the eggs and vanilla extract and process  until incorporated.
Pour half  of  the filling mixture in the prepared crust.  Spoon half the lemon curd onto the filling. With a knife,  swirl lemon curd through filling, taking care not to disturb the bottom crust. Repeat with the remaining cheesecake filling and lemon curd.
Bake in a 350° F oven until set, about 45 minutes. The  center should still jiggle when gently shaken.  Run a knife around the sides of the pan to loosen, and allow  to cool, about 1 hour. Refrigerate uncovered cheesecake  for several hours. Then, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate  overnight.


Blueberry Sauce:
In a medium saucepan combine all ingredients and cook until   blueberries begin to break down and the sauce is slightly  thickened, about 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.


Enjoy. For tomorrow, some of us will recite  three hail Marys, followed by a strict diet...for the rest of us, there's always next Monday.

White on White Buttermilk Cake with Jack Daniel's Buttercream

This time of year I tend to reminisce about my childhood friend, Caridad (I called her Cari), who used to push me fierce hard, and even dared to  wake me up at an ungodly hour, every Sunday morning,  to drag my heathen carcass to church.

“C’mon, I know you’re in there! I’m not leaving until you open the door!” Cari demanded. 

One thing about Cari, she was no quitter.

I would ceremoniously wait 10 minutes, before answering the door, allowing myself ample time to fabricate another  alibi, in order to stay in bed...if I played my cards right.

 Once, desperation led me to blurt out that I had come down with  Beriberi. An open-and-shut case, I thought. 
There was a long, awkward pause, as it became glaringly-obvious that Cari wasn't biting.
Look, I was 10 years old  at the time.  It didn’t seem wildly absurd then.

 And, as luck would have it,  Cari was  a few years older—and wiser—than me. But,  she meant well, so  I will never forget the  kind, thoughtful, and punctually-persistent little twerp that she was.
Besides,  it was her  persuasiveness that  often  led me to pray,  and selfishly implore…“Please, make Cari take a hike, and relieve me of my suffering.”

What does any of this have to do with a baking blog? Not a blessed thing.
But I’m doing the Bunny Hop because now that I’m  (allegedly)  an adult, I’ve taken back Sunday.

 And here is a cute birdhouse cake I made for Easter Sunday.   This Buttermilk Cake is light, both in texture and in color, it's also  very moist, and pairs well with an array of  buttercreams, but  a simple  glaze would be just as good.
This cake is unparalleled served buck-naked, with fresh, summer berries.


White on White Buttermilk Cake with Jack Daniel’s Buttercream
Yield: 12 to 14 servings

1½  cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 1/3 cups sugar
3 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups cake flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
¾ teaspoon salt
1½ teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ cups buttermilk

Place baking rack one-third from the bottom of the oven, and the second two-thirds from the bottom. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line three 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper, and lightly grease.
Using a mixer with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar in a large bowl on medium speed about 2 minutes, until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Beat in the egg whites and vanilla, about 1 minute.
Combine cake flour, baking soda, salt, and baking powder in a medium bowl. Add  one-third of the flour mixture to the batter and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Add about half of the buttermilk and beat on medium speed until incorporated. Continue adding dry and wet ingredients alternately, scraping the bowl down and beating until incorporated after each addition. End with the dry ingredients.
Pour the batter evenly into the cake pans. Stagger the pans on the oven racks so that no layer is directly over another. Set two layers on one rack and the third on the other. Bake  25 to 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Monitor the cakes for doneness; each one may be done at a different time.

Cool the cake pans on wire racks  for 10 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the racks and cool completely before frosting.  At this point,  the cakes can be  wrapped in plastic, and a layer of aluminum foil and frozen up to 3 weeks.


Jack Daniel’s Buttercream

Using a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the eggs and yolks in a large bowl on high speed about 5 minutes. In a medium saucepan, combine the water and sugar; simmer until it reaches the soft-ball stage, registering between 234-f degrees and 240-f degrees on a candy thermometer. Immediately transfer the syrup to a large heatproof liquid measuring cup.
In a slow, thin stream, add the sugar mixture to the egg mixture, mixing on low speed the entire time. Increase the speed to medium and beat about 7 minutes, until the syrup has cooled (the bowl should be barely warm to the touch). Add the butter, half a stick at a time, beating on medium speed about 20 seconds after each addition. Once all of the butter has been added, beat on medium until the frosting thickens slightly, about 3 minutes. Stir in the salt and whiskey.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving plate and spread a thick blanket of frosting on top. Add the second layer and spread with frosting. Add the third layer and cover the top and sides of the cake with an even layer of frosting. The cake will keep several days at room temperature.

Variations: Grand Marnier or Amaretto can be substituted for the Jack Daniel’s in the buttercream.  For chocolate buttercream, substitute 8 oz. of melted bittersweet chocolate for the Jack Daniel's. Make sure to cool the  chocolate  at least 15 minutes before adding it to the buttercream. The Pastry Queen, by Rebecca Rather.

The birdhouse cake was slightly carved and tapered toward the bottom. Because I used three layers I inserted a wooden rod right through to the bottom of the cake to keep it stable while frosting it. The large marshmallow helped anchor the flower.

The large Bluebell is made of sugar. Petals were cut rather thick and rolled out very thinly, to wrap around a large paper cone (see below). Remember the paper hats you made in Kindergarten? Same principle applies here. Make sure to cover the cone with plastic wrap, and dust it liberally with cornstarch to keep the flower from sticking. Allow to dry overnight.

Well, Easter is just two shakes of a bunny’s tail away, and I want to wish my homebunnies  a very wonderful day!

Gumbo, and National Pig Day

Apparently, my order for a brief, mild winter got lost in the shuffle. So, while I wait for winter skies' shade of ugh to lift, I'll console myself with this stew. More precisely, Cajun Seafood Gumbo.



This dish originated in Louisiana, and it is a deliciously thick and spicy pool of shrimp, crab, and my favorite vegetable, andouille sausage.



However, the heart and soul of this Gumbo is the roux.

Wait! Come back!

This is not the whisk-until-your-arm-falls-off roux you've heard about. This roux goes from blah to a rich, chocolate brown in 20 minutes.
O,'tis true. And haven't I always told you some version of the truth?



Whether you use seafood, chicken, beef, pork, or vegetables, this dish will satisfy. Fact.
And, as is the case with most soups and stews, Gumbo will taste even better the following day.

Seafood Gumbo

2 medium onions, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, chopped (about 1½ cups)
2 small stalks of celery, trimmed and chopped (1 cup)
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon salt, or more to taste (add additional salt only toward end of cooking)
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper*
1 tablespoon dried thyme, or 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
1½ teaspoons dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon fresh
2 tablespoons fresh basil
¾ cup canola oil
1 cup AP flour, or more if needed
5 to 6 cups homemade fish stock, but chicken stock will do**
1 pound andouille (or other spicy sausage), sliced
1 pound crabmeat
2 pounds shrimp or crawfish
Cooked rice

In a Dutch oven, brown the andouille sausage, or meat of your choosing. Remove the sausage from the Dutch oven, and set aside.

To make the roux, heat the canola oil in the same Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the flour. Whisk constantly, until roux reaches a dark brown color, resembling chocolate buttercream. The whole process will take about 20 minutes.
When the roux is dark and thick, add the vegetables and spices. Stir for a few more minutes to soften vegetables.

Stir the fish (or chicken) stock into the roux and vegetable mixture. Bring to a simmer. Add the sausage, and simmer with the pot mostly covered for about 1 hour.
Gently stir in the crabmeat, and shrimp (or crawfish) during the last 3-5 minutes of cooking.

*You can substitute Kielbasa for the spicy Andouille sausage. If using the former, you might want to increase the cayenne pepper. But taste first, before adding more heat.

**Introduce flavor whenever possible. If you're out of fish stock, use chicken, or vegetable stock.

"Water? Never!" Marysol cried, recoiling in horror.

Adapted from the River Run Cookbook by Jimmy and Maya Kennedy.



Btw, did you know March 1 is National Pig Day?
My sources (Google) tell me this is an event most often celebrated in the Midwest.



...and this is what my Hamrietta thinks about this holiday...



Preach it, sister!

Clementine Cake

At first I was afraid, I was petrified...when I learned of Nigella Lawson’s Clementine Cake, via the singing praises of her many fans.
To me, the idea of combining five, whole clementines with almond flour, seemed like a recipe for disaster.

The many hurrays (with only a few harrumphs) garnered by this cake over the years, finally convinced me to try it.

It was, with Open Arms, that I followed the lead of two culinary giants, Nigella Lawson, and Pierre Hermé, to create a festival of flavors in one dessert, lovingly concocted for the Wind Beneath my Wings.

Nigella’s book, How to Eat, describes this cake as "an easy to make, wonderfully-damp and aromatic flourless cake."
Hey, Two Out of Three Ain’t Bad.


The First Time I baked this cake, it turned out rather boring, unlike its lovely creator. Suspecting error on my part, I tried baking the cake again.
Surely a glug of Grand Marnier, a drape of chocolate ganache, and a supporting cast of delicately-crisp orange tuiles would be Almost Paradise.

Well, sadly, the cake never lived up to its superlatives. It was heavy, with a soggy texture, and it still lacked in flavor. A Total Eclipse of the Heart.

Btw, the reason I'm not including the recipe is because friends don't let other friends waste a perfectly good clementine. Not to mention, the recipe is all over the internet.

On the other hand, the Orange Tuiles from My Boo, Pierre Hermé, were light, citrus-y confections.



Only downside, the tuiles spread too much in the oven. And what started out as heart-shaped tuiles, emerged from the oven resembling the state of Mis . . . Mississip . . . Texas.

So, I had this brain flash to spread the tuile batter onto a parchment-lined baking sheet, and use a heart-shaped cookie cutter to cut out the tuiles as they came out of the oven.
Success! But I had to work quickly, while the tuiles were HOT! Ouch. Let me tell you, it was More Than a Feeling.

But, I Will Survive...

This experience was just a minute failure. And, for the record, I still love Nigella and Pierre. And I Would Do Anything For Love. But I Won't Do That . . .again.

The silver lining? This whimsical frog prince. He started with about 4 ounces of tinted marzipan. The body weighed almost 3 ounces, which left enough marzipan for the legs, feet and eyes.



Shape the largest piece into an oval for the body. Then gently roll the neck as shown, and prop the head on a sponge roller, for about 1 hour, to help maintain that pose.
Divide remaining marzipan (2 for the hind legs, 2 for the webbed feet, 2 for the front legs, and 2 for the eyes). Roll the two largest pieces into 2-inch long sausages, for the hind legs. Fold in half as pictured. Make the webbed feet, and front legs with the leftover marzipan.
With a wooden skewer, mark the nostrils. Attach all the pieces with edible glue made from Gum Arabic and a few drops of water. A mixture of powdered egg whites and water will work as well.

The crown was just a thin strip of gum paste, wrapped around my index finger, ends overlapped and glued. Painted gold using Gold Petal Dust, and a few drops of clear alcohol (gin, vodka, tequila), or lemon extract.



May your Valentine's Day be filled with chocolate, and favorite love songs.

I'm Seeing Red!

For those of you braving arctic temperatures, come right in and sit by the fire. How about a slice of cake, still warm from the oven—it is to live for!
Tea, perhaps?



For those of you living in a warm climate, get your dirty paws off the cake and get the hell out! And take your dark tan and flip flops with you too!


...well, if it looks like somebody woke up on the wrong side of the broom, it is because somebody did. It's that Old Man Winter again, having a negative effect on my alter ego. I think I she, should have some cake too.

And look, not even our normally placid Puddin' has been able to contain her displeasure. Smacking poor Louie, then drifting back to sleep, with the clear conscience of a cat.



So, it is with a bit of urgency that I contribute this wonderful little cake, notorious for putting a smile on all who try it.
The recipe evinces simple ingredients, harmoniously mingled together, to create a veritable masterpiece of flavors and textures. You'll be making this cake more than once. Yes, you will.

I know this, because it was voted Best in the Hemisphere by Thumper. And you all know how finicky he is. Never mind he has no idea what "hemisphere" means.

And so it is, with the approval of my adorable, little tax deduction, that I share this recipe with you.



Wintertime Cranberry and Orange Cake

Cranberry Filling:

12 oz. bag of fresh cranberries, picked over and rinsed
½ cup granulated sugar

Sponge Cake:

1¼ cups AP flour
1¾ teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
1¼ cups granulated sugar
¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
2 large eggs, beaten
1/3 cup heavy cream
Grated zest of 1 orange
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping:

1/3 cup sliced almonds
¼ cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8” Springform pan, dust the sides with granulated sugar, and line the bottom with parchment.

In a medium saucepan, heat the cranberries and sugar over medium heat. Stirring frequently, until the sugar dissolves and cranberries pop, about 15 minutes. Set aside to cool.

In a large mixing bowl, stir together the flour, 1¼ cups sugar, and baking powder.
Whisk in the melted butter, eggs, heavy cream, orange zest and vanilla in the same saucepan you melted the butter in. Stir into the dry ingredients until well combined.

Spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread the cranberry filling over the batter (don't let the cranberry filling touch the edge of the pan, or it will stick). Spread the remaining batter over the cranberries, and sprinkle evenly with the sliced almonds and remaining ¼ sugar.

Bake the cake until golden on top, about 1 hour. Let cool in the pan, about 10 minutes. Run a knife around the cake and release the sides of the Springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature. Adapted from All American Desserts, by Judith M. Fertig.

Note: Did you know you can crystallize more than just fruits? Herbs, like rosemary, mint, and even bay leaves lend themselves to this simple technique. It's what I used on the frosty trim on the cake above, and the glass cloche below.
Start by whisking 1 tablespoon powdered egg whites with 2 tablespoons warm water. Brush egg white mixture to clean and dried herbs. Sprinkle with granulated sugar and set the herbs on parchment to dry. You could also add edible glitter to the sugar for a little extra sparkle.





And since we're crusading for World Peace, we might as well use up the rest of the cranberries, by making my favorite scones.


Excellent made with cranberries, red currants, and, of course, chocolate!


The ingredients are typical for scones. What is atypical is the technique, which consists of beating the heavy cream into soft peaks, making these scones featherlight, buttery, outstanding...and good too!



Cranberry Cream Scones

2 cups AP flour, plus more for dusting
1/3 cup sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
½ cup fresh cranberries
1 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon granulated sugar*

Position the oven rack in the lower third of the oven. Preheat oven to 375°F.
Sift together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Mix the cranberries into the flour mixture.

Whip the heavy cream in a bowl until soft peaks form.

Fold the whipped cream into the dry ingredients, just until it forms a semi-cohesive mass.
Transfer the dough to a lightly floured surface and knead gently, a few times, until the dough holds together. With your hands, pat the dough into an 8-inch circle on a lined baking sheet. Brush scones with the butter and sprinkle with granulated sugar*

Cut circle into 10 wedges, without detaching them. And bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden. Cut into the pre-marked wedges after they're baked.

*This time I topped the scones with turbinado sugar.

By the way, if you'd rather make smaller scones, divide the doughy massacre in half, and pat each half into a circle. Proceed as above.



If this last photo of cranberry scones raised an eyebrow of suspicion, you've been paying attention. They're not cranberries, but red currants in them scones.

Warm wishes to my blogging brigade!

Broom-Hilda

National Chocolate-Covered Anything Day

Did the title make your toes curl?
Mine too!

And, thanks to other chocolate radicals out there, this is only one of many chocolate holidays celebrated throughout the year.

There's also National Chocolate Day, National Milk Chocolate Day, National Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day, and National White Chocolate Day (seriously?), to name a few.

In any case, Marsha from Marsha-Kitchen is having a chocolate party, and you're all invited.



How many treats did I cover in chocolate, you ask? Well, uh...one.
I covered a single cake. Not too adventurous, true. But cake was what I craved at the time.



Besides, everything on the cake is chocolate. From the creamy ganache, and chocolate plastic bow, to the pine cone petals. Harmony is once again, restored to the universe, right?

The pine cone petals were made first, using dark chocolate, which was melted in the microwave, at 50% power, and stirred every 12 to 15 seconds.

Chocolate 'blobs' were smeared onto parchment paper, with the aid of an offset spatula. It took 10 ounces of chocolate, to cover the 9-inch cake halves.



I baked my favorite Almond Cake in a large, two-piece, egg-shaped pan.
Once cooled, I placed each half onto a cake board, and covered them with a whipped, dark chocolate ganache.
While the ganache was still soft, I placed the pine cone petals onto each cake, starting at the narrow end, and slightly overlapping each row, covering the entire cake.

The Chocolate Plastic Bow was made from a recipe I've shared on just about every cake decorating site on the interwebz, since 1995.

You may already have a recipe for chocolate plastic (which, btw, goes by many other names: chocolate clay, chocolate paper, chocolate paste, etc.), but this is the recipe I started using before dinosaurs roamed the earth, and it's always been very consistent. Give it a try.


Chocolate Plastic

1 lb. white, bittersweet, or semisweet chocolate
½ cup glucose
2 teaspoons ice water

Melt chocolate, stirring often. This can be done gently, in a microwave, at 50% power. Or, in a double boiler.
Once chocolate is melted, stir in glucose and mix in lightly. Add water. Stir again, until incorporated, but don't overmix. Spread chocolate mixture onto a plastic wrap-lined platter. Cover tightly, and allow mixture to ripen 8 hours, or overnight, until firm. Knead before using.
If the chocolate plastic sets too hard, soften it in the microwave, for only a few seconds at a time, until soft enough to knead. It should be very smooth and malleable.

The white chocolate paste can be tinted with paste, or powdered food coloring.

Note: I've always used Lindt Chocolate for chocolate plastic. But Callebaut, and even Baker's chocolate would be fine.

To make the bow, get some sponge curlers, like the ones your mom used to wear to bed every night. Remove the plastic clip, and use the sponges to support your chocolate bow, until completely set.

You can add interest to chocolate plastic by using textured rolling pins, available in cake decorating shops, or online.



For the tails, just roll out chocolate paste to 1/8 inch. If you like, place them on sponge rollers to shape, as pictured, or keep them flat.

What? Not enough love in my post?

Well here, stick your face in this...



And, if you're not a chocolate fan, well then, we just can't be friends. But I'll forgive you, and suggest you go to a teddy bear near you, and just squeeze.



The world may not be all sunshine and rainbows, but chocolate helps.

The Stinking Rose

You can just about imagine my reaction when I learned that Kim Alexis’ diet regimen included garlic. It was, "Who?" "What?"

Well, I heard it from a friend of a friend, of a friend's cousin, twice removed...so it must be true. Apparently, the 80s supermodel is a big advocate of the Italian perfume, and routinely consumes copious amounts of garlic.

If I had only known that garlic was the crucial component in Alexis’ perfect face and body, I would’ve grown my own stinking garden 30 years ago.

Of course, I’m only kidding. It's a well-known fact that, I too, could’ve been a thupermodel...if I had longer legs, flawless features, and the appetite of a fruit bat.

But no. Instead, I opted to be a work in progress.
But I will never denounce garlic! And this creamy, garlicky soup with just a gentle kick from the cayenne pepper is one way I procure my intake of the pungent lily.
I urge you to make it, soon.




Roasted-Garlic and Gorgonzola Bisque
Serves 6.

2 tablespoons olive oil
30 whole cloves garlic, about 3 bulbs
¾ cup dry sherry
¼ cup brandy
4 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 quart chicken stock
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy whipping cream
6 ounces Gorgonzola
Salt & Freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the whole garlic cloves to the pan, decrease the heat to low, and cook until cloves are tender, 10 to 15 minutes.

Carefully add the sherry and brandy, increase the heat to high, and reduce the liquid by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the diced potatoes and chicken stock. Cook until the potatoes are tender.

Purée with a handheld blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Return soup to the pan, and add the cayenne pepper and heavy cream. Cook over low heat until the cream almost comes to a boil. Whisk 4 ounces of the cheese into the soup. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve the soup, topped with the remaining Gorgonzola. The one pictured below was my serving, which I topped with hot sauce. I like heat.
Adapted from Caprial's Bistro-Style Cuisine.



I sometimes serve this soup with plain crostini, or bread sticks, using a basic pizza dough for the latter. I used kitchen scissors to snip Vs at one end of the breadsticks to create the "wheat sheaf."



But hey, this time of year, the Bread Leaves would also be a nice touch.


I'd like to wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!
May your turkey be plump and your waistline plumper, if only for one day.
It is Thanksgiving, after all.

A Tale of Two Sillies

6:55 p.m. There was a chill in the country air, as a boy and his father eagerly walk out the back door of the old farmhouse, and into All Hallows’ Eve.

Playfully kicking little piles of crisp, fallen leaves, they make their way to a small tent they had set up in the woods just days before.

7:00 p.m. The boys reach their tent. A structure of cheap polyester was all that stood between them and the rapacious creatures that thrive when the sun goes down.

The autumn wind whistled through the tent, persuading them to gather kindling to build a fire, all the while anticipating a modest feast of s’mores and hot dogs stashed in their backpacks.

7:23 p.m. Pandemonium brakes out in the tent.

“A stuuunk! It’s a stunk!” the young boy screams.
("Stunk" being the boy's term for Skunk)

Without hesitation, the boys ripped through the flap of their tent, making a bee-line for home. And leaving a trail of marshmallows back to reality.

Perhaps I should mention (with devastating sarcasm) the tent stood only 23 feet from home.

What a pity. Of all the wild critters in the woods, the guys became unhinged by a certain Peppi Le Pew, hell-bent on crashing their garden party.

Based on a true story.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Well, would you look at the time! I can't end our visit without sharing what I made for the two brave male characters in the story.



Say hello to Steampunk Jack. Thanks to my daughter for the steampunk idea.
Jack was baked in two 6” in diameter half ball pans (You could use mixing bowls for this).
I have only two favorite chocolate cake recipes—this is one of them—appropriately named,

Ultimate Chocolate Cake.

4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/3 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
2 1/3 cups sifted cake flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup buttermilk
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease and line bottoms of two 9" cake pans with parchment paper (I used the ball pans mentioned earlier, with enough batter left over to fill a mini loaf pan).

Melt chocolate in the top of a double boiler (or in a microwave on High, stirring every 10 to 15 seconds). Allow chocolate to cool.
Cream together butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Mix in melted chocolate.

Sift together flour, baking soda and salt, and add gradually to chocolate mixture, alternating with buttermilk. Stir in boiling water and vanilla. Pour batter into prepared cake pans.
Bake for 30 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. Cool for several minutes in the pans. Invert onto a wire rack to cool. Slightly adapted from a recipe by aunt Martha Stewart~


Steampunk Stylin' Jack

I sliced each half to create 4 layers. Then filled with chocolate ganache. Even though the cake was small I inserted couple of wooden skewers through its mangy little head and into the cake board for stability.

The cake was iced thinly, and allowed to set until no longer sticky to the touch. If you'd rather not wait, refrigerate the cake until buttercream is firm.

Tinted rolled fondant went on the cake next. Indentations on the pumpkin were made with a chopstick, but a skewer works too. Be sure to do this while the fondant is still soft. The white rolled fondant collar and bowtie were added last.


Jack's top hat was made of pastillage because this medium dries faster and harder than gum paste. But I also recommend it because it is made with ingredients already in your cupboard.

Pastillage

1 tablespoon gelatin
1/3 cup water
4 cups confectioner's sugar (lightly spooned into cup)
1/2 cup cornstarch (lightly spooned into cup)
1 pinch cream of tartar
food coloring (optional)

Sprinkle the gelatin over water in a small heatproof glass cup. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. Set in a small pan of simmering water, stirring until gelatin is dissolved. (This can be done in a microwave on high power for a few seconds). Remove from heat.

Combine the sugar, cornstarch and cream or tartar in a large bowl. Make a well in the center. Stir in the gelatin mixture until blended. Mix with lightly greased hands and knead until sugar is incorporated.

Turn onto a smooth, lightly greased surface and knead until smooth. If pastillage seems dry, knead in a few drops of water. If too sticky, knead in more confectioner's sugar~

Allow pastillage to rest for at least 1 hour before using. To prevent it from drying out, keep it tightly wrapped in plastic, and place in an airtight container.
Store 1 month at room temperature, or freeze indefinitely.
Recipe: The Cake Bible, by Rose Levy Beranbaum.


Instructions for Top Hat

An empty tin can, covered in plastic wrap and well dusted with cornstarch, was used to shape the top hat.
Roll out your pastillage to about 1/8-inch thick. Using the tin as a guide, cut out the top of the hat. Next, measure the tin's circumference (adding ½-inch to the length), cut out the strip for what will be the side of the hat.

Wrap the pastillage strip around the tin. For a clean cut, overlap the ends, and cut through all layers with an X-acto knife. Lightly dampen the ends to secure. Set on a cornstarch dusted tray to dry, while you make the brim.

Follow the same steps for the brim that you used to make the top of the hat. But add an extra 2 to 2½ inches. AND, poke a hole in the center of the brim with a wooden skewer. Allow the top and brim to dry completely, before gluing together.

What to use for glue?

No, not royal icing. Instead, dissolve a small ball of pastillage by adding a few drops of water at a time, until it is the consistency of Elmer's glue. Attach by brushing this glue on all the edges. Set aside to dry.

Take a toothpick or wooden skewer (depending on the size of your cake), insert it halfway into the top of the cake, wherever you want to position the hat. Slide the skewer through the hole in the hat, to securely anchor the hat to Jack's head.

The word, Boo, was handpainted with paste food color thinned with vodka.



Well my friends, the bewitching hour is upon us...




The stunk and I wish you a Happy Halloween!

My Spring Symphony. Composed, not in C-minor, but "C" as in cookie...and that's good enough for me.

Obladi, Oblada, life goes on bra
La la how the life goes on…

Like this song? It pops into my head whenever the stress of everyday life starts to mount. But it’s been in my head for several weeks now, so I’m passing it on to you. The song, not the stress. Catch!

I wonder what it is about this Beatles song, that lifts my spirits the instant it reaches my eardrums. Which song would you say has a positive effect on your emotional well-being?

Yes, music tends to have an effect on our emotions, and so will this delicious Spring bouquet.



A bouquet of perfectly-delicious sugar cookies, and each one created using only one cookie cutter, the teardrop shaped cutter. If you already own this one, then you know how versatile it is.




For the Spring symphony, I was initially inspired by my bipolar Dogwood tree in the front yard. A tree which will bloom profusely, whenever it feels like it.
But, it's a show worth waiting for.



Violets, being one of my favorite flowers, were also an inspiration here. But, they needed faces, and since I always listen to my inner voices, I went ahead and made them using marzipan and a face mold (the mold makes this a very quick project). Painted the faces and attached them to the cookies with royal icing.




And, since daisies always add a touch of fun to any spring bouquet, they were also included.




If you’re as bored as I am with the formulaic, flat sugar cookie, I’m going to show you a way to add depth and interest to your edible bouquet. Pay attention, this is a very complicated procedure.

1. Go in your kitchen and grab a sheet of aluminum foil, one and a half times the length of your cookie sheet.
2. Grease foil lightly, then crumple it up with your hands. And place it on your cookie sheet.
3. Smooth it out very, very lightly, leaving enough mountains and valleys for your flowers and leaves to be propped on. Bake.
4. Allow cookies to cool completely before removing from amorphous foil bed.




Because these cookies are three-dimensional, icing them the conventional way (outlining with a pastry bag and flooding), would be a nightmare. Instead, get a good artist’s brush and paint the icing on. No outlining, and no mess.
While I usually ice my cookies with a confectioner’s sugar glaze, for these cookies, I prefer the body and coverage that royal icing offers. But if you use a glaze, you might need several coats of “paint” to cover the cookies completely. And you'd also need to allow the first coat to set before re-applying.

Some of the butterflies were baked flat, iced, and airbrushed over a stencil. Other butterflies were baked on a folded piece of aluminum foil (as pictured) to keep the wings elevated and to provide some stability while they baked.



Again, try not to move cookies baked in this way, until they are completely cooled to avoid any casualties.

Sugar Cookies

2¼ cups AP flour
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (6 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
1 large egg
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cream together the sugar and butter until fluffy. Add the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract and beat until blended. In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients (flour and salt). On low speed, gradually add them to the butter mixture, until incorporated. Press the dough into a flat disc, wrap well, and refrigerate for 2 hours. Roll out to 1/8" thick on a lightly-floured surface. Cut out and bake in a 350°F oven, for 8-12 minutes. For even baking, rotate the cookie sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking.
Source: Rose's Christmas Cookies by RL Beranbaum.


Guys, I woefully regret being MIA for 5 weeks. Please Forgive.

Best Wishes to my peeps for a wonderful Spring!




Oh, sweet mother! I just had (what appeared to be) a huge spider land on my wrist. It turns out Thumper was just playing a trick on me. I'll be fine, as soon as I scrape my butt off the ceiling.

Well, back to my theme music...

Obladi, Oblada life goes on bra...