Let Them Eat Cake!

My break is officially over. Bittersweet this is. I am glad to be back in town and around my friends. However, the thought of me starting classes tomorrow is daunting. Blah. Semester numero 8 is about to go underway. Hooray. (Are you sensing the sarcasm?) Enough about school, on to happier things.



I recently decorated cakes! Lots and lots of cakes. Ok, only like three, but dang, it was kind of tiring. My high school FACS teacher asked me to come and help decorate cakes for a raffle at a basketball game. I helped bake the cakes (a white, a chocolate and little white cakes) and decorated with the students for two days. I had such a fun time and I think the girls did too! :)

Meet Mrs. Frankenbery, or Frank as she is affectionately called at FHS.

Check out these little guys! Aren't they cute. Baked in a mold my mom got me from Avon.

The girls with their creations.


The decadent chocolate peanut butter cake I showed them how to make. Recipe comes from Bakerella. It's killer.


Basic white cake with snow white buttercream.




My hands were shaking ridiculously when I was piping the yellowjacket head. I'm pretty dang proud of it though.


The next cake was for some friends' birthday/graduation party.


It was a chocolate cake with a peanut butter filling (from the "Doctored Up Brownies!") and the snow white buttercream.




It was pretty dang good. So good I made it a second time. My dad said it tasted like a Butterfinger. I therefore dub it the "Butterfinger cake."


The "Butterfinger cake" was a hit at the party with no leftovers to be found.


My friends Jason, Mike and Bailey, in stick-figure form. They rock.

How to Impress with Five Ingredients or Less

Ok, so, you've got to prepare a nice dinner and you need to leave a good impression. However, you've never cooked a day in your life and mac 'n cheese from the microwave doesn't count. You're getting anxious, nervous, time is ticking. What do you do? What if I told you that you could prepare an appetizer and dessert with a total of five ingredients or less? And that both are super easy to make? Now, we're breathing a little bit easier. As for the entree, I can't help you on that, but that boxed Stouffer's lasagna can pass as homemade.

Here's the line-up for the appetizer: two ingredients. BAM.

Puff-pastry wrapped brie. And here's how you do it. Lay out one sheet of the puff pastry, after it has thawed, onto a lightly floured surface.

Place brie in the center of the sheet.

Bring corners into the center, pressing down.


Trim the excess pastry off and press the seams to seal. Place seam-side down on a baking sheet. Whisk together 1 egg and 1 tbsp. of water. Decorate top with excess pastry, if desired.


Then brush with egg mixture.


Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 20 minutes before serving. Serve with toasted baguette pieces and apple slices. And if you want to knock up the fancy factor, add a walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture on the top before bringing the corners up.


And now for dessert. Cut puff pastry sheet into three strips. Cut the strips into three squares. Place a piece of chocolate towards one of the corners of the puff pastry.


Fold opposite end over the chocolate.


Like so...


With fork, pinch sides shut.




You can also use that walnut, brown sugar, cinnamon mixture as a filling.


Brush with egg mixture (whisked egg and water). Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Very impressive! ;)

Snow Dogs

Not a dog, but it's in the snow. And it's cute.

Doctored Up Brownies

I woke up today hoping to make a couple of cakes. First wall->we have no cake flour. A trip to the store will easily solve that. Grab car keys, throw on coat, shoes and run...into second wall->It snowed. A lot. I dare not try to drive in this weather. With my luck, it would end badly. Cake mixes from a box would do just fine, I'm wanting to focus on homemade frosting and icing, anyways. Go to kitchen, yank open cupboard, dig through boxes and boxes and boxes of brownies. Ladies and gentlemen we have hit our third and final wall->no cake mix. Not a single one. But let me tell you, we've got enough brownie mixes to last us to next Christmas. No cake today, brownies will have to do. But not just your typical, boxed brownie. Let us jazz this up a bit...

See where this is going?

And more chocolate never hurt anyone.

I would gladly eat the brownies at this stage, but lets keep going...

with some peanut butter filling. Oh, yes.

This filling is just dang delicious. I wonder what this would taste on a PB&J sandwich? Hmm...

Drizzle with a bit more chocolate.

I'm in trouble. Deep, delicious trouble.

Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies a.k.a. Whatev's Left in the Cupboard
adapted by Betty Crocker

Brownie
1 brownie mix
Vegetable oil, water, eggs (whatever the box calls for to prepare brownies
Any add-ins you have handy (chocolate chips, mini candy bars, etc...)

P.B. Filling
1/2 p.b. (I used more, what's new...)
1/2 butter, softened
2 c. powdered sugar (I used way less)
2 tsp. milk

Chocolate Topping
1 c. semisweet chocolate chips
1/4 c. butter


Prepare brownie mix as directed on box. Add chopped candy, chocolate chips, etc. Bake as directed on box. After baking, set aside to cool.
In bowl, beat filling ingredients until smooth. Spread over cooled brownies. In small microwavable, melt chocolate chips and butter on high 30-60 seconds, stir until smooth. Cool for a few minutes, then spread or drizzle over p.b. filling. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or until set. Cut into bars, serve, eat, repeat.

Oh, Hey, Hi...Cupcake?

Merry "Belated" Christmas and Happy New Year's, 10 days too late. I hope you all had fantabulous holidays with family and friends and got everything your little hearts desired. I've kind of gone off the grid the last couple of weeks and I apologize. To make up for my lack of shared, sugary delights, I give you my signature dessert, that my cousin Chris requests at all family gatherings, Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cinnamon Cream Cheese frosting.


Terrific recipe from the always terrific Joy. A busy baking week lies ahead for me (cake decorating!). So keep an eye out for more posts!

Note, these pics are from this summer, BUT I've made these cupcakes twice over break.

Red Velvet Cupcakes
adapted from Joy the Baker

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 tbsp. red food coloring
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 c. plus 2 tbsp. all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. distilled white vinegar


Preheat oven to 325 degrees and place rack in upper third of oven.
In bowl, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about three minutes. Turn mixer to high and add egg. Beat until well incorporated.
In separate bowl mix together cocoa, vanilla and red food coloring to make a thick paste. Add to the batter, mixing thoroughly until well combined. Scrape sides of the bowl to make sure all of batter is incorporated with red paste.
Turn mixer to low and slowly add half of the buttermilk. Add half of the flour and mix until well combined. Scrape the bowl and repeat the process with the remaining milk and flour. Beat on high until smooth. Turn mixer to low and add baking soda and white vinegar. Turn to high and beat a few more minutes.
Spoon batter into a paper-lined cupcake baking pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then place on cooling rack to cool completely before frosting.


Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
adapted from Joy the Baker

2 1/3 c. powdered sugar, sifted
2 tbsp. butter, softened
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
scant 1/4 tsp. cinnamon

Beat powdered sugar, cinnamon and butter together in bowl. Mix on medium-slow speed until it comes together and is well mixed. Add the cream cheese all at once and beat on medium-high until incorporated. Turn mixer to medium-high and beat for 5 minutes, or until frosting becomes light and fluffy. (Do not over-beat! The frosting can quickly become runny.)