A few decorating projects...

The last few years have been pretty tough for me, and I sincerely apologize to all who joined my blog and have not seen any new posts. Like many, the job market has not been kind to me; I had set aside my pastry ways for a little while and exchanged "baker hours" for "banker hours," becoming a teller at a local bank for almost a year. However at the beginning of the summer I found myself jobless again, with a company wide downsizing. I had been so busy with my bank job that I had turned down all baking requests, and I didn't realize just how much I had missed baking and decorating. It never ceases to amaze me how many twists and turns life has, and how what's around the next corner is something I never dreamed could happen. Here's hoping that whatever is coming to me is super amazing...I sure need it!

Here's a few pics of some projects I did this summer...















These cupcakes were great; I used the Moosewood chocolate cake recipe, then decorated some with vanilla buttercream and chocolate shavings, some with chocolate buttercream and milk chocolate drizzle, and some with peanut butter frosting decorated with peanut butter cups and milk chocolate drizzle. I sent some into work with Adam, and I guess everyone liked them!


I absolutely LOVE how this cake turned out!!!! A good friend of mine asked me to make a golf theme cake for her husband's 40th birthday, and this is what I came up with (based on a cake on Cake Central.) He loves chocolate, so all tiers are chocolate cake with whipped dark chocolate ganache filling, and chocolate buttercream under the fondant. The golf ball on top is styrofoam covered with fondant (which I had to laugh, I was discussing with another friend what pans I was going to use to make the golf ball, and how I was worried it wasn't going to end up being round; her response was to use a styrofoam ball....duh, Paige!!!)



My daughter requested a volcano cake for her 9th birthday, and I think my husband was more excited about me making this cake than I was because it meant one thing...HE GOT TO PLAY WITH DRY ICE!!! It was definately a fun cake, and turned out really nice.

Soft Pretzel Awesomeness

These pretzels rooooocked!!!! I cannot even tell you how many times I made them! I originally had found a recipe for soft beer pretzels and they intrigued me, and while they were pretty good, they didn't quite hit the spot. I found this recipe from Allrecipes, and let me tell you, they were fantastic. One tip though, don't skip dipping the shaped pretzel dough in the baking soda/water mixture...I tried some without, and they don't get that nice shiny top...just definitely missing something without.

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

The first time I had chocolate chip pancakes was at a diner that was down the street from the first house my husband and I shared together. Mmmm, the were so yummy...it's been a long, long time since I've had them at that diner, but Saturday and Sundays at our house often include big breakfasts with homemade chocolate chip pancakes. For a long time, my husband made them using a box mix, but a few months ago I found this recipe from Allrecipes and decided to try them out. I think my kids are spoiled now with my version that includes chocolate syrup and whipped cream!

Fluffy Pancakes (Adapted from Allrecipes)

3/4 c. milk
2 tbs vinegar
1 c. flour
2 tbs sugar (I sometimes use brown sugar)
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 egg
2 tbs butter, melted
chocolate chips
a glug or two of vanilla
a sprinkling of cinnamon

Combine milk and vinegar and set aside for about 5 minutes to sour. In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk egg, butter, vanilla, and cinnamon into the soured milk and then add to flour mixture. Whisk until lumps are gone. Add chocolate chips...more or less as you desire!

Heat up a skillet and spray with cooking spray. Depending on how big you want to make your pancakes (I use a cookie scoop that is on the larger side) pour batter onto the skillet. When batter starts to bubble, flip and cook until browned on the other side.

Like I said, I serve mine all yummy like with chocolate syrup and whipped cream (and maple syrup too, of course!) Super good, and great for a sit down family breakfast!!!

Yankees!

A friend recently asked me to make Yankees themed cookies and cupcakes for a party she was throwing for her father's birthday. I didn't think they turned out too badly, and everyone at the party liked them!

Cinnnnnnamon Rolls

I often refer to my daughter Emily as my "mini-me." I swear I've known since the day she was born that she was just like me. She looks like me and acts like me right down to stubbornness and sarcasm. However, she has one trait that I know she definitely did not inherit from me... she is not a sweets eater....except for when it comes to cinnamon rolls (ok and chocolate ice cream.) I have never seen anyone, child or adult that can polish a tray of cinnamon rolls off like Em can. Cinnamon rolls have always been one of those things that I don't really like to make, most likely because I hadn't found a really good, reliable recipe, until a few weeks ago. Em had asked me one morning if I could make them for her, so I went to Allrecipes and found this recipe. I've made it a few times since, and I think it's a keeper.

Ninety Minute Cinnamon Rolls

3/4 c. milk

1/4 c. butter

3 1/4 c. flour

1 package yeast

1/4 c. sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 c. water

1 egg

1 c. brown sugar, packed

1 tbs. cinnamon

1/2 c. butter, softened

Heat milk in a small saucepan until it slightly bubbles, and add 1/4 c. butter. Stir until melted. Cool until lukewarm (or I added ice until it was lukewarm and then omitted the 1/4 c. water.) Once the milk has come down in temperature, stir in yeast until dissolved (make sure milk is not too hot or it will kill the yeast.)

In a mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar and salt. Add milk mixture and egg, mix all together. Add more flour if needed so that dough is not super sticky. Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth, and then cover and let rest for 10 minutes.

Roll dough out into a rectangle and spread with softened 1/2 cup butter. Mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and then spread over the butter. Roll up, pinch the seam to seal an cut into 12 equal pieces.

Place rolls in 12 lightly greased muffin cups and let rise for 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or slightly browned.

One change that I made to them was melting about 1 1/2 c. of milk chocolate and spreading it on the dough before the butter. They baked up great, and Emily said they tasted amazing.

Awareness Ribbon Cookies

The past several years, Memorial Day weekend has been a big event for my family. We have always been involved in the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides Walk, and about four years ago, my mom started organizing a walk in my hometown. It has turned out to be a big, very successful event. This year we are adding another event to our busy weekend...a 5k! The 5k is going to benefit The Sweet Melissa Fund, which is the awesome organization that paid for my brother's living expenses while he had his lung transplant last June. For the 5k, I was asked to make cookies to for the runners (me included...excited to run, but not excited about the 1/2 mile mountain that is in the course!) so I decided to make sugar cookie cutouts of the awareness ribbon and decorate them green, which is the color for organ donation. The cookies will be bagged and bowed along with a giant oatmeal raisin cookie. I am so anxious to be spending an amazing weekend surrounded by family and friends, raising money for two great causes!!

Spritz!

I love these cookies. Plain and simple. Piped spritz are so beautiful, in my opinion. Dainty and light, so pretty. I've tried many spritz recipes, but think I hit gold with this one.

Butter Spritz Cookies (Adapted from The International Cookie Cookbook by Nancy Baggett)

8 oz butter, softened
2/3 c. confectioners sugar
1 egg yolk
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
2 c. flour

Beat butter until very light, add sugar and egg yolk. Continue beating until very light and fluffy (DO NOT underbeat!!! It will make dough stiff and impossible to pipe!) Add vanilla, and then flour.

Pipe dough using a pastry bag fitted with a star tip (or whatever you would like, really!)

Using baking sheets with parchment paper, bake in a 350 degree oven until cookies are slightly browned at the edges. When cooled, decorate or fill as desired.

I filled some cookies with orange marmalade before baking, sprinkled some with colored sugar, dipped some in milk chocolate, filled some with chocolate-peanut butter, and filled the rest with blackberry jam. Yummm!