The Baking Diaries

Soft Sugar Cookies (Christmas Edition)

recipe

We made homeade Krispy Kreme donuts last night!!

Recipe- http://www.food.com/recipe/krispy-kreme-doughnuts-63746

We filled the donut holes with left over cranberry apple cider sauce. So yummy!!

I know you’ve heard of reindeer/puppy chow.

Well, you should make it, cause it’s easy and scrumptious.

Recipe here.

In honor of our upcoming honeymoon, I made-

Disney Mickey & Minnie Chocolate Apples

What you will need:

• 4 Granny Smith Apples
• 2 cups dark chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 8 Large Marshmallows
• 8 toothpicks
• 4 Popsicle sticks
• Red sugar crystals
• Can of vanilla frosting
• 4 Yellow M & Ms (or jelly beans)
• 12 white chocolate discs
• Parchment paper

Directions:

1. Attach marshmallows to apples securely with toothpicks.

2. Melt chocolate over in double boiler over simmering water & add oil and mix until incorporated.

3. Let chocolate cool slightly (enough to where it is no longer steaming) and dip each apple into chocolate to completely coat. Place onto parchment to cool.

4. When chocolate is completely cool and hardened, coat bottom half of apples with frosting, then attach m&ms and white chocolate discs to frosting.

5. Next, sprinkle the red sugar all over to coat all of the white frosting.

& voilà!!

Easy, fun, and yummy too!

This was the first time I’ve made cinnamon rolls, and I made my mouth proud. They are so light and fluffy & the left-overs hold well & are so delicious when warmed up for a few seconds in the microwave. The recipe is here. Enjoy!

I cut mine with kitchen scissors. You can also use dental floss.

Easy Homeade Root Beer.

Recipe here.

(via lisalouwho)

Libby’s Pumpkin Roll

Ingredients

1/4 cup powdered sugar (to sprinkle on towel)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup LIBBY’S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup walnuts, chopped (optional)
1 pkg. (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
6 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Powdered sugar (optional for decoration)

Directions

FOR CAKE:
PREHEAT oven to 375° F. Grease 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan; line with wax paper. Grease and flour paper. Sprinkle a thin, cotton kitchen towel with powdered sugar.

COMBINE flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt in small bowl. Beat eggs and granulated sugar in large mixer bowl until thick. Beat in pumpkin. Stir in flour mixture. Spread evenly into prepared pan. Sprinkle with nuts.

BAKE for 13 to 15 minutes or until top of cake springs back when touched. (If using a dark-colored pan, begin checking for doneness at 11 minutes.) Immediately loosen and turn cake onto prepared towel. Carefully peel off paper. Roll up cake and towel together, starting with narrow end. Cool on wire rack.



FOR FILLING:
BEAT cream cheese, 1 cup powdered sugar, butter and vanilla extract in small mixer bowl until smooth. Carefully unroll cake. Spread cream cheese mixture over cake. Reroll cake. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour. Sprinkle with powdered sugar before serving, if desired.


COOKING TIP:
Be sure to put enough powdered sugar on the towel when rolling up the cake so it will not stick.

I wanted to keep these cupcakes simple so I used a Better Crocker French Vanilla Cake mix (my favorite.)

So to begin,

1. Make your favorite batch of cupcakes, whether it’s a box or a recipe.
2. While hot, fill center of cupcakes with warm honey. You can use the tip of the bottle, or a tool like this-

• Let cool. 

Peanut butter buttercream frosting:

1 stick softened unsalted butter
3/4 cup creamy peanut butter
2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cream
1/2 tsp vanilla

1. Cream together butter and peanut butter.
2. Add cream and beat until light.
3. Slowly add sugar until incorporated.
4. Beat in vanilla until light and creamy.

Jelly:

I mixed grape & strawberry jelly. My consistency was too thin so I put

1. 1 cup jelly
2. 2 tsp cornstarch

over medium heat on the stove & stirred until thickened. After thickened I let cool. Place in refrigerator if you need to.

Next, place Peanut butter frosting in one half of a piping bag & the jelly in the other half with large star or round tip. (This created the ‘swirled effect.) Then, pipe onto Cupcakes.

If this is too much of a hassle, ice the cupcakes with the peanut butter frosting and place a dollop of jelly on top.

Meet Daddy Cupcake (with pretzel arms.)

& Meet his woman and children :)

For the baby mamas that follow me- These make great mini cupcakes!

Seriously so good. Enjoy!

Coconut Cupcakes with Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Ganache

3/4 cup of butter (room temperature)
1/2 cup coconut butter
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
3 cups of flour
1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder1/3 cup pomegranate juice (for basting)
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds (for garnish)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners and lightly grease with pan spray.
3. Using a mixer, cream butter & coconut butter until fluffy.
4. Add sugar and continue to cream until incorporated.
5. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.
6. Add flour and milk alternately, beginning and ending with flour.
7. Add vanilla to mix; until just mixed.
8. Scoop batter into pans filling each liner 2/3 full. 

1. Bake for 22-25 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
2. Cool in pans for 5 – 10 minutes.
3. Cool completely on wire racks.
4. Once cooled, baste with sugar syrup (recipe below) & pomegranate juice.

Sugar Syrup

1. Combine 1 cup of sugar and 2 cups of water.
2. Bring to boil and boil for approximately 3 minutes. Let cool.
3. Baste onto hot cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Pomegranate Ganache

10 oz dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
3/4 cup heavy cream

1. Melt chocolate in a double boiler over simmering water.
2. Heat cream in microwave for 1.5 minutes.
3. Slowly add the cream to the melted chocolate, whipping quickly.
4. After incorporated, slowly add the pomegranate juice & whip until incorporated.
5. Place in refrigerator, stirring every five minutes, until the ganache is a little thicker than toothpaste.
6. Place into piping bag with a large tip & pipe onto cupcakes.
7. Garnish with pomegranate seeds.

MMM. ENJOY.

Grandma Wellard’s Delicious Soft Sugar Cookies- Halloween Edition

Cookie Directions-

1. Cream together-

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
3 eggs

2. Add to this mixture-

1 cup sour cream
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

3. Slowly add-

6 cups flour, or enough to get the right consistency.

4. Roll out 1/4 inch thick. Using as little as flour as possible, cut out different shapes.

5. Bake on an ungreased cookie sheet at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes or until bottoms are golden brown.

6. Cool on wire rack & then decorate with buttercream icing.

Steven rolled them a little thicker, which is fine by me.

Naked Ghost!

Buttercream Icing directions-

1. Cream together-

2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter (softened)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 T milk
Assorted food coloring

2. Divide into different containers or ziploc bags to pipe, add desired colors, and decorate cookies.

In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month!

These cookies always get compliments.

Chocolate Beet Cupcakes- with an Orange Molasses Glaze & Buttermilk Icing

First, I want you all to know that the cupcakes were delicious, until I added molasses. It was awful. I was worried about the beets, but the molasses is what ruined it for me. So I will share my recipe excluding that nasty stuff.

Ingredients For Cake

2 cups flour (preferably 1 cup cake flour, 1 cup ap flour)
2 cups sugar
10 oz softened unsalted butter
1 heaping tsp baking powder
1/2 cup butter milk
1 1/4 cup cocoa
3 eggs
3 tablespoons orange juice
2 roasted and pureed fresh beets

Ingredients for Glaze

1 cup unsweetened orange juice
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon

Ingredients for Icing

2 cups sifted confectioner’s sugar
1 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
3-4 Tbsps buttermilk

To roast beets, scrub but do not peel. Wrap in foil and place in oven at 400 degrees for 50 minutes or until a knife can cut right through them. After roasted, let cool, and peel with fingers or a small knife. Puree in the blender.

The beets make the cupcakes more soft and dense.

Directions for Cupcakes

1. Line cupcake pan cupcake liners and spray with pan spray.
2. Cream together butter and sugar with hand mixer or stand mixer, until light.
3. Add eggs one at a time until completely incorporated.
4. Slowly add flour and baking soda until incorporated.
5. Add orange juice, buttermilk, beets, and cocoa one at a time, and beat until well mixed.
6. Pour into pans, filling each cup 2/3 the way full.
7. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.
8. Poke holes with a fork over the cupcakes and baste with glaze.
9. Let cool.
10. Dip cupcake tops in icing and top with orange zest.

Directions for glaze

1. Heat all ingredients over stove top until sugar is melted. Let simmer for 6 minutes.
2. Baste over cupcakes while still hot.

Directions for icing

1. In a medium bowl, mix sugar and butter. Add vanilla.
2. Add milk 1 Tbsp at a time until you get the desired consistency. (Adding more milk will make it thinner.) Mix until smooth.
3. Transfer glaze to a small, deep bowl and you can just dip the tops of your cupcakes in it.

And here they are. Messy as ever. Enjoy.

ntima:

hamburger cupcake! (by n’timajoy)

recipe here.

(via wuddupemmabomb)

Baklava - one of the most decadent, delicious desserts, ever.

1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
1 pound chopped pecans
1 cup butter
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1.5 cup water
1.5 cup white sugar
1.5 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup honey

1. To make sauce, boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes. When done place in refrigerator to cool.
2. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside.
4. Unroll thawed phyllo dough. Place 1 sheet of dough in pan, fold in half and butter the top thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered.
5. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
6. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes almost to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts.
7. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
8. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool.

It always tastes better the day after.

(by ntimajoy)

I found this idea on cakespy.com (love her).

First for the cake (found on bakerella.com) —

Moist Yellow Cake

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter (room temperature)
2 cups of sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
3 cups of sifted self-rising flour (White Lily)
1 cup of whole milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (McCormicks)
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Grease 2 dozen cupcake pans lined with cupcake liners.
3. Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy.
4. Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes.
5. Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.
6. Add flour and milk (alternating to creamed mixture), beginning and ending with flour.
7. Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.
8. Divide batter equally into two cupcake pans, filling each liner 2/3rds full.
9. Be sure not to drip batter onto the edges of pan, if you do so wipe away before baking.
10. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
11. Cool in pans for 5 – 10 minutes.
12. Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture.
13. Cool completely on wire racks.

OR YOU COULD JUST USE A CAKE MIX.

And for the frosting—

Cotton Candy Buttercream (found on cakespy.com)

Makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 to 8 cups Confectioners’ sugar
1/2 cup Milk or cream
2 teaspoons Vanilla or Almond extract
1 handful cotton candy (I used this prepackaged kind), broken into small pieces, plus another handful for garnish

1. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl.
2. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla.
3. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
4. Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be of good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all of the sugar.
5. Add a few drops of red food coloring and mix thoroughly til it’s a desired shade of pink.
6. Stir in the small pieces of cotton candy, stirring until incorporated. It may melt a little bit into the frosting; this is ok.
7. Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled. 
8. Optional topping: tear off chunks of cotton candy and use as garnish; do this last step  immediately before serving, because it will wilt if left out.

Yum.

(via lifeilluminated)