Soundtrack: Knife, Girl Talk
noms
getting ready to spend easter holiday in the sun and on the water with my family and best friends. in the process of making half batches of a variety of confectional delights – since everyone seems to have their own personal favorites i wanted to try and create a few options.
*currently hardening in the fridge awaiting white chocolate coating: pastel speckled pecan cream eggs.
Sountrack: Flogging Molly
finished rainbow cake and cloud fluffs
Supplies: angel food cake pan big bowl ziplock bags whisk spatula Ingredients: (topping) 1 box white cake mix *and eggs/oil that it calls for! food coloring frosting
apparently i’m on a baking kick…with a few tweaks
ingredients
the website linked does a really good job explaining this recipe – honestly it is so so easy to mix up these colored batters. just pull together a basic white cake box mix and divide the batter into ziplock bags. put the most amount of batter in the one that you plan on adding red food dye to and scale down as you progress through the rainbow. leave some plain white to put in the bottom of the pan.
rainbow-ing
make a layer of plain white batter. cut a small!! hole in the corner of red ziplock bag and make a rather large ring. repeat process with all of the colors - making smaller and smaller rings as you layer the colors.
baked
bake according to directions on cake box.
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i opted to move away from the green grass theme and leprechaun trap and instead frosted mine with fluffy vanilla clouds.
Lessons Learned:
Review: how can you not love a rainbow holiday theme cake?!
Inspiration: Pi day (3/14)
finished pie
Supplies: pie tin measuring cups/spoons whisk vitamix or food processor Ingredients: (topping) 1/2 c walnut pieces 1/4 c packed golden brown sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon pinch fine sea salt pie crust Ingredients: (filling) 1 c packed golden brown sugar 2 eggs 1/2 tsp fine sea salt 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp ground ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1 can (15oz) pure pumpkin 1 c heavy whipping cream
so in honor of Pi day and to appease my inner math enthusiast i decided to bake off a pie. perused many options but decided on this one from Bon Appetite:
Pumpkin Pie with Brown Sugar Walnut Topping
ingredients
pre-heat oven to 375degrees. poke holes in bottom of pie shell with fork to allow air to escape. place frozen pie shell (i googled brands and am pretty impressed with how this one from Whole Foods called Whole Wholesome Organic turned out) in oven for about 15min to crisp up a bit.
topping
using Vitamix or food processor grind up walnuts, brown sugar and salt.
topping
pulse until it turns into fine crumbs
filling
whisk brown sugar, eggs and spices in medium bowl. add in heavy whipping cream and pumpkin puree and whisk some more to combine.
cooking
pour filling into pie and bake for about 30 min. be careful when placing pie into oven – where it sloshed over onto the pie crust it wound up burning and turning black by the time the pie was done. eep. sprinkle topping on pie and continue to bake for 15 min at 325degrees (i accidentally left my oven at 375degrees – again, eep.)
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Lessons Learned:
Review: honestly i’m not a pie fan but i love pumpkin puree and even eat it just by itself whenever it’s prominently promoted over the fall holidays. this tasted like a creamier version of that, but i really liked that the recipe didn’t call for condensed milk like some recipes do which i think takes away too much from the pumpkin taste. also the crumb topping doesn’t call for butter like most crumbles which i also like since it makes the overall flavor of the pie (deceptively?) healthy tasting. the frozen pie crust i used was also a winner, aside from the burnt parts around the sides…better chilled since it set the filling up, but had i cooked it longer i’m sure it would have been fine warm or at room temperature.
Soundtrack: Happy Birthday to Me, The Vandals
finished hard candies
Supplies: 3qt saucepan measuring cups/spoons lollipop molds and sticks various additional molds candy thermometer Ingredients: 2 c sugar 1 c light corn syrup 1/2 c water 1/4 tsp flavoring (champagne) assorted sprinkles/coarse decorating sugars
ingredients
combine sugar, corn syrup and water in saucepan. stir to combine and heat until sugar dissolves. wash down sides with pastry brush and increase heat to medium. cook until mixture reaches 300degrees.
extract
remove from heat and stir in champagne extract.
pouring
pour mixture into lollipop, silicone, plastic molds – that have all been sprayed with nonstick spray and filled with sprinkles.
sprinkling
sprinkle with more sprinkles/sugar. (yes i did forget to fill that one on the top left)
excess
pour remaining mixture onto silpat and top with more fun sprinkles/jimmies and let cool. once cooled remove from molds (carefully) and break up hard candy block into pieces.
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Lessons Learned:
ombre
Review: pretty looking but not my favorite tasting. best to let the candy dissolve rather than try and chew since it’s the kind of candy that gets stuck in your teeth. actually most candies seem to do this…i like the sprinkles better than jimmies but figured i’d try something different with all of the excess sugar mixture. more caramel tasting than champagne-y but i think that is because the sugar kept cooking for so long off the heat.
Soundtrack: My Funny Valentine, Frank Sinatra
finished conversation hearts
Supplies: standing mixer measuring cups/spoons spatula silpat lined baking sheet food safe gloves food safe pen (i used Gourmet Writer) small heart shaped cookie cutter Ingredients: 1/4 oz gelatin (one packet) 4 oz sprite 40 oz powdered sugar 1/4 tsp salt extract options corresponding food coloring
ingredients
weigh out all ingredients on scale (if you don’t have a scale i have a feeling the accuracy isn’t too finicky in this recipe so just convert. ie: 40oz is roughly 5 cups)
melting
combine gelatin and sprite in heat safe bowl. mix with fork over simmering water just until gelatin is melted.
mixing
in standard mixer with beater attachment, place gelatin sprite mixture and one cup powdered sugar. mix on low speed.
dough
continue to add in more powdered sugar and mix to combine until a play dough like consistency forms.
kneading
knead dough with more powdered sugar if necessary (for me it was).
dividing
divide into however many flavors you plan on making
flavor coloring
wearing food safe rubber gloves, add in small amount of flavoring (i used a scant 1/4tsp) and coloring. mix in hands to combine
cutting
flatten out (with rolling pin or hand). use cookie cutter to cut out hearts. pace on silpat lined baking sheet to harden out overnight.
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decorate using food safe pen <3
Lessons Learned:
frankenheart
super cute, but i forgot to consider flavor mixing. luckily my flavors aren’t that pronounced, but just something to be noted.
Review: these are so so so much fun to make. the flavors i did were: strawberry, champagne, brandy, peppermint, and vanilla. i loved all of the flavors, except brandy, which now reminds me of that eggnog fudge i made, which is sadly a flavor i cannot seem to get on board with. i was supposed to write on them with a friend, but we got sidetracked so the majority of mine still remain unadorned. however they’re so adorable i don’t really mind. apparently Sprite is what gives them that flavor profile reminiscent of actual candy hearts, whatever it is – it works. these turn out a bit softer than the store bought kind, but you can leave them out for more nights if that’s what you want to eventually achieve.
Screening: Pineapple Express
finished candied citrus peels
Supplies: paring knife saucepan wire rack Ingredients: orange, lemon, lime 1 c water 1 c sugar plus more for coating pinch cream of tartar pinch kosher salt
ingredients
slice tops and bottoms off fruit. score peel into 1inch strips, use fingers to peel off strips.
simmering
place in saucepan and cover with water. bring to boil and reduce heat to simmer for 20min
de-pithing
drain peels. cut/scoop away excess pith (whites)
slicing
cut lengthwise into thin strips
syrup'ing
in saucepan combine water, sugar, cream of tartar and salt. bring to boil over medium heat and add in strips of citrus fruit. reduce heat to low. cook until peel is translucent – about 30min. remove from heat and transfer into heatproof container. let sit overnight at room temp. (stage 1 pic)
sugar coating
remove peels from syrup, let dry out overnight. (stage 2 pic) roll in granulated sugar.
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Lessons Learned:
Review: this a pretty easy recipe. the only timely thing (aside from the overnight waiting) is peeling and cleaning out the pith from the citrus fruits. i didn’t use that many fruit peels – one orange, one lemon, one lime, one tangerine – because i was more interested in figuring out which one tasted best (tangerine in my humble opinion) and had potential for future gifting. however, it wound up making a good amount of candied peel.
package sent off to dad, hopefully a healthy-ish treat that he can enjoy.
Soundtrack: Sleepyhead, Passion Pit
finished meringues
Supplies: standing mixer measuring cups/spoons spatula piping bag/tip silpat lined baking sheet Ingredients: 3 large egg whites, room temperature 1/8 tsp kosher salt 1/3 c sugar 1/2 c powdered sugar 1/8 tsp peppermint extract 12 drops red food coloring
ingredients
preheat oven to 200degrees
stiff peaks
in standard mixer with whisk attachment beat egg whites and salt on medium high until foamy. with mixture running add in sugar in 3 batches, mixing for about 2 min between each addition. beat until stiff peaks form – about 2 min more.
add in powdered sugar and extract and mix to combine
coloring splatter
dot food coloring onto mixture – do not stir. yes i know this looks disturbingly like a knife wound.
piping
fill piping bag with mixture and pipe onto silpat lined baking sheet in either rounds or heart shapes. or however you like.
bake in oven for 2 1/2hours, then cool for at least an hour
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Lessons Learned:
Review: i love meringues. love love. these were a festive flavor and it is an easy enough recipe that lends itself to trying out other flavors – much like marshmallows or macarons… however, i’m still going to stand by keeping them traditional vanilla flavored. also i highly recommend scooping out a small bowl of the mixture before it is piped and baked to enjoy as a marshmallow fluff type confection all on its own.
**disclaimer. in case it wasn’t evident – should you eat this before it is baked off you are, in fact, consuming raw eggs. i’m convinced that dedicating my early years to eating raw cookie dough has insulated me against such concerns.
Inspiration: 2012 Golden Globes – ie. pretty gold colored candy treats
finished butterscotch
Supplies: 3qt saucepan measuring cups/spoons silpat lined cooking sheet various molds candy thermometer Ingredients: 2 c sugar 2/3 c heavy cream 2/3 c water 1/8 tsp cream of tartar 6 Tbs butter (cut into small pieces) 1/2 tsp vanilla
ingredients
combine sugar, water and cream in saucepan. stir to combine. wash down sides with pastry brush and turn on heat to medium low.
cooking
slowly bring to boil until thermometer reaches 240degrees. drop in cut up pieces of butter – do not stir!
cooking
continue to boil (again not stirring! do not let the left in spoon confuse you!) until mixture reaches 280degrees. turn off heat and stir in vanilla.
molds
pour mixture into lollipop, silicone, plastic molds – that have all been sprayed with nonstick spray. yes it’s a messy step.
cooling
pour remaining butterscotch mixture onto silpat and let cool. once cooled remove from molds (carefully) and break up butterscotch block into pieces.
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Lessons Learned:
not pretty
i’m not sure if it had cooled too much and i should have poured left to right rather than straight down into one big pool o’scotch…once broken up the outer smooth sides of the candy were a lot harder, whereas the milky looking center had more of a grainy fudge (but still kind of hard) consistency.
Review: really rich and buttery tasting. like i said the molds turned out awesome and are really pretty. reminds me of the amazing butterscotch candies in the gold foil. the softer center parts from the big pour are tasty but i like the harder smooth consistency best.
Soundtrack: Sail, AWOLNATION
finished peanut butter cups
Supplies: 3qt saucepan 2qt saucepan measuring cups/spoons cooling rack mini cupcake cups Ingredients: 2 c milk chocolate chips 2 Tbs shortening 1/2 c butter 1/2 c crunchy peanut butter 1 c powdered sugar 2/3 c crushed graham crackers
ingredients
combine chocolate chips and shortening in saucepan.
melted
melt over medium low heat – turn off heat once melted.
cups
put small spoonful of melted chocolate into cups – swirl around so that it goes up sides of cup, but is still a bit thick on the bottom. place in fridge to harden up.
ingredients
in second saucepan combine peanut butter and butter until melted.
filling
remove from heat and stir in powdered sugar and crushed graham crackers.
filling
once chocolate cups are firmed up add in small amount of peanut butter mixture. flatten with your fingers to form an even layer. top with another layer of melted chocolate and refrigerate until hard.
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Lessons Learned:
Review: yum yum yum. the small version of these is perfect, i may put more peanut butter mixture in the molds next time around since there was a lot of that left over when compared to chocolate. i made two larger versions of this in proper cupcake sized paper cups which i think turned out pretty good as well – except for the fact that i should have gotten aluminum cups rather than just paper so they would peel out more easily. the idea of using shortening in anything kind of grosses me out, but it really makes for a smooth creamy chocolate.
Screening: Tangled
finished old fashioned mints
Supplies: cutting board 3qt saucepan measuring cups/spoons serrated knife Ingredients:1/4 c butter 3 and 3/4 c powdered sugar, divided 1/3 c light corn syrup 1/2 tsp peppermint extract 1/2 tsp vanilla extract red food coloring
ingredients
cooking
melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. add 2 cups powdered sugar and corn syrup, stir to combine and bring to boil – about 4 min.
cooling
remove from heat and stir in 1 and 3/4 cup powdered sugar and flavoring extracts. pour mixture onto damp cutting board.
cooling
knead mixture until smooth and cooled with heat proof spatula – it is a tad too hot to do this step with just your hands so the spatula helps. divide in half and saran wrap one half (…grr…still need to buy clear plastic wrap).
coloring
tint one half with red coloring, knead until incorporated – you can use your hands now as it should be sufficiently cooled.
rolling
roll out into flat rectangle(ish) shape. next, roll out white half of mixture and place on top of red and cover with saran wrap. use rolling pin (or similar shape implement…) and flatten into combined sheet.
rolling
tightly roll up layers, squeezing as you go so that it all stays together.
cutting
using serrated knife, cut into slices, again squeezing and shaping to retain disk appearance as much as possible.
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Lessons Learned:
Review: texture is less like a hard candy mint and more like a soft candy corn consistency. the mint flavor isn’t too pronounced, which i actually prefer. i like the thin layers of color and think that they look really cute, aside from being a bit crumbly when observed under close inspection. i have a feeling that sifting the powdered sugar would have helped with this. the color looks a bit orange in some of the pictures but in real life it’s actually a pretty reddish-pink color.
