Thanksgiving Day

To the left: Peanut Butter, Nutella, Marshmallow Blondies

In the middle: Pumpkin Pie Cupcakes & Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcakes

To the right: Somoas & "Take 5" Sugar Cookies

I enjoyed my Thanksgiving!

Hope you did too!

Thanksgiving Bake-Fest Day 2!

Here is Day 2 of my baking extravaganza!

Pumpkin Pie Cupcake!

Unbelievably Unbelievable - My new favorite cupcake!

Chocolate Covered Cherry Cupcake!

Shhhh! It has a surprise center!

Struffoli!

A delicious Italian fried dough with honey.

This was the first time I made this (or anything fried) and I am so happy with the way it came out!

I WAS NOT KIDDING WHEN I SAID CUT BACK ON THE TURKEY THIS YEAR!

DESSERT IS TAKING OVER!

Thanksgiving Bake-Fest Day 1!

HOMEMADE SOMOAS<3

For all you ladies who were girl scouts at some point, and those of you who were smart enough not to be (or the wrong sex to be), these are for you!!!  They are even MORE delicious. HOWEVER, unless you have the patience of Mother Theresa and 6 hours on your hand, do not try these at home.

Recipe from Baking Bites

PEANUT BUTTER - NUTELLA - MARSHMALLOW BLONDIE :)

Check out World Nutella Day!

Ingredients:

For blondies

6 TBS unsalted butter room temperature

1 cup light brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3/4 cup peanut butter (creamy or crunchy, but don’t use old-fashioned/natural)

2 large eggs

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp kosher salt

For Nutella swirl

1 1/2 oz dark chocolate or chocolate with hazelnuts, chopped 

1/2 TBS butter

1/4 cup Nutella

2 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

1 cup milk chocolate chips

pinch of kosher salt

Directions:

1.  Preheat oven to 350ºF with a rack in the center position.  Line an 8″ square baking pan with non-stick foil, leaving a slight overhang of foil on the sides of the pan.  (If you’re unsure whether or not your foil is non-stick, give it a quick spray with cooking spray.)

2. For blondies: If using a mixer, beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl on medium-high speed until soft and combined.  It’s just as easy to combine thoroughly with a rubber spatula in a large bowl.  Add the peanut butter and vanilla and mix until combined (on medium speed with mixer).  Add eggs and mix or beat until just combined.3. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl.  Add the baking powder and salt and mix until combined.  Add flour and mix just until incorporated – don’t over mix!  Transfer the batter into the prepared pan.  Spread evenly with a rubber or offset spatula. 

4.  For swirl: Combine the butter and chocolate in the Wilton Chocolate Pro (or a micro-wave safe bowl).  Add the Nutella and stir to combine.

5.  Drop Nutella mixture by spoonfuls over the batter in the pan.  Drag a sharp knife through the Nutella mixture and the batter to create a marbled effect.  (Really, it doesn’t matter what it looks like on top because we’re going to cover it up.  You just want the Nutella mixture to be distributed through the blondie.)

6.  Bake for 25-28 minutes until a tester inserted into the blondie comes out mostly clean.  You don’t want it to be completely dry!  Overcooked blondies are no fun.

7.  Take pan out of the oven and immediately sprinkle marshmallows over the top.  Turn the oven down to 325ºF and put the pan back in the oven for 3 minutes.  Cool blondies in the pan on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes to finish setting the marshmallows.

8.  Melt chocolate chips in a microwave-safe bowl for 1 minute at 70% power.  Stir.  If necessary, continue to microwave in 30-second intervals at 70% power until smooth.  Stir in pinch of salt.

9.  Pour melted chocolate over blondies and spread evenly with an offset spatula.  Refrigerate blondies (still in the pan!) until chocolate is set, about an hour.  If the chocolate isn’t totally set and firm, don’t even think about cutting them yet.  Be patient!

 

DO NOT FORGET WHEN YOU ARE EATING THAT TURKEY,

SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT!

Daddy's Birthday Cheesecake

Rule # 1 in making a cheesecake - NEVER start late at night.  There is way too much waiting involved around. (My mistake.)
Rule #2 in making a cheesecake - NEVER start the same day you plan on eating or serving it.  Again, the wait.

I made cheesecake for the first time back in August for my dad's birthday.  It is his favorite.  The icing around the edge and the words are (obviously) Cream Cheese Frosting.  I got the recipe from a cookbook compiled of recipes from teachers and parents from my elementary school.  Apparently we did that.. I have zero recollection.

New York Cheesecake


For the crust:

1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup (half of a stick) melted butter

FYI: for the above measurements, I eyed out a little more for each so I would have enough crust to go up the sides of the pan a little.

For the cheesecake:

3 8-ounce packages of softened cream cheese
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Mix graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar (only the 1/4 cup for the crust!) and press firmly to the bottom of a springform pan and up the sides (I did about half way).
3. In a stand mixer, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until blended.
4. On low speed, beat in eggs one at a time.
5. Add sour cream and pour into crust.

The waiting game:

1. Bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes.
2. Turn off te oven & leave cheesecake inside with door open for one hour.
3. Cool completely.
4. Refrigerate overnight.

And, the good part:

1. Enjoy the heavy, creamy, fattiness.


... AND SMILE!

Chocolate.. Cream Cheese.. Peanut Butter.. Nutella.. 100 extra pounds..

I managed to go to Italy for a month and not catch on to the Nutella craze. They put it in everything there.  No joke.  Okay maybe not their pizza and pasta but you cant walk past a gelato place or a bakery without seeing or smelling Nutella. A year and a half later I go to Jamaica and somehow end up loving Nutella? Makes no sense.
These were made for my sister when she moved into her dorm!


I'll cut right to the delicious chase.


Chocolate Nutella Cupcakes:


Ingredients:
Makes 36 cupcakes


2/3 cup Nutella
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups buttermilk


Directions:


1. Preheat the oven to 350 and line pan with cupcake liners.
2. In a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and thick.
3. Add in butter & mix.
4. Add in nutella and buttermil until combined.
5. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.  Add this mixture in in 3 incriments.
6. Divide batter between cupcake liners and bake for 20-25 minutes.


Frosting #1:
Cream Cheese Frosting


Frosting #2:
Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:


6 ounces cream cheese
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup peanut butter
4 cups confectioners sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


Frosting #3:
Nutella Cream Cheese Frosting


Ingredients:

6 ounces cream cheese

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup peanut butter

4 cups confectioners sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Cream together butter and cream cheese in a stand mixture.

2. Slowly incorporated the confectioners sugar and then add the vanilla.

3. For Peanut Butter and Nutella frostings - Add Peanut Butter or Nutella and mix until fluffy.

Icing the cupcakes:

I iced some with cupcakes with each frosting.  

I also mixed the three together.  To do this load a piping bag with no tip with each frosting.  Tie the top of each bag.  (You should have three tipless bags - one with each frosting.)  Put your desired tip into a fourth bag.  Load the three bags into the bag with the tip.  Squeeze frosting onto a paper towel until all three colors are coming out.  Then decorate!

Tip: for a more drastic color differential, add dark brown food coloring to the nutella frosting.

 

Thank God for World Nutella Day

Halloween "Cakes In a Cup"

Never waste excess cake.  Instead turn it into cake pops.  That is pretty much what this is minus the stick.  The cake is a basic vanilla cake crumbled into fine crumbs.  I mixed in chocolate icing with the cake crumbs and formed the mixture into balls in the palm of my hand.  Yay for dirty work!  The cups are made out of white chocolate, dyed orange for Halloween! I used a mold for these.

The tops are frosted - half with chocolate frosting, half with vanilla frosting and adorned with spooky Halloween sprinkles - spiders, skulls, oh my!

Truffles, Truffles, Truffles, I am in love.

Admittedly, I am not much of a cake person.  Me and frosting are infatuated with each other.  I could live without eating cake although not without baking it.  I love the baking process, the smell and making other people happy with my baked goods.  Chocolate truffles, however, I am in love with.  I can eat 20 in a sitting, which is why I do not make them often... I would be super fat.  They have a hard shell and the center melts in your mouth.  Glorious.  Proudly, the recipe is my own.  I currently have about 20 different flavors and combinations.  Most have a chocolate ganache center.  I know there are molds for truffles and I have used them a couple times but I love the homemade look about them.

The one's photographed are
(1) chocolate ganache with malibu rum covered in dark chocolate and toasted coconut
(2) chocolate ganache with almond extract covered in milk chocolate and home honey roasted almonds, and
(3) chocolate ganache with raspberry extract, some covered in white chocolate and some covered in milk chocolate


Some of my other Flavors include:

• Chocolate ganache with dark roast coffee covered in dark chocolate
• Chocolate ganache with tea covered in green "white" chocolate
• Chocolate ganacche with honey covered in dark chocolate sprinkled with cinnamon
• Chocolate ganache with strawberry extract covered in milk chocolate with a bow
• Chocoalte ganache with orane liqour covered in milk chocolate
• Chocolate-hazelnut ganache covered in dark chocolate coating, topped with a hazelnut
• Chocolate-caramel ganache covered in dark chocolate with caramel glaze
• Chocolate-vanilla ganache covered in milk chocolate with a cherry topping
• Peanut Butter ganache covered in milk chocolate
• Cookie dough covered in either milk chocolate with yogurt chips or white chocolate with dark chocolate glaze

For the Holidays:

• Chocolate ganache with Pinnacle Chocolate Whipped Cream Vodka covered in milk chocolate with Christmas sprinkles
• Chocolate ganache with ginger and crushed ginger cookies covered in milk chocolate with gingerbread man sprinkles
• Chocolate ganache with creme de menthe covered in white chocolate with finely crushed candy cane pieces
• Chocolate ganache with eggnog covered in white chocolate and a Christmas tree
• Chocolate ganache with red wine covered in dark chocolate and edible gold dust

Erica's Baby Shower Cake!

This was the first specialty cake I did.  It was for my cousin's baby shower!  The cake is two-tiered, 8 inch and 12 inch, Martha Stewart Red Velvet Cake. (It is the same recipe I used for my Red Velvet Cupcakes with different measurements.)  The frosting on the tiers is Cream Cheese Frosting. (Also, the same I used in my post for Red Velvet Cupcakes.)  I used an off-set spatula to smooth the frosting on the layers.  It is HEAVILY cream-cheesed.  The piping around the edges is Vanilla Frosting with green and blue food coloring.  I used a medium star tip for the borders.  The little baby feet are fondant - I used a small cookie cutter to make these.)

This was my ABSOLUTE favorite part of the cake.  The cute little bear is a Wilton 3D Cake Pan (you can find this at Michaels or probably most craft stores or online.)  It is also red velevt cake but it is iced with chocolate frosting.  The bottom of the feet (hard to see here) and the inside of the ears were done with the blue vanilla frosting.  The eyes and nose are M&M's.  I used a small star tip to make the bear look fuzzy!

Almost too cute to eat.. ALMOST..

The two fondant feet on the top tier have the wonderful parents-to-be's names on them in edible marker.  The "Congrats" is sugar letters.

This is the beautiful mommy-to-be with her cake at her shower!

Everyone's Favorite ... Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting!

I must admit that I do not fully get the Red Velvet craze.  All it really is a cake with a little chocolate and a lot of red food coloring.  My best law-school educated guess would be that everyone loves Red Velvet cake because of the Cream Cheese Frosting.  Well, that is because I love Red Velvet cake solely for the Cream Cheese Frosting.  Usually I am lucky I have enough to make it to the cupcakes because I can eat it out of the bowl and deal with the tummy ache later.

Let me for-warn you.. It takes an insane amount of time to get red food coloring off of your skin (I scrubbed and scrubbed for 3 days). So, be careful since it is pretty annoying that people at a quick glance always tell you that you're bleeding. :/

Red Velvet Cupcakes from Martha Stewart

And of course, do not forget..
The Cream Cheese Frosting!


This recipe makes 4 cups of frosting.
(It may sound like enough but when you find yourself eating it you may just end up having to make more.. the cupcakes deserve some love too!)

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
12 ounces room temperature cream cheese
4 cups confectioners sugar
3/4 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Beat butter and cream cheese in a stand mixer, on medium, for 2-3 minutes.
2. Reduce speed to low and slowly, one cup at a time, add in cofectioners sugar.
3. Add in vanilla & stir until creamy and delicious.
4. Try not to eat it all before icing the cupcakes.

I used a 1M tip to frost my cupcakes.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes with Peanut Butter Frosting

Reese's Peanut Buttercup Cupcake, anyone?  It is amazing how inspirational candy can be!  I made these cupcakes for a jewlery party I was attending for my boyfriend's mother.  Women + chocolate cupcakes.. Cannot go wrong!
The recipe is from Ina Garten.

Dark Chocolate Cupcakes
Makes 12 cupcakes -

Ingredients:

1 stick unsalted butter
2 ounces of chopped bittersweet chocolate (I used Ghiradelli)
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line cupcake/muffin pan with baking cup liners.
2. Melt together butter (cut into 4 pieces), chocolate, and cocoa powder.
          For this step, I used the Wilton Chocolate Pro.  However you can also set a heatproof bowl over a saucepan with barely simmering water or use the microwave at 50% power in 30 second intervals.
3. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and baking poweder.
4. Whisk eggs in a stand mixer until combined and then add sugar, vanilla, and salt.
5. Add cooled chocolate mixture and whisk until combined.
6. Pour in 1/3 of flour mixture and whisk.
7. Add in sour cream and whisk.
8. Pour in the rest of the flour mixture and mix until thick.
          Be aware - this cupcake mixture is much thicker then most.  I added a little buttermilk to the recipe.
9. Divide among cupcakes liners, filling them about 2/3 of the way.
10. Bake for 18-20 minutes and then let cool on a wire rack.


While the cupackes cool, it is time to make the BEST part -
Peanut Butter Frosting
This recipe is also from Ina Garten.

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
1 cup creamy peanut butter
5 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/3 heavy cream

Directions:

1. In a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix together sugar, peanut butter, vanilla, and salt.  Mix until creamy.
2. Add the heavy cream and beat on high until light and smooth.


And now, for my most favorite part - ICING THE CUPCAKE!
I used a IM tip.

For more fun and deliciousness, top with crumbled candy!

ENJOY!

 (This was after the crowd began digging in!)

"Take 5" Sugar Cookies

These sloppy beauty's are based off of the candy bar, Take 5.  They were inspired by a picture text from my sister asking me to "make these also." (Meaning, along with ALL of the desserts I am already making for Thanksgiving, can I make these too?) Instead, I made them tonight.  I believe the picture she sent me was just the cookie, pretzel, and chocolate, but me, being a choco-holic, immediatly thought of the candy bar.

Sugar Cookie Ingredients:
(original recipe makes 2 dozen cookies but since these are layered, I made them much smaller)
Taken from Martha Stewart - Ideal Sugar Cookies

2 cups all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 stick of unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

You will also need:

Chocolate (I used Ghiradelli Dark Chocolate)
Caramel Sauce
Peanut Butter Chips
Mini Pretzels
Sprinkles (optional)
Parchment Paper

Directions:

1. Whisk together flour, salt, and baking powder.
2. In an electric mixer, using a paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar.
3. When light and fluffy, add in egg, milk, and vanilla, with mixer running.
4. Slowly add flour mixture & mix until combined.
5. Cover dough with plastic and refrigerate for an hour.
6. After the hour has passed, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
7. Roll out dough and cut into small circles.  (Two cookies are used in one, cookies cut-outs the size of a quarter are perfect!)
8. After 5 minutes, take cookies out and add a mini pretzel to half and peanut butter chips to the other half.
9. Let bake for another five minutes or until a light golden color.
10. Let cool.

11. Meanwhile, melt chocolate. (I used the Wilton Chocolate Pro but in the microwave in a piping bag would work as well.)
12. Add caramel sauce to the cookies with the peanut butter chips.
13. When chocolate is melted, dip the bottom of cookies with the pretzels in the chocolate and place on top of the peanut butter/caramel cookie.
14. Let cookies set; about 10-15 minutes.
15. Dip half of the cookie in the chocolate so that half of the pretzel is half covered and place on parchment paper to harden. (While chocolate was still wet, I poured on some sprinkles.)

And then...... SMILE & EAT!