This week's treat- Frozen Hot Chocolate

I went to NYC last year (before the whole job loss, moving in with the in law's thing!). Anyway while I was there, with a wonderful girlfriend, we decided to check out Serendipity! We just HAD to try the frozen hot chocolate! It was good, HUGE and nice. Even better? Totally able to make at home! I just made a batch of my homemade Hot Chocolate and then put it in the fridge. Once it was cool I threw it into my ice cream maker. Since it doesn't have cream in the hot Chocolate it doesn't cream up, instead it crystallizes a bit. Anyway, I made a batch tonight! It totally hit the spot. This way I can enjoy my favorite beverage even in the middle of winter! Whatever you don't finish just put it back in the refrigerator (it get's too hard in the freezer) and you can either reheat it for hot chocolate, or refreeze another time.

Hot Cocoa
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup hot water
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
4 cups milk
1/8 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Mix cocoa, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan. Over medium heat, stir constantly until mixture boils. Cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Stir in the milk and heat, but do not boil. Remove from heat and add vanilla; blend well. Serve immediately.

Luncheon

I was asked by the ward I live in to make two cakes for a luncheon with the stake.  (ever ward donated 2 cakes each).  They were used as the center pieces for the luncheon and then eaten at the end.  While the cakes didn't need to be fancy I figured any time I get to make a cake with no set design I might as well try something I haven't done before.  For the first cake I went with this swirl design.  It seemed simple enough in theory.  But it's just so DRY here in UT.  I had to try it 4 times before I got the swirls to actually stay stuck to the fondant wrap.  I think next time I'll use a humidifier in the room with me and see if that goes better. 

For the second one I wanted to try this fondant ruffle cake I'd seen.  Of course when I went to go find a picture of the cake I was thinking of I couldn't find it anywhere.  I guess I need to figure out some new search words, and save pictures I like better for inspiration.  I'm not pleased in how this one turned out. 

It was missing something, a big flower topper or something, so I decided to try my new stencil with royal icing technique again.  I used a different stencil this time.  I LOVED the way this turned out, and wished I had just done this around the whole cake instead.  Oh well.  I think I figured out how to make the ruffles work better next time.  I need a larger ball tool, and larger foam pad.  I still think it could be really pretty, so I'll try it again sometime.

In the end of course they were way fancier than they needed to be.  But I got rave review for how they tasted, and in the end that's really the most important part.  What's the point of a nice looking cake if it's not completely delicious?  I decorate for myself, I enjoy it and find it fun.  So while I'm glad people like the cakes I decorate, I'm more pleased when they like how it tastes.   I used my Favorite chocolate cake and my pistacho Mousse recipe for filling.  With Ganache frosting.  My favorite combination!

Who you gonna call?

One of the boys in my son's 1st grade class had a birthday party today.  I was lucky enough to get to make his birthday cake!  He requested the Ghost Busters logo.

I stayed up WAY to late working on this one, but it was SOO much fun to make.  First stacked the cakes, then I started carving away, a little at a time.  Piecing together the three different fondant colors was tricky.  Especially since I didn't realize until 2 am that I was almost completely out of white fondant!  I barely had enough to cover the ghost!  But it all worked out.  And I hand painted the lines and details on the cake.  I am really pleased with how this one turned out.  The had hanging out the side reaching forward. I wish I had a better side and top shot.  But when I was taking these pictures at 6 am I wasn't thinking too clearly!  

Baby shower cake tale of woe

I got an order for a blue soccer ball cake for a baby shower.  Cute idea, right?  I do have all the paperwork for my business, but it's just a one woman show and I do it out of my house.  So I usually make my cakes late at night after my 4 kiddo's are in bed.  Last night I got this cake done in pretty good time.  I was pleased I wouldn't have to work on it during the day at all and could get some shopping done for a craft I'm working on.  Anyway.  Yesterday evening I drove up to the address to deliver the cake and when I got their and opened my trunk this is what I saw...

AAAKKKK!!!!!  I have NEVER had this happen to me.  It was snowing, and I did have trouble stopping very well, but it still shouldn't have fallen over!  I blame it on the fruit filling (I despise fruit filling, mostly because I'm not really a fan of many fruits!).  Luckily the shower isn't actually until this morning.  Another first, Usually I deliver the cake right before the event.  But I don't usually deliver cake's on Sunday's so that' why I was delivering Saturday night.  Good thing I did because I now have time to fix it. 

Actually there was no fixing this cake.  The top have was still in decent condition, but the bottom completely cracked and broke.  SO I had to start from scratch.  I asked the client if I could use ganache instead of the fruit.  Once ganache dries it act's like a glue, It's really my favorite frosting to work with. The only negative is that it's not very thick, so frosting lovers aren't satisfied.  But with this cake, being a star tip and not fondant there is still plenty of icing.  I not only used ganache to 'glue' the layers together, but also around the entire outside to hold it better. Then a thin layer of butter cream and then the lines and the star's.  I actually thought this cake was much better than the first one, but no one else can probably see the little details that bugged me about the first one.  Anyway it's done and now I just have to get through the new snow without being late or getting stuck!

My dad's Chocolate Chip cookies!

My parents aren't really into cooking and baking like I am (Don't get me wrong, I grew up with great food, they just don't love it the way I do.).  But there was this one really special thing I grew up with.  My dad's Chocolate chip cookies.  My mom loves good cookies, and so my dad set out to make a great cookie.  I was very young when the final cookie made it's debut so I don't remember the trial and errors, but I remember the final recipe!  My mom doesn't even eat the cookies anymore, just straight dough.  Since my folks are empty nesters my dad doesn't make the cookies anymore (what's the point of having a whole batch for just 1 person (he doesn't eat them!).  So when my mom comes to visit I always make a batch special just for her.

Today my mom flew into town for the afternoon on her way to visit my sister (who just had a baby a few months ago).  SO I had to make a batch of cookie dough for her.  I also baked some of it for my kiddo's.  So here is the recipe for my favorite Cookie EVER!

G'pa Dave's Chocolate chip cookies
1 C sugar
1 C brown sugar
2 cubes butter (1 C)
2 eggs
2-3 tsp vanilla
2 C+ ground oatmeal (NOT quick oats)
2 C flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
12 oz Chocolate chips (my mom likes Milk and I like semi sweet)
macadamia nuts (optional)
Mix the sugars together, beat in the butter, until smooth and then the eggs one at a time then add the vanilla.  In a separate bowl mix the oats, flour, soda, powder and salt. Add the oat mixture to the butter mixture.  Then add the chocolate chips and nuts.  Bake at 360 for 8-12 mins (depending on how raw or cooked you like your cookies, my mom likes her dough warm, but not cooked!  I like mine when the top JUST starts to turn golden).

It takes about 3 cups of oats to make 2 cups ground oats.  I like to make a double batch of dough but only half of the chocolate.  I like my cookies warm and fresh, so I only cook what I want to eat.  The rest I make into dough balls and freeze.  Then when I want fresh cookies I pull out a pan, put the frozen ball's in the oven while it preheats and add 2 minutes to the normal cooking time.

For variety sometimes I add cocoa and use peanut butter chips, or add coconut, but while these are sometimes nice changes my favorite will always be the original.

It's that time of year...

Goodie Plates!!!!  Someone commented to me that I make too many things, that they wouldn't go to all the work.  But then I thought.  If I only made a few things, but still took around the same amount of plates, there wouldn't be very many leftover's for me!!!  I'd rather make all my favorites (let's face it I was going to make them all anyway) and double the recipe (no extra time that way) and have plenty for plates AND my own enjoyment!  Plus it isn't hard, just time consuming, and OH so worth it!  So here is the set up around the island while I'm making the plates.

A sample plate.  I should have gotten bigger plates so I could have fit 3 of each thing (but that mean's less for me... hmmmm maybe these plates were the perfect size).  So we have (starting from the top and going counter clockwise) Sugar cookies, caramel brownies, candy cane marshmallows, peanut butter squares, almond brittle, sandies and chocolate pecan fudge.  I didn't get around to making truffles, but they wouldn't have fit on the plate very well.
 
And here is Tonight's round of plates.  I'm sure I'll be making some more (you always want one for that person that drops off a plate that you weren't expecting to so you can reciprocate right away) and Santa has to get one...  And since I know I'll get some request's for recipes see below.  I'll be posting each recipe for your enjoyment!  Merry Christmas!

Caramel Brownies

My ABSOLUTE favorite. I made a second pan of these just so I could eat one myself! My mom always made these, and my sister's and I love them. I can't imagine Christmas without at least one batch of these. I've made them during the year at times, but something about them just feels like Christmas too me. I'm not sure where my mom got this recipe, but it's the only thing I use a box mix for anymore. This year I couldn't find caramel squares ANYWHERE. So I used the new caramel dot things. They actually are a few ounces smaller than the old caramel square bags were but my husband liked it better with less of the caramel. I also use less chips. I just like the balance better myself, but to each his own!

Caramel Brownies
½ C evaporated milk
50 unwrapped caramels squares (about 14 oz)
½ C evaporated Milk
1 package German chocolate cake mix
¾ C butter melted
1 C walnuts chopped (I prefer pecans but I think my mom and sisters would have a heart attack if I actually changed the recipe to SAY pecans)
12 oz Chocolate chips
Mix ½ C milk, cake mix, butter, and walnuts. Press 2/3 dough in bottom of glass pan (9x13) cook at 350 for 6 mins. In sauce pan melt ½ C milk and caramels pour over cooked crust. Sprinkle chocolate and rest of dough on top cook 15-20 min at 350

Peanut Butter Cup Squares

I actually got this recipe from my Aunt Lynne years ago. I'm not really into peanut butter, but these are my husbands favorites. In fact I made a batch last week for a cookies exchange and it only lasted one day. So I made another batch and it's actually already gone too! Lucky it's so easy to make, I think I'll make him another one tomorrow. My chocolate actually tempered very well, and was cooling perfectly right up until the very end. I made these too late in the evening and the FREEZING temp's here in UT ruined my nice looking finish, but hey, they still taste great, right?

Peanut butter cup squares
1 ½ pkg graham crackers crushed
1 lbs powdered sugar
1 C melted Butter
½ C peanut butter
Mix all together and press into buttered 9x13 pan. Top with 12 oz milk chocolate chips melted. Refrigerate.

Almond Brittle

This is a family favorite. My mom always made two batches. The first never seemed to work, but the second always did. We always thought that it was weird, but couldn't figure it out. Then I moved to AZ! Dry, DRY desert, and it worked EVERY TIME. Perfectly. It also worked in UT. Then I moved to TX and it NEVER worked. Turns out candy making is affected a lot by the barometer range. SO if it's going to rain DON'T bother! In the house we're in now we actually bought and installed a whole house humidifier. While it's nice for our nose/throats/etc... It doesn't help with candy making much. This batch started to separate right before I was about to pour it out! FRUSTRATING. But I caught it JUST in time and after soaking up the separated butter it turned out almost perfect! Not at all grainy, very crunchy, really quite nice! One of the FEW nice things about dry places (I still prefer humidity, but it is nice to get to make this treat this year).

Almond Brittle
1 C butter
1 C sugar
1 C chopped almonds
King size Hershey bar chopped
Mix butter and sugar in sauce pan heat till at “Cracked Stage” on candy thermometer or when caramel colored and smoking. Mix in Almonds. Pour onto cookie sheet spread chocolate on top and finely chopped almonds

Fudge!

My mom loves fudge, but we've never found a successful recipe that we could count on. Then a few years ago she found a box mix for fudge! You read that right, a box mix for fudge, AND it not only worked it tasted GREAT! So I bought a box, measured out everything (from the prepackaged baggies) and created this recipe. Easy, quick and, so far, perfect every time! I double the recipe and use a 9x13, but just so you know it's a VERY thick fudge, I might use 2 pans next time.

Chocolate pecan fudge
3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (or a mixture of semisweet and milk chocolate)
1/4 cup butter
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped pecans (optional- you can also use walnuts)
Place chocolate chips, sweetened condensed milk, and butter or margarine in large microwaveable bowl. Zap in microwave on medium until chips are melted, about 3-5 minute, stirring once or twice during cooking. Stir in nuts, if desired. Pour into well-greased 8x8-inch glass baking dish. Refrigerate until set.

13th birthday

This weekend was the birthday party for last week's birthday girl. It was fun to do. I got to try out a few new techniques! It was great! Although I'm still having troubles with some of my recipes here in the high altitude of UT. My white cake fell, both of them. So I used the bottom half of both cakes to get the right height. I was able to use parchment paper to get more height out of my pan, and I think the layers look better carved out of a 4 inch tall cake instead of a 3 inch tall cake.

Also after the cake was done I used my steamer to make the fondant get all shiny! What do you think? It won't look right with every style of cake, but it worked really well for this cake! I have to say I LOVE this cake. Anyway, Happy Birthday Emily, I hope your sleepover is a blast!

Mario birthday Cakes and cupcakes

My son got invited to a classmate's birthday party, and I was asked to make a cake and cupcakes for the party! After looking at some inspiration online I found a few cute patterns to base my cake on and I was ready to bake. I have a few great recipes that I've collected and perfected over the last few years. But the birthday boy wanted a yellow cake! I've never been asked for yellow cake so I soured the Internet and my favorite sites looking for some well rated and reviewed recipes. I tried 4 different recipes and they all fell flat! It was terrible! I'm not sure if it's the altitude, or what but it was a nightmare. Luckily the last try didn't fall too badly and it was usable. I carved the face, and was really pleased with how great it turned out!

I don't normally do cupcakes, and while they are very time consuming, it was a fun change. But I'm glad I got to do a cake too. Cakes are just SO much fun to do and it really MADE the cupcakes. I enjoyed it! And it was great to get back into cake making. Things have been really slow since the move, so if your in UT give me a call! I really miss it!

8th birthday cake

One of the fun things about being here in UT again is that I get to see and visit lots of family and friends. Today was my college roommate's oldest daughters 8th birthday! It was fun to not only get to see her and her kids again (our kids are each just months apart!) but I got to make the cake! The design was all from the mind of this sweet little 8 year old, and she knew just what she wanted, mint cake for one layer and chocolate chip for the other.

For carving a Wonky cake it's best to have a nice dense cake, so I picked a peppermint pound cake, with mint ganache to hold it together. The pound cake was surprisingly good, but the mint ganache was a bit too much. The Chocolate chip cake gave me a major headache. I haven't been happy with my normal chocolate chip recipe, just too dry, so I decided to search around for something better. I found a great recipe, but after taking out the first batch it fell and was raw in the middle. But the taste was just great! So I made the same one again, cooking it longer, and it completely imploded in the oven! So I finally switched recipes, and actually forgot to try it. So I hope it was okay, the kids seemed to like it. And it was very similar to the first recipe, but I think a bit dry. I'll have to try a batch just for myself to see if it's truly a keeper or if the search goes on!

Iron Chef- Bacon and Chocoalate

Tonight was another Iron Chef. The secret ingredient was Bacon (prosciutto or panchetta was also allowed) but since Bacon isn't a great dessert item they (last month winners) choose Chocolate as well. I made my Penne Rustica (it has smoked prosciutto in it).

It's been one of our family favorites for years now. I made one HUGE mistake. I made enough for the kids to have for their dinner as well. So I mixed it all up and served them just before we left, but then the pasta sat in the sauce for over half an hour before everyone else got some and most of the creamy sauce was absorbed. If I had only mixed a bit for the kids and waited to mix the rest until right before there would have been more sauce and I think it would have gone over better.

There was a bacon dip, a chicken stuffed with bacon, bacon wrapped asparagus, bacon rice (two different dishes), salad with bacon and then chocolate pie, mud pie, cream puffs, my BEST EVER chocolate Ice Cream as well as an eclair dish that I forgot to get a picture of!

The winner was a bacon pasta dish that was VERY similar to mine, but had a lot more sauce left... GRRRRR I think I might have had it but for that one mistake!

Since we're moving next month this was our last one to attend. I'm sad, and totally going to miss it. So wherever we end up moving I'm totally going to start one! I've LOVED it! Thanks everyone, I can't wait to get the cookbook at the end of the year!

Cape Cod Baby Shower

A few MONTHS ago I made this cake, it was actually the week after the hurricane in September. And since then life has been a little crazy. I completely forgot about posting it, and I just found the pictures! So I figured I might as well show it now. I donated a few certificates for cakes to my daughters school last year, and this used one of those certificates. The person who ordered this was actually the future grandmother and she lives here. We designed the cake to go with the cape cod bedding her daughter had chosen.
After we had it all design I found out that the shower was over 3 hours away in Austin! Having to make a cake that can be transported 3 hours the day before the event was difficult. Especially since they wanted one layer to be carrot with Creme cheese frosting! So I had to deal with refrigeration issues, fondant etc.... To solution was to keep the layers separated and have someone put it together there (so they could put the cream cheese frosting layer in the fridge overnight. I never got a good picture of it put together, so here is the best I have, this is right before they drove off! If you can't tell the top layer is supposed to be a lifesaver!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Thank you to Jen from Cake Wreaks for the Sunday Sweet feature today, AND to the sweet fan who submitted my cake. BUT this blog is no longer active, please head over to I'm Topsy Turvy to see the rest of the pictures of this cake, and Topsy Turvy Cakes if your interested in ordering a cake from me.

Texas Sheet Cake

So about a week ago my husbands cousin emailed and asked me if I had a recipe for Texas Sheet Cake. Now I've lived in Texas twice, for a total of 2 1/2 years, AND I bake at least 2 desserts a week (I really need to post more) but I had no idea what a Texas sheet cake was. An official Texas Sheet cake? So I did a bit of research by way of checking out the Homesick Texan blog. If she didn't have a recipe then who would?
Luck for me she did! I looked at the picture and thought, "Wow that looks just like my Grandma's Chocolate Brownie" (very cake-ish, but always called brownie). Then as I read her great description I thought, "that sounds JUST like it". And finally as I got to her recipe I realized my Grandma's Chocolate Brownie recipe IS Texas Sheet cake. My recipe varies from Homesick Texans a bit, most noticeably in the lack of Cinnamon in mine. So it turns out I DID have a recipe to share and I've been making it my whole life!
I remember in High School I made this so often I had it down to 10 mins, that is until I made a batch without baking soda, and then I realized speed wasn't the most important part. I have a ton of memories making this with my friend Corey after church dances. In fact Corey and I both thought the other person had put in the baking soda and so neither of us claim error in that instance. No my husband has always complained that this isn't a brownie but a cake. So I guess it turns out he's right! I hadn't made this in year, but after reminiscing I had to make a batch. I got a few slices, but my husband ate at least 2/3rd of the batch himself! So I guess he likes it! Anyway, go read the story and description on Homesick Texans blog, then pick a recipe (cinnamon or no cinnamon) and make yourself a batch. I've always loved it with Mint chocolate chip ice cream!

Texas Sheet Cake
1 Cube Butter
1 C Water
1/2 C Oil
4 Tbs. Cocoa
2 C sugar
2 C flour
1/2 Butter milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
Mix sugar and flour, in sauce pan boil Butter, water oil and cocoa add to sugar/flour
Mix in buttermilk eggs, vanilla and soda. Pour into a greased pan (I always grew up using a Jelly roll pan, but you can use a 9x13 too) cook 20 min at 350, let cool a few mins, then pour on the frosting.
Frosting
1 Cube Butter
1/2 C milk
3 Tbs. Cocoa
1 Lbs Powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
Boil Butter, milk and cocoa mix with the sugar. Once smooth add vanilla. Pour over cake while it's still warm.

Hunt for the perfect Chocolate Brownie...

For August we decided to try our hand at some homemade brownies. Now I have lots of recipes for homemade brownies, that are great and I love. But this month we were going for a certain kind of chocolate brownie. The homemade version of the fudge boxed brownie mix. You know the kind, with the crinkly top, and the fudgey center... That's perfect with or in Ice Cream. This kind of brownie is the only thing I still use a box mix for. Everything else I make from scratch, so I'm looking for a "from Scratch" recipe for brownies too.

Looking around the Internet I found a similar soul trying to do just that, Alice Q. Foodie. I decided to try out her recipe first. I've cut the batch down to just one 9x13, instead of 3, and cut out the espresso (not a coffee drinker)!

Serious Brownies
makes 9x13 pans

1 lbs of bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick (8 Tbs) of butter
1/3 cup dark brown sugar, lightly packed
1 1/3 cups of granulated sugar
4 large eggs
1 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoons Maldon salt or fleur de sel, lightly crushed
1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 cups of All Purpose Flour
1 Tbs unsweetened Cocoa

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Prepare your pans with parchment or grease them well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and Cocoa.

In a double broiler gently melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring periodically to incorporate. As soon as the mixture is melted, turn off the heat and allow to cool.

In a standing mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs with the sugar on high speed until the mixture is very pale and thick, and falls back into the bowl with a wide ribbon that folds back on itself and slowly dissolves when the beater is lifted from the surface. Add the vanilla and beat to combine.

Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the eggs and sugar, then fold in the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time.

Bake at 350 degrees until the top surface is slightly puffed and uniformly dry, and the batter no longer jiggles when you shake the pan gently - about 25-30 minutes depending on how thick they are. They will sink a bit as they cool.

Okay, so how did they taste? I have NO idea. I was suffering from a sinus infection when I made these, and while I ate one piece every day, and stretched them out over a week (my husband was out of town) hoping to be able to taste them I never could. I can say that the texture was amazing. And that the few people who tried them said good things, I can not say one way of the other. One taster said they were very dark chocolate and not too sweet, so I would like them, but would others? I will have to try them again and let you know, but at least I got these made in August...