Baking Fever

With baked goods on the brain (see previous post), I am excited to get my hands dirty this weekend with some kitchen action.  In the meantime, here are some ideas/recipes I'm hoping to try...

...My friend recently tried this Sally Lunn bread recipe..."SO good," was her response.

{via here and here and here}

SugarBaby Released!

...earlier than expected!  I could care less that the imaginary countdown in my head was interrupted.  Bring on the sweet relief! 

Here's where you can order the book.
Here's Gesine's instructional blog with beautiful, big photos.

delicious.

Gesine's Winter-Worthy Carrot Cake

Cakes are hard work. I will admit that when the going gets tough, and I'm craving baked goods, I usually go for making cookies or brownies- something that will not require me to utilize my horrendous icing skills. However, after reading Gesine's book, my mouth was salivating thinking about this recipe, along with all the other family recipes she so generously gives away to us common folk.

This is her legendary carrot cake. I was home this past weekend at my parents' house in PA. A fresh layer of powder was glistening on the tree limbs outside, and the bitter weather kept me housebound. What else is a girl to do but bake??

My arms were practically falling off after using my mom's ancient hand grater to "finely grate" an entire pound of carrots. (Afterwards, it was officially broken. woops.) However, it was well worth it. The cake only lasted through the weekend between myself, my mom, dad and the last piece polished off with my friend Nicole. EXTREMELY moist, fluffy, light, scrumptious. amazing.







cream cheese icing. the best.

sugarbaby

As many of you already may have noticed, I have a particular penchant for sugary, baked goods. I just barely manage to supplement my addiction with a steady running schedule that keeps me from being two tons too large.

One of my favorite (and most recent) reads is Gesine Bullock-Prado's book My Life From Scratch. I managed to craft a carrot cake from her recipe...located within the book...and also the recipe of famous sister Sandra Bullock's wedding cake. Pre divorce from idiot husband. (Do not fret, Gesine! My loyalty and star-worthy following belongs to you first and foremost.)

She is now coming out with a SWEET cookbook titled, Sugarbaby. Here are a couple book trailers, one from her original book Confections of a Closet Master Baker (now titled, My Life From Scratch) and Sugarbaby. enjoy and don't forget to treat yourself.

New Confections of a Closet Master Baker Trailer from Raymond Prado on Vimeo.

Sugar Baby Book Trailer from Raymond Prado on Vimeo.

(Gesine also has a swell blog: Confections of a (Closet) Master Baker and a website!)

{image via here}

Chocolate Bouchons!

Here is my take on the Chocolate Bouchon recipe I found after a mad search for something that would allow me to use my prized Valrhona Equatoriale (55%)...not to exaggerate or anything, but this is damn fine chocolate, and I wasn't about to waste it on just any recipe. I needed something rare and rich. I came upon a great re-make of the chocolate bouchon recipe from, where else, Bouchon Bakery! I put my faith in this blogger's take on the soft, moist chocolate cakes. However, I almost had a small coronary when I realized that I didn't have enough butter (24tablespoons) since my Christmas cookie baking spree wreaked havoc on my once-growing supply. After a moment of panic, I pulled out my oversized jar of olive oil and measured out the rest, mixed it with my 10 tbspns of melted butter, and said a few Hail Marys. It worked.



The Recipe:
Bouchon Bakery uses 2-ounce fleximolds and serves smaller bouchons. 3-ounce (2-inch to 2-1/2-inch diameter) timbale molds or silicon muffin molds can be used for larger cakes. I don't have silicon molds, though, so I just used my cupcake tins.

Recipe Makes 12 servings of the smaller bouchons or 16 brownies using muffin molds.

Ingredients:
Butter and flour for the timbale molds
3-1/2 ounces (3/4 cup) all purpose flour
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
3 large eggs
1-1/2 cups plus 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
24 tablespoons (12 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and slightly warm **I only had 10 tblspns of butter available, so I substituted with pure olive oil. However, if you've got the butter, use it!
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, such as Valrhona Equatoriale (55%) chopped into pieces the size of chocolate chips
Confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
1) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 12 timbale molds. Set aside.

2) Sift the flour, cocoa powder, and salt into a bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in another large bowl if using a handheld mixer, mix together the eggs and sugar on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until very pale in color. Mix in the vanilla. On low speed, add about 1/3 of the dry ingredients, then 1/3 of the butter, and continue alternating with the remaining flour and butter. Add the chocolate and mix to combine. (The batter can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

3) Put the timbale molds on a baking sheet. Place the batter in a pastry bag without a tip, or with a large plain tip, and fill each mold about 2/3 full. Place in the oven and bake for 20 to 25 minutes (30 to 32 minutes for the muffin pans). When the tops look shiny and set (like a brownie), test one cake with a wooden skewer or toothpick. It should come out clean but not dry (there may be some melted chocolate from the chopped chocolate). Transfer the bouchons to a cooling rack. After a couple of minutes, invert the timbale molds and let the bouchons cool upside down in the molds; then lift off the molds. (The bouchons are best eaten the day they are baked.)

4) To serve: Invert the bouchons and dust them with confectioners’ sugar. Serve with ice cream if desired.

[Recipe via Bouchon by Thomas Keller]

The Result: moist, chocolate-y bouchons. I used my special stash of earth-friendly cupcake holders, since they were intended (mostly) for care packages destined for Dallas and Boston and I didn't want them to arrive as anything but in fanciful order.


enjoy!

cake and other delicious things.

Oregon had her first taste of Pennsylvania snow during the holiday weekend.





And then it was time to taste the cranberry upside-down cake...


...thank you, smitten kitchen. click here for the recipe.


Michelle taunting Oregon with her dainty cup of hot apple cider.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend, as well! Now, how much longer do I have to wait until Christmas??

Some more, please

With the air becoming crisp and leaves gathering beneath my feet more each day, I cannot help but fall in love with all things, well, Fall! I had my ritual cup of pumpkin spice coffee this morning from the cafe downstairs, and I am scheming away for pumpkin-themed baked goods.



I also spotted these DIVINE looking S'mores Turnovers on Design Crush. These look beyond wonderful. (I can predict that Salman is probably drooling all over his computer at this point.) Maybe I'll attempt them this weekend, or next?

Vegan Baking?

{via here}

Last night I babysat for Max, a smart little dude who lives next door to us in our apartment building. Seriously, he is 4 years old, but has the brain of a 10 year old. He's also adorable. I felt so bad for him because Oregon kept licking him like crazy, but he was so "whatever, it's cool" about it.


We were both craving chocolate chip cookies last night (Max is a fellow lover of chocolate...or connossieur shall I say?) I went into my cabinets and began pulling out the ingredients: olive oil (instead of butter), salt, flour, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, eggs....EGGS....AH! I had no eggs left due to our wild escapade of baking two batches of brownies the night before Salman left to go home to Texas. What to do? Baking is my save-all method of keeping kiddies occupied and teaching them something new at the same time. So, I googled "egg substitute" and VOILA! Bananas! I had four super-rippened bananas in my fridge waiting to be whipped into banana cupcakes. Instead, I pulled two out and we mashed them up and threw them into the gooey batter. First I dipped my pinky in to test the taste...then Max asked, "can I do that too?" we swiped a dollop of goo and smacked our lips. It was delicious!


Now you know! 1/2 large banana = 1 egg


Does this mean I'm a vegan chef? Hardly. The cookies, although great tasting, didn't come out as attractive looking as they usually do. They were flat and a bit chewy...but oh so yummy!

If you can, put away your butter into the freezer and don't worry about not-enough eggs. Oil and bananas will do the trick for now :)