Tuesday, October 4, 2011

So Many New Bakes!

I have been on a baking craze lately! Not only have I been baking quite a bit, but I have also been doing a lot of research on new things to bake and going from store to store to buy things to bake new things. I bought a new big muffin tin, a cake leveler, and lots of decorations and colorings for my stuff. Next week, I will be baking between 50 and 100 cupcakes (I haven't decided how many yet), for a friend who needs them for a campaign. We are selling them at Oktobor for the non-profit organization that she works for. I am so excited to bake for that, as I hardly ever bake cupcakes. I will be posting on what I end up baking, so check back on that.

I don't know about you, but I am also overly excited about Halloween this year. Is it just me? Probably. But I am. Maybe its that I discovered my baking passion after Halloween last year, but I cannot wait to bake for Halloween this year. Again, check back on what I did for it. Lots of ideas roaming around in my head, but none solidified yet. I am shopping around for goodies on this too! I found some yukky finger cookie trays, and some tombstone candy molds that I cant wait to start messing around with. Any other ideas I cant do without? Let me know.

Ok, so now to the stuff I have already baked. On the last post I said I would find the recipe online for the Lemon Crisps I made. Here's the picture of them again.

 Oh boy those were good.  Here's the link.

A new recipe I tried this past week was a huge hit at Matty's work. Some said these were the best cookies they have tasted. You should definitely make them as soon as you can, and be ready for a taste explosion! They are called Chocolate Chunk Peanut Butter Swirl Cookies. I got the recipe from Picky Palate, who has a lot of amazing recipes. I follow her blog. You should too.

Go here for the step by step instructions on these cookies. And by the way, I have been experimenting with taking pictures, since Matty never is around when I bake (I wish he didn't have to work), so he can't take the pictures for me. I bought some fabric when my mom was here, and have been enjoying messing around with that. If you have any comments on how to make the pictures better, please share, but just know, I am NOT an expert (I'm sure you knew that), and I only have one lens for the camera. We could use a better one, but not in the budget right now. But still, comments? Let me know.

These cookies are ones I had never made, but had tasted. A friend made them for a group of us, and I was automatically obsessed. They are a savory cookie, but what's wrong with that? I say nothing. I made them for the first time this past week, and was so excited about them, but they jumped into everyone else's mouth before it got to mine, so I didn't get to enjoy them. Guess I'll have to make them again... They have a extraordinary mix of flour, salt, pepper, extra sharp cheddar cheese, and jalapenos. Oh yes, and don't forget the butter. Never forget the butter. Butter is so good. Butter is so great. Butter makes baking great.

Oh, sorry. I went on a rant. But really. Butter. Yum.

Anyway... you want that recipe too? Ok here you go. Please enjoy.

 A couple months ago, Matt and I went to the Food Show at the ASB Showgrounds in Auckland. If you have ever been to one of these types of conventions, you know they give out a lot of free stuff, and at a food show, they just might give out free recipes (they did) trying to promote certain products. Well this next recipe is one that came off of one of those recipe cards. I didn't use the products that they suggested, and I changed quite a bit on the recipe, so this is an adapted Stout Cake Recipe, and I'm going to share it with you. I know, you're excited. But first, look at it.

 Isn't it so pretty with the black in the middle and white on top? And what an amazing addition to cake to add beer. Yum!

Adapted Chocolate Stout Cake (I used black beer instead of stout beer, but Chocolate Black Cake doesn't sound as good, do you agree?)

Cake Ingredients:
-125g butter, cubed and softened
-100g dark chocolate
-2cups all purpose flour
-1 1/2tsp baking soda
-2tsp cinnamon
-1/2tsp salt
-1 1/2cups sugar
-1/2cup unsweetened plain yogurt
-2 large eggs
-1 bottle black or stout beer
-1/2cup cocoa powder

Frosting Ingredients: (the recipe called for a different one, but this is what I did)
-1/2cup butter, softened
-2cups powdered or icing sugar
-3Tbsp black or stout beer
-1/2tsp vanilla

Directions:
-Preheat oven to 180*C/350*F. Grease a round cake pan, the bigger the better.
-Put the butter and chocolate in a medium sized glass bowl and melt in the microwave, or using a double boiler. Don't overheat. Heat a little, stir then heat again.
-Sift flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt into a large bowl. Using your fingers, stir in the sugar into the dry ingredients.
-Stir the yogurt and eggs into the chocolate mixture, then add this mixture and the beer to the dry ingredients. Stir the mixture together using a whisk, but don't over mix.
-Pour into the cake pan, and bake 45-60 minutes, or until skewer stuck in the middle comes out clean.
-While the cake is cooling, make the frosting. Mix butter, icing sugar, beer and vanilla using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy.
-When cake is completely cooled, ice the cake all around, and make sure to admire the contrast when you cut into it.
-Make sure you enjoy :)

A few weekends ago, Matt's work had a big BBQ, and it was a potluck BBQ, which of course meant that everyone expected me to bring some great sweet treats. I decided to make one recipe I have made before, because it was a big hit, and another that I haven't made before. The new one was this Carrot Cake recipe. The kitchen had it out for me the day I made that, as I ended up with lots of cuts and burns, but the cake was great! Try it soon. Even if you don't like some of the ingredients (pineapple, coconut, etc), try it anyway. You will be amazed. Oh I also substituted almonds for the pecans and I thought it was awesome.

The other is Mississippi Mud Pie, which I got from the cookbook that started this whole adventure. Such an amazing recipe. Find this recipe online and make it! It's so great!  I'm not sure if I am allowed to share that recipe, since it isn't mine, but I will email it to you if you want it, so let me know if that is the case.

So there you go. I know it was a lot to share, but I have just been having too much fun with it. I am super excited to be making new things coming up here, so please be checking in. Also I think I fixed the problem with the comments. I think anyone should be able to comment now, so please leave more comments.

Thanks for checking in, and check back soon.

2 comments:

  1. You are amazing my lovely wife!! This post has so much of you in it, I absolutely loved it :) And I can say, all of those recipes were incredible! Mmmm I want more of that cake... and those cookies... and, ok ill stop.

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  2. I always love your posts! Sounds like you have been having a great time and more to come! Also sounds like Matty has several work-out days coming his way! Love you both!

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