Sugarplum Musings

A return to the kitchen...Fresh Mint Chocolate Tart

2010-09-07T21:55:00.002-04:00

Wow, I did not realize how long I was away from blogging. After our trip to England, I had grand plans to return home and bake, cook, clean and craft while Steve remained in England to work. However, I did none of that. I returned home to some events that absorbed most of my time. In my spare time, I needed to escape the stress I was feeling, so I turned to reading. I read more in 3 weeks than I have read in 3 years (don't be too impressed, it was only 3 books). I've never been a big book person, mostly because my reading comprehension is terrible (give me calculus equations any day) so I'm slow, but the books I chose captured my attention and brought me some happiness.

After the storm had passed, I returned to the kitchen but not for me. My favorite cousin who lives in Spain was returning to the States to have her marriage blessed in a church ceremony and to have her beautiful daughter baptized. She asked if I could help decorate a plain cake she wanted to get at the grocery store, but I decided that just wouldn't do. I volunteered to make her cake so I packed all my pans and tips and supplies and flew home to Wisconsin to spend a long 27 hours baking, stacking, and decorating. It was so good to get into the kitchen again, and I always relish the feeling of calm I get when baking, even if I'm making a cake for 100 plus people.

Since I've been home, my head has been overflowing with ideas and flavors that I can't wait to try. My biggest complaint is that I can never seem to find enough time in the kitchen, and with work picking up for the next couple of weeks, I woke up early this past weekend to make this fresh mint tart. It was quite delicious and the mint flavor was infused in both the tart dough and the filling. I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but this hit the spot.

Fresh Mint Chocolate Tart (Adapted from Williams-Sonoma)
Makes 1 14-inch x 4-inch tart, Serves 8

For the tart crust:
1 egg yolk
2-3 tablespoons very cold water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
2-3 sprigs fresh mint, roughly chopped (4-6 leaves) (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch cubes and chilled until firm

In a small bowl, combine the egg yolk, vanilla and 2 tablespoons cold water. In the bowl of a food processor, add the flour, sugar, fresh mint and salt. Pulse the food processor to combine and chop the fresh mint into smaller pieces. Add the butter and pulse in quick short bursts until the texture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the egg yolk mixture and pulse until the mixture forms a ball. If necessary, add more water, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the dough comes together.

Turn dough onto a work surface lightly dusted with flour and form into a rectangle. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Return dough to floured work surface and roll into a rectangle, making sure to rotate the dough to prevent sticking. Roll the dough until the rectangle measures about 16 x 6 -inches, 1/8-inch thick. Lightly dust top of dough and fold in half to transfer the dough to the tart pan. Unfold the dough into the tart pan and gently push the dough to the sides of the pan. Roll your rolling pin over the tart pan to trim any excess dough. Refrigerate for another 15-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. When ready to bake, line the pastry shell with parchment paper and fill with pie weights, dried beans, or uncooked rice. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the shell no longer looks wet under the parchment. Remove parchment and weights and continue baking an additional 7-10 minutes until shell is lightly golden. Transfer tart shell to cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

For the tart filling:
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
5-6 springs of fresh mint (about 20 leaves)
12 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons light corn syrup
confectioner's sugar and extra mint leaves for decoration

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and fresh mint over medium heat until the cream comes to a boil for 1 minute. Strain the cream through a fine mesh strainer into the chocolate to remove the mint. Let sit for 1 minute. Gently stir the cream and chocolate and stir until combined. (If needed, place bowl over simmering water and stir to continue melting chocolate). Add the corn syrup and stir until smooth. Pour the filling into prepared tart shell. Refrigerate tart until well chilled, at least 1 hour.

When ready to serve, transfer tart to serving platter and dust with confectioner's sugar. Garnish with additional mint leaves.

Enjoy!

Recipe Index

2008-12-03T00:05:00.010-05:00

CAKES

Yogurt Mousse Cake

CUPCAKES

BROWNIES, COOKIES, MACARONS AND PETITS FOURS

ICE CREAMS AND SORBET

CUSTARDS, MOUSSES AND CREAMS

SOUFFLÉS

Grand Marnier Soufflés

TARTS, CRUMBLES AND PIES

MISCELLANEOUS

Marshmallow Peeps

BREADS

Chai Tea Bread

SAVORIES

Orange & Pistachio Madeleines and Grand Marnier Souffles

2010-06-27T22:15:00.001-04:00

Life is truly getting in the way of my blogging. I've been baking away but lately I just can't find the time to sit down and collect my thoughts. From my actual job to family visiting to getting everything settled for our upcoming trip to England, the day is just too short to do everything I want to. I feel guilty saying it, but in the last week I've wished more than once that my vacation could be me staying home and baking every day...or sewing...or making cards...or house projects. However, I know I will have fun and Steve has promised me lots of shopping....what's not there to look forward to. I hope to return refreshed with new inspiration.

I've been so busy that I did not have a chance to wish all the dads out there a Happy Father's Day. It's around these little holidays that I really do not like living half way across the country from our families because it just makes me feel so distant. I love surrounding myself with family and laughter and it seems like I'm seeing them less and less these days.

I was inspired to make these orange and pistachio madeleines to celebrate my father's love of pistachios and for me to try the orange flower water I received as a gift a few months ago. I wanted to send to my Dad a treat to indulge in for the short time that he is home during the summer. His work is extremely seasonal and during the summer months he is known to work 14+ hours a day. It is also extremely physical so come summer his standard routine is work, eat, sleep, repeat. They were so good that I decided to make a second batch just for me. I also treated myself to a soufflé flavored with Grand Mariner.

The madeleines had a distinct citrus flavor but it was more sweet than tart due to the orange flower water, and had a lot more dimension. The pistachios grounded these little delights with a hint of nuttiness. The soufflés were rich and creamy but still light enough that I didn't mind eating one in near triple digit temperatures (another reason to look forward to England for...escaping the heat and humidity of the mid-Atlantic region in July). The only thing I need to approve upon is taking pictures of soufflés quicker, as they deflated quite a bit before I could snap a photo.

I hope you enjoy these as much as I did.

Orange Flower Water & Pistachio Madeleines

Makes approximately 3 1/2 dozen madeleines

12 ounces unsalted butter

4 eggs, separated

9.5 ounces granulated sugar, divided

3/4 teaspoon orange flower water

2 teaspoons orange zest

2 ounces pistachios, finely ground

10 ounces cake flour, sifted

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Confectioner's sugar, if desired.

Clarify the butter: Line a strainer with damp cheesecloth and place over a heatproof bowl. Set aside. Place unsalted butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat and allow the butter to come to a simmer. You may want to partially cover the saucepan to prevent spatters. Remove cover and watch the melted butter closely as the milk solids will separate and start to brown when the sizzling slows (all the water has evaporated). You may wish to skim off the foam that rises to the surface in order to see the browning milk solids. When the milk solids have turned brown at the bottom of the pan, pour butter through the lined strainer. Set aside and allow butter to cool but it should remain liquid when adding to the madeleine batter.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat madeleine pans with baking spray and dust with flour.

Mix cake flour, ground pistachios, salt and baking powder in a bowl. Set aside. Place eggs and sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer and whip with a whisk attachment until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add orange flower water and orange zest and whip an additional 1 minute.

Fold the flour mixture in 3 additions, until all the flour is incorporated. Carefully fold in the liquid clarified butter. Chill batter for 30 minutes.

Transfer batter to a pastry bag with a medium sized round tip. Pipe about 1 tablespoon batter into each cup for large (2 1/2 x 1 1/2 - inch) madeleines. Bake madeleines 12 to 14 minutes until slightly golden and soft to the touch.

Cool for 5 minutes before unmolding onto wire racks to cool. If desired, sift confectioner's sugar over cookies.

Grand Marnier Soufflés

Makes 6-8 3-ounce individual soufflés

1 1/2 ounces unsalted butter

1 1/2 ounces bread flour

1/2 pint whole milk

3 ounces granulated sugar, divided

5 eggs, separated

1 ounce Grand Marnier

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

Confectioner's sugar, if desired.

In a medium saucepan, combine milk and 2 ounces sugar. Heat until sugar is dissolved, stirring occasionally. In a second saucepan, melt butter. Add flour and stir to make a roux. Cook for about 2 minutes. Add milk to roux and whisk until smooth and no lumps remain. Return mixture to heat and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes until the mixture is very thick. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and stir occasionally to cool the base mixture. After about 10 minutes, add egg yolks one at a time, and mix well until combined before adding next yolk. Stir in Grand Marnier and orange zest.

Soufflés can be prepared in advance up to this point. Chill the mixture until ready to use and then continue.

Prepare the soufflé dishes by buttering the insides well with room temperature butter and coating with granulated sugar. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Meanwhile, whip egg whites to soft peaks. Gradually add the remaining 1 ounce sugar and continue to whip until the mixture forms firm, moist peaks. Fold the egg whites into the soufflé base in 3 stages, mixing the first stage to lighten the base. Pour the mixture into the prepared pans almost to the top and smooth the tops. Bake for about 15 minutes for individual portion soufflés.

If desired, dust with confectioner's sugar 1 - 2 minutes before soufflés are done. Serve immediately.

Chai Tea Bread

2010-04-28T23:00:00.001-04:00

Last fall, I broke my Starbucks habit. Now, I've never been a coffee drinker (love the smell, hate the taste), so my habit developed into the sugar-loaded drinks that hardly resemble coffee. This was not good for my wallet or my waist line, so it was pretty easy to stop. However, the winter hit and I missed how those warm drinks were a great way to warm up on the way to work.

One blistery cold day, I gave in and needed something to warm me up. I stopped into my local coffee shop and starred at the menu until Chai tea popped into view. I had been intrigued about this drink for a while, but always found something that I had to have more at that moment. So, I tried it. Now, I realize I'm probably the last person on Earth to ever try one, but it was like tasting Christmas. And I was hooked. It was the perfect blend of spice, sweetness and warmness, and I brought it home and curled up with a new cookbook while sipping my drink (a new favorite thing to do).

A few weeks ago, as I was sipping yet another Chai tea, I remembered Steve's sister always gets Chai teas when she visits us. She just happens to be finishing her last semester of college and has been extremely busy. So busy that she had to cancel her spring break plans to work on papers and projects. I started to reminisce about my last semester in college, remember staying up days on end while working on our senior design project (designing a system to take astronauts to Mars and starting a colony), hardly finding time to eat and if I did it usually was fast food and a soda while sitting in front of a computer. It was always nice when I received a package, and usually lived off the contents for a few days. I started to think of something that I could send to her in Missouri while she poured over her books.

I thought about cupcakes but didn't want to worry about the frosting to get smooshed while enroute and cookies seemed a bit plain. I settled on a quick bread and went on my way to incorporate chai spices and the rich flavor of tea. This bread got rave reviews, from both Steve's sister and my coworkers who were my guinea pigs.

Chai Tea Bread
Makes 1 loaf or 4 mini loaves

For the bread:
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup prepared black tea, cooled
1/3 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease only the bottom of an 8x4- or 9x5-inch loaf pan or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, cream together sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, tea, milk, vanilla and spices on low speed until well combined. The mixture will look curdled. Slowly add the baking powder, salt and flour; stir until just moistened. Spread into the pan.

Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Loosen sides of loaf from pan; remove and cool and wire rack for 30 minutes.

For the glaze:
1 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 5 teaspoons prepared black tea
Additional ground cinnamon

In a small bowl, whisk together confectioner's sugar, vanilla and 3 teaspoons of the tea, adding more tea little by little, until the glaze is spreadable. Spread glaze over bread. Sprinkle with additional ground cinnamon. Cool completely, about 2 hours, before slicing.

To store, wrap tightly and store at room temperature up to 4 days or refrigerate up to 10 days.

Enjoy!

Citrus Mousse Cakes with Blood Orange Compote

2010-03-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

Wow, I can't believe it's March already...and half way through at that. Things have been a bit crazy getting back on track after the epic snow here on the east coast. Catching up at work, running random errands and just enjoying the sunshine has kept me out of the kitchen, but despite my wish for one more good snow the weather this past week has me in the mood for spring and bright, light flavors. {I also blame the emerging tulips for crushing my dreams of more snow for this year.}

These cakes started when I purchased a large bag of lemons to add to my drinking water in my failed attempt to drink less soda. However, every time I looked at them, they were staring back at me telling me to make them into dessert...so I did. Then I found some beautiful blood oranges at our grocery store and since I had never experienced one, I picked up a few to incorporate into these cakes.

These mousse cakes hit just the spot. Bright and tart, smooth and creamy. After all the chocolate I consumed in February, I very much enjoyed the change of pace. The tartness was complimented by just a bit of sweetness in the graham cracker crust and that bit of crunch just made me smile.

Citrus Mousse Cakes with Blood Orange Compote (Adapted from Williams-Sonoma)
Makes 6 3-inch cakes

For the Citrus Mousse Cakes:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 Tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
1 cup granulated sugar, divided
4 egg yolks
1/4 cup cold water
2 1/4 teaspoon unflavored powder gelatin (1 package)
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup blood orange juice
1 Tablespoon blood orange zest
1 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup granulated sugar and melted butter and mix until well blended. Place 3-inch ring molds on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Divide crumb mixture into molds and use a heavy glass or the back of a spoon to press crust together. Bake for 5-7 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl with water and ice. Set aside.

Place egg yolks in a heatproof bowl and lightly whisk. Set the bowl over a saucepan with simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook the egg yolks, stirring constantly, until a thermometer reads 140 degrees F. Maintain a temperature between 140 and 150 degrees F for 5 minutes, making sure to remove the bowl from heat if the temperature rises above 150 degrees F. After the 5 minutes, place bowl in ice bath and continue to stir the eggs until cool. Replenish the ice bath with ice.

Pour the cold water into a clean saucepan and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Let gelatin sit for 5 to 10 minutes, allowing the gelatin to soften and swell. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup granulated sugar, salt, lemon juice, orange juice, orange zest and the cooled egg yolks; the mixture will be lumpy. Place the saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring continuously, until the gelatin dissolves and the mixture thickens, 6 to 8 minutes, making sure not to let the mixture boil. Set the saucepan in the refreshed ice bath and cool until the mixture is cold to the touch.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the whipping cream and confectioner's sugar with a whisk or electric mixer, until soft peaks form. Spoon the whipped cream into the gelatin mixture in 3 batches, folding the whipped cream in after each addition. Spoon the mixture into molds and smooth top with the back of a spoon.

Refrigerate cakes for 4 hours until mousse is firm. To remove from molds, run a warm sharp knife or metal spatula around edge of cakes and apply light pressure to lift the cakes through the top of the mold. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes before serving to take the chill off the mousse.

For the Blood Orange Compote:
1 cup blood orange juice
3/4 cup sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 blood orange, peeled and segmented

In a heavy saucepan, combine the orange juice, sugar and cinnamon stick. Stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a boil to dissolve sugar. Lower heat and simmer 5-7 minutes, added the orange segments in the last 2 minutes. Allow compote to cool slightly and drizzle over cakes before serving.

Pomegranate White Tea & Honey Ginger Yogurt Verrines

2010-02-14T23:30:00.000-05:00

Happy Valentine's Day! I hope everyone was able to spend time with those they love the most. It was a very low key day in our household, but very nice nonetheless. It's hard to imagine that 6 years ago, I would be going on my first date with my future husband. I remember going to dinner and splitting a wonderful blueberry cobbler for dessert (he's lucky he didn't pass up dessert), then heading off to a movie.

These have been on top of my list of things to make for over a year now, and I finally got a chance to a week ago. However, I think they are so pretty and would make a wonderful, understated dessert for Valentine's Day. These verrines, a layered dessert usually presented in a small glass, were delicious. Tart, smooth, and balanced. They made for a great breakfast the next day as well...hey, they're yogurt!

Pomegranate White Tea & Honey Ginger Yogurt Verrines (Adapted from Tartelette)
Makes 6 verrines

For the Pomegranate White Tea Jelly:
1 1/2 cups brewed white tea (I used a pomegranate white tea)
1/2 cup pomegranate juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon powdered gelatin
1/4 cup cold water

Add the cold water to a small bowl and sprinkle powdered gelatin over it and set aside. Meanwhile, add the tea, juice, sugar, and lemon zest in a medium saucepan and heat over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add gelatin mixture and stir until completely dissolved. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Divide mixture among glasses and refrigerate for about 2 hours until set. If desired, position the glasses at an angle in an empty egg carton to set at an angle.

Honey Ginger Yogurt Gelee:
1 1/2 teaspoon gelatin
2 tablespoon cold water
2 cups Greek yogurt
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

In a bowl, combine 1 cup yogurt, the honey and the ginger and mix until combined. Set aside. In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water and set aside. In another bowl, heat the remaining yogurt in the microwave for one minute. Then heat the gelatin mixture in the microwave for 12 seconds. Mix the melted gelatin into the hot yogurt mixture and stir until well combined. Add the gelatin and yogurt mixture to the yogurt-honey-ginger mixture and combine. Spoon the yogurt gelee over the pomegranate white tea jelly and refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set before serving.

French Silk Tarts

2010-02-10T18:10:00.001-05:00

My birthday was Monday and I don't think it could have been a better day. The large snow storm that dumped over 30 inches of snow in my yard allowed me to stay home and bake. It's now Wednesday, and I'm still off of work because of even more snow, so I'm spending my days trying to craft, bake and clean, however, the kittens are excited that we're not leaving in the morning and have been sabotaging any attempts to do anything but play. They're taking a quick nap, so I thought I'd at least start this post.

I understand many people think I'm crazy for being so excited about the snow, but you see, I'm a Midwest girl at heart, and always will be. I truly miss the snow. The views out my back deck are serene and perfect and I just love making comfort food and blankets and snuggles with the kittens. However, I'm starting to see the downsides of living here with this much snow...they just don't have the resources and are trying their best to clear the roads, but it takes so much more time.

French Silk Pie is probably my second favorite dessert, just slightly behind Creme Brulee. I used to have a slice every time we went to Baker's Square Restaurants, and usually "bugged" my mom into letting us take a whole pie home. I decided I was going to make myself something to celebrate my birthday since going out was a bit treacherous. I decided on French Silk Tarts to share with Steve and my sister Lauren.

These were extremely close to the original...very rich and very delicious. If the snow keeps up, I might have to make these again because were gone so fast.

French Silk Tarts
Makes six 4-inch tarts or one 9-inch pie

For the short crust:
5 1/2 oz (about 1 1/4 cup) all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cold and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2-4 tablespoon cold water

In the bowl of a food processor, pulse the flour and salt to combine. Add butter, and pulse until mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 5-10 short pulses. (You can also mix pastry by hand, by cutting butter into flour and salt with a pastry cutter)

Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, and pulse to incorporate. Do not over pulse. Test dough by pinching a small amount of dough together; if it is too crumbly add a a little bit more water and pulse until combined.

Turn dough on to a clean surface and form dough into a disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour before rolling.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Roll dough 1/8 to 1/4-inch thick and cut circles large enough to fit into tart pans. Line with parchment and fill with baking beads or dry beans. Bake for 10-15 minutes until lightly golden. Allow to cool to room temperature before adding filling.

For the french silk filling:
4 oz (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 3/4 oz (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
4 oz (2/3 cup) semisweet chocolate wafers or chips, melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
4 oz (1/2 {liquid} cup) heavy whipping cream

Break eggs into heatproof bowl and whisk to blend. Set the bowl over a simmering water in a saucepan, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. Cook the eggs, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 140 degrees F. Maintain the temperature of the mixture for 5 minutes, making sure the temperature does not increase over 150 degrees F. If the mixture climbs above 150 degrees F, remove from heat while continuing to stir. After 5 minutes, place the bowl in an ice bath and stir the eggs until cool.

In a large bowl, beat the butter on high speed until light and fluffy. Gradually add the sugar and beat on high for 4 minutes. Add vanilla and mix to combine. Add the egg mixture slowly and beat for 2 minutes on medium-high speed until combined, scraping down the sides of the bowl if needed. Slowly add the melted chocolate and mix until incorporated. Pour the heavy cream in a thin stream and whip on high speed for 2-3 minutes.

Spoon filling into crust(s) and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.

For the stabilized whipped cream: (Adapted from The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum)
Makes 2 cups
3/4 tsp powdered gelatin
4 teaspoon water
8 oz (1 {liquid} cup) heavy cream
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Refrigerate the mixing bowl and beater (whisk attachment if using stand mixer) for at least 15 minutes.

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over water and let sit for 5 minutes to soften. Microwave the gelatin and water on high in 5 second intervals, stirring in between each, until gelatin is dissolved. Cool to room temperature. The gelatin must be liquid but not warm when added to the cream.

In the chilled bowl, add the cream, sugar, and vanilla and whip until the traces of the beater marks begin to show distinctly. While continuing to whip the cream mixture, add the gelatin in a steady stream. Beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over beat, as a few seconds past stiff peaks will not allow for a velvety smooth consistency.

Pipe whipped cream onto tart filling using a large star tip (I used tip 1M). Garnish tarts with chopped chocolate or curls.

Note: When using the stabilized whipped cream, the tarts can be refrigerated for up to 2 days without the whipped cream watering out. If desired, tarts can be topped with non-stabilized whipped cream immediately before serving. When ready to serve the tarts, let sit at room temperature for a few minutes to let the filling soften.

Enjoy!

Meyer Lemon and Pistachio Shortbread

2010-02-03T21:10:00.001-05:00

Every year, around Christmas time, I get this craving for pistachios. It must come from my childhood memories. Every year, my mom, sister and I made a point to ALWAYS get my father a selection of nuts from a local nut shop. Of course, we always had to make sure there were pistachios in the box. We actually usually got enough to last a month. I think Dad always thought he was extra special, when in reality, it was for us to snack on during the days to come. That fact does not diminish his awesomeness, by any means, because eating the pistachios was always more fun because I did it with him. I think my craving was stronger this year since I wasn't able to make it home and I was a bit homesick.

It just so happened that a friend of mine was having a procedure a few weeks ago, and I wanted to send something to help with the recovery. I started to go through my list of recipes I've been waiting for the right time to make and came across these. They were perfect...quick, easy and shippable, not to mention they were pistachio!

These definitely hit the spot and the care package was well received. I'm hoping to make these again soon and ship some off to my Dad.

Meyer Lemon and Pistachio Shortbread (Adapted from Cannelle et Vanille)

Ingredients
227 grams (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
60 grams (1/2 cup) powdered sugar
2 Tbsp meyer lemon juice
zest of 2 large meyer lemons
4 grams (about 2/3 tsp) fine sea salt
60 grams (1/2 cup) pistachios, finely chopped
280 grams (2 cups) all-purpose flour

Directions

In a large bowl, cream the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy. Add the lemon juice and zest and cream for an additional minute until smooth. Add flour and salt and mix until just combined. Add the chopped pistachios and mix until well blended.

Divide the dough into two parts, and roll each into a log about 2-inches in diameter. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and referigerate for at least 2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. When the dough is chilled, use a sharp knife to cut 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch thick disks from the log. Bake on a parchment covered cookie sheet for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.

**************************************************
As you can tell, I've been a little distracted and my baking has become sporadic at best, and my blogging non-existent. Well, I think I have a very good reason, as we've had an addition to the family...well 3 to be exact. Last August, we found 5 kittens under our back deck, the results of strays in the neighborhood.

They were only 4 weeks old and had to be bottle-fed for awhile, but since everyone has found their homes and we're not outnumbered by cats any more (one is my sister's), things seem to be looking up. I hope you start to see a lot more of me.

Copyright Terms

2008-12-02T00:00:00.001-05:00

All photographs and content are copyright of Brienne Boerner. All photographs and content cannot be used without permission.

If you would like to use an image in your blog or site, please contact me first at sugarplummusings[at]gmail[dot]com.

About Sugarplum Musings

2008-12-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

I am Brienne, an aerospace engineer, and this is Sugarplum Musings, my creative outlet. I love being in the kitchen as it is my comfort and true joy in life.

I live in Maryland with my husband and our feline babies, Haloti and Skeeter. I spend my spare time either in the kitchen or my craft room surrounded by my love of paper, fabric and yarn.

All images © Brienne Boerner and cannot be used without permission. If you wish to feature any text or photos in your blog or website, please contact me first for permission.

Blueberry Cobbler

2009-08-03T22:10:00.003-04:00

Blueberries are one of my favorite berries. I've been known to pick up a pint at the farmer's market that stops by work and just snack throughout the afternoon. The husband doesn't like it so much because he knows by just looking at me (I don't know how he does it!) and is upset when nothing comes home for him. However, I managed to snack on something else a few weeks ago and brought home a nice quart of blueberries to help celebrate the hub's birthday.

Yes, the hub's birthday is at the end of June and I'm just getting around to posting this. It's not for lack of tastiness as I thought this was awesome. S thought the blueberries were a bit to sweet so I might be more aware of the original sweetness of the berries before adding all the sugar, but the cardamom in the biscuit batter made for a nice spice to offset the sweetness. This was my first time using caradmom and I really enjoyed it. It's unlike anything I've used before and despite a little spill across the kitchen floor, it won't be the last. I actually used cardamom seeds and ground them myself in our new grinder. It worked out very well and the aroma filled the kitchen for the evening.

Blueberry Cobbler (Adapted from Gourmet Magazine via Foodnetwork.com)
Makes 4-5 servings

Ingredients
2 cups blueberries, rinsed and dried
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cornstarch
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp ground cardamom
pinch of salt
1/2 cup heavy cream

Directions
~Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
~Butter an 8-inch glass pie plate.
~In a large bowl, toss blueberries, sugar, zest, lemon juice and cornstarch until well mixed. Transfer blueberry mixture to the pie plate.
~Bake blueberry mixture for 5-7 minutes, using a cookie sheet under the pie plate to catch any blueberry mixture that bubbles over.
~Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cardamom, and salt until mixed.
~Add cream, and stir until a dough forms.
~Drop dough into 5 mounds on top of blueberries.
~Return to oven and bake for another 20-25 minutes until the biscuits are cooked through and golden.

Enjoy!

Where, Oh Where have I been?

2009-07-29T21:51:00.000-04:00

I apologize for being missing for so long. I'm not really sure where I've been. To be honest, I've been in a slump. I haven't produced anything wonderful lately, and I hesitate sharing anything less than what I find spectacular, because you deserve that. But it's not just a baking and photography slump, but a life slump. However, I seem to be on the mend mentally and will have some posts coming soon.

In the meantime, I want to say that I belong to a wonderful community of foodies on the What's Cooking board on the Nest. I haven't been there very long, but these group of people are so kind and caring. I love how we have come together to help a friend, most of us have never met.

Joe and Brook
A fellow Nestie and her husband have had a rough road these past few months, including fertility issues, multiple health scares, and three beautiful but very premature children. And although I have never met them, Brooke and Joe are amazing people with strength and faith I'm not sure I would have if I were in their shoes. You can read their amazing story on their blog at threecheersforbabies.blogspot.com.

Lily
Charlie
Annaleigh
These precious babies were born at 25 weeks and 5 days. The have shown tremendous determination in their first month of life, but they will be in the NICU for at least 2 more months. Due to Brooke's health scares, she had to stop working far sooner than expected and in addition to three children, I'm sure the medical costs are adding up fast. The wonderful community on the Nest have pulled together to help this wonderful family out.

I know that times are tough, but I wanted to show my support for these great people. I've added a link to a Chip In Page and if you're able to donate some spare change, I'm sure the family would be more than appreciative.

Have a wonderful evening and please give those you love an extra hug tonight.

Yogurt Mousse Cake

2009-04-20T23:05:00.000-04:00

I have been eyeing The Cake Book cookbook for some time now. Lucky for me, I was eyeing it on my friends bookshelf. My friend is a professional chef, so the wealth of knowledge is unbelievable. It's probably one of my favorite past times to just cuddle up with a blanket and read cookbooks, imaging having the time to make all of the recipes in the books and those that I think of when the creative juices get flowing. One day I was hijacking my friends couch and cookbooks and found this cake. My friend was practically salivating when I was showing her this cake, as she is a dairy freak. Literally, I've seen her suck a milk carton basically inside out for the last drop of milk. Classy I tell you!

It just so happened to be close to her birthday, so I decided that a wonderful way to celebrate would be to stuff ourselves full of this cake. This cake was delicious. The cake was light and airy and the yogurt provided the perfect amount of tartness to complement the sweetness of the cake. The recipe originally calls for Earl Grey tea to be used to flavor the syrup to brush the cake layers, but I used Irish Breakfast and it was absolutely delicious. The light fresh flavors make this cake perfect for the spring. I will definitely be making this again.

Yogurt Mousse Cake (Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle)
Makes 8-10 servings

Ingredients

Classic Genoise
1 cup (3.5 oz) sifted cake flour
1/2 tsp salt
6 large eggs
3/4 cup (5.3 oz) sugar
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled in a 1 cup capacity bowl

Syrup
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup water
1 Irish Breakfast tea bag
1 tsp lemon juice

Yogurt Mousse
2 cups plain organic whole milk yogurt
1 tsp grated lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups plus 1/3 cup heavy cream, divided
2 tsp unflavored powdered gelatin
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar

Honeyed Raspberries
2 Tbsp honey
6 oz fresh raspberries

Directions

Make the Classic Genoise
~ Position the rack to the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease the bottom and sides of one 9x3-inch springform pan or two 9x2 round cake pans. Dust the pan(s) with flour and set aside.
~ Sift together the flour and salt in a medium bowl and stir to combine.
~ In the bowl of an electric mixer, whisk together the eggs and sugar by hand. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure that the water does not touch the bottom of the mixing bowl. Constantly stir the mixture and heat until the eggs are warm. Transfer to the bowl to the electric mixer and, using the whisk attachment, beat on high speed until the mixture has tripled in volume, about 8 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the lemon zest and vanilla extract.
~Sift 1/3 of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold it in with a rubber spatula. Repeat sifting and folding in flour two more times.
~ Transfer about 3/4 cup of the batter into the melted butter. Stir until blended. Return to batter and fold in. Transfer batter to the prepared pan(s).
~If using 9-inch springform pan, bake for 25 to 30 minutes and if using two 9-inch cake pans, bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until the tops spring back when lightly touched and cake tester inserted into center comes out clean.
~Cool the cake(s) in the pan(s) on a wire rack for 15 minutes.
~Invert cake(s) onto the wire rack and cool completely.

STORAGE: Store at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to a week.

Make the Syrup
~Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan and heat over medium-high heat. Stir constantly until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil. Remove the saucepan from heat and add tea bag. Allow syrup to steep for 15 minutes.
~Remove the tea bag, making sure to extract any remaining liquid from the bag. Stir in the lemon juice. Allow mixture to cool.

Make the Yogurt Mousse
~Line a strainer with 2 layers of cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Add yogurt and let drain at room temperature for about an hour.
~Move drained yogurt (just over 1 cup) into a medium bowl and whisk until smooth. Add lemon zest and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.
~In a small heatproof cup, put 1/3 cup heavy cream. Sprinkle gelatin over the cream to bloom (soften). Add 1 cup water to a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to water to a simmer.
~Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat the remaining 1 1/2 cup heavy cream until soft mounds begin to form. Slowly add confectioners' sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Be careful to not over beat.
~Place the cup with the cream and gelatin into the saucepan of simmering water. Stir until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Pour the gelatin into the yogurt and whisk until blended. Gently fold the yogurt mixture into the whipped cream.

Assemble the Cake
~Using a serrated knife, cut each layer of the Classic Genoise into 2 horizontal layers. (If making Genoise in a 9x3-inch springform pan, cut into 4 layers. You will only need 3 layers, so the remaining fourth layer can be yours to snack on!) Place a small amount of yogurt mousse on a cake board or cake plate to help prevent slippage. Place one layer, cut side up and brush the layer generously with the syrup, using about 1/3 of the syrup. Place about 1 1/2 cups of the yogurt mousse on the cake layer. Using an offset spatula, spread mousse to the edge of the cake layer. Top with second cake layer, cut side up, and brush with 1/3 of the syrup. Spread another 1 1/2 cups of the yogurt mousse over the cake layer. Place the final layer on top, cut side up and brush with remaining syrup. Frost the cake with the remaining mousse by placing it on the top of the cake and spreading over the top and sides. Refrigerate the cake while preparing the honeyed raspberries.

Preparing the Honeyed Raspberries
~Warm the honey in the microwave (about 10 seconds on high power) or in a small saucepan over low heat. In a medium bowl, pour the warm honey over the berries. Gently toss the berries until they are evenly coated with the honey. Arrange the berries in the center of the cake, piling them up. They will start to clump as they cool.

If desired, serve cake slices drizzled with mint syrup (below).

STORAGE: Store in the refrigerator, loosely covered, for up to 3 days.

Mint Syrup
1/4 cup loosely packed mint leaves
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp water

~Combine all the ingredients in blender or small food processor and process until mint is finely chopped. Transfer the syrup to a plastic squeeze bottle for easy plating.

STORAGE: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.

Enjoy!

Outrageous Brownies!

2009-04-07T21:25:00.002-04:00

I think this brownie recipe was made for Ray. Ray is my coworker and a very close friend and loves to tell how he likes to make brownies and mid-way through baking, take them out and hit the pan on the counter to make a really dense brownie. Well today is Ray's birthday and I wanted to make something for him that he would really really enjoy. Happy Birthday Ray!

I am not the hugest chocolate fan, especially in baked goods, but these brownies do live up to their name...they are definitely outrageous. They are extremely dense but melt in your mouth. The walnuts provide a nice contrast in texture. The coffee lends a subtle flavor under the main chocolate attraction. And they have just the right amount of sugar to keep my sweet tooth happy while still providing a rich, tasty treat.

I will warn you that this recipe makes a lot of batter and a really large bowl is needed to make these. I had to switch out bowls when I things got to be too much. I made a full recipe and used 2 9x13 pans which seemed to work well. You can easily halve this recipe and bake in 1 9x13 pan.

Ina's Outrageous Brownies (from Ina Garten via Food Network)
Makes 20 large or about 40 smaller brownies, depending on cutting preference

1 pound unsalted butter, softened
1 pound plus 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips (divided into 1 pound for melting and 12 oz chips)
6 oz unsweetended chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 Tbsp instant coffee powder
2 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (1 cup for batter, 1/4 cup mixed with nuts and chocolate chip)
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
3 cups diced walnut pieces (I roasted whole walnuts for about 8 min before cooling and dicing)

Directions
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 13 x 18 x 1 1/2-inch sheet pan.
~Melt together the butter, 1 pound of semisweet chocolate chips, and unsweetened chocolate on top of a double boiler. Cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, instant coffee, vanilla, and sugar. Stir in the warm chocolate mixture and cool to room temperature.
~Stir together 1 cup of the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips with 1/4 cup flour to coat. Then add to the chocolate batter. Pour into prepared pan.
~Bake for about 30 minutes, or until tester just comes out clean. Halfway through the baking, rap the pan against the oven shelf to allow air to escape from between the pan and the brownie batter. Do not over-bake. Cool thoroughly, refrigerate well and cut into squares.

Enjoy!

Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes

2009-04-05T20:55:00.004-04:00

Once a month, I meet up with a group of lovely women to stamp and make cards. As an engineer, my work life is extremely regimented and technical, so my baking and stamping have become my creative outlet. I've been trying to bake for these ladies for months, and finally the stars aligned and my calender cleared up the few days before and what else would be perfect than cupcakes to munch on while cutting, folding and stamping!

I spent a week trying to decide what type of cupcakes to make and with the help of some of my internet friends I decided to make two...these Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes and Almond Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling.

These lemon Strawberry Cupcakes were delicious. I made them a little more lemony that the inspiration recipe, but after tasting the batter with the zest and juice of 2 lemons, I decided to add more zest and juice because I was looking for a fresh and bright taste. I finally found Meyer lemons in our grocery store and after hearing raves about them from multiple blogs, I decided to splurge and used them in this recipe. It turned out great.

These cupcakes have a little surprise inside...if you so desired, you can add a fruit filling inside the cupcakes. I decided to use some decandant Strawberry Champagne jam that we brought back from a vacation to Ireland. It was a great choice because the sweetness balanced the bright lemon flavor extremely well.

Lemon Strawberry Cupcakes (adapted from Things Alauna Makes originally from Martha Stewart)
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature (2 sticks)
2 cups sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 large eggs
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
zest and juice of 3 lemons

Between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of strawberry preserves, jelly or jam (depends on the size of holes you make)

Directions
~Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
~Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Using a whisk, stir dry ingredients to aerate and mix.
~Cream butter on medium speed until fluffy. Slowly add sugar and beat on high speed for 3 minutes until the color lightens and the sugar is fully incorporated.
~Add eggs, one at a time, incorporating each egg into the batter fully before continuing.
~On low speed, alternate adding the flour and buttermilk in about 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour.
~Beat in lemon zest and juice.
~Dive cake batter into lined cupcake pans and bake for approximately 19 minutes.

~After the cupcakes have cooled, use a small melon baller or sharp knife to make a small cone/bowl in the center of each cupcake.
~Melt the filling in the microwave for about 30 seconds.
~Using a spoon, fill the holes with the fruit filling.
~If desired, replace the cake removed over the filling.

~Top with Strawberry buttercream (see below) and garnish with sliced strawberries.

Strawberry Buttercream (Adapted from Things Alauna Makes)

1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature (3 sticks)
3 cups confectioner's sugar
4 Tbsp strawberry preserves, jelly or jam

Directions
~Beat butter on high speed until fluffly.
~Add strawberry preserves.
~Reduce speed to low and add confectioner's sugar slowly. I added 1 spoonful at a time which produces a very smooth, non-gritty buttercream.

I used a large star tip and a pastry bag to pipe the frosting on, but a gallon ziploc bag with a corner cut off will do just fine.

Enjoy!

A Flock of Peeps

2009-04-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up, I really really disliked Peeps. And I mean really. Probably because the only ones we had in the house were from last year, since my mom liked them rock hard. However after seeing this post on Erin's Food Files, I thought I get in the spring spirit and try these.

These were quite easy to make, although these photos are from my second batch because I changed my technique a bit and thought these were significantly better. The first batch, I followed the piping directions from Erin's blog and accentuated the tail, but I felt the two-peice chicks left somthing to desire. With the second batch, I did one continuous motion, starting at the tail, piping a 1 inch wide oval. At the front of the chick, I raised the tip and continued to pipe while forming the head. Then I started to reduce the pressure on the bag and brought the tip down to form the beak.

I did use a piping bag with Wilton tip # 1A (about a 1/2-inch wide), but a ziploc bag with a corner cut off will work just as well. I would suggest pulsing your sugar crystals in a food processor a bit to get a finer texture. I did this with the second batch and I felt it was a much more pleasurable experience to eat.

It's an added bonus to say these are fat-free. (Ignore the whole empty calorie thing)

Marshmallow (From Martha Stewart, seen on Erin's Food File)

1 pkg unflavored gelatin (2 1/2 tsp)
1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup water
1 cup sugar

Directions
~In the bowl of an electric mixer, sprinkle gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let gelatin sit for about 5 minutes to soften.
~Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, mix 1/4 cup water and sugar. Heat over medium heat, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Stop stirring to prevent sugar crystals from forming, and place candy thermometer in sugar syrup. Wipe sides of saucepan with a wet brush to if sugar cyrstals have splashed onto the sids. Boil sugar until the syrup reaches the soft ball stage (238 degrees).
~Remove from heat and add to gelatin. Gently stir the mixture to combine and cool slightly. With the whisk attachment, beat on medium high speed until soft peaks form and the marshmallow holds its shape, about 8 to 10 minutes.
~Transfer marshmallow to a large piping bag fitted with a 1/2-inch round tip and use immediately.

To form Chicks
~Sprinkle some coating sugar on the bottom of a lipped baking sheet.
~Pipe a 1-inch wide oval that is about 2 inches long. At the end of the oval, continue piping while raising the tip to form the head. Slightly move the tip back towards the tail of the chick. After the head is formed, bring the tip forward and down while releasing the pressure to form the beak.
~If desired, coat your finger tips with some confectioner's sugar and use your fingers to form more of a tail on your chicks.
~Immediately pour more sugar over the chick. Using a small icing spatula, lift more sugar onto uncovered spots on the chick. (I also used the spatula to prepare small mounds of sugar to turn the chicks into to help get complete coverage)
~Move completed chicks to another cookie sheet to allow to set.
~Use either royal icing or cocoa powder mixed with water. I applied the cocoa mixture with the tip of a toothpick.

~You'll probably be able to have to soften the marshmallow in the microwave a couple times in the process to keep it pipeable. I reheated it for 10 seconds and the consistancy returned, but it's best to work fast.

Almond Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling

2009-04-05T21:35:00.003-04:00

These were the second type of cupcakes that I made for my monthly Stamp Camp. I think these were my favorite, only because I love almond and cream cheese. I mean, what's not to love.

The cakes were sweet and light. The almond wasn't overpowering but complimented the raspberry filling well. I think the only thing I would change is to not add Amaretto to the frosting, but actually add almond extract to bring more consistent flavor throughout the entire cupcake.

Almond Cupcakes with Raspberry Filling (Adapted from Apple a Day)

Makes 24 cupcakes

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup butter, at room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract

1 cup milk

5 egg whites, at room temperature

1 cup raspberry preserves, slightly melted

Directions

~Place oven rack in middle of oven and preheat to 350 degrees. Prepare pans by lining with cupcake holders.

~In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, and salt and whisk to combine and aerate.

~In a large bowl, beat butter until fluffy on medium-high speed.

~Gradually add sugar to butter, and cream until well combined. Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

~Reduce mixer speed to low and alternately add flour and milk into batter until just combined, in 3 batches.

~In a seperate bowl and with clean beaters, whip egg whites into stiff peaks.

~Fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches. With a spatula, mix the first batch in to lighten the batter. With the remaining batches, fold carefully, trying not deflat the batter.

~Using a standard-size ice cream scoop or large spoon, divide batter into cupcake liners.

~Bake approximately 20 minutes until cake tester inserted in center comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing and continue to cool on racks.

~Once cool, remove a small cone of cupcake from the center. Add raspberry preserves with a piping bag or a spoon.

~Top with cream cheese frosting (to follow) and garnish with a fresh raspberry or toasted sliced almonds.

Cream Cheese Frosting (Adapted from Apple A Day)

16 oz cream cheese, softened

6 Tbsp butter, softened (3/4 stick)

1 1/4 cup confectioner's sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tsp almond extract (I used Amaretto but probably should have used the extract)

Directions

~In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together on medium-high speed.

~Beat in vanilla and almond extracts.

~Reduce speed and add confectioner's sugar a spoonful at a time.

Store compiled cupcakes in air-tight container in refrigerator for up to a day. Bring to room temperature before serving. Enjoy!

Car Bomb Cupcakes

2009-03-19T11:55:00.002-04:00

Happy Belated St. Paddy's Day! I was a busy baker leading up to St. Patrick's Day, as I felt the need to bake not only for my husband's work but for mine as well. When I saw these from Deb at Smitten Kitchen I knew exactly who would appreciate these.

I brought these to work and delivered them to my old project teammates. I knew they would appreciate them after seeing them party in Ireland during our large annual meeting in '07 (one of the perks to working on an international project). After about 30 minutes in the break room, my inbox started to flood with emails of thanks.

Ready for the drive into work (sorry for the poor lighting...this was at about 6 am)

I managed to save one to split with the husband, since I know he appreciates all things Guinness. He really liked them but I think deep down he was looking for more of a Guinness flavor. I agree that the Guinness turned into more of a nutty flavor that enhanced the chocolate taste more than standing up next to it. I might try to experiment a few more times since this might be something he would like for his birthday in June.

I think my favorite part was the frosting. I am not a fan of American style buttercream...at all. I always feel the sugar between my teeth and have not been able to find a recipe that is smooth...that is until now. Apparently it wasn't the recipe, it was the method. Adding the sugar a few spoon fulls at a time made all the difference. I plan to make all my buttercreams like this from this point on. As noted below, I added 2 sticks of butter to my mixer and realized I only needed one, so I proceeded like I was going to double the recipe (who doesn't like extra frosting). When I added the first 4 cups of confectioner's sugar, I was liking the consistency and I was extremely pleased with the taste test, so I added the Baileys into the frosting and piped the frosting onto the cupcakes. I added a few green sprinkles for a little St. Paddy's Day flair.

Enjoy!

Guinness Cupcakes (from Smitten Kitchen)
Makes 24 cupcakes

1 cup Guinness stout
1 cup unsalted butter
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (preferably Dutch-process)
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
2 large eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

Directions
~Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Bring 1 cup stout and 1 cup butter to simmer in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk until mixture is smooth. Cool slightly.
~Whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in large bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sour cream in another large bowl to blend. Add stout-chocolate mixture to egg mixture and beat just to combine. Add flour mixture and beat briefly on slow speed. Using rubber spatula, fold batter until completely combined. Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling them 2/3 to 3/4 of the way. Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, rotating them once front to back if your oven bakes unevenly, about 17 minutes. Cool cupcakes on a rack completely.

Ganache Filling

8 oz bittersweet chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter, room temperature
3 tsp Irish Whiskey (optional)

Directions
~Chop the chocolate and transfer it to a heatproof bowl. Heat the cream until simmering and pour it over the chocolate. Let it sit for one minute and then stir until smooth. (If this has not sufficiently melted the chocolate, you can return it to a double-boiler to gently melt what remains. 20 seconds in the microwave, watching carefully, will also work.) Add the butter and whiskey (if you’re using it) and stir until combined.

Assembly
Let the ganache cool until thick but still soft enough to be piped (the fridge will speed this along but you must stir it every 10 minutes). Meanwhile, using your 1-inch round cookie cutter or an apple corer, cut the centers out of the cooled cupcakes. You want to go most of the way down the cupcake but not cut through the bottom — aim for 2/3 of the way. A slim spoon or grapefruit knife will help you get the center out. Those are your “tasters”. Put the ganache into a piping bag with a wide tip and fill the holes in each cupcake to the top.

Baileys Buttercream Frosting *It was getting late when I was preparing the frosting, so the notes in italics are from me.

3 to 4 cups confectioners sugar (I used closer to 4 cups)
1 stick (4oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature (I used 2 sticks)
3 to 4 Tbsp Baileys Liquor (or milk, or heavy cream, or a combination)

Directions
~Whip the butter in the bowl of an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, for several minutes. You want to get it very light and fluffy. Slowly add the powdered sugar, a few tablespoons at a time. (I measured out 3 cups of confectioner's sugar in a large bowl and used a whisk to separate any clumps before adding it to the butter)
~When the frosting looks thick enough to spread, drizzle in the Baileys (or milk) and whip it until combined. If this has made the frosting too thin (it shouldn’t, but just in case) beat in another spoonful or two of powdered sugar.
~Ice and decorate the cupcakes. [I used a star tip and made little "poofs" everywhere and sprinkled it with various colors of sanding sugar to keep it looking festive for New Years. I bet shaved dark and white chocolates would look gorgeous as well.]

Do ahead: You can bake the cupcakes a week or two in advance and store them, well wrapped, in the freezer. You can also fill them before you freeze them. They also keep filled — or filled and frosted — in the fridge for a day. (Longer, they will start to get stale.)

Chocolate Guinness Cake

2009-03-19T12:15:00.002-04:00

I decided to make this cake on a whim since I was already making the Car Bomb Cupcakes. I was planning on following the recipe to the t, but in my excitement and/or time crunch I was unable to find the appropriate size pan. So I decided to use a 9x2 inch cake pan and a 8x2 inch cake pan which turned out wondeful. I filled the 9-inch pan about 2/3 full so that I would have a more substantial cake for my husband to take to work and filled the 8-inch pan for us to nibble on at home. I started to check on the cake after an hour of bake time and the 8-inch was done. A few minutes later and the other pan was done.

This cake was also good...it was a little bit more airy than the cupcakes. All of my husbands coworkers were exteremly happy with the cake. However, I think my husband was still looking for more of the Guinness flavor. I have to agree. The pecans added an even more nutty flavor and I could really only taste the nuts and chocolate. Due to my select blindness, I had to use my Dutch-process cocoa powder which the original recipe didn't recommend, so I think the overly rich chocolate flavor was a result. Oh well, I will just have to try again.

I sent a long a little bowl of Brown Sugar Whipped Cream that I spiked with a bit of Baileys Liquor after making the frosting for the Car Bomb Cupcakes. This was exteremly delicious and it's fighting for the spot (against Creme Brulee) of the one thing I would need if I was stranded on a dessert island.

Enjoy!

Note that the directions below are for a 9x3-inch pan, so adjust the cooking time if you will be using a different size pan.

Chocolate Guinness Cake (Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle)
Makes one 9-inch cake, Serves approximately 10

1 3/4 cups (7.4oz/212g) all-purpose flour
3/4 cup (2.2oz/61g) natural (not Dutch-processed) cocoa powder (I ended up using Dutch-process because I couldn't find my other cocoa powder until AFTER the cake was in the oven)
1 3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
21 Tbsp (10.5oz/298g) unsalted butter, softened
2 1/4 cups (17.2oz/488g) firmly packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Guinness stout (do not measure foam)
1 cup (4oz/114g) coarsely chopped pecans

Confectioner's sugar for dusting

Directions
~Prepare a 9x3 cake pan or 9-inch springform pan by greasing and dusting with flour. Move oven rack to center position and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
~Add flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon into a large bow. Whisk to combine and aerate. (I rarely sift my ingredients since I use the weight measurements when given)
~With your electric mixer, beat butter with paddle attachment until light and creamy, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the brown sugar and beat for additional 3 minutes. Continue mixing and add one egg at a time until completely incorporated. Add the vanilla extract. Take a moment to scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula and mix for an additional 30 seconds to make sure the batter is well mixed.
~With the mixer on low speed, alternate adding the flour mixture (3 batches) and the Guinness until just blended. Use a spatula to scrape down sides of mixing bowl and make sure the batter is well blended. Add batter into the prepared pan.
~Bake cake for approximately 70 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
~Allow the cake to cool for approximately 20 minutes on a wire rack. Use a thin knife to run around the edge of the pan, loosening the sides of the cake. Turn cake onto a rack and invert immediately and allow to cool completely.
~Dust cake with confectioner's sugar immediately before serving.

STORAGE: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to a week.

Brown Sugar Whipped Cream (Adapted from The Cake Book by Tish Boyle)
Makes about 2 cups

1 cup chilled heavy cream
2-3 Tbsp packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp vanilla extract (I omitted the vanilla and added about 2 tsp of Baileys Liquor)

Directions
~Chill bowl and beaters in freezer for about 20 minutes.
~Add whipping cream, brown sugar, and extract and whip on high speed until soft peaks form.

Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake

2009-01-14T20:24:00.009-05:00

Hi there! Today, I bring you a cheesecake that I've been meaning to make since Christmas. Today was Steve's boss' birthday, so I finally had a reason. As much as I love dessert, it's always nice on my waistline when we don't keep them in the house. So, before I get into the recipe...Happy Birthday Amy!

I don't know if it's me and my general distaste for hard liquor, but I felt that the whiskey flavor in the cheesecake was strong enough, so I omitted the whiskey from the cherry topping. I've provided the recipe as intended, but since I was not going to be able to flambe in front of the recipients, it added to the decision to leave the topping plain this morning. In the future, I might reduce or omit the whiskey in the cheesecake and just prepare the topping as intended. Mind you that my judgement was based on pre-baked tastings. It's not like I can send the cheesecake with a slice missing. The final reviews were all great. As Steve put it, "he had to keep the wolves at bay until Amy could have her slice."

Cherries Jubilee Cheesecake
Makes 12 servings

25 chocolate wafer cookies (I used Oreos and omitted the sugar)
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp butter, melted

3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
4 eggs, at room temperature
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
1/3 Jack Daniel's whiskey

Cherry topping (recipe follows)

Directions

~Using a food processor, process cookies to a crumb texture. Add the sugar and butter and mix until combined. Firmly press crust mixture into bottom and up the sides of a 9-inch springform pan that has been lightly coated with no-stick cooking spray.* Wrap foil under bottom and around outside of pan; set aside.

~Preheat oven to 325 degree F with a large roasting pan filled with 1 inch of warm water.

~In large mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar at high speed until smooth. Scrape down sides of bowl frequently. Reduce mixer to low speed, and add eggs one at a time, jut until blended. Beat in cream and whiskey on medium speed and scrap down sides one more time. Pour filling into prepared crust. Place pan in water bath and bake for 45 to 50 minutes until edges are set but center has a slight giggle to it. Turn off oven. Using a sharp knife, loosen edges of cake from pan. Leave cheesecake in oven for about 30 minutes. Remove cake from oven and allow to cool to room temperature.

~Cover and chill for 8 hours or overnight before removing from pan. Serve with Cherry topping.

Cherry Topping

1 (12oz) bag frozen pitted dark sweet cherries (unsweetened), thawed
2 Tbsp butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey (I omitted)
1/4 tsp almond extract

Directions

~Drain cherries into bowl, reserve the juice. Add enough water to cherry juice to equal 1/4 cup and set aside. Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add cherries and sugar and cook until sugar is dissolved. Whisk cornstarch together with reserved cherry juice. Stir mixture into cherries. Cook, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.**

~To flambe: Place whiskey in 1-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave for 20 seconds. Immediately pour over warm cherries. Do not stir. Ignite sauce with match and swirl pan carefully until flames subside. Stir in extract. Spoon over cheesecake slices.

***Notes***

* I do not like using springform pans. No matter how much foil I use, water from the bath still seeps in and makes the crust soggy. I use a method introduced to me by good old Alton Brown. I use a 8 or 9-inch by 3-inch cake pan that I lightly coat with cooking spray or butter. I add a parchment round for the bottom and a parchment collar for the sides, which I then lightly coat with spray/butter. To depan, I place a cardboard round/large plate over top of cake. I flip the cake out and remove parchment round from the bottom of cake. Then I flip the cake onto the serving plate and remove the parchment collar.

**This is where I deviated and omitted the whiskey to flambe. I just added the almond extract here and allowed to cool before topping the cheesecake.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake

2009-01-06T21:34:00.005-05:00

My holiday baking got a late start but then stalled due to a nasty cold I developed. However, I did manage to make this Peppermint Chocolate Cake for a holiday party at work.

This cake is extremely rich, but is definitely a crowd pleaser. The chocolate cake is a plain chocolate cake, and I might try to experiment to add a bit more moisture to it. The three layers are separated by a peppermint buttercream frosting and a chocolate ganache glaze is used to coat the cake. This has been requested for next year already, but I might make it a bit sooner, as my sweetie has indicated he wouldn't mind this in the house again....His waistline disagrees.

Chocolate Peppermint Cake - from Ladies' Home Journal

Makes 12 servings

For the cakes:

4 sticks (1lb) unsalted butter, softened, plus additional for pans

3 cups cake flour, plus additional for pans

1 3/4 cups boiling water

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch processed)

1 bar (4oz) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1 Tbsp vanilla extract

2 1/2 tsp baking soda

2 1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups firmly packed dark brown sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

For the buttercream:

2oz (12 to 13) whole round hard peppermint candies, plus 1/2 cup chopped for garnish

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 pkg (12 oz) cream cheese, at room temperature

4 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

2 tsp vanilla extract

For the chocolate ganache:

1 1/4 cups heavy cream

3 bars (4oz each) bittersweet chocolate, chopped

2 Tbsp unsalted butter, softened

Directions:

~ Make cake: Preheat oven to 350 degree F and arrange racks in upper and lower thirds; butter 3 round 9x2-inch cake pans. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper and dust pans with flour, tapping out excess.

~ Whisk boiling water into cocoa in a heat proof bowl until smooth. Add chocolate and let stand 1 minute. Whisk until smooth; let cool 5 minutes. Whisk in buttermilk and vanilla extract.

~ Whisk together flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl. Beat butter and sugars together in a large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping down sides of bowl with a spatula after each addition. Reduce speed to low; alternately add flour and chocolate mixtures, beginning and ending with flour mixture, beating until just combined. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans (about 4 cups each) and smooth tops.

~ Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of each cake comes out with a few crumbs clinging to it and cakes begin to pull away from sides of pan, 40 to 45 minutes. Transfer cakes in pans to a rack and let cool 5 minutes.

~Run a thin knife around edges of pans and place racks over pans; invert cakes onto racks. Peel off paper and invert cakes again so they are right side up on racks; cool completely. (you might have to level cake layers after cooling)

~Make filling: Meanwhile, place whole peppermint candies and confectioners' sugar in a food processor; pulse until finely ground. Transfer to a bowl and stir in cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract. (I beat cream cheese, butter & extract with mixer before adding peppermint/sugar)

~Make glaze: Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan over moderate heat. Remove from heat; add to chocolate and butter in a large bowl. Stir until smooth, about 5 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes.

~Assembly: Meanwhile, place 1 cake layer on an 8-inch cardboard round. Spread 1/2 of filling on top and cover with second cake layer, right side up. Spread with remaining filling and top with remaining cake layer, bottom side up. (I do this to ensure a smooth and flat top of the assembled cake) (At this point, I also use an icing spatula to remove excess filling that squeeze out sides and use it to fill in any gaps in between layers - this will help give you a smooth covering of glaze) Place cake on a wire rack over a baking pan (to catch any drippings) and pour some glaze over top, smoothing on sides with a small metal spatula. Continue to pour and spread glaze, using drippings in pan if necessary, until cake is evenly coated. Chill cake on rack until glaze is just set, about 15 minutes. Cake can be stored in refrigerator, but do not garnish with chopped candies until ready to serve (refrigerator softens candies).

~Transfer cake on cardboard round to a cake stand or plate. Bring to room temperature before serving and garnish with chopped candies around top edge of cake, if desired.

It seems like a lot of work, but really takes only a few hours to bake and assemble. I especially like how the cake doesn't have to look pristine, but really looks homemade. Enjoy!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-06T20:48:00.008-05:00

I hope the holidays treated everyone well. I apologize for the lack of posting...In addition to getting used to this whole needing to post thing, the holiday's were extremely busy with traveling and entertaining.

Home (Wisconsin) was a blast and I was able to get my snow fix...Let's jus say a 5'3" girl running around in 3 feet of snow is exteremly entertaining for said girl's husband. Seeing family was great, but way too short, and I'm determined to develop a transport machine because the 18+ hours of "traveling" (for 2 1/2 hours of flight time), including a switch in airports, delays, and sleeping in O'Hare's ticketing area does not make me want to go home again.

After the complicated traveling, I hosted the in-laws for the week in between Christmas and New Year's. It was very nice to see them, but the additional 4 people and 1 dog in the house made it a bit tight. It did give me time to cook, so I have plenty of posts coming up. Stay tuned!

Beginnings

2008-12-12T09:52:00.005-05:00

Hello, I'm Brienne. Welcome to my blog! As I begin this new phase in my life, I thought I sit down and document all the things that keep me busy. I think I've developed a little ADD, as I plan to blog about my cooking, baking, sewing, knitting, and cardmaking...along with anything else that I pick up along the way. Feel free to comment - I'd love to get to know all of you.

Thank you for stopping by!