Chocolate Lovers...

I did so much baking this weekend...

First I made chocolate chip and white chocolate with macadamia nuts cookies for my family that came over...

 

These were gone so fast. I only ate 2!!! (recipe is listed below)

Then I made baklava with pecans and walnuts.. I definitely like these better than the first ones I made... Probably because the nuts are more creamier in texture... The third batch which I brought to my friend's house with pistachios, walnuts, and pecans was I think the best one I made...

 

Then I made this Chocolate Honey Almond Tart courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis while working out on the treadmill I watched as she made this. At first I found it to be too sweet and overpowering but I put it in the fridge overnight and tried it out today and it was actually better for some reason... 

 

Recipe ---> http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/chocolate-honey-almond-tart-recipe/index.html

Well... Until next time... I will try to enjoy my last day off before I go to work...

Happy Birthday to Me! So what did I bake myself?! lol

I'm trying to enjoy and take advantage of my time off as much as I can. I honestly do not think that anyone should work on their birthday which is why I took a week off. Hope that today is going to be a good day because I already got off on the wrong foot with somebody. I guess all I have to do is not let it get the best of me. It has just been so rough for the past week..

Anyway I attempted to make Baklava with Hazelnuts and Pistachios... I have been wanting to make this for the longest time... I think that next time I will use walnuts or pecans which have a more creamier texture. My boyfriend seemed to like them though...

Baklava with Hazelnuts and Pistachios

Adding the honey sauce...

 

A more presentable plated version

Ingredients

• 1 (16 ounce) package phyllo dough
• 1 pound chopped nuts
• 1 cup butter
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup honey

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F(175 degrees C). Butter the bottoms and sides of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Chop nuts and toss with cinnamon. Set aside. Unroll phyllo dough. Cut whole stack in half to fit pan. Cover phyllo with a dampened cloth to keep from drying out as you work. Place two sheets of dough in pan, butter thoroughly. Repeat until you have 8 sheets layered. Sprinkle 2 - 3 tablespoons of nut mixture on top. Top with two sheets of dough, butter, nuts, layering as you go. The top layer should be about 6 - 8 sheets deep.
3. Using a sharp knife cut into diamond or square shapes all the way to the bottom of the pan. You may cut into 4 long rows the make diagonal cuts. Bake for about 50 minutes until baklava is golden and crisp.
4. Make sauce while baklava is baking. Boil sugar and water until sugar is melted. Add vanilla and honey. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
5. Remove baklava from oven and immediately spoon sauce over it. Let cool. Serve in cupcake papers. This freezes well. Leave it uncovered as it gets soggy if it is wrapped up. 

I also made chocolate chip cookies earlier in the week.. I figured that I haven't made cookies in the longest time so why not? lol

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3. Bake for about 12-15 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned. 

 

Ok well until next time... 

3 Cupcakes in 1 Day... I think I'm ready for Cupcake Wars.. NOT!!! LOL...

I think I've done the most baking today out of all days. I made 3 kinds of cupcakes: Car Bomb Cupcakes (Guinness Cupcakes Baileys Icing), Boston Cream Cupcakes (recipe posted in previous blog), and Banana Pudding Cupcakes with Nutella Buttercream Icing (which I already have the recipes for in previous blogs)

So first the Car Bomb Cupcakes...

 

Recipe:

Cupcakes
    1 cup unsalted butter
    1 cup Guinness stout
    2/3 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sifted
    1 cup light brown sugar
    1 teaspoon table salt
    2 cups all-purpose flour
    1 cup white sugar
    1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
    2 eggs
    1/2 cup sour cream

 
Frosting
    1/2 cup unsalted butter
    4 cups confectioners' sugar
    1 pinch table salt
    3 tablespoons Irish cream (Bailey's)
    1 tablespoon milk (This part I kept adjusting until it got to the consistency I wanted) 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease 24-30 cupcake cups, or fill with paper liners.
2. In a saucepan, heat the butter, Guinness, cocoa and brown sugar, whisking often, until the butter is melted and the mixture is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature.
3. Into the work bowl of a stand mixer (or into a large mixing bowl), sift together salt, flour, white sugar and baking soda. Add the cooled Guinness mixture and beat on medium for 1 minute. Add eggs and sour cream and beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth.
4. Divide the batter evenly amongst the cupcake cups. Bake in preheated oven 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean. Cool in pan 20 minutes, then remove and transfer to a cooling rack until completely cooled.
5. Meanwhile, in (cleaned) work bowl of stand mixer, cream butter until very light and fluffy. Add salt, and slowly add confectioners sugar. Do not run the mixer above low, or the sugar will spray all over your kitchen. Add a couple of spoonsful at a time until it has all been absorbed into the butter. Add Bailey's and milk until spreadable consistency is achieved.
6. Frost cupcakes with Bailey's frosting.

Banana Pudding with Nutella Buttercream:

 

This is the final product of what I will be bringing tomorrow at the Grill Off... I still have to top the Banana Pudding ones with the Nilla Wafers... but I will do that tomorrow because through past experience if you add the cookies on right away and put them in the fridge, they will become soggy...

Sort of looks like I cater right?! lol Siiike!! Maybe someday...

Until next time...

Half a Day Means De-Stressing in My Kitchen

I finally made Boston Cream Cupcakes...

Recipe:

For pastry cream

• 3 large egg yolks
• ⅓ cup (2⅓ ounces) sugar
• Pinch salt
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
• 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/3 cup of heavy cream

For cupcakes

• 3/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 eggs
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature  

For the chocolate glaze

• 1 cup of semisweet chocolate chips 
• 1 teaspoon of corn syrup
• 1/2 cup of heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla  

To make cupcakes:

1.) Preheat oven to 350°F.

2.) Cream butter and sugar together with an electric mixer; add vanilla and eggs.

3.) Sift dry ingredients together and add in 3 stages, alternating with the buttermilk.

4.) Line muffin pans with paper liners.

5.) Fill each about three-quarters full with batter.

6.) Bake 15-20 minutes.

For the pastry cream:

1.) Bring the cream to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks, sugar, and salt together in a medium bowl, then whisk in the cornstarch until pale yellow and thick, about 30 seconds.
2.) Slowly whisk the hot cream into the egg mixture to temper, then return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, until thick and glossy, about 1½ minutes. Off the heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl, press plastic wrap directly on the surface, and refrigerate until chilled and set, about 2 hours. (I just put mine in the freezer so it’s ready quicker.
For the glaze:
Mix in all of the listed ingredients in a microwave safe bowl, stirring in between for 1 minute. Then cool until room temperature before glazing the cupcakes

To make the cupcakes:

1.) Cut around the inside edge of the top of each cupcake, removing a cone-shaped piece from each cupcake, and fill with 2 tablespoons of pastry cream.
2.) Trim and replace the cupcake top and set each cupcake on a wire rack over a parchment-lined baking sheet (for easy cleanup). Pour the glaze over the cupcakes. Refrigerate the cupcakes until the glaze has set, about 10 minutes, before serving.


Until next time...