Blast from the past!

Hi everyone! It's me, Cassie, author of How To Eat A Cupcake! It feels like forever since I've posted an update, and that's probably because it has been *literally* forever. I've received so many emails and Facebook messages from nostalgic readers searching for my blog and coming up empty. That's because I lost the domain name howtoeatacupcake.net, and it took me a while to figure out how set it back to howtoeatacupcake.blogspot.com! Old links to howtoeatacupcake.net will take you to some random German website using my HTEAC banner, but I assure you that's not me. All of your fave HTEAC recipes and posts are available here on howtoeatacupcake.blogspot.com! :-)

To follow my bakery's progress (we just celebrated 7years in business last month), please "like" us on Facebook... Facebook.com/flourchildbakery

Thank you for all of your love and continued support! It means so much to me that some of my readers have visited the bakery and told me they miss my blog posts. I miss all my readers too! Thank you for encouraging me to follow my dream and bring Flour Child Bakery to life!

Catch ya later! xoxo Cassie

An update about the bakery!

Hey guys!!! Long time, no post! I'm so so so very sorry it's been so long. I've met (or heard about) so many of you local readers who have actually come to visit the bakery! Even a few out-of-towners who were readers of HTEAC have come by to check us out! Thanks so much for all the incredible support. :D :D

There's a new post on Flour Child Bakery's blog! Go check it out! http://flourchildbakery.blogspot.com/ ;)

Thanks again and HAPPY NEW YEAR!

<3 Cassie

It's Not Goodbye!

Dear loyal readers, lurkers, fellow bloggers, that one girl who recognized me on the street at Greek fest, and everyone else who has ever had a part in making this blog what it is...

With great regret, I am writing this entry to admit that my plate is full. As much as I enjoy this blog (a.k.a. my outlet for making up excuses to bake and posting my successes and failures for your reading and recreating pleasures), it seems I am unable to make time for anything on the computer other than looking for wedding planners, shopping for retro lighting, multiplying all my recipes by 3, and organizing the gazillion resumes I received after posting an ad for Flour Child Bakery on craiglist. Who knew it would be so time consuming to start a business and plan a wedding at the same time? Hah! (Oh, did I mention Josh proposed to me on my birthday??) ;D

All I can say is thank you times infinity for all of the wonderful support, help when I was looking for a certain recipe, comments saying how much you wished I would start baking cupcakes again, and letting me know when I typed 2 tablespoons of baking powder instead of 2 teaspoons. I know I wouldn't be the baker I am today without this blog and all of you! I hope that you will continue to support me by following my other blog, http://flourchildbakery.blogspot.com. There, I will try my best to keep everyone updated on the progress of the bakery, as well as try to reassure other aspiring entrepreneurs that opening a bakery isn't the gauntlet some lead me to believe. It's been fun and fulfilling so far, especially because I'm doing it all with my mom by my side. :)

I'm not saying goodbye because I feel like this won't be my absolute last post on How To Eat A Cupcake. Think of it as more of a TTFN (or "ta ta for now" in case my mom ever reads this and doesn't understand internet acronyms)! :D I've enjoyed every minute of it!!

<3 Cassie Baker

Sorry for my absence, but...

... I'm a soon-to-be business woman!Well, folks! It seems my time as an unemployed baking hobbyist and part-time blogger is almost over! Soon I'll be a very proud co-owner of my dream bakery! If you haven't been following along, my mom and I are currently in the process of filing paperwork, hiring painters and contractors, buying equipment, writing recipes, etc. It's so much fun! We've already got a location and a name. Flour Child Bakery will be located at

1716 Pleasure House Road, Suite 104
Virginia Beach, VA 23455

We're shooting to open in late September or early October. I'm doing my best to document our journey on my other blog, flourchildbakery.blogspot.com. We're also on Facebook, facebook.com/flourchildbakery!

I haven't forgotten about this blog, though! I have two recipes ready to be blogged. Whole Wheat Sticky Buns are coming up first. Then, Brooklyn Blackout Cake is next! I've just been soooo busy lately, I hope everyone can understand.

OH YEAH!! Josh and I are going to NYC next week! We'll be there from August 12-15. Where should we go, and what should we do??????? :D :D :D

Until next time,
Cassie <3

Italian Tri-Color Cookies

Not much of a story behind making these. They were way easier to make than I thought they'd be, and they were just as yummy as I expected!

I'm going to apologize ahead of time for my future absence from this blog. We're really starting to make progress at out bakery. Tuesday was our first day of construction. We're knocking down a wall to double the size of the kitchen. It was so exciting to take a hammer to the wall and destroy things! ;D I can't wait until we finish the build-out and get to see the big picture. BTW, there are pictures on my Flickr photostream. Here's a link: Building a Bakery!

And here's the recipe!
Baked Tricolor Cookies (from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)

For the cookie layers
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
7 oz homemade or store-bought almond paste (recipe follows)
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp pure almond extract
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
Grated zest of 1 orange (I omitted)
Orange food coloring (liquid or gel)
2 tbs dark unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted

For the filling
2/3 cup apricot jam
2 tbs amaretto liquer (I omitted)

For the glaze
6 oz dark chocolate (60% cacao)
1 tsp light corn syrup
1 stick unsalted butter, softened

Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter three 8-inch square baking pans. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper and butter the parchment. Dust with flour and knock out the excess flour. (I used cooking spray in place of the butter.) Sift the flour and salt together in a small bowl and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the almond paste, sugar, and almond extract together until small crumbs form. Add the butter and beat on high speed until the mixture is combined. Scrape down the bowl and add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the orange zest and beat until combined. Add the flour mixture in three parts, beating on low speed after each addition until combined.

Divide the batter among three small mixing bowls. In the first bowl, add a few drops of orange food coloring to the batter, and mix well. Continue to add a few drops of food coloring and mixing until the batter is medium orange in color. In the second bowl, add the cocoa powder to the batter and whisk until fully incorporated. Leave the third bowl plain.

Pour each batter into a prepared pan and smooth the tops. Bake the layers for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of each layer comes out clean. Transfer the pans to a wire rack and cool for 20 minutes. Invert the cakes onto the rack, remove the pans, and let cool completely. Remove the parchment.

In a small saucepan over low heat, stir the jam and amaretto until warmed through and completely blended, 3 to 5 minutes.

Place the chocolate layer on a serving rack and evenly spread half of the apricot jam over the top. Top with the plain layer and spread with the remaining apricot filling. Top with the orange layer and let the layers sit in the refrigerator for 5 minutes (or while you make the chocolate glaze).

In a large nonreactive metal bowl, combine the chocolate, corn syrup, and butter. Set the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water and cook, stirring with a rubber spatula, until the mixture is completely smooth. Remove the bowl from the pan and stir for 30 seconds to cool slightly.

Spread the glaze over the top of the bar cookies, completely covering the orange layer (some glaze may spill down the sides of the cake). Place the tray in the refrigerator until the chocolate topping completely sets (about 1 hour). Remove the tray from the refrigerator, wait 30 minutes for the chocolate to warm up, and cut into 20 individual squares or use a small cookie cutter to cream your own shapes.

The bars can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 4 days.

Almond Paste
1 1/2 cups finely ground almonds
1 cup confectioners sugar, sifted
1/2 tsp pure almond extract

Put all the ingredients in a food processor with 2 tbs water and process until a paste forms. Remove from the processor, wrap tightly in plastic, and refrigerate until ready to use. Extra almond paste, tightly wrapped, keeps well in the freezer.

Oatmeal Cream Pies

You know those little oatmeal cream pies you get at the grocery store? Made by Little Debbie or some other snack cake peddling hussy? Flat like they've been sat on and getting smaller and smaller every year? THESE-ARE-NOT-THOSE-PIES!!! These are the best oatmeal cream pies you've ever put to your lips. Your kids will thank you for replacing those fake @$$ cream pies with lease luscious gifts from heaven in their lunch box! I initially saw the recipe in The Amish Cook's Baking Book, but I didn't like their filling recipe. I remembered the most popular filling I've seen for whoopie pies has been a marshmallow fluff/Crisco mash-up. Not having any marshmallow fluff on hand, I made my own! Mixed in a little vegetable shortening (which you can't even taste! no greasy film on the roof of your mouth!) and TADA!The filling sets up to be very marshmallowy. Waaayyy better than storebought marshmallow cream. The cookies are somewhat soft at first, and thanks to the brown sugar in them, they get even softer as they sit out. I can say with no doubt in my mind, I'll still be making these when I'm 72!!Oatmeal Cream Pies (from “The Amish Cook’s Baking Book”)
Makes about 24 pies

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 tablespoons boiling water

Filling (adapted from “The All-American Dessert Book”)
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin (about 1 1/2 packets)
1/3 cup plus 1/4 cup water (divided)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounces vegetable shortening

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a baking sheet and set aside (or use parchment).
Cream the butter, sugar, and eggs in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, sift together the salt, flour, and baking powder. Add to the creamed mixture. Add the cinnamon and oats. Mix well. In a small dish, add the baking soda to the boiling water, and then stir the mixture into the rest of the batter. Mix well. Drop by the tablespoon (I did 2 tablespoons) onto the baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake until the cookies are firm and just starting to turn golden around the edges, 10 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on a wire rack or a plate.
For the filling, in a small measuring cup, sprinkle the gelatin over 1/3 cup cold water. Let stand, stirring once or twice until the gelatin softens, about 5 minutes. In a heavy 2-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, stir together the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and 1/4 cup hot water until well blended. Continuing to stir, raise the heat to high and bring to a full boil. Continue boiling for 30 seconds. Immediately remove from the heat. Stir in the gelatin mixture until it dissolves completely.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl. Add the vanilla. With a mixer on medium speed, beat for 20 seconds. Gradually raise the speed to high and beat until the mixture is stiffened, white, very fluffy, and cooled to barely warm, about 5 minutes. Reduce the mixer speed to low and gradually add the powdered sugar. Add the shortening and beat until completely smooth. The filling will set up as it sits, so wait until it is thick enough to spread or pipe before filling the cookies.

Cinnamon-Swirl Bread

There's not much of a story behind this post. But just for fun, let's see how much I can say about it. I woke up one morning this week and decided I had to have cinnamon-swirl bread. I parked my butt on the carpet in front of the bookcase and started browsing the index of all 5 million of my baking books. After about 11 books, I finally found a recipe for cinnamon raisin bread in Joy of Cooking. The basis of the recipe was their milk bread, which I use for hamburger buns, so I already knew it was good. I made the recipe sans raisins because I have to be in the mood for raisins.

The end result was this incredible-smelling, light as a feather, beautiful loaf of cinnamon-swirl bread. It was exactly what I was craving. My mom can't ever stand to wait the proper time for bread to cool. She forces me to ruin my breads all the time by slicing into them while they're hot. But this time, I was so glad she did! This is the loaf of my dreams! Slightly sweetened, cinnamon-y, with a nice crust. Ohhhh I LOVE IT! :D :DCinnamon Raisin Bread (from Joy of Cooking)
Yields 1 loaf

Ingredients
1 package (2 1/4 teaspoons) active dry yeast
3 tablespoons of warm (105º to 115ºF) water
1 cup whole or low-fat milk, warmed to 105º to 115ºF (I used skim)
5 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon of salt
3 1/2 - 4 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Filling
1/2 cup raisins
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Finishing
1 egg
Pinch of salt

Mix yeast and water together in a large bowl or bowl of heavy-duty mixer and let stand for five minutes until yeast dissolves.
Add the remaining ingredients except for the flour and mix for 1 minute on low speed. Gradually add 3 1/2 cups of flour. If needed, slowly add remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough is moist, not sticky. Dough should clear the sides of the bowl but stick to the bottom. Knead for about 10 minutes on low to medium speed until the dough is smooth and elastic.
Transfer the dough to an oiled bowl and turn it over once to coat. Loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until doubled in volume.
While the dough is rising place raisins in a small saucepan with enough cold water to cover by 1/2 inch and bring to a boil. Drain well and let cool. Stir together sugar and cinnamon.
Grease an 8 1/2”x4 1/2” loaf pan. Punch dough down. Roll the dough into an 8”x18” rectangle about 1/2” thick. Brush the surface of the dough with 1 1/2 teaspoons of melted butter. Sprinkle all but 2 teaspoons of the cinnamon mixture over the dough and spread the raisins evenly over the surface. Starting from one 8” side, roll up the dough and pinch the seam and ends closed. Place seam side down in the pan. Cover loosely with oiled plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in volume, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Whisk egg and salt together and gently brush over the top of the loaf. Sprinkle the top of the dough with the remaining cinnamon mixture. Bake until crust is deep golden brown and the bottom of the sounds hollow when tapped, 40 to 45 minutes (or until the internal temperature reaches 195ºF or above). Remove loaf from the pan onto a cooling rack. While the bread is still hot, brush the top with: 2 teaspoons of melted butter. Let cool completely before slicing.

"Baked" Red Velvet Cupcakes

My mom asked me if I'd make something sweet for her to take to her very last meeting at her job of 31 years. She's leaving to work with me as we open our own bakery. I hadn't made red velvet in a while, so it was time to break out the red food coloring. At first, I foolishly tried a recipe other than my favorite. I tried the one in Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott. MISTAKE! The cake had almost no flavor, and the tops stuck to the cupcake pan. Never fear, for I see lots and lots of cake truffles in my future. After that bomb, I ran back to my copy of "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking." I've made their red velvet cake as cupcakes before, and they were 100% perfect. Their frosting is the best I've ever tasted! I'll never stray from the red velvet path again!
Recipe here!

Morning Glory Muffins

We're in the beginning stages of writing the future menu for Flour Child Bakery, and right now I'm compiling recipes. Today I decided to work on MUFFINS! I already have a knock-out blueberry muffin recipe in mind. But I also love muffins that contain everything but the kitchen sink to give you a full belly and a good boost of energy in the morning. These morning glory muffins do just that. The original recipe is from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking. It's a good jumping off point for me to figure out what I want and don't want in these muffins.

I love these because you can fill the liners literally to the tippy top with batter. You end up with nice big tops that don't overflow and spread to make one giant muffin top across your pan. You know what I'm talking about! The flavor in these is nice, but I'd like the coconut to stand out a little more. I also think adding pumpkin seeds would give them a nice boost of nuttiness. But they are quite yummy as is!Morning Glory Muffins (from King Arthur Flour Whole Grain Baking)
Makes 12 regular muffins (I got 14 even when filling the cups to the brim)

1/2 cup (3 ounces) raisins
2 cups (8 ounces) King Arthur whole wheat flour, traditional or white whole wheat
1 cup (7 1/2 ounces) light brown sugar
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups (7 ounces) carrots, peeled and grated
1 large tart apple, peeled, cored, and grated
1/2 cup (1 1/2 ounces) sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup (2 ounces) chopped walnuts
1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) sunflower seeds or wheat germ, optional (I used wheat germ)
3 large eggs
2/3 cup (4 5/8 ounces) vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup (2 ounces) orange juice

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a 12-cup muffin tin, or line it with papers and spray the insides of the papers.

In a small bowl, cover the raisins with hot water, and set them aside to soak while you assemble the rest of the recipe. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, spices, and salt. Stir in the carrots, apple, coconut, nuts, and sunflower seeds or wheat germ, if using. In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and orange juice. Add to the flour mixture, and stir until evenly moistened. Drain the raisins and stir them in. Divide the batter among the wells of the prepared pan (they'll be full almost to the top; that's OK).

Bake for 25 to 28 minutes, until nicely domed and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven, let cool for 5 minutes in their pan on a rack, then turn out of pans to finish cooling.

Nutrition information per serving (1 muffin, 106g): 20g whole grains, 342 cal, 18g fat, 6g protein, 26g complex carbohydrates, 19g sugar, 4g dietary fiber, 53mg Cholesterol, 347mg sodium, 322mg potassium, 541RE vitamin A, 3mg vitamin C, 2mg iron, 47mg calcium, 131mg phosphorous.

Levain Bakery-esque Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies

After seeing Levain Bakery on Food Network's Throwdown with Bobby Flay, I KNEW I had to try and recreate those cookies in my own kitchen. Sorry, but Bobby's cookies were a sad comparison to the giant, chewy, gooey gobs of cookies from Levain Bakery. I did a Google search for "Levain Bakery chocolate chip cookie recipe," and I found a handy little compilation of various copy-cats on Levain's own website. Nice! I settled on a recipe from LisaMichele.wordpress.com. She had already made and RE-made her own copy-cat version of Levain's cookies. The only change I made was to use all light brown sugar because I think that's what the Levain girls said they used in their cookies.The end result was FAB-U-LOUS! Truthfully, I've never had a cookie from the famed Levain Bakery in NY... YET! I say "yet" because Josh and I will be headed to NY in August, and I'm going to try my hardest to get my hands on a world famous cookie! Anywho, these cookies are scrumdiddlyumptious! They've got a thin, crackly crust on the outside, but the inside is gooey and soft. They're not cake-like at all. They've got a nice chew and great flavor. I think I differ from the Levain girls' opinion that vanilla has no place in their CCC. Next time I'll add a teaspoon of the good stuff just because that's what my mouth expects to taste in a choco-chip cookie.All in all, I'm very happy with this recipe. Maybe if I think about it, after I get a REAL Levain Bakery cookie, I'll come back and edit this to see how they compare.

Levain Bakery Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookies (copy-cat recipe)
I got 21 cookies using a #20 scoop (about 4 tbsp of cookie dough)

2 sticks unsalted butter, cool but slightly softened
2 cups light brown sugar
2 eggs, straight from the fridge
2 3/4 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In bowl of electric mixer fitted with paddle, mix together butter and sugar on low speed until blended. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat on low speed until incorporated.

Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and mix until just combined. Gently fold in chocolate chips and nuts.

Scoop cookie dough onto parchment lined baking sheet 1 1/2 inches apart. Bake 15-20 minutes until the edges are golden brown and the tops are just lightly browned. (For smaller cookies, of course you'll need to watch them because they'll bake much faster.) Cool completely on wire racks. Store airtight until you eat them all!

Patriotic Poke Cake

Ladies and Gentleman, please give a warm welcome back to Cassie's baking abilities!!!

In case you haven't been part of the unlucky few who live in my house and have been subjected to my bad baking lately, I've been a path of strike-outs for a few weeks. But I'm proud to say I finally hit a homerun. This cake is phenomenal! The white cake layers are scrumptious and moist. The Jell-O gives the cake such a fun, bright flavor. And the frosting... WOW! I love boiled flour buttercreams! They are just genius and crazy delicious! So creamy and wonderful! Not to mention, this cake looks so festive and awesome. Woo hoo! I'm back!

Thanks to Jell-O for coming up with the basic idea for this cake. And thanks to Tish Boyle for the Basic White Cake Layers recipe in "The Cake Book." Another A+ recipe from her! :) Also, thanks to the boys of "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" for their outstanding boiled buttercream frosting recipe. I adapted it a little by adding a tiny bit of lemon zest to match the brightness of the berry flavored Jell-o in the cake. I think I'm gonna go have a tiny slice right now!Patriotic Poke Cake (inspired by Jell-O and AllRecipes.com)

2 baked 9-inch round white cake layers, cooled (recipe below)
2 cups boiling water, divided
1 (3 ounce) package Jell-O, any red flavor (I used strawberry)
1 (3 ounce) package Jell-O, Berry Blue flavor
1 recipe of your favorite frosting (recipe below)

Place cake layers, top sides up, in 2 clean 9-inch round cake pans. Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals (I used a chopstick for larger spread out holes).
In one bowl, stir 1 cup of the boiling water into red Jell-O. In a separete bowl, stir 1 cup boiling water into Berry Blue Jell-O. Stir for 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Carefully pour red gelatin over 1 cake layer and Berry Blue gelatin over second cake layer. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 3 hours.
Dip one cake pan in warm water 10 seconds; unmold onto serving plate. Spread with about 1 cup of frosting. Unmold second cake layer; carefully place on first cake layer. Frost top and sides of cake with remaining frosting.
Refrigerate 1 hour or until ready to serve. Garnish with fresh fruit, if desired. Store leftover cake in refrigerator.

Basic White Cake Layers (from “The Cake Book” by Tish Boyle)
Makes 2 9” cake layers

3 1/4 cups (11.5 oz/325 g) sifted cake flour (Notice it doesn’t say "cake flour, sifted." SIFT FIRST, and WEIGH it!)
1 tablespoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks/8 oz/227 g) unsalted butter, softened (around 65-67°F)
1 1/2 cups (10.6 oz/300 g) granulated sugar
6 large egg whites
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/3 cups (320 ml) whole milk

Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease the bottom and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans. Dust the pans with flour.
Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl. Whisk to combine, and set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat the butter at medium-high speed until creamy, about 30 seconds. Gradually add the sugar and beat at high speed until light, about 2 minutes. Reduce the speed to low and add the egg whites one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary. Beat in the vanilla extract.
If you have a splatter shield for your mixer, attach it now (the milk tends to splash up as you add it). Add the flour mixture at low speed in three additions, alternating it with the milk in additions and mixing just until the flour is incorporated. Scrape the batter into the prepared pans, dividing it evenly, and smooth the tops.
Bake the cake for 25 to 30 minutes, until lightly browned around the edges (In 8” round pans, mine took about 32 minutes). Cool the cakes in the pans on wire racks for 15 minutes. Invert the layers onto the racks and cool completely.
Store at room temperature, covered in foil, for up to 5 days.

Boiled Buttercream Frosting (from "Baked: New Frontiers in Baking" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito)
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup heavy cream (I used all 1% milk)
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, soft but cool, cut into small pieces (of course I reduced this to 2 1/2 sticks because that's just how I do!)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest

In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, whisk the sugar and flour together. Add the milk and cream and cook over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until the mixture comes to a boil and has thickened, about 20 minutes (It will look like VERY thick glue when it's ready).
Transfer the mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until cool (I let mine cool to room temp in the fridge). Reduce the speed to low and add the butter; beat until thoroughly incorporated. Increase the speed to medium-high and beat until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Add the vanilla and lemon zest and continue mixing until combined. If the frosting is too soft, transfer the bowl to the refrigerator to chill slightly; then beat again until it is the proper consistency. If the frosting is too firm, place the bowl over a pot of simmering water and beat with a wooden spoon until it is the proper consistency.

Cake Doughnuts... Baked, Not Fried!

I've been in a doughnut mood lately! I haven't made any, and the only ones I've eaten were from Dunkin Deathnuts, yuck! Yesterday I came across these mini fluted tube pans at Wal-Mart, and I had to have them. Since they could produce a baked good with a hole in the middle, I figured DOUGHNUTS! Why not? After a quick google search for baked doughnuts, I ended up at the King Arthur Flour website. The recipe had good reviews, and I had all of the ingredients on hand.

Commence my first baked doughnut experience...

The whole process took under 30 minutes. I mean literally from start to finish, from batter to photograph, was under half an hour. That's gotta be some kind of kitchen miracle. During their brief stint in the oven, the house smelled sooo delightful. You could practically see the cartoon scents swirling through the air. As soon as they came out of the oven, I shook them around in a bag full of cinnamon sugar. It was hard to resist not grabbing one of these warm little guys before getting pictures. But I kept it together until I was ready for a shot of the innards.My evaluation is that these are yummy, considering the fact that they're baked and that they're cake doughnuts (which don't even place in my "top 5 doughnuts" list). The surface that browned in the pans is crunchy and spectacular. The flavor is nice, but I think next time I'd leave the cinnamon out of the batter and just have it in the cinnamon sugar. Overall, I'd make these again, but they're still not in my top 5! Also, next time I'm going to make them chocolate and dip them in a chocolate glaze. :DBaked Doughnuts
Makes 6 regular sized or 12 mini doughnuts

1 cup (4 ounces) Round Table Unbleached Pastry Flour or 7/8 cup (4 ounces) King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
3 tablespoons dried buttermilk powder (or use 2 tablespoons buttermilk or yogurt in place of the 2 tablespoons water)
2 large eggs
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water

Whisk together all of the dry ingredients in a medium-sized mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs, oil and water (or buttermilk or yogurt) until foamy.

Pour the liquid ingredients all at once into the dry ingredients and stir just until combined.

Butter or grease the doughnut pan; non-stick pan spray works well here. Note: even though the pan is non-stick, since the doughnuts are low-fat they may stick unless you grease the pan first. Fill each doughnut form half full. (I used a pastry bag and piped one circle of batter into each cup.)

Bake the doughnuts in a preheated 375°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes. (My mini doughnuts baked for about 7 minutes.) When done, they'll spring back when touched lightly, and will be quite brown on the top. (Mine were barely browned on top.)

Remove the doughnuts from the oven, remove them from the pan, and allow them to cool on rack. Glaze with icing, or coat with cinnamon-sugar (1/2 cup sugar + 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon) or any non-melting sugar.

Printable recipe can be found on this page: Baked Doughnuts: King Arthur Flour

Coconut Cream Pie

There's a looong story that goes with this post, but since I have a TON of work to do on the computer today, I'm gonna make it short and sweet. I asked my dad what dessert he wanted for Father's Day, and his first reply was pie crust. His favorite thing is when I bake my leftover pie crust scraps with cinnamon and sugar. I wouldn't feel satisfied if all I baked him on Father's Day was scraps, so his second choice was coconut custard pie... and pie scraps, of course! :D I found a great recipe for coconut cream pie in The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book. I liked it because it used coconut milk in the custard.

I started by making and baking the pie crust. I made a double batch of pie pastry. I rolled out half and put it in a pie pan. Then I rolled out the other half, cut it into strips, sprinkled them with cinnamon sugar, and baked them as "scraps." While the crust was in the oven, I made the coconut custard. It was insanely delicious, and I knew it was gonna make a GREAT pie. Next is when the baking gods decided take a giant, steaming deuce on my day!

When I went to retrieve my beautiful pre-baked pie crust from the oven, it slid back on the oven mitt, and the 375 degree dark metal pie pan made contact with my arm flesh! Naturally, my reflex was to get it off me, ASAP! I jerked my arm forward and watched in slow motion as my perfect pie crust hit the floor and flattened into a fugly hot mess. My mom, trying to remedy the situation, grabbed the pie crust and tried to put it back together jigsaw style. "Cassie, you can't even tell!" No way! No way was I gonna serve my dad a pie that had once been in pieces on the floor! By this time, dinner was almost ready. I had no time to re-do anything. I accepted my defeat, and with my head down, I put the coconut custard in the fridge to wait until the next day when I could gather my wits and try again.But remember how I said the baking gods took not only a deuce, but a GIANT, STEAMING deuce on my day?? Yeah, I also baked a birthday cake for a family friend. Can you guess how that turned out? I'll put it this way, I took one bite and spit it out... SPIT IT OUT! How embarassing is that? I am trying to open my own bakery, and I just produced a cake for someone's birthday that might've tasted better if I'd made it in my Easy-Bake Oven! Gahh!! Needless to say, I had a well-deserved cry while Josh reassured me that I simply made a mistake somewhere in the recipe, and that I was still a baking goddess. :D I love that boy! <3 Ok, so it didn't end up being a short story after all. Oh well, that just means less time playing FarmVille later.... Here's the Coconut Cream Pie recipe. BTW, the pictures look redonkulous because I was using the camera I gave to my dad for Father's Day. I haven't figured out any of the settings yet.

Coconut Cream Pie (adapted from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)

1 pre-baked 9” pie crust (half of the recipe after the link)

Filling
1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk (look for this on the Asian food aisle in the grocery store)
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup granulated sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon table salt
5 large egg yolks
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 2 pieces
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Topping (my own recipe)
1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream
2 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar
1 teaspoon coconut flavoring
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup toasted coconut, optional

Bring coconut milk, whole milk, 1/3 cup of sugar, and salt to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally to ensure that sugar dissolves.

Whisk yolks, cornstarch, and remaining 1/3 cup of sugar in medium bowl until thoroughly combined. Whisking constantly, gradually ladle about 1 cup hot milk mixture over yolk mixture; whisk well to combine. Whisking constantly, gradually add remaining milk mixture to yolk mixture in 3 or 4 additions; whisk well to combine. Return mixture to saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, whisking vigorously, until the mixture is thickened and a few bubbles burst on the surface, about 30 seconds.

Off heat, whisk in the butter and vanilla. Let the mixture cool until just warm, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Pour warm filling into cooled pie crust. Press plastic wrap directly against surface of filling and refrigerate until firm, about 4 hours.

For the topping, whip the cream, sugar, and flavorings with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Do not overbeat or the cream will curdle. Pipe or spread the whipped cream on top of the pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut.

Chocolate Cream Pie v2.0

"Cassie, you wanna make the dessert?" Of course I do! What would you like? "Oh, just make whatever you feel like making." They say that to me thinking they're doing me a favor. No, no, no... I love it when you tell me exactly what you want! I wish people would do it more often! So last week when my dad asked me for a chocolate cream pie, not too dark, kind milk chocolate-y, I jumped at the opportunity! Plus, it was an excuse for me to finally use the Dove solid milk chocolate bunny I've had since Easter.

The last time my dad requested a chocolate cream pie, I used a recipe from AllRecipes.com. It was alright, but you know me and my inability to settle on a recipe. This time I went for a surefire, failproof recipe from the ONLY source for perfect pie recipes, The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum. The recipe was unbelievably easy and quick. I made my favorite pie crust recipe to accompany the creamy chocolate filling and the cool whipped cream. (I know it's my dad's favorite pie crust too because his initial request wasn't for chocolate cream pie. It was for just plain pie crust that he could break into shards and dip into his Kozy Shack chocolate pudding!)

Rose didn't let me down. The pie was a hit, and my dad was completely satisfied. He's so funny! Everytime I make something we could potentially sell at our future bakery, he always calls out a prospective price. This one will be $34.95! ;DSome advice: When you cook the filling, make sure you let it thicken until it's almost as thick as you want it to be in your finished pie. It thickens as it cools, but it's not like Jell-O! It needs all the help it can get on the stove. And let it chill overnight. We cut into hours when it had been in the fridge for about 3 hours, and the filling was still a bit too soft. :)

PS: I didn't even notice until I started typing out the recipe, but there's a variation in the book for a milk chocolate version!! Lol! I included it here.

Chocolate Cream Pie (from The Pie and Pastry Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum)

1 9-inch pie crust, prebaked (half the recipe after the link)

Filling
2 large eggs
1/4 cup (24 g) unsweetened cocoa powder, preferably Dutch-processed
3 tablespoons (28 g) cornstarch
3 cups milk, divided
2/3 cup (132 g) sugar
Pinch of salt
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet chocolate, grated or finely chopped (I used milk chocolate)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Topping (I made a double recipe of this)
1 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoo n confectioners' sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate curls or shavings for garnish, optional

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, cocoa, cornstarch, and 1/4 cup of the milk until smooth.
In a medium nonreactive saucepan, stir together the remaining 2 3/4 cups of milk, the sugar, and salt. Over medium heat, bring the mixture to a full boil. Whisk 1/4 cup of this hot mixture into the egg mixture. Whisk the egg mixture into the milk mixture. Cook, continuing to whisk rapidly, being sure to go into the edges of the pan, until the mixture thickens and pools a little when dropped on the surface. (It thickens quickly, but let it cook until it's almost as thick as you want it to be in your finished pie.)
Remove it from the heat and whisk in the chocolate and butter. Continue whisking until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth. Whisk in the vanilla extract. Using a rubber spatula, immediately press the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve and place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Allow it to cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until cold, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
Pour the chocolate filling into the baked pie shell. It will fill the shell up to the top. Place a piece of greased plastic wrap on the surface and refrigerate the pie for at least 3 hours.
In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, combine the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla and beat until stiff peaks form. (Do not over beat; it will turn to butter!) Remove the plastic wrap from the pie and mound the topping over the chocolate filling.

VARIATION: For a less bittersweet, more milk chocolate filling, replace the milk with half-and-half, decrease the sugar to 1/2 cup (100 g), omit the cocoa, and increase the chocolate to 10 ounces (284 g).

Soft Sugar Cookies w/ Pink Frosting

If you follow me on Twitter, or if you're a fan of the HTEAC Facebook page, you already know that I was seriously craving these cookies today! I must admit, a lot of times when I have a particular craving, I don't always hit the nail on the head with the recipe I choose. Today, I did it! These cookies are exactly what I wanted. They're soft and moist without being cake-like. The flavor is bangin', and the frosting is... well... the icing on the cookie! I predict these cookies will disappear like a fart in a fan factory. And I'll just go ahead and make a check mark on my bucket list beside "Use the idiom 'disappear like a fart in a fan factory.'" CHECK! (PS: Sorry if you're grossed out. Stop thinking about farts and start thinking about cookies!)I figured I didn't want to spend all day smearing frosting on these cookies, so I made a shortcut by rolling some of them in pink sugar before baking. They looked so pretty. The cookies with the frosting are very sweet, but it didn't stop me from eating a whole one and two bites off a second one. I bet they'd be perfect for kids! This recipe is totally a keeper.For the frosting, I didn't use a recipe. I started with
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
I mixed in about
1-2 cups confectioners' sugar
until it was stiffened. Then I added about
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 drop red food coloring
and mixed until it was creamy and spreadable.

Soft Sugar Cookies (from The America's Test Kitchen Family Baking Book)
Makes 2 dozen cookies

2 cups granulated sugar, divided
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
14 Tbsp (1 3/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Set oven rack in middle of the oven. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spread 1/2 cup of the sugar in a shallow dish for coating and set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together and set aside.

Beat softened butter and remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar together in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3-6 minutes. Beat in the vanilla then eggs, one at a time, until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl & beaters as needed.

Reduce mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combineds. Give the dough a final stir with a rubber spatula to make sure dough is combined.

Line large baking sheets with parchment paper. Using damp palms, roll 2 tablespoons of dough at a time into balls, then roll in sugar to coat. Place balls on parchment-lined baking sheets, spaced 2 inches apart. Flatten cookies with the buttered bottom of a drinking glass, then sprinkle and remaining sugar over flattened tops. (I just layed a piece of plastic wrap over my cookies and pressed them with the bottom of a clean glass.)

Bake cookies, one sheet at a time, until the edges are set and just beginning to brown but the centers are still soft and puffy, 10-12 minutes, rotating the baking sheet halfway through baking. Allow cookies to cook on baking sheet for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.


*takes a bow for using the word "fart" 4 times in a blog post about prissy pink cookies!!* ;D

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie

Happy belated Memorial Day! What better way to celebrate an American holiday than with a homemade cherry pie? Well truthfully, it started out as a mulberry pie. But when I went to retrieve my mulberries from the refrigerator, I discovered mold had taken over. Gross! I plundered my kitchen cabinets and found two cans of sour cherries. That'll do, pig! I scanned through my cookbook collection until I finally found a cherry pie recipe that called for canned cherries. This one comes from The Taste of Home Baking Book. I used my go-to crust recipe, and it was perfect. The use of cake flour and my adapted way of making the pastry are really forgiving. I baked the scraps while the pie was in the oven, and even after being rolled and re-rolled, they were still soooo yummy sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar.

My cherry pie!Dad is the grill master!

I also took this opportunity to test out a pie pan I just got. It's made by Chicago Metallic, and it allegedly makes slicing and serving pies a breeze. It comes with a contraption that slices the pie into 8 even slices. The pan itself has a removable bottom, and it came with a little stand that pushes the pie up from the bottom of the pan so that the slices can be removed from the sides without damaging them.After baking and slicing the pie in the Slice Solutions pan, I'm a BIG fan! It browned the crust nicely, and it kept the slices beautiful and clean. The package said it works best on single crust pies, but with some finesse, I managed to press the cutter into my lattice-topped pie with minimal damage. I'll absolutely be using this pie pan again and again! ;D If you're interested, I got it from UWantSavings.com for $17 and FREE shipping!PS: Let's keep this a secret from the new bathing suit I got from Target on Saturday... I'm having a slice of this pie for breakfast right now!

Sour Cherry Lattice Pie (from The Taste of Home Baking Book)
Makes 1 9-inch pie

2 cans (14.5-16 oz each) tart pitted cherries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons instant tapioca
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Red food coloring, optional (the canned cherries are somewhat grayish; I added 3 drops red gel color)
1 tablespoon butter
1 double-crust pastry

Divide pastry dough in half. Roll half into a 12-inch circle, fit into pie pan, and let it rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator or freezer.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Drain cherries, reserving 1/4 cup juice. In a large bowl, combine the cherries, juice, sugar, tapioca, extract, salt, and food coloring if desired; let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, roll other half of pastry into a 12-inch circle, and allow it to rest in the refrigerator until needed.

Pour filling into pie shell and dot with butter. With a knife or pastry wheel cut the other rolled out pastry into 3/4” strips. Place pastry strips in a lattice pattern on top of pie. (Click here for illustrated help.) Bake for 55-60 minutes. If crust begins to brown too quickly, cover edges with aluminum foil or a pie crust shield. Cool completely on a wire rack before slicing.