tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18910004958395904502020-02-28T20:37:32.452-08:00Pastry MamaUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-5707452819106942732014-09-23T10:59:00.002-07:002014-09-23T11:43:32.654-07:00Peanut Butter Cup-CakesWow, it has been a very long time since I wrote a post on here! These cupcakes were so very special, though, that I felt they deserved it. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JdUl70_3qvw/VCGyeEtMJZI/AAAAAAAAdnE/-5iB3EOCY44/s1600/20140911_215348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JdUl70_3qvw/VCGyeEtMJZI/AAAAAAAAdnE/-5iB3EOCY44/s1600/20140911_215348.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />A little boy who was turning 8 wanted cupcakes that were reminiscent of peanut butter cups. Delicious idea! Originally, his mom asked for peanut butter cake with chocolate icing. I decided instead that in order to be more like peanut butter cups, they needed to be chocolate stuffed with peanut butter with more chocolate on top. I made my standard chocolate cupcakes which are not very sweet and generously filled them (pictured above) with a delicious, creamy peanut butter filling. Then they were topped with a sweet chocolate buttercream. They were quite decadent and not for the "I'm not really a sweets person" person. I thought they were just to die for and will be making them again for my father in law's birthday this weekend since he loves peanut butter cups. I felt they really were a great representation of peanut butter cups in cake form. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUavnFf1Me4/VCGyjrZN0VI/AAAAAAAAdnM/imLIOSPBcNs/s1600/20140912_214612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GUavnFf1Me4/VCGyjrZN0VI/AAAAAAAAdnM/imLIOSPBcNs/s1600/20140912_214612.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you like filled cupcakes, try your hand at making them yourself! It's not hard or terribly time consuming. I don't bother cutting a piece out to fill them. You can just stick a tip directly into the cupcake and squeeze gently until they are filled. You will be able to tell by the weight and how the top looks. It will begin to split or crack open if you overfill. You can buy special <a href="http://www.amazon.com/iSi-North-America-Stainless-Injector/dp/B00DTFSV0E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411495012&sr=8-1&keywords=injector+tip">tips</a> or just try it with a tip that you already have. You can fill cupcakes with pretty much anything you'd like and make countless combinations. It's fun and would be a great project with kids!</div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-86771815707163225892013-11-20T18:46:00.001-08:002013-11-20T18:46:19.431-08:00Christmas Cookie TimeMy Christmas cookie order form is ready! Check it out. Thanks!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pastrymama.com/p/holiday-cookies.html">http://www.pastrymama.com/p/holiday-cookies.html</a>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-946591493598514482013-06-20T18:34:00.002-07:002013-06-20T18:40:06.301-07:00Where the Wild Things Are Cake<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQRI4HCoe2A/UcOsWzXb_2I/AAAAAAAAXek/eCo7RQmOzf8/s1600/DSCN3665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-KQRI4HCoe2A/UcOsWzXb_2I/AAAAAAAAXek/eCo7RQmOzf8/s640/DSCN3665.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />I had the pleasure of making a first birthday cake for a very cute little boy named Max. His parents wanted a cake that depicted a boat scene from the book <i>Where the Wild Things Are. </i>I pondered how I was going to accomplish this for some time. I think I came up with a great solution, and I have to say, I am pretty proud of this cake.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5jk-DiEhKRA/UcOsdBiU8DI/AAAAAAAAXes/_m-BlCCFXCQ/s1600/DSCN3666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5jk-DiEhKRA/UcOsdBiU8DI/AAAAAAAAXes/_m-BlCCFXCQ/s400/DSCN3666.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I used a lot of different techniques and tools to help me make this cake. I had the idea to make it like a painting. I used a sheet on fondant and drew this picture free hand while I looked at the page out of the book. Then I used a variety of things to actually fill in and color the picture, including edible markers, food coloring, gum paste. I was so pleased with the results. I think this is one of my favorite cakes I've ever done!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1SR7fFCoeQ/UcOshcbevJI/AAAAAAAAXe0/Ii7XIFVQ5zE/s1600/DSCN3667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c1SR7fFCoeQ/UcOshcbevJI/AAAAAAAAXe0/Ii7XIFVQ5zE/s400/DSCN3667.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DFh-5cz1tM/UcOskK-t86I/AAAAAAAAXe8/mnbODjutsbc/s1600/DSCN3668.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7DFh-5cz1tM/UcOskK-t86I/AAAAAAAAXe8/mnbODjutsbc/s400/DSCN3668.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMyIoFHv_Fc/UcOsS07GrCI/AAAAAAAAXec/8TG79orcSdQ/s1600/DSCN3659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-aMyIoFHv_Fc/UcOsS07GrCI/AAAAAAAAXec/8TG79orcSdQ/s400/DSCN3659.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-86897426794955181352013-04-11T19:29:00.002-07:002013-04-11T19:29:25.974-07:00Fairies CakeI am so behind on blogging that this is my daughter's 2nd birthday cake. She is turning three in about two weeks! Oh well, better late than never, right!?!? My daughter really loves Tinkerbell and all the other fairies that reside in Pixie Hollow! In fact, up until very recently, she has been saying that she wants a Tinkerbell cake again this year. She has changed her mind, and hopefully I will have her 3rd birthday cake on here before she turns four!<div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5amAViiP87I/UWdv1CYoPFI/AAAAAAAAXXw/5zuob5kwu-Q/s1600/DSCN2433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-5amAViiP87I/UWdv1CYoPFI/AAAAAAAAXXw/5zuob5kwu-Q/s400/DSCN2433.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I generally do not purchase items to place on cakes. I often prefer to handcraft things instead of plopping some plastic crap on my cakes. However, I was just so enticed by these adorable fairy figures that were actually usable stamps after coming off of the cake that I just could not resist. Plus, I was pregnant, so the easier the better! Of course my daughter was thrilled to get some fun little toys after her cake too, so maybe that plastic crap isn't so bad after all. I did a lot of cutting and stacking with this cake. I believe it was about a full double layer sheet of cake when all was said and done. It was delicious, and my little birthday girl adored her cake. What more could I ask for?</div><div> </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6EwHRi4unAM/UWdv8EuCv5I/AAAAAAAAXYA/Sb0TscBi1fM/s1600/DSCN2438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6EwHRi4unAM/UWdv8EuCv5I/AAAAAAAAXYA/Sb0TscBi1fM/s400/DSCN2438.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Cutting and shaping cakes is a lot easier than it seems. You just need a little practice. Most importantly, make sure that if you plan to cut and stack or sculpt cake that you are working with a sturdy cake. There is nothing worse than trying to do this work with a crumbly cake. You can even buy cakes un-iced at your local bakery or from me to practice! And, I am sure your family and friends will be thrilled to help you get rid of your practice cakes.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyPPb3UJ59o/UWdwAbWyy5I/AAAAAAAAXYI/whADQaAuL5A/s1600/DSCN2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-nyPPb3UJ59o/UWdwAbWyy5I/AAAAAAAAXYI/whADQaAuL5A/s400/DSCN2439.JPG" width="300" /></a></div></div></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-81534990558476400642013-03-06T09:40:00.001-08:002013-03-06T09:40:27.316-08:00Mint Chocolate Birthday CakeWow, it has been quite a long time since I have made a post. My last post was back in July before my third daughter was born. I had three kids 4 and under for about a month until my 4 year old turned 5 in August. Needless to say, I have been super busy not only with the kids, but with baking too! I have a ton of things to post, but I decided to start with this sweet little cake.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQbdnDw_DM8/UTd9e1t5inI/AAAAAAAAXXQ/Tj2W0TcWLbY/s1600/DSCN3019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SQbdnDw_DM8/UTd9e1t5inI/AAAAAAAAXXQ/Tj2W0TcWLbY/s320/DSCN3019.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I made this cake for little girl's first birthday. Her parents are huge fans of chocolate and mint, so I came up with this delicious combination. I started with my regular chocolate cake. I decided to throw some Andes candies chips into the batter. It made the cake slightly minty and extra moist and chocolatey. I didn't want to make the cake too minty/toothpastey, so I decided not to cover the whole cake in mint buttercream. However, I did make a standard buttercream with some mint extract for in between the two layers of cake. I have a recipe for an icing that I call chocolate satin frosting. It is almost like a ganache, but not quite, and it is not super sweet. I thought it would be the perfect pairing for this cake. (Actually, I think it was my hubby's idea.) I used simple fondant numbers and letters with polka dots for the decorations. All in all, I thought this cake looked sweet and was delicious. Even my husband who is not a huge fan of chocolate and mint enjoyed this cake. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaU46Vhk3Mo/UTd9flpKA6I/AAAAAAAAXXY/IP6Wz911fgg/s1600/DSCN3021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DaU46Vhk3Mo/UTd9flpKA6I/AAAAAAAAXXY/IP6Wz911fgg/s320/DSCN3021.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />The National Confectioners Association has declared February 19 "Chocolate Mint Day". So next year on February 19, celebrate with some chocolate mint candies, mint chocolate chip ice cream, or whip up and cake like this for yourself. Or better yet, save yourself the mess, and order one from me!Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-87686919049717297632012-07-12T11:02:00.004-07:002012-07-12T11:03:32.122-07:00Trifle<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtURiHAE5d0/T_mGBbGBJLI/AAAAAAAAWsM/mVZe7FofDKI/s1600/DSCN2648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-JtURiHAE5d0/T_mGBbGBJLI/AAAAAAAAWsM/mVZe7FofDKI/s400/DSCN2648.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Trifle is one of my very favorite desserts. I love that it is so versatile and so, so delicious! You can pretty much put whatever you want into a trifle. Of course there are traditional English trifles, but you can stray from that very easily!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SEHG1K9E_r4/T_mF0cInvmI/AAAAAAAAWsE/IrqXGzZnkOM/s1600/DSCN2647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SEHG1K9E_r4/T_mF0cInvmI/AAAAAAAAWsE/IrqXGzZnkOM/s400/DSCN2647.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />I chose to do a pretty standard trifle. I started with some pound cake that I cubed and soaked in simple syrup. I could eat just that alone!!! So delicious! I also made my standard pastry cream which is such a great recipe to master since it can be used in such a large variety of desserts. I really like trifle with raspberries, but it was a little early in the season to find tasty, reasonably priced raspberries, so I went with strawberries and macerated them for a bit in a small amount of sugar. I did put a little spin on my whipped cream. Instead of stirring in powdered sugar to sweeten the cream, I used brown sugar. The molasses in the brown sugar gave a nice flavor to the dessert as a whole. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qBL_ZQEwbk0/T_mGKmezcfI/AAAAAAAAWsY/YXchAJD07A4/s1600/DSCN2650.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qBL_ZQEwbk0/T_mGKmezcfI/AAAAAAAAWsY/YXchAJD07A4/s400/DSCN2650.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />What is so nice about trifle is that you could use angel food cake instead of pound cake, vanilla pudding instead of pastry cream, or any kind of fruit that you like or that is in season. I particularly like trifle with stone fruits when they are in season! If you aren't much of a baker, you could still throw together a trifle pretty easily. You can buy pre-made angel food cakes at any bakery. You can make a box of vanilla pudding. Choose whatever kind of fruit you like and make or buy some whipped cream. You just layer everything together, and voila, you have a trifle! It's that simple. Use whatever you have on hand or whatever is in season. Just make it your own!Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-77380446242138836252012-06-28T20:35:00.001-07:002012-06-28T20:35:56.162-07:00Yo Gabba Gabba Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E56HHj5I6Vk/T-0hj8aTqZI/AAAAAAAAWjg/Zx2kOJk7MQw/s1600/DSCN2681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-E56HHj5I6Vk/T-0hj8aTqZI/AAAAAAAAWjg/Zx2kOJk7MQw/s640/DSCN2681.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />I was asked to do a cake with Foofa from Yo Gabba Gabba for a little girl's 3rd birthday. I was excited to design a cute cake, and my kids were equally excited when they saw the Foofa that I created for the first time.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_OTG7hlyPg/T-0hpd3aQeI/AAAAAAAAWjo/29gOYhKKzZQ/s1600/DSCN2680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-d_OTG7hlyPg/T-0hpd3aQeI/AAAAAAAAWjo/29gOYhKKzZQ/s400/DSCN2680.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Instead of a standard half sheet cake, we went with a 12 inch round cake which feeds approximately the same amount of people. One layer was yellow, the other was chocolate. It was covered in my French buttercream. At first I considered making Foofa out of fondant alone, but that is a bit risky. Sure, she wasn't going to be super huge, but the party was in a park. We have been having some very hot weather here in Pittsburgh, I wasn't sure she would hold up! I could have made her entirely out of gumpaste, but who wants to eat a gumpaste character? So, the night I was going to craft her, I sent my wonderful husband to the store to get some marshmallows and crisp rice cereal. I formed her out of crisp rice cereal treats and covered her with pink fondant. I used gumpaste for the flower on her head because it dries much stiffer than fondant. All in all, I was happy with the cake, and I believe my clients loved it.<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGmqYopxOyY/T-0h16f9FpI/AAAAAAAAWjw/KtCw7sq94yY/s1600/DSCN2682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aGmqYopxOyY/T-0h16f9FpI/AAAAAAAAWjw/KtCw7sq94yY/s400/DSCN2682.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />Although gumpaste may seem like the same thing as fondant, it is very different. Gumpaste dries hard, almost like glass. It will shatter if dropped after it is completely dry. Fondant will get stiffer, but will not harden completely. You would never want to cover a cake with gumpaste. It is really great for delicate flower work, straps for handbags, 3D figures, shoes. It is perfect for something that you want to maintain a specific shape. It requires time to dry as well. I like to let gumpaste decorations dry over night. If you are interested in learning how to decorate with fondant or gumpaste, don't be afraid. Pick some up at the store and play with it like you did with playdoh as a child. It's fun!Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-26194368367219342292012-06-15T12:47:00.001-07:002012-06-15T12:47:24.828-07:00Baking with your kids<b id="internal-source-marker_0.5641564195975661" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I feel that kids should get used to being in a kitchen and feel comfortable in the environment. I know people that went away to college and literally did not know how to boil water! Sounds crazy to a lot of people, but it’s true. I get my kids involved in cooking and baking as much as I can. I want them to be able to thrive in the kitchen some day because as we all know, eating at home is much healthier and cost efficient. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">To me, there is no greater joy than sharing my love of baking with my girls, and they are great helpers! It is something we love to do together. However, I have to switch gears when I bake with kids. I was a professional pastry chef, so I am highly efficient in the kitchen and can multi-task very easily. It was a little difficult for me to switch to “teaching” mode. I had a lot of student helpers at my job at a local university, but they were adults. It is a little different teaching a 3 or 4 year old. Patience when working in the kitchen with your children is an absolute must! As parents, we are the first teachers that our children have. I take this job very seriously and try to remember to teach my kids little things every day. Imparting my love of and knowledge of baking to my kids is just one of those things. </span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here are some things that I have learned from my experiences in my own kitchen with my kids:</span></b><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5641564195975661" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Don’t choose a day that you have a gazillion cookies for a bake sale or birthday party to make to teach your children. As a mom, it’s hard enough to get those kinds of things done on your own sometimes! </span></b></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5641564195975661" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I am a perfectionist when it comes to my baking. I have learned to let that go when my kids are helping me. It is just food after all!</span></b></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5641564195975661" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Be patient</span></b></li></ul><b id="internal-source-marker_0.5641564195975661" style="font-weight: normal;"><br /><ul style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Give them tasks that they are able to do</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Have fun</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: disc; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Expect a mess on hands, counters, etc.</span></li></ul><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Some simple steps to baking with kids:</span><br /><ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Decide what to make. Cookies or muffins are always a good choice. My kids LOVE to scoop both of these things!</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Read through the recipe completely. This is always a good idea! There is nothing worse than mixing a dough for a cookie and then realizing that it needs to be chilled overnight or that you don’t have one of the ingredients. It is especially frustrating when you have a very disappointed 4 year old who wants cookies!</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Wash hands. Often.</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Assign Tasks. Divide the tasks if you have more than one child. Make sure that the child that you have assigned the task to is able to complete it.</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Get all the ingredients together, or Mise en Place. Mise en Place literally means putting in place. This is a term that I heard constantly in culinary school. It is especially important when baking with kids. They can measure everything out. You ensure you have all the ingredients, and it keeps little hands from roaming when it is time to actually mix the recipe.</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Use safe tools for small hands.</span></li><li style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Clean up and put things away as you go. It is an important lesson to teach your children, to clean up after themselves! If you do this, you can have your kitchen almost back to new by time the cookies are out of the oven!</span></li></ol><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="kix-line-break" />I hope this has helped some of you get the courage to get your kids involved in the kitchen. All these tips can be used when cooking with your kids too, they don’t just have to be for baking. So, get in the kitchen and bake some cookies with your kiddos!</span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-82901638782925345452012-05-08T07:53:00.001-07:002012-05-08T18:15:10.877-07:00Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHGKgm3n6KE/T6kwZKMUhgI/AAAAAAAAVW8/Wvzx5zOgyNU/s1600/DSCN2394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nHGKgm3n6KE/T6kwZKMUhgI/AAAAAAAAVW8/Wvzx5zOgyNU/s400/DSCN2394.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Who doesn't like cheesecake? OK, a lot of people don't like cheesecake, but I just don't get it. How could you not like cheesecake? I love cheesecake, and my niece and my kids LOVE oreos, so I decided to make these individual cheesecakes for our Easter celebration. <br /><br />How easy are these cupcakes?!? Instead of having to make a crumb crust and pushing into the bottom of a springform pan, I just put one whole oreo on the bottom of each cupcake paper. I even did these in mini cupcakes for my daughter's snack at school. I just used mini oreos. You could use any old recipe for cheesecake that you like and add some crushed cookies in it. As with all cheesecakes, I baked them at a low temperature. And, I kept them in the muffin pans in the fridge until they were completely cool. They came out of the paper nicely and made around 3 dozen full size cupcakes. The kids loved them!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw8xTBlbvMU/T6kwe86kkgI/AAAAAAAAVXE/g-BZ7wXKoFM/s1600/DSCN2397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cw8xTBlbvMU/T6kwe86kkgI/AAAAAAAAVXE/g-BZ7wXKoFM/s400/DSCN2397.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />Baking a cheesecake can be a bit tricky. In my experience, baking at a low temperature is the best. I tend to go anywhere between 275° to 325° depending on the particular cheesecake. For a whole cheesecake, I always use a water bath. To find out more about baking with a water bath, <a href="http://www.pastrymama.com/2011/12/white-chocolate-raspberry-cheesecake.html">click here</a>. You do not want to overbake your cheesecake, but you certainly don't want to underbake it either. Essentially, cheesecakes are baked custards which can be tricky to tell when they are done. I always take mine out when they edges are set with tiny cracks forming around the outside edges while the center is still jiggly. With a little practice, you will know precisely when to take it out :)Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-73388153487594577232012-04-25T06:08:00.000-07:002012-04-25T06:08:06.689-07:00Caillou Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WWQy3ut8FHk/T5f2cvvxPsI/AAAAAAAAUmc/gCyHDNypitg/s1600/DSCN2361.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WWQy3ut8FHk/T5f2cvvxPsI/AAAAAAAAUmc/gCyHDNypitg/s400/DSCN2361.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>I was actually asked to make a cake for a kid's birthday party where I knew the character! Caillou!!! This little boy was turning 4 and wanted a Caillou cake. <div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02-tycRLmy0/T5f2WOuQ63I/AAAAAAAAUmU/-PoxCEN7lyM/s1600/DSCN2360.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-02-tycRLmy0/T5f2WOuQ63I/AAAAAAAAUmU/-PoxCEN7lyM/s400/DSCN2360.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div>I made a <a href="http://www.pastrymama.com/2012/01/monkey-cake.html">monkey cake</a> in January for this little boy's older brother. We decided to do the same thing for this cake which was one layer of white almond cake, one layer of chocolate cake and french buttercream. The birthday boy's favorite color is red, so I decorated the cake with red. I used fondant to replicate Caillou. I was pretty happy with the results. </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHgbeRuGZLo/T5f2i1pKgoI/AAAAAAAAUmk/3dMGjVd6KaI/s1600/DSCN2364.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dHgbeRuGZLo/T5f2i1pKgoI/AAAAAAAAUmk/3dMGjVd6KaI/s400/DSCN2364.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>I have learned over the years of making cakes that if you want to do two different flavors of cake, you will most likely end up cutting a majority of people two pieces of cake instead of just one because everyone wants to taste both. Then, a lot of cake is wasted because not everyone can finish both pieces of cake. Instead of doing cakes half white and half chocolate, for instance, I prefer to do the two different flavors layered on top of one another. That way, everyone gets a small piece of both in their one single slice. This makes for less waste. </div></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-20218806793917643282012-04-18T06:49:00.004-07:002012-04-18T06:49:58.403-07:00Monster High CakeI made this Monster High cake for a little girl who was turning 4. Again, I had no clue what in the world Monster High was, so I had to look it up. Like I have said, I do have 2 little girls, but I am so out of it when it comes to what's popular with kids. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kKar2ZDaE3g/T47FNYkggNI/AAAAAAAAUUI/_AGJwdlgVGA/s1600/DSCN2329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kKar2ZDaE3g/T47FNYkggNI/AAAAAAAAUUI/_AGJwdlgVGA/s400/DSCN2329.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Upon searching for Monster High, I found the Monster High logo and decided to replicate that on fondant as the centerpiece for the cake. The actual logo did take me some time to complete. I used a variety of techniques to complete it too. I cut out the fondant to the correct shape. I used paint brushes to paint it and used a pastry bag to pipe on it. I let it sit for a while to stiffen up before moving it onto the cake. After painting on the fondant, it can get a bit soft. I used pink and black for the icing colors atop a cake that was half chocolate and half white almond. I got to actually attend this birthday party, and the cake was a huge hit! Someone ended up spilling almost an entire pitcher of water on the cake <i>after </i>it was served, though. L:uckily, I think it was pretty well salvaged. <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P7GN8QjsXo/T47FTTGR6gI/AAAAAAAAUUQ/wbZZDBldjNs/s1600/DSCN2332.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7P7GN8QjsXo/T47FTTGR6gI/AAAAAAAAUUQ/wbZZDBldjNs/s320/DSCN2332.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />You have to be careful when adding certain colors to icing. Reds and purples can really alter the flavor of icing. You can buy what is called "no taste red,' but even that can leave you with a not quite right taste. Even hot pinks and purples can really affect the flavor. So, if using colors in the red/purple family, use a deft hand and keep tasting the icing to make sure it doesn't get an "off" flavor.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-23000352543251033742012-03-22T20:19:00.005-07:002012-03-22T20:19:39.693-07:00Chocolate PB Grahamwiches (Recipe Included)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBrxa3YHmyw/T2vrepcz7GI/AAAAAAAAS7Q/R3xpBt_W-Vw/s1600/DSCN2305.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tBrxa3YHmyw/T2vrepcz7GI/AAAAAAAAS7Q/R3xpBt_W-Vw/s400/DSCN2305.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />My mom made these for us when we were younger, and I always loved them. I thought about them recently and realized that my kids would love them too! They are super easy and quite tasty!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrf4WWaeRLU/T2vrkjJ0XvI/AAAAAAAAS7Y/XAh74iDGZzI/s1600/DSCN2311.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrf4WWaeRLU/T2vrkjJ0XvI/AAAAAAAAS7Y/XAh74iDGZzI/s400/DSCN2311.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />So, anyone that knows me knows that when I want chocolate pudding, I make it from scratch. It is not like me to buy a box of pudding mix. However, I will use a pudding mix as a component in another recipe on occasion. This is one of those occasions. I love these tasty little frozen treats and so do my kids. They are super easy to make too! If you read my blog regularly, you know that I like to use natural peanut butter when I bake. You end up with less sugar in the final product, and it tastes more peanut buttery to me. This is no exception. The pudding mix is so sweet, there is no need to add more sugar in the peanut butter. I purchased the graham crackers to make these, but in the future, I plan to make my own graham crackers. I will be sure to post about that when I do :) <br /><br />Graham crackers came about in 1829 and were developed by a Presbyterian minister, Sylvester Graham. They are made with graham flour which is a combination of finely ground white flour and coarse-ground wheat bran and germ. <br /><br />Chocolate PB Grahamwiches<br />1 1/2 c milk<br />1/2 c peanut butter<br />1 small pkg instant chocolate pudding<br />1 box graham crackers<br /><br />Mix the milk, peanut butter, and pudding mix until well blended. Spread between two graham crackers. Wrap individually with plastic wrap and freeze.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-20697456882130122952012-03-12T07:52:00.002-07:002012-03-12T07:52:46.248-07:00Swimming Pool Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gxllgHe_Zs/T14MLxdLBoI/AAAAAAAAScU/1gV70nzFhCo/s1600/DSCN1902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gxllgHe_Zs/T14MLxdLBoI/AAAAAAAAScU/1gV70nzFhCo/s400/DSCN1902.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I actually made this cake a while ago for a girl who was turning 12, I believe. She loves to swim and even helps out at the local aqua club with teaching the younger students. So, she chose to have a swimming pool cake for her party :)<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MB0QLsWOeCA/T14MAe01zZI/AAAAAAAAScA/xuChSe_b9oc/s1600/DSCN1899.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-MB0QLsWOeCA/T14MAe01zZI/AAAAAAAAScA/xuChSe_b9oc/s400/DSCN1899.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />We did a small 1/4 sheet cake which feeds about 16-20 people for the birthday girl's bowling party. Her mom and her brought me a picture of a cake similar to the one that I did for me to duplicate. Using fondant, I molded some people with swimming caps mid-stroke. I used mini m&ms to divide the lanes in the pool. I think it was super cute!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EnZm0idEdKI/T14MGKsGgPI/AAAAAAAAScI/yL8nU1qP-dM/s1600/DSCN1901.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EnZm0idEdKI/T14MGKsGgPI/AAAAAAAAScI/yL8nU1qP-dM/s400/DSCN1901.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Just as an FYI, I never freeze any of my products. Everything that I bake is fresh made to order. I feel that freezing a baked good, thawing it, then selling it compromises the quality of the item itself. So you can rest assured that anything that you order from me, be it cake, cookies, or pie, was made fresh for you the day before or the day of your order. <br /><br /><br /><br />Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-51059190395071812782012-03-06T08:09:00.000-08:002012-03-06T08:09:29.542-08:00PIGDA Cakes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dlUzQqVL_O0/T1YyI0aEu9I/AAAAAAAASZs/vImlMO6w9KA/s1600/DSCN2240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-dlUzQqVL_O0/T1YyI0aEu9I/AAAAAAAASZs/vImlMO6w9KA/s400/DSCN2240.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I recently made three cakes for an event for the <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghigda/">Pittsburgh IGDA</a>. It was the annual <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/pittsburghigda/events/ggj">Global Game Jam</a>. My husband and kids left for the day, and I got to baking! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-92HvAAu6gdY/T1YxqASWORI/AAAAAAAASZA/f60n9mo_ReA/s1600/DSCN2232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-92HvAAu6gdY/T1YxqASWORI/AAAAAAAASZA/f60n9mo_ReA/s400/DSCN2232.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eW80nUL0iIw/T1Yxwv9x3II/AAAAAAAASZI/tEFydhhtjPk/s1600/DSCN2233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eW80nUL0iIw/T1Yxwv9x3II/AAAAAAAASZI/tEFydhhtjPk/s320/DSCN2233.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><br />I made three different half sheet cakes. One was white with vanilla flavoring, the second was white with almond, and the third was chocolate. They all were topped with my French buttercream. I decorated them with the theme from the Game Jam and the PIGDA logo using fondant. It took me all day, but I was quite happy with the results as were my clients. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hftN3aV4pXQ/T1Yx2K3TwQI/AAAAAAAASZQ/QVjkCvsZSmQ/s1600/DSCN2234.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hftN3aV4pXQ/T1Yx2K3TwQI/AAAAAAAASZQ/QVjkCvsZSmQ/s320/DSCN2234.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />So, fondant is not super popular for its taste. It just isn't very good no matter how you look at it. So, instead of covering your cake in fondant, use the icing that you like to use and like the taste of. Fondant is super great to make specific decorations though. I find it to be difficult and time consuming to pipe each decoration, fill it in with icing, then smooth the icing. It is much easier to just cut the design that you want out of fondant, then pipe on it if necessary. It takes some practice, but I assure you, if you played with play doh as a child, you can do it!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M3wY4y-roBw/T1Yx9P0R3XI/AAAAAAAASZY/w7I4-VeS2lY/s1600/DSCN2236.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-M3wY4y-roBw/T1Yx9P0R3XI/AAAAAAAASZY/w7I4-VeS2lY/s320/DSCN2236.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-39015024835927534622012-02-14T10:52:00.000-08:002012-02-14T10:52:32.037-08:00Granola Bars (Recipe Included)<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hu7wXHovqE0/TzqtBTfaNLI/AAAAAAAASGo/Z1HMaIkU7KQ/s1600/DSCN2243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hu7wXHovqE0/TzqtBTfaNLI/AAAAAAAASGo/Z1HMaIkU7KQ/s320/DSCN2243.JPG" width="320" /></a>I had a Valentine's day party to go to last week with our friends. I did not really feel like making anything but realized that I had all the ingredients for homemade granola bars. I had been wanting to try this recipe for years now. It seemed like the perfect opportunity!<br /><br />Recently when I have gone to the store in search of snacks for my kids, I am often disappointed in the variety of granola bars. I have found some good ones in the past for my kids but have not seen them recently. Most of the granola bars geared for kids have high fructose corn syrup and/or hydrogenated oil. No thank you! Most of the healthier ones have big, huge chunks of almonds or peanuts that I am afraid my little one couldn't handle. It dawned on me last time while searching through this constantly disappointing aisle that I had been given a recipe by a dear, old friend of mine years ago. She had always made them for her grandchildren, and they LOVED them. The great thing about this recipe is that you could tweak them to your liking. I used, of course, oats and crisp rice cereal as a base. I included in mine coconut, peanuts that had been chopped very finely, a very small amount of chocolate chips, and lots of raisins. Marshmallows and peanut butter were the binders. Next time I make them, I may decide to change it up a bit, maybe using white chocolate and craisins. My kids loved them, and I felt that they were much healthier than the ones you buy at the store. Plus, they were super easy to make!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uvmayjeXiBQ/Tzqs6eh0TBI/AAAAAAAASGg/MvXIm87oSzk/s1600/DSCN2242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-uvmayjeXiBQ/Tzqs6eh0TBI/AAAAAAAASGg/MvXIm87oSzk/s400/DSCN2242.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />A great tip in cutting down on sugar content in your baked goods that include peanut butter is by using natural peanut butter. There is a lot of added sugar in regular peanut butter, and I have found that it really doesn't make much of a difference in the resulting product. In fact, if anything, I have found that it enhances the product because it lends more of a natural, peanutty flavor.<br /><br />Granola Bars<br />2 1/2 c quick oats<br />2 c crisp rice cereal<br />1/4 c coconut<br />1 1/2 c raisins<br />1 c peanuts, chopped<br />1/4-1/2 c chips (whichever flavor you like or have on hand)<br />1/2 c butter<br />1/2 c peanut butter<br />1- 10 oz pkg marshmallows<br /><br />Mix all the dry ingredients together. Melt butter, blend in peanut butter until smooth. Add marshmallows and stir until melted. Fold into dry ingredients. Press into buttered 9x13 pan. Score, cool, cut. <br /><br />Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-7307054179454198592012-01-25T07:21:00.000-08:002012-01-25T07:21:09.414-08:00Monkey CakeMy newest cake creation was for a little boy's 5th birthday. He was having a monkey themed birthday party and loves the color yellow.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7C57GDlhQY/TyAdkk6AmNI/AAAAAAAASDA/Mbi2IrCNsIc/s1600/DSCN2209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v7C57GDlhQY/TyAdkk6AmNI/AAAAAAAASDA/Mbi2IrCNsIc/s400/DSCN2209.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I love it when I get to make a cake for a little kid's birthday party that they love. I love it when their mom or dad opens the box and says, "Oh, he/she is going to love it!" It is a great feeling. For this cake, we did a combination of white almond cake and chocolate cake with my French buttercream. He was having a monkey theme for his party, so I did a monkey face in fondant in the middle of the cake that resembled his invitations. Yellow is his favorite color, so I did the rest of the decorating in yellow. I hear the party was a big success, and the cake was a big hit! <br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NE8Qj8ftpOU/TyAdqMap_AI/AAAAAAAASDI/qAAmOJ40ycw/s1600/DSCN2210.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NE8Qj8ftpOU/TyAdqMap_AI/AAAAAAAASDI/qAAmOJ40ycw/s400/DSCN2210.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Do you have something that you would like to read about on Pastry Mama? Send an email to antonia@pastrymama, and I will try to answer any questions or give any information that I can. I would love to read your questions, comments, and any input that you may have.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-13151961180412224502012-01-06T07:51:00.000-08:002012-01-09T17:59:32.471-08:00Whole Wheat Bread<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sgxzxGVSiNo/Twua-NRQknI/AAAAAAAAR5A/0_XgzZ-C_gc/s1600/DSCN2033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sgxzxGVSiNo/Twua-NRQknI/AAAAAAAAR5A/0_XgzZ-C_gc/s400/DSCN2033.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I decided a few months ago that I am no longer buying bread at the store. And, I am proud to say that I have not purchased a loaf of bread from the store in a long while. I alternate between a few different recipes, but this is the one I started with. It is just a basic whole wheat bread.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div> <br />I think it is super easy to make homemade bread. People always think that it takes so much time, but in actuality, it doesn't. Sure, the whole process takes a while, but the actual amount of time that I am required to be standing in my kitchen dealing with my bread dough is very small, maybe only 10 minutes. I like to substitute whole wheat flour for a large portion of bread flour just for a more wholesome, nutritious bread. I also use a recipe with very minimal ingredients. Basically, my bread just consists of water, yeast, flour, salt, and a very small amount of butter and sugar. There is so much about making homemade bread that is just so comforting to me. I enjoy the process of making it, but beside that, I love making something so wholesome for my family. And my family just loves it!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E1cTmP94ElY/Twua4W-d1AI/AAAAAAAAR40/RsoPA6nf7IA/s1600/DSCN2032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-E1cTmP94ElY/Twua4W-d1AI/AAAAAAAAR40/RsoPA6nf7IA/s400/DSCN2032.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />Whole wheat flour means that all of the grain (bran, germ, and endosperm) is intact. No part of the grain is lost, therefore, no nutrition is lost. On the other hand, white, refined flour only contains the endosperm. Although some white flours are fortified with some nutrients that were lost in the refining process, they do not contain the macronutrients found in the germ and bran, particularly fiber and protein. Whole wheat flour is a good source of iron, fiber, calcium, and other minerals. However, if you use whole wheat flour, be careful. It does not have a particularly long shelf life and can become rancid easily. Make sure you watch for expiration dates and store it in your chill chest.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-53177205746218759092011-12-29T07:34:00.000-08:002012-05-08T18:19:31.404-07:00White Chocolate Raspberry CheesecakeI made this delicious cheesecake for my nephew's 15th birthday. He loves fruit and cheesecake, so I thought this would be perfect for him. Everyone loved it. I actually think it is now my very favorite cheesecake ever!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fFRjqPmEFlE/T6nFmE-UAfI/AAAAAAAAVYY/BLeZhhx6CJs/s1600/DSCN2063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fFRjqPmEFlE/T6nFmE-UAfI/AAAAAAAAVYY/BLeZhhx6CJs/s400/DSCN2063.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />The recipe that I used called for chocolate wafer cookies for the crust. I don't particularly like chocolate and raspberry together, so I used an organic vanilla wafer cookie. I made a pretty basic raspberry sauce on the stove, strained out all the seeds and let it cool while I made my cheesecake base. I used very little sugar in this cake and mostly sweetened it with the melted white chocolate. I swirled in the raspberry sauce in two different layers. There was a lot of raspberry sauce left that I intended to serve with the cheesecake, but I forgot it the night of his birthday. Raspberry sauce is so versatile, though, that it will never go to waste :) I always bake my cheesecakes in a water bath, and of course this was no exception. The cheesecake was beautiful, creamy and super delicious. In fact, after writing this, I am thinking about making another one very soon!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IYIyHuLAAn0/T6nFsZCr35I/AAAAAAAAVYg/ftQ7NpzVS88/s1600/DSCN2068.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IYIyHuLAAn0/T6nFsZCr35I/AAAAAAAAVYg/ftQ7NpzVS88/s400/DSCN2068.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />A lot of people complain that when they make cheesecakes, the top cracks. One reason that the top cracks in some cases is due to over-mixing which causes too much air to be inside the batter which results in cracks on the surface. So, aside from being sure to not over-mix your batter, the <b>best</b> way to avoid this is by using a water bath. Be sure to wrap the bottom of your springform pan in a few layers of foil. Place your cheesecake wrapped in foil inside a larger pan and fill it with water about halfway up the side of the springform. Never bake your cheesecake at a temperature higher than 325°. To get the best results, let your cheesecake bake gently in a water bath at a lower temperature.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-80121279142157097222011-12-14T15:25:00.000-08:002011-12-14T15:25:10.844-08:00Raspberry Lemon TartAs I mentioned in earlier posts, I decided to try some different recipes for my Thanksgiving desserts this year. Lemon tart was on the list, but it didn't quite work out as I had planned, so a raspberry sauce was added. I came up with an easy, delicious solution to my lemon tart problems.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvYVdzTRls8/Tukvxq0I10I/AAAAAAAARyQ/ZaAR993a16A/s1600/DSCN2022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nvYVdzTRls8/Tukvxq0I10I/AAAAAAAARyQ/ZaAR993a16A/s320/DSCN2022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />I started with a basic short dough. Of course I rolled it out and chilled it for several hours before baking. I wanted to brown the crust before adding and baking the lemon filling. When I pulled my crust out of the oven, it was cracked. I thought I would proceed as I normally would because when this happens with my chocolate tart, the chocolate is thick enough to not leak through. Well, that was not the case for the lemon. It leaked all out of the shell and all over the sheet pan I had put underneath it. I ended up with a very thin layer of a very tart lemon filling in the shell. I quickly decided to just make a simple raspberry sauce. I threw some frozen raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, and water in a pot. I let this cook and thicken then strained it to eliminate seeds. I poured this on top of the lemon filling. It set up somewhat in the refrigerator and was a deliciously sweet counterpart to the super tart lemon layer. It ended up being a hit!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq2YbBh8GTs/Tukv25H-DYI/AAAAAAAARyY/FeXTrsBCYL8/s1600/DSCN2025.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xq2YbBh8GTs/Tukv25H-DYI/AAAAAAAARyY/FeXTrsBCYL8/s320/DSCN2025.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Keeping lots of different kinds of fruits in your freezer is a great way to be able to make all kinds of different desserts and sauces when needed. You can throw any kind of frozen fruit into a basic muffin batter. You could make a sauce or a syrup out of lots of different kinds of frozen fruits by just adding some sugar, cornstarch and water. You could make a fruit pie or turnovers. So, if you keep a freezer well stocked with frozen fruits, the possibilities are endless! <br /><br /><br />Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-72912091479823635572011-11-30T07:18:00.001-08:002011-11-30T07:37:57.051-08:00Maple Pecan Tart<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sde_pVJp0Iw/TtZNR-u7yDI/AAAAAAAARxk/KwOMqO4Dclo/s1600/DSCN2024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-sde_pVJp0Iw/TtZNR-u7yDI/AAAAAAAARxk/KwOMqO4Dclo/s400/DSCN2024.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I decided to make some different things this year for Thanksgiving. Instead of your typical pecan pie, I decided to make a maple pecan tart. It was pretty similar to a pecan pie and just as tasty.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlsfR_m5YjA/TtZNX8hY0dI/AAAAAAAARxs/xaCOIwfZBi4/s1600/DSCN2027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZlsfR_m5YjA/TtZNX8hY0dI/AAAAAAAARxs/xaCOIwfZBi4/s400/DSCN2027.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Pecan pie is not one of my favorites. I like a very small piece, but it is just too sweet for me. My mother in law makes an excellent pecan pie, and normally I use her recipe with my own crust. I just did not feel like making pies this year, so I made all tarts. I use a basic short dough crust which has to be very cold before it is baked. Otherwise, the dough will just not hold up to the heat and basically melt. I made my dough, rolled it out, and put it in the pan. I then put it in the freezer for about a half hour before I filled it with the pecan filling. I used real maple syrup and lots and lots of pecans. It was very tasty but very, very sweet. It was a big hit with the pecan pie lovers.<br /><br /> Maple syrup is generally made from sap from the sugar maple, red maple or black maple. These trees store starch during the winter in their trunks and roots. The starch is converted to sugar and rises in the spring in the sap. Maple syrup was first collected and used by indigenous people of North America. Quebec is by far the largest producer of it and produces about three-quarters of the world's supply. Vermont is the largest producer in the US. Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-1705455788767646892011-11-23T03:20:00.001-08:002011-11-23T09:35:24.115-08:00Cupcake Wedding<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2znPoGdId5k/Ts0tiiLwIII/AAAAAAAARxM/CEot26meLYc/s1600/DSCN2001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2znPoGdId5k/Ts0tiiLwIII/AAAAAAAARxM/CEot26meLYc/s400/DSCN2001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>I recently did a wedding for a very nice couple who was having a very small wedding. They had been together for 11 years and were getting married on 11.11.11. They were super easy going about what they wanted from me. We ended up with three dozen cupcakes and a small six inch cake for them to save for their first anniversary.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCIYh-GoOY/Ts0tofk1BOI/AAAAAAAARxU/i7xS23ptc3M/s1600/DSCN2002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hXCIYh-GoOY/Ts0tofk1BOI/AAAAAAAARxU/i7xS23ptc3M/s400/DSCN2002.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6k2fSHb3EoI/Ts0tXLT4w4I/AAAAAAAARw4/9fBukXJN5Xk/s1600/DSCN2004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="display: inline !important; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6k2fSHb3EoI/Ts0tXLT4w4I/AAAAAAAARw4/9fBukXJN5Xk/s320/DSCN2004.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />I did a tasting for the couple a few weeks before their wedding. They decided to do a combination of lemon and red velvet cupcakes with two different kinds of icing, cream cheese and French buttercream. The colors of the wedding were purple and black, so we just did a very simple purple icing with black cupcake papers and black sugar pearls. The small 6 inch cake was decorated like their invitations. Everything looked so pretty in the window of the <a href="http://www.tinfrontcafe.com/">Tin Front Cafe</a>. <br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GFJpA9XLQYs/Ts0tcwIlyxI/AAAAAAAARxA/NOKYEOygc6o/s1600/DSCN2005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-GFJpA9XLQYs/Ts0tcwIlyxI/AAAAAAAARxA/NOKYEOygc6o/s320/DSCN2005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /> A great way to please a large crowd when making cake is to make a variety of cupcakes with a variety of icings. You do not necessarily always have to put cream cheese icing with red velvet. You could make three different kinds of cake with three different kinds of icing. Just mix it up as much as you want. This gives a nice variety for lots of people.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-41608858473676416242011-11-08T09:50:00.000-08:002011-11-08T09:50:08.548-08:00Perry the Platypus Cake<br />I recently made a Perry the Platypus cake for a boy turning 9. I had no idea who Perry the Platypus was, but of course looked him up and quickly found out that he is from Phineas and Ferb. He was actually a pretty easy character to do.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp8rOmWi3yA/TrlnJ8vGXjI/AAAAAAAARwc/4Eq5kLdRdZY/s1600/DSCN1895.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wp8rOmWi3yA/TrlnJ8vGXjI/AAAAAAAARwc/4Eq5kLdRdZY/s400/DSCN1895.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />I only had a quarter sheet cake to work with here, so I decided to just keep the design simple. I sketched Perry by hand on a piece of paper. I then used that template to make him out of fondant. It took me a little while to get the colors right, but I think they were pretty close. He sat atop a vanilla flavored cake iced with French buttercream. I thought he turned out pretty cute!<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Al2r_GJclfw/TrlnPnxM_iI/AAAAAAAARwk/LgFPEBH_y14/s1600/DSCN1896.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Al2r_GJclfw/TrlnPnxM_iI/AAAAAAAARwk/LgFPEBH_y14/s400/DSCN1896.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />People are always telling me that my cakes are very moist. They always ask how to achieve this. One of the best tips that I can give you is to find a recipe that uses oil instead of butter. In my opinion, butter cakes are always much drier than oil based cakes. There are lots of great sources online for recipes. Just try a bunch and see which ones work best for you!Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-81511366204980746192011-10-21T07:56:00.000-07:002011-10-21T07:56:21.981-07:00Peanut Butter Pie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em5kV5iK4fs/TqF7hlwuC8I/AAAAAAAARfk/cCSJkleXHxw/s1600/DSCN1908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Em5kV5iK4fs/TqF7hlwuC8I/AAAAAAAARfk/cCSJkleXHxw/s400/DSCN1908.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />This is a very unusual recipe that I got from my mother-in-law. She always made it for my husband's birthday because he loves it so much. This is not a pie for everyone. As I said, it is a little odd and very, very sweet.<br /><br /> <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2urxFvEOzMs/TqF7tNa9-DI/AAAAAAAARf0/F5V-EcBaO0c/s1600/DSCN1910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2urxFvEOzMs/TqF7tNa9-DI/AAAAAAAARf0/F5V-EcBaO0c/s320/DSCN1910.JPG" width="320" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--flS2UAu0cM/TqF7nMVg_AI/AAAAAAAARfs/kEw-jjCf6bc/s1600/DSCN1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--flS2UAu0cM/TqF7nMVg_AI/AAAAAAAARfs/kEw-jjCf6bc/s1600/DSCN1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"> </a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--flS2UAu0cM/TqF7nMVg_AI/AAAAAAAARfs/kEw-jjCf6bc/s1600/DSCN1909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--flS2UAu0cM/TqF7nMVg_AI/AAAAAAAARfs/kEw-jjCf6bc/s320/DSCN1909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I of course started with my own pie dough. I had a few extra portions of pie dough sitting around in my refrigerator from an order earlier in the week. I thought I would surprise my husband with this pie when he came home from work. I had not made one in years. It is a super simple pie to make. The base of the pie is simply water, baking soda, corn syrup, and molasses. Then, you mix up peanut butter, brown sugar, and flour and drop chunks of it into the molasses mixture. During the baking process, the bottom crust pretty much just dissolves into the pie, so structural integrity can be a bit of an issue for this pie. Also, it leaks over the sides of the crust horribly, so if you don't have a pan under the pie dish, you will be doing some serious scrubbing in your oven. This pie is just fabulous with a strong cup of coffee to help cut the sweetness, but I just love the sweet and somewhat salty gooeyness of it.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LEBdYaYUNs/TqF7yqIULwI/AAAAAAAARf8/zmYP3EFH6EA/s1600/DSCN1911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/--LEBdYaYUNs/TqF7yqIULwI/AAAAAAAARf8/zmYP3EFH6EA/s320/DSCN1911.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />Molasses is the by-product of making sugar from sugar cane or beets. The word <i>molasses</i> comes from the Portuguese word <i>melaҫo, </i>which comes from <i>mel</i>, which is Latin for honey. Up until the 1880s, molasses was the sweetener of choice in the United States because it was much cheaper than refined sugar. After World War I ended, the price of refined sugar dropped drastically which resulted in a drop in molasses sales. In 1919, the U.S. per capita consumption of refined sugar nearly doubled that what it was in 1880. In 1919, a huge vat of molasses at a distilling company in Boston exploded. It became known as the "Great Molasses Flood" and resulted in 21 deaths and 2 million gallons of molasses in the streets.Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-49606368571364260112011-10-11T06:35:00.000-07:002011-10-11T06:35:24.881-07:00Nut Horns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDuhCkC70m0/TpRFyAmOsEI/AAAAAAAARbQ/b2vef69B710/s1600/DSCN0269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CDuhCkC70m0/TpRFyAmOsEI/AAAAAAAARbQ/b2vef69B710/s400/DSCN0269.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br />I am continuing my posts on holiday cookies. So, so much has been going on in my life, I haven't really had much of a chance to bake. One of my mom and sister Leah's favorite cookies are these scrumptious cookies. They are not the easiest cookies to make, but I do make them every year for Christmas.<br /><br />Nut horns are a staple for a lot of people for their holiday cookie trays. The dough for these cookies is a very mild, not very sweet dough that has to be kept very cold. I like to let this dough sit in the refrigerator over night before I use it. It's a very sticky, difficult dough to work with if it warms up at all. I use walnuts to make the filling and grind them very finely. I add some sugar and vanilla and just enough of a binding agent to make them stick together. These cookies can be pretty messy to make. I use sugar to roll the dough out instead of flour. I usually end up with sugar all over my kitchen! Also, the filling is very sticky. I usually have a very sticky mess everywhere after I make these cookies, but since my family loves them so much, I make them every year.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VD6Es4rYh4A/TpRFsPOj_7I/AAAAAAAARbI/f0k26fIkkCc/s1600/DSCN0268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VD6Es4rYh4A/TpRFsPOj_7I/AAAAAAAARbI/f0k26fIkkCc/s400/DSCN0268.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />Do you have a simple filled cookie recipe that you love? You can really fill it with any kind of filling that you like. You could substitute pecans in the above recipe if you prefer pecans. I have filled these cookies with apricot on many occasions. But you could use a poppy seed filling, raisins, or date filling. Just use something that you like if you don't like what the recipe calls for. Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1891000495839590450.post-23570922424197225392011-10-04T12:32:00.000-07:002011-10-04T12:32:47.277-07:00Pecan Tassies<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y0eQNtkJQ28/Totc1wg9YhI/AAAAAAAARa8/U1ZMb_UCjyQ/s1600/DSCN0262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y0eQNtkJQ28/Totc1wg9YhI/AAAAAAAARa8/U1ZMb_UCjyQ/s400/DSCN0262.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div><br /></div>With Christmas right around the corner, I decided to do a post about some <a href="http://www.pastrymama.com/p/holiday-cookies.html">holiday cookies</a> that I never got around to last year. Pecan tassies are classic holiday cookies that always please a crowd.<div><br /></div><div>Pecan tassies are one of my favorite cookies. I cannot resist fresh pecan tassies. Tassie dough is a very simple dough with just a few ingredients. A lot of recipes for this dough call for just two ingredients, flour and cream cheese! I like to actually make some pecan and some walnut tassies when I make these cookies. Everyone in my family <b>loves</b> walnuts, so they would all prefer the walnut ones. I love them both, but I think I like the pecan ones better. The filling is the same whether I use pecans or walnuts. It is a mixture of brown sugar, eggs, and butter. Put all these simple things together in one little cup and you have a delicious little bite of gooey brown sugar filling, crunch and nuttiness from the pecans, and tartness from the cream cheese in the dough. They are perfect with a cup of hot coffee on a cold winter evening!</div><div><br /></div><div>Did you know that pecans are not actually nuts? They are technically drupes, which are fruits with a single stone or pit, contained in a husk. Pecans are a good source of protein and unsaturated fats. They are rich in omega-6 fatty acids, although contain about only half as much as walnuts. Pecans can also help to reduce cholesterol by reducing the "bad" LDL cholesterol levels. Clinical research suggests that eating a handful of pecans a day may help lower cholesterol levels similar to the effects of cholesterol lowering medications. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Antoniahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05208760640537268545noreply@blogger.com0