Wedding Cake

My co-worker asked me to make a cake for her wedding. I was honored. It was a small wedding. The colors were gold and white. She requested a single tiered white cake covered in fondant. I used the same fondant recipe from this post.

Reeses Cake

Reeses Cake
from Goodthingscatered.blogspot.com

I made this cake back in September 2009 for my mom's birthday but I'm just now getting around to posting it. I had a terrible time getting the frosting consistency right. It might be the difference in humidity. I had to play with the measurements quite a bit and I still don't think I got it right. The cake was still very tasty.

Ingredients:
1 recipe your favorite chocolate cake baked into 2-8inch rounds
1 stick butter, room temperature
1 c. creamy peanut butter
5 c. powdered sugar, sifted
1/4 – 1/3 c. milk, divided
6 full sized Reeses cups

Directions:
-Bake your favorite chocolate cake recipe according to instructions and let cool completely.
-Place Reeses cups into freezer for later use.
-In bowl of stand mixer, add butter, peanut butter and 1/8 c. milk.
-Mix on slowest setting to combine well.
-Slowly add powdered sugar, mixing on slowest setting.
-1 Tbsp at a time, add remaining milk, just until desired consistency is reached (you may not need all of it depending on climate and temperature).
-When cake layers are cooled completely, level off, and place one layer on serving plate.
-Scoop about 1 c. of frosting onto top of layer and spread out with off-set spatula.
-Place second, leveled, layer on top of frosting and frost cake fully, reserving about ½ c for decorating.
-Remove Resses cups from freezer, unwrap and quarter two cups.
-Unwrap remaining Reeses and chop.
-Pipe 8 frosting spirals around top of cake, topping each with a Resses quarter.
-Place chopped candies in middle of cake top.
-Place in fridge until meal time.
-Remove cake from fridge 1-2 hours before serving to let come to room temperature.

If you like this then you should also try Reeses Cupcakes.

Valentine's Cookie Basket

Valentines Cookie Basket

After much prodding from my co-workers, I have decided to sell my baked goods creations for the first time. I am making Valentines Day Cookie Baskets. I will not be shipping this year and I am only making a limited quantity. I have already taken several orders. I am excited and nervous about my new business venture.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Cookies
from allrecipes.com

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups quick cooking oats

1. In a medium bowl, cream together butter, white sugar, and brown sugar. Beat in eggs one at a time, then stir in vanilla. Combine flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon; stir into the creamed mixture. Mix in oats. Cover, and chill dough for at least one hour.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets. Roll the dough into walnut sized balls, and place 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Flatten each cookie with a large fork dipped in sugar.
3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yields 24 large cookies

Reeses Cupcakes

Reeses Cupcakes
Idea from The Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb Issue

Here is another cupcake idea from the Food Network Magazine with my own twist. Unfortunately the peanut butter sank to the bottom of the cupcakes during baking. If I were to make this recipe again I would probably fill the cupcakes with peanut butter after baking.

Ingredients
your favorite chocolate cake recipe for 24 cupcakes
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate melts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Prepare your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe per recipe directions. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with cake mixture. Add 1 Tablespoon of peanut butter to the center of each cupcake. Fill cupcakes with additional cake mixture until 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 21 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Frost each cupcake with creamy peanut butter. Heat chocolate melts in the microwave until melted (approximately 1 minute on high, stirring frequently). Spread a circle of chocolate over each cupcake. Place cupcakes in freezer for a few minutes or until chocolate hardens. Serve immediately.

Snickers Cupcakes

Snickers Cupcakes
Idea from The Food Network Magazine Jan/Feb 2010 Issue

I recently subscribed to the Food Network Magazine. The first issue I received was filled with great ideas. I adapted their recipe for what I had on had plus I wanted to use my own creative twist.

Ingredients
your favorite chocolate cake recipe for 24 cupcakes
1 cup roasted, salted peanuts
1/2 cup caramel topping
1/2 cup chocolate melts
1/2 cup marshmallow fluff

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pans with cupcake liners. Prepare your favorite chocolate cupcake recipe per recipe directions. Fill cupcake liners 1/3 full with cake mixture. Sprinkle 6 to 10 peanuts over each cupcake. Drizzle caramel topping over peanuts. Fill cupcakes with additional cake mixture until 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 21 minutes. Allow cupcakes to cool completely. Mix remaining caramel topping with marshmallow fluff to resemble the nougat layer of a Snickers candy bar. Top each cupcake with "nougat". Sprinkle 6 to 10 peanuts over each cupcake. Heat chocolate melts in the microwave until melted (approximately 1 minute on high, stirring frequently). Drizzle chocolate over each cupcake. Place cupcakes in freezer for a few minutes or until chocolate hardens. Serve immediately.

S'mores Cupcakes

S'mores Cupcakes
adapted from: Annies-eats.com

I saw these cupcakes on Annies-eats.com and they looked so good. Mine didn't turn out nearly as cute but I really like the idea of using marshmallow fluff instead of an egg white meringue frosting. These cupcakes have a graham cracker crust base, chocolate cake, marshmallow fluff frosting, topped with a graham cracker or chocolate square garnish.

For the graham cracker crust:
1½ cups graham cracker crumbs
5 1/3 tbsp. unsalted butter, melted

For the chocolate cake:
your favorite chocolate cake recipe for 24 cupcakes

For the frosting:
2-10 oz containers of marshmallow fluff

Garnish:
graham cracker and/or chocolate pieces

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line cupcake pan with cupcake liners. Blend graham cracker crumbs and melted butter in a food processor or by hand. Sccop 1 Tablespoon of the graham cracker mixture into each cupcake liner. Press mixture into bottom of each liner to form a crust. Prepare cake mixture according to your favorite recipe. Fill cupcake liners with the chocolate cake mixture until 2/3 full. Bake at 350 degrees for 18 to 21 minutes. Allow cupcakes to fully cool. It is very important to allow cupcakes to fully cool otherwise the marshmallow frosting will drip off. Top each cupcake with marshmallow fluff. Toast the marshmallow fluff with a creme brulee torch. Top with graham cracker pieces or chocolate pieces to garnish. Cupcakes should be served immediately.

Cocoa Almond Meringues

Cocoa Almond Meringues
Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours
Makes about 30 cookies

1 C. confectioner’s sugar (plus extra for dusting) *Note: I skipped the dusting
1/3 C. finely ground almonds
1/4 C. unsweetened cocoa powder
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
Pinch of salt
1/2 C. sugar
1/2 t. vanilla extract
1/3 C. finely chopped bittersweet chocolate *Note: I used semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 300. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Sift together the confectioner’s sugar, ground almonds, and cocoa. (Note: If you have a food processor, it’s incredibly easy to grind the almonds. Just toss a handful in and pulse until you have a fine meal.)

Working with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer in a large dry bowl (make sure the bowl is impeccably clean and dry), whip the egg whites and salt on medium speed until the whites are opaque. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue to whip as you add the granulated sugar about 1 tablespoon at a time. Then whip until the whites are firm and hold stiff peaks — they should still be very shiny. Beat in the vanilla, and remove the bowl from the mixer. With a large rubber spatula, quickly but gently fold in the dry ingredients, followed by the chopped chocolate. The whites will deflate a bit as you fold in the dry ingredients — just try to work rapidly and use a light touch so you deflate them as little as possible.

Drop the meringue by tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between the mounds. Dust the tops of the cookies very lightly with powdered sugar.*

Bake for 10 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temp to 200 degrees and bake for 1 hour more. Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow the meringues to stand in a cool, dry place (not the refrigerator) until they reach room temperature.

Carefully peel the meringues off the parchment paper. Store in an airtight tin in a cool, dry environment.

Notes: I tried to make the cookies tablespoon-sized, but I still ran out of room on my two cookie sheets and had leftover dough. I baked two cookie sheets side-by-side in the oven, but I suspect you could do one sheet on each rack. Use the racks to divide the oven into thirds first.

If you like this recipe then you might also try Snow Caps.