sarahjay's Profile
What are you baking these days? May 2012
I made sugar cookies to send to my niece for her birthday. I will take pictures before they go in the mail, but will keep them off the blog until after her birthday. (don't want to ruin the surprise!)
Cakes for Outside Wedding
A boiled-icing will also hold up better than a traditional betty crocker style icing or even a swiss meringue buttercream, I find Italian meringue buttercream holds up better than swiss as well.
The only real suggestion I have for the tiered cake is to use a Coast brand plate and pillar set-up rather than boards and dowels. Build the cakes on cardboard rounds as usual, then place the plate and pillar (cut the pillars to the right size, just like a dowel) into the cake. I find marking the placement with the plate then removing cake (I use an apple corer) where the pillars will be to make for a more stable cake. Then glue the plate to the board of the top cake.
This makes for a very stable tier that doesn't rely as much on the buttercream to hold up. The system is similar to a pillared cake (where there is space between) but with the pillars cut down to fit the cake. I've transported cakes that were stacked more than an hour away (I hate stacking on site, I think it's much easier to transport a finished cake), had them sit out 4+ hours without problems. I glue with elmers and glucose.
Ideas for puff pastry appetizers?
One of my go-to finger foods is a mini brie en croute. I cut puff pastry in to squares, about 1 1/2 in (I eyeball it with a pizza cutter) and stick them in a mini muffin tin, spoon in a bit of jam and add a piece of brie. Bake at 375 for about 12 minutes or until the pastry is just turning golden. I have baked halfway (just until the pastry sets, about 7 or 8 minutes) popped them out into foil hotel pans and transported to the location and baked on sheet trays until heated through. I usually have some half baked in the freezer to bring on short notice.
Cakes for Outside Wedding
Cream cheese frosting works great as a filling between layers, as long as you make a dam with a strong buttercream (use half shortening half butter for stability) and frost the exterior with the buttercream. 7 minute frosting doesn't melt and is lovely and light.
How long are the cakes expected to be out?
Will there be shade or will they be in direct sunlight?
Cream cheese icing can be firmed up by replacing some (or most) of the butter with shortening, but a cream cheese glaze might be just as nice
What else can I brulee besides creme brulee?
+1 for the brulee oatmeal. Truly spectacular.
What are you baking these days? May 2012
We had a chocolate brownie torte for dessert. Recipe is on my blog. I found the recipe ages ago, not sure where, and the original reviews said that the instructions to bake in a 9" pan made a super short cake, so I make it in a 6" pan.
What are you baking these days? May 2012
I've got caramel lava cakes in the works, as part of my effort to use as much caramel sauce as possible. I had to stash them in the fridge before baking as dinner didn't finish cooking on time (my crockpot is on its way out) but there isn't leavening so it should be okay as long as the sauce doesn't sink too much or mysteriously mix into the batter. Recipe from Food and Wine, I think last month?
Shortbread Placecards
You could buy new rubber stamps and stamp the names into the dough before baking. I think this would be the easiest way to make them legible. Be sure to chill the dough before baking to maintain the letters.
http://cdn.bakingdom.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Stamped-Cookie-Dough.jpg
Foods you dread making because they’re time-consuming
Shredding meat is fast and easy in the stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Once I learned that trick I haven't dreaded shredding anything :)
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
My dad got the recipe from a scout lodge on the bay back when we lived in Illinois and we've made them ever since.
Huge leek harvest....HELP!!!
You could also slice and freeze to make soup later. They aren't crispy after freezing, but are good for "melting" (I love melted leeks on all kinds of things, chicken, pasta, fish...)
Baking with Paper Bakeware
I've only used them from Sur la Table or a restaurant supply store. They have PET lining which makes the baked goods release easily.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
They're like a soft granola bar made with maple syrup (at least that's what we always used, in looking up recipes I saw a lot of honey+corn syrup+ maple flavor) with nuts and chocolate chips in them. We always made and ate them on road trips and when camping (the only thing that made camping worth while. I hate dirt)
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
They were fabulous. And they're gone. I do live with a teenage boy, which might explain the short stay of any baked goods (or food in general, I suppose). They reminded me of Hudson Bay Bread Bars, but richer and with more chocolate. They will for sure be made again :)
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
Peanut butter bars keep really well in the freezer too. I make mine into a pseudo-nanaimo bar (as the filling, instead of the usual buttercream filling) with the base made of peanuts and oatmeal instead of almonds and coconut. They are probably my most popular Christmas candy-tray item.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
I have carmelita bars in the oven for dessert tonight. I made a LARGE batch of caramel sauce to use up some cream that was going to go off soon. The recipe uses a cup of sauce, which is about a quarter of my supply. I'm sure the rest will go soon enough into oatmeal or onto ice cream :)
recipe is from here: http://luluthebaker.blogspot.ca/2010/10/carmelitas.html
found via pinterest
Making Fine Cake Crumbs
I worked at a bakery where we "grated" cake on a sieve to make crumbs to sprinkle. It worked great.
it looked kind of like this: http://www.amazon.com/HIC-Brands-that-Cook-Essentials/dp/B00428M7HK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1335569849&sr=8-3
We took a chunk of cake and rubbed it in the bottom of the sieve over a dish to collect the crumbs.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
Next time I would brown the butter and maybe add vanilla to the crust. They're good, but I had hoped for stellar.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
I just bought speculoos at Trader Joe's (I didn't know they sold it until yesterday, or I'd have gotten it sooner!) and need to make something with it. I'm thinking about these:
http://www.loriesmississippikitchen.com/2011/10/biscoff-brown-sugar-bars.html
Alcohol free Beef Bourguignon?
I know this is probably ridiculous, (please no "why would you cook a wine based dish without wine" comments, I get it, it's weird) but is there a good substitute for wine in beef Bourguignon? I've been asked to make this but I cook alcohol free and am looking for any kind of substitution. Would extra stock with some red wine vinegar work? Any ideas would be very helpful.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
It's too hot to bake today; summer has come early. We're making ICE CREAM! Trying a new coconut gelato recipe from She Simmers:
http://www.shesimmers.com/2010/01/my-easy-thai-style-coconut-milk-gelato.html
How to keep plastic wrap off of cake frosting?
I used spaghetti noodles before I bought a cake caddy
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
the original recipe said to let the topping sit for a while, but I found that I got better results when I put it straight in the oven. So the first batch baked right away cracked really well and ended up in pictures, and the second batch that sat while the first baked didn't crack as well, but was still tasty and crunchy. I made dutch crunch rolls in pastry school once but didn't get as good a result.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
They're a sandwich roll with a crunchy topping that cracks, also known as tiger bread, it looks like this:
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-b02fe4AQx_s/T4TicS25isI/AAAAAAAAAh0/iwcpl9nfgXQ/s1600/sandwich.jpg
It was really easy to make, so I don't think I need to buy it from a bakery anymore! I did blog the recipe, but of course can't post the link here :)
Does anyone know what these are called? And do you have a recipe for it?
is it at all like a chocolate granola bar?
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
It's chilly and rainy so I think I might bake some bread. Maybe dutch crunch rolls for sandwiches and soup at dinner? I've got lots of time now that the bakery I worked at is being shut down and I didn't get the job I wanted, so I'm still looking for something.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
I'm making a blackberry pie for Easter because my mom bought a ton of blackberries yesterday. We LOVE pie at our house, and since I'm temporarily unemployed (I hope!) I'll have a lot more time for baking the next week or two.
What are you baking these days? April 2012 [old]
I love lemon meringue pie too! I might make one for Easter to use part of the bowl of lemons I've got on my counter. I've been too busy to bake recently. Maybe in a couple of weeks things will slow down and straighten out and I'll have a bit more time to get my bake on
guacamole and taco salad - yay or nay?
I love chunks of avocado in all kinds of salads, especially taco salad. Guac sometimes gets lost, but big pieces are great
