Hello Cupcake!

Mission = To Bake!
*
I promised at the start of this blog that I would conquer the impossible, which among many things for me is....BAKING! I can't actually remember the last time I baked. The schedule of late has been so hectic, I've not premeditated a baking day in weeks and weeks!!
*
Well here is the end to the non-baking drought. Finishing my most recent attempts on a high note, I had confidence and experience on my side.
*

I chose to try creating the beautiful cupcakes pictured in Ad Hoc.

I've been dying to learn a great sugary frosting recipe as well and figured I could not go wrong with Keller guiding me.

For the first time in at least a month, I had daylight to work with.

A BEAUTIFUL SIGHT!!!

Not yet complete, this is just the first step of the batter, which consisted of dry ingredients + butter.

Interestingly enough, Keller does not use the whole egg in this batter.

Instead egg whites are whipped up and folded into the dense batter starter pictured above.

The combination creates a lighter batter with that egg white sheen.

Rather than use the typical cupcake/muffin pan, I pulled out the big guns!

My jumbo muffin tins :o)

Of course, being double the size meant a different cooking time.

I overcooked them just a bit, but felt I did alright.

Going from done to over done in baking gets me almost EVERY TIME!

Once cooled I tried for the White Buttercream from Ad Hoc. The attempt was somewhat successful. I did end up with something to put on the cupcakes, but it was not quite the consistency pictured in Keller's finished product.

Pretty disappointed with my end result being so far from perfect, Hubs came to the rescue. As we tasted one of the frosted cakes, a light bulb went off. I mentioned that I thought the taste was very similar to a dense angel food cake and the frosting similar to whipped cream. Then Hubs mentions that strawberries on top would be good.

Well he was right!

They weren't just a good addition...but a freakin' great addition!!!

Strawberry Shortcake-Cupcakes!
This taste of summer really hit the spot!!

*

With some help from Hubs, this baking attempt was rescued.

*

I think that had no one known what my initial goal was, they might just assume this was all intentional haha!!

Chocolate Croissants

Who doesn't love a good croissant?

Buttery, flaky...just scrumptious!

My husband's most favorite thing for breakfast is a good chocolate croissant. Armed with my new cookbook Baking by James Peterson, I scored off the charts on the hubby's food scale with this one!

Getting things started with some yeast.


This dough has the most unbelievable texture...it's sooo soft and supple.

This is truly a first.

Lay a butter sheet on half the dough, fold...

Roll, then fold in thirds (like a letter) and roll again.

After a couple times the dough gets a rest in the fridge to cool the butter.

Roll and fold, roll and fold.

Look at those layers!

Dough, butter, dough, butter, etc.

Filled with lots of chocolate and having a final rest before they head to the oven.

Homemade Chocolate Croissants!

We actually ate and gave away the best looking ones before I took a picture (my bad).

The hubby LOVED them...and our awesome neighbor, who happened to show his awesomeness again that particular day by clearing the driveway, also relayed their goodness!

The one pictured here is from the tray I accidentally set on a warm baking stone just before going to the oven. The butter layers began melting into one another...oops! Not a great idea, cause it produced a bread-like inner texture rather than flaky pastry goodness.

This is a must do again!

Not to mention, if you've never tried making this flaky dough from scratch...do it! The process and end result are well worth, I promise!!

A Christmas Eve Baking Challenge

1 Little Ms. Homemaker + 1 Day off from Work =

An Over Ambitious Christmas Eve

Call me crazy if you will, but here is how my Christmas Eve unfolded.

The 2009 Christmas Eve Challenge

Challah

Garlic Rosemary Rolls

Cheddar-Thyme Twists

Roasted Cauliflower with Capers

Creamed Spinach

Brown Butter Tart with Cranberries

Let's get started!

The day's menu items called for a good amount of yeast. Perhaps one of the most interesting was the Cheddar-Thyme Twist recipe, which called for it to be awaken in a cream-sugar mixture.

Initially combined...kind of looks like cream of wheat or something.

Then the magic happens and we end up with this!

Another strange happening of this recipe is that the dough was made in the food processor. Never have I heard of such a thing...but I gave it a whirl!

Butter & dry ingredients were combined to a crumb like texture (similar to when making pie dough!).

Egg yolks added.

Now we have our first ever bread dough from the food processor!

The dough is covered and allowed to rest in the fridge.


Onto the Brown Butter Tart!

I am a traditionalist when it comes to pie crust. Armed with my handy pastry cutter, I will cut the butter into the dry ingredients until I have reached the perfect vision of pea-like crumbs.

This time however, the Tart recipe calls for the crust to be made in a food processor.

My sister in law uses the food processor method for here crust and swears by it. We've just done bread dough in one, so I figured why not give this a whirl while we're at it!


Cream and egg mixture serve as the crust's wet ingredients. The use of cream was also something new to me, as the only crusts I have done use water. It's going to be a rich one!


I did not get a picture, but once combined the dough does not look like what I had expected...it was crumby, literally! I packed the dry dough into a disk shape and placed it in the fridge to set.


Now for the beautiful Challah!

A particularly tasty recipe that calls for Anise, Caraway & Sesame Seeds!


The Sesame Seeds on hand were already toasted, so we warm the Anise & Caraway.


The aromas are wonderful!


The Challah dough was mixed and allowed to rise.
In the meantime we go back to the risen roll dough.

Garlic and Rosemary Rolls!


Resting for the second rising!


A close up of the rising supple dough...smothered in garlic olive oil deliciousness!





A brief sidetrack to the roasted cauliflower dish.
The recipe called for salt packed capers.



I've never seen these before, so thought I'd include a picture.



Back to the Tart!

Cranberries washed and dried.

Little jewels were in need of a close up...a vibrant color splash for this day of cooking!

The process of making brown butter filling.

On Top Chef and other food shows I have seen and heard about browned butter. This is my first time at making it.

Included for this filling is a vanilla bean.

Combined with the egg/cream.

Added to our short bread tart crust.

Looks great. Perhaps the most refined looking dessert I've ever done!

Return of the challah!

The dough has risen and is punched down and shaped.

Once shaped the second rising occurs...

The toasted seeds are sprinkled quite liberally on.

Baked after an egg wash.

The final cheddar-thyme twists.

Back to the tart once again!

The cranberry topping is cooked up.

I ran out of time, so we raced off with a bread platter, sides and cheese ball in hand to my in-laws for Christmas Eve dinner.

The bread.

Cheeseball & Lavash crackers are on the right side in the stark light.

Ahhhhh, a professionally done roast beast (by my fabulous father in law)!

My nephew and mother in law help dress the tart.

One of the best Christmas Dinners I have ever consumed!!!!!!!!!